Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021325
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:46 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:49 IT IS BY NO ACCIDENT THAT YOU HAVE FOUND US - WHETHER IT'S 00:52 LIVE ON THE INTERNET TO STUDY WITH US THIS MORNING OR ON THE 00:56 RADIO, ON TELEVISION - HOWEVER YOU'VE JOINED US WE ARE SO GLAD 01:00 THAT YOU CONTINUALLY AND FAITHFULLY TUNE IN WITH US AND 01:04 STUDY GOD'S WORD TOGETHER. 01:06 WE'RE LIKE ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY AND SOMEDAY SOON IN HEAVEN WE 01:10 ARE GOING TO SEE THE CULMINATION OF ALL OF US TOGETHER AT THE 01:13 SAVIOR'S FEET. AMEN. I CAN HARDLY WAIT. 01:16 BUT UNTIL THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO STUDY AND SING TOGETHER. 01:19 TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION. 01:21 I INVITE YOU INTO YOUR HYMNALS - FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE HOME 01:24 PULL THEM OUT AND SING ALONG WITH US. 01:26 WE'RE GOING TO DO A ROUND A LITTLE LATER SO YOU CAN 01:28 DETERMINE AT HOME WHO IS GOING TO SING WHAT PART WITH US. 01:31 HYMN #308 - 'WHOLLY THINE' - IS OUR FIRST HYMN TODAY. 01:35 THIS COMES AS A REQUEST FROM JACQUELINE IN CANADA, FLORENCE, 01:39 MARVIN, LAUREL, JIM, DIANE, JAMIE, AND BUFFY IN FLORIDA, 01:43 WILFRED, KAREN, AND STACY IN GRENADA, SHAROLA IN GUYANA, 01:48 EMRON IN JAMAICA, JOYANN IN NEW YORK, GILBERT AND BENITO IN THE 01:51 PHILIPPINES, HAKIM IN ST. LUCIA, FREDDY AND SANDY IN THE SOLOMON 01:55 ISLANDS, TITO AND ALMA IN SOUTH DAKOTA, GRACE IN TENNESSEE, 02:00 TRINITY ADVENTIST INTERNATIONAL CHURCH IN THAILAND, AND DENISE 02:05 IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. 02:07 SO HYMN #308 AND WE WILL SING ALL THREE VERSES. 02:11 (MUSIC) 04:14 >>IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE HYMN YOU'D LIKE TO SING WITH US 04:16 ON A COMING STUDY, IT'S VERY SIMPLE. YOU JUST GO TO 04:19 OUR WEBSITE AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG' AND THERE YOU CLICK ON THE 04:22 'CONTACT US' LINK AND YOU CAN REQUEST ANY HYMN IN OUR HYMNAL 04:26 AND, AS YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TUNING IN WEEK BY WEEK YOU KNOW 04:29 THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE HYMNAL AND LEARNING 04:31 ALL THE SONGS THAT TOTALLY GET SKIPPED OVER AND WE ARE FINDING 04:34 SOME TREASURES IN THERE. SO GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR 04:40 REQUESTS AND WE WILL LOVE TO SING THOSE WITH YOU. 04:42 TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION OF A NEW SONG - HYMN #58 - AND THIS IS A 04:46 ROUND SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS THE THREE OF US ARE GOING TO 04:49 SING TOGETHER THE SONG ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND THEN WE'RE GOING 04:53 TO DO IT IN A ROUND. I'M GOING TO TAKE THE FIRST PART 04:55 AND DANIELLA AND JENNIFER ARE GOING TO TAKE THE SECOND PART. 05:00 SO HERE WE GO - 'HARK THE VESPER HYMN IS STEALING' - 05:04 IT'S VERY SIMPLE. 05:06 (MUSIC) 06:38 >>AMEN. IF ANY OF YOU PAID ATTENTION, AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF 06:40 THE HYMN IT SAYS, 'JUBILATE MEANS BE JOYFUL' - THAT IS EVERY 06:46 CHRISTIAN'S OPPORTUNITY AND HONOR - IS IT NOT? - 06:49 TO BE JOYFUL BECAUSE WE ARE REDEEMED AND JESUS IS COMING 06:53 AGAIN SOON. AMEN. LET'S PRAY. 06:56 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE JOYFUL THIS MORNING THAT THIS IS 07:00 NOT ALL THERE IS AND WE ARE THANKFUL THAT YOU HAVE PROMISED 07:03 IN YOUR WORD THAT YOU ARE COMING SOON AND AS WE LOOK AROUND US WE 07:06 KNOW THAT YOUR WORDS ARE TRUE SO LORD JUST KEEP US FAITHFUL AND 07:10 KEEP US HOOKED INTO YOU ALWAYS, EVERY DAY - EVERY MOMENT OF 07:14 EVERY DAY. HELP US TO BE SHINING LIGHTS TO 07:18 A DARK WORLD AROUND US AND LORD, TO GIVE OTHERS HOPE AND TO POINT 07:21 THEM TO YOU - THAT IS OUR ONLY HOPE. 07:24 WE INVITE YOU NOW AS WE STUDY YOUR WORD, LORD, JUST OPEN OUR 07:28 EARS AND OUR HEARTS TO YOU SO THAT WE HAVE A DEEPER AND RICHER 07:32 RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU THAT YOU LONG FOR. HELP US TO LONG FOR 07:36 THE SAME THING 'TIL WE SEE YOU FACE TO FACE. 07:39 LORD, WE CAN HARDLY WAIT SO KEEP US FAITHFUL. 07:42 WE PRAY THESE THINGS IN YOUR PRECIOUS AND HOLY NAME, AMEN. 07:46 OUR STUDY TODAY WILL BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR HAROLD WHITE. 07:49 HE IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL. 07:57 >>GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR OUR MUSICIANS. 08:02 JUBILATE - THAT'S A GOOD WORD, ISN'T IT? 08:07 WELL, WE WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN SACRAMENTO 08:10 AND EVERYONE WHO IS JOINING US BY LIVE STREAMING, RADIO, TV, 08:13 SATELLITE - WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU IN A SPECIAL WAY 08:17 THIS MORNING ALSO. 08:18 IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN UP HERE AND IT'S JUST 08:21 THE WAY THE SCHEDULE WORKS OUT SOMETIMES. 08:24 MAYBE THAT'S WHY SOME PEOPLE SAY - HAVE BEEN COMING UP TO ME 08:26 SAYING, 'PASTOR WHITE, I HEAR YOU'RE RETIRING.' MAYBE THAT'S 08:31 WISHFUL THINKING ON SOME PEOPLE BUT NO, I'M NOT RETIRING. 08:34 BY THE WAY, DON'T YOU HAVE TO BE OLD TO RETIRE? RIGHT. RIGHT. 08:38 NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE, I GUESS, BUT ANYWAY. 08:43 I'M GETTING OLD, YEAH, THAT PART IS ACCEPTABLE TOO. 08:47 WELL, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER TO OFFER THIS MORNING. 08:50 IT'S #156 - IT'S ENTITLED 'THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS' AND IT 08:55 DISCUSSES THINGS IN HERE LIKE 'WHY DID CHRIST DIE?' 08:58 TO FREE US FROM THE PENALTY OF OUR SINS - AND 'WHAT WERE THE 09:01 HIDDEN COSTS OF CHRIST'S SACRIFICE FOR YOU?' 09:05 THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. AND 'WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE 09:07 BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND DEATH?' 09:09 THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES IN THIS LITTLE BOOKLET AND YOU CAN 09:12 GET IT BY CALLING 1-866-788-3966. 09:19 ALSO, THIS BOOKLET CAN BE READ ONLINE SO JUST GO TO 09:23 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND SEARCH FOR THAT TITLE. 09:28 CAN'T GET ANY EASIER THAN THAT, CAN IT? 09:32 WELL, WE'RE HAVING SOME GOOD STUDIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND 09:36 I JUST HAPPENED TO BE LUCKY TO GET ZECHARIAH ENTITLED 'HEAVEN'S 09:40 BEST GIFT' AND, OF COURSE, THAT'S TALKING ABOUT JESUS. 09:44 ZECHARIAH HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE COMING MESSIAH AND WE GET 09:49 SOME OF OUR JEWELS ABOUT JESUS IN THIS PARTICULAR BOOK SO WHAT 09:53 A WONDERFUL LESSON. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG BY TALKING 09:56 ABOUT HEAVEN'S BEST GIFT. IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL THING. 09:59 AND SO, IF YOU WOULD JOIN ME THIS MORNING IN READING THE 10:02 MEMORY TEXT - IT'S THE NIV VERSION - ZECHARIAH 9:16. 10:07 I APPRECIATE YOU JOINING ME. "THE LORD THEIR GOD WILL SAVE 10:12 THEM ON THAT DAY AS A FLOCK OF HIS PEOPLE. 10:16 THEY WILL SPARKLE IN HIS LAND LIKE JEWELS IN A CROWN," - 10:20 THAT'S A NICE VERSE, ISN'T IT? ZECHARIAH, OF COURSE, LIVED IN 10:25 OLD TESTAMENT TIMES AND HE WAS WRITING SPECIFICALLY TO THE 10:28 JEWISH NATION AND WE COULD SAY THEN OH, OF COURSE, THIS IS 10:32 APPLICABLE TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL AND WE WOULD BE CORRECT. 10:36 BUT WE WOULD ALSO BE CORRECT THAT IT IS APPLICABLE TO US 10:39 BECAUSE - ESPECIALLY - ESPECIALLY, PERHAPS - WHEN YOU 10:42 ARE TALKING ABOUT THE COMING MESSIAH AND THE MESSIAH WE KNOW 10:46 THAT ALREADY CAME - EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID ABOUT HIM IS 10:49 APPLICABLE TO US IN OUR TIMES. 10:52 MANY OF THE PROPHECIES ABOUT MESSIAH ARE FOR ALL TIMES AND 10:56 FOR ALL PEOPLE AND IN ALL PLACES. MANY OF THE PROPHECIES 11:00 THAT HAVE BEEN EXACTLY FULFILLED DOWN TO SUCH MINUTE DETAILS, 11:06 IS SURE INSPIRING TO ONE'S FAITH, ISN'T IT? 11:09 I MEAN, YOU CAN JUST - YOU CAN JUST HAVE SUCH FAITH IN THE FACT 11:14 THAT THIS BIBLE IS, INDEED, GOD'S WORD. 11:18 ONLY GOD COULD PREDICT THINGS THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN ADVANCE 11:22 AND THEM BEING FULFILLED EXACTLY AS THEY WERE. 11:25 I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOMEBODY START US OFF THIS MORNING BY READING 11:27 JOHN 5:39. I DON'T - HAVE THAT RIGHT OVER HERE. 11:31 JOHN 5:39 IS A NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE, OF COURSE, AND JESUS 11:36 IS THE ONE TALKING IN THIS PARTICULAR PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE 11:40 AND IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT - ON HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH THE STUDY OF, 11:46 PARTICULARLY THE OLD TESTAMENT. SO JOHN CHAPTER 5, VERSE 39. 11:52 >>"YOU SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, FOR IN THEM YOU THINK YOU HAVE 11:55 ETERNAL LIFE; AND THESE ARE THEY WHICH TESTIFY OF ME." 11:59 >>OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO JESUS IS SAYING, 12:02 'SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.' WHAT SCRIPTURES EXISTED WHEN 12:05 JESUS SAID THAT? ONLY THE OLD TESTAMENT. 12:08 SO THIS IS A VERY WONDERFUL PASSAGE FOR SOME OF THOSE 12:10 CHRISTIANS WHO SAY, 'WE'RE JUST NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS. 12:13 WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO BY THAT OLD TESTAMENT.' 12:16 BUT JESUS KNEW HOW IMPORTANT THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS. 12:19 ONE OF THE PLEASURES OF WORKING HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL IS 12:22 ASSOCIATING WITH THE OTHER PASTORS AND HOW - SUCH INSIGHTS 12:28 THEY HAVE TO THE WORD OF GOD IN SOME OF OUR STAFF MEETINGS AND 12:31 LISTENING TO THEM PREACH AND TEACH. 12:33 PASTOR BATCHELOR - ONE OF HIS - I DON'T KNOW - FAVORITE THINGS 12:38 TO DO IS FIND THE TYPE OF CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE. 12:44 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT? 12:45 HE CAN FIND AND APPLY HOW CHRIST APPLIES TO OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE 12:51 - SOMETIMES WHETHER THEY WERE GOOD OR NOT SO GOOD. 12:53 IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW THE BIBLE DOES THAT. OKAY. 12:57 WELL WE WANT TO TURN TO SUNDAY'S LESSON AND IN MY QUARTERLY - I 13:01 DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR QUARTERLY - BUT IT WAS ENTITLED 13:03 'THE ROBE OF A JEW'. NOW I SEARCHED THIS PAGE OVER 13:08 AND OVER AND I SEARCHED THE CHAPTER IN ZECHARIAH AND I 13:11 WONDERED, 'WHAT IS IT TALKING ABOUT 'THE ROBE OF A JEW'? 13:14 WELL, I FINALLY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THERE WAS A 13:16 TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR. IT MEANS 'THE ROLE OF A JEW' - 13:20 I REALLY THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED THERE. SOMEBODY HAS 13:23 ZECHARIAH 8, VERSES 1 THROUGH 5 AND WE WANT TO GET THAT GOING 13:27 THIS MORNING. ZECHARIAH 8 - THIS WILL KIND OF LAUNCH US INTO 13:32 OUR SUBJECT MATTER FOR THE MORNING AND ESPECIALLY 13:36 HERE ON SUNDAY ENTITLED 'THE ROLE OF A JEW' - 13:41 NOT THE ROBE OF A JEW BUT THE ROLE OF A JEW. 13:44 ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 8, VERSES 1 THROUGH 5. OKAY. 13:49 >>"AGAIN THE WORD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS CAME TO ME, SAYING, 'THUS 13:53 SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS; 'I WAS JEALOUS FOR ZION WITH GREAT 13:57 JEALOUSY; AND I WAS JEALOUS FOR HER WITH GREAT FURY.' 14:01 THUS SAITH THE LORD; 'I AM RETURNED UNTO ZION, AND WILL 14:05 DWELL IN THE MIDST OF JERUSALEM: AND JERUSALEM SHALL BE CALLED A 14:08 CITY OF TRUTH; AND THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE HOLY 14:12 MOUNTAIN.' THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS: 'THERE SHALL YET BE 14:16 OLD MEN AND OLD WOMEN DWELL IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM, 14:19 AND EVERY MAN WITH HIS STAFF IN HIS HAND FOR VERY AGE. AND THE 14:23 STREETS OF THE CITY SHALL BE FULL OF BOYS AND GIRLS PLAYING 14:27 IN THE STREETS THEREOF.'" >>OKAY. THANK YOU RICHARD. 14:30 THE LESSON POINTS OUT IT WAS GOD'S PLAN FOR JERUSALEM TO ONCE 14:34 AGAIN BE A SAFE PLACE WHERE OLD PEOPLE WOULD SIT IN THE STREETS 14:38 FILLED WITH CHILDREN PLAYING AND LAUGHING. 14:42 DOESN'T THAT SOUND PEACEFUL? 14:43 YOU KNOW, WHEN I GREW UP HERE IN AMERICA IN A LITTLE BITTY TOWN 14:49 IN IOWA, THE STREETS WERE EXTREMELY SAFE. NOBODY - 14:55 WE DIDN'T LOCK OUR HOUSE - NEVER THOUGHT OF LOCKING A CAR. 14:59 ALL OF OUR TOYS - I BOUGHT A BRAND-NEW SCHWINN BIKE - NEVER 15:05 THOUGHT OF PUTTING IT IN THE HOUSE OR ANYWHERE. 15:07 IT WAS ALWAYS RIGHT OUTSIDE - NEVER ANYBODY BOTHERED IT. 15:11 BUT YOU CAN'T DO THAT NOW, CAN YOU? 15:14 YOU CAN'T HARDLY GO ANYWHERE AND DO THAT NOW. 15:16 I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE IN A GATED COMMUNITY - I HEARD ABOUT 15:18 A GATED COMMUNITY JUST RECENTLY THAT PEOPLE WERE GETTING IN AND 15:22 SOME OF THE NEW HOMES - THEY WERE STRIPPING THEM OF ALL THE 15:24 COPPER AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 15:25 YOU CAN RUN, BUT THERE IS NO PLACE TO HIDE THESE DAYS. 15:30 AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE CONDITION OF JERUSALEM HAD 15:33 BECOME AND IT WAS A LONGING OF THE PROPHET AND THE MANY PEOPLES 15:37 THAT IT WOULD GET - BE PEACEFUL AGAIN AND THAT'S - THERE JUST 15:44 DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY SAFE PLACE. 15:45 SO WHAT MAKES OUR WORLD UNSAFE? AND WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE 15:48 JERUSALEM SO UNSAFE? WELL, FOR JERUSALEM IT WAS 15:53 BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN CONQUERED BY ANOTHER NATION AND THEY 15:56 WERE UNDER THEIR CONTROL, FOR ONE THING. 15:59 AND WHY WERE THEY OVERRUN BY CONQUERORS? WELL, BECAUSE THEY 16:07 HAD GOTTEN AWAY FROM THE DIVINE PLAN OF GOD, RIGHT? 16:10 EVERY TIME THEY WOULD STRAY FROM GOD SOMEBODY WOULD COME IN AND 16:12 TAKE THEM CAPTIVE AND THEY WOULD BE THEN IN SUBJECTION TO THIS 16:17 NATION - SUCH AS BABYLON AT ONE TIME AND SO FORTH. 16:22 OUR CITIES AND OUR TOWNS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER - HAVE BEEN 16:28 CONQUERED, HAVEN'T THEY? MAYBE NOT BY ANOTHER NATION, BUT 16:32 BY THINGS - BY HOLLYWOOD, TELEVISION, VIDEOS. 16:37 I MEAN, OUR COUNTRY HERE IN AMERICA IS BEING TAKEN OVER BY 16:41 AMUSEMENTS OF THE LOWEST NATURE, GANGS, AND GUNS, AND SEXUAL 16:45 PROMISCUITY. AREN'T THESE THINGS CONQUERING 16:47 OUR NATION TOO? AND IT'S BECAUSE OF SIN, 16:50 ISN'T IT? SIN IS TAKING OVER. 16:52 AS A CHILD, ONE OF MY MAJOR FEARS - AS A CHILD GROWING UP 16:57 HERE IN AMERICA, ONE OF MY MAJOR FEARS WAS THAT SOME COMMUNIST 17:01 COUNTRY WAS GOING TO COME OVER AND BOMB US AND TAKE CONTROL OF 17:05 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 17:06 NOW, I SUPPOSE PEOPLE IN THOSE COUNTRIES - MAYBE THEIR FEAR WAS 17:10 THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT TO THEM. 17:12 BUT I REMEMBER BOMB SHELTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 17:15 AND WE'D HAVE ROUTINES IN SCHOOLS THAT IF THIS HAPPENED 17:18 WE'D DO THIS AND DO THAT - KIND OF LIKE TORNADO DRILLS. 17:22 WELL, THAT NEVER HAPPENED BUT NOW WE LIVE IN A DAY AND AGE 17:27 WHERE TERRORISTS ARE TRYING TO INFILTRATE OUR COUNTRY AND WE 17:31 SEE THAT ON EVERY HAND. AND, AS I SAID, SOME OF THE 17:36 UNHOLY AND SINFUL PRACTICES IN OUR WORLD ARE LIKE TERRORISTS TO 17:40 THE CHRISTIAN PERSON, AREN'T THEY? 17:42 ONE THING I'VE NOTICED THROUGH THE YEARS - THAT SOME OF OUR 17:47 SCHOOLS - MOST OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT I'VE EVER BEEN AROUND - 17:50 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS - HAVE BEEN KIND OF A 17:55 SANCTUARY OF PEACE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE PUBLIC SETTINGS IN 18:00 THE WORLD. AND THAT'S A WONDERFUL BLESSING. 18:02 I MEAN, THEY DON'T - FOR THE MOST PART THAT I'VE EVER KNOWN - 18:06 THEY DON'T HAVE THE DRUGS - I MEAN, THERE'S BAD THINGS HAPPEN 18:09 ON ALL KINDS OF CAMPUSES - CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN - 18:12 BUT FOR THE MOST PART THERE'S BEEN VERY PEACEFUL SETTING AND 18:15 NOT THE TERRIBLE THINGS THAT YOU SEE. 18:17 NOW, THE THING THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT - WHEN 18:22 CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS STRAY FROM THE DIVINE PLAN OF GOD, ARE WE 18:27 ANY MORE - ARE WE ANY LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BE TAKEN OVER 18:31 THAN WERE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN THEIR DAY? 18:35 AND WE LET OUR GUARD DOWN AND THESE PLACES OF SANCTUARY AND 18:38 PEACE MAY NOT BE SO PEACEFUL. WE MUST MAKE SURE WE PROTECT OUR 18:43 CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS WITH, OF COURSE, A 'THUS SAITH THE LORD'. 18:47 BUT ONE LESSON WE LEARNED FROM ZECHARIAH'S DAY IS THAT VERY 18:53 TRUTH - THAT VERY FACT. IF WE LET DOWN OUR GUARD WITH 18:55 TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, WE WILL BE IN FOR TROUBLE. 18:58 NOW SOMEBODY HAS 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 11. 19:02 WHO HAS THAT ONE? RIGHT OVER HERE. 19:05 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 11. 19:07 I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TEXT FOR US TO CONSIDER AS WE GO 19:11 THROUGH ANY KIND OF AN OLD TESTAMENT STUDY SUCH AS WE'RE 19:15 DOING THIS MORNING IN ZECHARIAH. OKAY. IF YOU'D READ THAT FOR US. 19:20 >>"NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED UNTO THEM FOR EXAMPLES: AND THEY 19:24 ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE WORLD 19:28 ARE COME." >>OKAY. THANK YOU. 19:30 PAUL WAS SAYING - ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN 19:34 FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT WERE WRITTEN AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US 19:37 THAT WE WOULD LEARN. 19:38 WE MUST STUDY THESE THINGS AND LESSONS, LIKE WE'VE BEEN 19:41 STUDYING THIS QUARTER FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT, NOT JUST AS A 19:44 MATTER OF HISTORY LESSONS - AS INTERESTING AS THAT IS. 19:48 I MEAN, HISTORY WASN'T MY FAVORITE SUBJECT AS A CHILD IN 19:51 SCHOOL, BUT SINCE YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN IT REALLY BECOMES A 19:53 MUCH MORE INTERESTING SUBJECT, DOESN'T IT? BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE 19:57 JUST A HISTORICAL LESSON. WE MUST FIND SOME PERSONAL 20:01 PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR OUR LIVES TODAY AND THAT'S WHAT WE 20:04 WANT TO DO FROM THIS BOOK OF ZECHARIAH. THERE IS SOMETHING 20:09 ELSE THAT WE MUST PUT WITH THIS THOUGH, THAT IT IS UP-TO-DATE 20:13 TESTIMONIES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH. 20:15 I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE: ONE OF THE GREATEST TERRORIST ATTEMPTS, 20:18 I THINK, USED TO BRING GOD'S PEOPLE DOWN TODAY IS NOT - AT 20:23 LEAST HERE IN AMERICA - IS NOT PERSECUTION. 20:26 NOT TOO MANY OF US WERE PERSECUTED THIS WEEK. 20:30 ANYBODY PERSECUTED THIS WEEK BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH? 20:33 NOT HERE IN SACRAMENTO ANYWAY. MAYBE SOME - IT HAPPENS - BUT 20:36 NOT ON A LARGE BASIS. WE'RE NOT BEING SHOT AT OR 20:39 KILLED OR TRY TO BE KILLED BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH IN THE 20:43 BIBLE OR GOD. BUT THE BIGGEST TOOL THAT THE 20:47 DEVIL USED TODAY - GUESS WHAT IT IS. 20:49 IT'S PROSPERITY. IT'S PROSPERITY. 20:52 THE DEVIL SAW, IN TIMES PAST, WHERE HE USED PERSECUTION AND 20:55 PEOPLE SHED THEIR BLOOD AND BECAME MARTYRS, THAT THIS BLOOD 21:00 BECAME THE SEED OF EVANGELISM AND THE CHURCH GREW AND 21:03 PROSPERED. AND THE DEVIL SCRATCHED HIS HEAD 21:05 AND SAID, 'THAT ISN'T GOING TO WORK. 21:06 WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE OUR TACTICS.' AND HE WENT TO WORK - 21:10 TURNED THINGS AROUND TO BLESS - BLESS WITH PROSPERITY. 21:15 IN TIMES OF EASE AND PROSPERITY IS A TIME MOST WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE 21:20 HAVE STRAYED. AND IN AMERICA - I JUST HEARD IT 21:23 THIS PAST WEEK ON THE RADIO - NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO - THAT 21:26 ACCORDING TO THE LATEST SURVEYS, THERE ARE MORE AGNOSTICS AND 21:32 ATHEISTS THAN EVER BEFORE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. 21:36 MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. AND LESS PEOPLE GOING TO CHURCH. 21:41 AND, OF COURSE, AS WE KNOW, EVEN A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE GOING TO 21:44 CHURCH BECOME VERY FORMALISTIC - IT'S JUST DENYING THE POWER 21:49 THEREOF - REMEMBER THAT VERSE? DENY ITS REAL POWER? 21:53 EVEN IN OUR OWN CHURCHES WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. 21:56 I MEAN, YOU CAN HEAR A POWERFUL SERMON ON THE NEARNESS OF 21:59 CHRIST'S RETURN - I THINK YOU COULD PREACH THAT SERMON JUST 22:03 ABOUT ANYTIME THESE DAYS, RIGHT? 22:05 JESUS MUST BE COMING SOON WITH ALL THE THINGS GOING ON AND YOU 22:08 HEAR THIS POWERFUL SERMON IN CHURCH ON SABBATH MORNING. 22:12 YOU FILE OUT AND SAY, 'NICE SERMON PASTOR. 22:15 WHERE'S THE FOOD?' AND 'WHAT'D YOU DO THIS 22:18 WEEKEND?' AND 'OH, LOOK - LOOK WHAT I 22:20 BOUGHT THIS WEEKEND.' 'OH, ISN'T THAT NICE?' 22:22 AND WE GET TO TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN OTHER 22:25 THAN THE FACT THAT JESUS IS COMING SOON. 22:28 ISN'T THAT HOW WE ARE SOMETIMES? JESUS IS COMING SOON, RIGHT? 22:34 AMEN. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. 22:36 WE NEED TO LIFT THAT UP IN OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR MINDS AND IT'S 22:41 - GREAT CONTROVERSY - LISTEN TO THIS - PAGE 519. 22:45 "SATAN WELL KNOWS THAT ALL WHOM HE CAN LEAD TO NEGLECT PRAYER 22:49 AND THE SEARCHING OF THE SCRIPTURES WILL BE OVERCOME BY 22:51 HIS ATTACKS. THEREFORE, HE INVENTS EVERY 22:54 POSSIBLE DEVICE TO ENGROSS THE MIND. 22:58 THERE HAS EVER BEEN A CLASS PROFESSING GODLINESS WHO, 23:01 INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING ON TO KNOW THE TRUTH, MAKE IT THEIR 23:04 RELIGION TO SEEK SOME FAULT OF CHARACTER OR ERROR OF FAITH IN 23:09 THOSE WITH WHOM THEY DO NOT AGREE. 23:13 SUCH ARE SATAN'S RIGHT-HAND HELPERS. 23:15 ACCUSERS OF THE BRETHREN ARE NOT FEW AND THEY ARE ALWAYS ACTIVE 23:21 WHEN GOD IS AT WORK AND HIS SERVANTS ARE RENDERING HIM TRUE 23:24 HOMAGE." WHEW - AND SOMETIMES THESE 23:28 ACCUSERS OF THE BRETHREN ARE PEOPLE WHO REALLY STUDY A LOT. 23:31 THEY STUDY AND STUDY AND STUDY BUT IT NEVER REALLY 23:33 HUMBLES THEM AND THEY BECOME ACCUSERS OF THE BRETHREN AND 23:36 THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING TO HAPPEN. 23:38 NOW WE CAN BE GRATEFUL THAT WITH THE PRESENCE OF A FEW RIGHTEOUS 23:44 PEOPLE, GOD HOLDS BACK THE FORCES OF EVIL. 23:48 THAT'S WHAT HE'S DOING IN THE WORLD, ISN'T HE? STILL? 23:51 HE'S HOLDING BACK THE WINDS OF STRIFE, TO SOME DEGREE. 23:55 IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT TO EVER 24:00 CONNECT THE DOTS BETWEEN CALAMITIES AND SINFUL PEOPLE. 24:06 AND WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. 24:07 WE CAN'T BE THE JUDGE THAT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO PEOPLE 24:10 IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A SINFUL PERSON, BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND 24:13 THAT SIN BRINGS CALAMITIES AND WHEN WE HAVE VOTES TAKING PLACE 24:18 IN OUR SENATES AND SO FORTH THAT ARE TOTALLY AGAINST THE LAW AND 24:23 THE WORD OF GOD, THEN WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE CALAMITIES 24:26 IN OUR LAND AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. 24:30 NOW, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING THAT MAYBE SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT 24:33 AGREE WITH AND, SO I'LL SAY IT CAREFULLY AND I'LL SAY IT - 24:36 ACTUALLY, PREFACE IT WITH THE CONCEPT THAT I REALLY CAN'T 24:39 PROVE, IN A WAY, WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, IN A SENSE, BUT I'D LIKE 24:44 TO THINK THAT ENOUGH OF - IF ENOUGH OF US HERE IN SACRAMENTO 24:47 CENTRAL WERE CHOOSING TO LIVE AND SURRENDER OUR ALL TO CHRIST 24:54 AND ALLOWING HIM TO COME INTO OUR LIVES TO LIVE A RIGHTEOUS 24:57 LIFE AND PROMOTE A RIGHTEOUS TRUTH TO THE WORLD AROUND US, 25:02 I'D LIKE TO HOPE AND THINK THAT THAT MAY HOLD OFF SOME OF THE 25:07 CALAMITIES HAPPENING HERE IN SACRAMENTO. 25:10 YOU THINK THAT'S POSSIBLE? I MEAN, IT'S HAPPENED IN THE 25:14 PAST, HASN'T IT? REMEMBER A CONVERSATION BETWEEN 25:16 ABRAHAM AND GOD? VERY INTERESTING, IN GENESIS 18, 25:21 GOD HAS THIS CONVERSATION - ABRAHAM HAS IT WITH GOD AND HE 25:24 SAYS, 'WELL, GOD, YOU KNOW, BEG YOUR PARDON, BUT IF WE CAN FIND 25:32 50 RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE WILL YOU SPARE SODOM AND GOMORRAH - DON'T 25:35 DESTROY THEM?' AND GOD SAID, 'SURE, YEAH, IF 25:36 YOU FIND 50 PEOPLE.' AND SO ABRAHAM COMES BACK AGAIN, 25:40 'OH, PERADVENTURE, LET ME TALK TO YOU AGAIN. 25:43 WHAT IF I BRING IT DOWN FIVE?' AND HE KEPT BRINGING IT DOWN TO 25:46 TEN - HE FINALLY GOT DOWN TO TEN AND GOD SAID, 'YES, IF YOU FIND 25:49 TEN PEOPLE I WON'T DESTROY SODOM AND GOMORRAH.' 25:53 HE COULDN'T FIND TEN, BUT HE WOULD HAVE SAVED THEM FOR TEN 25:56 PEOPLE. WHAT IF THERE'S 1400 PEOPLE HERE 26:00 IN THE SACRAMENTO CENTRAL CHURCH REALLY TUNED INTO GOD? 26:04 MAYBE WE CAN WARD OFF SOME OF THE CALAMITIES. OH, THEY'RE ALL 26:06 - THEY'RE GOING TO COME EVENTUALLY. WE KNOW THAT, RIGHT? 26:10 THEY'RE GOING TO FALL EVERYWHERE BUT MAYBE WE CAN - BUY - BUY 26:14 SOME TIME. THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO SAY IT 26:16 EITHER, BUT IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, AT LEAST. 26:20 RIGHTEOUS LIVING DOES PAY OFF THOUGH, RIGHT? 26:26 IT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO. THAT'S THE LEAST LESSON THAT 26:29 NEEDS TO BE LEARNED. THERE IS SOMETHING EVEN BIGGER 26:32 THAT'S BORNE OUT - SOMEBODY HAS ZECHARIAH 14, VERSE 9. 26:36 SOMEBODY WANT TO HAVE THAT? WAY BACK THERE. 26:39 ZECHARIAH 14, VERSE 9 - AND THIS IS A BIGGER LESSON THAT WAS 26:45 APPLICABLE TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND IT IS ALSO APPLICABLE 26:49 TO US WHO CLAIM TO BE GOD'S CHILDREN IN THESE TIMES. 26:53 OKAY, IF YOU'D READ FOR US ZECHARIAH 14:9. 26:58 >>"AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH: IN THAT DAY 27:02 SHALL THERE BE ONE LORD, AND HIS NAME ONE." 27:06 >>OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THE LESSON BRINGS OUT HOW 27:10 GOD'S PEOPLE WERE NOT TO BE ISOLATED, BUT THEY HAD A 27:14 RESPONSIBILITY - THEY HAD A MISSION. 27:16 THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GO OUT AND TELL THE WHOLE WORLD THAT THERE 27:19 WAS ONE KING - ONE LORD - ONE GOD. THEY DIDN'T DO 27:23 VERY GOOD WITH THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, BY THE WAY. 27:26 THE WHOLE WORLD WAS TO BE DRAWN TO WORSHIP THE ONE TRUE GOD. 27:30 THAT'S THE IDEAL. THEY DIDN'T DO WELL. 27:33 INSTEAD, WHAT WE OFTEN FIND WAS THEY DESPISED PEOPLE. 27:39 THEY DESPISED THE PEOPLE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN WINNING TO GOD. 27:42 NOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE GOSPEL COMMISSION FILLED VERY 27:47 QUICKLY IF YOU DESPISE PEOPLE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WINNING TO 27:49 GOD. I MEAN, IF YOU - IF YOU REALLY HATE SOMEBODY, 27:53 DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO WIN THAT PERSON TO CHRIST? NO. 27:56 IT TAKES UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. 27:59 GOD HAS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR US OR WE'D BE SUNK. 28:02 I REMEMBER GIVING BIBLE STUDIES TO MANY PEOPLE THROUGH THE YEARS 28:05 AND SOME OF THEM SAY THINGS LIKE THIS: 'PASTOR WHITE, YOU'RE NOT 28:09 GOING TO EVER GET ME TO DO THIS.' OR 'YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO 28:11 TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.' AND I'D SAY THINGS - I'D SAY, 28:14 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HERE TO GET YOU TO DO ANYTHING. 28:17 I'M NOT HERE TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM YOU. 28:19 I'M HERE JUST TO STUDY THE BIBLE.' 28:21 AND OVER THE COURSE OF TIME IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THE 28:24 SPIRIT OF GOD WORK UPON THEIR HEARTS AND THEN GIVE UP WHAT 28:27 THEY TOLD ME 'I WAS NEVER GOING TO'. 28:30 OF COURSE, I COULDN'T MAKE THEM GIVE IT UP, BUT GOD GOT THROUGH 28:32 TO THEM AND THAT'S THE POWER OF GOD. AND THAT'S JUST SIMPLY 28:36 GOING OUT AND MINGLING WITH PEOPLE AND LOVING THEM WITH 28:40 UNCONDITIONAL LOVE DESPITE THE CHOICES THEY ARE MAKING, RIGHT? 28:44 THAT'S OUR MISSION AND, AS I SAID, EARLIER THIS LESSON WAS 28:51 ENTITLED 'THE ROBE OF A JEW' BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS 'THE ROLE OF A 28:55 JEW' AND THAT SAME ROLE IS OUR ROLE TODAY, IS IT NOT? 29:01 WE HAVE A GOSPEL COMMISSION TO TAKE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD. 29:09 WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE MAGICAL SOLUTION - WELL, THERE'S 29:14 NOTHING MAGIC ABOUT ANYTHING IN RELIGION - TRUE RELIGION - BUT 29:20 WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE SIMPLE SOLUTION AND THAT IS SIMPLY TO 29:26 LIFT UP JESUS AND WHAT IS THE PROMISE? 29:29 THAT HE WILL DRAW THE WHOLE WORLD TO HIM. 29:32 SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS JUST SIMPLY TO LIFT JESUS UP. 29:35 IF WE DO THAT WHEN WE STUDY WITH PEOPLE, IF WE DO THAT WITH OUR 29:39 LIVES, THEN WE WILL SEE PEOPLE DRAWN TO JESUS. 29:45 SO IN ALL OF OUR MESSAGES, IN ALL OF OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING, WE 29:49 ARE TO LIFT UP JESUS. NOW, HOW ABOUT THIS? 29:52 CAN WE LIFT HIM UP IF WE MAKE A CHOICE TO DO SOMETHING OTHER 29:57 THAN HIS DIVINE WILL? NOPE. 30:02 CAN'T LIFT HIM UP IN A RIGHT WAY THAT WAY. 30:04 CAN YOU LIFT UP JESUS BY BEING GRUMPY AND NEGATIVE? 30:10 OR BY EXPRESSING A LACK OF FAITH? NO. 30:14 YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO LIFT UP JESUS EVEN IF YOU JUST EXPRESS 30:18 DOUBT ALL THE TIME OR EVEN HALF THE TIME. WE ARE TO BE PEOPLE OF 30:22 FAITH AND JOY AND POSITIVE AND HOPEFUL AND FILLED WITH COURAGE. 30:29 THAT'S LIFTING UP JESUS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW HE ALWAYS WAS AND I 30:34 ASSURE YOU THAT'S HOW HE IS TODAY. 30:42 WE PROBABLY CAN'T ASK OURSELVES A MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION THAN 30:45 THIS: ARE WE SHARING GOD WITH THE WORLD AROUND US OR ARE WE 30:48 ALLOWING THE WORLD AROUND US TO INFILTRATE OUR LIVES MORE THAN 30:53 WE'RE SHARING HIM TO THE WORLD? MOST OF US WOULD PROBABLY BE 30:58 SHOCKED, MAYBE, IF WE DID AN ACTUAL WORKSHEET ON OUR TIME 31:03 SPENT. WE WOULD PROBABLY FIND THAT IT'S 31:06 SUCH A SMALL FRAGMENT OF TIME THAT WE REALLY DEVOTE TO GOD 31:12 STUDYING, PRAYING, AND SHARING. YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR WEEK. 31:17 HOW MUCH TIME THIS WEEK DID YOU STUDY, DID YOU PRAY AND DID YOU 31:24 SHARE JESUS WITH SOMEBODY? SMALL, SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME FOR 31:28 PROBABLY MOST OF US. NOW I CAN'T SAY THAT FOR YOU - 31:31 MAYBE THAT'S NOT TRUE. I HOPE SO - I HOPE IT'S NOT. 31:34 AND IT ISN'T THAT WE DON'T WANT GOD - WE DO. 31:39 BUT WE CAN OFTEN BE LIKE THE PEOPLE FOUND IN MONDAY'S LESSON 31:42 ENTITLED 'THE KING OF PEACE'. SOMEBODY HAS ZECHARIAH 31:45 CHAPTER 9, VERSE 9. WHO HAS THAT ONE? RIGHT OVER HERE. 31:50 ZECHARIAH 9, VERSE 9 IS A PROPHETIC UTTERANCE OF SOMETHING 31:55 THAT WOULD BE FULFILLED IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 31:59 ONE PLACE CHAPTER 21, IS SOMETHING THAT JESUS DID NOT TOO 32:05 LONG BEFORE HE WAS GOING TO CALVARY. 32:08 SO IF YOU WOULD READ ZECHARIAH 9, VERSE 9, PLEASE. 32:12 >>"REJOICE GREATLY, O DAUGHTER OF ZION; SHOUT, O DAUGHTER OF 32:17 JERUSALEM: BEHOLD, THY KING COMETH UNTO THEE: HE IS JUST, 32:22 AND HAVING SALVATION; LOWLY, AND RIDING UPON AN ASS, AND UPON A 32:27 COLT THE FOAL OF AN ASS." 32:29 >>THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 32:31 SO AS I SAID, THIS PROPHECY FOUND FULFILLMENT IN MATTHEW 21 32:35 WHEN JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO GO AND GET THIS ANIMAL AND HE 32:40 WOULD SIT ON THE BACK AND THIS WAS A COMMON SCENE FOR KINGS 32:45 TAKING THE THRONE AND SO THE PEOPLE WERE FILLED WITH 32:48 ANTICIPATION - 'HE'S FINALLY GOING TO TAKE OVER THE THRONE. 32:51 WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO BE FREE FROM THE ROMANS. 32:53 IT'S FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN. HE'S GOING TO BE KING.' 32:58 AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE WONDERED - AS MANY OTHERS 33:01 HAVE - WHY IN THE WORLD DID JESUS DO THAT? 33:05 WHY DID HE BUILD UP THEIR ANTICIPATION SO MUCH? 33:08 HE KNEW HOW THEY WERE GOING TO REACT. 33:10 WHY DID HE - WHY DID HE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO - THAT THEY - 33:14 HE KNEW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE THINKING, 'THIS IS IT! 33:16 HE'S GOING TO BE KING!' AND THEN JUST A SHORT DAY OR SO 33:19 LATER HE WAS GOING TO BE CRUCIFIED AND I DON'T KNOW THAT 33:23 IT COULD BE SAID ANY BETTER THAN A LITTLE PLACE IN 'DESIRE OF 33:26 AGES', PAGE 571. IT SAYS, "IT WAS NECESSARY THEN 33:31 THAT THE EYES OF ALL THE PEOPLE SHOULD NOW BE DIRECTED TO HIM. 33:35 THE EVENTS WHICH PRECEDED HIS GREAT SACRIFICE MUST BE SUCH AS 33:41 TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE SACRIFICE ITSELF. AFTER SUCH A 33:46 DEMONSTRATION AS THAT ATTENDING HIS ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM, 33:50 ALL EYES WOULD FOLLOW HIS RAPID PROGRESS TO THE FINAL SCENE." 33:58 THAT'S WHY HE DID IT. HE HAD TO DO IT. 34:00 HE HAD TO GRAB THE PEOPLE'S ATTENTION. 34:03 'NOW YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT I CAME TO DO.' IT'S LIKE PARENTS 34:09 WITH CHILDREN, IF YOU DON'T GET THEIR ATTENTION, YOU'RE SUNK. 34:14 YOU'VE GOT TO GET THEIR ATTENTION FIRST OR THEY'RE NOT 34:16 GOING TO DO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO. 34:18 GET THEIR ATTENTION. MY WIFE'S A PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR. 34:20 SHE'S WORKING WITH LITTLE ONES ALL THE TIME. 34:22 ONE OF HER FAVORITE SAYINGS, I'M SURE IS - I'VE HEARD HER SAY IT 34:26 MANY TIMES - 'DO YOU HEAR WHAT I'M TELLING YOU? 34:30 DO YOU HEAR THE WORDS I'M TELLING YOU?' 34:32 AND SHE SAYS IT OVER AND OVER UNTIL THEY - SHE HAS THEIR FULL 34:35 ATTENTION AND THEN SHE TELLS THEM WHAT SHE WANTS TO TELL THEM 34:38 AND THAT'S WHAT JESUS WAS DOING HERE. 34:41 PEOPLE WERE DISAPPOINTED BUT THEY COULDN'T HELP BUT CATCH THE 34:46 MESSAGE THAT CHRIST REALLY WANTED THEM TO GET. 34:50 IT DIDN'T COME ALL AT ONCE, BUT AS THEY SAW HIM CRUCIFIED, AS 34:53 THEY SAW THE EVENTS UNFOLD - ESPECIALLY AFTER HE ROSE FROM 34:56 THE GRAVE AND THEN ASCENDED TO HEAVEN - THEN ALL THE PIECES 34:59 CAME TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY WERE RIVETED UPON HIM FOR THAT 35:03 SPECIAL WEEKEND. AND THE LESSON ASKS US 'WHAT CAN 35:07 WE LEARN FROM THIS EVENT ABOUT THE DANGER OF FALSE 35:09 EXPECTATIONS?' I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE 35:13 I'VE TALKED TO OVER THE YEARS WHO'VE COME TO ME AND THEY HAVE 35:16 ALL KINDS OF EXPECTATIONS - FULL OF ENERGY AND HOPE AND FAITH - 35:21 THEY JUST KNOW SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN. 35:23 THEY JUST KNOW GOD'S GOING TO BLESS IN THIS ADVENTURE OR THIS 35:27 AND THAT AND SO OFTEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN LIKE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS 35:34 GOING TO HAPPEN OR HOPED IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. DID YOU EVER 35:36 NOTICE THAT GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS SOMETIMES WITH WHAT'S 35:42 BETTER FOR US INSTEAD OF WHAT WE REALLY WANTED? 35:44 THAT SEEMS HOW GOD DOES IT AND I'M GLAD HE DOES IT BECAUSE 35:50 OFTEN THE BLESSINGS NEVER COME IN EXACTLY THE WAY WE WANT THEM. 35:54 SO I GUESS THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, AGAIN, 'WHAT 35:57 KIND OF CHRIST ARE WE SERVING?' ARE WE SERVING ONLY THE KINGLY 36:01 CHRIST OR ARE WE SERVING THE LOWLY SACRIFICIAL SAVIOR THAT 36:07 TREAD THIS PATH TOWARDS CALVARY? WHAT DID JESUS SAY? 36:14 HE SAID, 'TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW AFTER ME.' 36:17 HE DIDN'T SAY 'TAKE UP YOUR CROWN AND FOLLOW ME.' 36:20 THE CROWN COMES EVENTUALLY, BUT TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. 36:25 WELL HOW DO WE KNOW? 36:27 HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH ONE WE'RE FOLLOWING? 36:30 ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK FOR CHRIST EVEN IF IT'S A LOWLY TASK 36:35 - SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY NEVER EVER GET CREDIT FOR OR SOMETHING 36:39 YOU MIGHT NEVER BE ADMIRED FOR? GET RECOGNITION OF? 36:45 OR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA MILE SOMETIMES AS JESUS 36:50 ALWAYS WAS? HE ALWAYS WENT THE EXTRA MILE. 36:53 ANOTHER WAY TO CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE IS TO ASK YOURSELF 'HOW 36:56 DO YOU RESPOND WHEN YOU DON'T GET WHAT YOU WANT?' 36:59 DO YOU GO AROUND POUTING ABOUT IT OR SAY, 'WELL, THE LORD HAD A 37:05 BETTER PLAN AND I'M GOING TO FOLLOW THE LORD WHATEVER THAT 37:09 PLAN IS.' I OFTEN THINK OF THE DISCIPLES 37:11 WHEN THEY WERE ON THE BOAT - YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS WAS TIRED 37:15 AND HE WENT TO SLEEP AND THE STORM CAME UP AND IT WAS A 37:17 DESPERATE STORM AND THEY STARTED GETTING THEIR BUCKETS AND 37:21 BAILING OUT THE WATER AND AS FAST AS THEY BAILED OUT THE 37:24 WATER THIS BOAT KEPT SINKING MORE AND MORE AND THEY WERE 37:28 DOOMED TO DIE - IN THEIR MINDS THEY WERE GOING TO DIE. 37:32 AND THEN A FLASH OF LIGHTNING SHINES ON JESUS AND THEY SEE HIM 37:35 AND THEY WAKE HIM UP AND THEY SAY, 'MASTER, DON'T YOU CARE?' 37:37 WHICH IS ABOUT THE MOST STUPID QUESTION YOU COULD EVER ASK 37:41 JESUS BECAUSE THAT'S ALL HE EVER DID WAS CARE. 37:44 BUT THEY SAID, 'HERE, MASTER, WAKE UP!' 37:47 NOW HERE - WHAT IF THEY'D DONE THIS: 'MASTER WAKE UP! 37:50 HERE'S A BUCKET. HELP US WITH OUR BUCKETS. 37:54 SAVE US!' YOU SEE, THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE 37:56 DO WITH GOD, WE SAY 'LORD, I'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM - I'M SINKING - 38:01 I HAVE THIS PROBLEM. HERE'S MY BUCKET. 38:03 HERE'S HOW I WANT YOU TO FIX IT.' 38:06 AND THEN WHEN GOD DOESN'T TAKE THE BUCKET FROM US AND FIX IT 38:09 THE WAY WE THINK HE SHOULD WE SAY, 'I DON'T KNOW, SERVING GOD 38:13 JUST DOESN'T PAY OFF.' BUT WHAT THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD DO 38:20 IS SAY, 'LORD, YOU TAKE YOUR BUCKET AND YOU USE WHATEVER 38:23 BUCKET YOU WANT TO AND FIX MY PROBLEMS OR HELP ME FIX IT OR 38:27 WHATEVER. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS BUT I 38:30 KNOW YOU KNOW THE ANSWERS.' WELL, THAT'S WHY JESUS TOLD US 38:36 WE MUST BE WILLING TO TAKE UP THE CROSS. 38:39 ARE YOU BEARING THE CROSS FOR JESUS? I HOPE SO. NOW, I KNOW 38:44 HOW EASY IT IS TO CATEGORIZE OUR LIST OF DUTIES JUST IN NORMAL 38:50 LIFE. YOU KNOW HOW IT IS. YOU'VE GOT THIS TO DO, THIS TO DO, 38:53 THIS TO DO, AND THIS TO DO. FOUR THINGS, LET'S SAY. 38:56 AND IN YOUR MIND YOU KIND OF CATEGORIZE THEM 'THIS IS AN 'A' 38:59 THING - IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT BUT IT'S HARD. 39:02 THIS IS A 'B' - IT'S NOT QUITE SO HARD. 39:04 IT'S KIND OF - IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TOO. 39:06 AH, 'C' THAT'S AN EASY ONE. 'D' IS REALLY - OH THAT'S WHERE 39:11 I'LL START. I'LL START WITH ITEM #D. 39:14 OH BOY, THIS IS GOOD.' AND THEN WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO 39:18 THE CRUCIAL MOMENT YOU'RE STUCK WITH 'A' AND 'B' AND YOU DON'T 39:22 HAVE TIME TO DO THEM ANYMORE AND THINGS ARE GETTING ALL MESSED UP 39:25 ON YOU. ISN'T THAT HOW WE OFTEN DO? 39:28 PRIORITY #1 IS TO SHARE GOD WITH THE WORLD. 39:32 THAT'S PRIORITY #1 FOR THE CHRISTIAN. 39:34 BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT IS. IT'S EASIER TO DO OTHER THINGS. 39:39 I'M NOT CHASTISING, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE WORLD IS. 39:42 BUT I'VE FOUND, IN MY OWN LIFE AT LEAST, WHEN I HAVE THOSE 'A', 39:46 'B', 'C' AND 'D' PRIORITIES, IF I DO THE 'A'S AND 'B'S FIRST, 39:50 BOY LIFE BEGINS TO HUM ALONG AFTER YOU GET THEM DONE. 39:55 LIFE IS JUST SO MUCH MORE PLEASANT WHEN YOU DO THAT. 39:57 WELL, ANYWAY, SOMEBODY - LET'S TURN TO TUESDAY'S 'THE ONE 40:02 PIERCED'. SOMEBODY HAS ZECHARIAH 12:10. 40:05 WHO HAS THAT? RIGHT HERE. 40:07 SOMEBODY ELSE HAS JOHN 19:34 THROUGH 37. 40:10 RIGHT HERE IN THE FRONT AND WE'LL GET THAT ONE AFTER THAT. 40:13 AND WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING THOSE UP, I'M GOING TO READ REVELATION 40:16 1:7, WHICH SAYS IN - IT'S IN KEEPING WITH THESE VERSES - 40:21 REVELATION 1:7 SAYS, 'BEHOLD, HE COMETH WITH CLOUDS; AND EVERY 40:26 EYE SHALL SEE HIM, AND THEY ALSO WHICH PIERCED HIM: AND ALL 40:30 KINDREDS OF THE EARTH SHALL WAIL BECAUSE OF HIM. 40:33 EVEN SO, AMEN." SO KEEP THAT TEXT IN MIND WHILE 40:36 SOMEBODY SHARES WITH US NOW ZECHARIAH 12:10. 40:40 >>"AND I WILL POUR UPON THE HOUSE OF DAVID, AND UPON THE 40:45 INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND OF 40:48 SUPPLICATIONS: AND THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE 40:52 PIERCED, AND THEY SHALL MOURN FOR HIM, AS ONE MOURNETH FOR HIS 40:55 ONLY SON, AND SHALL BE IN BITTERNESS FOR HIM, AS ONE THAT 40:59 IS IN BITTERNESS FOR HIS FIRSTBORN." 41:02 >>OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 41:04 AND NOW, I THINK HE HANDED THE MICROPHONE RIGHT UP HERE IN 41:07 FRONT TO YOU. RIGHT HERE. AND THAT'S JOHN 19:34-37. 41:12 >>JOHN 19:34-37, "BUT ONE OF THE SOLDIERS PIERCED HIS SIDE WITH A 41:17 SPEAR, AND IMMEDIATELY BLOOD AND WATER CAME OUT. 41:21 AND HE WHO HAS SEEN HAS TESTIFIED, AND HIS TESTIMONY IS 41:25 TRUE; AND HE KNOWS THAT HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH, SO THAT YOU 41:29 MAY BELIEVE. FOR THESE THINGS WERE DONE THAT 41:32 THE SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE FULFILLED. 41:33 'NOT ONE OF HIS BONES SHALL BE BROKEN.' 41:36 AND AGAIN ANOTHER SCRIPTURE SAYS, 'THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM 41:40 WHOM THEY PIERCED.'" >>OKAY. THANK YOU. 41:43 BOY, WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD READERS. 41:44 THAT'S WHAT I SAY. PEOPLE WITH SOME GOOD VOICES. 41:47 THAT'S REALLY GOOD. THANK YOU EACH ONE. 41:50 WHAT WILL LOOKING ON THE ONE PIERCED DO FOR PEOPLE? 41:54 WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON, WHERE HE'S AT IN LIFE, 41:57 THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SO ON. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE 42:01 PURPOSE, AT LEAST, THAT GOD DESIRED OF THOSE THAT LOOKED 42:03 UPON THE ONE WHO WAS PIERCED, HAD TO DO WITH GRACE. 42:06 DID YOU NOTICE THAT WORD IN ZECHARIAH? 42:10 IN THE TEXT THAT WAS JUST READ? HE WANTED TO POUR THE SPIRIT OF 42:14 GRACE ON HIS PEOPLE. THAT'S HIS DESIRE. 42:18 NOW WHAT IS GRACE? WELL, GRACE IS UNMERITED FAVOR, 42:21 RIGHT? UNMERITED FAVOR. 42:24 GRACE COVERS A GAMUT OF ISSUES FROM THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN, 42:29 WHICH IS TRULY UNMERITED FAVOR - FORGIVES US OF SINS. 42:32 HE DOESN'T HAVE TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS. 42:35 WELL, IN A SENSE, MAYBE HE DOES. 42:38 SINCE JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS - THINK ABOUT IT - MAYBE HAVING TO 42:42 FORGIVE US OUR SINS IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY IT, BUT SINCE 42:47 JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, IF WE TRULY REPENT, DOESN'T GOD THE 42:52 FATHER ALMOST HAVE TO FORGIVE OUR SINS? 42:54 HE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BECAUSE OF JESUS' DEATH. 42:58 SO ANYWAY - BUT THERE'S MORE TO GRACE THAN JUST FORGIVENESS. 43:05 GRACE EXTENDED TO THE REPENTANT SINNER SUPPLIES THE POWER THAT 43:09 WE NEED TO CHANGE. THAT'S WHAT REPENTANCE IS ALL ABOUT. 43:13 YOU SIN, YOU ASK FOR FORGIVENESS - THAT'S GOOD - BUT YOU ASK FOR 43:17 A HEART OF REPENTANCE THAT MEANS YOU TURN AROUND FROM THAT SIN 43:20 AND DON'T DO THAT SAME THING OVER AND OVER. 43:22 AND GRACE IS THE POWER THAT GIVES US THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE 43:26 ALSO. SO GRACE IS A WONDERFUL WORD. 43:30 NOW, RIGHT NOW, THOSE THAT LOOK UPON THE ONE PIERCED ARE OFTEN 43:34 CONVICTED IN THEIR HEART THAT 'IT WAS MY SINS THAT PIERCED THE 43:38 SON OF GOD AND PUT HIM ON THAT CROSS.' 43:40 PIERCED HIS SIDE - IT WAS ME - IT WASN'T JUST THE ROMAN 43:43 SOLDIERS, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT HAPPENING. 43:45 AND IT BRINGS GREAT REMORSE AND CONVICTION TO THE HEART AND WE 43:49 CONFESS OUR SINS AND THAT'S GOOD. OTHERS LOOK AND TURN AWAY 43:53 AND SAY, 'I DON'T WANT ANY PART OF THAT.' 43:55 BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES THEY THINK ARE IN STORE FOR THEM. 44:00 AND SO, THAT'S THE QUICK LOOK AND THAT'S - UNFORTUNATELY, 44:03 THESE PEOPLE WILL LOOK AGAIN - ONCE AGAIN THEY WILL LOOK UPON 44:08 THE ONE PIERCED, ONLY THIS LOOKING WON'T BE A GOOD ONE, IT 44:12 WILL BE A TIME WHEN THEY LOOK UP WITH THE MOST HORRENDOUS HORROR 44:17 THAT COULD BE EXPERIENCED BY MANKIND BECAUSE THEY WILL 44:20 REALIZE THAT THEY COULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE ONE PIERCED AND 44:26 THEY DIDN'T - THEY REJECTED IT - AND THEY WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE 44:29 SECOND DEATH. AND AGAIN, THE WORDING IN THE TEXT IN 44:33 CHAPTER 12 IS VERY INTERESTING. 'THOSE WHO CORRECTLY LOOK AT THE 44:37 ONE PIERCED, MOURN FOR HIM AS ONE WHO MOURNS FOR HIS ONLY 44:42 SON.' THAT'S A CORRECT RESPONSE FROM THOSE WHO TRULY LOOK UPON 44:48 THE ONE WHO WAS PIERCED FOR THEM. 44:51 NOW, AGAIN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACT OUT AND 44:55 SOMETHING THAT WILL JUST COME AS A QUICK LOOK EVERY NOW AND THEN. 45:00 IF YOU'RE NOT MOURNING OVER THE UPLIFTED ONE AND THE PIERCING 45:05 THAT WAS DONE TO HIM BECAUSE OF YOUR SINS AND MY SINS, THEN THAT 45:12 KIND OF INDICATES THAT YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TO THE ONE PIERCED 45:15 IN THE CORRECT WAY. AND PERHAPS YOU WERE FEELING 45:19 KIND OF GOOD ABOUT YOUR SUPPOSED GOODNESS. 45:21 WELL, - OR YOUR SUPPOSED RIGHTEOUSNESS - BUT WHAT DOES 45:27 THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS? 45:29 IT'S LIKE FILTHY RAGS, ISAIAH 64:6 I BELIEVE IT IS. 45:33 AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT TEXT, GO TO A 45:35 COMMENTARY SOMETIME - IT'S NOT A TEXT WE SHOULD DISCUSS PROBABLY 45:39 IN PUBLIC, BUT IT REALLY TELLS YOU HOW SERIOUS GOD TAKES THAT. 45:43 BUT THOSE ONLY WHO GO ON TO REALIZE THAT THEY NEED HELP FROM 45:47 HIM TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS OR ELSE THEY WILL CONTINUE TO PIERCE HIM 45:51 AND BECAUSE OF THAT WILL DIE THE ETERNAL DEATH. 45:54 SO THE CORRECT LOOK WILL LEAD TO CHANGES. OKAY, LET'S SEE. 46:01 AS WE SAID, ONE QUICK GLANCE NOW AND THEN IS NOT ENOUGH. 46:05 IT IS THE REASON THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE SHOULD SPEND A 46:08 THOUGHTFUL HOUR WITH JESUS EVERY DAY, RIGHT? 46:11 WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE - I HAVE - AND IF WE SPEND A 46:15 THOUGHTFUL HOUR WITH JESUS EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY THE CLOSING 46:19 SCENES OF HIS LIFE, THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LEAD US TO MOURN AS 46:25 WE SHOULD OVER OUR SINFULNESS. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE 46:29 HAVE COME TO ME OVER THE YEARS COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE 46:33 THINGS ARE GOING IN THEIR LIFE AND HOW LOW THEIR FAITH IS AND 46:37 SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU 46:40 IN MOST OF THOSE CASES THOSE PEOPLE WERE NOT SPENDING A 46:44 THOUGHTFUL HOUR MEDITATING ON THE LIFE OF JESUS BECAUSE IF YOU 46:49 REALLY DO THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DRAWN TO JESUS. 46:52 WE OFTEN SAY, YOU KNOW, 'LIFT UP JESUS SO THE WORLD CAN BE DRAWN 46:58 TO HIM.' AND WE APPLY THAT TO THE WORLD, 47:01 WHICH WE SHOULD - WE SHOULD LIFT HIM UP SO THE WORLD CAN BE DRAWN 47:05 TO JESUS, BUT WE NEED TO LIFT UP JESUS SO THAT WE CAN FOREVER 47:10 STAY ATTACHED TO JESUS. WE MUST LIFT HIM UP IN OUR OWN 47:14 MIND - IN OUR OWN LIFE. AND WHEN WE SPEND THAT TIME WITH 47:17 JESUS, WHEN WE COME TOGETHER WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT 47:20 JESUS AND WHAT HE'S DONE FOR YOU THIS WEEK AND WHAT HE'S GOING TO 47:23 DO FOR YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE. WELL, WE MUST MOVE ON TO 47:28 WEDNESDAY ENTITLED 'THE GOOD SHEPHERD'. 47:31 SOMEBODY HAS ZECHARIAH 13:7 THROUGH 9 - ZECHARIAH 13 - 47:37 ALRIGHT, OVER HERE. OKAY. ZECHARIAH 13:7-9. WE HAVE QUITE 47:42 THE PANORAMA GIVEN US IN THIS PASSAGE ABOUT THE GOOD SHEPHERD 47:48 AND THE ACCURACIES OF THESE PROPHECIES AND HOW THEY WERE 47:53 EXACTLY FULFILLED IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST IS SO WONDERFUL. 47:57 OKAY, READ THAT FOR US IF YOU WOULD. 48:00 >>"'AWAKE, O SWORD, AGAINST MY SHEPHERD, AGAINST THE MAN WHO IS 48:04 MY COMPANION' SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. 48:06 'STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP WILL BE SCATTERED; THEN I 48:10 WILL TURN MY HAND AGAINST THE LITTLE ONES AND IT SHALL COME TO 48:13 PASS IN ALL THE LAND,' SAYS THE LORD, 'THAT TWO-THIRDS IN IT 48:17 SHALL BE CUT OFF AND DIE, BUT ONE-THIRD SHALL BE LEFT IN IT: I 48:21 WILL BRING THE ONE-THIRD THROUGH THE FIRE, WILL REFINE THEM AS 48:25 SILVER IS REFINED, AND TEST THEM AS GOLD IS TESTED. 48:29 THEY WILL CALL ON MY NAME, AND I WILL ANSWER THEM. 48:32 I WILL SAY, 'THIS IS MY PEOPLE'; AND EACH ONE WILL SAY, 'THE LORD 48:37 IS MY GOD.'" >>ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 48:40 WHEN CHRIST, THE TRUE SHEPHERD, WAS SMITTEN DID THE SHEEP 48:44 SCATTER? HIS DISCIPLES SCATTERED, 48:46 DIDN'T THEY? THEY SCATTERED VERY QUICKLY. 48:49 BUT WE ARE NOT LEFT OFF THE HOOK, ARE WE? 48:51 IF WE COME UP TO RESPONSIBILITY AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO 48:56 SHARE JESUS AND WE DON'T, ISN'T THAT LIKE WE SCATTER? 49:00 IF WE SHRINK FROM SHARING CHRIST WHEN WE HAVE A GOLDEN 49:04 OPPORTUNITY TO - THAT'S LIKE SCATTERING. SO IT'S INTERESTING 49:09 LANGUAGE, 'THOSE THAT WILL COME THROUGH THE FIRE' IT SEEMS TO 49:13 GIVE A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE THAT WILL BE SAVED - ONLY ONE-THIRD. 49:18 WELL, AS YOU LOOK AROUND IN THE WORLD TODAY AND I WONDER IF 49:21 ONE-THIRD WOULDN'T BE KIND OF A POSITIVE NUMBER. 49:27 YOU WONDER, SOMETIMES, WILL AN OPTIMISTIC PERCENTAGE, PERHAPS, 49:31 I DON'T KNOW, BUT LET'S GET A LITTLE PERSONAL WITH OURSELVES 49:35 HERE AT THIS POINT. THINK OF THE TIMES WHEN YOU, AS 49:38 ONE OF THE SHEEP IN THE FOLD, YOU WANDERED OFF AND PARTOOK OF 49:42 SOME GRASS THAT THE DIVINE SHEPHERD DIDN'T WANT YOU TO 49:46 PARTAKE OF. WELL, HOW DID THAT AFFECT YOU? 49:51 IT'S KIND OF A POISONOUS GRASS YOU PARTOOK OF. 49:55 IT WASN'T A VERY NICE EXPERIENCE - AND DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU'VE 49:58 NEVER DONE THAT BECAUSE THEN I'D SAY, 'YOU'RE ON SOME KIND OF 50:02 GRASS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE ON.' 50:04 BECAUSE WE'VE ALL WANDERED OFF THE PATH FROM TIME TO TIME AND 50:08 WHEN WE HAVE - THINK OF HOW YOU SUFFERED FOR MAKING THE CHOICE 50:12 YOU DID. HOW DID THE GOOD SHEPHERD TREAT YOU? 50:16 DID HE COME AFTER YOU WITH A BASEBALL BAT AND BEAT YOU 50:19 OVER THE HEAD? 'GET BACK INTO THE FOLD!' 50:22 NO, HE DOESN'T DRIVE US BACK INTO THE FOLD. 50:25 THE GOOD SHEPHERD NEVER DRIVES, HE ALWAYS LEADS, RIGHT? 50:29 'IT'S YOUR CHOICE. YOU WANT TO BE IN THE FOLD, YOU 50:32 CAN BE IN THE FOLD. I WANT YOU TO BE THERE SO MUCH I 50:36 LET MY SON DIE FOR YOU TO BE THERE BUT IT'S YOUR CHOICE.' 50:39 SO HE NEVER DRIVES US BUT HE COMES TO US AND HE WANTS TO PUT 50:43 HIS ARMS AROUND US AND GATHER US BACK INTO THE FOLD. 50:46 THAT'S A GOOD PICTURE, ISN'T IT? AND WE CAN'T WARD OFF SOME OF 50:49 THE RAMIFICATIONS THAT COME BECAUSE OF OUR CHOICES, BUT HE'S 50:53 ALWAYS THERE TO HELP US IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. 50:59 ONE MORE LITTLE THOUGHT THERE ON WEDNESDAY - IT SAYS IN VERSE 6 51:03 OF CHAPTER 13, "AND ONE SHALL SAY TO HIM, 'WHAT ARE THESE 51:07 WOUNDS IN THINE HANDS?' AND THEN HE SHALL ANSWER, 'THOSE 51:10 WITH WHICH I WAS WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF MY FRIENDS.'" 51:14 FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S KIND OF SAD. 51:16 'I WAS WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF MY FRIENDS.' THAT'S TERRIBLE. 51:19 I MEAN, THAT'S TERRIBLE BUT WHAT ABOUT IT? 51:23 ARE THERE GOING TO BE SOME PEOPLE IN THE KINGDOM THAT 51:26 DIDN'T EVEN KNOW JESUS - THEY ASK HIM, 'WHAT ARE THESE 51:28 WOUNDS?' THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THEM? 51:31 WE SAY, 'ISN'T THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN BY TRUSTING JESUS 51:35 AS YOUR SAVIOR?' WELL, YES, BUT THERE'S ALSO A 51:39 PRINCIPLE BORNE OUT IN SOME PLACES IN THE BIBLE, SUCH AS 51:41 ROMANS 2, WHERE THOSE - IN ROMANS 2 IT TALKS ABOUT THOSE 51:47 GENTILES WHO WERE LIVING TO THE LAW THEY HAD - IT MAY NOT HAVE 51:53 BEEN EXACTLY ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, BUT THEY WERE LIVING UP 51:57 TO ALL THE LIGHT THEY HAD AND THEY WILL BE IN GOD'S KINGDOM. 52:02 THEY NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT WE HAVE HEARD SO, 52:05 YES, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN THAT WILL HAVE TO ASK 52:08 THAT QUESTION, 'WHERE DID THOSE WOUNDS COME FROM?' 52:11 AND WON'T THEY GET A STORY? THEY WILL GET A STORY 52:14 AT THAT TIME. WELL THURSDAY'S LESSON, ENTITLED 52:17 'KING OF THE WHOLE WORLD' - WE COULD HAVE SPENT THE WHOLE 52:22 MORNING ON THE LAST CHAPTER OF ZECHARIAH TO BE SURE. 52:27 THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING IN THIS CHAPTER. 52:30 NATIONS COMING AGAINST JERUSALEM, OF COURSE THERE'S 52:35 LANGUAGE DESCRIBING ALL THOSE OF THE WORLD WHO LIVE IN OPPOSITION 52:39 TO THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD. POWERFUL PEOPLE OF THE NATIONS - 52:43 OF THE WORLD UNITING - COMING TOGETHER AGAINST THE TRUTH 52:47 OF GOD. IT'S VERY APPLICABLE, REALLY, AS 52:50 YOU THINK ABOUT IT, TO THE LAST HALF OF CHAPTER - REVELATION 17. 52:54 REVELATION 17 TALKS ABOUT THE BEAST POWER RALLIES TEN KINGS 52:58 WHO RECEIVE POWER FOR ONE HOUR FROM THE BEAST. 53:00 TOGETHER THEY OPPOSE GOD. IT'S THE SAME SCENARIO GOING ON. 53:05 VERSE 14 IN CHAPTER 17 SAYS, "THESE SHALL MAKE WAR WITH THE 53:10 LAMB AND THE LAMB SHALL OVERCOME THEM FOR HE IS LORD OF LORDS AND 53:13 KING OF KINGS AND THEY THAT ARE WITH THEM ARE CALLED AND CHOSEN 53:18 AND FAITHFUL. SO, YES, I THINK THERE'S GREAT CORRELATION 53:21 BETWEEN THE TWO PASSAGES. IN THE END, GOD BECOMES KING 53:25 OVER THE WHOLE WORLD JUST AS OUR LESSON TITLE SAYS ON THURSDAY'S. 53:32 AND GOING BACK TO ZECHARIAH 14, VERSE 9, IT SAYS, "AND THE LORD 53:36 SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH. 53:40 IN THAT DAY IT SHALL BE - THE LORD IS ONE AND HIS NAME ONE." 53:48 DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT WHEN COMPARISONS IN THE BIBLE COME 53:51 TOGETHER AND IT MAKES SUCH PERFECT SENSE? 53:54 IT'S LIKE A PERFECT JIGSAW PUZZLE AND ALL THE PEOPLE - ALL 53:57 THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER SO PERFECTLY - THE WORD OF GOD 54:01 WRITTEN BY SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE OVER SO MANY YEARS AND 54:03 YET THERE IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CONNECTION. 54:09 SO HERE'S THE QUESTION: HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD WE SPEND IN THINKING 54:13 ABOUT THE TIME WHEN ALL THE GLORIOUS PROMISES OF GOD SHOULD 54:16 BE FULFILLED. SHOULD WE SPEND SOME TIME IN 54:19 THINKING ABOUT THAT? YEAH. PROBABLY WE DON'T SPEND ENOUGH 54:22 TIME IN DOING THAT. YOU KNOW, GO BACK TO SOME OF THE 54:27 THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY. 54:29 WHAT KIND OF SABBATH CONVERSATION ARE WE ENGAGED IN? 54:32 ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE GLORIOUS WONDERS THAT ARE 54:35 AWAITING GOD'S PEOPLE AS WE REMAIN FAITHFUL TO HIM? 54:39 YOU KNOW, I WAS OUT ON A WALK THE OTHER DAY - I THINK IT WAS 54:42 ACTUALLY MEMORIAL DAY - SO I WAS HOME AND IN THE AFTERNOON I WENT 54:47 OUT AND I LOOKED UP IN THE SKY AND IT WASN'T A SKY FULL OF 54:52 BILLOWY CLOUDS AND BIG THICK CLOUDS, BUT THERE WERE ALL KINDS 54:57 OF CLOUDS - THIN KIND OF CLOUDS ALL OVER THE SKY - AND 55:01 EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED WAS A DIFFERENT FORMATION AND 55:03 DIFFERENT PICTURESQUE PANORAMIC VIEW. 55:07 IT WAS ALMOST BREATHTAKING. 55:09 I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'MY, I DON'T LOOK UP ENOUGH. 55:14 GOD JUST PAINTED ME SUCH BEAUTIFUL PICTURES - JUST FOR ME 55:18 ON MY WALK TODAY - THANK YOU GOD!' 55:21 I MEAN, THAT'S JUST A FAINT - A FAINT LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF 55:26 WHAT GOD IS PREPARING FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. 55:29 OH, GOD HELP US TO LOOK UP MORE, RIGHT? 55:33 HELP US TO LOOK AROUND AT THE BEAUTIES AND THE BEAUTIES IN ONE 55:36 ANOTHER INSTEAD OF THE NEGATIVE THINGS IN ONE ANOTHER. 55:39 THERE'S LOTS OF THOSE. YOU CAN FIND ALL THE NEGATIVE 55:42 THINGS ABOUT ME YOU WANT, BUT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING GOOD 55:45 ABOUT ME. YOU FIND THAT, WILL YOU? 55:46 AND I'LL FIND THE GOOD ABOUT YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE - WHEN YOU 55:49 TURN YOUR LIFE OVER TO JESUS THERE'S GOOD THINGS TO BE SAID 55:52 ABOUT EACH OTHER, RIGHT? AMEN. 55:54 THERE'S JUST SO MANY THINGS TO KEEP OUR EYES UPON CHRIST. 56:00 BOY, WE RAN OUT OF TIME, BUT ONE LAST RULE OF THOUGHT IN - 56:09 CONCERNING VERSE 4 IN CHAPTER 14. IT TALKS ABOUT 56:12 THE FEET OF JESUS COMING DOWN UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 56:15 THAT'S WHERE HE'S GOING TO COME BACK - THAT'S WHERE HE LIFTED 56:16 OFF FROM THIS EARTH AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION. 56:22 HE LIFTED OFF FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES - THIS IS - HE DID NOT 56:26 CHOOSE MOUNT ZION - THE PLACE OF DAVID'S CITY. 56:31 HE DID NOT CHOOSE MOUNT MORIAH WHERE THE TEMPLE WAS, FOR THAT 56:36 HAD JUST BEEN THE PLACE OF HIS REJECTION AND HIS PRE-CALVARY 56:40 PERSECUTION. BUT HE CHOSE A PLACE WHERE HE 56:43 HAD OFTEN GONE TO - TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS FATHER IN 56:48 ONE-ON-ONE COMMUNICATION. WASN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL THING? 56:53 THAT'S WHERE HE'S GOING TO COME BACK. 56:55 SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT ANY DAY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. 57:00 WELL, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. 57:01 BRING TO YOU AGAIN THE FREE OFFER THIS MORNING - 57:04 'THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS' AND IT'S OFFER #156. 57:11 JUST CALL 1-866-788-3966 OR YOU CAN GO ONLINE - 57:19 'WWW.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND LOOK FOR THE TITLE AND YOU CAN FIND 57:26 THIS BOOK ONLINE - 'THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS' BY JOE CREWS. 57:30 OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION, ALTHOUGH WE - IN 57:37 A CLASS LIKE THIS WE DON'T GET A LOT OF CHANCES FOR 57:39 PARTICIPATION, BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO READ, THANK YOU AND WE LOOK 57:43 FORWARD TO ANOTHER CLASS NEXT WEEK. 57:46 >>IF YOU'VE MISSED ANY OF OUR AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMS, 57:48 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. 57:50 THERE YOU'LL FIND AN ARCHIVE OF ALL OUR TELEVISION AND RADIO 57:53 PROGRAMS INCLUDING AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. ONE LOCATION. 57:57 SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. 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Revised 2013-06-26