Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021401
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL 00:47 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE 00:50 TUNING IN. IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME YOU'RE IN FOR A GREAT 00:53 TREAT TODAY. AND, OF COURSE, IF YOU ARE A 00:56 REGULAR AND YOU ARE JOINING US EVERY WEEK RIGHT HERE IN 00:59 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, YOU'RE GOING TO BE BLESSED TODAY. 01:03 I ABSOLUTELY CAN GUARANTEE THAT. 01:06 BEHIND ME YOU SEE MANY SMILING FACES. 01:10 THEY'RE SMILING, YES AND THEY'RE AWAKE. 01:13 AND THIS IS OUR CENTRAL CHURCH CHOIR AND THEY HAVE PREPARED TWO 01:18 SONGS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SING FOR US TODAY AND THEY'RE A 01:23 WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD 01:26 FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS IN GETTING READY FOR TODAY. 01:30 TODAY IS OUR CHRISTMAS CONCERT SO, OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE 01:33 WATCHING THIS ON TELEVISION AND IT'S ALREADY IN JANUARY, WE 01:37 RECORD THREE WEEKS AHEAD SO IT'S OKAY. 01:40 YOU CAN STILL BE IN JANUARY BUT WE'RE IN DECEMBER RIGHT NOW. 01:44 AND SO, TODAY IS OUR CHRISTMAS CONCERT. 01:46 IF YOU'RE WATCHING LIVE ON THE WEB RIGHT NOW, TUNE IN AT 4:00 01:50 PM PACIFIC AND 7:00 PM PACIFIC AND YOU CAN JOIN US FOR OUR 01:55 CHRISTMAS CONCERT ON OUR WEBSITE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 01:59 THE TWO SONGS THAT THEY WILL BE SINGING FOR US ARE 'OUR LORD 02:03 EMMANUEL' AND 'ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH' CONDUCTED BY 02:09 HANDERSON PONTEL WHO IS OUR WONDERFUL AND MOST FAVORITE 02:12 CHOIR CONDUCTOR. LET'S SING HANDERSON - ARE YOU READY? 02:19 (MUSIC) 02:41 EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, HIS NAME IS CALLED, EMMANUEL. 03:03 GOD WITH US, REVEALED IN US, HIS NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL. 03:25 CHRIST BY HIGHEST HEAV'N ADORED, CHRIST THE EVERLASTING LORD! 03:38 LATE IN TIME BEHOLD HIM COME, OFFSPRING OF A VIRGIN'S WOMB. 03:47 VEILED IN FLESH THE GODHEAD SEE, HAIL THE INCARNATE DEITY, 03:56 PLEASED AS MAN WITH MAN TO DWELL, JESUS, OUR EMMANUEL. 04:08 EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, HIS NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL. 04:31 GOD WITH US, REVEALED IN US, HIS NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL. 04:54 O HOLY CHILD OF BETHLEHEM, DESCEND TO US, WE PRAY; 05:04 CAST OUT OUR SIN AND ENTER IN; BE BORN IN US TODAY! 05:15 WE HEAR THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS THE GREAT GLAD TIDINGS TELL; 05:25 O COME TO US, ABIDE WITH US, OUR LORD EMMANUEL! 05:37 EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, EMMANUEL, 06:00 HIS NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL. GOD WITH US, REVEALED IN US, 06:21 HIS NAME IS CALLED EMMANUEL. O COME TO US, ABIDE WITH US, 06:45 OUR LORD EMMANUEL! O COME TO US EMMANUEL. 07:09 >>AMEN! 07:15 (MUSIC) 07:28 ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH SWEETLY SINGING O'ER THE PLAINS 07:36 AND THE MOUNTAINS IN REPLY ECHOING THEIR JOYOUS STRAINS. 07:44 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO! 08:14 SHEPHERDS, WHY THIS JUBILEE? WHY YOUR JOYOUS STRAINS PROLONG? 08:22 WHAT THE GLADSOME TIDINGS BE WHICH INSPIRE YOUR HEAV'NLY 08:29 SONG? GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! 08:41 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! COME TO BETHLEHEM AND SEE HIM 09:02 WHOSE BIRTH THE ANGELS SING; COME, ADORE ON BENDED KNEE, 09:09 CHRIST THE LORD, THE NEWBORN KING. 09:15 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! 09:45 JOYFUL HEARTS WITH ONE ACCORD, SPREAD THE TIDINGS FAR AND WIDE. 09:53 BORN TO US IS CHRIST THE LORD, AT THIS HAPPY CHRISTMAS TIME. 10:01 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO! 10:29 IN EXCELSIS DEO DEO! >>AMEN! 10:48 >>GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY AND WELCOME TO CENTRAL STUDY HOUR. 10:53 I FEEL A LITTLE BIT ABOVE EVERYBODY THIS MORNING BUT 10:56 I ASSURE YOU WE'RE ALL DOWN ON THE SAME LEVEL - 10:58 SPIRITUALLY AND IN GOD'S EYES. BUT WE'RE UP HERE BECAUSE WE 11:01 HAVE A SPECIAL EVENT THIS AFTERNOON. 11:04 IT'S OUR CHRISTMAS CONCERT. SO WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE THIS 11:07 MORNING IN GOOD TIME AND I ALSO WANT TO WELCOME THOSE THAT WERE 11:11 LOOKING ON ON THE STREAMING LIVE VIDEO AND THOSE THAT SEE IT ON 11:14 3ABN AND HOPE. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALSO. 11:19 BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE'VE GOT A FREE OFFER: 'THE ULTIMATE 11:21 RESOURCE' AND YOU CAN GET THIS IF YOU CALL 1-866-STUDY-MORE 11:30 OR 1-866-788-3966. IT'S A LITTLE BOOKLET. 11:35 IT'S OFFER #104 AND CONTACT AMAZING FACTS. 11:39 IT'S WRITTEN BY OUR SENIOR PASTOR, DOUG BATCHELOR WHO, AS 11:42 WE SPEAK, IS IN ROMANIA BUT HE SENDS HIS GREETINGS TO YOU ALL. 11:46 THIS BOOK THAT PASTOR DOUG HAS WRITTEN - IT'S SIMPLY ABOUT THE 11:49 BIBLE. A LITTLE BOOK - HOW CAN IT SAY SO MUCH ABOUT THE BIBLE? 11:54 BUT IT'S A GOOD LITTLE BOOK AND I THINK YOU'D ENJOY IT. 11:56 YOU WOULD APPRECIATE IT. SO CALL AMAZING FACTS. 11:59 GIVE THEM A DROP ON THE LINE AND THEY WILL SEND THIS TO YOU 12:01 ABSOLUTELY FREE. THAT SAID, IF YOU DON'T KNOW I'M 12:07 GOING TO TELL YOU. WE'RE STARTING A NEW QUARTER 12:10 TODAY. THIS IS CALLED 'DISCIPLESHIP'. 12:14 IT'S THE ADULT GUIDE FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS AND I HAVE THE 12:20 PLEASURE AND HONOR THIS MORNING OF OPENING UP ON LESSON #1. 12:26 BUT IF YOU HAVE YOUR QUARTERLIES WITH YOU - THOSE OF YOU LOOKING 12:29 IN - WHO SEE THIS AFTER THE FACT - YOU NOTICE IN THE INTRODUCTION 12:32 WE READ THE FOLLOWING - READ - THE TOPIC OF OUR QUARTER IS 12:37 DISCIPLESHIP, AS I JUST MENTIONED, AND IT SAYS, 12:41 "THOUGH THE TERM HAS MANY FACETS. IN THIS STUDY 12:45 WE WILL LOOK AT DISCIPLESHIP AS THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE BECOME 12:49 FOLLOWERS OF JESUS AND, AS SUCH, BETTER SOUL WINNERS." 12:55 AND ACROSS ON THE OTHER PAGE IT KIND OF CRYSTALLIZES IT AGAIN. 12:59 IT SAYS, "THE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF DISCIPLESHIP IS 13:03 INCOMPLETE" - AND THAT'S TRUE. 13:04 IT'S INCOMPLETE - "UNTIL IT INCORPORATES A PASSIONATE DESIRE 13:08 TO FOLLOW JESUS AND, AS A SUPERNATURAL RESULT, A 13:14 PASSIONATE DESIRE TO LEAD OTHERS TO CHRIST AS WELL." 13:19 SO I TRUST YOU CAN SAY 'AMEN' TO THAT. 13:23 WHEN JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM, HE WAS BORN INTO A 13:28 NATION THAT WAS EAGERLY LOOKING FOR THE LONG-EXPECTED MESSIAH - 13:34 THE ONE WHO'D BEEN PROMISED EVEN FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN IN 13:38 GENESIS 3:15. BUT ANYWAY, JESUS ARRIVED - HE 13:43 CAME - AND THAT WAS ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT WE MUST REMEMBER THAT 13:48 WHEN JESUS ARRIVED THERE HAD BEEN COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO HAD 13:51 PRECEDED HIM, ALL CLAIMING TO BE THE MESSIAH. 13:57 AND AFTER JESUS LEFT, OTHERS GOT IN LINE TO COME ALONG AND CLAIM 14:02 TO BE THE MESSIAH. 'I'M THE MESSIAH.' 14:06 'NO, I'M THE MESSIAH.' WELL, YOU KNOW THE STORY. 14:11 AND JESUS WARNED US IN MATTHEW 24, 'THERE WILL ARISE FALSE 14:14 CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS; INASMUCH AS IT WERE POSSIBLE 14:18 THEY WOULD DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT.' 14:21 SO, YOU KNOW, WHICH CLAIMANT ARE WE TO BELIEVE? 14:27 WELL, OF COURSE, WE KNOW IT'S JESUS, DON'T WE? 14:30 BUT LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT. WHY DO WE SAY THAT JESUS TRULY 14:34 IS THE MESSIAH? WELL, YOU MIGHT SAY HE WAS KIND. 14:44 YES - EVEN RAISED THE DEAD. WELL WHILE ALL THAT IS, OF 14:49 COURSE, VERY NOTEWORTHY, MIRACLES WERE JUST - THE 14:55 OUTFLOWING OF HIS LOVE AND MERCY AND REALLY WERE TO BE EXPECTED. 15:00 BUT JESUS NEVER WANTED PEOPLE TO ACCEPT HIM ON THE BASIS OF 15:05 MIRACLES OR EVEN THAT HE WAS KIND. 15:09 JESUS WANTED PEOPLE TO ACCEPT HIM ON THE BASIS OF TRUTH. 15:14 SEE, EVEN SATAN CAN MAKE MIRACLES. 15:18 SATAN CAN BLIND PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS. 15:21 SATAN CAN DECEIVE PEOPLE AND THEY'LL JUST OPEN THEMSELVES UP 15:26 TO BE DECEIVED. AND SO JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW, 15:30 FOR OUR OWN SAFETY, THAT WE NEED TO KNOW FOR CERTAIN WHICH 15:34 MESSIAH, WHICH CHRIST WE ARE FOLLOWING. 15:38 AND THAT'S WHY, FOR GOOD REASON JESUS SAID - AND IT'S OUR KEY 15:41 TEXT THIS WEEK - JOHN 5:39 - HE SAID, "SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES; 15:47 FOR...THEY ARE THEY WHICH TESTIFY OF ME." IT'S TRUE. 15:52 OUR ONLY SAFETY - THE ONLY SAFETY IN JESUS' TIME TO KNOW IF 15:56 HE WAS THE REAL DISCIPLE - SORRY, THE REAL MESSIAH - 15:59 WAS ON THE BASIS OF THIS. 16:02 BUT IN THE BOOK 'DESIRE OF AGES' WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT SATAN IS 16:06 TEN TIMES MORE ABLE TO DECEIVE NOW THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO. 16:11 SO IT'S EVEN MORE PERTINENT AND CRUCIALLY NECESSARY THAT WE ARE 16:17 GUIDED BY THIS BOOK AND THIS BOOK ALONE TO KNOW WHO IS THE 16:21 REAL JESUS. AND ALTHOUGH JESUS IS IN HEAVEN, 16:25 WHO ARE HIS REAL REPRESENTATIVES? 16:28 WHICH IS HIS REAL SPIRIT THAT IS GOING TO BE WORKING - HIS TRUE 16:32 SPIRIT WHICH WILL WORK PROFOUNDLY BEFORE HE COMES. 16:35 BUT ALSO ANOTHER SPIRIT THAT WILL PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS AND 16:41 UNLESS WE KNOW ONE SPIRIT FROM THE OTHER WE WILL - 16:43 WE'LL BE DECEIVED. 16:45 SO IT'S WITH GOOD REASON JESUS SAID 'SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES'. 16:49 NOW WHEN JESUS ANNOUNCED THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY - I 16:54 WANT TO TURN TO MARK CHAPTER 1, VERSES 14 AND 15 - MARK 1, 17:01 VERSES 14 AND 15 - JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT HERE. 17:05 EVEN BASED UPON SCRIPTURE, JESUS ANNOUNCED THE COMMENCEMENT OF 17:11 HIS MINISTRY. MARK 1:14 AND 15. 17:16 THE CONTEXT IS: JESUS HAD BEEN BAPTIZED. 17:20 HE'D BEEN IN THE WILDERNESS. HE'D BEEN TEMPTED. 17:22 HE'D BEEN THROUGH ALL THAT TERRIBLE TEST OF HIS FAITH AND 17:25 FORTITUDE, BUT NOW HE COMES DOWN FROM THE WILDERNESS AND HE 17:29 BEGINS, NOW, HIS PREACHING MINISTRY. 17:32 LET ME READ THIS - VERSE 14, "NOW AFTER THAT JOHN WAS PUT IN 17:36 PRISON, JESUS CAME INTO GALILEE, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE 17:39 KINGDOM OF GOD, AND SAYING, 'THE TIME IS FULFILLED, AND THE 17:44 KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND: REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE 17:47 GOSPEL.'" NOW, FOR THOSE JEWS WHO WERE 17:50 ON THE BALL WHEN JESUS SAID THE TIME IS FULFILLED, THEY SHOULD 17:54 HAVE REALIZED THAT HE WAS DECLARING THAT A CERTAIN TIME 17:58 HAD BEEN FULFILLED. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WAS? 18:01 IT WAS TELLING PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTOOD - WHO WERE SAVVY - 18:04 AND THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN - THAT THE SIXTY-NINE WEEKS OF THE 18:08 SEVENTY WEEKS IN DANIEL CHAPTER 9 HAD EXPIRED AND WE'RE 18:13 BEGINNING NOW THE LAST WEEK OF SEVEN PROPHETIC DAYS OR SEVEN 18:17 LITERAL YEARS. AND IT WAS IN THAT FIRST 18:21 SIXTY-NINE-WEEK - SORRY - AD 27 - JESUS WAS BAPTIZED. 18:31 AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING NOW. 18:33 AND SO HE SAYS, 'THE TIME IS FULFILLED' AND THAT'S EXACTLY 18:35 RIGHT. IT WAS BASED UPON SCRIPTURE. 18:39 AND THEN HE DECLARED THE NATURE OF HIS MINISTRY. 18:42 WE'RE STILL IN LUKE - LUKE CHAPTER 4 - WE FIND JESUS HERE 18:46 IN THE SYNAGOGUE IN VERSE 18 AND - SORRY, I'M IN MARK. 18:53 BEG YOUR PARDON. 18:55 WE'RE IN LUKE CHAPTER 4 BEGINNING IN VERSE 14 - SORRY, 19:02 VERSE 16 - IT SAYS, "AND HE CAME TO NAZARETH, WHERE HE HAD BEEN 19:06 BROUGHT UP: AND, AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, HE WENT INTO THE SYNAGOGUE 19:10 ON THE SABBATH DAY, AND STOOD UP FOR TO READ. 19:12 AND THERE WAS DELIVERED UNTO HIM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ESAIAS. 19:17 AND WHEN HE HAD OPENED THE BOOK, HE FOUND THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS 19:20 WRITTEN," - AND IT WAS IN - YOU'LL FIND THIS IS ISAIAH 61 - 19:25 JESUS SAID, "'THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HATH 19:36 ANOHEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TOPEL TO PREACH DELIVERANCE TO THE 19:40 CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT 19:45 LIBERTY THEM THAT ARE BRUISED, TO PREACH THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF 19:50 THE LORD.'" AND THEN HE SAID - A LITTLE 19:54 FURTHER DOWN THERE IT SAYS "HE CLOSED THE BOOK, AND HE GAVE IT 19:56 AGAIN TO THE MINISTER AND SAT DOWN. AND THE EYES OF ALL THEM 20:00 THAT WERE IN THE SYNAGOGUE WERE FASTENED ON HIM." - IT MEANS 20:04 THERE WERE EYES FASTENED UPON HIM - VERSE 21 - "AND HE BEGAN 20:10 TO SAY UNTO THEM, 'THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN 20:16 YOUR EARS.'" WELL, THEY DIDN'T TAKE TOO KINDLY TO THAT. 20:21 THEY WERE READY TO DO AWAY WITH HIM. 20:24 BUT, NONETHELESS, HE WAS DECLARING THAT THE MESSIAH HAD 20:27 ARRIVED, THIS WAS THE NATURE OF HIS MINISTRY AND IT WAS BASED 20:33 SOLIDLY UPON WHAT HAD BEEN DECLARED PREVIOUSLY, 700 YEARS 20:37 BEFORE, BY THE PROPHET ISAIAH - THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD DO THESE 20:42 THINGS: PREACH THE GOSPEL, HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, AND SO ON. 20:49 NOW, I WANT TO MOVE ON HERE. 20:53 LOOKING AT HOW JESUS CALLED HIS FIRST DISCIPLES. 20:59 YOU SEE, AGAIN, IT WAS BASED UPON - HE DIDN'T WANT THEM JUST 21:02 FOLLOWING HIM BECAUSE HE SEEMED A NICE GUY OR BECAUSE AT THE 21:06 RIVERBANK JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD SAID, 'BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD'. 21:09 WELL, JOHN AND ANDREW STOOD BY THAT RIVERBANK AND THEY WERE 21:12 THERE WHEN JOHN WERE BAPTIZING AND THEY SAW JOHN POINT AT JESUS 21:16 AND SAY, 'BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD'. SO THEY LOOKED AND 21:21 THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THEY FOLLOWED JESUS. 21:24 WE'RE GOING TO GO TO JOHN CHAPTER 1. 21:28 SO THEY FOLLOWED HIM, YOU SEE, AND - WHAT DID I SAY? 21:33 35 TO 51 - WELL, LET ME START IT AGAIN. 21:40 AND AGAIN, THE NEXT DAY, AFTER JOHN STOOD AND HAD TWO OF HIS 21:43 DISCIPLES AND LOOKING AT JESUS AS HE WALKED HE SAID, 'BEHOLD 21:46 THE LAMB OF GOD' - THIS IS JOHN DECLARING THIS - VERSE 37, "AND 21:50 THE TWO DISCIPLES HEARD HIM SPEAK AND THEY FOLLOWED JESUS. 21:53 THEN JESUS TURNED, AND SAW THEM FOLLOWING, AND SAITH UNTO THEM, 21:57 'WHAT SEEK YE?' THEY SAITH UNTO HIM, RABBI, 21:59 (WHICH IS TO MEAN MASTER) WHERE DWELLEST THOU?'" - 22:04 THEY SAID, 'WHERE DO YOU LIVE?' 22:06 VERSE 39, "HE SAITH UNTO THEM, 'COME AND SEE.'" - 22:11 IT SEEMS THAT JESUS HAD A LITTLE APARTMENT OF SOME SORT - 22:14 AT LEAST AT THIS POINT IN HIS LIFE - "THEY CAME AND SAW WHERE 22:18 HE DWELT AND ABODE WITH HIM THERE THAT DAY FOR IT WAS ABOUT 22:21 THE TENTH HOUR." NOW IT WAS ABOUT TWO HOURS 22:25 BEFORE NIGHTFALL AND SO HE TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, STAY HERE. 22:30 AND SO THEY DID. 22:32 NOW, WE SEE THAT THE NEXT DAY JOHN - SORRY, ANDREW, WENT TO 22:40 GET HIS BROTHER PETER AND HE GOES TO PETER AND HE TELLS HIM, 22:46 HE SAYS - AND YOU SEE THIS IN VERSE 41 - IT SAYS - ANDREW - IT 22:51 SAYS, "HE" - THAT IS, ANDREW - "FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER 22:53 SIMON AND SAITH UNTO HIM, 'WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSAIS, WHICH 22:57 IS, BEING INTERPRETED, THE CHRIST.'" OKAY, SO ANDREW AND 23:04 JOHN HAVE SPENT A NIGHT WITH JESUS AND THE NEXT DAY ANDREW 23:06 JUST CAN'T WAIT TO FIND HIS BROTHER PETER AND SAY, 'WE FOUND 23:08 THE MESSIAH, THE CHRIST.' WELL, HOW DID HE KNOW? WELL, MY 23:14 GUESS IS THIS: THAT AS JESUS ACCOMMODATED THEM FOR THE NIGHT 23:19 I DON'T DOUBT THAT HE PROBABLY GAVE THEM QUITE A REVEALING 23:21 BIBLE STUDY, DON'T YOU THINK? WOULDN'T YOU HAVE LIKED TO HAVE 23:25 BEEN THERE IN JESUS' LITTLE APARTMENT SITTING THERE WITH 23:29 JOHN AND ANDREW AS HE OPENS THE SCRIPTURES? 23:32 BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT THEM FOLLOWING HIM, AS I SAY AGAIN, 23:35 BECAUSE THEY HEARD JOHN THE BAPTIST SAY, 'BEHOLD THE LAMB OF 23:37 GOD.' HE DIDN'T WANT THAT. 23:38 HE WANTED THEM TO ACCEPT HIM ON WHAT THIS WORD SAYS. 23:42 SO FOR THIS REASON - I THINK THAT'S SAFE TO ASSUME. 23:45 AND SO, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. AND THEN WE FIND, A LITTLE 23:52 FURTHER ON HERE IN VERSE 45, "PHILIP FINDETH NATHANAEL," - 23:59 SO JESUS CALLS PHILIP, OKAY, HE CALLS HIM TO BE A DISCIPLE. 24:04 THEN IN VERSE 45 PHILIP REALIZES THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON HERE 24:08 ON THE BASIS OF SCRIPTURE BECAUSE - WE'LL READ VERSE 45 - 24:11 IT SAYS, "PHILIP FINDETH NATHANAEL, AND SAITH UNTO HIM, 24:14 'WE HAVE FOUND HIM, OF WHOM MOSES IN THE LAW, AND THE 24:17 PROPHETS DID WRITE, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE SON OF JOSEPH.'" 24:22 SO AGAIN, IT SEEMS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT JESUS HERE WAS 24:26 OPENING THE WORD OF SCRIPTURES TO THE ONES HE CALLED AND THOSE 24:30 THAT FOLLOWED HIM. HE WANTED THEM TO ACCEPT HIM ON THE BASIS 24:34 OF SCRIPTURE AND NOT BECAUSE HE SEEMED LIKE A NICE GUY. 24:40 AND, OF COURSE, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ IT, BUT IN LUKE 24:42 24:27-32 - AND IT GIVES A REFERENCE HERE IN THE LESSON. 24:47 WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AND TWO DISCIPLES, YOU KNOW, ARE WALKING 24:51 DOWN TO EMMAUS AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T FEELING TOO GOOD 24:54 AND THIS STRANGER PULLS UP BESIDE THEM AND THEY DON'T 24:57 RECOGNIZE IT'S JESUS. AND ON THE WAY HE STARTS TALKING 25:00 ABOUT SCRIPTURE AND THEY STILL DON'T RECOGNIZE IT'S JESUS, BUT 25:03 THEY'RE TELLING HIM, 'YOU KNOW, WE HAD THESE BIG HOPES ABOUT 25:07 JESUS AND HE'S GONE, YOU KNOW. IT'S PRETTY DEPRESSING.' 25:11 BUT HE STARTS TO TALK TO THEM AND THEN THEY GET IN THE HOUSE 25:14 AND ARE READY TO BREAK BREAD AND HE BREAKS THE BREAD 25:17 AND PRAYS AND THEN - PFFFT - HE'S GONE! 25:18 AND THEN THEY REALIZE, 'WHOA, THAT WAS JESUS!' AND THEN THEY 25:26 RAN OFF, DID THEY NOT? TO FIND THE OTHERS. AND REMEMBER WHAT 25:30 THEY SAID WHEN THEY RECOUNTED HOW THEY HAD THIS BIBLE STUDY 25:37 AND JESUS HAD REVEALED HIMSELF TO THEM AS THE MESSIAH AND 25:42 EXPLAINED THAT IT WASN'T A BIG FAILURE - IT WAS ALL MEANT TO BE 25:45 - IF THEY'D READ IN ISAIAH 53 AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. 25:48 THEY WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD HE DIDN'T COME TO ESTABLISH AN 25:52 EARTHLY KINGDOM, HE CAME TO BE A SUFFERING SERVANT AND WOULD DIE 25:55 TO BE A SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD. 25:58 AND AS THEY GOT THAT, THEY SAID - REMEMBER WHAT THEY SAID? 26:02 WHAT DID THEY SAY? 26:03 THEY SAID, 'DIDN'T OUR HEARTS BURN WITHIN US AS HE OPENED THE 26:08 WORD OF GOD AND EXPLAINED TO US THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF?' 26:14 AND SO JESUS WANTS US ALSO, AS WE CONSIDER THIS THEME OF 26:19 DISCIPLESHIP TO WANT TO BE HIS DISCIPLES AND FOLLOW HIM. 26:24 NOT BECAUSE HE'S THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER - NOT TO SPEAK LIGHTLY 26:28 OF THE THINGS HE DID - BUT BECAUSE HE IS THE MESSIAH BASED 26:33 UPON THIS WORD. THAT IS THE ONLY RIGHT THING. 26:38 IT'S THE ONLY WISE THING BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE SURE AND JESUS 26:43 WANTS US TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE RIGHT MESSIAH. 26:49 I WANT TO MOVE ON TO MONDAY. WE'VE GOT ABOUT HALF AN HOUR 26:52 LEFT. 'AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE' - THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE. 26:59 I WANT TO READ FROM MATTHEW 28, VERSES 18 THROUGH 20. 27:06 LET ME JUST READ IT HERE. 27:08 THIS IS WHERE JESUS - RIGHT AT THE END OF THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - 27:12 AND HE'S COMMISSIONING THEM HERE, BUT NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS. 27:15 AND I'LL COMMENT ON IT IN A MOMENT. 27:18 "AND JESUS CAME AND SPAKE UNTO THEM, SAYING, 'ALL POWER'" - ALL 27:23 AUTHORITY - "'IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. 27:29 GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS,'" - OR IN THE MARGIN IT 27:33 SAYS 'MAKE DISCIPLES - OR CHRISTIANS OF ALL NATIONS - "'GO 27:37 YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE 27:41 NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST: 27:45 TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE 27:49 COMMANDED YOU: AND, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE 27:54 END OF THE WORLD.'" WHEN JESUS COMMISSIONED HIS 28:01 CHURCH - AND IT WAS JUST A FLEDGLING LITTLE FLUFFY LITTLE 28:05 THING IF YOU LIKE, WHAT A RISK TO TAKE. 28:08 I MEAN, THESE - SO IMPERFECT - AND WE'RE REALLY NO BETTER. 28:13 BUT THIS WAS HIS CHURCH. HE PLACED EVERYTHING - HE'D 28:16 GIVEN THEM HIS AUTHORITY - HE'D GIVEN THEM A SACRED TRUST. 28:21 BUT NOTICE THESE FOUR THINGS I WANT TO MENTION. WHEN HE 28:24 COMMISSIONED HIS CHURCH HE EQUIPPED THEM WITH FOUR THINGS. 28:27 #1 - HIS POWER OR AUTHORITY - THAT'S IN VERSE 18. 28:32 ALSO, AS WELL, HE EQUIPPED THEM TO DO THIS IN THE AUTHORITY OF 28:36 HIS NAME - THAT'S IN VERSE 19. HE EQUIPPED THEM WITH HIS WORD 28:43 WHICH THEY WERE COMMANDED TO TEACH - THAT'S IN VERSE 20. 28:48 AND ALSO IN VERSE 20, HE EQUIPPED THEM WITH THE ASSURANCE 28:51 THAT HIS PRESENCE WOULD GO WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES - EVEN UNTO 28:56 THE END OF THE WORLD. AND SO THEY WENT FORTH. 29:02 THEY WENT FORTH IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, EXALTING THE 29:08 AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE AND THAT'S THE THEME IN MONDAY'S 29:10 LESSON HERE - REMEMBER THAT - EXALTING THE AUTHORITY OF 29:12 SCRIPTURE. THEY WENT FORTH EXALTING THE 29:15 AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE AND BUILDING UPON THAT SOLID 29:21 FOUNDATION AND AS THEY DID - WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT? 29:26 WHAT DID THEY DO TO THAT FIRST CENTURY WORLD? 29:29 WHAT DID THEY DO TO IT? THEY TURNED IT UPSIDE-DOWN, 29:33 DIDN'T THEY? DID IT TAKE THEM A HUNDRED YEARS? NO. 29:38 PAUL SAID - I THINK IT WAS COLOSSIANS - FORGIVE ME, THE 29:41 MEMORY - THE VERSE SLIPS MY MIND. I THINK IT'S COLOSSIANS. 29:44 PAUL WROTE COLOSSIANS ABOUT 60-SOMETHING AD SO WE'RE LOOKING 29:50 ABOUT 30 YEARS - BALLPARK 30 YEARS HERE FROM JESUS 29:54 COMMISSIONING HIS DISCIPLES AND PAUL SAYS THE GOSPEL HAS BEEN 29:57 PREACHED TO EVERY CREATURE UNDER HEAVEN. QUITE AMAZING, ISN'T IT? 30:04 NOW IN REVELATION CHAPTER 6, VERSE 2, WE HAVE HERE THE FIRST 30:08 SEAL IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, WHICH EQUATES TO THE FIRST 30:14 CHURCH IN REVELATION, CHAPTER 2 - THE EPHESUS CHURCH, 30:18 WHICH WAS THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 30:21 LET'S SEE NOW, IN SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE HERE, HOW THIS IS 30:25 DESCRIBED BECAUSE THEY EXALTED THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE. 30:32 REVELATION 6:2, JOHN SAYS, "AND I SAW, AND BEHOLD A WHITE HORSE: 30:37 AND HE THAT SAT ON HIM HAD A BOW; AND A CROWN WAS GIVEN UNTO 30:41 HIM: AND HE WENT FORTH CONQUERING, AND TO CONQUER." 30:46 THAT APOSTOLIC CHURCH WAS A POWER TO BE RECKONED WITH AND 30:52 THEY HAD SUCH SUCCESS BECAUSE THEY EXALTED THE AUTHORITY OF 30:56 SCRIPTURE AND THEY LIVED BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDED OUT OF 31:00 THE MOUTH OF GOD THOUGH IT COST MANY OF THEM THEIR VERY OWN 31:03 LIVES. WHAT DID THEY DO? 31:07 WELL, THEY WERE SIMPLE ENOUGH - SIMPLE ENOUGH - AND WE NEED TO 31:12 BE SIMPLE-MINDED ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP GOD'S WORD AND 31:16 OPEN IT AND WHAT YOU READ - UNLESS IT'S SYMBOLIC - YOU NEED 31:22 TO FIND OUT THE INTERPRETATION OF IT OR IF IT'S A PARABLE. 31:24 OTHER THAN THAT YOU NEED TO BELIEVE WHAT IT SAYS, RIGHT? 31:30 IN OTHER WORDS, GENESIS TELLS ME THAT GOD MADE THE WORLD IN SIX 31:36 DAYS AND RESTED ON THE SEVENTH. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M SIMPLE 31:39 ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT. AND SO THE PEOPLE - AND, YOU 31:43 KNOW, JESUS WAS SIMPLE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IT AS WELL, 31:46 BECAUSE HE SPOKE OF CREATION. AND SO THIS CHURCH HAD POWER 31:51 BECAUSE IT TOOK GOD AT HIS WORD AND IT PREACHED IT. 31:55 SO IF SUCH LOYALTY TO THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE WAS THE 32:01 REASON WHY THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH WAS SO SUCCESSFUL AND WHY SUCH 32:06 FIDELITY TO THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE WAS NECESSARY FOR IT 32:10 TO SUCCEED IN THE OPENING OF THE GOSPEL COMMISSION, THEN HOW MUCH 32:16 MORE IMPORTANT IS IT FOR US TO EXALT THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD 32:21 OF GOD AND TO ACCEPT IT AND PREACH IT AND TEACH IT JUST AS 32:25 IT READS. HOW MORE IMPORTANT IS IT FOR US 32:28 IF WE ARE GOING TO SUCCEED IN THE CLOSING OF THE WORK? 32:33 DOESN'T THAT MAKE SENSE? DID YOU FOLLOW THAT? 32:37 BUT SAD INDEED, MY FRIENDS, IS THE REALIZATION THAT THE 32:44 EXALTING OF SCRIPTURE IN CHRISTENDOM IN GENERAL, AND EVEN 32:49 VERY CLOSE TO HOME, IT'S NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE. 32:55 AND IN MONDAY'S SECTION THERE'S A LITTLE STATEMENT I'M GOING TO 32:58 READ HERE AND AS I READ IT, DON'T JUST BE LOOKING OUTSIDE 33:03 THE BOUNDARIES OF THE REMNANT CHURCH, BE LOOKING IN THE 33:06 REMNANT CHURCH AS WELL. 33:09 IT SAYS, "CONTRAST CHRIST'S EXALTED UNDERSTANDING OF 33:13 SCRIPTURE" - MEANING HE EXALTED SCRIPTURE AND SO DID HIS 33:15 DISCIPLES - "CONTRAST CHRIST'S EXALTED UNDERSTANDING OF 33:19 SCRIPTURE WITH THE PREVAILING ATTITUDE OFTEN EXHIBITED EVEN 33:24 AMONG PROFESSED CHRISTIANS TODAY. 33:27 ENTIRE DENOMINATIONS HAVE COME TO DEEM THE BIBLE AS INTERESTING 33:32 BUT, BASICALLY UNRELIABLE HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS. 33:38 EVERYTHING - THE SIX-DAY CREATION," - WHICH I MENTIONED - 33:41 "THE EXODUS, EVEN THE 33:43 BODILY RESURRECTION OF JESUS, MUCH LESS A LITERAL SECOND 33:46 COMING HAS BEEN CALLED INTO QUESTION OR EVEN RELEGATED TO 33:51 THE STATUS OF MYTH." SO, AGAIN, COMING A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME 33:58 REGARDING THIS STATEMENT HERE, WE CAN CITE THOSE. 34:05 YOU MAY ALSO QUESTION AND EVEN RELEGATE TO THE STATUS OF MYTH 34:14 SUCTHE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT,NT DANIEL 8:14, THE THIRD ANGEL'S 34:19 MESSAGES OF REVELATION CHAPTER 14, THE REMNANT CHURCH - WHAT 34:24 CONSTITUTES THE REMNANT IN REVELATION 12:17 AND IN THERE, 34:28 OF COURSE, THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. 34:30 HOW MANY RELEGATE THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY TO IRRELEVANCE? 34:36 AND TIED IN WITH ALL THIS THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES BUT A MAJOR ONE 34:39 TOO IS, WE BELIEVE, THE POST-FALL NATURE OF CHRIST AND 34:44 ITS IMPLICATIONS REGARDING THE ULTIMATE VICTORY OF GOD'S PEOPLE 34:49 OVER EVERY SINFUL PRACTICE. 34:52 AS THEY UNDERSTAND THIS VERSION OF CHRIST'S NATURE - THAT HE 34:57 CAME WITH A POST-FALL - HE CAME WITH A FALLEN NATURE, AS WE 35:00 UNDERSTAND THIS, OF NECESSITY IT OPENS TO US A RICH UNDERSTANDING 35:05 OF THIS SUBJECT, WHICH WE GLIBLY CALL RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH, 35:09 WHICH IS A SUBJECT WE NEED TO GRASP AND UNDERSTAND MORE SUCH 35:13 AS NEVER BEFORE IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY. 35:18 BUT BECAUSE WE QUIBBLE AT SCRIPTURE AND RELEGATE CERTAIN 35:22 PILLARS OF TRUTH TO THE AREA OF MYTHOLOGY, WE ARE SHORT-CHANGING 35:28 OURSELVES AND JUST HOLLOWING OUT THE TRUTH THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO 35:33 US THAT WE MIGHT BE READY TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT IN TURN 35:38 TO GO OUT AND PREACH THE LAST MORNING MESSAGE TO THE WORLD. 35:44 AM I MAKING SENSE THIS MORNING? 35:47 SO LET ME ASK YOU, IF YOU'RE OF THE PARTICULAR PERSUASION OR 35:52 MIND SET THAT IS MENTIONED THERE IN THAT STATEMENT I JUST READ - 35:58 THOSE WHO RELEGATE SCRIPTURE TO ALLEGORY AND MYTH OR THEY TRY TO 36:03 REINTERPRET IT ACCORDING TO THIS SO-CALLED PROGRESSIVE MINDSET, 36:08 IF YOU'RE OF THIS UNBELIEVING MINDSET AS CITED ABOVE, CAN YOU 36:12 EVER BE QUALIFIED TO PROCLAIM GOD'S LAST MESSAGE TO THE WORLD? 36:16 NO, YOU CAN'T. HOW CAN ANYBODY GET EXCITED 36:20 ABOUT OR GET BEHIND SOMETHING THAT THEY BELIEVE IS 36:25 UNSCRIPTURAL, OLD FASHIONED AND IRRELEVANT? BUT YOU KNOW, 36:33 THERE'S A REAL DANGER FOR THOSE WHO THINK IT'S SMART TO BE LIKE 36:37 THIS - TO HAVE THIS SO-CALLED PROGRESSIVE MINDSET THAT 36:43 QUESTIONS THE VALIDITY OF GOD'S WORD AS IT READS. 36:46 THERE IS A REAL DANGER FOR THOSE WHO REINTERPRET SCRIPTURE TO 36:50 BLEND WITH THE CONTEMPORARY CULTURE RATHER THAN ACCEPT THE 36:54 TRUTHS, PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS CLEARLY STATED IN SCRIPTURE THAT 36:58 THEY ARE ETERNAL AND UNCHANGEABLE AS THE AUTHOR OF 37:02 SCRIPTURE HIMSELF, THAT IS GOD, THE ALMIGHTY ONE, AND I SAY 37:05 THAT REVERENTLY. THERE IS A FEARFUL DANGER IN 37:13 DENIGRATING THE LITERAL MEANING OF SCRIPTURE AS IT READS AND 37:18 I'LL CITE THAT DANGER NOW, IF YOU FOLLOW ME. 37:21 JESUS SAID, IN JOHN 17:17, WHILE HE WAS PRAYING FOR HIS DISCIPLES 37:27 IN THIS PRAYER - THAT BEAUTIFUL PRAYER - HE SAID, SPEAKING TO 37:30 THE FATHER - PRAYING TO THE FATHER - HE SAID, FATHER 37:33 "SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH." 37:39 SO FOLLOW ME NOW. SO IF YOU'VE TAKEN TRUTH - 37:43 IF YOU'VE TAKEN GOD'S WORD AND YOU'VE CAST OUT AND CUT OUT THE 37:47 CORE ELEMENTS OF TRUTH, ESPECIALLY PRESENT TRUTH, ALONG 37:53 WITH ITS VALUES, STANDARDS, WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO AND 37:57 NEEDFUL FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, IF YOU HOLLOW THAT OUT YOU'RE 38:02 LEFT WITH AN EMPTY SHELL. YOU'RE LEFT WITH AN EMPTY SHELL. 38:10 THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO PROVIDE THE SPIRITUAL SUSTENANCE TO THE 38:14 MIND AND HEART AND THEREFORE, SANCTIFICATION TO YOU WILL BE AN 38:19 IMPOSSIBILITY. IT JUST WON'T HAPPEN. 38:23 AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT - THE LEVEL OF SANCTIFICATION THAT GOD 38:27 INTENDS AND REQUIRES FOR THIS LAST GENERATION WHO ARE TO REACH 38:31 MORAL PERFECTION BEFORE PROBATION CLOSES AND BEFORE THE 38:36 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IN THE CLOUDS OF GLORY. 38:40 I HOPE YOU'RE FOLLOWING MY REASONING THIS MORNING, FRIENDS, 38:43 BECAUSE THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH AND IT'S 38:47 VERY REAL. I'M HERE TO SPEAK CLEARLY UPON 38:52 THESE THINGS SO WE'LL HAVE, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, OF HOW THE 38:56 ADVERSARY - THE ENEMY OF TRUTH - IS SEEKING TO UNDERMINE THE 38:59 VERACITY OF GOD'S WORD. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND. 39:05 THERE'S TOO MUCH AT STAKE TO REMAIN UNINFORMED AND CARELESS. 39:13 THE EQUATION IS PRETTY SIMPLE BUT THE ANSWER IS PROFOUNDLY 39:18 FAR-REACHING, WITH SERIOUS AND ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES. 39:24 AND I REPEAT, JESUS PRAYED 'SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY 39:28 TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH'. 39:31 BUT IF YOU ESCHEW GOD'S TRUTH, YOU WILL NOT BE SANCTIFIED. 39:36 THERE'LL BE NOTHING LEFT TO SANCTIFY YOU BUT THE FABLES AND 39:43 OTHER BOOKS AND OTHER THEOLOGIANS THAT YOU MAY 39:46 GRAVITATE TOWARD AND THINK, 'THIS PERSON IS SO LIGHT YEARS 39:50 AHEAD OF US AS A PEOPLE.' FOOLS. FOOLS. 39:58 IF YOU ESCHEW TRUTH AND WILL NOT BE SANCTIFIED, YOU'LL BE WEIGHED 40:01 IN THE BALANCES AND FOUND WANTING. 40:04 AND HERE'S THE THING: WHEN PEOPLE THROW AWAY TRUTH - I 40:09 THINK I CAN KIND OF USE THE ANALOGY - NOT EXACTLY BUT I 40:12 THINK IT FITS PRETTY GOOD - YOU DON'T - YOU CREATE A VACUUM. 40:16 WHATEVER YOU PULL OUT YOU CREATE A VACUUM AND SOMETHING ELSE HAS 40:19 TO RUN IN THERE AND FILL IT IN. 40:21 SO WHEN PEOPLE INVARIABLY THROW AWAY TRUTH, THEY INVARIABLY 40:27 REPLACE IT WITH ERROR AND THIS COMPOUNDS THE SPIRITUAL DAMAGE 40:32 THAT THEY INFLICT UPON THEMSELVES BECAUSE ERROR WILL 40:36 FURTHER PROHIBIT THE SANCTIFICATION PROCESS. 40:39 AND HERE'S A STATEMENT FROM 5 TESTIMONIES, 292, 40:44 "ERROR IS NEVER BLAMELESS. IT NEVER SANCTIFIES." 40:49 DID YOU GET THAT? ERROR IS NEVER BLAMELESS. 40:52 IT NEVER WHAT? IT NEVER SANCTIFIES. 40:56 NOW THIS WORD DOES. BUT ERROR NEVER SANCTIFIES "BUT ALWAYS 41:00 BRINGS CONFUSION AND DISSENSION. IT IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS." 41:08 NOW WE HAVE VISITORS HERE SO SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL 41:11 HOW YOU WORD THINGS, BUT I'LL SAY THIS: SOME OF YOU MAY BE 41:15 AWARE OF AN ISSUE THAT HAS COME INTO THE CHURCH RECENTLY THAT 41:18 HAS CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION AND DISSENSION. 41:23 NEED I SAY MORE? 41:25 BUT, YOU NOTICE, THE FRUITS OF CONFUSION AND DISSENSION THAT 41:32 THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS BRINGING FORTH - BECAUSE I DON'T 41:36 BELIEVE IT HAS A SCRIPTURAL BASIS AS WELL, BY THE WAY - THE 41:40 FRUITS OF CONFUSION AND DISSENSION THAT THIS IS BRINGING 41:42 FORTH CLEARLY SHOW TO ME THAT IT IS NOT BASED UPON TRUTH BUT 41:48 BASED UPON ERROR. BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM. 41:55 AND IF SOMETHING IS ERROR, BY ITS FRUITS YOU WILL KNOW WHETHER 42:01 IT'S TRUTH OR OTHERWISE. OKAY, NOW I WANT TO CONCLUDE 42:06 MONDAY'S SECTION ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE HERE. 42:11 I PRAY TODAY THAT WE CAN BE INSPIRED, CHALLENGED, AND 42:17 DETERMINED AS NEVER BEFORE TO EXALT EVERY WORD OF SCRIPTURE AS 42:23 IT READS. WHEN IT SAYS 'SIX DAYS AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH' 42:28 TEACH IT AS THAT. PREACH IT AS THAT. PRACTICE IT AS THAT. 42:36 LIVE BY IT AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD IF WE DO, THE FOLLOWING - 42:42 I'M GOING TO READ YOU SOMETHING, IT'S A WONDERFUL STATEMENT - THE 42:46 FOLLOWING WILL BE FULFILLED TO US BEYOND MEASURE. 42:50 I'M GOING TO READ IT. BEFORE I READ THIS STATEMENT, 42:53 IT'S FROM THE BOOK 'ACTS OF THE APOSTLES' BY ELLEN WHITE, 42:56 PAGE 600 - 'ACTS OF THE APOSTLES' PAGE 600. 43:01 "THE CHURCH IS GOD'S AGENCY FOR THE PROCLAMATION OF TRUTH, 43:06 EMPOWERED BY HIM TO DO A SPECIAL WORK, AND IF SHE IS LOYAL TO 43:11 HIM, OBEDIENT" - YOU CAN PUT IN THERE 'LOYAL TO HIS WORD' - 43:16 "OBEDIENT TO ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS WHICH WE FIND IN 43:19 GOD'S WORD, THERE WILL DWELL IN HER THE EXCELLENCY OF DIVINE 43:24 GRACE. IF SHE WILL BE TRUE TO HER 43:26 ALLEGIANCE, IF SHE WILL HONOR THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, THERE IS 43:31 NO POWER THAT CAN STAND AGAINST HER." 43:35 AND PAGE 601, "IF THE CHURCH WILL PUT ON THE ROBE OF CHRIST'S 43:40 RIGHTEOUSNESS" - AND YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DOCTRINE OF 43:43 CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE ROBE OF CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS 43:47 BEFORE YOU CAN PUT IT ON, RIGHT? AND IF YOU ACCEPT THAT JESUS 43:50 CAME WITH THE SAME - WITH THE SAME NATURE THAT ADAM HAD BEFORE 43:54 HE FELL, YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH AND THE RICHNESS OF 43:58 THIS WONDERFUL, NOT JUST A DOCTRINE, BUT AN EXPERIENCE OF 44:01 PUTTING ON THE ROBE OF CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS. 44:05 AND IT SAYS, "IF THE CHURCH WILL PUT ON THE ROBE OF CHRIST'S 44:07 RIGHTEOUSNESS, WITHDRAWING FROM ALL ALLEGIANCE WITH THE WORLD, 44:11 THERE IS BEFORE HER THE DAWN OF A BRIGHT AND GLORIOUS DAY. 44:16 GOD'S PROMISE TO HER WILL STAND FAST FOREVER. 44:19 HE WILL MAKE HER AN ETERNAL EXCELLENCY, A JOY OF MANY 44:22 GENERATIONS." - HE'LL DO THAT NOW IF WE WILL LET HIM. 44:27 "TRUTH PASSING BY THOSE WHO DESPISE AND REJECT IT WILL 44:32 TRIUMPH." DOESN'T THAT EXCITE YOU? PRAISE THE LORD. 44:40 OKAY, I HAVE TO MOVE ON NOW. BACK TO THE LESSON. 44:43 IN HIS PROCLAMATION OF TRUTH, JESUS BROUGHT TO LIFE THE 44:49 SPIRITUALITY OF SCRIPTURE. IN HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT HE 44:56 REVEALED HOW THE LAW IS NOT JUST A CODE BUT IT'S A LAW THAT IS 45:05 THE OUTFLOWING OF GOD'S - OF THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH WE ARE TO 45:10 RECIPROCATE IN LOVE TO GOD AND LOVE TO OUR FELLOW FELLOWS. 45:16 AND JESUS REVEALED THAT LAW WAS THIS - IT WAS A LAW OF LOVE THAT 45:21 RELATES ALSO - BECAUSE IT'S VERY - THE LAW SEARCHES OUT THE 45:26 INTENTS AND THE SECRET MOTIVES IN THE MIND AND HEART. 45:29 JESUS DID THIS AND THE PEOPLE LISTENED TO HIM. 45:32 FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID 'WHOEVER LOOKS UPON A WOMAN TO LUST AFTER 45:34 HER HAS COMMITTED ADULTERY ALREADY WITH HER IN HIS HEART.' 45:38 THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE LETTER BUT JESUS OPENED UP THAT THE 45:41 SPIRIT OF THE LAW - AND HE DID THIS IN A WAY THAT OPPOSED THE 45:51 MINDSET OF THE JEWS - THAT THE WORD OF GOD WAS JUST LIKE A, YOU 45:55 KNOW, A CODE OF CONDUCT. IT WAS A PROCEDURE MANUAL OF SOME SORT. 46:00 WE FIND DOCTRINES IN HERE, YOU KNOW, THINGS TO BELIEVE AND 46:04 THINGS TO LIVE UP TO. WELL, YES, I MEAN, WE NEED DOCTRINE. 46:09 PAUL SPOKE OF THE DOCTRINE OF DEVILS TO TIMOTHY. 46:12 SO WE NEED - THE DEVIL HAS DOCTRINES, WE NEED DOCTRINES. 46:15 SO THERE'S A PLACE FOR DOCTRINES. 46:17 BUT IF YOU JUST HAVE THE DRY WORD, YOU DON'T HAVE THE 46:19 EXPERIENCE OF THE WORD. THEN WE'RE JUST LIKE THE JEWS IN 46:23 JESUS' TIME. AND SO THEY FELT THAT IT WAS TO 46:27 DO WITH EXTERNALS AND THE MORE YOU COMPLY WITH THESE EXTERNAL 46:30 REQUIREMENTS, THE MORE RIGHTEOUS YOU BECAME. 46:35 READING FROM TUESDAY'S LAST LITTLE STATEMENT FROM THE LESSON 46:37 IT SAYS, "DURING CHRIST'S EARTHLY SOJOURN" AND, ACTUALLY, 46:41 I'VE MENTIONED THIS - "THE ORDINARY ISRAELITES RELATIONSHIP 46:44 WITH SCRIPTURE WAS APPARENTLY HIGHLY LEGALISTIC. THEY LOOKED 46:48 TO SCRIPTURE FOR REGULATIONS AND ETHICAL GUIDANCE. 46:51 UPRIGHT BEHAVIOR WAS CONSIDERED A PAYMENT FOR ETERNAL BLISS." 46:55 AND IN ALL OF THIS - THE SCRIBES, THE PHARISEES, THE 46:59 RABBIS, THE PRIESTS - THEY CONSIDERED THEMSELVES TO BE THE 47:04 SUCCESSFULLY PIOUS EXAMPLES OF FOLLOWING THIS KIND OF A MINDSET 47:11 - THIS UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE. 47:13 THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD ARRIVED. 47:15 AND, ESPECIALLY IN THE EYES - AND THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE - 47:18 EVEN THE EYES OF THE COMMON PEOPLE AND THE COMMON PEOPLE 47:20 LOOKED AT THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES AND THE RABBIS AND THE 47:23 PRIESTS AND THEY THOUGHT, 'WOW, THESE MEN HAVE SURELY GOT IT ALL 47:26 TOGETHER.' AND SO THE PEOPLE WERE TAUGHT - 47:29 THE COMMON PEOPLE WERE TAUGHT TO RESPECT AND REVERENCE THESE 47:32 RELIGIOUS OVERLORDS AND ACCEPT THESE SO-CALLED SPIRITUAL ELITES 47:37 - THAT THEY WERE FAR MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN WE, THE COMMON 47:41 PEOPLE, COULD BE OR EVER LIKELY TO BE. 47:45 SO WITH THAT SAID, IMAGINE THIS NOW. 47:47 TRY AND IMAGINE THIS: JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 5:20 - IN HIS SERMON 47:53 ON THE MOUNT - HE'S TALKING TO THE PEOPLE. TRY AND IMAGINE WHAT 47:57 WENT THROUGH THEIR MINDS AS SOON AS HE SAID THIS. 47:59 "FOR I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED 48:04 THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, YE SHALL IN NO 48:09 CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." 48:11 SOME OF THEM PROBABLY THOUGHT, 'WHAT? 48:15 IF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS TO EXCEED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE 48:18 SCRIBES AND PHARISEES - WELL, I DON'T STAND A CHANCE.' 48:24 THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT, MOMENTARILY, THAT JESUS WAS 48:26 GOING TO UNLOAD ON THEM ANOTHER DETAILED PROCEDURE MANUAL OF 48:32 TEDIOUS RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION THAT FAR 48:37 EXCEEDED ANYTHING THAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD IN ALL 48:41 THEIR VOLUMES OF TRADITION. BUT ACTUALLY, JESUS WAS NOT 48:46 TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 48:52 HIM SPEAK, THEY WOULD HAVE REALIZED, 'OH, I DON'T HAVE TO 48:57 BE LIKE THE RABBIS WITH ALL THEIR PUNCTILIOUS LITTLE 49:00 DETAILED REGULATIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.' 49:04 BECAUSE, WHILE JESUS RIGHTLY EXALTED AND PROCLAIMED THE 49:10 WRITTEN WORD AND NOT THE WORD OF MEN, AT THE SAME TIME AS THE 49:15 PEOPLE LISTENED TO HOW HE EXPOUNDED SCRIPTURE, THEY FOUND 49:19 THEMSELVES STRANGELY ATTRACTED TO HIM WHO WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF 49:27 THE LIVING WORD OF THE LIVING GOD. AND AS PEOPLE ON THAT MOUNT 49:34 - AS THEY BEGAN TO GET THAT, IT STARTED TO CHANGE EVERYTHING. 49:41 IT WAS A GAME CHANGER IN THE GAME OF ETERNAL LIFE BECAUSE 49:48 THEY SAW RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SALVATION WAS SEEN IN HIM WHO 49:54 WAS THE LIVING WORD AND NOT THROUGH THE RABBINICAL 49:59 REGULATIONS THAT WERE JUST LIKE A BALL AND CHAIN. 50:03 AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE JUST AS LEGALISTIC OURSELVES. 50:10 BUT WHEN WE COME TO THE WORD OF GOD AND WE PRAY, 'LORD, YES 50:16 THERE ARE THINGS HERE YOU CLEARLY SAID 'DO THIS, DON'T DO 50:19 THAT' WE NEED TO HEED THAT.' GOD EXPECTS JUST GOOD OLD 50:22 OBEDIENCE - WHEN HE SAYS IT, THAT'S IT. 50:25 BUT BEHIND THE ONE WHO COMMANDS US, WHO IS A RIGHTEOUS GOD - WE 50:33 NEED TO PRAY THAT HE WILL GIVE US A VISION OF THE WONDERFUL, 50:39 LOVING, KIND, COMPASSIONATE GOD THAT HE IS WHO HAS GIVEN US HIS 50:45 WORD TO KEEP US SAFE - TO KEEP US HAPPY - TO KEEP US PROTECTED 50:53 AND BLESSED. AND WHEN WE COME TO THE 50:56 SCRIPTURES - AND THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TO INVEST TIME, MY FRIENDS. 51:00 YOU CAN'T JUST GET UP IN THE MORNING, 'WHERE'S THE WORD? 51:02 OKAY, I'LL READ THIS TODAY.' YOU SIT DOWN - 'OKAY, I BETTER 51:06 SAY A PRAYER.' DOWN ON YOUR KNEES, TWO MINUTES, 51:07 OUT THE DOOR TO WORK. FORGET IT. 51:11 YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST BE A PAGAN. 51:14 IT WON'T DO YOU ANY GOOD. WE HAVE TO INVEST REAL TIME, 51:20 PRIME TIME IN THE MORNING. TURN OFF THE TELEVISION. 51:26 HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU NEED ON FACEBOOK? 51:29 I MEAN, COME ON, THERE'S A LIMIT. 51:31 YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHO'S JUST BEEN TO SO AND SO AND GOT 51:35 THIS LITTLE TRINKET OR THAT LITTLE TRINKET. 51:38 WE'VE GOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO, MY FRIENDS. 51:42 WE NEED TO PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE US A REVELATION OF HIMSELF 51:45 IN CHRIST. AND IF WE DO THAT, THE BIBLE - 51:50 THE WORD OF GOD - IT WILL BLOSSOM BEFORE OUR SENSES AS A 51:55 BEAUTIFUL ROSE. NOT ONLY THAT, WHEN YOU OPEN A 51:58 ROSE AND YOU (SNIFF) WHAT DO YOU GET? 52:02 YOU GET A LUNGFUL OF - IF IT'S THE RIGHT KIND OF ROSE - 52:04 BEAUTIFUL FRAGRANCE. THIS IS WHAT THIS BOOK IS. 52:09 AND WHEN JESUS EXPOUNDED ON THIS BOOK IT WAS LIKE OPENING A 52:14 CASKET OF SWEET PERFUME. AND IF WE CAN FIND - IF WE CAN 52:22 EXPERIENCE THE STUDY OF GOD'S WORD IN THAT SENSE, WHAT - WHAT 52:28 A CHANGE IT WILL BRING TO OUR DEVOTIONAL LIFE. 52:33 BUT, IN TURN, AS WE FEED UPON THIS, WHAT A CHANGE IN OUR LIVES 52:38 AND WHAT DISCIPLES JESUS WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE OF US, CORRECT? 52:44 NOW THIS IS WHY, IN HIS FIRST PUBLIC SERMON - IN THE FIRST 52:48 PUBLIC SERMON RECORDED IN THE FLEDGLING CHRISTIAN CHURCH THERE 52:54 ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, YOU REMEMBER, WHEN THE SPIRIT CAME 52:58 DOWN AND THEY WENT OUT AND THEY STARTED TO PREACH AND 3,000 WERE 53:04 CONVERTED IN ONE DAY. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST TOTALLY 53:07 AMAZING HERE AND YOU SEE IN PETER'S FIRST SERMON THERE 53:14 WASN'T ONE THING MENTIONED ABOUT 'BRETHREN, THE LAW THIS. 53:19 THE LAW THAT. THIS RABBINICAL STANDARD 53:22 SUBSECTION 5...' NOT AT - NOT A MENTION OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 53:28 WHAT WAS THE THEME? IT WAS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. 53:31 IT WAS JESUS - THIS JESUS WHO YOU CRUCIFIED. HE WAS THE ONE 53:36 WHO HAS BEEN PROMISED TO US IN THIS WORD FOR 4,000 YEARS. 53:43 AND YOU GOT - ACTS 4:12 - OKAY, ACTS 4:12. HERE WE FIND AGAIN 53:48 HERE - WE'VE GOT THE PREACHING HERE OF THE APOSTLES AND IT SAYS 53:52 IN THERE - ACTS 4:12 - AND IT SAYS, "NEITHER IS THERE 53:56 SALVATION IN ANY OTHER: FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER 54:00 HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED. 54:04 NOW WHEN THEY SAW THE BOLDNESS OF PETER AND JOHN, AND PERCEIVED 54:07 THAT THEY WERE UNLEARNED AND IGNORANT MEN, THEY MARVELED AND 54:10 THEY TOOK KNOWLEDGE OF THEM, THAT THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS." 54:14 NOT WITH SOME DRY BOOK BUT WITH THE LIVING WORD, JESUS CHRIST. 54:18 AND PAUL'S TESTIMONY - NOW WAS PAUL A VERY CAREFUL, VERY 54:22 PRECISE PHARISEE? HE ABSOLUTELY WAS. 54:25 YOU SHOULD READ WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF BUT WE DON'T HAVE 54:27 TIME. HE'S TELLING YOU, 'I WAS BORN OF THIS DAY, 54:29 CIRCUMCISED ON THE EIGHTH DAY.' HE WAS A STUDENT OF GAMALIEL, I 54:33 MEAN HE HAD EVERYTHING - HE HAD THE PEDIGREE - HE HAD THE WHOLE 54:35 WORKS IF YOU WANTED TO SUCCEED IN THE RELIGIOUS CIRCLES 54:38 OF HIS DAY. BUT WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED JESUS 54:41 THERE ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THAT MAN. 54:45 I'M GOING TO READ IT HERE IN GALATIANS WHEN I CAN GET THERE, 54:48 SO BEAR WITH ME HERE. GALATIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 13 AND 14. 54:52 LOOK WHAT PAUL SAYS - HE SAYS, "FOR YE HAVE HEARD OF MY 54:56 CONVERSATION IN TIME PAST IN THE JEWS' RELIGION, HOW THAT BEYOND 55:00 MEASURE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD, AND WASTED IT: AND 55:04 PROFITED IN THE JEWS' RELIGION ABOVE MANY MY EQUALS IN MINE OWN 55:09 NATION, BEING MORE EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS OF THE TRADITIONS OF MY 55:12 FATHERS." SO HE'S GOING ON - HE LET YOU 55:14 KNOW WHAT HIS PEDIGREE WAS, WHAT HE DID, AND SO HE WAS ZEALOUS. 55:18 BUT HERE'S THE ONE - IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 16 HE SAYS, "KNOWING 55:26 THAT A MAN IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY" - WHAT? 55:29 - "THE WORKS OF THE LAW, BUT BY THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, EVEN 55:35 WE HAVE BELIEVED IN JESUS CHRIST, THAT WE MIGHT BE 55:38 JUSTIFIED BY THE FAITH OF CHRIST AND NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW: 55:43 FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED." 55:49 AND THEN HE SAYS IN VERSE 20 THIS SUBLIME STATEMENT. 55:53 HE SAYS, "I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: NEVERTHELESS I LIVE; YET 56:00 NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN 56:05 THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME, 56:09 AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME." 56:12 THAT WAS HIS TESTIMONY - FROM A LEGALIST TO A FREE, BORN-AGAIN 56:17 CHRISTIAN AND OH WHAT A PART THAT PAUL HAD TO PLAY AS A 56:21 DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, DID HE NOT? 56:25 WELL, IN ALL OUR PREACHING AND TEACHING AND WRITING WE ARE 56:29 CALLED TO PROCLAIM THE WHOLE WORD - THE WHOLE TRUTH OF GOD. 56:34 AND MAY WE, AS WE SEEK A DEEPER EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS AND A 56:41 REVELATION OF HIS RIGHTEOUS BEING, MAY THIS SHINE THROUGH AS 56:46 WE ALSO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS DISCIPLES AND IN OUR 56:52 TESTIMONY, IN OUR TEACHING, IN OUR PREACHING MAY PEOPLE LOOK 56:57 AND SAY, 'YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE OVER THERE, THEY BELONG TO A 57:02 CHURCH. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT CHURCH THAT IS BECAUSE THEY - 57:08 THEY STICK TO EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD 57:12 AND I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A VERY RESTRICTIVE LIFE BUT BOY, 57:15 THEY'RE SO DOWNRIGHT HAPPY - THEY'RE SO JOYOUS - 57:20 I THINK I WANT IT.' PEOPLE WILL COME LOOKING FOR 57:23 YOU. THAT'S WHAT THEY DID WITH JESUS. 57:26 WELL, OUR TIME IS GONE, FRIENDS, SO IN CONCLUSION I WANT TO AGAIN 57:32 TELL YOU - FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT THE FREE OFFER 57:34 'THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE' IT'S OFFER #104. 57:38 CONTACT AMAZING FACTS AT 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 57:42 1-866-788-3966. YOU CAN RECEIVE THIS FREE OF 57:48 CHARGE IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 57:52 SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND WE, 57:55 HOPEFULLY, WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. 57:57 PASTOR DOUG SHOULD BE BACK. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17