S1: Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, we're reminded of
S1: the fullness and the power that is found in God's love.
S2: No matter where you've been, how long you've been there,
S2: who you've been with. I'm going to place the most
S2: precious thing I have myself, my Holy Spirit, inside of you.
S2: Now you are washed. You're sealed. And nothing can separate
S2: you from the love that I have for you. Nothing
S2: at all ever again can separate you from the love
S2: of God.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe, president of
S1: Moody Bible Institute, and Mark, a senior pastor of New
S1: Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Today, we're
S1: continuing a lesson from last week on how God wants
S1: us to be more than survivors in this life. We
S1: saw that no matter what we've been through or what
S1: we assume about life or God, the truth is the
S1: God of the universe is for us, and his love
S1: and power are fully available to us wherever we are.
S1: But when we try to shut him out, or we
S1: attempt to find victory through our own strength, we end
S1: up missing out on the victories he has already prepared
S1: for us. So, to continue learning about what it takes
S1: to be more than survivors, let's join our Bible teacher,
S1: Mark Jobe for today's lesson.
S2: Stop trying to micromanage your sin and start understanding the gospel.
S2: That what you and I could not pay for. Jesus
S2: paid in full, 100%. Past. Present. Future. There is no
S2: prayer that you can do to eliminate your sin. If
S2: you're here in church today because you think that you've
S2: committed too many sins, and maybe that coming to church
S2: will eliminate some of your sins, guess what? You're wrong.
S2: Some of you, pastor, I wouldn't even come today if
S2: I knew that. No. You're wrong. Coming to church doesn't
S2: eliminate your sins. This is not an act of of penitence.
S2: You don't get any points in heaven. There's no. Well,
S2: you came to church, so we'll mark off five lies now. No,
S2: that's not the way it works. Listen, you come to
S2: church not to be forgiven. You come to church because
S2: you are forgiven. You come to church to worship him,
S2: to give gratitude to him, to praise him, to honour him,
S2: to say thank you. Because I am forgiven. I'm here
S2: to bless your name and elevate you and say you
S2: are great not to get forgiveness, but because I have forgiveness.
S2: You see, it's different. That's the gospel. Much of the
S2: world stands condemned because they're trying to earn their way
S2: to God. They have not understood that the price has
S2: been paid, that the only way to God is through
S2: Jesus Christ. And so he tells us that he says,
S2: how much will God also graciously give us all things?
S2: Who will bring a charge against those whom God has chosen?
S2: It is God who justifies. Who then is the one
S2: who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus, who died more than that,
S2: who was raised to life and is at the right
S2: hand of God, is also interceding for us. The Bible says,
S2: who is it that condemns? You see, even though you've
S2: been washed and cleansed, if you're a believer in Jesus
S2: Christ and submitted your life to God, you have been
S2: cleansed and washed. There's nothing that you can do to
S2: get any cleaner before God. The price has been paid 100% completely.
S2: But some of us live condemned. The Bible says, who
S2: is it that condemns? No one. It tells us in
S2: the book of revelation. The book of Revelation says that
S2: there's accuser of the brethren who accuses them before God
S2: day and night. Do you know that there's someone that's
S2: accusing you day and night before God? day and night.
S2: Everything that you do. Hey, look what he did. Look
S2: what she did. Oh, they were in church. Right in
S2: the parking lot after church. Someone cut them off and
S2: they swore. Look at them. And they claim to be
S2: a follower of yours. They're selfish. They're angry. Look at them.
S2: They're accusing you day and night, 24 hours before the
S2: throne of God. Someone is hurling accusations about who you
S2: are and what you've done. And some of that accusation
S2: begins to filter into your mind and being. And let
S2: me tell you what the Bible says right here. It says,
S2: but there is someone else at the right hand of
S2: God interceding for us day and night. His name is
S2: Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God. When
S2: the enemy says, you know that is real. Hey, did
S2: you see how he blew up at his wife? He's
S2: only been married two years. Do you see how he sinned?
S2: How he. How he lied, how he got mad, how
S2: he drove. And the enemy is saying, look at Israel. See,
S2: he claims to be. And you know what Jesus is
S2: saying every time that an accusation is hurled, Jesus says,
S2: paid in full, paid in full. I paid it on
S2: the cross. It's been washed, it's been cleaned. I paid for,
S2: paid for, paid for, paid for, paid for day and night.
S2: The enemy accuses. Day and night Jesus justifies because he
S2: is paid in full, the debt that has been hurled
S2: against us, so that there is no condemnation and no
S2: accusation that can stick because it's been paid for 100%
S2: by God, 100% through His Son Jesus Christ. Our sin
S2: has been paid for. That is the power of the
S2: gospel of Jesus Christ. Until we understand that our life
S2: will constantly be in disarray. Until you understand the power
S2: of the gospel, you'll be constantly struggling. Constantly feeling condemned. Rejected. Insufficient. Shamed.
S2: Guilt ridden. Living your life without joy. Yesterday we celebrated
S2: my son Grant's graduation. And so we put up a
S2: little tent in the backyard because it was going to
S2: be hot. What I didn't know is how windy it
S2: was going to be. So I put up the tent.
S2: I was really happy. I put it together. A lot
S2: of work in the sun. Put it together. My wife
S2: calls me desperately. She says, Mark. I said, what's wrong?
S2: She says, I'm hanging on to the tent. The lake
S2: keeps going up. It's going to blow away. I said, well, hon,
S2: just let go of it. I don't want you to
S2: blow away with it. Just let go. And the tent
S2: toppled over two times. I secured it with ropes. I
S2: tied it to the side, but the wind was so
S2: strong that it kept toppling over, coming apart because the
S2: wind was blowing it. And finally we had someone that
S2: came over and he said, I have a solution for it.
S2: What you need is you need to weight it down.
S2: So we got some of my son's weights, like weights,
S2: and put it at the bottom of the legs and
S2: tied it to it because the weight of it held
S2: the tent down. Listen to me. Some of you need
S2: the weight of understanding what it means to be fully
S2: forgiven and saved and condemnation free. That's the only thing
S2: that is going to hold an anchor to your life.
S2: If not, you're going to be guilt ridden. You're going
S2: to be full of striving. You're going to try to
S2: save yourself. You're going to feel full of shame unless
S2: you understand the weight of the gospel of Jesus Christ
S2: and how it anchors your soul. You will be super inconsistent,
S2: fluctuating up and down until you finally grasp the gospel
S2: of Jesus Christ. It is what anchors your life so
S2: you're not thrown all over the place. Yeah, that's what
S2: he that's what he tells us here. Number three, he says,
S2: not only is nothing random, not only is all access granted.
S2: Number three, we cannot be separated. Verse 35 says, who
S2: shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble
S2: or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger,
S2: or Dangerous sword as it is written, for your sake,
S2: we face death all day long. We are considered as
S2: sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we
S2: are more than conquerors through him that loved us. And
S2: it says in verse 39, nothing shall separate us from
S2: the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
S2: If I could only preach this. Some of you would
S2: be changed today. You'd never see your relationship with God
S2: the same. If I could only preach this, some of
S2: you would be transformed. If this could go from here
S2: to here, that there is nothing on earth or in heaven,
S2: there is nothing. As a believer, if you've accepted Christ,
S2: given your life to him, been washed and dwelt by
S2: the Holy Spirit, that there is nothing in heaven and
S2: on earth. There is nothing that could ever happen to you,
S2: nothing that you could ever do, that can separate you
S2: from the incredible, powerful love of God that is in
S2: Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing. scene. Have you ever been separated?
S2: Have you ever forgot your kid somewhere? I have a friend.
S2: Close friend? I'm not going to mention his name. He
S2: was on a family trip. Has four kids. Stopped at
S2: a gas station. Got everything loaded up. Filled his car
S2: with gas. Took off. 15 minutes into the journey there. Nice.
S2: Listen to some music. His wife leans over and says,
S2: where's our daughter? He says he asked the other kid, hey,
S2: where's they mention her name? Where is she? The kid's like,
S2: I don't know, I don't know. He says to his wife,
S2: I thought you were watching her, she says. I thought
S2: you were watching her. We left her at the gas station.
S2: So 15 minutes into the trip, they had to turn around,
S2: drive all the way to the gas station. They ran
S2: into the gas station desperately, and there their little daughter
S2: was swinging her legs about four years old, swinging her
S2: legs with the gas station attendant talking, and she said, mommy,
S2: did you forget me? And they were like, no, honey,
S2: we didn't really forget you and I'll not forget you.
S2: We didn't really leave you. It's. Have you ever been separated?
S2: Have you ever been lost? There's something. Something about being
S2: separated from someone that loves us. That's hard. Something about
S2: the distance that leaves a vacuum separation. Some of you
S2: have experienced the death of a loved one that you
S2: were really close to. I have a good friend who
S2: is 87 years old and his wife died last year.
S2: He's 60 years old. I talked to him two days
S2: ago and he cried. In fact, it seems like every
S2: time I talk to him on the phone, he cries.
S2: He's sad. 60 years of marriage and she's gone. Leaves
S2: a hollowness and emptiness like. Wow. It's hard being separated.
S2: He says. You know God is faithful. But man, I
S2: miss her. It's hard being separated. But here's what God says.
S2: That I know you can be separated from loved ones.
S2: I know you can be separated from things. But here's
S2: something about the love of God that when you come
S2: to God and His Spirit is placed inside of you,
S2: there is nothing. No one, no time, no place, no
S2: power nor force, no evil, no good, no height, no
S2: depth that is able to separate you ever again from
S2: the powerful love of God that is in Christ Jesus
S2: our Lord. It is impossible now to separate you from
S2: the love of God.
S1: Well, that's just the first half of today's Bold Steps
S1: message with pastor Mark Jobe. It's titled More Than Survivors.
S1: We'll continue in a moment. First, we want to remind
S1: you that you can always find these lessons and listen
S1: on your own time by subscribing to our podcast. Just
S1: go to your favorite podcast platform and search for bold
S1: steps with doctor Mark Jobe, and then tap the subscribe button.
S1: And if you appreciate these biblical teachings, take a moment
S1: to leave a comment and let us know. Also on
S1: social media, be sure to connect with us there as well.
S1: You'll find us at Facebook and Instagram by searching for
S1: Bold Steps Radio. All right, time to get back to
S1: Mark's message now for today. More than survivors.
S2: Notice what he says. I want you to hear these words. Listen.
S2: He says As no. In all these things we are
S2: more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I
S2: am convinced that neither death nor not even death can
S2: separate you from God's love. For the believer, when you die,
S2: it's not over. Now you're just launched into the presence
S2: of God. That love that you feel now, that love
S2: will continue on into your death. So no, it's not.
S2: It's not death. The battles of life can't separate you.
S2: Angels can't separate you. Demons or evil spirits can't separate you.
S2: The present. What you're going through can't separate you. Whatever
S2: happens in the future can't separate you. Nor power can
S2: separate you. There's no height. Anything in the heavens that
S2: can separate you. There's nothing down deep that can separate you.
S2: There's nothing in all of creation that will be able
S2: to separate us from the love of God that is
S2: in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a inseparable force
S2: in the universe that no one can break. Listen, some
S2: of you live with this constant separation anxiety. Like a
S2: little baby that's attached to the mom. And you give
S2: it over to someone that they don't know and they're like, mommy, mommy,
S2: does that ever happen to you? Oh, you're so cute.
S2: Come to your auntie. You hold the baby. The baby
S2: takes one look at you, looks at mom, and goes.
S2: We call that separation anxiety. Listen to me. Well, some
S2: of you live with separation anxiety. You have this feeling
S2: that you can be separated from the love of God.
S2: That you may do something that will cause God to
S2: stop loving you. That you may say something that will
S2: cause God to say, you know, I'm I'm done with you.
S2: I tried, I gave you my best. I'm just sick
S2: of it. That you may fail in a way that
S2: somehow will turn the love of God away from you.
S2: And you constantly live with this. I hope I'm making it.
S2: I hope God accepts me. I hope when I die, I.
S2: I'll squeeze through the gates of heaven. Hopefully. I hope
S2: that I'm good enough. I hope that I'm religious enough.
S2: I hope that I've made it. I hope that God
S2: still listens to me. I hope that God hasn't turned
S2: his back on me. I hope that he hasn't given
S2: up on me. I hope that I haven't disappointed in
S2: a month and you come to worship and instead of
S2: worshiping God with freedom, you sit there with your head
S2: down and kind of ashamed, feeling inadequate. Guilt ridden. Wondering
S2: if you've measured up. Can I be honest with you?
S2: You haven't. You never will. You never can. You're never
S2: able to. That's why you need Jesus. But once you
S2: have him, the Bible says that you are sealed unto
S2: the day of redemption. And there's nothing in life, heaven
S2: or hell that can ever break away. The love that
S2: God has for you. You will never, ever be separated
S2: from this incredible, powerful, undeniable force called the love of God.
S2: There's never a moment in your life that you ever
S2: have to wonder again. Does he love me? He's not
S2: a fickle boyfriend. It's not. He loves me. He loves
S2: me not. Nothing will ever be able to separate you
S2: from that incredible, powerful love of God. So you can
S2: walk through this life knowing now the only thing that
S2: can hinder the love of God is your own doubt
S2: of his love. God loves you whether you like it
S2: or not, whether you know it or not, whether you
S2: accept it or not. His love is powerful. But sometimes
S2: we live our life doubting his love. Doubting whether we're accepted.
S2: You see, the power of Christianity is how fallen and
S2: broken and condemned we really are. You and I don't
S2: deserve the love of God. We never have deserved the
S2: love of God. We never will deserve the love of God.
S2: It is God who loved us while we were yet
S2: sinners and broken and fallen. And he loved us, and
S2: he pursued us, and he washed us, and he cleansed us.
S2: And he not only did he do that, but he
S2: took us. And he said, now, no matter what your
S2: past has been, no matter where you've been, how long
S2: you've been there, who you've been with, how many times
S2: you've fallen, I'm going to place the most precious thing
S2: I have myself, my Holy Spirit, inside of you. Now
S2: you are washed. You're redeemed. You're sealed. I live inside
S2: of you. I live with you. And nothing can separate
S2: you from the love that I have for you. Nothing
S2: at all ever again can separate you from the love
S2: of God. That's the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
S2: Some of you need to raise your head to heaven
S2: in a new way and say, God, forgive me for
S2: doubting your love. Forgive me for trying to earn that
S2: which I can never earn. That's freely given. Forgive me, God,
S2: for trying to cleanse myself when I can never cleanse myself.
S2: There's one that cleansed me. It's the power of the
S2: love of God. It's the power of the gospel. And
S2: there's something that happens when we live condemnation free. There's
S2: something that happens when we know that he loves us,
S2: and that no matter what we do, nothing can separate
S2: us from that love. There's a freeing, a powerful freedom
S2: that comes in, that makes us want to live for
S2: Jesus in a more powerful, compelling way. Romans chapter eight
S2: starts with no condemnation. In Romans, chapter eight ends with
S2: no separation. The most powerful force on earth is the
S2: love of God. And some of you are walking and
S2: living as though it were an intermittent signal, like your
S2: internet reception here. Some days gone the next. I believe
S2: that some of you today. Need to come to this
S2: altar and just worship God and say, God, forgive me
S2: that I've ever doubted your love. And today I receive
S2: and accept your unconditional love. Yes. So you may not
S2: be in a church auditorium to go to an altar,
S2: but wherever you're at, I believe the Holy Spirit is
S2: speaking to some people today where you have doubted his love,
S2: where you have gone by your feelings and believe that
S2: somehow God has abandoned you, or walked away, or is
S2: not always present. And let me just read this again.
S2: For I am convinced, Paul says, that neither death, nor life,
S2: nor angels, nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
S2: nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else
S2: in all creation, will be able to separate us from
S2: the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And
S2: so I want to pray with you right now. I
S2: want to pray that you would be firm in your
S2: grasp that God is not far away, that nothing, nothing
S2: can separate you from his love. Father, I pray for
S2: that person right now that because of bad experiences in
S2: the past, because of abandonment, because of lies by someone
S2: that said they would love them and then walked away
S2: because of divorce, because of separation, because of infidelity. They
S2: doubt that your word is true, that you will be faithful.
S2: And I pray in Jesus name that you would heal
S2: that wound and that today, God there would be an assurance,
S2: a confidence that nothing or no one can separate us
S2: from this powerful, compelling love that no one can even
S2: describe or understand. But that is true, that is faithful,
S2: that is secure. I pray that that would be ingrained
S2: in the spirit, that there would be a confident assurance
S2: of that love. And I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
S1: Yes. Amen. Thank you. Mark. You're listening to Bold Steps.
S1: Today's message is titled More than Survivors. If you want
S1: to revisit any part of today's lesson, or if you'd
S1: like to share it with a friend, be sure to
S1: visit our website. Bold Steps. While you're there, you'll also
S1: want to check out this month's edition of our Bold
S1: Step Gift. It's a special resource that shows us how
S1: to overcome one of today's biggest struggles the issue of loneliness.
S1: It is ironic that in today's age of cell phones
S1: and social media and video calls, so many of us
S1: are struggling to find real relationships and community. Did you
S1: know that research shows that a lack of social connection
S1: highlights health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?
S1: It's a scientific fact. Real relationships are key to a
S1: healthy life. That's why we're passionate about this month's resource,
S1: a book from Doctor Heathen Holloman titled The Six Conversations.
S1: This book shows you exactly how to build intimate, authentic relationships,
S1: offering practical strategies for meaningful communication and connection. This bold
S1: step gift will help you transform surface level interactions into
S1: life giving relationships, no matter where you are. We'll be
S1: happy to send it to you when you give a
S1: gift of any amount to support this ministry. Just visit
S1: us online at Bold Steps. Org or call us at
S1: 800 Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. And if you'd rather send your
S1: donation and request the book in the mail, you can
S1: always do that. Write to us at bold steps. 820
S1: North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. Well, that's all
S1: the time we have for today, but be listening. Tomorrow
S1: when Mark begins a new series titled seen. Don't miss
S1: this informative lesson Thursday here on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe.
S1: Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S1: of Moody Bible Institute.