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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - What Every Atheist Knows

March 24, 2025 | S25:E141

Robert Jeffress - What Every Atheist Knows
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#Testimony #Faith #Gospel #Religion #Atheist #Character #WordofGod #inActive #Dr.RobertJeffress #RobertJeffress #Rejection #Evolution #Desire #Guilt #Romans3

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - What Every Atheist Knows | March 24, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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  • Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress and welcome
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  • Again to "pathway to victory."
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  • How could a just and loving god condemn people to hell if
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  • They've never even heard of jesus christ?
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  • That's a question i get asked by unbelievers and believers alike,
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  • And from our perspective, i can understand how the idea might
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  • Seem unfair.
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  • Today, i'll take us to several key passages in romans to
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  • Explain why every person is rightfully held responsible for
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  • Their decision to either accept or reject jesus christ.
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  • My message is titled, "what every atheist knows," on today's
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  • Edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • Announcer: paul was the most significant missionary in
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  • Christian history and wrote almost half the books of the
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  • New testament.
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  • And you're invited to walk in his footsteps with the
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  • "illustrated guide to the apostle paul."
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  • In this fully illustrated resource, you'll explore the
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  • Social, cultural, political, and religious background of the
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  • First century roman world in which paul lived and ministered,
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  • And you'll understand god's grace in new ways.
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  • Contact "pathway to victory" today with a generous gift and
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  • Request your copy of the "illustrated guide to the
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  • Apostle paul."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: i read this week about a college professor who had
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  • Designed an elaborate model, a planetary model, of the
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  • Solar system.
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  • It had the sun, it had all of the planets in the relative
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  • Distance from one another, a very intricate model, and a
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  • Student walked in, he saw the model, and he said, "prof, who
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  • Made that?"
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  • The professor said, "well, nobody made it."
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  • He said, "no, wait a minute.
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  • Who made this?"
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  • He said, "didn't you hear me?
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  • I said, nobody made it.
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  • It just appeared."
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  • And the student became angry and the professor said, "son, if you
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  • Can walk out of this classroom and look at nature and all that
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  • It entails and believes it just happened without a designer,
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  • Then you shouldn't have any problem believing this model
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  • Could have happened by chance."
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  • The fact is, the atheist, the person who has rejected god, has
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  • Rejected him not because of a lack of evidence that
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  • God exists.
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  • The atheist rejects god because of his lack of desire to know
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  • And obey that god.
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  • And that's why the word of god says he is without excuse and
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  • Deserving of god's judgment.
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  • That's the theme of the passage we're going to look at today in
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  • Our study of the book of romans.
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  • If you have your bibles, turn to romans chapter 1 as we discover
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  • What it is that every atheist knows.
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  • Romans chapter 1.
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  • Last time we began looking at the first major
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  • Division of romans, chapter 1, verse 18, to chapter 3, verse
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  • 20, and this section talks about the problem of righteousness.
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  • What is the problem of righteousness?
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  • Simply put is, it's that we don't have any of it.
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  • Not one of us is in a right standing with god in and
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  • Of ourselves.
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  • Paul says we're all guilty before god.
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  • The great climax to this section will be romans 3:23: "for all
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  • Have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god."
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  • But to make his case, just like a lawyer makes his case to the
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  • Jury, paul is going to take three representative groups of
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  • Human beings, people we would say, "well, surely they're
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  • Not guilty."
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  • He says, "oh yes they are," to prove that, in fact, all
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  • Humanity is guilty.
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  • Paul begins this section by looking at the one group of
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  • People, quite honestly, we all have a hard time believing would
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  • Be condemned by god.
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  • And that is the person who has never heard the gospel of
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  • Jesus christ.
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  • How is it that that unbeliever who has never heard the gospel
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  • Is condemned before god?
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  • I want you to notice, beginning in verse 20 with the three
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  • Statements paul makes about this unbeliever we think would be
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  • Innocent, but in fact god says is guilty.
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  • First of all, paul says the unbeliever has received a
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  • Knowledge of god.
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  • The unbeliever has received a knowledge of god.
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  • Look at verse 20: "for since the creation of the world god's
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  • Invisible attributes, that is his eternal power and divine
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  • Nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through that
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  • Which has been made, so that they," that is the unbeliever
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  • Who hasn't heard the gospel, "they are without excuse."
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  • Now this verse, verse 20, is one of the key passages in the bible
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  • That support the doctrine of what we call natural revelation.
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  • What is natural revelation?
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  • Well, in theology we say natural revelation is that knowledge
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  • About god that is available to anybody.
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  • That is, there are some things you can know about god without a
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  • Bible, without a pastor, without a missionary, without the
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  • Indwelling of the holy spirit.
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  • There is some information that is available to everyone, and
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  • That's what he's talking about here.
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  • You don't have to have a bible to understand that there is
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  • A god.
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  • That is natural revelation, and it comes through creation.
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  • This knowledge about god is not sufficient to save you, but it
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  • Is sufficient if rejected to condemn you.
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  • That's natural revelation.
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  • Well, how do we receive that natural revelation?
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  • Again, he says, it's primarily through creation.
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  • Look at verse 20: "for since the creation of the world god's
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  • Invisible attributes have been clearly seen."
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  • If you go to the old testament, the passage we read just a
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  • Moment ago, psalm 19, that is the key old testament passage
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  • About general revelation.
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  • Remember what the psalmist said: "for the heavens are telling of
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  • The glory of god; and their expanse is declaring the work of
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  • His hands.
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  • Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night
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  • Reveals knowledge."
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  • No pastors necessary.
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  • The heavens themself, the stars, the planets, are screaming out
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  • Day and night that god exists.
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  • How do you explain the vastness of creation?
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  • You know what the unbeliever says?
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  • He says, "well, it doesn't need a creator.
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  • It happened by chance."
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  • By chance.
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  • Listen to me.
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  • One writer is very smart when he says, "chance is no explanation
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  • For anything.
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  • Chance is not a power, it is a mathematical probability."
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  • Big difference in the two.
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  • But the real question is, what is it that made this earth and
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  • This universe come into being?
  • 00:07:05.314 --> 00:07:06.883
  • There has to be a power behind it to explain it.
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  • What is it that creation tells us about god?
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  • First of all, in romans 1:20, paul says in natural revelation,
  • 00:07:13.189 --> 00:07:17.527
  • We first of all see god's eternal power.
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  • That's the first thing he mentions, god's eternal power.
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  • Now there are many illustrations i could give you about the power
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  • Within this universe, but i want you just to consider this.
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  • I came across this this week from pastor and writer
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  • John macarthur.
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  • Listen to this.
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  • "the earth is 25,000 miles in circumference and weighs 6588
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  • Sextillion tons and hangs without any support in space.
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  • Now consider this, the earth is 93 million miles from the sun.
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  • The sun burns at a temperature of 12,000 degrees.
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  • Why doesn't it burn at 24,000 degrees or 5000 degrees?
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  • If it did, the earth would either burn up or become a
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  • Frozen ball of ice.
  • 00:08:05.608 --> 00:08:07.877
  • Now closer to home, think about this.
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  • The heart in your body, the human heart, is the size of
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  • Our fist.
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  • An adult heart weighs less than 0.5 pound, and yet it can do
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  • Enough work in 12 hours to lift 65 tons 1 inch off the ground.
  • 00:08:20.089 --> 00:08:27.430
  • Or think about a water molecule.
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  • It is composed of only 3 atoms, but if all of the molecules in
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  • Just one drop of water were the size of a grain of sand, they
  • 00:08:34.704 --> 00:08:39.241
  • Could make a road 1 foot thick and half a mile wide that would
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  • Stretch from new york to los angeles."
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  • How do you explain the intricacy, the design, the
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  • Complexity, the vastness of this universe?
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  • Chance didn't do this.
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  • Chance has no power.
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  • It is the power of god.
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  • It is through creation that first of all, we see a testimony
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  • Of god's eternal power, but secondly, paul says, through
  • 00:09:02.331 --> 00:09:05.568
  • Creation we can learn of god's divine nature.
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  • Now i'm not sure i have a handle on this completely.
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  • We know that when god came in human form in jesus christ, we
  • 00:09:14.276 --> 00:09:18.247
  • Learned from jesus many things about god the father.
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  • "he who has seen me has seen the father," jesus said.
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  • But even apart from jesus, apart from this book, there are some
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  • Things we can know about the nature, the character of god.
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  • Do you know one thing we can know about god's character just
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  • From nature?
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  • We can know of his kindness.
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  • You know, we ask the question all the time, i bet you've heard
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  • It before.
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  • Why do bad things happen to good people?
  • 00:09:44.640 --> 00:09:48.477
  • You know what a bigger question is?
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  • Why do good things happen to bad people?
  • 00:09:50.746 --> 00:09:54.116
  • Because we're all bad, we've all wandered away from god, and yet
  • 00:09:54.116 --> 00:09:58.154
  • God continues to bless everyone, christian and non-christian
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  • Alike with his gifts, whether it be rain or food or family or
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  • Friendships or health.
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  • God does that as a witness to himself, as we're gonna see
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  • Next time.
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  • It is the grace, the gifts of god that should lead us
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  • To repentance.
  • 00:10:15.604 --> 00:10:17.473
  • The bible says we can know from creation all about the goodness
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  • Of god.
  • 00:10:22.211 --> 00:10:23.646
  • When people ask the question, "well, what about the heathen in
  • 00:10:23.646 --> 00:10:27.683
  • Africa who have never heard the gospel?
  • 00:10:27.683 --> 00:10:30.252
  • About--what about the heathen across the street from me who
  • 00:10:30.252 --> 00:10:33.122
  • Has never heard the gospel?
  • 00:10:33.122 --> 00:10:34.990
  • It's just not fair.
  • 00:10:34.990 --> 00:10:37.126
  • It's not fair that god would send them to hell just because
  • 00:10:37.126 --> 00:10:40.963
  • They've never heard the gospel."
  • 00:10:40.963 --> 00:10:43.499
  • Hear me this morning, no one will go to hell for rejecting a
  • 00:10:43.499 --> 00:10:50.573
  • Christ they've never heard of.
  • 00:10:50.573 --> 00:10:53.776
  • No one goes to hell for rejecting a christ they've never
  • 00:10:53.776 --> 00:10:58.514
  • Heard of.
  • 00:10:58.514 --> 00:11:00.216
  • Those who go to hell, who have not heard the gospel, will go to
  • 00:11:00.216 --> 00:11:04.186
  • Hell because they have rejected the limited knowledge of god
  • 00:11:04.186 --> 00:11:08.891
  • That god has sent through creation.
  • 00:11:08.891 --> 00:11:11.494
  • That is what paul is saying here.
  • 00:11:11.494 --> 00:11:13.562
  • Everyone has received the knowledge of god, and again,
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  • That knowledge isn't sufficient to save us, but it is sufficient
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  • If rejected to condemn us.
  • 00:11:21.704 --> 00:11:23.973
  • And that leads to a second truth paul explains in this passage.
  • 00:11:23.973 --> 00:11:27.209
  • Not only has the unbeliever received the knowledge of god,
  • 00:11:27.209 --> 00:11:30.646
  • Secondly, he has rejected his knowledge of god.
  • 00:11:30.646 --> 00:11:33.983
  • Look at verse 21 of romans 1: "for even though these people
  • 00:11:33.983 --> 00:11:38.554
  • Knew god, they did not honor him as god or give thanks, but they
  • 00:11:38.554 --> 00:11:43.592
  • Became futile in their speculations and their foolish
  • 00:11:43.592 --> 00:11:47.530
  • Heart was darkened."
  • 00:11:47.530 --> 00:11:51.167
  • This unbeliever received the knowledge of god.
  • 00:11:51.167 --> 00:11:54.103
  • What did he do with it?
  • 00:11:54.103 --> 00:11:55.471
  • He rejected it.
  • 00:11:55.471 --> 00:11:56.939
  • And instead, he engaged in his own futile and dark speculations
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  • About who runs this universe.
  • 00:12:01.443 --> 00:12:03.779
  • You know, a great example of that is in the theory
  • 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:07.616
  • Of evolution.
  • 00:12:07.616 --> 00:12:08.984
  • Now, i want to be fair here.
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  • Not all evolutionists are atheists.
  • 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:14.390
  • Most of them are, but not all evolutionists are atheists.
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  • They believe in some kind of god.
  • 00:12:18.194 --> 00:12:20.162
  • He's an impotent, namby pamby, can't get anything done kind of
  • 00:12:20.162 --> 00:12:23.432
  • God, but they believe in some kind of god, but they don't
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  • Believe he played an active role in creation.
  • 00:12:26.435 --> 00:12:29.104
  • Not all evolutionists are atheists, but without a doubt,
  • 00:12:29.104 --> 00:12:32.808
  • Every atheist is an evolutionist.
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  • You can't point to one atheist who is not an evolutionist.
  • 00:12:35.611 --> 00:12:39.715
  • And why is he an evolutionist?
  • 00:12:39.715 --> 00:12:42.184
  • Not because the evidence has led him there.
  • 00:12:42.184 --> 00:12:45.521
  • He is an evolutionist by default.
  • 00:12:45.521 --> 00:12:48.591
  • You see, the evolutionist, the liberal would have us believe
  • 00:12:48.591 --> 00:12:52.928
  • When we come to the debate about evolution, we come with a
  • 00:12:52.928 --> 00:12:55.764
  • Presupposition that this book is the word of god.
  • 00:12:55.764 --> 00:12:58.767
  • We come with the presupposition that there is a god, and in the
  • 00:12:58.767 --> 00:13:01.704
  • Beginning god did create the heaven and the earth.
  • 00:13:01.704 --> 00:13:04.807
  • So it's fair to say we have our presuppositions in the debate
  • 00:13:04.807 --> 00:13:09.044
  • About evolution.
  • 00:13:09.044 --> 00:13:10.613
  • But what the evolutionist won't tell you is he is just as
  • 00:13:10.613 --> 00:13:14.850
  • Non-objective as we are because he comes to the debate about
  • 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:18.988
  • Evolution with his own preconceived ideas, and he
  • 00:13:18.988 --> 00:13:22.725
  • Starts out with a presupposition, there is no god.
  • 00:13:22.725 --> 00:13:26.662
  • There is no explanation for the beginning of the universe that
  • 00:13:26.662 --> 00:13:30.432
  • Allows for god.
  • 00:13:30.432 --> 00:13:32.268
  • Because you see, the evolutionist is by definition
  • 00:13:32.268 --> 00:13:34.870
  • A naturalist.
  • 00:13:34.870 --> 00:13:37.106
  • You know what it means to be a naturalist?
  • 00:13:37.106 --> 00:13:38.974
  • Science is built on naturalism.
  • 00:13:38.974 --> 00:13:42.077
  • Naturalism says nature is all that there is.
  • 00:13:42.077 --> 00:13:46.015
  • That is the only thing that is real is that which i can see or
  • 00:13:46.015 --> 00:13:49.285
  • Measure or what i can repeat in nature.
  • 00:13:49.285 --> 00:13:52.721
  • There is no allowance for the supernatural, that is, any
  • 00:13:52.721 --> 00:13:57.026
  • Explanation that goes above nature.
  • 00:13:57.026 --> 00:14:00.362
  • So he comes to the evolution debate where the presupposition
  • 00:14:00.362 --> 00:14:03.899
  • Is there is no such thing as the supernatural.
  • 00:14:03.899 --> 00:14:06.402
  • I must have a natural explanation for things.
  • 00:14:06.402 --> 00:14:09.538
  • We believe there is a god.
  • 00:14:09.538 --> 00:14:10.973
  • He starts with the idea there is no god.
  • 00:14:10.973 --> 00:14:13.542
  • The evolutionist, the atheist, has received the knowledge
  • 00:14:13.542 --> 00:14:17.713
  • Of god.
  • 00:14:17.713 --> 00:14:19.048
  • It's abundant, but he has rejected that knowledge of god.
  • 00:14:19.048 --> 00:14:22.184
  • Why is it people reject god?
  • 00:14:22.184 --> 00:14:24.620
  • They don't like god, they don't like the nature of god, his
  • 00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:28.457
  • Sovereignty, his immutability, his holiness.
  • 00:14:28.457 --> 00:14:32.361
  • Now what has the unbeliever done?
  • 00:14:32.361 --> 00:14:34.096
  • I want you to notice here, the unbeliever has not only received
  • 00:14:34.096 --> 00:14:37.266
  • The knowledge of god and rejected the knowledge of god,
  • 00:14:37.266 --> 00:14:40.202
  • The unbeliever has replaced his knowledge of god.
  • 00:14:40.202 --> 00:14:43.739
  • Look at verses 22 and 23: "professing to be wise, they
  • 00:14:43.739 --> 00:14:48.944
  • Became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible
  • 00:14:48.944 --> 00:14:53.882
  • God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and
  • 00:14:53.882 --> 00:14:59.355
  • Four-footed animals and crawling creatures."
  • 00:14:59.355 --> 00:15:03.392
  • Now if you've ever taken a course in comparative religion,
  • 00:15:03.392 --> 00:15:07.563
  • You know what you're taught in comparative religion classes.
  • 00:15:07.563 --> 00:15:10.733
  • You're taught about the evolution of man's spirituality.
  • 00:15:10.733 --> 00:15:15.771
  • The thesis is just as man is evolving physically and
  • 00:15:15.771 --> 00:15:20.376
  • Emotionally, he's also evolving spiritually.
  • 00:15:20.376 --> 00:15:24.179
  • And when man was down in the slime and in his formative
  • 00:15:24.179 --> 00:15:27.483
  • Stages, his spiritual bent was toward animism, that is the
  • 00:15:27.483 --> 00:15:31.987
  • Worship of statues and animals and other objects, but then as
  • 00:15:31.987 --> 00:15:37.793
  • Man evolved physically and emotionally, he also
  • 00:15:37.793 --> 00:15:40.963
  • Evolved spiritually.
  • 00:15:40.963 --> 00:15:42.331
  • And he moved up from animism to polytheism, the worship of a
  • 00:15:42.331 --> 00:15:46.402
  • Number of gods.
  • 00:15:46.402 --> 00:15:47.770
  • And then as man continued to evolve, the evolutionary process
  • 00:15:47.770 --> 00:15:51.673
  • Led him out of polytheism to monotheism, the worship of one
  • 00:15:51.673 --> 00:15:55.511
  • God, and that's where we are today, the evolution of
  • 00:15:55.511 --> 00:15:58.781
  • Man's spirituality.
  • 00:15:58.781 --> 00:16:00.816
  • The only problem with that theory is it contradicts history
  • 00:16:00.816 --> 00:16:05.487
  • As well as the word of god.
  • 00:16:05.487 --> 00:16:07.489
  • Because the bible says just as the opposite.
  • 00:16:07.489 --> 00:16:10.692
  • Man is not evolving, he is devolving.
  • 00:16:10.692 --> 00:16:14.663
  • Man is not ascending, he is descending.
  • 00:16:14.663 --> 00:16:18.667
  • And the fact is you look at god's word, look at history, man
  • 00:16:18.667 --> 00:16:22.071
  • Started with a knowledge of one god, the true god.
  • 00:16:22.071 --> 00:16:26.141
  • And when he rejected that knowledge of the true god, he
  • 00:16:26.141 --> 00:16:29.044
  • Exchanged the knowledge of one god for the worship of many
  • 00:16:29.044 --> 00:16:32.014
  • Gods, and the worship of many gods gave way to the worships of
  • 00:16:32.014 --> 00:16:35.717
  • Statues and animals and everything else you can imagine.
  • 00:16:35.717 --> 00:16:39.955
  • Paul says, the unbeliever who is damned is damned because he has
  • 00:16:39.955 --> 00:16:46.061
  • Received a knowledge of the true god.
  • 00:16:46.061 --> 00:16:48.564
  • He has rejected that knowledge, and he has replaced it with a
  • 00:16:48.564 --> 00:16:52.768
  • God of his own making.
  • 00:16:52.768 --> 00:16:56.572
  • "okay, pastor, you've danced around the topic now for
  • 00:16:56.572 --> 00:17:00.542
  • 35 minutes.
  • 00:17:00.542 --> 00:17:02.878
  • So what do you say about that person in africa, china, russia,
  • 00:17:02.878 --> 00:17:09.051
  • Or living across the street, who has never heard the gospel?
  • 00:17:09.051 --> 00:17:13.222
  • Are you saying that they are damned forever, and an eternity
  • 00:17:13.222 --> 00:17:17.459
  • Of hell?"
  • 00:17:17.459 --> 00:17:19.294
  • I want to conclude today with four statements i want you to
  • 00:17:19.294 --> 00:17:22.030
  • Write down.
  • 00:17:22.030 --> 00:17:23.365
  • Statement number one: everyone is guilty before god.
  • 00:17:23.365 --> 00:17:28.504
  • Everyone is guilty before god.
  • 00:17:28.504 --> 00:17:30.806
  • The question, how could god send the 12-year-old girl in china
  • 00:17:30.806 --> 00:17:34.476
  • Who's never heard the gospel to hell?
  • 00:17:34.476 --> 00:17:38.113
  • That question presupposes that that girl is innocent.
  • 00:17:38.113 --> 00:17:42.985
  • But the bible says she's not innocent, she's guilty.
  • 00:17:42.985 --> 00:17:47.789
  • In fact, all mankind is guilty before god.
  • 00:17:47.789 --> 00:17:51.760
  • Romans 3:10 says: "for there is not one righteous person among
  • 00:17:51.760 --> 00:17:56.398
  • Us, no, not even one."
  • 00:17:56.398 --> 00:17:59.201
  • Verse 23: "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory
  • 00:17:59.201 --> 00:18:03.005
  • Of god."
  • 00:18:03.005 --> 00:18:04.840
  • This is the fact over which most unbelievers and many christians
  • 00:18:04.840 --> 00:18:08.277
  • Stumble, the guilt of all humanity.
  • 00:18:08.277 --> 00:18:11.246
  • Ladies and gentlemen, if god sent every human being who has
  • 00:18:11.246 --> 00:18:14.483
  • Ever lived straight to hell, he would be completely justified in
  • 00:18:14.483 --> 00:18:18.287
  • Doing so.
  • 00:18:18.287 --> 00:18:20.322
  • There would be no injustice in god.
  • 00:18:20.322 --> 00:18:22.591
  • God would be completely just in sending everyone to hell.
  • 00:18:22.591 --> 00:18:26.528
  • The whole race is condemned.
  • 00:18:26.528 --> 00:18:28.497
  • The fact that god in his mercy chooses to save some is a
  • 00:18:28.497 --> 00:18:33.602
  • Testimony of his kindness and his goodness and his grace.
  • 00:18:33.602 --> 00:18:37.873
  • Everyone is guilty before god.
  • 00:18:37.873 --> 00:18:39.708
  • Number two: no one is saved apart from faith in christ.
  • 00:18:39.708 --> 00:18:44.413
  • No one is saved apart from faith in christ.
  • 00:18:44.413 --> 00:18:47.683
  • Ladies and gentlemen, the bible does not stutter or stammer on
  • 00:18:47.683 --> 00:18:51.553
  • This issue.
  • 00:18:51.553 --> 00:18:52.921
  • There are not multiple ways to be saved.
  • 00:18:52.921 --> 00:18:54.656
  • There is only one way to be saved, and it is through a
  • 00:18:54.656 --> 00:18:57.759
  • Personal faith in the lord jesus christ.
  • 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:01.230
  • Peter said in acts 4:12: "for there is no other name under
  • 00:19:01.230 --> 00:19:05.200
  • Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
  • 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.037
  • It is a personal faith in jesus, for whoever believes in him will
  • 00:19:09.037 --> 00:19:15.043
  • Not perish but have everlasting life."
  • 00:19:15.043 --> 00:19:17.946
  • That's what jesus said.
  • 00:19:17.946 --> 00:19:19.314
  • He linked god's forgiveness with that personal belief.
  • 00:19:19.314 --> 00:19:23.986
  • And you say, "well, wait a minute, what about those who
  • 00:19:23.986 --> 00:19:26.588
  • Haven't heard of jesus?"
  • 00:19:26.588 --> 00:19:28.123
  • Don't jump to a conclusion yet.
  • 00:19:28.123 --> 00:19:29.858
  • Go down to statement number three: everyone has a knowledge
  • 00:19:29.858 --> 00:19:32.928
  • Of god.
  • 00:19:32.928 --> 00:19:34.296
  • And that's the whole argument in this passage.
  • 00:19:34.296 --> 00:19:36.698
  • Everyone has received a knowledge of god, and again,
  • 00:19:36.698 --> 00:19:40.035
  • While that knowledge is not sufficient to save them, it is
  • 00:19:40.035 --> 00:19:43.005
  • Sufficient if rejected to condemn them.
  • 00:19:43.005 --> 00:19:46.241
  • "oh, pastor, you're getting me confused now.
  • 00:19:46.241 --> 00:19:48.744
  • You say everybody has the knowledge but the knowledge
  • 00:19:48.744 --> 00:19:50.712
  • Isn't enough, and everybody has to believe in jesus to be saved,
  • 00:19:50.712 --> 00:19:53.482
  • But not everybody has heard the name of jesus.
  • 00:19:53.482 --> 00:19:56.018
  • How do you get out of this quandary?"
  • 00:19:56.018 --> 00:19:57.986
  • Statement number four: anyone who wants further knowledge of
  • 00:19:57.986 --> 00:20:01.857
  • God will receive it.
  • 00:20:01.857 --> 00:20:04.326
  • Everyone who wants further knowledge of god will
  • 00:20:04.326 --> 00:20:07.829
  • Receive it.
  • 00:20:07.829 --> 00:20:09.164
  • That is, if a person receives the limited knowledge of god and
  • 00:20:09.164 --> 00:20:14.469
  • He responds to that, he believes in a god who created this world,
  • 00:20:14.469 --> 00:20:18.307
  • A god to whom he's accountable, god will respond to his response
  • 00:20:18.307 --> 00:20:23.812
  • By sending the gospel of jesus christ so that he can be saved.
  • 00:20:23.812 --> 00:20:29.017
  • You say, "pastor, that's preposterous.
  • 00:20:29.017 --> 00:20:30.919
  • Think about how big this world is.
  • 00:20:30.919 --> 00:20:33.955
  • Are you telling me that god cares about people enough that
  • 00:20:33.955 --> 00:20:37.826
  • If he sees somebody whose heart is open to knowing him, he'll
  • 00:20:37.826 --> 00:20:40.862
  • Send the gospel?"
  • 00:20:40.862 --> 00:20:42.230
  • Absolutely, i'll say that.
  • 00:20:42.230 --> 00:20:44.566
  • First of all, it's technologically possible now to
  • 00:20:44.566 --> 00:20:46.802
  • Do it.
  • 00:20:46.802 --> 00:20:48.136
  • I don't think it's any accident, we have missionaries where we
  • 00:20:48.136 --> 00:20:50.272
  • Have them.
  • 00:20:50.272 --> 00:20:51.606
  • It's no accident, dwight, that we have tbn beaming all around
  • 00:20:51.606 --> 00:20:54.943
  • The world into every village, every hut you can imagine.
  • 00:20:54.943 --> 00:20:59.314
  • It's no accident that "pathway to victory" is being beamed all
  • 00:20:59.314 --> 00:21:02.284
  • Over the world and other programs like it.
  • 00:21:02.284 --> 00:21:05.253
  • Anyone who wants the light can receive it.
  • 00:21:05.253 --> 00:21:08.457
  • And remember this about god the father.
  • 00:21:08.457 --> 00:21:11.093
  • God is not trying to damn as many people as possible.
  • 00:21:11.093 --> 00:21:14.196
  • He wants to save as many people as possible, and god cares about
  • 00:21:14.196 --> 00:21:18.200
  • That person who has not yet heard the gospel much more than
  • 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:20.869
  • You or i could care about them.
  • 00:21:20.869 --> 00:21:23.171
  • And the bible says when god sees a heart that is open to him, he
  • 00:21:23.171 --> 00:21:27.109
  • Will send the knowledge of jesus christ so that they can
  • 00:21:27.109 --> 00:21:30.779
  • Be saved.
  • 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:32.114
  • You know, there are many examples of that in the bible.
  • 00:21:32.114 --> 00:21:34.082
  • Perhaps the best one is found in acts chapter 10.
  • 00:21:34.082 --> 00:21:37.185
  • Remember the story of cornelius, the roman centurion?
  • 00:21:37.185 --> 00:21:40.856
  • Cornelius was a worshiper of god.
  • 00:21:40.856 --> 00:21:43.458
  • He prayed three times a day.
  • 00:21:43.458 --> 00:21:45.961
  • He gave his money to the poor.
  • 00:21:45.961 --> 00:21:48.563
  • Now by most people's standards today, he ought to be in heaven.
  • 00:21:48.563 --> 00:21:52.401
  • He prays, he wants to know god, he gives money to the poor, but
  • 00:21:52.401 --> 00:21:56.872
  • That wasn't enough to save cornelius.
  • 00:21:56.872 --> 00:21:59.141
  • But god looked at his heart, knew that he wanted to worship
  • 00:21:59.141 --> 00:22:02.077
  • God, so what did god do?
  • 00:22:02.077 --> 00:22:03.779
  • Supernaturally, he intervened.
  • 00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:06.014
  • He took peter, who was over here in joppa, and supernaturally
  • 00:22:06.014 --> 00:22:09.718
  • Transported him to caesarea to preach to cornelius the gospel
  • 00:22:09.718 --> 00:22:14.122
  • Of jesus christ.
  • 00:22:14.122 --> 00:22:16.057
  • Cornelius heard the gospel.
  • 00:22:16.057 --> 00:22:17.926
  • He received the gospel.
  • 00:22:17.926 --> 00:22:19.594
  • He trusted in christ along with all of his family, and they
  • 00:22:19.594 --> 00:22:23.231
  • Were saved.
  • 00:22:23.231 --> 00:22:25.634
  • Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to know god, god will send
  • 00:22:25.634 --> 00:22:29.871
  • The information you need to be saved.
  • 00:22:29.871 --> 00:22:32.441
  • There's an old adage that says, "light obeyed bringeth more
  • 00:22:32.441 --> 00:22:36.711
  • Light, but light rejected bringeth the night."
  • 00:22:36.711 --> 00:22:42.184
  • Do you sincerely want to know god?
  • 00:22:42.184 --> 00:22:44.486
  • Do you wanna know how to have a relationship with "him?"
  • 00:22:44.486 --> 00:22:48.190
  • Remember what god said to the prophet jeremiah in jeremiah
  • 00:22:48.190 --> 00:22:51.460
  • 29:13, "and you will seek me, and you will find me when you
  • 00:22:51.460 --> 00:22:57.632
  • Search for me with all of your heart."
  • 00:22:57.632 --> 00:23:02.904
  • A sincere desire to know the one true living god will always lead
  • 00:23:02.904 --> 00:23:11.012
  • You to the foot of the cross of his son, jesus christ.
  • 00:23:11.012 --> 00:23:15.917
  • Jeffress: there's no better way to know the one true living god
  • 00:23:20.155 --> 00:23:23.758
  • Than by reading his word.
  • 00:23:23.758 --> 00:23:25.627
  • It's god's manual for our life and a light in the darkness.
  • 00:23:25.627 --> 00:23:30.432
  • In closing, i want to say thank you to our pathway partners and
  • 00:23:30.432 --> 00:23:33.602
  • All of you who support "pathway to victory."
  • 00:23:33.602 --> 00:23:36.404
  • As i travel around the country, i often have people stop and
  • 00:23:36.404 --> 00:23:39.708
  • Thank me for this television and radio ministry.
  • 00:23:39.708 --> 00:23:43.178
  • And while i sincerely appreciate their gratitude, their accolades
  • 00:23:43.178 --> 00:23:47.382
  • Really belong to you who make this ministry possible because
  • 00:23:47.382 --> 00:23:51.786
  • It is your support of "pathway to victory" that allows us to
  • 00:23:51.786 --> 00:23:55.891
  • Pierce the darkness with the light of god's word.
  • 00:23:55.891 --> 00:23:59.828
  • Now stay right there.
  • 00:23:59.828 --> 00:24:01.196
  • I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
  • 00:24:01.196 --> 00:24:04.666
  • Announcer: next to jesus christ, the apostle paul is the single
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  • Most important figure in the new testament, and you're invited to
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  • Follow the life, travels, ministry, and preaching of god's
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  • Empowered messenger in the "illustrated guide to the
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  • Apostle paul."
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  • Jeffress: this outstanding book outlines the sprawling and
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  • Treacherous life of the apostle paul.
  • 00:24:23.785 --> 00:24:26.621
  • It's the kind of resource i would have loved to have owned
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  • As a student of scripture many years ago, and i think it will
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  • Make a tremendous addition to your personal library.
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  • Announcer: request your copy of the "illustrated guide to the
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  • Apostle paul" when you give a generous gift to support the
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  • Ministry of "pathway to victory."
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  • Plus you'll also receive "the journeys of paul" map.
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  • It's a helpful outline of paul's three missionary journeys and
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  • Their significance to your faith today.
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  • And when you give an especially generous gift of $75 or more,
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  • We'll also send you the dvd video and audio discs for the
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  • "grace-powered living" teaching series,
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  • Covering romans, chapters 1 through 8.
  • 00:25:03.625 --> 00:25:05.694
  • Jeffress: paul wrote to a culture that was
  • 00:25:05.694 --> 00:25:07.896
  • Much more interested in sports and sex, but that did not keep
  • 00:25:07.896 --> 00:25:12.767
  • The apostle paul from proclaiming the answer to life's
  • 00:25:12.767 --> 00:25:17.072
  • Most important question:
  • 00:25:17.072 --> 00:25:18.840
  • How can a man be right before god?
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  • Announcer: thank you for giving generously to "pathway to
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  • Victory" as we proclaim the truth of scripture and offer
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  • Practical personal application of the gospel to your
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  • Life today.
  • 00:25:30.585 --> 00:25:31.953
  • Together, we are seeing many come to saving faith in
  • 00:25:31.953 --> 00:25:34.923
  • Jesus christ.
  • 00:25:34.923 --> 00:25:36.291
  • Jeffress: both those who openly reject jesus and those who never
  • 00:25:39.327 --> 00:25:43.164
  • Hear about jesus are equally guilty before god, but the flip
  • 00:25:43.164 --> 00:25:48.036
  • Side is this: everyone has received knowledge about god,
  • 00:25:48.036 --> 00:25:52.474
  • And anyone who wants further knowledge of god will
  • 00:25:52.474 --> 00:25:55.744
  • Receive it.
  • 00:25:55.744 --> 00:25:57.078
  • No matter what corner of the world they live in, god will
  • 00:25:57.078 --> 00:26:00.015
  • Respond by sending them the gospel of jesus christ so that
  • 00:26:00.015 --> 00:26:03.685
  • They can be saved.
  • 00:26:03.685 --> 00:26:05.153
  • Well, tomorrow, we'll address another hot-button issue, and
  • 00:26:05.153 --> 00:26:08.723
  • That is same-sex relationships and those who draw conclusions
  • 00:26:08.723 --> 00:26:13.228
  • On this matter without consulting god's word are sorely
  • 00:26:13.228 --> 00:26:17.165
  • Disappointed with the outcome.
  • 00:26:17.165 --> 00:26:19.601
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
  • 00:26:19.601 --> 00:26:22.370
  • Series, "grace-powered living."
  • 00:26:22.370 --> 00:26:25.974
  • Jeffress: the unbeliever says, "i will free myself from this
  • 00:26:26.041 --> 00:26:28.943
  • God and follow the desires of my heart."
  • 00:26:28.943 --> 00:26:32.013
  • But when he does that, he discovers that freedom from god
  • 00:26:32.013 --> 00:26:35.250
  • Is not all that it's cracked up to be.
  • 00:26:35.250 --> 00:26:37.786
  • Do you remember the story of the prodigal son in luke chapter 15?
  • 00:26:37.786 --> 00:26:41.489
  • The prodigal son said, "i am tired of living in
  • 00:26:41.489 --> 00:26:44.659
  • My father's house."
  • 00:26:44.659 --> 00:26:46.361
  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for a message
  • 00:26:46.361 --> 00:26:48.963
  • Called, "when god lets go," here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:48.963 --> 00:26:53.034
  • Announcer: join dr. robert jeffress on "pathway to
  • 00:26:57.072 --> 00:26:59.407
  • Victory's" "journeys of paul" mediterranean cruise.
  • 00:26:59.407 --> 00:27:02.377
  • Jeffress: i want to take you to the
  • 00:27:02.377 --> 00:27:03.712
  • Very places where god's word
  • 00:27:03.712 --> 00:27:05.714
  • Was written and seek the one who sought us first in his creation.
  • 00:27:05.714 --> 00:27:10.585
  • Announcer: experience world-class accommodations
  • 00:27:10.585 --> 00:27:12.487
  • Aboard the luxurious "celebrity ascent"
  • 00:27:12.487 --> 00:27:14.689
  • In beautiful island destinations
  • 00:27:14.689 --> 00:27:16.991
  • Like santorini, mykonos, and crete.
  • 00:27:16.991 --> 00:27:19.427
  • To book your reservation now, call...
  • 00:27:19.427 --> 00:27:24.232
  • Or visit ptv.org.
  • 00:27:24.232 --> 00:27:27.235