How do you know the watch is really on your wrist? That's just crazy. But how can you know anything apart from God? Because apart from God, your worldview would at best be naturalistic. Right? You see what you believe. Everything that's real is in nature. We can see it. We can observe it. We can check it. We can quote-unquote prove it. That would be a naturalistic worldview apart from God. But yet a naturalistic worldview apart from God assumes that everything is random. Everything is coincidental. Everything is by happenstance. We are merely byproducts of chemical reactions. There is no order. There is no order. I don't know what that has to do with my conversation with Patrick. Patrick, is it okay if I... Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Got room. What's your name? Chance. Chance? Interesting. Thank you. I'm Tony. Good to meet you. What are you studying? Criminal justice. Yeah? I was a deputy sheriff for 20 years. You seen about going into law enforcement? Yeah. A department around here? Whereabouts? That's where I'm from. Yeah, I'm from, uh... You've been in California long? I live in Santa Clarita, just north of L.A., Match Mountain, that area. I'm just up here for the week, to do it with Frances. But Chance, whenever you write, now granted we're all on computers now, and we don't do too much writing with a pen and pencil and paper, but Chance, if you were to write a letter, you wrote the letter, you were the pen. Yeah, the pen was merely the instrument in your hand. God, who created the heavens and the earth, who created you and me, inspired 40 different men over 1,500 years spanning three continents to pen his work. The same God who created order and design that we see around us is more than able to inspire 40 men to write his word and then preserve it over time without violating their personalities, without violating their cultural distinctives, without violating the time and season that they lived. That's what he did. The Word of God is actually God-free. So you made the pains to write for us, and God made us. God made us? Yeah, God created us. For what reason? To bring Him glory. Why would He have us perfect if we could have given Him glory? He had us perfect, right? We could have given Him glory. He didn't have us perfect. You and I have never been perfect. Okay, Adam and Eve. Yes. They were perfect. They could have given Him glory so many times. Any time He wanted to. And they rebelled against Him, and they sinned. He wanted them to. What's that? He wanted it. No he didn't. That's why he's stupid. It's a trickle, right? It's a trickle, right? No, that's not true. Oh, really? That's not true. Yeah, really, that's not true. Why does the serpent come? What? Why does the serpent come? Because, because the serpent will... Chance, do you... I'm going to ask you an honest question, Chance. If I answer all of your questions to your satisfaction, are you going to drop to your knees, repent, and put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? No, I'm already a Christian. I'm just stepping in. Why would you do that? I'm not out here to be tested by Christians. Why would you do that while professing to be a Christian? To help you out. Really? Yes. All right. Chance, let's assume that I'm not a Christian. Are you? I am a Christian. Yes, I am a Christian. But let's assume that I'm not. And let's assume you and I are good friends. We're both criminal justice majors. We both have our eye on serving in law enforcement. And I found out that I have terminal cancer. End stage. There's nothing they can do. I'm going to die. You know that I'm not a Christian. What are you going to say to me? I would confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Why would I do that? I don't even believe he exists. I'm role-playing. I don't even believe he exists. Why would I confess Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior? When I have eternal life, it happens. I'm a good person, man. You know, if God does exist, he's going to see that my good outweighs the bad. He's going to let me in the house. I don't know, because God said that you have to know that he's the Lord. You have to confess that you died for your sins, right? You need to get to heaven. I don't want to. You don't want to get to heaven? No, I don't want to. Why should I confess my sins? My good outweighs my bad, man. I'm alright. I'm alright, man. I'm not a... I grew up... when I grew up, I wasn't like my friend Sean. I wasn't a party animal. I never did drugs. I never smoked. I never drank. I didn't do any of that stuff. I fornicated or things like that, but I didn't do... I didn't do... Man, I would never hang out with that guy growing up. But after that... I've been a good guy. But after that, you've already tried. Because I know the problem that I'm trying to help you out. So he knows that I've done good by him. That's your fault, too. That's your fault that you don't want to repent, right? It's not my fault. I did all I can to help you out. It's not my fault that you don't want to repent, Tim. What's repentance? Chance, do you care about me? I do, but I already did my part. So then I can just... What's going to happen to me, Chance? What's going to happen to me when I die? Why? Why am I going to go to hell? And why wouldn't you love me? I'm dying of cancer, Chance. Why wouldn't you love me enough? For what? Chance, none of what you told me makes sense. Why do I have to repent? Why do I have to believe in Jesus? Why can't I believe in Muhammad? Oprah tells me that there's many ways to heaven. Why do I have to believe what you say? Yeah, it is. Now let's switch. Now let's switch, Chance. All right, let's switch. You're my unbelieving dying friend, okay? And I'm the Christian, all right? This is what I would say to you in all seriousness. And I've had to do this with people who are dying. I don't want you to die, but you're gonna. And when you die, you're gonna stand before God, Chance. And you're gonna give an account to your life. God's not going to look at all the good things you did. God's not going to measure you based on how you see yourself in the mirror. God doesn't care how long you went to youth group or how many pizza parties you went to with the college Christian club. God doesn't care about it. He's going to judge you according to his law. Chance, if you've ever lied, if you were stolen, if you've ever taken his name in vain, if you've ever looked with lust, if you've ever harbored bitterness or resentment in your heart, which God sees as murder, If you've ever dishonored your parents, if you've ever been discontent with what God has given you in this life, He's going to find you guilty of breaking His law. You're an unbeliever. You don't even know what repentance means. You're an unbeliever. Patrick, it's been good talking to you, man. Take care. And Patrick, I would challenge whether or not you know what repentance means, because tell me okay now now let's finish let's finish okay because you're running out of time you shouldn't be arguing with me you're dying okay because you've broken god's law god's going to find you guilty and because he finds you guilty he's going to do what's right and he's going to punish your sin and you're going to hell for all eternity i don't want that for you i don't want you to perish in your sin there's nothing i can do about it i can't save you But I know the one who can. The same God who is going to punish you like He will punish every other wicked sinner that ever lived, is the same God who is also loving and merciful and gracious and kind. 2,000 years ago, God the Father sent His Son to work in the person of Jesus Christ. Fully God, fully man, without sin. Unlike either one of us, He never once violated the law of God. He couldn't. He was and He is the sinless Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. He lived the perfect life that you haven't even come close to living. And about 33 years into that earthly existence, He voluntarily went to the cross. He suffered and died a horrible, bloody death that He did not deserve to take upon Himself the punishment you deserve right now for your sins against God. And then three days later, He forever defeated sin and death when He rose from the grave. And what God commands of you chance. God doesn't need anything from you. God's not lonely without you. God's not going to shed a tear if he punishes your sins, and the angels won't either. They will rejoice because he's glorified through giving you justice. I'm not done. What's that? What if you still say no to what? Then you're going to hell. That's not now chance before you oh, okay. All right. This is really important. Okay, you got a 130 cloud It's only 108. Okay, you look like you're in a lot better shape than me. So I think you can make the dress here All right, don't run away because it's getting hot. No, no, okay. All right What God commands of you is that you repent that you turn from your sin turn toward God That's repentance By faith and by faith alone, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior. You will not get into heaven based on anything you have done. It is based entirely on the mercy and grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Now, you want to be a cop. Yes? Okay. I was for 20 years. I loved getting criminal justice majors into my car as rookies. I would take him into a dark part of town where the street signs had been removed by gang members, because they'd hop in the car and say, yeah, I got my two-year, I got my four-year degree in criminal justice. I'm 5-0. So I put him in the passenger seat of my car. I drive to a dark part of town where all the signs are down, there are no lights. I make a few lefts, a few rights. I stop in the middle of the intersection. Bam! I've been shot. Get us some help. And I watch as the rookie almost wets himself because he has no idea where he is. And then I say to him, are you ready now to learn what it means to be a cop? So if I came to you and you were a police officer, and I said, Chance, I'm a cop too, man. I know all there is to know about this job. You said, all right, Tony, school me. Tell me. Well, I wear a gun and a holster, and they gave me a set of car keys. And you start the car, the patrol car, the same way you would start any other car, and there are lights on top, and there's a radio, and I can drive as fast as I want. Would you believe I know anything about being a cop? No. Okay. So here's where it gets serious, and I'm going to say this to you because I care about you as a human being. Okay? That's why I'm here. I mean, I, it's, my wife said it's cold today back home at 75 degrees. I'm wearing a 3X jacket from this monster here because I didn't bring enough warm clothing. I would much rather be at home with my wife. But because I love you as a human being, I'm going to tell you this. Chance, if you wouldn't believe that I was a police officer based on the information I gave you, why should I believe that you're a Christian when you could not tell me how to become one? I said the same thing you said, you just went deaf. And then I said no, just like you did. And then you started saying something about you being a cop. So therefore, I told you everything you said, and I did everything you did. I just didn't explain it that much. So I'm not a Christian now. I'm asking you. I don't know your heart. I can't judge you. But the word of the Apostle Paul made it very, very clear that we are to examine ourselves, test ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. I meet people every day of my life on campuses and out on the streets that say I'm a Christian, but they have no idea what the gospel of Jesus Christ is. So this is what I didn't hear from you, Chance. I didn't hear anything from you about who Jesus Christ was and is. I didn't hear anything about the cross of Christ. I didn't hear anything about putting my faith and trust in Him alone. salvation. I didn't hear anything about the resurrection, which Allah is a false god. He doesn't exist outside the mind of your imagination. Okay? You didn't share with me the gospel. Now, it could just be, Chance, it could just be, just like you're a criminal justice major and you are far away from knowing what you need to know to be a cop, right? You just may not be educated in the things of God, okay? And I don't say that to slight you, I don't say that to offend you, and I'm not judging you. But Chance, you walked up here, you walked up here acting like an unbeliever, right? Chance, I'm not judging you, I'm saying what you did. It's not a judgment. You walked up here acting like an unbeliever to put me to the test. when what you should be doing, Chance, what you should be doing, Chance, what you should be doing is you should be standing here, because you love all the people within the sound of your voice, and you should be proclaiming the gospel to them, because that is what Jesus has commanded you to do. The two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. And there is nothing more loving you will do for either God or man than to speak the truth in love and share the gospel with them. So as a man old enough to be your father, I am gently rebuking you and challenging you instead of walking up and challenging Christians while pretending to be an unbeliever. Be a man of faith and courage and proclaim the gospel and love to others. You know what she said about testing people? You remember that? No, I didn't say test people. The Bible says examine yourself, test yourself. It doesn't say examine other Christians and test other Christians. I don't see what you're saying, man. Chance? I'm saying easy. Chance, humble yourself, man. You want to close yourself? Right. Humble yourself. I didn't mean to embarrass you. No, no. I said the same thing you said. I said the same thing you said. You did not. I did. I said retain. You said the same thing I said.