WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.720 Hi, this is Rick Warren, Bible teacher of the Daily 2 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.679 Hope Broadcast. Did you know that because of Easter, your 3 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:08.279 past can be forgiven, you get a purpose for living, 4 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.039 and you can have a home in heaven. That's good news. 5 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:14.000 Where else can you get that kind of news? Nowhere else? 6 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:15.039 And did you know. 7 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:18.320 That at Easter, studies have shown people are more open 8 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:20.879 to an invitation to go to church than at any 9 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:24.000 other time of the year. Don't go to church by yourself, 10 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.960 but bring somebody who doesn't know Jesus Christ, a family member, 11 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:31.719 a friend, a coworker, a neighbor, a relative. And if 12 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:33.960 you bring them to that church service and they come 13 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:36.159 to know Christ, You're going to be making a friend 14 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:39.560 for eternity. It'll be the most important investment you can 15 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:42.479 ever make in their lives. And by the way, if 16 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:44.399 they come to Christ, would you let me know about it. 17 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:47.079 I'd love to hear that story that you brought somebody 18 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:49.799 to Easter and they found Jesus. You can write to 19 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:55.039 me Rick at Pastorrick dot com. That's rickat Pastorrick dot com. 20 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:57.560 I would love to hear from you. God bless you 21 00:00:57.640 --> 00:00:58.439 and Happy Easter. 22 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:06.799 Hello and welcome to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Hope. Well, 23 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:11.319 this weekend, across every continent and in thousands of languages, 24 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:16.359 millions of people will join together to celebrate the resurrection 25 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:20.000 of Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of our faith. 26 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:21.959 But you know it doesn't stop there. 27 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:26.719 Not only was Jesus resurrected, he is still alive. 28 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:28.079 So what do you say? 29 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:31.719 We dive right in as Pastor Rick begins Part one 30 00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:36.280 of a very special Easter message titled What it Means 31 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:37.959 to Believe in Jesus. 32 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:42.560 Easter is a celebration of what Jesus Christ came to do. 33 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:47.680 Jesus Christ split history into AD and BC because of 34 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:51.200 this event Easter. It is the most significant event in history. 35 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.879 In fact, every time you write your own birthday, your 36 00:01:54.920 --> 00:02:00.079 birthday is in relationship to Jesus Christ. Because God, God 37 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:03.239 invaded Earth. He came to Earth in the form of 38 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:06.200 a human being, died on the cross for our sins 39 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:09.080 so we could go to heaven, rose again three days 40 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:11.840 later to prove that he was who he said he was. 41 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:17.360 And today billions of people around the world are celebrating Easter. Now, 42 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:20.520 the issue I want to talk about this morning is 43 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:23.280 why did he do it. They're on your outline, on 44 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.800 your message notes. The first verse is the most famous 45 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:31.199 verse in the Bible. It's called John three sixteen from 46 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:34.439 chapter three of John, verse sixteen. In fact, let's read 47 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:36.159 it all aloud together, would you read. 48 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:36.360 It with me? 49 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:40.680 For God so loved the world that he gave his 50 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:46.240 only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not 51 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:51.439 perish but have everlasting life. Now circle the phrase believes 52 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:55.639 in him. He says, whoever believes in him, that's Jesus Christ, 53 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:59.400 will not perish, but have everlasting life. That means go 54 00:02:59.479 --> 00:02:59.919 to heaven. 55 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:01.360 Now. 56 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:04.120 The latest Gallup poll tells us that I don't know. 57 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:08.000 Eighty six eighty seven eighty eight percent of Americans say 58 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:10.080 I believe in Jesus Christ. 59 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.560 I believe he was who he said he was. 60 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:17.120 But not everybody who claims to be a believer in 61 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:20.120 Jesus Christ is a true believer. 62 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:22.599 In fact, Jesus said this. Notice on your outline. 63 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:26.199 He said, not everybody who calls me their lord will 64 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:29.840 get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Only the ones who 65 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:33.520 obey my father in Heaven will get in. Now what's 66 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:35.840 he saying there? He's saying that you can't tell a 67 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:38.840 true believer by their words. Just because they walk the 68 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.520 walk talk the talk, doesn't mean they walk the walk. 69 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:44.599 He's saying, you know, you could meet people who you know, 70 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:46.280 talk like heaven and live like hell. 71 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:48.719 You've all met people like that. 72 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:51.759 I was one of those before I really committed my 73 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:52.560 life to Christ. 74 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:54.319 Maybe you did so too. 75 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:57.360 But he's saying, you got to look not at what 76 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:01.039 people say, not at what people think, not at what 77 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:02.960 people feel, but you got to look at what they 78 00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:08.479 do to see what they really believe. Behavior determines your beliefs. 79 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:11.719 In fact, he says, if you're really a true believer, 80 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.199 it's going to change your life. It's going to change 81 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.360 the way you act. Look at the next verse. If 82 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:21.639 people say they have faith but they do nothing, then 83 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:25.920 their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them? 84 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:29.399 And the answer is no, it can't. Now, you know, 85 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:31.839 I've got three kinds of friends in my life, and 86 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:34.279 I love them all, but I categorize them in three 87 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:36.720 different ways. Some are saints and some are stumblers, and 88 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:40.519 some are seekers. The saints in my life are those 89 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.720 people who believe in Jesus and act like it. Now, 90 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:46.120 they're not perfect when I say saint, I don't mean perfect. 91 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:48.399 None of us are perfect. We're all far from perfect. 92 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:51.879 But they're consistent, they believe in Jesus and they're trying 93 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.399 to live the way he said. They're trying to be unselfish. 94 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:57.800 They're loving, they're kind, they help others, they're not living 95 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:01.480 for themselves. I call them saints. Then I've got people 96 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:03.160 in my life, friends in my life, and I love 97 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:06.079 them just as much, and I call them stumblers. And 98 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:09.959 they're people who think they think they know Jesus, believe 99 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.519 in Jesus, but they don't really act like him, and 100 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:14.319 they don't act like it at all. In fact, they're 101 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:17.040 really living a self centered life. They're living for themselves 102 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:18.839 and doing a lot of things that are different than 103 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:21.360 what Jesus would tell us to do. Then I got 104 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.120 a third group of friends in my life that I love, 105 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:25.399 and I call them seekers. And they're the people who 106 00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:29.000 just haven't made a decision. They're intellectually honest and they're going, Okay, 107 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:31.759 I'm checking it out. I'm interested. Tell me more about 108 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:36.040 what it means to be a believer. My guess is 109 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:38.120 that every one of us today are in one of 110 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.800 those three categories. We either know Christ and act like it, 111 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:44.399 or we think we know Christ and don't act like it, 112 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:48.079 or we're just checking it out. As your friend this Easter, 113 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:50.720 I want to help you settle this issue because it 114 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:55.360 has some profound implications. Whoever believes in Him shall not 115 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:58.199 perish but have ever lasting life. 116 00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:01.199 I want you in heaven. I want you to have it. 117 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:03.800 So I want to settle this issue of what it 118 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.839 means to really believe in Jesus. 119 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:08.879 Faith is kind of like a diamond. 120 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:11.680 It's multifaceted, has a lot of different angles to it. 121 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:14.800 And today we're going to look at five different angles 122 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:18.160 of what it means to really believe, what it means 123 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:20.519 to have faith. Now these aren't in any particular order. 124 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:24.240 I just put them in a little acrostic faih to 125 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.439 spell faith as kind of a memory device. And if 126 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.519 you're taking notes on your outline, the f stands for 127 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.399 follow his example. That's the first thing that it means 128 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:39.560 to believe in Jesus. I follow his example. Everybody has 129 00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:42.800 an example that they follow. You say, well, I don't 130 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:44.920 know who my example is. Then you've got a problem 131 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:48.639 because I've noticed this. If you don't decide what's. 132 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:51.160 Your model in life? Other people will decide it for you. 133 00:06:52.120 --> 00:06:58.759 The media, culture peers pressure, you know, parents, other people 134 00:06:58.959 --> 00:06:59.959 will try to tell. 135 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:01.680 You how you should live your life. 136 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.920 And God says, wait a minute, I don't want anybody 137 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:07.000 else telling you how to live your life. 138 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:07.759 I'm God. 139 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:09.519 I'm the one who should be telling you how to 140 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:12.480 live your life. Don't be pressured into some mold of 141 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:15.040 what other people think you ought to be. God says, 142 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:18.120 I made you to be you. And he says, the 143 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.800 only perfect example, by the way, anyway, is Jesus Christ. 144 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.240 You know, I had a number of friends who, once 145 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:26.759 they hit forty, went through a real period of shock 146 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.439 because they discovered around that age that the model that 147 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:34.199 they had chosen for their life was an inconsistent and 148 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:37.360 ineffective model. And at forty years of age, they were 149 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:44.519 ending up divorced, discouraged, depressed, friendless, lonely, and out of 150 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:47.800 whack with life. Why because they were looking for the 151 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.639 wrong model, following the wrong model. I actually had a 152 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:52.319 friend I mentioned his name, you'd know who he was, 153 00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:56.199 who said, you know, Rick, I was climbing the ladder 154 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:59.160 of success. And when I got to the top, and 155 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:02.560 he did that I discovered it was the latter was 156 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:06.439 hanging against the wrong wall, leaning against the wrong wall, 157 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.040 he said, I was heading And I invested all that 158 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:13.800 time in the wrong thing. Now I have to admit 159 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:15.600 to you that when I was a young man, I 160 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:18.879 really wasn't interested in following Jesus Christ. And the reason 161 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:21.720 why is I bought into the stereotype of what Jesus is. 162 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:24.759 You know, if you've looked at any pictures of Jesus, 163 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:26.000 they always. 164 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:27.720 Look so wimpy, you know what I mean. 165 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:31.079 I mean, it's like this guy's looks like this pale, weak, 166 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.440 wimpy guy with little rouge on his cheeks, and you know, 167 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.799 and little his hair and curls, and he walks around, 168 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:41.279 you know, with a robe on, skipping the hills of Jerusalem, 169 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:42.840 talking about peace and love. 170 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:45.440 And I'm going boring. 171 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:48.480 And as a young man, the last thing I wanted 172 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:50.320 to do was follow Jesus Christ because I thought he 173 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:53.919 was some kind of whimp. Well, listen, if that's really 174 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.000 the way Jesus was, how in the world did he 175 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:58.960 get burly fishermen to drop their nets and follow him? 176 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:02.879 How did he bring a revolution against the Roman Empire? 177 00:09:02.919 --> 00:09:05.039 If he was some wimpy guy. He wasn't. 178 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.120 He was the most countercultural, radical revolutionariy you've ever imagined. 179 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:12.720 And it takes courage to follow him. Now, Jesus says this, 180 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:15.960 they're on your outline. He says, you will be blessed. 181 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.759 Whenever you what follow my example, you will be blessed. 182 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:24.960 You know, everywhere Jesus Christ went he told people to 183 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.000 follow fact twenty one times in the Bible. He says, 184 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.480 follow me, you follow me, you follow me, you follow me, 185 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:35.200 you follow me twenty one times. He was always saying 186 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:38.840 follow me. Now, I like that because he's not saying 187 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:42.320 follow a principle. He's not saying follow a program. He's 188 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:47.879 saying follow a person me. He's not saying follow a religion. 189 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:51.399 He doesn't say follow a code of ethics. He says 190 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:54.840 follow me. If you don't get anything else I say 191 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:56.720 to you this morning, I want you to get this. 192 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:02.320 God wants a relationship with you, and following me implies 193 00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:06.840 a relationship. It says you're gonna know me personally. God 194 00:10:06.919 --> 00:10:10.759 isn't interested in religion. He's interested in a relationship. And 195 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:15.600 that's what he sent Jesus to establish between you and him. Now, 196 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:18.879 when you begin a relationship with Jesus. What happens, well, 197 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:21.240 you get all kinds of benefits in your life. I 198 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:22.679 don't have time to go into all of them, but 199 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:26.519 let me just mention two very good benefits that happen 200 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:30.279 if you start following Jesus. One of them is stability, 201 00:10:30.360 --> 00:10:33.799 and the other one is clarity. Clarity and stability. You 202 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:37.360 might write those down clarity and stability. There are two 203 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:40.720 benefits of following Christ. First, I get clarity. What that 204 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:44.399 means is things get clearer in my life. I see 205 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:47.320 things a whole lot better. I see my relationships better, 206 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:51.879 my problems better, my future better. Everything gets clearer. All 207 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:54.639 of a sudden, I'm not so confused anymore. I'm not 208 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:58.159 so distracted anymore. I've gotten more direction in my life. 209 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.960 I've got more focus in my life. And the first 210 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.720 benefit is when I start following Jesus, I'm not confused anymore. 211 00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:09.240 All of a sudden, I've got direction and focus and clarity. 212 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:10.440 Jesus said this. 213 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:14.440 I am the light of the world, and if you 214 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:18.960 follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness because 215 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:22.000 you'll have the light that leads to life. Do you 216 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.639 ever feel like you're just stumbling around in life. You 217 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.120 ever feel like you're going nowhere, you feel like you're 218 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:27.960 lacking direction. 219 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:30.240 Have you ever said to yourself. 220 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.080 I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing 221 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:34.960 with my life. That's in a symptom of one thing. 222 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:39.840 You're not following Jesus. Because when you follow God's plan 223 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:42.759 and God's purpose for your life, he makes it very clear. 224 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:47.480 The confusion goes away, and you get direction and focus 225 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:48.039 in your life. 226 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:51.679 You get clarity, things seem clearer. 227 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.279 The second thing that happens when I follow Jesus Christ 228 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.120 is I get stability. In other words, I get a 229 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:02.480 solid foundation on which to build my life. Now Here 230 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:05.440 in California, we know the value of a solid foundation 231 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.320 because we have a thing called earthquakes, and we know 232 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:10.320 you got to have a solid foundation or you're gonna 233 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:13.759 crack up when the earthquakes come. Jesus told a story 234 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:16.480 about this once. He said, two guys went out and 235 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.799 build their houses. And one built his house on a 236 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.519 foundation of sand, and one built this house on a 237 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:25.279 foundation of a solid rock. And when the winds came, 238 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:27.879 and the floods came, and the rains and the storms, 239 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.159 and the katrinas of life came through the guy who 240 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.240 built this house on the sand. It collapsed, it fell apart, 241 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:38.879 it crumbled, he said. But the guy who built his 242 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:42.720 house on the solid rock, it stood stable. And the 243 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:46.759 storm came against it, but it held strong. It had 244 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:51.000 a center. You got to have a center for your life, because, friend, 245 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:53.240 you're gonna have storms in your life. 246 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:54.120 You've already had some. 247 00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:00.440 You're gonna have financial storms in your life, gonna have 248 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:03.200 some relational storms in your life. If you get married, 249 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.600 you're gonna have some marriage storms. Uh, You're gonna have 250 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:09.480 some health storms. You're gonna get sick, people who you 251 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:13.600 love are gonna die. You're gonna have some emotional storms 252 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:15.519 in your life that just throw you up in the air. 253 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:19.960 And what's gonna be your stability when that happens. If 254 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:23.279 you don't have a solid foundation, when the rogue winds 255 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:27.039 that come, the katrinas of life come, you're gonna crack up. 256 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:30.159 You're gonna crash, You're gonna crumble, You're gonna fall apart. 257 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:32.679 And I see people like it all the time, who 258 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:35.879 just fall apart when the stress is on and they 259 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.279 worry and they fret and they get anxious because they 260 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:40.879 don't have a solid foundation. 261 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:44.200 Jesus said this, All who. 262 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:48.440 Listen to my instruction and follow them are wise like 263 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:53.240 a man who builds his house on solid rock. Now 264 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:57.039 the a in faith stands for except his grace. That's 265 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:58.879 the second thing of what it means to be a 266 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:02.320 real believer, not a phony believer, but a real believer 267 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:06.799 in Jesus. I follow his example. I accept his grace. 268 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.840 Now what does that mean? Well, the Bible says this, 269 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:14.519 there on your outline, Romans chapter five. Those who accept 270 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:19.960 God's full grace and the great gift of being made 271 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:21.960 right with him. In other words, God wipes away all 272 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:24.279 the things you've ever done wrong. He forgives you will 273 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:29.679 surely have true life and rule through Jesus Christ. Now 274 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:33.399 what is grace, Well, Grace means when God does something 275 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:35.480 for you, or anybody does something for you that you 276 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.200 don't deserve. When they do it simply out of their love, 277 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:43.159 not out of your deserving it, that's called grace. Grace 278 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:46.559 is when God gives you what you need, not what 279 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:49.639 you deserve. God doesn't give us what we deserve. If 280 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:51.759 I got what I deserved, I wouldn't be standing here. 281 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:54.440 I'd be dead, right, now, so would you. God doesn't 282 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:56.840 give you what you deserve. He gives you what you 283 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:00.360 need even before you know you need it. One of 284 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:02.600 the things that I need most is I need forgiveness 285 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:04.320 because I blow it all the time, so do you. 286 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:08.159 And God says I will forgive you before you even 287 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:10.639 know you need it. I will forgive you before you 288 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:12.720 even ask, before you even know what you've done wrong. 289 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:15.720 You might write the word forgiveness down because that's a 290 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.200 synonym for grace. It means God says, I give you 291 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:22.919 forgiveness for what you've done. Now, we don't understand this 292 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.159 because we don't do this very often with each other. 293 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:29.399 We don't show each other grace. Here's something I read 294 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:32.879 in the La Times. David Hagler is an umpire for 295 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.279 a men's baseball team, a community men's baseball league, and 296 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.759 he said I was driving too fast one day when 297 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:43.000 a policeman pulled me over and gave me a speeding ticket. 298 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.720 I tried hard to talk him out of it by 299 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:49.279 telling him how worried I was about my insurance and 300 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:50.919 what a careful. 301 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:51.960 Driver I normally was. 302 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:57.039 He said I begged him for some grace, but it 303 00:15:57.159 --> 00:16:00.159 was no deal, and the officer said, if if I 304 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:04.679 didn't like the ticket, I could go to court. Well, 305 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:08.559 the very first game of the next Community Men's League 306 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:15.840 baseball season, I'm umpiring behind home plate, and coincidentally, the 307 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:17.240 first batter. 308 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.360 Up was that same policeman. 309 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:25.159 Now I immediately recognized him, but more important, he recognized me, 310 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:31.159 and he nervously asked, how did that thing with your 311 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:40.159 ticket go? I told him you better swing at everything. See, 312 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.759 we don't show each other grace. No, now we're not. 313 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:44.440 You know you didn't let me off the hook. I'm 314 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:47.440 not letting you off the hook. The fact is God 315 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:51.080 shows you grace every single second of your life, because 316 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.960 everything you have from God is a flat out gift. 317 00:16:54.360 --> 00:16:58.840 Everything you have, your freedom, your life, your mind, your friends, 318 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:03.000 your health, your body, the air you breathe, everything you've 319 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:05.799 got is a flat out gift from God. If God 320 00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:08.720 hadn't wanted to create you, you wouldn't even be alive. 321 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.279 The only reason in your life is God made you 322 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.599 to love you. And if God didn't want you to 323 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.200 be alive, you wouldn't be taking your next breath. The 324 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.319 air you breathe is a gift from God. Everything you 325 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:24.079 have you didn't earn a single bit of it. It's 326 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:26.839 all by grace, He said, what about the money that 327 00:17:26.920 --> 00:17:29.160 I earned? Where do you think you got the ability 328 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:32.559 to earn it? Everything you have is a flat out 329 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:36.359 gift from God. You can't It wasn't from yourself. God 330 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:41.279 gave you those abilities. God shows us grace all the time, 331 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:45.359 and when it comes to blowing it making mistakes, God says, 332 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.799 I will forgive you of everything you've ever done wrong, 333 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:50.519 even though you don't deserve it, if you just trust 334 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:51.319 in Christ. 335 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:52.400 Look of the next verse. 336 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.720 Now, God says he will accept and acquit us. In 337 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:59.119 other words, declare us not guilty for all the things 338 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:02.920 you've done wrong if we trust Jesus Christ to take 339 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.759 away our sins, and we can all be saved in 340 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:08.720 the same way, all of us by coming to Christ, 341 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.279 no matter who we are or what we have been. 342 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.880 Like Now, I like that last part. 343 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:16.640 First, It says, no matter who we are, regardless of 344 00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:21.240 your ethnic background, regardless of your economic background, regardless of 345 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:24.440 your religious background, it doesn't matter. You can still come 346 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:27.400 to Christ. Shoot, it doesn't matter if you're Catholic or 347 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.799 Methodist or Presbyterian, or a Protestant or Buddhist. 348 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:31.640 Or Baptist, or. 349 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:35.400 Mormon or Muslim or Jewish or Hindu, or no religion 350 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:38.359 at all. This isn't about religion, so it doesn't matter 351 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:42.400 who you are or where you come from. He says, 352 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:44.720 I want to help you out. I want to forgive you. 353 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:46.920 I'm going to show you my grace. That's what God 354 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.000 sent Jesus to do. He wants that relationship. 355 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:51.359 And he said, does no matter. 356 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.599 What you've done, well, that's good news because none of 357 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:56.039 us are perfect. We've all blown it, we've all made mistakes. 358 00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:58.319 God says, We're just gonna wipe that out. We're going 359 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:02.119 to raise the guilt. We're gonna wipe the slate clean. 360 00:19:02.839 --> 00:19:04.400 And what we're gonna do is we're gonna give you 361 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:08.359 a second chance. I am so glad that God gives 362 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:11.240 us a second chance. He's not a three stricture out 363 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.160 kind of guy. He gives us a second chance. That's grace. 364 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:14.720 You know. 365 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:18.240 When I was I was in junior high I took 366 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.480 a shop class in woodworking and one of the assignments says, 367 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:25.799 we were supposed to make a table. And actually, at 368 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:27.799 this time we were living my family was living out 369 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.480 in the country, and I was actually building this table 370 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.759 in a barn, and I just screwed it up royally. 371 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:36.039 I mean I messed it up. I was planing it 372 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:39.839 all wrong, and it was uneven. I varnished and stained it, 373 00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:43.119 and it did look terrible, and it was uneven and this, 374 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:44.960 you know, it wouldn't even it was wobbly. It was 375 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:49.160 just a total disaster as a table and as a 376 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:51.839 junior high boy. I got so discouraged. I just kind 377 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:54.880 of crumpled into a pile there on the ground and 378 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:57.960 just start crying. I was so disappointed in what a 379 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:02.160 mess I had made of things. About five minutes later, 380 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:04.559 my dad came into the barn and he looked at 381 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.079 the table, and he said, is that the best you 382 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:07.480 can do? 383 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:07.960 Loser? 384 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:16.480 No, he didn't say that, gotcha. 385 00:20:16.680 --> 00:20:19.680 Now, he didn't say that. He didn't. What he said 386 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:22.440 was I got. 387 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:29.480 What he said was, is it's okay, Ricky. He said, 388 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:32.720 we'll do it over. You can start over, and this 389 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.240 time I'll help you. 390 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:39.119 Friends. That's grace. Grace is when. 391 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.279 God says to you, Hey, you know what, You've messed 392 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:44.680 up a few things, you blew a few relationships, You've 393 00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:47.839 made some really poor decisions. You've really messed up some 394 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:50.440 choices in life. He didn't do it all right, But 395 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:53.440 you know what, he didn't say okay, loser. No, he 396 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:57.079 comes and says, it's okay, we'll start over, and this 397 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:01.039 time I'll help you that grace. 398 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:03.759 Now, how do you get grace for your life? 399 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:05.920 You can't earn it, you can't work for it, you 400 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:08.359 can't deserve it, you can't buy it, you can't get 401 00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:10.839