What Happened to Sin Part 1
July 23, 2020
27:29
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Closed captions
What Happened to Sin Part 1
Show timecode
Hide timecode
- Allen Jackson: God expects humanbeings to comply with his will,
- 00:00:01.050 --> 00:00:07.189
- that's the design imperative, hedesigned us to flourish if we
- 00:00:07.222 --> 00:00:12.027
- cooperate with him, and if werefuse to cooperate,
- 00:00:12.061 --> 00:00:15.397
- everything unravels.
- 00:00:15.431 --> 00:00:17.833
- ♪♪♪
- 00:00:17.866 --> 00:00:27.843
- ♪♪♪
- 00:00:27.876 --> 00:00:37.853
- ♪♪♪
- 00:00:37.886 --> 00:00:43.792
- male announcer: God has madeextravagant provision for us
- 00:00:43.826 --> 00:00:46.061
- through the cross of JesusChrist, and with prayer, you can
- 00:00:46.095 --> 00:00:49.665
- open the door for God's plan inyour life.
- 00:00:49.698 --> 00:00:52.468
- That's why when you donatetoday, we want to send you
- 00:00:52.501 --> 00:00:55.104
- Pastor Allen's book of prayers,"Through The Cross."
- 00:00:55.137 --> 00:00:58.674
- We hope these prayers help openthe door for the power of God to
- 00:00:58.707 --> 00:01:01.610
- intercede in your life.
- 00:01:01.643 --> 00:01:03.846
- Plus, those who generously give$40 or more will also receive
- 00:01:03.879 --> 00:01:07.749
- Pastor Allen's, "Through TheCross" five-part DVD set.
- 00:01:07.783 --> 00:01:12.054
- So request yours today when yougive, by calling 1-800-880-5102
- 00:01:12.087 --> 00:01:17.893
- or by visiting AllenJackson.com,and thank you for supporting the
- 00:01:17.926 --> 00:01:22.164
- "Allen Jackson Ministries'"broadcast: together, we are
- 00:01:22.197 --> 00:01:25.634
- making a difference.
- 00:01:25.667 --> 00:01:29.271
- Allen Jackson: Hey, it's good tobe with you again.
- 00:01:29.304 --> 00:01:31.006
- We've changed our process is alittle bit, we're having church
- 00:01:31.039 --> 00:01:33.642
- outside these days, it's thesafest way for us to
- 00:01:33.675 --> 00:01:36.078
- be together.
- 00:01:36.111 --> 00:01:37.446
- But we felt it was important forall of us, across our nation and
- 00:01:37.479 --> 00:01:40.215
- around the world, to be standingtogether so we're showing you
- 00:01:40.249 --> 00:01:43.652
- these services much closer toreal time then would be normal
- 00:01:43.685 --> 00:01:47.256
- for us.
- 00:01:47.289 --> 00:01:48.624
- So if it looks like we'reworshiping outside, you're very
- 00:01:48.657 --> 00:01:50.125
- observant, we are, I'm gratefulyou can join us.
- 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:52.861
- We're doing a series right nowcalled, "Whatever Happened
- 00:01:52.895 --> 00:01:55.197
- To Sin."
- 00:01:55.230 --> 00:01:56.532
- Our nation is in turmoil,conflict, confusion, we're not
- 00:01:56.565 --> 00:02:00.068
- united, we can agree on hardly--we can't hardly agree on
- 00:02:00.102 --> 00:02:03.605
- anything, we are torn apart.
- 00:02:03.639 --> 00:02:06.141
- Well it's not a politicalproblem, it's not a science
- 00:02:06.175 --> 00:02:08.410
- problem, I don't believe it'seven about our ethnicity or our
- 00:02:08.443 --> 00:02:13.582
- education, I believe the root ofthe problem we have is a sin
- 00:02:13.615 --> 00:02:17.019
- problem, and we're gonna unpackthis.
- 00:02:17.052 --> 00:02:19.221
- This isn't somebody else'sissue, this is about you and me
- 00:02:19.254 --> 00:02:22.391
- inviting God into our lives, tobe as clean before the Lord as
- 00:02:22.424 --> 00:02:25.994
- we know how to be.
- 00:02:26.028 --> 00:02:27.362
- When God gave us his directions,he said we had to listen and
- 00:02:27.396 --> 00:02:30.699
- fully obey, and to be completelyhonest, I think we've all been a
- 00:02:30.732 --> 00:02:34.670
- little bit comfortable andcasual in our church settings
- 00:02:34.703 --> 00:02:37.906
- and even in our livestreamsettings or our
- 00:02:37.940 --> 00:02:39.841
- broadcast settings.
- 00:02:39.875 --> 00:02:41.210
- God expects of us obedience.
- 00:02:41.243 --> 00:02:44.046
- If we will be his people, Godwill bring healing to our nation
- 00:02:44.079 --> 00:02:48.417
- and unity to us and restore usto a place better than we
- 00:02:48.450 --> 00:02:52.588
- can imagine.
- 00:02:52.621 --> 00:02:53.922
- Get your bibles, get out apencil, open your heart, listen
- 00:02:53.956 --> 00:02:57.226
- to God, he's got something forus today.
- 00:02:57.259 --> 00:03:01.330
- Allen Jackson: The title forthis week, and we're gonna work
- 00:03:01.363 --> 00:03:03.065
- through it in three sessions, isreally more of a question, and
- 00:03:03.098 --> 00:03:06.668
- that's, "What's Happened ToSin?"
- 00:03:06.702 --> 00:03:08.036
- S-I-N, what's happened to that?
- 00:03:08.070 --> 00:03:11.673
- We've kind of lost thatperspective I think, and you
- 00:03:11.707 --> 00:03:15.978
- know, we're not outside reallybecause of a virus, I believe
- 00:03:16.011 --> 00:03:20.215
- we're outside because there's aspiritual struggle taking place
- 00:03:20.249 --> 00:03:22.951
- and God needed to shake thechurch a bit to get our
- 00:03:22.985 --> 00:03:25.087
- attention, because we need topray.
- 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:28.657
- We have to be the church in waysthat we weren't three months
- 00:03:28.690 --> 00:03:31.393
- ago, we need an awareness of histruth and a commitment to his
- 00:03:31.426 --> 00:03:35.230
- truth in ways beyond what wehave held in previous times,
- 00:03:35.264 --> 00:03:39.067
- because the challenges of thetime we're in now require a
- 00:03:39.101 --> 00:03:42.204
- different response from us.
- 00:03:42.237 --> 00:03:43.538
- And we want to be back in thebuilding when we need to and I'm
- 00:03:43.572 --> 00:03:47.409
- confident God will show us that,but I'm not really anxious to
- 00:03:47.442 --> 00:03:50.412
- get there because I think thoseof us that are sitting out here
- 00:03:50.445 --> 00:03:52.881
- in God's cathedral are awarethat God's doing something.
- 00:03:52.914 --> 00:03:56.718
- And while we carry our chairs toservice, we want to participate
- 00:03:56.752 --> 00:04:00.922
- with him in what he's doing, sothe question on the table this
- 00:04:00.956 --> 00:04:03.759
- week is what's happened to sin?
- 00:04:03.792 --> 00:04:05.127
- I feel like every week there'sanother seismic shift in our
- 00:04:05.160 --> 00:04:14.069
- world, some of them are clearGod-events, some of them are
- 00:04:14.102 --> 00:04:17.472
- clear expressions of evil.
- 00:04:17.506 --> 00:04:21.209
- And I've watched a video tape,you know, there are no sports on
- 00:04:21.243 --> 00:04:25.414
- television, and I watched an AliFrazier fight the other day, I
- 00:04:25.447 --> 00:04:29.284
- was way too young to have everwatched it when it really
- 00:04:29.318 --> 00:04:31.420
- happened, and I was-- I'llrepent, okay?
- 00:04:31.453 --> 00:04:37.259
- But as I watched the tape ofthat, I was amazed that round
- 00:04:37.292 --> 00:04:42.030
- after round after round, theyhad the intensity to compete
- 00:04:42.064 --> 00:04:45.801
- like they did.
- 00:04:45.834 --> 00:04:47.135
- And what we're living throughright now feels like one of
- 00:04:47.169 --> 00:04:49.271
- those Ali-Frazier bouts, whereevery week we get together,
- 00:04:49.304 --> 00:04:52.441
- there's another fresh set ofchallenges that need to be
- 00:04:52.474 --> 00:04:55.510
- prayed about or need to beaddressed; this week the Supreme
- 00:04:55.544 --> 00:04:57.512
- Court weighed in.
- 00:04:57.546 --> 00:04:58.880
- But what has happened to sin?
- 00:04:58.914 --> 00:05:01.350
- That's a church topic, that'snot a secular topic or a medical
- 00:05:01.383 --> 00:05:04.252
- topic or a political topic or anideological topic, that's a
- 00:05:04.286 --> 00:05:07.656
- church topic.
- 00:05:07.689 --> 00:05:09.024
- We're the only voices that'regonna pick that idea up, and if
- 00:05:09.057 --> 00:05:13.195
- we lay that idea down it willdisappear, it will no longer be
- 00:05:13.228 --> 00:05:17.232
- a point of conversation or apoint of perspective.
- 00:05:17.265 --> 00:05:20.068
- And today's reading is reallywhat ignited this particular
- 00:05:20.102 --> 00:05:24.573
- session for me, we're finishingthe book of Joshua, and Joshua
- 00:05:24.606 --> 00:05:30.212
- gives some final instructions tohis friends.
- 00:05:30.245 --> 00:05:33.382
- Now, before I read what he hadto say, I think it's important
- 00:05:33.415 --> 00:05:36.017
- to remember a bit of Joshua'sstory.
- 00:05:36.051 --> 00:05:38.954
- When we meet Joshua, he's aslave in Egypt.
- 00:05:38.987 --> 00:05:43.191
- He began his life as a slave inEgypt on the tail end of
- 00:05:43.225 --> 00:05:46.762
- hundreds of years of Hebrewslaves in Egypt, and a rather
- 00:05:46.795 --> 00:05:52.501
- unknown character walks in outof the desert one day by the
- 00:05:52.534 --> 00:05:55.036
- name of Moses, and said, "We'releaving, you need to begin to
- 00:05:55.070 --> 00:05:57.706
- prepare," and that encounterchanges the entire course of
- 00:05:57.739 --> 00:06:02.377
- Joshua's life.
- 00:06:02.411 --> 00:06:03.745
- He becomes Moses's aid,assistant, and he's with him
- 00:06:03.779 --> 00:06:07.749
- from that journey from the brickpits of Egypt all the way until
- 00:06:07.783 --> 00:06:10.986
- the point of Moses's death, andthen Joshua takes the children
- 00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:16.591
- of Israel into the promisedland; begins the conquest of the
- 00:06:16.625 --> 00:06:19.461
- promised land.
- 00:06:19.494 --> 00:06:20.829
- So his lifespan starts as aslave in Egypt, it goes through
- 00:06:20.862 --> 00:06:24.633
- all of the plagues, thePassover, the death that came to
- 00:06:24.666 --> 00:06:27.536
- the Egyptians, the parting ofthe Red Sea, the manna in the
- 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:33.041
- desert, Mount Sinai and the 10Commandments, and a golden calf,
- 00:06:33.074 --> 00:06:37.612
- the building of the Tabernacle,the implementation of worship.
- 00:06:37.646 --> 00:06:40.649
- Think of all the things thatJoshua experienced, I mean, it
- 00:06:40.682 --> 00:06:45.387
- is a remarkable menu of things.
- 00:06:45.420 --> 00:06:48.056
- Then he becomes a general,leading an Israelite army to
- 00:06:48.089 --> 00:06:52.561
- conquer the Canaanite cities,it's a remarkable story.
- 00:06:52.594 --> 00:06:56.832
- He sees the walls of Jerichofall, the waters of the Jordan
- 00:06:56.865 --> 00:07:00.068
- River pile up and we get the RedSea crossing part two.
- 00:07:00.101 --> 00:07:04.339
- He sees miracle after miracle,his life is defined by the
- 00:07:04.372 --> 00:07:08.009
- supernatural activity of God,and now his life is about done
- 00:07:08.043 --> 00:07:11.980
- and he knows it, and he gathersthe leaders of Israel together
- 00:07:12.013 --> 00:07:15.350
- to give them some finalinstructions, what a voice
- 00:07:15.383 --> 00:07:19.054
- of authority.
- 00:07:19.087 --> 00:07:20.422
- How many of you think peoplemight have listened a little bit
- 00:07:20.455 --> 00:07:21.756
- to Joshua?
- 00:07:21.790 --> 00:07:23.124
- I would hope so.
- 00:07:23.158 --> 00:07:24.459
- Joshua 24, and 20, he said, "'Ifyou forsake the Lord and you
- 00:07:24.493 --> 00:07:28.263
- serve foreign gods, he will turnand bring disaster on you and
- 00:07:28.296 --> 00:07:33.635
- he'll make an end of you, afterhe's been good to you.'
- 00:07:33.668 --> 00:07:38.573
- But the people said to Joshua,'No, we'll serve the Lord.'
- 00:07:38.607 --> 00:07:42.444
- Joshua said, 'You're witnessesagainst yourselves that you've
- 00:07:42.477 --> 00:07:45.046
- chosen to serve the Lord,' andthey replied, 'Yes, we
- 00:07:45.080 --> 00:07:48.483
- are witnesses.'
- 00:07:48.517 --> 00:07:49.851
- Then Joshua said, Now then,throw away the foreign gods that
- 00:07:49.885 --> 00:07:53.955
- are among you and yield yourhearts to the Lord, the God
- 00:07:53.989 --> 00:07:57.259
- of Israel."
- 00:07:57.292 --> 00:07:58.627
- Did you hear that?
- 00:07:58.660 --> 00:07:59.995
- After the wilderness and themanna, and Cora's rebellion, and
- 00:08:00.028 --> 00:08:04.366
- all those intermittentexpressions of God's power and
- 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.402
- judgment, after conqueringJericho and the other cities,
- 00:08:07.435 --> 00:08:11.740
- and after being established inthe land that God promised to
- 00:08:11.773 --> 00:08:15.310
- them, Joshua has to say to them,you need to throw away
- 00:08:15.343 --> 00:08:18.580
- your idols.
- 00:08:18.613 --> 00:08:19.948
- Some of you, he said, arelistening to me today and you're
- 00:08:19.981 --> 00:08:23.385
- still worshiping foreign godsand you've got to stop.
- 00:08:23.418 --> 00:08:29.190
- The persistence of ungodlinessin our lives is almost
- 00:08:29.224 --> 00:08:32.727
- impossible to explain, it'sunyielding.
- 00:08:32.761 --> 00:08:37.365
- What we're facing in this seasonis not something new
- 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:40.936
- to humankind.
- 00:08:40.969 --> 00:08:42.270
- "And the people said to Joshua,'We will serve the Lord our God
- 00:08:42.304 --> 00:08:46.975
- and we'll obey him.'"
- 00:08:47.008 --> 00:08:48.343
- It was that first verse thatreally exploded in my heart when
- 00:08:48.376 --> 00:08:53.481
- I read it this morning as I wasbeginning my day: "If you
- 00:08:53.515 --> 00:08:55.817
- forsake the Lord and you serveforeign gods, he'll turn and
- 00:08:55.850 --> 00:08:58.853
- bring disaster on you, he'llmake an end of you."
- 00:08:58.887 --> 00:09:04.993
- Joshua his final instructions tothe people are if you don't stay
- 00:09:05.026 --> 00:09:08.697
- in the pathway that you know towalk in, the same power that put
- 00:09:08.730 --> 00:09:12.567
- you in this place will turn onyou.
- 00:09:12.601 --> 00:09:21.009
- The Bible; most of us read ourBible to learn Bible facts.
- 00:09:21.042 --> 00:09:26.514
- What are the 12 tribes ofIsrael?
- 00:09:26.548 --> 00:09:27.983
- What's Isaiah's middle name?
- 00:09:28.016 --> 00:09:29.317
- Who were the disciples?
- 00:09:29.351 --> 00:09:30.685
- Where did Timothy live?
- 00:09:30.719 --> 00:09:34.289
- You know, we learn Bible facts,and I don't think that's a bad
- 00:09:34.322 --> 00:09:37.292
- thing, but the point of theBible is a revelation of God,
- 00:09:37.325 --> 00:09:43.632
- and the real question, I think,to be asked, is what's the point
- 00:09:43.665 --> 00:09:48.103
- of the book?
- 00:09:48.136 --> 00:09:49.471
- What is the message?
- 00:09:49.504 --> 00:09:53.041
- And I would submit to you thatthrough Scripture, God's
- 00:09:53.074 --> 00:09:56.911
- character is made known to us.
- 00:09:56.945 --> 00:10:00.081
- That the purpose for readingyour Bible, for starting in
- 00:10:00.115 --> 00:10:02.651
- Genesis-- we started this yearin the New Testament, we've read
- 00:10:02.684 --> 00:10:05.153
- through the New Testament andwe're working our way through
- 00:10:05.186 --> 00:10:07.656
- the Old Testament, we'll startthe book of Judges this week--
- 00:10:07.689 --> 00:10:11.993
- but the purpose of your Bibleand the reason you read it isn't
- 00:10:12.027 --> 00:10:15.630
- to learn Bible facts or Biblestories, but to gain a
- 00:10:15.664 --> 00:10:19.601
- revelation of the character ofGod.
- 00:10:19.634 --> 00:10:22.170
- You see, the premise is: thereis a God and he can be known,
- 00:10:22.203 --> 00:10:27.275
- that the Bible is a book ofrevelation, it's an unveiling.
- 00:10:27.308 --> 00:10:31.446
- It's not presented as a menu sothat you can choose the parts
- 00:10:31.479 --> 00:10:35.884
- you like and skip over the partsthat you don't, it's been given
- 00:10:35.917 --> 00:10:40.622
- to us so that we can know God'scharacter and we can prepare
- 00:10:40.655 --> 00:10:45.794
- ourselves to interact with him.
- 00:10:45.827 --> 00:10:49.097
- There's an informationalcomponent we have to learn but
- 00:10:49.130 --> 00:10:52.267
- there's also a part that's aboutillumination and Illumines us,
- 00:10:52.300 --> 00:10:55.336
- there's a part that'srevelatory, God gives us
- 00:10:55.370 --> 00:10:57.806
- insight, because the goal of allthat reading and interaction and
- 00:10:57.839 --> 00:11:01.376
- prayer is that you and I mightunderstand the character of the
- 00:11:01.409 --> 00:11:05.447
- creator of heaven and earth.
- 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:06.815
- And I think Joshua is giving ussome powerful insight, he has
- 00:11:06.848 --> 00:11:15.090
- walked uniquely with the Lord.
- 00:11:15.123 --> 00:11:18.626
- He's seen the deliverance ofGod, the supernatural hand of
- 00:11:18.660 --> 00:11:21.863
- God, on a daily basis, almostthroughout the whole course of
- 00:11:21.896 --> 00:11:26.101
- his life.
- 00:11:26.134 --> 00:11:27.469
- He's known as the greatestleader that we meet in Scripture
- 00:11:27.502 --> 00:11:30.638
- until we get to Jesus, he workedclosely with Moses, and now his
- 00:11:30.672 --> 00:11:35.844
- final instructions are, "If youforsake the Lord, he'll turn on
- 00:11:35.877 --> 00:11:39.714
- you and bring disaster to you."
- 00:11:39.748 --> 00:11:42.450
- He's got my attention, becausehe knows something of the
- 00:11:42.484 --> 00:11:46.387
- character of God, that, to becompletely candid with you, I
- 00:11:46.421 --> 00:11:49.257
- think we've turned loose of.
- 00:11:49.290 --> 00:11:50.625
- So, if you'll allow me, I justwant to take that passage and
- 00:11:50.658 --> 00:11:55.663
- suggest there's some essentialcomponents of this revelation
- 00:11:55.697 --> 00:11:59.501
- that Joshua is pointing us to.
- 00:11:59.534 --> 00:12:02.270
- I could amplify it with manymore Scriptures but our time
- 00:12:02.303 --> 00:12:05.740
- is brief.
- 00:12:05.774 --> 00:12:07.075
- The first is that obedience is apart of God's plan, God intends
- 00:12:07.108 --> 00:12:10.145
- for you and for me to beobedient to him.
- 00:12:10.178 --> 00:12:15.016
- That was the commitment Joshuaelicited from the people, they
- 00:12:15.049 --> 00:12:18.219
- said, "We will serve the Lordand we'll obey him."
- 00:12:18.253 --> 00:12:22.624
- And just so we're clear,obedience is not optional.
- 00:12:22.657 --> 00:12:28.096
- Well, you have a choice, Godcreated us with a free will, you
- 00:12:28.129 --> 00:12:31.166
- can choose to honor God, you canchoose to dishonor God, but
- 00:12:31.199 --> 00:12:36.371
- obedience is the part of theplan.
- 00:12:36.404 --> 00:12:37.705
- Think of the part of the bookyou know from the very
- 00:12:37.739 --> 00:12:39.908
- beginning, Adam and Eve, Godcreated a beautiful garden, gave
- 00:12:39.941 --> 00:12:43.178
- them everything they needed, hesaid, "It's all yours, you have
- 00:12:43.211 --> 00:12:45.580
- authority over everything.
- 00:12:45.613 --> 00:12:48.616
- Just a couple of things here youdon't want to do," and they did,
- 00:12:48.650 --> 00:12:55.023
- and God put them out of thegarden.
- 00:12:55.056 --> 00:12:58.059
- He didn't say, "Oh shucks,
- 00:12:58.092 --> 00:13:00.728
- try harder next week,"
- 00:13:00.762 --> 00:13:03.765
- ooh, he expelled them,
- 00:13:03.798 --> 00:13:08.937
- the consequences of thatdisobedience change the
- 00:13:08.970 --> 00:13:14.876
- rest of their days under thesun.
- 00:13:14.909 --> 00:13:18.646
- And it's not a subtle lesson, itgoes right on into their
- 00:13:18.680 --> 00:13:20.949
- families, it emerges, Cain andAbel, two brothers: one was
- 00:13:20.982 --> 00:13:24.152
- obedient, the other wasdisobedient.
- 00:13:24.185 --> 00:13:26.087
- One was angry and murderous andkilled his brother, and God
- 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:29.057
- intervened, and said, "What haveyou done?"
- 00:13:29.090 --> 00:13:33.361
- God pronounced a curse on Cain.
- 00:13:33.394 --> 00:13:36.831
- And it continues right throughthe story, you know the story,
- 00:13:36.865 --> 00:13:39.067
- you know the big stories, youlearned them early as children.
- 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:42.036
- Noah and the Ark, it's awonderful story, we like the
- 00:13:42.070 --> 00:13:44.405
- artwork and the animals and thegiraffe with his head sticking
- 00:13:44.439 --> 00:13:46.875
- out of the shelter; it won't befun to see the picture in heaven
- 00:13:46.908 --> 00:13:51.212
- if the giraffe really had hishead sticking out.
- 00:13:51.246 --> 00:13:54.649
- But you know, that's a story ofGod dealing with the
- 00:13:54.682 --> 00:13:57.685
- disobedience, with thewickedness, of humanity.
- 00:13:57.719 --> 00:14:00.889
- This is not a subtle theme ofthe Bible, this isn't some
- 00:14:00.922 --> 00:14:04.759
- finicky theological idea thatyou've got to parse very
- 00:14:04.792 --> 00:14:08.162
- carefully, it comes at you inchapter after chapter, book
- 00:14:08.196 --> 00:14:12.433
- after book; that God expectshuman beings to comply with
- 00:14:12.467 --> 00:14:17.672
- his will.
- 00:14:17.705 --> 00:14:19.040
- That's the design imperative, hedesigned us to flourish if we
- 00:14:19.073 --> 00:14:25.079
- cooperate with him, and if werefuse to cooperate,
- 00:14:25.113 --> 00:14:28.449
- everything unravels.
- 00:14:28.483 --> 00:14:31.486
- It unravels personally, itunravels relationally, in
- 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.656
- unravels culturally, itunravels, everything unravels if
- 00:14:34.689 --> 00:14:38.760
- we refuse to obey.
- 00:14:38.793 --> 00:14:44.032
- So if we're gonna start with onebig rock idea that Joshua is
- 00:14:44.065 --> 00:14:46.834
- pushing towards the people andtowards us, it's that obedience
- 00:14:46.868 --> 00:14:50.672
- is a part of the plan.
- 00:14:50.705 --> 00:14:52.040
- Now another piece is thatthere's blessings included.
- 00:14:52.073 --> 00:14:54.442
- If you choose to cooperate andbe obedient, God will bring good
- 00:14:54.475 --> 00:14:57.478
- things to you.
- 00:14:57.512 --> 00:14:58.813
- I like blessings, how about you?
- 00:14:58.846 --> 00:15:01.816
- You know, people say to me, "Areyou one of those
- 00:15:01.849 --> 00:15:03.184
- blessings people?
- 00:15:03.217 --> 00:15:04.552
- Well," yeah, what are you?
- 00:15:04.585 --> 00:15:07.789
- One of those cursing people?
- 00:15:07.822 --> 00:15:11.359
- Yeah, I'm for blessings, andit's a very clear principle of
- 00:15:11.392 --> 00:15:14.228
- Scripture that if you'llcooperate with God better things
- 00:15:14.262 --> 00:15:17.465
- come to you.
- 00:15:17.498 --> 00:15:18.833
- It's an equally clear principlethat discipline and judgment are
- 00:15:18.866 --> 00:15:23.805
- a part of the journey; that ifyou choose not to be obedient.
- 00:15:23.838 --> 00:15:30.979
- Even if you have a strongargument, if you choose
- 00:15:31.012 --> 00:15:35.483
- disobedience, that disciplineand judgment are a response from
- 00:15:35.516 --> 00:15:41.255
- the creator of heaven and earth.
- 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:42.623
- Now, here's where I think wewaffle a little bit.
- 00:15:42.657 --> 00:15:45.226
- People say, "You know, I don'tbelieve that," and I respect
- 00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:48.396
- your right to not believe it butwhat you believe doesn't change
- 00:15:48.429 --> 00:15:51.833
- reality, if it did, we'd justdecide we don't believe in
- 00:15:51.866 --> 00:15:57.071
- gravity and we'd look younger.
- 00:15:57.105 --> 00:16:02.110
- I don't believe cake isfattening, I'll have more, but
- 00:16:02.143 --> 00:16:07.215
- my statement of belief wouldn'tchange the truth, it's what
- 00:16:07.248 --> 00:16:11.219
- makes truth such a high-valueitem.
- 00:16:11.252 --> 00:16:14.122
- The Bible says, "Buy the truthand don't sell it."
- 00:16:14.155 --> 00:16:17.525
- To purchase something means youtrade something that you value
- 00:16:17.558 --> 00:16:21.863
- for something that you valuemore, you buy it, you think it's
- 00:16:21.896 --> 00:16:24.632
- a good exchange.
- 00:16:24.665 --> 00:16:26.000
- I value what you have more, soI'll give you what I have to
- 00:16:26.034 --> 00:16:28.202
- have that.
- 00:16:28.236 --> 00:16:29.570
- And it says, "Buy the truth,whatever you have, exchange it
- 00:16:29.604 --> 00:16:33.041
- for the truth, and when you getthe truth never sell it because
- 00:16:33.074 --> 00:16:35.410
- there's nothing more valuable."
- 00:16:35.443 --> 00:16:36.778
- And when you have a picture,when you have an insight or an
- 00:16:36.811 --> 00:16:41.382
- understanding of a bit of God'struth, then what we want to do,
- 00:16:41.416 --> 00:16:45.253
- from a biblical perspective, iseverything in our power to bring
- 00:16:45.286 --> 00:16:48.456
- alignment with our lives andthat truth.
- 00:16:48.489 --> 00:16:52.860
- It's not really complicated,it's not easy but it's
- 00:16:52.894 --> 00:16:56.197
- not complicated.
- 00:16:56.230 --> 00:16:57.532
- Now just for clarity's sake, wehave a choice, it's one of the
- 00:16:57.565 --> 00:17:03.604
- inexplicable parts of the story.
- 00:17:03.638 --> 00:17:05.206
- God created you and me with thechoice, we're not just creatures
- 00:17:05.239 --> 00:17:07.642
- of instinct, we're not like theswallows that return to
- 00:17:07.675 --> 00:17:11.979
- Capistrano, or the salmon thatmigrate upstream, we have
- 00:17:12.013 --> 00:17:18.319
- a choice.
- 00:17:18.352 --> 00:17:19.654
- But God, in his grace and hismercy, has given us
- 00:17:19.687 --> 00:17:22.857
- instructions, and in fact, heuses some words real
- 00:17:22.890 --> 00:17:26.627
- consistently through the storyof Scripture.
- 00:17:26.661 --> 00:17:28.629
- Phrases like, "Pay attention,"and, "Listen carefully," and,
- 00:17:28.663 --> 00:17:31.132
- "Fully obey."
- 00:17:31.165 --> 00:17:32.467
- I brought you just a sampling, Icould have, we could have done
- 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:36.070
- page after page, but Isaiah28:23, says, "Listen and hear my
- 00:17:36.104 --> 00:17:40.408
- voice, pay attention, hear whatI say."
- 00:17:40.441 --> 00:17:45.379
- Exodus 15:26, "If you listencarefully to the voice of the
- 00:17:45.413 --> 00:17:48.616
- Lord and you do what's right inhis eyes, if you pay attention
- 00:17:48.649 --> 00:17:52.253
- to his commands and you keep allof his decrees."
- 00:17:52.286 --> 00:17:56.824
- Exodus 15, they're just threedays or so, there's just a few
- 00:17:56.858 --> 00:17:59.760
- days on the other side of theRed Sea parting, they're just a
- 00:17:59.794 --> 00:18:05.800
- few days away from death passingover the land of Egypt where the
- 00:18:05.833 --> 00:18:09.837
- blood of the lamb was on thedoorpost of the houses.
- 00:18:09.871 --> 00:18:12.039
- They were spared, they have somevery vivid memories of some
- 00:18:12.073 --> 00:18:15.843
- remarkable interactions of God.
- 00:18:15.877 --> 00:18:18.112
- And the message that God isdelivering to them is that, if
- 00:18:18.146 --> 00:18:21.249
- you'll pay attention, if you'lllisten carefully and you'll do
- 00:18:21.282 --> 00:18:23.818
- what's right...
- 00:18:23.851 --> 00:18:25.153
- And if you'll pay attention,what's the subtext?
- 00:18:25.186 --> 00:18:30.558
- It doesn't take us long todrift, it doesn't take us long,
- 00:18:30.591 --> 00:18:38.466
- we can have the dust of themiracles still in our hair.
- 00:18:38.499 --> 00:18:43.037
- Deuteronomy 15, "If only you'llfully obey the Lord your God and
- 00:18:43.070 --> 00:18:48.743
- be careful to follow all ofthese commands I'm giving
- 00:18:48.776 --> 00:18:51.078
- you today."
- 00:18:51.112 --> 00:18:52.446
- What kind of obedience?
- 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.781
- Full obedience, not partial, notthe part that's convenient or
- 00:18:53.814 --> 00:18:58.619
- easy or comfortable, nor thepart that makes sense to you;
- 00:18:58.653 --> 00:19:01.189
- obedience to everything God hasmade known to you.
- 00:19:01.222 --> 00:19:06.694
- Isaiah 1, verse 19, "If you'rewilling and obedient, you'll eat
- 00:19:06.727 --> 00:19:09.430
- the best from the land."
- 00:19:09.463 --> 00:19:10.798
- What's the alternative to beingwilling and obedient?
- 00:19:10.831 --> 00:19:15.102
- "If you resist and you rebel,you'll be devoured, the mouth of
- 00:19:15.136 --> 00:19:19.840
- the Lord have spoken."
- 00:19:19.874 --> 00:19:21.209
- Do you have room for a God likethat?
- 00:19:21.242 --> 00:19:24.912
- I mean, I know how frequentlyit's said that, you know, that
- 00:19:24.946 --> 00:19:27.615
- Jesus said, "The greatestcommandment is to love one
- 00:19:27.648 --> 00:19:29.617
- another," and that God's a Godof love, and we've tried to
- 00:19:29.650 --> 00:19:31.652
- kinda take the Old Testament andpush it aside, it's a little
- 00:19:31.686 --> 00:19:34.222
- awkward and uncomfortable.
- 00:19:34.255 --> 00:19:39.260
- Well, in Acts chapter 13, inverse 22, there's a remarkable
- 00:19:39.293 --> 00:19:42.797
- commentary on David.
- 00:19:42.830 --> 00:19:46.601
- It says, "After God removedSaul, he made David king, and he
- 00:19:46.634 --> 00:19:51.305
- testified concerning David, 'Ihave found David, the son of
- 00:19:51.339 --> 00:19:55.042
- Jesse, a man after my own heart,he'll do everything I want him
- 00:19:55.076 --> 00:19:58.913
- to do.'"
- 00:19:58.946 --> 00:20:00.248
- Wow, how would you like to getto heaven and read God's
- 00:20:00.281 --> 00:20:05.019
- commentary on you?
- 00:20:05.052 --> 00:20:06.387
- I could trust them to dowhatever I ask them to do, how
- 00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:10.658
- many of you'd like to have thatlabel from God?
- 00:20:10.691 --> 00:20:13.494
- Me too, but that's not somethingthat comes to you accidentally,
- 00:20:13.527 --> 00:20:18.065
- that's not something bestowedupon you or me.
- 00:20:18.099 --> 00:20:20.668
- We've gotta decide if we intendto be obedient to God or we're
- 00:20:20.701 --> 00:20:24.071
- going to just give ourselvessome latitude?
- 00:20:24.105 --> 00:20:25.706
- After all, he'll probably gradeon a curve.
- 00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:29.710
- If you've read the book, Iwouldn't bet on that, I wouldn't
- 00:20:29.744 --> 00:20:34.849
- bet on that.
- 00:20:34.882 --> 00:20:36.217
- If he was gonna grade on acurve, I think he'd have graded
- 00:20:36.250 --> 00:20:37.585
- the curve on Jesus.
- 00:20:37.618 --> 00:20:38.919
- No, we have a universal problem,the biblical word for it is sin.
- 00:20:38.953 --> 00:20:46.227
- Romans 3, for those of you whoprefer New Testament,
- 00:20:46.260 --> 00:20:48.396
- Romans 3:23.
- 00:20:48.429 --> 00:20:49.730
- He says, "We've all sinned andfallen short of the glory
- 00:20:49.764 --> 00:20:52.700
- of God."
- 00:20:52.733 --> 00:20:54.068
- Universal, every human being hasthis problem, it's not easier
- 00:20:54.101 --> 00:20:57.405
- for some of us than others,ungodliness touches all of us;
- 00:20:57.438 --> 00:21:01.742
- we are born with a tendencytowards sin.
- 00:21:01.776 --> 00:21:06.981
- And in Romans 6, in verse 23, itgives us the outcome, it says,
- 00:21:07.014 --> 00:21:11.085
- "The wages of sin is death."
- 00:21:11.118 --> 00:21:14.388
- So we're born with a conditionthat leads to destruction and
- 00:21:14.422 --> 00:21:17.024
- alienation from God and we arepowerless to deliver ourselves,
- 00:21:17.058 --> 00:21:22.029
- that's what makes the Jesusstory good news: there's a power
- 00:21:22.063 --> 00:21:24.999
- that can deliver us, not onlyfrom the consequences of sin but
- 00:21:25.032 --> 00:21:28.903
- from the bondage of ungodliness,and it's available to every
- 00:21:28.936 --> 00:21:34.041
- person regardless of our height,our race, our gender, our
- 00:21:34.075 --> 00:21:37.812
- education, our IQ, our income.
- 00:21:37.845 --> 00:21:40.381
- Everybody's welcome at the footof the cross and the bondage of
- 00:21:40.414 --> 00:21:45.186
- sin is broken over our lives,and then the best things of
- 00:21:45.219 --> 00:21:49.290
- humanity can begin to emerge.
- 00:21:49.323 --> 00:21:51.225
- Without addressing the sinproblem, the worst parts of us
- 00:21:51.258 --> 00:21:54.829
- will continue to ravage oneanother.
- 00:21:54.862 --> 00:21:59.834
- It's inconvenient, it's awkward,it forces us to deal with the
- 00:21:59.867 --> 00:22:02.837
- fact that there's a creator andit's not us.
- 00:22:02.870 --> 00:22:06.040
- It forces us to acknowledge thatwe are not the measure of all
- 00:22:06.073 --> 00:22:08.743
- things, that there's a powergreater than ourselves.
- 00:22:08.776 --> 00:22:14.048
- Now, if we have a universalproblem of sin, I think we need
- 00:22:14.081 --> 00:22:17.084
- to pay attention to therevelation of Scripture around
- 00:22:17.118 --> 00:22:20.187
- what that means; the Bible givesus some categories, some
- 00:22:20.221 --> 00:22:22.690
- consequences to sin.
- 00:22:22.723 --> 00:22:24.458
- We just finished readingGalatians and Ephesians and
- 00:22:24.492 --> 00:22:26.694
- Philippians, so I pulled somepassages from there, we've
- 00:22:26.727 --> 00:22:28.863
- looked at Corinthians already.
- 00:22:28.896 --> 00:22:30.231
- In 1 Corinthians 6, and verse 9,listen to the punchline.
- 00:22:30.264 --> 00:22:36.370
- It says, "Do you not know?"
- 00:22:36.404 --> 00:22:37.705
- When the Bible starts the phrasewith that, what's is the answer?
- 00:22:37.738 --> 00:22:41.876
- No, we probably forgot.
- 00:22:41.909 --> 00:22:43.244
- "Do you not know?
- 00:22:43.277 --> 00:22:46.647
- Have you forgotten that thewicked will not inherit the
- 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:50.618
- kingdom of God?"
- 00:22:50.651 --> 00:22:51.952
- Now before you rock back in yourchair and say, "Well thank God
- 00:22:51.986 --> 00:22:55.489
- that's not me," I remind youthis is being written to a
- 00:22:55.523 --> 00:22:58.125
- church, and then Paul lists thecharacteristics that he's
- 00:22:58.159 --> 00:23:02.630
- talking about, he's not aninclusive list, it's a sampling.
- 00:23:02.663 --> 00:23:06.033
- He said, "Do not be deceived,neither the sexually immoral,
- 00:23:06.066 --> 00:23:11.038
- nor idolaters, nor adulterers,nor male prostitutes, nor
- 00:23:11.071 --> 00:23:14.341
- homosexual offenders, northieves, nor the greedy, nor
- 00:23:14.375 --> 00:23:17.044
- drunkards, nor slanderers, norswindlers, will inherit the
- 00:23:17.077 --> 00:23:20.681
- kingdom of God."
- 00:23:20.714 --> 00:23:22.016
- It will not happen, and that iswhat some of you were, that's
- 00:23:22.049 --> 00:23:27.855
- where God recruited from, that'swhere we came from, we used to
- 00:23:27.888 --> 00:23:31.425
- live in that list.
- 00:23:31.459 --> 00:23:34.762
- So it's not a condemnation, it'snot an expression of hate, it's
- 00:23:34.795 --> 00:23:38.199
- an acknowledgement that thatpractice will separate you from
- 00:23:38.232 --> 00:23:42.369
- the creator of heaven and earth,and the next sentence is filled
- 00:23:42.403 --> 00:23:47.374
- with good news.
- 00:23:47.408 --> 00:23:48.709
- "That's what you were but youwere washed, you were
- 00:23:48.742 --> 00:23:52.480
- sanctified, you were justifiedin the name of the Lord Jesus
- 00:23:52.513 --> 00:23:57.051
- Christ and by the Spirit ofGod."
- 00:23:57.084 --> 00:24:01.722
- To be washed, you were madeclean, we're gonna have a
- 00:24:01.755 --> 00:24:03.991
- washing service Saturdayevening, hallelujah.
- 00:24:04.024 --> 00:24:13.267
- male announcer: God has madeextravagant provision for us
- 00:24:13.300 --> 00:24:15.569
- through the cross of JesusChrist, and with prayer, you can
- 00:24:15.603 --> 00:24:19.139
- open the door for God's plan inyour life.
- 00:24:19.173 --> 00:24:21.976
- That's why when you donatetoday, we want to send you
- 00:24:22.009 --> 00:24:24.578
- Pastor Allen's book of prayers,"Through The Cross."
- 00:24:24.612 --> 00:24:28.182
- We hope these prayers help openthe door for the power of God to
- 00:24:28.215 --> 00:24:31.151
- intercede in your life.
- 00:24:31.185 --> 00:24:33.387
- Plus, those who generously give$40 or more will also receive
- 00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:37.258
- Pastor Allen's, "Through TheCross" five-part DVD set.
- 00:24:37.291 --> 00:24:41.595
- So request yours today when yougive, by calling 1-800-880-5102
- 00:24:41.629 --> 00:24:47.468
- or by visiting AllenJackson.com,and thank you for supporting the
- 00:24:47.501 --> 00:24:51.705
- "Allen Jackson Ministries'"broadcast: together, we are
- 00:24:51.739 --> 00:24:55.209
- making a difference.
- 00:24:55.242 --> 00:24:56.544
- Allen Jackson: I want to praywith you before we go but before
- 00:24:56.577 --> 00:25:00.481
- we start the prayer, I want tobe certain you understand you're
- 00:25:00.514 --> 00:25:03.250
- not alone.
- 00:25:03.284 --> 00:25:04.618
- Maybe you've been more isolatedsocially, maybe you haven't been
- 00:25:04.652 --> 00:25:07.021
- back in church and your normalroutine, maybe your life is much
- 00:25:07.054 --> 00:25:10.758
- different than it was a fewmonths ago, but Almighty God is
- 00:25:10.791 --> 00:25:14.028
- watching over us, the spirit ofthe living God is within us.
- 00:25:14.061 --> 00:25:17.131
- We do not have to respond withfear and anxiety to this season,
- 00:25:17.164 --> 00:25:21.802
- we're the church of JesusChrist, the spirit of God is
- 00:25:21.835 --> 00:25:24.672
- within us.
- 00:25:24.705 --> 00:25:26.040
- Let's pray together.
- 00:25:26.073 --> 00:25:27.408
- Father, I thank you for everyperson, that we've had this time
- 00:25:27.441 --> 00:25:29.176
- together today, but we need yourhelp.
- 00:25:29.209 --> 00:25:31.679
- If there's anything within usthat separates us from your
- 00:25:31.712 --> 00:25:34.181
- best, Holy Spirit, we ask you tohelp us see it.
- 00:25:34.214 --> 00:25:37.284
- We don't want to excuse it orjustify it, we don't want to
- 00:25:37.318 --> 00:25:39.753
- explain it away, in humility wewanna repent, we want to lay it
- 00:25:39.787 --> 00:25:43.357
- down, any thought, any attitude,any behavior, any habit.
- 00:25:43.390 --> 00:25:48.629
- I thank you, that through theblood of Jesus, we have been
- 00:25:48.662 --> 00:25:51.165
- delivered out of the hand of theenemy, that the redemptive work
- 00:25:51.198 --> 00:25:54.435
- of Jesus is complete and inentire, and no expression of
- 00:25:54.468 --> 00:25:58.372
- evil can stand before the powerof Jesus's blood in our lives.
- 00:25:58.405 --> 00:26:02.443
- I thank you for it and I thankyou now for our freedom, for our
- 00:26:02.476 --> 00:26:05.713
- peace of mind and our hope.
- 00:26:05.746 --> 00:26:07.448
- In Jesus's name we pray, amen.
- 00:26:07.481 --> 00:26:10.718
- God bless you.
- 00:26:10.751 --> 00:26:12.052
- Allen Jackson: This isn't amessage somebody else needs,
- 00:26:12.086 --> 00:26:16.056
- this is the message the churchhas to hear.
- 00:26:16.090 --> 00:26:20.027
- What has happened to our idea ofsin?
- 00:26:20.060 --> 00:26:25.566
- It is the problem that plagueshumanity, it's why we hate and
- 00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:29.470
- kill, it's why we're overcomewith greed, it's why we're never
- 00:26:29.503 --> 00:26:33.474
- satisfied, it's why wereimmoral.
- 00:26:33.507 --> 00:26:36.810
- male announcer: Join us everyweek for another exciting
- 00:26:36.844 --> 00:26:38.946
- message from Pastor AllenJackson, and until then, visit
- 00:26:38.979 --> 00:26:42.349
- us online and discoverremarkable information and
- 00:26:42.383 --> 00:26:45.486
- resources to help take yourChristian life to the
- 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:48.389
- next level.
- 00:26:48.422 --> 00:26:49.757
- And when you visit onlineconsider, joining our effort to
- 00:26:49.790 --> 00:26:52.359
- continue sending this powerfuland challenging message around
- 00:26:52.393 --> 00:26:55.629
- the globe.
- 00:26:55.663 --> 00:26:56.997
- We want to share this programworldwide but we can only do it
- 00:26:57.031 --> 00:27:00.234
- with your help, so considerpartnering with us today.
- 00:27:00.267 --> 00:27:03.904
- And if you're visiting theNashville area, we'd love to see
- 00:27:03.937 --> 00:27:06.707
- you at "World Outreach Church"in Murfreesboro; we're easy to
- 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:09.943
- find, so look us up when you'retraveling through.
- 00:27:09.977 --> 00:27:12.246
- And don't forget to connect withPastor Jackson every day through
- 00:27:12.279 --> 00:27:15.249
- social media.
- 00:27:15.282 --> 00:27:16.583
- Thanks so much for joining usand being a part of
- 00:27:16.617 --> 00:27:19.319
- this ministry.
- 00:27:19.353 --> 00:27:20.654
- We'll see you again next time,for another encounter with
- 00:27:20.688 --> 00:27:22.723
- Pastor Allen Jackson.
- 00:27:22.756 --> 00:27:24.858
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:24.892 --> 00:27:30.130