100:00:00,860 –> 00:00:08,180The Christian life is a struggle for every one of us from the moment of your new birth200:00:08,180 –> 00:00:13,740until the moment you stand in the presence of Jesus. Sure if you’re a climber it helps to300:00:13,740 –> 00:00:19,980have some experience, but experience never takes the struggle out of the climb. Welcome to Open400:00:19,980 –> 00:00:24,600the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Glad you could be with us today and Colin,500:00:24,600 –> 00:00:29,660it’s encouraging to know that the struggle is normal, but frankly it’s a bit discouraging600:00:29,660 –> 00:00:34,700to know the struggle is going to continue for the rest of our lives. I like to say it this way,700:00:34,700 –> 00:00:40,259any dead fish can drift down the river, but it takes some effort to swim against the stream. And800:00:40,259 –> 00:00:44,860of course, to live the Christian life means that we’re engaged in a battle against the world,900:00:44,860 –> 00:00:49,459the flesh and the devil. We have the help the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in that.1000:00:49,459 –> 00:00:54,340But we’re going against the stream. And that means that it’s never going to be easy. All right,1100:00:54,459 –> 00:00:58,840so let’s go back and I ask the most basic question of all. Why? Why struggle?1200:00:58,840 –> 00:01:04,480Because the drift down the stream ends in an everlasting separation from God in hell. I1300:01:04,480 –> 00:01:07,919mean, there’s only one way to go. Jesus says there’s a narrow way, there’s only a few people1400:01:07,919 –> 00:01:12,720on it, but it leads to life. You go in the broad way, it ends in destruction. So,1500:01:12,720 –> 00:01:13,620who wants to be there?1600:01:13,620 –> 00:01:18,400So, for the person who says I’m a Christian, but I’m not going to engage in the struggle,1700:01:18,400 –> 00:01:21,559would you question whether they really are a Christian?1800:01:21,900 –> 00:01:24,900Yeah, I would say how in the world can you say you’re a Christian? Jesus says come and1900:01:24,900 –> 00:01:28,580follow me, take up your cross and follow me. I’m not going to take up my cross. I’m not2000:01:28,580 –> 00:01:33,040going to engage in… You know, you can tell a Christian in two ways, Bishop Riles said2100:01:33,040 –> 00:01:37,879on one occasion. He is at peace with God and he is at war with sin. And these two things2200:01:37,879 –> 00:01:42,519always go together. If I’m at peace with sin I’m at war with God, even if I don’t admit2300:01:42,519 –> 00:01:45,559that, so these are the marks of a true Christian.2400:01:45,559 –> 00:01:49,720We’re going to spend some time as we begin the new series, talking about that struggle.2500:01:49,720 –> 00:01:53,839It may surprise some people to hear that the Ten Commandments address this very thing.2600:01:53,839 –> 00:01:58,540I came across this just thinking, you know, if you were to do a survey in the street and2700:01:58,540 –> 00:02:02,540say, you know, what are the greatest struggles of your life? People say, well, you know,2800:02:02,540 –> 00:02:06,680I’ve got a real problem with time and I’ve got a problem with conflict and then there2900:02:06,680 –> 00:02:10,960are issues. It’s not easy to remain faithful and to be pure and so forth. And you say,3000:02:10,960 –> 00:02:16,779well, where are these issues of time and of conflict between people and of integrity and3100:02:16,820 –> 00:02:21,820of purity addressed that are addressed in the Ten Commandments. Why? Because God knows3200:02:21,820 –> 00:02:26,300us better than we know ourselves. And when He speaks, He doesn’t speak to the nonissues3300:02:26,300 –> 00:02:31,580of our lives. He speaks to the real struggles in which every human being is engaged. So3400:02:31,580 –> 00:02:35,339I think, when we come to the Ten Commandments in that way, they begin to jump off the page3500:02:35,339 –> 00:02:41,460in a new way. This isn’t a, sort of, a remote speech about a, sort of, moral perfection3600:02:41,619 –> 00:02:46,619that’s somehow out there. It’s God speaking to us about the life that He’s calling us3700:02:46,619 –> 00:02:49,300to. And for this purpose, He gives us His spirit.3800:02:49,300 –> 00:02:56,020So join us if you can in Exodus, chapter 20, as we begin our new series, The Ten Biggest3900:02:56,020 –> 00:02:58,539Struggles of Your Life. Here’s Collin.4000:02:58,539 –> 00:03:05,220Well, life is a struggle. Just in case you didn’t know. It’s also an adventure, isn’t4100:03:06,139 –> 00:03:12,220It’s like climbing a rock face. It’s a dangerous business.4200:03:12,220 –> 00:03:17,619Infinitely worth it. I’ve really found the picture of climbing a rock face very helpful.4300:03:17,619 –> 00:03:25,059There are moments, as we saw, of triumph. And then there’s always another challenge4400:03:25,059 –> 00:03:29,380ahead. The climb goes on throughout your entire4500:03:29,380 –> 00:03:33,960Christian life. One day you’re going to stand on the summit.4600:03:33,960 –> 00:03:37,720Every believer will one day stand on the summit, but that day will not come until you’re4700:03:37,720 –> 00:03:42,839in the presence of Jesus. The whole of the Christian life is spent on4800:03:42,839 –> 00:03:48,000the Rock face. Now some of us have been Christians for years.4900:03:48,000 –> 00:03:54,520We’ve made some progress. But you’re still climbing.5000:03:54,520 –> 00:03:59,520The most dangerous place for the rock climber is often when you think it’s getting easier.5100:03:59,880 –> 00:04:05,419It’s possible to climb the most difficult phase and then when you think it’s getting5200:04:05,419 –> 00:04:10,559easier to slip, just when you think you’re making great progress.5300:04:10,559 –> 00:04:14,779Others of us have only begun the climb. But it doesn’t really matter where you are5400:04:14,779 –> 00:04:19,480on the rock, all climbers essentially face the same struggle.5500:04:19,480 –> 00:04:25,880Some stages are harder than others, but you can never climb without the struggle.5600:04:26,839 –> 00:04:31,760If you’re a new Christian maybe you think that a pastor or one of the elders or someone5700:04:31,760 –> 00:04:36,140who’s been a Christian for 40 years, who you greatly respect, maybe you feel that kind5800:04:36,140 –> 00:04:43,320of person must just bounce out of bed every morning filled with love for humanity and5900:04:43,320 –> 00:04:49,299longing to spend at least an hour in prayer. And that such a person will instinctively6000:04:49,299 –> 00:04:54,839be so close to the Lord that they always just know exactly what to do, that they have such6100:04:54,880 –> 00:05:00,959purity of heart and don’t struggle anymore with unworthy thoughts or with mixed motivations.6200:05:00,959 –> 00:05:07,519If that’s what you thought, let me give you some encouragement. Forget it! Forget it!6300:05:07,519 –> 00:05:12,679The Christian life is a struggle for every one of us from the moment of your new birth6400:05:12,679 –> 00:05:17,420until the moment you stand in the presence of Jesus. Sure, if you’re a climber it6500:05:17,420 –> 00:05:24,459helps to have some experience, but experience never takes the struggle out of the climb.6600:05:24,459 –> 00:05:30,000The climbers do it because they want to, because they have their hearts set on the summit,6700:05:30,000 –> 00:05:36,119because something within them calls them to the climb. And even as they struggle they6800:05:36,119 –> 00:05:39,500find joy in the journey.6900:05:39,500 –> 00:05:46,179Now the passage that we’re going to be studying together as we consider this expedition is7000:05:46,179 –> 00:05:52,480in Exodus and chapter 20 and we find there the Ten Commandments. And over some months7100:05:52,480 –> 00:05:58,279now I have become increasingly impressed by the fact that these commandments really7200:05:58,279 –> 00:06:07,920do target the ten greatest struggles of our lives. The Ten Commandments really frame the7300:06:07,920 –> 00:06:13,839rock face. This is where the struggle of the Christian life really is lived and worked7400:06:13,839 –> 00:06:20,079out. These are where you find all the issues that we face as followers of Jesus.7500:06:20,079 –> 00:06:23,779Let me give just a quick overview. We’ll do a countdown from the last commandment7600:06:23,779 –> 00:06:29,320to the first. I hope you have your Bible open at Exodus and chapter 20. See if these are7700:06:29,320 –> 00:06:40,619not your primary struggle. Starting with number 10, I’ve called it your struggle for contentment.7800:06:40,619 –> 00:06:47,399You shall not covet. Is there anyone here who struggles over this whole issue of contentment?7900:06:48,399 –> 00:06:55,519Can’t rest, won’t stop, relentless in the pursuit of the next achievement, having more,8000:06:55,519 –> 00:07:02,899the next job, the next challenge, the next relationship. It’s not easy to be content.8100:07:02,899 –> 00:07:10,799Something within us wants more. Number nine, your struggle with truth. You shall not bear8200:07:10,799 –> 00:07:18,679a false witness. Like watching some court dramas. And there’s a great moment in the8300:07:18,679 –> 00:07:23,359film you may have seen a few good men when in the heat of cross-examination in a military8400:07:23,359 –> 00:07:30,940court an attorney played by Tom Cruse says, I just want to know the truth. And a colonel8500:07:30,940 –> 00:07:36,859played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson just explodes. He says, you can’t handle the truth.8600:07:37,519 –> 00:07:43,200A lot of truth in that it’s not easy to handle the truth. That’s why we spend so much of8700:07:43,200 –> 00:07:49,540our lives deceiving ourselves and playing games. That’s one reason why it’s so popular8800:07:49,540 –> 00:07:53,600in our culture today to have this idea that everyone has their own truth because we don’t8900:07:53,600 –> 00:08:02,239want to face God’s truth and handle reality. You struggle for truth. Number eight you’re9000:08:02,239 –> 00:08:07,500going to struggle with integrity, you shall not steal. How much can you be trusted? What9100:08:07,500 –> 00:08:16,339can God trust you with? Number seven of course goes to this whole issue of the struggle with9200:08:16,339 –> 00:08:25,700purity. Is there anybody here who finds that easy? You can’t drive from here to Chicago9300:08:25,839 –> 00:08:32,200without driving past billboards that are designed to lure your mind.9400:08:32,200 –> 00:08:39,219Purity is a struggle. Number six, your struggle for peace, you shall not murder. You say well9500:08:39,219 –> 00:08:46,539I haven’t done that recently. Well thankfully not. Remember this, murder is the last stopping9600:08:46,539 –> 00:08:52,159point on the line of conflict. You may not have been to the terminus, but every one of9700:08:52,179 –> 00:09:01,080us has been on the line. Anger, resentment, the churning of the stomach as you think about9800:09:01,080 –> 00:09:07,599an unresolved conflict. Your struggle for peace.9900:09:07,599 –> 00:09:11,520Number five, your struggle with authority. Honor your father and mother, here are the10000:09:11,520 –> 00:09:16,059first authority figures that God puts in our lives, but is there anybody here who does10100:09:16,059 –> 00:09:21,320not know what it is to struggle with some person who is in a position of authority and10200:09:21,320 –> 00:09:26,080you don’t find it easy? Number four, your struggle with time. Remember10300:09:26,080 –> 00:09:31,059the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Get your work done in six days, the Bible says.10400:09:31,059 –> 00:09:38,320Anyone find that easy? Or difficult? Get your work done so that you can give your time to10500:09:38,320 –> 00:09:43,380God and give your time to those he has placed around you on the seventh day.10600:09:43,380 –> 00:09:50,979It’s a struggle to gain mastery over time with all that’s on our plate and to10700:09:50,979 –> 00:09:55,919live an ordered life for the glory of God. Number three, your struggle with10800:09:55,919 –> 00:10:03,500religion, huge one. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. A lot of10900:10:03,500 –> 00:10:08,640people today are really convinced that religion is the world’s greatest problem11000:10:09,200 –> 00:10:16,599and that’s hardly surprising. People blow themselves up today in the name of God.11100:10:16,599 –> 00:10:24,440People have flown airplanes into tall buildings in the name of God.11200:10:24,440 –> 00:10:29,479The world is in turmoil over the abuse of the name of God and is there any one of us who11300:10:29,479 –> 00:10:33,200has not struggled in different situations where a person has used the11400:10:34,200 –> 00:10:40,679to try and justify their own agenda. Huge struggle.11500:10:40,679 –> 00:10:45,460Number 2, your struggle to worship. You shall not make a graven image.11600:10:45,460 –> 00:10:50,080There’s an impulse within us that wants to bring God down to our own level.11700:10:50,080 –> 00:10:53,640To make Him more of a little God because that makes Him more manageable and makes us11800:10:53,640 –> 00:10:58,020feel more in control. But as soon as we bring God down to a little God level11900:10:58,020 –> 00:11:05,000we lose the capacity to worship, because you cannot worship a little God.12000:11:05,000 –> 00:11:10,679The number one struggle, I want to suggest the First Commandment, your struggle with12100:11:10,679 –> 00:11:18,039God. You shall have no other gods before me and that is our biggest struggle.12200:11:18,039 –> 00:11:21,799Because there’s an instinct in all of us, an instinct in me that wants to be my own12300:11:21,799 –> 00:11:26,719God and live for my own glory, to pursue my own agenda, and when God calls12400:11:26,840 –> 00:11:35,320me to do something that’s difficult, I don’t find it easy to let God be God.12500:11:35,320 –> 00:11:40,679I’m convinced that these commandments describe12600:11:40,679 –> 00:11:46,479in a penetrating fashion, the Ten greatest struggles of our lives.12700:11:46,479 –> 00:11:51,960You’re listening to Open the Bible, with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message called,12800:11:51,960 –> 00:11:53,440Live is a Struggle.12900:11:53,960 –> 00:11:57,119It’s part of our new series, The Ten Biggest Struggles of Your Life.13000:11:57,119 –> 00:12:01,479And if you ever miss one of the series, don’t forget that you can easily catch up13100:12:01,479 –> 00:12:07,159or go back and listen again, online at our website, openthebible.org.uk,13200:12:07,159 –> 00:12:10,559or you can find Pastor Colin’s teaching as a podcast,13300:12:10,559 –> 00:12:12,960and there are podcasts on all the main sites,13400:12:12,960 –> 00:12:18,320search for openthebible.uk, and subscribe if you want to receive regular reminders.13500:12:18,320 –> 00:12:22,080At Open the Bible, we welcome contact with our listeners!13600:12:22,080 –> 00:12:25,159If you’ve been blessed by Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching13700:12:25,159 –> 00:12:29,000and you’d like to reach out to us, there are several ways you can do that.13800:12:29,000 –> 00:12:38,719You can write to us at OPEN THE BIBLE, PO Box 1420, Cheltenham, GL 50, 9pg.13900:12:38,719 –> 00:12:46,719Or you can phone us on 0330 335 8089.14000:12:46,719 –> 00:12:51,719If we’re not available when you call, leave a message for us and we’ll return your call.14100:12:51,719 –> 00:12:58,400And you can find all those contact details on our website OPENTHEBIBLE.ORG.UK14200:12:58,400 –> 00:13:02,640Back to the message now, we’re in Exodus, chapter 20, here’s Colin.14300:13:03,080 –> 00:13:08,679Now, the last thing I want us to take a moment before we set out14400:13:08,679 –> 00:13:15,679for every one of us to consider honestly where you stand right now14500:13:15,679 –> 00:13:20,479in relation to the Ten Commandments as we begin this series.14600:13:20,479 –> 00:13:24,239And I want us we think about this, where each of us individually and14700:13:24,239 –> 00:13:27,320personally stands in relation as it were to the rock face of14800:13:27,320 –> 00:13:29,840the Ten Commandments.14900:13:29,840 –> 00:13:33,599I want to suggest three possibilities.15000:13:33,599 –> 00:13:41,159Some of us think we’ve already climbed the wall.15100:13:41,159 –> 00:13:45,880Now there are a lot of folks who feel like that, who hang around in churches,15200:13:45,880 –> 00:13:48,840comes out when something goes wrong in your life, you immediately15300:13:49,000 –> 00:13:52,719protest about how good and faithful you’ve been, and why couldn’t God15400:13:52,719 –> 00:13:57,000possibly allow anything to happen to such a good person as you?15500:13:57,000 –> 00:14:02,599Instinctively we think we’ve climbed the wall.15600:14:02,599 –> 00:14:05,619Now there was an occasion in the Bible when another brilliant young man got15700:14:05,619 –> 00:14:07,080into conversation with Jesus,15800:14:07,080 –> 00:14:09,320and Jesus spoke with him about the Ten Commandments,15900:14:09,320 –> 00:14:14,659and his immediate response was, all these I have kept since my youth.16000:14:14,659 –> 00:14:18,619I think he was sincere, I think he really believed that.16100:14:18,700 –> 00:14:24,440He’d read the Ten Commandments and at one level he probably had kept them.16200:14:24,440 –> 00:14:30,039Hadn’t murdered anybody, had been faithful to his wife,16300:14:30,039 –> 00:14:36,880hadn’t told any whopping lies, never raided a bank.16400:14:36,880 –> 00:14:39,739No doubt had got straight A’s, was a good upright citizen,16500:14:39,739 –> 00:14:42,320flossed his teeth and paid his taxes.16600:14:42,320 –> 00:14:47,840Look, you’re talking to a good living person he’s saying.16700:14:48,559 –> 00:14:52,559Now the problem here for him and for many of us who think in the same kind16800:14:52,559 –> 00:14:59,039of a way, the problem is that he didn’t understand the commandments.16900:14:59,039 –> 00:15:00,580Jesus had made it clear you see,17000:15:00,580 –> 00:15:04,080that the commandments are not limited simply to one action.17100:15:04,080 –> 00:15:07,460That’s why we said earlier the command you do not murder,17200:15:07,460 –> 00:15:12,859addresses the terminus that is at the end of a long line that’s called conflict.17300:15:12,859 –> 00:15:15,599You may never have been at the terminus,17400:15:15,599 –> 00:15:19,979but every one of us has been somewhere on the line, many times.17500:15:21,159 –> 00:15:27,940Many times, more than that, every negative command you shall not murder17600:15:27,940 –> 00:15:32,039carries with it a reflective positive duty.17700:15:32,039 –> 00:15:34,440And the positive duty, for example,17800:15:34,440 –> 00:15:39,059of not murdering would include the positive caring, for example,17900:15:40,059 –> 00:15:42,419for example, of your own body,18000:15:42,419 –> 00:15:44,900because if you don’t care for your own body, as you ought to,18100:15:44,900 –> 00:15:51,280and that’s a trust from God, then on which direction are you moving?18200:15:51,280 –> 00:15:53,780Once you see what the 10 Commandments are really all about18300:15:53,780 –> 00:15:58,059and how they speak right into the categories of our greatest struggles,18400:15:58,059 –> 00:16:02,640you will begin to say, you know, once I thought I was finished,18500:16:02,760 –> 00:16:07,580now, I see, I haven’t begun.18600:16:07,580 –> 00:16:09,919There are a lot of good, moral folks around18700:16:09,919 –> 00:16:13,859who’ve never experienced the struggle,18800:16:13,859 –> 00:16:20,039and honestly, if you’ve never experienced the struggle,18900:16:20,039 –> 00:16:25,340that may be the first indication you have never begun the Climb.19000:16:25,340 –> 00:16:27,799And it’s a sad thing when a person sitting in a deck chair,19100:16:27,799 –> 00:16:29,280thinking that they’ve finished the climb,19200:16:29,280 –> 00:16:31,119when actually they’ve not started.19300:16:31,119 –> 00:16:33,219If you think you have climbed the wall,19400:16:33,219 –> 00:16:37,219it’s time to get out of the deck chair19500:16:37,219 –> 00:16:39,619and as you get on that wall,19600:16:39,619 –> 00:16:45,599you’ll quickly discover how much you need Jesus.19700:16:45,599 –> 00:16:49,020Secondly, there are some of us who know for sure19800:16:49,020 –> 00:16:56,020that right now we are stretched out on the wall.19900:16:56,020 –> 00:17:00,919You have come to Christ and you’ve begun the Climb.20000:17:01,520 –> 00:17:05,319You want to please the Lord with all your heart.20100:17:05,319 –> 00:17:11,819You want to do what is right, but it is so hard.20200:17:11,819 –> 00:17:13,719And you’ve been struggling with the issues20300:17:13,719 –> 00:17:16,920of living a Christian life for a long time on this rock face20400:17:16,920 –> 00:17:19,420and your arms feel numb.20500:17:19,420 –> 00:17:21,520You can remember some victories in the past,20600:17:21,520 –> 00:17:24,119but right now, your legs just feel sore as it were.20700:17:24,119 –> 00:17:27,619You feel about exhausted.20800:17:27,619 –> 00:17:30,020I was speaking to someone just a few weeks ago20900:17:30,020 –> 00:17:31,619and he described the difficulties21000:17:31,619 –> 00:17:33,119he was facing in his marriage.21100:17:33,119 –> 00:17:36,119It was a horrible situation21200:17:36,119 –> 00:17:39,920and he was really, really trying to honor the Lord in it.21300:17:39,920 –> 00:17:45,920And he said I’m just so tired of the battle.21400:17:45,920 –> 00:17:49,819Now we’ve all been there, in one area or another of our life,21500:17:49,819 –> 00:17:51,920tired of the battle.21600:17:54,819 –> 00:17:58,719For some of us God has called you to work in an environment21700:17:58,719 –> 00:18:02,119where it’s not easy to be a Christian.21800:18:02,119 –> 00:18:06,219And you really want to model truth and integrity,21900:18:06,219 –> 00:18:08,619but it is so hard,22000:18:11,319 –> 00:18:13,020the pressures are enormous22100:18:13,020 –> 00:18:16,619and very day you feel like you’re stretched out on the wall.22200:18:18,920 –> 00:18:20,819I want you to know this,22300:18:20,819 –> 00:18:25,319that this series is not about condemnation,22400:18:25,319 –> 00:18:27,920it’s about encouragement.22500:18:28,819 –> 00:18:30,520It’s about encouragement.22600:18:31,719 –> 00:18:34,020The Christian life isn’t easy,22700:18:34,020 –> 00:18:35,719but by the grace of God,22800:18:35,719 –> 00:18:38,520you can make progress one step at a time.22900:18:40,020 –> 00:18:42,420And the very fact that you’re struggling23000:18:42,420 –> 00:18:44,219means that you’re on the wall23100:18:44,219 –> 00:18:46,619and you should thank God for that.23200:18:48,020 –> 00:18:49,619In fact,23300:18:49,619 –> 00:18:52,319the fact that you want to be more holy23400:18:52,319 –> 00:18:54,619than you are right now23500:18:54,619 –> 00:18:56,719is the greatest single evidence of the fact23600:18:56,719 –> 00:18:58,819that the Holy Spirit is at work within you23700:18:58,819 –> 00:19:01,619and you should thank God for that reality.23800:19:02,920 –> 00:19:04,619What we have here and now23900:19:04,619 –> 00:19:07,119is a beginning of truth,24000:19:07,119 –> 00:19:09,119a beginning of contentment,24100:19:09,119 –> 00:19:10,920a beginning of loving God,24200:19:10,920 –> 00:19:12,819a beginning of worship,24300:19:12,819 –> 00:19:15,520a beginning of all that it means to be faithful.24400:19:15,520 –> 00:19:17,920It is a true beginning.24500:19:17,920 –> 00:19:19,819It’s not everything that it one day will be24600:19:19,819 –> 00:19:22,119when we stand on the summit in the presence of Jesus,24700:19:22,119 –> 00:19:23,920but it is a true beginning24800:19:23,920 –> 00:19:26,119and that beginning by the grace of God24900:19:26,119 –> 00:19:28,119will one day be complete.25000:19:29,420 –> 00:19:31,119I found that has given me25100:19:31,119 –> 00:19:34,520strength and encouragement25200:19:34,520 –> 00:19:37,020when I’m stretched out on the wall.25300:19:38,219 –> 00:19:40,520And then thirdly25400:19:40,520 –> 00:19:43,319there are some of us who’ve fallen off the wall.25500:19:43,319 –> 00:19:45,619Let’s be real honest about this.25600:19:45,619 –> 00:19:47,020You know it.25700:19:47,020 –> 00:19:49,319There was a time when you were walking with Christ,25800:19:49,319 –> 00:19:51,020you were making progress as a Christian,25900:19:51,020 –> 00:19:52,119but somewhere along the line,26000:19:52,119 –> 00:19:54,819your foot slipped and you came off the wall.26100:19:56,619 –> 00:19:59,420Maybe it was the chaos of a workaholic lifestyle26200:19:59,420 –> 00:20:00,420that got to you.26300:20:01,319 –> 00:20:03,319Maybe it was an unresolved conflict.26400:20:03,319 –> 00:20:04,819Maybe it was a secret deception.26500:20:04,819 –> 00:20:05,619Whatever it was,26600:20:05,619 –> 00:20:07,420you came off the wall.26700:20:09,020 –> 00:20:10,719You lost it.26800:20:13,119 –> 00:20:14,719And here’s what I want to say to you.26900:20:14,719 –> 00:20:16,719Thank God, there’s a rope.27000:20:18,819 –> 00:20:21,020The rope is called the mercy of God27100:20:21,020 –> 00:20:24,020and it reaches you through Jesus Christ.27200:20:25,119 –> 00:20:27,119If it were not for the mercy of God,27300:20:27,119 –> 00:20:30,819you would be gone, lost forever.27400:20:32,319 –> 00:20:34,819But you have been held in the mercy of God27500:20:34,819 –> 00:20:37,819and that mercy reaches you in Jesus right now.27600:20:39,819 –> 00:20:41,819You’re not where you used to be27700:20:43,619 –> 00:20:46,619but you’re not lost either.27800:20:47,420 –> 00:20:54,420There is hope for you, whatever you have done.27900:20:54,420 –> 00:20:57,619So, I want to say to you, get back on the wall.28000:20:59,119 –> 00:21:03,119And as you climb, thank God that his mercy has reached you28100:21:03,119 –> 00:21:04,619and that it has held you28200:21:04,619 –> 00:21:06,920and that it will never let you go.28300:21:06,920 –> 00:21:09,319And, you will not be climbing out of obligation.28400:21:09,319 –> 00:21:12,319You will be climbing out of gratitude.28500:21:14,119 –> 00:21:15,719Now here’s the very last thing.28600:21:17,420 –> 00:21:19,920The wonderful thing about this difficult new life28700:21:19,920 –> 00:21:23,020is that it is lived out in the power of the Holy Spirit.28800:21:23,920 –> 00:21:26,420Christian life is a struggle.28900:21:27,520 –> 00:21:31,920But the spirit of God is with you every step of the climb.29000:21:31,920 –> 00:21:34,719What encouraging way to begin our new series,29100:21:34,719 –> 00:21:37,219The 10 biggest struggles of your life29200:21:37,219 –> 00:21:39,920being reminded that although life is a struggle,29300:21:39,920 –> 00:21:43,319the spirit of God is with us in that struggle.29400:21:43,319 –> 00:21:44,920Thanks for listening to open the Bible29500:21:44,920 –> 00:21:46,420with Pastor Colin Smith today29600:21:46,420 –> 00:21:48,819and A message called Life is a struggle.29700:21:48,819 –> 00:21:52,020If you miss any of the messages it now or in the future,29800:21:52,020 –> 00:21:53,119you can always catch up29900:21:53,119 –> 00:21:55,319or go back and listen again online30000:21:55,319 –> 00:21:59,119at our website openthebible.org.uk30100:21:59,119 –> 00:22:00,199There you’ll find all the messages30200:22:00,219 –> 00:22:02,119which have already gone out on air.30300:22:02,719 –> 00:22:03,920Also on our website,30400:22:03,920 –> 00:22:06,119you’ll find our Bible study course,30500:22:06,119 –> 00:22:07,719Fly through the Bible.30600:22:07,819 –> 00:22:10,319This short simple journey through the Bible story30700:22:10,339 –> 00:22:12,959can be enjoyed on your own with a friend30800:22:12,959 –> 00:22:13,920or as a group.30900:22:14,300 –> 00:22:16,280For each of the 15 sessions.31000:22:16,280 –> 00:22:18,180You can watch a short video31100:22:18,180 –> 00:22:20,180then work through the questions.31200:22:20,180 –> 00:22:22,880If you want to do a more detailed Bible study.31300:22:22,880 –> 00:22:25,880A guide is available for you to use in small groups31400:22:25,880 –> 00:22:27,380or one to one31500:22:27,380 –> 00:22:29,880to make the most of fly through the Bible.31600:22:29,880 –> 00:22:31,880We recommend buying the book.31700:22:31,880 –> 00:22:33,180There is also a free app31800:22:33,199 –> 00:22:35,780that can be used alongside all the materials31900:22:35,780 –> 00:22:37,780to find Fly through the Bible.32000:22:37,780 –> 00:22:38,880Go to our website.32100:22:38,880 –> 00:22:41,880openthebible.org.uk32200:22:41,939 –> 00:22:43,939and click on courses.32300:22:44,420 –> 00:22:45,439Open The Bible32400:22:45,439 –> 00:22:47,939is supported entirely by our listeners32500:22:47,939 –> 00:22:49,540and if you already give to32600:22:49,540 –> 00:22:51,140support the work of Open The Bible32700:22:51,140 –> 00:22:53,140we want to say a huge thank you.32800:22:53,140 –> 00:22:55,640If it’s something you been considering doing32900:22:55,640 –> 00:22:58,140if you are able to begin a new direct debit33000:22:58,140 –> 00:22:59,640to the work of Open The Bible33100:22:59,640 –> 00:23:00,640this month33200:23:00,640 –> 00:23:03,640in the amount of £5 per month or more33300:23:03,640 –> 00:23:06,140or a one off gift of £50 or more33400:23:06,140 –> 00:23:07,540we’d love to thank you33500:23:07,540 –> 00:23:08,339by sending you33600:23:08,339 –> 00:23:11,140a copy of Pastor Colin Smith’s new book33700:23:11,400 –> 00:23:13,300Drive Through The Bible33800:23:13,300 –> 00:23:15,599Colin, who did you write this book for?33900:23:15,599 –> 00:23:17,099Where do you Begin34000:23:17,099 –> 00:23:19,300and so people pick up bits and pieces34100:23:19,300 –> 00:23:20,599and the story from here34200:23:20,599 –> 00:23:21,800and the story from there34300:23:21,800 –> 00:23:23,800but sometimes, even after years34400:23:23,800 –> 00:23:24,800in the Christian life34500:23:24,800 –> 00:23:25,800people, don’t feel like34600:23:25,800 –> 00:23:27,500they have a grasp of the whole34700:23:27,500 –> 00:23:29,199and then of course, every year34800:23:29,199 –> 00:23:31,800praise God there are new people coming to faith34900:23:31,800 –> 00:23:34,099and this is an entirely new book for them35000:23:34,099 –> 00:23:35,599and where do you begin35100:23:35,599 –> 00:23:37,099in a book that is so vast?35200:23:37,099 –> 00:23:39,099Well, Drive Through The Bible35300:23:39,160 –> 00:23:41,760really is a marvelous place to begin35400:23:41,760 –> 00:23:43,959to get the whole story35500:23:43,959 –> 00:23:45,459the big picture35600:23:45,459 –> 00:23:47,579of what the Bible is really all about35700:23:47,579 –> 00:23:49,380and I just love saying35800:23:49,380 –> 00:23:51,579that the whole Bible is one story35900:23:51,579 –> 00:23:52,579it begins in a garden36000:23:52,579 –> 00:23:53,439ends in a city36100:23:53,439 –> 00:23:54,439and all the way through36200:23:54,439 –> 00:23:55,640it’s about the Lord Jesus Christ36300:23:55,839 –> 00:23:56,839Drive Through The Bible36400:23:56,839 –> 00:23:58,359will take you through the story36500:23:58,359 –> 00:23:59,359so that you feel36600:23:59,359 –> 00:24:00,359that you have a sense36700:24:00,359 –> 00:24:02,119of what the Bible is all about36800:24:02,459 –> 00:24:05,160and why Jesus Christ is the center36900:24:05,359 –> 00:24:06,359who He is37000:24:06,359 –> 00:24:07,660and what He has accomplished37100:24:07,660 –> 00:24:08,660and what He is able to do37200:24:08,660 –> 00:24:10,020in our lives today37300:24:10,199 –> 00:24:11,459so this is not simply37400:24:11,459 –> 00:24:13,260a sort of learning exercise37500:24:13,260 –> 00:24:14,260this is an introduction37600:24:14,260 –> 00:24:15,599to the Lord Jesus Christ37700:24:15,599 –> 00:24:17,500all the way through Scripture37800:24:17,500 –> 00:24:18,579and I think whether some one37900:24:18,579 –> 00:24:20,199has been a christian for a long time38000:24:20,199 –> 00:24:21,199or whether some one38100:24:21,199 –> 00:24:22,880is new to the Scriptures38200:24:22,880 –> 00:24:23,880and just wants to get38300:24:23,880 –> 00:24:26,280a handle on what the Bible is all about38400:24:26,280 –> 00:24:27,280Drive Through The Bible38500:24:27,280 –> 00:24:28,640is going to be a place to begin38600:24:28,640 –> 00:24:29,660and I hope it will be38700:24:29,680 –> 00:24:30,979a blessing to many people38800:24:31,260 –> 00:24:32,260Well we’d love to send you38900:24:32,260 –> 00:24:33,020a copy of39000:24:33,020 –> 00:24:34,119Pastor Colin’s new book39100:24:34,119 –> 00:24:35,479Drive Through The Bible39200:24:35,619 –> 00:24:36,359along with39300:24:36,359 –> 00:24:37,219a lovely39400:24:37,219 –> 00:24:38,619Open The Bible tote bag39500:24:38,619 –> 00:24:39,359pen39600:24:39,359 –> 00:24:40,479and bookmark39700:24:40,479 –> 00:24:41,760If you are able to begin39800:24:41,760 –> 00:24:42,760a new direct debit39900:24:42,760 –> 00:24:43,760to the work of40000:24:43,760 –> 00:24:44,520Open The Bible40100:24:44,520 –> 00:24:45,359this month40200:24:45,359 –> 00:24:46,020in the amount of40300:24:46,020 –> 00:24:47,359five pounds per month40400:24:47,359 –> 00:24:48,219or more40500:24:48,219 –> 00:24:49,219or a one off gift40600:24:49,219 –> 00:24:50,219of fifty pounds40700:24:50,219 –> 00:24:51,099or more40800:24:51,300 –> 00:24:52,599full terms and conditions40900:24:52,900 –> 00:24:54,040and to give online41000:24:54,040 –> 00:24:55,099come to our website41100:24:55,099 –> 00:24:58,560openthebible.org.uk41200:24:59,000 –> 00:25:00,079For Open The Bible41300:25:00,079 –> 00:25:01,699and Pastor Colin Smith41400:25:01,699 –> 00:25:02,900I’m David Pick41500:25:03,040 –> 00:25:03,739And I hope you’ll be able41600:25:03,739 –> 00:25:04,739to join us again next time41700:25:04,839 –> 00:25:06,280on Open The Bible41800:25:07,219 –> 00:25:11,719Music41900:25:12,719 –> 00:25:14,160In the first Commandment42000:25:14,160 –> 00:25:15,020God says42100:25:15,020 –> 00:25:15,979you shall have42200:25:15,979 –> 00:25:18,420no other gods before me42300:25:18,420 –> 00:25:19,520Why?42400:25:19,520 –> 00:25:20,520Why should you42500:25:20,520 –> 00:25:21,819obey his commands42600:25:21,819 –> 00:25:23,099at all?42700:25:23,099 –> 00:25:24,099Find out why42800:25:24,099 –> 00:25:24,920next time on42900:25:24,920 –> 00:25:25,699Open The Bible