WEBVTT

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We sing hallelujah. We sing hallelujah. We sing

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hallelujah. The Lamb has overcome. We sing hallelujah.

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We sing hallelujah. We sing hallelujah. The Lamb

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has overcome We sing hallelujah We sing hallelujah

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We sing hallelujah The Lamb has overcome We sing

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hallelujah We sing hallelujah We sing hallelujah

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sometime last year, it occurred to me that some

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of the stories that we read about in the Bible

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are sort of what the world would say is unfair.

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An example that just at that time came to mind

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was the story of David and Goliath. A lot of

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times we think about the story of David and Goliath,

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we think about David being a very young man,

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probably still a boy, really, in a lot of people's

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eyes, too small to fit in Saul's armor, too small

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to wield Saul's sword. or his shield or his helmet,

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and going into battle against Goliath with a

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sling and a stone. And we think, man, that's

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a real underdog story. And so we think about

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like one football team that's full of second

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stringers beating, you know, the national champs

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or something. That's a real underdog story. That's

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incredible. And we try to liken that to life

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circumstances where we're facing something that

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the odds are really against us. And then we...

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uh have great victory and we think about the

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david and goliath story as an example there's

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a great movie um facing the giants uses that

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theme and it was one of the first christian movies

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purely truly produced by a church and christian

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movie that really took the nation and almost

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the world by storm and part of that was a big

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part of why because it was a it was a new david

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and goliath story right except actually when

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you take a look at the david and goliath story

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the underdog in that story is not david It's

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Goliath. From the very beginning, Goliath was

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doomed, right? The moment that he stood up and

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mocked God and talked about how the Israelite

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God was no one and nothing and how he had destroyed

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many gods before and he would do the same to

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the Israelite God and to the worship of the Israelite

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God. From that moment on, his fate was sealed.

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I submit to you that David could have been a

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four -year -old preschooler with a slingshot

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or a... three -year -old little boy with a pea

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shooter who just believed and trusted in what

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God was going to do. And Goliath was doomed.

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That was settled because he was standing not

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against an underdog boy with a sling, but against

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the God of the universe. And so at that time,

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I did a study through scripture of all the places

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that we see that happening. And it's pretty clear

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that God is showing us that the mercy of God

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also equates to the untimely destruction of anyone

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who would stand against God. And that is exactly

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what we see happening in the story of Samson

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today. This message is going to go by fairly

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quickly today. And so I'll ask you to be fully

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engaged despite any warmth you may be feeling.

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And if you start to feel tired, stand up. Don't

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miss a drop of what God is saying through these

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passages. Starting with a little hoot or holler,

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amen, as we go to Judges chapter 16. Thank you

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so much. This will finish, essentially, the story,

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the publicly known story of Samson today as we're

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in Judges 16, finishing out. And you know how

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the story ends with his demise. You've probably

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heard that already, read it yourself maybe at

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some time. Samson in Judges 16, verse 21, it

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says this, The Philistines seized him. and gouged

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out his eyes. Well, that's pretty much the end

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of him roving the country and seeing women that

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he's pretty attracted to, right? It's also pretty

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much the end of his trickiness, his craftiness,

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and finding ways to defeat the Philistines, and

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to some extent, maybe the end of his fighting

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the Philistines altogether, because he can no

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longer see them, right? They brought him down

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to Gaza. He's been there before. Trouble in Gaza.

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They brought him down to Gaza. and bound him

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with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind

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grain in the prison. No time before this would

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the bronze shackles have been sufficient to bind

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him, but he is bound and forced to grind grain

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in the prison. Now, he still has quite a bit

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of human strength, but no amount of human strength

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breaks bronze shackles, but quite a bit of human

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strength can be used then to produce grain into

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wheat. 22. But his hair began to grow back. after

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it had been shaved. And so there is a reminder

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that the worst things that people do, sometimes

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if they manage to survive them, there is a hope

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built into people, right? Not just that God is

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going to miraculously make his hair grow back.

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People, your hair just grows back, right? There

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is a hope built into people, not just that...

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that God might pull you out of that circumstance

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and then turn you into something awesome and

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great again. But there is a hope built into you

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because people have inherent ability to heal

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from their experiences, inherent ability to overcome,

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to figure things out. It might take you 10 years

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to realize, oh, this is something stupid that

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I'm doing. But the moment you realize that this

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is something stupid that you're doing, there

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is hope for you to grow beyond the course that

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you are on just by virtue of your being a human,

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but also because God at any point in time, could

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pour in just a little bit of his power and turn

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that human ability into something amazing. That's

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what's about to happen in Samson's life, verse

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23. Now, the Philistine leaders gathered together

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to offer a great sacrifice to their god, Dagon.

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Now, notice that his hair is beginning to grow

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back, so this is not immediately the next day.

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Some time has passed, and they are still celebrating

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the victory of their false god over God. They're

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still worshiping a false god. In 20 years of

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Samson doing victory after victory, possibly

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because Samson was doing a lot of dumb things

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in there, right? Going after women, going after

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things that he enjoyed in life. So it wasn't

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that he was very clearly representing God, but

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they were still worshiping Dagon. And they rejoiced

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and said, our God has handed over our enemy Samson

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to us. A very clear message that Dagon had victory

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over the God of the universe and turned Samson

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over. When the people saw him, they praised their

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God and said, so now as people saw Samson being

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forced to grind out grain and his eyes ripped

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out of his head, they praised their God and said,

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our God has handed over to us our enemy who destroyed

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our land and who multiplied our dead. When they

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were in good spirits, they said, bring Samson

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here to entertain us. So they brought Samson

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from prison and he entertained them. And they

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had him stand between the pillars. So there he

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stood as a sign of the victory of Dagon over

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the victory possible of Samson through Yahweh.

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Samson said to the young man who was leading

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him by the hands, he got led everywhere because

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his eyes were gone, lead me where I can feel

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the pillars supporting the temple so I can lean

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against them. The temple was full of men and

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women. All the leaders of the Philistines were

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there. And about 3 ,000 men and women were on

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the roof watching Samson entertain them. So all

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these people up high looking down on the courtyard

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seeing Samson there, his eyes gouged out. Samson

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called out to the Lord, Lord God, please remember

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me. Strengthen me, God, just once more. With

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one last act of vengeance, let me pay back the

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Philistines for my two eyes. Samson took hold

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of the two middle pillars supporting. the temple

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and leaned against them, one on his right hand

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and the other on his left. Samson said, let me

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die with the Philistines. He pushed with all

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his might and the temple fell on the leaders

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and all the people in it. And those he killed

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at his death were more than those he had killed

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in his life. Then his brothers and his father's

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whole family came down. They carried him back

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and buried him between Zerah and Eshtoel in the

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tomb of his father, Manoah. So he judged Israel.

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20 years. This is the end of the public ministry,

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if you will, of Samson. Now, maybe it ended actually

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when he was laying his head on Delilah's lap.

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Maybe it ended actually when he looked and saw

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what he shouldn't have taken for himself. But

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it's the end of his public ministry in that his

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life is given to bring about the vengeance of

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the Lord on the people who worship Dagon instead

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of God, who professed to have destroyed God's

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hero. I want you to see then that God's mercy

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to those who seek him. When Samson cries out,

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does he deserve it? No. No, he's pretty much

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getting what he deserves. When he cries out for

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mercy to God and God visits his mercy on Samson,

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that God's mercy to Samson becomes God's judgment

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upon. the Philistines. And it is like that throughout

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the scripture from the beginning to the end.

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God's mercy on Adam and Eve becomes God's judgment

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on the serpent. And it goes all the way through

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everything that we see. Every time that God visits

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his mercy upon people, we often think that mercy

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looks gentle and that God is somehow a merciful

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God to all people and is required to give his

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mercy by some unseen rule or law. Yet throughout

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scripture, God's mercy has another side. When

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God opened the Red Sea for Israel, he drowned

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Pharaoh's army. When Noah entered the ark and

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God shut the door, not Noah, when God shut the

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door, the flood came and destroyed every living

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human, except for those who were inside the ark.

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When Christ rose from the grave, believers received

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life, while those who reject Jesus remained under

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condemnation, not for a moment or for a little

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while or until their death, but forever. for

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eternity. And so if they do not at some point

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in time accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,

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they will be condemned forever. Sometimes God's

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mercy arrives at the worst possible moment for

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those who oppose him. I think about a number

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of people who don't believe in Christ that I've

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been at their bedside crying out in agony, even

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calling out to God with no hope. and slipping

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off into eternity, refusing Christ, but crying

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out to God for mercy. And the moment Jesus rose

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again, he sealed that condemnation. There's no

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going back. Those who oppose him will be taken

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in their sin and wickedness. God's mercy is never

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late. For those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord

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and Savior, there is mercy. For those who do

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right, there is mercy. But that mercy is often

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untimely from the world's perspective. In Exodus

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14, we see the Israelites. coming out of Egypt,

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and they're standing at the Red Sea. And this

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looks like this is it for them, you know. They

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fled Egypt, and there they stand at the Red Sea.

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And Pharaoh's army, chariots of steel and blade,

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men of experience with firsthand face -to -face

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warfare, conquering foreign nations, are chasing

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down men and women and children and old people.

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And they have them up against the sea, and it

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looks like destruction is coming. And in Exodus

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14, 13, this is what we see. It says, but Moses

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said to the people, don't be afraid. Stand firm

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and see the Lord's salvation that he will accomplish

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what he will. I'm sorry that he will accomplish

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for you today. For the Egyptians you see today,

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you will never see again. The Lord will fight

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to you and you must be quiet. The Lord said to

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Moses, why are you crying out to me? Tell the

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Israelites to break camp. As for you, lift up

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your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea

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and divide it so that the Israelites can go through

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the sea on dry ground. As for me, I am going

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to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that

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they will go in after them and I will receive

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glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army and his

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chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will

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know that I am the Lord when I receive glory

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through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.

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And the angel of God who was going in front of

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the Israelite forces moved and went behind them.

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The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them

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and stood behind them. It came between the Egyptian

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and the Israelite forces. There was clouds and

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darkness. It lit up the night and neither group

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came near the other all night long. Moses stretched

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out his hand over the sea and the Lord drove

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the sea back. With a powerful east wind and all

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that night and turned the sea and dry land. So

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the waters were divided and the Israelites went

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through the sea on dry ground with the waters

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like a wall to them on their right and their

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left. Egyptians set out and pursued all the Pharaoh's

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horses, his chariots and his horsemen. went into

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the sea after them. And during the morning watch,

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the Lord looked down at the Egyptian forces from

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the pillar of fire and cloud and threw the Egyptian

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forces into confusion. He caused their chariot

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wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty.

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Let's get away from Israel, the Egyptian said.

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because the Lord is fighting for them against

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Egypt. And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out

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your hand over the sea, so that the water may

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come back on the Egyptians on their chariots

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and horsemen. So Moses stretched out his hand

00:14:38.230 --> 00:14:40.129
over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned

00:14:40.129 --> 00:14:43.629
to its normal depth, nothing unusual. While the

00:14:43.629 --> 00:14:45.470
Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the

00:14:45.470 --> 00:14:47.730
Lord threw them into the sea. The water came

00:14:47.730 --> 00:14:49.850
back and covered the chariots and horsemen, plus

00:14:49.850 --> 00:14:52.809
the entire army of Pharaoh that had gone after

00:14:52.809 --> 00:14:56.879
them into the sea, not. Even one of them survived.

00:14:57.259 --> 00:15:01.799
You see, when the Lord pours out his mercy, the

00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:05.200
others who do not receive his mercy receive his

00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.980
judgment. In Romans 9, it says that God chooses

00:15:08.980 --> 00:15:11.879
on whom he will have mercy. And you may plead

00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:15.220
with God for mercy and not receive it. But God

00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:18.480
did give a pathway by which we may receive mercy.

00:15:19.129 --> 00:15:21.210
and know for sure that we will always receive

00:15:21.210 --> 00:15:23.970
mercy, and that is calling upon the name of the

00:15:23.970 --> 00:15:26.649
Lord in the name of Jesus Christ. So there may

00:15:26.649 --> 00:15:29.549
be those out there who do not know Jesus, and

00:15:29.549 --> 00:15:32.269
they may cry out to God for mercy, believing

00:15:32.269 --> 00:15:34.990
that God is real, hoping in a way that God would

00:15:34.990 --> 00:15:37.450
make, and they may receive mercy. But God is

00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:40.370
not required to deliver mercy. He delivers mercy

00:15:40.370 --> 00:15:44.850
on those He chooses to deliver mercy. John chapter

00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.059
3. In verse 36, those of you who are following

00:15:48.059 --> 00:15:49.899
along or taking notes can write that down or

00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:53.840
look it up. John chapter 3, verse 36. We know

00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:57.120
that this is right after the visit of Nicodemus

00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:00.220
to Jesus. He's asking some of the hard questions.

00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:04.240
John chapter 3, verse 36 says as follows. The

00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:07.580
one who believes in the Son has eternal life.

00:16:07.850 --> 00:16:09.769
And that is the message of the church, is it

00:16:09.769 --> 00:16:11.929
not? We are to take that message to the world.

00:16:11.970 --> 00:16:13.690
If you will believe in the Son, you will have

00:16:13.690 --> 00:16:15.789
eternal life. If you are here today and you believe

00:16:15.789 --> 00:16:18.610
in the Son, you have eternal life. And if you

00:16:18.610 --> 00:16:19.970
have eternal life, then you ought to be doing

00:16:19.970 --> 00:16:21.950
something with it. But the message does not stop

00:16:21.950 --> 00:16:24.289
there. The message of Jesus is this. The one

00:16:24.289 --> 00:16:26.690
who believes in the Son has eternal life, but

00:16:26.690 --> 00:16:30.509
the one who rejects the Son will not see life.

00:16:30.970 --> 00:16:36.309
Instead, the wrath of God remains on him. That's

00:16:36.309 --> 00:16:38.220
pretty tough stuff. I submit to you that when

00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:41.360
the mercy of the Lord comes upon some, the judgment

00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.340
of the Lord automatically comes upon others.

00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.379
But in this verse, then, we see a three -point

00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:49.879
lesson. Are you with me, Curtis? Are you with

00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:51.960
me? Here's a three -point lesson. For those of

00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:54.100
you who do not want to receive the mercy of the

00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:58.340
Lord by calling upon Jesus' name, and therefore

00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:00.159
then follow the Lord faithfully the remainder

00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:01.960
of your life, if you don't want to do that, There

00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.180
is a three -step action plan by which you can

00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:07.200
live a pretty great life here on earth until

00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:09.539
God says no more. The first part of it is you

00:17:09.539 --> 00:17:12.819
can spend the spoils of victory. When you have

00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:16.079
success, you can spend the spoils of that victory

00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:19.680
on worthless pursuits. You can overfeed yourself

00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.619
and oversleep yourself and overpay for things.

00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:25.940
You can buy the rich, colorful things. You can

00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:29.539
enjoy this life. By spending the spoils of victory,

00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:34.039
your hard work will produce fruit. That's what

00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:37.000
we are as humans. Just as Samson's hair could

00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.940
grow back, you can get up tomorrow morning, you

00:17:39.940 --> 00:17:44.319
can go on ChatGPT or into Google and get yourself

00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:47.819
a 20 -point action plan on how to start a successful

00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:50.539
business. And then if you will get up and work

00:17:50.539 --> 00:17:55.759
16 to 18 hours a day, I will guarantee you that

00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.660
you will become wealthy. on the earth because

00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:02.240
that is the equation of creation. Will you face

00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.539
difficulty? Will you fall down? Will you experience

00:18:05.539 --> 00:18:09.039
poverty at times? Yes. In fact, to experience

00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.640
poverty at length is one of the fastest roads

00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:14.140
to becoming rich. Ask the wealthy how they got

00:18:14.140 --> 00:18:15.740
wealthy. I'll guarantee you they didn't get it

00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:18.740
by buying McDonald's food. Ask Elon Musk how

00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:21.559
he became a successful owner of billions of dollars

00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:25.359
worth of real estate and corporate America. You

00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:30.420
know how many hours a week he works? 135 hours

00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:33.700
a week. There's 168 hours in a week. And Elon

00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:37.460
Musk's work week is 135 hours long. You think

00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:39.559
you're going to get rich working 40? No, but

00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:42.220
you can be successful working 40. Fairly successful.

00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:44.539
You get a good degree or tradesman certificate

00:18:44.539 --> 00:18:46.900
or something. You can be fairly successful working

00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:49.500
40 hours a week. And then you can be successful

00:18:49.500 --> 00:18:52.900
in man's eyes by spending the spoils of that

00:18:52.900 --> 00:18:56.660
victory on worthless pursuits. In the story,

00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:59.099
the Philistines are celebrating as though Dagon

00:18:59.099 --> 00:19:01.799
had won. They used God's blessing to finance

00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:04.980
idolatry. They celebrated before the battle was

00:19:04.980 --> 00:19:07.000
actually over. In fact, they are celebrating

00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.539
the greatness of Dagon. At their own funeral.

00:19:10.740 --> 00:19:14.000
And many people will go into hell in a very expensive

00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:19.140
casket for their leftover body. People line the

00:19:19.140 --> 00:19:22.759
roads, right? For men who spoke greatly, spent

00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:26.880
greatly, changed the world a lot. And they will

00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:29.440
show up in the thousands or tens of thousands.

00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.579
There have been funerals. where hundreds of thousands

00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:36.039
of people have come to say their goodbyes to

00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:39.720
the body of a person who has already fallen into

00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:42.400
the pits of hell and from which they will not

00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:45.460
rise. God makes object lessons out of things

00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:48.299
all the time that we may see. Lottery winners

00:19:48.299 --> 00:19:52.759
who win $10, $20, or $100 million and then file

00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:56.140
bankruptcy and have nothing. Wait, who? Years

00:19:56.140 --> 00:19:58.839
later. How do you even spend $100 million in

00:19:58.839 --> 00:20:01.299
two years? How is that even possible? But it

00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:05.420
is. Temporary victory often produces permanent

00:20:05.420 --> 00:20:09.619
foolishness. This is why Jesus said it is difficult

00:20:09.619 --> 00:20:13.160
for a rich man to come into the kingdom of God.

00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:15.980
And before you point at somebody else and say

00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:18.160
it's going to be hard for that person to come

00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:20.700
into the kingdom of God because they're rich,

00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:23.180
you might want to think about that everyone in

00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:26.910
this room Do you not understand that in the world,

00:20:27.130 --> 00:20:29.990
in the grand scheme of the world, the whole world,

00:20:30.089 --> 00:20:32.609
that everybody in America, even people who are

00:20:32.609 --> 00:20:36.809
living on disability, are in the 96th percentile

00:20:36.809 --> 00:20:41.509
for income. 95 .99 % of people outside the United

00:20:41.509 --> 00:20:45.390
States of America live making less money than

00:20:45.390 --> 00:20:48.450
people in America get on disability or social

00:20:48.450 --> 00:20:50.930
security. And we think we're not rich, so it's

00:20:50.930 --> 00:20:52.329
going to be pretty easy for us to come into the

00:20:52.329 --> 00:20:54.490
kingdom of God, right? Wrong. You're going to

00:20:54.490 --> 00:20:56.910
have to divorce yourself of your hobbies, of

00:20:56.910 --> 00:20:59.890
your recreation, of your family. You have to

00:20:59.890 --> 00:21:03.329
think like, my wife cannot come before God if

00:21:03.329 --> 00:21:05.369
I want to go to heaven. I'm sorry, but that's

00:21:05.369 --> 00:21:09.130
true. My husband cannot come before God if I

00:21:09.130 --> 00:21:11.369
want to go to heaven. God's got to be first.

00:21:11.549 --> 00:21:13.849
But there is an action plan. You can live a really

00:21:13.849 --> 00:21:17.450
great life spending the spoils of victory on

00:21:17.450 --> 00:21:19.869
worthless pursuits. Just expect an end to your

00:21:19.869 --> 00:21:22.269
life a little bit like what the Philistines got.

00:21:22.670 --> 00:21:24.470
Because that's what's probably in the offering.

00:21:25.109 --> 00:21:29.269
Proverbs 10 .2 says it this way. Proverbs 10

00:21:29.269 --> 00:21:31.750
.2, for those of you who are keeping notes or

00:21:31.750 --> 00:21:34.329
following along. I didn't mark any of these.

00:21:34.490 --> 00:21:36.470
So you can, every time, pick a little game out

00:21:36.470 --> 00:21:38.630
and race me to the text. You probably beat me

00:21:38.630 --> 00:21:42.089
most of the time. Proverbs 10 .2 says, ill -gotten

00:21:42.089 --> 00:21:45.390
gains. That means gain that is gotten by some

00:21:45.390 --> 00:21:48.470
means that does not glorify God. Ill -gotten

00:21:48.470 --> 00:21:52.400
gains do not profit anyone. Ill -gotten gains

00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:56.059
do not profit anyone, but righteousness rescues

00:21:56.059 --> 00:21:58.759
from death. You see, the equation has always

00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:00.779
been the same. This is not a promise. When you

00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:02.599
look at Proverbs, don't look at Proverbs as a

00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:04.299
promise, like God said this is the way it's going

00:22:04.299 --> 00:22:08.279
to be. Solomon wrote the Proverbs observing the

00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:11.740
way the world works. The wisest man to ever live

00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:13.779
looked at the way the world works and he said,

00:22:13.960 --> 00:22:16.480
well, you know, this is what I see. Ill -gotten

00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:19.119
gains, gains gotten in any way that does not

00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:21.980
glorify God yields no profit. There's no benefit

00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:24.500
in it. Even if for a moment I take a taste and

00:22:24.500 --> 00:22:27.299
I feel good about it, there's no benefit in anything

00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:29.980
that I would get in this lifetime that does not

00:22:29.980 --> 00:22:32.559
honor the Lord by the method by which I got it.

00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:36.099
But righteousness, being right by God, doing

00:22:36.099 --> 00:22:37.839
what God would have you do on a daily basis,

00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:41.359
that rescues from death. That's what he observed.

00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:44.039
And he was observant. And it ought to be the

00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:46.259
same way for us. We ought to realize this is

00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:48.500
just the way it works. And if you want it to

00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:50.640
work some other way, well, then you'd have to

00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:52.380
have another world. And since that's probably

00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:54.420
not going to happen, you might want to realize

00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:57.799
that every opportunity, everything that you capitalize

00:22:57.799 --> 00:22:59.940
on, everything that you get that's an advantage

00:22:59.940 --> 00:23:02.319
in this life, you go like, well, I saw my kid

00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:05.680
do this. I got to be at their special moments,

00:23:05.859 --> 00:23:08.799
right? I saw my girlfriend dressed up so pretty

00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:11.220
and I proposed. I was there when my child was

00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:13.759
born. Man, that's awesome. If you achieve any

00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:17.400
of that without God being first, without Jesus

00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:20.700
being Lord, The profit of it is negligible. You

00:23:20.700 --> 00:23:22.799
know what? If you're not saved by the time you

00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.460
go to hell, being present at the birth of your

00:23:25.460 --> 00:23:27.880
child, which is like, I'm using that as an illustration

00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:29.539
because it is one of the most awesome things

00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:32.039
that ever happened to me in my lifetime as a

00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:34.759
personal experience. After salvation, after God's

00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:36.299
grace and the experiences that I've had with

00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:39.279
the Lord, human experiences that I have had,

00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:41.799
that is one of the most incredible things that

00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:44.940
I have ever had, right? Ever seen. And that...

00:23:45.210 --> 00:23:49.069
will burden you in hell if you're not a follower

00:23:49.069 --> 00:23:51.970
of Jesus. Think about it. I was alive. I saw

00:23:51.970 --> 00:23:54.509
things that I could not explain that were so

00:23:54.509 --> 00:23:58.109
incredible. I had an opportunity there and there

00:23:58.109 --> 00:24:01.089
and there and there. An opportunity to believe

00:24:01.089 --> 00:24:04.009
in the truth, to live rightly by God, to experience

00:24:04.009 --> 00:24:07.170
the Lord firsthand. And I chose not to. That

00:24:07.170 --> 00:24:09.809
experience of being present at my child's birth,

00:24:09.829 --> 00:24:12.430
if I were not saved. would be a source of weeping

00:24:12.430 --> 00:24:15.009
and gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness for

00:24:15.009 --> 00:24:17.789
eternity. The same as a sunset. And we're living

00:24:17.789 --> 00:24:19.289
for the Lord and we're blowing out. You know

00:24:19.289 --> 00:24:21.309
that the sun comes up every day. And if you go

00:24:21.309 --> 00:24:22.630
to the place where there's not buildings in,

00:24:22.710 --> 00:24:25.369
you can see an amazing creation of God every

00:24:25.369 --> 00:24:27.490
day. And I submit to you that not one of us were

00:24:27.490 --> 00:24:29.809
up at sunrise this morning. And not one of us

00:24:29.809 --> 00:24:32.130
probably saw it. Were you up? Okay, I take it

00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:35.450
back. We had one. He gets up very early. Okay,

00:24:35.470 --> 00:24:37.849
and I knew that about you. Two. We had two. Two

00:24:37.849 --> 00:24:40.029
people. Did you see the sunrise? Was it amazing?

00:24:40.410 --> 00:24:42.049
All right, take their testimony. You know what

00:24:42.049 --> 00:24:44.309
I'm saying? But you know what? At 11 tonight,

00:24:44.589 --> 00:24:46.549
which by that time you got to be in bed sleeping

00:24:46.549 --> 00:24:48.329
if you want to see the sunrise and not be tired

00:24:48.329 --> 00:24:50.930
tomorrow, right? At 11 tonight, some of us will

00:24:50.930 --> 00:24:54.049
be watching TV. And you might watch a program.

00:24:54.210 --> 00:24:56.470
And it might be pretty cool. Man can make that.

00:24:56.549 --> 00:24:58.490
Pretty cool stuff. We got a program we're watching

00:24:58.490 --> 00:25:00.410
now that we really like. But you miss the sunset

00:25:00.410 --> 00:25:03.509
and the sunrise. And it'll burn in you. If you

00:25:03.509 --> 00:25:05.849
don't have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, someday

00:25:05.849 --> 00:25:08.279
you're going to go, what was I doing? When you're

00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:09.880
laying on your deathbed, even as a Christian,

00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:11.599
you might go, boy, I wish I could just see one

00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:14.920
more sunrise. Maybe tomorrow ought to be the

00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:17.559
day. Maybe I wish I could read a few more verses

00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:20.000
of the Bible before I go. I wish I could walk

00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.339
into the presence of the Lord saying, I wish

00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:25.799
I hadn't, knowing that I hadn't spent all the

00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:28.059
trappings and spoils of the good things of this

00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:31.200
life on temporal things. I wish I had spent them

00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:36.640
on kingdom things. Matthew 6, verse 19, it says

00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:39.200
this. Don't store up for yourself treasures on

00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:40.960
earth where moth and rust destroy. I mean, you've

00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.980
heard this, right? I hope. I preached it not

00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:45.250
that long ago. and where thieves break in and

00:25:45.250 --> 00:25:47.829
steal. But store up for yourself treasures in

00:25:47.829 --> 00:25:50.130
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys,

00:25:50.289 --> 00:25:52.230
and where thieves don't break in and steal. And

00:25:52.230 --> 00:25:53.890
then this is the point that we're getting at

00:25:53.890 --> 00:25:56.609
right this second. For where your treasure is,

00:25:56.730 --> 00:25:59.630
there your heart will be also. And that means

00:25:59.630 --> 00:26:01.410
if your treasure is in heaven, your heart will

00:26:01.410 --> 00:26:02.970
be in heaven. One day you'll be in heaven, and

00:26:02.970 --> 00:26:04.950
it'll be awesome, right? But it also means if

00:26:04.950 --> 00:26:07.049
your treasure's in a box in your closet, then

00:26:07.049 --> 00:26:09.470
your heart will be in a box in your closet, and

00:26:09.470 --> 00:26:11.269
one day you'll be in hell, and that will not

00:26:11.269 --> 00:26:13.869
be awesome. This is the reality of it. Jesus

00:26:13.869 --> 00:26:16.390
said that. Jesus said, what are you doing with

00:26:16.390 --> 00:26:18.230
your efforts in this lifetime? It's an action

00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:19.750
plan. You want to have a great life? You want

00:26:19.750 --> 00:26:21.609
to have a life that the world will think is good?

00:26:21.910 --> 00:26:24.170
Spend the spoils of victory on worthless pursuits.

00:26:24.289 --> 00:26:26.150
You'll be at parties. You'll probably celebrate

00:26:26.150 --> 00:26:27.930
when you finally have your heart attack and die

00:26:27.930 --> 00:26:30.569
or whatever. It'll be great, but it won't be

00:26:30.569 --> 00:26:33.589
kingdom break. Anything invested apart from God's

00:26:33.589 --> 00:26:36.170
kingdom eventually burns away and we have to

00:26:36.170 --> 00:26:37.849
answer for how we spent it. The second thing

00:26:37.849 --> 00:26:40.029
to see in here then, that action point of how

00:26:40.029 --> 00:26:42.769
we can have a great life outside God, is to take

00:26:42.769 --> 00:26:45.390
from God. We can take things from God. You can

00:26:45.390 --> 00:26:47.549
do that. You were created intelligent. You were

00:26:47.549 --> 00:26:49.970
created capable. You know that in yourselves,

00:26:50.190 --> 00:26:51.970
in the center of yourselves, God has written

00:26:51.970 --> 00:26:54.950
in his own hands the writing of how your body

00:26:54.950 --> 00:26:57.089
is going to function in such intricate detail

00:26:57.089 --> 00:26:59.430
that it governs how one cell turns into two and

00:26:59.430 --> 00:27:01.900
so on. And it is a writing that you could not

00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:05.440
contain in a book like this. It's only been just

00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:07.500
recently, in the last 10 years or so, that they

00:27:07.500 --> 00:27:10.559
were actually able to map or write out. And to

00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:14.079
do so, memory, computer memory, had to continue

00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:16.619
to shrink in size so that they could get enough

00:27:16.619 --> 00:27:19.779
computer memory connected to one system so that

00:27:19.779 --> 00:27:22.079
they could write out what DNA says. Now, they

00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:23.599
don't fully understand it. They're getting there.

00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:26.299
But they have mapped it. They can see it, sort

00:27:26.299 --> 00:27:28.269
of. Because you can't see it on a screen. You

00:27:28.269 --> 00:27:29.549
can't read it with your human eyes. You need

00:27:29.549 --> 00:27:31.569
a computer to do it for you, right? But the point

00:27:31.569 --> 00:27:35.609
is, God has written inside you as a person the

00:27:35.609 --> 00:27:39.430
map to creation. In the cells that make up your

00:27:39.430 --> 00:27:43.170
pinky fingernail. Just one. You are incredible.

00:27:43.890 --> 00:27:46.019
Beyond what you can fathom. So when you have

00:27:46.019 --> 00:27:47.539
a thought about yourself that I'm no good, I

00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:50.319
screwed up, oh whatever, that's a lie. You are

00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:52.460
awesome. Yes, we have sin in the world and there's

00:27:52.460 --> 00:27:54.160
evil and wickedness and there's bad choices and

00:27:54.160 --> 00:27:56.039
stuff and repentance and all that's a real thing.

00:27:56.140 --> 00:28:00.119
But the bottom line is God has made you awesome.

00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:02.680
And when you take a thing that is awesome and

00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:05.670
you use it for purposes other... than what the

00:28:05.670 --> 00:28:08.430
person who owns that thing, that is stealing

00:28:08.430 --> 00:28:10.809
from that person. If you go to my house tonight

00:28:10.809 --> 00:28:13.490
while I am sleeping, go in my garage while I

00:28:13.490 --> 00:28:16.029
am sleeping, and take out my car without my permission,

00:28:16.210 --> 00:28:18.170
and drive it around the block a few times, and

00:28:18.170 --> 00:28:19.609
then put it back, and I don't know about it,

00:28:19.630 --> 00:28:21.990
you stole my car. I'm not giving you permission

00:28:21.990 --> 00:28:24.650
to do that right now. Or ever, right? I like

00:28:24.650 --> 00:28:27.529
to know where my car is. It's fair, right? If

00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:29.190
you ask me nine times out of 10, I'll probably

00:28:29.190 --> 00:28:30.849
let you borrow it. But if you take it without

00:28:30.849 --> 00:28:33.829
asking, that's called stealing. And people are

00:28:33.829 --> 00:28:36.710
stealing from God every day. And the Philistines

00:28:36.710 --> 00:28:40.450
stole from God. They took God's champion. They

00:28:40.450 --> 00:28:44.230
took God's name. They were taking wealth and

00:28:44.230 --> 00:28:47.809
drink. They took sexuality. They lived immoral

00:28:47.809 --> 00:28:50.509
lives, which means they perverted the laws and

00:28:50.509 --> 00:28:52.690
rules that God laid out in everyone's heart,

00:28:52.750 --> 00:28:56.170
not just his own. So you can take from God. They

00:28:56.170 --> 00:28:58.289
gouged out Samson's eyes. They chained him. They

00:28:58.289 --> 00:29:00.410
forced him into slavery. They mocked God's servant.

00:29:00.569 --> 00:29:05.549
But in verse 22, something quietly changes. That's

00:29:05.549 --> 00:29:07.730
where it said, you remember it, how be it the

00:29:07.730 --> 00:29:10.849
hair on his head began to grow again. You see,

00:29:10.869 --> 00:29:12.690
this is the funny thing about God. Generation

00:29:12.690 --> 00:29:15.589
after generation after generation, people have

00:29:15.589 --> 00:29:18.190
stole from God. People are doing it now. I submit

00:29:18.190 --> 00:29:20.549
to you that there are people in this room who

00:29:20.549 --> 00:29:23.279
are doing it now. I don't know who you are. Not

00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:25.359
my place. But if you're right now going, eh,

00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:27.180
not really. Doesn't matter. That whole thing

00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:29.039
about the sunset, he really stretched that out

00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:31.559
a lot. Oh, the DNA, not that big of a deal. If

00:29:31.559 --> 00:29:32.900
you're thinking about what you're going to eat

00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:35.200
for lunch, rather than right now focused on the

00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:37.420
Lord, you might be stealing from God right now

00:29:37.420 --> 00:29:38.940
because that mind that you're using to think

00:29:38.940 --> 00:29:40.960
about other things, right? If you're fighting

00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:42.779
sleep right now because you know you stayed up

00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:45.440
too late yesterday, whether playing games or

00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:48.019
watching TV or something like that, and you're

00:29:48.019 --> 00:29:49.619
fighting sleep right now, you're stealing from

00:29:49.619 --> 00:29:53.049
God. Because God deserves your alertness when

00:29:53.049 --> 00:29:55.150
we're talking about the word of God. And so the

00:29:55.150 --> 00:29:58.509
bottom line is this. God has set up a system.

00:29:58.769 --> 00:30:01.390
And while every generation has been stealing

00:30:01.390 --> 00:30:05.170
from the Lord, God has persisted. God didn't

00:30:05.170 --> 00:30:08.390
need Samson's strength. God had not lost control

00:30:08.390 --> 00:30:11.369
of the situation in this story. The Philistines

00:30:11.369 --> 00:30:13.309
thought that they had taken something from God,

00:30:13.349 --> 00:30:15.289
that they had defeated him and stolen his glory

00:30:15.289 --> 00:30:19.259
and stopped his advance. But the truth is you

00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:22.220
cannot rob the owner of everything. Many throughout

00:30:22.220 --> 00:30:24.519
history, for example, have attempted to destroy

00:30:24.519 --> 00:30:26.980
the Bible. Do you know that the Bible is the

00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:31.059
single book that more people have tried to eradicate

00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:33.519
than any other, right? So yeah, these things

00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:35.119
going on in America right now, people say, well,

00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:36.240
we're going to take this out of the libraries.

00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:37.799
We don't want little women in there. You know,

00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:39.660
it's got things that people, kids will learn

00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:41.000
stuff about stuff that we don't want them to

00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:42.140
learn about. So we're going to try to take them

00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:43.859
out of the library, right? And then at the same

00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:45.240
time, we're going to put in all kinds of books

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:48.279
about... alternative lifestyle so kids will have

00:30:48.279 --> 00:30:50.640
their minds open to the possibility that someone

00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:52.240
else's alternative lifestyle might be just as

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:54.400
legitimate as the correct lifestyle that a person's

00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:56.400
actually supposed to live. But the bottom line

00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:58.400
is, there have been lots of books throughout

00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:02.119
history behind the Iron Curtain in Russia. Book

00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:04.359
burning after book burning after book burning

00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:06.920
after any book that could possibly say anything

00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:10.819
about true history or whatever. But the Bible

00:31:10.819 --> 00:31:14.140
stands highest amongst them all as having been

00:31:14.140 --> 00:31:17.250
fought Generation after generation after generation.

00:31:17.630 --> 00:31:20.670
The Roman emperors burned it and burned anyone

00:31:20.670 --> 00:31:23.650
who would dare to own it. French revolutionaries

00:31:23.650 --> 00:31:25.930
outlawed it. You always thought, well, oh, French

00:31:25.930 --> 00:31:27.970
revolutionaries, that's not democracy, right?

00:31:28.029 --> 00:31:29.490
They were fighting for democracy and putting

00:31:29.490 --> 00:31:33.309
down the monarchy. They outlawed the Bible. No

00:31:33.309 --> 00:31:34.910
one was allowed to have a Bible. And they did

00:31:34.910 --> 00:31:37.490
that because they said that it pointed to a king

00:31:37.490 --> 00:31:41.150
who was God. And so they outlawed the Bible and

00:31:41.150 --> 00:31:44.210
burned it and killed anyone who owned one. communist

00:31:44.210 --> 00:31:46.650
governments confiscated it, burned them in the

00:31:46.650 --> 00:31:48.589
streets by the tens of thousands or hundreds

00:31:48.589 --> 00:31:50.869
of thousands, and threw people in jail who would

00:31:50.869 --> 00:31:53.089
dare to memorize it. So much so that when one

00:31:53.089 --> 00:31:54.970
of my professors was a missionary over there,

00:31:54.990 --> 00:31:57.410
right after the Iron Curtain went down, and you

00:31:57.410 --> 00:31:59.029
were allowed to have a Bible, he went to a church

00:31:59.029 --> 00:32:01.069
there to preach a house church. He walked down

00:32:01.069 --> 00:32:02.970
the hallway, and on the hall there were pictures

00:32:02.970 --> 00:32:05.009
of men. There was only about 20 people meeting

00:32:05.009 --> 00:32:07.109
in the church, in the house, and there was like

00:32:07.109 --> 00:32:09.450
100 pictures of men. And they asked the pastor,

00:32:09.490 --> 00:32:11.619
who was a pastor, he said, Who are all these

00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:13.339
pictures? Are they like founders of your church

00:32:13.339 --> 00:32:15.119
or pastors of other churches? He said, no, these

00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:17.720
are the martyrs. These are the men in our church

00:32:17.720 --> 00:32:20.220
who died that the government killed them for

00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:22.359
professing the name of Christ. They had 20 people

00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:25.039
in their church and over 100 men's faces on the

00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:27.819
wall killed for professing the name of Jesus

00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:31.140
Christ. The Bible and the church have been pursued

00:32:31.140 --> 00:32:34.039
to eradication, except guess what? Here we are.

00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:39.160
Can't touch it. The God of heaven has ordained.

00:32:39.480 --> 00:32:42.559
that the hair of the kingdom will begin to grow

00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:46.500
again. Go ahead. Try to steal from God. It always

00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:49.819
ends the same way. But if you steal from God,

00:32:49.880 --> 00:32:52.319
you can have what you might not otherwise have.

00:32:52.779 --> 00:32:54.880
The Bible remains the best -selling and most

00:32:54.880 --> 00:32:57.500
translated book in history after everyone, all

00:32:57.500 --> 00:33:00.059
those generations tried to eradicate it. Samson's

00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:02.950
hair began to grow back. Jesus is still on the

00:33:02.950 --> 00:33:06.089
throne, and there is still only one name under

00:33:06.089 --> 00:33:08.029
heaven by which someone must be saved, but there

00:33:08.029 --> 00:33:10.750
are rich men rising to fame. And tonight there

00:33:10.750 --> 00:33:12.789
will be parties, and last night there were parties.

00:33:13.049 --> 00:33:15.670
Kegs were cracked open, bottles of vodka tossed

00:33:15.670 --> 00:33:18.809
in the garbage can empty. Partying continues,

00:33:19.289 --> 00:33:22.529
using the resources that have been stolen from

00:33:22.529 --> 00:33:25.789
the Lord. Psalm 2 speaks to the topic. Going

00:33:25.789 --> 00:33:30.400
back to the book of Psalms. Psalm 2 beginning

00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:34.000
in verse 1 says, Why do the nations rage and

00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:37.599
the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth

00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:40.519
take their stand and the rulers conspire together

00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:43.500
against the Lord and his anointed one. Let's

00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:46.900
tear off their chains and throw their ropes off

00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:52.680
of us. God will rule, does rule, and wins in

00:33:52.680 --> 00:33:54.980
the end. You want to win for a while? You want

00:33:54.980 --> 00:33:57.119
to have victory for a while in this lifetime?

00:33:57.420 --> 00:33:59.339
All you got to do is steal from God. Well, watch

00:33:59.339 --> 00:34:02.799
out, because in the long run, God wins. And the

00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:04.480
truth is, you may think you're stealing from

00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:06.759
the Lord, but you really can't steal from the

00:34:06.759 --> 00:34:09.679
one who owns everything. In the book of Job,

00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:12.800
Job is challenged. In fact, his life is dismantled

00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:14.739
systematically. The only thing he's got left

00:34:14.739 --> 00:34:16.860
is his wife. And then in the midst, while he's

00:34:16.860 --> 00:34:18.880
in ashes, scraping his sword with a pot shard,

00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:21.800
she says, Job, just curse God and die. And we

00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:25.860
see now why the devil won't let... Won't take

00:34:25.860 --> 00:34:27.559
her, right? Because she's going to be the bad

00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:29.940
influence that potentially ruins him. But he

00:34:29.940 --> 00:34:32.039
doesn't. Hurts God and die. But then he does

00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:34.300
face God eventually. And God challenges him and

00:34:34.300 --> 00:34:36.940
says, who do you think you are? And Job realizes

00:34:36.940 --> 00:34:39.059
he was not there and did not name the animals.

00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:41.639
He was not there and did not create it. I submit

00:34:41.639 --> 00:34:43.559
to you that whatever your situation is, come

00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:45.599
and throw yourself upon the mercy of the Lord.

00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:47.480
Rather than trying to do real well in this life,

00:34:47.639 --> 00:34:49.840
you ought to be submitting this life to the Lord.

00:34:49.960 --> 00:34:52.679
You may think you've taken from God. but you

00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:55.159
cannot diminish the one who owns the universe.

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:57.320
The third and final point of the action plan

00:34:57.320 --> 00:35:00.579
then is to victimize the eventual victors. There

00:35:00.579 --> 00:35:02.880
are people in this life that you can overcome.

00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:05.559
I've had people come and tell me a story of why

00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:07.699
they need this or that or the other thing that

00:35:07.699 --> 00:35:11.099
I own or that I have or whatever, and I say,

00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:13.179
sure, I'll help you. Give them a little money,

00:35:13.239 --> 00:35:14.760
give them a little time, we serve them, whatever.

00:35:15.389 --> 00:35:17.429
And they've pulled the wool over my eyes. Actually,

00:35:17.469 --> 00:35:19.250
they've gotten something from me that they didn't

00:35:19.250 --> 00:35:21.170
deserve, that God didn't want to give them. They've

00:35:21.170 --> 00:35:23.409
stolen, essentially, from me. They've victimized

00:35:23.409 --> 00:35:26.050
me. I've had people say things to me that hurt

00:35:26.050 --> 00:35:28.429
me and would shut me down if it weren't for God's

00:35:28.429 --> 00:35:30.789
amazing sustenance. I've had people in my own

00:35:30.789 --> 00:35:33.070
family who have heard from me how they should

00:35:33.070 --> 00:35:35.530
live, choose to live otherwise, right in front

00:35:35.530 --> 00:35:37.849
of me, to mock me and say, you can say whatever

00:35:37.849 --> 00:35:39.469
you want, but I'm going to do whatever I want.

00:35:39.800 --> 00:35:41.239
If you're a young man or a young woman in this

00:35:41.239 --> 00:35:42.519
room, you don't understand that your parents

00:35:42.519 --> 00:35:44.079
want what's best for you. When they tell you

00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:46.219
how to live, you need to listen. If you're a

00:35:46.219 --> 00:35:47.820
grown person in this room and you happen to have

00:35:47.820 --> 00:35:49.820
a dad or a mom who's still alive, who loves the

00:35:49.820 --> 00:35:51.880
Lord and is living that way, or a brother or

00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:53.400
a sister or somebody in the church will take

00:35:53.400 --> 00:35:55.559
the time to show you, realize that by mocking

00:35:55.559 --> 00:35:58.760
them, you are stealing from the eventual victors.

00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:01.820
You can victimize the eventual victors and have

00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:03.980
great success. The Philistines mocked Samson.

00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:06.360
They laughed. They humiliated him. They believed

00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:10.920
that... Now Samson belonged to them, but then

00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:13.320
everything changed. The man they mocked became

00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:15.880
God's instrument one last time. The people they

00:36:15.880 --> 00:36:19.340
thought were defeated became the people God vindicated.

00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:21.579
This is what the cross looked like. The cross

00:36:21.579 --> 00:36:24.260
looked like Satan's great victory. Three days

00:36:24.260 --> 00:36:27.219
later, it became his greatest defeat. Romans

00:36:27.219 --> 00:36:30.059
8 .28 says, God turns all things out for the

00:36:30.059 --> 00:36:31.800
good for those who love God are called according

00:36:31.800 --> 00:36:34.119
to his purpose. If you're stealing from a Christian,

00:36:34.260 --> 00:36:36.460
watch out, because God's going to turn that out

00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:39.739
for your good. Joseph was thrown in prison after

00:36:39.739 --> 00:36:42.460
having been sold into slavery, after having been

00:36:42.460 --> 00:36:45.179
lied on, whatever. All of that process started

00:36:45.179 --> 00:36:47.280
by his brothers who betrayed him. And then when

00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:49.280
his brothers stood before him, he said, listen,

00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:51.880
what you meant to harm me, God meant to use for

00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:54.480
my good and to save many lives. He realized that

00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:56.480
God is a God of mercy. And Christians realize

00:36:56.480 --> 00:36:58.300
that God is a God of mercy. And you might put

00:36:58.300 --> 00:37:00.440
one over on us. You might pretend to be a Christian

00:37:00.440 --> 00:37:02.860
for a while. You might pretend to follow Jesus,

00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:05.139
pretend to be faithful. And you might put one

00:37:05.139 --> 00:37:07.440
over on us for a while. And we'll love on you.

00:37:07.500 --> 00:37:08.940
But here's the funny thing about that. We might

00:37:08.940 --> 00:37:10.659
love on you even if you were lost. I don't think

00:37:10.659 --> 00:37:12.300
you're really gaining anything in our love because

00:37:12.300 --> 00:37:14.139
we love you anyway. But if you're stealing from

00:37:14.139 --> 00:37:16.659
God, you're stealing from Christians, understand

00:37:16.659 --> 00:37:19.420
that Christians do eventually win. And if you're

00:37:19.420 --> 00:37:21.260
not on the side of Christians, you eventually

00:37:21.260 --> 00:37:24.599
lose. That's the reality of it. Colossians 2.

00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:26.940
This is a tough one to turn to and I didn't mark

00:37:26.940 --> 00:37:28.880
it. So we'll see how we do here. Colossians 2

00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:31.079
is kind of small, but look, I got close right

00:37:31.079 --> 00:37:34.659
off. Pretty close. All right. Colossians 2 says

00:37:34.659 --> 00:37:40.079
it this way. beginning in verse 13. Colossians

00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:43.019
2, beginning in verse 13. And we're almost in

00:37:43.019 --> 00:37:46.179
the conclusion. It is this. And when you were

00:37:46.179 --> 00:37:48.440
dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision

00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:50.460
of your flesh, he made you alive with him and

00:37:50.460 --> 00:37:53.199
forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the

00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:55.780
certificate of debt with its obligations that

00:37:55.780 --> 00:37:58.840
was against us and opposed to us. And he has

00:37:58.840 --> 00:38:01.780
taken it away, nailing it to the cross. Wait

00:38:01.780 --> 00:38:05.469
for it. Here we go. He, that is God, disarmed

00:38:05.469 --> 00:38:08.949
the rulers and authorities and disgraced them

00:38:08.949 --> 00:38:12.650
publicly. He triumphed over them in him, and

00:38:12.650 --> 00:38:17.090
the him is Jesus. The bottom line is, never celebrate

00:38:17.090 --> 00:38:21.130
the downfall of God's people too soon. And every

00:38:21.130 --> 00:38:24.250
day is too soon. Because we are not subject to

00:38:24.250 --> 00:38:27.449
downfall. We will rise, those of us who claim

00:38:27.449 --> 00:38:29.960
the name of Jesus. And we will do great things

00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:32.380
in eternity. That brings us to our conclusion

00:38:32.380 --> 00:38:33.980
then. But real quick, I just want to, in case

00:38:33.980 --> 00:38:35.480
you're here and you're not really a follower

00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:37.519
of Jesus and you need a good life, here's the

00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:40.380
action plan. Spend the spoils of victory, that

00:38:40.380 --> 00:38:42.679
is work hard, and then spend the spoils of victory

00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:47.619
on worthless pursuits. Steal from God. Victimize

00:38:47.619 --> 00:38:51.440
God's people. You can do amazing things. There

00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:53.400
are televangelists that go on TV talking about

00:38:53.400 --> 00:38:54.920
how they're all for Jesus and they're praying

00:38:54.920 --> 00:38:56.619
and miracles will happen or whatever. And there

00:38:56.619 --> 00:38:59.739
are... Christians, deluded, not faithful Christians

00:38:59.739 --> 00:39:01.920
in churches necessarily, but millions of Christians

00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:04.019
that send them money. If they'll pray for me,

00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:05.659
I'll send them money. Send them money every month

00:39:05.659 --> 00:39:07.000
so that they'll pray for them every month because

00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:09.079
their prayers mean something. And you believe

00:39:09.079 --> 00:39:11.420
that televangelist who's gotten rich and is flying

00:39:11.420 --> 00:39:14.159
around in a $50 million jet all over the world

00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:15.980
and preaching to tens of thousands of people

00:39:15.980 --> 00:39:18.440
and getting money and more money and more money.

00:39:18.519 --> 00:39:20.159
Or you believe that the pastor of a church who's

00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:22.800
put 30 best -selling books out about how you

00:39:22.800 --> 00:39:24.800
can have a successful life, right? You believe

00:39:24.800 --> 00:39:26.340
that that person is not going to answer before

00:39:26.340 --> 00:39:28.750
God? And all those people are being victimized

00:39:28.750 --> 00:39:30.130
by that person. You better believe it. They're

00:39:30.130 --> 00:39:32.429
going to answer before God. You can steal from

00:39:32.429 --> 00:39:35.050
God's people. If you do one of those three things

00:39:35.050 --> 00:39:36.710
or all of those three things successfully, you

00:39:36.710 --> 00:39:38.949
will have what the world will call a very successful

00:39:38.949 --> 00:39:41.590
life and probably be partying at your funeral.

00:39:42.250 --> 00:39:44.869
That brings us then to our conclusion. Mercy,

00:39:45.070 --> 00:39:49.730
listen to this carefully. Mercy destroys the

00:39:49.730 --> 00:39:51.969
wicked. Now, that doesn't sound like that, right?

00:39:52.190 --> 00:39:54.510
Remember at the beginning we said how mercy,

00:39:54.630 --> 00:39:57.019
mercy is so gentle. We're not giving them what

00:39:57.019 --> 00:39:58.719
they deserve. You're not getting the punishment

00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:01.699
that you're due. Mercy sounds like a very gentle

00:40:01.699 --> 00:40:04.840
thing, but the truth is that mercy destroys the

00:40:04.840 --> 00:40:08.900
wicked while saving God's people. Samson finally

00:40:08.900 --> 00:40:11.719
prays. Maybe it's you. Maybe you need to finally

00:40:11.719 --> 00:40:14.659
pray. Finally pray and say, okay, God, whatever's

00:40:14.659 --> 00:40:16.639
left of me, I don't have to have my eyes put

00:40:16.639 --> 00:40:19.019
out to be your faithful servant. I don't have

00:40:19.019 --> 00:40:21.099
to be sold into slavery, even though sometimes

00:40:21.099 --> 00:40:23.219
I feel like I am, to be your faithful servant.

00:40:23.550 --> 00:40:26.369
Samson finally prays. He's not bargaining with

00:40:26.369 --> 00:40:28.690
God anymore. God, you'll do this, I'll do that.

00:40:28.849 --> 00:40:31.670
He's not doing that anymore. He no longer boasts.

00:40:31.929 --> 00:40:34.250
Remember I told you about hubris. Samson had

00:40:34.250 --> 00:40:38.030
hubris. He said, I'll be like ordinary men. No

00:40:38.030 --> 00:40:40.610
more of that. He no longer boasts. He simply

00:40:40.610 --> 00:40:43.590
asks God to remember him. When the Israelites

00:40:43.590 --> 00:40:45.230
were standing at the sea, I read that to you.

00:40:45.250 --> 00:40:47.650
Remember, what did God tell them to do in order

00:40:47.650 --> 00:40:49.769
that God would intervene and destroy Pharaoh

00:40:49.769 --> 00:40:51.789
and his army, part the sea, and let them go through

00:40:51.789 --> 00:40:54.269
on dry land? What did God tell them to do? He

00:40:54.269 --> 00:40:57.929
told them to stand still. Well, that's a pretty

00:40:57.929 --> 00:41:00.610
big task. Sounds easy, right? I'm just going

00:41:00.610 --> 00:41:02.090
to stand still. I'm going to do nothing. God's

00:41:02.090 --> 00:41:04.510
going to do everything. Except that in our human

00:41:04.510 --> 00:41:06.989
nature, because we are creators and destroyers,

00:41:07.010 --> 00:41:08.610
and because we have capabilities, and because

00:41:08.610 --> 00:41:11.329
we want to live well, and we thirst, we desire.

00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:13.519
We're always scrambling, trying to do something.

00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:16.840
Stop it. You're not going to do it. If you create

00:41:16.840 --> 00:41:18.679
for yourself a good life outside God, you will

00:41:18.679 --> 00:41:20.840
be taking the things of God or taking the things

00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:22.539
from Christians or victimizing those who will

00:41:22.539 --> 00:41:26.000
eventually be victorious. Step into the Lord

00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:28.760
and say, I take upon you that yoke which is truly

00:41:28.760 --> 00:41:30.889
light. It does mean I have to do what it is that

00:41:30.889 --> 00:41:32.329
you would have me to do. It does mean I have

00:41:32.329 --> 00:41:33.969
to be the man or woman, the kind of man or woman

00:41:33.969 --> 00:41:35.929
that you want me to be. But I'll be doing it

00:41:35.929 --> 00:41:38.329
in your strength, in your capabilities. Are you

00:41:38.329 --> 00:41:40.309
scrambling, trying to make something of yourself

00:41:40.309 --> 00:41:43.150
and of the people around you? Stop it. Let the

00:41:43.150 --> 00:41:45.610
Lord deliver his mercy into your life. You need

00:41:45.610 --> 00:41:47.969
mercy. If he doesn't deliver mercy, you will

00:41:47.969 --> 00:41:49.829
receive punishment. And if you receive punishment

00:41:49.829 --> 00:41:52.949
for your sins, that's eternal. That doesn't stop.

00:41:53.150 --> 00:41:56.070
It lasts forever. Lay your head on the lap, not

00:41:56.070 --> 00:41:59.409
of Delilah, the betrayer. and enjoying his time

00:41:59.409 --> 00:42:01.969
with her, but on the head of the very God of

00:42:01.969 --> 00:42:04.050
the universe, who will more than stroke your

00:42:04.050 --> 00:42:06.750
hair. He'll grow your hair. He'll make you able

00:42:06.750 --> 00:42:09.469
to rise again anew after every challenge, every

00:42:09.469 --> 00:42:11.849
difficulty, every fall, every failure, every

00:42:11.849 --> 00:42:14.769
stupidity, every bad choice. He'll make you able

00:42:14.769 --> 00:42:17.409
to rise again anew. This is the pattern throughout

00:42:17.409 --> 00:42:20.429
scripture. The flood saved Noah, destroyed the

00:42:20.429 --> 00:42:22.889
world. The Red Sea saved Israel, drowned Egypt.

00:42:23.010 --> 00:42:25.869
Jericho's walls fell for Israel. And when they

00:42:25.869 --> 00:42:29.059
fell, They fell upon Canaan, and many died when

00:42:29.059 --> 00:42:31.719
the walls fell, and everyone died right after

00:42:31.719 --> 00:42:34.239
that, while they stood inside their walls, which

00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:36.980
were a couple dozen feet across, wagons on the

00:42:36.980 --> 00:42:40.860
walls, siege engines, mocking and laughing at

00:42:40.860 --> 00:42:42.800
those who were outside the walls. And the walls

00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:45.539
fell so that Israel could enter, and Canaan was

00:42:45.539 --> 00:42:48.380
destroyed, at least Jericho. The cross saved

00:42:48.380 --> 00:42:51.139
believers but condemns unbelief. Christ's return

00:42:51.139 --> 00:42:53.880
rescues his church and judges the nation. When

00:42:53.880 --> 00:42:55.719
Jesus comes again, there will not be any more

00:42:55.719 --> 00:42:57.699
time. Don't think that the trumpet will sound

00:42:57.699 --> 00:43:00.039
and you'll say, okay, me, yeah, me. Unless you're

00:43:00.039 --> 00:43:02.260
saying, okay, me, yeah, me now. And you get in

00:43:02.260 --> 00:43:04.860
the habit of it. Christ's return rescues his

00:43:04.860 --> 00:43:08.239
church and judges the nations. God's mercy and

00:43:08.239 --> 00:43:12.139
God's judgment arrive together in a massive flood

00:43:12.139 --> 00:43:15.750
and the waters are rising. And people are hanging

00:43:15.750 --> 00:43:17.829
out on the roofs of their house hoping for a

00:43:17.829 --> 00:43:19.989
boat or a helicopter. When the helicopter comes

00:43:19.989 --> 00:43:22.130
by and drops them a rope ladder to save them

00:43:22.130 --> 00:43:24.610
from the flood, the helicopter didn't create

00:43:24.610 --> 00:43:26.909
the flood. For those who grabbed that ladder,

00:43:27.030 --> 00:43:29.710
it is salvation. For those who refused that ladder,

00:43:29.809 --> 00:43:32.550
the approaching flood remains. The helicopter

00:43:32.550 --> 00:43:35.369
did not create the flood. It simply revealed

00:43:35.369 --> 00:43:38.949
who trusted the rescuer. And that's what life

00:43:38.949 --> 00:43:40.909
is like. We will face suffering and difficulty.

00:43:41.289 --> 00:43:44.210
Leading up to the tale of Noah. You see, the

00:43:44.210 --> 00:43:47.349
ark is being built. And he built this ark day

00:43:47.349 --> 00:43:49.449
after day after day in the mocking of people.

00:43:49.590 --> 00:43:53.670
He built it on an earth whereupon no raindrop

00:43:53.670 --> 00:43:56.449
had ever fallen. It had never rained. And he

00:43:56.449 --> 00:43:58.809
was telling me, listen, it's going to rain. It's

00:43:58.809 --> 00:44:00.690
going to rain. And God told me to build the ark.

00:44:00.789 --> 00:44:03.449
You can't keep living like that. Yeah, but we're

00:44:03.449 --> 00:44:05.070
doing what we're doing. And God's not stopping

00:44:05.070 --> 00:44:06.789
it. We're having a great life. Look at all the

00:44:06.789 --> 00:44:08.630
stuff we've got. Look at all we're doing. We

00:44:08.630 --> 00:44:10.989
sleep with whoever, right? It's great. We're

00:44:10.989 --> 00:44:13.420
enjoying it. And I was like, no. You slave away

00:44:13.420 --> 00:44:15.219
every day from sunup to sundown. You swing and

00:44:15.219 --> 00:44:16.780
hammer. Look at those calluses on your hand.

00:44:16.880 --> 00:44:18.960
Look at the muscles of your back. Look how tired

00:44:18.960 --> 00:44:21.300
you are. Your family ain't even got time to procreate.

00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:23.800
They're too busy. How can that be right? And

00:44:23.800 --> 00:44:27.739
then, and then, it began to rain. And when God

00:44:27.739 --> 00:44:29.980
shut the door of the ark, every man, woman, or

00:44:29.980 --> 00:44:33.820
child whom Noah had warned for generations died

00:44:33.820 --> 00:44:35.880
in the flood. And it'll be like that when Jesus

00:44:35.880 --> 00:44:38.699
comes again. It'll be about who accepted it.

00:44:38.940 --> 00:44:41.880
Who was willing? John 3, 16, we kind of know

00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:43.699
that verse a little bit. For God so loved the

00:44:43.699 --> 00:44:45.320
world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever

00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:47.380
believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting

00:44:47.380 --> 00:44:50.239
life. Our memory fades a little bit when we get

00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:53.380
on to verse 17. It says, For God did not send

00:44:53.380 --> 00:44:55.539
His Son into the world to condemn the world,

00:44:55.699 --> 00:44:58.380
but to save the world through Him. Anyone who

00:44:58.380 --> 00:45:00.739
believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone

00:45:00.739 --> 00:45:03.500
who does not believe is already condemned, because

00:45:03.500 --> 00:45:05.840
he has not believed in the name of the one and

00:45:05.840 --> 00:45:10.590
only Son of God. You see, mercy has a flip side.

00:45:10.849 --> 00:45:12.730
And sometimes people look at God's judgment and

00:45:12.730 --> 00:45:14.190
they can't quite see the mercy. And sometimes

00:45:14.190 --> 00:45:15.969
people look at God's mercy and they can't quite

00:45:15.969 --> 00:45:18.090
see the judgment. But when you look at a king

00:45:18.090 --> 00:45:20.210
of hearts, you know that the back of that card

00:45:20.210 --> 00:45:22.190
is printed and it looks just like every other

00:45:22.190 --> 00:45:23.690
card in the deck. Otherwise, you can't really

00:45:23.690 --> 00:45:25.570
play with it right. When you look at the mercy

00:45:25.570 --> 00:45:27.650
of God, understand it is also the judgment. You

00:45:27.650 --> 00:45:29.789
receive mercy. If you have accepted Jesus Christ,

00:45:29.829 --> 00:45:31.449
your Lord and Savior, you are receiving mercy.

00:45:31.730 --> 00:45:34.510
But while you are receiving mercy, some are receiving

00:45:34.510 --> 00:45:36.170
judgment. What are you going to do about that?

00:45:36.349 --> 00:45:38.280
You okay with that? Are you okay with the fact

00:45:38.280 --> 00:45:40.219
that while you are receiving heaven, other people

00:45:40.219 --> 00:45:42.820
are going to hell basically because you are going

00:45:42.820 --> 00:45:45.659
to heaven? See, this is why we become the reconcilers

00:45:45.659 --> 00:45:47.179
that we're supposed to be. This is why we search

00:45:47.179 --> 00:45:49.139
out any audience who will listen to the gospel.

00:45:49.380 --> 00:45:51.179
This is why we don't want to let any one of us

00:45:51.179 --> 00:45:53.099
go to hell. If your family members are going

00:45:53.099 --> 00:45:55.000
to hell, tell them about Jesus. And say, well,

00:45:55.019 --> 00:45:56.579
I don't know. They say they follow Jesus. And

00:45:56.579 --> 00:45:57.739
tell them about Jesus anyway. Tell them about

00:45:57.739 --> 00:45:59.280
Jesus every day. Talk about Jesus every day.

00:45:59.400 --> 00:46:01.980
You're receiving the mercy of God. God's mercy

00:46:01.980 --> 00:46:04.960
always creates a dividing line. Those who receive

00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:08.260
Christ find life. Those who reject Christ eventually

00:46:08.260 --> 00:46:10.739
discover that the mercy they despised became

00:46:10.739 --> 00:46:13.659
the judgment they could not escape. The Philistines

00:46:13.659 --> 00:46:16.320
believed that they were celebrating victory while

00:46:16.320 --> 00:46:19.699
standing inside their own funeral. Samson looked

00:46:19.699 --> 00:46:22.000
weaker than ever, yet God was preparing the greatest

00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:25.340
work through Samson. The greatest example is

00:46:25.340 --> 00:46:27.400
Jesus Christ. His enemies mocked him, they nailed

00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:29.539
him to a cross, they thought they had won, but

00:46:29.539 --> 00:46:31.800
his death became our salvation and his resurrection

00:46:31.800 --> 00:46:34.440
guaranteed the defeat of sin, death, and Satan.

00:46:34.800 --> 00:46:36.820
The question is not whether God will win. God

00:46:36.820 --> 00:46:39.539
will win. Can you think that with me at least?

00:46:39.599 --> 00:46:42.480
God will win. Can you think it? Just right now

00:46:42.480 --> 00:46:45.179
in your mind, think God will win. Can you say

00:46:45.179 --> 00:46:47.579
it? God will win. The next time you're talking

00:46:47.579 --> 00:46:49.880
to somebody who has not accepted Jesus Christ

00:46:49.880 --> 00:46:51.699
as your Lord and Savior, can you at least say

00:46:51.699 --> 00:46:55.619
God will win? The question is whether his victory

00:46:55.619 --> 00:46:58.659
will become your salvation or your judgment.

00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:01.199
God's untimely mercy may interrupt the plans

00:47:01.199 --> 00:47:04.179
of the wicked. But it always arrives precisely

00:47:04.179 --> 00:47:07.579
in time for those who call upon him in the name

00:47:07.579 --> 00:47:11.480
of Jesus. Today, if you hear his voice, do not

00:47:11.480 --> 00:47:16.460
harden your heart. Receive his mercy before his

00:47:16.460 --> 00:47:19.500
justice arrives. I ask the priest team to come

00:47:19.500 --> 00:47:21.780
forward then at this time and lead us in a closing

00:47:21.780 --> 00:47:23.159
hymn. If you're in the room, it doesn't matter

00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:25.519
what people think. If you're in the room and

00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:27.119
you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord

00:47:27.119 --> 00:47:29.809
and Savior, do that today. Call upon the Lord

00:47:29.809 --> 00:47:31.909
for mercy. Just as Samson called one last time,

00:47:32.210 --> 00:47:35.210
you're receiving the benefits of being human.

00:47:36.469 --> 00:47:39.829
You can hear, you can think, you can choose.

00:47:40.130 --> 00:47:42.269
Exercise those benefits to call upon the name

00:47:42.269 --> 00:47:44.710
of the Lord and be saved in earnest. Say, God,

00:47:44.750 --> 00:47:47.730
use me. Fortunately, his motivation, our motivation

00:47:47.730 --> 00:47:50.369
is not vengeance. It is to deliver that same

00:47:50.369 --> 00:47:51.929
mercy to anyone else. So if you're here today

00:47:51.929 --> 00:47:53.710
and you say, look, I missed the opportunity to

00:47:53.710 --> 00:47:56.079
tell people about Jesus. and I need the mercy

00:47:56.079 --> 00:47:58.679
of God on my life, and I realize I left the judgment

00:47:58.679 --> 00:48:00.940
of God on theirs, some of them may have had mercy,

00:48:01.019 --> 00:48:02.400
you just don't know unless you talk to them about

00:48:02.400 --> 00:48:05.119
it, then you commit yourself today to share that

00:48:05.119 --> 00:48:07.860
mercy that you receive so freely with anyone

00:48:07.860 --> 00:48:11.880
you possibly can. Stand with me and sing this

00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:14.159
song. If you're responding in some way, accepting

00:48:14.159 --> 00:48:16.519
Jesus, or committing your life, or saying yes,

00:48:16.639 --> 00:48:19.320
Lord, to some request he has made, then you just

00:48:19.320 --> 00:48:22.119
do that today. Do your business with the Lord.

00:48:45.469 --> 00:48:50.929
What we need is what we were created for. I got

00:48:50.929 --> 00:48:54.550
two feet, I can stand. I was meant to stand with

00:48:54.550 --> 00:49:02.550
Jesus. Not on my own. Some people, well, they

00:49:02.550 --> 00:49:05.090
got to meet their stand with Jesus. People with

00:49:05.090 --> 00:49:09.829
two feet that aren't standing at all. Choose

00:49:09.829 --> 00:49:35.239
him over all. Help me find the way. Bring me

00:49:35.239 --> 00:49:35.659
back.