100:00:00,240 –> 00:00:10,000An open door is no different from a closed door to a person who is dead, makes no difference!200:00:11,520 –> 00:00:17,520So grace is more than God making your salvation possible. Grace is God saving you.300:00:19,040 –> 00:00:22,719Welcome to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick,400:00:22,719 –> 00:00:27,520glad you could join us today and Colin, today we’re looking at how God’s grace saves us500:00:28,080 –> 00:00:32,240and what happens when a person becomes a Christian and how they come to faith.600:00:32,880 –> 00:00:39,360Yeah, and from our side we may say well, I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. But behind that,700:00:39,360 –> 00:00:47,040the Bible gives us marvellous language like this, that we were dead in trespasses and sins and God800:00:47,040 –> 00:00:52,799made us alive in Jesus Christ. So behind my faith there’s a miracle of God at work.900:00:52,799 –> 00:00:56,000So we’re completely passive, there’s nothing for us to do?1000:00:56,000 –> 00:01:04,000No, we’re not passive, because God says repent and God says believe. And yet in what way am I1100:01:04,000 –> 00:01:09,440able to do that? Jesus says to the man with a shrivelled hand, stretch out your hand.1200:01:10,000 –> 00:01:14,720He’s been called to do something but how is he going to do it? That’s the question. The answer1300:01:14,720 –> 00:01:19,599is the God who commands him to do it is going to give him the power to do it. Now God calls us to1400:01:19,599 –> 00:01:24,559faith. How am I going to have faith? Well, God is able to give what He commands.1500:01:24,559 –> 00:01:30,080That’s what today’s program is all about. So I hope you’ll look in your bibles at Ephesians,1600:01:30,080 –> 00:01:35,599chapter two, as we continue the message, Dead Men Walking. Here is Pastor Colin.1700:01:35,599 –> 00:01:45,040Death is the end of all hope for us, but not for God. The Father raises the dead and the Son of1800:01:45,040 –> 00:01:51,919God, who has life in himself is able to give this life to whom he is pleased to give it.1900:01:51,919 –> 00:01:58,400Now that raises then the following question, how then does Christ give this life?2000:01:59,519 –> 00:02:07,760And the answer is, that Jesus gives this life, this new life by speaking. Notice that clearly2100:02:07,760 –> 00:02:15,039in verse 25, A time is coming, Jesus said, and has now come. So this is something that now already2200:02:15,039 –> 00:02:21,199is happening with the coming of Jesus and since is coming. A time is coming and has now come, when2300:02:22,080 –> 00:02:31,520the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.2400:02:33,199 –> 00:02:36,479Now of course that should immediately make you think what’s the first thing that we learn about2500:02:36,479 –> 00:02:45,520God in the Bible. Right at the beginning in the creation story, when he speaks,2600:02:46,479 –> 00:02:52,639things that did not exist come into being. It’s wonderful. God says,2700:02:53,440 –> 00:03:00,639let there be light and there is light. Now here is the Son of God. And he speaks,2800:03:01,520 –> 00:03:09,919and when he speaks he says, let there be life. And when the Son of God says, let there be life,2900:03:10,639 –> 00:03:17,600life comes where there was only death previously. People who were dead hear3000:03:17,600 –> 00:03:22,720his voice and now hearing his voice lived. This is a miracle of grace.3100:03:25,440 –> 00:03:30,520You were dead in transgressions and sins God made you alive in JesusChrist. That is what he3200:03:30,520 –> 00:03:37,039is talking about right here. So Christ comes to people who are dead in their sins, he says,3300:03:37,600 –> 00:03:42,240so let there be light. The dead hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear3400:03:43,679 –> 00:03:50,720live. You have this illustrated in the physical realm by our Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel,3500:03:50,720 –> 00:04:00,000remember that little girl, Jairus’ daughter, 12 years old and she is dead and there she is in the3600:04:00,000 –> 00:04:05,839bedroom and Jesus goes in the father and the mother and remembers Jesus and says,3700:04:07,279 –> 00:04:15,360Talgesicphur, Talgesicphur which means little girl, I say to you, get up, and when Jesus speaks,3800:04:15,360 –> 00:04:21,200what happens? Life comes into her and she gets up and Jesus says, well, now to her parents,3900:04:21,200 –> 00:04:26,160you better go and give her something to eat. Do you remember perhaps even more dramatically if4000:04:26,160 –> 00:04:33,200that is possible. The tomb of Lazarus and he’s been in there for four days so that Mary says,4100:04:33,200 –> 00:04:38,399it’s going to really smell in there now. If they open the stone and Jesus says, do4200:04:38,399 –> 00:04:47,279you remember, Lazarus come forth! John records how, can you imagine this? Lazarus comes forth4300:04:47,279 –> 00:04:51,519and he’s still bound with all these linen strips. There’s a cloth around his face.4400:04:53,040 –> 00:05:00,399The son of God speaks and physical life is imparted in these resurrections from the dead.4500:05:00,559 –> 00:05:05,119And you see it has been precisely that way that we are being told, that the Son of God4600:05:05,119 –> 00:05:11,760speaks into spiritual death, into our own inability, our own unresponsiveness towards4700:05:11,760 –> 00:05:17,119God and brings a new heart and brings a new mind, brings a new spirit. The Bible calls this4800:05:17,160 –> 00:05:28,600the New Birth, being born from above. It’s wonderful. It’s glorious. The dead hear His4900:05:28,600 –> 00:05:36,600voice and live. So here is Jesus, He is in the business of raising people who are spiritually5000:05:36,600 –> 00:05:42,260dead, and He is still doing this today. He does it through His Word, He does it by His5100:05:42,260 –> 00:05:51,000Spirit. That is why, you see, in the Scriptures we read that a person is born again in a convergence5200:05:51,000 –> 00:05:57,440of two factors. The New Birth is described in two ways, we are born again of the Word5300:05:57,440 –> 00:06:04,700– that is 1 Peter 1.23. And we are born again of the Spirit. Where the Word of the5400:06:04,700 –> 00:06:14,040Gospel comes and the work of the Spirit operates – new life is generated in a person who5500:06:14,040 –> 00:06:20,619is spiritually dead, the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear, live.5600:06:20,619 –> 00:06:25,579Matthew Henry says it is by the voice of the Son of God that souls are raised to spiritual5700:06:26,459 –> 00:06:34,339and that power is communicated by His Word.5800:06:36,600 –> 00:06:42,820Earlier this year, I got to know a new member of our congregation, Keith DeVelasco.5900:06:42,820 –> 00:06:48,619As we were talking, he told me about his father, Jo, who was a Christian artist.6000:06:48,619 –> 00:06:53,880Jo DeVelasco who is now with the Lord, lived for many years in Park Ridge.6100:06:53,880 –> 00:06:59,040His work has been widely appreciated and one of his paintings is displayed in the Billy6200:06:59,040 –> 00:07:00,839Graham Centre in Wheaton.6300:07:00,839 –> 00:07:06,720Well, Keith gave me a print of one of his father’s paintings, which is now hanging6400:07:06,720 –> 00:07:08,559in my office.6500:07:08,559 –> 00:07:13,839It is not the most beautiful painting I have ever seen, but it is in my office because6600:07:13,839 –> 00:07:17,720it gets to the heart of what I believe.6700:07:17,720 –> 00:07:19,040And here is the picture.6800:07:19,040 –> 00:07:23,359It’s called, Oh, Wretched Man.6900:07:23,799 –> 00:07:27,760Now, look at this picture.7000:07:27,760 –> 00:07:33,480This man is dead and he is looking at himself.7100:07:33,480 –> 00:07:36,119And if you can read the inscription on the top, it has the words,7200:07:36,119 –> 00:07:38,779Oh, Wretched Man That I Am.7300:07:38,779 –> 00:07:41,480He’s asking that question from Romans in chapter 7.7400:07:41,480 –> 00:07:45,440Who is going to deliver me from this body of death?7500:07:45,440 –> 00:07:47,440You see the force of the painting.7600:07:47,480 –> 00:07:52,160As long as this man is looking at himself, he’s only looking at death7700:07:52,160 –> 00:07:56,739and there is no hope for him there.7800:07:56,739 –> 00:08:00,399But look at where there is hope in the picture.7900:08:00,399 –> 00:08:07,279The man’s hand is resting on the Bible, the Word of God.8000:08:07,279 –> 00:08:11,799And do you see the colour there that life is coming into him?8100:08:11,799 –> 00:08:16,519And it’s coming into him from the word of Christ.8200:08:16,519 –> 00:08:20,920The Son of God is bringing life into the place where there was death8300:08:20,920 –> 00:08:26,119by the entrance of his word.8400:08:26,119 –> 00:08:29,519So, here’s this man and he’s consumed with himself8500:08:29,519 –> 00:08:32,659and he’s saying, oh wretched man that I am who is going to deliver me8600:08:32,659 –> 00:08:34,280from this body of death?8700:08:34,280 –> 00:08:38,119But there is an answer to that question, and the answer to that question is8800:08:38,119 –> 00:08:43,960thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.8900:08:43,960 –> 00:08:45,080Here’s the message.9000:08:46,000 –> 00:08:50,359As long as you’re looking at yourself and as long as you’re preoccupied9100:08:50,359 –> 00:08:57,479with yourself, there is absolutely no hope that you’re ever going to find there.9200:08:57,479 –> 00:09:02,500Lay hold of the promises of the Son of God.9300:09:02,500 –> 00:09:06,640Lay hold of the Word of life.9400:09:06,640 –> 00:09:12,799Lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ and his promises and life will come into you.9500:09:12,799 –> 00:09:13,900Life comes.9600:09:13,940 –> 00:09:15,700I need this myself.9700:09:15,700 –> 00:09:20,479That is why I have it in my office.9800:09:20,479 –> 00:09:24,659As often as I end up getting preoccupied with myself, what have I done with my life, what9900:09:24,659 –> 00:09:29,619have I accomplished, how have I progressed as a Christian, I go down and down and down,10000:09:29,619 –> 00:09:30,619what do I have to do?10100:09:30,619 –> 00:09:34,380I have to lay hold of the promises of God.10200:09:34,380 –> 00:09:39,380My life is hidden with Christ in God.10300:09:39,380 –> 00:09:42,299That’s where my life is.10400:09:42,580 –> 00:09:53,780I say to you, those who are drawn to Christ even now, I say to you, look to Jesus Christ.10500:09:53,780 –> 00:09:55,739Right now, put your trust in Him.10600:09:55,739 –> 00:09:56,739Put your faith in Him.10700:09:56,739 –> 00:09:59,200Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.10800:09:59,200 –> 00:10:02,859Ask Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.10900:10:02,859 –> 00:10:08,059Look to Him to be for you what you cannot be for yourself.11000:10:08,059 –> 00:10:09,780Do you lack love for God?11100:10:09,880 –> 00:10:14,140Come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask of Him what you do not have.11200:10:14,140 –> 00:10:19,260Do you feel that if you were to seek to be a Christian today, that this is something11300:10:19,260 –> 00:10:20,820that is beyond what you could do.11400:10:20,820 –> 00:10:25,900Well, look to Jesus Christ to give you what you do not have.11500:10:25,900 –> 00:10:28,039Don’t sit looking at yourself.11600:10:28,039 –> 00:10:30,940There is no hope there.11700:10:30,940 –> 00:10:35,880There’s an old pray hymn, Jesus, the name high over all, that speaks of the very power11800:10:35,880 –> 00:10:38,700that is in Jesus Christ, even in His name.11900:10:38,700 –> 00:10:44,239It says this, Jesus, the sinner’s feddest breaks and bruises Satan’s head.12000:10:44,239 –> 00:10:47,919Power into strengthless souls He speaks.12100:10:47,919 –> 00:10:52,719And life into the dead.12200:10:52,719 –> 00:10:57,260That’s where there’s hope.12300:11:08,700 –> 00:11:31,700Now two conclusions and then we’re through.12400:11:31,700 –> 00:11:39,700Here’s the first. It is always worth sharing the Gospel.12500:11:47,700 –> 00:11:50,700I have to tell you that the truth we’ve been looking at today12600:11:51,700 –> 00:11:57,700is to me the single most motivating truth with regards to sharing the Gospel that I know.12700:11:58,700 –> 00:12:05,700It encourages me. It drives me. It sustains me in the work of evangelism.12800:12:06,700 –> 00:12:07,700Here’s why.12900:12:08,700 –> 00:12:11,700Some of you will remember one of the best known stories in the Old Testament.13000:12:12,700 –> 00:12:16,700This valley of dry bones in Ezekiel in chapter 37.13100:12:17,700 –> 00:12:23,700And remember that God takes Ezekiel in a vision to see this vast, vast valley13200:12:23,700 –> 00:12:25,700and it’s full of dry bones. Nothing’s living there.13300:12:25,700 –> 00:12:28,700And God says to Ezekiel, son of man, can these bones live?13400:12:29,700 –> 00:12:32,700And Ezekiel says, oh Soverign Lord, only you know that.13500:12:33,700 –> 00:12:35,700And then the Lord says, well now prophesy to these bones.13600:12:36,700 –> 00:12:38,700In other words, speak to these bones. Speak the word of God.13700:12:38,700 –> 00:12:39,700That’s what prophesy means.13800:12:40,700 –> 00:12:42,700Speak the word of God to these bones and say to them, dry bones.13900:12:43,700 –> 00:12:44,700Hear the word of the Lord and live.’14000:12:45,700 –> 00:12:49,700And you can imagine Ezekiel going. I speak to dry bones?14100:12:50,700 –> 00:12:53,700I mean I expected spoken to a few pretty unresponsive congregations,14200:12:53,700 –> 00:12:58,700but to speak to a valley of dry bones? You serious Lord?!14300:12:59,700 –> 00:13:03,700I mean what possible purpose can there be in speaking the word of God into a situation of death?14400:13:04,700 –> 00:13:09,700And maybe you, right now, are thinking about someone who is spiritually dead.14500:13:10,700 –> 00:13:11,700And you say, what’s the point in even trying?14600:13:12,700 –> 00:13:13,700What’s the point in even saying something about Christ to them?14700:13:15,700 –> 00:13:20,700But Ezekiel was obedient to the Lord, and he spoke the word of the Lord,14800:13:20,700 –> 00:13:25,700And do you remember what happened as he spoke the word of the Lord into a situation of absolute death?14900:13:26,700 –> 00:13:29,700The Spirit of God began to move, and God said to the bones,15000:13:30,700 –> 00:13:32,700I will make Breath enter you, and you will come to life.15100:13:33,700 –> 00:13:34,700And do you remember how that happened?15200:13:35,700 –> 00:13:38,700These various bones and you can’t even say it without hearing the words of the song and the music15300:13:39,700 –> 00:13:41,700about the bones getting connected to each other.15400:13:42,700 –> 00:13:44,700And eventually, there are living people.15500:13:45,700 –> 00:13:47,700Now what’s that story there all about in the Old Testament?15600:13:47,700 –> 00:13:51,700It’s telling us precisely what were learning today.15700:13:52,700 –> 00:13:59,700That God brings new life into places of death by His Spirit, and He does it through the Word.15800:14:00,700 –> 00:14:05,700Through the word of Christ, that way our privilege to share with others.15900:14:06,700 –> 00:14:11,700I know that it does not happen that new life comes every time we share the word of God.16000:14:11,700 –> 00:14:17,700It’s like the living seed and some falls on stony ground, but some falls on ground in which God is wonderfully at work.16100:14:18,700 –> 00:14:22,700And ups springs a harvest, 30, 60, and 100 fold.16200:14:23,700 –> 00:14:28,700So I say to you that when you understand this, you will be greatly encouraged.16300:14:29,700 –> 00:14:35,700What’s motivating in evangelism is not to look at the particular situation of the person.16400:14:36,700 –> 00:14:39,700And then you’ll say they are so far away, there can’t be any hope.16500:14:40,700 –> 00:14:45,700And motivation from evangelism doesn’t come in terms of saying how good is my presentation of the gospel,16600:14:46,700 –> 00:14:50,700because then you only despair of your own inadequate presentation.16700:14:51,700 –> 00:14:54,700Motivation- from evangelism comes in this way-16800:14:55,700 –> 00:15:02,700that you know and are convinced of the biblical truth that Christ imparts spiritual life through His Word.16900:15:03,700 –> 00:15:06,700Therefore you go into the college campus and you share it with some other students.17000:15:07,700 –> 00:15:09,700You share it with some neighbors.17100:15:10,700 –> 00:15:12,700You share it with a colleague at work.17200:15:13,700 –> 00:15:17,700And who knows what God will do by His Spirit through the imparting of His Word?17300:15:17,700 –> 00:15:20,700That’s how spiritual life comes.17400:15:22,700 –> 00:15:26,700And here’s the second and the last application today and it’s simply this.17500:15:27,700 –> 00:15:33,700There is, therefore, hope in Christ for the worst of sinners.17600:15:34,700 –> 00:15:40,700There is hope in Jesus Christ from the person in church who is farthest from God of all of us today.17700:15:41,700 –> 00:15:44,700There’s hope for you in Jesus Christ today. There really is.17800:15:46,700 –> 00:15:50,700When I was studying theology back in London,17900:15:52,700 –> 00:15:57,700I remember in one of our classes learning about a thing called the Engel scale.18000:15:59,700 –> 00:16:00,700It was quite trendy in those days.18100:16:00,700 –> 00:16:03,700The idea behind it was this.18200:16:04,700 –> 00:16:08,700That some people seem to be very, very far away from God.18300:16:09,700 –> 00:16:14,700And other people seem to be relatively near to some kind of personal faith.18400:16:15,700 –> 00:16:22,700And the Engel Scale was developed to attempt to sort of chart a person’s spiritual position.18500:16:23,700 –> 00:16:29,700So, if you were sort of really antagonistic towards Christianity, you might be a minus ten.18600:16:30,700 –> 00:16:33,700If you seemed fairly soft and towards Christianity, you might be a minus two or a minus one.18700:16:34,700 –> 00:16:35,700Conversion came at point zero.18800:16:36,700 –> 00:16:38,700If you were a very young and immature Christian, you were plus one.18900:16:39,700 –> 00:16:41,700And if you were really flying in spiritual maturity, you were plus ten.19000:16:42,700 –> 00:16:44,700The Engels Scale.19100:16:45,700 –> 00:16:51,700The idea of course was that this could be used in some way to help missionaries19200:16:52,700 –> 00:16:56,700And to help churches focus on the people who were most likely to be responsive.19300:16:56,700 –> 00:17:03,700And surely it would be a wise thing to place our effort where we were likely to get the greatest response.19400:17:05,699 –> 00:17:09,699Folks, that’s 30 years ago. I still remember sitting in this class19500:17:10,699 –> 00:17:18,699and I was thinking to myself, that makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.19600:17:19,699 –> 00:17:22,699Because if it is true that we are all spiritually dead19700:17:23,699 –> 00:17:27,699until Jesus Christ breathes life into us,19800:17:28,699 –> 00:17:33,699what is the difference between a minus 1 and minus 10, seriously?19900:17:34,699 –> 00:17:37,699I mean, if minus 1 is dead then presumably minus 5 is very dead,20000:17:38,699 –> 00:17:41,699and minus 10 is extremely dead.20100:17:42,699 –> 00:17:44,699Listen, if the rich young ruler20200:17:45,699 –> 00:17:49,699wanted to know about eternal life I’d make him a minus 1 wouldn’t you?20300:17:50,699 –> 00:17:53,699When he comes to Jesus all interested, and all moral,20400:17:54,699 –> 00:17:57,699and wanted eternal life, and he speaks to Jesus himself,20500:17:58,699 –> 00:18:00,699then what happens?, he goes away hopelessly lost.20600:18:01,699 –> 00:18:03,699Because he’s spiritually dead.20700:18:04,699 –> 00:18:06,699And here’s another man, Saul of Tarsus,20800:18:07,699 –> 00:18:08,699where would you put him?20900:18:09,699 –> 00:18:11,699Minus 10 on the Engel scale, I think that’s where he belongs, right?21000:18:12,699 –> 00:18:14,699Absolute hatred for the church of Jesus Christ21100:18:15,699 –> 00:18:17,699and everything that the name of Christ represents,21200:18:18,699 –> 00:18:20,699a minus 10 stone dead towards the things of Christ,21300:18:21,699 –> 00:18:23,699but what happens? He hears the voice of the Son of God21400:18:24,699 –> 00:18:29,699on the road to Damascus, and he is gloriously converted.21500:18:30,699 –> 00:18:34,699Listen, if you are a Christian today,21600:18:35,699 –> 00:18:37,699the miracle that has happened in your life21700:18:38,699 –> 00:18:40,699is every bit as great as what happened21800:18:41,699 –> 00:18:44,699to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.21900:18:44,699 –> 00:18:46,699If you don’t see that, it’s probably because22000:18:47,699 –> 00:18:48,699you don’t believe that you were spiritually dead.22100:18:49,699 –> 00:18:51,699Maybe you were, like me, brought up in a Christian home,22200:18:52,699 –> 00:18:53,699and maybe like me you did come to Jesus22300:18:54,699 –> 00:18:55,699in a very simple way early in life,22400:18:56,699 –> 00:18:58,699and you had not committed any gross sins at that time,22500:18:59,699 –> 00:19:03,699but I’m saying to you, it was no harder for God22600:19:04,699 –> 00:19:07,699to save Saul of Tarsus than it was for him to save you.22700:19:08,699 –> 00:19:10,699The miracle was exactly the same.22800:19:11,699 –> 00:19:13,699It was a resurrection from the dead22900:19:14,699 –> 00:19:18,699Your salvation was no less a miracle,23000:19:19,699 –> 00:19:21,699no less an intervention from God23100:19:22,699 –> 00:19:23,699than what happened on the road to Damascus23200:19:24,699 –> 00:19:25,699to the Saul of Tarsus.23300:19:26,699 –> 00:19:28,699You were dead, and you were brought to life.23400:19:29,699 –> 00:19:30,699There are no degrees in that.23500:19:31,699 –> 00:19:33,699And so I say, just turning that one more time,23600:19:34,699 –> 00:19:35,699it may be that you have come here today23700:19:36,699 –> 00:19:38,699and you are very far from God.23800:19:39,699 –> 00:19:40,699You came into the service,23900:19:41,699 –> 00:19:42,699you were antagonistic towards God.24000:19:42,699 –> 00:19:44,699You came here, you really don’t know why you came here.24100:19:45,699 –> 00:19:46,699You don’t know why you’re here now.24200:19:48,699 –> 00:19:49,699And I want to say to you,24300:19:50,699 –> 00:19:51,699you do not need to take a long journey24400:19:52,699 –> 00:19:53,699to come to Jesus Christ.24500:19:54,699 –> 00:19:55,699He is able to make you a new man.24600:19:56,699 –> 00:19:58,699He is able to make you a new woman today.24700:19:59,699 –> 00:20:01,699The resurrection of Jesus Christ,24800:20:02,699 –> 00:20:03,699when He was lying in the grave24900:20:04,699 –> 00:20:05,699and the Father raised Him from the dead,25000:20:06,699 –> 00:20:07,699it happened in a moment.25100:20:08,699 –> 00:20:09,699Up from the grave He arose.25200:20:10,699 –> 00:20:11,699That could happen to you today, spiritually.25300:20:12,699 –> 00:20:13,699And He will do that for you today.25400:20:14,699 –> 00:20:16,699As you have heard the word of Jesus Christ,25500:20:17,699 –> 00:20:18,699He is able to give you a new mind,25600:20:19,699 –> 00:20:20,699He is able to give you new heart, new desires,25700:20:21,699 –> 00:20:24,699new affections, new power, new direction,25800:20:25,699 –> 00:20:26,699a new spirit.25900:20:27,699 –> 00:20:28,699He is able to make you a new creation.26000:20:29,699 –> 00:20:30,699He is able to do it right now.26100:20:31,699 –> 00:20:32,699That’s what conversion is.26200:20:33,699 –> 00:20:34,699We were all at one time26300:20:35,699 –> 00:20:36,699dead in transgressions and sins.26400:20:37,699 –> 00:20:38,699But says Paul of Christian believers,26500:20:39,699 –> 00:20:41,699God has made us alive in Jesus Christ.26600:20:42,699 –> 00:20:44,699And life will come through the word26700:20:45,699 –> 00:20:47,699into your soul today if it has not come already.26800:20:49,699 –> 00:20:51,699Maybe you’ve been in church for the last 30 years.26900:20:52,699 –> 00:20:54,699And you’re just like the rich young ruler.27000:20:55,699 –> 00:20:56,699Very religious,27100:20:56,699 –> 00:20:57,699but the life of Jesus is not in you.27200:20:58,699 –> 00:20:59,699You need that miracle of grace27300:21:00,699 –> 00:21:01,699that we’ve been talking about,27400:21:02,699 –> 00:21:03,699every bit as much as the person in the congregation27500:21:04,699 –> 00:21:06,699right now, who’s the furthest from God.27600:21:07,699 –> 00:21:09,699Look to Christ.27700:21:10,699 –> 00:21:12,699Tell him that you’ve seen your own need27800:21:13,699 –> 00:21:15,699in a whole new light.27900:21:16,699 –> 00:21:18,699And as you hear his word,28000:21:18,699 –> 00:21:20,699believe in the Father and in the Son.28100:21:21,699 –> 00:21:22,699He says this,28200:21:22,699 –> 00:21:24,699whoever hears my word28300:21:25,699 –> 00:21:27,699and believes in him,28400:21:27,699 –> 00:21:28,699he who sent me has eternal life28500:21:30,699 –> 00:21:32,699and will not be condemned28600:21:35,699 –> 00:21:37,699because he, she has28700:21:38,699 –> 00:21:40,699has crossed over28800:21:40,699 –> 00:21:42,699crossed over, crossed over28900:21:44,699 –> 00:21:46,699from death to life.29000:21:49,699 –> 00:21:51,699So today, if you hear his voice,29100:21:51,699 –> 00:21:54,699do not harden your heart.29200:21:55,699 –> 00:21:58,699What a powerful reminder from Pastor Colin Smith there29300:21:58,699 –> 00:22:01,699that it’s always worth sharing the gospel29400:22:01,699 –> 00:22:03,699and there is hope in Christ29500:22:03,699 –> 00:22:05,699for even the worst of sinners.29600:22:05,699 –> 00:22:08,699You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible29700:22:08,699 –> 00:22:10,699and a message called Dead Men Walking,29800:22:10,699 –> 00:22:14,699part of our series The Inside Story of Human Life.29900:22:14,699 –> 00:22:16,699And if you’ve missed any part of this message30000:22:16,699 –> 00:22:18,699or any of the previous messages,30100:22:18,699 –> 00:22:21,699it’s very easy to catch up or go back and listen again30200:22:21,699 –> 00:22:25,699by coming to our website at openthebible.org.uk30300:22:25,699 –> 00:22:28,699or by going to your favourite podcast site30400:22:28,699 –> 00:22:30,699and searching there for Open the Bible UK.30500:22:30,699 –> 00:22:32,699There, you will find all the messages30600:22:32,699 –> 00:22:34,699which have already gone out on air.30700:22:35,699 –> 00:22:37,699While you are on the website, don’t forget about30800:22:37,699 –> 00:22:40,699Open the Bible Daily, our series of short,30900:22:40,699 –> 00:22:42,699two to three-minute daily reflections31000:22:42,699 –> 00:22:44,699based on Pastor Colin’s teaching31100:22:44,699 –> 00:22:46,699and specially read in the UK.31200:22:46,699 –> 00:22:48,699Open the Bible Daily.31300:22:48,699 –> 00:22:51,699Open the Bible is supported by our many listeners31400:22:51,699 –> 00:22:54,699and if you’re one of them, thank you so much.31500:22:54,699 –> 00:22:57,699It’s not just the radio programme,31600:22:57,699 –> 00:23:00,699the website and podcasts that you’re supporting.31700:23:00,699 –> 00:23:03,699Here’s Open the Bible’s Executive Director, John Martin.31800:23:03,699 –> 00:23:07,699David, let me tell you about some stories in Northern Ireland.31900:23:07,699 –> 00:23:10,699We are delighted at a growing network of churches32000:23:10,699 –> 00:23:13,699taking interest in Open the Bible resources32100:23:13,699 –> 00:23:15,699with Pastor Colin having been invited to speak32200:23:15,699 –> 00:23:18,699at Christian conferences for a number of years in a row.32300:23:18,699 –> 00:23:21,699This year, Pastor Colin taught32400:23:21,699 –> 00:23:24,699Fly Through the Bible, based on his short book32500:23:24,699 –> 00:23:27,699and he did this in an evening at Hamilton Road Baptist Church32600:23:27,699 –> 00:23:29,699in Bangor, Northern Ireland.32700:23:29,699 –> 00:23:31,699It was a packed auditorium,32800:23:31,699 –> 00:23:35,699members from around 20 churches came, some bringing guests.32900:23:35,699 –> 00:23:39,699Pastor Sam Castles, from Liznibrine Presbyterian Church, said33000:23:39,699 –> 00:23:43,699What I’ve really enjoyed, and found tremendously useful33100:23:43,699 –> 00:23:46,699is that Pastor Colin is able to give a good overview33200:23:46,699 –> 00:23:49,699of the Bible with rich theology33300:23:49,699 –> 00:23:53,699in a very clear, concise and very understandable applicable way.33400:23:53,699 –> 00:23:57,699Following this event in Bangor a number of churches33500:23:57,699 –> 00:24:01,699are helping us trial a 3 session version of Fly through the Bible33600:24:01,699 –> 00:24:04,699as a vidoe based inquirer’s course.33700:24:04,699 –> 00:24:07,699One church had over 60 people attend,33800:24:07,699 –> 00:24:10,699including many exploring the Christian faith.33900:24:10,699 –> 00:24:14,699Their pastor Keith McIlwain, from Hamilton Road Baptist Church, said this34000:24:14,699 –> 00:24:19,699We’ve never had an evangelistic course night like it!34100:24:19,699 –> 00:24:22,699We had Catholics, atheists, Buddhists,34200:24:22,699 –> 00:24:23,699All here tonight34300:24:23,699 –> 00:24:27,699and a good number of newcomers from our church.34400:24:28,699 –> 00:24:32,699Unbelieving husbands, brothers, children and parents were all in the room.34500:24:32,699 –> 00:24:35,699We are very thankful for the inquirer’s course34600:24:35,699 –> 00:24:38,699and the people God brought along.34700:24:38,699 –> 00:24:41,699So, David, if any listeners out there are interested34800:24:41,699 –> 00:24:43,699in looking at the inquirers course,34900:24:43,699 –> 00:24:45,699based on Fly through the Bible,35000:24:45,699 –> 00:24:46,699they can go to our website35100:24:46,699 –> 00:24:48,699and look for the course Fly Through the Bible35200:24:48,699 –> 00:24:51,699and click to access the free resources.35300:24:51,699 –> 00:24:54,699You can get involved in supporting Open the Bible’s work35400:24:54,699 –> 00:24:58,699by coming to our website, openthebible.org.uk.35500:24:58,699 –> 00:25:00,699You’ll find lots more information,35600:25:00,699 –> 00:25:01,699terms and conditions,35700:25:01,699 –> 00:25:03,699and you can give online.35800:25:04,699 –> 00:25:06,699For Open the Bible and pastor Colin Smith,35900:25:06,699 –> 00:25:07,699I’m David Pick,36000:25:07,699 –> 00:25:10,699Join us again next time on Open the Bible.36100:25:10,699 –> 00:25:24,699What would an authentic work of God look like in a local church?36200:25:24,699 –> 00:25:27,699To find out, join us next time on Open the Bible.