It's been 2000 years since
the glorious light of the cross
00:00:09.88\00:00:12.79
illuminated the world veiled
in darkness and confusion about
00:00:12.82\00:00:16.01
the character of God. And
still today the greatest need of
00:00:16.04\00:00:19.37
mankind is a revelation of God's
love as revealed in the life
00:00:19.41\00:00:22.71
of Christ. Amazing facts
presents the everlasting gospel
00:00:22.74\00:00:26.52
with Pastor Doug Batchelor
coming to you each week from
00:00:26.56\00:00:30.01
Sacramento Central Church
in sunny California. Discover
00:00:30.04\00:00:33.46
hidden treasures
in God's word today.
00:00:33.49\00:00:38.92
Well happy Sabbath. It's a
pleasure to see you and our
00:00:38.96\00:00:45.09
family as well as our visitors
We're very thankful that you're
00:00:45.13\00:00:48.74
here. I'd like to invite you to
turn in your Bibles to the book
00:00:48.77\00:00:52.35
of Exodus. It was interesting
that Carol in her offering
00:00:52.38\00:00:56.68
thoughts was talking about
Exodus chapter 35. Well I'm
00:00:56.71\00:01:00.94
going to invite you to go to
Exodus chapter 33. Now this is
00:01:00.98\00:01:06.48
after the 10 commandments have
been delivered orally and if you
00:01:06.51\00:01:11.98
go to verse 12 Moses is
conversing with the Almighty
00:01:12.01\00:01:19.67
And Moses said to the Lord, see
you say to me bring this people
00:01:19.71\00:01:25.82
but you have not let me
know whom you will send with me.
00:01:25.85\00:01:30.04
Yet you have said, I know you
by name and you have also found
00:01:30.08\00:01:35.41
grace in my sight. Now therefore
I pray if I have found grace in
00:01:35.45\00:01:41.26
your site, show me now your way
that I might know you, that I
00:01:41.29\00:01:46.12
might find grace in your sight
and consider that this nation is
00:01:46.16\00:01:51.15
your people. And God said, my
presence will go with you and I
00:01:51.19\00:01:57.05
will give you rest. Then I
want you to go down to verse 18.
00:01:57.09\00:02:03.58
And Moses said, Please show
me your glory. He said I want to
00:02:03.62\00:02:09.22
know you. I want to know your
way. Moses is yearning after God
00:02:09.25\00:02:14.04
and his prayer is show me your
glory. Well our message this
00:02:14.07\00:02:18.76
morning is dealing with
the subject of the character of
00:02:18.79\00:02:23.41
Christ, the character of Christ.
I do not think that there is any
00:02:23.45\00:02:28.63
theme that is more worthy of our
attention. After all what kind
00:02:28.67\00:02:33.27
of church is this? A Christian
church. What is a Christian?
00:02:33.30\00:02:37.92
A follower of Christ? What would
be the very best theme upon
00:02:37.95\00:02:42.79
which we could talk and dwell?
Christ. More specifically, the
00:02:42.82\00:02:48.14
character of Christ. So we are
in a very real sense entering
00:02:48.18\00:02:53.37
into sacred ground with our
study this morning. Do you have
00:02:53.40\00:02:58.34
the yearning that Moses had?
I mean here Moses is talking to
00:02:58.38\00:03:02.10
God. He's seen the burning bush,
he's seen the miracles of God
00:03:02.13\00:03:06.12
and after all of the wind and
the fire, the manna from heaven,
00:03:06.15\00:03:11.40
what is Moses' prayer? I want
more of you. He's not saying
00:03:11.43\00:03:16.03
Lord I want riches or Lord
I want the vindication on my
00:03:16.06\00:03:20.59
enemies. He's saying Lord I want
you. I want to know you, I want
00:03:20.63\00:03:25.14
to know your way. Show me
your glory. He's not asking for
00:03:25.17\00:03:29.18
fireworks. He's asking to know
the Lord. I'll prove this as we
00:03:29.22\00:03:33.83
proceed here. Show me your glory
and here's what God said, verse
00:03:33.86\00:03:38.44
19; I'm still in Exodus 33.
I will make all of my goodness
00:03:38.47\00:03:43.86
pass before you. So what is the
glory of God? The goodness of
00:03:43.90\00:03:49.12
God. And I will proclaim
the name of the Lord before you.
00:03:49.16\00:03:53.37
You remember one time Moses
said to the Lord when he was
00:03:53.41\00:03:57.13
first commissioned to go to
Egypt. He said, whom shall I say
00:03:57.17\00:04:01.37
sent me to the Pharaoh, to the
children of Israel. You're the
00:04:01.40\00:04:05.79
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
You know there's lots of Gods in
00:04:05.83\00:04:10.34
Egypt. Whom shall I say? And the
Lord told Moses that he's the
00:04:10.38\00:04:14.41
self-existent, eternal one. I Am
that I Am. And he also gave him
00:04:14.45\00:04:18.45
more specifically the name
Jehovah. So he's revealed his
00:04:18.48\00:04:23.51
eternal nature, he's revealed
his name and Moses is saying,
00:04:23.54\00:04:27.78
no Lord, I want to see your
glory. I want to really get a
00:04:27.81\00:04:32.42
picture of who you are. He said
I'll proclaim the name of the
00:04:32.45\00:04:37.03
Lord before you. I will
be gracious to whom I'll be
00:04:37.06\00:04:39.25
gracious and I'll have
compassion on whom I will have
00:04:39.28\00:04:41.40
compassion. But he said, God is
speaking, You cannot see my face
00:04:41.44\00:04:47.96
for no man shall see me and
live. Now that's a heavy thought
00:04:48.00\00:04:53.86
I want to take you on a little
detour if that's okay and talk
00:04:53.90\00:04:59.73
about seeing God. I collected
some verses this morning.
00:04:59.76\00:05:05.35
We are separated from God
because of sin. I mean, you
00:05:05.39\00:05:10.91
would think why would God want
to make creatures that couldn't
00:05:10.95\00:05:13.49
see him? That was not his
original plan. Man used to
00:05:13.52\00:05:16.95
converse with God face to
face in the garden but in the
00:05:16.98\00:05:20.34
beginning after sin man ran from
God and God said where are you?
00:05:20.38\00:05:25.42
The purpose of the plan of
salvation is to restore us to
00:05:25.45\00:05:29.26
fellowship with God. Sin has
separated us. Your iniquities
00:05:29.29\00:05:33.48
have separated you from your
God. But it's a little confusing
00:05:33.51\00:05:37.67
sometimes. You read the
statements about can we see God
00:05:37.70\00:05:40.79
or can't we see God. Jacob
wrestled with an Angel and he
00:05:40.82\00:05:43.84
says, For I have seen God face
to face and yet I am preserved.
00:05:43.88\00:05:47.76
Well evidently God did not
reveal himself in his full glory
00:05:47.79\00:05:51.20
because when Jacob first starts
wrestling with the angel he
00:05:51.23\00:05:54.57
doesn't even know who it is. If
it was God in his unveiled glory
00:05:54.61\00:05:58.37
he would have know right away.
Isn't that right? But he found
00:05:58.41\00:06:03.55
out God had veiled himself.
Christ had come in one of his
00:06:03.59\00:06:08.34
manifestations before his
incarnation. In Deuteronomy 5
00:06:08.38\00:06:13.06
verse 4, God said to Moses, I
talk to you face to face out of
00:06:13.10\00:06:17.22
the midst of the fire. So when
the Bible says Moses previously
00:06:17.25\00:06:21.45
spoke to the Lord face to face,
yes, but it was out of the fire.
00:06:21.48\00:06:25.47
God's glory was veiled somehow
by this light and the smoke and
00:06:25.50\00:06:29.26
the fire on the mountain he
spoke to him. And then we just
00:06:29.30\00:06:33.27
read where he said, No man will
see my face and live. Judges
00:06:33.30\00:06:36.65
chapter 6, when Gideon perceived
this was the Angel of the Lord
00:06:36.69\00:06:40.32
he said, Ah, ah, alas, I'm going
to die for I have seen an angel
00:06:40.35\00:06:44.12
of the Lord face to face. Some
believe this was Christ because
00:06:44.16\00:06:48.14
he believed that he had seen
the divinity of God and the Lord
00:06:48.18\00:06:51.86
said, Peace, you will not die.
They believed that if they saw
00:06:51.90\00:06:56.70
God in his glory it would just
destroy them. John chapter 6
00:06:56.73\00:07:00.64
verse 46, the Lord helps us
understand this because he said,
00:07:00.68\00:07:05.61
not that any man has seen the
Father. So when he tells us no
00:07:05.64\00:07:10.45
man can see God in his glory and
live well God the Father in his
00:07:10.48\00:07:14.77
unveiled glory, the presence
of the Lord is a consuming fire.
00:07:14.81\00:07:19.15
Who can endure that? When Daniel
saw the Lord he fell down as
00:07:19.18\00:07:23.49
though he was dead. When
Haggai saw the Lord he said
00:07:23.52\00:07:26.80
he trembled with fear. When
Ezekiel saw the Lord he thought
00:07:26.84\00:07:31.70
he was going to die. You can see
many examples of this among the
00:07:31.74\00:07:35.46
prophets. Matthew 17 verse 6,
when the disciples were on the
00:07:35.50\00:07:38.88
mountain and they saw Jesus
glorified they were overcome
00:07:38.92\00:07:42.82
with fear. Sore, exceedingly
afraid, when they saw Christ in
00:07:42.85\00:07:48.16
his glory. I Timothy 6 verses
15 and 16: Which in his times
00:07:48.20\00:07:53.44
he shall show who is the blessed
and only potentate, the King of
00:07:53.48\00:07:57.06
kings and Lord of lords who
only has immortality dwelling
00:07:57.09\00:08:01.73
in, listen to this, God dwelling
in light that no man can
00:08:01.77\00:08:06.34
approach unto whom no man has
seen nor can see. No man, in his
00:08:06.38\00:08:12.33
mortal condition, has seen or
can see God in his glory. It's
00:08:12.37\00:08:17.86
too much. Even Moses, as good
and godly as he was, the meekest
00:08:17.90\00:08:22.89
man in all the earth, he, God
said, could not see his undimmed
00:08:22.92\00:08:27.73
glory, his heavenly glory that
the angels veil their faces to.
00:08:27.77\00:08:32.55
Even the angels cover
their faces, holy angels, in the
00:08:32.58\00:08:35.70
presence of God. Now some of the
reason I'm sharing this with you
00:08:35.73\00:08:39.18
is I just wanted to raise your
concept of the glory of God a
00:08:39.21\00:08:43.44
notch or two. When we come into
church here, you know sometimes
00:08:43.48\00:08:46.91
the pastors and elders here,
we're constantly harping about
00:08:46.95\00:08:51.35
reverence. We're doing this
because God tells us that his
00:08:51.38\00:08:55.72
holiness is something that we
cannot even endure. If he should
00:08:55.75\00:08:59.93
suddenly manifest himself to us
the way that he did to Moses, I
00:08:59.96\00:09:04.10
dare say that many of us
wouldn't survive the experience.
00:09:04.14\00:09:06.66
I'm not done yet. I John 4:12:
No man has seen God at any time.
00:09:06.70\00:09:13.10
Revelation 1:17, John gets this
vision of God in his glory. And
00:09:13.14\00:09:19.03
when I saw him I fell at his
feet as dead. This is that holy
00:09:19.06\00:09:24.15
St. John. But he laid his right
hand on me saying, Do not be
00:09:24.18\00:09:28.07
afraid. I am the first and the
last. It says he laid his hand
00:09:28.11\00:09:31.97
on Daniel and he almost fell
down. When an angel of the Lord
00:09:32.00\00:09:35.54
appeared to resurrect Christ or
roll away the stone, the guards
00:09:35.58\00:09:39.50
fell down as dead from the glory
of an angel. So right now if God
00:09:39.53\00:09:43.42
should enter this place and
if he should peel back the veil
00:09:43.45\00:09:47.90
that separates the physical from
the spiritual and let his glory
00:09:47.94\00:09:51.99
shine forth undimmed.
The presence of the Lord is a
00:09:52.03\00:09:55.73
consuming fire. What is it that
destroys the wicked. The wicked
00:09:55.76\00:09:58.99
are destroyed by the brightness
of his coming, his very presence
00:09:59.03\00:10:02.22
God is awesome and glorious.
I Corinthians, here's the good
00:10:02.26\00:10:08.37
news. Right now in our
mortal condition, in our sinful
00:10:08.41\00:10:11.74
condition we can't behold
him. Now we see through a glass
00:10:11.77\00:10:15.04
darkly but then in our glorified
condition we may veil our faces,
00:10:15.07\00:10:20.86
but we will see him face
to face. And if you have any
00:10:20.89\00:10:24.55
doubts, last chapter in the
Bible, Revelation 22 verse 4:
00:10:24.59\00:10:28.75
And they shall see his face
and his name shall be in their
00:10:28.78\00:10:31.92
foreheads. I want to see
him face to face, don't you?
00:10:31.96\00:10:34.86
So just to give you the
background for why God is saying
00:10:34.89\00:10:37.73
to Moses in his mortal condition
no man, no human, your mortal
00:10:37.76\00:10:41.43
flesh cannot endure it. But I
want to show you as much as you
00:10:41.46\00:10:44.64
can handle because I love you
and we've got this relationship.
00:10:44.67\00:10:48.27
He said, You shall not see my
face for no man shall see me and
00:10:48.31\00:10:52.54
live. That's verse 20. And God
says in verse 21, I'm back in
00:10:52.58\00:10:58.41
Exodus 33. He said, here's a
place by me and you shall stand
00:10:58.45\00:11:04.91
on the rock and so it shall
be that while my glory passes by
00:11:04.95\00:11:10.29
that I will put you in the cleft
of the rock and cover you with
00:11:10.33\00:11:15.72
my hand while I pass by. And
I will take my hand and you will
00:11:15.75\00:11:20.65
see my back, but my face shall
not be seen. Whoo. Just gives
00:11:20.68\00:11:24.83
you chills to think about the
glory of God and here is Moses
00:11:24.86\00:11:28.38
saying I want to see your glory
and God is saying, the only way
00:11:28.41\00:11:31.89
you can do it is if you're in
the rock. You know you've sung
00:11:31.93\00:11:34.88
that song, He Hideth My Soul
In the Cleft of the Rock. That's
00:11:34.91\00:11:37.83
based on this passage of
scripture. So there's another
00:11:37.86\00:11:41.27
exchange between the Lord and
Moses and finally in verse 5 the
00:11:41.31\00:11:45.49
moment comes. He's going to
receive the 10 commandments but
00:11:45.53\00:11:49.93
what Moses wants is to see
his glory. I'm in chapter 34 of
00:11:49.96\00:11:55.28
Exodus verse 5, Then the Lord
descended in the cloud and stood
00:11:55.32\00:12:00.34
with him there. Moses is in this
cleft of the rock and God places
00:12:00.37\00:12:05.36
his hand over Moses and he
passes by as he descends and he
00:12:05.39\00:12:09.39
removes his hand. And the Lord
passed before him and proclaimed
00:12:09.43\00:12:15.00
verse 6, The Lord, the Lord
God, merciful and gracious, long
00:12:15.04\00:12:20.58
suffering and abounding in
goodness and truth, keeping
00:12:20.61\00:12:24.56
mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and
00:12:24.60\00:12:28.91
sin, by no means clearing the
guilty, visiting the iniquity
00:12:28.94\00:12:32.59
of the fathers upon the children
and the children's children to
00:12:32.63\00:12:36.55
the third and fourth generation.
So Moses made haste and he
00:12:36.59\00:12:40.98
bowed his head toward the earth
and he worshipped. Now after
00:12:41.01\00:12:44.89
Moses saw just even this glimpse
of God's glory, he couldn't see
00:12:44.93\00:12:48.78
his face, he was overwhelmed
with the desire to worship.
00:12:48.81\00:12:52.08
What was it that compelled him
to just worship overflowing with
00:12:52.12\00:12:57.64
adoration? He saw a bright light
A lot of religions talk about a
00:12:57.67\00:13:02.03
bright light and you can go
to Vegas and stand on top of the
00:13:02.06\00:13:07.74
Luxor Hotel and see a bright
light. There's a lot of things
00:13:07.77\00:13:13.38
you can do just to get a bright
light. You can ask the police to
00:13:13.42\00:13:16.55
shine their search lights in
your face. That won't inspire
00:13:16.58\00:13:19.77
you to worship. What was it that
evoked this desire to worship?
00:13:19.81\00:13:25.47
He saw the character of God. Now
I want you to think about that
00:13:25.50\00:13:29.80
because the character of Christ,
that's our message today and
00:13:29.84\00:13:32.99
we're going to look at some of
the specifics. First I want to
00:13:33.02\00:13:37.22
begin with a definition. What is
character? It is the combination
00:13:37.26\00:13:41.89
of qualities or features that
distinguishes one person, group
00:13:41.93\00:13:46.53
or thing from another. A
distinguishing feature or
00:13:46.56\00:13:50.31
attribute of an individual. Now
you may not know it. You've been
00:13:50.35\00:13:54.82
wondering what a character
is, you're probably sitting
00:13:54.85\00:13:56.47
surrounded by them right now.
We're all characters. Sometimes
00:13:56.51\00:14:00.76
a person says that in a
derogatory say, Boy he's a
00:14:00.79\00:14:03.49
character. But what that means
is we all have our distinct
00:14:03.53\00:14:07.54
characteristics and you all have
your unique character. Someone
00:14:07.58\00:14:13.02
said one time reputation is what
others think about you and what
00:14:13.06\00:14:17.21
you might want others to think
about you but character is who
00:14:17.25\00:14:21.37
you are regardless of what
people think. Sometimes the
00:14:21.40\00:14:24.62
public opinion will turn
against a person who has a great
00:14:24.66\00:14:30.02
character. It did against Jesus.
His reputation changed among
00:14:30.05\00:14:35.38
the politicians but his
character did not change.
00:14:35.41\00:14:38.30
What topic would be more
important for us to talk about
00:14:38.34\00:14:42.57
than the character of Christ.
Nothing. This is the best thing
00:14:42.61\00:14:46.76
we could do in church. II
Corinthians 3:18. Why are we
00:14:46.79\00:14:50.51
talking about the
character of Christ? Notice.
00:14:50.54\00:14:54.54
II Corinthians 3:18: But we all
with unveiled face, God had to
00:14:54.58\00:14:59.16
hide or veil his face,
beholding as in a mirror the
00:14:59.19\00:15:02.54
glory of the Lord. Is it
the bright light or is it the
00:15:02.57\00:15:05.85
character? What is the glory of
God? It's his personality, it's
00:15:05.89\00:15:09.52
who he is. He's not just a
bright light. By beholding the
00:15:09.55\00:15:13.76
glory of the Lord are being
transformed into the same image
00:15:13.80\00:15:18.26
from glory to glory. As you and
I behold the character of God,
00:15:18.29\00:15:22.72
these attributes of God
our souls are something like a
00:15:22.75\00:15:26.12
photographic plate. When you
pull aside the shutter for an
00:15:26.16\00:15:29.14
instant and close it again, even
digital cameras use the same
00:15:29.17\00:15:32.12
principle, it's got a
shutter that opens and closes.
00:15:32.15\00:15:35.92
It captures an image. You
and I beholding Christ, his
00:15:35.96\00:15:40.16
characteristics, his character
is impressed on our souls.
00:15:40.19\00:15:45.10
You know this happens with
children. Children often assume
00:15:45.14\00:15:49.08
the characteristics of their
parents. They say that with a
00:15:49.12\00:15:52.73
number of animals, especially
with birds, they've got this
00:15:52.77\00:15:56.31
time, they call it imprinting.
It's very common among ducks and
00:15:56.35\00:16:00.37
and swans and some of these
birds, that when they first come
00:16:00.41\00:16:05.16
out of the shell whatever
they see, they start peeping and
00:16:05.20\00:16:10.49
chirping, they will bond and
it imprints on them and they say
00:16:10.53\00:16:15.63
mama. And it's really funny
because sometimes... Karen and
00:16:15.67\00:16:20.65
I were watching this nature
video and they're trying to
00:16:20.69\00:16:25.60
retrain these whooping cranes
that are a threatened species to
00:16:25.64\00:16:31.05
multiply and get into
their regular form of migration.
00:16:31.08\00:16:35.05
And it's quite a challenge
because the scientists that are
00:16:35.09\00:16:38.56
trying to train them they
know about this bonding and they
00:16:38.59\00:16:41.24
showed this one lady that
happened to be there when this
00:16:41.28\00:16:44.15
whooping crane hatched and the
thing just follows her around
00:16:44.19\00:16:47.28
all the time like a dog in
the house. They said this one is
00:16:47.31\00:16:50.10
hopeless now. We can never train
this one to be a wild whooping
00:16:50.13\00:16:52.89
crane because it bonded and
it was imprinted with a human.
00:16:52.92\00:16:55.81
And it goes to the beach with
her, everywhere she goes it's
00:16:55.85\00:16:58.66
following her around her house,
sleeps in a bed next to her at
00:16:58.69\00:17:01.57
night. It would drive me crazy
because this thing is like a
00:17:01.61\00:17:05.27
little ostrich. So what the
biologists have to do for these
00:17:05.30\00:17:09.72
whooping cranes, they dress up
like cranes. They dress in white
00:17:09.76\00:17:14.15
and they get this puppet on
their arm and when the chick
00:17:14.18\00:17:16.65
first hatches all they see is
this puppet that's got a crane's
00:17:16.69\00:17:19.06
head on it and they got a
microphone that's playing crane
00:17:19.09\00:17:22.86
music through this thing.
So they think it's a real crane
00:17:22.89\00:17:26.24
and they can associate and
they're not malformed thinking
00:17:26.27\00:17:29.79
that they're humans. Every time
these scientists do anything
00:17:29.83\00:17:33.28
with these cranes they've got to
dress up in their whooping crane
00:17:33.32\00:17:36.80
suit. It's kind of funny. And
they feed them with this little
00:17:36.84\00:17:40.29
whooping crane puppet because
they don't want them to be
00:17:40.32\00:17:42.84
psychologically disturbed
and need therapy and everything
00:17:42.88\00:17:45.33
because they imprint. Well when
you're born again we need to fix
00:17:45.37\00:17:51.13
our eyes on Jesus. That's why
it's so important for those of
00:17:51.16\00:17:55.56
us who have been in the church
that are Christians that we
00:17:55.60\00:17:59.93
model Christ for others because
when people first come into the
00:17:59.97\00:18:03.11
church they're going, So what
is a Christian anyway? They're
00:18:03.15\00:18:05.91
just hatched, they're a baby
Christian. They're looking at
00:18:05.95\00:18:08.64
you and you're going to imprint
them. A lot of these folks come
00:18:08.68\00:18:12.84
into the church, they're
wondering what's appropriate
00:18:12.87\00:18:14.54
behavior, what's appropriate
conduct and that's why it's so
00:18:14.58\00:18:18.87
important we're Christ-like
in our behavior because if the
00:18:18.91\00:18:22.34
existing Christians are not
modeling Christ very well, then
00:18:22.37\00:18:26.00
the new Christians, they don't
stand a chance do they? And that
00:18:26.04\00:18:29.64
is why often in some churches
where we're not constantly
00:18:29.67\00:18:32.48
lifting the standard, the
pattern of Christ-like living
00:18:32.51\00:18:36.31
continues to plummet. So
as we behold Christ, we are
00:18:36.34\00:18:40.07
transformed from glory to glory.
Now when Moses began to behold
00:18:40.11\00:18:45.69
the glory of God, what words
came out of his mouth? First of
00:18:45.72\00:18:49.63
all he talked about the Lord and
the word he used twice there is
00:18:49.67\00:18:53.55
Jehovah, Jehovah, God and then
he said God and the word God
00:18:53.58\00:18:57.42
there is Elo, Elohim and it
means powerful God. And then he
00:18:57.46\00:19:01.84
begins to give specifics;
merciful, which is synonymous
00:19:01.87\00:19:06.06
with forgiving. Well this
is a characteristic of God that
00:19:06.09\00:19:10.74
should be replicated in his
children. God is merciful. What
00:19:10.78\00:19:15.40
does Jesus say in his
constitution? In the sermon on
00:19:15.43\00:19:18.76
the mount, Matthew 5 verse
7, blessed are the merciful for
00:19:18.80\00:19:24.22
they will obtain mercy. There
in Micah chapter 6 verse 8 what
00:19:24.25\00:19:29.43
does he require of you oh man
but to love mercy and to walk
00:19:29.47\00:19:35.12
humbly with your God. God wants
us to love mercy. Luke 23 verse
00:19:35.16\00:19:39.52
Father forgive them, Jesus
said, they don't know what they
00:19:39.56\00:19:43.89
do. Even when Christ was
dying he showed mercy on his
00:19:43.92\00:19:47.73
persecutors. I heard about a
missionary, George Atley, who
00:19:47.77\00:19:52.20
was hired by the Central
African Mission and he carried a
00:19:52.24\00:19:56.04
Winchester repeating carbine
with 10 shells in it. It was
00:19:56.07\00:19:59.61
quite a lethal weapon in
it's day and he was out in the
00:19:59.64\00:20:03.11
brush and in Africa he needed
that for the wild animals, but
00:20:03.15\00:20:05.93
he was a missionary. They'd
established a new mission.
00:20:05.96\00:20:09.75
He ran into a small group
of hostile natives and he sized
00:20:09.79\00:20:13.53
things up and they had their
spears and they were threatening
00:20:13.56\00:20:16.40
him. He knew he could have
dispatched them quickly with his
00:20:16.44\00:20:19.70
rifle. But he set his rifle down
and he calculated, you now I've
00:20:19.73\00:20:22.96
got to show mercy on
them because our whole mission
00:20:22.99\00:20:25.45
project will be in jeopardy
if I use violence against them.
00:20:25.49\00:20:29.28
He laid his rifle down and he
allowed them to kill him rather
00:20:29.31\00:20:32.95
than defend himself. When they
found him, his rifle was at his
00:20:32.98\00:20:36.14
side. He hadn't fired a single
shot. He showed them mercy.
00:20:36.17\00:20:40.02
He was willing to sacrifice
himself in order that he might
00:20:40.05\00:20:43.80
save them. This is what Jesus
did. He laid down his life to
00:20:43.84\00:20:47.56
save others. Ephesians
4:32. Be kind to one another,
00:20:47.59\00:20:52.57
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another just as God in Christ
00:20:52.61\00:20:56.86
forgave you. We are to model the
glory of God and the character
00:20:56.90\00:21:00.16
of Christ and one of those
attributes is he's merciful.
00:21:00.19\00:21:03.62
He's forgiving. Psalm 52 verse 8
I trust in the mercy of God for
00:21:03.66\00:21:10.45
ever and ever. He is
longsuffering in his mercy for
00:21:10.48\00:21:14.29
us which brings me to the next
point. Patience. This is one of
00:21:14.33\00:21:18.63
the things that was identified
in the character of God.
00:21:18.66\00:21:21.95
Patience and longsuffering
are characteristics of Christ.
00:21:21.99\00:21:25.63
Galatians 5:22. And by the
way if you'd like to better
00:21:25.66\00:21:29.23
understand the personality
of Jesus. Would you like to know
00:21:29.27\00:21:34.18
Jesus better? How do you fall
in love with anybody. Do they
00:21:34.22\00:21:40.39
send you a name? Some people
begin to date on the internet.
00:21:40.43\00:21:46.53
Now I'm not criticizing that. I
think it might be a nice vehicle
00:21:46.57\00:21:52.51
There's danger there because if
all of your exposure is based on
00:21:52.55\00:21:57.58
the internet, it's possible that
somebody could portray themself
00:21:57.62\00:22:02.99
as tall, dark and handsome. They
could e-mail you a counterfeit
00:22:03.03\00:22:08.37
picture and you may not really
know who they are. You know
00:22:08.40\00:22:11.77
you can get to know a person
through letters. I know two
00:22:11.81\00:22:14.49
people, very happily married,
they didn't do it through the
00:22:14.52\00:22:17.25
internet but one was doing
mission work and the other was
00:22:17.29\00:22:19.63
in North America and they
corresponded by letter and they
00:22:19.67\00:22:21.94
fell in love with each other
based on the letters and they're
00:22:21.98\00:22:24.74
still happily married many years
later. They got to know each
00:22:24.77\00:22:27.77
other based on the communication
That's one aspect. You can sort
00:22:27.80\00:22:30.90
of get to know a person through
their communication. But there's
00:22:30.93\00:22:34.07
more to it than that. You want
to be able to behold them and
00:22:34.11\00:22:37.10
really know who they are. I
think I can find this for you
00:22:37.14\00:22:40.06
real quick. I saw something just
this morning as I was touching
00:22:40.10\00:22:43.41
up my sermon. Sabbath morning
that's 90% of my sermon I touch
00:22:43.45\00:22:46.73
up. This is from
Good Housekeeping 1985.
00:22:46.76\00:22:50.28
Ladies listen carefully.
Six ways to learn everything you
00:22:50.32\00:22:54.21
need to know about a man before
you decide to marry him. I don't
00:22:54.25\00:22:57.97
see anyone reaching for their
pen. This is good. Watch him
00:22:58.00\00:23:03.79
drive in heavy traffic. Play
tennis with him. I guess you
00:23:03.83\00:23:08.35
have to learn tennis, but I
think the point is see how he
00:23:08.39\00:23:12.84
behaves competitively. Some men
act like total gentlemen but as
00:23:12.88\00:23:18.12
soon as they're watching a
football game or they start
00:23:18.15\00:23:20.72
behaving competitively,
it's like they become possessed.
00:23:20.76\00:23:25.61
Listen to him talk to his mother
when he doesn't know you're
00:23:25.64\00:23:30.38
listening. He's going to talk
to you that way some day. By the
00:23:30.41\00:23:34.42
way, Spirit of Prophecy says
the same thing. Look at how he
00:23:34.46\00:23:38.00
treats his mother because
that tells you a lot about his
00:23:38.04\00:23:41.51
concept of and respect for women
By the way this works both ways.
00:23:41.55\00:23:46.04
See how he treats those who
serve him. Is he condescending
00:23:46.07\00:23:51.68
to waiters, maids and people in
fields of service, the clerk at
00:23:51.72\00:23:55.14
the market. Is he degrading?
Is he impatient? Is he kind and
00:23:55.18\00:23:58.89
respectful for those people.
Because if he's not to them
00:23:58.93\00:24:02.21
someday he'll treat you like
a servant and he won't be kind
00:24:02.25\00:24:07.26
either. Look at his friends.
And then it says notice how he
00:24:07.29\00:24:12.23
spends his money, what he buys.
That tells something about how a
00:24:12.27\00:24:16.23
man spends his money tells
something about the priorities.
00:24:16.26\00:24:20.12
And I like this and if you still
can't make up your mind then
00:24:20.15\00:24:24.66
look at his shoes. Now I'm
not going to look up but I think
00:24:24.69\00:24:28.24
everybody's probably looking
at my shoes right now because
00:24:28.27\00:24:32.24
I'm up front. Look at his shoes.
A man who keeps his shoes in
00:24:32.27\00:24:36.27
good repair usually tends to the
rest of his life also. This is
00:24:36.31\00:24:39.80
written by Lois Weiss. That's
pretty good wisdom there, right?
00:24:39.84\00:24:43.89
I mean, you really don't know
a person just by getting their
00:24:43.93\00:24:47.47
e- mail. Sometimes you've got
to behold them in a variety of
00:24:47.51\00:24:51.09
circumstances. I heard one
pastor say, actually I think it
00:24:51.13\00:24:54.14
was C.D. Brooks, and he said
today everybody says you need to
00:24:54.17\00:24:57.15
live with a person to get
to know them before you get
00:24:57.18\00:24:59.52
married. And he said, you don't
need to get to know a person by
00:24:59.56\00:25:03.03
sharing a bed with them. That's
usually not what causes divorce.
00:25:03.07\00:25:06.51
You share a checkbook with
them and you'll find out whether
00:25:06.54\00:25:10.29
you're going to survive or
not. People always wonder if the
00:25:10.32\00:25:13.27
plumbing's working. We got
to live together for a while to
00:25:13.31\00:25:16.63
make sure we're compatible.
That's rarely where the problem
00:25:16.66\00:25:21.03
is. I think they've shown
statistically that marriages are
00:25:21.07\00:25:25.10
more inclined to fail when
people live together before
00:25:25.13\00:25:29.37
marriage than if they do
it virtuously. That's what the
00:25:29.40\00:25:33.57
data supports. Now how did I get
there from patience. I'm talking
00:25:33.61\00:25:38.00
about patience and longsuffering
Romans 15 verse 5: Now may the
00:25:38.04\00:25:42.40
God of patience and comfort
grant you to be like-minded
00:25:42.43\00:25:45.38
toward one another according to
Christ Jesus. He is the God of
00:25:45.42\00:25:49.19
patience. That's one
of his characteristics.
00:25:49.22\00:25:51.45
II Thessalonians 3:5: Now may
the Lord direct your hearts into
00:25:51.49\00:25:56.71
the love of God and into the
patience of Christ. Our hearts
00:25:56.75\00:26:01.13
must assume the mind and heart
of Christ and what is it, the
00:26:01.17\00:26:05.29
patience of Christ. Christ is
patient. The very fact you and I
00:26:05.32\00:26:09.18
are alive is evidence of that.
Amen? The penalty for sin is
00:26:09.22\00:26:12.97
death. We've all sinned yet
we're alive. Why? God is patient
00:26:13.00\00:26:17.45
He's longsuffing to us not
willing that any should perish.
00:26:17.48\00:26:21.39
Revelation 1:9: I, John, both
your brother and companion in
00:26:21.42\00:26:25.33
the tribulation and kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ.
00:26:25.36\00:26:29.20
Do we all agree patience is one
of his characteristics? Then he
00:26:29.24\00:26:33.86
tells us Jesus said by your
patience possess your souls.
00:26:33.89\00:26:37.64
Here is the patience of the
saints. Another characteristic
00:26:37.68\00:26:41.36
that we find about the Lord that
it would be appropriate for us
00:26:41.40\00:26:47.69
to model is truth and honesty.
Jesus is the truth. The Bible
00:26:47.73\00:26:53.01
tells us the truth will set you
free. God cannot lie the Bible
00:26:53.05\00:26:58.30
tells us. He is the
very embodiment of truth.
00:26:58.33\00:27:02.32
It's an attribute of his
character that I would like to
00:27:02.36\00:27:06.23
emulate. I think for a Christian
you never hesitate deciding
00:27:06.27\00:27:11.04
whether or not to tell
the truth. You might hesitate
00:27:11.07\00:27:13.90
deciding how to say the truth,
but you never hesitate wondering
00:27:13.94\00:27:18.23
shall I tell the truth. A
Christian should always have it
00:27:18.26\00:27:22.42
resolved in his mind never
to tell anything but the truth.
00:27:22.46\00:27:26.42
When Jesus stood before Pontius
Pilate, Pilate said what is
00:27:26.45\00:27:30.34
truth? It's interesting they had
this exchange because Christ had
00:27:30.38\00:27:34.41
the opportunity to just alter
the truth a little bit and save
00:27:34.45\00:27:39.62
his life, but he was willing
to die rather than lie. Have you
00:27:39.65\00:27:43.38
ever known somebody that had
such a respect for the truth?
00:27:43.42\00:27:47.08
I think the conventional wisdom
of our age ah well of course you
00:27:47.12\00:27:50.97
have got to lie because you
get charged more if you don't.
00:27:51.00\00:27:54.20
I remember. It made an
impression on me I'll never
00:27:54.23\00:27:58.40
forget and all due respect
for my mother. My brother and I
00:27:58.44\00:28:03.16
stood in line. Mom frequently
took us to the theater plays on
00:28:03.19\00:28:07.34
Broadway or the movies. You know
12 and under, different price.
00:28:07.37\00:28:10.81
And we'd stand in line and
my brother because he had cystic
00:28:10.85\00:28:14.62
fibrosis was short for his age.
He was my size even though he
00:28:14.65\00:28:18.28
was two older than me. Most of
my adolescence finally caught up
00:28:18.31\00:28:22.15
and we were the same size in
adulthood. But he was always the
00:28:22.18\00:28:25.75
same size as a younger brother.
So we'd stand in line. Falcon is
00:28:25.79\00:28:29.33
14 years of age and Mom would
say to him, now they'll never
00:28:29.36\00:28:33.24
know, Falcon. Just say you're
12. And that made an impression
00:28:33.27\00:28:37.07
on me. I thought, I guess
it's okay to lie if you can save
00:28:37.10\00:28:40.83
money. What kind of signal does
that send. Christians, you don't
00:28:40.87\00:28:45.88
even consider it. The truth is
the truth is the truth. You know
00:28:45.92\00:28:51.15
God is looking for people who
are honest. Jesus is truthful.
00:28:51.18\00:28:56.31
He is the truth and the truth
will set you free. How many of
00:28:56.35\00:29:00.55
you know somebody that has that
kind of integrity and honesty.
00:29:00.59\00:29:05.99
Do you know somebody like that?
Do you like them? Sometimes does
00:29:06.03\00:29:11.40
that annoy you that they're
so honest? I love those kind of
00:29:11.43\00:29:15.31
people. I'm attracted. There's
so much deception in the world.
00:29:15.34\00:29:18.90
Jesus is that kind of person.
It should attract you to him.
00:29:18.94\00:29:23.39
Do you know patient people? How
many of you know somebody that
00:29:23.43\00:29:27.85
is a good listener. Everybody
loves a good listener. Good
00:29:27.88\00:29:32.24
listeners don't spend all their
time talking about themselves.
00:29:32.28\00:29:35.72
They're interested in you. And
we like those kind of people.
00:29:35.76\00:29:39.32
That's how Jesus is. Sometimes
it helps us love Christ when you
00:29:39.36\00:29:42.66
meet Christ like people. You say
so that's what Jesus is like.
00:29:42.69\00:29:46.59
He's the embodiment of these
characteristics. It goes on to
00:29:46.63\00:29:51.46
tell us - I Peter 2 verse
21: For to this you were called
00:29:51.50\00:29:55.93
because Christ also suffered
for us leaving us an example.
00:29:55.96\00:29:59.62
Jesus is an example. What
kind of example? That you should
00:29:59.66\00:30:03.64
follow in his steps, who
committed no sin nor was deceit
00:30:03.67\00:30:08.38
found in his mouth. Not even
a little bit. Not the slightest
00:30:08.41\00:30:12.86
bacteria of dishonesty was in
his mouth. Christ was perfectly
00:30:12.89\00:30:16.74
pure and honest in everything
he said. And he is our example,
00:30:16.77\00:30:20.75
Peter said, that we should do as
he did. We should be perfectly
00:30:20.78\00:30:24.73
honest. D. L. Moody said,
Character is what you are in the
00:30:24.76\00:30:29.38
dark. It's who you are when you
don't think anyone's watching.
00:30:29.41\00:30:33.20
It goes on to tell us, speaking
of Christ, and this is the
00:30:33.23\00:30:38.32
vision of Moses. He is abounding
in goodness. What is good?
00:30:38.35\00:30:43.34
I looked up a definition.
Moral excellence or admirable,
00:30:43.38\00:30:48.30
desirable or positive qualities.
God is good. You know one reason
00:30:48.34\00:30:54.51
I know that? Look at the
creation. It's interesting.
00:30:54.54\00:30:59.19
In Genesis chapter 1, the
word good appears seven times.
00:30:59.23\00:31:03.81
The last time it appears it says
very good. And then James tells
00:31:03.85\00:31:08.25
every good and perfect gift
comes from God. Everything God
00:31:08.28\00:31:12.46
does is good because God is
good One time a rich young ruler
00:31:12.50\00:31:17.07
came to Jesus and he said, Good
Master what must I do that I
00:31:17.10\00:31:20.57
might inherit eternal life? And
Jesus stopped him before he went
00:31:20.61\00:31:24.45
any further. He said, No one is
good except one and that's God.
00:31:24.49\00:31:28.30
Christ was not denying his
goodness, he was embracing his
00:31:28.33\00:31:34.34
Godness. And I understand that
even in old English if you trace
00:31:34.38\00:31:39.43
the word God back it is drawn
from the word good. So when you
00:31:39.47\00:31:43.52
say good morning to people
in old English it used to be God
00:31:43.56\00:31:48.36
morning. The words good and
God were springing from the same
00:31:48.39\00:31:52.82
word in the early Anglo Saxon
language because God is the
00:31:52.86\00:31:57.76
the embodiment of everything
good. It's the goodness of God
00:31:57.79\00:32:02.06
that leads us to repentance
and so by beholding the glory of
00:32:02.10\00:32:06.09
Christ and his goodness what
does that do? It leads us to
00:32:06.13\00:32:09.97
repentance. By the way,
that's Romans chapter 2 verse 4.
00:32:10.00\00:32:13.77
Exodus 33:19, He said: I will
make all my goodness pass before
00:32:13.81\00:32:21.87
you. Isn't that what we
read? Goodness is sort of a
00:32:21.90\00:32:25.46
coalescing of all his
characteristics. But we go on
00:32:25.50\00:32:28.58
and we read about the
characteristics of Christ.
00:32:28.62\00:32:31.63
Is it safe to say that among
his attributes Jesus is meek and
00:32:31.67\00:32:36.90
humble. Meekness, humility.
Matthew 11 verse 28 Christ says
00:32:36.94\00:32:41.36
Come unto me all you who labor,
that are heavy laden and I will
00:32:41.40\00:32:45.79
give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn of me.
00:32:45.82\00:32:49.02
By beholding his glory we become
like him for I am meek and
00:32:49.06\00:32:54.07
lowly and you will find rest
unto your souls. For my yoke is
00:32:54.11\00:32:58.40
easy and my burden is light.
One reason I know that the Holy
00:32:58.43\00:33:01.98
Spirit's working in my life
is because of the way I drive.
00:33:02.02\00:33:06.05
It's changing. Some of it's that
as you get older you're not in
00:33:06.08\00:33:11.01
such a big hurry. I was talking
to Karen on my phone but I was
00:33:11.05\00:33:15.95
on the cordless. I had both
hands on the wheel on my way
00:33:15.98\00:33:18.89
home from prayer meeting this
week and while I'm talking to
00:33:18.92\00:33:22.15
her she's hearing me give her
the blow by blow description of
00:33:22.18\00:33:26.41
how I'm almost being killed.
I stopped at this intersection
00:33:26.44\00:33:30.77
on Fair Oaks that turns onto
Walnut, the way I always go home
00:33:30.80\00:33:35.04
Actually it wasn't prayer
meeting. It was Saturday night,
00:33:35.08\00:33:38.84
last Saturday night and
these two cars were racing. Two
00:33:38.88\00:33:42.57
teenagers that were just full
of vinegar racing. And I stopped
00:33:42.61\00:33:46.32
because the light turned yellow.
When I was younger yellow was
00:33:46.35\00:33:50.03
very close to green and I
would have tried to go through.
00:33:50.06\00:33:54.38
You mellow out a little bit you
know. And so I stopped, I'm in
00:33:54.42\00:33:57.94
no big hurry and these guys
screeches on his brakes, almost
00:33:57.97\00:34:01.38
plows into me, stops just inches
from me, leaves a big black
00:34:01.41\00:34:04.58
strip and the one he was racing
with, he didn't have time to
00:34:04.61\00:34:07.75
stop. He drives over the
concrete median into oncoming
00:34:07.78\00:34:11.11
traffic and just barely makes
this deadly, squirrely turn off
00:34:11.15\00:34:15.04
onto another road. I thought
about that and I thought praise
00:34:15.07\00:34:19.18
the Lord, my angels are on duty.
Then I thought, I remember when
00:34:19.22\00:34:23.30
I used to drive like that.
I remember I used to get upset
00:34:23.33\00:34:26.45
when someone pulled in front
of me. You know when traffic is
00:34:26.49\00:34:29.58
merging I'll slow down and
let one person in front but
00:34:29.61\00:34:31.82
sometimes people try and take
advantage of you and they try
00:34:31.86\00:34:34.10
and get their nose in there and
I just crunch my nose up real
00:34:34.13\00:34:37.42
close and say, I'm not letting
you in. But you know, you walk
00:34:37.46\00:34:41.08
with Christ a little longer and
you say, all right, you too, go
00:34:41.11\00:34:45.15
ahead. What would Jesus do? It's
hard to let them in. They have
00:34:45.18\00:34:49.19
no manners. They don't
understand roadside etiquette.
00:34:49.22\00:34:51.69
Be meek, let them in. You don't
have to honk the horn and make
00:34:51.73\00:34:56.64
gestures. Just be meek. That's
how Jesus is. How would Jesus
00:34:56.68\00:35:00.17
do it? Can you picture Jesus
laying on his horn and glaring
00:35:00.21\00:35:06.08
at them and... So this is the
meekness of Christ. Blessed are
00:35:06.12\00:35:11.17
the poor in spirit. Two of
the beatitudes have to do with
00:35:11.21\00:35:16.19
humility and meekness. Did you
know that? Blessed are the poor
00:35:16.23\00:35:19.11
in spirit; that's the humility,
the meekness. Recognizing our
00:35:19.15\00:35:22.02
poverty of spirit. Theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. Matthew
00:35:22.06\00:35:25.58
5:5, Blessed are the meek for
they shall inherit the earth.
00:35:25.61\00:35:29.58
We must behold his glory and
allow the meekness, the humility
00:35:29.61\00:35:34.23
of Christ to be impressed on our
soul. I understand even though
00:35:34.26\00:35:38.41
he was often very gregarious and
outspoken, Winston Churchill was
00:35:38.44\00:35:42.42
somewhat of a humble person. One
time he'd just finished speaking
00:35:42.45\00:35:46.40
to 10,000 people and he walked
off the platform and someone
00:35:46.43\00:35:50.39
said, Mr. Prime Minister, it
must be quite a thrill to have
00:35:50.42\00:35:54.00
10,000 people gathered to
hear you speak. And he said, it
00:35:54.04\00:35:57.55
doesn't mean anything to me in
his gruff way. He says, 100,000
00:35:57.59\00:36:02.20
would come and watch me hang.
And you know some of the same
00:36:02.24\00:36:06.75
people that gathered to hear
Christ speak, some of the very
00:36:06.78\00:36:10.90
same people that said Hosanna
to the Son of David gathered to
00:36:10.94\00:36:15.03
watch him hang didn't
they. Christ did not have any
00:36:15.06\00:36:19.24
illusions and by the grace of
the Lord I try to keep balance.
00:36:19.28\00:36:24.07
Whenever you stand up and you
say anything if you do anything
00:36:24.11\00:36:28.87
right there's always a
temptation that it's going to be
00:36:28.90\00:36:30.93
about you. But God has been good
I know that he can also have you
00:36:30.97\00:36:35.42
stand up in front of a lot of
people and make a total fool out
00:36:35.46\00:36:39.41
of yourself at any moment. And
so you need to take it all in
00:36:39.45\00:36:43.90
stride and keep perspective.
Whosoever therefore shall humble
00:36:43.93\00:36:47.91
himself as a little child, he
shall be great in the kingdom of
00:36:47.94\00:36:53.35
heaven. Matthew 18 verse 4.
Let me read you a quote from the
00:36:53.38\00:36:58.52
Spirit of Prophecy, Desire
of Ages, p. 134. Jesus came in
00:36:58.55\00:37:03.62
poverty and humiliation that he
might be our example as well as
00:37:03.66\00:37:08.40
our Redeemer. We should be
humble as Christ was. If he had
00:37:08.43\00:37:11.65
appeared with kingly pomp how
could he have taught humility?
00:37:11.69\00:37:14.78
How could he have presented such
cutting truths as the sermon on
00:37:14.82\00:37:18.01
the mount? Where would have been
the hope of the lowly life in
00:37:18.04\00:37:21.60
Jesus that he had come to dwell
as a king among men? Christ came
00:37:21.64\00:37:25.71
humbly to teach meekness and
humility. Moses said, Lord show
00:37:25.74\00:37:29.19
me your glory. What does the
Bible say about him? He was the
00:37:29.22\00:37:33.49
meekest man in all the earth.
You know, it's always made me
00:37:33.53\00:37:36.68
wonder where do you find that
statement, Moses was the meekest
00:37:36.72\00:37:41.87
man in all the earth? Come on
scholars. Where is it? It's in
00:37:41.91\00:37:47.68
the books of Moses. Who wrote
that? Did Moses write that he
00:37:47.71\00:37:52.72
was the meekest man in all
the earth. I think it might have
00:37:52.75\00:37:57.73
been a commentary that
was inserted by somebody else.
00:37:57.76\00:38:00.32
Joshua may have added it. Moses
might have said it because he
00:38:00.36\00:38:05.43
knew that he had a terror of
crowds. You remember when God
00:38:05.47\00:38:10.47
said to talk to the Pharaoh and
he said oh I can't speak, I'm no
00:38:10.51\00:38:14.12
good up front. He was a meek
man. I'm anxious to find out in
00:38:14.16\00:38:17.06
heaven who actually wrote
that. Did Moses write he was the
00:38:17.09\00:38:21.35
meekest man in all the world?
Another characteristic of the
00:38:21.38\00:38:27.19
Lord - Compassion. Now when you
say the word compassion is the
00:38:27.22\00:38:32.82
word pathos. The word pathos
means feeling and that's where
00:38:32.86\00:38:37.59
we get the word in our
language - empathy. When you
00:38:37.62\00:38:42.28
empathize you feel what another
feels. Sympathy. It means you're
00:38:42.32\00:38:47.85
feeling what someone else feels.
Jesus feels what we feel. He has
00:38:47.88\00:38:53.48
compassion. Matthew 9 verse 36:
After preaching he realized the
00:38:53.51\00:38:57.50
multitudes had sat there all
day they hadn't eaten, they were
00:38:57.54\00:39:01.41
wandering around like sheep
without a shepherd and he fed
00:39:01.44\00:39:05.24
them. He had compassion on the
multitude. Mark 1 verse 40: Now
00:39:05.28\00:39:08.71
a leper came to him, imploring
him, kneeling down and saying
00:39:08.75\00:39:13.16
to him: If you are willing you
can make me clean. Then Jesus
00:39:13.19\00:39:18.36
moved with compassion. He tells
a parable in Matthew chapter 18
00:39:18.39\00:39:23.53
about the King and the
unmerciful debtor and it says
00:39:23.56\00:39:27.79
the king was moved with
compassion. Jesus' heart just
00:39:27.82\00:39:31.98
pulsated, it was swollen with
compassion for people. He feels
00:39:32.02\00:39:36.67
what we feel. Sometimes we
wonder if the Lord knows what
00:39:36.70\00:39:39.39
we're going through, but oh he
does, better than you do and if
00:39:39.43\00:39:42.81
you're hurting, he's hurting. He
feels it. How many parents ache
00:39:42.85\00:39:46.20
with their children when
their children are hurting.
00:39:46.23\00:39:47.87
Did you ever
have a child go into
00:39:47.90\00:39:48.93
surgery? Have you ever seen your
child really hurt themselves.
00:39:48.96\00:39:53.02
Oh, I remember little Nathan.
I told you some of the story.
00:39:53.06\00:39:56.38
He broke his arm this last year.
And you look at your kid and see
00:39:56.42\00:40:00.51
their arm twisted, all obviously
broken, and you see that they're
00:40:00.55\00:40:04.25
wincing and they're in agony.
Just breaks your heart to watch
00:40:04.29\00:40:07.96
them hurt. The empathy
that we feel for our children is
00:40:07.99\00:40:15.09
somewhat natural. Even animals
have an element of that, don't
00:40:15.13\00:40:17.71
they? Love for their offspring.
But the Lord feels that
00:40:17.74\00:40:23.02
infinitely more for us. He
feels. That's why Jesus came.
00:40:23.06\00:40:28.33
He's sensitive to our estate.
He has compassion for us.
00:40:28.36\00:40:33.56
And though he said to the leper,
I am willing, be thou cleansed.
00:40:33.60\00:40:39.71
You know I remember reading...
I talked a little bit about
00:40:39.74\00:40:44.26
pilots today. You know Will
Rogers the famous humorist was
00:40:44.30\00:40:48.66
also a pilot. He actually died
trying to cross the polar cap,
00:40:48.69\00:40:53.30
in an adventure. But he was
a great humorist. Next to Mark
00:40:53.34\00:40:58.06
Twain there have been few
people that had a better clean
00:40:58.09\00:41:02.74
sense of humor than Will Rogers
and periodically he would go and
00:41:02.78\00:41:06.35
he would do these little benefit
I don't know if you call it a
00:41:06.39\00:41:09.56
performance or talks, but he
just tried to cheer people up.
00:41:09.60\00:41:12.70
And he went to this one hospital
in southern California, it was a
00:41:12.74\00:41:15.65
polio hospital. A friend of
his was the director, actually
00:41:15.68\00:41:20.19
his name was Marion Berry. I
know it sounds similar but it's
00:41:20.23\00:41:24.71
someone else. He had this
hospital for polio victims.
00:41:24.74\00:41:29.28
Many of them could not walk.
They also were treating people
00:41:29.31\00:41:32.42
who had paralysis from back
injury and other very serious
00:41:32.46\00:41:35.50
injuries. They gathered them all
in the ward and wheeled them in.
00:41:35.53\00:41:38.59
He got up and he gave his little
talk in his very engaging way
00:41:38.62\00:41:41.65
and had even these people
that were paralyzed in stitches
00:41:41.68\00:41:45.12
laughing. After awhile he
excused himself and went to the
00:41:45.15\00:41:47.96
restroom and the director
thought, Oh there's no towels
00:41:48.00\00:41:50.74
in there and he went to bring
him a towel and he opened up the
00:41:50.78\00:41:53.65
door and Will Rogers was leaning
against the wall crying and
00:41:53.69\00:41:57.54
sobbing uncontrollably. Pretty
soon he collected himself and he
00:41:57.58\00:42:00.61
went back out and he carried on
and had everyone laughing again.
00:42:00.64\00:42:05.72
Somebody said one time, You can
tell the value of a man by what
00:42:05.76\00:42:10.39
it is that makes them laugh,
what is it that makes them cry,
00:42:10.43\00:42:15.03
what is it that makes
them angry. That really reveals
00:42:15.06\00:42:18.30
something about a person's
character. Do you laugh at other
00:42:18.34\00:42:24.03
people's misfortune or do
you laugh at yourself? What made
00:42:24.07\00:42:29.73
Jesus angry? When someone
slighted him, when someone
00:42:29.77\00:42:34.74
mistreated him? No, he never got
angry about how he was treated.
00:42:34.77\00:42:38.33
Jesus got angry when he saw
others mistreated or he saw the
00:42:38.36\00:42:41.82
glory of God defaced as in the
temple when he chased out the
00:42:41.85\00:42:45.62
money changes. When he saw the
disciples steering the children
00:42:45.65\00:42:49.38
away from him, it really
bothered him and he wanted them
00:42:49.42\00:42:54.33
brought to him. Jesus stood
up for those who were oppressed.
00:42:54.37\00:42:59.25
He got angry with false
teachings that kept people in
00:42:59.29\00:43:02.36
bondage when he derided the
scribes and the Pharisees and
00:43:02.39\00:43:05.29
the hypocrites because they
were leading people astray like
00:43:05.33\00:43:08.21
wolves. You can learn a
lot about a person. Christ had
00:43:08.24\00:43:11.80
compassion and you can
tell from the way he responded.
00:43:11.84\00:43:15.58
In keeping with compassion I
added another category. Jesus
00:43:15.62\00:43:20.63
is gentle and tender. That's
one of his characteristics. Mark
00:43:20.66\00:43:26.18
chapter 10 verse 14, verse 16.
When he saw the children chased
00:43:26.22\00:43:31.70
away Jesus was greatly
displeased and he said to them
00:43:31.74\00:43:34.98
Let the little children come
to me and do not forbid them for
00:43:35.02\00:43:38.45
of such is the kingdom of God.
Notice he took them up in his
00:43:38.48\00:43:43.55
arms. He put his hands on them.
He blessed them. This is what
00:43:43.59\00:43:48.21
reveals the character of Christ,
his tenderness, his compassion,
00:43:48.25\00:43:52.97
his sympathy, his love, his
goodness. What is your character
00:43:53.01\00:43:57.59
can you change your character?
Now I've already told you that
00:43:57.63\00:44:02.18
we are transformed by beholding
the character of Christ.
00:44:02.22\00:44:06.01
You become like your friends.
You know why? Because people
00:44:06.05\00:44:09.77
are creatures like little ducks.
We sort of absorb the behavior
00:44:09.81\00:44:13.93
of those that we idolize, those
we spend time with. Why is it,
00:44:13.96\00:44:18.05
why should it be a concern
of parents who our children's
00:44:18.09\00:44:22.93
heroes are? Because they
want to emulate their heroes.
00:44:22.96\00:44:27.74
Why should it be a concern to
parents who their friends are?
00:44:27.77\00:44:31.17
Because they start talking like
and acting like their friends.
00:44:31.20\00:44:35.79
You will act like your heroes.
You will act like your friends.
00:44:35.82\00:44:41.22
Is Jesus your friend? Is he your
hero? That's how we become like
00:44:41.25\00:44:45.23
him. Somebody once said, I don't
know who it was but this is an
00:44:45.26\00:44:50.55
old adage: Sow a thought, reap
an act. Sow an act reap a habit.
00:44:50.58\00:44:56.57
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
00:44:56.61\00:45:02.43
It begins with your thoughts
that often then play themselves
00:45:02.47\00:45:07.16
as actions that then become
habits that really communicates
00:45:07.19\00:45:11.74
what your character is that
determines what your destiny is.
00:45:11.77\00:45:14.98
By the way, you know why it's
so important to talk about the
00:45:15.02\00:45:17.85
character of Christ? It's by
beholding his character, it is
00:45:17.89\00:45:21.07
superimposed on us and what is
the only thing you get to take
00:45:21.11\00:45:26.00
out of this life? You don't get
to take your clothes. We might
00:45:26.04\00:45:30.14
fix up our church, but we don't
get to take our church. It's
00:45:30.17\00:45:35.24
going to just melt someday. You
don't get to take your car, your
00:45:35.28\00:45:40.31
house. You might remodel or
redecorate. You don't get to
00:45:40.35\00:45:45.21
take it. You might even have
cosmetic surgery. You don't get
00:45:45.25\00:45:50.50
to take that to heaven. Only
thing you get to take is your
00:45:50.54\00:45:55.57
character, who you are. And
you get to take other characters
00:45:55.61\00:46:01.25
with you. That's true. That's
why I'm involved in ministry
00:46:01.29\00:46:05.31
because I've said many times,
this is the most important work
00:46:05.35\00:46:08.87
in the world. You name something
that's more important than
00:46:08.90\00:46:12.50
trying to win souls to Christ,
trying to encourage people to
00:46:12.53\00:46:16.57
stay with Christ. The work that
you do as a Christian and that I
00:46:16.60\00:46:20.60
do as a Christian is a work
in helping people to model the
00:46:20.64\00:46:24.94
character of Christ that they
could live forever. That's the
00:46:24.98\00:46:29.51
most important work in the
world Praise the Lord! Christ is
00:46:29.54\00:46:34.48
faithful. I Corinthians 1
verse If you have any doubts it
00:46:34.51\00:46:39.35
says it many times. God is
faithful by whom you are called
00:46:39.39\00:46:44.19
into the fellowship of
his son Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:46:44.23\00:46:47.51
I Corinthians 10:13: No
temptation has overtaken you
00:46:47.55\00:46:50.77
such as is common to man,
but God is faithful who will not
00:46:50.80\00:46:55.20
allow you to be tempted
above what you are able to bear.
00:46:55.23\00:46:59.55
You can trust him. How many of
you have a friend that you know
00:46:59.59\00:47:04.18
you can always count on? If
they say they're going to do
00:47:04.22\00:47:07.48
something, they're going to do
it. If they say they're going to
00:47:07.51\00:47:10.02
be somewhere, they're going
to be there. If they say if you
00:47:10.06\00:47:13.78
every need help give me a
call, they're not just reciting
00:47:13.81\00:47:17.76
clichés but they really mean
it. Do you know some people like
00:47:17.80\00:47:21.11
that? They're faithful, you
can count on them. Those are the
00:47:21.14\00:47:24.29
kind of people that we love,
isn't that right? Christ is that
00:47:24.33\00:47:27.69
way. He will never let you down.
He will never disappoint you.
00:47:27.73\00:47:30.77
It would be incomplete if I
didn't take some time and talk
00:47:30.80\00:47:34.50
about another characteristic
of the Lord. He's awesome!
00:47:34.53\00:47:38.63
By the way, I need to give
some credit to our pastors.
00:47:38.66\00:47:42.69
You know what I did is we got
together for our staff meeting
00:47:42.72\00:47:45.04
this week and for worship I said
all right I'm going to get some
00:47:45.07\00:47:47.62
mileage out of this worship.
I asked everyone on our pastoral
00:47:47.65\00:47:50.71
staff, Rosie and the pastors
and Melissa. I said, tell me the
00:47:50.75\00:47:53.80
characteristics of God that you
think of, name them. And they
00:47:53.84\00:47:56.86
began to recite all the
different characteristics of God
00:47:56.89\00:47:58.93
and we got a pretty long list.
I can't give you everything in
00:47:58.96\00:48:02.35
my list. We just began to think
of the characteristics of God
00:48:02.38\00:48:05.09
and how wonderful he is and how
good he is and all the different
00:48:05.13\00:48:08.61
beautiful attributes that he
has and so I just wanted to give
00:48:08.64\00:48:12.59
them credit where credit's due.
Just thinking about the facets
00:48:12.63\00:48:16.54
of his character. But one
that we must not pass is the
00:48:16.57\00:48:19.86
awesomeness of God. I Kings 8:27
Solomon said when he built the
00:48:19.90\00:48:25.16
temple, Behold the heavens
cannot contain you. How much
00:48:25.20\00:48:30.05
less this temple which I
have built. He's so big, he's so
00:48:30.09\00:48:34.87
awesome. Revelation 1 verse 17:
And when I saw him I fell at his
00:48:34.91\00:48:38.83
feet as dead. We've already read
that, because of the power, the
00:48:38.87\00:48:42.46
awesomeness of God. You know I
think that word awesome sort of
00:48:42.50\00:48:45.69
got overused a couple years ago.
It was the in word among the
00:48:45.73\00:48:49.17
teenagers. They talk about some
television personality or some
00:48:49.20\00:48:52.61
rock star and they go well
man they're awesome. You know
00:48:52.64\00:48:56.34
problem with that is you use up
a good word and you have nothing
00:48:56.37\00:49:01.20
left. I mean we're in the
day and age where everything is
00:49:01.24\00:49:06.10
jumbo and mega and we apply
it to soft drinks. Pretty soon
00:49:06.13\00:49:10.10
you don't have the adjectives
that really belong to God to use
00:49:10.14\00:49:13.50
anymore for God because the same
things we say for rock stars and
00:49:13.54\00:49:16.87
jumbo drinks you know
we're using for soda pop and
00:49:16.91\00:49:21.28
television personalities. You
just don't even want to use that
00:49:21.32\00:49:26.36
word anymore for God. But what
words do we have to describe the
00:49:26.39\00:49:31.40
incredible immensity of God.
Psalm 90 verse 2: Before the
00:49:31.44\00:49:36.76
mountains were brought forth
or ever you had formed the earth
00:49:36.80\00:49:42.09
and the world even from
everlasting to everlasting you
00:49:42.13\00:49:46.79
are God. God is omnipotent,
he's all powerful. Some of us
00:49:46.83\00:49:51.60
appreciate our friends in
high places don't we. He is
00:49:51.64\00:49:56.34
omnipresent. He can always
be with us. He is omniscient. He
00:49:56.38\00:50:00.67
knows everything. Do you
have any friends that they just
00:50:00.71\00:50:04.97
always know everything? I guess
they've got this TV program
00:50:05.00\00:50:08.17
called Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire and one of the
00:50:08.20\00:50:11.73
features that they have if
you don't know the answer you're
00:50:11.76\00:50:14.79
allowed to pick your smartest
friend at some point and call
00:50:14.82\00:50:17.77
him up and if I was ever in that
predicament, I'm not saying I've
00:50:17.81\00:50:22.71
ever applied for that program,
I'm just saying I know a couple
00:50:22.75\00:50:26.97
people I would call. They're
just absolute brains. They've
00:50:27.01\00:50:30.86
got facts tumbling out of their
minds all the time. They know
00:50:30.89\00:50:34.21
everything about everything
and sometimes they're the most
00:50:34.24\00:50:36.97
unassuming people. They're so
smart because they read all the
00:50:37.00\00:50:40.01
time and they remember what they
read and it's fun to have those
00:50:40.05\00:50:42.72
friends because whenever I'm
in a pickle sometimes I can call
00:50:42.76\00:50:45.67
them up and say hey I need an
amazing fact. I've got a radio
00:50:45.70\00:50:48.19
program. And they just say
oh blah, blah, blah. They're
00:50:48.23\00:50:50.65
e- mailing me these incredible
things. Just knowledge. I like
00:50:50.69\00:50:53.96
knowledge, don't you? I like
people with that characteristic.
00:50:54.00\00:50:57.24
Jesus is like that. He knows
everything. I Timothy 1:17:
00:50:57.27\00:51:04.06
Now to the King eternal, he's a
king, he's a monarch, immortal,
00:51:04.09\00:51:10.20
invisible, to God who alone is
wise be honor and glory forever
00:51:10.23\00:51:15.06
and ever. Paul is looking for
words to describe the immensity
00:51:15.09\00:51:20.55
of God. He really waxes eloquent
Finally what I be leaving out
00:51:20.58\00:51:26.00
when I talk about the
characteristics of Christ?
00:51:26.04\00:51:28.20
There's a lot I'm leaving out.
But I'll tell you I didn't want
00:51:28.24\00:51:31.89
to quit before I said love. I
mean if you're wondering about
00:51:31.93\00:51:37.84
his characteristics, God is
love. For God so loved the world
00:51:37.87\00:51:43.22
Jeremiah 31:3. Yes, I have loved
you with an everlasting love.
00:51:43.26\00:51:47.95
Therefore with loving kindness
I have drawn you. God is love.
00:51:47.99\00:51:52.35
Jesus is love. Have you ever
looked at somebody and you've
00:51:52.38\00:51:56.87
see their expression of love.
You might see it in a mother
00:51:56.90\00:52:01.44
looking down at her new
baby before they turn into real
00:52:01.47\00:52:05.94
children. (Laughter) And you
just see this sparkling glow of
00:52:05.98\00:52:12.18
love and just adoring the child.
Well Jesus loves you more than
00:52:12.21\00:52:18.38
that. He loves you more than
any mother loves their child.
00:52:18.41\00:52:22.06
Romans 8:37, one of my favorite
verses: Yet in all these things
00:52:22.10\00:52:27.81
we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For
00:52:27.84\00:52:31.48
I am persuaded that neither
death nor life nor angles nor
00:52:31.51\00:52:34.61
principalities nor powers
nor things present nor things to
00:52:34.65\00:52:37.88
come nor height nor depth nor
any other created thing shall be
00:52:37.92\00:52:42.05
able to separate from the love
of God that is in Jesus Christ
00:52:42.09\00:52:46.90
our Lord. To him who loved
us and washed us from our sins
00:52:46.93\00:52:51.71
in his own blood. God is
love. As you consider the
00:52:51.75\00:52:56.86
characteristics of Christ here's
a few others you might add to
00:52:56.89\00:53:01.86
the list. God is pure, God
is good, he is our hero, he is
00:53:01.90\00:53:07.69
strong, he's righteous, he
is holy, he's our advocate, he
00:53:07.73\00:53:13.24
intercedes, he's our friend,
he's joyful, he's rich. Anyone
00:53:13.28\00:53:18.75
here like a rich friend?
Merciful, generous, simple,
00:53:18.79\00:53:25.49
selfless, eternal, fearless,
consistent, gentle, wise and
00:53:25.53\00:53:29.48
he's human. He was tempted
in all points as we are tempted.
00:53:29.51\00:53:33.43
He identified with us, yet
without sin. John chapter 1
00:53:33.46\00:53:42.18
verse 14: And the Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us and we
00:53:42.22\00:53:49.76
beheld his glory as the only
begotten of the Father, full of
00:53:49.80\00:53:55.43
grace and truth. What was it
that they beheld? Did John see
00:53:55.47\00:53:59.86
him shining. Well at one point
on the mount of transfiguration.
00:53:59.89\00:54:03.17
But when John says we beheld his
glory, what's he talking about?
00:54:03.20\00:54:06.44
What was the glory of
Christ that they beheld? His
00:54:06.47\00:54:10.34
characteristics. Like a diamond
that is shining with all these
00:54:10.37\00:54:15.10
beautiful varied facets and it's
unique from every angle. They
00:54:15.13\00:54:19.81
beheld in this human, the Word
was manifest, the personality of
00:54:19.84\00:54:23.72
God was revealed in Jesus.
That is probably one of the most
00:54:23.75\00:54:27.49
important things I could
say. The personality of God was
00:54:27.53\00:54:31.83
revealed in Jesus. You and I
need to get to know him because
00:54:31.86\00:54:36.84
we become like him as we get
to know him. I Corinthians 11:1,
00:54:36.87\00:54:41.81
Paul said: Imitate me as I
imitate Christ. How can you
00:54:41.85\00:54:46.12
imitate somebody that you
don't know? Have you ever known
00:54:46.15\00:54:49.92
somebody who's an impersonator?
There's a few good ones out
00:54:49.95\00:54:53.60
there and most of us here have
tried at least once or twice
00:54:53.63\00:54:57.25
to impersonate somebody,
sometimes a family member or
00:54:57.28\00:54:59.77
somebody who's got some...
Sometimes it borders on mocking.
00:54:59.80\00:55:04.03
They've got idiosyncrasies.
Probably one of the most famous
00:55:04.07\00:55:08.27
impersonators was a guy
named Rich Little. He could
00:55:08.30\00:55:11.34
impersonate the singing of a man
of a woman to a T, their voice
00:55:11.37\00:55:14.39
their mannerisms and it's
hilarious because it was so much
00:55:14.43\00:55:17.41
like them. He'd pick up on
all the little idiosyncrasies.
00:55:17.44\00:55:22.35
I would like to be able
to personate Christ, to model
00:55:22.38\00:55:27.22
Christ. Paul says only imitate
me as I imitate Christ. By the
00:55:27.25\00:55:30.60
way I'd like to say that to you.
Friends, don't imitate Pastor
00:55:30.64\00:55:34.97
Doug except the areas where you
see me imitate Christ and the
00:55:35.01\00:55:39.01
characteristics of Christ.
I've been praying this week as I
00:55:39.05\00:55:43.31
prepared for this message, Lord
I want to be more like you in
00:55:43.35\00:55:47.20
everything I do. I want to
evaluate my behavior so that I
00:55:47.24\00:55:51.02
imitate the characteristics of
Christ. Horace Greeley said fame
00:55:51.06\00:55:55.71
is vapor, popularity is an
accident, riches take wings,
00:55:55.75\00:56:00.42
only one thing endures, that's
character. Are you developing
00:56:00.45\00:56:06.22
a character like Christ? Could
you love a person with these
00:56:06.26\00:56:09.57
characteristics that we've
identified. Jesus is that way
00:56:09.61\00:56:14.43
and more. So I invite you to
behold his glory, to behold his
00:56:14.46\00:56:18.96
goodness and that you might
be modeling your life after his.
00:56:18.99\00:56:25.28
Father, we would pray show us
thy glory. Hide us in the cleft
00:56:25.32\00:56:30.59
of the rock, the Rock Jesus and
then we pray that you will have
00:56:30.62\00:56:35.68
the panorama of your beautiful
characteristics pass before us.
00:56:35.71\00:56:40.73
Help each one of us here
listening, watching, to be awed
00:56:40.76\00:56:46.87
as Moses was as we behold that
there is a being that is so good
00:56:46.90\00:56:53.03
and loving and merciful
and compassionate and powerful.
00:56:53.07\00:56:57.02
And Lord I pray that we will be
overwhelmed with a sense to fall
00:56:57.05\00:57:01.67
down before you and worship
you, to praise you and then to
00:57:01.70\00:57:05.89
imitate your characteristics
in our lives. Bless each person
00:57:05.92\00:57:10.32
here that we might fix our eyes
on Jesus and as we behold thee
00:57:10.36\00:57:14.61
that your characteristics, your
attributes, might be imprinted
00:57:14.64\00:57:19.52
on our souls. Lord I pray that
we might imitate you and that
00:57:19.55\00:57:23.47
we might model you in this lost
world that people might know
00:57:23.50\00:57:28.06
through your body who Christ is.
Bless each person here, forgive
00:57:28.10\00:57:32.62
us for the times when we have
failed to imitate Christ and
00:57:32.66\00:57:37.13
help us to be Christians not
only in name but in character.
00:57:37.16\00:57:41.59
It's in Jesus name we ask. Amen.
00:57:41.63\00:57:46.33