Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021406
|
00:45 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH, RIGHT HERE
00:49 IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:51 WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE TUNING IN. 00:53 WHETHER YOU'RE LISTENING ON RADIO, WATCHING LIVE AT OUR 00:56 WEB SITE AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG', OR ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION 00:59 NETWORKS - HOWEVER YOU'RE JOINING US - 01:01 A VERY, VERY SPECIAL WELCOME. 01:04 WE ALWAYS START OUR PROGRAM SINGING YOUR FAVORITE HYMNS AND 01:07 YOU'VE SENT THEM IN AND WE HAVE OVER 20,000 SONG REQUESTS THAT 01:13 HAVE COME IN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND WE'RE STILL WORKING 01:16 OUR WAY THROUGH THEM AND EVERY WEEK WE GET MORE. 01:20 AND WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HEAR FROM YOU. SO TODAY, 01:22 IT'S NO EXCEPTION - WE'RE GOING TO SING TWO OF YOUR FAVORITES. 01:25 THE FIRST ONE 'ANYWHERE WITH JESUS I CAN SAFELY GO' - #508 - 01:30 SO PULL OUT YOUR HYMNALS, THOSE OF YOU AT HOME, 01:33 AND JOIN US HERE AT CENTRAL SINGING #508. 01:36 WE'LL DO THE FIRST, SECOND AND FOURTH STANZAS. 01:38 THIS REQUEST IS FROM ROBERT IN BELIZE, LYN IN GERMANY, JAMES IN 01:42 ITALY, ALEX IN HUNGARY, FRANCIS IN SRI LANKA, ISAAC, JUNIOR, 01:46 REBECCA, PATEL, AND NAYIA IN THE NETHERLANDS - AND THERE WAS A 01:52 WHOLE LIST MORE FROM AROUND THE WORLD. IT WAS VERY EXCITING. 01:55 I JUST CAN'T NAME EVERYBODY BUT WE'RE GOING TO SING YOUR 01:58 FAVORITE - #508 - 1, 2, AND 4. 02:01 (MUSIC) 03:58 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING IN THAT REQUEST. 04:00 IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SING WITH US ON AN 04:03 UPCOMING PROGRAM, IT'S VERY SIMPLE. 04:06 YOU JUST GO TO OUR WEB SITE AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG' AND CLICK ON 04:09 THE 'CONTACT US' LINK AND ANY SONG THAT'S IN THE HYMNAL IS 04:13 THERE FOR YOU TO CHOOSE. 04:14 OUR NEXT SONG IS #83 - 'O WORSHIP THE KING' - AND THIS IS 04:19 A REQUEST FROM GUADO IN BELGIUM, JACOB IN ICELAND, EZRA IN KENYA, 04:25 AND ODERMAAT IN SWITZERLAND, AND THERE WERE A WHOLE BUNCH MORE 04:28 NAMES AS WELL, FOR THIS ONE, FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. 04:31 WE'LL DO THE FIRST, SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS. 04:34 'O WORSHIP THE KING'. 04:36 (MUSIC) 06:26 >>WOULD YOU BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME FOR PRAYER? 06:28 FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE COME BEFORE YOU AND WE WORSHIP YOU - 06:33 OUR REDEEMER AND OUR FRIEND. 06:36 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BLESSING US WITH THE SABBATH, FOR 06:42 BLESSING US WITH LIFE AND HEALTH AND STRENGTH - WE'RE HERE TODAY 06:47 - I KNOW THERE'S MANY WHO ARE NOT AND I JUST PRAY THAT YOU 06:50 WOULD BE WITH THEM WHEREVER THEY ARE, HOWEVER THEY'RE FEELING, 06:54 AND THAT THEY WOULD SENSE YOUR PRESENCE WITH THEM RIGHT NOW. 06:58 FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS. 07:03 WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY TOGETHER, AND I JUST 07:06 PRAY THAT YOUR SPIRIT WILL BE HERE AND YOU'LL BLESS OUR 07:09 SPEAKER. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 07:13 FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE, EVERY SABBATH, OF 07:17 INTRODUCING OUR SPEAKER AND TODAY, AN ERA COMES TO AN END - 07:23 IT FEELS LIKE THAT. INTRODUCING PASTOR DOUG 07:26 BATCHELOR WHO IS OUR SENIOR PASTOR - FOR TODAY. 07:31 NEXT WEEK HE'S OUR GUEST SPEAKER. 07:35 PASTOR DOUG, IF YOU WOULD BRING US THE LESSON STUDY, WE WOULD 07:37 LOVE TO HAVE YOU AS OUR SENIOR PASTOR ONE MORE TIME UP HERE. 07:42 PASTOR DOUG, AT THIS TIME, WILL BE BRINGING US OUR LESSON STUDY. 07:48 >>MAN, THANK YOU. 07:49 THANK YOU TO OUR MUSICIANS AND YES, WHILE IT IS TRUE TODAY SORT 07:56 OF MARKS THE POINT WHEN I WILL NO LONGER BE THE SENIOR PASTOR 08:00 OF THIS WONDERFUL CONGREGATION, THEY'VE BEEN NICE ENOUGH TO SAY 08:03 THAT I CAN COME BACK FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND CONTINUE TO 08:05 TEACH THE SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS. 08:07 SO IT'S NOT LIKE I'M REALLY LEAVING AND - AT LEAST NOT YET. 08:14 SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO STUDY THE WORD TODAY AND PRETEND THAT NO 08:17 ONE SAID ANYTHING A MINUTE AGO. 08:21 OUR LESSON TODAY - WE'RE CONTINUING IN OUR STUDY DEALING 08:24 WITH THE SUBJECT OF DISCIPLESHIP AND TODAY, IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE 08:29 TALKING ABOUT LESSON #6, WHERE IT DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF 08:33 DISCIPLING ORDINARY PEOPLE. AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. 08:39 THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM MARK CHAPTER 1, VERSES 16 THROUGH 18. 08:44 I HOPE YOU'LL SAY IT WITH ME - MARK 1, VERSES 16 THROUGH 18. 08:49 YOU READY? I THINK THIS IS THE KING JAMES VERSION, "NOW AS HE 08:54 WALKED BY THE SEA OF GALILEE, HE SAW SIMON AND ANDREW HIS BROTHER 08:59 CASTING A NET INTO THE SEA: FOR THEY WERE FISHERS. 09:03 AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, COME YE AFTER ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU 09:07 TO BECOME FISHERS OF MEN. AND STRAIGHTWAY THEY FORSOOK 09:12 THEIR NETS, AND FOLLOWED HIM." YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT 09:16 WE NOTICE RIGHT AWAY ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IS THAT HE 09:20 ATTRACTED TO HIM JUST REGULAR PEOPLE. 09:24 IT WASN'T LIKE HE HAD AN ENTOURAGE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT 09:31 POLITICIANS AND WRITERS AND MUSICIANS AND GENERALS, JESUS 09:37 REALLY BUILT HIS CHURCH OF THE RANK AND FILE. 09:40 BUT THROUGH, WHAT WE WOULD CALL ORDINARY PEOPLE, HE WAS ABLE TO 09:44 TOTALLY TRANSFORM THE WORLD. SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T REALLY 09:49 RECOGNIZE THAT SOME ORDINARY PEOPLE ARE REALLY GREAT PEOPLE 09:53 BUT IN EVERY OTHER WAY THEY SEEM TO GO ABOUT THEIR LIVES LIKE 09:57 EVERYBODY ELSE. THE MAN WHO STARTED WAL-MART, 10:00 SAM WALTON, JUST DROVE A PICK-UP TRUCK AROUND TOWN. 10:08 THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME 10:11 UNUSUAL GIFTS OR RARE ABILITIES - WHO KNEW THAT PETER WOULD BE 10:17 SUCH A GREAT PREACHER WHILE HE WAS OUT FISHING? 10:21 BUT JESUS RECOGNIZED THAT THESE ORDINARY PEOPLE HAD GALLONS - 10:24 HAD UNIQUE TALENTS THAT, WHEN COMBINED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, 10:29 THAT REMARKABLE THINGS WOULD HAPPEN. 10:31 YOU KNOW, I SHARED THIS LITTLE AMAZING FACT WITH YOU EARLIER IN 10:35 THE YEAR, BUT I WAS TOUCHED BY IT AND I THOUGHT I'D GO AHEAD 10:39 AND - SOME OF YOU MAYBE HEARD THIS DURING THE CHURCH SERVICE 10:43 BUT YOU DIDN'T HEAR IT - SOME OF YOU DIDN'T HEAR IT SO I'M GOING 10:48 TO READ IT. TIBOR RUBIN - TIBOR RUBIN - BORN 10:54 IN PASZTO, HUNGARY, ONE OF SIX CHILDREN OF A SHOEMAKER. 10:59 DURING THE GERMAN EFFORT TO WIPE OUT THE HUNGARIAN JEWS, IN 1943, 11:03 THE 13-YEAR-OLD CHILD WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE INFAMOUS 11:06 MAUTHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP IN AUSTRIA. 11:10 HIS PARENTS AND TWO SISTERS PERISHED THERE. 11:14 RUBIN WAS LIBERATED TWO YEARS LATER BY AMERICAN TROOPS AND HE 11:18 SAID WHEN HE SAW THEM LIBERATING THE - THE PRISONERS, THE POWS IN 11:23 THE CAMP THERE - HE THOUGHT THAT THE AMERICAN GIS WERE THE HEROES 11:27 - THEY WERE THE SUPERMEN OF THE WORLD. HE WAS SO THANKFUL 11:30 AND HE COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER THAT HE 11:33 COULD DO WITH HIS LIFE THAN TO BE AN AMERICAN SOLDIER. 11:36 SO HE FINALLY WAS ABLE TO COME TO AMERICA IN 1948 AND IN 1950, 11:42 AFTER LEARNING ENOUGH ENGLISH TO PASS THE ARMY'S ENTRANCE 11:44 EXAMINATION - BARELY ENOUGH ENGLISH - RUBIN JOINED THE 11:48 CAVALRY JUST IN TIME FOR THE KOREAN WAR. 11:53 A FEW MONTHS LATER HE WAS PRIVATE 1ST CLASS RUBIN, 11:55 FIGHTING ON THE FRONT LINES IN KOREA WITH 1ST COMPANY, 8TH 11:59 REGIMENT - THE FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION. 12:03 NOW, ACCORDING TO LENGTHY AFFIDAVITS SUBMITTED BY NEARLY A 12:05 DOZEN MEN IN RUBIN'S COMPANY, THE HUNGARIAN VOLUNTEER FOUND 12:09 HIMSELF UNDER THE THUMB OF A 1ST SERGEANT - A SOLDIER WHO 12:13 CONSISTENTLY VOLUNTEERED RUBIN FOR THE MOST DANGEROUS PATROLS 12:17 AND MISSIONS. 12:18 ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL ARMY REPORTS, RUBIN'S BRAVERY 12:21 FIGHTING DURING THE CHAOTIC EARLY MONTHS OF THE CONFLICT, 12:26 EARNED RUBIN TWO COMMENDATIONS FOR THE MEDAL OF HONOR BY 12:29 COMMANDING OFFICERS THAT WERE LATER KILLED IN ACTION. 12:33 BUT NOT LONG BEFORE THIS 1ST SERGEANT ORDERED RUBIN TO A 12:38 MISSION - AND, ACCORDING TO TESTIMONIES, RUBIN HAD TO SECURE 12:42 A ROUTE OF RETREAT FOR HIS COMPANY BY SINGLE-HANDEDLY 12:45 DEFENDING A HILL FOR 24 HOURS AGAINST WAVE AFTER WAVE OF NORTH 12:49 KOREAN SOLDIERS. HE ALSO, AT ONE POINT, WAS ABLE 12:53 TO CAPTURE 20 MEN SINGLE-HANDEDLY. 12:57 EVENTUALLY, HE RAN OUT OF AMMUNITION AND HE WAS OUT THERE 13:02 ON THE HILL BY HIMSELF AND HE WAS WOUNDED AND THEN CAPTURED 13:07 AND TAKEN - PUT IN A CHINESE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP. 13:10 HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS SAY THAT THIS 1ST SERGEANT WAS EXTREMELY 13:14 ANTI-SEMITIC AND HE WAS HOPING TO GET RUBIN KILLED BY GIVING 13:17 HIM THE MOST DANGEROUS MISSIONS, BUT HE NEVER COMPLAINED AND HE 13:21 TOOK THEM. IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMP, AS HE BEGAN TO HEAL FROM 13:25 HIS INJURIES, ALL THE OTHER SOLDIERS WERE STARVING AND HE 13:32 BECAME THE SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL OF THEM. 13:36 HE WOULD SNEAK - ONE OF HIS CO-GIS SAID EVERYBODY WAS OUT 13:42 FOR HIMSELF, JUST TRYING TO STAY ALIVE, 13:45 BUT RUBIN WAS THE RARE EXCEPTION. 13:47 ACCORDING TO THE SOLDIERS WHOSE LIVES HE SAVED - THIS IS IN THE 13:50 POW CAMP IN CHINA, ALMOST EVERY EVENING HE WOULD SNEAK OUT AND 13:54 STEAL FOOD FROM THE CHINESE AND NORTH KOREAN SUPPLY DEPOTS, 13:58 KNOWING IF HE WAS CAUGHT HE WOULD BE SHOT AND KILLED AND HE 14:01 WOULD BREAK BACK INTO THE POW CAMP TO FEED THE OTHER SOLDIERS 14:05 WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE TRIED TO ESCAPE. 14:08 DESPITE HEROIC ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF DOZENS OF 14:12 SOLDIERS, RUBEN RECEIVED NOTHING EXCEPT - FROM THE ARMY - EXCEPT 14:17 HIS REGULAR DISCHARGE. FOR THE INTERVENING 30 YEARS 14:23 AFTER HIS SEPARATION FROM ACTIVE DUTY, HE AND HIS WIFE, THEY 14:26 RAISED THEIR FAMILY IN GARDEN GROVE, CALIFORNIA. 14:29 NOTHING CAME OF IT UNTIL EVENTUALLY SOME RESEARCH WAS 14:33 DONE AND, I THINK, 60 YEARS AFTER THE FACT, HE RECEIVED THE 14:37 HIGHEST HONOR THAT AMERICANS CAN GET, WHICH IS THE MEDAL OF 14:41 HONOR. NOW, THIS MAN WHO JUST LIVED A 14:44 NORMAL AVERAGE LIFE, FIVE-STAR GENERALS ARE SUPPOSED TO STAND 14:48 WHEN HE ENTERS THE ROOM, AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT. 14:51 AND YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW BY SEEING HIM ALL THESE YEARS THAT 14:54 HERE WAS A HERO OF WAR WHO HAD DONE ALL THESE GALLANT THINGS, 14:59 WHO HAD SURVIVED TWO POW CAMPS. ONE AT 13 AND ONE WHEN HE WAS A 15:06 U.S. SOLDIER AND DONE ALL THESE HEROIC THINGS AND HE JUST LIVED 15:09 ALL OF HIS LIFE AND NONE OF HIS NEIGHBORS KNEW. 15:12 YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK THAT WE FORGET SOMETIMES THAT IN GOD'S 15:17 EYES, NOBODY IS REALLY ORDINARY. THE LORD WANTS TO SAVE EVERYBODY 15:24 AND HE VALUES EVERY SOUL IN A GREAT WAY. 15:27 LET'S GO TO THE FIRST PART OF OUR LESSON, 'HUMBLE BEGINNINGS'. 15:30 OH, YOU KNOW WHAT I FORGOT TO TELL YOU? 15:31 WITH EVERY LESSON WE ALSO HAVE AN OFFER. 15:34 AND FOR LESSON #6 WE'RE OFFERING THIS BOOK CALLED 'CHRIST'S HUMAN 15:38 NATURE'. SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET THAT 15:39 JESUS - PEOPLE ON THE STREET DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS. 15:43 THAT'S WHY THEY HAD TO GET JUDAS TO IDENTIFY HIM. 15:45 HE LOOKED LIKE OTHER PEOPLE. 'CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE' BY JOE 15:48 CREWS - WE'LL SEND THIS TO YOU FOR FREE. 15:49 JUST CALL AND ASK FOR IT, IT'S OFFER #703. 15:53 HERE'S A PHONE NUMBER - 866-STUDY-MORE - THAT'S 15:56 866-788-3966. WE'LL SEND YOU THE BOOK 16:00 'CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE'. ALRIGHT, 'HUMBLE BEGINNINGS' - 16:03 SOMEBODY LOOK UP FOR ME LUKE 2 - WE GAVE OUT SOME VERSES AND I 16:07 DON'T KNOW WHO HAS THIS. LUKE 2, VERSES 6 AND 7. 16:09 HOLD UP YOUR HAND IF YOU'VE GOT THAT. 16:11 DID YOU REALLY GET THAT MRS. BATCHELOR? 16:13 ALRIGHT, GET A MICROPHONE TO HER. 16:16 SHE DID. SHE CAME TO HEAR ME TEACH. 16:21 >>"AND SO IT WAS, THAT WHILE THEY WERE THERE, THE DAYS WERE 16:23 ACCOMPLISHED THAT SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED. 16:25 AND SHE BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRSTBORN SON, AND WRAPPED HIM 16:28 IN SWADDLING CLOTHES, AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER; BECAUSE THERE 16:32 WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN." 16:35 >>HE WASN'T IN A PALACE. 16:36 JESUS WAS NOT BORN IN THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE OR EVEN HIS 16:40 OWN HOUSE, BUT AS A WAYFARER - A PILGRIM, SO TO SPEAK. 16:45 HE WAS BORN IN SOMETHING THAT WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF A STABLE - 16:48 PLACES WHERE THEY FED THE CATTLE - AND NOT PLACED IN A BEAUTIFUL 16:52 BASSINET, BUT IN A TROUGH THAT HOLDS GRAIN WHERE THEY FEED THE 16:58 CATTLE. SO JESUS SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR US 17:01 OF COMING INTO THE WORLD WITH VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. 17:05 GOING BACK, AGAIN, SOMEONE LOOK UP LEVITICUS 12, VERSE 8 - 17:10 LEVITICUS 12, VERSE 8 - WE GAVE THAT TO SOMEBODY AND IF YOU HAVE 17:13 THAT VERSE - IF YOU'VE GOT LEVITICUS 12:8, HOLD UP YOUR 17:16 HAND. SOMEBODY OVER THERE HAVE IT? OH, OKAY, I DIDN'T SEE. 17:21 >>LEVITICUS 12, VERSE 8, "AND IF SHE IS NOT ABLE TO BRING A LAMB, 17:24 THEN SHE MAY BRING TWO TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS 17:28 - ONE AS A BURNT OFFERING AND THE OTHER AS A SIN OFFERING. 17:31 SO THE PRIEST SHALL MAKE ATONEMENT FOR HER, 17:33 AND SHE WILL BE CLEAN." 17:34 >>IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO BRING A LAMB - WHY? 17:38 THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR A LAMB. 17:40 NOW, DOES THAT TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT JOSEPH AND MARY? 17:43 DID JESUS HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS? HE DID. 17:47 IT NAMES THE BOYS - THERE'S FOUR BOYS - AND I - ONE WAS JAMES, 17:53 ONE WAS JUDE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE OTHER TWO NAMES - 17:57 JOSES - THERE'S ONE MORE I CAN'T REMEMBER. 18:00 IT DOESN'T NAME HIS SISTERS - SIMON - AND HE HAD AT LEAST TWO 18:05 SISTERS BECAUSE IT SAYS 'SISTERS' - HE COULD HAVE HAD 18:07 FIVE SISTERS, WE DON'T KNOW. WERE THEY OLDER OR YOUNGER? 18:12 PROBABLY OLDER FROM - JOSEPH PROBABLY WAS MARRIED 18:15 BEFORE HE MARRIED MARY. 18:17 ANOTHER REASON WE BELIEVE THAT - YOU NOTICE THAT WHEN JESUS 18:19 BEGINS HIS MINISTRY YOU DON'T EVER HEAR FROM JOSEPH AGAIN. 18:22 HE HAD DIED AT THAT POINT AND HE WAS PROBABLY OLDER THAN MARY AND 18:26 THE OTHER REASON IS THEY WERE PROBABLY MARY'S STEP-CHILDREN 18:30 BECAUSE WHEN JESUS IS ON THE CROSS, JESUS COMMITS THE CARE OF 18:35 HIS MOTHER TO - HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS? 18:38 OR TO JOHN THE APOSTLE RIGHT? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY ODD NOT 18:43 TO JUST ASSUME THAT HER REGULAR CHILDREN WOULD TAKE CARE OF 18:47 MARY, BUT THEY WERE HER STEP-CHILDREN. 18:50 NOW, THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS THEY HAD A BIG FAMILY. 18:54 EVEN WHEN JESUS CAME ALONG THEY WERE STRUGGLING TO PUT FOOD IN 18:57 THE MOUTHS OF THEIR CHILDREN AND WHEN JESUS WAS FINALLY BORN, 19:01 THEY COULD ONLY MAKE THE VERY MINIMAL OFFERING FOR THE 19:05 FIRSTBORN - FIRSTBORN FOR MARY. ALRIGHT, SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME 19:10 JOHN - STILL TALKING ABOUT THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS OF JESUS. 19:13 LOOK UP FOR ME THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1:48. WHO HAS THAT VERSE? 19:17 JOHN - DID WE GET THAT? DID SOMEBODY GET THAT? 19:20 ALRIGHT - OVER HERE - HOLD YOUR HAND UP. 19:22 JOHN 1, VERSE 48. WE'LL BRING YOU A MICROPHONE. 19:25 WHEN JOHN THE BAPTIST BEGAN HIS MINISTRY, 19:29 DID HE GO TO THE UNIVERSITIES OF JERUSALEM? 19:33 DID HE GO TO A PARLIAMENT BUILDING? 19:36 WHERE WAS IT THAT HE INTRODUCED JESUS AS THE LAMB OF GOD THAT 19:40 TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD? 19:42 JOHN - IT TELLS US IN CHAPTER 1, VERSE 23, "HE SAID, 'I AM THE 19:47 VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: MAKE STRAIGHT THE 19:50 WAY OF THE LORD,' AS THE PROPHET ISAIAH SAID." 19:54 YOU KNOW, USUALLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO INAUGURATE A PRESIDENT 19:58 - ANYONE KNOW WHERE GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS INAUGURATED? 20:03 IT WASN'T WASHINGTON, D.C., THEY HADN'T EVEN NAMED IT YET. 20:06 HE WAS INAUGURATED IN NEW YORK CITY. 20:09 DID YOU KNOW NEW YORK CITY WAS THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES 20:11 BEORE WASHINGTON, D.C.? AND THERE'S A CHURCH - THE CHURCH IS 20:16 RIGHT AT THE FOOT OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER - IS WHERE IT USED 20:18 TO BE - ST. PAUL'S CHURCH IS WHERE GEORGE WASHINGTON - I 20:22 THINK HE WENT THERE RIGHT AFTER HIS INAUGURATION BUT THEY HAD A 20:25 SERVICE THERE AND THAT CHURCH IS STILL THERE TODAY. 20:28 ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 20:29 BUT YOU THINK YOU'D FIND SOME HISTORIC, GRAND, VISIBLE SPOT 20:33 AND IT WAS OUT THERE BY A RIVER SURROUNDED WITH SCRUB AND 20:38 SYCAMORE TREES WHERE JESUS WAS INTRODUCED AS THE LAMB OF GOD. 20:41 VERY ORDINARY, HUMBLE PLACE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 20:45 AND NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ JOHN 1:48, PLEASE. 20:49 >>"NATHANAEL SAITH UNTO HIM, 'WHENCE KNOWEST THOU ME?' 20:52 JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, 'BEFORE THAT PHILIP CALLED 20:55 THEE, WHEN THOU WAST UNDER THE FIG TREE, I SAW THEE.'" 20:58 >>SO HERE YOU FIND THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FOLLOWING JESUS 21:01 ARE PRETTY AVERAGE PEOPLE AND NATHANAEL'S OUT PRAYING UNDER A 21:06 TREE. JESUS IS BAPTIZED IN A RIVER. 21:11 IT SEEMS - THESE ARE SUCH AVERAGE THINGS. 21:13 IT'S NOT THE WAY THAT THE WORLD WOULD WANT TO MAKE A BIG 21:16 INTRODUCTION AND TO LAUNCH A NEW PROGRAM. 21:20 WHEN WE WERE IN NEW YORK DOING THE 'NET 99' PROGRAM, THIRTEEN, 21:27 FOURTEEN YEARS AGO, AND WE WERE IN THE MANHATTAN CENTER, SEVERAL 21:33 COMPANIES CAME TO LAUNCH THEIR COMPANIES. 21:36 THIS IS BACK WHEN THE DOT-COM BOOM WAS HAPPENING AND THIS ONE 21:41 COMPANY - YOU KNOW, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT, BUT 21:43 THEY SPENT SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS ON THE ADDRESS FOR THEIR 21:49 COMPANY AND NOW IT'S OUT OF BUSINESS. 21:53 BUT JUST FOR THE WEB DOMAIN ADDRESS - IT WAS SOMETHING DOT 21:56 COM - AND THEY SAID SOMEONE ELSE OWNED IT AND THEY PAID SEVERAL 21:59 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT NAME. AND THEN THEY RENTED THIS BIG 22:02 MANHATTAN CENTER AND THEY HAD ALL THE MEDIA THERE AND THEY HAD 22:06 THIS BIG RELEASE AND THEY HAD BALLOONS FALLING AND ALL THIS 22:08 STUFF TO INTRODUCE THIS COMPANY THAT'S NOW DEFUNCT. 22:11 AND WHEN JESUS IS INTRODUCED AS THE MESSIAH, IT'S LIKE A CAMP 22:15 MEETING. IT'S JUST, SORT OF, YOU KNOW 22:17 THEY'RE OUT BY THE RIVER AND 'MASTER, WHERE ARE YOU STAYING? 22:20 COME, YOU CAN CAMP WITH ME TONIGHT. 22:21 I'LL SHOW YOU WERE I'M STAYING.' AND THAT'S HOW HE SORT OF 22:24 LAUNCHES THE CHURCH. VERY SIMPLE WAY TO DO THINGS. 22:27 ALRIGHT, GO WITH ME TO MATTHEW 10:29. 22:32 OH, YOU KNOQ, THIS WAS ACTUALLY GOING WITH THAT FIRST ONE. 22:34 "ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A COPPER COIN? AND NOT ONE OF THEM 22:38 FALLS TO THE GROUND APART FROM YOUR FATHER'S WILL." 22:43 A COPPER COIN IS A PENNY AND THE VERY POOREST OF THE POOR WOULD 22:47 OFFER A COUPLE OF SPARROWS AND - BUT JESUS IS SAYING HERE, 'EVEN 22:52 SPARROWS' - DOES THE FATHER WATCH THE LITTLE BROWN SPARROW? 22:58 WE HAVE THIS DVD - NATURE DVD - ON BIRDS. 23:02 IT'S ACTUALLY VERY GOOD - AND DONE BY BBC - AND THEY TALK 23:06 ABOUT SPARROWS ARE MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN YOU THINK. 23:08 SPARROWS ACTUALLY HAVE RANK AND ALL THE LITTLE SPARROWS YOU SEE 23:12 FLITTING AND TWERPING AND POPPING AROUND AND HOPPING ON 23:14 THE GROUND, IT WAS SHOWING HOW THAT THEY EXERT THEMSELVES AND 23:18 THEY TAKE OVER CERTAIN TERRITORIES AND THE DIFFERENT 23:21 SPARROWS, BASED ON THEIR AGE AND SIZE, HAVE DIFFERENT RANK. 23:24 AND THEY'RE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED AND IMPORTANT 23:26 THAN YOU THINK. 23:27 BUT FOR US THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, LITTLE DIRTY SPARROWS. 23:30 BUT GOD SAYS, 'I WATCH EVEN THE LITTLE SPARROWS AND I MAKE SURE 23:35 THAT THEY'RE FED AND NOT ONE FALLS TO THE GROUND WITHOUT MY 23:38 KNOWING.' AND GOD CARES ABOUT THEM. DOES HE CARE ABOUT US? 23:44 MARK 6, VERSE 2, "AND WHEN THE SABBATH HAD COME, HE BEGAN TO 23:50 TEACH IN THE SYNAGOGUE. AND MANY HEARING HIM WERE 23:53 ASTONISHED, SAYING, 'WHERE DID THIS MAN GET THESE THINGS?' 23:57 AND WHAT WISDOM IS THIS WHICH IS GIVEN TO HIM, THAT SUCH MIGHTY 24:00 WORKS ARE PERFORMED BY HIS HANDS! 24:02 IS THIS NOT THE CARPENTER'S SON, THE SON OF MARY, AND BROTHER OF 24:07 JAMES, JOSES, JUDAS, AND SIMON?'' - THERE'S HIS BROTHER'S 24:09 NAMES - "'AND ARE NOT HIS SISTERS HERE WITH US?' 24:14 SO THEY WERE OFFENDED AT HIM. BUT JESUS SAID TO THEM, 'A 24:18 PROPHET IS NOT WITHOUT HONOR EXCEPT IN HIS OWN COUNTRY, AMONG 24:22 HIS OWN RELATIVES.'" NOW, JESUS' BEGINNING - DID EVERYONE 24:26 IN THE TOWN LOOK UPON HIM AS JUST ONE OF THE CITIZENS? 24:30 GOOD PERSON, YES, THEY COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING HE'D EVER DONE 24:33 - NO CRIMES - THEY DON'T REMEMBER HIM EVER - NO SCANDAL 24:36 CONNECTED WITH JESUS' NAME BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN - THE IDEA THAT 24:41 HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CHRIST JUST TOOK THEM AS A SURPRISE. 24:45 WHY? BECAUSE HE WENT THROUGH LIFE 24:48 WORKING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. HE WENT THROUGH HIS CHORES. 24:50 HE CONDUCTED HIMSELF AS A NORMAL PERSON. 24:55 AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT JESUS WAS ONE HUNDRED 24:58 PERCENT HUMAN AND HE WAS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT DIVINE. 25:03 AND THAT'S A REALLY CONFUSING COMBINATION FOR US. BY THE WAY, 25:05 I RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THIS BOOK 'CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE' 25:08 BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES - HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN PAINTINGS 25:11 OF JESUS IN THE MANGER AND HE'S GLOWING. HE HAS A HALO. 25:18 AND WHEN JESUS IS THE CHILD IN THE CARPENTER'S SHOP - THERE'S 25:22 MANY FAMOUS PAINTINGS WHERE THERE HE IS AND HE'S GOT THIS 25:24 LIKE SOLAR DISC AROUND HIS HEAD AND LIGHTS OF BEAM - BEAMS OF 25:28 LIGHT ARE EMANATING FROM HIS HEAD. DO YOU THINK HE REALLY 25:31 WENT LIKE THAT THROUGH HIS NEIGHBORHOOD? 25:35 THE ONLY WAY THE SHEPHERDS KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL 25:37 ABOUT THIS CHILD IS BECAUSE THE ANGELS TOLD THEM. 25:40 THE WISE MEN KNEW BECAUSE THE LORD TOLD THEM - THE STAR LED 25:42 THEM - OTHERWISE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN WHO HE WAS. 25:47 HE JUST SEEMED ORDINARY. AND IN HIS OWN TOWN - THEY WERE 25:52 ONE OF THE LAST ONES - WHEN HE CAME AMONG HIS OWN PEOPLE IN HIS 25:55 OWN TOWN THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS. THEY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM 25:59 BECAUSE GOD USES NORMAL, HUMBLE INSTRUMENTS. 26:03 YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED ELIJAH AS A 26:07 PROPHET BECAUSE HE WAS WEARING THE HAIRY ROBE WITH A LEATHER 26:11 BELT. THAT WAS SORT OF THEIR UNIFORM. 26:14 BUT MOST OF THE OTHER PROPHETS AND PEOPLE THAT GOD HAD IN THE 26:17 BIBLE, THEY LOOKED LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. 26:21 NOT EVERYTHING A PROPHET SAYS IS A PROPHECY. THEY'RE PEOPLE TOO. 26:25 YOU CAN READ IN THE BOOK 'DESIRE OF AGES' PAGE 72, "THE PARENTS 26:29 OF JESUS WERE POOR AND DEPENDENT UPON THEIR DAILY TOIL. 26:33 HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH POVERTY, SELF-DENIAL AND PRIVATION. 26:37 THIS EXPERIENCE WAS A SAFEGUARD TO HIM. IN HIS INDUSTRIOUS LIFE, 26:42 THERE WERE NO IDLE MOMENTS TO INVITE TEMPTATION. 26:45 NO AIMLESS HOURS OPENED THE WAY FOR CORRUPTING ASSOCIATIONS. 26:49 SO FAR AS POSSIBLE HE CLOSED THE DOOR TO THE TEMPTOR. 26:53 NEITHER GAIN, NOR PLEASURE, APPLAUSE NOR CENSURE COULD 26:56 INDUCE HIM TO CONSENT TO A WRONG ACT. 26:59 HE WAS WISE TO DISCERN EVIL AND STRONG TO RESIST IT." 27:04 AND HE WORKED LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE - AND, BY THE WAY, THAT 27:07 KEPT HIM OUT OF TROUBLE TOO. BUT HE HAD AN ORDINARY LIFE. 27:11 YOU KNOW, I LIKE THIS PASSAGE THAT YOU READ IN 1 CORINTHIANS 27:14 1, VERSES 26 THROUGH 29. YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK THIS ONE UP. 27:20 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 26 THROUGH 29. 27:28 WHEN YOU BECOME PART OF A CHURCH FAMILY, CHURCHES ARE MADE UP OF 27:34 JUST ORDINARY PEOPLE. 27:37 YEAH, THERE MIGHT BE A COUPLE OF EXTRAORDINARY FOLKS THAT COME TO 27:40 A CHURCH, AND I UNDERSTAND IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THAT WHENEVER 27:44 THE PRESIDENT ATTENDS CHURCH - LATELY, THE LAST COUPLE 27:49 PRESIDENTS - SOMETIMES THEY DON'T ATTEND CHURCH BECAUSE IT'S 27:51 SUCH A SECURITY NIGHTMARE. ON OCCASION, WHEN THE PRESIDENT 27:54 ATTENDS CHURCH, THE ATTENDANCE GOES UP. 27:57 PEOPLE FIND OUT THE PRESIDENT'S COMING. 27:59 BUT MOST OF THE TIME THE BODY OF CHRIST IS MADE UP OF JUST 28:04 REGULAR BRICKS. WE ARE BRICKS IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD. 28:08 AND IT MAY NOT SEEM ORNATE. 28:11 IT MAY NOT SEEM EXTRAORDINARY OR UNUSUAL - PRECIOUS TO GOD BUT - 28:16 NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS: 1 CORINTHIANS 1, VERSE 26, "FOR 28:19 YOU SEE YOUR CALLING, BRETHREN, THAT NOT MANY WISE ACCORDING TO 28:24 THE FLESH, NOT MANY MIGHTY," - THERE'S SOME WISE. 28:27 THERE'S SOME MIGHTY. BUT - "NOT MANY NOBLE, ARE CALLED. 28:31 BUT GOD HAS CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO PUT TO 28:35 SHAME THE WISE, AND GOD HAS CHOSEN THE WEAK THINGS OF THE 28:39 WORLD TO PUT TO SHAME THE THINGS WHICH ARE MIGHTY; AND THE BASE 28:43 THINGS OF THE WORLD AND THE THINGS WHICH ARE DESPISED GOD 28:45 HAS CHOSEN, AND THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT, TO BRING TO NOTHING THE 28:49 THINGS THAT ARE, THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE." 28:53 I ALWAYS MARVEL AT THAT STORY IN THE BIBLE WHEN EVERYBODY IN THE 28:58 CITY OF SAMARIA IS STARVING AND THEY NEED A MIRACLE AND GOD 29:02 FINALLY REVEALS THAT THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD AND THAT THE 29:06 ASSYRIAN ARMY HAS FLED - THE PEOPLE IN SAMARIA HAD BEEN 29:11 BESEIGED - AND WHO DOES GOD REVEAL IT TO? FOUR LEPERS. 29:17 GOD JUST - IT ALWAYS STRIKES ME THAT HE'S WILLING TO USE VERY 29:21 HUMBLE MEANS TO BRING THIS EXCITING MESSAGE TO PEOPLE. 29:26 'NOT MANY WISE, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, NOT MANY MIGHTY ARE 29:29 CALLED, BUT GOD HAS CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO 29:33 PUT TO SHAME THE THINGS THAT ARE WISE.' NOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO 29:37 LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT. YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK TO YOUR 29:40 LEFT. YOU MIGHT NOT. 29:45 BUT YOU'RE PROBABLY SURROUNDED BY SOME ORDINARY PEOPLE. 29:47 YOU MIGHT BE SITTING - TO ONE OF THEM YOU'RE MARRIED TO. 29:51 AND BUT GOD SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO DO GREAT THINGS THROUGH THOSE 29:56 PEOPLE. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT JESUS 29:59 SAID TO THE APOSTLES, 'YOU'LL BE BROUGHT BEFORE KINGS AND RULERS. 30:03 DO NOT TAKE THOUGHT AHEAD OF TIME OF WHAT YOU WILL SAY FOR IT 30:06 WILL BE GIVEN YOU IN THAT MOMENT WHAT YOU WILL SAY.' AND WHEN THE 30:11 DISCIPLES HAD TO DEFEND THEIR FAITH AT THE SANHEDRIN - WHEN 30:13 THE SUPREME COURT - THEY WERE SO BOLD AND THEY WERE SO ARTICULATE 30:18 THAT THE RULERS ALL LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, 'WHERE DID 30:21 THEY GET THIS LEARNING? THEY MUST HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS. 30:26 HOW DO THEY KNOW THESE THINGS? HOW COULD THEY BE SO 30:28 SOPHISTICATED AND SO POWERFUL AND PROFOUND IN WHAT THEY'RE 30:32 SAYING?' GOD WAS ABLE TO DO IT WITH THE 30:34 HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH ORDINARY PEOPLE, RIGHT? 30:38 GOD - AND THAT LEADS US TO OUR NEXT DAY - 'TRANSFORMING THE 30:41 COMMON' - 'TRANFORMING THE COMMON'. 30:44 JOHN 2, VERSES 1 TO 3 - THE GOSPEL OF JOHN CHAPTER 2 - AND 30:49 SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME GOSPEL OF JOHN 20, VERSE 7. 30:52 WHO GOT THAT ONE? HOLD YOUR HAND UP IF YOU GOT IT. 30:55 RIGHT UP FRONT. OKAY, LET'S GET YOU A MICROPHONE. 30:57 IN A MINUTE WE'LL GET TO YOU, JONATHAN. 31:00 ALRIGHT, I'M GOING TO READ JOHN 2, VERSES 1 TO 3, "ON THE THIRD 31:03 DAY THERE WAS A WEDDING IN CANA OF GALILEE, 31:06 AND THE MOTHER OF JESUS WAS THERE. 31:09 NOW BOTH JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES WERE INVITED TO THE WEDDING. 31:12 AND WHEN THEY RAN OUT OF WINE, THE MOTHER OF JESUS SAID TO HIM, 31:16 'THEY HAVE NO WINE.'" NOW YOU NOTICE THAT HERE, JESUS, 31:20 HE'S INTRODUCED AS THE LAMB OF GOD. 31:23 YOU THINK THAT HE'S GOING TO GET HIS FOLLOWERS TO RUN AHEAD OF 31:28 HIM LIKE SOME KIND OF PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY AND HE'S 31:31 GOING TO HOP ON A CHARIOT AND GO UP TO JERUSALEM AND BE ENTHRONED 31:33 IN THE TEMPLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 31:35 BUT, INSTEAD, AFTER THIS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THEY SAID, 'NOW 31:37 WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?' HE SAID, 'WELL, MOM INVITED ME 31:39 TO A WEDDING I GUESS I'LL GO.' SO HE GOES TO A WEDDING OF SOME 31:43 RELATIVE IN GALILEE AND HE'S JUST THERE AT THE WEDDING LIKE 31:45 EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT GOD DOES SOMETHING - HE USES THAT WEDDING 31:51 AS A CONTEXT TO DO A REMARKABLE MIRACLE. 31:55 IT SAYS THEY RAN OUT OF WINE. SO WHAT DOES JESUS DO? 31:58 THERE WERE SIX STONE POTS - VERY COMMON - FILLED WITH WATER - 32:04 ALSO COMMON. THEY SOMETIMES PUT THE WATER IN 32:06 THE STONE POTS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET HOT DURING THE DAY. 32:09 - THE STONE HELPED THEM KEEP THEIR COOL TEMPERATURE. 32:11 AND JESUS SAID, 'POUR - POUR OUT' - HE SAID A PRAYER OR WAVED 32:18 HIS HAND OR WHATEVER HE DID HE SAYS, 'YOU GO POUR OUT WHAT'S IN 32:20 THOSE STONE POTS BEFORE THE PEOPLE.' AND HE DID A MIRACLE. 32:24 HE TURNED THE WATER INTO WINE. NOW WHAT KIND OF WINE WAS IT? 32:29 HOW DO WE KNOW IT WAS GRAPE JUICE? 32:34 WOULD JESUS MAKE BOOZE FOR A PARTY? 32:37 I MEAN, WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DRINK TOO MUCH AT A 32:40 PARTY? DO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN? OR DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN? 32:44 DO PEOPLE SAY WISE THINGS OR DO THEY SAY FOOLISH THINGS? 32:48 AND DOES THE BIBLE ALREADY SAY HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT STRONG 32:50 DRINK? THAT WINE IS A MOCKER AND IT'S RAGING? 32:55 AND AT THE LAST SUPPER WHEN IT SAYS THAT JESUS SAID, 'I WILL 32:58 NOT EAT OF THIS FRUIT OF THE VINE AGAIN - I WILL NOT DRINK OF 33:02 THE FRUIT OF THE VINE TIL I DRINK IT WITH YOU NEW IN MY 33:06 FATHER'S KINGDOM.' SO THERE'S NEW WINE AND THERE'S OLD WINE. 33:08 JESUS SAID, 'YOU DON'T PUT NEW WINE IN OLD WINESKINS.' WHAT 33:10 KIND OF WINE WAS HIS GOSPEL, THE NEW OR THE OLD? 33:13 IT WAS NEW SO IT HAD TO BE FRESH GRAPE JUICE THAT HE MADE. 33:16 AND THEY SAID, 'YOU SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST.' NOW, 33:18 UNFORTUNATELY, IN OUR CULTURE, WE SAY, 'YOU GOT ANY GOOD 33:21 STUFF?' AND WE MEAN, 'DO YOU HAVE ANY 33:23 STRONG, OLD STUFF?' BUT YOU COULD GET FERMENTED 33:26 GRAPE JUICE ANY TIME OF THE YEAR BECAUSE ONCE IT'S GOT ALCOHOL IN 33:30 IT, IT COULD STAY LIKE THAT INDEFINITELY. 33:32 IT'S A PRESERVATIVE. YOU COULD ONLY GET THE FRESH 33:34 STUFF DURING THE HARVEST. AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY SAID, 33:37 'YOU'VE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST'. 33:39 BUT HERE, HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT WAS COMMON AND 33:43 WORK A MIRACLE. HE TURNED THIS WATER IN THESE 33:46 VESSELS INTO SOMETHING THAT WAS USED IN HIS COVENANT. 33:50 YOU AND I ARE VESSELS, RIGHT? HE'S THE POTTER, WE'RE THE CLAY. 33:58 AND HE'S ABLE TO WORK A MIRACLE WITH WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE. 34:01 IT MIGHT JUST BE WATER. IT MIGHT BE VERY COMMON AND HE'S 34:04 ABLE TO MAKE IT SOMETHING RICH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT AND THAT'S 34:07 TURNING THE WATER INTO WINE. WE ACCEPT THAT NEW COVENANT. 34:10 SOMETHING ELSE I THINK IS INTERESTNG - YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY 34:12 THIS MANY TIMES - FIRST MIRACLE IN JESUS MINISTRY IS THIS: HE 34:18 TURNS WATER INTO PURE NEW GRAPE JUICE AT A WEDDING, RIGHT? 34:24 ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT HAPPENS BEFORE JESUS DIES ON A 34:26 CROSS IS THEY OFFER HIM SOUR WINE IN A SPONGE - FERMENTED. 34:33 HE TASTES IT AND HE TURNS AWAY. HIS WINE - THAT NEW WINE IS A 34:38 SYMBOL OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS THAT WASHES AWAY THE SIN OF THE 34:41 WORLD. FIRST MIRACLE HE GIVES TO US HIS 34:46 BLOOD - THIS GRAPE JUICE - AT A WEDDING. 34:48 THE LAST THING THAT HAPPENS IS HE TAKES OURS. WE'VE ALL SINNED. 34:52 IT'S LIKE HE'S TAKING THE BAD AND HE'S GIVING US THE GOOD. 34:56 IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BLOOD TRANSFUSION THAT HAPPENS IN THE 34:58 LIFE OF CHRIST. DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 35:00 FIRST MIRACLE - HE'S OFFERING US THE PURE AND THE GOOD. 35:04 LAST THING IS HE'S TAKING OUR BAD. 35:07 AND HE GIVES US TO BEGIN WITH, WE GIVE HIM AT THE END AND THEN 35:11 HE DIES. LAST THING THAT HAPPENS AND THEN HE DIES. 35:14 AND SO, IT'S JUST LIKE AN ANALOGY OF THE GOSPEL. 35:18 BUT HE DOES IT WITH SOMETHING VERY COMMON. 35:21 YOU CAN ALSO SEE MATTHEW - I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN IT - SOMEONE'S 35:25 GOT JOHN THERE - MATTHEW 15, VERSE 35, "SO HE COMMANDED THE 35:28 MULTITUDE TO SIT DOWN ON THE GROUND. 35:31 AND HE TOOK THE SEVEN LOAVES AND THE FISH AND GAVE THANKS, BROKE 35:34 THEM AND GAVE THEM TO HIS DISCIPLES; AND THE DISCIPLES 35:36 GAVE TO THE MULTITUDE. SO THEY ALL ATE AND WERE FILLED, 35:40 AND THEY TOOK UP SEVEN LARGE BASKETS FULL OF THE FRAGMENTS 35:43 THAT WERE LEFT. NOW THOSE WHO ATE WERE THE FOUR 35:46 THOUSAND MEN, BESIDES WOMEN AND CHILDREN." 35:49 THERE'S ANOTHER NEED FOR A MIRACLE NOW. 35:52 PEOPLE HAVE RUN OUT OF FOOD AND THEY SAY TO JESUS, 'WHAT ARE WE 35:56 GOING TO DO?' HE SAYS, 'WELL, WHAT DO YOU 35:57 HAVE?' 'WELL, WE DUG AROUND A LITTLE 36:00 BIT AND ALL WE HAVE IS THIS BOY'S GOT A LUNCH HERE WHERE 36:03 HE'S GOT FIVE LITTLE TORTILLAS AND A COUPLE OF SARDINES, BUT 36:08 WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THAT?' 36:11 NOBODY WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT TWICE OF IT. 36:13 IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT SEE - WHO KNOWS, 36:15 IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN A PICNIC BASKET. 36:17 IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRAPPED UP IN A RAG THAT HIS MOTHER GAVE HIM. 36:19 I MEAN IT WAS PROBABLY JUST COMPLETELY ORDINARY. 36:22 BUT HAVE ALL OF US AROUND THE WORLD TODAY HEARD THE STORY OF 36:25 WHAT HAPPENED WITH THOSE ORDINARY THINGS? 36:27 WHEN JESUS TOOK IT INTO HIS HANDS AND HE BLESSED IT AND HE 36:30 GAVE IT BACK, A MIRACLE HAPPENED. 36:32 THOUSANDS WERE FED AS A RESULT. SOMEONE LOOK FOR ME - I GAVE IT 36:37 TO YOU ALREADY - JOHN 20, VERSE 7 - I THINK WE'RE READY FOR YOU. 36:41 >>"AND THE NAPKIN, THAT WAS ABOUT HIS HEAD, NOT LYING WITH 36:45 THE LINEN CLOTHES, BUT WRAPPED TOGETHER IN A PLACE BY ITSELF." 36:49 >>NOW THIS IS, I THINK, A GREAT EXAMPLE - WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM 36:54 THE DEAD AND PETER AND JOHN RAN TO THE TOMB THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF 36:58 THE BODY WAS STOLEN. THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THE ROMANS 37:00 HAD EVICTED HIM AND PUT HIM IN THE PAUPER'S GRAVE. 37:04 THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THE HIGH PRIEST HAD DONE SOMETHING. 37:06 THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. 37:08 THE WOMEN SAID, 'WELL, WE'VE SEEN ANGELS' BUT PETER AND JOHN, 37:11 MAYBE THEY'RE MORE SUSPICIOUS. WHEN THEY GET THERE, THEY DON'T 37:13 SEE THE ANGELS - WHEN PETER AND JOHN FIRST GET TO THE TOMB. 37:16 BUT WHAT MADE JOHN BELIEVE THAT JESUS HAD ACTUALLY RISEN? 37:22 DO YOU REMEMBER? WE WERE JUST READING THAT. 37:24 "THE HANDKERCHIEF THAT HAD BEEN AROUND HIS HEAD, NOT LYING WITH 37:27 THE LINEN CLOTHS, BUT FOLDED TOGETHER IN A PLACE BY ITSELF." 37:30 WHEN HE SAW THAT HE BELIEVED. WHY? 37:34 IF YOU'RE STEALING A BODY DO YOU TAKE THE TIME TO FOLD THE 37:39 WRAPPING? BUT WHAT ABOUT JESUS? 37:43 JESUS WAS SO CAREFUL AND GAVE SUCH FAITHFUL ATTENTION TO EVEN 37:47 LITTLE DETAIL, THAT ONLY JESUS WOULD HAVE SAID, 'RESURRECTION!' 37:51 - INSTEAD OF JUST THROWING IT ASIDE HE WENT, 'LET'S FOLD THIS 37:54 THING UP HERE AND PUT IT DOWN.' THAT'S THE WAY MARY TAUGHT HIM 37:58 AND THEY KNEW THAT. AND THEY LOOKED AT THAT - A 38:01 LITTLE ORDINARY THING LIKE THAT THAT HE HAD FOLDED THE CLOTH 38:04 THAT HAD BEEN AROUND HIS HEAD INSTEAD OF TOSSING IT ASIDE AND 38:07 SAID, 'ONLY JESUS WOULD DO THAT.' AND THAT, TO THEM, WAS A 38:12 CLUE THAT HE HAD RISEN. LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT. 38:16 MATTER OF FACT JESUS, TALKING AGAIN ABOUT HIS ATTENTION TO 38:19 DETAIL, GO TO JOHN 6, VERSES 12 AND 13. 38:23 AFTER THE PEOPLE FINISHED EATING, WHEN THE BREAD AND THE 38:26 FISH WERE MULTIPLIED, JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, "'GATHER UP 38:31 THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN, SO THAT NOTHING IS LOST.' THEREFORE 38:35 THEY GATHERED THEM UP, AND FILLED TWELVE BASKETS" - I DON'T 38:38 THINK THESE WERE SMALL BASKETS - "TWELVE BASKETS WITH THE 38:40 FRAGMENTS OF THE FIVE BARLEY LOAVES WHICH WERE LEFT OVER BY 38:44 THOSE WHO HAD EATEN." NOW WHY DID JESUS DO THIS? 38:48 ANY OF YOU EVER GO TO A RESTAURANT AND SAY, 'THAT WAS 38:50 GOOD FOOD AND IT WAS EXPENSIVE. CAN I HAVE A DOGGY BAG?' 38:55 AND YOU TAKE SOME HOME? I'M NOT TOO PROUD TO DO THAT. 38:58 AND SOMETIMES IT'S EVEN BETTER THE NEXT DAY, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. 39:03 AND JESUS IS GOING, 'HEY, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY.' AND 39:06 THE OTHER REASON JESUS SAID THAT - THE PEOPLE WHO HAD SEEN THE 39:09 MIRACLE - OTHERS WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT - HE SAID, 'TAKE SOME 39:12 OF IT BACK TO YOUR VILLAGES WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO. 39:16 TAKE THESE TWELVE BASKETFULS AND SPREAD IT AROUND AND SAY 'THIS 39:20 IS - IT WAS REAL BREAD. HERE IS SOME OF IT. 39:23 HE DID IT WITH FIVE LOAVES, NOW LOOK AT WHAT'S LEFT OVER.' AND I 39:27 DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THERE WERE FRAGMENTS OF THE FISH TOO. 39:29 AND SO AS THEY TOOK THE EXTRA FOOD BACK TO THEIR VARIOUS 39:32 TOWNS, THE STORY OF THE MIRACLE SPREAD WHERE THEY WENT. 39:37 SO THOSE LITTLE ORDINARY THINGS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. 'A FLAWED 39:43 FISHERMAN'S CALLING' - THIS IS A GOOD STORY. LUKE CHAPTER 5 - 39:49 LUKE 5, VERSE 4 - THIS IS THE STORY OF PETER'S CALLING. 39:54 AND AFTER JESUS GOT DONE TEACHING FROM PETER'S BOAT, "HE 39:57 SAID TO SIMON, 'LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP AND LET DOWN YOUR NETS 40:01 FOR A CATCH.' BUT SIMON ANSWERED AND SAID TO HIM 'MASTER, WE HAVE 40:05 TOILED ALL NIGHT AND CAUGHT NOTHING; NEVERTHELESS AT YOUR 40:09 WORD I WILL LET DOWN THE NET.' AND WHEN THEY HAD DONE THIS, 40:14 THEY CAUGHT A GREAT NUMBER OF FISH, AND THEIR NET WAS 40:17 BREAKING. SO THEY SIGNALED TO THEIR PARTNERS IN THE OTHER BOAT 40:21 TO COME AND HELP THEM. AND THEY CAME AND FILLED BOTH 40:24 THE BOATS, SO THAT THEY BEGAN TO SINK." 40:27 NOW, CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW BIG A CATCH THAT MUST HAVE BEEN? 40:31 THESE ARE TWO BOATS - KEEP IN MIND, THESE BOATS ARE BIG ENOUGH 40:34 THAT ALL OF THE APOSTLES COULD FIT IN ONE BOAT BECAUSE THERE'S 40:37 OTHER STORIES WHERE ALL OF THE APOSTLES - 40:39 TWELVE OF THEM AND JESUS - GOT IN ONE BOAT. 40:41 SO THIRTEEN MEN COULD FIT IN THIS BOAT, RIGHT? 40:45 AND IT TELLS US THAT THESE BOATS - NOT ONE, BUT TWO BOATS - WERE 40:47 SO FULL OF FISH THAT THEY WERE AT RISK - IT WAS UP TO THE 40:51 GUNWALLS - THEY WERE AT RISK OF SINKING. 40:57 YOU KNOW, I'VE SOMETIMES MENTIONED, WHEN I READ THIS 41:01 STORY IN THE BIBLE, WHAT BOAT WAS JESUS IN WHEN HE WAS 41:05 TEACHING? PETER'S BOAT OR JAMES AND JOHN'S BOAT? 41:11 JUST - IT'S IN THERE. PETER'S BOAT, OKAY? 41:14 DO YOU THINK JAMES AND JOHN WERE JEALOUS? MAYBE. 41:18 THEY MIGHT HAVE SAID - PETER, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, 'NO, NO, GET 41:20 IN MY BOAT, LORD, MY BOAT.' 'YEAH, WE'D RATHER HAVE JESUS 41:24 PREACHING FROM OUR BOAT BUT HOW MANY BOATS WERE FILLED? 41:31 BOTH BOATS. SOMETIMES I'VE SEEN CHURCHES COME TOGETHER FOR AN 41:35 EVANGELISTIC MEETING AND THE EVANGELISTIC MEETING MIGHT BE IN 41:39 ONE OF THREE CHURCHES, BUT IF ALL THOSE CHURCHES WORK 41:42 TOGETHER, THE LORD CAN FILL ALL THREE CHURCHES, EVEN THOUGH THE 41:46 MEETING WAS HELD IN ONE CHURCH. AND SO, ALL THE BOATS ARE 41:51 FILLED. AND WHEN THEY SAW THIS MIRACLE - NOW, CAN YOU 41:56 UNDERSTAND WHAT A BIG MIRACLE THIS IS? 41:58 PETER'S BEEN FISHING ALL HIS LIFE - HE'S NEVER SEEN A CATCH 41:59 LIKE THIS. NOT ONLY THAT, IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. 42:03 IT WAS THE WORST TIME OF DAY TO DO ANY FISHING. 42:05 THEY WOULD FISH AT NIGHT WHERE THEY'D HANG A LAMP OFF THE BACK 42:07 OF THEIR BOAT AND THE FISH WERE ATTRACTED TO THE LIGHT AND THEN 42:09 THEY'D NET THEM. HERE IT IS DAYLIGHT, THE FISH 42:11 HAVE NOTHING TO ATTRACT THEM - EXCEPT THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS 42:14 IN PETER'S BOAT - AND SO HE SAYS 'THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. 42:18 IT'S A MIRACLE.' AND SO WHEN HE SEES THIS, PETER SUDDENLY 42:21 REALIZES ONLY A DIVINE POWER COULD GATHER THOSE FISH TO HIS 42:25 BOAT. THAT HE IS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE GOD MAN. 42:30 AND PETER, WHEN HE SAW IT, HE FELL DOWN - INSTEAD OF SAYING, 42:33 'LET'S GO SELL THE FISH, HE FELL DOWN AT JESUS' KNEES - THEY 42:37 HAVEN'T EVEN TAKEN THE FISH ASHORE YET - HE SAYS, "DEPART 42:39 FROM ME FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN, O LORD." 42:43 WAS PETER TELLING THE TRUTH? HE WAS. 42:46 HE PROVED IT WAS TRUE LATER IN HIS MINISTRY WHEN HE DENIED 42:49 CHRIST, RIGHT? PETER KNEW HOW TO SWEAR AND CURSE. PETER WAS 42:55 PROBABLY YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL ORDINARY GALILLEAN FISHERMAN. 42:59 THE BIBLE EVEN SAYS HE HAD A GALILLEAN ACCENT. 43:01 PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE CRUDE. 43:04 WASN'T SO GOOD TO ARTICULATE THINGS AND HE SAID, 'I'M A 43:09 SINFUL MAN' - "FOR HE AND ALL WHO WERE WITH HIM" - PETER, 43:11 JOHN, JAMES AND ANDREW - ALL OF THEM - THEY "WERE ASTONISHED AT 43:14 THE CATCH OF FISH WHICH THEY HAD TAKEN; AND SO ALSO WERE JAMES 43:17 AND JOHN, THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE, WHO WERE PARTNERS WITH SIMON. 43:20 AND JESUS SAID TO SIMON, 'DO NOT BE AFRAID. 43:23 FROM NOW ON YOU WILL CATCH MEN.'" CAN GOD DO WONDERFUL 43:27 THINGS THROUGH ORDINARY PEOPLE? WHEN YOU'RE BAPTIZED - DOES GOD 43:34 PROMISE TO GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO JUST SOME PEOPLE OR 43:37 EVERYBODY? AND WE ALL GET DIFFERENT GIFTS. 43:41 THE BIBLE SAYS IN ACTS CHAPTER 2, 'REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED, 43:44 EVERY ONE OF YOU, IN THE NAME OF THE LORD AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE 43:47 THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR THE PROMISE' - THS IS A PROMISE 43:51 HERE - 'THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU AND YOUR BRETHREN AND AS MANY AS 43:55 THE LORD GOD WILL CALL.' IT SAYS BE BAPTIZED AND YOU WILL 43:59 RECEIVE. DID JESUS GET THE HOLY SPIRIT AT HIS BAPTISM? 44:02 ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU FEEL GOOSEBUMPS OR 44:04 ELECTRICITY BEFORE YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT? 44:07 OR DO YOU BELIEVE IT BECAUSE GOD SAID IT? 44:09 IF YOU REPENT AND CONFESS YOUR SINS, GOD SAYS THAT 'HE IS 44:13 FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE YOU YOUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE YOU 44:15 FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.' ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU 44:18 FEEL LIKE YOU ARE FORGIVEN, OR DO YOU BELIEVE IT BECAUSE HE 44:20 SAID SO? SO IF HE SAYS HE GIVES YOU THE 44:23 HOLY SPIRIT, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 44:26 AND THEN HE WILL MANIFEST THAT SPIRIT THROUGH HIGHLIGHTING 44:31 DIFFERENT GIFTS IN YOUR LIFE YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THAT YOU HAVE 44:33 YET. DID PETER, WHEN HE WAS GROWING 44:37 UP ON THE SHORES OF GALILEE AND THEY'D TALK AMONG THEMSELVES AND 44:42 SAY, 'SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?' 44:45 PETER SAID, 'WELL, DAD'S A FISHERMAN. 44:46 I THINK I'LL BE A FISHERMAN.' 'OH, YOU DON'T THINK YOU WANT TO 44:49 BE AN ITINERANT PREACHER OR A GREAT EVANGELIST?' 44:52 'OH, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? A RABBI? ME? NO.' I MEAN, IF YOU HAD TOLD 44:57 PETER THAT, WOULD HE HAVE EVER GUESSED IT? 44:59 'YOU'RE GOING TO WRITE BOOKS, PETER, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN 45:02 ORATOR.' 'WHAT?' HE NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED IT. 45:06 WHEN YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO THE LORD THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT HE 45:09 CAN DO WITH ORDINARY PEOPLE, RIGHT? 45:13 THERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE: JOHN 21, VERSE 3 - NOW JESUS HAS - 45:18 JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW ORDINARY THESE GUYS ARE, THIS IS AFTER 45:21 THREE AND A HALF YEARS, THIS IS AFTER JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN. 45:25 FROM THE TIME JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN UNTIL THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS 45:28 POURED OUT, THERE WAS ABOUT 40 DAYS - ACTUALLY IT'S 50 DAYS - 45:32 NO, NO - 50 DAYS FROM THE RESURRECTION. 45:35 IT WAS 40 DAYS THAT - FROM - LET ME SEE HERE - 40 DAYS HE 45:44 APPEARED - TEN DAYS AFTER HE ASCENDED BEFORE PENTECOST. 45:49 SO ANYWAY, MY POINT IS THEY HAD SOME DOWN TIME BEFORE THE HOLY 45:53 SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT FROM THE TME JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED. 45:56 AND AT ONE POINT THEY'RE WAITING BECAUSE JESUS SAID, 'DON'T GO 45:58 OUT PREACHING, TEACHING UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY 46:00 SPIRIT AND THE DISCIPLES ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE JUST 46:03 CARVING STICKS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. 46:06 THEY'RE PRAYING A LOT. AND PETER SAID, 'I CAN'T TAKE 46:09 THIS SITTING AROUND ANYMORE. I'M GOING FISHING.' AND THEY 46:12 SAID, 'GOOD IDEA. WE'RE GOING WITH YOU.' THAT'S A 46:14 LOOSE PARAPHRASE. "THEY WENT OUT AND IMMEDIATELY 46:17 GOT INTO THE BOAT, AND THAT NIGHT THEY CAUGHT NOTHING." 46:20 - NOW THEY'VE GONE UP TO GALILEE. 46:21 THERE'S ANOTHER LITTLE LAKE THEY MAY HAVE GONE TO NORTH OF THAT - 46:25 'BUT WHEN THE MORNING HAD NOW COME, JESUS STOOD ON THE SHORE; 46:29 YET THE DISCIPLES DID NOT KNOW THAT IT WAS JESUS. 46:31 THEN JESUS SAID TO THEM, 'CHILDREN, HAVE YOU ANY FOOD?'" 46:33 - THAT WAS JUST A COMMON GREETING. 46:35 HE'S SAYING, 'IF YOU CAUGHT ANYTHING COULD YOU SHARE SOME?' 46:37 - "THEY ANSWERED HIM, 'NO.' AND HE SAID TO THEM, 'CAST THE NET 46:39 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOAT, AND YOU WILL FIND SOME.'" - AND 46:42 THEY THOUGHT, 'YOU KNOW, WE VAGUELY REMEMBER SOMEONE TELLING 46:44 US HOW TO CAST OUR NET AND IT WORKED WELL. 46:47 LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN.' THEY STILL DON'T KNOW IT'S JESUS. 46:50 - "SO THEY CAST, AND NOW THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DRAW IT IN 46:53 BECAUSE OF THE MULTITUDE OF FISH." 46:54 - THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO PADDLE ASHORE AND DRAG IT ASHORE. 46:57 PETER COULDN'T EVEN WAIT. HE DOVE IN THE WATER. 46:59 HE REALIZED IT WAS JESUS AND HE SWAM TO JESUS. 47:01 AND THEY GET THERE AND WHAT'S JESUS DOING? 47:03 HE'S GOT A LITTLE CAMPFIRE AND HE'S BAKING - HE'S ALREADY GOT 47:05 BREAD THERE AND HE'S GOT FISH. HE'S COOKING BREAKFAST FOR 47:08 EVERYBODY. JUST SUCH AN AVERAGE OUTDOOR 47:11 THING AND IT WAS IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS THAT HE REVEALED 47:15 HIMSELF TO THE DISCIPLES. JESUS IS WALKING BY THE SEA OF 47:19 GALILEE - I KNOW I HAVE SOME OF THESE VERSES OUT OF ORDER - AND 47:22 HE SAW TWO BROTHERS, SIMON AND PETER, CALLED ANDREW, CASTING A 47:26 NET INTO THE SEA FOR THEY WERE FISHERMEN. 47:28 AND HE SAID, 'FOLLOW ME AND I'LL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.' NOW HE 47:32 TOOK ORDINARY PEOPLE - HE DIDN'T SAY, 'AS SOON AS YOU FOLLOW ME 47:35 YOU'LL BECOME.' HE SAID THERE WAS A PROCESS. 47:37 'FOLLOW ME AND I WILL MAKE YOU.' AS THEY FOLLOWED JESUS, HE 47:42 TRANSFORMED THEM INTO FISHERS OF MEN. 47:44 YOU SEE WHAT HE'S SAYING THERE? AND WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPENED. 47:47 GO UNDER THE SECTION UNDER 'HEAVENLY EVALUATION' - 47:53 'HEAVENLY EVALUATION'. LUKE CHAPTER 12, VERSE 6 - AND 48:01 IT SAYS, "ARE NOT FIVE SPARROWS SOLD FOR TWO COPPER COINS?" 48:05 - I ALREADY QUOTED THIS - "AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS FORGOTTEN 48:08 BEFORE GOD. BUT THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD 48:11 ARE ALL NUMBERED. DO NOT FEAR THEREFORE; YOU ARE 48:13 OF MORE VALUE THAN SPARROWS." SO ALRIGHT, LET'S ESTABLISH 48:18 THIS: ARE PEOPLE WORTH MORE THAN SPARROWS? 48:21 ARE THERE VARIATIONS OF VALUE AMONG THE CREATURES THAT GOD 48:24 MADE? DOES IT WORK LIKE THIS? 48:27 YOU'VE GOT HUMANS, THEN ANIMALS, THEN ROCKS. 48:32 ARE ANIMALS WORTH MORE THAN ROCKS? YOU ALL AGREE? WHY? 48:39 ALRIGHT, NOW LET ME BREAK THIS DOWN FOR YOU A LITTLE FARTHER. 48:45 IS IT WORSE TO KILL A MOSQUITO OR A SPARROW? 48:53 IS A SPARROW OF MORE VALUE THAN A MOSQUITO? NOW IF THAT SPARROW 48:57 IS EATING YOUR CORN YOU MIGHT FEEL DIFFERENTLY. 49:03 BUT IS A DOG - IS IT WORSE TO KILL A DOG OR A MOUSE? 49:13 IF YOU TRAP A RAT - YOU TOSS IT IN THE GARBAGE CAN - WOULD YOU 49:16 FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT A DOG OR WOULD YOU FEEL WORSE? 49:21 SO IN YOUR MINDS - I THINK MOST PEOPLE I'VE ASKED USUALLY AGREE 49:23 WITH ME - IN YOUR MINDS YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A VALUE 49:28 OF LIFE AND IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON SIZE, IT'S USUALLY BASED ON 49:31 INTELLIGENCE. OBVIOUSLY, A DOG IS MORE 49:36 INTELLIGENT THAN A ROCK - THOUGH YOU HAVE HAD DOGS THAT YOU'VE 49:38 WONDERED ABOUT, RIGHT? AND SO WHO WAS MADE IN GOD'S 49:45 IMAGE? PEOPLE ARE WORTH A LOT MORE. 49:49 HUMANS ARE WORTH - HUMANS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD ARE - 49:51 THERE'S SOMETHING SACRED ABOUT HUMAN LIFE, RIGHT? 49:54 THAT'S WHY WE EVEN RESPECT PEOPLE THAT ARE BURIED BECAUSE 49:57 THESE WERE CREATURES THAT WERE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD AND 50:00 YOU'RE RESPECTFUL OF THE FORM OF SOMEONE WHEN THEY PASS AWAY. 50:04 BUT WE'RE IN A CULTURE NOW WHEN THEY'RE TELLING YOU THAT A 50:08 SPOTTED OWL OR A KANGAROO RAT OR A TREE MIGHT BE WORTH AS MUCH AS 50:12 A HUMAN BECAUSE WE'RE ALL PART OF THAT CIRCLE OF LIFE, YOU 50:15 KNOW? THE CIRCLE OF LIFE - JUST YOU 50:19 ALL KIND OF GO - YOU MIGHT COME BACK AS A MOUSE OR A COW OR A 50:21 TREE. IN THE WORLD TODAY, THIS IDEA OF 50:27 VALUATION DOESN'T GO OVER VERY WELL. 50:31 LET'S FACE IT, PEOPLE IN OUR CULTURE, THEY DON'T HAVE VERY 50:34 MUCH PROBLEM ABORTING A BABY. AND SOME OF THOSE VERY SAME 50:38 PEOPLE WILL TIE THEMSELVES TO A TREE BEFORE IT GETS CUT DOWN. 50:43 OR THEY'LL RISK THEIR LIVES TO SAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, VULTURE EGG 50:48 OR SOMETHING. SO THEY'RE - WE'RE REALLY MIXED UP WITH VALUES. 50:52 BUT GOD TELLS YOU THAT YOU - OH, BY THE WAY, I DIDN'T MENTION 50:56 THAT VERSE. 'HOW MUCH MORE THEN IS A MAN BETTER THAN A SHEEP?' 51:02 AND THEN UNDER THE LAST SECTION IT TALKS ABOUT A 'CLASSLESS 51:04 SOCIETY'. LET'S LOOK AT SOME VERSES HERE. 51:07 SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME ROMANS 2, VERSE 10. 51:09 WHO HAS THAT? RIGHT HERE. LET'S GET YOU A MICROPHONE. 51:12 HOLD YOUR HAND UP SO HE CAN SEE YOU. 51:15 TALKING ABOUT A CLASSLESS SOCIETY. 51:18 ACTS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 34 - WE'LL START THERE. 51:21 "THEN PETER OPENED HIS MOUTH" - THIS IS AFTER PETER PREACHES THE 51:24 GOSPEL TO CORNELIUS. YOU REMEMBER THE JEWS, BACK IN 51:27 THE TIME OF PETER, THEY SORT OF THOUGHT THE GENTILES WERE, YOU 51:30 KNOW, THEY'RE NOT QUITE AT THE STRATA OF THE JEWS BECAUSE 51:33 THEY'RE UNCLEAN. THEY'RE DOGS. THOSE ARE THE WORDS THAT THEY 51:36 USED. AND GOD SAID TO PETER, 'DON'T 51:41 CALL ANY MAN COMMON OR UNCLEAN, RIGHT? 51:46 IN ACTS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 34, "THEN PETER OPENED HIS MOUTH AND 51:49 SAID: 'IN TRUTH I PERCEIVE'" - AFTER THIS VISION THAT GOD GAVE 51:52 HIM - ''THAT GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY. 51:55 BUT IN EVERY NATION WHOEVER FEARS HIM AND WORKS 51:58 RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ACCEPTED BY HIM." SO GOD SAYS, 'WHOEVER'. 52:03 GOD HAS MADE OF ONE BLOOD ALL NATIONS. 52:07 GOD WANTS 'WHOSOEVER' TO BE SAVED. I THINK WE'RE READY. 52:11 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US ROMANS 2:10 - 11. 52:15 >>"BUT GLORY, HONOR, AND PEACE TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS WHAT IS 52:17 GOOD, TO THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO TO THE GREEK. 52:21 FOR THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD." 52:24 >>PAUL HAS TO REPEAT THESE STATEMENTS MANY TIMES IN HIS 52:27 TEACHINGS BECAUSE IT TOOK AWHILE FOR HIM TO BREAK THROUGH AND 52:31 EXPLAIN THAT, YES, WHILE IT IS TRUE GOD FIRST DELIVERED THE 52:36 GOSPEL AND THE TRUTH TO THE JEWS, HE ALSO WANTS THE GENTILES 52:40 SAVED. GOD WANTS EVERYBODY TO BE SAVED. THAT'S WHY HE SAYS THE 52:43 JEW FIRST - IT DOESN'T MEAN THE JEWS ARE WORTH MORE, 52:45 IT MEANS THAT THE MESSAGE FIRST CAME TO THE JEWS. 52:48 YOU CAN EVEN READ IN JOB, FOR INSTANCE, CHAPTER 34, VERSE 19, 52:52 "YET HE IS NOT PARTIAL TO PRINCES, NOR DOES HE REGARD THE 52:57 RICH MORE THAN THE POOR; FOR THEY ARE ALL THE WORK OF HIS 53:00 HANDS." THIS PRINCIPLE IS NOT A NEW TESTAMENT PRINCIPLE. 53:03 THIS PRINCIPLE - JOB IS THE OLDEST BOOK IN THE BIBLE. 53:06 DID YOU KNOW THAT? IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING. 53:10 READ JAMES - DO ANOTHER ONE - JAMES 2, VERSES 1 TO 4, "MY 53:15 BRETHREN, DO NOT HOLD THE FAITH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, 53:17 THE LORD OF GLORY, WITH PARTIALITY. 53:20 FOR IF THERE SHOULD COME INTO YOUR ASSEMBLY A MAN WITH GOLD 53:22 RINGS, IN FINE APPAREL, AND THERE SHOULD ALSO COME IN A POOR 53:25 MAN IN FILTHY CLOTHES, AND YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE ONE WEARING 53:28 THE FINE CLOTHES AND SAY TO HIM, 'YOU SIT HERE IN A GOOD PLACE' 53:32 AND SAY TO THE POOR MAN, 'YOU STAND THERE,' OR, 'SIT HERE AT 53:35 MY FOOTSTOOL,' HAVE YOU NOT SHOWN PARTIALITY AMONG 53:37 YOURSELVES, AND BECOME JUDGES WITH EVIL THOUGHTS?" 53:40 NOW, IN PRINCIPLE, WE KNOW THAT'S TRUE, BUT I STILL SEE 53:44 IT'S TRUE THAT IF WE KNOW A PERSON IS A PERSON WHO IS FAMOUS 53:48 OR A PERSON WHO IS EXTREMELY WEALTHY, AND THEY SUDDENLY COME 53:52 INTO A CONGREGATION, FOLKS SORT OF FALL OVER THEMSELVES A LITTLE 53:55 BIT - TO SHAKE THEIR HAND OR GIVE THEM ATTENTION, MAKE SURE 53:58 THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF, BRING THEM TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE 54:00 AND, WHILE THEY MIGHT HAVE A HOMELESS VISITOR AND THEY WON'T 54:04 GET THE SAME TREATMENT. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 54:08 WE ALL - WE ALL, SORT OF, KIND OF GRAVITATE - 54:12 IT'S JUST OUR FALLEN NATURES. GALATIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 28, 54:17 "THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE 54:20 THERE IS NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN 54:24 CHRIST JESUS." GOD SAVES EVERYBODY WHO - 54:28 WHOSOEVER COMES TO HIM THE LORD IS WILLING TO SAVE. 54:32 AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE I'LL CLOSE - I'LL JUST TELL YOU 54:36 AN INTERESTING STORY GEORGE VANDEMAN USED TO TELL. 54:39 THERE WAS A VERY FAMOUS JEWELER NAMED HARRY WINSTON AND HE WAS - 54:44 HE WAS FAMOUS FOR BUYING SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE GEMS IN THE 54:47 WORLD. YOU'VE HEARD OF THE HOPE DIAMOND? 54:49 HARRY WINSTON IS THE ONE WHO OWNED THE HOPE DIAMOND, I THINK, 54:52 FOR TEN YEARS AND HE WAS SO WEALTHY HE COULD AFFORD TO 54:54 DONATE IT TO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE WHERE IT IS TODAY. 54:58 I SAW IT THERE ONCE. 54:59 WELL, HE WAS GETTING READY TO TAKE DELIVERY IN NEW YORK CITY 55:02 SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OF TIFFANY'S - THIS IS YEARS AGO - AND HE WAS 55:06 GETTING READY TO TAKE DELIVERY OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GEMS 55:09 IN THE WORLD - THIS ENORMOUS JEWEL THAT HAD BEEN OWNED BY 55:11 SEVERAL MONARCHS AND TRADED AND DISAPPEARED AND LOST AND 55:14 CAPTURED AND REFOUND. HE BOUGHT IT AND IT WAS 55:16 EXQUISITE AND ALL THESE PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE STREET. 55:20 THEY WANTED TO SEE THIS DELIVERED AND THEY WERE LOOKING 55:23 UP AND DOWN THE STREET. THERE WERE REPORTERS THERE AND 55:24 THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF HE'D GIVE THEM A GLIMPSE OF IT. 55:28 AND SO HE WAS OUT - A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY - IN FRONT OF THIS 55:32 DIAMOND STORE IN NEW YORK CITY AND THE NEWS WAS THERE AND THE 55:37 CROWDS WERE THERE AND THEY WERE LOOKING UP AND DOWN THE STREET 55:39 WAITING FOR THIS CARRIAGE TO ARRIVE THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, 55:44 ESCORTED WITH THIS JEWEL AND THE ARMED GUARDS AND ALL AND, WELL 55:50 THE POOR POSTMAN, HE WAS TRYING TO DO HIS ROUTE AND HE COULDN'T 55:53 GET UP THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE THIS CROWD WAS BLOCKING THE STREET. 55:56 AND SO HE SAID, 'EXCUSE ME. 55:57 I'VE GOT TO GET - COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME'. 55:59 AND THEY SAID, 'WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? 56:01 WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE MORE IMPORTANT?' 56:02 AND THEY WOULDN'T LET THE GUY THROUGH AND HE JUST KEPT PUSHING 56:04 HIS WAY THROUGH SAYING 'LOOK, I'M ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS. 56:07 I'VE GOT TO GET THROUGH.' AND FINALLY THEY LET HIM START TO 56:10 DISSECT THE CROWD AND WHEN HE GOT IN FRONT OF WINSTON HE 56:13 HANDED HIM A BROWN PACKAGE AND THEN HE KEPT GOING THROUGH THE 56:16 CROWD. WINSTON HELD UP THIS LITTLE 56:19 BROWN PACKAGE TIED WITH STRING AND HE TORE IT OPEN AND THERE IN 56:22 A COMMON BOX - HE OPENED IT UP - WAS THE GEM. 56:25 IT HAD COME THROUGH REGULAR MAIL. 56:28 AND EVERYBODY JUST WAS SHOCKED THAT SOMETHING SO VALUABLE WOULD 56:33 HAVE BEEN DELIVERED THAT WAY AND - GEORGE VANDEMAN USED TO LOVE 56:39 TO ILLUSTRATE - HE'D SAY, 'YOU KNOW, WHEN JESUS CAME INTO OUR 56:41 WORLD, NOBODY REALLY EXPECTED THAT GOD, THIS PRICELESS GEM, 56:46 WOULD BE IN SUCH A COMMON CONTAINER.' BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE 56:50 WHEN THE LORD LOOKS DOWN AT EACH ONE OF US, WHAT THE WORLD MIGHT 56:53 SEE AS JUST A COMMON CONTAINER IS SO PRECIOUS TO GOD THAT GOD, 56:58 BASICALLY, EMPTIED THE TREASURY OF HEAVEN TO PAY A RANSOM TO 57:04 REDEEM YOU. SO HOW COMMON ARE YOU IF GOD WAS 57:07 WILLING TO EMPTY HEAVEN TO PAY FOR YOU? 57:10 DOES GOD CARE ABOUT ORDINARY PEOPLE? 57:13 AND DID GOD TAKE SOMEONE LIKE MOSES WHO WAS THE CHILD OF A 57:16 SLAVE AND SOMEONE LIKE RUTH, AND THE MESSIAH WOULD COME THROUGH, 57:20 AND HE TAKES AN ORPHAN GIRL IN PERSIA AND SHE BECOMES QUEEN? 57:24 AND HE TAKES A SHEPHERD BOY, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, HE 57:28 BECOMES KING OR, IN JOSEPH'S CASE, PRIME MINISTER. 57:31 GOD LOVES TO TAKE ORDINARY PEOPLE AND THEN HE DOES 57:33 EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. SO WHEN WE'RE DISCIPLING OTHERS, 57:38 LET'S NOT FORGET THAT EVERYBODY IS PRECIOUS IN GOD'S EYES, AMEN? 57:42 I WANT TO REMIND YOU, IN CLOSING, OUR FREE OFFER, FOR 57:45 ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE IT - AND WE JUST DO ASK THAT YOU READ IT 57:48 AND SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE - IS 'CHRIST'S HUMAN NATURE' BY JOE 57:51 CREWS. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. JUST CALL 57:53 866-788-3966. ASK FOR OFFER #703 WHEN YOU DO. GOD BLESS. 58:00 WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO STUDYING TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 58:04 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17