If you want to I'm here to tell us to have the love of our our Lord and understand what is right or what's wrong in helping people that's so important. To have for today with David Hockney as David mentioned a moment ago we're not here to discuss the problems and pitfalls of immigration we're here because we believe in the Bible the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible and friends the Bible has incredibly clear instructions for you and me on how we are supposed to treat the strangers in our land if you remember the nation of Israel was one say a nation of strangers in a strange land themselves God wanted them to remember that and told them so his last spells out in no uncertain terms how they and we are supposed to treat those strangers in our midst this is a convicting message for all of us but one that we all need to hear what David's back for the last day of his message in Exodus 23 erecting up our expansive look at judgment and laws stay close before we dive into that here's David with info on one of our informative free resources which is part of our ministry to you. Now we have a newsletter called Hope for Today and it comes every month and it's free all you need to do is give us a call in China for a give us your address either office or home. And we'll send it to you and as always we get this material to use so that you can use it yourself with friends family Bible study as you may be teaching. Or you are a blessing I tell you we love you thank you for your cards and letters and e-mails and phone calls we just appreciate it so much and we are a ministry that prays you call us with surgeon prayer requests we pray for them we don't just put them in the trash can so I hope that you will take advantage of that for that's a great blessing to us to pray for you God bless you and so we're in chapter $23.00 of Exodus and kind of finishing up that chapter and finishing up the whole section of judgment and law. So much could start to. Serve your enemy in whatever ways are possible interesting the Lord tarry deceive and further remember the summon on the Mount he carried it a lot further if your enemy ask you for your coat give him your cloak also do whatever you can he said when men revile you falsely accuse you say all manner of evil against you falsely rates are right as a reward in heaven but you bless them a persecute you pray for him who misrepresents you in other words it's exactly the opposite of what our old said Nature wants to do we want to get this straight out now somebody is still to hear well God knows God knows who is the Bible says Be sure your sin will find us. It's only a question of time serve your enemy in whatever ways are possible number 5 in verse 6 Harry tells us to support the cause of the poor he said Thou shall not risk the judgment of the poor in his cause literally you don't deny justice to poor people just because they're poor in their lawsuits is because they can't afford an attorney our government has to still follow this aren't you glad think about it but you know what happens that if you can afford it they appoint somebody who may or may not be truly interested in your case or may have just got out of law school and they're practicing on you but if you've ever wondered why does do our courts appoint these attorneys for people who have been charged with something when they haven't asked for it well because it's based on biblical morality this is a law that came from going on in verse 7 we have a 6 the matter here and that's to stay away from false matters it's like repeating it again keep the far from a false matter the innocent and righteous lays down for all not justify the wicked it's easy to get involved with these things kind of our carnal desire to get involved and stay away from that stuff don't get close to it and in verse 8 stand for what is right regardless of how you're paid what a principle. He said Take no gift or bribe for the gift blind is the wise and perverted the words of the righteous many passages in Proverbs Chapter 15 chapter 17 they tell us warn us about bribes somebody hands you a little gift and say you know I really hope that you'll speak favorably for me in this situation and God tells you do not do that just hand to give back and say excuse me I got to tell the truth the matter what I'm not trying to hurt you but I got to be honest and be better that you not give me a gift in these circumstances do you understand now why are judges in our politicians are not allowed to take gifts from people that's our law where they get that law they got that law from the Bible now I said the other night in our last message about how quickly all these laws are flowing out of Biblical morality I did not expect to get the calls from the attorneys that I got but I appreciated it you'd be amazed what the attorneys said because you know you could almost interpret me ragging on the attorneys a bit but what's going on in our system we need to rag on him a bit get away from the Biblical morality that's a basis of our Western system of law but it's interesting that all the attorneys called me and said you can't understand how right on you are they all wondered whether or not you as an audience were really hearing carefully what is the underlying argument of this whole discussion in these 3 chapters are you hearing carefully that law has no ability to exercise itself apart from God given morality interest in it in other words morality what makes something right or wrong is all built on what God says all build on these 10 commandments again and isn't it interesting they don't want to post them in the public sector. You see what's happening our whole culture listen when you send the kids God no one else is doubling you are to blame everyone is drawn away of their own lust and enticed the Bible says we are accountable for all of our actions and that's what's slipping out of the window in our society right now instead of responsibility duty altruism you name it we're now taught about our own personal rights what we can tolerate and how we have the freedom to do whatever we want to do and we're all from dysfunctional families we're all the little bit beat up and abused Hey welcome to the human race this is very serious the final thing in verse 9 is to seek to help not oppress strangers not oppress the stranger because you know the heart of when you were in Egypt you know that you want to help them you want to relieve them going to do what you can now sometimes a stranger can rip you off looks like he's a need and you help him and he just want to go and get some more drugs or alcohol whatever and it can it can hurt you but I've done it many many times I think about the man and his little girl that were standing right in a city where I live right on the corner where people are turning and he had a sign out saying we're hungry and homeless can you help us very touching people driving on by and one guy yelled out the window while I was just standing there sitting there at the light watching this guy he yelled out he said it won't work bring in their little girl out here and he took off so I don't know what to do I know he could be ripping people off I know that he was from back east he could get a job it was a bad situation anyway I asked him to go over to the side of the road I was going to pull my car over which I did and. I told him I said you know I'm not sure whether I'm going to help you or not and 1st thing that came out of his mouth he said It's Ok I understand. Right away I wanted to help. But I proceed a little further found out the guy was telling the truth so I went down paid for a little motel room for him and got him some food and some groceries and I told him out check back with you in 2 days if you don't have a job an opening or some else will see what else we can do and then I proceeded to give him a cup of coffee copies of my book. Which of course you know you have to throw in and found out the guy was a Christian and he was really hurt and was embarrassed to be out there didn't know what to do about his little girl he was going to leave her alone and he drove his car out it had gone compute he didn't have the money to fix it and he was just a really hard ready situation that turned out really good and they're going out and they're on the Simi Valley area where they're attending a church and they're get involved he got a job and I look back on that and say well you know praise the Lord you know now the next 50 stories are not the same. The understand we all get ripped off but please don't get a better attitude become calloused that is not what God taught us one of the most beautiful things about our country throughout its history was that we cared for people who came here and now it seems like a we wanted to go away we don't care anymore we sang that song Give me your tired your poor your huddled masses yearning to be free hey we're not saying anymore it's interesting and you know I'm not here to discuss the immigration problem in case you wonder I'm here to tell us to have the love of our our Lord and understand what is right and what's wrong in helping people that's so important now there's another issue that's mentioned here in verses 10 to 13 and interesting that's the place of rest for the land and the people I've tasted and choose. The other night when I was in Vancouver Washington I had my notes and I was kind of going over this and I was so tired I was after the meeting I had preached a lot that day and I was going over these notes and I read verse 12 just like this 6 days. Do the work and on the 7th show. Now that's what I call getting a vivid alive illustration. Remember the savage day to keep it holy and what we're going to do is fight as to whether we should worship on Saturday on Sunday but some folks are missing the whole point it's said now there are 3 things here we would draw your attention about the place of rest not only for the land but also for the people 1st the purpose of letting your land rest every 70 year don't work it at all leave it alone don't plow it don't do anything to it what's the purpose of it interesting it's to relieve the hungry boy how often we miss that tells me you're a man to be more productive then if you do that and cetera et cetera I understand almost like an agricultural little deals but I don't think that's the point look at verse 10 and 11 again burst 11 the 7th year Thou shall let it rest and lie still why that the poor people may eat and what they leave the beast talking about wild beasts of the field shall eat and in like manner that shall do with the vineyard and with I all of yard. Was not interesting every 70 year just rest. So you can relieve the hungry both man and beast how interesting not only to relieve the hungry but secondly to rest your physical body verse 12 you know why every Why is everybody missing that point it's like we got to jump immediately to the spiritual application there is a spiritual application of the Sabbath there is an issue about resting in the Lord and ceasing from your works and walking by faith it's in Hebrews 3 and 4 but understand it flows off of a simple command God Once us to physically rest and all God's tired souls said Amen. You're going every day you're burning the candle at both ends and you want people to be proud of you you're ruining your life you're disobeying God whether you know it or not take a break. At all like you much better. Rest God wants you to rest but there's a 3rd issue here not only to relieve the hungry and to rest your physical body but verse 13 it's to remember your spiritual commitments that's the point of taking a break we should be thinking of the Lord of course every day but one whole day where we just relax rest have time to think in a meditate read God's word and do some worship and all of that it just brings it all together in all things that I've said and to you be circumspect make no mention of the name of other gods need a little be heard of the I'm out here of that paganism you've been in all week now get out of your life this day is for the Lord rist meditate worship honor him in every way possible with kind of gotten away from that him we people now in verses 14 and 19 we have the prerequisites for annual celebrations just take a quick look at the beginning of verse 14. It says 3 times I should keep a feast and to me in the year now I should keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread should be done live in bread 7 days as I commanded the in the time appointed of the month of the 4 in it all came from Egypt and none chil appear before me empty and the Feast of harvest the 1st fruits of the labors which I was sown in the field and the Feast of in gathering which is at the end of the year when those gathered in Die labors out of the field 3 times in the year all the e-mails shall appear before the Lord God shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning the 1st of the 1st fruits of the land bring into the house of the Lord God not boil or see the cook a kid a young goat in his mother's milk Amen really quickly we have here the number of celebrations that everyone's through a 13 of them Passover Unleavened Bread Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles the nature of the sacrifices being offered he said don't offer blood with leavened bread interesting leaven is always a type of sin and pollution and God says I don't want it and don't let the fat remain until the morning rid of it all burden on my altar you know we're not in of it because but let me just quickly say this haven't you ever wonder why God burns all the fat you never once you need to. 1st of all we know that animal fat is one of the biggest contributors to cholesterol damaging cholesterol so we can see a hygenic point there but the Bible says that all the fat is the Lord's and that's encouraging to some of us who put on the weight him and. We're more specially in the arms of the Lord than you skinny ones are. All the fat is the Lord but God burnt it on the altar now why does he burn it all of any altar your member in Romans 12 Paul said after telling us all about salvation I beseech you therefore brother and by the mercies of God that you present your body a living sacrifice wholly acceptable and to God which is your reasonable service you see the picture of that is of an individual as he gave that sacrifice of dedicating everything he is and has to the Lord a pretty important picture isn't it Now we also have the need of caution when preparing these sacrifices and I know you all want to know about this boiling a kid in his mother's milk it actually appears 2 more times in God's Law in Exodus 3426 and Deuteronomy 1421 it's a kosher law the kosher law the day that came from this command for bids Jews to eat milk products along with meat products at the same meal you do not have a glass of milk and some cheese along with your steak that is not kosher and that's where it came from However I'd like to take this a step further. Some say that this deals with being merciful towards animals and what a horrible thing to cook a child in its mother's milk I mean it's offensive even think about the relation of mother and child even though they're animals and they bring before you proverbs 1210 which says a righteous man regard as the life of his animal In other words just because the animal is not the same as a human being doesn't mean we kick them around slap around and hurt animals that's not a righteous man either so some say that's had ball but you know there was some excavations in archaeology at a place called Ross Shamrock It's the ancient city called Hugo writ and it's interesting that there we found much to our amazement actual statements dealing with boiling young kids in their mother's milk what we found out was that it was a pagan ritual a sacrificial ritual that was common among the Canaanites So you see once again it was a pagan practice and God said stay away from that can you come to worship me I want things to be right and kosher and clean now I know we're just about out but would you take verses 20 on and look at this final matter and that's the plan to bring them to the promised land it says in verse 20 behold I send an angel before the to keep the in the way to bring the into the place which I have prepared they needed to have dependence 1st of all upon God's angels he would lead them be aware of him God said obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him. Isaiah $6039.00 calls that the angel of God's presence many believe he's referring to a what we call a Kristoff an e appearance of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament the angel of the Lord but if indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak then I will be an enemy into the enemies in an adversary and a Dine adversaries for mine Angel shall go before the and bring the under the Amorites and Hittites and parasites and Canaanites and divides and Jeb you sides and I will cut them off now shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them nor do after their works but utterly overthrow them and quite break down their images here God is talking about the kind of dedication that is needed here by God's servants in verse 27 to 31 he mentions the delivery and for he will give over all their enemies I will send my fear before the one translation capitalizes fear meaning the angel again some like New International Faith error meaning God's judgment so his plan to bring them to the promised land includes their dependency upon God's angel to lead them and dedication personally to his commandments and then he will bring deliverance over all their enemies in the last 2 verses there is a danger that he wants us to avoid make no covenant with them nor with their gods they shall not dwell in the land Lets they make the sin against me for a 1000 of their gods it will surely be a snare or a trap under the and according to their history that's exactly what happened let's pray Lord we thank you for all of your judgement thing your laws in some respects it seems tedious going after each one of them but as we think about it every one of them. Help us to understand the impact of those 10 key commandments that you gave to us by the law is the knowledge of sin and you tell us the law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ who said if we offend in one point of the law we're guilty of all of it how we need a Savior we thank you the worst sin of Valens Grace did much more than thank you the Jesus Christ satisfied all the righteous demands of the law he is truly our savior is redeemed it's with his own precious blood and what I would pray for anyone listening now that has not come to believe that Jesus Christ took our place on the cross died for our sins they they in this moment turn to him before it's too late he's the only one I can set us free from the righteous demands of the Law Thank you Lord for what you're going to do to sustain a man. We believe in repentance that's getting right with God in confessing our sin the Bible teaches repent and believe the Gospel our Lord said that no we're not questioning that sometimes we ask the question whatever happened to repentance and a lot of times people want a ticket to heaven without getting right with the Lord that's not the way to do it let's come clean with God If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness folks we need to do it the way the Bible says it believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thus should be saved but Peter also told us on the day of Penny cause to repay it and he said it a few days later repent and be converted. It's very important to get right with the Lord by knowledge ing our sin. Well God bless you and thanks for this. Friend if you're ready to acknowledge and repent of your sin before God so that you can start a saving relationship with him then please let us know we've got free resources for you that will help you understand what it is to repent and will help you interim to that saving relationship with our Lord you ask for those when you call a sit 175 bible to 4 to 53 in Canada dial 18875 bible or send your e-mail to info at David Hawking dot org And don't wait Friend Connect with us about this today for everyone listening before you go are you looking for gifts this Hanukkah and Christmas that's why we put together the Hanukkah and Christmas catalogue it's packed with David's teachings from God's word all at discounted prices in fact the discount runs from 30 to 60 percent off so if you are Hanukkah and Christmas catalog it David Hawking dot org or call us for more info dial 1875 bible in Canada dial 180875 bible and if you have a word of encouragement for David and the team and send your letter to all for today box 3927 Tustin California 92781 Canada get box 15011 r.p.o. 7 opes Abbotsford b.c. B. 2 s. H. P. One percenter email to info the David Hawkins dog will. Make sure you back tomorrow as we continue with our exodus series by heading into Chapter 24 with day one of a message titled. The glory of the Lord next time on Hope for Today. With a good perspective for all of us to consider about ministering in the name of the Lord and how we need to think about helping others that's today's edition of hope for today with Pastor David Hawking on the nation's most powerful Christian voice the body 67080 got some thoughts about today's show. Would love to hear them contact him today when you call them at 875 bible or c one line to David Hawking. And Hawking is spelled h o c k i n g David Hawking daughter or g Dr Stanley Dr Charles Stanley touches on the way to help us learn how to consistently win our battles with temptation that's on the way next year on the body search 7 day. Wherever you have cell service you have k l t t you tune in radio app lets you listen to calle tt's powerful Christian talk from your smartphone 24 hours a day download the tune in radio ad search for calle t t 670 am and add a see your favorites to tune in radio app always provides a crystal clear sound so when you find yourself outside our radio signal simply open the app for instant access to calle tt's powerful message of hope inspiration with you wherever you go download the tune in radio at for t.t. 670 am in the Chronicles of Narnia there was always a time for the telling of stories of the past do you have a story high this is days or not he will talk about it today on the public square. So what is your story the same person you were 5 years ago or 25 years ago I was in a church leadership meeting in Orlando awhile ago and the pastors invited their leadership teams to talk about one thing that has changed in our lives because of Jesus Christ. What followed was nothing short of Narnian by the end of the hour a whiteboard was full of stories of miracles and changed lives stories of addictions broken marriages healed meaningful relationships restored families rebuilt and healthy again stories of skepticism anger abuse and hatred turned to light. The stories were simple short and true one woman stood up and struggled through tears. My son was killed by a drunk driver she said the boy driving the car that killed my son was my sister's boy my nephew. For a moment the room stood still through tears she smiled and said But it's Ok now. It's Ok because of Jesus I couldn't help thinking Where is Richard Dawkins when you need Him Remember Professor Dawkins the world's most publicized atheist out at that whiteboard filled with true stories of transformation and thought I wish Richard Dawkins' were here to see us. Please visit us any time day or night on the public square a.p. Round table but this is Dave's and. Your station for God and country this is the modern 670 k. L. To. Jesus Christ is Lord now he always has been Lord and He will come at his return reigning and ruling and exercising judgment as the Lord God Almighty and you may hear the phrase if he's not Lord of all he's not Lord it all I want to tell you my friend whether you acknowledge him as a lot of not has nothing to do with his lordship he is the solid run Lord of the human of us. Having trusted in Christ for forgiveness Christians are free from the power and penalty of sin but we still fight daily battles with temptation today on in touch with Dr Charles Stanley to be reminded that the only way we can win these conflicts is to recognize that we're hopeless without guy think about who's in charge of your life as we continue exploring the truth about sin. We hear a lot today about rights my rights their rights your rights. His rights her rights and there is a spirit of independence that prevails in our society where some people of some groups of people want to live to themselves and have their own thing and act independently of an exclusively of other people but when you open the Word of God you don't find any of that. But rather the fact that we're dependent upon each other and when it comes to rights you don't find in the Bible where God says you want to exercise your rights here and your rights there your group is to do thus and so and no one's the trample on your rights you don't find that the Word of God So all of this Rights business must have come from somewhere else. And I would you know open your heart today and listen to what God has to say and see if you are willing to be open and honest about an issue that all of us have to deal with every day of our life. We have talked about the character of sin. And God's answer to the problem of sin in our life but what is the ultimate question when it comes to sin the ultimate question is very simple and the put it in today's lingo this is it who is going to be the boss in your life that's what the whole question of sin is all about who's going to be the boss because you see in essence sin is acting independently of an exclusive of the will of God Any time you and I want to make a decision in our life. We make it independently of God exclusive of him and his will we decide we're going to do our own thing what we're doing is we're disobey God because you see the Bible says that he has the rightful position as being the boss. Sinan in essence is this sobbing that I'm going to get my needs met when I want to met the way I want to med regard this of what the boss says sin and essence is acting exclusively and independently of the will of God no matter what God thinks so I want you to Turn to Romans Chapter 14 verses 789 deal with this problem now right in the middle of a passage that deals with judging each other now relationship to each other Paul makes this very clear beginning in verse 7 when he says for not one of us not a single one of us. Lives for himself or unto himself not one does for himself all run to himself for if we live we live for the Lord if we die we die for the Lord therefore we live or die we are the lords for to this end Jesus Christ came that is Christ died and lived again that he might be the lord both of the dead and of the living so that nowhere does God imply that exclusive island type living and I mean by that that we live through ourselves we do our own thing we have the right to live private lives to the exclusion everybody else is concerned and being unconcerned about everyone else that I'm going to mount my own business do my own thing I don't want anybody interfering with me myself and I the only problem with that is this you have somebody my dear friend to whom you're accountable and the Bible says that he is the Lord and it's interesting that the declaration of scripture concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is that he's the boss the Greek word Curry us he's the Lord. If you recall in Peter's sermon in Acts chapter 2 he's ending up that Pentecostal message and right before he gives the invitation this is the way he ends the message. Therefore in verse 36 that all the house of Isreal know for certain that all the house of us will know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ almost saya this Jesus whom you crucified He didn't say we made him Lord he said God the Father has bestowed upon the Lord Jesus Christ the majestic position of a lord he is the balls and in Philippians Chapter 2 when Paul was expressing his lordship he put it this way in verse 9 therefore also God Hala exalted him and this stone him the name which is above every name that the name of Jesus Everybody should buy a lot of those who are in heaven and on earth under the earth and that every tongue should confess and will confess. That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That's not a question of what I accepted or not it's not a question of whether I experienced it or not it's not a question of whether I acknowledge it now that hasn't got anything to do with it Jesus Christ is the sovereign all time of absolute ruler of the universe and everything and everybody within it and you know it is what he says in this passage . Back to Romans Chapter 14 he says if we live we live for the Lord run to him if we die we die for the law to run to him therefore the we live or die we are the Lord's and the truth is he's lord over the righteous and he's one of the unrighteous he's all over the material and he's lot of the spiritual there's not anything there is it that is out from under his supernatural omnipotent lordship not anything so when the Bible has declared the Jesus Christ is Lord that isn't something that man decided to acknowledge all that man decided yes we're going to lift him to the position of lordship God Almighty who created it all said Jesus Christ is Lord in American lingo that means brother he is the boss period and there is none other higher than him. The question is is he the boss in your life oh yes yes I believe Jesus Christ is Lord God and ask that I ask that is he the boss. Have you submitted to his divine authority are you following his will are you obeying His commands and Psalm One repeat what I've said again and again because this is a point of great misinformation misunderstanding if God tells you to do something if the Word of God tells you to do something. And you don't do it it's the civilians if God tells you to do something a certain way and you do it your own way it's still disobedience if God tells you do something a certain way at a certain time and you do what he says the way he says it in your time rather than his it's the whole disobedience you see if he's the boss you do what he says when he says the way he says with the right motivation. Now this passage says for to this in Christ God and lived again that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living now Jesus Christ is the Lord and he pose that is everything that is in existence He's the Lord of your life my friend you may be living in sin living like the devil I mean you are really living an absolutely total disobedience to God The Bible says that Jesus Christ is your Lord He is the sovereign boss of this universe and one of these days you're going to stand before him and you're going to have to give an account with you believe the Bible whether you believe in Jesus God whether you claim to be the worst atheist in the world who happen to be watching or listening at a pier curiosity if you will stand before him there will come a time when you will then your before the Lord Jesus Christ and with your lives you will say this Jesus Christ is Lord that may be on the other side of the grave which will be to your eternal dismay. But you will acknowledge Him as Lord He says it's not a matter of whether he is or whether he's not it's not a question of whether I think he is a not well that's my theological belief or not the issue is is he and God has declared in the Lord that means he's the boss now it Jesus Christ is the boss what is he boss over he's boss over everything that is in existence including every single human be so that there is absolutely no legitimate grounds for exclusive independent decision making a living exclusive and independent of the will of the Living God and this in itself is sin and sin is acting independently of God getting on the needs met my own way in my own timing to the exclusive will of the Living God was the church powerless is the reason its powers many reasons but one of them in essence is this we saying he is Lord we pray Lord Jesus we talk about our lord and then we just do exactly what we please as if he does not even exist he says the living and the dead belong to the Lord he's Lord over those who are living he's rolled over those who the day he's not over those in heaven he's both of those in torment he's won over the obedient he's got over the disobedience he has chosen to allow man in his own will to go so far in this life and to make decisions that will ultimately wreck and ruin his life destroying nations and bring havoc revolution bloodshed to the world that does not mean that Jesus Christ has given his throne to someone else or step down from his place of authority now the question is have you and I submitted to his authority as the boss you know what the Bible says the Bible says the Lord Jesus Christ is your boss now he's the boss. They added is that you do what the boss says Do the way he says Do it now let me ask you a question why does Jesus say that he came and he was crucified and he rose and all that to be the lot of our life wide diseases cries want to be the Lord is s. Because he's egotistical does he have some ego problem that Jesus Christ wants to be the lord of everything no he is the Lord he does not the wall of the he is but why did God make him the balls he is the reason Jesus Christ desires to be the Lord of your life that is by experience he is in reality by experience he desires to make a lot of your life that 2 reasons number one he knows it's for your best interest. Any time you and. The Lord Jesus Christ we always come out better any and every time we fail to obey him or we act exclusively of him we always come out a loser so 1st of all his this out of the Boston our life lot of our life is because he knows it's for our good Secondly it is always glorifying to the Lord Jesus Christ and the father when you and I walking in obedience to him and following him a glorifies him it magnifies him and points others to him so his purpose is for our good and for His glory. Can you think of a reason for disobeying the Lord. Can you think of a reason for acting exclusively of his will. He see this is his plan his plan is very simple to this in Christ and lived again that he might be Lord both of the day and ability now he is Lord what he's referring to here is that by personal experience you voluntarily eg knowledge him submit to him yield to him as the Lord of our life. Now sometimes we don't want to do that we prefer to have our own way and so the Bible says we sinned against the Lord we sinned against Him when we act independently of his will and His purpose and plan for a life so in God's great design of the Christian life and of the spiritual life of humanity he said he sent the Lord Jesus Christ the doctoress sins so we would not have to bear the guilt of it and like was he sent him in order to be Lord of our life I want to talk about this matter of the Replace of lordship in salvation and you'll hear people say in order to be saved you must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and as your Lord let me quote to 3 verses here he says if you confess with the Lord Jesus Christ then you'll be saved believe on the Lord Jesus Christ now I shall be saved so I want to say 1st of all in no way what I did many in any way want to take away from what I've just been preaching on a few moments saying that Jesus Christ is the Lord for the people accept it or not he is Lord period God made him so but to say to someone now in order to be saved you must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord. Well let me give you an example of something. Salvation is an act of faith whereby you and I accept Jesus Christ sacrificial all sufficient atoning substitutionary death of Calvary for the full payment of our sins so we don't question that we said Lord Jesus I do accept you as my Savior. That means that he had homes for a sin no question about that but to say to someone you must accept Him as your Savior and your Lord to be saved let me give you an example of something that many of you would identify with because it's reality and sometimes we mix up this matter of the experience of salvation with a maturing process when I was say this a 12 year old boy I'd been reading the Bible for years I'm not too sure how much of it on the stood but on this particular given Sunday. When I was sitting on the 2nd row on the end where I usually said Every Sunday I went to church that's where I said and the preacher would preach and I don't know that I remembered much of that but I knew that God was working in my life but on this particular Sunday when the invitation was given us stepped out and walked down and got on Mondays and I heard the message and my friends came and gathered around me and prayed for the Lord to save me now my understanding of the Bible was very meager as a 12 year old kid nobody ever set down and explained a lot to me in fact I don't remember anything particularly a lot of explanation except some things that my mom taught me. But on that day on the that I was the center and I was weeping when I stepped out and walked down there and got on my face on Mondays and as crying and asking the Lord to save me forgive me of my sins I did understand that his death took care of my sins Now it's interesting the pastor didn't say you accept Jesus Christ as Lord it would probably go me away I wouldn't know what he meant. But I did know that I was a sinner I didn't know what confession and balance before him and ask Him to forgive me because he died for the understood that. Now it's interesting from that moment out from the moment I was saved I wanted to obey God I wanted to be what Jesus wanted me to be. I wanted to do what the Lord wanted me to do and God placed the desire in my heart to obey him and to follow him and the walk after him so that the lordship was not something that I understood the moment I was saved I didn't commit myself to anything but I committed myself to confess and repent of my sins as best under and to receive Jesus Christ as my Savior the lordship which was absolutely a vital part of that was something that God knew God understood and God knew from that moment he would begin to work that into my life it was the us that all will accept Him as Lord if somebody comes and says I'll take him as Jesus but don't give me this Lord business that's something differently I'm simply saying to say that a person has to understand fully the Lordship of Jesus Christ and must accept Him as Lord and Savior to be saved I want to tell your brother that's not the way I got saved and I don't believe you can prove it because most of us didn't understand it and we was saved by the grace of God when you are transformed by the grace of God when you're born again into the kingdom of God When Jesus works that work the Bible says the Holy Spirit comes in and seals you what is the 1st thing he does but plants the desire in your heart to obey the living God so that lordship is an overflow it is an outgrowth it is something that the Lord does in your life he chooses the place of the desire to follow him for example. And I've heard testimonies from different people men of real renown and some who are not of renown who were saved while they were drunk walking the streets and somebody confronts them with the gospel of Jesus Christ the shed blood of Jesus and the forgiveness of their sins they're saved right there on their knees in their old dirty clothes and smelly body they get saved right there get straightened up desire to start serving the Lord living for him but nobody said that drunk if you want to be saved you've got to accept Jesus Christ as Lord what. I say all that to say this I want you to understand me this is in no way to diminish the Lordship of Jesus I've said that again and again but to put on somebody that in all of you to be saved you must accept a large Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord when the poor person doesn't even understand what is involved in lordship and the truth is if we're honest when you are say the less you are very fortunate to be given a good explanation of what the Christian lives all of which most of us were not you didn't understand it either. And as we have grown in the Christian life as we began to grow in need Upon receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior we had a desire to obey him then we began to understand and the understanding has grown as the years go by for example now to Lizzie's as Christ desired to be my Savior and my lord that's not enough he wants to be my life and the truth is he not of desires to be he moans that experience within me Paul said when Jesus Christ who is our life shall appear if I am completed him on the stand him as my Savior understand him as my Lord and I understand him as my light my friend is saved by the grace of God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ it is his goal debate a lord and master of your life it is his goal to be your very life anything less than that is less than the go he said he died and rose and all that he might be lord of all. Joy listening to in touch with Dr Charles Stanley his message our sin and the ultimate question continues tomorrow. Living in holiness will be a struggle if you haven't surrendered to God Will you relinquish control to him you experience true freedom from sins domination for help overcoming temptation and standing firm on the foundation of Scripture be sure to visit our website in touch . And if you go to our bookstore page you can order a copy of Dr Stanley's complete message our sin the ultimate question or order the entire teaching set titled The Truth about sin again you'll find these resources at In Touch gene or call 1800 in touch to write to us address your letter to In Touch post office box 7900 Atlanta Georgia 30357. When the death is sudden it can cause us to grieve over lost opportunities so we need to be reminded of the eternal perspective that's coming up in today's moment with Charles Stanley Sometimes we get so caught up in the busy holiday season they really miss out on the simple idea that Christmas is a time to share our blessings with others one way to share that blessing with family friends and neighbors is to give Christmas gifts that will help them grow in their faith the In Touch Christmas catalogs is filled with inspiring books from Dr Stanley fund gets for kids beautiful calendars decorative home items and more blessed someone you love this Christmas go to gets that blessed at o. r G life can be weary some of us are. Some of us are losing hope and at times it feels like our fate is sinking in. No matter where we are who we are or what we are experiencing Jesus is always our perfect home to order Dr Charles Stanley's new devotional Jesus our perfect hope call 1800 in touch or visit in touch not. Death is no surprise to God and for believers it certainly isn't the end here's a moment with Charleston once in a while a young person will die maybe killed an automobile x. The most something of that fashion I will say was in a terrible that they were cut off from life so early cut off from life let's say here's a young man a young woman who loves the Lord Jesus Christ this aid and serving the Lord suddenly God takes them the Lord tells them. Well they haven't been cut off from anything the same a Lord Of The Living is the same a lot of those who take and we call them dead but Saints don't want to die but I guess we better use that term for those who don't know better so he is a lot of the living and he's a lot of your life when you die they'll The difference is that person who's taken we say cut off out of life's short lived they just change the environment but they're serving the Lord down here they just serving the Lord up like God isn't upset about is thrown him into some kind of consternation he is in absolute control . The only person who is cut off from God is the person who dies without ever receiving his offer of salvation humbly trust Him to forgive you today learn more in touch. Would you like to hear today's message again you can stream it on our website or download Podcasts and take in touch with you our web address again is in touch dot org. Tomorrow we'll hear the conclusion to our week long study revealing the truth about sin I hope you'll join us Friday for in touch with Dr Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of In Touch ministries Atlanta Georgia and remains on the station through the grace of God and you are free for Christmas and you. Were world wide at 670 calle t.t. Dot com and all over Colorado in digital age do you on a m 670 k l a t t come or is it in. The true test of a world view as whether it's big enough to weather sickness disability and even the scorn of a culture for the coast and center on Johnstone street this is great for less money my friend Johnny Erickson tada had surgery to remove the cancerous knowledge of this is less than 3 years after being declared cancer. I'm thankful to say that so far the procedure seems to have been a success please pray for Johnny her husband can her family and the continuing work of her very important ministry Johnny and friends soon after she received the new diagnosis Johnny wrote me about what it means to suffer well and I thought if there's a category of life more alien to the secular progressive mind I don't know what it would be a dominant message in our culture is that suffering is irredeemable worthless and to be avoided at all cost even the cost of life itself that's the thinking behind doctor assisted suicide for instance something that Johnny has fiercely opposed and still what continually stuns me and convicts me as hell Johnny understands even now even after 50 years in a wheelchair even in the midst of a 2nd battle with cancer that her suffering is not about her that has eternal potential she knows as she told me herself that the way she handles what's happening to her right now will send a message not only that life with disability is worth living but that God has a special place in his family for those who suffer and for those whom our culture considers and conveying it she understands that members of Christ's body who can't walk can't see can't interact on the same level as others are not only indispensable parts of the Kingdom of God but are needed by the rest of us for our own edification and sanctification unfortunately still many in the church fail to grasp this in a recent piece in The Washington Post sociologist Andrew White had described how he and his family have struggled to find a church home they have 2 sons on the autism spectrum and he tells in the article of degrading comments and behaviors by congregants who see these boys as interruptions instead of image bearers Whitehead says that he and his wife spent years watching worship and sermons on screens are just giving up and staying home Christians have told him that his children probably shouldn't attend church anyway because they can't really get anything out of it while his experience sadly isn't unique He cites a survey of over $400.00 parents of children with special needs which found that a 3rd of them had switched faith communities because their children weren't welcome in his own research he found that the odds of children on. The autism spectrum never attending religious services at all are nearly double of those without such a condition now look church leaders I get it it's hard dear friends of mine who have children with autism like Chuck Colson daughter Emily Colson have described the daily struggle and exhaustion they face in a way that leaves me and all of their strength and their faith for a church to decide to prioritize and to love and serve a family with needs like this takes sacrifice but too often the reason we fail as churches to embrace these children isn't because it's too hard it's because kids with disabilities get in the way of the show that's on the stage or the church brand this type of Christianity that's focused on giving us a positive experience of making us feel good about ourselves is such a small shriveled up vision of the Gospel this kind of Christianity will crumble in the face of true suffering it will not withstand the assaults of quadriplegia terminal illness or for children with severe disability and it certainly won't disciple any of us to withstand the social disapproval of an angry culture like a school full of angry peers No it will leave us poor and our faith anemic we will never be able to weather the ordeals that will come our way as individuals or as churches unless we recover a theology and a practice of suffering in Christ this Sunday I watched as a young man with disabilities served in my church for the very 1st time as an acolyte he did do everything right but I'll tell you what we'll all be better at following Jesus because he's part of us for breakpoints I'm just a. Trinity Word as it's a vital part of seeking Him I'm Nancy to mosques walk a mile and for more about the 1st songs of Christmas go to the advent blog at revive our hearts dot com. Your body and soul searching am 6 a tale t t k o t z h d Culver City don't know if 95 boys and string or was it 670 calle t c dot com. Jews long. Long. Welcomes a classic Christianity radio with Bob George today we're pleased to present a special radio show featuring calling listeners from Bob's original people the people daily radio program that was on the air for over 30 years offering real answers for real life problems as he addresses common questions as well as the tough issues of today directing callers to the sensuality of Christ in you your only hope of glory we want to remind our listeners that Bob George ministries need your financial support to continue to have classic Christianity radio on the air please visit Bob George dot net to find out how you can help support us financially Let's now join Bob as he presents practical biblical insights as he helps people experience a life of faith hope and love in Jesus Christ. We're going to go to Temple Texas listing on k b w 2 vets you're on the air at a call one or it's all with me and I just want to find out. It's not going to a local church right and I made it into the radio and we just could cure and it's very you know much in its scripture if it is or you have to have a little church and and somebody over you I think a pov or you know where you're not even folks have a pastor over you if you if you're sitting in church but if you're asking do you have to be in church the answer is no there isn't a place in the Bible Beth where it tells the body to go to church itself the church to go to people but there's no place that tells people to go to church. So what you're you are the church Aachen you go to who you are you know it's like saying I'm going to go to body or what is that me because I went to Florida but you are the Body of Christ when I ask that question be given to if you have paid that and he gave them to be a part of them come to be profit then eventually live it if kind of the Body of Christ and for the equipping of this saints for their work of ministry what is our work of ministry when I asked Jesus what was the work of the ministry said to believe in him and that is the work of the ministry is to believe in Him is only one thing that you can do if I'm.