back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 05.05.24
00:05:06.500 |
We will start off our service with an older simple song, 00:05:12.220 |
and a praise of gratitude for what He's done in our lives. 00:05:20.180 |
we would rejoice and remain thankful to the Lord 00:05:22.700 |
for our joy and gratitude is not circumstantial, 00:05:26.420 |
but rests on our unchanging and unfailing God. 00:05:35.380 |
"for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 00:05:59.180 |
♪ Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise ♪ 00:06:18.340 |
♪ Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory ♪ 00:06:29.260 |
♪ Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory ♪ 00:07:32.420 |
♪ Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise ♪ 00:07:56.940 |
♪ Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory ♪ 00:09:48.780 |
Let me get to a few announcements before we get started. 00:10:03.820 |
after each of the services, first, second, and third, 00:10:07.820 |
So if you're bringing a mom to attend the service, 00:10:16.140 |
so make sure that you pick that up next Sunday. 00:10:18.340 |
And then a quick announcement for the family ministry. 00:10:21.340 |
If you are not part of the FAM245 and Jubilee, 00:10:38.220 |
On May 19, 11.30 to 3.30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, 00:10:45.740 |
So you can go there and meet other family members 00:10:48.420 |
and other couples and just kind of fellowship together. 00:10:51.940 |
Then you bring your own lunch and then just show up. 00:11:03.380 |
they are also going to be having barbecue fellowship. 00:11:08.100 |
if you've been married for three years or less, 00:11:15.340 |
We have an annual commitment for that, $50 a month, 00:11:23.340 |
so we're asking that you would recommit to that. 00:11:30.660 |
And as you guys know of what's going on in India, 00:11:35.780 |
And so if you can re-sign up for that, $50 a month, 00:11:43.940 |
we'll make sure that those funds get out to India. 00:11:48.560 |
One, a Korean golf tournament is happening on June 8th. 00:11:51.460 |
I know we have a lot of fundraisers and tournaments, 00:11:53.960 |
but this is for the people who don't like to get physical. 00:12:16.920 |
August 16th through 19th is our family retreat. 00:12:23.460 |
who came a couple years ago to talk about reconciliation. 00:12:26.460 |
And then the other topic that he is very well-known for, 00:12:31.340 |
and sometimes internationally to speak on the subject, 00:12:39.400 |
whether you're FAM 245 all the way to Jubilee, 00:12:42.560 |
if you're part of that ministry, please sign up for that. 00:12:45.200 |
The early registration is going to be ending on June 2nd. 00:12:48.880 |
So after that, it's gonna be late registration. 00:13:00.380 |
It's going to be on August 16th through August 19th, 00:13:03.860 |
and that early registration will end on June 2nd, okay? 00:13:16.660 |
And so he's going to be breaking the record in our church 00:13:19.080 |
as the youngest member who's going to be baptized today. 00:13:21.900 |
And so watching him grow through these years, 00:13:25.620 |
through literally infancy to where he is now. 00:13:28.260 |
And so we've been praying and walking with this family, 00:13:31.540 |
and I know how joyous they are and have guests to come. 00:13:36.540 |
but when we have somebody who's been raised in the church 00:13:39.300 |
since they were a child to be able to hear their testimony 00:13:42.020 |
and to be baptized, become a member of the church, 00:13:44.340 |
and obviously this is a prayer that we're having. 00:13:50.180 |
it's hard not to think about the next generation, right? 00:13:53.780 |
The older I get, so what is the next generation 00:13:57.780 |
And to see young people in our church coming to Christ 00:14:08.820 |
and that the next generation will be able to take the baton 00:14:24.720 |
and he'll give his testimony to be baptized this morning. 00:14:28.420 |
- Father, we thank you so much for your grace. 00:15:43.140 |
- Let us all rise, and before we continue with the praise, 00:21:48.780 |
♪ He who made every living thing behold Him ♪ 00:22:06.900 |
♪ He became like the least of us behold Him ♪ 00:23:53.740 |
♪ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty ♪ 00:24:08.120 |
♪ Worthy, worthy, worthy to receive all praise ♪ 00:24:18.120 |
♪ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty ♪ 00:24:23.120 |
♪ Worthy, worthy, worthy to receive all praise ♪ 00:24:31.200 |
♪ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty ♪ 00:24:39.720 |
♪ Worthy, worthy, worthy to receive all praise ♪ 00:26:07.660 |
I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. 00:26:10.840 |
I have been attending Berean since I was one year old, 00:26:14.980 |
I only attended out of pure obedience to my parents. 00:26:17.900 |
Growing up, I was very much a people pleaser. 00:26:20.700 |
I was a rule follower and I tried to be a good kid. 00:26:23.300 |
I strive for the approval of man and not God. 00:26:27.840 |
there's a lot of responsibility and love required 00:26:37.280 |
I justified my sins, saying that it was their fault 00:26:47.300 |
and that I wanted to get over with every Sunday. 00:26:52.880 |
but when it came to church, I was very rebellious. 00:26:55.740 |
Occasionally, I would insincerely ask my parents 00:27:01.780 |
But through it all, God used my parents to draw me to him. 00:27:05.060 |
I can remember moments when I was sitting in my bed 00:27:06.820 |
with my mom and she would just share the gospel with me 00:27:11.900 |
And as God slowly but surely ruled me to him, 00:27:23.840 |
that always satisfied my questioning attitude. 00:27:30.420 |
They were there to support me and show me the love of God 00:27:32.820 |
through the care and compassion they showed me, 00:27:36.740 |
Another person who had a big impact on my salvation 00:27:41.460 |
He was a man of God who served with all his heart 00:27:45.660 |
Since before I was born, he prayed for me every day 00:27:47.900 |
and he taught me the effect of prayer and its impact 00:27:56.340 |
What really shook me was the day the Holy Spirit 00:28:19.600 |
And more importantly, I was freed to seek a relationship 00:28:27.660 |
I was more aware of my sin and I started hating it. 00:28:30.480 |
Instead of just panicking in times of distress, 00:28:32.580 |
I prayed and sought his comfort, forgiveness, or both. 00:28:36.340 |
There's a verse that assured me during troubling times. 00:28:43.840 |
and they follow me and I give eternal life to them. 00:28:46.580 |
They will never perish and no one will snatch them 00:28:49.700 |
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all 00:28:52.840 |
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 00:28:59.960 |
and put me in his hand, the full force of the world 00:29:03.960 |
And it reminds me that even though I struggle and fail, 00:29:09.400 |
Even though I am saved, I still struggle in many ways. 00:29:18.560 |
Another is that sometimes I get caught in the flow 00:29:25.100 |
I'm so thankful that I now have a church family 00:30:34.680 |
We need to have the Lee family give a seminar 00:31:11.160 |
and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to maturity. 00:31:23.840 |
and willingness, Lord God, to not just listen, but to obey. 00:31:30.400 |
and intentions of our heart and our very lives 00:31:33.440 |
that we truly may live a life worthy of the gospel. 00:31:40.720 |
- As you guys know, the latest buzz in technology is AI, 00:31:45.720 |
and so it's getting so good that now they're using it 00:31:55.240 |
and it'll look like it's somebody that we know, 00:31:58.000 |
a celebrity, that actually looks like they're talking, 00:32:04.600 |
kind of like, hmm, that's weird that they're saying this, 00:32:10.920 |
and you really have to watch what you're listening 00:32:17.200 |
and I'm sure some of you guys have encountered that, 00:32:34.560 |
So all the more why we need to be vigilant to test, 00:32:45.680 |
and telling us that we need to be aware of this, 00:33:06.920 |
In fact, our enemy is called the father of lies. 00:33:19.960 |
even sometimes the theology that you embrace, 00:33:24.760 |
Is that, did that come from a careful understanding 00:33:33.600 |
or was that the general feeling of the culture? 00:33:38.200 |
Or maybe a charismatic pastor said some things 00:33:41.520 |
and you read their books and then you were convinced 00:33:48.600 |
is based upon how you feel, what you think balances. 00:33:52.160 |
I remember years ago, I was trying to share the gospel 00:33:57.800 |
I came out of the, the doctor appointment came 00:34:00.640 |
and I saw a handful of Buddhist monks coming in 00:34:02.680 |
and I said, well, I've never witnessed a monk before, 00:34:08.080 |
and we're talking and he knew very little about his faith. 00:34:12.960 |
He was a young guy, I could tell he was being, 00:34:20.120 |
and I was trying to share the gospel with him 00:34:23.960 |
he believes possibly there's a heaven and hell 00:34:26.640 |
and I said, your Buddhist faith doesn't sound anything 00:34:31.320 |
So I asked him, so what caused you to want to be a monk? 00:34:35.920 |
And he said there was this monk who had a huge impact 00:34:40.400 |
and he wanted to please him and he wanted to be like him. 00:34:52.800 |
one of the older monks basically just grabbed him 00:34:56.540 |
like he had no idea what he was talking about, right? 00:35:05.880 |
How many of you are afraid to encounter hostile, 00:35:13.240 |
because you're afraid once they begin to poke at your faith 00:35:16.880 |
that at the end of it, you might come out saying, 00:35:20.780 |
I'm not exactly sure why I believe what I believe. 00:35:36.960 |
test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. 00:35:39.600 |
Examine yourselves or do you not recognize this 00:35:48.460 |
He actually tells him and he's writing this to the church 00:35:54.160 |
is because they were acting like non-Christians. 00:36:15.480 |
because he wanted to put doubt of their faith. 00:36:21.200 |
See if your life is consistent with what you profess. 00:36:26.820 |
not simply because you grew up in the church, 00:36:39.880 |
And the hope that Paul has in asking to do that 00:36:49.480 |
and to correct anything that needs to be corrected. 00:36:53.260 |
That if you just accepted a cultural Christianity 00:37:07.680 |
test yourself, are you really a follower of Christ? 00:37:12.680 |
Years ago, some of you guys who are a little bit older 00:37:27.880 |
so many celebrities came out and professed their faith 00:37:31.980 |
and it seems like there's something like that 00:37:36.780 |
and saying, "I believe in God, I'm doing this and that," 00:37:44.460 |
but I'm assuming most of you won't even know who they are. 00:37:47.540 |
One of the top names of that time was Bob Dylan. 00:37:53.100 |
Bob Dylan was probably one of the top songwriters 00:37:55.960 |
of the 1970s and he came out and became a Christian 00:38:01.660 |
one called Saved, another one called Slow Train Coming. 00:38:07.700 |
but at that time, if you go and look up 1970s, 00:38:11.100 |
Jesus movement, celebrities who came to Christ, 00:38:16.560 |
Well, Bob Dylan was probably the most popular 00:38:26.700 |
And so people were curious, what happened to you? 00:38:28.700 |
And Bob Dylan simply said, "It was just a phase." 00:38:32.900 |
just like many of the other celebrities who just moved on. 00:38:39.460 |
The modern day version of that is Kanye West. 00:38:50.380 |
and he was having Sunday services with choirs 00:38:53.160 |
and buying towns up so that he can bring revival. 00:38:57.340 |
Well, the latest comment that he made about his faith, 00:38:59.460 |
and he said, "You know, I have my issues with Jesus. 00:39:02.540 |
"There's a lot of stuff I went through that I prayed 00:39:46.720 |
I'm not worried about what's happening out in our culture. 00:39:58.700 |
The concern is, we know that the world is in rebellion. 00:40:17.700 |
So when they rebel, when they do what they do, 00:40:22.880 |
And he's not concerned about them because they're his. 00:40:31.780 |
And that's exactly why Jesus is telling this parable, 00:40:39.680 |
the numbers are growing from hundreds to thousands. 00:40:42.280 |
And so in that midst, he's warning his disciples 00:40:45.560 |
just because a large number of people are coming 00:40:53.920 |
there's gonna come a time when majority of these people 00:40:56.280 |
are gonna reject me, turn away, don't be surprised by that. 00:41:04.760 |
They're gonna eat the miraculous bread and the fish. 00:41:13.160 |
So out of curiosity, they were coming to see him. 00:41:16.360 |
And he was warning the crowds that were coming. 00:41:19.400 |
Many of you are coming to me and you're professing 00:41:37.920 |
And so you see me as an avenue for a better life on earth. 00:41:42.000 |
And as a result of that, you will also fall away. 00:41:46.320 |
So the whole reason why this parable is given to us 00:41:52.680 |
To make sure that the fruit that we have is true fruit. 00:42:03.580 |
because they hear, they don't understand, they reject. 00:42:11.200 |
Majority of them will usually just walk away. 00:42:17.840 |
I'm not a believer, I'm not a follower of Christ. 00:42:44.040 |
So they may raise their hand, come down the aisle, 00:42:46.560 |
maybe even be baptized when active for a short period, 00:42:49.680 |
but it says that because their roots are not connected. 00:42:55.400 |
There's no real connection to the living water. 00:42:58.960 |
So when the sun comes, it withers and it dies. 00:43:02.440 |
They're a little bit more difficult to identify 00:43:12.660 |
because of the way that the gospel was preached, 00:43:15.520 |
that if they made a decision, you're saved for life. 00:43:19.600 |
Although the scripture says over and over again, 00:43:23.560 |
The simple word confession is not saving faith. 00:43:30.300 |
because they know that judgment is coming for them. 00:43:41.040 |
to as many people as, so if you just say the words, 00:43:46.680 |
if I can just get you to get into this water, 00:43:48.760 |
if I can just get you to become a member of the church, 00:43:54.480 |
And as a result of that, the church is filled 00:44:03.960 |
But they're a little bit more difficult to tell, 00:44:05.680 |
but they're also easier because it's obvious. 00:44:13.660 |
It says that they were planted, and if you see it, 00:44:17.680 |
that the thorns probably was not there in the beginning. 00:44:22.680 |
No old farmer's gonna go and put seed and ground 00:44:30.480 |
and usually they're gonna have to clear the ground 00:44:33.620 |
So it says that as the plant started to grow, 00:44:46.120 |
The second soil, it hurt it, and initially it grew, 00:44:50.420 |
but there's no root, so it didn't take long to die. 00:44:52.540 |
So it lasted a little bit longer than the first one, 00:44:57.460 |
The third one, the third one is the difficult part. 00:45:11.300 |
And so this is the group that is hard to discern, 00:45:27.620 |
or, "They said this," or, "They're doing that," 00:45:34.560 |
But clearly, he says, that third soil is not a Christian, 00:45:48.960 |
Jesus is saying even those people are not genuine Christians. 00:45:52.400 |
The only true Christian is the one who perseveres 00:46:00.500 |
This morning, I want to take some time looking at this, 00:46:07.580 |
I knew some Christians who were caught in sin, 00:46:18.060 |
And then I would have lunch with them and talk to them 00:46:38.940 |
And then you spend more and more time with them. 00:46:48.760 |
because the difference between a Christian and non-Christian 00:46:55.180 |
So after this sermon, you're going to hear it, 00:47:00.980 |
you're going to either be irritated by what I say, 00:47:10.260 |
Easiest thing to do is pretend like you never heard it. 00:47:13.500 |
And you're just going to walk away and just live your life. 00:47:21.060 |
It's not that relevant what the word of God says 00:47:26.500 |
You just need to have other people think you believe it, 00:47:31.220 |
whatever I say from this pulpit is really not relevant. 00:47:34.220 |
But if you are a believer in Christ, examine it. 00:47:37.180 |
If there's anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, 00:47:45.580 |
At the end of the sermon, I'm not going to just, 00:47:48.820 |
"You're a Christian, you're a Christian, okay." 00:48:05.420 |
that choked and caused the plant to die, right? 00:48:09.500 |
First of all, it says, "Worries of the world." 00:48:12.580 |
And that's how it's expressed in Matthew and Mark, 00:48:14.580 |
and then in the Gospel of Luke, it just says, "Worries." 00:48:17.560 |
Every stage of life, there's concerns, there's worries. 00:48:22.420 |
When you get, every time you move on to the next stage, 00:48:27.660 |
in the previous stage, and it's like, "Ah, so trivial." 00:48:31.060 |
So if you're in college, you look at junior high school, 00:48:33.260 |
high school students, "Oh, my life was so good." 00:48:35.180 |
And all they have to worry about is getting into college. 00:48:57.340 |
And all you have to worry about is your grade. 00:49:02.380 |
Have to wake up every single morning, how tiring it is. 00:49:12.080 |
"and I have to make sure that my wife is happy." 00:49:19.840 |
that's when the real judgment starts to happen. 00:49:35.580 |
And it's like, "Yeah, you guys don't have kids. 00:49:42.420 |
"You wait 'til you have teenagers in your house." 00:49:46.460 |
You know, it's like, "I wish my kids were little. 00:49:49.660 |
"I dream about the day when our kids were little." 00:49:52.900 |
And then they get a little bit older, you know, 00:49:57.860 |
and then it's like, "Man, then we talking about money." 00:50:01.060 |
And it's like, "Oh, it's so expensive having money." 00:50:17.980 |
that's when the real psychological battle happens, right? 00:50:26.980 |
where I look at all of that as so easy, right? 00:50:30.980 |
My biggest problem is I just don't have energy. 00:50:34.060 |
And if I could just sleep better, if I had better health, 00:50:48.580 |
there's gonna be other things that are gonna come up, 00:51:21.620 |
"I'm going to wait until my circumstance changes. 00:51:37.100 |
And as a result of that, when the word of God is preached, 00:51:45.860 |
And the worries and concerns are not always ungodly things. 00:51:50.420 |
Sometimes it's in the context of doing God's work. 00:52:00.500 |
their connection, their abiding in Christ, suffers. 00:52:03.860 |
Because they're so worried about so many things. 00:52:06.440 |
Let me tell you something that may disturb you. 00:52:13.500 |
Choosing right and wrong is not that complicated. 00:52:22.080 |
more than anything else is what is and isn't God's will. 00:52:24.940 |
But what makes choosing right and wrong so difficult 00:52:30.420 |
is not because right and wrong is so difficult. 00:52:34.060 |
Because God sees it light and darkness, good and evil. 00:52:41.540 |
But the reason why it doesn't seem black and white with us 00:52:46.460 |
It's because in the context of decision making, 00:53:06.060 |
comes through a filter of my plans, my concerns. 00:53:10.620 |
So even though right and wrong, God and Satan, 00:53:15.200 |
is very clear, the reason why it gets muddled up 00:53:31.380 |
When you're a child and you have nothing to worry about, 00:53:38.080 |
you're not worried about what other people are gonna think, 00:53:41.780 |
that you're gonna make, how it's gonna affect you, 00:53:46.420 |
All you're worried about is, what did God say? 00:53:53.180 |
So when you're a child, you're not worried about, 00:53:56.580 |
what if I, if God, if my dad told me to do it, 00:54:03.460 |
But reason why it's difficult is because we add to that, 00:54:17.080 |
If I do that, then I'm gonna have to do this. 00:54:19.300 |
And so we intermingle my concerns and my worries 00:54:49.620 |
So much of our confusion is because we're not dead yet. 00:54:59.300 |
And we are trying so hard to align God's will 00:55:09.900 |
But if we don't have a will, if we're dead in Christ, 00:55:15.580 |
all we're concerned about is what did he say? 00:55:24.980 |
What's going to spread the gospel to the greatest degree? 00:55:36.940 |
with all the decisions entangled with my will, 00:55:42.300 |
begins to get choked, because when the word of God goes out, 00:55:55.680 |
Secondly, it says the deceitfulness of wealth, 00:56:08.100 |
that I've met in my life were very, very wealthy. 00:56:16.400 |
Millionaires, in our standard, could be billionaires, 00:56:43.140 |
What you think having money is going to accomplish. 00:56:49.500 |
of why we believe that we need to have more money, 00:56:59.940 |
I want that, and B, if I had money, I would have that. 00:57:03.220 |
And we have created our wants, and we've made it our needs. 00:57:36.780 |
You go somewhere and everybody else is driving a nice car 00:57:46.780 |
I don't want my kids to be the only one at school 00:58:03.620 |
And sometimes the worst decisions that we make against God 00:58:14.420 |
I don't have love of money, I don't care what I drive, 00:58:19.980 |
So I won't covet for me, but I will covet for my children, 00:58:31.580 |
If I don't have money, my friends are traveling, 00:58:37.500 |
So in order for me to live a certain lifestyle, 00:58:48.660 |
but when we are deceived to think I need that, 00:58:58.940 |
because I think it captures the right attitude, 00:59:22.180 |
things that may give us value and happiness in our lives, 00:59:29.380 |
that these are things that we need, not want, 00:59:38.340 |
"and all these things shall be added unto you." 00:59:52.100 |
"But those who want to get rich fall into temptation." 01:00:04.340 |
How much of what you have called enough, coveting? 01:00:10.260 |
How much of what you and I have called enough, status? 01:00:14.900 |
How much of what you and I have been convinced 01:00:44.940 |
They said that if you are an average pay person 01:00:51.180 |
in the United States, making somewhere between 50, 60,000, 01:00:59.600 |
You're top 1% of the world, the world, right? 01:01:09.460 |
And so we think and pursue wealth like a poor person. 01:01:20.660 |
that the decisions you make following Christ, 01:01:22.820 |
picking up your cross, is gonna cause you to lose money. 01:01:34.460 |
So whether you have money, whether you don't have money, 01:01:38.060 |
the deceitfulness of riches causes you to say not now. 01:01:57.860 |
is your shoes gonna match the sock that you wore? 01:02:03.500 |
My biggest struggle is what am I gonna eat today? 01:02:07.420 |
I ate sushi the other day, so I don't want sushi again. 01:02:13.260 |
I don't want a heartburn, so I can't eat that. 01:02:16.580 |
You know, I'm gonna have Korean later tonight, 01:02:18.780 |
so I can't have Korean, that's my biggest struggle. 01:02:26.100 |
But somehow we convince ourselves that we need it. 01:02:39.100 |
But we made the only thing that we actually need 01:02:45.460 |
So we want Christ, but we're not desperate for him. 01:02:57.060 |
So we want Christ, but even if that doesn't happen, 01:03:01.820 |
But when we're not actively pursuing finances, 01:03:22.540 |
the word of God begins to get choked in our lives. 01:03:35.780 |
until the day you die, and you will thank me for it, 01:03:53.140 |
but the word of God has been choked in your life for years. 01:04:04.260 |
and it doesn't align with your fears and your worries, 01:04:09.540 |
When your concerns and your desire for wealth 01:04:56.620 |
You just committed to the horse that you rode in on. 01:05:06.660 |
the unadulterated truth that's gonna change you 01:05:13.980 |
And he says, "Not everybody who calls me Lord, Lord, 01:05:23.980 |
but you deliberately choked the word of God in your life. 01:05:26.780 |
So he warns us, "Anyone who wants to get rich 01:05:36.840 |
"The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil." 01:05:42.460 |
"I don't get $100 bills and throw it on the bed 01:05:54.020 |
Obviously, the love of money is not expressed 01:05:58.760 |
Love of money is expressed through love of comfort, 01:06:11.040 |
Love of money is not so, "Oh, I don't care if I have a." 01:06:15.940 |
All those loves are an expression of love of money. 01:06:23.260 |
He says, "Flee from these things, you men of God, 01:06:26.700 |
Godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 01:06:32.900 |
Before we commit ourselves to fight the good fight 01:06:43.260 |
we have to fight the good fight that is in us. 01:06:54.280 |
Before we can be effective in being the light to the world, 01:07:00.660 |
You can't turn on the light when you go outside 01:07:27.640 |
We spend so much time being worried about the gray area. 01:08:06.920 |
It's difficult, but it's not that complicated. 01:08:21.280 |
that elders must flee from the love of money. 01:09:41.300 |
The greatest struggle for the nation of Israel 01:10:08.600 |
Temptation's gonna come when your bills are paid, 01:10:50.200 |
That's exactly what happens in Hosea 13, six, 01:10:56.660 |
and all of Hosea is summarized in this statement. 01:11:45.280 |
I don't know if the Dodgers are playing today, 01:11:50.320 |
Or maybe you made plans to go to Disneyland, right? 01:12:08.680 |
that line's gonna be a little bit longer than normal. 01:12:41.040 |
"Do not love the world, nor the things of the world. 01:12:46.800 |
"the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, 01:12:49.420 |
"is not from the Father, but is from the world." 01:13:02.120 |
so that there is no space for God in your life. 01:13:06.560 |
it's because you have already filled your life 01:13:09.400 |
with pleasures, and so when the word of God goes out, 01:13:19.920 |
but the word of God has no room in your life. 01:13:26.760 |
The Bible clearly tells us that God of this age, 01:13:31.820 |
blinds the unbelievers so that they do not see 01:13:42.800 |
with things that have nothing to do with God, 01:13:52.980 |
simply drift away from God, and accept that as normal. 01:14:03.080 |
you've accepted that as normal Christian life, 01:14:05.840 |
and you've made cultural Christianity, Christianity. 01:14:10.220 |
When was the last time you actually examined yourself? 01:14:19.920 |
is my decision making, is the way that I look at finance, 01:14:25.040 |
is it consistent with somebody who professes these things? 01:14:32.800 |
When Eve fell, Eve didn't fall because Satan came 01:14:39.640 |
and shook his fist and said, "If you don't follow me, 01:14:41.640 |
"if you don't subject yourself to me, I will destroy you." 01:14:47.480 |
In Genesis 3, 6, it says, "When the woman saw 01:14:58.200 |
"And that the tree was desirable to make one wise. 01:15:03.600 |
"and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." 01:15:07.340 |
The fall of mankind did not come as a threat. 01:15:17.800 |
It was good to watch, and it's going to raise my status. 01:15:28.400 |
If you look at the judgment of the nation of Israel, 01:15:32.060 |
they split between north and the southern kingdom. 01:15:34.220 |
The northern kingdom is taken by a brutal enemy, 01:15:37.880 |
They would cut off their hands and cut off their head 01:15:47.220 |
But the greatest threat to the nation of Israel 01:15:51.220 |
was not Assyria, because Assyria, what they did, 01:15:58.620 |
If anything, it would bring revival because of fear. 01:16:05.700 |
You know how the Bible describes the end times? 01:16:17.420 |
Babylonians came and took the southern kingdom 01:16:30.740 |
So when God calls a nation of Israel to go back to Jerusalem 01:16:43.900 |
That why risk, why risk harm, why risk danger 01:16:59.260 |
The greatest struggle in the church is Babylon. 01:17:06.160 |
And that's why it tells us that the third soil, 01:17:12.820 |
the third soil, which is very difficult to discern 01:17:15.780 |
because every Christian wrestles with it to some degree. 01:17:20.000 |
But the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian 01:17:28.660 |
they will recognize, and then they will follow. 01:17:42.940 |
the word of God is being choked, there is no fruit, 01:17:46.720 |
people are surprised when you say you're a Christian, 01:17:58.080 |
If that's you, if that's you, this warning is for you. 01:18:06.900 |
I pray, I pray that our church would truly be Bereans, 01:18:22.720 |
But if anything I said is true in the word of God, 01:18:35.500 |
Some of you guys may have read news that Richard Dawkins, 01:18:39.300 |
he's probably the most famous atheist of our generation. 01:18:46.400 |
and so everybody knows he's the most well-known atheist 01:18:49.180 |
in our generation, and recently he said he is very concerned 01:18:53.220 |
about how the Islamic faith is penetrating into his country. 01:19:07.260 |
debating Christians and religion, and this is what he says. 01:19:25.380 |
I am a cultural Christian, not a believing Christian. 01:19:31.620 |
He wants the Christian values without genuine faith. 01:20:14.480 |
You cannot come halfway and wonder why it's so hard to pray. 01:20:19.740 |
You cannot half-hearted, committed to Christ, 01:20:24.500 |
You must come all the way to Christ, all the way to Christ. 01:20:38.940 |
and bring the greatest glory to God in our life. 01:21:09.940 |
and to bear much fruit for the sake of your glory. 01:22:10.580 |
The best of my works is your hands and your feet. 01:26:04.820 |
that we may be the light that you've called us to be. 01:26:07.820 |
Wherever you send us, help us to be the aroma of Christ. 01:26:11.820 |
May Christ and Christ alone be magnified through our lives.