How to Inherit Eternal Life Part 1

The Church ofEx Cullen's Dwight's message. Didn't know what he was speaking about. He didn't know what I'm speaking about. So we do have a tie there together. The world is full of how-to books. Maybe you've seen them.

Chewing food for dummies. I've never had to have that. Never had that problem. Chess, starting a business. Investment banking. There's all the how-to books. There's websites. There's YouTube videos. How to make a cake. Yes, I'll tell you how to make or bake a cake. Change of commode. In case you've ever looked into that. And there's actually one how to fly an airplane, a little Cessna, which I found to be very interesting. He said he could teach somebody to fly in 12 minutes. So I guess I'm ready. I don't think any of you want to get on the plane with me, though. Nope. No, that's a amen there. But I haven't seen one that says how to do your own brain surgery. It's only in the Bible. Only God can tell you how to inherit eternal life. Because God came in the form of Jesus Christ to tell us just that thing. In just four short verses, we can know the formula. We can know the formula. The secret. The secret to living forever. You might say we would be modern-day Ponce de Leon's. But you really find out that that's not really what he was looking for. It's kind of a fable or myth that's handed down. That myth lasted a long time because that's what I was taught in grammar school. And the amazing part, it's not some gal at Tony Robbins or the Dalai Lama that tell us about eternal life, but God himself. The same God who gives eternal life to us. Romans 6, 23. Romans 6, 23. New King James. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. So, the key is it's a gift. It's a gift from above. And the amazing part is that we can't buy it. It's not like jewelry, where we can go down and say, I want that.

And unlike the oracle of Deaf eye, we don't need an interpreter to reveal this amazing truth to us. But all this question this morning to all of you here and to those watching, I mean, here, the Pearl Great Price is one thing, but because it's talking about this Pearl. And we're using here eternal life. Do we want to let that secret out? Do we really want this secret revealed today and webcast it to hundreds of people?

Would you prefer we were like the masons, the Masonic Arch, and keep it a secret to ourselves? Or maybe we, well, I don't know if you've ever stayed up too late at night or couldn't sleep, got up and turned the TV on late at night, and you saw these charlatans out there selling holy water.

Right? There's a guy selling water that came from the Jordan River, and he's selling it on TV late at night if you'll send in. I think it was 995 is the cheapest. You could get more water for 1995, and this is a water that Jesus was baptized in. And you can sell it. Maybe we want to do that because we're going to know the secret, the secret to eternal life. I find that funny because when I was a kid, I think it was 1969, I lived in a farming community, and back then, a lot of people in Tennessee farmed.

And this is before we started understanding the truth, and we're about to Sabbath. Saturday was a big day at the Stockyards, where people brought animals in to be sold. They even had a slaughterhouse there, so you could kill them right there. And on a Saturday, everybody from these farming communities would come in. They would do their trading.

There would be people selling corn. They would be selling all this stuff. And we were, of course, and I remember this one time. I was very young, and I was amazed because here was this guy that had this truck, really, at his van. And he was standing there as people were going near the Stockyards and where the crops were being sold.

And he had this microphone, and he was this amazing salesman. It was like something you see on TV. And so, here he was selling this amazing elixir. They don't reveal anything. You were sick. He named off all the things that, if you just bought some of it and you drank it, you would automatically feel good. And people were standing there as he was this great archer, and he was really doing the job of selling and telling all the examples and so forth like this, and how this stuff is special because it had things sent from the Orient, these special herbs, these special things in the Orient, and it came by way of the Caribbean ant, which did make sense once I understood growth.

And then, somehow, it came up here and it was so valuable that doctors, doctors would call him and ask for this for themselves because they would take it. But so valuable. He only had so many of these little bottles left, and he was selling them, let's say, for $9.99, which, back in 969, was like 25 bucks now. And people were like, hey, you know, I'm here because he was a slick salesman. So, for one guy, which I realize now was a plant, came up there, I don't know. And he said, what's your price?

I said, man, I got arthritis really bad in my hands. Why don't you try it? Here and for everybody. And the guy did. Wow! That is great! I'll give you two bottles! And he pulls out his wallet, and then other people, hey, let me have it!

They bought it because I thought it would make them feel well. It was a cure. But then he did something that was truly amazing after he sold out because I can't don't have any more. But what I do have is this box. And he sold these little boxes for $9.99. But on the conditional, I have a few left. There's something more amazing. There's this elixir in it.

But you can't open it here. You have to go home. This is so secret. You have to go home and you go into your closet and you open it up in there.

And I have an uncle that was with us that bought it. He said, I've got to know. Well, we didn't wait till he got home on our drive. He opened it up and it was two little pieces of junk that would cost $10. But he sold it. So I realized that some people will buy anything and everything to give them what they want. Do we really want eternal life? And how much is eternal life worth on the open market? Could we sell it? If we could, how much could we get? More than $9.99 elixir.

Crogenics was created so that people have a chance to live forever. Ted Williams, the famous baseball player. Of course, it takes millions of dollars to enlist in these cryogenics companies that started in the early 70s. Most of them are out of business now. Don't know what happened to the heads or even parts of the bodies that they kept. Well, do you, because you can understand the secret to eternal life, do you feel special? Do you feel special? All those listening to us on the internet today, lean in close to your laptops. Turn up your hearing aids. Turn your focus completely on the extremely important words for the next 30 minutes, as I will give you the secret to eternal life. And I'm not charging you a thing. No, no $9.99. Go with me if you will. Reading from the New King James Version, Luke 10. Luke chapter 10.

Verse 25. Now, let's look at this verses. We're going to look at three or four verses here. And I want you to really think on this, because you may hear things that you haven't heard before. In the Church of God, this may be so secret, so special, that you want to hold on to it.

Verse 25. And behold, a certain lawyer, a certain lawyer. What does that mean? It means it's set up. A lawyer, a teacher of the law, was there to ask Jesus Christ his question.

He was supposed to know and have all the answers. He was not like a lawyer like we would think about today, because they would come to him to see what the law said. And he would tell them, I'll work with the leaders of the day and say, no, the law says he's to God.

It says, behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him. He stood up and tested God. That's a heavy piece of information, isn't it? Tested him, saying, teacher, what shall I do? What shall I do to inherit eternal life? He asked this question, and I must ask you today to learn that through your minds also, because I had to think about this. If I had the opportunity to ask God any question, what would I ask? What would you ask? Who are you about eternal life? So this gives us a chance to listen in on one question that was asked of God, or Jesus Christ. And it was the ultimate question for the ultimate person, isn't it? I mean, think back at the time. Here, one of the questions would have been, where is Moses buried? Right? Where was Moses buried? He could have told him, couldn't he? Because he was there. Where's Elijah?

Since many believed he was up in the air, up in the heavens with God. But he didn't.

Do. What must I do? Do we get the question? Am I really? Do.

We can do something for eternal life. Has anybody ever told you that before? We can do something. But wait, wait, wait, wait a minute. There's a conflict with the scripture we read earlier, right? Romans 6, 23. I thought it was a gift. Oh, not something we can do. So is there a way to do something to get this gift? Hmm, thought about that before. Now, we may have to do something to get eternal life.

Is that what it says? Is that what do means? Do works. Wait a minute. Works. Works. Because all through this book, especially the New Testament, there's example after example that I've given here in this church.

That says, your works can't save you. Your works can't save you. So, do you think that maybe Jesus just had a bad day?

When he gave an answer here? That, you know, it was just one of those days he didn't get much sleep. And he's just like, oh, well, let me take that back the next day. I'd be like a politician. I misspoke.

That's what they do. Right? So, here's the thing. Then, because this is intriguing, it should be to you, it was even to me. And I've read this thing many times. Let's go to the Answer Man, the Savior of all mankind, because he is the only one that can what? Answer this question.

And, Luke 10, verse 26. Luke 10 and verse 26. Here, he said to him, after he asked, teacher, what shall I do? I do to inherit eternal life. He said to him, what has written in the law? What is your reading of it? Well, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, answers a question with a question. I've acted two. Now, there's usually two reasons you do that. One is you're buying time. Because you don't have an answer. I've done that a few times. I've seen Mike smiling, yes. I've seen a couple other people smiling. You've been down that road. Luke's shaking his head, yep. Been there, done that. But that's not correct. He had all the answers. He was not. He didn't need to buy time to think of an answer, did he? One of the other reasons is to emphasize the point or an answer. To emphasize the answer. So, what does he do? Luke 10 and verse 27.

So he answered him and said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor is yourself.

The lawyer guesses. The lawyer guesses. Of course, this is his field of expertise. The lawyer guesses. Any guesses, right? Doesn't he?

Verse 28. And Jesus said to him, you have answered rightly. Wow.

Do this, and you will live. Another translation says, you have the right answer. Go now and do it. Hmm. Do it.

Hmm. Hmm. So that's talking to us. What must we do? Think about it.

What must I do? Yes, do. The secret to eternal life. Christ says, now go do it. So it's pretty important, isn't it? I mean, here's a key. People pay millions of dollars to try to get eternal life. People pay $9.99 to feel good or, like, that was mostly just alcohol.

And it did make them feel better. Drink enough of it. Right? How, though, is it possible? Can I earn or do something for eternal life?

We've always been taught, no. It sounds that way, doesn't it?

Is love. The word agapeo, used in this verse, is agapeo. Works.

Hmm? Think on it. Is it works? I mean, here it's a verb. Verb is an action. Do something. Or maybe it's a verb. Is this agapeo about faith? Or is it both? Could it be both?

And inheritance is something that you have a right to because someone wants to leave you something. Right? Usually a family member or somebody will leave you something in their will, or as they say, their inheritance.

Do you have to do something for that inheritance?

No. The attorney or whoever, executive of the will, is going to come and read. You're going to say, William, somebody's left you $9.99.

Stephen's going to go, and they're going to say, well, you won $9,000 in $9,000, and you're going to be happy. Right? They left you that.

But why? Why?

Think on that. Did you do something?

Did your past, in the past, did you show something, do something, that they had faith in you? That they said, you know, this one's not going to go squander that. Because it's a problem. I've heard, I had to deal with, certain situations where people didn't want to leave their kids or their grandkids or anything. They said, they just got through it! They just blew up! But then there's others, oh, I'd like to leave this.

Deuteronomy 6, verse 5, is the chapter in verse that this lawyer was quoting. So it's an Old Testament.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, and mind.

He knew the law. He knew the Torah. And he went right here. And Christ said, this is right. Get a look at this. This is one verse.

Of the two verses that the lawyer said. Right.

And then he quoted Leviticus 19, verse 18.

He goes on, not take vengeance, but he said, But you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Who? And then here's the big part. I am the Lord. Given the authority that we need to say who said it.

Why are they lazy? Because these two verses, there are times, different places, especially the first one, Deuteronomy 6 and verse 5, is quoted nine times in the New Testament. The key to eternal life is given to us nine times in the New Testament. Except here, there's just a little bit more pearl in each of the times that it's given. Just a little bit richer. Gives us a little bit more understanding. Let's go to Matthew 5. Matthew 5.

Matthew 5, verse 43. Sounded on the Mount. Jesus Christ, teaching us again. You have heard that ever said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Heard, not said. Bible doesn't say, Hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies. Bless those who crush you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. That's a toughie. That you may... Wait a minute. What's this about to say? That you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for he makes his Son rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do so? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do that? Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Love your neighbor. Love your neighbor. Part of this inheritance? Part of this secret?

Go to Mark 12. Mark 12, verse 28. Then while the scribes came and, having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, ask him, which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answered him, the first of all, the commandment says, Here, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength.

The second is like it. You shall love the neighbor as your neighbor, as your soul. There is no greater commandment, no other commandment than these. So the scribes said to him, Well, said, teacher, you have spoken the truth, for there is but one God, and there is no other God but he. And to love him with all your heart, and with all your understanding, there's an understanding. That's a new one. Word put in there, isn't it? And with all your soul, with all your strength, and to love one's neighbor as yourself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. So when Jesus saw that he answered him wisely, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. How important is this understanding? He says this guy gets it. And after that, no one dared to ask him another question. Go back to Matthew 22. Matthew 22. Matthew 22.

And verse 37. Let's see. Let's go to 37.

37. Jesus said to him, When they asked which is great is all, You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On—here's the addition— on—on these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets, the entire Old Testament, broken down to two.

Turn me to Romans 13, our last verse today. Turn to Romans. Romans 13. Here Paul is teaching this. That's why this is so important.

Romans 13, verse 9. For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not cut it, and—and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. It's the basis of why he gave the law. It's the foundation. So what's he tell us? To do it. So now we know what to do.

That's what I said. I've given you so many scriptures.

But I didn't. The scriptures didn't tell you how. Next week, part two. How.