WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.840 Today, you and I are going to have one of those 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:06.500 good heart -to -heart talks. And during our heart 00:00:06.500 --> 00:00:10.439 -to -heart talk today, I will be answering some 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:14.699 of the questions that have been sent in. And 00:00:14.699 --> 00:00:21.160 I hope that your question regarding Jesus will 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:27.120 be answered as we talk about him. Do you want 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:31.199 to know something? all the difference in the 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:36.340 world what one believes. I know it's a common 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:39.579 remark that it really doesn't make any difference 00:00:39.579 --> 00:00:45.600 what one believes just so one is sincere in that 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:54.000 belief. That is not true. It makes all the difference 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:02.109 in the world what one believes. The right views 00:01:02.109 --> 00:01:07.469 of Jesus Christ are absolutely necessary. Right 00:01:07.469 --> 00:01:12.329 relationships toward him, the right service for 00:01:12.329 --> 00:01:17.709 him are absolutely necessary. The question, therefore, 00:01:17.870 --> 00:01:21.709 that Jesus asked his disciples when he was here 00:01:21.709 --> 00:01:26.390 on earth in the flesh 1 ,900 years ago is the 00:01:26.390 --> 00:01:30.349 supreme question to be faced by... every rational 00:01:30.349 --> 00:01:36.730 human being. And this is his question. Whom say 00:01:36.730 --> 00:01:43.590 ye that I am? That's the question. His previous 00:01:43.590 --> 00:01:47.189 question to these same disciples a moment before 00:01:47.189 --> 00:01:55.650 was, Whom say the people that I am? What does 00:01:55.650 --> 00:02:03.340 the crowd say? And they answered by saying, Some 00:02:03.340 --> 00:02:06.159 say that thou art John the Baptist. Some say 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:11.240 Elijah. There's still others who say that you 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:16.319 are one of the prophets, perhaps Jeremiah. And 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:21.159 then very quickly, he put to them the probing 00:02:21.159 --> 00:02:28.169 question. Whom say ye that I am? And one of the 00:02:28.169 --> 00:02:34.889 men, and it would be Simon Peter, he was always 00:02:34.889 --> 00:02:38.669 the first to answer. And he made the answer. 00:02:40.050 --> 00:02:45.650 And believe me, it was an inspired reply. He 00:02:45.650 --> 00:02:52.490 said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 00:02:52.490 --> 00:02:55.050 God. There was no hesitancy on his part whatsoever. 00:02:56.270 --> 00:03:04.930 it was truly an inspired reply thou art the christ 00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:12.069 the son of the living god to which jesus replied 00:03:12.069 --> 00:03:20.490 o blessed art thou simon barjona for flesh and 00:03:20.490 --> 00:03:26.680 blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:32.620 father, who is in heaven. To me that was always 00:03:32.620 --> 00:03:39.800 very thrilling. To this very hour. The spiritual 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:44.740 things are only spiritually revealed. There is 00:03:44.740 --> 00:03:49.879 never a day of my life, but what I have to say, 00:03:50.060 --> 00:03:54.300 flesh and blood hath not revealed this hour. 00:03:54.360 --> 00:04:00.180 unto thee, but to my Father who art in heaven. 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:05.379 For the natural mind cannot comprehend the things 00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:08.300 of the spirit. That which is born of the flesh 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:10.360 is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:14.419 is spirit. And spiritual things are only spiritually 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:20.660 revealed. That's the reason the carnal man, the 00:04:20.660 --> 00:04:25.699 carnal heart, the natural man, cannot understand 00:04:25.699 --> 00:04:33.680 the spiritual things. That same question, whom 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:40.920 say ye that I am, comes echoing its way all down 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:44.079 the centuries, and the question will never be 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:51.480 down, never. You cannot ignore it. For Christ 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:55.170 crosses the threshold of... every rational life, 00:04:55.350 --> 00:05:01.970 and puts to every one the question, Whom say 00:05:01.970 --> 00:05:07.550 ye that I am? And the sincere, the serious, the 00:05:07.550 --> 00:05:10.589 earnest seeker after truth will at last come 00:05:10.589 --> 00:05:15.670 to say what Simon said, Thou art the Christ, 00:05:15.970 --> 00:05:21.189 the Son of the living God. Who is Jesus Christ? 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:26.279 Whom do you say that he is? Sitting there right 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:30.199 down your home. Listening to me on your transistor 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:35.980 set. There in the office. Listening to me on 00:05:35.980 --> 00:05:39.379 your car radio. You're going to have to face 00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:43.680 it. Every rational human being has to face this 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:47.540 question. And he puts it to you point blank. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:56.019 Who is... Jesus Christ. Christianity stands or 00:05:56.019 --> 00:06:00.199 falls with the person of Christ. Supernatural 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:03.639 Christianity stands or falls with the person 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:09.100 of Jesus Christ. Oh, I know. There have been 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:13.360 three views in this world about Christ. One, 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.399 that he was wicked. Another, that he was good. 00:06:17.300 --> 00:06:22.189 But mistaken about his claims. And the other, 00:06:22.310 --> 00:06:26.990 that he was God. God manifest in the flesh. The 00:06:26.990 --> 00:06:29.709 Redeemer who came to save a needy world which 00:06:29.709 --> 00:06:37.810 was estranged from God and lost in sin. Now, 00:06:37.829 --> 00:06:45.569 let's take the first view. Let's face it. Thoughtful, 00:06:45.569 --> 00:06:54.829 candid men. Whatever may be their unbelief, look 00:06:54.829 --> 00:07:00.310 at Jesus and say, he's the finest among 10 ,000, 00:07:00.310 --> 00:07:05.069 the one altogether lovely. Many, many who do 00:07:05.069 --> 00:07:07.949 not accept the higher claims concerning him do 00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:11.050 not hesitate to say that Jesus was the best man 00:07:11.050 --> 00:07:15.990 who ever lived. Thousands who do not accept his 00:07:15.990 --> 00:07:23.660 deity and divinity. still say he was the greatest 00:07:23.660 --> 00:07:29.939 example that ever walked this earth. Another 00:07:29.939 --> 00:07:32.560 view concerning Christ was that he was good, 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:38.019 but mistaken in his claims. That he was earth's 00:07:38.019 --> 00:07:42.439 highest and best, but mistaken in his own claims 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:47.579 and assumptions. Some very clever men have held 00:07:47.579 --> 00:07:55.720 this view. Edward Hale held this view. There 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:58.839 are clever men today who hold the same view. 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:04.279 One wonders how on earth they can believe that 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:08.920 Jesus, who made such astounding claims concerning 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:13.860 himself, could be good, wise, or sane if he was 00:08:13.860 --> 00:08:18.970 nothing more than man. They well know that nothing 00:08:18.970 --> 00:08:24.430 short of deity can satisfy the claims which Jesus 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:29.589 made for himself. The theory that Christ was 00:08:29.589 --> 00:08:33.769 only a man reduces him to a mere physical being. 00:08:33.950 --> 00:08:39.429 And this theory, no matter how beautiful, cannot 00:08:39.429 --> 00:08:47.509 lift man all the way from earth to glory. Men 00:08:47.509 --> 00:08:54.210 need a power above and beyond themselves. Every 00:08:54.210 --> 00:08:57.629 person needs a power to come into his life above 00:08:57.629 --> 00:09:02.970 himself, greater than himself. And mere ethics 00:09:02.970 --> 00:09:06.590 will not do it. Beautiful theories will not do 00:09:06.590 --> 00:09:11.909 it. Wonderful philosophies will not do it. If 00:09:11.909 --> 00:09:18.059 Christ be only a man. He cannot lift men out 00:09:18.059 --> 00:09:24.980 of sin, guilt, and death. If he were mere man, 00:09:25.179 --> 00:09:31.279 how in the world could he forgive another man's 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:40.419 sins? A sinner cannot forgive another sinner's 00:09:40.419 --> 00:09:47.710 sin. It takes deity. It takes divinity. That 00:09:47.710 --> 00:09:52.330 is the reason that we know that only one can 00:09:52.330 --> 00:09:57.389 forgive sins. Just one. One who has never sinned. 00:09:59.929 --> 00:10:07.470 And only one in absolute perfection, sinless, 00:10:07.590 --> 00:10:14.259 has walked this earth. And that one was... deity 00:10:14.259 --> 00:10:17.019 and divinity, the very son of the living God. 00:10:17.539 --> 00:10:19.480 That was the reason he could challenge the whole 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:25.220 world and say, which of you convinces me of sin? 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:30.860 Is there a man living today, regardless of his 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:39.840 morality, can put forth that challenge? His family 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:44.039 know him. His neighbors know him. Those in business 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:51.879 know his faults and know that he is not infallible. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:56.200 All have sinned and come shard the glory of God. 00:10:56.299 --> 00:11:01.679 Only one could put forth that challenge. Which 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:08.980 of you convinceth me of sin? And there was no 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:17.090 answer. No sinner can forgive another man's sin. 00:11:22.129 --> 00:11:27.529 That's the reason only Jesus can forgive our 00:11:27.529 --> 00:11:33.809 sins. Therefore, I say to you, you who hold the 00:11:33.809 --> 00:11:38.370 theory that he was a wonderful example, but nothing 00:11:38.370 --> 00:11:44.450 more, if Christ be only a man, That he cannot 00:11:44.450 --> 00:11:52.289 lift men out of sin and guilt and death. Let's 00:11:52.289 --> 00:11:56.110 go on to the other view. The one that's held 00:11:56.110 --> 00:12:00.389 by you and by me. And that is the New Testament 00:12:00.389 --> 00:12:04.370 view that Jesus was just what he claimed to be. 00:12:04.769 --> 00:12:09.850 God manifest in the flesh. And I stake my very 00:12:09.850 --> 00:12:15.169 life on it. I stake my... All on it. That's the 00:12:15.169 --> 00:12:18.710 reason I give my life as a living sacrifice. 00:12:19.309 --> 00:12:23.429 There's no doubt in my mind. I believe it so 00:12:23.429 --> 00:12:29.269 completely that I tell you the truth. I've staked 00:12:29.269 --> 00:12:35.909 everything that I have on the fact that Jesus 00:12:35.909 --> 00:12:44.179 Christ is all that he said that he was. I have 00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:51.039 not the remotest doubt in my mind concerning 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:58.659 that fact. Christ was more than man. Christ was 00:12:58.659 --> 00:13:05.259 God and man in one personality. The God -man. 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:12.720 As much man as though he were not God, as much... 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:20.240 God, as though he were not man. John describes 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:26.000 Jesus in five little words. The Word was made 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:31.600 flesh. And Paul, speaking of Jesus, said, Great 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:40.879 is the mystery of godliness. Great. Great is 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:47.629 this mystery. No human mind can fathom this glorious 00:13:47.629 --> 00:13:53.690 mystery. God manifested in the flesh, justified 00:13:53.690 --> 00:13:57.509 in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto 00:13:57.509 --> 00:14:02.029 the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received 00:14:02.029 --> 00:14:08.409 up into glory. That's Paul's majestic description 00:14:08.409 --> 00:14:13.340 of the person and the worth of Christ. Victor 00:14:13.340 --> 00:14:17.799 Hugo states the case, the universal verdict, 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:26.139 when he said that Jesus was the ultimate in all 00:14:26.139 --> 00:14:35.840 life. And even Lord Byron rose up and said, if 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:42.429 ever man was God, and if ever... God was man. 00:14:42.909 --> 00:14:53.309 This Jesus Christ is both. Browning said, The 00:14:53.309 --> 00:15:00.690 acceptance of God in Christ solves for all of 00:15:00.690 --> 00:15:10.220 us all problems in this world and the next. And 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:13.360 there's something that's most interesting. A 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.960 gentleman at a luncheon with a group of very 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:25.460 brilliant men and women said, it would be most 00:15:25.460 --> 00:15:30.759 interesting to have each of you answer the question, 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:39.019 what person would you like best to have seen? 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:47.399 it was most amusing enjoyable and great men and 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:56.200 women were mentioned oh sure somebody suggested 00:15:56.200 --> 00:16:02.539 shakespeare and on and on they talked presently 00:16:02.539 --> 00:16:06.720 the gentleman said if shakespeare were to come 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:11.779 into this room we would all rise and bow to him 00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:17.240 but i am thinking of one whose name has not been 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:22.279 called if he were to come into this room now 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:28.100 this very moment all of us in this room would 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:32.200 fall down on our knees and cry out with thomas 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:40.559 of old my lord and my god i think Think of that 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:47.360 so often. I am aware of this very thing. Oftentimes 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:51.639 when I stand on the stage or behind a pulpit, 00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:57.559 and without saying so audibly, mentally I think, 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:02.440 what would these people do if suddenly they could 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:07.220 see Jesus face to face? What would you do this 00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:15.309 very moment? If suddenly you beheld Jesus walking 00:17:15.309 --> 00:17:21.509 into that room, standing in front of you, face 00:17:21.509 --> 00:17:28.130 to face, I honestly believe with every atom of 00:17:28.130 --> 00:17:32.269 my being that each of us would fall down on our 00:17:32.269 --> 00:17:38.609 knees and worship him. Just instinctively we 00:17:38.609 --> 00:17:49.750 would do it. There he stands. Indeed, there was 00:17:49.750 --> 00:17:53.829 never another person like unto him in all of 00:17:53.829 --> 00:17:57.470 time, and never will there be another like him. 00:17:58.130 --> 00:18:03.910 Christ, the divine Son of God, born 1900 years 00:18:03.910 --> 00:18:07.210 ago in a stable, laid in a manger because there 00:18:07.210 --> 00:18:12.289 was no room for the mother in the inn. in that 00:18:12.289 --> 00:18:16.650 crisis hour of her life. Born in a stable and 00:18:16.650 --> 00:18:22.230 yet about that humble place there gathers more 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:26.309 interest than about all the other treasure houses 00:18:26.309 --> 00:18:30.809 of the great from the first man until the last. 00:18:32.349 --> 00:18:39.210 His name is potent. There's power in the name 00:18:39.210 --> 00:18:44.710 of Jesus. There's more inspiration in the name 00:18:44.710 --> 00:18:52.250 of Jesus than any other name, the most majestic 00:18:52.250 --> 00:19:00.430 in all the world. His name is above every name. 00:19:01.950 --> 00:19:07.339 Thou shalt call his name Jesus. Jesus, for he 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:14.579 shall save his people from their sins. Is there 00:19:14.579 --> 00:19:24.960 another of whom this could be said? He shall 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:34.220 save his people from their sins. He is the one 00:19:34.220 --> 00:19:37.460 who stirs our hearts, who shares our sorrows, 00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:41.160 who gives us life and joy and peace and love. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:53.200 Simon Peter spoke it well. Thou art of the Christ, 00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:56.160 the Son, the living God, without hesitation, 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:02.369 without any doubt whatsoever. unlike any other 00:20:02.369 --> 00:20:04.190 human being that the universe has ever known 00:20:04.190 --> 00:20:09.750 or ever shall know. He is the way, the truth, 00:20:09.890 --> 00:20:14.670 the life, the pilot, the older brother, the guide 00:20:14.670 --> 00:20:20.309 who came to bring light to a darkened world and 00:20:20.309 --> 00:20:25.529 sending men and women to God, the one great mediator 00:20:25.529 --> 00:20:31.650 between God and man. the one by whom alone we 00:20:31.650 --> 00:20:36.829 can gain a hearing to the father's throne and 00:20:36.829 --> 00:20:43.950 receive his forgiving and unfailing love oh to 00:20:43.950 --> 00:20:54.849 me that's thrilling that's thrilling see him 00:20:54.849 --> 00:21:03.039 in this moment not as mere man not as just an 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:13.440 example but as the great mediator the great high 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:18.539 priest this very moment seated at the right hand 00:21:18.539 --> 00:21:22.640 of god the father ever living to make intercession 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:28.579 for you and for me That's the one thing that 00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:33.599 you and I have in common this hour. He is my 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:38.400 great high priest. He is your great high priest. 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:45.440 He is my great mediator. He is your great mediator. 00:21:47.819 --> 00:21:51.859 As we come before the father's throne, we have 00:21:51.859 --> 00:21:56.230 a hearing. as we come in the name of His Son, 00:21:56.430 --> 00:22:01.730 as we come into the presence of Almighty God 00:22:01.730 --> 00:22:08.029 and say, Father God, in Jesus' name, hear my 00:22:08.029 --> 00:22:18.930 petition, hear my cry. Only one absolute perfection. 00:22:23.390 --> 00:22:30.710 That is why he can forgive your sins and my sins. 00:22:33.910 --> 00:22:40.470 Feel his presence. Reach out and touch that seamless 00:22:40.470 --> 00:22:46.910 robe. With confidence, commit yourself into his 00:22:46.910 --> 00:22:53.619 care and keeping. And in this moment, Hear that 00:22:53.619 --> 00:22:59.920 cry of confession. Blot out of that every transgression 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:09.019 as that one stands justified before God by faith. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:19.000 Give peace of mind and peace of soul. Amen.