Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021543A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:17 >>HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION BEFORE, 'THEY EAT 00:19 LIKE A BIRD' TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO HAS A MINUSCULE 00:22 APPETITE? WELL YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK 00:24 TWICE NEXT TIME YOU USE THAT EXPRESSION. 00:26 FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE THE HUMMINGBIRD: IN ORDER FOR IT TO 00:30 MAINTAIN ITS INCREDIBLE METABOLISM, IT HAS TO EAT ABOUT 00:33 50-PERCENT OF ITS BODY WEIGHT EVERY DAY. 00:36 TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, IF A HUNDRED-POUND WOMAN WAS TO EAT 00:40 LIKE A HUMMINGBIRD, SHE WOULD HAVE TO EAT 50 POUNDS OF SUGAR A 00:43 DAY JUST TO MAINTAIN HER BODY WEIGHT. IMAGINE THAT. 00:47 MAYBE YOU DON'T WANT TO IMAGINE THAT, BUT PERHAPS YOU'LL WANT TO 00:51 CONSIDER THIS ANOTHER WAY: THE HUMMINGBIRD TYPICALLY CONSUMES 00:54 BETWEEN FOUR TO SEVEN CALORIES A DAY, ON THE OTHER HAND, A HUMAN: 00:58 ABOUT 3,500 CALORIES A DAY. BUT IF YOU WERE TO EAT LIKE A 01:01 BIRD - A HUMMINGBIRD - YOU'D HAVE TO EAT OVER 01:04 150,000 CALORIES A DAY. THAT'S LIKE A MAN - 170 POUNDS 01:11 THAT WOULD BE EATING 3,000 OREO COOKIES. UNDER NORMAL 01:15 CONDITIONS, A HUMMINGBIRD NEEDS TO EAT EVERY FIVE OR TEN 01:18 MINUTES, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE TIME DURING THE YEAR THE 01:21 HUMMINGBIRD WILL EAT ITS ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT EVERY DAY. 01:25 YOU SEE, ONCE A YEAR THEY MAKE THIS MIGRATION 500 MILES ACROSS 01:29 THE GULF OF MEXICO FROM TEXAS TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. 01:34 IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THE HUMMINGBIRD FEASTS ON NECTAR AND 01:38 GORGE THEMSELVES ON THIS NECTAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK, DOUBLING THEIR 01:42 BODY WEIGHT. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN 01:44 STORE ENOUGH CALORIES TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR 70-WING BEATS 01:48 PER SECOND OR ROUGHLY 4 MILLION WING BEATS ON THAT JOURNEY. 01:53 YOU KNOW, IN THE SAME WAY, FRIENDS, AS WE NEAR THE END OF 01:55 TIME, WE NEED TO BE FEASTING AND GORGING OURSELVES ON THE NECTAR 01:59 OF GOD'S WORD. WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT STRENGTH TO 02:02 GET US THROUGH THE TIMES OF TROUBLE THAT ARE AHEAD. 02:04 SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIBLE AND YOUR PERSONAL DEVOTIONS, IF 02:07 YOU'RE GOING TO EAT LIKE A BIRD, EAT LIKE A HUMMINGBIRD. 02:10 (MUSIC) 02:32 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF 02:34 ABRAHAM? OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE 02:37 ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND PROBABLY TELLING STORIES 02:40 ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD 02:44 TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' 02:48 IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE 02:51 EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 02:54 BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S WORD. GO DEEPER. 02:58 VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIME LINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 03:04 >>I GREW UP IN A CHURCH-GOING FAMILY. 03:07 I MEAN, WE WERE AT EVERY MEETING. 03:09 I SANG IN FOUR OF THE CHOIRS THERE. 03:11 I DIRECTED THREE - VERY INVOLVED - VERY ACTIVE. 03:16 IT ALMOST SEEMED LIKE BUSY WORK SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW? 03:20 I WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL. I KNEW ABOUT GOD. 03:23 I KNEW ABOUT JESUS, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP 03:27 WITH JESUS CHRIST. MY SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL I 03:33 GOT THE NEWS THAT MY FATHER HAD BEEN MURDERED. 03:38 NOW, I PLAYED IT OFF WELL. NO ONE REALLY SAW THAT I 03:41 WAS STRUGGLING WITH IT. IT JUST REALLY FELT LIKE THERE 03:48 WAS A HOLE THAT NEEDED TO BE FILLED AND I TRIED TO FILL IT 03:52 WITH DRUGS, WITH ALCOHOL, WITH PARTYING. 03:56 AFTER COLLEGE, I JUST STOPPED GOING TO CHURCH ALTOGETHER. 04:02 ONE DAY, ON A SUNDAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE GOING TO CHURCH 04:06 WITH MY MOM, I THOUGHT, 'YOU KNOW, I SHOULD GET A LITTLE BIT 04:10 OF WORD.' SHE HAD THE SATELLITE SYSTEM HOOKED UP AND I'M 04:14 FLIPPING THROUGH CHANNELS AND THEN THE LOGO POPS ACROSS - 04:18 AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS . 04:20 I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT IF DIFFERENT MINISTERS, BUT HERE 04:23 WAS - THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING 04:25 SOMETHING WHERE I HAD TO GRAB MY BIBLE AND ACTUALLY PICK IT UP 04:28 AND I'VE NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. 04:30 LET ME LOOK THROUGH AND FIND THIS. 04:32 I WENT THROUGH ALL THE STORACLES . 04:34 I WENT THROUGH ALL THE STUDY GUIDES AND I JUST COULDN'T GET 04:37 ENOUGH. AND THEN THE SABBATH CAME UP AND 04:40 HE'S GOING THROUGH THE APPEAL AND I'M JUST GOING, 04:43 'LORD, I HEAR YOU. I HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH.' SO I 04:46 SHOW UP - IT WAS FUNNY, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WAS GOING TO BE 04:50 JUDGED - ANYTHING JUDGMENTAL - ANYTHING. 04:53 AND I WALKED IN THE DOOR AND I JUST FELT AT HOME. 04:56 BUT THERE'S STILL A PROBLEM. I'M STILL PARTYING. 05:01 I WAS STILL GOING OUT TO THE BARS. 05:03 AT THIS TIME I WAS SELLING COCAINE TO PAY MY RENT. 05:08 SIXTEEN DAYS LATER I FIND MYSELF IN A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION. 05:13 I HAD JUST COME BACK FROM A LIQUOR STORE AND I GRABBED A 05:16 BOTTLE OF VODKA. AND THERE I AM, HIGH OFF 05:20 COCAINE, WITH MY BIBLE IN HAND, TRYING TO DO A BIBLE STUDY. 05:27 AND I HEARD AN AUDIBLE VOICE, 'JUST LOOK AT YOURSELF!' 05:33 AND I DID AND I WAS LIKE, 'WHAT AM I DOING?' 05:39 AND I GOT ON MY KNEES. I SAID, 'LORD, IF YOU DO NOT 05:42 TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME NOW, I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF.' I WAS 05:47 GOING TO CONTINUE THIS LIFESTYLE AND I WAS GOING TO END UP 05:50 OVERDOSING, HAVING A HEART ATTACK, WHATEVER IT WAS. 05:55 'YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS AWAY - ALL OF IT.' AND THAT DAY HE 06:04 LIFTED ALL OF IT AWAY FROM ME. IT WAS ALL GONE. WHEN GOD DOES 06:10 SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE, HE DOES IT COMPLETE. (MUSIC) 06:35 >>THIS MORNING OUR STUDY IS DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT OF 06:38 THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD, HELP WANTED , AND IT'S BASED UPON 06:42 A PARABLE THAT JESUS ONLY GIVE ONE TIME IN THE GOSPEL OF 06:46 MATTHEW. THE PARABLE IS ACTUALLY FOUND 06:48 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 20, BUT TO UNDERSTAND IT, YOU REALLY NEED 06:53 TO GO BACK INTO CHAPTER 19 A LITTLE BIT. YOU'LL NOTICE, AT 06:56 THE VERY BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 20 IT SAYS, 'FOR THE KINGDOM OF 07:00 HEAVEN IS LIKE...' AND HE'S STARTING THIS PARABLE AS A 07:04 CONTINUATION OF A QUESTION THAT YOU FIND IN CHAPTER 19. 07:09 I THINK MOST OF US KNOW THAT THE VERSES AND THE CHAPTER NUMBERS 07:12 IN THE BIBLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY INSPIRED. AND YOU GO 07:17 TO VERSE 27 OF CHAPTER 19, PETER ASKS JESUS A QUESTION. 07:23 HE SAID, 'LORD, SEE, WE HAVE LEFT ALL AND FOLLOWED YOU; 07:29 THEREFORE, WHAT SHALL WE HAVE?' WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? 07:34 AND JESUS SAID TO THEM, "ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU THAT IN 07:38 THE REGENERATION, WHEN THE SON OF MAN SITS ON THE THRONE OF HIS 07:41 GLORY, YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED ME WILL ALSO SIT ON TWELVE THRONES, 07:45 JUDGING THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. 07:48 AND EVERYONE WHO HAS LEFT HOUSES OR BROTHERS OR SISTERS OR FATHER 07:52 OR MOTHER OR WIFE OR CHILDREN OR LANDS FOR MY NAME'S SAKE, SHALL 07:57 RECEIVE A HUNDRED FOLD AND INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. 08:02 AND IN MARK CHAPTER 10 HE SAYS, 'WITH PERSECUTIONS' - BUT YOU 08:06 STILL GET A HUNDRED-FOLD MORE AND ETERNAL LIFE. 08:09 AND THEN JESUS MAKES A STATEMENT, 'BUT MANY WHO ARE 08:14 FIRST WILL BE LAST AND THE LAST WILL BE FIRST.' SO I WANT TO NOW 08:22 READ THE PARABLE TO YOU AND WE'LL BACK UP AND WE'LL EXPLORE 08:25 WHAT THE MEANING OF THIS IS. CHAPTER 20 - MATTHEW - VERSE 1, 08:30 "FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A LANDOWNER WHO WENT OUT 08:35 EARLY IN THE MORNING TO HIRE LABORERS FOR HIS VINEYARD. 08:38 NOW WHEN HE HAD AGREED WITH THE LABORERS FOR A DENARIUS A DAY, 08:42 HE SENT THEM INTO HIS VINEYARD. AND HE WENT OUT ABOUT THE THIRD 08:46 HOUR AND SAW OTHERS STANDING IDLE IN THE MARKETPLACE, AND 08:50 SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ALSO GO INTO THE VINEYARD, AND WHATEVER IS 08:54 RIGHT I WILL GIVE YOU.' SO THEY WENT. 08:57 AGAIN HE WENT OUT ABOUT THE SIXTH AND THE NINTH HOUR, AND 09:01 DID LIKEWISE. AND ABOUT THE ELEVENTH HOUR 09:05 HE WENT OUT AND FOUND OTHERS STANDING IDLE, AND SAID TO THEM, 09:09 'WHY HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING HERE IDLE ALL DAY?' 09:11 THEY SAID TO HIM, 'BECAUSE NO ONE HIRED US.' HE SAID TO THEM, 09:15 'YOU ALSO GO INTO THE VINEYARD, AND WHATEVER IS RIGHT YOU WILL 09:18 RECEIVE.' SO WHEN EVENING HAD COME, THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD 09:22 SAID TO HIS STEWARD, 'CALL THE LABORERS AND GIVE THEM THEIR 09:26 WAGES, BEGINNING WITH THE LAST TO THE FIRST.' 09:30 AND WHEN THOSE CAME WHO WERE HIRED ABOUT THE ELEVENTH HOUR, 09:32 THE EACH RECEIVED A DENARIUS. 09:35 BUT WHEN THE FIRST CAME, THEY SUPPOSED THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE 09:38 MORE; AND THEY LIKEWISE RECEIVED EACH A DENARIUS. 09:41 AND WHEN THEY HAD RECEIVED IT, THEY COMPLAINED AGAINST THE 09:44 LANDOWNER, SAYING, 'THESE LAST MEN HAVE WORKED ONLY ONE HOUR, 09:48 AND YOU MADE THEM EQUAL TO US WHO HAVE BORNE THE BURDEN AND 09:51 THE HEAT OF THE DAY.' BUT HE ANSWERED ONE OF THEM AND SAID, 09:54 'FRIEND, I AM DOING YOU NO WRONG. 09:57 DID YOU NOT AGREE WITH ME FOR A DENARIUS? 09:59 TAKE WHAT IS YOURS AND GO YOUR WAY. 10:01 IF I WISH TO GIVE TO THIS LAST MAN THE SAME AS TO YOU. 10:05 IS IT NOT LAWFUL FOR ME TO DO WHAT I WISH WITH MY OWN THINGS? 10:09 OR IS YOUR EYE EVIL BECAUSE I AM GOOD?' SO THE LAST WILL BE 10:13 FIRST, AND THE FIRST LAST. FOR MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW 10:18 CHOSEN." THERE YOU HAVE IT. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAUGHT 10:22 SOMETHING, BUT AT THE END OF CHAPTER 19, WHERE JESUS SAYS, 10:26 'BUT MANY WHO ARE FIRST WILL BE LAST, AND THE LAST WILL BE 10:29 FIRST' AND THEN AT THE END OF THE PARABLE HE SAYS, 'SO THE 10:33 LAST WILL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST.' SO SANDWICHED 10:38 BETWEEN THAT STATEMENT IS THIS PARABLE. 10:41 IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH FIRST BEING LAST AND LAST BEING 10:44 FIRST. DID YOU CATCH THAT? 10:45 THE FIRST TIME JESUS SAYS IT, HE STARTS WITH 'FIRST' - FIRST WILL 10:50 BE LAST - LAST FIRST. SECOND TIME HE SAYS IT, 'LAST 10:54 WILL BE FIRST AND FIRST LAST.' HE REVERSES IT ON EITHER SIDE, 10:58 SO IT IS PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL. DID YOU GET THAT? 11:03 AND SO, OBVIOUSLY, THIS PARABLE IS ANSWERING THIS BIGGER 11:06 QUESTION ABOUT PETER, WHO'S WONDERING - YOU KNOW, JESUS HAD 11:11 JUST TALKED TO THE RICH YOUNG RULER - CHAPTER 19 - AND HE 11:15 SAID, 'GO SELL WHAT YOU HAVE. GIVE IT TO THE POOR. 11:17 YOU'LL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN. 11:18 TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.' HE WENT AWAY SORROWFUL 11:21 BECAUSE HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS AND JESUS SAID, 'HOW HARD IT IS 11:24 FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RICHES TO ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM.' AND THE 11:27 DISCIPLES WERE BESIDE THEMSELVES WITH AMAZEMENT. 11:30 THEY THOUGHT, 'WHO, THEN, CAN BE SAVED? 11:32 JESUS SAID, 'WELL, WITH MAN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD, ALL 11:35 THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.' AND THEN PETER STARTS TO WONDER - WIIFM - 11:40 REMEMBER LAST WEEK? WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? 11:44 WHAT ARE WE GOING TO GET? JESUS SAID, 'FOLLOW ME. 11:47 I'LL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.' AND THE BIBLE SAYS THEY FORSOOK 11:49 THEIR NETS AND THEY FOLLOWED HIM. 11:51 AND THEY'RE BEGINNING TO WONDER, 'IS THIS FAIR? 11:54 HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE FAIR? HOW MUCH ARE WE GOING TO GET? 11:58 SO I'LL ASK YOU, IS GOD FAIR? MAYBE NOT ALWAYS THE WAY 12:07 WE WOULD JUDGE FAIRNESS. YOU KNOW, THAT QUESTION APPEARS 12:10 IN THE BIBLE - EZEKIEL 18:29 - IT MAKES A LITTLE MORE SENSE, 12:15 I THINK, IN THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 12:18 IT SAYS, "YET THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL SAYS, 'THE WAY OF THE 12:20 LORD IS NOT FAIR.' O HOUSE OF ISRAEL, IS IT NOT MY WAYS WHICH 12:25 ARE FAIR, AND YOUR WAYS WHICH ARE NOT FAIR?" 12:29 YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN AND WE CAN SEE THINGS THROUGH 12:31 GOD'S BINOCULARS, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO LOOK FAIR. 12:34 BUT RIGHT NOW, IT DOESN'T. BUT GOD IS GOOD AND GOD IS JUST, 12:40 BUT SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT WAY. 12:42 AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO SEEM LIKE THEY GO FIRST BUT THEY END 12:46 UP LAST AND THERE'S THOSE WHO START OUT LAST AND THEY END UP 12:49 FIRST. WHY IS IT THAT THE NERD IN 12:54 CHEMISTRY CLASS THAT WAS ALWAYS FIDDLING WITH TRANSISTORS 12:58 BECOMES A BILLIONAIRE? AND THEN YEARS LATER YOU SEE 13:02 THE UGLIEST GUY IN THE CLASS IS MARRIED TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 13:06 GIRL - AND IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM FAIR. 13:10 WHY DOES IDI AMIN, WHO SLAUGHTERS 200,000 PEOPLE GET TO 13:15 RETIRE IN A MANSION IN SAUDI ARABIA? 13:18 OR FIDEL CASTRO LIVE OUT HIS DAYS AND DIE OF OLD AGE. 13:23 SOMETIMES LIFE DOESN'T SEEM FAIR, DOES IT? 13:26 HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU AND YOU SAID, 13:28 'THIS ISN'T FAIR.' THIS PARABLE DEALS A LITTLE BIT WITH THE 13:33 FAIRNESS OF GOD AND WHAT DIDN'T SEEM FAIR TO SOME. 13:39 SO THE PARABLE THAT FOLLOWS THEN EXPLAINS THIS. 13:42 SO IT TALKS ABOUT THIS MAN HE'S GOT A VINEYARD. 13:45 NOW IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL THERE WERE A LOT OF VINEYARDS. 13:50 THOSE OF US IN CALIFORNIA, IF YOU'VE DRIVEN OVER BY THE NAPA 13:53 VALLEY - THE VINEYARDS ARE GROWING UP IN THE SACRAMENTO 13:55 AREA TOO - IN THE FOOTHILLS HERE YOU CAN SEE VINEYARDS ALL THE 13:58 WAY OUT TO LEONI MEADOWS NOW THAT ARE POPPING UP EVERYWHERE. 14:02 IT WAS WINE COUNTRY THERE. IT WAS A PRINCIPLE INCOME. 14:06 AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT GRAPES - WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW 14:09 GRAPES AT OUR PLACE IN COVELO AND I WAS TELLING KAREN I WAS 14:13 JUST UP THERE LAST WEEK AND THE GRAPES WERE HARVESTED. 14:15 OUR FRIEND HARVESTED OUR GRAPES. THEY STUCK THEM IN THE FRIDGE. 14:18 I THOUGHT, 'GREAT, I'LL BRING THEM HOME.' AND I LEFT THEM. 14:22 OH, THEY'RE GREAT. THEY'RE RED SEEDLESS GRAPES AND 14:24 THEY'RE GREAT - THEY'RE ORGANIC. THAT JUST MEANS WE'RE TOO POOR 14:28 AND LAZY TO PUT THE CHEMICALS ON THEM, SO THEY'RE ORGANIC AND 14:31 THEY'RE SMALL, BUT THEY'RE GOOD. AND I LEFT THEM ALL UP THERE. 14:34 BUT SOMETHING ABOUT GRAPES IS WHEN IT COMES TIME TO HARVEST 14:38 THE GRAPES - YOU'VE GOT LIKE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - AND WHEN 14:42 THEY'RE RIPE, YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT BECAUSE IF A STORM COMES 14:46 THROUGH IT CAN WRECK THE ENTIRE HARVEST - ALL THE GRAPES'LL 14:49 SPLIT AND IT CAN RUIN THEM. 14:51 SO THERE'S AN URGENCY, WHICH MEANS THAT OUT OF NOWHERE YOU'RE 14:54 GOING TO NEED A BIG GLUT OF WORKERS THAT YOU CAN'T EMPLOY 14:59 ALL YEAR LONG, BUT YOU NEED THEM FOR THE HARVEST. 15:02 AND MAYBE THE LANDOWNER SEES A STORM'S COMING IN, BECAUSE 15:05 YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ALL THROUGH THE DAY HE CONTINUES TO GO TO 15:08 THE MARKETPLACE TO LOOK FOR WORKERS BECAUSE, THROUGH THE 15:11 STORY, HE NEVER HAS ENOUGH WORKERS. 15:15 YOU NOTICE OUR MEMORY VERSE? 15:17 HARVEST IS GREAT; LABORERS ARE FEW. I REMEMBER DOING AN 15:22 EVANGELISTIC MEETING IN A TOWN AND ONE OF THE NEIGHBORING 15:27 CHURCHES WAS COMPLAINING THAT WE WERE STEALING SHEEP. 15:30 AND THE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT SAID, 'PASTOR, CALM DOWN, 15:33 THERE'S ENOUGH SINNERS TO GO AROUND.' I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK 15:37 ABOUT IT, A LITTLE CHURCH HAD A HANDFUL OF MEMBERS AND SOME OF 15:40 HIS MEMBERS WANTED TO COME OVER AND VISIT OUR EVANGELISTIC 15:42 MEETING, IT'S LIKE, 'YOU'RE STEALING OUR MEMBERS.' AND THERE 15:46 ARE SO MANY LOST PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WE SHOULDN'T REALLY 15:50 WORRY ABOUT THAT. SO IN THE PARABLE, 15:54 WHO IS THE LAND OWNER? AND WHAT IS THE VINEYARD? 15:58 YOU CAN LOOK IN PSALM 80, VERSE 8 - A LOT OF VERSES BEAR THIS 16:02 OUT. "YOU HAVE BROUGHT A VINE OUT OF 16:04 EGYPT; YOU HAVE CAST OUT THE NATIONS, AND PLANTED IT. 16:08 YOU PREPARED ROOM FOR IT, AND CAUSED IT TO TAKE DEEP ROOT, AND 16:11 IT FILLED THE LAND. THE HILLS WERE COVERED WITH ITS 16:14 SHADOW, AND THE MIGHTY CEDARS WITH ITS BOUGHS." 16:18 SO THE LAND OF ISRAEL, THE PEOPLE OF GOD, HIS KINGDOM IS 16:20 SYMBOLIZED BY THIS VINEYARD. ISAIAH 5:1 - "NOW LET ME SING 16:25 TO MY WELL-BELOVED A SONG OF MY BELOVED REGARDING HIS VINEYARD:" 16:29 THE WELL-BELOVED, OF COURSE, IS THE LORD, HIS VINEYARD, HIS 16:32 PEOPLE, HIS KINGDOM, HIS CHURCH - "MY WELL-BELOVED HAS A 16:36 VINEYARD ON A VERY FRUITFUL HILL. 16:38 HE DUG IT UP AND CLEARED OUT ITS STONES, AND PLANTED IT WITH THE 16:41 CHOICEST VINE. HE BUILT A TOWER IN ITS MIDST, 16:44 AND ALSO MADE A WINEPRESS IN IT; SO HE EXPECTED IT TO BRING FORTH 16:48 GOOD GRAPES, BUT IT BROUGHT FORTH WILD GRAPES" - NOW 16:51 NOTICE, THE VINEYARD ALSO HAS A WINEPRESS IN IT. ANY OF YOU EVER 16:54 SEEN THAT, WHEN THEY ARE HARVESTING GRAPES, THE MAJORITY 16:57 OF THE GRAPES IN THE VINEYARD ARE TURNED INTO GRAPE JUICE. 17:03 NOW, YOU DO FIND A COUPLE OF PLACES WHERE DAVID BROUGHT 17:05 RAISINS TO HIS BROTHERS AND, OF COURSE, THEY WOULD EAT SOME OF 17:10 THE GRAPES FRESH - I'M SURE THEY ENJOYED THAT, BUT 99 PERCENT OF 17:14 ALL THE VINEYARD THEY TURNED INTO JUICE AND SOME WOULD LATER 17:18 TURN INTO STRONG DRINK. THERE WAS THE NEW WINE AND 17:21 THERE WAS THE NOT-SO-NEW WINE. AND SO, WHEN THEY'RE HARVESTING, 17:26 THEY'RE ALSO CRUSHING OUT THE GRAPES. 17:28 YOU EVER SEEN THE PICTURES - YOU CAN SEE IT IN ITALY - YOU KNOW, 17:30 THEY ALL LOCK ARMS, THEY DANCE AROUND, THEY SQUASH THEM WITH 17:32 THEIR HOPEFULLY CLEAN FEET? AND THEY MASH OUT THE GRAPES AND 17:37 THE GRAPE JUICE IS POURING OUT. THEY'RE FILLING THE VATS AND 17:40 THEN THEY FILL IT - PUT IT IN THE WINESKINS. AND AT THE SAME 17:43 TIME THE HARVEST IS GOING, THEY'RE DUMPING THE GRAPES. 17:45 THEY'RE NOT PUTTING THEM ON SEMIS THAT SHIP THEM DOWN TO 17:47 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THEY'RE DUMPING THEM INTO THE WINE VAT 17:51 WHERE THEY'RE GETTING MASHED UP. NOW WHAT DOES THE GRAPE 17:54 REPRESENT - WHAT DOES THE GRAPE JUICE REPRESENT? 17:57 WHAT DID JESUS OFFER? WHAT WAS THE NEW WINE? 18:00 BECAUSE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT FERMENTED AT THE HARVEST, RIGHT? 18:04 IT'S THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. IT'S THE GOSPEL. 18:08 SO THIS IS ALL IN THE CONTEXT OF 'I NEED WORKERS IN MY VINEYARD 18:12 TO HARVEST THE GRAPES AND MAKE THE GRAPE JUICE SO THAT 18:16 PEOPLE CAN BE SUPPLIED WITH THE CLEANSING BLOOD OF CHRIST. 18:22 IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GOSPEL. YOU NOTICE 18:24 THERE'S SOME URGENCY. FIRST, WHAT TIME OF DAY 18:27 DOES THE LANDOWNER GO OUT? IT SAYS THE FIRST HOUR, WHICH IS 18:33 6 AM - RIGHT AT THE FIRST LIGHT. NOW, IF HE'S GOT A VINEYARD, 18:39 THERE ARE OTHER LANDOWNERS AND THEY'VE GOT VINEYARDS AND, IF 18:41 IT'S HARVEST TIME FOR HIM, IT'S HARVEST TIME FOR THEM AND 18:44 THAT MEANS THERE IS A DEMAND - EVERYBODY IS WANTING WORKERS 18:47 AND THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM. AND SO HE GOES AT THE 18:50 BREAK OF DAY TO THE MARKETPLACE WHERE THEY WOULD ALL GATHER AND 18:54 HE'S LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK IN HIS VINEYARD. 18:58 AND THEN IT SAYS THAT HE GOES AT 6:00 AM. 19:02 HE GOES AT 9:00, WHICH WE WOULD CALL THE THIRD HOUR. 19:05 THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THIRD HOUR OF THE WORKING DAY, SO THE TIMES 19:09 - AND YOU CAN SEE THIS AT THE CROSS OF JESUS. 19:11 I THINK JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AROUND NOON AND HE DIED - NO, HE 19:16 WAS CRUCIFIED AROUND 9:00 IN THE MORNING AND JESUS DIED AT 3:00 19:20 IN THE AFTERNOON. HE STAYED ON THE CROSS 19:21 FOR ANOTHER HOUR. THEY BURIED HIM 19:23 JUST BEFORE SABBATH. AND SO THIS GUY, HE GOES OUT, IN 19:25 OUR VERNACULAR, 6:00 AM, 9:00, 12:00, 3:00 AND 5:00. 19:33 THE END OF THE WORK DAY WAS 6:00, SO GOING AND FINDING 19:36 WORKERS AT 5:00 TO WORK ONE HOUR ALMOST SEEMED FUTILE. 19:40 IT'S AMAZING HE EVEN FOUND ANYBODY. 19:43 BUT YOU'LL NOTICE, HE NEVER FINDS ENOUGH WORKERS. 19:47 THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF WORKERS. THERE'S ALWAYS MORE HARVEST 19:51 THAN THERE IS WORKERS. YOU KNOW, I'M VERY THANKFUL 19:56 THAT, IN OUR DENOMINATION, EVERY TIME I RECORD THIS IT CHANGES 20:00 BECAUSE OUR CHURCH IS GROWING SO QUICKLY - RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 20:03 OVER 18 MILLION SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS AND LAST TIME I 20:08 PREACHED THIS SERMON THERE WERE 16 MILLION. I LOOKED AT MY 20:11 NOTES. AND THAT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING. THERE ARE 7.3 OR 4 20:19 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY AND IN ONE YEAR, INCLUDING 20:24 THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL DIE, 90 MILLION NEW 20:27 PEOPLE WILL BE ADDED TO THE WORLD'S POPULATION - 90 MILLION. 20:32 SO WHILE I'M ENCOURAGED THAT WE HAVE 18 MILLION MEMBERS IN THE 20:34 CHURCH, THE FACT THAT 90 MILLION ARE BEING ADDED TO THE MASS 20:39 EVERY YEAR, IT MAKES YOU WONDER, 'ARE WE GETTING ANYWHERE?' 20:43 WELL, WE ARE, HOPEFULLY, GROWING EXPONENTIALLY AND, YOU KNOW, IF 20:48 A THOUSAND YEARS GO BY, WE'LL EVENTUALLY CATCH UP. 20:51 NO, I JUST MADE THAT UP IN MY HEAD SO DON'T GET YOUR 20:55 CALCULATOR OUT. MY POINT IS: THE 20:58 HARVEST IS GREAT. 90 MILLION NEW PEOPLE 21:02 BORN EVERY YEAR. WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO 21:08 DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY. HOW DID THE DISCIPLES TAKE THE 21:11 GOSPEL TO THE THEN KNOWN WORLD IN ONE GENERATION? 21:15 FROM THE TIME THAT PENTECOST HAPPENED IN ACTS CHAPTER 2 UNTIL 21:18 PAUL WROTE 'THE GOSPEL'S BEEN PREACHED TO EVERY CREATURE' - 21:21 NOW HE WAS USING, KIND OF, LARGE LANGUAGE TO SAY IT'S GONE 21:23 THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE. IN ONE GENERATION - 21:27 YOU KNOW WHAT IT WAS? THE HOLY SPIRIT. 21:30 EVERY MEMBER SAW THAT THEY WERE A MINISTER. 21:32 EVERY MEMBER HAD A PASSION TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE SAVED. 21:36 THEY FELT SOME URGENCY THAT THEY NEEDED TO GET THE WORD OUT 21:39 THAT LIFE WAS SHORT. AND SO, BECAUSE OF THAT, 21:42 IT WENT EVERYWHERE. NOW HERE WE ARE AT THE END OF 21:45 TIME - SHOULD WE HAVE THAT URGENCY? 21:49 THERE IS AN URGENCY. THERE'S A STORM COMING. 21:53 THE HARVEST IS GOING TO BE WRECKED. 21:55 PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T REACH BEFORE JESUS COMES, IT'LL BE TOO 21:58 LATE AFTER HE COMES. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 22:00 SO THERE'S SOME URGENCY TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT. 22:05 SO THE FIRST CREW GOES OUT AND HE TELLS THEM, 'WORK ONE DAY AND 22:08 I'LL PAY YOU...' - WHAT? - 'A DENARIUS'. AND THE DENARIUS WAS 22:13 AN ANCIENT ROMAN COIN - MATTER OF FACT, IT'S THE MOST 22:16 FREQUENTLY MENTIONED COIN THAT YOU FIND IN THE BIBLE. 22:19 TYPICALLY, ON ONE SIDE OF IT, IT WOULD HAVE THE IMAGE OF HERCULES 22:22 OR APOLLO OR ONE OF THE GREEK GODS. 22:26 AND ON THE FLIP SIDE, IT WOULD HAVE SOME EFFIGY OR IMAGE OF THE 22:28 RULING CAESAR OF THE DAY. AND THEY FOUND MANY EXAMPLES 22:32 OF THE ANCIENT DENARIUS. IT WAS A SILVER COIN. 22:35 IT'S A SMALL COIN, BUT IT WAS A SILVER COIN - A LITTLE SMALLER 22:38 THAN ONE OF THE THIRTY THAT JUDAS PROBABLY SOLD JESUS FOR. 22:42 WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T NAME WHAT THE 22:44 SIZE OF THE COIN WAS. A DENARIUS WAS MADE TO SUPPLY 22:47 - IT WASN'T - THEY CALLED IT A DAY'S WAGE, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO 22:52 GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE THAN THE FOOD YOU WOULD NEED FOR THE DAY. 22:55 IT WOULD FEED A FAMILY FOR A DAY. 22:58 SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING PAID, THESE DAY WORKERS, THEY 23:01 ARE LIVING, AS YOU SAY, FROM HAND TO MOUTH. 23:04 THEY NEEDED THAT PAY THAT DAY BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THEIR FOOD 23:08 AND, PERHAPS, THEIR FAMILY'S FOOD. AND SO HE SAID, 'LOOK, 23:12 THIS IS THE GOING RATE.' HE OFFERS A FAIR WAGE TO THEM. 23:15 HE SAYS, 'I'LL PAY YOU A DENARIUS.' THEY AGREE. 23:18 THEY, EVIDENTLY, THINK IT'S A GOOD WAGE AND SO HE GOES OUT AND 23:21 GETS HIS FIRST CREW AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING. 23:25 AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE, EVIDENTLY WAITING FOR WORK, 23:29 BECAUSE HE CONTINUES TO COME TO THE MARKETPLACE. 23:31 NOW JUST YESTERDAY - AND I THINK SHERLE MIGHT THROW THIS PICTURE 23:33 UP ON THE SCREEN - I WAS AT HOME DEPOT. I ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO 23:37 WAL-MART BUT HOME DEPOT'S NEXT DOOR. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE 23:41 SEEN THIS IN TOWN - YOU CAN FIND IT AT LOWES OR HOME DEPOT AND 23:45 SOME OF THESE BIG BOX STORES. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF WORKERS 23:48 THAT WERE HANGING AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT, CLUSTERED TOGETHER, 23:52 I STOOD FAR ENOUGH AWAY WHERE I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE ANYBODY FEEL 23:57 UNCOMFORTABLE AND I QUICKLY SNAPPED THIS ON MY PHONE. 23:59 I COUNTED EIGHT MEN - AND THIS WAS 10:00 - YOU KNOW WHY THEY'RE 24:04 THERE? THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WORK. 24:08 THEY'RE HOPING SOME CONTRACTOR JUST IS NEEDING AN EXTRA HAND 24:11 FOR A JOB THAT WILL COME AND OFFER THEM WORK AND, RIGHT 24:14 THERE, WHAT THEY DO IS YOU DRIVE UP AND YOU SAY, 'I'M LOOKING FOR 24:17 A MAN - OR A COUPLE OF MEN - I'VE GOT SOME CEMENT WORK. 24:20 $15.00 AN HOUR - OR WHATEVER IT IS - $20.00 ANY HOUR. 24:23 YOU SAY, 'OKAY.' 'OKAY.' THEY HOP IN THE TRUCK AND THEY FOLLOW 24:26 HIM. THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR WORK. AND YOU'RE KIND OF SAD 24:30 BECAUSE SOMETIMES I'VE GONE TO HOME DEPOT AT 3:00 IN THE 24:33 AFTERNOON AND THEY'RE STILL THERE. NOBODY'S HIRED THEM. 24:36 AND I THOUGHT, 'MAN, AT THAT POINT I'D GIVE UP AND I'D GO 24:39 HOME.' AND THEY'RE STILL THERE BECAUSE THEY NEED TOO FEED THEIR 24:43 FAMILY AND THEY'RE HOPING SOMEBODY, EVEN IF IT'S JUST AN 24:45 HOUR OR TWO, SOMEBODY WILL GIVE THEM SOME WORK. 24:48 AND SO THESE WERE TOUGH TIMES. AND THIS - KEEP IN MIND, JESUS 24:51 LIVED BEFORE THEY HAD LABOR UNIONS. 24:53 AND SO THAT'S HOW THEY DID IT BACK THEN. 24:56 THE LAND OWNERS WOULD GO THROUGH THE MARKETPLACE WHERE EVERYBODY 24:58 GATHERED AND THEY WOULD MILL AROUND AND IT WASN'T TOO HARD TO 25:02 SPY THE WORKING MEN WAITING FOR WORK AND THEY WOULD SAY, 'COME, 25:05 I'VE GOT WORK FOR YOU.' AND WERE THEY HAPPY WHEN THEY HEARD 25:08 SOMEONE CALL THEM? WHEN WE'RE INVITED BY THE LORD 25:12 TO THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK IN THE WORLD, ANY PAYMENT YOU MIGHT 25:15 GET IN THIS LIFE, IT'S GOING TO EVAPORATE. 25:17 IT'LL TURN TO DUST BUT THE TREASURE THAT JESUS IS OFFERING 25:21 IS ONE THAT WILL LAST FOREVER, SO HE'S OFFERING TO HAVE YOU 25:24 COME WORK FOR HIM. IS THAT GOOD NEWS? 25:27 IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS IN THE WORLD - THAT YOU COULD WORK 25:31 ALONGSIDE OF CHRIST. SO EVERYONE IS INVITED TO WORK. 25:35 JESUS SAID, 'THE HARVEST IS GREAT.' SO THE EMPLOYER GOES 25:39 DOWN AND HE SAYS, 'COME WORK IN MY VINEYARD.' WHAT WAS THE WORK 25:43 OF ADAM AND EVE? TO DRESS AND KEEP 25:46 THE GARDEN OF GOD. AND WE'VE ALL BEEN CALLED TO 25:48 WORK IN THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD. I'M SURE THEY HAD GRAPES 25:51 IN THE GARDEN. SO HE RETURNS SEVERAL TIMES AND, 25:54 AT ONE POINT, HE SAID, 'WHY DO YOU STAND HERE IDLE? 25:57 YOU'RE STILL STANDING HERE AND YOU HAVEN'T FOUND ANY WORK YET.' 26:02 AND SO HE SAYS, 'LOOK, DON'T BE IDLE, GO TO WORK. 26:08 THERE'S WORK AVAILABLE. THE HARVEST IS GREAT. 26:09 THE STORM IS COMING. COME INTO MY FIELD. 26:11 IDLENESS - YOU KNOW, IT SAYS IN EZEKIEL 16 - YOU EVER HEARD THE 26:16 EXPRESSION IDLENESS IS THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP. 26:17 HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? BOY, THAT'S TRUE. 26:18 IT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE WITH TEENAGERS. 26:19 IF YOU DON'T GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO, THEY'LL FIGURE OUT 26:30 SOMETHING. IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD, AND IF 26:34 THEY DON'T HAVE HOMEWORK AND THEY'RE JUST SURFING THE 26:35 INTERNET, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE GOOD. 26:39 AND SO, - BUT IF YOU KEEP THEM BUSY, YOU KEEP THEM OCCUPIED. 26:43 I HAD SOME PARENTS COMPLAINING TO ME, 'PASTOR DOUG, OUR CHILD 26:49 IS UP AT WEIMAR AND THEY JUST KEEP THEM BUSY ALL DAY LONG.' I 26:54 SAID, 'YEAH, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. 26:57 IT KEEPS THEM OUT OF TROUBLE. EZEKIEL 16, VERSE 49, "LOOK, 27:03 THIS WAS THE INIQUITY OF YOUR SISTER SODOM: SHE AND HER 27:06 DAUGHTER HAD PRIDE, FULLNESS OF FOOD, AND ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS; 27:12 NEITHER DID SHE STRENGTHEN THE HAND OF THE POOR AND NEEDY." 27:15 AND HE GOES ON AND THEN ITEMIZES SOME OF THEIR OTHER SINS THAT WE 27:18 ALL KNOW TOO WELL. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE FORGET 27:20 ABOUT IS THAT IT WAS SUCH A LUSH PLACE THAT LOT WANTED TO GO 27:23 TO, THEY SCARCELY HAD TO WORK. THEY HAD AN ABUNDANCE 27:25 OF IDLENESS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF 27:29 PEOPLE IN AMERICA, FOLKS USED TO GROW UP IN RURAL COMMUNITIES AND 27:34 ON FARMS - ANY OF YOU GROW UP ON A FARM OR A RANCH? NOT NEAR AS 27:39 MANY HANDS AS IT USED TO BE. DO YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THAT 27:44 80 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE GREW UP ON FARMS AND A FEW LIVED IN THE 27:47 CITY, BECAUSE IT TOOK A LOT OF PEOPLE TO WORK THE FARMS? 27:51 BUT NOW, WITH MECHANIZED FARMING, AND GENETIC ENGINEERING 27:55 OF THE CROPS THAT ARE SO RESISTANT AND - IT TAKES VERY 28:01 FEW PEOPLE TO MANAGE THOUSANDS OF ACRES. 28:05 AND, COMPARED TO OUR ANCESTORS, WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE DIABETES 28:09 AND HEART DISEASE AND PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THE 28:11 EXERCISE YOU GET WORKING ON A FARM. 28:14 AND THEY COULD EAT CHOLESTEROL THREE TIMES A DAY AND STILL LIVE 28:16 TO OLD AGE BECAUSE THEY WORKED SO HARD BACK THEN. 28:19 BUT NOW, WE'VE GOT LIVES WHERE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF LEISURE, A 28:23 LOT OF ABUNDANCE, A LOT OF SEDENTARY THINGS HAPPENING, AND 28:26 THAT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD. A LOT OF CHRISTIANS ARE IDLE 28:32 AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF BOUNCING AROUND IN THE MALL OR ON THE 28:35 INTERNET WHEN WE COULD BE SERVING CHRIST. HEY, I'VE GOT A 28:38 GREAT IDEA FOR A MINISTRY. YOU LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO? 28:43 COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY, GET A FEW BAGS OF SANDWICHES AND GO TO 28:47 HOME DEPOT OR LOWES AND GIVE THEM TO THOSE GUYS RIGHT AROUND 28:52 BRUNCH TIME - THAT ARE WAITING THERE - I BET - AND YOU GIVE 28:55 THEM A FEW TRACTS - I BET THEY'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 28:59 THAT'D BE A GREAT MINISTRY FOR SOMEONE. IF YOU'RE BILINGUAL, 29:02 THAT'LL REALLY HELP. DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW THAT. 29:05 BUT THEY, YOU KNOW - THEY - YOU SEE A SMILE ON THEIR FACE - 29:10 HARVEST IS GREAT. JESUS SAID THAT THERE'S A LIMIT 29:15 TO HOW LONG OUR WORK DAY IS GOING TO LAST. 29:18 JOHN 9, VERSE 4, "I MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM WHO SENT ME 29:22 WHILE IT IS DAY; THE NIGHT IS COMING WHEN NO ONE CAN WORK." 29:27 YOU NOTICE SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT THIS PARABLE? 29:29 THE PARABLE ENCOMPASSES ONE DAY - SEVERAL HOURS - ONE DAY. 29:33 AND JESUS SAID WE NEED TO WORK WHILE IT IS DAY. 29:36 CHRIST SAID, 'ARE THERE NOT TWELVE HOURS IN A DAY?' 29:38 AND THIS IS WHAT THIS PARABLE WORKS ON - TALKS ABOUT. 29:42 1 TIMOTHY 4:16, "TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF AND TO THE DOCTRINE. 29:46 CONTINUE IN THEM, FOR IN DOING THIS YOU WILL SAVE BOTH YOURSELF 29:50 AND THOSE WHO HEAR YOU." NOW, IF YOU'RE INVOLVED IN GOD'S 29:54 WORK - YOU MAY NOT BE A PREACHER OR A TEACHER OR A PASTOR OR AN 29:57 EVANGELIST, BUT EVERYBODY COULD DO SOMETHING TO SHARE 30:00 CHRIST WITH OTHERS. AND, IN DOING THIS, PAUL SAID, 30:03 NOT ONLY WILL YOU REACH THEM, YOU'LL SAVE YOURSELF. 30:08 THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY GOOD. 30:09 YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO ARE WORKING IN THE VINEYARD, THE MAN WHO 30:13 OWNED THE VINEYARD NEVER COMPLAINED IF THEY ATE THE 30:15 GRAPES. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD, 'YOU COME 30:18 WORK IN MY VINEYARD, YOU GET TO EAT ALL YOU WANT.' AND SO, IN 30:22 WORKING IN THE VINEYARD, YOU WERE FED. 30:24 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT PASTORING IS EVEN THE 30:28 DAYS THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT, WHEN I KNOW I'VE GOT TO DO A 30:32 BIBLE STUDY OR PREACH, AS I STUDY IT CHANGES MY FEELINGS AND 30:36 I AM BLESSED, AS I STUDY, TO TRY TO BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS. 30:40 "IN DOING THIS, YOU WILL SAVE BOTH YOURSELF AND THOSE WHO HEAR 30:43 YOU." SO IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR EVERYBODY TO BE INVOLVED. 30:48 THE HARVEST IS GREAT, THE LABORERS ARE FEW. 30:53 IDLENESS IS NOT GOOD. 30:55 THE LANDOWNER NEVER SAYS, 'I'VE GOT TOO MANY WORKERS. 31:01 YOU NOTICE THAT IN THE PARABLE? HE NEVER SAYS, 'I'VE GOT ENOUGH. 31:03 HE KEEPS GOING BACK LOOKING FOR MORE, LOOKING FOR MORE, LOOKING 31:06 FOR MORE. AND HE SEEMS TO HIRE THEM IN LITTLE BATCHES AS THEY 31:09 SHOW UP OR DRIBBLE IN TO THE MARKET PLACE. 31:13 THEN YOU READ ON IN THE PARABLE IT SAYS - IT'S FINALLY AT THE 31:16 END OF THE DAY - IT'S PAY TIME. IS THERE A PAYDAY COMING? 31:21 WHEN EVERYBODY IS GOING TO RECEIVE THEIR REWARD. 31:26 NOW, THESE DAYS, WHEN PEOPLE WORK, YOU SIGN UP - YOU FILL OUT 31:31 A LOT OF PAPERS, YOU GET YOUR PHYSICAL, YOU GO TO WORK, YOU 31:35 THEN EXPECT THAT - MAYBE SOMETIMES YOU'RE HAVING DIRECT 31:38 DEPOSIT AND EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS YOUR PAYCHECK IS DEPOSITED 31:42 IN YOUR ACCOUNT. BUT IN BIBLE TIMES, WHEN YOU 31:45 WERE WORKING, YOU WERE TO PAY PEOPLE THE DAY WHEN THEY 31:48 DID DAY LABOR FOR YOU. AND YOU CAN READ IN LEVITICUS 31:51 19:13, "...THE WAGES OF HIM WHO IS HIRED SHALL NOT REMAIN WITH 31:55 YOU ALL NIGHT UNTIL MORNING." IT SAYS - AND WHEN THOSE WHO 31:59 CAME THAT WERE HIRED, THEY WERE PAID. DEUTERONOMY 24:15 - 32:03 DEUTERONOMY 24:15, "EACH DAY YOU SHALL GIVE HIM HIS WAGES" - NOW, 32:11 I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS THE LAW FOR THOSE THAT ARE EMPLOYERS. 32:13 I'M SAYING, IN BIBLE TIMES, THEY LIVED - THEY WERE ALWAYS 32:16 JUST ONE STICK AHEAD OF THE FIRE - AND FOR YOU TO SAY, 'COME 32:20 BACK NEXT MONTH' - THESE PEOPLE NEEDED IT. 32:23 "EACH DAY YOU SHALL GIVE HIM HIS WAGES, AND NOT LET THE SUN GO 32:27 DOWN ON IT, FOR HE IS POOR AND HAS SET HIS HEART ON IT; LEST HE 32:31 CRY OUT AGAINST YOU TO THE LORD, AND IT BE SIN TO YOU." 32:38 'SUFFICIENT UNTO THE DAY IS THE EVIL THEREOF.' IN OUR PRAYERS, 32:41 WHAT DO WE PRAY? 'GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY 32:43 BREAD.' I'M GLAD HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING. 32:48 DO YOU KNOW, BEING A CHRISTIAN IS SOMETHING YOU DO? 32:50 DON'T WORRY ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT TOMORROW OR 32:52 NEXT MONTH. WE LIVE HIM DAY BY DAY. 32:55 YOU KNOW THAT SONG? AND SO IT'S A DAILY THING. 32:58 SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S A PAYMENT. 33:01 AND, AS HE GOES TO PAY HIM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING 33:05 WHAT THE LAND OWNER DOES. HE TELLS HIS STEWARD, 'BEGIN 33:08 WITH THE ONES WHO STARTED THE 11TH HOUR. 33:12 PAY THEM FIRST.' YOU NOTICE, HE NEVER TOLD THEM HOW MUCH THEY 33:15 WERE GOING TO GET PAID. HE SAID, 'WHATEVER IS FAIR, I'LL 33:18 PAY YOU.' HE ALSO SAID THAT TO THOSE THAT WERE GOING TO COME AT 33:20 THREE BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY MISSED THREE HOURS OF WORK. 33:23 HE SAID, 'WHATEVER'S FAIR, I'LL PAY YOU.' DO THEY ARGUE? 33:27 SO ARE THEY WORKING FOR A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OR ARE THEY 33:30 TRUSTING THE LANDOWNER, THAT HE WILL BE FAIR. 33:34 THEY ARE WORKING BY FAITH, AREN'T THEY? 33:37 THE OTHER ONES HAD A CONTRACT - THE FIRST ONES IN THE MORNING. 33:40 ALL DAY - 12 HOURS - ONE DENARIUS. 33:43 THE OTHERS COME, HE SAYS, 'WHATEVER'S FAIR, I'LL PAY YOU.' 33:46 SO HE TELLS HIS STEWARD, 'START WITH THE LAST ONE.' AND SO ALL 33:51 THE MEN LINE UP AND THEY'RE GATHERED TOGETHER FOR PAY DAY - 33:54 AND THE ONES WHO STARTED AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR, YOU COULD JUST 33:56 HEAR THE MURMURING IN THE VINEYARD WHEN THESE GUYS 33:58 SUDDENLY SHOW UP AND THERE'S ONE HOUR LEFT TO WORK. 34:01 AND SO, THESE GUYS THAT SHOW UP THE LAST HOUR, THEY COME AND 34:04 THEY'VE GOT A TABLE SET UP THERE AND THE, YOU KNOW, STEWARDS GOT 34:07 HIS LEDGER SHEET AND HE SAYS, 'OKAY, YEAH, YOU GUYS. 34:10 ALRIGHT, HERE'S YOUR DENARIUS.' AND EVERYONE LOOKS AND THEY GO, 34:13 'DENARIUS? WOW, THEY'RE GETTING A WHOLE 34:16 DENARIUS.' THE ONES WHO'VE BEEN WORKING ALL DAY LONG, WHAT ARE 34:19 THEY THINKING TO THEMSELVES? A DENARIUS AN HOUR - 34:24 HOW MUCH DO WE GET? THAT'LL BE TWELVE DENARIUS. 34:26 WE'VE WORKED TWELVE HOURS.' AND THEN THE NEXT ONE CAME - ONE 34:30 DENARIUS. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? 34:33 THEY'D ONLY WORKED 10 HOURS - AND THE ONES WHO WORKED 9 HOURS 34:39 AND 3 HOURS - THEY'RE ALL GETTING DENARIUS. 34:42 AND SO FINALLY, THEY COME AND THINK, 'SURELY HE'S GOING TO, 34:44 YOU KNOW, THIS GUY'S GENEROUS. HE'S GOING TO SHOW US HOW MUCH 34:47 HE APPRECIATES THAT WE WERE THE FIRST ONES ON THE JOB. 34:50 WE HAVE WORKED THROUGH THE HEAT OF THE DAY. 34:53 WHAT'S HE GOING TO GIVE US?' WHAT DOES HE GIVE THEM? 34:57 >>ONE DENARIUS. >>WHAT HE PROMISED. SO WHAT DOES 35:02 THAT MEAN? HOW MUCH DOES EVERYBODY GET? EVERYONE GETS THE 35:08 SAME THING. WHAT IS THE PAYMENT FOR THE CHRISTIAN? 35:14 >>HEAVEN. >>ETERNAL LIFE. 35:17 YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU - I'M A CONVERT TO THE LORD - SOME OF 35:22 YOU HAVE BEEN WITH HIM FOR 80 OR 90 YEARS. 35:26 YOU'RE NOT GOT GOING TO GET PAID ANY MORE THAN ME. 35:28 (LAUGHTER) YOU DON'T GET ANY MORE ETERNITY THAN I GET. 35:33 ARE YOU AWARE - DOES THAT BOTHER YOU? (LAUGHTER) 35:37 I AM GOING TO GET JUST AS MUCH ETERNITY AS YOU GET. 35:42 NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO SAY, 'WELL, SOMEONE WILL HAVE MORE 35:44 STARS IN THEIR CROWN.' WHO CARES? (LAUGHTER) I MEAN, 35:47 HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT, 'LORD, I KNOW IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT 35:50 TO ME THAT I GET A BETTER MANSION THAN THIS PERSON'? 35:53 I'VE TOLD THE LORD MANY, MANY TIMES, 'LORD, IF I GET IN BY - 35:56 AS JOB SAYS - THE SKIN OF MY TEETH, I WILL PRAISE YOU. 35:59 I JUST WANT TO BE THERE.' 36:00 >>AMEN! >>AND IF YOU'VE GOT A BETTER 36:02 MANSION THAN ME, I'LL SAY, 'BLESS YOU.' I AM 36:04 JUST GLAD TO BE THERE. >>AMEN. 36:07 >>AND SO, JESUS, HE SAYS, 'COME AFTER ME.' AND WHAT IS THE 36:10 PROMISE? YOU WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. 36:12 ISN'T THAT WHAT HE SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PARABLE? 36:14 WHAT WILL WE HAVE? WELL, YOU'LL HAVE A HUNDRED 36:16 TIMES MORE THAN THIS LIFE. YOU'LL HAVE MORE FAMILY - YOU'VE 36:18 GOT A CHRISTIAN FAMILY - GOD'LL WATCH OVER YOU. 36:20 HE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU - AND YOU'LL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IN THE 36:23 WORLD TO COME. WHAT'S THE PAYMENT? 36:25 WHAT'S THAT DENARIUS? ETERNAL LIFE. 36:27 WHY ARE THE ONES WHO WORKED ALL DAY COMPLAINING? 36:31 WELL, THEY'RE THINKING, 'WE'VE DONE SO MUCH MORE.' AND THEN 36:36 JESUS SAYS, 'THE LAST'LL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST WILL BE 36:38 LAST.' YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THIS PARABLE THAT 36:42 SOMETIMES PEOPLE MISS. FIRST OF ALL, THE DISCIPLES - WHAT WAS 36:46 THEIR RACE? >>JEWISH. 36:49 >>THEY'RE JEWS. HOW MANY OF THEM? ALL OF THEM. 36:53 DID THEY THINK THE GENTILES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SAVED WHEN THEY 36:56 FIRST STARTING WORKING FOR JESUS? NO. 36:59 MATTER OF FACT THEY APPLAUDED WHEN JESUS SAID TO THAT GENTILE 37:01 WOMAN, 'IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO TAKE THE CHILDREN'S FOOD AND 37:04 GIVE IT TO THE DOGS.' THEY SAID, 'WE'RE THE SAVED PEOPLE. 37:07 WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN IN THE KINGDOM WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND 37:09 JACOB. HEAVEN IS FOR US.' 37:12 THERE MAY BE A FEW CONVERTS TO JUDAISM THAT WILL BE THERE, BUT 37:14 IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. 37:16 AND WHEN JESUS FIRST SENT THEM OUT PREACHING, HE SAID, 'DO NOT 37:20 GO INTO THE WAY OF THE GENTILES, GO FIRST TO THE LOST SHEEP OF 37:24 THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. PAUL SAID, 'TO THE JEW FIRST, 37:28 THEN THE GENTILE.' BUT WHAT HAPPENED? 37:31 NOT LONG AFTER PENTECOST, WHEN PAUL WENT OUT PREACHING, A LOT 37:36 MORE GENTILES STARTED COMING TO THE VINEYARD THAN JEWS. 37:40 AND, BY THE TIME PAUL WAS IMPRISONED, THERE WERE MORE 37:43 GENTILE CHRISTIANS THAN JEWISH CHRISTIANS. 37:47 AND SOME OF THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS BEGAN TO RESENT THAT 37:50 THE GENTILES - THEY SAID, 'WE HAVE BEEN THE GUARDIANS OF THE 37:53 TRUTH. WE HAVE BEEN THE KEEPERS OF THE WORD. 37:55 WE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE ORACLES OF GOD FOR OVER A 37:58 THOUSAND YEARS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THESE GENTILES - LAST 38:01 WEEK THEY WERE EATING BLOOD SAUSAGE AND SACRIFICING TO 38:04 IDOLS, AND HERE, NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO TELL THEM THEY GET THE 38:08 SAME REWARD?' ISN'T THIS WHAT JESUS KEPT 38:11 SAYING, 'MANY WILL COME FROM THE EAST AND THE WEST AND SIT DOWN 38:15 IN THE KINGDOM WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB, AND THE 38:18 CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM ARE IN OUTER DARKNESS. 38:22 AND SO, CHRIST WAS TRYING TO IMPRESS THEM WITH THE TRUTH. 38:26 YOU'RE GOING TO BE SURPRISED THAT SOME OF THESE GENTILES - 38:29 PEOPLE LIKE NAAMAN - THE LORD WOULD HEAL HIM FROM LEPROSY? 38:34 HE'S A GENTILE. BUT HE WAS WILLING TO 38:37 WORK IN THE VINEYARD. WHOEVER WAS WILLING TO WORK - 38:40 WE'VE ALL GOT THIS INSIDE, YOU KNOW? 38:42 WE'RE HAPPY WHEN WE GET A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM UNTIL WE SEE 38:45 SOMEBODY THAT GETS TWO. (LAUGHTER) 38:51 I'LL TELL YOU A STORY. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME VISITORS 38:53 HERE FROM CARMICHAEL - I'LL TELL YOU A STORY. 38:57 A FEW YEARS AGO, A SAINT GAVE ME A PHONE CALL - AN OLD LADY - SHE 39:06 SAID, 'PASTOR DOUG, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A DONATION TO CENTRAL 39:08 CHURCH' - WHERE I WAS PASTORING AT THE TIME - 'CAN YOU COME 39:10 ON BY?' SO I CAME ON BY AND I WAS THRILLED 39:13 AND SHE WROTE A VERY SIZEABLE CHECK - THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS 39:16 - THAT'S ALL I'LL TELL YOU. AND I WAS PRAISING 39:19 THE LORD - VERY HAPPY. AND SHE SAID, 'WHILE YOU'RE 39:23 HERE, I WONDER IF YOU'LL DO ME A FAVOR?' 39:26 SHE SAYS, 'TECHNICALLY, MY MEMBERSHIP'S AT CARMICHAEL. 39:29 I PROBABLY OUGHT TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TOO.' AND SO SHE 39:33 WRITES OUT THIS CHECK THAT'S EVEN BIGGER FOR THEM. 39:37 (LAUGHTER) SHE SAYS, 'PASTOR DOUG, CAN YOU TAKE THIS OVER TO 39:40 PASTOR OSBORNE AND GIVE IT TO HIM?' I WASN'T HAPPY ANYMORE. 39:45 (RAUCOUS LAUGHTER) I SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'WELL, PRAISE THE LORD! 39:51 I GET TO DELIVER GLAD TIDINGS.' AND I LOOKED AT IT AND I KEPT 39:56 THINKING, 'I WONDER IF I CAN CHANGE SOME ZEROES ON MY CHECK.' 40:01 (LAUGHTER) I WAS HAPPY UNTIL I SAW THAT SHE WROTE A BIGGER 40:06 CHECK FOR THEM. ISN'T THAT THE HUMAN NATURE? 40:12 >>AMEN. >>MOM'S MAKING PANCAKES AND RYAN 40:17 AND TOM ARE WONDERING WHO'S GOING TO GET THE FIRST PANCAKE. 40:21 AND MOM SAYS, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, IF JESUS WAS HERE, JESUS WOULD 40:25 ASK HIS BROTHER TO TAKE THE FIRST PANCAKE.' AND RYAN SAID TO 40:30 LITTLE TOMMY, 'TOMMY, YOU GET TO BE JESUS TODAY.' 40:33 (RAUCOUS LAUGHTER) THAT'S HOW WE ARE, RIGHT? 40:37 WE ALL WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE SECOND PLACE. 40:45 THE LAST WILL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST. 40:48 I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR 40:51 THE OWNER OF AN INTERNET CREDIT CARD PAYING COMPANY CALLED 40:55 'GRAVITY PAYMENTS' - HIS NAME IS DAN PRICE, HE'S THE CEO AND THE 40:58 FOUNDER - STARTED IT WHEN HE WAS 19 - BEGAN TO MAKE MILLIONS OF 41:01 DOLLARS. HIS ANNUAL SALARY THAT HE 41:04 DECIDED FOR HIMSELF WAS A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND 41:07 HE READ IN A MAGAZINE ABOUT INEQUITABLE PAYMENTS AND HE ALSO 41:11 READ THAT THERE WAS A STUDY THAT IF WORKERS MAKE AT LEAST 70,000 41:14 A YEAR, THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND HAPPINESS AND 41:16 SECURITY IS A LOT GREATER. AND SOMETHING OVERWHELMED HIM. 41:20 HE COULDN'T SHAKE IT AND SO HE WENT IN ONE DAY AND HE ANNOUNCED 41:23 TO THE OFFICE - HE HADN'T TOLD HIS ACCOUNTANTS OR ANYBODY WHAT 41:26 HE WAS DOING - HE SAID - HAD 120 EMPLOYEES - HE SAID, 'I'VE 41:30 DECIDED THAT FROM NOW ON, NOBODY IN THIS ORGANIZATION IS GOING TO 41:33 MAKE LESS THAN $70,000.00 PER YEAR. 41:36 EVERYONE WAS ABSOLUTELY QUIET. HE GATHERED THEM ALL TOGETHER 41:38 TO MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT. AT FIRST THEY THOUGHT, 'DID 41:42 WE JUST HEAR WHAT HE SAID?' AND FINALLY IT REGISTERED WITH 41:44 ONE GAL THAT WAS MAKING $35,000 - SHE JUST REALIZED IT WAS 41:47 GOING TO DOUBLE HER PAY. CAN YOU IMAGINE A RAISE WHEN ALL 41:51 OF A SUDDEN YOU GO FROM $35,000 TO $70,000? 41:54 HOW MANY OF YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS? IT WAS IN THE NEWS, YEAH. 41:57 AND THEY ALL LET OUT A SQUEAL AND APPLAUSE AND HIGH FIVES AND 42:00 - AND THEN PEOPLE BEGAN TO MURMUR. SOME PEOPLE SAID, 'WAIT 42:08 A SECOND, THEY'RE GOING TO GO FROM $35,000 TO $70,000 AND THEY 42:12 STARTED LAST MONTH? I'VE BEEN HERE FIVE YEARS AND 42:15 I'M GOING TO GET THE SAME THING?' 42:18 AT FIRST EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY WHEN THEY WERE JUST THINKING 42:20 ABOUT 'WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WONDERFUL! 42:22 RAISE FOR EVERYBODY.' BUT 'THEY'RE GETTING MORE THAN ME 42:27 AND THEY'RE' - AND THEN OTHER COMPANIES BECAME - THEIR 42:29 EMPLOYEES STARTED TALKING TO THEIR EMPLOYERS SAYING, 'YOU 42:31 HEARD WHAT THEY DID. HOW ABOUT YOU?' 42:34 AND THEY STARTING SAYING, 'NOW THAT'S A BAD POLICY. 42:35 YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE JUST GIVING A TROPHY 42:38 TO EVERYBODY. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD THEY WORKED. 42:40 AND YOU NEED TO WORK - WORK.' AND THIS IS WHAT THE PEOPLE AT 42:43 THE - THE ONES WHO HAD WORKED ALL DAY LONG - THEY SAID, 'HOW 42:46 COME YOU'RE MAKING THEM EQUAL WITH US WHO HAVE WORKED ALL DAY 42:50 LONG AND WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THE SCORCHING HEAT OF THE DAY?' 42:54 AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN - I MEAN, ISN'T IT KIND OF NICE HERE 42:56 IN CALIFORNIA, LIKE BETWEEN 5:00 AND 6:00? 43:00 IT'S JUST BEEN A WALK IN THE PARK. 43:02 'YOU'VE ASKED THEM TO WORK JUST ONE HOUR DURING THE NICEST TIME 43:05 OF THE DAY AND YOU'RE PAYING THEM THE SAME THING AS US?' 43:08 THEY'RE NOT HAPPY ANYMORE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE GETTING THEIR 43:11 PAY FOR WHAT THEY WERE PROMISED. THEY'RE WORKING BASED 43:14 ON A CONTRACT OF WORK. THE OTHER GUYS CAME 43:17 TO WORK FOR GRACE. THEY'RE TRUSTING THE LANDOWNER. 43:22 AND ISN'T THIS SORT OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE 43:25 IN THE TIME OF CHRIST? THEY SAID, 'WE EARNED IT. 43:27 WE PAID TITHE. WE FASTED. WE'RE KEEPING ALL THE LAWS.' 43:30 THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN ABRAHAM WAS SAVED BY GRACE. 43:34 SO THE ONES WHO RECEIVED GRACE WERE ALL HAPPY. 43:39 THE ONES WHO WERE DOING IT BASED ON THE CONTRACT, THEY WERE MAD 43:43 EVEN THOUGH THEY GOT WHAT THEY'D WORKED FOR. 43:45 'THE FIRST WILL BE LAST AND THE LAST WILL BE FIRST.' YOU KNOW, 43:49 JOHN OUTRAN JESUS - I'M SORRY - JOHN OUTRAN PETER, GOING TO THE 43:55 TOMB OF JESUS, BUT PETER WENT IN FIRST? 44:00 THE LAST ARE FIRST AND THE FIRST ARE LAST. 44:03 WE ALL HAVE ONE DAY IN WHICH TO WORK, FRIENDS. 44:09 AND AS I LOOK AROUND THE ROOM RIGHT NOW, I SEE SOME OF YOU 44:13 YOUNG PEOPLE - I WON'T POINT TO YOU - IT'S 6:00 AM FOR YOU - 44:18 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 12:00 AM - I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHO'S AT 44:26 11:00 - BUT SOME - AND YOU KNOW WHAT? 44:29 SOME OF YOU THINK YOU'RE AT 12:00 AM. 44:32 YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU MAY BE IN THE 11TH HOUR OF YOUR LIFE RIGHT 44:35 NOW. DO YOU KNOW? 44:38 WE'VE GOT A DAY OF WORK FOR THE LORD. 44:40 HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU'VE GOT LEFT TO WORK? 44:42 THIS IS A GREAT MESSAGE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE CUSP OF 44:47 AN EVANGELISTIC PROGRAM AND YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'WELL, I'VE 44:52 NOT BEEN ASKED TO DO ANYTHING.' ALRIGHT, LET ME BE THE ONE TO 44:54 ASK YOU. COME. >>AMEN. 44:57 >>YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING? SHOW SUPPORT BY YOUR 44:59 BODILY PRESENCE. >>AMEN. 45:01 >>SOME PEOPLE WERE GROUSING THAT WE'RE NOT STREAMING IT YET ON 45:03 THE INTERNET. WE SAID, 'WE'RE NOT DOING THAT 45:05 BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE SITTING IN THEIR POTATO COUCH 45:08 WATCHING IT STREAM WHILE THE CHURCH IS EMPTY AND THE VISITORS 45:13 FROM THE COMMUNITY COME AND THEY WONDER WHY NOBODY'S HERE. 45:17 MUST NOT BE VERY IMPORTANT. SO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING - 45:20 TALK ABOUT GUILT - PASTOR DOUG - COME, THE HARVEST IS GREAT. 45:26 WHY DO YOU STAND IDLE ALL THE DAY? 45:28 YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN SOUL WINNING, YOU CAN DO THAT. 45:30 AFTER THE SERVICE TAKE ONE OF THE HOMELESS BAGS. 45:33 SOME OF YOU, NO DOUBT, ARE GOING TO GIVE IT SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT A 45:36 SCRUFFY BEARD AND THEY'RE GOING TO STEP INTO A LIMOUSINE RIGHT 45:38 AFTER YOU GIVE IT TO THEM. 'I'M SORRY! I THOUGHT YOU WERE 45:41 HOMELESS.' BUT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, RIGHT? EVERYBODY CAN 45:48 DO SOMETHING. WE'VE GOT ONE DAY IN WHICH TO WORK. 45:53 AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO ENCOURAGING, THIS STORY, BECAUSE 45:55 IT REMINDS US THAT YOU MAY START LATE, BUT WHEREVER YOU ARE IN 46:00 YOUR LIFE, THE MASTER IS CALLING YOU. 46:03 WHENEVER HE SEES YOU HE SAYS, 'COME. 46:05 COME UNTO ME. COME WORK IN MY VINEYARD. 46:09 COME EAT OF THE GRAPES - PARTAKE OF THE COVENANT AND I WILL PAY 46:13 YOU.' WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT? I REMEMBER 46:17 HEARING AN INCREDIBLE STORY FROM HISTORY DURING THE 1936 46:21 OLYMPICS. AND WE ALL HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH JESSE OWENS 46:25 THERE, AND HE SET THE RECORDS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ADOLF HITLER, 46:28 WHO WAS - HE USED THE 1936 - IT WAS THE BIGGEST OLYMPICS AT THE 46:32 TIME, IN BERLIN, AND IT WAS A PROPAGANDA 46:36 EXTRAVAGANZA FOR THE NAZIS. WORLD WAR II HAD 46:38 NOT BROKEN OUT YET. IT WAS RIGHT ON THE VERGE. 46:41 BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER AMAZING STORY OF A RUNNER THERE, BY THE 46:45 NAME OF - THEY CALLED HIM 'LONG JOHN WOODRUFF'. 46:50 AND THE REASON THEY CALLED HIM 'LONG JOHN' - HE WAS 19 YEARS 46:52 OLD - KIND OF A GANGLY RUNNER, BUT HE RAN PRETTY FAST. 46:55 IT'S BECAUSE HE HAD JUST ABOUT A TEN-FOOT STRIDE - 6-FOOT 3 IN 47:01 HEIGHT, TEN FOOT-STRIDE WHEN HE RAN. 47:05 BUT HE WAS NOT A SOPHISTICATED RUNNER LIKE SOME OF THESE 47:07 INTERNATIONAL RUNNERS AND THEY KNEW HE WAS FAST. 47:10 THEY SAW HIM IN THE TRIALS AND THEY WERE WORRIED, BUT THEY HAD 47:12 A PLAN. THE OTHER RUNNERS GOT TOGETHER AND THEY SAID, 'WE'RE 47:14 GOING TO BOX HIM IN. HE'S YOUNG, HE'S INEXPERIENCED. 47:17 HE'LL GO TO THE INSIDE TRACK' - INSIDE'S FASTER - YOU KNOW, 47:20 GOING THROUGH THE INSIDE OF A CIRCLE IS FASTER THAN TRYING TO 47:22 PASS ON THE OUTSIDE - YOU'VE GOT TO RUN A LOT HARDER - AND SO 47:26 WHEN THE 800 METERS - LONG RACE - WHEN THE STARTING GUN FIRED 47:33 AND THEY ALL TOOK OFF RUNNING, SURE ENOUGH, HE QUICKLY GOT INTO 47:36 SECOND PLACE ON THE INSIDE LANE, JUST AS THEY THOUGHT HE WOULD - 47:40 YOUNG - AND THE OTHER INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS 47:45 SURROUNDED HIM AND BOXED HIM IN. AND THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT 47:49 IS, IF HE THEN TRIES TO BREAK OUT OF THAT BOX AND HE CLIPS OR 47:52 TOUCHES ONE OF THE OTHER RUNNERS, HE IS COMPLETELY 47:54 DISQUALIFIED AND HE'LL LOSE. AND SO HE REALIZES, 47:58 'WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?' AND THEY'RE GOING AROUND THE LAP 48:01 AND EVERYBODY'S WATCHING AND HE REALIZES HE CAN'T GO FORWARD. 48:04 HE CAN'T ACCELERATE. HE CAN'T GO SIDEWAYS. 48:06 HE'S TOTALLY BOXED IN. SO HE DID SOMETHING 48:08 NOBODY EXPECTED. HE STOPPED RUNNING AND HE 48:14 LET EVERYBODY PASS HIM. AND THE WHOLE CROWD PASSED HIM. 48:18 EVERYBODY GASPED - THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. 48:19 HE JUST STOPPED RUNNING. THEY WONDERED WHAT WAS GOING ON. 48:22 HE WAITED UNTIL THEY ALL GOT OUT AND HE THOUGHT, 'I'M GOING TO 48:23 HAVE TO PASS THEM ON THE OUTSIDE.' HE WAS NOW IN LAST. 48:26 AND HE TOOK OFF RUNNING - I MEAN, HOW DO YOU WIN A RACE - 48:29 THEY HAD UNDERESTIMATED HOW FAST THIS GUY WAS. 48:33 HE THEN, FROM THE BACK, AFTER COMPLETELY STOPPING, HE THEN 48:39 WENT AROUND THE FIRST PLACE RUNNER - HE PASSED HIM - FIRST 48:44 PLACE RUNNER PASSED HIM AGAIN, BUT JOHN WAS SO MOTIVATED, HE 48:48 COMPLETELY PASSED THEM AGAIN ON THE FINAL LAP AND HE WON THE 48:51 RACE, MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF ADOLF HITLER. 48:55 BUT WENT FROM LAST TO FIRST. WELL, MAYBE YOU'VE FALLEN 49:01 IN THE RACE OF LIFE. YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SAID THAT IT 49:06 DOESN'T MATTER SO MUCH HOW YOU START, BUT IN THE RACE OF LIFE, 49:10 IT MATTERS HOW YOU FINISH. YOU WANT TO FINISH WELL. 49:15 AND EVEN IF YOU STARTED LAST, IF YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS AND 49:19 YOU LAY ASIDE THE WEIGHT THAT DOES SO EASILY BESET US, YOU CAN 49:23 WIN THAT RACE. I WANT TO BE READY IN THE HARVEST, DON'T YOU, 49:27 FRIENDS? WANT TO BE WORKING WITH THE LORD. 49:30 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO 49:34 WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, 49:38 VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 49:43 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS 49:48 WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 49:52 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. 49:56 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD 50:03 SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH 20,000 PEOPLE? (BIRDS SQUAWKING) OR A 50:06 CAR LIKE THIS ONE COULD REACH 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN 50:09 JESUS. (HORN HONKING) IF YOU HAVE A 50:11 VEHICLE YOU'RE NOT USING AND WOULD LIKE TO REACH HEARTS FOR 50:14 THE KINGDOM OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DONATING YOUR VEHICLE 50:18 TO AMAZING FACTS TODAY. IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED 50:21 CAR, BOAT, RV, MOTORCYCLE - EVEN ATVS AND JET SKIS - INTO A 50:27 SOUL-WINNING VEHICLE FOR CHRIST AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 50:32 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 50:34 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 50:37 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 50:40 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 50:44 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST. 50:47 USE IT TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 50:50 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, OR 50:54 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 51:01 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 51:06 OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 51:22 >>YOU KNOW, WE GREW UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD UP IN THE MIDWEST 51:25 THAT WAS A PRETTY BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHEN I BECAME A 51:28 TEENAGER I STARTED USING DRUGS. I WAS ON - I STARTED USING METH 51:33 WHEN I WAS LIKE, I THINK, 16 - 15 - SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 51:37 I WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO 51:40 DEAL WITH. THE ONLY THING I REALLY KNEW WAS VIOLENCE SO THIS 51:46 NIGHT HERE I WAS GOING TO INFLICT VIOLENCE ON MYSELF. 51:49 I WAS REALLY HIGH AND REALLY DEPRESSED SO I TOOK, YOU KNOW, I 51:53 HAD THIS .40 CALIBER. SO I REMEMBER I PUT ONE IN THE 51:56 CHAMBER AND I STUCK IT TO THE SIDE OF MY HEAD LIKE THIS AND 52:02 THAT GUN HAD A HAIR TRIGGER, YOU KNOW? I REMEMBER I WAS TAPPING 52:06 IT 'CAUSE A PART OF ME SAID 'NO, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.' 52:10 BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY EVIL PRESENT THERE SAYING 52:14 'DO IT. I JUST SAID TO MYSELF, I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL SHOW 52:21 YOURSELF TO ME.' MY MOTHER TOOK ME TO CHURCH WHEN I WAS A LITTLE 52:25 KID AND WE USED TO SING 'JESUS LOVES ME' AND I REMEMBERED THAT 52:30 SONG. IT STARTED PLAYING IN MY MIND. 52:33 I ALMOST HAD, LIKE, A VISION OF ME AS A LITTLE KID, YOU KNOW? 52:41 IN SABBATH SCHOOL WE USED TO BANG THOSE STICKS TOGETHER AND 52:48 SING 'JESUS LOVES ME' AND I HEARD THAT IN MY MIND. 52:56 SO I SAID, 'WOW.' SO I JUST, KIND OF LIKE, PUT THE GUN DOWN 53:02 AND I KIND OF FELL ON MY BEDSIDE THERE AND I SAID, 'LORD,' - I 53:07 JUST BASICALLY JUST PRAYED THIS CRAZY PRAYER. 53:09 I SAYS - I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. 53:13 AND I REMEMBER, ONE DAY, I WAS DRIVING AROUND AND I KIND OF 53:15 FELT LOST, AND I DROVE BY THIS CHURCH AND I SEEN TOM OUT THERE. 53:19 TOM WAS JUST OUT THERE WATERING THE FLOWERS, YOU KNOW? 53:23 >>SO I CAUGHT A VISION OUT OF THE SIDE OF MY EYE OF THIS BIG 53:27 HUSKY GUY WITH TATTOOS WALKING UP AND SAYING HELLO. 53:33 AND I - SO I ASKED HIM IF I COULD HELP HIM AND HE TOLD ME 53:37 THAT HE DRIVES BY THE CHURCH ON OCCASION AND EVERY TIME HE GOES 53:44 BY HE'S THINKING THAT HE SHOULD STOP IN. 53:46 >>AFTER HE SHOWED ME AROUND THE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, 53:51 'OKAY, MAN, IT'S NICE MEETING YOU.' AND THIS AND THAT - SO I 53:55 JUMPED IN MY CAR AND I STARTED HEADING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND 54:00 THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IN, LIKE, MY PERIPHERAL VISION, I 54:03 SEE HIM COMING AROUND THE CORNER LIKE JERRY RICE RUNNING A 54:07 FOOTBALL - NO, NOT THAT FAST, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS TAKING OFF 54:13 AFTER ME AND HE SAYS, 'HEY, HEY, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.' 54:16 >>I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME BIBLE STUDIES 54:18 AND HE SAID, 'YEAH.' >>HE WOULD COME BY THE HOUSE. 54:21 WE'D ALL START - WE'D START HIDING THE BEER CANS AND TRYING 54:25 TO AIR OUT THE WEED SMELL. THERE WAS A PRESENCE THAT CAME 54:28 WITH TOM THAT WAS COMFORTING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 54:34 EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T TAKING THE BIBLE STUDIES AS SERIOUS AS I 54:37 SHOULD HAVE, LOOKING BACK, THERE WAS JUST A PRESENCE ABOUT HIM 54:41 BEING THERE IN THE HOUSE THAT WAS COMFORTING. 54:45 I TOLD TOM, I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, TOM, YOU CAN'T WIN EVERYBODY.' 54:48 >>I LOOKED AT HIM AND I KNEW - I SAID TO HIM, 'RUEBEN, I NEVER 54:53 GET ANYBODY.' I SAYS, 'THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL DO THAT.' AND I, 55:00 KIND OF, IN MY HEART, KNEW THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GOING TO 55:03 WORK ON RUEBEN. >>SO THEN TOM KIND OF LEFT THE 55:05 PICTURE FOR AWHILE AND I THINK ONE DAY, AT MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, 55:10 THEY WERE WATCHING THE FINAL EVENTS OF BIBLE PROPHECY . 55:13 SO I WATCHED THAT AND I REMEMBER THE SCENE WHERE THEY HAD THE 55:20 HELLFIRE AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUTSIDE THE CITY AND IT 55:24 SHOWED THE HELLFIRE COMING DOWN AND BURNING PEOPLE AND STUFF. 55:29 I REMEMBER SAYING TO MYSELF, 'THAT'S WHERE I WOULD BE RIGHT 55:34 THERE.' AFTER THE HELLFIRE SCENE I SAW THE SAINTS IN THE CITY - 55:41 IN THE NEW JERUSALEM - AND JESUS RECREATING THE EARTH AND I SAID, 55:51 'I WANT THAT TO BE MY - ME AND MY FAMILY.' THERE WAS SOMETHING 55:55 ABOUT THE WAY DOUG PREACHED AND THINGS THAT I FELT THAT TOUCHED 55:58 ME BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF LIKE MYSELF, YOU KNOW, HE'S - HE 56:04 DIDN'T GROW UP LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW? 56:07 HE - HE DONE DRUGS AND THINGS SO I KIND OF FOUND THESE COMMON 56:11 GROUNDS THAT I HAD WITH HIM AND I LIKED HOW HE JUST, KIND OF, 56:14 LIKE, KEPT IT REAL WITH HIS PREACHING. 56:16 AND THEN PASTOR RODLEY CAME TO THE CHURCH AND I GOT TO KNOW HIM 56:22 VERY WELL AND WE STARTED DOING SOME FINISHING STUDIES. 56:26 HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS DOING AND 56:30 THINGS. HE BAPTIZED ME, MY WIFE, MY BROTHER. 56:34 NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHERE 56:39 YOU'VE BEEN, NO MATTER HOW BAD OF A SINNER YOU THINK YOU ARE, 56:45 THE LORD JESUS LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 56:48 >>FRIENDS, IT'S BECAUSE OF GOD'S BLESSING AND YOUR SUPPORT 56:52 THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, JUST LIKE RUEBEN, HAVE FOUND JESUS AND 56:56 ETERNAL LIFE. (MUSIC) >>DEEP WITHIN THE PAGES 57:09 OF THE BIBLE - STORIES OF GREAT HEROES - HEROES OF GREAT DEEDS - 57:16 GREAT LOVE AND GREAT SACRIFICE, BUT BEHIND THEM IS ANOTHER HERO. 57:25 HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT AMID THE SHADOWS, HE WAS THERE FROM THE 57:31 BEGINNING AND HE'LL BE THERE UNTIL THE END. 57:37 DISCOVER THE GOLDEN THREAD OF A SAVIOR WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE 57:41 ENTIRE BIBLE TAPESTRY. SHADOWS OF LIGHT: SEEING JESUS 57:48 IN ALL THE BIBLE , A NEW BOOK BY DOUG BATCHELOR. 57:53 GET YOUR COPY TODAY BY CALLING 800-538-7275 OR VISIT 57:58 AFBOOKSTORE.COM . ONCE AGAIN, TO PURCHASE YOUR 58:01 COPY OF SHADOWS OF LIGHT , CALL 800-538-7275. 58:08 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-05-25