100:00:00,880 –> 00:00:02,580The greatness of the Bible200:00:02,580 –> 00:00:04,400In English300:00:04,400 –> 00:00:08,580The great irony is that we have in the English language more translations of the Bible than400:00:08,580 –> 00:00:15,580at any other time in history, or in any other language or culture. And yet, across the spectrum500:00:16,040 –> 00:00:21,459of evangelical Christians in America, let alone those outside the churches, the level600:00:21,459 –> 00:00:24,879of knowledge of God’s Word has never been lower.700:00:24,879 –> 00:00:29,120Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I am David Pick, and Colin, that’s800:00:29,200 –> 00:00:34,380the sad fact about today’s culture. Far fewer Christians seem to rely on the Word900:00:34,380 –> 00:00:36,400of God, compared to the past.1000:00:36,400 –> 00:00:40,939Yeah, and of course, the tragedy of that is that of course, the enthusiasm cannot be1100:00:40,939 –> 00:00:47,799sustained. A fire is only sustained by fuel. And when the fuel runs out, then the fire1200:00:47,799 –> 00:00:54,160burns out. And so a passion for Christ is unsustainable apart from a knowledge of Christ1300:00:54,200 –> 00:00:55,439that comes through His Word.1400:00:55,439 –> 00:01:01,599So one of the reasons that colleges are finding what you rightly said is that so often in1500:01:01,599 –> 00:01:09,900churches, the pressure has been on pastors to give a short message that is high in feel-good1600:01:09,900 –> 00:01:17,500factor and low in biblical content. And I think that there is some turning of the tide1700:01:17,500 –> 00:01:22,120because people quickly get to the point of saying, you know, this may make me feel good1800:01:22,199 –> 00:01:27,400for a short time, but it does not nourish my soul and it does not sustain my life.1900:01:27,400 –> 00:01:34,220So we are so passionate about engaging people with the power of the open book and bringing2000:01:34,220 –> 00:01:35,559the scriptures to bear.2100:01:35,559 –> 00:01:39,360We’re going to read today about a man who burned the Bible.2200:01:39,360 –> 00:01:43,300Well you know, a lot of folks today might not burn it, but to have a closed Bible is2300:01:43,300 –> 00:01:44,599just about the same thing.2400:01:44,599 –> 00:01:46,320It’s to ignore the word of God.2500:01:46,320 –> 00:01:51,000Let’s get the word of God into our lives today because it’s going to nourish and sustain2600:01:51,000 –> 00:01:52,959the fires of living for Christ.2700:01:52,959 –> 00:01:57,300Well, let’s do that now as we continue the message, Feed on God’s Word.2800:01:57,300 –> 00:01:59,379We’re in Jeremiah chapter 36.2900:01:59,379 –> 00:02:01,540So join us there if you can.3000:02:01,540 –> 00:02:02,879And here’s Colin.3100:02:02,879 –> 00:02:05,720Look at verse one of Jeremiah 36.3200:02:05,720 –> 00:02:15,660In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah3300:02:15,660 –> 00:02:17,820from the Lord.3400:02:17,820 –> 00:02:25,580Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah,3500:02:25,580 –> 00:02:32,919and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah3600:02:32,919 –> 00:02:35,059until now.3700:02:35,059 –> 00:02:41,039And so, Jeremiah called his secretary, a man by the name of Baruch, and began dictating3800:02:41,039 –> 00:02:45,460the words of God that had been given to him over this period of 23 years.3900:02:45,460 –> 00:02:49,899And sure enough, Baruch wrote them all down on a scroll.4000:02:49,899 –> 00:02:53,020At the end of that time, Jeremiah said verse 5.4100:02:53,020 –> 00:02:54,440Look at it there.4200:02:54,440 –> 00:02:57,199I am restricted, he said.4300:02:57,199 –> 00:02:59,839I cannot go to the Lord’s temple.4400:02:59,839 –> 00:03:03,440He’d been banned from speaking there because he was so unpopular.4500:03:03,440 –> 00:03:09,020So, he says to his secretary Baruch, so you go to the House of the Lord, that’s the temple,4600:03:09,520 –> 00:03:16,000Day of Fasting and you read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that4700:03:16,000 –> 00:03:18,979you wrote as I dictated.4800:03:18,979 –> 00:03:26,259Now there was a man who was in that crowd, and his name was Micaiah.4900:03:26,259 –> 00:03:34,300Micaiah was the grandson of the Secretary of State who had actually read the words of5000:03:34,500 –> 00:03:40,559the Book of Deuteronomy to Old King Josiah 18 years previously.5100:03:40,559 –> 00:03:47,559Now his grandson stands in the courtyard and hears the word that God has given to Jeremiah5200:03:48,460 –> 00:03:52,740being read aloud over the temple area.5300:03:52,740 –> 00:03:57,500And as he listens to the word of God, he thinks to himself this is something that has to be5400:03:57,500 –> 00:04:00,460heard at the highest level.5500:04:00,460 –> 00:04:02,300This has to be heard in the palace.5600:04:02,300 –> 00:04:06,899The king has to know what God says.5700:04:06,899 –> 00:04:12,619Now Micaiah because his grandfather had been the Secretary of State obviously had access5800:04:12,619 –> 00:04:18,839to places that other people couldn’t go and so he goes into the palace and actually interrupts5900:04:18,839 –> 00:04:25,839a committee meeting of some of the Secretary of State’s assistants and colleagues in government6000:04:25,839 –> 00:04:31,179that are actually sitting in a meeting in the palace and Micaiah actually breaks in6100:04:31,179 –> 00:04:34,619on them in the middle of their meeting.6200:04:34,619 –> 00:04:41,459Verse 13, Micaiah told them what he’d heard and immediately they stand for Beruch and6300:04:41,459 –> 00:04:49,019they say if there is a word of God it needs to be heard in the palace.6400:04:49,019 –> 00:04:54,100So Beruch now comes into this interrupted meeting of the Secretary of State and he reads6500:04:54,200 –> 00:04:56,500the word of God.6600:04:56,500 –> 00:05:02,140And they hear it and it has such impact upon them that they say this has to go all the6700:05:02,140 –> 00:05:03,739way to the King himself.6800:05:03,739 –> 00:05:10,920The King must hear this word for the good of this nation.6900:05:10,920 –> 00:05:17,820So as we follow the story, they now come upstairs to the King’s private quarters and all of7000:05:17,820 –> 00:05:22,859the King’s personal attendants are standing around there.7100:05:23,019 –> 00:05:29,380They went to a man by the name of Jehudi, who was a messenger, to actually read from7200:05:29,380 –> 00:05:33,679the scroll.7300:05:33,679 –> 00:05:41,399Verse 22, It was the ninth month, and the King was sitting in the winter apartment with7400:05:41,399 –> 00:05:46,299a fire burning in the firepot in front of him.7500:05:46,299 –> 00:05:51,279And whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns from the scroll, you’d open a scroll7600:05:51,700 –> 00:05:58,959by bit, a few inches at a time and read it in columns, the King cut them off with a scribe’s7700:05:58,959 –> 00:06:11,059knife and threw them into the fire pot until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.7800:06:11,059 –> 00:06:13,980Now why did Jehoiakim burn the Bible?7900:06:13,980 –> 00:06:16,739Why would he burn the Word of God?8000:06:17,619 –> 00:06:24,859God’s word announced to him a day of judgment, but he refused to believe it — just refuse8100:06:24,859 –> 00:06:26,779to believe it.8200:06:26,779 –> 00:06:33,579His father Josiah heard the Word of God and said, God’s anger against us must be great!8300:06:33,579 –> 00:06:35,519He trembled.8400:06:35,519 –> 00:06:40,980But if you look at chapter 36, and verse 24, when Jehoiakim heard the Word of God, we’re8500:06:40,980 –> 00:06:44,980told he showed no fear.8600:06:44,980 –> 00:06:49,799He just regarded it as, well, it’s just Jeremiah’s opinion.8700:06:49,799 –> 00:06:53,200This is just the spiritual thoughts of some heavenly minded individual.8800:06:53,200 –> 00:06:57,679This has nothing to do with reality, or to do with me.8900:06:57,679 –> 00:07:01,320He heard the Word of God, but he simply didn’t believe it.9000:07:01,320 –> 00:07:05,239So he tossed it in the fire.9100:07:05,239 –> 00:07:10,320Secondly, he heard the Word of God — as it identified his sin — but he refused to9200:07:10,320 –> 00:07:12,260obey it.9300:07:12,279 –> 00:07:18,100It’s very interesting that Josiah, when he heard the Word of God he tore his clothes.9400:07:18,100 –> 00:07:22,459But again if you look in verse 24, we’re told very specifically because it’s important,9500:07:22,459 –> 00:07:27,739that when Jehoihim heard the Word of God, he and his attendants did not tear their clothes.9600:07:27,739 –> 00:07:33,019They said, well, this Word has no authority over me.9700:07:33,019 –> 00:07:40,980Don’t think I’m going to change my lifestyle because of something that is said in the Bible…9800:07:40,980 –> 00:07:46,959So he refused to believe it, he refused to obey it.9900:07:46,959 –> 00:07:49,779And of course for that reason, he refused to proclaim it.10000:07:49,779 –> 00:07:54,100Remember, Josiah had said, well all the nation needs to hear this.10100:07:54,100 –> 00:07:57,220Jehoihim said we need to make sure that nobody else hears this.10200:07:57,220 –> 00:07:59,500That’s why he burned it.10300:07:59,500 –> 00:08:04,820And of course that was unsuccessful because no sooner had he burned it, then verse twenty10400:08:04,820 –> 00:08:10,399eight, God says to Jeremiah, you just take another scroll and write on it all the words10500:08:10,660 –> 00:08:16,279that were on the first scroll that Jehoiakim, king of Judah, has burned up.10600:08:16,279 –> 00:08:19,880There’s a real pattern here.10700:08:19,880 –> 00:08:30,440He won’t believe it, won’t obey it, and wants to destroy it.10800:08:30,440 –> 00:08:35,239You find exactly the same thing with the Pharisees in the New Testament.10900:08:36,119 –> 00:08:40,400You’re remember in the same way Jesus nailed their sin.11000:08:40,400 –> 00:08:42,119You read this in Matthew 23.11100:08:42,119 –> 00:08:45,520Woe to you, hypocrites.11200:08:45,520 –> 00:08:50,359And Jesus nails their sin.11300:08:50,359 –> 00:08:53,659But they won’t obey it.11400:08:53,659 –> 00:08:57,719No one tears their clothes that day.11500:08:57,719 –> 00:08:59,479Then Jesus announced their future judgment.11600:08:59,479 –> 00:09:03,960This temple that you think is so marvelous, one day not one stone will be left on top11700:09:04,000 –> 00:09:05,000of another.11800:09:05,000 –> 00:09:07,039But they found that simply incredible.11900:09:07,039 –> 00:09:11,479They refused to believe it.12000:09:11,479 –> 00:09:14,580Not only that, they attempted to destroy the Word of God.12100:09:14,580 –> 00:09:20,580You see, Jehoiakim took the Word of God on a scroll and burned it.12200:09:20,580 –> 00:09:28,679The Pharisees, with others, took the Word of God in the flesh, and tried to destroy12300:09:28,679 –> 00:09:32,659him by nailing him to the cross.12400:09:32,659 –> 00:09:38,559Of course, on the third day he rose again.12500:09:38,559 –> 00:09:45,640Because whatever you think about the Word of God, you simply cannot make it go away.12600:09:45,640 –> 00:09:50,979You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called, Feed on12700:09:50,979 –> 00:09:55,080God’s Word from Jeremiah chapter 36.12800:09:55,400 –> 00:10:01,419It’s part of our series Deck Chairs on the Titanic, and if you’ve missed any of the series12900:10:01,419 –> 00:10:08,280or want to go back and listen again, you can do that by coming online to our website and13000:10:08,280 –> 00:10:12,000there you will find all the messages which have gone out on-air.13100:10:12,000 –> 00:10:18,179You will also find P haster Colin on the podcast scene so if you prefer listening in that way13200:10:18,179 –> 00:10:22,539and going to your favourite podcast site, search for Open the Bible UK and you will13300:10:22,640 –> 00:10:25,880You will find P. Colin’s messages right there.13400:10:25,880 –> 00:10:28,760We’re back to the message now, here’s Colin.13500:10:28,760 –> 00:10:33,799So the great question I want to bring before us now as we try and apply this this morning13600:10:33,799 –> 00:10:41,479is simply this, how are you going to respond to the word of God?13700:10:41,479 –> 00:10:48,200And I want to give you four very simple pointers as to what it will mean for the word of God13800:10:49,099 –> 00:11:01,380us richly, for us to go the way of Josiah and to avoid the plunge to disaster of Jehoiakim.13900:11:01,380 –> 00:11:06,340The first thing is simply this, how should we respond to the word of God?14000:11:06,340 –> 00:11:09,080Read it, read it.14100:11:09,260 –> 00:11:11,219Read it.14200:11:11,219 –> 00:11:15,859You know very simply, a person who can read, and a person who has14300:11:15,859 –> 00:11:22,059a book in their own language, has no advantage over an illiterate person14400:11:22,059 –> 00:11:28,260who has no book in their own language if they do not read that book.14500:11:28,260 –> 00:11:31,440And the great irony is that we have in the English language14600:11:31,440 –> 00:11:35,140more translations of the Bible than at any other time in history14700:11:35,140 –> 00:11:38,919or in any other language or culture.14800:11:38,940 –> 00:11:44,340And yet, across the spectrum of Evangelical Christians in America,14900:11:44,340 –> 00:11:46,299let alone those outside the churches,15000:11:46,299 –> 00:11:50,940the level of knowledge of God’s Word has never been lower.15100:11:50,940 –> 00:11:55,159Never lower.15200:11:55,159 –> 00:12:02,820If you do not read the Bible, you will not know the God of the Bible.15300:12:02,820 –> 00:12:05,400You may think you do, but what you’ll carry in your head15400:12:05,500 –> 00:12:11,619is a kind of image of God that you made up yourself.15500:12:11,619 –> 00:12:13,799You made it up yourself because you never took the time15600:12:13,799 –> 00:12:16,960to explore the Bible and find out God as he really is.15700:12:16,960 –> 00:12:19,700And the problem with an image of God that you’ve made up yourself15800:12:19,700 –> 00:12:23,679is that that’s what the Bible calls an idol.15900:12:23,679 –> 00:12:26,599And an idol can’t save you.16000:12:26,599 –> 00:12:30,280There’s only one who can save you, and that is the God who reveals himself in16100:12:30,280 –> 00:12:31,280the Bible.16200:12:31,280 –> 00:12:33,719If you want to get to know him,16300:12:34,039 –> 00:12:37,760you have to crack open your Bible, and more than crack it open,16400:12:37,760 –> 00:12:43,059you have to build into your life the regular daily discipline16500:12:43,059 –> 00:12:46,640of reading the Word of God.16600:12:46,640 –> 00:12:52,400You can’t go further if you don’t read it.16700:12:52,400 –> 00:12:55,880Build that discipline into your life.16800:12:55,880 –> 00:13:00,880Let’s commit today, as we think of what it will take to build a life that God16900:13:00,979 –> 00:13:05,979will indeed commend that we build around a growing deepening17000:13:09,599 –> 00:13:13,659knowledge of the Word of God because we choose to read it.17100:13:15,239 –> 00:13:17,840Number two, believe it.17200:13:19,280 –> 00:13:22,460You see, when God spoke to Jehoiakim about the day of judgement,17300:13:24,320 –> 00:13:27,520God speaks to us about a day of judgment too.17400:13:28,280 –> 00:13:30,400Let me read you these words from the New Testament17500:13:30,400 –> 00:13:32,960that speak about a day still to come.17600:13:33,880 –> 00:13:36,039See, Jehoiakim lived in the shadow of a day17700:13:36,039 –> 00:13:39,799when God would bring judgment on his city.17800:13:39,799 –> 00:13:42,719We live in the shadow of a day that the Bible speaks about,17900:13:42,719 –> 00:13:45,479still future, when God will bring judgment18000:13:45,479 –> 00:13:48,099on the whole Earth.18100:13:49,219 –> 00:13:51,000Listen to how Peter describes it.18200:13:51,000 –> 00:13:56,000The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night18300:13:57,719 –> 00:14:00,119The heavens will disappear with a roar18400:14:01,080 –> 00:14:03,320and the elements will be destroyed with fire18500:14:03,320 –> 00:14:06,039and the earth and everything in them will be laid bare.18600:14:08,359 –> 00:14:13,359See here we are, trying to make our life in this world18700:14:14,760 –> 00:14:18,599and we’re rather like a crowd of people on the Titanic.18800:14:18,599 –> 00:14:21,179We’re trying to explore every possible activity18900:14:21,179 –> 00:14:23,479that there is to do, everything that we could do19000:14:23,479 –> 00:14:26,320in life, in this world but like the folks on the Titanic19100:14:26,320 –> 00:14:29,359what we’ve not understood is that this world itself19200:14:29,359 –> 00:14:33,679is going down and when you understand19300:14:33,679 –> 00:14:36,760that the world itself is going down19400:14:36,760 –> 00:14:41,359then you’ll begin to discover that the purpose19500:14:41,359 –> 00:14:45,159of your life is not to explore every possible19600:14:45,159 –> 00:14:47,400fun thing that you could imagine doing19700:14:47,400 –> 00:14:49,320during your voyage on this ship19800:14:51,020 –> 00:14:53,679but the purpose of your life, if I can use this picture19900:14:53,679 –> 00:14:56,419is to say where are the lifeboats20000:14:56,419 –> 00:14:59,679and how can I make sure that not only I am in them20100:14:59,679 –> 00:15:03,140but as many other people as possible are in them as well.20200:15:07,000 –> 00:15:10,640And those who have come to believe what God says20300:15:11,840 –> 00:15:13,900about the ultimate future of this world20400:15:13,900 –> 00:15:16,659have an entirely different perspective on life20500:15:16,659 –> 00:15:18,599an entirely different view of the world.20600:15:22,119 –> 00:15:23,159Believe it.20700:15:24,640 –> 00:15:27,320The history of this world has a definite beginning20800:15:27,320 –> 00:15:28,619and a definite ending.20900:15:29,799 –> 00:15:33,539At the creation God started the stopwatch of time.21000:15:35,960 –> 00:15:38,820And on the day of the Lord, he will push again21100:15:38,820 –> 00:15:41,919the stopwatch of time and he will bring it all to an end.21200:15:44,419 –> 00:15:45,260Believe it.21300:15:48,059 –> 00:15:49,559And as you believe it, obey it.21400:15:50,340 –> 00:15:52,960Peter says, since everything is going21500:15:52,960 –> 00:15:54,859to be destroyed in this way,21600:15:56,900 –> 00:16:00,140what kind of people ought you to be?21700:16:00,140 –> 00:16:02,739Someone said to me just this week,21800:16:02,739 –> 00:16:04,340as people quite often see if they’ve21900:16:04,340 –> 00:16:06,460been around here for a while,22000:16:06,460 –> 00:16:09,460you know, this place has changed so much.22100:16:09,460 –> 00:16:13,299I remember Arlington Heights when it was all fields.22200:16:13,299 –> 00:16:15,739You remember Arlington Heights when it was all fields?22300:16:16,419 –> 00:16:18,919For that will be true of every place on this earth.22400:16:18,919 –> 00:16:23,919One day Arlington Heights again will be all fields.22500:16:25,239 –> 00:16:28,099Scorched fields.22600:16:30,840 –> 00:16:34,960For that will be true of every place on this Earth.22700:16:37,340 –> 00:16:39,440So if you just read from the Bible, you believe it.22800:16:39,440 –> 00:16:44,440And if we believe there for far too long,22900:16:45,820 –> 00:16:48,340fundamentally that we live in a world23000:16:48,340 –> 00:16:50,440for a limited period of time,23100:16:50,440 –> 00:16:54,080but that ultimately this world itself is going down,23200:16:54,940 –> 00:16:58,859then we will have an entirely different view of our life.23300:16:58,859 –> 00:17:00,700Believe it, obey it.23400:17:05,300 –> 00:17:08,640And finally, proclaim it.23500:17:10,000 –> 00:17:11,939See, one of the greatest mistakes23600:17:11,939 –> 00:17:14,439that a person can ever make23700:17:14,439 –> 00:17:16,119is to think that the Bible is a book23800:17:16,119 –> 00:17:19,459that’s simply about personal spiritual beliefs.23900:17:20,500 –> 00:17:24,020This is why some people live with the confused notion24000:17:24,020 –> 00:17:28,260that CNN is more relevant than the Bible,24100:17:29,160 –> 00:17:34,160because they think that CNN is about real events,24200:17:34,199 –> 00:17:35,040and the Bible’s just24300:17:35,040 –> 00:17:38,280about vague spiritual personal beliefs.24400:17:40,020 –> 00:17:43,680When the earth is destroyed with fire,24500:17:45,099 –> 00:17:46,680and melts with fervent heat,24600:17:46,680 –> 00:17:49,199nobody in the judgement of God24700:17:49,199 –> 00:17:52,040will doubt for a moment that that is a real event.24800:17:53,640 –> 00:17:54,560Not for a moment.24900:17:56,839 –> 00:17:57,739Not for a moment.25000:18:01,260 –> 00:18:02,959And that was Jehia Kim’s great mistake.25100:18:02,959 –> 00:18:04,640He never took the Word of God seriously,25200:18:04,640 –> 00:18:06,959he simply blew it off.25300:18:06,959 –> 00:18:09,199Jeremiah’s opinion, I’d toss it in the fire,25400:18:11,000 –> 00:18:13,500but the judgement God spoke about on him came.25500:18:15,400 –> 00:18:20,300The judgement of the world itself will come.25600:18:23,540 –> 00:18:25,880Every person who has ever lived25700:18:25,880 –> 00:18:28,180will stand before Jesus Christ.25800:18:29,579 –> 00:18:32,140Every person you have ever come to know25900:18:32,140 –> 00:18:33,839or ever had a conversation with26000:18:33,839 –> 00:18:38,839will either hear Jesus Christ say come or depart.26100:18:39,339 –> 00:18:40,880Or depart.26200:18:43,839 –> 00:18:46,739That includes the King and Queen of prom,26300:18:48,619 –> 00:18:51,079it includes the snotty little kid at school26400:18:51,079 –> 00:18:52,619that everyone despises.26500:18:53,760 –> 00:18:57,760It includes the admin assistant with the fancy hairdo.26600:18:57,760 –> 00:19:00,319The captain of the football team and the coach.26700:19:01,359 –> 00:19:03,800It includes the professor at the university26800:19:03,800 –> 00:19:05,619and the man who brings your mail.26900:19:06,619 –> 00:19:09,160It includes the lady who serves the donuts27000:19:09,160 –> 00:19:11,160and it includes the president27100:19:11,160 –> 00:19:13,660of the United States of America.27200:19:13,660 –> 00:19:15,979It includes the dictator of Iraq27300:19:15,979 –> 00:19:18,479and it includes the waitress who will bring your lunch27400:19:18,479 –> 00:19:20,140if you eat out today.27500:19:23,219 –> 00:19:25,660And if the weight of that begins to come in upon you,27600:19:25,660 –> 00:19:27,459say, you know, I believe the word of God,27700:19:27,459 –> 00:19:29,479I believe that that is so.27800:19:29,479 –> 00:19:32,520Then it will leave you saying, but then what hope is there?27900:19:32,739 –> 00:19:35,380It comes suddenly and the very last thing today28000:19:35,380 –> 00:19:38,339is simply this, come back to the story one more time.28100:19:40,959 –> 00:19:45,180The only way to survive the judgment in Jehoiachin’s time28200:19:46,640 –> 00:19:51,640was to surrender in advance to the king who brought it.28300:19:53,739 –> 00:19:55,839Now, Jehoiachin, of course, refused to do that.28400:19:55,839 –> 00:19:57,640He said, I’m gonna fight that king28500:19:59,239 –> 00:20:01,920but his successor, a man by the name of Jehoiachin,28600:20:01,959 –> 00:20:03,020took a different route.28700:20:03,020 –> 00:20:04,859He was king for only three months28800:20:04,859 –> 00:20:06,760and he said, I can’t fight this king28900:20:06,760 –> 00:20:08,800and he surrendered to him29000:20:08,800 –> 00:20:12,520and he was taken away from Jerusalem along with many others.29100:20:12,520 –> 00:20:15,020In fact, a whole community were taken away from Jerusalem29200:20:15,020 –> 00:20:17,719into exile in the land of Babylon.29300:20:17,719 –> 00:20:20,520They were taken to another place29400:20:20,520 –> 00:20:24,400and then when the day of destruction came across Jerusalem29500:20:24,400 –> 00:20:28,920and the armies invaded and Babylon destroyed the whole city29600:20:28,920 –> 00:20:31,540and one stone wasn’t left on top of another,29700:20:31,579 –> 00:20:34,859they were already in another place29800:20:36,020 –> 00:20:40,739kept safe under the protection of the king who was the judge.29900:20:43,800 –> 00:20:46,260And that is a beautiful picture30000:20:48,060 –> 00:20:51,380that shines right into the New Testament30100:20:53,839 –> 00:20:56,380because the hope that is offered to us30200:20:56,380 –> 00:20:59,300by God who himself is the judge30300:21:00,300 –> 00:21:03,739is that he will offer protection30400:21:03,739 –> 00:21:06,739to those who in advance of that day of his judgment30500:21:06,739 –> 00:21:08,739will surrender themselves to him.30600:21:10,160 –> 00:21:12,400And the hope of every Christian believer30700:21:13,339 –> 00:21:15,859is that those who have surrendered themselves30800:21:15,859 –> 00:21:20,859to Jesus Christ are going to be taken out to another place30900:21:22,780 –> 00:21:26,140before this day of final destruction comes.31000:21:26,140 –> 00:21:27,780This is what the Bible speaks about.31100:21:27,819 –> 00:21:30,579One will be taken and another will be left.31200:21:30,579 –> 00:21:32,739Those who have surrendered to the King31300:21:32,739 –> 00:21:34,979will be taken into his protection.31400:21:34,979 –> 00:21:36,760Those who have resisted the King31500:21:36,760 –> 00:21:40,560will be left to face his ultimate judgment and destruction.31600:21:43,140 –> 00:21:46,939You can be saved from this judgment31700:21:48,800 –> 00:21:52,180if hearing the word of God, believing it, and obey it,31800:21:52,180 –> 00:21:54,760you surrender yourself to the King.31900:21:55,760 –> 00:21:58,520And if you have chosen that path,32000:21:59,439 –> 00:22:03,280then you may be a means of bringing that message of hope32100:22:03,280 –> 00:22:08,020to every other person you meet.32200:22:08,020 –> 00:22:11,219Why does God speak to you and me32300:22:11,219 –> 00:22:14,140about our sin and about judgment?32400:22:15,939 –> 00:22:19,859Because he wants to drive you to Christ32500:22:21,640 –> 00:22:23,640so that you may be saved.32600:22:24,920 –> 00:22:28,680Why does God’s words speak of sin and judgment?32700:22:28,680 –> 00:22:31,520Because he wants to draw us to Christ.32800:22:31,520 –> 00:22:35,380We can’t solve the problem of sin separating us from God.32900:22:35,380 –> 00:22:38,319The only way is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ33000:22:38,319 –> 00:22:40,479for our sins and the grace of God33100:22:40,479 –> 00:22:43,160in allowing that sacrifice to cover our sin.33200:22:44,079 –> 00:22:45,319If you want to know more about33300:22:45,319 –> 00:22:47,680how God’s love reaches out to you,33400:22:47,680 –> 00:22:50,160perhaps you can talk with a trusted Christian friend33500:22:50,160 –> 00:22:53,780or family member, or go along to a local Christian church.33600:22:53,800 –> 00:22:55,780There you’ll find a warm welcome33700:22:55,780 –> 00:22:57,939and the opportunity to meet with Christians33800:22:57,939 –> 00:22:59,060who will be able to talk to you33900:22:59,060 –> 00:23:01,599about their own journey with Christ.34000:23:01,599 –> 00:23:03,780Look out for an alpha course in your area,34100:23:03,780 –> 00:23:06,000there you’ll find answers to any questions34200:23:06,000 –> 00:23:07,660you might have about the Christian faith34300:23:07,660 –> 00:23:11,339and how to meet with our Savior, Jesus Christ.34400:23:11,339 –> 00:23:13,140You know, Open the Bible is supported34500:23:13,140 –> 00:23:14,579entirely by our listeners,34600:23:14,579 –> 00:23:17,140and if that’s something you’ve been considering doing34700:23:17,140 –> 00:23:18,900but haven’t done up until now,34800:23:18,900 –> 00:23:20,859this month, if you’re able to support34900:23:20,859 –> 00:23:22,619Open the Bible financially35000:23:22,640 –> 00:23:25,459in the amount of five pounds per month or more35100:23:25,459 –> 00:23:28,119or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,35200:23:28,119 –> 00:23:29,500we’d love to say thank you35300:23:29,500 –> 00:23:32,160by sending you a copy of Colin’s book,35400:23:32,160 –> 00:23:33,619Heaven, How I Got Here?35500:23:33,619 –> 00:23:35,599The Story of the Thief on the Cross,35600:23:35,599 –> 00:23:39,199and also the booklet, How Can I Be Sure of Heaven?35700:23:39,199 –> 00:23:42,959And a special, Open the Bible Pen and Bookmark.35800:23:42,959 –> 00:23:44,500Colin how will people be helped35900:23:44,500 –> 00:23:47,140by reading Heaven, How I Got Here?36000:23:47,140 –> 00:23:50,040It’s a small book, very easy to read,36100:23:50,040 –> 00:23:52,459and it tells the story of the Thief on the Cross36200:23:52,500 –> 00:23:53,819in the first person.36300:23:53,819 –> 00:23:57,900And the mission of the book, the reason for writing it,36400:23:57,900 –> 00:24:01,300is that this story really explains grace36500:24:01,300 –> 00:24:05,099better than any story that I know or could think of.36600:24:05,099 –> 00:24:07,300Many people have the idea36700:24:07,300 –> 00:24:09,739that, if you’re going to get into heaven,36800:24:09,739 –> 00:24:11,819you’ll do that by living a good enough life36900:24:11,819 –> 00:24:14,180and obviously the thief on the cross didn’t do that37000:24:14,180 –> 00:24:16,199and he did get into heaven,37100:24:16,199 –> 00:24:18,420and he got there by God’s grace.37200:24:18,420 –> 00:24:20,839So for anyone who needs to grasp37300:24:20,839 –> 00:24:23,020what the grace of God is,37400:24:23,020 –> 00:24:26,739this is a very simple story that explains that.37500:24:26,739 –> 00:24:29,060And so this is a book that you can read and enjoy,37600:24:29,060 –> 00:24:30,739and I hope a book that you’ll think about37700:24:30,739 –> 00:24:33,780passing on to a friend who needs to discover God’s grace.37800:24:33,780 –> 00:24:36,020Well, this book, Heaven How I Got Here,37900:24:36,020 –> 00:24:38,739along with a booklet, How Can I Be Sure of Heaven,38000:24:38,739 –> 00:24:42,060and a special open the Bible pen and bookmark38100:24:42,060 –> 00:24:43,560are our thank you gift38200:24:43,560 –> 00:24:46,140if you’re able to set up a new direct debit38300:24:46,140 –> 00:24:48,819in the amount of five pounds per month or more,38400:24:48,819 –> 00:24:51,439or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more38500:24:51,439 –> 00:24:54,439to the work of Open the Bible in this month.38600:24:54,439 –> 00:24:56,939For full terms and conditions and to give online,38700:24:56,939 –> 00:25:01,180come to our website, openthebible.org.uk.38800:25:01,180 –> 00:25:03,680For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,38900:25:03,680 –> 00:25:05,040I’m David Pick.39000:25:05,040 –> 00:25:06,339I’m glad you were with us today,39100:25:06,339 –> 00:25:09,339and I hope you’ll be able to join us again tomorrow.39200:25:09,339 –> 00:25:12,920♪ Infoception theme music ♪39300:25:13,900 –> 00:25:16,300Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus,39400:25:16,300 –> 00:25:20,260but that wasn’t ultimately what plunged him to disaster.39500:25:20,260 –> 00:25:23,739Find out what was, next time on Open the Bible.