WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:01.900 in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:02.950 --> 00:00:03.370 Amen. 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:05.100 Amen. 00:00:06.180 --> 00:00:08.420 First question. Before I start, 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:10.700 a question. What is the most 00:00:10.700 --> 00:00:12.680 iconic verse 00:00:12.680 --> 00:00:13.620 in the Word of God? 00:00:14.750 --> 00:00:16.170 Come on. Who? 00:00:18.150 --> 00:00:18.370 Yeah? 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:20.180 Yeah, yeah, yeah? 00:00:26.130 --> 00:00:28.370 Amen! John 3.16. 00:00:28.550 --> 00:00:30.690 Now, we have many nationalities here. 00:00:30.810 --> 00:00:32.290 Who knows it in a different language? 00:00:33.950 --> 00:00:34.970 Yes, Sarah. 00:00:44.610 --> 00:00:45.970 Amen. Did you get that? 00:00:46.430 --> 00:01:04.580 More? More people? Yes, yes. Amen. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:14.900 Many years ago I was in California and they heard where I was from and different languages I spoke 00:01:14.900 --> 00:01:19.520 and they asked me to come up and to speak, to do this in different languages. 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:21.920 So I thought I'm going to do that today. 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:24.580 Well, I'm not going to do it, but I'm going to ask if people know it. 00:01:25.160 --> 00:01:30.280 So let's first start because today we're going to have John 3.16 in our readings. 00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:34.640 So it's a good reading today. 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:35.620 Sarah, will you come up? 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:42.540 It is John 3, 1 to 21. 00:01:47.580 --> 00:01:48.120 Shall I hold it? 00:01:49.270 --> 00:01:51.170 Jesus teaches Nicodemus. 00:01:52.110 --> 00:01:55.530 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:58.050 who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 00:01:58.970 --> 00:02:01.830 He came to Jesus at night and said, 00:02:02.090 --> 00:02:05.490 Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, 00:02:05.490 --> 00:02:12.090 for no one could perform the signs that you are doing if God were not with him. 00:02:12.730 --> 00:02:20.830 Jesus replied, Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 00:02:21.730 --> 00:02:25.370 How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked. 00:02:25.890 --> 00:02:29.870 Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born. 00:02:30.970 --> 00:02:40.610 Jesus answered, Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:45.940 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:50.360 You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. 00:02:50.480 --> 00:02:53.320 The wind blows wherever it pleases. 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:58.660 You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. 00:02:58.660 --> 00:03:08.260 so it is with everyone born of the spirit how can this be nicodemus asked you are israel's teacher 00:03:08.260 --> 00:03:15.000 said jesus and you do not understand these things very truly i tell you we speak of what we know 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:22.600 and we testify of what we have seen but still you people do not accept our testimony i have spoken 00:03:22.600 --> 00:03:28.260 to you of earthly things and you do not believe how then will you believe if i speak of heavenly 00:03:28.260 --> 00:03:35.860 things. No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. 00:03:36.780 --> 00:03:42.680 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:52.010 and everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave 00:03:52.010 --> 00:03:59.190 his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 00:03:59.730 --> 00:04:05.730 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through 00:04:05.730 --> 00:04:12.760 him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, 00:04:13.160 --> 00:04:18.800 because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:21.220 light has come into the world 00:04:21.220 --> 00:04:24.260 but God loved darkness instead of light 00:04:24.260 --> 00:04:25.800 because their deeds were evil 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:29.240 everyone who does evil hates the light 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:30.840 and will not come into the light 00:04:30.840 --> 00:04:33.280 for fear that their deeds will be exposed 00:04:33.280 --> 00:04:36.080 but whoever lives by the truth 00:04:36.080 --> 00:04:37.920 comes into the light 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:40.020 so that it may be plainly seen 00:04:40.020 --> 00:04:41.100 that what they have done 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:43.660 has been done in the sight of God 00:04:43.660 --> 00:04:45.290 Amen 00:04:45.290 --> 00:04:54.960 Thank you 00:04:54.960 --> 00:04:56.740 we get a lot of information 00:04:56.740 --> 00:05:01.000 in this part of Scripture through Nicodemus. 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:05.000 Nicodemus who had lots of questions to Jesus. 00:05:06.190 --> 00:05:07.930 Nicodemus was a Pharisee. 00:05:08.860 --> 00:05:12.160 The Pharisees were the people who lived by the law. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:14.900 They were the ruling class in Jerusalem. 00:05:16.200 --> 00:05:18.720 They were the learned. 00:05:19.200 --> 00:05:23.940 They knew the Torah and the prophets and the traditions. 00:05:24.540 --> 00:05:26.360 Many laws they had added. 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:35.480 they lived by the law, and here Nicodemus had seen Jesus, Jesus who was a rabbi. He had seen 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:47.650 Jesus doing miracles, but he had seen Jesus having authority. The Pharisees were teachers of the law, 00:05:48.250 --> 00:05:55.970 but they were different to Jesus. Jesus had an authority they did not have, and he had seen Jesus 00:05:55.970 --> 00:06:03.840 operating in Jerusalem during his time he was there for the feasts. At night, he didn't want 00:06:03.840 --> 00:06:12.640 to be seen. He came to Jesus to ask those questions. And Jesus immediately, because he says, 00:06:13.780 --> 00:06:23.160 you are, obviously, you are a man of God. And Jesus immediately hits him. Now, I call this Nicodemus, 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:25.520 actually this whole passage. 00:06:25.960 --> 00:06:28.200 Nicodemus, the carnal mind 00:06:28.200 --> 00:06:30.340 versus the spirit. Because the whole 00:06:30.340 --> 00:06:32.060 conversation is 00:06:32.060 --> 00:06:32.940 really about 00:06:32.940 --> 00:06:36.300 the intellect of 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:37.280 Nicodemus 00:06:37.280 --> 00:06:40.530 with Jesus who speaks in the spirit. 00:06:40.910 --> 00:06:41.710 And they talk 00:06:41.710 --> 00:06:44.900 next to one another, above one another 00:06:44.900 --> 00:06:45.700 I must say. 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:48.420 They do not get one another. 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:50.800 At least Nicodemus is not getting Jesus. 00:06:52.410 --> 00:06:52.930 Next one. 00:06:56.590 --> 00:07:09.370 Jesus immediately hits Nicodemus and says this very important, very theological, amazing verse. 00:07:09.590 --> 00:07:13.830 I mean, if we didn't have this verse, we would miss something. 00:07:13.830 --> 00:07:23.510 And it says, very truly, Jesus says, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 00:07:24.070 --> 00:07:26.610 Now, I want to break it down a little bit, this verse. 00:07:27.870 --> 00:07:41.050 First of all, that born again is not just an add-on or being born again many times is sort of thought of as an experience you have 00:07:41.050 --> 00:07:47.900 or something people have talked about and maybe you could have. 00:07:48.620 --> 00:07:54.980 But born again, Jesus very clearly says, you must be born again. 00:07:54.980 --> 00:07:57.160 And he repeats it three times. 00:07:57.160 --> 00:07:58.980 You must be born again. 00:07:59.260 --> 00:08:00.300 Not just that. 00:08:00.780 --> 00:08:05.300 He says, he starts with, very truly I tell you. 00:08:06.380 --> 00:08:07.440 Now that's English. 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:13.740 This week I have to do my exam for my citizenship for my English. 00:08:14.460 --> 00:08:17.640 I'm going to use this word, very truly I tell you. 00:08:18.790 --> 00:08:21.590 They think like, where are you from? 00:08:21.970 --> 00:08:22.690 Very truly. 00:08:22.890 --> 00:08:25.350 Jesus wants to say something here. 00:08:25.470 --> 00:08:26.570 He's very serious. 00:08:27.210 --> 00:08:30.350 And whatever translation you look at, it's the same thing. 00:08:30.730 --> 00:08:32.590 Jesus is serious here. 00:08:32.590 --> 00:08:37.270 He wants to express something to us, to all of us. 00:08:37.510 --> 00:08:42.480 To Nicodemus, who doesn't get a thing of it, but as well to us. 00:08:44.210 --> 00:08:46.050 You must be born again. 00:08:46.590 --> 00:08:50.050 Now, first of all, I want to look at that word, see. 00:08:50.730 --> 00:08:54.240 How do you see the kingdom of God? 00:08:54.380 --> 00:08:56.100 How do you see salvation? 00:08:56.100 --> 00:09:01.880 How do you see getting into salvation or get salvation, attain salvation? 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:04.880 To see, he speaks to Nicodemus here. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:11.220 Nicodemus, who is learned, who knows a lot, who has studied the Word. 00:09:11.920 --> 00:09:15.000 He is well informed. 00:09:15.180 --> 00:09:16.400 And he said, how do you see? 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:18.800 Now Nicodemus walked with the law. 00:09:20.020 --> 00:09:22.100 He obeyed the law. 00:09:22.100 --> 00:09:26.620 And through the law, he thought that he would attain his salvation. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:34.270 Now, Jesus says here, no one can see the kingdom unless they are born again. 00:09:34.490 --> 00:09:39.140 Now, the kingdom, the kingdom, what kingdom is he talking about? 00:09:39.500 --> 00:09:44.700 Now, I have been thinking and sort of going into that kingdom. 00:09:44.800 --> 00:09:46.300 There's a lot to say about kingdom. 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:49.900 You could have just a study on the kingdom. 00:09:49.900 --> 00:09:58.060 but very clearly is Daniel in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar 00:09:58.060 --> 00:10:00.060 who brings the kingdom 00:10:00.060 --> 00:10:03.240 and it is helpful in this situation 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:07.440 now that story was about the king who had a dream 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:08.180 do you remember it? 00:10:08.400 --> 00:10:09.840 the king who had a dream 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:11.460 he had a dream of a statue 00:10:11.460 --> 00:10:15.840 and the statue consisted out of different metals 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.500 the top was gold 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:19.840 the second part was silver 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:26.460 bronze, iron, a mixture of iron and clay, and clay at the bottom. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:33.580 And those different metals, they were different kingdoms. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:35.420 It was a big statue. 00:10:36.780 --> 00:10:41.590 But then from the mountain, the top, was a rock coming down. 00:10:41.750 --> 00:10:45.930 And it says, a rock not cut out by human hands. 00:10:46.730 --> 00:10:50.720 So it was a rock God himself prepared, 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:55.460 was cut out, coming down, down the hill. 00:10:55.560 --> 00:10:58.400 And as it came down the mountain, it became bigger and bigger, 00:10:58.780 --> 00:11:01.660 and it smashed that statue. 00:11:01.660 --> 00:11:04.060 It destroyed that statue. 00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:09.680 And it says not a speck of dust of that statue was left behind. 00:11:12.140 --> 00:11:14.320 That rock was the kingdom of God. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:21.420 And it says that rock would take over, would grow into a mountain and take over the earth. 00:11:22.980 --> 00:11:25.100 That is the kingdom of God. 00:11:25.930 --> 00:11:30.590 Now, with that picture, you understand sort of where we're going. 00:11:31.500 --> 00:11:32.500 The kingdom of God. 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:35.940 You cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born again. 00:11:36.300 --> 00:11:37.500 The kingdom, the kingdom. 00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:38.620 The kingdom of England? 00:11:40.330 --> 00:11:42.070 The kingdom of England will pass away. 00:11:43.620 --> 00:11:47.980 All those kingdoms Daniel was talking about, they've all passed away. 00:11:47.980 --> 00:11:57.440 The kingdom of Babylon, the Babylonians, the Persians, and the Romans, the Greek, the Romans, all passed away. 00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:00.640 And here we are today in the kingdom of England. 00:12:02.650 --> 00:12:09.220 He talks about you cannot see that kingdom, Nicodemus, unless you're born again. 00:12:09.260 --> 00:12:10.980 You need to be born in a kingdom. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.880 If I was born in England, like my wife, I would have been English. 00:12:14.920 --> 00:12:23.110 but i'm not so i have to work hard to get my english citizenship i'm working on it and then 00:12:23.110 --> 00:12:27.910 it's still like do you get it do you don't get it well you are born in it if i was born here 00:12:27.910 --> 00:12:39.840 i would have been british sadly i wasn't to be in that kingdom of god which will be there for 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:47.680 eternity forever you must be born in it and that's why you cannot become a christian by just 00:12:47.680 --> 00:12:56.940 learn something of the scriptures or repeat a verse or you must be born again now we're going 00:12:56.940 --> 00:13:12.340 in there we're going in there second one second slide of course Nicodemus doesn't understand that 00:13:12.340 --> 00:13:21.420 he has many questions how can this be how is this possible he has questions and it's it's really good 00:13:21.420 --> 00:13:27.140 to see because we have many questions we are exactly like how can this be we have questions 00:13:27.140 --> 00:13:33.320 so therefore to follow nicodemus on his trail of of asking those questions is good for us 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:43.090 now jesus is trying to explain it uh and and he's trying to bring that spiritual 00:13:43.090 --> 00:13:50.950 to to to teach him to show him the spiritual and john 6 63 says the spirit gives life the flesh 00:13:50.950 --> 00:13:56.290 counts for nothing, and that's exactly it. The flesh counts for nothing, because they're like 00:13:56.290 --> 00:14:03.590 those kingdoms of the world. They all pass away. They all perish. We, we perish. With those kingdoms, 00:14:03.790 --> 00:14:12.480 we perish too, but the Spirit gives life. We must go on that road of the Spirit. We must find the road 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:13.680 towards the Spirit. 00:14:15.040 --> 00:14:16.160 To be born again 00:14:16.160 --> 00:14:18.000 is how we enter the 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:19.480 kingdom of God. 00:14:27.580 --> 00:14:28.000 Next one. 00:14:32.890 --> 00:14:33.730 Then Jesus says, 00:14:33.790 --> 00:14:34.870 he's even more confused, 00:14:34.970 --> 00:14:35.490 Nicodemus. 00:14:36.130 --> 00:14:37.130 And then Jesus says, 00:14:37.790 --> 00:14:38.770 you are a teacher? 00:14:39.710 --> 00:14:41.130 You're a teacher of the Lord? 00:14:41.290 --> 00:14:42.490 You, this is what you do? 00:14:42.570 --> 00:14:43.530 You teach the people? 00:14:44.700 --> 00:14:45.720 Now Paul says, 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:47.840 can't remember where, 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:49.100 to be a teacher, 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:49.800 be careful 00:14:49.800 --> 00:14:51.060 because you're going to be judged 00:14:51.060 --> 00:14:51.660 even more 00:14:51.660 --> 00:14:53.420 because you're teaching people stuff. 00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:55.340 You're responsible for it. 00:14:55.580 --> 00:14:56.700 Very, very true. 00:14:57.260 --> 00:14:59.060 So he says, you are a teacher. 00:14:59.640 --> 00:15:01.040 You have lots of knowledge. 00:15:01.780 --> 00:15:03.440 Because that's what they did, the Pharisees. 00:15:03.540 --> 00:15:05.440 They gained lots of knowledge. 00:15:06.950 --> 00:15:08.510 And they had knowledge about what? 00:15:08.510 --> 00:15:16.770 They had knowledge about Abraham, about Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, the prophets. 00:15:17.110 --> 00:15:19.510 They had knowledge about people. 00:15:20.290 --> 00:15:22.370 But what did those people have in common? 00:15:23.310 --> 00:15:26.910 those people had relationship with God. 00:15:27.570 --> 00:15:29.250 They had a relationship. 00:15:29.490 --> 00:15:31.810 Abraham walked with God, was called by God. 00:15:32.410 --> 00:15:35.230 Moses was called in the burning bush, 00:15:35.390 --> 00:15:39.730 and he was daily before God in the desert when he set up the tabernacle. 00:15:40.170 --> 00:15:43.190 The prophets, they were in contact with God. 00:15:43.190 --> 00:15:47.730 Those people, the Pharisees were learning about, 00:15:48.350 --> 00:15:50.550 they were studying, 00:15:50.550 --> 00:15:52.610 those people had relationship. 00:15:52.790 --> 00:15:54.770 The Pharisees, on the 00:15:54.770 --> 00:15:56.850 contrary, did not have that 00:15:56.850 --> 00:15:58.960 relationship. They were 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:00.360 studying stuff 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:03.250 about God. And many people 00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:05.630 are like that. They know about God 00:16:05.630 --> 00:16:07.550 but do not know 00:16:07.550 --> 00:16:10.280 God. And that 00:16:10.280 --> 00:16:11.780 is why we have to be 00:16:11.780 --> 00:16:13.740 born again. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:16.440 You can know about God 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:17.460 like the Pharisees 00:16:17.460 --> 00:16:20.440 and have your works like the Pharisees. 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:22.720 The Pharisees lived by the law. 00:16:23.280 --> 00:16:29.760 They were law-abiding and thought through all their programs they would be saved. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:33.170 And they would judge other people on it. 00:16:33.270 --> 00:16:35.070 And that's why Jesus called them hypocrites. 00:16:35.690 --> 00:16:40.490 Because it's not about your works, but it is about your heart. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.860 Your heart needs to have relationship with God. 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:47.940 It's vertical, vertical. 00:16:48.260 --> 00:16:50.240 We must have relationship with God. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:55.540 Jesus is teaching Nicodemus here, and we are going on that journey with him, and he's trying 00:16:55.540 --> 00:17:03.300 to show Nicodemus the spirit you need. You need your heart. It says, for with your heart, Romans 00:17:03.300 --> 00:17:18.920 10, 10, with your heart you believe. Then Jesus is starting to show, actually, a most precious verse, 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:30.210 13 and 14 uh romans uh john 3 13 14 jesus shows how to believe and i love that verse 00:17:30.210 --> 00:17:40.720 jesus says like in the desert when the people of israel complained to god to moses 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:49.050 when we complain when we complain remember the people of israel complained against god and moses 00:17:49.050 --> 00:17:56.440 and God was upset and he sent snakes in venomous snakes and many people got killed I lived in 00:17:56.440 --> 00:18:03.580 Mozambique we had all the venomous snakes you can think of you took care because snakes are dangerous 00:18:03.580 --> 00:18:09.280 I'm not afraid of them but they can bite so you better take a little bit of respect to those 00:18:09.280 --> 00:18:16.040 snakes snakes had come in snakes had killed many people and then they cried out to to Moses and 00:18:16.040 --> 00:18:26.120 said, Moses, intercede for us. Moses, go to God. And God spoke to them and said, make a snake of 00:18:26.120 --> 00:18:37.760 bronze and put it on a pole and put it up high and let people look at that snake. And while they're 00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:49.880 watching, looking, that bronze snake, they will be healed. Just that simple. Just that simple. 00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:57.780 I want to make that clear, the difference between works. Salvation by works does not exist. 00:18:58.620 --> 00:19:07.860 Salvation by works does not exist. He says, look at that copper bronze snake, and they will be 00:19:07.860 --> 00:19:14.180 healed. You just need to look at it. Look at it, Moses said. Now I can imagine many people think 00:19:14.180 --> 00:19:19.960 like, give me a cream. Give me some medicines. What is this for nonsense? What is this for 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:26.720 nonsense? I need to do something. You know, give me some medicine. Moses says, look at that. Just 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:33.650 look at it. Simple. Look at it and you will be healed. And then Jesus says, likewise. Now listen 00:19:33.650 --> 00:19:42.000 to me. Likewise, the Son of God will be lifted up. The Son of God will be lifted up. The cross 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:49.440 of Jesus was lifted up. And he says, likewise, Jesus is teaching us faith here. He said, 00:19:49.440 --> 00:20:00.930 likewise, look at that cross and you will be saved. Because just simply looking at that cross, 00:20:00.930 --> 00:20:12.830 no works no works no works simply looking at that cross and you will be saved it is phenomenal 00:20:12.830 --> 00:20:22.860 it is the grace of god i love it it's the grace of god nothing else it's the grace of god that's 00:20:22.860 --> 00:20:29.540 grace you don't do anything you don't do anything you just look at that cross can we do the next 00:20:29.540 --> 00:20:33.670 God made him 00:20:33.670 --> 00:20:35.760 who had no sin 00:20:35.760 --> 00:20:36.660 to be sin 00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:40.290 so you might become the righteousness of God 00:20:40.290 --> 00:20:41.490 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 00:20:41.490 --> 00:20:44.510 God made him who had no sin 00:20:44.510 --> 00:20:45.570 Jesus Christ 00:20:45.570 --> 00:20:47.570 he sent his son Jesus Christ 00:20:47.570 --> 00:20:48.770 we're going there to our verse 00:20:48.770 --> 00:20:52.630 Jesus Christ had no sin 00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:54.110 became sin 00:20:54.110 --> 00:20:55.770 so you 00:20:55.770 --> 00:20:58.430 might become the righteousness of God 00:20:58.430 --> 00:20:59.070 next verse 00:20:59.070 --> 00:21:12.110 then the old has gone and the new has come next verse there we go for god so loved this world that 00:21:12.110 --> 00:21:20.810 he gave his only one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal 00:21:20.810 --> 00:21:29.410 life and why is this verse so iconic because it got everything in it in this verse it speaks about 00:21:29.410 --> 00:21:35.110 God your creator who loves you each one of you if you have a doubt that God loves you 00:21:35.110 --> 00:21:42.230 look at that verse it speaks about you this is you God loves the world he loves you people so 00:21:42.230 --> 00:21:51.430 much that he gave love gives God gave his only son that whoever believes do you remember believes 00:21:51.430 --> 00:21:57.330 what Jesus said just look at that cross just look at the cross he doesn't say go through dirt go 00:21:57.330 --> 00:22:02.670 through dust go on your knees beat yourself do this no he said just look at that cross 00:22:02.670 --> 00:22:10.260 and you shall not perish all the kingdoms of the world will perish all the earth of the kingdoms 00:22:10.260 --> 00:22:18.740 will perish with us with it we too will perish he says you stand condemned already you are condemned 00:22:18.740 --> 00:22:29.490 but when you look at that cross you shall not perish but have eternal life you will be born 00:22:29.490 --> 00:22:31.770 again. It's so beautiful. 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:33.780 It's so amazing. 00:22:34.300 --> 00:22:35.240 I love it. 00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:38.320 Amen? That is 00:22:38.320 --> 00:22:40.580 the gospel. I'm already too 00:22:40.580 --> 00:22:43.480 late. The 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:45.640 exchange has taken place 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:47.440 when we look at that cross. The 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:49.840 exchange has taken place 00:22:49.840 --> 00:22:51.680 when we look at that cross. 00:22:52.060 --> 00:22:53.020 My sin, 00:22:54.080 --> 00:22:55.500 my all from my 00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:58.070 past, present and future, 00:22:58.070 --> 00:22:59.630 my sin on that cross, 00:22:59.630 --> 00:23:01.990 Jesus has taken it 00:23:01.990 --> 00:23:03.670 me to be free 00:23:03.670 --> 00:23:04.490 I'm free 00:23:04.490 --> 00:23:06.510 I'm free 00:23:06.510 --> 00:23:09.710 that's what Jesus has done 00:23:09.710 --> 00:23:11.770 for us, he gave 00:23:11.770 --> 00:23:13.450 himself to us 00:23:13.450 --> 00:23:17.080 and then when you've done that 00:23:17.080 --> 00:23:18.760 you're born again 00:23:18.760 --> 00:23:21.080 then when I was born again 00:23:21.080 --> 00:23:23.140 a peace came upon me 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:24.480 beyond all understanding 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:26.860 a love came over me like 00:23:26.860 --> 00:23:27.920 liquid gold 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:30.870 the joy, when I come to church 00:23:30.870 --> 00:23:32.610 sometimes. I don't feel like going to church. 00:23:33.110 --> 00:23:34.390 But just the idea 00:23:34.390 --> 00:23:36.970 we're going to worship, that brings me here 00:23:36.970 --> 00:23:38.870 because I just love to praise 00:23:38.870 --> 00:23:40.930 the Lord. It gives me joy 00:23:40.930 --> 00:23:42.630 to praise the Lord. 00:23:43.010 --> 00:23:44.070 It gives you joy. 00:23:44.910 --> 00:23:46.650 And then persecution comes as well. 00:23:46.730 --> 00:23:48.770 When I got born again, I told 00:23:48.770 --> 00:23:50.670 my friends what happened. I was so excited. 00:23:51.450 --> 00:23:52.830 And they're like, nice 00:23:52.830 --> 00:23:54.770 for you. But no, it's not 00:23:54.770 --> 00:23:56.230 for us. It's not for me. 00:23:57.010 --> 00:23:57.410 Do you know that 00:23:57.410 --> 00:23:59.970 phrase? It's not for me. 00:24:00.930 --> 00:24:06.550 you know, and slowly you sort of like, you have nothing in common anymore, and sort of like, you 00:24:06.550 --> 00:24:11.860 lose your friends, you get a persecution, they make fun of you, you know, you are now a happy 00:24:11.860 --> 00:24:20.340 clappy, you are now, you know, but anyway, so that thing, persecution comes in, but you know what, 00:24:21.170 --> 00:24:28.530 as well, God's convicted me, all sorts of things happened, but he brought some conviction, 00:24:28.530 --> 00:24:40.340 Persuasion, people who I've really felt I should ask forgiveness or should speak to 00:24:40.340 --> 00:24:44.970 were my parents, because I had been very rude to my parents. 00:24:45.110 --> 00:24:50.990 I had many fights with my parents, and I felt like I had to apologize. 00:24:51.570 --> 00:24:54.160 I had to ask forgiveness. 00:24:55.690 --> 00:24:56.250 Difficult. 00:24:56.630 --> 00:24:57.770 And I wrote them a letter. 00:24:57.770 --> 00:25:00.230 A friend of mine said, why don't you write a letter? 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:06.270 now you don't you don't need to do it face to face and you will meet them anyway so then it will 00:25:06.270 --> 00:25:12.670 be brought up so i wrote them a letter and it just brought such a peace and such a love in 00:25:12.670 --> 00:25:17.810 our relationship and when i met my parents they have been so supportive and the rest of my life 00:25:17.810 --> 00:25:23.640 and all our ministry they were our biggest supporters and you know what they told me they 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:31.900 have been praying for me to be saved. And there I realized the correlation between prayer and being 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:41.700 saved. That when you pray and pray for your loved ones and pray again, God answers prayer. Like God 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:48.840 heard Moses, he hears you. When you pray, he hears you. And it might not be immediately, but God hears 00:25:48.840 --> 00:25:55.820 you that correlation between prayer that set me up for intercession and when i went to africa 00:25:55.820 --> 00:26:03.220 and we were with many children we had the children home for 21 years what brought the first thing what 00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:09.300 really hit me was those kids have no one to pray for them those kids who have been dedicated to 00:26:09.300 --> 00:26:15.560 their ancestral spirits those kids who have come from darkness jesus speaks about the light in the 00:26:15.560 --> 00:26:23.200 darkness they have been in darkness all their lives all their their ancestors those people 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:29.140 those kids you know who stands in the gap for them and i really felt like building a prayer 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:33.100 house and praying for them that's what i did we had lots of difficulties and i prayed for them 00:26:33.100 --> 00:26:39.820 did it go well no it didn't go well i fasted i fasted fasting just humbling myself praying for 00:26:39.820 --> 00:26:45.440 those kids then we had many problems and god said take those take three kids those three difficult 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:51.660 kids. Bring them in the prayer house. Make them fast and pray. Ask them if they want to fast and 00:26:51.660 --> 00:26:59.200 pray or leave your household. They fasted with me. About the 13th day, the power of the Holy Spirit 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:05.980 came into the house of prayer. Those kids were saved. They were born again. And after that, so 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:12.360 many people wanted to pray and fast. And our whole ministry changed because of that. Because of simple 00:27:12.360 --> 00:27:24.370 prayer and fasting and that's can we do the next one that's the gospel this painting this is a 00:27:24.370 --> 00:27:29.850 painting i painted just after i got born again it's a cross i painted lots of crosses because i 00:27:29.850 --> 00:27:37.390 was blown away with the cross the cross but this cross has a gate in it you see it has a gate in it 00:27:37.390 --> 00:27:41.850 because the cross is the gateway to your life. 00:27:42.790 --> 00:27:45.650 The cross is your new life. 00:27:46.030 --> 00:27:48.490 You're not going to stand at the cross for the rest of your life. 00:27:48.730 --> 00:27:51.210 You're not standing here for the rest of holding on to the cross. 00:27:51.450 --> 00:27:56.160 No, the cross is the beginning to your new life. 00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:58.360 From the cross you go. 00:27:59.530 --> 00:28:00.510 The old is gone. 00:28:00.730 --> 00:28:01.530 The new has come. 00:28:01.530 --> 00:28:05.290 The plan and purpose starts at the cross. 00:28:06.940 --> 00:28:11.230 Now, 40 years on, I look back and see what God has done. 00:28:11.590 --> 00:28:12.310 You have a testimony. 00:28:13.070 --> 00:28:14.650 God has done so many things. 00:28:15.190 --> 00:28:15.930 You have a testimony. 00:28:17.550 --> 00:28:20.420 That's what I want to ask you. 00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:27.900 If you feel burning in your heart, you feel like, I need Jesus. 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:29.480 I'm not born again. 00:28:30.610 --> 00:28:33.650 If you feel like, I've never experienced that. 00:28:33.790 --> 00:28:35.010 I've never given my life. 00:28:35.010 --> 00:28:37.250 I want you to come forward. 00:28:37.870 --> 00:28:41.410 While the worship is going, I want you to come forward. 00:28:42.150 --> 00:28:42.970 We'll pray for you. 00:28:43.830 --> 00:28:49.940 And secondly, I feel like people who have loved ones who are not saved, 00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:55.480 and they feel like, I want to pray and stand in agreement. 00:28:55.980 --> 00:28:58.560 I want to pray and stand in agreement for those loved ones. 00:28:59.000 --> 00:28:59.520 Come forward. 00:28:59.800 --> 00:29:02.560 We pray with you for your loved ones to be saved. 00:29:03.120 --> 00:29:04.400 It is your prayer. 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:06.220 It is the beginning of their salvation. 00:29:06.700 --> 00:29:10.780 I've seen God move and work, experienced it myself. 00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:13.020 I got saved because my parents prayed for me. 00:29:14.530 --> 00:29:15.830 Probably you the same. 00:29:16.010 --> 00:29:17.630 Many people have those experiences. 00:29:18.070 --> 00:29:20.190 So therefore, we want to stand with you in agreement. 00:29:20.610 --> 00:29:24.710 If you have people, loved ones, you want to bring to the Lord, 00:29:24.810 --> 00:29:26.050 to be saved, come forward. 00:29:26.690 --> 00:29:33.210 Jesus says, no one comes to Jesus except the drawn by the Father. 00:29:33.610 --> 00:29:34.630 John 6, 44. 00:29:35.030 --> 00:29:36.030 God draws. 00:29:36.030 --> 00:29:38.590 The Father draws people in. 00:29:38.770 --> 00:29:40.750 He draws them in by the Holy Spirit. 00:29:41.110 --> 00:29:46.770 When we pray, like Moses prayed, stood in the gap for the people of Israel, 00:29:47.110 --> 00:29:48.050 God hears. 00:29:48.270 --> 00:29:54.060 When we pray together, we stand in agreement, God will hear our prayers. 00:29:54.990 --> 00:29:57.070 So I want to ask the worship team to come. 00:29:58.620 --> 00:30:00.200 We are here to pray with you. 00:30:03.580 --> 00:30:06.340 Let me just finish prayer with a prayer. 00:30:06.340 --> 00:30:10.020 Father we thank you 00:30:10.020 --> 00:30:12.060 for this moment in time 00:30:12.060 --> 00:30:13.990 as you see 00:30:13.990 --> 00:30:15.110 our hearts 00:30:15.110 --> 00:30:18.120 as you know each one of us 00:30:18.120 --> 00:30:19.520 as your 00:30:19.520 --> 00:30:22.320 heart is for each 00:30:22.320 --> 00:30:23.960 person in this room 00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:25.660 each person watching 00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:28.100 online to be saved 00:30:28.100 --> 00:30:31.020 Lord you gave 00:30:31.020 --> 00:30:33.180 your son Jesus Christ 00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:34.380 for us 00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:36.530 that when we believe 00:30:36.530 --> 00:30:37.850 we would be saved 00:30:37.850 --> 00:30:40.020 and Lord I pray 00:30:40.020 --> 00:30:42.940 today will be a new day 00:30:42.940 --> 00:30:45.360 for each one of us 00:30:45.360 --> 00:30:46.820 in Jesus name I pray