Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021310A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:11 >>EVERY NOW AND THEN, IN THE PANORAMA OF HISTORY, WE HEAR 00:13 ABOUT INDIVIDUALS THAT GO FROM THE LOWEST DEPTHS TO THE HIGHEST 00:17 PINACLES. THEY EMERGE FROM THE SHACKLES 00:19 OF PRISON TO LEAD AND INSPIRE A NATION. 00:23 TAKE JOSEPH, FOR INSTANCE: HE'S SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS AS A SLAVE, 00:27 THEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND THRUST INTO PRISON. 00:30 YET, THROUGH A SERIES OF DIVINE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE MIRACULOUSLY 00:33 GOES FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE, RULING THE ONES WHO ONCE 00:37 IMPRISONED HIM. SOUND FAR-FETCHED? 00:39 IT'S HAPPENED IN HISTORY MORE THAN YOU THINK. 00:41 SOUTH AFRICA IS THE HOME OF JUST SUCH A LEADER. 00:45 NELSON MANDELA WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ESTABLISH PEACE AND FREEDOM 00:49 IN HIS COUNTRY AND HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT AROUND THE WORLD. 00:53 BEFORE FREEDOM, THERE MUST BE FORGIVENESS. 00:56 LIKE JOSEPH, WHO WAS UNJUSTLY ACCUSED OF A CRIME HE DID NOT 01:00 COMMIT, NELSON MANDELA WAS ACCUSED OF TERRORISM AND 01:03 SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON ON ROBIN ISLAND. 01:06 HE WAS OFTEN EXPOSED TO CRUEL PUNISHMENT AND ABUSE. 01:09 BUT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF APPARENT FAILURE AND 01:11 DISCOURAGEMENT, HE NEVER LOST HEART AND HE NEVER GAVE UP. 01:14 AFTER YEARS IN PRISON, A GROWING NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS RALLIED FOR 01:18 HIS RELEASE AND EVENTUALLY IT TOOK PLACE. 01:20 AND GOD USED HIM SO THAT HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO 01:23 ABOLISH RACIAL SEGREGATION IN THE COUNTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA. 01:27 INCREDIBLY, HE NOW WAS, VIRTUALLY, THE ABSOLUTE LEADER 01:31 IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAD IMPRISONED HIM. 01:33 HE HAD ALL THE TOOLS AND THE POWER AT HIS DISPOSAL TO GET 01:35 EVEN WITH THE PRISON GUARDS AND OTHERS THAT HAD MISTREATED HIM. 01:39 INSTEAD, MANDELA CHOSE FORGIVENESS. 01:42 IT REMINDS ME OF THAT VERSE IN THE BIBLE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 01:44 4, VERSE 31, "LET ALL BITTERNESS, WRATH, ANGER, 01:48 CLAMOR, AND EVIL SPEAKING BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MALICE. 01:52 AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE 01:56 ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU." 02:01 I'M SO THANKFUL THAT NELSON MANDELA, LIKE JOSEPH, CHOSE TO 02:04 FORGIVE THOSE WHO WERE ONCE HIS ENEMIES, AND TO SERVE HIS NATION 02:07 WITH LOVE AND COURAGE. YOU CAN FIND A NUMBER OF 02:10 EXAMPLES OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE BIBLE. 02:12 YOU HAVE DANIEL, WHO WAS A CAPTIVE FROM THE LAND OF JUDAH, 02:15 AND YET GOD ARRANGED THINGS WHERE HE BECOMES THE PRIME 02:17 MINISTER IN THE KINGDOM OF BABYLON. YOU HAVE ESTHER, 02:20 WHO WAS A POOR ORPHAN GIRL IN PERSIA, AND YET GOD WORKED 02:24 THINGS OUT WHERE SHE BECOMES THE QUEEN OF THAT COUNTRY. 02:27 THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH ENDS WITH AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF A YOUNG 02:30 KING NAMED JEHOIACHIN, WHO WAS IN A BABYLONIAN DUNGEON FOR 37 02:34 YEARS AND THEN KING EVIL-MERODACH HAS MERCY ON HIM 02:37 AND HE HAD A NEW STATUS, GOING FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE. 02:41 THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WANTS TO DO WITH YOU AND ME, FRIENDS. 02:43 HE GIVES YOU THE BREAD OF LIFE. HE GIVES YOU THE ROBE OF JESUS' 02:46 RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE GIVES YOU A SEAT AT HIS TABLE. 02:48 IF YOU ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND YOU'RE WILLING TO PASS IT 02:51 ON, YOU AND I CAN LIVE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST. 02:54 WOULDN'T YOU LIKE THAT EXPERIENCE? (MUSIC) 03:17 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND HAPPY SABBATH TO YOU! 03:20 WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE AND WE CAN WORSHIP GOD TOGETHER. 03:25 WE'RE DOING A SPECIAL SERIES TALKING ABOUT THE LAW OF GOD, 03:30 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, SOMETIMES KNOWN AS THE DECALOGUE. 03:34 DECA- MEANS "TEN," LIKE A DECADE; "-LOGUE," OR LOGOS, 03:39 MEANS "WORDS." IT'S THE "TEN WORDS," THE 03:41 TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. THERE ARE FEW THINGS THAT WE 03:44 COULD TALK ABOUT THAT ARE REALLY MORE SACRED. 03:47 WE TALK ABOUT THE BIBLE, AND OF COURSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT 03:50 BOOK, BUT BEYOND THE BIBLE BEING AN IMPORTANT BOOK, THERE ARE 03:55 PARTS OF THE BIBLE THAT WE'RE TOLD WERE WRITTEN BY GOD. 03:59 NOW, ALL OF THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD, BUT THE TEN 04:03 COMMANDMENTS IN PARTICULAR WERE SPOKEN WITH THE MOUTH OF GOD AND 04:08 WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD ON STONE TO REPRESENT THEIR 04:12 ETERNAL, UNCHANGING NATURE. AND SO THESE WOULD BE WORDS 04:16 ABOVE ALL WORDS THAT DESERVE OUR ATTENTION AND SACRED REVERENCE. 04:25 THERE'S SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARILY HOLY ABOUT THE 04:28 LAW OF GOD, WHEN GOD SPEAKS SOMETHING TO A NATION AUDIBLY, 04:32 WHEN HE WRITES IT WITH HIS OWN FINGER, THAT MEANS HE'S PUTTING 04:35 A SPECIAL ATTENTION OR PRIORITY UPON IT, AND THAT PRIORITY OUGHT 04:39 TO PASS ON TO US AS WELL. NOW, OF COURSE, YOU FIND THE 04:43 TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS, CHAPTER 20. 04:47 YOU ALSO FIND THEM REPEATED IN A NUMBER OF PLACES IN PART. 04:50 YOU FIND THEM IN DEUTERONOMY 5. BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO GO WITH ME. 04:54 I WANT YOU TO NOTICE SOMETHING ABOUT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT 04:58 JUST HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE AWESOME NATURE OF IT. 05:01 THE SERIES WE'RE DOING IS CALLED "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: LAWS OF 05:05 LOVE AND LIBERTY." TODAY IS, IN PARTICULAR, 05:10 GOING TO FOCUS ON THE FIRST COMMANDMENT. 05:13 WE SORT OF GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE LAW LAST WEEK; TODAY WE'RE 05:15 GOING TO TALK ABOUT WORSHIPING HIM ALONE. 05:19 AND WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE HOLY CONTEXT OF THE LAW WHEN IT 05:24 IS GIVEN, IF YOU TURN TO EXODUS 19 AND START WITH VERSE 16, GOD 05:32 SAID THAT HE WOULD MEET WITH THEM ON MOUNT SINAI, AND HE TOLD 05:36 THEM "I'LL MEET WITH YOU AFTER THE THIRD DAY." 05:38 INTERESTING THAT JESUS ROSE THE THIRD DAY. 05:42 "THEN IT CAME TO PASS ON THE THIRD DAY, IN THE MORNING, THAT 05:47 THERE WERE THUNDERINGS AND LIGHTNINGS, AND A THICK CLOUD ON 05:50 THE MOUNTAIN; AND THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET WAS VERY LOUD, SO 05:55 THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE CAMP TREMBLED. 05:58 AND MOSES BROUGHT THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE CAMP TO MEET WITH GOD, 06:01 AND THEY STOOD AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 06:04 NOW MOUNT SINAI WAS COMPLETELY IN SMOKE, BECAUSE THE LORD 06:08 DESCENDED UPON IT IN FIRE. ITS SMOKE ASCENDED LIKE THE 06:12 SMOKE OF A FURNACE, AND THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN QUAKED GREATLY. 06:17 AND WHEN THE BLAST OF THE TRUMPET SOUNDED LONG AND BECAME 06:21 LOUDER AND LOUDER" (IT ALREADY SAID IT WAS EXCEEDING LOUD), 06:25 "MOSES SPOKE, AND GOD ANSWERED HIM BY VOICE. 06:29 THEN THE LORD CAME DOWN UPON MOUNT SINAI, ON THE TOP OF THE 06:33 MOUNTAIN. AND THE LORD CALLED MOSES [UP 06:35 TO] THE MOUNTAIN, AND MOSES WENT UP." AND HE WARNED THE PEOPLE, 06:41 "'GO DOWN AND [TELL THEM,] LEST THEY BREAK THROUGH TO GAZE ... 06:44 AND MANY OF THEM PERISH." THIS MOUNTAIN WAS SO SACRED 06:48 BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF WOULD BE ON THIS MOUNTAIN. 06:50 THEY HAD SET BOUNDS ABOUT IT, AND IF MAN OR BEAST CROSSED THIS 06:53 BARRIER, YOU WEREN'T TO KILL THEM BY TOUCHING THEM BECAUSE 06:57 YOU WOULD ALMOST BE CONTAMINATED BY THAT. 06:59 IT SAYS YOU WERE TO SHOOT THEM WITH AN ARROW OR THRUST THEM 07:02 THROUGH, BUT DON'T EVEN TOUCH THEM IF THEY WOULD DARE VENTURE 07:05 UNINVITED ON THIS SACRED GROUND. NOW MOSES, AND LATER THE PRIESTS 07:10 AND JOSHUA, THEY WERE INVITED UP, BUT IF YOU CAME WITHOUT 07:13 AN INVITATION ONTO THIS HOLY MOUNTAIN, AND ESPECIALLY DURING 07:16 THE MOMENTS WHEN GOD WAS SPEAKING THE COVENANT-. 07:19 FIRST HE SPOKE THE COVENANT; THEN HE LATER WROTE IT. 07:22 SO IT'S LIKE AN AGREEMENT. FIRST YOU HAVE THE ORAL AGREEMENT, AND 07:28 THEN YOU HAVE THE WRITTEN VERSION OF THAT AGREEMENT. 07:31 NOW, JUST PICTURE THIS FOR A MINUTE. 07:33 THEY'RE STANDING AT THE BASE OF THIS MOUNTAIN, AND WE'RE NOT 07:36 EXACTLY SURE WHAT MOUNTAIN THAT IS. 07:39 RIGHT NOW, THEY'VE GOT A FAMOUS SPOT. 07:41 THEY'VE GOT THE SAINT CATHERINE'S MONASTERY IN THE 07:44 SINAI PENINSULA ON THIS MOUNTAIN THAT A LATER TRADITION TELLS US 07:49 IS MOUNT SINAI. SOME OF YOU HERE HAVE PROBABLY 07:52 BEEN ON A MIDDLE EASTERN TOUR, AND MAYBE YOU EVEN WENT DOWN TO 07:55 THE SINAI PENINSULA AND VISITED THAT MOUNTAIN. 07:58 YOU CAN TAKE A CAMEL RIDE PART OF THE WAY UP. 08:02 BUT SCHOLARS ARE MORE INCLINED TO THINK THAT IT WASN'T IN THE 08:08 SINAI PENINSULA TODAY, BUT IT WAS REALLY IN SAUDI ARABIA, AND 08:13 THAT WAS THE SEA THAT WAS PARTED MIRACULOUSLY BY GOD. 08:17 IT MAKES SENSE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. 08:20 FOR ONE THING, PAUL SAYS, "MOUNT SINAI, WHICH IS IN ARABIA." 08:24 IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. SO, SOMEWHERE IN THE 08:26 SOUTHERN REGIONS OF THAT ARABIAN PENINSULA, THERE IS A MOUNTAIN; 08:30 SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY'VE FOUND THAT. 08:31 THEY HAVE FOUND SOME MOUNTAINS DOWN THERE THAT SEEM TO HAVE 08:35 SOME ANCIENT CARVINGS IN THEM, SEEMS TO FIT THE DESCRIPTION, 08:39 AND THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN IS CHARRED. THE ROCKS ARE LITERALLY 08:41 BURNT BLACK FROM A CERTAIN POINT UP, AND NONE OF THE OTHER 08:45 MOUNTAINS AROUND THERE ARE LIKE THAT, AND THEY THOUGHT MAYBE 08:46 THIS IS THE VESTIGE OF WHEN THIS MOUNTAIN WAS SCORCHED BY THE 08:51 GLORY OF GOD. I DON'T KNOW. NOBODY'S EXACTLY SURE WHERE THAT 08:56 MOUNTAIN IS, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU IF YOU WERE THERE THAT DAY, 09:00 IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AWESOME THING. THUNDER. 09:04 PICTURE SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION AND A 09:10 MUSHROOM CLOUD GOING HEAVENWARD FROM THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN. 09:15 I REMEMBER ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, NOT FAR FROM OUR PLACE IN 09:19 MENDOCINO COUNTY, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE FOREST FIRE ON MOUNT 09:23 SANHEDRIN. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE SUMMERS 09:27 WHERE JUST THINGS TOOK OFF. THE TIMBER WAS VERY DRY. 09:30 AND ONE MORNING WE WOKE UP, AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A BREEZE 09:34 COMING FROM THE OCEAN IT BLEW AWAY THE HAZE THAT HAD BEEN 09:36 THERE FOR DAYS, AND WE COULD CLEARLY SEE WHERE THE FIRE WAS 09:39 COMING UP FROM THE TOP OF MOUNT SANHEDRIN, AND IT WENT UP LIKE A 09:43 MUSHROOM CLOUD. QUITE LITERALLY, IT FORMED A 09:45 MUSHROOM CLOUD AS IT WENT UP INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. 09:48 THE WHOLE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS ON FIRE. THE SMOKE FROM 09:53 FOREST FIRES CAN CREATE A CLOUD THAT WILL PRODUCE LIGHTNING. 09:58 YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT TORNADOS PRODUCING LIGHTNING. 10:01 AND SO HERE, COMING FROM THE TOP OF MOUNT SINAI, ALSO KNOWN AS 10:04 MOUNT HOREB IN THE BIBLE-SAME MOUNTAIN, TRUMPET BLASTS, 10:07 LIGHTNING, THICK SMOKE; THEY CAN'T SEE IT, AND THERE ARE 10:10 FLASHES COMING OUT OF IT. SO GOD DID SOMETHING AWESOME AND 10:16 GRAND AND SPECTACULAR WHEN HE DELIVERED HIS LAW, UNLIKE 10:19 ANYTHING HE HAD DONE BEFORE, TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE 10:22 HOLY NATURE OF HIS LAW. SO WHEN WE START TO DELVE INTO 10:26 THE LAW OF THE LORD, KNOW THAT IT IS SOMETHING SPECIAL. 10:32 NOW I'M EMPHASIZING THAT BECAUSE IT BREAKS MY HEART; I STILL MEET 10:36 EVEN PROFESSED CHRISTIANS TODAY THAT THINK THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 10:40 HAVE SOMEHOW BEEN DONE AWAY WITH IN PART OR IN WHOLE. 10:43 GOD DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO EMPHASIZE THIS LAW WAS FOR ALL 10:46 OF MAN. YOU NOTICE HE DOESN'T GIVE THE 10:48 TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PALESTINE, OR THE LAND OF ISRAEL. 10:52 HE DOES IT IN A NEUTRAL LAND, REPRESENTING IT IS FOR ALL 10:56 HUMANITY, RIGHT? NOW I THOUGHT IT WOULD ONLY BE 11:01 APPROPRIATE AS WE BEGIN THIS SERIES ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 11:04 THAT I READ THROUGH THEM. WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THEM. 11:08 A FEW YEARS AGO SOME COLLEGE PROFESSORS GAVE A NUMBER OF 11:12 THEIR STUDENTS PRINTED COPIES OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (YOU CAN 11:15 FIT THEM EASILY ON ONE PAGE) AND ASKED THEM TO ORGANIZE THEM IN 11:19 ORDER OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT THE MOST IMPORTANT WERE. 11:22 NINETY PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS REARRANGED THE ORDER. 11:25 THEY THOUGHT THE PRIORITIES WERE WRONG, AND THEY TOOK THE 11:27 COMMANDMENTS THAT HAD TO DO WITH MAN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS 11:30 FELLOW MAN, AND THEY PUT THEM AT THE TOP. 11:33 ARE YOU AWARE, FIFTY PERCENT OF CHRISTIANS IN NORTH AMERICA CAN 11:43 ONLY NAME FIVE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? THAT'S ACCORDING 11:46 TO A BARNA SURVEY. FIFTY PERCENT OF CHRISTIANS IN 11:50 NORTH AMERICA CAN ONLY THINK OF FIVE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 11:54 NOW, SOME OF THOSE CHRISTIANS AREN'T IN CHURCH EVERY WEEK I 11:56 SUSPECT. LET'S LOOK AT THEM TOGETHER. 11:59 EXODUS 20:1, "AND GOD SPOKE ALL THESE WORDS, SAYING." 12:07 NOW, HERE'S WHERE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS BEGIN. 12:09 ON THE STONES BEHIND ME, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE HEBREW 12:11 ENGRAVING. 12:13 STARTS WITH, WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IS VERSE 2 IN YOUR BIBLE. 12:17 "I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF 12:20 EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. 12:23 YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME." 12:25 THAT WOULD BE COMMANDMENT ONE. "YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF 12:30 A CARVED IMAGE-ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN 12:33 ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER 12:37 UNDER THE EARTH; YOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN TO THEM NOR SERVE THEM. 12:40 FOR I, THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM A JEALOUS GOD, VISITING THE 12:44 INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH 12:47 GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO HATE ME, BUT SHOWING MERCY TO 12:50 THOUSANDS, TO THOSE WHO LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." 12:53 RIGHT THERE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IT TELLS THE KEY, 12:56 LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. 12:59 THIRD COMMANDMENT NOW, "YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE 13:03 LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN, FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS 13:06 WHO TAKES HIS NAME IN VAIN." FOURTH COMMANDMENT, "REMEMBER 13:10 THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY. 13:12 SIX DAYS YOU SHALL LABOR AND DO ALL YOUR WORK, BUT THE SEVENTH 13:16 DAY IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD YOUR GOD. 13:18 IN IT YOU SHALL DO NO WORK: YOU, NOR YOUR SON, NOR YOUR DAUGHTER, 13:22 NOR YOUR MALE SERVANT, NOR YOUR FEMALE SERVANT, NOR YOUR CATTLE, 13:25 NOR YOUR STRANGER WHO IS WITHIN YOUR GATES. 13:28 FOR IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, THE 13:31 SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, AND RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY. 13:34 THEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY AND HALLOWED IT." 13:38 NOW WE'VE JUST RECITED THE COMMANDMENTS THAT WOULD BE ON 13:40 THE FIRST STONE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO THE SECOND SET, OR TABLE. 13:47 "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER, THAT YOUR DAYS MAY BE 13:49 LONG UPON THE LAND WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU. 13:53 "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. 13:59 "YOU SHALL NOT STEAL. "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE 14:03 WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR. "YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR 14:07 NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE; YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WIFE, NOR 14:10 HIS MALE SERVANT, NOR HIS FEMALE SERVANT, NOR HIS OX, NOR HIS 14:13 DONKEY, NOR ANYTHING THAT IS YOUR NEIGHBOR'S." 14:17 NOW, NOTICE WHAT IT SAYS AFTER THE COMMANDMENTS WERE GIVEN. 14:20 VERSE 18, "NOW ALL THE PEOPLE WITNESSED THE THUNDERINGS, THE 14:25 LIGHTNING FLASHES, THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET, AND THE MOUNTAIN 14:29 SMOKING; AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW IT, THEY TREMBLED AND STOOD AFAR 14:33 OFF. THEN THEY SAID TO MOSES, 'YOU 14:35 SPEAK WITH US, AND WE WILL HEAR; BUT LET NOT GOD SPEAK WITH US, 14:39 LEST WE DIE.' AND MOSES SAID..., 'DO NOT FEAR; FOR GOD HAS COME 14:45 TO TEST YOU, AND THAT HIS FEAR MAY BE BEFORE YOU, SO THAT YOU 14:49 MAY NOT SIN.'" GOD DID NOT GIVE US THE LAW TO KILL US; HE GAVE 14:53 US THE LAW BECAUSE HE WANTS TO SAVE US, AMEN? 14:56 SO, THE LAW IS GOOD; IT'S JUST; IT'S HOLY. 15:01 THE LAW OF THE LORD IS PERFECT, CONVERTING THE SOUL, AND IT'S 15:03 APPROPRIATE THAT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THE LAW OF GOD. 15:07 WE OUGHT TO MAKE A PRIORITY OF WHAT GOD MAKES A PRIORITY OF, 15:11 AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE LAW OF GOD ALL THE WAY FROM GENESIS TO 15:14 REVELATION. JESUS SAID, "[THINK NOT I HAVE COME] TO DESTROY THE 15:18 LAW... I DID NOT COME TO DESTROY BUT TO [FILL FULL]." SO NOW WE 15:22 ARE GOING TO FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THAT FIRST COMMANDMENT. 15:25 "I AM THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH HAVE BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE 15:28 LAND OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. 15:31 THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME" [KJV]. 15:35 NOW, IT IS AN INSTINCT THAT GOD HAS PLACED IN EVERY PERSON TO 15:40 WORSHIP HIM. IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST 15:45 COMMANDMENT. AND I'LL SUBMIT TO YOU THAT IF YOU GET THIS 15:50 COMMANDMENT RIGHT, YOU WILL NOT BREAK ANY OF THE OTHERS. 15:55 IN THE LORD'S PRAYER, GOD PUTS THINGS IN ORDER OF THEIR 15:58 PRIORITY. FIRST THING IS, "OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, 16:03 HALLOWED"-HOLY-"[IS YOUR] NAME." FIRST PART OF THE LORD'S PRAYER 16:06 HAS TO DO WITH WORSHIPING GOD AS THE FATHER IN HEAVEN OF ALL. 16:11 YOU GET THAT PART RIGHT AND THE REST OF YOUR PRAYERS USUALLY END 16:14 UP RIGHT. SO GOD STARTS WITH THE PRIORITIES, AND THE PRIORITY IS, 16:19 FIRST TO WORSHIP HIM EXCLUSIVELY AND TO WORSHIP HIM ONLY. 16:24 BUT HE BEGINS BY SAYING, "I AM." NOW, DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? 16:32 FIRST PART OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, "I AM." 16:36 WHAT DID GOD SAY TO MOSES, EXODUS 3:14, WHEN MOSES SAID 16:41 "LORD," AT THE BURNING BUSH, "WHO IS THIS THAT YOU'RE TELLING 16:46 ME TO GO TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL?" 16:49 YOU KNOW, THE EGYPTIANS HAD SO MANY GODS, AND HE'S SAYING, 16:53 "WHICH ONE ARE YOU?" AND GOD, RATHER SAYING HE WAS, 16:56 YOU KNOW, EENY, MEENY, MINEY, OR MO, HE SAID, "WAIT A SECOND. 17:00 LET'S GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. 17:03 I AM THAT I AM. I AM THE SELF-EXISTENT ONE. 17:10 I AM THE ONE THAT MADE EVERYTHING THAT ALL THE OTHER 17:13 FALSE GODS ARE MADE OUT OF. YOU CAN'T EVEN HAVE A FALSE GOD 17:17 WITHOUT ME FIRST MAKING THE TRUE, AND THEN YOU 17:20 REALIGN THINGS. I AM THE ONE." 17:23 AND SO HE WANTED TO SEPARATE AND SAY, "I'M JUST NOT ONE AMONG 17:26 MANY. I AM THE REAL GOD." SO HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF 17:30 AS THE I AM WHO I AM. "YOU'LL SAY TO THE CHILDREN OF 17:33 ISRAEL, I AM HAS SENT ME TO YOU." 17:38 THIS IS ONE OF THE FAVORITE WAYS THAT JESUS DESCRIBES HIMSELF IN 17:43 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. JOHN, I THINK, REALLY 17:45 UNDERSTOOD THAT. THE JEWS UNDERSTOOD IT. 17:48 YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS SAID, "BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM," WHAT 17:52 DID THEY DO? THEY TOOK UP STONES TO KILL 17:55 JESUS FOR BLASPHEMY BECAUSE HE SAID, "BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I 17:58 AM," BECAUSE THAT WAS A DIVINE TITLE OF GOD. 18:04 IT TALKED ABOUT FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, THOU ART GOD. 18:08 BUT NOTICE HOW OFTEN JESUS USED THAT. 18:11 "I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE." "I AM THE LIVING WATER." 18:18 "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD." OVER AND OVER CHRIST SAYS, 18:22 "I AM" - THAT LADDER THAT REACHES FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH. 18:28 "I AM THE VINE." HOW MANY OTHER TIMES DOES HE SAY IT? 18:32 YOU OUGHT TO GO THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AND SEE JESUS 18:35 CONSTANTLY TALKING. HE SAID, "I AM HE THAT WAS DEAD 18:39 AND AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE," EVEN IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 18:42 SO JESUS IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE I AM. 18:45 WHO WAS IT THAT SPOKE TO MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH? 18:48 I THINK IT WAS GOD THE SON. BY THE WAY, THE BIBLE SAYS NO 18:52 MAN HAS SEEN GOD THE FATHER AT ANY TIME, BUT WE HAVE SEEN 18:55 GOD THROUGH GOD THE SON. JESUS IS THE ONE THROUGH WHOM 19:00 THE FATHER REVEALED HIMSELF TO HUMANITY. 19:02 THAT'S WHY GOD SAYS, "IF YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE FATHER. 19:06 I AM THE BREAD, THE DOOR, THE SHEPHERD," SO FORTH. 19:11 AND THEN HE GOES ON TO SAY, "I AM THE LORD THY GOD." 19:17 NOW, IN HEBREW WHAT HE'S SAYING IS, "I AM YAHWEH." 19:23 THIS IS THE SACRED NAME OF GOD. 19:25 IT'S A MYSTERY EXACTLY HOW TO SAY THIS. 19:28 THIS COMES FROM THOSE SACRED FOUR CONSONANTS; SOMETIMES IT'S 19:33 YHWH, OR OTHERS HAVE TRANSLATED IT JHVH. 19:39 WE SOMETIMES SAY "YAHWEH" OR "JEHOVAH" AS THE HOLY NAME OF 19:45 GOD, AND IN THE TETRAGRAMMATON, WHICH WAS THOSE FOUR LETTERS, 19:51 YOU'VE GOT THE CONSONANTS, BUT THE JEWS THOUGHT THE NAME OF GOD 19:54 WAS SO SACRED, WE AREN'T SURE WHAT THE VOWELS WERE, SO THE 19:57 EXACT PRONUNCIATION OF THAT NAME IS SOMEWHAT OF A MYSTERY. 20:01 BUT WE'LL SAY YAHWEH FOR RIGHT NOW. 20:04 WHAT HE SAYS IS, "I AM," ONE OF HIS TITLES, "YAHWEH ELOHIYM." 20:10 EVERYTHING HE COULD SAY TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF IS IN THAT 20:13 FIRST COMMANDMENT SO THERE'S NO CONFUSION. 20:16 "I AM THAT I AM, I AM JEHOVAH, I AM THE LORD, ELOHIYM." 20:23 SO HE TELLS US THAT HE IS THE SACRED ONE WITH THE SACRED NAME. 20:27 WE'VE GOT ANOTHER COMMANDMENT COMING TALKING ABOUT THE NAME OF 20:29 GOD, SO I DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD, BUT THERE'S NO 20:33 QUESTION. SOMETIMES YOU WRITE A LETTER TO 20:37 SOMEONE; YOU DON'T IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE TILL THE 20:39 END OF THE LETTER. IN A BUSINESS LETTER, YOU PUT 20:41 YOUR IDENTIFICATION AT THE TOP OF THE LETTER SO THEY'LL KNOW 20:44 WHAT I'M ABOUT TO READ; WHO IS IT FROM? 20:47 GOD SAYS, WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO READ, LET ME TELL YOU WHO IT'S 20:50 FROM. AND HE IDENTIFIES HIMSELF 20:52 CLEARLY IN THAT FIRST COMMANDMENT. 20:55 THEN ABOUT HALF OF THE COMMANDMENT IS GIVEN TO A PART 20:58 THAT SOME PEOPLE DELETE. GOD MADE IT A BIG PRIORITY. 21:03 HE SAYS, "I AM THE LORD..., WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF 21:07 EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE." 21:10 PEOPLE THINK, "WELL, THAT'S NOT THE FIRST COMMANDMENT. 21:13 THE FIRST COMMANDMENT IS NOT TO HAVE OTHER GODS BEFORE ME." 21:15 NO, PART OF THAT FIRST COMMANDMENT IS, "I AM THE GOD 21:19 WHO SAVED YOU." THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. 21:22 IF YOU MISS THIS, THE REST OF THE LAW DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. 21:25 GOD IS SAYING, "I SAVE YOU FIRST." 21:29 FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE IN 21:32 EGYPT, THEY APPLIED THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB; HE SAYS, "YOU COME TO 21:36 ME JUST AS YOU ARE." WE SANG THAT SONG A MINUTE AGO. 21:39 "JUST AS I AM," YOU COME TO HIM. HE SAYS, "I FORGIVE YOU. 21:42 I SAVE YOU. YOU TRUST THROUGH FAITH IN THE BLOOD OF THIS LAMB, 21:46 AND YOU'LL BE FORGIVEN. THEN I SAVE YOU OUT OF EGYPT 21:50 AFTER I'VE SAVED YOU FROM EGYPT." 21:51 AND HE GAVE THEM THEN BREAD FROM HEAVEN, HE DESTROYED THEIR 21:54 ENEMIES WHEN THEY WERE ATTACKED, HE GAVE THEM WATER OUT OF A 21:57 ROCK, AND YOU NOTICE AFTER HE SHOWED THEM HIS CARE FOR THEM IN 22:01 THIS PROVISION FOR THEM, HE REMINDS THEM, "I HAVE YOUR BEST 22:04 INTEREST IN MIND. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I LOVE YOU. 22:08 THAT'S WHY I'VE DONE SOMETHING FOR YOU THAT I'VE NOT DONE FOR 22:10 ANY OTHER NATION. WHAT OTHER NATION," GOD SAYS, "HAD A GOD SO 22:15 CLOSE TO THEM, LEADING YOU NOW IN A PILLAR OF FIRE, HEARING MY 22:19 VOICE SPEAK TO YOU? I'M THE ONE WHO JUST SAVED YOU. 22:22 I CARE ABOUT YOU. I LOVE YOU." HE'S IMPLYING, JOHN 14:15, "IF 22:30 YOU LOVE ME, [HERE'S MY LAW]." YOU UNDERSTAND? 22:34 THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, GOD IS SAYING, 22:37 "I'VE SHOWN YOU HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU. 22:40 NOW HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ME? DO YOU LOVE ME? 22:44 AND IF YOU LOVE ME," AND IT SAYS IT RIGHT THERE IN THE 22:46 COMMANDMENTS, REMEMBER? "SHEWING MERCY UNTO THOUSANDS OF 22:48 THEM THAT LOVE ME, AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS" [KJV]. 22:50 LOVE, THEN OBEY. GOD IS TELLING US AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TEN 22:54 COMMANDMENTS, "I HAVE SAVED YOU." 22:57 DOES OBEDIENCE COME BEFORE SALVATION, OR DOES SALVATION 23:00 COME BEFORE OBEDIENCE? THAT'S A TRICKY 23:04 QUESTION FOR PEOPLE! YOU ARE NOT SAVED 23:08 BECAUSE YOU OBEY. THE ONLY PART OF OBEDIENCE 23:10 THAT COMES BEFORE SALVATION IS BELIEVING. 23:13 GOD COMMANDS YOU TO BELIEVE, AND IF YOU WANT TO CALL THAT 23:15 OBEDIENCE, THEN THAT'S THE PART THAT COMES. 23:17 WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, NOT BY EARNING IT, THROUGH FAITH. 23:21 BUT THEN WHEN YOU ARE SAVED, YOU ARE SO THANKFUL, THAT YOU LIVE A 23:26 RIGHTEOUS LIFE BECAUSE OF FAITH. THAT'S WHAT RIGHTEOUSNESS 23:30 BY FAITH IS. SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO 23:33 GET THE ORDER RIGHT HERE. "I HAVE SAVED YOU BECAUSE I LOVE 23:39 YOU, AND IF YOU OBEY ME, DO IT BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME." 23:44 THEN HE SAYS, "I AM THE LORD..., WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND 23:46 OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. 23:48 YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS." HE DOESN'T SAY FEWER GODS. 23:56 HE IS VERY CLEAR THAT HE DOES NOT ALLOW ANY COMPETITION WITH 24:01 ANY OTHER GODS. KEEP IN MIND HE HAD JUST VISITED 24:06 THE GODS OF EGYPT WITH ALL THOSE PLAGUES, 10 PLAGUES. 24:10 THOSE PLAGUES WERE DIRECTED IN MANY WAYS AT THE EGYPTIAN GODS. 24:14 THEY WORSHIPED THE SUN; SUN GETS BLACKED OUT. 24:17 THEY WORSHIPED THE RIVER; RIVER TURNS TO BLOOD. 24:19 THEY WORSHIP THE CRITTERS IN THE RIVER; FROGS START TO 24:22 PROLIFERATE EVERYWHERE. SO THESE PLAGUES ARE REALLY 24:25 SHOWING HOW POWERLESS THEIR GODS WERE, AND NOW GOD IS SAYING, "I 24:29 DON'T WANT TO BE ONE OF YOUR GODS." IT'S DIFFICULT WITNESSING 24:36 TO CERTAIN WORLD RELIGIONS THAT ABSORB GODS. 24:43 BUDDHISM, FOR INSTANCE, AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE UNGRACIOUS TO 24:46 ANY BUDDHISTS WHO MAY BE WATCHING OR MAY BE HERE TODAY, 24:48 BUT BUDDHISTS WILL SAY, "JESUS IS WONDERFUL. 24:51 WE LOVE JESUS, AND WE LOVE BUDDHA, AND WE RESPECT ALL GODS, 24:54 AND THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT INCARNATIONS OF GOD." 24:57 AND THEY SORT OF ABSORB JESUS AND MAKE HIM ONE AMONG MANY. 25:01 THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS THAT THE WORLD, AND ESPECIALLY 25:05 THE MEDIA, HAS WITH JESUS, IS THE EXCLUSIVE NATURE OF 25:11 CHRISTIANITY. WHILE WE LOVE AND RESPECT PEOPLE 25:14 FROM MANY DIFFERENT FAITHS, LET'S MAKE ONE THING CLEAR: THE 25:18 BOOK THAT WE BELIEVE IN DOES NOT SAY THAT YOU ARE SAVED BY 25:21 WHATEVER YOU HAPPEN TO BELIEVE. IT SAYS "THERE IS NO OTHER NAME 25:26 GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED." 25:30 GOD SAYS, "I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY OTHER GODS." 25:34 SO YOU MIGHT LOVE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT RELIGIONS. 25:39 YOU DO NEED TO LOVE THEM; JESUS DOES. 25:42 YOU WANT TO BE A GOOD WITNESS TO THEM. 25:44 BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO BE FAITHFUL TO GOD AND SAY, "WHILE I LOVE 25:47 AND RESPECT YOU, I CAN'T PARTICIPATE WITH YOU IN EVEN 25:50 GIVING PARTIAL WORSHIP TO YOUR GOD OR YOUR GODS BECAUSE MY GOD 25:54 SAYS THERE IS NO OTHER GOD." DANIEL UNDERSTOOD THAT, WHILE HE 26:00 LOVED AND RESPECTED THE PEOPLE IN BABYLON-OR PERSIA AT THIS 26:08 TIME, WHEN THE KING SAID, "DON'T PRAY TO ANYONE EXCEPT ME FOR 30 26:11 DAYS," DANIEL SAID, "NO OTHER GOD. NO OTHER GOD." 26:17 AND HE SAID, "I'M GOING TO LET YOU KNOW WHICH GOD I WORSHIP 26:19 EVEN IF IT COSTS ME MY LIFE." AND THEY COULD HAVE THOUGHT, 26:23 "DANIEL, THAT'S NOT VERY LOVING. COULDN'T YOU, JUST FOR 30 DAYS, 26:29 TEMPORARILY CLOSE YOUR WINDOWS?" NO OTHER GOD. 26:33 AND THAT'S THE SPIRIT AND THE ATTITUDE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AS 26:37 BELIEVERS. GOD IS VERY CLEAR. 26:39 REMEMBER, THESE ARE NOT TEN RECOMMENDATIONS. 26:42 THEY'RE NOT TEN GREAT IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS. 26:46 THESE ARE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND COMMANDMENTS ARE MEANT TO BE 26:51 OBEYED. AND SO HE SAYS, "NO OTHER GODS." BABYLONIANS, IT 26:58 TELLS YOU THERE IN DANIEL 5:4, THEY PRAISED THE GODS OF GOLD 27:01 AND SILVER AND BRASS AND IRON AND WOOD AND STONE. 27:04 THEY HAD ALL KINDS OF GODS MADE OUT OF ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF 27:07 MATERIALS. IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THE GREEKS 27:09 WORSHIPED 30,000 DIFFERENT GODS. THE ROMANS HAD SO MANY GODS IN 27:14 THE CITY OF ROME, THEY HAD TO BUILD THE PARTHENON 27:17 TO HOLD THEM ALL. AND MANY OF THE PRIESTS THERE 27:20 COULDN'T NAME THEM ALL, THEY WERE SO NUMEROUS. 27:24 IN MODERN INDIA, IT'S ESTIMATED THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS 330 27:28 MILLION GODS, MOST OF THEM FROM THE HINDU FAITH. 27:33 EVERY VILLAGE AND TOWN HAS GOT THEIR OWN SPECIAL GROUP OF GODS, 27:37 AND THEY HAVE THE STORIES THAT GO WITH IT. 27:38 IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW THAT MANY GODS. 27:41 BUT THE LORD SAYS, "ONE GOD." SOME PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH THAT. 27:50 MOSES SAID IN DEUTERONOMY 6:4, IN THE GREAT SHEMA, 27:55 "HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD ... IS ONE! YOU SHALL LOVE 27:58 THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, [AND MIND,]...SOUL, 28:01 AND ... STRENGTH." WELL, IS HE ONE GOD, OR IS HE THREE? 28:06 WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT. 28:07 GOD, OUR GOD, IS ONE GOD. HE IS A UNITED GOD. 28:12 GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT IS ONE GOD. 28:15 SEE, THE EGYPTIANS, THEY HAD ALL THEIR TERRITORIAL GODS. 28:19 THEY HAD THE GOD OF THE RIVER, AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE GOD OF 28:22 THE SAND DUNES MESS WITH THE GOD OF THE RIVER, AND THE GOD OF THE 28:24 LIGHT, AND THE GOD OF THE BIRDS, AND THEY ALL HAD THEIR BATTLES 28:27 AND INTRIGUE AMONG THEMSELVES, AND LIKE THE GREEK GODS, ALL 28:30 FOOLING AROUND WITH EACH OTHER AND HUMANITY FOR ENTERTAINMENT. 28:35 BUT NOT WITH OUR GOD. OUR GOD IS A ONE GOD. 28:39 GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT ARE PERFECTLY UNITED. 28:42 YOU SAY, "WELL, WAIT, DOUG. HERE YOU'RE SAYING ONE GOD, AND 28:45 YET YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S COMPOSED OF THREE PEOPLE." 28:47 THAT'S A VERY CLEAN BIBLICAL CONCEPT. 28:49 JESUS SAID TO THE 12 APOSTLES, HE PRAYED TO THE FATHER, 28:52 "FATHER, I PRAY THAT THEY MAY BE ONE" (THERE ARE TWELVE OF THEM), 28:55 "EVEN AS YOU AND I ARE ONE," JOHN 17. SO YOU'VE GOT TWELVE, 28:59 BUT THEY ARE ONE. AND THE BIBLE SAYS A MAN LEAVES 29:03 HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND HE CLEAVES UNTO HIS WIFE, 29:05 AND THE TWO BECOME WHAT? ONE FLESH. 29:09 SO, THE LORD IS CONSISTENT WHEN HE SAYS THERE IS ONE GOD, BUT WE 29:14 KNOW THERE IS MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN THE GODHEAD BECAUSE 29:17 THERE IN GENESIS DURING CREATION, GOD SAYS, "LET US" - 29:22 ELOHIYM IS PLURAL THERE - "MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE." AND I FORGOT 29:26 TO REMIND YOU OF THAT, WHEN IT SAYS IN THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, 29:29 "I AM THE LORD THY GOD," GOD THERE IS ELOHIYM ; IT'S IN THE 29:33 PLURAL. SO EVEN IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, IT'S ALMOST LIKE 29:38 GOD IS SAYING, "WE ARE THE LORD YOUR GOD." HE SAYS "I AM" 29:42 BECAUSE GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT ARE OF PERFECTLY ONE 29:46 MIND. AND I SUPPOSE THAT IF KAREN AND 29:51 I COULD ALWAYS READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS, AND IF SHE COULD ALWAYS 29:54 READ MY MIND WITH WHAT YOU CALL REAL TIME, SIMULTANEOUSLY, I 29:58 CAN ALWAYS THINK WHAT SHE'S THINKING, AND SHE COULD THINK 29:59 WHAT I'M THINKING, WE COULD TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE AND SAY "I" AND 30:04 MEAN BOTH BECAUSE SHE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING 30:07 AND WHAT I'M SAYING. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 30:11 NO, NOT EXACTLY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT LIKE THAT! 30:17 SO FOR GOD, WHOSE MIND IS PERFECTLY LINKED, ISN'T IT TRUE 30:22 THAT JESUS SAID, "YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE FATHER." 30:24 GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND SPIRIT ARE PERFECTLY LINKED. 30:27 HE SAID "THE SPIRIT IS GOING TO TAKE ME TO YOU," RIGHT? 30:31 ISN'T THAT WHAT HE SAID? WE SAY, "CHRIST IS IN MY HEART 30:33 NOW," BUT IS HE, OR IS IT CHRIST THROUGH GOD THE SPIRIT? 30:36 RIGHT? BUT THEY ARE ONE. 30:39 AND SO HE SAID, "I'M NOT GOING TO SHARE YOU WITH ANYONE ELSE." 30:44 GOD IS VERY EXCLUSIVE IN THAT, AND THAT REALLY BOTHERS PEOPLE 30:46 WHEN WE SAY ONLY ONE GOD, NOT SALVATION IN ANYONE ELSE. 30:53 ANOTHER PART OF THAT COMMANDMENT, IT SAYS, "YOU SHALL 30:55 NOT HAVE ANY OTHER GODS BEFORE ME." 30:59 ACCORDING TO JEWISH SCHOLARS, THAT WORD HAVE IS USED IN A 31:03 PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. A MAN WOULD HAVE A WIFE; 31:08 HE WOULD HAVE CHILDREN. THE WORD HAVE THERE IMPLIES 31:12 PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. GOD SAYS, "I AM THE ONE WHO HAS 31:17 A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, AND YOU ARE NOT TO HAVE 31:20 THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY OTHER GOD." 31:25 1 CORINTHIANS 8:5, 6. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT GODS. 31:28 PAUL TELLS US, "FOR EVEN IF THERE ARE SO-CALLED GODS, 31:37 WHETHER IN HEAVEN OR ON EARTH (AS THERE ARE MANY GODS AND MANY 31:40 LORDS)," THE MANY THAT ARE CALLED, SO-CALLED GODS, "YET FOR 31:45 US THERE IS ONE GOD, THE FATHER, OF WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, AND WE 31:50 [ARE] FOR HIM; AND ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH WHOM ARE 31:53 ALL THINGS, AND THROUGH WHOM WE LIVE." HE SAYS THERE'S ONE. 31:59 AND AGAIN, I READ TO YOU DEUTERONOMY 6:4, 5. 32:01 GOD SAID, "LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE." UNLESS WE ARE GUIDED 32:08 BY GOD'S SPIRIT, WE WILL WORSHIP OTHER THINGS. 32:14 UNLESS WE ARE KEEPING THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU 32:17 YOU ARE WORSHIPING SOMETHING ELSE. 32:20 YOU MIGHT BE SAYING, "WELL, DOUG, I MAY NOT BE A CHRISTIAN; 32:23 I DON'T REALLY WORSHIP ANY GOD." OH YES, YOU DO; YES, YOU DO. 32:27 EVERYBODY WORSHIPS SOMETHING, AND IF YOU ARE NOT MAKING THE 32:32 GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB YOUR GOD, THE GOD OF THE BIBLE 32:37 YOUR GOD, IF JESUS IS NOT YOUR ALL IN ALL, THEN THE QUESTION 32:41 IS, WHAT IS YOUR GOD? BECAUSE EVERYBODY SERVES SOMEBODY, AND 32:47 THAT'S THE QUESTION NOW, WHAT ARE YOU WORSHIPING? 32:50 A LOT OF DIFFERENT GODS OUT THERE. 32:53 SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THIS COMMANDMENT, AND I NEED TO GIVE 32:55 KAREN CREDIT FOR THIS (SHE BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTENTION), 32:59 HE NOT ONLY SAYS, "I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE ANY OTHER GODS," HE 33:03 IS CALLING THEM OUT, TO BE SEPARATE. HE'S WANTING THEM TO 33:08 BE UNIQUE. NOTICE, "I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD WHO BROUGHT YOU 33:11 OUT." "I BROUGHT YOU OUT TO WORSHIP ME." MOSES SAID TO 33:17 PHARAOH, "LET MY PEOPLE GO THAT THEY MIGHT GO OUT IN THE 33:19 WILDERNESS AND HOLD A FEAST UNTO ME AND WORSHIP ME." 33:22 YOU KNOW WHAT THE CHURCH IS? THE WORD CHURCH THERE IN GREEK IS 33:25 EKKLESIA . YOU'VE HEARD OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL . 33:28 EK- , YOU LOOK ON THE RED BEHIND YOU THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE, 33:32 NOT THE TIME CLOCK, YOU'LL SEE "EXIT." 33:35 THAT SPRINGS FROM A GREEK WORD THAT MEANS "OUT," THE WAY OUT. 33:39 AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE WORD KALOS OR KALO ; KALEO , REALLY. 33:45 IT SOUNDS LIKE CALL , DOESN'T IT? 33:47 I'M GOING TO PICK UP MY CELL PHONE AND GIVE YOU A KALEO . 33:50 YOU GET THE IDEA. IT MEANS "TO CALL." 33:54 SO THE CHURCH IS THE CALLED OUT. HE SAYS, "I SAVED YOU OUT OF." 34:02 YOU CANNOT WORSHIP GOD UNTIL YOU COME OUT. 34:07 YOU KNOW WHAT THE PHARAOH SAID, HE SAID, "MOSES, LOOK, ALL 34:09 RIGHT, ENOUGH PLAGUES, ENOUGH. I'LL LET YOU WORSHIP YOUR LORD. 34:13 DO IT RIGHT HERE." AND THEY SAID, "NO, THAT WON'T 34:16 WORK BECAUSE WE OFFER SACRIFICES, AND THAT'S AN 34:20 ABOMINATION TO THE EGYPTIANS. THEY'LL STONE US. 34:22 WE'VE GOT TO GO THREE DAYS INTO THE WILDERNESS. 34:24 WE CAN'T WORSHIP OUR GOD TILL WE GET OUT OF EGYPT." 34:27 THE CHURCH, IN ORDER TO WORSHIP GOD, NEEDS TO COME OUT FROM THE 34:31 WORLD. YOU NEED TO BE SEPARATE. CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE 34:36 THESE DAYS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH AND THE 34:39 PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE WORLD? NOT VERY WELL. 34:45 I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CHURCH IN A MORE UNIVERSAL SENSE. 34:48 YOU CAN BARELY SPOT A CHRISTIAN ANYMORE. 34:51 THERE OUGHT TO BE A DIFFERENCE IN CHRISTIANS IN THE WAY THAT WE 34:54 TALK, IN THE WAY THAT WE ACT, IN THE WAY THAT WE THINK, THE MUSIC 35:00 THAT WE LISTEN TO, THE CLOTHES THAT WE WEAR, THE FOOD THAT WE 35:02 EAT. EVERYTHING ABOUT A CHRISTIAN 35:05 OUGHT TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW WHY? 35:07 BECAUSE WE ARE A CALLED OUT PEOPLE. 35:10 LET ME GIVE YOU SOME VERSES FOR THAT. 1 PETER 2:9. 35:13 "BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, 35:16 A HOLY NATION, HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM 35:21 THE PRAISES," HOW? IN OUR LIVES. 35:24 "PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO" HAS, NOTICE, "CALLED YOU 35:29 OUT." THAT'S WHAT GOD SAYS IN THE TEN 35:31 COMMANDMENTS, "I HAVE SAVED YOU OUT." 35:34 HE "CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT." 35:36 BY THE WAY, IN EXODUS 19, IT SAYS, "I HAVE CALLED YOU OUT TO 35:39 BE A PECULIAR TREASURE." HE SAYS, "I WANT 35:43 YOU TO BE SEPARATE. YOU ARE MY JEWELS. 35:44 I'VE CALLED YOU OUT TO BE DIFFERENT." 35:46 SO, PART OF WORSHIPING GOD AND NO OTHER GOD IS TO BE WILLING TO 35:50 COME OUT, BE SEPARATE. BY THE WAY, I DIDN'T 35:52 READ THAT TO YOU. 2 CORINTHIANS 6:17. 35:56 I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT AND ONE 35:59 FROM THE OLD. HERE'S ANOTHER NEW TESTAMENT. "THEREFORE 'COME OUT 36:03 FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE, SAYS THE LORD. 36:06 DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN, AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU.'" SO IF 36:11 YOU'RE JUST RIGHT IN THERE WITH THE WORLD ALL WEEK LONG, AND YOU 36:14 COME TO CHURCH FOR TWO HOURS A WEEK, ARE YOU REALLY CALLED OUT? 36:19 ARE YOU WANTING TO REFLECT CHRIST AND LIVE DIFFERENTLY? 36:23 IF YOU'RE GOING TO WORSHIP HIM AS YOUR SUPREME GOD, YOU'VE GOT 36:26 TO COME OUT OF EGYPT. AND THAT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE TEXT. 36:31 SOMETHING ELSE, ANOTHER REASON THAT WE WORSHIP GOD SUPREMELY 36:34 IS, THERE IS NO GOD LIKE OUR GOD. GOD IS ALL-KNOWING. 36:42 WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DESCRIPTIONS OF GOD, WE TALK 36:45 ABOUT GOD AS BEING OMNIPOTENT; HE'S OMNISCIENT; HE'S 36:48 OMNIPRESENT; HE'S OMNIPATHIC (THAT MEANS HE FEELS 36:51 EVERYTHING). IN OTHER WORDS, GOD IS EVERYWHERE, HE'S OMNIPRESENT. 36:57 HE ALWAYS EXISTS. HE'S ETERNAL. 37:00 HE KNOWS EVERYTHING-HE'S OMNISCIENT. 37:04 HE CAN DO ANYTHING-HE'S OMNIPOTENT. 37:08 HE FEELS EVERYTHING-HE'S OMNIPATHIC. 37:11 THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BUT OUR GOD. 37:13 BUT GOD HAS ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS WHERE HE DESERVES 37:17 OUR WORSHIP BECAUSE HE IS SO AWESOME AND POWERFUL. 37:22 LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW PSALMS. PSALM 147:5, A FEW VERSES HERE. 37:29 "GREAT IS OUR LORD, AND MIGHTY IN POWER; HIS UNDERSTANDING IS 37:32 INFINITE." WHY DO WE WORSHIP HIM? 37:35 THERE IS NO LIMIT TO HIS UNDERSTANDING. 37:37 I WAS TALKING WITH SOME FRIENDS FROM ANOTHER RELIGION, AND THEY 37:39 WERE TELLING ME THAT SOMEDAY, AS TIME GOES BY, THEY WILL 37:42 EVENTUALLY BE GODS OF THEIR OWN WORLDS. 37:45 AND I SAID, "WHEN YOU GET TO BE GODS OF YOUR OWN WORLD, WILL YOU 37:48 STILL BE ABLE TO LEARN?" "YEAH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LEARN, 37:50 AND EVENTUALLY WE'LL BE GODS OF OUR OWN UNIVERSE." 37:52 AND I SAID, "SO OUR GOD NOW, DID HE ONCE START OUT AS A LESSER 37:56 GOD?" "WELL, YES." "AND SO IS HE STILL LEARNING?" 38:00 AND THEY SAID, "YES." I SAID, "HOW COULD HE BE ALL-KNOWING AND 38:02 STILL LEARNING?" YOU GET THAT? YOU CAN'T RECONCILE THE TWO. 38:10 THE ONLY TIME A PERSON CAN REALLY BE ALL-KNOWING AND STILL 38:15 LEARNING IS A TEENAGER IN HIGH SCHOOL. 38:26 THERE'S THAT LITTLE LAPSE THERE. ISAIAH 55:9, "FOR AS THE HEAVENS 38:33 ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR 38:36 WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS." 38:41 IT'S NOT LIKE GOD IS INVOLVED IN TIME MANAGEMENT. 38:45 HE HAS POWER OVER TIME ITSELF. TALK ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT! 38:48 GOD CAN LIVE IN THE PAST, HE CAN LIVE IN THE PRESENT, HE CAN LIVE 38:51 IN THE FUTURE, AND HE CAN DO ALL OF IT AT ONE TIME. 38:54 YOU AND I CAN'T COMPREHEND THAT. THAT'S ANOTHER REASON 38:55 TO WORSHIP HIM. HE'S BEYOND TIME. 38:57 HE KNOWS EVERYTHING, BEFORE IT HAPPENS, WHAT IS GOING TO 39:00 HAPPEN. ISAIAH 42:9, "BEHOLD, [BEFORE] 39:04 THE FORMER THINGS ... COME TO PASS, AND NEW THINGS I DECLARE; 39:07 BEFORE THEY SPRING FORTH I TELL YOU OF THEM." 39:09 NOT LIKE THE WEATHER MAN WHO IS MAKING AN EDUCATED GUESS, GOD 39:12 KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. 39:14 ISAIAH 46:9, 10, "REMEMBER THE FORMER THINGS" (I THINK THIS WAS 39:18 IN OUR SCRIPTURE READING), "FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER; 39:21 I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE LIKE ME." 39:23 WHY WORSHIP HIM ALONE? "THERE IS NONE LIKE ME. I AM GOD." 39:26 "DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, AND FROM ANCIENT 39:28 TIMES THINGS THAT ARE NOT YET DONE." 39:31 YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, AND HE 39:33 CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW IT'S GOING TO WRAP UP, IN MINUTE 39:35 DETAIL. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT 39:37 HOW MUCH POWER IT REQUIRES TO PREDICT THE FUTURE PERFECTLY? 39:42 DO YOU REALIZE, BECAUSE THE WORLD IS SO INTERRELATED WITH 39:46 EVERY LITTLE ATOM AND ELECTRON AND NEUTRON, THAT EVERY GESTURE 39:52 YOU MAKE, EVERY BREATH YOU BREATHE IS GOING TO CREATE A 39:55 CHAIN REACTION OF OTHERS AROUND YOU? 39:57 ISN'T THAT RIGHT? SO THINK ABOUT HOW BRILLIANT 40:01 A PERSON WOULD HAVE TO BE TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO 40:03 HAPPEN IN HISTORY 1000 YEARS FROM NOW. 40:09 IF I WERE TO TELL YOU THAT IN 10 YEARS CUBA IS GOING TO RULE THE 40:12 WORLD, HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? 40:18 IF YOU WERE GOING TO SPECULATE AND PUT MONEY DOWN (I DON'T 40:21 RECOMMEND THAT), WOULD ANYONE PUT MONEY ON THAT? 40:25 PLEASE, DON'T TAKE OFFENSE, ANY OF MY FRIENDS IN CUBA. 40:29 I WENT TO SCHOOL IN MIAMI BEACH, AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WERE 40:31 FROM CUBA. I'M JUST PICKING THEM BECAUSE 40:32 THEY'RE A LITTLE, KIND OF ISOLATED COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. 40:35 WELL, YOU KNOW THAT'S WHAT GOD DID? 40:38 WHEN HE PREDICTED ROME WOULD RULE THE WORLD, THEY WERE 40:40 PRIMITIVE TRIBES UP THERE. TWO BROTHERS, OSTENSIBLY RAISED BY 40:44 WOLVES, SOMEDAY THEY'RE GOING TO RULE THE WORLD-WHO WOULD HAVE 40:46 THOUGHT? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT GOD, HE KNOWS. 40:50 EVERYTHING. ONLY GOD HAS THAT KIND OF POWER TO PREDICT THINGS, 40:54 AND HE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW THIS WORLD IS GOING TO END. 41:00 FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEY HAVE OTHER GODS. 41:03 LET'S TALK FOR JUST A MOMENT ABOUT THAT. 41:04 THIS SERMON WOULD BE VERY LONG IF I DECIDED TO TAKE THE 41:08 REMAINING TIME AND TALK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER POTENTIAL GODS YOU 41:11 MIGHT HAVE. I'D HAVE TO START GOING THROUGH 41:14 THE 330 MILLION GODS IN INDIA, AND WE'D BE HERE A LONG TIME. 41:20 BUT SOME OF THE BIG ONES THAT THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT, SOME 41:25 PEOPLE THINK MONEY IS A GOD. JESUS TALKED ABOUT THAT. 41:30 MATTHEW 6:24, "NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS; FOR ... HE WILL 41:34 HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR ... HE WILL BE LOYAL TO THE 41:36 ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE 41:39 GOD AND MAMMON." MAMMON WAS AN ANCIENT GOD OF 41:42 GOLD, AND IT'S SORT OF A GENERIC WORD WE USE FOR MONEY NOW, BUT 41:48 JESUS IS SAYING YOU CAN'T SERVE GOD AND MONEY. 41:51 THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY MONEY IS EVIL. WE BRING IT TO CHURCH 41:55 EVERY WEEK. WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE IT. 41:58 WE KNOW IT CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF GOOD, BUT MONEY REPRESENTS 42:00 INFLUENCE AND POWER, AND SOME PEOPLE WORSHIP POWER. 42:06 THAT'S WHAT THE DEVIL WANTED, ISN'T IT? 42:07 SO MONEY JUST SORT OF SYMBOLIZES THAT. 42:09 1 TIMOTHY 6:9, 10, "BUT THOSE WHO DESIRE TO BE RICH FALL INTO 42:14 TEMPTATION AND A SNARE, AND INTO MANY FOOLISH AND HARMFUL LUSTS 42:18 WHICH DROWN MEN IN DESTRUCTION AND PERDITION. 42:21 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL, FOR WHICH 42:25 SOME HAVE STRAYED FROM THE FAITH IN THEIR GREEDINESS, AND PIERCED 42:27 THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS." 42:30 GOOD REASON NOT TO HAVE MONEY AS YOUR GOD IS IT WON'T MAKE YOU 42:32 HAPPY. MY FATHER KNEW HOWARD HUGHES. 42:38 THEY WERE BOTH IN THE AIRLINE BUSINESS AT THE SAME TIME. 42:40 HE WAS A LOT RICHER THAN MY DAD. 42:43 HE OWNED TWA, AND MY DAD DURING THAT SAME TIME, YOU MAY NOT 42:49 KNOW, HE OWNED CONTROLLING INTEREST IN WESTERN AIRLINES. 42:52 I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE EVEN REMEMBERS WESTERN AIRLINES. 42:54 BUT NEITHER ONE OF THEM WERE VERY HAPPY. 42:58 HOWARD HUGHES, DID YOU EVER READ HOW HIS LIFE ENDED, HOW TRAGIC 43:01 IT WAS? HE ENDED UP JUST BUYING THE TOP 43:05 FLOOR IN SOME HOTEL, AND HE LIVED ALMOST A LITTLE BETTER 43:11 THAN AN ANIMAL, LIVING ON CANDY BARS, AND HE WAS A DRUG ADDICT 43:15 AND MISERABLE AND ISOLATED AND LONELY, AND HIS FINGERNAILS GREW 43:18 OUT LIKE NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S CLAWS. IT WAS SO PATHETIC. 43:21 WHEN HE FINALLY DIED, THEY HAD TO DO A LOT OF TESTS BECAUSE 43:25 THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE THIS SHALLOW FIGURE OF A MAN HAD ONCE BEEN 43:30 THAT VERY PROUD, TALL BUSINESSMAN AND AVIATOR. 43:35 BUT HE DIRECTED ALL HIS ATTENTION TO TRY TO INCREASE HIS 43:38 HOLDINGS. LOVE OF MONEY DOESN'T BRING HAPPINESS. 43:43 PIERCED HIMSELF THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS. 43:47 MONEY IS A GOD FOR MANY. WHEN ANYTHING OTHER THAN GOD 43:52 TAKES YOUR FIRST PLACE, YOU END UP BECOMING IMPRISONED BY IT. 43:57 THE BIBLE REALLY SPECIFIES THREE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE OTHER 44:00 GODS. IT'S CALLED THE LUST OF THE 44:01 FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE. 44:04 ALL THE OTHER GODS FALL INTO THOSE CATEGORIES. 44:07 MANY OF THE ANCIENT GODS WERE GODS OF LUST. 44:10 THEY HAD TEMPLE PROSTITUTES, AND YOU WORSHIPED YOUR GOD WITH 44:13 FERTILITY RITES. IT WAS THE LUST OF THE FLESH. 44:18 SOME PEOPLE WORSHIP THAT GOD, ESPECIALLY TODAY WHERE THE 44:22 INTERNET MAKES SENSUALITY A MOUSE-CLICK AWAY. 44:27 A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENSLAVED BY THAT GOD OF PASSION. 44:32 FOR OTHERS, IT MIGHT BE FOOD, AND IF THEY COULD THEY'D 44:36 DOWNLOAD TWINKIES. BIBLE SAYS FOOD IS A GOD. 44:42 ECCLESIASTES 10:17, "BLESSED ARE YOU, O LAND, WHEN YOUR KING IS 44:46 THE SON OF NOBLES, AND YOUR PRINCES [EAT IN DUE SEASON]-FOR 44:48 STRENGTH AND NOT FOR DRUNKENNESS!" 44:50 NOW, WE ALL NEED TO EAT. UNLIKE SOME THINGS, YOU WILL 44:54 ACTUALLY SURVIVE WITHOUT SEX. DID YOU KNOW THAT? 44:57 YOU WON'T CURL UP AND DIE. YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT CIGARETTES. 44:59 THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN QUIT COLD TURKEY AND JUST NEVER DO 45:01 AGAIN, AND YOU'LL STILL LIVE, BUT NOT WITH FOOD. 45:05 FOOD IS A DIFFICULT ONE BECAUSE IT'S SO EASY TO SLIP BACK INTO 45:09 THE WORSHIP OF IT. WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT BALANCE 45:12 WHERE WE'RE THANKFUL THAT OUR FOOD TASTES GOOD. 45:14 WE PRAISE GOD, AND IT'S A BLESSING, AND WE EAT IT TO LIVE. 45:17 BUT THEN THERE ARE THOSE THAT LIVE TO EAT, AND FOOD BECOMES 45:21 THEIR GOD. PHILIPPIANS 3:18, 19, PAUL SAYS SO. 45:28 "FOR MANY WALK, OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD YOU OFTEN, AND NOW TELL YOU 45:30 EVEN WEEPING, THAT THEY ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST: 45:34 WHOSE END IS DESTRUCTION, WHOSE GOD IS THEIR BELLY." 45:39 SO DON'T THINK PASTOR DOUG JUST MADE THIS UP TO STRETCH A TRUTH. 45:42 BIBLE SAYS FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEIR GOD IS THEIR BELLY. 45:47 IT'S TALKING ABOUT THEIR STOMACH, THEIR FOOD THAT THEY 45:49 EAT. ROMANS 6:16 [KJV], "KNOW YE NOT, 45:54 THAT TO WHOM YE YIELD YOURSELVES SERVANTS TO OBEY, HIS SERVANTS 45:57 YE ARE TO WHOM YE OBEY; WHETHER OF SIN UNTO DEATH, OR OF 46:01 OBEDIENCE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS?" DO YOU EAT TO LIVE, 46:06 OR DO YOU LIVE TO EAT? DOES IT HAVE CONTROL OF YOU? 46:09 DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY AROUND IT? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF 46:11 SOMETHING IS YOUR GOD? I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY CAR. 46:17 I LIKE MY CAR. I DON'T THINK I WORSHIP MY CAR. 46:19 I WASH IT EVERY NOW AND THEN. IT'S FUNCTIONAL FOR ME. 46:23 BUT HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN SOMEONE WHO WORSHIPS THEIR CAR? 46:28 THEY'RE ALWAYS OUT DOING THINGS TO THEIR CAR. 46:30 KIDS DON'T HAVE SHOES, BUT THE CAR'S GOT THE LATEST TURBO 46:32 CARBURETOR. SOME PEOPLE WORSHIP THEIR HOUSE. I BELIEVE YOU NEED 46:40 TO MAINTAIN YOUR HOUSE AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOUSE, BUT SOME 46:43 PEOPLE, THEY'RE ALWAYS UPGRADING AND WORSHIPING IT. 46:47 THEY ALWAYS NEED THE LATEST AND GREATEST, AND THEY LIKE TO BRING 46:50 PEOPLE OVER AND GRANDSTAND THEIR HOUSE LIKE HEZEKIAH SHOWING THE 46:53 BABYLONIANS EVERYTHING IN HIS HOUSE. 46:57 THEY HAVE GOT A WHOLE CHANNEL DEDICATED TO HOUSES, AND THEY'VE 46:59 GOT A CHANNEL DEDICATED TO FOOD, DON'T THEY? 47:01 AND THEY'VE GOT PLENTY OF CHANNELS THAT TALK ABOUT SEX. 47:04 WE CAN TELL WHAT PEOPLE'S GODS ARE, JUST CHANGE CHANNEL. 47:07 RIGHT? THEY'VE GOT A CHANNEL FOR EVERYTHING. 47:12 PEOPLE ARE WORSHIPED. PEOPLE WORSHIP OTHER PEOPLE. 47:20 SOMETIMES THEY DO IT IN CODEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS. 47:24 WELL, TO MAKE SOMEBODY ELSE THEIR GOD, IT MIGHT BE THE 47:26 TYPICAL IDOLS ON TELEVISION THAT ARE WORSHIPED BY OUR CULTURE. 47:32 SEE FOLKS TRYING TO DRESS LIKE THEM AND ACT LIKE THEM, AND THEY 47:36 GO TO WORK, AND ALL THEY DO IS TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO 47:38 THEIR IDOL ON THE LATEST EPISODE. 47:42 WHAT FILLS YOUR MIND? WHAT GETS YOUR ATTENTION? 47:45 FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHAT THEY SPEND THEIR TIME LOOKING AT AND 47:50 FOCUSING ON, THAT'S THEIR GOD. FOR OTHERS, IT'S SPORTS. 47:56 YOU GO TO SOME COUNTRIES, THE RELIGION IS SOCCER. 48:03 I'VE BEEN AROUND THE WORLD, AND YOU'D BE DOING EVANGELISTIC 48:06 MEETINGS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CROWD IS DECIMATED, AND I'LL 48:09 SAY TO MY TRANSLATOR, "WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?" 48:11 THEY SAID, "NO, NO. SOCCER GAME TONIGHT." 48:13 THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT. THAT'S THEIR RELIGION. 48:16 GAME'S OVER, THEY ALL COME BACK, AFTER A LITTLE RIOT IN THE 48:19 SOCCER FIELD. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 48:22 PEOPLE WILL GO TO A FOOTBALL GAME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND 48:26 THEY'LL SCREAM BLOODY MURDER ABOUT GROWN MEN KILLING EACH 48:30 OTHER. PIECE OF VINYL DOWN ON THE FIELD, OR LEATHER, RIGHT? 48:35 AND THEY COME TO CHURCH; YOU CAN HARDLY GET AN "AMEN" OUT OF 48:38 THEM. IT'S THEIR GOD. YOU ASK THEM WHERE A VERSE IS IN 48:45 THE BIBLE, AND THEY GET, "I KNOW IT'S IN THERE SOMEWHERE. 48:50 'GOD HELPS THOSE THAT HELP THEMSELVES.'" NO, THAT'S NOT IN 48:52 THE BIBLE. YOU ASK THEM FOR THE BATTING 48:55 AVERAGE; THEY KNOW ALL THE STATS. 48:59 SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY CAN'T REMEMBER NUMBERS. 49:01 IT'S WHAT NUMBERS DO THEY WORSHIP? 49:05 DIFFERENT GODS. REVELATION 19, VERSES 9 AND 10 - OH, BEFORE I 49:17 READ THAT VERSE TO YOU, LET ME GO TO THE LAST POINT. 49:20 YOU ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR THOSE WORDS, DON'T YOU? 49:22 LAST POINT. SELF IS WORSHIPED. THE MOST POPULAR GOD ON THE 49:31 THRONE IN PEOPLE'S HEARTS, ASIDE FROM GOD, IS SELF. 49:35 BY THE WAY, I'LL CONFESS, THAT'S MY BIGGEST STRUGGLE. 49:38 SELF IS CONSTANTLY BATTLING FOR THAT HOLY OF HOLIES THAT BELONGS 49:42 TO GOD IN MY HEART. BY THE WAY, THAT'S HOW THE 49:45 DEVIL FELL-WORSHIP OF SELF. AND THAT WAS A BATTLE 49:51 EVEN FOR JESUS. IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, 49:54 WHEN HE PRAYED, "FATHER, NOT MY WILL; THY WILL BE DONE," 49:56 YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? JESUS ALSO HAD A PERSONAL WILL, 50:01 AND HE SET ASIDE HIS PERSONAL WILL FOR THE WILL OF THE FATHER. 50:05 AND THAT'S A BIG STRUGGLE FOR US, TO TAKE SELF OFF THE THRONE 50:11 AND SAY, "NOT MY WAY, YOUR WAY," AND TO WORSHIP GOD. 50:16 IN REVELATION 19:9, WHEN JOHN IS IN HEAVEN, THIS ANGEL, GABRIEL, 50:22 IS TAKING HIM ON A TOUR. WE ASSUME IT WAS GABRIEL. 50:25 AND HE SAYS, "'WRITE: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO THE 50:28 MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB." AND HE SAID TO ME, 'THESE ARE 50:31 THE TRUE SAYINGS OF GOD.'" AND JOHN THE APOSTLE, "I FELL AT HIS 50:36 FEET TO WORSHIP HIM." BUT THE ANGEL BECOMES INDIGNANT, AND HE 50:40 SAYS, "'SEE THAT YOU DO NOT DO THAT!'" "ESPECIALLY NOT HERE. 50:43 WE'RE TAKING YOU ON A TOUR OF HEAVEN." 50:45 "'I AM YOUR FELLOW SERVANT, AND OF YOUR BRETHREN WHO HAVE THE 50:48 TESTIMONY OF JESUS. WORSHIP GOD!'" 50:51 THE ANGEL GABRIEL IS STILL IN HEAVEN BECAUSE HE SAID, "YOU 50:53 DON'T WORSHIP ME. YOU WORSHIP GOD." SATAN WAS CAST OUT, WHY? 50:58 SELF WORSHIP. AND ALL OF US HAVE A LITTLE BIT 51:03 OF THOSE TWO CHARACTERS BATTLING WITHIN OUR HEARTS. 51:08 ONE OF THE CLOSEST BIBLE CHARACTERS TO JESUS IN THE OLD 51:13 TESTAMENT, EVEN HIS NAME WAS THE SAME. 51:16 HIS NAME WAS, IN GREEK, JESUS. HIS NAME WAS JOSHUA. 51:20 AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, AFTER LEADING THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL 51:22 INTO THE PROMISED LAND, HE BROUGHT THEM ALL TOGETHER, AND 51:27 HE MADE A FINAL APPEAL TO THEM. IN JOSHUA 24:15, HE SAID, "IF IT 51:32 SEEMS EVIL TO YOU TO SERVE THE LORD, CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES 51:36 THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE." YOU WILL SERVE. 51:40 YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHO YOU WILL TO SERVE. 51:43 THAT MEANS YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE WHO YOU DON'T WANT TO SERVE. 51:47 YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SERVE THE LORD. YOU DO IT WITH YOUR WILL. 51:49 YOU MIGHT HAVE STRUGGLES, BUT YOU CAN MAKE A WILLFUL, 51:51 CONSCIOUS DECISION, "LORD, I WANT YOU TO BE MY GOD. 51:54 HELP ME TO DO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO." 51:57 WHEN GOD TELLS US TO WORSHIP HIM SUPREMELY, IS HE STANDING UP IN 52:00 HEAVEN WITH HIS HANDS ON HIS HIPS AND SAYING, "IF YOU DON'T 52:02 LOVE ME AND WORSHIP ME, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU"? 52:05 OR IS HE SAYING, "IF YOU DON'T LEARN TO LOVE AND WORSHIP ME 52:10 SUPREMELY, YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY BECAUSE YOU WERE CREATED 52:13 TO FIND YOUR HAPPINESS IN THAT, AND YOU'LL ALWAYS BE UNSATISFIED 52:17 AND EMPTY, PIERCING YOURSELF THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS"? 52:21 DON'T PARENTS SAY TO THEIR KIDS, "LISTEN TO ME; IT WILL BE WELL 52:26 WITH YOU"? "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, LISTEN TO ME." 52:31 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS NOT GLOATING HIS POWER OVER US; HE 52:33 IS INTERESTED IN OUR ABUNDANT LIFE, AND HE SAYS, "THE ONLY WAY 52:38 YOU'RE GOING TO BE HAPPY, YOUR HEART WAS CREATED TO BE 52:41 SATISFIED ONLY IN WORSHIPING ME. 52:43 IF ANYTHING ELSE IS ON THE THRONE, IF ANYTHING ELSE IS ON 52:46 THE ALTAR IN YOUR HEART, IT'S GOING TO END BADLY." 52:51 DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER GODS IN YOUR LIFE? 52:54 WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY, "LORD, I WILL SAY WITH JOSHUA, 'AS FOR ME 52:58 AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD'"? 53:02 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 53:05 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH- 53:07 FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 53:12 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO 53:18 PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 53:22 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR 53:26 MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 53:35 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 53:42 >>I GREW UP HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, I GUESS DEALING WITH ALL 53:47 THE TEMPTATIONS YOU WOULD HAVE IN A BIG CITY. 53:50 EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT YOU COULD RUN INTO 53:53 - DRUGS, CRIME - WAS ALWAYS HERE. 53:57 WHEN I WAS AT A YOUNG AGE I ACTUALLY GOT INTO TROUBLE WITH 54:00 THE LAW AND MY ONLY OUT WAS TO JOIN THE MILITARY AT THE TIME, 54:05 IN ORDER TO NOT DO TIME. SO I LEFT NEW YORK AND TRAVELED 54:10 THE WORLD A LITTLE BIT WHILE I WAS IN THE MILITARY. 54:13 EVENTUALLY I CAME BACK. HAVING GROWN UP AS A HIP-HOP 54:18 KID I EVENTUALLY FOUND MYSELF WORKING IN THE MUSIC 54:20 BUSINESS, ACTUALLY. I WORKED AT A COUPLE OF MAJOR 54:23 RADIO STATIONS - HIP-HOP, REGGAE - I WAS AT ALL THE BIG 54:26 REGGAE SHOWS WORKING THEM. NO MATTER WHAT I DID TO TRY AND 54:29 SATISFY MYSELF, NOTHING REALLY WORKED. 54:34 I REMEMBER I USED TO PLAY AT THIS ONE CLUB IN MANHATTAN. 54:37 WE USED TO PLAY THERE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT. 54:40 SO I CAME HOME ONE SATURDAY MORNING AFTER LEAVING THE CLUB 54:44 AND I TURNED ON THE VIDEO CHANNEL LIKE I USUALLY DO. 54:47 SO THERE WAS THIS GUY ON THE VIDEO CHANNEL TALKING AND HE WAS 54:49 DEFINITELY OUT OF PLACE, BUT THE THINGS THAT HE WERE - THAT HE 54:53 WAS SAYING - JUST TOTALLY AMAZED ME. 54:55 I NEVER HEARD ANYONE SPEAK ABOUT THE BIBLE LIKE THIS BEFORE. 55:00 SO I STARTED COMING HOME EARLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS JUST TO 55:03 CATCH THIS SHOW. I FOUND THE THINGS THAT HE WAS 55:05 SAYING ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, TO THE POINT WHERE IT LITERALLY 55:11 MADE ME STOP AND START TO THINK ABOUT HOW I WAS LIVING MY LIFE. 55:15 SO I FOUND THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT I HAD BEEN DOING TO 55:18 TRY AND FIND HAPPINESS WERE ACTUALLY NOT MAKING ME HAPPY AT 55:22 ALL, BUT WERE REALLY JUST LEAVING ME EMPTY INSIDE. 55:25 WHEN I STARTED READING THE BIBLE AND IT STARTED TO MAKE SENSE, I 55:29 STARTED TO MAKE CHANGES. I EVEN TRIED TO KEEP THE 55:32 SABBATH, WHICH I FAILED AT MISERABLY. 55:36 SO I WAS ACTUALLY INVITED BY AMAZING FACTS TO GO TO SEE A 55:40 LIVE SERIES AT ONE OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES, BUT AFTER GOING THE 55:44 FIRST NIGHT I ENDED UP GOING ANOTHER NIGHT AND ANOTHER NIGHT. 55:48 I STAYED FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES. THAT WAS THE DAY I MADE A 55:50 DECISION THAT CHANGED THE REST OF MY LIFE FOREVER. 55:53 I GAVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST AND EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT AFTER 55:56 THAT. I MADE A DECISION TO GIVE UP THE 55:58 MUSIC BUSINESS AND STOP HANGING OUT AT ALL OF THE CLUBS. 56:02 I MADE A DECISION THAT WAS ETERNAL FOR ME AND FOR MY 56:05 FAMILY. I STARTED GOING TO CHURCH. 56:09 I GOT A POSITION IN CHURCH WHERE I WAS ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF THE 56:13 PERSONAL MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT AND THE SAME AMAZING FACTS 56:17 STUDIES THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, I ACTUALLY GOT TO SHARE THEM WITH 56:21 PEOPLE AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. 56:26 (MUSIC) 56:36 >>AMAZING FACTS BEGAN IN 1965 WITH A GOD-INSPIRED CONCEPT. 56:42 >>HELLO, THIS IS JOE CREWS AND THE AMAZING FACTS BROADCAST 56:46 FACTS WHICH AFFECT YOU. EACH RADIO BROADCAST WOULD 56:49 BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING FACT FROM SCIENCE, NATURE, OR HISTORY, 56:53 FOLLOWED BY A BIBLE MESSAGE THAT TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF LISTENERS 56:57 FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. THE PROGRAM WAS AN INSTANT 57:00 SUCCESS AND THE MINISTRY SOON BEGAN EXPANDING TO 57:04 INCLUDE BIBLE LESSONS. IN 1986 AMAZING FACTS ADDED THE 57:09 MEDIUM OF TELEVISION TO ITS GROWING OUTREACH EFFORTS, 57:12 OFFERING SOUL-WINNING EVANGELISTIC MESSAGES FOR 57:15 VIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD. IN 1994, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR 57:20 ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE MINISTRY, ADDING THE BIBLE 57:23 ANSWERS LIVE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM AND NEW MINISTRY TV 57:27 PROGRAMS BEGAN AIRING ON MULTIPLE NETWORKS 57:30 AROUND THE WORLD. FOR 50 YEARS, THE DRIVING VISION 57:34 OF AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN THE BOLD PROCLAMATION OF THE 57:38 EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND, WITH A TEAM OF EVANGELISTS CIRCLING THE 57:42 GLOBE, AND THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN BEING TRAINED THROUGH 57:45 THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM PROGRAM - AFCOE - THE 57:49 MINISTRY IS HELPING GOD'S CHURCH SEE A RICH HARVEST OF SOULS. 57:54 AMAZING FACTS: GOD'S MESSAGE, OUR MISSION. 58:01 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:07 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-08-10