Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021601A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:10 >>AMONG THE PEOPLE LIVING THE TROPICS, FOR 00:12 THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE COCONUT HAS BEEN A VIRTUAL TREE OF LIFE. 00:16 THE PEOPLE USE IT FOR FOOD, FOR CLOTHING, FOR WATER, FOR TOOLS, 00:21 SOAP - IT DOES JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. THE COCONUT HAS ALSO 00:25 SAVED A LOT OF LIVES. DURING WORLD WAR II, PILOTS THAT 00:30 WERE SHOT DOWN OR SAILORS THAT WERE STRANDED ON PACIFIC 00:32 ISLANDS, THEY LIVED FOR MANY MONTHS ON NOTHING OTHER THAN THE 00:36 COCONUT TREES THAT WERE ON THEIR ISLANDS. 00:38 YESSIR, THE COCONUT IS A TREE OF LIFE. 00:42 ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT THE COCONUT IS THEY'RE DESIGNED 00:45 SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO FLOAT ACROSS OCEANS. 00:48 COCONUTS CAN GO THOUSANDS OF MILES AFTER MANY MONTHS, BE 00:51 WASHED UP ON SOME DESERTED SANDY BEACH, THEN THEY TAKE ROOT, 00:57 SPROUT, COME TO LIFE, AND THEY'LL DEVELOP A WHOLE NEW 01:00 ECOSYSTEM, HOLDING ISLANDS IN PLACE THROUGH A HURRICANE. 01:04 WHEN THE ANCIENT POLYNESIAN TRAVELERS CROSSING OCEANS SAW AN 01:07 ISLAND WITH COCONUT TREES, THEY KNEW THERE WAS HOPE. 01:11 IT'S AMAZING HOW, IN VIRTUALLY NOT TIME AT ALL, THOSE LIVING ON 01:14 PACIFIC ISLANDS KNOW HOW TO MAKE BASKETS AND ALL KINDS OF TOOLS 01:18 FROM THE LEAVES OF THE COCONUT TREE. 01:23 THE COCONUTS EVEN SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES AT DIFFERENT 01:25 TIMES IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT. THE YOUNGER, GREEN COCONUTS, 01:28 THEY'RE FULL OF WATER AND THAT'LL KEEP YOU ALIVE. 01:33 YOU CAN EVEN MAKE YOUR UTENSILS FROM THE COCONUT. 01:35 MY SPOON IS PART OF THE GREEN SHELL AND HERE, THIS IS A 01:40 COCONUT JELLY - MAKES GOOD FOR BREAKFAST. 01:46 THE MORE MATURE COCONUTS, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THE MEAT - BUT YOU 01:48 WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT BAD AND THE WAY THAT YOU 01:50 TEST THIS IS YOU CAN HEAR THE WATER INSIDE. 01:53 HERE, BRING THAT MIC OVER HERE. CAN YOU HEAR IT? 01:57 THAT'S A GOOD ONE. HOW ABOUT WE TAKE A BITE? 02:00 NOW THAT MAKES A MEAL THAT WILL REALLY FILL YOU UP AND IT CLEANS 02:02 YOUR TEETH AT THE SAME TIME. THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, JESUS USES 02:09 A NUMBER OF METAPHORS TO REMIND US THAT EVERYTHING WE NEED TO 02:11 SURVIVE COMES FROM HIM. HE SAYS THAT HE'S THE LIVING WATER. 02:15 JESUS TELLS US THAT HE IS THE BREAD OF LIFE. 02:18 HIS ROBE COVERS US WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS. HE IS OUR GOOD 02:21 SHEPHERD THAT PROTECTS US. JESUS IS THE LIVING VINE THROUGH 02:25 WHICH WE GET OUR LIFE AND OUR NOURISHMENT. 02:28 YOU MIGHT SAY JESUS IS LIKE THE COCONUT TREE - A TREE OF LIFE. 02:32 YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FEW VERSES IN THE BIBLE TELL THAT GOD 02:35 PROVIDED A TREE OF LIFE FOR MAN SO THAT HE COULD LIVE FOREVER. 02:38 BUT, BECAUSE OF SIN, MAN WAS SEPARATED FROM THAT TREE AND 02:41 FROM THE GARDEN. BUT THROUGH TRUSTING IN JESUS 02:44 AND TRUSTING IN HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS, WE ONCE AGAIN WILL 02:47 HAVE ACCESS TO THE TREE OF LIFE AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE 02:50 WITH HIM IN THE KINGDOM. BUT THIS IS ALL MADE POSSIBLE 02:53 BECAUSE WE TRUST IN JESUS, WHO IS THE REAL TREE OF LIFE. 02:57 JESUS SAID, 'UNLESS YOU EAT MY FLESH AND DRINK MY BLOOD, YOU 02:59 HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU.' BUT WHEN WE ACCEPT CHRIST AS OUR 03:02 SACRIFICE, AND WE ALLOW HIM TO CLEANSE US AND FILL US WITH HIS 03:05 SPIRIT, WE BECOME NEW CREATURES AND WE CAN BE WITH HIM IN 03:08 SHARING THE GIFT OF EVERLASTING LIFE WITH OTHERS. 03:11 MATTER OF FACT, WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT NOW BY TOSSING A COCONUT 03:14 OUT AND PRAYING THAT IT LANDS ON A DESERTED BEACH. 03:35 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS BEGAN IN 1965 WITH A GOD-INSPIRED 03:45 CONCEPT. >>HELLO, THIS IS JOE CREWS AND 03:48 THE AMAZING FACTS BROADCAST FACTS WHICH AFFECT YOU. 03:52 >>EACH RADIO BROADCAST WOULD BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING FACT FROM 03:55 SCIENCE, NATURE, OR HISTORY, FOLLOWED BY A BIBLE MESSAGE THAT 03:59 TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF LISTENERS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. 04:03 THE PROGRAM WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS AND THE MINISTRY SOON 04:07 BEGAN EXPANDING TO INCLUDE BIBLE LESSONS. 04:10 IN 1986 AMAZING FACTS ADDED THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION TO ITS 04:14 GROWING OUTREACH EFFORTS, OFFERING SOUL-WINNING 04:17 EVANGELISTIC MESSAGES FOR VIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD. 04:22 IN 1994, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE 04:25 MINISTRY, ADDING THE BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE CALL-IN RADIO 04:29 PROGRAM AND NEW MINISTRY TV PROGRAMS BEGAN AIRING ON 04:33 MULTIPLE NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD. 04:36 FOR 50 YEARS, THE DRIVING VISION OF AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN THE 04:40 BOLD PROCLAMATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND, WITH A 04:44 TEAM OF EVANGELISTS CIRCLING THE GLOBE, AND THOUSANDS OF MEN AND 04:48 WOMEN BEING TRAINED THROUGH THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF 04:51 EVANGELISM PROGRAM - AFCOE - THE MINISTRY IS HELPING GOD'S CHURCH 04:56 SEE A RICH HARVEST OF SOULS. AMAZING FACTS: GOD'S MESSAGE, 05:02 OUR MISSION. (MUSIC) 05:22 >>YOU'LL GROW STRONGER IN YOUR FAITH IF YOU USE THE 05:24 VARIOUS GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU IN SERVING THE LORD. 05:28 AND THAT'S THE TOPIC OF OUR SUBJECT TODAY. 05:31 IT'S BASED ON THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS AND IT'S ON INVESTING 05:35 OUR TALENTS. GOD HAS GIVEN US ALL SPIRITUAL GIFTS. 05:39 HE WANTS US TO USE THEM IN HIS CAUSE. 05:43 I REMEMBER READING A STORY ABOUT A VERY SUCCESSFUL, RICH MAN - 05:49 LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY - AND WHEN HIS GRANDMOTHER'S BIRTHDAY 05:54 CAME AROUND, HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR HER. 05:56 HE HAD SPENT SEVERAL YEARS LIVING WITH HER DURING THE 05:58 SUMMERS - WANTED TO GET HER A GIFT. 06:01 SHE HAD REALLY IMPACTED HIS LIFE - SHE AND GRANDPA - BUT GRANDPA 06:05 HAD PASSED AWAY AND HE KNEW THAT GRANDMA WAS LONELY. 06:11 SHE WAS SOMETHING OF AN OLD COUNTRY GIRL SO HE KNEW IT 06:13 WASN'T GOING TO DO HER ANY GOOD TO GET HER SOMETHING ELECTRONIC 06:16 AND HE CAME UP WITH A BIG IDEA. HE THOUGHT, 'I'M GOING TO GET 06:19 GRANDMA A PARROT - A BIRD - THAT CAN TALK TO HER - KEEP HER SOME 06:25 COMPANY.' AND SO THIS MAN, HE FOUND ONE THAT SPOKE 400 06:29 DIFFERENT WORDS AND COULD SING PARTS OF THREE ITALIAN OPERAS. 06:36 AND HE THOUGHT, 'WELL, LOOK, MY GRANDMA MEANS A LOT TO ME. 06:39 MONEY IS NO OBJECT. HE SPENT $50,000 BUYING THE BIRD AND 06:44 HAVING IT SHIPPED TO HIS GRANDMOTHER IN THE HILLS OF 06:47 KENTUCKY. AND HE COULDN'T WAIT - THE DAY AFTER THE BIRD ARRIVED, 06:51 HE CALLED AND SAID, 'GRANDMA, DID YOU GET THE BIRD THAT I 06:54 SENT?' SHE SAID, 'WELL, YES I DID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SON.' 06:59 AND HE SAID, 'WELL, WHAT'D YOU THINK?' SHE PAUSED AND SAID, 07:05 'WELL, TO BE HONEST, IT WAS A LITTLE SMALL AND A LITTLE TOUGH, 07:10 BUT WITH THE RIGHT SEASONINGS IT WAS QUITE DELICIOUS.' 07:19 NOTHING QUITE LIKE A GIFT THAT IS WASTED. 07:22 DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE GIFT. AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THAT'S 07:27 A FUNNY STORY, BUT IT IS TRUE THAT GIFTS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN AT 07:34 GREAT EXPENSE TO YOU AND I, ARE OFTEN TOTALLY BURIED AND WASTED. 07:40 AND THAT'S WHAT OUR PARABLE'S ABOUT. SO, IF YOU HAVE YOUR 07:42 BIBLES, YOU MIGHT WANT TO JOIN ME BY TURNING TO MATTHEW 25. 07:45 NATHAN - IN THE SCRIPTURE READING - I HAD HIM READ THE 07:47 FIRST HALF OF THAT. WE'RE GOING TO READ IT ALL. 07:49 THERE IS A PARALLEL PARABLE IN LUKE 19 - IT'S A LITTLE 07:54 DIFFERENT. WE'RE GOING TO READ FROM MATTHEW 25. 07:57 I'LL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW. 08:00 WHY ARE SOME OF THE PARABLES DIFFERENT FROM ONE GOSPEL TO 08:05 ANOTHER? DOES THAT MEAN THE BIBLE CANNOT 08:06 BE TRUSTED AND THAT IT'S NOT INSPIRED? 08:09 OR DID ONE OF THE GOSPEL WRITERS GET IT WRONG AND ONE OF THEM GOT 08:12 IT RIGHT? NO, NOT AT ALL. WHEN JESUS WENT FROM TOWN TO 08:16 TOWN, AND THE BIBLE SAYS HE WENT FROM TOWN TO TOWN AND VILLAGE TO 08:19 VILLAGE - FROM THE COUNTRY TO THE CITY, TEACHING AND PREACHING 08:22 OVER THOSE THREE AND A HALF YEARS. 08:24 HOW MANY OF YOU BELIEVE THAT HE SHARED THE SAME PARABLES - OR AT 08:26 LEAST VARIATIONS OF THEM - MANY TIMES? 08:30 HE DIDN'T HAVE PRINTED COPIES HE SENT OUT, HE WOULD REPEAT THEM. 08:34 AND AS HE WENT FROM ONE TOWN TO THE NEXT AND HE LOOKED AT THE 08:36 AUDIENCE AND HE SAW WHAT THE NEEDS WERE, HE WOULD MODIFY AND 08:40 ADJUST HIS PARABLES TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE BASED ON HIS AUDIENCE. 08:46 AND SO, THAT'S WHY MATTHEW SAID, 'I REMEMBER WHEN JESUS TOLD IT 08:48 IN THIS VILLAGE AND THIS IS WHAT HE TOLD THEM. 08:51 AND LUKE SAYS, 'WELL, PETER TOLD ME ABOUT - OR PAUL TOLD ME ABOUT 08:54 WHEN HE TOLD THE PARABLE IN THIS VILLAGE AND THIS IS HOW HE DID 08:57 IT THERE.' AND SO, THERE'S LITTLE DIFFERENCES, BUT IN LUKE 09:01 AND IN MATTHEW, THE MESSAGE OF THE PARABLES IS IDENTICAL. 09:05 AND SO, MATTHEW CHAPTER 25, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH VERSE 09:09 14, "FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MAN TRAVELING TO A FAR 09:14 COUNTRY, WHO CALLED IS OWN SERVANTS AND DELIVERED HIS GOODS 09:18 TO THEM." - NOW WHERE'S THIS HAPPENING? 09:21 - MATTHEW 25 - WHAT'S IN MATTHEW 24? 09:24 IT TALKS ALL ABOUT THE SECOND COMING, AND THEN THE FIRST 09:29 PARABLE IN MATTHEW 25 HE TALKS ABOUT THE VIRGINS THAT ARE 09:33 WAITING. SO ONE OF THE THINGS - WHAT DO 09:35 WE DO WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR JESUS TO COME? 09:39 WELL, IT TALKS ABOUT THE TEN VIRGINS WHO ARE MAKING SURE 09:41 THEY'VE GOT A STORE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THEY'RE WAITING WITH 09:44 EXPECTANCY. AND AFTER HE TALKS ABOUT HOW WE 09:49 ARE TO WAIT WITH ANTICIPATION AND EXPECTANCY OF THE LORD'S 09:53 RETURN, HE THEN SAYS, 'BUT YOU DON'T JUST SIT THERE AND WAIT, 09:57 YOU WORK.' SO THEN HE SAYS HOW YOU WAIT FOR THE LORD'S 10:02 COMING IS BY STAYING BUSY. AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS. 10:06 IT'S IN THE CONTEXT OF 'WHAT DO WE DO WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR 10:10 THE MASTER TO RETURN? SO IT SAYS HE'S GETTING READY - 10:14 VERSE 14 - HE'S GOING - JOURNEY - FAR COUNTRY - THAT FAR COUNTRY 10:17 IS HEAVEN - NOT THAT HEAVEN'S FAR AWAY, IT'S ONLY A PRAYER 10:20 AWAY, BUT IT SEEMS FAR SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE'RE SEPARATED BY SIN. 10:25 AND HE DIVVIES UP HIS GIFTS AND IT SAYS, "AND TO ONE HE GAVE 10:30 FIVE TALENTS, TO ANOTHER TWO, AND TO ANOTHER ONE, TO EACH 10:35 ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY;" - HE'S NOT BEING UNFAIR - "AND 10:38 IMMEDIATELY HE WENT ON A JOURNEY. 10:41 THEN HE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE FIVE TALENTS WENT AND TRADED 10:44 WITH THEM, AND MADE ANOTHER FIVE TALENTS. 10:48 AND LIKEWISE HE WHO HAD RECEIVED TWO GAINED TWO MORE ALSO. 10:52 BUT HE WHO HAD RECEIVED ONE WENT AND DUG IN THE GROUND, AND HID 10:58 HIS LORD'S MONEY." - WRAPPED IT UP IN A NAPKIN, 11:01 DUG A HOLE, STUCK IT IN THERE. IT DOESN'T SAY HE STOLE IT. 11:06 IT DOESN'T SAY HE SPENT IT. HE BASICALLY DID NOTHING WITH IT 11:12 - "AFTER A LONG TIME THE LORD OF THOSE SERVANTS CAME AND 11:15 SETTLED ACCOUNTS WITH THEM. SO HE WHO HAD RECEIVED FIVE 11:19 TALENTS CAME AND BROUGHT FIVE OTHER TALENTS, SAYING, 'LORD, 11:25 YOU DELIVERED TO ME FIVE TALENTS; LOOK, I HAVE GAINED 11:28 FIVE MORE TALENTS BESIDES THEM.' HIS LORD SAID TO HIM, 'WELL 11:33 DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT; YOU WERE FAITHFUL OVER A FEW 11:36 THINGS, I WILL MAKE YOU RULER OVER MANY THINGS. 11:40 ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR LORD.' HE ALSO WHO HAD RECEIVED 11:45 TWO TALENTS CAME AND SAID, 'LORD, YOU DELIVERED TO ME TWO 11:49 TALENTS; LOOK, I HAVE GAINED TWO MORE TALENTS BESIDES THEM.' HIS 11:53 LORD SAID TO HIM, 'WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT;'" - 11:57 HE SAYS THE SAME THING TO HIM: 'YOU TOOK WHAT I GAVE YOU, EVEN 11:59 THOUGH IT WAS LESS, BUT YOU WERE FAITHFUL WITH IT - WELL DONE' - 12:04 "'I WILL MAKE YOU RULER OVER MANY THINGS. 12:06 ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR LORD.' THEN HE WHO HAD RECEIVED 12:12 THE ONE TALENT CAME AND SAID, 'LORD, I KNEW YOU TO BE A HARD 12:16 MAN, REAPING WHERE YOU HAVE NOT SOWN, AND GATHERING 12:18 WHERE YOU HAVE NOT SCATTERED SEED. 12:20 AND I WAS AFRAID, AND WENT AND HID YOUR TALENT IN THE GROUND.'" 12:25 - LOOK, THERE IT IS - HE UNWRAPS THIS DIRTY NAPKIN AND SAYS, 'I'M 12:29 GIVING YOU BACK WHAT YOU GAVE ME.' - "BUT HIS LORD ANSWERED 12:32 AND SAID TO HIM, 'YOU WICKED AND LAZY SERVANT, YOU KNEW THAT I 12:38 REAP WHERE I HAVE NOT SOWN, AND GATHER WHERE I HAVE NOT 12:42 SCATTERED SEED. SO YOU OUGHT TO HAVE DEPOSITED 12:45 MY MONEY WITH THE BANKERS, AND AT MY COMING I WOULD HAVE 12:48 RECEIVED BACK MY OWN WITH INTEREST. 12:50 THEREFORE TAKE THE TALENT FROM HIM, AND GIVE IT TO HIM WHO HAS 12:53 TEN TALENTS. FOR TO EVERYONE WHO HAS, MORE 12:56 WILL BE GIVEN, AND HE WILL HAVE ABUNDANCE; BUT FROM HIM WHO DOES 13:02 NOT HAVE, EVEN WHAT HE HAS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. 13:04 AND CAST THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT INTO THE OUTER DARKNESS. 13:08 THERE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH." 13:12 THEN JESUS MOVES ON TO ANOTHER PARABLE. 13:14 SO, THAT'S OUR OBJECTIVE THIS MORNING, IS TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF 13:18 THE LESSONS - AND I WON'T BE COVERING THEM ALL - BUT WHAT ARE 13:21 THE PRINCIPAL LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS PARABLE? 13:25 FIRST OF ALL, IT TELLS US THERE'S A MASTER - A MASTER WHO 13:29 DISTRIBUTES HIS GOODS. WHO IS THE MASTER? MASTER IS CHRIST. 13:33 MATTHEW 25:14, "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MAN TRAVELING 13:37 INTO A FAR COUNTRY, WHO CALLED HIS OWN SERVANTS AND DELIVERED 13:40 HIS GOODS TO THEM." 1 TIMOTHY 1:17, "NOW TO THE KING 13:45 ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, TO GOD WHO ALONE IS WISE," - GOD, 13:51 THE KING, THE LORD - HE IS OUR MASTER, YET HE'S GIVING 13:54 EVERYBODY GIFTS. WHO ARE THE SERVANTS? 13:57 I READ ONE COMMENTARY WHERE THE WRITER SAID, 'WELL, THE SERVANTS 14:01 ARE PREACHERS.' I TOTALLY DISAGREE. 14:05 I THINK THE SERVANTS ARE EVERYBODY WHO RECEIVES ANY 14:08 SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM THE LORD, AND WE'RE ALL TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT 14:12 OF THOSE TO THEM. IT'S THE SERVANTS - THE FOLLOWERS. 14:16 READ IN ROMANS 1:1 - PAUL SAID, "PAUL, A BONDSERVANT OF JESUS 14:20 CHRIST, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE, SEPARATED TO THE GOSPEL..." 14:24 - REVELATION 1, "THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, WHICH GOD GAVE 14:28 HIM TO SHOW HIS SERVANTS --" - IS THAT JUST PREACHERS OR 14:30 EVERYBODY? - "THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE." 14:34 - 1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 - "WE ARE NOT OUR OWN. 14:37 WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE. 14:38 WE ARE SERVANTS, HE IS THE MASTER." - 14:41 2 CORINTHIANS 5:15, "AND HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT THOSE WHO 14:46 LIVE SHOULD LIVE NO LONGER FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED 14:49 FOR THEM..." WE BELONG TO THE LORD BY VIRTUE 14:52 OF BOTH REDEMPTION AND CREATION. WE'RE HIS. HE'S THE MASTER. 15:00 WE'RE THE SERVANTS. WHAT ARE THE TALENTS? 15:03 NOW THE WORD 'TALENT' IT COMES FROM THE WORD - YOU'LL FIND IT 15:07 IN YOUR BIBLE - IT COMES FROM A GREEK WORD RELATED TO THE WORD 15:09 'TALENTO' AND IT MEANS A WEIGHT. NOW THE TALENT IS KIND OF A 15:17 CONFUSING SUBJECT FOR SCHOLARS BECAUSE IT VARIES. 15:21 THE EGYPTIANS HAD A LITTLE DIFFERENT MEASUREMENT THAN THE 15:23 BABYLONIANS - THAN THE HEBREWS. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF 15:28 HOW THIS WORKED: YOU KNOW WHERE WE GET THE WORD FOR 'A FOOT' - 15:32 A MEASUREMENT - A FOOT - LIKE A YARD - A FOOT - AN INCH. 15:35 AN INCH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE THUMB AND 15:38 THE KNUCKLE. A CUBIT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FROM 15:43 YOUR ELBOW TO THE FIRST KNUCKLE. A FOOT WAS THE FOOT OF THE 15:48 REIGNING KING, AND SO, WHENEVER THE KING CHANGED, THE STANDARD 15:56 OF MEASUREMENT WOULD CHANGE BASED UPON THE SIZE 15:59 OF THE KING'S FOOT. HOW'D YOU LIKE TO HAVE TO BUILD 16:02 WITH THAT KIND OF TAPE MEASURER? IT WOULD CHANGE. 16:06 AND SO, TALENTS, SOMETIMES THERE WAS A LITTLE FLEX THERE. 16:12 BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE PLACE YOU'RE GOING TO READ THE TALENT WAS 90 16:15 POUNDS - PROBABLY THE TALENT WAS - I'VE READ THE SMALLEST TALENT 16:19 WAS 56 POUNDS - THE HEBREW TALENT ABOUT 75 POUNDS. 16:24 IT SAYS WHEN THE WICKED ARE GOING TO BE DESTROYED BY 16:26 HAILSTONES - EACH ONE WEIGHING ABOUT A TALENT. 16:30 IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME IF IT WAS 56 POUNDS, IT MAY AS WELL 16:32 BE 90 POUNDS. IT WON'T MATTER IF IT'S 16:33 HAILING TALENTS, RIGHT? BUT THESE ARE TALENTS - THESE 16:37 ARE WEIGHTS OF SILVER, MOST LIKELY. 16:41 MATTER OF FACT, SOMETIMES THE WORD 'TALENT' IS USED, TALKING 16:44 SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SILVER. AND SO, IF SOMEONE IS GOING TO 16:48 GIVE YOU FIVE TALENTS, AND A TALENT IS 75 POUNDS OF SILVER, 16:54 THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD TRUST. THAT'S QUITE EXPENSIVE. 16:58 BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU SAY A PERSON IS 'TALENTED', THE 17:02 ENGLISH WORD 'TALENT' COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD THAT YOU FIND IN 17:07 THE BIBLE FOR A WEIGHT. IT MEANS A PERSON IS 17:09 WEIGHTED WITH AN ABILITY. SO EVEN WHEN YOU SAY THE WORD 17:12 'TALENT', IT'S COMING FROM THE ORIGINAL WORD IN THE BIBLE. 17:17 AND IT REPRESENTS THE GIFTS THAT GOD GIVES PEOPLE THAT WE WILL 17:22 GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO HIM FOR SOMEDAY. 17:25 JAMES 1:17, "EVERY GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM 17:30 ABOVE, AND COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH WHOM 17:33 THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHADOW OF TURNING." 17:36 GOD IS THE ONE WHO GIVES US THE GIFTS. 17:38 HE IS THE MASTER. WE ARE THE SERVANTS. NOW I'D RECOMMEND - 17:44 HAVE - ANY OF YOU HAVE A COPY - IF YOU DON'T, YOU CAN READ IT 17:47 ONLINE - OF THAT WONDERFUL BOOK CALLED CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS ? 17:52 I RECOMMEND YOU GO TO THAT BOOK AND YOU FIND - I THINK IT'S PAGE 17:56 325 - THERE IS A WHOLE CHAPTER ON THIS. 17:59 IT'S ONE OF THE LONGEST CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK, BUT IT IS GOOD. 18:02 IT IS BOTH COMFORTING AND CONVICTING. 18:06 AND READ ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. 18:09 AND THERE IT ENUMERATES - WE ALL HAVE A GIFT OF TIME. 18:13 TIME IS THE STUFF LIFE IS MADE OF. 18:15 WE WILL ANSWER TO GOD FOR WHAT WE DO WITH OUR TIME. 18:18 WE WASTE A LOT OF TIME - AND TIME THAT CAN BE IMPROVED, NOT 18:23 ONLY FOR OUR OWN EDIFICATION AND BENEFIT TO BETTER PREPARE 18:27 OURSELVES TO REACH OTHERS, BUT TIME THAT CAN BE USED IN 18:31 SERVING GOD AND OUR FELLOW MAN. TIME IS A GIFT. 18:35 SOME HAVE BEEN BORN WITH CERTAIN NATURAL ABILITIES THAT SHOULD BE 18:39 DEVELOPED AND USED. YOU'VE GOT SKIFTS - SKILLS AND 18:42 GIFTS - THAT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM DEXTERITY AND MECHANICAL 18:45 ABILITY, TO SINGING, BUT WE HAVE DIFFERENT NATURAL GIFTS THAT 18:50 SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO LOVE FOR GOD AND LOVE FOR OUR FELLOW MAN. 18:55 SPEECH IS A GIFT. AND THERE'S FEW GIFTS FOR WHICH 18:59 WE'LL BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE THAN WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR WORDS? 19:02 WORDS ARE POWERFUL. CHRIST WAS CALLED 'THE WORD' 19:04 BECAUSE BY THE WORD THE WORLD WAS CHANGED. 19:07 AND HE'S GIVEN US - NO ANIMAL SPEAKS - YOU CAN GET A PARROT, 19:10 BUT THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 19:12 NO ANIMAL SPEAKS LIKE A HUMAN. ALL THE VARIA - THERE'S MORE 19:16 VARIATION IN THE HUMAN VOICE THAN ANY CREATURE. 19:19 THEY'VE GOT BIRDS OUT THERE THAT MIMIC - THEY'VE GOT A BIRD IN 19:23 AUSTRALIA - IT'LL MIMIC A CHAINSAW - BECAUSE IT HEARS A 19:26 CHAINSAW - AND IT'S CONFUSED LOGGERS MANY TIMES. 19:29 VROOM - VROOOOOM VROOM VROOM VROOM VROOM VROOM VROOM - OUT 19:31 THERE THEY'VE GOT A BIRD THAT'LL MAKE THAT SOUND. 19:34 WE HAD A BIRD UP IN COVELO. 19:36 OUR PHONE USED TO MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, REAL ANNOYING ELECTRONIC 19:39 RING AND I'D BE OUT WORKING IN THE YARD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I'D 19:42 HEAR IT GO OFF AND I'D RUN BACK TO THE HOUSE AND - NOBODY ON THE 19:45 PHONE - I FINALLY REALIZED IT WAS A BIRD THAT HEARD OUR PHONE 19:48 RING SEVERAL TIMES. HE WAS PLAYING WITH US. 19:49 HE SAW WHEN HE MADE THAT NOISE, WE RAN TO THE HOUSE. 19:51 HE THOUGHT IT WAS VERY ENTERTAINING. 19:53 SO THERE WERE ANIMALS THAT CAN REPEAT CERTAIN NOISE, BUT 19:55 THERE'S NO ANIMAL THAT CAN DO WHAT THE HUMAN VOICE CAN DO - 19:59 THE INFLECTION, THE EMOTION - THAT CAN BE COMMUNICATED. 20:02 AND BY OUR WORDS WE CAN ACCOMPLISH MUCH GOOD AND BY OUR 20:06 WORDS WE CAN DO A LOT OF HARM. WE CAN DISCOURAGE. 20:09 I THINK WE'LL ALL BE SHOCKED IN ETERNITY. 20:11 YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID THAT IN THE JUDGMENT WE'LL GIVE AN ACCOUNT 20:15 FOR EVERY IDLE WORD THAT WE'VE SPOKEN. 20:17 AND THAT'S MADE ME NERVOUS. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE GRACE OF 20:20 GOD I'D BE IN A HEAP OF TROUBLE. SPEECH - INFLUENCE - ALL OF 20:26 US HAVE AN INFLUENCE WITH OUR LIVES. IT'S A TALENT THAT GOD 20:31 HAS GIVEN US. THE MEASURE OF HEALTH YOU ENJOY, 20:35 THAT SHOULD BE CARED FOR - YOUR BODY. 20:38 SOME HAVE JUST SQUANDERED THEIR LIVES BY BAD LIVING AND WE'VE 20:43 SHORTENED OUR USEFULNESS FOR GOD. 20:44 ONE OF THE BEST REASONS WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE HEALTH 20:46 MESSAGE SO WE'D ALL FEEL BETTER, BUT REALLY, THE BEST REASON TO 20:49 TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH IS BECAUSE YOU LOVE GOD AND YOU 20:51 LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN. IT'S HARD TO WORSHIP GOD AND 20:54 SERVE YOUR FELLOW MAN WHEN YOU JUST FEEL ROTTEN. 20:56 AND, NOT TO MENTION, YOU'LL FEEL BETTER TOO. 21:00 BUT IT ALL OUGHT TO BEGIN WITH LOVE FOR GOD AND LOVE FOR OUR 21:03 FELLOW MAN. WE WILL ANSWER TO GOD FOR WHAT WE DO. 21:06 NOW, SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF OUR 21:09 ANCESTORS AND THE GENES THAT WE HAVE, YOU MAY STRUGGLE WITH 21:12 HEALTH PROBLEMS, BUT YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU GOT AS 21:15 WELL AS YOU CAN. AND THE STRENGTH THAT YOU HAVE 21:18 - THE MEANS...IN THE BIBLE IT'S TALKING ABOUT MONEY, IN THE 21:23 PARABLE, BUT I THINK YOU KNOW IT MEANS A LOT MORE THAN MONEY, BUT 21:26 IT CERTAINLY DOES INCLUDE THAT. GOD HAS BLESSED SOME WITH 21:30 THE ABILITY TO GET WEALTH. MAYBE WE'VE EARNED IT. 21:34 MAYBE WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE AND RECEIVED A WINDFALL OR AN 21:38 INHERITANCE, BUT HE WANTS US TO USE THIS IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY, 21:43 TO EXPAND HIS KINGDOM AND STORING TREASURE IN HEAVEN WITH 21:46 THE THINGS THAT LAST FOREVER. IN THAT BOOK CHRIST'S OBJECT 21:50 LESSONS , THERE'S ONE QUOTE IN PARTICULAR - PAGE 326 - 21:54 "CHRIST'S FOLLOWERS HAVE BEEN REDEEMED FOR SERVICE. 21:58 OUR LORD TEACHES THAT THE TRUE OBJECT OF LIFE IS MINISTRY. 22:03 CHRIST HIMSELF WAS A WORKER, AND TO ALL OF HIS FOLLOWERS HE GIVES 22:06 THE LAW OF SERVICE." - SERVICE TO GOD AND TO THEIR FELLOW MEN. 22:10 WE HAVE BEEN SAVED TO SERVE. NOW, EVERYBODY HERE HAS 22:16 SOMETHING. YOU NOTICE THAT? 22:18 EVERYBODY IN THE PARABLE GETS SOMETHING. 22:20 RIGHT AWAY, WHEN I WAS READING THE PARABLE AND YOU HEARD THAT 22:23 ONE GOT FIVE AND ONE GOT ONE, YOU THOUGHT THAT 'THE MASTER'S 22:26 UNFAIR.' AND MAYBE YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH LIFE PINING THAT YOU 22:31 DON'T HAVE MORE NATURAL ABILITIES OR WEALTH OR WHATEVER 22:34 THE GIFTS ARE. YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU THINK, 'THAT PERSON'S GOT 22:37 SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VOICE' OR 'THEY'VE GOT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL 22:40 FACE AND WHY AM I POOR AND HOMELY?' GOD GAVE YOU SOMETHING. 22:47 YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK IS VERY INTERESTING? 22:50 THE ONE WHO IS THE MOST GUILTY IN THIS PARABLE IS NOT THE ONE 22:54 WHO ABUSED GREAT GIFTS, IT'S THE ONE WHO DID NOTHING WITH THE 22:59 LITTLE BIT. SOMETIMES WE DON'T DO ANYTHING 23:02 WITH WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE THINK WE DON'T HAVE MUCH, SO 23:04 WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? ALL OF US ARE TO USE 23:08 WHATEVER GIFTS WE HAVE. AND EVERYBODY GETS A GIFT. 23:11 ROMANS 12:3, "FOR I SAY, THROUGH THE GRACE GIVEN TO ME, TO 23:16 EVERYONE WHO IS AMONG YOU, NOT TO THINK OF HIMSELF MORE HIGHLY 23:19 THAN HE OUGHT TO THINK, BUT TO THINK SOBERLY, AS GOD HAS DEALT 23:24 TO EACH ONE A MEASURE OF FAITH." 23:27 - EVERYBODY GETS SOMETHING - "FOR AS WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS IN 23:31 ONE BODY," - WE'RE A CHURCH - MANY MEMBERS - "BUT ALL THE 23:34 MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, SO WE, BEING MANY, ARE 23:38 ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF ONE 23:41 ANOTHER. HAVING THEN GIFTS DIFFERING 23:45 ACCORDING TO THE GRACE THAT IS GIVEN TO US, LET US USE 23:49 THEM:" - THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR. EVERYBODY'S GOT DIFFERENT GIFTS 23:53 FROM GOD. THE VERY FACT THAT YOU CAN SAY, 23:55 'I HAVE A GIFT FROM GOD' OUGHT TO BE EXCITING. JUST BECAUSE YOU 24:00 DON'T HAVE THE SAME GIFT AS THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO YOU, 24:04 DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A CAUSE TO REJOICE. 24:06 GOD HAS GIVEN YOU GIFTS. 24:09 AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WE LEARNED FROM THIS PARABLE? 24:11 THE ONES WHO USED THE GIFTS THAT GOD GAVE THEM GOT MORE. 24:17 AS YOU USE THE ONES THAT HE GIVES YOU, HE'LL GIVE YOU MORE. 24:22 YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS ALSO TRUE OF TRUTH. 24:28 SOMETIMES WE GRAPPLE BECAUSE WE SAY, 'THERE'S JUST THINGS IN THE 24:30 BIBLE I DON'T UNDERSTAND.' AND YOU READ THE BIBLE AND YOU SAY, 24:33 'I'M JUST NOT GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF IT.' HERE'S THE PRINCIPLE 24:36 OF LIGHT. IF YOU WALK IN THE LIGHT THAT 24:37 GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, HE'LL GIVE YOU MORE. 24:40 SOME PEOPLE HAVE REACHED A CUL-DE-SAC IN THEIR 24:42 UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LIVING UP TO WHAT GOD HAS 24:44 GIVEN THEM AND HE'S NOT GOING TO GIVE THEM ANYMORE. 24:47 THEY'RE NEGLECTING KNOWN TRUTH. AND IF WE'RE IGNORING USING THE 24:53 GIFTS HE'S GIVEN US - IF WE'RE NEGLECTING THE TRUTH THAT HE HAS 24:55 REVEALED, WHY WOULD HE GIVE YOU MORE? 24:57 THEN YOU'D JUST BECOME MORE RESPONSIBLE IN THE JUDGMENT. 25:00 NOW DID THAT MAKE SENSE? 25:02 IF YOU WANT TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE, LIVE UP TO THE 25:05 KNOWLEDGE HE GIVES YOU AND YOUR PATH WILL KEEP GETTING BRIGHTER. 25:09 BUT IF GOD REVEALS LIGHT TO YOU AND YOU GO, 'NO, NOT 25:12 INTERESTED.' AND THEN YOU SAY, 'BUT LORD, I DON'T UNDERSTAND 25:14 THIS OVER HERE.' AND GOD SAYS, 'WELL, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO 25:15 EITHER, BECAUSE YOU WON'T DO THIS OVER HERE.' SO IF YOU USE 25:21 THE GIFTS HE'S GIVEN YOU, HE'LL MULTIPLY THEM. 25:24 IF YOU LIVE UP TO THE LIGHT HE'S GIVEN YOU, YOU'LL GET MORE LIGHT 25:27 AND MORE UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR DAY'LL KEEP GETTING BRIGHTER - 25:32 YOUR TALENTS WILL GROW - YOUR ABILITIES WILL MULTIPLY. 25:36 YOU'LL NOTICE, BOTH IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW AND IN LUKE, 25:39 WHERE THIS PARABLE IS SHARED, EVERYBODY THAT USED THE GIFTS 25:42 THEY HAD, THEY MULTIPLIED. IT'S KIND OF LIKE FARMING. 25:46 I'LL SAY MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. 25:48 1 CORINTHIANS 12, VERSE 7, "BUT THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT 25:53 IS GIVEN TO EACH ONE FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL: FOR TO ONE IS 25:58 GIVEN THE WORD OF WISDOM" - NOW I NEED TO PAUSE HERE - JUST SAY 26:01 SOMETHING - THERE ARE SOME CHURCHES THAT TEACH THAT 26:05 EVERYBODY IS TO HAVE A PARTICULAR GIFT - THAT EVERYBODY 26:08 IS TO HAVE ONE AND THE SAME OF CERTAIN GIFTS. 26:12 I REMEMBER WORSHIPING WITH SOME DEAR PEOPLE, BUT THEY ALL SAID, 26:14 'DOUG, WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE GIFT OF TONGUES.' AND 26:17 I, YOU KNOW, WAS NOT A VERY DEEP BIBLE STUDENT, BUT JUST READING 26:20 THE BIBLE AT FACE VALUE, I SAID, 'I'M NOT READING THAT, I'M 26:23 READING THAT GOD GIVES DIFFERENT GIFTS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND 26:26 NOT EVERYBODY HAS ALL THE GIFTS.' 26:28 THIS IS ONE OF THE VERSES THAT MAKES THAT CLEAR. 26:32 THE MAN - BY THE WAY, 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7, IF YOU MISSED 26:34 IT - "BUT THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT IS GIVEN TO EACH ONE 26:37 FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL:" - HE GIVES YOU GIFTS FOR THE PROFIT 26:40 OF ALL - "FOR TO ONE IS GIVEN" - IF YOU'RE A GOOD COOK, THAT'S 26:45 FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL. BRING SOMETHING TO POTLUCK, AMEN? 26:49 WE'LL ALL PROFIT - "FOR TO ONE IS GIVEN THE WORD OF WISDOM 26:55 THROUGH THE SPIRIT, TO ANOTHER THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE THROUGH 26:57 THE SAME SPIRIT, TO ANOTHER FAITH BY THE SAME SPIRIT, TO 27:00 ANOTHER GIFTS OF HEALINGS BY THE SAME SPIRIT," - SOME HAVE 27:03 SPECIAL GIFTS IN HEALTH MINISTRY - "TO ANOTHER THE WORKING OF 27:06 MIRACLES, TO ANOTHER PROPHECY," - AND THAT COULD MEAN - PROPHECY 27:10 COULD MEAN PREACHING - "TO ANOTHER DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, 27:13 TO ANOTHER DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES, TO ANOTHER THE 27:16 INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES." - IS IT CLEAR THAT NOT 27:18 EVERYONE GETS THAT GIFT? HE SAYS, 'TO ONE THIS; TO 27:21 ANOTHER THIS' - "BUT ONE AND THE SAME SPIRIT WORKS ALL" - THE 27:25 SAME SPIRIT THAT MAY GIVE YOU THE GIFT OF MUSIC, MAY GIVE 27:28 SOMEONE ELSE THE GIFT OF MECHANICS OR COOKING OR 27:31 ADMINISTRATION OR HEALING - WHATEVER IT IS - THEY'RE ALL 27:34 GIFTS OF GOD'S SPIRIT - "...THE SAME SPIRIT WORKS ALL THESE 27:38 THINGS, DISTRIBUTING TO EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY AS HE WILLS." 27:43 SO IF GOD'S GIVEN YOU A PARTICULAR GIFT, THANK HIM. 27:45 EPHESIANS 4:7, "BUT TO EACH ONE OF US GRACE WAS GIVEN" - 27:50 HOW MANY? EACH ONE. YOU - SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE 27:54 THINKING, 'I BELIEVE IT BUT I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT MY GIFTS 27:58 ARE.' HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE? 28:01 THERE MAY BE A FEW HERE THAT JUST HAVE NO IDEA. 28:04 DO YOU HAVE A CHRISTIAN FRIEND? ASK THEM. 28:08 AND - NO, REALLY, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE, IT'S AS 28:10 CLEAR AS DAY WHAT THE GIFTS ARE AND WE DON'T KNOW. 28:14 PRAY THAT GOD'LL REVEAL IT TO YOU. 28:16 HE'LL SHOW YOU. HE WANTS YOU TO USE THEM. 28:18 IF YOU'RE WILLING - "...TO EACH ONE GRACE WAS GIVEN ACCORDING TO 28:23 THE MEASURE OF CHRIST'S GIFT. 28:24 THEREFORE HE SAYS: 'WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED 28:27 CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.'" NOW, WHEN DID 28:32 THAT HAPPEN? WHEN DID CHRIST ASCEND? 28:36 WELL, YEAH, YOU CAN FIND IT IN ACTS CHAPTER 1, THE END OF 28:42 MATTHEW, MARK - IT TALKS ABOUT THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 28:45 HE SAID, 'WAIT IN JERUSALEM 'TILL YOU RECEIVE THE PROMISE OF 28:48 THE FATHER. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BE GIVEN 28:51 TO YOU THAT YOU MIGHT BE MY WITNESSES. HE POURED OUT THE 28:54 SPIRIT AND VARIOUS GIFTS WERE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH. 28:58 NOW SHOW ME THE VERSE WHERE GOD SAYS HE WITHDREW THE SPIRIT. 29:03 WHERE DID GOD REVOKE THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT? 29:07 SO IS THAT SPIRIT STILL AVAILABLE TO THE CHURCH? 29:10 THE LATTER RAIN CAME AND GOD HAS MADE A PROMISE. 29:14 HE IS ASCENDED; HE IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. 29:16 WHEN YOU COME TO CHRIST HE GIVES YOU GIFTS. 29:19 AND, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WHEN A PERSON MAKES A 29:22 COMMITMENT THROUGH BAPTISM, OR AS ONE DID, PROFESSION OF FAITH, 29:26 TODAY, NEW GIFTS COME INTO A PERSON'S LIFE. 29:29 DO YOU NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES A PERSON DIDN'T SPEAK WITH TONGUES 29:32 UNTIL AFTER THEY WERE BAPTIZED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT? 29:35 AND WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME - FIRST TIME YOU EVER HEAR PETER 29:39 PREACH A SERMON IS - HE HAD PLENTY TO SAY, BUT THEY WEREN'T 29:42 SERMONS. AND HE MAY HAVE DONE SOME 29:45 PREACHING BEFORE THAT, BUT HIS REAL SERMON IS AFTER THE 29:47 HOLY SPIRIT COMES OUT. GOD GIVES DIFFERENT GIFTS. 29:50 YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT JAMES ADMINISTRATING UNTIL AFTER THE 29:53 HOLY SPIRIT'S POURED OUT. JAMES, THE BROTHER OF JESUS, 29:55 HAD THE GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION. HE BECOMES THE CHAIRMAN OF 29:58 THE BOARD FOR THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM. 30:01 BUT WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN. 30:04 CHRIST STILL GIVES GIFTS WHEN WE COMMIT OUR LIVES TO HIM. 30:07 BAPTISM IS KIND OF LIKE A WEDDING AND USUALLY WHEN THERE'S 30:11 A WEDDING, THERE'S GIFTS GIVEN OUT. 30:15 AND WHEN YOU COMMIT YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD, HE GIVES YOU GIFTS OF 30:17 THE SPIRIT. GOD HAS A PLACE FOR 30:20 EVERYBODY TO WORK. HAVE YOU FILLED OUT YOUR FORM YET? 30:27 NOW HOW DOES HE DISTRIBUTE THEM? 30:30 HE GIVES THE GIFTS ACCORDING TO THE ABILITIES. 30:33 TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED. 30:36 YOU DON'T PUT A 5-YEAR-OLD BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A 30:39 LAMBORGHINI - OR ANY CAR FOR THAT MATTER, UNLESS IT'S A 30:43 MATCHBOX CAR. THAT WOULD NOT BE FAIR. 30:47 YOU - THE LORD KNOWS WHAT YOU CAN HANDLE. 30:50 AND YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'OH LORD, I WANT TO DO SOMETHING 30:53 GREAT FOR YOU.' AND GOD'LL SAY, 'OKAY, THAT TIME'S COMING, BUT 30:56 FIRST YOU NEED TO DO THIS.' MOSES, HE WANTED TO - HE WANTED 31:02 TO BE A WARRIOR AND LEAD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT. 31:05 HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO DO IT BY FORCE OF ARMS AND HE KILLED 31:07 AN EGYPTIAN. HE EXPECTED ALL THE ISRAELITES 31:09 TO RALLY BEHIND HIM. GOD SAID, 'NO, YOU'RE NOT QUITE 31:11 READY FOR THAT YET, MOSES. I WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF 31:13 SHEEP.' AND HE PREPARED HIM FOR THAT. 31:18 THEN GOD GAVE HIM THE SPECIAL GIFTS WHEN HE NEEDED IT. 31:21 SO HE KNOWS HOW AND WHEN TO DO IT. 31:24 HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS TO ONE, TWO TO ANOTHER, ONE TO ANOTHER - 31:27 EACH ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY. 31:30 YOU NOTICE HE'S TRUSTING EVERY ONE OF HIS SERVANTS WITH HIS 31:33 MEANS. GOD HAS GIVEN SOMETHING VALUABLE 31:38 - WHO'S PAYING THE COST FOR THE GIFTS? THE MASTER. 31:42 THE GIFTS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED, DO THEY COST SOMEBODY SOMETHING? 31:45 CHRIST PURCHASED THOSE GIFTS WITH HIS LIFE, FOR YOU. 31:53 WE'VE ALL RECEIVED OPPORTUNITIES AND ABILITIES ACCORDING TO GOD'S 31:55 PLAN. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE 31:59 WONDERED THAT ISN'T REALLY ADDRESSED IN THE PARABLE, BUT I 32:01 JUST THINK, 'WHAT WOULD THE LORD HAVE SAID?' 32:05 - YOU REALIZE THAT EACH ONE, IT SEEMS LIKE, ENDS UP WITH LIKE A 32:08 HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE, BUT WHAT WOULD THE LORD HAVE SAID IF 32:11 THE ONE WHO GOT THE FIVE TALENTS - THE LORD COMES BACK, HE GETS 32:14 TEN - BUT WHAT WOULD HE HAVE SAID IF HE HAD SEVEN AND A HALF? 32:20 IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IF THE ONE WHO HAD FIVE, INSTEAD OF 32:22 DOUBLING IT, HE'D ONLY GOT TWO MORE? 32:25 WOULD HE HAVE SAID, 'WELL DONE'? HE DIDN'T DO NOTHING, BUT HE 32:30 DIDN'T DO EVERYTHING HE COULD HAVE DONE. 32:32 I WONDER IF ANY OF US FIT IN THAT CATEGORY, THAT WE DO HAVE 32:36 GIFTS, WE ARE USING THEM, BUT WE'RE NOT USING THEM TO THE 32:40 HUNDRED PERCENT CATEGORY. IT COULD BE THAT SOME OF 32:44 US ARE ABLE TO DO MORE. DOES ANYONE GET MORE 32:49 THAN THEY CAN HANDLE? ARE YOU EVER TEMPTED 32:53 MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE? OR DOES GOD PROMISE YOU'LL NOT 32:56 BE TEMPTED ABOVE WHAT YOU'RE ABLE, BUT WILL, WITH EVERY 32:59 TEMPTATION, PROVIDE A WAY OF ESCAPE. 33:01 HE'LL NOT ONLY PROMISE NOT TO TEMPT YOU ABOVE - SO WHATEVER 33:03 TESTS OR TEMPTATIONS OR GIFTS YOU HAVE, GOD MAKES SURE THAT IT 33:08 IS WEIGHED ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU CAN HANDLE. 33:10 HOW MUCH CAN YOU DO THROUGH CHRIST? 33:13 ALL THINGS. SO HE'LL GIVE YOU - AND IF 33:16 YOU'RE FAITHFUL - IF YOU'RE FAITHFUL WITH YOUR LITTLE 33:20 TEMPTATIONS, HE'LL GIVE YOU BIG ONES. NO. 33:22 IT IS TRUE, THOUGH, SOMETIMES GOD PREPARES YOU THROUGH THE 33:25 SMALL TESTS FOR BIG TRIALS. SO WHAT DO YOU DO TO AVOID 33:31 BIG TRIALS, FAIL ALL THE LITTLE TESTS? 33:34 YOU WANT TO BE FAITHFUL HOWEVER GOD WANTS TO - WHEN IS THE 33:36 BIGGEST TEST THAT CAME TO DANIEL'S LIFE? 33:39 HE WAS 90 YEARS OLD, THROWN IN A LION'S DEN. 33:43 BUT THROUGH THAT TEST HE WAS ABLE TO BE A WITNESS FOR HIM. 33:46 SO THROUGH THE TRIALS THAT GOD GIVES US, WE'RE OFTEN THE BEST 33:49 WITNESSES. LUKE 12:48, "...FOR EVERYONE TO 33:53 WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, FROM HIM MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED; AND TO 33:57 WHOM MUCH HAS BEEN COMMITTED, OF HIM THEY WILL ASK MORE." 34:00 HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION, 'IF YOU WANT 34:02 SOMETHING DONE, FIND A BUSY PERSON'? 34:08 THE ONE WHO ENDED UP GETTING THE TEN TALENTS HE SAID, 'WELL DONE, 34:11 I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU TEN CITIES TO MANAGE.' THAT'S IN THE 34:15 PARABLE OF LUKE. HE GIVES HIM EVEN MORE. 34:18 SO EVERYONE IS GIVEN SOMETHING ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITY. 34:21 AND IF WE'RE FAITHFUL WITH THE ABILITIES HE'S GIVEN US, THEY 34:24 MULTIPLY AND THEY GROW. YOU CAN GROW YOUR TALENTS. 34:29 THE ONE WHO GOT FIVE - GOT A HUNDRED PERCENT - HE TURNED IT 34:33 INTO TEN. THE ONE WHO GOT TWO, 34:35 WHAT PERCENT DID HE GET? A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE. 34:38 YOU NOTICE BOTH OF THEM GOT THE SAME INCREASE? 34:41 IF THE ONE WHO HAD RECEIVED ONE TALENT HAD SAID, 'LORD, YOU ONLY 34:44 GAVE ME ONE TALENT BUT I'VE GAINED ONE MORE.' WHAT WOULD HE 34:47 HAVE HEARD? 'WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL 34:50 SERVANT, ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR LORD.' BUT BECAUSE HE 34:54 THOUGHT, 'WELL, IT'S NOT MUCH. WHO WILL EVEN NOTICE?' 34:58 DIDN'T EVEN TAKE IT TO THE BANK. THAT'S PRETTY LAZY. 35:01 I MEAN, EVEN IF INTEREST RATES WERE LIKE TODAY, HE'D STILL GET 35:03 ONE PERCENT. BUT HE DID NOTHING WITH IT AND THAT WAS A PRETTY 35:10 SAD ENDING. AGAIN, FROM THE BOOK CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS , 35:14 PAGE 329, "THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL OF OUR POWERS IS THE FIRST 35:19 DUTY WE OWE GOD AND TO OUR FELLOW MEN. 35:22 NO ONE WHO IS NOT GROWING DAILY IN CAPABILITY AND USEFULNESS 35:27 IS FULFILLING THE PURPOSE OF LIFE. 35:30 NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON THE BORDERS OF A NEW YEAR - STILL 35:33 NOT TOO DEEP INTO THE NEW YEAR TO MISS A RESOLUTION, RIGHT? 35:37 YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR IF YOU CAN MAKE A 35:38 GOOD ONE NOW, RIGHT? IT'S ONLY THE SECOND. 35:43 HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK WE WASTE? 35:51 IF WE WOULD PLAN AND SAY, 'LORD, GIVE ME WISDOM. 35:55 LET ME SEARCH AN' - IT SAYS IN 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13, 'LET 36:00 EVERYONE EXAMINE HIMSELF.' WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, SOMETIMES, 36:03 EXAMINING EACH OTHER. LET'S EXAMINE OURSELVES, 36:07 WHETHER WE BE IN THE FAITH. PROVE YOUR OWN SELVES. 36:10 KNOW YE NOT YOURSELVES? IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR DAY - YOU 36:15 LOOK AT YOUR WEEK AND HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME. 36:18 NOW, SOME OF US, WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TIME WE'VE GOT TO SPEND 36:21 SLEEPING. YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING 36:23 ELSE IF YOU'RE NOT RESTED. YOU'VE GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME 36:24 EATING - IF YOU'RE WEAK YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING. 36:26 YOU SHOULD SCHEDULE SOME TIME FOR REGULAR EXERCISE. 36:29 IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT, YOU OUGHT TO SCHEDULE IT. 36:32 TRY AND FIND EXERCISE YOU ENJOY. 36:33 IF YOU DON'T, FIND SOME YOU DON'T ENJOY. 36:35 BUT YOU NEED EXERCISE EITHER WAY, JUST BECAUSE YOU'LL BE MORE 36:39 USEFUL. AND THEN WE HAVE A CERTAIN 36:43 AMOUNT OF FREE TIME ASIDE FROM OUR JOBS. SOME OF US HAVE FREE 36:48 TIMES EVEN AT OUR JOBS. YOU COULD LISTEN TO SOMETHING. 36:55 I GOT READY FOR CHURCH A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE KAREN AND NATHAN. 36:59 I WAS IN THE CAR, WARMING IT UP - IT'S BEEN COLD. 37:01 I POPPED IN A SERMON AND I WAS LISTENING TO ANOTHER SERMON ON 37:07 THIS MESSAGE. I THOUGHT, 'I'M GOING TO MAKE USE OF THESE 37:09 MINUTES WHILE I'M HERE.' WHEN I'M DRIVING MY CAR, I'M OFTEN 37:13 LISTENING TO THINGS, BECAUSE I'M A PREACHER AND IT'S A GOOD WAY 37:15 FOR ME TO SPEND MY SPARE TIME. BUT SOMETIMES I GET BUSY WORKING 37:20 ON A SERMON AND I GO RESEARCH SOMETHING ON THE INTERNET. 37:25 YOU'VE GOT TO BE REAL CAREFUL BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GO 37:29 ON GOOGLE AND YOU SAY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ONE THING AND YOU 37:30 FIND ALL KINDS OF THINGS YOU WEREN'T LOOKING FOR AND YOU FIND 37:32 A HALF AN HOUR LATER, 'I'VE BEEN CHASING USELESS RABBITS AND I'M 37:35 FINDING OUT ABOUT STEREO EQUIPMENT THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO 37:37 WITH THE SERMON.' YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING - YOU'RE LAUGHING 37:41 BECAUSE THAT'S A RECOGNITION. WE CAN WASTE A LOT OF TIME. 37:45 FACEBOOK IS NICE - KEEP IN TOUCH - MIGHT WANT TO BUDGET HOW MUCH 37:51 TIME WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT, KIND OF, SOCIAL GOSSIP. 37:59 BUT WE CAN WASTE A LOT OF OUR LIVES THAT COULD BE SPENT IN 38:01 SERVING OUR FELLOW MEN. THERE'S A LOT OF ELECTRONIC 38:05 ENTERTAINMENT THESE DAYS, WHETHER IT'S ON YOUR IPAD OR 38:08 YOUR TELEVISION OR WHATEVER IT IS - IT'S NOT STRENGTHENING YOUR 38:12 SOUL. I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT IT UNTIL RECENTLY THAT PEOPLE GET 38:17 INVOLVED IN BINGE WATCHING. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT BINGE EATING IS? 38:23 BUT THEY'LL FIND THEIR FAVORITE TELEVISION PROGRAM AND NOW, 38:26 INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING A WEEK UNTIL IT COMES ON, THEY'LL WATCH 38:29 A WHOLE YEAR'S EPISODE IN ONE 8-HOUR SITTING. 38:33 WHERE IN THE WORLD DO THEY FIND THE TIME? 38:38 AND SOMEDAY WE'LL ALL STAND BEFORE THE KING AND GIVE AN 38:41 ACCOUNT FOR WHAT WE DO. ARE WE GROWING OUR TALENTS? 38:46 YOU KNOW, TO GROW - THIS FAITHLESS SERVANT - 38:51 HE SAYS, 'WHAT DID YOU DO?' 38:53 HE SAYS, 'WELL, I TOOK THAT ONE TALENT AND I KNEW YOU WERE JUST 38:55 GOING TO WANT IT BACK.' WHY DID THE OTHERS - WHY WERE THEY SO 38:59 HAPPY TO INVEST THEIR TALENTS IN MULTIPLYING THE KING'S MONEY? 39:06 BECAUSE THEY LOVED THE MASTER. I THINK THEY LOVED THE MASTER. 39:10 THE MASTER SAID, 'LOOK, I TRUST YOU. 39:12 I'M GOING ON A JOURNEY. I'LL BE GONE FOR A LONG TIME. 39:14 I'M COMING BACK.' HE DIDN'T SAY WHEN HE'S COMING BACK. 39:17 JESUS HASN'T TOLD US WHEN HE'S COMING BACK. 39:18 HE SAID, 'HERE'S - A MILLION DOLLARS' - YOU KNOW - FIVE - 39:24 WHAT IS IT? FIVE TIMES 75 POUNDS OF SILVER - 39:27 IT'S NOT A MILLION - IT'S A LOT THOUGH. AND HE SAYS, 'HERE, YOU 39:30 GET 150 POUNDS OF SILVER. YOU GET 75 POUNDS OF SILVER. 39:35 TRADE WITH IT - DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE WITH IT - AND I'LL 39:40 REWARD YOU WHEN I COME BACK.' WELL THEY LOVE THE MASTER. 39:44 THEY WANT TO MAKE HIM HAPPY. BUT THIS ONE SERVANT, HE 39:47 DOESN'T LOVE THE MASTER. YOU NOTICE HIS ATTITUDE? 39:49 'I KNEW THAT YOU WERE AN AUSTERE MAN - THAT I'D HAVE TO JUST GIVE 39:52 YOU BACK EVERYTHING WHEN YOU CAME. 39:55 AND I WAS AFRAID I MIGHT DO SOMETHING WRONG.' YOU KNOW, 39:58 INVESTING - IF YOU WANT TO GROW, YOU STUDY THE MILLIONAIRES AND 40:02 BILLIONAIRES OUT THERE - ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL OFTEN FIND IN 40:05 COMMON, THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF CALCULATED RISK. 40:11 IF YOU WANT TO SERVE GOD AND GROW, YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE A RISK. 40:17 FARMERS TAKE A RISK. WHEN YOU THROW THAT SEED OUT - 40:22 DO YOU REALIZE, YOU CAN KEEP THAT SEED AND EAT IT? 40:25 WHEN YOU THROW IT OUT INTO THE GROUND, YOU'RE HOPING THAT IT'S 40:27 GOING TO PRODUCE BUT YOU DON'T GET TO EAT IT THEN. 40:31 AND SO YOU'RE TAKING A RISK, BUT YOU'RE COUNTING ON THE BLESSING 40:35 OF GOD, THAT IT'LL MULTIPLY AND END UP BEING MORE THAN YOU HAD 40:38 TO START WITH. AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PEOPLE, 40:41 THEY UNDERSTAND YOU'VE GOT TO PUT IT OUT. 40:43 YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE A RISK. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO 40:45 WIN SOULS, YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE A RISK. 40:48 YOU'VE GOT TO KNOCK ON SOME DOORS. 40:50 YOU'VE GOT TO START A CONVERSATION THAT MAY SEEM 40:53 AWKWARD. YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME PEOPLE SAY, 'DON'T TALK TO ME 40:55 ABOUT RELIGION. YOU MIGHT TAKE A RISK OF LOSS, 41:00 BUT IF YOU'RE WILLING, THE MASTER WILL BLESS YOU. 41:03 AND, YEAH, YOU MIGHT GET TURNED DOWN A FEW TIMES, BUT IT'S GOING 41:06 TO BE WORTH IT WHEN YOU LEAD A SOUL TO CHRIST. 41:08 HOW MANY FISHERMEN DO YOU KNOW THAT GET DISCOURAGED THE FIRST 41:12 TIME THEY BRING IN THE LINE EMPTY? 41:15 THEY SAY, 'OH, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY MORE BAIT. 41:17 I'M GOING BACK. IT'S A WASTE OF BAIT TO GO 41:20 FISHING.' FISHERMEN NEVER SAY THAT. 41:23 THEY JUST KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DROP A LOT OF BAIT IN THE WATER 41:25 BEFORE YOU REEL SOMETHING IN. AND THAT'S JUST A PRINCIPLE 41:28 IN LIFE, WHETHER IT'S SEED OR FISHING FOR FISH OR FARMING OR 41:33 INVESTING. THIS SERVANT WAS AFRAID OF THE RISK. 41:37 YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOVE PEOPLE, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE A RISK THAT 41:40 SOME OF THEM WON'T LOVE YOU BACK. 41:43 AND A LOT OF FOLKS CLOSE THEMSELVES OFF BECAUSE THEY 41:45 DON'T WANT TO EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO BEING HURT. 41:48 THEY DON'T WANT TO EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO REJECTION SO THEY 41:50 TAKE NO RISKS AND THEY LIVE VERY LONELY, SOLITARY LIVES INSOLATED 41:54 FROM ANY HURT. IT'S ACTUALLY VERY SAD. 41:59 THIS SERVANT, HE BURIED IT. THE OTHERS, THEY THREW IT OUT THERE. 42:05 THEY INVESTED. THEY GREW IT. AND SO GROWTH REQUIRES RISK. 42:09 YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAW THAT THESE TWO SERVANTS THAT WERE FAITHFUL 42:13 HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT GROWTH, IT MADE ME THINK OF A GENESIS STORY 42:16 - GENESIS 26:12, "THEN ISAAC SOWED IN THAT LAND, AND REAPED 42:21 IN THE SAME YEAR A HUNDREDFOLD;" YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT WHEN 42:26 THE SEED FALLS ON THE GOOD GROUND, SOME GET THIRTY - SIXTY 42:30 - SOME A HUNDRED-FOLD - A HUNDRED PERCENT GROWTH. WOULDN'T 42:34 YOU LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN TO YOUR BANK? HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD PUT 42:37 YOUR MONEY IN A BANK IF YOU COULD GET A HUNDRED-FOLD? 42:40 WATCH OUT IF ANYBODY PROMISES YOU AN INVESTMENT LIKE THAT. 42:45 I'VE SEEN SOME GOOD CHRISTIANS TAKEN IN BY PEOPLE WHO SAY, 'OH, 42:47 I KNOW A PLACE.' BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPIRITUAL REALM, 42:55 YOU CAN GET A HUNDRED-FOLD. IF YOU GET TO THE KINGDOM, 42:59 YOU WILL THINK YOU GOT A HUNDRED-FOLD. 43:01 IF YOU CAN HEAR JESUS SAY TO YOU, 'WELL DONE, GOOD AND 43:04 FAITHFUL SERVANT' YOU WILL BELIEVE YOU GOT A HUNDRED-FOLD 43:07 BLESSING. BUT IT INVOLVES RISK. AND YOU MIGHT LOSE, BUT IF YOU 43:13 KEEP INVESTING, YOU'LL END UP AHEAD. 43:16 NOW I DON'T RECOMMEND WE FOLLOW ALL OF HIS PRACTICES, BUT AN 43:18 INTERESTING CHARACTER STUDY IN HISTORY - AMERICAN HISTORY - WAS 43:22 P.T. BARNUM. HAVE YOU EVER READ ABOUT P.T. BARNUM? 43:25 YOU'VE HEARD OF THE BARNUM AND BAILEY CIRCUS? 43:27 AND HE WAS QUITE A SHOWMAN. 43:30 IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING, HE CAME FROM A VERY CONSERVATIVE 43:32 PURITAN FAMILY, BUT THE THING THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT HIS 43:35 LIFE - HE MADE AND LOST SEVERAL FORTUNES. 43:42 I MEAN, HE HAD A MUSEUM WHERE HE HAD EVERYTHING INVESTED IN THE 43:44 MUSEUM AND IT BURNT TO THE GROUND. 43:45 AND HE HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH - BUT HE WAS THE ETERNAL 43:48 OPTIMIST AND HE WOULD START ALL OVER AGAIN AND HE'D EARN ANOTHER 43:53 FORTUNE AND THEN SOME OTHER CALAMITY WOULD COME. 43:55 AND THERE - DIFFERENT THINGS HIT HIM BUT HE ENDED UP A VERY 43:57 WEALTHY MAN. SO, IN SERVING THE LORD YOU - IT 44:02 DOESN'T SAY THAT THESE SERVANTS, WHEN THEY WERE TRADING WITH 44:04 THEIR FIVE TALENTS AND THEIR TWO TALENTS, IT DOESN'T SAY 44:07 THERE WERE NO UPS AND DOWNS. DID YOU NOTICE THAT? 44:10 IT DOESN'T SAY THERE WERE NO GAINS AND LOSSES. 44:13 IN THE END, THERE WAS A GREAT GAIN. 44:18 EVEN IF YOU PUT YOUR MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET, YOU'RE GOING 44:19 TO SEE IT GO LIKE THIS. BUT THEY SAY, HISTORICALLY, 44:21 OVER TIME, IT'S GOING TO GO UP. REAL ESTATE GOES LIKE THIS, BUT 44:25 IN THE LONG TIME - YOU LOOK AT THE CURVE - IT'LL GO UP. 44:29 AND IF YOU'RE WORKING TO SAVE SOULS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WINS 44:32 AND LOSSES. I JUST - SOMEBODY - MATTER OF 44:36 FACT, FORMER MEMBER ROY AND JAN DENNIS JUST SENT ME A BOOK BY 44:38 H.M.S. RICHARDS, SR. ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE ONE WHO STARTED 44:42 THE VOICE OF PROPHECY RADIO PROGRAM. 44:44 HE WAS AN EVANGELIST AND HE USED TO SAY, 'EVERY EVANGELIST NEEDS 44:49 TO EXPERIENCE PREACHING TO AN AUDITORIUM THAT SEATS 10,000 44:53 PEOPLE WITH 20 PEOPLE IN IT.' HE HAD A FEW EXPERIENCES LIKE THAT 44:59 WHERE HE PREACHED FOR WEEKS AND HAD ONE CONVERT. 45:05 AND THEN THEY FIND OUT THAT CONVERT WENT ON TO BECOME A 45:08 MINISTER AND WIN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TO THE LORD. 45:11 BUT HE DIDN'T GET DISCOURAGED AND GIVE UP. 45:14 THEY KEPT WORKING AT IT UNTIL THEY HAD GREAT HARVESTS. 45:17 SO DON'T GET DISCOURAGED IF YOU USE YOUR GIFT AND SOMETIMES YOU 45:20 MEET WITH REJECTION OR YOU MEET WITH FAILURE OR YOU DON'T ALWAYS 45:23 SING ON KEY. YOU'VE JUST GOT TO KEEP ON. 45:27 AND YOU FIND OUT, IF YOU, DAILY, PRESS ON AND SAY, 'LORD, I'M 45:30 GOING TO CONTINUE TO USE MY GIFTS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME, TO 45:33 TRY AND SERVE YOU AND TO WIN MY FELLOW MAN, TO INVEST IN YOUR 45:37 KINGDOM IN DOING GOOD' - HE WILL BLESS YOU IN THE END. 45:42 HE SAYS HE'S WITH YOU ALWAYS, HE DIDN'T SAY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO 45:44 HAVE PERSECUTION. HE DIDN'T SAY THERE'S GOING TO BE NO PROBLEMS. 45:50 HE SAID, 'I'M COMING BACK.' YOU NOTICE, THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY 45:53 PLACES IN THE BIBLE - I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAUGHT IT - IT SAYS 45:56 HE DELIVERED THEM HIS RESOURCES AND HE WENT ON A JOURNEY AND IT 46:01 SAYS, 'AFTER A LONG TIME HE CAME BACK.' DID YOU CATCH THAT? 46:07 'AFTER A LONG TIME.' FOR THOSE WHO THOUGHT THAT JESUS WAS 46:10 COMING IMMEDIATELY, HE WAS LETTING THEM KNOW, IN THIS 46:12 PARABLE, IT WASN'T RIGHT AWAY. SOME OF YOU, IT'S NOT 46:16 UNTIL THE END OF YOUR LIFE. YOU DIE, YOUR NEXT CONSCIOUS 46:18 THOUGHT'S THE RESURRECTION. IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A LONG 46:21 TIME, BUT HE WILL COME BACK. HE'S GOING TO COME FOR 46:24 US IN THE WORLD TOO. SO THERE IS A JUDGMENT DAY. 46:29 NOW, YOU NOTICE THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE? 46:32 WITH THE FAITHFUL SERVANTS, IT SAYS, 'WELL DONE. 46:37 ENTER INTO THE JOY' - WITH THE WICKED SERVANT, HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE 46:44 GOING TO OUTER DARKNESS.' THE LORD SAYS, 'YOU WICKED AND LAZY 46:49 SERVANT! YOU KNEW THAT I REAPED' - HE 46:51 SAID, 'IF YOU BELIEVED THAT I REAPED WHERE I DID NOT SOW 46:53 AND GATHERED WHERE I DID NOT SCATTERED SEED, YOU SHOULD HAVE 46:55 AT LEAST DEPOSITED MY MONEY WITH THE BANKERS. 46:58 AT MY COMING I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED MY OWN BACK WITH 47:00 INTEREST.' HE SAID, 'TAKE THE TALENT FROM 47:03 HIM.' IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT. 47:07 HAVE YOU HEARD THAT BEFORE? NOT ONLY IS THAT TRUE WITH YOUR 47:11 MUSCLES, IT'S TRUE WITH YOUR MIND. THEY'VE FOUND OUT THAT 47:15 PEOPLE THAT WATCH TELEVISION ARE MORE PRONE TO DEMENTIA AND 47:18 ALZHEIMER'S THAN PEOPLE THAT DON'T. 47:21 AND PEOPLE WHO USE THEIR MIND ACTIVELY IN READING, OR EVEN IN 47:26 DOING PUZZLES - THAT ARE USING THEIR MINDS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, 47:28 THEY RETAIN IT. IF YOU DON'T USE IT YOU LOSE IT. 47:31 THIS MAN DID NOT INVEST THE TALENT. 47:32 WHAT HE HAD WAS NOT ONLY TURNED TO NOTHING, IT WAS TAKEN FROM 47:35 HIM. 'AND GIVE IT TO HIM WHO HAS TEN TALENTS. FOR TO EVERYONE WHO 47:41 HAS MORE WILL BE GIVEN AND HE WILL HAVE AN ABUNDANCE. 47:44 HE WHO DOES NOT HAVE, EVEN WHAT HE HAS IS TAKEN AWAY, AND CAST 47:48 THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT INTO OUTER DARKNESS, AND THERE'LL BE 47:52 WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE ETERNAL 47:55 LOSS - ETERNAL SEPARATION. ONE IS WEEPING, ONE IS JOY. 48:03 NOW GOD IS SAYING, EVERYBODY HERE, YOU'VE GOT A DESTINY. 48:06 THERE'S A DAY OF RECKONING. NOW WE COULD LOOK BACK ON THE 48:10 PAST YEAR OR YEARS AND WE CAN START WEEPING RIGHT NOW IF WE 48:14 THINK ABOUT THE WAYS THAT WE MAY HAVE WASTED THE TALENTS 48:17 THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I 48:21 HAVE WASTED TALENTS, HAVE YOU? BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT PAUL SAID? 48:27 'FORGETTING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND, LOOKING FORWARD' 48:31 SAY, 'LORD, FORGIVE ME. I HAVE WASTED - I HAVE 48:34 SQUANDERED SOME OF MY TALENTS. HELP ME TO BE FAITHFUL 48:37 FROM THIS POINT ON. CAN THE LORD STILL, THEN, HELP 48:40 YOU RECOVER WHAT THE LOCUST HAS EATEN AND REDEEM 48:44 AND CHANGE THINGS? JESUS SAID, 'LOOK, IF YOU'LL 48:46 COME TO ME JUST AS YOU ARE, I'LL BLESS YOU AND YOU CAN GROW. 48:50 IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE ALL YOU'VE GOT IS A FEW LEFTOVERS, BUT IF 48:52 YOU'LL COMMIT WHAT YOU'VE GOT OF YOUR TALENTS TO ME, I WILL STILL 48:55 HONOR MY WORD. I'LL BLESS AND I'LL MULTIPLY WHAT I GIVE YOU. 48:59 AND THAT WOULD BE MY DESIRE - FOR EVERY ONE OF US TO SAY AT 49:02 THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, 'LORD, I WANT TO SERVE YOU 49:04 SOMEHOW.' THINK ABOUT 'HOW DO I WANT TO GET INVOLVED?' 49:09 EVERYBODY HERE COULD DO SOMETHING. 49:12 THIS CHURCH IS UNIQUE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT INVOLVED 49:15 IN THE MUSIC OR MAYBE TEACHING THE CHILDREN OR HELPING WITH THE 49:18 KITCHEN AND THE POTLUCK - WE'VE GOT THE MEDIA MINISTRY, 49:21 DUPLICATION OF DVDS AND SOME OF YOU HAVE ELECTRONIC GIFTS, OR 49:25 SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE GIFTS IN CARPENTRY - WE'RE PERIODICALLY 49:28 DOING ODD JOBS - EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING THEY COULD DO - AND 49:32 COMMIT TO GOD AND HE WILL BLESS YOU AND MULTIPLY THOSE GIFTS. 49:37 YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SHARE THIS STORY ONE TIME, ABOUT THIS MAN, 49:41 YEARS AGO IN NEVADA, HE WAS CROSSING THE WEST AND HE NEEDED 49:44 TO CATCH A STAGE COACH AND HE WAS IN THE STAGE COACH OFFICE 49:47 AND HE SAW THE PRICE FOR THE TICKETS. THEY HAD $20.00 - 49:51 FIRST-CLASS SEAT; $15.00 - SECOND-CLASS SEAT; $5.00 - 49:56 THIRD-CLASS SEAT; AND RIGHT WHEN HE WAS READING THAT THE STAGE 49:58 COACH PULLED UP AND HE LOOKED AND HE SAW EVERYBODY CLIMBED OUT 50:01 OF THE SAME PLACE ON THE STAGE COACH. HE THOUGHT, 'WELL, IF 50:05 THEY'RE ALL RIDING IN THE SAME SPOT, I DON'T KNOW WHY IN THE 50:07 WORLD A PERSON -WOULD PAY FOR A FIRST-CLASS SEAT. 50:09 I'M NO DUMMY, I'M GOING TO BUY ONE OF THOSE THIRD-CLASS SEATS. 50:12 THEY ALL GET THERE.' HE THOUGHT HE WAS PRETTY SMART. 50:15 AND THEY RODE ALONG - HE WAS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO THIS LADY 50:17 DRESSED UP AND SHE HAD PAID FIRST-CLASS FARE AND HE WAS 50:20 SITTING ACROSS FROM SOMEBODY ELSE AND THEY PAID SECOND-CLASS 50:22 FARE AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE SITTING THERE AND 50:25 HE THOUGHT, 'YEAH, THESE GUYS AREN'T VERY SMART BECAUSE I ONLY 50:28 PAID $5.00.' AND PRETTY SOON IT STARTED TO RAIN AND THEN THE 50:35 HORSES STARTED STRUGGLING UP A HILL AND THE STAGE COACH RIDER 50:40 STOPPED. HE SAID, 'OKAY, ALL OF THE 50:43 SECOND-CLASS PASSENGERS, IF YOU CAN GET OUT AND WALK, FIRST 50:47 CLASS PASSENGERS REMAIN SEATED, THIRD-CLASS PASSENGERS, IF YOU'D 50:51 GET OUT AND PUSH.' (LAUGHTER) ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH MOST 50:58 CHURCHES IS WE HAVE TOO MANY FIRST-CLASS PASSENGERS. 51:02 THEY KIND OF SIT. YOU KNOW, USUALLY IT IS 20 51:04 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE IN ANY CHURCH THAT DO 80 51:06 PERCENT OF THE WORK. A LOT OF FOLKS JUST SIT WHILE 51:10 EVERYONE PUSHES OR THEY WALK ALONGSIDE. 51:13 I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME FOR US, AT THE BEGINNING OF 51:15 THE YEAR, TO COMMIT OUR TALENTS TO THE LORD AND SAY, 'LORD,' - 51:17 WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD HAPPEN TO A CHURCH WHERE EVERYBODY USED 51:20 THEIR GIFTS TO GET INVOLVED IN SHARING THE GOOD NEWS AND USING 51:26 THEIR GIFTS FOR BUILDING UP OF THE BODY? 51:29 WOULDN'T THAT BE WONDERFUL? 51:31 WELL, THE LORD HAS BLESSED US ALL AND HE'S - HE'LL MULTIPLY 51:34 WHATEVER GIFTS YOU HAVE, IF YOU COMMIT WHAT YOU DO HAVE TO HIM. 51:38 WE DON'T NEED TO LOOK BACK AT THE WASTED TIME AND MEANS AND 51:41 GIFTS, BUT LET'S LOOK FORWARD AND SAY, 'LORD, I'M YOURS. 51:44 I WANT TO USE MY GIFTS FOR YOU.' IS THAT YOUR PRAYER? 51:47 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 51:50 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 51:52 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 51:57 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 52:02 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 52:06 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 52:11 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 52:17 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 52:21 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 52:25 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF 52:28 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 52:32 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 52:34 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 52:37 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 52:40 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT SABBATHTRUTH.COM. 52:51 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. >>I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I 53:01 HAD A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD. GROWING UP, I WENT TO A PRIVATE 53:05 SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE SEVENTH GRADE - UNTIL JUNIOR HIGH. 53:08 I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THAT POINT, IN JUNIOR HIGH, THAT MY LIFE 53:12 BEGAN TO CHANGE. GOING FROM A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 53:15 INTO A PUBLIC SCHOOL WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE. 53:18 THERE WAS A LOT OF SECULAR INFLUENCE - PEER PRESSURE - AND, 53:24 FOR ME, IT WAS THE MUSIC. I STARTED LISTENING 53:27 TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC. EVERY CONCERT THAT WOULD 53:29 COME TO TOWN I WAS THERE. IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. 53:33 I STARTED USING MARIJUANA, PROBABLY AT THE AGE OF 14. 53:39 I STARTED DRINKING - USING A LOT OF COCAINE AND THAT LED TO 53:42 METHAMPHETAMINE AND THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. 53:47 I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL MY SOPHOMORE YEAR AND WENT TO WORK. 53:52 I WOULD GET OFF OF WORK AND WE'D GO TO THE BAR UNTIL 2:00 IN THE 53:55 MORNING AND I'D GET BACK UP AT 5:00 AND GO BACK AT IT AGAIN - 53:59 SIX, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. AT THE AGE OF 20, I LOST 54:06 MY DAD TO A HEART ATTACK. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE 54:10 LOSS SO I TRIED TO MASK MY PAIN WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. 54:16 I GOT THREE DUIS IN ONE YEAR. I WAS ARRESTED. 54:19 THEY GAVE ME ONE YEAR IN THE COUNTY JAIL AND THE MOMENT I GOT 54:24 OUT I WENT BACK TO DOING THE SAME THING, HANGING WITH THE 54:27 SAME PEOPLE - THE SAME CROWD. I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN 54:30 MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND I WAS CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI. 54:34 EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS NOT UNDER THE 54:36 INFLUENCE, I STILL HAD METHAMPHETAMINE IN MY SYSTEM. 54:40 AT MY SENTENCING DATE I LEFT THE COURTROOM AND I DIDN'T COME 54:44 BACK. AND THAT LEFT ME WITH A FELONY WARRANT. 54:48 AND I HAD FALLEN ASLEEP AT A PARK AND I WOKE UP TO A PARK 54:53 RANGER KNOCKING ON MY WINDOW. I KNEW THAT I WAS WANTED AND I 54:57 KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO JUST TURN MYSELF IN. I TURNED TO 55:01 HIM AND I MADE THE COMMENT, 'NOT TODAY.' AND I TOOK OFF. 55:06 I LED FIVE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON ABOUT A 35-MINUTE CHASE AND I 55:10 REALIZED AT ONE POINT THAT I WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY AND 55:13 THIS WAS GOING TO END UP EITHER ME KILLING SOMEBODY OR MYSELF. 55:18 AND SO I MADE A DECISION TO PULL OVER. AT THAT POINT, EVERYTHING 55:23 THAT I HAD, I LOST. I WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN 55:26 STATE PRISON AND IT WAS THERE THAT GOD GOT AHOLD OF ME. 55:34 AND IT WAS THROUGH AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES. 55:37 I REMEMBER LISTENING ON MY RADIO TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 55:41 I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW THE BIBLE. I WANTED TO KNOW GOD. 55:44 AND SO MY AUNT MARILYN SENT ME THE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES 55:50 AND IT WAS THERE THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BEGAN. 55:58 I HAD CALLED HOME AND I KNEW MY MOTHER WASN'T DOING WELL, BUT I 56:02 DIDN'T REALIZE THAT SHE HAD CANCER. SHE HAD ABOUT A 56:10 30-PERCENT CHANCE OF MAKING IT THROUGH HER SURGERY. 56:13 SHE HAD TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE CHEMO 56:16 AND SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE RADIATION. 56:17 THAT, IF HER GOD WAS GOING TO SAVE HER, THEN HE WOULD 56:19 SAVE HER. I REMEMBER HANGING UP THE PHONE 56:23 TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM. 56:28 I TURNED AROUND, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES, AND I PRAYED TO GOD. 56:34 I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER. 56:38 WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME IN LIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO, I AM 56:42 YOURS.' AND I HAD A FEELING OF SUCH PEACE, THAT I KNEW THAT MY 56:48 MOTHER WAS GOING TO BE OKAY AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO 56:52 CHANGE. THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN 56:56 ADEQUATELY EXPRESS TO AMAZING FACTS AND PASTOR DOUG - TO SAY, 56:59 'THANK YOU' TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY. 57:03 I AM A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUPPORT. MY LIFE IS CHANGED BECAUSE OF 57:08 THIS MINISTRY AND I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. 57:21 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:24 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:28 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:31 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:34 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:38 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:41 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 57:45 WORD. GO DEEPER. VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIME 57:49 LINE AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN 57:54 RESOURCES, VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 58:02 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2019-09-16