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Mark Chapter nine.

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I want to continue on with
this theme of practical Christianity

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in a slightly different way
this morning.

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And if my slide clicker here
will work through it, we'll be able

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to be in a good place.

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But this morning, what I want
to talk to you about is this a precious

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sacrifice.

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That's what we read out of
Romans chapter 12.

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He says, I beseech you,
therefore, brethren, by the mercies

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of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice.

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I don't know about any of you,
but sacrifice is hard, and to God

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that means everything.

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It is a precious sacrifice,
and it will be a precious sacrifice

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to you just as much as it is
to God.

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Under the Old Covenant, we get
some insights into how God thinks,

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how God works, the principles
of how God interacts with man, what

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God thinks about.

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We see it all throughout the
Law in Leviticus, and we get a picture,

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not necessarily of the things
that we are supposed to do verbatim,

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but.

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But we get a picture of how
God thinks, what is important to

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God.

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And under the Old Covenant, no
sacrifice was accepted unless it

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was seasoned with salt.

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Paul tells us that we
ourselves, in Romans chapter 12 here,

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are now living sacrifice.

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And then Jesus shocks us here
in Mark chapter nine with this saying,

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every sacrifice shall be
salted with salt, salted with fire.

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This morning I want us to see
that God often uses the fires of

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life, the trials, the
persecution, the utter hardships

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that we go through, from the
smallest things to the very great.

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He uses every single bit of
that in our life in order to work

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in us good, in order to make
us into a pleasing sacrifice, in

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order to conform us to the
image of Christ.

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What we're going to see in
Mark chapter nine is number one,

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an essential call to turn away
from sin and what that would lead

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us to, but also the
countercultural understanding of

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what it means for a Christian
to place themselves on the altar

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of God.

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You're there.

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In Mark chapter nine, we're
going to read verse number 43, Mark

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chapter nine, verse 43.

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We get a series of shocking
statements that Jesus begins to speak

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on.

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He says, if thy hand offend
thee, cut it off.

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Is better for thee to enter
into life maimed than having two

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hands to go into hell, into
the fire that shall never be quenched,

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where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.

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And if thy foot offend thee,
cut it off.

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It is better for thee to enter
whole into life than having two feet

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be cast into hell for and to
the fire that never shall be quenched

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where Their worm dieth not and
the fire is not quenched.

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If thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out.

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It is better for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one

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eye than having two eyes to be
cast into hell fire.

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When their worm dieth not and
the fire is not quenched.

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For every one shall be salted
with fire and every sacrifice shall

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be salted with salt.

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Salt is good.

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But if the salt have lost its
saltness, wherewith will you season

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it?

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Have salt in yourselves and
have peace with one another.

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Let's pray.

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Our Heavenly Father, we thank
you so much for the grace that you

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would give to us, the grace
that you showed us on the cross,

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Lord, the grace that you daily
work in us.

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Lord, I pray and ask that you
would help us to understand what

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it means to be a living sacrifice.

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This morning I pray and ask
that you would help us with this

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hard, impossible thing of
giving our all to you, laid it up

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on the altar.

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Lord, I pray that we would do
that willingly and become that living

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sacrifice that you desire us
to be, which is our reasonable service

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because of how merciful you
have been to us.

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So, Lord, I pray that you'd
help us this morning to understand

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your Word.

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In Jesus name we pray.

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Amen.

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That sacrifice there, in that
saying of verse number 49, he says,

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Everyone shall be salted with
fire and every sacrifice salted with

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salt.

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So you bring something to God,
but the question is, what is acceptable

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to God?

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You know, we.

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We hear messages.

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Leftover Christianity, you
gave your leftovers to God.

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You didn't give your first fruits.

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And we're supposed to give our
first fruits.

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What is acceptable to God?

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What would be acceptable to
you as a present?

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Would you like something that
was mangled and completely used but

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touted as something that was
brand new?

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Well, no.

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You would say, oh, thank you.

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Is it really acceptable?

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What's acceptable to us in general?

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Think about how we measure
success in the world.

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The post Office.

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I don't know how many of you
have had run ins with the Post Office.

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The Post Office has not always
been kind to me.

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The Post Office and shipping
companies deliver millions of packages

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every day.

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They boast success rates above
90% success.

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Now, if you're in school and
you get a 90 on your test, that's

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an A.

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Some of you aren't happy with that.

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I would be happy with that.

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Some of you were probably just
happy to get Cs.

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Like, I made it.

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I remember the last day of
school in the ninth grade.

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I took French and I went in
for extra credit because I needed

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it.

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I passed that, that last
little bit of extra credit thing

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and my French teacher just
looked at me and he said this is

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horrible.

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And he passed it and I passed
that class.

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Barely.

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Just barely.

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What a success.

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90%.

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That sounds pretty good.

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If 90% is truly the measure,
that means over a million packages

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arrive late or are
misdelivered or not delivered at

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all, man.

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Ninety percent.

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A million packages.

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That's the package that you
didn't get.

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And I actually ended up four
states over your ups.

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Same way.

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All right, let's up the ante here.

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Brain surgery.

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What kind of success rate do
you want your brain surgeon to have?

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100% please.

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Would be nice.

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A brain surgeon with a 99
success rate.

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Now I don't know about you.

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99 on the test, that is gold.

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I didn't get 199.

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It's just as good.

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Brain surgeon with a 99%
success rate.

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If that surgeon performed a
thousand operation over the course

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of their career, which the
average brain surgeon performs about

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a little over 5,700 operations
over the course of their lifetime.

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But let's just say normal
number a thousand, that would still

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mean 10 patients lost their
lives in surgery.

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That would be the course of
over 50 people that died.

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Now we would have called
malpractice practice after the first

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couple.

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We would have said this guy
doesn't know what he's doing.

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He is failing.

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Now I really shouldn't say
this one because my mother in law

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is going to fly out here this afternoon.

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But airlines safely transport
millions of passengers every day.

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But even if 1% of the flights
crashed, thousands of people would

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die every day.

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A 99.99% success rate with the
airlines would mean that out of every

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10,000 flights, over 100,000
commercial flights operating each

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day, 10 plane crashes would
happen every single day.

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Thousands of people would be
dying from plane crashes.

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Would you fly anymore?

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No.

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You want 100%?

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We understand that in some
areas almost right is not good enough.

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The question to this is what
is acceptable to a holy perfect God

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when it comes to our sin?

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Do good works, our efforts, or
our sincerity make us acceptable

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before him?

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The answer to that is no.

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99% almost right will cause
you to get almost heaven and then

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fall straight down to hell.

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So 99% is not good enough.

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Even if our works were able to
do that, we fall infinitely short

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of his perfect standard.

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Only Christ makes us acceptable.

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And that is why we need Christ
and why Paul urges believers in light

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of God's mercy to present
their body, that living sacrifice.

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I present you.

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I beseech you brother, present
by the mercies of God.

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So Christians, God desires
commitment and as Paul puts it, the

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mercy of God.

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Because of that, because of
him bringing into you're his family.

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The question that we pose to
you this morning is, is your sacrifice

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acceptable to God?

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And in some ways, some people
in this room may be holding on to

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their sin, to where they are
hoping that that 99% will get them

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to God or in God's favor, to
where they can go to heaven or have

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a a time where they miss hell.

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And yet they're holding on to
a 99%, a false security.

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Even if it was 99.99 a false
security that I think everything

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will be okay.

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Now turn in your Bibles to
Leviticus chapter 2.

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Because I want to go back to
the Old Testament and I want to go

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to a passage of scripture that
in the Old Testament it begins to

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describe what this sacrifice
would do.

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It says In Leviticus chapter
2, verse number 13 is where we get

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this.

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It says in Leviticus chapter 2
and every ablation of thy meat offering

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shalt thou season with salt.

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Neither shalt thou suffer the
salt of the covenant of thy God to

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be lacking from thy meat offering.

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With all thine offerings, thou
shalt offer salt.

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So immediately, whenever you
come to these three statements in

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Mark chapter nine, and just
lucky for me, these are by commentators,

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supposed to be some of the
most difficult verses to actually

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explain these last three
little statements.

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We get three separate
statements that we'll talk about,

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but salt is involved in every
single one of them.

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Some of them can be explained
in similar terms, but all three of

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them are going to be slightly
talking about something different.

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But what is the purpose of salt?

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So any good research as you
start looking up salt, or maybe you

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get a reference and you start
getting into your concordance of

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where does salt come in?

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Why is salt being talked about here?

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Why is Jesus mentioning salt?

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Why are Christians supposed to
be the salt of the earth?

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What is the purpose of salt?

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We get Leviticus chapter 2,
verse 13 immediately.

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It's talking about in the
context of the sacrifices.

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In Numbers chapter 18, it
says, all the heave offerings, the

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holy things with the children
of Israel offer unto the Lord have

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I given thee, and the sons and
the daughters with thee by statute

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forever.

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It is a covenant of salt forever.

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For the Lord unto thee, and to
thy seed with thee.

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Second Chronicles, chapter 13.

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Ought you not to know that the
Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom

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over Israel to David forever,
even to him and his sons, by a covenant

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of salt.

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In Ezekiel, it talks about the
salt for the offerings, for the heave

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offerings, for how they are to
bring these peace offerings you shall

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sprinkle and cast them with salt.

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They shall offer them up to
the burnt offering unto the Lord.

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Shall not let the salt be lacking.

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Salt, salt, salt.

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What is the significance of salt?

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Why was it an important part
of the offerings and sacrifices that

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Israel was supposed to offer?

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Well, number one, it's a
symbol of purity and cleansing.

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But lasting, perpetual and
unending is also part of that.

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But you look here in our
verse, In Leviticus, chapter 2, we

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see here three separate times
the same idea being presented.

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Offerings shall be seasoned
with salt.

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Don't let the salt be lacking.

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All thine offerings, thou
shalt offer salt.

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00:14:16,550 --> 00:14:20,120
God repeats this phrase three
separate times.

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00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,920
And so we get this idea of,
number one, purity and cleansing

248
00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:25,560
from salt.

249
00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:32,040
And what it naturally does,
endurance and perseverance keeps

250
00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:32,920
preserves.

251
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,840
And then the value and the
cost, number one is purity.

252
00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:38,360
Salt is pure.

253
00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:40,840
It has a very pure compound.

254
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,040
It has a cleansing compound.

255
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,700
I remember one time, time we
were out on a boat in the, the sea

256
00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:53,340
down in Florida, and we hit a
big wave and we, me and my dad were

257
00:14:53,340 --> 00:14:54,380
sitting at the front of the boat.

258
00:14:54,380 --> 00:14:57,700
We crashed onto the floor of
the, the, the boat.

259
00:14:57,940 --> 00:15:02,020
And that boat had a rough
texture to, you know, help with grip.

260
00:15:02,420 --> 00:15:06,020
And on my dad's knee, it, it
gripped the skin.

261
00:15:06,980 --> 00:15:11,460
Nice good little ripping of
the skin, Just, just great.

262
00:15:11,740 --> 00:15:15,340
And I remember my dad, he took
his shirt dipped in the salt water,

263
00:15:15,340 --> 00:15:18,380
trying to cleanse and purify
that wound.

264
00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:20,220
He put that on there.

265
00:15:21,900 --> 00:15:23,260
You just feel the pain.

266
00:15:23,660 --> 00:15:24,220
Salt.

267
00:15:24,540 --> 00:15:27,979
Ever had a gargle with salt
water with a sore in your mouth?

268
00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:29,740
Salt cleanses.

269
00:15:29,740 --> 00:15:33,820
They would put salt on newborn
babes to cleanse them as they came

270
00:15:33,820 --> 00:15:34,620
from the womb.

271
00:15:34,940 --> 00:15:37,500
So salt and its purity, salt purifies.

272
00:15:37,870 --> 00:15:40,430
Number two, what else does
salt do is it endures.

273
00:15:40,990 --> 00:15:44,190
All of us have had beef jerky,
yeah, that's made with lots of salt.

274
00:15:44,990 --> 00:15:46,670
Lots and lots and lots of salt.

275
00:15:46,670 --> 00:15:50,910
Salt has something that in it,
that purifies, that cleanses, that

276
00:15:51,230 --> 00:15:53,790
it does and preserves meat.

277
00:15:54,350 --> 00:15:57,390
Without it, meat will spoil
and go rotten and go bad.

278
00:15:57,710 --> 00:16:00,830
But then lastly, its value and cost.

279
00:16:01,150 --> 00:16:03,550
Now, the salt that you have
today, that you probably have on

280
00:16:03,550 --> 00:16:06,940
your counter, it's not real
salt, I hate to break that to you.

281
00:16:07,100 --> 00:16:10,540
It lacks all the minerals and
all the good things that salt really

282
00:16:10,540 --> 00:16:11,900
would have had in it.

283
00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:13,300
Salt was mine.

284
00:16:13,300 --> 00:16:15,100
Salt comes obviously from seawater.

285
00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:19,220
Even the Sea salt that you buy
at the store is not always fully

286
00:16:19,220 --> 00:16:20,539
pure of the minerals.

287
00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:23,580
That's a different story for a
different day.

288
00:16:23,900 --> 00:16:30,180
Salt, though, was a commodity
that was hard to get.

289
00:16:30,180 --> 00:16:31,980
It was not bought at the
grocery store.

290
00:16:32,330 --> 00:16:33,290
It was mined.

291
00:16:33,370 --> 00:16:35,690
It was harvested from the seawater.

292
00:16:36,010 --> 00:16:38,170
Diligent care had to be taken.

293
00:16:38,330 --> 00:16:39,370
It was valuable.

294
00:16:39,370 --> 00:16:41,450
And not everyone had salt.

295
00:16:41,690 --> 00:16:44,010
Can you imagine your meals
without salt?

296
00:16:44,810 --> 00:16:46,970
Saul spoke of friendship.

297
00:16:47,610 --> 00:16:48,010
Why?

298
00:16:48,890 --> 00:16:49,930
Because it's expensive.

299
00:16:50,010 --> 00:16:52,610
And if you don't like that
person and call them your friend,

300
00:16:52,610 --> 00:16:54,250
you're not giving them your salt.

301
00:16:54,970 --> 00:16:57,730
They come to your house and
you're not really that keen on them.

302
00:16:57,730 --> 00:17:02,740
No salt for you, Saul was too
expensive for people that you would

303
00:17:02,740 --> 00:17:03,740
not call your friends.

304
00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:08,820
So, Zach, he said that once
you had eaten a person's salt, you

305
00:17:08,820 --> 00:17:11,300
were his friend for life
because he didn't give that stuff

306
00:17:11,300 --> 00:17:12,300
away lightly.

307
00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:17,380
So God wanted every sacrifice
to be a reminder of covenant, to

308
00:17:17,380 --> 00:17:19,580
be a reminder of relationship.

309
00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:23,140
It was a sign of the covenant.

310
00:17:23,140 --> 00:17:28,149
There in numbers, chapter 18,
salt sealed the agreement.

311
00:17:29,509 --> 00:17:32,509
The salt of the covenant of
your God.

312
00:17:32,509 --> 00:17:36,949
Therefore, that covenant and
its characteristics was a pure covenant.

313
00:17:37,109 --> 00:17:41,989
It was an enduring covenant,
and then it was a valuable covenant.

314
00:17:42,389 --> 00:17:46,629
You think about the way that
we put value, endurance and purity

315
00:17:46,789 --> 00:17:47,909
on marriages.

316
00:17:48,469 --> 00:17:49,669
Why have a wedding ring?

317
00:17:49,909 --> 00:17:54,090
You have wedding rings, and
what does that symbolize?

318
00:17:54,090 --> 00:17:57,650
Well, it symbolizes your
marriage that it's pure, that it's

319
00:17:57,650 --> 00:17:59,410
enduring, it's going to last.

320
00:18:00,530 --> 00:18:04,970
You only use precious stones
and precious meter metals to make

321
00:18:04,970 --> 00:18:08,810
a wedding band because you
want that thing to last forever as

322
00:18:08,810 --> 00:18:11,890
the continual reminder of what
that means.

323
00:18:12,850 --> 00:18:17,290
So the covenant of the salt
meant the imperishableness and the

324
00:18:17,290 --> 00:18:24,200
irrevocable of the engagement
made between two parties to the covenant.

325
00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,920
That's what God wanted the
salt to represent.

326
00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:29,720
Then we come to the New Testament.

327
00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:37,720
The New Testament we are the
sacrifices, as is in Romans, chapter

328
00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:42,840
12 and here in your verse and
chapters of Mark, chapter nine.

329
00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:48,390
We have the understanding of a
few different points that I want

330
00:18:48,390 --> 00:18:54,270
to look at our covenant with
God, though, as a precious sacrifice,

331
00:18:54,270 --> 00:18:58,830
as a living sacrifice, should
be number one, worth something.

332
00:19:00,109 --> 00:19:01,310
It should be worth something.

333
00:19:02,030 --> 00:19:03,550
Number two, it should be pure.

334
00:19:03,630 --> 00:19:05,230
Number three, it should be lasting.

335
00:19:05,470 --> 00:19:07,230
And all that we give to God.

336
00:19:07,630 --> 00:19:11,860
When we look here in Mark,
chapter 9, verse 43 through 50, we

337
00:19:11,860 --> 00:19:13,740
see a few different statements.

338
00:19:14,540 --> 00:19:22,540
Back in the very first verses,
we see God's drastic measure to escape

339
00:19:22,700 --> 00:19:23,180
hell.

340
00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:27,979
We see at all cost, leave
everything to escape hell.

341
00:19:28,220 --> 00:19:29,980
So this is a call to sinners.

342
00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:34,860
This is a call to those who
have not the blood of Jesus Christ.

343
00:19:34,940 --> 00:19:37,020
Washing and cleansing them
from their sin.

344
00:19:37,670 --> 00:19:43,830
This is a call to those who
are not leaving their sin behind

345
00:19:44,230 --> 00:19:46,830
to have the relationship with
Christ, because that's really what

346
00:19:46,830 --> 00:19:47,270
it is.

347
00:19:48,550 --> 00:19:51,350
The battle is not do I want to
go to heaven or hell?

348
00:19:51,430 --> 00:19:55,110
The battle is, do I want my
sin or do I want Jesus?

349
00:19:55,990 --> 00:19:58,710
It's choosing Jesus over our sin.

350
00:19:58,950 --> 00:20:04,070
And Jesus in these verses is
constantly trying to paint this picture

351
00:20:04,590 --> 00:20:08,910
of get away from your sin at
all cost.

352
00:20:09,790 --> 00:20:15,870
And he goes into drastic
measures to try to help us to understand

353
00:20:16,750 --> 00:20:20,910
what we should be willing to
give up to forsake sin.

354
00:20:21,390 --> 00:20:26,470
Now, Jesus is not per se
calling us to mutilate our flesh

355
00:20:26,470 --> 00:20:26,830
here.

356
00:20:27,230 --> 00:20:29,630
This is not a call to go and
cut your arm off.

357
00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:31,960
It is not a call to beat
yourself daily.

358
00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:37,320
To purge yourself from sin is
not a cause, a call for you to take

359
00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:37,720
your.

360
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,200
Your arm and chop it off
because it's causing you to sin.

361
00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,480
But it is to drive home a point.

362
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:49,160
If this is the case, if your
hand causes you to sin, if your foot

363
00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,640
causes you to sin, if your eye
causes you to sin, it really would

364
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,680
be better to cut the thing off
than to allow it to drag you into

365
00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:02,780
hell, because hell is to be
avoided at all costs, whatever it

366
00:21:02,780 --> 00:21:03,300
takes.

367
00:21:03,460 --> 00:21:09,260
The seriousness of the fire,
the seriousness of the judgment of

368
00:21:09,260 --> 00:21:16,020
the God of God, we then see in
verse number 49, every one, everyone

369
00:21:16,740 --> 00:21:18,660
is to be salted with fire.

370
00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:23,460
And that means that's the
unsaved and the saved alike.

371
00:21:23,870 --> 00:21:25,310
But then how are those two
things different?

372
00:21:25,950 --> 00:21:29,630
And then we see that
Christians are to be salted with

373
00:21:29,630 --> 00:21:30,110
salt.

374
00:21:30,350 --> 00:21:32,750
Sacrifices to God are salted
with salt.

375
00:21:32,990 --> 00:21:35,310
We see salt can lose its saltness.

376
00:21:36,030 --> 00:21:38,910
We see it can become good for nothing.

377
00:21:39,469 --> 00:21:42,190
And then we see Jesus command
to have salt.

378
00:21:42,270 --> 00:21:47,390
The salty salt, the salt that
Jesus commands us to have is in ourselves.

379
00:21:47,870 --> 00:21:52,660
And this salt in ourselves
does something to the world, but

380
00:21:52,660 --> 00:21:56,060
it also does something between
you and I as Christians, brothers

381
00:21:56,060 --> 00:21:57,180
and sisters in Christ.

382
00:21:57,500 --> 00:21:58,540
It brings peace.

383
00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:01,500
A salty Christian brings peace.

384
00:22:01,660 --> 00:22:05,100
Therefore, what is salty Christianity?

385
00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:11,140
What is salty Christianity or
salt Christianity?

386
00:22:11,140 --> 00:22:12,460
That got tied there wrong.

387
00:22:12,860 --> 00:22:13,460
Number one.

388
00:22:13,460 --> 00:22:15,260
We can say it in five
different things here.

389
00:22:15,340 --> 00:22:16,700
Number one, we get from this.

390
00:22:16,700 --> 00:22:21,970
Repentant, Repentant in
trials, repentant Christians.

391
00:22:21,970 --> 00:22:23,890
That makes a salty Christian.

392
00:22:24,210 --> 00:22:29,810
In James chapter one, we
understand that we have to have that

393
00:22:29,890 --> 00:22:31,330
repentance in our life.

394
00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:32,850
We have to be.

395
00:22:33,010 --> 00:22:36,850
I'm sorry, patient, impatient
in trials in Christianity, James,

396
00:22:36,850 --> 00:22:39,250
chapter one, we have to have
that patience.

397
00:22:39,810 --> 00:22:41,010
What does James says?

398
00:22:41,250 --> 00:22:43,250
Let patience have her perfect work.

399
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,640
Be patient about the trials
and the fires that would come into

400
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,920
your Life number two Repentant.

401
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:51,520
There it is in heart and Christianity.

402
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:52,560
Psalm chapter 51.

403
00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:57,600
What does God desire over
sacrifices of repentant and a contrite

404
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,080
heart is what God desires.

405
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:05,680
Having that attitude of being
pure and clean in God's eyes.

406
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,400
Keeping a short account on sin.

407
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:09,440
Number two.

408
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:10,160
Number three.

409
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:16,170
Sin steadfast persevering in
faith and Christianity.

410
00:23:17,130 --> 00:23:20,970
My beloved, think it not
strange the fiery trial that comes

411
00:23:20,970 --> 00:23:21,250
about?

412
00:23:21,250 --> 00:23:26,809
You therefore persevere
through those trials.

413
00:23:27,770 --> 00:23:30,490
Persevere through the fire
that may come.

414
00:23:30,490 --> 00:23:34,010
It's interesting how many
people talk about fire coming into

415
00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:35,930
the life of Christians.

416
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:38,240
Fire hurts.

417
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,960
Fire is destruction.

418
00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:42,800
Fire consume.

419
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:48,200
We are to be spirit filled
Christians as Galatians chapter 5,

420
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:53,760
verse 25 tells us that we are
to be Christians that are spirit

421
00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:54,240
led.

422
00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:59,760
Ephesians chapter 5 tells us
this to be filled with the Spirit,

423
00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,240
led by the Spirit.

424
00:24:03,090 --> 00:24:05,170
And then lastly peacemaking Christians.

425
00:24:05,970 --> 00:24:07,650
We are to have peace with one another.

426
00:24:07,970 --> 00:24:11,890
There is nothing that tears up
the body of Christ and believers

427
00:24:12,050 --> 00:24:13,810
like disunity.

428
00:24:13,810 --> 00:24:15,410
This is the reason why Jesus prays.

429
00:24:15,810 --> 00:24:20,530
In John chapter 17 does a
whole prayer dedicated to God.

430
00:24:20,530 --> 00:24:22,130
Let them be one.

431
00:24:22,450 --> 00:24:22,850
Why?

432
00:24:23,010 --> 00:24:25,490
Because disunity breaks up the
body of Christ.

433
00:24:26,130 --> 00:24:30,380
Salty Christians, Seasoned Christians.

434
00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:35,620
They are Christians who have
been through the fires of life, who

435
00:24:35,620 --> 00:24:40,380
have come to be conformed to
the image of Christ and who are exhibiting.

436
00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:46,940
Exhibiting Christ like
behavior, Christlike behavior that

437
00:24:46,940 --> 00:24:51,020
allows the body of believers
to work together.

438
00:24:51,900 --> 00:24:53,820
Mature believers in the faith.

439
00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:59,280
Mature Christians able to go
through storms with still peace in

440
00:24:59,280 --> 00:24:59,800
their life.

441
00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:06,040
Able to teach and disciple
other Christians to become more mature

442
00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:06,920
in their faith.

443
00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:12,280
And then we come to that great
understanding of everyone shall be

444
00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:13,880
salted with fire.

445
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:15,880
The two fires.

446
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,120
And there's two different
fires here because one fire consumes

447
00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:24,400
and that's the judgment and
then the other is for the fire that

448
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,640
refines, that is sanctification.

449
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:27,680
The fire.

450
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:31,040
In the life of the unsaved and
in the life of Christians.

451
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,040
You have number one, the fire
that is judgment.

452
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,240
This is that destructive fire.

453
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:43,360
So everyone will be salted
with fire.

454
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:45,040
Everyone.

455
00:25:46,410 --> 00:25:49,610
It's just what fire is that
going to be in your life?

456
00:25:49,930 --> 00:25:54,930
Is it going to be the fire
that consumes you utterly in the

457
00:25:54,930 --> 00:25:56,250
life of the unsaved?

458
00:25:56,650 --> 00:25:58,250
That is what that fire is.

459
00:25:58,490 --> 00:26:00,250
It is a destructive fire.

460
00:26:00,570 --> 00:26:02,010
It is the fire of hell.

461
00:26:02,410 --> 00:26:04,250
Everyone will be salted with fire.

462
00:26:04,490 --> 00:26:06,170
In the life of the Christian.

463
00:26:06,410 --> 00:26:11,170
It is the fire that refine,
not intending to burn you up and

464
00:26:11,170 --> 00:26:16,790
consume you, but rather to
consume the dross that comes around

465
00:26:17,030 --> 00:26:21,750
the precious or the precious
metal so that that can be revealed.

466
00:26:22,550 --> 00:26:28,029
But as we look at this, we
have to understand, number one, there

467
00:26:28,029 --> 00:26:30,390
is the fire that consumes the loss.

468
00:26:31,110 --> 00:26:37,030
Those who are destined because
of their sin, they are on that path

469
00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:38,560
to hell.

470
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:45,480
There is that great truth that
if we die without Christ, we are

471
00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:46,960
on our way to hell.

472
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,280
Christ is the lifeboat.

473
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,840
Christ is the salvation of the world.

474
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:53,520
Calling out to sinners.

475
00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:54,800
Cut it off.

476
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:56,640
Escape hell.

477
00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,920
Do all you can follow after Christ.

478
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:05,020
Choose Christ rather than your
sin, because that is the only sane

479
00:27:05,020 --> 00:27:05,820
thing to do.

480
00:27:07,020 --> 00:27:11,060
That great saying of John the
Baptist, In Luke chapter three, verses

481
00:27:11,060 --> 00:27:16,940
17, he says in precisely
similar fashion to this burning up

482
00:27:17,020 --> 00:27:18,860
and this salting of fire.

483
00:27:19,020 --> 00:27:22,980
He set side by side 2
conceptions of the chaff and the

484
00:27:22,980 --> 00:27:23,260
wheat.

485
00:27:23,260 --> 00:27:25,900
How many of you are familiar
with that in Luke chapter three?

486
00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:27,260
Go there in your Bibles.

487
00:27:27,260 --> 00:27:29,100
Luke chapter three and verse
number 17.

488
00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,000
Luke chapter 3 and verse 17.

489
00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:44,400
It says in Luke chapter 3,
John the Baptist answering, preaching

490
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,680
that hellfire sermon, if you will.

491
00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:50,080
He was a rough preacher.

492
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,040
He was a. I'm not holding
anything back preacher.

493
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:57,200
He was the axes laid up
against the roots of the tree.

494
00:27:57,650 --> 00:27:59,130
He was preaching it like it was.

495
00:27:59,130 --> 00:28:02,290
He was calling for repentance,
that people would change.

496
00:28:03,090 --> 00:28:06,610
He said, John answered, saying
unto them, I indeed baptize you with

497
00:28:06,610 --> 00:28:06,930
water.

498
00:28:07,170 --> 00:28:10,690
But one mightier than I cometh
the latchet of whose shoes I am not

499
00:28:10,690 --> 00:28:11,890
worthy to unloose.

500
00:28:12,610 --> 00:28:18,130
He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire, whose fan

501
00:28:18,130 --> 00:28:18,930
is in his hand.

502
00:28:18,930 --> 00:28:22,090
And he will thoroughly purge
his floor, and he will gather the

503
00:28:22,090 --> 00:28:23,330
wheat into his garner.

504
00:28:23,540 --> 00:28:26,900
But the chaff he will burn
with unquenchable fire.

505
00:28:27,220 --> 00:28:31,540
And that's what we see here,
that gathering of the wheat, that

506
00:28:31,700 --> 00:28:32,860
picking up the whole.

507
00:28:32,860 --> 00:28:37,380
The whole grain stuff, the
heavy stuff, and allowing that light

508
00:28:37,380 --> 00:28:42,660
chaff to fall out so that it
gets blown over to the side, that

509
00:28:42,660 --> 00:28:46,420
all that remains is the good stuff.

510
00:28:46,900 --> 00:28:50,420
So imagine that farmer just
harvesting that field of wheat.

511
00:28:50,910 --> 00:28:53,390
He has to separate the wheat
from the chaff because the chaff

512
00:28:53,390 --> 00:28:54,030
is no good.

513
00:28:54,670 --> 00:28:59,470
And this is the exact example
that John the Baptist uses in referring

514
00:28:59,710 --> 00:29:01,310
to believers.

515
00:29:01,710 --> 00:29:09,510
The wheat unbelievers the
chaff, just as the heavy wheat kernels

516
00:29:09,510 --> 00:29:10,510
would be falling behind.

517
00:29:10,830 --> 00:29:17,130
The chaff being useless,
unwanted, good for nothing.

518
00:29:17,450 --> 00:29:19,450
It's thrown into the fire to
be burned.

519
00:29:20,170 --> 00:29:24,210
You remember the parable of
the wheat and the tears, the enemy.

520
00:29:24,210 --> 00:29:26,330
It's like one of my favorite
parables, the wheat and the tears.

521
00:29:26,490 --> 00:29:28,170
Enemy comes in through the night.

522
00:29:28,410 --> 00:29:31,690
Plants in this guy's garden, weeds.

523
00:29:33,050 --> 00:29:35,530
This is some petty, petty stuff.

524
00:29:35,850 --> 00:29:38,090
Like, you really got to hate
someone to do this.

525
00:29:38,170 --> 00:29:41,130
He Plants weeds in the dude's garden.

526
00:29:42,180 --> 00:29:43,220
This grows up.

527
00:29:43,860 --> 00:29:46,300
And the servants said.

528
00:29:46,300 --> 00:29:47,020
And he said, we.

529
00:29:47,020 --> 00:29:49,380
I know we didn't plant this
bad stuff.

530
00:29:49,380 --> 00:29:50,780
We planted good things.

531
00:29:50,780 --> 00:29:52,420
This is an enemy have done this.

532
00:29:52,980 --> 00:29:54,580
An enemy has done this.

533
00:29:55,460 --> 00:29:56,340
What do we do?

534
00:29:56,660 --> 00:29:57,460
Believe it.

535
00:29:57,540 --> 00:29:59,940
If we rip up the tares and it'll.

536
00:29:59,940 --> 00:30:01,620
It'll rip out the wheat as well.

537
00:30:02,340 --> 00:30:03,940
Whenever it all comes to harvest.

538
00:30:04,260 --> 00:30:08,220
Yeah, it'll be a smaller
harvest, possibly because the tares

539
00:30:08,220 --> 00:30:09,060
will take from it.

540
00:30:09,870 --> 00:30:11,630
But we will save the wheat.

541
00:30:12,270 --> 00:30:15,470
And whenever that happens,
we'll gather up the wheat and the

542
00:30:15,470 --> 00:30:16,830
tares separate.

543
00:30:17,230 --> 00:30:20,470
The wheat will go into my
barn, and the tares will burn with

544
00:30:20,470 --> 00:30:21,390
unquenchable fire.

545
00:30:22,110 --> 00:30:25,230
In the same way, John
describes Jesus as one who will baptize

546
00:30:25,550 --> 00:30:26,750
with the Holy Spirit.

547
00:30:26,750 --> 00:30:31,030
And with fire, the Holy Spirit
purges and cleanses us, separating

548
00:30:31,030 --> 00:30:34,990
the good from the bad, just as
the farmer separates the wheat from

549
00:30:34,990 --> 00:30:35,470
the chaff.

550
00:30:36,090 --> 00:30:42,330
The fire symbolizes judgment
and purification, separating true

551
00:30:42,570 --> 00:30:48,250
followers of Jesus from those
who would only give lip service.

552
00:30:49,130 --> 00:30:50,170
That is the difference.

553
00:30:51,210 --> 00:30:54,330
You know, everybody's going to
heaven in the South.

554
00:30:54,330 --> 00:30:55,370
Y' all know that, right?

555
00:30:56,330 --> 00:30:57,690
Everybody's going to heaven.

556
00:30:57,690 --> 00:30:58,730
We all go to church.

557
00:30:58,730 --> 00:30:59,690
Mama made us.

558
00:31:00,090 --> 00:31:03,950
And we all go to Sunday
service and we go home.

559
00:31:03,950 --> 00:31:04,350
And.

560
00:31:04,350 --> 00:31:06,950
And because of that, we're all
going to heaven because we're all

561
00:31:06,950 --> 00:31:07,310
saved.

562
00:31:07,310 --> 00:31:08,150
We're all Christians.

563
00:31:08,150 --> 00:31:09,550
We all believe in Jesus.

564
00:31:10,110 --> 00:31:11,550
Everybody's a Christian.

565
00:31:12,750 --> 00:31:13,710
Is that the truth?

566
00:31:15,390 --> 00:31:19,590
After many Satans, the
disciples came to the understanding

567
00:31:19,590 --> 00:31:25,230
and asked the question, Jesus,
are there few that be saved?

568
00:31:26,270 --> 00:31:27,470
And the answer was yes.

569
00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:33,640
Not everyone who says to me,
lord, Lord knows I know.

570
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:40,600
Not everyone who calls upon my
name saying they believe the Holy

571
00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:46,040
Spirit is the one who does
that work in the life of a person

572
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:48,360
so that they can be saved.

573
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,520
They are wooed by the calling
of the Holy Spirit.

574
00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,950
And without God the Father
calling out to them, wooing their

575
00:31:55,950 --> 00:31:58,550
heart, they have no option to
get saved.

576
00:31:59,030 --> 00:31:59,910
They will not.

577
00:31:59,990 --> 00:32:01,350
They hate God.

578
00:32:01,590 --> 00:32:03,350
There is none that do with good.

579
00:32:03,750 --> 00:32:05,030
No, not one.

580
00:32:06,310 --> 00:32:09,030
God has to call out to man.

581
00:32:09,350 --> 00:32:11,670
And he does this graciously
with the cross.

582
00:32:12,310 --> 00:32:16,070
All of man can see the cross
lifted up.

583
00:32:16,630 --> 00:32:24,080
Yet the rejection sometimes is
so magnificent and terrible that

584
00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:25,440
becomes the chaff.

585
00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:33,120
To choose in these few sayings
here, to choose to keep our sin because

586
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:39,520
it's fun or it's pleasurable,
or it feels good and be cast into

587
00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:44,720
hell is a suicide fool is what
it is.

588
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:46,660
The.

589
00:32:46,730 --> 00:32:49,930
The fire symbolizes judgment
and purification separating the true

590
00:32:49,930 --> 00:32:50,490
followers.

591
00:32:51,130 --> 00:32:54,650
Then we come to the fire of
purification for the saved.

592
00:32:55,610 --> 00:33:00,250
The fire of purification the
refining of the saints.

593
00:33:00,650 --> 00:33:04,570
You see, you and I are saved
as Christians.

594
00:33:04,730 --> 00:33:08,970
We are absolutely accepted
into the family of God.

595
00:33:09,690 --> 00:33:11,130
That is a wonderful thing.

596
00:33:11,690 --> 00:33:15,130
And there are certain things
that at the moment of salvation that

597
00:33:15,130 --> 00:33:20,010
God immediately does in your
life, but there's still a lot of

598
00:33:20,010 --> 00:33:22,330
refining that comes afterwards.

599
00:33:22,810 --> 00:33:24,170
We know we're not perfect.

600
00:33:24,410 --> 00:33:26,810
We know that we don't look
like Christ.

601
00:33:27,130 --> 00:33:31,690
We know that we don't exhibit
Christlike behavior all the time.

602
00:33:31,930 --> 00:33:34,930
We know the fruit of the
Spirit doesn't always come out of

603
00:33:34,930 --> 00:33:37,050
us when we are squeezed in
this life.

604
00:33:38,170 --> 00:33:40,980
And so there's a refining that
that has to be done.

605
00:33:41,780 --> 00:33:44,900
The fire of purification in
the life of the saints.

606
00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:48,100
I beseech you, therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God,

607
00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:52,660
that you present your bodies,
living, sacrifice, holy, acceptable

608
00:33:52,740 --> 00:33:57,580
unto God, which is your
reasonable service, and be not conformed

609
00:33:57,580 --> 00:34:00,460
to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your

610
00:34:00,460 --> 00:34:00,620
mind.

611
00:34:00,620 --> 00:34:03,660
That you may prove what is
that good, acceptable, and perfect

612
00:34:03,660 --> 00:34:04,660
will of God.

613
00:34:04,820 --> 00:34:09,960
That you may prove what is the
good, perfect and acceptable of God.

614
00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,840
You cannot prove what is the
good, perfect and acceptable will

615
00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,160
of God until you are transformed.

616
00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,880
That sacrifice has to be refined.

617
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:27,760
We as Christians should then
therefore desire to be before our

618
00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:29,800
God a living sacrifice.

619
00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:36,110
And that living sacrifice, we
have to understand, is very precious

620
00:34:36,110 --> 00:34:36,910
to our God.

621
00:34:37,150 --> 00:34:43,750
And what he wants is a
sacrifice that is salted well, a

622
00:34:43,750 --> 00:34:51,230
sacrifice that has been
through the refining of the fire

623
00:34:51,630 --> 00:34:58,600
of life, of discipline, of
persecution, of trials, of.

624
00:34:58,750 --> 00:35:03,790
Of hardships, because it is
better reflecting of our Savior.

625
00:35:04,190 --> 00:35:10,990
It conforms us to our Savior
seasoned with salt.

626
00:35:11,390 --> 00:35:14,350
That salt is hard times.

627
00:35:14,350 --> 00:35:15,390
It's roughness.

628
00:35:16,110 --> 00:35:19,870
It's going through trials,
roughness in our life that would

629
00:35:19,870 --> 00:35:20,910
bring us to our needs.

630
00:35:21,390 --> 00:35:27,030
Times in our life where
patience breaks moment by moment.

631
00:35:28,390 --> 00:35:33,550
Our journey out of Egypt, it
seemed like to come over here, that

632
00:35:33,550 --> 00:35:34,510
was some patient.

633
00:35:34,510 --> 00:35:37,830
Okay, that was moments of God.

634
00:35:37,910 --> 00:35:40,949
I know you can do this, God,
you can't do this.

635
00:35:40,949 --> 00:35:41,310
This is.

636
00:35:41,310 --> 00:35:42,150
This is impossible.

637
00:35:42,150 --> 00:35:44,470
They've just made the game
completely, much harder.

638
00:35:44,710 --> 00:35:45,750
A few moments later.

639
00:35:46,230 --> 00:35:47,390
All right, God can do this.

640
00:35:47,390 --> 00:35:48,150
I know he can.

641
00:35:48,390 --> 00:35:48,830
Wow.

642
00:35:48,830 --> 00:35:50,550
I've seen God work in my life before.

643
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,080
I've seen him do this.

644
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:54,640
All right, God's got this.

645
00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:57,520
Oh, there's another email from
the realtor saying that they want

646
00:35:57,520 --> 00:35:59,120
something different that we
can't give them.

647
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,360
I mean, it was just an up and
down roller coaster we had at one

648
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:03,680
point.

649
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:08,240
Everything was good and in the
clear, and we were thinking ourselves,

650
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,480
all right, we're good.

651
00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:11,520
We've got.

652
00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:12,400
We've got this.

653
00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,720
The Lord has opened the way
start praising and shouting.

654
00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:19,610
And then all of a sudden the
realtor emailed us back and said,

655
00:36:19,850 --> 00:36:21,250
oh, there was a mistake.

656
00:36:21,250 --> 00:36:24,330
The person false alarm, gave
us the wrong email.

657
00:36:24,410 --> 00:36:26,890
And the person was like,
sorry, I put my foot in my mouth

658
00:36:26,890 --> 00:36:28,490
and I spoke too soon.

659
00:36:28,570 --> 00:36:31,010
They're actually wanting you
to do something else.

660
00:36:31,010 --> 00:36:32,490
That is absolutely ridiculous.

661
00:36:32,650 --> 00:36:37,050
And it was like, wow, now
what's happening?

662
00:36:38,090 --> 00:36:39,610
What's, what's going to happen now?

663
00:36:41,290 --> 00:36:44,700
That's what life is on the
edge of your seat.

664
00:36:44,700 --> 00:36:47,740
The patience, the wearing thin.

665
00:36:47,980 --> 00:36:49,500
The places where you believe.

666
00:36:50,140 --> 00:36:54,460
All the world hates me and my
friends hate me.

667
00:36:54,780 --> 00:36:57,860
Those who I would call my
brothers and sisters in Christ are

668
00:36:57,860 --> 00:36:58,939
doing me harm.

669
00:36:59,820 --> 00:37:01,660
Where's the unity at God?

670
00:37:01,740 --> 00:37:02,860
Where is the peace?

671
00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:05,820
Lord, where are you?

672
00:37:07,820 --> 00:37:09,350
Where, where is my advocate?

673
00:37:11,430 --> 00:37:14,550
Where is my comfort from you, God?

674
00:37:14,950 --> 00:37:17,590
Are you fighting for me
through this?

675
00:37:17,830 --> 00:37:19,990
Are you seeing what I'm going through?

676
00:37:20,470 --> 00:37:22,070
Are you working on my behalf?

677
00:37:22,070 --> 00:37:23,430
It's all of those questions.

678
00:37:23,510 --> 00:37:27,030
It is the struggle with God,
if you will.

679
00:37:28,870 --> 00:37:34,910
We though these things bring
us to our tears, though these things

680
00:37:34,910 --> 00:37:45,310
bring us to our knees, we
should desire God to have us and

681
00:37:45,310 --> 00:37:47,790
to use us as he would see fit.

682
00:37:48,830 --> 00:37:51,230
We should desire God to refine us.

683
00:37:52,190 --> 00:37:58,750
We should desire God to burn
away the draw so that our Savior

684
00:37:58,990 --> 00:38:02,630
can be shown in all the
fullness and the greatness of the

685
00:38:02,630 --> 00:38:03,590
work that he has done.

686
00:38:03,670 --> 00:38:08,310
We should desire to be
conformed to Jesus and show Christ

687
00:38:08,790 --> 00:38:12,790
at every turn of our life, no
matter what that means.

688
00:38:13,430 --> 00:38:16,070
And that means that we have to
go away.

689
00:38:16,070 --> 00:38:17,990
As John the Baptist said, he
must increase.

690
00:38:17,990 --> 00:38:21,030
I must decrease, but he must increase.

691
00:38:21,990 --> 00:38:27,050
And right now, as a Christian,
either as a new believer or as a

692
00:38:27,050 --> 00:38:31,250
baby Christian, or as a
Christian who is 20 years in their

693
00:38:31,250 --> 00:38:35,490
faith, or even as a seasoned,
mature believer, you still have flesh

694
00:38:35,810 --> 00:38:39,610
that covers up the image of
Christ, flesh that still gets in

695
00:38:39,610 --> 00:38:42,290
the way from showing all that
God has done for you.

696
00:38:43,250 --> 00:38:45,810
We do not desire the pain.

697
00:38:46,930 --> 00:38:51,090
We desire not the pain for
pain's sake.

698
00:38:51,650 --> 00:38:58,500
But we should desire whatever
God must use to make us useful to

699
00:38:58,740 --> 00:38:59,140
him.

700
00:38:59,700 --> 00:39:02,420
So this is not a call of God.

701
00:39:02,660 --> 00:39:05,700
Bring on the persecution, God.

702
00:39:05,940 --> 00:39:08,020
Bring on the pain in our life.

703
00:39:08,100 --> 00:39:11,900
I want some unexpected bill to
come that makes me have to trust

704
00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:12,420
in you.

705
00:39:12,420 --> 00:39:14,340
I want my house to burn down.

706
00:39:14,580 --> 00:39:18,100
I want my family to go into poverty.

707
00:39:18,580 --> 00:39:20,820
I want what Job had in his life.

708
00:39:20,820 --> 00:39:23,460
I don't think any one of us
are praying for the life of Job,

709
00:39:23,820 --> 00:39:24,300
okay?

710
00:39:24,860 --> 00:39:26,100
And neither should we.

711
00:39:26,100 --> 00:39:27,580
That is not what the call is.

712
00:39:27,740 --> 00:39:32,340
We are not praying that God
would literally take us to the bottom

713
00:39:32,340 --> 00:39:33,420
of Our breaking point.

714
00:39:34,620 --> 00:39:38,860
But there is a desire that God
would change us.

715
00:39:39,100 --> 00:39:41,340
The question is, how do you
think that's going to happen?

716
00:39:42,540 --> 00:39:46,140
How do you think you are going
to show love if you're never put

717
00:39:46,140 --> 00:39:48,380
into a position to actually
show love?

718
00:39:48,380 --> 00:39:53,140
And there's never an
inconvenient need for you to have

719
00:39:53,140 --> 00:39:55,100
to show what true love is?

720
00:39:55,980 --> 00:39:59,100
How do you think that you're
ever going to show patience or peace

721
00:39:59,180 --> 00:40:03,020
if you're never put into a
position where you actually have

722
00:40:03,020 --> 00:40:05,260
to show patience or peace?

723
00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:11,180
That annoying neighbor, that
annoying coworker that completely

724
00:40:11,260 --> 00:40:12,700
does their job wrong.

725
00:40:13,580 --> 00:40:15,660
That is an opportunity to show patience.

726
00:40:16,700 --> 00:40:20,590
That is an opportunity to show
gentleness, the fruit of the spirit,

727
00:40:20,590 --> 00:40:22,190
rather than the work of the flesh.

728
00:40:22,350 --> 00:40:23,150
Harshness.

729
00:40:24,430 --> 00:40:29,110
That is an opportunity that
the fruit of the spirit has to come

730
00:40:29,110 --> 00:40:29,390
out.

731
00:40:29,630 --> 00:40:33,430
Without those opportunities,
the fruit of the spirit can't come

732
00:40:33,430 --> 00:40:36,030
out with you just sitting in a
chair at home.

733
00:40:36,430 --> 00:40:41,030
You have to be put into
position for that squeezing, if you

734
00:40:41,030 --> 00:40:43,070
will, of the sponge to happen.

735
00:40:43,630 --> 00:40:47,880
And what is inside of you, the
work of the Holy Spirit, day in,

736
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:51,920
day out, before you get to
those circumstances, what is inside

737
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:57,360
of you when you are squeezed
by the trials of life, it then comes

738
00:40:57,360 --> 00:40:58,960
out in full.

739
00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:04,360
We don't desire pain for
pain's sake, but we desire to be

740
00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:05,440
useful to our God.

741
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,840
Psalm 119 said, it is good for
me that I've been afflicted.

742
00:41:11,050 --> 00:41:15,250
It is good for me that I've
been afflicted that I might learn

743
00:41:15,250 --> 00:41:16,090
thy Statutes.

744
00:41:16,490 --> 00:41:17,370
Verse 75.

745
00:41:17,370 --> 00:41:21,530
I know, O Lord, that thy
judgments are right, and that in

746
00:41:21,770 --> 00:41:29,210
Thou, that thou in thy
faithfulness hast afflicted me, beloved.

747
00:41:29,850 --> 00:41:34,530
Why you think it's strange,
think it not strange concerning the

748
00:41:34,530 --> 00:41:38,330
fiery trial which is to try
you as though some strange thing

749
00:41:38,490 --> 00:41:39,690
happened to us.

750
00:41:42,730 --> 00:41:46,810
You see, we do think it's
strange when persecution happens.

751
00:41:47,370 --> 00:41:51,690
We do think it's strange when
the fiery trials come into our life.

752
00:41:52,250 --> 00:41:53,530
Well, why did this happen?

753
00:41:55,210 --> 00:41:57,050
Why bad things happening?

754
00:41:57,130 --> 00:41:58,570
We think it's so strange.

755
00:41:58,570 --> 00:42:01,050
Why we're constantly praying
for peace.

756
00:42:01,450 --> 00:42:04,410
We're constantly praying not
the peace of the Holy Spirit.

757
00:42:04,580 --> 00:42:06,980
We're praying for peaceful,
calm circumstances.

758
00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:10,820
We're praying that nothing bad
would happen to us.

759
00:42:10,820 --> 00:42:12,220
We pray for traveling mercies.

760
00:42:12,220 --> 00:42:14,580
And I'm not saying that you
shouldn't be praying for these things,

761
00:42:14,660 --> 00:42:19,700
but we do pray that God would
keep us absolutely safe and secure,

762
00:42:20,020 --> 00:42:21,700
that nothing bad would happen.

763
00:42:22,180 --> 00:42:23,860
Protect my family, God.

764
00:42:24,020 --> 00:42:25,300
Protect my house.

765
00:42:25,540 --> 00:42:27,300
Protect my job.

766
00:42:27,460 --> 00:42:28,900
Protect me here.

767
00:42:28,980 --> 00:42:31,810
Put a hedge of protection
around me, God.

768
00:42:31,810 --> 00:42:33,530
Keep me from harm's way.

769
00:42:33,770 --> 00:42:37,650
Keep me out of the fire, keep
me from this, keep me from that.

770
00:42:37,650 --> 00:42:39,050
We're constantly doing that.

771
00:42:42,890 --> 00:42:45,090
Where's the opportunity for us
to grow, though?

772
00:42:45,090 --> 00:42:47,210
If that is constant prayer?

773
00:42:48,730 --> 00:42:54,010
How are we to be conformed to
the image of Christ if there is never

774
00:42:54,090 --> 00:42:59,900
any opportunity for God to
squeeze us, us and make us and mold

775
00:42:59,900 --> 00:43:01,060
us into something else?

776
00:43:01,060 --> 00:43:05,940
Do you think if you're a piece
of clay and God takes your head and

777
00:43:05,940 --> 00:43:11,100
pops it off and puts it
somewhere else and molds you into

778
00:43:11,100 --> 00:43:14,780
something different or changes
some feature and presses on you,

779
00:43:14,780 --> 00:43:16,940
you think that that is painless?

780
00:43:18,540 --> 00:43:24,100
Do you think that it is gentle
and soft to have an arm removed and

781
00:43:24,100 --> 00:43:25,900
placed and adjusted somewhere else?

782
00:43:27,020 --> 00:43:36,340
Do you think that it is easy
and painless for God to bring a circumstance

783
00:43:36,340 --> 00:43:44,220
in your life that you can do
nothing but cry, help God.

784
00:43:44,220 --> 00:43:45,820
My faith is in you.

785
00:43:46,380 --> 00:43:48,140
That is anything but painless.

786
00:43:49,590 --> 00:43:53,750
And the Bible tells us this in
Romans chapter 8, verses 28.

787
00:43:56,070 --> 00:44:00,990
It tells us the work of the
fire teaching of our statutes.

788
00:44:00,990 --> 00:44:02,310
It proves our faith.

789
00:44:02,470 --> 00:44:04,070
It removes our sin.

790
00:44:05,030 --> 00:44:11,230
But the work that is to be
done in our life is, In Romans chapter

791
00:44:11,230 --> 00:44:14,870
8, considered good towards us.

792
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:18,000
The refining work of the fire.

793
00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:21,520
It makes us useful to God.

794
00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:25,280
Many of us know Romans chapter
8:28, though we probably quote it

795
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:29,280
wrong at times or out of
context or maybe in a.

796
00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:32,760
A way that isn't exactly
accurate, but it says we know that

797
00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:36,880
all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them

798
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:38,240
that are called according to
his purpose.

799
00:44:38,240 --> 00:44:40,640
Usually we stop at for.

800
00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:43,480
Well, there's three different
points that we can stop here.

801
00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:46,040
Most people say we know that
all things work together for good

802
00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:47,320
and that's where they stop.

803
00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:51,040
If you are a little bit more
spiritual and understand the verse

804
00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:53,120
more, you keep going to them
that love God.

805
00:44:53,120 --> 00:44:55,960
Oh, you have to love God for
this good thing to work out.

806
00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,120
But then that second last part.

807
00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:03,520
To them who are the called
according to his purpose and what

808
00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:05,400
is his purpose?

809
00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:17,120
His purpose in your life is
the conforming of the sun to make

810
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:20,000
you into that image.

811
00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:27,600
The refining work of the fire
is for us as Christians to be poked

812
00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:30,400
through with holes, if you will.

813
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:36,650
We are as Christians, supposed
to show the light that is within

814
00:45:36,890 --> 00:45:37,290
us.

815
00:45:37,850 --> 00:45:40,170
If you are a Christian, you
have the light of the world inside

816
00:45:40,170 --> 00:45:40,810
of you, right?

817
00:45:41,530 --> 00:45:41,930
Right.

818
00:45:42,330 --> 00:45:44,970
You have Jesus Christ living
inside of you.

819
00:45:44,970 --> 00:45:48,490
You have his spirit and you
are that clay pot.

820
00:45:49,610 --> 00:45:53,530
Don't get so consumed over
your clay pot.

821
00:45:54,010 --> 00:45:56,170
We have this treasure in earth
and vessels.

822
00:45:56,250 --> 00:46:01,200
Paul says sometimes we can get
consumed over the clay pot.

823
00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:04,840
And what happens when the
fruit of the Spirit is trying to

824
00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:05,760
come out of you.

825
00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:10,800
That is the light coming out
the holes of Jesus cut into our lives

826
00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:18,320
not to display us, but to
allow his glory to shine through.

827
00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:20,880
And you know what we like to
do as Christians?

828
00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:26,050
When we get hurt by people,
we, when there's an opportunity to

829
00:46:26,050 --> 00:46:30,570
show love rather than self
love or whether we have an opportunity

830
00:46:30,650 --> 00:46:37,290
to show gentleness or meekness
in our life or temperance, someone

831
00:46:37,370 --> 00:46:38,250
hurts us.

832
00:46:38,490 --> 00:46:42,850
And now the Holy Spirit says,
okay, you are in this predicament.

833
00:46:42,850 --> 00:46:44,090
You are in this situation.

834
00:46:44,410 --> 00:46:48,290
I as a sovereign God have
ordained this situation to be in

835
00:46:48,290 --> 00:46:51,500
your life for the one purpose
of conformity, conforming you to

836
00:46:51,500 --> 00:46:54,180
the image of Jesus Christ.

837
00:46:55,060 --> 00:46:58,660
I want you to now act like this.

838
00:47:00,180 --> 00:47:01,220
You know what we do?

839
00:47:02,020 --> 00:47:03,220
We cover that hole.

840
00:47:04,500 --> 00:47:06,260
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

841
00:47:06,340 --> 00:47:07,700
How dare you hurt me.

842
00:47:07,860 --> 00:47:09,780
How dare you do that to me.

843
00:47:10,260 --> 00:47:13,380
Instead of gentleness,
harshness comes out.

844
00:47:13,940 --> 00:47:17,140
Instead of love, oh, here's an
opportunity to show love.

845
00:47:17,930 --> 00:47:19,770
But I'm going to show self
love instead.

846
00:47:19,930 --> 00:47:22,650
I'll do this for you, but
you've got to get me next time.

847
00:47:24,570 --> 00:47:25,050
Peace.

848
00:47:25,850 --> 00:47:29,850
Here's an opportunity for you
to show all the people around you

849
00:47:29,930 --> 00:47:35,290
in this horrible situation the
peace of God that passes all understanding,

850
00:47:35,290 --> 00:47:37,290
the comfort of God in your life.

851
00:47:37,370 --> 00:47:38,730
Here's that opportunity.

852
00:47:38,730 --> 00:47:41,370
The Holy Spirit says, I have
ordained it.

853
00:47:41,850 --> 00:47:46,190
I have caused you to go
through this fire right now.

854
00:47:46,670 --> 00:47:51,150
And peace is supposed to come
out of that hole that I just opened

855
00:47:51,150 --> 00:47:51,470
up.

856
00:47:53,470 --> 00:47:57,390
And what we like to do in our
flesh is we like to cover that hole

857
00:47:57,550 --> 00:48:00,590
as soon as we possibly can
because now we're vulnerable.

858
00:48:01,870 --> 00:48:07,710
Now we have a empty place
where we are not covered up.

859
00:48:08,030 --> 00:48:11,430
And what Jesus would say is,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no, take,

860
00:48:11,430 --> 00:48:12,630
take your hands away.

861
00:48:13,190 --> 00:48:14,390
Don't cover that up.

862
00:48:14,630 --> 00:48:16,470
I'm trying to do something in
your life.

863
00:48:16,550 --> 00:48:18,950
I'm trying to show for Christ.

864
00:48:19,670 --> 00:48:21,910
I'm trying to show forth the
love of God.

865
00:48:22,310 --> 00:48:27,830
Let men see your good works
and glorify the Father that is above.

866
00:48:28,710 --> 00:48:32,390
How can men see your good
works if you cover the whole?

867
00:48:33,030 --> 00:48:37,070
If you say, I don't want the
fire of life, God, I don't want this

868
00:48:37,070 --> 00:48:37,710
circumstance.

869
00:48:37,710 --> 00:48:39,030
I don't want this salt.

870
00:48:39,310 --> 00:48:40,430
This salt hurts.

871
00:48:40,590 --> 00:48:41,950
This salt burns.

872
00:48:42,030 --> 00:48:44,750
This situation in my life is painful.

873
00:48:44,750 --> 00:48:46,830
God, don't you understand the
pain that I'm in?

874
00:48:47,070 --> 00:48:48,830
Take me away from it, God.

875
00:48:49,310 --> 00:48:52,430
And God says, I've done all this.

876
00:48:53,230 --> 00:48:57,630
I have ordained this for you
to go through for a purpose.

877
00:48:58,830 --> 00:49:00,510
Know the purpose.

878
00:49:01,790 --> 00:49:03,630
The purpose is to be conformed.

879
00:49:03,630 --> 00:49:05,070
The image of Christ.

880
00:49:05,690 --> 00:49:10,650
The holes cut into our lives
Jesus counseled the church at Laodicea

881
00:49:10,650 --> 00:49:14,410
to buy of him gold refined in
the fire.

882
00:49:14,970 --> 00:49:20,250
Real spiritual fruit, real
spiritual wealth.

883
00:49:21,449 --> 00:49:25,130
He wanted them to know real fruit.

884
00:49:25,450 --> 00:49:30,090
He wanted them to desire true
maturity in their walk with him.

885
00:49:30,410 --> 00:49:32,410
You don't get that by not
reading your Bible.

886
00:49:33,300 --> 00:49:36,940
You don't get that by spending
zero time with God throughout the

887
00:49:36,940 --> 00:49:37,220
week.

888
00:49:37,700 --> 00:49:42,140
You don't get real maturity in
your faith and able to exhibit the

889
00:49:42,140 --> 00:49:45,140
fruit of the Spirit in your
life when the circumstances become

890
00:49:45,140 --> 00:49:45,860
drastic.

891
00:49:46,180 --> 00:49:50,100
Whenever there is no
relationship between you and your

892
00:49:50,100 --> 00:49:58,340
Savior throughout the day to
day, you must buy that real spiritual

893
00:49:59,310 --> 00:50:01,230
well, it is worth it.

894
00:50:01,790 --> 00:50:07,670
That is the discipline of
every day, saying, I value my relationship

895
00:50:07,670 --> 00:50:08,350
with God.

896
00:50:08,910 --> 00:50:11,870
I'm going to give up my time.

897
00:50:12,190 --> 00:50:16,270
This is a precious sacrifice
that I'm going to give up.

898
00:50:16,270 --> 00:50:19,710
Not the leftovers, the
precious sacrifice.

899
00:50:20,110 --> 00:50:27,610
It costs something and we give
that up daily in, day out so that

900
00:50:27,610 --> 00:50:31,890
we can have that real
spiritual wealth, so that we can

901
00:50:31,890 --> 00:50:37,530
allow the Holy Spirit to work
in us to know real fruit to be worth

902
00:50:38,090 --> 00:50:38,490
something.

903
00:50:39,530 --> 00:50:43,610
McLaren said, Just as we take
a piece of foul clay and put it into

904
00:50:43,610 --> 00:50:47,050
the furnace and you can see as
it gets red hot, I don't know how

905
00:50:47,050 --> 00:50:49,450
many of you are smiths or have
seen smiths work.

906
00:50:50,660 --> 00:50:51,940
It melts stuff away.

907
00:50:52,900 --> 00:50:57,340
You know, they put that, that,
that hot iron, iron rod into the

908
00:50:57,340 --> 00:51:00,540
fire and it, it begins heating
up that, that metal.

909
00:51:00,540 --> 00:51:04,140
And as they would make a sword
and they start to beat on it or compress

910
00:51:04,140 --> 00:51:07,220
and crush it, there's always
stuff that cracks and breaks off.

911
00:51:07,220 --> 00:51:08,900
That's not the pure metal.

912
00:51:09,460 --> 00:51:10,580
That's the dross.

913
00:51:11,380 --> 00:51:12,420
That's the excess.

914
00:51:12,740 --> 00:51:13,860
That's the garbage.

915
00:51:14,420 --> 00:51:17,620
That's the stuff you don't
want in your steel.

916
00:51:18,020 --> 00:51:20,260
It crushes it and that metal
flakes off.

917
00:51:20,660 --> 00:51:23,900
They put it back in the fire,
bring it back out, crush it some

918
00:51:23,900 --> 00:51:25,300
more, beat on it some more.

919
00:51:25,940 --> 00:51:28,980
We should desire the stains to
melt away.

920
00:51:29,540 --> 00:51:33,500
So if we will plunge ourselves
into the relationship of the one

921
00:51:33,500 --> 00:51:39,060
that died for our sins, who
gloriously saved us by the cross,

922
00:51:39,940 --> 00:51:44,550
our sin and our impurities
will melt off from us and we shall

923
00:51:44,550 --> 00:51:45,230
be clean.

924
00:51:46,510 --> 00:51:50,110
Part of Christians don't care
about their sin like they should.

925
00:51:51,310 --> 00:51:54,350
And then you have another part
that are so fed up with their sin,

926
00:51:54,910 --> 00:51:57,150
but they don't know how to be
free from it.

927
00:51:57,310 --> 00:52:01,070
Struggling in sin, struggling
to be free from sin.

928
00:52:01,870 --> 00:52:07,190
And the answer to this is no
amount of scrubbing with soap and

929
00:52:07,190 --> 00:52:07,470
water.

930
00:52:07,930 --> 00:52:08,890
It's going to do.

931
00:52:09,370 --> 00:52:11,210
You cannot do this in your own power.

932
00:52:11,610 --> 00:52:13,610
You cannot do this in your own strength.

933
00:52:13,930 --> 00:52:16,490
This is Not a message to try
to do better.

934
00:52:16,970 --> 00:52:20,410
This is not a message that you
just got to work harder.

935
00:52:21,370 --> 00:52:24,850
Some of us need to work
because we're not doing anything

936
00:52:24,850 --> 00:52:25,930
in our walk with Christ.

937
00:52:25,930 --> 00:52:28,010
We don't offer any sacrifice.

938
00:52:28,490 --> 00:52:31,130
Some of us need to offer that sacrifice.

939
00:52:31,930 --> 00:52:35,260
But this is not a message that
if you just read your Bible more

940
00:52:35,260 --> 00:52:38,580
and more and more, you'll
automatically grow.

941
00:52:38,580 --> 00:52:41,100
This is the work of the Holy
Spirit in your life.

942
00:52:41,260 --> 00:52:45,940
This is the act of you
yielding in that day to day reading

943
00:52:45,940 --> 00:52:46,460
your Bible.

944
00:52:47,100 --> 00:52:52,100
That yielding to God allows
God to work on you.

945
00:52:52,100 --> 00:52:53,620
Think of it like a heart surgeon.

946
00:52:53,620 --> 00:52:55,660
Do you think you're going to
get heart surgery in the waiting

947
00:52:55,660 --> 00:52:55,980
room?

948
00:52:56,540 --> 00:52:59,020
No, you have to go into the
operating room.

949
00:52:59,750 --> 00:53:03,270
Go into the operating room is
like going in there to do your devotion.

950
00:53:03,830 --> 00:53:07,670
You go in there but you don't
do the work.

951
00:53:08,550 --> 00:53:11,150
I don't think there's anyone
that's operated on their heart while

952
00:53:11,150 --> 00:53:12,070
they were awake.

953
00:53:13,190 --> 00:53:15,190
No, you allow the heart
surgeon to do that.

954
00:53:16,230 --> 00:53:18,150
That is the yielding to God.

955
00:53:18,230 --> 00:53:20,470
Going into the operating room.

956
00:53:21,510 --> 00:53:26,230
We cannot chisel our sin away
like we would want.

957
00:53:27,190 --> 00:53:32,870
Because the sin is not just on
the outside, as Alexander McLaren

958
00:53:32,870 --> 00:53:34,790
said, it's mechanically.

959
00:53:35,110 --> 00:53:39,430
It's not mechanically bonded,
but chemically it.

960
00:53:39,670 --> 00:53:44,270
Only by the fire can the iron
be separated from the rock that it's

961
00:53:44,270 --> 00:53:44,710
bound.

962
00:53:45,430 --> 00:53:50,550
If we desire to be delivered,
let us go into the fire.

963
00:53:50,710 --> 00:53:55,830
It will burn up our evil, burn
up that sin and nothing else.

964
00:53:56,630 --> 00:53:58,470
Keep close to Christ.

965
00:53:59,910 --> 00:54:00,310
Why?

966
00:54:01,350 --> 00:54:07,590
We are as Christ had set
before him, a great joy.

967
00:54:08,150 --> 00:54:11,590
There is a great joy that was
set before him.

968
00:54:11,590 --> 00:54:13,990
There's a great joy that is
set before us.

969
00:54:14,390 --> 00:54:19,600
All that we do is to glorify
God, because he is worthy to be put

970
00:54:19,600 --> 00:54:22,280
on the spotlight, to be shown
through us.

971
00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:25,600
To make the world glorify the
Father because of our daily conversation.

972
00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:30,480
To make the world glorify the
Father, because of our daily reaction

973
00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:31,840
to the troubles of life.

974
00:54:32,240 --> 00:54:37,720
And then we see here that as
Christ acted, so should we for the

975
00:54:37,720 --> 00:54:40,000
joy that was set before Him.

976
00:54:40,320 --> 00:54:43,480
Wherefore, seeing we are also
compassed about with so great a cloud

977
00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:44,120
of witnesses.

978
00:54:44,120 --> 00:54:47,740
In Hebrews, chapter 2012 Let
us lay aside every weight in the

979
00:54:47,740 --> 00:54:49,860
sin which the death easily
beset us.

980
00:54:49,860 --> 00:54:54,580
And let us run with patience
the race that is set before us.

981
00:54:54,820 --> 00:54:59,820
Looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for

982
00:54:59,820 --> 00:55:03,780
the joy that was set before
him, endured the cross.

983
00:55:04,740 --> 00:55:07,300
See, the joy comes after the cross.

984
00:55:08,020 --> 00:55:11,340
He despised the shame, sat
down on the right hand of the throne

985
00:55:11,340 --> 00:55:11,780
of God.

986
00:55:12,150 --> 00:55:18,390
For consider him that endured
such contradiction of sinners against

987
00:55:18,710 --> 00:55:21,750
himself lets you be weary in
your mind.

988
00:55:22,310 --> 00:55:23,270
Consider Christ.

989
00:55:23,750 --> 00:55:25,350
See what he went through.

990
00:55:25,670 --> 00:55:27,670
For the joy that was set
before him.

991
00:55:27,829 --> 00:55:29,270
He went to the cross.

992
00:55:29,430 --> 00:55:31,910
For the joy that is set for us.

993
00:55:31,990 --> 00:55:37,990
Before us we go and pick up
our cross for the joy of the result,

994
00:55:38,150 --> 00:55:39,990
the joy of the outcome.

995
00:55:41,170 --> 00:55:47,490
This is the motivation of what
Jesus had in himself as he bore that

996
00:55:47,490 --> 00:55:53,730
cross to Mount Calvary to pay
for our sins, to make a worthy sacrifice.

997
00:55:54,210 --> 00:56:00,530
The joy of the reward
according to him was considered too

998
00:56:00,850 --> 00:56:01,250
great.

999
00:56:02,370 --> 00:56:04,210
He despised the shame.

1000
00:56:04,450 --> 00:56:09,400
He thought very little of the cost.

1001
00:56:10,440 --> 00:56:14,440
It was not about the cost to
him, it was about the outcome.

1002
00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:19,560
To say that it was worth it
was an understatement to Jesus.

1003
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:26,680
To say that you and I were
worth saving, that was very little.

1004
00:56:27,320 --> 00:56:27,800
Wow.

1005
00:56:27,800 --> 00:56:28,520
The cross.

1006
00:56:29,080 --> 00:56:30,040
I'll do that.

1007
00:56:30,360 --> 00:56:31,760
That's exactly what I'll do.

1008
00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:33,080
For the sake of my.

1009
00:56:33,490 --> 00:56:38,050
Of these people, for the sake
of dying for those whom I have loved,

1010
00:56:38,290 --> 00:56:40,530
I will gladly lay down my life.

1011
00:56:41,170 --> 00:56:43,970
That was the joy that was set
before him.

1012
00:56:44,050 --> 00:56:49,569
And for us as Christians, we
have a joy set before us.

1013
00:56:50,450 --> 00:56:58,850
We have a great reward set
before us as in Christ, a great opportunity

1014
00:56:59,170 --> 00:57:02,050
to show forth a precious sacrifice.

1015
00:57:02,690 --> 00:57:08,010
Practical Christianity means
we are led by the Holy Spirit in

1016
00:57:08,010 --> 00:57:14,090
all areas of our life so that
we are able to go through fire of

1017
00:57:14,090 --> 00:57:15,890
life that he ordains.

1018
00:57:16,530 --> 00:57:23,090
And that will bring us to a
place where we are made into the

1019
00:57:23,090 --> 00:57:27,160
perfect dear image of God's
only Son.

1020
00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:28,840
That is the goal.

1021
00:57:29,480 --> 00:57:34,440
That is the predestination of
every single Christian.

1022
00:57:34,840 --> 00:57:36,320
That's not a well.

1023
00:57:36,320 --> 00:57:38,680
God may throw you out if it
just doesn't work out.

1024
00:57:39,000 --> 00:57:40,200
That's not a well.

1025
00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:40,640
If.

1026
00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:43,920
If you get halfway into your
maturity of Christianity, God will

1027
00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:45,760
say, well, it's just not working.

1028
00:57:45,760 --> 00:57:48,040
No, he's the author and
finisher of your faith.

1029
00:57:48,040 --> 00:57:52,910
And you have been predestined
at the moment of salvation to be

1030
00:57:52,910 --> 00:57:53,630
like Christ.

1031
00:57:53,790 --> 00:57:56,750
Therefore you will be like Christ.

1032
00:57:57,550 --> 00:58:01,310
We will get you there one way
or another.

1033
00:58:01,390 --> 00:58:02,190
God says.

1034
00:58:02,830 --> 00:58:06,990
And to do that, this is what I
want you to go through.

1035
00:58:07,790 --> 00:58:11,190
To be led by the Holy Spirit
in all areas of our life is a practical

1036
00:58:11,190 --> 00:58:11,950
Christianity.

1037
00:58:13,230 --> 00:58:17,740
But if you don't have Christ,
how can you offer the perfect sacrifice?

1038
00:58:20,130 --> 00:58:23,890
You can't give enough to save yourself.

1039
00:58:24,210 --> 00:58:24,770
We know that.

1040
00:58:24,770 --> 00:58:25,730
That's what the Bible says.

1041
00:58:25,730 --> 00:58:29,170
For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.

1042
00:58:29,810 --> 00:58:36,050
If you're here today and you
don't know Christ, how can you offer

1043
00:58:36,050 --> 00:58:36,770
the sacrifice?

1044
00:58:36,770 --> 00:58:38,690
It's meaningless to you to do
good things.

1045
00:58:39,730 --> 00:58:43,410
Jesus gives that solemn warning.

1046
00:58:44,420 --> 00:58:50,380
It is utter suicide to keep
hold of your sin just for the pleasure

1047
00:58:50,380 --> 00:58:52,340
of it and lose your whole life?

1048
00:58:52,340 --> 00:58:54,260
What will a man give for his soul?

1049
00:58:54,900 --> 00:58:56,420
What will a man do?

1050
00:58:57,780 --> 00:59:01,580
Is there anything too small
that you would say my soul is worth?

1051
00:59:01,580 --> 00:59:04,780
Is there any price that we
could put on your soul that you would

1052
00:59:04,780 --> 00:59:06,260
say, yeah, it's worth this much?

1053
00:59:06,500 --> 00:59:08,100
No, you would say, it's priceless.

1054
00:59:10,190 --> 00:59:16,270
God says to those who would
choose their sin, forsake it.

1055
00:59:17,230 --> 00:59:18,430
Choose to follow me.

1056
00:59:18,430 --> 00:59:21,630
Pick up your cross and follow Christ.

1057
00:59:22,670 --> 00:59:25,389
Choose Christ over your sin.

1058
00:59:25,630 --> 00:59:27,630
That is the option for salvation.

1059
00:59:28,670 --> 00:59:33,710
Repent from your sin and
follow Christ and make that choice

1060
00:59:33,710 --> 00:59:34,110
today.

1061
00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:37,320
Have every head bowed, every
eye closed.

1062
00:59:39,640 --> 00:59:45,880
If you're a Christian, you are
predestined to be conformed to the

1063
00:59:45,880 --> 00:59:46,600
image of Christ.

1064
00:59:49,000 --> 00:59:54,000
The answer is, are you
yielding to that work of the Holy

1065
00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:54,440
Spirit?

1066
00:59:58,200 --> 01:00:03,170
Do you want that work of God
in your life?

1067
01:00:05,010 --> 01:00:06,370
It's not easy.

1068
01:00:07,650 --> 01:00:10,210
It's never going to be easy.

1069
01:00:11,010 --> 01:00:14,330
And there are hardships and
trials all along the way.

1070
01:00:14,330 --> 01:00:18,890
But that is the reason why in
this uncomfortable life, you have

1071
01:00:18,890 --> 01:00:20,690
been given the comforter.

1072
01:00:21,410 --> 01:00:25,090
Not to make life easy, but to
help you through uncomfortable situations.

1073
01:00:25,090 --> 01:00:29,240
He is called to comforter
because we need the comfort.

1074
01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:33,400
We need to be brought through
the trials.

1075
01:00:33,480 --> 01:00:33,960
Lie.

1076
01:00:35,640 --> 01:00:40,240
What is God leading us to do
in our life as Christians, as the

1077
01:00:40,240 --> 01:00:40,520
whole?

1078
01:00:40,520 --> 01:00:43,040
As the piano plays, what does
the Holy Spirit want you to do?

1079
01:00:43,040 --> 01:00:45,880
Let us pray in our seats or
come down the altar.

1080
01:00:45,880 --> 01:00:48,760
But let us come to God and
make a decision to follow Christ.