WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.759 What a blessing, what a blessing. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:10.439 I went to Gardner-Webb. 00:00:10.620 --> 00:00:13.759 I was a biblical studies major at Gardner-Webb. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:17.820 And we, right there on the North Carolina, South Carolina line, 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:21.879 and on Wednesday nights, we'd ride out in the country 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:25.219 to this big old church set out in the middle of nowhere. 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:28.719 And I think it was called Holly Springs Baptist Church, 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:31.140 somewhere in northern South Carolina. 00:00:31.759 --> 00:00:34.519 And if she'd have sang that song at that church, 00:00:34.899 --> 00:00:38.439 some old boy would have got loose back there and went on a running fit. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.320 Now, that freaks some of y'all out. 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:43.679 But for some of us, Brian, you've been in those atmospheres, 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:44.239 ain't you, brother? 00:00:44.859 --> 00:00:46.920 A little sawdust will tear you up, son. 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:48.799 Good stuff. 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:50.000 Thank you so much, Charlotte. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.939 If you have your Bibles, turn to John chapter 3. 00:00:53.579 --> 00:00:55.000 John chapter 3. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:00.920 In the 1870s, archaeologists uncovered in the sands of Egypt 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:04.519 a giant red granite obulus. 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:09.180 They named it Cleopatra's Needle. 00:01:09.780 --> 00:01:11.340 And they gave it to England, 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:15.640 which placed the 69-foot shaft 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:19.659 on the banks of the Thames River in London. 00:01:19.659 --> 00:01:24.079 They put a time vault in the base of that shaft. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:26.140 And they put coins in there. 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:28.539 And they put clothes of that day in there. 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:30.759 They put some newspapers in there. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:31.739 And they put some photographs. 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:36.039 They put some children's toys of that age as well. 00:01:36.579 --> 00:01:38.140 And then they formed a committee 00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:41.939 to pick the greatest verse in all the Bible 00:01:41.939 --> 00:01:44.579 and to put it in the vault. 00:01:44.579 --> 00:01:47.859 They chose John 3.16 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:50.340 and they put it in the vault 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:52.640 in all of the other, 00:01:52.759 --> 00:01:57.299 more than 200 known languages of that day. 00:01:58.579 --> 00:02:01.200 Not only is John 3.16 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.819 the most popular verse of Scripture, 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:09.259 but it may be the most impactful verse. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:10.300 Must be, actually. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:13.340 It's called the Mount Everest of Scripture. 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:16.860 Martin Luther, the great 16th century reformer, 00:02:17.259 --> 00:02:19.259 called it the Bible in miniature. 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.939 A.T. Robertson, the greatest Greek scholar 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:25.300 possibly since the time of the Lord, 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:27.379 called it the littlest gospel. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:30.460 It's also been called the gospel in a nutshell. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:33.340 And today is March the 16th. 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.360 If you abbreviate that, it's 3.16. 00:02:37.140 --> 00:02:39.860 It's a great day to celebrate the gospel verse, 00:02:40.020 --> 00:02:41.520 John 3.16. 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:43.140 As a matter of fact, 00:02:43.219 --> 00:02:45.860 today has been marked the international day 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:47.240 of the gospel. 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:49.680 And so I want us to do something today 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.140 to celebrate John 3.16. 00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:54.200 I want us to read it together. 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:56.180 If you would stand together with me 00:02:56.180 --> 00:02:59.219 and let's read John 3.16. 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:00.740 It says, 00:03:00.740 --> 00:03:12.120 You may be seated. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:14.980 It's such a common verse 00:03:14.980 --> 00:03:17.240 that it's likely that we take it for granted. 00:03:18.020 --> 00:03:21.160 It sounds simple, but yet it's very profound. 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:23.900 It is inexhaustible, quite honestly. 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:26.760 Dwight L. Moody was a great preacher, 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:31.099 a great evangelist that founded the Moody Bible Church 00:03:31.099 --> 00:03:33.919 in Chicago as well as the Moody Bible Institute 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:37.639 and was preaching in the United Kingdom 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:40.879 when a young man began to listen to him preach. 00:03:41.539 --> 00:03:43.139 As Moody would travel, 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.099 that fellow would travel with him in the UK 00:03:45.099 --> 00:03:47.280 and follow him to the next church 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:48.579 and would listen to him again. 00:03:49.099 --> 00:03:50.259 And night after night, 00:03:50.359 --> 00:03:52.739 he listened to D.L. Moody preach. 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:55.280 He got to know the young man 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.140 and the man said that he had a desire 00:03:58.140 --> 00:03:59.780 to preach in America. 00:04:00.700 --> 00:04:02.360 And Moody invited him and said, 00:04:02.600 --> 00:04:04.960 If you ever get there to America, 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.500 let me know and I'll let you preach 00:04:07.500 --> 00:04:08.920 at Moody Church. 00:04:09.480 --> 00:04:12.100 Well, his name was Henry Morehouse. 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:13.700 And sure enough, Henry Morehouse 00:04:13.700 --> 00:04:16.180 had the opportunity to travel to America. 00:04:16.340 --> 00:04:18.300 And when he did, he contacted Moody. 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:20.019 And Moody said, Well, great. 00:04:20.100 --> 00:04:21.900 He said, I'm preaching Sunday morning 00:04:21.899 --> 00:04:24.019 and then I'm leaving and going out of town 00:04:24.019 --> 00:04:25.099 for a little while. 00:04:25.099 --> 00:04:28.419 And so you can preach on Sunday night for me 00:04:28.419 --> 00:04:29.659 when I leave. 00:04:30.359 --> 00:04:32.939 And that night, Morehouse preached. 00:04:34.099 --> 00:04:36.099 And when Moody returned, 00:04:36.379 --> 00:04:37.799 several days later, 00:04:37.919 --> 00:04:39.379 he found out that Morehouse 00:04:39.379 --> 00:04:41.579 not only preached that night, 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:44.299 but he had preached several nights 00:04:44.299 --> 00:04:48.019 to a growing crowd every night. 00:04:48.019 --> 00:04:51.219 He also found out that every night 00:04:51.219 --> 00:04:52.919 that Henry Morehouse preached, 00:04:53.579 --> 00:04:56.899 he preached on John 3.16 as his text. 00:04:57.500 --> 00:04:58.699 He preached different sermons, 00:04:59.060 --> 00:05:01.659 but he always preached on John 3.16. 00:05:01.779 --> 00:05:02.680 As a matter of fact, 00:05:02.859 --> 00:05:04.639 Morehouse began preaching 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:06.299 when he was 16 years old 00:05:06.299 --> 00:05:09.379 and he died at an early age at 33 years old. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:11.819 But for the 17 years that he preached, 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.279 every sermon that he preached, 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:18.199 he preached from John 3.16. 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:19.899 Different sermons, 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:23.199 but every time the same text. 00:05:23.719 --> 00:05:26.539 My friend, it is inexhaustible. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.019 And I will not do it justice today, 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:32.279 but I want to have some fun trying. 00:05:33.859 --> 00:05:35.459 All I want to tell you 00:05:35.459 --> 00:05:39.139 is the same thing that this verse tells you. 00:05:39.819 --> 00:05:40.579 And that is, 00:05:40.659 --> 00:05:43.000 I want to tell you how to be saved. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:47.339 Now, I know that may sound overused to some, 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:49.579 but I don't believe there's any need 00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:51.579 to fix something that isn't broke 00:05:51.579 --> 00:05:54.519 because Jesus still saves. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.699 And our verse today lies in the midst 00:05:57.699 --> 00:06:00.019 of an encounter that Jesus had 00:06:00.019 --> 00:06:02.519 with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:07.540 Jesus said that when one is changed by Christ, 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:09.839 it makes a world of difference. 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:12.379 It's as if you are starting over, 00:06:12.539 --> 00:06:16.060 being born spiritually all over again. 00:06:16.699 --> 00:06:19.060 I remember when I was a small child, 00:06:19.419 --> 00:06:21.919 I remember hearing President Jimmy Carter 00:06:21.919 --> 00:06:23.639 say that he was born again. 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:24.939 And I remember, 00:06:25.099 --> 00:06:26.659 even though I was a child at the time, 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:28.839 remember the media giving him a hard time about that, 00:06:28.919 --> 00:06:31.299 what it meant to be a born again Christian. 00:06:31.419 --> 00:06:32.299 Well, I got news for you. 00:06:32.899 --> 00:06:34.559 Jimmy Carter didn't come up with that. 00:06:35.299 --> 00:06:37.379 Jesus came up with that. 00:06:37.379 --> 00:06:41.360 And when he told Nicodemus that he must be born again, 00:06:42.019 --> 00:06:43.699 old Nick, as I love to call him, 00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:44.379 didn't understand, 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:47.139 even though he was a religious leader, 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.399 schooled in what we now know as the Old Testament. 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:53.740 And so Nicodemus asked him, 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.100 how then can I be born again? 00:06:56.579 --> 00:07:00.000 And the response of Christ gives us a great glimpse 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.420 at the power and the hope of the gospel message, 00:07:03.779 --> 00:07:05.620 the good news of Christ. 00:07:05.620 --> 00:07:09.220 Notice what he says in John 3, beginning in verse 13. 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:10.019 He said, 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:12.340 No one has ascended into heaven 00:07:12.340 --> 00:07:14.959 except he who descended from heaven, 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:16.379 the Son of Man. 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:19.060 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:22.420 so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 00:07:22.540 --> 00:07:25.959 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:28.040 For God so loved the world 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:29.800 that he gave his only Son, 00:07:29.860 --> 00:07:31.980 that whoever believes in him should not perish, 00:07:32.100 --> 00:07:33.620 but have eternal life. 00:07:33.620 --> 00:07:36.740 For God did not send his Son into the world 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:38.139 to condemn the world, 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.660 but in order that the world might be saved through him. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.740 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, 00:07:45.060 --> 00:07:48.319 but whoever does not believe is condemned already, 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:51.079 because he has not believed in the name 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:53.120 of the only Son of God. 00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:55.620 It's been said a lot of different ways, 00:07:55.620 --> 00:07:58.079 but I want you to see this morning 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.340 three steps to being saved. 00:08:01.340 --> 00:08:03.100 The first step is this, 00:08:03.459 --> 00:08:04.120 to look, 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:05.819 to look. 00:08:06.420 --> 00:08:09.180 In describing how a person can be saved, 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.840 Jesus referred to Moses 00:08:10.840 --> 00:08:13.420 and the serpent in the wilderness. 00:08:13.939 --> 00:08:15.800 And that account is found 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:18.019 in Numbers chapter 21. 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:20.280 Numbers 21 says this, 00:08:20.340 --> 00:08:21.319 beginning in verse 4. 00:08:21.319 --> 00:08:25.120 For Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:28.040 to go around the land of Edom. 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:31.540 And the people became impatient on the way. 00:08:32.319 --> 00:08:35.759 And the people spoke against God and against Moses. 00:08:36.220 --> 00:08:38.200 Why have you brought us out of Egypt 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:39.399 to die in the wilderness? 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:42.019 For there's no food and no water, 00:08:42.279 --> 00:08:45.220 and we loathe this worthless food. 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:49.019 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, 00:08:49.019 --> 00:08:50.240 and they bit the people, 00:08:50.620 --> 00:08:52.879 so that many people of Israel died. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.740 And the people came to Moses and said, 00:08:56.199 --> 00:08:57.019 we have sinned, 00:08:57.740 --> 00:09:00.360 for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. 00:09:00.620 --> 00:09:05.480 Pray to the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:08.600 So Moses prayed for the people. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:10.399 And the Lord said to Moses, 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:13.899 make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, 00:09:14.199 --> 00:09:18.299 and everyone who is bitten when he sees it shall live. 00:09:18.299 --> 00:09:22.099 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. 00:09:22.620 --> 00:09:24.799 And if a serpent bit anyone, 00:09:25.099 --> 00:09:28.259 he would look at the bronze serpent and live. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.019 It's amazing sometimes what we have to endure 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:35.399 to turn our eyes back to the Lord. 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:38.639 These were a complaining, impatient people. 00:09:39.139 --> 00:09:40.059 Surely not Baptist. 00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:43.979 And they were upset with their circumstances, 00:09:44.379 --> 00:09:45.959 and it just made it worse. 00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:47.800 The more they moaned about it, 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:49.220 the worse it got. 00:09:49.820 --> 00:09:52.320 That is usually what happens, quite honestly. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:54.379 The more negative you are about something, 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:55.780 the more you whine and complain, 00:09:55.879 --> 00:09:57.740 the worse things will get. 00:09:58.120 --> 00:09:59.639 I heard Lou Holtz say one time, 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:01.480 don't complain about your problems. 00:10:02.040 --> 00:10:04.519 90% of people really don't care, 00:10:04.900 --> 00:10:07.280 and 10% are glad it's happening to you. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.780 So listen, you got to keep it all in perspective. 00:10:09.779 --> 00:10:13.279 A harsh word, but it may be reality. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:16.179 Complaining does not help. 00:10:16.959 --> 00:10:17.779 And when those complained, 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:22.879 the Lord sent serpents that had a fiery bite to them. 00:10:22.939 --> 00:10:24.199 Now when it says fiery there, 00:10:24.339 --> 00:10:25.379 one, it means it hurt. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:27.740 The second means it was venomous. 00:10:28.539 --> 00:10:31.120 And that woke up folks that were hurting, 00:10:31.319 --> 00:10:31.839 and they said, 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.480 Moses, you need to call on the Lord. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:35.699 And Moses called on the Lord. 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:38.160 I hope you know that there would have been 00:10:38.160 --> 00:10:40.000 a lot less loss here 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.080 if they had turned to the Lord when times got tough. 00:10:43.740 --> 00:10:45.640 Instead of turning to each other 00:10:45.640 --> 00:10:47.640 and complaining and growing impatient. 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:49.820 Because in reality, 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:52.360 it's not what happens in life. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:56.680 It's what happens to what happens in life. 00:10:57.540 --> 00:11:00.580 How do you respond in life? 00:11:01.500 --> 00:11:03.460 They got to the point in their lives 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:06.820 when they turned to God and followed his instruction. 00:11:07.940 --> 00:11:11.320 And his instruction was to look to the snake 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:13.139 and find relief. 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:14.160 And they did. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:16.660 Now you may not seem comfortable about that. 00:11:17.259 --> 00:11:21.080 Why in the world would there be a bronze snake for comfort? 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:22.879 Well, I'll tell you why. 00:11:24.340 --> 00:11:26.060 Because God gets on our level. 00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:29.879 He speaks to where we are. 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:34.399 And these people had been plagued by a tendency 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:36.500 to look at graven images. 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:39.740 Idols that they looked to for strength 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:42.480 and comfort and hope. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.220 And so God gave them an icon 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:48.120 and he instructed them to look at it. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:50.019 And when they looked at it, 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:51.179 they found healing. 00:11:52.059 --> 00:11:53.179 Get this now. 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:55.960 Not because of the snake. 00:11:55.960 --> 00:12:00.139 They didn't get their healing because of the snake. 00:12:01.040 --> 00:12:04.360 Their healing came in obediently following 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:06.840 what the Lord told them to do. 00:12:08.180 --> 00:12:10.879 And just as that serpent was lifted up, 00:12:11.920 --> 00:12:14.759 so Christ has been lifted up on the cross. 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:18.240 And when we look to the cross, 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:20.580 we'll find our strength. 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:23.560 When we put our faith in the God 00:12:23.560 --> 00:12:25.780 that hung on the cross for our sin, 00:12:25.779 --> 00:12:29.039 but first, we have to look. 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:32.179 First, we have to acknowledge it. 00:12:32.980 --> 00:12:34.279 We have to see the need. 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.639 We don't need to look inside of ourselves for answers. 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:41.019 We need to look to Christ for answers. 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:43.059 That's where the answers are. 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:46.179 But it's not just enough to look. 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:49.480 For the second means, 00:12:49.659 --> 00:12:51.620 the second way to come to salvation 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:52.639 is to believe. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:53.959 To believe. 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:56.200 For after acknowledging our need for help, 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:58.340 we must look to God 00:12:58.340 --> 00:12:59.180 and believe 00:12:59.180 --> 00:13:02.320 that what he did changes everything. 00:13:03.340 --> 00:13:05.360 The key to John 3.16 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:07.639 is the love of God. 00:13:07.940 --> 00:13:09.379 He willingly sent his son 00:13:09.379 --> 00:13:11.040 to die in our place 00:13:11.040 --> 00:13:12.160 because of our sin 00:13:12.160 --> 00:13:14.420 so that we could have eternal life. 00:13:14.419 --> 00:13:16.279 What kind of love is it 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:18.399 that sends his sinless son to the cross 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:20.240 to die in our place? 00:13:20.299 --> 00:13:21.000 All of us, 00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:23.299 ugly sinners before God, 00:13:23.419 --> 00:13:24.079 quite honestly. 00:13:24.719 --> 00:13:26.000 Without the forgiveness of God, 00:13:26.059 --> 00:13:26.979 we'd have no hope. 00:13:27.719 --> 00:13:30.259 So how is it that he sends his son? 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:31.500 What kind of love is that? 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:33.639 It's a matchless love. 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:36.899 I guess my two favorite songs 00:13:36.899 --> 00:13:37.740 that's ever been written 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:40.039 is It Is Well With My Soul 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:41.980 and The Love of God. 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:45.080 And the lyrics of The Love of God say this, 00:13:45.620 --> 00:13:48.439 Could we with ink the ocean fill 00:13:48.439 --> 00:13:52.120 and with the skies our parchment made 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:55.240 were every stalk on earth a quill 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:59.100 and every man a scribe by trade? 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:02.420 To write the love of God above 00:14:02.420 --> 00:14:04.540 would drain the ocean dry, 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:07.940 nor could the scroll contain the whole, 00:14:08.460 --> 00:14:10.899 though stretched from sky to sky. 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:13.820 Oh, love of God, how rich and pure, 00:14:14.220 --> 00:14:15.960 how measureless and strong, 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:18.700 it shall forevermore endure 00:14:18.700 --> 00:14:21.519 the saints and angels song. 00:14:21.639 --> 00:14:25.259 Friend, it is a love worth believing. 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:29.399 And that belief is a committing belief. 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:32.700 It is an all-in kind of belief. 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:34.659 It is an action statement 00:14:34.659 --> 00:14:37.259 of not just understanding something, 00:14:37.419 --> 00:14:39.120 but acting on that, 00:14:39.319 --> 00:14:40.740 believing it enough to act on it. 00:14:41.100 --> 00:14:42.299 Romans 10, 9 says, 00:14:42.460 --> 00:14:44.460 If we confess with your mouth 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:45.379 and believe in your heart 00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:46.840 that God raised him from the dead, 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:48.620 you will be saved. 00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:51.759 It's having a confident trust in the Lord. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:56.259 It's having a firm, life-changing conviction in Christ. 00:14:57.319 --> 00:14:59.600 It is enough to surrender our lives. 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:01.460 It's enough to surrender our plans. 00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:03.500 It's enough to surrender our ambitions, 00:15:04.139 --> 00:15:06.740 to give him over control of our life. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:07.819 And when we do that, 00:15:08.980 --> 00:15:11.299 we do that with everything that we are. 00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:15.039 We are saved for all of eternity. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:22.980 More Oklahoma may be the deadliest place on the planet, 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:25.639 at least for tornadoes. 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:30.159 In 1999, an EF-5, 00:15:30.319 --> 00:15:32.219 very rare to have an EF-5, 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:34.319 but an EF-5 tornado 00:15:34.319 --> 00:15:39.799 with top speeds of 301 mile per hour, 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:43.579 the highest wind speeds ever measured on Earth, 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:46.980 came right through the center of Moore, Oklahoma. 00:15:47.800 --> 00:15:50.440 It stayed on the ground for 85 minutes. 00:15:50.680 --> 00:15:52.460 It went for 38 miles. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:54.320 It killed 36 people. 00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:57.240 And it was the first tornado to ever cause 00:15:57.240 --> 00:16:00.020 over a billion dollars worth of damage. 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:04.180 In 2013, practically the same path was taken 00:16:04.180 --> 00:16:06.420 by another EF-5 00:16:06.420 --> 00:16:09.000 with 210 mile per hour speeds 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:12.940 that killed 24 people and injured 377. 00:16:12.940 --> 00:16:16.840 It wiped Moore, Oklahoma off the map twice. 00:16:17.860 --> 00:16:22.000 It got hit again in 2015 by an EF-2. 00:16:22.140 --> 00:16:24.300 And I guess they just thought it was a strong breeze 00:16:24.300 --> 00:16:25.840 compared to what they had faced before. 00:16:27.040 --> 00:16:29.600 But in 1999, it was devastating. 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:34.840 And the storm went right by First Baptist Moore, Oklahoma. 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:37.139 That is a beautiful facility 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:39.220 with instead of a steeple, 00:16:39.280 --> 00:16:41.879 they have a large cross projecting 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:43.740 where the steeple normally would be. 00:16:44.340 --> 00:16:47.940 That facility was practically left untouched. 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:50.280 And its central location 00:16:50.280 --> 00:16:54.180 caused it to become a relief and a care center. 00:16:54.179 --> 00:16:59.059 And in an effort to get the word out, 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:02.699 people got in the back of trucks with bullhorns 00:17:02.699 --> 00:17:05.039 and rode through Moore, Oklahoma, 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:06.259 saying, 00:17:06.879 --> 00:17:09.319 whatever you need, 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:11.599 go to the cross. 00:17:13.099 --> 00:17:14.440 However you're hurting, 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:16.899 go to the cross. 00:17:16.900 --> 00:17:21.560 Whatever you need help with, 00:17:22.560 --> 00:17:23.740 go to the cross. 00:17:24.540 --> 00:17:25.960 If you need any supplies, 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.180 you go to the cross. 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:29.180 If you need anybody to take care of you, 00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:30.200 you go to the cross. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.880 Whatever you need, Moore, Oklahoma, 00:17:33.820 --> 00:17:35.180 go to the cross. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:37.840 Go to the cross. 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:40.140 Go to the cross. 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:44.620 Help is waiting for you. 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:46.939 My friend, 00:17:47.619 --> 00:17:49.799 help is waiting for you. 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:52.039 Go to the cross. 00:17:53.259 --> 00:17:54.259 God will save you 00:17:54.259 --> 00:17:56.339 if you only believe. 00:17:58.619 --> 00:18:00.719 Look to the Lord. 00:18:01.979 --> 00:18:02.339 Believe. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:05.500 And lastly, be saved. 00:18:06.619 --> 00:18:08.039 There's a choice to make. 00:18:09.639 --> 00:18:10.939 God initiates 00:18:10.939 --> 00:18:13.119 within us 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:14.679 a desire to come to him 00:18:14.679 --> 00:18:17.679 and we respond to that. 00:18:18.739 --> 00:18:21.339 He gives us the ability to believe 00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:23.859 and we just have to give up 00:18:23.859 --> 00:18:25.959 and we just have to give in. 00:18:27.219 --> 00:18:29.279 And that's not offered to just some. 00:18:30.339 --> 00:18:31.859 It's offered to all. 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:34.519 Romans 10, 13 says, 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:36.639 everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord 00:18:36.639 --> 00:18:37.639 shall be saved. 00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:39.459 It is a promise 00:18:39.459 --> 00:18:41.079 that is as real and lasting 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:43.039 as the shed blood of Christ on Calvary 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:44.359 for your sins. 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:48.139 God knows us like no one else does. 00:18:49.139 --> 00:18:51.759 God loves us like no one else has. 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:54.379 And God wants to save us 00:18:54.379 --> 00:18:57.639 like nothing else you will ever experience. 00:18:59.699 --> 00:19:00.619 Years ago, 00:19:00.619 --> 00:19:04.339 there was another school tragedy. 00:19:05.539 --> 00:19:06.439 This one 00:19:06.439 --> 00:19:08.299 was in Florida. 00:19:09.739 --> 00:19:11.519 And my oldest daughter, Abby, 00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:13.219 was in a government class 00:19:13.219 --> 00:19:14.479 in high school 00:19:14.479 --> 00:19:17.500 and they were talking about guns 00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:20.079 and they were talking about prevention 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:23.139 and they were talking about school policies 00:19:23.139 --> 00:19:24.959 and they were discussing 00:19:24.959 --> 00:19:25.879 what was happening 00:19:25.879 --> 00:19:27.299 with this tragedy. 00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:29.859 And she had seen an interview 00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:31.539 in that class 00:19:31.539 --> 00:19:33.440 with a father of a child 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:34.419 that had been killed. 00:19:35.419 --> 00:19:36.680 And he had talked about 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:38.419 how things could be done differently 00:19:38.419 --> 00:19:40.359 if people would work together. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.519 And I agree with a lot of what he said. 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:44.159 But part of what he said 00:19:44.159 --> 00:19:46.940 was haunting to me. 00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:49.159 He said this, 00:19:50.099 --> 00:19:52.339 I didn't think it was going to happen to me. 00:19:52.339 --> 00:19:55.059 I knew that 00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:57.099 if I knew that, 00:19:57.659 --> 00:19:59.379 I would have been at school every day 00:19:59.379 --> 00:20:01.879 if I'd have known how dangerous it was. 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:03.939 Work with the president. 00:20:04.899 --> 00:20:06.879 Work to fix schools. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.099 That's it. 00:20:08.819 --> 00:20:09.959 No other discussion. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:12.199 No more discussions. 00:20:13.919 --> 00:20:15.159 I will never 00:20:15.159 --> 00:20:17.299 see my kid again. 00:20:17.299 --> 00:20:20.579 Never ever 00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:23.000 will I see my kid. 00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:25.859 I want you to 00:20:25.859 --> 00:20:27.220 let that sink in. 00:20:28.839 --> 00:20:29.359 Eternity. 00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:31.940 My daughter. 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:35.319 I'll never see her again. 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:37.680 And it's simple. 00:20:38.659 --> 00:20:40.079 We can fix it. 00:20:42.919 --> 00:20:44.919 That man had a lot of good points. 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:48.140 But what kept ringing in my head 00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:49.220 was something different. 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:52.500 And before the preacher daddy in me 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:53.940 could say it to my daughter, 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:56.460 Abby looked at me and said, 00:20:56.539 --> 00:20:56.820 Daddy, 00:20:57.800 --> 00:20:59.160 he's lost. 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:04.000 He's lost. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:08.160 Now either his daughter 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:12.039 never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:15.420 or either she did 00:21:15.420 --> 00:21:18.039 and he don't know it 00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:22.480 or either he didn't understand it 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:25.659 or either he was just lost 00:21:25.659 --> 00:21:27.819 without Christ 00:21:27.819 --> 00:21:31.259 but he said there was no hope 00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:33.960 of an eternal reunion. 00:21:35.420 --> 00:21:36.460 No hope 00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:38.099 of eternity. 00:21:38.099 --> 00:21:40.959 I can't imagine 00:21:40.959 --> 00:21:41.459 what that man 00:21:41.459 --> 00:21:42.119 was going through. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:44.319 I can't think about it. 00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:46.319 It has to be 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:47.099 the most horrid thing 00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:47.879 that anybody could ever 00:21:47.879 --> 00:21:48.779 go through in this life. 00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:52.139 However, 00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:53.059 if you don't believe 00:21:53.059 --> 00:21:53.619 in the Lord 00:21:53.619 --> 00:21:56.019 and if you don't 00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:56.740 surrender your life 00:21:56.740 --> 00:21:57.179 to him 00:21:57.179 --> 00:21:59.579 and you don't get saved, 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:01.500 you'll go through 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:02.379 the most horrid thing 00:22:02.379 --> 00:22:03.159 that anyone could ever 00:22:03.159 --> 00:22:03.659 go through 00:22:03.659 --> 00:22:05.599 for all of eternity. 00:22:06.639 --> 00:22:07.559 You'll die 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:10.240 without Christ 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.599 when in reality 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:13.379 he died 00:22:13.379 --> 00:22:15.099 for one reason 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:18.000 so that you don't have to die 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:19.659 without him. 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:23.799 Billy Sunday 00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:25.179 was a great preacher. 00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:25.940 He's a character. 00:22:26.500 --> 00:22:27.539 He's a baseball player 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:29.240 that turned preacher. 00:22:30.059 --> 00:22:30.279 Man, 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:30.859 he's a character. 00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:34.139 He was like a Billy Graham 00:22:34.139 --> 00:22:34.960 of the day. 00:22:35.419 --> 00:22:36.779 Billy Graham 00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:38.200 made such a difference 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:39.240 in the second half 00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:41.000 of the 20th century 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:41.779 and Billy Sunday 00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:42.839 made such a difference 00:22:42.839 --> 00:22:44.299 in the first half 00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:45.480 of the 20th century. 00:22:46.220 --> 00:22:47.480 But there was a difference 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:47.859 in the way 00:22:47.859 --> 00:22:48.980 they presented themselves. 00:22:49.879 --> 00:22:50.299 Billy Sunday 00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:51.279 was a wild man 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:52.519 in the pulpit. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.019 He was a fire-breathing preacher. 00:22:56.019 --> 00:22:57.879 He preached hard messages 00:22:57.879 --> 00:22:59.299 on sin. 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:00.960 And one time 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:01.740 after a sermon 00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:02.960 somebody said 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:04.240 to Billy Sunday, 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:05.200 he said, 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:05.519 Billy, 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:07.380 you better tone it down 00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:07.960 a little bit. 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:09.880 And Billy said, 00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:10.319 why? 00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:12.200 And he said, 00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:12.460 well, 00:23:12.539 --> 00:23:12.740 Billy, 00:23:12.819 --> 00:23:13.859 you're rubbing the fur 00:23:13.859 --> 00:23:14.539 on the cat 00:23:14.539 --> 00:23:15.579 the wrong way. 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:17.660 And Billy Sunday said, 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:19.720 that old cat 00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:21.440 is headed to hell. 00:23:22.180 --> 00:23:23.279 And if that cat 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.160 will turn around, 00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:25.279 I'll rub her 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:26.059 the right way 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:27.359 and she can go to heaven. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:28.659 And my friend, 00:23:28.719 --> 00:23:29.479 I want you to understand 00:23:29.479 --> 00:23:30.259 something this morning. 00:23:34.259 --> 00:23:35.500 I don't talk about 00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:36.599 the reality of hell 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:37.719 with glee. 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:43.959 I don't celebrate 00:23:43.959 --> 00:23:44.639 the fact 00:23:44.639 --> 00:23:46.799 that the majority 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:47.399 of the people 00:23:47.399 --> 00:23:47.899 in the world 00:23:47.899 --> 00:23:48.740 in which we live 00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:51.039 will probably die 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:51.639 and go to hell 00:23:51.639 --> 00:23:52.459 without Christ. 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:55.119 I don't relish in that. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:57.899 I don't celebrate that. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:00.919 I try my best 00:24:00.919 --> 00:24:01.819 to get the warning out 00:24:01.819 --> 00:24:03.879 that anybody 00:24:03.879 --> 00:24:04.539 and everybody 00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:05.519 that I come in contact 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:06.539 with at all possible 00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:08.059 can know 00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:10.399 you don't have to 00:24:10.399 --> 00:24:11.000 let your sin 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:11.659 separate you 00:24:11.659 --> 00:24:12.279 from Christ. 00:24:13.659 --> 00:24:15.219 He died in your place 00:24:15.219 --> 00:24:17.579 to change your life. 00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:20.219 And all you must do 00:24:20.219 --> 00:24:21.500 is give him 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.500 everything you've got. 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:24.139 Just all of you. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:27.059 Look to Jesus. 00:24:28.979 --> 00:24:30.439 Believe in your heart 00:24:30.439 --> 00:24:32.339 that he'll forgive you 00:24:32.339 --> 00:24:33.099 of your sins 00:24:33.099 --> 00:24:34.519 and he'll come 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.279 into your life 00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:37.339 and he'll save you. 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:39.239 And as you begin 00:24:39.239 --> 00:24:40.039 to feel him 00:24:40.039 --> 00:24:41.879 draw you to himself 00:24:41.879 --> 00:24:44.500 respond 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:47.399 and get saved 00:24:47.399 --> 00:24:49.139 and let him 00:24:49.139 --> 00:24:50.159 change your life. 00:24:51.699 --> 00:24:53.259 You'll never be the same. 00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:55.319 the Holy Spirit 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:55.700 of God 00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:56.680 will empower you 00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:57.779 to rise above 00:24:57.779 --> 00:24:59.079 those circumstances 00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:00.900 that may hold you back 00:25:00.900 --> 00:25:02.099 from making a decision 00:25:02.099 --> 00:25:03.140 for the Lord now. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:04.960 Don't let anything 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:05.799 hold you back. 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:07.859 You just trust Christ. 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:10.000 He'll make all the difference 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.000 in the world. 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:12.960 There's a lot of people 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:13.599 in here today 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:15.059 and you know that 00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:16.579 and you've accepted 00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:17.160 the Lord Jesus 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:18.019 as your personal Lord 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:18.460 and Savior 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:20.019 and you're secure in that. 00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:21.220 Maybe you've never 00:25:21.220 --> 00:25:23.039 acknowledged that publicly 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:24.400 in the way that 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:25.460 Jesus commissioned us 00:25:25.460 --> 00:25:25.940 to do it 00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:27.220 and even did it 00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:27.880 by example 00:25:27.880 --> 00:25:28.640 through baptism. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:30.360 And if you've done 00:25:30.360 --> 00:25:31.019 that privately 00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:31.740 but you've never 00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:32.819 acknowledged that publicly 00:25:32.819 --> 00:25:34.460 I encourage you to come. 00:25:34.539 --> 00:25:35.819 I'd love to guide you 00:25:35.819 --> 00:25:36.779 in that. 00:25:37.579 --> 00:25:38.960 Maybe God's guiding you 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:39.940 to First Baptist Church 00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:41.039 and you feel like 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:41.799 the Lord's leading you 00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:42.160 to do this 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:43.539 and your next commitment 00:25:43.539 --> 00:25:44.200 of obedience 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:45.200 to follow Christ 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.819 is to join the church 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:47.360 and be a part of that. 00:25:47.380 --> 00:25:48.200 I'd love to guide you 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:49.079 through that as well. 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:51.039 But the reality is 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:52.059 if you're here this morning 00:25:52.059 --> 00:25:53.339 and you know the Lord Jesus 00:25:53.339 --> 00:25:55.439 and you're an open 00:25:55.439 --> 00:25:56.659 confessing Christian 00:25:56.659 --> 00:25:57.699 I want you to know 00:25:57.699 --> 00:25:59.460 that God has planted 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:00.899 people all around you 00:26:00.899 --> 00:26:02.279 that desperately need 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:03.079 the Lord Jesus. 00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:05.119 And when you leave here today 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:05.779 don't feel like 00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:07.019 because I got my salvation 00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:07.859 everything's done. 00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:09.480 No it ain't. 00:26:09.679 --> 00:26:10.859 God's put many people 00:26:10.859 --> 00:26:12.259 around you every day 00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.659 in the different walks 00:26:13.659 --> 00:26:14.839 of life that we live 00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:15.639 in the different places 00:26:15.639 --> 00:26:16.399 that we go 00:26:16.399 --> 00:26:17.740 in the different conversations 00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:18.460 that we have. 00:26:18.539 --> 00:26:20.059 People who desperately 00:26:20.059 --> 00:26:21.460 desperately 00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:23.000 need the Lord Jesus. 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:24.900 And the way it works is 00:26:24.900 --> 00:26:26.799 as God lays those people 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:28.120 upon your heart 00:26:28.120 --> 00:26:30.400 God works in their lives 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:31.000 as well. 00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:32.740 There's a divine appointment 00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:33.559 that takes place 00:26:33.559 --> 00:26:35.099 that we can't even see 00:26:35.099 --> 00:26:36.440 even half of it 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:37.500 taking place. 00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:39.079 But God allows us 00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:39.980 to be used 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:41.480 to see people's lives 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:42.579 changed. 00:26:43.299 --> 00:26:44.180 But if we're not 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:45.000 sensitive to that 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:46.859 if we're not open 00:26:46.859 --> 00:26:47.380 to that 00:26:47.380 --> 00:26:49.359 we'll miss that opportunity. 00:26:51.180 --> 00:26:52.519 So I ask you today 00:26:52.519 --> 00:26:54.559 Christian before you 00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:55.160 leave here 00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:56.380 will you say 00:26:56.380 --> 00:26:56.920 dear God 00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:57.839 will you put somebody 00:26:57.839 --> 00:26:58.740 in my path 00:26:58.740 --> 00:27:00.079 this week 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:01.380 for me to share 00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:02.240 the gospel with. 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:04.440 For me to just ask 00:27:04.440 --> 00:27:06.279 have you ever 00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:06.880 given your life 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.400 to Christ? 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:07.940 And if you have 00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:08.599 I'd love to hear 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:09.240 your story. 00:27:09.539 --> 00:27:10.339 Listen if there's 00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:10.839 a Christian 00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:11.599 that gets offended 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.039 by that 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:12.599 they're not a real 00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:13.000 Christian. 00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:14.919 If you can ask 00:27:14.919 --> 00:27:15.379 somebody 00:27:15.379 --> 00:27:16.459 have you ever 00:27:16.459 --> 00:27:17.019 given your heart 00:27:17.019 --> 00:27:17.839 and life to Christ? 00:27:18.039 --> 00:27:18.740 I mean you can tell 00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:19.099 them look 00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:19.980 I mean it seems 00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:20.759 like you have 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:22.159 but will you 00:27:22.159 --> 00:27:22.699 tell me about 00:27:22.699 --> 00:27:23.319 that experience 00:27:23.319 --> 00:27:23.779 and let them 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:24.219 share their 00:27:24.219 --> 00:27:25.379 testimony with you 00:27:25.379 --> 00:27:26.039 and then share 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:26.619 your testimony 00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:26.859 with them? 00:27:26.939 --> 00:27:27.480 They may not 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:28.339 have a testimony 00:27:28.339 --> 00:27:30.199 and by you 00:27:30.199 --> 00:27:30.839 sharing yours 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:31.259 you can make 00:27:31.259 --> 00:27:31.759 a difference 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:33.079 in their life. 00:27:33.159 --> 00:27:34.119 God's just using 00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:34.279 you. 00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:34.939 You're not doing 00:27:34.939 --> 00:27:35.319 the salvation. 00:27:35.419 --> 00:27:35.759 You know what 00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:36.179 you're doing? 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:37.619 You're just 00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:38.399 scattering seed. 00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:39.679 You're not 00:27:39.679 --> 00:27:40.500 responsible for 00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:41.059 whether it takes 00:27:41.059 --> 00:27:41.399 root. 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:42.200 You're not 00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:42.740 responsible 00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:43.280 whether it's 00:27:43.280 --> 00:27:43.680 fruitful. 00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:44.880 You're responsible 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:45.740 for scattering 00:27:45.740 --> 00:27:46.660 the seed. 00:27:47.300 --> 00:27:47.660 You don't have 00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:48.140 to be eloquent 00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:48.680 about it. 00:27:49.259 --> 00:27:49.860 You're just a 00:27:49.860 --> 00:27:51.019 beggar telling 00:27:51.019 --> 00:27:51.940 another beggar 00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:53.220 how to find 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:54.080 bread. 00:27:54.980 --> 00:27:55.519 My friend 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:57.200 I encourage 00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:58.560 you if you've 00:27:58.560 --> 00:27:59.420 got salvation 00:27:59.420 --> 00:27:59.960 in the Lord 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:01.340 Jesus give 00:28:01.340 --> 00:28:01.840 it away. 00:28:02.840 --> 00:28:03.480 Give it 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:03.840 away. 00:28:04.460 --> 00:28:05.220 It'll just be 00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:06.420 better in your 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:06.820 life. 00:28:08.040 --> 00:28:08.660 Heavenly Father 00:28:08.660 --> 00:28:09.080 I love you.