"Keeping Power" - Pastor Doug Batchelor

you well it's hard to believe that we've come to the conclusion of this series on the Ten Commandments and I know some of you are probably very sad and wishing that there were more Commandments and there's actually been 12 presentations because we had an introduction we've covered all Ten Commandments and today we're sort of wrapping things up with a conclusion and are titled the message today keeping power and the reason for that is because it's based on a couple of principles one for us to be obedient Christians we must be kept by God and then secondly that God keeps us to keep his word in his will in his law the commandments of God represent a perfect expression of God's will and his will for our lives he wants that law written in our hearts indeed for us to be saved we must embrace the New Covenant and the New Covenant is the law of God written in our hearts I remember years ago going to Cairo Egypt and just during that time the treasures of King Tut were on display and frankly I was discreet I was surprised because they didn't seem to have a lot of the sophisticated alarm equipment that we had in the museum's of New York I lived across the street in New York City from the American Museum of Natural History right across the street and I'd go through there and some of their rare exhibits had very sophisticated alarm systems and here in Cairo they had this golden mask of King Tut and it's just inside this looked like a primitive glass case with a wooden frame around him he could bust with a sledge hammer and other priceless artifacts and you've probably heard in modern times about some of the most incredible treasures that have been found heard about one man that spent years diving off the reefs in the keys of Florida and he discovered a sunken Spanish galleon filled with gold and others have found minds that still had precious silver in them and if you could think about what would be the most precious artifact that could be found in the world today a hidden treasure you know what it would be nobody has yet found the Lost Ark well I know they've had programs and movies have been made about it and they're full of misinformation and the one rumor I've heard says that King Solomon had an affair of the Queen of Sheba they had a son and as a gesture of goodwill Solomon gave the Ark of the Covenant to his son of Prince of Ethiopia there's not a shred of Bible evidence or historical evidence for that it's just an urban myth at least its urban in Ethiopia and then they've got stories it was captured by pharaoh nico and taken to egypt and it was hidden in egypt somewhere none of that is true if you read in the bible it's very clear that the Ark of the Covenant was still in the temple in Jerusalem during the times of King Josiah you can read that in second chronicles 35 3 I'm not going to go there right now so what happened to it when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and he ransacked the temple and he carried off the treasures those treasures were all very carefully articled and chronicled and taken to Babylon you remember when Belshazzar during his feast was drinking from the sacred vessels taken from the temple of God they knew where they were they were stored securely in a vault in Babylon but the ark has never mentioned among those things it vanishes before Nebuchadnezzar destroys a temple obviously the most precious treasure of the Jews was that golden box around what the whole the whole temple was built with it as its nucleus it disappears you can read in the book patriarchs and prophets I'm sorry prophets and kings that Jeremiah knowing that Nebuchadnezzar was coming with some of the priests hid the ark in a cave in the vicinity of Jerusalem now I've to Jerusalem several times and it's honeycombed with tombs and caves I mean they can't do anything underground there before they run into another tomb or a cave so somewhere they hit it and they sealed it off and it's still there to this day wouldn't you like to be the one who discovered the Lost Ark I mean there's all kinds of golden artifacts and so if you find some Spanish doubloons that's wonderful they're gold coins but if you were to find that golden box that has the rocks inside written with the finger of God now that would be a treasure that would they line up at a museum to see that especially if you could peek inside and see the stones written by the finger of God well you know it's something that's more precious than that God wants us to be sacred temples that have his law written on the inside you and I are to be living treasures we are to be vessels that have the law of God written in us for all men to read and this is what the Ten Commandments are all about reflecting the character of God the love of God we've carried we've shared before that those first four Commandments talked about the love relationship the vertical love relationship our obligation to God the last six commandments talk about our love relationship and our obligation to our fellow man and the whole duty of man is bound up in this you could summarize the law of God with loving the Lord loving your neighbor Jesus refers to it as a new commandment but actually he was quoting from Deuteronomy and Leviticus when he said it the idea of loving the Lord with all your heart and all your soul comes from Deuteronomy chapter 6 and the idea of loving your neighbor as yourself comes from Leviticus 18 it's not new Jesus meant it's a new concept for you that the whole law is summarized in love love for God and love for your neighbor now God does not call them the 10 suggestions I know I've mentioned this but it needs repeating God does not call them the 10 recommendations he does not refer to them as the 10 good ideas they're called 10 commandments they're not the commandments of man they're not from the Highway Patrol department where if they're not looking or they don't have their radar detector you don't need to worry are you come to that stop sign out in the middle of the desert and you look around think I can just slow down and ease on through let's face it have you ever come to a four-way stop where you know there's no reason to stop you can see in every direction and nobody's coming God's commandments are Commandments you cannot really break what I mean by that is nobody ever never ever gets away with breaking God's law because God sees everything and there is a Judgment Day coming and he wants us to obey them yes they are not suggestions they're Commandments God wants us to obey Him I hear sometimes my friends were pastors in other churches they say God gave the Ten Commandments to the people because he knew he couldn't they couldn't keep them so he could prove how helpless they were and they could only be saved by His grace he wants to save us from our sin not in our sin he wants to show that you are a people who are transformed we are new creatures he's written his law in our hearts and because we do love him and we do love each other we do keep his law there's to be a difference between the people who are in the world and those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and that's really what I want to summarize in this that new covenant can be found in Hebrews 8 verse 8 through 10 behold the days are coming says the Lord that I'll make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah you jump to verse 10 for this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord I will put my law in their minds and write them on their hearts and I'll be their God and they will be my people so here's the question if you love the Lord and if you love your neighbor and if God writes his law in your heart will you be a he of the law or a doer of the law and during this message the whole message is in vain all the message does is compound your guilt in the Judgment Day all 12 parts of it if you're not different if you don't realize through this that God is sharing his will he is gonna keep you to keep his word he will help you to do what he's asking you to do would God command us to do something and then sit back fold his arms and laugh and say I knew you couldn't do it anyway wouldn't that be a little tyrannical for someone to do that what a parent command their child to turn off or on a light switch they couldn't reach and then punish them for not doing it wouldn't that be cruel is there a punishment for sin is the penalty for sin or death and there's also suffering and death the Bible says is sin transgressing God's law and so if God says I'm gonna punish you for not obeying my law and he doesn't give you power to obey then wouldn't that be cruel inherent in every command of God is the power to obey let me ask this a different way as you read your Bible can you find anywhere in the Bible where anyone obeyed God can you I can just take Jonah first time he heard God's law he said no he had a hard time second time you heard God's law he said yes and he survived in me things went a little better people were converted by the way when we disobey the word of God and we run from God people are perishing when we surrender to God people are suddenly being saved as soon as Jonah surrendered and he obeyed people started being saved around him and that's what happens with us God wants his law written in our hearts not just because he wants you in his kingdom but that he might reach other people through you first of all God keeps us the word keep that you find here is persevere Ansari preserve maintain to watch over to defend to keep us from harm to take care of you know the Bible says Abel right there in the beginning of the Old Testament Abel was a keeper of sheep the Lord will keep us to obey it means to maintain in good orderly condition in Genesis God tells us that Abel was a keeper of sheep you go to the New Testament it says while Shepherds kept their flock God is the one who is our Shepherd that keeps us Genesis 28 15 the promise he made to Jacob he says I will keep you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land I will not leave you until I've done for you what I've spoken to you now did Jacob disobey God sure he did did he break his commandment yeah he lied he stole he dishonored his father I mean he can go down a litany of things that Jacob did did he repent and after he repented was he different he was and that's what it's about when you're different can you be different can you obey Exodus 23 2000 life in the angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place that I prepared this is what he told the children of Israel I'll keep you they wandered did they sin in the wilderness did the children of Israel sin and the wilderness more than once did they learn something along the way did they get to the place when they entered the promised land where they started trusting God were they acting different they were matter of fact the lot of blessings fell on them especially during the time of Joshua they had victory after victory after victory you can have victory in your lives Psalm 91 verse 11 and 12 he'll give his angels charge over you for what purpose to keep you keep you how in all your ways God will send angels to keep you do you think when you're tempted by the devil and his angels by the way the devil personally doesn't have time for most of us he's sending his fallen angels and if fallen angels are used by the devil to tempt us does God send good angels to keep us if we want to be kept he will God will give you power to be a doer of the word number six this is the blessing that the priests were to pronounce on God's people the Lord bless you and do what keep you God will keep you he is able to keep what you have committed unto him against that day the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace and then I started quoting where Paul says in 2nd Timothy verse 1 I'm sorry 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know who I believed and I am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed unto him against that day and then Jude it says unto Him who is able to keep you from falling is he able to keep us from falling falling how falling into sin falling into temptation we know the devil is out there tempting us to sin do we all agree is the Lord wanting to keep us is he able to keep us greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world this is a message we don't hear very often not only that God wants us to obey but he will help us do what he asks us to do and if you fall and if you sin what you all have do not stop there get back up press on and do not be satisfied until you are a doer of the word and not a here only and this is possible for us to do friends do soldiers take the advice and listen to recommendations from their captains or do they obey what kind of army do you have if soldiers just sort of have a committee whenever they get an order and to dialogue about to process the order what kind of army would you ever get anything done you know I I heard this was attributed to Alexander the Great but I heard it and I've never seen it in writing so it may be another king and something could have been lost but when this King ostensibly Alexander the Great was going across Asia and conquering these various kingdoms along the way he came to the capital of one kingdom and it was a hilly country and he had his army all staged up on this very steep precipice looking down across another hill to this King and that they were gonna conquer and Alexander sent the messenger and the messenger said if you a surrender and open your gates we'll spare your lives if you submit to our authority and they didn't respond positively and so Alexander sent his messenger to the king and he said I want you to see my soldiers up on the cliff Alexander gave an order and a group of 10 soldiers in single-file were ordered Alexander ordered 10 of his soldiers to march off the cliff to their death they marched off the cliff to their death then he sent the messenger back he said surrender we will not give up until we tear down every stone in your building the King been hoisted the white flag so to speak and surrendered he realized that his soldiers were so committed to their king and so resolved to obey that they would march off a cliff if they were told to even if it seemed like it had no purpose if soldiers will do that for their captain what will we do for Jesus or do we question every order that he gives us we're asked to obey soldiers obey their captain subjects obey their king were not only soldiers we are citizens of his kingdom he is the Lord do lords give orders do we obey we talk about accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord that means he's our king and when he commands something he's a king how much higher do you get then a king and if you're the King of Kings how much higher do you get then the king of kings well you got the king of King of Kings but figure out whatever the top is Jesus is at that Zenith point and so when he gives an order if there is any order that is to be obeyed without question without flinching or hesitating it would be that King's order and so when he says look I'm gonna communicate with you I'm gonna communicate I'll speak through holy men and women I am gonna communicate through prophets and I'm gonna communicate through writings but finally when I give my law I'm gonna speak with my own voice I'm gonna write with my own finger these ten words that's what the Bible calls him the ten commandments are the ten words they're very succinct he summarized all the duty of man really in here are they suggestions or does he want us to obey this is his law you know I found this picture and I wish I had a clear a copy of it but you've heard of dogs that go to obedience school this is if you can see it it's a bunch of German Shepherds lined up sitting down in fairly good order and a cat is small prancing slowly right in front of them no you know what those dogs are thinking let him let me Adam let me I don't know how about haha whatever dogs think they they are wanting to go after that cat and if one of them were to take off what would the others do that'd be the end of it and that cat would be the fastest cat that you've ever seen but I thought to myself they've got obedience school for dogs and let's face it the dogs don't have a very big forward section of their brain that's governed by the higher powers of the Spirit they're governed more by the carnal side of things cuz they're dogs right they'd always have the very best of manners but if a dog could be taught obedience then what is your excuse does that make sense but Christians have a thousand excuses for not obeying God and will God ever ask us to do something that is not ultimately good every command of God is gonna ultimately be good so he's calling us to be doers of his word not only does he keep us we keep his law you know we're just coming off the tail end of the independence weekend and some of us have seen some reviews and programming dealing with the signing of the Declaration and our Constitution James Madison who's really the primary author of the Constitution of the United States said this we've staked the whole future of our new nation not upon the power of government far from it we have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments did you know that now I'm not saying that the government ever intended to enforce the Ten Commandments on people because they knew that the first four Commandments that's really an individual matter about the name of God and how you worship Him and so forth but they understood the principles of the Ten Commandments and they were especially thinking about the last six the only way that our Constitution would survive is if we respected those principles otherwise we're gonna keep legislating more and more control from the government when you don't have control from the people the more lawless of people is the more laws the government will be forced to make you cannot name a law our government has that did not spring out of somebody breaking it someone pushes the envelope and they have to make a new law don't think the more lawful of people are the fewer laws they need a written down indeed it came as a surprise to most of the angels that God had a law until Lucifer rebelled did you know that this is that in the spirit of prophecy they were always motivated by love I mean if you've got chill do you think all day long there's a law that says I can't murder my children I can't murder my job I can't murder oh there it is again again you don't even think about it hopefully because if you love your children you naturally want to preserve them right love is the fulfilling of the law and if you're having problems obeying it means you're usually having problems loving if you're having problems obeying God the key is gonna be knowing him better and loving him more but does he want us to keep the law very simple question I could spend a lot of time giving you scriptures 1st Corinthians 7 19 circumcision is nothing uncircumcision is nothing he's talking about the ceremonial law but keeping the commandments of God is what matters what Commandments you think he's talking about obviously not the ceremonial laws 1st timothy 3 6 I'm sorry 1st Timothy 6 verse 13 and 14 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things and before Jesus Christ who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate that you keep this commandment without spot blameless how does he want us to keep it without spot blameless until our Lord Christ's appearing he wants us to be witnesses for him first John 2 verses 3 through 5 I don't know if you're taking notes I'm gonna stop putting pictures on the screen start putting scriptures on the screen I want you to see it and also read it in your Bible where you can mark these things now by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments all right just stop right there Park on that thought I'm not done yet with that verse but just Park on that part of that verse this is eternal life that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent eternal life he'll declare to the Lost I don't know you and to be saved we must know the Lord do we believe that have a personal relationship how do you show that by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments he who says I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps his word what does he mean by keep their obey truly the love of God is perfected in him if we're not obeying very well we're not loving very well if some guy says to his wife I love you I love you and he has an affair every other week how much does he love her and if we say Lord I love you I love you I heard actually a read a story this week from some of you know Elizabeth Ellie at a famous Christian speaker writer her son was the missionary killed in South America back in the 50s I believe and she said when she was growing up that she and her brother we're told you know always clean up after themselves and her brother in particular liked to take the paper lunch bags and he'd cut him up and make things out of him his mother said you can take him out and do that but you've got to clean him up before you do anything else and she came in the kitchen one day in the paper bags and the crayons were everywhere and he was in the living room singing hymns with dad and she said Johnny or whatever his name was I just made that up Johnny's always a default name you fall back on sorry Johnny come in here and clean up your mess and she he said all but mommy I'm singing praises to Jesus for the daddy and daddy said you can't be singing praises to Jesus if you're not obeying Jesus you need to go in there listen to your mother and clean up your mess and a lot of us come to church and sing the praises of Jesus and we know very well we get home we're not taking care of the mess and the best way to praise the Lord what's better obedience or sacrifice to obey is better than sacrifice and Harken than the fat of rams a lot of people think I'm gonna compensate for the known sin in my life by a good offering well we appreciate your offerings here at Central Church but God would rather have you obey Him and there's a lot of people that are there honking their horns and saying I love Jesus honk your horn I'm singing praises to Jesus and we know that there's a mess that we're ignoring and we're thinking that we can live in can can you'd I know sometimes we struggle we keep falling in the same area don't get discouraged I'm not trying to discourage you but do not ever ever deceive yourself into being satisfied with continuing in known disobedience thinking it will just be okay eventually we can get to where we continue in sin so long that our conscience gets seared and we don't think it's that bad because maybe everyone's doing it or we've just done it so long we figure gods tired of hearing us repent he's not tired the danger is you will grow weary of repenting and you'll get to where you're used to it God wants us to obey he wants our lives to be in harmony with his words to line up with his words is that right why does God give us the Holy Spirit or what's the purpose of the Holy Spirit does God fill and baptize with the Holy Spirit people that are living in known high-handed rebellion when the Apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit what happened first they humbled themselves they confess their faults to one another they repented of their sins they prayed their hearts were in tune with God they were surrendered to do his will and then he poured out the Holy Spirit listen to how Peter describes it acts 5:32 we are his witnesses to these things so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him now is that some kind of language that's hard to comprehend where are witnesses and the Holy Spirit is the witness and God has given the Holy Spirit to those that obey Him I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit don't you well the Holy Spirit not the Holy Spirit is the one who brings you conviction so don't misunderstand the Holy Spirit he's the one who repent gives you the gift of repentance but the filling of the Spirit that's used for witnessing a special gift of the Spirit the baptism of the Spirit he doesn't give to those that obey Him why do you think David prayed after his sin with Bathsheba he pled please take not your Holy Spirit from me why was he worried about that because he knows he knew that he was living in high-handed disobedience and God can withdraw the Holy Spirit have indisputable op' and one day he went a little too far with Delilah and gave away his secret hair was cut off he got up and thought he was going to shake himself and other times send the Philistines flying in every direction and he didn't know the Spirit had departed because he was living in disobedience can we grieve away the Holy Spirit that's a terrifying thought but the Bible tells us it can't happen again John 14:15 these are the words of Jesus if you love me sing my praises louder if you love me give more offerings that's the way some preachers preach it I probably have given in to that once or twice if you love me by the way tithe is a commandment so they both work keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father you notice the sentence goes on it doesn't stop there if you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he might abide with you forever the Holy Spirit right if you love me obey me and I will send the Holy Spirit but the power of the Spirit cannot be entrusted if you've got a kid that will not listen to your instructions when you ask them to mow the lawn and they can't drive the lawnmower are you gonna give them the keys to your new car the power of the Holy Spirit if you're not obeying God in the basics of being a Christian can he promise to give that baptism of his spirit to those who won't obey why does he give the spirit because he wants us to do his will you know I heard that Pennsylvania did an audit and they found out on their books that they had twenty six thousand prisoners in their jails in their prisons that were receiving jobless benefits every week for unemployment they wanted all the benefits of being unemployed plus they were getting shelter and three meals a day in medical but I know there's aggravating as that is to here and I'm sure it's happening in other states too many churches are filled with professed Christians that freely admit they they don't believe that God's law can be kept yet they expect all the benefits of being a Christian and you know if we're living for the devil and we're following the devil and we're praying for all the benefits of Christianity there's something in congruous about that it doesn't match God wants us to obey his law and you can you know even from our own pulpit sometimes I hear all I believe in grace if it wasn't for grace I couldn't stand here I believe in mercy I believe in the patience of the Lord I was singing a song to Nathan and Steven they didn't know I wrote years ago called be patient with me Oh God I mean God has been so patient with me I believe in all that we're not saved by our work so I made that clear at the beginning we're saving entirely by grace but then if you are saved he wants us to be doers of his word let me give you a couple of verses on that Romans 8:13 I'm sorry Romans 2:13 people often misquote Paul and they try to use Paul to say it's okay to disobey for the hearers of the law are not just in the sight of God but the doers of the law will be justified that's clear same in the doers of the law John - sorry first John 2:17 the world is passing away and the lust of it but he that does the will of God will abide forever not just - here is the doers of his will some and what is the will of God Psalm 40 verse 8 I delight to do your Will O my god your law is within my heart that's the law written on the inside Psalm 143 verse 10 teach me to do your for you are my god Matthew 7:21 and 22 not everyone who says unto me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom but he that does the will not his ears does doing means something doing means you do something is that right and yet we always think that it's the philosophy it's the principle of the law it's the ethos of the law it's the feeling of the law and all God wants you to do it he wants us to obey His commandments and you can yes you can name a commandment you don't think can be obeyed be careful you might be given away the one you're not obey can a wife be faithful to her husband and a man his wife yes of course you'll say that if she's sitting next to you right do you have to steal from your employer can you be honest can you be honest sure you can how we're gonna get serious do you have to gorge every time you see food or can you eat for strength the right things doesn't mean there's never a treat but you eat in a healthy way can it be done sure can you turn away your eyes from beholding wickedness when it pops up on a billboard or a TV screen can you oh I know we're surrounded with it doesn't mean you'll never be tempted but can you obey you can you can live a godly life there's too many examples in the Bible of people that did I know we always like to point to the examples of those that felt let me give you a few more verses Matthew 7:24 parable of Jesus he that hears these words of mine and does them I'll liken him to a wise man who builds on the rock and who's the fool he that hears these words of mine and does not do them by the way who wrote the ten commands all things that were made were made by him and without him was not anything made that was Matthew 21 verse 28 but what do you think a man had two sons and he came to the first and said son can you go work in my vineyard he said I'm going father no no I said that wrong sorry first son says I will not but he afterward regrets it and he went then he goes to the second and he says the same thing and he says I go sir but he didn't go and finally Jesus sums up the point by saying which of the two did the will of his father some say they're going but they don't some say they're not but they do and the bottom line is he says are you gonna do it yes you weren't surrendered to me you were living a selfish life but you can repent and see I go and Jesus said I understand that this person on lock first son said I'm not gonna do your will and he just rebels and does his own thing but he realizes that's a dumb decision he repents and he goes out and he does it the other one says Lord Lord but he doesn't do it God wants us to be doers I mean just think about it have you ever been to a wedding before where everyone's gathered and you know there's there's a sort of a Zenith moment there's the high point of the wedding when air after all the fanfare and the music and the seating and everyone's seating and then there's a sermon and then after the sermon you reached the big point and the big point is you do the vows and they hand off the flowers and they turn and they face each other and they're looking wistfully into one another's eyes and they're holding hands and you're getting ready to make them promise in the presence of God and all these witnesses that they are promising to have no other husband or wife for sagal sickness enough love honor and then he says to the grime do you so declare and he says maybe or he says I'll try you're heard that one I'll try or I hope so guys if you ever are at that point and she just says well I hope so I'd call it off right then and there before you sign the documents what do you want to hear i doo doo doo it means you do it right there's a difference mark 332 and 35 a multitude was sitting around him and they said to him look your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you but he said who is my mother and my brother you want to be part of Jesus family who is my mother and my brothers he looked around the circle that's at about him he said here are my mother and my brothers whoever does the will of God are the 10 commandments the will of God did he just want to show how difficult he is and so he made up these arbitrary rules to prove that you can't do it are or are the 10 commandments something that God really wants us to follow yes there's a difference between the old and new covenants but in the New Covenant it's written in the heart the principles are still the same he wants us to obey the same is my brother and my sister and my mother and of course I've been quoting this all along James 1:22 2:25 but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourself this one will be blessed in what he does why does God want us to obey oh that there was such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all of my Commandments always that it might be well with them and their children that's a Deuteronomy 529 I think yeah you look it up I quoted it right I just don't remember the reference oh that there was such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all of my Commandments always why that it might be well with them and their children he wants it to be well with us because He loves us now here's the part I want you to know there is no in spite of the rumour that goes around among churches that you know we just need to resign ourselves to the idea we're going to keep on falling and God can't keep us and we can't have victory in spite of that the Bible tells us there is no invincible temptation any temptation God can give you the strength any temptation that you couldn't possibly overcome is not a temptation it's not even a sin if you have absolutely no option if in the garden the devil had somehow wrapped his coils around Eve as she was walking by and held her down and pushed the fruit in her mouth and made her chew it that would have been something to see but does suppose that could happen would it have been a sin for her if there was no way that she could have avoided it no sin is because you do have a choice do you understand that it's not a sin if you have no choice it's because you do have a choice to obey that you're culpable when you choose not to if you are kidnapped in a car and you're tied up and gagged in the backseat laying down on the backseat because they carjacked your car and you get pulled over the carjacker gets pulled over by the police for speeding but it's your car so please my going to give you a ticket maybe huh who gets the ticket you you can't help it you've been kidnapped and so in the same way it's because we do have a choice there is no invincible temptation 1st Corinthians 10:13 no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man we're all tempted the same I mean different temptations but we're human we all get tempted it's common but God is faithful he will keep us who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able there's something you underlined in your Bible that's a good one he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able you might be going through some trial he is not gonna allow any weight to be put upon your shoulders that you are not able to bear with his grace anything you're going through you ought to know that Jesus will come alongside and He will give you strength beyond what you're able but will with the temptation also make the way of escape you say Lord I can't I got a surrender to the Egyptians they've surrounded me there's mountains on both sides they're coming they're more powerful we're not gonna make it got some oh look I parted the sea I made a way of escape God will make a way of escape you've got to choose whether you surrender to the enemy or you take the way of escape he's provided it doesn't say it's always easy but he will provide a way of escape sometimes it's very hard what you don't overcome in the Christian life and you may have fallen many times but don't stay down gotta get up what you do not overcome will ultimately overcome you I venture that you're like I am and as your life goes by you see things that you wanted to change for years and there you are you feel like it just hasn't happened do you want your life to end where you just look back and say you know that thing I never did by the grace of God get the best of it it just always stayed a problem or do you want to be able to say by God's grace I whipped it by God's grace I've whipped it I praise God for the victories he's given me and doesn't mean I've gotten all the victories but I believed that what he started he can finish that every victory in the past is evidence that he can give me victory in the future and I believe every Christian needs to think that way that we can believe and don't become satisfied being overcome be satisfied when you like Jesus let me read something to you this is from the signs of the times article August 4 1890 we are not required to overcome in our own strength praise God by living faith we can grasp the hand of infinite power and when Satan comes with his temptations we can point to the cross of Calvary and say Christ died for me in his name I can and will overcome yes you can the divine power this is from another article signs of the times February 14 the divine power combined with human effort you can't lay there like a blob of mashed potatoes and expect God to do everything he gave you a brain and muscle he wants you to use and a willpower he wants you use your will divine power combined with human effort will give to all perfect an entire victory that's a great promise isn't it even believe every leaving mind will be filled with conscious power the language of the soul will be I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me his victory is an assurance that we too might become victors in our conflicts with the enemy but it is not our Heavenly Father's purpose to save us without an effort on our part to cooperate with Christ we must act our part and divine power uniting with our effort will bring victory so how do we have that victory well you know living a victorious life is really impossible but with God all things are possible it's a miracle but God performs miracles could you normally walk on water how was Peter able to walk on water wasn't water skis and God didn't freeze the ocean that day when he kept his eyes on Jesus he was able to do the impossible and if we keep our eyes on Christ we can do the impossible which is living a holy life in this sinful generation that's why Jesus said why did you doubt through faith all things are possible Peter took his eyes off Jesus he said why did you doubt oh ye of little faith Hebrews 12 verse 1 and 2 therefore since we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses we've got the witness of all these heroes and saints in the Bible let us lay aside every weight and the sin that's so easily ensnares us when we look at the witnesses what does he challenged us to do lay aside every weight in the sin is probably differences between weights and sins some things are just inconvenient they don't encourage Christian growth other things are very clearly sin lay it all aside why because you're running a race and you can't run a race with those weights some of you have been struggling to run a race with weights for years let us lay aside how many weights every weight with endurance run that race with endurance that is set before us how looking unto Jesus and that we're looking there this is one place where I like the NIV it says fixing your eyes on Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith so we've been talking about the ten commandments and how are we going to respond that was interesting good study I've never thought of that before I didn't realize it applied in this area or are we gonna say Lord I want to do something about it I want to be an obedient Christian the key is a Christian is a follower of Jesus we want to imitate Jesus we want to be like Jesus is that right imitate him Ephesians 5:1 Paul says therefore be imitators of God as dear children you know sometimes you look at a child and then you say boy they've come to look like their parents and how many of us have sometimes seen a child as they grow up and they get to look more and more like their parents and I've just I see with our boys at home sometimes people call in they think that either Steven or even Nathan ours me because their voices when they're younger they thought they were their mom and now they think they're me so if you're children of God imitate him John 15 9 and 10 Jesus said as the father loved me I have also loved you abide in my love and if you love me you'll abide in my love just as I have kept my father's Commandments and abide in his love as Jesus kept his father's Commandments he invites us to keep his John 20 verse 21 Christ said as the father has sent me so send I you God sent his son to come into the world as an example of holiness the Bible says be ye holy new and Old Testament for I am holy God is calling us to lives of holiness don't you think that means as a very basic that he wants us to obey the Ten Commandments wears a seventh-day Adventist gonna be if we don't believe in obedience what's the point why not keep another day and just stop being an irritant to sunday-keeping Christians but it's because God is particular about obedience if we don't get this right friends we're going to implode as a faith and I know some that are getting it messed up right now first Peter 2:21 for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps we're to live lives following Jesus John 13 15 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done he wants us to live like you Christians are to be followers of Christ were to love each other like Jesus loved us we're to listen to the father as Jesus listened Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another even as Christ forgave you so you must do so how do we forgive each other that's hard forgive as Jesus forgave how many agree that's a tall order how many agree we just read it in spite of it being a high standard matter of fact it's the highest standard we're talking about right now the highest standard how many agree that obeying the Ten Commandments is a pretty tall order but is he asking us to what else could God do I mean even after he cleansed Mary he said go and sin no more what's he gonna say go and commit a little less adultery Jesus is perfect he won he healed that other man he said go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you there is a connection between sin and the problems in our life the Lord wants to save us from those things that cause us those problems John 13:34 a new command that I give you that you love one another how as I have loved you God wants us to love the way he loves is that just he's idealistic or is that the goal and the will of God for man first John 2:6 he who says he abides in him ought himself to walk just as he walked it's very clear a Christian studies and absorbs the life of Jesus and says I really want to be like Jesus in my life you know I've been having a for me it's and kind of been a new thought lately and that's sort of that we're living right now in the moment your life is whatever is happening right now what I mean by that is every day could be your last day and if it was your last day how would you want to live every day really is the last day you're gonna live that day and then it goes off into the record books and I've been trying to be conscious of God's leading in his spirit in every little trial an opportunity to minister to love people that comes on and thinking how can I be like Jesus of course he expects you to be like him in your personality we're all unique all the apostles were different but they were like Jesus one thing and he wants us to be like him and I'm just looking every day every moment I'm wanting to be like Christ and you know it's a full-time job walking with the Lord but that's what he's calling us to do yeah this is serious business what kind of Christian you want to be a serious Christian or a real Christian or just the generic brand as Jesus came into the world the Father has sent us into the world so what shall I more say I can't tell you till I opened my notes here we go oh I remember reading where Michelangelo was talking to a number of his friends that were artists and he said why do you continue to fill galleries with portraits and statues of Jesus and you always show Jesus weak and suffering emaciated or dead he says why don't you show a painting of Jesus alive and you know when I think about big challenge in the Bible that we follow Jesus it's not a dead Jesus we're supposed to follow it's supposed to be a living Jesus we can model you know most of what we know about Jesus was not the few hours he was in the tomb or on the cross it's the three and a half or thirty three and a half years that he lived and that's especially the part of Christ he wants us to model if we're always portraying that it's a life of suffering and sacrifice and death people aren't going to get the picture the positive side of what it means to be a Christian so keep that before you as well you know in summary I just like to share something you've heard me say before in the ten commandments God has revealed his character everything you're going to read in the Bible about the law of God you will read about the personality of God God is a person just like as you might describe some friend or someone you know with a bunch of characteristics God has characteristics his law is a perfect reflection of the character of God an attack on the Ten Commandments is an attack on the personality of God because the law expresses that let me illustrate the Bible says the law is good Romans 7:12 Bible says God is good the Bible says the law is holy same chapter in Romans Isaiah 5:16 God is holy Bible says that the law is just the Bible says God is just the law is perfect it says in Matthew 5:48 God is perfect the Bible says the law is love romans 3:13 God is love the law is righteous God is righteous you just take my word for it you can find these notes and all the references God is truthful the law is truthful God is pure the law is pure God is spiritual the law is spiritual God is unchangeable the law is unchangeable God has eternal laws eternal so everything the Bible tells us about the law is really telling us about God how can someone say I love God and hate his law that doesn't make any sense at all because his law expresses who he is the law is his character and then God calls us to be overcomers you know when you read in the last book of the Bible revelation in every single message to every single Church Jesus emphasizes to him that overcomes to him that overcomes what has he promised to him that overcomes it's a number of beautiful things revelation 2:7 to him that overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God would you like to eat from that tree revelation 2:11 to him that overcomes he will not be hurt by the second death will be raised to live forevermore revelation 2:17 to him that overcomes I will give of the hidden manna to eat and a white stone with a new name written on it that no one knows except him who receives it revelation 2:26 and him that overcomes and keeps my works until the end to him I'll give power over the nation's and he'll rule them as with a rod of iron revelation 3:5 him who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot his name out of the book of life but I'll confess his name before my father and before his angels by the way jesus said I will confess the name of the one who overcomes before my father and his angels he also said that in the Gospels whoever confesses my name in this sinful generation I will confess their name but whoever denies me I will deny them do you remember the book of Job when God says have you considered my servant job that he is a just man let me read that to your job 1 there was a man in the Land of Oz whose name was job the man was blameless and upright who feared God and hated evil now you might be saying pastor Doug this is the most legalistic sermon I have ever heard well call it what you will but the Bible says there once lived a man named Joel and he was a godly man and he loved the Lord he hated evil that's what I'm asking you to do whatever that is you figure it out he's he says there are people like that that's one from the Old Testament there's many more let me give you one from the New Testament and Luke 1 5 and 6 you know Zechariah and Elizabeth and they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments and the ordinances of the Lord blamelessly whatever that means there were some human beings besides Jesus that are declared by heaven as living and godly lives so does the Bible say it's possible to be one of those people can you be somebody who walks with God like Enoch or like Joseph or like Daniel indeed in this last generation he needs people like that in the world especially where sin abounds grace abounds why does grace abound God gives us grace to keep us from falling he gives us grace to not only be hears but doers of his word I'm not done with revelation revelation 3:12 he that overcomes I'll make a pillar in the temple of my god and I'll write on him the name of my god and the name of the city of my god revelation 3:21 to him that overcomes I'll grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne to live and reign with Christ to him that overcomes what kind of promises what some of you have anything written from the devil what he's gonna offer you you got any document the devil is gonna what he's going to give you for disobeying any good promises you can sight sell your soul to the devil tell some wonderful thing I've got a promise from God a wonderful thing so those who trust him and obey Him and the reason to do it is because we love him God's calling us to be doers of his word I read about King Henry of Bavaria who had got an 11th century had become very tired of court life and all of the ceremony and the pageantry and the pomp and the work and the committees and he got so tired of living in the palace that he ran away one day and he showed up at a local monastery and he's talking to the prior their prior Richard and he said look I want to enter the monastery and become a monk and he said your highness are you sure you know what you're doing says I am tides' I just look for some peace I am so tired of the battles I have to deal with every day all the way I longed for peace I yearned for peace and the quiet he says well you realize your highness said if you become part of this monastery we have a very strict code of unquestioning obedience you must be willing to obey whatever say said I'll do it he said now your highness you've been a king for a long time you've been giving orders but you're not used to taking orders he says are you sure that you're prepared to promise to obey and do whatever I tell you to do King Henry said I am I am ready I want to do whatever you tell me to do said okay said I want you to turn around go back to the palace and be king he wanted maybe some new rules to be written but he said you've been called by God to do this and God has told us in his word what he wants us to do I heard about a teacher that at the end of a school year she she wrote 50 questions on the board and she told the students I am Telling You right now exactly what is going to be in the final exam you will have 20 of these 50 questions I'm not telling you which 20 but here is what the test will be you learn the answers to these questions and you will pass the test you know the Lord has done that for us too James 2 verse 10 for whoever will keep the whole law and yet and stumble in one point he's guilty of all for he that said do not commit adultery said also do not murder where do those Commandments come from 10 commandments so if you do not commit adultery but you murder you're a transgressor of the law so speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of Liberty and you know that's what the Ten Commandments are called a law of Liberty I will keep your law forever and ever and I will walk at Liberty the Bible tells us in psalm 119 verse 44 and 45 I will walk at Liberty because I seek your precepts God wants you to be free free to obey that's where freedom comes from the prisons are full of people who disobeyed if you are free God willing it's because you're obeying if you want to be free through eternity and even free in this life it comes from surrendering your life to Jesus trusting him to keeping you from falling doing everything you can do with the gifts and the power and the mind of the will he's giving you to resist temptation to flee from the devil and to be a doer of his will so we've talked about the law we're going to stop there are we gonna ask God to help us be obedient children that it might be well with us

Channel: Aaron

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Length: 62min 16sec (3736 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 28 2018