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Touching Lives with James Merritt

James Merritt - Don't Kid Yourself

March 9, 2025 | S25:E10

James Merritt - Don't Kid Yourself
Touching Lives is the international broadcast ministry of Dr. James Merritt.
#Salvation #Faith #Hope #Religion #WordofGod #inActive #Emotion #Heaven #Death #LifeAfterDeath #Eternity #BornAgain #Baptism #TouchingLiveswithJamesMerritt #JamesMerritt

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Touching Lives with James Merritt | James Merritt - Don't Kid Yourself | March 9, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: welcome to the international broadcast ministry
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  • Of "touching lives" with dr. james merritt.
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  • Here at "touching lives," our mission is to touch the lives of
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  • The lost and enrich the faith of the found.
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  • And now here is pastor, author, and speaker, dr. james merritt.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • James merritt: i want to begin by asking you a question.
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  • How many of you have ever heard of what's called the
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  • Placebo effect?
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  • How many of you have heard of that?
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  • How many of you don't have a clue what that is?
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  • All right, let me explain this to you.
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  • The placebo effect is when a person's physical or mental
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  • Health appears to improve after they take a placebo or a dummy
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  • Treatment like a sugar pill.
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  • So, for example, the way doctors try to figure out how effective
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  • A certain medicine might be is they take two groups of people
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  • That have the same sickness, they'll give one person a real
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  • Medicine pill and they'll give another person something like a
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  • Sugar pill, has no therapeutic, no health-healing
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  • Benefit whatsoever.
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  • But the placebo effect is triggered when a person believes
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  • In the treatment.
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  • And they begin to improve for one reason.
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  • Not because of the sugar pill but because they expected it
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  • Would work.
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  • They thought that it would, and so they--in their minds, it did.
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  • I'll give you a--this is a real-life example.
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  • So they took two groups of people.
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  • I have a bad back, so i can relate to this.
  • 00:01:26.936 --> 00:01:29.139
  • They took two groups of people that had back pain.
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  • One group had actual acupuncture with real needles, real thing.
  • 00:01:32.075 --> 00:01:37.747
  • The other group, they used toothpicks.
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  • At the end of the treatment, both groups said, "we
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  • Feel great."
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  • Now, they did.
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  • They thought it was the acupuncture.
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  • It was a toothpick.
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  • But because they believed it, they got better.
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  • Had nothing to do with the treatment.
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  • So a psychiatrist wrote an article years ago where he
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  • Shared the beliefs of patients that he met that actually had no
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  • Basis in reality.
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  • This is a true story.
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  • He said he had patients come in to see him, and they would sit
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  • Down, and he'd say, "okay, tell me why you're here."
  • 00:02:16.386 --> 00:02:20.089
  • And they would say thi--they would actually say something
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  • Like this.
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  • "we don't know why people have a problem with us because we
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  • Can fly."
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  • He'd say, "you what?"
  • 00:02:27.764 --> 00:02:29.132
  • "we can fly."
  • 00:02:29.132 --> 00:02:31.000
  • Now, they actually believed they could fly.
  • 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:33.136
  • They couldn't fly, but they were absolutely convinced they
  • 00:02:33.136 --> 00:02:36.906
  • Could fly.
  • 00:02:36.906 --> 00:02:38.241
  • Had no basis in reality, no basis in truth whatsoever.
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  • Well, then this psychiatrist said, "i'm not even going to
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  • Call them beliefs anymore.
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  • I'm going to call them delusions."
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  • And that leads me to say this.
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  • No matter how sincere a belief may be, if it's not reflected in
  • 00:02:52.855 --> 00:02:57.527
  • Reality, it isn't a belief, it's just a delusion.
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  • Now, you can be deluded about a lot of things, and it won't hurt
  • 00:03:02.899 --> 00:03:07.837
  • You, it won't harm you, it won't have any effect on you.
  • 00:03:07.837 --> 00:03:12.609
  • Matter of fact, you can have beliefs about certain things
  • 00:03:12.609 --> 00:03:15.845
  • That are not true and it might even make you feel better about
  • 00:03:15.845 --> 00:03:19.015
  • Yourself, but if you're deluded about whether or not you really
  • 00:03:19.015 --> 00:03:25.288
  • Are a follower of jesus, if you're deluded about whether or
  • 00:03:25.288 --> 00:03:29.826
  • Not you really are a genuine christian, that can have
  • 00:03:29.826 --> 00:03:32.795
  • Eternal consequences.
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  • So the question i want to arise this morning is, how do you know
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  • If you're living a spiritual delusion?
  • 00:03:40.937 --> 00:03:44.407
  • Well, the good news is jesus is going to tell us.
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  • If you're a guest of ours today, we have been in a series of
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  • Messages we've been calling "get used to different."
  • 00:03:49.846 --> 00:03:52.815
  • It's on the sermon on the mount.
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  • So just a way of quick review, all this time jesus has been
  • 00:03:54.617 --> 00:03:59.155
  • Teaching and preaching about, "this is how a true christian
  • 00:03:59.155 --> 00:04:01.591
  • Ought to live.
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  • This is what a true christian ought to look like.
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  • This is how a true christian relates to god.
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  • This is how a true christian relates to other people."
  • 00:04:07.497 --> 00:04:11.200
  • But now he's getting to the end of this 18-minute message.
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  • That's all it took to preach this message.
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  • And now he starts to tighten the screws.
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  • And now those people in that bank that were listening to him
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  • Begin to shift in their seats.
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  • Because what i'm going to share with you he said is to me not
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  • Only the most frightening thing he ever said in his ministry, it
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  • Is the most frightening statement i've ever read in the
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  • Entire bible.
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  • It's a statement that sometimes keeps me awake at night.
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  • It's a statement that gives me spiritual goosebumps.
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  • It's a statement that makes me stop and look in the mirror and
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  • Exercise self-examination to make sure i'm not being
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  • Delusional myself.
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  • So i want you to imagine you just got into an airplane.
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  • That i want to warn you, the next 30 minutes is going to be a
  • 00:05:01.584 --> 00:05:03.786
  • Bumpy ride.
  • 00:05:03.786 --> 00:05:05.822
  • So i want you to buckle up and i want you to listen to what
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  • Jesus said.
  • 00:05:09.292 --> 00:05:12.095
  • "not everyone who says to me, 'lord, lord,' will enter the
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  • Kingdom of heaven."
  • 00:05:17.433 --> 00:05:20.670
  • Now, i don't know if you can blow that off or not.
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  • I can't, especially being a pastor and a preacher of
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  • The gospel.
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  • To think that i could do what i've done for 47 years and not
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  • Even go to heaven, it's a frightening thought.
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  • It's what he said.
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  • "not everyone who says to me, 'lord, lord,' will enter the
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  • Kingdom of heaven."
  • 00:05:46.162 --> 00:05:47.697
  • Now, jesus just a few verses back had talked about--if you
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  • Remember, he talked about the narrow way that leads to life
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  • And he talked about the broad way that leads to death.
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  • And here he's not talking about people you expect to be on that
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  • Broad road that leads to death, right?
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  • He's not talking about atheists.
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  • I know they're on the broad road.
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  • He's not talking about agnostics.
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  • I know they're on the broad road.
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  • He's not talking about people who have either no religion or
  • 00:06:11.888 --> 00:06:15.057
  • False religion or who out and out deny god or refuse to
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  • Accept jesus.
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  • We know they're on the broad road.
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  • Jesus says, "time out.
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  • There are a lot of people, they claim to be christians, they say
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  • They're christians, they say they know jesus, and they think
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  • They're on the narrow road, but they're not.
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  • They think they're on the broad road--or they're not on the
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  • Broad road, but they are."
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  • And the--here's who's he's ta--this is who he's
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  • Talking about.
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  • He's talking about you and me.
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  • He's talking about churchgoers.
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  • He's talking about religious people.
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  • He's talking about people who are orthodox, who believe
  • 00:06:54.697 --> 00:06:58.534
  • The bible.
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  • They're convinced they're on the right road, but he says they're
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  • On the wrong road.
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  • There's an old, black spiritual song i love.
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  • It has a stanza in it and it says this: "ever'body talkin'
  • 00:07:07.577 --> 00:07:11.280
  • About heav'n ain't goin' there."
  • 00:07:11.280 --> 00:07:12.682
  • Everybody talking about heaven ain't going there.
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  • That's exactly what jesus said.
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  • When i was working on this message, i read something and i
  • 00:07:21.924 --> 00:07:24.427
  • Thought, "i've never thought about that before, but this guy
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  • Is exactly right."
  • 00:07:26.295 --> 00:07:28.564
  • This person said a person is better off with no hope than
  • 00:07:28.564 --> 00:07:34.804
  • With a false hope.
  • 00:07:34.804 --> 00:07:37.306
  • And i said, "i got to think about that."
  • 00:07:37.306 --> 00:07:39.208
  • And then it hit me.
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  • What he said was he said if somebody has a false hope that
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  • They think they're saved when they're not, they will probably
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  • Never ever come to know jesus christ as their lord and savior.
  • 00:07:50.520 --> 00:07:54.056
  • He said on the other hand, if someone's got no hope, if
  • 00:07:54.056 --> 00:07:58.261
  • They're convinced this life is all that there is, they're more
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  • Likely to be open to the true hope.
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  • They're more likely to be open to the idea that maybe this
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  • Jesus christ really is real.
  • 00:08:07.103 --> 00:08:08.905
  • And, you know, i thought about it.
  • 00:08:08.905 --> 00:08:10.673
  • As i looked back on my ministry, if you'd said to me, "you can
  • 00:08:10.673 --> 00:08:15.444
  • Either go share the gospel with someone who grew up in church or
  • 00:08:15.444 --> 00:08:19.282
  • You can share the gospel with someone who didn't," i'll take
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  • Him every time.
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  • Because people who grow up in church, they've heard what i've
  • 00:08:24.186 --> 00:08:28.024
  • Got to say and they've heard what other preachers have said
  • 00:08:28.024 --> 00:08:30.493
  • All of their life, and they checked the box, and they walked
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  • It out, and they filled out a card, and they said a prayer,
  • 00:08:34.530 --> 00:08:38.034
  • And they got into a baptistry, but they never ever truly came
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  • To know jesus and don't think they ever do need to.
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  • So i'm going to tell you today in three words what jesus is
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  • Going to try to say to us this morning.
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  • You ready?
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  • Don't kid yourself, 'cause some of you are.
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  • I don't know who you are.
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  • I don't know who you are watching.
  • 00:08:58.854 --> 00:09:00.222
  • I don't know where you're sitting.
  • 00:09:00.222 --> 00:09:01.557
  • Some of you, you're kidding yourself.
  • 00:09:01.557 --> 00:09:04.560
  • "oh, i grew up in church.
  • 00:09:04.560 --> 00:09:05.895
  • I walked down an aisle.
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  • I filled out a card.
  • 00:09:07.263 --> 00:09:08.598
  • I said a prayer.
  • 00:09:08.598 --> 00:09:09.966
  • I got baptized.
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  • I'm religious to the core."
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  • Okay, if every one of those things are true of you,
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  • This message is especially for you.
  • 00:09:14.203 --> 00:09:17.139
  • So jesus says three things in this passage.
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  • And if i were you, i'd write these down.
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  • If you have any serious thinking about salvation at all,
  • 00:09:22.645 --> 00:09:25.715
  • If i were you, i'd write these three things down.
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  • Here's what jesus said.
  • 00:09:27.984 --> 00:09:29.785
  • Buckle up.
  • 00:09:29.785 --> 00:09:31.153
  • Rough ride.
  • 00:09:31.153 --> 00:09:33.689
  • A verbal declaration alone is not a sign of salvation.
  • 00:09:33.689 --> 00:09:43.599
  • Now, let's look again these words that jesus said.
  • 00:09:38.995 --> 00:09:46.302
  • "not everyone who says to me, 'lord, lord,' will enter the
  • 00:09:46.302 --> 00:09:49.205
  • Kingdom of heaven."
  • 00:09:49.205 --> 00:09:51.607
  • Well, who are these people jesus is talking about?
  • 00:09:51.607 --> 00:09:54.243
  • Well, he's not talking about people who deny jesus.
  • 00:09:54.243 --> 00:09:56.946
  • He's talking about people who declare openly they believe
  • 00:09:56.946 --> 00:10:00.349
  • In jesus.
  • 00:10:00.349 --> 00:10:01.684
  • They'll tell you they believe in jesus.
  • 00:10:01.684 --> 00:10:03.185
  • They will say that jesus is lord.
  • 00:10:03.185 --> 00:10:05.321
  • They will tell you they believe he died on the cross.
  • 00:10:05.321 --> 00:10:07.456
  • They will tell you they believe he was raised from the dead.
  • 00:10:07.456 --> 00:10:10.393
  • Now, to be clear, we are to verbally declare his lordship.
  • 00:10:10.393 --> 00:10:15.631
  • Romans 10:9 says, "declare with your mouth, 'jesus is lord.'"
  • 00:10:15.631 --> 00:10:21.170
  • Now, on the surface--when jesus says about these people, "they
  • 00:10:21.170 --> 00:10:24.507
  • Call me, 'lord, lord,'" on the surface, that's a
  • 00:10:24.507 --> 00:10:26.676
  • Valid statement.
  • 00:10:26.676 --> 00:10:28.044
  • I mean, it is correct.
  • 00:10:28.044 --> 00:10:29.378
  • Jesus christ is lord.
  • 00:10:29.378 --> 00:10:30.813
  • It is consistent with what the bible teaches about jesus.
  • 00:10:30.813 --> 00:10:33.649
  • Lord is a divine title.
  • 00:10:33.649 --> 00:10:36.118
  • Matter of fact, the word "lord" in the greek language is the
  • 00:10:36.118 --> 00:10:39.221
  • Equivalent of the hebrew yahweh, which is god in the old--in
  • 00:10:39.221 --> 00:10:42.658
  • Hebrew in the old testament.
  • 00:10:42.658 --> 00:10:44.026
  • Jesus christ is god.
  • 00:10:44.026 --> 00:10:46.328
  • That's correct.
  • 00:10:46.328 --> 00:10:47.697
  • It is correct.
  • 00:10:47.697 --> 00:10:49.031
  • So when somebody says jesus is lord, they're correct, but jesus
  • 00:10:49.031 --> 00:10:52.568
  • Said they're also conspicuous.
  • 00:10:52.568 --> 00:10:55.071
  • That is, these are people who say it out loud.
  • 00:10:55.071 --> 00:10:58.140
  • They'll say it publicly.
  • 00:10:58.140 --> 00:11:00.109
  • They're not afraid to say it.
  • 00:11:00.109 --> 00:11:01.444
  • They will tell you, "oh, yeah, jesus christ is my lord."
  • 00:11:01.444 --> 00:11:04.980
  • So to be clear, anyone who refuses to call jesus lord will
  • 00:11:04.980 --> 00:11:11.087
  • Never enter the kingdom of heaven.
  • 00:11:11.087 --> 00:11:12.455
  • I know you believe that.
  • 00:11:12.455 --> 00:11:13.956
  • If you don't confess christ as your lord, you're not going to
  • 00:11:13.956 --> 00:11:16.926
  • Enter the kingdom of heaven.
  • 00:11:16.926 --> 00:11:18.294
  • That's not the point jesus is making.
  • 00:11:18.294 --> 00:11:20.563
  • Here's the point he's making.
  • 00:11:20.563 --> 00:11:23.332
  • All true christians will call jesus, "lord," but not all who
  • 00:11:23.332 --> 00:11:27.236
  • Call jesus, "lord," are true christians.
  • 00:11:27.236 --> 00:11:30.072
  • So let me give you an example.
  • 00:11:30.072 --> 00:11:31.841
  • Something happened to me just about 3 weeks ago.
  • 00:11:31.841 --> 00:11:35.111
  • I don't mind telling you that when i preach twice--and, i
  • 00:11:35.111 --> 00:11:37.747
  • Mean, i hope you could say i work hard, i try to prepare the
  • 00:11:37.747 --> 00:11:40.616
  • Best meat i can give you on sunday morning.
  • 00:11:40.616 --> 00:11:43.185
  • And i don't just preach, i deliver my soul.
  • 00:11:43.185 --> 00:11:45.054
  • I mean, i ca--i'm throw--i'm throwing everything i got into
  • 00:11:45.054 --> 00:11:47.356
  • It every week.
  • 00:11:47.356 --> 00:11:48.691
  • I don't ever mail anything in.
  • 00:11:48.691 --> 00:11:50.025
  • I don't mind telling you when i do this for two sundays--two
  • 00:11:50.025 --> 00:11:52.495
  • Services particularly at my advanced age, when i do this,
  • 00:11:52.495 --> 00:11:56.065
  • Two sermons in a row, and then i'm out there and i'm talking to
  • 00:11:56.065 --> 00:11:58.868
  • People, i talk to people, i'm glad to talk to people, and then
  • 00:11:58.868 --> 00:12:01.470
  • I'm the last guy that usually walks out there to my car and
  • 00:12:01.470 --> 00:12:03.806
  • Get on the--get in my--you know.
  • 00:12:03.806 --> 00:12:05.341
  • I just want to go home.
  • 00:12:05.341 --> 00:12:07.476
  • And i think teresa takes a nap every afternoon.
  • 00:12:07.476 --> 00:12:10.179
  • It's one of the sweetest things she does all week 'cause i don't
  • 00:12:10.179 --> 00:12:12.414
  • Want to talk to anybody.
  • 00:12:12.414 --> 00:12:13.783
  • I'm talked out.
  • 00:12:13.783 --> 00:12:15.117
  • And so she goes to sleep, and i just get to have time alone.
  • 00:12:15.117 --> 00:12:18.554
  • Well, this guy came to our church three weeks--about easter
  • 00:12:18.554 --> 00:12:21.423
  • Sunday after the first service.
  • 00:12:21.423 --> 00:12:23.259
  • Young man, walked up to me, he introduced himself.
  • 00:12:23.259 --> 00:12:26.962
  • Here's what he said.
  • 00:12:26.962 --> 00:12:28.297
  • Quote, he said, "i've never been to this church before."
  • 00:12:28.297 --> 00:12:29.665
  • I said, "really?"
  • 00:12:29.665 --> 00:12:31.000
  • I said, "well, tell me, what's your spiritual background."
  • 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:32.334
  • He said, "i'm an atheist."
  • 00:12:32.334 --> 00:12:33.702
  • I mean, just told me, "i'm an atheist."
  • 00:12:33.702 --> 00:12:35.037
  • So we got to talking, having a conversation.
  • 00:12:35.037 --> 00:12:36.405
  • I said, "man, i'd love to sit down and talk
  • 00:12:36.405 --> 00:12:37.740
  • With you sometime."
  • 00:12:37.740 --> 00:12:39.108
  • He said, "i'd like to as well."
  • 00:12:39.108 --> 00:12:40.442
  • I got a real burden for this young man,
  • 00:12:40.442 --> 00:12:41.811
  • About 20-- i don't know.
  • 00:12:41.811 --> 00:12:43.145
  • He's in his early 20s.
  • 00:12:43.145 --> 00:12:44.513
  • Well, the only time we could meet because
  • 00:12:44.513 --> 00:12:45.848
  • Of his schedule or mine was on sunday after church.
  • 00:12:45.848 --> 00:12:48.217
  • Now, again, i just don't do stuff like that after church.
  • 00:12:48.217 --> 00:12:50.820
  • It's just--i mean, i'm really kind of whipped.
  • 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:52.755
  • But i have such a burden to this young man.
  • 00:12:52.755 --> 00:12:54.290
  • I said okay.
  • 00:12:54.290 --> 00:12:55.624
  • So three weeks ago we are at a local restaurant not a mile from
  • 00:12:55.624 --> 00:12:59.962
  • Here, sit down.
  • 00:12:59.962 --> 00:13:01.297
  • I spent three hours with this guy.
  • 00:13:01.297 --> 00:13:02.731
  • Now, preached twice.
  • 00:13:02.731 --> 00:13:04.099
  • I'm not a martyr, i mean, i'm glad to do it,
  • 00:13:04.099 --> 00:13:05.568
  • But i was--you know, i was tired.
  • 00:13:05.568 --> 00:13:06.902
  • I spent three hours with this guy.
  • 00:13:06.902 --> 00:13:08.237
  • This guy had all kinds of questions.
  • 00:13:08.237 --> 00:13:09.572
  • I mean, man, i'm using every apologetic tool i've got in my
  • 00:13:09.572 --> 00:13:13.309
  • Book, and, i mean, we're--i'm just trying to move the ball
  • 00:13:13.309 --> 00:13:15.878
  • Down the field.
  • 00:13:15.878 --> 00:13:17.213
  • So i finally said, "look, are you ready to be born again?"
  • 00:13:17.213 --> 00:13:19.648
  • He says, "yes, i'm ready to be born again."
  • 00:13:19.648 --> 00:13:21.183
  • I said, "okay.
  • 00:13:21.183 --> 00:13:22.518
  • I want you to pray with me."
  • 00:13:22.518 --> 00:13:23.919
  • And he prayed these words from romans 10:9.
  • 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:26.488
  • He prayed these words.
  • 00:13:26.488 --> 00:13:29.458
  • "if you declare with your mouth, 'jesus is lord,' and believe in
  • 00:13:29.458 --> 00:13:33.562
  • Your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will
  • 00:13:33.562 --> 00:13:36.098
  • Be saved."
  • 00:13:36.098 --> 00:13:37.900
  • So he prays that prayer.
  • 00:13:37.900 --> 00:13:41.270
  • Then he did something that no one in my 47 years as a pastor
  • 00:13:41.270 --> 00:13:45.040
  • Has ever done, ever.
  • 00:13:45.040 --> 00:13:46.976
  • I mean, and i'll be honest with you, when he first did it,
  • 00:13:46.976 --> 00:13:48.711
  • I didn't know what to do.
  • 00:13:48.711 --> 00:13:50.312
  • 'cause every time somebody does that, i will look at them and i
  • 00:13:50.312 --> 00:13:52.648
  • Will say, "now, did you mean what you just prayed?"
  • 00:13:52.648 --> 00:13:55.150
  • And every time for 47 years, "yeah, i really mean it."
  • 00:13:55.150 --> 00:13:59.622
  • So i said to this guy, i said, "okay, did you mean what you
  • 00:13:59.622 --> 00:14:02.625
  • Really prayed?"
  • 00:14:02.625 --> 00:14:03.959
  • He said, "no."
  • 00:14:03.959 --> 00:14:05.961
  • I've never had that happen.
  • 00:14:05.961 --> 00:14:07.796
  • So i'm thinking, "okay, he didn't hear what i said."
  • 00:14:07.796 --> 00:14:10.432
  • I said, "i'm sorry.
  • 00:14:10.432 --> 00:14:11.767
  • You misunderstood.
  • 00:14:11.767 --> 00:14:13.135
  • Did you mean what you said?"
  • 00:14:13.135 --> 00:14:14.470
  • He said, "no."
  • 00:14:14.470 --> 00:14:15.838
  • Said, "what do you mean no?"
  • 00:14:15.838 --> 00:14:17.206
  • He said, "well, i believe that jesus was raised from the dead,
  • 00:14:17.206 --> 00:14:21.210
  • But i don't believe jesus is god.
  • 00:14:21.210 --> 00:14:23.145
  • I just can't get there.
  • 00:14:23.145 --> 00:14:24.513
  • I just believe--i don't believe the holy spirit's god.
  • 00:14:24.513 --> 00:14:25.848
  • I believe god's god, and i believe that's it.
  • 00:14:25.848 --> 00:14:27.616
  • I don't believe jesus christ is god."
  • 00:14:27.616 --> 00:14:29.351
  • Well, i couldn't believe it.
  • 00:14:29.351 --> 00:14:32.054
  • I said, "but you just said to me, you just said, you just
  • 00:14:32.054 --> 00:14:35.925
  • Said, 'i confess jesus christ as my lord.'"
  • 00:14:35.925 --> 00:14:39.495
  • He said, "i know, but i didn't believe it."
  • 00:14:39.495 --> 00:14:42.097
  • Now, if i'd stopped the conversation before asking that
  • 00:14:42.097 --> 00:14:44.800
  • Question, i would have walked out of that restaurant and i'd
  • 00:14:44.800 --> 00:14:47.670
  • Said, "man, that guy was saved.
  • 00:14:47.670 --> 00:14:49.338
  • That young man is born again."
  • 00:14:49.338 --> 00:14:51.140
  • If he died and i had to do his funeral, i could get up and say
  • 00:14:51.140 --> 00:14:53.475
  • That man's in heaven 'cause he confessed christ as lord as just
  • 00:14:53.475 --> 00:14:58.247
  • As clear as i'm talking to you.
  • 00:14:58.247 --> 00:15:00.416
  • But he didn't mean it.
  • 00:15:00.416 --> 00:15:02.084
  • He didn't believe it.
  • 00:15:02.084 --> 00:15:03.419
  • It wasn't really real.
  • 00:15:03.419 --> 00:15:05.955
  • And it was a great illustration to remind me that a verbal
  • 00:15:05.955 --> 00:15:08.791
  • Declaration alone does not assure salvation.
  • 00:15:08.791 --> 00:15:12.528
  • I mean, if jesus had said, "now, these atheists, and these
  • 00:15:12.528 --> 00:15:16.298
  • Agnostics, and these pagans, and these people in false religions,
  • 00:15:16.298 --> 00:15:20.436
  • They're not going to get into the kingdom of god," i mean,
  • 00:15:20.436 --> 00:15:22.137
  • That wouldn't be a surprise.
  • 00:15:22.137 --> 00:15:23.505
  • But jesus says, "there are going to be people who are going to
  • 00:15:23.505 --> 00:15:26.108
  • Stand before me and they're going to tell the truth.
  • 00:15:26.108 --> 00:15:28.577
  • 'but i said you are lord.'"
  • 00:15:28.577 --> 00:15:31.513
  • Don't anybody misunderstand.
  • 00:15:31.513 --> 00:15:34.917
  • We're saved by the grace of god through faith in jesus christ.
  • 00:15:34.917 --> 00:15:43.058
  • But when your faith is real, you do not just confess it with your
  • 00:15:43.058 --> 00:15:48.197
  • Lips, you confess it with your life.
  • 00:15:48.197 --> 00:15:52.267
  • I've told you many times when i got saved as a 9-year-old boy i
  • 00:15:52.267 --> 00:15:57.072
  • Sinned a lot since then, i shamed the lord more than a few
  • 00:15:57.072 --> 00:16:01.310
  • Times since then, but i knew, and i've told you this a
  • 00:16:01.310 --> 00:16:06.348
  • Thousand times, the kid that walked out of that theater was
  • 00:16:06.348 --> 00:16:09.451
  • Not the kid that walked in.
  • 00:16:09.451 --> 00:16:11.920
  • Someone had radically changed my life.
  • 00:16:11.920 --> 00:16:16.425
  • And for the time i gave my life to jesus and the reason i'm in
  • 00:16:16.425 --> 00:16:19.428
  • This pulpit right now instead of in a courtroom like my son is
  • 00:16:19.428 --> 00:16:22.498
  • Every week--not because he's going to jail, he's a lawyer.
  • 00:16:22.498 --> 00:16:27.569
  • But the reason i'm doing what i'm doing, james, but i'm not
  • 00:16:27.569 --> 00:16:29.872
  • Doing what you do is because it wasn't the will of god that i do
  • 00:16:29.872 --> 00:16:33.609
  • What i do.
  • 00:16:33.609 --> 00:16:35.577
  • Now, thankfully i've got to live to see my son live a dream
  • 00:16:35.577 --> 00:16:38.113
  • Through me 'cause that's what i wanted to do.
  • 00:16:38.113 --> 00:16:39.481
  • And he's a fantastic lawyer.
  • 00:16:39.481 --> 00:16:40.816
  • I don't mind telling you.
  • 00:16:40.816 --> 00:16:42.184
  • He's not--i'm not--not 'cause he's my son.
  • 00:16:42.184 --> 00:16:43.519
  • He just is.
  • 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.454
  • But that wasn't god's will for me.
  • 00:16:45.454 --> 00:16:46.855
  • This was god's will for me.
  • 00:16:46.855 --> 00:16:48.891
  • And that's been always my desire, "lord, i just want to do
  • 00:16:48.891 --> 00:16:51.126
  • Your will for my life."
  • 00:16:51.126 --> 00:16:52.461
  • So let me be very clear.
  • 00:16:52.461 --> 00:16:53.829
  • This is so important.
  • 00:16:53.829 --> 00:16:55.397
  • I am not telling you today that good works are necessary to
  • 00:16:55.397 --> 00:16:58.600
  • Be saved.
  • 00:16:58.600 --> 00:16:59.935
  • If that's what you hear, you miss my message.
  • 00:16:59.935 --> 00:17:01.470
  • Good works are not necessary to be saved.
  • 00:17:01.470 --> 00:17:03.872
  • If you heard that, say "amen."
  • 00:17:03.872 --> 00:17:06.008
  • All right.
  • 00:17:06.008 --> 00:17:07.376
  • Good works are not necessary to be saved, but good works are
  • 00:17:07.376 --> 00:17:12.414
  • Necessary if you are saved.
  • 00:17:12.414 --> 00:17:16.585
  • Baptism is not necessary to be saved, but baptism is necessary
  • 00:17:16.585 --> 00:17:24.793
  • If you are saved.
  • 00:17:24.793 --> 00:17:27.496
  • Giving to god's work is not necessary to be saved.
  • 00:17:27.496 --> 00:17:30.165
  • You can't buy your way into heaven.
  • 00:17:30.165 --> 00:17:31.834
  • You can't buy one square foot of heaven.
  • 00:17:31.834 --> 00:17:33.969
  • Giving to god's work is not necessary to be saved, it is
  • 00:17:33.969 --> 00:17:37.806
  • Necessary if you are saved.
  • 00:17:37.806 --> 00:17:40.676
  • You will do the will of god in your life, which is jesus said
  • 00:17:40.676 --> 00:17:43.679
  • By their fruits, you will know them.
  • 00:17:43.679 --> 00:17:45.547
  • Fruit is not a prerequisite to salvation, it is a byproduct
  • 00:17:45.547 --> 00:17:49.952
  • Of salvation.
  • 00:17:49.952 --> 00:17:51.386
  • So you can call jesus lord, but if you're not obeying his
  • 00:17:51.386 --> 00:17:54.957
  • Commands, you're not surrendering to his will, you're
  • 00:17:54.957 --> 00:17:57.192
  • Just playing word games.
  • 00:17:57.192 --> 00:17:58.560
  • In other words, you're just kidding yourself.
  • 00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:02.030
  • You're living in a spiritual delusion.
  • 00:18:02.030 --> 00:18:04.833
  • And you may fool me, and many people have, and you may fool
  • 00:18:04.833 --> 00:18:09.438
  • The person you're married to and you may fool your kids.
  • 00:18:09.438 --> 00:18:12.274
  • You're not fooling god.
  • 00:18:12.274 --> 00:18:14.309
  • You're not fooling the lord jesus christ.
  • 00:18:14.309 --> 00:18:18.213
  • And i just don't want you to stand before god one day, i
  • 00:18:18.213 --> 00:18:21.150
  • Don't want any of you to stand before god one day or before
  • 00:18:21.150 --> 00:18:23.785
  • Jesus and say the one thing--the worst thing you will ever hear
  • 00:18:23.785 --> 00:18:29.625
  • Before you leave for eternity.
  • 00:18:29.625 --> 00:18:31.493
  • I don't want you to ever hear these words.
  • 00:18:31.493 --> 00:18:33.228
  • "i never knew you.
  • 00:18:33.228 --> 00:18:35.464
  • Away from me, evil doer."
  • 00:18:35.464 --> 00:18:38.667
  • See, it's one thing to say that you know jesus, but you better
  • 00:18:38.667 --> 00:18:44.840
  • Make sure he knows you because some of you are foreigners, some
  • 00:18:44.840 --> 00:18:49.178
  • Of you he doesn't know.
  • 00:18:49.178 --> 00:18:50.512
  • The great new testament scholar, you don't know who he is, but
  • 00:18:50.512 --> 00:18:52.281
  • He's great, d.a. carson, brilliant scholar, he said this.
  • 00:18:52.281 --> 00:18:57.252
  • "it is true that no man enters the kingdom because of his
  • 00:18:57.252 --> 00:18:59.688
  • Obedience; but it is equally true that no man enters the
  • 00:18:59.688 --> 00:19:03.058
  • Kingdom who is not obedient.
  • 00:19:03.058 --> 00:19:05.194
  • It is true that men are saved by god's grace through faith in
  • 00:19:05.194 --> 00:19:07.896
  • Christ; but it's equally true that god's grace in a man's life
  • 00:19:07.896 --> 00:19:10.699
  • Inevitably results in obedience."
  • 00:19:10.699 --> 00:19:14.369
  • So i'm going to summarize what jesus said in two
  • 00:19:14.369 --> 00:19:16.271
  • Simple sentences.
  • 00:19:16.271 --> 00:19:17.639
  • We'll be done.
  • 00:19:17.639 --> 00:19:18.974
  • Number one, confession is no substitute for conversion.
  • 00:19:18.974 --> 00:19:22.511
  • You can call jesus lord all you want to, but talk is cheap.
  • 00:19:22.511 --> 00:19:26.114
  • A verbal declaration alone is not a sign of salvation.
  • 00:19:26.114 --> 00:19:31.453
  • Sentence number two, religion is no substitute for relationship.
  • 00:19:31.453 --> 00:19:37.159
  • Preachers--i'm a preacher.
  • 00:19:37.159 --> 00:19:39.528
  • I can't add up--i can add up all the sermons i preached for 47
  • 00:19:39.528 --> 00:19:43.699
  • Years, you can add up all the church membership certificates
  • 00:19:43.699 --> 00:19:48.704
  • And all the baptismal certificates and all of the true
  • 00:19:48.704 --> 00:19:52.741
  • Tax receipts for your charitable deductions, but without a true
  • 00:19:52.741 --> 00:19:57.212
  • Relationship with jesus, it won't matter.
  • 00:19:57.212 --> 00:20:00.749
  • So some of you need--better need--you better listen to me
  • 00:20:00.749 --> 00:20:06.121
  • 'cause some of you know god's--i'm not talking to you,
  • 00:20:06.121 --> 00:20:08.724
  • God is.
  • 00:20:08.724 --> 00:20:10.058
  • You've shifted in your seat, you've been uncomfortable, you
  • 00:20:10.058 --> 00:20:13.028
  • Wished you hadn't come 'cause the spirit of god's working
  • 00:20:13.028 --> 00:20:15.564
  • On you.
  • 00:20:15.564 --> 00:20:16.898
  • And you know deep down you've never been changed, you've never
  • 00:20:16.898 --> 00:20:19.301
  • Been born again, your life has never been transformed.
  • 00:20:19.301 --> 00:20:22.904
  • So when you walk out of here today, you better make sure you
  • 00:20:22.904 --> 00:20:26.742
  • Don't just walk out saying jesus is lord, you better walk out of
  • 00:20:26.742 --> 00:20:31.146
  • Here showing it by following his will.
  • 00:20:31.146 --> 00:20:36.652
  • I could give you so many examples.
  • 00:20:36.652 --> 00:20:38.720
  • I'll just give you one simple example.
  • 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:40.789
  • Some of you say you love jesus, you say you know jesus, you say
  • 00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:52.067
  • You follow jesus, but you have never been biblically baptized.
  • 00:20:52.067 --> 00:21:00.876
  • You don't even have a desire to be biblically baptized.
  • 00:21:00.876 --> 00:21:08.283
  • If you don't have enough passion, if you don't have
  • 00:21:08.283 --> 00:21:13.822
  • Enough love for jesus to get into a pool of water, what makes
  • 00:21:13.822 --> 00:21:21.930
  • You think you've got enough to get to heaven?
  • 00:21:21.930 --> 00:21:25.200
  • Now, i could give you myriads of examples, but i want you to take
  • 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:29.338
  • This with you.
  • 00:21:29.338 --> 00:21:31.139
  • You can say jesus is lord to the top of your lungs, you can do
  • 00:21:31.139 --> 00:21:36.645
  • All these religious activities you want to do, but unless
  • 00:21:36.645 --> 00:21:43.051
  • You're obeying and have a passion to obey the will of god,
  • 00:21:43.051 --> 00:21:47.956
  • You're not going to enter the kingdom of heaven.
  • 00:21:47.956 --> 00:21:51.727
  • Look up here.
  • 00:21:51.727 --> 00:21:53.295
  • Don't kid yourself.
  • 00:21:53.295 --> 00:21:56.498
  • Would you bow your heads and pray with me?
  • 00:21:56.498 --> 00:21:59.634
  • With his vow and eyes closed and if you'll just sit still for
  • 00:21:59.634 --> 00:22:02.037
  • Just a moment, i want to talk to two groups of people, just--and
  • 00:22:02.037 --> 00:22:05.841
  • We'll be done.
  • 00:22:05.841 --> 00:22:09.277
  • The first group of people i want to talk to are people in this
  • 00:22:09.277 --> 00:22:11.613
  • Room, people who are watching me right now, and here's what you'd
  • 00:22:11.613 --> 00:22:13.782
  • Say, "pastor, i know i'm not a believer.
  • 00:22:13.782 --> 00:22:16.785
  • Pastor, i know i've never been saved.
  • 00:22:16.785 --> 00:22:19.154
  • Pastor, i know i don't have a relationship with jesus."
  • 00:22:19.154 --> 00:22:21.423
  • Okay, you're the easy ones.
  • 00:22:21.423 --> 00:22:22.791
  • You--i'm going to put you aside for just a minute.
  • 00:22:22.791 --> 00:22:25.093
  • I know what you need to do.
  • 00:22:25.093 --> 00:22:26.495
  • I get it.
  • 00:22:26.495 --> 00:22:28.263
  • I want to talk to those of you, "but i joined a church.
  • 00:22:28.263 --> 00:22:33.769
  • I got baptized.
  • 00:22:33.769 --> 00:22:37.038
  • I do give to the church," but you've never really been
  • 00:22:37.038 --> 00:22:41.743
  • Born again.
  • 00:22:41.743 --> 00:22:43.645
  • You're a scott hines.
  • 00:22:43.645 --> 00:22:46.281
  • You've never truly been saved, and you know it.
  • 00:22:46.281 --> 00:22:48.517
  • Because for some of you if the average person saw how you
  • 00:22:52.687 --> 00:22:56.825
  • Lived, you know what they would say?
  • 00:22:56.825 --> 00:22:58.393
  • "i don't see a difference in his life from mine.
  • 00:22:58.393 --> 00:23:03.131
  • I don't tell people about jesus, but neither does he.
  • 00:23:03.131 --> 00:23:08.537
  • I don't give money to the church, but neither does he.
  • 00:23:08.537 --> 00:23:12.874
  • I don't read my bible, but neither does he.
  • 00:23:12.874 --> 00:23:17.345
  • I don't pray, but neither does he."
  • 00:23:17.345 --> 00:23:21.917
  • And all these things i just mentioned, no, sir, no, sir, no,
  • 00:23:21.917 --> 00:23:26.555
  • Sir, no, sir, you don't have to do those things to be saved, but
  • 00:23:26.555 --> 00:23:30.792
  • If you're saved, you want to do those things.
  • 00:23:30.792 --> 00:23:35.163
  • So i'm talking to people who have joined a church and people
  • 00:23:35.163 --> 00:23:37.566
  • Who haven't, people who may have even been baptized or people
  • 00:23:37.566 --> 00:23:40.635
  • Who haven't.
  • 00:23:40.635 --> 00:23:43.338
  • Who wants to do business with god today?
  • 00:23:43.338 --> 00:23:46.708
  • Who wants to be like scott hines and pull over by the side of the
  • 00:23:46.708 --> 00:23:49.344
  • Road into savannah, jordan and say, "enough of this fake stuff.
  • 00:23:49.344 --> 00:23:53.482
  • I want to make this real.
  • 00:23:53.482 --> 00:23:54.883
  • I want you to be real in my life, jesus.
  • 00:23:54.883 --> 00:23:57.152
  • I want you to change my life.
  • 00:23:57.152 --> 00:23:59.855
  • I want the number one passion of my life to do your will alone."
  • 00:23:59.855 --> 00:24:04.659
  • Now, if that's you, we're going to do business.
  • 00:24:04.659 --> 00:24:06.962
  • You're going to do business with god.
  • 00:24:06.962 --> 00:24:09.364
  • I'm going to ask you to pray this prayer.
  • 00:24:09.364 --> 00:24:10.866
  • Not say it, pray it.
  • 00:24:10.866 --> 00:24:14.102
  • "lord jesus, i want the real deal, i want to be the real
  • 00:24:14.102 --> 00:24:23.912
  • Deal, and i want you to seal the real deal in my heart.
  • 00:24:23.912 --> 00:24:32.654
  • I'm telling you today, lord jesus, i'm a sinner and i need
  • 00:24:32.654 --> 00:24:37.192
  • You to be my savior.
  • 00:24:37.192 --> 00:24:38.560
  • I need to repent, and today i'm going to repent of my old way
  • 00:24:41.930 --> 00:24:45.400
  • Of life.
  • 00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:48.069
  • I'm asking you to come into my life and be the lord of my life
  • 00:24:48.069 --> 00:24:51.573
  • And take over every part of it.
  • 00:24:51.573 --> 00:24:56.144
  • I leave no stone unturned today, lord.
  • 00:24:56.144 --> 00:24:58.780
  • None.
  • 00:24:58.780 --> 00:25:00.849
  • Wherever i'm missing it, fill it.
  • 00:25:00.849 --> 00:25:04.920
  • Wherever i'm full of something i don't need to be, take it.
  • 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:11.059
  • And, lord, whatever your will is for my life, i'm going to do it.
  • 00:25:11.059 --> 00:25:16.264
  • So thank you for forgiving me.
  • 00:25:16.264 --> 00:25:19.534
  • Thank you for giving me eternal life.
  • 00:25:19.534 --> 00:25:21.536
  • Thank you for saving me today."
  • 00:25:21.536 --> 00:25:25.740
  • Announcer: to watch an extended version of today's message from
  • 00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:28.109
  • Dr. james merritt, go to touchinglives.org.
  • 00:25:28.109 --> 00:25:31.646
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:25:31.646 --> 00:25:36.284
  • James: in a world of social media snapshots, camera new
  • 00:25:36.351 --> 00:25:39.487
  • Sound bites, we're being told that what you look like on the
  • 00:25:39.487 --> 00:25:43.291
  • Outside, your image is more important than who you really
  • 00:25:43.291 --> 00:25:46.061
  • Are on the inside, your character.
  • 00:25:46.061 --> 00:25:48.930
  • I beg to differ.
  • 00:25:48.930 --> 00:25:50.265
  • The bible says god doesn't look on the outward appearance, he
  • 00:25:50.265 --> 00:25:53.301
  • Looks on the heart.
  • 00:25:53.301 --> 00:25:55.337
  • And my book "character still counts" is going to enable you
  • 00:25:55.337 --> 00:25:59.040
  • To be the character that god wants you to be.
  • 00:25:59.040 --> 00:26:00.875
  • There are 13 overlooked traits in that book that form the
  • 00:26:00.875 --> 00:26:04.279
  • Bedrock of a godly life and a good society.
  • 00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:07.782
  • For the entire month of march, you can receive this book by
  • 00:26:07.849 --> 00:26:10.952
  • Donating any amount to our ministry "touching lives."
  • 00:26:10.952 --> 00:26:14.122
  • As you read it, you're going to find role models that were
  • 00:26:14.122 --> 00:26:16.625
  • Flawed, they failed, they were human.
  • 00:26:16.625 --> 00:26:20.128
  • Now, at the end of the day they went on to live lives
  • 00:26:20.128 --> 00:26:22.697
  • Worth imitating.
  • 00:26:22.697 --> 00:26:24.132
  • You'll be inspired to become the best version of you and to be
  • 00:26:24.132 --> 00:26:27.502
  • All that you ought to be for god and for others.
  • 00:26:27.502 --> 00:26:30.505
  • In addition, with a contribution of $75 or more, you'll receive a
  • 00:26:30.505 --> 00:26:35.210
  • Copy not only of my book but this niv study bible.
  • 00:26:35.210 --> 00:26:39.247
  • This beautifully illustrated bible includes over 21,000 study
  • 00:26:39.247 --> 00:26:42.517
  • Notes, copies of introductions to every book, and more than 125
  • 00:26:42.517 --> 00:26:46.888
  • Detailed articles all written to deepen your understanding of god
  • 00:26:46.888 --> 00:26:50.792
  • Word and knowing how you can be all that god wants you to be.
  • 00:26:50.792 --> 00:26:55.630
  • So consider making your best contribution this month.
  • 00:26:55.630 --> 00:26:59.034
  • By supporting "touching lives," you'll join us in building godly
  • 00:26:59.034 --> 00:27:02.470
  • Character, exploring god's word, and nurturing a close
  • 00:27:02.470 --> 00:27:06.074
  • Relationship with jesus every day.
  • 00:27:06.074 --> 00:27:08.309
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:08.309 --> 00:27:19.187
  • Announcer: touching the lives of the lost and enriching the faith
  • 00:27:19.254 --> 00:27:22.390
  • Of the found, this is "touching lives" with dr. james merritt.
  • 00:27:22.390 --> 00:27:28.063