In this program we discuss
the question, Who is God?
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When we look at the flowers,
and birds, and the stars,
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and our own marvelous bodies and
minds, surely we must conclude
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that there is a God.
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But who is God?
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Where is He, and what's He like?
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Well, what does the Bible teach?
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David has given us plenty
of evidence that the Bible is a
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book that God's inspired.
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So what does God
tell us about Himself?
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Well, to answer that
question we go next to Jerash.
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This is the gateway to Jerash,
the best preserved Roman ruins
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in the Middle East.
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Jerash was one of the
ten cities of the Decapolis.
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The word
Decapolis means ten cities.
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This was one of
the prominent cities.
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The gateway that you see behind
me was built to commemorate the
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visit of the Emperor
Hadrian in the year 129 A.D.
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In fact he spent
a whole winter here.
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An inscription around the back
of the gateway tells us that it
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was built and dedicated by a man
by the name of Flavius Agrippa.
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This is the
Roman forum of Jerash.
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It's quite a spectacular place;
these beautiful big columns here
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and behind this were shops.
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The forum, you know, was where
all the city activities used
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to place; where the city fathers
met together and deliberated.
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If anyone had something to
say, well this is where he came
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to say it.
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So this was a hive of activity.
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Now a very remarkable thing
about these pillars is that they
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are built on a very thick wall.
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That wall goes down ten meters.
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You see, they didn't want
their beautiful colonnade to
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topple over.
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And from here leads
the main street of Jerash.
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And what a
beautiful street this was!
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These great big limestone
pillars here; do you know there
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were 260 of them on
each side of the street?
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There were shops out there.
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It was a real shopping plaza,
you know, fashionable center.
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This place was
very well drained.
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There's a drainage system
running right along underneath.
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In fact you can see
here one of the man holes.
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These could be removed and
somebody could go down there
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and crawl along underneath,
and clean it out if there
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was any blockage.
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Chariots used to
rumble along this street.
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You can still see the rub marks.
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See them here?
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And if you think that traffic
roundabouts are anything new,
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well, think again, because
at the intersection along there
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of the roads they had one.
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This is known as the nymphaeum
because there were statues of
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nymphs in the alcoves up there.
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It must have been
a beautiful sight.
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Water gushed out of these
holes that you can see, onto the
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platform here, and
down into this basin.
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From here there
were some carved lions.
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The water came
out of their mouths.
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They are one of the beauty
spots of the city of Jerash.
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The Romans did not
neglect the worship of the gods.
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Over there was the temple
of Zeus and here was the temple
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of Artemis.
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You know the goddess mentioned
in the book of Acts in the Bible
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as Diana of the Ephesians.
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All of the Ephesians
started shouting, Great is Diana
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of the Ephesians.
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Well, this was Artemis, and this
is the very fine temple that
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was devoted to her.
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The Romans had to have
their entertainment, of course.
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This is one of two theaters
in Jerash, and it's quite
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a big one.
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It holds four thousand
people, and you could even
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reserve your seats.
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Down the front there are some
Greek letters so that you could
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identify which
seat you'd reserved.
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The acoustics in
this place are marvelous.
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You can just stand here and
whisper and you'll hear it right
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up on the top row.
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Very early in the peace
Christianity came to Jerash.
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By the fourth century there
was a very strong Christian
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community here.
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By the fifth century it
had become the ruling religion.
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In the sixth century there
were no less than seven churches
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built here.
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But, of course, when the Muslims
came they were very much opposed
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to idols, or pictures, and
they demolished a lot of the
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beautiful mosaics.
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This one escaped because it was
partially buried by the time the
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Muslims got here.
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Well I suppose you're wondering
what all this has to do with the
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question, Who is God?
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And, I suppose, that's
a fair enough question.
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Well, it is just possible
that it was here in Jerash that
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a Biblical parable was enacted.
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Do you remember the story
that Jesus Christ told of the
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prodigal son?
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Everyone's heard
of the prodigal son.
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The story was that there were
two sons, and one of them came
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to his father and said, Father,
I want my share of the property.
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So the father, being a
very understanding father,
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allowed him to have
half of the property.
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A few days later
he picked up and left.
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The Bible says he
went to a far country.
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Now we don't know where that
far country was, but who knows,
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it could have been
right here in Jerash.
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In which case, this is
where he spent all his money.
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This is where he went to all the
entertainments, the brothels,
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and pretty soon got
rid of all his money.
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But, of course, the time came
when his money was all gone,
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and with the money
gone, so were the friends.
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That's when he was obliged to go
and get a job, and he finished
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up just feeding pigs.
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For a Jew; feeding pigs!
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What a job!
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Finally he said to himself, Well
listen, this is a fools game.
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My fathers hired
servants are better off than I.
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I'll go to my father and say
to him, Father, I have sinned
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against heaven, and against you.
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I'm no more worthy
to be called your son.
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Just make me one of
your hired servants.
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Having made the decision,
he packed up and went home.
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Well, his father
saw him coming afar off.
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Father was
looking for him, you know.
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That tells you
something about God.
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When he saw his son
coming he was just so thrilled.
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He ran forward, fell on
his neck, and kissed him,
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embraced him, and called
for the servants to bring forth
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a good robe and put it on him.
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The boy muttered out his words,
you know, Father I've sinned
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against heaven and against you.
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I'm no longer worthy
to be called your son.
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But the father didn't want that.
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He said, You are my son.
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The son who was
lost has returned.
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So he clothed him with a
beautiful garment and restored
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him fully to the
position of a son.
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That tells you
something about God, doesn't it?
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To me God is very real.
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I think He can be real to
anyone because God is real.
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What does the Bible
teach about the nature of God?
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It says in Matthew 28:19,
Go therefore and make disciples
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of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father,
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and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit...
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Now that mentions three persons:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
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sometimes
referred to as the Trinity.
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Some people say, Oh,
this is where I get lost.
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You know, the Trinity,
you just can't fathom it.
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I don't see any problem.
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What does it
mean by three in one?
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Well, Jesus made it plain
in John 17:11 when He said,
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I come to you, Holy Father,
keep through your name those
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whom you have given me,
that they may be one, as we are.
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Now, you and I are two
separate persons, aren't we?
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And yet we can be one;
perfectly united in thought,
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in motivation, and in character.
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And that's the
way it is with God.
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There are three distinct
persons, but these three persons
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are so perfectly
united that they are one.
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Not like the Hindu gods, or
the Greek gods; always fighting
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against each other, at
cross purposes with each other.
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No, the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit are perfectly united.
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Now, does that mean then
that God is not a Spirit,
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or He is a Spirit?
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Jesus said, God is a Spirit.
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Yeah, sure!
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But you see there is the person
of the Father, there is the Son,
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a separate person.
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It says when Jesus ascended
up to heaven He sat on the right
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hand of the Father.
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But there is also the
Holy Spirit, who is present
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everywhere in the Universe.
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Now God has a
real dwelling place.
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I'm not talking about the
Spirit, which is everywhere,
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but the person of God Himself.
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You know, when Solomon was
praying in 1 Kings 8:30 he says,
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May you hear the supplication of
your servant, and of your people
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Israel, when they pray toward
this place: then hear in heaven
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your dwelling place:
and when you hear, forgive.
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So God has a
real dwelling place.
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I think it's just as solid and
real as the ground on which I am
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standing at the present time.
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So God is a real person,
and heaven is a real place,
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but by His Spirit He
can be present everywhere.
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Now God is likened to a father,
not because God is male or
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female, but simply
because that is His nature.
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Jesus taught us to pray, Our
Father, which art in heaven...
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So much for the Father.
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What about the Son?
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I want to tell you
something you might not know.
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That is revealed in John 1:1-3.
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In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God,
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and the Word was God.
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He was in the
beginning with God.
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All things were made through
him; and without him nothing
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was made that was made.
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Now it's talking about Jesus
because over here in verse 14
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it says, And the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us,...
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Don't get the idea that when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem that
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was the
beginning of His existence.
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Oh, no!
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Jesus existed from all eternity.
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He was one of the
three persons of the Godhead.
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From all eternity He
was one with the Father.
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It was through Him, Christ,
that the world was created.
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It is through Him that
the world is upheld today.
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And so He, God, became
flesh and dwelt among us,
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and He lived a man.
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What an amazing condensation
for the Creator to come down to
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this world and be born as
a little baby in Bethlehem,
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and live a life on
this world for thirty years,
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and then enter
upon His ministry.
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After 31/2 years
He was crucified.
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He suffered a
cruel death on the cross.
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Why?
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To take our place as sinners.
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You see we've all done wrong.
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We've all gone astray.
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We all deserve to be punished,
but we don't need to have any
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sense of burden of guilt.
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You know there's some people
that have got some very heavy
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burdens in this world.
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We saw this man, for instance,
in Jerusalem staggering along
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carrying a
refrigerator on his back.
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There are some people who
are carrying a heavier burden
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than that; the burden of
guilt, the burden of shame,
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a sense of wrong, and they
feel that they are unworthy.
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Well, Jesus says in Matthew 11:
28, Come unto me all you that
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labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
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You see, He says
to us, I've paid it.
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I've paid the
penalty for your sins.
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So He throws His garment
of righteousness about us,
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just like the Father did to the
prodigal, and we stand before
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God in those beautiful garments
of Christ's righteousness
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just as if we'd never sinned.
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That's why the Bible tells us
to come boldly before the throne
00:13:18.90\00:13:23.87
of grace in prayer, because
we can come clothed in Christ's
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righteousness, and stand
before Him fully accepted
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as His children.
00:13:31.49\00:13:33.43
Well, something happened in
Jerusalem that illustrates this
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point that God does
something for us that we don't
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really deserve.
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One early morning Jesus came
to the temple and began to teach
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the people, and they
crowded in to hear His wonderful
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words of life.
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But right in the middle of His
teaching the Pharisees arrived,
00:13:57.52\00:14:01.99
dragging a reluctant
woman, and standing her right
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in front of Him.
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They piously said,
Master, we found this woman
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committing adultery;
caught her in the very act.
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Now Moses in his law said
that such should be stoned,
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but what do you say?
00:14:17.28\00:14:18.92
Now, you see, these fellows knew
how ask some hard questions.
00:14:18.95\00:14:22.52
It was a loaded
question, you see.
00:14:22.55\00:14:24.30
They thought they
had Jesus trapped.
00:14:24.33\00:14:25.90
If Jesus had said, Well,
okay, take her out and stone her
00:14:25.93\00:14:29.95
as Moses said, they would have
immediately gone running off
00:14:29.98\00:14:32.54
to the Romans saying,
He's usurping Roman authority.
00:14:32.57\00:14:35.96
On the other hand, if Jesus
had said, No, don't stone her,
00:14:35.99\00:14:40.89
they would have turned
to the people and said,
00:14:40.92\00:14:43.13
There you are; you see?
00:14:43.17\00:14:44.25
He does not
uphold the law of Moses.
00:14:44.28\00:14:47.24
So they thought
they had Jesus cornered.
00:14:47.27\00:14:50.30
Well, what did
Jesus do about it?
00:14:50.33\00:14:52.20
He didn't say a thing!
00:14:52.23\00:14:53.64
He just knelt down and He
began to write in the dust
00:14:53.67\00:14:59.66
on the temple floor.
00:14:59.69\00:15:01.20
And then He looked up and He
said to them, He that is without
00:15:06.53\00:15:12.47
sin, let him
cast the first stone.
00:15:12.50\00:15:15.66
I can just imagine the woman
when Jesus said that, hearing
00:15:15.69\00:15:20.91
for herself a death sentence,
and covering her face in anguish
00:15:20.94\00:15:24.53
and fear, dreading
the first stone striking.
00:15:24.56\00:15:29.29
But Jesus knelt down
again and He continued to write,
00:15:30.34\00:15:36.45
and one by one those pious
hypocrites came and looked over
00:15:40.10\00:15:44.01
His shoulder.
00:15:44.04\00:15:45.01
They saw Him writing there
sins which they had committed,
00:15:46.07\00:15:50.02
that they thought
nobody else knew about.
00:15:50.05\00:15:52.13
One by one they
decided it was time to leave.
00:15:52.16\00:15:55.43
So at last Jesus stood up and
He said to the cowering woman,
00:15:55.46\00:16:02.18
Woman, where are your accusers?
00:16:02.21\00:16:06.17
Has no man condemned you?
00:16:06.20\00:16:08.81
And it was then, probably for
the first time, that the woman
00:16:08.84\00:16:13.36
looked around and
there was nobody there.
00:16:13.39\00:16:17.09
She said, No man
condemns me, Lord.
00:16:17.12\00:16:21.25
Jesus said,
Neither do I condemn you.
00:16:21.28\00:16:26.12
Go and sin no more.
00:16:26.15\00:16:29.55
I think that's probably
where this poor repentant woman
00:16:29.58\00:16:34.18
flung herself at Jesus' feet
and sobbed out her repentance,
00:16:34.21\00:16:38.01
and the forgiveness
Jesus was offering her.
00:16:38.04\00:16:43.32
Have you done something wrong?
00:16:43.35\00:16:45.79
Have you done
something you're sorry for?
00:16:47.02\00:16:48.77
Why don't you just come and
fling yourself at Jesus' feet
00:16:50.91\00:16:53.52
and say, Lord I'm sorry?
00:16:53.55\00:16:55.01
You'll hear the very same
words: Neither do I condemn you.
00:16:55.98\00:17:00.48
Go and sin no more.
00:17:00.51\00:17:02.86
That's the sort of God He is.
00:17:02.89\00:17:05.34
We travel right around the world
in our next program to answer
00:17:06.09\00:17:09.26
the question, Where
did the world come from?
00:17:09.29\00:17:11.37
Did it all take
millions of years?
00:17:11.40\00:17:13.79
Are we related to monkeys?
00:17:13.82\00:17:15.34
How did it all happen?
00:17:15.37\00:17:16.82
David will be talking to some
scientists in our next program
00:17:16.85\00:17:20.02
to get some
answers to these questions.
00:17:20.05\00:17:22.22