WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.040 Well today we're going on the road again, on the Romans. 2 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:05.440 Road, on the Romans road. That's right, Well, that's what 3 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:07.799 we're beginning. There's a for those of you who don't know. 4 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.359 There's a way to share the gospel, to lead somebody 5 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:14.199 to Jesus using scriptures in the Book of Romans, and 6 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:15.560 the first one usually is here. 7 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:18.120 In Romans Carrey, wait to get all on the road again. 8 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:19.920 Roman road. So he's Chris and I'm Jeff, and we're 9 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:20.920 the Bible guys. 10 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:38.079 So Jeff, yes, our staff have put together a segment 11 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.840 that seems to be sort of the opposite of the 12 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:43.799 segment that they hand to me, which is what made 13 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:44.679 Chris mad this week. 14 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.759 Those are the best. Well, we love those. We love 15 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:48.840 to hear the Chris rant. 16 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:51.600 Well they well, I'm not sure about that that they 17 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:54.399 put together this question because we asked it. I think 18 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:57.600 last week too, or maybe two weeks ago. What made Jeff. 19 00:00:57.399 --> 00:00:58.159 Happy this week? 20 00:00:58.280 --> 00:01:01.000 Oh yes, so I'm not sure I like that one. 21 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:02.520 And see here's the thing. 22 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.239 They know us. They know us well. 23 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:07.040 If not careful, everybody might think that you don't ever 24 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:07.560 get mad. 25 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:09.680 Oh I don't. I'm like a saint. 26 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:14.120 Yeah whatever, Yeah, so Jeff, but just actually I just. 27 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:16.159 Probably have the worst temper between the two of us. 28 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:19.480 So that's a that's a funny thing that it's just 29 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:21.959 you're more vocal about the things that irritate you. 30 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.079 Oh for sure, Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I would definitely 31 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:27.480 agree with that. So let's go back to the question 32 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:29.840 what made Jeff happy? What what happened this week? 33 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:31.120 Jeff? That made Jeff happy? 34 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.200 Let me tell you this is one of the best 35 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:37.879 things that's ever happened to me. I mean, like, wow, 36 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:40.760 Jesus saved me from my sins. My wife said yes 37 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:43.519 and married me, the birth of my three children. Yeah, 38 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:48.400 coming to Heritage Church. And this Christmas, my kids teamed 39 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:53.079 up together and bought me an a five wagu beef 40 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:59.000 ribbi steak that had to be imported in dry ice 41 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.920 from Japan. And this is this is one of the 42 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.439 most expensive pieces of meat you can have in the world, 43 00:02:05.879 --> 00:02:06.480 in the world. 44 00:02:06.599 --> 00:02:06.959 Wow. 45 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:11.360 And they shifted in and it was magnificent. So we 46 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.319 just we cooked it this past week while they were 47 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:17.240 all together. It was incredible. So every bite was an 48 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:18.560 explosion of flavor. 49 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.560 Yeah, so you thought it was worth it? Oh? 50 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:24.039 Oh yeah, every bite? Now you can't eat much of it. 51 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:27.280 If you've ever had wag you you know, it's just 52 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:31.240 so rich. It's beyond a beef thing. It's just sort 53 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:35.080 of like if you bring in an eighteen ounce rabbi, 54 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:39.840 you know, prime rebbi, I will just destroy that thing 55 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:42.439 in the next fifteen twenty minutes. But I could only 56 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:44.159 eat just a few ounces of this. It was just 57 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:49.479 so rich. But it was amazing luxurious, decadently luxurious. 58 00:02:49.719 --> 00:02:53.120 Wow. Yeah, And were you were you scared to cook it? 59 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:56.719 Yes? Well, so expensive you don't get one shot at it, 60 00:02:56.840 --> 00:02:58.240 you know what I mean? And so yeah, I was. 61 00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:00.680 I was really nervous about it, but we we nailed it. 62 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:05.000 It was it was amazing. The way that normal beef 63 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:07.840 process is fat is different from wagu Waguo has this 64 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:13.159 genetic thing that creates uh mono unsaturated fats, which is 65 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:16.800 like olive oil, and it embeds it in the muscle. 66 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.680 So literally it would melt like we could run our 67 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.599 finger across the top of the meat and it would 68 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:24.240 leave like a puddle of what looked like olive oil 69 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:25.319 behind it. 70 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:25.680 Right. 71 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:30.400 So it was just so rich meat. It was phenomenal. 72 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:33.080 So to non meat eaters this sounds horrible. But to 73 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.840 the to the steak lovers that are listening, it was 74 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:38.960 just a spectacular experience. 75 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:40.680 Did you put some a one on it? 76 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:46.199 No, my wife did. I'm not joking. I'm not joking. 77 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:47.800 She had a one on her plate. 78 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:48.639 Wow. 79 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:50.879 I had gone about a bunch of other steaks so 80 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:52.400 that everybody could, you know, because we all knew we 81 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:53.800 were gonna have the little bites of it because it was 82 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:56.159 so expensive and so rich. So I had to brought 83 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:57.680 some other steaks. So there were others. So I don't 84 00:03:57.719 --> 00:03:59.680 know that she had a one on her plate for 85 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:03.919 this wago the most expensive bite of meat she's ever 86 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:06.960 had in her life, right, But uh, yeah she did. 87 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:07.680 That's funny. 88 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.400 One time Bonnie and I we went to tell my 89 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:14.159 parents that we were expecting their first grandson. Yeah, and 90 00:04:14.199 --> 00:04:18.000 we took them out to a prime rib restaurant, very 91 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:22.480 famous restaurant. It was expensive and we ordered and everything, 92 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.160 and then when we were done, she, my wife called 93 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:28.040 the server rover and said, could you bring me some 94 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:31.199 a one? And he looked like she just cussed him out. 95 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:35.279 He went, excuse me, madam, And she said, could you 96 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:38.959 marke me some a one? So he goes uh yes, 97 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:40.759 and he just looked so disgusted. He walked and he 98 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:42.480 came back and he set the A one on the 99 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:44.920 table and he said, I'll give your regrets to the chef. 100 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.519 Oh no, well he's not wrong. 101 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:50.439 I know you don't put anyone on that stuff. But 102 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:53.800 she did so, and she's like, I paid for it, 103 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:55.240 and that's how I like it. I didn't care what 104 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.360 you think, you know. So yeah, so that was That's 105 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:01.279 what made me happy this week. Was the most amazingly 106 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.279 expensive piece of meat I could ever dream of. Oh yeah, 107 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:06.680 what a great gift from the fIF for you. They 108 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.199 know me, they really love. 109 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:11.600 Me, they like me, they really like me. Yeah, that 110 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:12.000 was it. 111 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:17.879 Okay, so we're continuing with this idea that we're all sinners. 112 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:19.920 Now he's he's stacking it on at this point. It's 113 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:23.680 not just you Jews are sinners, or the Gentiles or sinners, 114 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:26.360 because you know, you live apart from God. Now he's 115 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:28.920 really kind of going to begin to build this logical 116 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:32.160 argument that ultimately, I promise you, ultimately it's going to 117 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:36.000 lead to so Jesus solved it. That's tomorrow. Actually it's 118 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:38.319 the first time he brings that up. But this is 119 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:41.399 kind of the culmination of this whole argument that everybody's 120 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.120 a sinner and there's a consequence to it. So Rome's 121 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:45.839 chapter three is where we're picking up, and it starts 122 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.759 off with this whole idea of God being faithful. Says, then, 123 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:50.839 what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any 124 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.759 value in the ceremony circumcision? Yes, there's great benefits. First 125 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:55.879 of all, the Jews are entrusted with the whole revelation 126 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:58.519 of God. True, some of them are unfaithful, But just 127 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:02.000 because they're unfaithful does not mean that God will be unfaithful, 128 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.040 of course, not even if everyone else is a liar. 129 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:08.720 God is true, as the scriptures say about him. You 130 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:10.600 will be proved right in what you say, and you 131 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:14.360 will win your case in court. But some might say 132 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.600 our sinfulness deserves a good purpose, for it helps people 133 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:20.800 see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair then for 134 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:23.079 him to punish us? This is merely a human point 135 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:26.000 of view, of course, not if God were not entirely fair, 136 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:28.720 how would he be qualified to judge the world. But 137 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.600 someone might still argue, how can God condemn me as 138 00:06:31.639 --> 00:06:34.959 a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings 139 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:37.920 him more glory, and some people even slanderous by claiming 140 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.759 that we say the more we sin, the better it 141 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:43.399 is those who say such things deserve to be condemned. Well, then, 142 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.240 should we conclude that Jews are better than others, No, 143 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:49.360 not at all, for we have already shown that all people, 144 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:51.319 whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 145 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:55.040 As a scriptures say, no one is righteous, not even one. 146 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:58.240 No one is truly wise, No one is seeking God. 147 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.199 All have turned away, all have been become useless. No 148 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:04.279 one does good, not a single one. Their talk is foul, 149 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:06.399 like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are 150 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:09.399 filled with lies, snake venom drips from their lips. Their 151 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.040 mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. They rush to 152 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:15.560 commit murder, Destruction and misery always follow them. They don't 153 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:17.439 know where to find peace. They have no fear of 154 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.600 God at all. Obviously, the law applies to those to 155 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:23.160 whom it was given for its purposes to keep people 156 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:26.079 from having excuses, and to show that the entire world 157 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:28.560 is guilty before God, For no one can ever be 158 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:31.319 made right with God by doing what the law commands. 159 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.079 The law simply shows us how sinful we are. 160 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:37.519 Yep, there it is, and that's the. 161 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:38.279 Purpose of the law. 162 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:42.600 Yeah, so the last sentence for no one can ever 163 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:45.800 be made right with God by doing the law commands. 164 00:07:46.519 --> 00:07:49.040 The law simply shows us how simple we are. Isn't 165 00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:49.680 it amazing? 166 00:07:50.199 --> 00:07:54.079 How I mentioned yesterday and yesterday's podcast that I do 167 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:56.480 a lot of funerals. Well, the first half of every 168 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:59.199 funeral that I do is all about the person. Yeah, 169 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.519 you know, like, hey, we want to honor, remember, and 170 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:05.399 you know, share about the person who's deceased. But then 171 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:07.759 the second half of the funeral, I always just try 172 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.319 to answer one simple question and I just say, you know, 173 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:13.040 I'm just going to spend our few remaining moments answering 174 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.399 this one simple question, which is, how can anyone know 175 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:16.879 for sure they can go to Heaven when they die? 176 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:20.120 Because the vast majority of people, It's the same speech 177 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:22.839 every single time, every single time that I give a funeral, 178 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:26.279 I say, the vast majority of people think that if 179 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:29.360 they're good, outweighs they're bad. That's the most important part 180 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:32.639 of the equation. Okay, And I always say I feel 181 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:34.759 like we have to apologize on behalf of the church, 182 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:36.480 because I don't think the Church has done a very 183 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:40.559 good job in answering this really simple question with clarity, right, 184 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:42.919 because I think that the majority of all the people 185 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:46.360 in my life that I've ever talked with seem to 186 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:49.279 somehow think, you know, like, well, I've tried to keep 187 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:52.480 the Ten Commandments right, and it's like, why is that 188 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:56.879 the message above? You know that that you know, salvation 189 00:08:57.159 --> 00:08:59.519 is Jesus alone? Right, you know, why is it the 190 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:04.399 Ten comments? Why is it you know, you know, salvation 191 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:08.559 by works? And so here what Paul says, Hey, you 192 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:09.759 want to talk about the law. You want to talk 193 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:12.279 about the commandments, you want to talk about every law 194 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:13.200 that has ever been given. 195 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:16.519 No one can ever. 196 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:19.120 Be made right with God by doing the law commands. 197 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.080 The law simply shows us how sinful we are. 198 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:25.879 Yeah, yeah, so you know he's again there's no chapters 199 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:28.879 and verses in Paul's letters. These are our segments. And 200 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:33.279 so to separate chapter three from chapter two, Paul didn't 201 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:36.320 do that. So basically he's finishing up that. So then 202 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:41.440 if if Jews can be unrighte with God even though 203 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:44.639 they've followed some of the rules, and if Gentiles can 204 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:48.720 be right with God by their heart, but haven't followed 205 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:51.799 these same rules that we followed, Then what's the use, 206 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:53.960 That's what he's saying, why would we even try to 207 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.799 follow any of God's guidelines anyways? And then he goes 208 00:09:56.840 --> 00:10:01.639 on and goes or maybe you can justify then sinning 209 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:03.919 in general, just to show how good God is. If 210 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:06.960 sin proves that we're bad and God's good, then God 211 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:11.399 actually gets glory when I sin. And Paul's like, come on, people, right, 212 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:15.080 because we're always find trying to find loopholes. Naturally humans 213 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:17.240 try to find loopholes and go, oh, well great, I 214 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.440 get to keep doing what I do and God gets glorified. 215 00:10:19.639 --> 00:10:22.759 That's fantastic. And he's saying, no, that's not the point. 216 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:26.840 He said, Instead, we have to conclude the fact that 217 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:31.840 none of our sin is beneficial. It's never acceptable, it's 218 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:35.759 never an okay thing. God's grace is available to both 219 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:38.960 Jews and Greeks, Jews and Gentiles, it's available to everybody, 220 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:43.200 but it's never beneficial to live a life of sin. 221 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:45.120 And he said, as a matter of fact, that's where 222 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:47.440 he begins to quote the Book of Isaiah, right where 223 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.080 he says, no one is righteous, not even one, and 224 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:53.240 no one's truly wise, no one is really seeking God. 225 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.120 Yeah, it's Psalm fourteen, that's all. 226 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:59.279 I'm sorry, Palm. What did I say, Isaiah, I'm sorry 227 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:01.440 Psalm fourteen. 228 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:06.360 Which, by the way, is interesting because we so know 229 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:09.360 it is Romans three ten, right, yeah, because that actually 230 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:12.000 is the reference that I gave to on the Road 231 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:16.000 again by Willie Nils. Yeah, because Romans three ten is 232 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:19.120 sort of the beginning of the Romans Road, which establishes 233 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:22.480 that all of us are lost, there's none righteous, no, 234 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:24.960 not one, and it's it's very famous in the Christian 235 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:27.840 world as Romans three ten, but really it's Psalm fourteen. 236 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:30.799 Yeah, so I see where my mistake was there. So 237 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:36.240 he quotes Psalm fourteen, Psalm fifty three, Psalm five, Psalm ten, 238 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.480 and then he finishes up with Isaiah fifty nine is 239 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:43.279 Versus fifteen, sixteen to seventeen there it is, So yeah, yeah, 240 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:44.879 that's that's kind of where I think I made that leap. 241 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:46.639 And then he goes back to Psal thirty six. So 242 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:48.399 what he's doing is he's rattling off a bunch of 243 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.080 verses that highlight the fact that you know, God says, 244 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:55.159 man live. Even the best version of you is still 245 00:11:55.159 --> 00:11:59.320 a sinner. Right, Even your best words drip with evil. 246 00:11:59.559 --> 00:12:03.679 Even your best behavior is sinful compared to a perfect 247 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:06.159 and holy and righteous God. And so basically what he's 248 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:08.000 doing is he's really piling on here at the end 249 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:12.320 to go listen. You are at your core a sinner, 250 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:16.480 and the best things you do are tainted by sin, 251 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:21.039 and yet God is good and loves you. Right, but 252 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.039 stop thinking that somehow you can earn your way to heaven. 253 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:29.000 It's not possible. You've already broken the law, you already 254 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:34.159 fall short, and even your best attempts are imperfect attempts. 255 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:36.759 And so he said, if you're trying to trust the 256 00:12:36.840 --> 00:12:41.559 law here, it's just not possible. No one can ever 257 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:44.480 be made right with God by doing what the law commands. 258 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:46.639 So then I think it does bring up the question, well, 259 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:51.679 then why why should we do what God commands? And 260 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:53.759 I think it comes down to Jesus. Jesus said, if 261 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:56.519 you love me, keep my commandments, so it stops being 262 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.639 about trying to earn my way to heaven. See me 263 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:00.480 trying to keep the rules so I can go to 264 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.039 heaven is all about me, right, But if instead, I 265 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:07.440 realized Jesus paid my price to heaven, so now I 266 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:10.120 don't have to earn it. Now. The reason to do 267 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:13.120 the right thing now, the reason to obey God's laws 268 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:14.960 is to show him I love him. There's no other 269 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.039 way I can other than to then willingly do what 270 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:20.440 I don't am not any longer required to do. 271 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:23.159 You know, when I was, when I first went into 272 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:27.879 ministry was by the way, I'm not sure if I've 273 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:30.399 even told you this, but when I was, I grew 274 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:34.720 up in Youngstown, Ohio. It was a small little Baptist church, right, 275 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:38.720 and we were part of an independent, you know, Baptist Association. 276 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:41.919 And they had this homemade thing with all these other 277 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.240 youth pastors. This sounds funny, but it's called the any 278 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:50.120 OYF the Northeastern Ohio Youth Fellowship any OAF, I know, 279 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:52.279 goofy right, But it was just a sort of like 280 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:56.720 a group of churches that came together. Well, there was 281 00:13:56.840 --> 00:13:59.919 always a guy who's still a good friend of mine, 282 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:03.879 Tim Chambers, and he would meet us, and we always 283 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:07.080 met in Ohio, so we meet somewhere in Ohio. But 284 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:12.399 he was from Michigan and it was Ryan Road Baptist Church. Now, 285 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:15.000 for those of you who don't know, obviously, majority of 286 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.000 people that don't know who's listening. Is one mile from 287 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:21.320 where I live is Ryan Road currently, and I've lived 288 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:24.360 there for almost twenty years, right, and yet as a 289 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:29.360 kid living in Ohio four hours away, this guy was 290 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:32.679 a pastor and I just remember his church, Ryan Road 291 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:35.200 Baptist Church was, by the way, is no longer there, okay, 292 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:37.759 but anyway, but that you know, and then here I 293 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.039 ended up living right down the street, and I knew 294 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:42.799 this guy's names of the church Ryan Road. 295 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:45.120 Anyway, The point is. 296 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.159 Is that he was sort of like a mentor along 297 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:50.320 because he was best friends with my youth pastor. And 298 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:52.679 I remember asking him saying, like, hey, when I go 299 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:58.000 into ministry, how do I teach kids how to follow God? Which, 300 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:00.519 by the way, is sort of the topic here? Now, 301 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:01.840 how do you how do you get people to obey 302 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:02.120 the law? 303 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:02.480 Right? 304 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:04.039 And here's what he said. 305 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:07.399 He said, Chris, it's three things and these are in 306 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:10.720 specific order. I just I just tell my kids, you 307 00:15:10.759 --> 00:15:14.320 have to love God, know God, serve God. 308 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:15.120 Right. 309 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.759 I'm sorry, no, God, love God, serve God. Sorry, right 310 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:19.600 to know God? 311 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:21.440 You got it out of order, I did, he's going 312 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:21.759 to be mad. 313 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.679 Now he's going to be mad and he's lisening. So 314 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:26.039 to know God, Love God, serve God. 315 00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:28.600 And I started and I started thinking about that, and 316 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:31.759 then it wasn't until much, much, much later on in 317 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:35.240 my ministry that I realized, WHOA, that is completely true. 318 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:37.960 You first have to know about God. You have to. 319 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:39.360 You have to understand him. 320 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:42.000 You know, you sort of you know, input all the 321 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:45.159 information about who God is, you learn about his character, 322 00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:47.600 you read about it, right, you sort of get to 323 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:50.879 know God first, like an introductory type of thing, and 324 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:53.000 then the more you get to know him, the more 325 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:56.360 you love him, which is the absolute key to obeying him. 326 00:15:56.840 --> 00:15:59.279 So one of my favorite phrases after that became this, 327 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.320 I obey God because I want to, not because I 328 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:05.600 have to. And by the way, both are okay, right. 329 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:07.440 It's it's kind of like when God says God loves 330 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:10.399 a cheerful giver. Well, you know, it's just better as 331 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:12.679 long as you give, right, So it's sort of like this, 332 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:15.000 it's like, well, as long as you obey. But there's 333 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.679 a major difference between obeying because you have to and 334 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:19.840 obeying because you want to. And see, I think the 335 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:23.879 key is what Tim told me so long ago, and 336 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.279 that is, if you don't love God enough to obey him, 337 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:30.320 chances are you just don't know him, because to know him. 338 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:30.759 Is to love him. 339 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:31.039 Yeah. 340 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:33.120 Well that's great. Yeah, so there it is. 341 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.240 That's great love. I love the idea that it's a 342 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:45.960 great progression. I think sometimes because we come to Christ immaturity. 343 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:49.000 We come to Christ usually because you know, he's been 344 00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:51.639 drawing us, the holypit's been drawing us to Christ. But 345 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:54.039 he's been doing it through the circumstances of our life. 346 00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:56.399 So a lot of times it's a struggle, it's a difficulty, 347 00:16:56.440 --> 00:17:00.840 it's confusion, it's lostness, it's just it's purpose, uselessness, whatever, 348 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:03.600 whatever thing God used. Oftentimes when we come to faith 349 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:06.720 and we find the solution to the thing that's missing 350 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.160 in our life, so it's kind of an us centered 351 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:12.200 thing at the beginning, it's Jesus is the answer to 352 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.799 what's missing, or Jesus is the answer to what's broken, 353 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:17.480 or Jesus is the one who solved this problem in 354 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.599 my life. And so we come to him and it's Jesus, yes, 355 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:24.359 because he fixes me in this right right. And then 356 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.480 if we're not careful. We stay the whole Christian life, 357 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:30.480 the whole journey still being all about what Jesus can 358 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:33.920 do for me, rather than us learning who he is. 359 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:37.279 So you know, God so loved that he gave, so 360 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:41.000 the giving is it's for you. There's no shame in that. 361 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:44.759 It is for you. But it's because God is love, 362 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:47.240 and when you really discover who he is, you learn 363 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:49.240 to love him. And then that's why Jesus said, now 364 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:51.720 you know, keep my commandments because you love me, because 365 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:53.880 he makes Paul makes it clear here there's no chance 366 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:56.319 of you getting to heaven by doing right. Can't do that. 367 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:59.640 But every time I do choose to do the right thing, 368 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:02.039 I'm saying I love you to Jesus. That's another hug. 369 00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:05.000 It's another thing I was thinking about this. I had 370 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:11.839 a friend that was very particularly sensitive to smell. If 371 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:14.519 he smelled something that you know, if he smelled shoes 372 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:16.519 and we didn't smell him, it'd make him gag, right, 373 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:20.359 just everything would you know, everything was too sensitive, so 374 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:22.759 he could not be around people wearing any kind of 375 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:23.839 cologne at all. 376 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:26.759 And you know, oh, that's that's a strong gag reflex. 377 00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:27.000 Yeah. 378 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:28.960 Yeah, so I have a gag reflex, but it's not 379 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:29.400 that strong. 380 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.319 So if you were wearing any kind of scent, he 381 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:35.240 would start sneezing and his eyes would puff up and 382 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:38.279 he just couldn't couldn't handle it. So you know, I'm 383 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:40.440 free to wear whatever I want to wear. And back then, 384 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:41.799 you know, when we were in college, you wear what 385 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:43.039 your car right. 386 00:18:43.160 --> 00:18:48.599 Right, right, brute my faberge right for the cowboy and 387 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:49.039 all of us. 388 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:52.599 So whatever it was, you're free to I'm a free individual, 389 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:54.160 I'm a grown man. I can wear what I want 390 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:55.160 to wear. I want to do and wear it. But 391 00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:58.640 I enjoyed his company and I cared about him, so 392 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:03.400 I would limit my freedoms in order to please him 393 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:05.319 so that I could be with him and be around him. 394 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:07.279 And if Boule says God cannot be in the presence 395 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:10.079 of sin, so it'd be the same thing that I 396 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:12.319 care enough about my relationship with God that I'm willing 397 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:15.119 to limit the freedoms that I have in Christ. And 398 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:17.799 I limit those things. And by the way, when I 399 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:21.839 keep God's laws, my life will be better. I'll avoid brokenness, 400 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:25.400 I'll avoid some of the destructive behaviors, I'll avoid addictions, 401 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:28.960