Did you know
that Noah was present
00:00:01.00\00:00:02.80
at the birth of Abraham?
00:00:02.83\00:00:04.40
Okay, maybe he
wasn't in the room,
00:00:04.43\00:00:06.90
but he was alive and
probably telling stories
00:00:06.94\00:00:09.64
about his floating zoo.
00:00:09.67\00:00:11.54
From the creation of the world
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to the last day
events of Revelation,
00:00:13.11\00:00:15.51
biblehistory.com
is a free resource
00:00:15.54\00:00:18.21
where you can explore
00:00:18.25\00:00:19.28
major Bible
events and characters.
00:00:19.31\00:00:21.62
Enhance your
knowledge of the Bible
00:00:21.65\00:00:23.62
and draw closer to God's word.
00:00:23.65\00:00:25.92
Go deeper, visit
biblehistory.com.
00:00:25.95\00:00:29.36
For life-changing
Christian resources,
00:00:31.43\00:00:33.86
visit afbookstore.com.
00:00:33.90\00:00:36.20
Amazing Facts: Changed Lives.
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My greatest wish
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is that my children will see me
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the way I see my, my own father.
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He's a very devoted man.
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And that kind of framed
my childhood going forward
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from there where I
was always involved
00:01:04.96\00:01:08.16
in church work,
00:01:08.20\00:01:09.60
and I had a very rich experience
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with the Lord at a young age,
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all the way up through college.
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Then after I got married,
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I got in a
company called Comcast.
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And I spent the past
roughly eight and a half years,
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nine years at Comcast.
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And I was actually
watching television with my son.
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And a Comcast
commercial came on the air.
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And he said, "Oh,
daddy, that's Comcast,
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that's where you work, daddy."
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And most fathers would be
proud of something like that,
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but it really
struck me that, you know,
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my son is getting older
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and he does not see me
as a servant of the Lord.
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He sees me as a
servant of my company.
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And I knew
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that I would have
to make some changes,
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because I wanted him to
know me as a man of God.
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I never thought I would be
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a preacher or
anything like that.
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But I knew that,
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there was room
in the work for me
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and for my own, for my talents.
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And I wanted my son to
see me operating in the work.
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That's when I
knew that my time there
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was coming to an end.
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I was sitting in
my office one day
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and I was kneeling in prayer,
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I said, God, now show
me what You want me to do
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because you know it seems
like a big move here and...
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Everyone is thinking, I'm crazy.
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And I don't know exactly how,
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you know, things are
gonna go if they don't go well.
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You know, the
crazy thought when you,
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you're thinking about God
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and I lifted my
head up in prayer
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and they were
just like a flock of...
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Oh, maybe 300 birds
that were just flying
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and they were
swooping down over the water
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and they would
fly back up and then,
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they would chase each
other around and, you know,
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I was just
looking at the pattern
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of the giant flock,
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and the promise of the Lord
came to me where He says that,
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you know, He takes
care of the sparrows,
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and you don't see
them worrying about
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how they are going to be
taking care of from day to day.
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You know, they don't, you know,
wring their hands wondering,
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you know, will there be
any worms to eat tomorrow?
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And that promise
really stood out to me
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and He said, "How
much more do I love you?
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You know, I'm not
gonna send you on a mission
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to do My work and
leave you high and dry,
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because you
claim to be My child,
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you claim to be My son."
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And everyone knows that,
00:04:02.44\00:04:05.71
that assurance
allows me to know that,
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whatever happens here,
whatever happens after here.
00:04:08.28\00:04:13.82
We're sons of God
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and there are certain things
that we shouldn't worry about.
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From the day we arrived at AFCO,
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it's been obvious
that God has blessed
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the Amazing Facts
Ministry, the AFCO program,
00:04:27.30\00:04:30.70
and I will be
using my AFCO experience,
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no matter where I
go to reach people that
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because the personal touch
of face-to-face evangelism,
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speaking and sharing the word
of God out of your own mouth,
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there's no replacement for that.
00:04:48.08\00:04:50.32
And Amazing Facts has
been very instrumental
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in helping me,
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find the area of the work of God
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and show me how
large and how broad it is.
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It's been a tremendous
blessing to be in a place
00:05:03.67\00:05:07.27
where we are around
people seeking to do God's will
00:05:07.30\00:05:11.54
and listening for
His voice in their life,
00:05:11.57\00:05:14.34
and that's very,
very important today.
00:05:14.38\00:05:16.85
Together we have
spread the gospel
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much farther than ever before.
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Thank you for your support.
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On several occasions,
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scientists have demonstrated
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that people and even creatures
can struggle with depression
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when exposed to
continual darkness.
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This can be seen every
year in the winter months
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in the Arctic regions.
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The beautiful
village of Rjukan, Norway
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is situated in a deep valley,
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where mountains
block the sun's rays
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for about six months every year.
00:06:07.03\00:06:08.90
This of course
keeps the 3,400 residents
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in a state of shade
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and sometimes
depressing darkness
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throughout the winter.
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Then the town
leaders got a bright idea
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to help illuminate their village
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during the murky months.
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In October, 2013,
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Rjukan installed an array
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of three gigantic
550 square foot mirrors
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on a nearby mountain at
1,000 feet above the town.
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The computer control
and solar power mirrors
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track the sun
through the winter months
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and reflect a
giant beam of sunshine
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down to the town
square, brightening their lives.
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If you visit Rjukan in
the winter months today,
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you can often see the people
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gathered or sitting on
benches around the town square
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bathing in the
reflected sunshine.
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Like those
mirrors on the mountain,
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the Bible says,
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"That Christians are to
reflect the light of Jesus
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who is the light of the
world into this dark planet."
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Matthew 5-14 says,
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"You are the light of the world.
00:07:06.72\00:07:08.29
A city that is set on
a hill cannot be hidden.
00:07:08.32\00:07:11.09
Nor do we light a lamp
and put it under a basket,
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but on a lamp stand,
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and it illuminates
everybody in the house.
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Let your light
so shine before men,
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that they may
see your good works
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and glorify your
Father in heaven."
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So, friends,
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use today to brighten
the life of someone else
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by reflecting Jesus.
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The message today
we're gonna be talking about,
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really a very important
central core Bible theme,
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dealing with The
Beauty of Sacrifice.
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Sacrifice, and typically
when we think about sacrifice,
00:08:04.11\00:08:08.75
we recoil a
little bit at the idea
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because it makes us think
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of some form of
horrific self-denial.
00:08:12.92\00:08:17.49
And it is true
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that sacrifice can mean
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the greatest form
of self-denial at all,
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laying down your life.
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Remember hearing a
story from World War II
00:08:27.90\00:08:30.41
where 1st
Lieutenant John Robert Fox
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was there stationed in Italy
during the heat of the battle,
00:08:34.81\00:08:39.85
and his job was
an advance position
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where he was
looking with binoculars
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and he was giving
instructions and co-ordinance
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to the artillery
operators to bring in the bombs
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and artillery on
various positions.
00:08:51.79\00:08:53.73
And he called on
the radio, he'd say,
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enemy is in this position,
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rain down artillery and
bombs here on the enemy,
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they are over here.
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And then somehow up this valley,
00:09:03.37\00:09:05.67
he suddenly
noticed that he had missed
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this larger German Nazi force
00:09:07.24\00:09:10.11
that was coming
right in upon him.
00:09:10.15\00:09:12.38
He could have dropped everything
00:09:12.41\00:09:13.48
and run for his
life and been okay,
00:09:13.52\00:09:16.05
but he knew that they
would surprise his own men
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and that there was
gonna be a great loss of life.
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So he called in the
coordinates and he said,
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"You need to drop everything
you've got on this position."
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And, on the other end
of the radio they said,
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"Well that's where you are."
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He said, "You better do
it, you better do it fast."
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And they rained in the artillery
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and it took his life
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when the American forces
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finally came to
the position there,
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it was in the town
of Sommocolonia, Italy.
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They saw that there was
Lieutenant Fox surrounded
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by about a 100
dead German soldiers
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and they took a medal
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and they placed it on his chest,
00:10:00.46\00:10:03.06
because he had truly realized
00:10:03.10\00:10:05.13
that other
people's lives will be lost
00:10:05.17\00:10:07.77
if I don't call in
the fire on my position.
00:10:07.80\00:10:11.51
And really this
is what Jesus did
00:10:11.54\00:10:13.21
as He called in all the wrath
of the devil on His position,
00:10:13.24\00:10:17.51
so that we could be saved.
00:10:17.55\00:10:19.31
Now that's, the
purest form of sacrifice
00:10:19.35\00:10:22.72
when we think of
someone laying down their life.
00:10:22.75\00:10:25.12
And Jesus said in John 15:13,
00:10:25.15\00:10:27.46
"Greater love
has no man than this
00:10:27.49\00:10:30.49
that someone would lay
down his life for another."
00:10:30.53\00:10:34.30
Sacrifice, sacrifice is
really a beautiful thing
00:10:34.30\00:10:38.00
and it might be good
to look at a definition
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as we go on with this.
00:10:40.34\00:10:42.04
Sacrifice is by definition,
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.37
and this is not
the total definition.
00:10:44.41\00:10:46.91
"Forfeiture or giving up
of something highly valued
00:10:46.94\00:10:51.71
for the sake of
someone or something considered
00:10:51.75\00:10:54.02
to have greater value or claim."
00:10:54.05\00:10:58.12
It's giving up
something or sacrificing,
00:10:58.15\00:11:01.12
forfeiting
something that you value
00:11:01.16\00:11:03.93
to obtain something you
think is of great worth.
00:11:03.96\00:11:08.16
And we must be very
valuable to the Lord
00:11:08.20\00:11:10.83
that He would
sacrifice His life to save us.
00:11:10.87\00:11:14.47
Now sacrifice for the
Christian is not optional.
00:11:14.50\00:11:20.38
There's a misconception
00:11:20.41\00:11:21.61
that has
somehow filtered its way
00:11:21.64\00:11:23.11
through a lot of
Christian's churches
00:11:23.14\00:11:25.18
that because Jesus
sacrificed His life,
00:11:25.21\00:11:29.25
He did that so we
don't need to sacrifice,
00:11:29.28\00:11:32.59
that we're off the hook somehow.
00:11:32.62\00:11:34.42
That's not the
teaching of the Bible.
00:11:34.46\00:11:37.03
He sacrificed as
an example for us.
00:11:37.06\00:11:40.10
Let me give you a few verses
that explain that Mark 8:34.
00:11:40.13\00:11:44.70
Of course, we had one
in our scripture reading.
00:11:44.73\00:11:47.34
"Whoever therefore
desires to come after Me,
00:11:47.37\00:11:49.74
let him deny himself
00:11:49.77\00:11:51.77
and take up his
cross and follow Me..."
00:11:51.81\00:11:54.58
Whoever wants to
come after Jesus,
00:11:54.61\00:11:56.75
you got to self
deny and follow Him.
00:11:56.78\00:11:59.48
"For whoever
desires to save his life
00:11:59.51\00:12:01.65
will actually lose it,
00:12:01.68\00:12:03.52
but whoever loses his
life or sacrifices his life
00:12:03.55\00:12:06.42
for my sake and the
gospels will save it.
00:12:06.45\00:12:11.26
For what will it profit the
man if he gains the whole world
00:12:11.29\00:12:14.13
and loses his own soul?"
00:12:14.20\00:12:15.83
If you refuse to make
the important sacrifices
00:12:15.86\00:12:18.30
because you think
you're gaining something,
00:12:18.33\00:12:19.60
you're actually
losing everything.
00:12:19.63\00:12:22.34
Someone said,
00:12:22.37\00:12:23.57
that which you sacrifice for God
00:12:23.61\00:12:25.41
is never lost, it multiplies.
00:12:25.44\00:12:28.41
You do not lose
anything you sacrifice for God.
00:12:28.44\00:12:31.08
"Or what will a man give
in exchange for his soul."
00:12:32.95\00:12:35.32
Matthew 13:44, you
know, this parable.
00:12:35.35\00:12:37.89
"Again, the kingdom of heaven
00:12:37.92\00:12:39.19
is like a treasure
hidden in the field.
00:12:39.22\00:12:41.96
Which when a man finds it,
00:12:41.99\00:12:43.29
he hides it and
for joy over it..."
00:12:43.32\00:12:46.06
Notice the word joy.
00:12:46.09\00:12:47.96
True sacrifice is
beautiful, it's a blessing.
00:12:47.96\00:12:51.33
"For joy over it he goes
and he sells all that he has
00:12:51.37\00:12:55.17
and he buys the field."
00:12:55.20\00:12:56.97
I just want to give you
the picture, in Bible times,
00:12:57.01\00:12:58.77
they didn't have bank.
00:12:58.81\00:13:00.11
They're never saving
a loan with a big safe
00:13:00.14\00:13:02.68
in the middle of it.
00:13:02.71\00:13:04.28
A lot of people,
if you had money,
00:13:04.31\00:13:05.61
you're are saving, they
would actually dig a hole
00:13:05.65\00:13:07.28
and bury it and
they paste it off
00:13:07.32\00:13:08.98
and figure where they buried it,
00:13:09.02\00:13:10.45
have some landmarks,
00:13:10.49\00:13:11.72
and maybe tell a few
trusted family members
00:13:11.75\00:13:14.79
in case
something happened to him.
00:13:14.82\00:13:16.73
You probably heard in England,
00:13:16.76\00:13:17.93
these guys were out
there with a metal detector.
00:13:17.96\00:13:20.70
Going through, one
man had a metal detector
00:13:20.73\00:13:22.66
and he just was combing
over the different fields
00:13:22.70\00:13:24.47
because he knew
that the Romans had
00:13:24.50\00:13:26.17
once occupied Great Britain
00:13:26.20\00:13:29.97
and they'd hidden
their gold in the fields.
00:13:30.01\00:13:31.94
And sure enough
his detector went off
00:13:31.97\00:13:33.94
and it registered
something that looked like
00:13:33.98\00:13:36.21
a solid metal like
gold, and they dug down,
00:13:36.24\00:13:39.71
they found as I
think it's called
00:13:39.75\00:13:41.88
the hawks and the hoard,
00:13:41.92\00:13:43.25
millions of
dollars of gold and stuff
00:13:43.28\00:13:45.29
that someone just
buried out in the field.
00:13:45.32\00:13:48.02
So it wasn't
uncommon in Bible times,
00:13:48.06\00:13:49.96
you'd be
leasing someone's field,
00:13:49.99\00:13:51.63
and you'd be farming,
00:13:51.66\00:13:52.83
and you're going along with
your donkey pulling the plow.
00:13:52.86\00:13:56.40
And all of a sudden
the plow hits something
00:13:56.43\00:13:58.20
and it un-turns this rock,
00:13:58.23\00:14:00.24
and you look into the
rock and there's a box.
00:14:00.27\00:14:01.70
When you look in the
box and there's treasure,
00:14:01.74\00:14:03.57
but you're an honest
man, it's not your field,
00:14:03.61\00:14:05.24
meaning it's not your treasure.
00:14:05.27\00:14:06.51
So you cover back up,
00:14:06.54\00:14:08.21
and you go to the
owner and you say,
00:14:08.24\00:14:09.38
"I'd like to buy that field."
00:14:09.41\00:14:11.58
Says, "Why would
you want that old field?
00:14:11.61\00:14:15.48
He said, "I just, you know,
00:14:15.52\00:14:16.79
it just has become
very precious to me.
00:14:16.82\00:14:19.89
And what it's gonna cost?"
00:14:19.92\00:14:23.63
Well, he gives him
the price, he says, wow.
00:14:23.66\00:14:26.63
In order to do that,
00:14:26.66\00:14:28.20
I'm gonna have to
liquidate everything,
00:14:28.23\00:14:31.63
and you go home and
tell your wife, says,
00:14:31.67\00:14:33.03
we're selling everything.
00:14:33.07\00:14:34.10
What for?
00:14:34.14\00:14:35.37
For Homer's field.
00:14:35.40\00:14:36.44
Homer's field did nothing move.
00:14:36.47\00:14:38.77
Sorry, you ever
rented that field.
00:14:38.81\00:14:40.28
Why do you want to
buy that field for?
00:14:40.31\00:14:41.41
Trust me.
00:14:41.44\00:14:42.51
You want to sell everything
we've got for that field,
00:14:42.54\00:14:44.48
must have been some
interesting conversations.
00:14:44.51\00:14:46.85
It's worth more than they know.
00:14:48.38\00:14:50.79
And they sell everything,
they have a garage sale,
00:14:50.82\00:14:53.15
they sell
everything they've got,
00:14:53.19\00:14:54.56
they put the last
penny on the table
00:14:54.59\00:14:57.43
and they buy Homer's field.
00:14:57.46\00:14:58.66
I just made up the name Homer
just in case you needed that.
00:14:58.69\00:15:02.30
Was it worth it?
00:15:02.33\00:15:04.20
Oh, yeah, he knows
there's much more in the field,
00:15:04.23\00:15:07.14
but Jesus said, "In
order to get that treasure,
00:15:07.17\00:15:09.87
you got to sell everything,
00:15:09.90\00:15:10.94
you got to be sold
out for the gospel.
00:15:10.97\00:15:13.04
And then He goes on
similar parable and He says,
00:15:13.07\00:15:15.64
"Or it's like a merchant
seeking precious pearls,
00:15:15.68\00:15:18.95
when he finds a
pearl of great price,
00:15:18.98\00:15:20.95
he goes and he
sells, " how much?
00:15:20.98\00:15:24.02
"All that he has
and he buys the field."
00:15:24.05\00:15:28.46
Luke 14:27, Jesus said,
00:15:28.49\00:15:30.79
"Whoever does not bear
his cross and come after Me
00:15:30.83\00:15:34.30
cannot be My disciple."
00:15:34.30\00:15:36.73
You pick up your cross because
there's gonna be a sacrifice,
00:15:36.77\00:15:39.80
and if it's your cross
it's probably your sacrifice.
00:15:39.83\00:15:43.24
Take your cross, you
crucified with Christ.
00:15:43.27\00:15:46.11
Again He says in Luke 14,
He says it three times in Luke,
00:15:46.14\00:15:48.74
I'm just reading you two.
00:15:48.78\00:15:49.81
Luke 14:33, "So likewise,
00:15:49.84\00:15:52.88
whoever of you does
not forsake all that he has
00:15:52.91\00:15:56.79
cannot be My disciple."
00:15:56.82\00:16:00.82
That means when
you come to Christ,
00:16:00.86\00:16:02.92
it takes everything.
00:16:02.96\00:16:04.53
He wants the complete surrender,
00:16:04.56\00:16:06.26
and so many...
00:16:06.29\00:16:08.06
I'm sure that the
reason there's a lot
00:16:08.10\00:16:09.76
of miserable
Christians out there
00:16:09.80\00:16:11.17
is because
there's a lot of people
00:16:11.20\00:16:13.17
who want to go to heaven
00:16:13.20\00:16:14.67
and they
appreciate what Jesus did,
00:16:14.70\00:16:16.17
but they're not ready to
make a complete sacrifice,
00:16:16.20\00:16:19.04
so they have enough religion
00:16:19.07\00:16:20.58
to know about the
do's and the don'ts
00:16:20.61\00:16:21.98
but they don't have the joy
00:16:22.01\00:16:23.71
of really believing
their sins are forgiven
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.71
because they've
made a partial sacrifice.
00:16:25.75\00:16:28.72
And until you come to the point
00:16:28.75\00:16:30.29
and really
putting it all on the line
00:16:30.32\00:16:32.22
for the Lord and say,
00:16:32.25\00:16:33.29
all that I have and
all that I am are yours,
00:16:33.32\00:16:36.49
you don't
experience the freedom.
00:16:36.52\00:16:39.19
That's the joy of
making that sacrifice.
00:16:39.23\00:16:42.36
Someone wrote that since
the Son of God has died for me,
00:16:42.40\00:16:45.07
the least I can do
is the same for Him.
00:16:45.10\00:16:47.97
If Jesus is God and God died
for me, then no sacrifice...
00:16:48.00\00:16:52.04
Really what sacrifice is
too much to make for God,
00:16:52.07\00:16:54.68
who made
everything, who died for you.
00:16:54.71\00:16:59.61
It might mean sacrificing
00:16:59.65\00:17:02.08
what looks like a
high earthly position.
00:17:02.12\00:17:04.69
A lot of people have
decided to put the Lord first.
00:17:04.72\00:17:08.49
We've heard about
different athletes
00:17:08.52\00:17:11.53
that are in high
school and college
00:17:11.56\00:17:12.93
showed great promise,
00:17:12.96\00:17:13.96
and then along
came some pro recruiter,
00:17:14.00\00:17:16.13
and offered them
00:17:16.16\00:17:17.20
a multi-million dollar contract,
00:17:17.23\00:17:18.53
and they said, I can't take it.
00:17:18.57\00:17:19.63
Why not?
00:17:19.67\00:17:20.67
Because you
have games on Sabbath
00:17:20.70\00:17:21.77
and I can't play on Sabbath.
00:17:21.80\00:17:23.54
You're crazy, you can, you know,
00:17:23.57\00:17:26.14
just do it for
ten years and retire.
00:17:26.17\00:17:28.71
No, I can't do it at all.
00:17:28.74\00:17:30.61
And they sacrifice
what would seem like
00:17:30.65\00:17:32.91
a very lucrative career
00:17:32.95\00:17:34.08
'cause the gospel is
more important to them.
00:17:34.12\00:17:37.29
I actually, I'm
telling that story
00:17:37.32\00:17:38.82
because we had a
call at Amazing Facts,
00:17:38.85\00:17:41.06
a young man had
just been recruited
00:17:41.09\00:17:43.19
by the Jets New York team,
00:17:43.22\00:17:46.29
and he'd been
watching our programs
00:17:46.33\00:17:48.10
and he learned
the Sabbath truth.
00:17:48.13\00:17:49.80
And he said, I've told them
00:17:49.83\00:17:50.87
I can't play
anymore on the Sabbath.
00:17:50.90\00:17:53.94
Well, you know that
didn't go over too well.
00:17:53.97\00:17:56.10
But he stood his ground.
00:17:57.61\00:17:59.47
I think ultimately they sold him
00:17:59.51\00:18:00.98
and he ended up
going into another field.
00:18:01.01\00:18:03.85
The Bible talks about Moses,
00:18:03.88\00:18:06.45
who seemed to have
the promise of being
00:18:06.48\00:18:09.22
in the line of Pharaoh.
00:18:09.25\00:18:11.15
Hebrews 11:24, "By faith..."
00:18:11.19\00:18:15.22
And when you make a sacrifice,
it's often done by faith.
00:18:15.26\00:18:18.89
"By faith, Moses,
when he became of age,
00:18:18.93\00:18:21.16
he refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
00:18:21.20\00:18:25.10
choosing rather
to suffer affliction
00:18:25.13\00:18:27.14
with the people of God
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.57
than to enjoy the
passing pleasures of sin."
00:18:28.60\00:18:31.74
You know, if you're associated
with Pharaoh's household
00:18:31.77\00:18:34.14
and you introduce yourself,
you know, name-dropping,
00:18:34.18\00:18:36.64
that would be handy
at any Egyptian party.
00:18:36.68\00:18:39.35
I'm part of Pharaoh's family.
00:18:39.38\00:18:42.48
But instead he would
say, I belong to the slaves,
00:18:42.52\00:18:47.86
I'm with the
slaves, the Hebrews.
00:18:47.89\00:18:51.29
He understand that
was reverse name-dropping.
00:18:51.33\00:18:56.90
He chose to suffer affliction
with the people of God
00:18:56.93\00:19:01.44
and lose all that
prestige and power
00:19:01.47\00:19:03.54
rather than to enjoy the
passing pleasures of sin.
00:19:03.57\00:19:08.18
You know, when we
were doing our meetings
00:19:08.21\00:19:11.25
back in North
Carolina, Karen and I went to...
00:19:11.28\00:19:16.22
There's a Billy
Graham Memorial Library.
00:19:16.25\00:19:20.19
I guess he's still alive,
00:19:20.22\00:19:21.36
he's at still in
the Memorial Library,
00:19:21.39\00:19:22.82
it's the Billy Graham Library.
00:19:22.86\00:19:24.86
And he's 98-years old now.
00:19:24.89\00:19:27.86
And there they've got
00:19:27.93\00:19:31.00
a little place
his wife is buried
00:19:31.03\00:19:32.97
and his good friend
George Beverly Shea.
00:19:33.00\00:19:35.87
How many of you
know George Beverly Shea?
00:19:35.90\00:19:38.41
Younger kids are
going, strange name.
00:19:38.44\00:19:42.64
George Beverly Shea
was a very talented singer.
00:19:42.68\00:19:45.95
He's a son actually
of a Methodist minister.
00:19:45.98\00:19:48.92
And a deep clear
booming bass baritone voice,
00:19:48.95\00:19:55.06
articulated every word perfectly
00:19:55.09\00:19:57.23
and he, after he
graduated from college,
00:19:57.26\00:20:00.83
he worked for New York
Life Insurance Company.
00:20:00.86\00:20:03.30
And he'd sing
periodically special music
00:20:03.33\00:20:05.57
in Christian
occasions, he loved to sing.
00:20:05.60\00:20:08.44
But he had such
a tremendous voice
00:20:08.47\00:20:09.80
that some people were,
00:20:09.84\00:20:12.41
I think it was NBC
Radio had this program
00:20:12.44\00:20:15.14
across the country,
the big thing back then,
00:20:15.18\00:20:16.98
I'm talking of 1933
was called Hit Parade.
00:20:17.01\00:20:21.15
I don't expect any
of you remember that.
00:20:21.18\00:20:23.99
And they said, "We'd like to you
00:20:24.02\00:20:25.99
to be one of our
singers in Hit Parade."
00:20:26.02\00:20:27.39
Well, that was like the
Academy Awards back then,
00:20:27.42\00:20:29.32
if you were on the
Hit Parade radio program.
00:20:29.36\00:20:30.79
Everybody knew what that was.
00:20:30.83\00:20:32.16
They said, "But, you know,
00:20:32.19\00:20:33.23
you're gonna have to
sing some secular songs.
00:20:33.26\00:20:35.20
You can't just
do religious songs."
00:20:35.23\00:20:36.63
And he said,
00:20:36.67\00:20:37.70
"Well, I think God's
given me the gift of singing,
00:20:37.73\00:20:39.23
and He wants me
to use it for Him,
00:20:39.27\00:20:40.30
I'm not singing
any worldly song."
00:20:40.34\00:20:41.90
"You can still
sing some gospel songs,
00:20:41.94\00:20:44.04
but you can also have to
sing some of the, you know,
00:20:44.07\00:20:46.94
folk songs and the traditional."
00:20:46.98\00:20:48.81
Said, "I don't want to do that."
00:20:48.84\00:20:50.38
And all of his friends
said, "Oh, you're crazy,
00:20:50.41\00:20:52.78
just do it for a little while,
00:20:52.81\00:20:54.08
you got a chance to be
known, and once you're famous
00:20:54.12\00:20:56.18
you can sing all the
gospel songs you want."
00:20:56.22\00:20:58.25
They wanted him to compromise
just for a little bit.
00:20:58.29\00:21:01.06
Said, "No."
00:21:01.09\00:21:02.39
He was very, very
committed to the Lord, he said,
00:21:02.42\00:21:05.29
"I'm just gonna sing
for God, if I'm gonna sing,
00:21:05.33\00:21:07.36
that's the only
thing we're singing about."
00:21:07.40\00:21:09.63
And they withdrew the
offer and his friends said,
00:21:09.66\00:21:13.77
"You've missed your
golden opportunity."
00:21:13.80\00:21:16.07
Said, "I haven't
missed anything."
00:21:16.10\00:21:17.21
If I have no one ever
hears who I am, they said,
00:21:17.24\00:21:18.97
they'll never hear of you.
00:21:19.01\00:21:20.98
Everyone will know you if
you do this for a little while.
00:21:21.01\00:21:23.48
He said, "No", he said, "I just
want God to be happy with me."
00:21:23.51\00:21:27.08
Well, 10 years went by
00:21:27.12\00:21:29.72
and you know he continued
to sing in the churches
00:21:29.75\00:21:32.69
and working in
the traditional job.
00:21:32.72\00:21:34.69
Then Billy Graham
asked him to sing for him
00:21:34.72\00:21:36.79
for one of his
evangelistic programs, 1947.
00:21:36.83\00:21:41.16
And he started singing
with Billy Graham and he said,
00:21:41.20\00:21:43.43
"Why don't you
quit the insurance
00:21:43.47\00:21:44.57
and go with us full
time and sing for the Lord?
00:21:44.60\00:21:45.93
He said, "I've been hoping
00:21:45.97\00:21:47.00
someone would
ask me to do that."
00:21:47.04\00:21:49.60
And so he
continued for the next...
00:21:49.64\00:21:51.67
Folks thought
his career was over
00:21:51.71\00:21:53.14
because he was in his 30s.
00:21:53.17\00:21:54.94
He's older than Billy Graham.
00:21:54.98\00:21:57.21
And he sang with
Billy Graham for 60 years
00:21:57.25\00:22:00.55
I don't know any of you remember
00:22:00.58\00:22:01.58
when Billy Graham came to ARCO
00:22:01.62\00:22:03.08
one of his last
meetings the Ark Arena.
00:22:03.12\00:22:05.19
It must have been 20 years
ago, Karen, where were you at?
00:22:05.22\00:22:07.56
Yeah, and there
was George Beverly Shea
00:22:07.59\00:22:10.39
upfront in his 80s
singing clear voice,
00:22:10.43\00:22:14.96
it's amazing.
00:22:15.00\00:22:17.03
Well, he's in the Guinness
Book of World Records now
00:22:17.07\00:22:19.90
for singing to more people
than any other human being live,
00:22:19.93\00:22:25.57
because he
traveled with Billy Graham
00:22:25.61\00:22:26.91
and sang to literally
00:22:26.94\00:22:27.91
millions and millions
and millions of people,
00:22:27.94\00:22:30.65
and they have tons of
records and he lived to 104.
00:22:30.68\00:22:35.35
No one will ever
hear of you they said.
00:22:35.38\00:22:37.59
And then he
said, you know, I'm...
00:22:39.79\00:22:42.16
Some people
thought it's a sacrifice.
00:22:42.19\00:22:44.96
But people thought Moses,
00:22:44.99\00:22:48.23
you're missing your
chance in the palace.
00:22:48.26\00:22:51.53
More people know
about Moses now when...
00:22:51.57\00:22:53.94
Here's this guy goes out
in the desert, and he thought,
00:22:53.97\00:22:55.54
no one will ever
hear from me again,
00:22:55.57\00:22:57.24
I'm just following
around these sheep.
00:22:57.27\00:23:00.48
No one's ever
gonna know about me.
00:23:00.51\00:23:02.64
The whole world knows about
him because he chose to forsake
00:23:02.68\00:23:06.88
the pleasures of
sin for a season.
00:23:06.92\00:23:09.68
And the Bible is
full of heroes like that
00:23:09.72\00:23:12.49
for you and I to think about.
00:23:12.52\00:23:13.79
Of course one of the
great sacrifice stories
00:23:13.82\00:23:15.72
is Abraham.
00:23:15.76\00:23:17.46
What would be harder?
00:23:17.49\00:23:18.83
Give yourself, or
to give your child?
00:23:18.86\00:23:23.43
What's a more
difficult sacrifice?
00:23:23.47\00:23:26.23
Abraham, these are
00:23:26.27\00:23:27.34
the sacrifice
heroes in the Bible,
00:23:27.37\00:23:29.67
took his son up the mountain,
he had faith, offered his son.
00:23:29.70\00:23:33.61
Jephthah offered his daughter
00:23:33.64\00:23:37.05
rather than to
violate a vow to God.
00:23:37.08\00:23:39.51
Hannah offered to
sacrifice her son.
00:23:39.55\00:23:43.25
She'd prayed for
a child for years,
00:23:43.28\00:23:44.82
finally God gives
her child, she said,
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.72
"I'm giving it to God."
00:23:46.76\00:23:47.89
But that's a sacrifice.
00:23:47.92\00:23:49.92
He didn't die, I mean,
00:23:49.96\00:23:51.09
and Jephthah by the way
did not burn his daughter,
00:23:51.13\00:23:53.90
some people misunderstand that.
00:23:53.93\00:23:55.30
He also gave his
daughter to the temple.
00:23:55.33\00:23:57.53
She would never marry
and have children after that.
00:23:57.57\00:24:01.90
Elisha, wealthy
son of these farmers.
00:24:01.94\00:24:05.47
They've got 12 teams of oxen
00:24:05.51\00:24:08.24
and he kisses his
mother and father goodbye,
00:24:08.28\00:24:11.55
decides to follow Elisha
00:24:11.58\00:24:13.05
and become the
apprentice of a poor prophet.
00:24:13.08\00:24:14.82
I mean, really, you
know, Elisha, you know,
00:24:14.85\00:24:18.15
he lives by a creek
and he's fed by birds
00:24:18.19\00:24:20.32
and lives in the
attic of a widow,
00:24:20.36\00:24:22.96
it wasn't a
very promising future
00:24:22.99\00:24:24.59
to be the
apprentice for a poor prophet.
00:24:24.63\00:24:27.03
Lives in a cave
out in the wilderness,
00:24:27.03\00:24:29.33
Elisha said,
00:24:29.36\00:24:30.57
"I'll leave
everything and follow you."
00:24:30.60\00:24:32.23
And, you know, that's why
00:24:32.27\00:24:33.50
when Elijah was
about to go to heaven,
00:24:33.54\00:24:35.77
he said,
"Anything I can do for you."
00:24:35.80\00:24:37.14
He said, "I
want a double portion
00:24:37.17\00:24:38.41
of your inheritance
00:24:38.44\00:24:40.31
which was the Holy Spirit."
00:24:40.34\00:24:43.08
And the firstborn
was supposed to get
00:24:43.11\00:24:44.51
a double portion
of the inheritance,
00:24:44.55\00:24:46.75
but he had faith and
he made that sacrifice.
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.62
Nehemiah leaves the
Persian palace to go
00:24:49.65\00:24:52.92
and try and build these
ruins in the Promised Land.
00:24:52.95\00:24:56.76
The Apostles, it tells
us about Peter, James, John,
00:24:56.79\00:25:00.96
Andrew and Matthew,
00:25:00.96\00:25:02.30
the others probably
made similar sacrifices.
00:25:02.33\00:25:05.83
Luke 5:11,
00:25:05.87\00:25:07.24
"So when they
brought their boats to land,
00:25:07.27\00:25:09.30
they forsook all
and followed him."
00:25:09.34\00:25:13.07
So what does it cost?
00:25:13.11\00:25:14.38
Most Christians
don't really understand
00:25:16.24\00:25:18.35
what it means to make
that kind of sacrifice.
00:25:18.38\00:25:20.98
You know, Jesus tells a story,
00:25:21.02\00:25:22.68
actually it's not a
story, it's a true event.
00:25:22.72\00:25:25.52
But He drew attention
to this widow, Mark 12.
00:25:25.55\00:25:30.76
I don't hear
anyone turning pages,
00:25:30.79\00:25:33.16
Mark 12:41.
00:25:33.19\00:25:35.93
You probably all have
digital Bibles, right?
00:25:35.96\00:25:37.80
You're looking on your phones.
You don't hear it anymore.
00:25:37.83\00:25:40.17
Used to be that, you know,
00:25:43.00\00:25:44.04
I give the verse
and all of a sudden
00:25:44.07\00:25:45.64
it would be a
flurry of air conditioning,
00:25:45.67\00:25:47.74
everybody turning the pages.
00:25:47.78\00:25:51.15
"Jesus sat
opposite the treasury,
00:25:51.18\00:25:53.72
and saw how people put
money in the treasury..."
00:25:53.75\00:25:56.79
He's watching it.
00:25:56.82\00:25:58.62
"And many who are rich..."
00:25:58.65\00:26:00.29
He's watching
human nature parade by.
00:26:00.32\00:26:02.86
"Many who were
rich put in much."
00:26:02.89\00:26:06.19
They blow the
trumpet, everyone gathered,
00:26:06.23\00:26:07.86
so and so was
making this donation,
00:26:07.93\00:26:09.76
they go and
then they all applaud
00:26:09.80\00:26:11.80
and go ooh and huh.
00:26:11.83\00:26:13.30
They dropped the coins in
one by one big gold coins,
00:26:13.34\00:26:15.64
big funk on the
bottom of the box.
00:26:15.67\00:26:18.21
Then one poor
widow, she was waiting
00:26:18.24\00:26:20.14
until the fanfare drifted away
00:26:20.18\00:26:21.74
and she quietly by herself
hoping nobody would notice.
00:26:21.78\00:26:25.35
She threw in two mites
which make a quadrants.
00:26:25.38\00:26:29.85
Now a mite just you know,
00:26:29.88\00:26:31.52
you got gold coins
and you got silver coins
00:26:31.55\00:26:33.99
and then you had bronze coins,
and they won't even copper it,
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.66
it was cheaper than
copper, it's bronze.
00:26:36.69\00:26:39.49
And it was a
little bitty bronze coin
00:26:39.53\00:26:41.63
and one Bible
commentator I read said,
00:26:41.66\00:26:44.30
"We have nothing in
our currency to explain it
00:26:44.33\00:26:46.97
because it was
about a third of a penny."
00:26:47.00\00:26:48.97
So she throws in
two-thirds of one penny,
00:26:50.71\00:26:54.04
but then Jesus said,
"It was everything she had."
00:26:54.08\00:26:57.21
You might be able to buy
a piece of a piece of bread
00:26:57.25\00:27:01.22
with that, or maybe more.
00:27:01.25\00:27:03.15
I don't know what
bread cost back then,
00:27:03.18\00:27:04.52
but it wasn't much.
00:27:04.55\00:27:05.79
And she, and Jesus
called His disciples to Himself,
00:27:07.82\00:27:11.89
He said, "Assuredly, I
say to you, this poor widow,
00:27:11.93\00:27:14.60
He nodded towards this widow
00:27:14.63\00:27:15.96
that just went through the line,
00:27:16.00\00:27:18.20
has put in more than
all of those, and yeah,
00:27:18.23\00:27:21.30
they can tell by the way
she's dressed, she's poor,
00:27:21.34\00:27:24.67
she may not only be a widow,
00:27:24.71\00:27:26.51
she may be a widow
with orphan children.
00:27:26.54\00:27:30.31
And it says,
00:27:30.35\00:27:32.01
"She put in more
than all of those
00:27:32.05\00:27:33.88
who've given to the treasury,
00:27:33.92\00:27:35.58
for they put in
of their abundance
00:27:35.62\00:27:38.59
but from her poverty
00:27:38.62\00:27:40.26
she put in her
whole livelihood."
00:27:40.29\00:27:43.76
In other words,
she gave everything.
00:27:43.79\00:27:46.23
Isn't it interesting?
00:27:46.26\00:27:47.50
I've observed it
seems like poor people,
00:27:47.50\00:27:50.60
it's more easy for
them to give everything.
00:27:50.63\00:27:53.97
Because they figure, well,
I'm so close to nothing anyway,
00:27:54.00\00:27:56.50
what difference will it make
00:27:56.54\00:27:59.27
if you give your
last two dollars.
00:27:59.31\00:28:02.41
It's sometimes is
interesting how those
00:28:02.44\00:28:04.95
who have the
least give the most.
00:28:04.98\00:28:06.98
They may not give
the most in numeric value
00:28:07.02\00:28:09.95
but they give the
most in percentage.
00:28:09.98\00:28:12.35
And Jesus was calling attention
to her, says yeah, you know,
00:28:14.12\00:28:18.03
on the scale you
might not think it's much
00:28:18.06\00:28:20.10
but she's giving 100%.
00:28:20.13\00:28:22.96
And so when the Lord
looks at what we give,
00:28:24.53\00:28:27.44
is it the amount
00:28:27.47\00:28:28.87
or is it the
percentage of the heart,
00:28:28.90\00:28:31.44
God's interested in?
00:28:31.47\00:28:34.04
You know, of course,
00:28:34.08\00:28:35.58
I can't miss this
opportunity to remind you all
00:28:35.61\00:28:37.71
that our church is in the
midst of a capital campaign.
00:28:37.75\00:28:40.75
I'd be shameful if I miss
this chance for commercial.
00:28:40.78\00:28:43.85
And what we're telling people,
00:28:46.39\00:28:47.69
we're not interested
in you making a pledge
00:28:47.72\00:28:49.96
or commitment based on a number
00:28:49.99\00:28:52.19
as though everybody
can give the same amount
00:28:52.23\00:28:54.30
because we can't.
00:28:54.30\00:28:55.66
But wouldn't it be wonderful
00:28:55.70\00:28:56.73
if everyone made
an equal sacrifice,
00:28:56.77\00:29:00.24
meaning if we give equally.
00:29:00.27\00:29:04.44
Everyone's going
to give differently
00:29:04.47\00:29:05.74
based on the
resources that we have,
00:29:05.77\00:29:07.34
but if we all
gave so we all felt it.
00:29:07.38\00:29:11.41
A lot of people give
00:29:11.45\00:29:12.68
and you'll drive
home in the same car
00:29:12.71\00:29:14.82
and you live
under the same roof,
00:29:14.85\00:29:15.98
and you know
everything will be the same.
00:29:16.02\00:29:18.79
A sacrifice means you give so
00:29:18.82\00:29:21.36
you actually
experience some difference.
00:29:21.39\00:29:25.96
There's a vacuum,
that's a sacrifice.
00:29:25.99\00:29:28.53
Everything else is
an offering or donation.
00:29:28.56\00:29:31.47
Sacrifice is different.
00:29:31.50\00:29:33.03
The widow gave 100%.
00:29:35.54\00:29:38.61
You know, I
thought about it before,
00:29:38.64\00:29:40.78
it's going to be interesting
for her in the judgment,
00:29:40.81\00:29:42.71
Jesus, you know,
He points to her,
00:29:42.74\00:29:44.08
she was hoping that she could
discreetly give her two cents
00:29:44.11\00:29:46.92
and then slip out of the temple.
00:29:46.95\00:29:48.78
And He says, "See that widow."
00:29:48.82\00:29:51.09
And she goes, "Oh, no,
no, I'm so embarrassed,
00:29:51.12\00:29:52.99
I had nothing to give, just..."
00:29:53.02\00:29:54.56
He said, "She gave
more than anybody."
00:29:54.59\00:29:56.79
Now in the resurrection
00:29:56.83\00:29:59.43
when things take
on their real value.
00:29:59.46\00:30:02.23
All of the Jews who went
through the temple that day
00:30:02.26\00:30:06.37
and blew the
trumpet, made their donations
00:30:06.40\00:30:08.10
and tried to get
a lot of attention.
00:30:08.14\00:30:09.97
Did they gave to be
seen of men and Jesus says,
00:30:10.01\00:30:13.27
that's all the
reward they're going to get.
00:30:13.31\00:30:15.11
All of their names have
drifted off into obscurity,
00:30:15.14\00:30:17.65
nobody knows who they are.
00:30:17.68\00:30:19.75
But when you get to heaven,
00:30:19.78\00:30:21.92
the two cents
that that widow gave
00:30:21.95\00:30:25.02
by her example has
inspired more giving,
00:30:25.05\00:30:29.26
I'm guessing billions
and billions of dollars
00:30:29.29\00:30:34.10
have come into the cause of God
00:30:34.13\00:30:36.83
because Jesus drew
attention to her two cents,
00:30:36.87\00:30:39.20
wasn't even two cents,
two thirds of one cent.
00:30:39.23\00:30:43.07
Won't that be something?
00:30:43.10\00:30:44.47
It's like I'm
telling the story today,
00:30:44.51\00:30:45.87
hopefully it inspires you,
00:30:45.91\00:30:47.48
it's been inspiring
people for 2,000 years
00:30:47.51\00:30:50.05
all over the world in
virtually every church.
00:30:50.08\00:30:53.65
Think about how
her gift multiplied,
00:30:53.68\00:30:56.22
and she probably went up
to the offering box that day
00:30:56.25\00:30:58.35
and thought,
00:30:58.39\00:30:59.42
I know this won't
make any difference.
00:30:59.45\00:31:02.79
What a difference it made.
00:31:02.82\00:31:04.73
You figure the whole
world has been changed
00:31:04.76\00:31:07.96
by that little
bitty gift that she gave.
00:31:08.00\00:31:10.30
So if you're
thinking, well, you know,
00:31:10.33\00:31:11.63
I'd like to give
but my little bit,
00:31:11.67\00:31:13.30
it won't make a big difference,
00:31:13.34\00:31:15.10
you have no idea what God
can do with your little gift
00:31:15.14\00:31:18.34
because she gave her all,
00:31:18.37\00:31:21.08
it's made a big difference.
00:31:21.11\00:31:23.75
Sacrifice as I mentioned
will cost you something.
00:31:23.78\00:31:27.32
You remember King Saul,
00:31:27.35\00:31:28.45
he came back from
attacking the Amalekites.
00:31:28.48\00:31:31.65
And he was
supposed to exterminate
00:31:31.69\00:31:33.19
all the animals there
but he kept some of them,
00:31:33.22\00:31:35.72
and so Samuel said to King Saul,
00:31:35.76\00:31:39.03
"I thought you were supposed
00:31:39.06\00:31:40.10
to exterminate all those animals
00:31:40.13\00:31:42.76
from the Amalekites, "
00:31:42.80\00:31:43.83
that was the order
that came from God.
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.50
He said, "Well, we kept
some to sacrifice to God."
00:31:45.53\00:31:48.57
That's kind of like you mugging
your neighbor sitting by you
00:31:48.60\00:31:51.07
and then making a
donation from their wallet,
00:31:51.11\00:31:53.68
that's your sacrifice.
00:31:53.71\00:31:56.51
He says, "Yeah, I
stole it from the Amalekite
00:31:56.54\00:31:58.08
so we can give it to God,
we'll get credit for that."
00:31:58.11\00:32:01.58
I've told you this
story probably more than once
00:32:01.62\00:32:03.45
that somebody sent
me some flowers once
00:32:03.49\00:32:05.95
while I was at the office,
00:32:05.99\00:32:07.66
and I walked into the
office is this big bouquet
00:32:07.69\00:32:10.03
and I read the card,
00:32:10.06\00:32:11.06
it's from actually a programmer
00:32:11.09\00:32:13.46
that was congratulating
us on a new program
00:32:13.50\00:32:17.17
that had gone on
the air on this station,
00:32:17.20\00:32:18.93
and so they sent all
these people flowers and,
00:32:18.97\00:32:21.84
and I looked at those
flowers and I thought well,
00:32:21.87\00:32:24.14
you know, that's nice
but what am I going to,
00:32:24.17\00:32:26.01
I thought, oh, I need to
get some mileage out of this.
00:32:26.04\00:32:29.51
So I brought it
home to Karen said,
00:32:29.54\00:32:30.78
"I brought you some flowers.
00:32:30.81\00:32:32.65
I didn't say
where they came from,
00:32:32.68\00:32:33.65
I did bring them from
the office to the house."
00:32:33.68\00:32:36.75
I had to finally confess
exactly where they came from.
00:32:36.79\00:32:39.82
But I was trying
to get flower credit.
00:32:39.85\00:32:43.06
Now what do you
think made more difference
00:32:43.09\00:32:45.46
to Karen for me to say
someone sent me a bouquet,
00:32:45.49\00:32:48.90
of course she was suspicious
about that right away.
00:32:48.93\00:32:51.20
Someone sent me a bouquet
and I brought you that bouquet
00:32:51.23\00:32:54.77
that someone else
was thinking of me,
00:32:54.80\00:32:56.54
but I brought it to
you 'cause I don't know
00:32:56.57\00:32:57.67
what else to do with it.
00:32:57.71\00:32:59.41
Whole bouquet or if
I actually take time
00:32:59.44\00:33:01.48
and bring one flower
where I thought about it.
00:33:01.51\00:33:04.75
See what I'm saying.
00:33:04.78\00:33:06.75
You get more credit I
think for the one flower
00:33:06.78\00:33:08.85
when you're
actually thinking about it
00:33:08.88\00:33:11.05
than bringing
someone else's bouquet
00:33:11.09\00:33:12.65
and transferring,
like a real sacrifice
00:33:12.69\00:33:15.06
is gonna cost you something.
00:33:15.09\00:33:17.23
King David there is this
plague going through Israel,
00:33:17.26\00:33:20.70
and David knew he needed
to make an offering to God
00:33:20.73\00:33:23.77
to intercede for his
people to stay the plague,
00:33:23.80\00:33:27.27
and he went to this man
00:33:27.30\00:33:28.44
that owned this
big threshing floor
00:33:28.47\00:33:29.84
name Araunah, the
big threshing floor
00:33:29.87\00:33:31.44
on top of Mount Moriah was right
00:33:31.47\00:33:32.94
where Abraham offered Isaac.
00:33:32.97\00:33:35.28
And the king said look,
00:33:35.31\00:33:36.81
I'd like to buy
this threshing floor,
00:33:36.85\00:33:39.85
big flat area and
make an offering to God.
00:33:39.88\00:33:42.05
This man had a
big heart, he said,
00:33:42.08\00:33:43.28
"You're the king,
I give it to you."
00:33:43.32\00:33:45.35
And king said, "No," he said,
"No, I want to give it you."
00:33:45.39\00:33:47.12
And David said,
"No, I am not going
00:33:47.16\00:33:48.52
to sacrifice to the Lord
something that doesn't cost me.
00:33:48.56\00:33:53.56
I will not sacrifice,
00:33:53.60\00:33:55.60
he said, surely I
will pay you the price
00:33:55.63\00:33:57.50
nor will I offer burnt offerings
00:33:57.53\00:33:59.07
to the Lord my God of
that which cost me nothing."
00:33:59.10\00:34:01.97
That is not a sacrifice.
00:34:02.00\00:34:04.24
If it cost you
nothing, there's no sacrifice.
00:34:04.27\00:34:07.34
A lot of us want
free Christianity,
00:34:07.38\00:34:10.38
we want a discount.
00:34:10.41\00:34:12.18
We want to get a good deal.
00:34:12.21\00:34:13.92
We want to get it on sale.
00:34:13.95\00:34:17.05
You're not going to
find Christianity discounted.
00:34:17.09\00:34:19.92
Amen.
00:34:19.95\00:34:21.19
Now having settled that,
00:34:23.43\00:34:24.93
it's making us
nervous some of you.
00:34:24.96\00:34:27.76
Biblical sacrifice is joyful.
00:34:27.76\00:34:31.37
I want to read a quote to you
from the book Steps to Christ,
00:34:31.40\00:34:33.47
page 46.
00:34:33.50\00:34:35.20
"What do we give
up, when we give up all?
00:34:35.24\00:34:37.67
A sin-polluted
heart, for Jesus to purify,
00:34:37.71\00:34:40.04
to cleanse by His own blood,
00:34:40.08\00:34:41.81
and to save by
His matchless love.
00:34:41.84\00:34:43.71
And yet men think
it hard to give up all!
00:34:43.75\00:34:45.81
I am ashamed to hear it spoken
of, I'm ashamed to write it."
00:34:45.85\00:34:49.05
Hebrews 12:1-2, it says,
00:34:49.08\00:34:52.09
"And let us run
with endurance the race
00:34:52.12\00:34:54.29
that is set before
us, looking into Jesus,
00:34:54.32\00:34:56.69
the author and
finisher of our faith,
00:34:56.73\00:34:59.19
who for the joy
that was set before Him,
00:34:59.23\00:35:02.23
nobody made a bigger
sacrifice than Jesus,
00:35:02.26\00:35:04.20
but was it a sad sacrifice?
00:35:04.23\00:35:06.53
Why did Jesus do it?
00:35:06.57\00:35:08.20
He was looking at the joy
00:35:08.24\00:35:10.21
beyond the
sacrifice that would come.
00:35:10.24\00:35:13.14
What is sacrifice?
00:35:13.17\00:35:14.44
Where you forfeit something
for something worth more.
00:35:14.48\00:35:18.18
Jesus was looking
at you being redeemed
00:35:18.21\00:35:20.62
and He thought
that's worth more,
00:35:20.65\00:35:22.48
it's worth my suffering.
00:35:22.52\00:35:24.35
"For the joy that
was set before him,
00:35:24.39\00:35:26.45
he endured the
cross despising the shame
00:35:26.49\00:35:29.92
and he has sat down now
00:35:29.96\00:35:31.36
at the right hand
of the throne of God."
00:35:31.39\00:35:34.00
David Livingstone
00:35:34.03\00:35:35.06
when he spent
the years in Africa,
00:35:35.10\00:35:36.70
and he endured
all kinds of hardship,
00:35:36.73\00:35:37.93
and he had malaria
and hunger and exposure,
00:35:37.97\00:35:40.94
and threatened he
was attacked by lions
00:35:40.97\00:35:43.04
and natives and
all kinds of problems.
00:35:43.07\00:35:45.44
Listen to what Livingstone said,
00:35:45.47\00:35:48.34
"People talk of the
sacrifice that I have made
00:35:48.38\00:35:50.75
and spending so much
of my life in Africa,
00:35:50.78\00:35:52.98
can it be called a sacrifice
00:35:53.01\00:35:54.88
which is simply
paying back a small part
00:35:54.92\00:35:57.55
of the great
debt owing to our God
00:35:57.59\00:36:00.26
which we can never repay.
00:36:00.29\00:36:02.22
Is it a sacrifice which brings
00:36:02.26\00:36:03.89
its own blessed
rewards and healthy activity,
00:36:03.93\00:36:06.49
the consciousness of doing good,
00:36:06.53\00:36:08.76
the peace of mind of bright hope
00:36:08.80\00:36:11.00
of glorious
destiny in the future.
00:36:11.03\00:36:13.30
Away with such a
word and such a view
00:36:13.34\00:36:15.67
with such a thought,
00:36:15.70\00:36:16.94
it is emphatically no sacrifice
say rather it is a privilege.
00:36:16.97\00:36:21.14
I never made a sacrifice.
00:36:21.18\00:36:22.71
We ought not talk of sacrifice
00:36:22.74\00:36:24.51
when we remember
the great sacrifice
00:36:24.55\00:36:26.78
that he made who left
his father's throne on high
00:36:26.82\00:36:30.32
to give Himself for us.
00:36:30.35\00:36:32.42
He had a good attitude.
00:36:32.45\00:36:34.42
He actually wanted to go
to China but China closed,
00:36:34.46\00:36:36.86
he ended up going to Africa.
00:36:36.89\00:36:38.33
He just wanted to
go to serve the Lord.
00:36:38.36\00:36:41.16
I just thought I'd throw
this in, it's interesting.
00:36:41.20\00:36:43.63
An English Mission Society
wrote to Livingstone one time
00:36:43.67\00:36:47.10
when he was in Africa
00:36:47.14\00:36:48.67
and he is now in
the center of Africa
00:36:48.70\00:36:50.61
and just a very
difficult part, they said,
00:36:50.64\00:36:52.51
"Have you found a
good road to where you are,
00:36:52.54\00:36:54.78
if so, we'd like to
send some men to join you?
00:36:54.81\00:36:57.85
Livingstone
wrote him back he said,
00:36:57.88\00:36:59.65
"If they will only
come if there's a good road,
00:36:59.68\00:37:02.12
don't send them."
00:37:02.15\00:37:03.85
He did make a sacrifice.
00:37:07.52\00:37:10.23
"Christians are often
accused of being morbid
00:37:10.26\00:37:12.83
when they talk of
the joy of sacrificing.
00:37:12.86\00:37:14.96
I think it is one
of the deepest truths
00:37:15.00\00:37:16.70
of the Christian religion
00:37:16.73\00:37:17.87
far from being
the source of sadness.
00:37:17.90\00:37:20.17
Sacrifice is the greatest joy
and the source of illumination,
00:37:20.20\00:37:24.31
perhaps the
greatest of all joys."
00:37:24.34\00:37:26.74
That's from anonymous,
I quote a lot from him.
00:37:26.78\00:37:31.01
You know, an example
of this would be Jacob.
00:37:31.05\00:37:34.45
Do you remember how, how
much did Jacob have to work
00:37:34.48\00:37:37.09
for his wife?
00:37:37.12\00:37:38.72
Seven years hard work,
00:37:38.75\00:37:41.42
you read of Jacob
describing the work
00:37:41.46\00:37:43.16
that he did up all
night, fighting all thieves,
00:37:43.19\00:37:46.59
exposed to the
cold, exposed to the heat,
00:37:46.63\00:37:49.60
but he had to work
seven years for Rachel.
00:37:49.63\00:37:52.27
Listen, it says
in Genesis 29:20.
00:37:52.30\00:37:54.60
"So Jacob served
seven years for Rachel,
00:37:54.64\00:37:56.71
they seemed only
a few days to him
00:37:56.74\00:37:59.51
because of the
love he had for her."
00:37:59.54\00:38:03.08
When you love somebody,
00:38:03.11\00:38:05.58
it didn't seem like a sacrifice.
00:38:05.61\00:38:07.52
Sometimes we give
God a lame sacrifice.
00:38:11.12\00:38:15.89
Ephesians 5:1-2,
00:38:15.92\00:38:18.19
"Therefore be imitators of God,
00:38:18.23\00:38:20.03
dear children, and walk in love,
00:38:20.06\00:38:22.16
as Christ has also loved
us and given Himself for us."
00:38:22.20\00:38:25.73
We want to give
Him the best sacrifice.
00:38:25.77\00:38:27.97
Malachi says in 1:8,
00:38:28.00\00:38:30.74
"And when you offer to the
Lord the blind as a sacrifice."
00:38:30.77\00:38:34.71
You're supposed to
give the best of your sheep
00:38:34.74\00:38:37.31
and sometimes, well,
it's time to offer sacrifice,
00:38:37.35\00:38:39.65
I got the old
mangy sheep, I can give.
00:38:39.68\00:38:41.85
There's the blind one,
I may as well sacrifice,
00:38:41.88\00:38:43.82
he's already blind.
00:38:43.85\00:38:45.32
That one, he is kind of
gimpy, he's got one bad leg.
00:38:45.35\00:38:47.72
He got run over by a truck.
00:38:47.76\00:38:49.32
I'll sacrifice that one.
00:38:49.36\00:38:51.69
And he says, they bring
these to the Lord and he said,
00:38:51.73\00:38:55.63
"Well, if you are going to give
a donation to your governor,
00:38:55.66\00:38:59.73
you don't bring a lame, said,
00:38:59.77\00:39:01.47
you wouldn't offer
it to your governor,
00:39:01.50\00:39:04.41
you wanted to
offer it to a king.
00:39:04.44\00:39:06.81
Do you offer the leftovers
to the Lord or your best?
00:39:06.84\00:39:11.01
Oswald Chambers said,
00:39:11.05\00:39:12.55
"Our notion of
sacrifice is though
00:39:12.58\00:39:14.45
it's the wringing out of us
00:39:14.48\00:39:16.02
something we
don't want to give up,
00:39:16.05\00:39:18.15
full of pain and
agony and distress.
00:39:18.19\00:39:20.72
The Bible idea of sacrifice
00:39:20.76\00:39:22.56
is that I give as a love gift
the very best thing I have."
00:39:22.59\00:39:27.76
So why am I dwelling
on this about sacrifice?
00:39:27.76\00:39:30.83
Why am I talking about this?
00:39:30.87\00:39:32.80
Because when I read
these stories in the Bible
00:39:32.83\00:39:35.00
and I think about
sacrifice, I say Lord,
00:39:35.04\00:39:37.91
"It'd be so easy to give
100% if I love the 100%."
00:39:37.94\00:39:42.61
So if we're
struggling to sacrifice
00:39:42.64\00:39:44.81
and give the way God
wants us to give of our lives,
00:39:44.85\00:39:47.88
of our time, of our means,
of our service, whatever it is.
00:39:47.92\00:39:51.72
If sacrifice is a struggle,
00:39:51.75\00:39:54.26
is it that we
just got to try harder,
00:39:54.29\00:39:55.86
is it that we got to love more.
00:39:55.89\00:39:58.66
The more you
love, the easier it is.
00:39:58.69\00:40:02.36
Is it hard for a
mother to care for her baby
00:40:02.40\00:40:05.43
that keeps him up all night?
00:40:05.47\00:40:06.50
Well, maybe sometimes.
00:40:06.53\00:40:08.90
But they do it, why?
00:40:08.94\00:40:11.87
The more you
love, the easier it is.
00:40:11.91\00:40:15.24
And that's also true
in the Christian economy,
00:40:15.28\00:40:18.61
while I'm
talking about parenting.
00:40:18.65\00:40:20.68
Sometimes we have to
sacrifice convenience.
00:40:22.58\00:40:25.79
And I was reading
about the emperor penguin.
00:40:25.82\00:40:27.96
You've probably seen these.
00:40:27.99\00:40:29.66
I've probably
watched the program
00:40:29.69\00:40:31.46
on penguins a 100 time
with David Attenborough on it.
00:40:31.49\00:40:34.10
But I always feel very
sorry for the photographers
00:40:34.10\00:40:38.47
that had to spend part
of winter in the Antarctic
00:40:38.50\00:40:43.47
to get the footage.
00:40:43.51\00:40:45.81
In virtual dark
they had to watch
00:40:45.84\00:40:48.41
this group of male
penguins, emperor penguins
00:40:48.44\00:40:52.95
huddle in the
cold for three months,
00:40:52.98\00:40:56.42
balancing a big
egg on their feet.
00:40:56.45\00:41:00.69
How many of you
would sign up for fathering
00:41:00.72\00:41:02.66
if you knew that was involved?
00:41:02.69\00:41:04.19
You don't get to
eat for three months.
00:41:06.73\00:41:11.07
Because you got
this egg on your foot.
00:41:11.10\00:41:12.90
What makes them do it?
00:41:14.44\00:41:16.97
God's wired them to
love their offspring,
00:41:17.01\00:41:20.41
and it's so unusual
because in the animal world
00:41:20.44\00:41:22.18
sometimes a father, he just,
00:41:22.21\00:41:23.41
you know,
procreate and he leaves.
00:41:23.45\00:41:25.35
Happens in our
world too, doesn't it?
00:41:25.38\00:41:28.05
But with the male penguin,
00:41:28.08\00:41:30.79
he takes care
of it and feeds it.
00:41:30.82\00:41:34.26
And finally the
mother comes back
00:41:34.29\00:41:35.49
and takes over
and he goes to eat.
00:41:35.52\00:41:37.53
But listen to what Paul says
00:41:37.56\00:41:40.50
about this
sacrifice of Christianity.
00:41:40.53\00:41:43.73
2 Corinthians 6:3,
00:41:43.77\00:41:46.43
"We give no offense in anything
00:41:46.47\00:41:47.94
that our
ministry may not be blamed
00:41:47.97\00:41:49.77
but in all things
00:41:49.80\00:41:51.44
we commend
ourselves as ministers of God.
00:41:51.47\00:41:53.44
This is not just
ministers but all people,
00:41:53.48\00:41:55.81
in much
patience, in tribulations,
00:41:55.84\00:41:58.85
in needs, in
distresses, in stripes,
00:41:58.88\00:42:02.48
in imprisonments, in tumults,
Paul experienced all this,
00:42:02.52\00:42:06.72
in labors, in sleeplessness,
in fastings, by purity,
00:42:06.76\00:42:11.26
by knowledge, by
longsuffering, by kindness..."
00:42:11.29\00:42:13.63
He starts out with the troubles
00:42:13.66\00:42:14.83
and he talks about
the blessings, the beauty.
00:42:14.86\00:42:17.10
By purity, by knowledge,
by longsuffering, by kindness,
00:42:17.13\00:42:20.90
by the Holy
Spirit, by sincere love,
00:42:20.94\00:42:24.07
by the word of
truth, by the power of God,
00:42:24.11\00:42:26.24
by the armor of righteousness
00:42:26.27\00:42:27.84
on the right
hand and on the left,
00:42:27.88\00:42:29.71
by honor and dishonor, by
evil report and good report.
00:42:29.74\00:42:33.25
As deceivers, and yet true,
as unknown and yet well-known,
00:42:33.28\00:42:37.32
as dying and yet behold we live,
00:42:37.35\00:42:39.55
as chastened,
and yet not killed,
00:42:39.59\00:42:41.36
as sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing,
00:42:41.39\00:42:43.76
as poor, yet making many rich,
00:42:43.79\00:42:46.03
as having nothing, and
yet possessing all things."
00:42:46.06\00:42:48.70
This is a brilliant passage,
I don't know if you caught it.
00:42:48.73\00:42:50.97
He starts by talking
about the sufferings,
00:42:51.00\00:42:53.70
then he talks about the joys
00:42:53.74\00:42:55.67
and then he
balances the sufferings
00:42:55.70\00:42:58.07
with the joys in the last third.
00:42:58.11\00:43:00.81
Yeah, there's bad days
but there's better days.
00:43:00.84\00:43:04.61
There's dying but we live.
00:43:04.65\00:43:07.05
You're poor, but you're rich.
00:43:07.08\00:43:08.72
You have nothing, but
you possess all things.
00:43:08.75\00:43:12.22
And so really,
00:43:12.25\00:43:13.42
biblical sacrifice is beautiful.
00:43:13.46\00:43:16.83
You know, it's
always easy to sacrifice
00:43:16.86\00:43:21.40
when you think about,
00:43:21.43\00:43:23.37
sacrificing
something someone else has.
00:43:23.40\00:43:26.74
That's what socialism does.
00:43:26.77\00:43:29.87
It's really
easy to devote for me
00:43:29.90\00:43:32.11
to ask you to give
away what you have.
00:43:32.14\00:43:34.98
It's like the
story of the pastor
00:43:35.01\00:43:37.58
came to visit the farmer.
00:43:37.61\00:43:39.95
Pastor was talking
about them having the dinner
00:43:39.98\00:43:42.12
to feed the poor.
00:43:42.15\00:43:43.62
Well, it just so happened
that outside the window the pig
00:43:43.65\00:43:45.89
and a chicken were listening.
00:43:45.92\00:43:48.02
The chicken was
so moved, he said,
00:43:48.06\00:43:49.49
"You know, we
ought to do something
00:43:49.52\00:43:50.59
to feed the poor."
00:43:50.63\00:43:51.89
The pigs said, "What
do you have in mind?"
00:43:51.93\00:43:53.73
Said, "Why don't
we do bacon and eggs?"
00:43:53.76\00:43:56.70
And the pig protested,
he said, "Well, for you,
00:43:56.73\00:43:58.87
it's a donation, for
me it's total commitment."
00:43:58.90\00:44:01.74
You've heard that
before, haven't you?
00:44:04.44\00:44:06.14
But in the Christian life
if you're going to get it,
00:44:08.31\00:44:10.21
you got to give it away.
00:44:10.25\00:44:12.11
The man was
hiking across Nevada.
00:44:12.15\00:44:16.75
And he got a very thirsty
00:44:16.79\00:44:18.89
and he came to one
of these ghost towns
00:44:18.92\00:44:20.89
where there was
an abandoned ranch
00:44:20.92\00:44:22.39
and other hikers have been there
00:44:22.42\00:44:23.63
because there was a pump
in the middle of the town.
00:44:23.66\00:44:26.76
And there by the
pump was a bottle
00:44:26.80\00:44:29.56
with one gallon of
water in it and a cap on top.
00:44:29.60\00:44:32.67
He felt, oh, good bottle water,
00:44:32.70\00:44:35.34
but on the bottle
was a sign it says,
00:44:35.37\00:44:37.07
"Do not drink this water."
00:44:37.11\00:44:39.67
Said, "If you're thirsty
pour this water down the well,
00:44:39.71\00:44:43.78
it will prime the pump
00:44:43.81\00:44:45.01
and you'll have all
the water you want."
00:44:45.05\00:44:48.88
It says, trust me, it works.
00:44:48.92\00:44:52.39
And the idea is
you've got to give it away
00:44:52.42\00:44:54.09
if you want to get it,
00:44:54.12\00:44:55.12
so it must have
been hard he said,
00:44:55.16\00:44:56.39
I've got a gallon of water,
00:44:56.42\00:44:58.46
though I keep my
gallon and drink it,
00:44:58.49\00:45:01.10
I'll be satisfied now
00:45:01.13\00:45:02.76
but the next
person will have nothing.
00:45:02.80\00:45:05.30
Or do I pour it out
so I'll have all I need,
00:45:05.33\00:45:07.70
sacrifice it,
00:45:07.74\00:45:08.80
you'll get more than you need
00:45:08.84\00:45:10.74
and you'll be
able to fill the jar
00:45:10.77\00:45:12.04
for the next
person on the trail.
00:45:12.07\00:45:13.84
So you want to
know how the story ends,
00:45:16.24\00:45:18.48
that's up to you.
00:45:18.51\00:45:20.32
So it's an illustration.
00:45:20.35\00:45:21.82
You go through this life,
you can either live selfishly
00:45:23.45\00:45:27.29
and try and take
it all for yourself
00:45:27.32\00:45:28.66
or learn to
follow Christ and say,
00:45:28.69\00:45:30.76
all that I am and all
that I have is Yours, Lord.
00:45:30.79\00:45:33.53
And like I said,
00:45:33.56\00:45:34.56
it's not optional
for the Christian.
00:45:34.60\00:45:37.43
I remember reading about a
Chinese Christian years ago,
00:45:37.47\00:45:40.34
his name was Lo Fook.
00:45:40.37\00:45:43.20
Always reminded me
because it sounds like forsook.
00:45:43.24\00:45:46.78
And he was a
barber's apprentice in China.
00:45:46.81\00:45:51.05
Discovered the
truth about Jesus,
00:45:51.08\00:45:53.18
fell in love with Jesus,
00:45:53.21\00:45:54.98
and he served
Jesus in his community
00:45:55.02\00:45:57.05
as well as he could,
00:45:57.09\00:45:58.65
became rather prosperous,
00:45:58.69\00:46:00.92
but his heart was going
out to so many of the poor,
00:46:00.96\00:46:03.53
he had heard about
many of the poor Chinese
00:46:03.56\00:46:06.73
that were working in
the mines in British Guiana
00:46:06.76\00:46:10.33
when they were working
in the sugar plantations
00:46:10.37\00:46:13.07
and they had no one
to preach Christ to them.
00:46:13.10\00:46:15.77
And he offered to go
preach Christ to them,
00:46:15.80\00:46:17.54
but there was no
ship that would take him.
00:46:17.57\00:46:19.27
He said, what if I sell myself
as these other Chinese have.
00:46:19.31\00:46:23.04
You had to sign a
seven year contract
00:46:23.08\00:46:24.55
to work as a slave.
00:46:24.58\00:46:26.51
So he sold himself as
a slave for seven years,
00:46:26.55\00:46:29.32
so he could go
preach to the other Chinese
00:46:29.35\00:46:32.22
and every day he
ended up in the goldfields,
00:46:32.25\00:46:34.62
they don't have gold mines there
00:46:34.66\00:46:35.89
because they are
mining the rivers.
00:46:35.92\00:46:37.23
He was in the goldfields
00:46:37.26\00:46:39.03
and he was
preaching to the other Chinese
00:46:39.06\00:46:40.66
and leading them
to Christ one by one.
00:46:40.70\00:46:43.26
And he ultimately
before his seven years were up,
00:46:43.30\00:46:46.30
after five years he died,
00:46:46.33\00:46:48.10
but he raised a
church of nearly 200 people.
00:46:48.14\00:46:52.27
That someone who actually
follow the teaching of Christ,
00:46:52.31\00:46:56.44
where it says that he gave
all things that other people,
00:46:56.48\00:47:02.08
he made himself a slave,
00:47:02.12\00:47:04.29
took upon the form of a slave
that he might reach others.
00:47:04.32\00:47:08.52
"By this we know love,
00:47:08.56\00:47:10.66
'cause he laid
down his life for us,
00:47:10.69\00:47:13.03
and we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren."
00:47:13.06\00:47:16.93
This is what sacrifice means,
and this is a beautiful thing.
00:47:16.97\00:47:20.20
Christianity, it's not like
sacrificing a baseball game.
00:47:20.24\00:47:24.51
Or you're giving up a run,
trying to get another base.
00:47:24.54\00:47:27.58
It's talking about
00:47:27.61\00:47:28.64
where the rubber meets the road.
00:47:28.68\00:47:30.68
It's not talking
about a donation.
00:47:30.71\00:47:32.78
It's talking about a heart.
00:47:32.81\00:47:35.15
We give our hearts to Him.
00:47:35.18\00:47:37.25
And when the
Lord has our hearts,
00:47:37.29\00:47:38.69
He has everything else.
00:47:38.72\00:47:40.02
He'll have your
service, He'll have your time.
00:47:40.06\00:47:42.72
But what will move us to make
00:47:42.76\00:47:46.06
that kind of
sacrifice to give all?
00:47:46.09\00:47:49.50
It's got to be, we love
Him because He first loved us.
00:47:49.53\00:47:54.24
When you see Jesus
dying on that cross
00:47:54.27\00:47:57.67
where you belong
00:47:57.71\00:47:58.74
because He loved you,
it should touch our hearts.
00:47:58.77\00:48:01.58
If it doesn't, pray
God to warm your heart.
00:48:01.61\00:48:04.15
Pray God to move your
heart with the spirit.
00:48:04.18\00:48:06.01
You know, sometimes
I worry about people
00:48:06.05\00:48:07.48
who grow up in the church
00:48:07.52\00:48:08.55
and they hear about
the cross all their lives
00:48:08.58\00:48:10.72
and they never really understand
00:48:10.75\00:48:11.89
what that means.
00:48:11.92\00:48:14.06
And little more than a year
ago I went to the Philippines,
00:48:14.09\00:48:18.43
we were doing some
evangelistic meetings,
00:48:18.46\00:48:20.03
just so happens it was
April, it was over Easter.
00:48:20.06\00:48:24.30
And you know, there's a
town is San Fernando I think,
00:48:24.33\00:48:29.77
where they actually
re-enact crucifixions,
00:48:29.80\00:48:32.24
they don't act though.
00:48:32.27\00:48:34.51
People volunteer
themselves to be crucified
00:48:34.54\00:48:39.41
and everybody
gathers around to watch this.
00:48:39.45\00:48:42.12
I took Nathan with
me, I kind of have,
00:48:42.15\00:48:44.05
didn't know
whether I should or not,
00:48:44.09\00:48:45.29
he was adult but
it's very troubling,
00:48:45.32\00:48:49.46
these people are
trying to show God honor
00:48:49.49\00:48:53.53
and with people watching there
must have been all half a dozen
00:48:53.56\00:48:57.83
that actually went
through crucifixion
00:48:57.87\00:48:59.47
where they had,
you know, the guards,
00:48:59.50\00:49:01.14
you know, they got
stainless steel nails in there,
00:49:01.17\00:49:03.17
they got a first aid but
they nailed them to cross,
00:49:03.20\00:49:05.64
they hoist them up,
they put microphones on them
00:49:05.67\00:49:07.44
so you can hear
them cry when they do it.
00:49:07.48\00:49:09.38
We had our media team there,
we thought it would be footage
00:49:09.41\00:49:11.41
we could use in our
Amazing Facts program
00:49:11.45\00:49:13.38
and we did use
actually some of it.
00:49:13.42\00:49:15.55
But you know, I'd
heard about crucifixion
00:49:15.58\00:49:18.99
and you read about it
and I preached about it
00:49:19.02\00:49:20.92
but you see,
00:49:20.96\00:49:22.96
you see that and this was
00:49:22.99\00:49:24.49
all very sanitized
form of a crucifixion.
00:49:24.53\00:49:27.83
And that Jesus would
offer to do that to save me
00:49:27.86\00:49:30.83
and not just, then they take
these guys down from the cross
00:49:30.87\00:49:32.90
and they give them first aid.
00:49:32.93\00:49:34.07
Jesus, He didn't
come down, He died.
00:49:34.10\00:49:37.51
And to be willing to do that
because He loves you so much,
00:49:37.54\00:49:41.34
it ought to stir you.
00:49:41.38\00:49:43.21
You know, the Holy Spirit ought
to touch our hearts and say,
00:49:43.24\00:49:45.01
Lord, I am willing
to give my life for you
00:49:45.05\00:49:48.38
because You're God, so
You own because You created me
00:49:48.42\00:49:51.52
and You're my savior, You own me
00:49:51.55\00:49:52.82
because You brought me back.
00:49:52.85\00:49:55.02
And I am willing to
sacrifice for You my life.
00:49:55.06\00:50:00.06
Is that your desire?
00:50:00.10\00:50:01.63
We're here in Ponce,
Puerto Rico in Iguana Park,
00:50:11.71\00:50:15.01
surrounded by big
lizards or small dinosaurs,
00:50:15.04\00:50:18.55
depends on how you look at it.
00:50:18.58\00:50:20.28
These magnificent creatures
are found mostly in Mexico,
00:50:20.32\00:50:23.02
Central America,
and South America,
00:50:23.05\00:50:24.95
and the Caribbean Islands.
00:50:24.99\00:50:26.69
Here's a few
amazing facts about Iguanas.
00:50:26.72\00:50:29.09
Iguanas come in a
great spectrum of colors.
00:50:29.12\00:50:31.83
They can be brown, green, blue,
00:50:31.86\00:50:35.70
and their skin will
often work as camouflage,
00:50:35.73\00:50:37.67
allowing them to
hide in the jungle.
00:50:37.70\00:50:40.30
They're social creatures
who like to eat together.
00:50:40.34\00:50:42.64
And what's really interesting,
even though they look fierce,
00:50:42.67\00:50:45.51
iguanas are vegan vegetarians.
00:50:45.54\00:50:48.71
They're regarded as popular pets
00:50:48.74\00:50:50.38
though if they're not cared for,
00:50:50.41\00:50:51.91
they can
actually just stop eating
00:50:51.95\00:50:53.15
and wilt themselves to die.
00:50:53.18\00:50:55.12
Typically iguanas just lay eggs
00:50:55.15\00:50:57.15
and they
abandon their offspring.
00:50:57.19\00:50:58.75
So those little iguanas
have to fend for themselves
00:50:58.79\00:51:01.39
from the time they're born.
00:51:01.42\00:51:03.76
If they're attacked,
00:51:03.79\00:51:04.93
they will fight with their tail,
00:51:04.96\00:51:06.09
either punching or
whipping their opponent.
00:51:06.13\00:51:08.60
It's interesting to
see a dog running for mercy
00:51:08.63\00:51:11.07
after being
whipped by an iguana.
00:51:11.10\00:51:12.70
Also to ensure a fast escape,
00:51:15.34\00:51:17.44
they can detach their tail
and later grow another one.
00:51:17.47\00:51:20.94
Iguanas generally
like to live around water,
00:51:20.98\00:51:23.48
and they can swim away
escaping from predators.
00:51:23.51\00:51:26.41
Green iguanas in particular
are excellent swimmers.
00:51:26.45\00:51:29.52
They have the
ability to inflate themselves
00:51:29.55\00:51:31.85
and swim incredible distances.
00:51:31.89\00:51:34.59
This is one way
they've been able to populate
00:51:34.62\00:51:36.42
the different
islands of the Caribbean.
00:51:36.46\00:51:38.86
What's incredible is
these creatures have lungs
00:51:38.89\00:51:41.83
where there are
able to hold their breath
00:51:41.86\00:51:43.47
for up to 28 minutes,
00:51:43.50\00:51:45.43
putting even a
crocodile to shame.
00:51:45.47\00:51:47.24
They also know how to compensate
00:51:49.04\00:51:50.57
for when things get hot or cold.
00:51:50.61\00:51:52.61
They can regulate
their body temperature
00:51:52.64\00:51:54.51
using the loose flaps of skin
00:51:54.54\00:51:56.48
they have under their
throats and under their legs.
00:51:56.51\00:51:59.81
You might even
say an iguana has ESP
00:51:59.85\00:52:02.65
because God made them
with sort of a third eye
00:52:02.68\00:52:04.75
on top of their head.
00:52:04.79\00:52:06.05
They can't really see with
it, but it's a photo receptor
00:52:06.09\00:52:09.16
that helps them to regulate
their bodies circadian rhythms.
00:52:09.19\00:52:12.89
You know, in the same
way that God made iguanas
00:52:12.93\00:52:15.13
where they're some of
the toughest creatures
00:52:15.16\00:52:17.03
in God's natural kingdom.
00:52:17.07\00:52:18.87
Christians need to
learn to be resilient
00:52:18.90\00:52:20.74
in the spiritual realm.
00:52:20.77\00:52:21.94
Through God's grace
00:52:21.97\00:52:23.00
we can learn to
be great survivors.
00:52:23.04\00:52:25.47
Paul says, in 2
Corinthians 4:8-9,
00:52:25.51\00:52:28.84
"We are hard pressed on
every side, yet not crushed.
00:52:28.88\00:52:32.05
We are perplexed,
but not in despair,
00:52:32.08\00:52:34.55
persecuted but not forsaken,
struck down but not destroyed."
00:52:34.58\00:52:39.92
I think, friends, we all know
sometimes life can be tough.
00:52:39.95\00:52:43.16
We feel like we're being
beaten pressed on every side.
00:52:43.19\00:52:46.36
Sometimes it's health
problems, relationship problems,
00:52:46.39\00:52:49.96
financial reverses.
00:52:50.00\00:52:51.63
But in the same way God
made the iguana resilient,
00:52:51.67\00:52:54.74
God can help you to bounce back.
00:52:54.77\00:52:56.94
Jesus said that
"Through His help
00:52:56.97\00:52:58.41
we can be overcomers
and we are able to endure."
00:52:58.44\00:53:01.81
If you turn to Him and ask
Him for His help and His spirit,
00:53:01.84\00:53:04.55
He will recreate you
00:53:04.58\00:53:06.08
and make you even
tougher than an iguana.
00:53:06.11\00:53:08.08
Why don't like to ask him now?
00:53:08.12\00:53:09.75
You probably heard
the expression before,
00:53:23.20\00:53:25.10
if you don't like
the weather in Texas,
00:53:25.13\00:53:27.14
just wait it'll change.
00:53:27.17\00:53:29.04
And you've also heard
everything is bigger in Texas,
00:53:29.07\00:53:31.64
the ranches, the belt
buckles, the cowboy hats,
00:53:31.67\00:53:35.41
but the most famous slogan
00:53:35.44\00:53:36.85
about Texas is
remember the Alamo.
00:53:36.88\00:53:40.18
The violent battles and
bravery of iconic heroes
00:53:43.75\00:53:46.62
have been the stuff of legends
00:53:46.65\00:53:47.96
throughout which entire cultures
00:53:47.99\00:53:49.62
often draw on
their identity and pride,
00:53:49.66\00:53:51.69
even long after
centuries have past.
00:53:51.73\00:53:54.10
And in Texas, the
story of the Alamo
00:53:54.13\00:53:56.36
has been a rallying
cry of Texas independence
00:53:56.40\00:53:59.03
for 200 years.
00:53:59.07\00:54:00.97
One reason the
Texans love to brag
00:54:01.00\00:54:02.87
that everything is
bigger in Texas is of course
00:54:02.90\00:54:05.41
because Texas is the largest
of the lower 48 US states.
00:54:05.44\00:54:09.74
It's hard to believe
that this massive state
00:54:09.78\00:54:12.08
got its beginning in a
very small Christian mission
00:54:12.11\00:54:15.52
during the battle of the Alamo.
00:54:15.55\00:54:17.92
Every year this
famous mission museum
00:54:17.95\00:54:20.22
receives over two and
a half million visitors
00:54:20.26\00:54:22.79
from all parts of the planet
00:54:22.82\00:54:24.23
that are eager
to get a good look
00:54:24.26\00:54:25.99
at this legendary site.
00:54:26.03\00:54:28.00
The Alamo played a critical role
00:54:28.03\00:54:29.90
in the Texas Revolution.
00:54:29.93\00:54:31.87
In December 1835,
00:54:31.90\00:54:33.87
Texans and Tejanos volunteers
00:54:33.90\00:54:35.77
battled Mexican
troops quartered in the city
00:54:35.80\00:54:38.31
forcing General Martin
Perfecto de Cos to surrender.
00:54:38.34\00:54:41.38
The victorious volunteers
then occupied the Alamo
00:54:41.41\00:54:44.38
and strengthened its defenses.
00:54:44.41\00:54:47.32
Famous Americans
like Davy Crockett,
00:54:47.35\00:54:49.28
Jim Bowie and
Colonel William Travis
00:54:49.32\00:54:51.22
made this location,
00:54:51.25\00:54:52.49
this ancient
mission the beachhead,
00:54:52.52\00:54:54.86
the last stand in an epic battle
00:54:54.89\00:54:57.39
to win independence
of Texas from Mexico.
00:54:57.43\00:55:00.93
On February 23, 1836,
00:55:00.96\00:55:03.93
the arrival of General
Antonio Lopez Santa Ana
00:55:03.97\00:55:07.17
nearly caught them by surprise.
00:55:07.20\00:55:09.07
Undaunted the Texans and Tejanos
00:55:09.10\00:55:11.44
prepared to defend the Alamo.
00:55:11.47\00:55:13.31
For this small
ragtag group of rebels,
00:55:13.34\00:55:15.64
the youngest of who was about 16
00:55:15.68\00:55:17.28
and the oldest 75 was
against the well trained
00:55:17.31\00:55:20.42
and organized Mexican
army of 6,000 plus soldiers.
00:55:20.45\00:55:24.29
It was a fierce
and lopsided battle,
00:55:24.32\00:55:26.59
yet the small force of rebels
was able to repel the troops
00:55:26.62\00:55:29.89
for 13 days.
00:55:29.92\00:55:32.53
Legend holds that
00:55:32.56\00:55:33.83
with the possibility
of additional help fading,
00:55:33.86\00:55:36.53
Colonel Travis drew a
line in the ground with a sword
00:55:36.56\00:55:39.30
and ask any man
willing to stay and fight,
00:55:39.33\00:55:42.30
step over the line.
00:55:42.34\00:55:44.04
All except one crossed over.
00:55:44.07\00:55:46.71
The final assault
came before daybreak
00:55:46.74\00:55:48.74
on the morning of March 6, 1836.
00:55:48.78\00:55:51.71
The 13th day of the siege,
cannon and small arms fire
00:55:51.75\00:55:55.62
from inside the Alamo beat
back several Mexican attacks.
00:55:55.65\00:55:59.52
Regrouping Santa Ana
soldiers scaled the walls
00:55:59.55\00:56:02.86
and rushed into the compound,
00:56:02.89\00:56:05.03
the desperate struggle continued
00:56:05.06\00:56:06.66
until the
defenders were overwhelmed.
00:56:06.70\00:56:08.83
By sunrise the battle had ended
and the garrison was slain.
00:56:08.86\00:56:13.17
You know, historians may
debate some of the details
00:56:13.20\00:56:15.57
regarding the
battle of the Alamo,
00:56:15.60\00:56:17.37
but none of them questioned
the incredible sacrifice
00:56:17.41\00:56:19.91
that was made and the
courage that was displayed
00:56:19.94\00:56:21.91
during that intense conflict.
00:56:21.94\00:56:24.01
They made the ultimate sacrifice
00:56:24.05\00:56:26.25
giving their lives.
00:56:26.28\00:56:27.45
And this is why the story
of the Alamo is so inspiring
00:56:27.48\00:56:30.49
and so encouraging.
00:56:30.52\00:56:31.65
You know, and that's why
00:56:31.69\00:56:32.72
the Bible is so
inspiring, friends,
00:56:32.75\00:56:34.62
because someone was willing
to make the ultimate sacrifice
00:56:34.66\00:56:37.19
and give His life,
00:56:37.23\00:56:38.53
so that you can have
freedom and eternal life.
00:56:38.56\00:56:41.36
Don't you think
you can trust your life
00:56:41.40\00:56:42.90
to a friend like that,
00:56:42.93\00:56:44.00
that would give everything?
00:56:44.03\00:56:45.60
The story of the gospel is
a story of courage and hope.
00:56:45.63\00:56:48.54
It's a story of a God
who will never leave you
00:56:48.57\00:56:50.74
without defense and support.
00:56:50.77\00:56:52.71
Jesus is the good news
00:56:52.74\00:56:54.41
and the gospel is a
story worth remembering.
00:56:54.44\00:56:57.05
For life changing
Christian resources,
00:57:13.50\00:57:15.93
visit afbookstore.com
00:57:15.96\00:57:18.20
or call 1-800-538-7275.
00:57:18.23\00:57:22.94
Let's face it,
00:57:22.97\00:57:24.17
it's not always easy
to understand everything
00:57:24.21\00:57:26.47
you read in the Bible.
00:57:26.51\00:57:27.98
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:57:28.01\00:57:31.81
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions
00:57:31.85\00:57:34.38
to get biblical
straightforward answers.
00:57:34.42\00:57:36.72
Call into Bible Answers Live,
00:57:36.75\00:57:38.39
a live nationwide
calling radio program,
00:57:38.42\00:57:41.22
where you can talk
to Pastor Doug Batchelor
00:57:41.26\00:57:43.46
and ask him your most
difficult Bible questions.
00:57:43.49\00:57:46.13
For times and
stations in your area
00:57:46.16\00:57:48.33
or to listen to answers online,
00:57:48.36\00:57:50.10
visit bal.amazingfacts.org.
00:57:50.13\00:57:53.70