Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / God’s Artwork on Display Msg 726 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living

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God’s Artwork on Display Msg 726 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: I want to read just three verses from this now
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: becoming ever more familiar letter of Ethesians. Let me read
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: verses nine, eight, nine, and ten of Ethesians two. If
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: you've known the Lord for some time, your lips will
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: move because they are so familiar to us. But not
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  Speaker 1: the tenth verse, which is of special interest today. On
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  Speaker 1: the theme of a changed life and our being like Christ.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Look at Ephesians two eight, for by grace you have
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: is the gift of God, not as a result of works,
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  Speaker 1: so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship,
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  Speaker 1: created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: beforehand so that we would walk in them, meaning walk
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  Speaker 1: in those good works. We're not saved by works, but
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  Speaker 1: we are saved for good works, which causes people to
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  Speaker 1: see and be attracted to our Lord. They will see
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  Speaker 1: your good works and they will glorify Your Father is
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: in heaven. I'm starting to preach here, and I need
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  Speaker 1: to stop or I'll deliver two sermons today.
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  Speaker 2: Will you, for a moment join.
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  Speaker 1: Me in prayer.
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  Speaker 2: Please, let's vow.
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  Speaker 1: It's a pretty awesome thing, Lord, to be in a
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: place of your service. It's a lot easier to form
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: and run a company, even a big corporation, than it
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: is to serve the body of Christ, because we as
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: humans see the outward appearance, but you look on the heart.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: We reward achievements that everybody notices, but you reward those
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  Speaker 1: things that are done nobody knows about. You reward motives
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  Speaker 1: behind acts. You reward generosity which is never publicly announced.
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  Speaker 1: You reward sacrifice, which is just the mo of a
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  Speaker 1: real servant. And so, Father, thank you for the joy
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  Speaker 1: of having men and women around us supporting your work
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  Speaker 1: and believing in your ministry, and trusting you with their
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  Speaker 1: whole heart, and leaning not on their own understanding guide
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  Speaker 1: us as a flock. Lord. There may seem to be
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  Speaker 1: safety in numbers, but sometimes there is confusion and there
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  Speaker 1: is hypocrisy in numbers. So we pray not to get large.
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  Speaker 1: We pray to get deep. If it's your plan for
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: us to grow in numbers, that's fine, but that's not
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  Speaker 1: our plan. Our desire is to be people of quality
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  Speaker 1: and authenticity and humility and grace and mercy and compassion,
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  Speaker 1: better in deeds than words, people who have a heart
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  Speaker 1: for the whole world, not just our own little backyard. Mentality, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: your reputation is at stake here, not ours, So we
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  Speaker 1: hold this very loosely. We consider you very highly. Our
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  Speaker 1: desire is to know Christ intimately, and in knowing him,
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  Speaker 1: to model his life authentically. Guard us from acts of
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  Speaker 1: the flesh, from foolish decisions, from rash actions, from selfish motives.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: We pray you'd move along the building of our building
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  Speaker 1: and your time. Give us patience as we wait for
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  Speaker 1: all of this to take place, Give us wisdom as
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  Speaker 1: so many serve behind the scenes. Now, Lord, meet our
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  Speaker 1: needs through the giving of your people, for that is
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  Speaker 1: the way your work is supported, always has been, always
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  Speaker 1: will be. And in the process help us again, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: I pray to know Christ. We pray it in his name.
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  Speaker 3: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Well, there were giants in the land this past week,
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  Speaker 1: and I had the privilege of standing among them. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: on one occasion I'm referring to the old Cowboys football
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  Speaker 1: team that came back for their coaches' memorial services. We
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  Speaker 1: were in one room on one occasion, and most of
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  Speaker 1: us were standing on one side, and I was convinced
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  Speaker 1: the room was gonna tilt if they didn't move over
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  Speaker 1: and spread things out and balance the weight. What a
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  Speaker 1: great reunion, What a wonderful time to be with these men,
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  Speaker 1: many of whom i'd only, like you seen them from
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  Speaker 1: a distance, and a few I'd known personally but not enough.
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  Speaker 1: They were a family drawn together in the reunion of
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  Speaker 1: memories and the nostalgia of days gone by. What a
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  Speaker 1: great group, and how much fun they would have together.
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  Speaker 1: And they were embracing each other, and to my amazement,
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  Speaker 1: not just talking, but their arms were around each other.
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  Speaker 1: And sometime they'd be weeping together, and then a little
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  Speaker 1: later that'd be laughing together and poking fun at one another.
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  Speaker 1: Those who had come on the team early on had
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  Speaker 1: their own stories to tell. As you can imagine, they
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  Speaker 1: came out of great colleges and then they wound up
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  Speaker 1: in this little, scraggly football team that hardly had a
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  Speaker 1: building to meet in. And I think it was Bob
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  Speaker 1: Lily who said to me, you know, when I first
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  Speaker 1: came on the scene, I was really surprised. He looked
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  Speaker 1: over at Eddie le Baron. Remember Eddie le Baron stands
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  Speaker 1: about five four or five five, and Lily's about twelve seven,
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  Speaker 1: so he's he looked over it. He said, I thought
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  Speaker 1: we had problems. I realized we had a midget for
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  Speaker 1: a quarterback. And the old story was that Landry never smiled,
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  Speaker 1: never laughed. I thought Roger Stabach's comment was classic. He said,
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  Speaker 1: you know, he did look pretty stoic. He carried himself
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  Speaker 1: without a lot of frivolity. In fact, he said, I
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  Speaker 1: asked Walt Garrison. I want to say Walt Garrison one time,
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  Speaker 1: he said. I asked Walt if he ever saw the
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  Speaker 1: coach laugh. He said, well, no, but I was only
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  Speaker 1: here nine years. But he laughed, and he cried, and
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  Speaker 1: he felt deeply. The reason the men are a family
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  Speaker 1: is because the coach was such a father figure, such
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  Speaker 1: a friend, such a mentor, such a model. Maybe Randy White.
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  Speaker 1: Don't know anything about Randy's life, but I'll tell you
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  Speaker 1: he had the best line of the group, as he
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  Speaker 1: referred to his coach, choking back the tears. The man
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  Speaker 1: not only talked to talk, he walked the walk. And
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  Speaker 1: I will tell you there is something about walking the
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  Speaker 1: walk that becomes inescapable and undeniable as it relates to
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  Speaker 1: the message of knowing Christ. When you walk the walk,
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  Speaker 1: it has a way of silencing the critics. I can
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  Speaker 1: tell you from a few years experience knowing Tom Landry,
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  Speaker 1: the late great Tom Landry, that he walked the walk,
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  Speaker 1: whether it was laughing on the shoulders of his team
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  Speaker 1: when they beat Miami in January of seventy two, just
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  Speaker 1: as he walked the walk when he wept alone over
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  Speaker 1: the grief of the loss of his daughter Lisa to
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  Speaker 1: liver cancer after the birth of her little baby. He
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  Speaker 1: walked the walk, whether it was a time of being
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  Speaker 1: glorified by the fans or vilified by a new owner.
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  Speaker 1: He walked the walk, whether it was in the spotlight
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  Speaker 1: or in the shadows, whether it was a time of
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  Speaker 1: great joy when he realized he had a championship team
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  Speaker 1: on his hands, or a time of great confusion when
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  Speaker 1: they just couldn't seem to win. No matter what, all
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  Speaker 1: of this pulled him to get because he walked the walk.
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  Speaker 1: This is a perfect occasion for me to say this
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  Speaker 1: and then to add a little extra comment for no
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  Speaker 1: extra charge. It isn't difficult to bury a man who
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  Speaker 1: finishes well. It is terribly difficult to bury a hypocrite.
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  Speaker 1: Don't do that to me, Okay, don't leave your mess
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  Speaker 1: for me and your family to clean up. Don't go there,
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  Speaker 1: I will say, without hesitation, You'll never have to worry
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  Speaker 1: about some skeleton rattling around Tom Landry's as yet unopened closet.
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  Speaker 1: Time will come when all of the secrets will be known,
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  Speaker 1: all of the truth will be let out, and there
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  Speaker 1: will be no scandal because he died as he lived
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  Speaker 1: an authentic model of the Christian life. Now, if your
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  Speaker 1: type of model is the kind that pulls people aside
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  Speaker 1: and presses him for a decision, then he wasn't your type.
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  Speaker 1: But if he's the type, if your type is the
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  Speaker 1: one who lives the life, he's your kind of guy.
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  Speaker 1: He's my kind of guy, because there is something about
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  Speaker 1: that kind of life that carries with it its own
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  Speaker 1: wonderful rewards. Not only are critics silenced, unbelievers are attracted,
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  Speaker 1: and even if they don't believe as you believe, they
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  Speaker 1: will not have you as a reason for their unbelief.
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  Speaker 2: Don't give them.
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  Speaker 1: Any Now, how does all of this tie in with
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  Speaker 1: Ephesians two, eight, nine and ten A one word answer, beautifully,
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  Speaker 1: Just beautifully, I'm glad you asked the great temptation on
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  Speaker 1: all our parts. Who knew this man and loved him
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  Speaker 1: from a distance, and by the way, is one of
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  Speaker 1: those heroes that when you got up closer, rather than
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  Speaker 1: being disappointed, he was even better. But it's our tendency,
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  Speaker 1: when you're around greatness like this, to think, oh, my goodness,
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  Speaker 1: what a marvelous example of humanity in and of himself.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, who needs Christ when he's got a life
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  Speaker 1: like Wait? Stop? I thought several times in the many
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  Speaker 1: meetings that I attended before we had the final memorial
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  Speaker 1: for him, I thought, I think Tom Landry would stand
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  Speaker 1: up right here and say, stop quit talking about me
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  Speaker 1: so much. Talk about the one I love and believed in,
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  Speaker 1: because he, like all who become God's workmanship, was saved
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  Speaker 1: by grace through faith, and it wasn't of himself. If
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  Speaker 1: you don't know his story, then you don't know. When
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  Speaker 1: after a time of winning, he admitted that he still
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  Speaker 1: felt empty, still lacked what one would call contentment and
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  Speaker 1: peace within. Through a series of interesting events that kind
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  Speaker 1: of came back to back, he was led to a
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  Speaker 1: Bible study, which turned into a prayer session, which led
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  Speaker 1: to his acknowledging himself as a sinner in need of
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  Speaker 1: a savior. And he turned his life over to the
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  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith he trusted him for
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  Speaker 1: his eternal life. And at that moment he was ready
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  Speaker 1: to die, though God had many years for him to live.
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  Speaker 1: You see, you're really not ready to live until you're
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  Speaker 1: ready to die. And once ready to die, you can
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  Speaker 1: live as long or as short as God's pleased for
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  Speaker 1: you to do. But we're all in this category see
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  Speaker 1: verse eight. What a great reminder. It's all by grace,
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  Speaker 1: by the way, it's by grace through faith. But the
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  Speaker 1: faith is a is an unseen journey. You were not
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  Speaker 1: there in his heart when he gave himself to Christ.
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  Speaker 1: I was not there when you gave your heart to Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Even if I had been in the same room, I
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  Speaker 1: wasn't in your life. I didn't see it. You don't
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  Speaker 1: see the faith you witnessed the result of faith by
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  Speaker 1: God's grace. Since we are all verse one, dead in
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  Speaker 1: trespasses and sins verse two, according to the culture that's
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  Speaker 1: lost its way, Since we are all in that category
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  Speaker 1: of lostness, only grace would cause a loving holy God
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  Speaker 1: to reach down into the ranks of humanity and pick
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  Speaker 1: us to be one of his own. Only grace would
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  Speaker 1: give his spirit the empowerment to give you the ability
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  Speaker 1: to say yes Christ, Yes Lord, only grace, so when
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  Speaker 1: you believe, just as when Landry believed. It was a
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  Speaker 1: private journey, but it leads to a public walk, saved
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  Speaker 1: by grace through faith. That's when he started to walk
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  Speaker 1: the walk. Until then he only walked the talk when
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  Speaker 1: Christ came to live in his life. Randy White couldn't
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  Speaker 1: look the other way. And believe me, there are those
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  Speaker 1: who watch us more closely than they'll ever read a
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  Speaker 1: gospel account of Christ. A little challenging, isn't it? Well?
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  Speaker 1: Was it because we started going to church, or because
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  Speaker 1: we began to do a Bible study, or because we
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  Speaker 1: decided to quit swearing, or because we decided we would
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  Speaker 1: be faithful to our mate? Was it because we were
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  Speaker 1: christened or are dedicated? Or no, no, no, look at it.
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  Speaker 1: We're saved by grace through faith, not of yourselves, not
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  Speaker 1: as a result of works. It didn't start within yourself,
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  Speaker 1: and it didn't come because you worked at it. I
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  Speaker 1: thought of a classic illustration that would help this make sense.
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  Speaker 1: Fly we go from one place to a destination, no
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  Speaker 1: matter how far away, it is completely without the power
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  Speaker 1: to make it happen. I get on a plane, a
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  Speaker 1: Dallas fort Worth, and three and a half hours later,
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  Speaker 1: I get off that plane. How foolish it would be
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  Speaker 1: for me to walk out the jetway and walk into
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  Speaker 1: the terminal and say I did it. I did it, boy,
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  Speaker 1: or my arms tired? I had flown three and a
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  Speaker 1: half hours from there to here. I am the one
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  Speaker 1: that brought myself here. You'd want to find a place
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  Speaker 1: to put me away. Chuck, You didn't do it. You
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  Speaker 1: got in the plane, you sat down, You buckled up.
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  Speaker 1: You trusted the law of aerodynamics, which you don't even understand.
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  Speaker 1: I don't see the wind that goes under the wing
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  Speaker 1: being more than the wind that goes over the wing,
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  Speaker 1: so that the thing, by its remarkable engineering, takes off.
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  Speaker 1: I just see the thing weighing tons and tons, and
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  Speaker 1: I pray like mad, it'll get off the runway. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: it takes off, and I'm sitting there, buckle up. I
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  Speaker 1: don't even know the name of the pilot. I've never
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: met the pilot's partner. I don't have any idea what
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  Speaker 1: they're doing up front. I trust that they are doing
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  Speaker 1: the right thing, and I hope we're going in the
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  Speaker 1: right direction. I don't know about you, but when I fly,
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  Speaker 1: I don't know where north is. I can't figure out
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  Speaker 1: where west is any longer. The sun helps, but that
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  Speaker 1: keeps moving around and the clouds getting the way, and
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  Speaker 1: I have to sit there and hang on by faith.
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  Speaker 1: And you know what I often do. I just often sleep.
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  Speaker 1: Muhammad Ali, when he was at his arrogant heights as
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  Speaker 1: the champion, the heavyweight champion of the world, got on
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  Speaker 1: a plane and set down in first class and decided
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  Speaker 1: he wasn't going to snap his seat belt. And the
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  Speaker 1: flight attendant walked up very close to takeoff and said,
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  Speaker 1: excuse me, sir, you need to put on your seat belt.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: And he said, Superman don't need no seat belt. He said,
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  Speaker 1: Superman don't need no airplane. Snap on your seat belt, please.
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  Speaker 1: We all need an airplane to get from here to there.
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  Speaker 1: All we got to do is snap on the seat belt.
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  Speaker 1: You and I need help to get from Earth to Heaven,
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  Speaker 1: and we can't get there on our own. We got
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  Speaker 1: to trust someone we've never seen. We got to believe
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  Speaker 1: in somebody we've never met. Physically, we couldn't pick him
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  Speaker 1: out of a crowd. If he walked among us today,
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  Speaker 1: because he'd looked like just one of us. But he's
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  Speaker 1: the pilot. You're the passenger, and he flies you from
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  Speaker 1: earth to heaven. And he's never lost a passenger.
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  Speaker 2: Nor will he ever.
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  Speaker 1: So it makes sense that it's not of yourselves, it's
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  Speaker 1: all of grace. Look at the words, not one, not
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  Speaker 1: as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
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  Speaker 1: Not even Tom Landry can boast. Not even Mother Teresa
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  Speaker 1: could boast. Not even your good godly mother can boast.
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  Speaker 1: Not even your faithful father can boast. The best pastor,
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  Speaker 1: the most sacrificial servant, the most significant missionary, none will
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  Speaker 1: ever be able to walk like a peacock around heaven
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  Speaker 1: or pound their chests saying I did it anymore than
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  Speaker 1: you and I could walk off an aeroplane and say
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  Speaker 1: I flew here on my own. You don't get from
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: there from here to there like that. No one may boast.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: By the way, if it were based on works, stop
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  Speaker 1: and think how many when would you know you had
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  Speaker 1: worked enough? Okay, let's go there. Three a day. I
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  Speaker 1: think three good works a day ought to be enough
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  Speaker 1: to expect of anybody. If you're busy two two good works.
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  Speaker 1: Now you say that's that's not enough. How about six?
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  Speaker 1: Six is a lot? I'd say, maybe sick? Do I
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  Speaker 1: hear twelve? Some of you would say twelve, I've done twelve,
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  Speaker 1: I've done the fifteen, fifteen. How about thirty a month?
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  Speaker 1: What's only one a day? Maybe it ought to be
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  Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty. And see where I'm going with it.
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  Speaker 1: How about enough giving? How about fifty percent of what
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  Speaker 1: you make? Is that enough? Well, that means you kept
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: fifty percent, So that's not enough. How about seventy five percent?
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  Speaker 1: Is that enough? That doesn't work?
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  Speaker 2: Right?
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  Speaker 1: What if you live under a bridge and you don't
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  Speaker 1: even own a home, so that you give everything you've
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  Speaker 1: got you don't even have a home, Is that enough? Well,
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  Speaker 1: you're still wearing those clothes, aren't you. Oh, don't go there.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, how much is enough for you to say
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  Speaker 1: I earned my way? And if you did it, there's
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  Speaker 1: another guy who lives across the tracks who doesn't have
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  Speaker 1: the benefits you've gotten. He won't be able to do
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  Speaker 1: what you did because he didn't have a chance to do.
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  Speaker 1: We're not all created equal. As much as I love
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  Speaker 1: the man who wrote that, you know, it's not true.
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  Speaker 1: Now we're all created at the same level, but equal,
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  Speaker 1: we're not. We don't all have the same breaks. We
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  Speaker 1: don't all have the same intelligence, we don't all have
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  Speaker 1: the same gifts. We don't all have the same skills.
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  Speaker 1: It's not equal. It's not an equal playing field. We're
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  Speaker 1: all equal as sinners. That's why the gift works. Got it?
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  Speaker 1: Got it. If I come to you and say here's
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  Speaker 1: a gift, don't do anything for it.
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  Speaker 2: Just take it.
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  Speaker 1: Just take the gift. It's your ticket. You get to
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  Speaker 1: make the flight. You take the gift. You got the flight.
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  Speaker 1: You didn't earn it. If you earned it, it's a wage.
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  Speaker 1: Speaking of which, turned from Ephesians to Romans four. It's
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  Speaker 1: one of my favorite two verses in Romans. This is
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: so good Romans four, four and five. He's just been
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  Speaker 1: talking about Abraham, who came by faith, even Abraham, and
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: he says, as we compare a wage with a gift,
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  Speaker 1: look at verse four. You'll remember your job. Now to
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: the one who works, his wage is not credited as
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  Speaker 1: a favor, but as what is due. Stop, don't read
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  Speaker 1: any further. If you work, you earn a wage, it's
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  Speaker 1: due you. I have never seen anyone, nor have I
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: ever at the time of getting my paycheck, said oh,
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  Speaker 1: thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so grateful
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  Speaker 1: for this gift. I mean they would look at us
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: like we were from Jupiter. You didn't. It's not a gift.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: You earned it. It's your wage. It's your check. Take it, well,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: that's right, I earned it. To the one who works,
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: his wage is not credited as a favor, it's not
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: a favor. I'm not doing you a favor paying you
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: twenty dollars an hour for your work. You earned it.
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: We agreed on the fee, and you earned every bit
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: of that for the last thirty forty hours you worked.
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: It's a wage. But verse five. To the one who
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: his faith is credited as righteousness. Oh is that a relief.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: God is not walking around heaven looking for great wages
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: people who are earning their way up there. He is
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: not doling out paychecks because you have earned your way
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: in our God puts it all on the same level.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: He gives you eternal life as a gift, and you
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: take it or you leave it. One man paraphrases it
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: this way. If you're a hard worker and do a
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: good job, you deserve your pay. We don't call your
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: wages a gift. But if you see that the job
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: is too big for you, that it's something only God
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: can do, and you trust him to do it, you
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: could never do it for yourself, no matter how hard
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: and long you work. Well that trusting Him to do
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: it is what gets you set right with God. By God,
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: sheer gift. I love that sheer gift. The result is
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: when we stand before our Lord in heaven, back to
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: Ethesians chapter two. When we stand there, we will say,
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: like everyone around us, I am here by the grace
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: of God. My name on earth was, but I am
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: here as a recipient of grace. I only lived five
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: years on earth, but I got here by the gift
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: of grace. I lived eighty seven years on earth, and
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: I am here because of grace. I ran Xerox Corporation,
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: I ran the largest I was a pastor of the
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: largest church in the United States. And I'm here but
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: the grace of God. I blew it as a pastor.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: And I'm here because I believed in Jesus Christ. And
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: I'm here but the grace of God. I'm never passored
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: a church larger than forty people throughout my ministry, and
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: I'm here for the grace of God. I'm the wife
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: of a difficult man to live with, but I'm here
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: by the grace of God. I'm the wife of a
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: name everybody in this place would know. And I'm here
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: with the grace of God. You got it, you see it.
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: It's all a gift. Now, having established that, are there
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: no works? Since we're not going to walk around heaven
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: bragging and strutting, and it's all an act of grace.
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: Are there no works? Wait a minute, There are no
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: works to get you in, but there are works that
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: prove you're in.
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: Works based theology has this equation, faith plus works equals salvation.
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Grace based theology teaches faith equal salvation followed by works.
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: How do I know that? Look you'll love the way
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: it reads, for look at that connective. It's explaining no
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: one may boast, for we are His workmanship, aren't you glad?
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: It's not even politically correct. Doesn't say work personship, it
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: says workmanship. I love that we are His workmanship. I'm
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: really good at crotchety in this age in my life.
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: I read that. I thought, that's great. God, you didn't
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: change it. You left it workmanship. We are God's poi
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: ama p o i e m a poi ama. We
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: got our word poem from it. We are God's poe
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: in motion. Do you like that? I think it was F. F.
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: Bruce who said we are God's work of art, God's masterpiece.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: Wow.
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: That means when I get in and snap on a
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: seat belt by faith, I become on my journey toward
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: glory his workmanship, and on this flight called the Christian life,
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: I began to live out the works He created and
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: prepared beforehand that I would walk in them. God. It reads,
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: we are His workmanship.
• 28:36
  Speaker 3: It means.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: That which God is creating, that which God is building.
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: It's like we're we're on the canvas, sitting on the easel,
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: and each one of us has its own canvas or
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: her own canvas, and God takes out his brush, chooses
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: the paint and selects them to be to look just
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: uniquely like us, and we live that out. Some are
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: in dark and somber colors. They're difficult days and even years.
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: Some are written in suffering and loss and sorrow. Some
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: include tragic disappointments, and some look like they're just one
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: success after another. Some are economically well off, some are
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: economically strapped, and some pictures have difficult sicknesses and diseases
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: connected to them, and others are the picture of health.
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: You didn't paint that, you're living out his workmanship? Not great?
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: How about the little shading of disappointment. It's in there,
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: It's right there where he painted. You can't figure it
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: out on this I just like appreciating a tapestry from
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: the underside. The old poet says, not till the loom
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: is island and the shuttles cease to fly, will God
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: unroll the canvas and explain the reasons why the dark
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: threads are as needful in the weaver's skillful hands as
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: the threads of gold and scarlet in the pattern he
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: has planned this canvas. This has a wonderful Christian couple,
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: but they're painted individually, and God does one thing in
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: her life and another thing in his life. Together they
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: go through things in the disappointment with their children, or
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: the heartache, or the great experience of achievement. Can you
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: imagine the parents of Tom Landry if they were alive,
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: how they would feel with their son so painted in
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: their canvas? Is God's grace for that boy grew up
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: like that. Each one individual canvas, each child God gives
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: you as an individual canvas. Each one is God's workmanship.
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: Don't raise them just alike. No, No, worst thing you
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: can do is raise all the kids the same. I mean,
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: are you just like your brother our sister?
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: No?
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: Each one has been created a certain way. Why is
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: the parent who makes a study of each child and
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: adjusts and adapts the training accordingly. One doesn't need as
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: many spankings as another one. Okay, Now the one who
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: gets more won't think that's fair, but it'll take a
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: while for him to understand he's on a different canvas.
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: One will be very coordinated and gifted, enabled and up
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: front and able to have Others will be quiet and
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: dreamy and artsy. And I could go on. That's another
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: whole subject. But we're all his workmanship. Treat him with dignity.
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: It's God's work in progress. We're poetry in motion, masterpieces.
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: Think of that, and.
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: God's the artist. Look at who created it. It's created
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: in Christ, Jesus for good works. He thought it up
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: he's got the game plan in mind. He's putting us
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: together just as He would have us go together. It's wonderful.
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: God's indescribable gift given to us in Death Valley. We
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: wind up Mount Whitney enjoying the view. But the grace
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: of God, our whole life begins to be transformed, and
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: we begin to live out that life for His glory
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: and buy His strength and power. And it's amazing. If
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: we walk the walk now, I'll tell you the problem,
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: because we are around a lot of humanism. The problem
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: is people will see the greatness and they'll think you
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: get the credit. They really will. The world watches a life,
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: sees a remarkable example of integrity and faithfulness and discipline
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: and passion and intensity and determination and love and forgiveness,
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: no hypocrisy, free of bitterness. These inescapable qualities of Christ's likeness.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: And they say, oh, I'm going to get control of
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: my life. You can't. You can't do it. That's flying
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: from here to there on your own. It's silly. It's impossible.
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: You start with the gift. Remember whoops, You start with
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: the gift. I did something everything okay, good? I get
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: an electronic things and tend to get shot. You start
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: with the gift and you go from there. You don't
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: start with the works and earn your way in. One
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: man put it this way. I like the way this
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: is written, James Montgomery voice. Before we saw with our
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: eyes physically, but we were spiritually blind. Now we see
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: with spiritual eyes, and everything seems new. Before we were
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: spiritually deaf. Now we've been given ears to hear. We
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: hear and respond to Jesus teaching. Before our thinking was
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: dark and we called good. We call the good bad.
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: We call the bad good things of God. Were foolish
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: to it. But now our thinking has been changed. We
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: evaluate things differently. Our minds have been renewed and are
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: being renewed day by day. Before our hearts were hard.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: We hated God. We did not even care very much
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: for others. Now our hearts are softened because our hearts
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: have been remade. We now give food to the hungry,
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: water to the thirsty, homes to strangers, close to the naked,
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: care to the sick, and comfort to those in prison.
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: See that's how it works. It's not because I'm a
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: do gooder that's trying to earn my way in. So
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: that my good works will outweigh my bad works. We're sunk.
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: If that's the way, it's a gift to get in now.
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: Living out the life is where the works come in.
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: We said goodbye to one of God's masterpieces this week.
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: I wish you could have been with me through the
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: scenes of those men in that reunion. It was a
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: wonderful thing. Have you noticed, not even in the press,
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: not a hint of criticism.
• 36:27
  Speaker 3: That's amazing.
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: People have thanked me for the words. I please. If
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: you can't do that service, you need to hang it up.
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: I mean, good night. I mean that's easier and falling
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: off a log.
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: I just.
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: Got out of the way and let the man who
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: walk the walk tell the story. That's what you want,
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: isn't it. That's what you want. That's what I want.
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: Take the gift, walk the walk. Join me in a
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: few moments.
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: Of prayer, will you Father? We will never get over
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: the wonder of your grace. We thank you for it,
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: no wonder.
• 37:40
  Speaker 2: We call it.
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: Amazing grace because you have taken us just as we are,
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: and you have made us like Christ, and your plan
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: is to spend eternity with us. And we're so grateful
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: we haven't earned our way in, because had we done that,
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: we would be boasting over it. But amazing grace, how
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind,
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: but now I see. Thank you for every person listening today, Father,
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: and for the matchless grace you have applied to their lives, each.
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: One of them.
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: May they come to realize it more and more that
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: this magnificent message of grace never ceases. And as long
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: as this good news of Christ is reaching out to
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: the world that's lost its way, grace comes in its wake,
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: ready to accept whoever just as they are by your grace.
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: And so we live with gratitude because of your grace.
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: And we anticipate that day when we will see you
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: because of your grace, and you will accept us faultless
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: before the presence of your glory with exceeding great joy.
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: And when we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: as the sun, we'll have no less days to sing
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: your grace than when we first begun. We love you, Father,
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: and we thank you for your amazing grace in the
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: name of Jesus our Savior.
• 39:48
  Speaker 3: Amen.
• 40:00
  Speaker 4: It's set sassas.
• 43:46
  Speaker 5: The preceding message. God's artwork on display was copyrighted in
• 43:50
  Speaker 5: two thousand, two thousand and one, and two thousand and nine,
• 43:54
  Speaker 5: and the sound recording was copyrighted in two thousand and
• 43:56
  Speaker 5: nine by Charles R. Swindahl, Inc. All Right hi to
• 44:00
  Speaker 5: are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use
• 44:05
  Speaker 5: is strictly prohibited. In the preceding message, Charles Arswindall Inc.
• 44:09
  Speaker 5: Is grateful to Stonebrier Community Church for permission to use
• 44:13
  Speaker 5: their two thousand and nine performance of the song Grace
• 44:16
  Speaker 5: arranged by Mark Hayes, using the folk tune the Water
• 44:19
  Speaker 5: Is Wide, with lyrics from Amazing Grace by John Newton,
• 44:23
  Speaker 5: copyrighted in nineteen ninety three by Beck and Hurst Press