WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:05.660 Christ. Amen. Amen. I want to look back at verse 27. The Bible says, And the Lord said, 00:05.900 --> 00:11.660 And the Moses write thou these words. For after the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant 00:11.660 --> 00:18.060 with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights. He did 00:18.060 --> 00:24.040 neither eat bread nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, 00:24.640 --> 00:28.260 the 10 commandments. And it came to pass when Moses came down from outside. And I 00:28.260 --> 00:33.160 with the two tablets or tables of testimony in Moses' hand. When he came down from the 00:33.160 --> 00:39.660 Mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. 00:39.800 --> 00:47.620 So this is in a setting where Moses has taken the children of Israel out of Egypt. And 00:47.620 --> 00:52.400 they've come on to Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb. And this is where they are to 00:52.400 --> 00:56.540 sacrifice unto the Lord as this is the whole point of why they were leaving 00:56.540 --> 01:01.860 Egypt. They were leaving Egypt to sacrifice unto the Lord and serve God. And Moses kind 01:01.860 --> 01:06.980 of leaves the whole congregation and goes up unto this Mount, speaks and communes with 01:06.980 --> 01:13.520 God. God gives him the 10 commandments. But in the process of doing so, the children 01:13.520 --> 01:19.720 of Israel decide to ask Aaron, Hey, we don't know what happened to Moses. Will you 01:19.720 --> 01:25.180 go ahead and just make us a golden calf or make us a God? And Aaron's like, All 01:25.180 --> 01:28.460 right, give me all your gold. He takes the gold, throws it into the fire and 01:28.460 --> 01:34.340 out comes this calf, as Aaron describes this. And God tells Moses, he says, Hey, 01:35.040 --> 01:39.460 they've corrupted themselves. They're going after other gods. You need to go down 01:39.460 --> 01:43.660 there. And Moses goes down there. And in his first journey down, he ends up 01:43.660 --> 01:47.000 breaking the 10 commandments. He basically breaks the two tables of 01:47.000 --> 01:54.060 stone. And he just gets really mad at, of course, the children of Israel. And 01:54.060 --> 01:58.120 even though he's mad at them, he just, he advocated to God to not kill them, to 01:58.120 --> 02:02.520 not destroy them all. And so he kind of like an intercessor. And what's cool 02:02.520 --> 02:06.740 about this, this whole story that seems kind of crazy is how it's a gospel 02:06.740 --> 02:13.160 story, because Moses is picturing how Jesus Christ came the first time. And 02:13.160 --> 02:17.720 of course, the law being broken is kind of a picture of how Jesus Christ is 02:17.720 --> 02:22.160 going to take the punishment, the penalty for our sins. And of course, he 02:22.160 --> 02:27.680 ends up destroying that golden calf. He's throws it into the water and makes 02:27.680 --> 02:32.660 them drink it and stuff like that. But then he ascends back up. And so you kind 02:32.660 --> 02:37.680 of have this first encounter with Moses is kind of like the first appearing 02:37.680 --> 02:40.940 of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's foreshadowing a lot of things about 02:40.940 --> 02:46.620 Christ. In X is 34, we're reading about the second time that Moses is 02:46.620 --> 02:50.820 writing the 10 commandments. And he's going to come back down to the 02:50.820 --> 02:54.300 children of Israel, but now his face is shining. And of course, that's the 02:54.300 --> 02:58.120 symbol, the fact that when Jesus Christ returns, that he's going to be in 02:58.120 --> 03:01.520 glory and that he's going to be in brightness. But, but notice he comes 03:01.520 --> 03:05.600 back with the 10 commandments. He didn't like, it's not like, Oh, the 03:05.600 --> 03:09.980 10 commandments don't matter anymore. No, the 10 commandments still matter. 03:10.360 --> 03:14.100 And Christ is coming with them. And so, you know, we have a lot of 03:14.100 --> 03:17.880 different things that we could talk about from the symbolism here. But 03:17.880 --> 03:20.480 we also should just talk about like what's going on with Moses 03:20.480 --> 03:24.280 specifically as a person. So there's a lot of cool spiritual metaphors 03:24.280 --> 03:29.500 here and symbolism and foreshadowing of the gospel message, but also with 03:29.500 --> 03:34.380 Moses himself that spending time with God through God's word. Notice in 03:34.380 --> 03:37.660 verse 27 again, write down these words like he's dealing with the word 03:37.660 --> 03:43.400 of God directly. It causes his face to shine brightly. And what we 03:43.400 --> 03:47.380 understand from a Christian perspective is that we are going to shine 03:47.380 --> 03:51.860 brightly when we are exposing ourselves to the words of God. It's the 03:51.860 --> 03:55.620 words of God that are going to cause us to shine brightly in this 03:55.620 --> 03:58.900 world. And that's what ends up cleaning us up. And that's what 03:58.900 --> 04:03.120 causes us to have the brightness of the Lord. Of course, the Bible 04:03.120 --> 04:08.900 tells us that God also passed by Moses and that Moses saw his 04:08.900 --> 04:13.200 back parts. And I believe that that is literal. I believe that 04:13.200 --> 04:18.760 God really did show himself unto Moses and that Moses really did get 04:18.760 --> 04:22.420 put in the cleft of the rock and that God really did put his hand over 04:22.420 --> 04:26.580 Moses face and the Moses really did see his back parts. Whereas some 04:26.580 --> 04:30.500 crazy people just be like, it's all a metaphor. And I'm like, look, 04:30.620 --> 04:34.620 I get that this whole scene has metaphors and I get that this 04:34.620 --> 04:38.460 has symbolism and I understand this prophecy of the Lord Jesus 04:38.460 --> 04:41.220 Christ. But if it has that, then you need to explain to me 04:41.220 --> 04:44.780 what it is. And the problem is they can't explain what that 04:44.780 --> 04:48.060 actually means because it's not a metaphor. It's just literal. God 04:48.060 --> 04:51.420 showed up. He appeared unto Moses. Moses really did see him. 04:51.620 --> 04:54.360 Moses really did experience him. And again, that's partly why 04:54.360 --> 04:58.800 his face is shining is he's experiencing God in person. He's 04:58.800 --> 05:02.000 experiencing God through the Word of God. And for us, we're 05:02.000 --> 05:06.480 never going to see God the Father, you know, on this side of 05:06.480 --> 05:09.480 our equation, you know, until we get to heaven, we're not 05:09.480 --> 05:13.180 going to have that particular experience. But we can still see 05:13.180 --> 05:16.860 God and experience God through the Word of God. And while our 05:16.860 --> 05:21.560 face will never shine physically, like some kind of a moon 05:21.560 --> 05:25.500 reflecting the sun type of experience, we can still shine 05:25.500 --> 05:30.060 in a spiritual way and a metaphoric way like Moses was 05:30.060 --> 05:35.260 shining here. And Moses is shining because of the Word of 05:35.260 --> 05:37.980 God because of the Bible. And that's what causes its 05:37.980 --> 05:41.920 brilliance. Brilliance is a word for just basically how 05:41.920 --> 05:46.660 vibrant or how strong the glory is of a light or how bright the 05:46.660 --> 05:51.360 light is. And so Moses is shining so brightly that according 05:51.360 --> 05:54.520 to the text, when he comes back down, people can't even look 05:54.520 --> 05:56.860 at him. It says in verse 30, and when Aaron and all the 05:56.860 --> 05:59.520 children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face 05:59.520 --> 06:04.000 shown and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses 06:04.000 --> 06:05.840 called unto them and Aaron and all the rulers of the 06:05.840 --> 06:08.880 congregation returned to him and Moses talked with them. And 06:08.880 --> 06:11.000 afterward, all the children of Israel came nigh and he gave 06:11.000 --> 06:13.920 them in commandment all the Lord had spoken with him in 06:13.920 --> 06:16.980 Mount Sinai until Moses had done speaking with them. He put a 06:16.980 --> 06:20.860 veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord 06:20.860 --> 06:24.580 to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out 06:24.580 --> 06:26.320 and he came out and speaking to the children of 06:26.320 --> 06:29.440 Israel, that which he was commanded and the children 06:29.440 --> 06:33.460 of Israel saw the face of Moses that the skin of Moses 06:33.460 --> 06:37.980 face shown and Moses put the veil upon his face again until 06:37.980 --> 06:40.420 he went in to speak with him. You know, it's funny, like 06:40.420 --> 06:43.100 Moses, according to the Bible, it's real explicit. Like his 06:43.100 --> 06:47.540 skin is shining. It's like, why would his skin be shining 06:47.540 --> 06:50.280 because he, quote, saw a metaphor? You know, it makes 06:50.280 --> 06:54.240 sense that he actually saw God. And that's why his face 06:54.240 --> 06:56.320 is shining because of the brightness and brilliance 06:56.320 --> 06:58.940 of having seen God. And of course, it's a unique 06:58.940 --> 07:02.620 experience. Now, God makes it abundantly clear. No man 07:02.620 --> 07:05.480 shall see his face and live. No one is seeing God the 07:05.480 --> 07:09.440 Father's face save Jesus Christ, which was in the 07:09.440 --> 07:12.560 bosom of the Father. So nobody has been able to see 07:12.560 --> 07:15.580 God the Father's face yet. And I believe the Bible is 07:15.580 --> 07:18.720 basically explaining to us through the entire Bible 07:18.720 --> 07:22.360 that it's because we couldn't handle it. Like if we 07:22.360 --> 07:25.620 were to see such a thing, we would just die. And 07:25.620 --> 07:28.160 that's not the point of this part of our creation. 07:28.280 --> 07:30.040 This is not the point of our stories. This is all 07:30.040 --> 07:33.700 die. Right? God the Father could just reveal his face 07:33.700 --> 07:36.000 to the whole world and we would just all die. Well, 07:36.020 --> 07:38.640 then what's the point in that? You know, and you kind 07:38.640 --> 07:40.680 of wonder like, does that have something to do with 07:40.680 --> 07:42.700 the fact that we have to have faith, right? You 07:42.700 --> 07:45.000 have to have faith to be born again. And then 07:45.000 --> 07:47.820 those that are born again, one day we'll see the 07:47.820 --> 07:50.320 Father's face and live. But if God the Father 07:50.320 --> 07:53.340 just showed his face to us, we could not live, 07:53.540 --> 07:55.900 we could not survive, could not handle it. And 07:55.900 --> 07:58.340 an example of we have this in our world is the 07:58.340 --> 08:01.580 sun. Like I get that you could technically look 08:01.580 --> 08:05.280 at the sun for a very brief moment. But let's be 08:05.280 --> 08:07.320 honest, you can't really handle just looking 08:07.320 --> 08:10.440 directly at the sun. It's so brilliant. It's so 08:10.440 --> 08:13.780 bright. It's very difficult to look directly at 08:13.780 --> 08:16.100 it. And a lot of times people need to do special 08:16.100 --> 08:19.940 glasses or to see it through a photograph or a 08:19.940 --> 08:22.760 video or they're just crazy and they want to 08:22.760 --> 08:24.720 hurt their eyes or something. And so they're 08:24.720 --> 08:27.220 just trying to look real quick. But, you 08:27.220 --> 08:30.520 know, we experience a bright light, so bright 08:30.520 --> 08:33.120 that you can hardly even look at it. And it's the 08:33.120 --> 08:36.240 sun, which interestingly enough, we have tons 08:36.240 --> 08:39.320 of lights in this world. It's like the sun seems 08:39.320 --> 08:40.840 to be the brightest. It's not even the closest. 08:41.780 --> 08:44.480 But God is even more brilliant than the sun 08:44.480 --> 08:47.100 himself. And that the sun, while it has its 08:47.100 --> 08:49.320 brilliance, if we were to look at God, it would 08:49.320 --> 08:52.100 be so bright. It'd be so magnificent. It'd be 08:52.100 --> 08:54.780 something that we just could not handle. And 08:54.780 --> 08:58.380 so, of course, God shields himself from us 08:58.380 --> 09:00.880 being just slaughtered through his own 09:00.880 --> 09:03.740 brilliance in the same way that Moses is 09:03.740 --> 09:06.680 shielding himself so that people aren't just 09:07.260 --> 09:09.280 blinded by his light. And, you know, here's 09:09.280 --> 09:11.440 something that's really annoying me, annoys me 09:11.440 --> 09:14.160 when people shine a bright light in your face. 09:15.100 --> 09:16.980 You know, it used to be when I was in like 09:16.980 --> 09:18.520 junior high high school. I don't know that 09:18.520 --> 09:20.800 there's this interesting phenomenon. I think 09:20.800 --> 09:21.760 it says it kind of came out. It's called 09:21.760 --> 09:23.500 laser pointers. Who knows what I'm talking 09:23.500 --> 09:26.620 about? Like laser pointers became like a rage 09:26.620 --> 09:30.140 when I was in school. But some people were 09:30.140 --> 09:32.020 using this to try and like blind people. 09:32.160 --> 09:33.940 Like they would, they would do it at people's 09:33.940 --> 09:36.540 eyes and try to like cause them damage or 09:36.540 --> 09:38.400 try to harm them. You know, and especially 09:38.400 --> 09:40.640 if you're driving in a vehicle or doing 09:40.640 --> 09:42.360 something like this, it's a really dangerous, 09:42.580 --> 09:45.320 really hazardous vehicles have what's 09:45.320 --> 09:47.320 called bright lights. So usually if you 09:47.320 --> 09:49.080 push the thing forward, it's not just the 09:49.080 --> 09:51.160 headlights. It's like an extra bright. You 09:51.160 --> 09:53.000 know, it's kind of a rude, jerky 09:53.000 --> 09:56.000 thing to have your brights on when you're 09:56.000 --> 09:57.780 passing other vehicles because a lot of 09:57.780 --> 10:00.460 times they can't see. And you know, I 10:00.460 --> 10:01.980 experienced that in Barbados. So I'll 10:01.980 --> 10:03.140 just be honest. All right. You're driving 10:03.140 --> 10:05.340 at night and it's like they would turn 10:05.340 --> 10:07.060 their brights off as soon as I passed 10:07.060 --> 10:08.240 them. And I was like, well, thank you. 10:08.420 --> 10:10.200 Thanks for doing that. It's like, it's 10:10.200 --> 10:11.500 like bright. You're like, you can't see 10:11.500 --> 10:12.800 and then just like right before you're 10:12.800 --> 10:13.840 about to pass them, they'd flick them 10:13.840 --> 10:15.420 off and you'd be like, oh, thanks for 10:15.420 --> 10:17.860 that. But, you know, it's not very 10:17.860 --> 10:20.480 fun to be driving and all of a sudden 10:20.480 --> 10:23.100 just be blinded by someone's bright 10:23.100 --> 10:24.920 lights or some kind of a light. 10:25.280 --> 10:26.740 You know, that's why in the car, you 10:26.740 --> 10:28.360 don't want to have a bunch of lights on 10:28.860 --> 10:31.120 at night inside the vehicle because it 10:31.120 --> 10:33.580 makes visibility, you know, difficult. 10:33.960 --> 10:36.400 It makes you hard to see outside of 10:36.400 --> 10:38.380 the car. And so, you know, these 10:38.380 --> 10:40.000 things that we experience in our real 10:40.000 --> 10:43.280 life are to be representative of 10:43.280 --> 10:45.440 what this world is like and what the 10:45.440 --> 10:47.540 gospel is like and what the Bible is 10:47.540 --> 10:49.380 trying to explain. Now, I want to 10:49.380 --> 10:51.320 go to another passage, go to Second 10:51.320 --> 10:52.700 Corinthians, chapter number four, Second 10:52.700 --> 10:55.200 Corinthians, chapter number four and 10:55.200 --> 10:57.240 let's kind of compare because the New 10:57.240 --> 10:59.640 Testament talks about this story in 10:59.640 --> 11:01.740 Second Corinthians, chapter number four 11:01.740 --> 11:05.420 and gives us some explanation of 11:05.420 --> 11:06.640 what was going on in that particular 11:06.640 --> 11:08.780 passage. You know, when we're 11:08.780 --> 11:10.700 trying to figure out what the Old 11:10.700 --> 11:13.180 Testament meant or when we're trying 11:13.180 --> 11:15.720 to figure out what the symbolism is 11:15.720 --> 11:18.200 or what the prophecy was of an Old 11:18.200 --> 11:19.900 Testament passage, you know it's the 11:19.900 --> 11:21.580 safest way to figure out if you're 11:21.580 --> 11:23.880 right. The New Testament just tells you 11:23.880 --> 11:26.040 exactly what it was. You know, it's 11:26.040 --> 11:27.780 funny to me, like, people try to come 11:27.780 --> 11:29.240 up to me a lot of times and try to 11:29.240 --> 11:30.660 tell me about the symbolism in the 11:30.660 --> 11:34.480 Old Testament and, you know, I think 11:34.480 --> 11:36.440 that occasionally sometimes people are 11:36.440 --> 11:38.140 a little overzealous in what they're 11:38.140 --> 11:40.460 trying to figure out in the text, but 11:40.460 --> 11:42.420 let me just give you a tip of where 11:42.420 --> 11:44.020 you can always be safe. When the New 11:44.020 --> 11:45.780 Testament just tells you exactly what 11:45.780 --> 11:47.800 the symbolism was, you're on really 11:47.800 --> 11:49.620 safe ground of that's what it really 11:49.620 --> 11:51.180 meant. And, you know, we should 11:51.180 --> 11:54.140 probably prioritize the symbolism that 11:54.140 --> 11:55.900 the New Testament actually gives you 11:55.900 --> 11:59.460 over just your crazy idea. And, you 11:59.460 --> 12:01.300 know, if you can't come up with your 12:01.300 --> 12:03.680 doctrine anywhere else in the Bible 12:03.680 --> 12:05.360 other than your just speculation in 12:05.360 --> 12:06.540 the symbolism, it's probably not very 12:06.540 --> 12:08.480 safe. If it's taught everywhere 12:08.480 --> 12:09.620 else in the Bible, it's probably 12:09.620 --> 12:11.340 pretty safe, okay? So, you know, 12:11.360 --> 12:14.100 just some tips on finding prophecy in 12:14.100 --> 12:15.320 the Bible, but here in 2nd Corinthians 12:15.320 --> 12:16.180 chapter four, it just tells 12:16.180 --> 12:18.380 explicitly what was going on in this 12:18.380 --> 12:20.900 story. Look what it says here in 12:20.900 --> 12:22.120 verse number, let's just get a little 12:22.120 --> 12:23.900 bit of context. Look what it says here 12:23.900 --> 12:26.900 in verse number six, who also have 12:26.900 --> 12:28.540 made us able ministers of the New 12:28.540 --> 12:30.840 Testament, not of the letter, but of 12:30.840 --> 12:32.640 the Spirit for the letter killeth, but 12:32.640 --> 12:34.200 the Spirit give it life, but of 12:34.200 --> 12:37.160 the ministration of death written in 12:37.160 --> 12:38.900 engraving and stones was glorious 12:39.440 --> 12:41.520 so that the children of Israel could 12:41.520 --> 12:43.700 not steadfastly behold the face of 12:43.700 --> 12:45.220 Moses for the glory of his 12:45.220 --> 12:47.940 countenance, which glory was to be 12:47.940 --> 12:50.380 done away. How shall not the 12:50.380 --> 12:53.060 ministration of the Spirit be 12:53.060 --> 12:56.420 rather glorious? So, in this 12:56.420 --> 12:58.060 epistle, the Apostle Paul is trying 12:58.060 --> 13:00.300 to explain to the Corinthians that 13:00.930 --> 13:03.580 whenever Moses was given this job, 13:03.860 --> 13:05.760 this service of God, this ministry 13:05.760 --> 13:08.660 of God of the Old Testament, that 13:08.660 --> 13:10.380 it was such an awesome thing that 13:10.380 --> 13:12.260 it was so glorious that his face 13:12.260 --> 13:14.780 literally shown having received 13:14.780 --> 13:17.040 the Ten Commandments, having received 13:17.040 --> 13:19.160 the Old Testament law, having 13:19.160 --> 13:21.200 received the tables of stone from God 13:21.200 --> 13:23.960 and that his face shown so brightly 13:23.960 --> 13:25.600 that the children of Israel couldn't 13:25.600 --> 13:27.700 even look at him. And it's saying 13:27.700 --> 13:30.180 if that is how glorious the Old 13:30.180 --> 13:32.380 Testament was, and it's going to be 13:32.380 --> 13:33.640 done away with, he's saying if the 13:33.640 --> 13:34.960 Old Testament was to even be done 13:34.960 --> 13:35.880 away with, it wasn't even a 13:35.880 --> 13:37.180 permanent thing, it wasn't even an 13:37.180 --> 13:39.380 everlasting thing, then how much 13:39.380 --> 13:41.680 more should this new ministry, 13:42.340 --> 13:44.560 this new service of God, this 13:44.560 --> 13:47.400 new Testament be in glory 13:47.920 --> 13:49.180 than the Old Testament? 13:49.620 --> 13:51.340 In a sense, it should outshine 13:51.940 --> 13:53.420 this Old Testament. It should be 13:53.420 --> 13:55.120 more glorious. It should be more 13:56.120 --> 13:57.720 brilliant because it's not 13:57.720 --> 14:00.240 only, you know, coming on the 14:00.240 --> 14:01.660 heels of some such a thing, it's 14:01.660 --> 14:02.880 not only delivered by a better 14:02.880 --> 14:05.000 person than Moses, Jesus, but 14:05.000 --> 14:05.960 it's also an everlasting 14:06.580 --> 14:07.940 Testament. It's an everlasting 14:07.940 --> 14:09.640 gospel is what the Bible is 14:09.640 --> 14:11.480 teaching us. And so it should 14:11.480 --> 14:13.420 be more glorious. 14:13.820 --> 14:15.020 In verse nine, for if the 14:15.020 --> 14:16.760 ministration of condemnation be 14:16.760 --> 14:18.520 glory, much more 14:18.880 --> 14:20.200 that the ministration of 14:20.200 --> 14:22.440 righteousness exceed in glory. 14:23.120 --> 14:24.640 For even that, which was made 14:24.640 --> 14:26.940 glorious, had no glory in this 14:26.940 --> 14:29.260 respect by reason of the glory 14:29.260 --> 14:30.140 that excelleth. 14:30.860 --> 14:32.540 Now, what does it mean in 14:32.540 --> 14:34.460 verse 10 when it said 14:35.060 --> 14:37.120 that it had no glory 14:37.540 --> 14:39.180 in this respect? 14:40.180 --> 14:42.060 What that means is, is that 14:42.060 --> 14:43.760 the Old Testament law had no 14:43.760 --> 14:46.020 glory and getting anyone saved. 14:47.260 --> 14:49.220 No one got saved by the Old 14:49.220 --> 14:51.480 Testament. No one got saved 14:51.480 --> 14:52.780 by following the law. 14:53.220 --> 14:55.100 There was never a dispensation 14:55.890 --> 14:57.700 where people were saved by 14:57.700 --> 14:58.800 faith and works. 14:59.400 --> 15:01.040 There will never be a 15:01.040 --> 15:02.780 dispensation where people are 15:02.780 --> 15:04.560 saved by faith and works. 15:05.320 --> 15:07.120 Salvation is only ever been 15:07.120 --> 15:08.580 by faith in Jesus Christ. 15:09.500 --> 15:10.700 And so even though the Old 15:10.700 --> 15:12.760 Testament was glorious, it had 15:12.760 --> 15:14.920 no glory in respect of 15:14.920 --> 15:17.420 salvation. It had no glory in 15:17.420 --> 15:18.900 respect of taking someone to 15:18.900 --> 15:21.300 heaven. All it did was point to 15:21.300 --> 15:22.840 salvation. All it did was point 15:22.840 --> 15:24.980 us to the one that could save 15:24.980 --> 15:26.720 us and point to the fact that 15:26.720 --> 15:28.320 we can't be saved by our works 15:28.320 --> 15:30.860 to point to the failure of 15:30.860 --> 15:32.980 humanity. Because obviously the 15:32.980 --> 15:35.440 law is good. The law is 15:35.440 --> 15:37.180 spiritual, but I am carnal. 15:37.300 --> 15:38.540 And what the law proves to me 15:38.540 --> 15:39.500 is that I am carnal. 15:39.500 --> 15:41.000 And what it proves to me is I 15:41.000 --> 15:42.660 am flesh. And what it proves to 15:42.660 --> 15:43.920 me is that the flesh is weak. 15:44.220 --> 15:45.360 And what it proves is that I 15:45.360 --> 15:46.940 cannot be saved because my 15:46.940 --> 15:48.720 flesh isn't good enough to get 15:48.720 --> 15:50.640 to heaven for all of sinned 15:50.640 --> 15:51.900 and come short of the glory of 15:51.900 --> 15:53.340 God. And that's what the law 15:53.340 --> 15:55.240 proves beyond a shadow of a 15:55.240 --> 15:56.620 doubt. But it never saved 15:56.620 --> 15:59.160 anyone. It doesn't it doesn't 15:59.160 --> 16:01.260 do anything but explain to us 16:01.260 --> 16:02.540 that we need salvation. 16:03.100 --> 16:04.820 And of course that's why the 16:04.820 --> 16:06.260 second Testament is the 16:06.260 --> 16:07.740 better Testament. That's why 16:07.740 --> 16:10.080 it has more glory. That's why 16:10.080 --> 16:12.800 we appeal to the Gospel 16:12.800 --> 16:14.460 because that's what actually 16:14.460 --> 16:16.640 saves us. He says in verse 16:16.640 --> 16:17.760 12, seeing then that we have 16:17.760 --> 16:19.600 such hope, we use great 16:19.600 --> 16:21.140 plainness of speech. So we 16:21.140 --> 16:22.960 have the hope of the Gospel 16:22.960 --> 16:24.880 and not as Moses, which put 16:24.880 --> 16:27.180 a veil over his face that the 16:27.180 --> 16:28.020 children of Israel could not 16:28.020 --> 16:29.300 steadfastly look to the end 16:29.300 --> 16:30.820 of that which is abolished. 16:31.500 --> 16:32.380 Now the Old Testament is 16:32.380 --> 16:35.320 abolished. I mean, this is 16:35.320 --> 16:39.640 what the Bible says. If the 16:39.640 --> 16:40.320 Old Testament is not 16:40.320 --> 16:41.520 abolished, then what is 16:41.520 --> 16:44.660 abolished? I mean, something 16:44.660 --> 16:45.860 was abolished. I mean, he 16:45.860 --> 16:46.720 brought up something's 16:46.720 --> 16:48.480 abolished. And notice it is 16:48.480 --> 16:49.420 abolished. It's not like 16:49.420 --> 16:50.720 about to be abolished. It's 16:50.720 --> 16:52.980 already been abolished. But 16:52.980 --> 16:53.980 their minds are blinded for 16:53.980 --> 16:54.860 until this day your man of 16:54.860 --> 16:55.720 the same veil and taken 16:55.720 --> 16:56.560 away in the reading of the 16:56.560 --> 16:57.380 Old Testament, which veil 16:57.380 --> 16:58.160 is done away in Christ. 16:58.840 --> 16:59.980 Notice that the veil is 16:59.980 --> 17:02.220 taken away in Christ. You can 17:02.220 --> 17:03.200 understand the Old 17:03.200 --> 17:05.640 Testament when you get 17:05.640 --> 17:08.120 saved. Now, I would say 17:08.120 --> 17:10.320 this, understand by 17:10.320 --> 17:11.920 meaning the big point. 17:12.400 --> 17:14.480 Understand by meaning what 17:14.480 --> 17:15.560 it takes to be saved. 17:15.900 --> 17:17.500 Understand by meaning what 17:17.500 --> 17:19.040 the spiritual meaning of 17:19.040 --> 17:21.900 the text was. Everyone can 17:21.900 --> 17:22.920 understand the carnal 17:22.920 --> 17:23.940 truths found in the Old 17:23.940 --> 17:25.440 Testament. Everyone can 17:25.440 --> 17:27.340 understand the facts of the 17:27.340 --> 17:28.720 Old Testament. Everyone can 17:28.720 --> 17:30.880 understand the history of the 17:30.880 --> 17:32.400 Old Testament. But there 17:32.400 --> 17:33.760 was the big point. There was 17:33.760 --> 17:35.760 the meaning. There's the 17:35.760 --> 17:38.020 spiritual significance of 17:38.020 --> 17:39.840 the Old Testament, which is 17:39.840 --> 17:41.960 hidden, is not understood 17:41.960 --> 17:43.660 until you realize, oh, this 17:43.660 --> 17:45.300 is all about Jesus Christ. 17:45.980 --> 17:47.480 That seed of the woman is 17:47.480 --> 17:49.360 about Jesus Christ. Oh, these 17:49.360 --> 17:50.880 stories about Joseph are 17:50.880 --> 17:52.580 about Jesus Christ. Oh, this 17:52.580 --> 17:53.960 story about Moses is about 17:53.960 --> 17:55.720 Jesus Christ. Oh, Joshua 17:55.720 --> 17:56.860 leading them into the 17:56.860 --> 17:58.480 Promised Land is about Jesus 17:58.480 --> 18:00.320 Christ. Just all the law 18:00.320 --> 18:01.900 and all the prophets, to 18:01.900 --> 18:04.240 him give all, to him give 18:04.240 --> 18:05.960 witness all the law and the 18:05.960 --> 18:07.760 prophets, it's only through 18:07.760 --> 18:09.000 Jesus Christ's name that we're 18:09.000 --> 18:12.160 saved. Right? And I'm 18:12.160 --> 18:13.580 paraphrasing that. But of 18:13.580 --> 18:14.700 course, according to the 18:14.700 --> 18:16.220 Bible, the law and the 18:16.220 --> 18:17.100 prophets and the Old 18:17.100 --> 18:18.440 Testament, everything is 18:18.440 --> 18:19.640 giving witness to the Lord 18:19.640 --> 18:21.800 Jesus Christ. It's not to 18:22.340 --> 18:24.680 the law saving us. It's 18:24.680 --> 18:25.780 not pointing back to that. 18:25.860 --> 18:26.940 It's pointing to the Gospel 18:26.940 --> 18:29.020 message. And the Bible 18:29.020 --> 18:29.920 makes it clear that the 18:29.920 --> 18:32.220 Jews by and large, the 18:32.220 --> 18:33.100 children of Israel by and 18:33.100 --> 18:35.640 large, they are kind of like 18:35.640 --> 18:37.500 seeing Moses with a veil when 18:37.500 --> 18:38.440 it comes to the Gospel. 18:39.440 --> 18:40.580 They obviously they see 18:40.580 --> 18:42.600 Moses. They can see him as 18:42.600 --> 18:43.640 a person. They know he's 18:43.640 --> 18:45.020 there. And according to the 18:45.020 --> 18:45.940 Bible, they even believe 18:45.940 --> 18:46.920 that they trust in Moses, 18:47.000 --> 18:47.800 but they don't really know 18:47.800 --> 18:49.420 who Moses is. And if they 18:49.420 --> 18:50.740 had known who Moses was, 18:51.060 --> 18:51.720 then they would know who 18:51.720 --> 18:53.520 Jesus was. Because when you 18:53.520 --> 18:54.420 know Moses, you know 18:54.420 --> 18:55.440 Jesus, when you believe 18:55.440 --> 18:56.200 Moses, you believe 18:56.200 --> 18:57.440 Jesus. And so there's 18:57.440 --> 18:58.740 all this symbolism here. 18:58.740 --> 18:59.600 There's all this metaphor 18:59.600 --> 19:02.240 here. And when they read 19:02.240 --> 19:04.120 Moses, they don't understand 19:04.120 --> 19:06.620 it. Nevertheless, when their 19:06.620 --> 19:07.640 hearts turn to the Lord, 19:08.200 --> 19:08.980 that veil is taken away. 19:09.080 --> 19:10.080 Now, the Lord is that 19:10.080 --> 19:10.820 spirit and where the 19:10.820 --> 19:11.400 spirit of the Lord is 19:11.400 --> 19:12.740 there is liberty. But we 19:12.740 --> 19:15.220 all with open face 19:15.220 --> 19:16.520 beholding as in a glass 19:16.520 --> 19:17.520 the glory of the Lord are 19:17.520 --> 19:20.020 changed into the same image 19:20.020 --> 19:21.580 from glory to glory, even 19:21.580 --> 19:22.740 as by the spirit of the 19:22.740 --> 19:26.060 Lord. So Moses, he 19:26.060 --> 19:27.860 spoke with the Lord. He 19:27.860 --> 19:28.720 understood who the Lord 19:28.720 --> 19:30.280 was. He understood the 19:30.280 --> 19:31.720 words of God. And so his 19:31.720 --> 19:33.320 face shown. And then the 19:33.320 --> 19:34.500 Bible is saying in verse 19:34.500 --> 19:38.060 18, but we all with open 19:38.060 --> 19:40.300 face beholding. So just as 19:40.300 --> 19:42.440 Moses took the veil off when 19:42.440 --> 19:43.280 he communed with God and 19:43.280 --> 19:45.060 his face shown, we in the 19:45.060 --> 19:46.680 New Testament, we have the 19:46.680 --> 19:48.620 veil off as well. And we 19:48.620 --> 19:50.160 commune with God. And so 19:50.160 --> 19:52.460 that our faces should also 19:52.460 --> 19:54.740 shine in the same way 19:54.740 --> 19:57.580 that Moses face shown. So 19:57.580 --> 19:59.520 while that is a literal 19:59.520 --> 20:00.820 story in the Old Testament, 20:01.440 --> 20:02.680 we are to take the spiritual 20:02.680 --> 20:03.920 application and apply it to 20:03.920 --> 20:05.540 ourselves and that when we 20:05.540 --> 20:07.660 get saved, it's like our 20:07.660 --> 20:09.040 face is shining in a 20:09.040 --> 20:12.260 spiritual way. But what did 20:12.260 --> 20:13.040 Moses have to do? He had 20:13.040 --> 20:14.460 to hide it under that veil 20:14.460 --> 20:15.260 because they couldn't 20:15.260 --> 20:16.260 handle it. They couldn't 20:16.260 --> 20:18.940 take it. And what does 20:18.940 --> 20:20.160 this kind of symbolize? 20:20.340 --> 20:21.660 Well, obviously not 20:21.660 --> 20:22.820 everybody likes the Gospel. 20:22.940 --> 20:24.140 Can't do they? Not 20:24.140 --> 20:25.160 everybody can handle the 20:25.160 --> 20:26.440 Gospel. Some people get 20:26.440 --> 20:28.880 very offended by the Gospel 20:29.480 --> 20:30.940 and whenever you allow it to 20:30.940 --> 20:32.860 shine brightly, people are 20:32.860 --> 20:34.560 going to get upset at you 20:34.560 --> 20:35.780 shining that bright light at 20:35.780 --> 20:37.120 them. Just like I get 20:37.120 --> 20:38.940 upset when someone shines 20:38.940 --> 20:40.920 brights at me, just like I 20:40.920 --> 20:41.800 can't really look at the 20:41.800 --> 20:43.500 sun, it's irritating. You 20:43.500 --> 20:44.900 know what? The Gospel is 20:44.900 --> 20:46.140 irritating to those that 20:46.140 --> 20:47.020 don't want to receive it. 20:47.320 --> 20:48.760 The Gospel is irritating to 20:48.760 --> 20:49.380 those that don't want to 20:49.380 --> 20:50.640 believe it. The Gospel is 20:50.640 --> 20:52.140 too difficult to look at 20:52.140 --> 20:54.540 for this crowd. But should 20:54.540 --> 20:56.560 we just stop sharing the 20:56.560 --> 20:57.540 Gospel? No, of course not. 20:57.600 --> 20:58.980 Verse 1 of chapter 4, 20:59.060 --> 20:59.780 therefore seeing we have 20:59.780 --> 21:01.500 this ministry, as we receive 21:01.500 --> 21:03.720 mercy, we faint not, but 21:03.720 --> 21:05.100 ever renounce the hidden 21:05.100 --> 21:06.660 things of dishonesty, not 21:06.660 --> 21:07.640 walking in craftiness 21:07.640 --> 21:08.720 nor handling the word of God 21:08.720 --> 21:10.060 deceitfully, but by 21:10.060 --> 21:11.200 manifestation of the truth 21:11.200 --> 21:12.000 committing ourselves to 21:12.000 --> 21:12.700 every man's conscience 21:12.700 --> 21:14.080 in the sight of God. But 21:14.080 --> 21:16.020 if our Gospel be hid, it's 21:16.020 --> 21:17.520 hid to them that are lost 21:18.080 --> 21:19.260 and whom the God of this 21:19.260 --> 21:20.620 world have blinded the 21:20.620 --> 21:21.380 minds of them which 21:21.380 --> 21:23.840 believe not lest the light 21:23.840 --> 21:25.440 of the glorious Gospel of 21:25.440 --> 21:27.320 Christ, who is the image of 21:27.320 --> 21:29.160 God, should shine under 21:29.160 --> 21:30.360 them. For we preach not 21:30.360 --> 21:31.800 ourselves, but Christ Jesus, 21:32.000 --> 21:33.180 the Lord, and ourselves, 21:33.440 --> 21:34.440 your servants, for Jesus' 21:34.720 --> 21:36.400 sake. For God, who 21:36.400 --> 21:38.440 commanded the light to 21:38.440 --> 21:39.880 shine out of darkness, 21:40.380 --> 21:41.940 hath shined in our hearts 21:41.940 --> 21:43.880 to give the light of the 21:43.880 --> 21:44.960 knowledge of the glory of 21:44.960 --> 21:46.720 God in the face of 21:46.720 --> 21:48.220 Jesus Christ. But we 21:48.220 --> 21:49.060 have this treasure in 21:49.060 --> 21:50.520 earthen vessels that the 21:50.520 --> 21:51.720 excellency of the power 21:51.720 --> 21:52.820 may be of God and not 21:52.820 --> 21:56.580 of us. So Moses obviously 21:57.240 --> 21:58.040 coming down from the 21:58.040 --> 22:00.280 mount and his face lighting 22:00.280 --> 22:02.680 up like a superhero or 22:02.680 --> 22:04.100 something was a unique 22:04.100 --> 22:05.840 experience. And it would 22:05.840 --> 22:07.140 be kind of easy to think 22:07.140 --> 22:09.520 like, hey, this guy is 22:09.520 --> 22:11.820 special. Moses is special. 22:11.940 --> 22:12.940 And of course, even 22:12.940 --> 22:14.960 unsaved people believe 22:14.960 --> 22:16.840 Moses is special. You 22:16.840 --> 22:17.980 could look at Jews today, 22:18.140 --> 22:18.900 they all look up to 22:18.900 --> 22:20.680 Moses in theory. You 22:20.680 --> 22:22.300 have Islam and Muslims 22:22.300 --> 22:24.280 looking up to Moses, even 22:24.280 --> 22:25.060 though they're not even 22:25.060 --> 22:27.260 saved. And you know, if 22:27.260 --> 22:29.620 we walked around looking 22:29.620 --> 22:31.520 like superheroes, being 22:31.520 --> 22:32.760 just all bright and 22:32.760 --> 22:34.280 shining and our faces 22:34.280 --> 22:35.940 just glow, you know, 22:36.120 --> 22:36.960 you just walk, he's like, 22:37.120 --> 22:37.840 who's the guy that's 22:37.840 --> 22:40.180 glowing? Right? I mean, 22:40.640 --> 22:42.680 it would kind of take 22:42.680 --> 22:44.660 away from the message 22:44.660 --> 22:46.680 being about Jesus and 22:46.680 --> 22:47.360 it would give a little 22:47.360 --> 22:48.240 bit of that glory to us, 22:48.280 --> 22:50.300 wouldn't it? But see, 22:50.320 --> 22:51.020 that's what the Bible 22:51.020 --> 22:51.760 is saying that, hey, 22:51.760 --> 22:53.520 we're an earthen, we're 22:53.520 --> 22:54.860 an earthen vessel, right? 22:55.300 --> 22:56.540 It says here in verse 7, 22:56.660 --> 22:57.860 but we have this treasure 22:58.540 --> 22:59.980 in earthen vessels 23:00.600 --> 23:02.040 that the excellency of 23:02.040 --> 23:04.120 the power may be of God 23:04.120 --> 23:06.400 and not of us. So we're 23:06.400 --> 23:07.420 walking around in the New 23:07.420 --> 23:08.700 Testament and we look no 23:08.700 --> 23:10.440 different. We're not 23:10.440 --> 23:12.360 special. We don't look 23:12.360 --> 23:14.260 like superheroes. In 23:14.260 --> 23:15.400 fact, according to other 23:15.400 --> 23:16.200 parts of Corinthians 23:16.200 --> 23:17.100 and the first Corinthians 23:17.100 --> 23:18.160 and stuff, it's saying 23:18.160 --> 23:18.960 that many of us are not 23:18.960 --> 23:20.380 even mighty in the flesh. 23:20.640 --> 23:21.420 So there's nothing 23:21.420 --> 23:22.780 necessarily special about 23:22.780 --> 23:24.760 us in a human capacity. 23:25.100 --> 23:26.160 We're not superheroes. 23:26.660 --> 23:27.360 We're not Titans. 23:27.580 --> 23:28.660 We're not Gladiators. 23:29.100 --> 23:30.660 We're not Hercules. 23:31.420 --> 23:33.040 But what we do have 23:33.040 --> 23:34.000 is we have the gospel 23:34.000 --> 23:36.000 inside of us and we can 23:36.000 --> 23:37.280 allow that to shine 23:37.280 --> 23:39.040 and we can get people saved. 23:39.360 --> 23:40.780 And then all that treasure 23:41.760 --> 23:43.560 is seen for what it is. 23:43.680 --> 23:44.540 It's the glory of God. 23:44.660 --> 23:45.340 It's not about us. 23:46.480 --> 23:47.520 We all go share 23:47.520 --> 23:48.480 the exact same message. 23:48.600 --> 23:50.120 I mean, if you go 23:50.620 --> 23:51.660 with us, soul winning, 23:51.940 --> 23:52.760 and you go with me 23:52.760 --> 23:54.000 and you go with Brother Diego 23:54.000 --> 23:55.740 and Brother Sam and Brother Ben 23:55.740 --> 23:56.480 and Brother Marcel 23:56.480 --> 23:57.440 and all the people in the room, 23:57.780 --> 23:58.720 like you're going to be like, 23:58.800 --> 23:59.820 man, that was really similar. 24:01.640 --> 24:02.740 It's going to be pretty much 24:02.740 --> 24:03.440 the same thing. 24:04.140 --> 24:04.940 It's going to be, wow, 24:05.000 --> 24:05.660 that was the same 24:05.660 --> 24:06.960 illustrations and the same 24:06.960 --> 24:08.280 talking points and the same 24:08.280 --> 24:09.760 verses and the same outline. 24:10.280 --> 24:11.680 Now, again, if we were 24:11.680 --> 24:12.780 to be like going 24:12.780 --> 24:13.600 with each other, 24:13.680 --> 24:14.460 we kind of start to 24:14.460 --> 24:15.120 notice like, hey, 24:15.160 --> 24:16.060 there's a little nuance 24:16.060 --> 24:18.040 here or this guy emphasizes 24:18.040 --> 24:19.020 a point a little differently 24:19.520 --> 24:21.380 or this guy uses an extra verse. 24:21.740 --> 24:22.640 This guy doesn't, whatever. 24:23.040 --> 24:24.300 Obviously, we're not saying 24:24.300 --> 24:26.160 it's verbatim, 24:26.420 --> 24:28.720 but in essence, it's the same. 24:29.200 --> 24:31.440 Why? Because it's not about us. 24:31.600 --> 24:32.760 It's about this 24:32.760 --> 24:34.140 and it's about shining 24:34.140 --> 24:35.680 that bright light of the gospel. 24:36.060 --> 24:37.820 And that's what gets people saved. 24:38.140 --> 24:39.020 But if it's hid, 24:39.740 --> 24:41.720 well, then people aren't going to get saved. 24:42.640 --> 24:44.240 Notice the only way to get saved 24:44.240 --> 24:46.840 is for this light to shine. 24:47.420 --> 24:48.820 This is the message. 24:49.380 --> 24:50.500 But what I want to focus on 24:50.500 --> 24:51.860 this morning is in verse six, 24:51.980 --> 24:52.620 it says for God, 24:53.120 --> 24:56.080 who commanded the light to shine. 24:57.060 --> 24:58.840 God commanded the light to shine. 24:58.920 --> 25:00.160 Now, this is a reference to 25:00.160 --> 25:02.340 and pointing to the beginning 25:02.340 --> 25:03.140 of the Bible, 25:03.700 --> 25:05.460 the creation story itself. 25:06.020 --> 25:08.200 Let's go back to Genesis chapter one 25:08.200 --> 25:10.800 and let's focus in on this point here. 25:12.100 --> 25:14.980 God commanded the light to shine. 25:15.580 --> 25:17.540 Look at Genesis chapter one, verse one. 25:21.080 --> 25:21.780 In the beginning, 25:22.300 --> 25:24.040 God created the heaven and the earth 25:24.040 --> 25:26.620 and the earth was without form and void 25:27.480 --> 25:30.060 and darkness was upon the face of the deep 25:30.060 --> 25:32.240 and the spirit of God moved 25:32.240 --> 25:33.440 upon the face of the waters. 25:34.020 --> 25:35.160 And God said, 25:35.760 --> 25:37.660 let there be light 25:37.660 --> 25:39.340 and there was light. 25:39.720 --> 25:41.620 And God saw the light that was good 25:41.620 --> 25:43.360 and God divided the light from the darkness 25:43.360 --> 25:45.040 and God called the light day 25:45.040 --> 25:46.240 and the darkness he called night 25:46.240 --> 25:47.520 and the evening in the morning 25:47.520 --> 25:48.360 or the first day. 25:48.780 --> 25:51.340 So in the very beginning of the Bible, 25:51.460 --> 25:52.560 the first story of the Bible, 25:53.380 --> 25:56.900 as expounded on by second Corinthians chapter number four, 25:57.360 --> 25:58.680 we have the gospel message. 25:59.120 --> 25:59.220 Right. 26:00.280 --> 26:01.700 The gospel is at the very beginning 26:02.320 --> 26:03.500 and it's at the very end. 26:03.620 --> 26:04.660 It's everywhere in between. 26:05.240 --> 26:07.500 And so the whole Bible is about the gospel 26:07.500 --> 26:09.820 and it's about this imagery. 26:09.820 --> 26:13.300 It's about this metaphor of light and darkness. 26:13.980 --> 26:16.240 And of course it has a spiritual understanding 26:16.240 --> 26:17.780 but what we have to understand 26:17.780 --> 26:19.300 is that the world is in darkness. 26:20.800 --> 26:22.520 And I have three simple points 26:22.520 --> 26:24.700 that we can see from this little passage here 26:24.700 --> 26:26.280 that we're gonna emphasize throughout the sermon, 26:26.360 --> 26:27.780 but you know, number one, 26:27.900 --> 26:29.420 we see that the world is in darkness. 26:29.560 --> 26:30.260 And verse two, it says, 26:30.620 --> 26:31.880 the earth was without form and void. 26:32.020 --> 26:35.300 Notice this and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 26:36.340 --> 26:37.500 So everything's dark. 26:38.260 --> 26:39.340 There's only darkness. 26:40.020 --> 26:41.300 What does this symbolize? 26:41.360 --> 26:41.920 What is this picture? 26:42.460 --> 26:44.280 This is picturing the same thing that we realized 26:44.280 --> 26:45.260 when we got and preached the gospel 26:45.260 --> 26:47.180 that for all have sinned 26:47.180 --> 26:48.760 and come short of the glory of God 26:48.760 --> 26:51.580 and that there is no salvation 26:52.100 --> 26:54.700 from being good from our works, 26:55.560 --> 26:57.340 from anything that we do, 26:57.780 --> 27:00.000 and that the whole world is just sinful. 27:00.500 --> 27:01.680 The whole world is evil. 27:02.100 --> 27:03.860 The whole world is a complete darkness. 27:04.240 --> 27:06.660 There is no one saving themselves 27:07.160 --> 27:08.860 when we use this word darkness, 27:09.420 --> 27:11.660 obviously we could mean it in a very literal sense 27:11.660 --> 27:13.300 and we could mean it in a metaphoric sense. 27:13.400 --> 27:14.780 And we think about something being dark. 27:15.260 --> 27:17.640 We think about it being evil, being wicked, 27:18.080 --> 27:19.540 doing that which is wrong. 27:19.980 --> 27:21.960 And there's a lot of darkness in this world. 27:22.480 --> 27:24.880 Yay, the whole world, life and darkness as the Bible says. 27:26.000 --> 27:28.340 But what happens is a light shines 27:28.340 --> 27:30.100 and what happens is the light, 27:30.540 --> 27:32.460 you know, if it's bright enough, 27:32.460 --> 27:33.740 you don't even have any darkness. 27:34.600 --> 27:34.960 You know what I mean? 27:34.960 --> 27:36.240 Think about it, the sun comes out 27:36.240 --> 27:37.820 and it's all the darkness is gone. 27:38.980 --> 27:41.020 And in the same way, it's kind of like you get saved 27:41.020 --> 27:42.980 when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 27:43.160 --> 27:44.940 the light shines and all the darkness is gone. 27:45.580 --> 27:46.920 Now again, we're talking about 27:47.500 --> 27:49.280 in our spirit, in our new man, 27:49.640 --> 27:51.240 when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 27:51.400 --> 27:52.500 you've been made righteous 27:52.500 --> 27:54.940 and it's like the lights are turned on everywhere 27:54.940 --> 27:56.720 and now there's no darkness. 27:57.420 --> 28:00.240 The problem is we're still having this flash cloaking us 28:00.240 --> 28:01.940 and we still have the darkness from the flash 28:01.940 --> 28:03.760 and we still have the evil from the flash 28:03.760 --> 28:05.700 and we still have the lust of the flash 28:05.700 --> 28:09.760 and we have to shed that to then be righteous perfectly 28:09.760 --> 28:11.460 and body, soul and spirit. 28:11.880 --> 28:14.100 But in your spirit, man, 28:14.600 --> 28:15.900 when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 28:16.040 --> 28:18.000 the lights come on and there's no more darkness. 28:18.940 --> 28:20.820 Notice how it starts, it starts dark 28:21.240 --> 28:22.220 and then it becomes light. 28:22.620 --> 28:24.760 We are all sinners, but then we get saved 28:24.760 --> 28:27.180 and of course we have that gospel message 28:27.180 --> 28:28.440 and of course you think about it, 28:28.460 --> 28:30.300 there's a problem, then there's the solution. 28:30.460 --> 28:31.600 The problem is the darkness, 28:31.600 --> 28:33.820 the solution is the light 28:33.820 --> 28:36.600 and of course this is why the day starts dark 28:36.600 --> 28:38.340 and then ends with light. 28:38.680 --> 28:40.300 Of course the world reverses this 28:40.300 --> 28:42.700 and we kind of like end in darkness, don't we now? 28:43.140 --> 28:45.220 We kind of end in darkness and it's confusing 28:45.700 --> 28:48.180 but God's creation order was actually 28:48.180 --> 28:50.100 to have the day start in the night 28:50.520 --> 28:53.240 and then in the midpoint the light comes on 28:53.240 --> 28:55.620 and then it ends with the light. 28:55.980 --> 28:57.160 And if you kind of think about that's even how 28:57.160 --> 28:58.720 the world works with, you know, 28:58.780 --> 29:00.940 the world was dark for 4,000 years, 29:00.940 --> 29:02.980 then in the middle you have Jesus Christ come, 29:03.180 --> 29:05.020 the lights come on and then of course 29:05.020 --> 29:07.240 we're gonna have the light of the gospel forever. 29:07.840 --> 29:09.200 We get saved in the same way. 29:09.260 --> 29:10.480 There's so much symbolism here 29:10.480 --> 29:12.780 but notice that God is commanding 29:13.320 --> 29:15.140 as 2 Corinthians 4 words it, 29:15.640 --> 29:17.600 or demanding or stating in verse three 29:17.600 --> 29:20.020 and God said, let there be light. 29:20.760 --> 29:22.780 God is commanding that there's light. 29:23.240 --> 29:25.700 God is declaring that there should be light. 29:26.240 --> 29:27.600 And so you know what God is saying? 29:27.600 --> 29:30.860 God is saying we need the gospel. 29:31.100 --> 29:32.900 God is declaring the gospel. 29:33.160 --> 29:34.920 God is declaring salvation 29:34.920 --> 29:37.160 and he's saying let there be light. 29:37.460 --> 29:38.960 And of course this could be picturing, 29:39.320 --> 29:41.380 you know, the father telling the son 29:41.380 --> 29:44.100 to come to the world to die for the sins of the world. 29:44.360 --> 29:46.340 And of course what does the Bible say? 29:46.480 --> 29:47.240 And there was light. 29:47.720 --> 29:50.440 And just as the father instructed the son 29:50.440 --> 29:51.740 to be the savior of the world, 29:52.020 --> 29:54.040 the son obeyed the father 29:54.040 --> 29:56.420 and he is the light of this world. 29:57.000 --> 29:59.180 He is the one that's shining brightly 29:59.180 --> 30:00.800 and giving us this light 30:00.800 --> 30:02.520 and giving us this gospel message. 30:02.980 --> 30:05.480 And of course we then can realize 30:05.480 --> 30:08.100 that God doesn't want the whole world to be in darkness. 30:08.360 --> 30:09.440 He wants there to be light 30:09.440 --> 30:11.080 because he wants people to be saved. 30:11.660 --> 30:13.260 And he doesn't want just some people to be saved. 30:13.400 --> 30:14.360 He wants everyone to be saved. 30:14.600 --> 30:16.960 And just like the son lights the whole world, 30:17.600 --> 30:19.020 the gospel is for all people 30:19.520 --> 30:20.640 and it's for all nations 30:21.300 --> 30:23.780 and everyone in darkness gets to experience the light 30:24.140 --> 30:26.300 and it's their response to that light 30:26.300 --> 30:28.400 that is gonna determine their eternity. 30:29.220 --> 30:32.700 God is not for ordained people to just die and go to hell 30:32.700 --> 30:34.200 and that they have no chance. 30:34.760 --> 30:37.700 No, God gives them light in all kinds of ways 30:37.700 --> 30:40.120 and they have an opportunity to respond to that light. 30:40.460 --> 30:42.380 Now think about it, you know, in this world, 30:42.640 --> 30:44.400 we don't get light 24 seven. 30:45.740 --> 30:48.820 There's some parts of the world on the polar caps 30:48.820 --> 30:52.520 that parts of the year, they can have a 24 hour sun. 30:52.520 --> 30:54.840 Sorry, Flat Earth, there is it's a globe, all right? 30:55.940 --> 30:57.920 And other parts of the world is dark. 30:58.060 --> 31:00.700 But you know, there's nowhere in the world 31:00.700 --> 31:03.520 that you can be that you're just always light 31:03.520 --> 31:06.140 or just always dark throughout the year. 31:06.320 --> 31:07.820 There'll be some portion that's light 31:07.820 --> 31:09.120 and some portion that's day. 31:09.780 --> 31:10.520 And you know, to me, 31:10.840 --> 31:13.100 that kind of just reflects the reality of this world 31:13.100 --> 31:15.680 that not everybody gets the same chances, 31:16.260 --> 31:19.400 not everybody gets the same exposure to the light, 31:19.540 --> 31:21.600 but they all got exposure to the light. 31:22.520 --> 31:25.360 And it's how you respond when you get that exposure. 31:26.220 --> 31:28.020 And you know, us that are saved, 31:28.980 --> 31:30.840 Jesus Christ has already come and gone. 31:31.420 --> 31:35.340 It's for us to be that light, shining that light. 31:35.420 --> 31:37.040 And God is commanding us. 31:37.480 --> 31:40.420 God is demanding us to be that light 31:40.420 --> 31:42.700 and to let our light shine in this world 31:42.700 --> 31:44.720 and to not allow it to be hidden. 31:45.380 --> 31:46.740 He's saying, hey, if it's hidden, 31:47.140 --> 31:49.040 well it's gonna be only hidden to the lost. 31:49.420 --> 31:51.020 And then they're not gonna be saved. 31:51.560 --> 31:54.300 And of course, the devil doesn't want people to see our light, 31:54.580 --> 31:55.280 but you know what? 31:55.420 --> 31:56.880 We are to let our light shine 31:56.880 --> 31:59.420 just like Moses is having his face shine. 31:59.740 --> 32:01.340 We are to go into this world 32:01.340 --> 32:03.280 and to let our light shine 32:03.280 --> 32:05.260 so that people could be saved. 32:06.160 --> 32:08.100 Gov'e would do Matthew chapter number five. 32:08.360 --> 32:09.960 So the three points that we have this morning 32:09.960 --> 32:11.920 that we can look at and talk about over and over 32:11.920 --> 32:13.740 is that, hey, there's darkness, 32:14.220 --> 32:15.740 but God commanded the light 32:16.200 --> 32:18.120 and then we having that light 32:18.120 --> 32:19.700 are supposed to let our light shine. 32:19.700 --> 32:22.640 And we realize that this is how the world is. 32:22.760 --> 32:23.860 The world is full of darkness. 32:24.500 --> 32:26.520 God is demanding the light 32:26.520 --> 32:28.340 and we are to let our light shine. 32:28.580 --> 32:30.000 Now let's get practical about this. 32:30.100 --> 32:30.660 What does this mean? 32:31.880 --> 32:33.620 No one is getting saved 32:33.620 --> 32:35.280 apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ. 32:36.720 --> 32:38.740 God demanding and commanding us 32:38.740 --> 32:40.820 to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 32:41.300 --> 32:43.340 Therefore, we're supposed to let our light shine 32:43.340 --> 32:46.200 by going out and preaching the gospel to the whole world. 32:47.100 --> 32:48.140 It's that simple. 32:48.700 --> 32:50.820 And look, that is the whole message of the Bible. 32:51.060 --> 32:52.500 That's the whole point of the Bible. 32:52.740 --> 32:54.260 That's the whole point of this church. 32:54.580 --> 32:56.460 That should be the whole point of our mission. 32:56.760 --> 32:57.800 That is the first works. 32:58.120 --> 32:59.080 That is the first love. 32:59.380 --> 33:01.000 It's for us to do what God said 33:01.000 --> 33:02.980 and for there to let there be light. 33:05.020 --> 33:06.520 You know, if I were to title my sermon, 33:06.680 --> 33:07.560 I would just title it that. 33:07.980 --> 33:08.780 Let there be light. 33:09.280 --> 33:12.000 God is demanding and God is commanding 33:12.000 --> 33:13.620 there to be light in this world. 33:13.800 --> 33:15.040 And you know who he's talking to? 33:15.180 --> 33:16.880 He's talking to you and he's talking to me 33:16.880 --> 33:18.440 and he's saying, you as a Christian, 33:18.880 --> 33:20.260 you need to preach the gospel. 33:20.620 --> 33:21.720 Let there be light. 33:23.580 --> 33:25.340 We are commanded and instructed 33:25.810 --> 33:27.600 to be a light into this world 33:27.600 --> 33:29.840 and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 33:30.360 --> 33:31.220 And you know what's sad? 33:31.460 --> 33:34.520 It's how many Christians warp this and twist this 33:34.520 --> 33:36.820 into something like just being a do-gooder. 33:38.560 --> 33:40.260 But why don't we just let 33:40.260 --> 33:42.720 the text tell us what these things mean? 33:42.980 --> 33:44.720 Why don't we go to 2 Corinthians chapter four 33:44.720 --> 33:46.380 and see there was all about the gospel 33:46.380 --> 33:49.740 and preaching the gospel and that if our gospel be hid, 33:49.980 --> 33:51.320 it's hid to them that are lost 33:51.320 --> 33:54.520 instead of twisting it into something that it's not. 33:55.060 --> 33:56.900 And they're just being like, oh, you know, 33:57.120 --> 33:58.740 I, when I went through Starbucks, 33:59.420 --> 34:01.360 I bought the guy's coffee behind me. 34:02.960 --> 34:04.600 Look, you go to church today, 34:04.820 --> 34:05.840 that's basically the message. 34:06.340 --> 34:08.240 Just share your light. 34:08.800 --> 34:10.540 Well, you know, here's the problem with that. 34:11.080 --> 34:12.720 Drinking coffee doesn't get you to heaven. 34:16.500 --> 34:18.940 And you know, a lot of times that they'll do that 34:19.400 --> 34:21.620 and they're not even leaving like a tract or anything, 34:22.020 --> 34:22.860 even a tract, 34:23.100 --> 34:24.840 which I don't think the tract's gonna save them either, 34:24.940 --> 34:25.880 but I'm just saying like, 34:26.240 --> 34:28.080 there's not even like a glimmer of, 34:28.120 --> 34:29.680 it could have been a Muslim that left them a coffee. 34:31.020 --> 34:32.880 It could have been an atheist that left them a coffee. 34:33.300 --> 34:34.440 And look, I'm not saying, 34:34.880 --> 34:36.380 don't do random acts of kindness. 34:36.600 --> 34:38.320 I'm not even saying that that's a bad thing. 34:38.400 --> 34:39.500 It's not a bad thing. 34:39.760 --> 34:40.740 But you know what it is? 34:40.740 --> 34:42.700 It's not what the Bible's saying here. 34:44.620 --> 34:46.220 It's a random act of kindness. 34:46.780 --> 34:48.980 And you know what God is not commanding 34:48.980 --> 34:51.080 and demanding us do random acts of kindness. 34:51.400 --> 34:53.280 You know what God is commanding and demanding us do? 34:53.840 --> 34:54.980 Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 34:55.140 --> 34:56.960 That is what he's commanding and demanding us to do. 34:58.040 --> 35:00.100 And look, I'm not against you doing other things 35:00.100 --> 35:00.680 that are nice. 35:01.160 --> 35:03.200 Be the nicest person you wanna be. 35:03.500 --> 35:04.020 But you know what? 35:04.240 --> 35:05.860 You better make sure you're preaching the gospel. 35:06.760 --> 35:09.680 Because you are commanded and demanded to do that. 35:09.680 --> 35:11.080 And look, that is what the Bible is saying 35:11.080 --> 35:12.100 when it's saying, being the light. 35:12.780 --> 35:15.620 Look at Matthew chapter number five, verse 14. 35:16.400 --> 35:17.560 He are the light of the world. 35:18.620 --> 35:20.320 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 35:20.860 --> 35:22.560 Neither have been light a candle and put it under a bushel 35:22.560 --> 35:23.940 but on a candlestick and they give it light 35:23.940 --> 35:25.040 and all that are in the house. 35:25.700 --> 35:27.920 Let your light so shine before men 35:27.920 --> 35:30.140 that they may see your good works 35:30.700 --> 35:32.620 and glorify your father, which is in heaven. 35:33.500 --> 35:34.660 You know, in the Christian life, 35:35.280 --> 35:36.840 a lot of things that we should do 35:36.840 --> 35:39.380 should be done not to be seen of men, 35:39.920 --> 35:44.380 not to be a braggart, not to, you know, lift ourselves up. 35:44.740 --> 35:46.060 The Bible is crystal clear on this. 35:46.140 --> 35:47.500 And of course we should always be humble. 35:48.080 --> 35:51.320 We shouldn't really ever try to brag about ourselves 35:51.320 --> 35:53.860 or be prideful about ourselves. 35:54.220 --> 35:56.800 But the Bible is demanding and commanding us 35:56.800 --> 35:57.900 to let our light shine. 35:58.140 --> 36:01.280 And it's saying, hey, let people see your good works. 36:01.900 --> 36:04.060 I mean, it's making it abundantly clear here 36:04.060 --> 36:07.260 that we're supposed to cause people to see. 36:07.800 --> 36:08.980 It says, let your light shine, 36:09.260 --> 36:12.540 so shine before men that they may see your good works. 36:13.000 --> 36:15.420 So the Bible is saying we want people to see something. 36:15.840 --> 36:18.460 There's something that as a Christian people should see. 36:18.800 --> 36:21.100 And I'll explain it, what it is, it's called soul winning. 36:22.240 --> 36:24.060 It's like, oh, why do you guys always make a big deal 36:24.060 --> 36:24.820 about soul winning? 36:25.060 --> 36:27.520 Why are you guys always posting pictures of soul winning? 36:27.780 --> 36:30.280 Why are you guys always making videos about soul winning? 36:30.460 --> 36:32.700 Why are you making a documentary about soul winning? 36:32.700 --> 36:34.620 Why is it that you go on a mission strip 36:34.620 --> 36:36.260 and you have people get up and talk about 36:36.260 --> 36:38.200 all the soul winning they did on the mission strip? 36:38.520 --> 36:40.460 Why is it that you're constantly posting numbers 36:40.460 --> 36:41.600 about soul winning? 36:41.940 --> 36:42.760 You know what we're trying to do? 36:43.060 --> 36:44.700 We're trying to let our light shine 36:45.320 --> 36:47.740 so that men can see our works 36:47.740 --> 36:49.820 and they can glorify God the Father. 36:51.580 --> 36:54.320 Look, if you're mad about our soul winning, 36:54.620 --> 36:55.260 you know what you're doing? 36:55.660 --> 36:57.780 You're basically trying to take glory away from God. 36:58.480 --> 37:00.580 You know, you're mad at God the Father. 37:00.580 --> 37:01.500 Because there's a thing, 37:01.760 --> 37:04.860 I can't get anybody saved as a magical person or something. 37:05.160 --> 37:07.200 All I do is preach this book 37:07.200 --> 37:09.760 and you know what this book does is it gets people saved. 37:10.100 --> 37:11.360 So if people are getting saved 37:11.360 --> 37:12.460 by me preaching the gospel, 37:12.800 --> 37:13.660 you know who's getting the glory? 37:14.020 --> 37:16.400 God is, Jesus Christ is getting that glory. 37:16.580 --> 37:18.440 So then why in the world do you mad at me 37:18.440 --> 37:20.860 for then telling everybody about it, 37:21.020 --> 37:22.240 making a big deal about it? 37:22.280 --> 37:23.820 Because you know what, I'm just glorifying God. 37:24.100 --> 37:25.580 I'm just glorifying Jesus Christ. 37:26.420 --> 37:28.760 Oh wow, you guys count numbers 37:28.760 --> 37:30.820 and you guys are talking about so many. 37:31.180 --> 37:32.420 Yeah, because I love God, 37:32.660 --> 37:34.320 because I love the Lord Jesus Christ, 37:34.580 --> 37:36.240 because we're supposed to let our light shine. 37:36.760 --> 37:39.240 Why would I want to go on a mission strip 37:39.240 --> 37:41.120 and never tell anybody about it, 37:41.360 --> 37:42.480 never share a picture, 37:42.860 --> 37:44.300 just hide it all under a bushel 37:44.300 --> 37:46.140 and just be like, we want an mission strip, 37:46.320 --> 37:47.180 people got saved. 37:49.360 --> 37:50.540 I don't want to talk about it. 37:51.560 --> 37:54.020 I don't want anybody encouraged or excited 37:54.020 --> 37:55.260 or try to do it. 37:55.560 --> 37:57.420 In fact, I'm not even gonna say that anymore. 37:57.420 --> 37:58.920 We're just gonna go on mission strips 37:58.920 --> 37:59.760 and never tell anybody. 37:59.980 --> 38:01.660 We're not even, the church won't even know. 38:02.360 --> 38:04.620 Nothing in the bulletin, no one even knew. 38:04.920 --> 38:06.780 How would we have 71 people go? 38:08.680 --> 38:10.940 It's like, oh, you didn't do a mission strip to our Beatles? 38:11.340 --> 38:11.920 Oh, I did. 38:12.460 --> 38:13.280 Why didn't you say anything? 38:13.420 --> 38:14.420 Well, I'm not gonna talk about it. 38:14.820 --> 38:15.760 Not gonna bring it up. 38:16.280 --> 38:17.260 I don't want to promote it. 38:17.600 --> 38:18.500 I don't want to tell people 38:18.500 --> 38:19.740 that if they spend all this money, 38:19.760 --> 38:20.960 they might actually get someone saved. 38:21.400 --> 38:22.180 I don't want to tell people 38:22.180 --> 38:23.000 that it's actually receptive. 38:23.440 --> 38:24.280 I don't want to talk about it. 38:24.380 --> 38:25.460 I mean, why do you talk about numbers? 38:25.800 --> 38:27.240 How about, because when people see numbers, 38:27.240 --> 38:28.460 they're like, I want to go there. 38:28.900 --> 38:29.680 Oh yeah, yeah. 38:30.580 --> 38:34.120 It's like, oh man, you think people are just like 38:34.120 --> 38:35.720 wanting to go to all these destinations 38:35.720 --> 38:37.580 just because they just sound so cool? 38:38.080 --> 38:40.420 And look, I'm not gonna rag on any place 38:40.420 --> 38:41.340 because it's all subjective. 38:41.720 --> 38:42.300 But here's the thing, 38:42.600 --> 38:44.880 some people like some parts of the world more than others. 38:45.880 --> 38:48.760 And one man's destination of a vacation 38:48.760 --> 38:51.660 would be another man's worst nightmare 38:52.160 --> 38:53.260 and vice versa. 38:54.020 --> 38:57.860 We were talking to a pastor that's in Barbados 38:58.360 --> 39:02.400 and he was saying, he grew up in fundamental Baptist churches 39:02.400 --> 39:05.160 and went to Bible college and was in this whole circuit. 39:05.280 --> 39:07.560 And he said, they have this song that they sing. 39:08.040 --> 39:10.220 And I don't know what, I can't even sing it for you, 39:10.240 --> 39:12.080 but it's called Don't Send Me to Africa. 39:12.620 --> 39:15.940 And he's just saying they would all sing this song 39:15.940 --> 39:18.840 because they were just all making a little light 39:18.840 --> 39:20.700 of a joke of they don't want to be a missionary 39:20.700 --> 39:23.780 to Africa because to them it's just like scary or something. 39:24.200 --> 39:26.420 But again, I'm sure there's some people that love Africa. 39:26.520 --> 39:28.700 I'm sure that some people would love to visit Africa. 39:29.060 --> 39:30.180 But you know, just to be honest, 39:30.800 --> 39:32.320 like I bet a lot of people, 39:32.700 --> 39:34.060 I'm just using this as a stigma, 39:34.240 --> 39:35.020 sorry if you love Africa. 39:35.480 --> 39:36.240 I'm just using the stigma 39:36.240 --> 39:37.940 is that a lot of people may never want to go there. 39:38.720 --> 39:39.820 But you know, if they heard like, 39:39.980 --> 39:41.920 oh wow, hundreds of people are getting saved 39:41.920 --> 39:43.920 or oh, look at all the works you're doing 39:43.920 --> 39:45.260 or if you take this sacrifice, 39:45.420 --> 39:46.400 you can see a lot of people say, 39:46.680 --> 39:48.960 like it could end up motivating people to still go 39:49.540 --> 39:50.860 even though they don't really have 39:50.860 --> 39:52.280 a carnal desire to be there. 39:52.600 --> 39:53.820 They don't want to spend the money 39:54.260 --> 39:56.780 and the time and the effort to get out there. 39:57.020 --> 39:58.820 But you know, by you not making a big deal 39:58.820 --> 40:00.380 about the spiritual investment 40:00.380 --> 40:02.600 or the opportunity to get people saved there, 40:03.020 --> 40:05.200 you're really just taking away from people getting saved 40:05.200 --> 40:06.820 and from the light being shown. 40:07.640 --> 40:09.820 And you say, oh, that area is really dark. 40:10.040 --> 40:11.760 Well, then that means that my light's gonna shine 40:11.760 --> 40:12.800 a little bit brighter, isn't it? 40:12.960 --> 40:13.340 Right. 40:13.980 --> 40:16.400 You know, why is it that we like to talk 40:16.400 --> 40:17.420 about these dark places 40:17.420 --> 40:20.080 because hey, that's where the light shines really bright. 40:20.520 --> 40:21.880 In fact, sometimes we're like, 40:21.900 --> 40:23.360 we like those neighborhoods being dark, 40:23.600 --> 40:24.080 you know what I mean? 40:24.420 --> 40:25.460 Because it's really receptive. 40:27.140 --> 40:29.960 Hey, look, we love going out and preaching the gospel. 40:30.540 --> 40:32.120 And it's not because we're special, 40:32.240 --> 40:33.320 it's because the gospel special. 40:33.840 --> 40:36.500 The gospel special and that light shines brightly. 40:36.920 --> 40:38.560 And you know, by talking about the numbers, 40:39.000 --> 40:40.280 by talking about the people, 40:40.660 --> 40:42.440 by talking about the spiritual aspects, 40:42.700 --> 40:44.340 it motivates people to make decisions 40:44.340 --> 40:45.680 they wouldn't do normally. 40:45.680 --> 40:47.640 They wouldn't do for a carnal reason. 40:48.080 --> 40:49.600 They would do it just because. 40:50.160 --> 40:52.120 Now again, sometimes you get the best of both worlds. 40:52.600 --> 40:53.940 Look, I mean, honestly, the Caribbean, 40:54.620 --> 40:56.740 in my opinion, is probably kind of almost 40:56.740 --> 40:57.720 the best of both worlds 40:57.720 --> 40:59.980 because there's a lot of good reasons to visit. 41:00.140 --> 41:02.260 There's a lot of cool reasons to visit those areas. 41:02.680 --> 41:05.100 And it's pretty close for Americans. 41:05.760 --> 41:07.220 It's relatively inexpensive. 41:08.040 --> 41:10.440 It's not necessarily that different 41:10.440 --> 41:12.360 than American life in a lot of ways. 41:12.640 --> 41:14.700 And so they get to do a lot of receptive soul winning. 41:14.700 --> 41:16.000 And then on top of that, 41:16.120 --> 41:18.340 they get to enjoy a lot of aspects of it. 41:18.640 --> 41:19.020 And you know what? 41:19.240 --> 41:20.320 I don't think God's saying like, 41:20.840 --> 41:22.140 you can't enjoy soul winning. 41:22.500 --> 41:24.160 You can't enjoy preaching the gospel. 41:24.500 --> 41:25.140 But you know what? 41:25.320 --> 41:26.500 We're demanded to do it, period. 41:27.400 --> 41:28.980 And we're demanded to do it to all nations. 41:29.440 --> 41:30.520 We're supposed to go everywhere 41:30.520 --> 41:32.780 and preach in the gospel to every creature. 41:35.320 --> 41:38.620 While I would say let's put a flag up of every country, 41:39.220 --> 41:40.800 obviously we're a limited church. 41:40.820 --> 41:43.060 We're limited resources, limited manpower. 41:43.060 --> 41:45.740 We're trying to hit the countries that we seem 41:45.740 --> 41:47.280 to have the best opportunities, 41:47.880 --> 41:50.260 the most economical, the most receptive, 41:51.200 --> 41:53.580 the most free options. 41:53.900 --> 41:56.780 And so we're just trying to exercise our abilities 41:56.780 --> 41:58.980 and the opportunities that God's given us. 41:59.540 --> 42:01.280 And you know, we need other churches to step up 42:01.820 --> 42:03.320 and to go into other countries 42:03.320 --> 42:05.240 and go into other nations and to preach the gospel. 42:05.460 --> 42:08.560 And hopefully by us talking about our mission strips 42:08.560 --> 42:09.820 and talking about what steadfast, 42:09.920 --> 42:11.360 baddest church is accomplishing, 42:11.360 --> 42:14.500 it can encourage other churches and other groups 42:14.500 --> 42:17.020 and other Christians to go to other nations 42:17.020 --> 42:19.620 and other countries and visit and preach the gospel. 42:20.920 --> 42:22.980 And I don't even care if they go to all of ours. 42:23.320 --> 42:25.120 If they're like, well, I just wanna go where they went 42:25.120 --> 42:26.760 because it sounds cool, then praise God. 42:27.320 --> 42:29.060 I've heard of churches going to countries 42:29.060 --> 42:31.760 that we kind of pioneered and went to first. 42:32.180 --> 42:33.440 And I'm like, praise God. 42:34.800 --> 42:35.360 You know, I don't wanna, 42:35.700 --> 42:39.200 if I showed up at the Bahamas the next time I visit 42:39.560 --> 42:41.280 and every single person saved, 42:41.600 --> 42:42.520 I'm not gonna be disappointed. 42:45.020 --> 42:46.440 The only thing I'll be disappointed in 42:46.440 --> 42:48.020 is that I didn't go more or sooner 42:48.520 --> 42:49.920 and participate even more. 42:50.280 --> 42:52.160 But I'm not gonna be mad that people are saved 42:52.580 --> 42:55.100 and I'm gonna say, hey, let's go somewhere else now. 42:55.900 --> 42:57.680 Let's go preach the gospel somewhere else 42:57.680 --> 42:58.860 because you know, at the end of the day, 42:58.880 --> 42:59.940 we're supposed to let the light shine. 43:00.300 --> 43:02.460 You know, I'm not offended by lights being on. 43:04.460 --> 43:06.900 I don't need to be the only one that has light. 43:06.980 --> 43:07.860 I like coming in this room. 43:07.860 --> 43:08.900 I like all the lights working. 43:09.460 --> 43:10.680 All the lights in here are nice. 43:10.880 --> 43:11.780 It's kind of weird if there's like 43:11.780 --> 43:13.480 half the sections turned off or something. 43:13.860 --> 43:15.680 You know, they kind of want all the lights on. 43:16.100 --> 43:17.660 It helps out, it aids. 43:17.900 --> 43:20.080 And look, you could turn one of these lights on 43:20.640 --> 43:22.520 and the whole room would have enough light 43:22.520 --> 43:23.340 to kind of get around. 43:24.060 --> 43:25.220 But you know, some of the corners, 43:25.580 --> 43:26.900 some of the edges wouldn't be as bright. 43:27.340 --> 43:28.680 You know, when they're all on though, 43:29.040 --> 43:30.180 it's just a lot brighter. 43:30.680 --> 43:31.260 You know, we're not trying to be 43:31.260 --> 43:33.080 a non-the-nom church where we turn all the lights off. 43:34.000 --> 43:34.660 Isn't that interesting? 43:34.900 --> 43:35.520 Isn't that interesting? 43:35.700 --> 43:36.900 Fundamental Baptist churches are some 43:36.900 --> 43:38.540 of the brightest places you've ever been in. 43:39.180 --> 43:41.300 And non-the-nom churches are some of the darkest places 43:41.300 --> 43:41.960 you've ever been in. 43:43.380 --> 43:44.820 It's probably a coincidence, isn't it? 43:45.680 --> 43:45.780 Right? 43:46.280 --> 43:47.420 Go visit a Catholic church. 43:47.540 --> 43:50.160 It's really dark and creepy and musty. 43:50.640 --> 43:52.200 And they've got like naked babies 43:52.200 --> 43:53.760 on the ceilings and stuff like this. 43:54.320 --> 43:56.760 It's like, I wonder if there's any symbolism here 43:56.760 --> 44:00.140 or metaphors for them being dark creepy pedophiles. 44:00.780 --> 44:03.200 I mean, you think that's a coincidence? 44:03.880 --> 44:05.840 You think it's a coincidence that the Catholic churches 44:05.840 --> 44:08.240 are dark, creepy, musty. 44:08.560 --> 44:09.600 The dudes are wearing dresses 44:09.600 --> 44:11.320 and they got naked babies on the wall 44:11.320 --> 44:13.180 and then they're filled with predators and pedophiles. 44:14.100 --> 44:15.300 You go to the non-the-nom church 44:15.300 --> 44:16.600 and there's a smoke machine. 44:17.280 --> 44:18.540 There's smoking lights. 44:19.240 --> 44:21.880 They have people coming in on trapeze artists 44:21.880 --> 44:22.800 and stuff like this. 44:22.940 --> 44:24.640 They have roller coasters and whatever 44:24.640 --> 44:25.920 nonsense is going on. 44:26.460 --> 44:29.100 And then it's like, this place is a doctrinal train wreck. 44:30.060 --> 44:31.620 You visit a fundamental Baptist church. 44:31.980 --> 44:32.860 It'll be bright. 44:33.500 --> 44:34.460 It'll be clean. 44:34.940 --> 44:39.060 There'll be flags on the wall virtually every country. 44:40.020 --> 44:41.620 I mean, almost every independent 44:41.620 --> 44:42.760 fundamental Baptist church they've ever gone to, 44:42.880 --> 44:45.260 they have virtually a flag of every country everywhere. 44:46.520 --> 44:49.560 Now again, because literal reality 44:49.560 --> 44:50.960 often matches spiritual reality, 44:51.200 --> 44:53.540 they'll also put a stupid Israel flag on the stage, okay? 44:54.300 --> 44:55.380 And doesn't that kind of represent 44:55.380 --> 44:56.900 they're screwed up on that issue? 44:57.960 --> 45:00.780 It's like, hey, they need to take that flag 45:00.780 --> 45:02.780 and some people would rip it. 45:04.600 --> 45:06.360 Hey, if they want to preach the gospel 45:06.360 --> 45:08.380 to people in Israel, I can't get mad at them for that. 45:08.540 --> 45:11.160 And I know that hair lips some people in this room 45:11.160 --> 45:13.280 or whatever, but at the end of the day, 45:13.380 --> 45:15.160 it shouldn't be more prominent though. 45:16.520 --> 45:18.780 Obviously, I mean, some people put an American flag up there. 45:18.860 --> 45:20.060 I don't think it should be more prominent. 45:21.260 --> 45:23.900 Oh, MAGA, or just being so Republican 45:23.900 --> 45:24.800 or something like that. 45:25.220 --> 45:26.920 You know, hey, I love America. 45:27.880 --> 45:29.500 I bleed red, white, and blue. 45:29.980 --> 45:31.160 I love our heritage. 45:31.700 --> 45:33.000 I don't ever want to leave. 45:33.000 --> 45:35.120 I think this is the best country in the world. 45:35.300 --> 45:37.120 You're never gonna change my mind on that. 45:37.380 --> 45:38.680 But you know, at the end of the day, 45:39.100 --> 45:40.840 we should care about all the nations 45:40.840 --> 45:42.400 and we should love all the nations. 45:42.940 --> 45:44.740 And to God, the nations are nothing. 45:45.240 --> 45:46.120 He doesn't really care. 45:46.160 --> 45:48.520 He's not a respecter of persons and anything like that. 45:48.740 --> 45:50.220 But I'll be honest, I love my country 45:50.220 --> 45:51.500 just like Paul loved the Jews 45:51.500 --> 45:53.820 and just like Paul loved Israel and he loved his people. 45:54.200 --> 45:56.040 I love my people and I love America 45:56.520 --> 45:57.500 and I love this country. 45:57.600 --> 45:58.580 I was born in New York. 45:58.920 --> 45:59.560 Hey, you know what? 45:59.880 --> 46:01.640 I love this place and I chose Texas. 46:01.640 --> 46:03.080 I thought he was gonna tell you something about me. 46:03.620 --> 46:06.760 But you know, at the end of the day, I love my nation. 46:06.900 --> 46:10.020 But you know, we need to have our light shining brightly 46:10.540 --> 46:11.680 in this whole world. 46:12.220 --> 46:14.160 Because the whole world is lying in darkness, folks. 46:15.100 --> 46:17.200 And even our own areas are in darkness. 46:18.000 --> 46:20.280 And sometimes the physical reality 46:20.280 --> 46:22.200 matches the spiritual reality of a place. 46:22.340 --> 46:24.560 Go over to John chapter one, go to John chapter one. 46:25.620 --> 46:28.720 We are demanded to preach the gospel. 46:28.820 --> 46:29.120 Because why? 46:29.380 --> 46:30.280 Because the whole world is lying in darkness 46:30.280 --> 46:32.320 and there's no other hope, there's no other salvation. 46:32.820 --> 46:33.580 We are their hope. 46:33.900 --> 46:36.240 We are their opportunity for people to be saved. 46:36.900 --> 46:39.360 Oh, why, you know, why are you guys going out? 46:40.140 --> 46:41.120 Why are you guys preaching the gospel? 46:41.220 --> 46:41.940 It doesn't make a difference. 46:42.400 --> 46:43.840 No, you doing nothing doesn't make a difference. 46:46.220 --> 46:47.320 Well, if they're gonna get saved, 46:47.360 --> 46:48.280 God would figure out a way. 46:48.600 --> 46:50.080 Yeah, his way is me going out 46:50.080 --> 46:50.920 and preaching them the gospel. 46:51.160 --> 46:51.780 That's the way. 46:53.060 --> 46:54.400 That's how it's gonna happen. 46:55.320 --> 46:57.760 In John one, the Bible says in verse two, 46:59.220 --> 47:01.000 well, let's just read the first verse might as well. 47:01.680 --> 47:02.920 In the beginning was the word of the word is with God 47:02.920 --> 47:03.480 and the word was God. 47:03.580 --> 47:04.580 The same was in the beginning with God. 47:05.160 --> 47:06.660 All things are made by him 47:06.660 --> 47:08.860 and without him was not anything made that was made. 47:09.380 --> 47:10.020 And him was life 47:10.020 --> 47:12.320 and the life was the light of men. 47:12.560 --> 47:14.660 And the light shineth in darkness 47:14.660 --> 47:16.840 and the darkness comprehended it not. 47:17.240 --> 47:19.000 Notice again, the gospel of John 47:19.000 --> 47:21.460 is signaling the first section of the Bible. 47:22.480 --> 47:23.780 And what is the gospel of John 47:23.780 --> 47:26.260 pretty much the most famous for is being 47:26.680 --> 47:27.880 the book that gets people saved. 47:28.420 --> 47:30.700 The whole point of the gospel of John is to get people saved. 47:30.980 --> 47:33.420 It's the most beloved gospel in many ways. 47:33.780 --> 47:36.220 It's the most read gospel in many ways. 47:36.420 --> 47:39.260 It's the most distributed gospel in many ways. 47:39.600 --> 47:42.220 I mean, for most parts of this world, 47:42.440 --> 47:43.700 they just have a John Romans 47:44.240 --> 47:46.780 or the most famous verse, John 316. 47:47.280 --> 47:47.540 Why? 47:47.680 --> 47:49.920 Because this book is about the gospel, 47:50.040 --> 47:50.680 it's about the light. 47:51.020 --> 47:52.920 And you know what God commanded, let there be light. 47:53.340 --> 47:56.040 And so God is spreading the book of John 47:56.040 --> 47:58.700 all over this world so that people could be saved. 47:59.900 --> 48:01.920 Even if you don't have Leviticus and Exodus 48:01.920 --> 48:04.860 and Daniel and all these other books, 48:05.180 --> 48:07.580 it doesn't matter if you have John, you can get saved. 48:09.220 --> 48:11.360 And you know, it's not a coincidence 48:11.360 --> 48:14.380 that John was the disciple in whom Jesus loved 48:14.380 --> 48:15.580 that was so close to him 48:15.580 --> 48:16.780 and that was leaning on his breast 48:17.320 --> 48:18.680 and someone that was used greatly 48:18.680 --> 48:20.080 by the Lord Jesus Christ. 48:20.400 --> 48:21.040 And not only that, 48:21.180 --> 48:22.620 it gives us the book of Revelation 48:22.620 --> 48:24.820 and all the revelation of Jesus Christ. 48:24.820 --> 48:27.140 You know, there's a reason why these things are true. 48:28.400 --> 48:30.340 And it's that light that's shining in darkness. 48:30.800 --> 48:32.940 Notice the darkness doesn't understand it. 48:33.720 --> 48:35.000 It says there was a man sent from God, 48:35.080 --> 48:35.680 his name was John, 48:36.000 --> 48:37.000 the same came for a witness 48:37.000 --> 48:38.160 to bear witness of that light 48:38.160 --> 48:41.500 or of the light that all men through him might believe. 48:42.000 --> 48:42.980 He was not that light 48:42.980 --> 48:46.080 but was sent to bear witness of that light. 48:46.540 --> 48:48.780 Hey, we are to be like John the Baptist 48:48.780 --> 48:49.640 who's being mentioned here. 48:50.280 --> 48:51.420 Don't confuse the Johns, 48:51.580 --> 48:52.960 as the John the author of the apostle 48:52.960 --> 48:54.100 and as the John the Baptist. 48:54.660 --> 48:56.040 John the Baptist is being described here 48:56.040 --> 48:57.440 in the early stages of this book 48:57.440 --> 48:59.880 and he is to bear witness of the light. 49:00.180 --> 49:01.360 That is what we are to do. 49:01.600 --> 49:03.660 We are to bear witness of the light. 49:04.020 --> 49:06.400 We're to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 49:07.280 --> 49:09.360 And in verse eight, he was not that light 49:09.940 --> 49:11.860 but was sent to bear witness of the light. 49:12.020 --> 49:14.280 That's the same thing Second Corinthians chapter four said. 49:14.580 --> 49:16.940 Hey, this treasure is in earthen vessels. 49:18.180 --> 49:19.600 Hey, he's not the light. 49:20.120 --> 49:21.520 He's not shining physically 49:22.000 --> 49:24.900 but he's sent to bear witness of the light. 49:25.120 --> 49:26.560 And that's what we are as Baptist 49:26.560 --> 49:28.940 as we are going out and bearing witness of that light 49:29.300 --> 49:31.380 so that people could believe and be saved. 49:32.400 --> 49:34.140 Verse nine, that was the true light 49:34.140 --> 49:36.660 which lighteth every man that come into the world. 49:37.040 --> 49:37.820 You know, when I think about this 49:37.820 --> 49:39.980 lighting every man in the world 49:40.660 --> 49:42.260 there's some things that we could think about 49:42.260 --> 49:43.020 what that means. 49:43.560 --> 49:46.680 One I think is the fact that it's offered 49:47.180 --> 49:48.340 to every single person. 49:48.600 --> 49:49.360 Keep your finger here 49:49.360 --> 49:50.540 and just go to Romans five for a moment. 49:50.540 --> 49:51.440 I'm going to go to Romans chapter five 49:51.940 --> 49:56.280 and notice that the Bible is going to tell us about this 49:56.280 --> 49:58.800 but again, the doctrine of Calvinism 49:58.800 --> 50:01.140 is a wicked doctrine that's like a bushel. 50:01.500 --> 50:03.580 The doctrine of Calvinism is like a bushel 50:03.580 --> 50:05.700 that's being put over the gospel light. 50:06.220 --> 50:07.200 And look, I think there's probably 50:07.200 --> 50:08.580 lots of Calvinists that are saved 50:08.580 --> 50:10.780 but the problem is when they get this Calvinist doctrine 50:10.780 --> 50:12.560 they're putting a bushel over their light 50:12.560 --> 50:14.220 and they're not allowing it to shine. 50:15.140 --> 50:17.340 And it's a wet blanket on soul winning 50:17.920 --> 50:19.700 and the soul winning fire and zeal 50:20.100 --> 50:22.440 and it's really hard to find a Calvinist 50:22.440 --> 50:24.100 that's excited to go on mission trips 50:24.100 --> 50:25.900 and preach the gospel and be evangelistic 50:25.900 --> 50:27.440 and care about getting people saved. 50:28.040 --> 50:30.700 They typically want to debate Muslims or something 50:31.360 --> 50:35.360 or they typically want to just be seen as an intellectual 50:36.140 --> 50:37.840 and just be really smart. 50:38.340 --> 50:40.120 The problem is that they're not wise 50:40.120 --> 50:42.460 because he that went his soul is wise 50:42.460 --> 50:43.320 what the Bible says. 50:44.900 --> 50:47.420 Oh, well this Calvinist is really smart. 50:47.800 --> 50:49.220 Well, if he's not a soul winner 50:49.220 --> 50:50.020 then he's not wise. 50:51.460 --> 50:53.520 Romans chapter number five, look at verse 18, 50:53.640 --> 50:55.300 therefore by the offense of one, 50:55.860 --> 50:57.580 judgment came upon all men into condemnation. 50:58.640 --> 51:01.700 Even so, by the righteousness of one, 51:02.040 --> 51:04.760 the free gift came upon all men 51:05.420 --> 51:06.600 under justification of life. 51:06.800 --> 51:08.200 How does a Calvinist interpret this verse? 51:09.640 --> 51:10.620 Well, all doesn't mean all. 51:11.700 --> 51:13.460 They have to do that like a hundred times in the Bible. 51:14.160 --> 51:16.360 But what's interesting is the righteousness of one, 51:16.440 --> 51:17.400 the free gift came upon all men. 51:17.400 --> 51:19.140 That sounds like the light that lighteth every man. 51:19.420 --> 51:21.800 Just like the sun has lighted on every man. 51:22.120 --> 51:23.740 Everybody has been exposed to the light. 51:24.000 --> 51:25.320 Everybody has offered the light. 51:25.620 --> 51:26.660 Everybody has this opportunity. 51:26.860 --> 51:29.080 And the only light that's given to every man, 51:29.160 --> 51:30.900 the light that lighteth every man is Jesus Christ. 51:31.700 --> 51:33.160 So in one way we could read that 51:33.160 --> 51:35.600 and say the gospel's offered all. 51:36.120 --> 51:37.340 A second way we could look at that 51:37.340 --> 51:39.160 is from a saved perspective, 51:39.780 --> 51:42.920 those who got saved, it was only Jesus Christ 51:42.920 --> 51:43.840 that gave them that light. 51:43.920 --> 51:45.020 He was the one that lighted them. 51:45.020 --> 51:46.600 Everyone that's been lighted, 51:46.900 --> 51:48.300 everyone that has that light, 51:48.640 --> 51:49.700 everyone that's been saved, 51:50.060 --> 51:51.040 it's because of Jesus 51:51.040 --> 51:52.780 and Jesus is the one that gave him that light. 51:53.400 --> 51:55.760 We are saved through Jesus Christ. 51:56.000 --> 51:57.000 Go back to John one there. 51:57.640 --> 51:59.140 He was that true light which lighteth 51:59.140 --> 52:00.560 every man that comeeth in the world. 52:01.060 --> 52:03.460 So, you know, I believe that it's talking 52:03.460 --> 52:05.660 about the fact that the gospel is offered to all. 52:06.540 --> 52:08.340 And that we all have this opportunity. 52:09.120 --> 52:11.340 But even if you wanted to get even more narrow, 52:11.840 --> 52:13.700 obviously he's the only one that gives salvation 52:13.700 --> 52:14.520 to those who believe. 52:15.120 --> 52:15.900 It says in verse 10, 52:15.980 --> 52:17.460 he was in the world and the world was made by him 52:17.460 --> 52:18.980 and the world knew him not. 52:21.000 --> 52:23.460 Now, how could we interpret verse 10 52:23.460 --> 52:24.760 as anything other than everybody? 52:25.860 --> 52:27.120 I mean, the world knew him not? 52:27.960 --> 52:29.620 I mean, that's not talking about saved people. 52:30.120 --> 52:31.480 That's talking about unsaved people. 52:31.900 --> 52:35.240 So if the world in verse 10 used three times, 52:35.460 --> 52:38.220 means unsaved, he was in the world, 52:38.380 --> 52:41.160 he was in what, all these unsaved people 52:41.640 --> 52:43.180 and the world was made by him, 52:43.220 --> 52:44.400 all the people were made by him 52:44.400 --> 52:45.940 and the world knew him not. 52:46.780 --> 52:49.040 That's, again, it's using this language 52:49.040 --> 52:51.480 because it's like in literal sense, 52:51.920 --> 52:55.080 in Genesis one, the world's like physical world 52:55.580 --> 52:57.080 and it's in darkness 52:57.080 --> 52:58.800 and the darkness doesn't understand the light 52:58.800 --> 52:59.820 and it flees from the light 52:59.820 --> 53:01.140 and it runs from the light. 53:01.360 --> 53:04.980 But in a metaphor, world meaning unsaved people, 53:05.080 --> 53:07.620 the unsaved people, they didn't know him 53:07.620 --> 53:09.140 and they didn't receive him 53:09.140 --> 53:10.740 and they don't understand him 53:10.740 --> 53:12.360 and even though he made them 53:12.360 --> 53:14.320 and even though he's given them that light, 53:14.680 --> 53:15.760 given them this opportunity, 53:16.660 --> 53:18.880 but compare that back then with verse nine. 53:19.440 --> 53:20.520 That was the true light with light 53:20.520 --> 53:21.840 is every man that come within the world. 53:22.540 --> 53:24.800 Sounds like we're talking about everybody then, right? 53:25.560 --> 53:27.020 Verse 11, he came unto his own 53:27.020 --> 53:28.040 and his own received him not 53:28.460 --> 53:30.060 but as many as received him to them 53:30.060 --> 53:31.260 gave him power to become the sons of God, 53:31.340 --> 53:32.260 even them that believe on his name. 53:32.640 --> 53:34.600 So what saves someone is believing in Jesus Christ, 53:34.780 --> 53:35.720 believing in that light, 53:35.880 --> 53:37.360 that light shining unto them 53:37.820 --> 53:38.900 and that was the light that gives us. 53:39.000 --> 53:40.320 Go to John three, verse 19, 53:40.780 --> 53:42.540 just flip the page and look at verse 19. 53:43.800 --> 53:44.880 And this is the condemnation 53:44.880 --> 53:46.360 that light is coming to the world 53:46.360 --> 53:48.400 and men love darkness rather than light 53:48.400 --> 53:50.340 because their deeds were evil. 53:50.800 --> 53:52.660 For everyone that do with evil hate of the light, 53:52.960 --> 53:54.400 neither coming to the light 53:54.400 --> 53:55.920 less as deed should be approved. 53:56.320 --> 53:57.560 But he that do with truth, 53:57.780 --> 53:58.960 coming to the light, 53:59.320 --> 54:00.740 that is deeds maybe made manifest 54:00.740 --> 54:01.660 that they are wrought in God. 54:02.020 --> 54:04.280 So just like someone wants to come into light literally 54:04.840 --> 54:06.160 so that we can see what they're doing 54:06.820 --> 54:08.060 and they can see what they're doing 54:08.540 --> 54:10.040 and they can make sure they're doing what's right. 54:10.580 --> 54:14.220 Well, it's the same way that spiritually speaking, 54:14.620 --> 54:17.500 people seeking what's right end up getting saved. 54:18.700 --> 54:21.620 So if I'm working on something and it's dark, 54:22.040 --> 54:23.240 I'm not gonna be as successful. 54:23.960 --> 54:24.700 I need a light. 54:25.720 --> 54:28.040 My car broke down when I was going to Connecticut 54:28.520 --> 54:30.900 and we had to put a spare on 54:30.900 --> 54:32.600 and it was pitch black out there, 54:32.980 --> 54:34.340 no street lights virtually. 54:34.880 --> 54:38.080 And so I had to have my son hold my phone with a light on it 54:38.080 --> 54:39.320 so I could see what I was doing. 54:39.620 --> 54:41.720 And if I had to change that tire without that light, 54:42.020 --> 54:43.200 it would have been almost impossible. 54:43.640 --> 54:47.080 But I wanted the light so that I could do it correctly. 54:47.600 --> 54:50.140 And the same way that people in this world 54:50.140 --> 54:52.280 that want to know if they're right with God 54:52.280 --> 54:53.720 will seek for the light. 54:54.360 --> 54:55.340 Now here's the good news. 54:55.620 --> 54:57.040 You don't actually have to do right 54:57.040 --> 54:58.640 and be good enough to get into heaven, 54:59.000 --> 55:00.980 but you do have to seek for the light. 55:01.380 --> 55:02.960 You don't have to want to come to the light 55:02.960 --> 55:04.980 and figure out if you're even right with God or not 55:04.980 --> 55:06.460 to even get saved. 55:07.300 --> 55:07.960 But here's the thing. 55:08.300 --> 55:09.300 You end up going to the light 55:09.300 --> 55:10.840 and you realize, wow, I screwed up. 55:11.440 --> 55:12.820 Wow, I was making a mistake. 55:13.200 --> 55:14.580 Wow, I wasn't gonna get this. 55:14.860 --> 55:16.060 And then when you're in the light, 55:16.440 --> 55:18.840 he's like, hey, I'll fix it for you. 55:19.320 --> 55:20.940 And you're like, great, this is awesome. 55:21.400 --> 55:22.760 I was screwing it up. 55:23.200 --> 55:24.780 I just wanted to figure out if it was right or not. 55:25.080 --> 55:26.180 And then when I came into light, 55:26.720 --> 55:28.080 he helped me figure it out. 55:28.880 --> 55:30.240 Now this is offensive to many people 55:30.240 --> 55:31.640 and it was offensive to some people 55:31.640 --> 55:32.820 that I talked to in Barbados. 55:32.920 --> 55:34.860 So we went to Barbados on this mission strip 55:36.820 --> 55:39.560 and I didn't get to preach necessarily a ton of people, 55:39.880 --> 55:42.400 but I was at one of the universities, 55:42.920 --> 55:44.260 mostly because when you go to the university, 55:44.440 --> 55:45.380 it was like everybody already had a card. 55:45.740 --> 55:48.940 This is like, I mean, more than like 80% of the people 55:48.940 --> 55:50.680 I talked to had already been picked over, all right? 55:50.820 --> 55:52.840 So I got the last day, 55:53.180 --> 55:55.160 I'm there just getting scraps or something, right? 55:56.680 --> 55:59.160 But I'm talking to some three guys. 55:59.280 --> 56:00.060 Three guys walked by. 56:00.720 --> 56:04.860 It's a Muslim, an agnostic, and a Christian, all right? 56:05.240 --> 56:06.880 It's almost like a joke or something, but. 56:07.700 --> 56:10.580 And the guy that was a Christian's name is Christian. 56:10.880 --> 56:12.440 So I was like, well, that's easy to remember, right? 56:13.520 --> 56:15.200 But I was asking the Christian, 56:15.620 --> 56:16.780 because the other two were just kind of 56:16.780 --> 56:18.280 seeming like scoffers, not that interested. 56:18.460 --> 56:21.140 I was kind of talking to him or like prioritizing him. 56:22.040 --> 56:23.300 And again, this is my just tip. 56:23.420 --> 56:24.360 If you're in a group setting, 56:24.800 --> 56:26.760 I would just prioritize the person that's interested, 56:27.720 --> 56:29.740 receptive seeming, and just ignore the other people. 56:30.080 --> 56:32.100 Because if you try to include these other people, 56:32.500 --> 56:34.240 it's usually a disaster, okay? 56:34.700 --> 56:37.100 So in a group setting, even if it was like 10 people, 56:37.180 --> 56:38.680 I just try to focus on like one person, 56:39.220 --> 56:41.780 or the person that's most engaged in the conversation. 56:42.480 --> 56:44.540 And then afterwards I can focus on the others 56:44.540 --> 56:46.320 if I want to, but it's usually best 56:46.320 --> 56:47.760 to just kind of dial in with one person. 56:48.160 --> 56:50.240 So I'm just kind of like honing in on this guy. 56:50.960 --> 56:52.800 Well, the Muslim just kind of starts walking away 56:52.800 --> 56:53.980 and I was like, great, you know? 56:55.060 --> 56:57.600 And but the agnostic is just sitting here 56:57.600 --> 56:59.300 just being just a constant heckler. 56:59.620 --> 57:00.860 Just like everything that I say 57:01.360 --> 57:04.200 and just kind of gain saying everything that I say. 57:04.700 --> 57:06.420 He's like, oh, so you're saying 57:07.000 --> 57:08.800 that if I live my whole life 57:08.800 --> 57:11.040 and I'm just trying to do the best that I can 57:11.500 --> 57:14.320 and because I just don't believe in Jesus like you do, 57:14.700 --> 57:15.560 I'm gonna go to hell. 57:15.820 --> 57:16.540 And I'm just like, yes. 57:18.140 --> 57:19.420 Well, how was that fair? 57:20.360 --> 57:22.920 Okay, well, let's go to Romans one for a moment. 57:23.600 --> 57:24.540 How was that fair? 57:24.720 --> 57:27.800 Well, here's the thing. 57:28.400 --> 57:30.360 You're not only going to hell 57:30.920 --> 57:33.440 because you just didn't believe what I told you. 57:33.540 --> 57:34.840 You're going to hell because you're a sinner. 57:36.680 --> 57:38.260 Okay, and that's what I told him. 57:38.420 --> 57:39.340 I said, well, you're a sinner. 57:39.800 --> 57:42.960 Okay, Romans one, look at verse 18, 57:43.160 --> 57:44.360 for the wrath of God has revealed from heaven 57:44.360 --> 57:48.020 against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. 57:48.640 --> 57:50.760 Notice that God is wrath is against what? 57:51.660 --> 57:53.180 Ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. 57:53.400 --> 57:55.140 It's not only because they reject the Lord. 57:55.320 --> 57:56.880 It's not only because they don't believe in Him. 57:57.080 --> 57:58.540 It's because they're ungodly. 57:58.920 --> 58:00.600 It's because they're unrighteous. 58:01.500 --> 58:04.240 And look, if we really examine some college student, 58:04.480 --> 58:05.640 you're gonna tell me he hasn't lied 58:05.640 --> 58:07.180 thousands of times in his life. 58:07.320 --> 58:08.140 He hasn't stolen. 58:08.620 --> 58:09.900 He hasn't done wicked things. 58:10.120 --> 58:11.300 He hasn't committed fornication. 58:11.420 --> 58:12.360 And look, I don't know the person, 58:12.520 --> 58:13.680 but I'm just saying by and large, 58:14.020 --> 58:15.040 we're not talking about someone 58:15.040 --> 58:16.180 that has one transgression. 58:16.520 --> 58:17.600 I love how these people always act 58:17.600 --> 58:19.260 like they haven't really done anything that bad. 58:19.260 --> 58:21.480 But it's like, if we really lined them up 58:21.480 --> 58:23.360 and gave every single one of their charges, 58:23.680 --> 58:25.680 I guarantee they're a lot more guilty than they realize. 58:27.500 --> 58:29.580 It's kind of like when the cop pulls you over. 58:29.680 --> 58:31.020 He's like, you know why I pulled you over? 58:31.460 --> 58:32.820 And you're thinking like, I don't know. 58:33.280 --> 58:34.960 It's like speeding, running a red light, 58:35.140 --> 58:36.460 not putting on your turn signal. 58:36.940 --> 58:38.640 You know, expired registration entrance. 58:38.800 --> 58:40.420 You're like, dang, I didn't realize all that. 58:40.800 --> 58:42.080 You know, your headlights out. 58:42.500 --> 58:44.300 I mean, there might have been 50 things that you did wrong. 58:44.520 --> 58:46.120 In fact, we probably transgressed, 58:46.200 --> 58:47.360 driving way more than you realize. 58:47.760 --> 58:48.900 Not putting on your signal. 58:48.900 --> 58:50.960 Like you're supposed to put on your turn signal 58:50.960 --> 58:53.220 and stuff like seconds before you turn 58:53.220 --> 58:55.200 and you're supposed to actually come to a complete stop 58:55.200 --> 58:55.560 and stuff. 58:55.920 --> 58:57.840 I know I'm liberal on these things, all right? 58:58.100 --> 58:59.860 But, hey, everybody's a little bit. 59:00.940 --> 59:03.120 But, you know, we transgress a lot more than we realize. 59:03.760 --> 59:05.840 Just like kids are also, you know, 59:05.900 --> 59:07.220 transgressing into their parents a lot. 59:07.740 --> 59:10.640 But God is mad at ungodliness and unrighteousness. 59:11.220 --> 59:13.240 It says they hold the truth and unrighteousness though. 59:13.560 --> 59:14.640 Because that which may be known 59:14.640 --> 59:15.620 of God has manifested in them, 59:15.640 --> 59:16.800 for God has showed it under them. 59:16.840 --> 59:18.060 For the invisible things of him 59:18.060 --> 59:19.700 from the creation of the world are clearly seen, 59:20.000 --> 59:22.360 being understood by the things that are made, 59:22.440 --> 59:23.480 even as eternal power in God, 59:23.580 --> 59:24.360 and so they're without excuse. 59:24.920 --> 59:27.440 Notice according to the Bible, no one has an excuse. 59:28.340 --> 59:29.640 Just like the light shines, 59:30.620 --> 59:33.360 they can understand that God is existent and that he shines. 59:34.500 --> 59:37.140 So, is hell, hell, you know, it just doesn't seem fair. 59:37.440 --> 59:38.120 Well, what is fair? 59:39.180 --> 59:40.640 Isn't fair just justice? 59:41.620 --> 59:42.340 Getting what you deserve? 59:42.700 --> 59:44.560 What do you deserve for lying tons of times? 59:44.680 --> 59:46.260 What do you deserve for stealing all the time? 59:46.260 --> 59:48.760 What do you deserve for all these things that you've done? 59:49.160 --> 59:50.340 What would be fair then? 59:51.140 --> 59:52.400 And again, they're not saying, 59:52.500 --> 59:53.600 why deserve this punishment? 59:53.940 --> 59:55.560 They want no punishment for their sin. 59:56.480 --> 59:58.220 But Romans chapter three, verse one, 59:58.840 --> 01:00:00.220 and they'll say, oh, well, 01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:01.940 what about all the people that didn't hear 01:00:01.940 --> 01:00:02.860 weren't born in a Christian home? 01:00:03.100 --> 01:00:03.880 Well, look at verse one. 01:00:04.200 --> 01:00:05.360 What advantage does that the Jew? 01:00:06.100 --> 01:00:07.820 Or what profit is there of circumcision? 01:00:08.480 --> 01:00:10.600 Much every way, chiefly, 01:00:10.620 --> 01:00:11.400 because that under them 01:00:11.400 --> 01:00:12.380 were committed the work of God. 01:00:12.760 --> 01:00:14.900 So it's like saying, oh, you're just saying like, 01:00:14.900 --> 01:00:16.540 you know, these Muslims 01:00:16.540 --> 01:00:18.400 don't have the same chance as these Christians. 01:00:18.600 --> 01:00:18.760 Yeah. 01:00:19.780 --> 01:00:20.740 Hey, in the Old Testament, 01:00:20.920 --> 01:00:22.140 you were born into a Jewish family. 01:00:22.520 --> 01:00:24.100 You had a much greater chance 01:00:24.100 --> 01:00:26.240 of hearing the gospel, of hearing the Bible. 01:00:26.800 --> 01:00:28.020 In fact, it says, what advantage 01:00:28.020 --> 01:00:29.340 do you have every single advantage? 01:00:30.900 --> 01:00:31.880 Every single advantage. 01:00:33.200 --> 01:00:35.980 Verse three, for what if some did not believe? 01:00:36.140 --> 01:00:37.840 Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 01:00:38.360 --> 01:00:39.140 What about all the people 01:00:39.140 --> 01:00:40.500 that were born in a Christian home 01:00:40.960 --> 01:00:42.480 and they rejected it and they turned away? 01:00:43.180 --> 01:00:44.680 Does that mean your religion's not real? 01:00:45.020 --> 01:00:46.800 Well, verse four, God forbid. 01:00:47.580 --> 01:00:49.320 Yeah, he let God be true, but every man a liar. 01:00:49.760 --> 01:00:51.300 As it's written that that might as be justified 01:00:51.300 --> 01:00:53.560 in my sayings and might as overcome when thou art judged. 01:00:54.940 --> 01:00:55.820 But if our unrighteousness 01:00:55.820 --> 01:00:56.720 commend the righteousness of God, 01:00:56.820 --> 01:00:57.360 what shall we say? 01:00:58.120 --> 01:00:59.320 Is God unrighteous to take a vengeance? 01:00:59.480 --> 01:01:00.080 I speak as a man. 01:01:00.460 --> 01:01:01.740 God forbid, for then, 01:01:01.900 --> 01:01:03.240 how shall God judge the world? 01:01:03.560 --> 01:01:04.360 So you know, he's really, 01:01:05.540 --> 01:01:07.780 Paul's addressing like all of these gain saying arguments. 01:01:08.400 --> 01:01:10.100 It's like, oh, well you're saying 01:01:10.840 --> 01:01:12.960 that people that are born in a Christian home 01:01:12.960 --> 01:01:14.400 have a greater chance of being saved 01:01:14.400 --> 01:01:15.380 than people that don't. 01:01:15.500 --> 01:01:15.900 Yes. 01:01:17.300 --> 01:01:19.040 Oh, well you're saying that 01:01:19.040 --> 01:01:20.540 if people don't believe this, 01:01:20.640 --> 01:01:21.160 they're gonna go to hell. 01:01:21.580 --> 01:01:21.880 Yes. 01:01:23.160 --> 01:01:25.600 Oh, well you're saying that I deserve hell. 01:01:26.040 --> 01:01:26.480 Yes. 01:01:27.440 --> 01:01:28.340 Yes to all these. 01:01:28.780 --> 01:01:29.660 And you know, one of the, 01:01:29.780 --> 01:01:30.580 even the Christian said, 01:01:30.960 --> 01:01:32.160 so you're telling me this guy, 01:01:32.300 --> 01:01:33.700 my friend that's a Muslim, 01:01:34.780 --> 01:01:36.480 like if he doesn't believe, 01:01:36.880 --> 01:01:37.360 he's gonna go to hell. 01:01:37.560 --> 01:01:37.800 Yes. 01:01:38.720 --> 01:01:39.700 Well, how is that fair? 01:01:40.900 --> 01:01:41.900 And I'm like, okay, well, 01:01:42.020 --> 01:01:43.360 let's just stop for a moment. 01:01:44.100 --> 01:01:45.660 What if Islam is true? 01:01:46.500 --> 01:01:47.660 Doesn't that mean that Christians 01:01:47.660 --> 01:01:48.700 don't have as good a chance 01:01:48.700 --> 01:01:51.340 to become a Muslim and get saved? 01:01:51.860 --> 01:01:52.540 And he's like, well, yeah. 01:01:53.200 --> 01:01:54.220 So I said, well, so then 01:01:54.220 --> 01:01:56.540 picking religions doesn't change this fact, does it? 01:01:57.500 --> 01:01:58.560 So I guess you could just believe 01:01:58.560 --> 01:02:00.040 in universalism that doesn't matter 01:02:00.040 --> 01:02:01.420 or that there is no God, 01:02:01.520 --> 01:02:02.500 but if there is a God, 01:02:03.000 --> 01:02:03.920 we're not all right, 01:02:04.080 --> 01:02:05.200 we're not all on the same page, 01:02:05.340 --> 01:02:06.480 not everybody has the same chances. 01:02:06.480 --> 01:02:08.320 Sorry, that's an inconvenient fact, 01:02:08.460 --> 01:02:09.140 but that's just reality. 01:02:09.520 --> 01:02:11.320 Yeah, it's just reality. 01:02:11.740 --> 01:02:13.520 And look, in every part of our lives, 01:02:13.640 --> 01:02:14.140 nothing's fair. 01:02:14.540 --> 01:02:17.260 Some people are born in a family 01:02:17.260 --> 01:02:19.340 that has lots of money and privilege and opportunity. 01:02:19.720 --> 01:02:21.880 Some people are born without parents. 01:02:22.300 --> 01:02:23.880 They've been abandoned by their parents. 01:02:24.220 --> 01:02:25.500 They've had bad parents. 01:02:26.180 --> 01:02:27.160 You know, whatever situation 01:02:27.160 --> 01:02:28.980 they're born in an impoverished country, 01:02:29.660 --> 01:02:31.600 they maybe are born with a birth defect. 01:02:32.000 --> 01:02:33.460 They're born with some issue. 01:02:34.120 --> 01:02:35.460 You know, nothing is fair. 01:02:36.940 --> 01:02:39.400 Oh, well, you don't understand my circumstance 01:02:39.400 --> 01:02:40.440 or my life or whatever. 01:02:40.480 --> 01:02:41.700 You know, nothing's fair. 01:02:42.040 --> 01:02:42.380 But you know what? 01:02:42.500 --> 01:02:43.860 The guy that was born in a privileged home 01:02:43.860 --> 01:02:45.240 is often the spoiled brat 01:02:45.660 --> 01:02:47.320 that doesn't actually care about God. 01:02:47.620 --> 01:02:49.340 And the people that had real struggles, 01:02:50.400 --> 01:02:52.080 bad childhoods, bad parents, 01:02:52.480 --> 01:02:54.060 they're often more likely to be receptive 01:02:54.060 --> 01:02:55.140 and then serve God. 01:02:55.520 --> 01:02:56.400 So then which one's fair? 01:02:57.100 --> 01:02:59.540 Was it more fair to have a bad circumstance 01:03:00.020 --> 01:03:01.980 and to be saved and go to church and love God? 01:03:02.260 --> 01:03:04.940 Or was it better to have a great family situation 01:03:05.520 --> 01:03:07.520 and basically not wanna serve God 01:03:07.520 --> 01:03:09.340 and be too prideful and too arrogant? 01:03:09.760 --> 01:03:11.860 I mean, pick your poison. 01:03:13.260 --> 01:03:16.080 You know, living in America, I love being in here. 01:03:16.180 --> 01:03:17.260 I think I've had a lot of privilege. 01:03:17.480 --> 01:03:18.840 I think I've had a lot of opportunities 01:03:18.840 --> 01:03:20.240 that other people haven't had. 01:03:20.780 --> 01:03:23.060 And you know, I'm not gonna say that I'm bad 01:03:23.060 --> 01:03:24.220 because I have privilege though. 01:03:24.820 --> 01:03:26.040 But you know, at the end of the day, 01:03:26.280 --> 01:03:29.260 hey, we should realize that it's not everything's fair. 01:03:30.080 --> 01:03:31.540 And because it's not fair 01:03:31.540 --> 01:03:33.420 and because the Muslim will go to hell 01:03:33.420 --> 01:03:36.060 and because the Bayesian will go to hell 01:03:36.060 --> 01:03:38.660 and because the Bahamian will go to hell 01:03:38.660 --> 01:03:41.100 and because the Filipino will go to hell 01:03:41.100 --> 01:03:42.500 if they don't believe the gospel, 01:03:42.660 --> 01:03:45.120 I'm motivated to go out and preach the gospel 01:03:45.120 --> 01:03:45.920 to every creature. 01:03:47.500 --> 01:03:50.060 And you know, because I actually believe my religion, 01:03:50.260 --> 01:03:51.560 I actually believe the Bible, 01:03:51.680 --> 01:03:53.160 I actually believe what the Bible says 01:03:53.160 --> 01:03:55.380 and I believe what God said, let there be light. 01:03:55.820 --> 01:03:56.900 But let me tell you something, 01:03:57.020 --> 01:03:58.420 the Muslims don't even believe that. 01:03:59.120 --> 01:04:01.720 Where are the Muslims going two by two in America 01:04:01.720 --> 01:04:03.060 preaching their gospel? 01:04:04.280 --> 01:04:06.440 Where is the Muslim missionary 01:04:06.860 --> 01:04:11.780 that is sent to Barbados like Pastor Smith 01:04:11.780 --> 01:04:13.780 who's dedicating his whole life 01:04:13.780 --> 01:04:15.400 to just be in a foreign country 01:04:15.400 --> 01:04:17.140 preaching his false religion? 01:04:17.780 --> 01:04:19.200 You know, it doesn't even exist virtually. 01:04:20.340 --> 01:04:22.300 Now again, I get that Islam is spreading, 01:04:22.660 --> 01:04:23.160 but you know what? 01:04:23.380 --> 01:04:26.460 They're not trying to convert the same way Christianity is. 01:04:26.620 --> 01:04:29.240 They're not trying to spread the gospel of peace. 01:04:29.380 --> 01:04:31.140 They're not going two by two. 01:04:31.140 --> 01:04:33.780 They're not the ones that are spending thousands and thousands 01:04:33.780 --> 01:04:36.360 of dollars to evangelize the world 01:04:36.360 --> 01:04:37.580 and be missionaries everywhere. 01:04:38.160 --> 01:04:41.380 I mean, you know, really you kind of have like Mormons, 01:04:42.500 --> 01:04:44.040 Jehovah's Witnesses and us. 01:04:44.480 --> 01:04:45.620 I mean, if you're saying like, 01:04:45.700 --> 01:04:47.800 who are the people actually going out, knocking doors, 01:04:48.020 --> 01:04:49.840 trying to spread their message around the world? 01:04:50.020 --> 01:04:51.080 It's kind of them and us. 01:04:51.800 --> 01:04:53.640 But you know, oh, let's think about Mormons 01:04:53.640 --> 01:04:54.260 for half a second. 01:04:54.660 --> 01:04:57.800 They only get 18 and 19 year olds to do it 01:04:58.380 --> 01:04:59.540 because they have to. 01:05:00.820 --> 01:05:04.160 They're not like, oh, I just want to do this for us in my life. 01:05:04.460 --> 01:05:05.880 As soon as they can be done, they're done. 01:05:07.620 --> 01:05:09.620 They just go on mission because that's just what they're told 01:05:09.620 --> 01:05:09.780 to do. 01:05:09.980 --> 01:05:11.080 It's just kind of like how in America, 01:05:11.180 --> 01:05:12.660 you just go to college because that's what they're told to do. 01:05:13.700 --> 01:05:15.460 It's not like, and again, you have to pay for it. 01:05:15.760 --> 01:05:17.180 And I get the Mormons have to pay for it, 01:05:17.180 --> 01:05:17.840 but you know, at the end of the day, 01:05:17.900 --> 01:05:19.360 they're not sending out people that want to spend 01:05:19.360 --> 01:05:21.160 their whole lives in foreign country to mission, 01:05:21.260 --> 01:05:23.060 to be a missionary and evangelist. 01:05:23.420 --> 01:05:26.000 And let's be honest, they're not trying to be effective. 01:05:26.360 --> 01:05:28.060 They're riding bicycles, folks. 01:05:31.020 --> 01:05:32.760 Why are they riding bicycles? 01:05:33.360 --> 01:05:34.620 You want to know why they're riding bicycles? 01:05:34.720 --> 01:05:36.380 Because they don't care and it's free. 01:05:37.900 --> 01:05:40.240 They're not even willing to spend gas money on you. 01:05:43.740 --> 01:05:46.360 They're not going to spend a dime that they don't have to 01:05:46.360 --> 01:05:47.320 giving you the gospel. 01:05:47.580 --> 01:05:48.580 And look, when they knock on their door, 01:05:48.700 --> 01:05:49.700 they're not going to tell you how to go to heaven. 01:05:49.960 --> 01:05:51.460 They're going to ask you to have Bible studies 01:05:52.180 --> 01:05:53.860 and they're going to sit here and try to just 01:05:54.980 --> 01:05:55.980 bring you into their cult. 01:05:56.680 --> 01:05:58.140 You look at a Jova's Witnesses walking, 01:05:58.610 --> 01:06:00.260 they're the slowest, they're like turtles. 01:06:01.840 --> 01:06:04.760 Walking around sad as just the, 01:06:05.100 --> 01:06:06.540 you've ever met anybody in your life 01:06:06.540 --> 01:06:07.240 because they're not saved. 01:06:07.540 --> 01:06:08.280 They don't have the joy of the Lord. 01:06:08.540 --> 01:06:09.420 They don't have salvation. 01:06:10.600 --> 01:06:12.080 They're both cult groups. 01:06:12.640 --> 01:06:13.720 But you know, at least you could say 01:06:13.720 --> 01:06:15.240 they kind of believe their religion. 01:06:15.380 --> 01:06:17.100 But again, the Jova's Witnesses only think 01:06:17.100 --> 01:06:18.320 they have to do that to go to heaven. 01:06:19.020 --> 01:06:20.900 They're not doing this because of the actual 01:06:21.380 --> 01:06:22.260 love for the Lord. 01:06:22.660 --> 01:06:24.640 You know, for us, we know we don't have to do that 01:06:24.640 --> 01:06:25.080 to go to heaven. 01:06:25.700 --> 01:06:26.880 It's a labor of love. 01:06:27.320 --> 01:06:29.140 We're doing it because we believe it. 01:06:29.460 --> 01:06:30.820 And you read the book of Acts, 01:06:31.100 --> 01:06:32.480 they were going out and preaching the gospel 01:06:32.480 --> 01:06:33.620 because they believed it. 01:06:34.680 --> 01:06:36.060 You know, which religion do you want? 01:06:36.140 --> 01:06:37.680 You want the religion that doesn't care about you, 01:06:37.720 --> 01:06:39.060 that won't spend a dime on you, 01:06:39.200 --> 01:06:40.560 that won't give you any gas, 01:06:40.760 --> 01:06:42.740 or the religion that'll go all around the world 01:06:42.740 --> 01:06:45.520 paying their own way to give you a free gospel. 01:06:46.420 --> 01:06:47.660 And it's not just us. 01:06:48.080 --> 01:06:48.880 It's not just the new idea. 01:06:49.060 --> 01:06:50.940 Look, I ran into a Southern Baptist guy 01:06:51.520 --> 01:06:53.640 that they go to Africa all the time 01:06:53.640 --> 01:06:56.400 and they're evangelizing and giving people the gospel 01:06:56.400 --> 01:06:57.240 all the time. 01:06:57.840 --> 01:06:59.940 There's all kinds of evangelicals 01:06:59.940 --> 01:07:02.200 and fundamental Baptist and Southern Baptist 01:07:02.200 --> 01:07:04.200 and others that are going out there 01:07:04.200 --> 01:07:06.360 and preaching the gospel and trying to get people saved. 01:07:06.800 --> 01:07:08.460 And they're not only, they're doing good. 01:07:09.180 --> 01:07:10.960 When's the, I mean, look, I know I give 01:07:10.960 --> 01:07:13.360 the Southern Baptist and some of these people a hard time, 01:07:13.680 --> 01:07:15.160 but it's like when's the last time you see a Muslim 01:07:15.160 --> 01:07:16.340 come over here and give us a well? 01:07:17.260 --> 01:07:19.740 Like build us a well or give us a sandwich or something. 01:07:20.520 --> 01:07:22.340 You know, are the Muslims going into Africa 01:07:22.340 --> 01:07:25.140 and building wells and giving sandwiches to the Africans? 01:07:26.860 --> 01:07:29.320 It's like, oh, I wonder which religion's real. 01:07:29.740 --> 01:07:31.320 I wonder which religion's the right one. 01:07:31.620 --> 01:07:33.120 Maybe it's the one that's willing to spend 01:07:33.120 --> 01:07:35.280 their own time, money, effort, and energy 01:07:35.280 --> 01:07:36.540 to give you something for free 01:07:38.100 --> 01:07:39.980 as opposed to the one that literally puts 01:07:39.980 --> 01:07:41.340 their women in ninja suits. 01:07:42.720 --> 01:07:44.760 You know, I don't know which religion's real here. 01:07:46.020 --> 01:07:47.360 You know, the Bible says that he's gonna visit 01:07:47.360 --> 01:07:48.660 the iniquity on the children 01:07:48.660 --> 01:07:49.780 to the third and fourth generation 01:07:49.780 --> 01:07:50.960 and that's what I see with Islam. 01:07:51.400 --> 01:07:52.800 You know, why is it that everybody wants 01:07:52.800 --> 01:07:55.100 to go to an American country or a Christian nation 01:07:55.100 --> 01:07:57.000 and not an Islamic country? 01:08:00.340 --> 01:08:01.680 I have way too much to say 01:08:01.680 --> 01:08:02.620 and I've already gone out of time, 01:08:02.860 --> 01:08:05.100 but I wanna go to one more place. 01:08:05.300 --> 01:08:08.760 Go if you would to Luke chapter 11, Luke chapter 11. 01:08:09.200 --> 01:08:11.060 You know, the Bible says if you seek, you shall find. 01:08:12.680 --> 01:08:14.760 And you know, you could sit here and feel sad 01:08:15.460 --> 01:08:17.320 that people don't all have the same opportunity, 01:08:17.720 --> 01:08:19.280 but if you actually care, you know, you'll do, 01:08:19.660 --> 01:08:21.060 then you'll take the opportunity to them. 01:08:22.160 --> 01:08:23.600 Hey, I'm sad these people don't have light, 01:08:23.600 --> 01:08:25.260 so I'm gonna come bring light to them. 01:08:26.100 --> 01:08:28.100 You're not gonna sit here and be mad at God. 01:08:29.260 --> 01:08:31.880 God's commanding you and demanding you to be that light 01:08:31.880 --> 01:08:33.720 and to let your light shine. 01:08:34.380 --> 01:08:36.600 And he's saying, hey, I know it's dark out there. 01:08:36.960 --> 01:08:37.780 Go be some light. 01:08:38.840 --> 01:08:39.800 And what does he mean practically? 01:08:39.980 --> 01:08:40.900 Go preach the gospel. 01:08:41.440 --> 01:08:42.620 Look, if you're not a soul winner, 01:08:42.800 --> 01:08:43.760 you need to become a soul winner. 01:08:45.160 --> 01:08:46.860 And you become a lifelong soul winner 01:08:47.260 --> 01:08:47.760 and you know what? 01:08:47.820 --> 01:08:48.780 You need to go and preach the gospel 01:08:48.780 --> 01:08:50.780 and even if you never leave this area, 01:08:51.340 --> 01:08:52.820 be a soul winner in your area at least. 01:08:53.780 --> 01:08:56.080 But you know, for many of us that have the opportunity 01:08:56.080 --> 01:08:59.500 and the ability, let us spread the gospel into all nations. 01:09:00.120 --> 01:09:01.520 Let us go into Shreveport. 01:09:01.820 --> 01:09:03.740 Let us go into Mexico. 01:09:04.180 --> 01:09:05.940 Let us go into the Caribbean. 01:09:06.340 --> 01:09:07.700 Let us go into Asia. 01:09:08.140 --> 01:09:10.760 Let us go all over the world and preach the gospel. 01:09:11.100 --> 01:09:13.040 I mean, heck, we're gonna go into unreceptive places, 01:09:13.280 --> 01:09:17.100 Europe and Canada sometimes and these other places. 01:09:17.360 --> 01:09:17.900 But you know what? 01:09:18.000 --> 01:09:19.000 We need to go where it's dark 01:09:19.000 --> 01:09:20.560 so we can bring our light. 01:09:21.420 --> 01:09:23.580 We're trying to find areas that are receptive, 01:09:23.840 --> 01:09:24.360 that want the light. 01:09:24.420 --> 01:09:25.140 Go into Fiji. 01:09:25.760 --> 01:09:28.160 Go into all kinds of parts of this world 01:09:28.160 --> 01:09:29.020 and preach in the gospel. 01:09:29.660 --> 01:09:32.020 And you know, that is our mission in life. 01:09:32.180 --> 01:09:33.340 That's the reason why we have this church 01:09:33.340 --> 01:09:34.860 and we never want to lose that vision. 01:09:36.020 --> 01:09:36.800 That's why we're here. 01:09:37.620 --> 01:09:38.500 Let there be light. 01:09:39.540 --> 01:09:40.940 We want to be preaching the gospel 01:09:41.600 --> 01:09:43.100 and emphasizing the gospel. 01:09:43.900 --> 01:09:45.780 Acts chapter 17, look at verse 23. 01:09:46.380 --> 01:09:48.080 For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, 01:09:48.080 --> 01:09:49.580 I found an altar with this inscription 01:09:49.580 --> 01:09:51.120 to the unknown God, 01:09:51.900 --> 01:09:53.500 whom therefore you ignorantly worship, 01:09:54.280 --> 01:09:55.600 him, declare I unto you. 01:09:55.920 --> 01:09:58.640 Everybody out there is ignorant of who the God of the Bible is 01:09:58.640 --> 01:10:00.420 and we need to go out there and declare it unto them. 01:10:01.460 --> 01:10:03.140 God that made the world and all things there 01:10:03.140 --> 01:10:05.720 and sing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, 01:10:05.900 --> 01:10:07.720 dwelleth not in temples made with hands. 01:10:08.200 --> 01:10:09.560 Neither is worship with men's hands 01:10:09.560 --> 01:10:10.460 as though he needed anything, 01:10:10.660 --> 01:10:12.480 singing he giveth all life and breath and all things. 01:10:13.060 --> 01:10:16.140 And hath made of one blood all nations of men 01:10:16.140 --> 01:10:17.500 for to dwell on all the face of the earth. 01:10:17.900 --> 01:10:19.660 And at the term of the times before appointed 01:10:19.660 --> 01:10:20.740 and the bounds of their habitation, 01:10:21.340 --> 01:10:22.780 that if they should seek the Lord, 01:10:23.500 --> 01:10:26.500 if happily they might feel after him and find him, 01:10:26.800 --> 01:10:29.940 though he be not far from every one of us. 01:10:30.260 --> 01:10:32.600 For in him we live and move and have our being 01:10:32.600 --> 01:10:35.280 as certain also of your own poets have said, 01:10:35.660 --> 01:10:36.940 for we are also his offspring. 01:10:37.720 --> 01:10:39.400 For as much as we are the offspring of God, 01:10:39.760 --> 01:10:41.400 we ought not to think that the Godhead 01:10:41.400 --> 01:10:43.880 is likened to gold or silver or stone, 01:10:44.120 --> 01:10:45.540 graven by art and man's device. 01:10:46.120 --> 01:10:48.420 And the times of this ignorance God winked at, 01:10:48.580 --> 01:10:54.040 but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. 01:10:54.840 --> 01:10:57.440 So look, oh, I don't know which religion's right. 01:10:58.060 --> 01:10:58.800 No, it's obvious. 01:11:00.440 --> 01:11:01.940 Nope, you don't have an excuse. 01:11:02.580 --> 01:11:03.780 Nope, the light's out there. 01:11:04.020 --> 01:11:05.680 No, if you seek him, you're gonna find him. 01:11:05.960 --> 01:11:07.820 No, he's not that far from every one of us. 01:11:08.000 --> 01:11:08.420 But you know what? 01:11:08.540 --> 01:11:09.940 We need to be the other part of that equation 01:11:09.940 --> 01:11:11.020 when we're shining that light. 01:11:11.760 --> 01:11:13.080 Because he hath appointed a day 01:11:13.080 --> 01:11:14.840 in the which he will judge the world in righteousness 01:11:15.800 --> 01:11:17.620 by that man whom he hath ordained, 01:11:18.100 --> 01:11:19.860 wherever he hath given assurance unto all men, 01:11:20.340 --> 01:11:21.600 and that he hath raised them from the dead. 01:11:22.700 --> 01:11:24.480 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, 01:11:24.640 --> 01:11:26.320 some mocked, and others said, 01:11:26.380 --> 01:11:27.740 we will hear thee again of this matter. 01:11:28.140 --> 01:11:29.520 So Paul departed from among them, 01:11:30.020 --> 01:11:31.780 albeit certain men clave unto him and believed. 01:11:32.500 --> 01:11:33.080 So here's the thing. 01:11:33.640 --> 01:11:35.220 It's not that they didn't have opportunity, 01:11:35.840 --> 01:11:38.680 it's that some believed and some mocked. 01:11:39.700 --> 01:11:40.200 But you know what? 01:11:40.560 --> 01:11:41.960 We are to do our job 01:11:41.960 --> 01:11:43.700 and we're supposed to let the light shine. 01:11:44.040 --> 01:11:45.640 And if the darkness doesn't comprehend it, 01:11:45.720 --> 01:11:46.580 well, that's their fault. 01:11:47.160 --> 01:11:47.740 But you know what? 01:11:48.000 --> 01:11:49.420 We don't want it to be our fault 01:11:49.420 --> 01:11:50.760 that we hid it under a bushel. 01:11:51.220 --> 01:11:52.800 And if we hide our light under a bushel, 01:11:52.860 --> 01:11:54.160 God will just take us home early. 01:11:54.820 --> 01:11:55.940 He'll take us out of the socket 01:11:55.940 --> 01:11:57.140 and put in a new light bulb. 01:11:57.460 --> 01:11:59.000 Because God wants there to be light. 01:11:59.340 --> 01:12:01.020 You know, we don't have these lights in here just for fun. 01:12:01.260 --> 01:12:02.160 We have them to shine. 01:12:02.780 --> 01:12:04.200 And as soon as the light goes out, 01:12:04.500 --> 01:12:06.760 we throw it away and we put in a new one. 01:12:07.300 --> 01:12:09.100 And in the same way that God is gonna do that 01:12:09.100 --> 01:12:11.800 spiritually with those who are shining brightly, 01:12:12.120 --> 01:12:13.440 he's gonna keep in that socket. 01:12:13.820 --> 01:12:15.240 But if you turn your light out, 01:12:16.200 --> 01:12:18.380 you're just asking and begging for God to send you home. 01:12:19.000 --> 01:12:20.800 You're just asking for him to change the light bulb. 01:12:21.520 --> 01:12:23.980 You know, a church that all the lights go out on? 01:12:24.520 --> 01:12:27.900 Then you become a non-denom church, okay? 01:12:28.620 --> 01:12:30.480 I call them non-evangelical churches. 01:12:31.460 --> 01:12:33.600 And you know, if you lose your first love 01:12:33.600 --> 01:12:35.840 and your light, then God removes your lampstand. 01:12:36.220 --> 01:12:37.680 You know, God's gonna remove your light 01:12:38.160 --> 01:12:38.980 because there's no point. 01:12:39.180 --> 01:12:41.000 Why would God wanna lift you up 01:12:41.000 --> 01:12:42.680 when you're not shining the light? 01:12:43.460 --> 01:12:44.560 He lifts you up because you're shining the light. 01:12:44.740 --> 01:12:46.080 Hey, if you want our church to succeed, 01:12:46.220 --> 01:12:47.520 you want our church to be a great church, 01:12:47.880 --> 01:12:49.260 you want God to bless our church, 01:12:49.520 --> 01:12:50.100 here's what we have to do. 01:12:50.200 --> 01:12:50.900 We have to shine bright. 01:12:52.380 --> 01:12:53.600 We have to let our light shine 01:12:53.600 --> 01:12:55.840 and we have to do what God commanded us 01:12:56.480 --> 01:12:57.380 to let there be light. 01:12:57.660 --> 01:12:58.080 Let's go to some prayer. 01:12:58.240 --> 01:12:59.480 Thank you Heavenly Father, so much for your word. 01:12:59.600 --> 01:13:01.880 Thank you so much for these great stories 01:13:01.880 --> 01:13:02.840 that we have in the Bible 01:13:02.840 --> 01:13:04.680 to illustrate these spiritual truths. 01:13:04.680 --> 01:13:08.960 I pray that we would not be selfish, 01:13:09.580 --> 01:13:10.800 that we would not be carnal, 01:13:10.900 --> 01:13:12.380 that we would not just only care about ourselves, 01:13:12.540 --> 01:13:14.140 but rather we care about your commandments. 01:13:14.320 --> 01:13:15.520 We realize this world's so dark 01:13:15.980 --> 01:13:18.680 and it may not always be fun to be in the dark, 01:13:18.840 --> 01:13:21.420 but they need the light and we need to be that light 01:13:21.420 --> 01:13:22.260 and we need to be the ones 01:13:22.260 --> 01:13:23.520 who are out there preaching the gospel. 01:13:23.680 --> 01:13:26.340 I pray that you would motivate and stir men's hearts 01:13:26.340 --> 01:13:28.140 to be that light and to get people saved. 01:13:28.140 --> 01:13:29.780 It's their only chance, it's their only hope. 01:13:30.700 --> 01:13:32.700 And we understand that you are just God. 01:13:33.200 --> 01:13:34.680 You're a loving God. 01:13:35.300 --> 01:13:37.060 You're God that wishes for people to repent 01:13:37.060 --> 01:13:37.920 and believe the gospel, 01:13:38.000 --> 01:13:40.040 but you need us to go out there and to be that light. 01:13:40.500 --> 01:13:41.640 I pray that you would help our church 01:13:41.640 --> 01:13:42.960 to be a bright and shining light 01:13:42.960 --> 01:13:44.220 in such a dark world. 01:13:44.300 --> 01:13:45.140 In Jesus' name we pray, amen.