WEBVTT 00:00:00.059 --> 00:00:05.472 Pick up our Bibles now, lift them up and wave them around and make Jesus glad, the devil mad. 00:00:05.472 --> 00:00:09.670 Let's say this together say Heavenly Father, I'm so glad for this day. 00:00:09.670 --> 00:00:13.510 I celebrate your death, burial and resurrection. 00:00:13.510 --> 00:00:28.574 You rose from the dead to give me life, not just an existence, but life eternal, super abundant in quantity, superior in quality. 00:00:28.574 --> 00:00:39.289 Thank you for the life that I have because of your resurrection in Jesus' name, amen, Praise God, you can be seated. 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:42.270 Let's turn in our Bibles to a couple of places this morning. 00:00:42.270 --> 00:00:46.045 We'll start with Acts, chapter 1. 00:00:46.045 --> 00:00:51.293 Praise God. 00:00:51.293 --> 00:01:05.873 Acts, chapter 1, verse 1, written by Dr Luke, the former treatise. 00:01:05.873 --> 00:01:10.489 Have I made, o Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. 00:01:10.489 --> 00:01:18.908 See, jesus was just starting, and he's still continuing today, to teach and to do Until the day in which he was taken up. 00:01:18.908 --> 00:01:24.849 After that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. 00:01:24.849 --> 00:01:41.081 But he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs and, one version says, and unquestionable evidences. 00:01:41.081 --> 00:01:55.816 He showed himself alive by many infallible proofs and unquestionable evidences, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 00:01:55.816 --> 00:01:59.266 Now let's turn back to John 21,. 00:01:59.266 --> 00:02:00.691 Just a couple of pages here. 00:02:00.691 --> 00:02:13.477 My Bible is just one page, and we'll start reading with verse 1, john 21, 1. 00:02:13.477 --> 00:02:18.962 And this is after the resurrection. 00:02:18.983 --> 00:02:22.753 After these things, jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and on this wise showed he himself. 00:02:22.753 --> 00:02:33.509 There were together Simon Peter and Thomas, thomas called Didymus and Nathanael of Cana and Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee and two other of his disciples, a total of seven out of the 11. 00:02:33.509 --> 00:02:42.026 And Simon Peter saith unto them I go a-fishing, amen, I go a-fishing. 00:02:42.026 --> 00:02:46.350 How many of you know he wasn't fishing for you know, for entertainment. 00:02:46.350 --> 00:02:49.984 He was fishing for a dollar, tired of being broke. 00:02:49.984 --> 00:02:52.290 That's what they had. 00:02:52.290 --> 00:02:53.944 They made their living by fishing. 00:02:53.944 --> 00:03:00.251 I go a-fishing and they say unto him you ain't going by yourself, I'm going with you. 00:03:01.580 --> 00:03:03.508 So they went forth and entered into a ship. 00:03:03.508 --> 00:03:04.248 How many of you know it wasn't a ship? 00:03:04.248 --> 00:03:04.510 It's a ship. 00:03:04.510 --> 00:03:05.152 How many of you know it wasn't a ship? 00:03:05.152 --> 00:03:05.407 It's a boat? 00:03:05.407 --> 00:03:06.228 Okay, it's a boat. 00:03:06.228 --> 00:03:08.931 It says ship here in the King James, but it's a boat. 00:03:08.931 --> 00:03:12.062 And that night they caught. 00:03:12.062 --> 00:03:17.856 How many did they catch, and they're fishermen, professional. 00:03:17.856 --> 00:03:19.461 Nothing, they caught nothing. 00:03:19.461 --> 00:03:20.623 Everybody shout nothing. 00:03:21.687 --> 00:03:27.602 But when the morning was now come, jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 00:03:27.602 --> 00:03:34.052 But Jesus saith unto them children, and we would say guys. 00:03:34.052 --> 00:03:35.901 That's what we would say. 00:03:35.901 --> 00:03:39.725 Guys, literally it means lads. 00:03:39.725 --> 00:03:45.914 Here, they are grown up men, professional fishermen, and he's calling them lads. 00:03:45.914 --> 00:03:49.629 Okay, laddies, have you any meat? 00:03:49.629 --> 00:03:50.181 Don't you know? 00:03:50.181 --> 00:03:51.762 They hated to hear that, don't you know? 00:03:51.762 --> 00:03:53.087 It just crawled all over them. 00:03:53.087 --> 00:03:56.020 They don't want to say they caught nothing. 00:03:56.020 --> 00:03:58.848 Have you any meat? 00:03:58.848 --> 00:04:05.092 They answered no, and he said unto them cast it out on the right side of the ship and you shall find. 00:04:05.092 --> 00:04:11.353 And they cast, therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 00:04:11.353 --> 00:04:18.774 Therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved, saith unto Peter it is the Lord. 00:04:18.774 --> 00:04:28.533 Now, when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, for he was naked, and he did cast himself into the sea. 00:04:28.533 --> 00:04:38.995 And the other disciples came in a little ship or a little boat, for they were not far from land, but, as it were, two hundred cubits dragging the net with fishes. 00:04:38.995 --> 00:04:41.483 And as soon as they were come to land. 00:04:41.483 --> 00:04:45.894 They saw a fire of coals there and fish laid thereon and bread. 00:04:45.894 --> 00:04:52.012 Jesus saith unto them Bring of the fish which you have now caught. 00:04:52.012 --> 00:04:59.783 And Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty-three For all that. 00:04:59.783 --> 00:05:01.127 There were so many. 00:05:01.127 --> 00:05:02.771 Yet was not the net broken. 00:05:02.771 --> 00:05:06.810 And Jesus said unto them Come and dine. 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:11.701 And none of the disciples dared ask him who are you Knowing? 00:05:11.701 --> 00:05:17.310 That it was the Lord Jesus then cometh and taketh bread and giveth them and fish. 00:05:17.310 --> 00:05:22.899 Likewise, this is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples. 00:05:22.899 --> 00:05:28.062 After that he was risen from the dead, and so on. 00:05:28.101 --> 00:05:36.413 This Easter Sunday morning, I just want to share a message, a simple message entitled Resurrection Assurances, assurances. 00:05:36.413 --> 00:05:39.786 Jesus showed himself alive. 00:05:39.786 --> 00:05:47.321 Dr Luke said after the resurrection, by many infallible proofs, not just a few, in fact. 00:05:47.321 --> 00:06:02.675 In John 20, just a few verses before what we read about the fishing trip, it says that he granted many signs in the presence of the disciples after his resurrection. 00:06:02.675 --> 00:06:04.386 But these are written that you might believe. 00:06:04.386 --> 00:06:05.252 He said you know, the books couldn't even hold the number of the disciples after his resurrection. 00:06:05.252 --> 00:06:05.668 But these are written that you might believe. 00:06:05.668 --> 00:06:07.312 He said you know, the books couldn't even hold them. 00:06:07.312 --> 00:06:11.831 A number of signs, I mean, he showed himself over and over again. 00:06:11.831 --> 00:06:20.750 And so he offered them these assurances that it was indeed him and that he had indeed risen from the dead. 00:06:21.401 --> 00:06:28.723 And I'm telling you, if the disciples and that generation need assurance, how much more do we need assurance? 00:06:28.723 --> 00:06:33.293 I tell you, he offers us assurance today. 00:06:33.293 --> 00:06:41.634 And so here in John 21, we have this record of his teaching them and assuring them. 00:06:41.634 --> 00:06:52.031 And you know he'd already told them before the crucifixion I'm gonna be risen from the dead, I'm gonna see you in galilee. 00:06:52.031 --> 00:06:54.696 I mean, he didn't just spring this on. 00:06:56.403 --> 00:07:02.834 And yet they had a hard time believing, they had a hard time understanding, they had a hard time. 00:07:02.834 --> 00:07:07.444 And you know, you think about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:07:07.444 --> 00:07:13.846 That is the greatest outpouring of power that God is, including the, including the creation. 00:07:13.846 --> 00:07:25.413 It's the greatest outpouring of power that's ever been displayed by God almighty, because it was opposed by all the devil and demon powers of principalities and rulers of darkness. 00:07:25.413 --> 00:07:29.007 They all opposed this resurrection. 00:07:29.007 --> 00:07:32.334 They thought they had Jesus where they wanted him in hell. 00:07:32.334 --> 00:07:42.466 The Bible says in Colossians he stripped himself of these demon powers and made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in himself. 00:07:42.466 --> 00:07:45.173 They were glued to him. 00:07:45.173 --> 00:07:48.528 He was down in hell, suffering for you and I. 00:07:48.528 --> 00:07:55.591 We deserve to go there, but we're not going to go if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and receive him. 00:07:55.591 --> 00:07:58.247 He took our punishment. 00:07:59.942 --> 00:08:08.826 I heard a very famous preacher say if you believe that Jesus died spiritually, you're committing heresy and really it's blasphemy. 00:08:08.826 --> 00:08:10.927 I don't understand that statement. 00:08:10.927 --> 00:08:15.208 I mean, you know we all deserve to go to hell, but we're not going there. 00:08:15.208 --> 00:08:15.790 Who went there? 00:08:15.790 --> 00:08:16.752 Jesus went to hell. 00:08:16.752 --> 00:08:18.225 He had to die spiritually. 00:08:18.225 --> 00:08:21.129 Dying spiritually means he was separated from God, his Father. 00:08:21.129 --> 00:08:26.646 He was lost, as it were. 00:08:26.646 --> 00:08:29.872 You're saying the son of God was lost. 00:08:29.872 --> 00:08:31.884 No, I'm saying the son of man was lost. 00:08:31.884 --> 00:08:35.431 He laid aside being the son of God. 00:08:35.431 --> 00:08:45.410 He was the son of God, never stopped being the son of God, but the Bible teaches us that he laid aside his authority, he laid aside his sonship and became as a man. 00:08:45.410 --> 00:08:49.230 He became subject to temptation, yet without sin. 00:08:49.230 --> 00:08:55.668 Oh, these are cornerstones of the faith that people are losing right now. 00:08:56.601 --> 00:09:08.142 When you've got a total outlaw in the White House celebrating an alternative lifestyle, calling it, say that it's the fabric of our nation. 00:09:08.142 --> 00:09:09.024 Are you nuts? 00:09:09.024 --> 00:09:11.330 Yes, he is nuts. 00:09:11.330 --> 00:09:16.660 No, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:09:16.660 --> 00:09:20.886 We will not allow it to be hijacked by some silly couple. 00:09:20.886 --> 00:09:28.035 Dr Jill doesn't want to need religious symbols on the egg, easter, egg roll at the. 00:09:28.035 --> 00:09:29.764 I mean, are you these people? 00:09:29.764 --> 00:09:31.849 Are they need to be drummed out of there? 00:09:31.849 --> 00:09:33.301 Are we going to get rid of them? 00:09:33.301 --> 00:09:35.404 Are we going to get rid of these people? 00:09:35.404 --> 00:09:41.400 Anyway, I'm talking about the resurrection, praise God. 00:09:41.400 --> 00:09:43.647 I don't care if it cramps their style. 00:09:43.647 --> 00:09:45.110 They can lie all they want to. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:10:04.364 We're going to tell the truth today now, on the night before he was crucified it's recorded there in John, chapter 14, 15 and 16 Jesus was beginning to teach his disciples because they're sad, they know he's leaving and they don't understand it. 00:10:04.364 --> 00:10:07.730 He said no, I'm going to come again. 00:10:07.730 --> 00:10:08.953 Well, they didn't understand it. 00:10:08.953 --> 00:10:13.224 You know they just all they could focus on was the death. 00:10:13.224 --> 00:10:15.048 You know Catholics focus on the death. 00:10:15.048 --> 00:10:17.493 They've still got Jesus nailed to a cross. 00:10:17.493 --> 00:10:23.514 No, no, he's not on the cross anymore. 00:10:23.514 --> 00:10:26.514 He's risen from the dead. 00:10:26.514 --> 00:10:28.745 Yes, yes, he died on the cross, but he didn't stay there. 00:10:28.745 --> 00:10:41.580 So he started teaching them about and, to make them feel better, he started talking to them about the Holy Spirit. 00:10:41.721 --> 00:10:45.994 He called him the comforter in the Greek. 00:10:45.994 --> 00:10:47.881 That Greek word is parakletos. 00:10:47.881 --> 00:10:52.370 Comforter is a poor translation of that word. 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:56.746 Comforter, you know, we kind of think comforter like poor baby pat you on the head. 00:10:56.746 --> 00:10:58.451 That's not really what the comforter is. 00:10:58.451 --> 00:11:01.886 The comforter is an ally, he's a helper. 00:11:01.886 --> 00:11:04.291 That's the best description of the Holy Ghost is. 00:11:04.291 --> 00:11:15.799 He's a helper, he's a strengthener, he's a standby, he's the one called alongside us to help us. 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:21.986 And he said you know, I'm not going to leave you orphans when I leave here, I'm going to send another comforter. 00:11:21.986 --> 00:11:24.030 See, jesus, while he was on the earth, was a comforter, he was a paracletos. 00:11:24.030 --> 00:11:25.313 He functioned that way. 00:11:25.313 --> 00:11:29.907 He helped them, he was an advocate, he was an intercessor. 00:11:31.009 --> 00:11:35.509 All those shades of meaning are in the wrapped up in that Greek word paracletos. 00:11:35.509 --> 00:11:38.437 Really, I mean, it's hard. 00:11:38.437 --> 00:11:39.903 You know it's like a lot of Greek words. 00:11:39.903 --> 00:11:44.460 There's hardly any English single English word that covers the meaning. 00:11:44.460 --> 00:12:09.100 There's hardly any English single English word that covers the meaning Really, the meaning of it, the true meaning of the word paracletos is what would happen if a person needed help that without this paracletos, they would collapse, collapse. 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:18.174 So that's what you had when you had General Patton, addressing his troops before they went out to battle, and he was encouraging them, says nobody is out there to die for their country. 00:12:18.174 --> 00:12:22.230 They're out there to get the other guy to die for his, the enemy to die for his country. 00:12:22.230 --> 00:12:26.462 You know, you're not I'm not asking you to die for your country. 00:12:26.462 --> 00:12:29.780 None of those guys died for their country, by the way, they died for their brothers. 00:12:29.780 --> 00:12:34.051 If they died, they died protecting one of their brothers. 00:12:34.051 --> 00:12:35.212 That's how they looked at it. 00:12:35.212 --> 00:12:42.580 They never, they never assumed this, this this lofty kind of hero role of dying for their country. 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:44.067 They died for their brother. 00:12:45.735 --> 00:12:47.623 But you know, they needed encouragement. 00:12:47.623 --> 00:12:51.456 They needed somebody to come up there and put steel in their spine. 00:12:51.456 --> 00:13:03.245 They needed someone to give them a word that would cause them such encouragement that they would stand in the face of terrible odds without shrinking back. 00:13:03.245 --> 00:13:04.846 They would not collapse. 00:13:04.846 --> 00:13:10.234 And so he talked to them about this comforter. 00:13:10.234 --> 00:13:25.115 He said I'm going to send another comforter the word another means identical, even the spirit of truth which the world cannot receive and he's going to come and he's going to be with you and he shall be in you. 00:13:25.115 --> 00:13:30.971 So he couldn't be in them yet because Jesus hadn't died on the cross yet, but the Holy Spirit. 00:13:30.971 --> 00:13:36.052 He's talking to them about the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the strengthener, the standby, the paraclete. 00:13:36.052 --> 00:13:48.658 And so Jesus taught by precept and by example, taught by precept and by example. 00:13:48.658 --> 00:14:05.572 And so in this resurrection testimony of him appearing to them on the shore of Galilee after their fruitless fishing trip, jesus is teaching and showing them and giving them assurances by example. 00:14:05.952 --> 00:14:09.489 And I wanted to, and I believe it applies to us today. 00:14:09.489 --> 00:14:16.385 You know how many of you could stand to have some assurance today and whether you need it. 00:14:16.385 --> 00:14:33.510 Somebody you know is going to need it down the road, because there's so much deception and so much changing of history and so many people out redefining words and making them mean something they don't mean. 00:14:33.510 --> 00:14:36.830 Listen, we've got to get back to the basics. 00:14:36.830 --> 00:14:40.307 So we have assurance. 00:14:40.307 --> 00:14:43.548 This is why the message is called Resurrection Assurances. 00:14:43.548 --> 00:14:45.412 We need assurance, they need it, we need it. 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:56.448 And so the first assurance I see is found here in verse 4, where it says Jesus stood on the shore, near them. 00:14:56.448 --> 00:15:00.110 He was near enough for them to see him and for them to hear him. 00:15:00.110 --> 00:15:03.850 So the first assurance is Jesus is with you. 00:15:03.850 --> 00:15:09.432 His resurrection tells us that Jesus is with you. 00:15:09.432 --> 00:15:11.881 He's with you. 00:15:11.881 --> 00:15:14.486 Glory to God. 00:15:14.486 --> 00:15:26.235 You know, when you're facing the darkest night, when you're facing the toughest circumstances, you need to know he's not some way off place, he's not 14,000 light years away. 00:15:26.235 --> 00:15:27.504 No, he's with you. 00:15:27.504 --> 00:15:28.969 How's he with you? 00:15:28.969 --> 00:15:33.429 In the person of the Holy Ghost, because the Holy Ghost is identical to Jesus. 00:15:33.429 --> 00:15:35.865 He's with you. 00:15:40.647 --> 00:15:49.591 You know, they were still wavering between you know, being fishers of men, jesus said you know, follow me and I'll make you to become fishers of men. 00:15:49.591 --> 00:15:51.697 So that's what he was training them to do. 00:15:51.697 --> 00:15:55.034 He was getting them out of the fishing business into the fishermen and men business. 00:15:55.034 --> 00:16:00.860 And yet, you know, they're wavering, even after they'd already seen him. 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:02.826 I mean he's already appeared to them. 00:16:02.826 --> 00:16:07.597 I mean he's already granted all kinds of signs and wonders that he's alive. 00:16:07.597 --> 00:16:10.052 Each time they saw him, they didn't know him. 00:16:10.052 --> 00:16:12.692 He was changing. 00:16:12.692 --> 00:16:16.284 I mean the glory of God was changing his countenance. 00:16:16.284 --> 00:16:22.614 He wasn't immediately identifiable, and so this way is no different. 00:16:22.614 --> 00:16:26.416 But he's with them and he's near to them and he's calling to them. 00:16:26.416 --> 00:16:30.296 I'm telling you, no matter how alone you feel, he's near you. 00:16:30.296 --> 00:16:34.350 Jesus is with you. 00:16:36.446 --> 00:16:42.775 He said in Matthew 28, the very last chapter of Matthew, where he had taken them out, you know, to Galilee. 00:16:42.775 --> 00:16:55.182 And he gathered them up and and uh, the Bible says you know, he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they doubted, doubted his resurrection, all the way till the 40th day. 00:16:55.182 --> 00:17:01.118 The 40th day he was raised up into heaven and ascended into heaven and left them and they were looking up. 00:17:01.118 --> 00:17:05.613 The angel said why stand you here gazing into the sky? 00:17:05.613 --> 00:17:13.877 But even at that point Jesus is still telling them go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. 00:17:13.877 --> 00:17:14.965 He didn't give up on them. 00:17:14.965 --> 00:17:17.869 And here he's not giving up on them. 00:17:17.869 --> 00:17:22.155 I mean, he didn't make fun of him. 00:17:22.155 --> 00:17:27.789 He said you know, I'm with you, I'm calling to you, I'm right here, close by. 00:17:27.789 --> 00:17:32.625 And so when he raised up the Bible, you know he was ascended into heaven. 00:17:32.625 --> 00:17:34.650 He said lo, I'm with you always. 00:17:34.650 --> 00:17:35.571 You know he's with us. 00:17:35.571 --> 00:17:37.857 Now he's, he will be with us forever. 00:17:37.857 --> 00:17:44.955 The second thing is he's teaching by precept and by example, by example. 00:17:44.955 --> 00:17:45.698 He's there. 00:17:45.698 --> 00:17:49.095 Number two Jesus is for you. 00:17:49.095 --> 00:17:53.333 He's not only with you, he's for you. 00:17:53.333 --> 00:17:54.015 What did he say? 00:17:54.015 --> 00:17:56.813 Hey guys, catch anything. 00:17:56.813 --> 00:17:59.895 See, he's interested. 00:17:59.895 --> 00:18:02.513 He's interested in whether they were successful. 00:18:02.513 --> 00:18:08.288 Interested, he's interested in whether they were successful. 00:18:08.308 --> 00:18:10.013 You know, I one of the greatest revelations I had after I got saved. 00:18:10.013 --> 00:18:12.481 And I and and Jesus, I say I was the one that was lost. 00:18:12.481 --> 00:18:13.951 And people say I found Jesus. 00:18:13.951 --> 00:18:14.834 No, he found you. 00:18:14.834 --> 00:18:15.919 You're the one that's lost. 00:18:15.919 --> 00:18:17.946 He's always known where he is. 00:18:17.946 --> 00:18:20.353 You know, you're the one that's lost. 00:18:20.353 --> 00:18:21.717 You're the one that needs to find him. 00:18:21.717 --> 00:18:26.308 You're the one that's lost, you're the one that needs to find him. 00:18:26.308 --> 00:18:27.592 And, uh, you know, but he found me. 00:18:27.592 --> 00:18:27.853 He found me. 00:18:27.853 --> 00:18:39.538 And one of the greatest things I realized after, after just a few weeks of sitting under the word of God and Lakewood church, john Osteen, is that God was interested in my business. 00:18:39.538 --> 00:18:42.430 He was interested in my success. 00:18:42.430 --> 00:18:44.493 I didn't know that All the years. 00:18:44.594 --> 00:18:45.635 I grew up a Catholic. 00:18:45.635 --> 00:18:46.898 I went to Catholic school. 00:18:46.898 --> 00:18:48.711 I prayed all those prayers and the missile. 00:18:48.711 --> 00:18:49.574 Did you have a missile? 00:18:49.574 --> 00:18:55.756 Mine was more like a hand grenade, but anyway, they call this little book a missile. 00:18:55.756 --> 00:18:57.147 You know that you had. 00:18:57.147 --> 00:19:04.252 When you went to mass you opened it up and all the prayers were already written in there Our Father, the Hail, mary. 00:19:04.252 --> 00:19:06.529 You know, don't pray to Mary, mary's, not God. 00:19:06.529 --> 00:19:08.433 I had a Catholic. 00:19:08.433 --> 00:19:09.938 Oh well, she's my goal between us. 00:19:10.025 --> 00:19:12.210 That's not what the word says Jesus is the only. 00:19:12.210 --> 00:19:16.667 There's one man, one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. 00:19:16.667 --> 00:19:17.288 There's no me. 00:19:17.288 --> 00:19:20.155 She's not a mediator, she's just a believer. 00:19:20.155 --> 00:19:21.097 She's a believer. 00:19:21.097 --> 00:19:25.067 Do you pray and say that? 00:19:25.067 --> 00:19:26.792 When you See, when you're Catholic, you're taught to pray to all these saints? 00:19:26.792 --> 00:19:28.298 No, don't pray to saints, don't pray to Mary. 00:19:28.298 --> 00:19:30.404 Go right up to the top. 00:19:30.404 --> 00:19:32.368 Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. 00:19:33.090 --> 00:19:36.237 But in all my praying as a Catholic, I was lost. 00:19:36.237 --> 00:19:37.605 I admit I didn't know the Lord. 00:19:37.605 --> 00:19:38.768 I'd not been born again. 00:19:38.768 --> 00:19:39.650 I knew about him. 00:19:39.650 --> 00:19:44.096 I considered myself a Christian because I knew I wasn't a Muslim. 00:19:44.096 --> 00:19:46.787 See, that's the way a lot of people are. 00:19:46.787 --> 00:19:52.250 They think they're a Christian because they're not a Muslim, or they're not a Hindu, or they're not an atheist, or they're not an agnostic. 00:19:52.250 --> 00:19:54.916 Well, it takes more than that. 00:19:54.916 --> 00:19:56.125 You need to be born again. 00:19:57.707 --> 00:20:09.077 But anyway, when I found out that God cared about my success and the year leading up to my getting saved, I mean I was broke. 00:20:09.077 --> 00:20:11.920 We had been drawing money out of the bank to pay our bills. 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:24.243 Houses weren't selling, interest rates were over the top 14.75% interest rate for a mortgage. 00:20:24.243 --> 00:20:25.290 My money that I borrowed was more than that. 00:20:25.290 --> 00:20:26.116 When you could get it. 00:20:26.116 --> 00:20:30.213 I was paying interest on houses, I'd run out of money. 00:20:30.213 --> 00:20:43.173 Oh, thank God, when I found out that God cared about my success and I began to tithe and I began to give offerings, over and above the tithe, you know, I'm telling you right now, things turned around fast. 00:20:43.173 --> 00:20:51.096 God is interested in your success, he is for you, he's not against you, he's for you. 00:20:51.096 --> 00:20:54.626 Everybody say God is with me, god is for me. 00:20:57.751 --> 00:21:01.297 He told them where to find the fish They'll cast it at. 00:21:01.297 --> 00:21:04.047 Oh, no, nothing, no, no fish. 00:21:04.047 --> 00:21:11.310 I'm going to cast a that right over here, on the right side, right over the side of the boat, right over the side of the boat. 00:21:11.310 --> 00:21:13.529 153,. 00:21:13.529 --> 00:21:14.393 It said great fish. 00:21:14.393 --> 00:21:18.054 You know, sea of Galilee doesn't have big, big fish. 00:21:18.054 --> 00:21:20.529 I don't know how big they are, but they're not like that. 00:21:20.529 --> 00:21:21.667 You know they're little fish. 00:21:21.667 --> 00:21:24.135 But that day Jesus knew they're little fish. 00:21:24.135 --> 00:21:28.032 And, uh, but that day Jesus knew where the great fish were. 00:21:28.032 --> 00:21:30.058 Did they eat all the? 00:21:30.058 --> 00:21:33.227 No, that that wasn't for eating, that was for selling. 00:21:33.227 --> 00:21:37.054 Are y'all with me now? 00:21:37.054 --> 00:21:39.217 Those fish are mostly for selling. 00:21:39.217 --> 00:21:40.700 That I'm telling you. 00:21:40.744 --> 00:21:42.148 He cared about their success. 00:21:42.148 --> 00:21:44.496 He cared about whether they had money in the bank. 00:21:44.496 --> 00:21:47.755 He cared about whether they could pay their bills and feed their family. 00:21:47.755 --> 00:21:48.537 Are you with me now? 00:21:48.537 --> 00:21:50.964 Glory to God. 00:21:50.964 --> 00:22:01.516 I tell you, you may have run out of options, you may have fished all night and hadn't caught a thing, so to speak. 00:22:01.516 --> 00:22:05.875 But I tell you, god knows where the provision is for you. 00:22:05.875 --> 00:22:09.015 He knows how to point you in the right. 00:22:09.015 --> 00:22:10.431 Come on, lift your hand right now. 00:22:10.431 --> 00:22:13.971 His resurrection. 00:22:15.286 --> 00:22:20.518 He's teaching us by example, by precept and example. 00:22:20.518 --> 00:22:22.411 Precept is what I'm doing right here. 00:22:22.411 --> 00:22:23.895 The Word, but example is you live it in front of someone. 00:22:23.895 --> 00:22:25.181 Precept and example. 00:22:25.181 --> 00:22:26.144 Precept is what I'm doing right here. 00:22:26.144 --> 00:22:29.868 The word, but example is you live it in front of someone, your children. 00:22:29.868 --> 00:22:34.335 I'm telling you you can preach to them and you can talk to them, but they're watching how you live. 00:22:34.335 --> 00:22:38.300 They're watching you, how you conduct your Christian life. 00:22:38.300 --> 00:22:49.282 That's teaching them more than anything you could ever say to them. 00:22:49.282 --> 00:22:50.164 And they're watching. 00:22:50.164 --> 00:22:58.355 They might roll their eyes, but they're still watching and they're learning. 00:22:58.355 --> 00:23:03.877 He's our advocate, he's our helper. 00:23:03.877 --> 00:23:09.071 And then the last one is that Jesus is in you. 00:23:09.071 --> 00:23:15.141 He's in you, he's with you, he's for you, he's in you. 00:23:15.141 --> 00:23:18.074 And if he isn't in you, he wants to be in you. 00:23:19.886 --> 00:23:21.373 Where do you get that out of this. 00:23:21.373 --> 00:23:28.138 Well, he said you know, have you any meat? 00:23:28.138 --> 00:23:29.912 No, we'll cast on this side. 00:23:29.912 --> 00:23:34.696 So they caught a big old net full of fish 153. 00:23:34.696 --> 00:23:39.513 And he said come and take of the fish you have now caught. 00:23:39.513 --> 00:23:42.271 Of the fish, not all the fish, just of the fish. 00:23:42.271 --> 00:23:44.971 He already had fish cooking. 00:23:44.971 --> 00:23:49.096 He had coals of fire and he had bread and he had fish. 00:23:49.096 --> 00:23:57.335 That should have been enough, but no, he wanted them to have skin in the game, he wanted them to participate in something. 00:23:57.335 --> 00:24:02.112 He said take of the fish you have now caught, come and dine. 00:24:02.112 --> 00:24:06.672 Let's have a meal together. 00:24:06.672 --> 00:24:15.413 I'm not going to just do all of it, you're going to participate, you're going to bring what you have and you're going to get what I have. 00:24:15.413 --> 00:24:17.653 And together we're going to come and dine. 00:24:18.429 --> 00:24:30.434 And in the Jewish tradition, eating together is the highest form of intimacy, fellowship, partnership, relationship. 00:24:30.434 --> 00:24:35.259 Koinonia is the Greek word. 00:24:35.259 --> 00:24:36.807 It's the highest form. 00:24:36.807 --> 00:24:41.836 I was reading Billy Brim's newsletter a few weeks ago. 00:24:41.836 --> 00:24:51.287 Months ago actually, in December, she was in Israel and they were invited to a family Seder meal. 00:24:51.287 --> 00:24:54.029 That's, you know, every Friday night. 00:24:54.029 --> 00:25:01.760 See, friday night is the beginning of their can't work. 00:25:01.760 --> 00:25:05.298 And so they have a meal on Friday night. 00:25:05.298 --> 00:25:12.698 It's Friday night to Saturday night and she was invited to this family and she said I was struck by the family atmosphere. 00:25:12.698 --> 00:25:15.773 It was a big spread of food and everybody's excited. 00:25:15.773 --> 00:25:23.076 You've got mom and dad and grandpa and grandma and all the kids and the grandkids and you've even got aunts and uncles there and cousins. 00:25:23.076 --> 00:25:25.373 I mean it's a huge family gathering. 00:25:25.373 --> 00:25:27.387 This particular Seder meal. 00:25:27.387 --> 00:25:30.275 And she said are you sure you want me to come to your? 00:25:30.275 --> 00:25:33.969 Oh, yes, see, they wanted her involved. 00:25:33.969 --> 00:25:38.038 See, this is why the Jews are an identifiable race. 00:25:38.038 --> 00:25:40.208 After 3,000 years. 00:25:40.208 --> 00:25:47.579 They have these traditions of eating together and when you eat together, that is the highest form of fellowship. 00:25:47.579 --> 00:25:51.537 That means they want you included in their intimacy. 00:25:51.537 --> 00:25:55.155 They want you to participate in partnership with them. 00:25:55.155 --> 00:26:07.684 Bring of the fish that you have now caught, come and dine, come and dine, come and dine. 00:26:08.664 --> 00:26:15.398 So he he's preaching to John in Revelation, chapter three, verse 20. 00:26:15.398 --> 00:26:28.555 Remember he told John to write letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor and let them know five out of the seven. 00:26:28.555 --> 00:26:29.640 Repent, or else you're not doing what I want you to do. 00:26:29.640 --> 00:26:33.070 You've got a few things you're doing right, but a lot of stuff you're doing wrong, and you better repent, or else. 00:26:33.070 --> 00:26:37.327 And then he gave them the else, he gave them the consequences. 00:26:37.347 --> 00:26:39.172 These are born again Christians. 00:26:39.172 --> 00:26:45.710 These are people that are saved, and it's written to the pastors of these seven churches. 00:26:45.710 --> 00:26:49.989 We have those kind of churches on earth today. 00:26:49.989 --> 00:26:57.150 They better repent, or else They've got about that long to change their tune. 00:26:57.150 --> 00:27:10.166 All the churches that went woke, all the churches that are adopting this inclusion Well, we include everybody, but that means they have to get saved. 00:27:10.166 --> 00:27:14.130 It means they have to leave their filthy lifestyle behind. 00:27:14.130 --> 00:27:19.648 There's no salvation without repentance. 00:27:19.648 --> 00:27:24.767 We don't have a Christian bank robbers association. 00:27:24.767 --> 00:27:27.573 Amen. 00:27:27.573 --> 00:27:31.527 No, you got to change. 00:27:31.527 --> 00:27:34.348 You got to move out of that into him. 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:45.570 So in Revelation 3, verse 20, he said Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 00:27:45.570 --> 00:27:51.518 I stand at the door and knock. 00:27:51.518 --> 00:28:08.010 If any man, if any man, hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and I will sup with him and he with me. 00:28:08.010 --> 00:28:12.287 Did they hear his voice? 00:28:12.287 --> 00:28:14.925 Yes, they heard his voice. 00:28:14.925 --> 00:28:18.607 See, he said come and dine. 00:28:18.607 --> 00:28:24.327 See, jesus wants to be in you. 00:28:24.327 --> 00:28:26.565 He is in you. 00:28:26.565 --> 00:28:36.953 If you've received him To as many as received him to them, gave him the privilege of becoming the son of God, even those that call on his name. 00:28:40.141 --> 00:28:42.869 I was watching something the other day and it was a movie. 00:28:42.869 --> 00:28:50.613 I think it was the Ten Commandments, one of the extras in the Ten Commandments Hollywood Hollywood's version. 00:28:50.613 --> 00:28:58.406 It's got a lot of dramatic license in it Stuff it's not in the Bible. 00:28:58.406 --> 00:28:58.868 This was one of them. 00:28:58.868 --> 00:29:00.375 Well, we're all children of God, oh, I hollered at the TV. 00:29:00.375 --> 00:29:03.743 No, we're not dummy, we're not all children of God. 00:29:03.743 --> 00:29:06.169 No, sir, no, sir. 00:29:06.169 --> 00:29:08.133 God created everything, but he didn't. 00:29:08.133 --> 00:29:14.428 We're children only by the new birth, only by being in Christ. 00:29:14.428 --> 00:29:17.489 Jesus told them out there in John 14. 00:29:17.489 --> 00:29:19.808 He says I am the way, the truth and the life. 00:29:19.808 --> 00:29:21.988 No man cometh to the Father but by me. 00:29:24.401 --> 00:29:38.373 So anyway, the artist that painted this fancy picture had a picture of jesus knocking on this big rugged door, big old wooden door, and, uh, his friend. 00:29:38.373 --> 00:29:39.976 He was showing his friend this painting. 00:29:39.976 --> 00:29:42.967 It's always a beautiful painting. 00:29:42.967 --> 00:29:43.848 That's so touching he. 00:29:43.848 --> 00:29:46.756 He said do you, you, you miss something though? 00:29:46.756 --> 00:29:49.101 Oh, yeah, what did I miss? 00:29:49.101 --> 00:29:50.924 He said well, there's no latch on the door. 00:29:50.924 --> 00:29:54.461 He said oh, no, I didn't miss it, it's on the inside. 00:29:54.461 --> 00:29:57.446 There's no latch on the outside. 00:29:57.446 --> 00:29:59.631 Jesus can't open the door. 00:29:59.631 --> 00:30:02.501 It has to be open from the inside. 00:30:02.501 --> 00:30:08.252 Oh, you're the only one that can open your door. 00:30:08.252 --> 00:30:24.750 He can knock, you can hear his voice, but if you don't open the door, he wants to eat with you, he wants to establish a relationship with you, but he can't unless you open the door. 00:30:24.750 --> 00:30:36.146 Glory to God. 00:30:36.146 --> 00:30:44.625 Jesus is with us, he's for us, he wants to be in us, and so I want to give you an opportunity this morning Could be a couple of reasons why you need an opportunity. 00:30:44.645 --> 00:30:46.829 Some people are just not sure what their spiritual status is. 00:30:46.829 --> 00:30:53.828 They go from being sure about Jesus to being unsure, being kind of just back and forth. 00:30:53.828 --> 00:30:54.810 They're not real sure. 00:30:54.810 --> 00:30:56.807 Just like the apostles, they were not sure. 00:30:56.807 --> 00:30:58.185 They were kind of unsteady. 00:30:58.185 --> 00:31:07.420 I mean they had closed themselves up and they weren't afraid of COVID-19. 00:31:07.420 --> 00:31:09.086 They were afraid of Romans. 00:31:09.086 --> 00:31:12.128