Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Welcome again to
Anchors Of Truth.
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Glad that each one is
here in our live audience.
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My name is Greg Morikone.
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This is my wife, Jill.
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We also want to say a welcome
to you in our television land.
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Also through radio
you may be listening
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to this program this evening.
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Also on mobile devices.
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That seems to be
quite the trend as well.
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We get a lot more response
from people that are watching
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on their iPads, their iPhones,
Android devices as well.
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But anyway, welcome to
the Anchors Of Truth program.
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What a blessing this series
has been with Elder Lee Venden.
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I know that I've
truly been blessed.
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And tonight is night
number three from this series.
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But if you're joining
us brand new maybe tonight,
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just real quick,
Pastor Lee Venden,
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he comes from Upper
Columbia Conference,
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which I call way out west
from here in southern Illinois.
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And he is the full time
Revivalist for that conference.
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He and his wife
travel a lot together.
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He and his wife have
been married, he told me
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just before we went out
here on stage, for 36 years.
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They have two
beautiful children.
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And they're so
happy in serving the Lord.
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Now I know we've been
following this series.
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Tell us a little bit more about
what this full five part series
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is all about.
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It's called, The
Revelation of Whom.
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And for those of you who
have been here night by night,
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it has been a
tremendous blessing, hasn't it.
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And if you have joined
us at home, we know it has
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been a blessing for
you at home as well.
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Obviously, the
"Revelation Of Whom" focuses on
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looking at the book
of Revelation, but yet
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looking at it
through the eyes of Jesus.
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Trying to find Jesus
in the book of Revelation.
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Wednesday night we
looked at Revelation chapter 3,
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the counsel Jesus gives
to the church of Laodicea.
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That's the end time church.
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We looked at last night
was the first angel's message.
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That was an incredible
message, wasn't it, sweetie.
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- It was, absolutely. -
I was so blessed by that.
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Who gets the glory.
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And my own heart
was pricked as I prayed
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last night and asked
Jesus, "Lord, show me the
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pride that is in my heart."
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Because he talked
about giving God the glory
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and not for our own self.
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So it was an
incredible blessing.
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And tonight, we're looking
at the second angel's message.
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And the title is, Do
It Yourself Religion.
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So I'm excited to hear
what he's going to share,
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how we can see Jesus in
the second angel's message.
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Absolutely.
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And before we actually go
to the music, which you're
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actually bringing
our music to us tonight,
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we want to actually
have a short prayer.
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And then you'll
tell us about this song
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you're going to play for us.
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Let's pray.
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Father in heaven,
Lord, we are so thankful.
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Thankful, Father, that as we're
here in this live broadcast
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here in Thompsonville,
Illinois, just a little speck
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on the earth, Father somehow,
I don't know how it all works,
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but Lord You hear
each one of our prayers.
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Lord, thank You
that we can talk to You,
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we can talk to You on a
personal, just personally
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Father, as we would to a friend.
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Lord, we honor You as God.
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And we recognize You as
our Father and as our Lord,
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as our King, as our Redeemer.
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Lord, also we're thankful
for You wanting to have a
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personal relationship with us.
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We pray for a special
blessing on Elder Venden as he
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brings us again
another part to this series.
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Lord, bless his lips.
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Thank You that he is being
a vessel that You're able to
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pour Your words through to us.
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And Father, as we hear
the message, may we not just
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be hearers only, but doers
also of what You want us to do.
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And in Jesus'
name we pray, amen.
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So tell us this song you're
going to play for us tonight.
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It's actually a
medley, it's two songs.
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It's, Something About That
Name, and Something Beautiful.
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I'm just playing the
piano, I'm not singing.
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And sometimes it's nice to know
what the words are to the song.
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So the second part of the
song, Something Beautiful,
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it says, "Something
beautiful, something good;
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all my confusion, He understood.
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All I had to offer Him
was brokenness and strife;
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but He made something
beautiful out of my life."
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Amen, and as soon as Jill
is done playing the medley,
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we'll get to hear the
third part of this series,
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Do It Yourself Religion.
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Amen.
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Something about that name.
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There really is
something about that name.
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The name above all names.
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At the name of
Jesus every knee will bow.
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I'm going to bow one more
time and have another prayer.
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Lord Jesus, I just bow just
now knowing that even though
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there is time and space between
us, You hear this prayer.
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And that You are eager to
supply us with an extra measure
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of the Holy Spirit tonight.
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You told us to ask.
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You said where two or
three are gathered in Your name,
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that we should ask.
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And I'm asking right now.
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I know I need the Holy Spirit.
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I want to be on cruise control.
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And I pray for the Holy
Spirit to just fill our hearts
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and open our minds
and our ears and our eyes
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to what a friend we have in
You, and what that friendship
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includes, and how we can
live more completely for Jesus.
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In whose name I pray, amen.
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Well I want to start
out by telling you a story
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about a confederate prison.
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Actually, a prisoner in
a confederate prison camp.
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He was a Union soldier and
he had somehow gotten captured.
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And there he was
in this prison camp.
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Somehow, I don't
remember how, I just remember
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what happened next in
this story; he escaped.
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He managed to escape.
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But he traveled by
night, because he was very deep
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into the confederate territory.
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And he didn't want
to be seen, you know.
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And so he would travel
under cover of darkness.
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And days passed as he traveled.
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And finally he was
getting kind of excited,
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because he realized that he was
almost to the Union territory.
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And he couldn't
wait to get home again.
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And so it was the final sort
of day or two that he thought
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he'd have to travel at night.
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He was going along in
the darkness in the woods,
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and suddenly a group of
soldiers, picket soldiers,
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surrounded him.
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And the jig was up.
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So near and yet so far.
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They aimed their guns at him,
they told him to put his hands
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on top of his head.
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They told him that
if he did not surrender,
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they would shoot
him on site right there.
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And so it was two
choices; surrender or be shot.
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He made the surrender choice.
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And they came in the
darkness, got around him,
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tied his hands behind his
back, and started marching him
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through the forest.
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It was getting close to dawn,
and about the time they got
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to the prison where
they were going to place him,
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he realized that every soldier's
uniform was blue and not gray.
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And he suddenly discovered he
had surrendered to his friends.
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And boy was he happy.
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Was he happy.
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He had surrendered to
his friends and it was
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going to be a happy ending.
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Well, tonight we're
going to talk about how that
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surrendering to Jesus
and depending upon Him
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is actually the
happiest ending to the story.
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We noticed last night
as we took a look at the
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three angels' messages
and began looking at them,
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we noticed that
there is a common thread
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that goes through all
three of the messages.
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Much like the British
Navy and their scarlet thread
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that goes through their
rigging and their ropes.
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There's a common
thread, and that is...
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That's the common thread.
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And now tonight we're
going to take a look at
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the second angel
in Revelation 14:8,
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a second angel and
a mystical Babylon.
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So in
Revelation 14:8, we read...
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Now, if all nations drink of her
wine, that would have to include
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the non-Christian
nations as well, wouldn't it?
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Right?
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So that would
include Muslim nations.
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That would
include Buddhist nations.
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That would include all nations,
Christian and non-Christian.
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So if that's true, then Babylon
would have to be something more,
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something more than a
uniquely defined denomination.
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If it's going to
include all nations.
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Alright?
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Today we're going
to discover how easily
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Babylon's problem can
actually be our problem as well.
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Babylon's roots, as you
know, trace back to a tower
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known as the tower of Babel.
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The tower of Babel was
built by a fellow named Nimrod.
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And in Genesis we find this
interesting start of the story.
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Now this word,
"babel," we're use to that word
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in our modern day.
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Because when we use that word,
we're referring to confusion.
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So someone's talking too fast,
or they are not enunciating,
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or they're slurring their
words, or talking too quietly
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and so it turns
into kind of a murmur.
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And we say to them, "Slow
down or speak more clearly.
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You're just babbling," we say.
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"You're just babbling, I can't
understand what you're saying."
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So this term, "babble," comes
back to the tower of Babel.
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And you know the story.
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There in Genesis 11, Nimrod
was the first king of Babylon.
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He actually was.
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And he built
this tower of Babel.
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And the purpose of
building the tower of Babel
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was to save themselves.
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The people wanted
to save themselves.
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Noah's descendents
after the flood had been told,
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God made a promise,
and He said that He would
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put His bow in the sky
as a symbol, the rainbow,
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as a symbol of His promise
to never again destroy the earth
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with a flood.
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Every time I see a rainbow,
I think, "Wow, that's His bow."
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His bow.
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It actually arches
over the throne in heaven.
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And someday we'll get
to see it, the original.
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So far we've been
seeing something I guess maybe
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you might call
them the reprints.
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If the reprints are so
good, can you imagine what the
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original must look like.
00:14:38.46\00:14:39.73
So anyway, Noah's descendents
doubted the rainbow's promise.
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They doubted God's promise
and they did not trust Him
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to fulfill what He said.
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And so in an
effort to save themselves
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they built this tower.
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They figured, "If God doesn't
come through His promise,
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which we're not sure we trust
Him on, we don't need to worry
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because we're going to
take care of ourselves."
00:15:07.49\00:15:09.68
Well, how did God deal
with the tower of Babel?
00:15:10.34\00:15:12.72
It went to the ground.
00:15:13.21\00:15:14.71
They were already
confused about salvation,
00:15:15.14\00:15:17.78
they thought they
couldn't trust God.
00:15:17.81\00:15:20.12
So He confused their speech as
well, and they became babblers.
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As I already
mentioned, that's where we got
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that phrase that we often use.
00:15:28.63\00:15:30.18
Now following Babel,
we find Nebuchadnezzar
00:15:30.21\00:15:34.40
in a city known
as Babylon in 606 BC.
00:15:35.00\00:15:39.80
Now God's people are captive
to a nation that symbolizes
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man's effort to save himself.
00:15:48.50\00:15:51.87
See, it goes all the way
back to the tower of Babel.
00:15:52.11\00:15:54.39
Now we have Babylon, and
it is a nation that symbolizes
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man's effort to save himself.
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God's people are captive there.
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Now the only thing
needed to be Babylon's captive
00:16:06.92\00:16:12.66
would be to be enslaved
to the idea that somehow
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I can save myself.
00:16:18.29\00:16:19.91
Whether it is getting to heaven
or whether it is in perfecting a
00:16:20.74\00:16:25.28
Christ-like character.
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In either case, if I
think I can save myself
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I am enslaved to
what Babylon symbolizes.
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Babylon's wine, then,
is our presentations title.
00:16:37.37\00:16:42.26
It is, do it yourself.
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And our title is, Do
It Yourself Religion.
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Nearly every false religion
is based on the idea that
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man can save
himself by his own efforts.
00:16:51.84\00:16:55.37
In some way save himself.
00:16:55.57\00:16:57.63
So do I have to
belong to a particular church
00:16:57.83\00:17:01.56
in order to be
captive to the idea that I can
00:17:01.94\00:17:05.07
depend on my own efforts?
00:17:05.10\00:17:07.14
I don't have to
belong to any church.
00:17:07.87\00:17:09.66
Or I can belong to
every church or any church
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and still have this
tendency to depend upon myself.
00:17:13.95\00:17:20.38
I pray every day that God
would enable me to depend upon
00:17:20.80\00:17:26.95
Thee instead of
depending on Lee.
00:17:26.98\00:17:30.47
It's so easy to slip
into self-dependence.
00:17:30.92\00:17:36.54
Don't have to belong
to a particular church.
00:17:36.57\00:17:39.41
Arthur Spalding, in his
book, Captains of the Hosts,
00:17:39.65\00:17:42.73
writes this...
00:17:43.25\00:17:44.63
Now just a minute ago, we said
Babylon represents confusion.
00:18:01.58\00:18:04.50
Right?
00:18:04.53\00:18:05.56
Notice he said many Christians.
00:18:16.67\00:18:19.52
Many Christians.
00:18:20.25\00:18:22.01
Many professed Christians.
00:18:22.62\00:18:23.99
Many years ago before
I was a pastor, I taught
00:18:24.75\00:18:31.03
in a Seventh-day
Adventist high school.
00:18:31.34\00:18:33.66
And I taught religion, or Bible.
00:18:33.76\00:18:36.54
And I remember we
had a guest speaker
00:18:37.67\00:18:41.01
come to our community
who was presenting a series
00:18:41.46\00:18:46.38
of religious meetings in
one of the local churches.
00:18:46.41\00:18:50.37
Every day he would
come to our high school
00:18:51.20\00:18:53.91
and he would do a special
presentation while he was
00:18:54.18\00:18:56.98
in town for the young
people there in the high school.
00:18:57.01\00:19:00.67
And then after his presentation,
he would mingle in the various
00:19:00.98\00:19:03.71
classrooms and field questions
and interact with the kids.
00:19:03.74\00:19:07.62
So I was seated in
one of the classrooms
00:19:08.05\00:19:11.06
as he came in to
interact with the kids.
00:19:11.36\00:19:14.11
And the kids asked
him some questions.
00:19:14.65\00:19:17.11
They wanted to ask how
they could be more victorious.
00:19:17.51\00:19:21.56
How they could be overcomers.
00:19:21.59\00:19:22.95
How they could get
over besetting sins,
00:19:22.98\00:19:25.40
problems,
failures, flops, falls.
00:19:25.43\00:19:27.67
They wanted to know how
they could be overcomers.
00:19:27.70\00:19:29.71
And they asked
him, "So you know,
00:19:29.74\00:19:31.16
what counsel do you have for us?
00:19:31.22\00:19:32.45
How does it work?"
00:19:32.48\00:19:33.57
I'll never forget what he did.
00:19:33.91\00:19:35.07
He went over to the
board and he made a chart.
00:19:35.10\00:19:37.35
I'm going to try
and represent this chart
00:19:37.38\00:19:38.75
for you on the screen.
00:19:38.78\00:19:40.34
He said, "Now
look at this chart.
00:19:40.48\00:19:41.87
There's different heights on the
chart because different people
00:19:41.90\00:19:45.10
are capable of
different percentages of effort
00:19:45.13\00:19:48.18
towards overcoming.
00:19:48.21\00:19:49.33
Some people may only be able
to produce 10% of the effort."
00:19:49.36\00:19:52.03
He said, "Now if you look
at the chart, you'll notice
00:19:52.06\00:19:53.88
nobody can do 100%.
00:19:53.91\00:19:56.17
Nobody can get to the top.
00:19:56.20\00:19:57.85
But some people have just sort
of by birth and by genetics,
00:19:58.09\00:20:02.10
and whatever, some
people have more unction,
00:20:02.13\00:20:05.35
more guts, more
discipline, more whatever."
00:20:05.38\00:20:09.06
And he said,
"Now here's the deal.
00:20:09.09\00:20:10.61
Everybody, whether you're a
90 percenter or whether you're a
00:20:10.91\00:20:13.32
10 percenter,
you've got to do your part.
00:20:13.35\00:20:16.02
And after you have put forth the
effort that you're capable of,
00:20:16.77\00:20:20.81
whichever level that is,
then God kicks in the rest
00:20:20.84\00:20:25.53
and takes it to 100%."
00:20:25.56\00:20:27.01
Which was the rest of his chart.
00:20:27.04\00:20:28.70
So he said, "You
all can get to 100%.
00:20:28.73\00:20:30.69
God makes up the difference.
00:20:30.94\00:20:32.26
So if you're a 10 percenter,
God's going to make up 90.
00:20:32.29\00:20:34.62
If you're a 90 percenter,
God's going to make up 10.
00:20:34.65\00:20:36.77
You'll get to the 100%.
00:20:36.80\00:20:38.00
But you've got to do your part
if you expect God to do His."
00:20:38.03\00:20:42.55
That's what he
said as I listened.
00:20:42.58\00:20:45.19
And I struggled with it
because I noticed how confusing
00:20:45.44\00:20:50.73
it seemed to be
to the young people.
00:20:51.11\00:20:52.98
They asked him questions like,
"Well how do you know whether
00:20:53.38\00:20:55.89
you're a 10
percenter or a 90 percenter?"
00:20:55.92\00:20:58.32
"How do you know if
you've done your 10%?"
00:20:58.35\00:21:00.53
"How do you know if you
thought you were a 10 percenter
00:21:00.56\00:21:02.53
and God thought you
were a 15 percenter?
00:21:02.56\00:21:04.51
How do you know if
you still had 5% to go?"
00:21:04.54\00:21:07.00
"How can you be sure?"
00:21:07.03\00:21:08.11
"And another thing, how
come that person doesn't have to
00:21:08.14\00:21:10.83
try as hard as I do just because
I got born with more strength?
00:21:10.86\00:21:14.51
Why should I expect
to have to do more?"
00:21:14.54\00:21:16.75
And so there's this
confusion going on here.
00:21:16.78\00:21:19.16
Confusion.
00:21:19.19\00:21:21.02
He was referencing what
Spaulding had just described
00:21:22.44\00:21:27.36
a moment ago that there
are professed Christians
00:21:27.39\00:21:30.01
who say, "After you've
done your part, God kicks in
00:21:30.04\00:21:33.46
and does the rest.
00:21:33.49\00:21:34.66
But you have to do
part and He does part.
00:21:34.69\00:21:36.98
And between you, you get 100%."
00:21:37.01\00:21:39.75
Well they were
confused, and I was confused.
00:21:40.54\00:21:42.82
You know, I've
been confused on this.
00:21:44.52\00:21:47.09
I can remember trying
so hard to do my part.
00:21:48.44\00:21:50.93
I, you know, wondered,
"Well what is my part?"
00:21:50.96\00:21:52.75
And I tried, you know, I...
00:21:53.01\00:21:54.36
Some people tell you, "You've
got to make better choices."
00:21:54.56\00:21:57.05
So I tried to
work at better choices.
00:21:57.08\00:21:58.98
Other people told me, "You need
to resist more than you are.
00:21:59.01\00:22:02.07
You need to
strengthen your resolve.
00:22:02.10\00:22:05.80
You need to quote a Scripture
at the point of temptation."
00:22:05.83\00:22:09.60
I remember carrying a little
pocket New Testament around
00:22:10.06\00:22:12.94
with me thinking that
maybe if I, at the right moment
00:22:12.97\00:22:15.48
you know, I could kind of
pull that thing out and it would
00:22:15.51\00:22:17.16
just kind of be like a
good luck charm or something
00:22:17.19\00:22:19.78
that would help me
get across that crisis.
00:22:19.81\00:22:21.87
I've tried singing hymns
at the point of temptation.
00:22:21.90\00:22:25.17
I tried cold showers.
00:22:25.20\00:22:27.00
I tried counting
backwards from 100, you know.
00:22:27.03\00:22:29.55
I tried all kinds of
ways, methods, gimmicks,
00:22:29.58\00:22:33.33
whatever you might
say, in order to do my part.
00:22:33.36\00:22:36.49
And I discovered that I kept
flopping and failing miserably.
00:22:37.60\00:22:43.68
Do it yourself religion.
00:22:49.17\00:22:51.53
I would suggest that
probably the greatest problem
00:22:53.53\00:22:55.96
in the Christian religion...
00:22:57.07\00:22:58.26
And that would
be in every church.
00:22:58.29\00:23:00.27
That would be
including my church.
00:23:00.57\00:23:02.18
Every church.
00:23:02.63\00:23:03.97
...is this idea that
somehow we must save ourselves.
00:23:04.52\00:23:09.05
Maybe we don't think
we can save ourselves
00:23:09.25\00:23:11.79
in terms of getting
to heaven, but many of us
00:23:11.82\00:23:15.57
have been confused
about how much we have to do
00:23:15.60\00:23:19.16
to perfect a
Christ-like character.
00:23:19.19\00:23:21.46
See, do it yourself religion
has a way of sneaking in
00:23:24.36\00:23:27.91
very easily.
00:23:29.99\00:23:31.29
The greatest symptom
that I am a victim of
00:23:31.32\00:23:34.60
"do it yourself"
religion, the greatest indicator
00:23:34.63\00:23:38.88
that I have slipped
into the self-dependence rut,
00:23:38.91\00:23:42.79
is the pitifully small amount
of time that most of us find
00:23:43.79\00:23:47.99
to spend with Jesus morning
by morning and day by day.
00:23:48.94\00:23:53.34
I told you last
night, I think it was,
00:23:54.32\00:23:56.56
about a survey that I've taken.
00:23:56.88\00:23:58.78
70 to 80% of people who
attend church, by filling out an
00:23:59.89\00:24:03.99
anonymous survey, indicate
that they are faithful in
00:24:04.02\00:24:06.95
church attendance but
they have little or no
00:24:06.98\00:24:08.74
time for God during the week.
00:24:08.77\00:24:10.20
Well, if I can't find time
to spend alone with Jesus Christ
00:24:11.50\00:24:16.44
on my knees in
prayer and in His Word,
00:24:16.47\00:24:18.81
if that's not a priority in
my life, if He and I are not
00:24:19.01\00:24:22.65
on regular speaking
terms, there is little or no
00:24:22.68\00:24:26.15
communication with God, if
I do not know what it means
00:24:26.18\00:24:28.80
to have a
meaningful devotional life,
00:24:28.83\00:24:30.82
something more than a
text for the day with my hand
00:24:30.85\00:24:34.67
on the doorknob, you
know, something more than
00:24:34.70\00:24:38.73
somebody reading a
short page of something
00:24:38.76\00:24:41.19
while we all shovel food into
our mouths around the table,
00:24:41.22\00:24:44.60
something more than
just flipping on the station
00:24:45.13\00:24:47.74
to the religious broadcast
while driving and calling
00:24:47.77\00:24:50.60
that my time with God, if I
don't go one on one with Jesus,
00:24:50.63\00:24:55.68
if I don't have time for
Him, then regardless of what I
00:24:55.71\00:24:59.38
might say, I am
depending on myself.
00:24:59.41\00:25:02.83
I am actually living my
life independent of a personal
00:25:03.32\00:25:07.92
relationship with Jesus.
00:25:07.95\00:25:09.38
Wow.
00:25:11.41\00:25:12.47
We've been told that it
would be good for us to spend
00:25:13.11\00:25:15.83
a thoughtful hour
every day in contemplation of
00:25:15.86\00:25:18.61
the life of Christ, and that
we should especially focus on
00:25:18.64\00:25:21.72
the closing scenes.
00:25:21.75\00:25:23.44
A thoughtful hour.
00:25:23.64\00:25:25.06
But many of us can't
even find enough time...
00:25:25.09\00:25:27.06
Many of us can't even find
as much time to spend with Jesus
00:25:27.09\00:25:30.37
as we spend with our meals.
00:25:30.40\00:25:32.09
And yet Jesus
compared Himself to bread.
00:25:32.53\00:25:34.99
He said, "I am
the bread of life."
00:25:35.02\00:25:36.86
Whoa, well how much
time do I spend eating the
00:25:36.89\00:25:39.50
physical bread of life, and
could there be any correlation?
00:25:39.53\00:25:42.85
See, if I don't have
time for the bread of life,
00:25:42.95\00:25:45.78
I'm living my life independently
of Jesus, regardless of
00:25:45.81\00:25:50.32
what church I
attend on the weekend.
00:25:50.35\00:25:53.36
Now, I'm talking about
the daily devotional life.
00:25:57.08\00:25:59.87
Because that's how you
get to know Jesus better.
00:25:59.90\00:26:02.01
You remember Mary and Martha.
00:26:03.06\00:26:04.74
Martha, bless your heart,
she was working for Jesus.
00:26:05.74\00:26:08.10
She was trying to make a meal
for Him and for the disciples,
00:26:08.66\00:26:11.15
and for her
brother and her sister.
00:26:11.18\00:26:12.38
I mean, that's a good thing;
I would call that church work.
00:26:12.41\00:26:14.24
Working for Jesus.
00:26:14.27\00:26:15.59
But when she came
out and made it clear
00:26:16.02\00:26:18.52
that she wished
Mary would help...
00:26:18.55\00:26:19.79
Remember, Mary is sitting at the
feet of Jesus learning of Him.
00:26:19.82\00:26:23.04
Jesus said to
Martha, "Martha, Martha.
00:26:23.31\00:26:26.66
You're troubled by much serving.
00:26:27.07\00:26:29.08
But one thing
is needful, Martha.
00:26:29.97\00:26:32.91
And Mary has
figured out what it is.
00:26:33.17\00:26:35.16
And I don't want to
take that away from her.
00:26:35.19\00:26:36.85
Martha, I appreciate
your desire to work for Me.
00:26:36.88\00:26:39.91
But Martha, there's something
I want even more than your work,
00:26:39.94\00:26:44.48
more than what
you can do for Me.
00:26:44.51\00:26:46.07
Martha, I want you.
00:26:46.10\00:26:47.57
I want a friendship with you.
00:26:47.68\00:26:50.01
I want to commune with you,
I want to fellowship with you.
00:26:50.04\00:26:53.69
I want us to
become closer and closer.
00:26:53.72\00:26:56.06
And Mary has
figured that out, Martha.
00:26:56.09\00:26:58.83
Now Martha, I'm not saying I
don't want you to work for Me.
00:26:58.86\00:27:01.11
I'm just saying that, you know,
let's stay in touch, shall we?"
00:27:01.14\00:27:06.70
If I don't have the time
with Mary to sit at Jesus' feet,
00:27:08.26\00:27:12.22
if I am substituting working
for Jesus for devotional life,
00:27:12.69\00:27:18.26
then I am living
life apart from God.
00:27:18.29\00:27:21.94
I am depending on myself.
00:27:21.97\00:27:25.14
This is not, this daily
devotional life is not optional.
00:27:26.30\00:27:29.30
It's the whole basis
of the Christian life.
00:27:30.09\00:27:32.73
It is.
00:27:33.16\00:27:34.19
Can you imagine someone
trying to run a dairy farm
00:27:34.22\00:27:36.87
without any cows or goats?
00:27:36.90\00:27:38.59
Can you imagine
someone trying to, um...
00:27:39.19\00:27:41.42
...skydive without a
parachute more than once?
00:27:43.77\00:27:47.84
Can you imagine a
baker without flour?
00:27:49.55\00:27:57.45
Can you imagine a bank
or a banker without money?
00:27:58.85\00:28:04.20
Oh, you can imagine
that because that's what
00:28:05.11\00:28:06.59
we do in America, I guess.
00:28:06.62\00:28:07.91
Just sort of bank without money.
00:28:07.94\00:28:10.00
But anyway, you
understand what I'm saying.
00:28:10.03\00:28:13.08
In each of those
examples that I just used,
00:28:13.18\00:28:16.40
the most important
ingredient was missing.
00:28:17.16\00:28:20.53
Well, what
flour is to the baker,
00:28:21.10\00:28:23.69
what a dairy cow
is to the dairyman,
00:28:23.99\00:28:26.97
the daily devotional
life and time alone with Jesus
00:28:27.78\00:28:30.52
is to the Christian.
00:28:30.55\00:28:31.58
It's not optional, it's
the least common denominator.
00:28:31.61\00:28:34.33
I cannot grow in a
personal walk with Jesus
00:28:34.36\00:28:37.21
without spending
time with Him day by day.
00:28:37.24\00:28:39.06
Can't do it. It's not optional.
00:28:39.26\00:28:41.15
You don't just squeeze this
in at the end of a busy week
00:28:41.18\00:28:43.20
if you have a little time before
you fall asleep on Friday night.
00:28:43.23\00:28:45.58
No, this is a daily matter.
00:28:45.61\00:28:47.45
I eat food every day.
00:28:47.65\00:28:49.04
And I must eat the bread
of life every day as well.
00:28:49.07\00:28:52.60
Now this angel's message
that we were just looking at,
00:28:53.92\00:28:56.35
I'm going to look
at it again with you
00:28:56.38\00:28:57.73
because there's a word in
here that I want to notice.
00:28:57.76\00:28:59.47
It's called, "fornication."
00:28:59.50\00:29:00.71
And we're going to
look at the verse again.
00:29:00.74\00:29:02.31
Now this word in
Scripture describes an illicit
00:29:14.23\00:29:17.97
relationship
outside of marriage.
00:29:18.00\00:29:20.83
That's what it describes.
00:29:21.24\00:29:22.54
You could boil it down
this way, you could say that
00:29:22.88\00:29:25.65
fornication is when
two parties who are not
00:29:26.00\00:29:28.83
suppose to merge, merge.
00:29:28.86\00:29:30.99
Alright?
00:29:31.70\00:29:32.74
I could describe
it to you this way.
00:29:33.53\00:29:35.37
I love it when my
wife makes homemade bread.
00:29:36.41\00:29:38.99
I just love it.
00:29:39.02\00:29:40.41
And there's nothing like coming
home and walking into the house
00:29:40.87\00:29:45.39
and smelling that
aroma of fresh bread popping
00:29:45.59\00:29:50.04
right out of the oven, you know.
00:29:50.07\00:29:52.21
And I go over there and I look
at it sitting there cooling.
00:29:52.24\00:29:55.21
And I'm sniffing at
it, and I'm thinking about
00:29:55.41\00:29:58.75
how I've been told that,
you know, you shouldn't put
00:29:58.78\00:30:00.74
butter on hot bread.
00:30:00.77\00:30:02.23
But you know, I
have to confess to you.
00:30:02.26\00:30:04.74
I have put my life
at risk more than once
00:30:04.77\00:30:06.84
with that sort
of very combination.
00:30:06.87\00:30:09.23
And almost regretted
it, but not quite, you know.
00:30:09.26\00:30:15.02
And so anyway, sometimes
I'll go to slice myself
00:30:15.05\00:30:21.41
a piece of this fresh bread
and put a little butter on it.
00:30:21.44\00:30:25.01
Get that kind of melting
down a little bit, you know.
00:30:25.04\00:30:27.56
Soften the center just a
bit more with that butter.
00:30:27.59\00:30:30.24
And Marji will say, "Would
you like a little peanut butter
00:30:31.29\00:30:34.40
or anything else?
00:30:34.43\00:30:35.48
Maybe some, you know,
almond butter or peanut butter."
00:30:35.51\00:30:37.87
And I'll say, "Marji,
Marji, I can't believe,
00:30:37.90\00:30:40.41
I can't believe I just
heard you ask that question.
00:30:40.51\00:30:42.60
That would be fornication.
00:30:43.04\00:30:44.73
Fornication.
00:30:45.17\00:30:46.25
You don't put peanut
butter on top of fresh bread.
00:30:46.28\00:30:49.98
A stronger flavor to
drown out this wonderful taste.
00:30:50.01\00:30:54.53
No Marji, no please. No
fornication in this house."
00:30:54.56\00:30:57.81
Well, maybe you don't
think of that as fornication.
00:31:01.62\00:31:03.87
But the point I'm trying to
make is that it's the merging
00:31:03.90\00:31:06.11
or attempted merging of things
that aren't suppose to merge.
00:31:06.14\00:31:09.43
And in our house, I don't
think peanut butter should
00:31:09.46\00:31:11.81
merge with fresh homemade
bread that's still piping hot.
00:31:11.84\00:31:14.22
I just don't. So
that's my opinion.
00:31:14.25\00:31:16.50
Well theologically,
there's a form of fornication
00:31:17.05\00:31:20.80
call syncretism.
00:31:20.83\00:31:22.71
Syncretism.
00:31:23.35\00:31:25.17
Syncretism is the
merging or attempted merging of
00:31:25.69\00:31:29.68
two antagonistic principles or
ideas that are not compatible.
00:31:29.71\00:31:35.49
So that's what syncretism is.
00:31:36.32\00:31:38.02
Trying to get some things
together that aren't compatible.
00:31:38.05\00:31:40.60
They shouldn't be
trying to put them together.
00:31:40.63\00:31:42.21
You know, oil and water.
00:31:42.24\00:31:44.18
They don't go together.
00:31:44.98\00:31:46.08
It's very difficult
to mix oil and water.
00:31:46.11\00:31:48.20
Well syncretism is like that.
00:31:48.85\00:31:50.02
Theologians use this word to
describe a strange concoction
00:31:50.05\00:31:53.60
of salvation that's based partly
on works and partly on faith.
00:31:53.63\00:31:58.58
These are terms that are
mutually exclusive actually;
00:32:01.36\00:32:03.59
salvation partly on
works and partly on faith.
00:32:03.62\00:32:08.08
In a little book
entitled, Selected Messages,
00:32:09.64\00:32:11.58
there is this
interesting comment.
00:32:11.78\00:32:13.48
Now we need to be
easy on these people.
00:32:24.76\00:32:26.22
These are conscientious souls.
00:32:26.25\00:32:27.79
These are not reprobates.
00:32:28.19\00:32:29.58
These are not rebellious, hard
hearted, indifferent people.
00:32:29.61\00:32:32.62
These are conscientious people.
00:32:32.65\00:32:33.81
These are people who
probably attend church.
00:32:33.84\00:32:35.53
They probably care a
lot about the things of God.
00:32:35.83\00:32:38.15
And they're conscientious.
00:32:38.18\00:32:39.21
And I don't want to be too
hard on them, because they might
00:32:39.24\00:32:41.58
end up looking too much like me.
00:32:41.61\00:32:43.52
But these conscientious
souls are trusting partly to God
00:32:44.30\00:32:48.49
and partly to themselves.
00:32:48.52\00:32:50.64
They're actually syncretists,
whether they know it or not.
00:32:50.74\00:32:54.60
They've got those gimmicks,
you know, I was talking
00:33:05.32\00:33:08.10
about a few minutes ago.
00:33:08.13\00:33:09.19
You know, you strengthen
your, you know, your resolve.
00:33:09.22\00:33:12.85
You stiffen your backbone.
00:33:12.88\00:33:14.13
You take the cold shower.
00:33:14.16\00:33:15.48
You sign the
hymn. You do whatever.
00:33:15.51\00:33:17.11
You depend on a gimmick.
00:33:17.14\00:33:18.17
They depend on some sort of
watchfulness against temptation
00:33:18.20\00:33:22.33
and the
performance of certain duties.
00:33:22.36\00:33:23.70
See we're looking for Jesus
in the three angels' messages.
00:33:41.42\00:33:44.70
We're looking
for Jesus in the book
00:33:44.73\00:33:47.21
that bears His name;
The Revelation of Jesus.
00:33:47.89\00:33:51.99
See, trusting partly to
God and partly to myself
00:33:52.27\00:33:56.04
would actually be
spiritual fornication.
00:33:56.07\00:33:59.45
Partly to God and partly
to man; spiritual fornication.
00:34:01.72\00:34:04.95
Furthermore, consider this.
00:34:05.95\00:34:08.15
Fornication is an attempt
to obtain some of the fruits
00:34:08.18\00:34:14.82
of marriage outside of marriage.
00:34:14.85\00:34:19.84
Are you with me?
00:34:20.70\00:34:21.74
Okay?
00:34:22.22\00:34:23.25
Now, some of the fruits of
marriage outside of marriage;
00:34:23.28\00:34:27.74
that's fornication.
00:34:27.77\00:34:28.98
Now I want you to
notice something in a little
00:34:29.27\00:34:31.11
verse that you're familiar
with, a couple of verses,
00:34:31.95\00:34:33.92
in the book of Galatians.
00:34:33.95\00:34:35.39
Notice this...
00:34:35.84\00:34:36.98
Forbearance, which is
another word for patience.
00:34:44.48\00:34:47.02
And even self-control
is a fruit of the Spirit.
00:34:51.93\00:34:57.16
Isn't that interesting?
00:34:57.45\00:34:58.78
Would you say, if you
look at those characteristics,
00:35:00.74\00:35:03.36
would you say that those
would be good descriptions
00:35:03.39\00:35:05.35
of a Christ-like character?
00:35:05.38\00:35:06.97
I would say so. Yeah.
00:35:07.40\00:35:09.51
And did you notice that
the Christ-like character
00:35:09.71\00:35:12.26
is the fruit of the Spirit?
00:35:12.29\00:35:14.10
Not the fruit of the person.
00:35:14.61\00:35:16.37
A Christ-like character is
not something I produce for God,
00:35:16.78\00:35:20.01
it's something that God
produces in me through the
00:35:20.04\00:35:22.50
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:35:22.53\00:35:23.68
It is the fruit of the Spirit.
00:35:23.71\00:35:25.97
Now, if I am trying to
produce a Christ-like character
00:35:26.00\00:35:29.35
outside of the
relationship with Jesus,
00:35:29.38\00:35:34.15
then I'm attempting to acquire
the fruits of a relationship
00:35:34.18\00:35:38.17
without the relationship.
00:35:38.20\00:35:39.96
And that's
spiritual fornication.
00:35:39.99\00:35:41.61
Spiritual fornication.
00:35:42.53\00:35:44.35
Still the remnants of Babylon...
00:35:47.42\00:35:49.99
...even in conscientious
souls who are well intended.
00:35:51.28\00:35:57.47
Still part of
the wine of Babylon.
00:35:59.97\00:36:03.25
It is possible to be involved
in Babylon even in a church
00:36:03.77\00:36:08.53
that has figured out who
the beast power represents.
00:36:08.56\00:36:12.06
Are you hearing me?
00:36:13.80\00:36:15.18
Well, studying
Babylon would have to include
00:36:16.79\00:36:18.93
its most famous
king; Nebuchadnezzar
00:36:18.96\00:36:22.25
He was a giant
king of a giant nation.
00:36:23.81\00:36:27.89
The time that he was
king, he was king of the world.
00:36:28.40\00:36:31.80
King of the known world.
00:36:32.43\00:36:34.12
His kingdom dominated the
entire planet, in terms of
00:36:34.61\00:36:38.76
what was populated at the time.
00:36:38.79\00:36:40.81
He was a big
man, he was somebody.
00:36:41.79\00:36:44.97
And he thought so.
00:36:47.55\00:36:48.93
And in Daniel 4, he was
standing out on the veranda
00:36:51.06\00:36:55.35
looking out over
the city; Babylon.
00:36:55.38\00:36:58.45
And he said these words...
00:36:58.78\00:37:00.24
Whoa.
00:37:18.90\00:37:19.97
King Nebuchadnezzar was a
victim of "do it yourself" life.
00:37:21.37\00:37:25.45
"Do it yourself" life.
00:37:26.28\00:37:28.02
You know, most of us
transfer fairly easily into
00:37:28.37\00:37:31.68
"do it yourself"
religion, because most of us
00:37:31.71\00:37:34.23
have been raise on
"do it yourself" life.
00:37:34.26\00:37:37.06
Really.
00:37:37.79\00:37:38.82
Are you thinking about it?
00:37:39.25\00:37:40.28
Even from a small
child, what do we do?
00:37:40.31\00:37:42.14
You know, look at this,
"Johnny learned to tie his shoe
00:37:42.17\00:37:47.18
all by himself."
00:37:47.21\00:37:49.15
"Oh Johnny, no kidding.
You did it by yourself?"
00:37:49.18\00:37:51.22
"I did it all by myself, yeah."
00:37:51.25\00:37:52.71
"Listen, would you
like me to help you
00:37:52.74\00:37:54.32
do the zipper on your coat?"
00:37:54.35\00:37:55.66
"No, I'll do it all by myself."
00:37:55.69\00:37:57.71
"Well Johnny, I'm so proud of
you doing it all by yourself."
00:37:57.74\00:38:00.11
"Oh look here, Mary drew
this picture all by herself.
00:38:00.14\00:38:03.94
Nobody helped her. Nobody.
00:38:03.97\00:38:05.83
She didn't trace it, she
didn't stencil it, or anything.
00:38:05.86\00:38:08.12
She did it all by herself."
00:38:08.15\00:38:10.03
"Oh Mary, I'm so proud of you.
00:38:10.06\00:38:12.02
Really, you did
it all by yourself?
00:38:12.05\00:38:13.71
That's great."
00:38:14.19\00:38:15.72
We just reinforce this
concept; all by yourself.
00:38:16.18\00:38:20.52
Santa Clause tells
little boys and girls,
00:38:21.85\00:38:24.65
"I'm going to give you
goodies if you have been good.
00:38:24.68\00:38:28.99
If you behaved, if you
have stayed out of trouble,
00:38:29.20\00:38:32.36
if you have had
self-control, self-discipline,
00:38:32.39\00:38:35.67
we give you presents.
00:38:35.70\00:38:37.42
But if you haven't, oh, bags
of switches and lumps of coal."
00:38:37.62\00:38:41.55
We give children allowances
if they do their chores.
00:38:42.00\00:38:46.18
If they don't do their chores,
well not so much allowance.
00:38:46.21\00:38:49.52
At school you can get
extra credit for extra work
00:38:49.72\00:38:54.32
as long as you did it all by
yourself and you didn't cheat
00:38:54.87\00:38:59.10
or borrow from anybody else.
00:38:59.13\00:39:01.38
You need to do
it all by yourself.
00:39:01.41\00:39:03.87
You get what you pay
for, you pay for what you get.
00:39:07.57\00:39:11.01
You deserve it, you
earn it, you work at it.
00:39:11.04\00:39:13.97
You are responsible.
00:39:14.00\00:39:16.26
You are the
master of your own ship.
00:39:16.29\00:39:18.83
You know what the unspoken
message is in all of this?
00:39:21.39\00:39:23.79
It's that charity is good to
give, but it is bad to receive.
00:39:24.15\00:39:29.56
Something that's a gift?
00:39:31.05\00:39:32.78
"Oh no, no. No."
00:39:33.40\00:39:35.64
There's a wonderful friend
of ours who use to do our taxes.
00:39:38.80\00:39:42.58
Her name is Ruby.
00:39:45.30\00:39:46.55
And the first time
she did our taxes for us,
00:39:47.88\00:39:51.24
I was frustrated because
when she handed them back to me,
00:39:51.27\00:39:55.08
she said, "There
will be no charge."
00:39:55.11\00:39:56.65
And I said, "Ruby, I
didn't bring them to you
00:39:57.52\00:39:59.90
thinking you were
going to do this for free."
00:40:00.58\00:40:02.13
She said, "No, no. I
want to do this for you.
00:40:02.16\00:40:04.13
Now don't give me trouble.
00:40:04.16\00:40:05.49
I want to do this for you."
00:40:06.06\00:40:07.14
She said, "Pastor
Venden, are you a legalist?"
00:40:07.17\00:40:11.07
She said, "Can you accept
a gift or do you feel like
00:40:12.16\00:40:14.33
you have to earn it?
00:40:14.36\00:40:15.69
See, I'm doing this
because I'm just grateful for
00:40:16.33\00:40:19.58
what you've
been sharing with us.
00:40:20.13\00:40:21.78
And I just want to do
this, I just want to do this.
00:40:21.81\00:40:23.88
So don't be a legalist."
00:40:23.91\00:40:25.57
Well, we moved away
from that town after having
00:40:26.82\00:40:29.96
become very close to her.
00:40:29.99\00:40:31.62
She did our taxes several times
for free, and I began to feel
00:40:32.37\00:40:35.73
more and more
indebted to her, see.
00:40:35.76\00:40:39.62
Because you don't
accept something for nothing.
00:40:39.65\00:40:43.02
That's the way we grow up.
00:40:43.05\00:40:44.33
There's no free lunch.
00:40:44.36\00:40:45.83
If it is, it's charity.
00:40:46.72\00:40:48.06
And charity is good to
give, but bad to receive.
00:40:48.09\00:40:50.40
That's the way we communicate.
00:40:51.05\00:40:52.60
So we moved away and
I got this great idea.
00:40:53.03\00:40:57.76
She lived alone, and so
we bought an airplane ticket
00:40:57.79\00:41:00.43
for her to come and
spend a holiday week with us.
00:41:00.46\00:41:03.46
And I remember her
telling me on the phone,
00:41:04.33\00:41:07.82
"Now I'm planning
to pay for that ticket.
00:41:07.85\00:41:09.34
I am very upset
with you that you already
00:41:09.37\00:41:11.20
purchased it and sent it to me.
00:41:11.23\00:41:12.47
Because I am glad to come
to your place, but I know.
00:41:12.50\00:41:15.35
I do your taxes and
you can't afford to buy
00:41:15.38\00:41:18.22
an airline ticket for me.
00:41:18.25\00:41:19.32
So I'm paying
for my own ticket."
00:41:19.35\00:41:21.18
I said, "No, no, no.
00:41:21.40\00:41:22.43
I said to her, "Ruby," I
said, "are you a legalist?
00:41:22.46\00:41:25.48
Can't you accept
a gracious gift?"
00:41:26.86\00:41:29.42
She said, "Oh man."
00:41:29.62\00:41:32.89
So she came and she
spent a week with us.
00:41:33.05\00:41:34.84
And we went to take her to the
airport at the end of the week.
00:41:35.49\00:41:38.31
Had a great time.
00:41:38.34\00:41:39.37
When we came back to our house
at the end of the airport trip,
00:41:39.55\00:41:42.43
our children, who
were elementary school age,
00:41:42.96\00:41:45.84
went to their
respective rooms, whatever,
00:41:46.35\00:41:48.39
to play or do whatever.
00:41:48.42\00:41:49.45
And before you know it,
they're both coming back.
00:41:49.48\00:41:51.90
They have an envelope.
00:41:51.93\00:41:53.43
Under their
pillows was an envelope.
00:41:53.53\00:41:55.78
Each of them had a hundred
dollar bill, and it said,
00:41:55.81\00:41:57.97
"Now you tell your parents
that unless they're legalists,
00:41:58.00\00:42:00.70
this is for you to
use for school clothes.
00:42:00.73\00:42:03.66
And you just tell them
that they can't mess with that."
00:42:03.69\00:42:06.81
And I called her
and I said, "Ruby."
00:42:06.84\00:42:12.66
But there's something difficult
about accepting a gift.
00:42:13.16\00:42:16.27
See, we grow up on the notion
that you have to put in some
00:42:16.30\00:42:19.60
effort if you expect a benefit.
00:42:19.63\00:42:22.19
There's some
self-dependence going on here.
00:42:22.22\00:42:25.16
We applaud the singers
that sing, "I did it my way."
00:42:29.02\00:42:33.67
We applaud them.
00:42:34.72\00:42:35.77
I know the song. I
mean, I could sing it.
00:42:35.80\00:42:38.41
And yet, the message of
the song, "I did it my way."
00:42:38.84\00:42:44.30
And then after all
of this growing up on
00:42:46.63\00:42:48.96
"do it yourself"
life, we struggle.
00:42:48.99\00:42:51.84
Because we're trying
to pour grace theology
00:42:51.87\00:42:55.64
into old wine skins.
00:42:55.67\00:42:58.48
And you remember what
Jesus said about old wine skins.
00:42:59.09\00:43:01.65
They can't hold the new wine.
00:43:02.09\00:43:04.55
The grace
theology is like new wine,
00:43:04.76\00:43:06.89
and it bursts
the old wine skins.
00:43:06.92\00:43:09.48
And it bursts them
because self-made men
00:43:10.23\00:43:13.03
tend to what to
worship their maker.
00:43:13.06\00:43:16.53
Nebuchadnezzar said,
"Is not this great Babylon
00:43:17.99\00:43:22.29
that I have built."
00:43:22.32\00:43:24.37
The words were
barely out of his mouth,
00:43:26.63\00:43:29.17
and God passed a
judgment upon him.
00:43:30.74\00:43:34.89
Zonk.
00:43:34.92\00:43:36.29
And he became the first hippie.
00:43:36.76\00:43:38.30
Did you know that?
00:43:38.33\00:43:39.41
Because the Bible says that he
was on grass and grew long hair.
00:43:39.51\00:43:42.41
He was the first hippie.
00:43:42.80\00:43:44.21
Daniel 4, "While the word was
still in the king's mouth..."
00:43:44.93\00:43:48.05
God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to
know who kept his heart beating.
00:44:07.03\00:44:11.78
Isaiah 42:8 says,
"I am the Lord..."
00:44:13.97\00:44:17.43
It's not about what I do.
00:44:26.21\00:44:28.94
It's about what He does.
00:44:29.80\00:44:32.34
And what He does is
promise to work in us
00:44:32.69\00:44:36.52
both to will and to
do of His good pleasure.
00:44:36.55\00:44:40.58
No syncretism here.
00:44:40.89\00:44:42.89
He says, "I will,
both, will and do.
00:44:42.92\00:44:46.01
I am the responsible
party for the whole package."
00:44:46.04\00:44:49.89
Philippians 2:13...
00:44:50.25\00:44:54.70
Well if that's
what He wants to do,
00:44:57.70\00:44:59.40
if that's what He wants to
do, what is He waiting for?
00:44:59.43\00:45:03.99
What is He waiting for?
00:45:05.48\00:45:07.31
You know what He's waiting for?
00:45:08.31\00:45:09.68
He's waiting
for us to surrender.
00:45:10.09\00:45:13.36
That's what He's waiting for.
00:45:13.86\00:45:15.44
But surrender is
difficult for us.
00:45:15.47\00:45:18.43
Because we are born
with this independent drive.
00:45:18.78\00:45:24.01
It's part of our genes
and chromosomes ever since
00:45:24.71\00:45:27.40
Adam and Eve blew it in Eden.
00:45:27.43\00:45:30.63
Independence is just
the way we are wired.
00:45:31.19\00:45:34.38
It's the way we're put together.
00:45:34.67\00:45:35.98
Here in America, we even
celebrate Independence Day.
00:45:36.01\00:45:40.46
You know.
00:45:40.49\00:45:41.61
Independence.
00:45:41.64\00:45:43.24
We have trouble with
that word, "surrender."
00:45:43.90\00:45:48.27
For most of us, we think
of the word, "surrender,"
00:45:48.47\00:45:50.22
as a bad word.
00:45:50.25\00:45:51.59
Surrender is what losers do.
00:45:51.62\00:45:53.99
In a war, the people who
surrender are the losers.
00:45:54.94\00:45:58.80
In a game, the people
who surrender are the losers.
00:45:59.36\00:46:04.07
And then we come along
and we read in Scripture that
00:46:04.80\00:46:09.38
God is looking for
us to depend upon Him
00:46:09.41\00:46:14.33
and to surrender to Him.
00:46:14.36\00:46:18.07
And that this
actually is a good thing?
00:46:18.27\00:46:19.95
A good thing?
00:46:20.61\00:46:21.79
It just seems to go
counter to the way we think.
00:46:22.35\00:46:27.34
But you know what?
00:46:28.05\00:46:29.08
In the heavenly
economy, much of what we think
00:46:29.11\00:46:32.68
is just opposite from the
way the heavenly economy goes.
00:46:32.71\00:46:36.42
You know, in the
heavenly economy, if you want to
00:46:36.45\00:46:38.65
be the greatest,
you would be what?
00:46:38.68\00:46:40.15
The servant of
all. Right, you know?
00:46:40.43\00:46:42.65
In the heavenly economy, if you
cast your bread on the waters,
00:46:42.68\00:46:48.35
it returns to you, see.
00:46:48.38\00:46:49.85
In the heavenly
economy, the first are last
00:46:49.99\00:46:53.09
and the last are first.
00:46:53.12\00:46:54.58
In the heavenly economy,
when you surrender, you win.
00:46:54.61\00:46:59.39
It's just the
opposite of the way we think.
00:46:59.42\00:47:01.37
Just the opposite.
00:47:01.76\00:47:02.96
Many years ago
when I was a teenager,
00:47:03.48\00:47:05.28
some friends of mine
took me scuba diving.
00:47:05.49\00:47:07.77
I wasn't
certified, but they were.
00:47:07.80\00:47:09.35
And we did this buddy dive
so that I could learn about it.
00:47:09.38\00:47:11.58
I thought it was so cool.
00:47:11.81\00:47:14.12
Another world.
00:47:14.36\00:47:15.96
I came home...
00:47:15.99\00:47:17.09
Remember, I'm a teenager.
00:47:17.12\00:47:18.71
And it was during that time...
00:47:18.74\00:47:19.93
Many people understand this.
00:47:19.96\00:47:21.85
There's a time in your
life when, as a teenager,
00:47:22.05\00:47:24.56
you don't seem to think
your parents are all that cool.
00:47:24.59\00:47:27.25
And I was in that stage.
00:47:27.72\00:47:29.27
And when you don't think
your parents are all that cool,
00:47:29.30\00:47:31.31
your parents feel
this estrangement,
00:47:31.34\00:47:33.85
and it kind of
hurts them, you know.
00:47:33.88\00:47:35.01
Mark Twain, I
think it was, who said,
00:47:35.04\00:47:36.79
"When I was 14 years
old, I couldn't believe
00:47:36.82\00:47:39.61
how stupid my dad was.
00:47:39.64\00:47:42.07
But when I became
21, I couldn't believe
00:47:42.17\00:47:44.65
how much he had
learned in just seven years."
00:47:44.68\00:47:47.55
Well I was this teenager, right.
00:47:48.39\00:47:50.31
And I come home from
scuba diving, I said,
00:47:50.51\00:47:54.84
"Dad, you should try this.
00:47:54.87\00:47:58.57
My friends took me
out as a buddy dive,
00:47:58.94\00:48:01.60
and I'll bet you
they'd take you."
00:48:01.63\00:48:03.01
My dad said, "Oh,
that wouldn't be necessary.
00:48:03.04\00:48:05.16
I wouldn't want to be a burden."
00:48:05.19\00:48:06.52
I said, "I don't think they'd
think it was a burden, dad.
00:48:06.55\00:48:08.02
Let me give them a call."
00:48:08.05\00:48:09.08
He said, "No, no, no,
no. Don't, don't call.
00:48:09.11\00:48:10.65
No, don't trouble them. I
don't want to be a burden."
00:48:10.68\00:48:12.42
I said, "You know, I don't think
they'll think it's a trouble."
00:48:12.45\00:48:14.51
I dialed their number.
00:48:14.54\00:48:15.58
I said, "Would
you guys take my dad
00:48:15.61\00:48:16.84
scuba diving like you did me?"
00:48:16.87\00:48:18.07
They said, "We'd
love to. That's great."
00:48:18.10\00:48:19.89
I said, "Dad, they
said they'd love to."
00:48:19.92\00:48:22.34
And my dad
said, "Uh, wonderful."
00:48:22.37\00:48:25.64
Truth was, he didn't want
to go scuba diving because
00:48:27.11\00:48:29.09
he was afraid of scuba diving.
00:48:29.12\00:48:30.71
But he chose to go because
he wanted to bond with his
00:48:31.13\00:48:34.97
teenage son who actually offered
to do something with him.
00:48:35.00\00:48:38.33
You know.
00:48:38.36\00:48:39.41
So we put him in a swimming pool
and got the wet suit on him,
00:48:40.01\00:48:44.55
and the whole bit, you know.
00:48:44.58\00:48:45.61
And the tank, and the
regulator, and that little thing
00:48:45.64\00:48:49.19
you blow up, you pull on it.
00:48:49.22\00:48:50.47
If in an emergency, you pull
a little cord and it goes, poof,
00:48:50.50\00:48:52.49
and it will float
you out of trouble.
00:48:52.69\00:48:54.70
And the fins, and the
mask, and the whole thing.
00:48:54.73\00:48:56.40
Put him in the swimming pool.
00:48:56.43\00:48:57.46
I said, "See piece of
cake, dad. Piece of cake."
00:48:57.49\00:49:00.03
He said, "Yeah,
this isn't too bad."
00:49:00.06\00:49:01.15
He sat on the bottom of
the pool blowing bubbles
00:49:01.18\00:49:03.21
and you know, "It's not bad."
00:49:03.24\00:49:04.45
So the next day we took him
to off the shore of San Diego.
00:49:04.84\00:49:08.56
California.
00:49:08.96\00:49:10.06
It happened that the
night before, it had stormed.
00:49:10.24\00:49:12.86
And so the water was
murky and the waves were large.
00:49:12.89\00:49:17.22
But we said, "Not to worry, dad.
00:49:17.46\00:49:18.80
Not to worry.
00:49:18.83\00:49:19.87
Because you have
the mask on your face,
00:49:20.37\00:49:21.98
no salt gets in your eyes.
00:49:22.01\00:49:23.13
You have the
regulator in your mouth,
00:49:23.16\00:49:24.62
no water is going to get in.
00:49:24.65\00:49:25.68
You can breathe air, it's
not going to be a problem.
00:49:25.71\00:49:27.74
And you know, we're
just going to walk out
00:49:27.77\00:49:29.14
and go under the
turbulence of those waves.
00:49:29.17\00:49:31.22
And it will be fine,
it'll be another world.
00:49:31.25\00:49:32.58
You'll just love it."
00:49:32.61\00:49:33.71
So we started walking
out into the ocean together.
00:49:33.74\00:49:36.01
And as we were
walking out into the ocean,
00:49:36.34\00:49:37.75
I turned and looked at
my dad and he looked at me.
00:49:37.78\00:49:39.69
And I saw behind the
glass, I saw terror in his eyes.
00:49:39.72\00:49:43.76
And he began shaking his head
vigorously from side to side,
00:49:43.79\00:49:46.10
like, "No, no.
Not now, not ever.
00:49:46.13\00:49:47.52
Forget this. This is nonsense.
00:49:47.55\00:49:49.11
I'm not going to do this."
00:49:49.14\00:49:50.40
So we said, "Ok dad,
we're close enough to shore.
00:49:51.05\00:49:53.00
You just go ahead and go back.
00:49:53.03\00:49:54.34
But we're going to
dive, and we'll see you
00:49:54.70\00:49:56.17
in 30 or 40 minutes."
00:49:56.20\00:49:57.70
So he turned around and we
went out and we went under.
00:49:58.03\00:49:59.89
When we came back, my
dad, still in his wet suit,
00:49:59.92\00:50:04.62
still with a tank on his
back, was lying on the beach
00:50:04.65\00:50:08.18
on his back with
the fins sticking up,
00:50:08.21\00:50:10.23
right where the
waves were coming up
00:50:10.26\00:50:11.78
and crashing onto his feet.
00:50:11.81\00:50:14.73
And he's lying there like this.
00:50:15.03\00:50:16.39
He looked kind of like
a beached whale with the
00:50:16.42\00:50:18.01
black outfit and
all of that, you know.
00:50:18.04\00:50:19.67
And I came up to him and
I looked down at this face,
00:50:19.88\00:50:22.02
I said, "Dad,
what are you doing?"
00:50:22.05\00:50:23.66
He said, "I thought
I was going to die."
00:50:24.21\00:50:26.05
I said, "What do you mean,
thought you were going to die?"
00:50:26.39\00:50:29.01
He said, "I
turned around to swim in,
00:50:29.04\00:50:31.72
and there was a riptide
of some kind coming out."
00:50:32.02\00:50:34.26
Some kind of under current.
00:50:34.50\00:50:36.46
It was kind of like getting on
a treadmill, an exercise thing.
00:50:36.72\00:50:39.91
And he said, "The harder I
swam, the less distance I made.
00:50:39.94\00:50:44.57
And the shore just
kept standing off from me.
00:50:44.60\00:50:47.30
And I'm working
trying to get there.
00:50:47.33\00:50:48.51
And I can't get
there, can't get there."
00:50:48.54\00:50:49.62
And he said, "I
started panicking."
00:50:49.82\00:50:51.51
Well when you panic,
you don't think clearly.
00:50:51.54\00:50:52.96
It never occurred to him
to pull on the little cord,
00:50:52.99\00:50:54.88
poof, float that thing out.
00:50:54.91\00:50:56.37
And just float
until he got out of the
00:50:56.40\00:50:57.72
current and then
come on into shore.
00:50:57.75\00:50:58.79
Never occurred to
him, when you panic.
00:50:58.82\00:51:00.53
So he just worked
like a... You know.
00:51:00.62\00:51:03.29
And he was
running on adrenaline.
00:51:03.32\00:51:05.57
And adrenaline
only lasts so long.
00:51:05.91\00:51:08.12
And finally, he
runs out of adrenaline.
00:51:08.39\00:51:10.20
And now he can't
even swim anymore.
00:51:10.23\00:51:11.80
And he said to himself, "I
thought I was going to die.
00:51:11.83\00:51:13.68
I thought, so this
is how I'm going to die.
00:51:13.71\00:51:15.11
I'm going to sink to
the bottom of the ocean.
00:51:15.60\00:51:17.39
And I'm going to
breathe the air in my tank
00:51:17.96\00:51:20.41
until it runs out.
00:51:20.44\00:51:21.94
And then I'm going to drown.
00:51:22.18\00:51:23.53
And tomorrow in the newspaper
in San Diego, it's going to say,
00:51:23.56\00:51:25.67
'Morris Venden died while
trying to bond with his son
00:51:25.70\00:51:28.12
off shore in San Diego.'"
00:51:28.15\00:51:29.53
And he said he actually
gave up and sank all the way
00:51:30.23\00:51:35.50
to the bottom of the ocean.
00:51:35.53\00:51:37.90
And as his knees hit
the bottom of the ocean,
00:51:38.10\00:51:40.19
he realized he was
only chest deep in water.
00:51:40.22\00:51:43.28
And he crawled out and flopped.
00:51:44.93\00:51:47.09
And that's how we found him.
00:51:47.12\00:51:48.36
But you see,
when he surrendered,
00:51:48.46\00:51:51.08
when he gave up
on himself, he won.
00:51:51.11\00:51:55.62
He won.
00:51:55.65\00:51:56.95
And that's the
way it is with Jesus.
00:51:56.98\00:51:59.71
Nebuchadnezzar had to lose
everything before he surrendered
00:51:59.74\00:52:04.19
and acknowledged his need.
00:52:04.22\00:52:06.38
He had to come to the
end of his own resources.
00:52:06.48\00:52:10.24
It is incredible how
stubborn some of us are.
00:52:10.27\00:52:15.33
It's just incredible
how much we will put up with
00:52:16.05\00:52:19.60
before giving up.
00:52:19.95\00:52:21.94
I once did arm wrestling
with a classmate in college.
00:52:22.61\00:52:25.90
He was way stronger than me.
00:52:26.10\00:52:27.78
He had grown up as a
block layer, and a surfer.
00:52:27.81\00:52:32.37
You think about that.
00:52:32.66\00:52:33.88
Surfer and a block layer.
00:52:33.98\00:52:35.50
This guy had
muscles on his muscles.
00:52:35.53\00:52:37.63
I was a fool to even think I
was going to go up against him.
00:52:37.66\00:52:40.41
But I remember trying.
00:52:40.70\00:52:42.02
I thought, "I've got
to try, I've got to try."
00:52:42.22\00:52:44.38
I worked so hard.
00:52:44.41\00:52:45.93
People were
watching us, they said,
00:52:45.96\00:52:47.92
"Lee, your face is so red.
00:52:47.95\00:52:49.32
I can't believe
how red your face is."
00:52:49.35\00:52:51.17
And I'm working and I'm
working, and I get like here.
00:52:51.20\00:52:53.54
And then I come
back up a little bit.
00:52:53.57\00:52:54.76
And I start to think I'm
going to make some progress.
00:52:54.79\00:52:56.73
And then...
00:52:56.76\00:52:57.82
And I try again.
00:52:58.31\00:52:59.44
And finally, I mean
I'm hyperventilating.
00:52:59.86\00:53:02.00
And crash, I lose.
00:53:05.21\00:53:06.62
The next morning when
I was brushing my teeth,
00:53:07.10\00:53:09.50
I looked in the mirror
and I had red polka dots
00:53:09.53\00:53:12.34
all over my face.
00:53:12.37\00:53:13.46
Seriously, little
red... Looked like measles.
00:53:13.76\00:53:15.82
And I thought,
"What's gone wrong?"
00:53:16.09\00:53:17.58
I thought, "I have
some incurable disease.
00:53:17.78\00:53:20.57
I'm probably going to die.
00:53:20.77\00:53:21.82
I probably won't even
graduate from college."
00:53:21.85\00:53:23.90
And I went to the
nurses station and I said,
00:53:24.10\00:53:26.74
"Weirdness, I woke up, I've
got all this stuff all over me.
00:53:26.77\00:53:30.23
What do you think it is?"
00:53:30.26\00:53:31.29
And she said, "I
don't have any idea.
00:53:31.32\00:53:32.59
I've never seen
anything like it."
00:53:32.62\00:53:33.81
I said, "Oh man,
it's probably serious.
00:53:34.02\00:53:35.93
Probably very serious."
00:53:36.14\00:53:37.55
She said, "Well you
know what, as I look at it,
00:53:37.85\00:53:39.14
it looks almost like you
were straining and your blood
00:53:39.17\00:53:43.44
pushed out into
the outer capillaries
00:53:43.47\00:53:45.52
and then they closed up
and it couldn't get back in.
00:53:45.55\00:53:47.27
That's what it looks like; have
you ever strained recently?"
00:53:47.30\00:53:50.03
Oh, have I ever strained.
00:53:50.13\00:53:53.16
We are stubborn
about surrendering
00:53:55.44\00:53:59.42
and giving control to Jesus.
00:53:59.62\00:54:03.12
We are sick.
00:54:03.15\00:54:06.25
We are drunk on
the wine of Babylon,
00:54:06.28\00:54:10.48
which is self-dependence.
00:54:10.51\00:54:13.76
And it doesn't matter what
denomination you belong to,
00:54:13.79\00:54:17.27
this is a problem for everyone.
00:54:17.30\00:54:19.66
You notice it said, all
nations drink of this stuff.
00:54:19.69\00:54:24.32
They all do.
00:54:24.98\00:54:26.10
Nebuchadnezzar had to
lose everything before he
00:54:27.21\00:54:28.91
surrendered and
acknowledged his need.
00:54:28.94\00:54:30.28
He did not understand that
surrender was the way to win.
00:54:30.31\00:54:32.60
But God was patient with him.
00:54:32.63\00:54:34.34
And He's patient with us.
00:54:34.54\00:54:35.71
Aren't you glad
He's patient with us?
00:54:35.74\00:54:37.80
Long suffering.
00:54:38.06\00:54:39.12
And in the end, He prays
one of the most tremendous
00:54:39.15\00:54:41.17
prayers in all the Bible.
00:54:41.20\00:54:42.23
Have you read it recently?
00:54:42.26\00:54:43.33
It is an awesome prayer.
00:54:43.36\00:54:44.68
Daniel 4, notice who
gets the credit and the glory
00:54:44.71\00:54:47.96
in this prayer.
00:54:47.99\00:54:49.02
There's something
about looking to Jesus that
00:54:57.05\00:54:59.31
gives you new understanding.
00:54:59.34\00:55:01.16
"All the people of the earth
are nothing compared to Him..."
00:55:13.50\00:55:16.60
Well quite frankly, I'm thankful
that He's able to humble.
00:55:48.90\00:55:52.76
You know, last night Jim Gilley
was talking with a group of us
00:55:53.20\00:55:55.94
over here, and he
said, "Sometimes I almost,
00:55:55.97\00:55:58.56
almost, thank God for
a weakness that forces me
00:55:58.59\00:56:03.69
to realize I can't do it all."
00:56:03.72\00:56:05.94
Sometimes I...
00:56:06.04\00:56:07.20
It's a blessing in
disguise, perhaps, huh?
00:56:07.23\00:56:10.01
A blessing in disguise.
00:56:10.04\00:56:12.13
Well if God could bring
that heathen king to his senses,
00:56:12.16\00:56:15.63
He can do
something for you and for me.
00:56:15.66\00:56:17.51
And that's good news.
00:56:17.54\00:56:18.72
That is good news.
00:56:18.92\00:56:19.95
And one day we're going
to join that group of people
00:56:19.98\00:56:22.94
who, according
to Revelation 15:3,
00:56:23.14\00:56:25.27
are going to sing together...
00:56:25.30\00:56:27.02
I want you to pray with me,
so let's just bow our heads.
00:56:39.04\00:56:41.82
Lord Jesus, please,
please keep doing the good work
00:56:41.85\00:56:47.25
that You've begun in our lives.
00:56:47.28\00:56:48.91
Crowd this self out of us.
00:56:48.94\00:56:51.96
Replace it with Your self.
00:56:52.31\00:56:54.61
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit.
00:56:54.64\00:56:56.47
Enable us to recognize that
surrender is the way to win.
00:56:57.12\00:57:02.74
Surrender is the way to victory.
00:57:02.77\00:57:04.84
That You are
safe to surrender to.
00:57:05.11\00:57:07.85
We thank You for
offering us that invitation.
00:57:08.28\00:57:10.83
We thank You for Your patience
and Your long suffering.
00:57:10.86\00:57:13.37
We thank You that You
haven't written us off
00:57:13.40\00:57:15.95
even though we're slow learners.
00:57:15.98\00:57:17.98
And we thank You that
You promise to complete
00:57:18.19\00:57:20.44
the work You have begun.
00:57:20.48\00:57:21.51
In Jesus name, amen.
00:57:21.54\00:57:24.06