1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,200 Looks exactly like the book of John as far as writing style. 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:06,560 So we're just going to go with it to book. 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,800 It was written by the apostle John because that's what all the 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:13,760 all the evidence really points to. 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:22,040 So that is my I don't know. I whenever I get to the point 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:23,920 where I'm reading it and I'm listening and I'm reading, 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,400 reading the scholars talk about, well, there was a guy that was 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:33,760 around called Elder John. And maybe he did Hey guys, or it 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,520 was just John. Let's just, you know, let's just 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,200 say that. So anyway, they, they sometimes 11 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,480 they can frustrate me, but I did look into it and it's, and we'll 12 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:46,440 get into that as far as just the similarities between this and 13 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,960 the book of John. So we'll just go through and 14 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,040 read it real quick. Verse one. 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,560 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, 16 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:02,400 which we have seen with our eyes, which we have handled 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,120 concerning the word of life. The life was manifest, and we 18 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,000 have seen and bear witness and declare it to you, that eternal 19 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,400 life which was with the Father, and was manifest to us. 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,000 That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,720 you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our 22 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,040 fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 23 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,080 And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full. 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,680 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare 25 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:43,120 to you that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,720 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in 27 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,800 darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 28 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,480 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have 29 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,920 fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His 30 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,440 Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we 31 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,320 have deceived ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 32 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,840 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us 33 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,520 our sins and declare us our sorry, to cleanse us from all 34 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,720 unrighteousness. If we say that we have not 35 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,760 sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in US and Lord 36 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:26,320 just just be with us and speak to us here tonight. 37 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:28,600 I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 38 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:36,560 So John was with was with Jesus from the very beginning in 39 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:41,680 Matthew 48. Sorry, 4/18. 40 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:49,360 It actually talks about starting in verse 18 and Jesus walking by 41 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,600 the Sea of Galilee saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and 42 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,560 Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were 43 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:58,960 fishermen. And then he said to them, follow 44 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:00,960 me and I will make you fishers of men. 45 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:04,320 They immediately left their Nets and followed him. 46 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,520 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James, the son 47 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,560 of Zebony and John, his brother in a boat with Zebedee, their 48 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,160 father mending their Nets. He called them and immediately 49 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,160 they left the boat and their father and followed him. 50 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,960 So he was he was one of the the first right he was He's with 51 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:25,680 with Jesus from the very beginning. 52 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,520 And the the fun thing with that is John first hand knowledge. 53 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:38,560 John got to see things like Jesus changing water into law, 54 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,200 into wine, feeding thousands of people with with a few bread and 55 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,720 some few few fish and some bread, healing the blind, 56 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,160 healing the death, curing the sick, the injured and the 57 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,640 infirmed. He he cast out evil spirits. 58 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,240 He walked on water. He calmed storms. 59 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:05,040 He he raised people from the dead, not not just not just one 60 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,240 or two, but himself as well. Right. 61 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:12,720 And, and for John at this point, the, the, the other thing that 62 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,760 John can testify that that there's power in Jesus is that 63 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,600 at this point, church history would say that he'd they tried 64 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,600 to boil him in oil and he didn't die. 65 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,320 So he has he has a testimony, right. 66 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,880 And that's something as we go through this guy's that that we 67 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:40,120 need to share with people. I can I can get into the word 68 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,520 and I can tell you all the things that Jesus did and what 69 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,880 it says here, but what's he done to me, right? 70 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,720 What's how's he affected my life and and he has completely 71 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:56,360 changed my life. John goes on in I have my tabs 72 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:05,120 right in John 21 verse 24. John says it like this and, and 73 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,080 really my life and I would imagine your life if you've been 74 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,920 a believer for very long, I could I could write this 75 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:18,320 starting in verse 24. It says this is in chapter 21 of 76 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,920 John, verse 24. This is the disciple who 77 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,440 testifies of these things and wrote these things. 78 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,120 And we know that his testimony is true. 79 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:33,440 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if 80 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,960 they were written 1 by 1, I suppose that even the world 81 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,760 itself could not contain the books that would be written. 82 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:44,280 Amen. And that's, that's Jesus in my 83 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:46,160 life, right? When I go through it's, it's 84 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,880 not, it's not all that it's not all the big things every day. 85 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,360 It's it's or it's not the big things every once in a while. 86 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,000 It's the little things every day, all day long, right, That I 87 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,480 just get to see Jesus working in my life. 88 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:05,560 And that's that's John here. This is he goes on. 89 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,800 You know, the beginning here is that which was from the 90 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,680 beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our 91 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,520 eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled 92 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:22,080 concerning the word of life. So he ties it back to to his his 93 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,560 Gospel right, which is he ties it back with the word with the 94 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:32,960 beginning and the word and John 11 says in the beginning was the 95 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,480 word and the word was with God and the word was God. 96 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:38,920 He was in the beginning with God. 97 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,240 All things that were made through him. 98 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,520 All things were made through him and without him nothing was 99 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,080 made. And the importance of that 100 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:54,160 statement at John's time, this is this book was written between 101 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:59,960 80 and 90 AD They they figure which is and Jesus was crucified 102 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:03,720 between 30 and 36 ADS. So this was between 50 and 60 103 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,920 years after Jesus died and what's the importance of that or 104 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,520 after he rose from the dead. The importance of that is 50 and 105 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:19,720 60 years. There is no John's telling them 106 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,400 things that they can check out, right? 107 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,320 I, I look at it, I'm reading a book right now that was written 108 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,560 by an English guy, but it's about Abraham Lincoln's life. 109 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:35,240 And it's, he, the, the book was put into print in 1917. 110 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,680 And the nice thing about a book from 1917 about Abraham Lincoln 111 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,760 is that, that he didn't have an axe to grind. 112 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:44,720 I mean, it helps that he's from England, so he didn't have a 113 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,640 left or right axe to grind. But you just get a read about 114 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,160 the good and the bad in Lincoln's life and not from a 115 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,360 not from a skewed position, right? 116 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,920 And because, but he had to write it that way because there were 117 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:02,920 people that were alive that could check his facts. 118 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,320 I was going to, I didn't have time today, but I was going to 119 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,760 see how many of his contemporaries were still alive 120 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,880 when the book was written because the the guy calls out 121 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:19,400 all kinds of people, right? And the and calls him out good 122 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,800 and bad. And if he was lying, they, they 123 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,560 could have called him on that. Well, that's, that's John here, 124 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,080 right? Being being this close, John is 125 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,120 going to say things that are like, and you can check this 126 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,840 out, right? You can you, you are able to 127 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:39,240 because we live in it. We're it's at such a time in 128 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,200 history that this stuff is still in people's minds, right where 129 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:50,640 he says that others had sought have seen right. 130 00:08:55,280 --> 00:09:00,720 Verse two goes on and says the life was manifest and we have 131 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,440 seen and bear witness and declare it to you that eternal 132 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:10,000 life which was with the Father and was manifested to us and 133 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,640 that manifested word there is just revealed what is hidden 134 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:21,600 right And John is actually in a battle in the the reason he's 135 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,240 writing this letter. The reason that he actually 136 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,080 wrote the the gospel when he wrote it and wrote the letter 137 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,520 later on is there are Gnostics which are just false teachers 138 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:39,040 out there teaching things like Jesus was a was he was only 139 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,360 spirit and not man, or that he was only man and not, not God. 140 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:48,480 And either one of those makes Jesus of no, no importance, 141 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,040 right? And what I mean by that if Jesus 142 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:57,720 was only God and not man, then he couldn't have died for my 143 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,640 sins because he didn't he, he didn't put on humanity to be 144 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,040 able to do that. And if he was only and if he was 145 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,480 only man and not God, then his death could have only he could 146 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:12,320 have. Even if he was perfect, his 147 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,200 death could have only saved one person. 148 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,640 So that's it. It's very important, right? 149 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,280 But what happens, and this is when I, you know, I pick on the 150 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:27,880 fuzzy thinker people. What happens is, and it's been 151 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,360 happening since the 1st century. They're trying to put the 152 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:36,000 Trinity into a box. And I have, I've heard the, the 153 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,920 Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are all God and there's only one 154 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,280 God. And I've heard that explained 155 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:50,360 many different ways and anybody that is good at explaining it 156 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:54,600 will start off with this illustration will break down. 157 00:10:55,120 --> 00:11:00,760 It's not I can't, you know, I have, I have my, I have my body, 158 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:04,760 soul and mind, right. So that's someone guy with a 159 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:09,960 body, soul and mind. An egg has a shell, a white and 160 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,120 a yolk. You know, any of that stuff. 161 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,920 But the problem with us trying to explain the Trinity from our 162 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:22,920 position is the same thing as trying to explain to A2 163 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,240 dimensional being what 3 dimensions is. 164 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:32,360 And if you, if you think about that on A2 dimens a ball to to 165 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,960 A2 dimensional, how do you draw a ball? 166 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:39,960 It's a line. And if it bounces, it's a line 167 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,600 that gets shorter and gets taller, but it's a ball. 168 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,480 It's round. And how do you explain to A2 169 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:51,480 dimensional any but anything what round is because nothing in 170 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:56,760 their world is round. And so it's that that kind of 171 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,600 understand that there are things that are absolutely true and not 172 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,760 contradictory in the Bible that are beyond our ability to 173 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,960 actually grasp our head around it. 174 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,480 And and people can get offended by that. 175 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,720 But I will also say that the same thing it can be said about 176 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,920 the universe, right? I, I was listening to, I can't 177 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,480 remember the guy's name, but he's a astrophysicist guy that 178 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,680 says, so if you get to the edge of the universe and you throw a 179 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:30,920 spear and it goes through the through the edge of the 180 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,480 universe, that means there's something on the other side. 181 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,000 And if you get to the edge of the universe and you throw a 182 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:42,920 spear and it hits a wall, that means there's something on the 183 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:47,520 other side, right? So the universe goes on and on 184 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:49,920 and on, right? And we can't understand 185 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,120 eternity, You know, when you look at Jesus, and this is 186 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:58,000 what's important on this from the beginning and the eternal 187 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,680 life is Jesus was from the beginning. 188 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:05,720 He was, he was, he goes as far that way as he does that way, 189 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,400 right? He is he is he has always been 190 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,680 he's he was born as a baby about 2000 years ago, but Jesus has 191 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:24,480 always been and Jesus and and the thing with Jesus didn't 192 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:26,560 didn't mince words with this right. 193 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:32,560 John 539 says you search the scriptures for in them you think 194 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:36,640 you have eternal life and these are they which testify me, but 195 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,680 you are not willing to come to me that you may have life. 196 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:43,520 So this is him talking to the Pharisees, the religious leaders 197 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:49,920 that were thought they were the holiest man in the room, right? 198 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:54,320 And he is telling them that you search the scriptures and the 199 00:13:54,320 --> 00:14:00,800 scriptures speak of me and then in and then if that wasn't like 200 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,760 clear enough for him 14-6 said Jesus says to him, and this is 201 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,360 him talking to Thomas actually, but I am the way the truth and 202 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,560 the life. No one comes to the Father 203 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:18,120 except through me. So when what this comes down to 204 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:22,680 and, and what John is explaining and, and Jesus cannot be a good 205 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:28,600 man, he unless he was God and the light of the world. 206 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:35,120 Jesus is either who he said he was or he isn't anything right. 207 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,320 And I'm sure that you guys have heard that he is either a liar, 208 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:45,200 a lunatic, or God because he either knew that he wasn't God 209 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:47,920 and lied about it. That makes him a liar. 210 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:53,640 He thought he was God. That makes him a lunatic or he 211 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,520 was God. Well, on the third day when he 212 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,960 rose again, he proved he was God, right? 213 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:06,600 I mean, he healed people, He did many miracles, but on the third 214 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:11,160 day when he rose again, he proved he was God and had power 215 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,160 over over the grave, right, John? 216 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,920 First, John 1/3 says that which we have seen and heard, we 217 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,000 declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us. 218 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,400 And truly our fellowship is with the Father, with his Son Jesus 219 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,520 Christ. And these things rewrite to you 220 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:34,960 that your joy may be full. And this is John not just 221 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:40,360 wanting to make it clear to them all that Jesus has done, but 222 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:44,640 and, and the other apostles and all of that, that it was true 223 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,560 and could be trusted, but more that it was truth. 224 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,600 These truths were a source of joy, right? 225 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,880 They're not just, they're not just facts on a page. 226 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,880 This is this is joy. If Jesus came and rose again on 227 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:03,760 the third day and and forgives me for my sin, I have eternity 228 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,480 with him. This is a joy, no matter how bad 229 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,640 my life sucks, right? Embracing the suck is the thing 230 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:14,240 I talk about, but it's that's what we get to embrace. 231 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,920 I was, this isn't in my notes, but I was listening to, I'm 232 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:25,040 doing one of my classes and the pastor was talking about at the 233 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:32,120 Passover meal, the the lamb was slain and his blood was put in a 234 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:37,280 bowl and then the family had the blood in the bowl. 235 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:42,240 So in the house, there was a there was a sacrificed lamb, 236 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,320 there was blood in a bowl. But until they took that blood 237 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,520 and applied it to the doorposts, they weren't covered. 238 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,600 So it's important for us to apply that right, to apply that 239 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,240 to our lives. One of the fun things about the 240 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,920 the doorposts and I'll it's there's only a few of us here. 241 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:09,319 I'll ruin it for us in the when we're in Exodus when we get to 242 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:13,240 Passover. So how long has the cross been 243 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,520 in existence? Right. 244 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,800 The Romans came up with crucifixion, but Passover lamb 245 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:25,400 3500 years ago, God told them to put the blood on the on the 246 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,240 Mantel and on the doorpost. And if you take it, take some 247 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,840 hyssop and you put it in a bowl. Or you put blood in the bowl and 248 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,600 you take some hyssop and you put it in the bowl and then you put 249 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,880 it on the you put it on the Mantel and then you put it on 250 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:41,160 both doorposts. What did you just do right out 251 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,960 of blood and tell me that ain't just cool, right? 252 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,880 I mean, that's, that's Jesus being being there then, right 253 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,520 They were that, that blood dripping from the from the 254 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:53,960 doorpost down and then on both door. 255 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:59,120 This is this is the cross before it was even a thing, right. 256 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:07,120 So just a just one of those fun pictures that I mean, we know 257 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:10,000 the Passover lamb is a picture of Jesus, but that is just a 258 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:17,200 like direct connection. Verse 5. 259 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,840 This is the message which we have heard from him and declared 260 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,200 to you that God is light and in him is no darkness. 261 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,120 And Jesus said he's the light of the world. 262 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:31,280 And Jesus is reminded or John is reminding us of Jesus's words, 263 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,680 right? John 812 says, then Jesus spoke 264 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,840 to them again saying, I am the light of the world. 265 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:41,400 He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light 266 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:46,480 of life. And I, I talk about it a lot, 267 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:50,840 but being in Christ, right, it's raining outside right now. 268 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:56,240 And if, if I knocked out those windows, we would be affected by 269 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,440 that rain, right? If I, if, if I walked outside, 270 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,480 I'm no longer in the building and now I'm getting wet. 271 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:08,960 And the idea being in Christ is we are in Christ. 272 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:14,440 We're in his light, but he is not he is not a slave. 273 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:19,080 He is not a forceful parent, right? 274 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:25,360 He he allows us free will and will allow us free will until 275 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:30,160 the day we come to see him. And that means that I'm in 276 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:31,800 Christ, but I can reach out of him. 277 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,440 And Nehemiah, they, it, it's like breeches in the wall. 278 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,960 And when I, when, when I starting breaking windows out of 279 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,520 this building or knocking holes in the walls, suddenly this 280 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,840 building is a whole lot harder to keep warm, right? 281 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,440 I'm, I'm, I'm a lot more affected by the outside world. 282 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:57,360 So the importance of walking in his light, being in him and and 283 00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:01,520 having that be our focus on a, on a daily moment to moment 284 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:06,000 basis, right. John 16 says if we say that we 285 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,080 have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do 286 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:19,240 not practice the truth. And this is this lie that he's 287 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:24,120 talking about is like I talked about on Sunday is about our 288 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,360 where is our heart? Are we are we in it for what I 289 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:34,120 can get or what he's already done and do I think that at any 290 00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:38,280 point I deserve to be in Christ and that I mean the Pharisees 291 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,920 and we'll get into that at the end of this that you know, they 292 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,040 got it in their head that they had something to offer. 293 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:48,320 And the moment we start doing that, we are, we are reckoning, 294 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,760 we are we are thinking that I mean, my sin at that point is my 295 00:20:52,760 --> 00:21:00,600 pride that I'm the one doing this and being when it says 296 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:08,000 walking in darkness, that's practicing sin, right? 297 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,280 That's that is that is when I I wish I could remember what I 298 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,480 said being Faye were talking about something years ago. 299 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:21,440 And I said something to the extent of never think that God 300 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,120 is okaying your excuse to sin, right? 301 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,560 It's I have anger issues. So it's OK that I yell and 302 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:34,680 scream at people, you know, and doesn't mean it doesn't mean 303 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,960 that I, that I never, I never sin. 304 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,200 When I sin, do I say God's OK with it? 305 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,240 I mean, that's, that's that walking in darkness. 306 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:48,840 When I say it's OK, it's how I'm made. 307 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,760 That's that's when, that's when you're, when you're walking in 308 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,080 darkness. You have chose, you have chose 309 00:21:56,080 --> 00:22:01,560 to say, I know I'm sinning and God isn't happy with this, but 310 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,840 he's OK with it and I'll just keep doing it. 311 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:10,760 You know, and that's, you know, say somebody those, those I've 312 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,520 never had this problem, nor do I plan on ever having this 313 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:18,360 problem. But I always wonder about a, a 314 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:24,400 man that gets into an adulterous affair. 315 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:29,280 So he's going to church and he ends up sleeping around. 316 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,080 How does he think that's going to end? 317 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,800 I mean, there is no, there is no, there's no way out of that. 318 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:42,200 You, God's not going to allow you to continue. 319 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,000 There's going to be some grace and some time for you to repent 320 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,640 and, and, but you're going to have to repent, which means 321 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,200 you're going to have to come clean. 322 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,040 And if not, that's going to walk you off a short pier. 323 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:58,720 Sooner or later, you're light's going to happen, right? 324 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,080 Everybody's going to know. And that goes for all. 325 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,520 I mean, so that's a big sin that that I can I can use here. 326 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,080 But that goes for all of our sin, right? 327 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:13,480 If God's talking to us about about sin in your life, that's 328 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,920 something that you need to take serious and say, Lord, I want 329 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,000 that. I want what you want in my life, 330 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,000 right? I understand that I'm not where 331 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,520 you want me to be and I want to be where you want me to be. 332 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:29,080 So change me, right? He gives us that grace, but this 333 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:33,360 is how we're to do this. Romans 611 Likewise you also 334 00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:38,520 reckon, reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed to sin, but alive 335 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:43,120 to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. So being in him in that position 336 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:48,440 is how we we reckon ourselves dead, right? 337 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:53,520 If I got up here as a dead guy, I wouldn't have any nerves at 338 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,720 all, right? I mean, you could set me up on 339 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:58,760 stage in front of 1,000,000 people and I'm not going to 340 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,600 sweat at all because I'm dead, right? 341 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:07,600 So dead people don't don't sin because they don't gratify the 342 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:13,680 flesh because they're dead. I always John Malkovich in Reds 343 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,840 too. I think John or Bruce Willis 344 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,720 takes a needle out of his lapel and shoves it into his hand. 345 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,960 John Malkovich ends up being alive, but he he takes that like 346 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,240 a like he's dead. And that's literally how if 347 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:35,040 we're dead, if we're dead to our flesh, that's our response to 348 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:44,360 things is just it is no, it's nothing to us, but our flesh is 349 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:51,240 definitely something that needs to be killed daily and sometimes 350 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:56,520 hourly, right. Six Romans 618 says, and have 351 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:01,000 you have been and have been set free from sin, you became slaves 352 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:06,920 of righteousness, which is go back to verse 16. 353 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:11,120 Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, 354 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:16,480 you are that one slave whom you obey, whether sin leading to 355 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,240 death or obedience leading to righteousness? 356 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:26,280 And that when we trust and rely on Christ as our Lord and King, 357 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,520 right? That trusting and relying on 358 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:36,360 Christ, imagine being in the room with your King and he asked 359 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:41,520 you to do something and you say, I'll think about it, that that's 360 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:46,080 not going to go well, right? That's when we gave our lives to 361 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,600 Jesus. That's what you're agreeing to, 362 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:51,920 right? You're agreeing to he is in 363 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:57,120 charge of my life and not he is in charge of my life where I 364 00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,160 feel like letting him have charge of it. 365 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,960 It's my answer to him when he asked me a question is already 366 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,800 yes, it was yes before he asked it. 367 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,600 There's the that scene where you don't want to be a Peter on a 368 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,440 roof when God lowers down a blanket and says kill and eat 369 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:20,480 and Peter says not so Lord. So that is like an oxymoron. 370 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:28,200 Saying no and Lord at the same time it is an impossibility is 371 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:33,960 if he is your Lord, the answer is yes or OK, but it can't be 372 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,520 refusal because at that point he's not your Lord. 373 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,760 Verse 7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we 374 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,960 have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ 375 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,360 his Son cleanses us from all sin. 376 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,160 And that's that's the thing guys. 377 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,480 When I when I knock out a window and I decide I'm going to step 378 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,960 outside, it is exactly 1 turn to come back in and he seals the 379 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,640 window up. But it takes repentance, which 380 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,880 is just turning around and calling sin what it's what it 381 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,480 is, right? Confessing my sin and that 382 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:18,040 doesn't, unfortunately, I tell people this as a on a regular 383 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,280 basis. Unfortunately, when we confess 384 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:23,360 our sins to Christ, He does forgive us our sins. 385 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,680 We are forgiven 100% at that moment. 386 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:30,200 You may have some worldly consequences to pay, right? 387 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,960 That that is that that doesn't go away just because he's, he 388 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,760 forgave you, right? If you stole money, you're going 389 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,840 to need to return it. If you, if you hurt people, 390 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,640 you're you're going to have to pay for that, right? 391 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,760 That's that is, there are still worldly consequences, but you 392 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,840 are forgiven when you ask to be forgiven. 393 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,240 It's not and it isn't a it isn't. 394 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,440 Well, then I can do whatever I want to and then ask to be 395 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,040 forgiven. That's not, that's not walking 396 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:00,480 in the light, right? That's that is that is never 397 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,040 getting the windows back in the building. 398 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,840 That's that's running around outside of the building. 399 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:11,720 And then to remember, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive 400 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,960 ourselves and the truth is not in US guys, we're going to fail. 401 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:21,840 And that's we just are. And that is because there of our 402 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:27,360 of our nature, right a dirt, dirt is not real smart. 403 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:34,240 We are are are starting in in just that. 404 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:40,280 I kind of laughed when I when I quit chewing and got to the end 405 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:44,600 of myself and finally gave up and said, Lord, I can't. 406 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:49,480 And he, he took it away and I had no more, no more cravings at 407 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:53,880 all. You would think that I I learned 408 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,280 that lesson and I would only have to learn that lesson once. 409 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:03,000 And every time I have something, some sin in my life that he's 410 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,120 asking me to do, I'm fighting it with all I got until I get to 411 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:07,920 the end of myself and say Lord, I can't. 412 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,160 And he goes, I know that's why I'm here. 413 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,560 That's the whole but you would think that I would learn that 414 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:21,560 and just give up, but I don't So remembering that right, John 19 415 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:25,440 says if if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to 416 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:29,360 forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 417 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:40,680 So he is that big. Now the the in Psalms 103 verse 418 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:44,640 12 it says and as far as the East is from the West. 419 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:51,080 So far has he removed our transgressions from us and and 420 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,360 I'm sure we've many of us have heard that, but what? 421 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:58,160 And I I've shared this here before a while back, but did you 422 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:03,160 know Jesus did not die for my sin. 423 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:09,040 He died for me and I came with sin. 424 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:16,840 And how I explain this in Uganda is so that JB has big long 425 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:21,560 trucks and some of them haul, some of them haul people, some 426 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:26,240 of them haul material, some of them haul garbage. 427 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:33,520 And JBJB buys a garbage truck and gets a good deal on it. 428 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:39,240 And he comes home and unloading all the garbage and burning it 429 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,280 and cleaning the truck and scrubbing it and collecting the 430 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:47,160 water and gets everything clean. And he actually didn't burn in 431 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:48,720 the garbage yet. He's got it piled up. 432 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:53,960 And, and then Mama piece, his wife gets home and the truck's 433 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:57,560 out front, but he wants, he takes her in the back and shows 434 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,440 her all this garbage he bought and how much he paid for it. 435 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,400 She'd look at him like he's stupid because he didn't. 436 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,360 He didn't buy the garbage, He bought the truck. 437 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,600 Jesus didn't buy our sin. He paid for it, but he bought us 438 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,520 and that's that's the thing guys is that he he is more than 439 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:21,680 willing to throw our sin as far as the East is from the West to 440 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:25,040 have a relationship with us right to have a relationship 441 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,280 with me. He is John. 442 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,800 John here is talking about keeping short accounts, right? 443 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:42,520 Is is it is way easier to say I'm sorry, right? 444 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,080 I mean, and, and turn around right when the mistake happens 445 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,400 than it is to keep going down that path and then thinking 446 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,920 that. And and he's not like us because 447 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,640 we think the farther away from him, the farther down this path 448 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:02,040 that I go, the farther away from him I am and the the more mad 449 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,600 he's going to be in the, the more in trouble I am. 450 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:10,880 And none of that is true. It is always one turn, but we 451 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:15,040 our flesh, our heart does not want to make that turn the 452 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:28,600 farther down the road we get. 19 quit drinking on 92931994 whole 453 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:33,400 lot of I had a bunch of court stuff I had to do in Alaska and 454 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:35,520 my dad lived in Alaska and I moved. 455 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,520 I went up there for I was there for three months getting getting 456 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:41,360 all this a bunch of stuff I did right after I graduated high 457 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:48,000 school taken care of and was up there for three months. 458 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,080 My, I got a little brother that's 10 years younger than me 459 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:56,080 and a stepbrother that's 7-8 years younger than me. 460 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:02,000 And I stayed at their house and did all the things. 461 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,920 And then I got on my then three months later and me and my dad 462 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,920 did not have the best relationship, but lived with him 463 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,520 for three months. And then I got on the plane to 464 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:18,560 fly home to tri-cities. And when the plane landed, I 465 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,560 forgot to call my dad this back way before like everybody had a 466 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:23,880 cell phone. Then I forgot to call my dad. 467 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:29,680 I'll get to it. And then a week went by and now 468 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:30,960 he's just going to complain at me. 469 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:36,160 So 2 weeks went by, 2 1/2 years went by before I talked to my 470 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:42,000 dad because he it, it just was life. 471 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,520 I mean, I'm not defending that in any way shape or form. 472 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:49,080 But that was the, the first few times I didn't call him was 473 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:51,200 because I forgot. But then it was I didn't want to 474 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:55,960 hear it. And that was he. 475 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,040 And I wasn't mad. I mean, it was lit. 476 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,560 Everybody thinks I was mad at him. 477 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,160 I wasn't mad at him. There was. 478 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:09,080 I just, I just didn't. Jesus is not like my dad. 479 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:16,159 But we very often act like I did right, that I don't want to do 480 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:17,360 that. I don't want to just turn 481 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,080 around. I don't want to just pick up the 482 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:21,960 phone because I'm going to have to hear it. 483 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:23,199 You're not going to have to hear it. 484 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:27,880 He's going to say, he's going to say, put a robe on him. 485 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:33,600 He's going to love you, right? But it has to be a sincere from 486 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:37,840 you between you and him, right? It has to be straightforward. 487 00:34:39,199 --> 00:34:46,520 And it's an, it's a we Jesus doesn't play games. 488 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,960 We play games. The world plays games. 489 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,560 There's lots of manipulations and lots of, lots of ways to get 490 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,280 things accomplished. Jesus wants your heart and there 491 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,960 is no amount of acting like he has it that will give it to him. 492 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:08,080 Not a there is no religious game or checking boxes. 493 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,320 You know, coming on a Wednesday night or coming on a Friday 494 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:13,280 night or coming on a Sunday night, coming every day of the 495 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:15,840 week, all the days of work, the the church is open. 496 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:20,520 You are getting zero credit unless you're doing it because 497 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:25,680 you want to know him more right? It it isn't about you know, my, 498 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:28,880 my girls when they first moved out of the house were looking 499 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,160 for different churches and stuff as they moved away and they 500 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:36,920 well, I just haven't I'm like, girl, church is not God does not 501 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:41,640 sit up in heaven with a check box and going well, you didn't 502 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:45,520 make it to church on Sunday. That's a demerit going to have 503 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:49,120 some detention to do this. The point of this, the point of 504 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:51,760 a Sunday morning, the point of a Wednesday night, the point of it 505 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:54,880 is for the body to gather together and build each other 506 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:59,040 up. And so it's a time that we get 507 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:06,800 to care for one another. Galatians 6-7 says do not be 508 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,120 deceived. God is not mocked for whatever 509 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:13,680 man sows that he will also reap, for he who sows to the flesh 510 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:18,920 will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will reap 511 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:25,680 everlasting life. And that's that's it, right? 512 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:34,320 That is our John is just saying guys don't don't think that this 513 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,160 is a game to be played and that you need to look a certain way 514 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,120 and you need to act a certain way or you don't need to look a 515 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,680 certain way or you don't need to act a certain way. 516 00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:52,080 You and Jesus need to meet and he's got joy unspeakable to pour 517 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:55,280 into your life, but that's you and him. 518 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,960 I I talk every week about the get TOS of being a Christian and 519 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:01,480 really that's John here just saying the same thing. 520 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:05,080 Be in the light, right? Being in the light is a get to 521 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:10,760 if we are in Christ, we are in pure light and there is no 522 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,200 darkness, right. When I'm hanging out with him, 523 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:17,720 when I'm when I'm reading my Bible and I'm, I don't read my 524 00:37:17,720 --> 00:37:21,280 Bible because I need to. I need to read 4 chapters today 525 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:23,600 or I need to read 3 verses today. 526 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,440 I want to spend time with him. I, I talk about the Bible about 527 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:35,720 if my grandfather had wrote a book all about him and his 528 00:37:35,720 --> 00:37:40,320 friends specifically so that I would know him better. 529 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:45,240 And then when he died, somebody came up and handed it to me and 530 00:37:45,240 --> 00:37:47,640 said, you're so Grandpa D wrote this for you. 531 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:51,560 Would I read it? Absolutely right. 532 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:55,960 That's what this is. That's why we, that's why we 533 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:58,680 read the Bible is to know him more. 534 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:04,640 And this is, this is the, the Pharisee. 535 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,200 And these are the two different people in the world, right? 536 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:10,200 There's, there's actually, there's, there's more, but these 537 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,240 are the two people a lot of times in a church building 538 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:20,920 starting at Luke 18. Also, he spoke this parable to 539 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,960 some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and 540 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:27,600 despised others. Two men went up to the temple to 541 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:30,560 pray. 1A Pharisee and the other tax collector. 542 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,280 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. 543 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:37,040 God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, 544 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,920 unjust adulterers or even this tax collector. 545 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:44,800 I fast twice a week. I give ties of all I possess. 546 00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:50,480 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as 547 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,720 raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God be 548 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:58,760 merciful to me, a Sinner. I tell you, this man went down 549 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:00,760 to his house justified rather than the other. 550 00:39:01,240 --> 00:39:04,840 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who 551 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:09,440 humbles himself will be exalted. And we want to be the tax 552 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:15,960 collector, humble of our of our outside worth. 553 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:22,080 His saving grace is, is all that matters, right? 554 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,600 In his grace, we are more than conquerors. 555 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:29,720 And that's The thing is that as I, as I say that that we need to 556 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:37,120 be humble, but know that that in that, in that humble, I'm humble 557 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:42,920 because I know who I serve. And you know, Romans 837 says, 558 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:46,240 yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him 559 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:50,560 who loved us. And that's when we're in Christ. 560 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:53,480 I can be humble because he's already 1. 561 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:58,880 I don't, I don't have to, I don't have to show up and tell 562 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:03,800 everybody how big a deal I am. I don't have to act like a 563 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,400 Christian. I just get to be 1. 564 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:11,800 I just get to hang out with my God and and learn about him and 565 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:16,520 enjoy him. And last, the only thing we 566 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,880 bring to salvation is our need for it, right? 567 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:23,840 So Lord, I just lift up this time and I lift up everybody 568 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:27,120 here and thank you for a beautiful Wednesday night and 569 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:31,320 even with the rain out there. And I just thank you for this 570 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,000 time. And you'd be with us all as 571 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,680 we're driving home. Keep everybody safe. 572 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:38,400 I pray this all in Jesus name, Amen.