WEBVTT - More Than Survivors – Part 2 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:03.960 Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, we're reminded of 0:00:03.960 --> 0:00:07.040 the fullness and the power that is found in God's love. 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:10.320 No matter where you've been, how long you've been there, 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:12.800 who you've been with. I'm going to place the most 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:17.200 precious thing I have myself, my Holy Spirit, inside of you. 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:21.480 Now you are washed. You're sealed. And nothing can separate 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:23.880 you from the love that I have for you. Nothing 0:00:23.880 --> 0:00:27.240 at all ever again can separate you from the love 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:27.920 of God. 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:43.320 Welcome to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe, president of 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:45.720 Moody Bible Institute, and Mark, a senior pastor of New 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:49.400 Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Today, we're 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:51.800 continuing a lesson from last week on how God wants 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:54.480 us to be more than survivors in this life. We 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:56.520 saw that no matter what we've been through or what 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:59.520 we assume about life or God, the truth is the 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:02.240 God of the universe is for us, and his love 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:05.440 and power are fully available to us wherever we are. 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:08.320 But when we try to shut him out, or we 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:11.039 attempt to find victory through our own strength, we end 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.440 up missing out on the victories he has already prepared 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:16.560 for us. So, to continue learning about what it takes 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:19.600 to be more than survivors, let's join our Bible teacher, 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:21.520 Mark Jobe for today's lesson. 0:01:23.280 --> 0:01:28.319 Stop trying to micromanage your sin and start understanding the gospel. 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.000 That what you and I could not pay for. Jesus 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:37.160 paid in full, 100%. Past. Present. Future. There is no 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:39.920 prayer that you can do to eliminate your sin. If 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.279 you're here in church today because you think that you've 0:01:42.319 --> 0:01:45.440 committed too many sins, and maybe that coming to church 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:48.960 will eliminate some of your sins, guess what? You're wrong. 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:52.400 Some of you, pastor, I wouldn't even come today if 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:58.000 I knew that. No. You're wrong. Coming to church doesn't 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:02.610 eliminate your sins. This is not an act of of penitence. 0:02:02.650 --> 0:02:06.090 You don't get any points in heaven. There's no. Well, 0:02:06.090 --> 0:02:10.169 you came to church, so we'll mark off five lies now. No, 0:02:10.169 --> 0:02:13.250 that's not the way it works. Listen, you come to 0:02:13.290 --> 0:02:16.690 church not to be forgiven. You come to church because 0:02:16.690 --> 0:02:20.049 you are forgiven. You come to church to worship him, 0:02:20.050 --> 0:02:23.209 to give gratitude to him, to praise him, to honour him, 0:02:23.210 --> 0:02:26.650 to say thank you. Because I am forgiven. I'm here 0:02:26.650 --> 0:02:29.370 to bless your name and elevate you and say you 0:02:29.370 --> 0:02:33.809 are great not to get forgiveness, but because I have forgiveness. 0:02:33.850 --> 0:02:38.530 You see, it's different. That's the gospel. Much of the 0:02:38.530 --> 0:02:41.490 world stands condemned because they're trying to earn their way 0:02:41.490 --> 0:02:44.410 to God. They have not understood that the price has 0:02:44.410 --> 0:02:46.810 been paid, that the only way to God is through 0:02:46.810 --> 0:02:49.850 Jesus Christ. And so he tells us that he says, 0:02:50.130 --> 0:02:55.850 how much will God also graciously give us all things? 0:02:56.450 --> 0:02:59.570 Who will bring a charge against those whom God has chosen? 0:02:59.690 --> 0:03:03.890 It is God who justifies. Who then is the one 0:03:03.889 --> 0:03:09.490 who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus, who died more than that, 0:03:09.490 --> 0:03:11.970 who was raised to life and is at the right 0:03:11.970 --> 0:03:18.410 hand of God, is also interceding for us. The Bible says, 0:03:18.410 --> 0:03:21.810 who is it that condemns? You see, even though you've 0:03:21.810 --> 0:03:24.250 been washed and cleansed, if you're a believer in Jesus 0:03:24.250 --> 0:03:26.850 Christ and submitted your life to God, you have been 0:03:26.850 --> 0:03:29.770 cleansed and washed. There's nothing that you can do to 0:03:29.810 --> 0:03:35.130 get any cleaner before God. The price has been paid 100% completely. 0:03:37.210 --> 0:03:40.930 But some of us live condemned. The Bible says, who 0:03:40.930 --> 0:03:44.730 is it that condemns? No one. It tells us in 0:03:44.730 --> 0:03:49.010 the book of revelation. The book of Revelation says that 0:03:49.010 --> 0:03:54.130 there's accuser of the brethren who accuses them before God 0:03:54.410 --> 0:03:58.210 day and night. Do you know that there's someone that's 0:03:58.210 --> 0:04:03.420 accusing you day and night before God? day and night. 0:04:03.660 --> 0:04:06.780 Everything that you do. Hey, look what he did. Look 0:04:06.780 --> 0:04:11.300 what she did. Oh, they were in church. Right in 0:04:11.300 --> 0:04:16.020 the parking lot after church. Someone cut them off and 0:04:16.020 --> 0:04:21.140 they swore. Look at them. And they claim to be 0:04:21.140 --> 0:04:28.700 a follower of yours. They're selfish. They're angry. Look at them. 0:04:28.860 --> 0:04:33.979 They're accusing you day and night, 24 hours before the 0:04:33.980 --> 0:04:38.820 throne of God. Someone is hurling accusations about who you 0:04:38.820 --> 0:04:42.140 are and what you've done. And some of that accusation 0:04:42.140 --> 0:04:45.220 begins to filter into your mind and being. And let 0:04:45.220 --> 0:04:47.380 me tell you what the Bible says right here. It says, 0:04:47.380 --> 0:04:49.820 but there is someone else at the right hand of 0:04:49.820 --> 0:04:54.539 God interceding for us day and night. His name is 0:04:54.540 --> 0:05:00.980 Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God. When 0:05:00.980 --> 0:05:03.260 the enemy says, you know that is real. Hey, did 0:05:03.260 --> 0:05:05.460 you see how he blew up at his wife? He's 0:05:05.460 --> 0:05:10.300 only been married two years. Do you see how he sinned? 0:05:10.339 --> 0:05:12.620 How he. How he lied, how he got mad, how 0:05:12.620 --> 0:05:15.380 he drove. And the enemy is saying, look at Israel. See, 0:05:15.420 --> 0:05:17.340 he claims to be. And you know what Jesus is 0:05:17.339 --> 0:05:21.060 saying every time that an accusation is hurled, Jesus says, 0:05:21.060 --> 0:05:23.100 paid in full, paid in full. I paid it on 0:05:23.100 --> 0:05:26.140 the cross. It's been washed, it's been cleaned. I paid for, 0:05:26.180 --> 0:05:31.460 paid for, paid for, paid for, paid for day and night. 0:05:31.460 --> 0:05:35.219 The enemy accuses. Day and night Jesus justifies because he 0:05:35.220 --> 0:05:37.900 is paid in full, the debt that has been hurled 0:05:37.900 --> 0:05:41.820 against us, so that there is no condemnation and no 0:05:41.820 --> 0:05:46.659 accusation that can stick because it's been paid for 100% 0:05:46.660 --> 0:05:51.060 by God, 100% through His Son Jesus Christ. Our sin 0:05:51.060 --> 0:05:53.220 has been paid for. That is the power of the 0:05:53.260 --> 0:06:01.950 gospel of Jesus Christ. Until we understand that our life 0:06:01.950 --> 0:06:07.150 will constantly be in disarray. Until you understand the power 0:06:07.150 --> 0:06:19.750 of the gospel, you'll be constantly struggling. Constantly feeling condemned. Rejected. Insufficient. Shamed. 0:06:20.150 --> 0:06:29.750 Guilt ridden. Living your life without joy. Yesterday we celebrated 0:06:29.750 --> 0:06:33.510 my son Grant's graduation. And so we put up a 0:06:33.510 --> 0:06:37.550 little tent in the backyard because it was going to 0:06:37.550 --> 0:06:41.710 be hot. What I didn't know is how windy it 0:06:41.710 --> 0:06:45.670 was going to be. So I put up the tent. 0:06:45.670 --> 0:06:47.830 I was really happy. I put it together. A lot 0:06:47.870 --> 0:06:52.510 of work in the sun. Put it together. My wife 0:06:52.510 --> 0:07:00.109 calls me desperately. She says, Mark. I said, what's wrong? 0:07:00.150 --> 0:07:04.190 She says, I'm hanging on to the tent. The lake 0:07:04.190 --> 0:07:08.950 keeps going up. It's going to blow away. I said, well, hon, 0:07:08.950 --> 0:07:10.390 just let go of it. I don't want you to 0:07:10.430 --> 0:07:13.429 blow away with it. Just let go. And the tent 0:07:13.470 --> 0:07:18.550 toppled over two times. I secured it with ropes. I 0:07:18.590 --> 0:07:21.230 tied it to the side, but the wind was so 0:07:21.230 --> 0:07:24.830 strong that it kept toppling over, coming apart because the 0:07:24.830 --> 0:07:27.870 wind was blowing it. And finally we had someone that 0:07:27.870 --> 0:07:29.830 came over and he said, I have a solution for it. 0:07:29.870 --> 0:07:31.790 What you need is you need to weight it down. 0:07:31.790 --> 0:07:34.990 So we got some of my son's weights, like weights, 0:07:35.030 --> 0:07:37.190 and put it at the bottom of the legs and 0:07:37.190 --> 0:07:40.270 tied it to it because the weight of it held 0:07:40.270 --> 0:07:44.790 the tent down. Listen to me. Some of you need 0:07:44.790 --> 0:07:49.150 the weight of understanding what it means to be fully 0:07:49.150 --> 0:07:53.870 forgiven and saved and condemnation free. That's the only thing 0:07:53.870 --> 0:07:56.910 that is going to hold an anchor to your life. 0:07:56.990 --> 0:08:00.070 If not, you're going to be guilt ridden. You're going 0:08:00.110 --> 0:08:03.480 to be full of striving. You're going to try to 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:08.000 save yourself. You're going to feel full of shame unless 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:11.720 you understand the weight of the gospel of Jesus Christ 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:16.080 and how it anchors your soul. You will be super inconsistent, 0:08:16.080 --> 0:08:20.239 fluctuating up and down until you finally grasp the gospel 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:23.200 of Jesus Christ. It is what anchors your life so 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:29.440 you're not thrown all over the place. Yeah, that's what 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:38.280 he that's what he tells us here. Number three, he says, 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:44.040 not only is nothing random, not only is all access granted. 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:52.120 Number three, we cannot be separated. Verse 35 says, who 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:56.439 shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble 0:08:56.440 --> 0:08:59.840 or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, 0:08:59.840 --> 0:09:02.880 or Dangerous sword as it is written, for your sake, 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:06.000 we face death all day long. We are considered as 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:09.400 sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:12.240 are more than conquerors through him that loved us. And 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:16.720 it says in verse 39, nothing shall separate us from 0:09:16.720 --> 0:09:20.840 the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:26.360 If I could only preach this. Some of you would 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:30.640 be changed today. You'd never see your relationship with God 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:34.240 the same. If I could only preach this, some of 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:36.920 you would be transformed. If this could go from here 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.400 to here, that there is nothing on earth or in heaven, 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:44.199 there is nothing. As a believer, if you've accepted Christ, 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:46.240 given your life to him, been washed and dwelt by 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.240 the Holy Spirit, that there is nothing in heaven and 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:51.880 on earth. There is nothing that could ever happen to you, 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.800 nothing that you could ever do, that can separate you 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:57.559 from the incredible, powerful love of God that is in 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:03.449 Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing. scene. Have you ever been separated? 0:10:06.490 --> 0:10:13.970 Have you ever forgot your kid somewhere? I have a friend. 0:10:13.970 --> 0:10:18.010 Close friend? I'm not going to mention his name. He 0:10:18.010 --> 0:10:22.250 was on a family trip. Has four kids. Stopped at 0:10:22.250 --> 0:10:25.929 a gas station. Got everything loaded up. Filled his car 0:10:25.929 --> 0:10:30.890 with gas. Took off. 15 minutes into the journey there. Nice. 0:10:30.890 --> 0:10:33.450 Listen to some music. His wife leans over and says, 0:10:34.090 --> 0:10:40.329 where's our daughter? He says he asked the other kid, hey, 0:10:40.370 --> 0:10:44.170 where's they mention her name? Where is she? The kid's like, 0:10:44.170 --> 0:10:46.490 I don't know, I don't know. He says to his wife, 0:10:46.490 --> 0:10:48.250 I thought you were watching her, she says. I thought 0:10:48.250 --> 0:10:51.410 you were watching her. We left her at the gas station. 0:10:53.370 --> 0:10:56.490 So 15 minutes into the trip, they had to turn around, 0:10:56.530 --> 0:11:01.370 drive all the way to the gas station. They ran 0:11:01.370 --> 0:11:03.850 into the gas station desperately, and there their little daughter 0:11:03.850 --> 0:11:07.010 was swinging her legs about four years old, swinging her 0:11:07.010 --> 0:11:10.930 legs with the gas station attendant talking, and she said, mommy, 0:11:10.970 --> 0:11:13.370 did you forget me? And they were like, no, honey, 0:11:13.410 --> 0:11:16.330 we didn't really forget you and I'll not forget you. 0:11:16.370 --> 0:11:23.050 We didn't really leave you. It's. Have you ever been separated? 0:11:23.050 --> 0:11:29.330 Have you ever been lost? There's something. Something about being 0:11:29.330 --> 0:11:37.010 separated from someone that loves us. That's hard. Something about 0:11:37.610 --> 0:11:44.810 the distance that leaves a vacuum separation. Some of you 0:11:44.809 --> 0:11:48.250 have experienced the death of a loved one that you 0:11:48.290 --> 0:11:50.569 were really close to. I have a good friend who 0:11:50.970 --> 0:11:55.570 is 87 years old and his wife died last year. 0:11:55.570 --> 0:11:58.970 He's 60 years old. I talked to him two days 0:11:58.970 --> 0:12:02.620 ago and he cried. In fact, it seems like every 0:12:02.620 --> 0:12:04.500 time I talk to him on the phone, he cries. 0:12:05.300 --> 0:12:09.660 He's sad. 60 years of marriage and she's gone. Leaves 0:12:09.700 --> 0:12:15.140 a hollowness and emptiness like. Wow. It's hard being separated. 0:12:17.420 --> 0:12:19.660 He says. You know God is faithful. But man, I 0:12:19.660 --> 0:12:24.460 miss her. It's hard being separated. But here's what God says. 0:12:27.140 --> 0:12:29.500 That I know you can be separated from loved ones. 0:12:29.500 --> 0:12:32.059 I know you can be separated from things. But here's 0:12:32.260 --> 0:12:36.900 something about the love of God that when you come 0:12:36.900 --> 0:12:40.660 to God and His Spirit is placed inside of you, 0:12:40.900 --> 0:12:47.380 there is nothing. No one, no time, no place, no 0:12:47.380 --> 0:12:52.820 power nor force, no evil, no good, no height, no 0:12:52.820 --> 0:12:57.300 depth that is able to separate you ever again from 0:12:57.300 --> 0:13:00.500 the powerful love of God that is in Christ Jesus 0:13:00.500 --> 0:13:05.540 our Lord. It is impossible now to separate you from 0:13:05.540 --> 0:13:06.500 the love of God. 0:13:11.860 --> 0:13:14.460 Well, that's just the first half of today's Bold Steps 0:13:14.460 --> 0:13:17.739 message with pastor Mark Jobe. It's titled More Than Survivors. 0:13:17.740 --> 0:13:20.420 We'll continue in a moment. First, we want to remind 0:13:20.420 --> 0:13:22.579 you that you can always find these lessons and listen 0:13:22.580 --> 0:13:25.620 on your own time by subscribing to our podcast. Just 0:13:25.620 --> 0:13:28.340 go to your favorite podcast platform and search for bold 0:13:28.340 --> 0:13:32.260 steps with doctor Mark Jobe, and then tap the subscribe button. 0:13:32.580 --> 0:13:34.900 And if you appreciate these biblical teachings, take a moment 0:13:34.900 --> 0:13:37.820 to leave a comment and let us know. Also on 0:13:37.820 --> 0:13:40.140 social media, be sure to connect with us there as well. 0:13:40.260 --> 0:13:43.180 You'll find us at Facebook and Instagram by searching for 0:13:43.179 --> 0:13:46.300 Bold Steps Radio. All right, time to get back to 0:13:46.340 --> 0:13:49.740 Mark's message now for today. More than survivors. 0:13:55.300 --> 0:13:57.900 Notice what he says. I want you to hear these words. Listen. 0:13:58.540 --> 0:14:02.309 He says As no. In all these things we are 0:14:02.309 --> 0:14:05.110 more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I 0:14:05.150 --> 0:14:09.950 am convinced that neither death nor not even death can 0:14:09.950 --> 0:14:15.030 separate you from God's love. For the believer, when you die, 0:14:15.870 --> 0:14:19.390 it's not over. Now you're just launched into the presence 0:14:19.390 --> 0:14:22.990 of God. That love that you feel now, that love 0:14:22.990 --> 0:14:26.750 will continue on into your death. So no, it's not. 0:14:27.750 --> 0:14:33.350 It's not death. The battles of life can't separate you. 0:14:34.070 --> 0:14:40.270 Angels can't separate you. Demons or evil spirits can't separate you. 0:14:41.030 --> 0:14:44.830 The present. What you're going through can't separate you. Whatever 0:14:44.830 --> 0:14:48.590 happens in the future can't separate you. Nor power can 0:14:48.630 --> 0:14:52.110 separate you. There's no height. Anything in the heavens that 0:14:52.110 --> 0:14:55.910 can separate you. There's nothing down deep that can separate you. 0:14:55.950 --> 0:14:59.710 There's nothing in all of creation that will be able 0:14:59.880 --> 0:15:02.440 to separate us from the love of God that is 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:07.680 in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a inseparable force 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:14.160 in the universe that no one can break. Listen, some 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:21.920 of you live with this constant separation anxiety. Like a 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:28.000 little baby that's attached to the mom. And you give 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.560 it over to someone that they don't know and they're like, mommy, mommy, 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:35.760 does that ever happen to you? Oh, you're so cute. 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:39.000 Come to your auntie. You hold the baby. The baby 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:42.040 takes one look at you, looks at mom, and goes. 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:49.440 We call that separation anxiety. Listen to me. Well, some 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:55.240 of you live with separation anxiety. You have this feeling 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:58.360 that you can be separated from the love of God. 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:03.400 That you may do something that will cause God to 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:07.960 stop loving you. That you may say something that will 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:11.000 cause God to say, you know, I'm I'm done with you. 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:14.080 I tried, I gave you my best. I'm just sick 0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:19.200 of it. That you may fail in a way that 0:16:19.200 --> 0:16:22.600 somehow will turn the love of God away from you. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:28.240 And you constantly live with this. I hope I'm making it. 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:36.760 I hope God accepts me. I hope when I die, I. 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:44.640 I'll squeeze through the gates of heaven. Hopefully. I hope 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:50.440 that I'm good enough. I hope that I'm religious enough. 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:55.520 I hope that I've made it. I hope that God 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:59.480 still listens to me. I hope that God hasn't turned 0:16:59.480 --> 0:17:02.840 his back on me. I hope that he hasn't given 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:10.280 up on me. I hope that I haven't disappointed in 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:14.320 a month and you come to worship and instead of 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.520 worshiping God with freedom, you sit there with your head 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:30.199 down and kind of ashamed, feeling inadequate. Guilt ridden. Wondering 0:17:30.200 --> 0:17:34.679 if you've measured up. Can I be honest with you? 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:42.280 You haven't. You never will. You never can. You're never 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:50.960 able to. That's why you need Jesus. But once you 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:55.119 have him, the Bible says that you are sealed unto 0:17:55.119 --> 0:18:00.770 the day of redemption. And there's nothing in life, heaven 0:18:00.770 --> 0:18:05.690 or hell that can ever break away. The love that 0:18:05.690 --> 0:18:09.970 God has for you. You will never, ever be separated 0:18:09.970 --> 0:18:16.490 from this incredible, powerful, undeniable force called the love of God. 0:18:16.530 --> 0:18:19.490 There's never a moment in your life that you ever 0:18:19.490 --> 0:18:23.930 have to wonder again. Does he love me? He's not 0:18:23.930 --> 0:18:30.369 a fickle boyfriend. It's not. He loves me. He loves 0:18:30.369 --> 0:18:34.650 me not. Nothing will ever be able to separate you 0:18:34.650 --> 0:18:38.570 from that incredible, powerful love of God. So you can 0:18:38.570 --> 0:18:42.650 walk through this life knowing now the only thing that 0:18:43.010 --> 0:18:46.570 can hinder the love of God is your own doubt 0:18:46.609 --> 0:18:51.169 of his love. God loves you whether you like it 0:18:51.170 --> 0:18:53.610 or not, whether you know it or not, whether you 0:18:53.609 --> 0:18:56.690 accept it or not. His love is powerful. But sometimes 0:18:56.690 --> 0:19:01.340 we live our life doubting his love. Doubting whether we're accepted. 0:19:02.180 --> 0:19:06.140 You see, the power of Christianity is how fallen and 0:19:06.140 --> 0:19:09.379 broken and condemned we really are. You and I don't 0:19:09.380 --> 0:19:12.540 deserve the love of God. We never have deserved the 0:19:12.540 --> 0:19:17.900 love of God. We never will deserve the love of God. 0:19:18.940 --> 0:19:21.060 It is God who loved us while we were yet 0:19:21.060 --> 0:19:25.020 sinners and broken and fallen. And he loved us, and 0:19:25.020 --> 0:19:28.500 he pursued us, and he washed us, and he cleansed us. 0:19:28.500 --> 0:19:30.340 And he not only did he do that, but he 0:19:30.340 --> 0:19:32.660 took us. And he said, now, no matter what your 0:19:32.660 --> 0:19:35.460 past has been, no matter where you've been, how long 0:19:35.460 --> 0:19:38.859 you've been there, who you've been with, how many times 0:19:38.859 --> 0:19:41.740 you've fallen, I'm going to place the most precious thing 0:19:41.740 --> 0:19:46.100 I have myself, my Holy Spirit, inside of you. Now 0:19:46.100 --> 0:19:50.500 you are washed. You're redeemed. You're sealed. I live inside 0:19:50.500 --> 0:19:54.020 of you. I live with you. And nothing can separate 0:19:54.020 --> 0:19:56.580 you from the love that I have for you. Nothing 0:19:56.580 --> 0:20:00.260 at all ever again can separate you from the love 0:20:00.260 --> 0:20:05.780 of God. That's the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 0:20:06.940 --> 0:20:09.300 Some of you need to raise your head to heaven 0:20:09.460 --> 0:20:13.900 in a new way and say, God, forgive me for 0:20:13.900 --> 0:20:18.020 doubting your love. Forgive me for trying to earn that 0:20:18.020 --> 0:20:22.859 which I can never earn. That's freely given. Forgive me, God, 0:20:22.859 --> 0:20:26.540 for trying to cleanse myself when I can never cleanse myself. 0:20:26.540 --> 0:20:29.580 There's one that cleansed me. It's the power of the 0:20:29.580 --> 0:20:32.859 love of God. It's the power of the gospel. And 0:20:32.859 --> 0:20:37.300 there's something that happens when we live condemnation free. There's 0:20:37.300 --> 0:20:39.420 something that happens when we know that he loves us, 0:20:39.420 --> 0:20:42.020 and that no matter what we do, nothing can separate 0:20:42.020 --> 0:20:46.620 us from that love. There's a freeing, a powerful freedom 0:20:46.619 --> 0:20:48.580 that comes in, that makes us want to live for 0:20:48.580 --> 0:20:55.220 Jesus in a more powerful, compelling way. Romans chapter eight 0:20:55.220 --> 0:20:59.820 starts with no condemnation. In Romans, chapter eight ends with 0:20:59.820 --> 0:21:06.500 no separation. The most powerful force on earth is the 0:21:06.500 --> 0:21:10.780 love of God. And some of you are walking and 0:21:10.780 --> 0:21:17.379 living as though it were an intermittent signal, like your 0:21:17.380 --> 0:21:25.619 internet reception here. Some days gone the next. I believe 0:21:25.619 --> 0:21:30.620 that some of you today. Need to come to this 0:21:30.619 --> 0:21:35.660 altar and just worship God and say, God, forgive me 0:21:35.660 --> 0:21:43.260 that I've ever doubted your love. And today I receive 0:21:43.260 --> 0:21:59.340 and accept your unconditional love. Yes. So you may not 0:21:59.350 --> 0:22:02.830 be in a church auditorium to go to an altar, 0:22:02.830 --> 0:22:06.150 but wherever you're at, I believe the Holy Spirit is 0:22:06.150 --> 0:22:10.670 speaking to some people today where you have doubted his love, 0:22:10.710 --> 0:22:15.909 where you have gone by your feelings and believe that 0:22:15.910 --> 0:22:19.470 somehow God has abandoned you, or walked away, or is 0:22:19.470 --> 0:22:22.629 not always present. And let me just read this again. 0:22:23.310 --> 0:22:26.990 For I am convinced, Paul says, that neither death, nor life, 0:22:26.990 --> 0:22:31.230 nor angels, nor demons, neither the present nor the future, 0:22:31.270 --> 0:22:35.710 nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else 0:22:35.710 --> 0:22:39.909 in all creation, will be able to separate us from 0:22:39.910 --> 0:22:44.190 the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And 0:22:44.190 --> 0:22:47.270 so I want to pray with you right now. I 0:22:47.270 --> 0:22:51.230 want to pray that you would be firm in your 0:22:51.230 --> 0:22:56.230 grasp that God is not far away, that nothing, nothing 0:22:56.230 --> 0:22:58.950 can separate you from his love. Father, I pray for 0:22:58.950 --> 0:23:03.350 that person right now that because of bad experiences in 0:23:03.350 --> 0:23:08.630 the past, because of abandonment, because of lies by someone 0:23:08.630 --> 0:23:11.389 that said they would love them and then walked away 0:23:11.390 --> 0:23:20.390 because of divorce, because of separation, because of infidelity. They 0:23:20.910 --> 0:23:26.510 doubt that your word is true, that you will be faithful. 0:23:26.510 --> 0:23:28.990 And I pray in Jesus name that you would heal 0:23:28.990 --> 0:23:33.109 that wound and that today, God there would be an assurance, 0:23:33.150 --> 0:23:37.590 a confidence that nothing or no one can separate us 0:23:37.590 --> 0:23:43.230 from this powerful, compelling love that no one can even 0:23:43.230 --> 0:23:47.389 describe or understand. But that is true, that is faithful, 0:23:47.390 --> 0:23:50.510 that is secure. I pray that that would be ingrained 0:23:50.510 --> 0:23:54.190 in the spirit, that there would be a confident assurance 0:23:54.190 --> 0:23:57.950 of that love. And I ask this in Jesus name. Amen. 0:23:58.470 --> 0:24:01.960 Yes. Amen. Thank you. Mark. You're listening to Bold Steps. 0:24:01.960 --> 0:24:05.280 Today's message is titled More than Survivors. If you want 0:24:05.280 --> 0:24:07.600 to revisit any part of today's lesson, or if you'd 0:24:07.600 --> 0:24:09.359 like to share it with a friend, be sure to 0:24:09.359 --> 0:24:12.960 visit our website. Bold Steps. While you're there, you'll also 0:24:13.000 --> 0:24:14.960 want to check out this month's edition of our Bold 0:24:14.960 --> 0:24:17.960 Step Gift. It's a special resource that shows us how 0:24:17.960 --> 0:24:22.120 to overcome one of today's biggest struggles the issue of loneliness. 0:24:22.560 --> 0:24:25.160 It is ironic that in today's age of cell phones 0:24:25.160 --> 0:24:27.960 and social media and video calls, so many of us 0:24:27.960 --> 0:24:31.320 are struggling to find real relationships and community. Did you 0:24:31.320 --> 0:24:34.320 know that research shows that a lack of social connection 0:24:34.520 --> 0:24:38.520 highlights health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? 0:24:38.920 --> 0:24:42.320 It's a scientific fact. Real relationships are key to a 0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:46.240 healthy life. That's why we're passionate about this month's resource, 0:24:46.400 --> 0:24:50.200 a book from Doctor Heathen Holloman titled The Six Conversations. 0:24:50.600 --> 0:24:54.520 This book shows you exactly how to build intimate, authentic relationships, 0:24:54.720 --> 0:24:59.800 offering practical strategies for meaningful communication and connection. This bold 0:24:59.800 --> 0:25:03.560 step gift will help you transform surface level interactions into 0:25:03.560 --> 0:25:06.919 life giving relationships, no matter where you are. We'll be 0:25:06.960 --> 0:25:08.520 happy to send it to you when you give a 0:25:08.560 --> 0:25:12.080 gift of any amount to support this ministry. Just visit 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:14.959 us online at Bold Steps. Org or call us at 0:25:14.960 --> 0:25:22.560 800 Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. And if you'd rather send your 0:25:22.560 --> 0:25:24.600 donation and request the book in the mail, you can 0:25:24.600 --> 0:25:28.119 always do that. Write to us at bold steps. 820 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:34.000 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. Well, that's all 0:25:34.000 --> 0:25:36.440 the time we have for today, but be listening. Tomorrow 0:25:36.440 --> 0:25:40.040 when Mark begins a new series titled seen. Don't miss 0:25:40.040 --> 0:25:44.680 this informative lesson Thursday here on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. 0:25:46.000 --> 0:25:49.000 Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:50.680 of Moody Bible Institute.