Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021334
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:49 WE ARE SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE TUNING IN. 00:50 WHETHER THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME OR YOU ARE A REGULAR JOINING US 00:54 EVERY WEEK FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, 00:58 WE'RE JUST SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE PART OF OUR SABBATH SCHOOL 01:00 FAMILY HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL. 01:03 AND WE KNOW THAT YOU LOVE TO SING THESE SONGS WITH US THAT WE 01:07 SING EVERY WEEK AND TODAY, OF COURSE, IS NO EXCEPTION. 01:10 WE'RE GOING TO KEEP SINGING YOUR FAVORITES. 01:12 WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD ONE - 'O, HOW I LOVE JESUS' - #248. 01:18 THIS IS A REQUEST FROM ALMA IN AUSTRALIA, AMEIDY IN BELIZE, 01:23 RUTH IN BOTSWANA, FERNANDO IN BRAZIL, JASON AND JENSIE IN 01:27 CALIFORNIA, JACQUELINE IN CANADA, MAISIE, KARL, HELEN, 01:30 DENIS, MARTINE, AND PASCAL IN FRANCE, DEON IN GUYANA, MOLLY IN 01:36 IOWA, DONNA IN JAMAICA, JAMIE AND JENNY IN NORTH CAROLINA, 01:40 CHRISTA IN VIRGINIA, AND CHAN IN WASHINGTON. 01:43 WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE STANZAS - 'O, HOW I LOVE JESUS'. 01:46 SO THOSE OF YOU AT HOME PULL OUT YOUR HYMNALS AND SING WITH US. 01:49 ALL THREE STANZAS. 01:51 (MUSIC) 03:51 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING IN YOUR FAVORITES. 03:54 AND IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE, IT'S SO SIMPLE. 03:57 YOU JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG' AND CLICK ON 04:01 THE 'CONTACT US' LINK AND YOU CAN SEND IN ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE 04:04 HYMNS AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO SING THAT FOR YOU SOONER 04:07 RATHER THAN LATER. OUR NEXT ONE, AS WE CONTINUE 04:11 WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE HYMNAL LEARNING ALL THE SONGS 04:13 THAT WE DON'T KNOW, IS #64 - 'LORD DISMISS US WITH THY 04:18 BLESSING' - AND THIS IS A REQUEST FROM JOYCE 04:22 IN NAIROBI, KENYA. SO, I HOPE YOU'RE LEARNING THESE 04:26 SONGS WITH US. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE ENJOYING 04:28 IT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF MESSAGES IN LATELY 04:31 SAYING, 'I'M LOVING LEARNING THESE SONGS THAT I'VE NEVER 04:34 HEARD BEFORE.' WE'RE LIKING IT, RIGHT? RIGHT? OKAY. 04:40 #64 - 'LORD DISMISS US WITH THY BLESSING'. 04:43 (MUSIC) 06:13 >>FATHER IN HEAVEN, I PRAY THAT WE WILL ALWAYS BE FAITHFUL 06:16 TO THE TRUTH THAT WE HAVE FOUND. I PRAY THAT YOU'LL BE WITH US AS 06:21 WE OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND WE STUDY TOGETHER TODAY. 06:24 I PRAY YOU'LL BE WITH EACH ONE HERE IN SACRAMENTO CENTRAL AND 06:28 OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD. BE WITH EACH ONE. 06:32 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PASTOR CHRIS AS HE BRINGS US THE LESSON 06:37 STUDY. MAY OUR HEARTS BE OPEN. 06:39 MAY WE HAVE HEARTS READY TO RECEIVE WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL US 06:43 TODAY. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 06:46 AT THIS TIME OUR LESSON STUDY IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY 06:50 PASTOR CHRIS BUTTERY. HE IS OUR - OH, LET ME GET THIS RIGHT - 06:54 OUR FAMILY LIFE AND EVANGELISM PASTOR - THAT'S RIGHT! 06:58 FAMILY LIFE AND EVANGELISM PASTOR. 07:08 >>I NEED TO SHOW UP MORE OFTEN I GUESS. FIGURING OUT WHO I AM - 07:14 I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM SOMETIMES. BUT IF YOU CAN 07:16 GET IT, DOING GOOD. GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH 07:19 AND GOOD TO SEE YOU. GLAD TO BE HERE TOGETHER 07:23 STUDYING GOD'S WORD AND I WANT TO YES, WELCOME YOU. 07:30 SOME OF YOU HAVE SWUM - SWAM A LONG WAY TO BE HERE TODAY - 07:34 HAWAII - SOME EVEN FURTHER, FROM AUSTRALIA, BUT YOU, OF COURSE, 07:37 FLEW NO DOUBT, SURE. WELCOME AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN 07:41 CONNECT A LITTLE BIT AFTERWARDS AND ANYONE ELSE - GLAD TO MAKE 07:45 NEW ACQUAINTANCES AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS. WE ESPECIALLY WANT TO - 07:49 ALSO WANT TO WELCOME THOSE WHO ARE VIEWING ONLINE OR LISTENING 07:53 VIA RADIO AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE WITHIN NORTH AMERICAN 07:57 TERRITORIES, WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU THIS MORNING. 08:01 IT IS ENTITLED 'THE HOLY SPIRIT' BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR - OUR 08:03 VERY OWN - AND IT'S 'THE HOLY SPIRIT - THE NEED' AND IT'S 08:06 OFFER #723 AND YOU CAN CALL IN TO 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 08:14 1-866-788-3966 TO RECEIVE THAT SPECIAL OFFER. 08:21 THE BOOK DEALS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND IT'S A BIBLICAL 08:24 COMMENTARY ON THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CONNECTION 08:29 BETWEEN THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, SO MAKE SURE 08:33 YOU CALL IN FOR THAT. 08:35 WE'RE GOING TO DIVE RIGHT INTO OUR LESSON THIS MORNING: LESSON 08:39 #8 - 'DISCERNMENT: THE SAFEGUARD OF REVIVAL'. 08:44 AND OUR MEMORY TEXT IS FOUND IN PSALM #119, VERSES 159 AND 160. 08:52 WHERE THE BIBLE SAYS, "CONSIDER HOW I LOVE YOUR PRECEPTS; REVIVE 08:58 ME, O LORD, ACCORDING TO YOUR LOVINGKINDNESS. 09:02 THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR WORD IS TRUTH, AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR 09:08 RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS ENDURES FOREVER." 09:13 I WAS READING AN ARTICLE NOT TOO LONG AGO, AS A MATTER OF FACT, 09:16 AND THE WRITER WAS QUOTING FROM A 1975 BOOK WRITTEN BY GEORGE 09:21 VANDERMAN ENTITLED 'SAIL YOUR OWN SEAS'. 09:25 IN THAT BOOK VANDERMAN QUOTED C.S. 09:28 LEWIS - AND I BELIEVE IT WAS FROM THE BOOK 'SCREWTAPE 09:32 LETTERS' - AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CHAPTER OF 'SAIL YOUR 09:38 OWN SEAS', FIRES - FIRE TRUCKS AND FLOODS - VANDERMAN CITES 09:42 LEWIS' REFERENCE TO THE DEMON CALLED SCREWTAPE WHOSE SCHEME 09:46 WAS TO 'GET PEOPLE RUNNING ABOUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHERS WHENEVER 09:53 THERE IS A FLOOD.' GET PEOPLE, IN OTHER WORDS, TO CROWD, HE 09:59 SAYS, 'TO THE SIDE OF THE BOAT THAT IS ALREADY NEARLY UNDER. 10:04 WHEN PEOPLE ARE LUKEWARM AND APATHETIC, GET THEM STIRRED UP 10:09 ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ENTHUSIASM AND EMOTION. 10:13 IF THEY ARE LAZY, TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE HYPOCRISY OF THE 10:19 WORKING COMMUNITY. IF THEY ARE CRUEL, WARN THEM 10:23 AGAINST THE EVILS OF SENTIMENTALITY. 10:26 IN OTHER WORDS,' HE SAYS, 'LET THEM HEAR LOUDLY AND REPEATEDLY 10:31 THE WARNINGS THEY DO NOT NEED.' INTERESTING. AND I WOULD SUGGEST 10:37 THAT THE DEVIL, OF COURSE, HAS MANY WAYS AND MEANS TO GET US 10:42 DIVERTED AND TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE DO NOT NEED. 10:45 BUT THE SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON THAT WE'RE STUDYING HERE THIS 10:48 QUARTER AND ALL THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING, BUT THIS ONE IN 10:51 PARTICULAR, IS CERTAINLY NEEDED. THE TALK ABOUT REVIVAL AND 10:55 REFORMATION IS VERY MUCH NEEDED IN CHRISTIAN CIRCLES AND 11:00 ESPECIALLY THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 11:04 WE ARE IN NEED OF REVIVAL, AMEN? SURE. 11:07 THE PROMISE OF REVIVAL IS CLEAR IN THE BIBLE. 11:10 IN REVELATION 18 AND VERSE 1 WE SEE THERE THE PICTURE OF THAT 11:13 OTHER ANGEL COMING DOWN WITH GREAT POWER AND HE LIGHTENS THE 11:16 EARTH WITH THE GLORY OF GOD. IN THE BOOK 'GREAT CONTROVERSY' 11:21 PAGE 464, WE'RE REMINDED BEFORE THE FINAL VISITATION OF GOD'S 11:25 JUDGMENTS UPON THE EARTH, "THERE WILL BE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF GOD 11:29 SUCH A REVIVAL OF PRIMITIVE GODLINESS AS HAS NOT BEEN 11:33 WITNESSED SINCE APOSTOLIC TIMES. THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF GOD WILL 11:38 BE POURED OUT UPON HIS CHILDREN." 11:41 IT'S A WONDERFUL PROMISE - IT'S AN ASSURANCE THAT A GREAT 11:43 REVIVAL IS BREWING AND IS UNDERWAY. 11:46 AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT REVIVAL IS SO THAT IT WILL THRUST GOD'S 11:51 PEOPLE TO GIVE THE LOUD CRY OF THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE IN 11:57 PREPARATION FOR JESUS' SOON RETURN. 11:59 OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE OPPOSITION, AND WE'VE BEEN 12:01 TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE THINGS OVER THE WEEKS, JUST BY 12:04 WAY OF REVIEW. AND, PARTICULARLY TODAY, WE'RE 12:06 GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE OPPOSITION TO THE REVIVAL. 12:09 YOU REMEMBER MATTHEW 24 - JESUS TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SIGNS 12:13 THAT WOULD APPEAR - THAT WE WOULD WITNESS AND SEE PRIOR TO 12:17 HIS SOON RETURN. 12:19 AND THE VERY FIRST THING THAT JESUS MENTIONS IN MATTHEW 24 AND 12:22 VERSE 3 IS HE SAYS, 'LET NO MAN' - DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT SAYS? 12:26 'DECEIVE YOU.' 'LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU.' 12:29 AND HE GOES ON TO DELINEATE THAT FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS 12:32 WILL ARISE TO DECEIVE MANY AND THEY'LL SHOW SIGNS AND WONDERS 12:35 INSOMUCH THAT THEY COULD DECEIVE THE VERY - IF POSSIBLE, THEY 12:39 COULD DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT - AND SO THERE'S OPPOSITION TO 12:43 THE REVIVAL AND THE DEVIL WILL PRODUCE COUNTERFEITS. 12:46 AS A MATTER OF FACT, CONTINUING ON IN 'THE GREAT CONTROVERSY' 12:49 PAGE 464, IT SAYS, "THE ENEMY OF SOULS DESIRES TO HINDER THIS 12:53 WORK AND BEFORE THE TIME FOR SUCH A MOVEMENT SHALL COME, HE 12:57 WILL ENDEAVOR TO PREVENT IT" - HOW DOES HE ENDEAVOR TO 13:00 PREVENT IT? BY INTRODUCING A COUNTERFEIT - 13:04 "IN THOSE CHURCHES WHICH HE CAN BRING UNDER HIS DECEPTIVE 13:07 POWER, HE'LL MAKE IT APPEAR THAT GOD'S SPECIAL BLESSING IS POURED 13:09 OUT, THERE'LL BE MANIFEST WHAT IS THOUGHT TO BE A GREAT 13:12 RELIGIOUS INTEREST. MULTITUDES WILL EXALT THAT GOD 13:15 IS WORKING MARVELOUSLY FOR THEM WHEN THE WORK IS THAT OF ANOTHER 13:19 SPIRIT. UNDER A RELIGIOUS GUISE, SATAN 13:22 WILL SEEK TO EXTEND HIS INFLUENCE OVER THE CHRISTIAN 13:25 WORLD." AND SO THAT'S VERY CLEAR - GOD 13:27 IS WANTING TO BRING REVIVAL TO HIS PEOPLE AND THEN THE ENEMY IS 13:31 LOOKING TO BRING A COUNTERFEIT TO DETOUR - DERAIL PEOPLE AWAY 13:37 FROM HIS TRUTH AND AWAY FROM GENUINE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 13:41 WHAT IS REVIVAL? 13:42 WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, BUT 13:45 SIMPLY A NEGLECT OF - TO FOLLOW GOD'S WORD LEADS TO SIN. 13:50 SIN PRODUCES DEATH - ETERNAL DEATH. 13:54 AND THE ONLY HOPE THAT A SINNER HAS LIES IN THE DEATH AND IN THE 13:58 LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST THE REDEEMER OF THE WORLD. 14:03 AS THE GUILTY PERSON - AS A GUILTY PERSON SENSES THEIR LOST 14:08 CONDITION, REALIZES HIS DEBT TO GOD AND COMES TO UNDERSTAND, TO 14:12 SOME EXTENT, THE AMAZING LOVE OF THE SAVIOR, HE IS LED TO CONFESS 14:16 HIS SINS AND TO RETURN TO CAREFUL OBEDIENCE TO ALL OF THE 14:21 WORD OF GOD THROUGH THE POWER OF DIVINE GRACE. 14:24 THAT'S REVIVAL - A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TO 14:28 FOLLOWING AND OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD IN ITS ENTIRETY. 14:33 I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS FOUND - LET ME SEE HERE - THIS IS 14:36 'REVIEW AND HERALD' FEBRUARY 25, 1902. 'REVIVAL SIGNIFIES A 14:41 RENEWAL OF SPIRITUAL LIFE, A QUICKENING OF THE POWERS OF MIND 14:46 AND HEART, A RESURRECTION FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH'. 14:49 AND THEN, 'REFORMATION SIGNIFIES A REORGANIZATION - A CHANGE IN 14:53 IDEAS AND THEORIES, HABITS AND PRACTICES. 14:55 REFORMATION WILL NOT BRING THE GOOD FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 14:58 UNLESS IT IS CONNECTED WITH THE REVIVAL OF THE SPIRIT. 15:02 REVIVAL AND REFORMATION ARE TO DO THEIR APPOINTED WORK AND IN 15:05 DOING THIS WORK, THEY MUST BLEND.' 15:09 AND SO TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE 15:13 REVIVAL THAT GOD WANTS TO BRING TO EACH ONE OF HIS FOLLOWERS AND 15:16 THE FALSE REVIVAL THAT THE DEVIL IS SEEKING TO BRING - TO 15:22 COUNTERFEIT THIS TRUE REVIVAL, WE NEED WHAT THE BIBLE WOULD 15:25 TERM DISCERNMENT. WE NEED DISCERNMENT. 15:30 WE NEED DISCERNMENT IN MANY AREAS, PARTICULARLY IN THIS 15:34 AREA. THE OXFORD DICTIONARY DEFINES 15:38 DISCERNMENT AS 'TO PERCEIVE OR TO RECOGNIZE; TO DISTINGUISH; 15:44 HAVING GOOD JUDGMENT OR THE ABILITY TO JUDGE WELL.' 15:50 THE WORD 'DISCERN' OR 'DISCERNS' OR DISCERNED' THEY'RE USED 15:54 ABOUT 28 TIMES IN THE BIBLE AND - IN THE KING JAMES VERSION. 15:59 SEVERAL HEBREW AND GREEK WORDS ARE USED TO HELP US UNDERSTAND 16:05 THE ENTIRETY OF THE MEANING OF THE WORD TO DISCERN OR 16:11 DISCERNMENT. ONE HEBREW WORD IS 'NAKAR' AND 16:15 IT'S USED SEVERAL TIMES IN GENESIS 31 AND 38 AND EZRA 3. 16:19 AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE SENSE TO SCRUTINIZE OR TO LOOK INTENTLY 16:23 AT SOMETHING AS TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH IT. 16:26 AND THEN THERE'S 'SHAMA' WHICH IS ANOTHER HEBREW WORD AND 16:31 THAT'S USED IN 2 SAMUEL 14 AND 17 AND 1 KINGS 3, VERSE 11 AND 16:37 THAT - 1 KINGS 3:11 IS TALKING ABOUT KING SOLOMON AND HIS 16:40 PRAYER TO GOD THAT GOD WOULD GIVE HIM WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT 16:44 AND GOD SAID, 'BECAUSE YOU'VE NOT ASKED FOR WEALTH OR FAME OR 16:47 THESE OTHER THINGS, BUT BECAUSE YOU'VE ASKED FOR DISCERNMENT TO 16:51 JUDGE BETWEEN WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG, THAT I'M GOING TO ANSWER 16:55 YOUR PRAYER.' AND SO, THAT IS THE WORD 16:57 'SHAMA', WHICH EXPRESSES THE IDEA OF HEARING INTELLIGENTLY. 17:03 AND THEN THERE'S 'YADA' - YADA, WHICH IS USED IN 17:06 EZEKIEL 44:23. TURN THERE WITH ME. 17:08 YOU'VE GOT YOUR BIBLES - EZEKIEL 44:23 AND HERE THE PROPHET IS 17:15 SPEAKING ABOUT GOD'S TEACHERS - THE PRIESTS, THE LEADERS OF HIS 17:21 - SPIRITUAL LEADERS OF HIS PEOPLE AND IN EZEKIEL 44:23 IT 17:24 SAYS, "AND THEY SHALL TEACH MY PEOPLE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 17:28 THE HOLY AND THE UNHOLY, AND CAUSE THEM TO DISCERN BETWEEN 17:34 THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN." THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE 17:38 PRIESTS - THE TEACHERS - WERE TO - WAS TO PUT A DIFFERENCE 17:42 BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, CLEAN AND UNCLEAN, GOOD AND BAD, GOOD 17:46 AND EVIL - AND TO HELP PEOPLE TO DISCERN - AND THAT WORD MEANS 17:52 'TO ASCERTAIN BY SEEING'. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER - 17:56 THERE'S ANOTHER HEBREW WORD AND THAT IS 'BIYN' - IN JOB 6:30 AND 18:01 PROVERBS 7:7 - AS 'TO SEPARATE MENTALLY OR TO DISTINGUISH'. 18:08 SO THERE'S VARIOUS HEBREW WORDS THAT ARE USED TO HELP US 18:11 UNDERSTAND THE WORD - THE ENGLISH WORD 'DISCERN'. 18:16 OF COURSE, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, WE'VE GOT - THE WORD DISCERN 18:21 APPEARS AND SHOWS UP IN SEVERAL PLACES. 18:23 I HAVE SOMEONE READING FOR US HERE THIS MORNING 18:27 1 CORINTHIANS 2:14. WHO'S GOT THAT FOR US AND WHO'LL 18:30 BE ABLE TO READ THAT? OKAY, RIGHT OVER HERE. 18:34 WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, HEATHER. FANTASTIC. 18:36 AS WE'RE GETTING LINED UP TO READ THAT - 1 CORINTHIANS 2:14 - 18:40 SEVERAL OTHER TEXTS I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO FIRST. LUKE 12:56 - 18:44 YOU CAN WRITE THESE DOWN, WE'RE JUST GOING TO BREEZE THROUGH 18:45 SOME OF THESE. LUKE 12:56 - JESUS IS, IN 18:49 ESSENCE, REBUKING THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF HIS DAY. 18:52 THEY COULD TELL WHAT KIND OF DAY IT WOULD BE BECAUSE THE SUN WAS 18:56 RISING AND THE WIND WAS BLOWING - THEY COULD TELL CERTAIN THINGS 19:01 BY WEATHER PATTERNS. AND HE SAYS IN VERSE 56 OF 19:03 LUKE 12, "HYPOCRITES! YOU CAN DISCERN THE FACE OF THE SKY 19:06 AND OF THE EARTH, BUT HOW IS IT YOU DO NOT DISCERN THIS TIME?" 19:10 THEY LACKED DISCERNMENT WITH REGARD TO WHO JESUS WAS AS THE 19:13 MESSIAH, YOU UNDERSTAND. 19:16 THEN IN HEBREWS 4, VERSE 12 WE HAVE THESE WORDS, WHICH ARE 19:19 FAMILIAR, "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL, AND 19:22 SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, PIERCING EVEN TO THE 19:25 DIVISION OF SOUL AND SPIRIT, AND OF JOINTS AND MARROW, AND IS 19:29 A DISCERNER" - THAT'S RIGHT - "A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND 19:34 INTENTS OF THE HEART." 19:35 IT'S INTERESTING, THAT WORD 'DISCERN' IN THE GREEK IS 19:38 'KRITIKOS' FROM WHICH WE GET THE ENGLISH WORD 'CRITIQUE'. 19:42 AND SO THE WORD OF GOD CRITIQUES OUR VERY THOUGHTS AND MOTIVES 19:47 AND ACTIONS, YOU UNDERSTAND. 19:49 AND HEBREWS 5:14 - IT SAYS, "BUT SOLID FOOD BELONGS TO THOSE WHO 19:53 ARE OF FULL AGE, THAT IS, THOSE WHO BY REASON OF USE HAVE THEIR 19:58 SENSES EXERCISED TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL." 20:03 WE COULD PROBABLY TRANSLATE THE LAST PART OF THAT VERSE TO SAY, 20:07 'HAVING THE FACULTIES TRAINED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND 20:11 EVIL' AND SO DISCERNMENT - WE'RE NOT BORN WITH DISCERNMENT. 20:14 WE'RE NOT BORN WITH THIS ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH AUTOMATICALLY 20:18 BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. THERE'S A SENSE THAT SOMETHING'S 20:21 NOT QUITE RIGHT, BUT TO PUT YOUR FINGER RIGHT ON IT, ONE'S MIND 20:25 NEEDS TO BE TRAINED. AND THE MIND IS TRAINED, OF 20:28 COURSE, THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND 20:31 EVIL. THEN, 1 CORINTHIANS 12:10 - IT'S 20:33 AN INTERESTING ONE - TALKING ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS. 20:36 ONE OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS IS THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS. 20:40 "THERE IS ANOTHER TO THE WORKING OF MIRACLES, TO ANOTHER 20:42 PROPHECY, TO ANOTHER DISCERNING OF SPIRITS" - OR SOMEONE WHO CAN 20:46 DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DIVINE AND COUNTERFEIT INSPIRATION. 20:50 SOMEONE - SOMEONE SAID TO ME ONE TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T 20:55 REALLY TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD BECAUSE I 20:57 DON'T HAVE THAT SPIRITUAL GIFT. THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS NOT 21:01 SUGGESTING THAT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE BETWEEN RIGHT AND 21:05 WRONG YOU NEEDED A SPIRITUAL GIFT IN ORDER TO DO THAT. 21:09 AS A CHRISTIAN, AND AS WE'RE TRAINING OUR MIND WITH THE WORD 21:12 OF GOD, OUR MIND IS TRAINED TO DISCERN. 21:15 ANYONE CAN DISCERN. GOD HAS ASKED US ALL TO DISCERN. 21:18 THIS SPIRITUAL GIFT SEEMS - THIS GIFT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT THAT 21:21 SEEMS TO - A PERSON CAN GRAB AHOLD OF SOMETHING PERHAPS A 21:25 LITTLE QUICKER MAYBE, OR SEE THE FAR-REACHING RESULTS OF A 21:29 DECISION - DECISIONS THAT ARE SOUGHT TO BE MADE AND THAT TYPE 21:33 OF THING. THE WISDOM OF GOD - THE WISDOM 21:37 OF GOD IS GIVEN TO US TO DISCERN FROM HIS WORD. 21:43 ONE DOESN'T NEED THE SPIRITUAL GIFT TO DISCERN BUT THERE IS A 21:46 SPIRITUAL GIFT - DISCERNING OF SPIRITS - DIFFERENTIATING 21:49 BETWEEN DIVINE AND COUNTERFEIT INSPIRATION. 21:51 OKAY, 1 CORINTHIANS 2:14 - WE'RE FINALLY THERE. 21:55 >>1 CORINTHIANS 2:14, "BUT THE NATURAL MAN RECEIVETH NOT THE 22:00 THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS UNTO HIM: 22:04 NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE 22:06 SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED." >>OKAY. 22:09 SO THE WISDOM OF GOD IS UNDERSTOOD ONLY BY THOSE WHO 22:11 PERMIT THEMSELVES TO BE TAUGHT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. 22:15 SPIRITUAL THINGS ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED, YOU UNDERSTAND. 22:19 SOMEBODY'S - IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR A PERSON THAT IS 22:22 UNCONVERTED - UNREGENERATE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT - TO DISCERN 22:25 BETWEEN GOD'S IDEAL AND WHAT ISN'T HIS IDEAL. 22:29 WHEN THE MIND IS REVIVED - WHEN THERE'S A REVITALIZATION OF THE 22:33 FACULTIES - WHEN THERE'S - WHEN WE'RE BORN AGAIN IT BECOMES 22:37 EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND DISCERN BETWEEN THE CLEAN AND THE 22:42 UNCLEAN, THE GOOD AND THE BAD. SO DISCERNMENT IN THE SCRIPTURES 22:48 IS A SKILL THAT ENABLES US TO DIFFERENTIATE. 22:52 IT'S THE ABILITY TO SEE ISSUES CLEARLY AND I WOULD SUBMIT THAT 22:56 WE DESPERATELY NEED TO CULTIVATE THIS SPIRITUAL SKILL THAT WILL 22:59 ENABLE US TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. 23:02 WE MUST BE PREPARED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN LIGHT AND 23:05 DARKNESS, BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR, FROM BEST AND BETTER, 23:11 BETWEEN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, FROM PURITY AND 23:14 DEFILEMENT AND PRINCIPLES FROM PRAGMATICS. 23:18 WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT. 23:20 HOW DO WE GAIN DISCERNMENT? I MENTIONED IT BEFORE - IN THE 23:23 BOOK 'CHILD GUIDANCE' PAGE 484 - WE'RE TOLD THE CONNECTION WITH 23:26 THE SOURCE OF WISDOM WILL GIVE LIGHT AND THE POWER OF 23:31 DISCERNMENT BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. 23:33 THOSE SO ENDOWED WILL BECOME MORALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY 23:36 STRONG AND WILL HAVE CLEARER VIEWS AND BETTER JUDGMENT EVEN 23:40 IN TEMPORAL AFFAIRS. NOW THAT'S PRETTY GOOD NEWS, 23:42 ISN'T IT? AS WE - AS WE BECOME BETTER 23:45 ACQUAINTED WITH GOD'S WORD AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE 23:47 BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE ISSUES 23:50 CLEARLY AND OUR DISCERNMENT WILL EVEN BE BETTER IN TEMPORAL 23:54 AFFAIRS. THAT'S GOOD NEWS - SOME OF US 23:57 COULD DO WITH SOME OF THAT OCCASIONALLY. 23:59 BUT THE ENEMY IS SEEKING TO BECLOUD DISCERNMENT OF GOD'S 24:03 PEOPLE AND WEAKEN - BY DOING SO - WEAKEN THEIR EFFICIENCY. 24:06 I'M READING - THAT'S FROM 'COUNCILS TO THE CHURCH' 24:08 PAGE 357. HOW DOES THE DEVIL SEEK TO 24:11 BECLOUD OUR DISCERNMENT? MAKE WHAT IS BLACK AND WHITE 24:17 GRAY. HOW DOES HE SEEK TO DO THAT? 24:19 THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS AND I'VE KIND OF COLLABORATED THESE 24:21 AS I WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE BOOKS OF ELLEN WHITE AND SHE 24:25 SAYS 'THE END OF THEIR PLEASURE-LOVING RUIN - LIFE IS 24:28 RUINED FOR THE WORLD AND THE WORLD TO COME.' 24:30 AND SHE'S TALKING ABOUT HOW DISCERNMENT IS WATERED DOWN WHEN 24:35 THE APPETITE - INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR AMUSEMENT IS NOT 24:39 SUPPRESSED, IS NOT CONTROLLED. SO THERE'S EXCESSIVE 24:43 ENTERTAINMENT THAT CAN BECLOUD THE DISCERNMENT. 24:47 SPEAKING OF NOAH'S DAY SHE SAYS, 'IN PROPORTION AS THE PEOPLE 24:49 RESISTED CONVICTION, THEIR DISCERNMENT WAS CLOUDED AND 24:52 THEIR DESIRE TO FOLLOW A COURSE OF UNGODLINESS STRENGTHENED.' 24:55 AND SO, WHEN A PERSON PUTS AWAY CONVICTION, DISCERNMENT BECOMES 24:58 CLOUDED AND IT BECOMES MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE 25:01 BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. ALSO, 'ANYTHING THAT LESSENS 25:05 PHYSICAL STRENGTH, ENFEEBLES THE MIND, MAKES IT LESS CAPABLE OF 25:11 DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG.' 25:13 SO ANYTHING THAT WEAKENS THE PHYSICAL BODY ENFEEBLES THE MIND 25:17 AND MAKES US LESS CAPABLE OF DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN RIGHT AND 25:20 WRONG. WE'VE BECOME LESS CAPABLE OF 25:22 CHOOSING THE GOOD AND HAVE LESS STRENGTH OF WILL TO DO THAT 25:25 WHICH WE KNOW IS RIGHT. INTERESTING. 25:29 SO WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL INDICATORS OF GENUINE REVIVAL? 25:32 THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT THE LESSON AUTHOR PUT. 25:35 WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL INDICATORS OF GENUINE REVIVAL? 25:38 WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF FALSE REVIVAL? 25:40 WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY? HOW CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE? 25:42 HOW CAN WE SEE THE DIFFERENCES CLEARLY? 25:45 WE ARE ON SUNDAY'S LESSON, 'GOD'S WILL AND HIS WORD.' 25:47 THAT WAS A BIG PREAMBLE, I KNOW, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BREEZE 25:50 THROUGH SOME OF THESE POINTERS HERE. ALRIGHT, SO ALL TRUE 25:54 REVIVAL IS BASED ON KNOWING GOD AND KNOWING HIS WILL, AMEN? 26:00 NOW, SIMPLY PUT, IN JOHN 17:13 - AND WE CAN TURN THERE - 26:04 JOHN 17:13. WE'LL USE THESE TEXTS AS OUR FOUNDATION 26:07 FOR OUR STUDY HERE THIS MORNING. JOHN 17:3, RATHER - JOHN 17:3 - 26:18 THIS IS JESUS' PRAYER TOWARD THE END OF HIS MINISTRY - THE 26:25 CLOSING SCENES OF HIS MINISTRY. JOHN 17:3 - JESUS PRAYS, 26:31 "AND THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE, THAT THEY MAY" - WHAT? - "KNOW YOU, 26:35 THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM YOU HAVE SENT." 26:39 OKAY, PSALMS 40, VERSE 8 - NOTICE WHAT IT SAYS. 26:42 IT SAYS, "I DELIGHT TO DO YOUR WILL, O MY GOD, AND YOUR LAW IS 26:49 WITHIN MY HEART." AND SO THE BASIS OF SPIRITUAL 26:55 REVIVAL IS KNOWING GOD AND DOING HIS WILL. 26:59 JESUS SAID THAT'S LIFE ETERNAL - THAT IS TO KNOW GOD THE FATHER 27:03 AND JESUS CHRIST, WHOM HE SENT. AND THE SPIRIT - THE ATTITUDE OF 27:06 A FOLLOWER OF GOD IS THAT THEY DELIGHT TO DO GOD'S WILL. WHY? 27:09 BECAUSE GOD'S LAW IS WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS, YOU UNDERSTAND. 27:14 EXPERIENCE - EXPERIENCE OVER DOING GOD'S WILL IS NOT A SIGN 27:21 OF GENUINE REVIVAL. WHEN A PERSON DESIRES THEIR - 27:25 DESIRES MORE EXPERIENCE - THEIR FOCUS IS ON EXPERIENCE OVER 27:30 DOING THE WILL OF GOD, YOU CAN BE PRETTY SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT 27:34 LOOKING AT, WITNESSING GENUINE REVIVAL. 27:36 THE HOLY SPIRIT NEVER GOES AGAINST GOD'S WORD. 27:40 IT LEADS US TO GOD'S WORD AND TO OBEY GOD'S WORD. 27:44 I WAS HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH A LADY - WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I 27:46 WAS INVOLVED IN SELLING CHRISTIAN BOOKS AND YOU MEET 27:50 LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND 27:53 IT'S A FUN THING VISITING WITH PEOPLE. I REMEMBER WE WERE 27:57 DOING - WE WERE WORKING IN BUSINESSES AND WE'D COME IN AS 28:01 STUDENTS AND SHARE OUR MATERIAL WITH THOSE THAT HAD A 28:03 LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND WERE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN US. 28:05 AND I ENDED UP IN A LITTLE BIBLE STUDY WITH A LADY AND IT WAS A 28:10 WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND - A GENUINE CHRISTIAN LADY - AND WE 28:14 WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND THE SUBJECT OF THE LAW 28:18 OF GOD CAME UP - DOING GOD'S WILL - AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE 28:24 LAW AND CERTAIN THINGS AND SHE STRUGGLED AND WRESTLED WITH ONE 28:28 OR TWO ISSUES WHEN IT CAME TO THE LAW OF GOD AND WHEN SHE WAS 28:32 CONFRONTED WITH THE LAW OF GOD'S CLAIMS - GOD'S CLAIMS ON HER 28:35 LIFE - SHE SAID TO ME, 'YOU KNOW WHAT? 28:38 WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND I'M GOING 28:40 TO PRAY AND IF THE HOLY SPIRIT TELLS ME THAT I NEED TO KEEP 28:44 THESE THINGS THEN I'M GLAD TO DO SO.' AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF - 28:49 I LEFT THERE AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'THAT'S KIND OF ODD. 28:51 GOD ALREADY TOLD - THE HOLY SPIRIT ALREADY TOLD HER.' 28:53 WHEN WE OPENED UP THE BIBLE, HE SPOKE, RIGHT THERE. 28:57 AND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING BACK TO CONNECT WITH HER AND SEE 29:01 HOW SHE WAS DOING AND WHAT SHE WAS THINKING AND HOW GOD WAS 29:04 LEADING HER AND SHE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT IF SHE WERE TO DO 29:08 THOSE THINGS IN THE LAW OF GOD IT WOULD MAKE HER FEEL 29:12 UNCOMFORTABLE. IT MADE HER FEEL KIND OF - SHE DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. 29:17 AND SO, THEREFORE, DETERMINED, BASED UPON HER FEELINGS, THAT IT 29:21 WASN'T NECESSARY TO DO. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REFERRING 29:24 TO HERE WITH REGARDS TO EXPERIENCE. 29:26 WHEN EXPERIENCE TRUMPS THE WORD OF GOD - WHEN ONE IS LOOKING FOR 29:30 SOME TYPE OF AN EMOTIONAL HIGH ABOVE DOING A PLAIN 'THUS SAYETH 29:35 THE LORD' - NOT TRUE REVIVAL. TRUE REVIVAL IS SEEN IN A 29:41 PERSON'S LIFE THAT IS WILLING TO DO GOD'S WILL AND WILLING TO 29:45 FOLLOW HIS PLAN FOR THEIR LIVES, YOU UNDERSTAND. 29:47 AND THIS KIND OF THINKING IS PREVALENT WITHIN CHRISTIANITY 29:53 AND, UNFORTUNATELY, CREEPING EVEN TO OUR CHURCH. 29:55 'IF IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT - IF IT MAKES ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE 29:57 THEN IT MUSTN'T BE OF GOD.' HANG ON A SECOND, IF WE HAVE A 30:00 'THUS SAYETH THE LORD' AND GOD SAYS 'THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO 30:03 DO AND IT'S FOR YOUR BEST INTEREST AND IT'S FOR YOUR GOOD' 30:06 THEN ISN'T IT SOMETHING WE OUGHT TO DO? 30:08 IF IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD OR NOT, GOD'S NOT INTERESTED IN 30:13 NECESSARILY HOW I FEEL, HE WANTS ME SAVED. 30:15 AND SO, WE JUST FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD NOT BASED UPON HOW WE 30:19 FEEL. WE NEED TO MEASURE OUR 30:21 EXPERIENCE BY THE WORD OF GOD. OURS IS A WALK OF FAITH NOT A 30:24 WALK OF WHAT FRIENDS? FEELING - IT'S NOT A WALK OF 30:27 FEELING. AND THAT'S GOOD NEWS. 30:31 THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCE - THEN MY EXPERIENCE 30:34 IS NOT DETERMINED BY THE FEELINGS I HAVE AT ONE POINT IN 30:40 THE DAY AND THE FEELINGS I HAVE AT ANOTHER POINT IN THE DAY. 30:42 YOU KNOW, IT'D BE LIKE BEING ON AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER 30:45 RIDE. I'M SPIRITUALLY HIGH - I'M NOT 30:48 FEELING LIKE JESUS IS NEAR ME RIGHT NOW. 30:50 I'M NOT FEELING FORGIVEN. AND THEN I'M FORGIVEN AND I'M 30:53 SAVED AND I HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT - AND THEN IT'S UP AND DOWN. 30:57 BASED ON MY FEELINGS I COULDN'T DETERMINE WHETHER I'M 31:01 TRULY LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE OR NOT. 31:04 THAT IS WHY WE LIVE BY FAITH. WE LIVE BY THE FAITH IN THE 31:07 PROMISES AND ASSURANCES OF GOD'S WORD. 31:10 IF I'VE ASKED JESUS TO BE NEAR ME IN MY LIFE, I'VE GIVEN HIM MY 31:13 LIFE, TURNED OVER MY HEART - OR AT LEAST SAID TO HIM, 'TAKE MY 31:16 HEART BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN GIVE IT. BUT TAKE MY HEART' - 31:19 AND HE HAS IT AND I'M WALKING WITH HIM, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW 31:23 I FEEL. BASED ON THE PROMISES AND ASSURANCES OF GOD'S WORD, 31:26 I CAN KNOW JESUS IS WITH ME. PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH THIS WHEN 31:29 IT COMES TO FORGIVENESS. 'I JUST DON'T FEEL FORGIVEN, 31:32 PASTOR.' WELL, IF YOU'VE CONFESSED YOUR 31:34 SINS AND FORSAKEN THEM, THE BIBLE SAYS, 'HE IS FAITHFUL AND 31:38 JUST TO FORGIVE YOU.' YOU DON'T NEED TO FEEL FORGIVEN, 31:41 YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE. 31:44 AND SO, WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY FEELING. 31:47 I NEED TO STICK WITH MY NOTES BECAUSE I'LL JUST TAKE OFF HERE. 31:49 ALRIGHT, SO IT'S GOOD NEWS. IT'S GOOD NEWS THAT WE DON'T 31:53 HAVE TO JUDGE OUR SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE BY HOW WE FEEL AT ANY 31:56 GIVEN TIME OF THE DAY. WE HAVE ROUGH DAYS. 31:58 WE HAVE EMOTIONS UP AND DOWN BUT WE CAN HAVE A STEADY WALK WITH 32:02 GOD WHEN WE WALK BY FAITH IN HIS WORD. 32:06 LET'S JUMP OVER TO PSALM 119 REAL QUICK. 32:09 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SEVERAL VERSES. 32:11 PSALM 119 - WHOA, TIME IS FLYING - PSALM 119 - AND WE'RE GOING TO 32:16 LOOK AT SEVERAL VERSES. THIS WAS IN YOUR LESSON - THESE 32:19 VERSES WERE ENCOURAGED TO LOOK AT AND I WANT TO GO THROUGH 32:22 THESE HERE WITH YOU. LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE BIBLE 32:24 BRINGS. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, 32:26 WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THE BIBLE BRINGS TO THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE. 32:30 LOOKING AT VERSE - WE'RE GOING TO JUMP OVER SEVERAL VERSES - 32:32 VERSE 25 TO BEGIN WITH - THE BIBLE SAYS, "MY SOUL CLINGS TO 32:37 THE DUST;" - IN OTHER WORDS, 'I'M DEEPLY MOURNFUL. 32:40 I'M DEEPLY SORROW - I'M IN DEEP SORROW' - "MY SOUL CLINGS TO 32:45 DUST; REVIVE ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD." 32:48 SO WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD BRING TO US ACCORDING TO THIS VERSE? 32:51 REVIVAL. BUT IN THIS SENSE, HIS SOUL CLINGS TO DUST - 32:55 HE'S SORROWFUL - SO WHAT DOES THE BIBLE BRING US? 32:57 JOY. IT BRINGS US JOY, YOU SEE. 33:00 PSALM - LOOK AT VERSE 28 - "MY SOUL MELTS FROM HEAVINESS; 33:04 STRENGTHEN ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD." 33:06 SO WHAT DOES THE BIBLE BRING? STRENGTH OR HEALING, SURE. 33:11 VERSE 49, "REMEMBER THE WORD TO YOUR SERVANT, UPON WHICH YOU 33:15 HAVE CAUSED ME TO HOPE." SO THE BIBLE BRINGS TO US WHAT, 33:19 FRIENDS? HOPE - HOPE IN GOD'S SALVATION 33:23 AND HIS PRESENCE AND HIS ENCOURAGEMENT. 33:26 LOOK AT VERSE 50, "THIS IS MY COMFORT IN MY AFFLICTION, FOR 33:29 YOUR WORD HAS GIVEN ME LIFE." SO WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD BRING? 33:34 LIFE AND COMFORT, YOU UNDERSTAND. 33:36 VERSE 67, "BEFORE I WAS AFFLICTED I WENT ASTRAY, BUT NOW 33:40 I KEEP YOUR WORD." SO WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD BRING? TRUTH. 33:45 GOD'S WORD BRINGS TRUTH - NOT SOMEONE'S OPINION - BUT GOD'S 33:49 WORD BRINGS TRUTH. VERSE 81, "MY SOUL FAINTS FOR 33:53 YOUR SALVATION, BUT I HOPE IN YOUR WORD." 33:56 AND SO WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD BRING THERE? 33:59 HOPE OR ASSURANCE - GENUINE ASSURANCE IN SALVATION. VERSE 34:05 105, "YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A LIGHT TO MY PATH." 34:08 THE WORD OF GOD BRINGS DIRECTION OR GUIDANCE, RIGHT. 34:12 PSALM 119:116, "UPHOLD ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD, THAT I 34:16 MAY LIVE; AND DO NOT LET ME BE ASHAMED OF MY HOPE." SO GOD'S 34:22 WORD BRINGS CONVICTION - IT BRINGS PURPOSE TO OUR LIVES. 34:26 VERSE 130, "THE ENTRANCE OF YOUR WORDS GIVES LIGHT; IT GIVES 34:30 UNDERSTANDING" - HERE'S A GOOD PROMISE - I LIKE THIS PROMISE - 34:33 "IT GIVES UNDERSTANDING TO THE SIMPLE." GOD'S WORD HELPS ME OUT 34:36 AND I'M SURE IT'S HELPED YOU OUT. IT BRINGS WISDOM AND IT 34:39 BRINGS DISCERNMENT. GOD'S WORD DOES THOSE THINGS AND 34:42 VERSE 154, "PLEAD MY CAUSE AND REDEEM ME; REVIVE ME ACCORDING 34:46 TO YOUR WORD." AND SO GOD'S WORD BRINGS LIFE OR 34:49 REVIVAL - POWER - YOU UNDERSTAND, FOR A NEW LIFE. 34:54 NOW JUMPING OVER TO 'THE GREAT CONTROVERSY' AGAIN, PAGE 464 - 34:58 IT SAYS, "IN MANY OF THE REVIVALS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED 35:01 DURING THE LAST HALF CENTURY" - AND THIS WOULD BE GOING BACK TO 35:05 THE LATE 19TH CENTURY - "THE SAME INFLUENCES HAVE BEEN AT 35:09 WORK TO A GREATER OR LESS DEGREE THAT WILL BE MANIFEST IN THE 35:12 MORE EXTENSIVE MOVEMENTS OF THE FUTURE." 35:15 SO WHAT WAS SEEN IN THE PAST IS GOING TO BE MANIFESTED TO 35:18 GREATER EXTENT HERE IN THE FUTURE - IN THESE FINAL DAYS. 35:21 LISTEN TO THIS - SHE SAYS, "THERE IS AN EMOTIONAL 35:24 EXCITEMENT - A MINGLING OF THE TRUE WITH THE FALSE THAT IS WELL 35:29 ADAPTED TO MISLEAD. YET NONE NEED BE DECEIVED. 35:32 IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE 35:35 THE NATURE OF THESE MOVEMENTS. 35:37 WHEREVER MEN NEGLECT THE TESTIMONY OF THE BIBLE, TURNING 35:40 AWAY FROM THOSE PLAIN, SOUL-TESTING TRUTHS, WHICH 35:43 REQUIRE SELF-DENIAL AND RENUNCIATION OF THE WORLD, 35:46 THERE MAY BE SURE THAT GOD'S BLESSING IS NOT BESTOWED. 35:51 AND, BY THE RULE WHICH CHRIST HIMSELF HAS GIVEN, 'YE SHALL 35:54 KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS.' IT IS EVIDENT THAT THESE 35:57 MOVEMENTS ARE NOT THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD." 35:59 SO WHERE YOU HAVE EMOTIONAL EXCITEMENT, MINGLING OF TRUE 36:02 WITH THE FALSE AND FOLK ARE NOT WILLING TO LIVE A LIFE OF 36:08 SELF-DENIAL AND RENOUNCE - SELF-RENUNCIATION OF THE 36:11 WORLD, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT GOD'S BLESSING IS NOT BESTOWED. 36:15 VERY CLEAR, ISN'T IT? EMOTIONAL EXCITEMENT REMINDS ME 36:18 OF SOMETHING THAT I READ RECENTLY. 36:20 I'M GOING TO - I'M GOING TO LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP HERE 36:22 REAL QUICKLY AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN ME. SOME OF YOU MAY BE 36:25 FAMILIAR WITH THE BOOK 'A TIME OF DEPARTING' BY AUTHOR 36:28 RAY YUNGEN, AND HE WRITES THIS ABOUT TODAY, 'PEOPLE ARE SEEKING 36:38 SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES THAT LEAVE BEHIND THE HUMDRUM OF DRY 36:42 INTELLECTUALISM AND STALE INSTITUTIONALISM. 36:46 THESE SEEKERS ARE QUICK TO JUMP ON A BANDWAGON THAT PROMISES 36:51 SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENT AND INNOVATION. 36:53 HE'S TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF ATTITUDES THAT ARE EVIDENT HERE 36:57 IN OUR DAY - WHAT WE EXPERIENCE AND WHAT WE SEE AROUND US. 37:02 AND WHAT IS LEADING PEOPLE TO EMBRACE A FALSE SPIRITUALITY. 37:07 SO THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE TIRED OF THE HUMDRUM DRY 37:10 INTELLECTUALISM - INSTITUTIONALISM - THEY'RE 37:12 SEEKING FOR SOMETHING REFRESHING AND INNOVATIVE. 37:15 SECONDLY, HE SAYS 'PEOPLE IN THE PAST GENERATIONS PUT UP WITH 37:18 LIFE'S FRUSTRATIONS WHEREAS TODAY WE SEE AN INCLINATION TO 37:23 SEEK OUT SEEMINGLY SURE-FIRE APPROACHES THAT PROMISE 37:26 CLEAR-CUT RESULTS.' WHERE DO YOU FIND THOSE? 37:29 IF YOU GO TO BOOKSTORES TODAY YOU JUST GO TO THAT SELF-HELP 37:33 SECTION AND YOU'VE GOT TONS AND TONS OF BOOKS THAT TEACH YOU HOW 37:37 TO IMPROVE YOURSELF AND HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. 37:40 VERY LITTLE OF IT - IF ANY OF IT - IS CENTERED ON GOD'S ABILITY 37:43 TO HELP YOU AND OUR GREAT NEED OF HIM, BUT THIS IS - THIS IS 37:47 THE WORLD WE LIVE IN WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T PUT UP WITH 37:50 FRUSTRATIONS ANYMORE, WE JUST - WE'RE LOOKING FOR A QUICK 37:53 SOLUTION, YOU KNOW, A FAST PROBLEM SOLVER, YOU SEE. 37:57 'OUR OWN ERA,' HE GOES ON TO SAY, 'HAS NURTURED A STRONG 38:00 RELIANCE ON PRAGMATISM. NO LONGER IS TRUTH DETERMINED BY 38:05 WHAT GOD HAS SAID TO BE TRUE, BUT RATHER BY WHAT WORKS, 38:10 WHAT'S PRACTICAL. THE QUESTION THAT DRIVES MANY TO 38:14 DETERMINE TRUTH IS, 'WILL IT MAKE ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF?' 38:21 HOWEVER,' HE SAYS, 'FOR THE CHRISTIAN, WE'RE NOT TO LIVE BY 38:24 WHAT FEELS GOOD, BUT RATHER BY WHAT IS GOOD.' 38:28 WE MUST STAND BY THE APOSTLE PAUL'S CAUTION IN THESSALONIANS 38:31 5, VERSE 21, "TEST ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD." 38:36 SO RAY YUNGEN IS CONCERNED WITH THE INFILTRATION OF THE NEW-AGE 38:41 MOVEMENT OR METAPHYSICS - THAT IS COMMONLY KNOWN TODAY AS 38:46 METAPHYSICS INTERCONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY. 38:49 ACCORDING TO THE MOVEMENT, THIS IS THE AGE IN WHICH WE'RE ALL 38:52 SUPPOSED TO REALIZE THAT MAN IS GOD OR GOD IS WITHIN AND BRING 38:58 US - BRING THIS RECOGNITION TO A MEANINGFUL REALITY. 39:01 THIS IS WHAT NEW AGE TEACHES - METAPHYSICS TEACHES. 39:05 IN THE BOOK, 'MISSION OF MYSTICISM' PAGE 6, AN OCCULTIST 39:08 SAID - AND OCCULT - THE WORD OCCULT JUST SIMPLY MEANS 39:11 'HIDDEN' - HIDDEN OR MYSTERIOUS. OCCULTISM IS DEFINED AS THE 39:15 SCIENCE OF MYSTICAL EVOLUTION. IT IS THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE 39:18 HIDDEN (OCCULT) MYSTICAL FACULTIES OF MAN TO DISCERN THE 39:23 HIDDEN REALITY OF NATURE. THAT IS, TO SEE GOD AS THE 39:27 ALL-IN-ALL. HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED? 39:33 HE EXPLAINS IT IN HIS BOOK AND HE'S DONE A LOT OF GREAT 39:35 RESEARCH AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I'M JUST 39:37 SKIMMING OVER THE SURFACE - THROUGH WHAT IS TERMED 'THE 39:40 SILENCE' - THROUGH WHAT IS TERMED 'THE SILENCE' OR THROUGH 39:44 CERTAIN MEDITATION PRACTICES. WHEREAS THE BIBLE ENCOURAGES 39:48 THOUGHTFUL MEDITATION, THIS TYPE OF MEDITATION ENCOURAGES YOU TO 39:52 EMPTY YOUR HEAD AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING. 39:57 THIS ALTERED STATE - IT'S AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS 40:01 THAT'S ACHIEVED THROUGH TWO THINGS - BREATHING EXERCISES, 40:05 WHERE THE ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE BREATH AND MANTRAS - A 40:11 REPEATED WORD OR PHRASE. THAT'S HOW YOU ACHIEVE THIS 40:15 ALTERED STATE. THE BASIC PROCESS IS TO FOCUS 40:18 AND MAINTAIN CONCENTRATION WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT 40:21 YOU'RE FOCUSING ON. THAT SOUNDS CONVOLUTED, I KNOW, 40:24 BUT THAT'S WHAT THE IDEA IS. THAT'S WHAT THE IDEA IS - YOU'RE 40:27 SUPPOSED TO BE - MAINTAIN CONCENTRATION WITHOUT THINKING 40:30 ON THE THING THAT YOU'RE FOCUSING ON. 40:32 BUT REPETITION ON A FOCUSED OBJECT IS WHAT TRIGGERS A BLANK 40:36 MIND. IT'S AN ALTERED STATE. 40:38 THIS IS MORE THAN PANTHEISM OR MONOTHEISM, WHICH SAYS 'ALL IS 40:44 GOD' - THIS IS PANANTHEISM, HE SUGGESTS, THAT GOD IS IN ALL 40:48 THINGS. GOD IS BOTH A PERSONALITY, AN 40:51 ALL-ENCOMPASSING SUBSTANCE AS OPPOSED TO GOD BEING IMPERSONAL. 40:55 GOD IS IN EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS IN GOD. 40:59 THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PANTHEISM AND PANANTHEISM 41:02 IS HOW GOD IS IN EVERYTHING. 41:04 AND SO, WE'RE DEALING WITH - IT'S A VERY INTERESTING THING HE 41:06 SUGGESTS - RAY YUNGEN ASSERTS THAT THESE PRACTICES ARE BEING 41:10 EMBRACED BY WHAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS 'THE YOGA OF THE WEST'. 41:15 CHRISTIANS EMBRACING EASTERN MYSTICISM. THE EMERGENT CHURCH 41:21 PHENOMENON - SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THE EMERGENT 41:24 CHURCH - A MOVEMENT THAT TEACHES PEOPLE HOW TO EXPERIENCE GOD - 41:29 ADOPTS THIS 'THE SILENCE'. AND YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF WORDS 41:34 LIKE 'CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER' OR 'CENTERING PRAYER'. IN ESSENCE, 41:41 THE SAME METAPHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF MEDITATION - OF THE NEW AGE 41:44 MOVEMENT - IS INCLUDED IN CHRISTIAN PRAYER: BREATHING 41:47 EXERCISES AND MANTRAS. BUT INSTEAD OF SAYING A CERTAIN 41:50 SECULAR WORD YOU WOULD SAY WORDS LIKE 'JESUS' OR 'LOVE' 41:55 OR SOMETHING THAT'S BIBLICAL, FOR EXAMPLE. 41:58 MR. YUNGEN SEES THAT EASTERN MYSTICISM CAME FROM INDIA TO 42:03 ALEXANDRIA TO THE DESERT FATHERS TO A FELLOW BY THE NAME OF 42:06 THOMAS MERTON AND CONTEMPORARIES - AND YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF 42:09 THESE INDIVIDUALS - RICHARD FOSTER AND BRENNAN MANNING. 42:13 BRENNAN MANNING, IN HIS BOOK 'THE SIGNATURE OF JESUS' WHICH 42:17 IS RELATIVELY NEW, TEACHES HOW TO SUSPEND YOUR THOUGHT. 42:20 THIS IS A CHRISTIAN PASTOR - TEACHER. 42:23 HE SAYS, 'THE FIRST STEP IN FAITH IS TO STOP THINKING ABOUT 42:26 GOD.' NOW, WHEN SOMEONE SAYS THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN TROUBLE. 42:30 'THE FIRST STEP IN FAITH IS TO STOP THINKING ABOUT GOD AT THE 42:35 TIME OF PRAYER.' HE GOES ON TO SAY, 'CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY 42:38 TENDS TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR CHANGE IN CONSCIOUSNESS. 42:41 WE MUST COME TO SEE REALITY DIFFERENTLY. 42:44 CHOOSE A SINGLE, SACRED WORD, REPEAT THE SACRED WORD INWARDLY, 42:48 SLOWLY AND OFTEN.' DID YOU KNOW THAT EVEN RICK WARREN IN HIS 42:50 BOOK 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE' ENCOURAGES 'THE SILENCE'? 42:54 HE DOESN'T CALL IT THAT BUT HE ENCOURAGES THIS - 42:57 THIS MANTRA-LIKE TYPE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER. 43:03 SO ANYWAY, I MEAN, I'M JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, BUT IF 43:06 YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK, YOU'VE GOT TO READ IT. 43:07 AND THERE ARE - THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER BOOKS THAT YOU PROBABLY 43:09 WANT TO GET YOUR HANDS ON: 'THE OMEGA APOSTASY' - I DON'T 43:12 REMEMBER WHO WROTE THAT - OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT'S 43:15 WRITTEN BY AN ADVENTIST - A PASTOR - AND HE TALKS ABOUT THE 43:19 - HOW THIS RESURGENCE OF EASTERN MYSTICISM, UNDER THE NEW-AGE 43:25 GUISE OF METAPHYSICS, IS CREEPING INTO THE ADVENTIST 43:28 CHURCH AND COULD POSSIBLY SIGNIFY THE OMEGA OF APOSTASY 43:31 THAT ELLEN WHITE WARNED US ABOUT THAT HAS ITS - HAD ITS 43:35 BEGINNINGS WITH PANTHEISM IN THE DAYS OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND 43:38 JOHN HARVEY KELLOGG. INTERESTING, BUT THE FOCUS HERE 43:43 IS ON THE EXPERIENCE AND EVERYTHING YOU READ FROM THESE 43:47 AUTHORS HAS LITTLE TO DO ABOUT OBEYING GOD'S WORD. 43:50 IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE. AND WE'RE IN A DAY AND AGE WHERE 43:53 THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT IS AN EXPERIENCE. 43:55 AND EVEN IF IT'S WITH GOD - IT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT WHAT DOES THAT 43:58 MEAN? 'I WANT AN EXPERIENCE WITH GOD. 44:00 I WANT A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD'? I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE 44:03 IRS AND IT'S A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, BUT I DON'T OFTEN 44:05 LIKE THEM. MAYBE THEY DON'T LIKE ME 44:07 AT TIMES. WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP. 44:09 I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH - WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH 44:11 INDIVIDUALS - MAYBE WE WOULD EVEN CLASS THEM AN ENEMY - 44:14 THAT'S A RELATIONSHIP. BUT WHEN WE SAY WE WANT A 44:16 RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? 44:19 WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO HERE. 44:21 A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD - WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SAVING 44:24 RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, RIGHT? A SAVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. 44:28 A RELATIONSHIP THAT LEADS US TO OBEDIENCE, LEADS US TO DOING 44:31 GOD'S WILL - NOT MY OWN WILL AND NOT MY OWN WAY. 44:34 WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, I GOT STUCK ON THAT ONE BIG TIME, BUT 44:37 MONDAY - LET'S JUMP OVER TO MONDAY, 'GOD'S LOVE AND HIS 44:40 LAW'. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 44:42 GOD'S LAW AND THE IDEA OF REVIVAL. 44:48 BY THE WAY, WHERE THERE IS THE DISCOVERY OF GOD'S WILL AS 44:51 REVEALED IN HIS WORD, THERE IS SEEN TRUE REVIVAL. 44:53 AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JESUS - LOOK AT THE LIFE OF 44:57 JESUS. THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE OF A TRULY 44:59 REFORMED LIFE. HE WAS DRIVEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT 45:05 AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REVIVAL, THINK JESUS - THINK HIS 45:09 LIFE - AND THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE PRODUCES, YOU SEE. 45:12 ALRIGHT, 'GOD'S LOVE AND HIS LAW'. 45:15 I HAVE A VERSE - 1 JOHN 4:7, 8 - WHO'S GOT THAT? 45:18 OKAY, STACY'S GOT THAT. FANTASTIC. 45:21 WE'RE GOING TO BE OVER IN 1 JOHN SO LET'S GO OVER THERE. 45:23 1 JOHN CHAPTER 2, WE'RE GOING TO START HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF 45:33 YOU'RE AWARE BUT BACK IN 1856, AND I HAVE TO SHARE THIS PRETTY 45:36 QUICKLY, IN 1856, OCTOBER 9, IN THE 'REVIEW AND HERALD' 45:40 JAMES WHITE CHALLENGED THE PREVAILING VIEW OF THEN 45:44 SABBATH-KEEPING ADVENTISTS THAT BELIEVED THAT THE CHURCH - 45:48 THEIR CHURCH - WAS THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU 45:50 LOOK AT THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION 2 AND 3? 45:53 OF COURSE THEY WERE LITERAL CHURCHES EXPERIENCING THOSE REAL 45:55 ISSUES IN THEIR CHURCHES WHETHER GOOD OR BAD, BUT THEY ALSO 45:58 REPRESENT THE PERIODS OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY THROUGHOUT 46:01 TIME, FROM THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES TO THE END OF TIME. 46:06 AND EARLY SABBATH-KEEPING ADVENTISTS BELIEVED THAT THEIR 46:10 EXPERIENCE REPRESENTED THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA. 46:13 JAMES WHITE CHALLENGED THAT THINKING AND SUGGESTED THAT 46:16 PERHAPS WE WERE, INSTEAD, THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA. 46:19 FROM NOVEMBER 1856 THROUGH 1857, 348 ITEMS APPEARED IN THE 46:24 'REVIEW AND HERALD' TALKING ABOUT THE LAODICEAN MESSAGE. 46:29 IT'S THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH THAT THINKS IT'S GOT ITS ACT 46:31 TOGETHER BUT JESUS IS ON THE OUTSIDE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR 46:34 TRYING TO GET IN, YOU SEE. AND IN ANY CASE, OVER A PERIOD 46:39 OF MONTHS - PEOPLE HAD EMBRACED THE MESSAGE FOR A GOOD YEAR, BUT 46:42 OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS PEOPLE'S MEMORY FADED - THE MESSAGE FADED 46:46 AS WELL. IN THE BOOK VOLUMES - 46:49 'TESTIMONIES TO THE CHURCH VOLUME 1' PAGES 158 TO 184, 46:53 ELLEN WHITE DESCRIBES THE PLAN OF THE REVIVAL WAS TO CULMINATE 46:58 IN THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS BUT IT DIDN'T. 47:01 PAGES 185 TO 195 - 185 TO 195 - SHE DELINEATES THE DECLINE. 47:07 WHAT DOES SHE SAY? SHE SAYS, 'AS THE POWERFUL WORK 47:10 ACCOMPLISHED - IT FAILED - THE MESSAGED FAILED TO ACCOMPLISH 47:13 THE POWERFUL WORK IN A SHORT TIME AND MANY LOST THE EFFECT OF 47:17 THE MESSAGE.' SO BECAUSE IT DIDN'T BRING ABOUT 47:20 THE DESIRED RESULTS IN A SHORT TIME, PEOPLE JUST KIND OF GOT 47:23 LETHARGIC AND THE MESSAGE JUST ROLLED OFF. WHY? 47:27 'BECAUSE OF THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS' - THESE ARE THINGS 47:29 THAT SHE SAID - 'BECAUSE THEY WERE MOVED FROM FEELING, NOT 47:32 FROM PRINCIPLE AND FAITH, BECAUSE THEY WERE FOUND - THEY 47:35 FOUND THE MESSAGE STRUCK DIRECTLY AT SOME CHERISHED IDOL, 47:38 BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO CLOSELY EXAMINE THEMSELVES, 47:42 BECAUSE THEIR PRIDE, THEIR LOVE TO FOLLOW THE FASHIONS OF THE 47:45 WORLD, THEIR VAIN AND EMPTY CONVERSATIONS, AND BECAUSE OF 47:47 THEIR SELFISHNESS.' BASICALLY, THE REVIVAL FAILED 47:51 BACK THEN BECAUSE THE ACCOMPANYING REFORMATION 47:54 REQUIRED MORE THAN THEY WERE WILLING TO GIVE. 47:58 AND REVIVAL WILL FAIL EVERY TIME WHEN WE REALLY RECOGNIZE - TRULY 48:02 RECOGNIZE WHAT REFORMATION IS REQUIRED OF THE LIFE - WHAT GOD 48:05 EXPECTS FROM US, BY HIS GRACE, OF COURSE. 48:08 AND OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ARE CONFRONTED WITH THAT - JESUS - 48:11 THE DISCIPLES WERE CONFRONTED WITH THAT. JESUS HAD TALKED 48:14 ABOUT THE FACT THAT HIS WORD WAS - HIS WORD WAS SPIRIT AND LIFE 48:18 AND PEOPLE, IN ORDER TO EMBRACE THAT, IT WAS GOING TO REQUIRE 48:22 A LIFE OF SACRIFICE AND CHALLENGE AT TIMES. 48:25 WE'RE TOLD IN JOHN CHAPTER 6, THE AUTHOR JOHN RECORDS THAT 48:30 MANY LEFT JESUS THAT DAY NEVER TO FOLLOW HIM AGAIN. 48:34 IT WAS A SAD DAY AND HE TURNED TO HIS DISCIPLES AND HE SAID, 48:37 'WILL YOU GO AWAY AS WELL?' AND THEY SAID - PETER SAID - 48:39 FIRST TO SPEAK, OF COURSE - 'WHERE WOULD WE GO, LORD? 48:42 WHERE WOULD WE GO? I MEAN, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAS 48:44 THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.' BUT SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE 48:48 CONFRONTED WITH WHAT CHRISTIANITY REALLY MEANS, THEY 48:52 LEAVE AS FAST AS THEY COME IN. IT REQUIRES SELF-DENIAL, 48:55 RENUNCIATION OF THE WORLD, REMOVAL OF SIN FROM THE LIFE. 48:59 AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN 1850S - OUR CHURCH WASN'T 49:02 ORGANIZED AT THAT TIME, BUT WITH THE EARLY PIONEERS THEY - THE 49:07 MESSAGE - THEY JUST COULDN'T MAKE THE CHANGES THAT THE 49:10 MESSAGE REQUIRED, YOU UNDERSTAND. 49:13 LISTEN TO THIS QUOTE, 'GREAT CONTROVERSY' PAGE 478, "IT IS 49:15 ONLY AS THE LAW OF GOD IS RESTORED TO ITS RIGHTFUL 49:18 POSITION THAT THERE CAN BE A REVIVAL OF PRIMITIVE FAITH AND 49:22 GODLINESS AMONG HIS PROFESSED PEOPLE." 49:24 SO THE LAW OF GOD NEEDS TO BE EXALTED AND ELEVATED TO ITS 49:26 RIGHTFUL POSITION BEFORE A REVIVAL OF A PRIMITIVE FAITH AND 49:30 GODLINESS IS WITNESSED AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE. 49:33 SO THE ANSWER TO OUR DILEMMA LIES IN THE RESTORATION OF THE 49:36 LAW OF GOD TO ITS RIGHTFUL POSITION. 49:39 THAT'S WHY WE MAY NOT BE SEEING REVIVAL LIKE WE WISH WE WERE. 49:42 THE LAW OF GOD IS NOT WHERE IT SHOULD BE. 49:44 NOT AS A MEANS OF SALVATION, BECAUSE THE LAW OF GOD IS 49:48 POWERLESS TO SAVE, AMEN? IT CANNOT SAVE US BUT, AS A 49:53 MEASURE OF THE EFFICACY OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST IN THE LIFE, IF 49:58 WE FIND OURSELVES FALLING SHORT OF THE STANDARD IN OUR LIVES 50:01 FROM TIME TO TIME, IT MAY BE BECAUSE WE'VE NEGLECTED TO 50:04 APPROPRIATE THE GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST. 50:08 SO 1 JOHN 2:3 AND 6, LET'S READ THIS TOGETHER AND THEN WE'VE GOT 50:12 1 JOHN 4:7 AND 8. NOTICE WHAT IT SAYS, "NOW BY 50:15 THIS WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW HIM," - WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE? 50:19 WHAT DID JESUS SAY? 'THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL THAT THEY 50:21 MIGHT KNOW YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM THOU 50:23 SENT.' "NOW BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE 50:26 KNOW HIM IF WE" - DO WHAT? - "KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. 50:29 HE WHO SAYS, 'I KNOW HIM,' AND DOES NOT KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, 50:32 IS A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM. 50:34 BUT WHOEVER KEEPS HIS WORD, TRULY THE LOVE OF GOD IS 50:37 PERFECTED IN HIM. BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN 50:40 HIM. HE WHO SAYS HE ABIDES IN HIM 50:42 OUGHT HIMSELF ALSO TO WALK JUST AS HE WALKED." 50:46 OKAY, WE'LL COME OVER TO 1 JOHN 4:7 AND 8. 50:52 >>"BELOVED, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE IS OF GOD; AND 50:56 EVERYONE THAT LOVETH IS BORN OF GOD AND KNOWETH GOD. 50:59 HE THAT LOVETH NOT KNOWETH NOT GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE." 51:04 >>SO GENUINE REVIVAL RESULTS IN A CHANGED LIFE, CORRECT? 51:08 THE HEART OF REVIVAL IS NOT A WARM SENSATION OF FEELING WITH 51:11 JESUS, IT IS A TRANSFORMED LIFE FILLED WITH THE JOY OF SERVING 51:15 JESUS, IS WHAT OUR AUTHOR SAYS IN THE QUARTERLY. 51:19 SO GENUINE REVIVAL IS THE RESULT OF CHANGED LIFE. 51:22 ALRIGHT, TUESDAY, 'FORMALISM, FANATICISM, AND FAITH'. 51:30 TWO CHALLENGES TO REVIVAL, OF COURSE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY 51:34 ARE, BREAKING THROUGH DEAD FORMALISM AND AVOIDING EMOTIONAL 51:37 FANATICISM. THOSE ARE TWO DITCHES WE NEED TO 51:41 AVOID IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK. FORMAL RELIGION FOCUSES ON 51:44 EXTERNALS - FOCUSES ON ALL THE CORRECT BEHAVIOR AND THAT'S 51:50 WHERE THE FOCUS LIES, PRIMARILY. FANATICISM GOES TO EXTREMES AND 51:55 PERHAPS FOCUSES ON ONE ASPECT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 51:59 CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ONE OF BALANCE AND OUR MESSAGE IS BALANCED. 52:06 WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JESUS - SOMEONE COULD ASK THE QUESTION, 52:09 'WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, JESUS' DEATH OR HIS RESURRECTION?' 52:12 WHICH ONE IS IT? WELL THAT'S RIGHT. 52:16 BOY, YOU GUYS ARE INTELLIGENT, I'M TELLING YOU. 52:18 YOU COULD COME UP HERE DEFINITELY. BOTH. 52:23 WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT, THE HEART OR THE BRAIN? 52:25 I MEAN, THEY'RE BOTH VERY VITAL. WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, JESUS' 52:29 BIRTH OR HIS HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRY IN HEAVEN? BOTH. 52:34 WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, JESUS LIFE OR JESUS' ASCENSION? 52:40 THEY'RE BOTH AS IMPORTANT AS EACH OTHER. 52:43 OUR GOSPEL WE PRESENT MUST BE WELL ROUNDED. 52:46 EVERYTHING IS VITAL TO OUR SALVATION. 52:48 JESUS' BIRTH, JESUS' LIFE, JESUS' DEATH, JESUS' 52:52 RESURRECTION, JESUS' ASCENSION, JESUS' HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRY, 52:55 JESUS IS COMING BACK. ALL OF THAT IS A COMPLETE - 52:59 PRESENTED - ALL OF THAT PRESENTED SHOULD BE - SHOULD BE 53:02 PRESENTED AS A COMPLETE GOSPEL - NOT A HALF GOSPEL, NOT A PARTIAL 53:06 GOSPEL. SO THIS IS THE CHALLENGE. 53:09 JESUS HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT CHALLENGE IN HIS DAY WITH THE 53:11 PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES. PHARISEES WERE DEAD FORMALISTS. 53:16 HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE BUT YOU'RE 53:18 FULL OF DEAD MEN'S BONES. YOU CLEAN THE CUP ON THE OUTSIDE 53:22 BUT IT'S FILTHY ON THE INSIDE.' AND SO JESUS HAD TO DEAL WITH 53:25 THE CHALLENGES OF A PEOPLE WHOSE LIPS PRAISED HIM BUT THEIR 53:29 HEARTS WERE FAR FROM HIM, YOU UNDERSTAND. 53:32 I GAVE EPHESIANS 4:14 TO SOMEBODY. 53:35 WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE READ THAT. MICHAEL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 53:38 EPHESIANS 4:14 AND THIS IS GOD'S DESIRE FOR HIS PEOPLE. 53:43 THE SADDUCEES, IN JESUS' DAY, DIDN'T BELIEVE IN MIRACLES, THE 53:47 RESURRECTION, FOR EXAMPLE. THEIR RELIGION, PRIMARILY, WAS 53:51 BASED ON EMOTIONALISM AND SO JESUS HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE TWO 53:56 EXTREMES IN HIS MINISTRY. EPHESIANS 4 AND VERSE 14. 54:00 >>EPHESIANS 4:14, "THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, 54:04 TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT WITH EVERY WIND OF 54:08 DOCTRINE, BY THE TRICKERY OF MEN, IN THE CUNNING CRAFTINESS 54:12 OF DECEITFUL PLOTTING." >>SO GOD'S DESIRE FOR EACH ONE 54:16 OF US IS THAT WE WOULD NO LONGER BE FLIP-FLOPPING CHRISTIANS - 54:20 THAT WE WOULD BE STEADY - THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN EVEN KEEL, 54:23 SO TO SPEAK, IN OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 54:26 I'M GOING TO CLOSE HERE WITH A QUOTE THAT I FOUND. 54:30 IT'S IN THE DEVOTIONAL BOOK 'THIS DAY WITH GOD' AND IT 54:33 ANSWERS THE QUESTION, 'HOW CAN WE FIND TRUE BALANCE IN OUR 54:36 EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS?' HERE IT IS: 'WE ARE FORMING 54:40 CHARACTERS FOR HEAVEN. NO CHARACTER CAN BE COMPLETE 54:43 WITHOUT TRIAL AND SUFFERING. WE MUST BE TESTED. 54:47 WE MUST BE TRIED. CHRIST BORE THE TEST OF 54:50 CHARACTER ON OUR BEHALF THAT WE MIGHT BEAR THIS TEST IN OUR OWN 54:55 BEHALF THROUGH THE DIVINE STRENGTH HE HAS BROUGHT TO US. 54:58 CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE IN PATIENCE, IN FORBEARANCE, IN 55:03 MEEKNESS, IN LOWLINESS OF MIND. HE WAS AT VARIANCE AND AT WAR 55:09 WITH THE WHOLE UNGODLY WORLD YET HE DID NOT GIVE WAY TO PASSION 55:13 AND VIOLENCE MANIFESTED IN WORDS AND ACTIONS, ALTHOUGH RECEIVING 55:17 SHAMEFUL ABUSE IN RETURN FOR GOOD WORKS. HE WAS AFFLICTED. 55:21 HE WAS REJECTED AND SPITEFULLY TREATED, YET HE RETALIATED NOT. 55:25 HE POSSESSED SELF-CONTROL, DIGNITY AND MAJESTY. 55:29 HE SUFFERED WITH CALMNESS AND FOR ABUSE GAVE ONLY COMPASSIONED 55:33 PITY AND LOVE. IMITATE YOUR REDEEMER IN THESE THINGS. 55:38 DO NOT GET EXCITED WHEN THINGS GO WRONG. 55:40 DO NOT LET SELF RISE AND LOSE YOUR SELF-CONTROL BECAUSE YOU 55:43 FANCY THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SHOULD BE. 55:46 BECAUSE OTHERS ARE WRONG IS NO EXCUSE FOR YOU TO DO WRONG. 55:50 TWO WRONGS WILL NOT MAKE ONE RIGHT. 55:52 YOU HAVE VICTORIES TO GAIN IN ORDER TO OVERCOME AS CHRIST 55:55 OVERCAME. CHRIST NEVER MURMURED, NEVER 55:58 UTTERED DISCONTENT, DISPLEASURE OR RESENTMENT. 56:02 HE WAS NEVER DISHEARTENED, DISCOURAGED, ROUGH OR FRETTED. 56:06 HE WAS PATIENT, CALM, AND SELF- POSSESSED UNDER THE MOST 56:09 EXCITING AND TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES. 56:11 ALL HIS WORKS WERE PERFORMED WITH A QUIET DIGNITY AND EASE 56:15 WHATEVER COMMOTION WAS AROUND HIM. 56:17 APPLAUSE DID NOT ELATE HIM. HE FEARED NOT THE THREATS OF HIS 56:20 ENEMIES, HE MOVED AMID THE WORLD OF EXCITEMENT, OF VIOLENCE AND 56:23 CRIME AS THE SUN MOVES AMONG THE CLOUDS. 56:26 HUMAN PASSIONS AND COMMOTIONS AND TRIALS WERE BENEATH HIM. 56:29 HE SAILED, LIKE THE SUN, ABOVE THEM ALL YET HE WAS NOT 56:32 INDIFFERENT TO THE WOES OF MEN. HIS HEART WAS EVER-TOUCHED WITH 56:36 THE SUFFERINGS AND NECESSITIES OF HIS BRETHREN AND, AS THOUGH 56:40 HE HIMSELF WAS THE ONE AFFLICTED. 56:43 HE HAD A CALM, INWARD JOY - A PEACE WHICH WAS SERENE. 56:47 HIS WILL WAS EVER SWALLOWED UP IN THE WILL OF HIS FATHER, 'NOT 56:51 MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE' WAS HEARD FROM HIS PALE, QUIVERING 56:55 LIPS.' TALK ABOUT AN EVEN-KEELED EXPERIENCE. 57:00 ISN'T THAT THE EXPERIENCE WE WANT? SO AS WE CLOSE HERE 57:04 TODAY, REMEMBER THAT TRUE REVIVAL IS ALL ABOUT KNOWING GOD 57:08 AND DOING HIS WILL, OBEYING HIS WORD, KEEPING AN EVEN KEEL, 57:14 FOCUSING ON MINISTRY AND NOT NECESSARILY MIRACLES AND 57:19 EXPERIENCING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN OUR LIVES. 57:22 THIS IS EVIDENCE OF A TRUE REVIVAL. 57:28 WE ALSO, AS WE CLOSE, WANT TO REMIND OUR VIEWERS AND LISTENERS 57:32 TO CALL IN FOR THE SPECIAL OFFER - FREE OFFER - 'HOLY SPIRIT THE 57:35 NEED' - OFFER #723. YOU CAN CALL 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 57:40 1-866-788-3966 TO RECEIVE THIS SPECIAL OFFER. 57:46 GOD BLESS YOU TODAY AND ALWAYS AS WE SEEK TO LIVE A LIFE THAT 57:51 IS EVEN KEELED, A LIFE OF REVIVAL AND REFORMATION IN THE 57:55 SPIRIT OF THE LORD, AMEN. 57:58 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17