Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021551A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:10 >>FRIENDS, ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT YOU'LL OFTEN 00:12 FIND IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS, LIKE HERE ON FIJI, IS 00:15 THE VAI VAI PLANT. NOW, IN NORTH AMERICA, IF YOU 00:18 WANT TO BUILD A FENCE YOU'VE GOT TO GET FENCE POSTS AND THEN YOU 00:20 PUT THE WOODEN FENCE POSTS IN THE GROUND AND THEN AFTER A FEW 00:23 YEARS THEY'RE GOING TO ROT AND BREAK OFF, UNLESS THEY'RE 00:25 SPECIALLY TREATED. BUT HERE, THEY'VE GOT THESE 00:28 TREES - THE VAI VAI TREE - THEY CAN CUT THEM RIGHT OUT OF THE 00:31 WOODS, THEY'LL TAKE A STICK, THEY STICK IT IN THE GROUND, AND 00:35 BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MUCH RAIN AND PRECIPITATION, IT BEGINS TO 00:38 SPROUT AND TURNS INTO A LIVING FENCE POST. 00:40 IT MAKES UP ITS MIND THAT IT'S GOING TO FLOURISH WHEREVER YOU 00:42 STICK IT, WHICH IS A GOOD LESSON FOR YOU AND ME. 00:46 SO YOU MIGHT WONDER SOMETIMES IF YOU'VE GOT A PURPOSE IN LIFE. 00:49 YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GROWING SORT OF SPORADICALLY IN 00:51 EVERY DIRECTION, AND THEN ALONG COMES THIS PERSON WHO CUTS YOU 00:54 DOWN AND CARRIES YOU OFF, HE STICKS YOU IN THE GROUND BUT YOU 00:59 LOOK BACK AND YOU SAY, 'THERE WAS A PLAN. 01:01 THERE WAS A PURPOSE.' GOD KNOWS HOW TO TEACH US HOW TO PROSPER 01:05 WHERE HE PLANTS US. YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY THE LORD 01:08 HAS PUT YOU WHERE HE HAS IN LIFE, BUT YOU CAN PUT DOWN ROOTS 01:11 AND YOU CAN GROW AND YOU CAN SERVE A GREAT PURPOSE FOR GOD. 01:14 YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE GOD SAYS IN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29, 'I KNOW THE 01:17 PLANS THAT I'VE GOT FOR YOU TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE.' GOD HAS A 01:20 PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE, FRIENDS, AND HE CAN HELP YOU TO PROSPER 01:23 AND GROW WHEREVER YOU'RE PLANTED. (MUSIC) 01:33 >>AMAZING FACTS, THROUGH YOUR FAITHFUL SUPPORT, HAS HAD A 01:36 MAJOR IMPACT ON SOME OF THE LARGEST NON-CHRISTIAN LOCATIONS 01:40 IN THE WORLD. AFCOE GLOBAL OPENED UP CENTER OF EVANGELISM 01:44 SCHOOLS IN INDIA, THE UKRAINE, THE UNITED KINGDOM, 01:47 AND EVEN IN THE PHILIPPINES. 01:49 >>IT'S PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, IN THE CHURCH, ON THE DOOR, IN THE 01:53 HOME, DOING BIBLE STUDIES, WITNESSING TO PEOPLE, WINNING 01:58 THEM TO JESUS, LEADING THEM TO BAPTISM - IN ENGLAND, IN INDIA, 02:02 IN AFRICA - OR ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD - BUT YOU'RE SEEING 02:04 CHANGE, ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, TAKE PLACE. 02:10 >>YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK WE HEAR THE MOST INCREDIBLE STORIES FROM 02:13 ALL OVER THE GLOBE, OF LIVES THAT ARE BEING CHANGED AND 02:16 HEARTS THAT ARE BEING TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE 02:18 WORD. AND NONE OF IT COULD HAPPEN 02:20 WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF GOD AND OUR PARTNERSHIP - YOUR 02:24 TEAMWORK WITH THIS MINISTRY. GOD BLESS YOU. (MUSIC) 02:47 >>YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE IN THIS TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE'RE 02:51 THINKING ABOUT THE FIRST COMING OF JESUS, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE 02:56 APPROPRIATE TO TALK ABOUT SHEPHERDS THAT ARE WATCHING. 03:02 AND, IF YOU'LL TURN IN YOUR BIBLES, PLEASE, TO THE BOOK OF 03:05 LUKE - LUKE CHAPTER 2 - WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER WHAT MAY BE A 03:10 FAMILIAR STORY AND SEE IF THE LORD'LL HELP US TO FIND SOME NEW 03:14 INSIGHTS AND APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES. 03:17 LUKE CHAPTER 2, AND I'LL START WITH VERSE 8. 03:26 "NOW THERE WERE IN THE SAME COUNTRY SHEPHERDS LIVING OUT IN 03:30 THE FIELDS, KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR FLOCK BY NIGHT." 03:36 YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE JEWS BELIEVED THAT, BECAUSE THE 03:40 PASSOVER HAPPENED AT MIDNIGHT, THAT WHEN THE MESSIAH CAME, IT 03:44 WOULD ALSO BE DURING THE DARKEST HOUR. AND HERE THE SHEPHERDS ARE 03:48 OUT DURING THE DARKEST HOUR, WATCHING OVER THEIR FLOCKS. 03:54 I DON'T WANT TO BE A - WHAT DO THEY CALL IT - A HOLIDAY SPOILER 03:59 - IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER TOO MUCH WHAT TIME OF YEAR IT IS. 04:01 WE KNOW JESUS CAME AND THE STORIES ARE TRUE. 04:04 I THINK MOST OF US KNOW THE DATE IS PROBABLY NOT ACCURATE, AND 04:08 ONE OF THE REASONS WE THINK THAT JESUS WAS PROBABLY BORN IN THE 04:11 FALL - WELL, THERE'S THREE BIBLICAL REASONS - ONE BEING THE 04:15 CLIMATE OVER THERE IN ISRAEL IS VERY MUCH LIKE THE CLIMATE IN 04:17 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. AND YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE OUT 04:20 IN YOUR FIELDS THIS TIME OF YEAR. 04:22 BUT THEY WERE OUT IN THE FIELDS WITH THE SHEEP BECAUSE THERE WAS 04:25 SOMETHING TO GRAZE ON DURING THAT TIME OF YEAR. 04:28 THIS TIME OF THE YEAR THEY WERE FEEDING THEM, USUALLY STUFF THAT 04:31 HAD BEEN STORED. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TO GRAZE. 04:33 THE OTHER THING - IT WOULD BE VERY UNLIKELY FOR THE - AUGUSTUS 04:38 CAESAR TO TELL EVERYBODY TO TRAVEL AT THE MOST INCOMMODIOUS 04:42 TIME OF THE YEAR FOR THE CENSUS TO BE TAKEN - THEY USUALLY DID 04:45 THAT DURING HARVEST SO PEOPLE COULD GLEAN ALONG THE WAY. 04:50 AND THEN IT ALSO TELLS US IN THE BIBLE THAT JESUS WAS BAPTIZED 04:55 ABOUT THE TIME OF HIS BIRTHDAY, WHEN HE WAS 30 YEARS OLD. 05:00 WE KNOW HOW LONG HE MINISTERED - THREE AND A HALF YEARS, RIGHT? 05:04 AND WE KNOW WHAT TIME OF YEAR JESUS DIED - PASSOVER, SPRING. 05:08 SO YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHEN HE WAS BORN, YOU JUST COUNT BACK 05:10 THREE AND A HALF YEARS FROM THE PASSOVER. 05:12 IT PUTS IT IN THE FALL SOMETIME. BUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS TRUE. 05:17 THE SHEPHERDS WERE OUT IN THEIR FIELDS WATCHING THEIR FLOCKS - 05:21 AND IT DOESN'T SAY HOW MANY THERE WERE. 05:23 IT COULD HAVE BEEN THREE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN SIX - PROBABLY 05:27 NOT A BIG GROUP - BUT, LIKE DAVID, THEY WERE IN BETHLEHEM. 05:31 DAVID, WHO HAD BEEN WATCHING HIS FATHER'S FLOCKS YEARS EARLIER - 05:35 AND I SUSPECT ONE OF THEM MAY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT 05:41 'WON'T IT BE WONDERFUL WHEN THE MESSIAH COMES?' 05:44 THINKING ABOUT - HERE, THEY HAD BEEN OPPRESSED BY THE ROMANS. 05:47 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD NOT HAD THEIR OWN KING SINCE 05:51 JEHOIAKIM WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE IN BABYLON. 05:55 AND THEY'D BEEN OCCUPIED BY THE BABYLONIANS AND BY THE PERSIANS 05:58 AND BY THE GREEKS AND NOW BY THE ROMANS, AND THEY'RE WONDERING, 06:01 'WILL WE EVER BE FREE AGAIN?' AND THE ROMANS HAD BEEN PRETTY 06:05 OPPRESSIVE DURING THIS TIME. MATTER OF FACT, THEY JUST 06:10 EXPERIENCED THE CENSUS BECAUSE TAXES WERE GOING UP. 06:14 SO ONE OF THEM WAS THINKING, 'WON'T IT BE NICE WHEN THE 06:18 MESSIAH COMES? HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT? 06:23 HOW LONG HAVE YOUR PEOPLE BEEN SAYING, 'HE'S COMING SOON. 06:27 HE'S COMING SOON.'' AND MAYBE ONE OF THE SHEPHERDS SAID, 'OH, 06:30 THEY'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOREVER. 06:32 MAYBE HE'LL NEVER COME.' AND ONE OF THE OLDER ONES SAID, 'NO, 06:35 GOD'S NOT GOING TO BREAK HIS WORD. HE'S GOING TO COME.' 06:38 AND WHILE THEY'RE TALKING LIKE THIS, SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING 06:41 HAPPENS. "BEHOLD" - VERSE 9 - LUKE CHAPTER 2, VERSE 9 - "AND 06:47 BEHOLD, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD BEFORE THEM, AND THE GLORY 06:51 OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THEM, AND THEY WERE GREATLY AFRAID." 06:56 NOW THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS APPEARANCE BECAUSE, 06:58 SOMETIMES WHEN ANGELS APPEAR THEY APPEAR LIKE NORMAL MEN. 07:02 THEY SHIELDED THEIR GLORY AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE 07:06 ANGELS - EVEN WHEN THE ANGELS CAME TO THE TOMB, 07:08 AT FIRST THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE MEN. 07:10 BUT THIS ANGEL IS COMING WITH GREAT NEWS - GREAT - AND THE 07:15 WORD IS ACTUALLY WHERE WE GET THE WORD 'EVANGELISM' - GOOD 07:19 NEWS - AN EVANGELIST IS SOMEONE WHO'S SHARING THE GOOD NEWS. 07:25 "THEN THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM, 'DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR BEHOLD, I 07:27 BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY'" - THAT'S WHAT THE GOSPEL 07:30 IS - GOOD NEWS - "'...OF GREAT JOY WHICH WILL BE TO ALL 07:34 PEOPLE.'" - GOOD NEWS, GREAT JOY, ALL PEOPLE. WHY? 07:41 - "'FOR THERE IS BORN TO YOU'" - FOR YOU - "'THIS DAY IN THE CITY 07:47 OF DAVID'" - BETHLEHEM - "'A SAVIOR, WHO IS'" - THE 07:52 ANOINTED OF THE LORD. THAT'S WHAT THE WORD 'CHRIST' 07:54 MEANS - CHRISTOS IS 'THE ANOINTED ONE' - 07:58 "'HAS COME THIS DAY.'" NOW IT'S ALWAYS JUST SO AMAZING 08:00 TO ME; OF ALL THE PEOPLE JESUS COULD HAVE PICKED TO MAKE THIS 08:05 PROCLAMATION - ANGELS ARE SENT TO SHEPHERDS. 08:09 I MEAN, WOULDN'T YOU THINK THAT THEY'D GO TO THE SEMINARY IN 08:13 JERUSALEM? WHY WOULD THEY GO TO SHEPHERDS AND TELL THEM? 08:20 WELL, I HAVE A THEORY: THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR THOSE THAT ARE 08:26 LOOKING FOR HIM. AND THE EYES OF THE LORD RUN TO 08:30 AND FRO THROUGH THE EARTH TO REVEAL HIMSELF MIGHTY, ON BEHALF 08:35 OF THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE LOYAL TO HIM. 08:37 GOD WANTS TO BE WANTED - AND THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR HIM - 08:41 THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING - ISN'T IT INTERESTING? 08:44 HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO SHEPHERDS WHO ARE WATCHING THE SHEEP. 08:48 YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO WATCH, NOT 08:52 JUST - YOU MIGHT BE THINKING THIS IS A MESSAGE FOR PASTORS, 08:55 BUT ALL OF US HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. 08:57 YOU KNOW, I WAS DOING A STUDY AND SHEPHERDS ARE FOUND ALL THE 09:01 WAY FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION - SHEPHERDS AND SHEEP - ALL THE 09:05 WAY FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION. YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW SOMETHING 09:08 ABOUT SHEEP AND SHEPHERDS IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ YOUR BIBLE, 09:11 BECAUSE THERE'S SCARCELY A BOOK IN THE BIBLE THAT DOESN'T 09:13 ADDRESS IT IN SOME WAY. NOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE BECAUSE, 09:17 IN THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA, WE ACTUALLY WILL RUN INTO - NOT 09:21 LITERALLY, BUT YOU'LL ENCOUNTER SHEEP EVERY NOW AND THEN. 09:25 SOME OF YOU SEE THAT THE FIELDS, EVEN HERE IN ROCKLIN, AS YOU'RE 09:28 DRIVING UP THE ROADS, THEY FARM THEM OUT TO GOATS AND TO SHEEP 09:31 AND IT'S FUN IN THE SPRING WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE LAMBS 09:34 SCAMPERING ABOUT AFTER THEY'VE BEEN BORN. 09:37 BUT TO MOST OF US WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN CARE OF SHEEP - I LIVED ON 09:41 THE NAVAJO RESERVATION FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AND A LOT OF 09:46 MY NAVAJO FRIENDS WERE SHEPHERDS. AND I LIKED GOING OUT 09:51 WITH MY UNCLE'S MOTORCYCLE AND HERDING THE SHEEP, BUT IT LEFT 09:55 THE SHEEP PRETTY FRAZZLED WHEN YOU DO IT LIKE THAT. 09:58 IT'S MUCH WORSE THAN A MEAN DOG WHEN YOU'VE GOT A TWO-STROKE 10:00 MOTORCYCLE AND YOU'RE CHASING SHEEP AROUND. 10:03 SO I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE MADE A VERY GOOD SHEPHERD, BUT I 10:06 DID SEE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT'S INVOLVED AND THE DEDICATION AND 10:09 THE TIME AND - I USED TO THINK, 'YOU DO ALL OF THAT FOR A WOOL 10:12 SWEATER AND MUTTON.' I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. 10:18 BUT EVERYTHING IN THEIR LIVES CAME FROM THE SHEEP BACK THEN. 10:23 THEY ACTUALLY HAD - THEY HAD GOATS AMONG THE SHEEP TOO, SO 10:26 THEY HAD THEIR MILK, THEY HAD THEIR CLOTHES, AND THEIR FOOD. 10:32 YOU KNOW, THE SHEEP, ALSO, WERE WHAT THEY BROUGHT TO GOD AS A 10:36 SACRIFICE FOR THEIR SINS, WHICH MADE IT ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT 10:40 BECAUSE THEY GOT TO KNOW THE SHEEP AND YOU START TO CARE FOR 10:45 THE SHEEP, YOU KNOW, YOU BECOME EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN A 10:48 CREATURE WHEN YOU TAKE CARE OF IT EVERY DAY AND IT PROVIDES 10:51 CLOTHES FOR YOU AND YOU NAME IT AND YOU CALL IT AND IT COMES AND 10:54 IT LOOKS TO YOU FOR PROTECTION AND THEN SOMEDAY YOU REALIZE 11:00 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE LIFE OF THAT SHEEP, EITHER 11:02 BECAUSE YOU NEED THE FOOD OR BECAUSE - I REMEMBER WHEN I 11:07 LIVED WITH MY UNCLE, THEY HAD A COW - I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT 11:11 WAS CALLED - DAISY WILL WORK - AND MY COUSIN TRACY, WHEN MY 11:17 UNCLE HARRY SAID, 'YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO SLAUGHTER DAISY 11:21 NEXT WEEK.' SHE'D BEEN A MILK COW FOR YEARS AND SHE JUST WAS 11:24 BEYOND BEING A GOOD MILK COW ANYMORE AND THEY SAID WE'RE 11:26 GOING TO JUST NEED THE MEAT FOR THE WINTER. 11:28 AND MY COUSIN, SHE SAID, 'I CAN'T EAT DAISY. 11:37 SHE'S BEEN LIKE PART OF THE FAMILY.' AND EVEN DAVID - HE 11:42 WOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE TO SAVE THE SHEEP. 11:47 THEN YOU REALIZE YOU'VE SINNED AND YOU'VE GOT TO - THE ONLY WAY 11:51 TO BE FORGIVEN AND RIGHT WITH GOD IS YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE ONE OF 11:54 THOSE SHEEP AND YOU BRING IT TO THE TEMPLE AND YOU LAY YOUR 11:57 HANDS ON IT, YOU CONFESS YOUR SIN, AND THEN THAT LAMB OR THAT 12:03 SHEEP NEEDS TO BE KILLED FOR YOUR SIN. 12:06 IT GIVES YOU A DIFFERENT CONCEPT OF WHAT YOUR SINS COST. 12:09 THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE 12:13 WORLD, WHEN GOD ESTABLISHED THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM. 12:16 THAT'S IN REVELATION 13:8 - BUT ALL THE WAY FROM COVER TO COVER 12:21 IN THE BIBLE THERE'S THIS THEME OF SHEPHERDS AND SHEEP - MATTER 12:23 OF FACT, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING - FIRST CREATURE IN THE UNIVERSE 12:27 TO DIE? WHAT WAS THE FIRST CREATURE TO DIE? IT WAS A SHEEP. 12:34 WHEN GOD ESTABLISHED THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM, THAT LAMB 12:37 DIED TO PROVIDE THE ROBES TO COVER ADAM AND EVE - MAY HAVE 12:41 BEEN A COUPLE OF LAMBS. AND WHAT WAS THE 12:45 FIRST PERSON TO DIE? A SHEPHERD. 12:49 THE FIRST CREATURE TO DIE WAS A SHEEP AND THE FIRST PERSON TO 12:52 DIE WAS A SHEPHERD, AND THAT WAS ABEL. 12:54 ABEL WAS A KEEPER OF SHEEP AND KILLED BY HIS OWN BROTHER - A 12:58 SYMBOL OF JESUS WHO IS THE LAMB OF GOD AND JESUS WHO IS THE 13:01 CHIEF SHEPHERD. THE FIRST TWO DEATHS IN THE 13:03 BIBLE WERE TYPES OF CHRIST. ABEL WAS A KEEPER OF SHEEP. 13:08 NOW, DO YOU REMEMBER AFTER CAIN KILLED ABEL AND GOD SAID, 13:10 'WHERE'S YOUR BROTHER?'? HOW DID CAIN RESPOND? 13:15 'OH, YOU KNOW, I GET SO TIRED OF WATCHING MY YOUNGER BROTHER. 13:19 AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER? I KNOW HE'S A SHEPHERD.' 13:21 BASICALLY WHAT HE'S SAYING, 'AM I MY BROTHER'S SHEPHERD? 13:25 I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIM. HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR HIMSELF.' 13:31 NOW THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION: ARE WE OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER? 13:36 YOU KNOW, I DID WORSHIP LAST NIGHT IN THE FAMILY AND WE 13:40 QUOTED FROM THAT VERSE THERE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 7, 'JUDGE NOT 13:43 THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.' AND YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED THAT THE MOST 13:46 QUOTED VERSE IS 'JUDGE NOT THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.' YEAH, A LOT 13:53 OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT VERSE. A LOT OF ATHEISTS 13:55 KNOW THAT VERSE. NOW, THEY DON'T EVER READ THE 13:58 ONE WHERE JESUS SAID, 'AND WHEN YOU JUDGE, USE A RIGHTEOUS 14:02 JUDGMENT' - THEY JUST QUOTE THAT ONE OUT OF CONTEXT. 14:06 BUT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR EACH OTHER? 14:10 OR IS IT EVERY ONE OF US - 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME, JUST SAVE 14:14 YOURSELF. AND I WON'T WORRY ABOUT YOU. 14:16 WE'RE ALL ON OUR OWN. EVERY MAN'S AN ISLAND.' OR DOES 14:21 GOD WANT US TO BE WATCHING AND CARING ABOUT ONE ANOTHER? 14:27 AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER? SHOULD WE CARE IF 14:31 SOMEONE'S WANDERING? SHOULD WE CARE IF THE WOLF IS 14:35 GETTING OUR BROTHER OR OUR SISTER? 14:39 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US ABOUT A LOT OF HEROIC SHEPHERDS 14:41 IN THE BIBLE. YOU'VE GOT NOT ONLY ABEL, 14:44 BUT ALL THE PATRIARCHS WERE SHEPHERDS. 14:47 ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, YOU CAN READ IN GENESIS 13:5, "HAD FLOCKS AND 14:52 HERDS". MATTER OF FACT, ABRAHAM, BECAUSE 14:55 HE WAS A LITTLE BIT NOMADIC, IT SAYS HE DIDN'T HAVE 14:58 A PERMANENT DWELLING. WHEN YOU TAKE CARE OF SHEEP 15:00 YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP MOVING THEM WHERE THE GRASS IS. 15:02 AND SO, HERE ABRAHAM, HE'S GOT A BIG HOUSEHOLD. 15:05 YOU KNOW, THE ONLY CLUE WE GET TO HOW BIG ABRAHAM'S HOUSEHOLD 15:08 WAS AND HOW MANY SERVANTS HE HAD, HE HAD HUNDREDS OF SERVANTS 15:11 BECAUSE HE HAD THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE IN HIS HOUSEHOLD TRAINED 15:14 FOR WAR. HE HAD AN ARMY - A LITTLE MINI 15:17 ARMY - LIKE SPARTANS - 300 OF THEM THAT WERE TRAINED FOR WAR. 15:23 SO HE'S GOT OTHER SERVANTS - HE'S GOT FARMERS AND HE'S GOT 15:26 SHEPHERDS AND ALL THESE SERVANTS IN HIS HOUSEHOLD, BUT HE LIVED 15:29 IN A TENT. SHEPHERD, HUMBLE OCCUPATION. 15:34 ISAAC AS WELL - ISAAC WAS EVEN RICHER THAN ABRAHAM, ACCORDING 15:36 TO THE BIBLE. HE DID SOME FARMING BUT HE 15:38 ALSO HAD FLOCKS AND HERDS. JOSEPH, WAS HE A SHEPHERD? 15:45 HE TOOK CARE OF HIS FATHER'S SHEEP. 15:47 AND THEN YOU CAN READ IN GENESIS 37:2, "THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS 15:51 OF JACOB, JOSEPH, BEING 17 YEARS OLD, WAS FEEDING THE FLOCK WITH 15:55 HIS BRETHREN." AND YOU KNOW WHAT HIS FATHER SAID? 'I'M WORRIED 15:59 ABOUT YOUR BROTHERS. YOUR BROTHERS ARE WATCHING THE 16:01 SHEEP, BUT WHO'S WATCHING THEM? I HAVE MISPLACED YOUR BROTHERS. 16:06 CAN YOU GO LOOKING FOR YOUR BROTHERS?' 16:08 JOSEPH WAS WATCHING FOR HIS BROTHERS. 16:12 HE WAS LOOKING FOR HIS BROTHERS AND HOW DID THEY TREAT HIM? 16:14 THEY THREW HIM IN A PIT AND SOLD HIM AS A SLAVE. 16:17 WAS HE DOING THE RIGHT THING OR WAS HE MEDDLING? 16:21 HE WAS CARING ABOUT THEM. JESUS CAME SEEKING HIS OWN AND 16:25 HOW DID THE WORLD TREAT HIM? LIKE JOSEPH'S BROTHERS TREATED 16:28 HIM. JOSEPH WAS A SHEPHERD. 16:31 MOSES, HERE HE WAS PRIME MINISTER OF EGYPT, IN LINE TO BE 16:37 THE NEXT PHARAOH, BUT DID HE TAKE CARE OF SHEEP? 16:41 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IF YOU WANT 16:44 TO SERVE GOD, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ANY LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, YOU'VE 16:48 GOT TO FIRST LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF SHEEP. 16:51 BEFORE MOSES COULD LEAD GOD'S PEOPLE, HE SAID, 'YOU'VE GOT TO 16:54 LEARN HOW TO LEAD YOUR FATHER'S SHEEP BEFORE YOU CAN LEAD YOUR 16:57 FATHER IN HEAVEN'S SHEEP.' SOMETHING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF 17:01 SHEEP. NOW, HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER 17:03 SPENT ANY TIME WITH SHEEP? I'M TRYING TO SAY IT NICELY, 17:09 BUT THEY'RE NOT THE BRIGHTEST ANIMALS IN THE WORLD. 17:15 IT'S AMAZING THAT DOMESTIC SHEEP HAVE LIVED THIS LONG - THAT 17:19 THEY'RE NOT EXTINCT. YOU KNOW, THE DODOS WENT EXTINCT 17:22 BECAUSE THEY JUST COULDN'T GET AWAY. 17:25 KAREN AND I WERE IN NEW ZEALAND A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THERE USED 17:28 TO BE A LOT MORE BIRDS IN NEW ZEALAND BEFORE MAN LANDED THERE, 17:34 BUT WHEN MAN CAME AND WHEN EUROPEANS CAME, BECAUSE THE 17:37 BIRDS HAD LIVED THERE THOUSANDS OF YEARS WITHOUT ANY NATURAL 17:40 PREDATORS, A LOT OF THEM KIND OF LOST THE ABILITY TO FLY. 17:45 AND ONCE THE PREDATORS CAME, IT WAS A FEAST, AND THEY 17:47 RENDERED A LOT OF BIRDS, INCLUDING THE BIGGEST BIRD, A 17:51 MOA, EXTINCT. IT'S AMAZING, IF IT WASN'T 17:55 FOR SHEPHERDS, SHEEP WOULD BE EXTINCT BECAUSE THEY REALLY 17:58 CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES VERY WELL. THEY HAVE BEEN SO 18:02 INBRED AND DOMESTICATED THAT THEY'VE JUST GOT TO HAVE SOMEONE 18:06 TAKING CARE OF THEM. DAVID WAS A SHEPHERD. 18:11 DAVID, IN ORDER - AND MOSES - TO LEAD GOD'S PEOPLE - JOSEPH LED 18:15 GOD'S PEOPLE - DAVID, TO LEAD GOD'S PEOPLE - ALL OF THEM WERE 18:19 PREPARED FOR THIS BY DOING SOMETHING VERY HUMBLE THAT WOULD 18:22 REALLY TEACH THEM PATIENCE. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE PATIENCE 18:26 IF YOU'RE GOING TO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE - AND TAKE CARE OF SHEEP. 18:30 AND, MATTER OF FACT, DAVID, WHEN THEY WENT TO ANOINT HIM KING, HE 18:32 DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP BECAUSE THEY SAID, 'OH, HE'S TAKING CARE OF 18:35 THE SHEEP.' THAT IS ONE OF THE LOWLIEST OCCUPATIONS. 18:38 IT SAYS, 'DAVID RETURNED FROM SAUL TO FEED HIS FATHER'S 18:41 SHEEP.' NOT ONLY WAS DAVID CALLED FROM THE SHEEP WHEN HE 18:44 WAS ANOINTED KING, DAVID CAME FROM THE SHEEP WHEN HE KILLED 18:47 THE GIANT. PREPARATION FOR THESE 18:50 TWO GREAT THINGS - SHEEP. MAKES YOU KIND OF WANT TO START 18:55 A NEW SIDE MINISTRY, HUH? NO, NOT REALLY. 19:02 NOTICE THAT JOSEPH, JACOB, MOSES, DAVID ARE FEEDING THEIR 19:08 FATHERS' SHEEP OR THEIR FATHER-IN-LAW'S SHEEP. 19:11 NOW, SOME THINGS WE'LL LEARN ABOUT SHEPHERDS, SHEPHERDS HAVE 19:14 TO BE WATCHFUL BECAUSE THE ONES WHO WANT TO EAT THE SHEEP ARE 19:18 SNEAKY. PAUL SAYS, 'WATCH OUT FOR THE 19:22 CHURCH OF GOD BECAUSE I KNOW AFTER MY DEPARTURE, GRIEVOUS 19:25 WOLVES WILL COME IN, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK.' JACOB, WHEN HE WAS 19:31 TALKING TO LABAN YEARS LATER ABOUT HIS YEARS 19:34 AS A SHEPHERD - GENESIS 31, VERSE 38 - HE SAID, "THESE 19:38 TWENTY YEARS I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU; YOUR EWES AND YOUR FEMALE 19:41 GOATS HAVE NOT MISCARRIED THEIR YOUNG, AND I HAVE NOT EATEN THE 19:44 RAMS OF YOUR FLOCK. THAT WHICH WAS TORN BY BEASTS I 19:47 DID NOT BRING TO YOU; I BORE THE LOSS OF IT. 19:51 YOU REQUIRED IT FROM MY HAND, WHETHER STOLEN BY DAY OR STOLEN 19:55 BY NIGHT. THERE I WAS! IN THE DAY THE DROUGHT CONSUMED 19:59 ME," - THE HEAT, HE'S SAYING, OF THE DAY - THE THIRST OF THE DAY 20:03 - "AND THE FROST BY NIGHT, AND MY SLEEP DEPARTED FROM MY EYES." 20:06 WHY? BECAUSE SHEPHERDS WERE 20:08 IN THE FIELD AT NIGHT. IN THE DARKEST HOUR 20:12 THEY WERE WATCHING. NOW WHY AM I EMPHASIZING THIS? 20:18 NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE - I DID A SERMON A 20:21 LITTLE WHILE AGO, ON A BUCKET LIST. 20:23 YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE HERE AND YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT 20:25 YOUR OWN LITTLE BUCKET LIST. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? 20:27 THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU KICK THE BUCKET. 20:30 AND YOU CAN SAY I'D LIKE TO - YOU KNOW, ON MY BUCKET LIST WAS 20:33 NEW ZEALAND. NOW, DON'T WORRY, THAT WASN'T 20:35 THE LAST THING ON MY LIST SO I'M GOING TO STICK AROUND FOR A 20:37 LITTLE WHILE, BUT I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO NEW ZEALAND - I 20:40 WANTED TO GO TO FIJI SO I CAN TICK THAT OFF THE LIST NOW. 20:43 I'VE GOT A LONG LIST BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUGHT TO BE NUMBER 20:47 ONE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST IS 'I DON'T WANT TO DIE WITHOUT 20:50 KNOWING THE LORD FIRST.' >>AMEN. 20:52 >>MOST IMPORTANT THING IS YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW THE LORD. 20:54 JESUS WILL DECLARE TO THE LOST, 'I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW YOU.' 20:57 JESUS SAID, IN JOHN 17, 'THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE THAT THEY MIGHT 21:00 KNOW THEE.' AND SO, THE REASON THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS 21:04 BECAUSE THE ANGELS REVEAL TO THE SHEPHERDS, CHRIST. 21:12 THE ANGELS BRING A MESSAGE TO THE SHEPHERDS, - I'VE GOT GOOD 21:15 NEWS 'WE ARE GOING TO UNVEIL FOR YOU THE MESSIAH. 21:21 YOU ARE GOING TO GET TO SEE THE MESSIAH.' NOT IN A BAD CONTEXT, 21:25 OF HIS COMING AS THE WRATH OF THE LAMB - YOU KNOW, FOR THE 21:29 LOST HE'S COMING AS THE WRATH OF THE LAMB. 21:30 ISN'T THAT INCONGRUOUS? YOU EVER BEEN ATTACKED BY A LAMB? 21:34 YOU'VE GOT TO GET A LAMB REALLY MAD FOR HIM TO BE DANGEROUS. 21:40 BUT THE CONTEXT FOR THE SHEPHERDS IS GREAT JOY. 21:44 SO WHAT WERE THEY DOING WHEN THEY HAD THAT REVELATION? 21:48 THEY WERE WATCHING THE SHEEP THROUGH THE DARK. 21:53 THEY WERE WATCHING THE SHEEP AND THE LORD REVEALED TO THEM HIS 21:58 LAMB. SHEPHERDS ARE WATCHFUL. YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID, WHEN HE 22:05 CAME THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE WATCHING AND HE REVEALED 22:09 HIMSELF TO THEM. WHO'S GOING TO BE READY 22:11 FOR THE SECOND REVELATION? THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING. 22:16 HAVE YOU READ, IN MARK 13, WHEN JESUS GIVES THE SIGNS OF THE 22:18 SECOND COMING, HE ENDS THAT CHAPTER BY SAYING, 'WATCH, 22:23 WATCH, WATCH, WATCH.' WHY DO YOU THINK HE EMPHASIZES THAT SO 22:28 MUCH? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING 22:30 TO FORGET TO WATCH. THEY'RE GOING TO BECOME 22:32 PREOCCUPIED WITH THE HORIZONTAL LIFE AND THEY'RE GOING TO FORGET 22:35 ABOUT THE LIFE THAT LASTS FOREVER IS THE VERTICAL ONE. 22:38 AND IF YOU'RE NOT WATCHING FOR THE LAMB, YOU'RE GOING TO MISS 22:41 IT. HOW SAD THAT WOULD BE. AND YET, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT 22:46 WEEK THAT WERE IN JERUSALEM AND IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND THEY WERE 22:49 TEACHING THE SCRIPTURES AND THE ANGELS DID NOT APPEAR TO THEM. 22:54 IT HAD BECOME A ROUTINE AND THEY MISSED IT. 22:57 BUT THESE - GOD USES HUMBLE MEANS. 23:00 HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO LEPERS THAT ARE STARVING, TO OUTCAST 23:05 PROSTITUTES, TO DIRTY SHEPHERDS OUT IN THE DARK IN THE FIELDS. 23:13 GOD LOVES HUMBLE METHODS. SOMETHING ELSE I THOUGHT WAS 23:18 INTERESTING: THE LORD REVEALS - AND THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE 23:21 MOST IMPORTANT - THIS GOT ME EXCITED. 23:23 ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS - THE LORD REVEALED HIMSELF TO 23:26 PEOPLE THAT WERE BUSY DOING SOMETHING. 23:29 GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TO DOERS. WHEN HE CALLED PETER, JAMES, 23:35 JOHN, AND ANDREW, WHAT WERE THEY DOING? THEY WERE FISHING AND 23:40 FIXING THEIR NETS - THEY WERE BUSY. WHEN THE LORD SENT AN 23:44 ANGEL TO GIDEON, WHAT WAS GIDEON DOING? HE WAS THRESHING WHEAT. 23:50 WHAT WAS ELISHA DOING WHEN HE WAS CALLED BY GOD WHEN ELIJAH 23:55 CAME? HE WAS OUT PLOWING IN THE FIELD. 23:58 WHETHER YOU'RE AMOS, THAT IS TAKING CARE OF SYCAMORE FOOD - 24:02 WHEN MOSES SAW THE BURNING BUSH, WHAT WAS HE DOING? 24:06 WASN'T HE TAKING CARE OF HIS FATHER'S SHEEP? 24:09 AND SO, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING - IT MAY BE SOMETHING HUMBLE - IT 24:13 MIGHT BE JUST LIKE THRESHING WHEAT, BAKING BREAD, FIXING 24:17 A NET, TAKING CARE OF SHEEP - WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE - IF 24:22 YOU'RE DOING YOUR WORK FAITHFULLY - IF YOU'RE BUSY 24:25 DOING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, HE MAY GIVE YOU SOMETHING REALLY 24:28 EXCITING TO DO. THEY WERE FAITHFULLY TAKING CARE 24:31 OF THE LITTLE THINGS AND GOD SAID, 'I'VE GOT THE MOST 24:33 IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THE WORLD I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU, 24:35 THAT GOD HAS COME TO EARTH.' HE CHOSE SHEPHERDS. 24:41 SHEPHERDS WERE SORT OF THE OUTCASTS - THEY WERE PRETTY LOW 24:46 DOWN ON THE SCALE. BUT SOMETHING ABOUT SHEPHERDS, 24:49 THEY'RE SACRIFICIAL. SHEPHERDS ARE TYPICALLY SACRIFICIAL. 24:54 JESUS SAID, IN JOHN 10 - MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO READ THAT 24:57 WITH YOU - JOHN 10 - WE'LL START WITH VERSE 11 - THIS WAS COMING 25:03 FROM OUR MEMORY VERSE, "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD." 25:06 - WHY DOES HE SAY 'GOOD SHEPHERD'? 25:08 BECAUSE SOME AREN'T GOOD - WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE - "THE 25:12 GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP." 25:14 NOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, FRIENDS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT 25:19 WOULD OCCASION ME WANTING TO DIE FOR A SHEEP. 25:22 I MEAN, IF I WAS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF SHEEP, I'D SAY, 'THIS IS 25:25 MY JOB. I'LL TAKE CARE OF SHEEP. 25:26 AND, YOU KNOW, IF A WOLF CAME, I'D TRY AND CHASE IT OFF. 25:29 BUT IF I THOUGHT MY LIFE WAS ON THE LINE, I'D PROBABLY BE 25:33 THINKING, 'LIVE - ME LIVE - SHEEP LIVE - ME DIE - SHEEP DIE' 25:40 - I'D SAY 'SHEEP DIE - ME LIVE.' (LAUGHTER) HOW - WOULDN'T YOU? 25:44 >>YES. >>BUT JESUS SAID THE GOOD 25:47 SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. 25:48 IS HE TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC ANIMALS NOW OR IS HE TALKING 25:51 ABOUT GOD'S LAMBS? JESUS, HE DIDN'T DIE TO SAVE 25:56 DOMESTIC CRITTERS, HE DIED TO SAVE YOU AND ME. 26:00 'THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE.' BUT THEN, IS THERE A 26:03 STORY IN THE BIBLE OF SOMEBODY WHO PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LINE TO 26:06 SAVE SHEEP? YOU KNOW, I READ THIS - THE 26:10 STORY OF DAVID AND GOLIATH - AND WHEN DAVID MAKES HIS APPEAL FOR 26:13 KING SAUL HE SAYS, 'DON'T BE FRIGHTENED ABOUT SENDING 26:16 ME TO FIGHT THE GIANT. I KNOW IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE I'M 26:19 MUCH RIGHT NOW, BUT LET ME TELL YOU A COUPLE OF STORIES. 26:22 I WAS TAKING CARE OF MY FATHER'S SHEEP AND I TAKE THE JOB VERY 26:27 SERIOUSLY. I LOVE THESE SHEEP. I WATCH OUT FOR THEM - AND WHEN 26:31 A BEAR CAME, I ROSE UP AND I KILLED THE BEAR.' I MAY HAVE 26:38 TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT 26:40 THIS IS A FAIRY TALE. I READ ABOUT A MAN IN CANADA 26:43 THAT WAS OUT WALKING WITH HIS DOG. 26:46 HE HAD A LITTLE USELESS DOG - ONE OF THESE LITTLE, LITTLE 26:48 DOGS, SO THE DOG WASN'T ANY HELP, BUT HE CROSSED OVER - WHEN 26:51 I SAY 'USELESS' IT WASN'T LIKE A BIG BEAR DOG, IT WAS ONE OF 26:53 THESE LITTLE, YOU KNOW - YEAH, IT'S A DOG, YOU KNOW, FASHION 26:59 STATEMENT - BUT HE'S OUT WALKING IN THE WOODS THERE IN CANADA 27:02 WITH HIS DOG AND HE SOMEHOW GOT BETWEEN A MOTHER BLACK BEAR AND 27:07 HER CUB AND SHE ATTACKED THE MAN AND BEGAN TO MAUL HIM AND CUT UP 27:13 HIS ARM AND SCRATCHED HIM AND HE WRESTLED FREE AND SHE LOOKED 27:17 LIKE SHE WAS GETTING READY TO MAKE ANOTHER LUNGE FOR HIM AND 27:19 HE LOOKED DOWN AND HE SAW THAT THERE WAS A BROKEN LIMB FROM, 27:22 LIKE, THIS FIR TREE, ABOUT FIVE FEET LONG - DOWN BY HIS FEET - 27:26 ABOUT AS THICK AS HIS ARM, HE SAID. 27:28 HE PICKED IT UP AND WHEN THE BEAR CAME TOWARDS HIM, HE 27:31 CLOBBERED IT OVER THE HEAD AND THE BEAR SHOOK - HE COULD SEE IT 27:35 STUNNED THE BEAR AND HE THOUGHT, 'I GOT ITS ATTENTION, I'M NOT 27:39 GOING TO STOP.' AND HE KEPT CLUBBING THE BEAR 27:42 AND FINALLY IT WENT DOWN AND IT DIED. 27:47 I KNOW, YOU'RE FEELING SORRY FOR THE BEAR. 27:49 I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT STORY BECAUSE IT JUST PROVED TO ME - 27:54 CAN A MAN KILL A BEAR WITHOUT A RIFLE. 28:00 YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO TEST THAT BUT, EVIDENTLY, IT CAN BE DONE. 28:04 BUT DAVID, WHEN A BEAR CAME, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I HOVER A LOT ON 28:08 THIS POINT BECAUSE IT'S PERSONAL - LIVING UP IN THE HILLS - NEVER 28:14 HAD SHEEP UP THERE BUT WE HAD GOATS. 28:17 AND I REMEMBER, ONE DAY, WE HAD A GOAT NAMED 'LIBBY'. 28:21 SHE HAD A KID AND SHE WAS A MILK GOAT. 28:25 AND ONE DAY THE KID JUST DISAPPEARED. 28:28 AND I HAD SUSPICIONS - I WASN'T SURE - I THOUGHT A MOUNTAIN LION 28:30 GOT IT. AND ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DAYS 28:35 LATER, WOKE UP IN THE HOUSE AND ALL I HEARD WAS THIS THUD 28:41 AND THE WHOLE HOUSE SHOOK - LITERALLY - THE 28:43 WHOLE HOUSE SHOOK. IT SHOOK ME AWAKE. 28:45 AND THEN I HEARD LIBBY (MAKES CRYING NOISES) I THOUGHT, 'OH 28:50 THIS IS - I NEVER HEARD HER DO THAT BEFORE.' AND RIGHT AWAY I 28:53 THOUGHT, 'MOUNTAIN LIONS GOT HER.' AND I COULD HEAR HER - IT 28:57 WAS GETTING FURTHER AWAY AND SHE WAS SCREAMING. 29:01 ALL I HAD WAS A 0.22 AND I FOUND OUT IT WAS A BEAR - GOT HER, AND 29:06 WAS DRAGGING HER UP THE HILL. AND THE 0.22 WAS OUT IN THE 29:10 TRUCK. AND I HAVE TO SAY, I WAS 19 YEARS OLD. I GREW UP IN NEW 29:15 YORK CITY. THE IDEA OF GOING OUT IN THE DARK - NO LIGHTS OUT 29:21 THERE - GETTING A 0.22 AND SHOOTING OFF IN THE DARK TO TRY 29:27 AND SAVE THE GOAT - I THOUGHT IF I HIT HIM IT'D JUST MAKE HIM MAD 29:30 - YOU KNOW, WITH A 0.22? I WASN'T A VERY GOOD DAVID, 29:35 I JUST NEED TO TELL YOU. LIBBY WAS GONE. 29:40 IT'S A TRUE STORY AND, I'LL TELL YOU, IT MADE US REALLY NERVOUS 29:44 FROM THEN ON, WHEN WE WENT OUTSIDE BECAUSE WE HAD KIDS AND 29:49 THAT BEAR COULD CARRY OFF AN 80-POUND GOAT. 29:53 FINALLY GOT THE BEAR LATER, IN THE DAYTIME - BIGGER GUN. 29:58 BUT I READ ABOUT DAVID AND THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME PAUSE. 30:05 AND THEN HE SAYS, 'A LION CAME.' I DON'T HAVE A STORY FOR THAT. 30:10 (LAUGHTER) A LION CAME - WE DO HAVE LIONS UP THERE. 30:15 I TELL YOU - AND HE WENT AND HE SAID HE TOOK IT BY THE BEARD AND 30:19 KILLED IT. A GOOD SHEPHERD IS SACRIFICIAL - 30:23 WILL LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. 30:25 WHO DOES JESUS REVEAL HIMSELF TO? 30:28 THOSE THAT REALIZE THE VALUE OF SHEEP. 30:34 HOW MUCH DOES THE LORD VALUE PEOPLE? 30:36 THE GREATEST PRICE EVER PAID FOR ANYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE WAS 30:39 PAID FOR PEOPLE. - GOD GAVE HIS SON. 30:42 SO SHOULD WE WATCH OUT OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS? 30:46 SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE PERISHING AROUND US? 30:51 SHEPHERDS ARE WATCHING. IT'S A HUMBLE OCCUPATION. 30:56 WE SHOULD BE HUMBLE. THE BIBLE SAYS THE LORD CONSIDERS THE 31:00 LOWLY. YOU CAN READ IN GENESIS 46 THAT JOSEPH SAID TO THE 31:06 PHARAOH, 'EVERY SHEPHERD IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE EGYPTIANS.' 31:10 BECAUSE IT'S A HUMBLE OCCUPATION. ON THE CASTE OF 31:13 VALUE, IT WAS DOWN ON THE BOTTOM. NOW THERE ARE GOOD 31:17 SHEPHERDS, BUT NOT EVERY SHEPHERD WAS GOOD. 31:21 SOME SHEPHERDS ARE BAD. 31:25 JEREMIAH 23, 'WOE TO THE SHEPHERDS WHO DESTROY AND 31:28 SCATTER THE SHEEP OF MY PASTURE.' JESUS TALKS ABOUT THE 31:31 HIRELING THAT THEY SEE DANGER AND THEY RUN. 31:36 EZEKIEL 34:7 AND JOHN 10 TALK ABOUT YOU'VE GOT THE GOOD 31:41 SHEPHERDS AND YOU'VE GOT THE BAD SHEPHERDS AND THE LORD WANTS US 31:44 TO BE THE RIGHT KIND OF SHEPHERD. 31:46 JESUS SAID, 'I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.' THE GOOD SHEPHERD 31:50 WILL SOMETIMES DISCIPLINE THE SHEEP. 31:52 DOES THE LORD DISCIPLINE US? ISAIAH 53, VERSE 6, "ALL WE LIKE 31:58 SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED, EVERY ONE, TO HIS OWN 32:01 WAY" - YOU KNOW, THE LORD OWNS US BY BIRTH AND HE 32:05 OWNS US BY REDEMPTION. I SAW A PICTURE ONLINE, OF A 32:10 SHEEP IN NEW ZEALAND THAT WAS NAMED SHREK. 32:16 (RAUCOUS LAUGHTER) THIS SHEEP - IT WAS A RAM - HAD THE UNCANNY 32:24 ABILITY TO FIGURE OUT WHEN SHEARING SEASON WAS AND HE WOULD 32:27 RUN AND HE FOUND A CAVE TO HIDE IN. 32:29 HE WAS SMART ENOUGH TO HIDE. WHEN SHEARING WAS OVER, 32:32 HE'D COME OUT AGAIN. THEY'D SAY, 'WE'LL GET HIM NEXT 32:34 TIME.' AND HE RAN - FOR SEVEN YEARS HE DID NOT GET SHEARED. 32:39 I'M GLAD WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NORTH END OF THAT SHEEP. 32:42 I WOULDN'T WANT TO - BUT DON'T YOU THINK THAT MUST HAVE BEEN 32:49 ROUGH ON HIM? 60 POUNDS OF WOOL HE WAS 32:56 CARRYING AROUND ON HIM. YEAH, SHEPHERDS WILL DISCIPLINE 33:03 THEIR SHEEP - AFFLICTION, SOMEONE SAID, WAS GOD'S SHEPHERD 33:06 DOG TO DRIVE US BACK TO THE FOLD. 33:08 SOMETIMES GOD ALLOWS US TO GO THROUGH HARD TIMES BECAUSE HE 33:12 LOVES US. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD'LL 33:14 CHASTEN ALL OF HIS CHILDREN. A GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS THE SHEEP, 33:20 HE DOES NOT DRIVE THE SHEEP. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 33:24 ENCOURAGING THE SHEEP AND DRIVING THE SHEEP. 33:27 YOU CAN REMEMBER, IN THE BIBLE, IN GENESIS, WHEN JACOB WAS 33:30 LEADING THE FLOCK - HE HAD HIS FAMILY AND HE HAD HIS FLOCKS AND 33:33 ESAU SAID, 'COME ON, WE'LL BRING YOU ON INTO THE LAND.' HE SAID, 33:36 'NO, YOU GUYS ARE WITH SOLDIERS. YOU'RE GOING TO DRIVE US.' 33:38 THAT CAN KILL THE SHEEP. GENESIS 33:13, HE SAID, "MY LORD 33:43 KNOWETH THAT THE CHILDREN ARE TENDER, AND THE FLOCKS AND HERDS 33:46 WITH YOUNG ARE WITH ME: AND IF THE MEN SHOULD OVERDRIVE 33:50 THEM ONE DAY, ALL THE FLOCK WILL DIE." I TOLD YOU, THEY'RE KIND 33:54 OF - EVEN COWS - IN AMERICA, THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE BREED OF 34:00 COWS IN AMERICA BECAUSE THE AMERICAN WEST WAS SO ROUGH THEY 34:03 HAD TO FIND A BREED THAT COULD SURVIVE. AND THAT'S HOW THEY 34:05 ENDED UP WITH LONGHORNS. THEY FOUND THAT THEY COULD 34:07 ENDURE THE LONG CATTLE DRIVES WITHOUT DYING OFF. 34:11 BUT SHEEP, THEY'RE BRED FOR THEIR WOOL AND THEY'RE BRED FOR 34:14 THEIR MEAT. THEY'RE NOT BRED TO BE TOUGH. 34:17 AND SO, A SHEPHERD NEEDS TO LEAD THEM AND NEEDS TO LEAD THEM 34:20 GENTLY. SO WHILE YOU'RE WATCHING, 34:23 IT NEEDS TO BE DONE GENTLY. I HEARD ABOUT A TOURIST THAT WAS 34:26 IN ISRAEL AND HE SAW A SHEPHERD DRIVING HIS FLOCK FROM BEHIND. 34:30 AND HE SAID, 'WHY ARE YOU DRIVING THESE SHEEP?' 34:32 HE SAID, 'I ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT IN THE EAST THE SHEPHERD 34:35 LEADS THE SHEEP.' AND THE MAN SAID, 'THAT'S TRUE, THE SHEPHERD 34:38 DOES LEAD HIS SHEEP.' HE SAID, 'I'M NOT A SHEPHERD, I'M A 34:41 BUTCHER.' (LAUGHTER) AND THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN THE WAY SOME 34:48 CONGREGATIONS ARE LED - IT'S MORE LIKE THEY'RE DRIVEN. 34:53 THE BUTCHER'S THINKING MORE ABOUT HIMSELF THAN THE SHEEP. 34:57 SHEEP WILL FOLLOW THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE. 35:00 JESUS SAID, 'JOHN CHAPTER 10, VERSE 27, "MY SHEEP HEAR MY 35:04 VOICE, AND I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME." 35:07 I READ ABOUT THIS MAN - HE WAS IN SYRIA - AND HE SAW ALL THESE 35:12 SHEPHERDS - YEARS AGO - AND THEY ALL CAME TOGETHER AND THEY ALL 35:14 HAD, YOU KNOW, 50, 100 SHEEP. THEY ALL CAME TO THE SAME 35:17 WATERING HOLE AND ALL THE SHEEP GOT TOTALLY CO-MINGLED, 35:20 WATERING, AND THE SHEPHERDS HAD THEIR 35:23 LUNCH TOGETHER AND WHEN LUNCH WAS OVER AND THEY REALIZED IT 35:25 WAS TIME TO TAKE THE SHEEP BACK TO PASTURE, THEY ALL GOT UP AND 35:28 THEY ALL WALKED IN THREE SEPARATE DIRECTIONS AND THEY ALL 35:30 SAID THE SAME THING, IN SYRIAN, "FOLLOW ME, FOLLOW ME, FOLLOW 35:35 ME' - THEY SAID IT IN A SING-SONG WHIMSICAL WAY, AND 35:39 SOMEHOW, THE SHEEP ALL KNEW WHICH SHEPHERD TO FOLLOW. 35:43 AND HE SAID NONE OF THE SHEPHERDS STOPPED TO COUNT TO 35:46 SEE IF THEIR SHEEP WERE STILL WITH THEM. 35:49 THEY ALL KNEW THEIR SHEPHERD'S VOICE AND THEY ALL DISENTANGLED 35:53 THEMSELVES AND FOLLOWED THEIR SHEPHERD. 35:56 THERE'S A LOT OF FALSE SHEPHERDS OUT THERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF 35:57 DIFFERENT VOICES. IF YOU'VE GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT - 36:00 JOHN SAYS THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL TEACH YOU AND YOU'LL KNOW WHEN 36:03 IT'S THE VOICE OF YOUR SHEPHERD. 'MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE.' AND, 36:08 YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME SHEEP THAT THE LORD HAS THAT 36:10 ARE IN OTHER FOLDS. HE SAYS, 'BEFORE I COME, THEY'RE 36:12 GOING TO HEAR MY VOICE AND THERE'LL BE ONE FOLD AND ONE 36:14 SHEPHERD.' AND HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART: SHEPHERDS ARE 36:19 NOT ONLY WATCHING, THEY'RE FEEDING SHEEP. 36:23 SHEEP, SOMETIMES, DON'T EAT THE RIGHT THING OR THEY DON'T HAVE 36:26 ENOUGH FOOD. JEREMIAH 23, GOD SAID, 'I WILL 36:29 SET UP SHEPHERDS OVER THEM THAT WILL FEED THEM.' JOHN 21:15 - 36:35 YOU KNOW, PETER - THREE TIMES DENIED JESUS. 36:37 AND AFTER THE RESURRECTION, JESUS ASKED HIM THREE TIMES, 36:40 'PETER, DO YOU LOVE ME?' PETER SAID, 'LORD, I LOVE YOU.' 36:43 YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS SAID? 'FEED MY SHEEP.' 36:46 'PETER DO YOU LOVE ME?' 'LORD, I LOVE YOU.' 'FEED MY 36:50 SHEEP.' THIRD TIME HE SAYS, 'PETER, DO YOU LOVE ME?' 36:52 HE'S A LITTLE EXASPERATED - HE SAID, 'LORD, YOU KNOW ALL 36:55 THINGS. YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU.' - THE 36:57 OTHER DISCIPLES ARE LISTENING - HE SAID, 'FEED MY LAMBS.' TWO 37:01 TIMES HE SAID 'FEED MY SHEEP' AND ONE TIME HE SAID, 'FEED 37:02 MY LAMBS.' WHICH WOULD BE THE YOUNG. 37:05 AND SO, WHAT DID JESUS SAY TO PETER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY 37:08 TO SHOW YOUR LOVE? TAKE CARE OF THE SHEEP. 37:13 NOW, I'M PRAYING THE LORD CONTINUES TO BLESS GRANITE BAY. 37:16 THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE KNOW THAT EIGHT 37:19 YEARS AGO WE STARTED WITH A DOZEN PEOPLE AND, OBVIOUSLY, GOD 37:23 HAS BLESSED. MOVED INTO THIS BUILDING LESS 37:25 THAN A YEAR AGO WITH 300 - LOOKS LIKE 6 OR 7 TODAY. 37:31 WE FOUND OUT THAT IF YOU HAVE MUSIC AND FOOD, ATTENDANCE GROWS 37:34 - THAT'S BEEN OUR STRATEGY (LAUGHTER) FEED THE SHEEP AND 37:37 THEY'LL COME. AMEN? BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? 37:45 NOTHING HURTS A PASTOR MORE THAN WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, 'DID YOU HEAR 37:50 THAT SO AND SO WAS SICK?' OR 'SO AND SO HASN'T BEEN IN 37:52 CHURCH.' - AND NOBODY WENT TO SEE THEM. 37:57 AND I'VE JUST GOT TO LET YOU KNOW, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, 37:59 THE PASTORS ARE NOT OMNISCIENT. YOU'VE GOT TO TELL US. 38:05 THAT MEANS WE NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER. 38:09 IT'S OUR DESIRE IN THIS COMING YEAR THAT EVERY MEMBER GETS 38:11 INVOLVED IN SOME SORT OF MINISTRY OR SMALL GROUP BECAUSE 38:15 THAT CREATES LITTLE CHURCHES WITHIN THE CHURCH SO THAT WE'RE 38:18 - WE'RE WATCHING FOR ONE ANOTHER. WE'RE BEARING ONE 38:21 ANOTHER'S - AND EVEN IN THE BIBLE IT TALKS ABOUT SHEPHERDS 38:23 AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT A CHIEF SHEPHERD. THERE WERE OTHER 38:27 SHEPHERDS THAT TOOK CARE OF THE SHEEP. AND THE EARLY CHURCH WAS 38:31 SET UP WHERE EVERYBODY REALIZED THEY HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO 38:35 LOVE. AND IT'S THOSE SHEPHERDS THAT ARE WATCHING THE SHEEP, 38:38 EVEN DURING THE DARKEST TIMES, THAT THE ANGEL APPEARS TO WITH 38:41 GOOD NEWS. CHRIST IS REVEALED TO THOSE. 38:45 AND A GOOD SHEPHERD WILL SEEK THE LOST. 38:48 JESUS SAID, IN MATTHEW 18, 'WHAT DO YOU THINK, A MAN HAS A 38:52 HUNDRED SHEEP AND ONE OF THEM GOES ASTRAY, DOES HE NOT LEAVE 38:55 THE NINETY AND NINE AND GO INTO THE MOUNTAINS TO SEEK THAT ONE 38:58 THAT IS STRAYING?' YOU KNOW, IF A PARENT HAS A 39:02 THANKSGIVING MEAL AND THEY'VE GOT A DOZEN KIDS AND ONE CHAIR 39:05 IS EMPTY, WHO ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT? THAT ONE EMPTY CHAIR. 39:09 BY THE WAY, I'VE BEEN CRITICIZED BEFORE AS AN EVANGELIST, THEY 39:13 SAY, 'YOU ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW MANY GOT BAPTIZED AND HOW MANY 39:15 CAME AND, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS THAT SHEPHERD HAD A HUNDRED SHEEP AND 39:20 ONE WAS MISSING. HOW DO YOU THINK HE FIGURED OUT 39:23 ONE WAS MISSING? WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE 39:27 FOLD HE COUNTED THEM. MATTER OF FACT, THEY GO THROUGH 39:28 SOMETHING CALLED A SHEEP GATE AND IT'S ONLY WIDE ENOUGH FOR 39:32 ONE SHEEP TO GO THROUGH SO YOU CAN COUNT THEM. 39:34 IT'S LIKE THREADING A NEEDLE. AND HE SAID, 'WAIT A SECOND. 39:36 NINETY-NINE - ONE IS MISSING!' HOW DO YOU THINK HE KNEW THAT? 39:40 AND HE WENT OUT LOOKING FOR THE ONE THAT WAS MISSING. 39:44 NOW WHEN DAVID NUMBERED ISRAEL, THAT WASN'T FOR THAT PURPOSE. 39:47 DAVID WAS WANTING TO BRAG ABOUT HOW BIG HIS KINGDOM WAS - HOW 39:50 BIG HIS ARMY WAS - AND GOD PUNISHED HIM FOR HIS PRIDE. 39:54 BUT IT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT A SHEPHERD COUNTING THEIR SHEEP. 39:56 YES, A GOOD SHEPHERD, WHEN HE REALIZES ONE IS GONE, HE GOES 40:01 INTO THE MOUNTAINS TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT ONE. 40:08 TODAY, INSTEAD OF A SHEPHERD LOOKING FOR THE ONE LOST SHEEP, 40:11 HE NEEDS TO SPEND HIS TIME TAKING CARE OF THE NINETY-NINE. 40:15 A DEVIL ATTACKS THE SHEPHERDS TO SCATTER THE FLOCK. 40:19 I HOPE YOU PRAY FOR THE SHEPHERDS. 40:23 NOW, THERE ARE SHEPHERDS - IF YOU'RE PARENTS, YOU'RE 40:25 SHEPHERDS. SOMETIMES THE WAY THAT THE DEVIL 40:28 WILL SCATTER THE LAMBS IS BY ATTACKING THE SHEPHERDS. 40:32 HE'LL SCATTER THE CHURCH BY ATTACKING THE SHEPHERDS. 40:35 WE NEED TO HOLD UP THE SHEPHERDS. 40:38 JESUS SAID, 'ALL THE FLOCK - AND YOU'LL ALL BE OFFENDED BECAUSE 40:42 OF ME FOR IT IS WRITTEN: 'I'LL SMITE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP 40:45 WILL BE SCATTERED.'' THERE'S A RUSSIAN PROVERB THAT SAYS THAT 40:49 SHEPHERDS - 'WITHOUT A SHEPHERD, SHEEP ARE NOT A FLOCK.' IT'S THE 40:53 SHEPHERD WHO KEEPS THEM TOGETHER. 40:54 THERE NEEDS TO BE A COHESIVENESS. 40:57 THE OTHER WONDERFUL THING IS - SHEEP WITH A GOOD SHEPHERD ARE 41:01 SECURE AND FREE. REVELATION 6 - I'M SORRY, 41:05 REVELATION 7, VERSE 16 - SPEAKING OF THOSE WHO ARE IN THE 41:09 KINGDOM, "THEY SHALL HUNGER NO MORE, NEITHER THIRST ANYMORE. 41:12 THE SUN WILL NOT STRIKE THEM NOR ANY SCORCHING HEAT, FOR THE LAMB 41:17 IS IN THE MIDST OF THE THRONE AND WILL BE THEIR SHEPHERD. 41:21 HE WILL GUIDE THEM TO SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER." 41:24 GOD'LL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES. 41:26 SEE, THE COMING OF JESUS WAS GREAT JOY - WHEN JESUS CAME THE 41:29 FIRST TIME. IF YOU KNOW THE LORD - IF YOU KNOW THE SHEPHERD NOW, 41:33 THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS WILL BE GREAT JOY FOR YOU. 41:37 THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE WATCHING? 41:41 YOU KNOW, THIS STORY THAT WE READ IN LUKE IS THE UNEXPECTED 41:44 APPEARANCE TO AN UNLIKELY AUDIENCE, BRINGING AN 41:49 ASTONISHING MESSAGE OF AN UNUSUAL ARRIVAL. 41:53 THE SIMPLE SHEPHERDS HEARD THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL AND FOUND 41:56 THEIR LAMB. ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? 41:59 YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN PEOPLE WILL READ THE 23RD PSALM. 42:05 I OFTEN HEAR IT DONE AT FUNERALS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO DO IN 42:10 CHURCH. SOMEONE TOOK THE 23RD PSALM AND 42:13 BROKE IT APART AND THEY SAID, JUST, IT IS ABSOLUTELY 42:17 JAM-PACKED WITH THE WHOLE PLAN OF SALVATION IN 42:20 EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE. IT'S TOO BAD THAT SOME PEOPLE 42:24 KNOW THE 23RD PSALM BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THE SHEPHERD. 42:26 LET ME READ IT TO YOU AND JUST BREAK IT DOWN. 42:30 "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD" - IT'S TALKING ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP - 42:35 "I SHALL NOT WANT" - WANT MEANS BEING WITHOUT - THAT'S SUPPLY - 42:41 "HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES" - THAT'S REST - "HE 42:46 LEADS ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS" - WE JUST READ ABOUT 42:49 THAT IN REVELATION - HE LEADS HIS SHEEP TO THE LIVING WATERS - 42:52 THAT'S REFRESHMENT - "HE RESTORES MY SOUL" - THAT'S 42:57 HEALING - "HE LEADS ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" - THAT'S 43:01 GUIDANCE - "FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE" - THAT'S PURPOSE - "YEA, THOUGH 43:06 I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH" - THAT'S 43:09 TESTING - "I WILL FEAR NO EVIL" - WOULDN'T YOU LIKE THAT? - 43:15 THAT'S PROTECTION - WHY? - 43:17 "FOR THOU ART WITH ME" - THAT'S FAITHFULNESS - 'I WILL 43:20 NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU' - "THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY 43:24 COMFORT ME" - THAT'S DISCIPLINE - "THOU PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE 43:29 ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES" - THAT'S HOPE - "THOU 43:34 ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL" - THAT'S CONSECRATION - IT'S ALSO 43:38 WHAT HAPPENED TO JESUS, THE MESSIAH - "MY CUP RUNS OVER" - 43:42 THAT'S ABUNDANCE - "SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY WILL FOLLOW 43:46 ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE" - HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY DAY - 43:50 THAT'S BLESSING - "AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD" 43:54 - THAT'S SECURITY AND SANCTUARY - "FOREVER." 43:57 >>AMEN. >>ISN'T IT WONDERFUL? 43:59 IT STARTS OUT WITH THE LORD, IT ENDS WITH FOREVER, AND IT'S GOT 44:02 THE WHOLE PLAN OF SALVATION AND HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN 44:06 BETWEEN. WHAT A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL VERSE. WITH ME, 44:12 MY SHEPHERD; BEFORE ME, A TABLE; AROUND ME, MY ENEMIES; AFTER ME, 44:16 GOODNESS AND MERCY; BEYOND ME, THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. 44:20 IT'S GOT ALL THE DIMENSIONS THERE. 44:23 WELL, THESE SHEPHERDS WERE WATCHING OUT FOR THE SHEEP AND 44:30 GOD REVEALS TO THEM THE LAMB. 44:32 AFTER THAT HAPPENS - I'M BACK IN CHAPTER 2 - LUKE CHAPTER 2 - 44:38 THEY HEAR THIS MESSAGE: "FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN 44:42 THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. 44:45 AND THIS WILL BE A SIGN TO YOU: YOU WILL FIND A BABE WRAPPED IN 44:49 SWADDLING CLOTHS, LYING IN A MANGER.'" THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN 44:52 SEVERAL BABES IN BETHLEHEM, BUT NOT TOO MANY WERE IN A TROUGH 44:55 FOR FEEDING CATTLE. IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE BREAD 44:58 OF LIFE - JESUS - WAS BORN IN A VESSEL THAT HOLDS BREAD IN A 45:05 TOWN CALLED THE HOUSE OF BREAD - THAT'S WHAT BETHLEHEM MEANS. 45:10 AND AFTER THEY GIVE - AFTER THAT ONE ANGEL IS STANDING THERE AND 45:12 HE GIVES THIS MESSAGE AND THERE'S GLORY ALL AROUND HIM, 45:15 FINALLY THEIR EYES HAVE BECOME ADJUSTED ENOUGH AND THE ANGELS 45:17 THAT ARE WATCHING THE SCENE CANNOT RESTRAIN THEMSELVES - THE 45:21 HEAVENS PEEL BACK THE VEIL SEPARATING THE SPIRITUAL 45:24 WORLD FROM THE DIMENSION WE LIVE IN IS BROKEN AND IT SAYS, 45:29 "SUDDENLY" - VERSE 13 - "THERE" - AND WHEN THE LORD COMES THE 45:33 SECOND TIME, THERE'LL BE A 'SUDDENLY' THERE TOO. 45:36 "AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS WITH THE ANGEL A MULTITUDE OF THE 45:39 HEAVENLY HOST PRAISING GOD AND SAYING: 'GLORY TO GOD IN THE 45:44 HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN!' 45:48 SO IT WAS, WHEN THE ANGELS HAD GONE AWAY" - AFTER SINGING THEIR 45:51 ANTHEM, THE HEAVENS DIMMED, THE ANGELS' FACES ARE GLOWING AND 45:56 THEY FINALLY COME TO THEIR SENSES AFTER SEEING SUCH A 45:58 SPECTACLE AND HEARING SUCH - WOULDN'T YOU HAVE LIKED TO HEARD 46:01 THOSE ANGELS SING? THEY SAID, "LET US NOW GO" - YOU 46:08 KNOW, AFTER THEY CAME TO JESUS, WHAT DO WE DO? 46:11 WE GO - "LET US NOW GO TO BETHLEHEM AND SEE THIS THING 46:16 THAT HAS COME TO PASS, WHICH THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN TO US." 46:19 WOULDN'T IT BE A SHAME TO HAVE ANGELS SAY, 'CHRIST IS WITHIN 46:26 REACH' - 'THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD IS COME. 46:30 IT'S JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. THERE ON THE HILLS 46:32 OUTSIDE OF BETHLEHEM, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO GO TO THE VILLAGE. 46:34 YOU'RE GOING TO FIND HIM.' - THEY HAD NO DOUBT THAT THEY'D 46:36 FIND HIM - AND, AFTER HEARING THE ANGELS SING, AND GOD GOING 46:41 THROUGH ALL THAT TROUBLE TO SAY, 'WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE A 46:44 REVELATION OF THE SON' FOR THOSE SHEPHERDS TO HAVE SAID, 'WELL, 46:48 THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING. YOU GUYS LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU FIND.' 46:51 FOR YOU PERSONALLY NOT TO GO AND TO SEE THE FIRST COMING OF 46:55 JESUS - NOT TO SEE CHRIST - NOT TO HAVE THAT REVELATION - 46:58 WHAT A SHAME THAT WOULD BE. NOW, DID THE LORD TELL US 47:02 THAT HE'S COMING AGAIN? AND HE INVITES US COME TO HIM 47:06 THAT WE MIGHT KNOW HIM NOW AND THEN GO FOR HIM. 47:11 JESUS IS COMING, ARE WE WATCHING? 47:13 >>AMEN. >>ARE WE WATCHING FOR HIS COMING 47:15 OR ARE WE WATCHING FOR OTHERS AROUND US? 47:17 HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO THE SHEPHERDS THAT ARE WATCHING, AND 47:20 IT ALL HAPPENED WHEN THEY SUDDENLY LEAST EXPECTED IT - 47:23 DOING A COMMON THING, OUT IN THE FIELDS, JUST - PROBABLY HAD A 47:28 PIECE OF GRASS IN THEIR TEETH, LISTENING TO THE BLEATING OF THE 47:31 SHEEP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERYTHING CHANGED. 47:34 SUDDENLY, WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, FIRST COMING HAPPENED. 47:39 SUDDENLY, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME, WHILE THEY WERE PRAYING 47:43 TOGETHER. SUDDENLY, JESUS IS GOING TO COME AGAIN. 47:47 WE WANT TO BE LIKE THOSE SHEPHERDS AND BE WATCHING. 47:49 SO WE CELEBRATE HIS FIRST COMING BECAUSE IT HELPS US THINK ABOUT 47:52 HIS SECOND, AMEN? (MUSIC) 48:01 >>YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE EXPRESSION BEFORE, 'IF YOU 48:03 DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER IN TEXAS, JUST WAIT; IT'LL CHANGE.' AND 48:07 YOU'VE ALSO HEARD, 'EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS - THE 48:10 RANCHES, THE BELT BUCKLES, THE COWBOY HATS...' BUT THE MOST 48:14 FAMOUS SLOGAN ABOUT TEXAS IS 'REMEMBER THE ALAMO!' 48:22 THE VIOLENT BATTLES AND BRAVERY OF ICONIC HEROES, HAVE BEEN THE 48:25 STUFF OF LEGENDS, THROUGHOUT WHICH ENTIRE CULTURES OFTEN DRAW 48:28 THEIR IDENTITY AND PRIDE, EVEN LONG AFTER CENTURIES ARE PAST. 48:32 AND IN TEXAS, THE STORY OF THE ALAMO HAS BEEN A RALLYING CRY OF 48:35 TEXAS INDEPENDENCE FOR 200 YEARS. 48:39 ONE REASON THAT TEXANS LOVE TO BRAG THAT EVERYTHING IS BIGGER 48:42 IN TEXAS IS, OF COURSE, BECAUSE TEXAS IS THE LARGEST OF THE 48:45 LOWER 48 U.S. STATES. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS 48:49 MASSIVE STATE GOT ITS BEGINNING IN A VERY SMALL CHRISTIAN 48:52 MISSION DURING THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO. 48:56 EVERY YEAR THIS FAMOUS MISSION MUSEUM RECEIVES OVER TWO AND A 48:59 HALF MILLION VISITORS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE PLANET, THAT ARE 49:02 EAGER TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT THIS LEGENDARY SITE. 49:06 THE ALAMO PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE TEXAS REVOLUTION. 49:10 IN DECEMBER 1835, TEXANS AND TEJANO VOLUNTEERS BATTLED 49:14 MEXICAN TROOPS QUARTERED IN THE CITY, FORCING GENERAL MARTIN 49:17 PERFECTO DE COS TO SURRENDER. THE VICTORIOUS VOLUNTEERS 49:21 THEN OCCUPIED THE ALAMO AND STRENGTHENED ITS DEFENSES. 49:24 FAMOUS AMERICANS LIKE DAVY CROCKETT, JIM BOWIE, AND COLONEL 49:28 WILLIAM TRAVIS MADE THIS LOCATION - THIS ANCIENT MISSION 49:32 - THE BEACHHEAD - THE LAST STAND IN AN EPIC BATTLE TO WIN 49:36 INDEPENDENCE OF TEXAS FROM MEXICO. 49:39 ON FEBRUARY 23, 1836, THE ARRIVAL OF GENERAL ANTONIO LOPEZ 49:44 SANTA ANA NEARLY CAUGHT THEM BY SURPRISE. 49:47 UNDAUNTED, THE TEXANS AND TEJANOS PREPARED TO DEFEND THE 49:50 ALAMO. FOR THIS SMALL RAG-TAG GROUP OF 49:53 REBELS, THE YOUNGEST OF WHOM WAS ABOUT SIXTEEN AND THE OLDEST 49:55 SEVENTY-FIVE, WAS AGAINST THE WELL-TRAINED AND ORGANIZED 49:59 MEXICAN ARMY OF SIX THOUSAND-PLUS SOLDIERS. 50:02 IT WAS A FIERCE AND LOPSIDED BATTLE, YET THE SMALL FORCE OF 50:05 REBELS WAS ABLE TO REPEL THE TROOPS FOR THIRTEEN DAYS. 50:10 LEGEND HOLDS THAT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL HELP 50:13 FADING, COLONEL TRAVIS DREW A LINE IN THE GROUND WITH A SWORD 50:17 AND ASKED ANY MAN WILLING TO STAY AND FIGHT TO STEP OVER THE 50:21 LINE. ALL EXCEPT ONE CROSSED OVER. 50:25 THE FINAL ASSAULT CAME BEFORE DAYBREAK. 50:27 ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 6, 1836, THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE SIEGE, 50:32 CANON AND SMALL ARMS FIRE FROM INSIDE THE ALAMO BEAT BACK 50:35 SEVERAL MEXICAN ATTACKS. REGROUPING, SANTA ANA'S SOLDIERS 50:39 SCALED THE WALLS AND RUSHED INTO THE COMPOUND. THE DESPERATE 50:43 STRUGGLE CONTINUED UNTIL THE DEFENDERS WERE OVERWHELMED. 50:47 BY SUNRISE, THE BATTLE HAD ENDED AND THE GARRISON WAS SLAIN. 50:51 YOU KNOW, HISTORIANS MAY DEBATE SOME OF THE DETAILS REGARDING 50:53 THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BUT NONE OF THEM QUESTION THE 50:56 INCREDIBLE SACRIFICE THAT WAS MADE AND THE COURAGE THAT WAS 50:59 DISPLAYED DURING THAT INTENSE CONFLICT. 51:02 THEY MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE - GIVING THEIR LIVES - AND THIS 51:05 IS WHY THE STORY OF THE ALAMO IS SO INSPIRING AND SO ENCOURAGING, 51:10 YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S WHY THE BIBLE IS SO 51:11 INSPIRING, FRIENDS, BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS WILLING TO MAKE THE 51:14 ULTIMATE SACRIFICE AND GIVE HIS LIFE SO YOU COULD HAVE 51:17 FREEDOM AND ETERNAL LIFE. DON'T YOU THINK YOU COULD TRUST 51:20 YOUR LIFE TO A FRIEND LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD GIVE EVERYTHING? 51:23 THE STORY OF THE GOSPEL IS A STORY OF COURAGE AND HOPE. 51:26 IT'S THE STORY OF GOD WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU WITHOUT DEFENSE 51:29 AND SUPPORT. JESUS IS THE GOOD NEWS AND 51:32 THE GOSPEL IS A STORY WORTH REMEMBERING. 51:36 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 52:04 >>I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAD A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD. 52:06 GROWING UP, I WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE SEVENTH 52:10 GRADE - UNTIL JUNIOR HIGH. I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THAT POINT, 52:13 IN JUNIOR HIGH, THAT MY LIFE BEGAN TO CHANGE. 52:17 GOING FROM A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL WAS A BIG 52:21 DIFFERENCE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SECULAR 52:24 INFLUENCE - PEER PRESSURE - AND, FOR ME, IT WAS MUSIC. 52:30 I STARTED LISTENING TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC. 52:32 EVERY CONCERT THAT WOULD COME TO TOWN I WAS THERE. 52:35 IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. I STARTED USING MARIJUANA, 52:40 PROBABLY AT THE AGE OF 14. I STARTED DRINKING - USING A 52:44 LOT OF COCAINE AND THAT LED TO METHAMPHETAMINE AND THAT 52:48 COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL MY 52:52 SOPHOMORE YEAR AND WENT TO WORK. I WOULD GET OFF OF WORK AND WE'D 52:58 GO TO THE BAR UNTIL 2:00 IN THE MORNING AND I'D GET BACK UP AT 53:00 5:00 AND GO BACK AT IT AGAIN - SIX, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 53:08 AT THE AGE OF 20, I LOST MY DAD TO A HEART ATTACK. 53:13 I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE LOSS SO I TRIED TO MASK MY PAIN 53:17 WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. I GOT THREE DUIS IN ONE YEAR. 53:22 I WAS ARRESTED. THEY GAVE ME ONE YEAR IN THE 53:25 COUNTY JAIL AND THE MOMENT I GOT OUT I WENT BACK TO DOING THE 53:29 SAME THING, HANGING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE - THE SAME CROWD. 53:32 I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND I WAS 53:36 CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI. EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE 53:39 ACCIDENT I WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE, I STILL HAD 53:41 METHAMPHETAMINE IN MY SYSTEM. AT MY SENTENCING DATE I LEFT 53:47 THE COURTROOM AND I DIDN'T COME BACK. AND THAT LEFT ME WITH A 53:50 FELONY WARRANT. AND I HAD FALLEN ASLEEP AT A 53:53 PARK AND I WOKE UP TO A PARK RANGER KNOCKING ON MY WINDOW. 53:59 I KNEW THAT I WAS WANTED AND I KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO 54:02 JUST TURN MYSELF IN. I TURNED TO HIM AND I MADE THE 54:06 COMMENT, 'NOT TODAY.' AND I TOOK OFF. 54:10 I LED FIVE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON ABOUT A 35-MINUTE CHASE AND I 54:14 REALIZED AT ONE POINT THAT I WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY AND 54:17 THIS WAS GOING TO END UP EITHER ME KILLING SOMEBODY OR MYSELF. 54:23 AND SO I MADE A DECISION TO PULL OVER. 54:25 AT THAT POINT, EVERYTHING THAT I HAD, I LOST. 54:29 I WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN STATE PRISON AND IT WAS THERE 54:34 THAT GOD GOT AHOLD OF ME. AND IT WAS THROUGH 54:38 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES. I REMEMBER LISTENING ON MY 54:42 RADIO TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. I WANTED TO GET 54:45 TO KNOW THE BIBLE. I WANTED TO KNOW GOD. 54:48 AND SO MY AUNT MARILYN SENT ME THE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES 54:54 AND IT WAS THERE THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BEGAN. 55:01 I HAD CALLED HOME AND I KNEW MY MOTHER WASN'T DOING WELL, BUT I 55:06 DIDN'T REALIZE THAT SHE HAD CANCER. 55:10 SHE HAD ABOUT A 30-PERCENT CHANCE OF MAKING IT THROUGH HER 55:16 SURGERY. SHE HAD TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT 55:18 SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE CHEMO AND SHE WAS NOT GOING 55:20 TO HAVE RADIATION. THAT, IF HER GOD WAS GOING TO 55:22 SAVE HER, THEN HE WOULD SAVE HER. I REMEMBER HANGING UP THE 55:26 PHONE TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM. 55:32 I TURNED AROUND, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES, AND I PRAYED TO GOD. 55:38 I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER. 55:42 WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME IN LIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO, I AM 55:46 YOURS.' AND I HAD A FEELING OF SUCH PEACE, THAT I KNEW THAT MY 55:52 MOTHER WAS GOING TO BE OKAY AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO 55:56 CHANGE. THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN 55:59 ADEQUATELY EXPRESS TO AMAZING FACTS AND PASTOR DOUG - TO SAY, 56:03 'THANK YOU' TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY. 56:07 I AM A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUPPORT. MY LIFE IS CHANGED BECAUSE OF 56:11 THIS MINISTRY AND I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. 56:19 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS, THROUGH YOUR 56:30 FAITHFUL SUPPORT, HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON SOME OF THE 56:34 LARGEST NON-CHRISTIAN LOCATIONS IN THE WORLD. 56:38 BEYOND THE GREAT WALL, THE PRINTING AND TRANSLATION OF OUR 56:41 BOOKS AND VIDEO MATERIALS ARE IN CONSTANT MOTION. 56:44 >>(CHINESE DIALOGUE) >>THE AMAZING FACTS CHINESE 56:51 LANGUAGE WEBSITE IS NOW ONE OF OUR MOST VISITED WEBSITES. 56:55 WE ALSO TRANSLATED THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF LITERATURE FOR THESE 56:58 NATIONS. WHAT STARTED OUT AS HUNDREDS OF 57:01 FOLLOWERS IS NOW IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. 57:04 THE IMPACT OF YOUR FUNDS INVESTED IN SHARING THE 57:07 EVERLASTING GOSPEL IN THESE FOREIGN LANDS WILL BE FELT FOR 57:10 YEARS TO COME. >>YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK WE HEAR 57:14 THE MOST INCREDIBLE STORIES FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE, OF LIVES 57:17 THAT ARE BEING CHANGED AND HEARTS THAT ARE BEING 57:19 TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE WORD. 57:22 AND NONE OF IT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT YOUR TEAMWORK WITH THIS 57:24 MINISTRY. GOD BLESS YOU. (MUSIC) 57:29 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:33 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:37 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:40 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:43 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:47 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:50 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 57:54 WORD. GO DEEPER. 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Revised 2016-12-06