Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021402
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:49 IT IS BY NO ACCIDENT THAT YOU HAVE TUNED IN TO STUDY 00:53 TOGETHER GOD'S WORD WITH US. 00:55 AS WE DO EVERY WEEK WE ARE GOING THROUGH STUDY AFTER STUDY OF 01:00 GOD'S WORD, LEARNING MORE ABOUT HIM AND HIS LOVE FOR US AND I 01:03 WELCOME YOU AS YOU JOIN US TO STUDY TOGETHER, WHETHER YOU ARE 01:07 RIGHT HERE IN OUR SANCTUARY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AROUND THE 01:10 WORLD - WELCOME AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL TRULY BE BLESSED. 01:14 BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR STUDY I INVITE YOU TO PULL OUT YOUR 01:18 HYMNALS HERE AND AT HOME AND WE'RE GOING TO SING TOGETHER 01:22 HYMN #426 - 'I SHALL SEE THE KING' - AND I DON'T HAVE A LIST 01:28 OF PEOPLE. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT 01:29 THERE THAT HAVE REQUESTED THIS. IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF MY 01:32 FAVORITES SO WE'RE SINGING THAT TODAY. 01:35 ALL THREE VERSES - 'I SHALL SEE THE KING - HYMN #426. 01:40 (MUSIC) 03:45 >>I TRULY BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART THAT WE ARE ABOUT 03:48 TO SEE HIM BREAK THROUGH THOSE CLOUDS AND I PRAY THAT EACH ONE 03:51 OF YOU THAT IS WITHIN MY VOICE THAT YOU CAN HEAR, THAT THAT IS 03:56 THE BURDEN ON YOUR HEART AND THE JOY AND THE HOPE OF YOUR DAILY 04:00 LIFE. I JUST PRAY THAT YOU KEEP HIM CLOSE. 04:04 IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE HYMN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SING WITH US 04:06 ON A COMING STUDY TOGETHER, I INVITE YOU TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE 04:10 AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG' AND THERE YOU JUST CLICK ON THE 'CONTACT 04:13 US' LINK AND YOU CAN REQUEST ANY HYMN IN OUR HYMNAL AND WE WILL 04:19 SING THAT WITH YOU ON A COMING STUDY TOGETHER. 04:23 OUR NEW HYMN FOR TODAY IS #624 - 'I WANT JESUS TO WALK WITH ME'. 04:29 THIS COMES AS A REQUEST FROM A VERY SPECIAL AND DEAR FAMILY 04:33 FRIEND FROM WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, TED V. GLASSIER, JR., 04:36 AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO GREET MY EXTENDED FAMILY FROM THE 04:40 BOWDEN COUNTRY CHURCH IN BOWDEN, NORTH DAKOTA WHERE I GREW 04:43 UP AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OF YOU THAT WATCH US AND SO 04:47 THIS IS A REQUEST FROM TED AND - HYMN #624 - 'I WANT JESUS TO 04:54 WALK WITH ME' - WE'LL DO ALL THREE VERSES. 04:56 (MUSIC) 07:31 >>LET'S PRAY. OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE WANT TO 07:36 WALK WITH YOU. PLEASE JUST KEEP US FAITHFUL AND 07:39 WE KNOW IN OUR HEART OF HEARTS THAT YOU WILL BE WITH US THROUGH 07:43 JOY AND SORROW AND PAIN AND THAT YOU WILL TAKE US 07:46 TO THE OTHER SIDE. AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL AND SO 07:49 THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE TO WORSHIP AT YOUR FEET. 07:51 SO PLEASE BLESS PASTOR DOUG NOW AS HE BRINGS US YOUR WORD, LORD. 07:55 JUST OPEN OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS TO RECEIVE YOU MORE FULLY 07:58 THAT WE CAN CARRY THE GOOD NEWS OF YOUR COMING AND YOUR LOVE AND 08:03 YOUR MERCY AND YOUR GRACE TO THOSE AROUND US. 08:05 HELP US TO DO OUR PART AND TO HASTEN YOUR COMING. 08:08 LORD, WE JUST SO LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SOON COMING THROUGH THE 08:11 CLOUDS OF GLORY AND I PRAY THAT EACH PERSON LISTENING TO THIS 08:15 PRESENTATION WILL BE READY TO SEE YOU AND MEET YOU IN THE AIR. 08:20 I PRAY THESE THINGS IN THE PRECIOUS NAME - IN THE SAVING 08:23 NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. OUR STUDY TODAY WILL BE BROUGHT 08:28 TO US BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR, SENIOR PASTOR HERE 08:31 AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL. >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH JOLYNE, 08:39 AND I APPRECIATED THE WAY THEY WERE SINGING THE ROUNDS IN THAT 08:42 LAST SONG, AMEN? THAT SOUNDED VERY NICE. 08:45 WELCOME FRIENDS. FOR THOSE WHO ARE A PART OF OUR 08:48 REGULAR SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS HERE AT CENTRAL CHURCH, 08:51 WE'RE GLAD TO SEE YOU. WE ALWAYS HAVE VISITORS, 08:53 ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR DURING THE CHRISTMAS 08:56 SEASON. WE KNOW SOME FOLKS ARE OFF 08:58 VISITING FAMILY AND SOME OF YOU ARE HERE VISITING YOUR FAMILY 09:01 AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE WORSHIPING WITH US. 09:04 I WANT TO WELCOME OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE ALSO STUDYING VIA 09:08 SATELLITE, TELEVISION OR THE INTERNET FROM AROUND THE WORLD 09:11 AND I WAS REMINDED OF THAT AGAIN - SOME OF YOU KNOW I WAS GONE 09:15 FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND - WENT TO ROMANIA. 09:20 AMAZING FACTS - A TEAM WENT THERE TO ROMANIA TO DO SOME 09:23 TRAINING AND A BRIEF EVANGELISTIC PROGRAM AND THAT 09:26 WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY EXCITING FOR ME, PERSONALLY, 09:30 BECAUSE I'D NEVER BEEN THERE. AND I, ACTUALLY, IF IT'S OKAY 09:33 WITH YOU, YOU KNOW SOMETIMES DURING SABBATH SCHOOL WE HAVE 09:35 A LITTLE MISSION REPORT. SO IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME I'LL 09:38 GIVE YOU A LITTLE MISSION REPORT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT 09:41 HAPPENED THERE. I WON'T TAKE TOO LONG. 09:43 NOW I WENT WITH - GOOD, THEY'VE GOT SOME PICTURES UP. 09:46 HEY THAT - A LITTLE AMAZING FACT I'LL START WITH. 09:49 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIGGEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD IS? 09:51 THE PENTAGON. YOU KNOW WHAT THE SECOND BIGGEST 09:54 BUILDING IN THE WORLD IS? THIS ONE. 09:57 YEAH, THIS IS THE PALACE OF THE PARLIAMENT AND I'M STANDING 10:01 THERE IN FRONT OF IT. NOW THAT PLACE IS GINORMOUS. 10:05 IMAGINE THIS: ONE-QUARTER OF THE ROMANIAN ECONOMY, FOR TEN YEARS, 10:11 WAS PUT INTO THIS BUILDING. CAN YOU IMAGINE, IN AMERICA, IF 10:14 WE TOOK ONE-QUARTER OF OUR ECONOMY AND PUT IT INTO ONE 10:17 BUILDING? THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW QUITE WHAT 10:20 TO DO WITH THAT BECAUSE IT WAS - IT KIND OF DIDN'T MAKE THEM VERY 10:25 - DIDN'T MAKE CEAUSESCU - NICOLAE - VERY POPULAR. 10:29 BUT NOW THE BUILDING - AND IT'S ONLY - IT'S SO BIG, IT'S ONLY 10:31 LIKE, I THINK, TWENTY PERCENT OR THIRTY PERCENT IS BEING USED 10:36 BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SUCH A MASSIVE BUILDING. 10:38 THEY TOOK US ON A TOUR AND THAT'S FROM THE ROOF OF THE 10:39 BUILDING OVERLOOKING BUCHAREST - AND THEY WIPED OUT SIX PERCENT 10:42 OF THE CITY TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE BOULEVARDS AND THE STREETS - 10:46 THEY JUST LEVELED THINGS - CHURCHES, ANCIENT LANDMARKS - 10:49 AND SO IT'S QUITE A CONTROVERSIAL SPOT. 10:52 WE'LL GO ON. SO WE WENT TO ROMANIA AND WENT 10:56 WITH THE AMAZING FACTS EVANGELISM TRAINING. 10:58 THIS IS CERNICA, IT'S WHERE THE THEOLOGY 11:00 INSTITUTE IS IN ROMANIA, OUTSIDE OF BUCHAREST AND IN THE 11:05 AUDITORIUM THERE WE DID A SERIES OF MEETINGS. 11:08 WE BEGAN WITH SOME AFCOE TRAINING - THIS IS PASTOR ROSS, 11:12 OUR PASTOR AT GRANITE BAY, WITH HIS TRANSLATOR. 11:15 WE'RE TEACHING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN AROUND EUROPE - BULGARIA - 11:18 THEY CAME IN AND THESE PICTURES WERE TAKEN, ACTUALLY, BY ONE OF 11:21 OUR AFCOE GRADUATES, CHRISTIAN. 11:24 THESE ARE THE STUDENTS AND THE PASTORS THAT WERE GATHERING FOR 11:27 THE AFCOE TRAINING THAT WE HAD DURING THE PROGRAM AND THAT'S 11:32 ONE OF OUR BIBLE WORKERS, ROSE, IN BULGARIA. 11:34 SHE TRANSLATED THE BULGARIAN MESSAGES FOR US. THE MEETINGS 11:38 THAT WE DID IN ROMANIA WENT OUT IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES. 11:41 CHUCK HOLTRY, ONE OF OUR AFCOE TEACHERS, AND I WAS TEASING HIM. 11:44 I SAID, 'YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BIGGEST FISH YOU EVER CAUGHT 11:47 IN THIS PICTURE.' THEN I SAID, 'NOW I'M TALKING 11:50 ABOUT THE BIGGEST FISH I EVER CAUGHT, IN THAT PICTURE.' 11:53 AND THE PASTOR'S TALKING ABOUT THE BIGGEST FISH HE EVER CAUGHT, 11:55 IN THAT PICTURE. THESE ARE PASTORS THAT WE - WERE 11:58 DOING THE TRAINING WITH US AND WE CAN GO ON. 12:04 THEN THE ACTUAL MEETINGS BEGAN, WHICH WAS REALLY NEAT. 12:07 THEY WERE UPLINKED ON HOPE ESPERANZA TV, WHICH IS HOPE IN 12:12 EUROPE AND ROMANIA. THEY'VE GOT A GREAT FACILITY 12:14 THERE SO THEY BROADCAST THIS TO 300 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN 12:19 ROMANIA PLUS DOZENS IN SPAIN - DO YOU KNOW THERE ARE MORE 12:24 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS - ROMANIAN SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS 12:28 IN SPAIN THAN THERE ARE SPANISH SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS? 12:31 THERE ARE MORE ROMANIAN SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS IN ITALY THAN 12:34 THERE ARE ITALIAN SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS. 12:36 I THINK THIS IS ALSO TRUE IN PORTUGAL. 12:39 THE ROMANIANS WENT ALL OVER EUROPE. 12:41 ON SABBATH WE SCATTERED THREE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. 12:44 I WENT AND SPOKE AT A HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SEVERAL CHURCHES 12:47 GOT TOGETHER, IN ALEXANDRIA OUTSIDE OF BUCHAREST. 12:50 THAT'S MY TRANSLATOR, KRISTI. HE'S ALSO THE EDITOR FOR THE 12:53 ROMANIAN PUBLISHING HOUSE AND HE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. 12:58 AND BOY I ATE REALLY GOOD WHILE I WAS OVER THERE. 13:01 NEXT PICTURE - I GAINED WEIGHT. 13:04 THIS IS IN FRONT OF THE PUBLISHING HOUSE. 13:07 NOW WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS JUST THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. 13:09 IT GOES BACK THREE TIMES THAT FAR. IT'S A VERY LONG BUILDING. 13:11 THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN PRINTING PRESS, THEIR OWN BINDERY, AND A 13:14 WHOLE TEAM OF WORKERS. AND WE'RE HOLDING UP SOME 13:16 AMAZING FACTS BOOKS THAT THEY PUBLISH AND ONE THEY'RE GOING TO 13:19 PUBLISH - OUR 'HIDDEN TRUTH' MAGAZINE. 13:21 AND ON THE RIGHT THERE IS ELDER COMPIAN - HE TOOK US AROUND. 13:26 HE'S THE SECRETARY FOR THE UNION. 13:27 IT WAS FUN TO KNOW THEY WATCH SABBATH SCHOOL SO THEY'RE 13:29 WATCHING THIS NOW. MANY OF THEM SPEAK ENGLISH AND 13:32 THEY TEACH ENGLISH IN ALL THE SCHOOLS THERE SO THEY TUNE IN 13:35 FOR OUR SABBATH SCHOOL PROGRAM. NEXT PICTURE. 13:40 WHILE WE WERE THERE WE ALSO DID VARIOUS AND SUNDRY RECORDINGS. 13:43 WE DID SOME INTERVIEWS AND TAPINGS. PEOPLE THERE HAVE BEEN 13:47 WATCHING AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMS IN ROMANIAN FOR YEARS. 13:50 FOR INSTANCE, OUR 'FINAL EVENTS' DVD IS IN ROMANIAN AND IT WENT 13:54 ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE NEW PROGRAM WE DID ON 13:57 REVELATION IS IN ROMANIAN AND SO THEY'RE NOW SPREADING THAT. 14:01 AND SO WE DID SOME INTERVIEWS AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THESE 14:03 THINGS ARE, WE'RE JUST PREPARING FOR SOME TAPINGS THERE. 14:06 BOY, THE MUSIC WAS OUTSTANDING. 14:09 THEY JUST - YOU KNOW, I WAS MAKING FUN OF THEM AND SAID THAT 14:12 I THINK ALL ROMANIAN PEOPLE HAVE SOME KIND OF GENETIC DEFECT 14:16 BECAUSE THEY COULD ALL SING AND THEIR PITCH WAS PERFECT - AT 14:21 LEAST WHAT I HEARD - AND JUST INCREDIBLE MUSIC. 14:25 I'D SIT THERE - THEY'D GET DONE SINGING, IT'D BE TIME FOR ME TO 14:28 PREACH AND I'D JUST BE SO SPELL-BOUND I'D FORGET. 14:33 ALSO, NOT ONLY SINGING BUT WITH THE INSTRUMENTS AS WELL. 14:36 THE MEETINGS WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED. PEOPLE CAME IN BUSES. 14:39 A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE CAME, NOT JUST FROM THE COLLEGE ITSELF BUT 14:42 FROM THE OTHER CHURCHES AND HAD JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE THERE. 14:48 YEAH, PROGRAMS NOT ONLY WENT OUT ON ESPERANZA TV, BUT THEY WENT 14:53 OUT OVER THE INTERNET AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, WERE ANY - 14:57 SOME OF YOU HERE - DID ANY OF YOU HERE SEE ANY OF 15:00 THE MEETINGS ON THE - YEAH? YEAH? UH HUH. 15:05 I SEE MOST OF OUR ROMANIAN MEMBERS GO...BECAUSE IT'S IN THE 15:09 MIDDLE OF THE DAY HERE, OR IN THE MORNING WHEN WE'D BE DOING 15:11 THE MEETINGS THERE, SO WE WERE GETTING E-MAIL FROM PEOPLE 15:14 AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO WERE WATCHING AND WE HEARD REALLY 15:17 GOOD REPORTS. THEY SAID THAT THEY BELIEVED 15:19 THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT THE SITES - THE HUNDREDS OF 15:22 LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD - THAT WERE MAKING DECISIONS FOR 15:25 BAPTISM. WE LEFT SHORTLY AFTER IT'S DONE. 15:28 THEY THEN GET ALL THOSE - THAT INFORMATION ALL CAME IN VIA THE 15:32 INTERNET SITE AND THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US A FOLLOW-UP REPORT. 15:35 THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST SABBATHS - OH, HERE'S A NEAT STORY. 15:38 SOMEONE E-MAILED THIS TO US. 15:39 THIS IS A GIRL WHO IS TENDING AN OUTDOOR FOOD STAND IN SPAIN AND 15:47 SOMEONE WALKED BY AND THEY RECOGNIZED WHAT SHE WAS WATCHING 15:50 ON HER PHONE AND SOMEONE TOOK A PICTURE OF HER WATCHING OUR 15:53 PROGRAM ON THE INTERNET AND THEY WERE THINKING - THEY PUT A 15:57 LITTLE CAPTION ON THERE, 'I WONDER IF HER BOSS KNOWS THAT 16:00 SHE'S NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FOOD STAND.' 16:03 BUT, YEAH, SO SHE WAS WATCHING THE ESPERANZA - THAT WAS SENT TO 16:07 US FROM SOMEONE IN SPAIN THAT WAS WATCHING. 16:09 WE DID HAVE SOME BAPTISMS AT THE END - I THINK THERE WERE ABOUT 16:12 10 OR 12 PEOPLE BAPTIZED, BUT THE ROMANIAN PEOPLE ARE VERY 16:16 CAREFUL - AND I APPRECIATE THIS - THEY DON'T BAPTIZE SOMEONE 16:20 RIGHT AT THE END OF THE MEETINGS AFTER ONE DAY IN CHURCH. 16:23 THEY MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE GROUNDED AND WELL CLEARED AND 16:26 WELL TRAINED. SO THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE BAPTIZED 16:28 HAVE BEEN GOING TO CHURCH FOR SOME TIME. 16:30 THE ONES WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS FROM OUR MEETINGS, 16:32 THEY'LL BE GOING TO CHURCH FOR AWHILE AND THEY GET THEM 16:35 GROUNDED, THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE TEACHINGS 16:38 AND THEN THEY HAVE THE BAPTISMS. AND, YEAH, IT WAS A GREAT 16:43 EXPERIENCE. WE HAD SOME FUN TOO. OUR LAST NIGHT THERE - THERE WAS 16:49 A NUMBER OF FUNNY THINGS HAPPENED, BUT OUR LAST NIGHT 16:51 THERE PASTOR ROSS AND I, WE NEEDED TO FINISH THE PROGRAM AND 16:56 THEN WE HAD TO FLY OUT REALLY EARLY IN THE MORNING. 16:58 I THINK PASTOR ROSS WAS GETTING PICKED UP AT 5:00 IN THE 17:00 MORNING, WHICH MEANT THAT HE HAD TO WAKE UP AT 4:00 IN THE 17:02 MORNING AND HE WANTED SO MUCH TO GET BACK TO HIS ROOM. 17:05 AS WE PULLED UP TO OUR HOTEL THERE'S A BUSLOAD OF WHAT, 17:09 EVIDENTLY, ARE DANCING GYPSIES - BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL IN THESE 17:11 UNIFORMS - THESE GYPSY COSTUMES - THAT ARE GETTING OFF AND GOING 17:14 INTO OUR HOTEL - AND THIS IS LIKE 10:00 OR 11:00 AT NIGHT. 17:17 AND WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN BACK LATE - POOR PASTOR ROSS, HE GETS 17:21 TO HIS ROOM HIS ELECTRICITY WON'T WORK. 17:24 HE'S ONLY HOPING TO GET FOUR HOURS SLEEP - SO THEY HAVE TO 17:29 MOVE HIM TO ANOTHER ROOM THAT NIGHT - JUST FOR HIS FOUR HOURS 17:32 OF SLEEP. SO HE FINALLY GETS IN THE OTHER ROOM HE CALLS, HE 17:34 SAYS, 'DOUG, I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW WHERE I'M AT IF YOU 17:36 NEED ME. I HAD TO MOVE TO ANOTHER ROOM.' 17:38 AND THEN 2:00 IN THE MORNING I WAKE UP AND THE GYPSIES DECIDED, 17:42 FOR WHATEVER REASON - I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAD HAD A 17:44 FEW DRINKS - THEY DECIDED TO DANCE IN THE HALLS AND SO 17:48 THEY'RE DANCING UP AND DOWN THE HALLS AND THEY'RE BANGING ON 17:49 ALL THE HOTEL DOORS. 17:51 IN DON'T KNOW IF THEY WANTED US TO COME OUT AND DANCE WITH THEM 17:52 OR WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT I DIDN'T OPEN THE DOOR. 17:54 I KEPT SAYING, 'YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG ROOM.' 17:58 AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET A COUPLE OF HOURS SLEEP SO WE CAN 18:01 WAKE UP REAL EARLY AND GO TO THE AIRPORT AND CATCH OUR - SO 18:05 FINALLY, 4:45 IN THE MORNING I CALL JEAN, BECAUSE I KNOW HE'S 18:08 ABOUT TO CATCH HIS PLANE, AND I SAID, 'SO HOW DID YOU SLEEP LAST 18:10 NIGHT?' AND THEN THE OTHER THING I FORGOT TO TELL YOU IS WHEN 18:16 CEAUSESCU - AM I SAYING HIS NAME RIGHT? 18:19 CEAUSESCU, WHEN HE MOVED A BUNCH OF THE PEOPLE INTO THESE 18:23 GOVERNMENT BLOCKS, HE MADE THEM LEAVE THEIR FARMS AND THEY 18:27 ABANDONED ALL THEIR DOGS. AND THERE ARE 70,000 DOGS 18:32 ROAMING AROUND THE STREETS OF ROMANIA THAT DON'T HAVE OWNERS. 18:35 BUT THEY CAN'T DEAL WITH THEM BECAUSE EVERY TIME THEY SAY, 18:37 'LOOK, WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE DOGS' THEN ALL OF 18:40 THE ANIMAL RIGHTS PEOPLE, LIKE BRIGITTE BARDOT - THEY COME TO 18:42 ROMANIA AND SAY, 'OH, PLEASE, YOU'VE GOT TO JUST LOVE AND TAKE 18:45 CARE OF THE DOGS.' THE DOGS DIDN'T BOTHER US BUT 18:49 THEY BARKED ALL NIGHT LONG OUTSIDE OF OUR HOTEL ROOM. 18:54 AND SO BETWEEN THE BARKING DOGS AND THE DANCING GYPSIES WE 18:57 DIDN'T GET MUCH SLEEP OUR LAST NIGHT. 19:00 BUT IT WAS FUNNY. WE WERE LAUGHING TOGETHER. 19:03 ANYWAY, THE LORD REALLY BLESSED THE TRIP AND WE'RE ALREADY 19:05 LOOKING FORWARD TO - IT WAS COLD. I WANT TO GO BACK IN THE 19:09 SPRINGTIME. WE WENT IN DECEMBER. 19:10 I HEAR IT'S JUST REALLY BEAUTIFUL IN THE SPRING. 19:13 AND SO WE JUST WANT TO PRAISE THE LORD. 19:14 THE WORD OF GOD HAS GONE OUT. THEY'RE GOING TO USE THESE 19:16 PROGRAMS FOR YEARS TO COME. OUR LESSON - NOW THIS IS 19:20 EXCITING FOR ME ALSO BECAUSE WE'RE GOING THROUGH A NEW 19:23 QUARTER STUDY ON DISCIPLESHIP BUT I'M JUST ENTERING INTO IT 19:27 NOW AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING LESSON 2. 19:30 FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE VISITING HERE AT CENTRAL CHURCH, WE STUDY 19:34 THE LESSON THREE WEEKS IN ADVANCE TO PROVIDE TIME TO 19:37 RECORD, EDIT, PROVIDE SUBTITLES FOR PEOPLE, AND SEND IT OFF TO 19:41 THE VARIOUS NETWORKS THAT CARRY THE PROGRAM. 19:43 AND SO, TODAY WE'RE ON LESSON #2 IN 'DISCIPLESHIP' AND WE HAVE A 19:48 FREE OFFER THAT GOES WITH OUR STUDY TODAY AND IT'S A LITTLE 19:52 BOOK BY YOURS TRULY CALLED 'THE SIGN OF JONAH' - THE SIGN OF 19:55 JONAH - AND IT'S TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE METAPHORS IN THE 19:59 BIBLE AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF METAPHORS IN THE 20:02 STORY OF JONAH FOR JESUS. JESUS SAID, 'NO SIGN'LL BE GIVEN 20:06 BUT THE SIGN OF JONAH.' AND THERE'S A LOT OF TYPES OF 20:09 CHRIST IN THIS BOOK AND IN THE STORY OF JONAH, SO IF YOU'D LIKE 20:13 A FREE COPY OF THAT, JUST TURN - CALL THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN, 20:17 WHICH IS 866-STUDY-MORE - THAT'S 866-788-3966 - 20:24 ASK FOR OFFER #149. WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE. 20:28 WE JUST ASK THAT YOU READ IT AND THEN HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SHARE IT 20:30 WITH A FRIEND AFTER YOU DO THAT. OUR LESSON TODAY IS 'DISCIPLING 20:36 THROUGH METAPHOR'. THE STUDY GUIDE IS DEALING WITH 20:39 THE ISSUE OF DISCIPLESHIP. AND IN THIS STUDY WE'RE GOING TO 20:44 LOOK AT A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT GOD TEACHES THROUGH PARABLES AND 20:47 THAT'S REALLY WHAT OUR MEMORY VERSE IS ABOUT. 20:49 SO IF YOU WANT TO SAY THE MEMORY VERSE WITH ME, IT'S IN MATTHEW 20:52 13, VERSES 34 AND 35 AND I'M GOING TO BE DOING IT FROM THE 20:59 NEW KING JAMES VERSION, IF YOU'RE READY, MATTHEW 13:34 AND 21:03 35, "ALL THESE THINGS JESUS SPOKE TO THE MULTITUDE IN 21:09 PARABLES; AND WITHOUT A PARABLE HE DID NOT SPEAK TO THEM, THAT 21:13 IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET, SAYING: 21:17 'I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS 21:21 KEPT SECRET FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.'" 21:25 NOW HERE HE'S ACTUALLY QUOTING FROM PSALM 78, WHERE THE BIBLE 21:28 SAID THAT THE MESSIAH, WHEN HE CAME, WOULD BE TEACHING WITH 21:31 PARABLES. WHY DID JESUS TEACH THROUGH 21:35 ANALOGIES AND METAPHORS AND PARABLES? 21:40 AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND IN THE CONTEXT OF 21:44 DISCIPLING? WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S 21:47 BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL WAY TO TEACH THEOLOGY WITH 21:52 PICTURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN REMEMBER IT. 21:57 AND THAT SOUNDS VERY SIMPLISTIC, BUT JESUS KNEW FOR US TO BE ABLE 22:01 TO NOT ONLY REMEMBER BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF 22:06 THEOLOGY, TEACHING IN PARABLES REALLY EMBEDS THEM IN OUR MINDS. 22:12 AND SO THIS WAS A FAVORITE METHOD OF JESUS AND IT'S 22:15 SOMETHING FOR US TO REMEMBER IN TEACHING AND DISCIPLING OTHERS - 22:18 THE USE OF ILLUSTRATIONS, METAPHORS AND ANALOGIES. 22:22 ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO START OUT WITH SOME OF THE OLD 22:24 TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF THESE METAPHORS AND ANALOGIES. 22:28 FOR INSTANCE, YOU GO TO PSALM 23 AND DAVID WAS A MASTER AT THIS. 22:34 THERE'S QUITE A FEW - MOSES USED METAPHORS AND ANALOGIES, THE 22:41 JUDGES DID, KING DAVID DID - AND HERE WE GO. 22:48 PEOPLE ALWAYS SAVE THIS PSALM FOR FUNERALS AND IT'S REALLY NOT 22:52 A - IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE RELEGATED TO FUNERALS. 22:55 IT'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT OUR ONGOING DAILY RELATIONSHIP WITH 22:58 JESUS. "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT." - 23:02 WANT MEANS 'BE IN NEED' - "HE MAKES ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN 23:06 PASTURES;" - NOW WHAT DO YOU SEE THERE? 23:09 DON'T YOU SEE LIKE A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY, NO WIND, FLOWERS IN 23:13 A FIELD OF CLOVER AND THE SHEPHERD STANDING BY GUARDING 23:16 THE SHEEP AND THEY COMFORTABLY SIT DOWN THERE, CLOSE THEIR EYES 23:20 AND CHEW THE CUD PERFECTLY CONTENT AND RELAXED? 23:24 - "HE MAKES ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES; HE LEADS ME 23:27 BESIDE THE STILL WATERS." - GENTLY RUNNING - IT'S NOT A 23:31 FLOOD - THERE'S NO DANGER THERE - "HE RESTORES MY SOUL;" - IT'S 23:35 JUST DAILY REFRESHING AND HEALING - "HE LEADS ME IN THE 23:38 PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE." - 23:42 YOU KNOW, A SHEPHERD GOES BEFORE HIS SHEEP - SOMEONE ONCE 23:46 WAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THEY SAW THAT THIS MAN WAS DRIVING 23:53 THE SHEEP AND THEY WERE ON A TOUR AND THEY SAID TO THEIR 23:55 GUIDE, THEY SAID, 'I THOUGHT THAT IT SAYS THAT THE SHEPHERD 23:57 LEADS THE SHEEP. IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THAT MAN IS 23:59 DRIVING THE SHEEP.' HE SAID, 'YEAH, WELL HE'S NOT THE 24:01 SHEPHERD, HE'S THE BUTCHER.' AND, YOU KNOW, THE BUTCHER 24:05 DRIVES THEM INTO THE PEN TO BE SLAUGHTERED BUT THE SHEPHERD 24:10 LEADS THE SHEEP. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST IN ROMANIA 24:11 THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF SHEEP THERE. 24:13 I WAS - SAW ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A SHEPHERD. 24:16 HE WAS WALKING, ACTUALLY, ALONG A RAILROAD TRACK - A PATH BY A 24:18 RAILROAD TRACK - AND ALL THE SHEEP WERE THERE IN A LINE 24:22 BEHIND HIM - JUST HERDING BEHIND HIM. 24:24 HE PROBABLY HAD HIS HEAD SHEEP THAT WAS TRAINED. - 24:27 "HE LEADS ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" - WHERE DOES 24:30 JESUS LEAD US? - "FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. 24:33 YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH," 24:36 - THERE WERE SAFE PLACES AND THERE WERE VALLEYS THAT A 24:40 SHEPHERD MIGHT LEAD HIS SHEEP THAT HAD A LOT OF CAVERNS AND 24:42 HOLES WHERE JACKALS COULD COME OUT AND SPRING UPON THE SHEEP. 24:46 BUT IF THE SHEPHERD WAS WITH THE SHEEP AND HE HAD HIS STAFF 24:49 THERE, WHICH HE WOULD USE TO CLUB OFF THE VARMINTS, THE SHEEP 24:54 DIDN'T SEEM TO MIND. - "THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE 24:57 VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH," - YOU MEAN THE SHEPHERD WOULD 25:00 ACTUALLY SOMETIMES LEAD THE SHEEP THROUGH DANGEROUS PLACES? 25:03 DOES THE LORD SOMETIMES ALLOW US TO GO THROUGH TRIALS AND 25:06 TRIBULATIONS? DID PAUL SAY THAT WE MUST, 25:10 THROUGH TRIBULATION, ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD? 25:14 BUT WE DON'T WORRY BECAUSE IT SAYS, "FOR YOU ARE WITH ME;" - 25:17 WHAT DID JESUS SAY? 'I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS.' - 25:20 "YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME." - WHY WOULD YOU BE 25:23 COMFORTED BY THE LORD'S ROD AND STAFF? BECAUSE HE'S ARMED 25:28 AGAINST THE ENEMIES THAT MIGHT COME AGAINST YOU. - 25:32 "YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES;" 25:36 - YOU SEE A SHEPHERD LEADING THE SHEEP DOWN INTO DEEP DARK GREEN 25:41 MEADOW AND THERE MIGHT BE WOODS AND CAVES AND HILLS AROUND THAT 25:47 HAVE SOME DANGERS BUT THEY FOUND A SAFE PLACE IN THE MIDST OF 25:51 THAT. AND THE LORD, EVEN IN THIS WORLD WITH SIN AND THE DEVIL AND 25:54 ALL THE PROBLEMS, HE CAN LEAD US INTO GREEN PASTURES RIGHT BEFORE 25:58 OUR ENEMIES. - "YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL;" - 26:01 SOMETIMES SHEEP GOT HURT OR WOUNDED AND THEY'D BE ANOINTED. 26:06 THERE'S HEALING THAT HAPPENS HERE - "MY CUP RUNS OVER. 26:10 SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY 26:13 LIFE; AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER." 26:17 YOU DON'T NEED MERCY ONCE WHEN YOU COME TO CHRIST, YOU NEED 26:20 MERCY ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, DON'T YOU? AND THE GOOD NEWS: 26:23 IT SAYS, 'I'LL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER'. 26:26 IT ENDS BY TALKING ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE. WHO BETTER THAN DAVID - 26:30 AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT GOD USED DAVID TO SHARE 26:34 THIS BECAUSE SHEPHERDS WERE REALLY SEEN AS JUST 26:39 THE LOWEST OF THE LOW. THE SOCIETY BACK IN THE TIME OF 26:43 EVEN DAVID - TO SAY YOU ARE A SHEPHERD - DO YOU REMEMBER HOW 26:46 THE EGYPTIANS REACTED WHEN JACOB'S FAMILY WENT TO THE 26:49 PHARAOH AND THEY SAID 'WE'RE SHEPHERDS'? 26:50 THEY SAID, 'SHEPHERDS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE EGYPTIANS.' 26:53 IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST A CASTE OF VERY LOW, DIRTY - THEY 26:58 LIVED OUT THERE WITH THESE ANIMALS, THEY SMELLED FUNNY - 27:01 AND TO SAY 'THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD' WAS A VERY UNUSUAL 27:04 ANALOGY, BUT IT TALKED ABOUT THE LOVE FOR THE SHEEP. 27:08 NOW, WITH THAT IN MIND, AND KNOWING HOW DAVID LOVED SHEEP - 27:13 YOU REMEMBER WHEN DAVID WENT TO SAUL AND KING SAUL SAID, 'HOW 27:16 DARE YOU THINK YOU CAN GO FIGHT AGAINST GOLIATH? 27:18 HE'S A MAN OF WAR.' AND DAVID SAID, 'OH, YOU KNOW, 27:21 WHEN I WAS YOUNG A LION CAME AND TOOK ONE OF THE LAMBS AND 27:24 I RISKED MY LIFE TO SAVE ONE LAMB. 27:27 AND THEN A BEAR CAME TO TAKE ANOTHER ONE AND I RISKED MY LIFE 27:30 TO SAVE THE LAMB FROM THE BEAR AND FROM THE LION AND SO I THINK 27:33 I CAN FIGHT THE GIANT.' THE POINT IS: DAVID WOULD RISK HIS 27:37 LIFE FOR ONE - YOU KNOW, IF I HAD A HUNDRED SHEEP AND A BEAR 27:41 CAME, I'D SAY, 'FAIR ENOUGH.' I'VE GOT NINETY-NINE LEFT, YOU 27:44 KNOW? BUT DAVID, HE WAS WILLING TO LAY HIS LIFE DOWN FOR ONE. 27:50 KEEP THAT IN MIND AS I READ THE NEXT PARABLE AND METAPHOR FROM 27:54 THE OLD TESTAMENT. AFTER DAVID SINNED WITH BATHSHEBA - 27:59 GOD IS VERY MERCIFUL AND HE'S VERY PATIENT AND HE 28:03 GAVE DAVID PLENTY OF TIME TO REPENT - MONTHS WENT BY. 28:07 BATHSHEBA, OF COURSE, WAS PREGNANT AND HAD THE BABY. 28:10 THE BABY WAS BORN SO YOU KNOW AT LEAST 8, 10 MONTHS, A YEAR WENT 28:13 BY AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT THIS 28:18 KING THAT HAD BEEN SO SPIRIT-FILLED, THROUGH WHOM GOD 28:22 HAD WRITTEN INSPIRATIONAL MATERIAL THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR 28:24 BIBLE, LIKE THE PSALM WE JUST READ, COULD DAY AFTER DAY GET UP 28:29 AND DO HIS WORK AND GO ABOUT HIS BUSINESS, STIFLING HIS 28:33 CONSCIENCE TO JUST IGNORE THE FACT THAT HE HAD COMMITTED 28:39 ADULTERY IN A MAJOR WAY AND MURDERED A LOYAL FRIEND AT THE 28:44 HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES. CAN - IF DAVID CAN BE THAT 28:49 SELF-DECEIVED - AND HERE HE WAS OPERATING - A CHURCH MEMBER IN 28:54 GOOD STANDING, YOU WONDER, ARE WE CAPABLE - IS THE HUMAN HEART 28:59 CAPABLE OF US FORGETTING ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE TO GOD AND NOT 29:02 DEALING WITH IT, NOT REPENTING OF IT? 29:04 SO, BECAUSE GOD LOVED DAVID HE SAID, 'LOOK, I NEED TO GET YOUR 29:08 ATTENTION. YOU CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS. 29:10 YOU NEED TO DEAL WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED.' 29:12 SO NATHAN THE PROPHET COMES TO HIM - ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF 29:14 DISCIPLING THROUGH METAPHOR. SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE WORKING 29:17 WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO REACH THEM IT'S HARD TO JUST 29:20 COME RIGHT OUT AND SAY, 'WHAT IN THE WORLD'S WRONG WITH YOU? 29:23 DON'T YOU SEE HOW MUCH YOU'RE SINNING? 29:25 DON'T YOU SEE WHAT A TERRIBLE THING THIS IS THAT YOU'VE DONE?' 29:28 NATHAN CHOSE TO USE AN ILLUSTRATION SO DAVID WOULD SEE 29:33 HIMSELF THROUGH THE STORY AND IT WOULD REALLY BE - YOU'VE GOT TO 29:36 CONDEMN YOURSELF. AND SO LISTEN TO THE STORY. 29:40 "THEN THE LORD SENT NATHAN TO DAVID AND HE CAME TO HIM AND HE 29:43 SAID - DAVID IS SITTING IN JUDGMENT. 29:45 HE IS LISTENING TO DIFFERENT CASES. 29:47 NATHAN THE PROPHET COMES AND SAYS, 'I'VE GOT A SPECIAL CASE I 29:49 NEED YOU TO WEIGH IN ON.' HE SAID, 'THERE WERE TWO MEN IN 29:54 ONE CITY. ONE WAS RICH, THE OTHER POOR. 29:57 THE RICH MAN HAD EXCEEDING MANY FLOCKS AND HERDS BUT THE POOR 30:01 MAN HAD NOTHING EXCEPT ONE LITTLE EWE LAMB.' 30:05 - WASN'T EVEN FULL GROWN - 'WHICH HE HAD BROUGHT UP AND 30:08 NOURISHED AND IT GREW UP TOGETHER WITH HIM AND HIS 30:11 CHILDREN. IT ATE OF HIS OWN FOOD AND DRANK 30:14 FROM HIS OWN CUP AND IT LAY IN HIS BOSOM. 30:18 IT WAS LIKE A DAUGHTER TO HIM.' - NOW, I KNOW YOU MIGHT THINK 30:21 THAT'S STRANGE, BUT I'VE SEEN FAMILIES THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY 30:26 HAVE A FAMILY FARM AND THEY - SUMMERTIME THE DOOR'S OPEN AND 30:29 THE SHEEP KIND OF COMES IN AND OUT OF THE HOUSE AND - I DON'T 30:32 KNOW WHAT YOU'LL THINK OF ME, BUT I TOLD YOU YEARS AGO WE HAD 30:34 GOATS THAT WE MILKED AND WE LIVED IN A PRETTY ROUGH CABIN 30:38 AND WE MILKED THE GOAT IN THE HOUSE. 30:44 KEPT THE HOUSE CLEAN SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT IT WAS 30:45 LIKE A FAMILY PET. I WON'T ASK HOW MANY OF YOU KEEP 30:49 DOGS IN YOUR HOUSE. NO, I WILL ASK. 30:52 HOW MANY OF YOU KEEP DOGS IN YOUR HOUSE? 30:54 COME ON, 'FESS UP. BIBLICALLY, GOATS ARE CLEAN, 30:58 DOGS ARE NOT SO THERE, WE SETTLED THAT. OKAY - 'AND IT LAY 31:05 IN HIS BOSOM LIKE A DAUGHTER TO HIM. AND A TRAVELER CAME TO THE 31:08 RICH MAN' - HIS RICH NEIGHBOR - HAD A BIG RANCH NEXT DOOR AND, 31:12 YOU KNOW, YOU OFTEN PREPARE FOR A TRAVELER. 31:14 REMEMBER, WHEN ABRAHAM HAD - THOSE TRAVELERS CAME - HE KILLED 31:17 THE FATTED CALF TO PREPARE A FEAST FOR THEM. 31:20 - 'AND A TRAVELER CAME BUT HE REFUSED TO TAKE FROM HIS OWN 31:23 FLOCK AND FROM HIS OWN HERD TO PREPARE FOR THE WAYFARING MAN 31:27 WHO HAD COME TO HIM, BUT HE TOOK THE POOR MAN'S LAMB AND HE 31:31 PREPARED IT.' HE BUTCHERED THIS ONE FAMILY'S 31:33 PET AND HE FED IT TO A STRANGER.' 31:38 - AND DAVID HEARS THIS STORY AND HE IS OUTRAGED AND YOU CAN JUST 31:42 SEE THE RAGE IN HIS EYE AND HIS VEINS ARE STANDING OUT. 31:45 - 'AND DAVID IS GREATLY AROUSED AGAINST THIS MAN' - I MEAN HERE 31:49 NATHAN SHOT RIGHT TO THE HEART WITH THIS METAPHOR TO THE 31:52 SHEPHERD WHO WOULD DIE FOR HIS SHEEP. AND HE SAYS, 31:54 'AS THE LORD LIVES, THE MAN WHO HAS DONE THIS WILL DIE! 31:58 HE'S GOING TO PAY BACK FOUR-FOLD FOR THE LAMB BECAUSE HE DID THIS 32:01 THING AND HAD NO PITY.' NATHAN SAYS, 'YOU'RE THE MAN.' 32:08 WOW, TALK ABOUT A ZINGER, NATHAN - DAVID PROBABLY COLLAPSED ON 32:14 HIS THRONE, SHOCKED BY THE TRUTH. 32:16 IT HIT HIM LIKE A TON OF BRICKS AND THEN HE, YOU KNOW, REPENTED. 32:20 YOU READ PSALM 51 AND - IS IT PSALM 32? 32:27 THERE'S A COUPLE OF PSALMS OF REPENTANCE - AND YOU'LL SEE HOW 32:29 HE POURED OUT HIS HEART AND HE WENT THROUGH GREAT REPENTANCE. 32:32 BUT WHAT DID IT TAKE FOR NATHAN TO TEACH DAVID ABOUT HIS 32:38 STANDING BEFORE GOD? IT TOOK A STORY THAT HE WOULD 32:42 RELATE TO. AND SO THAT'S WHAT JESUS DID. 32:45 YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF CREATIVITY AND 32:49 PRAYER TO DEVELOP ANALOGIES TO TEACH, BUT GOOD TEACHERS, GOOD 32:53 PREACHERS, AND GOOD BIBLE TEACHERS - YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE 32:56 A PROFESSIONAL - YOU LEARN HOW TO SOMETIMES HELP PEOPLE. 33:00 I USED TO STRUGGLE WITH FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'D BE STUDYING 33:04 WITH PEOPLE THAT WERE TRYING TO QUIT SMOKING AND THEY'D SAY, 33:08 'PASTOR DOUG, YOU KNOW, GOD KNOWS I LOVE HIM AND I'LL GET - 33:11 I'LL BE DONE SMOKING ONE OF THESE DAYS. 33:13 I'M GOING TO GIVE IT UP. I'M WORKING ON IT. 33:14 CAN'T I GO AHEAD AND GET BAPTIZED NOW AND I'LL GIVE UP 33:18 THE SMOKING LATER?' I'D SAY, 'WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT 33:21 THAT.' YOU DON'T WANT TO DISCOURAGE THEM. 33:24 BUT I'D SAY, 'WHEN YOU'RE BAPTIZED YOU'RE BORN AGAIN. 33:26 YOU'RE LIKE AN INNOCENT NEW BABY. AND I'D SAY, 'NOW, WHAT 33:29 WOULD YOU THINK IF YOU WERE WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND YOU 33:32 SAW A LADY'S GOT ONE OF THOSE STROLLERS THAT PUSHES TWINS BUT 33:36 IT'S GOT THE HOOD UP SO YOU CAN'T SEE THE BABIES. 33:38 SO YOU THOUGHT, 'OH, I'D LIKE TO PEEK AT THOSE TWINS.' 33:40 AND YOU WALK AROUND AND YOU LOOK IN ON THE TWINS AND THERE THEY 33:44 ARE AND ONE'S GOT A CIGAR IN ITS MOUTH AND THE OTHER ONE'S 33:46 SPITTING TOBACCO.' I SAID, 'WOULD THAT LOOK WRONG?' 33:50 AND THEY WENT, 'OH!' AND I SAID, 'SO DOES GOD WANT 33:52 HIS BABIES BLOWING SMOKE RINGS?' 'YEAH, I GUESS NOT.' 33:57 I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, IT REPRESENTS BEING FREE WHEN YOU'RE BORN 34:00 AGAIN.' I SAID, 'WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO 34:02 GO INTO THE WATERS OF BAPTISM AND COME UP AND, YOU KNOW, BURP 34:05 SMOKE?' I SAID, 'IT DOESN'T...' 34:07 AND THROUGH THE ANALOGY THEY WENT, 'YEAH.' 34:11 SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE NEED TO SEE A PICTURE THAT HELPS THEM 34:14 UNDERSTAND A TRUTH AND THERE'S A LOT OF THIS IN THE BIBLE. 34:16 THAT'S WHY I LIKE READING THE BIBLE, IT'S FULL OF STORIES. 34:18 OKAY, LET'S GO TO SOME OTHER OLD TESTAMENT SYMBOLS. 34:22 YOU'VE GOT THE SYMBOLISM OF THE WINE BOTTLES. 34:24 YOU FIND THIS - AND THIS IS IN YOUR LESSON - IN JEREMIAH 13, 34:28 VERSES 12 AND 13. NOW, I DIDN'T - HAVEN'T GIVEN 34:31 OUT ANY SCRIPTURES YET. SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME 34:33 REVELATION 16:19. DID WE GIVE THAT OUT? 34:37 YOU'VE GOT THAT? LET'S GET YOU A MICROPHONE. 34:39 AND THEN SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE ROMANS 9:22. 34:43 I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS THAT. OH YOU - ALRIGHT, 34:45 YOU'LL BE NEXT EDDIE. SO FIRST WE'LL DO REVELATION 34:48 16:19 - IN JUST A MOMENT. LET ME FIRST READ JEREMIAH AND 34:51 THIS SETS UP THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 34:54 "THEREFORE YOU SHALL SPEAK TO THEM THIS WORD:" - GOD IS 34:57 SPEAKING TO JEREMIAH - "'THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL: 35:00 'EVERY BOTTLE SHALL BE FILLED WITH WINE.''" - WELL, YOU MIGHT 35:04 THINK, WELL, THAT'S A GOOD THING. THAT'S LIKE WHEN JESUS 35:06 TURNED THE WATER TO WINE. NO, KEEP READING. - 35:09 "AND THEY WILL SAY TO YOU, 'DO WE NOT CERTAINLY KNOW THAT EVERY 35:12 BOTTLE WILL BE FILLED WITH WINE?'" 35:14 - OF COURSE A BOTTLE'S FILLED WITH WINE. 35:15 IN OTHER WORDS, JEREMIAH'S SAYING, 'EVERY WINESKIN WILL BE 35:18 FILLED WITH WINE.' THEY'RE GOING, 'YEAH, WELL, 35:21 WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?' - "THEN YOU SHALL SAY TO THEM, 35:24 'THUS SAYS THE LORD: 'BEHOLD, I WILL FILL ALL THE INHABITANTS OF 35:27 THIS LAND - EVEN THE KINGS WHO SIT ON DAVID'S THRONE, THE 35:29 PRIESTS, THE PROPHETS, AND ALL THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM - 35:32 WITH DRUNKENNESS! AND I WILL DASH THEM ONE AGAINST ANOTHER, 35:35 EVEN THE FATHERS AND THE SONS TOGETHER,' SAYS THE LORD. 35:38 'I WILL NOT PITY NOR SPARE NOR HAVE MERCY, BUT WILL DESTROY 35:41 THEM.''" AND SO HERE HE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT THERE'S GOING 35:44 TO BE A LOT OF BLOODSHED AND THIS REPRESENTS JUDGMENT AND 35:48 WRATH. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU GET TO 35:51 REVELATION, THE WRITERS IN REVELATION DRAW UPON THIS. 35:55 REVELATION 14:8, "AND ANOTHER ANGEL FOLLOWED, SAYING, 'BABYLON 35:59 IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN, THAT GREAT CITY, BECAUSE SHE HAS MADE ALL 36:04 NATIONS DRINK OF THE'" - WHAT'S THE REST OF THAT? - 36:07 "'WINE OF THE WRATH'" - YOU USUALLY DON'T THINK OF WINE 36:12 CONNECTED WITH WRATH. IT'S NOT WINE CONNECTED WITH 36:14 WRATH AT THE LAST SUPPER. IT'S NOT WINE CONNECTED WITH 36:17 WRATH IN, YOU KNOW, JESUS - THE WEDDING FEAST. 36:21 BUT IN THIS PARABLE IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE WINE OF THE WRATH. 36:24 JUMP DOWN TO VERSE 10, "...HE HIMSELF SHALL ALSO DRINK OF THE 36:27 WINE OF THE WRATH OF GOD, WHICH IS POURED OUT FULL STRENGTH INTO 36:30 THE CUP OF HIS INDIGNATION. HE SHALL BE TORMENTED WITH FIRE 36:33 AND BRIMSTONE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND IN THE 36:35 PRESENCE OF THE LAMB." SO HERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT A 36:37 WINE OF JUDGMENT. NOW GO AHEAD, READ YOURS, MIKE. 36:41 >>REVELATION 16:19, "NOW THE GREAT CITY WAS DIVIDED INTO 36:45 THREE PARTS, AND THE CITIES OF THE NATIONS FELL. 36:49 AND GREAT BABYLON WAS REMEMBERED BEFORE GOD, TO GIVE HER THE CUP 36:53 OF THE WINE OF THE FIERCENESS OF HIS WRATH." 36:56 >>ALRIGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD SOMETIMES HAPPEN? 36:59 WHEN PEOPLE DRANK FERMENTED WINE - NOW KEEP IN MIND IT'S - IN 37:05 JEREMIAH IT USES THE WORD DRUNK. IN REVELATION 17 IT USES THE 37:09 WORD DRUNK. JESUS - WHAT KIND OF WINE DID HE 37:12 MAKE FOR THE WEDDING FEAST? NEW WINE. 37:15 WHAT KIND OF WINE WAS AT THE LAST SUPPER? NEW WINE. 37:19 SO THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A HOUSE 37:22 THAT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE DRINKING THE OTHER KIND OF WINE? 37:25 DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF VIOLENCE IN NORTH 37:29 AMERICA? ALCOHOL RELATED - IT'S ALCOHOL RELATED. 37:35 AND SO PEOPLE KNEW THAT WHEN THEY SMELLED THAT TWANG OF THE 37:38 ALCOHOL IN THE WINE, THEN PEOPLE THAT WERE FULL OF THAT - OFTEN 37:43 THERE WAS VIOLENCE AND WRATH AND HE'S JUST SAYING IT'S GOING TO 37:46 LOOK LIKE THIS - A DRUNKEN BEDLAM. 37:51 GO AHEAD READ - I THINK NOW WE'VE GOT ROMANS 9:22. 37:56 >>"WHAT IF GOD, WANTING TO SHOW HIS WRATH AND TO MAKE HIS POWER 38:00 KNOWN, ENDURED WITH MUCH LONGSUFFERING THE VESSELS OF 38:04 WRATH PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION?" 38:07 >>SO AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER ANALOGY. THE BIBLE SAYS, 'GOD IS 38:10 THE POTTER, WE ARE THE CLAY.' THERE ARE VESSELS, THE BIBLE 38:13 TELLS US, THAT ARE FULL OF TREASURE AND GOOD THINGS AND 38:15 THEN THERE ARE VESSELS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SMASHED. 38:18 JESUS IS PICTURED IN REVELATION AS COMING WITH A - AS A SCEPTER 38:23 - AN IRON SCEPTER - TO SMASH THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD. 38:26 AND SO, HERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT JUDGMENT ON THE DRUNK AND THEN 38:30 THERE ARE VESSELS THAT ARE SAVED AND PRESERVED. 38:32 AND SO WHAT'S IN YOUR VESSEL? ANOTHER ANALOGY IN THE BIBLE. 38:37 ALRIGHT, LET'S TALK HERE ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL WISDOM. 38:41 ARCHITECTURAL ANALOGIES THAT YOU MIGHT FIND. 38:43 WHY DON'T WE START OUT BY GOING TO THE PARABLE OF TWO BUILDERS 38:46 IN MATTHEW 7. SOMEBODY LOOK UP FOR ME PSALM 11:3. 38:50 WHO HAS THAT VERSE? DID WE GIVE THAT OUT? 38:54 PSALM 11, VERSE 3? ALRIGHT, WE'LL GIVE YOU A 38:58 MICROPHONE. LET'S GET YOU A MICROPHONE. YEAH, WHEN WE'RE 39:01 READY. JUST HANG ON A SECOND. AND IN THE MEANTIME, I'M GOING 39:04 TO READ MATTHEW 7, VERSE 24, "THEREFORE WHOEVER HEARS THESE 39:10 SAYINGS OF MINE, AND DOES THEM, I WILL LIKEN HIM TO A WISE MAN 39:14 WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE ON THE ROCK: AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, THE 39:17 FLOODS CAME, AND THE WINDS BLEW AND BEAT ON THAT HOUSE; AND IT 39:21 DID NOT FALL, FOR IT WAS FOUNDED ON THE ROCK. 39:24 BUT EVERYONE WHO HEARS THESE SAYINGS OF MINE, AND DOES NOT DO 39:27 THEM, WILL BE LIKE A FOOLISH MAN WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE ON THE SAND: 39:31 AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, THE FLOODS CAME, AND THE WINDS BLEW 39:35 AND BEAT ON THAT HOUSE...AND GREAT WAS ITS FALL.'" 39:38 ALRIGHT, FIRST I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, WHAT IS THE SAME ABOUT 39:43 THE WISE MAN AND THE FOOLISH MAN? WHAT'S THE SAME? 39:48 THEY'RE BOTH BUILDING. THE STORM COMES TO BOTH, RIGHT? 39:57 THEY MAY BOTH BE INDUSTRIOUS. THEY MAY BOTH BUILD GOOD HOUSES. 40:02 WHAT'S THE ONE DIFFERENCE IN THE STORY? 40:06 THE FOUNDATION - WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON. 40:09 ONE IS BUILDING ON ROCK - MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU READ THIS SAME 40:13 PARABLE IN LUKE, IT SAYS THE WISE MAN DIGS DEEP AND LAYS THE 40:17 FOUNDATION ON THE ROCK. THAT IS, HE GETS DOWN THROUGH 40:19 THE TOPSOIL AND SETS IT ON THE ROCK. 40:21 YOU KNOW, WE WERE DOING NET 99 IN NEW YORK CITY AND WHILE WE 40:26 WERE DOING IT, THEY WERE ACTUALLY BUILDING A SKYSCRAPER 40:29 ACROSS THE STREET. 40:30 THEY WERE DOING JUST THE FOUNDATION WORK AND DURING THE 40:33 DAY - FORTUNATELY THEY STOPPED BEFORE OUR MEETING BEGAN - BUT 40:36 DURING THE DAY, ALL DAY LONG WHILE WE WERE EDITING, THEY WERE 40:38 BLASTING WITH DYNAMITE IN THE ROCK IN NEW YORK CITY AND THEY 40:42 HAD ALL THESE CABLES AND CHAINS LAYING OVER THIS STUFF AND YOU 40:45 COULD LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE - EVERYTHING WOULD GET REAL 40:48 QUIET, EVERYBODY WOULD LEAVE THIS PIT AND IT WOULD GO 40:51 'KABOOM!' AND THE CHAINS AND ALL THE STUFF THAT WOULD HOLD IN THE 40:54 BLAST WOULD GO LIKE THAT. THEY'D MOVE IT AWAY. 40:55 THEY'D CARRY OFF THE ROCK BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING DOWN 40:58 INTO THE BEDROCK IN ORDER TO BUILD REALLY HIGH. 41:02 IF YOU WANT TO GO REALLY HIGH YOU NEED A GOOD FOUNDATION. 41:04 ALRIGHT, READ FOR US PSALM 11:3. >>PSALM 11, VERSE 3, "IF THE 41:09 FOUNDATION BE DESTROYED, WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?" 41:14 >>BOY, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THAT. 41:16 WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US IF THE FOUNDATION - WHAT'S THE 41:19 FOUNDATION FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH? 41:23 'HE THAT HEARS THESE WORDS OF MINE AND DOES THEM', RIGHT? 41:28 WHAT'S THE FOUNDATION FOR THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH? 41:30 HOPEFULLY IT'S THE SAME THING. ARE THERE SOME PEOPLE WHO MIX 41:35 CULTURAL RELEVANCE IN WITH THE BIBLE? OR TRADITION? 41:40 THEY SAY, 'OH, WE BELIEVE. WE BELIEVE IN THE BIBLE BUT YOU 41:43 NEED TO ALSO BALANCE THINGS OUT WITH WHATEVER YOUR TRADITIONS 41:45 ARE AND YOU'VE GOT TO KIND OF WEAVE IN WHATEVER'S GOING ON IN 41:48 THE CULTURE AND JUST SEE IF YOU CAN FIT THE BIBLE IN.' 41:51 IT'S NOT JUST HAVING THE BIBLE, IT'S HOW YOU APPLY THE BIBLE. 41:56 IT'S THE HERMENEUTICS OF HOW YOU STUDY THE BIBLE. 41:59 YOU CAN HAVE A BIBLE AND SOME PEOPLE STUDY THE BIBLE WITH JUST 42:03 SOME VERY SUPERSTITIOUS METHODS AND THAT, ACTUALLY, CRACKS YOUR 42:09 FOUNDATION. IT CAUSES ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS. 42:11 YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO STUDY THE BIBLE AND SAY, 'WHAT DOES THE 42:13 WORD SAY?' AND AS YOU COMPARE SCRIPTURE 42:15 WITH SCRIPTURE YOU WANT TO HAVE A ROCK-SOLID FOUNDATION. 42:18 IF THE FOUNDATIONS ARE DESTROYED, WHAT SHALL THE 42:21 RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT'S THE FOUNDATION FOR ANY CULTURE? 42:25 THE FAMILY. WHEN THE DEVIL WANTS TO DESTROY 42:28 A NATION, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE POLITICIANS TO BEGIN. 42:32 HE CAN GO RIGHT TO THE FAMILIES BECAUSE EVERY COMMUNITY IS MADE 42:36 UP OF FAMILIES AND IF THE FAMILIES START TO DISINTEGRATE, 42:40 THE COMMUNITIES AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE STATES AND 42:43 THE COUNTIES AND IT JUST WORKS ITS WAY UP AND IT ALL GOES DOWN 42:46 TO THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FAMILIES. 42:48 AND, OF COURSE, THE BEST FOUNDATION FOR THE FAMILIES IS 42:51 GOD AND HIS WORD. SOMEONE READ PSALM 118, VERSES 42:56 22 AND 23 - I THINK WE GAVE THAT - WE'VE GOT A HAND RIGHT BACK 42:59 HERE - LET'S GET YOU THE MIC. THANK YOU, AL. 43:02 AND IN THE MEANTIME I'M GOING TO READ JOB 38, VERSE 6. 43:09 SPEAKING OF THE MAKING OF THE WORLD, JOB ASKS THIS QUESTION: 43:13 "TO WHAT WERE ITS FOUNDATIONS FASTENED? 43:16 OR WHO LAID ITS CORNERSTONE?" THAT'S INTERESTING, JOB IS 43:19 TALKING ABOUT A CORNERSTONE BECAUSE THAT COMES UP SEVERAL 43:22 TIMES LATER IN THE BIBLE. AND WHEN THE WORLD WAS MADE, 43:25 WHAT WAS THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR PLANET? UPON WHAT WAS IT PLACED? 43:30 YOU KNOW THE FOUNDATION OF OUR WORLD IS THE WORD OF GOD TOO. 43:34 "AND GOD SAID" - BROUGHT EVERYTHING INTO EXISTENCE. 43:37 ALRIGHT, WE'RE READY. PSALM 118, I THINK. 43:41 >>"THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REFUSED IS BECOME THE HEAD STONE 43:44 OF THE CORNER. THIS IS THE LORD'S DOING; 43:48 IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES." 43:50 >>NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO THIS VERSE FROM 43:53 PSALM 118 THAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND - AND THAT'S, BY THE WAY, 43:56 VERSES 22 AND 23 - YOU'LL FIND THAT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 44:01 JESUS REFERS TO THE STONE THAT WAS REJECTED. 44:03 PAUL REFERS TO THE STONE THAT WAS REJECTED. 44:06 PETER REFERS TO THE STONE THAT WAS REJECTED. 44:09 IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS, YOU NEED TO KNOW - THERE'S A BIBLE 44:12 STORY THAT'S IN JEWISH - IT'S IN JEWISH LITERATURE BUT IT'S NOT 44:16 IN THE BIBLE - IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S IN BIBLE HISTORY. 44:19 YOU REMEMBER WHEN SOLOMON WAS BUILDING HIS TEMPLE - READING 44:22 ABOUT THAT? HE CONSTRUCTED THE TEMPLE WHERE 44:25 ALL THE STONES WERE PREPARED AT THE QUARRY IN ADVANCE SO THEY 44:28 WOULD NOT HEAR CONSTANT BANGING OF CHISELS OUTSIDE THE KING'S 44:31 PALACE AND ALSO IT WAS A SACRED PLACE. 44:34 SO ALL THE STONES WERE PREPARED - CUT TO THEIR DIMENSIONS - CUT 44:38 VERY SQUARE, SMOOTH, EXACT AND THEN THEY WERE TRANSPORTED TO 44:42 THE BUILDING SITE AND AFTER THE FOUNDATION FOR THE TEMPLE ON 44:46 MOUNT MORIAH WAS PREPARED - BECAUSE PART OF IT DROPPED OFF A 44:49 LITTLE BIT - THERE WAS THIS ONE UNIQUE CORNERSTONE. 44:52 NOW, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE DONE ANY MASONRY BEFORE, YOU KNOW THAT IN 44:55 ORDER TO HAVE A GOOD BUILDING - A GOOD RUN - YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE 44:59 YOUR CORNERS STRAIGHT. YOU'VE GOT A CORNER - IF YOU'RE 45:02 CORNER IS NOT PERFECTLY LEVEL ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, THE WALLS 45:04 START TO GET TILLYWONKERED AND EVERYTHING ELSE GOES WRONG. 45:08 THE CORNERSTONE SETS THE TREND FOR THE REST OF THE BUILDING. 45:12 SO HAVING THIS RIGHT STONE - ALSO, BECAUSE THIS STONE WAS AT 45:14 A LOWER POSITION, IT BORE WEIGHT. 45:18 AND SO, IT NEEDED TO BE PERFECTLY CUT. 45:21 WELL, THEY BROUGHT THIS STONE - THE BOTTOM WHERE THE STONE SET 45:23 ON THE MOUNTAIN WAS AN ODD SHAPE BECAUSE IT WAS RESTING ON ROCK 45:27 AND SO THEY BROUGHT THIS STONE TO THE LOCATION - THIS BIG ODD 45:31 SHAPED ROCK - AND THEY PUT IT THERE ALMOST FIRST. 45:35 AND AS THE SITE WAS BEING PREPARED THE WORKMEN KEPT 45:38 RUNNING INTO THIS STONE. WELL, THEY DIDN'T HAVE GOOD 45:40 COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE QUARRY AND THE WORK SITE AND THEY SAID, 45:44 'THIS THING IS JUST - WE KEEP BUMPING INTO IT AND SKINNING OUR 45:46 KNEES ON IT AND BACKING INTO IT AND HURTING OURSELVES AND IT'S 45:50 JUST A NUISANCE AND IT'S ODD LOOKING. 45:52 WHAT IN THE WORLD IS IT DOING HERE?' 45:53 AND THEY SAID, 'LET'S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY SO WE CAN WORK.' 45:55 NOW THESE ARE THE FOUNDATION PREP WORKERS - SO THEY TAKE THIS 46:00 BIG STONE AND THEY ROLL IT OFF DOWN TO THE KIDRON VALLEY. 46:03 WELL, A FEW MONTHS GO BY AND THEY SAY, 'OKAY, TIME FOR THE 46:05 CORNERSTONE.' SO THEY TAKE SOME OF THE STONES 46:07 THAT HAVE COME FROM THE QUARRY AND THEY PUT THEM DOWN AND THEY 46:10 SAY, 'THIS ISN'T RIGHT. THAT DOESN'T FIT. 46:11 THIS ONE DOESN'T FIT.' AND THEY JUST THOUGHT 'NOTHING'S 46:14 MARKED RIGHT.' THEY FOUND ANOTHER STONE, THEY STARTED 46:17 BUILDING, AND IT CRACKED BECAUSE IT WASN'T THE RIGHT STONE. 46:19 IT DIDN'T STAND THE TEST OF PRESSURE. 46:21 AND FINALLY THEY THOUGHT TO ASK THE QUARRY, 'WHERE IS THAT 46:24 ORIGINAL CORNERSTONE?' THEY SAID, 'THAT WAS THE FIRST 46:26 ONE WE SENT TO YOU.' AND THEY SAID, 'WAS THAT THE BIG 46:30 OLD MONSTROUS STONE THAT WAS IN OUR WAY ALL THE TIME THAT WE 46:33 ROLLED OFF IN THE VALLEY?' AND SURE ENOUGH, THEY DUG IT OUT 46:36 OF THE VALLEY. IT WAS SUCH A GOOD QUALITY STONE 46:38 IT HADN'T BEEN DAMAGED AND THEY PUT IT UP - IT BECAME THE 46:41 CORNERSTONE. THAT STORY ABOUT THE CORNERSTONE 46:45 THAT WAS REJECTED IS SEEN NOW THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT 46:48 LITERATURE - BUT THE STORY ITSELF IS NOT IN THE BIBLE. 46:52 SO YOU NEEDED TO KNOW THE BACKGROUND OF THAT. 46:55 BY THE WAY, YOU DO FIND THAT MENTIONED IN 'DESIRE OF AGES'. 46:59 IT TALKS ABOUT THE CORNERSTONE THAT WAS REJECTED. 47:02 SO WITH THAT IN MIND, JESUS IS THE CORNERSTONE. 47:06 THIS IS A METAPHOR THAT'S USED. 47:08 EPHESIANS - GO HERE, FOR EXAMPLE - EPHESIANS 2:19, IT SAYS, "NOW, 47:14 THEREFORE, YOU ARE NO LONGER STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS, BUT 47:17 FELLOW CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF 47:20 GOD, HAVING BEEN BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND 47:24 PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, IN 47:29 WHOM THE WHOLE BUILDING, BEING FITTED TOGETHER, GROWS INTO A 47:33 HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD, IN WHOM YOU ALSO ARE BEING BUILT 47:38 TOGETHER FOR A DWELLING PLACE OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT." 47:41 SO THE METAPHOR THAT GOD USES HERE IS: THE BODY OF CHRIST IS 47:45 LIKE A TEMPLE. AND NOT ONLY IS IT TRUE THAT 47:49 YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - THERE'S A METAPHOR 47:53 - BUT YOU, COLLECTIVELY BECOME THE BODY OF CHRIST - NOT JUST 47:58 ONE OF YOU, BUT ALTOGETHER. HE WANTS TO INHABIT THE CHURCH 48:02 AS A PEOPLE. WE BECOME A TEMPLE. YOU CAN GO AND LOOK WHERE JESUS 48:07 SAID, IN JOHN 2:19, AND HE SAID, "...'DESTROY THIS TEMPLE, AND IN 48:14 THREE DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP.' THEN THE JEWS SAID, 'IT HAS 48:18 TAKEN FORTY-SIX YEARS TO BUILD THIS TEMPLE, AND WILL YOU RAISE 48:21 IT UP IN THREE DAYS?'" BUT WHAT WAS HE TALKING ABOUT? 48:24 HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY. 48:26 SO, AGAIN, JESUS IS SPEAKING IN A METAPHOR THAT HIS BODY WAS A 48:29 TYPE OF HIS CHURCH. ALRIGHT - AND THERE'S PROBABLY 48:32 MANY OTHERS THAT YOU CAN THINK ABOUT. 48:34 SOME OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY WHERE JESUS SAID, IN LUKE - 48:36 WHAT IS THIS - CHAPTER 14? 48:39 ANYONE WHO IS BUILDING A TOWER, IF HE DOESN'T SIT DOWN FIRST AND 48:42 COUNT THE COST, HE'LL BEGIN TO BUILD AND NOT FINISH AND THEN 48:45 EVERYONE'LL DRIVE BY AND THEY'LL SEE THIS HALF-FINISHED BUILDING 48:48 AND THEY MOCK FOREVER AND SAY, 'HE THOUGHT HE COULD BUILD A 48:51 TOWER AND HE ONLY GOT HALFWAY DONE.' 48:53 AND SO THERE'S AN ILLUSTRATION THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO START 48:56 SOMETHING, MAKE SURE YOU CAN FINISH IT. 48:59 YOU KNOW WHEN I USE THAT METAPHOR? 49:02 FAMILIES'LL SOMETIMES COME TO ME AND THEY'LL SAY, 'PASTOR DOUG, 49:06 THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WE SHOULD BE FRUITFUL AND 49:08 MULTIPLY.' - YOUNG COUPLES, YOU KNOW - 'SO 49:13 SHOULD WE JUST HAVE AN INDEFINITE NUMBER OF CHILDREN? 49:15 IS IT INAPPROPRIATE FOR US TO PLAN HOW MANY CHILDREN WE HAVE?' 49:19 AND I SAY, WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU A PARABLE. 49:22 ANY MAN WHO'S GOING TO BUILD A TOWER, MAKE SURE THAT HE CAN 49:25 COUNT THE COST.' I SAID, 'YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE 49:27 MORE CHILDREN THAN YOU CAN ADEQUATELY PROVIDE FOR, THAT 49:30 YOU'LL HAVE TIME FOR, AND THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO RIGHTLY 49:32 RAISE.' I SAID, 'YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PLAN. 49:35 SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE DISPOSITION AND THE NERVES FOR 49:38 TWENTY KIDS AND SO YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT. 49:41 COUNT THE COST.' AND SO, YOU KNOW, JESUS GAVE US 49:44 THOSE PARABLES ABOUT TOWERS, NOT JUST FOR BUILDING TOWERS - THAT 49:48 PRINCIPLE CAN BE APPLIED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS IN LIFE. 49:52 OKAY, AGRICULTURAL ANALOGIES. NOW, WHERE'S THE FIRST PLACE WE 49:56 GO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE FARMING ANALOGIES? 49:59 GO WITH ME TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 13. 50:03 AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THIS PARABLE VERY WELL, WHERE JESUS 50:10 IS TALKING TO US ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE SOILS. 50:14 VERSE 3, "AND HE SPOKE MANY THINGS TO THEM IN PARABLES, 50:20 SAYING, 'BEHOLD, A SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW; AND AS HE SOWED, 50:24 SOME SEED FELL BY THE WAYSIDE; AND THE BIRDS CAME AND DEVOURED 50:28 THEM. SOME FELL ON STONY PLACES, WHERE 50:31 THEY HAD NOT MUCH EARTH; AND THEY IMMEDIATELY SPRANG UP 50:34 BECAUSE THEY HAD NO DEPTH OF EARTH. 50:36 BUT WHEN THE SUN WAS UP THEY WERE SCORCHED, AND BECAUSE THEY 50:38 HAD NO ROOT THEY WITHERED AWAY. AND SOME FELL AMONG THE THORNS, 50:42 AND THE THORNS SPRANG UP AND CHOKED THEM. 50:44 BUT OTHERS FELL ON GOOD GROUND AND YIELDED A CROP: SOME A 50:48 HUNDREDFOLD, SOME SIXTY, SOME THIRTY. 50:50 HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR!'" 50:53 AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE DISCIPLES COME AND THEY SAY, 50:56 'WHAT DOES THIS PARABLE MEAN?' SOME OF THE PARABLES OF CHRIST - 50:59 SOME OF THE ANALOGIES - NEEDED SOME EXPLANATION. 51:02 NOW, FIRST OF ALL, HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT JESUS WAS VERY 51:06 APPROPRIATE IN THAT HE USED METAPHORS THAT PEOPLE COULD 51:11 UNDERSTAND? FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN HE TEACHES THE 51:12 PARABLE OF THE SOILS, HE'S PROBABLY WALKING DOWN THE ROAD 51:16 WITH THE DISCIPLES. DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE 51:18 WALKING DOWN THE ROAD ONE SABBATH AND THE DISCIPLES WERE 51:20 RUBBING THE GRAIN IN THEIR HANDS? 51:22 THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY IN FARM COUNTRY, RIGHT? 51:24 AND THEY WERE EATING SOME OF THE KERNELS. 51:26 THEY WERE WALKING DOWN THE ROAD ONE OF THESE DAYS AND THEY COULD 51:28 LOOK OUT THERE AND THEY COULD SEE A SOWER WAS SOWING SEED. 51:32 JESUS SEES THAT AND HE SAYS, 'GOOD TIME FOR A LESSON.' 51:35 THEY COULD ALL RELATE TO IT. SOME OF THE SEED WAS FALLING ON 51:38 THE PATH AND THE BIRDS WERE COMING DOWN SNATCHING IT UP AND 51:40 SOME WAS FALLING IN THE SHALLOW GROUND, THERE WAS SOME ROCKY 51:44 GROUND AND THEY COULD QUICKLY VISUALIZE WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING. 51:49 WHEN JESUS WAS TELLING THE PARABLE OF 'FOLLOW ME AND YOU'LL 51:54 BE FISHERS OF MEN' WHO WAS HE TALKING TO? FISHERMEN, RIGHT? 52:00 WHEN JESUS SAID, 'IF A MAN HAD NINETY-NINE SHEEP AND HE LOSES 52:03 ONE, AND WON'T HE LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE SAFE?' 52:06 WHO DO YOU THINK WAS IN THE CROWD THAT DAY? SHEPHERDS. 52:09 AND MAYBE IF THEY WEREN'T SHEPHERDS THEY ALL 52:10 UNDERSTOOD SHEPHERDS IN THEIR CULTURE. 52:12 THEY WOULD SEE THESE - SOME OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN KING SAUL 52:16 BECAME KING - WHEN SAMUEL FIRST ANOINTED HIM, WHO REMEMBERS WHAT 52:21 KING SAUL WAS DOING WHEN SAMUEL MET HIM? 52:24 HE HAD SPENT THREE DAYS LOOKING FOR LOST DONKEYS. 52:29 AND SO, IT WASN'T UNCOMMON - BACK THEN, IT'S AS IF YOU SEE 52:33 YOUR NEIGHBOR'S OX OR HIS DONKEY THAT'S WANDERED AWAY, BRING IT 52:36 BACK TO THEM. IT WASN'T UNCOMMON IN BIBLE 52:39 TIMES TO HAVE SOMEONE SAY, 'YOU KNOW, MY BILLY GOAT GOT AWAY. 52:42 HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN A BILLY GOAT?' 52:43 AND TO BE ROAMING THE HILLS LOOKING FOR THEIR LIVESTOCK THAT 52:47 HAD SOMEHOW UNTIED THEMSELVES AND GOTTEN AWAY - SO THEY COULD 52:49 ALL RELATE TO THESE ANALOGIES BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THEIR 52:52 EVERYDAY LIFE. IN DISCIPLING TODAY, IN THE 21ST 52:55 CENTURY, IS IT A LITTLE HARDER, MAYBE, FOR US? 52:59 YOU KNOW, IN THIS GENERATION THAT YOU'RE LIVING IN NOW, IT'S 53:02 THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF AT LEAST NORTH AMERICA THAT NOW 53:06 THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE IN RURAL AREAS AND FARMS? 53:10 THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE LEAVE IN CITIES AND SUBURBS. 53:14 SO WHEN I SAY, 'A SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW' IT'S A LITTLE 53:18 HARDER FOR OUR CULTURE TODAY TO UNDERSTAND THAT. 53:21 YOU ALMOST NEED TO SAY, 'THEY WERE SURFING THE INTERNET AND A 53:28 POP-UP CAME UP' AND JUST TRY TO RELATE TO SPIRITUAL TRUTH FOR 53:33 PEOPLE TODAY. OR, 'I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND I SUDDENLY GOT 53:37 CUT OFF AND FOUR CARS WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. 53:42 ONE WAS AN ECONOMY CAR - A PRIUS - AND ONE WAS A GAS GUZZLER AND 53:47 ONE WAS' - YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 53:49 AND SO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DISCIPLE TODAY YOU'VE GOT TO BE 53:51 CREATIVE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO TELL THESE STORIES AND 53:54 THINGS. AND PEOPLE GO 'AHA! I UNDERSTAND THAT.' 53:58 AND SO, USING RELEVANT METAPHORS IS VERY IMPORTANT. 54:03 I DID EVANGELISM IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND I WAS ON A SMALL 54:08 ISLAND THAT DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPOSURE TO WORLD EVENTS AND I 54:12 STARTED TRYING TO TEACH THEM ABOUT THE VISIONS OF THE ROMAN 54:17 EMPIRE AND ALL THESE KINGDOMS THAT YOU FIND IN REVELATION AND 54:21 THEY'RE GOING (SHRUGS) AND I JUST SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M GOING 54:26 TO HAVE TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE OUT HERE.' 54:29 AND SO YOU'VE GOT TO BE RELEVANT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE. 54:31 AND JESUS, HE WAS A MASTER OF THAT. 54:34 SO HE USED AGRICULTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS AND THERE'S 54:38 ANOTHER ONE - NOT ONLY DO YOU FIND THESE AGRICULTURAL 54:40 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THERE'S ONE IN 54:42 ISAIAH 28. HERE'S ONE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. 54:46 "DOES THE PLOWMAN KEEP PLOWING ALL DAY TO SOW?" 54:50 - NOW THERE'S A RHETORICAL SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT GOD 54:52 ASKS - "DOES HE KEEP TURNING HIS SOIL AND BREAKING THE CLODS?" 54:58 HE DOESN'T DO IT FOREVER, HE DOES IT FOR THE PURPOSE OF 55:00 PLANTING SEED - "WHEN HE HAS LEVELED ITS SURFACE, DOES HE NOT 55:04 SOW THE BLACK CUMMIN AND SCATTER THE CUMMIN, PLANT THE WHEAT IN 55:07 ROWS, THE BARLEY IN THE APPOINTED PLACE, AND THE SPELT 55:10 IN ITS PLACE?" - NOW ONE OF THE THINGS ISAIAH 55:12 IS SAYING IS EVERY FARMER BACK THEN KNEW YOU TAKE THE PRIME 55:16 GROUND, YOU PUT YOUR WHEAT THERE. 55:18 WHEAT WAS THE CROP FOR THE PEOPLE - THE BEST FOOD. 55:21 YOU PUT THE BEST SEED IN THE BEST GROUND. 55:24 THEN YOU PUT - THE BARLEY WAS A LITTLE MORE DURABLE - YOU COULD 55:27 PUT IT IN A LITTLE ROCKIER GROUND, BUT YOU FED THE BARLEY 55:29 TO THE DONKEYS. DURING THE TIME OF RUTH THERE 55:33 WAS A TIME OF FAMINE. WHAT WAS IT THAT THEY WERE 55:36 HARVESTING? BARLEY. 55:39 AND YOU READ IN REVELATION ABOUT BARLEY AND WHEAT AND IT TALKS 55:43 ABOUT FAMINE IN THAT PARABLE THERE. 55:46 AND THEN HE SAYS - YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE SPELT AND YOU'VE 55:48 GOT THE CUMMIN AND THEY - YOU PUT THEM ALL IN DIFFERENT SOILS 55:50 AND THE FARMER KNOWS THAT. 55:54 AND HE SAYS, VERSE 26 - I'M IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 28, "FOR HE 56:00 INSTRUCTS HIM IN RIGHT JUDGMENT, HIS GOD TEACHES HIM. 56:03 FOR THE BLACK CUMMIN IS NOT THRESHED WITH A THRESHING 56:06 SLEDGE," - THE SEEDS FALL OUT VERY EASILY - "NOR IS A 56:09 CARTWHEEL ROLLED OVER THE CUMMIN; BUT THE BLACK CUMMIN IS 56:12 BEATEN WITH A STICK AND THE CUMMIN WITH A ROD. 56:15 BREAD FOR FLOUR MUST BE GROUND; THEREFORE HE DOES NOT THRESH IT 56:18 FOREVER, BREAK IT WITH HIS CARTWHEEL, OR CRUSH IT WITH HIS 56:20 HORSEMEN." NOW, AS YOU READ ON IN THIS 56:23 PARABLE HERE, ISAIAH IS TALKING ABOUT HOW GOD IS FAIR AND IN THE 56:29 JUDGMENTS THAT WERE COMING - GOD USES GOOD JUDGMENT AND HE 56:33 APPOINTS TO EVERYBODY, REALLY, WHAT THEY DESERVE. 56:36 AND SO YOU HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER TO GET IT, BUT 56:38 HERE HE'S USING AN ILLUSTRATION THEY COULD ALL UNDERSTAND - THAT 56:42 ANY FARMER KNEW. THESE ARE BASICS - THAT YOU 56:45 DON'T HARVEST ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THE SAME WAY. 56:48 EVEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT PAUL TELLS US ABOUT HOW TO USE THESE 56:53 ANALOGIES. PAUL TALKS IN FIRST CORINTHIANS 56:55 10, WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, THE 56:58 RED SEA, HE SAYS, IS A TYPE OF BAPTISM. 57:01 THAT THE ROCK THAT WAS STRUCK IS A TYPE OF CHRIST. 57:05 THAT THE PILLAR OF FIRE IS A TYPE OF THE SPIRIT. 57:11 THAT THE BREAD THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN IS A TYPE OR 57:14 METAPHOR OF JESUS - THAT BREAD. EVEN CHRIST USED THAT METAPHOR. 57:18 JAMES, TALKING ABOUT THE TONGUE, HE SAID, 'LOOK AT THE SHIPS, 57:22 THEY'RE TURNED WITH A LITTLE BITTY TILLER. 57:25 AND LOOK HOW POWERFUL WORDS ARE AND HOW THEY CAN CHANGE THINGS.' 57:28 AND SO YOU SEE THE DISCIPLES - AND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - THEY 57:33 FOLLOWED THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS AND THEY USED A LOT OF THESE 57:36 ANALOGIES. WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME BUT WE 57:39 DO WANT TO TELL OUR FRIENDS THAT IF YOU LIKE, WE DO HAVE THE FREE 57:42 OFFER. CALL THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN. 57:44 ASK FOR OFFER #149 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. 57:47 GOD WILLING, WE'LL STUDY TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 57:52 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17