male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
00:00:02.06\00:00:03.53
by the friends of the
Amazing Facts Ministry.
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Doug Batchelor: On
Christmas Eve 1971,
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17-year-old Juliane
Koepcke boarded Lansa flight 508
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with her mother in Lima, Peru.
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After crossing
the Andes Mountains,
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dark thunderclouds
surrounded the aircraft,
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causing severe turbulence.
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Suddenly, a bolt
of lightning struck
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the plane's
engine, tearing off a wing.
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As the doomed airliner
spiraled towards the earth,
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the cabin disintegrated,
and Juliane found herself
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strapped to a row of
seats falling silently
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through the stormy sky.
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Plummeting over 10,000 feet,
she struck the jungle canopy
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and slammed into
the forest floor.
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Incredibly, Juliane survived
the two-mile fall with a just
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a broken collarbone
and a gash in her arm.
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Failing to find other survivors,
Juliane hiked for days to reach
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civilization and was eventually
reunited with her father.
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You know, the Bible talks about
when Adam and Eve fell through
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the devil's temptations
in the Garden of Eden,
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it brought down
the whole human race.
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But Jesus came to help us
survive this great fall into sin
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and to make it back
to the Father's house.
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Do you ever think that
maybe you have fallen too far
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or too many times?
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Join me now for some
encouragement as we talk about
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what the Bible has to
say on this important topic.
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Doug: Our message this
morning is dealing with
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When A Christian Falls,
and the Bible has a lot to say
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about the subject of falling.
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There's actually a somewhat
famous report that has made
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the rounds, it's also a little
bit humorous, about a bricklayer
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who sent in a report to
an insurance company that was
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asking for more information
regarding an accident.
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This is, dates back several
years, but it's a masterpiece.
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I'd like to share this with you.
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"I'm writing in
response to your request
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for additional information.
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In block number three of
the accident reporting forum,
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I put 'poor planning'
as a cause of my accident.
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You said in your letter that
I should explain more fully.
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I trust that the following
details will be sufficient.
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I am a bricklayer by trade.
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On the day of the accident,
I was working alone on a roof
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of a ten-story building.
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When I completed my
work, I discovered I had about
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500 pounds of bricks leftover.
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Rather than carry them down by
hand, I decided to lower them to
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the ground in a barrel by using
a pulley which fortunately was
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attached to the side of
the building at the 10th floor.
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Securing the rope at ground
level, I went to the roof,
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loaded the 500 pounds of bricks
in the barrel, then went back
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down to the ground to untie
the rope, holding it tightly
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to ensure a slow descent
of the 500 pounds of bricks.
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You'll note in block 11 of
the accident reporting form
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that I weigh 135 pounds.
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Due to my surprise, it
being jerked off the ground so
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suddenly, I lost my presence
of mind and forgot to let go
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of the rope.
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Needless to say, I proceeded
at a rapid rate up the side
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of the building.
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In the vicinity
of the fifth floor,
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I met the side of
the barrel coming down.
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This explains the fractured
skull and broken collarbone.
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Fortunately, by this time,
I regained my presence of mind
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and was able to hold tightly
to the rope in spite of my pain.
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I continued my rapid ascent, not
stopping until the fingers of my
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right hand were lodged two
knuckles deep in the pulley.
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At approximately the same time,
however, the barrel of bricks
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hit the ground, and the
bottom fell out of the barrel.
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Devoid of the weight of the
bricks, the barrel weighed now
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approximately 30 pounds.
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I refer you again to my
weight in block number 11
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of the accident reporting forum.
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As you might imagine, I
began a rapid descent down
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the side of the building.
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In the vicinity of the fifth
floor, I met the empty barrel
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coming up again.
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This accounts for the two
fractured ankles and lacerations
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of my legs and lower body.
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Fortunately, the second
encounter with the barrel slowed
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me enough to lessen the injuries
when I fell into the pile
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of bricks, and only
three vertebrae are cracked.
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I'm sorry to report however,
that as I lay there on the
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bricks in pain and unable
to stand, forgetting the empty
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barrel ten stories above
me, I lost my presence of mind
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and I let go of the rope."
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That's sort of funny.
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Sometimes people laugh
when others fall, they've got a
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special type of comedy,
it's called physical comedy
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and some comedians are
known for their acts involve
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a lot of falling Dick
Van Dyke, Jackie Gleason,
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and Charlie Chaplin,
and The Three Stooges,
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and Jerry Lewis, and
they're always trying
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to invoke a laugh by falling.
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And people sometimes
think it's funny when they see
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someone else fall.
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They've discovered that even
some animals, chimpanzees, for
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example, will laugh when they
see another chimp trip or fall.
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Kind of sinister that you're
glad it's not you, I suppose.
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But biblically
falling is not a funny matter.
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It can be very serious.
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All of the pain, and the death,
and the misery that we see
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in the world today
is a result of a fall.
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There in the Garden of Eden
man was given a simple test of
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loyalty to God and His Word,
or they could choose to follow
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the rebel, which
involved really self-worship.
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And because Adam and Eve did not
trust the Lord, and maybe they
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wanted the God-like powers
the serpent promised, they fell.
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Romans 5:12, "Therefore,
just as sin came into the world
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through one man,
and death through sin--"
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So, death spread to all
men because all have sinned.
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Romans 3:23, for
how many have sinned?
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All have sinned, and fallen
short of the glory of God.
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We've all experienced
that because of the fall
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of Adam and Eve.
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Pastor was talking to his
five-year-old son about Adam
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and Eve, and the temptation
in the garden, he said,
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"Now, what can
we learn from that?"
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And the boy said,
"Don't play with snakes."
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And it's still good advice,
do not listen to the devil.
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Now, that brings us to our
story that was in our Scripture
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reading about a person
that's in church that falls.
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And it's a story of Eutychus
that you find in Acts chapter
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20, and I'd like to take you
back there again very quickly.
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Paul is preaching
in this region of Asia.
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He's gonna leave the
next day, and he doesn't know
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if he'll ever see him again.
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And so, the whole church
has gathered for the Sabbath.
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They close the Sabbath together.
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Now technically, it's
the first day of the week,
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and he
preaches, and he preaches,
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and he preaches.
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And back then at night,
they didn't have LED lights.
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They didn't have incandescent
bulbs or fluorescent lights.
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They used lamps, and these oil
lamps tended to put off a little
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bit of oil, and it says
that there were many lamps
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in the upper chamber.
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And the reason they mentioned
that is if there's a lot
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of lamps, there's
often some smoke residue.
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You ever choke when
someone puts out all the candles
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on a birthday cake?
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And it got hard to breathe.
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And so, this young man thought,
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"Well, I'm gonna sit a
little closer the window."
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The building's full of
people, so it's short on oxygen.
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It may have been a warm night,
and the lamps are filling the
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place with smoke and so Eutychus
thought that he had a good seat,
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and he leaned down in this stone
window sill three stories up,
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tried to keep some fresh
air, and still he had one ear
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on the sermon.
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Paul was long in preaching.
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And Eutychus, overcome
with sleep, not realizing the
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precarious place, don't
sleep in the edge of a window.
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And he
flinched, but he flinched,
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and he fell out the window.
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He fell down from the third
story, and he was taken up dead.
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Parents and
people ran downstairs,
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and they embrace them,
and he died from the fall.
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It was fatal.
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But Paul feels really bad
because he knows partly it's
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because he preached too long.
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And he went down.
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It's interesting,
the word that's used.
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Eutychus fell and
Paul went and fell on him.
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And he's praying as he's hugging
him, and he tells the crowd
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gathered around,
"Trouble not yourselves,
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for his life is in him."
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Now, this point,
you're in Acts chapter 20.
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Paul's faith is pretty strong.
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He's already affected
some miracles, including maybe
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his own
resurrection when he was stoned.
00:09:09.18\00:09:12.61
And not the Paul
resurrected himself,
00:09:12.65\00:09:14.58
but God raised him up
and a miracle takes place.
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The boy was dead.
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Paul goes and he embraces him.
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You know, when Elijah
and Elisha resurrected a boy,
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maybe Paul was
thinking back on this story,
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they both did it
through physical contact.
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In one case, Elisha put himself
on the boy and embraced him.
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"Trouble not
yourself, his life is in him."
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And so, there
was great rejoicing.
00:09:42.41\00:09:44.31
Now, how is it that he fell?
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Here he's a
member, he's in church,
00:09:48.45\00:09:49.75
he's listening to
a sermon and he fell.
00:09:49.78\00:09:51.85
Where was he sitting?
00:09:51.89\00:09:54.82
He's sitting near the edge.
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You know how
people fall out of church?
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They stay on the edge.
00:10:00.83\00:10:02.96
If he had been in the room,
it might have been a little
00:10:03.00\00:10:04.93
tougher, but he
wanted to stay on the edge.
00:10:04.97\00:10:08.14
And you know who it
was the devil attacks?
00:10:08.17\00:10:11.94
Those on the edge.
00:10:11.97\00:10:13.27
Who does the wolf go after?
00:10:13.31\00:10:15.98
It's the lambs
that are on the edge.
00:10:16.01\00:10:19.05
And a lot of people that are
sort of on the edge of church,
00:10:19.08\00:10:22.15
now I'm not speaking
specifically to young people who
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are sitting on the outside
of the building right now,
00:10:24.39\00:10:26.22
but I'm talking about
those who, in their lives,
00:10:26.25\00:10:29.52
they sort of go to
church once a week.
00:10:29.56\00:10:30.99
They want to stay connected,
but they're living on the edge,
00:10:31.03\00:10:34.83
and they are kind of
have one foot in the church,
00:10:34.86\00:10:37.97
and they've got
one foot in the world.
00:10:38.00\00:10:41.60
So, if you want to be
safe, you want to be right
00:10:41.64\00:10:43.74
in the middle
of the flock, amen?
00:10:43.77\00:10:46.74
Get involved, get
in the middle of it.
00:10:46.78\00:10:49.71
Get in the thick of it.
00:10:49.74\00:10:51.05
You're a lot
more-- you're a lot safer.
00:10:51.08\00:10:52.95
You're more inclined
to survive as a Christian
00:10:52.98\00:10:55.25
if you stay
involved in a church.
00:10:55.28\00:10:57.05
That's one of our goals here
in Granite Bay is you'll notice
00:10:57.09\00:11:01.86
that we try to involve
the young people in the music,
00:11:01.89\00:11:04.26
in the Scripture reading.
00:11:04.29\00:11:05.83
Some of them volunteer with the
media, they help with the sound.
00:11:05.86\00:11:09.56
And I think it's so important
that we keep the young people
00:11:09.60\00:11:12.33
engaged, and we
keep them involved.
00:11:12.37\00:11:14.07
They're a lot more
likely to stay with the faith.
00:11:14.10\00:11:16.57
If they sit near the edge
and all they hear is long-winded
00:11:16.60\00:11:19.44
preachers, there's a
chance they can fall.
00:11:19.47\00:11:23.51
That's not only
young people that fall,
00:11:23.55\00:11:25.31
but it happens to all of us.
00:11:25.35\00:11:28.45
The Bible says
the apostles fell.
00:11:28.48\00:11:31.55
Jesus foretold
that that would happen.
00:11:31.59\00:11:34.22
Matthew chapter 26, verse 31
Jesus said, and I'm reading this
00:11:34.26\00:11:38.29
from the English
Standard Version.
00:11:38.33\00:11:40.36
He said, "You will all
fall," I think King James says,
00:11:40.40\00:11:42.93
"You will all stumble."
00:11:42.96\00:11:44.57
But that's the word.
00:11:44.60\00:11:46.00
"You will all fall away
because of me this night.
00:11:46.03\00:11:48.50
For it is written, 'I
will strike the shepherd,
00:11:48.54\00:11:51.54
and the sheep of the
flock will be scattered.'"
00:11:51.57\00:11:53.68
How is it that Peter
ended up denying Christ?
00:11:53.71\00:11:57.15
Have you read there in
Mark chapter 14 it says
00:11:57.18\00:11:59.11
Peter followed,
after Jesus was arrested,
00:11:59.15\00:12:01.42
"Peter followed
from a distance."
00:12:01.45\00:12:04.69
And because he was following
from a distance, and when Jesus
00:12:04.72\00:12:07.29
went into the judgment
hall, Peter stayed on the edge,
00:12:07.32\00:12:11.03
hanging out with the
the enemies of Christ.
00:12:11.06\00:12:13.46
And when he was
hanging out with the enemies,
00:12:13.50\00:12:14.83
eventually he denied them.
00:12:14.86\00:12:18.63
So, you want to
stay in the middle of it.
00:12:18.67\00:12:20.67
Says, "They all
forsook him and fled."
00:12:20.70\00:12:23.77
One of the ways that people fall
is you can fall through pride.
00:12:23.81\00:12:29.41
This is how the devil fell.
00:12:29.44\00:12:31.38
Notice, 1 Timothy 3:6, "Don't
exalt a novice as an elder,
00:12:31.41\00:12:37.05
lest being puffed up with pride
00:12:37.09\00:12:39.35
he falls in the same
condemnation as the devil."
00:12:39.39\00:12:44.23
A way to keep from
falling is through humility.
00:12:44.26\00:12:48.06
Proverbs 16:18, "Pride
goes before destruction,
00:12:48.10\00:12:51.83
and a haughty
spirit before a fall."
00:12:51.87\00:12:54.97
And you can read in
1 Corinthians 10:12,
00:12:55.00\00:12:57.34
"Therefore lead him who
thinks he stands take heed
00:12:57.37\00:13:00.58
lest he fall."
00:13:00.61\00:13:01.91
So, how do Christians fall?
00:13:01.94\00:13:04.58
They can fall through thinking
too much about themselves,
00:13:04.61\00:13:08.45
just like the
devil, fall through pride.
00:13:08.48\00:13:11.55
I think this is
really where Judas fell.
00:13:11.59\00:13:14.09
Judas just had such
confidence in himself.
00:13:14.12\00:13:18.06
He was so sure of his abilities.
00:13:18.09\00:13:19.43
He thought that he was
gonna manipulate circumstances
00:13:19.46\00:13:22.03
that would force
Jesus to be proclaimed King,
00:13:22.06\00:13:25.30
and he was gonna get
all the credit for it.
00:13:25.33\00:13:27.97
He didn't, he didn't
want Jesus washing his feet,
00:13:28.00\00:13:31.07
but Jesus washed the
feet of the other disciples.
00:13:31.11\00:13:33.04
They all humbled themselves.
00:13:33.07\00:13:35.58
Judas had his feet
washed, and he went out
00:13:35.61\00:13:37.55
and he betrayed Christ.
00:13:37.58\00:13:40.02
And so, it's through pride.
00:13:40.05\00:13:42.08
Doug: Don't go
anywhere, friends.
00:13:43.02\00:13:44.59
In just a moment,
we'll return for the rest
00:13:44.62\00:13:46.05
of today's presentation.
00:13:46.09\00:13:48.49
Do you sometimes feel like
your faith is a little lukewarm?
00:13:48.52\00:13:52.09
Do you struggle with motivation
when it's time to go to church?
00:13:52.13\00:13:55.93
Does it seem lately like you're
being more easily overcome
00:13:55.96\00:13:58.97
by temptation?
00:13:59.00\00:14:00.94
Well, friend, don't
despair. You're not alone.
00:14:00.97\00:14:03.34
Millions of Christians struggle
with the same challenges.
00:14:03.37\00:14:06.51
They want to keep their
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00:14:06.54\00:14:09.64
If you're longing to
renew your passion for Jesus,
00:14:09.68\00:14:12.01
there are some very real
practical steps you can take
00:14:12.05\00:14:16.52
to experience a
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00:14:16.55\00:14:19.09
So, to help you reignite that
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00:14:35.97\00:14:38.61
I promise that your faith will
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And after you read
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share it with a friend.
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.83
Well, let's return to
today's presentation and learn
00:14:57.86\00:15:00.50
some more amazing
facts from the Word of God.
00:15:00.53\00:15:04.10
Doug: Hebrews 6:4,
now you gotta be careful.
00:15:04.13\00:15:06.47
You know, we are so
thankful that God is merciful,
00:15:06.50\00:15:09.90
God is forgiving.
00:15:09.94\00:15:11.47
If it wasn't for his persistent
mercy, where would we be?
00:15:11.51\00:15:15.84
If we only had ten years
of mercy, those of us that are
00:15:15.88\00:15:18.95
20 would be all out.
00:15:18.98\00:15:21.45
And God's merciful is so great,
but there is a risk you can
00:15:21.48\00:15:24.39
presume on God's mercy.
00:15:24.42\00:15:26.32
There's a verse, we get
questions on this verse in our
00:15:26.35\00:15:30.46
Bible program on a regular
basis because it almost seems
00:15:30.49\00:15:33.43
like it leaves no hope.
00:15:33.46\00:15:34.76
Notice, Hebrews 6,
verse 4, it's in the Bible.
00:15:34.83\00:15:37.87
You gotta look at
it, difficult verse.
00:15:37.90\00:15:40.90
"For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened,
00:15:40.94\00:15:45.31
and they've tasted the heavenly
gift, and they have become
00:15:45.34\00:15:48.14
partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and they've tasted the good word
00:15:48.18\00:15:51.78
of God and the powers of the
age to come, if they fall away,
00:15:51.81\00:15:57.92
to renew them
again to repentance,
00:15:57.95\00:16:00.59
since they crucify again
for themselves the Son of God,
00:16:00.62\00:16:03.99
and put Him to an open shame."
00:16:04.03\00:16:06.46
Here he's telling us that he
says it's impossible for people
00:16:06.49\00:16:10.40
who've had all these benefits.
00:16:10.43\00:16:11.73
If they fall away, in other
words, if they turn away from
00:16:11.77\00:16:14.47
every one of the best gifts
of God, what more can God do?
00:16:14.50\00:16:18.07
And Peter describes that and
he said, "It's like a pig who
00:16:18.11\00:16:22.31
is washed that were
turns to wallowing in the mire,
00:16:22.34\00:16:25.21
or a dog that turns
to its vomit again."
00:16:25.25\00:16:28.22
Some who fall can't get up
again and because they had all
00:16:28.25\00:16:33.49
the benefits, and they turned
their back on all the benefits.
00:16:33.52\00:16:36.93
Now, I don't want
to discourage you.
00:16:36.96\00:16:38.39
Some are thinking, "Does that
mean that if a believer turns
00:16:38.43\00:16:41.96
from God, they cannot be saved?"
00:16:42.00\00:16:43.60
Now, of course,
it's not teaching that.
00:16:43.63\00:16:45.33
What would you do with
the story of the prodigal son?
00:16:45.37\00:16:48.40
What would you do to the
story of David, or Peter,
00:16:48.44\00:16:50.81
or even Moses when
he lost his temper?
00:16:50.84\00:16:53.41
And so, Christians
fall, and God is very patient.
00:16:53.44\00:16:57.81
The apostles, they, like I
said, they denied the Lord.
00:16:57.85\00:17:02.88
And we're so
thankful for God's mercy,
00:17:02.92\00:17:05.15
but you take a lot of risks.
00:17:05.19\00:17:07.92
If you live near the
edge, it's kind of like riding
00:17:07.96\00:17:10.36
a motorcycle.
00:17:10.39\00:17:11.69
If you keep wondering how
far you can lean on the turns,
00:17:11.73\00:17:13.53
eventually you'll find
what that point is by falling,
00:17:13.56\00:17:17.43
and you may not survive.
00:17:17.47\00:17:19.90
You never know when you're gonna
get to that point where you
00:17:19.93\00:17:21.97
think you've got your
balance, and you don't.
00:17:22.00\00:17:23.94
You don't want to
find out the hard way what
00:17:23.97\00:17:25.37
that point is, right?
00:17:25.41\00:17:27.41
But you can learn
from your falling.
00:17:28.68\00:17:32.05
How many of you, by
show of hands, think you fell
00:17:32.08\00:17:35.98
when you were learning to walk?
00:17:36.02\00:17:38.89
That should be every
hand, isn't that right?
00:17:38.92\00:17:42.09
And so, there's a lot to be
learned by falling and a certain
00:17:42.12\00:17:45.56
amount of falling is expected.
00:17:45.59\00:17:47.23
And you know, even for baby
Christians, I used to think,
00:17:47.30\00:17:51.20
you know, in a perfect world,
when someone comes to Christ
00:17:51.23\00:17:54.87
and they accept Jesus, if
they really have enough faith,
00:17:54.90\00:17:58.44
they never need to sin again.
00:17:58.47\00:18:01.28
You know, I've come to believe
that's not very realistic.
00:18:01.31\00:18:04.01
It seems like when a
person first comes to Christ,
00:18:04.05\00:18:06.31
there's never a
good excuse for sin.
00:18:06.35\00:18:07.75
Don't misunderstand.
00:18:07.78\00:18:09.55
But typically, when we
are learning the new way
00:18:09.58\00:18:13.76
of walking in the Lord,
you're gonna make mistakes.
00:18:13.79\00:18:17.79
The Bible says
in Isaiah chapter 1,
00:18:17.83\00:18:19.43
"We've got to learn to do good."
00:18:19.46\00:18:21.00
That's a learning process.
00:18:21.03\00:18:22.33
That means you don't
know everything about it,
00:18:22.36\00:18:23.73
you have to
unlearn a lot of mistakes.
00:18:23.77\00:18:26.03
So, you may learn along the way.
00:18:26.07\00:18:29.54
You know, baby
eagles, now humming birds
00:18:29.57\00:18:31.77
and eagles are different.
00:18:31.81\00:18:33.11
Hummingbirds, the babies,
when they first leave the nest,
00:18:33.14\00:18:36.61
they're flying.
00:18:36.64\00:18:38.21
It's just like they know.
00:18:38.25\00:18:39.55
No lessons, they don't
get a license, a medical,
00:18:39.58\00:18:41.38
anything, they just fly.
00:18:41.42\00:18:43.65
Eagles are a little different.
00:18:43.69\00:18:46.25
They have to sort
of get the hang of it,
00:18:46.29\00:18:48.12
and some eagles do not survive.
00:18:48.16\00:18:50.13
I think I've heard
one out of five eagles
00:18:50.16\00:18:51.83
does not survive its
first flight because, you know,
00:18:51.86\00:18:54.56
eagle nests are
usually very high.
00:18:54.56\00:18:57.40
They need to learn.
00:18:57.43\00:18:58.73
Sometimes they'll wait until
they're up there in the nest.
00:18:58.77\00:19:00.87
And they wait until the the wind
picks up, and they'll just hover
00:19:00.90\00:19:04.07
over the nest and
then pull their wings in.
00:19:04.11\00:19:05.41
And they'll
hover and they'll pull.
00:19:05.44\00:19:06.78
And they get the hang of it.
00:19:06.81\00:19:08.04
Sometimes when they're making
their first flight, the mother
00:19:08.08\00:19:10.45
or the father goes underneath
them and when they realize
00:19:10.48\00:19:13.62
they're dropping out of
control, they kind of catch them
00:19:13.65\00:19:16.55
and either lower down easy,
or lift them back up again.
00:19:16.58\00:19:19.99
That's why God uses that
phrase when he talks to Israel.
00:19:20.02\00:19:23.29
Says, "Like an eagle,
I bore you on my wings."
00:19:23.32\00:19:28.23
Because there's a
learning process involved,
00:19:28.26\00:19:31.57
and sometimes it
takes time for us to learn.
00:19:31.60\00:19:34.80
So, don't be discouraged.
00:19:34.84\00:19:37.11
Sometimes we learn through our
falls, and through our trials.
00:19:37.14\00:19:40.78
Now, you can survive a fall, and
that's one of the most important
00:19:40.81\00:19:46.05
things I want to tell you.
00:19:46.08\00:19:47.38
We've already established--
00:19:47.42\00:19:48.72
I won't ask for a show of hands.
00:19:48.75\00:19:50.12
I expect if you're
honest, every hand would go up.
00:19:50.15\00:19:52.19
How many of us have fallen
in seeking to walk with the Lord
00:19:52.22\00:19:57.03
at some point along
the way in varying degrees?
00:19:57.06\00:20:01.33
We've disobeyed.
00:20:01.36\00:20:02.86
We've done what we
knew we shouldn't do.
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.67
And then we repent.
00:20:05.70\00:20:08.40
But it's not always easy.
00:20:08.44\00:20:10.24
How do you survive?
00:20:10.27\00:20:12.27
You, first of all, if we
sin, what are we told to do?
00:20:13.31\00:20:18.08
Confess our sin
to the Lord, repent,
00:20:20.08\00:20:23.62
go to the Lord in prayer.
00:20:23.65\00:20:24.95
Claim the promise that
if we confess our sins,
00:20:24.99\00:20:28.06
he is faithful and
just to forgive our sins
00:20:28.09\00:20:30.63
and to cleanse us
from all on righteousness.
00:20:30.66\00:20:33.36
Then does God forgive us?
00:20:33.40\00:20:35.70
How do we know?
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.93
Because he said so.
00:20:37.97\00:20:39.83
"What if I don't feel forgiven?"
00:20:39.87\00:20:42.30
You don't go
based on how you feel.
00:20:42.34\00:20:45.34
"But I have
problems forgiving myself."
00:20:45.37\00:20:48.71
Are you setting yourself up
as a higher tribunal than God?
00:20:48.74\00:20:52.95
You think that your
judgment is more important
00:20:52.98\00:20:55.65
than God's judgment?
00:20:55.68\00:20:57.92
If God says, "I forgive
you," if we were repent--
00:20:57.95\00:21:00.26
well, what is repentance?
00:21:00.29\00:21:01.96
Well, it's been sorry for
your sin, not just sorry you got
00:21:01.99\00:21:04.63
caught but remorseful, and
you don't want to do it again.
00:21:04.66\00:21:06.90
You don't want to hurt him.
00:21:06.93\00:21:08.20
And this is a very important
teaching you don't hear
00:21:08.23\00:21:10.93
a lot about, but it was a
primary teaching in the Bible.
00:21:10.97\00:21:13.97
The Bible says Jesus
began preaching repent.
00:21:14.00\00:21:17.74
John the Baptist
began preaching repent.
00:21:17.77\00:21:19.77
The disciples began preaching.
00:21:19.81\00:21:21.11
"Men and brethren,
what should we do?"
00:21:21.14\00:21:22.44
Peter said, Repent.
00:21:22.48\00:21:24.81
Repentance is a genuine sorrow
for sin, and the desire to stop
00:21:24.85\00:21:29.82
doing that which hurts
God, hurts your neighbor,
00:21:29.85\00:21:32.35
and hurts yourself,
and will ultimately end
00:21:32.39\00:21:35.22
in your eternal loss.
00:21:35.26\00:21:36.83
So, if you fall, repent,
confess, and then believe,
00:21:36.86\00:21:43.06
because you cannot
be saved without faith.
00:21:43.10\00:21:44.83
He says, "I will forgive
you, and if you do these things,
00:21:44.87\00:21:49.50
you repent and confess,
and I will cleanse you from
00:21:49.54\00:21:52.04
all on righteousness."
00:21:52.07\00:21:54.14
So, he's not
putting on probation.
00:21:54.18\00:21:56.88
He says, you are forgiven.
00:21:56.91\00:21:58.61
You're freely forgiven.
00:21:58.65\00:22:00.45
David confessed his
terrible sin and God said,
00:22:00.48\00:22:03.12
"Your sin has been put away."
00:22:03.15\00:22:05.65
When he
repented, he forgave him.
00:22:05.69\00:22:07.99
Isaiah said, "Woe is me.
00:22:08.02\00:22:09.32
I am undone.
00:22:09.36\00:22:10.69
I'm a man of unclean lips and
I dwell in the midst of them."
00:22:10.73\00:22:13.19
People with unclean lips, and
God touched a coal to his mouth
00:22:13.23\00:22:15.93
and said, "Your sin is
purged, your sin is taken away."
00:22:15.96\00:22:19.10
Zaccheus said, "If I've
taken anything from any man
00:22:19.13\00:22:23.20
by false accusation," God said,
00:22:23.24\00:22:25.54
"Salvation has
come to this house."
00:22:25.57\00:22:27.28
As soon as they repented and
confessed, thief on the cross.
00:22:27.31\00:22:30.45
"Lord, remember me when
you come into your kingdom."
00:22:30.48\00:22:32.85
What did Jesus say?
00:22:32.88\00:22:35.25
Here's a guy, he's a thief,
a rebel, and in one passage,
00:22:35.28\00:22:38.42
it says guilty of murder.
00:22:38.45\00:22:40.46
And God said, "You'll
be with me in paradise."
00:22:42.36\00:22:45.96
Believe that God forgives you.
00:22:45.99\00:22:49.16
And when you know that
you're forgiven, you don't want
00:22:49.20\00:22:51.53
to jeopardize
that, you want to live--
00:22:51.57\00:22:53.37
walk in the
newness of life, amen?
00:22:53.40\00:22:55.24
Now, I want to
illustrate something here.
00:22:55.27\00:22:58.14
I'm looking for a
couple of volunteers.
00:22:58.17\00:22:59.67
I'd like a couple of
young people that would help me.
00:22:59.71\00:23:02.98
There in the back as, of
course, all right, come on up,
00:23:03.01\00:23:05.51
two of you, yeah.
00:23:05.55\00:23:07.02
I saw two hands
go up. There you go.
00:23:07.05\00:23:08.45
That'll work. That's perfect.
00:23:08.48\00:23:09.78
Come on up here. I want
to illustrate something.
00:23:09.82\00:23:16.16
All right, let's see here.
You can come here, over here.
00:23:16.19\00:23:23.37
Young lady here, you go
on the other side of her.
00:23:23.40\00:23:26.07
Can you stand on one foot?
00:23:26.10\00:23:28.94
Now, while you're standing on
one foot, I want you to take one
00:23:28.97\00:23:31.37
finger, push her shoulder and
see if you can push her over,
00:23:31.41\00:23:33.48
one finger.
00:23:33.51\00:23:35.61
Okay, all right, you're
enjoying this, aren't you?
00:23:35.64\00:23:38.45
Okay now, I want
you to hold my hand.
00:23:38.48\00:23:44.05
Now stand on one foot.
Is that a little harder?
00:23:44.09\00:23:50.63
You're gonna hurt her.
You know what the point is?
00:23:50.66\00:23:57.67
It really helps if you
got a hand to hold when
00:23:57.70\00:23:59.87
you're trying to stand up
and keep from falling, amen?
00:23:59.90\00:24:02.60
Thank you very
much. You did a good job.
00:24:02.64\00:24:06.78
So, it's not just that
you fall, we want to learn how
00:24:06.81\00:24:12.05
to not fall, amen?
00:24:12.08\00:24:13.92
Does somebody offer us a hand?
00:24:13.95\00:24:16.38
John 10:28, "And I give them
eternal life," Jesus speaking.
00:24:16.42\00:24:23.09
"I give them eternal life and
they will never perish, neither
00:24:23.12\00:24:26.83
will anyone snatch
them out of my hand.
00:24:26.86\00:24:30.27
My Father who has given
them to me is greater than all
00:24:30.30\00:24:33.23
and no one is able to snatch
them out of my Father's hand."
00:24:33.27\00:24:38.01
Jesus will never let go of you.
00:24:38.04\00:24:40.38
He will not lose his grip, amen?
00:24:40.41\00:24:43.41
The Bible says you
can't keep a good man down.
00:24:43.45\00:24:46.45
Proverbs 24:16, "For a righteous
man may fall seven times
00:24:46.48\00:24:51.42
and rise again, but the
wicked will fall by calamity."
00:24:51.45\00:24:56.16
Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a
good man or ordered by the Lord,
00:24:56.19\00:25:00.66
and he delights in his way.
00:25:00.70\00:25:02.53
Though he fall, he will
not be utterly cast down.
00:25:02.56\00:25:06.90
For the Lord
upholds him with his hand."
00:25:06.94\00:25:10.97
And there's one fall that
you should deliberately perform
00:25:11.01\00:25:16.34
that will help
prevent the fatal fall.
00:25:16.38\00:25:20.05
The Bible says that
we must fall upon Christ,
00:25:20.08\00:25:22.35
and we will be broken.
00:25:22.38\00:25:25.09
Peter went out of the
garden after he denied Christ,
00:25:25.12\00:25:27.76
he went out to the Garden of
Gethsemane, he fell on his face
00:25:27.79\00:25:30.73
and he wept bitterly.
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.29
Matthew 21:44, "Whoever falls
on this stone will be broken,
00:25:32.33\00:25:37.00
but on whoever it falls,
it will grind him to powder."
00:25:37.03\00:25:41.27
If we cast ourselves on Christ,
if we fall upon Christ, and we
00:25:41.30\00:25:45.81
completely surrender to
him, that's what gives us
00:25:45.84\00:25:48.28
the strength and the
power to keep from falling.
00:25:48.31\00:25:52.75
I remember reading
about the great Blondin,
00:25:52.78\00:25:55.65
he was the greatest
of the tightrope walkers.
00:25:55.68\00:25:58.22
And Karen and I were recently
at Niagara Falls, and he was the
00:25:58.25\00:26:02.09
first one who walked across
Niagara falls on a tightrope.
00:26:02.12\00:26:05.66
And he did some amazing things.
00:26:05.69\00:26:09.06
They don't even know how many
times he walked across Niagara
00:26:09.10\00:26:14.54
because he did it so many
different ways, and he did
00:26:14.57\00:26:16.44
so many different
theatric variations of it.
00:26:16.47\00:26:19.54
Once he did it in a wheelbarrow.
00:26:19.57\00:26:21.61
Once he pushed someone
across in a wheelbarrow.
00:26:21.64\00:26:24.35
Once he carried a man across
Niagara Falls on his back.
00:26:24.38\00:26:28.45
By the way, he started tightrope
walking when he was five years
00:26:28.48\00:26:31.59
old, and he was just so
gifted at--in his balance.
00:26:31.62\00:26:36.99
Someone asked him one
time, "Don't you get nervous
00:26:37.03\00:26:39.33
when you're walking across the
Niagara Falls or one of these
00:26:39.36\00:26:43.93
great precipices and you see the
raging water down there and the
00:26:43.97\00:26:47.94
steam, and the power of it all,
and the wind starts to blow?"
00:26:47.97\00:26:51.97
And he said, "No, he says,
"Those things never scare me."
00:26:52.01\00:26:54.88
He said, "I don't
look at all of that."
00:26:54.91\00:26:56.91
Said, "Before I
cross a chasm," he says,
00:26:56.95\00:26:59.81
"I fix a silver star
at the opposite end."
00:26:59.85\00:27:03.79
And he said, "I keep my eyes
on the star and I know if I do
00:27:03.82\00:27:07.59
that, all I've gotta do is
put one foot in front of another
00:27:07.62\00:27:11.06
because the rope is straight.
00:27:11.09\00:27:13.76
And you know, that's the secret
to avoiding a fall is we keep
00:27:13.80\00:27:17.87
our eyes fixed upon Jesus, amen?
00:27:17.90\00:27:20.90
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