WEBVTT 00:00:01.290 --> 00:00:04.549 Welcome to the Word of the Lord, the weekly television 00:00:04.549 --> 00:00:07.870 broadcast of Living Word Christian Church, proclaiming 00:00:07.870 --> 00:00:10.009 the good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus 00:00:10.009 --> 00:00:13.349 Christ. Pastor Mark Clements, in -depth, relevant 00:00:13.349 --> 00:00:15.630 biblical teachings will help you in life and 00:00:15.630 --> 00:00:19.109 living in today's world. Now, let's join Pastor 00:00:19.109 --> 00:00:20.850 Clements in the service already in progress. 00:00:31.580 --> 00:00:35.500 We're just a little short on time. We won't do 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:40.560 this. We won't do this. But what I'd like to 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:43.020 do is have some of our young people come up and 00:00:43.020 --> 00:00:46.740 take their Bibles and just take a verse and just 00:00:46.740 --> 00:00:49.060 go through all of these. Now, we did last week, 00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.060 and I had them leave them on the whiteboard, 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:54.409 put the whiteboard back up there. And if you 00:00:54.409 --> 00:00:57.329 can swing over to that whiteboard with one of 00:00:57.329 --> 00:00:59.450 our cameras, there it is. And I want to do that 00:00:59.450 --> 00:01:02.729 for your sake who are watching and who are streaming 00:01:02.729 --> 00:01:05.290 with us and who are viewing. I'm going to leave 00:01:05.290 --> 00:01:07.090 it up there on the screen for just a few more 00:01:07.090 --> 00:01:10.409 seconds so that you can take your phone and you 00:01:10.409 --> 00:01:13.290 can take a screenshot of what's on the screen 00:01:13.290 --> 00:01:15.560 right now. And what we're streaming, those of 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:17.659 you viewing this later, obviously you can pause 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:22.400 yours and your device. And then you've got that 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:24.439 list of all those scriptures we gave you. It's 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:27.060 not inclusive of all scriptures in the Bible 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:33.620 that communicate to us the Bible truth, the eternal 00:01:33.620 --> 00:01:36.579 truth, that there's only one way to heaven. There's 00:01:36.579 --> 00:01:38.859 only one way to God. There's only one way to 00:01:38.859 --> 00:01:41.180 eternal life. There's only one way to salvation. 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:49.599 And his name is Jesus. It's not a series of do's 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:52.180 and don'ts. It's not a code of conduct. It's 00:01:52.180 --> 00:01:57.739 a person. It is God Himself designated as the 00:01:57.739 --> 00:02:02.620 Son who came to earth. Who came to earth. Now, 00:02:02.620 --> 00:02:07.079 think about the wisdom of God and the foolishness 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:10.919 of all of God's enemies. In the foolishness of 00:02:10.919 --> 00:02:13.879 all of God's enemies, they believed that this 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:17.460 was some kind of a fight, that it was some kind 00:02:17.460 --> 00:02:20.219 of a wrestling match, that it was some kind of 00:02:20.219 --> 00:02:24.659 competition between Jesus and the devil, and 00:02:24.659 --> 00:02:27.900 the devil won. It was some kind of a competitive 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:33.759 match, and they rejoiced in that they had taken 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:35.879 the Son of God, and that they had killed the 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:38.500 Son of God, and that they had stymied the entire 00:02:38.500 --> 00:02:41.030 plan of God. and that they had won. They didn't 00:02:41.030 --> 00:02:42.770 realize everything that happened was the plan 00:02:42.770 --> 00:02:46.870 of God. It's always the plan of God. The plan 00:02:46.870 --> 00:02:49.449 of God was for God to leave heaven, strip himself 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:52.349 and lay everything aside and descend down into 00:02:52.349 --> 00:02:55.770 earth and be born as one of the weak. Feeble, 00:02:55.770 --> 00:03:00.169 frail human beings, susceptible to cold and heat, 00:03:00.270 --> 00:03:03.250 susceptible to hunger and thirst, susceptible 00:03:03.250 --> 00:03:06.250 to sickness and infirmity and disease, susceptible 00:03:06.250 --> 00:03:09.830 to pain and agony, susceptible to loneliness 00:03:09.830 --> 00:03:13.349 and solitude, susceptible to temptation and therefore 00:03:13.349 --> 00:03:16.830 sin, and become a human, a little lower than 00:03:16.830 --> 00:03:26.569 the angels, needing sleep and rest. And God would 00:03:26.569 --> 00:03:34.189 become a human. Less than the angels. And born 00:03:34.189 --> 00:03:38.909 into sin. Although He was not born into sin, 00:03:39.050 --> 00:03:42.169 and nor did He ever sin, but He was tempted every 00:03:42.169 --> 00:03:45.560 way like we are. And it was always the plan of 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:47.180 God that He would be turned over to the hands 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:49.280 of sinners, that He would be rejected of men, 00:03:49.379 --> 00:03:51.620 that He would be crucified, that He would be 00:03:51.620 --> 00:03:54.199 smitten, that all would leave Him and forsake 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:56.620 Him, that He would be alone, that He would die. 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:02.060 Always was it God's plan that He would descend 00:04:02.060 --> 00:04:04.280 and for three days and nights there would be 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:06.659 darkness and hopelessness, but on the third day 00:04:06.659 --> 00:04:10.680 He would rise again. It's always been the plan 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:17.060 of God that 50 days, after the Passover, 50 days 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:21.079 after the crucifixion, there would be a celebration 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:26.699 which all the way back through the Old Testament, 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:28.920 through Deuteronomy, through Numbers, through 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:34.319 Leviticus, all the way back to Exodus. The day 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:38.879 of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover had 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.240 always been celebrated as the Feast of Weeks. 00:04:42.589 --> 00:04:45.569 celebrating the harvest of God and the fulfillment 00:04:45.569 --> 00:04:48.990 of the 49 days, seven days of seven, 50 days 00:04:48.990 --> 00:04:53.189 after Passover, they always celebrated and came 00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:57.449 together to offer their thanks with a sacrifice. 00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:00.870 On that very day, the Lord Jesus, who had received 00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:02.930 the Holy Spirit when he sat down at the right 00:05:02.930 --> 00:05:08.529 hand of God, poured out and he came surging into 00:05:08.529 --> 00:05:12.480 planet Earth. It's not an afterthought. Hey, 00:05:12.540 --> 00:05:14.379 they're all joined together down there and they're 00:05:14.379 --> 00:05:16.399 in that upper room. We should do something for 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:20.639 them. It's always been the plan of God. Always 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:23.120 has it been the plan of God that he would then, 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:27.139 he would then, until the fullness of time, until 00:05:27.139 --> 00:05:29.600 time had been fulfilled, go to heaven and sit 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:32.339 at the right hand of God. But then on that day, 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:34.980 the last trumpet would blast and he would come 00:05:34.980 --> 00:05:40.329 and return. And we'd meet him in the air. It's 00:05:40.329 --> 00:05:42.449 always been the plan of God that there be a thousand 00:05:42.449 --> 00:05:45.550 -year millennial reign right here on planet Earth. 00:05:46.730 --> 00:05:49.810 And that He and He alone will be exalted as head 00:05:49.810 --> 00:05:53.569 over all. It's always been the plan of God that 00:05:53.569 --> 00:05:56.769 there be a new heavens and a new earth in the 00:05:56.769 --> 00:05:59.509 next chapter, in the next phase of what it is 00:05:59.509 --> 00:06:03.850 that our God's going to do. Always. Always. Now, 00:06:03.949 --> 00:06:07.750 we got that off the screen now. These are all 00:06:07.750 --> 00:06:09.769 the verses that we looked at last week. We're 00:06:09.769 --> 00:06:12.290 not going to repeat it. Every single one of these 00:06:12.290 --> 00:06:14.990 verses, every single one of them, and then more 00:06:14.990 --> 00:06:18.230 in our Bible, more in our Bible, point to this 00:06:18.230 --> 00:06:21.670 Bible fact that there is no other way to salvation. 00:06:22.290 --> 00:06:25.329 That Jesus is the door and there isn't a second 00:06:25.329 --> 00:06:28.420 door. That this nonsense that's preached even 00:06:28.420 --> 00:06:30.660 in Christian churches, and I'm sure is being 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:33.120 preached again somewhere right here in our nation 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:36.139 this morning, that there are many paths up the 00:06:36.139 --> 00:06:38.279 mountain, and it doesn't matter which path you 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:42.759 take to find God. All those other paths are washed 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.980 out. All those other paths have no bridge. All 00:06:45.980 --> 00:06:49.449 those other paths are dead ends. There's only 00:06:49.449 --> 00:06:51.829 one path that leads to heaven. Jesus said, I 00:06:51.829 --> 00:06:54.389 am the door. Anyone who comes in through me shall 00:06:54.389 --> 00:06:56.629 be saved. And he didn't say, and there are a 00:06:56.629 --> 00:06:58.069 couple of others, and if you're lucky, you'll 00:06:58.069 --> 00:07:01.170 find him. He didn't say that. He didn't say that. 00:07:01.509 --> 00:07:04.610 He said, I am the way, the way, the way. Only 00:07:04.610 --> 00:07:08.689 one path, the way. I am the way. Only one way 00:07:08.689 --> 00:07:11.670 to get there. Only one way to get there. We live 00:07:11.670 --> 00:07:16.100 on a dead end. Our road is a dead end road. And 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:18.339 if you don't turn off of one of our particular 00:07:18.339 --> 00:07:21.860 county highways onto our road, you are not going 00:07:21.860 --> 00:07:25.000 to get there, at least not by vehicle. There's 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:29.300 only one path. And we live right toward the end 00:07:29.300 --> 00:07:31.459 of the dead end, and then we have one driveway 00:07:31.459 --> 00:07:33.339 that goes up to our house. No second driveway. 00:07:33.579 --> 00:07:35.300 There's only one path to get to the Clements 00:07:35.300 --> 00:07:38.939 residence. You don't get there by accident. Only 00:07:38.939 --> 00:07:41.639 one path. And no one is going to get to heaven 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:45.420 by accident. There is only one path. Jesus said 00:07:45.420 --> 00:07:50.259 it, John 14, 6, I am the way, the truth, and 00:07:50.259 --> 00:07:53.139 the life. No man comes to the Father except through 00:07:53.139 --> 00:07:58.000 me. Now, how people can claim the title of Christian, 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:01.839 claim to be even born again, call themselves 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:06.079 evangelical, say they are a Bible person, but 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:08.620 then say, but there are other ways to heaven 00:08:08.620 --> 00:08:21.550 besides Jesus. Who says? Who says? Is that what 00:08:21.550 --> 00:08:23.930 God says? Is that what Jesus said? Is that what 00:08:23.930 --> 00:08:25.629 the Holy Spirit inspired any of the writers of 00:08:25.629 --> 00:08:29.970 Scripture to say? So all it is is you. It's just 00:08:29.970 --> 00:08:33.669 you said it. That's it. No, no, no. I've got 00:08:33.669 --> 00:08:40.090 70 % of other Americans that say it. Okay. Okay. 00:08:42.049 --> 00:08:44.690 See, my Bible and your Bible, our Bible talks 00:08:44.690 --> 00:08:48.129 about this. Jesus said this is the master parable. 00:08:48.210 --> 00:08:49.769 And if you don't get this one, you won't get 00:08:49.769 --> 00:08:52.309 any of the parables. When the word of God is 00:08:52.309 --> 00:08:56.610 preached, there are four types of heart conditions 00:08:56.610 --> 00:09:00.149 where it lands. And the first one is hard and 00:09:00.149 --> 00:09:02.049 it doesn't even penetrate, just trickles off. 00:09:04.309 --> 00:09:07.649 And the second are those who wilt because they're 00:09:07.649 --> 00:09:10.049 not in the majority and people persecute them 00:09:10.049 --> 00:09:12.669 and mock them and make fun of them. And their 00:09:12.669 --> 00:09:15.070 friends and their family members question them. 00:09:15.289 --> 00:09:17.950 and they have no backbone, and they aren't resolved. 00:09:18.990 --> 00:09:21.590 I find it a whole lot easier just to say, this 00:09:21.590 --> 00:09:23.549 is the Word of God, and I believe it, than just 00:09:23.549 --> 00:09:25.549 to say, well, parts of it might be true, and 00:09:25.549 --> 00:09:26.990 there are some things in here we're not sure 00:09:26.990 --> 00:09:29.330 of, and some of it's outdated and needs to be 00:09:29.330 --> 00:09:36.970 updated. You just be uncertain and unsecure and 00:09:36.970 --> 00:09:41.049 unsure and always bobbing up and down. And I 00:09:41.049 --> 00:09:45.929 find it, personally, Just a whole lot easier 00:09:45.929 --> 00:09:48.169 just to be stable. Get up every morning and say, 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:50.470 yep, that's my Bible. It is the Word of God. 00:09:51.389 --> 00:09:56.370 It's inspired in its entirety. It's eternal in 00:09:56.370 --> 00:10:00.350 its duration. It is to be believed and embraced 00:10:00.350 --> 00:10:03.129 and lived by everyone that claims the name of 00:10:03.129 --> 00:10:08.950 Christ. Amen. And it says there is no other way. 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:11.720 I realize what the articles say. I realize what 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:13.639 your internet says. I realize what the other 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:17.080 preachers say. I realize what even in other churches 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:24.279 right here in our city say. But the Bible, the 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:29.519 B -I -B -L -E. Yes, that's the book for me. Yeah, 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:32.440 that's the book for me. It says there is only 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:36.679 one way. All right. So for today, today, today. 00:10:37.389 --> 00:10:41.330 we're going to be looking at John chapter 3 to 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:49.970 start with. John chapter 3 says that you must 00:10:49.970 --> 00:10:54.269 be born again. Now again, there are a fair number. 00:10:54.429 --> 00:10:58.309 I gave my articles away already to be mailed 00:10:58.309 --> 00:11:01.610 to one of our viewers who asked if she could 00:11:01.610 --> 00:11:03.909 have them. So I don't have the articles in my 00:11:03.909 --> 00:11:05.909 possession anymore. They're right over here. 00:11:07.210 --> 00:11:13.230 But one of them gives the actual number of born 00:11:13.230 --> 00:11:19.330 -again people who believe that God will recognize 00:11:19.330 --> 00:11:25.789 your good works and you can come on merit, what 00:11:25.789 --> 00:11:27.789 you've accomplished and what you've done. And 00:11:27.789 --> 00:11:31.879 if you lived a good life... and you were nice 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:35.019 to other people, you were a good neighbor, then 00:11:35.019 --> 00:11:37.840 God will take all that into consideration, and 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:52.200 He'll allow you in because you were good. I'll 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:53.679 just have you listen, then I'll give you the 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:57.539 address. Ready? Okay, two people over here. I'll 00:11:57.539 --> 00:12:00.500 just preach to you. Anybody over here? You ready? 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:08.059 If I am right with God because of what I do, 00:12:08.259 --> 00:12:15.080 then Christ died for nothing. If I'm right with 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:18.500 God because of what I do, then Christ died for 00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:24.620 nothing. That's Galatians 2, verse 21. I do not 00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:28.039 frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.740 comes by the law, that's what I do, then Christ 00:12:31.740 --> 00:12:35.000 died in vain. He died for nothing. See, if I 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.059 could live a good life, and if I could be sweet, 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:39.460 listen to me out there, you watching this morning, 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:42.019 if you could live a good life, and if you could 00:12:42.019 --> 00:12:44.840 be nice and kind and sweet, you ought to be all 00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:46.919 those things, and you certainly oughtn't to live 00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:49.360 a bad life. You ought to be a good neighbor. 00:12:49.460 --> 00:12:51.440 You ought to be a good employer or a good employee. 00:12:51.539 --> 00:12:53.460 You ought to be a good friend. You ought to be 00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:56.120 a good sibling. You ought to be a good parent 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:58.639 or a good child or a good grandparent. You ought 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:01.419 to be honest. You ought to keep your word. You 00:13:01.419 --> 00:13:04.139 ought to be truthful. You ought to do what's 00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:07.200 right. But if that is all it took to get to heaven, 00:13:07.259 --> 00:13:09.299 Jesus could stay right up there at the right 00:13:09.299 --> 00:13:12.000 hand of God, never had to come, didn't have to 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.019 die on the cross. Well, he did for the bad people. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.659 How about this? Well, you're one of them. How 00:13:25.659 --> 00:13:27.799 can you say that, Pastor? It's really easy. The 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:30.980 Bible says, for all have sinned and fall short 00:13:30.980 --> 00:13:34.100 of the glory of God. Romans 3 .23. And since 00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:36.940 all have sinned, all we have is good sinners 00:13:36.940 --> 00:13:40.799 and bad sinners. We have good people who sin 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:43.639 and bad people who sin because all people have 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:46.860 sinned. All have sinned and fall short of the 00:13:46.860 --> 00:13:49.799 glory of God. And since all have sinned, then 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.419 all are worthy of death because Romans 6 .23 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:55.559 says the wages of sin is death. The wages of 00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:58.039 sin is not heaven because you're a good person. 00:13:58.940 --> 00:14:01.379 The wages of sin is death and all of sin, so 00:14:01.379 --> 00:14:04.960 the wages for all is death. And so then God steps 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:09.299 in and says, but the gift of God, gift is unmerited, 00:14:09.379 --> 00:14:15.860 gift is unearned, gift is undeserved. This week 00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:17.980 was my birthday. Thank you all, by the way. Had 00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:20.740 a celebration here on Wednesday night. Had a 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:22.960 celebration all day with Paula on Thursday. Had 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:24.840 a celebration with some of our family members 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:30.620 on Thursday night. And even talked my dad into 00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:33.799 coming out. Glory to God. Morning, Dad. And thank 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:35.860 you all. Thank you all for your cards and notes 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:38.019 and for your gifts. I didn't earn any of them. 00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:44.460 I didn't earn one of them. I didn't do anything 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:47.919 for them. Our staff presented a gift to me before 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:50.559 service. I didn't do anything to earn that. It 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:53.460 was a birthday present. It was a gift. You don't 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:56.480 do anything to earn a gift. I feel almost embarrassed 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:58.419 sometimes. I said it on Thursday night. I said, 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:01.360 I didn't bring you all here to get stuff from 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.919 you. I mean, I brought you here to eat meatballs 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:12.730 and cheesy potatoes and birthday cake. I don't 00:15:12.730 --> 00:15:14.409 know, Bishop, I don't know how I feel about this. 00:15:14.990 --> 00:15:18.690 I don't want to start, you know, I don't want 00:15:18.690 --> 00:15:22.990 to start anything this morning, but I can't find 00:15:22.990 --> 00:15:24.830 anything in the Bible about celebrating birthdays. 00:15:27.669 --> 00:15:29.710 There's only two people in the whole Bible that 00:15:29.710 --> 00:15:31.409 we have record of that celebrated their birthday. 00:15:32.169 --> 00:15:33.909 I should just leave it right there and let people 00:15:33.909 --> 00:15:36.129 just do their own Bibles, shouldn't I? Only two 00:15:36.129 --> 00:15:37.730 people in the whole Bible ever celebrated their 00:15:37.730 --> 00:15:40.409 birthday. So I don't know how I feel about it. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.840 Celebrate them. I really don't. Pharaoh and King 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.559 Herod. Only two people in the whole Bible that 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.460 it ever says anything about them celebrating 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:54.039 the day of their birth. I just throw that in 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:56.820 for free. Some of you, I might as well just close 00:15:56.820 --> 00:15:58.360 right now because you won't hear another word. 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:01.340 Was he saying that? Oh, I didn't say anything. 00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:05.120 Blow out your candles. Eat your cake. I think 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:10.409 you're okay. The point is, you get gifts. And 00:16:10.409 --> 00:16:14.490 you don't earn them. If you get a paycheck, you 00:16:14.490 --> 00:16:18.990 earned it. That's why you go. That is why you 00:16:18.990 --> 00:16:21.289 do what you do. You go to work, you get a paycheck. 00:16:21.450 --> 00:16:25.070 You earned it. You earned it. No one will earn 00:16:25.070 --> 00:16:29.029 heaven. It was earned for you, and you have to 00:16:29.029 --> 00:16:35.079 receive it as a gift. Now, this verse... These 00:16:35.079 --> 00:16:37.860 verses, I should say, we'll read the third chapter 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:39.860 of John here, and then we might just have to 00:16:39.860 --> 00:16:43.700 close. But that's okay. We get to come back next 00:16:43.700 --> 00:16:51.139 week. If the Lord tarries. I'll paraphrase just 00:16:51.139 --> 00:16:53.379 the first couple of verses so we can make our 00:16:53.379 --> 00:16:56.980 way through. John chapter 3, this man named Nicodemus 00:16:56.980 --> 00:17:00.820 came to Jesus, and he said, we know you've come 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:03.899 from God. And Jesus answered him and said, And 00:17:03.899 --> 00:17:07.019 this is really important, because what Nicodemus 00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:09.339 says is, we know that you are a teacher come 00:17:09.339 --> 00:17:12.500 from God. No one could do the miracles that you 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:15.740 do unless God be with him. So listen real carefully 00:17:15.740 --> 00:17:18.680 to what's happening. This man comes to Jesus. 00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:22.839 To Jesus, he's in the flesh. He's manifested 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:27.500 on planet Earth in human form. And he says to 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:32.240 him, we know you are come from God. No one could 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.079 do what you do unless God was with him. So he 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:38.940 confesses right here, Jesus, you've come from 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:44.140 God, and you've done miracles. God is with you. 00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:47.259 And Jesus said that's not enough to make it to 00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:55.640 heaven. Not enough to believe in Jesus. Not enough 00:17:55.640 --> 00:18:00.509 to believe he came from God. Not enough to believe 00:18:00.509 --> 00:18:03.369 he did miracles. Apparently that's not enough. 00:18:03.730 --> 00:18:06.910 Because Jesus looked at him and in the next sentence 00:18:06.910 --> 00:18:10.210 said to this same man who just confessed, I believe 00:18:10.210 --> 00:18:13.789 that you came from God. And he said to him, verily, 00:18:13.789 --> 00:18:15.269 verily. Now what does the Bible mean when it 00:18:15.269 --> 00:18:19.349 says verily, verily? Truly, truly. It means pay 00:18:19.349 --> 00:18:24.410 attention. Whenever he says verily, but when 00:18:24.410 --> 00:18:27.190 he says verily, verily, that means like, that 00:18:27.190 --> 00:18:29.940 means like. Okay, don't be distracted right now. 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:37.400 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:42.660 kingdom of God. Now, Nicodemus, he's naturally 00:18:42.660 --> 00:18:46.819 minded. Not that anybody today isn't, but he 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:49.059 was more naturally minded. He wasn't born again. 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:52.119 He didn't have the Spirit of God on the inside 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:56.740 of him to help him. You and I do. And he immediately 00:18:56.740 --> 00:19:01.859 says, Born again. See, the easiest way probably 00:19:01.859 --> 00:19:04.660 to understand this is what Jesus said, you have 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:08.019 to be born a second time. If you're only born 00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:09.740 once, raise your hand if you were born once. 00:19:10.839 --> 00:19:14.220 This is not a trick question. This is not a trick 00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:17.920 question. Being born again means you have to 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:22.359 be born twice. Twice born. Twice born. That's 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:25.099 Bible vernacular. You have to be twice born. 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:27.720 And so Nicodemus says, we know you're a teacher 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:29.400 come from God. No one could do these miracles 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:31.519 unless you came from God. And Jesus looked at 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:34.400 him and said, unless a man's born again, he'll 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:36.920 never see the kingdom of God. Unless a man is 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:39.359 twice born, unless you have been born a second 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:42.859 time, you cannot go to heaven. Well, if you think 00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:45.519 naturally, you're in trouble right here, right 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:48.779 now. And that's exactly what Nicodemus does. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:53.720 He backs up. He says, what? How could I crawl 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:56.720 up into my mother's womb and be born a second 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:00.779 time? That's what he says. Next verse. How shall 00:20:00.779 --> 00:20:03.920 a man be born a second time, twice born, born 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:06.960 again when he's old? Can he enter a second time 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:10.400 in his mother's womb and be born? Can you imagine 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:19.210 Jesus when he talks to people? How long must 00:20:19.210 --> 00:20:22.750 I tolerate you? And he said, you have to be born 00:20:22.750 --> 00:20:27.609 twice. You have to be born twice. See, the Bible 00:20:27.609 --> 00:20:30.890 talks about two births and teaches two births 00:20:30.890 --> 00:20:35.829 and two deaths. One birth is natural. The second 00:20:35.829 --> 00:20:38.890 birth is spiritual. It's a spiritual rebirth. 00:20:41.259 --> 00:20:45.579 or your physical, the outward you. The new birth 00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:47.900 comes by the Holy Spirit, and it's the inside 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:52.079 you. It's the eternal you. The spiritual and 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:56.539 eternal part of your being is reborn. The exterior, 00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:00.980 the natural part of your being, isn't. It retains 00:21:00.980 --> 00:21:04.720 all the same characteristics, shape of your face 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:06.940 and your eyes and your hair color and your height. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.859 None of that changes. Everything changes on the 00:21:09.859 --> 00:21:14.220 inside. On the inside. The Bible also teaches 00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:18.279 two deaths. And if you're only born once, you're 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:24.759 going to die twice. The natural death where you 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:27.500 breathe out your last and your body gets still 00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:30.599 and starts to cool instantly. And eventually 00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:36.740 rigor mortis sets in and we bury it. But you've 00:21:36.740 --> 00:21:40.430 left that body. You depart. If you're a Christian, 00:21:40.569 --> 00:21:42.730 you depart to be with Christ, which is by far 00:21:42.730 --> 00:21:47.309 the best. You depart into the everlasting presence 00:21:47.309 --> 00:21:51.710 of God. Matthew 25 says, if you aren't, and if 00:21:51.710 --> 00:21:53.809 your name is not written in the Lamb's book of 00:21:53.809 --> 00:21:57.349 life, you descend into everlasting torment, prepared 00:21:57.349 --> 00:21:59.150 for the devil and his race. That's the second 00:21:59.150 --> 00:22:02.210 death. That is the second death. Want to see 00:22:02.210 --> 00:22:04.809 that in Scripture? Okay, I'm going to have to 00:22:04.809 --> 00:22:10.410 keep you here. That all right? Turn to the last 00:22:10.410 --> 00:22:17.170 page of the Bible. Turn to Revelation chapter 00:22:17.170 --> 00:22:36.269 21. Oh, I don't even have time to do all this, 00:22:36.390 --> 00:22:38.710 but I'll just give you a couple of verses, okay? 00:22:39.360 --> 00:22:42.480 All right. It's talking about the thousand -year 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:46.019 reign of Christ in those first five verses of 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:49.400 Revelation chapter 20. And verse 5 says, The 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:51.500 rest of the dead live not again till the thousand 00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:54.579 years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:57.359 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:00.299 first resurrection. On such the second death 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:04.460 has no power. The second death has no power. 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:19.019 Look at verse 14. Ready? Verse 14. And death 00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:22.480 and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:26.720 is the second death. And whoever's not found 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:30.019 written in the book of life was cast into the 00:23:30.019 --> 00:23:33.720 lake of fire. There's a first death, and there's 00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:37.000 a second death. And everyone who's died once, 00:23:37.220 --> 00:23:40.950 everyone who's... Life has ceased, no matter 00:23:40.950 --> 00:23:45.549 at what stage, no matter for what cause. Awaits 00:23:45.549 --> 00:23:49.390 judgment day. And only then will it be determined 00:23:49.390 --> 00:23:51.869 whether or not they will die the second time. 00:23:52.130 --> 00:23:54.890 And that's plunge into the lake of fire forever 00:23:54.890 --> 00:23:58.390 and ever and ever. But if you've been born twice, 00:23:58.509 --> 00:24:01.349 you won't die twice. If you've been only born 00:24:01.349 --> 00:24:04.450 once and never been born again, you'll die both 00:24:04.450 --> 00:24:07.940 those times, naturally and then eternally. But 00:24:07.940 --> 00:24:11.400 if you're born twice, twice born, born once naturally 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:13.660 through your mother, that's the only way to get 00:24:13.660 --> 00:24:16.319 into this planet, the only way to get into the 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:21.720 human race, the only way, irrefutable. I don't 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:23.559 even know if some of these unbelieving believers 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:27.359 don't believe that. You come through your mom. 00:24:27.740 --> 00:24:30.519 And he says, how can I crawl up in my mom's womb 00:24:30.519 --> 00:24:33.460 again and be born a second time? And Jesus, back 00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:37.460 to John 3, and we'll close. Jesus says, verse 00:24:37.460 --> 00:24:40.559 5, except a man be born of water, that's the 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:44.420 natural birth, and born of what? Born of the 00:24:44.420 --> 00:24:47.619 Spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of God. That 00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:51.759 which is born of human parents, that which is 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:56.960 born of the flesh, is flesh. That which is born 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.670 of the Spirit... is spirit. Your parents gave 00:25:00.670 --> 00:25:03.170 you that outward encasement. They gave you that 00:25:03.170 --> 00:25:06.150 set of legs and set of feet and set of hands, 00:25:06.329 --> 00:25:08.869 and they gave you that pretty face, and they 00:25:08.869 --> 00:25:12.369 gave you that posture. That all came from your 00:25:12.369 --> 00:25:15.789 human parents. The Holy Spirit doesn't change 00:25:15.789 --> 00:25:19.890 that. That which is born of the Spirit is your 00:25:19.890 --> 00:25:22.289 spirit. Look up here at the screen. We won't 00:25:22.289 --> 00:25:25.309 turn to it. Get my piano player up here. That'll 00:25:25.309 --> 00:25:30.779 help me. even know I'm wrapping up. 1 Thessalonians 00:25:30.779 --> 00:25:34.400 5, 23. Remember this verse? Remember this verse? 00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:36.900 Paul is writing, it says, the very God of peace 00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:40.680 sanctify you entirely. And I pray God that your 00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:45.099 whole, now watch this. I pray God, I need three 00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:49.759 men up here. You three will do. Yep. And I pray 00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:55.380 God, and I pray God, and I pray God. That's your 00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:58.839 whole spirit. Remember, this is just one person. 00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:04.140 Get closer. Get tight. Get real tight. Okay, 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:06.380 you pull out in front here. No, not you. Not 00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:07.920 you. You're a spirit man. You're the hidden man 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:14.680 of the heart. Your soul. Your body. Now, which 00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:19.359 one can you see? Exclusively. Which one can you 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:23.349 kind of sort of see a little bit of? Soul. That's 00:26:23.349 --> 00:26:25.690 the personality. That's mind, will, emotions. 00:26:25.869 --> 00:26:27.690 That's what makes you the person that you are. 00:26:27.789 --> 00:26:31.549 What can't you hardly notice at all? Now, let's 00:26:31.549 --> 00:26:33.750 switch them around. Let's make you the spirit. 00:26:34.009 --> 00:26:39.769 Let's make you Hulk, Hogan, the body. Now, that's 00:26:39.769 --> 00:26:42.950 how it is most of the time right there. Yep, 00:26:42.970 --> 00:26:47.930 spirit, soul, and body. And the only reason that 00:26:47.930 --> 00:26:51.289 the Bible does this is so that we can identify 00:26:51.289 --> 00:26:54.170 that we truly have been made in the image of 00:26:54.170 --> 00:26:57.950 God. After His likeness. God is three parts, 00:26:58.029 --> 00:27:01.750 spirit, soul, and body. We are Father, Son, Holy 00:27:01.750 --> 00:27:04.430 Spirit. He is. And He said, I'm going to make 00:27:04.430 --> 00:27:08.009 this man, and we're going to make him in our 00:27:08.009 --> 00:27:11.809 image and after our likeness. Read Genesis again. 00:27:12.329 --> 00:27:13.910 God didn't say, I'm going to make him in my image 00:27:13.910 --> 00:27:15.210 and my likeness. He said, we're going to make 00:27:15.210 --> 00:27:18.150 him in our image and in our likeness. And he 00:27:18.150 --> 00:27:22.609 made Adam a living soul. He took his body from 00:27:22.609 --> 00:27:24.549 the dust of the earth. They can still take your 00:27:24.549 --> 00:27:28.789 body, any hair, bones, any organ, skin, anything. 00:27:29.049 --> 00:27:31.849 And it's only made up of the elements that come 00:27:31.849 --> 00:27:36.569 out of soil. Bishop, stand up. I want everybody 00:27:36.569 --> 00:27:39.170 to see how much darker my complexion is than 00:27:39.170 --> 00:27:48.549 Bishop Augustine. See? See? They call me white. 00:27:51.049 --> 00:27:57.210 Am I white? No. No. Every pigmentation of every 00:27:57.210 --> 00:28:01.789 human being somehow mimics some soil that's on 00:28:01.789 --> 00:28:04.039 planet Earth. It's either a little more yellow 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:06.519 or a little more red or a little more dark or 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:10.539 real dark or brownish. Every human being's complexion, 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:15.539 their skin, somehow reflects the elements of 00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:16.980 the planet because that's what we're made out 00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:20.299 of. A great, great majority of the percentage 00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:27.740 of our outward being is water. Just water. H2O. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:30.579 And the rest of it's a little bit of magnesium, 00:28:30.660 --> 00:28:33.160 a little bit of copper, and a little bit of riboflavin. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:37.059 I don't even know what that is. Vitamin A and 00:28:37.059 --> 00:28:42.140 vitamin C and iron and niacin. It's just elements 00:28:42.140 --> 00:28:46.559 out of the soil. And you put one of these bodies 00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:50.380 back in the soil, what does it become? From the 00:28:50.380 --> 00:28:53.079 dust you were taken and to the dust you shall 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:58.380 return. That's the body. That's the body. But 00:28:58.380 --> 00:29:01.759 our God wants us to see that there is an outward 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:05.859 man and there's also an inward man. And the inward 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:09.839 man is made up of the Spirit and the soul. And 00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:12.160 the only thing sharp enough to divide the two 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:16.220 is the Word of God. Hebrews 4 .12 The only thing 00:29:16.220 --> 00:29:18.680 sharp enough to divide asunder between soul and 00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:20.839 spirit is God's Word. Otherwise, you can't divide 00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:25.900 them. They're like linked. They go together. 00:29:27.049 --> 00:29:32.490 The eternal part of you is spirit. And you have 00:29:32.490 --> 00:29:36.750 a soul. And they're never separated. The soul 00:29:36.750 --> 00:29:39.190 makes you who you are. The individual qualities 00:29:39.190 --> 00:29:44.289 of every human being, that's the soul. And then 00:29:44.289 --> 00:29:47.730 you live inside of a body. And the only part 00:29:47.730 --> 00:29:49.970 of this three -part being that your parents gave 00:29:49.970 --> 00:29:56.509 you was the bod. Was the body. God is the Father. 00:29:56.910 --> 00:30:03.210 of all spirits. The Father of spirits. Shall 00:30:03.210 --> 00:30:04.950 we not be in subjection to the Father of spirits 00:30:04.950 --> 00:30:09.490 and live? And he's placed this being together, 00:30:09.609 --> 00:30:18.369 a body, with a soul, and a spirit. And he takes 00:30:18.369 --> 00:30:22.109 1 Thessalonians 5 .23, pulls them apart, pulls 00:30:22.109 --> 00:30:24.589 it out, lays it in front of you, and says, this 00:30:24.589 --> 00:30:27.920 is who you are. This is every human. You are 00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:31.000 a spirit. You're not a body. You're a spirit. 00:30:31.099 --> 00:30:35.400 You have a soul. You have a body. And the Holy 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:39.559 Spirit, when you're born again, Nicodemus, doesn't 00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:41.980 mean your body has to somehow get birthed a second 00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:44.759 time. It's not your body that gets birthed. It's 00:30:44.759 --> 00:30:47.759 your spirit that gets reborn. Your spirit gets 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:53.299 reborn in the nature of God. In the nature of 00:30:53.299 --> 00:30:58.220 God. And you're a new creature. See, going through 00:30:58.220 --> 00:31:02.119 a class doesn't make you a new creature. Following 00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:04.640 a set of rules and a code of conduct doesn't 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:10.559 make you a new creature. Getting dipped in water 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:13.200 or having water poured on you does not make you 00:31:13.200 --> 00:31:15.359 a new creature. Joining a church does not make 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:17.880 you a new creature. Giving money into a project 00:31:17.880 --> 00:31:20.299 doesn't make you a new creature. The only thing 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:23.099 that makes you a new creature, a new creation, 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:25.940 and that's what 2 Corinthians 5 .17 says, if 00:31:25.940 --> 00:31:28.539 any man be a Christ, he's a new creature, a new 00:31:28.539 --> 00:31:31.599 creation. This part of your being, the spirit 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:33.940 part of your being, the eternal part of your 00:31:33.940 --> 00:31:42.059 being is recreated. A Greek lexicon will tell 00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:45.259 you that word, creature, means a brand new creation 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:50.400 that has never existed before. A brand new creation 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:53.539 that's never existed before. Now, if this is 00:31:53.539 --> 00:31:56.559 what existed before, and you get born again, 00:31:56.759 --> 00:32:00.220 this old creature has to leave because it's a 00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:04.819 brand new creation. Brand new creature that... 00:32:04.819 --> 00:32:11.660 Now, I should have picked someone else. Come 00:32:11.660 --> 00:32:15.259 here, Mary. Because I want to flip people out. 00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:19.160 I want them to turn their head sideways and say, 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:22.240 what did he say? Your spirit doesn't have a gender. 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:30.160 Your spirit doesn't have a gender. So, you know, 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:33.519 it looked like one before, but that old one passed 00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:37.619 away. It's a brand new creation that never before 00:32:37.619 --> 00:32:40.579 existed, and now you get to be the... Spirit 00:32:40.579 --> 00:32:45.579 man. Kind of tucked in there, right behind the 00:32:45.579 --> 00:32:49.920 soul. And the soul you recognize as people's 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:55.059 personality, what they're like, their mind, their 00:32:55.059 --> 00:32:58.680 will, their emotions. That's all in their soul. 00:33:00.420 --> 00:33:03.059 And your spirit doesn't have to be renewed anymore. 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:06.579 Your spirit's already been recreated. Your mind 00:33:06.579 --> 00:33:11.859 has to be renewed. The saving of your soul is 00:33:11.859 --> 00:33:16.759 what James chapter 1 verse 21 says. Receive with 00:33:16.759 --> 00:33:18.480 meekness the engrafted word which is able to 00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:21.200 save your soul. Your soul isn't saved yet. Still 00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:23.880 got stinking thinking. Still are carnally minded. 00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:25.859 Still have things that need to be renewed and 00:33:25.859 --> 00:33:29.680 changed. But your spirit? Already changed after 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:32.599 the image of God. Perfect. That's a one -time 00:33:32.599 --> 00:33:36.680 instant event. Renewing your mind is a lifelong 00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:41.349 process. And what about my body? Oh, thank God 00:33:41.349 --> 00:33:44.450 for the 8th chapter of Romans that says the day 00:33:44.450 --> 00:33:47.529 is coming when the last trumpet blows. 1 Corinthians 00:33:47.529 --> 00:33:52.869 chapter 15 says when corruptible puts on incorruption 00:33:52.869 --> 00:33:56.609 and imperfect becomes perfect and temporal becomes 00:33:56.609 --> 00:34:02.549 eternal. And on that day, our body will be redeemed. 00:34:02.549 --> 00:34:07.880 The redemption of our body. You know, all the 00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:09.760 people that have gone to heaven, that's their 00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:12.739 soul and their spirit that's there. Their body 00:34:12.739 --> 00:34:17.500 still awaits that moment when they're resurrected 00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:21.000 and changed. And then and only then will our 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:23.960 whole being, thank you all. Thank you. Thank 00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:27.860 you. Only then will our whole being and our whole 00:34:27.860 --> 00:34:34.780 body be redeemed. And we'll be able to stand 00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:37.170 then in the presence of God because Flesh and 00:34:37.170 --> 00:34:39.750 blood cannot stand in God's presence. That's 00:34:39.750 --> 00:34:43.730 what it says. Neither does corruption. Corruption 00:34:43.730 --> 00:34:45.530 put on incorruption. It's still corruptible. 00:34:47.130 --> 00:34:53.530 It still ages. It still can be tempted. But one 00:34:53.530 --> 00:34:55.670 day, whether you leave your body behind and go, 00:34:55.789 --> 00:34:59.429 and it'll catch up, or whether you're changed 00:34:59.429 --> 00:35:03.289 in the twinkling of an eye, we'll all be changed 00:35:03.289 --> 00:35:06.920 and redeemed. What about those people, Pastor? 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:09.699 What about those people who went to church? What 00:35:09.699 --> 00:35:12.119 about those people who trusted in their infant 00:35:12.119 --> 00:35:14.800 baptism? What about those people who went to 00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:17.260 class? What about those people who came to your 00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:21.360 church? What about those people who watched and 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:25.099 virtually joined you and streamed? What about 00:35:25.099 --> 00:35:35.969 those people? Verse 7, marvel not that I say 00:35:35.969 --> 00:35:40.050 to you, you must be born again. You must be born 00:35:40.050 --> 00:35:42.190 again. I don't care how many classes you take. 00:35:42.250 --> 00:35:44.389 It doesn't matter how much money you give. It 00:35:44.389 --> 00:35:47.230 doesn't matter how many songs you sing. It doesn't 00:35:47.230 --> 00:35:49.010 matter how many people you help across the street. 00:35:51.210 --> 00:35:54.690 Your spirit remains dead until you're born again. 00:35:55.190 --> 00:35:57.909 And then you're reborn. And that's a work of 00:35:57.909 --> 00:36:00.050 the Holy Spirit. And that's a subject for next 00:36:00.050 --> 00:36:05.980 week's service. Let's stand. That's enough for 00:36:05.980 --> 00:36:10.119 today. We're covering our statement of faith. 00:36:11.059 --> 00:36:14.000 And our statement of faith here in this particular 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:19.099 church just absolutely does our best to conform 00:36:19.099 --> 00:36:23.280 to God's Word, the Bible. And number 10 on our 00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:25.619 list, on our statement of faith is, you must 00:36:25.619 --> 00:36:30.289 be born again. You must be born again. Pastor, 00:36:30.369 --> 00:36:33.090 you spoke disparagingly about giving and baptism 00:36:33.090 --> 00:36:37.530 and going to class and learning things. No, no, 00:36:37.550 --> 00:36:39.349 I don't mean to speak disparagingly about any 00:36:39.349 --> 00:36:41.349 of them. I'm just saying I said it and I'll say 00:36:41.349 --> 00:36:43.190 it again. I'll continue to say it. That's not 00:36:43.190 --> 00:36:47.670 what causes you to be born again. The Spirit 00:36:47.670 --> 00:36:51.139 of God has to do a work. on the inside of you 00:36:51.139 --> 00:36:54.099 and the eternal part of you. And that comes when 00:36:54.099 --> 00:36:57.400 you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and put 00:36:57.400 --> 00:37:00.300 your whole faith and trust and hope and confidence 00:37:00.300 --> 00:37:03.599 and reliance on Him and what He did for you on 00:37:03.599 --> 00:37:07.380 Calvary's cross and in dying and in God raising 00:37:07.380 --> 00:37:09.800 Him from the dead. You have to make Him the Lord 00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:16.079 of your life. Exclusively your Lord. And confess 00:37:16.079 --> 00:37:18.440 with your mouth His Lordship. It's what our Bible 00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:22.619 says. It is what our Bible says. When I read 00:37:22.619 --> 00:37:25.340 those articles that I had here earlier this morning, 00:37:25.400 --> 00:37:27.760 and it says, what makes you think you're born 00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:31.300 again? And over and over and over and over, 77 00:37:31.300 --> 00:37:34.000 some percent, I believe it said, say, well, because 00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:36.280 I confessed my sins and asked to be forgiven. 00:37:40.179 --> 00:37:45.380 I don't read that in my Bible. Because I asked 00:37:45.380 --> 00:37:48.500 Jesus into my heart. You know what? I don't read 00:37:48.500 --> 00:37:55.139 that in my Bible. I think there'd be a lot of 00:37:55.139 --> 00:38:00.380 people be turned away from the gate. And they're 00:38:00.380 --> 00:38:05.820 going to say, but I thought, but I thought, but 00:38:05.820 --> 00:38:10.320 I thought, reminds me of Matthew 7, when they 00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:13.719 said, but I thought we prophesied in your name. 00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:17.059 And we've done miracles in your name. And we 00:38:17.059 --> 00:38:19.300 cast out devils in your name. We did many wonderful 00:38:19.300 --> 00:38:21.800 things in your name. And he's going to say, I 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:26.599 never knew you. I never knew you. See, there's 00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:29.900 one major religion in the world and in America 00:38:29.900 --> 00:38:33.280 that tells people that they receive Jesus when 00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:36.559 they take the element of communion. That's receiving 00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:46.050 Jesus. Maybe we should talk about that. Because 00:38:46.050 --> 00:38:51.110 my Bible says that we're saved by faith. Not 00:38:51.110 --> 00:38:55.349 by eating and drinking something. By faith. For 00:38:55.349 --> 00:38:59.570 by grace are you saved through faith. That not 00:38:59.570 --> 00:39:03.510 of yourself, that's a gift of God. Not of anything 00:39:03.510 --> 00:39:09.940 that I do, lest I should boast. Oh, I hope to 00:39:09.940 --> 00:39:14.079 have another opportunity to serve God by serving 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:17.019 His Word to you. I hope I get one more opportunity. 00:39:17.699 --> 00:39:21.300 If I do, it'll be Wednesday night here. And if 00:39:21.300 --> 00:39:24.300 we get to finish this, one particular aspect 00:39:24.300 --> 00:39:28.340 of what we believe, it'll be next Sunday. And 00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:31.539 short of the Lord returning, I'll be here. Hope 00:39:31.539 --> 00:39:37.260 you will be. Praise God. Thank you for watching. 00:39:37.670 --> 00:39:40.510 The Word of the Lord, a weekly television broadcast 00:39:40.510 --> 00:39:43.230 of Living Word Christian Church. Living Word 00:39:43.230 --> 00:39:46.050 Christian Church welcomes you to join us at 2015 00:39:46.050 --> 00:39:51.590 Ward Avenue in La Crosse, Wisconsin. And Wednesday 00:39:51.590 --> 00:39:54.349 evenings at 7. For more information on Living 00:39:54.349 --> 00:39:57.170 Word Christian Church, visit us on the web at 00:39:57.170 --> 00:39:59.670 lwcclax .com.