I'd like to
welcome you once again
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to The Search for Certainty.
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In this fifth and
final presentation together,
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it's good to see
you all here today
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as well as those
who are joining us
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from wherever you
may be around the world.
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Welcome and we pray that
God will richly bless you
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as we journey on this
very important topic together.
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Today we're gonna
be taking a look at
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that all important question
that many people have asked,
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that people are asking today,
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why is there so much
suffering in the world?
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As church minister,
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I've been asked this
question on many occasions
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and it's a very
important question
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and it's the question that
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we need to have
an answer for it,
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and sadly most people today
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cannot give you
a very good answer.
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Certainly not an answer
that really satisfies the heart
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and helps us to
understand the cosmic battle
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that is going on and
raging all around us.
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There is so much
suffering in the world,
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I don't need to
remind you of that,
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we live in a world
that is filled with
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sin and sickness,
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and suffering and sorrow.
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Why so much suffering?
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Where did it come from?
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How did everything go wrong?
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If it did all go
wrong at one point in time.
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Today, we want to
take a look at that.
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Today, we want to
do our best to answer
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some of these titanic questions
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regarding the whole issue
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and question of
suffering and sorrow,
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and pain and evil.
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We won't answer every question,
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but I pray by God's grace
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and that
ultimately through His word,
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we will answer those questions,
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those questions that
are at the very foundation
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to giving us an
opportunity to know who God is,
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how to understand God
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and ultimately
how to relate to God?
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I want to begin
by sharing with you
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the title of a book
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written by a Jewish
rabbi Harold Kushner,
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who wrote this
book back in 1981.
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Well, it was published in 1981,
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"When Bad Things
Happen To Good People".
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So he took the question,
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why did bad things
happen to good people,
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and he put it as a
statement and he wrote a book.
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In fact this became a bestseller
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on the New York
Times bestseller list.
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And you might think
that's a little strange
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for a religious book back
in 1981 to be a bestseller.
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Now why did Harold
Kushner write this book?
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Him and his wife,
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while their little
boy Aaron was aged three,
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were told by the
doctors, by the pediatricians
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that he had a
disease called progeria
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or another term for
that is rapid aging.
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They shared with Aaron's parent,
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Harold and his wife
that their little boy,
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he would grow
old as a little boy,
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he would look
like a little old man
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and that shortly
into his teenage years,
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his life would come to an end.
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And everything
that doctor shared
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with the parents came true,
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to the very letter,
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three days after he turned 14,
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little Aaron passed away
of this disease, rapid aging.
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Now that's an extreme
case of suffering an injustice.
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But today there is
a lot of suffering,
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whether it be in the
home, whether it be disease,
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whether it be economic,
whatever the case may be,
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sooner or later and usually
sooner rather than later,
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we experience suffering.
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That is part and parcel
of living on planet earth.
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In our previous presentation,
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as we took a look at
the everlasting gospel,
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the good news
about God and His love,
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we discovered this
old important truth.
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In 1 John 4:8,
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we read these
three old important words
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that describe who God is.
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"God is love."
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The Bible describes
God as a God of love,
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not a God who loves,
but this is who God is,
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this is the very essence of God.
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God is love.
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So the question
that begs to be asked
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and answered is
if God is so love,
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why is there so much
suffering in the world?
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Or as someone once put
it, if God is all powerful,
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and we believe He is,
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and the Bible claims
that God is all powerful
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and He is all
loving, why does a good,
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all good and all powerful God
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allow so much
suffering to go on.
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Either, He is no all loving
and we discovered the truth
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that He is all loving based
on our previous presentation,
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or He is not all powerful.
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Can God be all loving
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and all powerful
at the same time?
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And still allow for so
much suffering to continue on.
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That's a big
question that people ask.
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So today we want to
seek to answer that question
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as well as some other questions
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that are
associated with that question.
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Where did evil come from?
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Why didn't God just
put an end to evil whenever
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or wherever it first
raised its ugly head,
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or wherever it first appeared?
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That's a very good question.
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Many people have
asked that question.
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Why do bad things
have to happen at all?
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Is there a good answer to
these all important questions?
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And the most
important question of all
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that we want to focus on
this afternoon is will sadness,
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suffering and
sorrow ever come to an end?
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Will we ever come to the point
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where there will
be no more suffering,
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no more pain, no more?
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Today before we
open up God's word
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as always we need to do what?
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We need to pray.
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We need to ask
for God's Holy Spirit
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to lead and to guide us,
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to give us understanding
that we may have a clear
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and an old
important powerful answer
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from God's word regarding
this old important subject.
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So let's just
pause and pray a moment.
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Father in heaven once
again we come humbly before You,
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we ask and pray that
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as we seek to answer
this all important question
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regarding suffering and sorrow,
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where did it all come from?
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Why, all the whys dear Lord,
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we ask and pray
that You will guide
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and bless our time
together in Your word.
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So open our hearts and our minds
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as we open Your words,
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we pray in
Jesus' name, amen, amen.
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Well, for the answer,
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we need to go to the
very beginning of time
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when God created this world.
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Notice what the Bible
says in Genesis 1:1 and 4.
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Right at the very
beginning of the Bible
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we have these words,
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"In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.
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And God saw the
light, that it was" what?
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"Good, and God divided
the light from the darkness."
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So at the very
beginning of the Bible
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we discover that when
God created this world,
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He created things to be good.
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In fact, if you read through
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the first chapter
of the Book of Genesis,
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you'll discover that each time
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God finish His
creating on a day,
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He says, it was good.
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God looks at everything that
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He has made on
that particular day
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and He says it is good.
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Six times that
word good appears.
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And then finally, on
the sixth day of creation,
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the final day of creation,
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notice what the
Bible says in Genesis 1:31,
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"Then God saw
everything that He had made,
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and indeed it was" what?
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"Very good.
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So the evening and the
morning were the sixth day."
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So the Bible is clear,
when God created this world,
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He created a good, good,
good and indeed very good.
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After He created His
masterpiece of creation
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which was Eve, God
said it was very good,
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and I for one,
I'm thankful to God
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that He created women, amen.
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How many of you men are
happy that God created women?
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Absolutely, I've been
blessed for over 20 years
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because God
chose to create women,
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and I thank God for that.
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But everything was
good, every thing was good.
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God designed for Adam and Eve
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to live in
harmony with one another,
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with God Himself their creator
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to live in harmony
with their environment.
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They were designed to live
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happy and healthy lives forever.
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They were
designed to live in a world
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where there was no suffering,
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where there was no sorrow,
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where there was no pain.
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That was God's
original plan for Adam and Eve
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to enjoy this beautiful
home called the Garden of Eden
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that God had created for
them on this beautiful planet
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where everything was good.
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So the big question is,
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who is
responsible for all the bad,
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for all the evil,
for all the suffering?
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If God created everything good,
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where on earth
did bad come from?
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Well, for the answer,
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we need to go back
to the Garden of Eden
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and there in the Genesis 3,
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God gives us an insight as
to how everything went bad.
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In Genesis 3:1
we read these words,
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"Now the serpent
was more cunning than
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any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made.
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And he said to the
woman, 'Has God indeed said,
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'You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?"
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' Here the
serpent enters the garden,
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the garden home of Adam and Eve,
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and according to
the Book of Revelation
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we discover that,
that serpent is none other
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than the devil and Satan.
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The serpent tempted
Eve with the thought
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that God was not as loving
as she may have believe He was.
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That God was not as kind
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and as good as
she thought He was.
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The serpent
tempted Eve to think that
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God was
withholding some thing from her
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that would bring her
more joy, more happiness,
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more peace in her life.
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And that if only she
took from this fruit,
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that the serpent
was extending to her
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that she would receive something
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that God was
keeping away from here.
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You see that's
the same temptation
00:10:49.81\00:10:52.75
that the devil has been sharing
with the human race ever since.
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That God cannot supply for you
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what is in your
best interest completely.
00:11:00.69\00:11:04.73
That there is
something more out there
00:11:04.76\00:11:08.13
that you can have that
God is not giving to you.
00:11:08.16\00:11:11.83
And sadly, sadly
as the story is shared
00:11:11.87\00:11:15.40
there in the Book of
Genesis, Eve believed that lie.
00:11:15.44\00:11:20.04
Eve believed the lie
00:11:20.08\00:11:21.84
that God was
withholding from her
00:11:21.88\00:11:23.85
and from Adam something that
would give them greater joy,
00:11:23.88\00:11:27.82
greater happiness
indeed to be just like God,
00:11:27.85\00:11:32.25
is what he tempted Eve with.
00:11:32.29\00:11:35.12
Sadly our first parents
00:11:35.16\00:11:37.56
had to leave the Garden of Eden.
00:11:37.59\00:11:39.36
They had to leave
this beautiful place
00:11:39.39\00:11:42.53
where everything
was just perfect.
00:11:42.56\00:11:45.67
And they experienced the truth
of the words of the serpent
00:11:45.70\00:11:52.41
that God can be trusted
00:11:52.44\00:11:55.51
and the serpent
cannot be trusted.
00:11:55.54\00:11:58.55
So who is responsible?
00:11:58.58\00:12:00.42
According to the Book of Genesis
00:12:00.45\00:12:02.78
it's that serpent in the garden.
00:12:02.82\00:12:04.95
According to
the Book of Genesis,
00:12:04.99\00:12:06.69
God never designed for
evil to come into this world.
00:12:06.72\00:12:11.19
Who is responsible?
00:12:11.23\00:12:12.56
Well, Jesus gives us an answer
in the Book of Matthew in 13,
00:12:12.59\00:12:18.10
Jesus shared a parable there,
He shared a parable of a sower
00:12:18.13\00:12:22.30
who went out to sow seed.
00:12:22.34\00:12:24.07
And the Bible says that
he went to sow a good seed,
00:12:24.11\00:12:27.81
but during the
course of the night
00:12:27.84\00:12:30.48
an enemy came
along who sowed tares
00:12:30.51\00:12:34.92
or weeds amongst the wheat
00:12:34.95\00:12:38.12
and then Jesus gives,
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.36
He gives an interpretation
of who the sower is,
00:12:40.39\00:12:44.23
what the good seed
is and who the enemy is.
00:12:44.26\00:12:46.93
Notice these words that we find
00:12:46.96\00:12:48.73
in Matthew 13:37 and 39
00:12:48.76\00:12:52.40
as Jesus here
defines who the enemy is,
00:12:52.43\00:12:56.14
what the good seed
is and who the enemy is.
00:12:56.17\00:12:59.27
He answered and said to them,
00:12:59.31\00:13:01.01
He is speaking to His disciples,
00:13:01.04\00:13:02.51
"He who sows the good
seed is the Son of Man.
00:13:02.54\00:13:05.98
The enemy who sowed them,
00:13:06.01\00:13:07.65
that is the weeds, is the devil,
00:13:07.68\00:13:10.09
the harvest is
the end of the age,
00:13:10.12\00:13:11.72
and the reapers are the angels."
00:13:11.75\00:13:13.19
So as far as
Jesus was concerned,
00:13:13.22\00:13:15.86
the one who has
sowed evil in this world is
00:13:15.89\00:13:19.29
none other then
the devil himself.
00:13:19.33\00:13:21.96
Jesus made it clear that
He simply sowed good seed,
00:13:22.00\00:13:25.87
and that
reminds us of what we've
00:13:25.90\00:13:27.70
just read in
the Book of Genesis.
00:13:27.74\00:13:29.74
When God created this world,
He said it was good, good,
00:13:29.77\00:13:34.18
good and even very good,
00:13:34.21\00:13:36.28
but then an enemy
came into the garden,
00:13:36.31\00:13:39.58
an enemy came into the garden
00:13:39.61\00:13:41.85
that serpent of old
called the devil and Satan,
00:13:41.88\00:13:45.12
as the Book of
Revelation terms him
00:13:45.15\00:13:47.52
and he sowed evil, he sowed sin,
00:13:47.56\00:13:51.06
he sowed pain and suffering.
00:13:51.09\00:13:53.96
In the Book of Luke 13,
00:13:54.00\00:13:56.40
Jesus here once again
takes no responsibility
00:13:56.43\00:14:00.44
for suffering and pain.
00:14:00.47\00:14:01.94
Notice these words that we
find in Luke 13:11 and onwards,
00:14:01.97\00:14:06.44
"And behold, there was a woman
00:14:06.47\00:14:08.88
who had a spirit of
infirmity eighteen years,
00:14:08.91\00:14:11.91
and was bent over and could
in no way raise herself up.
00:14:11.95\00:14:15.65
But when Jesus saw her,
00:14:15.68\00:14:17.39
He called her to
Him and said to her,
00:14:17.42\00:14:19.55
'Woman, you are
loosed from your infirmity.'
00:14:19.59\00:14:22.49
" Isn't that good news?
00:14:22.52\00:14:23.86
Jesus straightened this woman up
00:14:23.89\00:14:26.33
after being
infirmed for 18 years.
00:14:26.36\00:14:29.40
Jesus goes on, "So
ought not this woman,
00:14:29.43\00:14:34.04
being a daughter of
Abraham, whom Satan has bound,
00:14:34.07\00:14:37.97
think of it, for eighteen years,
00:14:38.01\00:14:39.71
be loosed from this
bond on the Sabbath?'
00:14:39.74\00:14:41.54
" So once again,
00:14:41.58\00:14:42.91
Jesus didn't take
any responsibility
00:14:42.94\00:14:45.11
for this woman suffering.
00:14:45.15\00:14:47.62
Instead Jesus
placed the responsibility
00:14:47.65\00:14:50.69
for this woman's infirmity
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.35
for the past 18 years upon
00:14:52.39\00:14:54.79
no one other than
the Satan himself.
00:14:54.82\00:14:58.16
Jesus is very clear.
00:14:58.19\00:15:00.26
He takes no responsibility
for suffering and sorrow,
00:15:00.30\00:15:03.63
that belongs to the enemy.
00:15:03.67\00:15:06.57
In fact, after Jesus
had fasted in the wilderness
00:15:06.60\00:15:09.90
for some 40 days,
00:15:09.94\00:15:11.34
He came out of that experience
00:15:11.37\00:15:13.94
and the Bible says He went
to his hometown of Nazareth
00:15:13.98\00:15:17.28
where He had been brought up
00:15:17.31\00:15:18.68
and He went to church
on one Sabbath morning
00:15:18.71\00:15:22.18
and the person in
charge of the worship service
00:15:22.22\00:15:26.12
handed Him the scroll
of the Book of Isaiah,
00:15:26.15\00:15:30.16
and Jesus chose this
passage to illustrate
00:15:30.19\00:15:35.56
why He came to share
His mission statement,
00:15:35.60\00:15:38.90
to share the reason why He came.
00:15:38.93\00:15:41.34
Notice these words
prophesied concerning Christ
00:15:41.37\00:15:44.67
by Isaiah hundreds of
years before Jesus came
00:15:44.71\00:15:48.11
and Jesus now shares
them, and notice these words.
00:15:48.14\00:15:51.35
In Luke 4:18 we read,
00:15:51.38\00:15:54.08
"The Spirit of
the Lord is upon Me,
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.55
because He has anointed Me
00:15:56.58\00:15:57.92
to preach the
gospel to the poor.
00:15:57.95\00:15:59.62
He has sent Me to
heal the brokenhearted,
00:15:59.65\00:16:01.96
to proclaim
liberty to the captives
00:16:01.99\00:16:04.03
and recovery of
sight to the blind,
00:16:04.06\00:16:05.86
to set at liberty
those who are oppressed."
00:16:05.89\00:16:09.00
This is what Jesus did.
00:16:09.03\00:16:11.20
Jesus came to set
the captives free.
00:16:11.23\00:16:14.34
Jesus came to
heal the brokenhearted.
00:16:14.37\00:16:17.61
Jesus came to give
recovery of sight to the blind,
00:16:17.64\00:16:21.14
to set at liberty
those who are oppressed,
00:16:21.18\00:16:23.45
that is why Jesus came.
00:16:23.48\00:16:25.41
The enemy comes and
he wants to blind people.
00:16:25.45\00:16:29.18
The enemy wants to blind
people to who God truly is,
00:16:29.22\00:16:34.36
the character of God
00:16:34.39\00:16:35.76
and the things that
belong to the devil,
00:16:35.79\00:16:39.49
the devil seeks to
place them in the lap of God.
00:16:39.53\00:16:44.80
And that's what sadly
00:16:44.83\00:16:46.17
most people
believe today in the world.
00:16:46.20\00:16:48.27
The things that ought to
be attributed to the devil
00:16:48.30\00:16:50.71
have been attributed to God.
00:16:50.74\00:16:53.07
Today, we have a term
00:16:53.11\00:16:55.21
that the media and
insurance companies use
00:16:55.24\00:16:59.35
when it comes to
horrific natural disasters,
00:16:59.38\00:17:03.39
what is it?
00:17:03.42\00:17:04.75
Acts of God.
00:17:04.79\00:17:06.12
Often you'll hear on the
news reference to an act of God,
00:17:06.15\00:17:11.39
some horrible disaster,
00:17:11.43\00:17:13.53
natural disaster that has taken
00:17:13.56\00:17:15.53
the lives of thousands of people
00:17:15.56\00:17:17.47
and it's referred
to as an act of God.
00:17:17.50\00:17:19.73
Insurance companies
often in order to get out of
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.44
paying an insurance claim
will have you in fine print,
00:17:22.47\00:17:26.57
we pay for everything
except for acts of God.
00:17:26.61\00:17:31.58
But the Bible tells us
what the acts of God are.
00:17:31.61\00:17:35.28
Jesus went about healing people.
00:17:35.32\00:17:38.25
Jesus went about
feeding thousands of people.
00:17:38.29\00:17:41.86
Jesus went
about raising the dead
00:17:41.89\00:17:44.39
and ultimately as we
discover in our last program,
00:17:44.43\00:17:47.20
Jesus went to Calvary
00:17:47.23\00:17:49.53
and He paid the price of
sin for each and every person.
00:17:49.56\00:17:53.74
That is an act of God.
00:17:53.77\00:17:55.77
The acts of the devil
are the complete opposite.
00:17:55.80\00:17:59.14
Instead of insurance companies,
00:17:59.17\00:18:00.78
instead of the media referring
to these natural disasters
00:18:00.81\00:18:04.25
as acts of God,
00:18:04.28\00:18:05.61
they ought to be
referring to them
00:18:05.65\00:18:07.35
as acts of the devil.
00:18:07.38\00:18:09.58
Notice what Jesus
shared in John 10:10.
00:18:09.62\00:18:13.86
Here Jesus summarized His work
00:18:13.89\00:18:18.19
in comparison to
the devil's work.
00:18:18.23\00:18:20.60
Notice these words, John 10:10.
00:18:20.63\00:18:23.16
"The thief does not
come except to steal,
00:18:23.20\00:18:25.53
and to kill, and to destroy..."
00:18:25.57\00:18:26.90
Who do you think the
thief is in this passage?
00:18:26.94\00:18:28.84
It's the devil himself.
00:18:28.87\00:18:31.81
And Jesus says, "I have
come that they may have life,
00:18:31.84\00:18:35.61
and that they may
have it more abundantly."
00:18:35.64\00:18:37.71
So here we have
these two individuals,
00:18:37.75\00:18:41.28
here we have these two powers.
00:18:41.32\00:18:43.59
One seeks to
steal, kill and destroy.
00:18:43.62\00:18:46.72
He is a thief.
00:18:46.76\00:18:48.56
Nobody likes a thief, do they?
00:18:48.59\00:18:50.09
We don't like thieves
because thieves take from us.
00:18:50.13\00:18:52.56
Thieves are not in
the business of giving.
00:18:52.59\00:18:55.16
Thieves are in the
business of taking, hoarding,
00:18:55.20\00:18:58.53
keeping for themselves.
00:18:58.57\00:19:00.74
But Jesus is in
the business of giving.
00:19:00.77\00:19:04.31
Jesus says, I give
my life for the sheep.
00:19:04.34\00:19:10.98
When Jesus cried
out on Calvary's cross,
00:19:11.01\00:19:14.02
Father forgive them,
00:19:14.05\00:19:15.62
for they don't
know what they're doing,
00:19:15.65\00:19:17.22
He was giving up His life.
00:19:17.25\00:19:20.76
Jesus claimed no responsibility
for the work of evil,
00:19:20.79\00:19:26.66
pain and suffering.
00:19:26.70\00:19:28.33
Instead He placed
that responsibility
00:19:28.36\00:19:32.40
completely upon
the Devil himself,
00:19:32.43\00:19:36.17
the one whose name is
evil with a capital D,
00:19:36.20\00:19:40.04
it all belongs to him.
00:19:40.08\00:19:42.98
The Bible is clear,
couldn't be any clearer.
00:19:43.01\00:19:45.98
So the question that
begs to be asked and answered,
00:19:46.01\00:19:50.75
where did the
devil or this thief
00:19:50.79\00:19:54.36
as Jesus put it come from?
00:19:54.39\00:19:56.09
Where did he come from?
00:19:56.12\00:19:57.69
Did God create him that way?
00:19:57.73\00:19:59.49
Did God created
devil in order to showcase
00:19:59.53\00:20:03.77
His love in comparison
to the devil and his work?
00:20:03.80\00:20:08.97
Where did the devil come from?
00:20:09.00\00:20:11.21
Well, in the Book of Ezekiel,
we have this incredible insight
00:20:11.24\00:20:15.24
as God through His servant
00:20:15.28\00:20:16.88
Ezekiel takes us
behind the scenes,
00:20:16.91\00:20:20.78
and He give us an understanding
of where this being,
00:20:20.82\00:20:24.22
that we today know
as the devil and Satan,
00:20:24.25\00:20:26.86
where he came from.
00:20:26.89\00:20:28.82
Ezekiel 28:11,
00:20:28.86\00:20:32.79
"Moreover the word of
the Lord came to me, saying,
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.86
'Son of man,
take up a lamentation
00:20:35.90\00:20:38.43
for the king of Tyre..."
00:20:38.47\00:20:39.80
And the king of Tyre here
00:20:39.83\00:20:41.17
as we'll discover is
a symbol of this being,
00:20:41.20\00:20:45.91
the devil and Satan,
00:20:45.94\00:20:47.28
the king of Tyre and say to him,
00:20:47.31\00:20:49.28
"Thus says the Lord God:
You were the seal of" what?
00:20:49.31\00:20:53.08
"Perfection, full
of wisdom and" what?
00:20:53.11\00:20:55.88
"Perfect in beauty."
00:20:55.92\00:20:57.62
We continue reading,
00:20:57.65\00:20:58.99
"You were in Eden,
the garden of God..."
00:20:59.02\00:21:00.79
And for this reason we know that
00:21:00.82\00:21:02.16
we are not speaking
of a literal king of Tyre
00:21:02.19\00:21:04.66
and there was a
literal king of Tyre,
00:21:04.69\00:21:06.26
we are speaking
of another being,
00:21:06.29\00:21:07.63
because the literal king of Tyre
00:21:07.66\00:21:09.70
was never in the Garden of Eden.
00:21:09.73\00:21:11.43
So this is
speaking of somebody else.
00:21:11.47\00:21:13.54
God is just using the
king of Tyre as a symbol.
00:21:13.57\00:21:17.17
"You were in
Eden, the garden of God,
00:21:17.21\00:21:18.97
every precious
stone was your covering.
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.54
You were the
anointed cherub who covers.
00:21:21.58\00:21:24.31
I established you,
00:21:24.35\00:21:25.68
You were on the
holy mountain of God.
00:21:25.71\00:21:27.55
You walked back and forth
in the midst of fiery stones."
00:21:27.58\00:21:31.75
Notice this being,
00:21:31.79\00:21:34.96
the Bible says
was a covering cherub,
00:21:34.99\00:21:39.76
he was anointed,
00:21:39.79\00:21:41.33
he was right there at
the very throne of God.
00:21:41.36\00:21:44.33
At the very throne of
God we have two angels,
00:21:44.37\00:21:47.64
the Bible says.
00:21:47.67\00:21:49.34
Some of you that
have watched Indiana Jones
00:21:49.37\00:21:51.74
and Raiders of the Lost Ark,
00:21:51.77\00:21:54.71
you'll be familiar with this box
00:21:54.74\00:21:59.01
which is called
the Ark of the Covenant
00:21:59.05\00:22:01.48
and there were two angels that
hovered over this golden box
00:22:01.52\00:22:06.12
that contained
the Ten Commandments,
00:22:06.15\00:22:08.52
a symbol of God's throne.
00:22:08.56\00:22:10.29
And so this angel that
was created perfect by God
00:22:10.33\00:22:15.76
was there right at
the very presence of God,
00:22:15.80\00:22:19.37
right there in
His very presence.
00:22:19.40\00:22:20.94
The most exalted angel,
00:22:20.97\00:22:22.97
the most beautiful angel that
God created of all the angels
00:22:23.00\00:22:28.51
there was not another
angel created like this being.
00:22:28.54\00:22:33.65
We continue reading,
00:22:33.68\00:22:35.68
"You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created,
00:22:35.72\00:22:39.72
till iniquity was found in you."
00:22:39.75\00:22:42.12
Three times, the Bible tells
us that this being was perfect.
00:22:42.16\00:22:48.46
Now how perfect is
perfect? It's perfect.
00:22:48.50\00:22:51.83
Can you get more
perfect than perfect?
00:22:51.87\00:22:53.54
No, this being
was created perfect
00:22:53.57\00:22:57.47
from the day he was created
00:22:57.51\00:22:59.67
until iniquity was found in him.
00:22:59.71\00:23:01.84
Now what's another
name for that word iniquity?
00:23:01.88\00:23:05.01
It's sin, sin.
00:23:05.05\00:23:08.25
So what was the sin
of this covering cherub?
00:23:08.28\00:23:11.99
What was the
sin of God's leading
00:23:12.02\00:23:14.69
and most exalted angel?
00:23:14.72\00:23:16.62
Notice what we continue
reading in Ezekiel 28:7.
00:23:16.66\00:23:20.80
"Your heart was lifted
up because of your beauty,
00:23:20.83\00:23:23.57
and you corrupted your wisdom
for the sake of your splendor."
00:23:23.60\00:23:28.64
How did sin come
into this universe?
00:23:28.67\00:23:31.27
It was because this
being that was created perfect,
00:23:31.31\00:23:34.04
that was created beautiful,
00:23:34.08\00:23:35.68
more magnificent than
any other created being,
00:23:35.71\00:23:39.91
more magnificent than any angel,
00:23:39.95\00:23:41.95
pride welled up in this being.
00:23:41.98\00:23:45.32
That is what the Bible
says, you were corrupted
00:23:45.35\00:23:48.89
because of your wisdom
and the sake of your splendor.
00:23:48.92\00:23:52.69
As I think about that,
I ask myself the question.
00:23:52.73\00:23:58.07
What was the ambition of
this God's leading angel?
00:23:58.10\00:24:03.30
What was his ambition?
00:24:03.34\00:24:04.94
What was in his heart?
00:24:04.97\00:24:06.91
Well, the Book of
Isaiah gives us an insight
00:24:06.94\00:24:09.28
into the very heart
of this perfect being
00:24:09.31\00:24:11.98
that God had created
00:24:12.01\00:24:13.35
that was right there in
the very presence of God.
00:24:13.38\00:24:15.55
Isaiah 14:12-14,
notice these words,
00:24:15.58\00:24:20.02
"How you are fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer..."
00:24:20.06\00:24:23.09
That was his original
name before he became Satan
00:24:23.12\00:24:26.39
and the devil, and the thief,
00:24:26.43\00:24:28.86
and a whole bunch of other names
00:24:28.90\00:24:30.23
the Bible gives for this being,
00:24:30.27\00:24:31.60
his name was Lucifer.
00:24:31.63\00:24:32.97
And that word
Lucifer means light bearer.
00:24:33.00\00:24:36.30
One who was in the
very presence of God,
00:24:36.34\00:24:39.47
with the most
precious work of all,
00:24:39.51\00:24:42.98
to be an ambassador for
God to showcase God's glory,
00:24:43.01\00:24:47.92
God's love, God's light
to the rest of the angels,
00:24:47.95\00:24:51.55
to the rest of the universe.
00:24:51.59\00:24:53.19
He was God's light bearer,
00:24:53.22\00:24:54.99
right there in the very presence
00:24:55.02\00:24:56.73
of the heavenly light.
00:24:56.76\00:24:58.99
"Son of the morning!
00:24:59.03\00:25:00.50
How you are cut
down to the ground,
00:25:00.53\00:25:02.36
you who weakened the nations!
00:25:02.40\00:25:04.07
For you have said in your heart.
00:25:04.10\00:25:05.93
'I will ascend into heaven,
00:25:05.97\00:25:07.60
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God.
00:25:07.64\00:25:10.61
I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation
00:25:10.64\00:25:13.54
on the farthest
sides of the north.
00:25:13.58\00:25:15.18
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:25:15.21\00:25:17.98
I will be like" who?
00:25:18.01\00:25:19.81
"I will be like the Most High."
00:25:19.85\00:25:22.88
Notice the word that appears
over and over and over again.
00:25:22.92\00:25:26.22
What was that word?
00:25:26.25\00:25:27.59
I, I.
00:25:27.62\00:25:31.36
Lucifer had I trouble.
00:25:31.39\00:25:34.03
Lucifer suffered from pride,
00:25:34.06\00:25:36.60
and pride is the middle
letter of I, isn't that?
00:25:36.63\00:25:40.54
I is the middle letter of pride.
00:25:40.57\00:25:42.17
Sin, what's the
middle letter of sin?
00:25:42.20\00:25:43.91
I.
00:25:43.94\00:25:45.27
What's the middle
letter of Lucifer?
00:25:45.31\00:25:46.64
I.
00:25:46.68\00:25:48.01
He had an I problem.
00:25:48.04\00:25:50.55
That is where all
of our problems begin.
00:25:50.58\00:25:54.08
All of our problems
begin in the human heart.
00:25:54.12\00:25:57.79
Pride, selfishness,
00:25:57.82\00:25:59.75
that's where all the wars begin.
00:25:59.79\00:26:02.02
The wars don't
begin on the battlefield.
00:26:02.06\00:26:04.89
They don't even
begin in backrooms
00:26:04.93\00:26:07.86
preparing for the battle.
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.73
The battles, the
wars, the violence that...
00:26:09.76\00:26:12.67
You fill in the blanks,
00:26:12.70\00:26:14.20
that all begins
in the human heart.
00:26:14.24\00:26:16.71
It begins in the human heart
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.14
and that's where
it begun with Lucifer.
00:26:18.17\00:26:20.24
He wanted to be
just like the Most High.
00:26:20.28\00:26:24.18
You remember in the wilderness,
00:26:24.21\00:26:30.09
the devil tempted
Jesus with three temptations.
00:26:30.12\00:26:33.89
The third and
final temptation was
00:26:33.92\00:26:35.82
if You will only
bow down and worship me,
00:26:35.86\00:26:39.76
I will give You the
kingdoms of this world,
00:26:39.79\00:26:42.03
isn't that right?
00:26:42.06\00:26:44.10
Lucifer has always
wanted to be worshipped.
00:26:44.13\00:26:48.27
That's what he
wants to be worshipped.
00:26:48.30\00:26:50.31
In fact, he wanted to be God,
00:26:50.34\00:26:54.34
he wanted to take
God off His throne.
00:26:54.38\00:26:57.65
Lucifer wanted to
have the power of God
00:26:57.68\00:27:00.75
without his character.
00:27:00.78\00:27:02.92
Because God doesn't
have a character that takes,
00:27:02.95\00:27:06.22
that grabs, that
seeks for oneself.
00:27:06.25\00:27:09.32
God has a character that
is described in John 3:16
00:27:09.36\00:27:14.10
where God so loved
the world that he, what?
00:27:14.13\00:27:16.53
Gave His only begotten Son.
00:27:16.56\00:27:20.10
He gave His only begotten Son.
00:27:20.14\00:27:22.87
Sadly, the Book of
Revelation tells us
00:27:22.90\00:27:25.67
that in the final
battle over worship,
00:27:25.71\00:27:29.48
at the end of time
Lucifer, the devil,
00:27:29.51\00:27:33.35
he will once again seek worship.
00:27:33.38\00:27:35.98
He didn't received
worship from Jesus Christ,
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.62
but one day he will seek
worship from the whole world
00:27:38.65\00:27:42.12
at the end of time
the Bible says and sadly,
00:27:42.16\00:27:44.79
the sad reality is that
00:27:44.83\00:27:46.16
most people will
choose to worship him
00:27:46.19\00:27:48.93
rather than to worship the one
00:27:48.96\00:27:50.83
who gave His life
which is Jesus Christ.
00:27:50.87\00:27:55.50
Revelation gives
us some more details
00:27:55.54\00:27:58.44
as to this worship
war that took place.
00:27:58.47\00:28:02.04
This most gifted of
all the angels of heaven,
00:28:02.08\00:28:05.51
notice what we read in
the Book of Revelation 12:7.
00:28:05.55\00:28:11.69
"And war broke out in heaven:
00:28:11.72\00:28:14.39
Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon,
00:28:14.42\00:28:16.83
and the dragon and
his angels fought...
00:28:16.86\00:28:18.83
So the great
dragon was cast out,
00:28:18.86\00:28:21.36
that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan..."
00:28:21.40\00:28:25.33
Now before we
take a look at this war
00:28:25.37\00:28:27.14
that took place there in heaven,
00:28:27.17\00:28:29.34
the first thing I'd
like us to notice is that
00:28:29.37\00:28:33.58
name for Michael is
the name for Jesus Christ.
00:28:33.61\00:28:38.75
Michael means
one who is like God.
00:28:38.78\00:28:42.75
And so there was this war
between Michael and the dragon,
00:28:42.78\00:28:47.29
and the Bible says
this was the war, a war.
00:28:47.32\00:28:51.63
What kind of war we
don't understand war today,
00:28:51.66\00:28:56.13
outside of a war
using military means,
00:28:56.16\00:29:00.80
guns and bombs and
planes and so on and so forth,
00:29:00.84\00:29:04.51
that's the way we conduct
wars in the herein and now.
00:29:04.54\00:29:07.71
But that's not the kind of war
00:29:07.74\00:29:09.21
that was taking place in heaven.
00:29:09.24\00:29:10.85
That word there war is
a very interesting word.
00:29:10.88\00:29:14.02
I looked that up
in the dictionary,
00:29:14.05\00:29:17.22
in the original language
00:29:17.25\00:29:18.82
that the New Testament
was written which is Greek
00:29:18.85\00:29:21.02
and I compared it
with my English dictionary.
00:29:21.06\00:29:23.63
Notice the word for war
in the original language
00:29:23.66\00:29:27.60
which is the Greek
is the word polemos.
00:29:27.63\00:29:30.30
That's used there
in Revelation 12:7
00:29:30.33\00:29:33.23
and we get our
English word polemic
00:29:33.27\00:29:36.77
from that word polemos,
00:29:36.81\00:29:38.34
and I looked that
up in the dictionary,
00:29:38.37\00:29:39.87
the pocket Macquarie dictionary
00:29:39.91\00:29:41.24
and this is the
definition that I received.
00:29:41.28\00:29:43.48
An argument or
disputation about some opinion,
00:29:43.51\00:29:47.25
belief or doctrine or teaching.
00:29:47.28\00:29:49.95
So what was this
war in heaven over?
00:29:49.98\00:29:53.19
It was a war of words.
00:29:53.22\00:29:55.12
It was a war of ideas.
00:29:55.16\00:29:56.93
In fact it was a war over who
00:29:56.96\00:30:00.10
would run the universe
in the best possible way.
00:30:00.13\00:30:04.17
Under whose domain,
00:30:04.20\00:30:05.87
under whose
government would universe,
00:30:05.90\00:30:09.37
the rest of the...
00:30:09.40\00:30:10.74
All the angels
00:30:10.77\00:30:12.11
and all the other
created beings in the universe,
00:30:12.14\00:30:13.98
under whose government
would they be happiest?
00:30:14.01\00:30:17.55
That was the war.
00:30:17.58\00:30:18.91
And the Bible tell us,
00:30:18.95\00:30:20.28
the Book of
Revelation tell us in 12,
00:30:20.32\00:30:22.85
that one third of
the angels believed
00:30:22.88\00:30:26.65
that they would be better served
00:30:26.69\00:30:28.99
under the dominion
and under the government
00:30:29.02\00:30:32.09
and under the
leadership of this fallen angel
00:30:32.13\00:30:35.80
than to remain in the
presence of their creator.
00:30:35.83\00:30:40.14
One third of the
angels, the Bible tell us.
00:30:40.17\00:30:44.21
Our first parents
sadly were deceived.
00:30:44.24\00:30:48.24
They were
deceived into believing
00:30:48.28\00:30:51.25
that if they only had
that which God forbade,
00:30:51.28\00:30:56.62
they would have a
greater existence.
00:30:56.65\00:30:58.82
They would have
something more than
00:30:58.85\00:31:00.79
what God had
already provided for them.
00:31:00.82\00:31:04.16
The enemy is very cunning.
00:31:04.19\00:31:05.99
That's how the Bible
00:31:06.03\00:31:07.36
first describes
him in the garden.
00:31:07.40\00:31:08.83
The serpent was more cunning
00:31:08.86\00:31:10.83
than any other
beast of the field.
00:31:10.87\00:31:14.37
So why didn't God destroy evil
00:31:14.40\00:31:17.64
before it had a
chance to spread?
00:31:17.67\00:31:19.31
Why didn't God destroy the devil
00:31:19.34\00:31:23.51
whilst he was still in heaven,
00:31:23.55\00:31:25.31
before he made his
way to planet earth?
00:31:25.35\00:31:28.02
Could God have
destroyed him there and then?
00:31:28.05\00:31:30.39
Absolutely.
00:31:30.42\00:31:32.09
The Bible says
God is all powerful,
00:31:32.12\00:31:33.66
He can do all things.
00:31:33.69\00:31:35.02
God could have
destroyed the devil
00:31:35.06\00:31:36.89
the way I destroy a mosquito.
00:31:36.93\00:31:40.00
How many of you hate mosquitoes?
00:31:40.03\00:31:41.90
Okay. Almost everyone.
00:31:41.93\00:31:43.87
For those who
love mosquitoes here
00:31:43.90\00:31:45.87
and those who are
watching I'm really sorry,
00:31:45.90\00:31:48.10
but I can't stand mosquitoes.
00:31:48.14\00:31:50.51
If I'm sleeping at night
00:31:50.54\00:31:52.71
and I hear a
mosquito, I wake up.
00:31:52.74\00:31:55.34
Immediately I wake up.
00:31:55.38\00:31:56.78
I can sleep with a
train going through my bedroom
00:31:56.81\00:32:00.22
but I cannot sleep with
one tiny little mosquito
00:32:00.25\00:32:03.18
making its noise.
00:32:03.22\00:32:05.75
And so until that
mosquito is squashed
00:32:05.79\00:32:08.26
and no longer lives
and exists and breathes,
00:32:08.29\00:32:12.33
I do not have any rest
and neither does my wife.
00:32:12.36\00:32:15.90
God could have
squashed the devil,
00:32:15.93\00:32:18.27
the way you and I
squash a mosquito.
00:32:18.30\00:32:21.07
Now why didn't God do that?
00:32:21.10\00:32:22.47
That's a good question.
00:32:22.50\00:32:23.84
And a lot of
people ask that question,
00:32:23.87\00:32:25.87
why not destroy the devil
00:32:25.91\00:32:28.28
before he had an opportunity
00:32:28.31\00:32:30.05
to spread his woe
to the human race?
00:32:30.08\00:32:34.95
I mean, why even
put a tree in the garden
00:32:34.98\00:32:39.69
where God says don't touch.
00:32:39.72\00:32:42.19
Why even allow the
devil into the garden?
00:32:42.22\00:32:44.96
Why not
eliminate all possibility
00:32:44.99\00:32:48.06
for Adam and Eve
to turn against God?
00:32:48.10\00:32:50.93
That's a good question.
00:32:50.97\00:32:52.30
We'll get to that in a moment.
00:32:52.33\00:32:53.67
But why not destroy
the devil immediately?
00:32:53.70\00:32:56.30
Well, I want you to
imagine with me this scenario.
00:32:56.34\00:33:00.74
Imagine the greatest scandal
that has ever rocked Canberra
00:33:00.78\00:33:07.38
and Australia takes place.
00:33:07.42\00:33:09.58
There in the heart
of our nation's capital,
00:33:09.62\00:33:14.09
there Parliament House.
00:33:14.12\00:33:15.99
Imagine with me,
now you need to imagine,
00:33:16.02\00:33:18.09
this hasn't actually happened,
00:33:18.13\00:33:19.49
I had someone after
one program say to me,
00:33:19.53\00:33:21.66
did that really happened?
00:33:21.70\00:33:23.13
I'm like no, I said
imagine, imagine this scenario.
00:33:23.16\00:33:26.37
Imagine the deputy
prime minister of Australia
00:33:26.40\00:33:30.27
one day decides to call a
press conference at midday
00:33:30.31\00:33:34.74
and he shares
that he has evidence
00:33:34.78\00:33:38.41
to incriminate our
current prime minister,
00:33:38.45\00:33:42.18
the most
responsible person in the land,
00:33:42.22\00:33:46.05
evidence that will send
our current prime minister
00:33:46.09\00:33:49.99
to prison for a long, long time.
00:33:50.03\00:33:53.43
He calls a press conference
for 12 o'clock midday.
00:33:53.46\00:33:57.17
Can you imagine, you
know, the camera crew,
00:33:57.20\00:33:59.43
they just scrambled,
00:33:59.47\00:34:00.97
the world's media is on camera
00:34:01.00\00:34:03.64
waiting for what
will be shared at midday
00:34:03.67\00:34:06.01
by the deputy prime minister.
00:34:06.04\00:34:08.44
He comes to the lectern
00:34:08.48\00:34:10.61
and he only has
two sentences to share.
00:34:10.65\00:34:14.72
I have evidence
00:34:14.75\00:34:17.52
that will
incriminate our prime minister,
00:34:17.55\00:34:20.86
and if this will be
proven in a court of law,
00:34:20.89\00:34:24.89
he will spend a
long, long time in prison.
00:34:24.93\00:34:29.23
Sentence number one.
00:34:29.26\00:34:30.83
Sentence number two,
00:34:30.87\00:34:32.30
all will be revealed
tomorrow same time, same place.
00:34:32.33\00:34:37.37
He walks away, no
time for questions,
00:34:37.41\00:34:40.01
he walks away.
00:34:40.04\00:34:41.44
The whole nation is
astir, can you imagine?
00:34:41.48\00:34:45.41
The whole nation,
the whole world is astir,
00:34:45.45\00:34:47.68
what's happening in Australia?
00:34:47.72\00:34:50.95
Every one's anxiously,
anticipating 24 hours,
00:34:50.99\00:34:57.16
midday, and so what happens?
00:34:57.19\00:35:00.66
That night you go to bed
and you turn on the news,
00:35:00.70\00:35:03.23
is there any update?
00:35:03.26\00:35:04.60
There is no update,
nothing else is being said.
00:35:04.63\00:35:06.60
The deputy hasn't been seen.
00:35:06.63\00:35:08.80
You wake up in the morning,
00:35:08.84\00:35:10.67
you turn on the news to
see if there is any update
00:35:10.71\00:35:13.74
and you discover that
the deputy prime minister
00:35:13.78\00:35:17.21
on his way home
from Parliament House,
00:35:17.25\00:35:20.62
happen to come
across a semi trailer
00:35:20.65\00:35:23.49
coming the other
way lost his life.
00:35:23.52\00:35:28.82
I guess we will never know,
00:35:28.86\00:35:31.76
we will never know
what did he have to share.
00:35:31.79\00:35:36.23
We'll never know.
00:35:36.26\00:35:37.90
Imagine God would have
destroyed the devil immediately
00:35:37.93\00:35:43.61
or Lucifer as he was known.
00:35:43.64\00:35:45.24
Imagine God would
have destroyed him.
00:35:45.27\00:35:47.01
Imagine the thinking
of the heavenly angels,
00:35:47.04\00:35:50.35
this leading angel, I mean
this was their leading angel.
00:35:50.38\00:35:54.78
This is the angel
that they all looked up to.
00:35:54.82\00:35:58.02
He is no longer.
00:35:58.05\00:36:00.02
Imagine the questions,
00:36:00.06\00:36:02.69
imagine the
comments, whatever you do,
00:36:02.72\00:36:05.96
whatever you do
don't question God,
00:36:05.99\00:36:09.56
otherwise you are
gonna end up like Lucifer.
00:36:09.60\00:36:12.47
Imagine all the questions,
00:36:12.50\00:36:15.44
the angels,
00:36:15.47\00:36:17.14
the heavenly
beings would serve God
00:36:17.17\00:36:19.74
out of fear and not out of love.
00:36:19.77\00:36:22.64
But notice what
the Bible tells us
00:36:22.68\00:36:24.05
in 1 John 4:18,
00:36:24.08\00:36:26.61
"There is no fear in love,
00:36:26.65\00:36:28.62
but perfect
love casts out fear."
00:36:28.65\00:36:31.99
God does not want anyone
to serve Him out of fear.
00:36:32.02\00:36:36.32
God only receives
obedience that is given in love.
00:36:36.36\00:36:42.70
There is no fear in love.
00:36:42.73\00:36:44.90
The Bible says God is love.
00:36:44.93\00:36:47.00
There is no fear in love,
00:36:47.04\00:36:48.77
but God's perfect
love casts out fear.
00:36:48.80\00:36:52.07
You see love is
the very foundation
00:36:52.11\00:36:54.41
of God's government,
00:36:54.44\00:36:55.94
the very foundation.
00:36:55.98\00:36:57.98
Let me take you back in time,
00:36:58.01\00:36:59.91
22 years almost when
I had the privilege of
00:36:59.95\00:37:06.76
connecting with the
most beautiful person
00:37:06.79\00:37:09.19
that God ever created.
00:37:09.22\00:37:11.39
I know some of you men
will probably disagree with me
00:37:11.43\00:37:13.53
and that's okay.
00:37:13.56\00:37:15.80
Well, for me my
dear wife is the most
00:37:15.83\00:37:18.93
beautiful person in the world.
00:37:18.97\00:37:21.04
Her name is Jazner
00:37:21.07\00:37:22.40
and I'm blessed to
have her by my side,
00:37:22.44\00:37:24.21
and that was on January 1, 1995.
00:37:24.24\00:37:28.54
Now you are thinking,
00:37:28.58\00:37:29.91
who gets married
on January 1, 1995?
00:37:29.94\00:37:33.11
Well, those of us
who have a bad memory.
00:37:33.15\00:37:38.12
I have a bad memory,
00:37:38.15\00:37:39.65
so I figured if I get
married on January 1, 1995,
00:37:39.69\00:37:43.53
I won't hopefully
forget my wife's anniversary,
00:37:43.56\00:37:46.80
well, forget our anniversary.
00:37:46.83\00:37:49.03
There you go.
00:37:49.06\00:37:51.40
I forget her birthday once
and that wasn't a good idea.
00:37:51.43\00:37:54.57
She is, her birthday
is December 23, I mean,
00:37:54.60\00:37:57.74
who decides to be
born on December 23?
00:37:57.77\00:38:00.14
Two days before Christmas?
00:38:00.18\00:38:01.51
It's a crazy time of the year.
00:38:01.54\00:38:03.35
So I forgot it once
and I learnt a lesson,
00:38:03.38\00:38:06.92
there is one way to never ever
forget your wife's birthday,
00:38:06.95\00:38:11.15
forget it once.
00:38:11.19\00:38:12.52
Forget it once and
you'll never ever forget it.
00:38:12.55\00:38:14.52
That's another
story for another day.
00:38:14.56\00:38:16.96
But, you know, what made
January 1, 1995 so special?
00:38:16.99\00:38:21.66
It made it so special
00:38:21.70\00:38:23.57
because my two younger sisters
00:38:23.60\00:38:26.33
didn't have to
put a gun to my wife
00:38:26.37\00:38:30.77
to say you
better say I do or else.
00:38:30.81\00:38:35.41
She voluntarily,
willingly said I do.
00:38:35.44\00:38:40.02
She may regret that
now, but it's too late.
00:38:40.05\00:38:43.08
I told her, I'm
with you until the day
00:38:43.12\00:38:46.29
that we breathe our last
00:38:46.32\00:38:47.66
or certainly until the
day that I'll breathe my last.
00:38:47.69\00:38:50.13
I've said to her,
I've told her many times,
00:38:50.16\00:38:51.73
you can run but
you can't hide from me.
00:38:51.76\00:38:54.30
You can run but
you can't hide from me.
00:38:54.33\00:38:58.83
For love to be love,
00:38:58.87\00:39:01.47
it must give you
the right to say yes,
00:39:01.50\00:39:04.44
as well as the right to say no.
00:39:04.47\00:39:06.01
Isn't that right?
00:39:06.04\00:39:07.51
For love to be love,
00:39:07.54\00:39:08.94
it must give you
the right to say yes,
00:39:08.98\00:39:10.78
as well as the right to say no.
00:39:10.81\00:39:13.72
We have a horrible word
that we used for force love,
00:39:13.75\00:39:19.29
a four letter
word beginning with R
00:39:19.32\00:39:21.79
and some of you can
guess what that word is
00:39:21.82\00:39:23.63
and that's rape,
isn't that right?
00:39:23.66\00:39:25.83
False love is rape.
00:39:25.86\00:39:28.06
Genuine love is
only genuine love
00:39:28.10\00:39:32.13
if it is freely given.
00:39:32.17\00:39:34.14
Why did God place
two trees in the garden,
00:39:34.17\00:39:38.51
the tree of life that
they were to enjoy fruit from?
00:39:38.54\00:39:42.68
And the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil
00:39:42.71\00:39:44.88
which they were not to
touch, well not to eat from?
00:39:44.91\00:39:48.45
It's because if God didn't
give Adam and Eve a choice,
00:39:48.48\00:39:52.79
they never would
have an opportunity
00:39:52.82\00:39:55.19
to say no to God,
00:39:55.22\00:39:56.56
they never would have an
opportunity to truly love God
00:39:56.59\00:39:59.19
because to love
someone means that
00:39:59.23\00:40:01.93
there is someone
what you will not love.
00:40:01.96\00:40:05.13
There is someone that
you'll give your allegiance
00:40:05.17\00:40:07.27
to rather than someone else
00:40:07.30\00:40:09.37
who you won't give
your allegiance to.
00:40:09.40\00:40:12.51
Imagine with me,
00:40:12.54\00:40:15.44
the birth of your first precious
00:40:15.48\00:40:17.68
little baby boy or
little baby girl is born
00:40:17.71\00:40:21.08
and you are just over the moon.
00:40:21.12\00:40:22.52
I can remember what
that was like for me.
00:40:22.55\00:40:24.49
Some 19 years ago,
it was just wonderful,
00:40:24.52\00:40:28.89
the best day of my
life, the best day of my life.
00:40:28.92\00:40:32.96
Imagine that doctor came to you,
00:40:32.99\00:40:35.60
you are giving
birth in this day and age,
00:40:35.63\00:40:37.63
and I said look,
00:40:37.67\00:40:39.00
we've got some bad
news and some good news.
00:40:39.03\00:40:42.10
The bad news is
00:40:42.14\00:40:44.07
and we'll give
that to you first.
00:40:44.11\00:40:45.44
The bad news is that
there is a strong possibility
00:40:45.47\00:40:49.01
that this child will grow up
one day to bring a lot of pain
00:40:49.04\00:40:53.65
and suffering and
misery into your life.
00:40:53.68\00:40:56.55
Okay, this child
will potentially make life
00:40:56.58\00:41:00.22
very, very difficult
and challenging for you.
00:41:00.26\00:41:03.02
And you might even
get to the point one day
00:41:03.06\00:41:04.76
where you kind of wonder
00:41:04.79\00:41:06.13
why on earth did I
give birth to this child?
00:41:06.16\00:41:10.30
That's the bad news,
that's the possibility.
00:41:10.33\00:41:13.60
But here's the good news.
00:41:13.64\00:41:14.97
The good news is that
we now have the capability
00:41:15.00\00:41:18.64
to take out your child's brain
00:41:18.67\00:41:21.28
and instead to put a
special chip in there,
00:41:21.31\00:41:24.51
a computer chip.
00:41:24.55\00:41:25.88
We can take out
your child's heart
00:41:25.91\00:41:28.18
and we can put apparatus there
00:41:28.22\00:41:30.89
that will pump
blood just as well
00:41:30.92\00:41:33.66
and do what it
needs to do for the body,
00:41:33.69\00:41:35.26
just as well, if not better.
00:41:35.29\00:41:39.66
You will never
again have to worry
00:41:39.69\00:41:42.60
whether your child
will ever disobey you.
00:41:42.63\00:41:44.90
You will never have to worry
00:41:44.93\00:41:46.63
whether your child
will do as he's told.
00:41:46.67\00:41:48.47
You'll never ever have
to worry about your child
00:41:48.50\00:41:51.37
bringing you grief.
00:41:51.41\00:41:52.77
All we've got to do is
just give it a computer chip
00:41:52.81\00:41:55.44
and put in a mechanical heart,
so there'll be no thinking,
00:41:55.48\00:41:59.91
there'll be no feeling
00:41:59.95\00:42:01.78
and you'll be happy as
Larry for the rest of your life.
00:42:01.82\00:42:05.75
How many of you would say yes?
00:42:05.79\00:42:07.86
That's the kind of child I want,
00:42:07.89\00:42:09.76
I want a perfect child
that will always obey me.
00:42:09.79\00:42:14.40
That will do
just as I have said,
00:42:14.43\00:42:16.67
as I've programmed it to do.
00:42:16.70\00:42:18.47
So every time I
press the button,
00:42:18.50\00:42:19.83
I press button number
one, the child says yes,
00:42:19.87\00:42:22.70
I will do the dishes, how long?
00:42:22.74\00:42:25.17
And you punch in 20 minutes
00:42:25.21\00:42:26.61
and the child does
that in 20 minutes.
00:42:26.64\00:42:28.11
How many of you would
want a robot for a child?
00:42:28.14\00:42:31.65
Nobody, I wouldn't
want a robot for a child.
00:42:31.68\00:42:35.02
Why is that?
00:42:35.05\00:42:36.38
Because children are precious
00:42:36.42\00:42:38.65
and that they give you their
love freely, isn't that right?
00:42:38.69\00:42:42.49
Do children bring a lot of pain
00:42:42.52\00:42:44.09
and heartache into
your lives potentially?
00:42:44.13\00:42:47.16
Absolutely, if
you've have teenagers,
00:42:47.20\00:42:50.13
you'll know all about that.
00:42:50.17\00:42:51.50
The challenges
of having teenagers.
00:42:51.53\00:42:54.94
But the beauty of
our children is that
00:42:54.97\00:42:57.67
they have the
freedom to give love,
00:42:57.71\00:42:59.94
they have the
freedom to express love
00:42:59.97\00:43:02.64
and in order to
love, to genuinely love,
00:43:02.68\00:43:06.18
you must have
that freedom to choose.
00:43:06.21\00:43:08.92
So that is why God created
all of His heavenly beings
00:43:08.95\00:43:12.45
with the freedom to choose.
00:43:12.49\00:43:13.86
That is why God
created Adam and Eve
00:43:13.89\00:43:16.42
with the freedom to choose.
00:43:16.46\00:43:19.09
Two trees in the garden,
00:43:19.13\00:43:21.80
two opportunities to
make a decision who to serve,
00:43:21.83\00:43:25.27
that was the first voting
booth recorded in scripture.
00:43:25.30\00:43:30.51
We go to elections, don't we?
00:43:30.54\00:43:32.27
We go to elections all the time
00:43:32.31\00:43:34.74
and we vote for this
person or that person,
00:43:34.78\00:43:36.91
this party or that party.
00:43:36.95\00:43:39.21
God created a voting booth
there in the Garden of Eden,
00:43:39.25\00:43:43.89
and He said to Adam and
Eve, if you truly love Me,
00:43:43.92\00:43:48.02
you will not eat from this tree,
00:43:48.06\00:43:51.19
and by not
eating from this tree,
00:43:51.23\00:43:54.33
you are showing Me
that you truly love Me.
00:43:54.36\00:43:57.77
That's why Jesus comes along
and in John 14, 15 He says,
00:43:57.80\00:44:01.20
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:44:01.24\00:44:03.91
The greatest sign of
loyalty is obedience.
00:44:03.94\00:44:08.84
Of allegiance is obedience.
00:44:08.88\00:44:10.58
That why when two individuals
00:44:10.61\00:44:13.52
give their vows at
the marriage altar,
00:44:13.55\00:44:17.15
they say before God and
before all these witnesses,
00:44:17.19\00:44:23.06
I will choose to be
faithful to you till what?
00:44:23.09\00:44:26.39
Till death do us apart or
till I find the better offer?
00:44:26.43\00:44:29.83
Till death do us
apart, that's loyalty.
00:44:29.86\00:44:33.03
Loyalty equals love.
00:44:33.07\00:44:35.94
It equals obedience.
00:44:35.97\00:44:38.81
It equals faithfulness.
00:44:38.84\00:44:41.61
Jesus, He knocks in
the door of our hearts.
00:44:41.64\00:44:46.18
We read the scripture in
our previous presentation
00:44:46.21\00:44:48.68
from Revelation
3:20 where Jesus says,
00:44:48.72\00:44:52.02
behold I stand at
the door and what?
00:44:52.05\00:44:54.16
Knock.
00:44:54.19\00:44:55.52
If any one hears my
voice and opens the door,
00:44:55.56\00:44:58.93
I will come into him and
dine with him and he with me.
00:44:58.96\00:45:03.03
Jesus is a gentleman.
00:45:03.06\00:45:05.03
Jesus doesn't
barge down the door.
00:45:05.07\00:45:08.07
Jesus simply knocks and He says,
00:45:08.10\00:45:10.54
are you willing
for me to come in
00:45:10.57\00:45:12.77
and share My life with you?
00:45:12.81\00:45:14.84
If you are, I
will come in, if not,
00:45:14.88\00:45:18.11
I will stay on the outside.
00:45:18.15\00:45:19.98
That door only has one handle
00:45:20.02\00:45:22.58
and guess where
that handle is located?
00:45:22.62\00:45:25.25
It's on the
inside, its' on the inside.
00:45:25.29\00:45:28.26
You and I must be willing
00:45:28.29\00:45:30.36
to allow Jesus
Christ into our lives.
00:45:30.39\00:45:32.39
He doesn't come and barge
in, and He is not like a thief.
00:45:32.43\00:45:34.96
A thief comes and barges in.
00:45:35.00\00:45:37.53
But Jesus says,
I come and I knock.
00:45:37.57\00:45:41.00
I love this statement,
00:45:41.04\00:45:42.84
"God would rather wrestle
with our rebellious wills
00:45:42.87\00:45:46.68
than to reign supreme
over rocks and trees."
00:45:46.71\00:45:50.65
That's a powerful statement.
00:45:50.68\00:45:52.71
God would rather
wrestle with our rebellious,
00:45:52.75\00:45:56.58
with our stubborn,
00:45:56.62\00:45:58.09
with our pride filled wills than
00:45:58.12\00:46:01.26
reign supreme
over rocks and trees.
00:46:01.29\00:46:04.06
God could have
created the angels as robots.
00:46:04.09\00:46:07.50
God could have
created us as robots,
00:46:07.53\00:46:10.83
programmed to do
just as He chose,
00:46:10.87\00:46:14.64
but then He wouldn't have
beings that He could love,
00:46:14.67\00:46:18.24
He wouldn't have beings
that could express love to Him
00:46:18.27\00:46:21.94
because love is the
foundation of God's government.
00:46:21.98\00:46:25.61
Love is the greatest
power in the universe.
00:46:25.65\00:46:30.32
Has this world,
00:46:30.35\00:46:32.12
has this universe
experienced the love of God?
00:46:32.15\00:46:36.06
Have they seen the love of God?
00:46:36.09\00:46:38.29
Has this universe
had the opportunity
00:46:38.33\00:46:41.36
to see the character of God
00:46:41.40\00:46:43.80
in comparison with
the character of the devil
00:46:43.83\00:46:46.57
and Satan at Calvary?
00:46:46.60\00:46:50.97
The whole world,
the whole universe
00:46:51.01\00:46:53.84
had an opportunity
to see the two sides,
00:46:53.88\00:46:58.48
head to head their
characters for all to see.
00:46:58.51\00:47:03.99
Jesus cried out
Father, forgive them,
00:47:04.02\00:47:07.32
for they don't know
what they are doing.
00:47:07.36\00:47:09.36
And the devil through his
servants cried out crucify Him,
00:47:09.39\00:47:13.09
crucify Him, crucify Him.
00:47:13.13\00:47:16.26
At Calvary, we have a clear
demonstration of both sides.
00:47:16.30\00:47:21.77
We have a clear
demonstration of the thief
00:47:21.80\00:47:24.44
who only comes to steal
and to kill and to destroy.
00:47:24.47\00:47:28.54
And we have a
clear demonstration
00:47:28.58\00:47:30.41
of God and His love.
00:47:30.45\00:47:32.98
Or where is God
when I'm hurting?
00:47:33.01\00:47:35.52
Where is God when I'm hurting
and even hurting right now?
00:47:35.55\00:47:39.42
Notice this beautiful
promise in Hebrews 13:5.
00:47:39.45\00:47:43.63
God says, "I will never
leave you nor forsake you."
00:47:43.66\00:47:47.30
He is always there with you.
00:47:47.33\00:47:48.66
I love this
promise in Matthew 28:20,
00:47:48.70\00:47:52.67
at the end of Matthew's Gospel,
00:47:52.70\00:47:55.04
he quotes the words of Jesus,
00:47:55.07\00:47:57.91
''I am with you" how often?
00:47:57.94\00:48:00.28
"Always, even to
the end of the age."
00:48:00.31\00:48:03.61
Notice the words of the writer
00:48:03.65\00:48:06.38
of the Book of
Hebrews 4:15 and 16,
00:48:06.41\00:48:10.49
"For we do not
have a High Priest
00:48:10.52\00:48:12.65
who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses,
00:48:12.69\00:48:15.02
but was in all
points tempted as we are,
00:48:15.06\00:48:17.89
yet without sin.
00:48:17.93\00:48:19.26
Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace,
00:48:19.29\00:48:22.23
that we may obtain mercy
00:48:22.26\00:48:24.20
and find grace to
help in the time of need."
00:48:24.23\00:48:27.24
The good news is that
Jesus is with us always.
00:48:27.27\00:48:32.11
He is there to
provide His mercies.
00:48:32.14\00:48:34.58
He is there to provide
His grace in the time of need,
00:48:34.61\00:48:38.21
so you are never alone.
00:48:38.25\00:48:40.32
When you are going
through your trials,
00:48:40.35\00:48:42.58
when you are going
through your troubles,
00:48:42.62\00:48:44.62
Jesus is there with you
00:48:44.65\00:48:46.55
just as the Father was
there with His Son at Calvary,
00:48:46.59\00:48:50.56
Jesus will be there with you.
00:48:50.59\00:48:52.73
He has promised,
00:48:52.76\00:48:54.10
I will never leave
you nor forsake you.
00:48:54.13\00:48:56.60
Whilst heaven and earth remain,
00:48:56.63\00:48:58.63
I will be with you
always until the end of the age.
00:48:58.67\00:49:03.67
That's a wonderful promise
that God has given to us.
00:49:03.71\00:49:07.98
The Book of
Revelation does not end
00:49:08.01\00:49:13.52
with us here on this earth
00:49:13.55\00:49:16.42
and sin and suffering,
00:49:16.45\00:49:18.55
and sorrow and evil,
00:49:18.59\00:49:20.62
and injustice
carrying on indefinitely.
00:49:20.66\00:49:24.16
Notice how the
Book of Revelation ends.
00:49:24.19\00:49:27.86
Right at the end
a couple of chapters
00:49:27.90\00:49:30.13
from the very end
we have these words.
00:49:30.17\00:49:31.93
In Revelation 20:9 and 10,
00:49:31.97\00:49:34.74
"Fire came down from God
00:49:34.77\00:49:36.54
out of heaven and devoured them.
00:49:36.57\00:49:38.41
The devil, who deceived them,
00:49:38.44\00:49:40.64
was cast into the lake of" what?
00:49:40.68\00:49:43.28
"Into the lake of fire."
00:49:43.31\00:49:45.45
The Bible tells
us that the devil
00:49:45.48\00:49:47.65
and his angels and sadly,
00:49:47.68\00:49:49.62
sadly very, very
sadly those that have chosen
00:49:49.65\00:49:53.86
to believe in his lies,
00:49:53.89\00:49:55.36
those that have chosen
to be part of his government
00:49:55.39\00:49:58.93
will sadly be lost
in the lake of fire.
00:49:58.96\00:50:02.66
Do you know that lake of
fire was not designed for you
00:50:02.70\00:50:05.93
or for me or for anybody
else living on planet earth.
00:50:05.97\00:50:09.77
Jesus in Matthew 25:41,
00:50:09.80\00:50:12.71
He said the devil and his angels
00:50:12.74\00:50:17.65
are reserved for
that lake of fire.
00:50:17.68\00:50:20.95
That lake of fire is for
the devil and his angels.
00:50:20.98\00:50:25.22
So why doesn't God
just save everyone?
00:50:25.25\00:50:27.82
Why doesn't He
just save everyone?
00:50:27.86\00:50:31.19
The truth is,
00:50:31.23\00:50:35.26
if God decided to save
people against their will,
00:50:35.30\00:50:40.30
they would find themselves
00:50:40.34\00:50:41.87
living in eternal misery
00:50:41.90\00:50:46.04
there in the
heavenly courts above.
00:50:46.07\00:50:48.38
That would be just like
putting me in front of the TV
00:50:48.41\00:50:51.95
and making me,
00:50:51.98\00:50:53.31
forcing me to watch days of
our lives all day, everyday.
00:50:53.35\00:50:57.22
What would do that for my soul?
00:50:57.25\00:50:59.55
That would destroy my soul.
00:50:59.59\00:51:01.62
That would be liking
putting me in front of the TV
00:51:01.66\00:51:03.66
and making me watch
violent movies, immoral movies.
00:51:03.69\00:51:08.96
That would be
torture to my soul.
00:51:09.00\00:51:11.20
So those that have
chosen the character of Satan,
00:51:11.23\00:51:15.80
rather than the
character of Jesus Christ
00:51:15.84\00:51:18.17
to be in the
presence of Jesus Christ
00:51:18.21\00:51:20.98
would be torture for them.
00:51:21.01\00:51:22.64
So God does the
most merciful thing
00:51:22.68\00:51:25.18
that He can do and He simply
blots them out of existence.
00:51:25.21\00:51:29.98
They have chosen not
to associate themselves
00:51:30.02\00:51:33.42
with the life
support of the universe.
00:51:33.46\00:51:36.93
God who is the life
support of the universe,
00:51:36.96\00:51:40.10
and sadly they will be lost.
00:51:40.13\00:51:43.80
It's not God's choice,
00:51:43.83\00:51:45.87
for God is not willing that any
should perish the Bible says,
00:51:45.90\00:51:49.00
but that all
should come to repentance,
00:51:49.04\00:51:52.21
for God so loved the world
00:51:52.24\00:51:53.68
that He gave His
only begotten Son
00:51:53.71\00:51:55.18
that whosoever, and that
whosoever is even one person,
00:51:55.21\00:51:58.31
it's everyone believes
in Him should not perish
00:51:58.35\00:52:01.28
but have everlasting life.
00:52:01.32\00:52:03.35
God is not willing
that any should perish.
00:52:03.39\00:52:07.32
I am looking forward to the day
00:52:07.36\00:52:09.16
when God will indeed
make a brand new planet.
00:52:09.19\00:52:12.59
And in Revelation
21:4 notice these words.
00:52:12.63\00:52:16.80
John writes as
he sees in vision,
00:52:16.83\00:52:20.47
what is awaiting God's people,
00:52:20.50\00:52:22.54
"And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes,
00:52:22.57\00:52:25.51
there shall be no more death,
00:52:25.54\00:52:26.88
nor sorrow, nor crying.
00:52:26.91\00:52:28.54
There shall be no more pain,
00:52:28.58\00:52:30.38
for the former
things have passed away."
00:52:30.41\00:52:32.61
Hallelujah.
00:52:32.65\00:52:33.98
Isn't that good news?
00:52:34.02\00:52:35.38
The day's coming
when pain and suffering
00:52:35.42\00:52:38.42
and sorrow will be no more.
00:52:38.45\00:52:40.26
Death, disease and destruction
00:52:40.29\00:52:42.82
will be forgotten for ever more.
00:52:42.86\00:52:46.19
There shall be no more pain,
00:52:46.23\00:52:48.93
the former
things have passed away.
00:52:48.96\00:52:52.13
Some may ask what if, what if,
00:52:52.17\00:52:55.20
what if
somewhere down the track,
00:52:55.24\00:52:58.44
through the
ceaseless ages of eternity
00:52:58.47\00:53:00.78
someone asks the question
00:53:00.81\00:53:02.98
that was asked at
the very beginning
00:53:03.01\00:53:05.85
by God's leading angel,
00:53:05.88\00:53:08.08
is God really as
loving as we think He is?
00:53:08.12\00:53:14.02
Will sin rise up a second time?
00:53:14.06\00:53:16.99
The Bible says no, why?
00:53:17.03\00:53:19.36
The evidence is on
the hands of Jesus,
00:53:19.39\00:53:23.03
the evidence is written
on His brow for all to see,
00:53:23.06\00:53:26.77
the evidence is
there on his faith,
00:53:26.80\00:53:28.24
the evidence is in His side.
00:53:28.27\00:53:30.91
The evidence
will be clear for all,
00:53:30.94\00:53:33.98
sin will not
rise up a second time.
00:53:34.01\00:53:38.41
I want to take
you as we conclude
00:53:38.45\00:53:40.88
to the country of
origin of my parents,
00:53:40.92\00:53:47.16
the country of Macedonia,
00:53:47.19\00:53:50.26
to the town of Laki.
00:53:50.29\00:53:52.46
I was In fact
conceived in Macedonia
00:53:52.49\00:53:54.96
and dropped off in Melbourne,
00:53:55.00\00:53:56.33
so that's kind
of my short history.
00:53:56.36\00:53:59.03
Many years ago,
00:53:59.07\00:54:00.40
this is where my dad's father
grew up in a town called Laki,
00:54:00.44\00:54:05.67
and there is really
nothing lucky about it,
00:54:05.71\00:54:08.14
it's a pretty tough
little town to grow up in
00:54:08.18\00:54:11.91
and here are my grandparents.
00:54:11.95\00:54:14.22
My granddad
there and my grandma.
00:54:14.25\00:54:18.15
I had the
opportunity of visiting them
00:54:18.19\00:54:21.49
when I was young
a couple of times
00:54:21.52\00:54:23.36
and then when I
turned 21 and 22,
00:54:23.39\00:54:25.63
I decided to go and
spend some time with them.
00:54:25.66\00:54:27.50
I had a great time
with my grandparents,
00:54:27.53\00:54:30.30
it was wonderful to see them,
00:54:30.33\00:54:31.83
to see where they lived
and this is their village
00:54:31.87\00:54:35.10
as you can see and
just a beautiful place,
00:54:35.14\00:54:38.27
very different to Melbourne,
00:54:38.31\00:54:39.64
to the western
suburbs of Melbourne.
00:54:39.67\00:54:41.11
This is a birthday that
we had for my grandfather,
00:54:41.14\00:54:43.65
his 88th birthday.
00:54:43.68\00:54:45.75
He was an orphan,
00:54:45.78\00:54:47.15
so he has actually no idea
00:54:47.18\00:54:48.68
when he was born,
00:54:48.72\00:54:50.05
there was no record
kept of the day he was born,
00:54:50.09\00:54:52.12
the month he was
born, just the year 1914.
00:54:52.15\00:54:54.86
And so we decided to have a
birthday for my grandfather.
00:54:54.89\00:54:58.39
Fifteen years after I'm seeing
my grandfather and grandmother,
00:54:58.43\00:55:03.00
I came back to
Macedonia to run a program
00:55:03.03\00:55:05.30
such as I'm
running here in Domino.
00:55:05.33\00:55:07.00
I had the opportunity to
share and while I was there,
00:55:07.04\00:55:10.44
I visited my
grandfather's village again
00:55:10.47\00:55:12.81
and this time I decided to go
to my grandfather's grave site.
00:55:12.84\00:55:18.75
My grandfather's
grave site is there,
00:55:18.78\00:55:21.18
as you can see
just a simple grave
00:55:21.22\00:55:23.72
and as I reflected on my
time with my grandfather,
00:55:23.75\00:55:29.49
I couldn't help but
reflect on those final moments
00:55:29.52\00:55:32.89
I spend with granddad.
00:55:32.93\00:55:34.80
I remember we
were at the bus stop
00:55:34.83\00:55:36.97
and I just had a feeling
that this might be the last time
00:55:37.00\00:55:40.97
I would ever talk
or see my grandfather
00:55:41.00\00:55:42.77
and I loved him,
00:55:42.80\00:55:44.14
we just had a
wonderful relationship.
00:55:44.17\00:55:45.51
He was just very loving
and very caring and very kind.
00:55:45.54\00:55:48.51
And I remember
sharing with him these words,
00:55:48.54\00:55:50.81
I was impressed
to share these words,
00:55:50.85\00:55:52.18
I said granddad,
00:55:52.21\00:55:53.55
this maybe be last time
00:55:53.58\00:55:54.92
we see each other
here on this earth
00:55:54.95\00:55:57.15
but I want to make you
a promise by God's grace,
00:55:57.19\00:55:59.25
when Jesus comes I
will see you in the kingdom,
00:55:59.29\00:56:02.99
and I said to him granddad,
00:56:03.02\00:56:04.96
I want you to make me a
promise that when Jesus come,
00:56:04.99\00:56:08.96
we'll be together again forever
00:56:09.00\00:56:11.13
and with tears
streaming down our faces,
00:56:11.17\00:56:14.94
we hugged and we embraced.
00:56:14.97\00:56:17.34
I'm looking forward to
that day when Jesus comes.
00:56:17.37\00:56:20.21
My granddad now rests,
awaiting the resurrection.
00:56:20.24\00:56:23.85
What about you?
00:56:23.88\00:56:25.21
Do you want to join Jesus
00:56:25.25\00:56:26.65
and all those that have put
their faith and trust in Him
00:56:26.68\00:56:29.58
on that awesome day
00:56:29.62\00:56:31.22
when God will
make all things new?
00:56:31.25\00:56:33.89
If that's your decision,
00:56:33.92\00:56:35.26
why don't you just bow
your heads with me as we pray?
00:56:35.29\00:56:37.89
Loving Father in heaven,
00:56:37.93\00:56:39.26
we thank You for the
promise of Your soon return.
00:56:39.29\00:56:42.06
We thank You Father that one day
00:56:42.10\00:56:43.73
You will make all things right.
00:56:43.77\00:56:45.77
We thank You Father that one day
00:56:45.80\00:56:47.44
there will be no more pain,
00:56:47.47\00:56:48.80
no more
suffering, no more sorrow,
00:56:48.84\00:56:51.37
no more evil,
00:56:51.41\00:56:52.91
for the former things
would have all passed away.
00:56:52.94\00:56:55.41
Until that day
Father, may we trust in Jesus,
00:56:55.44\00:56:57.91
may we look to Him,
00:56:57.95\00:56:59.78
for this is our
prayer in his name, amen.
00:56:59.81\00:57:02.32