WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:22.120 Let's be seated. 00:22.120 --> 00:25.320 Best part of the morning is now over, isn't it? 00:25.320 --> 00:28.400 Getting to hug one another, that's the greatest thing in the world. 00:28.400 --> 00:33.600 Would you turn me with me to Galatians 2, beginning in verse 11? 00:33.600 --> 00:39.640 Galatians chapter 2, beginning in verse 11. 00:39.640 --> 00:41.880 Is my voice coming through all right? 00:41.880 --> 00:42.880 Everyone here? 00:42.880 --> 00:45.480 All right, let's read that. 00:45.480 --> 00:53.040 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 00:53.040 --> 00:55.960 That's a well start, isn't it? 00:55.960 --> 00:59.200 There's God's leaders and there's a difference of opinion. 00:59.200 --> 01:01.240 Could you ever guess that could have happened? 01:01.240 --> 01:02.680 Does that ever happen in marriage? 01:02.680 --> 01:04.560 I think it probably does. 01:04.560 --> 01:07.200 It happens in life all the time. 01:07.200 --> 01:13.160 For therefore, be therefore certain that the man that came from James, he did eat with 01:13.160 --> 01:18.120 the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them 01:18.120 --> 01:21.480 which were of the circumcision, that is, the Jews. 01:21.480 --> 01:26.880 The other Jews dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried 01:26.880 --> 01:30.200 away with their dissimulation. 01:30.200 --> 01:34.120 They're kind of lying while they tried to speak the truth. 01:34.120 --> 01:35.920 There's two parts to confrontation. 01:35.920 --> 01:36.920 This isn't my thing. 01:36.920 --> 01:42.400 I think a lot of people just kind of shun away from confrontation, but you know what won 01:42.400 --> 01:45.240 the West anyway. 01:45.240 --> 01:47.120 You confronted, didn't you? 01:47.120 --> 01:49.520 And the fastest confronter won the fight. 01:49.560 --> 01:53.680 I think maybe Christians ought to be quicker on the draw, don't you, sometimes, though 01:53.680 --> 01:55.520 I don't find it pleasant. 01:55.520 --> 01:57.560 There are two parts to confrontation. 01:57.560 --> 02:02.560 First of all, you must confront the truth. 02:02.560 --> 02:05.840 What is the right thing to do? 02:05.840 --> 02:09.560 And if there is wrongdoing around you, you must confront that also. 02:09.560 --> 02:15.800 I think a lot of us are upset with this gay thing and how Wyoming, I think of them as 02:15.840 --> 02:20.560 so conservative when basically they're not and they just kind of hedge their bets, didn't 02:20.560 --> 02:21.560 they? 02:21.560 --> 02:22.640 And that really upsets me. 02:22.640 --> 02:27.160 I think maybe the church should have been more confrontational in that battle. 02:27.160 --> 02:31.120 And we ought to keep in mind as we look ahead, you know, there is a right and there is a 02:31.120 --> 02:32.120 wrong. 02:32.120 --> 02:36.440 First of all, you must know and confront the truth as it relates to you. 02:36.440 --> 02:41.120 Then you have the courage and you have the power and you have the authority to confront 02:41.120 --> 02:42.920 the wickedness that is around you. 02:42.920 --> 02:43.920 And there's plenty of it. 02:44.040 --> 02:46.560 What the church is for, isn't it? 02:46.560 --> 02:51.560 The church is to confront those things which need to be changed in our society and in our 02:51.560 --> 02:52.560 world. 02:52.560 --> 02:56.880 And I really believe that's about all the world has for hope is what the gospel and 02:56.880 --> 03:00.800 the God's people, the church, have to say and have to do. 03:00.800 --> 03:05.080 I think it's so important that we confront wrong when we see it. 03:05.080 --> 03:13.840 You know, the classic example of that is in chapter 18 of Matthew beginning in verse 03:14.760 --> 03:23.040 15, Matthew chapter 18, beginning in 15 and reading through 17, moreover, if thy brother 03:23.040 --> 03:28.400 shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. 03:28.400 --> 03:30.480 Now that's hard to do, isn't it? 03:30.480 --> 03:32.960 It's real easy with your wife. 03:32.960 --> 03:37.600 You know, you can straighten her out in a big hurry, can't you? 03:37.600 --> 03:39.960 That's not the way to go about that though, is it? 03:39.960 --> 03:43.800 But at least it begins with, let's get it straight between you and me. 03:43.800 --> 03:49.960 Let's work out what we should do to make our relationship better, to solve our problems 03:49.960 --> 03:53.360 or to raise our children in a better way. 03:53.360 --> 03:57.640 Let's talk this over and let's discuss it and that needs to be done. 03:57.640 --> 04:02.480 And I think it's important to do that, especially young couples, married couples, little folks 04:02.480 --> 04:04.440 running all over the place. 04:04.440 --> 04:10.920 When life's sometimes such a hubbub and everything, it's important for mom and dad to get a common 04:11.040 --> 04:18.040 ground, an agreement, a discussion, a discussion that leads to a better solving of the problem, 04:18.320 --> 04:20.520 because one just can't solve the problem. 04:20.520 --> 04:24.920 But see, there's more than one involved, isn't there? 04:24.920 --> 04:28.640 If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained your brother. 04:28.640 --> 04:29.960 Isn't that neat? 04:29.960 --> 04:33.520 You've gained a brother when you can talk it over and solve your problems. 04:33.520 --> 04:39.640 But then verse 16 says, but if he will not hear thee, then take with you one or two more 04:39.640 --> 04:45.440 that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. 04:45.440 --> 04:49.800 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. 04:49.800 --> 04:55.920 But if he neglect to hear the church, let him become unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. 04:55.920 --> 05:00.000 Not a fellow worker in the kingdom of God at all, but you're a stranger in the house 05:00.000 --> 05:04.200 of God when you can't get together and when the church can't help you with the problems. 05:04.200 --> 05:08.320 Now you need to lean on the church, because I think a lot of people wait too long to try 05:08.360 --> 05:13.800 to have the church and its elders and its deacons and its wonderful counselors do any good. 05:13.800 --> 05:15.400 It's too late. 05:15.400 --> 05:19.800 Come and receive some good, biblical advice. 05:19.800 --> 05:23.720 And counsel of God is a wonderful thing. 05:23.720 --> 05:27.440 And there are men and women here who are very good at it. 05:27.440 --> 05:30.920 And I just praise God that we've got some good counselors. 05:30.920 --> 05:33.160 And I don't think he can beat Larry. 05:33.160 --> 05:37.120 And I think that Pat is a good counselor for younger people. 05:37.120 --> 05:42.680 And I just praise God that we have people who can do things like that, 05:42.680 --> 05:50.440 because they're worth more than a snooty psychiatric lawyer who charges you 246 bucks an hour anyway. 05:50.440 --> 05:53.280 And there'll be no charge. 05:53.280 --> 05:54.960 And you'll get the mind of God. 05:54.960 --> 05:56.280 I really believe that. 05:56.280 --> 05:57.240 I know that it works. 05:57.240 --> 06:00.160 I have seen it work over and over again. 06:00.160 --> 06:04.600 You see, well, that's what I would call a classic confrontation, wouldn't you? 06:04.640 --> 06:08.360 When you really have a problem with somebody, if it's somebody you love, 06:08.360 --> 06:10.000 you sometimes can really do that. 06:10.000 --> 06:14.280 But you know, sometimes we just don't want to communicate, do we? 06:14.280 --> 06:16.960 And it takes courage to confront. 06:16.960 --> 06:20.720 You know, I define confrontation looking up in the dictionary and everything. 06:20.720 --> 06:22.640 I put some things together. 06:22.640 --> 06:27.240 And I just say that confrontation is facing up to things, wouldn't you? 06:27.240 --> 06:32.760 I think that would be a decent, commonplace way to define what confrontation is. 06:32.760 --> 06:37.800 Not just anger, not just a, hey, red face and this kind of thing, 06:37.800 --> 06:39.720 but an entirely different thing. 06:39.720 --> 06:42.840 Face of what is the truth in this matter. 06:42.840 --> 06:49.040 And secondly, what can I do to rectify or to change the opinion or the problem 06:49.040 --> 06:55.720 or whatever is between us that is separating brother and sister or sisters and sisters 06:55.720 --> 06:58.080 and brother and sister and whatever. 06:58.080 --> 07:02.680 I just really believe that more of that approach would be very, very effective. 07:02.680 --> 07:04.800 You know, it says go to a brother first of all. 07:04.800 --> 07:06.600 That's the beginning, isn't it? 07:06.600 --> 07:08.800 You at least can relieve your mind. 07:08.800 --> 07:12.400 You did what you could first. 07:12.400 --> 07:15.920 Then you can't be blamed for what else because I know there are some things 07:15.920 --> 07:19.080 that you just can't solve immediately. 07:19.080 --> 07:22.760 But in God's good time, He will make things right. 07:22.760 --> 07:24.720 And I believe that with all of my heart. 07:24.720 --> 07:26.720 I've been an elder for 47 years. 07:26.720 --> 07:27.920 Can you believe that? 07:27.920 --> 07:33.000 Without a single time of missing the responsibility of being an elder. 07:33.000 --> 07:36.320 I really believe we've got some wonderful men who are elders 07:36.320 --> 07:39.920 and some other young men who are ready to be elders. 07:39.920 --> 07:43.920 And I just think that the sky is the limit for this group 07:43.920 --> 07:49.360 because this group is willing to grow and be counselors in that sense of the word. 07:49.360 --> 07:53.240 It is difficult for me to be a confronter. 07:53.240 --> 07:54.760 I'm just a natural elder. 07:54.800 --> 07:58.320 If I had to say I had a gift, I worry when people are gone. 07:58.320 --> 08:01.600 I worry when people in the church have hurt feelings. 08:01.600 --> 08:04.200 I worry when couples are having problems. 08:04.200 --> 08:05.760 I worry about that. 08:05.760 --> 08:10.400 And boy have I taken it in the lips trying to solve some of those problems. 08:10.400 --> 08:13.960 And can you see this beautiful external physiognomy? 08:13.960 --> 08:17.320 I've had my nose smashed more times than most of you have 08:17.320 --> 08:20.240 and not that I'm a bad boxer. 08:20.240 --> 08:21.760 I just talk a lot. 08:21.760 --> 08:26.320 When you give advice, you're going to catch it, not just in the nose, 08:26.320 --> 08:28.720 but in the heart, you'll get that too. 08:28.720 --> 08:30.920 But it's worth it to be a confronter. 08:30.920 --> 08:32.760 And you know, I think that helps in marriage. 08:32.760 --> 08:37.000 This group is very much oriented to helping marriages succeed. 08:37.000 --> 08:43.440 And you know, I just speak from experience that don't let the, don't let, 08:43.440 --> 08:46.000 don't let the sun go down on your wrath. 08:46.000 --> 08:47.520 Don't let it build up. 08:47.520 --> 08:50.800 But let's say, sweetheart, we need to talk. 08:50.800 --> 08:52.440 Can you, can I help? 08:52.440 --> 08:53.320 Can you help? 08:53.320 --> 08:55.280 Can we get together on this matter? 08:55.280 --> 08:59.240 And is there a common solution that we can gain? 08:59.240 --> 09:04.280 See, and I really believe, and that's good marriage counseling, isn't it? 09:04.280 --> 09:07.720 Don't let the sun go down your wrath because you build it up and build it up 09:07.720 --> 09:08.280 and build it up. 09:08.280 --> 09:12.120 And finally, it's entirely out of proportion, isn't it? 09:12.120 --> 09:17.360 Whereas just if we had the courage to say, I'm sorry, hey, let's start over again here. 09:17.360 --> 09:18.520 What can we do? 09:18.520 --> 09:19.600 Help me. 09:19.600 --> 09:22.200 You know how dumb I am, see? 09:22.200 --> 09:23.560 And that'd be a good start, wouldn't it? 09:23.560 --> 09:28.280 Because she could easily agree that, yes, big boy, I can go along with that. 09:28.280 --> 09:34.120 And then that's at least a way to begin to talk together, see, and make things right. 09:34.120 --> 09:39.800 I know that many people have a fear of what other people think of them. 09:39.800 --> 09:42.960 And I believe that we're sensitive to that, aren't we? 09:42.960 --> 09:47.520 We spend too much time worrying what others think about us. 09:47.520 --> 09:52.880 And I was a counselor to a good woman in a church across town. 09:52.880 --> 09:55.280 It wasn't one of our brotherhood. 09:55.280 --> 09:56.640 I'm not saying anything about it. 09:56.640 --> 10:00.280 I'm just saying they were a good fundamental church. 10:00.280 --> 10:05.040 But they chose me because I was an older man and because I had a certain charm and 10:05.040 --> 10:09.120 vivacity and I could work with younger people. 10:09.120 --> 10:12.440 And we worked it out. 10:12.680 --> 10:20.200 That lady could name 86 people who she thought didn't like her. 10:20.200 --> 10:21.840 And she feared what they thought. 10:21.840 --> 10:27.480 And she was just becoming unstrung, and yet there wasn't any reason to. 10:27.480 --> 10:32.200 And finally, when you talk it out and talk it out, what she went to some of those people 10:32.200 --> 10:38.160 and found out what they thought was a cold, disdainful look was really someone about 10:38.160 --> 10:39.160 to blow their nose. 10:39.160 --> 10:42.120 And it really didn't have anything to do with her. 10:42.120 --> 10:45.160 But of course, if you're a preacher's wife, let me tell you what, I believe you're going 10:45.160 --> 10:49.680 to be more of a goldfish bowl than anybody else in town. 10:49.680 --> 10:50.680 Let me tell you. 10:50.680 --> 10:52.600 You can be highly visible, aren't you? 10:52.600 --> 10:57.080 And so don't be afraid of people or nor what they think. 10:57.080 --> 11:01.800 You see, if you've confronted the truth, if you know what you are, you really know in 11:01.800 --> 11:05.320 your life, what am I, who am I? 11:05.320 --> 11:07.920 How do I serve my Lord Jesus Christ? 11:07.920 --> 11:11.040 You don't need to be scared of anybody, do you? 11:11.320 --> 11:12.880 And you don't need to feel in fear. 11:12.880 --> 11:18.760 Matter of fact, I always felt like I had a superiority complex, because when I was trying 11:18.760 --> 11:22.960 to do the Word of God, that's a big step forward, isn't it? 11:22.960 --> 11:25.720 Than to do my own will, see? 11:25.720 --> 11:32.640 And when I can lay down my needs before others, that's a sign of the Jesus factor, isn't it? 11:32.640 --> 11:34.240 Because that's what Jesus did. 11:34.240 --> 11:38.840 He laid down his life for others, see? 11:38.840 --> 11:42.960 Not his own needs, not his own purposes all the time. 11:42.960 --> 11:50.040 And I think that being a contender, being a confronter, should become more natural to 11:50.040 --> 11:51.040 us. 11:51.040 --> 11:55.760 I just want us, as a church, to get ticked off a little more about what's going on in 11:55.760 --> 11:57.360 the world and maybe confront it. 11:57.360 --> 11:58.800 We have the truth. 11:58.800 --> 12:01.440 Let's confront the evil around us now. 12:01.440 --> 12:06.280 Let's don't just back away from the fight, because there is a fight. 12:06.280 --> 12:09.080 Let's get involved with it, see? 12:09.080 --> 12:15.520 Well, scriptures say in Jude 3, you know, that earnestly contend for the faith which 12:15.520 --> 12:21.920 was once delivered unto the saints, contend, say, fight for what's right. 12:21.920 --> 12:25.760 Stand up, see, for what is right. 12:25.760 --> 12:29.520 Galatians 2.14 said this. 12:29.520 --> 12:36.960 It says, but when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, 12:36.960 --> 12:44.240 I said to Peter and them all, if thou being a Jew lives after the manner of the Gentiles 12:44.240 --> 12:51.200 and not as do the Jews, why do you compel thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 12:51.200 --> 12:56.880 Now, God gave us a law, and it was a school master which led us to Christ. 12:56.880 --> 13:02.920 But it was all designed to replace the law with a gracious personality of the Lord Jesus 13:02.920 --> 13:04.440 Christ. 13:04.440 --> 13:06.480 There was love manifested. 13:06.480 --> 13:14.040 There was grace, unmerited favor, a gift that makes the heart glad. 13:14.040 --> 13:17.160 That's what grace and graciousness is all about. 13:17.160 --> 13:19.120 Why do we want to go back to the law? 13:19.120 --> 13:20.120 It's absurd. 13:20.120 --> 13:25.760 We don't want to be involved with rules which we know we can't keep anyway, see? 13:25.760 --> 13:27.480 We really can't, can we? 13:27.480 --> 13:35.680 I like that passage of Scripture because we are to contend for the faith and it is a contention. 13:35.680 --> 13:38.000 He said it in the right place, didn't he? 13:38.000 --> 13:40.600 I said them in front of all of them. 13:40.600 --> 13:45.200 We all got together and we just talked it over and we got it ironed out because without 13:45.200 --> 13:51.280 that there would have been confusion in God's church, the New Testament Christian church. 13:51.280 --> 13:55.960 That's the church that you find on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2 and 3. 13:55.960 --> 14:00.440 That's what we base our church on and if Peter had been confused in his heart and mind, we 14:00.440 --> 14:02.160 would have had a confused church. 14:02.160 --> 14:06.240 Now man will get into it, humankind will get into it, it will be confused enough, believe 14:06.240 --> 14:07.240 you me. 14:07.240 --> 14:10.880 But God's holy word had no confusion in it, see? 14:10.880 --> 14:14.320 They got it straightened out right off. 14:14.320 --> 14:19.520 The greatest creator of churches since time began was good old Paul. 14:19.520 --> 14:28.120 And he worried, he daily prayed for the churches and he made it what would be right according 14:28.120 --> 14:30.800 to God's word. 14:30.800 --> 14:36.760 Well grace is a big, big thing. 14:36.760 --> 14:43.040 Let's begin in verse 15, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing 14:43.040 --> 14:46.080 that a man is not justified by the works of the law. 14:46.080 --> 14:50.520 This is what was read already but twice blessed. 14:50.520 --> 14:56.120 Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. 14:56.120 --> 14:59.680 Not by the works of the law, we don't need the law. 14:59.680 --> 15:03.360 We couldn't stick with it, we couldn't keep it. 15:03.360 --> 15:07.560 It was a school master that led us to Christ but we couldn't see in the short term the 15:07.560 --> 15:09.440 grace that was coming. 15:09.440 --> 15:17.000 We couldn't see that there's mercy and forgiveness and love involved with grace and faith, see? 15:17.000 --> 15:23.600 Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only one thing who is our revelator, who reveals the 15:23.600 --> 15:27.400 will of God to humankind. 15:27.400 --> 15:34.560 But if we seek to be justified by Christ, we are ourselves also found sinners, is therefore 15:34.560 --> 15:37.800 Christ the minister of sin, why God forbid? 15:37.800 --> 15:41.960 Or if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 15:41.960 --> 15:47.120 If we go back to the law after we've had the blessed gift of Jesus Christ on the cross, 15:47.120 --> 15:51.280 we're destroying the footwork that he had done, the bridge work, the foundation that 15:51.280 --> 15:56.880 he laid for us, we'd be all men most to be pitted. 15:56.880 --> 16:00.960 Going to heaven by grace and yet denouncing grace wasn't good enough, let's go back to 16:00.960 --> 16:01.960 the law. 16:01.960 --> 16:05.400 You see, it seems like a complicated argument but it isn't. 16:05.400 --> 16:08.960 It's just you're going to live by rules and you're going to live by faith and every one 16:08.960 --> 16:10.400 of us has to deal with that. 16:10.400 --> 16:15.120 If we can deal with that, then we can confront the truth, we can confront the evil that we 16:15.120 --> 16:18.480 find all about us. 16:18.480 --> 16:22.040 You know, there is a great split there, isn't there? 16:22.040 --> 16:27.200 It's either law or love, it's either law or grace, it's either law or mercy. 16:27.200 --> 16:34.000 We still sin still, we know that, but grace covers it, you see, all the more. 16:34.000 --> 16:37.680 Well, a warrior is born to confront. 16:37.680 --> 16:57.360 I like Ephesians 6. 16:57.360 --> 17:08.840 Beginning in verse 10 says this, now finally, my brothers, you be strong in the Lord and 17:08.840 --> 17:11.520 in the power of the might. 17:11.520 --> 17:17.680 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 17:17.680 --> 17:20.440 Armor is for confrontation, isn't it? 17:20.440 --> 17:26.560 You will notice that all of this armor, there is nothing that protects the back part. 17:26.560 --> 17:28.540 It's all facing forward, isn't it? 17:28.540 --> 17:34.160 When you look at all these things, sword, we've talked about that, breastplate, helmet 17:34.160 --> 17:38.560 is designed, you face the enemy because you're going forward. 17:38.560 --> 17:42.360 It's an aggressive thing, it's a confrontation, isn't it? 17:42.360 --> 17:46.000 You know, Paul said one time, I'm set for the defense of the gospel and you just think 17:46.000 --> 17:55.040 of that old boy with a 44 Winchester and he goes, and you're dead, confrontations. 17:55.040 --> 17:56.040 Set for the defense. 17:56.040 --> 18:02.520 You can just see this big old guy with Harry Palms and he's just about 200ths of a second 18:02.520 --> 18:07.960 from blowing your lips off and this guy is set for the defense and he doesn't have to 18:07.960 --> 18:12.640 worry about his backside because he's got his buddies back there, that's the church. 18:12.640 --> 18:16.440 Got his buddies behind him, that's his family. 18:16.440 --> 18:21.840 He's got the word of God, so he's not defenseless, but it's all for offense. 18:21.840 --> 18:23.760 Go do something. 18:23.760 --> 18:29.440 Use yourself by having a great offense and that was true, wasn't it? 18:29.440 --> 18:32.640 Where we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 18:32.640 --> 18:36.360 powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness 18:36.360 --> 18:42.480 and high places, wherefore take you into the whole armor of God, all of it, that you may 18:42.480 --> 18:46.960 be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. 18:46.960 --> 18:52.160 Stand therefore, having your lorries gird about with truth and having on the breastplate 18:52.160 --> 18:57.560 of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace above 18:57.560 --> 19:03.040 all taking the shield of faith wherein you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts 19:03.040 --> 19:08.680 of the wicked and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the 19:08.680 --> 19:14.480 word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching 19:14.480 --> 19:19.880 there and to and to all perseverance and supplication for the saints. 19:19.880 --> 19:21.040 Wow. 19:21.040 --> 19:23.360 That's a guy that's ready to confront, isn't it? 19:23.360 --> 19:26.280 And that is our job, you see. 19:26.280 --> 19:31.720 You remember that a warrior confronts, what is he for? 19:31.720 --> 19:36.280 Armies go to pot when they have no fights to fight. 19:36.280 --> 19:38.240 Discipline is lost. 19:38.240 --> 19:44.720 If the church isn't out and if you are not opposing the wrong which you see around us, 19:44.720 --> 19:52.880 then you're losing your spiritual condition and you need to be confronting to stay sharp, 19:52.880 --> 19:57.040 to be ready to defend the faith which was once delivered unto all. 19:57.040 --> 19:59.320 You see that? 19:59.320 --> 20:06.480 You know, it's in matter of all my Greg facts and the other day we had, we had 22 men at 20:06.480 --> 20:08.200 our men's breakfast. 20:08.200 --> 20:13.480 You don't have a group why do that on a Saturday morning once a month. 20:13.480 --> 20:18.600 And he was talking about the difference between confrontation and just mirror involvement. 20:18.600 --> 20:23.040 And I'll save that and maybe he'll do that sometime but there's certainly a difference 20:23.040 --> 20:28.120 and he made it very clear the difference between a pig and a chicken in supplying the goods 20:28.120 --> 20:30.680 that they have for breakfast. 20:30.680 --> 20:38.280 The pig gets really, he's committed, isn't he? 20:38.280 --> 20:42.040 Because he gives his life and the chicken can provide an egg and just go on and do it 20:42.040 --> 20:44.240 next Saturday. 20:44.240 --> 20:49.920 And there is a profound difference in that, that was a tremendous sermon. 20:49.920 --> 20:51.680 Bless you for that. 20:51.680 --> 20:56.160 And I conclude with this thought and I know what time it is. 20:56.160 --> 21:02.760 You'll be glad that you faced up to the things you need to face up to. 21:02.760 --> 21:07.000 God when he gives us something hard to do always has this wonderful blessing for our 21:07.000 --> 21:10.680 life, a wonderful blessing for our life. 21:11.440 --> 21:17.920 You know if God just asks us to do 100% all dreary and tough things, you'd have to be 21:17.920 --> 21:20.640 a pretty committed Christian, wouldn't you? 21:20.640 --> 21:24.800 But he does give us wonderful benefits in just doing what we ought to do. 21:24.800 --> 21:28.680 Standing, see, and looking toward the future. 21:28.680 --> 21:35.440 Galatians 2 beginning in verse 19, verse 21 says this, for I through the law am dead 21:35.440 --> 21:44.000 to the law, that I might live unto God, for I am crucified with Christ. 21:44.000 --> 21:50.720 Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live 21:50.720 --> 21:56.680 in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for 21:56.680 --> 21:57.680 me. 21:57.680 --> 22:04.920 I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ 22:04.920 --> 22:07.600 is dead and in vain. 22:07.600 --> 22:10.120 That's right, isn't it? 22:10.120 --> 22:15.120 Why should he have to die that awful death if the law was good enough? 22:15.120 --> 22:16.200 It wasn't good enough. 22:16.200 --> 22:18.240 We couldn't keep it, could we? 22:18.240 --> 22:25.880 But it was a school master which led us to the one who does save Jesus Christ. 22:25.880 --> 22:32.240 Patrick Glenn said this in a book called God the Evidences, and I wrote this down verbatim 22:32.240 --> 22:34.960 because I think it's very relevant. 22:34.960 --> 22:41.360 He said, the most important determinants of human happiness and human well-being are 22:41.360 --> 22:46.880 our spiritual beliefs and our moral choices. 22:46.880 --> 22:53.960 We had three little blondie girls and a homely little boy, and they were pretty easy to read 22:53.960 --> 23:00.600 when they got in trouble, and he was the real spiritual-hearted one. 23:00.600 --> 23:06.440 And if Annie got in a cookie jar and we missed cookies, we would line them all up, you know, 23:06.440 --> 23:08.440 pretty close together. 23:08.440 --> 23:11.680 I took a course in biology, but I never learned anything. 23:11.680 --> 23:12.680 Look at that. 23:12.680 --> 23:15.280 I wish we'd have had eight, by the way. 23:15.280 --> 23:21.920 I wish we really would have had eight, and we'd say, Annie, did you get in a cookie jar 23:21.920 --> 23:29.000 and Annie could not hide a spiritual problem she had in her heart, for she had gotten in 23:29.000 --> 23:31.120 a cookie jar? 23:31.120 --> 23:40.120 And that little bugger, her face was just a clear sign, guilty, just like that, see, whereas 23:40.120 --> 23:43.080 some of them were more properly unctuous. 23:43.080 --> 23:48.600 Sally was so innocent, you know, you just knew with those big eyes fluttering that it 23:48.600 --> 23:54.960 wasn't Sally, but poor Annie, she just got caught because of something in her heart. 23:54.960 --> 23:56.260 And you know that's really true. 23:56.260 --> 24:04.500 We are not happy nor satisfied when our spiritual choices and our moral choices are not right 24:04.500 --> 24:09.500 with our inner being and necessarily right with God. 24:09.500 --> 24:16.180 You know, a communist does not feel right unless these ladies' life down or communism. 24:16.180 --> 24:18.940 Why should we do any less than that? 24:18.940 --> 24:20.740 That's really true. 24:20.740 --> 24:25.740 And I've heard of communists weeping because they were caught and would face the firing 24:25.740 --> 24:32.940 squad and their only regret was, how could I have gotten caught because they were disappointed. 24:32.940 --> 24:36.340 And you know, if you don't live up to your internal standards, I don't think you'll ever 24:36.340 --> 24:42.900 be happy, but Christians, you know that your internal standards, your moral choices are 24:42.900 --> 24:46.700 based on a philosophy which is the most superior thing on the face of the earth. 24:46.700 --> 24:48.140 It is, isn't it? 24:48.140 --> 24:52.660 The most superior choice of life is Christ and Him crucified. 24:52.660 --> 24:55.820 I'll tell you, there's no other choice in the matter. 24:55.820 --> 24:58.980 We have the best of everything, don't we? 24:58.980 --> 25:04.840 Proverbs 10, 27 says, the fear of the Lord add links to life, and I can believe that. 25:04.840 --> 25:10.060 When you confront the truth and confront yourself and then are able in power to confront the 25:10.060 --> 25:16.420 wicked world around you and all the wrongdoing that's been done, then you can be at peace 25:16.420 --> 25:17.420 with yourself. 25:18.180 --> 25:19.780 You can be happy. 25:19.780 --> 25:24.660 You're living by a standard you can abide by and which brings hope to the world and 25:24.660 --> 25:28.740 not a curse to all of the world. 25:28.740 --> 25:38.820 Larson and Larson, two psychologists, as was Patrick Glenn, by the way, said this, the 25:38.820 --> 25:46.940 forgotten factor on page 72, he said this, church attendants predicted marital satisfaction 25:47.580 --> 25:52.820 better than any other single variable. 25:52.820 --> 25:58.420 Now this is from a psychologist and all in all, we're a little bit frightened with psychologists 25:58.420 --> 26:01.100 sometimes because more often than not, they're on the worldly side. 26:01.100 --> 26:08.740 That's why you have people here trained to teach psychological principles from a biblical 26:08.740 --> 26:16.860 view, newthetic counseling, that you are liable for your sins and only Jesus can cover those. 26:16.940 --> 26:19.140 And then you're cared for, you see. 26:19.140 --> 26:20.140 I like that, don't you? 26:20.140 --> 26:27.020 Jesus is speaking in John 10, 10, he said, I am come that you might have life and have 26:27.020 --> 26:29.780 it more abundantly. 26:29.780 --> 26:33.620 As a matter of fact, one version, I think it's the NIV, says that you might have life to 26:33.620 --> 26:34.620 the full. 26:34.620 --> 26:43.620 Well, you've seen TV, well, it doesn't get any better than this, I think, is that a lake 26:43.620 --> 26:44.620 over there? 26:44.980 --> 26:46.500 Look at that mountain. 26:46.500 --> 26:53.540 Well, that's the idea of worlds having fun, but it gets better than that. 26:53.540 --> 26:58.700 You can have fun at the lake and you can enjoy God's creation and still adore the one who 26:58.700 --> 27:03.180 designed the world, Jesus Christ himself, who without anything, nothing was made on the 27:03.180 --> 27:05.220 face of the earth. 27:05.220 --> 27:10.860 You can get close to Jesus out there without having to be loaded or tanked in several of 27:10.860 --> 27:12.900 15 different styles. 27:12.940 --> 27:17.660 I believe that there are more than that probably, but it does get better than that. 27:17.660 --> 27:23.940 Chuck Coulson writing the book, how now then shall we believe, I said this, and I believe 27:23.940 --> 27:25.060 this with all of my heart. 27:25.060 --> 27:33.220 Here's a direct quote, men who attend church regularly have less chance of dying from heart 27:33.220 --> 27:43.980 that is 60% less, emphysema, 50% less, and cirrhosis of the liver, 25%. 27:43.980 --> 27:51.300 You eliminate 75% of the possibility of having cirrhosis of the liver if you just attend 27:51.300 --> 27:52.580 church faithfully. 27:52.580 --> 27:54.420 Is it because we're goody-goody two shoes? 27:54.420 --> 27:55.900 No, not at all. 27:55.900 --> 28:00.940 It's just that you're listening to the tinkling of a heart that's tuned to another world, 28:00.980 --> 28:05.980 the world of Jesus, the world of purity, the world of goodness, of kindness, and gentleness. 28:05.980 --> 28:10.540 Ah, dwell on these things, and this we need to really do. 28:10.540 --> 28:18.540 Well, Proverbs 9, 10, and 11 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, for 28:18.540 --> 28:26.460 through me your days shall be many, and years will be added to your life. 28:26.460 --> 28:31.660 You know, this confrontational thing isn't as tough as I thought it was, was it? 28:31.660 --> 28:35.020 Because there's such a great richness in standing up and doing the right thing when 28:35.020 --> 28:37.540 it's time to stand up. 28:37.540 --> 28:38.540 There is a time. 28:38.540 --> 28:40.780 Every one of us has to come to that point. 28:40.780 --> 28:45.700 In a marriage, it's we, you have to say, I'm not doing all I have to do. 28:45.700 --> 28:49.500 If it's a drinking problem, it's just, you know, that's the hardest thing in the world 28:49.500 --> 28:55.940 for a man that has trouble with drink to finally come to this wonderful conclusion, I'm a drunkard. 28:56.940 --> 29:03.020 And sometimes they never come to that and die of cirrhosis of the liver. 29:03.020 --> 29:04.020 And that's with all of us. 29:04.020 --> 29:08.780 I'm not picking on any particular sin, it's just that we have to confront the truth and 29:08.780 --> 29:14.540 having confronted the truth, have the power to fight back. 29:14.540 --> 29:21.780 And isn't that what he said, submit unto the Holy Spirit, he said, but resist the devil 29:22.140 --> 29:24.900 and he will flee from you. 29:24.900 --> 29:26.620 Isn't that cool? 29:26.620 --> 29:28.820 Man, do I like that? 29:28.820 --> 29:33.940 There's a positive tool to go forward, isn't it? 29:33.940 --> 29:42.100 In Matthew 11, 28, and beginning in verse 30, it says this, Jesus is speaking, come on 29:42.100 --> 29:50.900 to me, all ye that labor, all ye that labor, is anyone here ever labored? 29:50.900 --> 29:53.260 There are folks in this church who just work endless hours. 29:53.260 --> 29:56.180 I know you come home sometimes exhausted. 29:56.180 --> 30:01.820 That's men and women both and at the end of the day, all ye that labor and are heavy laden 30:01.820 --> 30:03.380 and that applies to lots. 30:03.380 --> 30:07.900 Some of you are bearing inordinate loads, some of you are carrying loads that probably 30:07.900 --> 30:10.540 would collapse my knees. 30:10.540 --> 30:11.940 And I admire you for that. 30:11.940 --> 30:14.820 And Jesus said, and I will give you rest. 30:14.820 --> 30:18.380 Now that took care of the physical identity, didn't it? 30:18.380 --> 30:21.500 You've got more load than you can handle. 30:21.500 --> 30:28.060 You fought the good fight and you're exhausted and you didn't deserve it, you didn't earn 30:28.060 --> 30:35.540 it, but somebody just did that to you and you can't handle it, see? 30:35.540 --> 30:38.300 And that's sad. 30:38.300 --> 30:41.020 Well that took care of that part. 30:41.020 --> 30:51.620 And then the second part, that would be verse 29, wouldn't it, said, take my yoke upon you 30:51.620 --> 31:00.260 for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and learn of me. 31:00.260 --> 31:05.260 And when he said, and if you learn of me, something is going to happen. 31:05.260 --> 31:09.180 I will give you spiritual rest. 31:09.180 --> 31:14.280 And then verse 30, he said, take my yoke. 31:14.280 --> 31:16.140 That was verse 30, wasn't it? 31:16.140 --> 31:28.220 Take my yoke for my yoke is light and my burden, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 31:28.220 --> 31:34.340 Just for learning of Jesus and the allegory here, the picture here is in the way the Jews 31:34.340 --> 31:44.580 lived when they drug a great caravan across the desert why they had a great big bull ox. 31:44.580 --> 31:48.620 And when they wanted to teach the smaller oxen how to walk and how to handle and how 31:48.620 --> 31:53.900 to not kick against the goat and how not to goer the big bulls and how to go down a straight 31:53.900 --> 32:01.740 pathway, this great 2,000, 2,500 pound bull is yoke to the little guy. 32:01.740 --> 32:05.860 And you know, here's this guy like a teeny-bopper bull would people want to do, kicking his 32:05.860 --> 32:09.100 heels, prodding this and that and jumping and not doing it. 32:09.100 --> 32:12.380 And he doesn't like the whip and he doesn't like the goat. 32:12.380 --> 32:17.740 And you know, the big old bull just keeps going, plump, plump, come along, kid. 32:17.740 --> 32:19.860 Come on, plump, plump. 32:19.860 --> 32:22.380 And no matter, he just ricochets off that big bull. 32:22.380 --> 32:28.040 When you think of that, my yoke is easy. 32:28.040 --> 32:29.180 My burden is light. 32:29.180 --> 32:31.020 Why is it easy? 32:31.300 --> 32:36.940 Not because I did anything special, but because I'm with the big guy and the big guy's yoked 32:36.940 --> 32:42.780 with me and so the burden is light and that's a picture of Jesus Christ. 32:42.780 --> 32:43.980 Learn of me. 32:43.980 --> 32:47.100 Walk along with a great power and the strength. 32:47.100 --> 32:49.060 Able to carry your burdens, see? 32:49.060 --> 32:54.140 When you confront yourself, confront your sins and then have the power to go on and live 32:54.140 --> 33:02.380 a wonderful life, then you can confront anything and solve any problem. 33:02.380 --> 33:09.260 I'm just about on the money, but I'll tell you what, man alive, confrontation is never 33:09.260 --> 33:20.340 easy, but it reaps abundant rewards, whether it's marriage problems or work problems or 33:20.340 --> 33:24.100 addiction problems, whatever it might be, they can all be overcome. 33:24.100 --> 33:29.740 And if you're worried about a little teenager growing up, well, man, get them in the church. 33:29.740 --> 33:30.740 Get them in the youth activities. 33:30.740 --> 33:32.740 Look what they're doing today. 33:32.740 --> 33:37.140 Man, a lot of those kids are getting to do so many things and they're seeing that teeny 33:37.140 --> 33:44.060 boppers can go in bunches where filth isn't the aim of the crowd. 33:44.060 --> 33:48.840 And you'll be happy when you confront that situation. 33:48.840 --> 33:54.840 If you do not have a church, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, oh, now is 33:54.840 --> 33:55.840 that time. 33:55.840 --> 33:57.840 Behold, now is the acceptable day of salvation.