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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church Podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh, and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along.

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Let's look into the Bible and
see what God has for us here today.

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We're going to be in Romans
chapter 10.

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If you have your Bibles turned
with me to Romans chapter 10.

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We're going to pick up where
we left off last week.

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What did we study last week?

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We studied what it means to
find true righteousness.

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You know, there's a lot of
people in this world that are seeking

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some sort of righteousness in
their life.

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And the Bible even tells us
that in the time of Paul here, as

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the Book of Romans was
written, there were individuals that

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were seeking after their own
type of righteousness.

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He even mentions his own
people, the people of Israel, they

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who we're trying to find
righteousness through the law, through

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works.

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And so essentially, Paul is
saying here that there are many people

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that are trying to find
righteousness their own way, but

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there's only one way to find
true righteousness.

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And he explains that's through
faith in Jesus Christ, not by works

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that we have done.

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We read that this morning in
Titus chapter three.

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There's nothing that we can do
to find righteousness.

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All we can do is trust in
faith, believe in our hearts what

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the Bible says about Jesus
Christ and what he did for us.

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And in that faith, the Bible
says that God gives us righteousness.

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He imputes righteousness upon
our life.

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And so therefore, we can live
in righteousness, but not in our

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own righteousness.

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It's the righteousness of God.

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And so it's salvation by faith alone.

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And so Romans chapter 10 tells
us what that looks like.

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Verse 9, that if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.

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Now, I want to break these
verses down very clearly here this

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morning, because sometimes
there's confusion on how someone

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is saved.

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Do they have to say a certain thing?

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Do they have to pray a certain prayer?

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Do they have to do something
within the church?

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And.

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And so the Bible clearly
teaches here what it means to find

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salvation, what it means to
come to a place of what we would

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call justification.

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Justification is a big word to
describe something that God does

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for us.

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And essentially, justification
means to be declared righteous.

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And so here we see in verse
nine, it starts with, if we confess

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with our mouths the Lord Jesus.

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Now, what are we confessing
about Jesus well, we have to go back

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to what that word confess means.

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Literally in the Greek, it
means to agree with, to say the same

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thing.

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So what does it mean that we
should agree with what?

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Well, it says there Jesus, but
not just that Jesus exists, because

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there's a lot of people in the
world today, actually most people

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in the world today would admit
that Jesus existed.

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I was watching a video not too
long ago, and this lady was on the

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video, and she goes, oh, yeah,
Jesus existed, but he wasn't perfect.

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Jesus existed, but he died,
and he's dead now, today.

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And so she believed in a
Jesus, but not the Jesus that is

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proclaimed in the Word.

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And so what we see here in
verse nine, he says, confess, say

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the same thing about, agree
with intellectually, what the Bible

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says about Jesus.

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And so what have we seen so
far in the Book of Romans?

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Well, Jesus is God.

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Jesus came in the flesh.

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Jesus walked amongst those
people there in Israel.

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He lived a perfect life.

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He didn't destroy the law, he
fulfilled the law.

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And then because of his
righteousness, he was able to offer

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that perfect gift of a
sacrifice which we see in Romans,

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chapter 5, verse 8.

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God commendeth or demonstrated
his love toward us in that while

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we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.

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So Jesus died for our sins.

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He didn't die for his sins.

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He died for our sins.

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And the Bible says that he
offered that willingly.

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It wasn't against his will.

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He submitted to the Father.

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He said, I will do this.

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And as we see in other places
in the New Testament, the.

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It actually brought him joy to
go to the cross because he was fulfilling

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the Father's will and he was
offering that gift of salvation to

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all those that believe.

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But then the Bible says more there.

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It says that he didn't just
die on a cross because there are

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actually some people that
would say, yes, we know that Jesus

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was martyred.

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We know that Jesus died on a cross.

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But many people don't believe
that Jesus conquered death through

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the resurrection.

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And what we're going to study
in a few weeks on Easter is that

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the resurrection is vital.

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It's a necessity for our gospel.

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We can't just believe that
Jesus died and then figuratively

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conquered sin.

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No, we must believe that
Jesus, yes, spiritually conquered

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sin, but physically conquered
death by the resurrection.

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The tomb's empty.

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There were witnesses.

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People went on to die for that truth.

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And so we understand that the
Bible says when we're hearing the

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gospel, it's not just the good
news about Jesus making our life

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better.

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It's the good news of Jesus
coming and saving our lives through

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his death on the cross, his
resurrection, and ultimately his

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power and his ruling and
reigning today.

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And so when we look at verse
number nine, we see that part of

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salvation is intellectually
understanding and confessing and

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agreeing that everything that
the Bible says about Jesus is true.

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But it doesn't stop there,
because we have to understand that

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there's many people that will
read that in the Bible and go, yeah,

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I, I, I think that that's true.

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I believe that that's true.

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But what we see next is this,
and shall believe in thine heart

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that God hath raised him from
the dead.

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So there's further
understanding to what salvation is.

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Salvation isn't just only
intellectual agreement, but it's

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also faith in one's heart
about the true scope of who Jesus

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is, as we see death, burial
and resurrection.

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So yes, we believe
intellectually, we have the proof,

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we understand.

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But it also talks here about faith.

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Now, what is faith?

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Faith is believing in
something that we don't necessarily

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see right in front of us.

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Hebrews chapter 11 talks about that.

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It doesn't mean blind faith
because we know that we have certainly

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a lot of evidence to believe
what Jesus said about himself to

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be true.

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We certainly believe that the
Bible is authentic because of many

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different aspects of validation.

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But what it says here
essentially is this, that everybody

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at some point must take a step
of faith.

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There, there are some people
that, that say, well, you've got

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to convince me.

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I, I got to have all the facts
laid out.

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I, I've got to understand
everything in every way.

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Folks, I'm going to tell you
that you can study the Bible your

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whole life, every day for a
hundred years, and you're still not

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going to understand everything.

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Why?

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Because God is beyond us.

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His thoughts are beyond our thoughts.

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His actions are beyond our actions.

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All of us have to come to a
place in our life where, where we

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say by faith.

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I might not understand this,
but I believe this to be true.

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And so what we have to
understand is this.

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Even people that are atheists,
even people that believe in all the

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things that counteract the
Bible, must at some point take a

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step of faith.

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Everybody is a, is a person of
faith, whether they know it or not.

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It all boils down to what is
our object of faith?

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What are we placing our faith in?

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I've used this analogy before
and I'm going to use it again.

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Let's say that there was a
person in our church who was a furniture

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maker.

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Maybe there is, right?

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It's A carpenter.

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And they, and they built a
chair right up here.

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And then I said, okay, I'm
going to try to do my best to build

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a chair.

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And if some of you know me, I
would not be able to build a chair

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that was pretty sturdy.

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It probably was wobbly.

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And we would look at both of
those chairs.

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Both of those are chairs.

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Both of, Both of those are
things that we could sit in.

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But hopefully all of you, with
the evidence that you see in front

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of you, would say, well, I'm
going to put my faith in the chair

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that's a lot more sturdy that
can hold me.

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And, and.

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And then I don't want to sit
in this chair because that might

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hurt me.

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I don't have faith in that chair.

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So what we can see in our
lives is that God has proven to us

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every reason that he is
faithful, that he is sure that he

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is strong, that he can hold us
up, that he can save us, that he

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will sustain us.

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And so when we put our faith
in number nine, that it's about believing

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in our heart that God hath.

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That God hath raised him from
the dead.

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And then we see, thou shalt be saved.

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The promise here is that those
who agree and those who believe come

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to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ, and we as Christians must

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believe the complete Gospel.

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There are two sides of the
coin on this.

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Well, one side of the coin on,
on, on.

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On one side is that we bring
all these people in here, and I say,

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how many of you want to go to heaven?

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And all of you raise your hand
and say, well, I want to go to heaven.

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And I say, okay, just say
these three words after me.

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Jesus is Lord.

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And everyone says, jesus is Lord.

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And I say, okay, that means
all of you are saved.

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That would be misleading
because maybe there are people who

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don't believe that to be true,
but they're just agreeing with that

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statement in that moment.

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Why?

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Because I want to go to heaven.

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Who doesn't want to go to heaven?

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But then the other side of the
coin, so, so that would be what we

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would call in some circles,
easy believism.

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And, and some people accuse me
of being easy believism because I

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say all you have to do is believe.

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But that would be even further.

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That would be just, hey, say
these exact words and you're going

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to heaven.

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It doesn't matter what you believe.

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That would be wrong.

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That would be misleading.

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Then there's other people that
say, okay, well, that's believing

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and then doing and then
proving and then doing all these

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actions forever, and then
you're a saved.

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No, that's adding to the
simplicity that is the gospel.

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And so there's two sides of
the coin that we can fall on.

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We can fall on the side of,
well, it really doesn't matter what

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you believe as long as you're
saying the right thing and agreeing

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to this.

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And then there's other side of
the coin as well.

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It does matter what you
believe, but it also matters what

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you do after this.

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Then.

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Then those both would be misleading.

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And so what we can see here
is, he says, it is the agreement

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with our minds that what we
see is true and what we don't see

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is true and what we're told is true.

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And then there's that belief
in our heart.

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There's that agreement with
our hearts.

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And then it says in verse 10,
for with the heart, man believeth

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unto righteousness.

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That's where we find the
righteousness, not our righteousness.

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The way we find righteousness
is through faith in the Lord we believe.

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And that brings us
righteousness, that brings us justification.

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And with the mouth, confession
is made unto salvation.

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So you actually see a very
interesting pattern here.

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You see, it starts with what
we confess, what we believe, what

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we say.

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Then it turns to what we
believe in our hearts.

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And then it goes further.

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It says how we find salvation
is through belief, verse 10 in our

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hearts.

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And then what's the product of that?

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The product would be confession.

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So, so really what we see is this.

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And Paul is going to describe
this later on in this chapter.

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The word of God is preached.

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Can't be saved without the
Word of God.

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You can't be saved without the
work of the Holy Spirit, which we're

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going to talk about in Titus,
chapter three.

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But then from there, what
happens is that the Word is presented.

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The Holy Spirit convicts.

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The individual has a
responsibility to respond, whether

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it be in faith or rejection,
obedience or disobedience.

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And then what happens is that
belief produces what we see.

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In verse 10, the mouth,
confession is made unto salvation.

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Which means, yes, our
lifestyle should be different, yes,

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our lives should change after
salvation, but it's not the change

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that makes us saved, it's the
salvation that makes the change.

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And so oftentimes within
church, we.

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We struggle with that because
we look at an individual and we say,

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well, they must be saved
because they're in church.

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That's not right.

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We might have people here
today that are coming for different

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reasons.

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Maybe someone dragged you here today.

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Maybe someone promised you
lunch after church and you say, okay,

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I Want a free lunch?

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So I'll come and you didn't
know what you were signing up for.

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Okay, but here's the thing.

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It's not just about the
outward show that proves our salvation.

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Well, that person looks the part.

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That person.

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That person might teach a class.

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That person might serve in
this capacity.

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What does the Bible say about that?

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Well, in Matthew, chapter
seven, it says that one day there

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will be people that say, well,
I'm saved because I did this.

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00:11:56,460 --> 00:11:59,900
I prophesied in your name, I
cast out demons, I did all these

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00:11:59,900 --> 00:12:02,100
good works, and Jesus is
depart from me.

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Why?

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Because I didn't know you.

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And so it's not a matter of
the actions that save us, but what

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the Bible does teach.

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And I think we could agree
that in the Book of James, it talks

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about this in many other places.

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Is that true?

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Authentic faith does affect
our works.

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It doesn't mean that we're
going to be perfect.

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00:12:18,260 --> 00:12:20,540
It doesn't mean that we're
going to be completely mature the

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day we get saved.

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00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:24,540
But what it means is that
we're cast in a direction in which

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we're growing closer and
closer to the Lord.

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00:12:27,620 --> 00:12:31,580
So, for example, many of you
that have had children, they're born,

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they're human beings, but
they're not fully functioning human

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00:12:35,380 --> 00:12:38,260
beings that could go out and
get a job at three days old, right?

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00:12:38,340 --> 00:12:41,940
There is that process of
maturity, there's that process of

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00:12:41,940 --> 00:12:44,500
growth that must happen within
the Christian's life.

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00:12:45,110 --> 00:12:47,430
And so what he's talking about
here is, he's talking about, what

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does salvation look like?

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00:12:48,510 --> 00:12:52,950
Well, salvation looks like
belief in agreement, but also outward.

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00:12:53,270 --> 00:12:55,350
It was proven by the way that
we live our lives.

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00:12:55,830 --> 00:12:56,430
Verse 11.

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00:12:56,430 --> 00:12:59,910
He says, for the Scripture
saith, whosoever believeth on him

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00:13:00,150 --> 00:13:01,550
shall not be ashamed.

314
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So he actually quotes a
passage of Scripture from the book

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of Isaiah.

316
00:13:05,270 --> 00:13:09,550
He says, it is those who are
in faith that no longer have to live

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00:13:09,550 --> 00:13:09,990
in shame.

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They no have.

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00:13:10,710 --> 00:13:14,630
They no longer have to live in
a state of embarrassment, even though

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00:13:14,870 --> 00:13:18,430
we live in a world today that
should be embarrassed and their sin,

321
00:13:18,430 --> 00:13:19,270
and there's no more shame.

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00:13:19,270 --> 00:13:21,750
And that's a product of just
open rebellion to God.

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But standing before God,
everyone will one day be ashamed

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00:13:25,390 --> 00:13:28,310
of what they have done if
they're walking outside of faith

325
00:13:28,310 --> 00:13:31,830
in Jesus Christ and they're
living in their bad works or good

326
00:13:31,830 --> 00:13:34,550
works, because the Bible says
even our good works are like filthy

327
00:13:34,550 --> 00:13:35,670
rags before the Lord.

328
00:13:36,150 --> 00:13:40,310
So if someone's living outside
of God's righteousness, if someone's

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00:13:40,310 --> 00:13:42,960
living outside of faith in
Jesus Christ, The Bible says that

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00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,560
one day all will be brought to
shame, all will be brought to justice,

331
00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:48,480
all will be brought to a place
of judgment.

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00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,000
So he says, the way that we
can avoid this type of shame, the

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00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,600
way that we can avoid this
type of judgment, the way that we

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00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,240
can avoid this type of
separation is why?

335
00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,760
Well, it says in verse number
11, Whosoever believeth on him.

336
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,240
And so the distinction is not,
well, I'm a good person.

337
00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:04,160
I follow the law.

338
00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:05,680
I'm a good person, I go to church.

339
00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:06,400
I'm a good person.

340
00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,400
I serve in 30 different ministries.

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00:14:08,830 --> 00:14:11,390
No, those are all things that
should happen after salvation.

342
00:14:11,390 --> 00:14:13,470
But it's not what proves our salvation.

343
00:14:13,470 --> 00:14:14,590
What proves our salvation.

344
00:14:14,670 --> 00:14:18,670
What is the delineating line
between saved and unsaved is faith

345
00:14:18,670 --> 00:14:21,150
or belief, as it says here in
verse number 11.

346
00:14:22,430 --> 00:14:26,990
So for us today, hopefully,
that's not very offensive.

347
00:14:26,990 --> 00:14:29,790
To you, maybe for some of us,
that's an offensive message.

348
00:14:30,350 --> 00:14:34,710
But the Bible does say that
the Bible and the gospel and the

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00:14:34,710 --> 00:14:36,990
truth of who Jesus Christ is
is an offensive message.

350
00:14:36,990 --> 00:14:38,310
We looked at that at a few
sermons ago.

351
00:14:38,310 --> 00:14:39,590
Remember the rock of offense?

352
00:14:40,230 --> 00:14:43,430
For some, Jesus is the rock
that's precious that we build everything

353
00:14:43,430 --> 00:14:43,990
off of.

354
00:14:43,990 --> 00:14:45,870
For others, Jesus is the rock.

355
00:14:45,870 --> 00:14:48,110
The gospel is the rock of offense.

356
00:14:48,110 --> 00:14:50,910
It's a stumbling block because
no one wants to be told in their

357
00:14:50,910 --> 00:14:51,990
flesh that they're sinners.

358
00:14:51,990 --> 00:14:55,190
Nobody wants to be told in
their flesh that we're not good.

359
00:14:55,270 --> 00:14:56,630
But the Bible says that we're
not good.

360
00:14:56,630 --> 00:14:57,350
There's none good.

361
00:14:57,350 --> 00:14:58,070
No, not one.

362
00:14:58,470 --> 00:15:01,670
And the only good that we can
find in our life, truly for eternity

363
00:15:01,670 --> 00:15:02,790
is through Jesus Christ.

364
00:15:02,790 --> 00:15:06,980
And so for the people hearing
this, remember who specifically Paul

365
00:15:06,980 --> 00:15:08,500
is talking to in this context.

366
00:15:08,900 --> 00:15:09,220
He.

367
00:15:09,220 --> 00:15:12,820
He's talking to believers in
Rome and particularly the Jewish

368
00:15:12,820 --> 00:15:15,940
believers that were confused
because remember the.

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00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:19,499
For the most part, the Jewish
people at the time of Paul were not

370
00:15:19,499 --> 00:15:20,580
believing in Jesus.

371
00:15:21,060 --> 00:15:22,860
The leaders were not believing
in Jesus.

372
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They had rejected Jesus.

373
00:15:24,660 --> 00:15:27,340
And even Peter preached about
that in Acts, chapter two.

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00:15:27,340 --> 00:15:30,740
He says, those people that put
Jesus to death, you guys are the

375
00:15:30,740 --> 00:15:31,540
ones that need to believe.

376
00:15:32,490 --> 00:15:35,210
And so here in this case, he's
talking to people who thought to

377
00:15:35,210 --> 00:15:37,530
some degree that their
righteousness was found through following

378
00:15:37,530 --> 00:15:38,090
the law.

379
00:15:38,170 --> 00:15:41,170
Their righteousness was found
through the bloodline that they lived

380
00:15:41,170 --> 00:15:41,450
in.

381
00:15:41,770 --> 00:15:45,970
Their righteousness was found
by how steadfast they could be.

382
00:15:45,970 --> 00:15:49,810
And what Paul is saying here
is that it's not about how steadfast

383
00:15:49,810 --> 00:15:51,050
you are in your actions.

384
00:15:51,130 --> 00:15:53,970
It's about how steadfast you
are in your belief and ultimately

385
00:15:53,970 --> 00:15:57,610
how steadfast God is and what
he has done for us and his faithfulness.

386
00:15:58,420 --> 00:16:02,220
And so verse number 11, he
says, the way to find this type of

387
00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:04,380
confidence, because what's the
opposite of being ashamed?

388
00:16:04,380 --> 00:16:07,420
Well, some people have
different opinions on that, but essentially

389
00:16:07,420 --> 00:16:11,500
in this context, it's having
confidence, having hope, having some

390
00:16:11,500 --> 00:16:13,300
type of security and peace.

391
00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:16,420
And so on the other side of
the coin, the only way that we can

392
00:16:16,420 --> 00:16:21,380
find security and peace and
comfort and confidence is through

393
00:16:21,380 --> 00:16:23,060
belief in Jesus Christ.

394
00:16:23,390 --> 00:16:23,510
We.

395
00:16:23,510 --> 00:16:26,310
We have a lot of people in
this world today, as you know, that

396
00:16:26,310 --> 00:16:27,390
are living in fear.

397
00:16:27,390 --> 00:16:31,030
They're living in brokenness,
they're living in anxiety, they're

398
00:16:31,030 --> 00:16:32,350
living in confusion.

399
00:16:32,750 --> 00:16:36,750
And the answer to all of that
is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

400
00:16:37,470 --> 00:16:40,910
But then we see another
problem in our society today, within

401
00:16:40,990 --> 00:16:45,070
our churches today, that we
have people who claim to believe,

402
00:16:45,550 --> 00:16:48,470
but yet are riddled with all
the things that the world is riddled

403
00:16:48,470 --> 00:16:48,750
with.

404
00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:50,640
You say, well, Pastor, what
does that mean?

405
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:51,600
Does that mean I'm not a Christian?

406
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:52,600
No, that doesn't mean that.

407
00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,480
But it does mean that
sometimes, and I have even myself

408
00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,240
been guilty of this, that I
have struggled in the circumstance

409
00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,120
that I'm in, because I'm not
putting my faith in Jesus Christ,

410
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,280
even though I put my faith in
Jesus Christ for salvation, I'm not

411
00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,680
putting my faith in Jesus
Christ for the problem that I'm facing

412
00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:10,040
today, the struggle that I
might be facing today.

413
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,520
So what we see here is that
the answer to all of our struggles

414
00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:17,619
would be growing faith in our
Lord and Savior through every trial

415
00:17:17,619 --> 00:17:18,859
that we might face in our life.

416
00:17:19,419 --> 00:17:22,699
And so the irony sometimes is
this, that some of us as Christians

417
00:17:22,699 --> 00:17:23,899
will believe that.

418
00:17:23,979 --> 00:17:27,139
That God can save us from our
sins and that I'm going to heaven,

419
00:17:27,139 --> 00:17:28,259
that I'm not going to hell.

420
00:17:28,259 --> 00:17:30,539
But I'm struggling with
thinking that God is going to get

421
00:17:30,539 --> 00:17:33,659
me through this problem today
at work, or he's going to get me

422
00:17:33,659 --> 00:17:36,899
through this financial issue
that I'm having in my life, or.

423
00:17:36,899 --> 00:17:39,259
Or maybe even this health
issue that I'm facing.

424
00:17:39,579 --> 00:17:40,659
And we struggled.

425
00:17:40,659 --> 00:17:43,980
And therefore we're not living
in confidence or hope or because

426
00:17:43,980 --> 00:17:46,580
biblically speaking, hope is
just a confident expectation that

427
00:17:46,580 --> 00:17:47,980
God is going to keep his word.

428
00:17:48,220 --> 00:17:49,620
And so here he says to.

429
00:17:49,620 --> 00:17:53,100
To be those types of people
who can live in confidence and not

430
00:17:53,100 --> 00:17:57,580
in that shame would be to
continuously grow in our faith.

431
00:17:58,220 --> 00:17:58,940
Verse 12.

432
00:17:59,820 --> 00:18:01,020
For there is no difference.

433
00:18:01,980 --> 00:18:05,340
And what he's about to say
here might not sound very offensive

434
00:18:05,340 --> 00:18:10,940
to us today, but for the
people that were listening and reading

435
00:18:11,020 --> 00:18:12,780
this, it would have been Very offensive.

436
00:18:13,730 --> 00:18:16,250
And I think that if we take it
just from maybe a little bit different

437
00:18:16,250 --> 00:18:19,290
angle, it might start to
ruffle our feathers just a little

438
00:18:19,290 --> 00:18:19,570
bit.

439
00:18:19,650 --> 00:18:22,170
But verse number 12, he says,
for there is no difference between

440
00:18:22,170 --> 00:18:27,850
the Jew and the Greek, for the
same Lord over all is rich unto all

441
00:18:27,850 --> 00:18:29,490
that call upon him.

442
00:18:30,530 --> 00:18:31,890
So what does he say here?

443
00:18:32,370 --> 00:18:37,650
He says, it doesn't matter if
you are part of the Jewish faith.

444
00:18:37,650 --> 00:18:40,480
It doesn't matter if you're
part of the Gentiles, it doesn't

445
00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:40,510
matter.

446
00:18:40,580 --> 00:18:42,460
It doesn't matter if you were
born in this country.

447
00:18:42,460 --> 00:18:44,100
It doesn't matter if you were
born in that country.

448
00:18:44,260 --> 00:18:48,500
He says everyone who comes to
the Lord receives the same riches.

449
00:18:48,580 --> 00:18:51,260
Now, I'm not talking about
financial riches, because all of

450
00:18:51,260 --> 00:18:56,220
us probably have varying
degrees of money, but the real truth

451
00:18:56,220 --> 00:18:58,660
that he's talking about here
is the spiritual riches.

452
00:18:59,220 --> 00:19:02,380
And I would encourage you, if
you've never done that, study on

453
00:19:02,380 --> 00:19:04,500
what it means to be
spiritually rich in Christ.

454
00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:07,700
Study the book of Ephesians,
because the book of Ephesians speaks

455
00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:11,360
of the storehouses, the
abundant riches that we find in Christ.

456
00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:15,320
And so I would say there is a
prosperity gospel, but not the prosperity

457
00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,360
gospel that's being propagated today.

458
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,400
When it comes to financial and
material success, there is a prosperity

459
00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,480
gospel and the spiritual
prosperity that we all can find in

460
00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:25,160
Jesus Christ.

461
00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:29,680
And so when I say this today,
when I say Jew and gentile, that

462
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:31,800
doesn't resonate with us
because that's not something that

463
00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,160
we're living with in our
culture too much because of, the

464
00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,120
vast majority of us were
Gentiles in here today.

465
00:19:36,590 --> 00:19:40,470
But the, but the irony that
Paul is getting across to them is

466
00:19:40,470 --> 00:19:43,230
that you guys think that
everyone's saved the same way, but

467
00:19:43,230 --> 00:19:45,910
many of you think that after
you're saved that different people

468
00:19:45,910 --> 00:19:48,710
have different riches that are
given to them, that we have more

469
00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:51,070
blessings because we're this
type of bloodline.

470
00:19:51,150 --> 00:19:53,270
And so what does that look
like within our churches today?

471
00:19:53,270 --> 00:19:57,510
Well, for, for me, from, from
my perspective is that sometimes

472
00:19:57,510 --> 00:20:00,950
we see people come in that
what we would consider look the part

473
00:20:00,950 --> 00:20:02,670
of who would fit in at our church.

474
00:20:03,010 --> 00:20:05,810
And when they get saved, we
totally understand how God can use

475
00:20:05,810 --> 00:20:06,770
them, right?

476
00:20:06,770 --> 00:20:09,410
They're, they're from good
stock, they're from a good family.

477
00:20:09,410 --> 00:20:11,610
They're, they, they have a lot
to bring to the table.

478
00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:14,050
But what the Bible says is
that doesn't matter how that person

479
00:20:14,050 --> 00:20:16,130
looks as they're coming in to
find Jesus Christ.

480
00:20:16,290 --> 00:20:17,970
It doesn't matter what their
background is.

481
00:20:17,970 --> 00:20:20,850
It doesn't matter what their
record is, it doesn't matter anything

482
00:20:20,850 --> 00:20:24,170
when it comes to the spiritual
riches that they can find when they

483
00:20:24,170 --> 00:20:25,970
come to Jesus Christ and faith
in God.

484
00:20:26,130 --> 00:20:29,380
As we have seen throughout
Romans chapter 9 and 10 is that God

485
00:20:29,380 --> 00:20:33,220
can use anybody for the cause
of his kingdom, for the cause of

486
00:20:33,220 --> 00:20:33,820
the gospel.

487
00:20:34,140 --> 00:20:37,460
Now, it doesn't mean that sins
that we commit from our past don't

488
00:20:37,460 --> 00:20:39,420
come back sometimes and give
us struggles.

489
00:20:39,500 --> 00:20:44,020
I mean, the Bible doesn't tell
us that we can live free of any problems

490
00:20:44,020 --> 00:20:45,860
in our life because of our
sins that we've committed.

491
00:20:45,860 --> 00:20:47,260
That's not what he's talking
about here.

492
00:20:47,580 --> 00:20:50,140
But what he is talking about
is the riches, the spiritual riches

493
00:20:50,140 --> 00:20:53,140
that we can receive when it
comes to our faith.

494
00:20:53,140 --> 00:20:56,950
And so he says, Jews and
Gentiles alike, it's the same Lord.

495
00:20:57,430 --> 00:20:59,910
It's not like he's a different
guy to different people depending

496
00:20:59,910 --> 00:21:00,710
on their background.

497
00:21:00,710 --> 00:21:06,310
He's the same Lord and he is
rich unto all that call upon his

498
00:21:06,310 --> 00:21:07,990
name to all.

499
00:21:08,790 --> 00:21:12,110
And so here today we, we do
sometimes within our churches in

500
00:21:12,110 --> 00:21:16,470
America and within the world
have some sort of statuses that we

501
00:21:16,470 --> 00:21:16,750
look at.

502
00:21:16,750 --> 00:21:18,710
And we say, well, because,
because that person is doing this,

503
00:21:18,710 --> 00:21:21,270
they're, they're more
important or, or that person probably

504
00:21:21,270 --> 00:21:22,150
is gifted more.

505
00:21:22,370 --> 00:21:24,810
Folks, I'm going to tell you
in another study that would be so

506
00:21:24,810 --> 00:21:27,610
beneficial for all believers
to go through is the study of the

507
00:21:27,610 --> 00:21:28,450
spiritual gifts.

508
00:21:29,170 --> 00:21:33,250
If you are a believer in Jesus
Christ, God has gifted you in a manner

509
00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:36,210
that's supernatural to use for
his kingdom.

510
00:21:36,530 --> 00:21:39,450
It's not the same as everybody
else, but the Bible does speak in

511
00:21:39,450 --> 00:21:41,450
Romans chapter 12, which we're
going to be getting there in this

512
00:21:41,450 --> 00:21:45,410
study about unique ministering
gifts that all of us are given.

513
00:21:45,810 --> 00:21:49,080
And what happens sometimes
within our churches is, is that sometimes

514
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:53,240
we look at certain one of
those gifts as more important, but

515
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,000
what we see is that they're
equally important.

516
00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,960
They're just distinct in their
ways that they're lived out.

517
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,600
And so what I want you to
understand here today is that it

518
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:02,040
doesn't matter what your
background is.

519
00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:03,880
It doesn't matter where you
came from.

520
00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,440
It doesn't matter how much
money you have in your bank account.

521
00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,040
It doesn't matter what car you drive.

522
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,920
It doesn't matter if, if what
your appearance is.

523
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,360
The Bible specifically speaks
of those riches are poured out in

524
00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:18,150
our lives and, and those
riches, that grace is what changes

525
00:22:18,150 --> 00:22:18,430
us.

526
00:22:19,070 --> 00:22:21,910
You know, oftentimes I've,
I've struggled with this and I want

527
00:22:21,910 --> 00:22:24,950
to, I'm trying to learn to be
more transparent when I Get up in

528
00:22:24,950 --> 00:22:27,790
front of everybody because I
don't want anyone to think that I

529
00:22:27,790 --> 00:22:30,270
have it all figured out that,
that I'm the only right one.

530
00:22:30,270 --> 00:22:31,910
And I'm coming down on all of
you folks.

531
00:22:31,910 --> 00:22:33,550
I'm not coming from a perch of perfection.

532
00:22:33,550 --> 00:22:36,030
I'm coming from a place of
growth and understanding.

533
00:22:36,190 --> 00:22:38,790
So, so one of the things that
I struggle with is I've looked at

534
00:22:38,790 --> 00:22:43,310
certain things and situations
in my life and I've said this and

535
00:22:43,310 --> 00:22:44,750
maybe you have as well.

536
00:22:44,910 --> 00:22:50,670
Well, well that person or that
situation or, or, or that instance

537
00:22:50,670 --> 00:22:54,470
in my past has, has given me a
place where I cannot experience that

538
00:22:54,470 --> 00:22:56,030
type of blessing, that type of joy.

539
00:22:56,110 --> 00:22:58,989
And I've even said maybe in
some cases, well, that joy has been

540
00:22:58,989 --> 00:23:01,870
stolen from me or, or that
hope, I, I, I could never be used

541
00:23:01,870 --> 00:23:02,430
that way.

542
00:23:02,430 --> 00:23:05,350
Or, or I, I, I think that
person over there, their gift is

543
00:23:05,350 --> 00:23:05,950
better than mine.

544
00:23:05,950 --> 00:23:07,270
I, I've been guilty of that.

545
00:23:07,270 --> 00:23:09,750
I've looked at that person's
gift and I've said, you know what,

546
00:23:10,150 --> 00:23:12,550
if God would have just given
me that gift, I would have been a

547
00:23:12,550 --> 00:23:13,270
lot more useful.

548
00:23:13,910 --> 00:23:17,670
Folks, the Bible says not to
be covetous over other people's gifts.

549
00:23:17,910 --> 00:23:19,870
God has specifically given you
that gift.

550
00:23:19,870 --> 00:23:23,470
And therefore there's an
opportunity to be thankful and having

551
00:23:23,470 --> 00:23:25,110
the attitude of gratitude in
our life.

552
00:23:25,190 --> 00:23:27,830
And when we do that, we can be
effectively used for the gospel.

553
00:23:27,910 --> 00:23:31,230
And so in verse 12 he says
it's that same type of riches that

554
00:23:31,230 --> 00:23:32,710
is poured out upon all of us.

555
00:23:33,110 --> 00:23:36,120
Now the struggle is, is that
we look at certain individuals life

556
00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:40,960
and sometimes it does look as
if God is blessing certain people

557
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:41,640
more than others.

558
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:43,560
Why is that the case?

559
00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,480
Well, in some cases we see
that there are some individuals,

560
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,520
as we talked about before,
that are believers.

561
00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,400
But they have not been
discipled, they have not been taught

562
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,720
how to experience the
blessings of God.

563
00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,560
And so if we think about that
inheritance, I want you to go to

564
00:23:57,880 --> 00:23:58,960
Titus chapter three.

565
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:00,120
We started there this morning.

566
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,120
And I want you to see
something so interesting here.

567
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,440
There, there are people that
when we believe in Jesus Christ,

568
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,440
the Bible says that we can cry
out to God.

569
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,280
This is Romans, chapter 8,
Abba Father, which means we can have

570
00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:12,680
a personal relationship with God.

571
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,720
And then the Bible says that
we're now joint heirs with Christ

572
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,160
as children of God.

573
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,080
So what does that mean to have
that inheritance?

574
00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:23,640
Well, it means that as a
believer we are gifted certain things.

575
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,560
We are gifted those spiritual blessings.

576
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,400
But sometimes, as many of you
know, that there, there could be

577
00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,000
an instance in your life that
you have something that is rightfully

578
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,980
Yours given to you, but
because you don' about it or because

579
00:24:34,980 --> 00:24:38,420
you haven't accessed it, you
can't reap the benefits or the blessings

580
00:24:38,500 --> 00:24:40,020
of those gifts given to you.

581
00:24:40,740 --> 00:24:45,740
So our daughter had a birthday
recently, and, you know, she gets

582
00:24:45,740 --> 00:24:49,700
presents right at her birthday
and as most of us do, and, you know,

583
00:24:49,700 --> 00:24:53,100
let's say she got a box and it
was wrapped and it was there, and

584
00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:54,820
we said, okay, happy birthday,
Here it is.

585
00:24:54,820 --> 00:24:57,180
And she takes that gift and
she puts it on her countertop and

586
00:24:57,180 --> 00:24:58,500
she says, you know what?

587
00:24:59,790 --> 00:25:01,470
I like that box just the way
that it is.

588
00:25:02,190 --> 00:25:03,590
And I'm just, it's a pretty box.

589
00:25:03,590 --> 00:25:05,590
It's got a nice, pretty bow
on, and I'm just going to leave it

590
00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:05,870
there.

591
00:25:06,750 --> 00:25:11,190
That gift was given to her by
her parents with something nice inside,

592
00:25:11,190 --> 00:25:14,230
something that we know she
would like, something that she would

593
00:25:14,230 --> 00:25:16,990
enjoy, something that she
would be excited about, maybe something

594
00:25:16,990 --> 00:25:18,510
she could share with her
friends at school.

595
00:25:18,750 --> 00:25:22,470
But if she doesn't open up
that box and dig into it and see

596
00:25:22,470 --> 00:25:25,740
what it is and maybe read the
instructions and maybe learn, she's

597
00:25:25,740 --> 00:25:28,580
not going to be able to
experience the blessings of that

598
00:25:28,580 --> 00:25:28,980
gift.

599
00:25:28,980 --> 00:25:29,300
Why?

600
00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:30,900
Because she hasn't accessed it.

601
00:25:31,300 --> 00:25:35,700
And the Bible says that as we
believe in the Lord, our faith is

602
00:25:35,700 --> 00:25:39,540
what accesses and assimilates
the promises of God.

603
00:25:39,940 --> 00:25:42,820
Access, meaning we can have it
assimilate, meaning it's ours.

604
00:25:43,220 --> 00:25:46,860
And so faith without works, as
the Bible says in James, is dead.

605
00:25:46,860 --> 00:25:49,260
That doesn't mean that, hey,
you got to work to be saved.

606
00:25:49,260 --> 00:25:52,850
What that means is, is that in
our life, sometimes we, I have shallow

607
00:25:52,850 --> 00:25:53,210
faith.

608
00:25:53,290 --> 00:25:56,730
And our shallow faith allows
us not to experience the great riches

609
00:25:56,730 --> 00:25:58,730
that God has given to us in
our life.

610
00:25:58,730 --> 00:26:00,570
And so Titus, chapter three,
verse five.

611
00:26:00,570 --> 00:26:03,890
Five, he says this, not by
works of righteousness, which we

612
00:26:03,890 --> 00:26:04,250
have done.

613
00:26:04,250 --> 00:26:05,450
We've been reminded of that.

614
00:26:05,850 --> 00:26:07,850
We've been reminded that it's
not our works.

615
00:26:08,330 --> 00:26:13,010
But then he goes on to say,
but according to his mercy, he saved

616
00:26:13,010 --> 00:26:13,370
us.

617
00:26:14,090 --> 00:26:16,890
So I, I, I've heard people
even say, well, I, you know, I saved

618
00:26:16,890 --> 00:26:18,530
myself back in, you know, whatever.

619
00:26:18,530 --> 00:26:20,870
No, we never got saved by ourselves.

620
00:26:21,430 --> 00:26:22,190
I, I know.

621
00:26:22,190 --> 00:26:25,470
And I've even heard people
say, well, you know, Pastor, so and

622
00:26:25,470 --> 00:26:26,110
so saved me.

623
00:26:26,110 --> 00:26:27,830
It's like, well, I know what
you mean by that.

624
00:26:27,830 --> 00:26:31,190
But at the end of the day, the
one who does the saving is our Lord.

625
00:26:31,270 --> 00:26:33,350
Okay, I understand what we mean.

626
00:26:33,350 --> 00:26:35,830
Someone leads us to faith, and
we're going to get to that.

627
00:26:35,830 --> 00:26:37,830
In Romans, chapter 10, how can
they believe if they don't have a

628
00:26:37,830 --> 00:26:38,310
preacher?

629
00:26:38,390 --> 00:26:41,270
So, so it doesn't mean that we
just sit back and go, well, I don't

630
00:26:41,270 --> 00:26:43,990
lead people to Christ, but we
never take credit for saving anybody,

631
00:26:43,990 --> 00:26:46,740
and we don't give anybody else
credit for our salvation other than

632
00:26:46,740 --> 00:26:47,140
the Lord.

633
00:26:47,140 --> 00:26:50,820
And so it says here in verse
number five, he says he saved us

634
00:26:50,820 --> 00:26:52,380
according to his mercy, by what?

635
00:26:52,460 --> 00:26:54,220
The washing of regeneration?

636
00:26:55,020 --> 00:26:57,580
We're washed, we're cleansed.

637
00:26:58,220 --> 00:27:00,540
Now, some people take that as,
that's my baptism.

638
00:27:01,260 --> 00:27:04,260
So, Pastor, I'm not completely
washed until I'm dunked in the water.

639
00:27:04,260 --> 00:27:07,260
No, that water up there is not
any holy water.

640
00:27:07,420 --> 00:27:09,420
That water up there doesn't
wash the sins away.

641
00:27:09,420 --> 00:27:12,430
What washes the sins away is
the washing of regeneration and the

642
00:27:12,430 --> 00:27:13,670
renewing of the Holy Ghost.

643
00:27:13,830 --> 00:27:14,710
What we're doing in.

644
00:27:14,710 --> 00:27:19,270
In baptism within the church
is a proclamation publicly, symbolically

645
00:27:19,270 --> 00:27:20,790
of what's already happened in
our life.

646
00:27:20,790 --> 00:27:23,590
And so this happens at the
moment of salvation, our sins are

647
00:27:23,590 --> 00:27:24,310
washed away.

648
00:27:24,950 --> 00:27:26,430
Now, it doesn't mean that
we're sinless.

649
00:27:26,430 --> 00:27:28,110
It means that we're still
dealing with the flesh.

650
00:27:28,110 --> 00:27:31,150
And the Bible says that we can
get muddied up by the things of this

651
00:27:31,150 --> 00:27:35,550
world, but when it comes to
our salvation, when it comes to our

652
00:27:35,550 --> 00:27:38,780
guilt, our condemnation before
the Lord, it says here very clearly

653
00:27:38,780 --> 00:27:41,540
that it's the moment of
salvation, that we are washed in

654
00:27:41,540 --> 00:27:44,300
regeneration and we are
renewed in the Holy Ghost.

655
00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:49,460
And then he says in verse six,
which he shed on us abundantly, means

656
00:27:49,460 --> 00:27:49,820
this.

657
00:27:50,540 --> 00:27:54,220
At the moment of salvation,
God doesn't say, well, I've got the

658
00:27:54,220 --> 00:27:56,620
Holy Spirit over here, and now
you got to be faithful for one year,

659
00:27:56,620 --> 00:27:58,140
and then you can get the Holy Spirit.

660
00:27:58,460 --> 00:27:59,820
Because some people actually
believe that.

661
00:27:59,820 --> 00:28:01,900
Some people actually believe
that you have to do certain things

662
00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:03,260
to be indwelled by the Spirit.

663
00:28:03,900 --> 00:28:06,980
But the Bible clearly teaches
here that in many other places that

664
00:28:06,980 --> 00:28:09,900
at the moment of
justification, the moment of salvation,

665
00:28:10,220 --> 00:28:15,500
he says that the Holy Spirit
is abundantly shed upon us, abundantly

666
00:28:15,500 --> 00:28:16,220
given to us.

667
00:28:16,860 --> 00:28:19,940
There's other passages in
Romans chapter 8 that speak that

668
00:28:19,940 --> 00:28:22,460
you cannot be a child of God
without the Holy Spirit.

669
00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:24,980
And so the way that we receive
those gifts, the way that we understand

670
00:28:24,980 --> 00:28:27,940
that peace, the way that we
understand that confidence, the way

671
00:28:27,940 --> 00:28:31,780
that we can understand this
perspective, if you will, is as it

672
00:28:31,780 --> 00:28:35,620
says here in Titus chapter 3
and in Romans chapter 10, only through

673
00:28:35,620 --> 00:28:38,780
the indwelling of the Holy
Ghost, and the only way that we can

674
00:28:38,780 --> 00:28:41,220
have the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit in our life, verse six,

675
00:28:41,220 --> 00:28:41,660
is what?

676
00:28:41,660 --> 00:28:44,460
Through Jesus Christ our Savior.

677
00:28:45,340 --> 00:28:49,140
Through Jesus, we can't reap
the benefits of having The Holy Spirit

678
00:28:49,140 --> 00:28:51,020
in our life without faith in
Jesus Christ.

679
00:28:51,820 --> 00:28:54,140
And so some of you today might
be saying, well, Pastor, I already

680
00:28:54,140 --> 00:28:57,560
know all this, so don't preach
the gospel to me.

681
00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,000
Preach the gospel to the unsaved.

682
00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,280
Well, number one, I don't know
everyone in the room, so I gotta

683
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:03,960
preach the gospel no matter what.

684
00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,200
But number two is us as
Christians need to hear this.

685
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:08,160
We need to understand what
happened to us.

686
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,040
We need to understand what
we're living in today.

687
00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:10,480
We.

688
00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,680
We need to understand the
victory that we have in Jesus.

689
00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,240
We need to understand how to
articulate this to other people.

690
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,920
And so that's why we need to
rest in this and glory in the gospel

691
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,760
and glory in the Holy Spirit
and get excited about that transformation

692
00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:24,040
that happened in our hearts.

693
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,400
And so it says here in verse
seven, that being justified, there's

694
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:28,160
our word for the day.

695
00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:29,760
They're justified by what?

696
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:30,960
By his grace.

697
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:32,520
By God's grace, not my own.

698
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:33,560
His grace.

699
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:38,640
We should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal

700
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:38,920
life.

701
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,400
The heir means this.

702
00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,360
I am a beneficiary of the
blessings of God.

703
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,080
And in this particular case,
what does this say is the blessing

704
00:29:47,820 --> 00:29:49,180
the hope of eternal life?

705
00:29:50,300 --> 00:29:58,140
Folks, I know we are a people,
including myself, that are desirous.

706
00:29:58,140 --> 00:29:58,940
We want things.

707
00:29:59,660 --> 00:30:02,220
I know with me, I'm driving on
the road and I see a truck.

708
00:30:02,620 --> 00:30:05,260
It's really nice and raised up
and shiny.

709
00:30:05,260 --> 00:30:06,460
And I go, man, I want that truck.

710
00:30:06,460 --> 00:30:07,100
I don't know what.

711
00:30:07,100 --> 00:30:09,500
Something in my flesh just
wants to have things.

712
00:30:10,860 --> 00:30:15,120
And in that fleshly pursuit,
what it actually leads to is just

713
00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:16,400
really no satisfaction.

714
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:18,360
Oh, I want more.

715
00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:19,120
I want more.

716
00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,520
Yeah, I had this meal, but now
I want a better meal.

717
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:22,040
Yeah.

718
00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:22,840
And that's how.

719
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:24,080
That's how we are in our flesh.

720
00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:29,360
But what the Bible says is
that our greatest hope, our greatest

721
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,400
joy, our greatest gift, as it
says here in Titus chapter three,

722
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,760
verse seven, is our hope of
eternal life.

723
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,680
And so what we can say, like
Paul says and like many of the other

724
00:30:40,260 --> 00:30:42,740
saints of the Old Testament
and the New Testament say, basically,

725
00:30:42,740 --> 00:30:44,340
is take everything else away
from me.

726
00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:47,260
But all I can, I can, I can
say that I have it all with Jesus

727
00:30:47,260 --> 00:30:47,500
Christ.

728
00:30:47,500 --> 00:30:50,100
I can say that I have it all
with my relationship with God.

729
00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:53,140
And that brings us to a place
of joy, that brings us to a place

730
00:30:53,140 --> 00:30:56,100
of contentment, that brings us
to a place of being effective.

731
00:30:57,220 --> 00:31:00,940
Because when we're so laser
focused on what God has for us, we

732
00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:02,940
don't care if someone else
gets something else.

733
00:31:02,940 --> 00:31:05,740
We don't care what another
person over here is doing.

734
00:31:05,740 --> 00:31:06,660
We say, you know what?

735
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:08,760
I get to do what God has for me.

736
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:09,920
I get to serve him.

737
00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,280
I have the hope of eternal
life, and I'm going to live in that

738
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,800
and live in that joy and
satisfaction of having that relationship

739
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,960
with Jesus Christ, folks.

740
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:20,000
I'm still struggling with that.

741
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:25,080
I still, every day I wake up
and my flesh wants me to want more.

742
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,920
But what I basically want to
tell you here this morning is that

743
00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:33,240
with the Lord, you have it
all, and everything else is just

744
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,240
an abundant blessing that we
just are thankful for.

745
00:31:35,770 --> 00:31:37,930
Paul even talked about that in
Philippians chapter four.

746
00:31:38,410 --> 00:31:39,250
He says, you know what?

747
00:31:39,250 --> 00:31:40,130
I know how to be full.

748
00:31:40,130 --> 00:31:41,210
I know how to be empty.

749
00:31:41,530 --> 00:31:42,810
I know how to be celebrated.

750
00:31:42,810 --> 00:31:44,170
I know how to be persecuted.

751
00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:47,890
And then he essentially says,
I know that in every way how to be

752
00:31:47,890 --> 00:31:48,170
content.

753
00:31:48,490 --> 00:31:51,130
He says, in every
circumstance, therewith to be content.

754
00:31:52,570 --> 00:31:56,170
Network intent is not a word
that, that our society wants us to

755
00:31:56,170 --> 00:31:58,170
think about, because being
content means there's no.

756
00:31:58,170 --> 00:31:59,130
I don't need it anymore.

757
00:31:59,610 --> 00:32:01,890
Really, what the Bible says is
that I don't need anymore if I have

758
00:32:01,890 --> 00:32:02,490
Jesus Christ.

759
00:32:02,780 --> 00:32:04,180
And so we get to verse number 13.

760
00:32:04,180 --> 00:32:09,420
In Romans, chapter 10, Romans,
chapter 10, verse 13, he reiterates

761
00:32:09,420 --> 00:32:14,820
what basically he stated back
in verse number nine, in a more simplistic

762
00:32:14,820 --> 00:32:19,620
way, he says, for whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord

763
00:32:19,620 --> 00:32:20,380
shall be saved.

764
00:32:21,020 --> 00:32:26,100
Now, if you were to read that
just out of context, we would go

765
00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:27,420
back to what I said earlier today.

766
00:32:27,420 --> 00:32:28,780
How many of you want to go to heaven?

767
00:32:29,350 --> 00:32:30,070
I want to go to heaven.

768
00:32:30,070 --> 00:32:31,070
All right, Say the word Lord.

769
00:32:31,070 --> 00:32:31,390
All right.

770
00:32:31,390 --> 00:32:32,110
Everyone says lord.

771
00:32:32,110 --> 00:32:32,910
Okay, we're going to heaven.

772
00:32:32,910 --> 00:32:34,230
You call upon the name of the Lord.

773
00:32:34,230 --> 00:32:36,710
No, but remember, context is key.

774
00:32:36,950 --> 00:32:38,510
So he says, call upon the name
of the Lord.

775
00:32:38,510 --> 00:32:38,830
What way?

776
00:32:38,830 --> 00:32:40,230
The way he just described.

777
00:32:40,310 --> 00:32:42,510
And so the question that I
would have for you here this morning

778
00:32:42,510 --> 00:32:43,030
is this.

779
00:32:44,870 --> 00:32:47,510
Who or what is the object of
your faith?

780
00:32:49,030 --> 00:32:50,870
You would say, well, you know,
it's Jesus.

781
00:32:51,590 --> 00:32:52,470
Fantastic.

782
00:32:52,550 --> 00:32:53,990
Is that what you're saying?

783
00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,320
Or is that what you're saying
and believing and then doing?

784
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,920
Because what we do in our
life, again, I think all of us could,

785
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,360
at least at some point in our
life, can identify with this statement

786
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,200
is that I believe that God exists.

787
00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:09,520
I. I believe that he is good.

788
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,800
I believe he wants what's best
for me.

789
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,400
But I'm struggling to see that
in this situation right here.

790
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,920
So therefore, I kind of want
to take control, kind of want to

791
00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:18,720
do it in my own way.

792
00:33:20,010 --> 00:33:22,090
And there was an individual,
even in the New Testament that was

793
00:33:22,090 --> 00:33:22,810
talking to Jesus.

794
00:33:22,810 --> 00:33:25,090
And he says, lord, I believe,
but help my unbelief.

795
00:33:25,090 --> 00:33:26,090
And I think that's all of us.

796
00:33:26,250 --> 00:33:30,450
Some of us might struggle in
that application of what we say,

797
00:33:30,450 --> 00:33:31,050
we believe.

798
00:33:32,730 --> 00:33:35,570
How many of us are willing to
say, lord, I give my family over

799
00:33:35,570 --> 00:33:39,330
to you, Lord, you're in
control, Lord, I want to do it your

800
00:33:39,330 --> 00:33:39,610
way.

801
00:33:39,690 --> 00:33:42,570
How many of us would say, now
this is where pastor's really stepping

802
00:33:42,570 --> 00:33:43,050
on toes.

803
00:33:43,050 --> 00:33:46,010
How many of us would really
say, lord, take, take, take my job.

804
00:33:47,170 --> 00:33:49,810
Not take away my job, but take
control of it.

805
00:33:50,210 --> 00:33:53,610
Take control of my finances,
Lord, what do you want me to do with

806
00:33:53,610 --> 00:33:53,890
it?

807
00:33:54,210 --> 00:33:56,530
Because really, when you think
about it from this perspective, if

808
00:33:56,530 --> 00:34:00,090
God is your master and Lord,
everything that you have has been

809
00:34:00,090 --> 00:34:03,170
given to you by him, therefore
it belongs to Him.

810
00:34:04,690 --> 00:34:05,330
That's a.

811
00:34:05,730 --> 00:34:06,850
You know that.

812
00:34:06,850 --> 00:34:07,170
That.

813
00:34:07,490 --> 00:34:09,010
Some people squirm there, okay?

814
00:34:09,010 --> 00:34:09,370
Some.

815
00:34:09,370 --> 00:34:10,250
Some people squirm.

816
00:34:10,250 --> 00:34:10,970
I swear with that.

817
00:34:10,970 --> 00:34:12,959
Sometimes I'm like, not that.

818
00:34:12,959 --> 00:34:13,759
Don't take that away.

819
00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:16,559
And God might not take away God.

820
00:34:16,799 --> 00:34:17,799
Actually, the opposite.

821
00:34:17,799 --> 00:34:20,319
When you trust in the Lord,
there's abundant blessings upon you.

822
00:34:20,479 --> 00:34:21,519
He doesn't take anything away.

823
00:34:21,519 --> 00:34:24,079
I used to think when I had
pastors come into our.

824
00:34:24,159 --> 00:34:26,439
Our chapel at school, and the
pastor would get up there, he's like,

825
00:34:26,439 --> 00:34:27,479
give your life to Jesus.

826
00:34:27,479 --> 00:34:30,479
And I'm like, yeah, but I
don't want to be without.

827
00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:31,719
I don't want to miss out.

828
00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:32,559
I want to have fun.

829
00:34:32,559 --> 00:34:33,639
I want to have enjoyment.

830
00:34:33,639 --> 00:34:34,559
I want to live my life.

831
00:34:34,559 --> 00:34:35,839
I want to experience the world.

832
00:34:36,079 --> 00:34:38,279
But the moment that I gave my
life to Christ, that was the moment

833
00:34:38,279 --> 00:34:42,010
where I felt and believed and
experienced the fact that God had

834
00:34:42,010 --> 00:34:42,650
given me everything.

835
00:34:42,650 --> 00:34:44,610
And therefore I haven't missed
out on anything.

836
00:34:44,690 --> 00:34:46,770
Actually, I probably miss out
on things I should be missing out

837
00:34:46,770 --> 00:34:47,090
on.

838
00:34:47,170 --> 00:34:49,690
And so that's what the Bible
teaches is give it all over to the

839
00:34:49,690 --> 00:34:50,050
Lord.

840
00:34:51,090 --> 00:34:52,370
Give it all over to him.

841
00:34:52,370 --> 00:34:53,330
Give him your life.

842
00:34:53,570 --> 00:34:57,250
We're going to get to Romans
chapter 12, and it says that we should

843
00:34:57,410 --> 00:35:02,010
present our bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable, with

844
00:35:02,010 --> 00:35:05,460
God, which is your reasonable
service, which means God wants your

845
00:35:05,460 --> 00:35:06,700
heart, but God wants your all.

846
00:35:07,900 --> 00:35:10,820
And when we give him our all,
that's in the moment where we say,

847
00:35:10,820 --> 00:35:11,500
lord, I believe.

848
00:35:11,980 --> 00:35:14,380
Lord, I. I confess you to the world.

849
00:35:15,100 --> 00:35:17,460
I was having a conversation
with some believers here recently

850
00:35:17,460 --> 00:35:19,620
at a Bible study, and we all agreed.

851
00:35:19,620 --> 00:35:22,940
It's so easy to profess Jesus
with people that believe in Jesus.

852
00:35:22,940 --> 00:35:26,300
Like, when I'm sitting around
a table with other believers, like,

853
00:35:26,300 --> 00:35:27,860
I'm the most bold Christian in
the world.

854
00:35:27,860 --> 00:35:28,700
Like, you know what?

855
00:35:29,100 --> 00:35:30,020
Yeah, let Me tell you this.

856
00:35:30,020 --> 00:35:31,500
Let me tell you what the
problem is with all these people.

857
00:35:31,500 --> 00:35:32,940
Let me tell you how you can be saved.

858
00:35:33,190 --> 00:35:36,430
But the true test is really
when we take it to the streets, when

859
00:35:36,430 --> 00:35:38,870
we take it to a world that
isn't welcoming to the gospel.

860
00:35:39,030 --> 00:35:43,110
Are we going to believe that
boldly with people around us who

861
00:35:43,110 --> 00:35:45,190
don't necessarily believe the
same things that we believe?

862
00:35:45,830 --> 00:35:46,510
That's the test.

863
00:35:46,510 --> 00:35:47,270
That's the challenge.

864
00:35:47,270 --> 00:35:48,630
That's where the rubber meets
the road.

865
00:35:49,190 --> 00:35:52,750
And so we see that Paul says,
okay, how do we do this?

866
00:35:52,750 --> 00:35:54,390
How do we get people to
believe this?

867
00:35:54,390 --> 00:35:55,750
How do we spread the word?

868
00:35:55,750 --> 00:35:56,550
Verse 14.

869
00:35:57,190 --> 00:35:59,640
This is where we're going to
end this week, and this is where

870
00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:00,760
we're going to pick up next week.

871
00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:01,200
Okay.

872
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:02,920
I love how this sermon series
has been.

873
00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:04,160
It's kind of been like, end.

874
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:06,720
He gives us the answer, and
then we launch off to the next one.

875
00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:07,480
So verse 14.

876
00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:11,280
He says, how then shall they
call on him in whom they have not

877
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:11,640
believed?

878
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:12,160
Meaning?

879
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,400
Well, we're asking people to believe.

880
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,000
And in this case, he's even
particularly talking about his own

881
00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:17,840
people in Israel.

882
00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,040
He says, remember at the
beginning of Romans 10 and at the

883
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,560
beginning of Romans 9, he
says, it's my heart that my people

884
00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:24,480
come to believe.

885
00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:27,500
It's my heart that they all
come to a place of revival.

886
00:36:27,900 --> 00:36:32,060
But then he says, here, how
can they believe if they have not

887
00:36:32,060 --> 00:36:32,460
heard?

888
00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:35,900
How shall they believe in him
who they have not heard?

889
00:36:35,900 --> 00:36:38,140
And how shall they hear
without a preacher?

890
00:36:38,380 --> 00:36:41,660
So we asked some really
pointed questions here.

891
00:36:41,900 --> 00:36:44,060
He says, okay, we want people
to believe.

892
00:36:44,460 --> 00:36:45,220
I hope we do.

893
00:36:45,220 --> 00:36:48,060
I hope that because of your
belief in the Lord and the way that

894
00:36:48,060 --> 00:36:50,720
he's transformed your life,
that you want other people to believe.

895
00:36:51,670 --> 00:36:53,230
That's actually our goal in
life, is to.

896
00:36:53,230 --> 00:36:54,550
To make more disciples.

897
00:36:55,510 --> 00:36:58,230
So he says, okay, how can they
believe if they don't hear?

898
00:36:59,590 --> 00:37:01,750
How can they call out to
someone who they don't know?

899
00:37:02,150 --> 00:37:04,470
Well, he's going to answer
some of this, but he.

900
00:37:04,470 --> 00:37:04,990
He asked.

901
00:37:04,990 --> 00:37:08,470
The other question is, well,
how can they hear without a preacher

902
00:37:08,470 --> 00:37:11,270
that word preaching just means
proclamation to proclaim.

903
00:37:11,990 --> 00:37:12,310
There.

904
00:37:12,310 --> 00:37:13,310
There used to be like the.

905
00:37:13,310 --> 00:37:14,430
The town crier, right?

906
00:37:14,430 --> 00:37:17,150
I guess none of you guys
remember the town crier.

907
00:37:17,150 --> 00:37:18,510
It was way before all of our times.

908
00:37:18,510 --> 00:37:20,830
But, you know, in history,
there used to be a guy who would

909
00:37:20,830 --> 00:37:23,040
come and he would yell out the
news to the.

910
00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:24,120
To the town.

911
00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:24,760
You know, so.

912
00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:25,640
And so did this.

913
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:26,720
This is what happened.

914
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:28,680
That's essentially the idea.

915
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,840
Proclaiming being a messenger
of the Gospel.

916
00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,160
And so sometimes people read
verse 14.

917
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:39,560
And they think, well, that
means everyone is off the hook because

918
00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,400
it's only the preacher that
has to proclaim the gospel.

919
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,000
Well, I am a preacher.

920
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:45,960
I'm also a pastor.

921
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,480
But actually what the Bible
says is that all of us are preachers

922
00:37:49,980 --> 00:37:51,020
in different capacities.

923
00:37:51,020 --> 00:37:53,180
You say, well, that means I
get to go preach next week.

924
00:37:53,180 --> 00:37:54,620
No, that's not how it works.

925
00:37:54,620 --> 00:37:58,580
But we are to live our lives
in proclamation to the gospel, to

926
00:37:58,580 --> 00:37:59,340
those around us.

927
00:37:59,420 --> 00:38:02,740
And so if we look at this
world today and, and I'll end with

928
00:38:02,740 --> 00:38:05,980
this thought, and I think
it'll be a challenge for us and all.

929
00:38:06,060 --> 00:38:09,620
Everyone, I think all
Christians, how many of us would

930
00:38:09,620 --> 00:38:11,500
look out into the world today
and say there's a problem?

931
00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:13,740
I think we would all agree.

932
00:38:14,390 --> 00:38:16,390
We all agree that there's a
problem in this world.

933
00:38:16,630 --> 00:38:18,790
Now, different people have
different opinions on what that problem

934
00:38:18,790 --> 00:38:19,110
is.

935
00:38:19,110 --> 00:38:21,750
But if you're a believer, we
would all agree that the problem

936
00:38:21,750 --> 00:38:23,030
is the problem of sin.

937
00:38:24,630 --> 00:38:26,110
And so what does that mean?

938
00:38:26,110 --> 00:38:28,630
Well, that means that if
there's people in their sin, the

939
00:38:28,630 --> 00:38:32,230
Bible says that they're on the
path to a way of destruction, they're

940
00:38:32,230 --> 00:38:35,030
on the path to hell, they're
on the path to judgment.

941
00:38:35,270 --> 00:38:39,150
And if we want the world to
turn to the Lord, if we want the

942
00:38:39,150 --> 00:38:44,190
world to go to what we believe
to be the truth, we can't just sit

943
00:38:44,190 --> 00:38:44,510
around.

944
00:38:44,830 --> 00:38:48,310
And this is something I've
been guilty of, sit around at church

945
00:38:48,310 --> 00:38:51,510
with a bunch of people who
agree and just say, hey, we.

946
00:38:51,510 --> 00:38:53,470
We just need to complain about
this world.

947
00:38:53,790 --> 00:38:58,230
Because sometimes we can
become complainers and we can kind

948
00:38:58,230 --> 00:39:01,150
of wax eloquent about how evil
everyone is around us.

949
00:39:01,470 --> 00:39:05,470
Or, or sometimes what happens
is, is that we do everything within

950
00:39:05,470 --> 00:39:09,260
the church context for us, and
there should be edification, there

951
00:39:09,260 --> 00:39:10,460
should be exhortation.

952
00:39:10,620 --> 00:39:15,180
But sometimes we can be so
myopic in our focus that we just

953
00:39:15,180 --> 00:39:17,340
focus on the people that are
in these four walls.

954
00:39:18,460 --> 00:39:21,620
And we miss out on the fact
that the vast majority of people

955
00:39:21,620 --> 00:39:24,620
around us need Jesus and we
are the ones.

956
00:39:24,620 --> 00:39:25,580
There's nobody else.

957
00:39:25,580 --> 00:39:28,220
We as the church are
responsible to take that out to the

958
00:39:28,220 --> 00:39:28,460
world.

959
00:39:28,940 --> 00:39:31,820
It doesn't say that Hollywood
is the pillar and ground of truth.

960
00:39:32,060 --> 00:39:34,540
It doesn't say that only
preachers are the pillar and ground

961
00:39:34,540 --> 00:39:35,020
of truth.

962
00:39:35,300 --> 00:39:38,420
The Bible says that it is the
church that is the pillar and ground

963
00:39:38,420 --> 00:39:38,900
of truth.

964
00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:43,060
And therefore it is all of our
responsibility, yes, to encourage

965
00:39:43,060 --> 00:39:45,940
those that are believers, to
strengthen those that are believers,

966
00:39:45,940 --> 00:39:46,300
to.

967
00:39:46,300 --> 00:39:47,980
To love on other believers.

968
00:39:47,980 --> 00:39:51,660
But also, as we're going to
study in the next Study in Romans

969
00:39:51,660 --> 00:39:55,060
is that we are to take that
message and send people out into

970
00:39:55,060 --> 00:39:59,580
the world as ambassadors for
Christ, as representatives of the

971
00:39:59,580 --> 00:40:00,100
gospel.

972
00:40:00,830 --> 00:40:02,190
And so the challenge for us is this.

973
00:40:02,190 --> 00:40:03,310
Number one, do I believe?

974
00:40:03,630 --> 00:40:05,710
Number two, do I believe
enough to tell others?

975
00:40:05,870 --> 00:40:08,950
And do I believe enough to
tell others and love God enough to

976
00:40:08,950 --> 00:40:09,430
say, you know what?

977
00:40:09,430 --> 00:40:14,070
I'm going to take that as my
responsibility to find an avenue

978
00:40:14,070 --> 00:40:18,070
with my particular spiritual
gift to present the gospel to the

979
00:40:18,070 --> 00:40:18,310
world.

980
00:40:18,310 --> 00:40:19,870
Not all of us are teachers.

981
00:40:21,150 --> 00:40:24,070
Not all of us are able to get
to a place where we can get in front

982
00:40:24,070 --> 00:40:24,830
of a pulpit.

983
00:40:24,830 --> 00:40:27,230
But all of us are spiritually
gifted, whether it be through the

984
00:40:27,230 --> 00:40:29,760
gift of mercy, whether it be
through the gift of administration,

985
00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,000
whether it be through the gift
of giving.

986
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,760
There's a lot of gifts that
even behind the scenes that God uses

987
00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:37,760
for the proclamation of the gospel.

988
00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,080
And so I want to leave you
with the question that Paul asked

989
00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:41,920
in verse 14.

990
00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,400
How can they believe if they
haven't heard?

991
00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,920
How can they hear without a preacher?

992
00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:48,640
And we're going to talk more
about that next time.

993
00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:53,320
How we as a church and as
believers are responsible for certain

994
00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:56,520
elements of the gospel being
presented to those that need the

995
00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:57,920
truth of who Jesus Christ is.

996
00:40:58,570 --> 00:41:01,250
But the answer to all of this,
the answer to the struggles of this

997
00:41:01,250 --> 00:41:04,210
world, the answer to the
division in our country, the answer

998
00:41:04,210 --> 00:41:07,090
to the division in our world,
the answer to the division within

999
00:41:07,090 --> 00:41:11,730
churches today is always to go
back to the gospel, to go back to

1000
00:41:11,730 --> 00:41:14,970
Jesus Christ, to go back to
what he has done for us, to go back

1001
00:41:14,970 --> 00:41:19,290
to the washing of regeneration
and the renewal of the Holy Spirit.

1002
00:41:19,850 --> 00:41:20,890
I want to leave you with this.

1003
00:41:20,890 --> 00:41:23,490
This is something that I've
really been thinking about and praying

1004
00:41:23,490 --> 00:41:24,090
about, and.

1005
00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:27,420
And I believe that it's a
biblical truth, and we see this within

1006
00:41:27,420 --> 00:41:30,660
the context sometimes of
church, is that we have two individuals.

1007
00:41:30,900 --> 00:41:33,540
And I use this analogy at one
of our Bible studies recently.

1008
00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:35,540
We have two individuals that
are sitting here.

1009
00:41:35,540 --> 00:41:38,820
One says, I'm filled with the
Holy Spirit and I'm following God

1010
00:41:38,820 --> 00:41:39,700
every way that I can.

1011
00:41:40,019 --> 00:41:40,580
Okay?

1012
00:41:40,820 --> 00:41:42,580
Then pretend like there's
someone else standing up here with

1013
00:41:42,580 --> 00:41:42,700
me.

1014
00:41:42,700 --> 00:41:45,140
And they say, I'm filled with
the Holy Spirit and I'm following

1015
00:41:45,140 --> 00:41:46,740
God every way that I possibly can.

1016
00:41:46,820 --> 00:41:49,780
And then we get down to the
wire and both of us disagree on something.

1017
00:41:50,330 --> 00:41:50,610
Okay?

1018
00:41:50,610 --> 00:41:51,610
So we're disagreeing on something.

1019
00:41:51,610 --> 00:41:53,930
It doesn't mean that if you're
indwelled with the Holy Spirit that

1020
00:41:53,930 --> 00:41:55,490
you'll agree on everything, okay?

1021
00:41:55,490 --> 00:41:56,410
Because that will never happen.

1022
00:41:56,650 --> 00:42:00,210
But how we deal with this
conflict and disagreement will dictate

1023
00:42:00,210 --> 00:42:03,890
whether or not one or both of
the individuals are truly being indwelled

1024
00:42:03,890 --> 00:42:04,410
by the Spirit.

1025
00:42:04,410 --> 00:42:04,730
Why?

1026
00:42:04,810 --> 00:42:09,690
Because if I am indwelled by
the Spirit, and this guy over here,

1027
00:42:09,690 --> 00:42:12,530
whoever he is, if he is
indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we

1028
00:42:12,530 --> 00:42:14,690
have the same Holy Spirit
living within us.

1029
00:42:14,690 --> 00:42:16,410
And the Holy Spirit will not
fight against himself.

1030
00:42:17,630 --> 00:42:18,350
So what do we do?

1031
00:42:18,990 --> 00:42:22,030
Well, we seek after the Lord's
guidance on how we can come to a

1032
00:42:22,030 --> 00:42:22,910
place of agreement.

1033
00:42:22,990 --> 00:42:25,430
If we can't come to a place of
agreement, we come to a place of

1034
00:42:25,430 --> 00:42:26,030
compromise.

1035
00:42:26,030 --> 00:42:29,870
Not compromising the word of
God, never compromising the truth.

1036
00:42:30,190 --> 00:42:33,190
But let's say, for example, by
the way, by way of argument, this

1037
00:42:33,190 --> 00:42:36,030
guy over here wants to paint
the walls blue, and this guy wants

1038
00:42:36,030 --> 00:42:36,870
to paint the walls green.

1039
00:42:36,870 --> 00:42:38,270
Well, what's the Bible say
about that?

1040
00:42:38,270 --> 00:42:41,390
Well, you might say, well, I
think the green's better.

1041
00:42:41,390 --> 00:42:42,230
Okay, what's our opinion?

1042
00:42:42,230 --> 00:42:43,870
The Bible doesn't speak about
either one of those things.

1043
00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:44,920
So what do we do?

1044
00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:46,760
Well, we're going to see it in
Romans 14.

1045
00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:49,160
We come together and find a
way in which we don't offend one

1046
00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:49,440
another.

1047
00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:50,160
And we.

1048
00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:53,520
And maybe, maybe someone else
says, I think the wall should be

1049
00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:53,800
purple.

1050
00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:54,680
Neither one of us are right.

1051
00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,400
Okay, so the idea would be this.

1052
00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:58,680
Don't stress about the colors
of the wall.

1053
00:42:58,680 --> 00:42:58,880
That's.

1054
00:42:58,880 --> 00:42:59,760
That was this analogy.

1055
00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:00,479
Okay, but.

1056
00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:01,680
But the idea would be this.

1057
00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:06,200
The ideas would be this, that
we as believers, if we say that we're

1058
00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:07,600
being washed and.

1059
00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:11,080
And renewed by the Holy Ghost,
should be able to walk in fellowship

1060
00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:12,480
with our own folks.

1061
00:43:13,140 --> 00:43:15,380
Enough to say that when we go
out into the world.

1062
00:43:15,700 --> 00:43:18,540
Because actually, we'll study
this more next week.

1063
00:43:18,540 --> 00:43:21,500
But in John 17, Jesus says the
way that the world can see the gospel

1064
00:43:21,500 --> 00:43:23,380
is through people being in unity.

1065
00:43:23,540 --> 00:43:26,700
And his prayer to the Father
was that we would be unified so the

1066
00:43:26,700 --> 00:43:27,620
world could see him.

1067
00:43:28,340 --> 00:43:32,460
So how can we reach people in
the world for the gospel if we as

1068
00:43:32,460 --> 00:43:34,580
the church can't even get to.

1069
00:43:34,580 --> 00:43:37,300
Just so that we can be
different, so that we can be forgiving,

1070
00:43:37,460 --> 00:43:40,820
so that we can be honest, so
that we can be in.

1071
00:43:40,820 --> 00:43:41,780
In a place of.

1072
00:43:41,780 --> 00:43:44,580
Of forgiveness when we deal
with other people in our lives?

1073
00:43:44,820 --> 00:43:47,580
And so that's the message of
the gospel.

1074
00:43:47,580 --> 00:43:49,220
The message of the Gospel is
so important.

1075
00:43:49,620 --> 00:43:52,020
It's the most vital message
that we have today.

1076
00:43:52,420 --> 00:43:54,100
The good news, the greatest news.

1077
00:43:54,820 --> 00:43:57,060
And so what we're going to do
as we close here this morning is

1078
00:43:57,060 --> 00:43:59,500
I'm gonna have a few questions
for you if you're able to Stand with

1079
00:43:59,500 --> 00:44:01,020
me, every head bowed, every
eye closed.

1080
00:44:01,020 --> 00:44:05,790
We're gonna get to a place
where I want us all to respond today

1081
00:44:05,870 --> 00:44:06,750
to some degree.

1082
00:44:06,830 --> 00:44:09,590
I. I don't necessarily mean
that you come forward and kneel the

1083
00:44:09,590 --> 00:44:09,910
steps.

1084
00:44:09,910 --> 00:44:11,950
That's not required.

1085
00:44:12,590 --> 00:44:15,670
But what I am saying is that I
do believe that all of us have to

1086
00:44:15,670 --> 00:44:19,710
come to a place in our minds,
in our hearts, about a few questions.

1087
00:44:20,109 --> 00:44:24,590
Number one, are we willing to
come to Romans chapter 10 and say,

1088
00:44:24,910 --> 00:44:29,710
honestly, not before, Pastor,
but before God, That I am trusting

1089
00:44:29,710 --> 00:44:31,710
in what Romans 10 says about salvation?

1090
00:44:32,190 --> 00:44:35,870
That I believe in my heart
that all the things that the message

1091
00:44:35,870 --> 00:44:37,470
of the Gospel is all about Jesus.

1092
00:44:37,470 --> 00:44:40,110
And we've already talked about
what that looks like, that that's

1093
00:44:40,110 --> 00:44:41,790
what I'm trusting in for salvation.

1094
00:44:41,950 --> 00:44:46,070
I'm confessing, I'm agreeing
in who Jesus is intellectually and

1095
00:44:46,070 --> 00:44:46,670
in faith.

1096
00:44:48,190 --> 00:44:51,590
If you are trusting in
anything else for salvation here

1097
00:44:51,590 --> 00:44:56,910
this morning, the Bible says
to get that right today, because

1098
00:44:56,910 --> 00:44:58,230
today is the day of salvation.

1099
00:44:58,230 --> 00:44:59,550
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

1100
00:45:00,100 --> 00:45:03,700
I don't care if you've been a
member of the church for 40 years

1101
00:45:04,260 --> 00:45:06,180
or this is your first time
visiting the church.

1102
00:45:06,660 --> 00:45:08,100
Get that right today.

1103
00:45:08,100 --> 00:45:11,140
Because the Bible says that
that is the only way to find righteousness,

1104
00:45:11,140 --> 00:45:13,300
that is the only way to find justification.

1105
00:45:13,300 --> 00:45:16,620
That's the only way to find
the Holy Spirit in our lives, guiding

1106
00:45:16,620 --> 00:45:17,620
us and changing us.

1107
00:45:18,020 --> 00:45:19,420
So salvation is the first question.

1108
00:45:19,420 --> 00:45:20,500
What are you trusting in?

1109
00:45:20,500 --> 00:45:22,260
What is your object of faith?

1110
00:45:22,900 --> 00:45:26,180
But then secondly, if your
object of faith is Jesus Christ,

1111
00:45:26,510 --> 00:45:29,230
are you trusting in him for everything?

1112
00:45:29,470 --> 00:45:34,270
Not just for your salvation,
but for the other things that God

1113
00:45:34,270 --> 00:45:38,150
says that he richly blesses us
with, with the affairs of life, with

1114
00:45:38,150 --> 00:45:41,870
the struggles at work, with
our physical bodies, with our families,

1115
00:45:41,950 --> 00:45:44,190
with our finances, with our service.

1116
00:45:44,510 --> 00:45:47,550
Are we trusting him in all of
those capacities?

1117
00:45:48,110 --> 00:45:50,910
I mean, if I'm honest, I
struggle with that daily.

1118
00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:54,840
And so if we do struggle with
that, how do we find hope?

1119
00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:59,560
Well, we go to what the Bible
says, that we are heirs of the eternal

1120
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,400
hope of Jesus Christ that's
found through the dwelling of the

1121
00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:05,040
Holy Spirit, the filling of
the Holy Spirit, and the obedience

1122
00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:05,880
to the Holy Spirit.

1123
00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:09,200
So maybe today we need to just
realign ourselves with not going

1124
00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:13,240
after what we want in our
flesh, but what God wants in our

1125
00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:13,720
spirit.

1126
00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:16,600
So may that be a challenge for
us this morning.

1127
00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:20,130
And let's think about kind of
prepping ourselves for the next study

1128
00:46:20,130 --> 00:46:21,170
in Romans 10:14.

1129
00:46:21,650 --> 00:46:24,730
Where are we at in that
process of proclaiming the message

1130
00:46:24,730 --> 00:46:25,330
to the world?

1131
00:46:26,530 --> 00:46:29,050
Are you a preacher of the
Gospel in your home?

1132
00:46:29,050 --> 00:46:30,970
Are you a preacher of gospel
in your workplace?

1133
00:46:30,970 --> 00:46:33,090
Are you preacher of the gospel
in your community?

1134
00:46:35,810 --> 00:46:37,290
Let's think about that here
this morning.

1135
00:46:37,290 --> 00:46:40,610
And if not, let's ask the Lord
to give us wisdom and strength on

1136
00:46:40,610 --> 00:46:44,650
how to find that effective
nature of presenting the gospel to

1137
00:46:44,650 --> 00:46:46,010
those that need it.

1138
00:46:46,410 --> 00:46:48,370
Lord, I pray that you'd be in
this time of invitation, working

1139
00:46:48,370 --> 00:46:51,330
hearts and lives as we
continue this study in the book of

1140
00:46:51,330 --> 00:46:54,770
Romans, challenge our hearts,
convict our hearts, comfort our hearts

1141
00:46:54,770 --> 00:46:57,850
to the place where we can find
obedience in you, that we can find

1142
00:46:58,090 --> 00:47:01,770
satisfaction in you, that we
can find that confidence in you.

1143
00:47:01,770 --> 00:47:04,090
Lord, I pray that you be with
those folks that might need Jesus

1144
00:47:04,090 --> 00:47:05,130
this morning as Savior.

1145
00:47:05,450 --> 00:47:09,450
May they be willing to
confess, may they be willing to believe,

1146
00:47:09,930 --> 00:47:13,680
may they be willing to submit
to you for full salvation not by

1147
00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:16,120
works of righteousness that
we've done, but according to your

1148
00:47:16,120 --> 00:47:16,480
mercy.

1149
00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:18,040
Lord, we trust in you today.

1150
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:19,720
We ask all these things in
Jesus name.

1151
00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:20,480
Amen.

1152
00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:22,760
As the music plays, follow as
the Lord leads here this morning.

1153
00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:19,760
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1154
00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:20,320
podcast.

1155
00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:22,980
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing blessing for you.

1156
00:49:23,700 --> 00:49:25,900
You would like to find out
more information about our church

1157
00:49:25,900 --> 00:49:29,380
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1158
00:49:29,620 --> 00:49:32,180
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1159
00:49:32,900 --> 00:49:37,420
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch

1160
00:49:37,420 --> 00:49:40,020
dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast.

1161
00:49:40,260 --> 00:49:44,660
Please subscribe and follow
along for future podcasts and updates.

1162
00:49:45,300 --> 00:49:46,260
Thank you so much.

1163
00:49:46,500 --> 00:49:47,220
God Bless.

1164
00:49:47,460 --> 00:49:48,740
Have a wonderful day.