100:00:00,900 –> 00:00:02,660DAVID PICK’S SERMON200:00:03,600 –> 00:00:09,000It is the fact that Jesus is Lord that qualifies him to be our Saviour.300:00:09,000 –> 00:00:16,480That is why the Scripture says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,400:00:16,719 –> 00:00:20,959because he’s the only one who’s able to save from sin and death and hell.500:00:20,959 –> 00:00:25,040Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick.600:00:25,040 –> 00:00:26,799Glad you could be with us today, and Colin,700:00:26,799 –> 00:00:29,400you’re saying that with such certainty.800:00:29,520 –> 00:00:33,400How can you be sure that Jesus is the only one who can save?900:00:33,400 –> 00:00:36,939Well because He is the only one who is the Sovereign Lord.1000:00:36,939 –> 00:00:39,200He’s the only one who is the Son of God.1100:00:39,200 –> 00:00:41,599He’s the only one who died on the cross and rose again.1200:00:41,599 –> 00:00:43,740He’s the only one who could possibly bear sin.1300:00:43,740 –> 00:00:48,360I mean there aren’t a multitude of candidates who fit this qualification.1400:00:48,360 –> 00:00:49,939There just aren’t.1500:00:49,939 –> 00:00:53,380Jesus Christ is unlike any other person who has ever lived.1600:00:53,400 –> 00:00:56,080What he says is unlike what others have said.1700:00:56,200 –> 00:01:00,099Who he is, is completely unlike any other person who has ever lived.1800:01:00,099 –> 00:01:02,200Who else was born of a virgin?1900:01:02,200 –> 00:01:04,779Who else is indeed God incarnate with us?2000:01:04,779 –> 00:01:06,279Who else rose from the dead?2100:01:06,279 –> 00:01:11,739So there is a uniqueness about the Lord Jesus Christ, all the way across who he is and what2200:01:11,739 –> 00:01:15,919he’s done and that’s why therefore he’s able to do for us what no one else in the world2300:01:15,919 –> 00:01:16,919can do.2400:01:16,919 –> 00:01:21,040A person who hasn’t come to faith in Jesus Christ, has not yet come to the one who is2500:01:21,040 –> 00:01:23,559able uniquely to offer us life.2600:01:23,559 –> 00:01:25,040So we’re going to look at that person.2700:01:25,099 –> 00:01:31,500In today’s message in Romans chapter 1, as we continue the message he is unstoppable.2800:01:31,500 –> 00:01:32,940Here’s Colin.2900:01:32,940 –> 00:01:36,879Now what I’m wanting to see here today is that there is absolutely nothing here in the3000:01:36,879 –> 00:01:45,019New Testament of the idea that you somehow get saved and then sometime after that you3100:01:45,019 –> 00:01:51,279may get around to thinking about consecrating your life to Jesus Christ.3200:01:51,279 –> 00:01:58,400Just what Paul says Colossians 2, verse 6—these believers received Christ as Lord.3300:01:58,400 –> 00:02:01,940The Savior is the Lord, you cannot tear Christ into pieces.3400:02:01,940 –> 00:02:07,919And the rest of the Christian life is about a continuing of what has been birthed right3500:02:07,919 –> 00:02:10,720there at the Cross.3600:02:10,720 –> 00:02:13,039Paul says this is what you were taught.3700:02:13,039 –> 00:02:17,240In other words this is the apostolic gospel, the gospel that Paul is talking about right3800:02:17,240 –> 00:02:18,240here in Romans.3900:02:18,360 –> 00:02:23,479The gospel of God concerning His Son, who is who?4000:02:23,479 –> 00:02:27,839Jesus Christ our Lord.4100:02:27,839 –> 00:02:33,639The Savior who is wonderfully ready to forgive us through His redeeming death on the Cross4200:02:33,639 –> 00:02:38,039is the Lord who lays claim to our lives.4300:02:38,039 –> 00:02:43,320And since this Savior is Lord, and He is never Lord without Savior, He calls us to faith4400:02:43,320 –> 00:02:46,940and repentance, and never faith without repentance.4500:02:46,960 –> 00:02:54,139That is why conversion is never a matter simply of adding a belief to an unchanged life.4600:02:54,139 –> 00:02:57,339Because true faith is in faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.4700:02:57,339 –> 00:03:02,500Paul says that’s the gospel.4800:03:02,500 –> 00:03:06,779When the gospel is properly preached then, it becomes clear that there is a Lord in heaven4900:03:06,779 –> 00:03:12,979to whom we must give account, to whom we must be reconciled, that there are sins from which5000:03:13,820 –> 00:03:17,460that there is a rebellion against him that must cease.5100:03:17,460 –> 00:03:25,839And trusting him as Saviour involves turning from sin, turning from the sin that you’re5200:03:25,839 –> 00:03:38,020asking him to save you from, and placing your whole life in his hands and under his authority.5300:03:38,020 –> 00:03:41,940Now nobody would be surprised if the Book of Romans began by saying that the Good News5400:03:42,000 –> 00:03:46,039of God is regarding his Son Jesus Christ, our Saviour.5500:03:46,039 –> 00:03:50,660But I think a lot of people today, if they looked at it carefully might just widen their5600:03:50,660 –> 00:03:58,539eyes a little bit when you see that what Paul says is that the Gospel of God is regarding5700:03:58,539 –> 00:04:02,699his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.5800:04:02,699 –> 00:04:08,880That raises the question, how can it be good news that Jesus Christ is Lord?5900:04:09,800 –> 00:04:13,160How is it good news that he’s Saviour?6000:04:13,179 –> 00:04:20,160How is it good news that Jesus Christ as Lord lays claim to your life?6100:04:20,160 –> 00:04:24,720Why is it that in the New Testament the lordship of Jesus Christ is celebrated?6200:04:24,720 –> 00:04:29,399The good news is that he is Christ the Lord.6300:04:29,399 –> 00:04:36,459One suggests to you three very simple insights that I think have the power to transform your6400:04:36,459 –> 00:04:38,799discipleship as you see what it means.6500:04:38,799 –> 00:04:41,500for Jesus to be Lord.6600:04:41,500 –> 00:04:44,000Here’s the first.6700:04:44,000 –> 00:04:51,920Christ is expensive, precisely because he is Lord.6800:04:51,920 –> 00:04:55,619I told this story before but it’s the best way I know at least to communicate this point6900:04:55,619 –> 00:04:58,500so I’m gonna tell it again.7000:04:58,500 –> 00:05:06,700When I was young, my father took me on a number of occasions to a junkyard outside of Edinburgh.7100:05:07,040 –> 00:05:12,079The place was filled with scrap cars and trucks, it was a marvelous place for a small child7200:05:12,079 –> 00:05:15,640with a vivid imagination to play and that was certainly me.7300:05:15,640 –> 00:05:21,559Dad went there to get spare parts for our car which miraculously it seems kept going7400:05:21,559 –> 00:05:25,359long after it itself should have been on the scrap heap I think.7500:05:25,359 –> 00:05:26,440The system was simple.7600:05:26,440 –> 00:05:30,200Guys who knew what they were doing could go in there, they could strip pieces off the7700:05:30,200 –> 00:05:35,040scrap cars, pay for them on the way out and then install them to keep their own vehicles7800:05:35,040 –> 00:05:39,079going and that was something my father did from time to time.7900:05:39,079 –> 00:05:43,559The problem was of course in that kind of place it was out in a rural area there were8000:05:43,559 –> 00:05:47,799guys who got into the habit of coming into the junk yard, taking stuff off the cars,8100:05:47,799 –> 00:05:51,600throwing it over the fence, going out paying nothing and then picking it up on the outside.8200:05:51,600 –> 00:05:57,140So they had installed some security and they put a rail all the way round the whole of8300:05:57,140 –> 00:06:03,739the junk yard and they had brought in guard dogs and the had the guard dogs on a lead8400:06:03,739 –> 00:06:07,540it was like a chain that was on to the rails so that they could go all the way round the8500:06:07,540 –> 00:06:12,739perimeter but as long as you stayed more than six feet or so away from the perimeter you8600:06:12,739 –> 00:06:13,739were quite safe.8700:06:13,739 –> 00:06:21,859Well I was somewhere in the middle of the junk yard, five years old, found a truck sitting8800:06:21,859 –> 00:06:26,760there and an imaginary child’s world driving the thing.8900:06:26,760 –> 00:06:34,720And one of these dogs slipped the lead and came with what I can only now still describe9000:06:34,720 –> 00:06:37,600as terrifying pace towards me.9100:06:37,600 –> 00:06:41,059I was sure that the thing was absolutely going to savage me.9200:06:41,059 –> 00:06:47,399I will never forget seeing my father grab, I don’t know if it was a stick or an exhaust9300:06:47,399 –> 00:06:54,600or whatever it was, but he grabbed something and eventually he subdued this dog and I don’t9400:06:54,739 –> 00:06:58,380know exactly where he saved me from.9500:06:58,380 –> 00:07:05,779But here’s the point, he saved me by subduing the dog.9600:07:05,779 –> 00:07:10,119If you can’t subdue the dog you can’t save the boy.9700:07:10,119 –> 00:07:16,440It was through his authority over the dog that he delivered me from the dog’s power.9800:07:16,440 –> 00:07:23,880Now you see the point, Christ is able to save us from our enemies precisely because he has9900:07:23,880 –> 00:07:29,420authority over them, which is why the fact that Jesus is Lord is the most marvellous10000:07:29,420 –> 00:07:30,420good news.10100:07:30,420 –> 00:07:36,320A saviour who isn’t Lord is of no use to you.10200:07:36,320 –> 00:07:43,200Christ is able to save us from sin because his power is greater than the power of temptation.10300:07:43,200 –> 00:07:48,440Christ is able to deliver you from death because his power is greater than the power of death10400:07:48,440 –> 00:07:52,140as is demonstrated by his resurrection.10500:07:52,179 –> 00:07:55,459Christ is able to open the doors of heaven to you.10600:07:55,459 –> 00:07:56,459Why?10700:07:56,459 –> 00:08:01,459Because all authority in heaven belongs to Him and nobody says no to Him.10800:08:01,459 –> 00:08:04,859That’s why it’s good news that Jesus is Lord.10900:08:04,859 –> 00:08:10,140It is the fact that Jesus is Lord that qualifies him to be our saviour.11000:08:10,140 –> 00:08:17,359That is why the Scripture says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved11100:08:17,359 –> 00:08:25,059because He is the only one who’s able to save from sin and death and hell.11200:08:25,059 –> 00:08:35,059Jesus the name high over all, in hell or earth or sky, angels and men before Him fall, and11300:08:35,059 –> 00:08:36,859devils fear and fly.11400:08:36,859 –> 00:08:39,919He’s Saviour because He’s Lord.11500:08:39,919 –> 00:08:45,119That’s why the church rejoices in the Lordship of Christ.11600:08:45,119 –> 00:08:55,280And when you see that, you will begin to discover that your highest good is to be wholly owned11700:08:55,280 –> 00:08:58,159by the Son of God.11800:08:58,159 –> 00:09:02,320I use the phrase wholly owned because I just want us to think about what it means for us11900:09:02,320 –> 00:09:04,400to say Jesus is Lord.12000:09:04,400 –> 00:09:08,940Paul says here He is Jesus Christ our Lord.12100:09:08,940 –> 00:09:12,679That is the Apostle is saying on behalf of all the Christians in Rome and all of us who12200:09:12,679 –> 00:09:15,479want to stand with Jesus Christ today.12300:09:15,479 –> 00:09:19,219That He is Lord over us.12400:09:19,219 –> 00:09:23,020That His saving power is effective in us.12500:09:23,020 –> 00:09:28,400It means that we are wholly owned by Jesus Christ.12600:09:28,400 –> 00:09:35,780Or to put it another way as Paul puts it there in verse 6 that we belong to Jesus Christ12700:09:35,780 –> 00:09:37,799we are called to belong to Him.12800:09:37,799 –> 00:09:40,880We really are His.12900:09:41,020 –> 00:09:44,080Being a Christian isn’t simply adding a few beliefs about Jesus.13000:09:44,080 –> 00:09:45,580You become His.13100:09:45,580 –> 00:09:47,619He’s your saviour.13200:09:47,619 –> 00:09:49,039He’s your Lord.13300:09:49,039 –> 00:09:53,479That’s a great truth to reflect on as we pause briefly in our message.13400:09:53,479 –> 00:09:58,880You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called He Is Unstoppable.13500:09:58,880 –> 00:10:03,859It’s part of our series Good News About God’s Son and if you’ve missed any of the series13600:10:03,859 –> 00:10:08,219so far or if you want to go back and listen again you can always do that by coming online13700:10:08,219 –> 00:10:12,380to our website openthebible.org.uk.13800:10:12,380 –> 00:10:17,299You can also find Pastor Colin’s teaching as a podcast and you can find that by searching13900:10:17,299 –> 00:10:21,640for Open The Bible UK, on all the regular podcast sites.14000:10:21,640 –> 00:10:24,719Back to the message now, we’re in Romans and Chapter 1.14100:10:24,719 –> 00:10:25,719Here’s Colin.14200:10:26,280 –> 00:10:37,559There’s a lovely story about a little boy who made a boat and he spent hours on it,14300:10:37,559 –> 00:10:44,400he was gluing the pieces, he was building the structure, he was attaching the sails14400:10:44,419 –> 00:10:49,280and he built it from scratch, it really was the work of his own hands.14500:10:49,280 –> 00:10:54,859And when it was done, he carved his initials on the hull of the boat and he set it up in14600:10:55,239 –> 00:10:56,419his bedroom.14700:10:56,419 –> 00:10:59,880Proud of place, really was his joy.14800:10:59,880 –> 00:11:03,619One day the family were gone from the home and when they came back, they discovered to14900:11:03,619 –> 00:11:07,599their horror, that the house had been burgled.15000:11:07,599 –> 00:11:08,599Stuff all over the place.15100:11:08,599 –> 00:11:12,059Of course, the boy goes straight up to his bedroom, he’s only looking for one thing,15200:11:12,080 –> 00:11:15,880and sure enough, the boat is gone.15300:11:15,880 –> 00:11:22,799He was inconsolable, never be another boat like that, it’s my boat.15400:11:22,940 –> 00:11:27,479Six months later, the boy is walking down the town where he lives with his mum and his15500:11:27,479 –> 00:11:36,099dad and they walk past a charity shop and there in the window is the boat.15600:11:36,099 –> 00:11:40,140And as soon as he saw it, the boy absolutely knew it was his.15700:11:40,140 –> 00:11:43,280He was rushing off home to get his money.15800:11:43,280 –> 00:11:50,900Pulls out all his savings and what he counted, came to exactly the price that was there above15900:11:51,219 –> 00:11:53,460the window in the charity shop.16000:11:53,460 –> 00:12:00,640He runs back to the shop, buys the boat, comes out and is hugging this thing and he says16100:12:00,640 –> 00:12:03,739to the boat, you’re twice mine.16200:12:03,739 –> 00:12:09,020You’re mine because I made you and you’re mine because I bought you.16300:12:09,020 –> 00:12:15,380Now folks, that is exactly your position as a believer in Jesus Christ.16400:12:16,080 –> 00:12:18,140You are twice his.16500:12:18,140 –> 00:12:23,940When Paul says, do you belong to Jesus Christ, you belong to Jesus Christ, you belong to16600:12:23,940 –> 00:12:26,979him because he made you.16700:12:26,979 –> 00:12:30,820You belong to him because he bought you.16800:12:30,820 –> 00:12:33,940You are not your own, the apostle says.16900:12:33,940 –> 00:12:45,219You were bought with a price and that price was the precious blood of your lord.17000:12:46,200 –> 00:12:51,260Your saviour, Jesus Christ.17100:12:51,260 –> 00:12:58,340And to be purchased by him who created you already means that you are wholly owned by17200:12:58,340 –> 00:12:59,400the son of God.17300:12:59,400 –> 00:13:01,419You are His.17400:13:01,419 –> 00:13:03,179You are not your own.17500:13:03,179 –> 00:13:05,880You bought with a price.17600:13:05,880 –> 00:13:11,359Christ died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him17700:13:11,539 –> 00:13:17,080who died for them and was raised to life again.17800:13:17,080 –> 00:13:22,280So to be a Christian then, to enter into this redeeming love of the Lord Jesus Christ, to17900:13:22,280 –> 00:13:27,239be bought back, to be purchased, redeemed by him, means that you become His!18000:13:27,239 –> 00:13:33,280Wholly owned by Jesus Christ your Lord.18100:13:33,280 –> 00:13:38,340I found in reading Dr. Jim Packer this week just a marvellous statement as to what this18200:13:38,340 –> 00:13:39,520actually looks like.18300:13:39,820 –> 00:13:44,239What’s it mean for me, to be wholly owned by Jesus Christ?18400:13:44,239 –> 00:13:48,099Packer puts it this way, I found it so helpful, he says that the repentance Christ requires18500:13:48,099 –> 00:13:56,520of his people consists in a settled refusal to place any limit on the claims which he18600:13:56,520 –> 00:13:58,159may make on their lives.18700:13:58,159 –> 00:14:03,179That’s what it means to be wholly owned by Jesus Christ.18800:14:03,239 –> 00:14:09,859And twice his, his because he made me, his because he bought me, and recognizing that18900:14:09,859 –> 00:14:21,200reality, my response to him, is a settled refusal to place any limit on the claims that19000:14:21,200 –> 00:14:25,700he may make upon my life.19100:14:25,700 –> 00:14:32,919No limit on what he may call me to give, no limit on where he may call me to serve, no19200:14:32,960 –> 00:14:38,760limit on what he may ask me to suffer or to endure.19300:14:38,760 –> 00:14:45,159Christ having purchased me so that I’m twice his lays claim to my obedience, my energy,19400:14:45,159 –> 00:14:52,559my gifting, my time, my money, my dream, my family, my retirement, no limit.19500:14:52,559 –> 00:14:59,859You say, how can being wholly owned like that possibly be your highest good?19600:15:00,460 –> 00:15:01,440Here’s how19700:15:01,460 –> 00:15:07,460Jesus said if anyone would come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross daily19800:15:07,460 –> 00:15:08,859and follow me.19900:15:08,859 –> 00:15:13,200You say alright, you’re just telling me it’s a very costly thing to follow Jesus Christ.20000:15:13,200 –> 00:15:16,140Tell me, how is it my highest good to do that?20100:15:16,140 –> 00:15:19,479Here’s what he says next.20200:15:19,479 –> 00:15:25,780For whoever wants to save his life will lose it.20300:15:26,119 –> 00:15:33,859Whoever wants to live for himself, whoever wants to live for herself, they’ll lose life.20400:15:33,859 –> 00:15:43,419But Jesus says whoever loses his life, whoever loses her life, for me, will save it.20500:15:43,419 –> 00:15:52,320This is the great irony of the Gospel, in keeping your life from Christ you lose it.20600:15:52,320 –> 00:15:54,820Just goes.20700:15:54,820 –> 00:16:01,419In giving your life to Christ you keep it.20800:16:01,419 –> 00:16:06,700So that to be wholly owned by him is your highest good.20900:16:06,700 –> 00:16:13,419It’s the only way to have life, and not to waste it.21000:16:13,419 –> 00:16:16,260Here’s the last thing.21100:16:16,260 –> 00:16:26,219When you grasp that belonging to Christ really is your highest good, then being his servant21200:16:26,219 –> 00:16:28,380will be your greatest joy.21300:16:28,380 –> 00:16:34,640It’s so striking to me as Paul opens up Romans, that he introduces himself right at21400:16:34,640 –> 00:16:38,299the beginning there, do you see it, as Paul a servant of Christ Jesus.21500:16:38,299 –> 00:16:41,299In fact the word he uses is a slave.21600:16:41,299 –> 00:16:43,500A slave!21700:16:43,539 –> 00:16:45,340Then being wholly owned by Jesus Christ.21800:16:45,340 –> 00:16:49,859You say, how can this man be happy about being a slave?21900:16:49,859 –> 00:16:53,780Well, the answer is because he is a slave of Christ.22000:16:53,780 –> 00:16:58,900And he knows that being wholly owned by Jesus Christ is his life, and that it is the highest22100:16:58,900 –> 00:17:00,960good.22200:17:00,960 –> 00:17:04,099One illustration, and then we’re through today.22300:17:04,099 –> 00:17:09,560In the Old Testament, God gave some amazing laws to protect the freedom of each generation22400:17:09,560 –> 00:17:11,780of his people.22500:17:11,780 –> 00:17:18,479As in other societies, if you got into debt, one of the ways in which you could pay off22600:17:18,479 –> 00:17:23,060that debt, if you didn’t have money to pay it, would be to work for the person to whom22700:17:23,060 –> 00:17:27,560you owed that money, effectively to become a kind of servant, at least for a period of22800:17:27,560 –> 00:17:29,920time.22900:17:29,920 –> 00:17:32,000The Old Testament is very fascinating.23000:17:32,000 –> 00:17:38,260God says among his people, there’s not to be any slavery here, but you can employ someone23100:17:38,479 –> 00:17:42,520own hired worker, and you have to treat them really well.23200:17:42,520 –> 00:17:48,359The problem, of course, was that this could easily lead to generational poverty in which23300:17:48,359 –> 00:17:52,119the children of one family ended up serving the children of another family forever and23400:17:52,119 –> 00:17:53,859forever.23500:17:53,859 –> 00:17:59,560God gave marvelous laws to protect the freedom of succeeding generations.23600:17:59,560 –> 00:18:04,420Just a wonderful reflection of the kindness and the character of God.23700:18:04,420 –> 00:18:09,260And the law was that every seven years all debts were canceled and every seven years23800:18:09,260 –> 00:18:12,300all servants were to be set free.23900:18:12,300 –> 00:18:17,979And, a servant who had been paying off debt by working for someone else was not to be24000:18:17,979 –> 00:18:20,500sent away empty-handed.24100:18:20,500 –> 00:18:28,260When the servant was set free, he was to be given a generous gift from the flocks and24200:18:28,260 –> 00:18:33,619from the grain and from the wine of the family that he had served.24300:18:33,619 –> 00:18:36,000He could never go more than six years.24400:18:36,000 –> 00:18:40,500And when you’re released, God’s Law says if you serve for a period of time, then the24500:18:40,500 –> 00:18:45,900ones you have served are to send you off, not empty-handed, but generously, liberally24600:18:45,900 –> 00:18:51,540supplied from your flock, your threshing floor, and your wine press.24700:18:51,540 –> 00:18:58,699But these wonderful laws to advance freedom led to one great question.24800:18:58,719 –> 00:19:01,400What if?24900:19:01,400 –> 00:19:10,079What if, after six years, a servant came to the conclusion that he or she had a better25000:19:10,079 –> 00:19:14,979life with the family they were serving than they ever had had on their own before or ever25100:19:14,979 –> 00:19:20,180could expect to have on their own outside the family afterwards?25200:19:20,180 –> 00:19:22,500What would happen then?25300:19:22,500 –> 00:19:26,180And in Deuteronomy 15, God gives this particular provision.25400:19:26,260 –> 00:19:27,260I quote,25500:19:27,260 –> 00:19:35,099�If your servant says to you, �I do not want to leave you� because he loves you25600:19:35,099 –> 00:19:45,619and he loves your family and is well off with you�, then take an awl and push it through25700:19:45,619 –> 00:19:53,339his ear lobe into the door and he will become your servant for life.�25800:19:53,420 –> 00:19:56,599Anyone want to help me with a demonstration of this?25900:19:56,619 –> 00:20:00,099Can you picture this?26000:20:00,099 –> 00:20:02,540You have been serving a family for some years.26100:20:02,540 –> 00:20:08,459You have a better life as the servant of this family than you ever had before on your own26200:20:08,459 –> 00:20:11,540or ever are likely to have again.26300:20:11,540 –> 00:20:14,180You have come to love this family.26400:20:14,180 –> 00:20:17,140The father, the mother, the children.26500:20:17,140 –> 00:20:20,079Your life is bound up with their lives.26600:20:20,079 –> 00:20:23,599You can’t imagine living without them now.26700:20:23,599 –> 00:20:28,719Six years have passed and the father says to you now next week it’s the time for your26800:20:28,719 –> 00:20:30,660freedom.26900:20:30,660 –> 00:20:35,359You’re going to be able to leave and I’ve got sheep in the pen and I have wine and I27000:20:35,359 –> 00:20:37,319have grain ready for you to take.27100:20:37,319 –> 00:20:38,579It’s a generous gift.27200:20:38,579 –> 00:20:43,420It’ll get you started in a whole new life on your own.27300:20:43,420 –> 00:20:45,560Hope you’re ready.27400:20:45,560 –> 00:20:48,239What are you going to do with your life?27500:20:48,239 –> 00:20:54,300You say, you know, I don’t want to leave.27600:20:54,300 –> 00:20:57,420I don’t want a life without you.27700:20:57,420 –> 00:20:59,699Here’s an all.27800:20:59,699 –> 00:21:01,699Let’s go to your front door.27900:21:01,699 –> 00:21:09,439You pierce through my ear against the frame of your door and you mark me as your willing28000:21:09,439 –> 00:21:12,579servant for life.28100:21:12,579 –> 00:21:25,540I think that’s where Paul was when he said, Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ, my Lord.28200:21:25,540 –> 00:21:29,939You’ve been listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called, He28300:21:29,939 –> 00:21:34,699Is Unstoppable, Part of our series, Good News about God’s Son.28400:21:34,699 –> 00:21:39,760And if you’re a Christian today, I hope you’ve been encouraged by Pastor Colin’s message.28500:21:39,839 –> 00:21:43,760If you’re not a Christian, or if it’s something that you’ve been thinking about and perhaps28600:21:43,760 –> 00:21:48,640you’ve been moved by Pastor Colin’s message today, then I hope you’ll take time to search28700:21:48,640 –> 00:21:53,859out a trusted Christian friend or family member, and talk to them about your questions about28800:21:53,859 –> 00:21:58,959the Christian faith, or get yourself along to a local Christian fellowship.28900:21:58,959 –> 00:22:00,079Talk to the folks there.29000:22:00,079 –> 00:22:01,319Talk to the pastor.29100:22:01,319 –> 00:22:02,979Talk to the prayer ministry team.29200:22:02,979 –> 00:22:07,859They’d love to try and answer your questions, and lead you to a living faith in our Lord29300:22:07,859 –> 00:22:09,219Jesus Christ.29400:22:09,280 –> 00:22:13,239I wonder if you or your church have anything planned this Easter.29500:22:13,239 –> 00:22:17,800Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham is here to talk about something special from Open29600:22:17,800 –> 00:22:18,920the Bible.29700:22:18,920 –> 00:22:24,339How will you reach out to your local community this Easter with the good news of the Gospel?29800:22:24,339 –> 00:22:30,020How will you inspire awe in your church family at the wonder of the cross, when the story29900:22:30,020 –> 00:22:31,339is familiar?30000:22:31,339 –> 00:22:34,619Open the Bible UK would love to help you.30100:22:34,680 –> 00:22:40,359We filmed a one-actor, one-hour performance of Collin’s well-known book Heaven How I30200:22:40,359 –> 00:22:43,800Got Here, the Story of the Thief on the Cross.30300:22:43,800 –> 00:22:49,000It’s a powerful gospel message, and we’re making the film available to you for free.30400:22:49,000 –> 00:22:53,619Alongside it, we have also created a complete Easter resource pack,30500:22:53,619 –> 00:22:59,719including event artwork and an event guide, designed as an easy evangelistic event for30600:22:59,719 –> 00:23:04,839inviting friends or the local community, especially those hesitant about attending30700:23:04,839 –> 00:23:06,099a church service.30800:23:06,099 –> 00:23:11,199It’s also perfect for small groups to watch and discuss during Holy Week.30900:23:11,199 –> 00:23:15,800To find out more go to openthebible.org.uk31000:23:15,800 –> 00:23:17,760Thanks so much, Amanda.31100:23:17,760 –> 00:23:21,959You know, Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners, and if that’s something31200:23:21,959 –> 00:23:26,219you’ve been considering doing but haven’t done up until now, this month, if you are31300:23:26,520 –> 00:23:32,339support Open the Bible financially in the amount of £5 per month or more, or a one-off31400:23:32,339 –> 00:23:38,579gift of £50 or more, we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of Colin’s book31500:23:38,579 –> 00:23:43,780Heaven, How I Got Here, The Story of the Thief on the Cross and also the booklet How Can31600:23:43,780 –> 00:23:48,780I Be Sure of Heaven and a special Open the Bible pen and bookmark.31700:23:48,780 –> 00:23:53,060Colin, how will people be helped by reading Heaven, How I Got Here?31800:23:53,060 –> 00:23:54,579It’s a small book.31900:23:54,619 –> 00:23:56,500Very easy to read.32000:23:56,500 –> 00:24:00,479And it tells the story of the thief on the cross in the first person.32100:24:00,479 –> 00:24:06,479And the mission of the book, the reason for writing it, is that this story really explains32200:24:06,479 –> 00:24:11,520grace, better than any story that I know or could think of.32300:24:11,520 –> 00:24:17,219Many people have the idea that if you’re going to get into heaven, you’ll do that by living32400:24:17,219 –> 00:24:21,479a good enough life and obviously the thief on the cross didn’t do that and he did get32500:24:21,479 –> 00:24:24,760into heaven and he got there by God’s grace.32600:24:24,760 –> 00:24:31,119So for anyone who needs to grasp what the grace of God is, this is a very simple story32700:24:31,119 –> 00:24:36,420that explains that and so this is a book that you can read and enjoy and I hope a book that32800:24:36,420 –> 00:24:40,239you’ll think about passing on to a friend that needs to discover God’s grace.32900:24:40,239 –> 00:24:44,979Well this book, Heaven How I Got Here, along with a booklet How I Can Be Sure of Heaven33000:24:44,979 –> 00:24:50,780and a special open the Bible pen and bookmark are our thank you gift if you’re able to set33100:24:50,859 –> 00:24:57,079up a new direct debit in the amount of £5 per month or more or a one off gift of £5033200:24:57,079 –> 00:25:00,359or more to the work of Open the Bible this month.33300:25:00,359 –> 00:25:07,359For full terms and conditions and to give on-line come to our website www.openthebible.org.uk33400:25:07,760 –> 00:25:12,219For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pike. I’m glad you were with us33500:25:12,219 –> 00:25:19,219today and I hope you’ll be able to join us again tomorrow.33600:25:19,939 –> 00:25:26,140Jesus is God’s Son, He rose from the dead and He is Lord. Find out what each of these33700:25:26,140 –> 00:25:29,540means for your life next time on Open the Bible!