Participants: Pr. Harold White
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021338
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:48 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:51 WHEREVER YOU ARE, AND HOWEVER YOU'RE JOINING US, 00:54 WE WELCOME YOU TODAY. AND, ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A WARM 00:59 WELCOME FOR YOU BECAUSE IN SACRAMENTO TODAY IT'LL BE 95 01:04 DEGREES - VERY HOT. I THINK THAT TRANSLATES TO MAYBE 01:07 35 DEGREES CELSIUS. SO NO MATTER THE SEASON WHERE 01:11 YOU ARE, WITH SONG AND SERVICE THIS MORNING, WE WELCOME YOU 01:15 WITH OPEN ARMS. SO LET'S SING. I HOPE YOU HAVE YOUR HYMNALS. 01:20 OUR FIRST SONG THIS MORNING IS HYMN #469 - 01:23 'LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS'. 01:26 NOW TODAY WE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN REQUESTS FROM 01:29 97 COUNTRIES, AMEN? THIS IS WONDERFUL. 01:35 SO, 'LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS' THIS MORNING COMES AS A 01:38 REQUEST FROM CANADA - ROSE IN CANADA, MANFRED IN GERMANY, 01:49 MANY, MANY, MANY OTHER PEOPLE - MPROBABLY A PART OF THOSE 01:52 97 COUNTRIES. SO THIS MORNING WE'LL SING THE FIRST, SECOND 01:57 AND THIRD STANZAS - 'LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS'. 02:00 (MUSIC) 04:01 >>AMEN. NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE THE 98TH COUNTRY, SEND US 04:07 A NOTE AT 'WWW.SACCENTRAL.ORG' - 'SACCENTRAL.ORG' - IF YOU CLICK 04:15 ON THE 'CONTACT US' LINK AND SEND IN ANY HYMN - OLD OR NEW - 04:21 FROM OUR HYMNAL, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU. OUR NEXT SONG, 04:25 IF YOU'VE BEEN WITH US ANYWHERE WITHIN THE PAST YEAR IS NUMBER 04:32 69 - WE'RE MOVING OUR WAY THROUGH THE HYMNAL AND 04:35 WE'RE ALREADY ON 69. THIS IS A VERY LOVELY SIMPLE 04:41 AMERICAN NEGRO SPIRITUAL AND IT READS JUST LIKE A PRAYER. 04:46 NOW THIS WEEK - THIS PAST WEEK - COMMEMORATED MARTIN LUTHER 04:50 KING'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON. IT WAS THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY 04:54 AND - WITH HIS 'I HAVE A DREAM' SPEECH - AND WE'VE COME SO FAR 04:59 SINCE THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA, BUT WE STILL HAVE SO FAR TO GO. 05:03 AND I CAN JUST IMAGINE THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS FIFTY YEARS AGO 05:08 SINGING THIS SONG ASKING FOR STRENGTH, ASKING FOR PEACE ON 05:13 THEIR MARCH TO FREEDOM. AND AS I WAS READING IT THIS 05:17 MORNING, IT PARALLELS OUR WALK WITH GOD. 05:22 I IMAGINE US SINGING THIS SONG - AS WE SING THIS SONG THIS 05:25 MORNING, THINK OF HOW MUCH - HOW FAR YOU'VE COME IN YOUR WALK, 05:32 BUT HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO UNTIL JESUS COMES AGAIN. 05:36 SO LET'S SING HYMN #69 - WE'LL SING ALL FOUR STANZAS. 05:42 (MUSIC) 07:26 >>AMEN. LET'S PRAY. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK 07:32 THAT YOU MAKE US MORE HUMBLE. WE ASK THAT YOU MAKE US MORE 07:37 LOVING, MORE FAITHFUL, MORE LIKE YOU. 07:43 THROUGH DEATH AND DISASTER AND CONFUSION AND CRAZINESS IN THIS 07:46 WORLD, SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT WE DO HAVE YOU AND THAT WE DO 07:49 HAVE A HOPE THAT WE COULD HOLD ON TO AND ACTIVELY PRAY FOR 07:55 UNTIL YOU COME AGAIN. SO AS WE STUDY AND WORSHIP TODAY 08:02 AND AS WE STUDY IN WORSHIP THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, LORD, WE 08:05 ASK TO ALWAYS GIVE US A STILL SMALL VOICE TELLING US TO TURN 08:11 THE OTHER CHEEK. WE ASK THAT YOU FILL OUR LIPS 08:14 WITH PRAISE AND TO THANK YOU WHEN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT 08:18 MORE DESIRE TO BE HUMBLE AND WE JUST THANK YOU. 08:25 WE ADORE YOU AND WE LOVE YOU FOR ALL OF THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU 08:28 HAVE GIVEN US AND WILL GIVE US. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. 08:37 >>GOOD MORNING. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING. 08:40 THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE GOD. 08:44 BEAUTIFUL DAY, BEAUTIFUL TIME TO BE ALIVE. GOD IS GOOD, RIGHT? 08:48 WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER TO SHARE WITH YOU, #723 AND YOU WILL KNOW 08:54 BEFORE THIS LESSON'S OVER THAT THIS IS A GOOD BOOK THAT WE ALL 08:58 SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE IT IS ENTITLED 09:00 'HOLY SPIRIT: THE NEED'. WE'LL DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND 09:05 BEFORE THE LESSON'S OVER THAT WE ALL NEED MORE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 09:09 IN OUR LIVES, THAT'S FOR SURE. NOW, WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG. 09:13 WE'RE ON #12 OF THIS QUARTER AND IT'S ENTITLED 'REFORMATION: 09:17 HEALING BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS'. LET US READ - IF YOU WOULD JOIN 09:23 ME PLEASE - OUR MEMORY TEXT FOUND IN ROMANS 5:10 THERE IN 09:28 YOUR QUARTERLY. READY? "FOR IF WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES WE 09:34 WERE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON, MUCH MORE, 09:40 HAVING BEEN RECONCILED, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE." 09:45 SO, IF THERE'S EVER A LESSON AND IT IS PRACTICAL, IT IS THIS ONE. 09:51 I HEARD SOMEONE RECENTLY COMPLAINING ABOUT - THIS WAS IN 09:55 ANOTHER CHURCH A LONG WAYS AWAY FROM HERE - BUT THEY WERE 09:58 COMPLAINING ABOUT, 'OH, I JUST NEVER HEARD ANY MESSAGES THAT 10:01 WERE REAL PRACTICAL FOR EVERY DAY LIVING.' 10:03 WELL, BELIEVE ME, THIS IS A PRACTICAL LESSON FOR EVERY DAY 10:07 LIVING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS. 10:12 MAYBE THERE ISN'T A MORE RELEVANT TOPIC WITHIN THE CHURCH 10:15 THAN THIS ONE, FOR WHO AMONG US HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A BROKEN 10:25 WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED BECAUSE, JUST LIKE OUR MEMORY 10:28 TEXT REMINDS US THIS MORNING, THAT MANKIND IS IN NEED OF BEING 10:33 RECONCILED TO GOD BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS BROKEN RELATIONSHIP 10:36 WITH GOD - IT ALL STARTED 6,000 YEARS AGO OR SO. 10:41 AND IT SAYS WE NEED TO BE RECONCILED TO HIM BECAUSE WE ARE 10:48 HIS ENEMIES. THAT SOUNDS AWFUL, DOESN'T IT? 10:51 YOU ARE AN ENEMY TO GOD? 10:53 WELL, MOST OF US PROBABLY DON'T THINK WE'RE ENEMIES TO GOD. 10:56 WHAT MAKES A PERSON AN ENEMY TO GOD? 10:59 WELL, IT COMES BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE. 11:02 IF WE'RE NOT FOR SOMETHING WE'RE AGAINST IT, RIGHT? 11:05 IF WE'RE NOT FOR THE TOTAL WORD OF GOD, SOMEHOW WE'RE AGAINST 11:08 IT, THAT DOES MAKE US ENEMIES AND ADAM AND EVE GOT THE BALL 11:13 ROLLING BACK THERE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN WHEN THEY DISOBEYED AND 11:17 THEY FOUND THEMSELVES IN NEED OF RECONCILIATION. 11:21 WHEN THEY DISOBEYED THEY HID FROM GOD. 11:25 AND YOU KNOW HOW THEY HID FROM GOD, RIGHT? 11:27 THEY WENT AND FOUND SOME FIG LEAVES. 11:29 NOW, HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER PICKED FIGS? 11:31 THEY'RE - THE LEAVES ON A FIG TREE ARE ABOUT THE ITCHIEST 11:35 THINGS YOU CAN THINK OF. THEY KEEP YOUR ARMS ITCHING FOR 11:38 A LONG TIME. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AN AWFUL 11:40 THING TO TRY AND HIDE BEHIND FIG LEAVES. 11:43 SO ANYTIME WE TRY TO HIDE FROM PROBLEMS OR WITH GOD ESPECIALLY, 11:48 THERE'S ALWAYS SOME UNPLEASANT RESULTS. 11:51 CAMOUFLAGE - YOU KNOW ALL THE ARMIES IN THE WORLD WEAR A 11:54 CAMOUFLAGED MATERIAL OR CLOTHING. WHY? 11:59 BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HIDE FROM THE ENEMY. 12:01 THAT'S WHAT ADAM AND EVE TRIED TO DO WITH GOD. 12:09 MANKIND WHEN WE DO SOMETHING WRONG. 12:10 WE SOMETIMES WANT TO HIDE FROM GOD. 12:13 BUT DOES THAT WORK? YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD, CAN WE? 12:16 BUT EVEN IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITIONS, SUCH AS - THE LESSON 12:21 POINTS OUT - RIGHT AFTER THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE AT PENTECOST 12:26 - AND WAS THAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE? 12:27 I MEAN PENTECOST WAS ONE OF THE MOST - MOST LIVE EXPERIENCE OF 12:35 GOD'S PRESENCE AMONG HIS PEOPLE FOR THEY HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR 12:40 DAYS AND POURING OUT THEIR HEARTS TO GOD, COMING INTO UNITY 12:45 - AND THEY EXPERIENCED A UNITY THAT THEY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED 12:48 BEFORE - THESE BELIEVERS - AND GOD'S SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT UPON 12:52 THEM AND THOUSANDS WERE BEING CONVERTED TO THE GOSPEL. 12:58 BUT THEN, STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS VERY SOON DEVELOPED. 13:07 IMAGINE THAT. SUCH AN EXPERIENCE THAT THEY 13:10 WERE HAVING AND BEFORE LONG THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH EACH 13:14 OTHER IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. SO WE NEED NOT BE SURPRISED IF 13:19 THIS HAPPENS IN THE CHURCH FROM TIME TO TIME. 13:22 WE MAY DESPERATELY TRY TO AVOID IT BUT THERE IS A MASTER ENEMY 13:25 THAT IS AT WORK FULL TIME - 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK TRYING 13:30 TO BRING BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD'S PEOPLE. 13:33 DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 13:34 ALL THE TIME - WORKING HARD AT IT - BECAUSE IF HE KNOWS HE CAN 13:37 DO THAT, HE'S GOING TO HAVE SOME GOOD SUCCESS IN OTHER AREAS. 13:41 NOW BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR LESSON THIS MORNING, THE THOUGHT 13:45 STRUCK ME AND I BELIEVE THERE IS ONE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT IF 13:48 EACH OF US APPLIED FULLY TO OURSELVES, STRAINED 13:54 RELATIONSHIPS MIGHT NOT TAKE PLACE. 13:56 NOW YOU MIGHT BE THINKING OF A TEXT THAT WOULD APPLY TO WHAT I 13:59 JUST SAID AND THERE'S PROBABLY SEVERAL, BUT THE ONE THAT I AM 14:02 THINKING OF IS FOUND IN PHILIPPIANS 2:3, WHERE IT SAYS 14:06 THIS: "LET NOTHING BE DONE THROUGH STRIFE OR VAINGLORY; 14:11 BUT IN LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH ESTEEM OTHERS 14:15 BETTER THAN THEMSELVES." WHEW, THAT'S A HARD SAYING. 14:21 HOW CAN YOU ESTEEM SOMEBODY BETTER THAN YOU WHEN YOU KNOW 14:24 THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T EVER DO? 14:29 WELL, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STOP AND THINK YOU DO SOME THINGS 14:31 MAYBE THAT THEY DON'T DO, RIGHT? WE ALL FALL SHORT. 14:35 WE ALL ARE SINNERS. NOW THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE 14:37 TO ADDRESS ISSUES, FOR SURE. OF COURSE, THERE ARE THOSE WHO 14:41 HAVE A DISTORTED PICTURE OF THIS KIND OF TEXT, THINKING TO 14:45 THEMSELVES, 'I AM WORSE THAN DIRT. 14:48 I NEED TO EAT WORMS. I AM SO LOWLY' - THAT'S A 14:52 DISTORTED PERVERSION OF THIS TEXT. 14:57 THE REAL CONCEPT OF ESTEEMING OTHERS BETTER THAN OURSELVES IS 15:02 BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST CAN OFTEN SWAY TOO FAR 15:05 FROM THEIR STRIVING TO THINKING THEY ARE DOING BETTER THAN 15:08 OTHERS BECAUSE YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO IT IS SO EASY TO SEE THE 15:12 FAULTS IN OTHER PEOPLE, RIGHT? IT'S VERY EASY. 15:16 IT'S EASIER TO SEE THOSE FAULTS THAN SOMETIMES IN OURSELVES. 15:19 AND WHEN WE SEE THESE GLARING FAULTS, ISN'T IT HARD TO THINK 15:23 THAT YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEY ARE? EASY, ISN'T IT? SURE. 15:29 BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE SHOULD DO. 15:30 SO, MOST STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS START BECAUSE - THEY START TO 15:38 FEEL THE STRAIN BECAUSE ONE OR BOTH PARTIES FEEL BETTER THAN 15:42 THE OTHER. WELL, THE LESSON MENTIONED THAT 15:45 THE FOCUS OF THE WEEK WOULD BE ON RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS. 15:49 BEFORE WE CAN RESTORE RELATIONSHIPS, WE HAVE TO 15:51 UNDERSTAND WHY RELATIONSHIPS BREAK DOWN, WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF 15:57 IT SOMETIMES? AND THIS KIND OF THING. 16:00 SO WE'LL FIND OUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE LESSON. 16:03 SUNDAY'S IS ENTITLED 'FROM FRACTURED TO FRIENDSHIP' AND THE 16:06 EXAMPLE OF THE STRIFE THAT EXISTED BETWEEN PAUL AND 16:09 BARNABAS IS GIVEN. 16:11 THE STRIFE CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN WORKING 16:14 WITH THEM, HIS NAME WAS MARK OR JOHN MARK, AND HE KIND OF LEFT 16:19 THEM IN THE LURCH AND PAUL DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT. 16:23 YOU KIND OF GET THE IDEA THAT PAUL WAS A NO NONSENSE KIND OF 16:27 GUY, DON'T YOU, AS YOU READ HIS WRITINGS? 16:29 NO NONSENSE TYPE OF GUY AND IF THIS YOUNG MAN CAN'T DO BETTER 16:34 THAN THAT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ROOM FOR HIM IN THE MINISTRY AND 16:39 SO PAUL AND BARNABAS KIND OF SPLIT UP - SPLIT THEIR WAYS - 16:44 AND BARNABAS, EVIDENTLY, HE COULD SEE SOMETHING IN THIS 16:48 YOUNG MAN HE WASN'T GOING TO GIVE UP ON. NOW THE STORY HAS 16:52 A HAPPY ENDING, BUT WHAT MADE IT THIS WAY? 16:56 WHAT MADE IT WAS - THE HAPPY ENDING - BECAUSE MARK, 16:59 EVIDENTLY, OVER TIME PROVED HIMSELF AS A WORTHY DEDICATED 17:05 WORKER FOR GOD AND PAUL WAS ABLE THEN, FINALLY, TO SEE THAT. 17:10 AND SO PAUL AND BARNABAS PATCHED UP THEIR - THEY RECONCILED THEIR 17:14 RELATIONSHIP AND THEY WENT ON TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER. 17:18 BUT WHAT IF IT HADN'T BECOME SO APPARENT TO PAUL THAT THIS WAS 17:20 THE CASE? WOULD THE DIFFERENCE OF FEELINGS 17:23 BETWEEN PAUL AND BARNABAS PROBABLY CONTINUE TO EXIST? 17:26 WE DON'T KNOW, BUT LIKELY. SO, ONE THING WE CAN BEGIN TO 17:32 SAY THIS MORNING IS TO BRING RECONCILIATION BETWEEN TWO 17:37 PEOPLE, RIGHTING SOME KIND - MAKING RIGHT SOME KIND OF 17:41 SHORTCOMINGS WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN. 17:45 IF YOU KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG, LET'S MAKE IT RIGHT AND 17:49 THEN MAYBE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET SOMEPLACE AND THE ISSUE OF THE 17:54 STRIFE WAS MARK AND PAUL'S OPINION OF HIM NOT BEING 17:58 DEPENDABLE. NOW, AT LEAST ONE OF THE PARTIES 18:01 IN THIS STRIFE HAD TO BE WILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND WORK 18:04 WITH IT, WHICH I GIVE MORE CREDIT TO BARNABAS IN THIS AREA 18:08 THAN I DO PAUL. BUT BARNABAS WAS WILLING TO KEEP 18:12 WORKING WITH JOHN MARK. MAYBE HE KNEW HIM BETTER THAN 18:15 PAUL DID, I DON'T KNOW, BUT HE KEPT - HE HAD THE WILLINGNESS TO 18:18 CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THIS YOUNG MAN. 18:21 I THINK, PROBABLY - THERE IS PROBABLY IN ALL OF US A LITTLE 18:26 BIT OF THIS NO NONSENSE KIND OF ATTITUDE. 18:29 IF SOMETHING IS RIGHT, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IT'S RIGHT AND SO 18:33 FORTH AND LET'S DON'T HAVE ANY NONSENSE AND SO FORTH AND IT 18:36 EXISTS IN ALL OF US AND SOMETIMES WE CAN SHOW SIGNS OF 18:41 INTOLERANCE IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL. 18:43 I KNOW I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE AND IT CAN BE HUMBLING. 18:47 YOU KNOW, THIS SONG WE JUST SANG - I'M ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT 18:50 RELUCTANT TO SING 'LORD, MAKE ME HOLY - HUMBLE', I MEAN OR 18:55 'HUMBLE ME O LORD'. GOD HAS WAYS OF HUMBLING US, 18:58 BELIEVE ME. I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO 19:01 PRAY ABOUT IT. GOD HAS WAYS OF DOING THAT, BUT 19:04 YES WE SHOULD BE HUMBLE. WE SHOULD PROBABLY PRAY ABOUT 19:06 IT, I SUPPOSE, BUT GOD CAN DO THAT. 19:10 IF YOU HAVE A STRAINED RELATIONSHIP AND YOU ARE WILLING 19:13 TO REALLY EXAMINE YOURSELF AND ASK GOD TO HELP YOU TO DO THIS 19:18 SO THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY PART OF THE 19:21 PROBLEM THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, THEN THAT IS A HUGE POINT. 19:26 BUT PROBABLY, MOST OFTEN IN STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW 19:30 HOW IT GOES: 'I'M RIGHT, THE OTHER PERSON'S WRONG. 19:34 I KNOW IT. I KNOW YOU'RE WRONG. I KNOW SHE'S WRONG. 19:37 IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.' NOW EVEN IF ONE PERSON IS MORE 19:42 TO BLAME THAN THE OTHER, WHICH I SAY, AGAIN, THIS CASE PROBABLY 19:46 HAD TO BE PAUL. THANK GOD FOR BARNABAS. 19:49 HE DIDN'T DEEPEN THE STRIFE, BARNABAS DIDN'T DEEPEN THE 19:53 STRIFE BY ARGUING OVER THE MATTER, BUT WORKED WITH THE 19:56 SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE CHANGES 19:59 THAT WERE NECESSARY. I WANT TO BE QUICK TO POINT OUT 20:02 THAT THIS WASN'T A PROBLEM AS SERIOUS AS SOME BECOME IN THE 20:06 CHURCH. SOME PROBLEMS GET MUCH BIGGER 20:10 THAN THIS AND OVER ISSUES OF MORALITY AND DOING THINGS RIGHT 20:13 VERSUS DOING THINGS WRONG. YOU KNOW, OUR SENIOR PASTOR 20:17 PREACHED A SERMON ONE DAY AND THIS CHURCH PROBABLY BROUGHT 20:20 MORE DISAFFECTION TO HIM THAN ANY OTHER SERMON. 20:23 HE COULD HAVE PREACHED FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND NEVER 20:25 PREACHED ON THAT SUBJECT. HE COULD HAVE FOUND LOTS OF 20:29 THINGS TO PREACH ABOUT OTHER THAN THAT SUBJECT, BUT HE HAD 20:34 THE CONVICTION FROM GOD TO PREACH THE TRUTH ABOUT THAT 20:36 SUBJECT. EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT MAKE SOME 20:39 PEOPLE UPSET, RIGHT? NOW PREACHERS SHOULDN'T BE IN 20:43 THIS WORK TO BE PART OF A - YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE LIKED BY 20:48 EVERYBODY. IT'S NOT JUST SOME CONTEST TO BE LOVED BY 20:52 EVERYBODY. SO, SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU HAVE TO DRESS WRONG, 20:55 IT BRINGS YOU AN ENEMY. THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT GOES. 20:59 I'VE BEEN IN THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS BEFORE AND I'VE TRIED 21:02 TO TAKE THE LOW ROAD, EVEN APOLOGIZING, YOU KNOW, THE BEST 21:06 I CAN BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN SOMEBODY IS REALLY OUT TO 21:11 ACCUSE YOU AND REBELLIOUSLY CAUSE PROBLEMS BY CONTINUING TO 21:16 DO SOMETHING WRONG, THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. 21:19 BUT THAT WAS NOT THIS SITUATION. PAUL AND BARNABAS HAD A SIMPLE 21:23 DISAGREEMENT OVER THIS YOUNG MAN. 21:27 RECONCILIATION, THOUGH, IS STILL THE GOAL IN ALL OF BROKEN 21:31 RELATIONSHIPS. WOULD YOU AGREE TO THAT? 21:34 RECONCILIATION. NOW, BEFORE WE GO TO MONDAY, I 21:37 WANT TO SHARE ANOTHER EXAMPLE FROM THE BIBLE TO SHOW A 21:40 DIFFERENCE BECAUSE NOT ALL PROBLEMS ARE THE SAME, WE KNOW. 21:46 I'M TALKING ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISAAC AND REBEKAH. 21:50 REMEMBER THAT RELATIONSHIP? THERE MIGHT NOT BE A MORE 21:54 ROMANTIC STORY IN ALL THE BIBLE THAN ISAAC AND REBEKAH. 21:59 THINK ABOUT IT, ISAAC WAS A YOUNG MAN THAT WAS WILLING TO 22:03 ALLOW HIS FATHER TO SACRIFICE HIM BECAUSE GOD SAID SO. 22:08 THAT'S HOW WILLING AND LOVING AND HOW MUCH HE WAS DEDICATED 22:12 TO GOD. NOW, IT CAME TIME FOR HIM TO 22:16 THINK ABOUT MARRIAGE AND ABRAHAM, HIS FATHER, SAID, 22:18 'I DON'T WANT HIM JUST MARRYING ANY OLD LADY, I WANT SOMEBODY 22:21 SPECIAL FOR HIM THAT WILL BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF HEAVEN. 22:24 SO HE SENT HIS SERVANT TO HIS HOMELAND TO FIND - SEE IF HE 22:28 COULD FIND A MARRIAGE PARTNER FOR HIS SON. 22:33 WHAT A TASK TO GIVE A SERVANT, BUT HE WENT ON IT. 22:36 AND WE KNOW THE STORY. IT WAS A REMARKABLE STORY. 22:39 HE FOUND REBEKAH. REBEKAH WAS A WONDERFUL 22:42 YOUNG LADY. THINK ABOUT HER SITUATION. 22:45 HERE SHE WAS, SHE HEARD THE STORY, SHE SAW THE HAND OF GOD 22:49 LEADING AND GUIDING AND, 'YES, I WILL LEAVE MY FAMILY, MOST 22:55 LIKELY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE - NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN - TO MARRY 23:00 THIS MAN I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.' 23:04 SUPPOSE HE LOOKED LIKE A TOAD. NO, HE DIDN'T - HE DIDN'T. 23:08 BUT THIS WAS GOD'S LEADING AND SHE WAS WILLING TO GO WITH THE 23:11 SERVANT TO BE MARRIED TO THIS MAN CALLED ISAAC. 23:17 NOW I RECOUNT ALL THAT TO HELP US REALIZE HOW COMMITTED AND 23:22 DEDICATED THESE TWO YOUNG PEOPLE WERE - AMAZINGLY SO. 23:25 AND LISTEN TO PART OF THE STORY ONE COULD SAY WAS MORE THAN AN 23:29 AMAZING ROMANTIC NOVEL. GENESIS 24, STARTING WITH VERSE 63. 23:34 GENESIS 24, VERSE 63 SAYS, "AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE IN 23:41 THE FIELD AT THE EVENTIDE; AND HE LIFTED HIS EYES, AND SAW, 23:46 AND, BEHOLD, THE CAMELS WERE COMING. 23:48 AND REBEKAH LIFTED UP HER EYES, AND WHEN SHE SAW ISAAC, SHE 23:52 LIGHTED OFF THE CAMEL." JUST THINK OF THAT. 23:54 IF THIS WAS A MOVIE, THE MUSIC WOULD CHANGE, IT WOULD BE MORE 23:57 EXCITING AND THE CAMERAS WOULD PAN OUT AND PAN IN AND, OH BOY, 24:02 MAYBE EVEN GO DOWN IN SLOW MOTION WATCHING THESE TWO YOUNG 24:04 PEOPLE COME TOWARDS EACH OTHER - WHEW. 24:07 THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY, "FOR SHE HAD SAID UNTO THE SERVANT, 'WHAT 24:13 AND THE SERVANT SAID, 'IT IS MY MASTER:' THEREFORE SHE TOOK A 24:17 VEIL AND COVERED HERSELF. AND THE SERVANT TOLD ISAAC ALL 24:21 THINGS THAT HE HAD DONE. AND ISAAC BROUGHT HER INTO HIS 24:24 MOTHER SARAH'S TENT, AND TOOK REBEKAH, AND SHE BECAME HIS 24:28 WIFE; AND HE LOVED HER: AND ISAAC WAS COMFORTED AFTER HIS 24:32 MOTHER'S DEATH." DID GOD EVER BRING THESE TWO 24:37 PEOPLE TOGETHER? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 24:39 GOD BROUGHT THESE TWO PEOPLE INTO A FANTASTICALLY WONDERFUL 24:44 RELATIONSHIP, BOTH DEDICATED TO GOD ABSOLUTELY, UNTIL, 24:52 UNTIL THEY HAD CHILDREN. OH, AND SO MANY PEOPLE HEARING 25:00 THAT CAN RELATE. BOY, THINGS WERE REALLY 25:03 DIFFERENT AFTER WE GOT SOME CHILDREN. 25:05 MAYBE NOT SO WHEN THEY WERE BABIES, BUT BY THE TIME THEY 25:07 BECAME TEENAGERS, THINGS CHANGED IN OUR HOME AND EVEN IN OUR 25:11 RELATIONSHIP AS HUSBAND AND WIFE. 25:14 CHILDREN DO BRING SOME CHANGES, DO THEY NOT? 25:17 AND IN THIS HOME, IT BROUGHT SOME CHANGES. 25:22 GENESIS CHAPTER 25, VERSES 27 AND 28 GIVES US AN IDEA OF SOME 25:27 OF THE STRAIN THAT WOULD BE BROUGHT UPON THIS MARRIAGE 25:30 RELATIONSHIP. LISTEN, "AND THE BOYS GREW: AND 25:33 ESAU WAS A CUNNING HUNTER, A MAN OF THE FIELD; AND JACOB WAS A 25:37 PLAIN MAN, DWELLING IN TENTS. AND ISAAC LOVED ESAU, BECAUSE HE 25:42 DID EAT OF HIS VENISON: BUT REBEKAH LOVED JACOB." 25:47 TENSION OVER WHO WAS THE PRIVILEGED CHILD AND WHO WOULD 25:52 GET THE BIRTHRIGHT, BELIEVE ME, BROUGHT SOME TENSIONS TO THIS 25:59 RELATIONSHIP - THIS WONDERFULLY FINE CHRISTIAN, DEVOTED COUPLE 26:05 HAD SOME PROBLEMS OVER THAT ISSUE, LET ME TELL YOU. 26:09 AND HERE IS ONE - HERE IS THE THING - SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN 26:13 THE RELATIONSHIP WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN PAUL AND BARNABAS. 26:16 IN THIS RELATIONSHIP, YOU CAN'T JUST GO OFF - YOU'RE NOT 26:21 SUPPOSED TO ANYWAY - GO OFF IN THIS DIRECTION WHILE THE OTHER 26:24 ONE GOES OFF IN THAT DIRECTION CONTINUING TO LIVE YOUR LIVES 26:28 LIKE PAUL AND BARNABAS DID. NO, IN A MARRIAGE, YOU HAVE 26:31 COMMITTED TO BE TOGETHER THROUGH THICK AND THIN - 26:36 FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE. SO YOU'RE JUST NOT SUPPOSED TO 26:40 RUN AWAY WHICH, UNFORTUNATELY IS HAPPENING QUITE OFTEN THESE 26:45 DAYS, BUT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. SO IN A MARRIAGE 26:49 RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE MIND SET THAT WHEN - 26:54 AND THEY WILL - WHEN PROBLEMS COME UP - THEY WILL, RIGHT? 27:00 THEY WILL - I KNOW, I'VE BEEN MARRIED 45 YEARS. 27:03 WE SURVIVED THEM ALL, THANK GOD, BUT THEY WILL COME UP. 27:07 RECONCILIATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. 27:12 IF IT ISN'T THE MAIN NAME OF THE GAME, THEN YOU WILL FIND WHAT 27:15 MANY MARRIED COUPLES ARE DOING - BAILING OUT - GOING THEIR 27:18 OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. NOW, EVIDENTLY, ISAAC AND REBEKAH 27:23 FOUND ENOUGH RECONCILIATION TO LAST A LIFETIME, BECAUSE WE 27:28 DIDN'T FIND THEM PARTING, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. 27:33 THEY STAYED TOGETHER. SO PRAISE GOD THEY DID. 27:36 IN ALL RELATIONSHIPS WE SHOULD BE COMMITTED TO RECONCILIATION 27:40 IF THE NEED ARISES, ESPECIALLY IN A MARRIAGE. 27:44 THE APOSTLE PAUL WOULD HAVE US CONSIDER, IN THE BOOK OF 27:47 EPHESIANS, WHERE HE SAYS, 'BE YE ANGRY' - YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE 27:51 ANGRY - 'BUT SIN NOT. LET NOT THE SUN GO DOWN UPON 27:54 YOUR WRATH.' AND HOW MANY YOUNG COUPLES - OR 27:57 COUPLES OF ANY AGE - HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A COUNSELOR, 'WHENEVER 28:01 YOU HAVE PROBLEMS DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOUR WRATH? 28:06 HERE'S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.' THAT'S A PERFECT IDEAL. 28:09 PAUL WOULD ALWAYS GIVE US THE IDEAL, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT 28:13 WON'T WORK IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE SOME OF US ARE 28:17 NOT JUST MADE THAT WAY. 28:18 IN SOME MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIPS, FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE IT'S THE MAN, 28:23 MAYBE IT'S THE WOMAN, THE MAN SAYS, 'YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WANT. 28:25 I WANT TO GET THIS SETTLED BEFORE WE GO TO BED TONIGHT.' 28:28 AND THE WIFE MIGHT SAY, 'THAT'S NOT HOW I WORK. 28:32 I NEED TO LET THIS STEW A LITTLE BIT. 28:34 I NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS. THEN WE CAN TALK AGAIN. 28:38 SO, YEAH, IT'S AN IDEAL MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL SHOOT FOR, BUT IT 28:41 DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK THAT WAY AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS MANY DIFFERENT 28:44 WAYS TO TRY TO APPROACH RECONCILIATION. 28:48 WELL, WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO MONDAY - 'FROM SLAVE TO SON'. 28:52 THE TITLE, ITSELF, THROWS OUT A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE, 28:56 DOESN'T IT? SLAVE - JUST THE WORD SLAVE - 28:59 IS SLAVERY A GOOD THING? SLAVERY IS A BAD THING. 29:04 NEVER SHOULD BE - NOBODY SHOULD EVER BE A SLAVE. 29:07 WE ARE ALL SLAVES TO SIN. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT. 29:11 BUT WE CAN BE SET FREE FROM THAT, WE ALSO ARE TOLD. 29:15 SO NOBODY SHOULD BE A SLAVE IN THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT SLAVERY. 29:18 AND THE STORY ON MONDAY, OF COURSE, IS ONE OF ONESIMUS WHO 29:23 WAS A RUNAWAY SLAVE WHO MET PAUL. AND THIS RUNAWAY SLAVE 29:29 RAN AWAY FROM A MAN BY THE NAME OF PHILEMON, WHO PAUL ALSO KNEW. 29:34 SO PAUL GAVE HIM INSTRUCTIONS TO PHILEMON HOW HE SHOULD TREAT 29:37 THIS MAN AND HE SHOULDN'T TREAT THEM THE WAY MOST PEOPLE TREATED 29:40 SLAVES BACK IN THOSE DAYS, VERY ROUGH AND AWFUL. 29:44 HE TOLD HIM HE SHOULD TREAT HIM AS AN EQUAL. 29:47 NOW THAT WAS - THAT WAS AN AMAZING THING. 29:50 AND, PROBABLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON WE COULD GET 29:53 OUT OF THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE LESSON IS HOW PAUL 29:57 APPROACHED PHILEMON OVER THIS SERIOUS, SERIOUS ISSUE. 30:01 WOULD WE ALL AGREE THAT SLAVERY IS A SERIOUS ISSUE? 30:05 SURE IT IS. SO HE DIDN'T COME OUT AND SAY, 30:08 'SLAVERY IS AWFUL. HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK OF SUCH 30:12 A THING?' NO, HE DID IT MUCH DIFFERENT 30:14 THAN THAT AND IT BROUGHT ABOUT THE RIGHT RESULTS. 30:18 HE WORKED AS KINDLY AND LOVINGLY AS HE COULD WITH PHILEMON AND 30:22 PHILEMON, EVIDENTLY, WAS A GOOD CHRISTIAN MAN. 30:25 HE ACCEPTED PAUL'S ADMONITION AND THERE WAS RECONCILIATION. 30:28 THIS SLAVE THEN BECAME LIKE A SON TO THIS MASTER. 30:34 IT'S ALMOST AN OVERWHELMING EMOTION TO WANT TO SET SOMEONE 30:38 STRAIGHT ON AN ISSUE, BUT THAT ISN'T HOW PAUL APPROACHED IT. 30:45 FROM SLAVE TO SON IS A HUGE CONCEPT BECAUSE OF WHERE WE ALL 30:48 FIND OURSELVES AS SLAVES. NOW I KNOW TO BE CALLED - I KNOW 30:55 THERE WERE SO-CALLED SLAVE OWNERS IN THAT TIME THAT WERE 30:58 GOOD PEOPLE AND THEY ACTUALLY TREATED THEIR SLAVES KINDLY AND 31:04 - LIKE THE CENTURION. HE MUST HAVE BEEN A WONDERFUL 31:07 MAN BECAUSE HE WANTED JESUS TO COME HEAL HIS SLAVE - HIS 31:13 SERVANT - AND HE EVEN SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVEN WORTHY 31:20 ENOUGH, JESUS, FOR YOU TO COME INTO MY HOUSE BUT JUST SPEAK THE 31:23 WORD AND MY SERVANT WILL BE HEALED.' 31:26 JESUS HEALED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS A GOOD MAN. 31:29 HE TURNED THIS MAN AROUND TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LISTENING - THE 31:32 JEWISH PEOPLE - AND SAID, 'I HAVE NOT FOUND SUCH GREAT FAITH 31:35 - NO NOT IN ALL OF ISRAEL.' AND OOOH, THAT'S GOT TO STING A 31:38 LITTLE BIT OF YOU'RE AN ISRAELITE, BECAUSE YOU PRIDE 31:41 YOURSELF IN HAVING FAITH IN GOD, BUT THERE WERE SLAVE OWNERS THAT 31:47 ACTED MUCH LIKE THE CENTURION - SOME OF THEM - A FEW OF THEM, 31:51 PROBABLY. MUCH LIKE A GOOD EMPLOYER TREATS 31:55 THEIR EMPLOYEES. NOT ONLY WITH KINDNESS, BUT 31:58 SOMETIMES EVEN WITH LOVE. A LOT OF EMPLOYERS LOVE THEIR 32:02 EMPLOYEES. BUT BEING A SLAVE IN THE TRUEST 32:06 SENSE OF THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF IT IS AN AWFUL PLIGHT FOR MOST 32:09 PEOPLE FINDING THEMSELVES IN THAT PREDICAMENT. 32:13 THERE PROBABLY ISN'T A PERSON WHO HASN'T HEARD THE STORY AT 32:15 ONE TIME OR ANOTHER - PROBABLY THE MOST FAMILIAR SLAVE STORY 32:20 WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN CIRCLE BUT IT'S WORTH REPEATING AGAIN THIS 32:23 MORNING BECAUSE OF ONE ASPECT TO IT. 32:27 THIS PARTICULAR YOUNG SLAVE WAS BROUGHT TO THE AUCTION BLOCK AND 32:32 HE WAS A YOUNG MAN IN THE FULL VIGOR OF MANHOOD AND STOUT AND 32:39 STRONG - MUSCLES BULGING ALL OVER AND SO THE AUCTIONEER KNEW 32:42 HE WOULD GET A GOOD PRICE OUT OF THIS YOUNG MAN. 32:46 AND SO THE BIDDING BEGAN - IT WAS VERY ACTIVE - MANY PEOPLE 32:49 BIDDING AND BIDDING AND WANTING TO BUY THIS SLAVE. 32:54 THIS SLAVE HAD A LOOK ON HIS FACE OF SUCH ANGER AND 'I DON'T 32:59 CARE WHO GETS ME. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET 33:01 ANYTHING OUT OF ME. I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH THEY 33:03 WHIP ME.' THAT'S THE LOOK HE HAD ON HIS 33:05 FACE AND, FINALLY, THE GAVEL COMES DOWN. 33:09 SOMEBODY HAS BID THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR THIS SLAVE. 33:14 AND HE COMES FORWARD, AS THE SLAVE BELIEVES, TO GATHER HIM 33:19 AND TAKE HIM HOME AND HE BELLIGERENTLY SAYS, 33:21 'YOU CAN TAKE ME AWAY, YOU CAN WHIP ME, YOU 33:24 CAN BEAT ME BUT I WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. 33:26 I WILL NOT BE YOUR SLAVE. I WILL NOT DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. 33:29 I WILL NOT BE YOUR SLAVE.' AND THE MAN SAID TO THE SLAVE, 33:33 HE SAID, 'I BOUGHT YOU NOT TO BE MY SLAVE, BUT I BOUGHT YOU TO 33:37 SET YOU FREE.' AND THE SLAVE COULDN'T BELIEVE 33:41 HIS EARS AND THE MAN HAD TO SAY IT AGAIN, 'I BOUGHT YOU NOT TO 33:46 BE MY SLAVE BUT I BOUGHT YOU TO SET YOU FREE.' 33:49 AND AT THAT THE SLAVE FELL DOWN AT THE MAN'S FEET AND SAID, 33:53 'I WILL SERVE YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.' 'I WILL SERVE YOU 33:57 FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE BECAUSE YOU SET ME FREE. 34:00 YOU'RE TREATING ME WITH SUCH LOVE AND KINDNESS AND 34:02 COMPASSION.' THAT'S HOW GOD TREATS US, 34:05 ISN'T IT? AMEN. 34:08 AND AS HE TREATS US THAT WAY, HE DOESN'T SET US FREE TO GO OUT 34:12 AND DO OUR OWN THING THE WAY WE WANT TO DO OUR THING, BUT WE 34:16 HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE THE ONE WHO SET US FREE. 34:19 ISN'T THAT RIGHT? YES WE DO. 34:22 SLAVE TO SON - WHAT A CONCEPT. FROM SLAVE TO SON. 34:25 THAT'S WHERE WE ALL ARE, WE'RE SLAVES. 34:27 BUT, NO, BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST WE ARE SONS OF GOD. 34:31 WHEW, THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING, ISN'T IT? 34:35 SO PAUL WAS TELLING HIS FRIEND PHILEMON THAT ONESIMUS WAS NOW 34:38 TO BE CONSIDERED HIS SON AND HE, EVIDENTLY, UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY 34:44 EVERYTHING PAUL TOLD HIM. CAN YOU IMAGINE, IN THE 34:47 RESURRECTION, WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE FOR THE - FOR ONESIMUS 34:53 AND PHILEMON AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY COME UP OUT OF THOSE 34:56 GRAVES AND THEY SEE EACH OTHER, WHAT JOY THERE'S GOING TO BE? 35:00 WHAT JOY THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT PHILEMON TOOK THE 35:03 ADMONITION - TREATED THIS MAN LIKE A SON AND THEY ARE BOTH 35:06 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS IN CHRIST. ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL? 35:11 THE CONCEPT OF BEING TRANSFORMED FROM SLAVE TO SON SHOULD BE A 35:15 CONSTANT REMINDER TO US WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM AND WHERE WE 35:19 WOULD STILL BE IF IT WERE NOT FOR OUR ELDER BROTHER 35:23 JESUS CHRIST. WELL, LET US MOVE ON TO 35:25 TUESDAY'S LESSON ENTITLED 'FROM COMPARISON TO COMPLIMENT'. 35:30 SOME EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN IN THE BOOK OF 1 CORINTHIANS. 35:33 NOW, TONGUE IN CHEEK, CORINTHIANS WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCH 35:37 A SPLENDID CHURCH TO BE A PASTOR OF. 35:40 TONGUE IN CHEEK BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE CHURCH OF CORINTH HAD A 35:44 LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROBLEMS. 35:46 ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT AROSE WAS 'WHO'S GOING TO GET THE 35:49 CREDIT FOR THESE SOULS COMING IN?' OR 'WHO WAS MORE IMPORTANT, 35:53 THE ONE SOWING THE SEED OR REAPING THE HARVEST OR 35:56 WHATEVER?' AND PAUL HAD TO SET THEM STRAIGHT. 35:59 'NEITHER IS HE THAT PLANTETH ANYTHING, NEITHER IS HE THAT 36:03 WATERETH BUT GOD THAT GIVETH' - GOD GIVES THE INCREASE. 36:07 'NOW HE THAT PLANTETH AND HE THAT WATERETH ARE ONE AND EVERY 36:11 MAN SHALL RECEIVE HIS OWN REWARD ACCORDING TO HIS OWN LABOR.' 36:18 WOULD HAPPEN - WOULDN'T HAPPEN OR COULD BE SOLVED IF WE JUST 36:21 REALLY FOCUSED UPON GOD REMEMBERING THAT HE IS THE ONE 36:24 BEHIND ALL GOOD THINGS. NONE OF US ARE BETTER 36:27 THAN THE OTHER. NOW IT HAPPENS NOW AND THEN THAT 36:31 - RIGHT HERE IN THIS CHURCH - SOMETIMES ONE OF US PASTORS IS 36:36 WORKING WITH AN INDIVIDUAL CLEARING HIM OR HER FOR BAPTISM. 36:41 AND I'VE HAD PEOPLE SAY, AT THE END OF IT, WHEN THEY'RE REALLY 36:44 GETTING READY TO BE BAPTIZED AND THEY KIND OF ASK THE QUESTION 36:47 VERY HESITANTLY, 'WOULD IT BE ALRIGHT IF I ASKED PASTOR SO AND 36:53 SO TO BAPTIZE ME?' SURE IT'S ALRIGHT. 36:57 NONE OF US PASTORS CARE WHO BAPTIZES ANYBODY. 37:00 ALL WE DO IS REJOICE OVER ANYBODY THAT'S BAPTIZED. 37:03 THAT PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST HERE. 37:05 EVIDENTLY, THAT PROBLEM DID EXIST IN THE CHURCH OF 37:07 CORINTH - 'WHO'S GOING TO GET THE GLORY? 37:10 WHO'S GOING TO GET THE CREDIT?' WHATEVER, WHATEVER - NO, THAT 37:14 SHOULD NEVER FIND ANY PLACE IN GOD'S CHURCH, RIGHT? 37:17 I DON'T THINK IT EVER WILL HERE, AT LEAST I KNOW, WITH THE STAFF 37:19 THAT WE HAVE TODAY, THAT'S FOR SURE. 37:21 NOW THE LESSON MAKES A STATEMENT. 37:23 GOD CALLS US TO COOPERATION, NOT COMPETITION. 37:27 I HAVE TALKED WITH SO MANY MARRIED COUPLES THAT HAVE 37:31 PROBLEMS AND I TELL THEM, IF YOU WOULD JUST STOP AND DO ONE 37:37 THING: STOP COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER. 37:41 YOU DIDN'T GET MARRIED TO COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER, YOU GOT 37:44 MARRIED TO COMPLIMENT ONE ANOTHER. STOP COMPETING. 37:48 'OH, HE SPENDS MORE MONEY THAN I DO.' OR 'SHE SPENDS MORE MONEY 37:53 THAN I DO.' OR 'HE DOESN'T DO ENOUGH AROUND THE HOUSE.' 37:55 AND THEY'RE COMPETING FOR THIS AND THAT AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND 37:58 BEFORE LONG IT'S JUST A TOTAL WORLD OF COMPETITION. 38:02 THAT'S NOT WHAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE ALL ABOUT. RELATIONSHIPS 38:06 WOULD DO WELL TO TAKE PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S REMARK - REMEMBER? - 38:09 TO HEART, 'ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY' OR 'ASK NOT WHAT YOUR 38:13 FELLOW CITIZEN' OR 'ASK NOT WHAT YOUR MATE CAN DO FOR YOU BUT 38:16 WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THIS RELATIONSHIP.' 38:19 NOT SO MUCH WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP CAN DO FOR ME. 38:23 THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE - BEGIN TO HAVE TROUBLE. 38:26 ANOTHER IMPORTANT STATEMENT IS BROUGHT OUT IN THE LESSON ON 38:28 TUESDAY, 'ALL COMPARISONS WITH OTHERS ARE UNWISE BECAUSE THEY 38:32 WILL MAKE US EITHER FEEL DISCOURAGED OR ARROGANT. 38:38 NOW, IF I - SOMEBODY WANTED TO COMPARE ME, AS A GOLFER, WITH 38:42 TIGER WOODS, THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY DISCOURAGING FOR ME. 38:45 WOULDN'T EVEN COMPARE. IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO COMPARE ME 38:49 WITH SOMEBODY, MAYBE SOMEBODY THAT WAS ILLITERATE - 'WELL, AT 38:53 LEAST I CAN READ AND WRITE.' MAYBE IT WOULD BE - MAYBE I 38:56 WOULD TEND TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT SUPERIOR, WHICH SHOULDN'T BE 39:00 BECAUSE THAT PERSON MAYBE THAT CAN'T READ OR WRITE CAN DO A 39:03 THOUSAND THINGS BETTER THAN I CAN, RIGHT? 39:05 SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND. 39:07 THESE KIND OF THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER. NEVER COMPARE OURSELVES. 39:14 COMPARING OURSELVES TO CHRIST IS BAD AND GOOD, IN A SENSE. 39:20 FIRST OF ALL, AS WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO CHRIST WE WILL COME 39:23 UP EXTREMELY SHORT, BUT AS WE COME UP SHORT, WE ALSO 39:27 UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN BE COVERED WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS 39:32 AND THEN WE DON'T COME UP SHORT ANYMORE. 39:34 WE COME UP JUST LIKE HE IS. 39:36 WHEN GOD LOOKS AT US, HE SEES HIS SON IF WE'RE COVERED WITH 39:39 HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? 39:42 WE ARE ALL LOWDOWN, FILTHY, DIRTY SINNERS COMPARED TO 39:45 CHRIST, BUT WITH CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR, WHEN HIS FATHER SEES US 39:49 HE SEES CHRIST AND COVERED WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 39:52 SO HOW DOES THIS CONCEPT HELP US WITH HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS? 39:55 IF WE SEE IN THAT PERSON THAT WE MIGHT BE HAVING SOME TROUBLE 39:59 WITH - THE SAME CONCEPT - I BELIEVE RECONCILIATION COULD 40:03 HAPPEN. BY THAT I MEAN WE SEE THE 40:07 DEFECTS - YES, WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO CHRIST. 40:10 WE KNOW WE HAVE DEFECTS TOO, BUT WHEN WE BOTH WOULD COMPARE 40:14 OURSELVES TO CHRIST AND SEE OUR NEED OF BEING COVERED WITH HIS 40:18 RIGHTEOUSNESS - THEN WE BOTH COULD LOOK ALIKE AGAIN, COVERED 40:22 WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. IF BOTH PARTIES WOULD COME TO 40:24 JESUS AND BE COVERED WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LOOK UPON THE 40:28 OTHER AS A PERSON COVERED WITH CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, THEN WE 40:31 REALLY WOULD BE GETTING SOMEWHERE, WOULDN'T WE? 40:35 WOULD THAT MEAN THAT ALL TROUBLES WOULD DISSIPATE 40:37 IMMEDIATELY? NO, THERE'S STILL SOME THINGS TO 40:39 WORK THROUGH FOR SURE. ALL STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS COULD 40:43 BE HEALED IF - MAYBE JUST YIELDING TO THIS CONCEPT. 40:49 NOW WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING ON. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS EVER 40:53 HAPPENED TO YOU - 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 12 SAYS, 40:58 "WHEREFORE LET HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH TAKE HEED LEST HE 41:02 FALL." REMEMBER THAT TEXT? 41:05 IF YOU THINK YOU'RE STANDING, BE CAREFUL BECAUSE YOU MIGHT FALL. 41:10 NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO YOU, BUT I KNOW THAT 41:13 IF I EVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO FALL INTO THE PIT OF JUDGING OTHERS - 41:18 JUST PURE JUDGING - WHEN IT'S JUST JUDGING. 41:21 MAYBE THERE'S SOME ISSUES WHERE YOU KNOW THE FACTS AND YOU HAVE 41:24 TO ADDRESS THEM - THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE - BUT IF YOU'RE 41:33 JSOMETHING YOURSELF - MAYBE INT THE SAME AREA OR SOMETHING 41:39 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - AND YOU REALIZE, 'WOW, THAT WAS SURE 41:42 STUPID OF ME TO JUDGE THAT PERSON BECAUSE I'M JUST A SINNER 41:45 MYSELF. SO JUDGING IS WAY OUT OF BOUNDS. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. 41:52 AND WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE THIS TEXT TO HEART. 41:56 'IF YOU THINK YOU'RE STANDING, TAKE HEED OR YOU WILL PROBABLY 42:00 FALL.' WEDNESDAY - WE MOVE ON - ENTITLED 'FROM FRICTION TO 42:04 FORGIVENESS' AND THIS DAY STARTS OUT WITH SOME VERY PERTINENT 42:08 QUESTIONS I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS, TOO. 42:11 FIRST OF ALL, THE QUESTION 'WHAT IS FORGIVENESS?' 42:14 WELL, IF YOU LOOK TO WEBSTER, THE WORD FORGIVENESS SIMPLY 42:19 MEANS 'TO PARDON' OR 'INCLINATION TO FORGIVE OR 42:22 PARDON.' TO LOOK AT THE WORDS 'TO 42:24 FORGIVE' IS A LITTLE BIT MORE APPLICABLE FOR IT SAYS, 'TO GIVE 42:26 UP RESENTMENT AGAINST OR THE DESIRE TO PUNISH' OR 'TO STOP 42:32 BEING ANGRY WITH; TO GIVE UP ALL CLAIM TO PUNISH OR EXACT PENALTY 42:38 FOR AN OFFENSE; TO CANCEL OR REMIT A DEBT'. 42:42 NOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST SAYING, 'WELL, 42:45 I'M WILLING TO FORGIVE SOMEBODY. I'M WILLING TO FORGIVE THEM.' 42:48 ARE YOU REALLY? ARE YOU WILLING TO 42:50 FORGIVE THEM? ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP ALL 42:53 RESENTMENT AGAINST OR THE DESIRE TO SEE THEM PUNISHED THE WAY YOU 42:57 THINK THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING? 43:00 OH, ARE YOU READY TO GIVE UP ALL ANGER WITH THAT PERSON? 43:04 WELL, IF YOU ARE THEN YOU - YES, YOU ARE WILLING TO FORGIVE. 43:09 NEXT QUESTION SAYS, 'DOES FORGIVENESS JUSTIFY THE BEHAVIOR 43:11 OF SOMEONE WHO HAS HORRIBLY WRONGED US?' 43:15 HUH, WELL THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. 43:19 DOES IT JUSTIFY THEIR ACT? WELL, WE SAY, 'IF THEY CONFESS 43:23 THEIR SINS, JESUS IS WILLING AND JUST TO FORGIVE THEM THEIR SINS 43:28 AND THEY STAND THEN JUSTIFIED IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.' 43:31 WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE, 'OKAY, THEY'RE JUSTIFIED.' 43:35 BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEIR ACT IS JUSTIFIED, RIGHT? 43:39 THEIR ACT IS WRONG - IT ALWAYS IS WRONG - AND NEVER WILL BE 43:42 RIGHT. YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO GO UNDO 43:45 SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DONE SO DRASTICALLY WRONG - YOU CAN'T 43:49 MAKE IT RIGHT. YOU CAN'T UNDO IT, I SHOULD SAY. 43:52 YOU CAN MAKE THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND THE PARTY YOU 43:54 DID IT TO, BUT IT WON'T MAKE THE ACT RIGHT. 43:56 SO, NO, IT'LL NEVER JUSTIFY THE ACT, BUT THE PERSON COMMITTING 44:01 THE ACT CAN BE JUSTIFIED. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES. 44:06 THE NEXT QUESTION IS ALSO AN INTERESTING ONE. 44:09 IS MY FORGIVENESS DEPENDENT ON THE OFFENDER'S REPENTANCE? 44:16 IF THAT WERE SO, THEN FORGIVENESS MAY NEVER BE OFFERED 44:19 IN SOME CASES. WHAT DID CHRIST PRAY AS HE WAS 44:22 BEING NAILED TO THE CROSS? 'FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY 44:26 KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.' WAS THAT CARTE BLANCHE 44:30 FORGIVENESS FOR EVERYBODY DESPITE WHAT THEY DID? 44:33 NO, IT WAS A FULL AND COMPLETE WILLINGNESS TO FORGIVE EVERYBODY 44:38 THAT WAS NAILING HIM TO THE CROSS THAT WOULD ACCEPT THAT 44:42 FORGIVENESS. DID ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE 44:45 THERE AT THE CROSS TURN TO CHRIST AND ASK HIM FOR 44:50 FORGIVENESS AND RECEIVE HIS FORGIVENESS? 44:59 NIN ONE SENSE, THE ACT OF, FORGIVENESS NEVER HAPPENS IF THE 45:02 OFFENDER DOESN'T ACT UPON IT, RIGHT? 45:05 BUT IN ANOTHER SENSE, WE AS CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE EVER ON THE 45:08 STAND BY - WE SHOULD BE EVER ON THE STAND BY WILLING TO FORGIVE, 45:12 RIGHT? OR ALREADY HAVING FORGIVEN THAT 45:15 PERSON IN OUR HEART, WHETHER THEY WANT TO BE FORGIVEN OR NOT. 45:21 THINK OF THE TEXT THAT WE ARE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH, 1 JOHN 45:25 1:9, "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE 45:32 US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS', 45:35 RIGHT? AND THERE'S A HUGE, BIG, LITTLE WORD THERE - 45:39 THE BIG LITTLE WORD 'IF'. EVERYTHING HINGES UPON 45:44 THAT WORD. IF WE CONFESS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST. 45:50 THE TRANSACTION OF FORGIVENESS IS NEVER FULLY COMPLETE UNTIL WE 45:56 COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF FORGIVENESS, 45:59 RIGHT? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 46:03 LET'S SAY YOU STOLE A HUNDRED DOLLARS FROM ME. 46:07 I WOULDN'T BE VERY HAPPY. I WOULD BE DOWNHEARTED. 46:12 BUT IF YOU APOLOGIZED - OKAY, I FORGIVE YOU. 46:17 IF YOU GAVE ME BACK THE HUNDRED DOLLARS THAT'D EVEN BE BETTER, 46:20 BUT IF YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME THE HUNDRED DOLLARS, COULD I STILL 46:25 FORGIVE YOU? YES. WOULD THE ACT OF TAKING MY MONEY 46:30 EVER BE RIGHT? NO, BUT YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN 46:35 WHETHER YOU'RE ABLE TO PAY IT BACK OR NOT. 46:36 WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PAY BACK GOD FOR ALL THE WRONG WE'VE DONE. 46:40 THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN PAY GOD BACK FOR ALL THE WRONG YOU'VE 46:43 DONE - FOR ALL THE WRONG I'VE DONE - NO WAY. 46:47 SO I ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND THANK HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY SO 46:52 DEEPLY, THAT HE IS WILLING TO FORGIVE. 46:57 AND SINCE THIS LESSON IS ABOUT RECONCILIATION, WE CAN SEE HOW 47:00 IMPORTANT THE ASPECT OF FORGIVENESS IS. 47:04 WHAT IS THE PROBLEM OF NOT BEING WILLING TO FORGIVE SOMEONE? 47:08 LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF 47:11 IT. WILL GOD FORGIVE US IF WE ARE 47:13 UNWILLING TO FORGIVE SOMEONE ELSE? 47:16 AND IF WE WILL NOT FORGIVE - IF HE WILL NOT FORGIVE US, WHAT IS 47:20 OUR ETERNAL DESTINY? IF GOD WON'T FORGIVE US BECAUSE 47:24 WE WON'T FORGIVE SOMEBODY ELSE, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? 47:28 THAT'S LEAVES US OUT IN THE DARK, RIGHT? 47:30 ETERNAL DESTRUCTION. SO HOW IMPORTANT IS THE 47:33 WILLINGNESS TO FORGIVE SOMEBODY ELSE? IT'S TOTALLY IMPORTANT 47:36 AND IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT, THEN THAT'S 47:39 WHY I SAY THIS LITTLE BOOKLET THAT YOU NEED TO SEND FOR SHOWS 47:43 US WE NEED A POWER OUT AND ABOVE AND BEYOND OURSELVES - THE HOLY 47:47 SPIRIT - TO HELP US TO HAVE THOSE FEELINGS OF FORGIVENESS. 47:52 YEAH, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT IT'S MIGHTY HARD TO FORGIVE. 47:56 I KNOW PEOPLE - I HAVE KNOWN PEOPLE THROUGH THE YEARS THAT 48:00 THEY HAVE STRUGGLED WITH FORGIVENESS FOR SOMEBODY ALL THE 48:03 DAYS OF THEIR LIFE AND THEY LIVED A VERY BITTER AND 48:06 MISERABLE LIFE AND THEY DIED A VERY BITTER AND MISERABLE DEATH 48:13 ALL BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T WILLING TO FORGIVE. 48:17 AND IN YOUR OWN HUMANITY, YES IT IS HARD AND SOMETIMES 48:25 WE CAN DO ALL THINGS, RIGHT? 48:28 YOU CAN EVEN FORGIVE SOMEBODY THAT KILLS ONE OF YOUR MOST 48:32 BELOVED FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS OR SOME OF THE MOST 48:36 SERIOUS OFFENSES IN THE WORLD PEOPLE HAVE FORGIVEN THEM 48:39 BECAUSE OF GOD LIVING IN THEIR HEARTS. 48:43 AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT. 48:47 I'VE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME THERE'S SOMEONE IN THEIR LIFE THEY JUST 48:50 CANNOT FORGIVE AND I SHUDDER WHEN I HEAR THAT. 48:53 DON'T YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT YOUR OWN ETERNAL 48:57 DESTINY? YOU CANNOT FORGIVE SOMEBODY? 49:00 THEN GO TO YOUR KNEES UNTIL YOU CAN FORGIVE THAT SOMEBODY. 49:04 THAT'S WHAT THIS LESSON IS ALL ABOUT TODAY. 49:06 NOW, IN ONE SENSE, IT'S AN HONEST APPROACH, 'I CAN'T 49:08 FORGIVE THEM. I JUST CAN'T FORGIVE THEM. 49:11 I CAN'T FORGIVE THEM.' THAT'S AN HONEST APPROACH - 49:14 THAT'S THE FIRST STEP - BUT DON'T STAY IN THAT STEP BECAUSE 49:18 YOU'LL FOREVER BE A BITTER, MISERABLE PERSON. 49:20 GO TO STEP TWO - 'JESUS, HELP ME. 49:24 GIVE ME A NEW HEART IN THIS ONE AREA WITH THIS ONE PERSON - THIS 49:27 ONE BROKEN RELATIONSHIP. GIVE ME THE HEART OF JESUS.' 49:32 AND WILL HE ANSWER THAT PRAYER? 49:34 HE'S ANSWERED IT IN THOUSANDS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. 49:37 HE'LL ANSWER IT IN YOUR LIFE AND OURS TOO. NOW, WE GO TO 49:46 THURSDAY'S LESSON ENTITLED 'FROM RANCOR TO RESTORATION'. 49:51 AND, OF COURSE, FOR ALL OF YOU WHO READ THE LESSON THIS WEEK, 49:54 YOU REALIZE THAT THE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT IS BEING 49:59 REFERENCED IN THIS DAY'S LESSON IS MATTHEW 18. 50:08 ALLIF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM GO TOOF MATTMATTHEW 18.HT? 50:11 I'VE SEEN MATTHEW 18 USED MARVELOUSLY AND WONDERFULLY TO 50:16 BRING ABOUT RECONCILIATION. I HAVE SEEN MATTHEW 18 DISTORTED 50:22 AND SO MISERABLY REPRESENTED AND NOT USED CORRECTLY AND IT ALWAYS 50:28 BRINGS THE OPPOSITE RESULT. SO WE NEED TO APPLY IT - WE NEED 50:33 TO APPLY IT IN THE RIGHT WAY. LET'S TURN TO MATTHEW 18, IF YOU 50:36 WOULD, THIS MORNING. MATTHEW 18, VERSE 15 SAYS, 50:39 "MOREOVER IF THY BROTHER SHALL TRESPASS AGAINST THEE, GO AND 50:43 TELL HIM HIS FAULT BETWEEN THEE AND HIM ALONE; IF HE SHALL HEAR 50:46 THEE, THOU HAST GAINED THY BROTHER. 50:49 BUT IF HE WILL NOT HEAR THEE, THEN TAKE WITH THEE ONE OR TWO 50:52 MORE, THAT IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY WORD 50:56 MAY BE ESTABLISHED. AND IF HE SHALL NEGLECT TO HEAR 50:59 THEM, TELL IT UNTO THE CHURCH; BUT IF HE NEGLECT TO HEAR THE 51:02 CHURCH, LET HIM BE UNTO THEE AS AN HEATHEN MAN AND A PUBLICAN." 51:09 WHY NOT TAKE A SERIOUS PROBLEM DIRECTLY TO THE CHURCH? 51:13 WELL, IT'S BETTER TO CONFINE IT TO THE SMALLEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE 51:19 POSSIBLE AND IF RECONCILIATION TAKES PLACE IN THAT FIRST STEP, 51:25 WHOA, PRAISE GOD. NOBODY ELSE NEEDS TO WORRY 51:27 ABOUT IT. THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO KNOW 51:29 ABOUT IT. RECONCILIATION TOOK PLACE. 51:31 PRAISE GOD. IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE SECOND 51:33 STEP - TAKE SOMEBODY WITH YOU - PRAISE GOD IF IT'S SETTLED THERE 51:38 BECAUSE BY THE TIME, IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE CHURCH, IT'S 51:43 LIKE OPENING UP A BIG CAN OF WORMS AND NOBODY LIKES THAT. 51:50 IN FACT, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN GOD'S CHURCH THAT DON'T EVEN 51:53 LIKE TO DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE. THEY DON'T 51:58 EVEN LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT. 'WE SHOULDN'T DISCIPLINE 52:01 ANYBODY UNLESS - DON'T EVEN APPROACH THAT SUBJECT. 52:05 LET EVERYBODY BE TO THEMSELVES DOING WHAT THEY WANT TO, HOW 52:09 THEY WANT TO, WHEN THEY WANT TO, WHERE THEY WANT TO, ETC, ETC.' 52:13 YOU KNOW, THE CHURCH HAS MORE OF A RESPONSIBILITY THAN THAT. 52:16 AND IT'S NOT PLEASANT - IT NEVER IS. 52:21 IF SOMEBODY THINKS IT'S PLEASANT THEN, PROBABLY, THEY NEED A 52:25 LITTLE ATTITUDE CHANGE ANYWAY, I GUESS. 52:29 BUT - NOW IN THE END, WHEN EVERYTHING IS WRAPPED UP AND 52:35 JESUS COMES BACK AGAIN AND WE ALL GO TO HEAVEN FOR THAT 52:39 THOUSAND YEARS, WE GET TO LOOK AT THE BOOKS, RIGHT? 52:43 WE SEE WHY UNCLE GEORGE DIDN'T MAKE IT, EVEN THOUGH UNCLE 52:45 GEORGE PROFESSED TO BE A CHRISTIAN, PROFESSED TO BELIEVE 52:49 IN THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGE. UNCLE GEORGE, THE RECORDS 52:54 REVEAL, HAD SOME REAL PROBLEMS GOING ON IN HIS LIFE AND THAT'S 53:00 WHY HE CAN'T BE HERE. SO, AT THE END OF THE THOUSAND 53:05 YEARS, JESUS, THE ANGELS, AND ALL THE SAINTS COME BACK DOWN 53:12 OUT OF THE SKY WITH THE HOLY CITY AND THE WICKED ARE ALL 53:16 RAISED TO LIFE. UNCLE GEORGE IS AMONG THEM AND 53:21 HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE DESTROYED BUT ALL OF GOD'S 53:26 PEOPLE AND ANYBODY THAT KNEW UNCLE GEORGE, NOW KNOW EXACTLY 53:30 WHY THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS WAY. 53:34 THERE WILL BE NO QUESTIONS. ALL QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED. 53:38 AND WHEN THAT FIRE COMES DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN AND DESTROYS SIN 53:45 AND SINNERS ONCE AND FOR ALL, WHAT DOES GOD CALL THIS? 53:52 HE CALLS IT HIS STRANGE ACT. WHY IS IT STRANGE? 53:58 BECAUSE EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD IS CREATIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE. 54:05 EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD IS BUILDING UP - MAKING BETTER, NOT 54:09 DESTROYING AND MAKING THINGS BAD AND DESTROYING SINNERS IS BAD. 54:15 BUT HE WILL DO IT BECAUSE HE HAS TO. 54:18 IT'S LIKE HAVING A HUNDRED COWS AND NINETY-NINE OF THEM HAVE THE 54:23 MAD COW DISEASE - YOU BETTER GET RID OF THEM, RIGHT? 54:27 OR IT'S JUST GOING TO KEEP SPREADING AND SPREADING AND 54:29 SPREADING. THAT'S WHAT GOD IS GOING TO DO 54:31 WITH THE SIN PROBLEM, TAKE CARE OF IT ONCE AND FOR ALL. 54:33 SO HE CALLS IT HIS 'STRANGE ACT' AND IF ANY OF US ENJOY THIS 54:36 CONCEPT OF 'LET'S DISCIPLINE SOMEBODY BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST SO 54:40 TERRIBLE' AND 'LET'S GET HIM KICKED OUT OF THE CHURCH' AND, 54:42 'LET'S DO THIS.' IT SHOULD BE KIND OF A STRANGE 54:46 ACT TO US TOO BECAUSE WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO BE? 54:49 WE'RE CALLED TO BE FISHER'S OF MEN. 54:52 WE'RE CALLED TO BRING PEOPLE IN. WE DON'T LIKE TO KICK PEOPLE OUT 54:55 AND IF WE DO, WE'D BETTER HAVE AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, AS I 54:58 MENTIONED. WE HAVE TO DO IT SOMETIMES BUT 55:01 IT'S NOT WHAT WE RELISH IN AND ENJOY, BUT LET'S HAVE THIS BE A 55:08 STRANGE PHENOMENA OR STRANGE ACT TO US LIKEWISE. 55:12 AND I LIKE THE COMMENTS TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THURSDAY WHEN IT 55:17 TALKS ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN TO THE CHURCH. 55:21 YOU PROBABLY READ THIS TOO. IT SAYS THERE ON THE BOTTOM OF 55:24 THURSDAY'S LESSON, 'THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO BRING THE 55:27 ISSUE, IF THE FIRST TWO STEPS HAVE NOT HELPED TO RECONCILE THE 55:32 TWO PARTIES, IS THE CHURCH BOARD.' 55:36 THEN, THE NEXT SENTENCE IS THE ONE I LIKE. 55:38 'AGAIN, CHRIST'S PURPOSE IS RECONCILIATION, IT IS NOT TO 55:44 BLAME ONE PARTY AND EXONERATE THE OTHER.' 55:50 HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THAT? PEOPLE FIGHTING AND THEY WANT TO 55:54 TAKE IT TO THE BOARD AND THEY WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE BOARD 55:58 BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE EXONERATED AND THEY WANT TO MAKE 56:01 SURE EVERYBODY ELSE SEES THAT THAT PERSON IS THE ONE TO BLAME. 56:04 THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE TO TAKING IT TO THE CHURCH. 56:08 TAKING IT TO THE CHURCH, FIRST OF ALL, SHOULD BE REMEDIAL. 56:12 TRY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS, LET'S 56:15 TRY TO BRING RECONCILIATION TO THE PROBLEM - TO THE PARTIES IN 56:19 THE PROBLEM. LET'S BRING RECONCILIATION TO US AND GOD, 56:22 TO US AND OUR FELLOW MAN. RECONCILIATION, RECONCILIATION, 56:26 RECONCILIATION - THAT SHOULD BE OUR BYWORD, RIGHT? 56:29 IT'S WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US - RECONCILED US TO HIM. 56:33 LET US BE RECONCILED, BY HIS GRACE, BY HIS PRESENCE AND HIS 56:38 POWER, LET US BE RECONCILED TO EACH OTHER. 56:42 NOW, THIS MORNING, I WANT TO REMIND YOU AGAIN THAT THE FREE 56:45 OFFER IS ENTITLED, 'HOLY SPIRIT: THE NEED' - 'HOLY SPIRIT THE 56:54 NEED' - OFFER #723, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET THAT LITTLE 56:59 BOOKLET IS TO CALL 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 57:05 1-866-788-3966. 'HOLY SPIRIT: THE NEED' - OFFER #723. 57:17 WELL, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE JOINED US HERE IN THE 57:20 SANCTUARY AT SACRAMENTO THIS FINE, BEAUTIFUL SABBATH MORNING 57:23 AND ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE JOINED US BY LIVE STREAMING. 57:26 THANK YOU. COME BACK AGAIN NEXT WEEK - SAME 57:29 TIME, SAME PLACE - FOR CENTRAL STUDY HOUR. 57:35 MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU. MAY GOD BLESS US TO HAVE 57:39 WONDERFUL CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS WITH BROTHERS AND 57:44 SISTERS. WHAT DO YOU SAY? AMEN. 57:47 >>IF YOU'VE MISSED ANY OF OUR AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMS, VISIT 57:50 OUR WEBSITE AT 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. 57:53 THERE YOU'LL FIND AN ARCHIVE OF ALL OUR TELEVISION AND RADIO 57:55 PROGRAMS, INCLUDING AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 57:58 ONE LOCATION. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. 58:00 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17