WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.760
Father, the name of Jesus, your word instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

2
00:00:05.760 --> 00:00:12.320
We pray in Jesus' name, for peace we pray that evil doers would be punished.

3
00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.700
We pray that your justice would come in and we pray that you would preserve and protect

4
00:00:16.700 --> 00:00:22.680
civilians and that the order of God and the plans and purposes of God would be wrought

5
00:00:22.680 --> 00:00:25.360
in that place in Jesus' name.

6
00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:26.360
Amen.

7
00:00:26.360 --> 00:00:28.680
Welcome to the CityLight Church Podcast.

8
00:00:28.680 --> 00:00:34.040
Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth

9
00:00:34.040 --> 00:00:35.760
that He has for us.

10
00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:41.680
If you want to connect with CityLight Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com that

11
00:00:41.680 --> 00:00:44.840
citylightnyc.com.

12
00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:50.080
Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already

13
00:00:50.080 --> 00:00:52.720
working in our hearts and minds.

14
00:00:52.720 --> 00:00:57.720
As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you

15
00:00:57.720 --> 00:01:05.680
are surrounded by His grace, and that He has a real hope and a future for you.

16
00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:10.560
Those songs that the worship team was singing, they had a theme to them, the faithfulness

17
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:15.160
of God.

18
00:01:15.160 --> 00:01:19.800
There's another theme in the Bible concerning the faithfulness of God.

19
00:01:19.800 --> 00:01:25.520
In fact, if you read the Bible from cover to cover, you'll see certain themes, you'll

20
00:01:25.520 --> 00:01:31.360
see certain patterns, and one of the themes slash patterns that you see in the entire Old

21
00:01:31.360 --> 00:01:36.080
Testament and the New is that we very quickly forget the faithfulness of God.

22
00:01:36.080 --> 00:01:41.800
I've shared before I'm going through the Gospel of Mark with my nine-year-old son, Victor,

23
00:01:41.800 --> 00:01:46.840
and it's just so wonderful to do that and to see him as he's reading it for the first

24
00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:50.840
time to see his reactions and the questions he asks.

25
00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:56.840
So in the Gospel of Mark, you see Jesus' feet 5,000 people with little boys lunch.

26
00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:02.320
Then after that, you see him feed 4,000 people, which sometimes we forget that, that there

27
00:02:02.320 --> 00:02:06.720
were various accounts of Jesus' feeding the multitudes and multiplying fish and loaves.

28
00:02:06.720 --> 00:02:08.520
Not just one.

29
00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:14.040
So in Mark, he feeds 5,000 people, then he feeds 4,000 people.

30
00:02:14.040 --> 00:02:21.640
And then after that, he's teaching, and he's just teaching on the Pharisees and on Herod,

31
00:02:21.640 --> 00:02:26.240
and he says, beware of the leaven of Herod, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.

32
00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.080
He's really not talking about eating, but you can see where his disciples were.

33
00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:33.960
They just made a little word association there because it actually says that he's teaching

34
00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:39.760
on the leaven of Herod, the leaven is yeast, makes bread rise, but it's also a symbol

35
00:02:39.760 --> 00:02:40.760
for sin.

36
00:02:40.760 --> 00:02:43.600
It's not a leaven, leaven's the whole lump, and he's talking about that hidden sin that

37
00:02:43.600 --> 00:02:47.600
will get you that's present in the Pharisees and in Herod, and what did the disciples do?

38
00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:50.920
They totally missed the teaching, and they're like, leaven, bread.

39
00:02:50.920 --> 00:02:55.800
You know, come to think of it, we are kind of hungry, and they start panicking, we have

40
00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:57.760
no bread.

41
00:02:57.760 --> 00:03:06.840
And you see Jesus, then the Bible says, size deeply, one of those divine exhales like, and

42
00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:12.040
he says, are you so hard-hearted?

43
00:03:12.040 --> 00:03:13.520
Where is your faith?

44
00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:17.080
Were you there when we fed the 5,000, yeah?

45
00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:19.680
How many baskets did you carry up, 12?

46
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.520
Were you there when we fed the 4,000, yeah?

47
00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.880
How many baskets have left over, did we care up seven?

48
00:03:23.880 --> 00:03:27.720
It goes to faithless in the first generation.

49
00:03:27.720 --> 00:03:31.960
What I did before, I'll do for you again.

50
00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:36.040
Now we read that and we go, silly disciples.

51
00:03:36.040 --> 00:03:40.680
That could never be me, but it's us all of the time.

52
00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:45.520
We experience his goodness, we experience his faithfulness, only several weeks later

53
00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:50.360
he'd be presented with another crisis, and we wonder, I wonder if he'll come through

54
00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:51.880
again.

55
00:03:51.880 --> 00:03:55.760
Maybe he ran out, did he run out of power?

56
00:03:55.760 --> 00:04:00.720
It's the same thing with the children of Israel.

57
00:04:00.720 --> 00:04:03.000
They literally go through a parted red sea.

58
00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.240
I mean, you would think if you saw that, you'd never ever doubt again, right?

59
00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:10.800
But a few days later, after parting the red sea, they're out in the wilderness going,

60
00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.920
have you brought us out here Moses that we should die?

61
00:04:14.920 --> 00:04:17.360
And we laugh, go, how could that be?

62
00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:18.360
That's us.

63
00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:20.680
That's pointing to us.

64
00:04:20.680 --> 00:04:26.000
He's faithful, he's true, he's got you, and he's going to see you through.

65
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.000
Amen.

66
00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:28.000
Amen.

67
00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:29.000
Amen.

68
00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:31.760
Thank God for his faithfulness.

69
00:04:31.760 --> 00:04:36.520
Some of you are enjoying the series on Galatians.

70
00:04:36.520 --> 00:04:38.920
What a powerful book.

71
00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:44.280
We're in Galatians 3, and let me just for the benefit of everyone who has been a part

72
00:04:44.280 --> 00:04:49.160
of Galatians 1 and 2, and also if you're just joining us for the first time, let me for

73
00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:53.480
the benefit of everyone just to recap what we've learned.

74
00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:57.320
Paul is writing the Galatians because they're in great danger.

75
00:04:57.320 --> 00:05:02.960
They're in danger because mixture has been brought into the camp.

76
00:05:02.960 --> 00:05:06.920
They're mixing the old covenant with the new.

77
00:05:06.920 --> 00:05:09.800
And Paul says over and over again, you can't do that.

78
00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:15.160
The moment you mix the old and the new, you disregard grace.

79
00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:19.000
You frustrate grace or you nullify grace.

80
00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:26.320
So you cannot mix the new covenant of God's grace with the old covenant of God's law.

81
00:05:27.320 --> 00:05:31.520
What is the old covenant of God's law?

82
00:05:31.520 --> 00:05:33.640
It is a system of order.

83
00:05:33.640 --> 00:05:36.120
It is a dispensation.

84
00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:40.560
Picture a canopy and you're living under this canopy and there are certain principles

85
00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:45.920
and rules that govern how you can relate to God under that canopy.

86
00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:55.920
And under the canopy of the law, you endeavor, you tried, you worked, you would sweat.

87
00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:03.760
It's been so hard to gain God's approval by your own behavior, by your own law keeping,

88
00:06:03.760 --> 00:06:09.400
by your own crossing every tea and dotting every eye.

89
00:06:09.400 --> 00:06:15.000
You endeavored, you didn't get approved, but you tried, but you could never be approved

90
00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:20.960
because under the law, if you break the law in only one place, you're guilty of breaking

91
00:06:20.960 --> 00:06:24.480
the law in every place.

92
00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:29.440
So you were never righteous, you never had right standing under the law.

93
00:06:29.440 --> 00:06:31.640
Sounds depressing, just saying it doesn't it.

94
00:06:31.640 --> 00:06:33.120
You say, what was the point of that?

95
00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:34.720
Was God just being cruel?

96
00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:41.920
No, the Bible says that the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ because we as humans

97
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:49.280
were so proud, were so arrogant, that we don't really feel that we have a need for a savior.

98
00:06:49.280 --> 00:06:53.480
So the law comes like a giant magnifying glass and exposes our sin.

99
00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:59.000
It exposes our weakness and it exposes that we are powerless to change for ourselves.

100
00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.000
So what does it do?

101
00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:05.240
It causes us to look up and look out at a savior who then comes and delivers you.

102
00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:08.560
He saves you, he delivers you.

103
00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:10.240
So that's the system of law.

104
00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:14.720
You're trying to get God's approval, you're trying to be justified based on your own self

105
00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.480
effort, but you never get it.

106
00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:22.520
Under the new covenant of God's grace, you are given right standing with God.

107
00:07:22.520 --> 00:07:26.120
That's what righteousness is, right standing with God.

108
00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:30.280
You are justified, which means God has pronounced you not guilty.

109
00:07:30.280 --> 00:07:36.280
So you're given righteousness, you're justified, you're approved unto God, not based on your

110
00:07:36.280 --> 00:07:42.960
effort, not based on your behavior, not based on your works, but based on what Jesus has

111
00:07:42.960 --> 00:07:49.160
already done in the finished, past tense, finished work of the cross.

112
00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:52.200
And you have nothing to add to it.

113
00:07:52.200 --> 00:07:57.880
Jesus plus nothing equals everything, amen.

114
00:07:57.880 --> 00:08:03.400
Hallelujah, not Jesus plus what you can help out with.

115
00:08:03.400 --> 00:08:12.200
There is nothing with regard to your salvation that you can contribute, amen.

116
00:08:12.200 --> 00:08:18.080
So let's continue now in Galatians chapter three, but first we're better place to continue

117
00:08:18.080 --> 00:08:19.720
Galatians three than in Ephesians.

118
00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:24.960
Let's look at Ephesians, I want to just look at two passages of Scripture before we jump

119
00:08:24.960 --> 00:08:33.160
into Galatians three, which will help shed more light on this covenant that we live under.

120
00:08:33.160 --> 00:08:36.640
And this is so important for us to get this series is called Clash of the Covenants because

121
00:08:36.640 --> 00:08:42.200
when you figure out what covenant you're living under and you realize the freedom that God

122
00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:47.800
has given you and what he actually purchased for you with his own blood, your life will

123
00:08:47.880 --> 00:08:50.000
never be the same.

124
00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:58.080
Ephesians chapter two starting in verse grade eight, Paul says, for by grace you have been

125
00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:03.240
saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

126
00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:11.560
So this wonderful gift of salvation, forgiveness of all your sin has nothing to do with you.

127
00:09:11.560 --> 00:09:13.040
It's the gift of God.

128
00:09:13.040 --> 00:09:18.520
Not of works, it's not by your behavior, less than anyone should be proud in both that

129
00:09:18.520 --> 00:09:23.000
they help to save you're out, that they contributed.

130
00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:26.560
We have nothing to add, you already did it all.

131
00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:34.840
But then he also note in verse 10, he shows this connection between grace and works.

132
00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:41.320
Once you've received grace through faith and you're free and now you've been justified

133
00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:44.080
and how awesome is this?

134
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:49.680
This means that when God looks at you, he cannot find any sin in you.

135
00:09:49.680 --> 00:09:54.760
If you've received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he's not barely putting up with you until

136
00:09:54.760 --> 00:09:56.800
you get your act together.

137
00:09:56.800 --> 00:10:00.080
He loves you now.

138
00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:01.720
He approves of you now.

139
00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:03.720
He said, well, God approves of everyone.

140
00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:05.320
No, he doesn't.

141
00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:07.120
He accepts everyone.

142
00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:10.520
Doesn't mean they're approved.

143
00:10:10.520 --> 00:10:11.520
His arms are stretched wide.

144
00:10:11.520 --> 00:10:14.400
He'll accept whosoever will come drink of this fountain.

145
00:10:14.400 --> 00:10:17.800
But it doesn't mean you have the approval of God, but when you've received Jesus, you

146
00:10:17.800 --> 00:10:22.520
have His blood on you and you're sealed with the Holy Spirit and you have His approval

147
00:10:22.520 --> 00:10:26.840
and that's constantly, it's like a mark of the Spirit, it's on your head.

148
00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:31.040
So that when you go and talk to the Father, it's like Jesus talking to the Father.

149
00:10:31.040 --> 00:10:35.640
And God's attitude towards you is like it would be towards His own Son Jesus.

150
00:10:35.640 --> 00:10:38.120
This is why the gospel is great news.

151
00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:43.640
And once you've received such such a grace, works would come out of you.

152
00:10:43.640 --> 00:10:49.480
Works are the evidence of this transformed heart, but works don't help you get saved.

153
00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:51.880
They're just evidence that you are.

154
00:10:51.880 --> 00:10:55.040
Are you seeing this important nuance?

155
00:10:55.040 --> 00:11:03.160
For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand

156
00:11:03.160 --> 00:11:05.560
that we should walk in them.

157
00:11:05.560 --> 00:11:08.080
Now let's go to the book of James.

158
00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:13.000
So grace by its very nature, by its very definition is extreme.

159
00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:17.960
People try to bring balance to grace because it is so mind-blowing, because it is so extreme,

160
00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:23.840
they try to balance the grace message by mixing it with law.

161
00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:28.440
You cannot balance the grace message by mixing it with law because then all you have is

162
00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:29.440
the law.

163
00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.440
Paul made that clear.

164
00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:35.360
If you try to bring mixture, you've now nullified the grace of God.

165
00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:37.280
So it's completely by grace.

166
00:11:37.280 --> 00:11:41.280
But there are people who then misunderstand this, correct?

167
00:11:41.280 --> 00:11:47.960
They misunderstand the grace message and I remember, here's an important question that comes

168
00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:50.200
up, because there's criticism to the grace message.

169
00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:53.320
They'll say, oh, you're about greasy grace, aren't you?

170
00:11:53.320 --> 00:11:57.000
Easy believe is them, greasy grace.

171
00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:00.120
One saved, always saved.

172
00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:04.480
And that's a good question, salvation is free.

173
00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:08.280
And there's nothing you could ever do that will cause God to withdraw his love, not

174
00:12:08.280 --> 00:12:12.120
even one drop of his love, he won't withdraw away from you.

175
00:12:12.120 --> 00:12:14.040
So can you lose your salvation?

176
00:12:14.040 --> 00:12:19.160
And if you ever explore this topic, there's great tension in the body of Christ.

177
00:12:19.160 --> 00:12:23.280
There's people who believe there's nothing you could ever do, nothing you could ever

178
00:12:23.280 --> 00:12:28.040
become, no road you can go, you're saved.

179
00:12:28.040 --> 00:12:31.360
And then there's people on the other side of the spectrum who believe that the moment you

180
00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:37.040
slip up, you not have to come to the altar, repent and get born again again and get

181
00:12:37.040 --> 00:12:38.240
resaved.

182
00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:43.120
And all it does is produce a bunch of spiritually insecure Christians who are living in dread

183
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:48.120
and fear, don't understand that God loves them, but live in terror of him and always feel

184
00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:53.080
less than, always feel like they don't measure up, are you following me so far?

185
00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:55.440
But let's get back to the question, can you lose your salvation?

186
00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:57.600
There's an easy answer to that.

187
00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:03.760
Are you saved because of your works or because of faith, faith, right?

188
00:13:03.760 --> 00:13:08.080
Not your works, not your behavior, not your doing?

189
00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:11.680
Can you then lose your salvation because of works?

190
00:13:11.680 --> 00:13:13.920
No.

191
00:13:13.920 --> 00:13:20.200
You were saved by faith, hang on, those of you online, those of you in 2025 going back

192
00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:29.560
to this video trying to catch me and label me a heretic, hang on, listen to the end.

193
00:13:29.560 --> 00:13:34.960
You cannot lose your salvation because of your works, because you were saved by faith,

194
00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:35.960
not works.

195
00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:40.960
You can't lose your salvation because of works, but you can, because of your unfaith.

196
00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:45.400
If you don't have a living faith, if you don't have an active faith or God forbid if you

197
00:13:45.400 --> 00:13:52.560
get to that place of deception, once having been saved, where you outright reject Jesus,

198
00:13:52.560 --> 00:13:57.000
if you don't have a living faith, faith isn't something I believed in yesterday.

199
00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:00.640
A living faith is constant.

200
00:14:00.640 --> 00:14:04.600
From now until we cross that finish line in ripe old age or we hear the trumpet blow

201
00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:08.680
or however it is, there should be an active faith inside of us.

202
00:14:08.680 --> 00:14:11.760
So here is the danger.

203
00:14:11.760 --> 00:14:15.920
When a Christian falls off and goes into sin, does God leave them?

204
00:14:15.920 --> 00:14:17.920
No.

205
00:14:17.920 --> 00:14:19.400
He's with them.

206
00:14:19.400 --> 00:14:21.600
People will say, oh, I feel like God left me.

207
00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:22.600
I sinned.

208
00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:24.960
I just feel like the Holy Spirit is withdrawing from me.

209
00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:26.320
Are you crazy?

210
00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:27.320
No.

211
00:14:27.320 --> 00:14:31.600
He'll never leave you, but what's the thing I feel?

212
00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:32.600
It's you.

213
00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.800
He's now withdrawing from you.

214
00:14:34.800 --> 00:14:36.760
You're withdrawing from him.

215
00:14:36.760 --> 00:14:39.920
He's right there.

216
00:14:39.920 --> 00:14:43.720
He'll act like the Holy Spirit is his temperamental pigeon.

217
00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:45.080
I was told that.

218
00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:46.480
The Holy Spirit is a dove.

219
00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:47.480
No, he's not.

220
00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:48.480
He's God.

221
00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:49.680
He's not a dove.

222
00:14:49.680 --> 00:14:54.640
He came once in the form of a dove, quit making him out to be a white bird.

223
00:14:54.640 --> 00:14:55.640
But I was taught this.

224
00:14:55.640 --> 00:14:57.360
The Holy Spirit is a dove.

225
00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:02.840
And the moment you sin, it grieves him and he flutters away.

226
00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:06.320
You know, the big thing in Bosnia, we do missions in Bosnia, the big thing in Bosnia

227
00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.600
anywhere in the Balkans is smoking.

228
00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:10.840
They smoke like it's the fifties.

229
00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:16.840
Still every restaurant has an ashtray on it because so much of the population smokes and

230
00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.760
so these men get saved and they're all addicted to cigarettes.

231
00:15:20.760 --> 00:15:23.320
And then, of course, the pastor says, you got to quit, all right?

232
00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:24.320
I got to quit.

233
00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.040
Doesn't tell him how, doesn't tell him how to reach out to the Lord, but I remember one

234
00:15:28.040 --> 00:15:32.520
guy when we were doing meetings there, loved the Lord, newly saved and then he got

235
00:15:32.520 --> 00:15:33.520
all somber.

236
00:15:33.520 --> 00:15:35.080
His hand quaking.

237
00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:42.440
He didn't know, I didn't know he smoked and he goes, I have to light one up.

238
00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:49.960
Now I'm going to make the Holy Spirit cry and he pulled one out.

239
00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:53.640
And I just thought, you're not going to make it, man.

240
00:15:53.640 --> 00:15:57.800
If every time you light up, I'm not pro smoking, I'm not telling you to light up.

241
00:15:57.800 --> 00:16:02.400
But if in your head you think every time you light up, the Holy Spirit is boo-hoo-hooing,

242
00:16:02.400 --> 00:16:05.040
how long do you think you're going to endure this?

243
00:16:05.040 --> 00:16:09.600
You'll make it three months tops and then you'll get so tired of yourself and your mind

244
00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.360
letting him down that you'll just leave the church.

245
00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:16.360
And that's why for every person in here, there's 50 prodigals somewhere else.

246
00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:20.320
Because they think that because of their sin, they're pushing God away, no!

247
00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:21.320
God is with you.

248
00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:27.040
Doesn't mean he approves of your sin, God is holy, but he's with you.

249
00:16:27.040 --> 00:16:28.360
He doesn't leave you.

250
00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:32.520
Well if you persist in sin, you get a hard heart.

251
00:16:32.520 --> 00:16:34.000
You move away from God.

252
00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:39.000
And if you continue to persist in sin, there's this thing that can happen where your affection

253
00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:41.320
for the Lord, it dies.

254
00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:42.960
An affection for the Lord is important.

255
00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.640
David said, he gave all this wealth to the building of the temple.

256
00:16:46.640 --> 00:16:51.680
He said, because I set my affection on the things of God.

257
00:16:51.680 --> 00:16:56.920
Protect that sweet, lovy, dubby affection that you have for the Lord.

258
00:16:56.920 --> 00:17:01.040
It'll make your heart cold and you open yourself up to deception.

259
00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:05.640
So if you go down the path of sin, it's not your sin that causes you to get unsaved,

260
00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:11.840
not your works, but then you go down this path of deception to where your faith is dying,

261
00:17:11.840 --> 00:17:14.480
your affection is cold, your distance from the Lord.

262
00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:19.240
It's not that he left you, you left him, and now you're in danger of not having a living

263
00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:21.240
faith.

264
00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:26.240
Now you're just another person who said once upon a time, I gave my life to Jesus.

265
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.120
Now you are a Lord, Lord Christian.

266
00:17:28.120 --> 00:17:29.880
Lord Lord, did I not?

267
00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:35.320
Back in 2003, fill out that connection card and say, I received you as my Lord and Savior.

268
00:17:35.320 --> 00:17:36.320
Yeah.

269
00:17:36.320 --> 00:17:39.960
Let's read James, because this addresses it.

270
00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:44.360
This is out of this conversation when my eye was only two years, three years saved, and

271
00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:48.440
I was in college and one of my sweet mates, I was witnessing to him.

272
00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:51.240
And as I'm trying to witness to him, I'm witnessing to him because there's no evidence

273
00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:53.240
of a Christian life.

274
00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:55.960
There's no evidence that he's ever even heard the gospel.

275
00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:59.040
And I'm saying, he's right for the plucking, I'm going to share the gospel with him.

276
00:17:59.040 --> 00:18:00.920
And as I'm sharing, he's like, yeah, man, I'm good.

277
00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:01.920
I did all this.

278
00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.440
I said, what do you mean you did all this?

279
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:05.440
No, I've heard all this many times.

280
00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:06.920
Yeah, but are you saved?

281
00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:08.600
And he goes, you mean the prayer?

282
00:18:08.600 --> 00:18:11.040
And I go, well, I guess, yeah, the prayer.

283
00:18:11.040 --> 00:18:12.040
I said the prayer.

284
00:18:12.040 --> 00:18:13.040
I'm good, bro.

285
00:18:13.040 --> 00:18:15.040
I said the prayer.

286
00:18:15.040 --> 00:18:16.240
My mom would drag me to church.

287
00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:17.240
I said the prayer.

288
00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:18.240
And I'm trying to witness it.

289
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.080
And he actually, he does the kind of sending shoulder slap.

290
00:18:21.080 --> 00:18:31.520
And I was like, now, man, I'm going to sort of demonstrate on you past your moment.

291
00:18:31.520 --> 00:18:35.600
So let's figure out, where's this guy?

292
00:18:35.600 --> 00:18:37.080
What good is it, James Wright?

293
00:18:37.080 --> 00:18:45.160
My brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works, can that faith, can

294
00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:49.880
that particular faith, can somebody who says, oh, yeah, I believe.

295
00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:57.480
But there's no evidence of the faith, works, your behavior, it doesn't help Jesus love

296
00:18:57.480 --> 00:18:58.480
you more.

297
00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:00.160
He already loves you.

298
00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:06.440
Your works, your behavior, what you do and don't do, it does not contribute to your salvation

299
00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:09.120
and to your right standing before God.

300
00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:15.560
But if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you have faith in his substitutionary

301
00:19:15.560 --> 00:19:20.520
death for you on the cross and you have faith that you were crucified there on the cross

302
00:19:20.520 --> 00:19:25.080
with him, there will be good works.

303
00:19:25.080 --> 00:19:28.080
There will be a transformation.

304
00:19:28.080 --> 00:19:33.720
Holiness is one of the best evidences for the existence of God, is it not?

305
00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.440
Holiness is what grabs people's attention, true holiness, not their knowing Christian

306
00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:39.880
looking down his nose at people.

307
00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:44.240
But true holiness, when you've been in darkness, you've had addiction, you were eyebrow deep

308
00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:49.280
in sin and then you're transformed by the power of God and it's not because of religion,

309
00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:52.480
it's not because you're trying too hard from the outside in, but from the inside out

310
00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:57.600
he's transformed your life, the world takes notice and it's one of the best evidences.

311
00:19:57.600 --> 00:20:04.240
And the scripture is clear, works will follow true living faith.

312
00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:11.120
Don't shout me down because I'm preaching so good.

313
00:20:11.120 --> 00:20:15.000
But good is it my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works, can

314
00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:16.520
that faith save him?

315
00:20:16.520 --> 00:20:20.960
And then he gives this example of someone who's saying, oh yeah, I believe, but there's

316
00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:22.240
no evidence.

317
00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:27.280
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food and one of you says to

318
00:20:27.280 --> 00:20:31.880
them, go in peace, be warmed and be filled, thoughts and prayers.

319
00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:37.160
Without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

320
00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:44.040
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

321
00:20:44.040 --> 00:20:46.280
And this is the, just keep it up there, please.

322
00:20:46.280 --> 00:20:52.600
This is the first time in the scriptures we hear this concept, this term, dead faith.

323
00:20:52.600 --> 00:20:55.320
And dead faith really isn't faith at all.

324
00:20:55.320 --> 00:21:00.960
And what's living faith is normal faith, faith that's flowing out of your heart.

325
00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:06.720
Not from two years ago, not from ten years ago, not even from yesterday, but now faith,

326
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:10.960
now faith right now.

327
00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:15.640
And when you have now faith, there's going to be works.

328
00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:22.360
But they flow from the inside, you know, in another place, the Bible says, work out your

329
00:21:22.360 --> 00:21:26.520
own salvation with fear and trembling.

330
00:21:26.520 --> 00:21:30.960
Then people who love to live under the law, they'll go, see, it's not grace, it's works,

331
00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:31.960
work out, work out.

332
00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:37.320
It doesn't say work for your salvation with fear and trembling, trembling.

333
00:21:37.320 --> 00:21:38.320
Work out.

334
00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:43.000
In other words, what he did inside of you, let there be an outworking of that now.

335
00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:47.400
He forgave you, he made you righteous, he put his Holy Spirit in you, let there be an

336
00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:50.160
outworking of that grace.

337
00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:53.760
Are you catching what I'm pitching?

338
00:21:53.760 --> 00:22:00.040
And also faith by itself if it does not have works is dead.

339
00:22:00.040 --> 00:22:07.480
So proof to us, to yourself, to the world is that there is a transformation in your life.

340
00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:09.520
You don't live like the world.

341
00:22:09.520 --> 00:22:10.520
What's your life like?

342
00:22:10.520 --> 00:22:13.840
Well, you're surrendered.

343
00:22:13.840 --> 00:22:16.160
You realize my life is not my own.

344
00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:19.240
You can either have your life or you can lose it.

345
00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:22.480
Jesus said, if you lose your life, you'll find it.

346
00:22:22.520 --> 00:22:27.320
Who finds their life here and they keep being the God of their own life, they'll eventually

347
00:22:27.320 --> 00:22:28.320
lose it.

348
00:22:28.320 --> 00:22:31.760
And then in the next breath, he says, what is it, profit a man?

349
00:22:31.760 --> 00:22:36.160
If you gain the whole world, you got the lambo's, the forarees, the jets, you gain the

350
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:37.160
whole world.

351
00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:38.160
Fame.

352
00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:41.480
But then you lose your own soul.

353
00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:42.480
What is your life?

354
00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:45.280
It's like a vapor with every passing year.

355
00:22:45.280 --> 00:22:49.760
I just realized we're here for such a, like a flicker.

356
00:22:49.760 --> 00:22:51.920
And then we're gone, but your soul is eternal.

357
00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:57.440
And you only have one and you don't want to play games with your eternal soul.

358
00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:03.560
Soul so faith by itself, if it does not have works, is that verse 18.

359
00:23:03.560 --> 00:23:06.600
But someone will say, you have faith and I have works.

360
00:23:06.600 --> 00:23:08.840
I love how James words this.

361
00:23:08.840 --> 00:23:14.200
Show me your faith apart from your works that's impossible, by the way.

362
00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:15.400
Show me your faith.

363
00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:16.400
It's just faith.

364
00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:17.400
I just believe.

365
00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:19.240
But there's no evidence.

366
00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:20.600
It's not possible.

367
00:23:20.600 --> 00:23:26.360
Show me your faith by your works and I will show you my faith by my works.

368
00:23:26.360 --> 00:23:29.480
You want to see what I believe, examine my life.

369
00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:30.960
You want to know if I have a living faith?

370
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:32.960
Look at how I treat people.

371
00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.560
Look at how I go to church.

372
00:23:34.560 --> 00:23:35.720
Look at how I give.

373
00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:36.880
Look at how I evangelize.

374
00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:37.880
Look at how I pray.

375
00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:41.960
I don't do those things because they contribute to my salvation.

376
00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:43.960
This is the key.

377
00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:46.560
All these good works.

378
00:23:46.560 --> 00:23:53.080
Such attendance, sharing your faith, studying the Bible, praying, being kind to others.

379
00:23:53.080 --> 00:23:57.000
You don't do those things to score points with the big guy.

380
00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:02.360
You don't do those things because you're trying to add to the finished work of the cross.

381
00:24:02.360 --> 00:24:03.760
That's already settled.

382
00:24:03.760 --> 00:24:11.120
You do those things because you've reckoned yourself dead to sin and alive unto God.

383
00:24:11.120 --> 00:24:14.760
You do those things now out of a gratitude.

384
00:24:14.760 --> 00:24:15.760
And guess what?

385
00:24:15.760 --> 00:24:16.920
You don't do them alone.

386
00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:19.240
You don't do them with self-effort.

387
00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:25.160
Are you hearing me here?

388
00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:30.600
The supernatural power of the Lord produces this fruit.

389
00:24:30.600 --> 00:24:34.600
Religion makes you— I feel hard to be fruitful.

390
00:24:34.600 --> 00:24:38.440
You don't have to try.

391
00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:40.480
Please don't try.

392
00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:41.480
I feel like Yoda.

393
00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:42.480
Don't try.

394
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:43.480
Do.

395
00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:47.480
One of the worst things I hear people say is I'm going to go to work on myself.

396
00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:48.480
No!

397
00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:50.160
You've tried that already.

398
00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:51.680
You've tried working on yourself.

399
00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:52.680
Didn't work.

400
00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:58.480
If we could fix ourselves in Christ's died in vain, if you could go to work on yourself.

401
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:01.440
She says, what should I do if I work on myself?

402
00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:02.440
I told you.

403
00:25:02.440 --> 00:25:03.440
Die!

404
00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:05.440
It's much simpler.

405
00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:06.440
Die.

406
00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:07.440
What does that mean?

407
00:25:07.840 --> 00:25:11.720
Well, 2,000 years ago in the mind of God, you were crucified with Christ.

408
00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:14.440
And Paul and Romans, he says, wreck in yourself.

409
00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:15.440
That's an accounting term.

410
00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:16.960
Put it down that it's so.

411
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.280
Consider yourself dead.

412
00:25:19.280 --> 00:25:21.640
That's why Paul said, I am crucified with Christ.

413
00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:22.960
Nevertheless, I live.

414
00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:24.360
You're not I.

415
00:25:24.360 --> 00:25:29.120
But it's Christ who lives in me, who loved me and gave himself for me.

416
00:25:29.120 --> 00:25:31.760
So you wreck in yourself dead.

417
00:25:31.760 --> 00:25:32.760
And alive unto God.

418
00:25:32.760 --> 00:25:34.600
That means you surrender your life.

419
00:25:34.600 --> 00:25:36.560
You're not your own anymore.

420
00:25:36.560 --> 00:25:38.360
You surrender to His Lordship.

421
00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:39.360
Yeah, but I still have issues.

422
00:25:39.360 --> 00:25:40.360
I know.

423
00:25:40.360 --> 00:25:42.640
Me too.

424
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:46.760
And then as you walk with Him, holding His hands, He'll straighten you out.

425
00:25:46.760 --> 00:25:49.360
As you walk with Him, He'll produce.

426
00:25:49.360 --> 00:25:51.560
You know what kind of church this kind of preaching produces?

427
00:25:51.560 --> 00:25:54.600
It produces more honesty in church.

428
00:25:54.600 --> 00:25:57.120
Because when you don't preach this way, people still have struggles.

429
00:25:57.120 --> 00:25:59.360
They just hide it from everybody else.

430
00:25:59.360 --> 00:26:02.880
And that's how you get that glazed over church face.

431
00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:06.520
Hey, how are you?

432
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:08.920
Fine.

433
00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:11.160
Praise the Lord.

434
00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:12.800
All as well with my soul.

435
00:26:12.800 --> 00:26:13.840
Hallelujah.

436
00:26:13.840 --> 00:26:14.800
Rando Shando.

437
00:26:14.800 --> 00:26:16.440
Bap-bap-bap.

438
00:26:16.440 --> 00:26:19.840
It's like the Christian T1000.

439
00:26:19.840 --> 00:26:21.280
Hello.

440
00:26:21.280 --> 00:26:22.120
Praise him.

441
00:26:22.120 --> 00:26:25.080
Oh, deep up.

442
00:26:25.080 --> 00:26:28.840
When you realize that no, we're not excusing sin.

443
00:26:28.840 --> 00:26:30.120
We're not making light of sin.

444
00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:30.920
Sin is serious.

445
00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:32.280
Jesus died for sin.

446
00:26:32.280 --> 00:26:34.760
But I'm not a fool.

447
00:26:34.760 --> 00:26:39.000
I recognize this sin in some people's lives that they're struggling with.

448
00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:40.800
But now you don't have to hide.

449
00:26:40.800 --> 00:26:43.240
You know that not only does God love you through it,

450
00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:45.480
but the pastoral team will love you through it.

451
00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:47.280
Your life group will love you through it.

452
00:26:47.280 --> 00:26:51.320
You're in a community that realizes you haven't fully arrived yet.

453
00:26:51.320 --> 00:26:54.400
In God's mind you have, He sees you perfect.

454
00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:55.680
He sees you sinless.

455
00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:57.360
He sees you without fault.

456
00:26:57.360 --> 00:27:00.840
But experientially in your everyday life, you are working progress.

457
00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:02.000
And we give space for that.

458
00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:03.920
Is this making sense?

459
00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:09.360
Which environment do you think is actually healthier and more conducive to true holiness?

460
00:27:09.360 --> 00:27:13.400
Or do you want a bunch of people just hiding and pretending everything's okay?

461
00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:16.680
Not even being able to find a brother or a sister in church to open up to and say, you

462
00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:17.680
know what?

463
00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:19.160
I've been hit in the bottle.

464
00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:20.160
I wish I hadn't.

465
00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:24.400
But this is the thing that's, and you have someone to help you, remind you of grace,

466
00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:27.840
remind you that the answer isn't in words, but it's in grace.

467
00:27:27.840 --> 00:27:28.840
Love you.

468
00:27:28.840 --> 00:27:29.840
Take your hand.

469
00:27:29.840 --> 00:27:31.480
Which one is healthier?

470
00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:32.480
Which one is more biblical?

471
00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:36.040
Well, you may not know yet, but by the time we're done with Galatians, you'll know which

472
00:27:36.040 --> 00:27:37.040
one is more biblical.

473
00:27:37.040 --> 00:27:38.040
Amen.

474
00:27:38.040 --> 00:27:44.560
Verse 19, and then He says, to those who just would say, I believe, this isn't real faith.

475
00:27:44.560 --> 00:27:46.680
This person was never saved.

476
00:27:46.680 --> 00:27:48.640
The person who says, oh, yeah, I believe.

477
00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:49.640
And there's no fruit.

478
00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:50.640
No, they really need to believe.

479
00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:53.360
All they have is a mental ascent.

480
00:27:53.360 --> 00:27:59.920
They just agree, mentally, like intellectually, just, oh, yeah, I believe in Jesus.

481
00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:02.680
You don't believe.

482
00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:05.480
You believe in a historical Jesus, another Jesus.

483
00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:08.320
You believe within aggressive faith.

484
00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:12.240
You grab a hold of Him, then you're born again, then your heart is transformed.

485
00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:15.200
You believe, he says this, you believe that God is one.

486
00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:20.680
You do well, even the demons believe, and at least they tremble.

487
00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:23.920
Demons believe they're not saved.

488
00:28:23.920 --> 00:28:29.160
They tremble at least, but you, when you believe, it's a different kind of belief.

489
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:33.320
It's a faith, it's a now faith that lays a hold of and produces fruit.

490
00:28:33.320 --> 00:28:35.120
Amen.

491
00:28:35.120 --> 00:28:38.560
Did that help you a little bit before we jump into Galatians?

492
00:28:38.560 --> 00:28:40.320
God is good, isn't he?

493
00:28:40.320 --> 00:28:42.160
And the gospel is good news.

494
00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:47.440
Let's begin now with Galatians chapter 3.

495
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:48.840
Oh, hallelujah.

496
00:28:48.840 --> 00:28:52.800
Galatians chapter 3 and verse 1.

497
00:28:52.800 --> 00:28:58.440
Paul had just finished reading how to win friends and influence people.

498
00:28:58.440 --> 00:29:02.400
So he begins with oh, foolish Galatians.

499
00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:08.840
And you'll see if you read the other, excuse me, when you read the other epistles of Paul,

500
00:29:08.840 --> 00:29:14.760
this is the most upset, really the most unhinged you ever see Him.

501
00:29:14.760 --> 00:29:16.200
Why?

502
00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:21.360
Because mixing covenants nullifies grace.

503
00:29:21.360 --> 00:29:27.600
Mixing covenants, there is no mixing that you may think you're mixing,

504
00:29:27.600 --> 00:29:34.440
but the moment you start mixing, you're 100% under the old and not under the new.

505
00:29:34.440 --> 00:29:37.440
And the old is the old for a reason.

506
00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:38.880
Under the old you were cursed.

507
00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:41.280
Under the old your sins were never forgiven.

508
00:29:41.280 --> 00:29:43.360
Under the old the Holy Spirit didn't live in you.

509
00:29:43.360 --> 00:29:47.200
Under the old you were not a new creation.

510
00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.000
You were not born again.

511
00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:53.520
Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?

512
00:29:53.520 --> 00:29:55.400
Who has hypnotized you?

513
00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:58.600
Who has cast a spell on you?

514
00:29:58.600 --> 00:30:04.280
That you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed

515
00:30:04.280 --> 00:30:06.120
among you as crucified.

516
00:30:06.120 --> 00:30:09.160
So just as a recap, what were the Galatians up against?

517
00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:11.400
A group known as the Judaizers.

518
00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:16.400
The Judaizers were Jewish believers in Jesus, but they came in and they said, hey, it's

519
00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:19.120
wonderful that you Gentiles believe in Jesus.

520
00:30:19.120 --> 00:30:24.800
But that's not enough, have you ever heard that before that's not enough?

521
00:30:24.800 --> 00:30:32.960
My crew, preachers, pastors, we're the most guilty of telling people that's not enough.

522
00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:34.760
You got to do more.

523
00:30:34.760 --> 00:30:35.760
You got to work more.

524
00:30:35.760 --> 00:30:44.240
It's really at its foundation, it's to exercise and exert control over the people.

525
00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:48.240
And they don't trust the Holy Spirit under the new covenant in people to cause them to

526
00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:52.720
rise up into the fullness of Christ, they feel they have to control them by putting them

527
00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:56.920
under a works program and giving them a work's mentality.

528
00:30:56.920 --> 00:31:01.960
But what it produces is miserable Christians who are never at rest, they never enjoy the

529
00:31:01.960 --> 00:31:02.960
love of God.

530
00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:09.200
They're just a hamster on a treadmill, working for salvation.

531
00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:11.560
Jesus, he stopped working.

532
00:31:11.560 --> 00:31:17.360
It says after his crucifixion and resurrection, he presented his blood in the sanctuary of

533
00:31:17.360 --> 00:31:22.800
heaven and then sat down, sitting down as a posture of rest.

534
00:31:22.800 --> 00:31:26.160
And now it says, you're seated in heavenly places in Christ.

535
00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:28.000
You don't have to work for your salvation.

536
00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:32.840
You don't have to work for God's love or for his approval that's forever settled.

537
00:31:32.840 --> 00:31:36.600
Now all the works, and by the way, we're church that's big on works.

538
00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:40.240
And the more I preach that you don't have to work to be loved by God, the more works come.

539
00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:42.320
Isn't that mind blowing?

540
00:31:42.320 --> 00:31:46.280
We have volunteers, awesome worship team, whatever we got.

541
00:31:46.280 --> 00:31:49.360
We have to say, no to people to come on a mission strip with us.

542
00:31:49.360 --> 00:31:54.120
This church gives, like it's three times the size, generous people who tithe, they don't

543
00:31:54.120 --> 00:31:59.560
have to be manipulated into giving, all because they appreciate their salvation and they love

544
00:31:59.560 --> 00:32:00.560
Jesus.

545
00:32:00.560 --> 00:32:01.560
Hallelujah.

546
00:32:01.560 --> 00:32:11.360
So this group was coming in and telling them they had to mix and pulses, it's like you've

547
00:32:11.360 --> 00:32:13.000
been hypnotized.

548
00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:18.160
By the way, just so you know, Paul is talking about this group called the Judaizers.

549
00:32:18.160 --> 00:32:20.160
This happened 2,000 years ago.

550
00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:22.880
Don't think this is a 2,000 year old problem.

551
00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:29.880
Judaizers exist today in the form of pastors, preachers.

552
00:32:29.880 --> 00:32:34.320
They come in and they want to get you to mix covenants to control you, to rob you of

553
00:32:34.320 --> 00:32:36.920
the liberty that you have in Christ.

554
00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:42.720
Sometimes the Judaizers is you yourself to you.

555
00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:45.600
Because we are our own worst Judaizer.

556
00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:47.100
What's a Judaizer?

557
00:32:47.100 --> 00:32:52.840
Anyone who would say anything other than Jesus plus nothing equals everything.

558
00:32:52.840 --> 00:33:01.520
Jesus plus my effort, my strength, my doing, no, it was done at the cross.

559
00:33:01.520 --> 00:33:09.600
Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed, he uses this Greek term for portray.

560
00:33:09.600 --> 00:33:16.000
It means a very large portrait that everybody would see like a billboard.

561
00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:21.440
Paul is saying Jesus died in such a way and this is how I preach him that everybody saw

562
00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:28.320
him like on a billboard, the power of the cross, the blessings that come as a result of the

563
00:33:28.320 --> 00:33:30.800
cross.

564
00:33:30.800 --> 00:33:35.480
This is a good reminder for me because Paul and another place said when I came among

565
00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:40.440
you, I resolved not to know anything other than Christ crucified.

566
00:33:40.440 --> 00:33:44.040
That tells me what I should be preaching about all the time.

567
00:33:44.040 --> 00:33:48.720
So many, especially in the Western Church, we have deviated into all these different topics

568
00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:49.960
and subjects.

569
00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:53.280
Some are valid for a little bit, but you always get to come back to Jesus.

570
00:33:53.280 --> 00:33:56.560
But if in our Christian bookstores we have Christian cookbooks, I think we've crossed

571
00:33:56.560 --> 00:33:58.360
the line.

572
00:33:59.360 --> 00:34:05.480
What should I preach about every time I preach Jesus?

573
00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:07.480
What if the people want to Jesus?

574
00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:09.480
Well, what about when it's Christmas?

575
00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:10.480
Jesus.

576
00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:11.480
But what about when it's Halloween?

577
00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:12.480
Jesus.

578
00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:14.480
What about when it's November?

579
00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:15.480
Jesus.

580
00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:16.480
In the middle of summer.

581
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:17.480
Jesus.

582
00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:21.040
When the people need exactly the answer is in Jesus.

583
00:34:21.040 --> 00:34:26.400
Every topic, every subject, everything has been addressed by Jesus at the cross.

584
00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:31.720
We can unpack it forever, but he has to be the central figure of this thing, clearly

585
00:34:31.720 --> 00:34:36.240
portrayed, placarded, like on a billboard for everyone to see.

586
00:34:36.240 --> 00:34:40.360
The answer for everything is Jesus.

587
00:34:40.360 --> 00:34:45.400
Where in the middle of this series, I preach Christ and Christ crucified because everything

588
00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:50.280
you're looking for, whether it's deliverance from an addiction or sin or breakthrough,

589
00:34:50.280 --> 00:34:55.200
whether financial or in your soul or in your family or physical, it's all coming out

590
00:34:55.200 --> 00:34:59.120
when you see Jesus and understand what really happened on the cross.

591
00:34:59.120 --> 00:35:04.160
And so many people are living with a mixture and one of the tell-tale signs that'll alert

592
00:35:04.160 --> 00:35:07.800
you that you're living on your mixture is you have shame in your life.

593
00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:12.560
You're condemned, you feel guilty, you feel like, well, God kind of loves you because

594
00:35:12.560 --> 00:35:16.040
He has to, but it doesn't really like you.

595
00:35:16.040 --> 00:35:17.040
Red flag.

596
00:35:17.040 --> 00:35:21.440
That's your hard attitude, that means you're not getting the cross, but what should I

597
00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:23.200
do to better get the cross?

598
00:35:23.200 --> 00:35:31.520
Well, sit under series' regulations and then in your spare time, memorize God's Word.

599
00:35:31.520 --> 00:35:35.840
Dig into it, explore, unpack it for yourself.

600
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.080
What happened at the cross?

601
00:35:38.080 --> 00:35:45.920
Oh, he who knew no sin, that's Jesus, never once knew sin was made into sin.

602
00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:48.720
There's Christians who don't know the depth of that verse.

603
00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:53.680
Jesus was turned into sin.

604
00:35:53.680 --> 00:35:55.480
Think about that.

605
00:35:55.480 --> 00:36:02.480
Jesus said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of

606
00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:04.040
man be lifted up.

607
00:36:04.040 --> 00:36:09.040
The serpent literally Moses took up a pole with the serpent on it.

608
00:36:09.040 --> 00:36:11.400
That was a picture of Jesus.

609
00:36:11.400 --> 00:36:14.960
This might sound extreme to you, but he was made into sin like a serpent.

610
00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:21.280
Look, he took on the qualities of Satan himself, sin, and that was punished and thoroughly

611
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:26.080
hammered by God so that now there's no more hammering or wrath or punishment for you.

612
00:36:26.080 --> 00:36:34.480
He who knew no sin was made sin, that we, full of sin, might be made into the righteousness

613
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:36.960
of God in Christ.

614
00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:40.160
Woo!

615
00:36:40.160 --> 00:36:44.160
That's the gospel and it is great news.

616
00:36:44.960 --> 00:36:51.160
So to move away from that, I would tell somebody too, who is bewitched you, verse two.

617
00:36:51.160 --> 00:36:53.760
This only I want to learn from you.

618
00:36:53.760 --> 00:36:59.680
Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

619
00:36:59.680 --> 00:37:00.680
Let me ask you that question.

620
00:37:00.680 --> 00:37:03.440
How many of you are filled with the Holy Spirit?

621
00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:06.000
You receive the Holy Spirit?

622
00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:12.400
Did God fill you with the Holy Spirit because of your adherence to the law?

623
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:16.760
Did you have every teacross, every eye-dotted, because you just had such exemplary behavior

624
00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:17.760
in your life?

625
00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:19.760
Is that how we filled you with the Holy Spirit?

626
00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:22.960
No, he came in the midst of your mess, didn't he?

627
00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:27.720
He came when you were totally upside down, topsy-turvy messed up.

628
00:37:27.720 --> 00:37:29.840
He came when you responded in faith.

629
00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:35.000
When I think about when I was 16 years old, how jacked up I was, how crazy my worldview

630
00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:40.840
was, come from former Yugoslavia, totally atheistic, slash agnostic, you say, no, how could

631
00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:41.840
it be both?

632
00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:45.120
That's how confused we were.

633
00:37:45.120 --> 00:37:48.520
Secular humanistic, atheistic, agnostic, just messed up.

634
00:37:48.520 --> 00:37:49.520
I get sick.

635
00:37:49.520 --> 00:37:56.520
He comes into me, not because I kept the law, but because I just responded in faith.

636
00:37:56.520 --> 00:38:00.160
Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

637
00:38:00.160 --> 00:38:05.040
And then he asked this very important question, are you so foolish?

638
00:38:05.040 --> 00:38:11.980
Being begun, this journey began, not because of you doing such a good job and because

639
00:38:11.980 --> 00:38:22.200
of your behavior, it started in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

640
00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:30.640
Most Christians hear me out now would say yes to that because we're taught a wrong message.

641
00:38:30.640 --> 00:38:34.280
We're taught that justification is by faith.

642
00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:37.400
Justification, once again, is the act of God pronouncing unibilty.

643
00:38:37.400 --> 00:38:39.240
That's by faith and that's for free, right?

644
00:38:39.240 --> 00:38:40.240
Easy.

645
00:38:40.240 --> 00:38:43.600
You can justify it with a five second prayer.

646
00:38:43.600 --> 00:38:48.760
But then sanctification, which is the process of you becoming more Christ-like, it's the

647
00:38:48.760 --> 00:38:51.320
process of you becoming more holy.

648
00:38:51.320 --> 00:38:57.280
We're taught that while justification is by faith, sanctification will require a lot

649
00:38:57.280 --> 00:39:00.320
of hard work.

650
00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:07.800
It will require you being like MJ and taking a good long hard look at that man in the mirror

651
00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:13.760
and promising him, you're going to make a change.

652
00:39:13.760 --> 00:39:19.240
And this is why men in particular run from church, they actually want God, they actually

653
00:39:19.240 --> 00:39:25.920
crave God, but then they look at their secret sins and they go, I don't have the stomach

654
00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:29.800
to go up against these goliaths that have been hunting me all my life.

655
00:39:29.800 --> 00:39:36.600
So they say no, I can't imagine, because I've tried, this is what they'll say in private,

656
00:39:36.600 --> 00:39:40.160
I've tried, but there's no relief.

657
00:39:40.160 --> 00:39:45.880
So why just go into a system where I'll constantly disappoint God and disappoint myself?

658
00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:47.720
But that's not the gospel.

659
00:39:47.720 --> 00:39:52.960
The gospel is justification is by faith, you start off in this spirit and guess what?

660
00:39:52.960 --> 00:40:02.240
The process, sanctification of being made holy is also by faith, not by works, not by

661
00:40:02.240 --> 00:40:05.080
you trying.

662
00:40:05.080 --> 00:40:11.000
If you could try to be a good person, if you could try to live holy, you wouldn't have

663
00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:15.400
needed Jesus, you would have just tried and you would have changed yourself.

664
00:40:15.400 --> 00:40:16.800
No.

665
00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:19.440
Sanctification is by faith.

666
00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:20.920
Faith and what?

667
00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:24.920
Faith that Jesus died for you, faith that Jesus has forgiven you of all your sins, faith

668
00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:29.000
that he put a new spirit inside of you, then faith that he put the Holy Spirit inside

669
00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:33.920
your spirit, the whole gospel, the more you meditate, and the truths of the gospel, the

670
00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:40.360
more you realize what exactly happened on the cross, that's where the process of sanctification

671
00:40:40.360 --> 00:40:42.480
gets its fuel.

672
00:40:42.480 --> 00:40:48.160
And then it's not you, so you can boast the most annoying true holiness, not annoying

673
00:40:48.160 --> 00:40:53.320
Christians who are full of the annoying and not the anointing, and they look down

674
00:40:53.320 --> 00:41:01.280
at you, and they're so proud, I don't even watch our rated movies, that's good for you,

675
00:41:01.280 --> 00:41:07.520
you missed out on some pretty funny movies, but really now you're just religiously proud.

676
00:41:07.520 --> 00:41:14.040
By the way, I'm really, I didn't have a TV from 1994 till 2009, I didn't listen to

677
00:41:14.040 --> 00:41:21.560
secular music, nothing, from when I was in my early 20s to my mid-30s, I did, and while

678
00:41:21.560 --> 00:41:25.640
and I'm saying that's bad, that was one, the Lord did that, the Lord's super nut, he

679
00:41:25.640 --> 00:41:29.600
wanted to shield me, I'm not suggesting this for somebody, but I'm saying, when I would

680
00:41:29.600 --> 00:41:35.360
take my eyes off of intimacy with Jesus, all that was left was a stinky religious pride.

681
00:41:35.360 --> 00:41:43.200
I come into a church, they don't know where real holiness is, that was the secret in

682
00:41:43.200 --> 00:41:47.800
my heart, it wouldn't come out, but it was there, then I had to fall on my face and

683
00:41:47.800 --> 00:41:51.760
for the Lord to show me just how desperately I needed him, and that the things I boasted

684
00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:59.080
of in my holiness was all like filthy rags to him, that's scripture by the way, hallelujah,

685
00:41:59.080 --> 00:42:01.360
is this good news or what?

686
00:42:01.360 --> 00:42:07.560
This is good news, let's just admit that we're works in progress, we're no make excuse

687
00:42:07.560 --> 00:42:13.920
for sin, but under grace we realize grace is an empowerment for holiness, it's empowerment

688
00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:18.280
to escape the clutches of sin, but you're not going to escape sin by trying and working

689
00:42:18.280 --> 00:42:23.160
really hard, that, and this was the point I was making, that only messes people up and

690
00:42:23.160 --> 00:42:29.120
they become worse sinners, I cut my teeth, I'm ministries of the poor, in my early 20s,

691
00:42:29.120 --> 00:42:32.280
the first four years of ministry I'd be in the trailer parks and in the projects in

692
00:42:32.280 --> 00:42:37.120
Tampa, Florida, and I would find people so down on their luck, and I kept seeing the

693
00:42:37.120 --> 00:42:41.880
same story over and over again, that person whose life was devastated and in shambles many

694
00:42:41.880 --> 00:42:46.920
of them would have a Christian past, but they lived under the law, and here's how that

695
00:42:46.920 --> 00:42:52.360
story went, they lived under the law, and they felt they had to change their life, not

696
00:42:52.360 --> 00:42:56.160
that the Holy Spirit was going to do it, they weren't told to look at the cross and to yield,

697
00:42:56.160 --> 00:43:00.480
and they guess what, they kept on failing, and as they kept on failing, they kept on being

698
00:43:00.480 --> 00:43:04.940
more and more condemned and hating themselves more and more until they finally just gave

699
00:43:04.940 --> 00:43:09.880
up and said, I'm such a mess, I'm such a sinner, I'll never ever please God, I'm just

700
00:43:09.880 --> 00:43:15.240
going to go the way, the devil all the way, so the worst sinners I've ever seen are former

701
00:43:15.240 --> 00:43:22.280
Christians, maybe that's what Jesus meant, when he said go and sin no more, let's the worst

702
00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:28.840
thing come upon you, and when the devil comes out and he returns, he brings seven others

703
00:43:28.840 --> 00:43:37.120
with him, and the latter state is worse than the former, hallelujah, that's not your

704
00:43:37.120 --> 00:43:48.840
story, because even if you fall, you know he loves you, verse four, have you suffered

705
00:43:48.840 --> 00:43:53.280
so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain, because they were actually persecuted

706
00:43:53.280 --> 00:43:57.160
for living under grace, and he's saying, you already were persecuted for living under

707
00:43:57.200 --> 00:44:05.120
grace, was all that for nothing? Therefore he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles

708
00:44:05.120 --> 00:44:13.960
among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Now, a couple of

709
00:44:13.960 --> 00:44:18.240
things in this verse, he shows you what a new covenant church should be like, I noticed two

710
00:44:18.240 --> 00:44:23.040
things, there should be a generous supply of the Holy Spirit, and he should be free to move

711
00:44:23.040 --> 00:44:28.800
among God's people and work miracles among them, hallelujah, and when he does that, it's

712
00:44:28.800 --> 00:44:35.000
not because the people have every T cross and every I dot it, but it's because they're

713
00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:39.800
responding to him in faith, and that's what I see at city light church, I want more of

714
00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:46.160
it, I want 100 times more, but I keep my pulse, my finger on the pulse, very close lip,

715
00:44:46.160 --> 00:44:50.640
are people experiencing the miraculous, and when I say miraculous, I don't mean to come

716
00:44:50.640 --> 00:44:56.120
out in a white bedazzle suit, lights all on me, I lift up my right hand, hydraulic lift

717
00:44:56.120 --> 00:45:01.800
in the stage goes up, 50 person choir singing near my God to thee, yeah, that can miracles

718
00:45:01.800 --> 00:45:05.560
can come that way, but there's other ways miracles come where I'm preaching the word,

719
00:45:05.560 --> 00:45:11.160
and the Holy Spirit, the unseen one is moving up and down the aisles, laying his hand on

720
00:45:11.160 --> 00:45:18.360
people, depositing caruses and graces and speaking and changing lives, I hear all the time,

721
00:45:18.360 --> 00:45:24.640
I just came into church, hadn't been in a while, just came into church, and I started

722
00:45:24.640 --> 00:45:30.520
singing, and God did something, and they talked to their journey beginning there and God transforming

723
00:45:30.520 --> 00:45:36.400
their life, wow, what happened, the Holy Spirit, and by the way, did he do that because

724
00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:42.480
of their works? No, every testimony, right past your mouth, I came in, busted and disgusted

725
00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:48.320
with nothing to offer God, and I was shocked that that's how he met me and gave me miracle.

726
00:45:48.320 --> 00:45:52.640
I believe some of us who, quote, unquote, have our act together, can learn how to always

727
00:45:52.640 --> 00:45:56.600
come to God in and of ourselves, busted and disgusted, we'd experience the miraculous

728
00:45:56.600 --> 00:46:03.240
more. Did you catch that? You come boldly, but not bold in yourself, bold in Christ,

729
00:46:03.240 --> 00:46:08.400
but sometimes glance at yourself and remind yourself, Lord, I don't deserve anything

730
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:14.000
that you've given me. I am so needy, I am so Jesus, I need you, and that kind of humility

731
00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:27.400
activates the power of God. Verse 6. Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted

732
00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:33.560
to him for righteousness, now he's appealing to these Judaizers because they took great

733
00:46:33.560 --> 00:46:40.560
pride in being genetically linked to Abraham. They were the offspring of Abraham, physically

734
00:46:40.560 --> 00:46:46.640
Abraham seed, and he's saying, hey, remember that whole covenant that was formed with Abraham,

735
00:46:46.640 --> 00:46:52.760
he didn't do anything. He just believed God. It was by faith. It was a precursor to the

736
00:46:52.760 --> 00:46:58.440
new covenant, a precursor to grace. In fact, the gospel of grace is hidden in that exchange

737
00:46:58.440 --> 00:47:04.280
between Abraham and God. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness,

738
00:47:04.280 --> 00:47:09.880
just like a Christian today. You put your faith in Jesus, and he puts on your heavenly account

739
00:47:09.880 --> 00:47:16.800
their righteous. It's reckoned and put down that it's so. Verse 7. Therefore know that

740
00:47:16.800 --> 00:47:26.040
only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham, those who believe, not those who do, but those

741
00:47:26.040 --> 00:47:30.640
who believe. You know what that tells me? I'm preaching a bunch of Jewish people this morning.

742
00:47:30.640 --> 00:47:38.640
This is true. I need to come to terms with this. What are Jewish people? What are Jewish people?

743
00:47:38.640 --> 00:47:47.400
The God's people, Israel is God's nation, and you're the Israel, Paul actually finishes

744
00:47:47.400 --> 00:47:53.800
Galatians by saying blessings upon the Israel of our God, writing to a bunch of Gentiles because

745
00:47:53.800 --> 00:48:00.400
you haven't been grafted in, and you're the Israel of God. You are one true Jew, amen.

746
00:48:01.200 --> 00:48:08.760
And though you cannot link your genetics to Abraham, but you're of the seed of Abraham. Why?

747
00:48:08.760 --> 00:48:15.880
Because Abraham believed God. Didn't do anything for God. He believed God, and it was accounted

748
00:48:15.880 --> 00:48:19.400
to him as righteousness. What did you do? Did you do anything for God to help with your

749
00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:25.640
salvation? No. You believed God, and it was accounted to you as righteousness. So you're

750
00:48:25.640 --> 00:48:31.040
blessed with believing Abraham, and you're the offspring of Abraham, and Abraham is your

751
00:48:31.040 --> 00:48:39.200
spiritual dadah. I think this would be a good time to pray for physical Israel. We are spiritual

752
00:48:39.200 --> 00:48:43.840
Israel, but this is a good time to pray for physical Israel with everything that's happened,

753
00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:49.640
and let's pray for that right now. Father, the name of Jesus, your word instructs us to pray

754
00:48:49.640 --> 00:48:57.280
for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray in Jesus name. For peace, we pray that evil doers would be

755
00:48:57.280 --> 00:49:02.240
punished. We pray that your justice would come in, and we pray that you would preserve and

756
00:49:02.240 --> 00:49:07.880
protect civilians, and that the order of God and the plans and purposes of God would be

757
00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:24.680
wrought in that place, in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. Verse 7, verse 8, and the scripture,

758
00:49:24.680 --> 00:49:32.360
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preach the gospel to Abraham before

759
00:49:32.360 --> 00:49:38.360
saying in you all nations shall be blessed. When God said to Abraham in you all nations shall be

760
00:49:38.360 --> 00:49:43.560
blessed, you know who was talking about us right here in Queens. Do you know how many nations are in

761
00:49:43.560 --> 00:49:51.400
our church in Queens? Over 80. Look around. It's a beautiful sight. Over 80. And I'm not talking

762
00:49:51.400 --> 00:49:55.560
about over it like my grandfather came from Ireland. When I say over 80, we took a survey. People

763
00:49:55.560 --> 00:50:02.760
who say, no, I am an immigrant like you from Ukraine, right? And like me, from former Yugoslavia,

764
00:50:02.760 --> 00:50:08.200
and where were you born, Kwak? Hong Kong. Where were you born? South Korea. Let's go, you're

765
00:50:08.200 --> 00:50:15.000
American, right? But second generation, your parents immigrant. But 80, first 80, all nations,

766
00:50:15.640 --> 00:50:23.720
here we are saved believing in Jesus. The gospel was preached to Abraham saying in you all the

767
00:50:23.720 --> 00:50:32.440
nations shall be blessed. Verse 9. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

768
00:50:32.440 --> 00:50:40.120
Say this out loud. I'm blessed with believing Abraham. Now what is the blessing of Abraham?

769
00:50:45.800 --> 00:50:52.280
Righteousness, people. It is to be very accurate righteousness, justification by faith.

770
00:50:53.240 --> 00:50:57.640
Abraham was justified not by doing something but by believing God and God put it on his account

771
00:50:57.640 --> 00:51:03.320
that he's righteous and justified. That's the blessing of Abraham. However, there are other

772
00:51:03.320 --> 00:51:11.240
blessings connected with the blessing of Abraham. Intertwined, if you will. Exam in Abraham's life,

773
00:51:11.240 --> 00:51:15.480
what happened to him after he believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness? Well,

774
00:51:15.480 --> 00:51:21.240
one thing that happened immediately after was it says that his sheep and his goats and his heffers

775
00:51:21.240 --> 00:51:25.880
and his bulls and everything just kept multiplying and multiplying so much so that he had such a high

776
00:51:25.880 --> 00:51:32.840
class problem that the grass couldn't keep up with how his animals were multiplying. So prosperity

777
00:51:32.840 --> 00:51:39.240
and abundance is part of that blessing. Another thing is that he was supernaturally protected

778
00:51:39.240 --> 00:51:47.000
over and over and over again. That's a part of the blessing of Abraham. So recognize that as you

779
00:51:47.000 --> 00:51:53.400
say, justification by faith, don't stop there. Too many Christians stop at forgiveness.

780
00:51:53.400 --> 00:51:59.560
Forgiveness is important. I preach it 90% of the time but that's not the destination. That's just

781
00:51:59.560 --> 00:52:05.240
the open door through which you enter and there's a whole giant room of goodies for you to explore.

782
00:52:06.120 --> 00:52:11.160
So many people don't get to explore the goodies. They're so happy with forgiveness. I'm thrilled.

783
00:52:11.160 --> 00:52:16.360
I stare at forgiveness every day. What a beautiful door this is. Oh, hallelujah. This is wonderful.

784
00:52:17.080 --> 00:52:24.920
But then I crossed the threshold. Amen. I feel like only 30% got that. Are you catching this? Amen.

785
00:52:24.920 --> 00:52:32.600
All right. Okay. We won't judge by sight. So then those who are of faith are blessed with

786
00:52:32.600 --> 00:52:42.200
believing Abraham verse 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.

787
00:52:44.440 --> 00:52:49.320
For it is written. Why are they under a curse if they're living their life under the law?

788
00:52:50.360 --> 00:52:55.480
Curse is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law

789
00:52:55.480 --> 00:53:00.520
to do them. That's the curse because you can't get an A minus. Can you imagine?

790
00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:06.440
Imagine if you kept you can't but if you kept the law perfectly for 50 years and then in your

791
00:53:06.440 --> 00:53:13.720
50 first year you slip up and now failed. Can I take a do over? Nope. By all it got an A minus. Nope.

792
00:53:14.920 --> 00:53:24.440
One break of the law. One sin and you're disqualified. No wonder we need a savior. And that's the curse of

793
00:53:24.440 --> 00:53:30.440
the law. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written curse

794
00:53:30.440 --> 00:53:34.680
is everyone does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them

795
00:53:34.680 --> 00:53:44.440
verse 11. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just

796
00:53:44.440 --> 00:53:50.440
shall live by faith and that's a verse out of the Old Testament out of Habakkuk or Haggii. I forget

797
00:53:50.440 --> 00:54:02.680
which one. One of those two. It's not in my notes. But that no one is justified.

798
00:54:05.720 --> 00:54:11.640
That's the part where you just go in the Old Testament right. But I try to model transparency,

799
00:54:11.640 --> 00:54:17.160
vulnerability. I try to model a work in progress so you get some of that too sometimes.

800
00:54:20.440 --> 00:54:26.760
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by

801
00:54:26.760 --> 00:54:33.400
faith. Yet the law is not a faith. Law is not a faith. It's what you do. You can plainly see it.

802
00:54:33.400 --> 00:54:38.280
But the man who does them shall live by them and then he says something so beautiful that we really

803
00:54:38.280 --> 00:54:47.240
got to get in our heart. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse

804
00:54:47.240 --> 00:54:56.760
for us. For it is written, curse is everyone who hangs on a tree. Hanging on a, don't get weird

805
00:54:56.760 --> 00:55:00.840
and caught up and go, well Jesus was on a cross and what, you know, cursed is everyone on tree.

806
00:55:00.840 --> 00:55:07.560
It just means somebody who didn't have a proper burial, someone who was left on a fence supposed

807
00:55:07.560 --> 00:55:13.000
or a tree under the Levitical Law that person was considered cursed. And this is what's important

808
00:55:13.000 --> 00:55:20.520
for us to get. Some real world daily application is when you think of yourself, think of your life,

809
00:55:20.520 --> 00:55:27.480
realize that you are blessed beyond a curse. There are Christians who believe that they can be both

810
00:55:27.480 --> 00:55:32.680
blessed and cursed at the same time. If they do right, they're blessed. If they mess up, God will

811
00:55:32.680 --> 00:55:38.680
curse them. And they're walking civil wars. They have no peace. They don't know who they are in

812
00:55:38.680 --> 00:55:44.760
Christ. Imagine living under that threat that if they mess up, you're going to mess up. You don't

813
00:55:44.760 --> 00:55:50.520
have to. Don't have faith to mess up. But up until now and that day, you're going to fall. And then

814
00:55:50.520 --> 00:55:58.120
you should expect the curse. God forbid. You were blessed. In Jew, it talks about don't go into the

815
00:55:58.120 --> 00:56:04.120
error of bailum. The error of bailum was thinking that you could curse that which God has blessed.

816
00:56:05.000 --> 00:56:12.040
So this is an actual story. In the Old Testament, bailum was a witch assassin,

817
00:56:12.040 --> 00:56:17.800
hired to curse the people of God. And here's what the Bible says. It's actually quite comical.

818
00:56:17.800 --> 00:56:22.120
He went to curse the people of God. When you talk about bailum, everybody wants to talk about his

819
00:56:22.120 --> 00:56:26.840
donkey. Everybody remembers Shrek, the talking donkey. Oh yeah, the talking. Oh yeah, Eddie Murphy and

820
00:56:26.840 --> 00:56:34.520
the donkey and the forget the donkey. Oh, which assassin tries to curse the people of God and he

821
00:56:34.520 --> 00:56:43.000
can't do it. It's like he goes, I curse bless you. No way. I curse. Bless the Bible says,

822
00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:49.720
God turned the curse into a blessing. Why? Because it is impossible for Satan or some witch or

823
00:56:49.720 --> 00:56:56.760
anyone to curse that which God has already blessed. And you are blessed in heavenly places in Christ

824
00:56:56.760 --> 00:57:03.800
Jesus. And a teaching came into the body of Christ around 20, 25 years ago, late 90s, early 2000s.

825
00:57:03.800 --> 00:57:09.960
And there's these fads that come into Christianity. Nothing but fads. Sell out conferences, sell

826
00:57:09.960 --> 00:57:15.400
books and there's this whole teaching on generational curses. I know why your life's the mess.

827
00:57:16.280 --> 00:57:21.480
It's not a mess because you have a surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. It's not, which usually

828
00:57:21.480 --> 00:57:29.240
that's why it's a mess. It's because of generational curses. So you didn't know but your great great

829
00:57:29.240 --> 00:57:36.040
grandfather was a really bad guy. And then the point to the Old Testament, see God said that he would

830
00:57:36.040 --> 00:57:42.200
visit your sin unto the third and fourth generation. So you now have an open door for curses and

831
00:57:42.200 --> 00:57:47.160
satanic abuse and for your life to be topsy-turvy because of generational curses.

832
00:57:48.680 --> 00:57:53.640
I mean like if we didn't have enough problems, right? But that's what the devil does. That's

833
00:57:53.640 --> 00:57:57.800
what a religion does. It comes and puts this weight on you that's not meant for you to bear. So

834
00:57:57.800 --> 00:58:02.680
literally people were spending years of their lives and inner healing courses, inner healing

835
00:58:02.680 --> 00:58:08.760
conferences trying to repent for their uncle JoJo sin from 150 years ago unearthing all this

836
00:58:08.760 --> 00:58:17.080
just repenting and nobody changed. Nobody got loose. Nobody got free. Just ended up in more bondage.

837
00:58:18.600 --> 00:58:27.320
Christ was how much more do you want than God in the flesh? My wife told me I shouldn't

838
00:58:27.320 --> 00:58:36.280
yell so much in the first service but I can't help it. God in the flesh became a curse.

839
00:58:37.400 --> 00:58:46.680
He exchanged places with you so that you could be blessed. So who or what entity is going to

840
00:58:46.680 --> 00:58:55.240
curse you now that you are blessed? None. And that should be the confession of your mouth. 24-7

841
00:58:55.240 --> 00:59:01.960
I am blessed. I am blessed. But faster sometimes in my life it actually feels like I'm cursed.

842
00:59:01.960 --> 00:59:11.160
I cannot diagnose all that but I what I do know is agree with what the word says. Amen.

843
00:59:12.680 --> 00:59:19.240
Amen. Agree with what the word says. The more you agree with God's truth, the more you'll get

844
00:59:19.240 --> 00:59:25.000
the reality of that in your life. Let's close with verse 14. Worship team come on up

845
00:59:26.360 --> 00:59:34.600
that the blessing of Abraham. Remember what that is? Yes, justification by faith but also provision,

846
00:59:34.600 --> 00:59:40.920
prosperity, protection, abundance that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles and Christ

847
00:59:40.920 --> 00:59:49.000
Jesus that we might receive the promise of the Spirit not by works but through faith. Hallelujah.

848
00:59:50.120 --> 01:00:00.360
Hallelujah. Isn't biblical Christianity so awesome? If the world could see Jesus as he really is

849
01:00:01.240 --> 01:00:05.880
and see the new covenant in its true glory they would come running to Him.

850
01:00:06.360 --> 01:00:16.360
And where the advertisements that Jesus has. I know. It's like Lord how are you ever going to get the

851
01:00:16.360 --> 01:00:27.240
job done with us? You caught that first, huh? But he's going to do it. We're going to see his

852
01:00:27.240 --> 01:00:33.480
power in New York City. We're going to see more people get say oh he's not looking for perfect

853
01:00:33.480 --> 01:00:41.640
vessels. He's looking for available vessels. Let's pray. Actually let's do this. Let's read those

854
01:00:41.640 --> 01:00:45.880
last two verses out loud. We do that in the first service. That'll be our prayer. Those last two

855
01:00:45.880 --> 01:00:49.960
verses 13 and 14. Let's say them together. If you can get those up there again then we'll

856
01:00:49.960 --> 01:00:56.760
open up the altar for prayer. Say this with me. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law

857
01:00:56.760 --> 01:01:03.000
having become a curse for us. For it is written. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree

858
01:01:03.720 --> 01:01:10.360
that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive

859
01:01:10.360 --> 01:01:14.360
the promise of the Spirit through faith. Hallelujah.

860
01:01:16.360 --> 01:01:23.320
Ministry team come on up. Our altar is open to whoever wants prayer for anything at all.

861
01:01:24.040 --> 01:01:29.560
But leave here knowing that you are loved. Leave here knowing that you are forgiven and that we are

862
01:01:29.560 --> 01:01:40.920
all works in progress. Yield to the Holy Spirit. You can say you're working progress several

863
01:01:40.920 --> 01:01:45.320
different ways. I could say with the attitude of well you're working progress and I kind of

864
01:01:45.320 --> 01:01:50.120
dismiss your issues, dismiss the fact that you may be addicted to some sin that's killing you.

865
01:01:50.920 --> 01:01:53.720
And I go out of your work and that's not what I'm doing here. I hope you realize that.

866
01:01:54.680 --> 01:01:59.480
We're not just backslaping people going, ah don't worry about it. You like crack? Ah you're working

867
01:01:59.480 --> 01:02:04.520
progress. Adultery? Ah don't worry about it. You're working progress. This is stuff that'll kill

868
01:02:04.520 --> 01:02:08.600
you. God loves you. God's not abandoning you. He's with you. This is stuff that'll destroy your

869
01:02:08.600 --> 01:02:14.600
life maybe even your kids' lives. But it's so that you understand that you are a working progress.

870
01:02:14.680 --> 01:02:21.720
We don't dismiss them. But we invite Jesus in and consider ourselves dead. Amen.

871
01:02:21.720 --> 01:02:26.520
This is the CityLight Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message,

872
01:02:26.520 --> 01:02:31.000
or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in CityLight Church,

873
01:02:31.000 --> 01:02:40.520
visit us at citylightnyc.com. That's citylightnyc.com. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime.

874
01:02:40.520 --> 01:02:45.480
We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today,

875
01:02:45.480 --> 01:02:50.680
that you have been reminded how much God loves you, and that you are surrounded by grace.

876
01:02:51.400 --> 01:02:56.360
Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to CityLight Church podcast wherever you find

877
01:02:56.360 --> 01:03:01.720
your favorite podcasts worldwide.