WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:04.799 Oh, I mean we could go on with the yolks, but we'll stop. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:11.519 I'm sorry, it's ingrained from childhood. 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:14.400 Anyhow, that was not planned, I promise. 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:17.120 If I planned it, I wouldn't have done it. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:20.640 Anyhow, this is not laughing. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:22.160 You have come to shine. 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:24.800 And we're doing things a little differently tonight. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:36.960 Um, we are going to, I'm gonna make a few announcements, and then we will have Chandler share her testimony nugget, and then um Liz will pray, and Liz will share. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:38.560 Of course, we need to pray for Liz. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:51.679 Yeah, and we will pray for the message and for the night, and then we'll do worship as a response to some of the really neat things that the Lord has put on uh Liz's heart to share with us tonight. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:55.039 So, anyhow, we have all the ages with us tonight. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:57.679 Little Penelope is joining us. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:00.479 Hi there. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.200 Oh, what a joy, what a joy. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:07.120 A couple announcements. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.280 Um, thank you to those of you who shined up, who shined up. 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:16.079 I'm so glad I'm not talking tonight. 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.000 I'm glad you're talking less. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:19.920 Who knows what you would get? 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:26.159 Thank you all who signed up to help in Next Gyms Junior. 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:27.280 I really appreciate it. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:28.239 Thank you. 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:31.280 Um, anyhow. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:36.719 Also, we'll be having the carnival this Saturday night, the 31st. 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:38.000 So it'll be fun. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:45.040 The um there'll be a couple of bounce houses, so kids, grandkids, neighbors that have kids that are looking for somewhere to go. 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:52.400 There'll be um all kinds of games and treats out here for the kids to do, and after a short family service that we'll be having. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:53.840 So I think it'll be a lot of fun. 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.239 I think it's gonna be really a neat fun time for the kids and the adults. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:00.319 So they have some things for the men. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:00.879 Is there? 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:04.640 There's they've got some things for the men to be involved with. 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:05.680 It should be interesting. 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:17.840 So, anyhow, um also there is a position for um, since Melody has uh resigned, uh, executive administrative assistant. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:27.039 And if you want more information, just go to the Road website and you can see there what the qualifications are, what are they wanting, the duties and responsibilities, the job description. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:29.840 So, anyhow, well, let's go ahead and pray. 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:33.919 Lord, thank you so much for being here with us. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:39.199 We humble ourselves before you and we exalt you, we lift you up. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:48.159 Father, we thank you for the way you come, the way you have met us here every Thursday night, and we invite you, Holy Spirit, to be here tonight with us. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:49.120 We need you. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:50.800 We are desperate for you. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:54.000 We all have challenges in our in our life. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:58.400 And as Brenda Burroughs and I were talking before, she asked, are the challenges good? 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:04.800 I said, Well, they're good when you're with me, but when you're not, they're not. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:13.759 So Lord, the challenges that these ladies are walking through, I pray that you would be with them, and that their eyes and their ears would be open for you to hear them. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:28.159 That tonight, as Liz shares, as as Chandler shares, that our eyes and our ears would be open to hear what you're saying to us, your bride, because you want us to shine. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:43.280 So, Father, we open the doors of our heart, we humble ourselves, and the the thoughts that we may have of what are right, we ask, Holy Spirit, that you would come in and by your grace you would teach us. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:49.199 You would teach us what your design is, what your way is, because your way leads to life. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:53.360 Our way leads to destruction and to strife. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:55.599 And that is not where we want to live, Lord. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:58.639 We exalt you, we praise you, we thank you. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:03:59.439 Thank you. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:03.680 We just bless Chandler as she comes to share a testimony nugget. 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:07.039 We ask that you would speak to her and through her as she shares. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:19.120 And as Liz shares, Father, we pray that you would bless her and minister to her as she brings forth truths from your word that you've put in her heart, that we would receive them by the power of your Holy Spirit. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.839 We thank you for these things, Lord, in Jesus' name. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:22.560 Amen. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:32.000 Hello. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:43.120 Um, so when Christine had first asked me to share, I was actually gonna share on the night that the teenage girls came and joined you a few weeks ago. 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:53.920 Um, and when I was praying about what God wanted me to share to the young girls and to you guys, um, he really just put on my heart the importance of knowing what a woman's identity is. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:59.680 Um and that's very integral in kind of my testimony and my story. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:05.920 Um, some of you guys may know a little bit, I won't go into all the details, but um I grew up in a divorced family. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:37.519 My dad's atheist, and he was pretty verbally abusive growing up, and my mom was raised Catholic, but she didn't practice growing up, so a lot of my high school and middle school years was kind of finding who my identity was, and because I didn't know Christ at first, um I filled a lot of that with what the world told me a woman is supposed to be, and what boys say a woman's supposed to be, and just what the enemy tells you that a woman's supposed to be. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:52.160 And so um when I got saved in high school through a close friend of mine, um, I kind of started a journey of what God calls us as women to be and who God saw me as. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:56.000 Um, and it was a long journey. 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:16.319 It took me like probably six years to start figuring it out, and I think at times I'm still not quite sure, but um one of the verses that first kind of helped me to understand um who God saw me as was Isaiah 45, 1 through 3, which I had printed off little pieces of paper and I put it in the middle of your table. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:18.079 It's like this size. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:31.439 Um and it was really cool because when I came across this verse, um, this verse is kind of talking about um Cyrus, who he calls his chosen one. 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:37.519 Um, and when I was reading this verse, God kind of told me, you know, you're my chosen one too. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:43.360 Um and God spoke to me and told me in the blank spots that I put on that little piece of paper. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:47.199 It normally says Cyrus, but to insert my name there. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.279 So um I just printed it off for you guys, so you could do that too. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.319 But um, I'll read it to you with my name in it. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:07:00.639 Um it says, This is what the Lord says to you, Chandler, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.560 Before her, mighty kin kings will be paralyzed with fear. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:08.000 Their fortress gates will be open, never to shut again. 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:09.680 This is what the Lord says. 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:21.360 I will go before you, Chandler, and level the mountains, I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron, and I will give you treasures hidden in the darkest secrets, secret places. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:27.120 I will do this, so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:33.439 Um and that was just kind of the beginning of learning who my identity was in Christ. 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:41.199 And um I just want to encourage you guys, because I think it's something that we all learn throughout our entire lives. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:47.279 Um but yeah, I would just encourage you guys this week maybe to just pray that over yourselves. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:56.800 And, you know, God sees us all as beautiful, and um He loves us all, and we all have specific qualities that are unique to us. 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:07.040 So I would just encourage you guys, because um I think especially with just like media and how the world is today, there's so much that the world tells us as women we're supposed to be. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:13.120 But um if it doesn't line up with what God's calling you to, really doesn't matter. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:16.720 So um yeah, that's kind of my nugget. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:19.680 Thank you. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:22.560 That's encouraging. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:26.000 So I think you did a great job. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:27.839 You've done well. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:31.759 And you know, I think we're really all in that process as you were sharing that. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:44.879 Here I'm I have four kids that are all married and I have five grandkids, and I've gotten these stages figured out, but now I'm in another stage I'm trying to figure out with God's grace. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:46.639 So we're always in a process, aren't we? 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:47.679 Yeah. 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:49.679 So okay, thank you. 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:57.679 Somebody left here last week. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:20.960 Oh, I have a big voice, so that's okay. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:22.559 I can do it. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:28.480 Well, um, I'm so glad that we're all together again here. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:32.320 And uh thank you so much for coming. 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:45.679 Um I'm excited about tonight's message because it has to do with the entire version is an amazing part of the scriptures. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.200 I wanted to start with a quote. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:52.559 Can you guys still hear me? 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:56.720 Is it oh hello? 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:11.039 Also, what uh you know, now that I have the big voice, um, I wanted to say if anyone needs to sign up for Next Gen Junior, we would love that. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:24.639 Um the way things are going, we are going to need everybody's involvement somehow in the children's ministry, um, especially if you have children, because um it's really for the kids that we're asking. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:29.600 Our hardest job is recruiting our uh the team that we have. 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:33.039 Um that's our that's the hardest job that we have. 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:37.519 It takes the most time, it's hard to find the people that say yes. 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:46.960 So we really need everybody's involvement, whether you're a parent, grandparent, any of those work. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:58.960 Um because then we can focus on the kids and we can focus on the curriculum and the content of the class instead of trying to scrape together the people. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:02.320 So I just want to say if you haven't signed up, let me know. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:05.360 Because I would really love to write your name in. 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:05.600 Okay? 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:14.240 Um, so anyway, tonight I want to talk to you about the entire Christian life. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:17.840 Um, here's a quote from Richard Rohr. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.159 Richard Rohr is a spirit-filled Catholic priest. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:29.519 He says, we need transformed people today and not just people with answers. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:36.799 We need transformed people today and not just people with answers. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:49.120 This then he talks about the Bible, and he talks about the Bible being the agent with the Holy Spirit that transforms us, and this is what he said about the Bible. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:58.159 This marvelous anthology of books and letters called the Bible is all for the sake of astonishment. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.039 It's for divine transformation. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.919 Does the word of God astonish you? 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.000 It's supposed to astonish you. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:13.519 Uh maybe not every day, but occasionally it's supposed to astonish you. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:26.639 Um, I want to just say this if there are some of you that don't know what I'm talking about, as God's word astonishing us, that means amazing us, surprising us, come see me. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:32.399 I would love to pray with you about that because I believe that's true. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:37.120 And the more we're in that word of God, the more it will astonish us. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:43.440 I want to share with you just real quick about how God astonished me in the word recently. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:54.399 Um I was reading through Luke and I was noticing that an angel came to Zacharias and he said, You're gonna have a son in your old age, you and your wife. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:56.080 Remember, he was in the temple. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:00.480 And uh he said, he asked a question. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:15.120 And then because of the question he asked, because it reflected his heart, he was um disciplined and couldn't speak for his wife's whole pregnancy. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:24.000 Okay, so Mary gets an angel coming, and the angel says, You're gonna have a baby. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.799 And she asked the question, and she didn't get in trouble. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:33.840 Like, and I thought that was a hard discipline that Zacharias got. 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:47.120 I'm like, wow, I wonder what would happen if I was in any of those similar situations, not that I'd be married, but you know, I'm saying, like, an angel coming and saying this, like, would I ask the right question, or maybe no questions? 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:54.159 I might ask the wrong one, but um but listen to the quote. 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:59.759 We need transformed people today and not just people with answers. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:04.639 John uh Zacharias's question was, how shall I know this? 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:07.440 That's what he said to the to the angel. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.840 Mary's was, how can this be? 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:11.840 Since I've never known a man. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:15.120 So Zecharias was all about, I need to know. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.879 I need answers. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:19.919 And he also wanted to control it. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:22.799 We like answers because it helps us have control. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:27.120 Mary was looking for a new perspective. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:28.320 How can this be? 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:33.759 Because logically, I believe that it's gonna happen, but I have never known a man. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:44.000 And so the um the angel says it's because the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and he will be the one that brings the child. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:47.120 So she was looking for a new perspective. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:50.159 Zacharias was looking for the answers. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:53.919 I want control, and that just speaks to me. 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:58.240 That astonished me, and it made me think, which one am I like? 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:00.399 I go back and forth. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:05.120 So that's how the word of God astonished me this week. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.159 Let's read this text tonight. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:17.600 It is Titus 2 11 through 15. 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:24.639 I wanted to also prepare you that we're gonna do a lot of Bible looking at verses. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:26.399 So be ready for that. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:35.279 Like have your little have your fingers ready to uh find those pages that are those verses that I need you to turn to. 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:40.159 Because the scriptures are so amazing about God's salvation. 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:42.480 Let's read these right now. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:16:17.120 Verse 11 for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed, and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:21.919 Speak these things, exhort, read, and rebuke with all authority. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:24.000 Let no one despise you. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:31.840 I want to go to verse 15 first, and I want to talk about that, and then I'm gonna pray. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:33.759 Pray for myself. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:42.399 Um it talks about exhort and rebuke with all authority. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.039 The Bible is the real preacher. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:46.399 This is by J.I. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:48.080 Packer, is another quote. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:17:00.879 The Bible is the real preacher, and the all the role of the man in the pulpit or the woman or in the counseling conversation is simply to let the passages say their peace through him. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:05.920 So, what is the messenger of the word's task? 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:10.960 It's to get out of the way so that the word of God can speak to you. 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:17.440 And so preaching is giving God a voice to let him speak. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:21.599 So I want to pray that I would get out of the way tonight. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:38.000 Lord, I just I just uh look to you and ask you that you would use this place, this um place where I'm speaking to be your uh a platform for your voice. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:48.559 Help me to get out of the way and give me words and give me the messages for these women that you know is right for them. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:50.480 Lord, you feed your sheep. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:18:03.359 So, Lord, use this message tonight, use Chandler's testimony, use the worship to speak to these women with your precious, wonderful, special possessions. 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:07.279 We love you, God, and we thank you in Jesus' name. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:19.279 Paul is giving us an important summation in the in this passage for the entirety of the Christian experience. 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:22.640 Um verse 11 is about grace and salvation. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:27.599 I want to write these down because you can look later and go, oh yeah, I see this. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:32.400 Um verse 12 is grace and sanctification. 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:36.480 Great uh verse 13 is grace and glorification. 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:39.759 Verse 14, grace and redemption. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:56.960 His appearing work is the start of first your salvation, then your sanctification, then glorification, and then redemption. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:11.759 There was a famous uh theologian that wrote, of all times, it is the turning point point, of all love, it is the highest point, of all worship, it is the central point, and of all salvation, it is the starting point. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:12.319 Grace. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:14.160 He's talking about grace. 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:16.799 So let's talk about the idea of grace. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:21.039 Grace means God giving us something we don't deserve. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:25.599 And he's giving us something we can never repay. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:31.599 Grace is rescuing man humanity from our sinful condition. 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.039 The death of Christ on my behalf. 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:40.480 He who knew no sin became sin on my behalf, on your behalf. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:49.200 By believing in the Lord Jesus as my mediator between God and myself, that's how I'm saved. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:50.400 Believing. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:52.880 Why do we need a mediator? 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:56.799 Because there's a problem that we have, and it's called sin. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:12.400 And so we're gonna talk about sin tonight, and it's it's a it's a challenging subject, um, but it's it's amazing what God has done to help us with that problem, and He's the mediator. 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:21.119 So the Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and I have sinned, you have sinned, we've all sinned. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:34.960 Um, sin is an archery term in the Greek, and it uh was when an arrow hit, uh, it hit outside of the mark of perfection. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:37.839 And it was a target. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:44.480 There's a target, and it somebody went like this and it flew and it did not hit perfection. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:46.079 That's what sin is. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:48.640 Um that's in the Greek language. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:50.400 Think of the Ten Commandments. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:53.920 Did I hit that standard of perfection? 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:57.119 Probably my mom could tell you no. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:06.000 Um, ever lied, ever stolen, ever lusted, ever coveted, all those things. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:10.079 We have uh not reached perfection. 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:19.519 Also, when the the arrow was flung, the arrow could not be used again if it did not hit the perfection place. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:20.880 It was broken. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:22.640 So you could not redo. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:30.160 Have you ever felt so bad about something in your life that you're like, ugh, I wish I could push the rewind button again. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:32.799 Why would I you know what's up with me? 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:36.559 Why don't I why didn't I know what to do at the time? 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.640 Why did I choose the wrong thing? 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.079 Well, this kind of fits that. 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:45.039 The arrow cannot be used again. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.920 This is an interesting thing. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:56.720 Uh, there was a man named Randy Newton Newman who wrote about uh evangelism, and he said, sin is simply missing the mark, they say. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:59.759 The same Greek word for sin is used. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.759 Used as an archery term. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:04.240 So we're all just target missers. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:09.759 Well, the Greek word might be used, but the two concepts couldn't be further apart. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:20.640 When the Bible describes the nature of our rebellion against God, it paints an uglier picture than our simple than our simply missing a bullseye. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:30.319 Rather than aiming carefully at God's target, we turn our backs, shoot arrows everywhere else, wanting to please ourselves. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:39.119 We ignore the true bullseye and set our affections on seductive targets that cannot satisfy, sanctify, or save. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:41.839 We are not primarily target missers. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:46.240 We are self-centered, false target worshipers. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:51.599 I want to look at uh Romans 3. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:53.839 Can you turn there real quick? 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:59.359 It's right after Acts and the Gospels. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:04.640 So go through the Gospels, get to Acts, and then you're gonna see Romans 3. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:09.839 And we're gonna go and we're gonna read through 10 through 18. 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:12.960 As it is written. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:21.359 This is Paul writing to the church in Rome, and he's quoting Old Testament scripture. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.240 There is none righteous, no not one. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.240 There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:32.640 They have all turned aside, they have together become unprofitable. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:35.519 There is none who does good, no not one. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.799 Their throat is an emp is an open tomb. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.839 With their tongues they have practiced deceit. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:57.279 The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:00.240 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:02.400 That's he's talking about mankind. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:04.160 He's talking about you and me. 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:11.599 We are self-centered false target worshipers. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:18.720 The Lord is calling all humans to appropriate salvation that grace has brought. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:25.599 We love the verse, don't we? 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:27.279 John 3 16. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:35.519 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:38.079 Belief is the issue. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:40.160 Faith is the issue. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.319 Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.000 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:54.640 That not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:58.799 So grace again is that gift we don't deserve. 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:00.480 And it saves us. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:04.400 And we we grab the gift through faith. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:07.680 It's always about faith, it's about belief. 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:14.079 The Bible says that if we don't appropriate God's gift of grace, we will be condemned. 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:18.799 We will go to a place of eternal damnation called hell. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:23.200 So how do we appropriate this gift of grace? 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:30.319 Let's look at um, I want to look at a few verses about faith. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:31.920 And we're gonna go to John. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:33.599 Some verses in John. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:46.480 Let's go to John 6, 29, and Jesus says I'm in the wrong book. 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:48.000 John six. 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:58.559 John six twenty-nine. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:03.039 This is the work of God that you believe in him, whom he sent. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:04.720 That's our work. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:06.000 Isn't that amazing? 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:07.279 That's our work. 00:26:08.400 --> 00:26:09.839 That's amazing. 00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:16.000 Um it's it's simple and yet so challenging, isn't it? 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:21.759 So uh, and then look at John 16, 8 and 9. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:30.319 This one is about um the Holy Spirit. 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:41.599 And when he has come, that was the Holy Spirit, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment of sin because they do not believe in me. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:43.359 That is the problem. 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:48.000 It's not how good you are, it's not how awesome you are, it's your belief. 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:55.759 Believing in God, believing what he says, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:00.480 So we appropriate that gift of salvation through faith. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:06.319 If you perish in your sin, it's your fault, someone said. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:07.920 That was very wise. 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:12.319 And if you're saved, give all the glory to God. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:17.440 So if we don't, if we die in our sin, it's because we don't believe. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:21.839 Now, atonement is sufficient for the whole world. 00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:25.039 Remember it's uh that verse, John 3 16. 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:29.759 Uh for um there you go. 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:35.599 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:37.279 The whole world is there. 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:43.440 The atonement is sufficient for the whole world, but only efficient for those who believe. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:49.440 So it's sufficient, but it's not efficient for those who don't believe. 00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:50.799 Does that make sense? 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:56.400 So uh we have to believe. 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:04.160 By believing, we reveal that he chose us because God said, You did not choose me, I chose you. 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:19.599 So, how does all that fit together about free will choosing God and uh God um choosing us and the fact that uh he knows who he chose? 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:20.799 I don't know. 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.000 It's all a mystery, but it all fits into God's sovereignty. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:31.119 And if you're gonna look for the answer, I just want to let you know it might not be a good idea. 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:34.160 You'll be going crazy because it's a mystery. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:37.279 It is a mystery, but we trust God with that. 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:44.880 Uh I re uh I read a quote that was interesting about um Calvinism. 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:46.400 This is by R. 00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:46.640 L. 00:28:46.799 --> 00:28:47.599 Dabney. 00:28:47.759 --> 00:29:08.559 Christ's sacrifice has certainly purchased for the whole human race a merciful postponement of the doom incurred by our sins, including all the temporal blessings of our earthly life, all the gospel restraints on human depravity, and the sincere offer of heaven to everyone. 00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:19.119 For but for Christ, man's doom would have followed instantly after his sin, as that of the fallen angels did. 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:22.240 So God saved us by sending Jesus Christ. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:24.240 The fallen angels were sent right to hell. 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:25.440 Do you remember that? 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:26.640 We're not. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:29.519 God says that he's waiting. 00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:36.240 Do you know there's no verse in the Bible that says that God is pleased to send people to hell? 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:45.519 He, in fact, we're all kind of the whole world is um a beneficiary of God's patience. 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:51.440 It says that he's patient and slow about his promise that none should perish, but all to come to repentance. 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:55.119 That is his desire, is for all to come to repentance. 00:29:55.519 --> 00:30:02.720 So uh let's look again at these verses in Titus. 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:07.440 So we're moving out of John back to that cute little book, Titus. 00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:17.039 It's kind of getting uh marked up in my Bible, and I'm I'm glad about that. 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:27.680 So um we've talked about that the grace of God has appeared to us and brings salvation. 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:34.720 That is the um, we need that for our past. 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:42.720 We need God's work of grace for our past. 00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:52.160 Let's look at verse 12, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.559 Present, that's for our present. 00:30:55.279 --> 00:31:04.799 So grace in verse 11 is a personification of Jesus and the incarnation. 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:11.119 In verse 12, it talks about it's a really hard word for me. 00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:17.039 So it's a Greek word that I think is important to say paidiois. 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:20.960 Pai de duois. 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:23.039 That's my best shot. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:26.640 Okay, so that word in the Greek means pedagogy. 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:30.480 That's where we get the word pedagogue, pedagogy. 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:32.799 It's the training of a child. 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:35.119 It's the training of a child. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:42.160 You become a student of God's word and his spirit, and this is what happens. 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:44.640 We become sanctified. 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:49.200 That's that's what's happening to all of us right now is sanctification. 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:58.160 And that happens through grace, and grace has now been personified in these verses as a teacher, and that's what's going on. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:31:59.119 You're learning. 00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:03.119 I was uh helping charity start a language book. 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:15.680 She's been writing words, and she's been writing very freely, and then we start talking about sentences, and she's like, Oh my gosh, like really, oh, this is so hard. 00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:18.400 So I said, How do you like that new book we're starting? 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:20.799 She's like, Oh, it's so hard. 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:23.839 Like, I just I didn't know about all this stuff. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:28.960 We're talking about declarative sentences, interrogative sentences, exclamatory. 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:36.160 She's like, Oh dear, you know, and uh but it's she's learning. 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:40.240 She's this book is helping her learn something she didn't know. 00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:41.440 It's kind of hard. 00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:45.359 Do you ever feel that way about learning some of the things that God asks you to learn? 00:32:45.519 --> 00:32:46.319 It's kind of hard. 00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:52.240 It's like feel you know, you feel like that child who's like, I didn't know all this stuff existed. 00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:55.200 And that's what what it's like. 00:32:55.359 --> 00:32:58.799 But it's pedagogy, it's training like a child. 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:03.039 And you know, we need to be like children, we really do. 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:06.960 Um, in some ways, that's what happened with Zacharias. 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:08.480 He didn't want to be like a child. 00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:10.400 He was like, I need to know. 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:12.559 I need to know what's going on. 00:33:12.799 --> 00:33:14.400 But Mary was like a child. 00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:16.319 How should how can this be? 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:17.359 She said. 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:21.599 And she wanted, she needed a new set of eyes. 00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:25.200 Charity is getting a new set of eyes for all those words she's writing. 00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:29.119 It's like, whoa, I didn't know that there were all these rules going on. 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:34.799 Well, Mary is getting a new set of eyes about how things work with God. 00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:37.839 Did you know that God is really strange? 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:39.359 He really is. 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:43.599 If you read this book, there's a lot of strange things here. 00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:46.559 And he, I think he's stranger than we think he is. 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:47.759 I really do. 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:51.119 And there are so many things we need to learn and know. 00:33:51.519 --> 00:34:00.079 And when we come to this book and ask the Holy Spirit, and he's gonna astonish us with who he is. 00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:14.480 Uh let's go back to our pedagogy, verse 12, um, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:22.159 Ungodliness is the word asabaea in the Greek, and that means a lack of reverence. 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:30.639 We don't, without that regenerate spirit, we do not want to worship God. 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:35.280 Anybody worship before they knew the Lord? 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:36.559 No. 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:39.760 We don't love to worship God. 00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:49.920 And so when we deny ungodliness, when we deny asabea, which is that lack of reverence, we make a break with irreverence. 00:34:52.320 --> 00:35:00.559 And true repentance will bring a desire to worship the great God and king, the king of kings and the lord of lords. 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:05.519 Salvation causes us to also make a clean break with worldly desires. 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:08.239 And that is the other word here. 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:12.159 Um the word deny means to thrust and refuse. 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:15.679 Uh we need to do that. 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:25.199 Um so worldly lusts are the desires that fit with our ungodly culture. 00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:28.639 And that's tough. 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:36.320 That's a that's um, those are hard to break because they're around, we're we're saturated. 00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:41.199 But God says, make a break, make a break with that. 00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:44.719 Um, transformed people have self-control. 00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:49.519 Before salvation came to us, we could not say no to sin. 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:59.920 But when salvation came, grace came, we can say yes and no to sin. 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.559 I want to show you this little diagram. 00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:05.440 Uh, Kathleen is gonna be my holder. 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:14.000 Um, this is a diagram I've I was shown a long time ago, and I showed it to my kids. 00:36:14.159 --> 00:36:21.039