WEBVTT 12:53.200 --> 12:59.360 Good morning everyone and welcome to Steadfast Baptist Church. It's great to see everybody here. 12:59.360 --> 13:02.240 If we can go and find our seats we will get started with the service. 13:03.520 --> 13:07.920 And once we've all found a seat let's grab our hymnals and go to song number 52 together. 13:13.300 --> 13:15.460 Song number 52. 13:21.000 --> 13:24.000 John's Hill song number 52. 13:26.300 --> 13:32.740 glad tomorrow where gates of pearls swing open wide song number 52 Zion's 13:32.740 --> 13:34.600 hill it's all sing that together this morning 14:12.100 --> 14:17.100 I'm gonna excel all, stand still, and I shall come to dwell 15:08.800 --> 15:09.700 will be 16:36.500 --> 16:40.580 Great singing everybody. Let's open up the service now with a word of prayer. 16:40.580 --> 16:43.220 Lord we love you so much and we're so grateful to be here 16:43.220 --> 16:44.980 uh... just in your house 16:44.980 --> 16:46.180 under your 16:46.180 --> 16:47.780 preaching Lord and uh... 16:47.780 --> 16:51.340 we just ask that you fill us all with your spirit as we sing out on you this morning 16:51.340 --> 16:56.980 and just let us be edified and blessed with service and it's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. 16:56.980 --> 16:59.500 Alright for our next song let's go to song number ninety-seven. 17:05.300 --> 17:07.300 Song number 97. 17:11.300 --> 17:16.300 I Need Thee Every Hour, song number 97. 17:20.500 --> 17:23.500 need thee every hour let's all sing that out together 17:25.600 --> 17:31.800 I need thee every hour, most great 17:37.000 --> 17:38.400 like 19:55.800 --> 19:58.240 Good morning. Thank you so much for coming to said vast baptist church. 19:58.240 --> 20:00.240 If you did not get a bulletin already and you would like one, 20:00.240 --> 20:01.560 just lift up your hand nice and high. 20:01.800 --> 20:04.600 One of our ushers can come by and get you guys a bulletin. 20:05.040 --> 20:08.400 We are on our Bible memory passage, Philippians chapter four, verse 10. 20:08.760 --> 20:12.920 And then we've, you can quote the entire passage as far as the entire chapter, 20:13.200 --> 20:15.840 you can receive a special prize when we get done with that. 20:16.080 --> 20:19.080 On the inside is our service times or so winning times. 20:19.520 --> 20:21.400 We have several regional soul winning times. 20:21.400 --> 20:23.440 So they meet in different parts of the city. 20:23.800 --> 20:26.040 You pretty much have opportunity every single day. 20:26.040 --> 20:27.760 So I highly encourage you to participate 20:27.760 --> 20:28.880 in our soul winning. 20:28.880 --> 20:31.800 Down below is our church stats for the year. 20:31.800 --> 20:34.660 On the right is a list of expecting ladies. 20:34.660 --> 20:37.280 Please be in prayer for our expecting ladies. 20:37.280 --> 20:39.520 We have several there to be in prayer for. 20:39.520 --> 20:41.260 Barbados Mission Strip and. 20:41.600 --> 20:46.960 We still have Avengers first still out there and we still had some people that were hanging out 20:46.960 --> 20:52.960 there so those numbers may trickle up a little bit but as of this morning we had 71 soul winners 20:52.960 --> 20:58.240 that came out so it's our largest mission strip that we've organized so far as far as 20:58.240 --> 21:05.360 just participation and how many people came out to support the work and we had 1047 salvation so 21:05.360 --> 21:06.800 praise the lord on that 21:13.500 --> 21:18.460 I'm going to have a couple people just give us a quick testimony here in a minute, but 21:18.460 --> 21:21.720 a couple other updates. 21:21.720 --> 21:27.220 One thing that's helpful for us is I know that especially on Sunday mornings, sometimes 21:27.220 --> 21:33.180 our parking gets a little bit full, but the property right next to us is willing to allow 21:33.180 --> 21:38.580 us to use their back part of their parking lot on Sunday mornings. 21:38.580 --> 21:41.500 I would just say please still try to just fill up our normal. 21:41.500 --> 21:45.720 areas, but instead of having to feel like you double park or park in some awkward places, 21:45.720 --> 21:51.080 you can use that other space. And of course, anybody that's coming, you know, late or something, 21:51.080 --> 21:55.680 you can feel free to use that area. Also, if you can't find a spot, always bring your 21:55.680 --> 21:59.720 car up. Well, that's just will help you park here or find you a spot or something like 21:59.720 --> 22:04.720 that. But that should free up and give us, you know, about 20, 20 more spaces or so. 22:04.720 --> 22:08.440 So really appreciate that. Just be really respectful, obviously, if you're parking over 22:08.440 --> 22:09.500 there and 22:09.500 --> 22:14.500 And we just want to be gracious about using that. 22:14.700 --> 22:16.740 Down below, upcoming events, 22:16.740 --> 22:19.300 we have Pastor Matthew Stuckey's gonna be coming 22:19.300 --> 22:21.940 next Sunday, so that's September 20th. 22:21.940 --> 22:25.340 For both services, we are gonna have a catered lunch, 22:25.340 --> 22:27.100 so we'd love for you to stick around, 22:27.100 --> 22:28.900 have lunch with us if you can. 22:28.900 --> 22:31.080 I'm sure it will be a packed house. 22:31.080 --> 22:34.560 So just for our regulars, please just try to be welcoming, 22:34.560 --> 22:37.060 gracious if someone sits in your seat or something. 22:37.500 --> 22:39.660 If we need to move people around just a little bit, 22:39.660 --> 22:43.260 because we would love to make sure to get everybody in here, 22:43.260 --> 22:46.700 we might add a few extra chairs just in case we end up having. 22:46.700 --> 22:48.580 Food, for some reason, brings out the people. 22:48.580 --> 22:49.740 I don't know. 22:49.740 --> 22:51.140 But that'd be great. 22:51.140 --> 22:52.680 That's what we're looking forward to. 22:52.680 --> 22:55.140 We'd love to have a big crowd for Pastor Stuckey 22:55.140 --> 22:56.460 and to encourage him. 22:56.460 --> 22:59.460 If you want to write a card or a thank you or just some kind 22:59.460 --> 23:02.460 of support to him, I would highly encourage you do that. 23:02.460 --> 23:05.220 You could give it to him in person on Sunday. 23:05.220 --> 23:05.500 And so 23:05.500 --> 23:07.940 So we're really looking forward to his visit. 23:07.940 --> 23:13.980 Please just be in prayer that he has safe travels and that we have a great Sunday next 23:13.980 --> 23:14.980 week. 23:14.980 --> 23:18.700 Heritage of the Lord Conference is not that far away, October 9th to 11th. 23:18.700 --> 23:21.980 We have the Mighty Men's Conference, October 20th through the 24th. 23:21.980 --> 23:26.360 We have the Faith Ward Preaching Boot Camp, November 12th through the 14th. 23:26.360 --> 23:32.260 There is a do-it-yourself missions trip that's being led by Brother Marcel and Evangelist 23:33.500 --> 23:35.400 at if you'd like to visit there. 23:35.800 --> 23:40.660 It's definitely a unique opportunity. 23:40.660 --> 23:46.560 I don't know a lot about it myself, but just from their testimonies of talking to people 23:46.560 --> 23:51.400 from that area, looking up some things online, it looks like they have a pretty large university 23:51.400 --> 23:55.520 there, and there's a lot of soul-winning opportunity in that part of the world. 23:55.520 --> 23:58.740 So if you feel like you missed out and this timeline works better for you and you want 23:58.740 --> 24:01.040 to spend the money to go out there, you can. 24:01.040 --> 24:03.800 I don't know exactly what that might cost. 24:03.800 --> 24:05.800 But you could talk to those guys 24:06.080 --> 24:10.640 Shreveport soul winning marathon is December 12th brother Marcel's helping lead that as well 24:10.800 --> 24:17.080 So if you'd like to go out there Shreveport's usually a very receptive soul winning marathon just historically speaking 24:17.480 --> 24:21.580 We usually go in the summer, so I don't know if being in December will be better or worse 24:21.580 --> 24:24.440 I assume it'll be better just because it's probably better weather so 24:24.920 --> 24:31.760 But if you want to go out there, it's about a three hour drive from the church area and so 24:31.800 --> 24:37.000 So we'll probably have a group carpool maybe meet around 6am head out that way. 24:37.000 --> 24:40.400 Of course you're always welcome to just kind of meet us out there wherever we go. 24:40.400 --> 24:43.760 But if you have any questions you can again ask Brother Marcel. 24:43.760 --> 24:47.680 We have a Philippines missions trip also in 2027. 24:47.680 --> 24:50.940 It's going to be February 12 through the 20th. 24:50.940 --> 24:53.880 So we're looking forward to going out there. 24:53.880 --> 24:59.800 willing I'll be out there preaching for our church plant and also visiting. 24:59.800 --> 25:04.120 winning Baptist church with Pastor Matthew Stuckey. So really excited to go out there, 25:04.120 --> 25:09.020 visit those churches and to see the brethren on that side of the world. We have a prayer 25:09.020 --> 25:14.800 list on the back, so if you have any questions, you can. But I want to ask Brother Benson 25:14.800 --> 25:18.140 if you'd come up here and just give us a few minutes and then I'm going to ask Brother 25:18.140 --> 25:23.780 Marcel to come after him just to follow up. Just give us a quick idea of what they experienced 25:23.780 --> 25:27.180 and what they saw out in Barbados. 25:31.400 --> 25:35.400 Good morning. So Barbados was my first mission trip ever. 25:35.500 --> 25:40.300 And one of my favorite parts about the trip was how many young people were on the trip as well. 25:40.300 --> 25:44.300 And I just want to say that it's so cool to see that opportunity at such a young age. 25:44.300 --> 25:48.460 And I know like Brother Marcel's kids that got their first salvations and stuff over there. 25:48.460 --> 25:50.700 Just to be a part of that was really amazing. 25:50.700 --> 25:55.340 And to see that group of people was like a literal like unified army there. 25:55.340 --> 25:57.100 And it was great to be a part of it. 25:57.100 --> 26:00.220 And it kind of shows you like the strength in numbers, right? 26:00.220 --> 26:01.820 Like we kind of toiled a lot. 26:01.820 --> 26:03.340 It was kind of hard at some of the malls. 26:03.500 --> 26:09.500 I probably, I don't know how many people I talked to, but like hundreds, you know? 26:09.500 --> 26:13.500 And it was cool that it was kind of hard, but then you kind of look at the results at the end of the day 26:13.500 --> 26:18.500 and it just added up to over a thousand. And so, just really amazing to see that. 26:18.500 --> 26:23.500 And it was cool to be a part of that other church. We filled that church building up 26:23.500 --> 26:28.500 and I thought we almost blew the roof off it singing. And so it was really awesome to see that as well. 26:29.500 --> 26:35.020 And so amidst some car troubles and that kind of stuff, I think we had a very successful trip. 26:35.020 --> 26:40.140 So it's just great to be a part of a church that that's what's the focus, you know, 26:40.140 --> 26:44.060 and that just we want to make sure to not take that for granted, you know, 26:44.060 --> 26:49.300 to be a part of a church that puts that as a priority and makes trips like this, you know. 26:49.800 --> 26:54.120 pretty easy to go on. You just get there and then it was so well taken care of. Thank you, pastor, 26:54.120 --> 26:58.680 and to Brother Tanner for as well. But it was really a great experience for me and I look 26:58.680 --> 27:03.880 forward to more to come and I'm sure my daughter does as well and my family. So thank you, pastor. 27:12.700 --> 27:16.860 Just want to say thank you to pastor Shelley and evangelist for for organizing this trip 27:16.940 --> 27:20.380 It was very organized the accommodations were excellent 27:20.460 --> 27:24.060 We had a nice apartment building with a pool with the slide in the backyard 27:24.060 --> 27:29.940 So it was my kids first ever mission strip. So having the slide in the pool in the backyard started off excellent 27:29.940 --> 27:33.260 They had me up to 12 o'clock the first night there. So that was pretty cool 27:34.700 --> 27:37.500 Like Brother Benson said, it was my kids' first missions trip, 27:37.500 --> 27:41.000 so we've been training them for a while to preach the gospel. 27:41.000 --> 27:43.200 So they finally got their gospel memorized, 27:43.200 --> 27:46.300 and they got their first ever salvation at one of those schools. 27:46.300 --> 27:48.900 So that was a very proud moment for myself. 27:48.900 --> 27:52.200 You know, this is what I do it for, you know, for the next generation. 27:52.200 --> 27:55.800 So, you know, the missions trip itself was a lot of fun. 27:55.800 --> 27:57.800 We were able to go to the beaches and... 27:58.000 --> 28:00.320 to see a lot of different sites. 28:00.320 --> 28:02.080 And really my kids enjoyed it the most, 28:02.080 --> 28:03.420 you know, running in the beach 28:03.420 --> 28:05.160 and they wanted to go every single day. 28:05.160 --> 28:06.440 So that's what made it special. 28:06.440 --> 28:07.700 And I wanted to make it special for them 28:07.700 --> 28:09.800 because I want them to love missions trips 28:09.800 --> 28:11.700 because not only is it a lot of work, 28:11.700 --> 28:13.820 but also you can have a good time as well. 28:13.820 --> 28:15.760 So I want to pass that love down to them. 28:15.760 --> 28:17.960 And you know, hopefully this first trip for them, 28:17.960 --> 28:19.640 it did that as well. 28:19.640 --> 28:20.480 Secondly, 28:21.700 --> 28:24.740 We went to the colleges and the college was pretty receptive. 28:24.740 --> 28:29.620 It wasn't the most receptive place, but it was cool to go there and actually meet one of my old 28:29.620 --> 28:33.860 converts that I got saved back in March when we did the scouting mission trip. And she remembered 28:33.860 --> 28:37.620 me. I asked her the question. She was still saved. You know, thank gosh, remember how to be saved. 28:38.500 --> 28:41.380 Sometimes, you know, you meet people and you're like, hey, what do you got to do to go to heaven? 28:41.380 --> 28:47.300 They're like, uh, repent. It's like, I didn't tell you that. So, you know, she still had it 28:47.300 --> 28:48.260 and that was really cool. 28:49.000 --> 28:50.000 And... 28:50.100 --> 28:55.100 So I wasn't there on Friday, I had to leave early, but I guess we got kicked out of the school on Friday. 28:55.100 --> 28:57.900 So, you know, they're called University of the West Indies. 28:57.900 --> 28:59.900 But, you know, there's a little secret. 28:59.900 --> 29:01.900 They have another campus in Trinidad. 29:01.900 --> 29:06.600 So we will go there and we will preach the gospel and get people saved. 29:06.600 --> 29:10.900 So the way that came about was we met a lot of people from the University of the West Indies. 29:10.900 --> 29:14.300 That's from Trinidad, from Dominica, from Jamaica. 29:14.300 --> 29:17.100 They're from all the different, you know, islands in the Caribbean's. 29:17.100 --> 29:18.100 and you get to go. 29:18.100 --> 29:22.580 get people saved from every island pretty much from that one campus. So the University of the 29:22.580 --> 29:26.340 West Indies in Trinidad is going to be a lot bigger. So we should be able to get a lot more 29:26.340 --> 29:31.540 salvation there. It should be a lot more receptive. So we'll see how that goes. But if you can't make 29:31.540 --> 29:36.980 it, you know, Shreveport is super receptive as well. So you can get a lot of salvations there as 29:36.980 --> 29:43.380 well. And lastly, before I close, we went to one of the schools to preach at, to preach again. 29:44.000 --> 29:47.520 and they allowed me to go preach to the students and I had about maybe five 29:47.520 --> 29:51.280 five minutes to preach to them and I just preach on the doctrine of hell 29:51.280 --> 29:55.840 and one of the verses in the bible says the pains of hell got hold on me 29:55.840 --> 29:59.760 and you know that's a very scary verse and then as I was thinking about you 29:59.760 --> 30:02.320 know these verses how the bible teaches that you know 30:02.320 --> 30:06.560 you're an everlasting fire your hands your feet your eyes and 30:06.560 --> 30:09.840 they will be there forever just burning and you know I was telling these kids 30:09.840 --> 30:10.700 like hey 30:10.800 --> 30:16.320 You know, you would go to everlasting fire for all of eternity if you don't get saved and trust in Jesus Christ 30:16.640 --> 30:21.360 You know you have a great island and that's you know, we didn't come here for the great island and the beautiful beaches 30:21.360 --> 30:23.360 We came here for the souls to get you saved 30:24.080 --> 30:26.400 And you know, i was telling them you would never drink again 30:26.960 --> 30:28.900 You would never sleep again 30:29.000 --> 30:33.400 So I put the fear of God in them and I told them, hey, we have a bunch of missionaries coming this afternoon 30:33.880 --> 30:38.520 Make sure you go listen to them. Make sure you give them respect because you don't want to go to hell 30:38.520 --> 30:40.120 So listen to the message 30:40.120 --> 30:44.120 But all in all the mission trip was very great. The accommodations were excellent 30:44.520 --> 30:49.800 You know, I missed a friday dinner, but i'm sure it was excellent as well pastor shelly always to make sure he accommodates us to take 30:49.800 --> 30:51.080 This care of us 30:51.080 --> 30:53.080 Uh, I just want to say as well 30:53.500 --> 30:58.380 You know, if you weren't able to make it, you know, all of us members as church members, we all tithe to the church. 30:58.380 --> 31:04.300 So you guys also are part of this mission trip. You guys also will be rewarded for your tithes and your prayers and things we do. 31:04.300 --> 31:08.220 You know, we're gonna, I believe we're all gonna be a part of this mission, the special mission trip. 31:08.220 --> 31:12.780 So thank you. Try to make it next time if you can in the Philippines. I call Philippines the Super Bowl. 31:13.020 --> 31:15.900 So try to make it there if you can and thank you, Pastor Shelley. 31:23.800 --> 31:29.700 Yeah, it was a great trip overall and you know the first time we ever went to the bar to the Bahamas specifically 31:30.100 --> 31:34.900 I think we only had like maybe around 700 salvations or something for that entire trip 31:34.900 --> 31:37.120 And we were all just like super 31:37.420 --> 31:41.740 You know pleased with the results and felt like it went great and so for us to go to a new island 31:41.900 --> 31:46.840 And to have the results that we did not really knowing a lot of what to expect 31:47.380 --> 31:51.380 It went great and brother Marcel whatever he did he 31:51.800 --> 31:56.300 really got those kids fired up because we had almost all our entire group there, almost 31:56.300 --> 32:01.860 like 70 of us in that open field of that school that he had preached to in the morning and 32:01.860 --> 32:06.700 every kid heard the gospel for sure. It seemed like the vast majority of them were getting 32:06.700 --> 32:11.400 saved and so, you know, it's a great opportunity to go into the schools and you know, one thing 32:11.400 --> 32:17.040 that people don't realize but for a lot of these teachers and principals specifically, 32:17.040 --> 32:19.800 it can kind of put them in hot water when we leave. 32:19.800 --> 32:22.280 because we obviously cause an uproar. 32:22.280 --> 32:28.640 And so, you know, for some of these principles, it's kind of like threatening to their career. 32:28.640 --> 32:34.160 It's threatening to their lifestyle to allow us to come in there and do those things. 32:34.160 --> 32:36.820 And, you know, so some of the principles were more cautious. 32:36.820 --> 32:40.160 They didn't want to let us without like government approval. 32:40.160 --> 32:43.480 But this one principle was like, hey, I'm just going to let you do it. 32:43.480 --> 32:47.760 And so, you know, praise the Lord for her, you know, and just pray for her. 32:47.800 --> 32:51.940 that she would have favor because I guess after we left they got a little they got mad 32:51.940 --> 32:55.120 at her or something like that for having let us go in there and preach the gospel these 32:55.120 --> 32:59.580 kids but you know if it wasn't for her being brave and willing to do that you know a lot 32:59.580 --> 33:04.020 of kids wouldn't have gotten a clear presentation of the gospel and gotten saved but brother 33:04.020 --> 33:07.660 first trying to smooth things out we're trying to buy some fans or something for the church 33:07.660 --> 33:12.420 for the school to maybe win them win the administration over or something like that I guess that's 33:12.420 --> 33:15.040 all they care about is fans or whatever you know I don't know but 33:15.040 --> 33:15.700 So, we're going to get it out and have a look at that. 33:16.000 --> 33:21.160 But, you know, just pray that, you know, that would happen and pray that maybe in the future, 33:21.160 --> 33:25.240 if God willing, we could have opportunity to get approval or something like that and 33:25.240 --> 33:30.640 come back and visit more schools because there was definitely a lot of schools. 33:30.640 --> 33:33.000 There was a lot of schools that had great opportunities. 33:33.000 --> 33:38.200 But again, for these principals and these teachers, they want to let us in there, but 33:38.200 --> 33:42.880 they kind of are nervous about the government approval and losing their job or whatever 33:42.880 --> 33:44.000 harassment comes from. 33:44.000 --> 33:50.340 that particular consequence. So I got to visit a school on Friday morning and the principal 33:50.340 --> 33:55.680 said they had over 700 students at the specific school. And I was able to actually preach 33:55.680 --> 34:03.080 to the entire group in basically an assemble morning service. I preached for probably 15 34:03.080 --> 34:07.600 minutes or something like that as best I could and prayed with those that were able to pay 34:07.600 --> 34:12.000 attention. But unfortunately, when you have that many students in an area. 34:12.000 --> 34:16.980 like that. It's not always that effective. That's why it's important to have that big 34:16.980 --> 34:21.240 group going in there, doing the one-on-one, doing the small groups, and really able to 34:21.240 --> 34:25.280 ask the questions because that's where you really get the big numbers. 34:25.280 --> 34:29.100 I'm not against preaching to big crowds or trying to get them saved, but just from my 34:29.100 --> 34:35.060 experiences and seeing this and doing this, whether it be in Jamaica, Bahamas, wherever, 34:35.060 --> 34:39.820 that is usually not as effective and it's not nearly the same results as actually getting 34:40.000 --> 34:44.840 one-on-one and those small groups and preaching the gospel and so we need all 34:44.840 --> 34:47.720 the labors we don't just need one person to go over there and preach to big 34:47.720 --> 34:52.720 crowds because it's not nearly as effective it has very limited results 34:52.720 --> 34:56.840 and so praise the Lord that we had so many people on our trip there is so many 34:56.840 --> 35:02.520 great testimonials great experiences some some hardships okay with the 35:02.520 --> 35:05.920 vehicles and then brother Marcel he missed out on all the fun I mean we went 35:05.920 --> 35:08.000 to the beach wrote the C dos had an awesome 35:08.000 --> 35:12.820 dinner so if he had fun without that day you know all the people that got to 35:12.820 --> 35:17.240 experience the fun day probably had even better time so we had a lot of people 35:17.240 --> 35:23.120 there please ask them about it we try to talk about these events and try to make 35:23.120 --> 35:27.080 it seem like it was awesome just so you'd be encouraged to go but honestly 35:27.080 --> 35:31.660 words don't do it justice in many ways it's it's usually better than could be 35:31.660 --> 35:36.000 described and even just the short quick testimonials can offer but we just wanted 35:36.000 --> 35:40.580 to give a sample. And so again, thank you so much to our church to support us in this, 35:40.580 --> 35:45.700 to be faithful and allow us to do things like this. It's definitely very unique, but it's 35:45.700 --> 35:48.940 very needed for us to go out into all the world and preach the gospel every creature. 35:48.940 --> 35:54.420 And so we've got our flag back here. We got the Barbados flag and I guess the people from 35:54.420 --> 35:57.840 there you can either call them Barbadians, which is kind of like a formal way or they 35:57.840 --> 36:02.880 like to be called Bajans. So I guess Bajans is kind of their colloquial term, but a lot 36:02.880 --> 36:04.000 of Baytons are going. 36:04.000 --> 36:07.840 to heaven. All right? So thank you so much. We'll go ahead and sing our third song for 36:07.840 --> 36:12.800 the morning, Psalm 67 in our Psalm books, Psalm 67. 36:21.800 --> 36:23.800 Alright, that was Psalm 67. 36:23.800 --> 36:28.800 You can find that on page 7 of your special song booklet. 36:28.800 --> 36:31.800 Psalm 67. Let's all sing that out together. 38:25.800 --> 38:29.000 Great singing everybody. Now as the offering plates are being passed around, go ahead and 38:29.000 --> 38:35.680 open your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 34. That's Exodus chapter number 34. 39:50.900 --> 39:54.280 Exodus 34 the Bible reads and the Lord said unto Moses 39:54.700 --> 40:00.740 Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first 40:00.820 --> 40:03.800 tables which thou breakest and be ready in the morning and 40:04.020 --> 40:08.900 Come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount 40:09.400 --> 40:17.400 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount, neither let the flocks nor herds feed before the mount. 40:17.400 --> 40:28.400 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up unto Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. 40:28.400 --> 40:33.400 And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 40:33.400 --> 40:37.400 and the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed... 40:37.400 --> 40:43.400 Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and 40:43.400 --> 40:48.760 truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that 40:48.760 --> 40:54.160 will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 40:54.160 --> 40:58.640 and upon the children's children, unto the third and the fourth generation. 40:58.640 --> 41:02.800 And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 41:03.300 --> 41:08.500 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy side, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, 41:08.500 --> 41:13.940 go among us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take 41:13.940 --> 41:15.980 us for thine inheritance. 41:15.980 --> 41:20.680 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant, before all thy people I will do marvels, such as 41:20.680 --> 41:24.380 have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. 41:24.380 --> 41:25.380 and all the people. 41:25.900 --> 41:31.300 Among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee 41:31.540 --> 41:34.520 Observe thou that which I command thee this day behold I 41:34.780 --> 41:42.580 Drive out before thee the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite 41:43.120 --> 41:47.980 Take heed to thyself lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest 41:48.260 --> 41:50.640 Lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee 41:51.500 --> 41:56.220 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves. 41:56.220 --> 42:01.820 For thou shalt worship no other god, for the Lord whose name is Jealous is a jealous god. 42:02.200 --> 42:06.860 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a-whoring after their 42:06.860 --> 42:09.760 gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods. 42:09.760 --> 42:14.460 And one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice, and thou take of their daughters unto thy 42:14.460 --> 42:20.000 sons, and their daughters go a-whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a-whoring 42:20.000 --> 42:21.760 after their gods. 42:21.760 --> 42:24.420 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. 42:24.420 --> 42:27.020 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. 42:27.300 --> 42:32.920 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread as I commanded thee in the time of the month Abib, 42:32.920 --> 42:36.080 for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. 42:36.080 --> 42:42.700 All that openeth the matrix is mine, and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. 42:42.700 --> 42:47.420 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb, and if thou redeem him not, 42:47.600 --> 42:49.600 Then shalt thou break his neck. 42:49.600 --> 42:52.900 All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem, 42:52.900 --> 42:56.100 and none shall appear before me empty. 42:56.100 --> 43:00.100 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. 43:00.100 --> 43:02.900 In earring time and in harvest thou shalt rest, 43:02.900 --> 43:07.400 and thou shalt observe the feast of weeks of the first fruits of wheat harvest, 43:07.400 --> 43:09.900 and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. 43:10.000 --> 43:16.000 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God the God of Israel. 43:16.000 --> 43:20.080 For I will cast out the nations before thee and enlarge thy borders. 43:20.080 --> 43:25.440 Neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God 43:25.440 --> 43:30.240 thrice in the year. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven. 43:30.240 --> 43:34.240 Neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover be left unto the morning. 43:34.700 --> 43:39.340 The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. 43:39.340 --> 43:42.540 Thou shalt not see the kid in his mother's milk. 43:42.540 --> 43:47.340 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words, for after the tenor of these words I 43:47.340 --> 43:52.140 have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days and 43:52.140 --> 43:57.580 forty nights. He did neither eat bread nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of 43:57.580 --> 43:59.740 the covenant, the Ten Commandments. 44:00.300 --> 44:07.100 And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, 44:07.100 --> 44:13.400 when he came down from the mount that Moses whisked not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. 44:13.400 --> 44:21.600 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him. 44:22.000 --> 44:29.500 And Moses called unto them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him, and Moses talked with them. 44:29.500 --> 44:37.500 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with them in Mount Sinai. 44:37.500 --> 44:41.500 Until Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 44:41.500 --> 44:47.000 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out. 44:47.400 --> 44:52.040 And he came out and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 44:52.040 --> 44:57.720 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. 44:57.720 --> 45:02.520 And Moses put the veil upon his face again until he went in to speak with him." 45:02.520 --> 45:05.680 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 45:05.680 --> 45:08.120 Father in heaven, we thank you for this most recent mission trip. 45:08.120 --> 45:12.400 I pray that the souls that got saved would choose to serve you with their lives. 45:12.900 --> 45:17.540 I pray also Lord God that you bless the sermon this morning and fill Pastor Shelly with your 45:17.540 --> 45:21.780 spirit help him to preach boldly the message you've laid on his heart help us to pay close 45:21.780 --> 45:25.860 attention and soften hearts in the room Lord God and give us ears to hear so that we may 45:25.860 --> 45:30.340 apply this sermon to our lives and serve you better. I ask for these things in the name 45:30.340 --> 45:36.100 of Jesus Christ amen. Amen. I want to look back at verse 27 the Bible says and the Lord 45:36.100 --> 45:39.060 said and to Moses write thou these words. 45:39.600 --> 45:45.100 For after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. 45:45.100 --> 45:48.100 And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. 45:48.100 --> 45:51.600 He did neither eat bread nor drink water. 45:51.600 --> 45:56.600 And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. 45:56.600 --> 46:00.100 And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets, 46:00.100 --> 46:02.600 our tables of testimony in Moses' hand, 46:02.600 --> 46:07.600 when he came down from the mount that Moses whist not, that the skin of his face shone. 46:07.600 --> 46:10.600 while he talked with him. 46:11.600 --> 46:17.800 This is in a setting where Moses has taken the children of Israel out of Egypt 46:17.800 --> 46:21.600 and they've come on to Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb 46:21.600 --> 46:24.900 and this is where they are to sacrifice unto the Lord 46:24.900 --> 46:27.900 as this is the whole point of why they were leaving Egypt. 46:27.900 --> 46:31.200 They were leaving Egypt to sacrifice in the Lord and serve God. 46:31.200 --> 46:34.400 And Moses kind of leaves the whole congregation 46:34.400 --> 46:38.400 and goes up unto this mount, speaks and communes with God. 46:38.400 --> 46:39.600 God gives him... 46:39.600 --> 46:43.600 the Ten Commandments, but in the process of doing so, 46:43.600 --> 46:47.600 the children of Israel decide to ask Aaron, 46:47.600 --> 46:49.600 hey, we don't know what happened to Moses. 46:49.600 --> 46:52.600 Will you go ahead and just make us a golden calf? 46:52.700 --> 46:57.140 or make us a god and and Aaron's like all right give me all your gold 46:57.140 --> 47:00.480 takes the gold throws it into the fire and out comes this calf as 47:00.480 --> 47:05.380 as Aaron describes this and God tells Moses he says hey 47:05.380 --> 47:09.540 they've corrupted themselves they're going after other gods 47:09.540 --> 47:13.900 you need to go down there and Moses goes down there and in his first journey down 47:13.900 --> 47:18.700 he ends up breaking the Ten Commandments he basically breaks the two tables of stone 47:18.800 --> 47:24.200 and he just gets really mad at, of course, the children of Israel. 47:24.500 --> 47:29.140 And even though he's mad at them, he just, he advocated to God to not kill them, to not 47:29.140 --> 47:30.560 destroy them all. 47:30.560 --> 47:32.800 And so he's kind of like an intercessor. 47:32.800 --> 47:37.580 And what's cool about this, this whole story that seems kind of crazy is how it's a gospel 47:37.580 --> 47:43.920 story because Moses is picturing how Jesus Christ came the first time. 47:43.920 --> 47:48.680 And of course the law being broken is kind of a picture of how Jesus Christ is going 47:48.680 --> 47:51.680 to take the punishment, the penalty for our sins. 47:51.680 --> 47:52.360 of course. 47:52.500 --> 47:56.000 He ends up destroying that golden calf. 47:56.000 --> 47:59.140 He's throws it into the water and makes them drink it 47:59.140 --> 48:00.100 and stuff like that. 48:00.100 --> 48:01.640 But then he ascends back up. 48:01.640 --> 48:06.640 And so you kind of have this first encounter with Moses 48:06.940 --> 48:10.080 is kind of like the first appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. 48:10.080 --> 48:12.860 And there's foreshadowing a lot of things about Christ. 48:12.860 --> 48:16.020 In Exodus 34, we're reading about the second time 48:16.020 --> 48:19.540 that Moses is writing the 10 commandments 48:19.540 --> 48:20.500 and he's gonna come. 48:20.500 --> 48:24.220 back down to the children of Israel, but now his face is shining. 48:24.220 --> 48:28.260 And of course, that's a symbol of the fact that when Jesus Christ returns, that he's 48:28.260 --> 48:31.560 going to be in glory and that he's going to be in brightness. 48:31.560 --> 48:34.460 But notice he comes back with the Ten Commandments. 48:34.460 --> 48:38.420 He didn't like, it's not like, oh, the Ten Commandments don't matter anymore. 48:38.420 --> 48:43.060 No, the Ten Commandments still matter and Christ is coming with them. 48:43.060 --> 48:47.220 And so, you know, we have a lot of different things that we could talk about from the symbolism 48:47.220 --> 48:47.800 here. 48:48.300 --> 48:52.500 But we also should just talk about like what's going on with Moses specifically as a person. 48:52.500 --> 48:58.200 So there's a lot of cool spiritual metaphors here and symbolism and foreshadowing of the 48:58.200 --> 49:04.400 gospel message, but also with Moses himself that spending time with God through God's 49:04.400 --> 49:05.400 Word. 49:05.400 --> 49:08.700 Notice in verse 27 again, write thou these words like he's dealing with the Word of God 49:08.700 --> 49:09.960 directly. 49:09.960 --> 49:12.900 It causes his face to shine brightly. 49:13.300 --> 49:19.380 And what we understand from a Christian perspective is that we are going to shine brightly when 49:19.380 --> 49:22.420 we are exposing ourselves to the words of God. 49:22.420 --> 49:27.460 It's the words of God that are going to cause us to shine brightly in this world. 49:27.460 --> 49:29.360 And that's what ends up cleaning us up. 49:29.360 --> 49:33.280 And that's what causes us to have the brightness of the Lord. 49:33.280 --> 49:39.940 Of course, the Bible tells us that God also passed by Moses and that Moses saw his back 49:39.940 --> 49:41.300 parts and 49:41.300 --> 49:43.500 And I believe that that is literal. 49:43.500 --> 49:47.900 I believe that God really did show himself unto Moses 49:47.900 --> 49:50.900 and that Moses really did get put in the cleft of the rock 49:50.900 --> 49:54.220 and that God really did put his hand over Moses' face 49:54.220 --> 49:56.680 and that Moses really did see his back parts. 49:56.680 --> 49:58.740 Whereas some crazy people just be like, 49:58.740 --> 49:59.780 it's all a metaphor. 50:00.100 --> 50:04.660 And I'm like, look, I get that this whole scene has metaphors, 50:04.660 --> 50:06.980 and I get that this has symbolism, 50:06.980 --> 50:09.940 and I understand this prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ, 50:09.940 --> 50:12.740 but if it has that, then you need to explain to me what it is. 50:13.300 --> 50:16.300 And the problem is they can't explain what that actually means 50:16.300 --> 50:17.600 because it's not a metaphor. 50:17.600 --> 50:18.600 It's just literal. 50:18.600 --> 50:19.400 God showed up. 50:19.400 --> 50:20.900 He appeared on Moses. 50:20.900 --> 50:22.200 Moses really did see him. 50:22.200 --> 50:23.700 Moses really did experience him. 50:23.700 --> 50:26.800 And again, that's partly why his face is shining 50:26.800 --> 50:29.100 is that he's experiencing God in person. 50:29.100 --> 50:31.100 He's experiencing God through the Word of God. 50:31.100 --> 50:34.700 And for us, we're never going to see God the Father, 50:34.700 --> 50:38.200 you know, on this side of our equation. 50:38.200 --> 50:39.900 You know, until we get to heaven, 50:39.900 --> 50:41.300 we're not going to have that particular experience. 50:41.300 --> 50:46.180 experience, but we can still see God and experience God through the word of God. 50:46.700 --> 50:53.580 And while our face will never shine physically, like some kind of a moon reflecting the sun 50:53.580 --> 51:00.440 type of experience, we can still shine in a spiritual way and a metaphoric way like Moses 51:00.440 --> 51:03.020 was shining here. 51:03.020 --> 51:07.540 And Moses is shining because of the Word of God, because of the Bible. 51:07.540 --> 51:10.420 And that's what causes its brilliance. 51:10.420 --> 51:14.580 is a word for just basically how vibrant or how strong. 51:14.700 --> 51:18.700 the glory is of a light or how bright the light is. 51:18.700 --> 51:24.700 And so Moses is shining so brightly that according to the text when he comes back down, people 51:24.700 --> 51:25.700 can't even look at him. 51:25.700 --> 51:26.700 It says in verse 30, 51:26.700 --> 51:30.700 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone 51:30.700 --> 51:33.700 and they were afraid to come nigh him. 51:34.300 --> 51:37.340 And Moses called unto them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned 51:37.340 --> 51:39.620 to him, and Moses talked with them. 51:39.620 --> 51:43.380 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh, and he gave them in commandment. 51:43.380 --> 51:47.220 All the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai, until Moses had done speaking with 51:47.220 --> 51:48.220 them. 51:48.220 --> 51:50.340 He put a veil on his face. 51:50.340 --> 51:54.580 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off until 51:54.580 --> 51:59.940 he came out, and he came out and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 51:59.940 --> 52:02.260 the children of Israel saw the face of Moses that the 52:02.300 --> 52:09.620 skin of Moses face shown and Moses put the veil upon his face again until he went in to speak with him. 52:09.620 --> 52:14.860 You know, it's funny like Moses according to the Bible, it's real explicit like his skin is 52:15.660 --> 52:19.980 Shining it's like why would his skin be shining because he quote saw a metaphor 52:20.500 --> 52:23.300 You know, it makes sense that he actually saw God 52:23.300 --> 52:25.600 and that's why his face is shining 52:25.600 --> 52:28.400 because of the brightness and brilliance of having seen God. 52:28.400 --> 52:30.200 And of course, it's a unique experience. 52:30.200 --> 52:32.800 Now, God makes it abundantly clear. 52:32.800 --> 52:34.900 No man shall see his face and live. 52:34.900 --> 52:37.100 No one has seen God the Father's face 52:37.100 --> 52:39.500 save Jesus Christ, 52:39.500 --> 52:41.100 which was in the bosom of the Father. 52:41.100 --> 52:45.000 So, nobody has been able to see God the Father's face yet. 52:45.000 --> 52:48.000 And I believe the Bible is basically explaining to us 52:48.000 --> 52:48.500 through the 52:48.500 --> 52:52.300 entire Bible that it's because we couldn't handle it. 52:52.300 --> 52:57.700 Like if we were to see such a thing we would just die and that's not the point of this 52:57.700 --> 52:58.700 part of our creation. 52:58.700 --> 53:02.140 This is not the point of our story is it just all die, right? 53:02.140 --> 53:05.620 I got the God the Father could just reveal his face to the whole world and we would all 53:05.620 --> 53:06.620 die. 53:06.620 --> 53:07.620 Well then what's the point in that? 53:07.620 --> 53:07.900 Muck that. 53:08.600 --> 53:11.920 You know, and you kind of wonder like, does that have something to do with the fact that 53:11.920 --> 53:13.400 we have to have faith, right? 53:13.400 --> 53:17.820 You have to have faith to be born again, and then those that are born again, one day will 53:17.820 --> 53:20.340 see the Father's face and live. 53:20.340 --> 53:25.040 But if God the Father just showed His face to us, we could not live, we could not survive, 53:25.040 --> 53:26.640 we could not handle it. 53:26.640 --> 53:29.720 And an example we have this in our world is the Son. 53:30.300 --> 53:35.980 I get that you could technically look at the sun for a very brief moment, but let's be 53:35.980 --> 53:39.180 honest you can't really handle just looking directly at the sun. 53:39.500 --> 53:44.780 It's so brilliant, it's so bright, it's very difficult to look directly at it. 53:44.780 --> 53:51.580 And a lot of times people need either special glasses, or to see it through a photograph, or a video, 53:51.580 --> 53:56.780 or they're just crazy and they want to hurt their eyes or something, and so they're just trying to look real quick. 53:56.780 --> 54:04.300 But, you know, we experience a bright light, so bright that you can hardly even look at it, and it's the sun. 54:05.000 --> 54:09.000 which interestingly enough, we have tons of lights in this world. 54:09.000 --> 54:11.720 It's like the sun seems to be the brightest, it's not even the closest. 54:12.360 --> 54:15.560 But God is even more brilliant than the sun himself. 54:16.200 --> 54:19.720 And that the sun, while it has its brilliance, if we were to look at God, 54:19.720 --> 54:24.440 it would be so bright, it'd be so magnificent, it'd be something that we just could not 54:24.440 --> 54:27.480 handle. And so of course, God shields himself. 54:28.000 --> 54:34.240 from us being just just slaughtered through his own brilliance in the same way that Moses is 54:34.560 --> 54:39.080 Shielding himself so that people aren't just blinded by his light 54:39.080 --> 54:44.840 And you know here's something that really annoying me annoys me when people will shine a bright light in your face 54:46.000 --> 54:50.000 You know, it used to be when I was in like junior high, high school, I don't know, there was this 54:50.000 --> 54:53.500 interesting phenomenon, I think it's just kind of came out, it's called laser pointers. 54:53.500 --> 54:55.000 Who knows what I'm talking about? 54:55.000 --> 54:59.500 Like laser pointers became like a rage when I was in school. 54:59.500 --> 55:03.500 But some people were using this to try and like blind people, like they would, 55:03.500 --> 55:08.500 they would do it at people's eyes and try to like cause them damage or try to harm them. 55:08.500 --> 55:12.000 You know, especially if you're driving in a vehicle or doing something like this, 55:12.000 --> 55:14.000 it's really dangerous, really hazardous. 55:14.000 --> 55:17.300 vehicles have what's called bright lights. 55:17.300 --> 55:19.300 So usually if you push the thing forward, 55:19.300 --> 55:21.860 it's not just the headlights, it's like an extra bright. 55:21.860 --> 55:24.620 You know, it's kind of a rude, jerky thing 55:24.620 --> 55:28.040 to have your brights on when you're passing other vehicles 55:28.040 --> 55:29.800 because a lot of times they can't see. 55:30.000 --> 55:33.480 And, you know, I experienced that in Barbados, so I'll just be honest, alright? 55:33.480 --> 55:38.040 You're driving at night, and it's like, they would turn their brights off as soon as I passed them. 55:38.040 --> 55:40.240 And I was like, well, thank you. Thanks for doing that. 55:40.240 --> 55:42.840 It's like, it's like bright, you're like, you can't see, and then just like, 55:42.840 --> 55:45.320 right before you're about to pass them, they'd flick them off, and you'd be like, 55:45.320 --> 55:47.000 oh, well, thanks for that. 55:47.000 --> 55:50.400 But, you know, it's not very fun to be driving, 55:50.400 --> 55:55.880 and all of a sudden just be blinded by someone's bright lights, or some kind of a light. 55:55.880 --> 55:57.960 You know, that's why you're in the car. You don't want to have... 55:58.000 --> 56:04.640 a bunch of lights on at night inside the vehicle because it makes visibility, you know, difficult. 56:04.640 --> 56:08.440 It makes you hard to see outside of the car. 56:08.440 --> 56:13.660 And so, you know, these things that we experience in our real life are to be representative 56:13.660 --> 56:19.400 of what this world is like and what the gospel is like and what the Bible is trying to explain. 56:19.400 --> 56:23.800 Now I want to go to another passage, go to 2 Corinthians chapter number four, 2 Corinthians 56:23.800 --> 56:24.800 This happened before. 56:25.600 --> 56:30.000 And let's kind of compare because the New Testament talks about this story 56:30.000 --> 56:33.600 in 2 Corinthians chapter number 4 and gives us 56:33.600 --> 56:38.000 some explanation of what was going on in that particular passage. 56:38.000 --> 56:42.700 You know when we're trying to figure out what the Old Testament meant 56:42.700 --> 56:46.600 or when we're trying to figure out what the symbolism is 56:46.600 --> 56:49.900 or what the prophecy was of an Old Testament passage, 56:49.900 --> 56:52.900 you know it's the safest way to figure out if you're right. 56:53.300 --> 56:56.240 the New Testament just tells you exactly what it was. 56:56.340 --> 56:57.440 You know, it's funny to me. 56:57.540 --> 56:59.480 Like, people try to come up to me a lot of times 56:59.580 --> 57:02.480 and try to tell me about the symbolism in the Old Testament. 57:02.580 --> 57:06.880 And, you know, I think that occasionally, sometimes people 57:06.980 --> 57:08.660 are a little overzealous in what they're 57:08.760 --> 57:10.820 trying to figure out in the text. 57:10.920 --> 57:14.020 But let me just give you a tip of where you can always be safe. 57:14.120 --> 57:15.560 When the New Testament just tells you 57:15.660 --> 57:17.900 exactly what the symbolism was, you're 57:18.000 --> 57:20.500 on really safe ground of that's what it really meant. 57:21.100 --> 57:25.980 And you know, you should probably prioritize the symbolism that the New Testament actually 57:25.980 --> 57:30.020 gives you over just your crazy idea. 57:30.020 --> 57:34.700 And you know, if you can't come up with your doctrine anywhere else in the Bible other 57:34.700 --> 57:37.620 than your just speculation and the symbolism, it's probably not very safe. 57:38.200 --> 57:41.000 If it's taught everywhere else in the Bible, it's probably pretty safe. 57:41.000 --> 57:45.100 Okay, so, you know, just some tips on finding prophecy in the Bible. 57:45.100 --> 57:50.500 But here in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, it just tells explicitly what was going on in this story. 57:50.500 --> 57:53.900 Look what it says here in verse number. Let's just get a little bit of context. 57:53.900 --> 57:56.600 Look what it says here in verse number 6. 57:56.900 --> 58:00.260 who also have made us able ministers of the New Testament, 58:00.260 --> 58:03.140 not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter killeth, 58:03.140 --> 58:04.580 but the Spirit giveth life. 58:04.580 --> 58:10.100 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, 58:10.100 --> 58:15.060 so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, 58:15.060 --> 58:19.380 for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. 58:20.000 --> 58:25.120 How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? 58:25.120 --> 58:31.120 So in this epistle, the apostle Paul is trying to explain to the Corinthians that. 58:31.500 --> 58:38.900 Whenever Moses was given this job, this service of God, this ministry of God of the Old Testament, 58:38.900 --> 58:44.400 that it was such an awesome thing, that it was so glorious, that his face literally shone, 58:44.400 --> 58:49.500 having received the Ten Commandments, having received the Old Testament law, 58:49.500 --> 58:52.300 having received the tables of stone from God, 58:52.300 --> 58:57.100 and that his face shone so brightly that the children of Israel couldn't even look at him. 58:57.900 --> 59:02.300 And it's saying if that is how glorious the Old Testament was, 59:02.300 --> 59:03.740 and it's going to be done away with. 59:03.740 --> 59:05.980 He's saying if the Old Testament was to even be done away with, 59:05.980 --> 59:08.700 it wasn't even a permanent thing, it wasn't even an everlasting thing, 59:09.260 --> 59:15.020 then how much more should this new ministry, this new service of God, 59:15.020 --> 59:20.060 this new testament be in glory than the Old Testament? 59:20.300 --> 59:23.800 In a sense, it should outshine this Old Testament. 59:23.800 --> 59:25.200 It should be more glorious. 59:25.200 --> 59:32.300 It should be more brilliant because it's not only, you know, coming on the heels of some such a thing. 59:32.300 --> 59:38.100 It's not only delivered by a better person than Moses, Jesus, but it's also an everlasting testament. 59:38.100 --> 59:41.300 It's an everlasting gospel is what the Bible is teaching us. 59:41.300 --> 59:44.700 And so it should be more glorious. 59:44.700 --> 59:48.040 In verse 9, for if the administration of condemnation be glory, 59:48.300 --> 59:51.740 much more doth the ministration of righteousness 59:51.740 --> 59:54.220 exceed in glory. 59:54.220 --> 59:55.940 For even that which was made glorious 59:55.940 --> 59:58.740 had no glory in this respect 59:58.740 --> 01:00:01.700 by reason of the glory that exceleth. 01:00:01.700 --> 01:00:04.500 Now, what does it mean in verse 10 01:00:04.500 --> 01:00:09.500 when it said that it had no glory in this respect? 01:00:11.000 --> 01:00:16.840 What that means is, is that the Old Testament law had no glory in getting anyone saved. 01:00:18.120 --> 01:00:20.520 No one got saved by the Old Testament. 01:00:20.900 --> 01:00:23.900 No one got saved by following the law. 01:00:23.900 --> 01:00:30.100 There was never a dispensation where people were saved by faith and works. 01:00:30.100 --> 01:00:35.900 There will never be a dispensation where people are saved by faith and works. 01:00:35.900 --> 01:00:39.800 Salvation has only ever been by faith in Jesus Christ. 01:00:39.900 --> 01:00:46.580 And so even though the Old Testament was glorious, it had no glory and respect for salvation. 01:00:46.580 --> 01:00:50.500 It had no glory and respect of taking someone to heaven. 01:00:50.500 --> 01:00:52.860 All it did was point to salvation. 01:00:52.860 --> 01:00:57.960 All it did was point us to the one that could save us and point to the fact that we can't 01:00:57.960 --> 01:00:59.620 be saved by our works. 01:00:59.620 --> 01:01:02.940 To point to the failure of humanity. 01:01:02.940 --> 01:01:05.140 Because obviously the law is good. 01:01:05.140 --> 01:01:07.100 The law is spiritual. 01:01:07.100 --> 01:01:07.900 I am carnal. 01:01:07.900 --> 01:01:10.500 and what the law proves to me is that I am carnal. 01:01:10.500 --> 01:01:12.460 And what it proves to me is I am flesh. 01:01:12.460 --> 01:01:14.860 And what it proves to me is that the flesh is weak. 01:01:14.860 --> 01:01:17.300 And what it proves is that I cannot be saved 01:01:17.300 --> 01:01:20.040 because my flesh isn't good enough to get to heaven 01:01:20.040 --> 01:01:23.020 for all of sinned and come short of the glory of God. 01:01:23.020 --> 01:01:26.180 And that's what the law proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, 01:01:26.180 --> 01:01:28.180 but it never saved anyone. 01:01:28.800 --> 01:01:33.800 It doesn't do anything but explain to us that we need salvation. 01:01:33.800 --> 01:01:38.000 And of course, that's why the second testament is the better testament. 01:01:38.000 --> 01:01:40.100 That's why it has more glory. 01:01:40.100 --> 01:01:46.600 That's why we appeal to the gospel, because that's what actually saves us. 01:01:46.600 --> 01:01:47.700 He says in verse 12, 01:01:47.700 --> 01:01:49.220 seeing then that we have such hope. 01:01:49.500 --> 01:01:51.260 We use great plainness of speech. 01:01:51.260 --> 01:01:55.060 So we have the hope of the gospel and not as Moses, 01:01:55.060 --> 01:02:01.860 which put a veil over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. 01:02:01.860 --> 01:02:03.860 You know the Old Testament is abolished. 01:02:03.860 --> 01:02:05.260 How about that? 01:02:05.260 --> 01:02:07.060 I mean, that's just what the Bible says. 01:02:10.000 --> 01:02:14.800 If the Old Testament is not abolished, then what is abolished? 01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:16.200 I mean, something was abolished. 01:02:16.200 --> 01:02:18.300 I mean, he brought up something's abolished. 01:02:18.300 --> 01:02:19.700 And notice it is abolished. 01:02:19.700 --> 01:02:21.300 It's not like about to be abolished. 01:02:21.300 --> 01:02:23.600 It's already been abolished. 01:02:23.600 --> 01:02:26.200 But their minds are blinded for until this day remain in the same veil 01:02:26.200 --> 01:02:27.800 and taken away in the reading of the Old Testament, 01:02:27.800 --> 01:02:29.700 which veil is done away in Christ. 01:02:29.700 --> 01:02:32.700 Notice that the veil is taken away in Christ. 01:02:32.700 --> 01:02:37.000 You can understand the Old Testament when you get saved. 01:02:37.400 --> 01:02:44.080 Now, I would say this, understand by meaning the big point. 01:02:44.080 --> 01:02:47.560 Understand by meaning what it takes to be saved. 01:02:47.560 --> 01:02:51.600 Understand by meaning what the spiritual meaning of the text was. 01:02:51.600 --> 01:02:55.000 Everyone can understand the carnal truths found in the Old Testament. 01:02:55.400 --> 01:02:58.800 Everyone can understand the facts of the Old Testament. 01:02:58.800 --> 01:03:02.400 Everyone can understand the history of the Old Testament. 01:03:02.400 --> 01:03:05.900 But there was the big point, there was the meaning. 01:03:05.900 --> 01:03:09.700 There's the spiritual significance of the Old Testament, 01:03:09.700 --> 01:03:13.900 which is hidden, is not understood until you realize, 01:03:13.900 --> 01:03:16.600 oh, this is all about Jesus Christ. 01:03:16.600 --> 01:03:19.600 That seed of the woman is about Jesus Christ. 01:03:19.600 --> 01:03:22.800 Oh, these stories about Joseph are about Jesus Christ. 01:03:22.800 --> 01:03:23.400 Oh this 01:03:23.400 --> 01:03:28.160 story about Moses is about Jesus Christ. Oh, Joshua leading them into the promised land 01:03:28.160 --> 01:03:35.440 is about Jesus Christ. Just all the law and all the prophets to him give all to him give 01:03:35.440 --> 01:03:39.720 witness all the law and the prophets. It's only through Jesus Christ's name that we're 01:03:39.720 --> 01:03:41.800 saved. Right? 01:03:42.300 --> 01:03:47.540 And I'm paraphrasing that, but of course, according to the Bible, the law and the prophets 01:03:47.540 --> 01:03:51.740 and the Old Testament, everything is giving witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. 01:03:51.740 --> 01:03:55.400 It's not to the law saving us. 01:03:55.400 --> 01:03:56.660 It's not pointing back to that. 01:03:56.660 --> 01:03:59.300 It's pointing to the gospel message. 01:03:59.300 --> 01:04:03.820 And the Bible makes it clear that the Jews, by and large, the children of Israel by and 01:04:03.820 --> 01:04:09.380 large, they are kind of like seeing Moses with a veil when it comes to the gospel. 01:04:09.800 --> 01:04:12.680 They, obviously they see Moses. 01:04:12.680 --> 01:04:13.980 They can see him as a person. 01:04:13.980 --> 01:04:15.280 They know he's there. 01:04:15.280 --> 01:04:18.240 And according to the Bible, they even believe that they trust in Moses, but they don't really 01:04:18.240 --> 01:04:19.920 know who Moses is. 01:04:19.920 --> 01:04:24.000 And if they had known who Moses was, then they would know who Jesus was. 01:04:24.000 --> 01:04:25.780 Because when you know Moses, you know Jesus. 01:04:25.780 --> 01:04:27.920 When you believe Moses, you believe Jesus. 01:04:27.920 --> 01:04:29.640 And so there's all this symbolism here. 01:04:29.640 --> 01:04:31.640 There's all this metaphor here. 01:04:31.640 --> 01:04:35.120 And when they read Moses, they don't understand it. 01:04:35.800 --> 01:04:39.880 Nevertheless, when their hearts turn to the Lord, that veil is taken away. 01:04:39.880 --> 01:04:43.200 Now the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 01:04:43.200 --> 01:04:49.400 But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed 01:04:49.400 --> 01:04:53.880 into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord. 01:04:53.880 --> 01:05:01.220 So Moses, he spoke with the Lord, he understood who the Lord was, he understood the words 01:05:01.220 --> 01:05:03.200 of God, and so his face shone. 01:05:03.500 --> 01:05:06.100 And then the Bible saying in verse 18, 01:05:06.100 --> 01:05:10.300 but we all with open face beholding. 01:05:10.300 --> 01:05:12.900 So just as Moses took the veil off 01:05:12.900 --> 01:05:15.000 when he communed with God and his face shown, 01:05:15.000 --> 01:05:18.700 we in the New Testament, we have the veil off as well, 01:05:18.700 --> 01:05:20.400 and we commune with God. 01:05:20.400 --> 01:05:24.100 And so that our faces should also shine 01:05:24.100 --> 01:05:27.600 in the same way that Moses face shown. 01:05:28.000 --> 01:05:32.200 So while that is a literal story in the Old Testament, 01:05:32.200 --> 01:05:34.000 we are to take the spiritual application 01:05:34.000 --> 01:05:37.600 and apply it to ourselves, and that when we get saved, 01:05:37.600 --> 01:05:40.600 it's like our face is shining in a spiritual way. 01:05:42.000 --> 01:05:43.520 But what did Moses have to do? 01:05:43.520 --> 01:05:45.240 He had to hide it under that veil 01:05:45.240 --> 01:05:46.480 because they couldn't handle it. 01:05:46.480 --> 01:05:48.640 They couldn't take it and... 01:05:48.900 --> 01:05:51.000 What does this kind of symbolize? 01:05:51.000 --> 01:05:54.500 Well, obviously not everybody likes the gospel, do they? 01:05:54.500 --> 01:05:56.500 Not everybody can handle the gospel. 01:05:56.500 --> 01:06:00.000 Some people get very offended by the gospel. 01:06:00.000 --> 01:06:02.800 And whenever you allow it to shine brightly, 01:06:02.800 --> 01:06:06.900 people are going to get upset at you shining that bright light at them. 01:06:06.900 --> 01:06:10.800 Just like I get upset when someone shines brights at me, 01:06:10.800 --> 01:06:14.000 just like I can't really look at the sun, it's irritating. 01:06:14.000 --> 01:06:16.900 You know what? The gospel is irritating to those that... 01:06:16.900 --> 01:06:21.260 don't want to receive it. The gospel is irritating those that don't want to believe it. The gospel 01:06:21.260 --> 01:06:27.660 is too difficult to look at for this crowd. But should we just stop sharing the gospel? 01:06:27.660 --> 01:06:32.300 No, of course not. Verse 1 of chapter 4, therefore seeing we have this ministry as we receive 01:06:32.300 --> 01:06:33.460 mercy we faint not. 01:06:34.100 --> 01:06:39.060 But ever renounce the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the 01:06:39.060 --> 01:06:42.860 word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, committing ourselves to every 01:06:42.860 --> 01:06:44.780 man's conscience on the side of God. 01:06:44.780 --> 01:06:48.460 But ever gospel be hid, it's hid to them that are lost. 01:06:48.900 --> 01:06:52.900 in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, 01:06:52.900 --> 01:06:56.900 lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ 01:06:56.900 --> 01:07:00.200 who is the image of God should shine unto them. 01:07:00.200 --> 01:07:03.300 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, 01:07:03.300 --> 01:07:05.900 and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:10.960 For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, 01:07:10.960 --> 01:07:16.080 hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God 01:07:16.080 --> 01:07:18.560 in the face of Jesus Christ. 01:07:18.560 --> 01:07:20.800 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels 01:07:20.800 --> 01:07:24.800 that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." 01:07:24.800 --> 01:07:29.600 So Moses obviously coming down from the mount 01:07:29.600 --> 01:07:31.280 and his face lighting up. 01:07:31.900 --> 01:07:36.060 like a superhero or something, was a unique experience. 01:07:36.060 --> 01:07:38.100 And it'd be kind of easy to think like, 01:07:38.100 --> 01:07:41.180 hey, this guy is special. 01:07:41.180 --> 01:07:42.540 Moses is special. 01:07:42.540 --> 01:07:45.220 And of course, even unsaved people 01:07:45.220 --> 01:07:47.340 believe Moses is special. 01:07:47.340 --> 01:07:48.740 You could look at Jews today, 01:07:48.740 --> 01:07:51.140 they all look up to Moses in theory. 01:07:51.140 --> 01:07:54.660 You have Islam and Muslims looking up to Moses, 01:07:54.660 --> 01:07:56.660 even though they're not even saved. 01:07:56.660 --> 01:07:59.340 And, you know, if we walked around, 01:07:59.800 --> 01:08:06.200 looking like superheroes, being just all bright and shining and our faces just glow. 01:08:06.200 --> 01:08:10.200 You know, you just walk, it's like, who's the guy that's glowing, right? 01:08:10.200 --> 01:08:17.000 I mean, it would kind of take away from the message being about Jesus 01:08:17.000 --> 01:08:19.400 and it would give a little bit of that glory to us, wouldn't it? 01:08:20.700 --> 01:08:25.900 But see, that's what the Bible is saying that, hey, we're an earthen, we're an earthen vessel, right? 01:08:25.900 --> 01:08:31.900 It says here in verse seven, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the 01:08:31.900 --> 01:08:38.540 excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. So we're walking around in the New Testament 01:08:38.540 --> 01:08:40.300 and we look no different. 01:08:40.600 --> 01:08:42.200 We're not special. 01:08:42.200 --> 01:08:44.700 We don't look like superheroes. 01:08:44.700 --> 01:08:47.000 In fact, according to other parts of Corinthians 01:08:47.000 --> 01:08:48.300 and the 1 Corinthians and stuff, 01:08:48.300 --> 01:08:51.400 it's saying that many of us are not even mighty in the flesh. 01:08:51.400 --> 01:08:53.800 So there's nothing necessarily special about us 01:08:53.800 --> 01:08:55.800 in a human capacity. 01:08:55.800 --> 01:08:57.300 We're not superheroes. 01:08:57.300 --> 01:08:58.200 We're not Titans. 01:08:58.200 --> 01:08:59.800 We're not gladiators. 01:08:59.800 --> 01:09:02.100 We're not Hercules. 01:09:02.100 --> 01:09:06.000 But what we do have is we have the gospel inside of us 01:09:06.000 --> 01:09:08.400 and we can allow that to shine. 01:09:08.600 --> 01:09:10.100 and we can get people saved. 01:09:10.100 --> 01:09:14.440 And then all that treasure is seen for what it is. 01:09:14.440 --> 01:09:15.460 It's the glory of God. 01:09:15.460 --> 01:09:16.500 It's not about us. 01:09:17.640 --> 01:09:19.360 We all go share the exact same message. 01:09:19.360 --> 01:09:22.720 I mean, if you go with us all winning 01:09:22.720 --> 01:09:25.120 and you go with me and you go with brother Diego 01:09:25.120 --> 01:09:27.560 and brother Sam and brother Ben and brother Marcel 01:09:27.560 --> 01:09:28.580 and all the people in the room, 01:09:28.580 --> 01:09:31.380 like you're gonna be like, man, that was really similar. 01:09:32.600 --> 01:09:34.600 It's gonna be pretty much the same thing. 01:09:34.900 --> 01:09:37.100 It's gonna be, wow, that was the same illustrations, 01:09:37.100 --> 01:09:39.600 and the same talking points, and the same verses, 01:09:39.600 --> 01:09:40.800 and the same outline. 01:09:40.800 --> 01:09:44.300 Now again, if we were to be like, going with each other, 01:09:44.300 --> 01:09:45.500 we kinda start to notice like, 01:09:45.500 --> 01:09:47.600 hey, there's a little nuance here, 01:09:47.600 --> 01:09:50.300 or this guy emphasizes a point a little differently, 01:09:50.300 --> 01:09:53.600 or this guy uses an extra verse, this guy doesn't, whatever. 01:09:53.600 --> 01:09:57.200 Obviously, we're not saying it's verbatim, 01:09:57.200 --> 01:09:59.700 but in essence, it's the same. 01:10:00.100 --> 01:10:07.100 Why? Because it's not about us, it's about this, and it's about shining that bright light of the gospel. 01:10:07.100 --> 01:10:13.100 And that's what gets people saved. But if it's hid, well then people aren't going to get saved. 01:10:13.100 --> 01:10:20.100 Notice the only way to get saved is for this light to shine. This is the message. 01:10:20.100 --> 01:10:23.100 But what I want to focus on this morning is in verse 6 it says, 01:10:23.100 --> 01:10:26.940 God who commanded the light to shine. 01:10:27.700 --> 01:10:36.700 God commanded the light to shine. Now, this is a reference to and pointing to the beginning of the Bible, the creation story itself. 01:10:36.700 --> 01:10:42.700 Let's go back to Genesis chapter 1 and let's focus in on this point here. 01:10:42.700 --> 01:10:48.600 God commanded the light to shine. Look at Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. 01:10:51.600 --> 01:10:57.600 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, 01:10:57.600 --> 01:11:01.600 and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 01:11:01.600 --> 01:11:04.600 And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 01:11:04.800 --> 01:11:08.800 And God said, Let there be light. 01:11:08.800 --> 01:11:10.400 And there was light. 01:11:10.400 --> 01:11:12.400 And God saw the light, that it was good, 01:11:12.400 --> 01:11:14.400 and God divided the light from the darkness. 01:11:14.400 --> 01:11:17.200 And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night, 01:11:17.200 --> 01:11:19.500 and the evening and the morning were the first day. 01:11:19.500 --> 01:11:24.200 So, in the very beginning of the Bible, the first story of the Bible, 01:11:24.200 --> 01:11:28.100 as expounded on by 2 Corinthians chapter number 4, 01:11:28.100 --> 01:11:29.900 we have the gospel message. 01:11:30.500 --> 01:11:34.500 The gospel is at the very beginning and it's at the very end. 01:11:34.500 --> 01:11:36.240 It's everywhere in between. 01:11:36.240 --> 01:11:40.960 And so the whole Bible is about the gospel and it's about this imagery. 01:11:40.960 --> 01:11:45.180 It's about this metaphor of light and darkness. 01:11:45.180 --> 01:11:47.400 And of course, that is a spiritual understanding. 01:11:47.400 --> 01:11:50.460 But what we have to understand is that the world is in darkness. 01:11:51.600 --> 01:11:55.600 And I have three simple points that we can see from this little passage here 01:11:55.600 --> 01:12:00.200 that we're going to emphasize throughout the sermon, but you know, number one, we see that the world is in darkness. 01:12:00.200 --> 01:12:01.200 In verse two, it says, 01:12:01.200 --> 01:12:06.700 the earth was without form and void. Notice this, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 01:12:06.700 --> 01:12:09.200 So everything's dark. 01:12:09.200 --> 01:12:10.500 There's only darkness. 01:12:10.900 --> 01:12:13.100 What does this symbolize? What does this picture? 01:12:13.100 --> 01:12:16.300 This is picturing the same thing that we realize when we go out and preach the gospel that 01:12:16.300 --> 01:12:19.700 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God 01:12:19.700 --> 01:12:28.500 and that there is no salvation from being good, from our works, from anything that we do 01:12:28.500 --> 01:12:34.900 and that the whole world is just sinful, the whole world is evil, the whole world is a complete darkness. 01:12:34.900 --> 01:12:37.900 There is no one saving themselves. 01:12:38.100 --> 01:12:42.500 When we use this word darkness, obviously we could mean it in a very literal sense, 01:12:42.500 --> 01:12:46.020 and we could mean it in a metaphoric sense, and we think about something being dark, 01:12:46.020 --> 01:12:50.900 we think about it being evil, being wicked, doing that which is wrong, 01:12:50.900 --> 01:12:53.060 and there's a lot of darkness in this world. 01:12:53.060 --> 01:12:55.700 Yea, the whole world life in darkness, as the Bible says. 01:12:56.900 --> 01:13:00.820 But what happens is a light shines, and what happens is the light, 01:13:01.460 --> 01:13:04.660 you know, if it's bright enough, you don't even have any darkness. 01:13:05.200 --> 01:13:09.600 You know what I mean? Think about it. The sun comes out and all the darkness is gone. 01:13:09.600 --> 01:13:13.840 And in the same way, it's kind of like you get saved when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. 01:13:13.840 --> 01:13:15.920 The light shines and all the darkness is gone. 01:13:16.200 --> 01:13:20.200 Now again, we're talking about in our spirit, in our new man, 01:13:20.200 --> 01:13:23.640 when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you've been made righteous 01:13:23.640 --> 01:13:28.040 and it's like the lights are turned on everywhere and now there's no darkness. 01:13:28.040 --> 01:13:32.200 The problem is we're still having this flesh cloaking us and we still have the darkness from 01:13:32.200 --> 01:13:36.680 the flesh and we still have the evil from the flesh and we still have the lust of the flesh 01:13:36.680 --> 01:13:42.680 and we have to shed that to then be righteous perfectly in body, soul and spirit. 01:13:42.680 --> 01:13:43.300 But. 01:13:43.500 --> 01:13:48.860 In your spirit man, when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the lights come on and there's no more darkness. 01:13:49.700 --> 01:13:53.300 Notice how it starts. It starts dark and then it becomes light. 01:13:53.300 --> 01:13:55.800 We are all sinners, but then we get saved. 01:13:55.800 --> 01:13:58.000 And of course we have that gospel message. 01:13:58.000 --> 01:14:01.100 And of course you think about it, there's a problem, then there's the solution. 01:14:01.100 --> 01:14:04.800 The problem is the darkness, the solution is the light. 01:14:04.800 --> 01:14:09.400 And of course this is why the day starts dark and then ends with light. 01:14:09.400 --> 01:14:13.800 Of course the world reverses this and we kind of like end in darkness, don't we now? 01:14:13.800 --> 01:14:16.400 We kind of end in darkness and it's confusing. 01:14:16.400 --> 01:14:17.600 But God's... 01:14:17.700 --> 01:14:20.900 creation order was actually to have the day start in the night 01:14:20.900 --> 01:14:25.900 and then in the midpoint the light comes on and then it ends 01:14:25.900 --> 01:14:26.900 with the light. 01:14:26.900 --> 01:14:28.900 And if you kind of think about that's even how the world works 01:14:28.900 --> 01:14:32.400 with, you know, the world is dark for 4,000 years, then in 01:14:32.400 --> 01:14:34.800 the middle you have Jesus Christ come, the lights come on, 01:14:34.800 --> 01:14:37.400 and then of course we're going to have the light of the gospel 01:14:37.400 --> 01:14:38.700 forever. 01:14:38.700 --> 01:14:40.000 We get saved in the same way. 01:14:40.000 --> 01:14:43.400 There's so much symbolism here, but notice that God is commanding 01:14:43.400 --> 01:14:43.800 see you when it's over. 01:14:44.000 --> 01:14:49.200 as 2 Corinthians 4 words it, or demanding or stating in verse 3, and God said, 01:14:49.200 --> 01:14:56.400 let there be light. God is commanding that there's light. God is declaring that there should be light. 01:14:56.960 --> 01:14:59.680 And so you know what God is saying? God is saying 01:14:59.900 --> 01:15:03.900 We need the gospel. God is declaring the gospel. 01:15:03.900 --> 01:15:06.500 God is declaring salvation and He's saying, 01:15:06.500 --> 01:15:08.100 let there be light. 01:15:08.100 --> 01:15:10.500 And of course, this could be picturing, you know, 01:15:10.500 --> 01:15:13.400 the Father telling the Son to come to the world, 01:15:13.400 --> 01:15:15.100 to die for the sins of the world. 01:15:15.100 --> 01:15:17.200 And of course, what does the Bible say? 01:15:17.200 --> 01:15:18.400 And there was light. 01:15:18.400 --> 01:15:21.300 And just as the Father instructed the Son 01:15:21.300 --> 01:15:22.700 to be the Savior of the world, 01:15:22.700 --> 01:15:27.500 the Son obeyed the Father and He is the light of this world. 01:15:27.900 --> 01:15:33.020 He is the one that's shining brightly and giving us this light and giving us this gospel 01:15:33.020 --> 01:15:34.020 message. 01:15:34.020 --> 01:15:39.180 And of course, we then can realize that God doesn't want the whole world to be in darkness. 01:15:39.180 --> 01:15:42.620 He wants there to be light because He wants people to be saved. 01:15:42.620 --> 01:15:44.100 And He doesn't want just some people to be saved. 01:15:44.100 --> 01:15:45.860 He wants everyone to be saved. 01:15:45.860 --> 01:15:47.860 And just like the sun lights the whole world, 01:15:48.200 --> 01:15:51.800 The gospel is for all people and it's for all nations 01:15:51.800 --> 01:15:54.800 and everyone in darkness gets to experience the light 01:15:54.800 --> 01:15:57.200 and it's their response to that light 01:15:57.200 --> 01:15:59.800 that is going to determine their eternity. 01:15:59.800 --> 01:16:03.500 God has not foreordained people to just die and go to hell 01:16:03.500 --> 01:16:05.200 and that they have no chance. 01:16:05.200 --> 01:16:08.600 No, God gives them light in all kinds of ways 01:16:08.600 --> 01:16:11.000 and they have an opportunity to respond to that light. 01:16:11.000 --> 01:16:13.500 Now think about it, you know, in this world 01:16:13.500 --> 01:16:15.400 we don't get light 24-7. 01:16:16.600 --> 01:16:19.840 There are some parts of the world on the polar caps 01:16:19.840 --> 01:16:23.600 that parts of the year they can have a 24-hour sun. 01:16:23.600 --> 01:16:25.840 Sorry, flat-earthers, it's a globe, all right? 01:16:26.300 --> 01:16:32.380 And other parts of the world is dark, but you know there's nowhere in the world that you can be 01:16:32.540 --> 01:16:36.860 That you just always light or just always dark throughout the year 01:16:36.860 --> 01:16:43.540 There'll be some portion that's light and some portion that they and you know to me that kind of just reflects the reality of this 01:16:43.540 --> 01:16:50.060 World that not everybody gets the same chances not everybody gets the same exposure to the light 01:16:50.140 --> 01:16:52.340 But they all got exposure to the light 01:16:53.400 --> 01:16:57.000 And it's how you respond when you get that exposure. 01:16:57.000 --> 01:16:59.840 And you know, us that are saved, 01:16:59.840 --> 01:17:02.080 Jesus Christ has already come and gone. 01:17:02.080 --> 01:17:06.040 It's for us to be that light, shining that light. 01:17:06.040 --> 01:17:08.160 And God is commanding us. 01:17:08.160 --> 01:17:11.200 God is demanding us to be that light 01:17:11.200 --> 01:17:13.680 and to let our light shine in this world 01:17:13.680 --> 01:17:16.080 and to not allow it to be hidden. 01:17:16.080 --> 01:17:17.840 He's saying, hey, if it's hidden, 01:17:17.840 --> 01:17:20.120 well, it's gonna be only hidden to the lost. 01:17:20.300 --> 01:17:22.300 and then they're not going to be saved. 01:17:22.300 --> 01:17:25.300 And of course the devil doesn't want people to see our light, 01:17:25.300 --> 01:17:30.300 but you know what? We are to let our light shine, just like Moses is having his face shine. 01:17:30.300 --> 01:17:36.300 We are to go into this world and to let our light shine so that people could be saved. 01:17:37.000 --> 01:17:39.000 Dovi would to Matthew chapter number five. 01:17:39.000 --> 01:17:43.000 So the three points that we have this morning that we can look at and talk about over and over 01:17:43.000 --> 01:17:46.920 is that, hey, there's darkness, but God commanded the light. 01:17:46.920 --> 01:17:50.440 And then we having that light are supposed to let our light shine. 01:17:51.480 --> 01:17:53.320 And we realize that this is how the world is. 01:17:53.320 --> 01:17:54.680 The world is full of darkness. 01:17:55.480 --> 01:17:59.160 God is demanding the light and we are to let our light shine. 01:17:59.160 --> 01:18:00.680 Now let's get practical about this. 01:18:00.680 --> 01:18:01.400 What does this mean? 01:18:02.500 --> 01:18:06.060 No one is getting saved apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ 01:18:06.700 --> 01:18:08.020 God 01:18:08.020 --> 01:18:11.580 Demanding and commanding us to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ 01:18:12.140 --> 01:18:16.860 Therefore we're supposed to let our light shine by going out and preaching the gospel to the whole world 01:18:17.740 --> 01:18:19.300 It's that simple 01:18:19.400 --> 01:18:21.740 And look, that is the whole message of the Bible. 01:18:21.740 --> 01:18:23.400 That's the whole point of the Bible. 01:18:23.400 --> 01:18:25.280 That's the whole point of this church. 01:18:25.280 --> 01:18:27.440 That should be the whole point of our mission. 01:18:27.440 --> 01:18:28.740 That is the first works. 01:18:28.740 --> 01:18:30.040 That is the first love. 01:18:30.040 --> 01:18:31.980 It's for us to do what God said 01:18:31.980 --> 01:18:33.980 and for there to let there be light. 01:18:35.900 --> 01:18:38.540 You know if I were to title my sermon, I would just title it that. 01:18:38.540 --> 01:18:44.540 Let there be light. God is demanding and God is commanding there to be light in this world. 01:18:44.540 --> 01:18:47.820 And you know who he's talking to? He's talking to you and he's talking to me. 01:18:47.820 --> 01:18:52.780 And he's saying, you as a Christian, you need to preach the gospel. Let there be light. 01:18:54.400 --> 01:18:58.560 We are commanded and instructed to be a light into this world 01:18:58.560 --> 01:19:00.880 and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:19:00.880 --> 01:19:04.400 And you know what's sad is how many Christians warp this 01:19:04.400 --> 01:19:07.760 and twist this into something like just being a do-gooder. 01:19:09.400 --> 01:19:13.600 But why don't we just let the text tell us what these things mean? 01:19:13.600 --> 01:19:17.400 Why don't we go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and see that it was all about the gospel 01:19:17.400 --> 01:19:22.400 and preaching the gospel and that if our gospel be hid, it's hid to them that are lost 01:19:22.400 --> 01:19:26.600 instead of twisting it into something that it's not and then just being like, 01:19:26.600 --> 01:19:32.400 oh, you know, I, when I went through Starbucks, I bought the guy's coffee behind me. 01:19:33.900 --> 01:19:37.100 Look, you go to church and say, that's basically the message. 01:19:37.100 --> 01:19:39.340 Just share your light. 01:19:39.340 --> 01:19:41.260 Well, you know, here's the problem with that. 01:19:41.980 --> 01:19:43.500 Drinking coffee doesn't get you to heaven. 01:19:47.260 --> 01:19:50.140 And you know, a lot of times they'll do that, 01:19:50.140 --> 01:19:53.820 and they're not even leaving like a tract or anything, even a tract. 01:19:53.820 --> 01:19:55.580 Which I don't think the tract's going to save them either, 01:19:55.580 --> 01:19:58.860 but I'm just saying like, there's not even like a glimmer of hope. 01:19:58.860 --> 01:20:00.460 It could have been a Muslim that left them a coffee. 01:20:01.800 --> 01:20:04.000 It could have been an atheist that left them a copy. 01:20:04.000 --> 01:20:07.300 And look, I'm not saying don't do random acts of kindness. 01:20:07.300 --> 01:20:09.100 I'm not even saying that that's a bad thing. 01:20:09.100 --> 01:20:10.600 It's not a bad thing. 01:20:10.600 --> 01:20:11.700 But you know what it is? 01:20:11.700 --> 01:20:15.500 It's not what the Bible is saying here. 01:20:15.500 --> 01:20:17.400 It's a random act of kindness. 01:20:17.400 --> 01:20:17.800 And you know what? 01:20:17.800 --> 01:20:22.100 God is not commanding and demanding us do random acts of kindness. 01:20:22.100 --> 01:20:24.400 You know what God is commanding and demanding us do? 01:20:24.400 --> 01:20:25.800 Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:20:25.800 --> 01:20:27.800 That is what he's commanding and demanding us to do. 01:20:28.700 --> 01:20:31.860 And look, I'm not against you doing other things that are nice. 01:20:31.860 --> 01:20:34.140 Be the nicest person you want to be. 01:20:34.140 --> 01:20:34.900 But you know what? 01:20:34.900 --> 01:20:37.660 You better make sure you're preaching the gospel. 01:20:37.660 --> 01:20:40.500 Because you are commanded and demanded to do that. 01:20:40.500 --> 01:20:43.620 And look, that is what the Bible is saying when it's saying being the light. 01:20:43.620 --> 01:20:46.860 Look at Matthew chapter number five, verse 14. 01:20:46.860 --> 01:20:48.420 He are the light of the world. 01:20:49.200 --> 01:20:51.200 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 01:20:51.200 --> 01:20:53.200 Neither can it light a candle and put it under a bushel, 01:20:53.200 --> 01:20:56.200 but on a candlestick and give it light unto all that are in the house. 01:20:56.200 --> 01:20:59.200 Let your light so shine before men, 01:20:59.200 --> 01:21:01.200 that they may see your good works, 01:21:01.200 --> 01:21:04.200 and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 01:21:04.200 --> 01:21:05.800 You know, in the Christian life, 01:21:05.900 --> 01:21:13.060 A lot of things that we should do should be done not to be seen of men, not to be a braggart, 01:21:13.060 --> 01:21:15.580 not to, you know, lift ourselves up. 01:21:15.580 --> 01:21:16.860 The Bible is crystal clear on this. 01:21:16.860 --> 01:21:19.180 And of course, we should always be humble. 01:21:19.180 --> 01:21:25.220 We shouldn't really ever try to brag about ourselves or be prideful about ourselves. 01:21:25.220 --> 01:21:29.180 But the Bible is demanding and commanding us to let our light shine. 01:21:29.180 --> 01:21:32.700 And it's saying, hey, let people see your good works. 01:21:32.700 --> 01:21:33.900 I mean, it's making a... 01:21:33.900 --> 01:21:38.900 abundantly clear here that we're supposed to cause people to see. It says, 01:21:38.900 --> 01:21:43.560 let your light shine so shine from him in that they may see your good works. 01:21:43.740 --> 01:21:46.320 So the Bible saying we want people to see something. 01:21:46.700 --> 01:21:50.400 There's something that as a Christian people should see and I'll explain it. 01:21:50.400 --> 01:21:52.020 What it is. It's called soul winning. 01:21:52.900 --> 01:21:56.060 It's like, oh, why do you guys always make a big deal about soul winning? 01:21:56.060 --> 01:21:58.740 Why are you guys always posting pictures of soul winning? 01:21:58.740 --> 01:22:01.420 Why are you guys always making videos about soul winning? 01:22:01.420 --> 01:22:03.900 Why are you making a documentary about soul winning? 01:22:03.900 --> 01:22:07.140 Why is it that you go on a mission strip and you have people get up and talk about all 01:22:07.140 --> 01:22:09.420 the soul winning they did on the mission strip? 01:22:09.420 --> 01:22:12.740 Why is it that you're constantly posting numbers about soul winning? 01:22:12.740 --> 01:22:13.820 You know what we're trying to do? 01:22:13.820 --> 01:22:19.580 We're trying to let our light shine so that men can see our works and they can glorify 01:22:19.580 --> 01:22:20.860 God the Father. 01:22:20.900 --> 01:22:26.620 Look, if you're mad about our soul winning, you know what you're doing? 01:22:26.620 --> 01:22:28.660 You're basically trying to take glory away from God. 01:22:29.400 --> 01:22:31.400 You know you're mad at, you're mad at God the Father. 01:22:31.400 --> 01:22:36.080 Because this is the thing, I can't get anybody saved as a magical person or something. 01:22:36.080 --> 01:22:41.120 All I do is preach this book, and you know what this book does is it gets people saved. 01:22:41.120 --> 01:22:45.040 So if people are getting saved by me preaching the gospel, you know who's getting the glory? 01:22:45.040 --> 01:22:46.040 God is. 01:22:46.040 --> 01:22:47.500 Jesus Christ is getting that glory. 01:22:47.500 --> 01:22:52.080 So then why in the world are you mad at me for then telling everybody about it, making 01:22:52.080 --> 01:22:53.520 a big deal about it, because you know what? 01:22:53.520 --> 01:22:54.800 I'm just glorifying God. 01:22:54.800 --> 01:22:56.720 I'm just glorifying Jesus Christ. 01:22:57.000 --> 01:23:01.800 Oh, wow, you guys count numbers and you guys are talking about so many. 01:23:01.800 --> 01:23:05.880 Yeah, because I love God, because I love the Lord Jesus Christ, because we're supposed 01:23:05.880 --> 01:23:07.680 to let our light shine. 01:23:07.680 --> 01:23:12.720 Why would I want to go on a mission strip and never tell anybody about it, never share 01:23:12.720 --> 01:23:17.320 a picture, just hide it all under a bushel and just be like, we won a mission strip, 01:23:17.320 --> 01:23:20.400 people got saved. 01:23:20.400 --> 01:23:21.320 I don't want to talk about it. 01:23:22.400 --> 01:23:26.240 I don't want anybody encouraged or excited or try to do it. 01:23:26.240 --> 01:23:28.360 In fact, I'm not even going to say that anymore. 01:23:28.360 --> 01:23:30.600 We're just going to go on mission strips and never tell anybody. 01:23:30.600 --> 01:23:33.040 We're not even, the church won't even know. 01:23:33.040 --> 01:23:35.600 Nothing in the bulletin, no one even knew. 01:23:35.600 --> 01:23:37.920 How would it, how would we have 71 people go? 01:23:37.920 --> 01:23:39.480 Yeah. 01:23:39.480 --> 01:23:42.000 It's like, oh, you didn't do a mission strip to Arbados? 01:23:42.000 --> 01:23:43.280 Oh, I did. 01:23:43.280 --> 01:23:44.080 Why didn't you say anything? 01:23:44.080 --> 01:23:45.640 Well, I'm not going to talk about it. 01:23:45.640 --> 01:23:46.840 Not going to bring it up. 01:23:46.900 --> 01:23:48.260 I don't want to promote it. 01:23:48.260 --> 01:23:50.500 I don't want to tell people that if they spend all this money, 01:23:50.500 --> 01:23:52.060 they might actually get someone saved. 01:23:52.060 --> 01:23:54.100 I don't want to tell people that it's actually receptive. 01:23:54.100 --> 01:23:55.060 I don't want to talk about... 01:23:55.060 --> 01:23:56.420 I mean, why do you talk about numbers? 01:23:56.420 --> 01:23:58.300 How about because when people see numbers, they're like, 01:23:58.300 --> 01:23:59.500 I want to go there. 01:23:59.500 --> 01:24:01.300 Yeah. 01:24:01.300 --> 01:24:02.620 It's like, oh, man. 01:24:02.620 --> 01:24:06.700 You think people are just like wanting to go to all these destinations 01:24:06.700 --> 01:24:08.620 just because they just sound so cool? 01:24:09.000 --> 01:24:12.360 And look, I'm not trying, I'm not going to rag on any place because it's all subjective. 01:24:12.360 --> 01:24:15.640 But here's the thing, some people like some parts of the world more than others. 01:24:16.840 --> 01:24:20.040 And one man's destination of a vacation would be, 01:24:20.680 --> 01:24:24.440 you know, another man's worst nightmare and vice versa. 01:24:24.440 --> 01:24:26.600 You know, we were talking to a pastor. 01:24:26.900 --> 01:24:31.300 that's in Barbados, and he was saying he grew up 01:24:31.300 --> 01:24:35.300 like in fundamental Baptist churches and like went to Bible college and was in 01:24:35.300 --> 01:24:37.380 this whole circuit and he said they have this song 01:24:37.380 --> 01:24:38.220 that they sing. 01:24:38.800 --> 01:24:42.900 And I don't know what I can't even sing it for you, but it's called like don't send me to Africa 01:24:43.780 --> 01:24:49.520 And he's just saying like they would all sing this song because they were just all like kind of making a little a light 01:24:49.520 --> 01:24:54.440 Of a joke of like they don't want to be a missionary to Africa because to them it's just like scary or something 01:24:54.560 --> 01:24:57.200 Look, I'm sure there's some people that love Africa 01:24:57.200 --> 01:24:59.480 I'm sure that some people would love to visit Africa 01:24:59.480 --> 01:25:04.720 But you know just to be honest like I get I bet a lot of people I'm just using this as a stigma 01:25:04.720 --> 01:25:06.720 Sorry, if you love Africa, I'm just doing this 01:25:06.800 --> 01:25:08.800 stigma is that a lot of people may never want to go there. 01:25:09.500 --> 01:25:13.580 But you know, if they heard like, oh wow, hundreds of people are getting saved or, oh, 01:25:13.580 --> 01:25:16.820 look at all the works you're doing or if you take this sacrifice, you can see a lot of 01:25:16.820 --> 01:25:21.340 people say, like it could end up motivating people to still go, even though they don't 01:25:21.340 --> 01:25:23.540 really have a carnal desire to be there. 01:25:23.540 --> 01:25:27.620 They don't want to spend the money and the time and the effort to get out there. 01:25:27.620 --> 01:25:32.300 But you know, by you not making a big deal about the spiritual investment or the opportunity 01:25:32.300 --> 01:25:36.540 to get people saved there, you're really just taking away from people getting saved and 01:25:36.540 --> 01:25:37.500 from the light being shone. 01:25:37.500 --> 01:25:40.700 And you say, oh, that area is really dark. 01:25:40.700 --> 01:25:45.100 Well, then that means that my light's going to shine a little bit brighter, isn't it? 01:25:45.100 --> 01:25:48.780 You know, why is it that we like to talk about these dark places? 01:25:48.780 --> 01:25:51.140 Because hey, that's where the light shines really bright. 01:25:51.140 --> 01:25:55.100 In fact, sometimes we're like, we like this neighbor's being dark, you know what I mean? 01:25:55.100 --> 01:25:56.420 Because it's really receptive. 01:25:57.800 --> 01:26:01.000 Hey, look, we love going out and preaching the gospel. 01:26:01.340 --> 01:26:04.220 And it's not because we're special, it's because the gospel special, 01:26:04.760 --> 01:26:07.420 the gospel special and that light shines brightly. 01:26:07.560 --> 01:26:11.300 And, you know, by talking about the numbers, by talking about the people, 01:26:11.460 --> 01:26:15.180 by talking about the spiritual aspects, it motivates people to make decisions 01:26:15.180 --> 01:26:16.760 they wouldn't do normally. 01:26:16.760 --> 01:26:19.060 They wouldn't do for a carnal reason. 01:26:19.060 --> 01:26:20.860 They would do it just because. 01:26:20.860 --> 01:26:22.980 Now, again, sometimes you get the best of both worlds. 01:26:23.240 --> 01:26:25.800 Look, I mean, honestly, the Caribbean in my. 01:26:25.800 --> 01:26:29.600 My opinion is probably kind of almost the best of both worlds because there's a lot 01:26:29.600 --> 01:26:31.000 of good reasons to visit. 01:26:31.000 --> 01:26:36.880 There's a lot of cool reasons to visit those areas and it's pretty close for Americans. 01:26:36.880 --> 01:26:38.980 It's relatively inexpensive. 01:26:38.980 --> 01:26:43.660 It's not necessarily that different than American life in a lot of ways. 01:26:43.660 --> 01:26:46.060 And so they get to do a lot of receptive soul winning. 01:26:46.060 --> 01:26:49.240 And then on top of that, they get to enjoy a lot of aspects of it. 01:26:49.240 --> 01:26:50.240 And you know what? 01:26:50.240 --> 01:26:53.360 I don't think God's saying like, you can't enjoy soul winning. 01:26:53.360 --> 01:26:53.800 You can't enjoy. 01:26:53.800 --> 01:26:56.200 joy preaching the gospel, but you know what? 01:26:56.200 --> 01:26:58.240 We're demanded to do it, period. 01:26:58.240 --> 01:27:00.320 And we're demanded to do it to all nations. 01:27:00.320 --> 01:27:04.320 We're supposed to go everywhere and preach in the gospel to every creature. 01:27:04.320 --> 01:27:10.600 You know, and while I would say let's put a flag, you know, up of every country, obviously 01:27:10.600 --> 01:27:14.320 we're a limited church, we're limited resources, limited manpower. 01:27:14.320 --> 01:27:19.120 We're trying to hit the countries that we seem to have the best opportunities, the most 01:27:19.120 --> 01:27:21.440 economical, the most receptive. 01:27:21.800 --> 01:27:24.500 the most free, you know, options. 01:27:24.500 --> 01:27:27.800 And so we're just trying to exercise our abilities 01:27:27.800 --> 01:27:30.200 and the opportunities God's given us. 01:27:30.200 --> 01:27:32.400 And you know, we need other churches to step up 01:27:32.400 --> 01:27:35.100 and to go into other countries and go into other nations 01:27:35.100 --> 01:27:36.200 and to preach the gospel. 01:27:36.200 --> 01:27:39.500 And hopefully by us talking about our missions trips 01:27:39.500 --> 01:27:41.400 and talking about what Steadfast Baptist Church 01:27:41.400 --> 01:27:44.200 is accomplishing, it can encourage other churches 01:27:44.200 --> 01:27:46.600 and other groups and other Christians 01:27:46.600 --> 01:27:49.100 to go to other nations and other countries 01:27:49.100 --> 01:27:49.800 and visit and pray. 01:27:49.800 --> 01:27:54.720 preach the gospel. And I don't even care if they go to all of ours. If they're like, 01:27:54.720 --> 01:27:58.480 well, I just want to go where they went because it sounds cool, then praise God. I've heard 01:27:58.480 --> 01:28:03.720 of churches going to countries that we kind of pioneered and went to first. And I'm like, 01:28:03.720 --> 01:28:09.160 praise God. You know, I don't want to, if I showed up at the Bahamas, you know, the 01:28:09.160 --> 01:28:13.520 next time I visit and every single person saved, I'm not going to be disappointed. 01:28:15.900 --> 01:28:21.100 The only thing I'll be disappointed in is that I didn't go more or sooner and participate even more. 01:28:21.100 --> 01:28:23.900 But I'm not going to be mad that people are saved and I'm going to say, 01:28:23.900 --> 01:28:26.700 hey, let's go somewhere else now. 01:28:26.700 --> 01:28:29.500 Let's go preach the gospel somewhere else because you know at the end of the day, 01:28:29.500 --> 01:28:31.000 we're supposed to let the light shine. 01:28:31.000 --> 01:28:35.000 You know, I'm not offended by lights being on. 01:28:35.000 --> 01:28:37.600 You know, I don't need to be the only one that has light. 01:28:37.600 --> 01:28:38.600 I like coming in this room. 01:28:38.600 --> 01:28:39.900 I like all the lights working. 01:28:40.200 --> 01:28:41.500 All the lights in here are nice. 01:28:41.500 --> 01:28:44.400 It's kind of weird if there's like half the sections turned off or something. 01:28:44.400 --> 01:28:46.600 You know, they kind of want all the lights on. 01:28:46.600 --> 01:28:48.500 It helps out. It aids. 01:28:48.500 --> 01:28:51.000 And look, you could turn one of these lights on 01:28:51.000 --> 01:28:54.300 and the whole room would have enough light to kind of get around. 01:28:54.300 --> 01:28:57.800 But, you know, some of the corners, some of the edges wouldn't be as bright. 01:28:57.800 --> 01:29:01.200 You know, when they're all on though, it's just a lot brighter. 01:29:01.200 --> 01:29:04.000 You know, we're not trying to be in non-denom church where we turn the lights off. 01:29:04.600 --> 01:29:05.600 Isn't that interesting? 01:29:05.600 --> 01:29:06.600 Isn't it interesting? 01:29:06.600 --> 01:29:10.160 Fundamental Baptist churches are some of the brightest places you've ever been in, and 01:29:10.160 --> 01:29:13.160 non-denom churches are some of the darkest places you've ever been in? 01:29:13.160 --> 01:29:16.240 It's probably a coincidence, isn't it? 01:29:16.240 --> 01:29:17.240 Right? 01:29:17.240 --> 01:29:18.240 Go visit a Catholic church. 01:29:18.240 --> 01:29:23.840 It's really dark and creepy and musty, and they've got like naked babies on the ceilings 01:29:23.840 --> 01:29:24.840 and stuff like this. 01:29:24.840 --> 01:29:30.320 It's like, I wonder if there's any symbolism here or metaphors for them being dark, creepy 01:29:30.320 --> 01:29:31.160 pedophiles. 01:29:32.300 --> 01:29:34.700 I mean, you think that's a coincidence? 01:29:34.700 --> 01:29:39.100 You think it's a coincidence that the Catholic churches are dark, creepy, musty, 01:29:39.100 --> 01:29:42.060 the dudes are wearing dresses and they got naked babies on the wall, 01:29:42.060 --> 01:29:43.980 and then they're filled with predators and pedophiles? 01:29:44.700 --> 01:29:49.740 You go to the Non-Denom Church and there's a smoke machine, there's smoking lights, 01:29:49.740 --> 01:29:53.660 they have people coming in on trapeze artists and stuff like this, 01:29:53.660 --> 01:29:56.620 they have roller coasters and whatever nonsense is going on, 01:29:57.260 --> 01:29:59.900 and then it's like this place is a doctrinal train wreck. 01:30:00.700 --> 01:30:07.340 You visit a fundamental Baptist church, it'll be bright, it'll be clean, there'll be flags 01:30:07.340 --> 01:30:11.140 on the wall of virtually every country. 01:30:11.140 --> 01:30:13.820 I mean, almost every independent fundamental Baptist church that we're going to do, they 01:30:13.820 --> 01:30:17.540 have virtually a flag of every country everywhere. 01:30:17.540 --> 01:30:22.220 Now again, you know, because literal reality often matches spiritual reality, they'll also 01:30:22.220 --> 01:30:25.180 put a stupid Israel flag on the stage, okay? 01:30:25.180 --> 01:30:27.780 And doesn't that kind of represent they're screwed up on that issue? 01:30:28.600 --> 01:30:33.960 It's like hey, they need to take that flag and you know some people would rip it you know 01:30:35.200 --> 01:30:37.940 Hey, if they want to preach the gospel to people in Israel 01:30:37.940 --> 01:30:42.280 I can't get mad at them for that and I know that hair lips some people in this room or whatever 01:30:42.600 --> 01:30:45.840 But you know at the end of the day it shouldn't be more prominent though 01:30:47.280 --> 01:30:50.920 Obviously, I mean some people put an American flag up there. I don't think it should be more prominent 01:30:52.100 --> 01:30:55.780 Oh MAGA or just being so Republican or something like that. 01:30:55.780 --> 01:30:58.340 You know hey, I love America. 01:30:58.340 --> 01:31:00.660 I bleed red, white and blue. 01:31:00.660 --> 01:31:02.540 I love our heritage. 01:31:02.540 --> 01:31:04.060 I don't ever want to leave. 01:31:04.060 --> 01:31:06.060 I think this is the best country in the world. 01:31:06.060 --> 01:31:08.140 You're never going to change my mind on that. 01:31:08.140 --> 01:31:09.660 But you know at the end of the day, 01:31:09.660 --> 01:31:11.740 we should care about all the nations 01:31:11.740 --> 01:31:13.580 and we should love all the nations 01:31:13.580 --> 01:31:15.860 and to God the nations are nothing. 01:31:15.860 --> 01:31:16.740 He doesn't really care. 01:31:16.740 --> 01:31:19.420 He's not a respecter of persons and anything like that. 01:31:19.420 --> 01:31:20.100 But I'll be honest. 01:31:20.100 --> 01:31:23.860 I love my country just like Paul loved the Jews and just like Paul loved Israel and he 01:31:23.860 --> 01:31:24.860 loved his people. 01:31:24.860 --> 01:31:28.300 I love my people and I love America and I love this country. 01:31:28.300 --> 01:31:30.620 I was born in New York and you know what? 01:31:30.620 --> 01:31:32.420 I love this place and I chose Texas. 01:31:32.420 --> 01:31:34.780 I thought I was just going to tell you something about me, alright? 01:31:34.780 --> 01:31:37.660 But you know at the end of the day I love my nation. 01:31:37.660 --> 01:31:42.460 But you know we need to have our light shining brightly in this whole world. 01:31:43.100 --> 01:31:45.100 Because the whole world is lying in darkness, folks. 01:31:45.100 --> 01:31:46.100 Yeah. 01:31:46.100 --> 01:31:48.100 And even our own areas are in darkness. 01:31:48.100 --> 01:31:53.100 And sometimes the physical reality matches the spiritual reality of a place. 01:31:53.100 --> 01:31:56.100 Go if you go to John chapter 1, go to John chapter 1. 01:31:56.100 --> 01:31:59.100 We are demanded to preach the gospel. 01:31:59.100 --> 01:32:00.100 Because why? 01:32:00.100 --> 01:32:03.100 Because the whole world is lying in darkness and there's no other hope, there's no other salvation. 01:32:03.100 --> 01:32:04.100 We are their hope. 01:32:04.100 --> 01:32:07.100 We are their opportunity for people to be saved. 01:32:07.100 --> 01:32:10.100 Oh, why, you know, why are you guys going out? 01:32:10.800 --> 01:32:13.000 Why you guys preach the gospel? It doesn't make a difference. 01:32:13.000 --> 01:32:14.800 No, you doing nothing doesn't make a difference. 01:32:14.800 --> 01:32:19.200 Well, they're gonna get saved, God will figure out a way. 01:32:19.200 --> 01:32:22.700 Yeah, His way is me going out and preaching them the gospel. That's the way. 01:32:22.700 --> 01:32:27.200 That's how it's gonna happen. In John 1, 01:32:27.200 --> 01:32:28.900 the Bible says in verse 2, 01:32:30.100 --> 01:32:32.180 Well, let's just read the first verse might as well. 01:32:32.180 --> 01:32:34.260 In the beginning was the word of the word is with God and the word was God. 01:32:34.260 --> 01:32:35.620 The same was in the beginning with God. 01:32:35.620 --> 01:32:39.940 All things are made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. 01:32:39.940 --> 01:32:44.820 And him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shineth 01:32:44.820 --> 01:32:47.860 in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. 01:32:47.860 --> 01:32:52.260 Notice again the gospel of John is signaling the first section of the Bible. 01:32:53.300 --> 01:32:59.140 And what is the Gospel of John pretty much the most famous for is being the book that gets people saved. 01:32:59.140 --> 01:33:04.500 The whole point of the Gospel of John is to get people saved. It's the most beloved gospel in many ways. 01:33:04.500 --> 01:33:10.180 It's the most read gospel in many ways. It's the most distributed gospel in many ways. 01:33:10.180 --> 01:33:18.020 I mean for most parts of this world they just have a John Romans or the most famous verse John 3 16. 01:33:18.020 --> 01:33:21.220 Why? Because this book is about the gospel, it's about the life. 01:33:21.300 --> 01:33:23.000 And you know what God commanded? 01:33:23.000 --> 01:33:24.000 Let there be light. 01:33:24.000 --> 01:33:31.080 And so God is spreading the book of John all over this world so that people could be saved. 01:33:31.080 --> 01:33:36.240 Even if you don't have Leviticus and Exodus and Daniel and all these other books, it doesn't 01:33:36.240 --> 01:33:38.400 matter if you have John, you can get saved. 01:33:39.900 --> 01:33:45.160 And you know, it's not a coincidence that John was the disciple in whom Jesus loved, 01:33:45.160 --> 01:33:48.020 that was so close to him, that was leaning on his breast, 01:33:48.020 --> 01:33:51.040 and someone that was used greatly by the Lord Jesus Christ. 01:33:51.040 --> 01:33:55.840 And not only that, gives us the book of Revelation and all the, the revelation of Jesus Christ. 01:33:55.840 --> 01:33:59.240 You know, there's a reason why these things are true. 01:33:59.240 --> 01:34:01.560 And it's that light that's shining in darkness. 01:34:01.560 --> 01:34:03.900 Notice the darkness doesn't, doesn't understand it. 01:34:04.400 --> 01:34:06.600 says there was a man sent from God whose name was John. 01:34:06.600 --> 01:34:09.100 The same came for a witness to bear witness of that light, 01:34:09.100 --> 01:34:12.600 or of the light, that all men through him might believe. 01:34:12.600 --> 01:34:17.200 He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. 01:34:17.200 --> 01:34:20.600 Hey, we are to be like John the Baptist who's being mentioned here. 01:34:21.100 --> 01:34:23.800 Don't confuse the Johns as the John the author of the apostle 01:34:23.800 --> 01:34:25.400 and as John the Baptist. 01:34:25.400 --> 01:34:28.500 John the Baptist is being described here in the early stages of this book 01:34:28.500 --> 01:34:30.900 and he is to bear witness of the light. 01:34:30.900 --> 01:34:32.300 That is what we are to do. 01:34:32.300 --> 01:34:34.900 We are to bear witness of the light. 01:34:34.900 --> 01:34:38.000 We are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:34:38.000 --> 01:34:41.000 And in verse 8, he was not that light, 01:34:41.000 --> 01:34:42.800 but was sent to bear witness of the light. 01:34:42.800 --> 01:34:45.200 That's the same thing 2 Corinthians chapter 4 said. 01:34:45.200 --> 01:34:48.300 Hey, this treasure is in earthen vessels. 01:34:48.900 --> 01:34:50.860 Hey, he's not the light. 01:34:50.860 --> 01:34:52.800 He's not shining physically, 01:34:52.800 --> 01:34:55.860 but he's sent to bear witness of the light. 01:34:55.860 --> 01:34:57.400 And that's what we are as Baptist, 01:34:57.400 --> 01:35:00.100 as we are going out and bearing witness of that light 01:35:00.100 --> 01:35:02.300 so that people could believe and be saved. 01:35:03.380 --> 01:35:05.220 Verse nine, that was the true light, 01:35:05.220 --> 01:35:07.680 which lighted every man that come into the world. 01:35:07.680 --> 01:35:11.620 You know, I think about this lighting every man in the world. 01:35:11.620 --> 01:35:13.020 There's some things that we could think about 01:35:13.020 --> 01:35:14.080 what that means. 01:35:14.300 --> 01:35:19.300 One, I think, is the fact that it's offered to every single person. 01:35:19.300 --> 01:35:21.300 Keep your finger here and just go to Romans 5 for a moment, 01:35:21.300 --> 01:35:27.300 go to Romans chapter 5, and notice that the Bible is going to tell us about this. 01:35:27.300 --> 01:35:32.300 But again, the doctrine of Calvinism is a wicked doctrine that's like a bush hole. 01:35:32.300 --> 01:35:36.300 The doctrine of Calvinism is like a bush hole that's being put over the gospel light. 01:35:36.800 --> 01:35:39.440 And look, I think there's probably lots of Calvinists that are saved, 01:35:39.440 --> 01:35:41.600 but the problem is when they get this Calvinist doctrine, 01:35:41.600 --> 01:35:44.960 they're putting a bushel over their light and they're not allowing it to shine. 01:35:46.080 --> 01:35:50.800 And it's a wet blanket on soul winning and the soul winning fire and zeal. 01:35:50.800 --> 01:35:54.880 And it's really hard to find a Calvinist that's excited to go on mission strips 01:35:54.880 --> 01:35:58.480 and preach the gospel and be evangelistic and care about getting people saved. 01:35:58.700 --> 01:36:05.260 They typically want to debate Muslims or something, or they typically want to just be seen as 01:36:05.260 --> 01:36:09.120 an intellectual and just be really smart. 01:36:09.120 --> 01:36:13.500 The problem is that they're not wise because he that wins his soul is wise, is what the 01:36:13.500 --> 01:36:14.500 Bible says. 01:36:14.500 --> 01:36:15.500 Amen. 01:36:15.500 --> 01:36:18.420 Oh, well this Calvinist is really smart. 01:36:18.420 --> 01:36:21.020 Well, if he's not a soul winner, then he's not wise. 01:36:22.200 --> 01:36:24.200 Romans chapter number five, look at verse 18. 01:36:24.200 --> 01:36:29.200 Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men into condemnation, 01:36:29.200 --> 01:36:37.400 even so, by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 01:36:37.400 --> 01:36:40.300 How does the Calvinist interpret this verse? 01:36:40.300 --> 01:36:41.600 Well, all doesn't mean all. 01:36:42.300 --> 01:36:44.740 They have to do that like a hundred times in the Bible. 01:36:44.740 --> 01:36:48.180 But what's interesting is the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men. 01:36:48.180 --> 01:36:50.140 That sounds like the light that lighteth every man. 01:36:50.140 --> 01:36:52.780 Just like the sun has lighted on every man. 01:36:52.780 --> 01:36:54.660 Everybody has been exposed to the light. 01:36:54.660 --> 01:36:56.300 Everybody has offered the light. 01:36:56.300 --> 01:36:57.540 Everybody has this opportunity. 01:36:57.540 --> 01:36:59.860 And the only light that's given to every man, 01:36:59.860 --> 01:37:02.140 the light that lighteth every man is Jesus Christ. 01:37:02.400 --> 01:37:06.720 So in one way we could read that and say the gospel is offered to all. 01:37:06.720 --> 01:37:09.920 A second way we could look at that is from a saved perspective. 01:37:10.560 --> 01:37:14.560 Those who got saved, it was only Jesus Christ that gave them that light. 01:37:14.560 --> 01:37:16.080 He was the one that lighted them. 01:37:16.080 --> 01:37:20.640 Everyone that's been lighted, everyone that has that light, everyone that's been saved, 01:37:20.640 --> 01:37:23.520 it's because of Jesus and Jesus is the one that gave them that light. 01:37:24.240 --> 01:37:26.560 We are saved through Jesus Christ. 01:37:26.560 --> 01:37:27.760 Go back to John 1 there. 01:37:28.300 --> 01:37:31.700 He was that true light which lighted every man that come into the world. 01:37:31.700 --> 01:37:37.500 So, you know, I believe that it's talking about the fact that the gospel is offered to all. 01:37:37.500 --> 01:37:39.700 And that we all have this opportunity. 01:37:39.700 --> 01:37:45.900 But even if you wanted to get even more narrow, obviously, he's the only one that gives salvation to those who believe. 01:37:45.900 --> 01:37:51.900 It says in verse 10, he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. 01:37:51.900 --> 01:37:55.660 Now, how could we interpret verse 10 as anything other than everybody? 01:37:56.600 --> 01:37:58.600 I mean, the world knew him not. 01:37:58.600 --> 01:38:00.600 I mean, that's not talking about saved people. 01:38:00.600 --> 01:38:02.600 That's talking about unsaved people. 01:38:02.600 --> 01:38:04.600 So if the world, in verse 10, 01:38:04.600 --> 01:38:06.600 used three times, 01:38:06.600 --> 01:38:08.600 means unsaved, 01:38:08.600 --> 01:38:10.600 he was in the world, he was in the, in the, what? 01:38:10.600 --> 01:38:12.600 All these unsaved people. 01:38:12.600 --> 01:38:14.600 And the world was made by him, all the people 01:38:14.600 --> 01:38:16.600 were made by him. And the world knew him not. 01:38:16.600 --> 01:38:18.600 That's, again, 01:38:18.600 --> 01:38:20.600 it's using this language because it's like 01:38:21.000 --> 01:38:26.200 In literal sense, in Genesis 1, the world is like the physical world. 01:38:26.200 --> 01:38:29.500 And it's in darkness, and the darkness doesn't understand the light, 01:38:29.500 --> 01:38:32.100 and it flees from the light, and it runs from the light. 01:38:32.100 --> 01:38:37.300 But in a metaphor, world meaning unsaved people, the unsaved people, 01:38:37.300 --> 01:38:41.800 they didn't know him, and they didn't receive him, and they don't understand him, 01:38:41.800 --> 01:38:45.300 and even though he made them, and even though he's given them that light, 01:38:45.300 --> 01:38:46.900 given them this opportunity, 01:38:47.300 --> 01:38:49.900 But compare that back then with verse 9. 01:38:49.900 --> 01:38:52.900 That was the true light with light of every man that come at the end of the world. 01:38:52.900 --> 01:38:55.900 Sounds like we're talking about everybody then, right? 01:38:55.900 --> 01:38:59.100 Verse 11, He came unto His own and His own received Him not. 01:38:59.100 --> 01:39:03.200 But as many as received Him, to them gave you power to become the sons of God, even them that believe on His name. 01:39:03.200 --> 01:39:08.400 So what say someone is believing in Jesus Christ, believing in that light, that light shining unto them, 01:39:08.400 --> 01:39:11.500 and that was the light that gives us. Go to John 3 verse 19. 01:39:11.500 --> 01:39:13.500 Just flip the page and look at verse 19. 01:39:14.300 --> 01:39:19.500 And this is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men love darkness rather than light 01:39:19.500 --> 01:39:21.500 because their deeds were evil. 01:39:21.500 --> 01:39:25.200 For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, 01:39:25.200 --> 01:39:27.100 lest his deeds should be reproved. 01:39:27.100 --> 01:39:32.700 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may manifest that they are rotting God. 01:39:32.700 --> 01:39:37.600 So just like someone wants to come into light literally so that we can see what they're doing 01:39:37.600 --> 01:39:41.100 and they can see what they're doing and they can make sure they're doing what's right. 01:39:41.200 --> 01:39:47.560 Well, it's the same way that, you know, spiritually speaking, people seeking what's right end 01:39:47.560 --> 01:39:48.560 up getting saved. 01:39:48.560 --> 01:39:54.080 So, you know, if I'm working on something and it's dark, I'm not going to be as successful. 01:39:54.600 --> 01:39:56.360 You know, I need a light. 01:39:56.360 --> 01:39:59.320 You know, my car broke down when I was going to Connecticut, 01:39:59.320 --> 01:40:01.640 and we had to put a spare on, 01:40:01.640 --> 01:40:05.560 and it was pitch black out there, no streetlights virtually. 01:40:05.560 --> 01:40:09.000 And so I had to have my son hold my phone with a light on it 01:40:09.000 --> 01:40:10.280 so I could see what I was doing. 01:40:10.280 --> 01:40:12.680 And if I had to change that tire without that light, 01:40:12.680 --> 01:40:14.440 it would have been almost impossible. 01:40:14.440 --> 01:40:17.960 But I wanted the light so that I could do it correctly. 01:40:18.300 --> 01:40:24.700 And the same way that people in this world that want to know if they're right with God will seek for the light. 01:40:24.700 --> 01:40:29.700 Now here's the good news. You don't actually have to do right and be good enough to get into heaven, 01:40:29.700 --> 01:40:32.000 but you do have to seek for the light. 01:40:32.000 --> 01:40:37.500 You do have to want to come to the light and figure out if you're even right with God or not to even get saved. 01:40:37.500 --> 01:40:41.800 But here's the thing. You end up going to the light and you realize, wow, I screwed up. 01:40:42.000 --> 01:40:43.840 Wow, I was making a mistake. 01:40:43.840 --> 01:40:45.600 Wow, I wasn't going to get this. 01:40:45.600 --> 01:40:50.080 And then when you're in the light, he's like, hey, I'll fix it for you. 01:40:50.080 --> 01:40:52.200 And you're like, great, this is awesome. 01:40:52.200 --> 01:40:53.880 I was screwing it up. 01:40:53.880 --> 01:40:55.880 I just wanted to figure out if it was right or not. 01:40:55.880 --> 01:40:59.520 And then when I came in the light, he helped me figure it out. 01:40:59.520 --> 01:41:01.360 Now, this is offensive to many people. 01:41:01.360 --> 01:41:03.560 And it was offensive to some people that I talked to in Barbados. 01:41:03.560 --> 01:41:06.400 So we went to Barbados on this mission strip. 01:41:06.400 --> 01:41:07.300 and 01:41:07.600 --> 01:41:13.140 You know I didn't get to preach necessarily a ton of people, but I was at one of the universities 01:41:13.600 --> 01:41:16.100 Mostly because when you go to the university is like everybody already the card 01:41:16.100 --> 01:41:21.400 You know this is like I mean more than like 80% of the people I talked to had already been picked over alright 01:41:21.400 --> 01:41:25.900 So you know I got the last day. I'm there. Just getting scraps or something right 01:41:26.800 --> 01:41:29.980 But I'm talking to some three guys. 01:41:29.980 --> 01:41:31.400 Three guys walked by. 01:41:31.400 --> 01:41:36.240 It's a Muslim, an agnostic, and a Christian, all right? 01:41:36.240 --> 01:41:38.600 It's almost like a joke or something. 01:41:38.600 --> 01:41:41.560 And the guy that was a Christian's name is Christian. 01:41:41.560 --> 01:41:44.080 So I was like, well, that's easy to remember. 01:41:44.080 --> 01:41:47.260 But I was asking the Christian, because the other two just 01:41:47.260 --> 01:41:49.140 kind of seemed like scoffers, not that interested. 01:41:49.140 --> 01:41:51.920 I was kind of talking to him more, like prioritizing him. 01:41:52.700 --> 01:41:55.500 And again, this is my just tip, if you're in a group setting, 01:41:55.500 --> 01:41:58.100 I would just prioritize the person that's interested, 01:41:58.100 --> 01:42:01.000 receptive-seeming, and just ignore the other people. 01:42:01.000 --> 01:42:03.200 Because if you try to include these other people, 01:42:03.200 --> 01:42:05.300 it's usually a disaster, okay? 01:42:05.300 --> 01:42:07.800 So in a group setting, even if it was like 10 people, 01:42:07.800 --> 01:42:09.900 I just try to focus on like one person, 01:42:09.900 --> 01:42:12.900 or the person that's most receptive, most engaged in the conversation. 01:42:13.300 --> 01:42:15.900 And then afterwards, I can focus on the others if I want to. 01:42:15.900 --> 01:42:19.100 But it's usually best to just kind of dial in with one person. 01:42:19.100 --> 01:42:21.820 So I'm just kind of like honing in on this guy. 01:42:21.820 --> 01:42:23.820 Well, the Muslim just kind of starts walking away. 01:42:23.820 --> 01:42:25.100 And I was like, great. 01:42:25.800 --> 01:42:30.200 And, but the agnostic is just sitting here just being just a constant heckler. 01:42:30.200 --> 01:42:35.400 Just like everything that I say and just like kind of gainsaying everything that I say. 01:42:35.400 --> 01:42:42.200 He's like, oh so you're saying that if I live my whole life and I'm just trying to do the best that I can 01:42:42.200 --> 01:42:46.400 and because I just don't believe in Jesus like you do, I'm gonna go to hell? 01:42:46.400 --> 01:42:49.000 And I'm just like, yes. 01:42:49.000 --> 01:42:50.600 Well how is that fair? 01:42:51.100 --> 01:42:54.400 Okay, well, let's go to Romans 1 for a moment. 01:42:54.400 --> 01:42:55.300 How is that fair? 01:42:55.300 --> 01:42:59.000 Well, here's the thing. 01:42:59.000 --> 01:43:04.200 You're not only going to hell because you just didn't believe what I told you. 01:43:04.200 --> 01:43:06.900 You're going to hell because you're a sinner. 01:43:06.900 --> 01:43:07.900 Okay? 01:43:07.900 --> 01:43:09.000 And that's what I told him. 01:43:09.000 --> 01:43:10.400 I said, well, you're a sinner. 01:43:10.400 --> 01:43:11.800 Okay. 01:43:11.800 --> 01:43:13.700 Romans 1, look at verse 18. 01:43:13.700 --> 01:43:18.900 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. 01:43:19.400 --> 01:43:21.740 Notice that God is wrath is against what? 01:43:21.740 --> 01:43:24.040 Ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. 01:43:24.040 --> 01:43:26.040 It's not only because they reject the Lord. 01:43:26.040 --> 01:43:27.740 It's not only because they don't believe in Him. 01:43:27.740 --> 01:43:29.540 It's because they're ungodly. 01:43:29.540 --> 01:43:31.540 It's because they're unrighteous. 01:43:32.300 --> 01:43:35.100 And look, if we really examine some college student, 01:43:35.100 --> 01:43:38.020 you're going to tell me he hasn't lied thousands of times in his life, 01:43:38.020 --> 01:43:40.820 he hasn't stolen, he hasn't done wicked things, 01:43:40.820 --> 01:43:42.100 he hasn't committed fornication. 01:43:42.100 --> 01:43:44.740 And look, I don't know the person, but I'm just saying by and large, 01:43:44.740 --> 01:43:47.220 we're not talking about someone that has one transgression. 01:43:47.220 --> 01:43:50.180 I love how these people always act like they haven't really done anything that bad, 01:43:50.180 --> 01:43:52.380 but it's like if we really lined them up 01:43:52.380 --> 01:43:54.300 and gave every single one of their charges, 01:43:54.300 --> 01:43:56.860 I guarantee they're a lot more guilty than they realize. 01:43:58.300 --> 01:44:00.600 It's kind of like when the cop pulls you over, he's like, 01:44:00.600 --> 01:44:02.300 you know why I pulled you over? 01:44:02.300 --> 01:44:04.020 And you're thinking like, I don't know. 01:44:04.020 --> 01:44:05.820 It's like speeding, running a red light, 01:44:05.820 --> 01:44:09.220 not putting on your turn signal, expired registration, 01:44:09.220 --> 01:44:12.020 and you're like, dang, I didn't realize all that. 01:44:12.020 --> 01:44:13.180 Your headlights out. 01:44:13.180 --> 01:44:15.260 I mean, there might have been 50 things that you did wrong. 01:44:15.260 --> 01:44:17.660 In fact, we probably transgressed driving way more 01:44:17.660 --> 01:44:18.620 than you realize. 01:44:18.620 --> 01:44:19.900 Not putting on your signal. 01:44:19.900 --> 01:44:22.140 Like you're supposed to put on your turn signal and stuff 01:44:22.140 --> 01:44:24.900 like seconds before you turn, and you're supposed to actually 01:44:24.900 --> 01:44:26.300 come to a complete stop and stuff. 01:44:26.300 --> 01:44:29.100 I know I'm liberal on these things, all right? 01:44:29.100 --> 01:44:31.820 But hey, everybody's a little bit. 01:44:31.820 --> 01:44:34.740 But you know, we transgress a lot more than we realize. 01:44:34.740 --> 01:44:38.680 Just like kids are also, you know, transgressing against their parents a lot. 01:44:38.680 --> 01:44:42.140 But God is mad at ungodliness and unrighteousness. 01:44:42.140 --> 01:44:44.700 It says, they hold the truth in unrighteousness though. 01:44:44.700 --> 01:44:47.300 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto 01:44:47.300 --> 01:44:48.300 them. 01:44:48.300 --> 01:44:51.700 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood. 01:44:52.100 --> 01:44:55.540 by the things that are made even as eternal power and God has so they're without excuse. 01:44:55.540 --> 01:44:58.260 Notice according to the Bible no one has an excuse. 01:44:59.220 --> 01:45:04.180 Just like the light shines they can understand that God is existent and that he shines. 01:45:04.980 --> 01:45:08.900 So is is hell hell you know it just doesn't seem fair. Well what is fair? 01:45:09.940 --> 01:45:11.700 Isn't fair just justice? 01:45:12.200 --> 01:45:13.400 getting what you deserve. 01:45:13.400 --> 01:45:15.400 What do you deserve for lying tons of times? 01:45:15.400 --> 01:45:17.000 What do you deserve for stealing all the time? 01:45:17.000 --> 01:45:19.700 What do you deserve for all these things that you've done? 01:45:19.700 --> 01:45:21.700 What would be fair then? 01:45:21.700 --> 01:45:23.200 And again, they're not saying, 01:45:23.200 --> 01:45:24.700 why deserve this punishment? 01:45:24.700 --> 01:45:27.200 They want no punishment for their sin. 01:45:27.200 --> 01:45:29.700 But Romans chapter 3 verse 1, 01:45:29.700 --> 01:45:31.200 and they'll say, well, well, 01:45:31.200 --> 01:45:32.700 what about all the people that didn't hear, 01:45:32.700 --> 01:45:33.700 weren't born in a Christian home? 01:45:33.700 --> 01:45:34.700 Well, look at verse 1. 01:45:34.700 --> 01:45:36.700 What advantage does that have to the Jew? 01:45:36.700 --> 01:45:38.700 What profit is there of circumcision? 01:45:39.200 --> 01:45:43.400 Much every way, chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 01:45:43.400 --> 01:45:49.200 So it's like saying, oh you're just saying like, you know, these Muslims don't have the same chance as these Christians. 01:45:49.200 --> 01:45:50.500 Yeah. 01:45:50.500 --> 01:45:53.100 Hey, in the Old Testament you're born into a Jewish family. 01:45:53.100 --> 01:45:57.400 You had a much greater chance of hearing the gospel, of hearing the Bible. 01:45:57.400 --> 01:46:01.400 In fact, it says what advantage do you have? Every single advantage. 01:46:01.400 --> 01:46:04.000 Every single advantage. 01:46:04.000 --> 01:46:05.000 Verse 3. 01:46:05.300 --> 01:46:06.740 For what if some did not believe? 01:46:06.740 --> 01:46:09.140 Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 01:46:09.140 --> 01:46:11.620 What about all the people that were born in a Christian home 01:46:11.620 --> 01:46:14.020 and they rejected it and they turned away? 01:46:14.020 --> 01:46:15.700 Does that mean your religion is not real? 01:46:15.700 --> 01:46:18.100 Well, verse four, God forbid. 01:46:18.100 --> 01:46:20.420 Yea, let God be true, but ever man a liar. 01:46:20.420 --> 01:46:22.820 As it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings 01:46:22.820 --> 01:46:24.420 and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 01:46:25.540 --> 01:46:27.380 But if our own righteousness commend the righteousness of God, 01:46:27.380 --> 01:46:28.340 what shall we say? 01:46:28.700 --> 01:46:31.900 Is God unrighteous to take his vengeance? I speak as a man. God forbid! 01:46:31.900 --> 01:46:34.200 For then how shall God judge the world? 01:46:34.200 --> 01:46:36.100 So you know, he's really... 01:46:36.100 --> 01:46:39.100 Paul's addressing all of these gainsaying arguments. 01:46:39.100 --> 01:46:42.100 It's like, oh, well you're saying that 01:46:42.100 --> 01:46:46.300 people that are born in a Christian home have a greater chance of being saved than people that don't. 01:46:46.300 --> 01:46:48.100 Yes. 01:46:48.100 --> 01:46:50.100 Oh, well you're saying that 01:46:50.100 --> 01:46:52.100 if people don't believe this, they're going to go to hell. 01:46:52.100 --> 01:46:53.100 Yes. 01:46:53.900 --> 01:46:56.740 Oh, well you're saying that I deserve hell. 01:46:56.740 --> 01:46:57.740 Yes. 01:46:57.740 --> 01:46:59.300 Yes to all these. 01:46:59.300 --> 01:47:01.540 And you know, one of the, even the Christian said, 01:47:01.540 --> 01:47:05.460 so you're telling me this guy, this is my friend, this is Muslim, 01:47:05.460 --> 01:47:08.220 like if he doesn't believe he's going to go to hell. 01:47:08.220 --> 01:47:09.220 Yes. 01:47:09.220 --> 01:47:11.700 Well, how is that fair? 01:47:11.700 --> 01:47:14.780 And I'm like, okay, well, let's just, let's just stop for a moment. 01:47:14.780 --> 01:47:16.700 What if Islam is true? 01:47:17.100 --> 01:47:19.900 Doesn't that mean that Christians don't have as good a chance to become a 01:47:21.020 --> 01:47:27.300 Muslim and get saved and he's like, well, yeah, so I said well, it's so then picking religions doesn't change this fact doesn't 01:47:27.980 --> 01:47:32.080 So I guess you could just believe in universalism that doesn't matter or that there is no God 01:47:32.080 --> 01:47:37.320 But if there is a God we're not all right. We're not all on the same page. Not everybody has the same chances 01:47:37.460 --> 01:47:39.700 Sorry, that's an inconvenient fact, but that's just reality 01:47:40.220 --> 01:47:42.220 Yeah, it's just reality 01:47:42.500 --> 01:47:45.500 And look, in every part of our lives, nothing's fair. 01:47:45.500 --> 01:47:50.500 Some people are born in a family that has lots of money and privilege and opportunity. 01:47:50.500 --> 01:47:54.500 Some people are born without parents. They've been abandoned by their parents. 01:47:54.500 --> 01:48:00.500 They've had bad parents. You know, whatever situation. They're born in an impoverished country. 01:48:00.500 --> 01:48:04.500 They maybe are born with a birth defect. They're born with some issue. 01:48:04.500 --> 01:48:06.500 You know, nothing is fair. 01:48:07.700 --> 01:48:11.220 Oh well, you don't understand my circumstance or my life or whatever. 01:48:11.220 --> 01:48:12.500 You know, nothing's fair. 01:48:12.500 --> 01:48:13.500 But you know what? 01:48:13.500 --> 01:48:17.340 The guy that was born in a privileged home is often the spoiled brat that doesn't actually 01:48:17.340 --> 01:48:18.560 care about God. 01:48:18.560 --> 01:48:23.840 And the people that had real struggles, bad childhoods, bad parents, they're often more 01:48:23.840 --> 01:48:26.380 likely to be receptive and then serve God. 01:48:26.380 --> 01:48:28.180 So then which one's fair? 01:48:28.180 --> 01:48:32.460 Was it more fair to have a bad circumstance and to be saved and go to church and love 01:48:32.460 --> 01:48:33.460 God? 01:48:33.460 --> 01:48:35.700 Or was it better to have a great family situation? 01:48:35.700 --> 01:48:40.300 and basically not want to serve God and be too prideful and too arrogant. 01:48:40.300 --> 01:48:42.700 I mean, pick your poison. 01:48:42.700 --> 01:48:46.900 You know, living in America, I love being in here. 01:48:46.900 --> 01:48:48.200 I think I've had a lot of privilege. 01:48:48.200 --> 01:48:51.100 I think I've had a lot of opportunities that other people haven't had. 01:48:51.100 --> 01:48:55.100 And, you know, I'm not going to say that I'm bad because I have privilege though. 01:48:55.100 --> 01:49:00.100 But, you know, at the end of the day, hey, we should realize that not everything's fair. 01:49:01.000 --> 01:49:04.360 And because it's not fair, and because the Muslim will go to hell, 01:49:04.360 --> 01:49:09.640 and because the Bajan will go to hell, and because the Bahamian will go to hell, 01:49:09.640 --> 01:49:13.480 and because the Filipino will go to hell, if they don't believe the gospel, 01:49:13.480 --> 01:49:16.920 I'm motivated to go out and preach the gospel to every creature! 01:49:18.400 --> 01:49:20.900 And you know, because I actually believe my religion, 01:49:20.900 --> 01:49:22.400 I actually believe the Bible, 01:49:22.400 --> 01:49:24.100 I actually believe what the Bible says, 01:49:24.100 --> 01:49:26.800 and I believe what God said, let there be light. 01:49:26.800 --> 01:49:27.700 But let me tell you something, 01:49:27.700 --> 01:49:29.900 the Muslims don't even believe that. 01:49:29.900 --> 01:49:32.700 Where are the Muslims going two by two in America, 01:49:32.700 --> 01:49:34.200 preaching their gospel? 01:49:35.200 --> 01:49:41.200 Where is the Muslim missionary that is sent to Barbados, 01:49:41.200 --> 01:49:44.540 like Pastor Smith, who's dedicating his whole life 01:49:44.540 --> 01:49:48.340 to just be in a foreign country preaching his false religion? 01:49:48.340 --> 01:49:50.340 You know, it doesn't even exist virtually. 01:49:51.000 --> 01:49:54.000 Now again, I get that Islam is spreading, but you know what? 01:49:54.000 --> 01:49:57.500 They're not trying to convert the same way Christianity is. 01:49:57.500 --> 01:50:00.200 They're not trying to spread the gospel of peace. 01:50:00.200 --> 01:50:02.100 They're not going two by two. 01:50:02.100 --> 01:50:05.200 They're not the ones that are spending thousands and thousands of dollars 01:50:05.200 --> 01:50:08.600 to evangelize the world and be missionaries everywhere. 01:50:08.600 --> 01:50:15.000 I mean, you know, really you kind of have like Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and us. 01:50:15.400 --> 01:50:18.800 I mean, if you're saying like, who are the people actually going out, knocking doors, 01:50:18.800 --> 01:50:20.920 trying to spread their message around the world? 01:50:20.920 --> 01:50:22.800 It's kind of them and us. 01:50:22.800 --> 01:50:25.620 But you know, oh, let's think about Mormons for a half a second. 01:50:25.620 --> 01:50:31.800 They only get 18 and 19 year olds to do it because they have to. 01:50:31.800 --> 01:50:35.320 They're not like, oh, I just want to do this for the rest of my life. 01:50:35.320 --> 01:50:36.680 As soon as they can be done, they're done. 01:50:38.400 --> 01:50:40.600 They just go on mission because that's just what they're told to do. 01:50:40.600 --> 01:50:43.600 It's just kind of like how in America you just go to college because that's what you're told to do. 01:50:43.600 --> 01:50:46.300 It's not like, and again you have to pay for it, 01:50:46.300 --> 01:50:49.600 and I get the Mormons have to pay for it, but you know at the end of the day they're not sending out people 01:50:49.600 --> 01:50:53.900 that want to spend their whole lives in foreign country to mission, to be a missionary and evangelist. 01:50:53.900 --> 01:50:59.200 And let's be honest, they're not trying to be effective, they're riding bicycles folks. 01:51:01.400 --> 01:51:04.040 Why are they riding bicycles? 01:51:04.040 --> 01:51:05.440 You want to know why they're riding bicycles? 01:51:05.440 --> 01:51:07.440 Because they don't care and it's free. 01:51:08.640 --> 01:51:11.200 They're not even willing to spend gas money on you. 01:51:14.300 --> 01:51:19.340 They're not gonna spend a dime that they don't have to giving you the gospel and look when they knock in her door 01:51:19.340 --> 01:51:24.600 They're not gonna tell you how to go to heaven. They're gonna ask you to have Bible studies and they're gonna sit here and try to just 01:51:25.580 --> 01:51:31.080 Bring you into their cult you look at a job as witnesses walking. They're the slow it they're like turtles 01:51:32.460 --> 01:51:37.940 Walking around sad as just as you've ever met anybody your life because they're not saved 01:51:37.940 --> 01:51:40.320 I don't have the joy of the Lord. They don't have salvation 01:51:41.400 --> 01:51:43.000 They're both cult groups. 01:51:43.000 --> 01:51:46.000 But you know, at least you could say they kind of believe their religion. 01:51:46.000 --> 01:51:50.000 But again, the Jehovah's Witnesses only think they have to do that to go to heaven. 01:51:50.000 --> 01:51:53.480 They're not doing this because of actual love for the Lord. 01:51:53.480 --> 01:51:56.720 You know, for us, we know we don't have to do that to go to heaven. 01:51:56.720 --> 01:51:58.360 It's a labor of love. 01:51:58.360 --> 01:52:00.040 We're doing it because we believe it. 01:52:00.040 --> 01:52:03.520 And you read the book of Acts, they were going out and preaching the gospel because they 01:52:03.520 --> 01:52:04.480 believed it. 01:52:05.500 --> 01:52:06.800 You know, which religion do you want? 01:52:06.800 --> 01:52:08.400 You want the religion that doesn't care about you, 01:52:08.400 --> 01:52:09.900 that won't spend a dime on you, 01:52:09.900 --> 01:52:11.500 that won't give you any gas, 01:52:11.500 --> 01:52:13.600 or the religion that'll go all around the world 01:52:13.600 --> 01:52:16.600 paying their own way to give you a free gospel? 01:52:17.300 --> 01:52:19.800 And it's not just us. It's not just the new IP. 01:52:19.800 --> 01:52:24.600 Look, I ran into a Southern Baptist guy that they go to Africa all the time 01:52:24.600 --> 01:52:28.500 and they're evangelizing and giving people the gospel all the time. 01:52:28.500 --> 01:52:33.100 There's all kinds of evangelicals and fundamental Baptists and Southern Baptists 01:52:33.100 --> 01:52:37.600 and others that are going out there and preaching the gospel and trying to get people saved. 01:52:37.600 --> 01:52:39.500 And they're not only that, they're doing good. 01:52:39.700 --> 01:52:43.700 When's the, I mean, look, I know I give the Southern Baptist and some of these people 01:52:43.700 --> 01:52:46.620 a hard time, but it's like when's the last time you see a Muslim come over here and give 01:52:46.620 --> 01:52:47.620 us a well? 01:52:47.620 --> 01:52:48.620 Yeah. 01:52:48.620 --> 01:52:50.740 Like build us a well or give us a sandwich or something. 01:52:50.740 --> 01:52:55.420 You know, are the Muslims going into Africa and building wells and giving sandwiches to 01:52:55.420 --> 01:52:58.000 the Africans? 01:52:58.000 --> 01:53:00.500 It's like, oh, I wonder which religion's real. 01:53:00.500 --> 01:53:02.700 I wonder which religion's the right one. 01:53:02.700 --> 01:53:06.060 Maybe it's the one that's willing to spend their own time, money, effort, and energy 01:53:06.060 --> 01:53:07.380 to give you something for free. 01:53:08.900 --> 01:53:12.500 As opposed to the one that literally puts their women in ninja suits. 01:53:13.500 --> 01:53:15.900 You know, I don't know which religion's real here. 01:53:16.500 --> 01:53:19.500 You know, the Bible says that he's going to visit the iniquity on the children 01:53:19.500 --> 01:53:22.100 to the third and fourth generation, and that's what I see with Islam. 01:53:22.100 --> 01:53:26.100 You know, why is it that everybody wants to go to an American country or a Christian nation 01:53:26.100 --> 01:53:28.100 and not an Islamic country? 01:53:31.300 --> 01:53:33.860 I have way too much to say and I've already gone out of time but 01:53:33.860 --> 01:53:39.780 I want to go to one more place, go over to Luke chapter 11 01:53:39.780 --> 01:53:41.780 You know the Bible says if you seek you shall find 01:53:43.380 --> 01:53:48.420 And you know you could sit here and feel sad that people don't all have the same opportunity 01:53:48.420 --> 01:53:51.780 But if you actually care you know you'll do then you'll take the opportunity to them 01:53:52.900 --> 01:53:55.940 Hey I'm sad these people don't have light so I'm going to come bring light to them 01:53:56.900 --> 01:53:58.820 You're not going to sit here and be mad at God 01:53:59.400 --> 01:54:02.900 God's commanding you and demanding you to be that light 01:54:02.900 --> 01:54:05.200 and to let your light shine. 01:54:05.200 --> 01:54:07.500 And he's saying, hey, I know it's dark out there, 01:54:07.500 --> 01:54:09.500 go be some light. 01:54:09.500 --> 01:54:10.580 And what does he mean practically? 01:54:10.580 --> 01:54:12.080 Go preach the gospel. 01:54:12.080 --> 01:54:13.380 Look, if you're not a soul winner, 01:54:13.380 --> 01:54:15.880 you need to become a soul winner. 01:54:15.880 --> 01:54:17.980 And you become a lifelong soul winner. 01:54:17.980 --> 01:54:18.820 And you know what? 01:54:18.820 --> 01:54:19.660 You need to go and preach the gospel. 01:54:19.660 --> 01:54:21.980 And even if you never leave this area, 01:54:21.980 --> 01:54:23.920 be a soul winner in your area at least. 01:54:24.700 --> 01:54:28.980 But you know, for many of us that have the opportunity and the ability, let us spread 01:54:28.980 --> 01:54:31.100 the gospel into all nations. 01:54:31.100 --> 01:54:32.860 Let us go into Shreveport. 01:54:32.860 --> 01:54:35.160 Let us go into Mexico. 01:54:35.160 --> 01:54:37.300 Let us go into the Caribbean. 01:54:37.300 --> 01:54:39.120 Let us go into Asia. 01:54:39.120 --> 01:54:41.820 Let us go all over the world and preach gospel. 01:54:41.820 --> 01:54:47.260 I mean, heck, we're going to go into unreceptive places, Europe and Canada sometimes, and these 01:54:47.260 --> 01:54:48.260 other places. 01:54:48.260 --> 01:54:49.260 But you know what? 01:54:49.260 --> 01:54:51.380 We need to go where it's dark so we can bring our light. 01:54:52.200 --> 01:54:55.200 We're trying to find areas that are receptive, that want the light. 01:54:55.200 --> 01:54:56.800 Going to Fiji. 01:54:56.800 --> 01:55:00.640 Going to all kinds of parts of this world and preaching the gospel. 01:55:00.640 --> 01:55:03.040 And you know, that is our mission in life. 01:55:03.040 --> 01:55:07.120 That's the reason why we have this church and we never want to lose that vision. 01:55:07.120 --> 01:55:08.760 That's why we're here. 01:55:08.760 --> 01:55:10.440 Let there be light. 01:55:10.440 --> 01:55:14.080 We want to be preaching the gospel and emphasizing the gospel. 01:55:14.600 --> 01:55:17.080 Acts chapter 17, look at verse 23, 01:55:17.080 --> 01:55:18.880 for as I passed by and beheld your devotions, 01:55:18.880 --> 01:55:20.760 I found an altar with this inscription, 01:55:20.760 --> 01:55:25.000 to the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, 01:55:25.000 --> 01:55:26.600 Him declare I unto you. 01:55:26.600 --> 01:55:29.560 Everybody out there is ignorant of who the God of the Bible is, 01:55:29.560 --> 01:55:31.500 and we need to go out there and declare it unto them. 01:55:31.900 --> 01:55:36.580 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, 01:55:36.580 --> 01:55:40.640 dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshiped with men's hands as though he 01:55:40.640 --> 01:55:44.500 needed anything, seeing he giveth all life and breath and all things, and hath made of 01:55:44.500 --> 01:55:49.440 one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined 01:55:49.440 --> 01:55:53.000 the times before appointed in the bounds of their habitation, that if they should seek 01:55:53.000 --> 01:55:53.600 the Lord. 01:55:54.000 --> 01:56:01.000 if happily they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. 01:56:01.000 --> 01:56:06.000 For in him we live and move and have our being, as certain also of your own poets have said, 01:56:06.000 --> 01:56:08.000 for we are also his offspring. 01:56:08.500 --> 01:56:12.820 For as much as we are the offspring of God, we have not to think that the Godhead is like 01:56:12.820 --> 01:56:17.300 unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art and man's device. 01:56:17.300 --> 01:56:23.820 And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to 01:56:23.820 --> 01:56:25.780 repent. 01:56:25.780 --> 01:56:28.620 So look, oh, I don't know which religion's right. 01:56:28.620 --> 01:56:29.940 No, it's obvious. 01:56:31.100 --> 01:56:33.100 No, you don't have an excuse. 01:56:33.100 --> 01:56:34.600 No, the light's out there. 01:56:34.600 --> 01:56:36.600 No, if you seek him, you're going to find him. 01:56:36.600 --> 01:56:38.600 No, he's not that far from every one of us. 01:56:38.600 --> 01:56:40.600 But you know what? We need to be the other part of that equation 01:56:40.600 --> 01:56:42.600 where we're shining that light. 01:56:42.600 --> 01:56:44.600 Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge 01:56:44.600 --> 01:56:46.600 the world in righteousness 01:56:46.600 --> 01:56:48.600 by that man whom he hath ordained 01:56:48.600 --> 01:56:50.600 wherever he hath given assurance unto all men, 01:56:50.600 --> 01:56:52.600 and that he hath raised them from the dead. 01:56:52.600 --> 01:56:56.100 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. 01:56:56.400 --> 01:56:58.840 And others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 01:56:58.840 --> 01:57:00.600 So Paul departed from among them, 01:57:00.600 --> 01:57:03.200 howbeit certain men clave unto him and believed. 01:57:03.200 --> 01:57:04.280 So here's the thing. 01:57:04.280 --> 01:57:06.480 It's not that they didn't have opportunity. 01:57:06.480 --> 01:57:10.360 It's that some believed and some mocked. 01:57:10.360 --> 01:57:11.240 But you know what? 01:57:11.240 --> 01:57:14.720 We are to do our job and we're supposed to let the light shine. 01:57:14.720 --> 01:57:16.360 And if the darkness doesn't comprehend it, 01:57:16.360 --> 01:57:17.600 well, that's their fault. 01:57:17.800 --> 01:57:18.800 But you know what? 01:57:18.800 --> 01:57:22.120 We don't want it to be our fault that we hid it under a bushel. 01:57:22.120 --> 01:57:25.640 And if we hide our light under a bushel, God will just take us home early. 01:57:25.640 --> 01:57:28.540 He'll take us out of the socket and put it in a new light bulb. 01:57:28.540 --> 01:57:30.100 Because God wants there to be light. 01:57:30.100 --> 01:57:32.080 You know, we don't have these lights in here just for fun. 01:57:32.080 --> 01:57:33.760 We have them to shine. 01:57:33.760 --> 01:57:37.520 And as soon as the light goes out, we throw it away and we put in a new one. 01:57:37.900 --> 01:57:42.380 And in the same way that God is going to do that spiritually with those who are shining 01:57:42.380 --> 01:57:44.820 brightly, He's going to keep in that socket. 01:57:44.820 --> 01:57:49.460 But if you turn your light out, you're just asking and begging for God to send you home. 01:57:49.460 --> 01:57:51.900 You're just asking for Him to change the light bulb. 01:57:51.900 --> 01:57:55.700 You know a church that all the lights go out on? 01:57:55.700 --> 01:57:57.900 Then you become a non-denom church. 01:57:57.900 --> 01:57:59.440 Okay? 01:57:59.440 --> 01:58:01.580 I call them non-evangelical churches. 01:58:02.300 --> 01:58:06.800 And you know, if you lose your first love and your light, then God removes your lampstand. 01:58:06.800 --> 01:58:09.800 You know, God's going to remove your light because there's no point. 01:58:09.800 --> 01:58:14.100 Why would God want to lift you up when you're not shining the light? 01:58:14.100 --> 01:58:15.400 He lifts you up because you're shining the light. 01:58:15.400 --> 01:58:18.500 Hey, if you want our church to succeed, you want our church to be a great church, 01:58:18.500 --> 01:58:20.800 you want God to bless our church, here's what we have to do. 01:58:20.800 --> 01:58:23.000 We have to shine bright. 01:58:23.000 --> 01:58:26.800 We have to let our light shine and we have to do what God commanded us. 01:58:27.300 --> 01:58:30.340 to let there be light. Let's go some prayer. Thank you heavenly father so much for your word. Thank 01:58:30.340 --> 01:58:35.460 you so much for these great stories that we have in the Bible to illustrate these spiritual truths. 01:58:35.460 --> 01:58:42.500 I pray that we would not be selfish, that we would not be carnal, that we would not just only care 01:58:42.500 --> 01:58:46.740 about ourselves, but rather we care about your commandments. We realize this world is so dark 01:58:46.740 --> 01:58:49.380 and it may not always be fun to be in the dark. 01:58:49.900 --> 01:58:53.020 but they need the light and we need to be that light and we need to be the ones 01:58:53.020 --> 01:58:55.980 who are out there preaching the gospel. I pray that you would motivate 01:58:55.980 --> 01:58:59.420 and stir men's hearts to be that light and to get people saved. It's their only 01:58:59.420 --> 01:59:03.980 chance, it's their only hope and we understand that you are a just God, 01:59:03.980 --> 01:59:08.220 you're a loving God, you're God that wishes for people to repent and believe 01:59:08.220 --> 01:59:11.100 the gospel but you need us to go out there and to be that light. 01:59:11.100 --> 01:59:14.540 I pray that you would help our church to be a bright and shining light in such a 01:59:14.540 --> 01:59:16.300 dark world. In Jesus name we pray, amen. 01:59:17.400 --> 01:59:23.240 All right for our last song let's go to song number 123. 01:59:28.300 --> 01:59:30.900 Song number one, two, three. 01:59:32.800 --> 01:59:34.600 The Christian's Goodnight. 01:59:39.100 --> 01:59:40.900 If you know it well, sing it out. 01:59:42.200 --> 01:59:44.000 Song one, twenty-three. 01:59:44.000 --> 01:59:45.400 Let's all sing that out together. 01:59:48.200 --> 02:00:01.800 Sleep on me, love it, sleep and take thy rest. Lay down thy head upon thy Savior's breast. We love thee.