Brian Houston
October 27, 2016
28:31
I Know That I Know, What I Know
Closed captions
Brian Houston
Show timecode
Hide timecode
- CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 abercap.com
- 00:00:01.050 --> 00:00:04.130
- - Brian Houston: Lord, I just
- 00:00:15.250 --> 00:00:16.160
- thank you today the presence of
- 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.030
- God is here, Lord, that you're
- 00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:19.230
- speaking into people's lives.
- 00:00:19.230 --> 00:00:21.090
- And I believe even now through
- 00:00:21.090 --> 00:00:22.240
- the preaching of your Word, for
- 00:00:22.240 --> 00:00:24.100
- lives to change, even through
- 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:26.000
- the live stream, Father,
- 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:27.100
- even through the television.
- 00:00:27.100 --> 00:00:28.260
- Father, to every campus,
- 00:00:28.260 --> 00:00:30.060
- everywhere we meet, we proclaim
- 00:00:30.060 --> 00:00:32.040
- the name above all names,
- 00:00:32.040 --> 00:00:33.140
- that name is Jesus.
- 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:35.000
- We say, Lord, you are Lord,
- 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.060
- you are God, and we give you
- 00:00:37.060 --> 00:00:39.000
- all the praise and glory.
- 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:40.090
- Amen, amen, amen, amen.
- 00:00:40.190 --> 00:00:43.190
- - Brian: This message is this,
- 00:00:47.230 --> 00:00:49.000
- "I Know That I Know
- 00:00:49.020 --> 00:00:52.020
- What I Know."
- 00:00:52.020 --> 00:00:53.210
- It's called steely conviction.
- 00:00:54.030 --> 00:00:57.030
- To live your life
- 00:00:57.030 --> 00:00:58.070
- with a conviction means that
- 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:00.020
- you live fully convinced.
- 00:01:00.020 --> 00:01:02.100
- What are you fully convinced
- 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:03.140
- about when it comes
- 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:05.000
- to salvation?
- 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:06.160
- I've taught last time
- 00:01:06.160 --> 00:01:07.260
- on how could you neglect
- 00:01:07.260 --> 00:01:10.150
- so great a salvation?
- 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.090
- Obviously, there's greatness
- 00:01:13.090 --> 00:01:14.130
- in salvation that the Hebrew
- 00:01:14.130 --> 00:01:16.200
- people were neglecting.
- 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:19.010
- The verses are Hebrews 2,
- 00:01:19.010 --> 00:01:20.030
- verse 1 to 4, it says,
- 00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:22.090
- "Therefore we must
- 00:01:22.090 --> 00:01:23.050
- give the more earnest heed
- 00:01:23.050 --> 00:01:25.000
- to the things we have heard,"
- 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:26.220
- in other words, listen
- 00:01:26.220 --> 00:01:27.220
- even more, "lest we drift away.
- 00:01:27.220 --> 00:01:30.140
- For if the word spoken
- 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:32.110
- through angels proved steadfast,
- 00:01:32.110 --> 00:01:34.120
- and every transgression
- 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:35.280
- and disobedience received a just
- 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:37.180
- reward, how shall we escape if
- 00:01:37.180 --> 00:01:40.040
- we neglect so great a salvation,
- 00:01:40.080 --> 00:01:43.080
- which at the first began to be
- 00:01:43.080 --> 00:01:44.210
- spoken by the Lord,
- 00:01:44.210 --> 00:01:45.230
- and was confirmed to us by those
- 00:01:45.230 --> 00:01:47.140
- who heard Him, God also bearing
- 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:49.260
- witness both with signs and
- 00:01:49.260 --> 00:01:51.130
- wonders, with various miracles,
- 00:01:51.130 --> 00:01:53.240
- and gifts of the Holy Spirit,
- 00:01:53.240 --> 00:01:55.170
- according to His own will?"
- 00:01:55.170 --> 00:01:57.090
- Notice there it talks about God
- 00:01:57.090 --> 00:01:59.200
- also bringing or giving witness,
- 00:02:00.090 --> 00:02:03.090
- God also bearing witness
- 00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:06.040
- 'cause I'm gonna be speaking
- 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:07.040
- a lot about that.
- 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:09.040
- And so,
- 00:02:09.040 --> 00:02:10.060
- if you look at the context
- 00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:12.210
- of the Book of Hebrews
- 00:02:12.210 --> 00:02:14.090
- and if you look at the condition
- 00:02:14.090 --> 00:02:15.230
- of the Hebrew people, the great
- 00:02:15.230 --> 00:02:18.020
- challenge was people were not
- 00:02:18.020 --> 00:02:20.070
- living by steely conviction
- 00:02:20.070 --> 00:02:22.120
- and because of that,
- 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:23.050
- they were able easily to neglect
- 00:02:23.050 --> 00:02:25.160
- the greatness of salvation.
- 00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:27.100
- For the Hebrew people,
- 00:02:27.100 --> 00:02:29.040
- there was a turning back
- 00:02:29.040 --> 00:02:30.270
- to old days and old ways,
- 00:02:30.270 --> 00:02:32.220
- a turning back to old religion
- 00:02:32.220 --> 00:02:35.000
- and exalting angels above Jesus.
- 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.080
- And there was just a sense of
- 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.060
- Jesus no longer
- 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:42.100
- being in the center.
- 00:02:42.100 --> 00:02:43.130
- They were neglecting their
- 00:02:43.130 --> 00:02:44.080
- salvation and the root issue was
- 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.220
- lack of steely conviction about
- 00:02:46.220 --> 00:02:49.170
- Christ, about the purpose of
- 00:02:49.170 --> 00:02:51.170
- Christ, about salvation
- 00:02:51.170 --> 00:02:54.050
- through Jesus Christ.
- 00:02:54.050 --> 00:02:55.190
- And the end of that, of course,
- 00:02:55.190 --> 00:02:57.030
- was compromise, going backwards
- 00:02:57.030 --> 00:02:59.250
- and poor fruit.
- 00:02:59.250 --> 00:03:01.210
- I believe that we are called
- 00:03:01.210 --> 00:03:03.090
- to live our lives
- 00:03:03.090 --> 00:03:04.050
- with full conviction.
- 00:03:04.050 --> 00:03:05.210
- You know, I love the words of
- 00:03:05.210 --> 00:03:07.260
- Joshua who said in Joshua 24:15,
- 00:03:07.260 --> 00:03:10.260
- "As for me and my house,
- 00:03:10.260 --> 00:03:12.080
- we will serve the Lord."
- 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:13.230
- There's no ifs,
- 00:03:13.230 --> 00:03:14.190
- no maybes, no what-ifs.
- 00:03:14.190 --> 00:03:16.020
- It's, "As for me and my house,
- 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:17.120
- we will."
- 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:18.010
- That's what conviction
- 00:03:18.010 --> 00:03:18.220
- looks like.
- 00:03:18.220 --> 00:03:19.180
- "As for me and my house,
- 00:03:19.180 --> 00:03:20.250
- we will serve the Lord."
- 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:22.160
- There is the sense
- 00:03:22.160 --> 00:03:23.180
- of being fully convinced.
- 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:25.200
- I love the words of Paul
- 00:03:25.200 --> 00:03:26.270
- who says, "I know whom I have
- 00:03:26.270 --> 00:03:28.150
- believed and am persuaded that
- 00:03:28.150 --> 00:03:30.110
- he's able to keep that
- 00:03:30.110 --> 00:03:31.230
- which I've committed unto him
- 00:03:31.230 --> 00:03:33.050
- against that day.
- 00:03:33.050 --> 00:03:34.200
- I know, I believe,
- 00:03:34.200 --> 00:03:35.250
- I'm persuaded, I'm committed.
- 00:03:35.250 --> 00:03:37.200
- That is steely conviction."
- 00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:40.090
- You know, Jesus had to
- 00:03:40.090 --> 00:03:41.180
- steel himself, as he marches
- 00:03:41.180 --> 00:03:43.240
- toward Jerusalem and ultimately
- 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:45.260
- to ascending into heaven.
- 00:03:45.260 --> 00:03:48.040
- The Scripture says,
- 00:03:48.040 --> 00:03:48.270
- Luke chapter 9, verse 51
- 00:03:48.270 --> 00:03:50.110
- in The Message.
- 00:03:50.110 --> 00:03:51.160
- "When it came close to the time
- 00:03:51.160 --> 00:03:53.020
- for his Ascension, he gathered
- 00:03:53.020 --> 00:03:54.250
- up his courage and steeled
- 00:03:54.250 --> 00:03:56.200
- himself for the journey
- 00:03:56.200 --> 00:03:58.230
- to Jerusalem."
- 00:03:58.230 --> 00:03:59.290
- And you know when it comes
- 00:03:59.290 --> 00:04:00.200
- to salvation, we have to
- 00:04:00.200 --> 00:04:02.090
- steel ourselves for the journey
- 00:04:02.090 --> 00:04:04.130
- because salvation is not just
- 00:04:04.130 --> 00:04:06.150
- a static, stand still existence
- 00:04:06.180 --> 00:04:09.180
- called saved.
- 00:04:09.180 --> 00:04:10.250
- Is a pilgrimage, it's a journey.
- 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.000
- There's a progress to it and
- 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:15.220
- that's why the Bible talks about
- 00:04:15.220 --> 00:04:17.220
- us having been saved.
- 00:04:17.220 --> 00:04:19.130
- By grace, we have been saved.
- 00:04:19.130 --> 00:04:21.290
- And the Scripture talks about
- 00:04:21.290 --> 00:04:23.050
- now, now is the day
- 00:04:23.050 --> 00:04:24.230
- of salvation.
- 00:04:24.230 --> 00:04:25.190
- I am saved.
- 00:04:25.190 --> 00:04:27.100
- And in 1 Corinthians 1,
- 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:28.190
- verse 18,
- 00:04:28.190 --> 00:04:29.200
- talking about the preaching
- 00:04:29.200 --> 00:04:30.220
- of the cross, it says,
- 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:32.250
- "To those who are perishing it
- 00:04:32.250 --> 00:04:34.280
- is foolishness, but to those of
- 00:04:34.280 --> 00:04:36.250
- us being," ongoing, progressive,
- 00:04:36.250 --> 00:04:39.000
- "being saved, it's the power
- 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:40.270
- of God unto salvation."
- 00:04:40.270 --> 00:04:43.040
- Then ultimately, the Scripture
- 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:44.040
- says we will be saved.
- 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:46.010
- So, if I look at that, I have
- 00:04:46.010 --> 00:04:47.280
- been saved, there was a time,
- 00:04:47.280 --> 00:04:49.280
- there was a day, that's when
- 00:04:49.280 --> 00:04:51.060
- I prayed the prayer, that's when
- 00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:52.080
- Jesus came into my life
- 00:04:52.080 --> 00:04:53.250
- and I repented of my sin
- 00:04:53.250 --> 00:04:55.110
- and we had a brand-new beginning
- 00:04:55.110 --> 00:04:57.000
- and I have been saved.
- 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.090
- And today, today,
- 00:04:58.090 --> 00:05:00.070
- I'm not the person I used to be.
- 00:05:00.070 --> 00:05:02.080
- I'm saved but
- 00:05:02.080 --> 00:05:03.220
- I'm not stopping there either.
- 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:05.070
- I'm not stopping now.
- 00:05:05.070 --> 00:05:06.210
- I am being saved.
- 00:05:06.210 --> 00:05:07.220
- I'm moving forward.
- 00:05:07.220 --> 00:05:08.250
- Ultimately, I will be saved.
- 00:05:08.250 --> 00:05:10.100
- That's a journey and for that
- 00:05:10.100 --> 00:05:11.290
- journey for us to keep Jesus in
- 00:05:11.290 --> 00:05:14.260
- the middle and not neglect that
- 00:05:14.260 --> 00:05:16.060
- salvation, we need to
- 00:05:16.060 --> 00:05:17.260
- steel ourselves for the journey,
- 00:05:17.260 --> 00:05:19.200
- just like Jesus steeled himself
- 00:05:19.200 --> 00:05:21.170
- for the journey.
- 00:05:21.170 --> 00:05:23.030
- If I could give you one more
- 00:05:23.030 --> 00:05:23.280
- Scripture about
- 00:05:23.280 --> 00:05:24.230
- steely conviction, it's in
- 00:05:24.230 --> 00:05:26.230
- 1 Thessalonians chapter 1,
- 00:05:26.230 --> 00:05:28.070
- verse 4 and 5.
- 00:05:28.070 --> 00:05:29.250
- Here in the King James the Bible
- 00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:32.040
- says, "We didn't come to you
- 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:33.050
- just for the gospel of words but
- 00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:34.160
- of power and of the Holy Ghost
- 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:36.030
- and of," what?
- 00:05:36.030 --> 00:05:37.000
- "Full assurance,"
- 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:37.210
- or "full conviction."
- 00:05:37.210 --> 00:05:39.250
- And in The Message, it is clear
- 00:05:39.250 --> 00:05:41.110
- to us, friends, that God
- 00:05:41.110 --> 00:05:42.280
- not only loves you very much,
- 00:05:42.280 --> 00:05:44.250
- but also has put his hand on you
- 00:05:44.250 --> 00:05:46.240
- for something special.
- 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:47.280
- "When the message we preach came
- 00:05:47.280 --> 00:05:49.160
- to you," Paul said, it wasn't
- 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:51.170
- just words, something happened
- 00:05:51.170 --> 00:05:53.240
- in you, the Holy Spirit
- 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:55.200
- put steel in your convictions."
- 00:05:55.210 --> 00:05:58.210
- I believe as a church,
- 00:05:58.210 --> 00:05:59.220
- Hillsong Church,
- 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:01.040
- it's the will of the Lord for us
- 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:02.110
- to be steely in our conviction.
- 00:06:02.110 --> 00:06:05.010
- We have not easily
- 00:06:05.010 --> 00:06:06.150
- knocked off course.
- 00:06:06.150 --> 00:06:08.000
- We don't easily neglect the joy,
- 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.150
- and the greatness,
- 00:06:10.150 --> 00:06:11.100
- and the wonder, and the power,
- 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:12.140
- and the fullness,
- 00:06:12.140 --> 00:06:13.240
- and the blessing of Christ which
- 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:15.040
- is all inside of our salvation.
- 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:17.200
- We don't easily
- 00:06:17.200 --> 00:06:18.210
- fall back from that.
- 00:06:18.210 --> 00:06:20.090
- So, conviction,
- 00:06:20.090 --> 00:06:21.220
- do you know conviction,
- 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:23.020
- it means fully convinced?
- 00:06:23.020 --> 00:06:24.260
- Conviction has to underlay
- 00:06:24.260 --> 00:06:27.010
- all of our principles.
- 00:06:27.010 --> 00:06:28.090
- The principles you live by
- 00:06:28.090 --> 00:06:29.220
- are the beliefs which determine
- 00:06:29.220 --> 00:06:31.040
- your conduct or your behavior.
- 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:33.070
- The way we actually live life
- 00:06:33.070 --> 00:06:34.240
- is connected to our principles.
- 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:36.260
- Our morals are what we think
- 00:06:36.260 --> 00:06:38.040
- are right or wrong,
- 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:38.280
- what we think are good or bad.
- 00:06:38.280 --> 00:06:40.150
- Ethics are basically my ethics
- 00:06:40.150 --> 00:06:42.180
- is the code that I live by, what
- 00:06:42.180 --> 00:06:44.200
- I see as ethical according to
- 00:06:44.200 --> 00:06:46.110
- my conviction, and the things
- 00:06:46.110 --> 00:06:48.100
- I see unethical according to
- 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:49.260
- my conviction may look slightly
- 00:06:49.260 --> 00:06:51.140
- different than what you see
- 00:06:51.140 --> 00:06:52.270
- as ethical
- 00:06:52.270 --> 00:06:54.030
- according to your conviction.
- 00:06:54.030 --> 00:06:55.280
- But things like morality,
- 00:06:55.280 --> 00:06:57.270
- principles, ethics, values,
- 00:06:57.270 --> 00:07:00.240
- your values are what
- 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:01.200
- are important to you.
- 00:07:01.200 --> 00:07:03.070
- My family values,
- 00:07:03.070 --> 00:07:04.090
- I value my family.
- 00:07:04.090 --> 00:07:05.240
- I value my church.
- 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:07.200
- I value my time.
- 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:10.000
- I value hard work.
- 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.270
- The things that you put value
- 00:07:11.270 --> 00:07:13.120
- on, those are the things that
- 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.030
- are most important to you
- 00:07:15.030 --> 00:07:16.070
- and all of these things
- 00:07:16.070 --> 00:07:17.080
- come back to conviction.
- 00:07:17.080 --> 00:07:19.070
- So, there's so many things that
- 00:07:19.070 --> 00:07:20.000
- are undergirded by conviction
- 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:22.140
- but salvation is also
- 00:07:22.140 --> 00:07:24.050
- very clearly undergirded
- 00:07:24.050 --> 00:07:26.060
- by conviction.
- 00:07:26.060 --> 00:07:27.270
- How strong, how steely
- 00:07:27.270 --> 00:07:29.290
- is your conviction?
- 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:32.080
- You see, for the Hebrews,
- 00:07:32.080 --> 00:07:34.120
- I already mentioned that
- 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:36.000
- if you look at the context
- 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:37.010
- of the Book or Hebrews
- 00:07:37.010 --> 00:07:38.030
- or look at the condition
- 00:07:38.030 --> 00:07:38.280
- of the Hebrew people,
- 00:07:38.280 --> 00:07:40.100
- the thing that was lacking
- 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:41.110
- was conviction, real conviction,
- 00:07:41.110 --> 00:07:43.260
- being fully convinced of Jesus
- 00:07:43.260 --> 00:07:46.010
- and because of that, Jesus no
- 00:07:46.010 --> 00:07:47.270
- longer was taking center place
- 00:07:47.270 --> 00:07:49.290
- when Hebrews chapter 2
- 00:07:49.290 --> 00:07:51.110
- was being written.
- 00:07:51.110 --> 00:07:52.200
- And, you know, because of that,
- 00:07:53.170 --> 00:07:56.170
- they were neglecting
- 00:07:56.170 --> 00:07:58.160
- their salvation.
- 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.050
- I think it's easy to neglect
- 00:08:00.050 --> 00:08:01.120
- your salvation,
- 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:02.100
- take it for granted,
- 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:03.030
- presume on it, become familiar.
- 00:08:03.030 --> 00:08:05.070
- As soon as the Hebrews
- 00:08:05.070 --> 00:08:06.190
- were doing that,
- 00:08:06.190 --> 00:08:07.150
- they were starting to drift.
- 00:08:07.150 --> 00:08:08.260
- "Take earnest care
- 00:08:08.260 --> 00:08:09.290
- lest you drift."
- 00:08:09.290 --> 00:08:11.130
- And, you know, drift, you never
- 00:08:11.130 --> 00:08:12.250
- drift toward God,
- 00:08:12.250 --> 00:08:14.260
- you only drift from him.
- 00:08:14.260 --> 00:08:17.000
- You can't drift uphill.
- 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:19.010
- You can only drift downhill
- 00:08:19.010 --> 00:08:21.050
- and it's just a reality in life.
- 00:08:21.050 --> 00:08:23.070
- I mentioned about the time
- 00:08:23.070 --> 00:08:24.240
- I went skiing, snowboarding,
- 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.050
- and there was a whiteout.
- 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:28.110
- You couldn't tell what was cloud
- 00:08:28.110 --> 00:08:29.130
- and what was snow.
- 00:08:29.130 --> 00:08:30.240
- It was the most horrific thing.
- 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:32.050
- Everything was just white,
- 00:08:32.050 --> 00:08:33.070
- could hardly even see my hand
- 00:08:33.070 --> 00:08:35.030
- but the only thing I could see
- 00:08:35.030 --> 00:08:36.250
- was the tops of the orange poles
- 00:08:36.250 --> 00:08:38.200
- that marked the track,
- 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:40.050
- the run down the hill.
- 00:08:40.050 --> 00:08:41.230
- And so, I was standing still
- 00:08:41.230 --> 00:08:44.130
- and to my amazement,
- 00:08:44.130 --> 00:08:45.240
- the orange poles were moving,
- 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:47.280
- but, of course, it wasn't
- 00:08:47.280 --> 00:08:49.270
- the poles that were moving.
- 00:08:49.270 --> 00:08:51.080
- I thought I was stopped still
- 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:52.080
- but I was drifting.
- 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:53.230
- And, you know, in life sometimes
- 00:08:53.230 --> 00:08:55.240
- we think we're just sitting
- 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:56.220
- still but we're drifting.
- 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:58.000
- And when you drift, you think
- 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.060
- it's the poles that are moving.
- 00:08:59.060 --> 00:09:00.250
- "Church isn't like
- 00:09:00.250 --> 00:09:01.210
- it used to be.
- 00:09:01.210 --> 00:09:02.200
- I don't get as much out of
- 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:03.270
- the messages anymore.
- 00:09:03.270 --> 00:09:04.290
- I just don't seem to have
- 00:09:04.290 --> 00:09:06.020
- any friends there anymore.
- 00:09:06.020 --> 00:09:07.110
- The Bible doesn't speak to me
- 00:09:07.110 --> 00:09:08.200
- like it used to speak to me."
- 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.060
- It's not the poles that are
- 00:09:10.060 --> 00:09:11.270
- moving, that's why we have to
- 00:09:11.270 --> 00:09:13.210
- live our lives with that sense
- 00:09:13.210 --> 00:09:15.120
- of godly conviction when it
- 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:16.280
- comes to serving Jesus because
- 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:20.100
- neglecting your salvation, soon,
- 00:09:20.100 --> 00:09:22.080
- will mean Jesus is no longer
- 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.040
- in the center of your salvation.
- 00:09:24.040 --> 00:09:26.020
- And can I tell you that gap,
- 00:09:26.020 --> 00:09:27.180
- that Jesus gap,
- 00:09:27.180 --> 00:09:29.140
- if he's not in the center,
- 00:09:29.140 --> 00:09:30.200
- something else will be?
- 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:32.050
- So, it might be bondage,
- 00:09:32.050 --> 00:09:33.050
- it might be obligation,
- 00:09:33.050 --> 00:09:34.100
- it might be familiarity,
- 00:09:34.100 --> 00:09:35.260
- it might be religion.
- 00:09:35.260 --> 00:09:36.280
- It might be some other thing,
- 00:09:36.280 --> 00:09:38.110
- something else will be
- 00:09:38.110 --> 00:09:39.210
- but you won't have the power
- 00:09:39.210 --> 00:09:41.150
- in salvation the Bible says
- 00:09:41.150 --> 00:09:43.230
- we should have.
- 00:09:43.230 --> 00:09:45.010
- Romans 1:16, "I'm not ashamed of
- 00:09:45.010 --> 00:09:47.050
- the gospel, the good news of
- 00:09:47.050 --> 00:09:48.110
- Jesus, it's the power of God
- 00:09:48.110 --> 00:09:49.180
- unto salvation."
- 00:09:49.180 --> 00:09:51.040
- The moment Jesus is not
- 00:09:51.040 --> 00:09:52.160
- the center of it all, then
- 00:09:52.160 --> 00:09:54.160
- you have a powerless salvation,
- 00:09:54.160 --> 00:09:56.240
- not a powerful salvation.
- 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:59.140
- And so, that's exactly what was
- 00:09:59.140 --> 00:10:01.020
- happening with the Jews,
- 00:10:01.020 --> 00:10:03.030
- there was the sense of drift,
- 00:10:03.030 --> 00:10:05.020
- there was a sense of moving away
- 00:10:05.020 --> 00:10:07.180
- from salvation.
- 00:10:07.180 --> 00:10:09.060
- So, in that context,
- 00:10:09.060 --> 00:10:11.210
- the Apostle Paul
- 00:10:11.210 --> 00:10:13.260
- in Hebrews chapter 2, these
- 00:10:13.260 --> 00:10:15.100
- first 4 or 5 verses, he uses,
- 00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:18.060
- if you look at these verses
- 00:10:18.060 --> 00:10:20.130
- expository style, do
- 00:10:20.130 --> 00:10:23.030
- an exposition on these verses,
- 00:10:23.030 --> 00:10:25.060
- he's using incredibly persuasive
- 00:10:25.060 --> 00:10:26.260
- language in these verses
- 00:10:26.260 --> 00:10:28.290
- and he's using legal terms.
- 00:10:28.290 --> 00:10:31.260
- So, he talks about witnesses,
- 00:10:31.260 --> 00:10:33.270
- God bearing witness
- 00:10:33.270 --> 00:10:35.160
- and that word, "witness,"
- 00:10:35.160 --> 00:10:36.260
- it literally is a legal term.
- 00:10:36.260 --> 00:10:38.280
- It belongs inside
- 00:10:38.280 --> 00:10:39.200
- a court of law.
- 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:40.210
- And, of course, the Hebrews,
- 00:10:40.210 --> 00:10:41.240
- they understood law.
- 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:43.050
- So, here is the Apostle Paul
- 00:10:43.050 --> 00:10:44.220
- using persuasive language and
- 00:10:44.220 --> 00:10:46.270
- referring to legal terms,
- 00:10:46.270 --> 00:10:49.250
- trying to explain to the Hebrews
- 00:10:49.250 --> 00:10:51.210
- why they need to not neglect
- 00:10:51.210 --> 00:10:54.190
- salvation, why they need to be
- 00:10:54.190 --> 00:10:56.150
- very careful about the drift.
- 00:10:56.150 --> 00:10:58.110
- And so, he calls three witnesses
- 00:10:58.110 --> 00:11:00.120
- and the three witnesses are in
- 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:02.020
- these verses and the first one
- 00:11:02.020 --> 00:11:04.020
- is the Word of God.
- 00:11:04.020 --> 00:11:05.180
- It says, "Take earnest care,"
- 00:11:05.180 --> 00:11:08.100
- or, "take earnest heed
- 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:09.250
- of the things that you hear."
- 00:11:09.250 --> 00:11:11.260
- And what is it they had heard?
- 00:11:11.260 --> 00:11:13.190
- What they had heard is that
- 00:11:13.190 --> 00:11:15.240
- Jesus Christ is the way that God
- 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:17.270
- speaks today, that Jesus Christ
- 00:11:17.270 --> 00:11:20.040
- is in the center of it all.
- 00:11:20.040 --> 00:11:21.160
- I love the way
- 00:11:21.160 --> 00:11:22.130
- the Book of Hebrews starts.
- 00:11:22.130 --> 00:11:23.280
- The very first word in
- 00:11:23.280 --> 00:11:25.280
- the Book of Hebrews is "God,
- 00:11:25.280 --> 00:11:28.210
- God."
- 00:11:28.210 --> 00:11:29.190
- That's the first word.
- 00:11:29.190 --> 00:11:31.010
- Just like in the very beginning
- 00:11:31.010 --> 00:11:32.120
- of Scripture, the very first
- 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:33.250
- words, "In the beginning God."
- 00:11:33.250 --> 00:11:36.140
- And so, when you look at Hebrews
- 00:11:36.140 --> 00:11:38.160
- it's very clear that God
- 00:11:38.160 --> 00:11:39.200
- is where it all begins.
- 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:41.250
- And these verses, Hebrews
- 00:11:41.250 --> 00:11:42.280
- chapter 1, verse 1 to 4,
- 00:11:42.280 --> 00:11:45.000
- it talks about the way
- 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:46.060
- that God has spoken.
- 00:11:46.060 --> 00:11:47.090
- It said at different times and
- 00:11:47.090 --> 00:11:48.210
- in various ways he's spoken.
- 00:11:48.210 --> 00:11:50.280
- Still today God speaks,
- 00:11:50.280 --> 00:11:52.140
- different times in various ways.
- 00:11:52.140 --> 00:11:54.290
- But in the Old Testament,
- 00:11:54.290 --> 00:11:56.120
- he spoke through prophets,
- 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:57.210
- that's what the Scripture says.
- 00:11:57.210 --> 00:11:59.100
- They spoke through prophets.
- 00:11:59.100 --> 00:12:01.050
- But now the Scripture says,
- 00:12:01.050 --> 00:12:02.230
- as you read through Hebrews 1,
- 00:12:02.230 --> 00:12:04.190
- verse 4, he speaks through
- 00:12:04.190 --> 00:12:06.250
- Jesus Christ.
- 00:12:06.250 --> 00:12:08.180
- And so, in other words,
- 00:12:08.180 --> 00:12:10.080
- the first witness, the Word
- 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:11.260
- of God is bringing
- 00:12:11.260 --> 00:12:13.040
- the life of Jesus,
- 00:12:13.040 --> 00:12:14.150
- keeping Jesus in the center
- 00:12:14.150 --> 00:12:15.260
- of your salvation and the moment
- 00:12:15.260 --> 00:12:17.260
- Jesus is not,
- 00:12:17.260 --> 00:12:19.230
- the moment it's ritual,
- 00:12:19.230 --> 00:12:20.240
- the moment it's obligation,
- 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.090
- the moment you get over familiar
- 00:12:22.090 --> 00:12:24.070
- sadly at that moment, all
- 00:12:24.070 --> 00:12:26.070
- the joy goes out of salvation.
- 00:12:26.070 --> 00:12:28.080
- David says, "Restore unto me
- 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:29.250
- the joy of my salvation."
- 00:12:29.250 --> 00:12:31.130
- So, in other words, it may be,
- 00:12:31.130 --> 00:12:33.040
- must be possible to kind of
- 00:12:33.040 --> 00:12:34.140
- be saved, but have no joy.
- 00:12:34.140 --> 00:12:37.020
- And it's the conviction that'll
- 00:12:37.020 --> 00:12:38.150
- keep joy in your salvation.
- 00:12:38.150 --> 00:12:40.010
- It's the conviction that'll
- 00:12:40.010 --> 00:12:41.100
- stop you from neglecting
- 00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:42.110
- your salvation.
- 00:12:42.110 --> 00:12:43.210
- So, called to the stand,
- 00:12:43.210 --> 00:12:45.110
- if you look at it in terms of
- 00:12:45.110 --> 00:12:47.110
- an exposition,
- 00:12:47.110 --> 00:12:48.080
- called to the stand is
- 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:49.240
- the Word of God to make the case
- 00:12:51.040 --> 00:12:54.040
- for why you should not neglect
- 00:12:54.040 --> 00:12:55.230
- your salvation.
- 00:12:55.230 --> 00:12:57.090
- And then the next is the works
- 00:12:57.090 --> 00:12:59.110
- and the words of Jesus,
- 00:12:59.110 --> 00:13:01.060
- Jesus himself.
- 00:13:01.060 --> 00:13:02.230
- So, it goes on and it talks
- 00:13:02.230 --> 00:13:04.230
- about how, "So great a salvation
- 00:13:04.260 --> 00:13:07.260
- should not be neglected, which
- 00:13:07.260 --> 00:13:09.100
- at the first began to be spoken
- 00:13:09.100 --> 00:13:11.050
- by the Lord, spoken by Jesus."
- 00:13:11.210 --> 00:13:14.210
- And so, the third person
- 00:13:14.210 --> 00:13:16.030
- called to the stand is,
- 00:13:16.030 --> 00:13:18.030
- of course, the Holy Spirit.
- 00:13:18.030 --> 00:13:20.080
- And so, it's the Word of God,
- 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:22.180
- it's the works, the Word of
- 00:13:22.180 --> 00:13:24.100
- Jesus, and the works of Jesus,
- 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:26.000
- and it's the wonders of
- 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:26.290
- the Holy Spirit.
- 00:13:26.290 --> 00:13:27.290
- So, here the writer, in Hebrews,
- 00:13:27.290 --> 00:13:30.180
- the writer is using those things
- 00:13:30.180 --> 00:13:32.290
- as an absolute signal, signpost,
- 00:13:34.210 --> 00:13:37.210
- that those things have to be
- 00:13:37.210 --> 00:13:39.110
- what are framing your salvation.
- 00:13:39.110 --> 00:13:41.220
- God's Word,
- 00:13:41.220 --> 00:13:42.220
- there's a power to God's Word.
- 00:13:42.220 --> 00:13:43.230
- The Scripture says
- 00:13:43.230 --> 00:13:45.040
- the things you hear.
- 00:13:45.040 --> 00:13:46.050
- Faith comes by hearing,
- 00:13:46.050 --> 00:13:48.050
- Romans says,
- 00:13:48.050 --> 00:13:48.250
- and hearing by the Word of God.
- 00:13:48.250 --> 00:13:50.200
- There's nothing more powerful
- 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:51.240
- you can have on your own lips
- 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:53.070
- than the Word of God.
- 00:13:53.070 --> 00:13:55.000
- I love the fact that Abraham,
- 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:57.010
- God changed his name.
- 00:13:57.010 --> 00:13:58.050
- He was Abram.
- 00:13:58.050 --> 00:13:59.040
- God changed his name to Abraham,
- 00:13:59.040 --> 00:14:00.210
- it meant father of a multitude.
- 00:14:00.210 --> 00:14:02.210
- And Sarai, God changed her
- 00:14:02.210 --> 00:14:04.190
- name to Sarah,
- 00:14:04.190 --> 00:14:05.190
- it meant mother of princes.
- 00:14:05.190 --> 00:14:07.030
- I love it because that was
- 00:14:07.030 --> 00:14:08.120
- 25 years before they had
- 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.160
- their miracle son.
- 00:14:10.160 --> 00:14:11.200
- Sarah was barren, unable to have
- 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:13.120
- children, but 25 years before,
- 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:15.180
- God made a promise about
- 00:14:15.180 --> 00:14:16.270
- fruitfulness, children
- 00:14:16.270 --> 00:14:18.290
- like the stars of the sky.
- 00:14:18.290 --> 00:14:20.130
- And so, he changes their names
- 00:14:20.130 --> 00:14:22.090
- but for 25 years,
- 00:14:22.090 --> 00:14:23.240
- no sign of that son.
- 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:25.060
- But the way they were addressing
- 00:14:25.060 --> 00:14:26.090
- each other, father of
- 00:14:26.090 --> 00:14:27.270
- a multitude, mother of a nation.
- 00:14:27.290 --> 00:14:30.290
- Father of a multitude,
- 00:14:30.290 --> 00:14:32.090
- mother of a nation.
- 00:14:32.090 --> 00:14:33.260
- Keep the Word of God
- 00:14:33.260 --> 00:14:35.170
- in the center of your salvation,
- 00:14:35.170 --> 00:14:36.150
- my friend.
- 00:14:36.150 --> 00:14:37.110
- Keep the Word of God on your
- 00:14:37.110 --> 00:14:38.120
- lips so you keep Jesus
- 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:40.120
- in the center of it all.
- 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:42.170
- Praise God.
- 00:14:42.170 --> 00:14:44.240
- Ha, and so then ultimately
- 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:46.250
- the Scripture talks about
- 00:14:46.250 --> 00:14:48.090
- the wonders of the Holy Spirit.
- 00:14:48.090 --> 00:14:50.110
- It talks about how God bears
- 00:14:50.110 --> 00:14:52.250
- witness through, what?
- 00:14:52.250 --> 00:14:54.090
- Signs and wonders, through
- 00:14:54.090 --> 00:14:55.250
- various miracles, and through
- 00:14:55.250 --> 00:14:57.230
- the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- 00:14:57.240 --> 00:15:00.260
- And if we are really
- 00:15:00.260 --> 00:15:02.260
- looking after our salvation,
- 00:15:02.260 --> 00:15:04.090
- not neglecting it,
- 00:15:04.090 --> 00:15:05.150
- it is in good health.
- 00:15:05.150 --> 00:15:06.240
- It is still seeing all
- 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:08.020
- the blessing that is in Christ,
- 00:15:08.020 --> 00:15:10.030
- which is what that Greek word
- 00:15:10.030 --> 00:15:11.200
- "soteria," soteria
- 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:13.050
- salvation means.
- 00:15:13.050 --> 00:15:14.260
- It means that basically you are
- 00:15:14.260 --> 00:15:16.100
- delivered and you're living in
- 00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:17.180
- all of the blessing
- 00:15:17.180 --> 00:15:18.150
- of Jesus Christ.
- 00:15:18.150 --> 00:15:21.070
- Wow.
- 00:15:21.070 --> 00:15:22.130
- So much there.
- 00:15:22.130 --> 00:15:23.270
- I want to encourage you, let's
- 00:15:23.270 --> 00:15:25.050
- continue to believe for God.
- 00:15:25.050 --> 00:15:26.190
- What started in the day of
- 00:15:26.190 --> 00:15:28.010
- Pentecost with miracles
- 00:15:28.010 --> 00:15:30.140
- is still happening today.
- 00:15:30.140 --> 00:15:32.220
- I wonder what kind of condition
- 00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:33.290
- your salvation is actually in.
- 00:15:33.290 --> 00:15:36.010
- I wonder if you've still got
- 00:15:36.010 --> 00:15:37.140
- a great and deep conviction
- 00:15:37.140 --> 00:15:38.280
- about Jesus and that
- 00:15:38.280 --> 00:15:40.140
- that deep conviction is keeping
- 00:15:40.140 --> 00:15:41.270
- Jesus in the center.
- 00:15:41.270 --> 00:15:43.140
- I wonder if you're still
- 00:15:43.140 --> 00:15:44.130
- pointing forward when it comes
- 00:15:44.130 --> 00:15:45.170
- to salvation, being saved,
- 00:15:45.170 --> 00:15:47.130
- moving forward, progressing
- 00:15:47.130 --> 00:15:49.130
- until that great day when you
- 00:15:49.130 --> 00:15:50.180
- will be saved or whether you're
- 00:15:50.180 --> 00:15:52.060
- looking backwards to a testimony
- 00:15:52.060 --> 00:15:54.120
- that maybe you almost have to
- 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:55.220
- pull off the shelf and dust off.
- 00:15:55.220 --> 00:15:57.160
- There's no power in a testimony
- 00:15:57.160 --> 00:15:59.170
- you've gotta dust off that
- 00:15:59.170 --> 00:16:00.240
- talked about what Jesus did
- 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:02.090
- 30 years ago.
- 00:16:02.090 --> 00:16:03.120
- That testimony is only
- 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:04.280
- as powerful as what's happening
- 00:16:04.280 --> 00:16:06.190
- in your life today and if you're
- 00:16:06.190 --> 00:16:08.040
- neglecting your salvation,
- 00:16:08.040 --> 00:16:09.170
- then sadly, sadly, sadly,
- 00:16:09.170 --> 00:16:12.070
- that testimony there
- 00:16:12.070 --> 00:16:13.200
- it's just a relic to the past.
- 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:16.000
- "I was saved."
- 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:17.100
- Let's not live as testimonies
- 00:16:17.100 --> 00:16:19.010
- that are a relic to the past
- 00:16:19.010 --> 00:16:20.120
- what God did in 1963, or
- 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:22.090
- in 1987, or in 1992, or in 2006.
- 00:16:23.040 --> 00:16:26.040
- Let's make sure that Jesus
- 00:16:26.040 --> 00:16:27.290
- is alive in our lives today.
- 00:16:27.290 --> 00:16:30.010
- So, here's some questions.
- 00:16:30.010 --> 00:16:31.260
- Here's some questions that
- 00:16:31.260 --> 00:16:33.130
- really help you to see whether
- 00:16:33.130 --> 00:16:35.020
- Jesus is still at the center
- 00:16:35.020 --> 00:16:36.290
- of it all bringing life
- 00:16:36.290 --> 00:16:38.140
- to your salvation.
- 00:16:38.140 --> 00:16:39.290
- And the first question is this:
- 00:16:39.290 --> 00:16:41.190
- Are you tuning into God's voice
- 00:16:41.190 --> 00:16:44.120
- or are you tuning out
- 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:46.160
- from God's voice?
- 00:16:46.160 --> 00:16:48.060
- I think it's very possible
- 00:16:48.060 --> 00:16:49.200
- to go either way.
- 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:51.230
- When the Scripture says in
- 00:16:51.230 --> 00:16:53.000
- Hebrews 2 here, our theme verse,
- 00:16:53.030 --> 00:16:56.030
- "Therefore we must give the more
- 00:16:56.030 --> 00:16:57.150
- earnest heed to the things
- 00:16:57.150 --> 00:16:59.240
- we have heard," I wonder what
- 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:02.010
- voices you're hearing today.
- 00:17:02.010 --> 00:17:03.220
- There's so many voices around.
- 00:17:03.220 --> 00:17:05.220
- There's so many different noises
- 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:07.070
- and voices around.
- 00:17:07.070 --> 00:17:08.240
- Do you know in this service,
- 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.240
- there's actually sort of
- 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:11.250
- three worlds going on
- 00:17:11.250 --> 00:17:12.280
- while we're having church.
- 00:17:12.280 --> 00:17:14.100
- First of all, there's
- 00:17:14.100 --> 00:17:15.020
- the supernatural,
- 00:17:15.020 --> 00:17:16.090
- there's the presence of God,
- 00:17:16.090 --> 00:17:17.130
- there's the Holy Spirit,
- 00:17:17.130 --> 00:17:18.250
- God speaking specifically
- 00:17:18.250 --> 00:17:20.000
- into people's lives.
- 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.080
- All of a sudden,
- 00:17:21.080 --> 00:17:21.280
- God's speaking to someone
- 00:17:21.280 --> 00:17:22.290
- through a particular song.
- 00:17:22.290 --> 00:17:24.140
- The Holy Spirit just melting
- 00:17:24.140 --> 00:17:25.250
- someone's heart, bringing,
- 00:17:25.250 --> 00:17:27.140
- you know, softness
- 00:17:27.140 --> 00:17:28.180
- instead of hardness.
- 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:29.150
- All that's happening
- 00:17:29.150 --> 00:17:30.080
- at one level.
- 00:17:30.080 --> 00:17:31.050
- Then, it's what we can
- 00:17:31.050 --> 00:17:32.010
- experience and what we see,
- 00:17:32.010 --> 00:17:33.050
- that's happening at
- 00:17:33.050 --> 00:17:34.140
- a different level.
- 00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:35.060
- But do you know there's another
- 00:17:35.060 --> 00:17:36.010
- world, I won't call it
- 00:17:36.010 --> 00:17:37.160
- the underworld,
- 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:38.190
- but there's another world
- 00:17:38.190 --> 00:17:40.260
- that is subliminal.
- 00:17:40.260 --> 00:17:42.070
- We don't see it.
- 00:17:42.070 --> 00:17:43.010
- We don't hear it.
- 00:17:43.010 --> 00:17:44.010
- And I'm gonna come over here to
- 00:17:44.010 --> 00:17:45.030
- explain it to you and describe
- 00:17:45.030 --> 00:17:46.160
- it to you because there's
- 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.030
- all these people on that stage,
- 00:17:48.030 --> 00:17:49.290
- and out there in the TV room,
- 00:17:49.290 --> 00:17:52.010
- and whoever's putting the words
- 00:17:52.010 --> 00:17:54.140
- on the screen, whoever is doing
- 00:17:56.080 --> 00:17:59.080
- other things in the service,
- 00:17:59.080 --> 00:18:00.220
- the worship leader,
- 00:18:00.220 --> 00:18:01.260
- every musician,
- 00:18:01.260 --> 00:18:02.260
- all of those key singers,
- 00:18:02.260 --> 00:18:04.090
- they're all tuned into
- 00:18:04.090 --> 00:18:06.030
- each other and you and I
- 00:18:06.030 --> 00:18:07.110
- don't even see it or hear it.
- 00:18:07.110 --> 00:18:08.270
- So, this guy, he's sort of
- 00:18:08.270 --> 00:18:11.240
- gotta be able to listen to
- 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:12.250
- all these voices.
- 00:18:12.250 --> 00:18:13.250
- But, you know, there's
- 00:18:13.250 --> 00:18:14.180
- one voice, there's one voice
- 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:16.140
- that perhaps is more important
- 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:17.230
- than any other voice
- 00:18:17.230 --> 00:18:18.240
- and that's it right there.
- 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:20.160
- If you're looking at your
- 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:21.080
- screen, you may think that
- 00:18:21.080 --> 00:18:23.270
- Autumn is just that lovely lady
- 00:18:23.270 --> 00:18:25.230
- who plays the keyboard, but
- 00:18:25.230 --> 00:18:27.030
- she's actually directing a whole
- 00:18:27.030 --> 00:18:29.100
- different world of people there.
- 00:18:29.100 --> 00:18:30.260
- She's not singing, she's talking
- 00:18:30.260 --> 00:18:32.240
- and so everyone, all these
- 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:34.280
- people I'm mentioning
- 00:18:34.280 --> 00:18:35.270
- can hear her voice.
- 00:18:35.270 --> 00:18:37.130
- So, out of all the noise, they
- 00:18:37.130 --> 00:18:39.120
- all have to hear that one voice
- 00:18:39.120 --> 00:18:41.030
- and that means they have to tune
- 00:18:41.030 --> 00:18:42.080
- out a whole lot of other voices.
- 00:18:42.080 --> 00:18:44.080
- Keeping the greatness in
- 00:18:44.080 --> 00:18:44.290
- your salvation is much the same
- 00:18:44.290 --> 00:18:47.240
- and so life's just like that.
- 00:18:48.150 --> 00:18:51.150
- You know, when it comes to
- 00:18:51.150 --> 00:18:52.140
- really keeping Jesus in your
- 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:54.020
- salvation, there's a whole lot
- 00:18:54.020 --> 00:18:55.260
- of voices you have to switch out
- 00:18:55.260 --> 00:18:57.110
- and today more voices than ever.
- 00:18:57.110 --> 00:18:58.270
- Some of them are on
- 00:18:58.270 --> 00:18:59.190
- social media.
- 00:18:59.190 --> 00:19:00.260
- Some of them are friends
- 00:19:00.260 --> 00:19:02.000
- who are not speaking
- 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.140
- into the life of your faith.
- 00:19:03.140 --> 00:19:04.270
- They maybe are speaking
- 00:19:04.270 --> 00:19:06.120
- a contrary language.
- 00:19:06.120 --> 00:19:07.270
- Some of it may be the voice of
- 00:19:07.270 --> 00:19:09.000
- cynics, negative people, voices
- 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:11.150
- of people who can't understand
- 00:19:11.150 --> 00:19:12.280
- the things of God and so they
- 00:19:12.280 --> 00:19:14.240
- hate what you represent,
- 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:16.060
- all of these noises.
- 00:19:16.060 --> 00:19:17.220
- And if you want to keep Jesus in
- 00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:19.020
- the center of your salvation,
- 00:19:19.020 --> 00:19:21.040
- then believe me, we have to
- 00:19:21.040 --> 00:19:22.280
- be able, amongst all that noise,
- 00:19:22.280 --> 00:19:24.160
- listen to one voice and that is
- 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:26.270
- the words of God, it's the words
- 00:19:26.270 --> 00:19:28.140
- of Jesus Christ that points
- 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:30.060
- to the finished work of Jesus.
- 00:19:30.060 --> 00:19:32.010
- We have to listen to
- 00:19:32.010 --> 00:19:32.240
- that one voice.
- 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:35.150
- How tuned in are you
- 00:19:35.150 --> 00:19:36.150
- to God's Word?
- 00:19:36.150 --> 00:19:37.240
- How good are you at tuning out
- 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:39.010
- all the distractions like
- 00:19:39.010 --> 00:19:41.150
- those things I just mentioned?
- 00:19:41.150 --> 00:19:43.030
- What about the voices of
- 00:19:43.030 --> 00:19:44.000
- friends?
- 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:45.000
- Do, you know, sometimes
- 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.080
- we need to be able to listen to
- 00:19:47.080 --> 00:19:48.130
- people around and about us whose
- 00:19:48.130 --> 00:19:50.020
- voice all it does is basically
- 00:19:50.020 --> 00:19:52.200
- support the most important
- 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:54.060
- voice, the voice of
- 00:19:54.060 --> 00:19:55.150
- the Spirit of God in our lives.
- 00:19:55.210 --> 00:19:58.210
- In the times of Hezekiah in
- 00:19:58.210 --> 00:20:00.260
- the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles,
- 00:20:00.260 --> 00:20:02.170
- it paints a picture where
- 00:20:02.170 --> 00:20:04.200
- Sennacherib was the king of
- 00:20:04.200 --> 00:20:05.280
- Assyria and he was attacking
- 00:20:05.280 --> 00:20:07.190
- Judah.
- 00:20:07.190 --> 00:20:08.260
- And so, in other words,
- 00:20:08.260 --> 00:20:09.250
- God's people were under siege
- 00:20:09.250 --> 00:20:11.140
- and feeling besieged,
- 00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:13.220
- they, you know, they,
- 00:20:13.220 --> 00:20:16.170
- I guess, were feeling anxious.
- 00:20:16.170 --> 00:20:18.260
- And Hezekiah said this, it's
- 00:20:18.260 --> 00:20:20.180
- in 2 Chronicles 32, verse 6.
- 00:20:22.030 --> 00:20:25.030
- It says, "Hezekiah
- 00:20:25.030 --> 00:20:26.000
- rallied the people, saying,
- 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:26.290
- 'Be strong! Take courage!
- 00:20:26.290 --> 00:20:29.020
- Don't be intimidated by the king
- 00:20:29.020 --> 00:20:31.020
- of Assyria and his troops--
- 00:20:31.020 --> 00:20:32.160
- there are more on our side
- 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:33.230
- than on their side.
- 00:20:33.230 --> 00:20:35.070
- He only has a bunch of mere men;
- 00:20:35.070 --> 00:20:37.220
- we have our God to help us
- 00:20:37.220 --> 00:20:39.090
- and fight for us!'
- 00:20:39.090 --> 00:20:40.120
- Morale surged," the Bible says.
- 00:20:40.120 --> 00:20:42.100
- Hezekiah's words
- 00:20:42.100 --> 00:20:43.160
- put steel in their spines.
- 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:45.170
- Let's be listening to the kind
- 00:20:45.170 --> 00:20:46.280
- of words when it comes to faith
- 00:20:46.280 --> 00:20:48.160
- that put steel in our spines,
- 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:50.260
- that kind of steely conviction
- 00:20:50.260 --> 00:20:52.190
- that will have you standing and
- 00:20:52.190 --> 00:20:54.020
- still standing no matter what
- 00:20:54.020 --> 00:20:55.210
- other voices are speaking, you
- 00:20:55.210 --> 00:20:57.050
- know, how to tune out to all of
- 00:20:57.050 --> 00:20:58.240
- these voices and tune in
- 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:00.200
- to the one voice that matters
- 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:02.040
- and that, of course,
- 00:21:02.040 --> 00:21:03.070
- is the voice of the Holy Spirit,
- 00:21:03.070 --> 00:21:05.050
- the voice of God,
- 00:21:05.050 --> 00:21:06.140
- the voice of his Son, Jesus.
- 00:21:06.140 --> 00:21:08.140
- Amen.
- 00:21:08.140 --> 00:21:09.190
- So, that's the first question.
- 00:21:09.190 --> 00:21:11.200
- He tuned in or tuned out
- 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:13.100
- from the Word of God.
- 00:21:13.100 --> 00:21:14.250
- Here's the second question:
- 00:21:14.250 --> 00:21:16.090
- Are you drifting from or running
- 00:21:16.090 --> 00:21:18.150
- with the message of salvation?
- 00:21:18.170 --> 00:21:21.170
- "Take heed to the things we have
- 00:21:21.170 --> 00:21:22.210
- heard, lest we drift away."
- 00:21:22.210 --> 00:21:25.210
- You know, it's sad when you
- 00:21:25.210 --> 00:21:27.030
- see drift in people's lives and
- 00:21:27.030 --> 00:21:29.030
- sadly, drifting from salvation
- 00:21:29.030 --> 00:21:31.180
- means it becomes mechanical,
- 00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:33.070
- means it becomes obligation.
- 00:21:33.070 --> 00:21:34.260
- It means then you're just going
- 00:21:34.260 --> 00:21:36.050
- through the motions
- 00:21:36.050 --> 00:21:37.160
- and that's why we
- 00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:38.130
- have to understand this,
- 00:21:38.130 --> 00:21:40.030
- that in the Old Testament
- 00:21:40.030 --> 00:21:41.150
- and in Greek literature
- 00:21:41.150 --> 00:21:42.260
- the good news is always brought
- 00:21:42.260 --> 00:21:44.080
- by a messenger,
- 00:21:44.080 --> 00:21:45.180
- always brought by a messenger,
- 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:47.190
- the gospel being brought
- 00:21:47.190 --> 00:21:48.290
- by a messenger.
- 00:21:48.290 --> 00:21:50.100
- And Isaiah paints a beautiful
- 00:21:50.100 --> 00:21:51.130
- picture of how in a time of
- 00:21:51.130 --> 00:21:53.210
- battle, the people are waiting,
- 00:21:53.210 --> 00:21:55.190
- maybe they're besieged.
- 00:21:55.190 --> 00:21:57.080
- They're waiting in the city
- 00:21:57.080 --> 00:21:58.230
- behind the walled city
- 00:21:58.230 --> 00:22:00.020
- and they're just waiting to see
- 00:22:00.020 --> 00:22:00.290
- the messenger come with news of
- 00:22:00.290 --> 00:22:02.200
- what's happened on the battle,
- 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:04.020
- whether their own son is still
- 00:22:04.020 --> 00:22:05.230
- alive, whether their own
- 00:22:05.230 --> 00:22:07.260
- loved ones are still alive,
- 00:22:07.260 --> 00:22:09.120
- whether they have survived in
- 00:22:09.120 --> 00:22:10.240
- the battle, and they're waiting.
- 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.030
- There's no social media.
- 00:22:12.030 --> 00:22:13.100
- There's no communication,
- 00:22:13.100 --> 00:22:14.060
- no telephones, no telegrams.
- 00:22:14.060 --> 00:22:16.000
- There's nothing.
- 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:17.010
- Back in Bible times,
- 00:22:17.010 --> 00:22:18.020
- all you gotta do is wait for
- 00:22:18.020 --> 00:22:19.150
- the messenger and then suddenly
- 00:22:19.150 --> 00:22:21.110
- the messenger appears in
- 00:22:21.110 --> 00:22:23.200
- the hills and the Bible says,
- 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:25.070
- "How beautiful on the mountains
- 00:22:25.070 --> 00:22:27.060
- are the feet of him
- 00:22:27.060 --> 00:22:28.040
- who brings good news."
- 00:22:28.040 --> 00:22:29.210
- It's talking about the one
- 00:22:29.210 --> 00:22:30.170
- running with message
- 00:22:30.170 --> 00:22:32.010
- of salvation.
- 00:22:32.010 --> 00:22:33.030
- And I'll read you the verses
- 00:22:33.030 --> 00:22:34.130
- 'cause it talks
- 00:22:34.130 --> 00:22:35.080
- specifically about a messenger
- 00:22:35.080 --> 00:22:37.080
- who comes proclaiming salvation.
- 00:22:37.080 --> 00:22:39.020
- It says, "How beautiful upon
- 00:22:39.020 --> 00:22:40.100
- the mountains are the feet of
- 00:22:40.100 --> 00:22:41.280
- him who brings good news,
- 00:22:41.280 --> 00:22:43.090
- who proclaims peace, who brings
- 00:22:43.090 --> 00:22:44.210
- glad tidings of good things,"
- 00:22:44.210 --> 00:22:46.140
- in other words, bring good news,
- 00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:48.000
- "who proclaims," what?
- 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.130
- "Salvation."
- 00:22:49.130 --> 00:22:50.270
- And then it goes on
- 00:22:50.270 --> 00:22:51.270
- a little later and it says,
- 00:22:51.270 --> 00:22:53.090
- "Your watchmen shall lift up
- 00:22:53.090 --> 00:22:54.210
- their voices, with their voices
- 00:22:54.210 --> 00:22:56.070
- they shall sing together;
- 00:22:56.070 --> 00:22:57.210
- they shall see eye to eye
- 00:22:57.210 --> 00:22:59.010
- when the Lord brings back Zion.
- 00:22:59.010 --> 00:23:00.170
- Break forth into joy, sing
- 00:23:00.170 --> 00:23:02.180
- together," the Scripture says.
- 00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:04.080
- And it goes on and ends,
- 00:23:04.080 --> 00:23:05.160
- "And all the ends of the earth
- 00:23:05.160 --> 00:23:06.240
- shall see the salvation of God."
- 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:09.040
- So, are you gonna run with
- 00:23:09.040 --> 00:23:10.020
- the good message of salvation?
- 00:23:10.020 --> 00:23:12.020
- If you believe that salvation is
- 00:23:12.020 --> 00:23:13.150
- great and you're not neglecting
- 00:23:13.150 --> 00:23:14.280
- the--how could you keep it
- 00:23:14.280 --> 00:23:16.110
- to yourself?
- 00:23:16.110 --> 00:23:17.110
- How could you not be a messenger
- 00:23:17.110 --> 00:23:18.250
- wanting other people to know
- 00:23:18.250 --> 00:23:20.100
- so great a salvation?
- 00:23:20.100 --> 00:23:21.230
- How could you not want to bring
- 00:23:21.230 --> 00:23:23.030
- people along and see them
- 00:23:23.030 --> 00:23:24.130
- connect to Jesus Christ?
- 00:23:24.130 --> 00:23:25.240
- Let's be people who run
- 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:26.250
- with the message of salvation.
- 00:23:26.250 --> 00:23:28.250
- Here, the Scripture says oh,
- 00:23:28.250 --> 00:23:30.200
- it's beautiful to see the runner
- 00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:32.070
- coming with good news.
- 00:23:32.070 --> 00:23:33.190
- It's a cause for singing.
- 00:23:33.190 --> 00:23:35.010
- It's a cause for joy.
- 00:23:35.010 --> 00:23:36.140
- It's a cause for celebration and
- 00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:38.110
- that's why in church with Jesus
- 00:23:38.110 --> 00:23:40.210
- in the center of our salvation,
- 00:23:40.210 --> 00:23:42.130
- we love to sing,
- 00:23:42.130 --> 00:23:43.140
- we love to praise God.
- 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:44.290
- We love to dance.
- 00:23:44.290 --> 00:23:46.040
- Hallelujah.
- 00:23:46.040 --> 00:23:46.290
- We love to get excited about God
- 00:23:46.290 --> 00:23:49.110
- because there's a whole lot
- 00:23:49.110 --> 00:23:50.190
- to get excited about
- 00:23:50.190 --> 00:23:51.230
- when you're serving King Jesus.
- 00:23:51.230 --> 00:23:54.100
- Ah, let's be people filled with
- 00:23:54.100 --> 00:23:55.280
- love, filled with grace,
- 00:23:55.280 --> 00:23:57.030
- running with, not running from.
- 00:23:57.030 --> 00:23:59.070
- Are you familiar or overfamiliar
- 00:23:59.180 --> 00:24:02.200
- with the message of salvation,
- 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:04.170
- Jesus at the center of it all?
- 00:24:04.170 --> 00:24:06.190
- Are you familiar
- 00:24:06.190 --> 00:24:08.020
- or overfamiliar?
- 00:24:08.020 --> 00:24:09.200
- I'm gonna read a verse to you,
- 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:10.260
- it's 2 Corinthians 8, verse 8.
- 00:24:10.260 --> 00:24:13.090
- It says, "I'm not trying
- 00:24:13.090 --> 00:24:14.080
- to order you around
- 00:24:14.080 --> 00:24:15.050
- against your will."
- 00:24:15.050 --> 00:24:16.100
- It's talking about giving,
- 00:24:16.100 --> 00:24:17.180
- by the way, "But by bringing
- 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:19.020
- in the Macedonians' enthusiasm
- 00:24:19.020 --> 00:24:20.260
- as a stimulus to your love,
- 00:24:20.260 --> 00:24:22.150
- I am hoping to bring
- 00:24:22.150 --> 00:24:23.260
- the best out of you."
- 00:24:23.260 --> 00:24:24.220
- Listen, "You are familiar with
- 00:24:24.220 --> 00:24:26.010
- the generosity of our Master,
- 00:24:26.010 --> 00:24:27.170
- Jesus Christ."
- 00:24:27.170 --> 00:24:28.170
- You're familiar with
- 00:24:28.170 --> 00:24:29.200
- Jesus' generosity and it's
- 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:31.080
- not negative, it's a positive.
- 00:24:31.080 --> 00:24:33.100
- You see, listen carefully to
- 00:24:33.100 --> 00:24:35.070
- this, the word "familiar"
- 00:24:35.070 --> 00:24:37.060
- comes from the same place
- 00:24:37.060 --> 00:24:38.080
- as the word "family."
- 00:24:38.080 --> 00:24:39.230
- So, in other words, we're not
- 00:24:39.230 --> 00:24:42.020
- talking about being familiar,
- 00:24:42.020 --> 00:24:43.080
- I'm actually talking about the
- 00:24:43.080 --> 00:24:44.220
- principles of family.
- 00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:46.060
- We know each other.
- 00:24:46.060 --> 00:24:47.040
- We love each other.
- 00:24:47.040 --> 00:24:48.090
- We know each other.
- 00:24:48.090 --> 00:24:49.060
- We're comfortable around
- 00:24:49.060 --> 00:24:49.290
- each other.
- 00:24:49.290 --> 00:24:51.000
- My kids don't have to ask
- 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:52.090
- permission to sit down
- 00:24:52.090 --> 00:24:53.090
- in the lounge room.
- 00:24:53.090 --> 00:24:54.180
- You know, it's a long, long time
- 00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:56.010
- since they asked for permission
- 00:24:56.010 --> 00:24:57.050
- for anything, come to think of
- 00:24:57.050 --> 00:24:58.070
- it, but we know each other.
- 00:24:58.070 --> 00:25:00.040
- Overfamiliar is different.
- 00:25:00.040 --> 00:25:01.280
- Overfamiliar you just got
- 00:25:01.280 --> 00:25:03.060
- a bit too close.
- 00:25:03.060 --> 00:25:04.100
- You got so close that you went
- 00:25:04.100 --> 00:25:05.230
- far now you presume on each
- 00:25:05.230 --> 00:25:07.210
- other, now, you're overfamiliar,
- 00:25:07.210 --> 00:25:10.080
- the loves goes out of it.
- 00:25:10.080 --> 00:25:12.020
- And do you know that's exactly
- 00:25:12.020 --> 00:25:13.110
- what can happen with our faith,
- 00:25:13.110 --> 00:25:15.060
- with Jesus at the center?
- 00:25:15.060 --> 00:25:16.210
- When we determine we're not
- 00:25:16.210 --> 00:25:17.240
- neglecting our salvation,
- 00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:19.040
- when we listen to the three
- 00:25:19.040 --> 00:25:20.160
- witnesses, the Word of God, the
- 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:22.060
- works of Jesus, the wonders of
- 00:25:22.060 --> 00:25:23.190
- the Holy Spirit and we have
- 00:25:23.190 --> 00:25:25.040
- those things operating in our
- 00:25:25.040 --> 00:25:26.180
- lives, then, friends, we can
- 00:25:26.180 --> 00:25:28.090
- live in the joy of our salvation
- 00:25:28.090 --> 00:25:30.110
- and we can, rather than neglect
- 00:25:30.110 --> 00:25:31.250
- so great a salvation, we
- 00:25:31.250 --> 00:25:33.260
- can be living in the blessings
- 00:25:33.260 --> 00:25:35.010
- - Brian: Well, I'm so glad
- 00:25:40.260 --> 00:25:41.240
- you were part of this program.
- 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:43.090
- I really do believe that
- 00:25:43.090 --> 00:25:44.260
- for salvation to have all of
- 00:25:44.260 --> 00:25:46.140
- the power and all of
- 00:25:46.140 --> 00:25:47.150
- the blessing that God intends,
- 00:25:47.150 --> 00:25:48.290
- we have to live our lives
- 00:25:48.290 --> 00:25:50.030
- with a deep, steely conviction.
- 00:25:50.030 --> 00:25:52.210
- Conviction means fully
- 00:25:52.210 --> 00:25:54.050
- convinced, the Apostle Paul was.
- 00:25:54.050 --> 00:25:55.290
- He said, "I know, I believe,
- 00:25:55.290 --> 00:25:57.260
- I'm persuaded, I'm committed."
- 00:25:57.260 --> 00:25:59.290
- I pray that you and I can have
- 00:25:59.290 --> 00:26:01.120
- that kind of conviction which
- 00:26:01.120 --> 00:26:02.280
- will keep us on course for
- 00:26:02.280 --> 00:26:04.190
- all of the promise and blessing
- 00:26:04.190 --> 00:26:05.280
- of God and for salvation
- 00:26:05.280 --> 00:26:07.240
- to frame our world.
- 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:09.170
- So, God bless you,
- 00:26:09.170 --> 00:26:10.130
- have a great week.
- 00:26:10.130 --> 00:26:11.090
- And don't forget it, will you,
- 00:26:11.090 --> 00:26:12.070
- The entrance sealed
- 00:26:16.260 --> 00:26:19.240
- by heavy stone
- 00:26:20.100 --> 00:26:23.100
- Messiah still
- 00:26:23.170 --> 00:26:26.170
- and all alone
- 00:26:30.190 --> 00:26:33.190
- O praise the name
- 00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:36.240
- of the Lord our God
- 00:26:37.120 --> 00:26:40.120
- O praise His name
- 00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:43.180
- forever more
- 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:47.000
- For endless days
- 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:49.250
- we will sing Your praise
- 00:26:50.190 --> 00:26:53.190
- Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
- 00:26:59.250 --> 00:27:02.270
- Then on the third
- 00:27:03.010 --> 00:27:06.010
- At break of dawn
- 00:27:06.100 --> 00:27:09.100
- The Son of heaven rose again
- 00:27:13.010 --> 00:27:16.010
- O trampled death
- 00:27:16.120 --> 00:27:19.120
- Where is your sting?
- 00:27:19.210 --> 00:27:22.210
- The angels roar
- 00:27:23.020 --> 00:27:26.020
- O praise the name
- 00:27:33.110 --> 00:27:36.110
- Of the Lord our God
- 00:27:37.010 --> 00:27:40.010
- O praise His name
- 00:27:40.060 --> 00:27:43.060
- forever more
- 00:27:44.070 --> 00:27:47.070
- For endless days
- 00:27:47.070 --> 00:27:49.140
- we will sing Your praise
- 00:27:50.040 --> 00:27:53.040
- Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
- 00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:02.220
- He shall return
- 00:28:03.070 --> 00:28:06.070
- in robes of white
- 00:28:06.070 --> 00:28:09.070
- The blazing Son
- 00:28:09.190 --> 00:28:12.190
- shall pierce the night
- 00:28:12.250 --> 00:28:15.250
- And I will rise
- 00:28:16.030 --> 00:28:19.030
- among the saints
- 00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:22.140
- My gaze transfixed
- 00:28:22.270 --> 00:28:25.270