Renamed By Christ Part 2

Looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter when Christ calls someone life is never the same. Jesus called Peter from a life by the sea life. You never could have imagined for his new task.

Peter had to accept the new name from his new master from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win sir whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Today we take another step on a journey through the life of Peter, a man chiseled masters and pastoralists are God used Peter and yet none of us can know whom God will use in the future and you know throughout history. Dave God is always had those people whom he could depend upon not because of their own strength but because of the strength that he gave them in one of those man is Bonne Hoffer. Many of you will recognize his name.

Of course during the days of Hitler. He stood against the regime and eventually was hung for his faith. But I want to ask you a question. I'm going to answer this question at the end of this broadcast Bonne Hoffer and the molar met together and they began the confessing church to stand against Hitler. Now the question is why is it that the confessing church eventually broke apart. What was the issue. These are the kinds of things that I talk about in my book entitled Hitler's cross out the cross of Christ was used.

To promote the Nazi agenda and it's our monthly resource for gift of any amount. It can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and be sure to stay till the end because I'll be answering the question that I posed.

If you were to have a classroom of children.

There would be no way that you could predict how God is going to use some of these children. Some of the least likely, may become the most important in God's kingdom. Because Jesus sees things in people that others may not see the first of all, Christ knows who you are. Secondly he knows what you can become. And thirdly, he has the power to make the difference.

The power to make the difference one day Seneca one of those ancient philosophers cried up in his desperation and he said all that I hand would come down from heaven and written me of my besetting sin, said Seneca I need some help. Jesus is able to do that and he can do it because of who he is. First of all it says in verse 29 behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and again. Of course you'll notice that it was repeated behold the Lamb of God in the Old Testament. Many lambs were slain and there were Lamb slain for Israel, but there was never a Lamb that was slain for the whole world. You see, there were lambs that were slain that covered the sin. There was no land that was ever slain, that could actually take sin away and the Bible indicates that our greatest problem is sin because we are cut off from God.

We are separated from the Almighty. There is moral distance between us and God and we need is someone to wipe the slate clean.

We need someone who can take God and man and reconcile us because there is a huge gap us staying us in between us and only Christ is qualified to do that, but he can company can washes clean and he can speak is clean so that we can belong to God forever and become one of his family members remember peer Burton in Canada asking Billy Graham that trick question. He said Billy are you saying that if Hitler received Christ as his Savior before he died he would go to heaven. Where is a good insane decent person who doesn't accept Christ is going to go to hell. It was designed to make the gospel appear ridiculous. What could appear to be more foolish than to say that a good insane decent person who doesn't accept Christ is lost forever. When a wicked tyrant can be saved just because he believes in Christ as his Savior, but the answer to that question is yes. And the reason that it is yes is God says I think so much of the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world, I think so much of Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross that I can even forgive a Hitler who believes in him, but I cannot forgive a good insane decent person who doesn't believe in him, behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world. Some of you have come here today burdened by sin. There is an answer, the Lamb of God that takes it away, even awful sin because Dorie Van Stone has been with us during the last few days I've been thinking about abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, and we talk so much about those who are the victims.

Those who go through life emotionally crippled because of their past, but we need to remember and she brought this up in one of our discussions that there are many people who are also the offenders. They are the ones who have victimized others. There are those who are listening to this message, you have abused children and I can say to you on the authority of God's word that God can forgive that sin to. Having said that, I hope that in addition to receiving his cleansing and his forgiveness. You get some help from those who are able to guide you through the process of deliverance, but let me tell you that there is no sin there that you can commit that cannot be cleansed by this Lamb. And so because of who Christ is, then, secondly, Jesus Christ has that ability because of what he is able to do in our lives. Notice it says in John 112 a very familiar passage of Scripture. But as many as received him not to them he gave the right to become children of God. Seneca here is your hand that has come down from heaven to deliver you from your besetting sin, even to those who believe on his name. There's a transformation there's a power that can be brought about through responding to Christ and receiving him to see Jesus wants to rename every one of us just as he renamed Peter and the way in which he does it is to get us to admit who we are, so that he can changes into who he would like to see us become I mentioned a moment ago. The story of Jacob, one of the reasons that the angel wrestled with Jacob is that Jacob was finding it so hard to say who he was because the word Jacob means cheater and that's difficult to admit you see as we are willing to admit who we are as we are willing to admit our sins and open our life to Christ. It is then the piece by piece. He can take all of that ugliness and replace it with himself and he can give us hope in the transformation process.

I know I may be speaking to someone disabled Jesus just doesn't work. I've tried and I've even called upon his name, but let me tell you something Jesus Christ receives, and he cleanses those first of all who come to him and that is a crisis getting saved is a crisis. The new birth is a crisis just like the natural birth happens in a moment of time.

So the new birth happens in a moment of time, but after the crisis comes a process and the process as we shall see in the life of Peter involved in many years in many different circumstances and situations where Peter was constantly being exposed to who he was, so that he would recognize and admit to those areas in which he needed divine help poured into his soul. You know why God sometimes doesn't seem to changes. I thought about this a lot because I've known people who have cried to God and said, oh God, help me only to go out and commit the same sin or even the same crime again. Usually it is because there are pockets of resistance in our life that we have been unwilling to face and because of that dishonesty. We repeat the same sin over and over again. You see, for Christ to change a person and he does change people for Christ to change a person he is saying that what we need to do is to open our life to him in all honesty and admit who we are, so that, then he can make us who we should really be that honesty is lacking, and so we go on continuing to impugn the power of God and say it's his fault. What is your name last week after the service. Remember I spoke on how to find a stream in the desert and a visitor came to me and said you know I have a good job. We have a considerable amount of money but he said even so, my wife is just absolutely overtaken by anxiety. I asked whether she was a believer and he said yes and I said you know what you need to do. You need to tell your wife you need to repent of that anxiety and treated just like you would any other set is not interesting, by the way, it doesn't matter how much money you have. It doesn't matter how secure your position. Anxiety is something that comes to people indiscriminately and sometimes is not tied even to difficult circumstances. You see, it's not enough to simply say, oh God, help me in my anxiety. It is when we come in. We say God, my anxiety means I am not trusting you. This is sin, my name is anxiety, then Jesus can say I'm going to rename you and call you piece or there may be somebody else to whom I'm speaking who says my name is addiction.

My name is addiction. Jesus said the minute you begin to get very honest and give all the pieces of your life and all of the things that have caused those addictions to me and you finally come clean in honesty before me and before my representatives.

It is then you see that Jesus can say I'm gonna rename you and your name is going to be freed. Freedom someone else to whom I'm speaking today says my name is rejection. All that I ever received from my parents and society is rejection and hurt and pain. I don't feel as if I belong. Jesus is saying, you come to me and you let me change you and you deal with all of the bitterness that may reinforce that rejection, and I will give you a new name and it will be except sentence and you will be the love preps I'm speaking to somebody else's is my name is bitter is your name better today. You're angry at God you're angry at circumstances you're angry at people who have done you in and you are going to retain that in your soul. When she admitted to Christ today. What you say Jesus, I'm better than I can do nothing about it. I thought about the same thoughts over and over again in the same bitterness is continue to erupt in my spirit. Jesus there is nothing that I can do this is my name Jesus that I'm going to change your name and I'm been a call you below. I'm gonna call you free somebody else to whom I'm speaking perhaps is my name is fear. You know exactly what you're supposed to be doing, but you are scared because you are being intimidated by others and intimidated by your circumstances and intimidated even by those near you to do the wrong thing to tell Christ Jesus my name is fear.

Christ can change you. And he can say going to give you a new name the new name is courage. You can do it. Last but not least there may be somebody who says my name is guilt. I am awash with guilt. I remember years ago right here in this church just off to my left. On the other side were the organist today meeting a man who said I am so polluted from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I don't know what to do. In fact, he said to me, quoting the words of Cain.

My punishment is greater than I can bear. I was able to share with him just like I can share with you today. Your name may be pollution but Jesus said, I will change your name to clean to clean Christ can do it Christ can do it. His arm is not shortened, that he cannot respond his ear is not death that he cannot hear what he is waiting for us to do a safe admit to me who you are, so that I can transform you into who you should be and all of us have defenses and denial mechanisms that are very carefully laid over a period of years until it becomes impossible for us to see ourselves in the light of his holiness, and in the light of his presence. Jesus can change you. He knows who you are. He's got you case he knows what you can become wants to give you a new name, Revelation 217 it says if you are faithful.

The Lord says I will give you an name and new name that will only be known to the person to whom I give it. There is some of you in the private struggles of your soul right now nobody knows the depth of your need. Nobody knows what you've been through. Nobody knows the earth and the pain and the agony in the battle of the soul. Nobody knows.

And the reason they don't is because you feel that if you told they couldn't believe it and identify with it. Jesus said, tell me who you are, what is your name, you are but you shall be let me say a word to those of you who think that you've met Christ and have never been born again. The name John Wesley is a very famous name and church history.

A great revivalist in England had a terrible marriage to a woman by the name of Molly should never have married her. She gave him more grief than all the problems of the world put together. I can tell you stories to how he ended up marrying her. But he did fact when she died. He never even attend the funeral because he did not know that she had died. She had gone off to live somewhere else and the I think that Wesley interpreted that as a sign of God's blessing. Unfortunately, but remember what he came here he was preaching to the Indians in Georgia and he was now having results at all.

See wanted to see the Indians changed and nobody was being changed and then on the way back to England on that boat when they came across that storm and the Moravians were singing songs. He never Wesley said to them, are you not afraid to die and they said, thank God, the answer is no, and he began to see that they had something he didn't have and he went back to England disillusioned seeking peace and transformation walked into the church where Luther's preface to the book of Romans was being read. And while it was being read. He believed and said his heart was strangely warmed and Wesley the man. It was preaching to people that they ought to be converted was finally himself converted. Did you know that it is possible for some of you listening to this message. Even now where you are sitting in the balcony or either of these sections down the lower area to say Jesus you know who I am and I admit who I am and in this moment I believe I trust you fully as my own. I receive you into my life and heart that's for those of you who've never received Christ.

For those of you who have why don't you just admit who you now are today and say Jesus at all costs. Change me. You are but you shall be spoken by somebody who can make the difference. Let's pray when you just pray first of all, wherever you may be in this auditorium today for listening on the radio when you just open your heart to Christ say Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner who cannot save myself just as Andrew brought Peter to Christ, so this moment I'm being confronted by him. I admit my need. I believe on him as my Savior would you tell them that now for those of you who know Christ as Savior. What you tell them where you're at today is your name, anxiety, what is your name, your name, fear your name, anger tell Christ your name, ask him to give you a new one. Father, we need an outpouring of your blessing because we need lives that are live miraculously by your power. We desperately need believers who have experienced the transformation of Christ, that cannot be explained through behaviorism or education or human resolution. Therefore, we open our lives to you at this moment and say Jesus knowing us, changes, grant us the grace to be honest in Christ name, amen.

And you know my friend.

When you and I are converted. It's not just that our heart is changed, but God grants to us the strength that we need to live for him, but throughout history, there been many examples of where the Christian church has buckled in my book. Hitler's cross I trace the existence of the confessing church that is to say, the confessing church stood against Adolf Hitler and against his agenda upon offer was a part of that.

They had many different synods that met together, but finally here was the issue an edict was given that all pastors had to swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler. The question is what to do many of the pastors looked at Romans chapter 13 where God says that all the powers that there are are ordained of God to resist the powers to resist God and they took that as an absolute, so some decided that they would swear personal allegiance. Some decided that they wouldn't and there was no resolution on one way or the other and eventually the church collapsed. That's why it's so important that we learn the lessons of history and in my book. Hitler's cross, this is what I discussed. Now it's our resource for the month for gift of any amount.

It can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us right now at 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for another opportunity for you to ask Pastor Luther a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life.

Dr. Luke served. Today's question comes from Kelvin who lives in Michigan.

He writes I have heard you speak on the dangers of false prophets, I may be incorrect, but it seems you are equating preachers to prophets. It sounded like you were saying that if the preacher did not speak biblical truth when he was a false prophet are you equating preachers with profits and if preachers are preaching and teaching ideas as doctrine which are not biblically supported then would they be considered a false prophet yes Kelvin.

I believe that preachers can also be spoken of as false prophets.

Another reason why you have an emphasis on false prophets in the Bible is because it is the prophets who claim to speak directly in behalf of God so you know they say that the word of the Lord came to me and said this and that, just like many do on TV and many of these are false prophets. As we well know, but if a preacher is preaching false doctrine. He can also be thought of in the same category as being a false prophet. If I were to teach something that would be on biblical something that would be different than the historic Christian teaching regarding salvation, for example, I could be considered also a false prophet or at least I could be false in my teaching, so I'm not sure exactly why you asked the question you did with the answers yes we need to make sure that we judge the work in the ministry of preachers, as well as so-called prophets. Thank you Dr. Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to access running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Next time I'm running to win will see Peter swallow his pride and get some fishing lessons from Jesus in the process to learn the value of obedience to his new master as he continues to follow the right leader. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher