What More Could I Have Done? - 250111

SPEAKER A Hello, welcome to Let God Speak. I am your host, Uriah St Juste. Sydney Holmes, a 57 year old man from Florida in the United States was sentenced to 400 years in prison for armed robbery. After serving more than 34 years in prison as a convicted felon, he was released because it turned out he didn't do what he was accused, convicted and sentenced for. Holmes said he never lost hope and always knew the day of his freedom would come. For every wrongful conviction, not only is an innocent person wrongly convicted, but a guilty person also walks around freely escaping justice. Today we will learn that in the battle between good and evil, one person is wrongfully condemned by many in this world while the true guilty person is celebrated. As we study the topic, what more could I have done on Let God Speak? On our panel today we have John Kosmeier and Lena Yoon. Welcome John and Lena. SPEAKER B Thank you. SPEAKER A Please join us as we pray. Father in heaven, we are here today because we love you and we love you because you first loved us. Lord. Our desire today is to discover Jesus in the scriptures. And I pray Lord as we open up your word and we study today that Jesus will be the focus and the centre. May he be uplifted. And Father, may all our listeners and viewers be drawn to Jesus in this study today be with us in our discussion. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. The story is told of a boy who hated his king because when his parents were sick, the king's soldiers took him away by force from his parents, never to see them again. The boy grew up despising the king for this horrible act. Later when he grew up, he learned that the king had ordered that all healthy people were to be separated from the sick to spare them being infected by the black plague. The king had saved his life. Now lena, in John 12:31 Jesus makes a statement. Here it says now is the judgement of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Jesus describes Satan as the prince of this world or the ruler of this world. How do we see this manifested in the world that we live in today? SPEAKER C Jesus did not say that Satan was the king of this world, but just the prince. And secondly, when we look around we can see the influence of sin everywhere. We see bars, pubs and nightclubs which are full but the places of worship are not so. And also we can see that how actually entertainment world has evolved into like from actually going to the theatre, from physically to and watching TV at home and playing computer games to the Internet based platform like YouTube or even Netflix. They're all within our fingertips. Of course, they sometimes, you know, they're and good purposes, educational programmes, they provide. But in many cases, actually, you know, they are, you know, they provide licentious contents like, you know, movies and even, you know, MTV and so forth. And so we really have to be very careful. But, you know, and people are not interested in actually watching, you know, educational programmes like, you know, providing Bible studies and prayers and so forth. So we can clearly see that how actually this world is easily influenced by Satan. We're going to go and read the first John, John 5:19. Here. He says, we know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. SPEAKER A Yes. So the world is easily influenced by Satan. Now, John, Jesus obviously was not glorifying Satan when he describes him as the prince of this world. How does Scripture describe who Satan really is? SPEAKER B The best person to answer that question is the one who made Satan. And so we turn in our Bibles to John, the Gospel of John, chapter 8 and verse 44. And here he was talking to some other people describing the devil you are of your father. The devil, the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. And Jesus with very tearful voice, said, when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. And it goes even a step further when you go to the book of Revelation and you read from chapter 12 and verse 9. Revelation, chapter 12, verse 9. And I'm reading from the new King James Version. Verse 9 says, so the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil. And Satan, who deceives the whole world. This is where the princip comes in, because that's the way he's viewed by the whole world, who deceives the whole world, who was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him. We end up with the man who. Or the prince who was the beginning of all evil. Yes. SPEAKER A So he's a liar, he's a deceiver. Scripture paints that very clear picture of the devil and of Satan. Now, Lena, how does Jesus describe himself in very stark contrast to who Satan is? SPEAKER C Yes. Firstly, we can actually look at the word prince. So Cambridge dictionary defines prince as the son of a king. So in other words, a prince is. He's not a king and he is the heir to the throne. And in the past, actually, we can see that princes had wanted or attempted to Take the throne by, you know, undermining the king or forcing him out. So we're going to now read John 18:37 here. So Pilate, therefore they said to him, are you a king then? And Jesus answered, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice so clearly. Here it states, jesus is a king, but Satan is a prince of this world who uses lies and deceit. SPEAKER A That's very good that the Bible contrasts that. It's almost like the opposite. You know, Satan is the liar, he's the originator of liars, but Jesus is the truth. Now, Revelation 12 is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. And in verse 10 it says, Then I heard a loud voice saying, in heaven now, salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God, day and night has been cast down. The Bible gives us the end. It tells us in the end who wins and who loses. It tells us that Jesus saves and the devil only adds to our problems. He only adds to the problems in this world. John, how can we better understand why Jesus came into this world? SPEAKER B Jesus came into this world because it's the devil, through sin has afflicted our souls and has affected our human relations and also our bodies. And here In John chapter 10, back to the gospel of John, chapter 10 and verse 10, Jesus describes what happens. The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, to destroy. But I said, jesus have come that they may have life and that they have it more abundantly. And then when you go to one of John's epistles, he wrote three of them. And we go to the first one, First John, chapter three. And you read verse eight. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning for this purpose. The Son of God, that's Jesus, was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. So Jesus came to save that which was lost. What a blessing. SPEAKER A It is a blessing. And I think we want to make it clear on today's programme that the destruction and the pain and evil that we see in this world is created by Satan. And Jesus has come to fix that, to repair the damage that the devil has caused. Now, John, we've been saying that. We've been saying that there's evidence of sin and destruction all around us. How exactly does God go About repairing that damage that the devil has caused. SPEAKER B Jesus has done it in two stages. The first one we read about in Romans, the book of Romans, the apostle Paul wrote this, chapter five and verse eight it says, but God demonstrated his own love toward us that while we were still sinners, that's when Christ died for us. SPEAKER A Amen. SPEAKER B What a blessing. Once again. And when you go back to your favourite book, chapter 20 and verse 10 to 14, the devil, verse 10, the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever. And then verse 14, that then death and Hades or the grave were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. So that's the second stage that God will use to solve the sin and devil problem in this world. SPEAKER A And it's good news that, you know, sin and death in particular will ultimately be destroyed and it will come to an end. SPEAKER B But Lena, permanently. SPEAKER A Permanently, that's right. Never to rise again. Lena, what about those who have rejected the devil and who have chosen God, chosen the right side? What will be their end? SPEAKER C Okay, before I answer that, I will go to Romans, chapter 3, verse 23. So here it says, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So this is the problem. But God actually promises an eternal life to all. So we're going to go and look at John, chapter 3, verse 16. So here it says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. But here there's a condition. So only those who chose God and by believing in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, will be saved. So going back to your question, those who reject the devil and have chosen God will inherit the kingdom of life. SPEAKER A And it's that easy. Just receive this free gift of salvation that Jesus is offering. But John, I'm sure there are some of our listeners and viewers who probably want to know, how exactly do I accept this gift of salvation? What answer do we have for a person like that? SPEAKER B Fortunately, it's very simple. We've already heard John 3:16. All we have to do is believe on Jesus. But here in the book of Acts, chapter 2, reading verse 37 and then verse 38. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to the apostles and the rest of the apostles, to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do then? Peter said to them, repent. Let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So once we believe, we let the whole world know through baptism that we are now the Son, the Daughter of God. SPEAKER A Wonderful. We don't have to give up our house and land or give our lives. It's just believing, accepting his gift of salvation and showing the world that we now belong to Jesus through baptism. Now, Lena, when someone gives their lives to Jesus and they are saved, what benefit is there to a person like that? SPEAKER C As we read From John, chapter 10, verse 10, and Jesus promised not just a life, but abundant life. So we begin to experience or see immediate changes or benefits as we give up our destructive practises and lifestyles in our lives and, for example, you know, cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol and any addictions like drug or even digital addiction and so forth. So. And by doing this, we also can save up thousands of dollars each year and every single system of ours, you know, including cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and gastrointestinal system and so forth, will be renewed and regenerated. So, in other words, we will be healthy overall and live a healthy life, not just physically, though mentally, socially, psychologically and most importantly, spiritually. SPEAKER A That's great to know because, you know, it's good that it's not just, you know, in the end, after we die, when Jesus comes, that we will get the benefit. The benefit begins the moment that you're saved. You know, there's this regeneration that Jesus does in you right away. But John, no matter how healthy a person lives, eventually death comes. They say there are only two things in life that are guaranteed are death and taxes. So even if we could live forever in this world, I don't think that would be a good thing. Living in a world where there's pain and sorrow and you're living forever. How does accepting Jesus help with these issues? SPEAKER B There is no teaching that indicates that sin is going to be forever eternal. In fact, the Bible, your book, your favourite book, Revelation chapter 21, gives us a whole new understanding of where God is heading with the events in this world. Revelation 21, verses 1 to 4. Now I saw a new heaven and the new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away also. There was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. And he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people. What are we looking forward to? God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, no sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain. For the former things have passed away. And here God is making a whole new beginning. What a thing to look forward to. SPEAKER A Praise the Lord. It takes everything for me not to jump out of my chair with excitement. You know, not only will we live forever, but in a world where there is no more pain, no more suffering, no more death. Now let's switch gears a little bit. Let me read from Isaiah, chapter 5, verse 1 to 4. There is a very interesting parable that Isaiah writes about here. Now let me sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst and also made a winepress in it. So he expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge please between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, Lena, Isaiah says that he's speaking directly to the men of Jerusalem and Judah. But what wider message is there for us in this parable that speaks to the battle between good and evil? SPEAKER C This parable reminds us of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. So the owner of the vineyard is God himself and who plants lovingly and the vineyard liberally. And the vineyard represents God's people. So God prepared the vineyard and cared for it liberally and lovingly. But instead of producing sweet grapes, it produced sour or wild grapes. So similarly, in the Garden of Eden, God provided a perfect home for Adam and Eve and provide them, actually gave them everything they needed. And they also had a perfect face to face relationship with God. But instead of trusting and obeying God, they disobeyed God and followed Satan. SPEAKER A And that's how we got in the mess that we're in in this world. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER A So what lesson is there for us today from this parable? SPEAKER C The lesson that we can take from this parable is that God promised Adam and Eve that he would send a Saviour, his only son, Jesus, to fix this broken sin of evil or sin. And he also shows who is responsible behind this and therefore sent Jesus to solve this problem of evil. And it also shows how, as John mentioned, the evil and sin, including death, will be all eradicated from this world and promises a perfect world without any taint of silver sin with Jesus Christ. Yet many still choose not to follow Christ, but follow Satan, just like Adam and Eve. SPEAKER A That's what the message we want to get people to understand. Now, John, in Matthew 21, Jesus tells a parable. How can we know that there is a connection in this parable that Jesus told with the parable of Isaiah? SPEAKER B Let's read verse 33 of Matthew 21, Hear another parable. There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower and he leased it to a vinedresser and then he went into a far country. Here we have a picture of what Jesus is doing in the old New Testament, what Isaiah described in the Old Testament, and the description is identical. So Jesus is the one who is preparing this world for the new blessings that are going to come now. SPEAKER A Yet Lena, this parable is not exactly the same. There is a difference. What is the difference between. From this parable, from what Isaiah says. SPEAKER C Yeah. In Isaiah, chapter five, the owner of the vineyard removed the hedge around it so that it would be destroyed by perhaps wild animals and left it completely desolate. Whereas in Matthew 21, Jesus parable, the owner of the vineyard leased his vineyard to the vinedressers and went into a far country. And when he sent his own servants to the vineyard to inquire about the welfare of it, but his servants were stoned or beaten, stoned and killed. And finally he sent his only son to the vineyard, but they killed him as well. SPEAKER A That's a very clear message to the kingdom of the Jews in the time of Jesus. Now John, in Isaiah, there was a message to Judah. When Jesus told his parable, it was a message to the Jewish people. But what about us today? We're not Jews. We are a worldwide audience. What's the message today? SPEAKER B Well, when we read on in Matthew 21 and read verse 40, Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers? They said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their season. And so Jesus does the same thing as Isaiah did, and he asked the audience what the consequences would be. God has done everything possible. But eventually the destruction will take place. And it depends on our choice as to whether we will take part in the destruction or whether we will be in the vineyard of God. SPEAKER A Now, Lena, in both parables, the audience is invited to judge for themselves. And using that word, judge and judgement, which often brings fear into people, how does God's judgement show his fairness? SPEAKER C Okay, firstly, we're going to go to the First Corinthians, chapter 6, verse, verse 2. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the small matters? So here, here it says the saints were the righteous actually be given an opportunity to judge the wicked. And now we're going to go to Revelation, chapter 20, verse. So here it says, I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And books were opened and another book was opened, which is the Book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. So here, and here, this verse says, the works or choices, everyone that had made are recorded in the book of life, as we can see, and heaven, how the wicked will be judged. And they will be judged. Of course, here it says, from their works or their choices. And then why? We need to ask ourselves a question. Why God is doing this? There is a clear reason for it. So God wants us to see clearly. And also that we should be able to say that God's judgement is absolutely or perfectly fair and just, so that nothing more could have been done to save the lost. And there's another reason for it too. At the end, God will vindicate himself and before all intelligent creation. SPEAKER A So he's also inviting the righteous to participate in the judgement, to examine the book so that it will be clear that nothing more could have been done. Now we just have time for one more question, John. When all is concluded and the righteous have seen that nothing more could have been done and God is good, what will be their response? SPEAKER B Even the people who can't sing will, together with those who can, sing the song of Zion. Revelation 15:3. They sing the song of Moses and the servant of God and the song of the Lamb. SPEAKER A That's wonderful. SPEAKER B Wonderful. SPEAKER A You know, even if you can't carry a tune down here, you'll be able to sing, Sing and rejoice and praise that God is good. That's all the time we have for today's study. Thank you very much, both of you. The boy in the story at the beginning of our programme did not know the truth about the king. He grew up hating the king, but when he discovered the truth, the truth set him free and he loved the King for saving his life. Jesus said, if you continue in my word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Truth is more than a set of beliefs or doctrines. Truth is a person, and that person is Jesus. He said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the life. It is my prayer that as you study the Scriptures, you will find the truth and it will set you free and you will have abundant and eternal life in Jesus. We are glad you've joined us today on Let God Speak. Remember, all past programmes plus teacher's notes are available on our website 3abnaustralia.org.au that's the number 3abnaustralia.org au or you can email us if you wish on [email protected]. Join us again next time. God bless. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.