Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021649A
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00:01 Did you know that Noah was present
00:02 at the birth of Abraham? 00:04 Okay, maybe he wasn't in the room, 00:06 but he was alive and probably telling stories 00:09 about his floating zoo. 00:11 From the creation of the world 00:13 to the last day events of Revelation, 00:15 biblehistory.com is a free resource 00:18 where you can explore 00:19 major Bible events and characters. 00:21 Enhance your knowledge of the Bible 00:23 and draw closer to God's word. 00:25 Go deeper, visit biblehistory.com. 00:31 For life-changing Christian resources, 00:33 visit afbookstore.com. 00:39 Amazing Facts: Changed Lives. 00:48 My greatest wish 00:50 is that my children will see me 00:53 the way I see my, my own father. 00:59 He's a very devoted man. 01:01 And that kind of framed my childhood going forward 01:04 from there where I was always involved 01:08 in church work, 01:09 and I had a very rich experience 01:12 with the Lord at a young age, 01:16 all the way up through college. 01:17 Then after I got married, 01:19 I got in a company called Comcast. 01:23 And I spent the past roughly eight and a half years, 01:27 nine years at Comcast. 01:29 And I was actually watching television with my son. 01:33 And a Comcast commercial came on the air. 01:37 And he said, "Oh, daddy, that's Comcast, 01:41 that's where you work, daddy." 01:43 And most fathers would be proud of something like that, 01:47 but it really struck me that, you know, 01:50 my son is getting older 01:51 and he does not see me as a servant of the Lord. 01:54 He sees me as a servant of my company. 01:58 And I knew 01:59 that I would have to make some changes, 02:02 because I wanted him to know me as a man of God. 02:07 I never thought I would be 02:08 a preacher or anything like that. 02:11 But I knew that, 02:12 there was room in the work for me 02:15 and for my own, for my talents. 02:18 And I wanted my son to see me operating in the work. 02:25 That's when I knew that my time there 02:27 was coming to an end. 02:29 I was sitting in my office one day 02:31 and I was kneeling in prayer, 02:33 I said, God, now show me what You want me to do 02:36 because you know it seems like a big move here and... 02:44 Everyone is thinking, I'm crazy. 02:47 And I don't know exactly how, 02:52 you know, things are gonna go if they don't go well. 02:56 You know, the crazy thought when you, 02:58 you're thinking about God 03:00 and I lifted my head up in prayer 03:04 and they were just like a flock of... 03:08 Oh, maybe 300 birds that were just flying 03:12 and they were swooping down over the water 03:15 and they would fly back up and then, 03:17 they would chase each other around and, you know, 03:20 I was just looking at the pattern 03:21 of the giant flock, 03:23 and the promise of the Lord came to me where He says that, 03:28 you know, He takes care of the sparrows, 03:31 and you don't see them worrying about 03:34 how they are going to be taking care of from day to day. 03:37 You know, they don't, you know, wring their hands wondering, 03:41 you know, will there be any worms to eat tomorrow? 03:44 And that promise really stood out to me 03:49 and He said, "How much more do I love you? 03:51 You know, I'm not gonna send you on a mission 03:54 to do My work and leave you high and dry, 03:58 because you claim to be My child, 04:00 you claim to be My son." 04:02 And everyone knows that, 04:05 that assurance allows me to know that, 04:08 whatever happens here, whatever happens after here. 04:13 We're sons of God 04:15 and there are certain things that we shouldn't worry about. 04:19 From the day we arrived at AFCO, 04:24 it's been obvious that God has blessed 04:27 the Amazing Facts Ministry, the AFCO program, 04:30 and I will be using my AFCO experience, 04:35 no matter where I go to reach people that 04:38 because the personal touch of face-to-face evangelism, 04:43 speaking and sharing the word of God out of your own mouth, 04:48 there's no replacement for that. 04:50 And Amazing Facts has been very instrumental 04:53 in helping me, 04:54 find the area of the work of God 05:00 and show me how large and how broad it is. 05:03 It's been a tremendous blessing to be in a place 05:07 where we are around people seeking to do God's will 05:11 and listening for His voice in their life, 05:14 and that's very, very important today. 05:24 Together we have spread the gospel 05:26 much farther than ever before. 05:29 Thank you for your support. 05:46 On several occasions, 05:48 scientists have demonstrated 05:50 that people and even creatures can struggle with depression 05:53 when exposed to continual darkness. 05:56 This can be seen every year in the winter months 05:58 in the Arctic regions. 06:00 The beautiful village of Rjukan, Norway 06:03 is situated in a deep valley, 06:05 where mountains block the sun's rays 06:07 for about six months every year. 06:08 This of course keeps the 3,400 residents 06:11 in a state of shade 06:13 and sometimes depressing darkness 06:14 throughout the winter. 06:16 Then the town leaders got a bright idea 06:19 to help illuminate their village 06:20 during the murky months. 06:22 In October, 2013, 06:24 Rjukan installed an array 06:26 of three gigantic 550 square foot mirrors 06:30 on a nearby mountain at 1,000 feet above the town. 06:34 The computer control and solar power mirrors 06:37 track the sun through the winter months 06:39 and reflect a giant beam of sunshine 06:42 down to the town square, brightening their lives. 06:46 If you visit Rjukan in the winter months today, 06:49 you can often see the people 06:50 gathered or sitting on benches around the town square 06:53 bathing in the reflected sunshine. 06:56 Like those mirrors on the mountain, 06:58 the Bible says, 06:59 "That Christians are to reflect the light of Jesus 07:01 who is the light of the world into this dark planet." 07:04 Matthew 5-14 says, 07:06 "You are the light of the world. 07:08 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 07:11 Nor do we light a lamp and put it under a basket, 07:13 but on a lamp stand, 07:15 and it illuminates everybody in the house. 07:18 Let your light so shine before men, 07:20 that they may see your good works 07:22 and glorify your Father in heaven." 07:24 So, friends, 07:25 use today to brighten the life of someone else 07:28 by reflecting Jesus. 07:52 The message today we're gonna be talking about, 07:55 really a very important central core Bible theme, 08:00 dealing with The Beauty of Sacrifice. 08:04 Sacrifice, and typically when we think about sacrifice, 08:08 we recoil a little bit at the idea 08:11 because it makes us think 08:12 of some form of horrific self-denial. 08:17 And it is true 08:19 that sacrifice can mean 08:22 the greatest form of self-denial at all, 08:25 laying down your life. 08:27 Remember hearing a story from World War II 08:30 where 1st Lieutenant John Robert Fox 08:34 was there stationed in Italy during the heat of the battle, 08:39 and his job was an advance position 08:43 where he was looking with binoculars 08:46 and he was giving instructions and co-ordinance 08:48 to the artillery operators to bring in the bombs 08:51 and artillery on various positions. 08:53 And he called on the radio, he'd say, 08:56 enemy is in this position, 08:58 rain down artillery and bombs here on the enemy, 09:01 they are over here. 09:03 And then somehow up this valley, 09:05 he suddenly noticed that he had missed 09:07 this larger German Nazi force 09:10 that was coming right in upon him. 09:12 He could have dropped everything 09:13 and run for his life and been okay, 09:16 but he knew that they would surprise his own men 09:20 and that there was gonna be a great loss of life. 09:23 So he called in the coordinates and he said, 09:25 "You need to drop everything you've got on this position." 09:28 And, on the other end of the radio they said, 09:31 "Well that's where you are." 09:33 He said, "You better do it, you better do it fast." 09:36 And they rained in the artillery 09:39 and it took his life 09:45 when the American forces 09:47 finally came to the position there, 09:49 it was in the town of Sommocolonia, Italy. 09:53 They saw that there was Lieutenant Fox surrounded 09:56 by about a 100 dead German soldiers 09:59 and they took a medal 10:00 and they placed it on his chest, 10:03 because he had truly realized 10:05 that other people's lives will be lost 10:07 if I don't call in the fire on my position. 10:11 And really this is what Jesus did 10:13 as He called in all the wrath of the devil on His position, 10:17 so that we could be saved. 10:19 Now that's, the purest form of sacrifice 10:22 when we think of someone laying down their life. 10:25 And Jesus said in John 15:13, 10:27 "Greater love has no man than this 10:30 that someone would lay down his life for another." 10:34 Sacrifice, sacrifice is really a beautiful thing 10:38 and it might be good to look at a definition 10:40 as we go on with this. 10:42 Sacrifice is by definition, 10:44 and this is not the total definition. 10:46 "Forfeiture or giving up of something highly valued 10:51 for the sake of someone or something considered 10:54 to have greater value or claim." 10:58 It's giving up something or sacrificing, 11:01 forfeiting something that you value 11:03 to obtain something you think is of great worth. 11:08 And we must be very valuable to the Lord 11:10 that He would sacrifice His life to save us. 11:14 Now sacrifice for the Christian is not optional. 11:20 There's a misconception 11:21 that has somehow filtered its way 11:23 through a lot of Christian's churches 11:25 that because Jesus sacrificed His life, 11:29 He did that so we don't need to sacrifice, 11:32 that we're off the hook somehow. 11:34 That's not the teaching of the Bible. 11:37 He sacrificed as an example for us. 11:40 Let me give you a few verses that explain that Mark 8:34. 11:44 Of course, we had one in our scripture reading. 11:47 "Whoever therefore desires to come after Me, 11:49 let him deny himself 11:51 and take up his cross and follow Me..." 11:54 Whoever wants to come after Jesus, 11:56 you got to self deny and follow Him. 11:59 "For whoever desires to save his life 12:01 will actually lose it, 12:03 but whoever loses his life or sacrifices his life 12:06 for my sake and the gospels will save it. 12:11 For what will it profit the man if he gains the whole world 12:14 and loses his own soul?" 12:15 If you refuse to make the important sacrifices 12:18 because you think you're gaining something, 12:19 you're actually losing everything. 12:22 Someone said, 12:23 that which you sacrifice for God 12:25 is never lost, it multiplies. 12:28 You do not lose anything you sacrifice for God. 12:32 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul." 12:35 Matthew 13:44, you know, this parable. 12:37 "Again, the kingdom of heaven 12:39 is like a treasure hidden in the field. 12:41 Which when a man finds it, 12:43 he hides it and for joy over it..." 12:46 Notice the word joy. 12:47 True sacrifice is beautiful, it's a blessing. 12:51 "For joy over it he goes and he sells all that he has 12:55 and he buys the field." 12:57 I just want to give you the picture, in Bible times, 12:58 they didn't have bank. 13:00 They're never saving a loan with a big safe 13:02 in the middle of it. 13:04 A lot of people, if you had money, 13:05 you're are saving, they would actually dig a hole 13:07 and bury it and they paste it off 13:09 and figure where they buried it, 13:10 have some landmarks, 13:11 and maybe tell a few trusted family members 13:14 in case something happened to him. 13:16 You probably heard in England, 13:17 these guys were out there with a metal detector. 13:20 Going through, one man had a metal detector 13:22 and he just was combing over the different fields 13:24 because he knew that the Romans had 13:26 once occupied Great Britain 13:30 and they'd hidden their gold in the fields. 13:31 And sure enough his detector went off 13:33 and it registered something that looked like 13:36 a solid metal like gold, and they dug down, 13:39 they found as I think it's called 13:41 the hawks and the hoard, 13:43 millions of dollars of gold and stuff 13:45 that someone just buried out in the field. 13:48 So it wasn't uncommon in Bible times, 13:49 you'd be leasing someone's field, 13:51 and you'd be farming, 13:52 and you're going along with your donkey pulling the plow. 13:56 And all of a sudden the plow hits something 13:58 and it un-turns this rock, 14:00 and you look into the rock and there's a box. 14:01 When you look in the box and there's treasure, 14:03 but you're an honest man, it's not your field, 14:05 meaning it's not your treasure. 14:06 So you cover back up, 14:08 and you go to the owner and you say, 14:09 "I'd like to buy that field." 14:11 Says, "Why would you want that old field? 14:15 He said, "I just, you know, 14:16 it just has become very precious to me. 14:19 And what it's gonna cost?" 14:23 Well, he gives him the price, he says, wow. 14:26 In order to do that, 14:28 I'm gonna have to liquidate everything, 14:31 and you go home and tell your wife, says, 14:33 we're selling everything. 14:34 What for? 14:35 For Homer's field. 14:36 Homer's field did nothing move. 14:38 Sorry, you ever rented that field. 14:40 Why do you want to buy that field for? 14:41 Trust me. 14:42 You want to sell everything we've got for that field, 14:44 must have been some interesting conversations. 14:48 It's worth more than they know. 14:50 And they sell everything, they have a garage sale, 14:53 they sell everything they've got, 14:54 they put the last penny on the table 14:57 and they buy Homer's field. 14:58 I just made up the name Homer just in case you needed that. 15:02 Was it worth it? 15:04 Oh, yeah, he knows there's much more in the field, 15:07 but Jesus said, "In order to get that treasure, 15:09 you got to sell everything, 15:10 you got to be sold out for the gospel. 15:13 And then He goes on similar parable and He says, 15:15 "Or it's like a merchant seeking precious pearls, 15:18 when he finds a pearl of great price, 15:20 he goes and he sells, " how much? 15:24 "All that he has and he buys the field." 15:28 Luke 14:27, Jesus said, 15:30 "Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me 15:34 cannot be My disciple." 15:36 You pick up your cross because there's gonna be a sacrifice, 15:39 and if it's your cross it's probably your sacrifice. 15:43 Take your cross, you crucified with Christ. 15:46 Again He says in Luke 14, He says it three times in Luke, 15:48 I'm just reading you two. 15:49 Luke 14:33, "So likewise, 15:52 whoever of you does not forsake all that he has 15:56 cannot be My disciple." 16:00 That means when you come to Christ, 16:02 it takes everything. 16:04 He wants the complete surrender, 16:06 and so many... 16:08 I'm sure that the reason there's a lot 16:09 of miserable Christians out there 16:11 is because there's a lot of people 16:13 who want to go to heaven 16:14 and they appreciate what Jesus did, 16:16 but they're not ready to make a complete sacrifice, 16:19 so they have enough religion 16:20 to know about the do's and the don'ts 16:22 but they don't have the joy 16:23 of really believing their sins are forgiven 16:25 because they've made a partial sacrifice. 16:28 And until you come to the point 16:30 and really putting it all on the line 16:32 for the Lord and say, 16:33 all that I have and all that I am are yours, 16:36 you don't experience the freedom. 16:39 That's the joy of making that sacrifice. 16:42 Someone wrote that since the Son of God has died for me, 16:45 the least I can do is the same for Him. 16:48 If Jesus is God and God died for me, then no sacrifice... 16:52 Really what sacrifice is too much to make for God, 16:54 who made everything, who died for you. 16:59 It might mean sacrificing 17:02 what looks like a high earthly position. 17:04 A lot of people have decided to put the Lord first. 17:08 We've heard about different athletes 17:11 that are in high school and college 17:12 showed great promise, 17:14 and then along came some pro recruiter, 17:16 and offered them 17:17 a multi-million dollar contract, 17:18 and they said, I can't take it. 17:19 Why not? 17:20 Because you have games on Sabbath 17:21 and I can't play on Sabbath. 17:23 You're crazy, you can, you know, 17:26 just do it for ten years and retire. 17:28 No, I can't do it at all. 17:30 And they sacrifice what would seem like 17:32 a very lucrative career 17:34 'cause the gospel is more important to them. 17:37 I actually, I'm telling that story 17:38 because we had a call at Amazing Facts, 17:41 a young man had just been recruited 17:43 by the Jets New York team, 17:46 and he'd been watching our programs 17:48 and he learned the Sabbath truth. 17:49 And he said, I've told them 17:50 I can't play anymore on the Sabbath. 17:53 Well, you know that didn't go over too well. 17:57 But he stood his ground. 17:59 I think ultimately they sold him 18:01 and he ended up going into another field. 18:03 The Bible talks about Moses, 18:06 who seemed to have the promise of being 18:09 in the line of Pharaoh. 18:11 Hebrews 11:24, "By faith..." 18:15 And when you make a sacrifice, it's often done by faith. 18:18 "By faith, Moses, when he became of age, 18:21 he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 18:25 choosing rather to suffer affliction 18:27 with the people of God 18:28 than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin." 18:31 You know, if you're associated with Pharaoh's household 18:34 and you introduce yourself, you know, name-dropping, 18:36 that would be handy at any Egyptian party. 18:39 I'm part of Pharaoh's family. 18:42 But instead he would say, I belong to the slaves, 18:47 I'm with the slaves, the Hebrews. 18:51 He understand that was reverse name-dropping. 18:56 He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God 19:01 and lose all that prestige and power 19:03 rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. 19:08 You know, when we were doing our meetings 19:11 back in North Carolina, Karen and I went to... 19:16 There's a Billy Graham Memorial Library. 19:20 I guess he's still alive, 19:21 he's at still in the Memorial Library, 19:22 it's the Billy Graham Library. 19:24 And he's 98-years old now. 19:27 And there they've got 19:31 a little place his wife is buried 19:33 and his good friend George Beverly Shea. 19:35 How many of you know George Beverly Shea? 19:38 Younger kids are going, strange name. 19:42 George Beverly Shea was a very talented singer. 19:45 He's a son actually of a Methodist minister. 19:48 And a deep clear booming bass baritone voice, 19:55 articulated every word perfectly 19:57 and he, after he graduated from college, 20:00 he worked for New York Life Insurance Company. 20:03 And he'd sing periodically special music 20:05 in Christian occasions, he loved to sing. 20:08 But he had such a tremendous voice 20:09 that some people were, 20:12 I think it was NBC Radio had this program 20:15 across the country, the big thing back then, 20:17 I'm talking of 1933 was called Hit Parade. 20:21 I don't expect any of you remember that. 20:24 And they said, "We'd like to you 20:26 to be one of our singers in Hit Parade." 20:27 Well, that was like the Academy Awards back then, 20:29 if you were on the Hit Parade radio program. 20:30 Everybody knew what that was. 20:32 They said, "But, you know, 20:33 you're gonna have to sing some secular songs. 20:35 You can't just do religious songs." 20:36 And he said, 20:37 "Well, I think God's given me the gift of singing, 20:39 and He wants me to use it for Him, 20:40 I'm not singing any worldly song." 20:41 "You can still sing some gospel songs, 20:44 but you can also have to sing some of the, you know, 20:46 folk songs and the traditional." 20:48 Said, "I don't want to do that." 20:50 And all of his friends said, "Oh, you're crazy, 20:52 just do it for a little while, 20:54 you got a chance to be known, and once you're famous 20:56 you can sing all the gospel songs you want." 20:58 They wanted him to compromise just for a little bit. 21:01 Said, "No." 21:02 He was very, very committed to the Lord, he said, 21:05 "I'm just gonna sing for God, if I'm gonna sing, 21:07 that's the only thing we're singing about." 21:09 And they withdrew the offer and his friends said, 21:13 "You've missed your golden opportunity." 21:16 Said, "I haven't missed anything." 21:17 If I have no one ever hears who I am, they said, 21:19 they'll never hear of you. 21:21 Everyone will know you if you do this for a little while. 21:23 He said, "No", he said, "I just want God to be happy with me." 21:27 Well, 10 years went by 21:29 and you know he continued to sing in the churches 21:32 and working in the traditional job. 21:34 Then Billy Graham asked him to sing for him 21:36 for one of his evangelistic programs, 1947. 21:41 And he started singing with Billy Graham and he said, 21:43 "Why don't you quit the insurance 21:44 and go with us full time and sing for the Lord? 21:45 He said, "I've been hoping 21:47 someone would ask me to do that." 21:49 And so he continued for the next... 21:51 Folks thought his career was over 21:53 because he was in his 30s. 21:54 He's older than Billy Graham. 21:57 And he sang with Billy Graham for 60 years 22:00 I don't know any of you remember 22:01 when Billy Graham came to ARCO 22:03 one of his last meetings the Ark Arena. 22:05 It must have been 20 years ago, Karen, where were you at? 22:07 Yeah, and there was George Beverly Shea 22:10 upfront in his 80s singing clear voice, 22:15 it's amazing. 22:17 Well, he's in the Guinness Book of World Records now 22:19 for singing to more people than any other human being live, 22:25 because he traveled with Billy Graham 22:26 and sang to literally 22:27 millions and millions and millions of people, 22:30 and they have tons of records and he lived to 104. 22:35 No one will ever hear of you they said. 22:39 And then he said, you know, I'm... 22:42 Some people thought it's a sacrifice. 22:44 But people thought Moses, 22:48 you're missing your chance in the palace. 22:51 More people know about Moses now when... 22:53 Here's this guy goes out in the desert, and he thought, 22:55 no one will ever hear from me again, 22:57 I'm just following around these sheep. 23:00 No one's ever gonna know about me. 23:02 The whole world knows about him because he chose to forsake 23:06 the pleasures of sin for a season. 23:09 And the Bible is full of heroes like that 23:12 for you and I to think about. 23:13 Of course one of the great sacrifice stories 23:15 is Abraham. 23:17 What would be harder? 23:18 Give yourself, or to give your child? 23:23 What's a more difficult sacrifice? 23:26 Abraham, these are 23:27 the sacrifice heroes in the Bible, 23:29 took his son up the mountain, he had faith, offered his son. 23:33 Jephthah offered his daughter 23:37 rather than to violate a vow to God. 23:39 Hannah offered to sacrifice her son. 23:43 She'd prayed for a child for years, 23:44 finally God gives her child, she said, 23:46 "I'm giving it to God." 23:47 But that's a sacrifice. 23:49 He didn't die, I mean, 23:51 and Jephthah by the way did not burn his daughter, 23:53 some people misunderstand that. 23:55 He also gave his daughter to the temple. 23:57 She would never marry and have children after that. 24:01 Elisha, wealthy son of these farmers. 24:05 They've got 12 teams of oxen 24:08 and he kisses his mother and father goodbye, 24:11 decides to follow Elisha 24:13 and become the apprentice of a poor prophet. 24:14 I mean, really, you know, Elisha, you know, 24:18 he lives by a creek and he's fed by birds 24:20 and lives in the attic of a widow, 24:22 it wasn't a very promising future 24:24 to be the apprentice for a poor prophet. 24:27 Lives in a cave out in the wilderness, 24:29 Elisha said, 24:30 "I'll leave everything and follow you." 24:32 And, you know, that's why 24:33 when Elijah was about to go to heaven, 24:35 he said, "Anything I can do for you." 24:37 He said, "I want a double portion 24:38 of your inheritance 24:40 which was the Holy Spirit." 24:43 And the firstborn was supposed to get 24:44 a double portion of the inheritance, 24:46 but he had faith and he made that sacrifice. 24:49 Nehemiah leaves the Persian palace to go 24:52 and try and build these ruins in the Promised Land. 24:56 The Apostles, it tells us about Peter, James, John, 25:00 Andrew and Matthew, 25:02 the others probably made similar sacrifices. 25:05 Luke 5:11, 25:07 "So when they brought their boats to land, 25:09 they forsook all and followed him." 25:13 So what does it cost? 25:16 Most Christians don't really understand 25:18 what it means to make that kind of sacrifice. 25:21 You know, Jesus tells a story, 25:22 actually it's not a story, it's a true event. 25:25 But He drew attention to this widow, Mark 12. 25:30 I don't hear anyone turning pages, 25:33 Mark 12:41. 25:35 You probably all have digital Bibles, right? 25:37 You're looking on your phones. You don't hear it anymore. 25:43 Used to be that, you know, 25:44 I give the verse and all of a sudden 25:45 it would be a flurry of air conditioning, 25:47 everybody turning the pages. 25:51 "Jesus sat opposite the treasury, 25:53 and saw how people put money in the treasury..." 25:56 He's watching it. 25:58 "And many who are rich..." 26:00 He's watching human nature parade by. 26:02 "Many who were rich put in much." 26:06 They blow the trumpet, everyone gathered, 26:07 so and so was making this donation, 26:09 they go and then they all applaud 26:11 and go ooh and huh. 26:13 They dropped the coins in one by one big gold coins, 26:15 big funk on the bottom of the box. 26:18 Then one poor widow, she was waiting 26:20 until the fanfare drifted away 26:21 and she quietly by herself hoping nobody would notice. 26:25 She threw in two mites which make a quadrants. 26:29 Now a mite just you know, 26:31 you got gold coins and you got silver coins 26:34 and then you had bronze coins, and they won't even copper it, 26:36 it was cheaper than copper, it's bronze. 26:39 And it was a little bitty bronze coin 26:41 and one Bible commentator I read said, 26:44 "We have nothing in our currency to explain it 26:47 because it was about a third of a penny." 26:50 So she throws in two-thirds of one penny, 26:54 but then Jesus said, "It was everything she had." 26:57 You might be able to buy a piece of a piece of bread 27:01 with that, or maybe more. 27:03 I don't know what bread cost back then, 27:04 but it wasn't much. 27:07 And she, and Jesus called His disciples to Himself, 27:11 He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, this poor widow, 27:14 He nodded towards this widow 27:16 that just went through the line, 27:18 has put in more than all of those, and yeah, 27:21 they can tell by the way she's dressed, she's poor, 27:24 she may not only be a widow, 27:26 she may be a widow with orphan children. 27:30 And it says, 27:32 "She put in more than all of those 27:33 who've given to the treasury, 27:35 for they put in of their abundance 27:38 but from her poverty 27:40 she put in her whole livelihood." 27:43 In other words, she gave everything. 27:46 Isn't it interesting? 27:47 I've observed it seems like poor people, 27:50 it's more easy for them to give everything. 27:54 Because they figure, well, I'm so close to nothing anyway, 27:56 what difference will it make 27:59 if you give your last two dollars. 28:02 It's sometimes is interesting how those 28:04 who have the least give the most. 28:07 They may not give the most in numeric value 28:09 but they give the most in percentage. 28:14 And Jesus was calling attention to her, says yeah, you know, 28:18 on the scale you might not think it's much 28:20 but she's giving 100%. 28:24 And so when the Lord looks at what we give, 28:27 is it the amount 28:28 or is it the percentage of the heart, 28:31 God's interested in? 28:34 You know, of course, 28:35 I can't miss this opportunity to remind you all 28:37 that our church is in the midst of a capital campaign. 28:40 I'd be shameful if I miss this chance for commercial. 28:46 And what we're telling people, 28:47 we're not interested in you making a pledge 28:49 or commitment based on a number 28:52 as though everybody can give the same amount 28:54 because we can't. 28:55 But wouldn't it be wonderful 28:56 if everyone made an equal sacrifice, 29:00 meaning if we give equally. 29:04 Everyone's going to give differently 29:05 based on the resources that we have, 29:07 but if we all gave so we all felt it. 29:11 A lot of people give 29:12 and you'll drive home in the same car 29:14 and you live under the same roof, 29:16 and you know everything will be the same. 29:18 A sacrifice means you give so 29:21 you actually experience some difference. 29:25 There's a vacuum, that's a sacrifice. 29:28 Everything else is an offering or donation. 29:31 Sacrifice is different. 29:35 The widow gave 100%. 29:38 You know, I thought about it before, 29:40 it's going to be interesting for her in the judgment, 29:42 Jesus, you know, He points to her, 29:44 she was hoping that she could discreetly give her two cents 29:46 and then slip out of the temple. 29:48 And He says, "See that widow." 29:51 And she goes, "Oh, no, no, I'm so embarrassed, 29:53 I had nothing to give, just..." 29:54 He said, "She gave more than anybody." 29:56 Now in the resurrection 29:59 when things take on their real value. 30:02 All of the Jews who went through the temple that day 30:06 and blew the trumpet, made their donations 30:08 and tried to get a lot of attention. 30:10 Did they gave to be seen of men and Jesus says, 30:13 that's all the reward they're going to get. 30:15 All of their names have drifted off into obscurity, 30:17 nobody knows who they are. 30:19 But when you get to heaven, 30:21 the two cents that that widow gave 30:25 by her example has inspired more giving, 30:29 I'm guessing billions and billions of dollars 30:34 have come into the cause of God 30:36 because Jesus drew attention to her two cents, 30:39 wasn't even two cents, two thirds of one cent. 30:43 Won't that be something? 30:44 It's like I'm telling the story today, 30:45 hopefully it inspires you, 30:47 it's been inspiring people for 2,000 years 30:50 all over the world in virtually every church. 30:53 Think about how her gift multiplied, 30:56 and she probably went up to the offering box that day 30:58 and thought, 30:59 I know this won't make any difference. 31:02 What a difference it made. 31:04 You figure the whole world has been changed 31:08 by that little bitty gift that she gave. 31:10 So if you're thinking, well, you know, 31:11 I'd like to give but my little bit, 31:13 it won't make a big difference, 31:15 you have no idea what God can do with your little gift 31:18 because she gave her all, 31:21 it's made a big difference. 31:23 Sacrifice as I mentioned will cost you something. 31:27 You remember King Saul, 31:28 he came back from attacking the Amalekites. 31:31 And he was supposed to exterminate 31:33 all the animals there but he kept some of them, 31:35 and so Samuel said to King Saul, 31:39 "I thought you were supposed 31:40 to exterminate all those animals 31:42 from the Amalekites, " 31:43 that was the order that came from God. 31:45 He said, "Well, we kept some to sacrifice to God." 31:48 That's kind of like you mugging your neighbor sitting by you 31:51 and then making a donation from their wallet, 31:53 that's your sacrifice. 31:56 He says, "Yeah, I stole it from the Amalekite 31:58 so we can give it to God, we'll get credit for that." 32:01 I've told you this story probably more than once 32:03 that somebody sent me some flowers once 32:05 while I was at the office, 32:07 and I walked into the office is this big bouquet 32:10 and I read the card, 32:11 it's from actually a programmer 32:13 that was congratulating us on a new program 32:17 that had gone on the air on this station, 32:18 and so they sent all these people flowers and, 32:21 and I looked at those flowers and I thought well, 32:24 you know, that's nice but what am I going to, 32:26 I thought, oh, I need to get some mileage out of this. 32:29 So I brought it home to Karen said, 32:30 "I brought you some flowers. 32:32 I didn't say where they came from, 32:33 I did bring them from the office to the house." 32:36 I had to finally confess exactly where they came from. 32:39 But I was trying to get flower credit. 32:43 Now what do you think made more difference 32:45 to Karen for me to say someone sent me a bouquet, 32:48 of course she was suspicious about that right away. 32:51 Someone sent me a bouquet and I brought you that bouquet 32:54 that someone else was thinking of me, 32:56 but I brought it to you 'cause I don't know 32:57 what else to do with it. 32:59 Whole bouquet or if I actually take time 33:01 and bring one flower where I thought about it. 33:04 See what I'm saying. 33:06 You get more credit I think for the one flower 33:08 when you're actually thinking about it 33:11 than bringing someone else's bouquet 33:12 and transferring, like a real sacrifice 33:15 is gonna cost you something. 33:17 King David there is this plague going through Israel, 33:20 and David knew he needed to make an offering to God 33:23 to intercede for his people to stay the plague, 33:27 and he went to this man 33:28 that owned this big threshing floor 33:29 name Araunah, the big threshing floor 33:31 on top of Mount Moriah was right 33:32 where Abraham offered Isaac. 33:35 And the king said look, 33:36 I'd like to buy this threshing floor, 33:39 big flat area and make an offering to God. 33:42 This man had a big heart, he said, 33:43 "You're the king, I give it to you." 33:45 And king said, "No," he said, "No, I want to give it you." 33:47 And David said, "No, I am not going 33:48 to sacrifice to the Lord something that doesn't cost me. 33:53 I will not sacrifice, 33:55 he said, surely I will pay you the price 33:57 nor will I offer burnt offerings 33:59 to the Lord my God of that which cost me nothing." 34:02 That is not a sacrifice. 34:04 If it cost you nothing, there's no sacrifice. 34:07 A lot of us want free Christianity, 34:10 we want a discount. 34:12 We want to get a good deal. 34:13 We want to get it on sale. 34:17 You're not going to find Christianity discounted. 34:19 Amen. 34:23 Now having settled that, 34:24 it's making us nervous some of you. 34:27 Biblical sacrifice is joyful. 34:31 I want to read a quote to you from the book Steps to Christ, 34:33 page 46. 34:35 "What do we give up, when we give up all? 34:37 A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to purify, 34:40 to cleanse by His own blood, 34:41 and to save by His matchless love. 34:43 And yet men think it hard to give up all! 34:45 I am ashamed to hear it spoken of, I'm ashamed to write it." 34:49 Hebrews 12:1-2, it says, 34:52 "And let us run with endurance the race 34:54 that is set before us, looking into Jesus, 34:56 the author and finisher of our faith, 34:59 who for the joy that was set before Him, 35:02 nobody made a bigger sacrifice than Jesus, 35:04 but was it a sad sacrifice? 35:06 Why did Jesus do it? 35:08 He was looking at the joy 35:10 beyond the sacrifice that would come. 35:13 What is sacrifice? 35:14 Where you forfeit something for something worth more. 35:18 Jesus was looking at you being redeemed 35:20 and He thought that's worth more, 35:22 it's worth my suffering. 35:24 "For the joy that was set before him, 35:26 he endured the cross despising the shame 35:29 and he has sat down now 35:31 at the right hand of the throne of God." 35:34 David Livingstone 35:35 when he spent the years in Africa, 35:36 and he endured all kinds of hardship, 35:37 and he had malaria and hunger and exposure, 35:40 and threatened he was attacked by lions 35:43 and natives and all kinds of problems. 35:45 Listen to what Livingstone said, 35:48 "People talk of the sacrifice that I have made 35:50 and spending so much of my life in Africa, 35:53 can it be called a sacrifice 35:54 which is simply paying back a small part 35:57 of the great debt owing to our God 36:00 which we can never repay. 36:02 Is it a sacrifice which brings 36:03 its own blessed rewards and healthy activity, 36:06 the consciousness of doing good, 36:08 the peace of mind of bright hope 36:11 of glorious destiny in the future. 36:13 Away with such a word and such a view 36:15 with such a thought, 36:16 it is emphatically no sacrifice say rather it is a privilege. 36:21 I never made a sacrifice. 36:22 We ought not talk of sacrifice 36:24 when we remember the great sacrifice 36:26 that he made who left his father's throne on high 36:30 to give Himself for us. 36:32 He had a good attitude. 36:34 He actually wanted to go to China but China closed, 36:36 he ended up going to Africa. 36:38 He just wanted to go to serve the Lord. 36:41 I just thought I'd throw this in, it's interesting. 36:43 An English Mission Society wrote to Livingstone one time 36:47 when he was in Africa 36:48 and he is now in the center of Africa 36:50 and just a very difficult part, they said, 36:52 "Have you found a good road to where you are, 36:54 if so, we'd like to send some men to join you? 36:57 Livingstone wrote him back he said, 36:59 "If they will only come if there's a good road, 37:02 don't send them." 37:07 He did make a sacrifice. 37:10 "Christians are often accused of being morbid 37:12 when they talk of the joy of sacrificing. 37:15 I think it is one of the deepest truths 37:16 of the Christian religion 37:17 far from being the source of sadness. 37:20 Sacrifice is the greatest joy and the source of illumination, 37:24 perhaps the greatest of all joys." 37:26 That's from anonymous, I quote a lot from him. 37:31 You know, an example of this would be Jacob. 37:34 Do you remember how, how much did Jacob have to work 37:37 for his wife? 37:38 Seven years hard work, 37:41 you read of Jacob describing the work 37:43 that he did up all night, fighting all thieves, 37:46 exposed to the cold, exposed to the heat, 37:49 but he had to work seven years for Rachel. 37:52 Listen, it says in Genesis 29:20. 37:54 "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, 37:56 they seemed only a few days to him 37:59 because of the love he had for her." 38:03 When you love somebody, 38:05 it didn't seem like a sacrifice. 38:11 Sometimes we give God a lame sacrifice. 38:15 Ephesians 5:1-2, 38:18 "Therefore be imitators of God, 38:20 dear children, and walk in love, 38:22 as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us." 38:25 We want to give Him the best sacrifice. 38:28 Malachi says in 1:8, 38:30 "And when you offer to the Lord the blind as a sacrifice." 38:34 You're supposed to give the best of your sheep 38:37 and sometimes, well, it's time to offer sacrifice, 38:39 I got the old mangy sheep, I can give. 38:41 There's the blind one, I may as well sacrifice, 38:43 he's already blind. 38:45 That one, he is kind of gimpy, he's got one bad leg. 38:47 He got run over by a truck. 38:49 I'll sacrifice that one. 38:51 And he says, they bring these to the Lord and he said, 38:55 "Well, if you are going to give a donation to your governor, 38:59 you don't bring a lame, said, 39:01 you wouldn't offer it to your governor, 39:04 you wanted to offer it to a king. 39:06 Do you offer the leftovers to the Lord or your best? 39:11 Oswald Chambers said, 39:12 "Our notion of sacrifice is though 39:14 it's the wringing out of us 39:16 something we don't want to give up, 39:18 full of pain and agony and distress. 39:20 The Bible idea of sacrifice 39:22 is that I give as a love gift the very best thing I have." 39:27 So why am I dwelling on this about sacrifice? 39:30 Why am I talking about this? 39:32 Because when I read these stories in the Bible 39:35 and I think about sacrifice, I say Lord, 39:37 "It'd be so easy to give 100% if I love the 100%." 39:42 So if we're struggling to sacrifice 39:44 and give the way God wants us to give of our lives, 39:47 of our time, of our means, of our service, whatever it is. 39:51 If sacrifice is a struggle, 39:54 is it that we just got to try harder, 39:55 is it that we got to love more. 39:58 The more you love, the easier it is. 40:02 Is it hard for a mother to care for her baby 40:05 that keeps him up all night? 40:06 Well, maybe sometimes. 40:08 But they do it, why? 40:11 The more you love, the easier it is. 40:15 And that's also true in the Christian economy, 40:18 while I'm talking about parenting. 40:22 Sometimes we have to sacrifice convenience. 40:25 And I was reading about the emperor penguin. 40:27 You've probably seen these. 40:29 I've probably watched the program 40:31 on penguins a 100 time with David Attenborough on it. 40:34 But I always feel very sorry for the photographers 40:38 that had to spend part of winter in the Antarctic 40:43 to get the footage. 40:45 In virtual dark they had to watch 40:48 this group of male penguins, emperor penguins 40:52 huddle in the cold for three months, 40:56 balancing a big egg on their feet. 41:00 How many of you would sign up for fathering 41:02 if you knew that was involved? 41:06 You don't get to eat for three months. 41:11 Because you got this egg on your foot. 41:14 What makes them do it? 41:17 God's wired them to love their offspring, 41:20 and it's so unusual because in the animal world 41:22 sometimes a father, he just, 41:23 you know, procreate and he leaves. 41:25 Happens in our world too, doesn't it? 41:28 But with the male penguin, 41:30 he takes care of it and feeds it. 41:34 And finally the mother comes back 41:35 and takes over and he goes to eat. 41:37 But listen to what Paul says 41:40 about this sacrifice of Christianity. 41:43 2 Corinthians 6:3, 41:46 "We give no offense in anything 41:47 that our ministry may not be blamed 41:49 but in all things 41:51 we commend ourselves as ministers of God. 41:53 This is not just ministers but all people, 41:55 in much patience, in tribulations, 41:58 in needs, in distresses, in stripes, 42:02 in imprisonments, in tumults, Paul experienced all this, 42:06 in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings, by purity, 42:11 by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness..." 42:13 He starts out with the troubles 42:14 and he talks about the blessings, the beauty. 42:17 By purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, 42:20 by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 42:24 by the word of truth, by the power of God, 42:26 by the armor of righteousness 42:27 on the right hand and on the left, 42:29 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report. 42:33 As deceivers, and yet true, as unknown and yet well-known, 42:37 as dying and yet behold we live, 42:39 as chastened, and yet not killed, 42:41 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, 42:43 as poor, yet making many rich, 42:46 as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." 42:48 This is a brilliant passage, I don't know if you caught it. 42:51 He starts by talking about the sufferings, 42:53 then he talks about the joys 42:55 and then he balances the sufferings 42:58 with the joys in the last third. 43:00 Yeah, there's bad days but there's better days. 43:04 There's dying but we live. 43:07 You're poor, but you're rich. 43:08 You have nothing, but you possess all things. 43:12 And so really, 43:13 biblical sacrifice is beautiful. 43:16 You know, it's always easy to sacrifice 43:21 when you think about, 43:23 sacrificing something someone else has. 43:26 That's what socialism does. 43:29 It's really easy to devote for me 43:32 to ask you to give away what you have. 43:35 It's like the story of the pastor 43:37 came to visit the farmer. 43:39 Pastor was talking about them having the dinner 43:42 to feed the poor. 43:43 Well, it just so happened that outside the window the pig 43:45 and a chicken were listening. 43:48 The chicken was so moved, he said, 43:49 "You know, we ought to do something 43:50 to feed the poor." 43:51 The pigs said, "What do you have in mind?" 43:53 Said, "Why don't we do bacon and eggs?" 43:56 And the pig protested, he said, "Well, for you, 43:58 it's a donation, for me it's total commitment." 44:04 You've heard that before, haven't you? 44:08 But in the Christian life if you're going to get it, 44:10 you got to give it away. 44:12 The man was hiking across Nevada. 44:16 And he got a very thirsty 44:18 and he came to one of these ghost towns 44:20 where there was an abandoned ranch 44:22 and other hikers have been there 44:23 because there was a pump in the middle of the town. 44:26 And there by the pump was a bottle 44:29 with one gallon of water in it and a cap on top. 44:32 He felt, oh, good bottle water, 44:35 but on the bottle was a sign it says, 44:37 "Do not drink this water." 44:39 Said, "If you're thirsty pour this water down the well, 44:43 it will prime the pump 44:45 and you'll have all the water you want." 44:48 It says, trust me, it works. 44:52 And the idea is you've got to give it away 44:54 if you want to get it, 44:55 so it must have been hard he said, 44:56 I've got a gallon of water, 44:58 though I keep my gallon and drink it, 45:01 I'll be satisfied now 45:02 but the next person will have nothing. 45:05 Or do I pour it out so I'll have all I need, 45:07 sacrifice it, 45:08 you'll get more than you need 45:10 and you'll be able to fill the jar 45:12 for the next person on the trail. 45:16 So you want to know how the story ends, 45:18 that's up to you. 45:20 So it's an illustration. 45:23 You go through this life, you can either live selfishly 45:27 and try and take it all for yourself 45:28 or learn to follow Christ and say, 45:30 all that I am and all that I have is Yours, Lord. 45:33 And like I said, 45:34 it's not optional for the Christian. 45:37 I remember reading about a Chinese Christian years ago, 45:40 his name was Lo Fook. 45:43 Always reminded me because it sounds like forsook. 45:46 And he was a barber's apprentice in China. 45:51 Discovered the truth about Jesus, 45:53 fell in love with Jesus, 45:55 and he served Jesus in his community 45:57 as well as he could, 45:58 became rather prosperous, 46:00 but his heart was going out to so many of the poor, 46:03 he had heard about many of the poor Chinese 46:06 that were working in the mines in British Guiana 46:10 when they were working in the sugar plantations 46:13 and they had no one to preach Christ to them. 46:15 And he offered to go preach Christ to them, 46:17 but there was no ship that would take him. 46:19 He said, what if I sell myself as these other Chinese have. 46:23 You had to sign a seven year contract 46:24 to work as a slave. 46:26 So he sold himself as a slave for seven years, 46:29 so he could go preach to the other Chinese 46:32 and every day he ended up in the goldfields, 46:34 they don't have gold mines there 46:35 because they are mining the rivers. 46:37 He was in the goldfields 46:39 and he was preaching to the other Chinese 46:40 and leading them to Christ one by one. 46:43 And he ultimately before his seven years were up, 46:46 after five years he died, 46:48 but he raised a church of nearly 200 people. 46:52 That someone who actually follow the teaching of Christ, 46:56 where it says that he gave all things that other people, 47:02 he made himself a slave, 47:04 took upon the form of a slave that he might reach others. 47:08 "By this we know love, 47:10 'cause he laid down his life for us, 47:13 and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 47:16 This is what sacrifice means, and this is a beautiful thing. 47:20 Christianity, it's not like sacrificing a baseball game. 47:24 Or you're giving up a run, trying to get another base. 47:27 It's talking about 47:28 where the rubber meets the road. 47:30 It's not talking about a donation. 47:32 It's talking about a heart. 47:35 We give our hearts to Him. 47:37 And when the Lord has our hearts, 47:38 He has everything else. 47:40 He'll have your service, He'll have your time. 47:42 But what will move us to make 47:46 that kind of sacrifice to give all? 47:49 It's got to be, we love Him because He first loved us. 47:54 When you see Jesus dying on that cross 47:57 where you belong 47:58 because He loved you, it should touch our hearts. 48:01 If it doesn't, pray God to warm your heart. 48:04 Pray God to move your heart with the spirit. 48:06 You know, sometimes I worry about people 48:07 who grow up in the church 48:08 and they hear about the cross all their lives 48:10 and they never really understand 48:11 what that means. 48:14 And little more than a year ago I went to the Philippines, 48:18 we were doing some evangelistic meetings, 48:20 just so happens it was April, it was over Easter. 48:24 And you know, there's a town is San Fernando I think, 48:29 where they actually re-enact crucifixions, 48:32 they don't act though. 48:34 People volunteer themselves to be crucified 48:39 and everybody gathers around to watch this. 48:42 I took Nathan with me, I kind of have, 48:44 didn't know whether I should or not, 48:45 he was adult but it's very troubling, 48:49 these people are trying to show God honor 48:53 and with people watching there must have been all half a dozen 48:57 that actually went through crucifixion 48:59 where they had, you know, the guards, 49:01 you know, they got stainless steel nails in there, 49:03 they got a first aid but they nailed them to cross, 49:05 they hoist them up, they put microphones on them 49:07 so you can hear them cry when they do it. 49:09 We had our media team there, we thought it would be footage 49:11 we could use in our Amazing Facts program 49:13 and we did use actually some of it. 49:15 But you know, I'd heard about crucifixion 49:19 and you read about it and I preached about it 49:20 but you see, 49:22 you see that and this was 49:24 all very sanitized form of a crucifixion. 49:27 And that Jesus would offer to do that to save me 49:30 and not just, then they take these guys down from the cross 49:32 and they give them first aid. 49:34 Jesus, He didn't come down, He died. 49:37 And to be willing to do that because He loves you so much, 49:41 it ought to stir you. 49:43 You know, the Holy Spirit ought to touch our hearts and say, 49:45 Lord, I am willing to give my life for you 49:48 because You're God, so You own because You created me 49:51 and You're my savior, You own me 49:52 because You brought me back. 49:55 And I am willing to sacrifice for You my life. 50:00 Is that your desire? 50:11 We're here in Ponce, Puerto Rico in Iguana Park, 50:15 surrounded by big lizards or small dinosaurs, 50:18 depends on how you look at it. 50:20 These magnificent creatures are found mostly in Mexico, 50:23 Central America, and South America, 50:24 and the Caribbean Islands. 50:26 Here's a few amazing facts about Iguanas. 50:29 Iguanas come in a great spectrum of colors. 50:31 They can be brown, green, blue, 50:35 and their skin will often work as camouflage, 50:37 allowing them to hide in the jungle. 50:40 They're social creatures who like to eat together. 50:42 And what's really interesting, even though they look fierce, 50:45 iguanas are vegan vegetarians. 50:48 They're regarded as popular pets 50:50 though if they're not cared for, 50:51 they can actually just stop eating 50:53 and wilt themselves to die. 50:55 Typically iguanas just lay eggs 50:57 and they abandon their offspring. 50:58 So those little iguanas have to fend for themselves 51:01 from the time they're born. 51:03 If they're attacked, 51:04 they will fight with their tail, 51:06 either punching or whipping their opponent. 51:08 It's interesting to see a dog running for mercy 51:11 after being whipped by an iguana. 51:15 Also to ensure a fast escape, 51:17 they can detach their tail and later grow another one. 51:20 Iguanas generally like to live around water, 51:23 and they can swim away escaping from predators. 51:26 Green iguanas in particular are excellent swimmers. 51:29 They have the ability to inflate themselves 51:31 and swim incredible distances. 51:34 This is one way they've been able to populate 51:36 the different islands of the Caribbean. 51:38 What's incredible is these creatures have lungs 51:41 where there are able to hold their breath 51:43 for up to 28 minutes, 51:45 putting even a crocodile to shame. 51:49 They also know how to compensate 51:50 for when things get hot or cold. 51:52 They can regulate their body temperature 51:54 using the loose flaps of skin 51:56 they have under their throats and under their legs. 51:59 You might even say an iguana has ESP 52:02 because God made them with sort of a third eye 52:04 on top of their head. 52:06 They can't really see with it, but it's a photo receptor 52:09 that helps them to regulate their bodies circadian rhythms. 52:12 You know, in the same way that God made iguanas 52:15 where they're some of the toughest creatures 52:17 in God's natural kingdom. 52:18 Christians need to learn to be resilient 52:20 in the spiritual realm. 52:21 Through God's grace 52:23 we can learn to be great survivors. 52:25 Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 52:28 "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed. 52:32 We are perplexed, but not in despair, 52:34 persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed." 52:39 I think, friends, we all know sometimes life can be tough. 52:43 We feel like we're being beaten pressed on every side. 52:46 Sometimes it's health problems, relationship problems, 52:50 financial reverses. 52:51 But in the same way God made the iguana resilient, 52:54 God can help you to bounce back. 52:56 Jesus said that "Through His help 52:58 we can be overcomers and we are able to endure." 53:01 If you turn to Him and ask Him for His help and His spirit, 53:04 He will recreate you 53:06 and make you even tougher than an iguana. 53:08 Why don't like to ask him now? 53:23 You probably heard the expression before, 53:25 if you don't like the weather in Texas, 53:27 just wait it'll change. 53:29 And you've also heard everything is bigger in Texas, 53:31 the ranches, the belt buckles, the cowboy hats, 53:35 but the most famous slogan 53:36 about Texas is remember the Alamo. 53:43 The violent battles and bravery of iconic heroes 53:46 have been the stuff of legends 53:47 throughout which entire cultures 53:49 often draw on their identity and pride, 53:51 even long after centuries have past. 53:54 And in Texas, the story of the Alamo 53:56 has been a rallying cry of Texas independence 53:59 for 200 years. 54:01 One reason the Texans love to brag 54:02 that everything is bigger in Texas is of course 54:05 because Texas is the largest of the lower 48 US states. 54:09 It's hard to believe that this massive state 54:12 got its beginning in a very small Christian mission 54:15 during the battle of the Alamo. 54:17 Every year this famous mission museum 54:20 receives over two and a half million visitors 54:22 from all parts of the planet 54:24 that are eager to get a good look 54:26 at this legendary site. 54:28 The Alamo played a critical role 54:29 in the Texas Revolution. 54:31 In December 1835, 54:33 Texans and Tejanos volunteers 54:35 battled Mexican troops quartered in the city 54:38 forcing General Martin Perfecto de Cos to surrender. 54:41 The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo 54:44 and strengthened its defenses. 54:47 Famous Americans like Davy Crockett, 54:49 Jim Bowie and Colonel William Travis 54:51 made this location, 54:52 this ancient mission the beachhead, 54:54 the last stand in an epic battle 54:57 to win independence of Texas from Mexico. 55:00 On February 23, 1836, 55:03 the arrival of General Antonio Lopez Santa Ana 55:07 nearly caught them by surprise. 55:09 Undaunted the Texans and Tejanos 55:11 prepared to defend the Alamo. 55:13 For this small ragtag group of rebels, 55:15 the youngest of who was about 16 55:17 and the oldest 75 was against the well trained 55:20 and organized Mexican army of 6,000 plus soldiers. 55:24 It was a fierce and lopsided battle, 55:26 yet the small force of rebels was able to repel the troops 55:29 for 13 days. 55:32 Legend holds that 55:33 with the possibility of additional help fading, 55:36 Colonel Travis drew a line in the ground with a sword 55:39 and ask any man willing to stay and fight, 55:42 step over the line. 55:44 All except one crossed over. 55:46 The final assault came before daybreak 55:48 on the morning of March 6, 1836. 55:51 The 13th day of the siege, cannon and small arms fire 55:55 from inside the Alamo beat back several Mexican attacks. 55:59 Regrouping Santa Ana soldiers scaled the walls 56:02 and rushed into the compound, 56:05 the desperate struggle continued 56:06 until the defenders were overwhelmed. 56:08 By sunrise the battle had ended and the garrison was slain. 56:13 You know, historians may debate some of the details 56:15 regarding the battle of the Alamo, 56:17 but none of them questioned the incredible sacrifice 56:19 that was made and the courage that was displayed 56:21 during that intense conflict. 56:24 They made the ultimate sacrifice 56:26 giving their lives. 56:27 And this is why the story of the Alamo is so inspiring 56:30 and so encouraging. 56:31 You know, and that's why 56:32 the Bible is so inspiring, friends, 56:34 because someone was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice 56:37 and give His life, 56:38 so that you can have freedom and eternal life. 56:41 Don't you think you can trust your life 56:42 to a friend like that, 56:44 that would give everything? 56:45 The story of the gospel is a story of courage and hope. 56:48 It's a story of a God who will never leave you 56:50 without defense and support. 56:52 Jesus is the good news 56:54 and the gospel is a story worth remembering. 57:13 For life changing Christian resources, 57:15 visit afbookstore.com 57:18 or call 1-800-538-7275. 57:22 Let's face it, 57:24 it's not always easy to understand everything 57:26 you read in the Bible. 57:28 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 57:31 the Bible can generate a lot of questions 57:34 to get biblical straightforward answers. 57:36 Call into Bible Answers Live, 57:38 a live nationwide calling radio program, 57:41 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 57:43 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 57:46 For times and stations in your area 57:48 or to listen to answers online, 57:50 visit bal.amazingfacts.org. |
Revised 2017-04-14