Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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live from the
3ABN worship Center.
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Well we're just so happy
that each one of you could join
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with us this
afternoon for this the final
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of the series, The
Revelation of Whom,
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with Pastor Lee Venden.
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By this time you certainly
know that Pastor Venden
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is the fulltime Revivalist for
the Upper Columbia Conference.
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I had to stop and
think for a moment
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the name of the Conference.
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And he's the
fulltime Revivalist there.
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Also that he has been
a pastor for 30 years.
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He is married
to his wife, Marji.
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And they have
two adult children.
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So we're just happy that
Pastor Venden could be with us.
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It's been such a blessing.
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Today's subject,
Come Out Wherever You Are.
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We're looking forward to that.
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This morning we were
blessed so much with,
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall.
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And we're looking forward...
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By the way, if some of
you who are watching live
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did not get that, it'll be
at seven o'clock central time
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reshowing the message that
was shown here live at eleven.
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So that's if
you're watching live.
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We're so happy that
we can all be together.
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That we can enjoy this
series and be blessed by it.
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Before Pastor Venden
comes, Danny Shelton is going to
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join us at this time.
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And he's going to sing,
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Surely The Presence Of
The Lord Is In This Place.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place;
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I can feel His
mighty power and His grace.
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I can hear the
brush of angels' wings;
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I see glory on each face.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place.
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In the midst of His children
the Lord said He would be;
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it doesn't take very many,
it can be just two or three.
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And then I feel
that same sweet spirit
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that I felt oft times before.
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Surely I can say
I've been with my Lord.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place;
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I can feel His
mighty power and His grace.
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I can hear the
brush of angels' wings;
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I see glory on each face.
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Surely you feel the
presence of the Lord,
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for He's in this place.
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There's a holy hush around us
as God's glory fills this place.
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I've touched the
hem of His garment,
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I can almost see His face.
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And my heart is overflowing
with the fullness of His joy;
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for I know without a doubt
that I've been with the Lord.
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Sing it with me if you know it.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place;
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I can feel His
mighty power and His grace.
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I can hear the
brush of angels' wings;
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I see glory on each face.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place.
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Oh, surely the
presence of our Lord
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is in this place.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place.
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Isn't it wonderful that
He, you know, God Immanuel
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with us, isn't it wonderful
that He can be in this place?
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And not just in this
place, but in this place.
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Let's have one more prayer.
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So, Lord Jesus, I just echo as
a prayer the words of that song.
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Thank You.
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Into my heart, into my heart,
come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
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Come into this place.
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Come into each of our hearts.
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And as we look
together in Your direction,
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I pray that You
would stir us deeply.
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May we be touched
not just in our minds,
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but also in our hearts.
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We need the Holy Spirit
for that, so I'm asking for
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spiritual eye glasses
and hearing aids to be
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handed out to every person.
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And I'm asking for that
same Spirit to crowd whatever
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needs to be crowded
out of me so that I can
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be a useful tool.
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I just want to be a
tool, and I'm asking for that
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Well I want to begin by showing
you a beautiful collection
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of flowers.
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Just check these things out.
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Don't those look nice?
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Look at the colors,
the delicate petals.
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Aren't they beautiful?
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I have one more slide of a
bunch of those same flowers.
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Wouldn't you love to
maybe have a whole bouquet of
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those flowers, or maybe
have an arrangement made
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and have them sent
to a friend of yours
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with those beautiful flowers.
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Oh, not so fast.
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I want to tell you,
these flowers are first cousins
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to one more flower.
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And here it comes next.
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They are all, these
flowers are carnivorous.
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They are Venus Fly Traps.
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There's one
closing in right there.
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Here comes
another picture sequence.
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We're going to
show you another one.
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There's open.
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Kind of luring that insect
in and then it comes down.
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Here's comes the
next one and one more.
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And that insect is history.
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See these plants, they
look gorgeous on the surface.
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But they are able to
eat insects, small rodents,
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and small children.
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They are carnivorous.
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They look like
something they aren't.
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They look better,
but death lurks within.
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We're going to
look at a fourth angel.
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And this fourth angel, we'll
hear more about in a minute.
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But the 17th
chapter of Revelation begins
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with an angel
showing John a prostitute
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riding on a
seven-headed monster.
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She is dressed in
purple and scarlet,
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and glittering with jewels.
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And she sits on many waters.
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John is instructed a little
bit more about that later on,
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but we're just
told at the beginning
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she sits on many waters.
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Now her external beauty is
enough to capture the attention
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of the entire world.
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External beauty.
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Like those flowers.
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She looks so good the entire
world is mesmerized by her.
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They are enchanted by
her, she is so attractive.
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Something that seems
irresistible about her.
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Though she looks attractive,
this golden cup that she holds
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is filled with abominable filth.
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Try to say that
seven times fast.
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Abominable filth.
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She's known by many
names, but the one that is most
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familiar to us and we
have referred to already
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in our series is, Babylon.
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Babylon.
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Now I want you to
remember that Babylon
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symbolizes pride
and self-dependence.
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It is a symbol of
living life apart from Jesus.
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Living life apart from God.
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Now, she is in league with
rulers and nations to destroy
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God's faithful people.
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This is all there in chapter 17.
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She inspires rulers and
nations to attack the Lamb.
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But we have good news.
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Early on in the
chapter, Revelation 17:14,
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the Lamb, even though
they attack, the Lamb will
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overcome them...
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Okay, then chapter 17
ends with an angel explaining
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that the many waters represent
the people of the earth.
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People of the earth.
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Chapter 18 begins with another
angel whose blazing glory
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lights up the whole earth.
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So think about a comet
or something approaching
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the planet and it's
just blazing with glory,
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and a tail of glory streaming
back from it as it's racing
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towards our planet.
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It's not a comet,
it's another angel.
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And this angel is
crying with a loud voice.
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And so this
angel is like shouting.
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There must be a sense
of urgency in this angel.
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He is desperate that
people on the planet hear
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what he has to say.
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He shouts with a loud
voice that Babylon has crumbled
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to ruins and become home to
everything evil, detestable,
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wicked, and unclean.
00:12:04.42\00:12:05.95
And then in
verse 3 of chapter 18,
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this angel
observes that all nations...
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Excuse me, not all nations.
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...that all have
fallen for her seductions.
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All.
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It's important I
make that distinction.
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It was a Freudian slip to throw
the word, "nations," in because
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it says all have fallen for her
seductions and tasted her wine.
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Presidents, kings,
businessmen, great and small.
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Everyone has traded with her.
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Everyone has traded with her.
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Now regardless of what
you think about prostitution,
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based on this chapter all
sucker for what she represents.
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Regardless of what
you think of prostitution,
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all sucker for
what she represents.
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What she offers then
must be extremely attractive.
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Or all wouldn't sucker for it.
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What is it?
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What is it that crosses
every geographical boundary?
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Christian, non-Christian,
it doesn't matter.
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What is it that crosses
every social economic group?
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What is it that
permeates every country,
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every age, both genders?
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All.
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What is it?
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What is the sin that
doth so easily beset?
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What is it?
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Hebrews 12:1, Paul says...
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I'm going to
tell you what it is.
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The sin that so easily besets
that everyone is guilty of
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on the planet
is self-dependence.
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Doing it myself.
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Doing it my way.
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Living my life, good
or bad, apart from Jesus.
00:14:08.99\00:14:14.09
Self-dependence and
pride are the commodities that
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this harlot trades in.
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I think self-dependence
and pride are Siamese twins.
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They go together.
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They go together.
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Siamese twins.
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This problem of self-dependence
and pride is so extensive
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in the world and in us
that only God can fix it.
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We can't.
00:14:43.27\00:14:44.46
It is too deep rooted.
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We cannot fix it.
00:14:46.50\00:14:48.01
And so in verse 4 of chapter
18 God calls us to come to Him.
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He calls us, yes us,
to come to Him for help.
00:14:53.72\00:15:00.43
Revelation 18:4...
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Please note the last two words.
00:15:07.20\00:15:10.13
"...My people."
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"...My people."
00:15:12.96\00:15:14.06
It is possible to be
among His people and still be
00:15:16.45\00:15:20.78
struggling with
pride and self-sufficiency.
00:15:20.81\00:15:23.84
Sometimes I'll preach a
sermon somewhere, and as I'm out
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greeting people afterwards
they'll come up and tell me,
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"That was just awesome.
00:15:35.74\00:15:37.17
That was tremendous."
00:15:37.20\00:15:39.09
And I think about what
H.M.S. Richards use to say
00:15:39.77\00:15:42.10
to those kinds of comments.
00:15:42.13\00:15:43.70
"Yeah," he said, "the
devil was telling me that
00:15:43.96\00:15:45.96
before I was half finished.
00:15:45.99\00:15:47.93
He wanted me to think,
'Oh, you're doing a great job.
00:15:49.32\00:15:53.21
Richards, you are
on top of your game.
00:15:53.61\00:15:56.37
Man, they are going to
wow about this sermon.'"
00:15:56.57\00:15:59.58
One person in one of
my congregations realized
00:16:01.84\00:16:04.67
and knew that I didn't
like that kind of stuff
00:16:04.70\00:16:11.08
because of what it does to me.
00:16:11.11\00:16:12.55
He came out one
time and he shook my hand
00:16:13.53\00:16:15.22
and then he said
to me, "Pastor Venden,
00:16:15.25\00:16:16.82
that was a masterful sermon."
00:16:17.02\00:16:21.21
And he said, "And do
you know what I mean?"
00:16:22.25\00:16:24.55
And he pointed like that.
00:16:24.99\00:16:26.65
And I said, "Thank
you for reminding me.
00:16:26.80\00:16:29.73
If it was full of the
Master, then it couldn't be me."
00:16:29.76\00:16:33.01
It would have to have been Him.
00:16:33.39\00:16:35.03
But it is easy.
00:16:35.36\00:16:36.80
It is easy.
00:16:37.00\00:16:38.95
Pride and self-sufficiency; the
sin that does so easily beset.
00:16:41.89\00:16:47.23
I was asked to do an
early morning camp meeting
00:16:48.50\00:16:51.58
presentation
with another fellow.
00:16:51.61\00:16:53.38
A good friend of mine.
00:16:53.41\00:16:54.69
He had been my associate
pastor and he later followed me
00:16:54.72\00:16:56.99
in that church as
the senior pastor.
00:16:57.02\00:16:59.03
And his name is Bill Roberts.
00:16:59.90\00:17:01.86
And they asked the two
of us to each do half of the
00:17:02.33\00:17:07.02
morning meetings, the
early morning meetings,
00:17:07.05\00:17:08.99
for camp meeting.
00:17:09.02\00:17:10.12
Well he was suppose to do the
first half and I was suppose to
00:17:11.30\00:17:13.37
do the second half.
00:17:13.40\00:17:14.67
And I love Bill Roberts.
00:17:15.66\00:17:17.67
And I came to the
first meeting that he did
00:17:18.96\00:17:21.73
and I sat in back.
00:17:22.07\00:17:23.43
And I had this
thought go through my head,
00:17:24.60\00:17:26.91
"I wonder how many
people will be here for Bill
00:17:28.11\00:17:30.82
compared to how many
will be here for me."
00:17:30.85\00:17:33.29
And I hated it, as soon as that
thought went through my head.
00:17:35.03\00:17:37.47
I said, "Lord Jesus, S.O.S.
00:17:37.50\00:17:40.94
I don't want to think that way."
00:17:41.18\00:17:42.89
But there it went, that
thought went through my mind.
00:17:43.12\00:17:45.52
The next morning
meeting, I sat on the front row
00:17:46.87\00:17:50.65
so that I couldn't
see the number of people
00:17:50.68\00:17:52.76
that were there for Bill.
00:17:52.79\00:17:54.14
Because I didn't
want that anymore.
00:17:54.17\00:17:56.56
But as the week
progressed, I kept thinking.
00:17:56.94\00:18:00.60
Into my head it
would come again,
00:18:00.63\00:18:02.07
"I wonder how the
audience size will compare
00:18:02.27\00:18:05.39
between him and me?"
00:18:05.42\00:18:06.77
And finally it
was my turn to speak
00:18:07.53\00:18:10.20
when the week was half over.
00:18:11.21\00:18:12.68
And I was sitting on the front
row waiting for the pulpit.
00:18:13.28\00:18:17.98
And in my head the devil was
going, "Turn around and look.
00:18:18.14\00:18:22.18
This place is fuller
than it was with Bill."
00:18:22.21\00:18:25.00
And I said, "S.O.S., Lord Jesus.
00:18:26.37\00:18:29.72
I don't want this sin
that so easily besets.
00:18:30.10\00:18:35.33
Pride and self-sufficiency.
00:18:35.89\00:18:38.21
Will You save me from myself?"
00:18:38.74\00:18:41.20
And all of a sudden
as I'm there praying,
00:18:42.16\00:18:44.27
someone taps my knee.
00:18:44.57\00:18:46.14
I look over, it's Bill Roberts.
00:18:46.52\00:18:48.81
And he says, "Lee, could I just
pray for you before you go on?
00:18:49.19\00:18:52.10
Can we just slip over
to the side for a minute?
00:18:52.13\00:18:53.82
I just want to pray for you."
00:18:53.85\00:18:55.04
And I said, "Yes."
00:18:55.83\00:18:57.21
We went over to the side
and Bill started praying for me
00:18:57.55\00:19:01.54
a prayer that
was so self-effacing.
00:19:02.16\00:19:04.81
"Lord Jesus, I want you
to use my friend, Lee, today.
00:19:05.34\00:19:08.47
I want Jesus to be lifted up."
00:19:08.50\00:19:10.37
And he just prayed this
beautiful prayer for me.
00:19:10.40\00:19:12.64
And as he prayed, I wept.
00:19:12.67\00:19:14.36
And as he prayed, I
felt the Holy Spirit
00:19:15.64\00:19:19.19
flush the toilet of my heart.
00:19:19.64\00:19:22.60
Free of all of that stuff.
00:19:24.25\00:19:26.33
I couldn't get rid of it.
00:19:26.36\00:19:28.18
But as Bill prayed, the
Holy Spirit did it for me.
00:19:28.45\00:19:31.37
And when he finished, I
said, "Bill, I'll tell you later
00:19:31.77\00:19:35.31
why that prayer
meant so much to me.
00:19:35.34\00:19:37.23
But you will
never know at the moment
00:19:37.26\00:19:39.48
how important it was."
00:19:39.86\00:19:41.34
It is the...
00:19:42.44\00:19:43.57
I was talking to James Rafferty
at the Arizona camp meeting.
00:19:44.72\00:19:47.97
We were there together.
00:19:48.00\00:19:49.03
And I told him, "Man,
man, I just don't want people
00:19:49.66\00:19:52.97
to tell me they liked it.
00:19:53.00\00:19:54.60
I just can't seem to handle it."
00:19:55.57\00:19:57.41
He said, "Yeah," he
said, "It's the final frontier.
00:19:57.61\00:20:01.30
It's the one that's just
hanging out there for us.
00:20:02.30\00:20:06.75
Hanging out there."
00:20:06.78\00:20:08.06
It is possible to be among
God's people and to still be
00:20:14.00\00:20:18.80
struggling with
pride and self-sufficiency.
00:20:18.83\00:20:21.93
You see, you would have to be
in her before He could call you
00:20:22.59\00:20:27.67
out from her.
00:20:27.70\00:20:29.50
Right?
00:20:30.81\00:20:31.84
Have to be in her before you
could be called out from her.
00:20:32.02\00:20:34.96
God's people have been in
Babylon far more frequently
00:20:34.99\00:20:40.97
and for far longer than
the Jews were held captive.
00:20:41.00\00:20:47.01
God's people have been
in Babylon for 6000 years.
00:20:47.82\00:20:51.61
God's people.
00:20:53.84\00:20:55.16
God's people.
00:20:56.08\00:20:57.63
In 1 Kings 2 verse
2, King David says...
00:21:03.57\00:21:07.35
Now he was talking to Solomon.
00:21:13.76\00:21:15.39
And I'm sure that he was
talking about the fact that
00:21:16.18\00:21:18.83
he was going to be dying soon.
00:21:18.86\00:21:20.30
He was getting on in
years, he didn't know how many
00:21:20.33\00:21:22.04
he had left, and he was telling
him, "It's not long from now
00:21:22.07\00:21:24.46
and I'm going to be dying."
00:21:24.49\00:21:25.75
But as I read that
verse, I thought, "Yeah, David,
00:21:27.11\00:21:31.07
I'm about to go the
way of all the earth."
00:21:31.71\00:21:34.29
Other translations
say, "I'm about to go the
00:21:34.32\00:21:36.07
way of all men."
00:21:36.10\00:21:37.61
All men.
00:21:38.46\00:21:39.57
You know what the
way of all men is.
00:21:39.77\00:21:41.52
It is not death.
00:21:41.97\00:21:44.23
It is pride and
self-sufficiency.
00:21:44.26\00:21:46.44
That is the way of all men.
00:21:46.81\00:21:48.37
And it happens
even to God's people.
00:21:48.40\00:21:51.25
David starts out
humbly, dependent upon God.
00:21:52.08\00:21:55.88
You go up against
Goliath with a few smooth stones
00:21:55.91\00:21:58.78
and you know, you know,
that you are outclassed.
00:21:58.98\00:22:04.45
Humanly speaking, you
know you are outclassed.
00:22:05.05\00:22:07.46
You don't even come up to
the guy's naval, you know.
00:22:07.85\00:22:10.74
But David says, "I
come to you in the name of
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.31
the Lord of hosts."
00:22:16.34\00:22:18.03
And God powers that slingshot
and directs that stone,
00:22:18.63\00:22:22.52
and the giant falls.
00:22:22.55\00:22:24.33
And David knows
who's responsible.
00:22:24.36\00:22:28.06
And David serves
God with a pure heart.
00:22:29.52\00:22:31.99
But King Saul is impressed.
00:22:32.91\00:22:35.24
And he says, "David, I want
to make you head of my army.
00:22:35.55\00:22:38.33
Go out there and
win some more for us."
00:22:38.90\00:22:41.02
So David goes out.
00:22:41.55\00:22:43.09
And as he comes
back, he is victorious.
00:22:43.35\00:22:45.97
Well you know what?
00:22:46.00\00:22:47.03
I use to think he was a
mighty general, but actually
00:22:47.06\00:22:49.64
it doesn't take rocket science
to know that if you go to God
00:22:49.67\00:22:52.91
first and say, "Shall we
go up against this host,"
00:22:52.94\00:22:54.97
and God says, "Yes,
go up against this host
00:22:55.00\00:22:56.88
and I will give
them into your hand,"
00:22:56.91\00:22:58.61
then you're going to win.
00:22:58.64\00:22:59.93
So David wasn't like
such a wonderful general
00:23:00.72\00:23:03.36
as he was such a
quick guy to run to the Lord
00:23:03.39\00:23:06.36
and get his marching
orders before he went to battle.
00:23:06.39\00:23:09.16
And God said, "Okay,
go up against this one
00:23:09.71\00:23:11.33
and I'll give them to you."
00:23:11.36\00:23:12.39
And David goes.
00:23:12.42\00:23:13.45
And he comes back
and the people say,
00:23:13.48\00:23:15.44
"Saul has killed his
thousands, but David has killed
00:23:15.47\00:23:19.85
his ten thousands.
00:23:19.88\00:23:21.81
Oh David, you do good work."
00:23:21.84\00:23:24.50
And David kept hearing that.
00:23:24.79\00:23:26.94
And he began to become
independent and self-sufficient.
00:23:27.33\00:23:34.67
And he began asking God fewer
and fewer times before going.
00:23:35.40\00:23:39.53
And he began taking
more and more of the credit
00:23:40.53\00:23:42.90
until one day, in his distance
from God, he sees Bathsheba.
00:23:42.93\00:23:49.31
And you know the rest.
00:23:49.34\00:23:50.60
He takes a horrible fall.
00:23:51.66\00:23:53.17
But horrible falls
don't happen overnight.
00:23:53.63\00:23:57.07
What was going on was
David had been neglecting
00:23:57.79\00:24:00.95
his walk with God.
00:24:00.98\00:24:02.54
And as time passed, he
became more and more susceptible
00:24:02.57\00:24:06.90
to the devil.
00:24:06.93\00:24:08.14
David was a man of God.
00:24:09.68\00:24:11.55
David was a man of God.
00:24:12.66\00:24:14.74
His son Solomon, David
calls him to him and he says,
00:24:16.16\00:24:19.23
"You know, I'm going
to go the way of all men."
00:24:19.26\00:24:20.75
He says, "I've
gathered all this stuff together
00:24:21.48\00:24:24.22
to build a temple
and I want you to do it."
00:24:24.25\00:24:25.70
And then he says
to him, "Remember now,
00:24:25.73\00:24:27.07
remember to seek
the God of your father.
00:24:27.10\00:24:30.57
And if you seek Him,
He will be found of you."
00:24:30.60\00:24:33.26
And Solomon starts out great.
00:24:33.84\00:24:35.80
God comes to him in a dream.
00:24:36.25\00:24:37.80
These are people who
have communion with God.
00:24:38.05\00:24:41.99
God comes to him
in a dream and says,
00:24:42.02\00:24:43.69
"Okay, so you're
about to take the throne.
00:24:43.72\00:24:45.84
What would you like from Me?"
00:24:46.04\00:24:47.56
You know the story.
00:24:47.59\00:24:48.77
Solomon says, "I'm like a baby.
00:24:48.97\00:24:50.65
I don't even know
how to come or go.
00:24:50.68\00:24:52.00
I mean, I am so
inadequate and insufficient,
00:24:52.03\00:24:55.46
I just need wisdom from above.
00:24:55.49\00:24:56.85
I need strength from above.
I need guidance from above.
00:24:56.88\00:24:59.27
I am a nobody."
00:24:59.30\00:25:00.79
And God says, "I am so
glad that you see that.
00:25:00.82\00:25:03.52
And with that in mind, here's
what I'm going to do for you."
00:25:03.87\00:25:06.61
And Solomon
becomes known for being...
00:25:07.16\00:25:10.05
And he builds a
temple for God's glory,
00:25:10.25\00:25:13.73
but what does he
let them call it?
00:25:13.76\00:25:16.58
It's called, Solomon's temple.
00:25:17.83\00:25:20.75
Solomon's temple.
00:25:21.19\00:25:22.26
One of the wonders
of the ancient world.
00:25:22.29\00:25:25.48
Something happened
and Solomon began to drift
00:25:25.69\00:25:30.68
from dependence upon God
to dependence upon himself
00:25:30.71\00:25:34.15
until he let them call
God's temple, Solomon's temple.
00:25:34.18\00:25:38.10
And we know the fall.
00:25:38.56\00:25:39.86
For being the
wisest man who ever lived,
00:25:40.47\00:25:43.00
he did a lot of stupid things.
00:25:43.03\00:25:45.44
He really did.
00:25:45.98\00:25:47.23
Moses.
00:25:49.45\00:25:50.78
Moses meets with
God, talks with God.
00:25:51.64\00:25:56.07
Spends days talking with
God, weeks talking with God.
00:25:56.86\00:26:01.42
Audible voice.
00:26:01.94\00:26:03.60
Comes back from time with
God and his face is shining.
00:26:04.22\00:26:08.01
It's radiating.
00:26:08.12\00:26:09.53
People say,
"Could you put on a veil?
00:26:09.56\00:26:10.93
We can't even
handle looking at you, man.
00:26:10.96\00:26:12.56
You are too... You're
just overwhelming us."
00:26:12.59\00:26:15.56
This is what
happens; he's so close to God
00:26:15.92\00:26:17.44
that he radiates
the glory of God.
00:26:17.47\00:26:20.36
Forty years with a
pillar of fire at night and a
00:26:21.21\00:26:25.07
pillar of cloud by day.
00:26:25.65\00:26:27.56
He's seen miracle
after miracle after miracle.
00:26:28.28\00:26:31.26
And finally at the end of
this 40 years when it looks like
00:26:31.29\00:26:34.56
the children of Israel are
going to murmur and complain
00:26:34.59\00:26:36.81
and get turned around again,
he strikes the rock and says,
00:26:36.84\00:26:40.69
"Must we bring forth water
from this rock for you rebels?"
00:26:40.72\00:26:48.04
"Must we..."
00:26:48.32\00:26:49.35
He knew good and well
that he was no part of it.
00:26:49.38\00:26:53.16
He could hit that rock
until the cows come home
00:26:53.86\00:26:56.08
and there's not going to
be any water coming out of it.
00:26:56.11\00:26:58.12
But he said, "Must we..."
00:26:58.93\00:27:00.14
He took the glory,
he took the credit.
00:27:00.17\00:27:02.24
That doesn't happen by accident.
00:27:02.27\00:27:03.88
You read the story and you
find out that Moses had been
00:27:03.91\00:27:06.80
weary with labor for God.
00:27:06.83\00:27:09.99
And in his work
schedule he had worn thin.
00:27:10.81\00:27:15.98
And his daily
devotional life had worn thin.
00:27:16.27\00:27:19.65
It is possible to be a
worker for God and find yourself
00:27:19.68\00:27:23.15
so immersed in trying to
do His work that you find
00:27:23.18\00:27:26.03
less and less time to
spend for Him and with Him.
00:27:26.06\00:27:28.45
And that's what
happened with Moses.
00:27:29.27\00:27:30.96
And in that
vulnerable stage he falls.
00:27:31.20\00:27:36.04
He takes glory that he
knows good and well is not his.
00:27:36.07\00:27:38.77
And you know the
rest of that story.
00:27:39.53\00:27:41.21
Abraham, he's given dreams.
00:27:42.07\00:27:44.53
God talks to him.
00:27:44.56\00:27:45.59
Jesus comes and meets him.
00:27:45.62\00:27:47.81
They walk face to face.
00:27:47.84\00:27:49.92
He is called by God, "My friend.
00:27:50.97\00:27:53.22
My friend Abraham."
00:27:53.25\00:27:55.11
I'm calling these
people men of God.
00:27:56.82\00:27:59.55
These are God's people.
00:28:00.22\00:28:01.78
And he gets down
there in Egypt and he says,
00:28:03.64\00:28:05.27
"Oh man, Sarah
is so good looking.
00:28:05.30\00:28:07.85
They're going to
kill me to get her."
00:28:07.88\00:28:09.46
So he lies to save himself.
00:28:10.24\00:28:13.76
Now who is he depending on?
00:28:13.79\00:28:15.12
Himself.
00:28:15.76\00:28:16.79
Then a little later, he
and Sarah's figuring out
00:28:18.22\00:28:21.71
on the promise, you know.
00:28:21.74\00:28:22.77
"Well we were promise
we'd have all these children.
00:28:22.80\00:28:24.17
We don't have any yet.
00:28:24.20\00:28:25.40
Maybe it is that God
helps those who help themselves.
00:28:25.85\00:28:27.96
Maybe we need to do our part,
we expect Him to do His part.
00:28:27.99\00:28:30.33
So you father a
child with Hagar.
00:28:30.36\00:28:31.93
God will be so thankful
we finally got a kid going
00:28:31.96\00:28:34.12
that he'll bless that kid
and it'll take off from there."
00:28:34.15\00:28:36.29
And so they
depend upon themselves.
00:28:37.02\00:28:41.61
They take things
into their own hands.
00:28:42.51\00:28:44.68
And we still have trouble
in the Middle East and around
00:28:45.37\00:28:47.20
the world with terrorism today
as a result of what happened
00:28:47.23\00:28:50.80
when Abraham
tried to do it himself.
00:28:51.31\00:28:55.24
Do it himself.
00:28:55.50\00:28:56.53
This is a man who
walked and talked with the
00:28:56.56\00:29:00.04
Lord Jesus Christ in person.
00:29:00.07\00:29:03.43
Jacob, he's given dreams.
00:29:06.04\00:29:08.89
He sees a ladder
from earth to heaven.
00:29:09.11\00:29:11.59
He sees angels
coming up and down.
00:29:11.62\00:29:14.51
He talks with God.
00:29:14.54\00:29:16.19
God protects him.
00:29:16.22\00:29:17.43
Oh there's angel bands
commissioned to watch over him.
00:29:17.46\00:29:21.66
He has family worship.
00:29:21.69\00:29:24.31
He builds altars to
God everywhere he goes.
00:29:24.34\00:29:27.65
And yet, he tried to get
the birthright by deception.
00:29:27.68\00:29:32.59
He tried to help God out.
00:29:33.48\00:29:36.71
He comes back with his family,
his brother is coming for him.
00:29:37.10\00:29:41.85
He's doing everything he
can on his own to save his skin.
00:29:41.88\00:29:46.74
Finally he comes to the point
where he divides his group.
00:29:46.77\00:29:49.27
I mean, this is a guy
who is working as best he can
00:29:49.30\00:29:52.24
to save himself.
00:29:52.27\00:29:53.53
And yet, he's a man that God had
spoken with and given dream to.
00:29:55.51\00:29:59.06
He spends 20 years
trying to learn the lesson
00:30:03.76\00:30:09.72
of absolute surrender.
00:30:10.25\00:30:12.07
Which he finally
learned at Jabbok.
00:30:12.28\00:30:14.68
But up until then, God's man
struggling with self-dependence.
00:30:16.29\00:30:21.86
Joshua goes to Jericho.
00:30:22.83\00:30:24.89
He follows God's instruction.
00:30:26.76\00:30:28.44
He meets with Jesus in person.
00:30:28.47\00:30:30.87
The Caption of the Lord of
hosts gives him the battle plans
00:30:31.67\00:30:34.92
and says, "This is
what we're going to do.
00:30:34.95\00:30:36.23
And I'm going to take
care of it and you're going to
00:30:36.40\00:30:38.30
see a great victory."
00:30:38.33\00:30:39.54
And Joshua goes forth in
the strength of that promise
00:30:39.57\00:30:42.51
and under those guidelines
and under that battle plan.
00:30:42.54\00:30:45.42
And it happens to Jericho just
like Jesus told him it would.
00:30:45.45\00:30:49.02
And Joshua comes from
Jericho and he says to his men,
00:30:49.05\00:30:53.66
"We did good.
00:30:53.69\00:30:55.79
Man, we kicked
those people so...
00:30:56.01\00:30:59.33
Tell you what, Ai, just
a little place over here,
00:30:59.36\00:31:03.76
we'll just go over
there and take a small group.
00:31:03.79\00:31:05.82
We'll clean them up too.
00:31:05.85\00:31:06.95
Let's just go mop
the floor with them.
00:31:06.98\00:31:09.03
You saw what we just did
to Jericho, we can do that...
00:31:09.41\00:31:11.60
We don't even need
to take the army out.
00:31:11.63\00:31:12.89
Just take a handful.
Let's just go over there."
00:31:12.92\00:31:14.53
And you know what happened.
00:31:14.56\00:31:15.62
3000 men, or
whatever, died because Joshua,
00:31:16.15\00:31:19.91
a man of God who has
just met with Jesus, who...
00:31:19.94\00:31:24.32
I'm calling that God's people.
00:31:25.91\00:31:27.61
Someone who's talking
to Jesus person to person;
00:31:28.84\00:31:30.60
that's God's people.
00:31:30.63\00:31:31.87
And God's people goes
to Ai depending on himself
00:31:33.12\00:31:38.03
just a few days later.
00:31:38.60\00:31:39.91
Depending on himself.
00:31:39.94\00:31:41.02
Slips into self-dependence.
00:31:41.05\00:31:42.66
Elijah is up on Mount Carmel.
00:31:46.31\00:31:48.90
Have mercy.
00:31:49.10\00:31:50.20
This is a guy...
00:31:50.23\00:31:51.26
On Mount Carmel
he's the Lone Ranger.
00:31:51.48\00:31:54.63
He prays for fire
to come out of the sky.
00:31:55.73\00:31:58.36
It does; it consumes the altar,
it consumes the sacrifice,
00:31:58.39\00:32:01.19
it consumes the
water around the altar.
00:32:01.22\00:32:03.28
Then under God's
direction he asks for the
00:32:04.68\00:32:07.12
false prophets to be killed.
00:32:07.15\00:32:08.54
They are.
00:32:08.57\00:32:09.60
Then he calls for
rain, and it comes
00:32:09.85\00:32:11.99
in such torrents that
they can't even see the road.
00:32:12.02\00:32:15.45
And the king's
horses can't find their way.
00:32:15.48\00:32:18.43
So then under God's power
and under God's direction,
00:32:18.46\00:32:21.42
Elijah runs in front
of the horses for 18 miles
00:32:21.45\00:32:25.34
through the rain,
the torrential rain,
00:32:25.37\00:32:27.42
and guides them all
the way back to the palace.
00:32:27.45\00:32:29.19
I would call that a high day.
00:32:29.89\00:32:31.84
You know.
00:32:32.43\00:32:33.46
That's a pretty high day.
00:32:33.61\00:32:34.77
And he's sitting
outside the palace with his back
00:32:34.80\00:32:36.71
against the wall, and
Jezebel says, "You tell that guy
00:32:36.74\00:32:39.72
I'm going to have his
head by this time tomorrow."
00:32:39.75\00:32:41.62
And someone comes
out and tells him,
00:32:41.86\00:32:43.44
"Jezebel says she's
going to kill you by tomorrow."
00:32:43.47\00:32:45.49
And just like that,
this man of God who has had
00:32:45.76\00:32:49.81
heaven at his beck
and call, if you will,
00:32:49.84\00:32:53.01
runs, takes off running from
the head of women's ministries.
00:32:53.87\00:32:58.09
Bam.
00:32:58.12\00:32:59.45
He goes racing across
the desert to save himself.
00:33:00.92\00:33:05.86
You see it again.
00:33:06.67\00:33:07.99
Save himself.
00:33:08.33\00:33:09.36
Hezekiah, he's dying.
00:33:09.39\00:33:11.49
The prophet
comes to him and says,
00:33:12.14\00:33:13.43
"God says that, you
know, He's heard you pray
00:33:13.46\00:33:15.63
and He's going to heal you.
00:33:15.66\00:33:16.73
But if you want to
make sure, you know,
00:33:16.76\00:33:18.83
if you want to see a little
promise that He's going to
00:33:18.86\00:33:20.70
come through, He's
willing to give you a sign.
00:33:20.73\00:33:23.14
So what would you like; you
can have the sundial go forward,
00:33:23.17\00:33:25.48
you know, 10 degrees,
or it can go backwards,
00:33:25.51\00:33:27.16
you know, 10 degrees."
00:33:27.19\00:33:28.22
And Hezekiah says, "Cool, man."
00:33:28.33\00:33:32.69
So he asks for the
sundial to be moved.
00:33:33.18\00:33:36.02
And God moves the earth.
00:33:36.05\00:33:38.00
Moves the earth so that Hezekiah
can have a little sample
00:33:38.91\00:33:42.34
that God's going to do
what He says He's going to do.
00:33:42.37\00:33:44.54
He moves the earth
and scientists in Babylon
00:33:44.77\00:33:49.70
see the earth
going whoa, and they say,
00:33:50.56\00:33:52.93
"What's going on here?"
00:33:52.96\00:33:54.37
And then someone says,
"We heard that there's a
00:33:54.40\00:33:56.35
king over in... Hezekiah.
00:33:56.38\00:33:58.23
God did something for him."
00:33:58.26\00:33:59.31
And they go, "Really?
00:33:59.34\00:34:00.45
That must be some God.
00:34:00.65\00:34:02.04
Let's go meet him and
find out about his God."
00:34:02.07\00:34:04.58
They come to meet him
and find out about his God.
00:34:04.61\00:34:06.48
And what does he say?
00:34:06.51\00:34:07.54
"Whoa guys, let me show
you some of my treasure.
00:34:07.57\00:34:09.91
Okay, I have over
here I've got this,
00:34:09.94\00:34:11.72
and over in this
room I've got this.
00:34:11.75\00:34:12.83
And guess what, I own
all of that right over there.
00:34:12.86\00:34:15.01
And right now I'm trying to
acquire this piece of property,
00:34:15.04\00:34:17.47
and I think I'm
probably going to get it.
00:34:17.50\00:34:18.64
And do you know how
much it's worth, by the way?
00:34:18.67\00:34:19.92
Did I tell you how
much that's worth?"
00:34:19.95\00:34:21.23
And this and that
and the other thing.
00:34:21.33\00:34:23.02
He shows them all his
treasure, "I am somebody."
00:34:23.05\00:34:27.35
Doesn't even
tell them about God.
00:34:27.69\00:34:29.14
Doesn't even tell
them... This is a man of God.
00:34:29.77\00:34:31.79
A man of God.
00:34:32.39\00:34:33.69
Peter walks on water.
00:34:35.63\00:34:37.14
Turns around, looks at the rest
of the disciples in the boat,
00:34:38.64\00:34:41.87
"Check it out.
00:34:42.30\00:34:43.46
Wimps.
00:34:43.96\00:34:45.00
Cowards."
00:34:45.98\00:34:47.13
Voom.
00:34:47.16\00:34:48.43
He's taking some pride.
00:34:49.66\00:34:51.40
He's starting to feel for
just a moment that he somehow
00:34:51.43\00:34:53.55
was in charge of all that.
00:34:53.58\00:34:54.62
It was him that was doing it.
00:34:54.65\00:34:55.98
Not.
00:34:56.01\00:34:57.06
By the way, where's
Elijah and Moses right now?
00:35:00.11\00:35:04.40
Isn't that encouraging?
00:35:06.53\00:35:08.14
Isn't it encouraging to
you to realize that you can be
00:35:08.69\00:35:12.34
God's people and still be
struggling with independence
00:35:12.54\00:35:16.82
and pride, Babylon, and
end up in heaven one day
00:35:16.85\00:35:22.33
because of the
mercy and grace of God.
00:35:22.36\00:35:24.76
Isn't that wonderful
how He's patient with us?
00:35:24.95\00:35:27.47
These folks are the
cream of the crop, friends.
00:35:28.73\00:35:32.17
I'm talking about
the cream of the crop.
00:35:33.10\00:35:35.46
David says, "I go
the way of all men."
00:35:38.88\00:35:41.28
The cream of the crop.
00:35:42.34\00:35:43.75
All men.
00:35:44.65\00:35:46.06
This is a message
that we are slow to
00:35:48.07\00:35:50.20
learn and quick to forget.
00:35:50.23\00:35:51.26
But the loud cry
message of the fourth angel
00:35:51.29\00:35:55.43
is not a warning to stay
away from some particular
00:35:55.73\00:35:59.11
denomination with
headquarters in Rome.
00:35:59.14\00:36:01.76
The loud cry message is
that Babylon is not next door.
00:36:02.22\00:36:07.68
Babylon lives in me.
00:36:07.71\00:36:09.69
It lives in me.
00:36:10.22\00:36:11.65
And Jesus shouts
to us in His book,
00:36:14.98\00:36:19.03
"Babylon is going to fall."
00:36:19.33\00:36:22.14
Remember the tower of Babel.
00:36:22.65\00:36:24.42
It crumbled.
00:36:24.72\00:36:25.80
And so He says,
"It's going to fall.
00:36:26.08\00:36:28.26
My people, My people,
in every denomination,
00:36:28.50\00:36:33.46
My people, even in
non-Christian worlds,
00:36:33.49\00:36:38.65
countries,
nations, My people come out.
00:36:39.08\00:36:42.47
The tower is about to crumble.
00:36:42.80\00:36:44.30
And I don't want you destroyed
with it when it goes down."
00:36:44.33\00:36:46.77
That's what He's saying.
00:36:47.21\00:36:48.36
"We can fix this," He's saying.
00:36:48.88\00:36:50.88
"I see the problem.
00:36:51.53\00:36:53.00
The cream of the
crop had the problem.
00:36:53.51\00:36:55.83
I see it in you.
00:36:56.03\00:36:57.56
But we can fix
this. So come, come, come.
00:36:57.89\00:37:00.91
Come out of her, My people.
00:37:01.11\00:37:04.09
Come out of Babylon, My people."
00:37:04.12\00:37:07.27
Friends, we have to recognize
the personal application
00:37:07.37\00:37:11.40
of this book or
we miss the point.
00:37:11.43\00:37:14.06
We miss the point.
00:37:14.59\00:37:16.04
We don't want to miss the point.
00:37:16.07\00:37:17.47
I don't want to be destroyed
when the tower comes down.
00:37:18.54\00:37:20.83
Revelation 18:4-5,
"Come out of her, My people."
00:37:22.90\00:37:25.81
Can you hear Him shouting?
00:37:25.84\00:37:27.03
He's got His hands
cupped around His mouth.
00:37:27.06\00:37:29.09
"Come out of her, My people."
00:37:35.98\00:37:37.49
The limit has been reached.
00:37:37.89\00:37:39.25
God is about to
destroy her forever.
00:37:39.28\00:37:41.38
Come out, come
out, wherever you are.
00:37:41.41\00:37:44.40
Come out while
there's still time.
00:37:44.43\00:37:46.55
9/11. I'll never forget 9/11.
00:37:56.48\00:37:58.76
We were moving the
day that 9/11 happened.
00:37:59.25\00:38:02.41
They were
loading our moving van.
00:38:02.44\00:38:03.96
And everything was packed.
00:38:05.45\00:38:06.84
And all of a sudden, neighbors
came running out and they
00:38:07.73\00:38:09.47
started shouting at us, "Turn
on the TV, turn on a radio.
00:38:09.50\00:38:12.51
You're not going to
believe what's happening."
00:38:12.62\00:38:13.86
We said, "We don't
have a TV or a radio
00:38:14.06\00:38:15.52
we can turn on;
everything is packed."
00:38:15.55\00:38:16.67
"Oh," they said, "well
the twin towers," you know.
00:38:16.70\00:38:18.42
And they started telling
us what was going on; 9/11.
00:38:18.45\00:38:20.58
And then of course you remember
that they suddenly shut down
00:38:21.87\00:38:24.35
all the airspace over the
United States and all planes.
00:38:24.38\00:38:26.98
That was something.
00:38:27.41\00:38:28.44
We just lived 18 miles by
air, by crow, from Sea-Tac,
00:38:28.47\00:38:32.27
Seattle Tacoma
International Airport.
00:38:32.30\00:38:34.93
So air traffic
always, always, always.
00:38:35.13\00:38:37.40
All of a sudden the sky is empty
and quiet for the whole day.
00:38:37.43\00:38:40.02
9/11
00:38:40.29\00:38:41.32
I couldn't watch it because
we loaded up and then we moved.
00:38:41.92\00:38:45.38
So we're driving all
day on 9/11 and I never did.
00:38:45.41\00:38:47.74
We got to the motel that
night as we were in route
00:38:47.77\00:38:50.42
to where we were
going to go, move,
00:38:50.45\00:38:52.11
and then we turned on
the television in the motel.
00:38:52.32\00:38:56.32
And suddenly I see the
stuff that most people had been
00:38:56.55\00:38:58.71
watching all day long.
00:38:58.74\00:39:00.09
The re-runs of the towers coming
down and the people running.
00:39:00.12\00:39:03.73
Then the bodies falling as
they jump to try and avoid,
00:39:04.59\00:39:07.30
you know, being burned.
00:39:07.33\00:39:08.75
Horrific, America
will never forget 9/11.
00:39:09.42\00:39:11.61
Are you aware that
there were a number of people
00:39:12.84\00:39:15.73
who didn't die in
9/11 who should have?
00:39:16.65\00:39:20.30
Who could have.
00:39:20.83\00:39:22.27
But the reason they
didn't was because they had,
00:39:22.70\00:39:25.95
for one reason or another,
not gotten to work that day.
00:39:25.98\00:39:30.31
One man was late because his son
had just started kindergarten
00:39:30.65\00:39:34.13
and he went to take
him to that first day,
00:39:35.19\00:39:38.09
and stayed and lingered to
make sure everything was okay.
00:39:38.12\00:39:40.30
Another fellow was
alive because it was
00:39:41.45\00:39:43.11
his turn to bring doughnuts.
00:39:43.14\00:39:44.17
And he stopped to get
the doughnuts at a bakery
00:39:44.20\00:39:45.90
and there was a long line.
00:39:45.93\00:39:46.96
By the time he
got done, there was
00:39:46.99\00:39:48.26
no place to take the doughnuts.
00:39:48.29\00:39:49.92
One woman was late because
her alarm clock didn't go off
00:39:51.83\00:39:54.45
that morning and she slept past
and had to get to work late.
00:39:54.48\00:39:57.29
And by the time she got
there, there was no work.
00:39:57.32\00:40:00.03
Another one got stuck
in the New Jersey turnpike
00:40:01.54\00:40:04.04
because of an auto accident that
slowed down traffic to a halt
00:40:04.07\00:40:07.10
and they sat there
waiting to get to work,
00:40:07.13\00:40:08.76
stewing about,
"I'm going to be late.
00:40:08.96\00:40:10.49
I'm going to be late.
I'm going to be late."
00:40:10.52\00:40:11.74
Voom.
00:40:11.96\00:40:13.17
"I'm glad I was
late. I'm glad I was late."
00:40:13.37\00:40:15.69
Another one missed the bus.
00:40:17.49\00:40:19.13
And by the time the
next one in the route came by
00:40:20.43\00:40:22.75
it was too late to get to work.
00:40:22.78\00:40:25.48
Because there was no work left.
00:40:25.51\00:40:27.46
Another one spilled food on her
clothing and had to take time
00:40:27.77\00:40:30.41
to go back in and
change and clean up the mess.
00:40:30.44\00:40:32.60
Another one's
car wouldn't start.
00:40:33.85\00:40:35.41
Another one went back
to answer the telephone
00:40:35.44\00:40:37.34
and ended up having a
conversation that delayed them
00:40:37.37\00:40:39.55
such that they were late.
00:40:39.58\00:40:40.88
One had a child that dawdled and
wouldn't get ready for school.
00:40:42.02\00:40:45.68
And by the time they finally
got the kid ready for school
00:40:46.59\00:40:49.06
it was too late to
get to work on time.
00:40:49.58\00:40:51.67
Another one couldn't get a taxi.
00:40:52.06\00:40:53.92
Another one's shoes were
brand new that day and they were
00:40:54.44\00:40:57.43
walking to work and
they were getting blisters.
00:40:57.46\00:40:59.44
And so they went to a drug
store to try and find Band-Aids
00:40:59.60\00:41:02.38
so they could put
them on so their feet
00:41:02.41\00:41:03.67
wouldn't hurt so much.
00:41:03.70\00:41:04.73
And they couldn't find a
drug store with Band-Aids
00:41:04.76\00:41:06.45
and so they kept
looking until they found one.
00:41:06.48\00:41:08.16
And in the time it
took them to find Band-Aids
00:41:08.19\00:41:09.95
there was no
place to go to work.
00:41:09.98\00:41:11.81
They didn't perish because
they came out of the tower,
00:41:15.90\00:41:20.26
so to speak.
00:41:20.29\00:41:21.39
They weren't in
it when it collapsed.
00:41:21.68\00:41:24.26
And the angel with the
loud cry saying, "Come out.
00:41:24.80\00:41:28.19
Come out so that you're
not in it when it collapses.
00:41:28.22\00:41:31.85
Come out of her, My people.
00:41:32.02\00:41:34.24
Come out of Babylon, My people.
00:41:34.27\00:41:37.19
In every church, come
out of Babylon, My people."
00:41:37.22\00:41:41.87
Well the only way you can
come out of her, "My people,"
00:41:43.06\00:41:47.07
is by coming to Jesus.
00:41:47.36\00:41:50.49
Coming to Jesus.
00:41:50.76\00:41:53.19
All people have this problem.
00:41:53.22\00:41:54.61
That's what the Scripture said.
00:41:54.64\00:41:55.94
All people have this problem.
00:41:55.97\00:41:58.37
The difference between
Christians and non-Christians
00:41:59.36\00:42:02.17
is that Christians
do something about it.
00:42:02.20\00:42:04.46
What they do is
they come to Jesus.
00:42:04.49\00:42:06.92
"Just as I am without one plea,
00:42:06.95\00:42:10.01
except that Your
blood was shed for me.
00:42:10.24\00:42:13.23
Just as I am, I come.
00:42:13.78\00:42:15.05
Oh Lamb of God, I come."
00:42:15.08\00:42:16.71
They come to Jesus
to have it removed.
00:42:16.74\00:42:19.33
When I was having my
ordination into ministry
00:42:20.17\00:42:23.46
my father was the man
who had been asked to speak
00:42:23.85\00:42:27.61
for my ordination service.
00:42:27.64\00:42:28.82
I didn't know he
was going to be there.
00:42:28.85\00:42:30.28
And Don Schneider
had arranged for it.
00:42:30.31\00:42:32.40
And it was a wonderful treat
and surprise to find my dad
00:42:32.43\00:42:35.08
showing up at my ordination.
00:42:35.11\00:42:37.43
I'll never forget what he
said to me and the other pastor
00:42:38.39\00:42:41.54
who would be ordained that day.
00:42:41.57\00:42:43.00
He said, "I'm going to tell
you a story about Aunt Zelda.
00:42:43.89\00:42:47.50
So, Lee, when you're
uncle, my brother, and I
00:42:47.94\00:42:51.94
were just kids, we use to love
to go to Aunt Zelda's house.
00:42:51.97\00:42:55.60
Because Aunt Zelda made
some of the best homemade bread
00:42:55.63\00:43:00.90
you could ever want to eat.
00:43:00.93\00:43:02.52
Oh my, and she knew
that whenever we came that
00:43:03.14\00:43:05.28
we would want to eat it.
00:43:05.31\00:43:06.42
So she would make it so that it
would be timed just as we were
00:43:06.45\00:43:08.95
getting there, she'd know
when we were going to get there,
00:43:08.98\00:43:10.75
she'd be pulling a fresh
loaf of bread out of the oven.
00:43:10.78\00:43:13.17
And we'd smell it
as we would walk in.
00:43:13.20\00:43:14.60
And she had her own garden with
raspberries and strawberries,
00:43:14.99\00:43:18.26
and she made her own preserves
fresh out of the garden.
00:43:18.29\00:43:21.08
And she had a cow, and they
had their own butter and cream.
00:43:21.75\00:43:25.58
And she would smear some real
butter onto that fresh bread,
00:43:25.61\00:43:29.49
and she'd put
some jam on there."
00:43:29.52\00:43:31.43
And then he said, "It would have
been terrible if she had just
00:43:31.74\00:43:34.41
eaten that in front of us.
00:43:34.44\00:43:36.09
Well she didn't do that.
00:43:38.21\00:43:39.25
No, she gave us slices.
00:43:39.76\00:43:41.58
That was good, that was better.
00:43:42.04\00:43:43.46
It would be even better if
she gave us the whole loaf."
00:43:45.48\00:43:48.00
But he said, "There was
something that Aunt Zelda
00:43:49.42\00:43:51.00
could have done to be
even better than that.
00:43:51.03\00:43:52.73
She could give us
the recipe for the bread
00:43:53.56\00:43:57.28
so that we don't have to
wait to come to Aunt Zelda's
00:43:57.48\00:43:59.94
in order to have it."
00:43:59.97\00:44:01.06
And then my dad said, "Preacher,
every time you stand behind a
00:44:01.77\00:44:06.60
podium, remember to
talk about the Bread of life.
00:44:06.63\00:44:14.04
And talk about Him
with such a fresh experience
00:44:14.07\00:44:16.91
you've come from the oven.
00:44:16.94\00:44:18.43
You've just pulled this
loaf out because you just spent
00:44:18.90\00:44:21.82
fresh time with Him.
00:44:21.85\00:44:23.04
And you come and you describe
what the bread tastes like
00:44:23.07\00:44:26.24
so beautifully, by the
grace of God, that people start
00:44:26.27\00:44:29.68
salivating for Jesus.
00:44:29.71\00:44:31.92
And then after they've
been attracted to them,
00:44:32.10\00:44:34.98
don't forget the second part.
00:44:35.01\00:44:36.98
Here's the second part.
00:44:37.01\00:44:38.47
Now give the recipe.
00:44:38.50\00:44:40.30
Give the recipe every time.
00:44:40.44\00:44:42.49
Never preach about the
matchless charms of Jesus
00:44:42.52\00:44:46.45
without reminding people
how they don't have to wait
00:44:46.48\00:44:49.63
until the next weekend
in order to taste the bread.
00:44:49.66\00:44:52.47
And take them through it again,
take them through it again."
00:44:52.57\00:44:55.06
Well, I haven't
honored my dad's admonition
00:44:55.20\00:44:59.17
because we've been kind
of going on a subject that
00:44:59.20\00:45:03.49
includes Jesus, but we
haven't given much recipe.
00:45:03.69\00:45:06.25
We have talked about
spending time with Him.
00:45:06.28\00:45:08.94
We have talked about being
in daily fellowship with Him.
00:45:08.97\00:45:11.67
We have talked about the
need for communion and union.
00:45:11.70\00:45:14.52
We've talked about an intimate
personal relationship with Him.
00:45:14.55\00:45:17.37
But we haven't actually
given the handles for it
00:45:17.57\00:45:20.95
to pick it up and run with.
00:45:21.18\00:45:22.76
And that's what I do full time.
00:45:23.67\00:45:25.53
We do a 13 part seminar.
00:45:25.74\00:45:27.54
It's called, All About
Jesus, revival seminar.
00:45:27.57\00:45:30.95
And we unpack the handles and
how to carry that relationship
00:45:31.15\00:45:35.55
into a personal experience that
is tangible and real and solid.
00:45:35.58\00:45:37.93
But I have 11 minutes
until we're going off the air.
00:45:38.23\00:45:40.73
And so what I'm going to do
for you is I'm going to give you
00:45:40.76\00:45:43.28
a synopsis of a 13 part
seminar in less than 11 minutes.
00:45:43.31\00:45:47.97
Because I want you to have
the recipe as well as the bread.
00:45:48.00\00:45:51.50
Okay?
00:45:51.72\00:45:52.75
So we're going to
put a little picture up
00:45:52.78\00:45:53.84
of a three legged stool.
00:45:53.87\00:45:55.25
That three legged
stool represents a
00:45:55.49\00:45:57.11
personal
relationship with Jesus.
00:45:57.14\00:45:59.09
There are three
legs on the stool.
00:45:59.20\00:46:01.25
And each of those legs
represents the ingredients
00:46:01.46\00:46:04.71
or the building
blocks for a personal
00:46:04.74\00:46:07.55
relationship with Jesus.
00:46:07.58\00:46:08.99
Alright, in the seminar we
have a special presentation
00:46:09.32\00:46:12.41
for each of the legs and
some other stuff on top of it.
00:46:12.44\00:46:14.81
But in a nut shell, the
first leg is Bible study.
00:46:14.84\00:46:18.45
But there's a
very important caveat.
00:46:18.64\00:46:20.94
It is Bible study
for the purpose of
00:46:20.97\00:46:23.90
getting to know Jesus.
00:46:23.93\00:46:25.22
This is huge.
00:46:25.86\00:46:27.31
I can't over
emphasize how huge this is.
00:46:27.34\00:46:29.45
He told us, "I'm
giving you this Book."
00:46:29.48\00:46:31.47
Remember, "You search
the Scriptures because
00:46:31.71\00:46:33.52
in that you think
you have eternal life,
00:46:33.55\00:46:34.75
but these are they
which testify of Me.
00:46:34.78\00:46:36.45
And yet you don't come
to Me that you find life."
00:46:36.48\00:46:38.08
See, He's saying,
"This Book is a love letter
00:46:38.11\00:46:40.37
from My Father and Myself.
00:46:40.86\00:46:42.52
This is what We use
to commune with you,
00:46:42.55\00:46:44.55
to fellowship with
you, to grow in a personal
00:46:44.58\00:46:46.25
intimate walk with you.
00:46:46.28\00:46:47.67
I didn't give this to
you so you could prove that
00:46:47.70\00:46:49.40
you're on the
winning side of the debate.
00:46:49.43\00:46:50.78
I gave this to
you so that you and I
00:46:50.81\00:46:52.67
can become better friends."
00:46:52.70\00:46:54.23
So it's Bible study for
the purpose of getting to
00:46:54.32\00:46:57.45
know Jesus better.
00:46:57.48\00:46:58.79
On a daily basis.
00:46:58.90\00:47:00.29
Okay, this is
the recipe for bread.
00:47:00.32\00:47:01.86
This is the recipe.
00:47:01.89\00:47:03.04
The second leg of
the stool is prayer,
00:47:03.49\00:47:06.95
for the purpose of
communion with God.
00:47:07.70\00:47:12.08
This is hugely different from
prayer because I'm in trouble
00:47:12.11\00:47:14.94
and I need help.
00:47:14.97\00:47:16.07
This is not 911, this is
not the emergency number.
00:47:16.21\00:47:19.56
Jesus is good about
being there for help.
00:47:20.14\00:47:23.42
He's good, He's okay with that.
00:47:23.45\00:47:24.98
But He wants to do far
more for you and me than simply
00:47:25.17\00:47:28.20
answer our troubled needs.
00:47:28.23\00:47:30.11
He wants to be our friend.
00:47:30.14\00:47:32.36
He wants us to experience
the joy of friendship with Him.
00:47:32.59\00:47:37.17
He wants us to know Him.
00:47:37.44\00:47:40.94
And so He says, "Could we talk?
00:47:43.98\00:47:46.18
Could we talk?
00:47:46.72\00:47:47.99
Let's talk."
00:47:48.02\00:47:49.29
And begin talking with Jesus
as one would talk with a friend.
00:47:49.95\00:47:52.78
When I talk to my friends,
I don't spend the conversation
00:47:55.37\00:47:59.56
asking for favors.
00:47:59.59\00:48:01.12
When I talk with
my friends, I say,
00:48:02.09\00:48:04.10
"So, you know,
what's been going on?
00:48:04.13\00:48:09.73
What do you have to share?
00:48:10.33\00:48:11.36
Here's what I have to share.
00:48:11.39\00:48:12.64
Oh, I love that story.
00:48:13.10\00:48:14.70
Tell it to me again."
00:48:15.04\00:48:16.36
And as you use the Word of
God while you're in prayer,
00:48:17.38\00:48:20.27
you'll discover that
you'll hear His voice speaking
00:48:20.30\00:48:22.03
to you through these pages.
00:48:22.06\00:48:23.09
He says, "My
sheep know My voice."
00:48:23.12\00:48:26.33
And we've been told
that the Bible is as surely
00:48:26.58\00:48:31.16
the voice of God as if we could
hear Him with our own ears.
00:48:31.60\00:48:35.50
That's a direct quote.
00:48:36.17\00:48:37.36
So there He is.
00:48:38.33\00:48:39.45
And He's waiting to talk
to you and to talk to me.
00:48:39.75\00:48:41.78
So prayer becomes an
interactive experience
00:48:41.81\00:48:44.03
with God and His Word.
00:48:44.06\00:48:45.25
That's the
second leg of the stool.
00:48:46.17\00:48:47.33
This is called, a
relationship with Jesus stool.
00:48:47.36\00:48:49.32
The third leg of
the stool is share.
00:48:49.80\00:48:51.77
As you begin to get more excited
about a friendship with Jesus,
00:48:52.40\00:48:55.07
you have something to share.
00:48:55.10\00:48:56.18
Now you have something to share.
00:48:56.21\00:48:58.07
If you don't know Jesus, you
don't have anything to share.
00:48:58.10\00:49:00.35
If you don't know
Jesus, all you have to share
00:49:00.80\00:49:02.35
is information and facts.
00:49:02.38\00:49:03.48
That's all you have.
00:49:03.51\00:49:04.54
You have to know Jesus
before you can share Jesus.
00:49:04.76\00:49:08.55
Sharing Jesus is
something more than
00:49:09.38\00:49:11.94
giving out a piece of paper.
00:49:11.97\00:49:13.57
Sharing Jesus is
saying, "Let me tell you what
00:49:13.60\00:49:15.79
Jesus means to me."
00:49:15.82\00:49:17.68
Remember those demoniacs?
00:49:17.85\00:49:19.69
Jesus cast them out into the
pigs and then the people come.
00:49:20.39\00:49:22.54
And you know that story.
00:49:22.57\00:49:23.69
And then they say,
"Would You leave us,
00:49:24.31\00:49:25.57
because You're hard
on the local economy."
00:49:25.60\00:49:27.52
So Jesus is leaving
and the demoniacs say,
00:49:27.55\00:49:29.56
"Could we go with You,"
and Jesus says to them...
00:49:29.59\00:49:31.35
I believe this is
witnessing 101 taught by Jesus.
00:49:31.39\00:49:35.63
The book of Mark.
00:49:35.92\00:49:37.15
And He says, "No, I want
you to go home to your friends
00:49:37.25\00:49:40.84
and tell them what great things
the Lord has done for you."
00:49:41.13\00:49:45.96
That is witnessing 101.
00:49:45.99\00:49:47.58
And you know what?
00:49:47.67\00:49:48.70
When you tell people
what great things the Lord has
00:49:48.73\00:49:50.15
done for you,
nobody argues with you.
00:49:50.18\00:49:52.46
This is amazing.
00:49:52.91\00:49:54.06
If you try to prove to someone
that you are more correct
00:49:54.09\00:49:57.06
than they are, they dig in
and they come back with their
00:49:57.09\00:50:00.01
counter arguments.
00:50:00.04\00:50:01.59
But if you tell someone
what Jesus means to you,
00:50:01.62\00:50:04.77
what He's doing in your
life, the transforming power
00:50:04.80\00:50:07.67
of His grace, how He has given
you victory in this or that,
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.82
besetting sin, and you
share this fresh experience
00:50:10.85\00:50:14.10
of release and
freedom and joy in Christ,
00:50:14.13\00:50:16.35
they don't argue.
00:50:16.38\00:50:17.55
They go, "Really? Is that real?
00:50:17.96\00:50:21.02
I mean, you can have
that kind of walk with God?"
00:50:21.09\00:50:23.60
I was doing a seminar
in Oregon and I said this.
00:50:24.21\00:50:30.09
I said, "You know, when
you tell people what Jesus
00:50:30.12\00:50:32.16
means to you, they don't argue,"
and there was a young man...
00:50:32.19\00:50:33.99
Well I call him young
now that I'm almost sixty.
00:50:34.02\00:50:36.01
I call him young.
00:50:36.10\00:50:37.13
It's amazing how that young
looks like as you get older.
00:50:37.16\00:50:39.25
And he was a young fellow,
he was probably about 35 or 40.
00:50:39.59\00:50:43.73
And he had a family
sitting there with him.
00:50:43.98\00:50:46.33
And when I said, "You
tell people what Jesus
00:50:47.06\00:50:49.18
means to you and they
don't argue," he said,
00:50:49.21\00:50:51.06
"Got that right.
00:50:51.39\00:50:53.06
Eighteen years on
crack, Jesus set me free.
00:50:53.39\00:50:57.19
And when I tell
people what He's done for me,
00:50:57.22\00:50:59.06
they don't say, 'I would
disagree with that point.'
00:50:59.09\00:51:01.53
They say to me, 'How
can I know your Jesus?'"
00:51:02.21\00:51:05.25
They are attracted
to a Person who has
00:51:05.96\00:51:08.59
power to transform lives.
00:51:08.62\00:51:10.61
So the third leg of the
stool is you start spilling over
00:51:12.46\00:51:15.70
about what Jesus means to you.
00:51:15.73\00:51:17.92
That's the third leg.
00:51:18.12\00:51:19.28
This isn't rocket science.
00:51:19.77\00:51:21.07
This is three things;
Bible study, prayer, and share.
00:51:21.10\00:51:23.67
But you know what?
00:51:23.88\00:51:24.91
It's the three things that most
of us find very difficult to do.
00:51:24.94\00:51:28.13
It is simple to
describe, it is difficult to do.
00:51:28.16\00:51:31.36
And the reason it's difficult
to do is because every time you
00:51:31.39\00:51:33.69
get serious about spending
quiet time alone with God,
00:51:33.72\00:51:36.34
the devil is going
to get serious about
00:51:36.37\00:51:37.63
giving you some distraction.
00:51:37.66\00:51:38.84
Because he knows
when you're doing that,
00:51:38.87\00:51:40.29
you're doing the one
thing that's needful.
00:51:40.32\00:51:42.43
Remember what
Jesus said to Martha?
00:51:42.46\00:51:44.28
He said, "What Mary is doing is
the one thing that's needful."
00:51:44.31\00:51:46.51
That's the one
thing that's needful.
00:51:46.54\00:51:47.97
And so when you go after
the one thing that's needful,
00:51:49.01\00:51:51.01
the devil goes after you.
00:51:51.45\00:51:52.90
And he will use
stuff... This is amazing to me.
00:51:53.35\00:51:55.97
I use to think the devil was
all about trying to get us to be
00:51:56.00\00:51:58.04
evil, wicked,
mean, mad, and nasty.
00:51:58.07\00:51:59.79
Actually, the devil doesn't care
whether you're naughty or nice.
00:52:00.52\00:52:03.32
Doesn't matter to him.
00:52:03.63\00:52:04.89
He's perfectly
happy to have you nice,
00:52:05.10\00:52:06.91
as long as you are not
in friendship, fellowship,
00:52:06.94\00:52:10.22
relationship with Jesus.
00:52:10.25\00:52:11.71
You can be as nice as
you want, because one day
00:52:11.74\00:52:13.87
you're going to be lost
for eternity being nice.
00:52:13.90\00:52:16.89
You'll be one of the
nicest people who are destroyed.
00:52:17.18\00:52:19.99
"Well isn't he nice."
00:52:20.23\00:52:21.49
We're not saved for being nice.
00:52:23.01\00:52:25.15
We're saved for being
in relationship with Jesus.
00:52:25.40\00:52:27.55
John 17:3, "This is life
eternal, that they know Thee,
00:52:27.58\00:52:31.67
the one true God, and Jesus
Christ whom Thou hast sent."
00:52:31.87\00:52:34.60
This is life eternal.
00:52:34.81\00:52:35.94
It's who you
know. It's who you know.
00:52:35.97\00:52:38.32
Jesus is saying,
"You want to go to heaven?
00:52:38.57\00:52:40.36
I'll tell you how
to get eternal life.
00:52:40.39\00:52:42.10
You've got to
know the right people.
00:52:42.13\00:52:43.39
You have to have
friends in high places."
00:52:43.42\00:52:44.95
A policeman stopped a
woman for speeding and
00:52:48.04\00:52:50.06
he's looking at
her driver's license.
00:52:50.98\00:52:52.54
He said, "Ma'am, it says
on your license that you're
00:52:53.31\00:52:54.79
suppose to wear you
glasses to while you drive.
00:52:54.82\00:52:56.63
So we have two
infractions; you're speeding
00:52:56.66\00:52:58.20
and you're not
wearing your glasses."
00:52:58.23\00:52:59.26
And she said to
him, "I have contacts."
00:52:59.29\00:53:02.26
And he said, "Lady, I
don't care who you know.
00:53:03.02\00:53:04.85
You are suppose
to wear glasses."
00:53:04.88\00:53:06.60
Well he had a different
conception of "contacts"
00:53:07.46\00:53:09.25
than she had.
00:53:09.28\00:53:10.31
You want to go to heaven, you're
going to have to have contacts.
00:53:10.53\00:53:13.87
And now I'm not
talking about eye wear.
00:53:14.09\00:53:15.96
You have to know Jesus,
you have to know His Father.
00:53:16.30\00:53:18.87
And that doesn't
happen by accident.
00:53:18.90\00:53:20.37
It happens by the
three legged stool experience
00:53:20.40\00:53:22.55
very deliberately and very
intentionally on a daily basis.
00:53:22.58\00:53:25.12
That's how it happens.
00:53:25.15\00:53:26.32
And we people
who work for Jesus...
00:53:26.79\00:53:28.95
I'm talking now
about a preacher here.
00:53:28.98\00:53:30.25
I'm talking about myself.
00:53:30.28\00:53:31.31
The devil is going to
do everything he can to
00:53:31.82\00:53:33.50
make that difficult for
me to do, because he knows
00:53:33.53\00:53:36.71
if I don't have that going...
00:53:36.74\00:53:38.08
...it's curtains,
man, it's curtains.
00:53:40.11\00:53:42.20
So he will get me so distracted
with trying to work for Jesus,
00:53:43.65\00:53:48.80
visit for Jesus, call
for Jesus, preach for Jesus,
00:53:49.96\00:53:53.11
study for Jesus, that I don't
take time for Jesus one on one.
00:53:53.14\00:53:58.77
The three legged stool.
00:53:58.97\00:54:00.41
It's not optional.
00:54:01.05\00:54:02.42
It's the basis of
the Christian life.
00:54:03.14\00:54:06.97
You're never
going to know someone
00:54:07.00\00:54:08.16
you don't spend time with.
00:54:08.19\00:54:09.55
And knowing Jesus is
what eternity is based on.
00:54:10.49\00:54:14.41
Well, I'm going to end on a
little trinity of quotations.
00:54:16.44\00:54:26.44
The first one comes from a
book called, Faith I Live By.
00:54:27.05\00:54:29.64
"I saw another mighty
angel commissioned to descend
00:54:30.28\00:54:32.70
to the earth to unite his
voice with the third angel's..."
00:54:32.73\00:54:35.56
Now we're talking about
this fourth angel that says,
00:54:35.59\00:54:37.37
"Come out of her."
00:54:37.40\00:54:38.53
"...to unite his voice with
the third angel and give power
00:54:39.91\00:54:42.68
and force to that message."
00:54:42.71\00:54:43.97
So this voice, this
shouting angel, is giving power
00:54:44.00\00:54:48.42
and force to the
three angels' message.
00:54:48.45\00:54:51.01
See this is...
00:54:51.22\00:54:52.25
I'm here at 3ABN.
00:54:52.28\00:54:54.11
Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
00:54:54.35\00:54:57.94
And this angel is
bringing his voice to add power
00:54:58.19\00:55:02.00
to the three angels.
00:55:02.79\00:55:04.44
This broadcasting network
is determined to declare it
00:55:05.11\00:55:07.47
before the world.
00:55:07.50\00:55:08.53
He adds his voice to
give power to their message.
00:55:09.54\00:55:11.81
"The work of this angel
joins in the last great work
00:55:11.84\00:55:14.34
of the third angel's message
as it swells to a loud cry."
00:55:14.37\00:55:17.53
That was the first
one. Here's the second one.
00:55:17.56\00:55:19.17
Testimonies, volume 6,
"The message of Christ's
00:55:19.77\00:55:21.88
righteousness is to
sound from one end of the earth
00:55:21.91\00:55:24.47
to the other to
prepare the way for the Lord.
00:55:24.50\00:55:27.17
This is the glory of God.
00:55:27.20\00:55:28.89
This is what's going to close
the work of the third angel."
00:55:28.92\00:55:31.45
The third angel's
message gets closed by a focus
00:55:31.48\00:55:35.49
on the righteousness of
Christ and His matchless love.
00:55:35.52\00:55:39.09
That's what closes the work.
00:55:39.12\00:55:40.83
And one more,
Letter to Battle Creek.
00:55:40.86\00:55:43.39
He crowds out the self
in me and creates in me
00:55:55.03\00:55:59.45
a Christ-like
dependence and character.
00:55:59.48\00:56:02.95
"Many have lost sight of Jesus."
00:56:03.37\00:56:06.05
Oh dear, how could
we let that happen?
00:56:06.08\00:56:09.60
I'm helpless to
rid myself of Babylon.
00:56:28.05\00:56:32.32
But one of His priceless gifts
to the helpless human agent
00:56:32.35\00:56:36.00
is His own
righteousness, His own power,
00:56:36.03\00:56:38.51
Hs own transforming love.
00:56:38.54\00:56:39.82
Which is to be proclaimed from
00:56:44.63\00:56:45.98
Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
00:56:46.01\00:56:48.03
And I thank God for
the proclamation that
00:56:50.38\00:56:52.35
goes forth from this place.
00:56:52.38\00:56:53.78
Praise You, Jesus.
00:56:58.64\00:57:00.18
He's going to get it done.
00:57:00.21\00:57:01.37
And when He gets it
done, we're going to go home.
00:57:01.40\00:57:03.30
When we go home we're
going to go, "I know You."
00:57:03.33\00:57:06.87
And He's going to
say, "I know you too.
00:57:06.90\00:57:08.87
And I came for My friends, and
I'm so glad you're one of them."
00:57:09.08\00:57:11.90
Lord Jesus, I've
got ten seconds to say
00:57:12.10\00:57:14.98
thank You for being our friend.
00:57:15.01\00:57:18.08
We want to be friends with
You from now until You come.
00:57:18.31\00:57:22.62
Amen.
00:57:22.65\00:57:23.77