- Back in the eighties,
there was this horrible movie,
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a complete and
utter theological mess.
00:00:03.50\00:00:06.47
But today we're gonna
look at the real thing,
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the last temptation of Christ.
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[acoustic guitar music]
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[acoustic
guitar music continues]
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Okay, if you've been
keeping up with the show,
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you'll know that we're
partway through a series
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on the temptations of Christ,
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and we've been basing our study
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on the account
you find in Matthew 4.
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So far, we've already dealt
with the first two temptations:
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the appeal to appetite,
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where Jesus is tempted
to use His divine power
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to change stones into bread,
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and then what appears
to be an appeal to pride,
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where He's challenged to
prove that He's the Son of God
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by throwing Himself
from the top of the Temple.
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Those are the first two.
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Today we're gonna move
on to the final temptation,
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but just before we do that,
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I want to
explore one more thread
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that seems to run
through all three temptations.
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We've already seen [soft music]
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how the issue at stake is
that Jesus, as a human being,
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has to overcome in the
areas where human beings fail.
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We know that He
came to save humanity,
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and in addition to
reconciling the debt we incurred
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when we broke faith with God,
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He also adopted our human nature
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in order to become the
new head of the human race,
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the last Adam, as Paul describes
Him in 1 Corinthians 15.
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So in other words,
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this is a story
where Jesus succeeds
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in exactly the areas
where you and I have failed.
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And you can really see this
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when you consider it from
the perspective of the Exodus,
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a story that suddenly takes
on a much broader dimension
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when you review it
from the vantage point
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of these temptations.
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When Israel left Egypt,
they crossed the Red Sea,
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and then they were
tempted to doubt God's promises
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when they were
out in the wilderness.
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They saw God's incredible
provision with their own eyes
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when He drowned the
Egyptians in the Red Sea.
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And yet, somehow,
we find them grumbling
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moments after their
miraculous delivery.
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"Moses, what exactly are
we supposed to eat out here?"
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Their grumbling
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leads to the delay of
their ultimate deliverance
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because now they have to spend
40 years in the wilderness.
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And the number one
reason they had to do that
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was a lack of faith.
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Hebrews 3:19 informs us
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that they could not
enter in because of unbelief.
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Now, when you take a careful
look at the whole incident
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from the moment of
deliverance from Egypt
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to the moment when they finally
crossed the Jordan River,
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you get this
interesting picture.
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In 1 Corinthians 10:2,
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Paul refers to the crossing
of the Red Sea as a baptism,
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which, of course, is followed
by 40 years in the wilderness.
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And what do we find
in the story of Jesus?
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We get His baptism in Matthew 3
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immediately followed by
40 days in the wilderness.
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So in essence,
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Jesus is not just succeeding
where Adam and Eve failed;
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He's also succeeding where
the nation of Israel failed.
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In fact, He's
succeeding where all of us fail,
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which makes Him
our perfect substitute.
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What we have in
the person of Jesus
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is an awful lot of
prophetic fulfillment.
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The Old Testament
spends a lot of time
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foreshadowing His ministry,
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and you'll notice that
the New Testament writers
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make the case for Christ
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by appealing to the
Old Testament scriptures
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that predict Him.
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And wouldn't you know it,
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when you look back at the themes
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involved in each of
the three temptations,
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you find the very same thing.
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The first temptation
challenges a hungry Christ
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to turn stones into bread.
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And you'll find
that the subject of bread
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completely saturates the
story of Israel in the desert.
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I mean, after all, they
were fed by bread from Heaven,
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by manna.
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And during His ministry,
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Jesus openly stated that
the manna in the book of Exodus
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pointed forward to Him.
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"Most assuredly, I say
to you," Jesus explained,
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"Moses did not give
you the bread from Heaven,
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for the bread of God is
He who comes down from Heaven
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and gives life to the world."
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Now, if that
wasn't clear enough,
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tell me, where was Jesus born?
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In Bethlehem,
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a word that literally
means house of bread in Hebrew.
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Then we have the
temptation involving the Temple,
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which is the second
temptation in Matthew's account,
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and it's the third
temptation in Luke's account.
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Remember, Matthew and Luke
organized the story differently
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depending on what
they're trying to emphasize.
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Matthew goes to
the Temple second,
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and what was the Temple?
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A system of rites and rituals
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that anticipated
the work of Messiah
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from the sacrificial lambs,
which pointed to the cross,
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to the annual
feasts and festivals
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that foreshadowed different
aspects of His ministry.
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The Temple of Jesus'
day was the second Temple
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because roughly
600 years earlier,
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Solomon's Temple was
destroyed by the Babylonians.
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And when the
second Temple was built,
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the people were
kind of disappointed
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because the presence
of God did not show up
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and occupy the most holy place
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the way it did when they
dedicated the first Temple.
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The Ark of the
Covenant was missing
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because Jeremiah hid
it from the Babylonians.
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And to this day, we
still have no idea where it is.
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So there was no Shekinah glory
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in the most holy
place of the second Temple,
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but still, the prophet,
Haggai, predicted that somehow
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this second Temple would be
more glorious than the first.
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"The glory of this
latter Temple," he said,
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"shall be greater than the
former, says the Lord of hosts.
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And in this
place, I will give peace,
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says the Lord of hosts."
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So how would that be possible?
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Well, in the first Temple,
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the presence of God
was hidden behind a veil
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inside that room
called the most holy place.
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But at the second Temple,
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God actually
stepped outside the veil
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and joined us out
on the Temple grounds
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as Jesus, the Son of God
who was God in human flesh.
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The person of Christ
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is a much more intimate
revelation of God because, well,
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we can see Him for ourselves
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living in this world as a
real, authentic human being.
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So look at what
happens [suspenseful music]
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in those first two temptations.
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They involve an invitation
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for Jesus to compromise
these all-important symbols.
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If He uses His divine power
to convert stones into bread,
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He does not succeed
where Adam and Eve failed,
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and then the bread
of life is of no effect.
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And then if He acts from
presumption instead of faith
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and leaps from the Temple,
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the Temple suddenly becomes
a symbol of God's failure,
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not a vivid demonstration
of His faithfulness.
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Now, the same holds true
for the final temptation,
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which is the devil's offer
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to give Jesus the
kingdoms of the world
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in return for worship.
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Now this is really powerful.
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What we have in
the story of salvation
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is the story of God
restoring the broken human race
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and the eventual establishment
of His everlasting kingdom.
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This coming kingdom is easily
one of the biggest prophecies
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found in the Old Testament,
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including this pivotal
passage found in Daniel 7,
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a scene that takes place at
the close of Heaven's judgment.
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It says,
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"Then to Him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
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that all peoples, nations
and languages should serve Him.
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His dominion is an
everlasting dominion
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which shall not pass away
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and His kingdom, the one
which shall not be destroyed."
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According to the Bible,
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this is the moment
that God is driving toward,
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the establishment
of Christ's kingdom,
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the moment when
His only begotten Son
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lays claim to this planet
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and He takes His place
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as the rightful
head of our human race.
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You find this echoed
again in Revelation 21,
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where it says, "And I heard a
loud voice from heaven saying,
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'Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men,
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and He will dwell with them
and they shall be His people.
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God Himself will be
with them and be their God.'"
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So as you probably
already anticipated,
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there is a lot at stake
in this final temptation,
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and I'll be right back
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after this quick
break [upbeat music]
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to take a better look at that.
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[ominous music]
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- [Narrator]
Dragons, [dragon roaring]
00:08:58.13\00:08:59.03
beasts, cryptic statues.
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Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:09:02.17\00:09:06.78
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:09:06.78\00:09:08.98
and come away
scratching your head,
00:09:08.98\00:09:10.71
you're not alone.
00:09:10.71\00:09:12.01
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:09:12.01\00:09:14.38
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:09:14.38\00:09:17.19
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:09:17.19\00:09:20.19
and our world.
00:09:20.19\00:09:21.36
Study online or
request them by mail,
00:09:21.36\00:09:23.69
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:09:23.69\00:09:27.20
- I'm thinking this
might be a really good moment
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to go back and review a
little bit of biblical history
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because the broader context
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for the third
temptation of Christ
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is really, really important.
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In fact, it
doesn't make a lot of sense
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until you read your way
through the entire book.
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In the 12th
chapter of Revelation,
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there's a surprising statement,
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or at least it's
surprising when you consider
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what it really says.
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Here it is now
from Revelation 12:7.
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It says, "And war
broke out in Heaven."
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Now, there's
more to it than that,
00:10:01.23\00:10:03.16
but that short opening
statement is surprising
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all on its own.
00:10:06.53\00:10:07.90
The way that Christians
00:10:07.90\00:10:09.14
have traditionally
talked about Heaven,
00:10:09.14\00:10:10.84
we've managed to
convince ourselves
00:10:10.84\00:10:12.51
that it's a perfect place where
nothing bad can ever happen,
00:10:12.51\00:10:16.54
the abode of perfect happiness,
00:10:16.54\00:10:19.05
like the Elysium
fields of Greek mythology.
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But that's not the
story the Bible tells,
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because God has not
isolated Himself from pain.
00:10:25.72\00:10:29.32
He actually gets it.
00:10:29.32\00:10:31.53
In the biblical story,
00:10:31.53\00:10:32.99
the struggle between good
and evil didn't begin with us,
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although it
certainly includes us.
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It began in the presence of God,
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and I'd be lying if I told you
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that I completely
understand how that's possible.
00:10:43.07\00:10:46.11
I mean, how does evil emerge
00:10:46.11\00:10:48.31
in a universe created
by a perfect, loving God?
00:10:48.31\00:10:51.68
I mean, I have some idea,
00:10:51.68\00:10:53.98
because the Bible
gives some details,
00:10:53.98\00:10:56.25
but there's no way I
can completely explain it,
00:10:56.25\00:10:59.52
because of course,
00:10:59.52\00:11:01.19
if you could
explain the origin of evil
00:11:01.19\00:11:03.29
in a satisfactory way,
00:11:03.29\00:11:05.73
well, it
wouldn't be evil anymore.
00:11:05.73\00:11:07.40
Why?
00:11:07.40\00:11:08.63
Because you came up
with a good reason for it,
00:11:08.63\00:11:11.13
and there isn't one.
00:11:11.13\00:11:12.63
So let's get back
to the passage at hand,
00:11:12.63\00:11:15.20
Revelation 12:7.
00:11:15.20\00:11:18.64
"And war broke out in Heaven.
00:11:18.64\00:11:20.41
Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon,
00:11:20.41\00:11:22.98
and the dragon
and his angels fought,
00:11:22.98\00:11:24.75
but they did not prevail,
00:11:24.75\00:11:26.25
nor was a place found for
them in Heaven any longer."
00:11:26.25\00:11:29.92
The Bible describes a
conflict in the heavenly realm,
00:11:31.19\00:11:34.39
a conflict that ended
with the devil and his angels
00:11:34.39\00:11:36.96
being evicted.
00:11:36.96\00:11:39.03
And what was the issue?
00:11:39.03\00:11:41.13
Well, there's a
passage in the book of Isaiah
00:11:42.33\00:11:44.03
that explains the problem
by using Lucifer's own words.
00:11:44.03\00:11:47.50
This comes from Isaiah
14, starting in verse 13.
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"For you have
said in your heart,
00:11:52.34\00:11:54.28
'I will ascend into Heaven,
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I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God.
00:11:56.01\00:11:59.18
I also will sit on the
mount of the congregation
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on the farthest
sides of the north.
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I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds.
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I will be like the Most High.'"
00:12:06.25\00:12:09.42
The original
problem, according to this,
00:12:10.49\00:12:12.99
was an angel's
desire to be worshiped.
00:12:12.99\00:12:15.60
And, of course, that
could never be allowed.
00:12:15.60\00:12:18.87
Worship is reserved
for the Creator alone.
00:12:18.87\00:12:21.50
A mere creature is
not the source of life
00:12:21.50\00:12:24.64
and doesn't have the wherewithal
00:12:24.64\00:12:26.24
to hold this universe together.
00:12:26.24\00:12:28.54
So in reality, an
angel cannot be worshiped
00:12:28.54\00:12:31.41
no matter how
lofty that angel is.
00:12:31.41\00:12:34.92
And what the
Bible is telling us here
00:12:34.92\00:12:37.15
is that the
original problem was pride.
00:12:37.15\00:12:40.29
A fallen angel
wanted to be included
00:12:40.29\00:12:42.09
in the councils of the Godhead,
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and he wanted a place
equal to God, or even above Him.
00:12:43.73\00:12:48.60
So of course, that
cost him everything
00:12:48.60\00:12:51.43
and he was ejected
from the presence of God
00:12:51.43\00:12:53.70
so that he could
no longer compromise
00:12:53.70\00:12:56.47
the happiness of the universe.
00:12:56.47\00:12:59.41
So what does he
do next? [soft music]
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.74
He turns his
attention to humanity
00:13:01.74\00:13:03.51
because you and I were
made in the image of God.
00:13:03.51\00:13:06.48
If he could turn the
human race against the Creator,
00:13:06.48\00:13:09.38
then A, he'd have
a kingdom of his own,
00:13:09.38\00:13:12.22
and B, he'd prove that
nobody really loves God
00:13:12.22\00:13:15.59
of their own free will,
00:13:15.59\00:13:16.73
not if they're
presented with a choice.
00:13:16.73\00:13:19.86
What happened in Eden
00:13:19.86\00:13:21.33
was a matter of human beings
handing the keys of this world
00:13:21.33\00:13:23.53
to the serpent.
00:13:23.53\00:13:25.03
We were originally given
dominion over this planet.
00:13:25.03\00:13:27.77
We were meant to
serve as stewards for God,
00:13:27.77\00:13:31.14
but we willingly gave
that dominion to the serpent.
00:13:31.14\00:13:34.84
So now let's look at the
third temptation of Christ,
00:13:34.84\00:13:38.88
because this is
really interesting.
00:13:38.88\00:13:41.42
It says, "Again,
the devil took Him up
00:13:41.42\00:13:44.09
on an exceedingly high mountain
00:13:44.09\00:13:46.15
and showed Him all
the kingdoms of the world
00:13:46.15\00:13:48.19
and their glory.
00:13:48.19\00:13:49.56
And he said to Him,
00:13:49.56\00:13:50.79
'All these
things I will give You
00:13:50.79\00:13:53.33
if You will fall
down and worship me.'"
00:13:53.33\00:13:56.46
Imagine the damage it would've
caused if the second Adam,
00:13:57.90\00:14:00.97
the new head of the human race,
00:14:00.97\00:14:03.20
also bowed to
the devil's wishes.
00:14:03.20\00:14:05.87
In reality,
00:14:05.87\00:14:07.28
Christ had come to
destroy the devil's claims
00:14:07.28\00:14:09.14
and to take back the planet,
00:14:09.14\00:14:11.18
but if Jesus does
this, everything is lost.
00:14:11.18\00:14:14.58
What we have in
the third temptation
00:14:15.65\00:14:17.52
is the offer of a shortcut,
00:14:17.52\00:14:19.49
which is what a
lot of temptations are;
00:14:19.49\00:14:21.69
they're just an offer to cheat.
00:14:21.69\00:14:24.23
The devil
disingenuously acknowledges
00:14:24.23\00:14:26.86
that the world should
be Christ's possession
00:14:26.86\00:14:29.30
and he knows full
well why Jesus has come.
00:14:29.30\00:14:32.50
"When Messiah
comes," God told the serpent,
00:14:32.50\00:14:34.87
"He will bruise your head."
00:14:34.87\00:14:37.94
If Jesus was successful,
if He went to the cross,
00:14:37.94\00:14:40.28
everything the devil had
accomplished in this world
00:14:40.28\00:14:42.58
would be ruined.
00:14:42.58\00:14:44.15
This is why you find
such a concerted effort
00:14:45.21\00:14:47.88
to prevent the birth of Christ
00:14:47.88\00:14:49.35
all the way through the Bible.
00:14:49.35\00:14:51.15
The Old Testament
records this ongoing campaign
00:14:51.15\00:14:54.82
to prevent the devil's ruin,
to prevent Messiah from coming.
00:14:54.82\00:14:58.66
This is why Cain
murdered his brother, Abel.
00:14:59.93\00:15:01.90
It's because Abel was righteous
00:15:01.90\00:15:03.90
and he showed faith
in the coming Messiah,
00:15:03.90\00:15:06.13
and everybody knew
00:15:06.13\00:15:07.64
that Messiah would come
from a line of faithful people,
00:15:07.64\00:15:10.71
so the devil has him eliminated.
00:15:10.71\00:15:13.68
It's also why the
children of Israel
00:15:14.81\00:15:16.31
rebelled against God again
and again and again and again
00:15:16.31\00:15:19.85
by adopting the
religious practices
00:15:19.85\00:15:22.02
of their pagan neighbors.
00:15:22.02\00:15:23.85
At one point, they even
turned to the worship of Molech,
00:15:23.85\00:15:26.35
a cruel pagan deity who
demanded human sacrifice.
00:15:26.35\00:15:30.59
The prophet,
Jeremiah, described it like this
00:15:30.59\00:15:32.76
in Jeremiah 32:
00:15:32.76\00:15:34.96
"And they built the
high places of Baal,
00:15:34.96\00:15:37.50
which are in the
valley of the Son of Hinnom,
00:15:37.50\00:15:39.87
to cause their
sons and daughters
00:15:39.87\00:15:41.60
to pass through
the fire to Molech,
00:15:41.60\00:15:43.64
which I did not command them,
00:15:43.64\00:15:45.51
nor did it come into My mind
00:15:45.51\00:15:47.24
that they should do this
abomination to cause Judah to
00:15:47.24\00:15:51.31
sin." Everybody knew
that one of these days,
00:15:52.41\00:15:54.92
one of those firstborn
sons of Israel would be Messiah,
00:15:54.92\00:15:58.59
and here they were, unbelievably
sacrificing their children
00:15:58.59\00:16:02.69
to the white, hot
arms of a steel idol.
00:16:02.69\00:16:05.23
It was an
incredibly cruel practice,
00:16:05.23\00:16:08.60
and there was a distinct
possibility that maybe, just
00:16:08.60\00:16:13.17
maybe, someone would actually
kill the coming Christ child.
00:16:13.17\00:16:16.74
Then we have the
infanticidal campaign by Herod,
00:16:17.94\00:16:21.11
the imposter king
00:16:21.11\00:16:22.51
who didn't have a
legitimate claim to the throne.
00:16:22.51\00:16:25.28
He suddenly finds out
that the ancient prophecies
00:16:25.28\00:16:27.65
were coming to pass
00:16:27.65\00:16:28.88
when visitors from
the East informed him
00:16:28.88\00:16:30.99
that the star
they'd been expecting
00:16:30.99\00:16:32.79
had suddenly
appeared in the night sky.
00:16:32.79\00:16:35.69
So Herod launched a campaign
00:16:35.69\00:16:37.43
to murder every
child under the age of two.
00:16:37.43\00:16:39.86
You'll notice it's
the same thing Pharaoh did
00:16:39.86\00:16:42.20
with the sons of Israel
about 1,500 years earlier.
00:16:42.20\00:16:46.17
And you'll notice in Matthew 2,
00:16:46.17\00:16:48.54
the issue of worship forms
the focal point for that story.
00:16:48.54\00:16:52.77
"Where is He who has
been born King of the Jews?"
00:16:52.77\00:16:55.24
the Magi ask, "For, we
have seen His star in the East
00:16:55.24\00:16:58.68
and have come to worship Him."
00:16:58.68\00:17:00.75
"Go find Him," Herod said,
"so I can worship Him, too."
00:17:00.75\00:17:04.55
It's another attempt
00:17:04.55\00:17:05.79
to derail the coming
triumph of the cross.
00:17:05.79\00:17:09.02
And now that Jesus
has arrived in person,
00:17:09.02\00:17:11.93
now that all the previous
attempts to get rid of Him
00:17:11.93\00:17:14.36
have failed,
00:17:14.36\00:17:15.46
there is one last ditch effort
00:17:15.46\00:17:17.30
to keep the
cross from happening.
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.40
[soft music] I'll be
right back after this.
00:17:19.40\00:17:22.34
[soft piano music]
00:17:25.44\00:17:26.64
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:17:26.64\00:17:28.71
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:17:28.71\00:17:32.05
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:17:32.05\00:17:34.48
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:17:34.48\00:17:37.62
Here at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:17:37.62\00:17:39.15
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:17:39.15\00:17:41.32
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:17:41.32\00:17:42.89
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:17:42.89\00:17:45.39
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:17:45.39\00:17:48.40
and they're absolutely free.
00:17:48.40\00:17:50.40
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:17:50.40\00:17:52.73
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:17:52.73\00:17:55.77
- In the last
temptation of Christ,
00:17:55.77\00:17:57.61
at least in Matthew's account,
00:17:57.61\00:17:59.61
we find the devil
proudly showing off
00:17:59.61\00:18:01.74
the kingdoms of the world.
00:18:01.74\00:18:03.51
He's really
pointing to his own domain,
00:18:03.51\00:18:06.01
the world that we
built under his influence,
00:18:06.01\00:18:09.12
a place where
people build their lives
00:18:09.12\00:18:11.19
around the
philosophy of the fallen.
00:18:11.19\00:18:14.39
Now, I've mentioned
this on other programs,
00:18:14.39\00:18:16.52
but what you really
have in worldly kingdoms
00:18:16.52\00:18:18.93
is something of an
artificial paradise.
00:18:18.93\00:18:22.43
Once we compromised
the paradise of God,
00:18:22.43\00:18:25.10
once we broke
trust with our Creator,
00:18:25.10\00:18:27.64
we found ourselves
living outside of Eden.
00:18:27.64\00:18:30.51
Now, I know there
are some of you listening
00:18:30.51\00:18:32.54
who assume that all of this
00:18:32.54\00:18:33.81
is nothing more
than a fairy tale
00:18:33.81\00:18:35.81
with angels and
devils, a talking snake,
00:18:35.81\00:18:38.18
the Garden of Eden and so on,
00:18:38.18\00:18:41.15
but stick with me.
00:18:41.15\00:18:42.62
At the very least,
00:18:42.62\00:18:44.02
considered the
principles in these stories,
00:18:44.02\00:18:45.72
because I think
you'll find they say a lot
00:18:45.72\00:18:48.16
about the way that
you and I choose to live.
00:18:48.16\00:18:50.79
Now, personally, I
believe the story is history,
00:18:52.13\00:18:54.56
and I honestly think
there are good reasons
00:18:54.56\00:18:56.70
for believing that,
00:18:56.70\00:18:57.93
but that would be a
topic for another day.
00:18:57.93\00:19:00.24
What I've noticed
is just how compelling
00:19:00.24\00:19:03.10
many skeptics find the
themes in the Book of Genesis.
00:19:03.10\00:19:07.48
Somehow, [soft piano music]
00:19:07.48\00:19:08.88
even if they think these
things never actually happened,
00:19:08.88\00:19:10.75
they still see a lot of
wisdom in the themes and symbols
00:19:10.75\00:19:13.62
found in this
rather masterful narrative.
00:19:13.62\00:19:17.49
What many people have noticed
00:19:17.49\00:19:19.85
is that we all seem to
have this inborn memory
00:19:19.85\00:19:22.42
of a better time
and a better place.
00:19:22.42\00:19:25.56
Somehow we instinctively know
00:19:25.56\00:19:27.13
something is
wrong with this world,
00:19:27.13\00:19:29.60
the way we currently live,
00:19:29.60\00:19:31.57
and somehow we know
there's got to be a better way,
00:19:31.57\00:19:34.80
or there used
to be a better way.
00:19:34.80\00:19:37.87
Early on in the Book of Genesis,
00:19:39.07\00:19:40.54
you find the human race
turning to its own ingenuity
00:19:40.54\00:19:43.41
to make up for the
loss of a perfect existence.
00:19:43.41\00:19:46.82
In the fourth
chapter of Genesis,
00:19:46.82\00:19:48.38
we have the first mention of
a city, and it's built by Cain,
00:19:48.38\00:19:51.72
the man who
murdered his own brother.
00:19:51.72\00:19:54.52
Then in Genesis 10,
00:19:54.52\00:19:56.02
we find the foundations of
the famous cities on the plane,
00:19:56.02\00:19:58.99
places like
Nineveh, Babylon, Ireq,
00:19:58.99\00:20:02.83
which sounds like
the country of Iraq
00:20:02.83\00:20:04.87
for a really good reason.
00:20:04.87\00:20:06.43
When we were suddenly
thrust into a much harsher world
00:20:07.80\00:20:10.61
where we could no longer
take our survival for granted,
00:20:10.61\00:20:13.98
we scrambled to
establish what amounts to be
00:20:13.98\00:20:17.28
an artificial form of paradise.
00:20:17.28\00:20:20.12
But very quickly
it became obvious
00:20:20.12\00:20:21.82
that these urban
centers were not paradise.
00:20:21.82\00:20:24.85
Invariably, urban living
only amplified our problems
00:20:24.85\00:20:27.99
and made them worse.
00:20:27.99\00:20:29.72
Regardless of
our good intentions,
00:20:29.72\00:20:31.83
fallen people are
still just fallen people,
00:20:31.83\00:20:34.96
and now we suddenly
had self-interested despots
00:20:34.96\00:20:38.10
accumulating power at the
expense of everybody else.
00:20:38.10\00:20:41.90
These are the
kingdoms of the world,
00:20:43.27\00:20:45.54
and in part, this is
what Jesus came to redeem
00:20:45.54\00:20:48.14
because, well,
00:20:48.14\00:20:49.71
this is not the way that
God actually wanted us to live,
00:20:49.71\00:20:53.31
and He intends to restore
us to what we used to be.
00:20:53.31\00:20:57.19
But for now,
00:20:57.19\00:20:58.65
there's a fallen angel
laying claim to this planet,
00:20:58.65\00:21:00.86
because, let's face it,
00:21:00.86\00:21:02.72
we gave him the keys and
the only way out of that mess
00:21:02.72\00:21:07.30
is the cross of Christ.
00:21:07.30\00:21:09.46
So what do we find
in the third temptation?
00:21:09.46\00:21:12.37
An offer to give it back.
00:21:12.37\00:21:14.24
Because while the
serpent got what he wanted
00:21:14.24\00:21:15.97
from most of us,
00:21:15.97\00:21:17.14
an unwitting
adoption [ominous music]
00:21:17.14\00:21:18.54
of his principles,
00:21:18.54\00:21:19.61
what he really wants is worship.
00:21:19.61\00:21:22.81
Laying claim to a fallen planet
00:21:22.81\00:21:24.45
is not the same thing as
sitting on the throne of God,
00:21:24.45\00:21:27.88
and the devil knows it.
00:21:27.88\00:21:29.82
So what does he ask for?
00:21:29.82\00:21:31.42
Worship.
00:21:31.42\00:21:32.89
Look, Jesus, why would
You do this the hard way?
00:21:32.89\00:21:35.36
Why go to a cross?
00:21:35.36\00:21:37.16
I mean, look at these people.
00:21:37.16\00:21:38.66
Look at the way
they despise you.
00:21:38.66\00:21:40.73
You sent them prophets and
they put the prophets to death.
00:21:40.73\00:21:43.63
You pled with
them, tears in your eyes,
00:21:43.63\00:21:46.63
and they still
went and worshiped idols
00:21:46.63\00:21:48.74
and murdered their own children.
00:21:48.74\00:21:51.01
And now you've come to
live a really hard life
00:21:51.01\00:21:54.21
and you know they're
gonna treat you badly.
00:21:54.21\00:21:56.61
I mean, just read the
predictions of Isaiah.
00:21:56.61\00:21:58.78
So why go
through all this hassle?
00:21:58.78\00:22:01.42
I'll just give
you what you came for,
00:22:01.42\00:22:04.92
and all you have to do,
00:22:04.92\00:22:06.59
one tiny, little act of worship.
00:22:06.59\00:22:09.12
Of course, it was a lie,
00:22:10.46\00:22:12.86
and if Jesus actually did
this, everything would be lost.
00:22:12.86\00:22:16.60
But pay attention to the
nature of the temptation.
00:22:16.60\00:22:19.00
It emphasizes that A, humanity's
not worth God's effort,
00:22:19.00\00:22:23.17
and B, there's an easy shortcut.
00:22:23.17\00:22:26.61
And for right now, today,
00:22:26.61\00:22:27.84
I want you to
focus on that shortcut.
00:22:27.84\00:22:30.98
The cross was a horrible thing,
00:22:30.98\00:22:33.58
and this story
demonstrates quite convincingly
00:22:33.58\00:22:36.52
that it was the
only way to save us.
00:22:36.52\00:22:40.06
It wasn't just a nice gesture
00:22:40.06\00:22:42.02
designed to
demonstrate God's love,
00:22:42.02\00:22:44.26
although it
certainly did do that.
00:22:44.26\00:22:46.49
It was an absolute requirement
00:22:46.49\00:22:48.83
if you and I are
going to be saved,
00:22:48.83\00:22:51.57
and if there was ever a moment
00:22:51.57\00:22:52.90
when a shortcut
would be tempting,
00:22:52.90\00:22:55.17
this has got to be it.
00:22:55.17\00:22:57.34
And that speaks volumes
00:22:57.34\00:22:58.84
about the way that
you and I try to live
00:22:58.84\00:23:00.54
an authentic human life.
00:23:00.54\00:23:02.88
Instinctively, we
know the right thing to do,
00:23:02.88\00:23:05.25
but if there's a shortcut
that can get you there faster,
00:23:05.25\00:23:09.15
you know most of us
are probably gonna take it.
00:23:09.15\00:23:12.82
It's a lie about
the nature of goodness,
00:23:12.82\00:23:15.26
a lie about the
nature of justice,
00:23:15.26\00:23:17.33
a lie about the
character of God.
00:23:17.33\00:23:19.66
There is no shortcut
00:23:19.66\00:23:22.10
when it comes to a meaningful
relationship with the Creator,
00:23:22.10\00:23:25.60
even though some
people will tell you there is,
00:23:25.60\00:23:28.37
which is one more reason
00:23:28.37\00:23:30.04
I insist you've
gotta read the whole book.
00:23:30.04\00:23:32.61
There's no other
way. [upbeat music]
00:23:32.61\00:23:34.94
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:34.94\00:23:37.08
[soft music]
00:23:39.98\00:23:41.22
- [Narrator] Here at
The Voice of Prophecy,
00:23:41.22\00:23:42.68
we're committed to
creating top-quality programming
00:23:42.68\00:23:44.59
for the whole family,
00:23:44.59\00:23:46.02
like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:23:46.02\00:23:49.16
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:23:49.16\00:23:51.69
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:23:51.69\00:23:54.00
Your family will enjoy
the faith-building stories
00:23:54.00\00:23:56.87
from this small
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00:23:56.87\00:23:59.70
With 24 seasonal
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00:23:59.70\00:24:02.10
and fresh content every week,
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.27
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:24:04.27\00:24:07.51
- At the end of
the story, Jesus says,
00:24:10.51\00:24:12.18
"Away with you, Satan!
00:24:12.18\00:24:13.68
For it is written,
00:24:13.68\00:24:14.95
'You shall
worship the Lord your God,
00:24:14.95\00:24:16.62
and Him only you shall serve.'"
00:24:16.62\00:24:19.75
He refuses to take the shortcut
00:24:19.75\00:24:22.09
because it's just too expensive.
00:24:22.09\00:24:23.69
I mean, sin is
always too expensive.
00:24:23.69\00:24:27.50
You know, there's an
interesting phenomenon
00:24:27.50\00:24:28.96
you find in ancient history,
00:24:28.96\00:24:30.20
and it has to do with
some of the Temple cults
00:24:30.20\00:24:32.60
found in pagan cultures.
00:24:32.60\00:24:34.70
Have you ever wondered why it is
00:24:34.70\00:24:36.50
that so many ancient religions
00:24:36.50\00:24:38.04
featured the presence
of Temple prostitutes?
00:24:38.04\00:24:41.31
The way that history reads,
00:24:41.31\00:24:42.84
you could visit the Temple
for two distinct purposes,
00:24:42.84\00:24:45.35
first to offer
sacrifices to the pagan gods,
00:24:45.35\00:24:48.62
and secondly,
well, you get my drift.
00:24:48.62\00:24:52.99
Both of those things,
though, are shortcuts.
00:24:52.99\00:24:55.46
When you worship an idol
00:24:55.46\00:24:56.73
who can be easily
paid off with a sacrifice,
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.86
it's a shortcut to a meaningful
relationship with God.
00:24:58.86\00:25:02.43
There's no real accountability.
00:25:02.43\00:25:03.90
It's just a quick
financial transaction.
00:25:03.90\00:25:06.70
The same holds
true for prostitution.
00:25:06.70\00:25:08.60
It's a shortcut to a
meaningful relationship.
00:25:08.60\00:25:11.41
There's no
marriage, no accountability,
00:25:11.41\00:25:13.54
there's no lifelong
consideration for another
00:25:13.54\00:25:16.41
person. It's just this empty
and disappointing shortcut.
00:25:16.41\00:25:19.98
Both of these things promised
to meet our need for intimacy,
00:25:21.38\00:25:24.05
intimacy with God, intimacy
with another human being,
00:25:24.05\00:25:27.79
but they failed to
deliver every single time.
00:25:27.79\00:25:30.13
Why?
00:25:30.13\00:25:31.63
Because in the kingdom of
God, there are no shortcuts,
00:25:31.63\00:25:33.60
and Jesus knew it.
00:25:33.60\00:25:35.46
"Come on, just bow
down to me," the devil said.
00:25:35.46\00:25:37.60
"I'll give you the
kingdoms of this world.
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.34
Why go through
with a crucifixion,
00:25:40.34\00:25:42.10
especially for these people?
00:25:42.10\00:25:44.44
Why endure the
rejection, the mockery,
00:25:44.44\00:25:46.64
the humiliation, the pain?
00:25:46.64\00:25:49.24
Why take the weight of
these people's sins on yourself?
00:25:49.24\00:25:52.15
There has got to
be an easier way."
00:25:52.15\00:25:55.22
But there wasn't.
[soft piano music]
00:25:56.35\00:25:58.12
The cross is not a mere ornament
to the story of the Bible.
00:25:58.12\00:26:00.86
It's the centerpiece,
00:26:00.86\00:26:02.59
the focal point of God's plan.
00:26:02.59\00:26:05.23
Try as you might,
00:26:05.23\00:26:06.73
there is no salvation
apart from the cross of Christ.
00:26:06.73\00:26:09.16
Everything that had
to happen did happen
00:26:09.16\00:26:11.60
so that you can be
restored to a meaningful place
00:26:11.60\00:26:15.10
in the kingdom of God.
00:26:15.10\00:26:16.81
In Colossians 1,
the apostle writes,
00:26:17.87\00:26:20.38
"For it please the Father
00:26:20.38\00:26:22.04
that in Him all the
fullness should dwell,
00:26:22.04\00:26:24.41
and by Him to reconcile
all things to Himself by Him,
00:26:24.41\00:26:28.72
whether things on
Earth or things in Heaven,
00:26:28.72\00:26:30.82
having made peace
through the blood of His cross,
00:26:30.82\00:26:33.62
and you who were once alienated
00:26:33.62\00:26:35.42
and enemies in your
mind by wicked works,
00:26:35.42\00:26:38.19
yet now He has reconciled
in the body of His flesh
00:26:38.19\00:26:40.96
through death
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.20
to present you
holy and blameless
00:26:42.20\00:26:45.17
and above
reproach in His sight."
00:26:45.17\00:26:48.20
There was no shortcut,
00:26:48.20\00:26:49.70
not for Jesus,
00:26:49.70\00:26:51.21
not for you.
00:26:51.21\00:26:52.61
This is the only way home.
00:26:52.61\00:26:54.21
The only way to
restore your heart,
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.54
to find what the Bible calls
00:26:56.54\00:26:58.18
the peace that
passes understanding.
00:26:58.18\00:27:01.35
All of this is
possible because Jesus succeeded
00:27:01.35\00:27:04.39
where you and I failed.
00:27:04.39\00:27:05.85
He refused to take the
easy way, and so should you.
00:27:05.85\00:27:08.72
"Enter by the
narrow gate," He taught,
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.46
"for wide is the gate
00:27:10.46\00:27:11.93
and broad is the way
that leads to destruction.
00:27:11.93\00:27:14.10
And there are
many who go in by it,
00:27:14.10\00:27:16.50
because narrow is the
gate and difficult is the way
00:27:16.50\00:27:18.87
which leads to life,
00:27:18.87\00:27:19.97
and there are few who find it."
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.47
What a shame,
00:27:23.47\00:27:24.94
because if there's one
thing that's absolutely clear,
00:27:24.94\00:27:27.31
it's the trail markers
that lead to that narrow path.
00:27:27.31\00:27:30.48
They're as plain as day
in the pages of this book.
00:27:30.48\00:27:33.85
And I get it, reading
the Bible can be difficult,
00:27:33.85\00:27:35.92
because where should you start?
00:27:35.92\00:27:37.72
Some of you have started
00:27:37.72\00:27:39.25
and then you give up
right around those genealogies.
00:27:39.25\00:27:42.19
So here's what
we've done for you.
00:27:42.19\00:27:44.09
We've got a comprehensive course
00:27:44.09\00:27:45.56
that covers all the
major themes of the Bible,
00:27:45.56\00:27:47.96
and it's free.
00:27:47.96\00:27:50.13
You can do it online,
00:27:50.13\00:27:51.17
or you can actually ask me
00:27:51.17\00:27:52.40
for hard copies of
the course material,
00:27:52.40\00:27:54.50
and we'll send it
to you, free, honestly.
00:27:54.50\00:27:57.37
I just want you to have it.
00:27:57.37\00:27:58.77
I know that
traveling the narrow path
00:27:59.81\00:28:01.38
can sound a little daunting,
but I've got to tell you,
00:28:01.38\00:28:03.95
I've been exploring that path
imperfectly for three decades,
00:28:03.95\00:28:07.25
and I wouldn't
have it any other way.
00:28:07.25\00:28:09.52
Thanks for joining me today.
00:28:09.52\00:28:11.02
I'm Shawn Boonstra,
00:28:11.02\00:28:12.49
and this has been "Authentic."
00:28:12.49\00:28:15.36
[acoustic guitar music]
00:28:15.36\00:28:18.76
[acoustic
guitar music continues]
00:28:25.00\00:28:29.24