From the 3ABN Worship Center
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it's the Ten
Commandments Weekend 2008:
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The Constitution of Grace.
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We welcome all of you back
to the Ten Commandments Weekend
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right here in the Worship
Center, 3ABN's Worship Center
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in southern Illinois. Did
we just enjoy Pastor Gilley
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as he shared a tremendous
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message with us!
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And we are now going
to have Commandment #1,
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but I wanted to just welcome
all of our viewers and listeners
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from all over the world.
The Ten Commandments Weekend
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isn't only going out
live via 3ABN television
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both the international channel
as well as the English channel
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but also 3ABN radio is
broadcasting us live as well.
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And did you know that
our Latino network has a
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Ten
Commandments Weekend as well?
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They are in the
Dominican Republic, and they are
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broadcasting live too. So we
are blanketing the whole world
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with the character of God.
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And I think that is
something that we can just
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rejoice with. And I want to
thank all of you that are here
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in our viewing audience.
We appreciate you being here.
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We want you to be refreshed
and renewed and open your heart
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and allow God to touch
you and minister to you.
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You know, we here at 3ABN
are convinced that when we come
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into a service that we are never
to leave the way we came in.
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That the Word of
God will change us.
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And that's what is
happening with us today.
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Well, we have a
lovely lady with us tonight.
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Her name is Emily Felts-Jones.
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She has already... she has
already ministered once, but
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I am going to invite her out now
as she continues to minister.
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And she is going to
minister a beautiful song
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"What Wondrous
Love. " Welcome, Emily!
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What wondrous love is this,
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O my soul, O my soul?
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What wondrous love is this,
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O my soul?
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What wondrous love is this
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That caused the Lord of bliss
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To bear the
dreadful curse for my soul,
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for my soul;
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To bear the dreadful curse
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for my soul?
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When I was sinking down,
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sinking down, sinking down
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When I was sinking down,
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sinking down;
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When I was sinking down
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beneath God's righteous frown,
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Christ laid aside His crown
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for my soul, for my soul;
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Christ laid aside His crown
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for my soul.
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To God and to the Lamb
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I will sing, I will sing;
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To God and to the Lamb,
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I will sing;
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To God and to the Lamb
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Who is the great I AM,
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While millions join the theme,
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I will sing, I will sing;
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While millions join the theme,
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I will sing.
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And when from death I'm free,
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I'll sing on,
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I'll sing on;
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When from death
I'm free, I'll sing on.
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When from death I'm free,
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I'll sing and joyful be,
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And through eternity
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I'll sing on, I'll sing on!
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And through eternity,
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And through eternity,
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What wondrous love is this,
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O my soul?
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What wondrous love that the
Lord has for every one of us!
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You know, I'm going to invite
C.A. Murray to come on out now.
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He's going to bring us
teaching on Commandment #1.
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And let me tell you a
little about C.A. Murray.
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He was a minister -
pastor - for 19 years.
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The Northeastern Conference
Communication Director
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for 11 years. And what
some of you may not know
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is that in church... in the
church that he was pastoring,
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he was John Lomacang's
youth pastor, weren't you C.A.?
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So I asked Pastor
Lomacang a few minutes ago
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"If you were introducing
C.A., what would you say?
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How would you introduce him? "
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And he just simply said:
"Mollie, just tell the people...
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ask the people: Could anything
good come out of Buffalo, NY? "
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It was 4 years ago
at Spring Camp Meeting
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that I first met C.A. Murray.
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Someone came into my
office and they said:
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"Mollie, do you...
have you met C.A. Murray?
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Do you know who he
is? " And I didn't...
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didn't know a thing
about him and they said:
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"Well, he reminds
me of Owen Troy. "
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And if any of you know Owen
Troy, he has got more integrity
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in his character than most.
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And he's on the 3ABN
Board and a man that I just
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admire tremendously.
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And so this is who this
man was being compared to.
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So I thought I've
got to meet C.A. Murray.
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And he came into my
office; I invited him in
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and just said real simply:
"C.A., have you considered
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coming to 3ABN to
work? " And he said:
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"No! "
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Of course he hadn't.
That was the furtherest
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thing from his thinking.
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But you know, something that
both Danny and I said to C.A.:
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"If it be God's will for you to
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be a part of the ministry
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at 3ABN,
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the Lord won't leave you alone.
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You'll wake up at
night thinking about it.
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He'll keep
bringing it up in your mind.
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And, uh... to make
a long story short,
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this was in May of
04, and in December of 05
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C.A. came to 3ABN.
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He's the Production Manager.
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He's been a tremendous blessing,
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and I have found that
what that person told me
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that he had the character,
integrity in his character
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that that's been true. So
receive from Pastor Murray now.
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I always find Ten Commandments
Weekend to be an exciting time,
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and delving into the Word
of God is an exciting thing.
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We've entitled this
portion of the message
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We are framing this
in the context of the
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Constitution of Grace.
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But as we look at Commandment #1
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we want to culture it
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in the ideological elohims.
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Shall we pray?
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Heavenly Father, truly Your
word is a lamp unto our feet
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and a light unto our path.
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And we simply ask
for Your anointing
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so that Your
word may be preached
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so that Your people
will hear and understand
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and so that
Christ will be glorified.
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And we thank
You for Your promise
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to answer the prayer of
faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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I'll ask you to turn
with me, if you will, to the
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20th chapter of the book
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of Exodus.
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Exodus chapter 20.
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When we study God's
word, a correct understanding
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of that word is the
result of a number of factors
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and ingredients - not limited
to but certainly including
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an understanding...
some understanding of what
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social
scientists call the milieu.
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We would simply
call the context.
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Not only an understanding
of the people and time
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of the particular book or
chapter that we are considering
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but an overall macro context,
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a cosmic context,
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that is framed by
God's relationship with man.
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We see God in His word
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as one attempting to initiate
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and desiring to
establish and maintain
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an intimate
relationship with His people.
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God has always wanted
intimacy with His people.
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He has always wanted atonement
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for the world in general
and His people in particular.
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And so, those
broad-based parameters
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provide, in my
opinion, a backdrop
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not only for the Commandments
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but for every law,
every rule, every commandment,
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every ordinance,
every prohibition,
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every sanction as
well as every blessing,
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every promise, every epiphany,
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every prophecy that
God gave to His children -
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and through
them... to the world.
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From the time that Abraham
was asked to look into the sky
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and count the stars
through the long period until
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the first stone concussed
the holy brow of Stephen
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there was something
very special that Jehovah God
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wanted to do with
the Jews, to the Jews,
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through the Jews, and
for the Jews to the world.
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And so Jesus, the Ego Eimi,
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the I AM, began to
codify here in Exodus
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a set of laws
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predicated on the
demonstrative fact
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that you can do
because He has already done.
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And God enjoins
that to His people today.
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We can indeed do all things
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because of what
Christ has already done.
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When we were kids and we
were playing, my Dad many times
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would tell us to do something.
Or perhaps more accurately
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tell us to stop doing
something. And my sister, Donna,
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is sitting right
there. She can attest to it.
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Sometimes we would get
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a little recalcitrant.
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A little insubordinant.
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A little obstinant. A
little just plain hard headed.
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And the context for
what ensued was the fact that
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West Indian men... my father is
from the Island of Barbados...
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don't take a particular
like in saying anything twice.
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In fact, when my parents argued,
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my Dad rarely raised his voice
and never said anything twice.
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And so, there were times as kids
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when we thought
we were out of range
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and in a safety zone
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that we would actually question
one of my father's directives.
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He would say: "Don't do that! "
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And sometimes in a fit
of insanity we would say:
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"Why? "
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And my old-school Dad
would provide the context -
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um-hmm -
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for the discussion.
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"Because I am your
father, " he would say.
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How many have heard that before?
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"I brought you in;
I'll take you out. "
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Or... "Because I said so! "
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But once when I was 10 or 11
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I searched my brain
and it occurred to me
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that "Because I said so! "
or "Because I'm your father"
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was not sufficient justification
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to alter or abate my
intended course of action.
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I might have even
used the word stupid.
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I thought I was out of reach
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and I thought he
had not heard me,
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but my father sprang like a cat.
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With blinding speed
and superhuman strength
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he lifted me off
my feet and said:
00:15:34.10\00:15:36.33
"Because if I catch
you doing that again
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I will kill you. "
00:15:39.10\00:15:40.83
My sister can attest
that. Growing up in our house
00:15:44.43\00:15:46.43
there were many infractions
00:15:46.43\00:15:47.56
for which death was
the ultimate penalty.
00:15:47.56\00:15:49.56
But I stayed alive long
enough to baptize my Dad
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into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:15:56.60\00:15:58.53
And yet, over and over
again we see this recitation,
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this preamble that
we are about to look at
00:16:03.93\00:16:06.03
that contextualize the
prospective and prospective,
00:16:06.43\00:16:12.10
the future relationship
and activities between God and
00:16:12.30\00:16:15.40
His people. I'm in
Exodus chapter 20 verse 2.
00:16:15.40\00:16:18.23
Exodus 20 verse 2.
00:16:18.53\00:16:20.46
The Bible says:
00:16:20.46\00:16:21.63
And we see this
pattern over and over again
00:16:30.13\00:16:32.63
no less than 10 times.
00:16:32.93\00:16:34.30
Four times it is
recited on God's behalf;
00:16:34.50\00:16:36.80
six times it is
recited by the Lord Himself.
00:16:37.00\00:16:41.30
God, as it were, has
to articulate His pedigree
00:16:41.60\00:16:45.40
for a people who, in many
instances, did not know God.
00:16:45.70\00:16:49.16
And even when they
were introduced to Him
00:16:49.36\00:16:51.73
they were disposed to develop
00:16:51.93\00:16:54.30
and almost irresistible
case of spiritual Alzheimer's.
00:16:54.60\00:17:00.06
The pages of the Old Testament
are riddled with stories of
00:17:02.50\00:17:05.26
a people afflicted
with a volitional, selective
00:17:05.46\00:17:09.16
memory loss.
00:17:09.16\00:17:10.36
A loss that resulted in
a continual and habitual
00:17:10.66\00:17:14.56
wandering from God.
00:17:14.56\00:17:16.23
And the truth be told...
00:17:16.23\00:17:19.00
Israel never
really got the victory -
00:17:19.20\00:17:22.66
not for any
protracted length of time.
00:17:22.96\00:17:25.60
They never really got it right.
00:17:25.60\00:17:27.90
Oh I say and I say
again, the only thing worse than
00:17:28.10\00:17:30.26
nostalgia is amnesia.
00:17:30.26\00:17:32.50
And so a loving Lord, knowing
the unstable, capricious,
00:17:34.36\00:17:37.76
fickle, on/off,
hot/cold nature of His children,
00:17:37.76\00:17:41.16
people would often have
to reformulate in their minds
00:17:41.36\00:17:44.76
the reality that
"I am the Lord God
00:17:44.76\00:17:47.03
and beside Me
there is no other. "
00:17:47.03\00:17:49.30
"I AM! " The can do. The all
powerful, covenant-keeping God.
00:17:49.60\00:17:55.30
You know, you've got to love
a God who designates Himself
00:17:55.50\00:17:58.16
like that. Lord God.
That is a sermon in itself!
00:17:58.16\00:18:03.30
That's a brand
name and a generic drug,
00:18:03.60\00:18:08.26
a prescription
for sanctification
00:18:08.46\00:18:11.03
in a bottle with your
own personal name on it.
00:18:11.03\00:18:13.56
Lord God. Not
just a god... YOUR God.
00:18:13.86\00:18:17.60
The God who
brought you out of Egypt.
00:18:17.90\00:18:19.83
Pharaoh: a type of Satan.
00:18:20.03\00:18:22.60
Egypt: a type of sin.
00:18:22.80\00:18:24.80
And Jehovah is
saying: "I delivered you
00:18:25.10\00:18:27.70
from their
presence and their power.
00:18:27.90\00:18:30.00
This is what I did for you,
00:18:30.20\00:18:32.06
now I want you to do
the following for Me. "
00:18:32.26\00:18:34.83
Verse 3:
00:18:34.83\00:18:36.00
You know, I always thought
it was rather interesting
00:18:43.00\00:18:45.50
that the Lord had
to put that there.
00:18:45.70\00:18:47.46
Because it occurred to
me... the truth be known...
00:18:47.66\00:18:50.43
other than the one true God
00:18:50.63\00:18:53.16
there is no other god.
00:18:53.36\00:18:56.33
I put it to you.
Other than Jehovah God,
00:18:57.60\00:18:59.60
who else is there? Who
is your default setting?
00:18:59.80\00:19:02.10
What is your plan B?
00:19:02.30\00:19:03.80
Other than God, there is no god.
00:19:05.26\00:19:07.26
The word in the
Hebrew is Elohim.
00:19:07.46\00:19:11.56
Elohim. The word
is a Hebrew word.
00:19:11.86\00:19:14.60
E- L-O-H-I-M. The
I-M is a pleural ending.
00:19:14.80\00:19:18.43
Elohim is a pleural word.
00:19:18.63\00:19:20.63
It is the word most used
in the word of God for God.
00:19:20.63\00:19:24.96
Often it denotes the
title or the office of God.
00:19:25.26\00:19:29.63
El was also the head honcho,
the audio titular head of
00:19:29.83\00:19:33.76
the Canaanite Pantheon...
so it was a borrowed word.
00:19:33.76\00:19:36.33
They had El; we have Eloh...
00:19:36.53\00:19:40.30
our God is
greater than your god.
00:19:40.50\00:19:43.10
Elohim bespeaks
divinity and might and power
00:19:43.40\00:19:48.13
and keeping ability.
00:19:48.33\00:19:49.80
As I said, it is masculine
in gender and always pleural.
00:19:49.80\00:19:53.43
Sometimes it means
Jehovah the real God;
00:19:54.50\00:19:56.83
other times it means false god.
00:19:56.83\00:19:59.23
Well, how do you
know the difference?
00:19:59.23\00:20:00.46
Context.
00:20:01.53\00:20:03.03
That word
context comes back to us.
00:20:03.33\00:20:05.20
When the context is
singular with the pleural,
00:20:05.40\00:20:08.16
it's the true God.
00:20:08.36\00:20:09.53
I'll give an example.
00:20:09.83\00:20:10.80
Genesis chapter 1 verse 27,
00:20:11.00\00:20:12.70
Genesis 1:27:
00:20:12.90\00:20:14.43
"So Elohim created
man in His image. "
00:20:14.63\00:20:19.30
So, you've got
the pleural Elohim
00:20:19.50\00:20:21.53
with the singular word
His. Not their but HIS image.
00:20:21.53\00:20:25.10
Pleural with singular...
talking about the true God.
00:20:25.30\00:20:27.86
Another example.
Genesis chapter 1, verse 29:
00:20:28.06\00:20:30.76
"And Elohim said 'Behold I
have given you every herb'. "
00:20:30.96\00:20:36.20
Again, pleural word, singular I.
00:20:36.20\00:20:40.36
Look at
Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4.
00:20:40.56\00:20:42.63
Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4.
00:20:42.93\00:20:45.60
I am reading from
the New King James.
00:20:45.90\00:20:48.66
The Bible says: "Hear, O Israel!
00:20:48.96\00:20:52.30
The SINGULAR our
PLEURAL is SINGULAR. "
00:20:52.50\00:20:56.86
When you've got a
pleural with a singular,
00:20:57.16\00:20:59.40
you're talking
about the true God.
00:20:59.60\00:21:01.80
And God doesn't wait very long
to get you involved in this.
00:21:01.80\00:21:05.00
The very third word
in the Bible is Elohim.
00:21:05.20\00:21:08.90
The Hebrew says
Bereshit bara Elohim.
00:21:09.10\00:21:13.43
"In the beginning God... "
00:21:13.63\00:21:15.60
"In the beginning God... "
00:21:15.80\00:21:17.93
So right off the bat you've
got to deal with the fact that
00:21:18.13\00:21:20.36
you've got a tri-unity.
"In the beginning God... "
00:21:20.36\00:21:23.36
God got together and
said: "Let US make man
00:21:23.56\00:21:26.16
in OUR own
image... in the beginning. "
00:21:26.16\00:21:29.33
But when you've got a
pleural with a pleural,
00:21:29.53\00:21:31.66
then you're
talking about a false god.
00:21:31.86\00:21:34.30
Same word but different
god: pleural with pleural.
00:21:34.50\00:21:38.06
God says: "Thou shalt
have no other gods before Me. "
00:21:38.26\00:21:42.33
No phonys... um-hmmm...
00:21:43.23\00:21:47.16
no demigods; no faux gods.
00:21:48.46\00:21:51.56
No pretend gods.
00:21:51.76\00:21:54.80
No other gods before God.
00:21:55.60\00:21:57.33
In fact, the word God is so holy
00:21:59.20\00:22:02.20
that the ancient Jews
didn't even pronounce it.
00:22:02.20\00:22:05.20
They had the word Yahweh.
00:22:06.20\00:22:07.90
We pronounce it
Yahweh. We don't even
00:22:08.10\00:22:09.76
know if that's how
it's pronounced because
00:22:09.76\00:22:11.76
it's been forgotten.
Your early Christians
00:22:11.76\00:22:14.73
found the word
Adonai... A- D-O-N-A-I...
00:22:14.73\00:22:18.66
They took the 4 letters
from Yahweh. Added the O, the A,
00:22:18.86\00:22:23.56
the O and the A from
Adonai and it became Jehovah.
00:22:23.56\00:22:28.00
But the ancient Jews
did not pronounce it.
00:22:28.20\00:22:30.80
No one pronounced Yahweh.
00:22:31.00\00:22:33.50
Some pronounced Adonai.
00:22:33.80\00:22:35.96
Most simply call
Him Ashem - the name -
00:22:36.26\00:22:39.96
or Adoshem - the great name.
00:22:39.96\00:22:42.60
So there is but one true God.
00:22:42.90\00:22:45.43
But that mixed multitude in the
desert thought that there were
00:22:45.63\00:22:49.50
many others. They had
been seduced by 400 years
00:22:49.50\00:22:53.66
of Egyptian captivity. But
God would have them to know
00:22:53.66\00:22:57.83
that there is only one.
00:22:57.83\00:22:59.70
And anything else,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:22:59.90\00:23:02.00
is fiction... it is an idol.
00:23:02.00\00:23:04.76
How dare we attempt to replace
the real God with fiction?
00:23:04.96\00:23:09.63
And for the nexus, the kernel,
the core of Commandment #1
00:23:10.50\00:23:15.00
is do not elevate to God
status anyone or anything
00:23:15.00\00:23:20.40
that can never really be God.
00:23:20.40\00:23:22.00
No idols; no elohims.
00:23:22.30\00:23:26.03
And I would submit to
you that as bad as it is
00:23:26.23\00:23:30.76
not to know God, it is
arguably egregiously worse
00:23:30.76\00:23:35.90
to know Him and live
like He doesn't exist.
00:23:35.90\00:23:40.70
NOTHING, ladies and
gentlemen, and I mean NOTHING
00:23:42.00\00:23:46.33
comes before God.
00:23:46.33\00:23:49.70
Amen.
00:23:50.00\00:23:52.00
Nothing is more
important than God.
00:23:53.20\00:23:55.46
Not your money; not
your home; not your job;
00:23:55.80\00:23:59.80
not your reputation; not
your spouse; not your family...
00:23:59.80\00:24:03.13
Did he say
family? I said family!
00:24:03.33\00:24:05.30
Now family is very important
00:24:07.13\00:24:09.53
NEXT to God.
00:24:09.73\00:24:12.56
Amen?
00:24:12.86\00:24:14.46
Because none of
these things can save you.
00:24:14.76\00:24:16.80
And frankly, I put
those in that line early on
00:24:17.00\00:24:20.90
because I don't believe
any of these things are really
00:24:20.90\00:24:23.73
our problem. I don't
think they are the real issue.
00:24:23.73\00:24:27.00
Like jaundice.
00:24:27.20\00:24:29.10
Jaundice is a
symptom of a deeper problem.
00:24:29.30\00:24:33.70
Hey! If you're
choosing your job over Jehovah,
00:24:33.90\00:24:39.86
you've got a problem.
00:24:40.06\00:24:42.16
Um-hmmm.
00:24:44.66\00:24:45.86
The real issue is not your job.
00:24:47.66\00:24:50.20
The real issue may
lie somewhere else.
00:24:50.40\00:24:53.30
It is far more
pandemic, far more invasive,
00:24:53.50\00:24:56.40
far more sinister.
00:24:56.60\00:24:58.33
The real idol, the real
demigod, is not what we own,
00:24:58.53\00:25:03.76
ladies and
gentlemen, it is what we ARE.
00:25:03.76\00:25:06.66
Because what you
own is simply a symbol,
00:25:06.86\00:25:10.60
a symptom, of what you ARE.
00:25:10.60\00:25:13.16
Someone said: Tell me
where a person spends his money
00:25:14.00\00:25:17.40
and I'll show you what he is.
00:25:17.60\00:25:20.56
It is a
consequence of these last days.
00:25:22.60\00:25:26.76
So that makes what we are
about to say present truth.
00:25:26.76\00:25:29.30
Turn with me to II
Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1.
00:25:29.50\00:25:32.36
II Timothy
chapter 3 and verse 1.
00:25:35.76\00:25:38.70
The word of God says:
00:25:41.63\00:25:43.00
Now that is not inveighing
against homosexuality -
00:25:53.40\00:25:56.70
although I've heard
it spoken of that way -
00:25:56.70\00:25:59.50
because the Greek word
there for men is anthropon
00:25:59.80\00:26:03.73
or anthropoid...
which simply means mankind -
00:26:03.73\00:26:06.53
from which we get
words like anthropology.
00:26:06.73\00:26:09.06
Paul's caveat to
Timothy is that in the last days
00:26:09.26\00:26:13.70
human beings -
that is, mankind -
00:26:13.70\00:26:16.30
is going to fall
out of love with God
00:26:16.30\00:26:19.66
and in love with itself.
00:26:19.66\00:26:21.86
God is saying
that the prevailing sin
00:26:24.60\00:26:27.90
of these last
days... of the end time...
00:26:27.90\00:26:31.63
the fertile garden from
which so much misery grows...
00:26:31.83\00:26:35.66
is the sin of self love.
00:26:35.86\00:26:38.76
The problem is we are
in love with ourselves.
00:26:38.96\00:26:43.50
And we are so in
love with ourselves
00:26:43.70\00:26:46.80
we don't have room for God.
00:26:46.80\00:26:49.06
We've replaced God,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:26:50.16\00:26:52.90
with us.
00:26:53.10\00:26:54.16
Latter days... later
day man's god is man.
00:26:54.36\00:26:59.93
Are you listening to me?
00:27:00.23\00:27:03.26
And what is implied
and alluded to in Timothy
00:27:03.26\00:27:06.93
is stated emphatically in
Romans chapter 1 verse 25.
00:27:06.93\00:27:09.90
Romans 1 verse 25.
00:27:10.10\00:27:12.26
"Who exchanged the
truth of God for the lie...
00:27:12.46\00:27:15.23
Heaven's complaint is that those
who were created for God's glory
00:27:22.36\00:27:26.46
have decided they
don't want Him anymore.
00:27:26.46\00:27:30.00
They are worshiping themselves.
00:27:30.40\00:27:33.60
How incredibly fascinating,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:27:33.90\00:27:36.83
that the genesis of man's
latter day ascent to divinity
00:27:37.03\00:27:41.23
and his contaminant
descent into degradation
00:27:41.23\00:27:43.90
interestingly enough can
be traced to the end of the
00:27:43.90\00:27:47.10
2300 day prophecy.
Follow me for just a minute.
00:27:47.10\00:27:49.30
The beginning of
Christ's mediatorial work
00:27:50.40\00:27:55.50
in the holy of holys.
00:27:55.50\00:27:57.80
In the days surrounding 1844,
00:27:58.10\00:28:02.50
heaven stepped into high
gear... and so did Satan.
00:28:03.50\00:28:07.73
And just as God
had His champions,
00:28:08.86\00:28:12.23
as He brought to the
field of battle His champions -
00:28:12.43\00:28:15.80
James White,
1821. Ellen White, 1826.
00:28:16.00\00:28:19.80
Joshua Bornheims, 20
years old at that time,
00:28:20.00\00:28:24.00
one of the greatest
communicators the world...
00:28:24.20\00:28:27.20
the church has ever produced
who moved William Miller
00:28:27.20\00:28:29.96
from the small towns
into the large cities.
00:28:29.96\00:28:32.03
And just as God began to raise
up young people with strength
00:28:32.23\00:28:37.53
and stamina and Holy Spirit
to do a great work for Him,
00:28:37.53\00:28:41.03
interestingly enough Satan
also raised up his champions.
00:28:41.03\00:28:43.86
Same time
period; right about 1844.
00:28:44.06\00:28:47.40
Rebel and threat
to the cause of God...
00:28:47.60\00:28:52.03
Carl Marx, 1818.
00:28:52.23\00:28:54.10
Frederick Ingles, 1820.
00:28:54.30\00:28:56.63
Henry David Thoreau, 1820.
00:28:56.63\00:28:59.03
Some of these born within months
or days of God's champions.
00:28:59.23\00:29:02.43
Charles Darwin in 1831... the
same year that William Miller
00:29:02.63\00:29:07.76
preached his first sermon...
Charles Darwin jumped aboard
00:29:07.76\00:29:11.43
a ship called the HMS Beagle -
00:29:11.43\00:29:14.06
follow me, if you will -
00:29:14.76\00:29:15.90
as an unpaid naturalist.
00:29:15.90\00:29:18.00
He made amazing discoveries
in the Galapagos Islands
00:29:18.20\00:29:21.60
about 1,000 leagues west
of the country of Ecuador.
00:29:21.60\00:29:25.56
And by the time he returned
in 1836, he had convinced
00:29:25.76\00:29:31.06
himself that mankind was
the product of an evolutionary
00:29:31.06\00:29:34.93
process that he
called natural selection.
00:29:34.93\00:29:37.86
Chance was in... God was out.
00:29:38.16\00:29:42.96
He fine-tuned his
ideas for 23 years.
00:29:44.16\00:29:47.43
Others bought into his theory.
00:29:47.63\00:29:49.70
And during the days of
the Great Disappointment,
00:29:49.90\00:29:52.73
October 1844,
00:29:52.73\00:29:55.76
Darwin was saying that God had
00:29:55.96\00:29:59.10
nothing to do with our creation.
00:29:59.10\00:30:01.26
And by the time his 1st edition
00:30:01.56\00:30:04.53
of The Origin of the Species
00:30:04.53\00:30:06.20
came out in 1859,
it sold out in one day.
00:30:06.40\00:30:09.90
Five additional editions
also sold out within days of
00:30:09.90\00:30:14.63
their release, and
one Ph. D. egghead said,
00:30:14.63\00:30:18.63
commenting on Darwin's
work, "He is the single-most
00:30:18.63\00:30:22.26
influential individual on planet
earth in the last 250 years. "
00:30:22.26\00:30:26.60
And it is no coincidence
that Darwin came to the fore
00:30:26.90\00:30:31.70
about 1844.
00:30:31.70\00:30:34.13
When Christ stepped up His
ministry, Satan stepped up his.
00:30:34.13\00:30:37.53
Get this quote, another Ph. D.:
00:30:38.70\00:30:42.70
"With the publishing of the
book Origin, mankind has finally
00:30:42.90\00:30:48.63
escaped from God. "
00:30:48.63\00:30:51.00
Satan didn't stop there.
00:30:53.40\00:30:55.73
Carl Marx and Frederick Ingles
collaborated on a book called
00:30:55.93\00:30:58.23
The Communist Manifesto,
released, interestingly enough,
00:30:58.23\00:31:01.26
in 1848. Watershed year
for the Adventist community.
00:31:01.26\00:31:04.60
The Communist Manifesto served
as inspiration for countless
00:31:04.80\00:31:08.73
20th century and 19th
century dictators and tyrants
00:31:08.73\00:31:11.90
including Lenin, Stalin,
Hitler, Mussolini, and Pol Pot
00:31:11.90\00:31:16.26
and many others who
got their theology from
00:31:16.46\00:31:20.40
The Communist Manifesto.
00:31:20.40\00:31:22.00
You see, none of them
had any value for human life.
00:31:22.20\00:31:25.60
And when you take
God out of the picture,
00:31:25.80\00:31:28.63
all you are left
with is an animal
00:31:28.83\00:31:32.40
in a dog-eat-dog world that
asserts daddy was a gorilla,
00:31:32.60\00:31:37.90
momma was a chimpanzee.
00:31:38.10\00:31:39.63
The Bible says...
Psalm chapter 53 verse 1:
00:31:43.10\00:31:46.26
"The fool hath said in
his heart there is no God. "
00:31:46.46\00:31:51.70
There are scientists who will
tell you it takes more faith
00:31:51.90\00:31:54.93
to believe in evolution
than it does in creation.
00:31:54.93\00:31:57.26
Dr. Mike Denton says: "By the
time that Darwin's last edition
00:31:58.46\00:32:02.46
of Origin came off the press
in 1872, even Darwin himself
00:32:02.46\00:32:06.26
was plagued by self-doubt
because he was unable to meet
00:32:06.26\00:32:09.83
the many objections
to his own theory. "
00:32:09.83\00:32:12.10
By the end of his life, Charles
Darwin wasn't even buying
00:32:12.40\00:32:16.50
what he was selling.
00:32:16.50\00:32:17.96
But Satan wasn't finished.
00:32:18.26\00:32:22.20
In 1844, one month after
the Great Disappointment,
00:32:22.50\00:32:25.00
Marx and Ingles
collaborated on another book
00:32:25.20\00:32:27.76
called The Holy Family.
00:32:27.76\00:32:29.53
But there was
nothing holy about it.
00:32:29.73\00:32:31.66
The book was described as a
sarcastic assault and revolt
00:32:31.86\00:32:36.03
against the state, the family,
religion, and God Himself.
00:32:36.03\00:32:39.30
Ingles lived with a
woman all of his life
00:32:40.53\00:32:42.66
but he never married
her. He refused to marry her
00:32:42.66\00:32:45.26
as an affront to God.
He taught that marriage was
00:32:45.26\00:32:47.76
unnatural, unethical, and evil.
00:32:47.76\00:32:49.96
It was no coincidence,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:32:54.36\00:32:56.60
that these men came to the fore
about the end of the 2300 days
00:32:56.80\00:33:01.80
because Satan knew
that his time was short.
00:33:02.00\00:33:04.80
And now the whole world
accepts a myth, a theory,
00:33:05.76\00:33:11.03
as fact.
00:33:11.03\00:33:12.86
Science was the hook used
to pull God off of His throne
00:33:13.26\00:33:18.33
and to replace Him with us.
00:33:18.53\00:33:22.36
So a new ideology is born.
00:33:22.56\00:33:25.26
Nobody buys that God is dead.
00:33:25.46\00:33:27.30
Nobody buys that
God is out to lunch.
00:33:27.50\00:33:30.43
The new theology
simply is God is unnecessary.
00:33:30.73\00:33:35.10
When we've got
science, we've got computers,
00:33:35.60\00:33:38.53
we've got math, we've
got art, we've got medicine,
00:33:38.53\00:33:40.43
engineering, literature.
We've got college degrees,
00:33:40.43\00:33:43.53
we've got Ph. D.s. We're
learned; we're not illiterate.
00:33:43.53\00:33:46.90
We don't live in
tents, we live in houses.
00:33:47.10\00:33:48.80
We rely on ourselves.
00:33:49.00\00:33:50.53
God is just not necessary.
00:33:50.53\00:33:54.30
Romans 1:25 says:
00:33:56.53\00:33:58.10
"Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools. "
00:33:58.10\00:34:02.93
Do you know? Do you
know what the most overused,
00:34:03.33\00:34:08.40
underrated, bankrupt word
in the English language is?
00:34:08.60\00:34:13.13
May I suggest to
you that it is love?
00:34:15.43\00:34:18.56
Um-hmmm.
00:34:19.80\00:34:21.76
I John 4:8:
00:34:23.16\00:34:25.80
The word, the concept
like ethics and morality
00:34:30.30\00:34:35.63
have absolutely no
meaning without God.
00:34:35.83\00:34:40.23
You can talk about emotionalism,
eroticism, physical attraction,
00:34:41.26\00:34:45.40
sex, but if you are
talking about real love,
00:34:45.40\00:34:48.73
you've got to be
talking about God.
00:34:48.73\00:34:50.76
How curious it is,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:34:51.06\00:34:54.00
that the further we move from
God, the more we stray from God
00:34:54.20\00:34:57.60
in these last days, the
more we tend to use words
00:34:57.60\00:35:03.20
that substitute for God.
00:35:03.20\00:35:05.66
The more we use terms that
have their relevance and meaning
00:35:05.86\00:35:09.73
only in God.
00:35:09.73\00:35:11.36
We tend to deify the
term and forget about God.
00:35:11.56\00:35:16.33
We have made a god of love.
00:35:16.53\00:35:19.83
I love my dog. I love my cat.
00:35:20.03\00:35:23.00
I love my new
clothes. I love my television.
00:35:23.20\00:35:26.36
I love 3ABN. I love my computer.
00:35:26.56\00:35:29.33
I love my
horse. I love my boots.
00:35:29.53\00:35:32.13
I love my shoes.
I love my new dress.
00:35:32.36\00:35:34.83
I love the
summer. I love the winter.
00:35:35.03\00:35:37.36
I love the snow.
I love the beach.
00:35:37.56\00:35:39.70
I love waterskiing.
I love the mountains.
00:35:39.90\00:35:42.86
I love my new pickup truck.
00:35:43.06\00:35:44.83
I love my wife. I
love my John Deere tractor.
00:35:45.03\00:35:48.13
And if either of them gets old
and rusty, I'm turning them in
00:35:48.33\00:35:51.66
on a new model.
00:35:51.66\00:35:52.76
The word... the
concept itself...
00:35:57.30\00:36:00.33
has been adulterated.
00:36:00.53\00:36:02.20
We talk about
love. We read about love.
00:36:02.40\00:36:04.56
We hear about
love. We sing about love.
00:36:04.76\00:36:06.50
We sell love.
00:36:06.70\00:36:08.46
We worship love.
00:36:08.70\00:36:09.80
We browse for
love on the Internet.
00:36:10.00\00:36:12.13
Ever searching, never finding.
00:36:12.33\00:36:14.70
Looking for love in
all the wrong places.
00:36:14.90\00:36:17.13
It's like those
guys in Manhattan
00:36:17.33\00:36:20.16
that sell the fake Gucci watches
00:36:20.36\00:36:24.06
or the $4,500 Rolex watches
or the $1,500 Gucci handbags.
00:36:25.06\00:36:31.03
Now how do you think
you are going to purchase
00:36:31.23\00:36:34.63
a $1,500 Gucci handbag
or a $4,500 Rolex watch
00:36:34.63\00:36:39.50
for a cool 25 bucks?
00:36:39.50\00:36:41.80
You're getting ripped off!
00:36:45.30\00:36:47.60
I am saying love in
today's world is little more
00:36:47.60\00:36:52.66
than justification
for self indulgence.
00:36:52.66\00:36:55.80
God is love,
but love is not God.
00:36:56.83\00:37:00.50
And a God of love,
as much as He loves,
00:37:02.23\00:37:05.50
said: "You cannot have
any other gods before me...
00:37:05.70\00:37:08.50
not even love itself. "
00:37:08.50\00:37:10.60
And so man is
latter-day man's god.
00:37:11.60\00:37:16.90
Love is his Holy Spirit,
00:37:17.10\00:37:19.70
and the logical, predictable
end to that kind of ideology
00:37:19.90\00:37:25.30
is evolution.
00:37:25.30\00:37:26.66
When you put man at the top
and take God off the throne,
00:37:26.86\00:37:31.13
you are in for trouble.
00:37:31.33\00:37:33.76
We see how twisted we can become
00:37:33.96\00:37:37.23
when we leave
out the pure gospel.
00:37:37.43\00:37:39.83
So I am my god
and you are yours.
00:37:40.03\00:37:43.76
Have you ever heard the
story of the self-made man
00:37:43.96\00:37:47.70
who worships his own god?
00:37:47.90\00:37:49.53
Um-hmmm.
00:37:53.30\00:37:54.86
How absolutely pathetic...
of all men most miserable.
00:37:57.06\00:38:02.23
If you are your own
god, may I suggest to you
00:38:02.43\00:38:07.16
that your god is too small?
00:38:07.16\00:38:09.56
You see, if you are your
own god one day you are going to
00:38:12.33\00:38:15.93
run into something
that your god can't handle.
00:38:15.93\00:38:18.23
If you are your god, someday
your god is going to be sick.
00:38:18.43\00:38:23.76
If you are your own
god, occasionally your god is
00:38:24.86\00:38:27.96
going to have a day when he
00:38:27.96\00:38:29.43
simply doesn't
want to be bothered.
00:38:29.43\00:38:31.16
If you are your own god, sooner
or later your god is going to
00:38:32.36\00:38:35.90
face a problem he can't solve.
00:38:35.90\00:38:38.06
If you are your own god
and your god can't keep you,
00:38:38.40\00:38:44.00
and your god can't heal you,
00:38:44.00\00:38:46.40
and your god can't help you,
00:38:46.40\00:38:48.70
and your god can't cure
you or comfort you or free you
00:38:48.70\00:38:52.53
or constrain you or
change you or transform you...
00:38:52.53\00:38:56.30
If your god can't save
you, then what in the world
00:38:56.30\00:39:00.06
is he going to do with me?
00:39:00.06\00:39:01.36
You see, you see, you
see... theology aside,
00:39:05.76\00:39:10.16
it just makes good
sense to serve the Living God.
00:39:10.36\00:39:14.13
Because if you reject God,
all you're left with is you.
00:39:14.43\00:39:20.06
And you will forgive
my pejorative English,
00:39:20.26\00:39:23.43
I mean offense to no
one, but when it comes to
00:39:23.43\00:39:25.30
my salvation, you
ain't good enough for me.
00:39:25.30\00:39:28.50
The Lord said: "I have loved
you with an everlasting love;
00:39:34.56\00:39:38.06
therefore, with loving
kindness I have drawn you. "
00:39:38.06\00:39:40.46
Excuse me, but that's the
God I want to put my money on.
00:39:40.66\00:39:44.23
How about you?
00:39:45.66\00:39:46.76
Look around us. We have paid
a heavy price for our arrogance.
00:39:49.73\00:39:54.30
On April 2nd of this
year I heard on the news
00:39:54.50\00:39:59.13
that nine 4th graders were
arrested for plotting a murder
00:39:59.13\00:40:03.76
of their teacher.
00:40:03.76\00:40:04.86
Nine 4th graders.
00:40:05.06\00:40:07.40
They had planned
to smash her skull,
00:40:07.80\00:40:11.93
tie her up, and
then stab her to death.
00:40:12.16\00:40:16.10
Nine 4th graders.
00:40:17.13\00:40:18.50
The plot was so well organized
that it shocked the community.
00:40:18.70\00:40:23.56
They had brought rope,
scissors, a baseball bat,
00:40:23.76\00:40:28.53
bricks, and a knife to school.
00:40:28.73\00:40:31.56
And when asked
"Why were you planning
00:40:31.76\00:40:34.80
to murder your
teacher? " their answer was
00:40:34.80\00:40:37.90
"She talked mean to one of us. "
00:40:38.10\00:40:40.30
The gods of this
world, the elohims,
00:40:42.40\00:40:46.46
have replaced reason and
sanity and morality and humility
00:40:46.66\00:40:52.10
and kindness and sympathy.
00:40:52.30\00:40:54.30
And then a terrorist,
allegedly in the name of God,
00:40:54.50\00:40:57.70
flies a plane into
a 110-story building,
00:40:57.90\00:41:01.20
and in our delirium
we cry: "Where was God? "
00:41:01.40\00:41:05.23
The answer? Right
where you left Him.
00:41:06.20\00:41:08.66
Hasn't gone anywhere.
00:41:12.26\00:41:14.00
Been in the same
spot for 7,000 years.
00:41:14.20\00:41:16.63
He is right where you left Him.
00:41:17.83\00:41:20.16
Genesis said "Bereshit bara
Elohim; in the beginning God. "
00:41:20.36\00:41:25.20
He was there
then; He's here now!
00:41:25.40\00:41:27.80
"Ye shall find Me, " He
said, "when you search for Me
00:41:28.00\00:41:32.10
with all your heart. "
00:41:32.10\00:41:34.76
There are 4 principal ideologies
that I want to talk about
00:41:34.96\00:41:38.36
that are the
elohims of this world.
00:41:38.56\00:41:41.20
The ideological elohims.
00:41:41.40\00:41:43.96
I cannot take
total credit for them.
00:41:44.16\00:41:46.80
I borrowed this
from Dr. John Pauling
00:41:47.00\00:41:49.93
who borrowed it
from Dr. Tony Campolo
00:41:50.13\00:41:52.83
who borrowed it
from Dr. Roger Smith.
00:41:53.03\00:41:55.33
And each of us add our own
cherry to the top of the sundae.
00:41:55.53\00:41:59.13
But there are four particular
ideologies that define
00:41:59.33\00:42:03.33
modern man. They are the
ideological elohims that the
00:42:03.33\00:42:06.76
secular world lives by.
00:42:06.76\00:42:07.80
The first is autonomy.
00:42:08.00\00:42:09.43
The first is autonomy.
00:42:09.63\00:42:12.33
I'm sorry, it's contingency
00:42:12.53\00:42:13.73
followed by temporality,
00:42:13.93\00:42:15.26
followed by relativity,
00:42:15.46\00:42:16.50
then autonomy.
00:42:16.70\00:42:17.86
Let's talk about contingency.
00:42:18.06\00:42:20.00
Contingency suggests
that everything that happens
00:42:20.20\00:42:24.30
in this world is the
result of cause and effect.
00:42:24.30\00:42:27.86
You do something;
you get a response.
00:42:28.06\00:42:31.50
So there's no need to
ascribe any of the outcomes
00:42:31.70\00:42:35.86
in my life to the interposition
of any supernatural powers.
00:42:35.86\00:42:39.26
In other words, I
put in; I get out.
00:42:39.46\00:42:41.60
I don't give God or anybody else
credit for what happens to me.
00:42:41.80\00:42:44.60
I do the work; I get the reward.
00:42:44.80\00:42:47.50
In other words, 200
people go for a job.
00:42:47.70\00:42:50.43
199 people don't get
the job; I get the job.
00:42:50.66\00:42:54.26
Not because God helped me;
because I deserved the job.
00:42:54.46\00:42:59.76
I worked for the job; I'm
better than the rest of them
00:42:59.96\00:43:03.46
OR... dumb luck.
00:43:03.66\00:43:06.73
Contingency: I
put in; I get out.
00:43:07.70\00:43:11.70
Cause and effect - NOT GOD.
00:43:11.90\00:43:14.76
Even some Christians believe it.
00:43:32.76\00:43:34.23
They believe
they've got to help God out.
00:43:34.43\00:43:36.96
If I don't do it,
it won't get done.
00:43:37.16\00:43:40.73
You see how that
pushes God to the side?
00:43:43.46\00:43:45.30
Takes God off the
throne; puts me on top.
00:43:46.46\00:43:49.90
Demigod #2: autonomy.
00:43:50.10\00:43:53.40
The concept is I determine
who calls the shots in my life.
00:43:54.33\00:44:00.20
I reserve the right
to make my own decisions.
00:44:00.40\00:44:03.50
The concept is: it's MY
life and I can do what I want
00:44:03.70\00:44:09.30
so there's no need to seek
or follow God for direction.
00:44:09.30\00:44:14.10
If I want that, I get that
00:44:14.30\00:44:16.73
and I don't ask God
or anybody else about it.
00:44:16.93\00:44:19.03
If I can take it, I take it.
00:44:19.23\00:44:20.83
If I can steal it, I steal it.
00:44:21.03\00:44:22.50
If I can connive
to get it, I do that.
00:44:22.70\00:44:24.70
I am autonomous. I
don't owe anything to anybody.
00:44:24.90\00:44:28.56
So, an animal lover will
leave $5,000,000 to his cat
00:44:28.86\00:44:33.50
and give nothing to feed
starving children in Haiti
00:44:33.70\00:44:38.70
who are eating mud patties.
00:44:38.70\00:44:40.36
Or thousands of
dollars to save the rainforest
00:44:40.56\00:44:44.23
but not one dime
for inner-city children.
00:44:44.43\00:44:47.86
I'm autonomous; I
determine what has value.
00:44:48.26\00:44:51.86
Autonomy says "I report to me. "
00:44:52.06\00:44:57.16
I determine... I
give meaning to my life,
00:45:21.00\00:45:25.26
and I don't need God.
00:45:25.46\00:45:27.70
God is unnecessary.
00:45:27.90\00:45:31.53
Demigod #3: relativity.
00:45:32.90\00:45:36.30
Relativity suggests the idea
that absolutes are untenable,
00:45:36.50\00:45:41.93
unintelligent,
and unreasonable...
00:45:42.13\00:45:44.70
even counterintuitive.
00:45:44.90\00:45:47.20
Relativity insists that the
idea that one size fits all,
00:45:47.40\00:45:53.13
that there is one
rule or one set of rules,
00:45:53.13\00:45:56.46
or 10 rules is stupid.
00:45:56.66\00:45:58.96
You have an individual
situation. It only makes sense
00:46:02.36\00:46:06.20
that you adjust your
rules to fit the situation.
00:46:06.20\00:46:09.90
That's relativity.
00:46:10.20\00:46:12.10
Why would you subscribe to
a one size fits all mindset?
00:46:12.40\00:46:18.33
I'm different; you're different.
00:46:18.53\00:46:21.80
So the rules for each
of us must be? Different!
00:46:22.00\00:46:26.30
That's relativity.
00:46:26.50\00:46:28.26
Every situation being the same?
00:46:28.46\00:46:31.93
That's insane!
00:46:32.16\00:46:33.86
It's all relative.
00:46:34.06\00:46:37.03
Um-hmmm.
00:47:04.46\00:47:05.76
What is right is
what is right for me
00:47:07.46\00:47:10.33
is what is right.
00:47:10.53\00:47:12.60
What's right for
you... not right for me.
00:47:12.80\00:47:16.36
What's right for
me... not right for you.
00:47:16.66\00:47:19.93
You determine
what's right for you,
00:47:20.13\00:47:22.26
I'll determine
what's right for me,
00:47:22.50\00:47:24.60
and this idea that there
are 10 rules that never alter,
00:47:24.83\00:47:29.46
never change, that ain't right.
00:47:29.46\00:47:31.13
That's relativity.
00:47:34.90\00:47:36.40
The final
demigod is temporality.
00:47:36.70\00:47:40.46
It simply suggests
that nothing lasts forever.
00:47:40.46\00:47:44.43
Your car's not
going to last forever.
00:47:44.63\00:47:47.10
Your house is not
going to last forever.
00:47:47.30\00:47:49.53
Your wife?
00:47:49.76\00:47:52.50
Your husband.
00:47:55.60\00:47:56.86
Your job, your religion:
they're all going to change.
00:47:57.26\00:48:03.23
There are people today who don't
just expect things to change
00:48:03.63\00:48:09.60
they engineer change.
00:48:09.80\00:48:12.50
They expect things to change.
00:48:12.70\00:48:15.56
My car is going to last so many
years; I gotta' get a new one.
00:48:15.76\00:48:20.40
My house will
last so many years;
00:48:20.60\00:48:23.83
I'll have to get a new one.
00:48:23.83\00:48:25.60
My marriage will
last so many years...
00:48:25.60\00:48:31.43
They don't expect to
be in the same place,
00:48:35.70\00:48:38.80
the same relationship.
00:48:39.00\00:48:40.06
The idea that
something can be unchangeable...
00:48:41.20\00:48:45.86
the same yesterday,
today, and forever...
00:48:46.06\00:48:51.50
is incomprehensible.
00:48:51.70\00:48:54.30
So if this marriage
gets tough I'm gone.
00:49:12.23\00:49:15.86
If serving Jesus gets
tough, I'm out of here.
00:49:16.16\00:49:21.00
It's never going to
last, so why work at it?
00:49:21.30\00:49:27.20
Every malfeasance, every cancel
in the social corpus of mankind
00:49:28.26\00:49:32.73
can be traced to
one of these elohims.
00:49:32.96\00:49:35.90
What a world we would have,
00:49:37.60\00:49:39.50
ladies and gentlemen,
00:49:39.50\00:49:40.50
if we could
simply put God first.
00:49:40.70\00:49:46.60
Can you imagine the
kind of world we would have
00:49:48.20\00:49:51.76
if we all just put God first?
00:49:51.76\00:49:57.00
The kind of nation?
The kind of community?
00:49:58.50\00:50:02.90
If every man,
every boy, every girl
00:50:03.10\00:50:07.56
simply put God first.
00:50:07.56\00:50:11.43
No elohim before Elohim.
00:50:11.73\00:50:17.66
You know, the tallest of
skyscrapers is built on a firm
00:50:17.96\00:50:22.60
and deep foundation.
00:50:22.80\00:50:24.26
The glory of all of the
Ten wonderful Commandments
00:50:24.46\00:50:30.10
the constitutional
reality of man's existence,
00:50:30.30\00:50:34.70
is foundational and
revolves around the fact
00:50:34.90\00:50:39.93
that "In the beginning God... "
00:50:40.13\00:50:44.20
And God desires and deserves
00:50:44.40\00:50:49.26
no rival.
00:50:49.26\00:50:51.56
For truly there is no God
00:50:51.76\00:50:57.00
but God.
00:50:57.20\00:50:59.36
There is none like Him.
00:50:59.56\00:51:01.90
Genesis 1:1:
00:51:03.46\00:51:05.16
"Bereshit bara Elohim. "
00:51:05.36\00:51:09.03
God doesn't try to justify
it, doesn't try to explain it,
00:51:09.23\00:51:13.50
doesn't try to rationalize it.
00:51:13.70\00:51:15.73
He says: "In the
beginning God... "
00:51:15.96\00:51:17.93
and you have to accept
that first page, first chapter,
00:51:17.93\00:51:21.50
first line or
else close the book...
00:51:21.50\00:51:25.10
because everything else
in this book is based on
00:51:25.40\00:51:30.23
"In the beginning God... "
00:51:30.23\00:51:31.73
And if you're going to
live with Him and live for Him,
00:51:31.73\00:51:35.90
then you can't have
anybody else in front of Him.
00:51:36.10\00:51:41.26
God says: "I'm a jealous God. "
00:51:41.66\00:51:44.43
I'm not going
to take any rivals.
00:51:44.63\00:51:47.16
Not going to take any other
courters, no other suitors.
00:51:47.36\00:51:49.80
You date me... that's it!
00:51:50.00\00:51:51.66
God, God, and only God.
00:51:53.20\00:51:57.03
Isaiah picks up the
strain in chapter 44 verse 6.
00:51:57.23\00:52:02.96
Isaiah chapter 44, verse 6:
00:52:03.16\00:52:07.23
Give me a second to find it...
00:52:09.43\00:52:13.63
"I am the first, and I am...
" the what? "I am the last. "
00:52:24.56\00:52:29.13
"Besides Me there is no God. "
00:52:29.33\00:52:34.10
Amen? No God but God.
00:52:34.90\00:52:37.30
"And who can proclaim as I
do? Then let him declare it
00:52:39.13\00:52:43.40
and set it in order for Me.
00:52:43.60\00:52:46.53
Since I appointed the
ancient people and the things
00:52:46.73\00:52:50.60
that are coming and shall come.
00:52:50.60\00:52:52.86
Let them show these to them.
00:52:53.06\00:52:55.80
Do not fear nor be afraid.
00:52:56.00\00:52:59.80
Have I not told you from
that time and declared it?
00:53:00.06\00:53:04.16
You are My witnesses. " I am
reading from the New King James.
00:53:04.36\00:53:08.26
"Is there a God beside Me?
00:53:08.46\00:53:11.86
Indeed, there is no other
00:53:12.26\00:53:17.63
Rock. "
00:53:17.63\00:53:20.03
There's no God but God.
00:53:20.43\00:53:22.46
Ellen White said:
"If you cannot see
00:53:22.86\00:53:28.20
the future, look
back over the past.
00:53:28.40\00:53:32.73
You ought to be able to
see a pattern of what I call
00:53:33.13\00:53:37.03
providential interposition.
00:53:37.03\00:53:39.63
You ought to see a pattern
of God inserting His hand
00:53:39.83\00:53:44.40
into your life
00:53:44.40\00:53:46.36
and bringing you
from day one to today.
00:53:46.56\00:53:50.16
You ought to be able to
look back and see where God
00:53:50.36\00:53:53.46
has blessed you,
answered your prayers.
00:53:53.46\00:53:56.90
Kept you, directed you.
Instructed you, saved you.
00:53:57.10\00:54:02.66
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is no accident that you
00:54:02.86\00:54:05.00
sit in this place on this night.
00:54:05.00\00:54:07.23
It is no accident! God
is in control of our lives.
00:54:07.73\00:54:12.70
Amen? Amen.
00:54:12.90\00:54:14.40
There's no God but God.
00:54:14.60\00:54:16.00
And our God is saying:
00:54:16.20\00:54:18.30
"Don't put
anybody in front of Me. "
00:54:18.50\00:54:21.63
No one. Not your children.
00:54:21.83\00:54:24.90
Not your
brother. Not your sister.
00:54:25.10\00:54:28.50
Not even your
husband or your wife.
00:54:28.70\00:54:31.63
Because come Judgment
Day, God is not going to say
00:54:31.83\00:54:35.16
"What did your husband do? "
00:54:35.36\00:54:37.60
"What did your wife do? "
00:54:40.60\00:54:43.90
"Tell me, tell me
about your parents.
00:54:44.10\00:54:47.80
What did your parents do? "
00:54:48.00\00:54:49.60
He's going to
ask "What did you do
00:54:51.40\00:54:55.06
when I came calling?
When I knocked on the door?
00:54:55.26\00:55:00.33
I knocked on your door
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and you didn't answer.
00:55:03.60\00:55:06.50
I called, but you had the TV on.
00:55:06.70\00:55:10.96
I sent a letter, but
you left it in the mail box.
00:55:11.16\00:55:16.56
I prayed for you,
but you didn't answer.
00:55:17.26\00:55:23.06
"Thou shalt have no other gods "
00:55:24.93\00:55:29.40
because no one on this
earth has a heaven to give you
00:55:29.60\00:55:35.03
or a hell to keep you from.
00:55:35.23\00:55:38.23
We owe our all to God,
00:55:39.86\00:55:43.33
and there is
none other than God.
00:55:43.53\00:55:47.56
And one day soon and very
soon we're going to see Him
00:55:47.76\00:55:52.73
face to blessed face.
00:55:52.93\00:55:56.23
The song says "Oh,
what a day of rejoicing
00:55:56.43\00:56:01.23
that will be. "
00:56:01.23\00:56:03.63
How many love the Lord tonight?
00:56:03.83\00:56:05.43
How many plan not
lettin' anybody or anything
00:56:07.03\00:56:10.60
get between us and our God?
00:56:10.60\00:56:12.10
When you put
your hand in His hand,
00:56:13.66\00:56:15.66
nothing, no one
00:56:15.86\00:56:19.73
can take you out of His hand.
00:56:19.93\00:56:21.93
Shall we pray?
00:56:22.33\00:56:23.53
Heavenly Father,
we love You, Lord.
00:56:23.53\00:56:27.06
And though we are surrounded
by a world that denies
00:56:28.03\00:56:31.90
Your very
existence, that worships itself
00:56:31.90\00:56:35.66
in print, on the
television screen, on the radio,
00:56:35.66\00:56:40.20
in the arts and sciences.
00:56:40.43\00:56:43.33
We have put ourselves on
the throne and pulled You down.
00:56:43.66\00:56:47.80
But Father, we
who sit here tonight
00:56:48.00\00:56:52.43
have elevated You to
Your rightful status.
00:56:52.63\00:56:57.30
You are on the
throne of our hearts.
00:56:57.60\00:57:01.33
You own our lives.
00:57:01.53\00:57:04.16
We submit and
surrender ourselves to you
00:57:04.36\00:57:08.03
as living sacrifices.
00:57:08.23\00:57:11.26
Though Satan is angry,
00:57:11.50\00:57:14.23
though he is
wroth with the nations,
00:57:14.43\00:57:16.70
though a thousand
follow, Lord, we have determined
00:57:16.90\00:57:21.60
we will follow You.
00:57:21.60\00:57:23.50
There will be no other
God but You, dear Lord.
00:57:23.70\00:57:26.36
No idols, nothing cherished.
00:57:26.56\00:57:29.86
We open our hands to You
and submit our lives to You
00:57:30.10\00:57:34.93
and ask that You would
give us the faith, the grace,
00:57:34.93\00:57:40.20
the strength to fight
the fight of Jesus each day
00:57:40.40\00:57:45.13
knowing that we do not fight
alone but that there is a God
00:57:45.33\00:57:50.23
in heaven who hears
and knows and loves us
00:57:50.23\00:57:55.26
and will take us home
00:57:55.26\00:57:59.10
if we will but walk with Him.
00:57:59.10\00:58:01.90