Today we begin a short new series: "All our Righteousnesses." Can humans have any righteousness? What is righteousness? Is everything we do tainted? Is any of what we do meritorious? What is and is not sin? Are we born sinners?

The starting place is always, What does the Bible teach? We find the word "sinner" or "sinners" more than 60 times in the Bible. Perhaps we have assumed we are born sinners. But let us turn to these texts and see what they say.

Some may not understand the communion service. What is it about? Perhaps you have curious friends but you're not quite sure how to explain what we are doing?

Lend yourself to a simple, three part explanation. Here come the three headings:

1. The Life of Jesus (His humanity)
2. The Death of Jesus
3. The Life of Jesus (His divinity)

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' (Matthew 23:37-39).

Today, the final presentation of nine. The series is HAYSTACKS--Seventh-day Adventist identity in nine themes.

Scotsman Eric Liddell traveled to Paris to participate in the Olympic Games in 1924. Liddell was both a runner and a devout Protestant Christian. The 100 meters was his intended event but that contest had been scheduled to take place on a Sunday--a day Liddell was convinced was the Sabbath. Liddell was determined to remain true to conviction. Rather than "break the Sabbath" by competing on Sunday, instead he ran in the 440 meters, won, and set an Olympic record. And yet, his deepest ambition was to be a missionary. He went to China in 1925, in 1932 was ordained a minister, and accomplished fruitful work for Jesus until he died in 1945 in a Japanese internment camp.

Liddell said, "When I run, I feel His [God's] pleasure." He also said, "It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. But since I have been a young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals."

A particularly decadent popular performer used to begin his concerts with the statement, "Welcome to my nightmare." Fear and darkness bring little peace. In God's design people are intended to experience joy, affection and meaning. A nightmare is about unreasoning fear. In a nightmare you can't control the steering wheel.

Postmodernism is going nowhere fast. It doesn't take long to get to nowhere. In a speech earlier this week, 34 year-old brilliant-guy Ben Shapiro said, "Young Americans--we're sick and tired of postmodern garbage." Postmodernism brought us to nowhere. And here we are.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, "You will become free"?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-36).