100:00:00,520 –> 00:00:08,120Biblical faith is utterly God centered.200:00:08,400 –> 00:00:14,500By the way that is good news faith is not about your capacity to believe.300:00:14,500 –> 00:00:18,520If faith was about your ability to trust then frankly some of us would have a400:00:18,520 –> 00:00:25,559great advantage over others. So thank God that faith Christian faith is not about500:00:25,559 –> 00:00:31,160your ability to trust it is about the trustworthiness of God and that’s the600:00:31,160 –> 00:00:32,259same for all of us.700:00:32,619 –> 00:00:37,200Welcome to open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick glad you could be with800:00:37,220 –> 00:00:41,439us and Colin today we’ll have an encouraging message as we continue the900:00:41,439 –> 00:00:47,540story of Asaph from Psalm 73. He was discouraged but God turned him around and1000:00:47,540 –> 00:00:51,340we’re looking at the first three points of a five-point turn really aren’t we.1100:00:51,520 –> 00:00:55,660Asaph had to stop, he had to think and he had to confess.1200:00:56,000 –> 00:01:00,959And today we’re moving on to the fourth part that he had to believe and this is a huge turning1300:01:00,959 –> 00:01:04,540point for Asaph and is going to be a huge turning point for a discouraged1400:01:04,559 –> 00:01:09,500person who’s listening today. Asaph had become absorbed with himself,1500:01:09,500 –> 00:01:15,160all of his own thoughts, all of his own frustrations, a bit of self-pity put in1600:01:16,099 –> 00:01:20,980And as God begins to deal with him in a very deep way1700:01:20,980 –> 00:01:26,660his eyes get taken off himself and he begins to get his eyes on to God and he1800:01:26,660 –> 00:01:30,980sees something in God that he did not see before and suddenly there’s some1900:01:30,980 –> 00:01:35,699light that begins to dawn for him and he moves from the place of feeling2000:01:35,699 –> 00:01:40,500there’s no point in going on to feeling yet I have to go on because I’m walking2100:01:40,500 –> 00:01:42,599with God and God is walking with me2200:01:42,620 –> 00:01:46,680This is a story of tremendous encouragement and I hope that it will be2300:01:46,680 –> 00:01:51,300a real blessing and a lift to a person who has been really down on themselves2400:01:51,300 –> 00:01:55,660frustrated and today’s going to be the point where you move to the place of2500:01:55,660 –> 00:02:00,120believing and find the help and the light that comes from God2600:02:00,120 –> 00:02:04,959So I hope you’ll join us today if you can in Psalms 73 at verse 23 as we begin the2700:02:04,959 –> 00:02:07,320message Believe. Here’s Colin2800:02:07,320 –> 00:02:10,259We continue to follow this marvelous story of Asaph2900:02:10,720 –> 00:02:16,839who tells us about how God brought him through a great crisis in his life3000:02:16,839 –> 00:02:22,139Now remember that Asaph was a mature believer but he’s telling us in this3100:02:22,139 –> 00:02:26,580Psalm about a time when his feet had almost slipped3200:02:26,580 –> 00:02:28,020That’s verse 23300:02:36,020 –> 00:02:38,460And we’ve seen that even the strongest Christian3400:02:38,539 –> 00:02:40,839can come to an experience like this3500:02:40,839 –> 00:02:42,899There was a time in Asaph’s journey3600:02:42,899 –> 00:02:47,600as a believer when he could make no sense of what God was doing in the world3700:02:47,600 –> 00:02:51,600Couldn’t really understand what God was doing in his own life3800:02:51,600 –> 00:02:57,639and could no longer really see the point of pursuing a Godly life3900:02:57,639 –> 00:03:00,779And the good news of this Psalm, because all of us may come to such4000:03:00,779 –> 00:03:05,600times in our lives, is that God can bring you through an Asaph experience4100:03:06,059 –> 00:03:11,000And Psalm 73 tells us how that happened4200:03:11,000 –> 00:03:15,339God brought this man we’ve been seeing through a five point turn4300:03:15,339 –> 00:03:18,240and we’re discovering that Asaph’s five point turn4400:03:18,240 –> 00:03:20,679is really a pattern of what needs to happen4500:03:20,679 –> 00:03:23,919when we feel that our feet are also slipping4600:03:23,919 –> 00:03:29,139and we are in danger of leaving God’s path for our lives4700:03:29,139 –> 00:03:31,199And just to review where we’ve come very quickly4800:03:31,199 –> 00:03:34,080We saw that the first part of that five point turn4900:03:34,259 –> 00:03:36,479is that Asaph had to stop5000:03:36,479 –> 00:03:38,800If you’re going to turn around5100:03:38,800 –> 00:03:41,740the first thing that you have to do is to stop5200:03:41,740 –> 00:03:44,460you have to stop moving in the wrong direction5300:03:44,460 –> 00:03:47,580this happened for Asaph when he made a decision5400:03:47,580 –> 00:03:50,839of loyalty to God and loyalty to his people5500:03:50,839 –> 00:03:54,460Remember the first step in turning your life around5600:03:54,460 –> 00:03:56,979is not to get an answer to all your questions5700:03:56,979 –> 00:04:01,360It is to make a decision of loyalty to God and to his people5800:04:01,360 –> 00:04:03,940Then we saw Asaph that had to think5900:04:04,179 –> 00:04:07,500He went into the sanctuary, he remembered God’s Truth6000:04:07,500 –> 00:04:09,899he met with God’s people, he considered the ultimate6100:04:09,899 –> 00:04:12,520outcome of life and that’s when the light6200:04:12,520 –> 00:04:16,399went on for this man and God straightened out6300:04:16,399 –> 00:04:18,839his thinking as he came into the presence6400:04:18,839 –> 00:04:21,859of God in worship. One of the wonderful blessings6500:04:21,859 –> 00:04:24,179of coming together in worship6600:04:24,179 –> 00:04:26,859is that God ministers to us in this way6700:04:26,859 –> 00:04:29,760in his presence and as we seek his face6800:04:29,760 –> 00:04:33,279he straightens out our thinking around his truth6900:04:33,720 –> 00:04:35,579then we saw that in the light of that third light7000:04:35,579 –> 00:04:38,619Asaph had to confess, there are some sins7100:04:38,619 –> 00:04:41,779we saw to which you and I, are especially prone7200:04:41,779 –> 00:04:45,940when our hearts are grieved and Asaph confesses these,7300:04:45,940 –> 00:04:50,500I was bitter, he says. I let my heart rule my head7400:04:50,500 –> 00:04:54,500I acted on impulse. I was like a brute beast7500:04:54,500 –> 00:04:58,420before you, the beasts always acting on impulse.7600:04:58,420 –> 00:05:02,579Now today we’re coming to the third dimension7700:05:02,679 –> 00:05:07,380of Asaph’s turnaround, and I want us,7800:05:07,380 –> 00:05:10,540as we come to it, to notice the progression7900:05:10,540 –> 00:05:14,079that there is through this five point turn.8000:05:14,079 –> 00:05:17,959Last week, we noticed how the discovery8100:05:17,959 –> 00:05:21,000of truth leads to prayer.8200:05:21,000 –> 00:05:26,000We saw the prayer flows out where truth flows in.8300:05:26,160 –> 00:05:27,600That the pattern was very simply8400:05:27,600 –> 00:05:29,820that God straightened out this man’s thinking8500:05:29,820 –> 00:05:31,799when he came to worship, and the result8600:05:31,839 –> 00:05:35,200of the encounter with truth is that he begins to pray.8700:05:35,200 –> 00:05:37,839Prayer flows out where truth flows in.8800:05:37,839 –> 00:05:40,279Now, what flows out where prayer flows in?8900:05:40,279 –> 00:05:44,619What comes of prayer, and the answer is faith.9000:05:45,480 –> 00:05:48,100Faith flows out where prayer flows in.9100:05:48,100 –> 00:05:49,640You see there’s a progression here.9200:05:49,640 –> 00:05:54,640Truth bringing him to prayer, prayer building his faith,9300:05:55,200 –> 00:05:57,140and there is a logical progression there9400:05:57,140 –> 00:06:02,100because faith is simply truth embraced and applied to life.9500:06:02,100 –> 00:06:03,480It’s not just truth heard,9600:06:03,480 –> 00:06:06,220it’s truth embraced and applied to life,9700:06:06,220 –> 00:06:09,100so this man hears and rediscovers the truth of God,9800:06:09,100 –> 00:06:12,980he embraces it and applies it in prayer,9900:06:12,980 –> 00:06:16,220and the result is that his faith grows.10000:06:18,299 –> 00:06:23,299A mind opened, a soul cleansed,10100:06:23,859 –> 00:06:26,700and a faith restored.10200:06:27,579 –> 00:06:29,260Now that’s really where we’re headed today10300:06:29,260 –> 00:06:30,420in these next verses,10400:06:30,420 –> 00:06:33,739because we’re going to see how Asaph’s faith was restored,10500:06:33,739 –> 00:06:35,600and so our one simple word today10600:06:35,600 –> 00:06:38,260is of course the word believe.10700:06:38,260 –> 00:06:40,739Now let’s begin with the big picture.10800:06:40,739 –> 00:06:45,260Before we get to Asaph’s affirmation of faith,10900:06:45,260 –> 00:06:48,100I want you to notice the radical shift11000:06:48,100 –> 00:06:51,619that is taking place in these verses.11100:06:51,959 –> 00:06:54,000See, the first 14 verses of the Psalm,11200:06:54,000 –> 00:06:55,540the whole of the first half,11300:06:55,540 –> 00:06:58,660Asaph has been completely and utterly absorbed11400:06:58,660 –> 00:07:00,679with himself.11500:07:00,679 –> 00:07:01,619What’s it been about?11600:07:01,619 –> 00:07:04,540Why are things going wrong in my life?11700:07:04,540 –> 00:07:05,980Why can’t I make any sense11800:07:05,980 –> 00:07:07,540of what God is doing in the world?11900:07:07,540 –> 00:07:10,459Why is God blessing other people more than me?12000:07:10,459 –> 00:07:13,059What is the point in me pursuing a godly life?12100:07:13,059 –> 00:07:15,279When I tried to understand all this,12200:07:15,279 –> 00:07:16,540it was oppressive to me.12300:07:16,540 –> 00:07:17,459Verse 15.12400:07:18,459 –> 00:07:22,239Now you see Asaph has been absorbed with himself.12500:07:23,339 –> 00:07:26,220And it’s only really when he comes into the presence of God12600:07:26,220 –> 00:07:28,320that he understands the problem.12700:07:29,260 –> 00:07:30,859See throughout the first half of the Psalm,12800:07:30,859 –> 00:07:33,660he’s been quite convinced that the problem is with God.12900:07:35,220 –> 00:07:36,700And he’s been quite convinced13000:07:36,700 –> 00:07:39,739that the difficulties that he is facing13100:07:39,739 –> 00:07:42,440are the root of all his unhappiness.13200:07:44,579 –> 00:07:46,559But when he comes into the presence of God,13300:07:46,559 –> 00:07:49,480God turns on the light, and then Asaph sees13400:07:49,480 –> 00:07:53,760that the real problem that he struggling with is himself.13500:07:53,760 –> 00:07:55,559My heart was grieved.13600:07:56,619 –> 00:07:58,799My spirit embittered.13700:07:58,799 –> 00:08:01,279I was senseless and ignorant.13800:08:01,279 –> 00:08:03,040I was a brute beast before you.13900:08:04,059 –> 00:08:05,279After all this time he’s saying,14000:08:05,279 –> 00:08:08,459when I was going round, and round, and round,14100:08:08,459 –> 00:08:10,040trying to make sense of all of this,14200:08:10,040 –> 00:08:12,359wrestling with these great questions about God14300:08:12,359 –> 00:08:14,880and about life and about everything that’s happening,14400:08:15,019 –> 00:08:16,799I discovered after all this14500:08:16,799 –> 00:08:18,299when I came into the presence of God14600:08:18,299 –> 00:08:22,799that the real problem is actually myself.14700:08:22,799 –> 00:08:26,260That’s his discovery and that’s his confession.14800:08:27,980 –> 00:08:30,000Let me quote here from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones14900:08:30,000 –> 00:08:34,700whose writing on this is I find so insightful.15000:08:34,700 –> 00:08:39,700He says self is our most constant enemy.15100:08:40,599 –> 00:08:45,599It is the most prolific cause of all our unhappiness.15200:08:46,719 –> 00:08:47,559It’s true.15300:08:48,400 –> 00:08:51,440Self is our most constant enemy.15400:08:51,440 –> 00:08:56,440It is the most prolific cause of all our unhappiness.15500:08:58,840 –> 00:09:02,799What’s the biggest cause of your unhappiness?15600:09:03,960 –> 00:09:05,020Yourself.15700:09:05,840 –> 00:09:10,260What’s the biggest cause of my unhappiness?15800:09:11,659 –> 00:09:12,880Myself.15900:09:12,940 –> 00:09:14,919Lloyd-Jones continues.16000:09:14,919 –> 00:09:18,780As a result of the fall of Adam, we are self-centered.16100:09:19,619 –> 00:09:22,200We are sensitive about ourselves.16200:09:23,599 –> 00:09:26,840We are always selfish, always protecting ourselves,16300:09:26,840 –> 00:09:29,440always ready to imagine offenses,16400:09:29,440 –> 00:09:31,359always ready to say we’ve been wronged16500:09:31,359 –> 00:09:32,659and dealt with unfairly.16600:09:32,659 –> 00:09:34,840He says I am speaking from experience16700:09:35,320 –> 00:09:39,400may God have mercy on us, it’s the truth about us all.16800:09:39,400 –> 00:09:40,979You recognize that?16900:09:43,219 –> 00:09:47,380Now, if self is the problem, what is the deliverance?17000:09:51,820 –> 00:09:55,280The answer is God is the deliverance.17100:09:55,280 –> 00:09:59,280If self is the problem, God is the deliverance.17200:10:00,979 –> 00:10:03,400Now, let me just read these verses with some emphasis17300:10:04,280 –> 00:10:06,000I think you’ll see how Asaph moves17400:10:06,000 –> 00:10:09,039from the misery of preoccupation with himself17500:10:09,039 –> 00:10:12,200to the joyful freedom of confident faith in God.17600:10:12,200 –> 00:10:14,659Look at these verses with me just for a moment,17700:10:14,659 –> 00:10:16,659beginning with verse 22.17800:10:33,419 –> 00:10:38,119You and earth has nothing I desire besides you.17900:10:38,119 –> 00:10:39,440My flesh and my heart may fail,18000:10:39,440 –> 00:10:41,520but God is the strength of my heart18100:10:41,520 –> 00:10:42,599and my portion forever.18200:10:42,599 –> 00:10:44,179Now do you see the movement?18300:10:44,179 –> 00:10:45,599It’s very marked.18400:10:46,799 –> 00:10:49,739Asaph discovered the glorious freedom18500:10:49,739 –> 00:10:51,719of a God-centered life.18600:10:52,619 –> 00:10:56,440The deliverance from preoccupation with self.18700:10:58,359 –> 00:11:00,619That’s what faith is about.18800:11:01,500 –> 00:11:06,000Because biblical faith is utterly God-centered.18900:11:07,219 –> 00:11:08,580By the way, that is good news.19000:11:08,580 –> 00:11:12,599Faith is not about your capacity to believe.19100:11:13,960 –> 00:11:16,659If faith was about your ability to trust,19200:11:16,659 –> 00:11:18,039then frankly some of us would have19300:11:18,039 –> 00:11:20,780a great advantage over others.19400:11:20,780 –> 00:11:23,099Some of us find it very easy to trust.19500:11:23,099 –> 00:11:25,219Some of us find it very difficult to trust.19600:11:25,219 –> 00:11:27,940And frankly your ability to trust19700:11:27,940 –> 00:11:30,539has a great deal to do with your past experiences19800:11:30,580 –> 00:11:31,900of whether trust has been honored19900:11:31,900 –> 00:11:34,419or whether your trust has been let down.20000:11:34,419 –> 00:11:37,179So if faith is about your ability to trust,20100:11:37,179 –> 00:11:40,260then some of us will find it easy because of our background,20200:11:40,260 –> 00:11:43,080some of us frankly will find it hard or almost impossible.20300:11:43,080 –> 00:11:46,419So thank God that faith, Christian faith,20400:11:46,419 –> 00:11:49,200is not about your ability to trust.20500:11:49,200 –> 00:11:52,640It is about the trustworthiness of God,20600:11:52,640 –> 00:11:54,500and that’s the same for all of us.20700:11:57,260 –> 00:11:59,780And the whole point of a God-centered faith20800:11:59,840 –> 00:12:02,780is that I’m liberated from myself and my hurts20900:12:02,780 –> 00:12:07,280and from my wounds, and I am centered in him21000:12:08,099 –> 00:12:10,820who is altogether trustworthy.21100:12:10,820 –> 00:12:15,820Now this is a great movement that takes place for Asaph.21200:12:16,340 –> 00:12:18,219There is a God in heaven,21300:12:19,219 –> 00:12:21,000and He can be trusted.21400:12:21,000 –> 00:12:25,219Your faith will grow as you get your eyes off yourself21500:12:26,960 –> 00:12:29,000and fixed on to Him.21600:12:29,780 –> 00:12:31,020You’re listening to Open the Bible21700:12:31,020 –> 00:12:34,419with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Believe.21800:12:34,419 –> 00:12:37,039Part of our series, I Almost Gave Up21900:12:37,039 –> 00:12:41,539based on the story of Asaph as we find it in Psalm 73.22000:12:41,539 –> 00:12:43,520And if you have a miss one of our messages22100:12:43,520 –> 00:12:45,919you can always catch up or go back and listen again22200:12:45,919 –> 00:12:50,340online at our website, openthebible.org.uk22300:12:50,340 –> 00:12:51,640or as a podcast,22400:12:51,640 –> 00:12:54,020you can find them on all the main podcast sites.22500:12:54,020 –> 00:12:56,140Search for Open the Bible UK22600:12:56,140 –> 00:12:58,880or follow the link from our website.22700:12:59,219 –> 00:13:01,559Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners22800:13:01,559 –> 00:13:04,200and that’s something we’re very grateful for.22900:13:04,200 –> 00:13:07,039If you’re thinking of beginning to do that yourself23000:13:07,039 –> 00:13:09,539perhaps you’d like to hear from Pastor Colin23100:13:09,539 –> 00:13:10,679later on in the program23200:13:10,679 –> 00:13:14,099about the special offer we have for you this month.23300:13:14,099 –> 00:13:15,200Back to the message now.23400:13:15,200 –> 00:13:16,299Here’s Colin.23500:13:16,299 –> 00:13:17,919And this is then the fourth dimension23600:13:17,919 –> 00:13:20,159of the five point turn.23700:13:20,159 –> 00:13:24,200And we’ve expressed it in this one word to believe,23800:13:24,200 –> 00:13:28,440to come to a God-centered faith.23900:13:28,440 –> 00:13:31,219And really what we have in these verses before us24000:13:31,219 –> 00:13:34,039is one of the finest expressions of faith24100:13:34,039 –> 00:13:38,280that you will find anywhere that you will ever hear.24200:13:39,719 –> 00:13:41,039Let’s look at it in three ways24300:13:41,039 –> 00:13:45,280as we focus in on verses 25 and 26.24400:13:45,280 –> 00:13:46,880First is this.24500:13:46,880 –> 00:13:51,039He affirms a faith in God who is in heaven.24600:13:51,039 –> 00:13:55,260God in heaven for you.24700:13:56,159 –> 00:14:01,159Whom have I in heaven but you, verse 25.24800:14:05,239 –> 00:14:06,900Now the first thing that you need to know24900:14:06,900 –> 00:14:08,679about heaven of course is that25000:14:08,679 –> 00:14:12,119heaven is utterly God-centered.25100:14:13,640 –> 00:14:16,039When John saw his vision of heaven25200:14:16,039 –> 00:14:18,099that’s recorded in the book of Revelation,25300:14:18,099 –> 00:14:20,320you remember that he saw, he states it twice25400:14:20,320 –> 00:14:22,440in Chapter 5 and in Chapter 725500:14:22,440 –> 00:14:24,719that the Lamb of God,25600:14:24,719 –> 00:14:28,500that’s Jesus Christ was at the center.25700:14:30,000 –> 00:14:31,960If there is just one thing that you need25800:14:31,960 –> 00:14:33,299to grasp about heaven,25900:14:34,299 –> 00:14:36,799it is that Jesus Christ26000:14:36,799 –> 00:14:40,900is at the center of everything there.26100:14:44,000 –> 00:14:47,119God wants you to know that he is at the center26200:14:47,119 –> 00:14:48,640of all things in heaven26300:14:49,900 –> 00:14:52,099so that knowing that you will know26400:14:52,159 –> 00:14:55,179how to live your life wisely on earth.26500:14:58,179 –> 00:15:00,299Now, of course, there are other people26600:15:00,299 –> 00:15:02,260in heaven besides Jesus.26700:15:03,820 –> 00:15:05,219So let’s take a moment to think26800:15:05,219 –> 00:15:08,219about Asaph’s question together.26900:15:08,219 –> 00:15:11,239Whom have I in heaven27000:15:13,280 –> 00:15:14,119but you?27100:15:16,559 –> 00:15:18,020Who do you have in heaven?27200:15:18,619 –> 00:15:20,320Let me tell you who I have in heaven.27300:15:21,539 –> 00:15:25,299I have a grandmother and a grandfather in heaven27400:15:25,299 –> 00:15:29,219to whom I was very, very close, very, very close indeed.27500:15:30,340 –> 00:15:32,179I look forward to seeing them again.27600:15:33,500 –> 00:15:34,820I have another grandmother.27700:15:34,820 –> 00:15:36,840I have another grandfather in heaven27800:15:36,840 –> 00:15:38,960who I only ever met once in my life.27900:15:40,799 –> 00:15:43,559I look forward to getting to know them in heaven.28000:15:45,820 –> 00:15:47,260At the end of our journey,28100:15:48,200 –> 00:15:53,200I have a pastor who shaped my life in a formative way28200:15:54,179 –> 00:15:57,380through his personal care and through his ministry28300:15:57,380 –> 00:16:00,400when I was a teenager, and he’s in heaven.28400:16:01,799 –> 00:16:04,059I have thought many, many, many times28500:16:04,059 –> 00:16:08,880how much I would love to share my life with him now.28600:16:10,059 –> 00:16:13,900But he died 20 years ago, just in his early 50s.28700:16:14,099 –> 00:16:18,679Now, some of you have a husband or a wife in heaven.28800:16:19,780 –> 00:16:22,099Some of you have a child in heaven.28900:16:24,520 –> 00:16:26,440Sometimes you think about seeing them29000:16:26,440 –> 00:16:28,719and you wonder what it will be like.29100:16:29,979 –> 00:16:31,640There are people in heaven.29200:16:33,820 –> 00:16:37,080And one of our great joys when we arrive there29300:16:38,340 –> 00:16:40,599will be that reuniting with them.29400:16:40,599 –> 00:16:42,159Wonderful thing.29500:16:44,880 –> 00:16:47,000Then there are pleasures in heaven.29600:16:47,859 –> 00:16:52,359Psalm 16, at your right hand there are pleasures29700:16:52,359 –> 00:16:54,760forever more the Psalmist says.29800:16:54,760 –> 00:16:56,960We’re not told very much about these pleasures.29900:16:56,960 –> 00:16:58,280They’re largely hidden from us30000:16:58,280 –> 00:17:01,000but we’re certainly told very clearly that they’re there.30100:17:01,000 –> 00:17:03,719Paul says that the human mind can’t conceive30200:17:03,719 –> 00:17:07,319what God has prepared for those who love him.30300:17:07,319 –> 00:17:08,839We wouldn’t be able to imagine it, friends,30400:17:09,040 –> 00:17:10,920we wouldn’t be able to imagine it, frankly,30500:17:10,920 –> 00:17:12,800even if God told us.30600:17:14,060 –> 00:17:15,819And there are possessions in heaven,30700:17:17,239 –> 00:17:19,680certain things will be given to you in heaven30800:17:19,680 –> 00:17:20,959that you do not have now.30900:17:20,959 –> 00:17:24,599Crowns, rewards,31000:17:26,400 –> 00:17:30,359many songs have been written about the things of heaven.31100:17:31,880 –> 00:17:34,560I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop.31200:17:34,560 –> 00:17:35,579Remember that one?31300:17:35,900 –> 00:17:38,459I’m gonna walk the streets of gold.31400:17:38,459 –> 00:17:39,380Remember that one?31500:17:42,599 –> 00:17:43,939Now, it’s surely significant31600:17:43,939 –> 00:17:48,180that the Bible says very little about the people,31700:17:48,180 –> 00:17:50,540the pleasures, and the possessions of heaven.31800:17:52,219 –> 00:17:53,079They are there,31900:17:54,699 –> 00:17:57,939but the one thing that is made unmistakably clear32000:17:57,939 –> 00:18:00,760because it is the central thing32100:18:00,760 –> 00:18:03,819is that Jesus Christ is in heaven.32200:18:04,739 –> 00:18:08,699To be in heaven is to be in the presence of Jesus.32300:18:10,180 –> 00:18:12,540Now, it seems to me that this is precisely the point32400:18:12,540 –> 00:18:14,300that Esau has grasped.32500:18:15,219 –> 00:18:18,280He comes to a God-centered faith and it begins here,32600:18:18,280 –> 00:18:23,280whom have I in heaven but you?32700:18:28,099 –> 00:18:30,459Any other perspective on heaven,32800:18:30,459 –> 00:18:32,420and you’ve completely missed the point.32900:18:34,579 –> 00:18:37,219Let me try and illustrate this for you.33000:18:38,479 –> 00:18:41,780Imagine with me please Tom and Mary.33100:18:41,780 –> 00:18:45,339A young couple engaged and about to be married.33200:18:45,339 –> 00:18:47,380The wedding is just five days away33300:18:47,380 –> 00:18:51,400and Tom takes Mary out for a candlelit dinner.33400:18:52,680 –> 00:18:53,959And looking over,33500:18:53,959 –> 00:18:56,739get in a bit of a romantic mood here, will you, you know?33600:18:56,739 –> 00:18:58,819Looking over the candle,33700:18:59,760 –> 00:19:03,640Tom says, I can hardly wait till Saturday comes.33800:19:05,859 –> 00:19:08,560Mary smiles as she looks back over the candle33900:19:08,560 –> 00:19:09,900into Tom’s eyes.34000:19:10,939 –> 00:19:15,099Tell me, she says, why are you so excited about Saturday?34100:19:17,599 –> 00:19:21,520Now all Tom has to do at this moment is to say,34200:19:21,520 –> 00:19:24,760because on Saturday I get to marry you.34300:19:25,300 –> 00:19:27,479But Tom’s a bit of a dummy.34400:19:29,619 –> 00:19:32,380He doesn’t always get his cues.34500:19:32,380 –> 00:19:35,439So he says, you know, Saturday my great uncle34600:19:35,439 –> 00:19:37,400Jack’s coming in from Boston34700:19:37,400 –> 00:19:39,900and I haven’t seen him for 10 years.34800:19:39,900 –> 00:19:43,640Or he says, Saturday the guys from that football34900:19:43,640 –> 00:19:45,579team at college are all going to be here35000:19:45,579 –> 00:19:48,599and you know we’re going to go out on Friday night.35100:19:48,599 –> 00:19:50,900Or he says, oh, the reception’s going to be35200:19:50,900 –> 00:19:52,900at the Grand Hotel’dorm.35300:19:53,319 –> 00:19:55,939It’s going to be at the Grand Hotel ballroom35400:19:55,939 –> 00:19:59,439and I love the food that they serve there.35500:20:01,280 –> 00:20:04,459Now of course all of these things may be wonderfully true.35600:20:04,459 –> 00:20:06,619It is great that uncle Jack and the football team’s coming35700:20:06,619 –> 00:20:09,199and there will be a marvelous meal.35800:20:09,199 –> 00:20:12,880The problem is that by making them his focus35900:20:13,939 –> 00:20:17,540Tom has completely missed the point, right?36000:20:20,180 –> 00:20:22,540Do you know that surveys show36100:20:23,140 –> 00:20:26,540something like 90% of all Americans36200:20:26,540 –> 00:20:28,800think they’ll be in heaven?36300:20:29,619 –> 00:20:32,040Heaven’s big among the people36400:20:34,260 –> 00:20:36,079who work beside you.36500:20:36,079 –> 00:20:38,420They think they’ll be there.36600:20:39,339 –> 00:20:42,339A good question to ask someone36700:20:42,339 –> 00:20:45,500who thinks they’ll be in heaven is this.36800:20:45,500 –> 00:20:48,079Why would you want to go there?36900:20:48,520 –> 00:20:51,359And actually, your answer to that question37000:20:51,359 –> 00:20:55,579may just be one of the most revealing things about you.37100:20:55,579 –> 00:20:58,459Because the reality is that a lot of people,37200:20:58,459 –> 00:21:01,479their conception of heaven is about37300:21:01,479 –> 00:21:04,920people, possessions, and pleasures.37400:21:04,920 –> 00:21:06,380That’s all it is.37500:21:06,380 –> 00:21:10,500And their idea of heaven is as Christ-less37600:21:10,500 –> 00:21:12,420as their life on Earth!37700:21:12,420 –> 00:21:15,280There is only one heaven and Jesus Christ37800:21:15,280 –> 00:21:17,439is at the center of it.37900:21:18,880 –> 00:21:23,040Heaven is about Christ.38000:21:23,040 –> 00:21:27,920Eternity, eternity is about Christ.38100:21:27,920 –> 00:21:30,900And once you’ve grasped that God-centered,38200:21:30,900 –> 00:21:33,900Christ-focused reality of eternity,38300:21:33,900 –> 00:21:41,880then you know how to live life in this world.38400:21:42,760 –> 00:21:45,640You’ve been listening to Open the Bible38500:21:45,640 –> 00:21:48,739with Pastor Colin Smith on a message called believe.38600:21:48,739 –> 00:21:50,900Part of our series, I almost gave up38700:21:50,900 –> 00:21:54,660all about ASAP from Psalm 73.38800:21:54,660 –> 00:21:56,140If you ever miss one of our series,38900:21:56,140 –> 00:21:58,979you can always catch up or go back and listen again online39000:21:58,979 –> 00:22:02,339at our website, openthebible.org.uk39100:22:02,339 –> 00:22:05,180or find us as a podcast and those are on all39200:22:05,180 –> 00:22:06,780the main podcasts sites.39300:22:06,780 –> 00:22:08,540Search for openthebible.uk39400:22:08,540 –> 00:22:11,540or follow the link from our website.39500:22:11,579 –> 00:22:13,560The Bible is supported by our listeners39600:22:13,560 –> 00:22:16,020and we’re extremely grateful for that.39700:22:16,020 –> 00:22:20,180If you already give to support the work, thank you so much.39800:22:20,180 –> 00:22:22,640If you’re thinking of beginning to support39900:22:22,640 –> 00:22:24,339open the Bible financially,40000:22:24,339 –> 00:22:26,520you can do that by coming to our website40100:22:26,520 –> 00:22:29,579at openthebible.org.uk40200:22:29,579 –> 00:22:31,400where you can give online.40300:22:31,400 –> 00:22:34,459This month, if you’re able to begin a new direct debit40400:22:34,459 –> 00:22:36,699of five pounds per month or more40500:22:36,699 –> 00:22:39,300or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,40600:22:39,339 –> 00:22:40,699we’d love to say thank you40700:22:40,699 –> 00:22:44,579by sending you two copies of Pastor Colin Smith’s40800:22:44,579 –> 00:22:48,760new graphic novel version of Heaven, How I Got Here.40900:22:48,760 –> 00:22:51,420The story of the thief on the cross.41000:22:51,420 –> 00:22:53,979Colin, what’s the main message that people will get41100:22:53,979 –> 00:22:56,040from reading this graphic novel?41200:22:56,040 –> 00:22:59,319Well, without any question, it’s that when God draws near,41300:22:59,319 –> 00:23:02,699he comes to give us what we do not have.41400:23:02,699 –> 00:23:04,500And, you know, the default assumption41500:23:04,500 –> 00:23:07,260of the fallen human heart is that if God draws near,41600:23:07,260 –> 00:23:09,140he’s going to place some demand on us41700:23:09,160 –> 00:23:10,459that we can’t meet.41800:23:10,459 –> 00:23:14,660And there are millions of people who have never understood41900:23:14,660 –> 00:23:17,140the wonderful truth of God’s grace.42000:23:17,140 –> 00:23:20,819Their whole idea of Christianity is that they’re gonna be42100:23:20,819 –> 00:23:23,359told what they need to do and what they need to be,42200:23:23,359 –> 00:23:26,739and they have neither the desire nor the ability to do it.42300:23:26,739 –> 00:23:28,699And as long as folks think42400:23:28,699 –> 00:23:31,520that God is placing demands upon us,42500:23:31,520 –> 00:23:34,239well, they’re never going to open the doors of their hearts42600:23:34,239 –> 00:23:36,239or of their lives to him.42700:23:36,239 –> 00:23:40,239So here is a marvelous opportunity to share42800:23:40,239 –> 00:23:43,020the story of the thief on the cross42900:23:43,020 –> 00:23:47,760that tells us that God gives to us what we do not have.43000:23:47,760 –> 00:23:51,119It explains God’s marvelous grace.43100:23:51,119 –> 00:23:52,780Is there someone in your life,43200:23:52,780 –> 00:23:56,359may have been a young person brought up in church,43300:23:56,359 –> 00:23:59,660but they have never really understood the love,43400:23:59,660 –> 00:24:02,859the mercy, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.43500:24:02,859 –> 00:24:05,839This graphic novel is a simple way43600:24:06,060 –> 00:24:09,540in which they could grasp the most important truth43700:24:09,540 –> 00:24:10,880in all of the Bible.43800:24:10,880 –> 00:24:12,599Could you place it into their hands?43900:24:12,599 –> 00:24:14,420Could you give them a copy of this?44000:24:14,420 –> 00:24:15,979Is there someone that you know44100:24:15,979 –> 00:24:18,719who is trying to live a life that’s pleasing to God,44200:24:18,719 –> 00:24:20,939always feels that they’re failing44300:24:20,939 –> 00:24:23,260and needs to understand God’s grace?44400:24:23,260 –> 00:24:25,619Well, that’s who the graphic novel is for.44500:24:25,619 –> 00:24:29,719We want to communicate the very center of the gospel44600:24:29,719 –> 00:24:31,900to as many people as possible,44700:24:31,900 –> 00:24:33,900and I hope that you’ll take these copies44800:24:33,920 –> 00:24:35,239of the graphic novel,44900:24:35,239 –> 00:24:37,500that you’ll put them into the hands of people45000:24:37,500 –> 00:24:39,339who will benefit from them45100:24:39,339 –> 00:24:43,500and will be released in seeing the marvelous good news45200:24:43,500 –> 00:24:44,579of the grace of God,45300:24:44,579 –> 00:24:47,380that brings hope for every single person.45400:24:47,380 –> 00:24:49,540Well, we’d love to send you two copies45500:24:49,540 –> 00:24:52,699of this graphic novel of Heaven How I Got Here,45600:24:52,699 –> 00:24:55,900along with the NIV Outreach Bible.45700:24:55,900 –> 00:24:58,219Both of these are ideal to give away45800:24:58,219 –> 00:25:01,119to friends and family this Easter.45900:25:01,119 –> 00:25:02,959Full details, terms and conditions46000:25:02,959 –> 00:25:07,420on our website, openthebible.org.uk.46100:25:07,420 –> 00:25:10,079For Pastor Colin Smith and Open the Bible,46200:25:10,079 –> 00:25:13,219I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time.46300:25:20,099 –> 00:25:22,260Are you looking forward to heaven?46400:25:22,260 –> 00:25:24,239It’s possible to long for heaven46500:25:24,239 –> 00:25:26,959but still to completely miss the point.46600:25:26,959 –> 00:25:29,680Find out why next time on Open the Bible.