1 00:00:05,161 --> 00:00:08,886 So, "I always hear preachers preach 2 00:00:08,886 --> 00:00:11,167 that unless you have Holy Spirit conviction 3 00:00:11,167 --> 00:00:12,474 you will never be saved." 4 00:00:12,474 --> 00:00:15,119 Now, just to say to Rocky, 5 00:00:15,119 --> 00:00:18,436 he may hear preachers say that all the time. 6 00:00:18,436 --> 00:00:22,450 I don't hear preachers say that all the time, do you guys? 7 00:00:22,450 --> 00:00:23,500 (from the room) 8 00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:26,858 That was a big thing with the Puritans. 9 00:00:26,858 --> 00:00:28,322 They would say you have to be 10 00:00:28,322 --> 00:00:29,497 slain by the law 11 00:00:29,497 --> 00:00:31,162 before you can be saved. 12 00:00:31,162 --> 00:00:32,966 Tim: Do you think that's specifically 13 00:00:32,966 --> 00:00:34,360 what he's talking about? 14 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,217 Slain by the law? 15 00:00:36,217 --> 00:00:37,301 Perhaps. 16 00:00:37,301 --> 00:00:38,946 "...Or you will never be saved. 17 00:00:38,946 --> 00:00:44,142 The obvious negative to that is this: 18 00:00:44,142 --> 00:00:46,665 Without Holy Spirit conviction, 19 00:00:46,665 --> 00:00:51,191 you will not be saved. 20 00:00:51,191 --> 00:00:53,059 Why do some people get convicted 21 00:00:53,059 --> 00:00:55,884 and others don't? 22 00:00:55,884 --> 00:00:59,583 Though I know I am responsible for my sin, 23 00:00:59,583 --> 00:01:01,885 I feel like I've never truly been 24 00:01:01,885 --> 00:01:03,845 convicted of my sin. 25 00:01:03,845 --> 00:01:05,711 Therefore, there is nothing I can do 26 00:01:05,711 --> 00:01:09,497 unless God brings it on. 27 00:01:09,497 --> 00:01:12,305 I've heard all the theological answers before, 28 00:01:12,305 --> 00:01:14,238 but none of them answer the real world 29 00:01:14,238 --> 00:01:15,995 practicality of it all. 30 00:01:15,995 --> 00:01:17,608 Please help." 31 00:01:17,608 --> 00:01:23,327 So, he wants real world practicality. 32 00:01:23,327 --> 00:01:34,215 Now, okay. Let's think here. 33 00:01:34,215 --> 00:01:36,264 He says, "There's nothing I can do 34 00:01:36,264 --> 00:01:38,502 unless God brings it on." 35 00:01:38,502 --> 00:01:41,461 Let me ask you, 36 00:01:41,461 --> 00:01:45,468 (incomplete thought) 37 00:01:45,468 --> 00:01:47,042 Let me ask you this, 38 00:01:47,042 --> 00:01:48,929 you go to the book of Acts. 39 00:01:48,929 --> 00:01:50,402 The book of Acts is great 40 00:01:50,402 --> 00:01:52,669 because some of the best preachers 41 00:01:52,669 --> 00:01:55,655 in the early church are shown to us 42 00:01:55,655 --> 00:01:58,063 preaching the Gospel 43 00:01:58,063 --> 00:02:05,573 in this raw, Gentile - 44 00:02:05,573 --> 00:02:08,132 even there on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem - 45 00:02:08,132 --> 00:02:13,435 but you just have a world ripe for the Gospel. 46 00:02:13,435 --> 00:02:16,199 Can anybody think of Paul or Peter 47 00:02:16,199 --> 00:02:20,690 or Stephen or Phillip ever preaching 48 00:02:20,690 --> 00:02:23,143 that there's nothing you can do 49 00:02:23,143 --> 00:02:25,728 unless God brings it on? 50 00:02:25,728 --> 00:02:28,438 Is that the way they preached? 51 00:02:28,438 --> 00:02:29,599 No. 52 00:02:29,599 --> 00:02:30,928 They didn't. 53 00:02:30,928 --> 00:02:32,665 So here's the thing. 54 00:02:32,665 --> 00:02:34,486 If you come to the conclusion 55 00:02:34,486 --> 00:02:35,735 that Rocky's come to, 56 00:02:35,735 --> 00:02:38,157 you've come to an unbiblical conclusion. 57 00:02:38,157 --> 00:02:39,712 And this is one of the problems. 58 00:02:39,712 --> 00:02:43,067 People come to all manner of conclusions 59 00:02:43,067 --> 00:02:44,683 and sometimes it is because maybe 60 00:02:44,683 --> 00:02:46,105 they're reading the Puritans 61 00:02:46,105 --> 00:02:48,327 or they're listening to preachers somewhere. 62 00:02:48,327 --> 00:02:55,469 But listen, have the soul winners 63 00:02:55,469 --> 00:02:58,272 really emphasized that without 64 00:02:58,272 --> 00:03:04,542 Holy Spirit conviction you can't be saved? 65 00:03:04,542 --> 00:03:10,092 Is Holy Spirit conviction biblical? 66 00:03:10,092 --> 00:03:12,502 Yeah. R.L.'s nodding yes. 67 00:03:12,502 --> 00:03:14,063 When the Spirit comes, 68 00:03:14,063 --> 00:03:16,993 He's going to convict men of sin. 69 00:03:16,993 --> 00:03:18,734 That's true. 70 00:03:18,734 --> 00:03:23,361 Has anybody ever heard Paul Washer's testimony? 71 00:03:23,361 --> 00:03:25,092 Anybody ever heard what he said 72 00:03:25,092 --> 00:03:29,379 about conviction of sin? 73 00:03:29,379 --> 00:03:32,611 Yeah, that he didn't feel it at first. 74 00:03:32,611 --> 00:03:35,187 It wasn't until sometime later 75 00:03:35,187 --> 00:03:36,678 he says he felt it. 76 00:03:36,678 --> 00:03:39,681 My brother-in-law Rick, 77 00:03:39,681 --> 00:03:41,914 when he was converted, 78 00:03:41,914 --> 00:03:45,691 it was not feeling all sorts of wretchedness for his sin. 79 00:03:45,691 --> 00:03:47,103 It was like suddenly 80 00:03:47,103 --> 00:03:49,570 Christ broke in upon him 81 00:03:49,570 --> 00:03:51,869 and spoke to him that His atonement 82 00:03:51,869 --> 00:03:53,277 was for him. 83 00:03:53,277 --> 00:03:55,174 That doesn't mean that Rick never had 84 00:03:55,174 --> 00:03:57,026 conviction of sin. 85 00:03:57,026 --> 00:04:00,705 But we need to be careful. 86 00:04:00,705 --> 00:04:03,501 We need to be very careful 87 00:04:03,501 --> 00:04:06,517 that we don't set up a standard 88 00:04:06,517 --> 00:04:09,092 that the Bible doesn't necessarily 89 00:04:09,092 --> 00:04:11,639 put before us. 90 00:04:11,639 --> 00:04:17,694 Here's the thing. 91 00:04:17,694 --> 00:04:20,795 Yes, the Bible says something 92 00:04:20,795 --> 00:04:25,020 about conviction of the Holy Spirit. 93 00:04:25,020 --> 00:04:27,632 But let me ask you this? 94 00:04:27,632 --> 00:04:29,933 Does the Bible ever say that we're saved 95 00:04:29,933 --> 00:04:34,663 by Holy Spirit conviction? 96 00:04:34,663 --> 00:04:39,661 What are we saved by? 97 00:04:39,661 --> 00:04:44,083 By faith in Jesus Christ. 98 00:04:44,083 --> 00:04:50,139 Listen, I guess as I was thinking about this, 99 00:04:50,139 --> 00:04:53,310 I was thinking of somebody in a burning house 100 00:04:53,310 --> 00:04:57,799 in an upper story window. 101 00:04:57,799 --> 00:05:03,846 And how somebody down below 102 00:05:03,846 --> 00:05:07,716 saying, "trust me and jump." 103 00:05:07,716 --> 00:05:09,602 I mean, it's a good picture. 104 00:05:09,602 --> 00:05:11,603 Because we've got the fires of hell 105 00:05:11,603 --> 00:05:13,559 breathing down our backs 106 00:05:13,559 --> 00:05:16,032 in our lost condition. 107 00:05:16,032 --> 00:05:19,288 And Christ is saying, "jump... 108 00:05:19,288 --> 00:05:20,994 and I'll hold you." 109 00:05:20,994 --> 00:05:23,751 Now look, the thing is 110 00:05:23,751 --> 00:05:29,280 however you feel is not the real issue. 111 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:31,197 Some people may feel more scared. 112 00:05:31,197 --> 00:05:35,847 Some people may feel less scared. 113 00:05:35,847 --> 00:05:37,573 There may be all sorts of feelings 114 00:05:37,573 --> 00:05:39,213 that a person feels, 115 00:05:39,213 --> 00:05:43,946 but what's critical is that you jump. 116 00:05:43,946 --> 00:05:46,138 That's the real issue. 117 00:05:46,138 --> 00:05:48,602 That you jump. 118 00:05:48,602 --> 00:05:53,731 (Incomplete thought) 119 00:05:53,731 --> 00:05:55,314 Think about this. 120 00:05:55,314 --> 00:05:58,400 Rich young ruler. 121 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,686 Did He say to him, 122 00:06:00,686 --> 00:06:04,096 "Oh, no Holy Spirit conviction!" 123 00:06:04,096 --> 00:06:07,357 You know what He said to him? 124 00:06:07,357 --> 00:06:11,179 He said to him, 125 00:06:11,179 --> 00:06:14,038 "Go sell your idol and you give to the poor 126 00:06:14,038 --> 00:06:15,161 and you come follow Me 127 00:06:15,161 --> 00:06:16,991 and you'll have treasure in heaven." 128 00:06:16,991 --> 00:06:21,377 He didn't say you have to feel anything. 129 00:06:21,377 --> 00:06:23,523 You know what He was asking him to do? 130 00:06:23,523 --> 00:06:24,871 Trust Him. 131 00:06:24,871 --> 00:06:27,481 Believe on Christ. 132 00:06:27,481 --> 00:06:28,631 You think about Matthew. 133 00:06:28,631 --> 00:06:31,317 I often think about Matthew. 134 00:06:31,317 --> 00:06:33,748 Jesus came by. 135 00:06:33,748 --> 00:06:37,613 I don't know what he was feeling. 136 00:06:37,613 --> 00:06:40,659 I don't know what was going through his head right before that. 137 00:06:40,659 --> 00:06:43,518 I don't know what he knew about Jesus. 138 00:06:43,518 --> 00:06:46,799 Because you know what? The truth is we're not told. 139 00:06:46,799 --> 00:06:48,928 But I'll tell you this, 140 00:06:48,928 --> 00:06:56,972 when Jesus said, "Follow Me," he did. 141 00:06:56,972 --> 00:07:01,857 Because you know what faith is all about? 142 00:07:01,857 --> 00:07:06,708 It's resting on a promise. 143 00:07:06,708 --> 00:07:09,172 That's what it's all about. 144 00:07:09,172 --> 00:07:12,657 And think with me here. 145 00:07:12,657 --> 00:07:15,320 He could have said, 146 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,892 "Well, I don't feel enough conviction. 147 00:07:18,892 --> 00:07:22,978 I don't feel like God regenerated me. 148 00:07:22,978 --> 00:07:29,209 I don't feel like I'm one of the elect." 149 00:07:29,209 --> 00:07:32,360 But you know what Jesus calls people to do? 150 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,919 There's nowhere in Scripture where it says 151 00:07:34,919 --> 00:07:38,045 you need to feel elect before you can come. 152 00:07:38,045 --> 00:07:40,225 There's nothing that says you need to feel 153 00:07:40,225 --> 00:07:44,315 a certain level of thirst or hunger 154 00:07:44,315 --> 00:07:48,594 or conviction before you can come. 155 00:07:48,594 --> 00:07:51,568 There's nothing in Scripture that says that. 156 00:07:51,568 --> 00:07:56,095 The issue is trusting His promises. 157 00:07:56,095 --> 00:08:02,219 You see, if Matthew would have said 158 00:08:02,219 --> 00:08:05,177 before I'm going to follow Jesus, 159 00:08:05,177 --> 00:08:08,870 I need to feel something, 160 00:08:08,870 --> 00:08:10,426 he'd have sat at that desk 161 00:08:10,426 --> 00:08:13,212 and he'd have gone to hell. 162 00:08:13,212 --> 00:08:16,681 Do you know what he did? 163 00:08:16,681 --> 00:08:20,055 He parted with his money. 164 00:08:20,055 --> 00:08:22,528 He parted with his franchise. 165 00:08:22,528 --> 00:08:24,657 He parted with his lifestyle. 166 00:08:24,657 --> 00:08:27,778 He parted with his income. 167 00:08:27,778 --> 00:08:30,682 Why would anybody do that? 168 00:08:30,682 --> 00:08:33,581 Because they're trusting 169 00:08:33,581 --> 00:08:35,856 that Christ is going to save them. 170 00:08:35,856 --> 00:08:37,333 They're trusting that Christ 171 00:08:37,333 --> 00:08:38,473 is going to help them; 172 00:08:38,473 --> 00:08:40,392 that Christ is going to be all to them; 173 00:08:40,392 --> 00:08:45,154 Christ is going to be sufficient to them. 174 00:08:45,154 --> 00:08:46,816 You know what? 175 00:08:46,816 --> 00:08:48,549 We have all sorts of people 176 00:08:48,549 --> 00:08:53,878 who they say by their actions, 177 00:08:53,878 --> 00:08:56,578 "I will not believe the Lord Jesus Christ 178 00:08:56,578 --> 00:08:58,570 until I get the feeling I want 179 00:08:58,570 --> 00:09:03,426 or until I get the experience I want." 180 00:09:03,426 --> 00:09:05,856 You're going to stand up there in that window 181 00:09:05,856 --> 00:09:08,437 and burn to death. 182 00:09:08,437 --> 00:09:12,378 What Jesus says is "trust Me." 183 00:09:12,378 --> 00:09:15,280 You see, it's not trust to say, 184 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,626 "Well, I need to feel something first." 185 00:09:18,626 --> 00:09:20,609 That's not trust. 186 00:09:20,609 --> 00:09:26,129 Trust is to take Him at His word and jump. 187 00:09:26,129 --> 00:09:28,340 All in. 188 00:09:28,340 --> 00:09:30,375 You forsake everything. 189 00:09:30,375 --> 00:09:32,163 You're abandoning your life. 190 00:09:32,163 --> 00:09:33,757 You're bought with a price. 191 00:09:33,757 --> 00:09:34,873 You're jumping. 192 00:09:34,873 --> 00:09:38,070 You're leaving yourself totally at His disposal 193 00:09:38,070 --> 00:09:40,608 to save you as He sees fit, 194 00:09:40,608 --> 00:09:41,691 to protect you, 195 00:09:41,691 --> 00:09:48,148 to put you into whatever life He desires. 196 00:09:48,148 --> 00:09:50,691 If you stood up there in that window and you said, 197 00:09:50,691 --> 00:09:53,827 "Well, I've got to figure out whether I'm elect first," 198 00:09:53,827 --> 00:09:55,550 you're going to die in that window. 199 00:09:55,550 --> 00:09:58,804 I guarantee you, you're going to die in that window. 200 00:09:58,804 --> 00:10:01,357 What He's calling us to do 201 00:10:01,357 --> 00:10:03,504 is to trust Him; 202 00:10:03,504 --> 00:10:07,612 to take Him at His word. 203 00:10:07,612 --> 00:10:09,757 Isn't it interesting, throughout Scripture 204 00:10:09,757 --> 00:10:12,404 that's what He said to people. 205 00:10:12,404 --> 00:10:14,282 He said there's a wise man, 206 00:10:14,282 --> 00:10:17,147 there's a foolish man. 207 00:10:17,147 --> 00:10:20,996 They hear His Word and they do it. 208 00:10:20,996 --> 00:10:23,880 You know what? 209 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,091 You know what the truth is? 210 00:10:28,091 --> 00:10:32,020 You don't even have to feel assurance. 211 00:10:32,020 --> 00:10:35,153 Assurance - knowing you're saved. 212 00:10:35,153 --> 00:10:37,036 You don't have to feel that. 213 00:10:37,036 --> 00:10:39,538 What you need to know 214 00:10:39,538 --> 00:10:42,565 is that Christ can save you, 215 00:10:42,565 --> 00:10:44,528 and you jump into His arms. 216 00:10:44,528 --> 00:10:47,009 You take Him at His word. 217 00:10:47,009 --> 00:10:49,983 And you don't wait to feel anything. 218 00:10:49,983 --> 00:10:53,126 I was talking to Charles Leiter 219 00:10:53,126 --> 00:10:55,100 not too long ago about this. 220 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:56,834 We were talking about 221 00:10:56,834 --> 00:10:58,609 being sealed with the Spirit. 222 00:10:58,609 --> 00:11:00,863 We were talking about feelings. 223 00:11:00,863 --> 00:11:03,630 We were talking about assurance. 224 00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:07,659 Charles said that some of the old preachers - 225 00:11:07,659 --> 00:11:11,190 he was talking about one specifically 226 00:11:11,190 --> 00:11:15,946 he said that would preach to people. 227 00:11:15,946 --> 00:11:21,610 You take Christ at His word. 228 00:11:21,610 --> 00:11:24,326 And you may not feel anything 229 00:11:24,326 --> 00:11:26,817 in the beginning, 230 00:11:26,817 --> 00:11:29,106 but if you hold on to those promises, 231 00:11:29,106 --> 00:11:31,969 God will meet you. 232 00:11:31,969 --> 00:11:33,998 It was B.B. Caldwell. 233 00:11:33,998 --> 00:11:36,038 Charles loves to tell stories about him. 234 00:11:36,038 --> 00:11:39,761 But he would preach to people that way. 235 00:11:39,761 --> 00:11:43,069 You take Christ at His word 236 00:11:43,069 --> 00:11:46,029 no matter what you feel. 237 00:11:46,029 --> 00:11:47,704 No matter what. 238 00:11:47,704 --> 00:11:52,361 You take Him at His word and you wait. 239 00:11:52,361 --> 00:11:54,881 Holding. Trusting. 240 00:11:54,881 --> 00:11:58,061 And God will come to you. 241 00:11:58,061 --> 00:11:59,789 I think that's the reality. 242 00:11:59,789 --> 00:12:01,688 Sometimes we read things in Scripture 243 00:12:01,688 --> 00:12:04,937 and we say, "I want to feel that." "I want to have that experience." 244 00:12:04,937 --> 00:12:06,843 Or we hear about somebody's experience, 245 00:12:06,843 --> 00:12:09,294 and we feel like we need to have that. 246 00:12:09,294 --> 00:12:12,149 But see, if you're Matthew sitting 247 00:12:12,149 --> 00:12:16,789 at the tax collector's desk, 248 00:12:16,789 --> 00:12:20,652 He said to him what He says to us all. 249 00:12:20,652 --> 00:12:24,527 He said if you would come after Him, 250 00:12:24,527 --> 00:12:26,556 you need to follow Him. 251 00:12:26,556 --> 00:12:28,067 Whoever would come after Him, 252 00:12:28,067 --> 00:12:31,476 you need to follow Him. 253 00:12:31,476 --> 00:12:32,990 That's the issue. Whoever. 254 00:12:32,990 --> 00:12:34,486 Whoever would come after. 255 00:12:34,486 --> 00:12:36,189 That's His invitation. 256 00:12:36,189 --> 00:12:38,487 If you want to come after Him, you can. 257 00:12:38,487 --> 00:12:40,896 What does it mean to come after Him? 258 00:12:40,896 --> 00:12:42,750 That means I'm going to trust Him, 259 00:12:42,750 --> 00:12:45,117 and I'm going to take Him at His word, 260 00:12:45,117 --> 00:12:47,121 and I'm going to strive trusting Him 261 00:12:47,121 --> 00:12:49,199 and just holding on to these promises. 262 00:12:49,199 --> 00:12:51,982 I'm going to strive to do what His Word says. 263 00:12:51,982 --> 00:12:54,590 That's the wise man who builds his house on the rock. 264 00:12:54,590 --> 00:12:56,467 He hears what Christ commands 265 00:12:56,467 --> 00:12:58,851 and he does them, over against the foolish man 266 00:12:58,851 --> 00:13:00,270 who hears and doesn't do it. 267 00:13:00,270 --> 00:13:02,314 Why? He's waiting for something to happen. 268 00:13:02,314 --> 00:13:05,384 He's waiting for an experience like he wants to have happen. 269 00:13:05,384 --> 00:13:08,985 He wants to know he's saved 270 00:13:08,985 --> 00:13:11,036 before he's actually saved. 271 00:13:11,036 --> 00:13:12,741 He wants to feel that he's elect 272 00:13:12,741 --> 00:13:15,331 before he's actually embraced Christ. 273 00:13:15,331 --> 00:13:17,129 There's too many people like that. 274 00:13:17,129 --> 00:13:19,074 They hear about the doctrines of grace 275 00:13:19,074 --> 00:13:21,558 and they get all hung up. 276 00:13:21,558 --> 00:13:23,574 But it's the same to all of us. 277 00:13:23,574 --> 00:13:25,226 Jesus comes along and He says 278 00:13:25,226 --> 00:13:27,038 just like He said to Peter, 279 00:13:27,038 --> 00:13:29,727 He said it to John, He said to Matthew, 280 00:13:29,727 --> 00:13:31,476 He said it to the rich young ruler - 281 00:13:31,476 --> 00:13:32,747 He said, "Follow Me." 282 00:13:32,747 --> 00:13:34,797 You notice He never got into a discourse 283 00:13:34,797 --> 00:13:36,059 about: do you feel elect? 284 00:13:36,059 --> 00:13:37,667 He never got into a discourse 285 00:13:37,667 --> 00:13:39,510 about whether you feel anything. 286 00:13:39,510 --> 00:13:43,190 He doesn't say, "how do you feel right now?" 287 00:13:43,190 --> 00:13:47,162 "Do you feel really convicted by your sin?" 288 00:13:47,162 --> 00:13:51,109 "Has there been sufficient law work?" 289 00:13:51,109 --> 00:13:56,874 Look, I recognize that He brought up the law 290 00:13:56,874 --> 00:14:00,209 with the rich young ruler, 291 00:14:00,209 --> 00:14:02,804 but you know, I'm not really convinced 292 00:14:02,804 --> 00:14:06,900 that He was primarily interested 293 00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:08,642 in staying there on the law 294 00:14:08,642 --> 00:14:11,707 until there had been sufficient law work. 295 00:14:11,707 --> 00:14:14,395 (incomplete thought) 296 00:14:14,395 --> 00:14:16,068 He didn't even challenge him. 297 00:14:16,068 --> 00:14:17,858 You would have thought this. 298 00:14:17,858 --> 00:14:20,212 If Jesus really was wanting to do 299 00:14:20,212 --> 00:14:24,157 a deep law work primarily in the rich young ruler, 300 00:14:24,157 --> 00:14:26,610 wouldn't He have stopped and said, 301 00:14:26,610 --> 00:14:29,241 "Oh, you just said all these things you've done 302 00:14:29,241 --> 00:14:32,165 from your youth up, but you haven't." 303 00:14:32,165 --> 00:14:34,199 You know what? Jesus didn't even 304 00:14:34,199 --> 00:14:36,340 call the guy on it. 305 00:14:36,340 --> 00:14:39,080 He just went with the flow. 306 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,646 Okay. Okay, you've done all that. 307 00:14:41,646 --> 00:14:44,545 "Well, you lack one thing still." 308 00:14:44,545 --> 00:14:47,136 He didn't say, "Oh no, you lack all of it." 309 00:14:47,136 --> 00:14:48,794 "You've been a liar..." 310 00:14:48,794 --> 00:14:52,482 He didn't jump on the Ray Comfort bandwagon 311 00:14:52,482 --> 00:14:56,582 and say, "have you lied?" 312 00:14:56,582 --> 00:14:57,785 He didn't do that. 313 00:14:57,785 --> 00:14:59,211 Yes, He brought up the law, 314 00:14:59,211 --> 00:15:00,800 but He didn't even stick there. 315 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,578 And He didn't call the guy out on it. 316 00:15:03,578 --> 00:15:05,631 What He did was He went even further 317 00:15:05,631 --> 00:15:12,436 and He said okay, we'll allow that. 318 00:15:12,436 --> 00:15:14,928 But one thing you lack. 319 00:15:14,928 --> 00:15:16,620 What's that? 320 00:15:16,620 --> 00:15:20,058 "Well, you go sell it all and you come follow Me." 321 00:15:20,058 --> 00:15:22,079 He wasn't asking him about how he felt. 322 00:15:22,079 --> 00:15:24,251 You see, it was all on the table right there. 323 00:15:24,251 --> 00:15:25,983 Are you going to trust Me? 324 00:15:25,983 --> 00:15:27,147 You come follow Me, 325 00:15:27,147 --> 00:15:28,835 and you'll have treasure in heaven. 326 00:15:28,835 --> 00:15:31,123 You know what He's asking him to do? Trust Him. 327 00:15:31,123 --> 00:15:33,017 He wasn't saying, "Do you feel elect?" 328 00:15:33,017 --> 00:15:36,586 "Do you feel appropriately law work 329 00:15:36,586 --> 00:15:38,923 and Holy Spirit conviction?" 330 00:15:38,923 --> 00:15:40,994 It wasn't that, because you know what? 331 00:15:40,994 --> 00:15:43,015 We're not saved by that. 332 00:15:43,015 --> 00:15:50,419 We're saved by trusting the promises of Christ. 333 00:15:50,419 --> 00:15:51,587 "You come follow Me. 334 00:15:51,587 --> 00:15:54,431 You'll have treasure in heaven." 335 00:15:54,431 --> 00:15:55,685 And you know what? 336 00:15:55,685 --> 00:15:58,293 To have followed Him right there would have been life. 337 00:15:58,293 --> 00:15:59,795 And he would have had it 338 00:15:59,795 --> 00:16:02,510 despite how he felt. 339 00:16:02,510 --> 00:16:05,783 I don't know what Matthew felt, 340 00:16:05,783 --> 00:16:07,795 but I'm sure as he followed Christ, 341 00:16:07,795 --> 00:16:09,658 God met with him. 342 00:16:09,658 --> 00:16:11,284 I'm sure there was joy. 343 00:16:11,284 --> 00:16:17,244 I'm sure all sorts of good things happened. 344 00:16:17,244 --> 00:16:18,866 You know what Scripture says? 345 00:16:18,866 --> 00:16:25,439 "Without faith it's impossible to please God." 346 00:16:25,439 --> 00:16:28,559 Faith. Faith is casting yourself 347 00:16:28,559 --> 00:16:31,550 on His promises. 348 00:16:31,550 --> 00:16:33,414 Can anybody do that? 349 00:16:33,414 --> 00:16:38,649 You say, I know you have to be born again. 350 00:16:38,649 --> 00:16:42,107 But where does Scripture say, 351 00:16:42,107 --> 00:16:43,901 "Well, you need to feel born again 352 00:16:43,901 --> 00:16:47,283 before you can trust Christ"? 353 00:16:47,283 --> 00:16:49,275 It doesn't say that. 354 00:16:49,275 --> 00:16:52,353 In fact, even where He's speaking to Nicodemus 355 00:16:52,353 --> 00:16:54,899 and He says, "you must be born again," 356 00:16:54,899 --> 00:16:56,197 where does He go? 357 00:16:56,197 --> 00:16:57,839 He doesn't say, "Now, Nicodemus, 358 00:16:57,839 --> 00:17:00,044 there's absolutely nothing you can do. 359 00:17:00,044 --> 00:17:02,988 You better sit up there in that burning window 360 00:17:02,988 --> 00:17:04,214 and, like this guy says - 361 00:17:04,214 --> 00:17:08,830 "I can do nothing unless God brings it on." 362 00:17:08,830 --> 00:17:11,279 So, Nicodemus, stand up there 363 00:17:11,279 --> 00:17:12,787 in that burning window 364 00:17:12,787 --> 00:17:14,985 until God brings it on. 365 00:17:14,985 --> 00:17:17,330 But you see where Jesus goes? 366 00:17:17,330 --> 00:17:22,169 It's just like the serpent was lifted up 367 00:17:22,169 --> 00:17:25,571 in the wilderness. What? 368 00:17:25,571 --> 00:17:28,303 If you look, you'll live. 369 00:17:28,303 --> 00:17:31,037 You'll be healed. 370 00:17:31,037 --> 00:17:35,111 He goes right into faith. 371 00:17:35,111 --> 00:17:38,722 It's taking Him at His word. 372 00:17:38,722 --> 00:17:40,125 Now look, if you say, 373 00:17:40,125 --> 00:17:42,236 "Nope. I can't take Him at His word. 374 00:17:42,236 --> 00:17:43,575 I need to feel elect. 375 00:17:43,575 --> 00:17:47,053 I need to feel that He's done a work. 376 00:17:47,053 --> 00:17:48,989 I need to feel He's made me alive. 377 00:17:48,989 --> 00:17:51,160 I need to feel Holy Spirit conviction. 378 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,397 I need to feel an appropriate law work." 379 00:17:53,397 --> 00:17:55,224 All you're doing is giving an excuse 380 00:17:55,224 --> 00:17:57,528 for why you will not believe Him. 381 00:17:57,528 --> 00:18:00,698 And you will perish in that window. 382 00:18:00,698 --> 00:18:03,422 The only way to be saved is to jump 383 00:18:03,422 --> 00:18:06,488 and land right on His promises. 384 00:18:06,488 --> 00:18:13,258 That's the only place of safety. 385 00:18:13,258 --> 00:18:15,854 Faith saves. 386 00:18:15,854 --> 00:18:18,300 No amount of conviction saves. 387 00:18:18,300 --> 00:18:20,979 Christ saves. 388 00:18:20,979 --> 00:18:25,936 Faith is what leaps upon His promises. 389 00:18:25,936 --> 00:18:28,056 You see, when Matthew got up from that table 390 00:18:28,056 --> 00:18:30,856 he was saying that's it. 391 00:18:30,856 --> 00:18:32,859 If this guy doesn't come through, 392 00:18:32,859 --> 00:18:36,826 I've just lost my livelihood. 393 00:18:36,826 --> 00:18:41,915 I'm banking everything on Him. 394 00:18:41,915 --> 00:18:44,379 That's a safe place to be. 395 00:18:44,379 --> 00:18:47,104 Because if you bank everything on Him 396 00:18:47,104 --> 00:18:49,258 and you follow Him, 397 00:18:49,258 --> 00:18:50,787 you'll not be ashamed. 398 00:18:50,787 --> 00:18:52,963 I have it on the authority of God's Word. 399 00:18:52,963 --> 00:18:54,758 You will not be ashamed. 400 00:18:54,758 --> 00:18:56,821 But you stand up there in that window 401 00:18:56,821 --> 00:18:59,608 refusing to trust Him, 402 00:18:59,608 --> 00:19:02,572 you're going to die and go to hell. 403 00:19:02,572 --> 00:19:05,258 Be sure of it. 404 00:19:05,258 --> 00:19:09,926 The only way to be saved is jump. 405 00:19:09,926 --> 00:19:13,217 And He's got arms that can hold you. 406 00:19:13,217 --> 00:19:14,939 He never dropped one yet 407 00:19:14,939 --> 00:19:16,625 who's trusted Him. 408 00:19:16,625 --> 00:19:22,803 Not a single one. 409 00:19:22,803 --> 00:19:28,184 Oh Father, I pray that some good 410 00:19:28,184 --> 00:19:31,110 would have come from the Bible study tonight. 411 00:19:31,110 --> 00:19:33,671 Make it helpful to somebody. 412 00:19:33,671 --> 00:19:36,021 Make it profitable. 413 00:19:36,021 --> 00:19:44,188 Lord, Your Word is good. It's safe. 414 00:19:44,188 --> 00:19:46,640 I pray these things in Christ's name, 415 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:47,715 Amen.