Save Us From This Generation, O Lord

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Rev. Dr. David Entry. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:14] Be blessed. Glory to Jesus. Hallelujah. Today I want to talk about a very interesting topic. Save us, O Lord, from this generation.

[0:26] Save us, Lord. Because in the book of 2 Kings, there was famine and someone came to the king. He said, O king, save me. Save me. The king said, if the Lord doesn't save us, who can do anything?

[0:39] You might cry to the king, but the answer is not with the king. Save us, O Lord, from this evil generation, from this evil age. Save us, O Lord. And I believe that there is always salvation in Christ.

[0:52] Christ didn't only save us from eternal judgment. He doesn't only save us from eternal punishment. He also saves us from a generation.

[1:03] Acts chapter 2, verse 40. Thank you, Jesus. This is after the day of Pentacles when the Holy Spirit has descended on the people. And they were misinterpreted and misjudged to be drunk.

[1:17] And Peter says that this man, verse 12 and 13, particularly 13. Peter stood out among the 12 and said, these men are not drunk as you suppose. So in the first place, the world will always have their mindset about the church.

[1:30] But it does not mean we should go to and say what they are saying is true. The world will always have what they think about the church. He said, these men are not drunk as you suppose.

[1:41] You suppose they are drunk, but boy, they are not drunk. You're wrong. So what's going on there? They won't take their time to know from us what's going on. But they will let others tell them what is going on within us.

[1:54] Thank God. The Bible says that God has hidden this from the wise. He has, 1 Corinthians chapter 1. He has hidden it from the wise and the prudent.

[2:05] And he has revealed it to babes and the poor, to the weak, so that no man can take glory. They said these people are drunk. Peter said they are not drunk as you suppose.

[2:16] But this, what is happening is a prophecy. You can't separate what God is doing in the New Testament church from the Old Testament era. The Bible says, it talks about how Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20, how the church is built on the foundation of the prophets and the apostles.

[2:32] The foundation of the church is the prophet. It is the prophecies and the proclamations of the prophets and the teachings of the apostles that determine the quality of a church or a true church.

[2:45] So a church can never be built up. Christ is the bedrock, is the chief cornerstone. However, the teachings of the apostles and the prophecies and the sayings and the proclamations of the prophets.

[2:58] So you can't separate the New Testament from the Old Testament. That is why the Bible is made up of both the old and the new. You can't only teach from the New Testament and say it's not related to the Old Testament.

[3:09] Or you can't only teach in the Old Testament and say the New Testament doesn't matter. Both are essential for the plan and the program and the economy of God, fulfillment of God's economy. So Peter said the first preaching of the church was in reference to the Old Testament.

[3:26] He said this is what was said by Joel. So Peter started making reference in verse 16. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.

[3:40] All right. Verse 17. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says the Lord. The prophet, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. Joel spoke it, but it was God who was saying through Joel.

[3:53] So when you look at the Bible, we have two authors. The secondary author is the one who puts it here on what we have print. Okay. But the primary author, the real author is God.

[4:06] God is the original author of scriptures. So he says it was Joel who spoke, spoken by Joel, verse 16. That was spoken by the prophet, by prophet Joel.

[4:17] However, it was God who said through the speaking of the prophet. And my prayer is that may God find it appropriate, suitable and fitting for his glory to speak through me.

[4:31] That my speaking, through my speaking, his voice will come to you. He said this is what was said. My, and this is what was, this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.

[4:44] And it shall come to pass in the last days, says the Lord, our power, my spirit. So he quoted from the Old Testament and began to explain what is happening in that New Testament era. He had the explanation in the Old Testament.

[4:57] Hallelujah. So he explained it and then preached and preached and preached. And then he finished preaching. But at the time, he didn't, sorry, he didn't finish preaching. As he was speaking, the people were cut to the heart. According to verse 37, they were cut to the heart and they cut him.

[5:10] They interrupted his preaching. He said, they said, men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? And then Peter said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. He said, men and brethren, verse 37.

[5:21] Now, when they heard this, they were preached in their hearts and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what must we do? What shall we do?

[5:31] Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the remission of sins.

[5:43] So one of the fundamental birth processes for every genuine believer, one of it is repentance. I said, repent and, what is it said?

[5:53] Repent, repent and be baptized. Baptism and ye shall receive the Holy Spirit for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the Holy Spirit. So remission of sins, your repentance and baptism takes care of the sins, sins, S-I-N-S, sins.

[6:10] So repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the Holy Spirit baptism. So there and there we see three of the key processes of becoming born again.

[6:22] I spoke about, I did some time ago, I mentioned the four midwifery process. So if you come to church, if you become a Christian and you miss one, it will affect the quality of your Christianity.

[6:35] Four, very important. So number one is belief. Here, it didn't say belief. All right. But other places in Acts, it said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, like Acts chapter 16, verse 31. It said, what must I do to be saved?

[6:46] It said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall receive you and your household. It didn't say repent. It said believe. You know, in other places, the Bible says that, and when they were baptized, whilst Peter yet speak these words, Acts chapter 10, verse 44, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening.

[7:00] He was preaching the words, by Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening. And they started speaking in tongues. All right. They will receive the Holy Spirit. Now, so the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit, they're receiving the Holy Spirit is one of the initial processes of being fully, properly born again.

[7:18] So four things. You must believe. You must repent. You must be baptized. And you must receive the Holy Spirit. These four things, if one of it hasn't properly happened in your life, you have a defect, a deformity in your Christian work.

[7:30] That's why you are struggling with this Christian work. You're actually born again, but your birthing process was not properly complete. It's like when you were born, they didn't cut the embolic accord. Detachment from the world didn't happen.

[7:42] You didn't repent. So now there's still so much connection between you and the world. That's why you don't see anything wrong with sins. You don't see anything. So it's just God understands grace. Grace is my weakness.

[7:52] No, it's your wickedness. It must be cut. There must be, you must sever ties from the world. Okay. You have to believe. You have to believe. It's like a child coming out of the birth canal.

[8:05] You must be, you must come out completely. Like it has always been said. Now, there's always been a discussion about at what point in time is, has birth been full, fully completed?

[8:15] So long as midwifery is concerned. Some say that after the umbilical cord is cut, is cut. Others say after the child has come out of the womb, then it means that it's done.

[8:26] So even though the umbilical cord is not cut, the birthing process is born. Others say when the child starts to breathe, okay, takes the first breath. Others say when the child takes the first cry, cry out.

[8:38] That means the child is now, birthing process is complete. So others believe that come out of the birth canal or the mother's womb. That's belief. But others also believe that the child must be clean.

[8:49] That's baptism. Others must believe that the child must, the umbilical cord must be cut. That is repentance. Cut you from the world, worldliness. And others believe that the, um, the child must cry.

[9:02] The Holy Spirit comes and then we begin to speak. That means there's a crying forth, crying forth. Abba, Father, the Spirit cry. So, but all the four are necessary. So it's not only one or two or three of them. All the four.

[9:13] If one is missing, your spiritual midwifery has a problem. It's not complete. That's why your spiritual life is just like haphazard. Anyhow, you can't even grow.

[9:24] You are not making any impact in the body of Christ. You are not useful to the church of God. You are just a Christian hanging around in there. No, something must be complete. But when your, your spiritual birth is complete, it puts you on a good platform to be able to be useful for the kingdom in Jesus name.

[9:40] So it says that what must we do to be, to, and Peter said that, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized for the remission of sin. You shall receive the Holy Spirit. But then verse, um, 38.

[9:50] And then said the promise is unto you and your children. But my key text now is verse 40. Verse 40. And with many other ways, did he testify and exhort, exhort, saying, save yourselves from this unto what generation?

[10:07] Can you just put it this way? And with many other ways, he testified and exhorted them, saying, be saved from this perverse generation. Be saved from this crooked generation.

[10:21] Kai. Be saved from this crooked generation. Um, the NIV. Acts 2, 40. Be saved. It didn't say be saved from the judgment of God. It didn't say be saved from the evil days coming.

[10:34] It didn't say be saved from hell, punishment of hell. He said be saved with many NIV. With many other ways, he warned them and he pleaded with them, save yourself from this corrupt generation.

[10:49] He pleaded with them and said, save yourself from this corrupt generation. Save yourselves. Now, when I like the way the New King James put it, the New King James says that be saved from this, be saved from this perverse generation.

[11:06] I like the word be saved. Now, that word be saved is very important. The be is, be is active. And then saved is passive. So, you, it's not, you don't save yourself.

[11:18] It's God who is doing the saved bit. But you are doing the be bit. So, be and then the saving takes place. There's always a human responsibility when it comes to enjoying from the divine provisions.

[11:33] Every divine provision comes with a human responsibility. Every divine privilege, every divine supply always demands a certain level of human responsibility.

[11:46] Other than that, so when people say, if there's God, why are people suffering? Where is God in all these things? God has been where he has been all along before you were born and he's been doing good.

[11:56] Bible says that he did not leave himself without a witness. In that he gave rain, I think Acts chapter 14 verse 17 or so, in that he gave rain. A lot of good things that are happening is a reflection of the goodness of God.

[12:09] God does not leave himself without a witness. If you care to find out, you'll find out that he's still working and he's still speaking. So, he said, be saved. Human responsibility, be saved from this untoward generation or perverse, perverse generation.

[12:24] In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32, 32 verse 5, I read it. Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 5, it talks about they have corrupted themselves.

[12:38] Their sport is not the sport of his children. What makes them tick, what makes them happy is not what should make a child of God happy. What they take pride in, what they call their pride, what they call their joy, their happiness, is not something that a child of God should call happiness.

[12:59] And Paul posted this with Galatians chapter 6, 14. Forbid it that I should boast, save in the cross of. Our boasting should always, our point of reference and boasting should always be Christ and Christ crucified.

[13:14] So, he says that their sport is not the sport of his children. They are a perverse and a crooked generation.

[13:27] They are a perverse and crooked generation. A generation that is warped, is crooked. That's the kind of generation we live in. And look at the kind of things that are happening every day in the news.

[13:41] It's such a corrupt generation. Corrupt generation. Listen, you and I, our salvation is not in the law that men have made. When men make law, the law will be good.

[13:55] Even if the law is good, it might have some flaws in it. Because why would I make a law that will convict my constant weakness? When I'm making a law, I won't add that one to it.

[14:07] Because I know this is what I mean. I can't do it. So, I won't add that one to it. So, if the law is made by men, men have a way of making the law to make sure that they are not at fault or they are not guilty.

[14:20] The law doesn't catch them guilty. That is how human, that's humanity. The Bible says, Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 9, said the heart of man is desperately wicked.

[14:32] Who can know it? Naturally. The natural man is a folly man. And it's likely. It doesn't mean there's no good in us. It doesn't mean there's some amount of good in everybody or in many people, depending on nature and nurture.

[14:46] Who nurtured you and what you were exposed to, your conscience, how your conscience was developed. It will definitely have an impact on your behavior.

[14:57] Yeah. So, but the point I am making is this. Even the most noble amongst men still has clay feet. I said it the other time.

[15:08] The most noble amongst men, the most prime of men still has clay feet. It's still a human being and it's still somewhere faulty. And so, Bible talks about an evil generation.

[15:20] An evil generation. Sometimes law can't even stop us. Laws, good laws cannot even stop us. So, what I'm trying to say is that we live in a crooked generation.

[15:31] Galatians chapter 1, verse 4. God has to save us from this generation. God has to save us from this generation. Peter, he's preaching. He said with many ways.

[15:43] So, after he told them that be converted and be baptized and you shall receive remission of sin. He said that that's not the end. Bible says with many other ways. He exhorted them.

[15:56] Then said, be saved from this crooked generation. Now, he's not talking about be saved from hellfire. Two salvations. I'm talking about be saved.

[16:08] Lot or Noah. God saved Noah from his crooked generation. Second Peter chapter 2. Noah was saved from that kind of generation. He saved Noah.

[16:19] So, God, we have to believe God to be saved from this generation. A generation in Romans chapter 1, verse 30. It says that they invent evil.

[16:31] In a generation, people who can create new ways of committing evil. Not crime. I'm not even talking about crime. Because some places, what may be deemed as crime is not crime.

[16:43] Some other places. Okay? It's not crime. But evil. New ways of inventing evil. That's the kind of humanity. When humanity is godless, we have amazing ways of devising evil.

[16:59] To subjugate and suppress and harass and attack and take from others. Godless human beings are not very far from being animals. Because you are just left with your instincts.

[17:12] If you live your life by your instincts, you will almost be like an animal. With an advanced brain. That does not protect you from yourself. Being well educated, being intellectual doesn't mean that you are wise.

[17:25] Satan is clever, but God is wise. Satan has no good wisdom. God has wisdom. The wisdom of God. Bible talks about the wisdom of this world. Devilish wisdom.

[17:37] All those things are things that destroy men. It leads men into perdition. So, Satan captures people to do his will.

[17:49] According to 2 Timothy 2, verse 26. Who Satan has captured to do his will. Satan.

[18:00] What was I talking about? Galatians 1, verse 4. Look at this. It said, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.

[18:14] So, it's the will of God and the will of our Father to be delivered from this present evil world. It's also called the evil generation. It's called the crooked generation.

[18:24] In 1 John, chapter 5, verse 19. It said, The whole world lies under the evil one. The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

[18:37] NIV says that. 1 John, chapter 5, verse 19. We know that we are the children of God and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. The whole world.

[18:50] So, that's why God has to save us from, not, we are saved from eternal judgment when we are in Christ. We are saved from eternal judgment. But the other one, we have to be saved from an evil generation.

[19:02] That's what I'm talking about. Saved from an evil generation. How do we get saved? Oh, Lord. Save us from an evil generation. Oh, Lord. Save us from an evil generation. Oh, Lord.

[19:12] Save us from an evil generation. Oh, Lord. Save us from an evil generation. It said, Be saved. from an evil generation. Be saved. So it's not only solely God, but it's partly human.

[19:28] Just one who is being saved has a role to play. So Jesus died to save us from our sins. Matthew chapter 1 verse 21, he shall save his people from their sins.

[19:40] But when I was teaching, I think on Easter, I spoke about he saved us from our sins, saved us from the wrath of God. You know, he saved us from the power of the devil in man. That thing, that's what we're talking about.

[19:53] Save, be saved from an evil generation. Be saved from a crooked generation. May God save us. So you won't be a victim in life to the weakness of others and not just that, to your own wickedness.

[20:08] Because we have a propensity to harm ourselves through addictions, through practices, through tests, through our desires.

[20:18] The thing we'd like, we'd like to have can actually ensnare our lives. Second Timothy, first Timothy chapter 6 says, I think verse 9 and 10, it talks about, for those who will be rich fall into harmful lust and pierce themselves with many sorrows.

[20:36] Can you imagine? Your desire, your pursuit in life is making you, you are hurting yourself based on what you are pursuing. It can be fun.

[20:46] It can be pleasure. It can be prestige. It can be power. You can pursue power to your heart. You can pursue fun to your heart. You can ask some young women who have pursued pleasure to their heart.

[20:57] This man has broken their heart because they thought they were having fun. Later they didn't know they were making a fool of themselves. It's the same man. Some young men pursuing pleasure, pursuing now, you see, you get addicted.

[21:09] You know, may I say this? I just want to go back to the word, but may I say this? There, what God, when you are saved, the condition in which you are saved, for instance, let's say, if I'm a terrible alcoholic and Christ now saves me, and baby, I've drank and drank and drank and all my livers are weak, I'm saved with a weak liver.

[21:35] Yeah. If I was messing around with bad criminal records, bad criminal, and then later I say, oh, I used to be dead, but now God has saved me. Saved with criminal records.

[21:46] There are certain places I can't actually go because of my bad history. If I used to, let's say, I was on, I used to do so much drugs, so much drugs, so much drugs that it gave me some mental challenges, or I ended up breaking, getting involved in an accident and I broke my leg or lost my leg.

[22:06] Guess what? I became born again and saved, but born again with a deficiency, physical defect. And so there are certain things I can't end up doing because of my physical defect.

[22:17] So, even when people are not born again, what they do can have an impact on their post-born again work. It can have an impact. It can have an impact.

[22:29] And so that's why we have to be very mindful because God wants to use, Satan will, that's the work of the enemy, Satan will try to hit you so hard that even when you get born again, certain things can never be the same again.

[22:42] The life you live tends to have an impact on you and Satan will always use that before you get born again. He will take as much as he can from your life. So even when you become born again, it can affect, your past life can affect the speed and impact you are likely to make and have.

[23:01] Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh by your whole, that's why it says that may your whole spirit, soul and body be sanctified. It's not only your spirit, your soul matters, your spirit, soul and body.

[23:12] Your soul matters and your body matters. Hallelujah. Praise God. God save us from this evil generation. Save us from this crooked generation because there's too much evil around us.

[23:23] Too much. Human beings are wicked and human beings are unfair. I mean, it doesn't matter how loud you cry. Still, human beings are not fair by nature because Satan, Bible says, Satan captures people to make them do their will.

[23:38] So Satan is the one who uses people to do his will. So then, pastor, why is God punishing? God will then punish people who Satan has used because he gave you a way out.

[23:49] He gave you opportunity for God to love the world that he gave his only begotten that whosoever believes in him and he should not perish. He can't do anything about you not believing and you're believing.

[23:59] You're already on the road to perishing. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but he sent his son that the world through him might be saved. He sent Christ to save us. If you reject Christ, so the Christ rejecting generation is an evil generation.

[24:15] The Christ rejecting generation only remains evil. But those of us who are in Christ who have been saved from eternal damnation also need to believe God to be saved or have to, there are things to do for God to save us from this evil generation.

[24:31] So you are not polluted by the evil generation that even though you are saved, a believer, you are a Christian and saved, you are still not very different from the evil generation in your taste, in your pursuit, in your approach.

[24:42] God will save us in Jesus' mighty name. So going back to the text, now look at Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5 verse 10 says that, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.

[25:00] How were we reconciled to God? By what? The death. See the word death. Death. By the death of his son. That is reconciliation is what brought us to our salvation. Some translation will be used, we are justified, we are sanctified, we are justified and reconciled.

[25:16] We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, by the blood of Christ. So it takes the blood of Christ to cleanse us from our sins. Be converted. It said that, repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

[25:30] That one is the blood of the Lamb that does it. In our last teaching, I spoke about how the blood of the Lamb takes care of our sins. But the lion of the tribe of Judah deals with the power of sin inside us.

[25:48] Because he prevails. prevails. He's a lion to prevail over Satan and Satan's agenda. So he prevails over Satan, but the blood saves us from, washes us from our sins.

[25:59] So it said, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, now that you have been reconciled, saved, we shall be saved by his life.

[26:16] Oh, that's an interesting one. So it's not just the death, but his life. His death saves us from eternal judgment, so we are reconciled to God, but his life saves us from the evil generation.

[26:33] His life. What does that mean? If we, Pastor, when you say his life saves us, in what way? How does his life save us from these wicked things going on around us? Please, stop pointing at what is going on around us and start being concerned about what is going on in you.

[26:51] If you want some, one great man of God, I think, wrote a song, and the song goes like this. He said, if you want a brand new world, you got to get a brand new people.

[27:02] If you want a brand new people, you got to get a brand new man or a brand new person. If you want a brand new person, you got to get a brand new heart. If you want a brand new heart, you got to come to Jesus Christ.

[27:16] If you want a brand new world, you got to get a brand new people. If you want a brand new people, you got to get a brand new person. If you want a brand new person, you got to get a brand new heart.

[27:29] If you want a brand new heart, you got to come to Jesus Christ. Jesus in your heart changes you from the inside out. We are always concerned about what is happening outside.

[27:40] But how about you? What is on your inside? What is happening? The motions within you. And so today's message is not focused on how the generation is evil and somebody must deal with this thing about the evil generation because Satan has hijacked the generation.

[27:56] And I told you, the whole world, 1 John 5, 19, the whole world lies under the influence of the evil one. The whole world lies under the sway of the evil one. This world we are talking about, this evil generation, is the Christless and Christ-rejecting generation.

[28:13] Hallelujah. So we have to be saved by how? From our inside. How? What saves us? He said, how much more? If we have been reconciled to God by his death, he died on the cross to save us from our sins, to save us from our sins and save us from going to hell.

[28:30] But he lived his life. He resurrected to give us a life that will save us from the gen. Corrupt generation. So the resurrection life in us save us from this corrupt generation.

[28:42] Now, having said that, look at Romans 6. Romans 6, verse 14. Watch this. It said, For sin shall no longer have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.

[28:55] Sin shall no longer have dominion. Before I go there, before I comment more on it, let's go to chapter 5, verse 21. Romans 5, verse 21 says that, That as sin has reigned, Huh?

[29:07] As sin has reigned unto death. Huh? Sin? He didn't say sins. He's talking about, It's like a person here. Has reigned unto death. Even so might grace reign.

[29:18] Oh, grace too, it looks like a person. How does grace reign? Through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ. Grace reigns through righteousness, the eternal life.

[29:29] Let me comment on sin and life here. Sin here, it says that, Sin shall no longer have dominion. When you read Romans, I said in a previous teaching, When you read Romans, Particularly Romans chapter 5, Between chapter 5 and chapter 8, It seems like sin is, The sin there is presented more as a personality, As a person.

[29:49] Whilst before then, It's like, you know, Romans 3, 25. It talks about how, Let me read 3, 25 and 4, 7. Romans 3, 25 talks about how, Who God has set forth to be propitiation through faith in his blood, To declare that his righteousness for the remission of sins, You see, sins in the past.

[30:14] Sins are actions here. Talking about actions. Alright. And look at 4, 7. Romans 4, 7 says that, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities, Whose iniquities and whose sins are covered.

[30:28] Now sins here, It's talking about actions. Sins. Right. But you jump into Romans chapter 5, And then it presents sin as a personality. A personality, Some of the things that sin as a personality does, Look at verse 21, I read it earlier on.

[30:43] Romans 5, 21 says that, That as sin has reigned, So a personality who reigns, Sin reigns, It's a personality. Romans 6, 14, Sin shall not have dominion.

[30:55] Oh, sin has dominion over people. Oh, that's interesting. Romans 5, 12. Look at Romans 5, 12. Wherefore, as by one man, Sin entered into, Oh, sin entered. So it came in.

[31:07] It's like you open the door and he entered. Oh, so sin entered, Sin reigned, Sin have dominion over people. How about Romans chapter 7? Romans chapter 7, verse 9.

[31:19] Look at Romans chapter 7, verse 9. It says that, For I was alive without the law, But when the commandment came, Sin revived. Okay, sin revived. So sin began to live.

[31:31] Romans chapter 7, verse 9. Let's see how I post it in NIV. In the NIV. Romans 7, 9 says that, Once I was alive apart from the law, But when commandments came, Sin sprang to life.

[31:45] Oh, sin like came alive. That word sprang to life, First of all, It became alive, And then it became active. So sprang there is telling us, Active is acting.

[31:57] So sin, Satan's, Watch this, What is this sin we are talking about? It's the nature of Satan That was injected into humanity Through the fall of Adam, Which now lives, Works, And is active in man.

[32:12] Satan's nature, That was, His poisonous nature, That was injected into the God created man Through the fall of Adam. And it's active, It's, It's, It's, It's active, It lives and works, You know, It works in man.

[32:29] He's working in man. So that nature is always working. That is what Satan uses To control human beings. So Jesus died on the cross To save us from sin, Sin personally.

[32:40] That's why in Easter, I preach on the serpent and the cross. The serpent nature in us. The cross, Jesus crushed it. And he brought us under grace. Why are we still struggling with sin?

[32:52] That's where I'm going now. And so, When you read the Bible, You see that sin, As I said in Romans, Between Romans chapter 5 and 8, Sin lived, Sin enters, Sin became, The Bible says, Sin reigned, Verse 21, Sin reigned.

[33:08] Romans 6, 14, Sin have dominion. You see, Romans 12, 5, 12, Sin entered. Romans 7, 9, Sin lived.

[33:19] Romans 7, 9, Sin became active. Romans 7, 11, Look at Romans 7, 11. Romans 7, 11, For sin sees the, Oh, Sin sees the opportunity afforded by the commandments and deceived me.

[33:33] Ah, They're not talking about an inanimate object. Sin is a personality. He said, Sin deceived me. So, Sin deceives people. And not only deceives me. Look at this. The sin deceived me and through the commandment put me to the, So, Sin kills.

[33:46] So, Sin killed me. He deceived me. He reigned over people and he entered. Sin have dominion. Oh, come on. Sin reigns, has dominion over people.

[33:57] It's a personality you're talking about. Look at chapter 7, verse 17, and verse 21. Interesting. Romans chapter 7, verse 17, and 21. I'm reading from the NIV again. And as it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but sin, but, but it is sin living in me.

[34:14] So, the things I'm doing which I don't want to do, somebody, and personality is living in me doing it. Sin is living in me. Ah, good abashaka. Oh Lord, save us from this evil generation.

[34:26] The sin that lives in the Christless people, the sin that lives in the human flesh is what Satan uses to pursue his agenda on earth, to control the whole world, to control the whole world.

[34:38] But those of us who are in Christ, immediately we come under grace. Listen, let's look at this. Let me read the last verse then I move on. I move on. Verse 21. It says, but I find that there is a law at work.

[34:49] Although I want to do good, evil right, evil is right there with me. No, so it's verse 20 I actually wanted. Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin, but it is sin living in me that, man, man, don't, this is the Bible I'm reading now.

[35:14] It said, sin is living in you. He has the ability to achieve his own aim. First, second, second, second, chapter two, verse 26 says that Satan has captured them to do his will.

[35:27] And if we are not saved from this generation, you are born again, but Satan can capture you to do his will. So then by the time you are accusing these people are like this, these people are like this, you are also like that.

[35:38] because you haven't be to be saved. Be saved. Look at Romans chapter, chapter six, verse 14. It said, for sin shall no longer have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but you are under grace.

[35:54] Sin shall no longer, you are under grace. Oh, so being under grace gives you that liberty to be able to work against that sin nature. Look at chapter five again, verse 21.

[36:05] That is, sin has reigned unto death. Even so, my grace reign through, how does grace reign through righteousness unto what this eternal life by Jesus Christ.

[36:17] Remember when I read it says that how much more shall we be saved by his life? Here, it's talking about eternal life. The eternal life is not necessarily talking about the everlasting life after we die. It's talking about the resurrection life of Christ being manifested in our human living.

[36:33] So even though we live on earth, we are living a heavenly life and I spoke about how we are the heavenly people living on earth. We are having a heavenly experience on earth.

[36:44] It will take Christ. So our Christ is a heavenly Jesus. In Hebrews chapter four verse 14, he said, he has passed through the heavens. In Hebrews chapter one verse three, he's seated on the right hand of majesty on high in heaven.

[36:56] In Hebrews chapter passed through the heavens, Hebrews chapter nine verse 24, he says that he entered heaven for us. He entered heaven for us.

[37:07] In Hebrews chapter seven verse 26, he said, he is higher than the heavens. Hallelujah. This is our Christ is in heaven. He's passed through the heavens. He's higher than the heavens. He's entered the heavens. He's a heavenly Jesus.

[37:19] And how about us? Bible talks about how we are partakers of the heavenly gifts. Hebrews chapter six verse four, partakers of the heavenly gifts. So if you have tasted the heavenly gift, once you become born again, you are, you taste the heavenly gifts.

[37:31] In Hebrews chapter three verse one, it says that we are the partakers of the heavenly calling. Hallelujah. And I explained, sometimes you can be talking to somebody and you have a call from your boss. You are talking to one of your colleagues and your boss says, no, I'll call you back because my boss is calling me.

[37:45] Or you are talking to your boss and you have a call directly from the chief executive. Say, oh, can I, I'll call you back sir. He's big, but there's a bigger one calling. You are talking to the chief executive and the minister of state, minister in charge of business calls you.

[37:58] Say, oh, chief executive, can I call you back because the business secretary is calling me? And then the business secretary, you are talking and then the prime minister, can I, oh, sorry, there's a higher calling. So let me leave it and then talk about, that's why in Philippians chapter, Philippians chapter three, verse, I pressed on towards the high calling in Christ, verse 13 or so.

[38:14] So I pressed on towards the high calling. It's a very high calling by Hebrew chapter, chapter three, verse one. It says it's a heavenly calling. Heaven is calling you. Our calling is, so he said, holy brothers, that's why he's calling us holy.

[38:26] Hebrew chapter three, verse one. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. Thank you, Jesus, heavenly calling. So we are tested of the heavenly gifts, partakers of the heavenly calling.

[38:37] In Hebrew chapter 11, verse 16, Bible says that they sought a heavenly, a country, that is a heavenly, that of the heavenlies. They didn't want a normal country, but they worked towards a heavenly country. Hallelujah.

[38:47] Hebrew chapter 11, verse 16, heavenly country. And Hebrew chapter 12, verse 22, he said, you have come to a heavenly Jerusalem. God bless you, I'm getting too excited here. So heavenly Jerusalem.

[38:59] And then Hebrew chapter, Hebrew chapter 12, verse 23, he says that our names are written in heaven. We are heavenly people. I'm telling you, if you are born again, you are not an ordinary person.

[39:09] Don't just be living by normal human standards. And Hebrew chapter, the last bit is interesting. Hebrew chapter 12, verse 25, he said, how can we escape when we have, he's warning us from heaven.

[39:23] There's a heavenly warning. If you are born again, God is warning you. You can't escape if you reject this heavenly warning. So we are the heavenly people. And so because we have the heavenly nature, okay, the heavenly, that's the resurrection life in us.

[39:37] How much more shall we be saved by his life, okay, by his life. He's talking about the resurrection. His death saves us from our sins, but his life saves us from this perverse generation to live to the glory of God.

[39:49] How much shall we save? When we talk about life, all right, anytime you read the Bible, you come across life. Actually, let me just restrain myself to the New Testament. There are three words that are translated life in the New Testament.

[40:01] The first one is the natural life. It's called bios. In Luke chapter 8, verse 14, when he talks about the sow, sow, sow the seed, it fell among tongues and they said they received the word.

[40:13] But the natural life, the cares of this life, so the human life, human living, the life. So sometimes you see life in the Bible, it means this natural life. Other times, you see life in the Bible, it means the sow life, you, who you really are in your soul.

[40:28] People don't know you or whatever they see. Someone say, I like this guy very much. I like the way he talks. Not the way, it's not, I like him because of his money, but I like the way he talks.

[40:39] Most of the people you like is because of their soul life, the way they treat you, the way they behave, their soul life. Okay, so that soul life is called suke, suke, suke.

[40:50] That's where we get psychology from. It has to do with your soul. Psychic, psychology, psychiatry, all that from the soul. So we have the bios, where we got the biology about the human life, the natural life.

[41:04] Suke, psychology, your soul life. So in Matthew chapter 16, verse 25 and 26, Jesus said, what do you gain? If you gain the whole world and lose your soul life, your soul, your life.

[41:14] Because he said, for whoever will lose his life, that's talking about your soul life, for my sake shall gain it. And in John chapter 12, verse 25, Jesus said the same thing, that if you lose your life for my sake, you'll gain it.

[41:28] So that life is talking about the soul life. Then we have the, so we have the bios, we have the suke, and we have the zoe. The zoe life is the God kind of life.

[41:38] The God kind of life, when it comes into you, that is what we are talking about. We are saved by the zoe, the zoe life. That is what brings grace into you. And grace is another way, another way of putting grace is not only a merited favor.

[41:52] A merited favor is lower definition. Grace is God at work. Grace is God at work. God is actually working in you. For it is, who? Hebrews chapter 2, verse 13.

[42:03] For it is God who works in you or who is at work in you, that's grace. Bible says that grace and truth came with Jesus Christ. First, John chapter 1, verse, I think 17. The Lord came by Moses, but grace and truth, they came.

[42:15] When Jesus came, grace and truth came. So grace came. Grace is a personality. It said, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Christ be with your spirit. Christ is grace. So grace be with your spirit. In 2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse, chapter 4, verse 22.

[42:30] Grace be with you. Grace be with your spirit. In Galatians 6, 18, it said, Christ be with your spirit. Another place, it said, grace be with your spirit. So Christ is grace.

[42:41] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. All right. So it said, you are no more, when it said, you are no longer under the law, but for you are under grace. So sin cannot have dominion over you.

[42:51] It's talking about, you are operating by the life of Christ. The resurrection life is what saves us. I hope I'm making some sense. So it's the resurrection life that saves us.

[43:02] We need the resurrection life. We need the resurrection life. Jesus said, I, John chapter 10, verse 10. He said, the thief comes not, but to steal, but I come that you might have life.

[43:12] That life is talking about, when he was saying, he wasn't standing in the cemetery, talking to people who were dead. He was talking to people who were alive, alive, but they had bios. They had Zouki, but they didn't have Zoe, the life of God.

[43:24] So he said, I came that you might have Zoe and have it more abundantly. More abundantly means to be in control. Sin cannot have dominion. Satan cannot hijack you to do his will, to project and to promote his agenda on this earth.

[43:40] It's only Christian Satan can control. It's only, why? Because they have the life of Christ in them. But now we have to live, be safe. You have to live the life. Now, this leads me to the next point on, how do I live for the life of Christ to be manifested in me?

[43:57] I have only four points. How do I live for the life of Christ to be manifested in me? Number one is Romans chapter six, verse four.

[44:09] Romans six, four says that, therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death. That like as Christ was raised from the dead, we also might walk in the newness of life.

[44:25] You see? So until we are buried, crucified with Christ. So in other words, how do you live the life of Christ? How does this life of Christ in you, how does it begin to flourish?

[44:37] You know, Galatians 2.20, I actually left that one. It said, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Oh no, yet not I, but Christ that lives in me, that life.

[44:47] If you fail, if we fail to allow the life of Christ to grow from outside, from within us out, okay, we will end up being subject to this evil generation.

[44:59] So first of all, we live the life out and then we can change. When we are, we can change other people. We can change our communities. We can, we have to, are you trying to say that when you are a pastor or when you are a Christian, that means that all the problems of the world stop?

[45:16] No, no, no. As long as they are Christless and Christless and Christ rejecting people in politics, Christ rejecting people in leadership, Christ rejecting people in neighborhood, Christ rejecting people will never have a perfect world.

[45:30] It will never be perfect. Laws cannot make our world a perfect world. Never. No way. It can never happen anywhere. Laws can never make our world a perfect world.

[45:42] That is why those of us who are in Christ, when we begin to live out the life of Christ, we speak out the life of Christ. We, and we don't get diverted away from Christ because it's the life of Christ in us that brings the answer.

[45:55] This, remember, I want to make a very important point. Remember, this world is a falling world. It's not redeemable. The world will not be redeemed. But there are people in the world who will be redeemed.

[46:06] And the whole world is going to be rolled away. It's going to burn. God will roll it and burn it out. It's worse than global warming. It's going to burn it.

[46:21] All right. It's in the book of 2 Peter. The world is passing away. So if you hold on to what is passing away, when you are in a plane and the plane, the engine stops and the plane is going to crash, don't say, oh, this plane, I like the plane.

[46:36] Don't hold on to a plane that is on its way to crash. Use your parachute. Jump out. And God has given us a parachute to jump out. What is the parachute? It's the death of Christ.

[46:46] And when you receive the death of Christ, you receive forgiveness of sin. Then his life will bring you power and dominion over sin. You receive forgiveness of sins through his death and his life gives you, his resurrection life inside you gives you power over sin.

[47:06] Forgiveness of sins and power over sin. The lamb takes care of the sins and the lion takes care of the sin. He said, I turned in Revelation chapter 5 verse 5.

[47:20] I turned. He said, oh, don't cry, John, for the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed. The lion has prevailed. So I turned to see the lion and when I turned I saw a lamb. Is he a lion or a lamb?

[47:30] Yeah. It's the prevailing lion who is the lamb. I turned to see the lion. It's a lamb but they call the lamb a lion. The lion has prevailed. To have dominion over sin, that's the power of the cross.

[47:42] The power of the cross crushes the power of sin in us whilst the power of the blood cleanses our sins. Hallelujah. 1 John chapter 1 verse 7 and verse 9 said the blood of his son cleanses, washes, cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

[47:55] So the blood cleanses us from our sins. The cross crushes the power of sin in us. So the resurrection life brings the power of the cross in you to be able to now have dominion over sin so sin will not have dominion over you to be saved from this very corrupt generation.

[48:11] So number 1 you have to live the life of Christ. Number 2 is in Romans chapter 5 verse 21. Romans 5 verse 21 says that that is sin has reigned unto death.

[48:24] Let me read it from the English Standard Version. Let me see how I put it here. Oh boy I love the word of God. I love the word of God. Romans chapter 5 verse 21 it says here verse 21 so that as sin reigned in death grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[48:51] So grace reigns through righteousness. That grace in your life you are under grace for it to reign it requires it's calling for some righteousness in my brother.

[49:03] Brother righteous sister righteous grace wants to reign through righteousness. Grace you are under grace by the grace of God allow righteousness to get grace to reign.

[49:15] In 1st John chapter 2 verse 29 he said if you know that he is righteous you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of God. To do righteousness it means to practice righteousness if you are born of God you can practice righteousness one of the signs that show that someone is actually truly born again is they repent and they practice righteousness is.

[49:40] So this oh it's there it's there it says that if you know that he is righteous you know that everyone that does righteousness in thank you Jesus I'm reading so many of the versions I'm loving this I'm loving this I love it and let me read from the New King James version 1st John chapter 2 verse 29 if you know that he's righteous you know that everyone that practices righteousness is born of him practice the practice of righteousness now it's not so much of just ticking boxes and behaving a certain way because okay morally I've done this I've done this no it is more this practicing of righteousness is referring to how an inward life okay the inward life the inward life Zoe I'm talking on Zoe the inward life of Christ in you beginning to find an expression in your life Christ lives in me Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 it's Christ who lives in me so the life begins to find an expression it is not I wrote it this way that the practice of righteousness is a habitual unintentional behavior of righteousness so you don't have to think okay

[50:52] WWJD what would Jesus do grow past that one oh if Jesus was here what would he do grow past that one and let him live through your life that you begin to behave righteousness becomes an unintentional behavior that's why we grow in it you can't get there overnight you grow in your work with Christ as you grow in your work with Christ and Christ is growing in you Galatians 4 19 he said I travel in bed until Christ is formed in you it's called the constitution of the spirit as I said the other time it's like jasperization it's petrification you see a wood you see it's wood but it's rock now because they pass through some minerals inside it per mineralization is the word actual word per mineralization they pass through mineral substance through it after a long time that the wooden substance or the wooden element the wooden qualities the wooden natural wood substance inside it washes away and then the mineral other mineral rocky mineral substance enters it and then after a while you see it like a normal wood but it's a petrified wood it's a wood that has become rock it looks like wood but it's full of minerals rocky minerals that is not a rock you hit it you can't cut it with a knife because it's like a rock right that's what is happening to you a Christian as you walk with

[52:16] God God is passing himself through you more and more more and more I spoke the other time about church growth church growth is a church where Christ is growing in the church it's not where numbers are growing it's also important but fundamental church growth when it comes to God's judgment is where Christ is growing in the people Christ is growing in the church he's growing and Christ must grow in me Christ must grow in you I'm striving to get that's why Paul said I made my body under that after I've preached to others I pressed on the mark of the price of the high calling of Christ Philippians chapter 3 verse 13 and then 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 27 29 I beat my body I bring under subjection so we are all it's a race run the race before you we are all working on it we are all working on it we are all working everybody from the highest oldest Christian to the youngest Christian everyone is on a race what is the race it's not to gain blessings and material things the race is to be saved from this generation the race is for

[53:24] Christ to find an expression in you for us to practice righteousness so righteousness becomes unintentional in our behavior it's not you have to think through it it's unintentional it's natural it comes naturally because Christ is gaining an expression in your life righteousness is not just an outward behavior but the manifestation of an inward life what is inside you is beginning to manifest on the outside it's a manifestation it's not like you're trying so some people say wow you did that and you're wondering what have I done I'm just living my life it just I didn't have to think about it it just comes naturally like a father with a daughter or your child you're going somewhere and you see a big dog coming and the father jumps before this dog or this lion you run and leave your child but natural instinct and then they give you an award for I didn't even think through it that's what I'm talking about it's the father nature that is at work in the same way the Christ nature once is growing in you it saves you from this generation hallelujah and then number three is living by the spirit in Romans chapter 8 verse 2 thank you

[54:28] Jesus thank you Lord hallelujah hallelujah Romans chapter 8 verse 2 it says that for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death you see the sin the law of sin you can be free from that control of sin how it's by communion over look at verse 6 for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace so you want to experience that life then you have to be spiritually minded set your mind on the things of the spirit we are the heavenly people we live for eternity but we are living receiving strength from above from heaven to live the heavenly life on this in the at least 13 praise the lord and if Christ is in you the body is there because of sin but the spirit is alive because of righteousness right so it takes the spirit so number one how do we live the righteous life oh sorry how do we live the

[55:34] Christ life to make the Christ life show number one is die to self sometimes we are too much full of ask for this how I feel die to self die to self die to self number two practice righteousness number three live by the spirit and the last one number four holding firm the word of life Philippians chapter two Philippians chapter two verse 15 that ye might be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine like as lights in the world see the perverse generation again crooked generation yeah we live but we shine as light look at the next verse holding forth how do we shine holding forth the word of life holding forth the word of life that I might rejoice in the day of so we hold forth we shine holding forth how do we shine holding forth how do we shine holding forth how do shine let me read it from

[56:42] Philippians chapter 2, Philippians 2.15, oh hallelujah. It says in the New King James, that ye may become blameless and harmless children of God without faults in the midst of a crooked and a perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.

[57:05] There's a crooked, but you can be saved from this generation. It's a crooked generation. It's a perverse generation, Romans 1.30, a generation that invents ways of doing evil.

[57:18] It's a perverse generation. May God save us from this generation. So how do we get saved from this perverse generation? Four points. Number one, we die to self. Number two, practice righteousness.

[57:30] Number three, living by the Spirit. And number four, holding firm the word of life. Number one, die to self. Number two, practice righteousness. Number three, live by the Spirit.

[57:42] Number four, holding firm the word of righteousness. God bless you so much. We thank God for using the servant, Reverend Dr. David Entry, to share this awesome word. If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at caris.org.

[58:00] Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Caris Ministries. Stay blessed.