1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:05,800 S1: Broadcasting from Chicago, across North America and beyond. Come as 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:11,399 S1: you are an experienced guide, overcome what seems impossible and 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,360 S1: live as you never imagined. Start your morning with a laugh. 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,599 S2: Practical from the Bible. Tips and tricks to kill. Not tricks, 5 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:26,239 S2: but tips and tricks. Tips and tricks to kill. Tips 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:26,880 S2: and tricks. 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:28,880 S1: Delivering the truth daily. 8 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,720 S3: All of my attempts to, you know, prop myself up 9 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,280 S3: with achievement in good works. Well, God wasn't impressed by that. 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,720 S3: Even if other people were. 11 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,519 S2: The gospel changes everything. 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,760 S4: Freedom in Christ. Man, it's like that backpack of cement 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:44,680 S4: just falling to the ground. 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,160 S1: Now, from the call of Hope Studios, this is Carl 15 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:49,800 S1: and crew. 16 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,000 S3: Hey, hey, it's Freedom Friday here on Carl and crew. 17 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,200 S3: I'm really glad to have you with us this morning. 18 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,640 S3: I did not get to give you the show cast. 19 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,380 S3: Link ran out of time. So text the word show 20 00:01:01,620 --> 00:01:09,179 S3: to 800 555 7898. Text show to 800 555 7898. 21 00:01:09,340 --> 00:01:14,020 S3: Funny thing around here we have a constantly ticking clock. Yes, 22 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:17,179 S3: but our clock. Excuse me? Our clock. You don't just 23 00:01:17,180 --> 00:01:22,500 S3: see the minutes and the hour. You actually see the seconds. 24 00:01:22,540 --> 00:01:24,740 S2: Yes. It's a whole separate number. 25 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:27,059 S3: It's just kind of a funny thing, because I don't 26 00:01:27,060 --> 00:01:29,580 S3: know that you see this kind of a clock anywhere 27 00:01:30,260 --> 00:01:34,180 S3: outside of any other. Are there any other, like, lines 28 00:01:34,180 --> 00:01:37,459 S3: of work where time is down to the second? Other 29 00:01:37,459 --> 00:01:38,220 S3: than media? 30 00:01:38,420 --> 00:01:41,140 S2: Ah, that's a good question. I don't know. I mean, 31 00:01:41,180 --> 00:01:44,140 S2: probably like NASA, but I don't know. 32 00:01:44,180 --> 00:01:44,540 S3: Yeah. 33 00:01:44,580 --> 00:01:46,380 S2: Maybe that's I mean, that's just conjecture. 34 00:01:46,940 --> 00:01:49,260 S4: Yeah, that would be that would make sense. 35 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:50,660 S3: Something down to the second. 36 00:01:50,700 --> 00:01:55,140 S2: Yeah. But but for the insider kind of scoop that, uh, 37 00:01:55,140 --> 00:01:56,780 S2: that we want to let you in on is that 38 00:01:56,780 --> 00:02:01,200 S2: at the end of every hour it ends whether we 39 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,520 S2: are done talking or not. And so. 40 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,880 S3: And down to the second. So if you miss it 41 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,120 S3: by a second, you'll get cut off. 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,080 S2: Yep. Exactly. 43 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,600 S3: But I am curious, though, if you work in some 44 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:17,040 S3: sort of field where you things are timed to the second. 45 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,000 S3: I'm curious because I really am wondering if this is 46 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,200 S3: if this is just a media thing, or maybe there's 47 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:28,200 S3: something that I'm forgetting. Text us (800) 555-7898. If you are 48 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:34,600 S3: in a job where you are down to the second (800) 555-7898. 49 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,960 S3: Would medicine be in that category? 50 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:38,919 S4: Hospital. 51 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:40,880 S3: Well, you know, it might. 52 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:47,200 S4: Surgery rooms. I'm thinking possibly procedures as they're clocking, you know, 53 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,320 S4: surgical procedures. That's a very good point. I could see 54 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,720 S4: that (800) 555-7898. 55 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,859 S3: Coach me up on it. I'm just is just pure curiosity. 56 00:02:56,860 --> 00:02:59,859 S3: It's going nowhere else than just. I'm wondering. 57 00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:03,100 S2: I mean, the medical field is is right. You know, uh, 58 00:03:03,660 --> 00:03:07,980 S2: the doctor gave us a time of birth down to 59 00:03:08,020 --> 00:03:12,060 S2: the minute and the seconds on on my daughter being born. 60 00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:12,380 S4: Yes. 61 00:03:12,419 --> 00:03:15,060 S2: Okay. So. So there's that. People are saying sports, but 62 00:03:15,060 --> 00:03:15,780 S2: sports are. 63 00:03:16,139 --> 00:03:18,299 S3: I guess I should have known that being married to 64 00:03:18,340 --> 00:03:19,619 S3: a basketball coach. 65 00:03:19,660 --> 00:03:20,620 S2: Yeah. That's true. 66 00:03:20,660 --> 00:03:21,100 S3: Yes. 67 00:03:21,139 --> 00:03:22,780 S2: I guess I think a sports in order of. 68 00:03:22,820 --> 00:03:24,700 S3: Being job goes down to the second. 69 00:03:24,740 --> 00:03:25,260 S2: Yeah it. 70 00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:27,980 S3: Does. I've seen many a game that was decided in 71 00:03:27,980 --> 00:03:31,780 S3: the last seconds of a game. Yeah. And you know, 72 00:03:31,820 --> 00:03:35,619 S3: it's even it goes even more because in sports it 73 00:03:35,660 --> 00:03:38,660 S3: is not just like there could be point two seconds 74 00:03:38,660 --> 00:03:39,260 S3: on a clock. 75 00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:39,740 S2: Yes. 76 00:03:39,900 --> 00:03:41,780 S3: Right. Yeah. And so I don't know how this works 77 00:03:41,780 --> 00:03:44,420 S3: in other sports, but in basketball I think it's if 78 00:03:44,420 --> 00:03:48,580 S3: it's point two seconds, the referees know in advance that 79 00:03:48,580 --> 00:03:52,180 S3: point two seconds is not time to do anything else 80 00:03:52,340 --> 00:03:55,790 S3: except for get the ball like heave it from out 81 00:03:55,830 --> 00:03:58,510 S3: of bounds toward the basket and get a tip in. 82 00:03:58,550 --> 00:04:01,030 S3: That's the only thing that can happen in 0.2 seconds. 83 00:04:01,070 --> 00:04:03,710 S2: Wow. That's so crazy. So there's so they have it 84 00:04:03,710 --> 00:04:04,510 S2: down to the millisecond. 85 00:04:04,510 --> 00:04:06,830 S3: So they know. And they know this because the clock 86 00:04:06,830 --> 00:04:09,070 S3: operator is not going to be perfect. So if they 87 00:04:09,110 --> 00:04:12,190 S3: were to let's say they were to somehow inbound the 88 00:04:12,190 --> 00:04:15,470 S3: ball to a person who then takes a shot, it 89 00:04:15,470 --> 00:04:19,550 S3: automatically would not count because you know, that's not enough time. 90 00:04:19,589 --> 00:04:20,109 S2: Okay. 91 00:04:20,150 --> 00:04:23,510 S3: So with 0.2 seconds, your only shot is the one 92 00:04:23,510 --> 00:04:25,390 S3: that you throw it at the rim so that the 93 00:04:25,390 --> 00:04:29,590 S3: clock doesn't start until someone touches the ball and that 94 00:04:29,589 --> 00:04:31,789 S3: try to get that tip in. And that's worked before. 95 00:04:31,790 --> 00:04:35,630 S3: There have been games that were won in 0.2 seconds. 96 00:04:35,670 --> 00:04:38,430 S2: That's crazy. Yeah. Football I mean, is a little different, 97 00:04:38,430 --> 00:04:42,790 S2: but not entirely. So football, you can run, you can 98 00:04:42,790 --> 00:04:48,430 S2: play past zero, but the play has to start before 99 00:04:48,430 --> 00:04:51,030 S2: the clock hits zero. So you can call a timeout 100 00:04:51,070 --> 00:04:53,850 S2: at one second left. But. And then and then you 101 00:04:53,850 --> 00:04:56,050 S2: get as much time in that play to let that 102 00:04:56,050 --> 00:04:57,010 S2: play play out. 103 00:04:57,050 --> 00:05:00,849 S3: Okay, so gotten some other feedback from you. 7684 says 104 00:05:00,890 --> 00:05:07,650 S3: factory automation. Interesting. 4132 MRI scanners go to minutes and seconds. 105 00:05:08,050 --> 00:05:13,370 S3: Uh 8250 surgical procedures and interventions at a certain time. 106 00:05:13,529 --> 00:05:18,250 S3: 7623 as a pastor, I'm pretty sure our congregation uses seconds. 107 00:05:18,450 --> 00:05:24,090 S3: Are they timing your sermon, pastor? He's five seconds over teaching. 108 00:05:24,089 --> 00:05:29,170 S3: 0345 medicine pulse. Yeah. I guess if you're taking someone's pulse, 109 00:05:29,210 --> 00:05:33,930 S3: you're tracking the seconds. 8747 I'm a fitness instructor, and 110 00:05:33,930 --> 00:05:35,890 S3: my workouts are timed in seconds. 111 00:05:35,930 --> 00:05:36,489 S4: All right. 112 00:05:36,529 --> 00:05:41,729 S3: Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Dance choreography. I'm surprised you didn't 113 00:05:41,730 --> 00:05:42,650 S3: say that, Diana. 114 00:05:42,690 --> 00:05:44,089 S4: I didn't think. 115 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:47,090 S3: Car races, air traffic control. 116 00:05:47,450 --> 00:05:47,690 S4: Oh. 117 00:05:48,010 --> 00:05:50,850 S3: Yeah. I guess that would be pretty exacting. 118 00:05:51,050 --> 00:05:51,650 S2: Better be. 119 00:05:51,690 --> 00:05:56,790 S3: Okay, This has been illuminating. Yeah. Thank you. Barrel racing 7231. 120 00:05:56,830 --> 00:05:59,349 S2: I feel like any kind of racing. Probably. But barrel 121 00:05:59,350 --> 00:06:00,630 S2: racing is an interesting pick. 122 00:06:01,110 --> 00:06:02,950 S4: Yeah. Track every. Yeah. 123 00:06:03,910 --> 00:06:04,390 S3: Yeah. 124 00:06:04,430 --> 00:06:06,429 S2: I mean any sport for sure. 125 00:06:06,470 --> 00:06:09,830 S3: Any sport and yes many, many races in track. The 126 00:06:09,830 --> 00:06:12,910 S3: winning time is always going to be in seconds. Yeah 127 00:06:13,110 --> 00:06:14,750 S3: I mean anything pretty much. 128 00:06:14,750 --> 00:06:15,029 S4: Zero. 129 00:06:15,070 --> 00:06:18,270 S3: Like pretty much anything 400m and less is going to 130 00:06:18,270 --> 00:06:20,550 S3: be decided in seconds if it's at a high level. 131 00:06:20,710 --> 00:06:21,390 S2: Absolutely. 132 00:06:21,630 --> 00:06:23,349 S3: Middle school you're going over though. 133 00:06:24,350 --> 00:06:25,109 S2: A little bit. 134 00:06:25,390 --> 00:06:29,230 S3: Those middle school track meets, well, plodding around the track. 135 00:06:29,990 --> 00:06:33,469 S3: How many minutes in are we coming up on this 136 00:06:33,470 --> 00:06:36,270 S3: Freedom Friday? We are going to have a special pop 137 00:06:36,270 --> 00:06:40,630 S3: in from a very familiar voice and name, Doctor Erwin 138 00:06:40,670 --> 00:06:42,030 S3: Lutzer coming up. 139 00:06:43,150 --> 00:06:47,630 S1: Breaking chains and running free. You're listening to Carl and crew. 140 00:06:47,750 --> 00:06:51,250 S3: Well, everyone has had this experience at least once in 141 00:06:51,290 --> 00:06:54,650 S3: their life, probably more. There was something that you were 142 00:06:54,650 --> 00:06:58,050 S3: praying for, that you were believing God for maybe begging 143 00:06:58,050 --> 00:07:03,090 S3: God for. And as time passed, you didn't get the 144 00:07:03,089 --> 00:07:08,850 S3: answer that you wanted. Sometimes it's associated with disappointment. Sometimes 145 00:07:08,850 --> 00:07:11,810 S3: devastation is more of an accurate word to describe the 146 00:07:11,810 --> 00:07:16,770 S3: emotion that surrounds the feeling. Like, Does God even care? 147 00:07:17,050 --> 00:07:21,050 S3: Does he hear my prayers? What's the point of asking when? 148 00:07:21,370 --> 00:07:26,930 S3: Sometimes the answer's no. Got a familiar voice to weigh 149 00:07:26,930 --> 00:07:29,650 S3: into this? Doctor Erwin Lutzer joining us right now. His 150 00:07:29,650 --> 00:07:33,210 S3: latest book, Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers A Biblical 151 00:07:33,210 --> 00:07:37,210 S3: Guide to God's Hidden Purposes. First, let's just speak to 152 00:07:37,250 --> 00:07:41,690 S3: the emotion, the pain, the disappointment, the devastation that that 153 00:07:41,690 --> 00:07:44,970 S3: comes with a prayer that's not answered in the way 154 00:07:44,970 --> 00:07:47,690 S3: that we were asking God to move. 155 00:07:48,250 --> 00:07:51,270 S5: Well, you know, Ellie, here's the truth. There are many 156 00:07:51,270 --> 00:07:55,310 S5: people who deconstruct, to use a prison term from the 157 00:07:55,310 --> 00:08:01,309 S5: Christian life because they have experienced unanswered prayer. Perhaps they've 158 00:08:01,310 --> 00:08:05,390 S5: prayed for somebody to be healed and the person wasn't healed. 159 00:08:05,630 --> 00:08:08,870 S5: Or they asked God for help and direction in a 160 00:08:08,870 --> 00:08:11,230 S5: certain part of their life, and they feel God didn't 161 00:08:11,230 --> 00:08:14,510 S5: come through for them. So they say to themselves, why 162 00:08:14,510 --> 00:08:17,990 S5: should I bother? Like one person said, to use an 163 00:08:17,990 --> 00:08:21,350 S5: old expression, this was years ago. I remember he said, 164 00:08:21,350 --> 00:08:24,950 S5: God isn't worth a plugged nickel to me. Why? I 165 00:08:24,950 --> 00:08:28,630 S5: asked him for this, this, this, and I didn't receive it. 166 00:08:28,630 --> 00:08:31,429 S5: So I'm out of here. So the purpose of this 167 00:08:31,430 --> 00:08:36,710 S5: book is to give people encouragement and hope. And it 168 00:08:36,710 --> 00:08:40,550 S5: doesn't answer all the questions about the complexity of prayer. 169 00:08:40,950 --> 00:08:43,390 S5: But what it does do is to help them to 170 00:08:43,429 --> 00:08:47,770 S5: understand that in the Bible, there were many unanswered prayers. 171 00:08:47,770 --> 00:08:50,209 S5: I deal with a number of them in the book 172 00:08:50,410 --> 00:08:56,010 S5: and that God continues to guide. He has hidden purposes 173 00:08:56,010 --> 00:08:58,410 S5: which we may not understand, and we don't have to 174 00:08:58,450 --> 00:09:03,010 S5: understand really to know that those purposes are there. And 175 00:09:03,010 --> 00:09:07,530 S5: so we have to keep believing, keep trusting. And so 176 00:09:07,530 --> 00:09:09,890 S5: in this sense, I think it's a book of hope. 177 00:09:10,809 --> 00:09:13,050 S3: Doctor Erwin Lutzer, our guest right now, if you have 178 00:09:13,050 --> 00:09:16,290 S3: not heard him before, pastor emeritus of Moody Church. He 179 00:09:16,330 --> 00:09:19,329 S3: hosts the program Running to Win, a daily Bible teaching 180 00:09:19,330 --> 00:09:22,209 S3: broadcast right here on Moody Radio. You know, you mentioned 181 00:09:22,250 --> 00:09:26,010 S3: the unanswered prayers in Scripture. Kind of first blush. It 182 00:09:26,010 --> 00:09:29,090 S3: seems like almost everybody gets their prayers answered, that people 183 00:09:29,090 --> 00:09:32,650 S3: who asked for healing, uh, eyes that were blind, that 184 00:09:32,650 --> 00:09:35,929 S3: asked for sight, got it. Uh, the lame walked. It 185 00:09:35,929 --> 00:09:39,850 S3: didn't seem like anybody heard. No in the Bible. Is 186 00:09:39,850 --> 00:09:40,850 S3: that not the case? 187 00:09:41,410 --> 00:09:43,890 S5: Well, you know, when you stop to think of it, 188 00:09:43,890 --> 00:09:48,109 S5: Jesus was doing many miracles to authenticate who he was. 189 00:09:48,590 --> 00:09:52,230 S5: But you know, that does not continue in that way. 190 00:09:52,270 --> 00:09:54,990 S5: As a matter of fact, the first chapter in the 191 00:09:54,990 --> 00:09:58,470 S5: book is entitled you can name it, but you can't 192 00:09:58,470 --> 00:10:02,190 S5: claim it. And in that book, I talk about a 193 00:10:02,190 --> 00:10:05,270 S5: woman who said to me, God has forsaken me because 194 00:10:05,270 --> 00:10:08,510 S5: she was listening to a televangelist who said that healing 195 00:10:08,510 --> 00:10:12,030 S5: is in the atonement. You can have be healed whenever 196 00:10:12,030 --> 00:10:15,950 S5: you want to. And my parents knew a couple who 197 00:10:15,950 --> 00:10:19,709 S5: believed that they would never die because they would just 198 00:10:19,710 --> 00:10:23,910 S5: keep receiving healing from God. And so I show the 199 00:10:23,950 --> 00:10:28,949 S5: errors of that. God does heal, definitely, but we can't 200 00:10:28,950 --> 00:10:33,790 S5: insist that he heal everyone. And when you get into 201 00:10:33,790 --> 00:10:36,430 S5: the epistles, when you get into the writings of Paul, 202 00:10:36,429 --> 00:10:40,870 S5: for example, you don't have that same kind of, uh, 203 00:10:40,910 --> 00:10:45,240 S5: teaching regarding God's will and that, you know, we can 204 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,000 S5: depend on God to answer all of our prayers. As 205 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,680 S5: a matter of fact, while I'm speaking, I can't help 206 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,000 S5: but think of Paul in Philippians who says, you know 207 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,760 S5: that you commit yourself, be anxious for nothing, but in 208 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,679 S5: everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests 209 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,559 S5: be made known unto God. And the peace of God 210 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,080 S5: which passes understanding will be yours. He does not say 211 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,720 S5: that you'll always get what you ask for. So yes, 212 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,800 S5: in the ministry of Jesus there seem to be many healings, 213 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:23,040 S5: although there were some where they were not healed. But 214 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,960 S5: we must go and understand that the promises of God 215 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:32,920 S5: are a a men and very trustworthy. But nowhere in 216 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,679 S5: the scriptures do we have a promise that in this 217 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:41,760 S5: age we can trust God for healing in every instance. 218 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,939 S5: So that's one of the ways in which I'd answer 219 00:11:44,940 --> 00:11:46,859 S5: your very perceptive question. 220 00:11:47,740 --> 00:11:50,420 S3: So let's talk about the faith that because we know 221 00:11:50,420 --> 00:11:54,460 S3: that faith without faith, it's impossible to please God. So 222 00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:58,660 S3: we pray in faith, believing that God can answer. What 223 00:11:58,660 --> 00:12:01,940 S3: do we need to understand about him? To maintain a 224 00:12:01,940 --> 00:12:05,860 S3: posture of faith and not doubt, but not presume upon 225 00:12:05,860 --> 00:12:06,620 S3: the answer? 226 00:12:07,220 --> 00:12:10,100 S5: What we have to do is our posture has to 227 00:12:10,140 --> 00:12:14,540 S5: always be one of submission. And you know, since you're 228 00:12:14,540 --> 00:12:18,580 S5: asking that question, which is another very good question, I'm 229 00:12:18,620 --> 00:12:21,699 S5: going to jump to chapter six in the book. Okay. 230 00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:26,820 S5: And it is the most revealing truth that I think 231 00:12:26,820 --> 00:12:32,620 S5: we can absorb. Jesus is in Gethsemane. Three times he 232 00:12:32,620 --> 00:12:36,540 S5: says this O father, ABBA, father, all things are possible 233 00:12:36,540 --> 00:12:40,420 S5: for you. Remove this cup from me. And he prays 234 00:12:40,420 --> 00:12:45,880 S5: it three times with agony. Aren't you glad that God 235 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:50,719 S5: did not answer that request? Because if he had, we 236 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:54,439 S5: would not be redeemed. Wow. So we have to understand 237 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:59,679 S5: that throughout Scripture there are many examples of unanswered prayer. 238 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,000 S5: People who kept believing. And since you raise the issue, 239 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,120 S5: there's another chapter in the book about Habakkuk. He cries 240 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,960 S5: to God because the nation is in distress and he's saying, God, 241 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:16,120 S5: where are you? You know, violence is increasing. All these 242 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,120 S5: things are happening. Why aren't you doing something? Well, I 243 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,240 S5: can't go into detail, obviously, but back and forth, he 244 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:27,600 S5: and God. God communicates with him. But at the end, 245 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,360 S5: when he realizes the sovereignty of God and the purposes 246 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:37,560 S5: of God, he begins a life of praise. And I 247 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:41,940 S5: make the point that if you have a pulse, you 248 00:13:41,940 --> 00:13:46,740 S5: still have a praise. So here's a prophet. In fact, 249 00:13:46,740 --> 00:13:49,820 S5: what God said to Habakkuk basically is, oh, you want 250 00:13:49,860 --> 00:13:53,300 S5: deliverance for your nation? And you think, I'm not doing anything. 251 00:13:53,340 --> 00:13:57,300 S5: I'm doing something. I'm bringing the Babylonians to destroy your country. 252 00:13:57,540 --> 00:14:02,180 S5: So I am doing something. And Habakkuk initially in the 253 00:14:02,179 --> 00:14:04,660 S5: book says, oh my, I wish I wouldn't have asked. 254 00:14:04,860 --> 00:14:08,780 S5: But he ends with the sovereignty of God and with praise. 255 00:14:08,780 --> 00:14:10,860 S5: And to all the people who are listening out there 256 00:14:10,860 --> 00:14:14,740 S5: right now who expected answers to their prayers that they 257 00:14:14,740 --> 00:14:20,700 S5: didn't get, your best response is to praise God. We 258 00:14:20,700 --> 00:14:25,900 S5: live by promises. We don't live by explanations. God doesn't 259 00:14:25,900 --> 00:14:29,580 S5: owe us explanations, but we have to believe and to 260 00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:34,980 S5: trust that even in the midst of distress and unanswered prayer, 261 00:14:35,460 --> 00:14:40,000 S5: we go on believing. And that is the highest degree 262 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:41,080 S5: of faith. 263 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,120 S3: Doctor Erwin Lutzer, our guest right now. Coming up, Doctor Lutzer, 264 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,520 S3: I'm going to ask you a personal question. I'm going 265 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,360 S3: to ask you how in your own life you've processed 266 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,160 S3: the disappointment of unanswered prayers, not asking for details or specifics, 267 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,440 S3: but how has the Lord helped you when you've been disappointed? 268 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,160 S3: More coming up here on Carl and crew. 269 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,440 S1: He was running from God, but God's love brought him home. 270 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,520 S1: Carl is in the crew. It's Carl and crew on 271 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:09,640 S1: Moody Radio. 272 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:10,880 S6: It's Freedom Friday here. 273 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,280 S3: On Carl and crew. We've got Doctor Erwin Lutzer as 274 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,800 S3: our special guest this morning. We're talking about the pain, 275 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,640 S3: the disappointment of Unanswered Prayers out of a new book 276 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,320 S3: that Doctor Lutzer has out. It's called Why Doesn't God 277 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,760 S3: Answer My Prayers? How have you, Pastor Lutzer processed with 278 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:31,200 S3: the Lord disappointment of your own unanswered prayers? Because no 279 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:35,360 S3: one goes through a lifetime without some times where they 280 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,860 S3: feel like God's going to do something and he doesn't, 281 00:15:37,860 --> 00:15:40,540 S3: or he does it differently. How have you handled that? 282 00:15:41,340 --> 00:15:45,620 S5: You know, I've handled it by submission and faith. Now 283 00:15:45,620 --> 00:15:49,220 S5: I don't handle it perfectly. But let me tell you 284 00:15:49,220 --> 00:15:53,300 S5: that even physically, I've experienced some ailments. I wish they 285 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:56,859 S5: were taken away. But you think of the apostle Paul 286 00:15:57,700 --> 00:16:00,220 S5: who had a thorn in the flesh. He asked God 287 00:16:00,220 --> 00:16:03,620 S5: to take it away. God says, no, but God says, 288 00:16:03,620 --> 00:16:06,860 S5: I will give you grace. You asked for the gift 289 00:16:06,860 --> 00:16:10,420 S5: of healing, but I'm going to give you a different gift. 290 00:16:10,740 --> 00:16:14,660 S5: I'm going to give you the gift of grace. And so, 291 00:16:14,700 --> 00:16:19,300 S5: in the midst of disappointment, have I experienced unanswered prayer? Yes. 292 00:16:19,580 --> 00:16:24,020 S5: Sometimes in this life we see the fact that it's 293 00:16:24,020 --> 00:16:27,460 S5: good that the prayer was unanswered. I mean, when I 294 00:16:27,460 --> 00:16:30,940 S5: was much younger and I was thinking that I was 295 00:16:30,940 --> 00:16:36,360 S5: going to marry someone, that prayer was not answered. But 296 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:41,400 S5: that was very, very gracious of God because instead of 297 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:47,160 S5: that relationship, God had Rebecca for me. So we don't 298 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,360 S5: at the time see God's purposes. But, you know, God 299 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,640 S5: can see around corners and we can't. So I was 300 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:59,520 S5: just talking to somebody who wanted to run for Congress 301 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,920 S5: because he felt that this was God's calling. And yet 302 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,800 S5: God closed the door and I told him, I said, 303 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,480 S5: you can't see around corners. You have no idea what 304 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,080 S5: God protected you from. So what we must do is 305 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:17,280 S5: to trust God. Now imagine this in the book of Hebrews, 306 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,480 S5: you have two kinds of heroes. In chapter 11, you 307 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,800 S5: have all those who have seen the miracles, you know, 308 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,760 S5: and Daniel, and closing the mouths of lions and all that. 309 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,400 S5: And then suddenly in the middle of verse 35, there's 310 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:35,050 S5: a break. But others, they were Founded. They went about 311 00:17:35,050 --> 00:17:41,409 S5: in sheepskins and goatskins, hiding in dens and caves and 312 00:17:41,410 --> 00:17:45,530 S5: rocks in the mountains. And they were put to death. 313 00:17:45,970 --> 00:17:49,209 S5: Notice this. You don't have to see a miracle to 314 00:17:49,250 --> 00:17:52,650 S5: be in God's heroes of faith. 315 00:17:52,690 --> 00:17:53,130 S3: Wow. 316 00:17:53,290 --> 00:17:56,250 S5: What you need to do is to keep on believing 317 00:17:56,250 --> 00:18:00,810 S5: and trusting, even if God doesn't come through for you. 318 00:18:01,450 --> 00:18:06,050 S5: And that also puts you into the Hebrews 11 category 319 00:18:06,330 --> 00:18:10,609 S5: where you become a hero of faith, even though you 320 00:18:10,609 --> 00:18:15,850 S5: see no miracle. You see only distress, only despair, but 321 00:18:16,530 --> 00:18:20,490 S5: you keep on trusting and believing that behind all of 322 00:18:20,490 --> 00:18:23,730 S5: this there are hidden purposes that you don't have to 323 00:18:23,770 --> 00:18:26,609 S5: know about, but you're trusting God for. 324 00:18:27,090 --> 00:18:30,170 S3: Pastor Erwin Lutzer, I want to, I guess, finish where 325 00:18:30,170 --> 00:18:32,050 S3: you finished in your book. I happen to know it's 326 00:18:32,150 --> 00:18:36,149 S3: chapter nine. Why pray if God is in control? We 327 00:18:36,190 --> 00:18:38,710 S3: can start to feel like that. If it's God's going 328 00:18:38,710 --> 00:18:41,510 S3: to do what he's going to do anyway. Why? Why 329 00:18:41,550 --> 00:18:43,070 S3: the exercise of prayer? 330 00:18:44,430 --> 00:18:47,230 S5: Yes, I wrote that chapter because many people think, well, 331 00:18:47,230 --> 00:18:51,510 S5: prayer doesn't do any good. Why not just, um, you know, 332 00:18:51,990 --> 00:18:55,590 S5: God is going to do what God is going to do. Why? 333 00:18:55,790 --> 00:18:58,190 S5: There are so many ways I can answer that. But 334 00:18:58,190 --> 00:19:00,629 S5: first of all, I'm going to begin with the sixth 335 00:19:00,630 --> 00:19:05,670 S5: chapter of Matthew where Jesus says this. Jesus said, you 336 00:19:05,670 --> 00:19:07,790 S5: don't have to pray over and over again like the 337 00:19:07,790 --> 00:19:10,590 S5: heathen do, because they think they will be heard because 338 00:19:10,590 --> 00:19:14,230 S5: of their much speaking. But your heavenly father knows in 339 00:19:14,230 --> 00:19:18,149 S5: advance what you need. Now you'd expect Jesus to say, well, 340 00:19:18,150 --> 00:19:22,510 S5: in light of that, don't bother praying. No, he says, 341 00:19:22,510 --> 00:19:26,389 S5: when you pray, pray this way. Our father who art 342 00:19:26,390 --> 00:19:31,210 S5: in heaven, what is really the purpose of prayer? If 343 00:19:31,210 --> 00:19:34,130 S5: God has things in control. The purpose of prayer is 344 00:19:34,130 --> 00:19:37,890 S5: not to get our requests answered as much as it 345 00:19:37,890 --> 00:19:40,730 S5: is for us to get to God and develop our 346 00:19:40,730 --> 00:19:45,290 S5: relationship with him. And that's one of the purposes that 347 00:19:45,290 --> 00:19:48,770 S5: we are to pursue. And there's a great deal of mystery. 348 00:19:49,250 --> 00:19:52,330 S5: You know, of course, the question that you've asked is mysterious. 349 00:19:52,369 --> 00:19:54,889 S5: You know, God knows what he's going to do. Yes. 350 00:19:55,130 --> 00:19:59,050 S5: But we're invited to participate. And the privilege of prayer 351 00:19:59,050 --> 00:20:03,250 S5: is to draw near to God and connect with him. 352 00:20:03,250 --> 00:20:06,490 S5: And that's why he gives us so many needs, is 353 00:20:06,490 --> 00:20:09,570 S5: to keep us on our knees, to keep on believing. 354 00:20:09,810 --> 00:20:13,530 S5: But we need God more than we need an answer 355 00:20:13,530 --> 00:20:14,610 S5: to our prayers. 356 00:20:15,130 --> 00:20:17,729 S3: Pastor Erwin Lutzer, our guest this morning if you want more. 357 00:20:18,010 --> 00:20:21,850 S3: He has much of his content sermons, books on the 358 00:20:21,850 --> 00:20:27,770 S3: Moody Media website. So just text media to (800) 555-7898. We'll 359 00:20:27,770 --> 00:20:29,409 S3: get you linked up so that you can check out 360 00:20:29,510 --> 00:20:34,590 S3: this book and others. Just text media to 800 555 7898. 361 00:20:35,510 --> 00:20:39,510 S1: Take your next step with Jesus today. You're listening to 362 00:20:39,550 --> 00:20:40,510 S1: Carl and crew. 363 00:20:40,550 --> 00:20:44,110 S3: You know, the best movies do more than just entertain you. 364 00:20:44,630 --> 00:20:48,990 S3: They make you think. Make you consider something. Maybe challenge 365 00:20:48,990 --> 00:20:53,550 S3: your perception. Remember, the Titans was one of the most 366 00:20:53,590 --> 00:20:56,150 S3: popular movies of the early 2000. 367 00:20:56,190 --> 00:20:58,190 S2: Oh, yes. Absolutely. Seen it? Yeah. 368 00:20:58,230 --> 00:20:59,030 S4: Very inspiring. 369 00:20:59,070 --> 00:21:01,590 S2: Came out in 2000. It is. It is one of 370 00:21:01,590 --> 00:21:04,229 S2: the most popular movies referred back to even still today. 371 00:21:04,270 --> 00:21:07,629 S3: I mean, epic, epic sports movie. It was actually based 372 00:21:07,630 --> 00:21:10,389 S3: on a true story. I had forgotten this, that it 373 00:21:10,390 --> 00:21:14,430 S3: was that it was not just a script. Right? I mean, loosely. 374 00:21:15,270 --> 00:21:16,590 S2: Based on a true story. 375 00:21:17,230 --> 00:21:20,030 S3: But it was based on this high school football team 376 00:21:20,030 --> 00:21:23,190 S3: in Virginia that was the first to be racially integrated. 377 00:21:23,350 --> 00:21:26,790 S3: And so how the movie plays out, this character, uh, 378 00:21:26,790 --> 00:21:30,449 S3: Coach Boone, I think his name was played by Denzel Washington, 379 00:21:30,570 --> 00:21:34,770 S3: is named the new head coach of this team. He's black. 380 00:21:34,810 --> 00:21:37,850 S3: The other coach is white. And so there's some initial 381 00:21:37,850 --> 00:21:41,169 S3: division between those two coaches. And then that kind of 382 00:21:41,170 --> 00:21:44,210 S3: trickles down to the players. Obviously the first high school 383 00:21:44,210 --> 00:21:48,010 S3: team to be integrated. If you know anything about what 384 00:21:48,010 --> 00:21:52,210 S3: happened in this in in the early 1970s, this was 385 00:21:52,810 --> 00:21:54,650 S3: prone to conflict. 386 00:21:54,690 --> 00:21:55,970 S2: This is not an easy thing. 387 00:21:56,010 --> 00:21:58,530 S3: Not an easy thing to do. And so we see 388 00:21:58,530 --> 00:22:02,609 S3: these these two. It's one team of players. But really 389 00:22:02,609 --> 00:22:05,810 S3: it's two team teams when it started right. 390 00:22:05,850 --> 00:22:08,970 S2: Absolutely. Because you got you have the African American kids 391 00:22:08,970 --> 00:22:10,889 S2: on this side. You have the white kids on this side. 392 00:22:10,890 --> 00:22:12,570 S2: They did not want to mix. They did not like 393 00:22:12,570 --> 00:22:13,090 S2: each other. 394 00:22:13,130 --> 00:22:15,370 S3: Didn't like each other. They go away to this training 395 00:22:15,369 --> 00:22:18,770 S3: camp and they just cannot get along. I mean, they're 396 00:22:18,810 --> 00:22:21,570 S3: at their butting heads. They're two there's two kind of 397 00:22:21,609 --> 00:22:24,730 S3: big personalities. The two guy, the lead characters of the 398 00:22:24,730 --> 00:22:28,990 S3: high schoolers, and they're just clashing. And so, you know, 399 00:22:29,070 --> 00:22:34,030 S3: it builds to where Denzel Washington's character, he doesn't he 400 00:22:34,070 --> 00:22:36,550 S3: has to has to get them together or their season 401 00:22:36,550 --> 00:22:39,350 S3: is going to fall apart. And so they are faced 402 00:22:39,350 --> 00:22:42,950 S3: with a choice whether they can retain their old way 403 00:22:42,950 --> 00:22:45,550 S3: of thinking, their old way of doing things and be 404 00:22:45,550 --> 00:22:49,109 S3: a team divided, or whether they can come together and 405 00:22:49,109 --> 00:22:53,830 S3: actually try to see each other as just people, become 406 00:22:53,830 --> 00:22:57,030 S3: like a family and try to win some football games. 407 00:22:57,070 --> 00:23:00,230 S3: Take a listen to This Is Gettysburg. 408 00:23:01,710 --> 00:23:06,590 S7: This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg. 50,000 409 00:23:06,590 --> 00:23:12,750 S7: men died right here on this field, fighting the same 410 00:23:12,750 --> 00:23:20,950 S7: fight that we're still fighting amongst ourselves today. This green 411 00:23:20,950 --> 00:23:27,010 S7: field right here, it's painted red, bubbling with blood. Young 412 00:23:27,010 --> 00:23:35,970 S7: boys smoke. And hot lead pouring right through their bodies. 413 00:23:39,250 --> 00:23:42,850 S7: Listen to their souls, man. I killed my brother with 414 00:23:43,690 --> 00:23:53,690 S7: malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. You listen. 415 00:23:56,650 --> 00:24:02,609 S7: You take a lesson from the dead. If we don't 416 00:24:02,609 --> 00:24:09,730 S7: come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too 417 00:24:09,730 --> 00:24:17,409 S7: will be destroyed. Just like they were. I don't care 418 00:24:17,410 --> 00:24:20,170 S7: if you like each other or not, but you will 419 00:24:20,170 --> 00:24:25,459 S7: respect each other. And maybe I don't know. Maybe we'll. 420 00:24:28,580 --> 00:24:30,300 S7: Learn to play this game like men. 421 00:24:31,140 --> 00:24:32,540 S3: Epic, right. 422 00:24:32,580 --> 00:24:34,460 S4: Takes you there. Remember that scene where. 423 00:24:34,740 --> 00:24:38,300 S3: He presents them with a choice? Where the right choice 424 00:24:38,340 --> 00:24:42,500 S3: is obvious? Are we going to come together, or are 425 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:48,179 S3: you going to cling to your prejudices, your perception, your hurt, 426 00:24:48,220 --> 00:24:54,780 S3: your anger, your misunderstandings? That's one choice. Or are we 427 00:24:54,820 --> 00:24:56,740 S3: going to see each other as people, or are we 428 00:24:56,740 --> 00:25:00,020 S3: going to stand up and be men? And the the 429 00:25:00,020 --> 00:25:02,780 S3: movie culminates in the most epic ways. I mean, they 430 00:25:02,780 --> 00:25:06,220 S3: come from behind and they win the game. And there's 431 00:25:06,260 --> 00:25:10,100 S3: a brotherhood that's forged because they made the choice. That 432 00:25:10,100 --> 00:25:12,540 S3: was really the only right one. Coming up, I want 433 00:25:12,580 --> 00:25:14,940 S3: to take you to the book of Joshua, where a 434 00:25:14,940 --> 00:25:19,060 S3: similar choice is presented. Are you going to do this? 435 00:25:19,580 --> 00:25:26,200 S3: Clearly the lesser Wrong choice. Or are you gonna serve 436 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,480 S3: the Lord? Coming up. 437 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,000 S1: He's a sports fanatic with a stat for anything you 438 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,240 S1: can think of. Young Thunder is in the crew. It's 439 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,440 S1: curling crew on Moody Radio. 440 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:42,040 S3: Just listen to this epic clip from the movie. Remember 441 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:46,160 S3: the Titans came out in 2000, and Coach Boone, who 442 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:50,080 S3: is given the charge of trying to bring together this team, 443 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,239 S3: this high school team based on a true story, the 444 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:57,920 S3: first team to be racially integrated. Many obvious challenges, but 445 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,040 S3: he gives them a choice. That's not really a choice. 446 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:03,640 S3: Are we going to stay in our corners, stick to 447 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:08,000 S3: our prejudices and our, uh, ignorance, or are we going 448 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,320 S3: to come together and really be a team? The obvious 449 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,680 S3: choice is, of course, we're going to come together because 450 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,560 S3: this is about more than just football. Joshua, I want 451 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,600 S3: to take you to the book of Joshua. He was 452 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,899 S3: commanded to by God to lead the people of Israel 453 00:26:22,900 --> 00:26:25,820 S3: after the death of Moses. And so in the last 454 00:26:25,820 --> 00:26:30,020 S3: couple chapters of Joshua, as his life is nearing an end, 455 00:26:30,380 --> 00:26:33,580 S3: he instructs the leaders who are going to succeed him. 456 00:26:33,580 --> 00:26:37,700 S3: And then he gathers the people to renew their covenant, 457 00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:40,060 S3: and he gives them a word from the Lord. He 458 00:26:40,060 --> 00:26:43,260 S3: reminds them of the many ways that the Lord delivered 459 00:26:43,260 --> 00:26:48,939 S3: their fathers, rescuing them, driving out nations, leading them through 460 00:26:48,940 --> 00:26:52,540 S3: the Red sea, away from their enemies, leading them in 461 00:26:52,540 --> 00:26:57,020 S3: the wilderness. Listen to this verse in 13 he says, 462 00:26:57,020 --> 00:26:59,980 S3: I gave you a land on which you had not labored, 463 00:26:59,980 --> 00:27:02,419 S3: and cities that you had not built, and you dwell 464 00:27:02,420 --> 00:27:05,260 S3: in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive 465 00:27:05,260 --> 00:27:10,020 S3: orchards that you did not plant. And then verse 14, 466 00:27:10,300 --> 00:27:13,580 S3: I want you to listen carefully. You will recognize the 467 00:27:13,580 --> 00:27:15,820 S3: concluding verse, but I want you to listen to the 468 00:27:15,820 --> 00:27:19,600 S3: choice that he gives them leading up to it. Now 469 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,760 S3: therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and 470 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,960 S3: in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served 471 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,680 S3: beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 472 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,480 S3: And if it is evil in your eyes to serve 473 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,119 S3: the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether 474 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,240 S3: the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river, 475 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,800 S3: or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. 476 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,760 S3: But as for me and my house, we will serve 477 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,960 S3: the Lord. Did you hear the choice that he gave them? 478 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,719 S3: In light of everything that you know to be true 479 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:58,639 S3: of God, and in light of everything, considering everything he's 480 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:05,440 S3: done for you, for your fathers, for our people. Fear him. 481 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:09,359 S3: Serve him in sincerity and faithfulness. And if it's evil 482 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,520 S3: in your eyes to do it, then make a choice. 483 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:18,740 S3: Serve the gods of your fathers beyond the river. The 484 00:28:18,740 --> 00:28:21,340 S3: gods your fathers served rather in the region beyond the river. 485 00:28:21,340 --> 00:28:23,859 S3: The gods of the nations that have been driven out. 486 00:28:24,460 --> 00:28:28,260 S3: Make a choice. Serve them if you'd like. But as 487 00:28:28,300 --> 00:28:32,100 S3: for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 488 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:34,260 S3: When I read this, I just, I don't know. I 489 00:28:34,260 --> 00:28:38,700 S3: think of Joshua saying this, like with the kind of 490 00:28:38,780 --> 00:28:42,380 S3: epic movie music that you hear. I mean, really, you 491 00:28:42,380 --> 00:28:46,020 S3: can hear this with that music score underneath. 492 00:28:46,020 --> 00:28:46,980 S4: Absolutely. 493 00:28:47,020 --> 00:28:52,420 S3: Where it's building. Now, therefore, fear the Lord. Can you 494 00:28:52,420 --> 00:28:55,500 S3: hear it? Serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put 495 00:28:55,500 --> 00:29:01,580 S3: away those other gods. Choose this day whom you will serve. 496 00:29:01,620 --> 00:29:06,340 S2: It's. It's so good because the the case he makes. 497 00:29:07,140 --> 00:29:09,340 S2: I don't think you could stand there and say. Yeah, 498 00:29:09,340 --> 00:29:12,220 S2: I don't think it's good to serve this God. I, 499 00:29:12,620 --> 00:29:18,480 S2: I look at this and I see the importance of remembering. 500 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:19,000 S3: Oh, yeah. 501 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:23,920 S2: God. Remembering how good he's been to us. Uh, in 502 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,520 S2: order to stay away from sin and to continue to 503 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:28,960 S2: follow him. Because it's not like each of us, when 504 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:33,440 S2: we sin as followers of Christ, are are saying it's 505 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,520 S2: evil to follow the Lord. None of us would ever 506 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:41,640 S2: say that. But until we actually sit and consider his goodness, 507 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:45,400 S2: can we really make a conscious effort to follow him? 508 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,920 S2: And and so I love this idea of remember how 509 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,320 S2: good he's been to you. And as you make all 510 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,120 S2: these little decisions in your day for us to take 511 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:56,720 S2: away from this, you've got all the a million little 512 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,760 S2: decisions where you have. Am I going to follow the 513 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:00,320 S2: Lord here? Am I going to follow my own pride, 514 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,520 S2: my own will? We'll follow the Lord when we remember 515 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,440 S2: just how faithful and good he's been to us. 516 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,120 S3: And he leaves no neutral zone. 517 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:09,600 S2: No, there's no in the middle. 518 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:13,200 S3: Make a choice. You want to serve these other gods 519 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,010 S3: that have done nothing for you that are no gods 520 00:30:16,010 --> 00:30:20,970 S3: at all. Do it then. Make a choice. Ask for 521 00:30:21,010 --> 00:30:24,770 S3: me and my house. We will serve the Lord. So 522 00:30:24,810 --> 00:30:27,090 S3: on this Freedom Friday, I want to ask you. Can 523 00:30:27,090 --> 00:30:29,570 S3: you relate to this? Have you had one of those 524 00:30:29,570 --> 00:30:31,610 S3: y in the road moments where you had to make 525 00:30:31,610 --> 00:30:35,250 S3: a choice? Am I going to choose the idols of 526 00:30:35,250 --> 00:30:40,290 S3: this world, the sin, the addiction, the habits, the hangups? 527 00:30:40,810 --> 00:30:43,250 S3: Or am I going to choose to serve the Lord? 528 00:30:43,250 --> 00:30:45,810 S3: I want you to take me into a moment where, 529 00:30:46,170 --> 00:30:48,890 S3: whether it was in word or deed, you had a 530 00:30:48,890 --> 00:30:52,410 S3: choice to make, and the choice was obvious. I'm going 531 00:30:52,410 --> 00:30:57,090 S3: to serve the Lord. Give me a call 805 55 532 00:30:57,090 --> 00:31:01,810 S3: 7898 on Freedom Friday. Tell us what was your as 533 00:31:01,850 --> 00:31:04,130 S3: for me and my house moment? Maybe it involved your 534 00:31:04,130 --> 00:31:06,930 S3: whole household. Maybe it was just you. But there was 535 00:31:06,930 --> 00:31:08,850 S3: a stake in the ground. There was a line in 536 00:31:08,850 --> 00:31:15,870 S3: the sand where you said, I'm going to serve the Lord. 805, 55, 78, 98. 537 00:31:16,190 --> 00:31:21,430 S8: You may be the heavyweight champion of the world. It 538 00:31:21,430 --> 00:31:25,230 S8: might be a socialite with a long string of pearls, 539 00:31:25,230 --> 00:31:30,070 S8: but you're going to have to serve somebody. Yes, indeed. 540 00:31:30,110 --> 00:31:32,710 S8: You're going to have to serve some money. 541 00:31:33,030 --> 00:31:36,910 S9: Okay, I was waiting for it. Jonathan. Jonathan picks these songs. 542 00:31:36,910 --> 00:31:39,150 S9: We don't know what's coming. We got to try to 543 00:31:39,150 --> 00:31:42,990 S9: figure out how it fits. You're gonna have to serve somebody. 544 00:31:43,030 --> 00:31:46,470 S3: Yeah. That's true. Choose this day whom you will serve. 545 00:31:46,470 --> 00:31:50,510 S3: This is out of Joshua 2415. Whether the gods your 546 00:31:50,510 --> 00:31:52,630 S3: fathers served in the region beyond the river, or the 547 00:31:52,670 --> 00:31:54,830 S3: gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But 548 00:31:54,830 --> 00:31:58,550 S3: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 549 00:31:58,590 --> 00:32:02,310 S3: Now we know that we make the choice. Yes, but 550 00:32:02,310 --> 00:32:05,630 S3: it's not apart from the power and grace of God 551 00:32:05,630 --> 00:32:09,110 S3: working in us. We do not have the strength in 552 00:32:09,150 --> 00:32:11,810 S3: of ourselves to choose him. 553 00:32:12,450 --> 00:32:13,170 S2: We don't. 554 00:32:13,210 --> 00:32:14,930 S3: We love him because he first loved us. 555 00:32:14,970 --> 00:32:16,370 S2: Yep. He's the one who started that. 556 00:32:16,410 --> 00:32:18,770 S3: Exactly. But I'm asking you today. Have you had one 557 00:32:18,770 --> 00:32:21,530 S3: of those? As for me, moments where you had to 558 00:32:21,570 --> 00:32:25,770 S3: choose with God's power to serve the gods of this world. 559 00:32:25,970 --> 00:32:31,650 S3: Self addiction, habit, sin or to say no, I'm serving 560 00:32:31,650 --> 00:32:37,970 S3: the Lord. 855 five 7898. Take me to that moment, Scott. Lockport, Illinois. 561 00:32:38,050 --> 00:32:41,170 S3: Tell me about your. As for me and my house moment. 562 00:32:42,010 --> 00:32:44,290 S10: Good morning. Um, yeah. Back in the early 80s, I 563 00:32:44,290 --> 00:32:47,370 S10: was involved in a truck wreck. Uh, it wasn't serious. 564 00:32:47,410 --> 00:32:50,330 S10: The people weren't injured badly, but, uh, it was. It 565 00:32:50,330 --> 00:32:53,890 S10: was bad enough where no tickets were issued, and, um, 566 00:32:54,090 --> 00:32:56,970 S10: so I basically forgot about it. I got saved in 1988. 567 00:32:57,010 --> 00:33:00,930 S10: And then about 1990, I got a call from a lawyer, um, 568 00:33:01,290 --> 00:33:03,450 S10: a lawyer for my company saying, you know, this is 569 00:33:03,450 --> 00:33:06,210 S10: going to trial, and, uh, we need a deposition. So 570 00:33:06,210 --> 00:33:09,410 S10: he started asking me questions, and, uh, he asked me, 571 00:33:09,450 --> 00:33:11,150 S10: were you under the influence of anything at the time 572 00:33:11,150 --> 00:33:13,950 S10: of the accident? And I knew in my heart that 573 00:33:13,950 --> 00:33:17,990 S10: I didn't, I shouldn't lie. At that point, because of my, my, 574 00:33:18,030 --> 00:33:21,230 S10: my walk with the Lord and everything. So I told him, 575 00:33:21,230 --> 00:33:23,270 S10: I said, yeah, I was I was high on marijuana. 576 00:33:23,270 --> 00:33:27,110 S10: And he said, this wasn't discovered at the time. I said, no, nobody, 577 00:33:27,150 --> 00:33:30,470 S10: no tickets, nobody asked me anything. And so he said, okay, 578 00:33:30,470 --> 00:33:32,870 S10: well when the other when the other lawyers call you 579 00:33:32,870 --> 00:33:36,710 S10: for this, you can't tell them that. And I said, okay, 580 00:33:36,990 --> 00:33:38,710 S10: I'm not going to lie to him. He said, well, 581 00:33:38,710 --> 00:33:41,550 S10: if you tell them that we've lost. And so, um, 582 00:33:41,950 --> 00:33:44,550 S10: just think about that before you talk to them, okay. 583 00:33:45,030 --> 00:33:46,990 S10: And so I had purposed in my heart that I 584 00:33:47,190 --> 00:33:48,790 S10: wasn't going to lie, and I knew there would be 585 00:33:48,790 --> 00:33:51,830 S10: consequences if they asked me, but I, I knew God 586 00:33:51,830 --> 00:33:53,870 S10: wanted me to do that. And so when they called 587 00:33:53,870 --> 00:33:57,750 S10: me and the other lawyers asked me the questions, they 588 00:33:57,750 --> 00:34:02,270 S10: never asked. And when my lawyer found out about that, 589 00:34:02,270 --> 00:34:06,110 S10: he was incredulous. He said, I never heard of somebody 590 00:34:06,110 --> 00:34:09,690 S10: calling on an accident like this and not asking that question. 591 00:34:10,130 --> 00:34:12,969 S10: And so, um, I just I was very thankful that 592 00:34:12,969 --> 00:34:14,730 S10: the God that God worked it out that way, that 593 00:34:14,730 --> 00:34:16,410 S10: I didn't even have to answer him. 594 00:34:16,810 --> 00:34:19,610 S3: You know. Scott, thank you so much from Lockport, Illinois. 595 00:34:19,650 --> 00:34:22,649 S3: You know, what this hinges on is that you had 596 00:34:22,650 --> 00:34:28,090 S3: made the decision well before that. Lord, I choose you, 597 00:34:28,650 --> 00:34:31,569 S3: I choose you that that that. I'm not going to 598 00:34:31,610 --> 00:34:34,649 S3: lie about this situation. Scott, thank you so much for 599 00:34:34,650 --> 00:34:36,969 S3: your call this morning. Really appreciate it. Joyce, first time 600 00:34:36,969 --> 00:34:39,410 S3: caller from Portage, Indiana. Do you have one of those 601 00:34:39,450 --> 00:34:42,410 S3: asked for me in my house moments where you had to, 602 00:34:42,450 --> 00:34:44,210 S3: by God's grace, make a choice? 603 00:34:45,370 --> 00:34:48,730 S11: Yes. Ali, thank you so much. Um, I'm an artist. 604 00:34:48,730 --> 00:34:51,170 S11: And years ago, I was told that I needed to 605 00:34:51,170 --> 00:34:54,170 S11: quit the Jesus thing. Quit incorporating Jesus name in scripture 606 00:34:54,170 --> 00:34:56,890 S11: in my artwork. But I knew God gave me this gift, 607 00:34:56,890 --> 00:34:59,890 S11: and I finally said, you know what? If I don't 608 00:34:59,890 --> 00:35:01,890 S11: use my gift for the glory of God, I have 609 00:35:01,890 --> 00:35:04,930 S11: no business using it at all. So I continue to 610 00:35:04,969 --> 00:35:07,350 S11: share Jesus name and scripture in my artwork. 611 00:35:07,790 --> 00:35:11,710 S3: Unbelievable. Joyce, first time caller from Portage, Indiana. If you're 612 00:35:11,750 --> 00:35:13,709 S3: the Joyce, I think you are. I have seen some 613 00:35:13,710 --> 00:35:16,870 S3: of your artwork and it is incredible. You keep doing 614 00:35:16,870 --> 00:35:17,989 S3: what you're doing, sister. 615 00:35:18,750 --> 00:35:22,750 S1: Walking closer to Jesus every day. You're listening to Carl 616 00:35:22,750 --> 00:35:23,310 S1: and crew. 617 00:35:23,469 --> 00:35:28,509 S3: You know, when we start talking about choosing God, this 618 00:35:28,510 --> 00:35:32,350 S3: gets a little complicated because it starts to delve into 619 00:35:32,870 --> 00:35:38,310 S3: theological areas that sometimes are tough to get into on radio. Right? 620 00:35:38,750 --> 00:35:44,509 S3: We we know ultimately he gives us the grace to choose, right? 621 00:35:44,830 --> 00:35:49,750 S3: Of course, that we are adopted into his family, that 622 00:35:49,750 --> 00:35:54,590 S3: before the foundation of the world, he chooses us. Right. 623 00:35:55,190 --> 00:35:58,709 S3: But I want to appeal to you today that our 624 00:35:58,710 --> 00:36:03,990 S3: default is to reject him. Yes. To go our own way. 625 00:36:04,790 --> 00:36:12,250 S3: There is this war that rages within us, and some 626 00:36:12,250 --> 00:36:14,330 S3: people picture it as you know. Have you ever had 627 00:36:15,450 --> 00:36:19,250 S3: like people will, uh, on shows, they'll show like a 628 00:36:19,250 --> 00:36:21,530 S3: devil and an angel, like on each shoulder? 629 00:36:21,570 --> 00:36:22,810 S2: Yeah, a classic picture. 630 00:36:22,850 --> 00:36:25,650 S3: And there's like the, you know, the pull towards good 631 00:36:25,890 --> 00:36:30,690 S3: and the pull towards evil. Here's the thing. We don't 632 00:36:30,730 --> 00:36:34,690 S3: we don't default to good. No. Like we're not born 633 00:36:34,690 --> 00:36:38,130 S3: good people. Contrary. Contrary to what you may have heard, 634 00:36:38,489 --> 00:36:42,170 S3: it's not possible to be a quote unquote good person. No. 635 00:36:42,530 --> 00:36:48,370 S3: And so maybe you're listening today and you don't claim 636 00:36:48,370 --> 00:36:51,130 S3: to be a Christian. You're kind of checking it out. 637 00:36:51,170 --> 00:36:54,089 S3: Maybe found us. Not even sure how you got here, 638 00:36:54,090 --> 00:36:56,370 S3: but you've heard something that was interesting enough to not 639 00:36:56,370 --> 00:36:59,450 S3: turn it away. I want to I want to speak 640 00:36:59,450 --> 00:37:01,569 S3: to the condition that all of us are in from 641 00:37:01,570 --> 00:37:04,979 S3: the very beginning. Our default is to be separated from 642 00:37:04,980 --> 00:37:06,860 S3: God because of our sin. 643 00:37:06,900 --> 00:37:09,620 S2: Yeah, I, I think about it this way because we 644 00:37:09,620 --> 00:37:11,379 S2: talk about I'm a good person. I'm not a good. 645 00:37:11,420 --> 00:37:15,819 S2: It's so subjective. Yeah. Uh, it the real question and 646 00:37:15,820 --> 00:37:18,100 S2: like you said, with our sin, which is what separates us, 647 00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:20,700 S2: it all comes down to this. You're either a rebel 648 00:37:20,700 --> 00:37:24,339 S2: or you're not. You're either I want a relationship with 649 00:37:24,340 --> 00:37:30,060 S2: Jesus or I don't. My sin is active rebellion against God. 650 00:37:30,540 --> 00:37:32,780 S2: That's what sin is, and that's what keeps us separated 651 00:37:32,780 --> 00:37:35,020 S2: from him. It's not. I'm a good person. I'm not 652 00:37:35,020 --> 00:37:35,740 S2: a good person. 653 00:37:35,780 --> 00:37:36,220 S4: Yeah. 654 00:37:36,660 --> 00:37:40,899 S3: And there's no it's not possible for you to to 655 00:37:40,940 --> 00:37:45,460 S3: live up to the standard of perfect holiness. Have you 656 00:37:45,460 --> 00:37:48,060 S3: ever been wearing what you thought was like a white 657 00:37:48,060 --> 00:37:51,860 S3: shirt or white socks? And then it's held up against 658 00:37:51,860 --> 00:37:53,060 S3: something that's actually. 659 00:37:53,780 --> 00:37:54,300 S4: Yes. 660 00:37:55,180 --> 00:37:55,740 S3: I mean. 661 00:37:55,780 --> 00:37:56,379 S9: I have been. 662 00:37:56,380 --> 00:37:58,900 S3: Just thinking about how I need to replace my white 663 00:37:58,940 --> 00:38:03,800 S3: washcloths because, boy, oh, boy, those things are dingy. They've 664 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:05,960 S3: been through the wash many, many times. 665 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:07,320 S2: But they get bad fast. 666 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:10,040 S3: They look white until they're held up against something that 667 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:10,840 S3: actually is. 668 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:11,920 S4: Yeah. There you go. 669 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:13,560 S3: And they're grayish. 670 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:14,920 S4: It's like, ooh. 671 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:16,880 S2: How'd you get that color? 672 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,600 S3: That's us. We can look pretty good, right? I mean, 673 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:24,239 S3: you think I've never, you know, committed a crime? Or 674 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,040 S3: maybe if I have, it wasn't too terrible. There's certainly 675 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,440 S3: people who've done worse. This is what. This is how 676 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:34,000 S3: we justify in our mind. I mean, I'm decent to 677 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:37,799 S3: to people. I'm a good neighbor. I, um, maybe I 678 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:42,319 S3: give to charity. I have a nice family. The thing is, 679 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:46,720 S3: none of that matters, right? Because we're born into sin. 680 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:50,040 S3: So the only option is for us to stand in 681 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,560 S3: the righteousness of Christ where we're not being held up 682 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:58,560 S3: like that washcloth. Am I white enough? Am I pure enough? 683 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,700 S3: Am I good enough? No. The answer is no. You 684 00:39:01,700 --> 00:39:05,060 S3: don't want to stand before God based on your own 685 00:39:05,140 --> 00:39:10,580 S3: self because we we'd be condemned. But we are saved 686 00:39:10,580 --> 00:39:13,660 S3: when we stand in the righteousness of Christ, when we 687 00:39:13,660 --> 00:39:16,260 S3: take on what he bought for us, the free gift 688 00:39:16,260 --> 00:39:20,540 S3: of salvation that he gives to us. So today, if 689 00:39:20,540 --> 00:39:22,860 S3: you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, I want 690 00:39:22,860 --> 00:39:27,260 S3: to invite you to follow him, to turn your heart, 691 00:39:27,300 --> 00:39:31,900 S3: turn your life, repent, go a different direction and follow 692 00:39:31,900 --> 00:39:36,180 S3: him today if you're even considering it. It's not even 693 00:39:36,180 --> 00:39:39,420 S3: a work of your own mind, your own will. It's 694 00:39:39,420 --> 00:39:42,739 S3: that he's calling you by his spirit. And so I 695 00:39:42,739 --> 00:39:46,700 S3: would encourage you to not resist. Don't put up a fight. 696 00:39:48,100 --> 00:39:53,340 S3: If today is the day of salvation, take it. Take 697 00:39:53,340 --> 00:39:57,580 S3: the gift that he's offering you. How does that happen? Well, 698 00:39:57,620 --> 00:40:01,640 S3: repentance is key. Repentance just means picture going the wrong 699 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:03,799 S3: way down a one day, one way street. There's tons 700 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,680 S3: of one way streets in Chicago. It's easy to get confused. 701 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,040 S3: It's happened to me. What do you do when you 702 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:12,160 S3: realize the arrows pointing one way and I'm driving the 703 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,760 S3: opposite direction? I turn around and I go another way. 704 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,560 S3: That is the very picture of repentance. It is a 705 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,600 S3: turning from the sin. It is not just saying, I'm sorry, 706 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:28,520 S3: it's turning. Yes, there's forgiveness. That's only possible because of 707 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:30,640 S3: the blood of Jesus Christ. He went to the cross. 708 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,920 S3: He lived a sinless, perfect life, went to the cross. 709 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,440 S3: He took the wrath of God. The penalty, the punishment 710 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:41,719 S3: that all of us deserve because of our sin. He 711 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:46,279 S3: took it in our place once for all. So today, 712 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:49,120 S3: if you want to become a follower of Jesus Christ, 713 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,560 S3: there's no set prayer that saves you. Carl likes to 714 00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:55,919 S3: be super clear about this, and I do too. There's 715 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,140 S3: no set prayer. It's a cry of the heart were 716 00:40:58,140 --> 00:41:02,259 S3: you acknowledge that I am a sinner. I need a Savior. 717 00:41:02,700 --> 00:41:08,540 S3: Today I repent. And Jesus, it's you, it's you. You 718 00:41:08,580 --> 00:41:10,860 S3: are the way, the truth and life. There's no other 719 00:41:10,860 --> 00:41:15,180 S3: way to peace with God but through the son, Jesus Christ. 720 00:41:16,100 --> 00:41:19,460 S3: So have that quiet. Maybe it's loud, I don't know. 721 00:41:19,660 --> 00:41:22,540 S3: But that honest cry of the heart. I want to 722 00:41:22,540 --> 00:41:26,580 S3: pray for you, Lord, for the person today who by 723 00:41:26,580 --> 00:41:28,819 S3: the power of your spirit, this is making sense to 724 00:41:28,860 --> 00:41:31,540 S3: them in a way that it hasn't before. That it's 725 00:41:31,540 --> 00:41:35,500 S3: not about them trying to be good enough for you. 726 00:41:35,820 --> 00:41:39,580 S3: It's about them acknowledging that they can't be, that they're 727 00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:42,980 S3: a sinner, that they need a Savior, and that it's you. Lord, 728 00:41:42,980 --> 00:41:45,700 S3: I pray that you would fill them with great joy 729 00:41:46,060 --> 00:41:49,939 S3: as they turn and follow you today. God. Protect them 730 00:41:49,940 --> 00:41:54,500 S3: from the evil one who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. 731 00:41:54,700 --> 00:41:57,239 S3: Thank you that you came, that we would have life 732 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:01,560 S3: and have life abundantly. God, I thank you that you 733 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:06,680 S3: choose us, that you save us knowing we cannot save ourselves. 734 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:10,200 S3: I thank you for those who today are turning to 735 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:16,080 S3: you in Jesus name. Amen. If that's you, just text 736 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:17,920 S3: one word to us. We just want to send you 737 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:24,279 S3: a quick follow up text. New to (800) 555-7898. Give you 738 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:35,400 S3: some next steps. Text new to (800) 555-7898. New 800 555 7898. 739 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:40,360 S1: Romans eight brought her to Jesus while broadcasting traffic overnight. 740 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:44,360 S1: Super di is in the crew. It's Carl and crew 741 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:45,640 S1: on Moody Radio. 742 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:49,640 S3: His choosing of us is nothing short of a miracle. 743 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:52,000 S3: It's Miracle Child by Brandon Lake I want to welcome 744 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,640 S3: to the family some of you who just texted new 745 00:42:54,780 --> 00:43:00,140 S3: indicating that yet today you are following Jesus. 4399 last 746 00:43:00,140 --> 00:43:09,340 S3: four digits of your phone number. Welcome. 3809 074604902921 4590. 747 00:43:09,540 --> 00:43:14,299 S3: Welcome to the family. So glad that you allowed the 748 00:43:14,300 --> 00:43:18,580 S3: grace of God to win you over today. Because yes, 749 00:43:18,620 --> 00:43:22,380 S3: you can get into, uh, start talking about election and 750 00:43:22,420 --> 00:43:26,020 S3: predestination and a lot of complicated terms that are moody. 751 00:43:26,020 --> 00:43:29,140 S3: Bible Institute professors are way more qualified than I am 752 00:43:29,140 --> 00:43:32,660 S3: to try to break that down. But ultimately, by the 753 00:43:32,660 --> 00:43:36,660 S3: grace of God, he chooses us and he allows us 754 00:43:36,660 --> 00:43:42,180 S3: to respond. And that's a beautiful thing. So welcome. Coming up. 755 00:43:42,219 --> 00:43:44,140 S3: Got a little bit of a treat, a treat for you, 756 00:43:44,140 --> 00:43:47,620 S3: especially if you are a gospel music fan. We've got 757 00:43:47,660 --> 00:43:51,100 S3: Bill Gaither, gospel music legend, coming up with a new tour. 758 00:43:51,860 --> 00:43:56,150 S1: Standing on the Rock each and every day. You're listening 759 00:43:56,190 --> 00:43:57,350 S1: to Carl and crew. 760 00:43:57,630 --> 00:44:00,030 S3: What a privilege we have this morning to be joined 761 00:44:00,030 --> 00:44:04,549 S3: by a gospel music legend, Bill Gaither. I'm going to 762 00:44:04,550 --> 00:44:06,870 S3: share something with you that's not a surprise to you 763 00:44:06,870 --> 00:44:08,870 S3: that your team shared with us. So I hope you're 764 00:44:08,870 --> 00:44:10,830 S3: okay with it. Can I do that, Bill? 765 00:44:11,030 --> 00:44:11,470 S10: Yes. 766 00:44:11,950 --> 00:44:15,790 S3: I've learned that you are one of the oldest musicians 767 00:44:15,790 --> 00:44:19,870 S3: still actively touring, recording and performing. Are you okay that 768 00:44:19,870 --> 00:44:21,470 S3: your team shared that with me? 769 00:44:21,750 --> 00:44:25,549 S12: Yes. I'm okay at the level of performing. Might be 770 00:44:25,550 --> 00:44:27,830 S12: a little bit of a question mark, but yeah, I'm 771 00:44:27,830 --> 00:44:31,230 S12: still out there and I'm setting up. I'm taking nourishment 772 00:44:31,230 --> 00:44:33,549 S12: and having a good time with a whole bunch of 773 00:44:33,550 --> 00:44:37,870 S12: younger folks who do the heavy hitting. And for some reason, 774 00:44:38,030 --> 00:44:40,750 S12: I've got them convinced they can't do it without me. 775 00:44:40,750 --> 00:44:43,910 S12: So I'm out there with them. I'm having way too 776 00:44:43,910 --> 00:44:45,710 S12: much fun. For 89 year. 777 00:44:45,750 --> 00:44:46,630 S13: Old Bill. 778 00:44:46,670 --> 00:44:49,870 S3: Gaither. Bill and his wife, Gloria have collectively received eight 779 00:44:49,910 --> 00:44:52,810 S3: Grammy Awards, more than a dozen nominations, as well as 780 00:44:52,810 --> 00:44:56,489 S3: more than two dozen Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. 781 00:44:56,530 --> 00:44:59,930 S3: Got a tour coming up? Tell us about this tour. 782 00:45:00,530 --> 00:45:02,890 S12: The name of the tour is think in the morning, 783 00:45:02,890 --> 00:45:05,689 S12: and our first song is I'm going to Love. Like 784 00:45:05,690 --> 00:45:09,850 S12: I'm leaving. Give more than I'm receiving. Laugh until it 785 00:45:09,850 --> 00:45:13,810 S12: takes my breath away. I'm going to say what needs saying. 786 00:45:13,969 --> 00:45:19,450 S12: Pray what needs praying. I'm going to live like I'm 787 00:45:19,450 --> 00:45:23,490 S12: leaving here today. That's our first song and that sets 788 00:45:23,530 --> 00:45:26,370 S12: the pace for the evening. And that's basically what we're saying, 789 00:45:26,930 --> 00:45:29,370 S12: that in a day and time where it seems pretty 790 00:45:29,410 --> 00:45:33,530 S12: dark and you don't have to watch TV very long 791 00:45:33,570 --> 00:45:37,010 S12: until you say, I need some good news. Really bad. 792 00:45:37,050 --> 00:45:40,729 S12: You know, the lack of hope. Do we ever have 793 00:45:40,730 --> 00:45:44,610 S12: a message for this day and time like never before? 794 00:45:44,650 --> 00:45:49,650 S12: You know the resurrection is true Friday night. It was discouraging, 795 00:45:49,690 --> 00:45:53,629 S12: I'm sure, for all the disciples. And the hopes were 796 00:45:53,630 --> 00:45:56,989 S12: so high. And then they watched him die. Saturday had 797 00:45:56,989 --> 00:46:00,030 S12: to be hopeless in a lot of ways for the disciples. 798 00:46:00,510 --> 00:46:03,989 S12: But then came the morning. Night turned into day. We 799 00:46:03,989 --> 00:46:08,070 S12: lived today because of the hope of the resurrection. Does 800 00:46:08,070 --> 00:46:10,190 S12: not mean that we're not going to have some problems. 801 00:46:10,190 --> 00:46:13,750 S12: But the good news of the gospel is his grace 802 00:46:13,750 --> 00:46:14,669 S12: is sufficient. 803 00:46:14,710 --> 00:46:17,709 S3: Bill Gaither, our guest right now, you know, you've been 804 00:46:17,710 --> 00:46:20,509 S3: doing this for a lot of years. And how do 805 00:46:20,510 --> 00:46:23,470 S3: you keep the gospel at the center? I mean, because 806 00:46:23,469 --> 00:46:26,910 S3: you're so right. We live in a difficult time and 807 00:46:26,910 --> 00:46:29,029 S3: there's never been a time that's easy. But man, the 808 00:46:29,030 --> 00:46:34,509 S3: bad news, the polarization, the divisiveness, the fighting. I mean, 809 00:46:34,510 --> 00:46:37,710 S3: so much anger and rage. How do you stay hopeful 810 00:46:38,070 --> 00:46:40,430 S3: each and every night as you're going to be heading 811 00:46:40,430 --> 00:46:43,430 S3: out and performing? It's more than just music. You're keeping 812 00:46:43,430 --> 00:46:45,270 S3: the gospel at the center. How do you do that? 813 00:46:45,830 --> 00:46:48,790 S12: Well, I mean, we've been songwriters for the first ten 814 00:46:48,890 --> 00:46:51,570 S12: years of our marriage, we taught school at public school. 815 00:46:51,930 --> 00:46:55,129 S12: But then our writing took over. And our writing has 816 00:46:55,130 --> 00:46:58,570 S12: always been about hope. Because he lives. I can face 817 00:46:58,570 --> 00:47:01,850 S12: tomorrow because he lives, you know, fear is gone. And 818 00:47:01,850 --> 00:47:04,530 S12: our songs all come out of just looking at what's 819 00:47:04,530 --> 00:47:07,410 S12: going on. And I can remember the day I looked 820 00:47:07,410 --> 00:47:09,969 S12: at Gloria and I said, you know, there's a hole 821 00:47:10,290 --> 00:47:14,370 S12: in the heart of this country that is as big 822 00:47:14,489 --> 00:47:17,489 S12: as the Grand Canyon, and we keep trying to fill 823 00:47:17,489 --> 00:47:20,850 S12: it with all kinds of things, sometimes good things. Football 824 00:47:20,850 --> 00:47:23,770 S12: is kind of a good thing, but that hole is 825 00:47:23,770 --> 00:47:26,210 S12: not going to be filled with football. We try to 826 00:47:26,210 --> 00:47:28,569 S12: fill it with, you know, our work, we try to 827 00:47:28,570 --> 00:47:32,089 S12: fill it with relationships, but there's a hole in the 828 00:47:32,090 --> 00:47:37,850 S12: heart of America that only God can fill. And, uh, 829 00:47:37,850 --> 00:47:41,650 S12: and we sing that song every night. Also, most of 830 00:47:41,650 --> 00:47:45,169 S12: our songs are just aimed towards the fact that I 831 00:47:45,170 --> 00:47:47,910 S12: think we keep coming back to the first commandment there 832 00:47:47,910 --> 00:47:52,150 S12: shall be no other gods before me. We believe that 833 00:47:52,150 --> 00:47:54,230 S12: so much in the bottom of our hearts. The only 834 00:47:54,230 --> 00:47:57,469 S12: reason that 80 year olds. We drank our coffee this 835 00:47:57,469 --> 00:48:00,990 S12: morning and talked about what's going on in the world. Yeah. 836 00:48:01,230 --> 00:48:04,509 S12: Thank God for coffee. That's our morning thing. And so, 837 00:48:04,550 --> 00:48:07,950 S12: to answer your question, you know, our whole life is 838 00:48:07,950 --> 00:48:11,550 S12: centered on these basic truths. And so that's the only 839 00:48:11,550 --> 00:48:14,790 S12: way we can speak to it, because the issues will 840 00:48:14,790 --> 00:48:18,310 S12: come and go, political issues will come and go. But 841 00:48:18,310 --> 00:48:20,910 S12: there's a bigger thing going on. And I think the 842 00:48:20,910 --> 00:48:24,270 S12: bigger thing is the hole that's in our heart. Yeah. 843 00:48:24,310 --> 00:48:26,710 S12: And we've got to fill it up with the right stuff. 844 00:48:26,710 --> 00:48:29,910 S12: And don't get caught up too much with this world. 845 00:48:30,150 --> 00:48:33,230 S3: Bill Gaither, our guest on this Freedom Friday. I want 846 00:48:33,230 --> 00:48:35,149 S3: to make sure that you can get the details. This 847 00:48:35,150 --> 00:48:38,270 S3: is the then came the morning tour. There are stops 848 00:48:38,270 --> 00:48:43,549 S3: in Florida and Indiana, Texas, Virginia, Kentucky. They're going to 849 00:48:43,550 --> 00:48:45,629 S3: be all over the place, so there is likely a 850 00:48:45,770 --> 00:48:48,130 S3: city near you. A stop near you. So just text 851 00:48:48,170 --> 00:48:50,850 S3: Bill and we'll get you the tour dates and locations. 852 00:48:50,890 --> 00:48:56,850 S3: Just text Bill to 800 555 7898. Bill to 805 853 00:48:56,890 --> 00:49:01,009 S3: 55 7898. Our thanks to Bill Gaither for being with 854 00:49:01,010 --> 00:49:01,770 S3: us this morning. 855 00:49:04,170 --> 00:49:16,049 S14: Our new born baby. And feel the pride. And the 856 00:49:16,050 --> 00:49:29,650 S14: joy that he gives. Ahold. But greater still, the calm assurance. 857 00:49:33,570 --> 00:49:49,190 S14: We can face uncertain days because he lives. And because. 858 00:49:49,190 --> 00:50:05,110 S15: He lives. I can face tomorrow. Because he lives. All 859 00:50:05,350 --> 00:50:22,390 S15: fear is gone. Because I know. Beholds the future. And 860 00:50:22,390 --> 00:50:34,549 S15: life is worth living. Just because he lives. And then 861 00:50:34,830 --> 00:50:46,719 S15: one day. I'll cross that river. I'll fight life's first. 862 00:50:49,400 --> 00:51:01,880 S15: War with pain. And then as death. Gives way to victory. 863 00:51:03,239 --> 00:51:14,080 S15: I'll see the light of glory. And I'll know he raised. Me. 864 00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:30,880 S15: Cause he. Lives I can face tomorrow. He covers. All 865 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:44,259 S15: fear is gone. Because I know. He holds the future. 866 00:51:47,060 --> 00:52:03,220 S15: And life is worth living just because he lived. It. 867 00:52:10,100 --> 00:52:11,660 S15: He lived. 868 00:52:19,980 --> 00:52:20,900 S3: Gaither vocal. 869 00:52:20,940 --> 00:52:21,340 S4: Band. 870 00:52:21,700 --> 00:52:25,460 S3: Classic. You know, I have to admit, I have loved 871 00:52:25,460 --> 00:52:27,979 S3: that song for so many years, and I did not 872 00:52:27,980 --> 00:52:30,060 S3: know that that was Bill and Gloria Gaither. 873 00:52:30,060 --> 00:52:32,220 S4: And that was released in 1993. 874 00:52:32,260 --> 00:52:33,300 S3: I love that song. 875 00:52:33,460 --> 00:52:33,739 S4: When you. 876 00:52:33,739 --> 00:52:33,939 S3: Just. 877 00:52:33,940 --> 00:52:35,260 S4: Listen to. 878 00:52:35,420 --> 00:52:41,080 S3: The lyrics because he lives, I can face tomorrow because 879 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:45,000 S3: he lives. All fear is gone. And then I start 880 00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:47,280 S3: to go into a song. It's hard to say it 881 00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:54,000 S3: because I know. He holds the future. And life is 882 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:59,200 S3: worth the living just because he lives. Can you say 883 00:52:59,200 --> 00:53:02,640 S3: that with me this morning? Can you declare that that 884 00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:07,200 S3: life is worth the living just because he lives? 885 00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:08,760 S2: Really? Only because. 886 00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:09,880 S4: He lives. Because he lives. 887 00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:11,280 S2: His life worth the living. 888 00:53:11,480 --> 00:53:17,520 S3: And you think about how many people wrestle with that question. 889 00:53:18,680 --> 00:53:22,520 S3: Is life worth the living? With all of its difficulty, 890 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:26,920 S3: all of its pain? Life is worth the living because 891 00:53:26,920 --> 00:53:31,440 S3: he lives, because we have hope of abundant life here. 892 00:53:32,080 --> 00:53:34,400 S3: But we know that this life is not it, right? 893 00:53:35,280 --> 00:53:38,840 S2: We absolutely do. We've we're proven that every day.