1 00:00:10,410 --> 00:00:11,601 He says this, 2 00:00:11,601 --> 00:00:13,300 "How would you recommend witnessing 3 00:00:13,300 --> 00:00:17,144 to somebody who believes they are saved, 4 00:00:17,144 --> 00:00:20,032 but they show no understanding of the Gospel 5 00:00:20,032 --> 00:00:24,572 and have no evidence of being born again? 6 00:00:24,572 --> 00:00:26,654 I do not want this person 7 00:00:26,654 --> 00:00:28,186 to remain deceived, 8 00:00:28,186 --> 00:00:33,088 but I also don't want to be self-righteous 9 00:00:33,088 --> 00:00:38,605 about how I do this." 10 00:00:38,605 --> 00:00:39,987 Well, I would say - 11 00:00:39,987 --> 00:00:41,829 you know what I would say about this? 12 00:00:41,829 --> 00:00:44,936 Look, you guys, 13 00:00:44,936 --> 00:00:46,958 we may have some in this room 14 00:00:46,958 --> 00:00:48,487 who think they're Christians 15 00:00:48,487 --> 00:00:49,622 and they're really not. 16 00:00:49,622 --> 00:00:52,031 And this applies to some of us 17 00:00:52,031 --> 00:00:54,482 with regards to you. 18 00:00:54,482 --> 00:00:55,902 And then there are some of you 19 00:00:55,902 --> 00:00:57,280 who are truly converted in this room 20 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:58,396 and you've come across this. 21 00:00:58,396 --> 00:00:59,415 You come across people. 22 00:00:59,415 --> 00:01:01,127 Some of them might be your parents. 23 00:01:01,127 --> 00:01:03,275 Some of them might be those that are close to you, 24 00:01:03,275 --> 00:01:05,316 they might be a brother or sister, might be co-workers, 25 00:01:05,316 --> 00:01:09,010 might be some you know right in the church, 26 00:01:09,010 --> 00:01:10,953 in the Bible study, wherever. 27 00:01:10,953 --> 00:01:15,780 Maybe other churches you came from. 28 00:01:15,780 --> 00:01:18,232 There are people in your life 29 00:01:18,232 --> 00:01:20,111 that you care about. 30 00:01:20,111 --> 00:01:21,687 You want to see them converted. 31 00:01:21,687 --> 00:01:23,595 You want to see them in glory. 32 00:01:23,595 --> 00:01:29,841 But you have real concerns 33 00:01:29,841 --> 00:01:33,004 that something isn't right. 34 00:01:33,004 --> 00:01:35,005 You have real concerns 35 00:01:35,005 --> 00:01:36,831 that they claim to be a Christian 36 00:01:36,831 --> 00:01:38,151 and they're not really. 37 00:01:38,151 --> 00:01:39,380 Okay, what do you do? 38 00:01:39,380 --> 00:01:41,313 Well, I mean, the self-righteous thing, 39 00:01:41,313 --> 00:01:43,880 certainly, I'm not going to stay away 40 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:45,564 from confronting other people 41 00:01:45,564 --> 00:01:47,466 because of a concern of self-righteousness. 42 00:01:47,466 --> 00:01:48,838 Look, if you're a Christian, 43 00:01:48,838 --> 00:01:50,408 you need to love them. 44 00:01:50,408 --> 00:01:51,937 Be done with the self-righteousness. 45 00:01:51,937 --> 00:01:53,548 Just put it away. Don't be it. 46 00:01:53,548 --> 00:01:55,616 I would say put that away. 47 00:01:55,616 --> 00:01:57,778 Don't be judgmental. Don't be hard. 48 00:01:57,778 --> 00:02:00,587 And for one thing, we have to understand this, 49 00:02:00,587 --> 00:02:02,899 you don't know another man's heart. 50 00:02:02,899 --> 00:02:04,337 And so the best you can do 51 00:02:04,337 --> 00:02:08,258 is be pretty convinced 52 00:02:08,258 --> 00:02:09,775 that things aren't right. 53 00:02:09,775 --> 00:02:10,935 Because I'll tell you what, 54 00:02:10,935 --> 00:02:12,307 there was a time in David's life, 55 00:02:12,307 --> 00:02:13,596 if you looked at him, you'd have said, 56 00:02:13,596 --> 00:02:16,036 yeah, it looks pretty doubtful, right? 57 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:17,650 I mean, there are people in the Scriptures 58 00:02:17,650 --> 00:02:18,781 there are certain times if you looked, 59 00:02:18,781 --> 00:02:20,855 you would have gazed in, you know, 60 00:02:20,855 --> 00:02:23,004 right there when Jesus was on trial, 61 00:02:23,004 --> 00:02:24,313 you would have looked over there at Peter, 62 00:02:24,313 --> 00:02:26,781 you'd have thought that guy's cursing, 63 00:02:26,781 --> 00:02:28,252 and that guy's swearing 64 00:02:28,252 --> 00:02:29,712 and that guy's denying Christ. 65 00:02:29,712 --> 00:02:31,860 Nope, he's off the list. 66 00:02:31,860 --> 00:02:34,337 He can't be a true one. 67 00:02:34,337 --> 00:02:37,040 You know, we have to be careful, right? 68 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:38,652 Sometimes we get looking at other people, 69 00:02:38,652 --> 00:02:40,021 some of the self-righteousness 70 00:02:40,021 --> 00:02:44,207 we need to be concerned with 71 00:02:44,207 --> 00:02:48,624 may fall in just having an overly harsh judgment. 72 00:02:48,624 --> 00:02:50,709 You know, God did not make us 73 00:02:50,709 --> 00:02:53,614 the spiritual policemen, 74 00:02:53,614 --> 00:02:55,782 the spiritual judges to go around 75 00:02:55,782 --> 00:02:57,819 and condemn everybody else and tell them. 76 00:02:57,819 --> 00:02:59,488 Now look, but at the same time, 77 00:02:59,488 --> 00:03:02,729 love says if I know my Bible well enough 78 00:03:02,729 --> 00:03:06,164 to look at what the characteristic of a true Christian is 79 00:03:06,164 --> 00:03:07,453 and I look at yours 80 00:03:07,453 --> 00:03:09,440 and I'm not seeing them line up, guess what? 81 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:10,791 I have a responsibility 82 00:03:10,791 --> 00:03:12,273 to call you to repentance, 83 00:03:12,273 --> 00:03:15,430 whether you turn out to be true or not. 84 00:03:15,430 --> 00:03:16,614 And you know, there's definitely 85 00:03:16,614 --> 00:03:18,268 certain people's lives you can look at, 86 00:03:18,268 --> 00:03:20,230 especially over a longer period of time, 87 00:03:20,230 --> 00:03:22,009 and you can become very concerned. 88 00:03:22,009 --> 00:03:25,130 I'm a pastor and some of you know. 89 00:03:25,130 --> 00:03:27,603 I don't want to be mean to people. 90 00:03:27,603 --> 00:03:29,550 There are people I've called into question. 91 00:03:29,550 --> 00:03:31,168 There are people I've asked about. 92 00:03:31,168 --> 00:03:32,584 There are people I've pressed, 93 00:03:32,584 --> 00:03:35,022 people I've taken them to the Scriptures, 94 00:03:35,022 --> 00:03:36,133 there's people that I've said, 95 00:03:36,133 --> 00:03:37,925 you know, I have concerns here; 96 00:03:37,925 --> 00:03:39,087 I have concerns there, 97 00:03:39,087 --> 00:03:40,966 and I've seen some of them fall away 98 00:03:40,966 --> 00:03:43,497 and I've seen some of them run extremely well. 99 00:03:43,497 --> 00:03:45,468 And I don't always have this figured out. 100 00:03:45,468 --> 00:03:47,191 I've told you guys there's some people 101 00:03:47,191 --> 00:03:48,780 coming into the church and I'm like 102 00:03:48,780 --> 00:03:51,141 that's a tremendous testimony. 103 00:03:51,141 --> 00:03:53,389 A month later, they're gone. 104 00:03:53,389 --> 00:03:54,719 There's other people that come in 105 00:03:54,719 --> 00:03:56,071 and I'm thinking, no way, 106 00:03:56,071 --> 00:03:58,575 that doesn't fly. 107 00:03:58,575 --> 00:03:59,582 And you know what? 108 00:03:59,582 --> 00:04:00,914 Eight years later, they're running 109 00:04:00,914 --> 00:04:03,217 just as well as ever. 110 00:04:03,217 --> 00:04:07,211 And so I realize I can be wrong. 111 00:04:07,211 --> 00:04:08,691 You can be wrong. 112 00:04:08,691 --> 00:04:10,516 But okay, what do we do? 113 00:04:10,516 --> 00:04:12,684 Well, if indeed we've got somebody 114 00:04:12,684 --> 00:04:15,129 that it appears they're probably lost 115 00:04:15,129 --> 00:04:16,781 and they have a false profession, 116 00:04:16,781 --> 00:04:18,635 we know this. 117 00:04:18,635 --> 00:04:21,818 What did Jesus Christ say sets us free? 118 00:04:21,818 --> 00:04:23,957 Truth. 119 00:04:23,957 --> 00:04:25,608 You're not going to help anybody, 120 00:04:25,608 --> 00:04:27,499 and you're not going to love anybody, 121 00:04:27,499 --> 00:04:29,075 you're not going to really care for anybody 122 00:04:29,075 --> 00:04:31,507 unless you hit them with truth, right? 123 00:04:31,507 --> 00:04:32,714 The truth sets free. 124 00:04:32,714 --> 00:04:34,760 If somebody says they're a Christian and they're not, 125 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,553 well, they're not free. They're in bondage. 126 00:04:36,553 --> 00:04:38,547 And they're in double bondage, right? 127 00:04:38,547 --> 00:04:40,693 Because not only are they lost, 128 00:04:40,693 --> 00:04:42,431 they're all the more deceived into thinking 129 00:04:42,431 --> 00:04:43,853 that they're saved. 130 00:04:43,853 --> 00:04:45,433 So they're not really going to be 131 00:04:45,433 --> 00:04:47,047 aggressively pursuing that. 132 00:04:47,047 --> 00:04:48,285 It's not like you can come to them 133 00:04:48,285 --> 00:04:52,386 like you can if you slide up next to a Muslim 134 00:04:52,386 --> 00:04:54,880 and he obviously rejects Christ. 135 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,484 You're on a whole other thing there. 136 00:04:56,484 --> 00:04:58,533 The problem is we have so much of that 137 00:04:58,533 --> 00:04:59,913 in this country, don't we? 138 00:04:59,913 --> 00:05:01,198 People with false professions. 139 00:05:01,198 --> 00:05:03,942 You've got all sorts of folks that think they're saved. 140 00:05:03,942 --> 00:05:08,971 Well, the truth sets free. 141 00:05:08,971 --> 00:05:10,951 Okay, now hear this. 142 00:05:10,951 --> 00:05:15,916 Because I think this is an important text. 143 00:05:15,916 --> 00:05:17,958 Matthew 13:15, and I know we have 144 00:05:17,958 --> 00:05:20,049 parallel verses on this probably 145 00:05:20,049 --> 00:05:23,842 over in what Luke 8? Mark 4? 146 00:05:23,842 --> 00:05:25,403 We were talking about this text 147 00:05:25,403 --> 00:05:26,872 just the other night. 148 00:05:26,872 --> 00:05:29,012 Matthew 13:15. Listen to this. 149 00:05:29,012 --> 00:05:33,212 Jesus Christ gave the parable of the soils. 150 00:05:33,212 --> 00:05:35,573 Now just think about that. 151 00:05:35,573 --> 00:05:36,901 Parable of the soils. 152 00:05:36,901 --> 00:05:38,849 What's true about the parable of the soils? 153 00:05:38,849 --> 00:05:41,486 Well, the Gospel's preached. Some people hear it. 154 00:05:41,486 --> 00:05:43,636 Bang! They're gone. 155 00:05:43,636 --> 00:05:45,335 Birds come down. Demons come in. 156 00:05:45,335 --> 00:05:46,674 They pluck the seed up. 157 00:05:46,674 --> 00:05:48,485 There's not even a profession made. 158 00:05:48,485 --> 00:05:49,565 But you've got other people, 159 00:05:49,565 --> 00:05:51,589 the Gospel's preached, they make professions. 160 00:05:51,589 --> 00:05:52,802 They're like fireworks. 161 00:05:52,802 --> 00:05:54,324 They're all out there. 162 00:05:54,324 --> 00:05:55,324 They spring up. 163 00:05:55,324 --> 00:05:57,896 There's all sorts of likeness to a plant. 164 00:05:57,896 --> 00:05:59,738 You've got lots of leaves and everything. 165 00:05:59,738 --> 00:06:01,600 But what happens? Sun comes out. 166 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,797 That's a likeness of persecution. 167 00:06:03,797 --> 00:06:04,870 They wither away. 168 00:06:04,870 --> 00:06:07,026 There was one, professed to be true, 169 00:06:07,026 --> 00:06:08,535 wasn't true. Withered away. 170 00:06:08,535 --> 00:06:09,741 You've got the other ones. 171 00:06:09,741 --> 00:06:11,530 You've got the weeds and stuff. 172 00:06:11,530 --> 00:06:13,034 They grow up. They choke it out. 173 00:06:13,034 --> 00:06:15,516 And it's no good either because it's not fruitful. 174 00:06:15,516 --> 00:06:17,516 And Scripture says you know them by their fruits. 175 00:06:17,516 --> 00:06:19,107 Bottom line: fruit's the issue. 176 00:06:19,107 --> 00:06:20,286 The ones that are good - 177 00:06:20,286 --> 00:06:22,080 you've got 30 fold, 60 fold, 100 fold. 178 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,346 And they're good. And why? 179 00:06:24,346 --> 00:06:26,616 How can we tell? Fruit. 180 00:06:26,616 --> 00:06:28,057 By their fruits you know them. 181 00:06:28,057 --> 00:06:29,824 That's always the case in the Scripture. 182 00:06:29,824 --> 00:06:31,895 Well, here's the thing. 183 00:06:31,895 --> 00:06:33,492 Right in the middle of this whole deal, 184 00:06:33,492 --> 00:06:34,749 after He gives the parable, 185 00:06:34,749 --> 00:06:36,394 His disciples come to Him 186 00:06:36,394 --> 00:06:38,142 and they want to know the interpretation. 187 00:06:38,142 --> 00:06:40,345 Between the parable and the interpretation 188 00:06:40,345 --> 00:06:46,303 Jesus says this in Matthew 13:15. 189 00:06:46,303 --> 00:06:47,854 Listen to this, 190 00:06:47,854 --> 00:06:53,469 "This peoples' heart has grown dull, 191 00:06:53,469 --> 00:06:56,769 and with their ears they can barely hear 192 00:06:56,769 --> 00:06:59,081 and their eyes they have closed 193 00:06:59,081 --> 00:07:02,384 lest they should see with their eyes 194 00:07:02,384 --> 00:07:04,091 and hear with their ears 195 00:07:04,091 --> 00:07:06,656 and understand with their heart and turn 196 00:07:06,656 --> 00:07:08,501 and I would heal them." 197 00:07:08,501 --> 00:07:09,982 Now here's the thing, 198 00:07:09,982 --> 00:07:11,711 truth sets men free. 199 00:07:11,711 --> 00:07:13,587 You got somebody that's got a false profession? 200 00:07:13,587 --> 00:07:14,511 Let me tell you this. 201 00:07:14,511 --> 00:07:16,494 What must happen to somebody 202 00:07:16,494 --> 00:07:19,048 based on Matthew 13:15? 203 00:07:19,048 --> 00:07:20,704 What has to happen to somebody before 204 00:07:20,704 --> 00:07:25,264 they can be spiritually healed? 205 00:07:25,264 --> 00:07:27,785 It says they must turn - somebody said repent. 206 00:07:27,785 --> 00:07:29,080 Turn. Repent. 207 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:30,205 That's the same thing. 208 00:07:30,205 --> 00:07:31,882 They must turn, but what must happen 209 00:07:31,882 --> 00:07:35,139 before they can turn? 210 00:07:35,139 --> 00:07:37,261 They must be understanding. 211 00:07:37,261 --> 00:07:39,237 You see it there? 212 00:07:39,237 --> 00:07:40,892 There must be understanding. 213 00:07:40,892 --> 00:07:43,493 To have understanding, they must hear. 214 00:07:43,493 --> 00:07:46,472 To hear, someone must be doing what? 215 00:07:46,472 --> 00:07:47,996 They must be talking or preaching. 216 00:07:47,996 --> 00:07:52,075 Somebody must be telling them something. 217 00:07:52,075 --> 00:07:53,946 This one came in by Brad Jones. 218 00:07:53,946 --> 00:07:57,915 Brad, the fact is, 219 00:07:57,915 --> 00:08:00,725 we need to show people about the new birth. 220 00:08:00,725 --> 00:08:01,918 If you're going to have people 221 00:08:01,918 --> 00:08:03,806 genuinely healed, 222 00:08:03,806 --> 00:08:05,278 the people have got to turn. 223 00:08:05,278 --> 00:08:07,102 If they're going to turn, there's got to be understanding. 224 00:08:07,102 --> 00:08:08,901 If they're going to be understanding, there's got to be hearing. 225 00:08:08,901 --> 00:08:11,253 If they've got to be hearing, there's got to be somebody talking. 226 00:08:11,253 --> 00:08:13,510 We've got to take truth to people. 227 00:08:13,510 --> 00:08:15,442 Listen, you've got somebody out there. 228 00:08:15,442 --> 00:08:17,351 You're concerned about them. 229 00:08:17,351 --> 00:08:19,419 You've got to take truth to them. 230 00:08:19,419 --> 00:08:20,448 That's the way to do it. 231 00:08:20,448 --> 00:08:22,580 Now look, you don't have to charge in 232 00:08:22,580 --> 00:08:24,272 like the bull in the china closet, 233 00:08:24,272 --> 00:08:27,993 and say "you're going to hell! 234 00:08:27,993 --> 00:08:29,418 You know, I've got it figured out. 235 00:08:29,418 --> 00:08:31,330 You're lost and you're going to hell 236 00:08:31,330 --> 00:08:32,660 and it's all false." 237 00:08:32,660 --> 00:08:33,868 You know what kind of hearing 238 00:08:33,868 --> 00:08:36,581 you're going to get from people when you do that? 239 00:08:36,581 --> 00:08:38,756 About none. 240 00:08:38,756 --> 00:08:40,210 You go charging in like that - 241 00:08:40,210 --> 00:08:42,289 the best way to do is not to go charging in 242 00:08:42,289 --> 00:08:44,422 and just jump all over them 243 00:08:44,422 --> 00:08:46,058 and create a big scenario. 244 00:08:46,058 --> 00:08:49,290 You can express that you have concerns in some place, 245 00:08:49,290 --> 00:08:53,642 or you might even just begin 246 00:08:53,642 --> 00:08:55,656 to bring some Scripture up. 247 00:08:55,656 --> 00:08:57,372 Well, what kind of Scriptures? 248 00:08:57,372 --> 00:08:58,746 I mean, basically, if you've got somebody 249 00:08:58,746 --> 00:09:00,205 with a false profession, 250 00:09:00,205 --> 00:09:02,059 and you're wanting to bring truth 251 00:09:02,059 --> 00:09:03,696 in order to bring understanding 252 00:09:03,696 --> 00:09:05,053 that might lead to the turning 253 00:09:05,053 --> 00:09:06,208 that leads to the healing, 254 00:09:06,208 --> 00:09:07,565 well, what are we going to do? 255 00:09:07,565 --> 00:09:10,028 What kind of truth are we going to bring out? 256 00:09:10,028 --> 00:09:12,404 Well, obviously, there are verses 257 00:09:12,404 --> 00:09:15,577 that deal with false professors, are there not? 258 00:09:15,577 --> 00:09:17,702 Do we not have tests for true Christianity 259 00:09:17,702 --> 00:09:20,362 in the Scriptures? 260 00:09:20,362 --> 00:09:23,325 Anybody think of where some might be? 261 00:09:23,325 --> 00:09:25,424 1 John, Matthew 7. 262 00:09:25,424 --> 00:09:26,952 Yeah, there's a lot. 263 00:09:26,952 --> 00:09:29,336 Well, let's kind of go through these in order. 264 00:09:29,336 --> 00:09:30,763 The first one I would say - 265 00:09:30,763 --> 00:09:32,109 and what I want to do is, 266 00:09:32,109 --> 00:09:39,149 this is not an extensive, full list. 267 00:09:39,149 --> 00:09:41,363 This is just some places you can go to 268 00:09:41,363 --> 00:09:44,425 in the Scriptures. Just some. 269 00:09:44,425 --> 00:09:45,745 I'd start out with this. 270 00:09:45,745 --> 00:09:48,358 You know where a good place is I've found? 271 00:09:48,358 --> 00:09:51,497 It's in the Old Testament 272 00:09:51,497 --> 00:09:54,253 where the New Covenant is talked about. 273 00:09:54,253 --> 00:09:55,602 That's a tremendous place. 274 00:09:55,602 --> 00:09:57,755 You know why? 275 00:09:57,755 --> 00:10:00,257 There in Jeremiah 31 276 00:10:00,257 --> 00:10:02,648 and in chapter 32 of Jeremiah, 277 00:10:02,648 --> 00:10:04,591 and in Ezekiel 36 - 278 00:10:04,591 --> 00:10:09,109 those are three of the most prominent texts 279 00:10:09,109 --> 00:10:11,983 from the Old Testament that give us 280 00:10:11,983 --> 00:10:15,460 the character of the New Covenant. 281 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:17,089 And by the way, what's the New Covenant? 282 00:10:17,089 --> 00:10:20,084 The New Covenant is the way you are saved 283 00:10:20,084 --> 00:10:21,841 if you are saved. 284 00:10:21,841 --> 00:10:24,590 It is salvation through Christ. 285 00:10:24,590 --> 00:10:28,926 It is the way God saves now. 286 00:10:28,926 --> 00:10:31,045 Well, it's the way God has saved always, 287 00:10:31,045 --> 00:10:33,557 but it's set over against the Old Covenant 288 00:10:33,557 --> 00:10:36,470 which was works, right? 289 00:10:36,470 --> 00:10:38,481 Old Covenant - "do this and live." 290 00:10:38,481 --> 00:10:39,684 How many people did it? 291 00:10:39,684 --> 00:10:40,593 None. 292 00:10:40,593 --> 00:10:43,112 All of sinned and come short of the glory of God. 293 00:10:43,112 --> 00:10:46,255 That was the defect of the Old Covenant. 294 00:10:46,255 --> 00:10:48,895 Nobody could keep it because it didn't give any power. 295 00:10:48,895 --> 00:10:52,296 But then the New Covenant, 296 00:10:52,296 --> 00:10:54,738 basically God says, I will, I will, I will. 297 00:10:54,738 --> 00:10:56,383 What did He say He would do? 298 00:10:56,383 --> 00:10:57,449 Let's go through them real fast. 299 00:10:57,449 --> 00:10:59,143 Jeremiah 31 - you guys don't have to turn there 300 00:10:59,143 --> 00:11:00,023 but just listen to it. 301 00:11:00,023 --> 00:11:02,593 Jeremiah 31:33, 302 00:11:02,593 --> 00:11:03,779 "This is the covenant I will make 303 00:11:03,779 --> 00:11:05,282 with them after those days 304 00:11:05,282 --> 00:11:06,178 declares the Lord..." 305 00:11:06,178 --> 00:11:07,566 And He's speaking of the house of Israel. 306 00:11:07,566 --> 00:11:08,811 And of course, we know a true Jew 307 00:11:08,811 --> 00:11:12,883 is one who is a child of Abraham by faith. 308 00:11:12,883 --> 00:11:14,657 True Jew. True circumcision. 309 00:11:14,657 --> 00:11:16,905 Those are the ones that worship God in the Spirit. 310 00:11:16,905 --> 00:11:17,910 He told the Philippians. 311 00:11:17,910 --> 00:11:21,409 We see the Galatians are called the true Israel. 312 00:11:21,409 --> 00:11:24,674 Basically, you've got to become a Jew 313 00:11:24,674 --> 00:11:25,960 to be saved. 314 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,202 The way you become that is by faith in Jesus Christ. 315 00:11:28,202 --> 00:11:31,923 That's how you become a son of Abraham. 316 00:11:31,923 --> 00:11:33,735 What's true of this New Covenant? 317 00:11:33,735 --> 00:11:35,647 He says, "I will put My law within them." 318 00:11:35,647 --> 00:11:36,743 You know what that means? 319 00:11:36,743 --> 00:11:39,917 That means He puts His law within our heart. 320 00:11:39,917 --> 00:11:41,505 You know what John said? 321 00:11:41,505 --> 00:11:43,687 His commandments are not grievous. 322 00:11:43,687 --> 00:11:46,544 You know what it says in Romans 8:7? 323 00:11:46,544 --> 00:11:48,646 It says that the lost - those that are in the flesh - 324 00:11:48,646 --> 00:11:50,381 they cannot keep God's law. 325 00:11:50,381 --> 00:11:52,452 Right there, 326 00:11:52,452 --> 00:11:53,708 if you say you know Him, 327 00:11:53,708 --> 00:11:55,015 and you don't keep His commandments, 328 00:11:55,015 --> 00:11:57,899 1 John 2, "you're a liar and the truth isn't in you." 329 00:11:57,899 --> 00:11:59,439 Isn't that the same thing Jesus Christ says? 330 00:11:59,439 --> 00:12:00,722 Somebody said Matthew 7. 331 00:12:00,722 --> 00:12:02,508 You don't do the will of the Father, 332 00:12:02,508 --> 00:12:04,317 you're not inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. 333 00:12:04,317 --> 00:12:06,333 Why? Is that because we get there by works? 334 00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:10,577 No, it's because where there is true faith 335 00:12:10,577 --> 00:12:12,410 in Jesus Christ, 336 00:12:12,410 --> 00:12:14,877 where a man is justified by faith, 337 00:12:14,877 --> 00:12:18,672 he always has the law written on his heart. 338 00:12:18,672 --> 00:12:19,985 He always has a new heart. 339 00:12:19,985 --> 00:12:22,171 He always has the Spirit of God put within him. 340 00:12:22,171 --> 00:12:24,234 God says He's going to cause him 341 00:12:24,234 --> 00:12:25,788 to keep His statutes. 342 00:12:25,788 --> 00:12:27,241 That's what He says He's going to do. 343 00:12:27,241 --> 00:12:28,478 Regeneration, folks. 344 00:12:28,478 --> 00:12:29,563 Men are born again. 345 00:12:29,563 --> 00:12:32,007 They're transformed. New creations in Christ. 346 00:12:32,007 --> 00:12:34,488 That's what we need to tell people. 347 00:12:34,488 --> 00:12:36,024 Look, if you're genuinely saved, 348 00:12:36,024 --> 00:12:37,427 you're a new creation in Christ. 349 00:12:37,427 --> 00:12:39,409 If you're genuinely saved, guess what? 350 00:12:39,409 --> 00:12:40,698 You go from being a person 351 00:12:40,698 --> 00:12:43,272 who cannot keep God's laws 352 00:12:43,272 --> 00:12:46,070 to one whose practice in life 353 00:12:46,070 --> 00:12:47,843 is doing the will of the Father. 354 00:12:47,843 --> 00:12:48,838 And if that's not true, 355 00:12:48,838 --> 00:12:51,039 those who practice unrighteousness 356 00:12:51,039 --> 00:12:52,429 are of the devil. 357 00:12:52,429 --> 00:12:55,651 We find that in 1 John 3:9-10. 358 00:12:55,651 --> 00:12:58,043 You have that idea come right out at us 359 00:12:58,043 --> 00:12:59,534 about these things. 360 00:12:59,534 --> 00:13:01,952 But let me jump back just a second. 361 00:13:01,952 --> 00:13:03,380 Jeremiah 31. 362 00:13:03,380 --> 00:13:06,509 God says, "I will put My law within them. 363 00:13:06,509 --> 00:13:08,932 I will write it on their hearts. 364 00:13:08,932 --> 00:13:11,327 I will be their God. 365 00:13:11,327 --> 00:13:12,929 No longer shall each one teach his neighbor 366 00:13:12,929 --> 00:13:14,610 and each one his brother, saying, 'know the Lord,' 367 00:13:14,610 --> 00:13:15,912 for they shall all know Me, 368 00:13:15,912 --> 00:13:17,252 from the least of them to the greatest, 369 00:13:17,252 --> 00:13:18,094 declares the Lord. 370 00:13:18,094 --> 00:13:19,427 I will forgive their iniquity. 371 00:13:19,427 --> 00:13:22,147 I will remember their sin no more." 372 00:13:22,147 --> 00:13:26,408 The very next chapter, Jeremiah 32:38-40. 373 00:13:26,408 --> 00:13:28,248 He says, "I will be their God. 374 00:13:28,248 --> 00:13:30,449 I will give them one heart and one way 375 00:13:30,449 --> 00:13:32,881 that they may fear Me forever, 376 00:13:32,881 --> 00:13:34,953 for their own good 377 00:13:34,953 --> 00:13:36,483 and the good of the children after them, 378 00:13:36,483 --> 00:13:38,384 I will make them an everlasting covenant 379 00:13:38,384 --> 00:13:40,525 that I will not turn away from doing them good 380 00:13:40,525 --> 00:13:43,293 and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts 381 00:13:43,293 --> 00:13:45,021 that they may not turn from Me." 382 00:13:45,021 --> 00:13:46,497 Guess what? 383 00:13:46,497 --> 00:13:48,076 That's another thing that's going to be true. 384 00:13:48,076 --> 00:13:49,865 The fear of God is going to be put within their heart 385 00:13:49,865 --> 00:13:52,318 that they not turn away. 386 00:13:52,318 --> 00:13:53,831 Guaranteed. If you see somebody 387 00:13:53,831 --> 00:13:56,117 that has no fear of God in the way they live, 388 00:13:56,117 --> 00:13:56,930 guess what? 389 00:13:56,930 --> 00:13:59,046 It's an indication that they've never 390 00:13:59,046 --> 00:14:02,249 had this New Covenant performed on them. 391 00:14:02,249 --> 00:14:04,793 Ezekiel 36:25-27. 392 00:14:04,793 --> 00:14:07,301 "I will sprinkle clean water on you. 393 00:14:07,301 --> 00:14:10,456 You shall be clean from all your uncleannesses 394 00:14:10,456 --> 00:14:13,050 and from all your idols I will cleanse you, 395 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:14,982 and I will give you a new heart, 396 00:14:14,982 --> 00:14:16,888 a new spirit will I put within you. 397 00:14:16,888 --> 00:14:19,234 I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh 398 00:14:19,234 --> 00:14:20,428 and give you a heart of flesh. 399 00:14:20,428 --> 00:14:22,141 I will put my Spirit within you, 400 00:14:22,141 --> 00:14:25,201 and I will cause you to walk in My statutes 401 00:14:25,201 --> 00:14:28,903 and be careful to obey My rules." 402 00:14:28,903 --> 00:14:30,517 You see that? 403 00:14:30,517 --> 00:14:32,886 God will cause you to be careful 404 00:14:32,886 --> 00:14:35,593 to obey His commandments. 405 00:14:35,593 --> 00:14:37,365 He will cause that. 406 00:14:37,365 --> 00:14:39,402 If you can basically live your life 407 00:14:39,402 --> 00:14:42,391 with no regard to the fact that Jesus Christ 408 00:14:42,391 --> 00:14:45,727 gave you commandments to live by, 409 00:14:45,727 --> 00:14:49,450 you say you know Him and that's true? 410 00:14:49,450 --> 00:14:50,369 1 John 2:4, 411 00:14:50,369 --> 00:14:52,901 "you're a liar and the truth isn't in you." 412 00:14:52,901 --> 00:14:54,835 You see, we can come to people like this. 413 00:14:54,835 --> 00:14:56,098 We can be pretty dogmatic. 414 00:14:56,098 --> 00:14:57,680 You're living a life practicing sin, 415 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,124 1 John 3:9 says 416 00:14:59,124 --> 00:15:00,557 you don't belong to the Lord, 417 00:15:00,557 --> 00:15:03,699 you belong to the devil. 418 00:15:03,699 --> 00:15:07,526 1 John 2:3-4 says you're not keeping those commandments. 419 00:15:07,526 --> 00:15:09,761 Matthew 7:21, you're not doing 420 00:15:09,761 --> 00:15:11,509 the will of the Father in Heaven. 421 00:15:11,509 --> 00:15:13,224 You've got some problems here. 422 00:15:13,224 --> 00:15:15,090 We're new creations in Christ. 423 00:15:15,090 --> 00:15:17,338 We can remind them of such things 424 00:15:17,338 --> 00:15:20,093 that Jesus said. 425 00:15:20,093 --> 00:15:21,743 He says, "I tell you, unless you repent, 426 00:15:21,743 --> 00:15:22,706 you'll likewise perish." 427 00:15:22,706 --> 00:15:25,428 If there's been no turning in the life, 428 00:15:25,428 --> 00:15:26,787 you say well, I've just walked along 429 00:15:26,787 --> 00:15:28,307 the same way all my life. 430 00:15:28,307 --> 00:15:30,313 That's bad. That's bad. 431 00:15:30,313 --> 00:15:32,094 Because Jesus Christ says 432 00:15:32,094 --> 00:15:34,418 for somebody to be genuinely converted 433 00:15:34,418 --> 00:15:35,830 and healed, 434 00:15:35,830 --> 00:15:37,351 there has to be a turning. 435 00:15:37,361 --> 00:15:39,078 If there's never been a turning in the life, 436 00:15:39,078 --> 00:15:41,186 that's bad. 437 00:15:41,186 --> 00:15:42,272 You come across somebody, 438 00:15:42,272 --> 00:15:44,436 "Well, I've been a good Catholic my whole life." 439 00:15:44,436 --> 00:15:46,438 That's bad. 440 00:15:46,438 --> 00:15:47,897 You may be a good Catholic. 441 00:15:47,897 --> 00:15:51,560 You may think this certain thing, but that's bad. 442 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:52,763 Because what the Scripture says 443 00:15:52,763 --> 00:15:54,192 is when a man comes to Christ, 444 00:15:54,192 --> 00:15:55,390 when a woman comes to Christ, 445 00:15:55,390 --> 00:15:56,716 they become new creations. 446 00:15:56,716 --> 00:15:57,651 They're born again. 447 00:15:57,651 --> 00:15:59,398 They walk in newness of life. 448 00:15:59,398 --> 00:16:00,211 That's the whole thing. 449 00:16:00,211 --> 00:16:03,581 There's radical transformation. 450 00:16:03,581 --> 00:16:05,442 You go over to Luke 14. 451 00:16:05,442 --> 00:16:07,337 Jesus Christ, right there towards the end of the chapter 452 00:16:07,337 --> 00:16:09,337 gives three distinct statements 453 00:16:09,337 --> 00:16:13,105 about who cannot be His disciple. 454 00:16:13,105 --> 00:16:14,237 If any of these are true, 455 00:16:14,237 --> 00:16:16,257 then you're not His disciple. 456 00:16:16,257 --> 00:16:18,106 A disciple is a learner. It's a follower. 457 00:16:18,106 --> 00:16:19,495 If you're not a follower of Christ, 458 00:16:19,495 --> 00:16:22,316 you don't belong to Him. 459 00:16:22,316 --> 00:16:23,551 His sheep follow Him. 460 00:16:23,551 --> 00:16:25,349 They hear His voice. They follow Him. 461 00:16:25,349 --> 00:16:26,469 If you're not following Him, 462 00:16:26,469 --> 00:16:28,705 you've never heard His voice. 463 00:16:28,705 --> 00:16:32,309 It's basic. It's simple. 464 00:16:32,309 --> 00:16:34,606 He says "if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father, 465 00:16:34,606 --> 00:16:38,660 his mother, his wife, child, brother, sister, yes, even his own life, 466 00:16:38,660 --> 00:16:40,589 he cannot be My disciple." 467 00:16:40,589 --> 00:16:41,993 Luke 14:27, "Whoever does not 468 00:16:41,993 --> 00:16:43,791 bear his own cross and come after Me 469 00:16:43,791 --> 00:16:45,328 cannot be My disciple." 470 00:16:45,328 --> 00:16:47,913 Luke 14:33, "Anyone of you who does not..." 471 00:16:47,913 --> 00:16:49,623 This is a big one. 472 00:16:49,623 --> 00:16:51,181 "Anyone of you who does not renounce 473 00:16:51,181 --> 00:16:53,928 all that he has, he cannot be My disciple." 474 00:16:53,928 --> 00:16:55,190 You say wow, I never heard that before. 475 00:16:55,190 --> 00:16:56,503 Yes, you did. I just read it to you 476 00:16:56,503 --> 00:16:58,526 from the tenets of the New Covenant. 477 00:16:58,526 --> 00:17:00,229 One of the things that the New Covenant says 478 00:17:00,229 --> 00:17:02,885 is God will cleanse you from all your idols. 479 00:17:02,885 --> 00:17:03,787 You know what that means? 480 00:17:03,787 --> 00:17:04,873 You'll renounce everything. 481 00:17:04,873 --> 00:17:06,255 You're going to renounce every idol. 482 00:17:06,255 --> 00:17:07,862 Every one of them. 483 00:17:07,862 --> 00:17:10,874 Now, I realize there's progress here. 484 00:17:10,874 --> 00:17:13,466 I realize that as we live our Christian life, 485 00:17:13,466 --> 00:17:15,252 He comes back to us over and over. 486 00:17:15,252 --> 00:17:17,303 We have to repeatedly turn. 487 00:17:17,303 --> 00:17:20,410 We still have the flesh that we battle against. 488 00:17:20,410 --> 00:17:21,967 But let me give you another one. 489 00:17:21,967 --> 00:17:24,348 We can talk about what the apostles say. 490 00:17:24,348 --> 00:17:26,422 You know this one. I say it often. 491 00:17:26,422 --> 00:17:28,805 Romans 8:13, "Unless by the Spirit 492 00:17:28,805 --> 00:17:30,664 you put to death the deeds of the body, 493 00:17:30,664 --> 00:17:32,089 you will die." 494 00:17:32,089 --> 00:17:34,977 That's what the Apostle Paul says. 495 00:17:34,977 --> 00:17:37,881 You will die if by the Spirit 496 00:17:37,881 --> 00:17:39,204 you're not putting to death - 497 00:17:39,204 --> 00:17:40,873 if you're not at war with sin, 498 00:17:40,873 --> 00:17:43,941 you're not saved. 499 00:17:43,941 --> 00:17:46,289 1 John tells us repeatedly. 500 00:17:46,289 --> 00:17:47,878 If you don't love the brethren, 501 00:17:47,878 --> 00:17:49,572 you're not saved. 502 00:17:49,572 --> 00:17:51,111 It says that. 503 00:17:51,111 --> 00:17:52,877 You don't have the Holy Spirit? 504 00:17:52,877 --> 00:17:54,408 You're none of His. You're not saved. 505 00:17:54,408 --> 00:17:55,486 Why is that so important? 506 00:17:55,486 --> 00:17:57,365 Because in Romans 8:16 it says 507 00:17:57,365 --> 00:17:59,923 that the Spirit of God bears witness 508 00:17:59,923 --> 00:18:02,115 with our spirit that we're children of God. 509 00:18:02,115 --> 00:18:03,994 If you have no witness bearing 510 00:18:03,994 --> 00:18:06,124 going on in your heart, 511 00:18:06,124 --> 00:18:08,412 inside you, 512 00:18:08,412 --> 00:18:10,454 from the Spirit of God - 513 00:18:10,454 --> 00:18:11,821 and how does that happen? 514 00:18:11,821 --> 00:18:13,046 Well, you know Romans 5:5 515 00:18:13,046 --> 00:18:14,624 talks about the love 516 00:18:14,624 --> 00:18:16,738 being shed abroad in our hearts 517 00:18:16,738 --> 00:18:18,859 by the Spirit which has been given to us. 518 00:18:18,859 --> 00:18:21,741 God sheds His love abroad. 519 00:18:21,741 --> 00:18:25,013 If you're not knowing tangible, 520 00:18:25,013 --> 00:18:28,302 experiential communications of God 521 00:18:28,302 --> 00:18:31,071 to your soul that you're truly His, 522 00:18:31,071 --> 00:18:32,975 that's reason to be concerned. 523 00:18:32,975 --> 00:18:34,800 Because the Bible says that the Spirit of God, 524 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:35,830 if you're truly His, 525 00:18:35,830 --> 00:18:37,822 you have the Spirit of God within you. 526 00:18:37,822 --> 00:18:40,098 We saw that again in the tenets of the New Covenant. 527 00:18:40,098 --> 00:18:42,100 If you're one of His, 528 00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:43,475 He's given His Spirit to you. 529 00:18:43,475 --> 00:18:45,025 Like it says in Romans 8, 530 00:18:45,025 --> 00:18:47,129 if you don't have the Spirit, you're none of His. 531 00:18:47,129 --> 00:18:48,891 If you've got the Spirit, the Spirit bears witness. 532 00:18:48,891 --> 00:18:50,920 If you've got the Spirit, the Spirit puts to death sin. 533 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,178 If you've got the Spirit, the Spirit helps you pray. 534 00:18:53,178 --> 00:18:55,080 If you've got the Spirit, it's the Spirit of adoption, 535 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:57,737 and you find yourself crying out, "Abba, Father." 536 00:18:57,737 --> 00:18:59,634 There's suddenly an intimacy. 537 00:18:59,634 --> 00:19:01,374 Again, tenets of the New Covenant. 538 00:19:01,374 --> 00:19:03,593 You're not going to have to teach everyone. 539 00:19:03,593 --> 00:19:05,722 There's basically, when a person comes, 540 00:19:05,722 --> 00:19:07,484 they suddenly are made to know God 541 00:19:07,484 --> 00:19:10,286 in a way that you don't have to be taught. 542 00:19:10,286 --> 00:19:11,284 There's an intimacy. 543 00:19:11,284 --> 00:19:12,616 Something is worked out there. 544 00:19:12,616 --> 00:19:14,659 Now yes, it's important to sit under teachers. 545 00:19:14,659 --> 00:19:16,638 It's important to study your Bible. 546 00:19:16,638 --> 00:19:19,295 But what it's saying is something happens. 547 00:19:19,295 --> 00:19:21,451 God intervenes. 548 00:19:21,451 --> 00:19:23,906 Christianity isn't just about sitting under a teacher. 549 00:19:23,906 --> 00:19:25,028 You suddenly come into 550 00:19:25,028 --> 00:19:26,428 some kind of relationship 551 00:19:26,428 --> 00:19:28,199 and some kind of communication with God 552 00:19:28,199 --> 00:19:31,082 that goes above teachers. 553 00:19:31,082 --> 00:19:33,462 If these things are all foreign to you guys 554 00:19:33,462 --> 00:19:38,486 or to any of you, it's time to be concerned. 555 00:19:38,486 --> 00:19:40,424 One of the things the Apostle Paul says, 556 00:19:40,424 --> 00:19:43,423 "If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed." 557 00:19:43,423 --> 00:19:45,593 I'll tell you this, if you don't have any love? 558 00:19:45,593 --> 00:19:47,125 "All things work together for good 559 00:19:47,125 --> 00:19:48,092 to them who love God, 560 00:19:48,092 --> 00:19:49,768 to those who are called according to His purpose. 561 00:19:49,768 --> 00:19:51,030 You're not loving God? 562 00:19:51,030 --> 00:19:54,087 You're giving the indication you're not called. 563 00:19:54,087 --> 00:19:56,455 You haven't been called according to His purpose. 564 00:19:56,455 --> 00:19:59,140 Basically, the apostle says let these people be cursed. 565 00:19:59,140 --> 00:20:03,109 If you're not knowing what it is to love Christ, 566 00:20:03,109 --> 00:20:06,482 if there's no special affection that you have for Him, 567 00:20:06,482 --> 00:20:07,514 you're in trouble. 568 00:20:07,514 --> 00:20:09,418 That's not a good place to be. 569 00:20:09,418 --> 00:20:13,082 God has saved men and women 570 00:20:13,082 --> 00:20:16,120 to be lovers of His Son. 571 00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:19,993 This is basically how it is. 572 00:20:19,993 --> 00:20:22,618 Well, I don't need to keep going on. 573 00:20:22,618 --> 00:20:24,410 These are the verses, 574 00:20:24,410 --> 00:20:26,487 and you guys could think of many others. 575 00:20:26,487 --> 00:20:27,916 I mean, you know what James says. 576 00:20:27,916 --> 00:20:30,893 "Don't be deceived," by being what? 577 00:20:30,893 --> 00:20:32,805 A hearer and not a doer. 578 00:20:32,805 --> 00:20:34,561 And he talks about dead faith. 579 00:20:34,561 --> 00:20:35,542 What's dead faith? 580 00:20:35,542 --> 00:20:38,511 Dead faith has no works. 581 00:20:38,511 --> 00:20:42,205 And he says can that faith save you? 582 00:20:42,205 --> 00:20:43,550 Demons believe. 583 00:20:43,550 --> 00:20:44,764 It can't save. 584 00:20:44,764 --> 00:20:47,664 You can believe all the facts about Jesus Christ. 585 00:20:47,664 --> 00:20:49,163 You can believe much. 586 00:20:49,163 --> 00:20:50,982 You can go to church a long time. 587 00:20:50,982 --> 00:20:52,982 But I'll tell you, the bottom line is 588 00:20:52,982 --> 00:20:54,804 if this isn't working out, 589 00:20:54,804 --> 00:20:57,189 true salvation loves, 590 00:20:57,189 --> 00:20:59,353 true faith loves, true faith works, 591 00:20:59,353 --> 00:21:01,284 true faith keeps the commandments, 592 00:21:01,284 --> 00:21:03,159 true faith battles sin, 593 00:21:03,159 --> 00:21:04,897 true faith loves the brethren, 594 00:21:04,897 --> 00:21:06,482 true faith loves Christ, 595 00:21:06,482 --> 00:21:09,341 true faith is being communicated to 596 00:21:09,341 --> 00:21:11,500 by the Spirit of God which is indwelling. 597 00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:14,127 True faith - we have that Spirit 598 00:21:14,127 --> 00:21:16,052 that helps us to pray, 599 00:21:16,052 --> 00:21:18,107 gives us an intimacy with God. 600 00:21:18,107 --> 00:21:19,926 And these things are a reality. 601 00:21:19,926 --> 00:21:21,585 We can begin to press people. 602 00:21:21,585 --> 00:21:24,446 We can take them - 1 John is a tremendous place. 603 00:21:24,446 --> 00:21:25,813 Take people there. 604 00:21:25,813 --> 00:21:27,061 Somebody said Matthew 7. 605 00:21:27,061 --> 00:21:27,933 Tremendous place. 606 00:21:27,933 --> 00:21:29,395 Take people to these. 607 00:21:29,395 --> 00:21:32,135 You guys, I really want you to remember, 608 00:21:32,135 --> 00:21:35,028 Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah 32, Ezekiel 36. 609 00:21:35,028 --> 00:21:37,411 You guys need to have that pinned down. 610 00:21:37,411 --> 00:21:38,876 You need to know those texts 611 00:21:38,876 --> 00:21:40,442 because when you come across somebody 612 00:21:40,442 --> 00:21:42,074 and those are not realities, 613 00:21:42,074 --> 00:21:45,644 you know, you don't have to clobber people with it, 614 00:21:45,644 --> 00:21:47,637 but you can just take them there and show them. 615 00:21:47,637 --> 00:21:50,633 If the Spirit of God is involved in it, 616 00:21:50,633 --> 00:21:51,639 then you know what? 617 00:21:51,639 --> 00:21:54,314 That Word of God is going to be effectual. 618 00:21:54,314 --> 00:21:56,260 You don't have to beat people. 619 00:21:56,260 --> 00:21:58,282 It's the Word of God. 620 00:21:58,282 --> 00:22:01,426 It's the incorruptible seed of the Word 621 00:22:01,426 --> 00:22:05,904 by which men are regenerated. 622 00:22:05,904 --> 00:22:07,095 It's truth. 623 00:22:07,095 --> 00:22:08,310 We don't have to be mean with it. 624 00:22:08,310 --> 00:22:10,029 We don't have to be harsh with it. 625 00:22:10,029 --> 00:22:13,465 It's that truth that sets men free.