(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

I want to be a soul winner for Jesus every day, he done so much for me. I want to lead the lost and to leave his every way and be from bondage free. A soul winner for Jesus, a soul winner for Jesus, oh let me be each day. A soul winner for Jesus, a soul winner for Jesus, he done so much for me. I want to be a soul winner and bring the lost to Christ that they his grace may know. I want to live for Christ ever and do his blessed will because he loves me so. A soul winner for Jesus, a soul winner for Jesus, oh let me be each day. A soul winner for Jesus, a soul winner for Jesus, he done so much for me. I want to be a soul winner till Jesus calls me home to lay my burdens down. I want to hear you say, servant you've gathered many shades, receive the starry crown. A soul winner for Jesus, a soul winner for Jesus, oh let me be each day. A soul winner for Jesus, a soul winner for Jesus, he done so much for me. All right, this time we'll close our mouth for them together. All right, so we've got the service time, Sunday mornings at 1030 is our preaching service, Sunday nights at 6. Wednesday nights at 7 is our Bible study, this week will be in Ezekiel chapter 27. We've got the soul winning times listed below, we've got salvations and baptisms. And then congratulations to the Sarat family on the birth of baby Penelope Joy, born Thursday February 10th at 4.44 p.m. Eight pounds, eight ounces. So I don't know if those numbers mean anything, but they seem really significant. And then congratulate them for that. And then below that, we've got a soul winning day trip to the United States side of Nogales this Thursday, February 17th. So if you happen to be free this Thursday, 7 a.m. is the departure time and returning by 11 p.m. And then it looks like they're also going to attend the Tucson service on the way home. Lunch and dinner will be provided. Please sign up if you plan to attend. The singing class has been temporarily postponed and will resume on Sunday, March 6th. And then on the back, FWBC Tucson is going to be having a movie night on Friday, March 4th. They're going to be watching the documentary film Being Baptist that was produced by Verity Baptist Church. And so it's going to be free food and a movie on Friday, March 4th in Tucson. The mission strip for the United States Virgin Islands, scheduled for May 15th through 21st. So if you're interested in that, please speak with Brother Raymond Cooper for more details. Keep praying for all the rest of the ladies that are pregnant, that they would have a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery. And that is about it for announcements. So let's go ahead and sing our next song. Come lead us. All right. Turn your song. The song number 257. Hymn number 257, Look and Live, number 257. I have a message from the Lord. Hallelujah. Number 257 on this first verse, all together now. I am the best of the Lord. Hallelujah. The message that comes to you from Him is recorded in His Word. Hallelujah. He told me that you look and live. Look and live, my Father, live. Look to Jesus now and then. It is recorded in His Word. Hallelujah. It is only that you look and live. I have a message from the Lord. Hallelujah. A message, oh, my friend, for you. It is a message from the Lord. Hallelujah. It is said, and I know it is true. Look and live, my Father, live. Look to Jesus now and then. It is recorded in His Word. Hallelujah. It is only that you look and live. Life is offered up to you. Hallelujah. The eternal life the soul shall have. If you'll only look to Him. Hallelujah. Look to Jesus who alone can see. Look and live, my Father, live. Look to Jesus now and then. It is recorded in His Word. Hallelujah. It is only that you look and live. I will tell you how I came. Hallelujah. Dear Jesus when He made me whole. Don't you leave me on His name. Hallelujah. I trusted and He saved my soul. Look and live, my Father, live. Look to Jesus now and then. It is recorded in His Word. Hallelujah. It is only that you look and live. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my part in this I see. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing this my queen. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can force an atone. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Not of good that I have done. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. This time we'll pass the offering plates around. As the plates go around, let's turn our Bibles to John chapter 16. John chapter number 16. As we always do, we'll read the entire chapter, beginning in verse number 1. John chapter 16. Follow along silently with brother Nick as he reads John 16. John chapter 16, the Bible reads, These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service. And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning because I was with you, but now I go my way to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me, whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more, of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now, howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you. A little while and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, a little while and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye shall see me, and because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, a little while? We cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, a little while and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come, but as soon as she is delivered of the child she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing, verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you, hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am coming to the world again. I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee? By this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone, and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for this Sunday morning. Lord, I pray you fill Pastor Anderson with the Holy Spirit, Lord, and allow us to learn this sermon. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Amen, this morning I wanna preach on that phrase that's found there in verse number eight, sin, righteousness, and judgment. Sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Bible says in John chapter 16 verse seven, Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Now this is a pretty strong statement because remember the disciples are living with Jesus, they're walking and talking with him, they're following him in the flesh, literally there as their leader, but Jesus is actually telling them that being indwelled by the Holy Spirit is gonna do more for them even than physically being with him. He says it's expedient for you that I go away, it's better that I go away because if I don't go away then the Comforter won't come. And the Comforter of course the Bible says is the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of the believer. So every single one of us here today that is saved, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. And he does a lot of things for us as Christians, he opens our understanding so that we can understand the Scriptures, he brings the Word of God to our remembrance, he guides us into all truth. And sometimes when we're reading the Bible it's easy to feel like some of the characters in the Bible are a little bit dumb or a little bit slow like why don't they get it? But that's easy for us to say because we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit so we have this blessing of the Comforter guiding us into all truth and leading us. And so he tells them that if I depart I'll send him unto you because the Comforter of course is a person, it's the Holy Spirit. But then it says in verse 8, when he is come he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Now the world is not referring to saved Christians. The world is referring to everybody else, everybody outside of that group of saved Christians. It's sort of like in John 3.16 when the Bible says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You see there's whosoever believeth, those are the people that are actually going to be saved and have the everlasting life. But who did God love? He loved the world. Who did he die for? He died for the world. He didn't just die for those who believe, he just didn't die for the elect or the saved as the Calvinists would have you to believe. Have you to believe? No. He loved and died for the entire world, but it's only those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that benefit from that by receiving everlasting life. So in that verse you can see the difference between the world, who he loved and died for, and whosoever believeth, which is obviously a smaller group than that. Well, think about this. It says he will reprove the world. And we for sure know this is talking about unsaved people because one of the things he's going to reprove the world of is sin. And in verse 9 it says of sin because they believe not on me. So when we talk about the world, we're talking about people outside of the saved, outside of the household of faith. We're talking about everybody else. So basically when the Comforter comes, he's going to be a blessing to the saved. And we have a lot of talk about that in John 14 and 16 about all of the things that the Comforter or the Holy Spirit is going to do for those of us that are saved. But according to this, he's also going to do something for the unsaved. So when the Comforter shows up, he's also going to have a ministry to the unsaved because he's going to reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Now here's the thing. He's going to do that through believers though. Okay, he's going to use believers to do that. So how does that work? Well, think about the famous verse 2 Timothy 4 verse 2. It tells us to preach the Word. It's specifically Paul preaching to another pastor and saying to him, Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. So he's telling a preacher to reprove, to rebuke, to exhort. And so we as Christians, when we're indwelled by the Comforter, now that we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we are going to actually be the ones physically literally doing the reproving, doing the rebuking and exhorting. We will be reproving, but it's the Holy Spirit working through us. So therefore when the Comforter comes, he has been with you, but he shall be in you, Jesus said. And when he comes, he is going to reprove the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. See, unsaved people are not indwelled by the Holy Spirit. We as Christians, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. And with that indwelling of the Holy Spirit come a lot of blessings for us. Now we can understand our Bibles. He gives us comfort, all the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance, those type of things. But then also, he has a ministry to the unsaved through us, where basically because we have the Holy Spirit, now we're able to reprove the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. So that's sort of the introduction. And now I want to go through these three points here of what the Bible is saying the Holy Spirit's message or ministry to the unsaved is. Okay, what is the reproof that the world gets? First of all, let me just define the word reprove for you, in case you're not sure what it means. If you just look up reprove in the dictionary, I looked it up on dictionary.com, which is my favorite dictionary, and it says to criticize or correct, especially gently. So usually when the word reprove is used, it's not a really harsh or rude criticism, but it's typically more of a gentle criticizing or correcting. But it still is telling someone that they're wrong. You know, when we go out there soul winning, we're nice to people. We're gentle. We in meekness instruct those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure would give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. So we don't go out and get rude with people or harshly rebuke people when we're out soul winning, but we do have to tell them that they're wrong, that they've done wrong. You know, we don't go out there and just tell everybody that their religion's fine and that whatever they believe is fine and just follow your heart. No, we're going out there telling people that we've sinned. We're telling people that we deserve hell. We're telling people that there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And if they believe in workspace salvation, we reprove that. Tell them, no, it's not by works, it's by faith. And we show them the scriptures. But we still criticize and correct and tell them that they're wrong. So that's just a dictionary definition. And then if you scroll further down, it has another definition, to speak disapprovingly to a person, to rebuke or scold. Again, it's telling someone that they're wrong or that you don't approve of what they do or believe or whatever. So what does this mean when the Bible says that when the Comforter comes, when the Holy Spirit comes, He will reprove the world of sin? What does that mean? Well, if you're there in John 16, it says in verse 9, of sin because they believe not on me. So they're being reproved of sin because they do not believe on Jesus. Now, why is that? Well, flip over if you would to John chapter 8. John chapter 8, you see, when a person does not believe on Jesus, they are guilty of their sins before God. Now those of us who do believe on Jesus, obviously we are not sinless. We still are going to do wrong things and make mistakes and break God's commandments. But the difference is that our sins are forgiven by God. Okay, that's the difference. And so the Bible says in John chapter 8 verse 21, then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins. Whither I go ye cannot come. Now, where's Jesus going? Jesus is ultimately going to heaven. He's going to be seated eventually at the right hand of the Father in heaven. That's where he is right now. And he's saying, where I'm going, you can't come. And the reason that you can't come there is because you will die in your sins. It is our sins that prevent us from going to heaven. It is our sins that would condemn a person to hell. And so if we died in our sins, we would go to hell. It says in verse 24, I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins, for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. So if you don't believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior, he is the Messiah, he is the way to heaven, he is God in the flesh. If you don't believe that I am he, Jesus said, you shall die in your sins. So the people who don't believe in Jesus are in their sins right now. And if they die in their sins, they can't go to heaven. They can't go where Jesus is. They're doomed to hell. And so the world needs to be reproved of sin because they believe not on Jesus, which makes them liable for their sins, which makes them in danger of eternal damnation for their sins. So when we go out and dwell by the Holy Spirit and we're preaching the gospel to people, we're preaching the good news, you know, we also need to reprove them of sin. That's why we have the Comforter partially so that we can take that message to this world, you are a sinner. That's why point one when we give someone the gospel is to say, hey, you're a sinner. Now we do this gently. So typically we'll make ourselves a sinner first and say, you know, I've sinned. I'm sure you've been, you've sinned, you know, or I've told a lie. Have you ever told a lie? You know, make yourself the sinner first so that they realize that you're not singling them out and saying, you know, I know what a rotten person you are or whatever. You're just saying, look, you're a sinner, but all of us are sinners. That's why I don't even have to know that person to tell them they're a sinner. But here's the thing. If you're not telling people that they're a sinner, if you're not reproving the world of sin, if you're not teaching people this concept that we have sinned against God, you're not fulfilling the Holy Spirit's ministry that Jesus planned for the Holy Spirit. When he, when he sent us the Holy Spirit, this was the plan to reprove the world of sin. Okay. And so that's part of the message. Go to Romans chapter three if you would. Romans chapter number three. So because of the fact that people are in their sins because they don't believe in Jesus, they're liable for their sins. So he said he will reprove the world of sin because they believe not on me. Okay. Romans chapter three verse 19 says this. Now we know that what things so ever the law sayeth, it's say it to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. So preaching this message shuts the mouth of anyone who thinks that they're going to heaven because of how good they are. Every mouth is stopped. All the world is guilty before God because God's law condemns us all. You can always find a commandment that somebody's broken. Even if they haven't committed murder, even if they haven't committed adultery, you can find something. We just use lying when we talk to people because, you know, 99.9% of people will readily admit that they've lied before because it's so obvious. And then it says in verse 20, therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Saying nobody can be saved by the law because you'd have to do the law perfectly and we've all broken the law. So the law doesn't save us. The law only condemns us. It says, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law just lets us know what a sinner we are. Verse 21, but now the righteousness of God without the law. Notice that phrase, without the law, is manifested. Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. So, you know, the law and the prophets tell you about it, but the righteousness doesn't come by the law. The law just tells you about it. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. So it's not by the law that we're saved, but it's by the faith of Jesus Christ, which, by the way, it's not saying it's his faith. It's saying it's our faith in him. If you study the Bible in Galatians, it'll say we're justified by the faith of Christ because we have believed in Christ. Let the Bible define itself. So it says here that the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe. Well, there it is right there in the verse that it defines itself. For there is no difference. What does that mean, there is no difference? It means it makes no difference how good or how bad you are. You have still sinned and come short of the glory of God. And I've used this illustration when I'm out zoning before. What if there were a basketball hoop that were 20 feet off the ground? Sometimes I'll use this if I'm talking to somebody who's playing basketball or has a basketball hoop in their yard. I'll say, what if the hoop were 20 feet off the ground? Can I do a slam dunk on that hoop? No. Can Michael Jordan do a slam dunk on that hoop? No. No. And it doesn't matter the fact that Michael Jordan or whoever is far better at playing basketball and has done far more slam dunks than I will ever attempt doing. It doesn't really matter at that point, does it? We're equal now because both of us were coming so short of the goal. And that's what the Bible is saying here is that it doesn't matter whether somebody keeps the law 80% or 10% or 50%. It's not enough. There's no difference because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And it doesn't matter whether you come short by a little or come short by a lot. You come short. You're not going to make it. And so therefore, righteousness only comes by faith in Jesus Christ. And that's why it says in verse 24, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. And the Bible says in verse 7 of chapter 4, if you flip over to chapter 4, it says blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. But here's the thing, the unsaved, they don't have that blessing, do they? So they are reproved of their sin because they don't believe in Christ. That's a scary thing for them that they are in their sins and if they die in their sins, they're going to go to hell. Now the second thing that Jesus said the comforter would reprove the world of is righteousness. If you would go to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. So he said he'll reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more. Now what does that have to do with being reproved of righteousness when Jesus says because I go to my Father and you see me no more? We can interpret this a few different ways but I think the main thing that he's getting at here is that Jesus Christ's righteousness basically shows us to be guilty. In light of Christ's righteousness, we are reproved. Jesus Christ's perfect life is a reproof in and of itself. It's a rebuke to those who are not living up to that standard. Because if we compare ourselves to other people, we might come out looking pretty good, you know? Yeah, I'm alright. But when we compare ourselves to Jesus, we are reproved because of righteousness. Now here's the thing. There are two different things you can get out of this verse here. He says of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more. One way to look at that would be that right now, they're already being reproved by having Jesus among them. That's a reproof because his righteousness is so evident as he goes about doing good. He said as long as I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world. But when Jesus goes to the Father and we see him no more, now we're going to need the comforter to testify of Christ's righteousness. Because he goes to the Father, so Christ's righteousness is now witnessed by the comforter through the preaching of God's people, preaching about Jesus. They don't actually see Jesus. He's not actually in front of them. But they hear about Jesus through the preaching of the Word of God. That's one thing we can get from it. But another thing is that Christ's righteousness reproves us because he goes to the Father. What we have to understand is that Jesus going to the Father is something unique because of the fact that Jesus Christ is the only one who can enter heaven on his own righteousness, on his own merit. He's the one who ascended into heaven. In Acts chapter 2, Peter said David is not ascended into the heavens. No man hath ascended into heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. And so we as believers are carried into heaven, brought into heaven, but Jesus ascended into heaven. When Elijah went up into heaven, the fiery chariot came and he's carried up into heaven. At the rapture, the Bible says he'll send forth his angels to gather the elect. Jesus ascended to heaven. You say, what's the difference? Well, what it pictures is the fact that Jesus Christ went to heaven on his own merits. We don't deserve to go to heaven. We can't earn our way to heaven. We can't go into heaven on our own merits. Yet Jesus did not need a savior. He did not need someone to carry him or bring him to heaven. He ascended to heaven because he is the savior. He lived a perfect life. You see, if you lived a perfect, sinless life, you could go to heaven without Jesus if you lived a perfect, sinless life. I mean, why not? It's your sins that are keeping you out of heaven. It's your sin that would send you to hell. God's not going to send you to hell if you didn't do anything wrong. But here's the problem with that method of getting to heaven is that every single one of us has sinned and come short of the glory of God. But theoretically, if a person never sinned, of course they would go to heaven because the wages of sin is death if they haven't sinned. And by the way, this is why babies go to heaven because babies haven't sinned. They're too young. They're too innocent. They don't know anything. And so they just go to heaven. They get a free pass because they're not accountable for anything at that age. So theoretically, if you lived a righteous, perfect life, you'd go to heaven. But no one has lived that righteous, perfect life except Jesus. And so Jesus Christ went to heaven on his own merit. But here's another key point that I want to bring out about the world being reproved of righteousness because Jesus goes to the Father. Look what the Bible says in Hebrews 11 verse 7. It says, By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Now isn't it interesting that the Bible says that Noah condemned the world? Noah condemned the world. Now how did Noah condemn the world? Was it Noah's idea to flood the earth? Was Noah the one that was so angry about all the violence and said, That's it. I'm going to build an ark and I'm going to destroy this world. None of this was Noah's idea. Noah didn't bring the judgment. Noah didn't carry out the judgment. Noah didn't request this judgment. So how did Noah condemn the world? If you actually read this verse carefully and grammatically look at it and see what's possible here, it's clear that it was preparing the ark to the saving of his house. By preparing the ark to the saving of his house, he condemned the world by doing that. Now why is that? Because God can't destroy everybody. Because think about it. God couldn't wipe out everybody. God had already promised that by the seed of the woman, he told this to Adam and Eve, that the Savior would come by the seed of the woman that would bruise the serpent's head. He's already been predicting the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ through the woman's seed. So if God would just kill all humans, then he's not fulfilling his promise, is he? But because Noah obeyed the Lord and built the ark to the saving of his house, now God is able to wipe out everyone else because he still has Noah's family to populate the earth and fulfill that promise. So I think the best way to illustrate this is it's sort of like when you're in school and the teacher's grading on a curve and you feel like, oh man, it's great because the teacher's grading on a curve, so it's not going to be so bad. But then that one kid shows up and gets 100% on the test. Everybody else is getting C's and B's, but this one kid shows up and gets 100% on the test, or he gets a 99 or something. And now it's like, oh man, you know, what good is it to be graded on a curve? That kid messed up the curve. So basically what the Bible is saying is when it says he's going to reprove the world of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more, you know, by Jesus Christ getting into heaven on his own merit, he basically is that kid who got the 100%. Because Jesus lived the perfect life that none of us could live. He got the A+, and so now there's no curve. I mean, if the teacher's grading on a curve and a kid gets 100%, no more curve. Well, guess what? God's not grading on a curve. But, you know, you say, well, why bring that up? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because the vast majority of people out there think that God's grading on a curve. That's what they think. They think, well, as long as I'm not as bad as this guy, as long as I'm not as bad as her, I mean, hey, if we all get a D- on the test, then it's like we all got an A+. I'm just as good as everybody else. I'm as good as he is. I'm as good as she is. You know, that's one of the things that my grandpa said before he got saved. My grandpa showed up to an apostate church. It was a Baptist church, but they were bad at giving the gospel. And so he showed up, and he came forward to be saved, and they gave him a bogus message. They didn't really explain the gospel to him, so he didn't get saved. And he walked out of there and said, oh, well, I think I'm saved anyway because I'm just as good as my wife's family. Because his wife was Baptist, and they were saved Christians, and he thought, well, I live as good as they do, so if they're saved, I must be saved. Because he thought it was by works. No one had explained to him or taught him that you're saved by believing in Jesus. So he thought it was just by works. And so he just thought, well, I'm as good as them. And that's what the vast majority of people out there think. They think, well, sure, I know I'm a sinner. Because remember, what was the first point? The Holy Spirit's going to reprove the world of sin. So you reprove the world of sin, and then here's their attitude. It's like, OK, you got me. I'm a sinner. I've lied. I've done all these other things. But so is everybody else, so I'm OK. I'm fine. I'm fine because everybody else is a sinner too. And this is an attitude that people sometimes have when they're called out for sin. It's just, well, everybody's doing it. Everybody else is doing it too. But here's what happens is that the Holy Spirit comes along and says, you're a sinner. And then we say, OK, you got me. I'm a sinner. But so is everybody else. And then the Holy Spirit comes in for the second punch, and he says, no, because Jesus isn't. Jesus has set the curve at perfection. Jesus got the A-plus on the test, and now we're all doomed. Thanks a lot, Noah, for building that ark. Now we're all going to drown. Thanks a lot, Jesus, for getting that perfect score. But here's the thing. Jesus Christ, through his righteousness, just as Noah condemned the world by building an ark, Jesus Christ condemned the world by messing up the curve, by getting that A-plus, by living the perfect, sinless life that none of us could live. That perfect life is a reproof to anyone who doesn't meet that standard, which is everyone. It's a slap in the face to all of us sinners when we look at the perfect, sinless life of Jesus. And so that's why Jesus' righteousness reproves us. Now it reproved us while he was on this earth, living among us, living a perfect life that nobody could live. And it continues to reprove us through the Holy Spirit's work, preaching about Jesus, preaching the word of God, even though we see him no more. Jesus, the Bible says, was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. The Bible says he had made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 1 Peter 2.22, Jesus says, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. And so Jesus was perfect, and that's why Jesus said in John 8.21, he said, I go my way, and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins, whither I go ye cannot come. He's saying, I'm leaving, I'm going, and you can't come because you're gonna die in your sins. You can't come, you're gonna die in your sins, you can't go, I'm going. How's Jesus getting there? Jesus getting there on his own merit. Jesus getting there on his own perfect life, on his own righteousness, on his own. No one else can do that on their own. We are all, we can't go there, and that's why he said, if you believe not that I'm he, you'll die in your sins and you won't be able to go. The only way to go is to not be in your sins, and that's not by an act of your own righteousness or keeping God's law, it's through faith in Jesus. It's through believing in Jesus, what the Bible says. So now let's deal with the third point. So number one, of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more. And why does that reprove them of righteousness? Because Jesus' righteousness is a slap in the face to the unrighteous. Oh the test is too hard, that's why we all got a D minus, it was just too hard. Okay, well how did little Marvin Egghead get an A plus then? It must not have been too hard, maybe he's just the only one who studied. He did the work and he got it. Well Jesus is that guy who basically lived the perfect life, which makes it impossible for us to be graded on a curve, which means that there's only one way to heaven and that's through Jesus. So number three, he said of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. Now why does the prince of this world being judged, what does that have to do with reproving the world of judgment? Why is the world reproved of judgment because the prince of this world is judged? We'll go to Revelation chapter 20, if you would, Revelation chapter 20. The reason why the world is reproved of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged, is because of the fact that the devil is sort of the prototype where the punishment that he receives is the punishment for those who follow him are going to receive that same punishment, as far as the same type of punishment. Because look what the Bible says in Revelation chapter 20 verse 10. It says in the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. So this is where the devil is ultimately and finally judged. Now his fate was sealed when Jesus died on the cross and that's why he said, you know, the comforter is going to reprove the world of judgment because the prince of this world is judged, like it already happened. When the Holy Spirit shows up, the devil is done at that point. But the actual chronological fulfillment of Satan's ultimate punishment, his ultimate final resting place, is here in Revelation 20 verse 10. And what does the devil's punishment consist of? He's going where? To the lake of fire. And he's going to go there to be tormented day and night forever and ever. So the devil ultimately goes to hell and gets tortured in hell. He doesn't rule and reign in hell, he's tormented in hell. He's punished in hell. That's his ultimate punishment. But look what the Bible says in verse 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So notice the devil and the world go to the same place. Lake of fire. And so the fact that the prince of this world is judged, that's a reproof to this world. Because they're going to the same place. They face the exact same judgment of going to the lake of fire. Another verse to back this up is found in Matthew chapter 25. You don't have to turn there. But in Matthew 25, 41 it says, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He's saying, I'm sending you to a place that was prepared for the devil and his angels. Depart from me into that place that was prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. So not only is Satan's punishment everlasting, not only is the antichrist and the false prophet's punishment everlasting, but also the Bible is saying that the unsaved world's punishment is everlasting. These shall go away. These shall go away into everlasting punishment. Punishment that lasts forever, but the righteous into life eternal. And so this is a reproof to this world. And again, what does the word reproof mean? It means to correct someone. To tell them that they're wrong. Typically it's a milder or a gentler word. It's not usually a word that would be used for the strongest correction because stronger words for correction would be like rebuke or upbraid. You know, these are some kind of older words, but, you know, chewing someone out is what we would say. And if we don't really use the words upbraid and rebuke, we would say like ripping somebody's face off. Chewing somebody out. Just tearing into someone. Those are the type of words we'd use about really ripping somebody. That's not what the Bible's saying the Holy Spirit's going to do. The Holy Spirit's going to reprove the world. It could be gently, kindly, in meekness, the Bible says, in patience, lovingly, but yet the message is still you're wrong. And let me tell you something. If you tell people that they're wrong, it doesn't matter how nicely you do it. Many people are going to get offended when you tell them that they're wrong. You know, you could be so kind and nice about how you tell them that they're on their way to hell, but some people just don't like to hear that. But guess what? We're going to tell them anyway. And this is why the Bible says the Comforter's going to come and he's going to dwell in us and he, through us, we're his vehicle, we're his instrument, he's going to bring the word of God to our mind, he's going to guide us into all the truth, and then we're going to use the word of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we're going to reprove this world of sin. And part of the Holy Spirit's ministry to the saved is to give us the courage to do that, to give us the boldness to do that. See, in Acts chapter 4 verse 31 it says, And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. So when we're filled with the Holy Ghost, we speak the word of God with boldness. And so the Holy Spirit gives us the understanding, the remembrance, the boldness, so that we can reprove this world of sin. Okay, so we need to get out there and do it. And some people are just like, well, you know, I just don't want to offend anybody, I don't want to say anything negative, I'd rather just focus only on the positive. You know, why don't we just go out and just tell people Jesus loves you? You know, why don't we just hand people a little card that says, smile, Jesus loves you. Now look, the message that Jesus loves you is a powerful message, and I'm sure many people are going to be reached by that message, or many people are going to, you know, find out about the love of Jesus, not from a little card that says that, but, you know, actually hearing Bible verses and hearing about God's love, that's going to reach a lot of people. But, you know, the Bible says, others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments bought by the flesh. Look, we need a message that's not a positive only, just Jesus loves you, Jesus died for you, Jesus wants to save you, but here's a little part of the message that we need, you're a sinner. You've offended God. You've broken God's laws. You deserve to go to hell, according to God's perfect standard. But, God loves you. And then that's where you get to the good news of how Jesus loves us, and died on the cross for us, and was buried and rose again, and that it's easy to be saved because the gift of God's eternal life, and that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. But see, there's going to need to be this reproof that acknowledges and points out the fact that you're a sinner. Reprove the world of sin. Now, some people will replace this word reprove with convict. Now, here's the thing about that. That could be correct or not, because convict has two meanings, or at least two meanings. In one sense, the word convict just means to declare someone guilty, or to announce someone's guilt, or to point out their guilt, or declare them guilty. And so that's similar to reprove in the sense that they both involve telling somebody that they're guilty or wrong or incorrect, okay? So, in that sense, it's correct because some people will say this. The Holy Spirit convicts people so that they can be saved. You'll hear this a lot in the old IFB, like, you'll hear it every week, almost, in a lot of churches. They're very big. They talk a lot about conviction. It's a big topic. And again, if we define conviction as declaring of our guilt, understanding our guilt, you know, us acknowledging our guilt is us being under conviction, then that is accurate. But here's the problem with the word convict, is that the vast majority of the time when people talk about being convicted, if they say, I was convicted, typically what they're referring to is a guilty feeling. You know, and if you look up convicted in the dictionary, it'll say, you know, to just have your guilt declared, like you went to court and he was convicted. But then it'll also say, you know, definition number two, a sense of guilt or a feeling of guilt. And that's what I have a problem with. And here's why. Because we don't want to make salvation into a feeling or an emotion. And so you'll get these old IFB preachers that say, you know, if there's no conviction, they can't be saved. Basically, if people aren't getting emotional, they can't be saved, is what they're trying to say. And they want, you know, they say they like to see people crying and weeping and sad and distraught. It's like they want people in pain. But let me tell you something, that's not necessary for salvation. And guess what? Everybody's not as emotional as everybody else. Different people are different. Some people are very mellow. Some people are very stoic. Some people get super emotional. Some people, you know, you start giving them the gospel and they just break down crying. And I mean, I remember when we would go soul winning on the Apache reservation, every single day we went soul winning on the Apache reservation, we'd be preaching the gospel to people and people would be crying. Like just person after person is crying. I mean, there's so many tears. But then we go to the Navajo reservation and everybody's just like so serious and so stoic and they don't really get excited. They don't really get sad. They're just so even keeled. And what's funny is that ethnically, racially, they're the same people because the Apaches and the Navos are both the Athabaskan people that migrated into Arizona around a little over 400 years ago, late 1500s, early 1600s. Both the Navos and the Apaches came down from northern Canada. Their cousins, they're related. Their languages are closely related. They're Athabaskan people, but yet their cultures have diverged to the point where in the Apache culture, there's a lot of crying. I mean, and look, that's just my personal experience, knocking hundreds and hundreds of Apache doors and preaching the gospel. But yet, on the Navajo reservation, it's the opposite. And look, it makes it kind of difficult going soul winning on the Navajo reservation because you're not getting a lot of feedback. Because you're used to talking to people in Phoenix and you're kind of getting a vibe from them and you can kind of tell if they're listening, what they're thinking. They're giving you cues like nonverbal cues and facial expressions and you can kind of tell that they're picking up what you're putting down. When you go to the Navajo reservation, it's like you don't know what they're thinking. It's just like an impenetrable veil and you have no idea what's going on in their head. Does that mean that the Navajos aren't getting saved because they're not emotional? I mean, that's ridiculous. And I guarantee you there have been people who cried and put on a big show and didn't even believe, but they got super emotional. While this other guy over here is not emotional at all, but he believes in Jesus, he got saved. So we want to make sure that we don't add this step to the Gospel. You know, number one, admit you're a sinner. Number two, feel bad about it. Feel bad, get sad, cry about it, be distraught. That feeling, that emotion is not necessary for salvation. You know, we have to believe that we've sinned and believe that there's a penalty for our sin and believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, but we don't have to feel a certain way. And last time I checked, the Gospel is good news. So what if I just preached the Gospel to people and they just get happy about it? And the reason I don't typically expect people to get super sad about the part where I tell them they're a sinner is because 99% of people already know about that. So they already got sad about that in the past. It's not like, I'm a sinner, I'm alive, I can't believe I've offended a holy God, I can't believe it. 99% of people already know that they've made God mad. Anybody with two brain cells to rub together who has lived in Christian America with our Christian culture, anybody has figured out, I've done some stuff to make God mad. I've offended God. I've done bad stuff that God doesn't like. Everybody knows that. So typically when we start preaching that message, it's not a huge revelation for people that's shocking to them. And typically on the Apache Reservation, when the tears begin to flow is when they hear about how they can be saved because they thought they can't be saved. Many of them are addicted to alcohol and they've been told by preachers that if they're not willing to give up alcohol, they cannot be saved. And then I've had them cry and tell me, I keep trying to give up alcohol and it's so hard and I'm scared, I'm going to go to hell. And then they can see, no, no, no, it's not about turning over a new leaf, it's not about giving up your sins, it's about believing in Jesus. You can be saved. And then, yeah, we should try to deal with the alcohol problem after they're saved. But you know what, here's the thing. The spirit is willing and the flesh is weak. Some people are going to struggle with sin until the day they die. Everybody's going to struggle with sin in some capacity until the day they die. But some people are even going to struggle with a certain sin until they die. It's true. Get real, folks. The Apostle Paul is struggling with sin in Romans 7. Oh, you're better than him. You don't struggle with sin because you're better than the Apostle Paul. Oh, I get it. The point is that we don't want to get confused and think that the Holy Spirit's ministry to the unsaved is to bring about an emotion or a feeling that's necessary for salvation. Look, the Holy Spirit, through the believer, delivers the rebuke. And then when we deliver, not necessarily a rebuke, but a reproof, we deliver the reproof and then what the Holy Spirit does, he drives that reproof home in their heart. He drives that reproof home in their heart. So that when we talk to them, it's not just us saying words to them because the Holy Spirit goes to work on their heart through the word that we've preached. He gets in there and drives it in. You know, that's why sometimes after we witness to somebody, we'll pray for that person and say, God, please just drive in what I've said to them and then sometimes that person will come back to you days later and he'll remember everything you said. And, you know, I've prayed that the message that I preach to people would just haunt them, that they won't be able to get it out of their head until they get saved. I pray that they'll wake up in the middle of the night with a Bible verse in their head that I preach to them because just as the Holy Spirit could bring stuff to my remembrance as a believer, he can also reprove the world through the word of God and bring something to their remembrance. And it could be convicting to them in the sense of it declares their guilt. It reproves them. And maybe they'll even feel convicted. But that's not a necessary component because we don't want to make salvation an emotional experience. Because a lot of people have an emotional experience, but they don't believe the right doctrine and they're like, oh, I know I'm saved. I know I'm saved because I have this experience. And you've talked to those people. They don't believe the gospel, but they know they're saved because they had experience with Jesus. And then other people, guess what, they believed right. And they put their faith in the right place to put their faith on Jesus. They're not going to get to heaven and be like, Lord, what's the deal? Why can't we go to heaven? Well, you know, you were as cool as a cucumber when Pastor Anderson gave you the gospel. And that's just not going to cut it because your eye was dry as a bone. And so depart from me, you never felt it. That's not what he's going to say. It's not going to happen. And so that's where we don't want to, I'm not against the word convict as long as we're using it properly. But if we're going to start making emotions and feelings a prerequisite for being saved, then count me out because I think that's a bunch of garbage. And I think that that is confusing the issue of the gospel. Because then that's where you then start bleeding over into, well, you know, you feel really bad so that you're willing to change. And then all of a sudden you're willing to change and you're going to repent of your sins. You know, now salvation is turning over a new leaf. As opposed to being about faith in Christ, we're back to the law again. Salvation by the law. Count me out because I want to get on the faith train to heaven because the law train and the works train and the feelings train, there's a bridge out up ahead. And it's going to sail off a cliff and go sailing into the bottomless pit. And so the Holy Spirit's ministry of the unsaved is to reprove the Bible, you know, our King James Bible has translated this with the best possible word here, you know, to reprove the world of sin. Now, the Bible does use the word convict once. And here's when the King James translates convict in English, the one situation is when Jesus says, he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. They go away being convicted of their own consciences. Now, let me tell you what that was, a guilty feeling. Because they walk away like, oh, man. So that's a more appropriate place to use that word convict. But isn't it funny how this word that's only used one time in the Bible and it's not even God doing the convicting in that verse, it's actually, you know, their own conscience convicting them because our conscience makes us feel bad about stuff all the time. And it also declares our guilt, you know, with that meaning. But isn't it funny how the old IFB, they really major on this word that's not really emphasized in the Bible. So, you know, something's wrong when they're pushing this word week after week and it's like it's not even a thing. And they make it the big thing. And again, I'm not against using the word. I'm not saying that they're preaching heresy or anything. But I am saying that if they turn it into a feeling, an emotion, a sense, I have a problem with that because it's confusing the issue. And so the Holy Spirit is going to reprove the world of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more. And whither I go, you can't come. Because if you die in your sins, you can't come. And if you believe not that I'm He, you'll die in your sins. Notice He didn't say if you don't have a guilty feeling about your sins. And by the way, I saw some idiot in the last week said online something in the lines of, well, even God doesn't forgive those who aren't sorry. Even God doesn't forgive people who aren't sorry. You know, that's bad doctrine. That's bad theology right there. Because last time I checked, Jesus was up on the cross saying, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And they weren't sorry because they were still doing it. And so to sit there and say, well, even God doesn't forgive you if you're not sorry. Okay, that's not correct. Because God has forgiven us for every sin that we've ever done or ever will do, whether we were sorry for it or not. I mean, can anybody really get up and say everything I've ever done wrong in my whole life, I was always sorry. You know, sometimes we've done stuff and because we're human, because we're stupid, because we're sinful, we did stuff and we weren't even sorry about it. Does that mean we're not forgiven? Hey, my friend, Jesus Christ forgives all those who believe on him. And being sorry is not what determines whether or not you're forgiven. You want to know a guy who was really sorry for his sins in the Bible? Judas Iscariot was really sorry. He was really sorry and he repented and he said he was sorry and he returned the money and he made it all right and he went to hell. Because that's not salvation, my friend. And so Jesus Christ will reprove the world of sin because they believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to my Father and the only way you can go is by believing, is what he said. Not by, you know, being repentant and sorry and I'm not going to do it anymore. I'm not going to sin anymore. Well, now you're just adding lies because you will still sin. And then of judgment because the prince of this world is judged, which is a slap in the face to this world because the prince of this world is judged. You know what that means? You're in the same boat with him. You're, you know, you're following his footsteps. He's the, he's a liar and the father of it. You're following the father of lies. You're going to the same lake of fire that he's going to. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, I pray that we would just be faithful to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. Lord, help us to make salvation clear. Lord, help us to preach the clear message that we've all sinned. We all deserve hell, that Jesus died for all of our sins, that he was buried and rose again. And that the only way that we can go where he is, is by faith to believe on him. Help us to preach that message of salvation by faith, not of works lest any man should boast. And Lord, help us to preach clearly that once a person believes on Jesus, they have everlasting life and that you will never leave them nor forsake them and that they will forever be your child and that no one can lose their salvation because it's all been purchased and paid for by the blood of Jesus. And it's in his name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Take your hymnals please. Let's go to hymn number 316. Hymn number 316, I have decided to follow Jesus. Number 316. Let's sing it on this first verse together. Number 316. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back. Though none go with me, still I will follow. Though none go with me, still I will follow. Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back. No turning back. The world behind me, the cross before me. The world behind me, the cross before me. The world behind me, the cross before me. No turning back. No turning back. Amen. Good singing this morning. You are dismissed. Amen.