Welcome to the fourth episode
in this series on Noah, Noah,
00:00:28.82\00:00:34.43
Another Storm is Coming,
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and today's message is
entitled Crumbling Foundations.
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So wherever you are joining us,
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whether it be
somewhere here in Australia,
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the land down under, or
somewhere around the world,
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I want to give you
a very warm welcome.
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And I am so glad that
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you have chosen
to spend this time
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in God's Word with us
here on Focus on God's Word.
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I want to welcome
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and thank the
audience here at 3ABN,
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Australia, for being here
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as we share in
God's Word together.
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It's always a privilege
to see smiling, happy faces,
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continue to keep
smiling, and looking up
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because Jesus is coming soon.
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Amen, and amen.
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And that is why we are
in this series together.
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Because Jesus said, "As
it was in the days of Noah,
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and He also
mentioned the days of Lord,
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so it will be just
before He returns."
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And I am coming under
stronger conviction day by day
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that Jesus is indeed
coming very, very soon.
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And in this particular message
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as we take a look at
crumbling foundations,
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we will discover how close
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we indeed are to the
sound of the trumpet.
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We want to take a look
at the three key points
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that we have been
looking at each and every time
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we have been in
this series together
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that give us the
overall importance
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of why we are
studying this message together.
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Firstly, the story of
Noah clearly identifies
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the earth's final generation.
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Secondly, it enables us to know
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and understand
how we can be ready
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when the Son of Man returns.
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And thirdly, and I
believe most important of all,
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it provides instruction
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on how we can prepare
others for Jesus' soon return.
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So how many of
you want to be ready
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for the coming of Jesus?
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Amen.
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How many of you want to prepare
others for the coming of Jesus?
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Amen, you're at the right place,
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you're at the right place.
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So let's pray before we
plunge into God's Word together.
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Father in heaven,
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we have yet
another important study
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in Your Word together,
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as we examine the
days of Noah in particular,
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and as we also take a look
briefly at the days of Lot.
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Father, we ask and pray that
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You will open our
hearts and our minds
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as we open up Your Holy Word,
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that we may indeed not
only understand the times
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that we are living
in, but more importantly
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how we ought to respond,
how we ought to respond.
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So bless us now,
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we pray through Your Holy Spirit
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in Jesus' name.
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Amen and amen.
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Well, I want to begin
by sharing with you that
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I take no credit
in some of the things
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that I'm going
to share with you.
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As in the
parallels from creation,
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to the days of Noah, to our day,
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God has given me these wonderful
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and blessed insights, I
give all the glory to Him.
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In case you're wondering,
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where did Danny
get these ideas from?
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I didn't get them in any book.
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I didn't hear
them in any sermon.
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The Lord impressed me with
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what I'm about
to share with you.
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So some of this
will be brand new.
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Well, I think it'll
be brand new for most,
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if not all of you and
those who are watching.
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So I want to give
you an overall landscape
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or airplane view
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of where we'll be
going in this message.
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Firstly, we're going
to take a look at the war
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over God's three
Edenic blessings.
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We're gonna discover
that God gave the human race,
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He gave the
world three blessings
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at the beginning of time
when He created this world.
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Firstly, in Eden,
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God blessed humanity
with three precious blessings.
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We're going to discover
what they are in just a moment.
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Over the next 1600 years,
Satan's influence upon humanity
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was responsible for destroying
all three of these blessings.
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And isn't that
just like the devil?
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As I pointed out in
our previous presentation,
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his name is evil
with a capital D.
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Isn't this just like the devil
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who Jesus
described as one who has come
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only to steal, kill, and what?
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And destroy,
that's in John 10:10.
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Where Jesus says,
"I've come to give them life
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and give them a
more abundant life."
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So whilst Jesus is in
the business of giving us
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the abundant life,
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the enemy is
seeking to take that away,
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and so there's
no surprises there.
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So after the
flood, as we continue,
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after the flood
through Noah and His family,
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God restored all
three blessings to humanity.
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We'll discover
that. But is Satan done?
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Is he willing to let
go now that God's people
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and that the world may enjoy
God's three Edenic blessings?
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No.
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Satan did not
waste any time in seeking
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to once again destroy
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and dismantle
God's precious blessings
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to the human family.
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His attack would
climax in the period the Bible
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refers to as
the time of the end.
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That's the last 200 years
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or so that we
have been living in,
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the period immediately
prior to the coming of Jesus.
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However, however,
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that's not the end of the story.
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However, God will once again
have a faithful Noah generation
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at the end of time
that will remain true to
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and wholly embrace
His Edenic blessings.
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And may I add,
share them with the world.
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So what are these
three Edenic blessings
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that God blessed the world with?
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When God created this world,
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it was a
beautiful world filled with,
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filled with
everything that was to provide,
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joy and happiness,
and peace and love.
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In fact, Eden,
the word Eden means
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pleasure and delight.
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You know what the word
garden means in Hebrew?
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It means to be enclosed.
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So you put those
two words together,
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Garden of Eden, God's
plan for the human race
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was for Him to
enclose His precious people,
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the animals, everything,
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in this garden filled
with pleasure and delight.
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Isn't that beautiful?
Isn't that just like God?
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Well, let's take a look
at God's three blessings.
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And God's three
blessings are these
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that He gave to the human race
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at creation on day
five, day six, and day seven.
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At creation God
blessed the animals,
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all the animals,
as we'll discover,
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He blessed
marriage and the family
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and He blessed the seventh day.
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Now, if we go to the
scriptures there in Genesis.
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In Genesis 1:22,
we read these words,
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"And God," did what?
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"He blessed them saying,
'Be fruitful and multiply,
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and fill the waters in the seas,
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and let birds
multiply on the earth."
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This is on day five.
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God blessed the fish
and He blessed the birds
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and He said to them,
be fruitful and multiply.
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That word blessed
appears for the first time
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there in that
passage in Genesis 1:22.
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The second time the
word blessed appears
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is in Genesis 1:28.
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It says, "Then God bless
them," that is Adam and Eve,
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"and God said to them,
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'Be fruitful and multiply,
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fill the earth and subdue it,
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have dominion over
the fish of the sea,
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over the birds of the air,
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and over every living
thing that moves on the earth.'"
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And before we, before
we unpack this briefly,
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the blessing was
also in association
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with the land animals
that God created on day six.
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Why is that?
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That's because
that will give him
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the command as the fish
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and the birds to
be fruitful and what?
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And multiply so they
received the same blessing.
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It's implied even though
it's not directly stated.
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But here in this passage,
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God is
specifically blessing marriage
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and the family.
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And the third blessing,
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the third time that
word blessed appears
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in the creation narrative
is here in Genesis 2:2-3.
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We read, "And
on the seventh day,
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God ended His
work which He had done,
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and He rested on the seventh day
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from all these
work which He had done."
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Verse 3, "Then God," did what?
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"He blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it,
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because in it He
rested from all His work,
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which God had made
and created and made."
00:08:44.29\00:08:47.99
So here we have
God's three blessings.
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At creation, all the
animals were blessed,
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and all of
creation, you could say,
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all of creation was blessed,
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because in order
for the animals to be
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able to be
fruitful and multiply,
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they need to be surrounded
by the right environment,
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isn't that right?
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In order for
humans to grow and develop
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and for humans to enjoy that,
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that love and that grace that
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God had poured out
on the human family
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in the Garden of Eden,
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this garden of
pleasure and delight,
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they also need to
have the right environment.
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So that's absolutely critical.
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And God blessed the
seventh day Sabbath.
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Well, let's take a
look at this first blessing.
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Let's take a look
at this first blessing.
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The first blessing of God
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blessing the animals and nature.
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After the flood, when
God recreated this world,
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I guess, while
He didn't recreate
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this world as He created it.
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At the beginning of creation,
it was a different world,
00:09:50.52\00:09:53.02
a very different
world, but I believe God
00:09:53.05\00:09:54.69
had His hand upon
this world even so,
00:09:54.72\00:09:58.53
as the dust settled
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or should I say
as the mud settled
00:09:59.93\00:10:01.90
after the flood.
00:10:01.93\00:10:04.07
In Genesis 8:17,
notice what God tells Noah,
00:10:04.10\00:10:09.10
Genesis 8:17,
00:10:09.14\00:10:10.84
God says to
Noah after the flood,
00:10:10.87\00:10:13.14
he's walked out of
the ark with his family.
00:10:13.17\00:10:16.81
And God says to him,
00:10:16.85\00:10:18.18
"Bring out with you
every living thing of all flesh
00:10:18.21\00:10:20.75
that is with you:
00:10:20.78\00:10:22.12
birds and cattle
and every creeping thing
00:10:22.15\00:10:24.09
that creeps on the earth,
00:10:24.12\00:10:25.45
so that they may abound
on the earth, and be," what?
00:10:25.49\00:10:28.92
"Fruitful and
multiply on the earth."
00:10:28.96\00:10:31.69
So God gives the
very same command to Noah
00:10:31.73\00:10:35.83
that He gave at the
very beginning of time
00:10:35.86\00:10:38.33
to the animals,
00:10:38.37\00:10:39.70
when He said to them,
"Be fruitful and multiply."
00:10:39.73\00:10:42.10
So God is seeking,
00:10:42.14\00:10:43.81
God is seeking to
restore that blessing from Eden.
00:10:43.84\00:10:48.48
Now, the animals
00:10:48.51\00:10:50.28
and the
environment did very well
00:10:50.31\00:10:52.91
or should I say,
00:10:52.95\00:10:54.28
at least reasonably
well from the days of Noah
00:10:54.32\00:10:58.95
after the flood
all the way through up
00:10:58.99\00:11:01.26
until the last 200 years.
00:11:01.29\00:11:04.59
In the last 200 years,
00:11:04.63\00:11:05.96
we have the advent
of the industrial what?
00:11:05.99\00:11:09.56
The Industrial Age or
the Industrial Revolution.
00:11:09.60\00:11:13.74
We have a time of
population explosion.
00:11:13.77\00:11:18.57
We have a time of
tremendous pressure
00:11:18.61\00:11:22.91
on the environment,
00:11:22.94\00:11:24.28
and especially on the animals.
00:11:24.31\00:11:26.78
We have meat eating,
becoming stock standard
00:11:26.82\00:11:31.29
around the world.
00:11:31.32\00:11:32.65
And so we've
got a lot of people,
00:11:32.69\00:11:34.02
we've almost
got 8 billion people
00:11:34.06\00:11:35.39
as we've
discovered, living in this world
00:11:35.42\00:11:37.89
that are eating
more and more flesh.
00:11:37.93\00:11:40.36
Now, you may not know this,
00:11:40.40\00:11:42.56
but I discovered
that livestock farming
00:11:42.60\00:11:45.97
takes up nearly 80% of
global agricultural land,
00:11:46.00\00:11:50.87
80% yet only
produces 20% of our calories,
00:11:50.91\00:11:57.25
20% of the world's
calories for 80% of the land.
00:11:57.28\00:12:00.95
In fact, I discovered that prior
00:12:00.98\00:12:03.62
to the Industrial Revolution
00:12:03.65\00:12:05.32
some 200 years ago,
00:12:05.35\00:12:08.22
15% of this world's surface,
00:12:08.26\00:12:12.26
I should say land surface
was made up of rainforest, 15%.
00:12:12.29\00:12:17.30
Today, rainforests make up 6%
00:12:17.33\00:12:21.94
of our total world surface.
00:12:21.97\00:12:25.91
Today, we are doing a great job
in destroying our environment,
00:12:25.94\00:12:30.58
destroying the animals.
00:12:30.61\00:12:34.18
God said in Revelation
11:18, that He would destroy
00:12:34.22\00:12:37.35
those who destroy the earth.
00:12:37.39\00:12:39.29
Today, we are
destroying the earth like
00:12:39.32\00:12:42.02
at no other time
in human history.
00:12:42.06\00:12:45.13
In fact, young people,
00:12:45.16\00:12:46.49
if you ask young
people aged 18 to 35,
00:12:46.53\00:12:48.90
what is their greatest concern?
00:12:48.93\00:12:51.13
What is their greatest concern?
00:12:51.17\00:12:52.73
You know what it is?
00:12:52.77\00:12:54.10
It's the
environment, and rightly so.
00:12:54.14\00:12:57.04
The environment,
00:12:57.07\00:12:58.41
they care about the environment,
00:12:58.44\00:12:59.77
that's the most
important thing for them
00:12:59.81\00:13:01.78
as young people
because they're starting out,
00:13:01.81\00:13:03.91
they're wondering
what kind of future
00:13:03.95\00:13:05.28
are we going to have?
00:13:05.31\00:13:06.65
What kind of future
our children going to have?
00:13:06.68\00:13:08.32
And without getting
into the whole debate,
00:13:08.35\00:13:10.99
God has given us
00:13:11.02\00:13:12.79
as His people very
specific instructions
00:13:12.82\00:13:15.16
to take care of the environment.
00:13:15.19\00:13:19.79
We have sadly misunderstood
and misinterpreted the words
00:13:19.83\00:13:22.93
that God shared
with Adam and Eve,
00:13:22.96\00:13:24.83
at the very beginning of time
00:13:24.87\00:13:26.20
when He gave them
very clear instructions
00:13:26.23\00:13:28.94
on how they were to
deal with the environment
00:13:28.97\00:13:31.87
that God blessed them with.
00:13:31.91\00:13:33.24
Notice these words
in Genesis 1:26-28.
00:13:33.27\00:13:37.01
We read, "Then God said,"
00:13:37.05\00:13:38.61
He's speaking to Adam
and Eve, let us, sorry,
00:13:38.65\00:13:43.02
God is speaking amongst Himself,
00:13:43.05\00:13:44.95
but He's giving instructions
to Adam and Eve as well.
00:13:44.99\00:13:46.65
"Let us make man
00:13:46.69\00:13:48.02
in Our image
according to our likeness,
00:13:48.06\00:13:50.23
let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
00:13:50.26\00:13:53.06
over the birds of the air,
00:13:53.09\00:13:54.43
and over the
cattle over all the earth
00:13:54.46\00:13:56.16
and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth."
00:13:56.20\00:13:58.50
And in verse 28, we
read very similar words,
00:13:58.53\00:14:01.47
"Then God bless them
and God said to them,
00:14:01.50\00:14:03.47
'Be fruitful and multiply,
fill the earth and subdue it,
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.91
have dominion over
the fish of the sea,
00:14:05.94\00:14:08.11
over the birds of the air,
and over every living thing
00:14:08.14\00:14:10.21
that moves on the earth."
00:14:10.25\00:14:11.58
Dominion.
00:14:11.61\00:14:12.95
Dominion does not mean dominate.
00:14:12.98\00:14:16.08
Dominion does not mean exploit.
00:14:16.12\00:14:18.95
Dominion does not mean abuse.
00:14:18.99\00:14:20.79
Notice what that
word dominion means.
00:14:20.82\00:14:23.43
I was going through this passage
00:14:23.46\00:14:25.76
in my Andrews Study Bible
00:14:25.79\00:14:27.33
and I came across this
very insightful comment,
00:14:27.36\00:14:33.44
and unpacking of
this term dominion.
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.64
Notice, the
term, that is dominion,
00:14:36.67\00:14:39.61
does not speak of
exploiting the natural world,
00:14:39.64\00:14:42.78
but rather of sharing,
00:14:42.81\00:14:44.61
but rather of
share in the divine rule,
00:14:44.65\00:14:47.32
given to humanity
00:14:47.35\00:14:48.68
because they are
created in God's image
00:14:48.72\00:14:50.52
and are thus
capable of distinguishing
00:14:50.55\00:14:53.05
between
exploitation and stewardship."
00:14:53.09\00:14:57.46
So what are we to do?
00:14:57.49\00:15:00.80
We are to be caretakers.
00:15:00.83\00:15:03.06
We are stewards, we
are responsible from God,
00:15:03.10\00:15:09.27
He has given us
that responsibility
00:15:09.30\00:15:11.04
to take care of the environment.
00:15:11.07\00:15:12.84
Now, does that mean that
we still need to go ahead
00:15:12.87\00:15:16.18
and cut down trees
in order to build homes?
00:15:16.21\00:15:18.15
Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:15:18.18\00:15:20.92
To clear land in
order to have gardens
00:15:20.95\00:15:23.35
and so on and so forth?
00:15:23.39\00:15:24.72
Yes, we need to do all that.
00:15:24.75\00:15:27.09
But there's a big difference
between using responsibly
00:15:27.12\00:15:31.46
what God has given us and
exploiting it, as we have.
00:15:31.49\00:15:35.13
So that's a little
on where we are today,
00:15:35.16\00:15:38.13
and how the enemy is
seeking to destroy that
00:15:38.17\00:15:40.27
first blessing from Eden.
00:15:40.30\00:15:42.24
And He's been doing a
great job, don't you agree,
00:15:42.27\00:15:44.81
especially in the
last couple of 100 years?
00:15:44.84\00:15:47.48
Let's take a look at
the second blessing now,
00:15:47.51\00:15:49.31
the second blessing.
00:15:49.34\00:15:50.98
The second blessing
00:15:51.01\00:15:52.35
from Eden is in
relation to marriage
00:15:52.38\00:15:55.18
and the family.
00:15:55.22\00:15:58.39
In the previous
message, we discovered
00:15:58.42\00:16:00.52
that Satan destroyed marriage
00:16:00.56\00:16:05.93
and the family.
00:16:05.96\00:16:08.00
Before creation,
sorry, before the flood,
00:16:08.03\00:16:11.53
He destroyed
marriage and the family.
00:16:11.57\00:16:14.47
And as a result, wickedness,
violence and so on and so forth
00:16:14.50\00:16:19.24
pervaded our world.
00:16:19.27\00:16:21.44
Notice what God says
to Aaron, sorry, to Aaron.
00:16:21.48\00:16:24.51
Notice what God says
to Noah after the flood.
00:16:24.55\00:16:28.02
In Genesis 9:1, and 6 and 7,
00:16:28.05\00:16:32.02
we read these words,
"So God blessed Noah,"
00:16:32.05\00:16:34.16
there's that
word again, blessed,
00:16:34.19\00:16:36.12
"and his sons
and He said to them,
00:16:36.16\00:16:37.49
'Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth."
00:16:37.53\00:16:41.00
We continue reading,
"Whoever sheds man's blood.
00:16:41.03\00:16:43.73
By man his
blood shall be shared,
00:16:43.77\00:16:45.77
for in the image
of God He made man.
00:16:45.80\00:16:48.37
In verse 7, "And as for
you, be fruitful and multiply,
00:16:48.40\00:16:52.44
bring forth
abundantly in the earth,
00:16:52.47\00:16:54.51
and multiply in it."
00:16:54.54\00:16:56.04
So what was
God's message to Noah?
00:16:56.08\00:16:58.51
God's message to
Noah was the same message
00:16:58.55\00:17:01.28
that God gave to Adam and Eve,
00:17:01.32\00:17:03.15
to be fruitful and multiply.
00:17:03.18\00:17:05.95
And He reminded them
of the sacredness of life,
00:17:05.99\00:17:09.66
the sacredness
of not only humans,
00:17:09.69\00:17:11.43
but also animal life.
00:17:11.46\00:17:12.89
And He said,
"You as human beings
00:17:12.93\00:17:14.53
have been made in My image."
00:17:14.56\00:17:17.70
Human life is
precious, very, very precious.
00:17:17.73\00:17:22.17
Marriage and the family
00:17:22.20\00:17:23.94
is the very
foundation of a society.
00:17:23.97\00:17:27.38
But sadly, today,
we are experiencing
00:17:27.41\00:17:30.31
the dismantling
and the disintegration
00:17:30.35\00:17:34.25
of the family unit.
00:17:34.28\00:17:35.78
Don't you agree?
00:17:35.82\00:17:37.15
It's absolutely crystal clear.
00:17:37.19\00:17:40.66
And especially
00:17:40.69\00:17:42.02
since the period of
the time of the end,
00:17:42.06\00:17:44.09
and especially after
World War II in particular.
00:17:44.13\00:17:47.26
In our first
message, we discovered
00:17:47.30\00:17:50.00
that the
breakdown of the family unit
00:17:50.03\00:17:51.90
led to wickedness, evil,
violence, and corruption.
00:17:51.93\00:17:56.47
I want to take a
look at that word corrupt.
00:17:56.50\00:17:58.87
Have a look at Genesis 6:11-12.
00:17:58.91\00:18:02.64
Genesis 6:11-12.
00:18:02.68\00:18:06.18
And this is what we read.
00:18:06.21\00:18:08.08
"The earth also
was corrupt before God,
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.99
and the earth was
filled with violence."
00:18:11.02\00:18:13.99
Notice,
corruption leads to violence.
00:18:14.02\00:18:16.56
"So God looked upon the
earth and indeed it was corrupt,
00:18:16.59\00:18:19.86
for all flesh had
corrupted their way
00:18:19.89\00:18:22.86
on the earth."
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.40
This is fascinating.
We have this word corrupt.
00:18:24.43\00:18:29.14
Now we've heard
the word corrupt.
00:18:29.17\00:18:33.21
Often it's used in
relation to politicians.
00:18:33.24\00:18:36.54
Yes, you are correct.
00:18:36.58\00:18:39.51
But what does this
word actually mean?
00:18:39.55\00:18:42.98
Once again, back to
the Andrews Study Bible,
00:18:43.02\00:18:45.39
a wonderful, a
wonderful note here,
00:18:45.42\00:18:48.72
from the scholars of
this wonderful Bible.
00:18:48.76\00:18:52.53
Notice the term corrupt
00:18:52.56\00:18:55.16
is used to
indicate something that
00:18:55.20\00:18:57.23
is no longer fit
for or intended use.
00:18:57.27\00:19:00.87
And there's a couple
of scriptures given there.
00:19:00.90\00:19:02.47
The cause of this
corruption is violence,
00:19:02.50\00:19:05.44
which is often
associated with, notice,
00:19:05.47\00:19:07.54
social injustice,
and scriptures are given,
00:19:07.58\00:19:10.98
or the incapacity to distinguish
00:19:11.01\00:19:13.15
between the
sacred and the profane.
00:19:13.18\00:19:16.99
Well, isn't that an
interesting insight?
00:19:17.02\00:19:21.26
So we have here,
this word corrupt,
00:19:21.29\00:19:25.39
and it
represents social injustice.
00:19:25.43\00:19:30.40
And it represents not
being able to distinguish
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.97
between the
sacred and the profane,
00:19:33.00\00:19:35.20
and it leads to violence.
00:19:35.24\00:19:38.14
Here's an interesting
insight from once again,
00:19:38.17\00:19:41.34
Patriarchs and
Prophets where Ellen White
00:19:41.38\00:19:43.28
under inspiration
writes these words
00:19:43.31\00:19:45.25
more than a century ago,
00:19:45.28\00:19:46.61
she writes, "Polygamy
had been early introduced,
00:19:46.65\00:19:49.65
contrary to the
divine arrangement
00:19:49.68\00:19:51.82
at the beginning."
00:19:51.85\00:19:53.19
We read about that
in a previous message.
00:19:53.22\00:19:56.52
"The Lord gave to Adam
one wife showing His order
00:19:56.56\00:19:59.56
in that respect.
00:19:59.59\00:20:00.93
But after the
Fall, men chose to follow
00:20:00.96\00:20:02.86
their own sinful
desires, and as a result,
00:20:02.90\00:20:06.10
crime and
wretchedness rapidly increased.
00:20:06.13\00:20:09.50
Neither the marriage relation
00:20:09.54\00:20:10.97
nor the rights of
property were respected.
00:20:11.01\00:20:13.54
Whoever coveted the wives
00:20:13.58\00:20:15.18
or the
possessions of his neighbor
00:20:15.21\00:20:16.85
took them by
force and men exalted
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.21
in their deeds of violence.
00:20:19.25\00:20:21.42
They delighted in
destroying the life of animals,
00:20:21.45\00:20:25.09
and the use of flesh
for food rendered them
00:20:25.12\00:20:27.62
still more cruel
and bloodthirsty,
00:20:27.66\00:20:29.52
until they came
to regard human life
00:20:29.56\00:20:32.73
with astonishing indifference."
00:20:32.76\00:20:35.13
Wow!
00:20:35.16\00:20:37.03
So here we have,
here we have immorality
00:20:37.07\00:20:41.00
and violence going
hand in hand, hand in hand.
00:20:41.04\00:20:46.64
Marriage and the
family was disregarded,
00:20:46.68\00:20:50.38
and violence followed.
00:20:50.41\00:20:51.88
That's just how it goes.
00:20:51.91\00:20:53.52
And we're going to
discover that more and more
00:20:53.55\00:20:55.08
as we go along.
00:20:55.12\00:20:56.99
Now, what does God
have to say about marriage?
00:20:57.02\00:20:59.85
Let's go to the words of Jesus,
straight to the words of Jesus.
00:20:59.89\00:21:02.82
Notice what Jesus had to say,
00:21:02.86\00:21:04.33
and He reflects on
the creation account.
00:21:04.36\00:21:07.13
Notice these
words, Matthew 19:4-6,
00:21:07.16\00:21:11.93
"And He, that is Jesus,
answered and said to them,
00:21:11.97\00:21:14.57
'Have you not read
that He who made them
00:21:14.60\00:21:17.17
at the beginning made
them male and female,'
00:21:17.21\00:21:20.51
and said, 'For this reason,
00:21:20.54\00:21:21.88
a man shall leave
his father and mother
00:21:21.91\00:21:23.48
and be joined to his wife,
00:21:23.51\00:21:24.98
and the two shall
become one flesh?'"
00:21:25.01\00:21:26.85
And verse 6, "So then they
are no longer two but one flesh.
00:21:26.88\00:21:30.72
Therefore, notice these words,
while God has joined together,
00:21:30.75\00:21:34.62
let not man," what?
00:21:34.66\00:21:36.73
"Separate."
00:21:36.76\00:21:38.19
Jesus here is saying,
what God puts together,
00:21:38.23\00:21:41.63
what God blesses,
you have no business,
00:21:41.66\00:21:46.17
and you would be absolutely
foolish to mess with that.
00:21:46.20\00:21:51.44
Why?
00:21:51.47\00:21:52.81
Because as goes the family unit,
00:21:52.84\00:21:54.88
so go society.
00:21:54.91\00:21:57.08
I have discovered in my
short life here on earth,
00:21:57.11\00:22:01.38
the further I move
away from God's principles,
00:22:01.42\00:22:04.49
the more harm, the more sorrow
00:22:04.52\00:22:07.36
and sadness are caused,
00:22:07.39\00:22:08.72
not only in my life,
00:22:08.76\00:22:10.09
but more importantly,
00:22:10.13\00:22:11.46
in the lives of those around me.
00:22:11.49\00:22:13.33
God has given us a
template, He's given us a GPS,
00:22:13.36\00:22:17.43
how best we can live our lives
00:22:17.47\00:22:19.53
in a way of peace and happiness,
00:22:19.57\00:22:22.70
and joy and prosperity.
00:22:22.74\00:22:24.14
And the further we move away
from His original divine plan,
00:22:24.17\00:22:28.48
the more problems,
00:22:28.51\00:22:30.45
the more sorrow
we cause ourselves.
00:22:30.48\00:22:33.75
So that's what
Jesus had to say about
00:22:33.78\00:22:35.85
marriage and family.
00:22:35.88\00:22:37.85
notice what the Apostle
Paul says about marriage.
00:22:37.89\00:22:41.19
He says,
"Husbands love your wives,
00:22:41.22\00:22:45.39
just as Christ
also loved the church
00:22:45.43\00:22:48.03
and gave Himself for her."
00:22:48.06\00:22:50.03
Wow!
00:22:50.07\00:22:51.40
What a powerful
admonition to husbands
00:22:51.43\00:22:55.07
to love their wives as
Christ loved the church.
00:22:55.10\00:22:58.81
And how did
Christ loved the church?
00:22:58.84\00:23:00.98
Well, Paul goes on, and he says,
00:23:01.01\00:23:02.34
He gave Himself for the church."
00:23:02.38\00:23:05.05
Imagine as husbands,
we put our wives first,
00:23:05.08\00:23:09.35
above and beyond our own needs,
00:23:09.38\00:23:11.75
and our own
expectations for ourselves.
00:23:11.79\00:23:13.46
What a
difference that would make.
00:23:13.49\00:23:14.82
Amen?
00:23:14.86\00:23:16.19
That would make
a huge difference
00:23:16.22\00:23:17.99
if we thought of
them before ourselves.
00:23:18.03\00:23:20.46
In Hebrews 13:4,
we read these words,
00:23:20.50\00:23:24.27
"Marriage is
honorable among all,
00:23:24.30\00:23:26.43
and the bed is
undefiled, but fornicators,
00:23:26.47\00:23:29.14
and adulterers God will judge."
00:23:29.17\00:23:31.87
To sum it all up,
"Marriage is Holy and Sacred.
00:23:31.91\00:23:37.11
It is the most important
God ordained human institution
00:23:37.15\00:23:40.48
that ensures for a
stable and prosperous society."
00:23:40.52\00:23:44.49
So let's take a
close look at marriage.
00:23:44.52\00:23:47.19
It was God's plan at
the beginning of time,
00:23:47.22\00:23:49.49
it was God's plan when
He repeated that command
00:23:49.52\00:23:52.96
and that instruction
to Noah and his family.
00:23:52.99\00:23:56.20
A marriage and the family
has been doing reasonably well,
00:23:56.23\00:24:00.40
up until when?
00:24:00.44\00:24:02.40
The last 200 years in particular
00:24:02.44\00:24:06.51
since World War
II came to an end.
00:24:06.54\00:24:09.41
And we have the
advent of mass media,
00:24:09.44\00:24:11.98
the television
and now the internet.
00:24:12.01\00:24:15.12
So let's take a look
at marriage and the family
00:24:15.15\00:24:19.19
in the last little while.
00:24:19.22\00:24:22.46
Well today we have
almost half of those sadly
00:24:22.49\00:24:28.13
who say I do come to the point
00:24:28.16\00:24:30.43
where they say I no longer do.
00:24:30.47\00:24:33.44
Very sad.
00:24:33.47\00:24:35.74
Today marriage
has been redefined.
00:24:35.77\00:24:39.14
Redefined, it's no
longer the biblical mandate that
00:24:39.17\00:24:43.35
God gave at the
very beginning of time,
00:24:43.38\00:24:45.68
between one man and one woman,
00:24:45.71\00:24:48.45
with the exclusion of
all others, is that right?
00:24:48.48\00:24:52.49
Now it's been redefined
in many parts of the world,
00:24:52.52\00:24:56.19
including our own country.
00:24:56.22\00:24:58.19
Intimate relationships today
00:24:58.23\00:25:00.00
can be what you want them to be.
00:25:00.03\00:25:01.93
Whatever works for you,
00:25:01.96\00:25:03.30
whatever floats
your boat is okay.
00:25:03.33\00:25:06.77
You make it up as you go.
00:25:06.80\00:25:08.90
You make it up as you go.
00:25:08.94\00:25:12.81
I found it fascinating to
take a look at some statistics
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.68
from the Australian
Bureau of Statistics.
00:25:15.71\00:25:19.05
And in 1975, so
that's not many moons ago.
00:25:19.08\00:25:23.28
In 1975
00:25:23.32\00:25:27.29
15% of individuals
00:25:27.32\00:25:30.23
who got married
lived together prior,
00:25:30.26\00:25:33.60
15% of individuals
00:25:33.63\00:25:35.46
who got married
were living together
00:25:35.50\00:25:37.43
before they got married.
00:25:37.47\00:25:38.80
Today, you want to
know what the statistic is.
00:25:38.83\00:25:41.67
Today, it's almost
80% of all who get married
00:25:41.70\00:25:45.81
were living together
before they got married.
00:25:45.84\00:25:48.64
Well, from 15% to 80%.
00:25:48.68\00:25:53.11
Today, it's a ridiculous idea
00:25:53.15\00:25:58.49
to get married,
00:25:58.52\00:26:00.06
and for that to be your
first intimate experience
00:26:00.09\00:26:02.82
on your wedding night.
00:26:02.86\00:26:04.53
That's a ridiculous idea,
who would even do such a thing.
00:26:04.56\00:26:10.53
That's just where we are today.
00:26:10.57\00:26:11.97
Sexual immorality has pervaded
00:26:12.00\00:26:14.27
every aspect of our society.
00:26:14.30\00:26:19.21
I need to talk to you
about the pornographic industry,
00:26:19.24\00:26:22.88
movies, books, music.
00:26:22.91\00:26:25.21
Today, marriage
is entertainment.
00:26:25.25\00:26:27.68
Today, people turn
on their televisions
00:26:27.72\00:26:30.95
to watch reality TV
shows based on marriage.
00:26:30.99\00:26:34.19
It's like entertainment.
00:26:34.22\00:26:36.56
The sacred holy
union has been denigrated
00:26:36.59\00:26:40.40
and degraded to
simple entertainment.
00:26:40.43\00:26:44.43
And we don't have
any problem with that.
00:26:44.47\00:26:47.17
Sexual immorality and violence,
00:26:47.20\00:26:49.44
they are twins
that Hollywood feeds on
00:26:49.47\00:26:53.38
in order to bring in billions
00:26:53.41\00:26:55.24
and billions in
dollars into its coffers.
00:26:55.28\00:26:57.65
Billy Graham,
the famous evangelist
00:26:57.68\00:27:00.32
Billy Graham of
the 20th century.
00:27:00.35\00:27:03.15
He once exclaimed that
if Jesus does not come soon,
00:27:03.18\00:27:08.92
He will have to
raise up Sodom and Gomorrah
00:27:08.96\00:27:11.69
and apologize to them.
00:27:11.73\00:27:13.70
We have gone that far.
00:27:13.73\00:27:15.53
I believe we have gone well
00:27:15.56\00:27:17.23
and truly beyond the days of Lot
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.67
and Sodom and Gomorrah,
I really do believe that.
00:27:19.70\00:27:21.94
I really do believe that.
00:27:21.97\00:27:24.54
We're living in a culture
00:27:24.57\00:27:26.34
whose motto is
here for a good time
00:27:26.37\00:27:28.54
and not a long time.
00:27:28.58\00:27:29.91
Nike.
00:27:29.94\00:27:31.28
We live according
to the motto of Nike.
00:27:31.31\00:27:32.85
What's Nike's motto? Just do it.
00:27:32.88\00:27:35.58
And if it feels
good, just do it.
00:27:35.62\00:27:36.95
Don't worry about
00:27:36.99\00:27:38.32
who's going to get
hurt in the process,
00:27:38.35\00:27:39.75
because it's all about who?
00:27:39.79\00:27:41.99
It's all about me, myself and I.
00:27:42.02\00:27:45.13
This is the day of Noah and Lot.
00:27:45.16\00:27:47.76
We have arrived. We are there.
00:27:47.80\00:27:50.10
We arrived a little while ago.
00:27:50.13\00:27:54.10
Isaiah 22:13,
really describes our day.
00:27:54.14\00:27:59.57
When back in the day God
00:27:59.61\00:28:01.18
was saying of
His people that were,
00:28:01.21\00:28:03.11
their motto was
let us eat and drink,
00:28:03.14\00:28:06.01
for tomorrow we die.
00:28:06.05\00:28:07.52
Fascinating words,
let us eat and drink,
00:28:07.55\00:28:09.65
for tomorrow we die.
00:28:09.68\00:28:11.02
What did Jesus say?
00:28:11.05\00:28:12.75
In the days of Noah,
they were eating and what?
00:28:12.79\00:28:15.26
And drinking until the day
that Noah went into the ark,
00:28:15.29\00:28:20.70
and they did not know that
their probation had closed?
00:28:20.73\00:28:25.57
Isaiah 5:20.
00:28:25.60\00:28:28.47
These words are
so pertinent for us
00:28:28.50\00:28:30.57
living in the 21st century.
00:28:30.61\00:28:32.71
"Woe to those
who call evil good,
00:28:32.74\00:28:35.24
and good evil,
00:28:35.28\00:28:36.61
who put darkness for light,
00:28:36.64\00:28:38.11
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet,
00:28:38.15\00:28:41.02
and sweet for bitter!"
00:28:41.05\00:28:42.82
Woe, woe, woe.
00:28:42.85\00:28:45.39
God is warning us.
00:28:45.42\00:28:46.76
God is pleading with us.
00:28:46.79\00:28:48.29
God is saying, I
love you too much
00:28:48.32\00:28:51.06
not to share with you that
if you continue down this road,
00:28:51.09\00:28:56.40
you will go off the cliff
00:28:56.43\00:28:57.90
and there's no
coming back from this cliff.
00:28:57.93\00:29:02.37
As goes the
family so go society.
00:29:02.40\00:29:06.34
That is why our
society is in a mess today.
00:29:06.37\00:29:09.98
And it's only by
the grace of God,
00:29:10.01\00:29:12.01
only by the restraining
power of the Holy Spirit
00:29:12.05\00:29:15.75
that our society is in the shape
00:29:15.78\00:29:17.89
that it still is,
00:29:17.92\00:29:19.25
it ought to be
a whole heap worse
00:29:19.29\00:29:22.79
based on what our children.
00:29:22.82\00:29:24.49
And I'm sad to say this,
I really am sad to say this,
00:29:24.53\00:29:27.70
but wherever you
are watching this.
00:29:27.73\00:29:30.50
Most likely your children
00:29:30.53\00:29:31.87
if they're going
to a public school
00:29:31.90\00:29:33.57
are being exposed
to not God's ideal
00:29:33.60\00:29:39.47
for relationships and intimacy.
00:29:39.51\00:29:41.78
But the world's ideal.
00:29:41.81\00:29:43.71
It's so sad, it's tragic.
00:29:43.75\00:29:48.82
Notice these words
00:29:48.85\00:29:50.19
from the Book of Proverbs 14:34,
00:29:50.22\00:29:52.75
"Righteousness exalts a nation,
00:29:52.79\00:29:55.46
but sin is a
reproach to any people."
00:29:55.49\00:30:00.26
Righteousness exalts a nation.
00:30:00.30\00:30:03.60
Noah was a preacher of what?
00:30:03.63\00:30:06.50
Righteousness.
00:30:06.53\00:30:07.87
The Bible says
Noah was a righteous man
00:30:07.90\00:30:10.14
who preached a
message of righteousness.
00:30:10.17\00:30:12.37
Lot was a righteous man,
00:30:12.41\00:30:13.91
the Bible says in
2 Peter Chapter 2.
00:30:13.94\00:30:17.18
But today righteousness
has gone out the window.
00:30:17.21\00:30:19.61
Today
righteousness is old fashioned.
00:30:19.65\00:30:22.25
I mean judgment, judgment,
00:30:22.28\00:30:25.35
you're gonna talk
to me about judgment.
00:30:25.39\00:30:27.86
That's something
that's in the dusty
00:30:27.89\00:30:32.73
pages of those
ancient scriptures
00:30:32.76\00:30:35.16
that are no longer relevant
00:30:35.20\00:30:36.87
and no longer speak to us living
00:30:36.90\00:30:39.47
some 2000 years later,
00:30:39.50\00:30:41.47
when it comes to
the New Testament.
00:30:41.50\00:30:42.90
And further, when it
comes to the Old Testament.
00:30:42.94\00:30:46.57
As goes the
families so go society,
00:30:46.61\00:30:49.31
make no mistake about that.
00:30:49.34\00:30:50.75
God has given us
the Ten Commandments.
00:30:50.78\00:30:54.18
He's given us His law of love.
00:30:54.22\00:30:56.79
These 10 principles
are principles of love,
00:30:56.82\00:31:01.62
because God's
foundation is His law of love.
00:31:01.66\00:31:06.63
The universe only
survives and thrives
00:31:06.66\00:31:10.90
because of God's
principles of love
00:31:10.93\00:31:13.47
that are founded in
His holy eternal law.
00:31:13.50\00:31:17.77
And God has given us
the Ten Commandments,
00:31:17.81\00:31:21.34
in order to protect us,
in order to preserve us,
00:31:21.38\00:31:25.45
in order to protect and preserve
00:31:25.48\00:31:27.68
our most
important relationships,
00:31:27.72\00:31:30.19
that between our Creator God,
00:31:30.22\00:31:32.75
and that between one another.
00:31:32.79\00:31:39.06
I find it fascinating
00:31:39.09\00:31:41.26
that the
commandment dealing specifically
00:31:41.30\00:31:43.40
with marriage and
family ties the relationship
00:31:43.43\00:31:46.84
between God and our
fellow man together.
00:31:46.87\00:31:50.31
Have a look at Exodus 24:12.
00:31:50.34\00:31:52.87
Exodus 24:12.
00:31:52.91\00:31:56.14
The commandment
reads, the fifth commandment.
00:31:56.18\00:31:58.98
"Honor your
father and your mother,
00:31:59.01\00:32:01.15
that your days may be what?
00:32:01.18\00:32:03.32
Long upon the land
00:32:03.35\00:32:05.35
which the Lord
your God is giving you."
00:32:05.39\00:32:08.32
There's something fascinating
that I had never picked up
00:32:08.36\00:32:11.59
until my friend Rosemary,
00:32:11.63\00:32:13.03
and I've got to give
her credit shared with me.
00:32:13.06\00:32:17.17
This commandment
00:32:17.20\00:32:18.53
is the foundation
of the commandments
00:32:18.57\00:32:21.04
that deal with our
relationship with one another.
00:32:21.07\00:32:25.21
The first four deal with
our relationship with God,
00:32:25.24\00:32:27.18
the next six deal
with our relationships
00:32:27.21\00:32:28.91
with one another.
00:32:28.94\00:32:30.28
This is the very
foundational commandment
00:32:30.31\00:32:32.28
that deals with our relationship
00:32:32.31\00:32:33.95
with one another.
00:32:33.98\00:32:35.32
When marriage and
the family is strong,
00:32:35.35\00:32:37.62
the rest of our
human relationships
00:32:37.65\00:32:40.66
work well together.
00:32:40.69\00:32:42.26
And Rosemary shared with me
00:32:42.29\00:32:43.96
that this commandment
unlike any of the others,
00:32:43.99\00:32:49.00
in the second tablet,
00:32:49.03\00:32:50.57
dealing with our
relationships with one another,
00:32:50.60\00:32:53.23
has the words,
Lord your God in it.
00:32:53.27\00:32:55.80
And it's true.
00:32:55.84\00:32:57.34
The others don't
have Lord your God.
00:32:57.37\00:33:00.64
The other five, from 6 to 10.
00:33:00.68\00:33:06.55
And so as I was thinking about
what Rosemarie shared with me,
00:33:06.58\00:33:09.85
I couldn't help but ask,
00:33:09.88\00:33:12.62
could it be that marriage
and the family is the hinge,
00:33:12.65\00:33:17.43
the hinge between
the two tablets of stone
00:33:17.46\00:33:21.16
that God wrote with
His very own finger on?
00:33:21.20\00:33:24.93
Could marriage and
the family be the hinge
00:33:24.97\00:33:27.80
that that holds the
rest of society together,
00:33:27.84\00:33:32.04
as well as
encourages us toward God?
00:33:32.07\00:33:35.44
Could marriage and
the family be that hinge?
00:33:35.48\00:33:40.62
And as marriage
and the family goes,
00:33:40.65\00:33:43.18
so does our
relationships with one another.
00:33:43.22\00:33:46.96
So does our
relationship with who?
00:33:46.99\00:33:49.46
With God.
00:33:49.49\00:33:51.19
Wow.
00:33:51.23\00:33:52.63
What did God say?
00:33:52.66\00:33:55.26
That your days may be what?
00:33:55.30\00:33:57.67
Long in the land that
00:33:57.70\00:34:00.24
the Lord your God is giving you.
00:34:00.27\00:34:03.57
I believe our days
are truly numbered.
00:34:03.61\00:34:05.57
Time is running out.
00:34:05.61\00:34:08.48
We now live in what is
termed as the sexual revolution.
00:34:08.51\00:34:13.72
Or should I refer to it
as the sexual devil-lution.
00:34:13.75\00:34:18.82
That's where it's come
from, hasn't come from God,
00:34:18.85\00:34:21.42
hasn't come from God.
00:34:21.46\00:34:22.79
God did not need to
revise the original plan
00:34:22.82\00:34:26.06
that He gave to Adam and Eve.
00:34:26.09\00:34:27.53
God did not need to
revise the original plan that
00:34:27.56\00:34:30.27
He once again gave
to Noah and his family.
00:34:30.30\00:34:34.24
God did not need
to revise the plan
00:34:34.27\00:34:37.21
that Jesus set
out 2000 years ago
00:34:37.24\00:34:40.01
that we read off in Matthew 19.
00:34:40.04\00:34:42.21
God does not need a revolution.
00:34:42.24\00:34:45.68
This has come
from the devil himself
00:34:45.71\00:34:47.62
who once again I'll repeat,
00:34:47.65\00:34:49.68
His name is evil
with a capital D.
00:34:49.72\00:34:52.65
Every blessing that God
gives to the human race,
00:34:52.69\00:34:55.22
he seeks to dismantle.
00:34:55.26\00:34:57.19
Let me share with you
a startling conclusion
00:34:57.23\00:35:01.56
by a historian
00:35:01.60\00:35:03.90
who has now passed
away almost a century ago.
00:35:03.93\00:35:07.74
His name, if we're going to have
00:35:07.77\00:35:09.84
his statement up on the screen
00:35:09.87\00:35:12.11
is Joseph Daniel Unwin.
00:35:12.14\00:35:14.88
And He wrote
00:35:14.91\00:35:16.24
a 600 plus page
book entitled Sex
00:35:16.28\00:35:19.65
and Culture back in 1934.
00:35:19.68\00:35:22.12
And this is a summary statement
00:35:22.15\00:35:24.29
of His conclusion
00:35:24.32\00:35:25.65
as He studied 86
different cultures
00:35:25.69\00:35:28.36
over 5000 years.
00:35:28.39\00:35:30.36
Okay, so this is,
00:35:30.39\00:35:31.96
this is a monumental
piece of history and research.
00:35:31.99\00:35:37.33
Unwin found that when
strict prenuptial chastity
00:35:37.37\00:35:40.74
was abandoned,
within three generation,
00:35:40.77\00:35:43.97
within three generations,
00:35:44.01\00:35:45.34
the culture
suffered self-destruction.
00:35:45.37\00:35:47.91
Wow!
00:35:47.94\00:35:49.91
Three generations and for Unwin,
00:35:49.94\00:35:51.78
a generation was 33 years.
00:35:51.81\00:35:53.95
So that's about 100 years.
00:35:53.98\00:35:55.48
And he's written that in 1934,
00:35:55.52\00:35:57.42
well, and truly
before the sexual revolution
00:35:57.45\00:35:59.59
came to town in the
1950s, and 60s in particular.
00:35:59.62\00:36:03.09
Three generations before
00:36:03.12\00:36:04.99
it's all over for
that particular society.
00:36:05.03\00:36:08.56
We're not far off 2034, are we?
00:36:08.60\00:36:14.10
We're not far off at all.
00:36:14.14\00:36:17.97
The downward spiral of morality,
00:36:18.01\00:36:20.04
let me suggest to
you, as I've been pondering
00:36:20.08\00:36:23.04
the downward spiral of morality.
00:36:23.08\00:36:25.01
Firstly, immoral
acts are abhorred,
00:36:25.05\00:36:31.49
then they are tolerated,
then they are accepted,
00:36:31.52\00:36:34.92
then they are promoted,
then they are finally defended.
00:36:34.96\00:36:39.26
That's a nutshell
00:36:39.29\00:36:40.63
of the downward
spiral of morality.
00:36:40.66\00:36:43.50
We are now living
in the day and age,
00:36:43.53\00:36:47.00
when immoral acts
are no longer abhorred.
00:36:47.04\00:36:51.07
They're certainly
not any longer tolerated.
00:36:51.11\00:36:54.04
They're not accepted,
well, they are accepted,
00:36:54.08\00:36:57.45
and they're promoted and
now they're being defended.
00:36:57.48\00:37:00.52
And dare you, dare you speak
00:37:00.55\00:37:02.98
against immorality in today's
00:37:03.02\00:37:05.02
day and age, dare
you speak against it.
00:37:05.05\00:37:10.73
That's the times that
you and I are living in.
00:37:10.76\00:37:12.96
Back to that word
corrupt in Genesis 6-11-12.
00:37:12.99\00:37:17.77
The Bible says,
00:37:17.80\00:37:19.13
"The earth was
also corrupt before God,
00:37:19.17\00:37:21.20
and the earth was
filled with violence.
00:37:21.24\00:37:23.34
So God looked upon the
earth and indeed it was corrupt,
00:37:23.37\00:37:25.94
for all flesh had corrupted
their way on the earth."
00:37:25.97\00:37:28.81
And then God goes on.
00:37:28.84\00:37:30.25
"And God said to Noah,
00:37:30.28\00:37:31.61
'And the end of all
flesh has come before Me,
00:37:31.65\00:37:34.02
for the earth is filled
with violence through them,
00:37:34.05\00:37:36.32
and behold, I will
destroy them with the earth."
00:37:36.35\00:37:39.75
Now why have I highlighted
00:37:39.79\00:37:41.62
the three words corrupt
and the word destroy there?
00:37:41.66\00:37:44.93
That word destroy
appears again in verse 17.
00:37:44.96\00:37:47.20
We're gonna have
a look at verse 17,
00:37:47.23\00:37:49.06
where God says, "And behold,
00:37:49.10\00:37:50.43
I Myself, am
bringing floodwaters
00:37:50.47\00:37:52.13
on the earth to destroy
00:37:52.17\00:37:53.50
from under heaven all flesh
in which is the breath of life,
00:37:53.54\00:37:56.44
everything that is
on the earth shall die."
00:37:56.47\00:37:58.61
Why have I
highlighted the word corrupt
00:37:58.64\00:38:01.11
and the word destroy?
00:38:01.14\00:38:03.14
The reason is,
those two words corrupt
00:38:03.18\00:38:06.28
and destroy in the
Hebrew are the exact same word.
00:38:06.31\00:38:10.25
The exact same word.
00:38:10.29\00:38:13.39
And so as I'm pondering this,
00:38:13.42\00:38:16.46
I'm like, wow,
00:38:16.49\00:38:19.59
corruption indeed
leads to destruction.
00:38:19.63\00:38:24.27
Corruption leads to destruction.
00:38:24.30\00:38:27.10
That's what
Unwin shared with us.
00:38:27.14\00:38:31.87
And that's what Arnold Toynbee,
00:38:31.91\00:38:35.38
the famous historian who,
00:38:35.41\00:38:39.35
who put an epic
historical series
00:38:39.38\00:38:42.45
entitled A Study of History:
00:38:42.48\00:38:44.25
Why do they
Disintegrate and Collapse?
00:38:44.29\00:38:46.55
So it was a 12 volume study.
00:38:46.59\00:38:48.79
You got the dates up
there from 1934 to 1961.
00:38:48.82\00:38:52.59
He is Sir Arnold J. Toynbee,
00:38:52.63\00:38:55.63
and one of His
concluding statements
00:38:55.66\00:38:58.60
on why do they
disintegrate and collapse?
00:38:58.63\00:39:01.24
Why does societies
disintegrate and collapse?
00:39:01.27\00:39:04.07
In five words, look
forward I should say,
00:39:04.11\00:39:08.74
lawlessness leads to what?
00:39:08.78\00:39:11.28
Destruction.
00:39:11.31\00:39:12.65
Lawlessness
leads to destruction.
00:39:12.68\00:39:15.18
Corruption leads to what?
00:39:15.22\00:39:17.69
Destruction.
00:39:17.72\00:39:19.05
God told us that
in the story of Noah.
00:39:19.09\00:39:22.89
Two thousand years ago,
00:39:22.92\00:39:24.76
notice what Jesus
said in Matthew 24:12,
00:39:24.79\00:39:28.66
He said, "And because
lawlessness will abound,
00:39:28.70\00:39:32.07
the love of
many will grow cold."
00:39:32.10\00:39:35.30
So here you have
it cause an effect.
00:39:35.34\00:39:38.44
When lawlessness
abounds, love grows what?
00:39:38.47\00:39:42.88
Cold.
00:39:42.91\00:39:44.75
Do we have a pandemic of love
00:39:44.78\00:39:48.52
growing cold in our world today?
00:39:48.55\00:39:51.05
Genuine love and the word
00:39:51.09\00:39:52.52
there for love is
not that feel good,
00:39:52.55\00:39:56.99
you know, happy-clappy
00:39:57.03\00:40:00.13
in a warm fuzzy
feeling kind of love.
00:40:00.16\00:40:03.50
That's based on emotion,
that's based on feelings,
00:40:03.53\00:40:06.20
that's based on,
00:40:06.23\00:40:07.70
you know how
you're feeling today.
00:40:07.74\00:40:10.27
The word there is
agape, agape love.
00:40:10.31\00:40:14.21
And what is agape love?
00:40:14.24\00:40:15.64
Agape love is God's
love, unconditional love.
00:40:15.68\00:40:20.15
It's that faithful love.
00:40:20.18\00:40:22.15
It's that love that's all about
00:40:22.18\00:40:25.65
serving the other person,
00:40:25.69\00:40:27.36
which is all about
sacrificing for someone.
00:40:27.39\00:40:32.13
Love.
00:40:32.16\00:40:34.56
Take a look at
that word corrupt.
00:40:34.60\00:40:36.83
Again, back to
Andrews Study Bible.
00:40:36.87\00:40:41.60
And here, we take a
look at social injustice.
00:40:41.64\00:40:45.87
The term corrupt
also is a reference
00:40:45.91\00:40:49.24
to social injustice
caused about by violence.
00:40:49.28\00:40:55.32
Notice what the inspired author
00:40:55.35\00:40:57.79
once again
Ellen White has to say
00:40:57.82\00:40:59.55
as she gives some
insights into the days of Noah.
00:40:59.59\00:41:02.72
She writes, "The earth
also was corrupt before God,
00:41:02.76\00:41:06.46
and the earth was
filled with violence.
00:41:06.49\00:41:08.83
God had given men
00:41:08.86\00:41:10.20
His commandments
as a rule of life,
00:41:10.23\00:41:11.77
but His law was transgressed,
00:41:11.80\00:41:13.47
and every
conceivable sin was the result.
00:41:13.50\00:41:16.30
The wickedness of
men was upon the dare,
00:41:16.34\00:41:19.77
was open and daring,
00:41:19.81\00:41:22.04
justice was
trampled in the dust,
00:41:22.08\00:41:24.98
and the cries of the oppressed
00:41:25.01\00:41:27.05
reached unto heaven."
00:41:27.08\00:41:28.45
So what was
happening in the days of Noah?
00:41:28.48\00:41:31.05
Justice was
trampled in the dust.
00:41:31.09\00:41:34.19
Are we living in a day and age
00:41:34.22\00:41:35.76
where justice is
trampled in the dust?
00:41:35.79\00:41:38.69
Absolutely.
00:41:38.73\00:41:40.83
Notice here in
Ezekiel, now God, God takes
00:41:40.86\00:41:44.70
a look at the days
of Sodom and Gomorrah,
00:41:44.73\00:41:47.10
and He compares them
to what was happening
00:41:47.14\00:41:49.74
in the days of His people,
00:41:49.77\00:41:51.11
the days of Judah in particular.
00:41:51.14\00:41:53.44
These are the days of Ezekiel.
00:41:53.48\00:41:55.84
Ezekiel 16:48-50, we read,
"As I live, says, the Lord God,
00:41:55.88\00:42:00.65
neither your sister Sodom
nor her daughters have done
00:42:00.68\00:42:03.45
as you and your
daughters have done.
00:42:03.49\00:42:05.95
Look, this was the
iniquity of your sister Sodom:
00:42:05.99\00:42:09.46
She and her daughter had pride,
00:42:09.49\00:42:11.59
fullness of food, and
abundance of idleness,
00:42:11.63\00:42:14.93
neither did she strengthen
the hand of the poor and needy.
00:42:14.96\00:42:18.93
And that were haughty
00:42:18.97\00:42:20.30
and committed
abomination before Me,
00:42:20.34\00:42:22.47
therefore I took
them away as I saw fit."
00:42:22.50\00:42:26.37
So what was happening
00:42:26.41\00:42:27.74
in the days of
Sodom and Gomorrah?
00:42:27.78\00:42:30.85
There was pride.
00:42:30.88\00:42:32.45
There was an abundance,
and yet there was poverty.
00:42:32.48\00:42:37.05
Are we living in a world
where we have an abundance
00:42:37.09\00:42:42.49
in some places
and poverty in others?
00:42:42.52\00:42:46.23
Have you heard of the 1% Club?
00:42:46.26\00:42:50.97
If you haven't, let me
remind you who they are.
00:42:51.00\00:42:52.87
The 1% Club, the 1% in our world
00:42:52.90\00:42:58.14
who own as much as 99%
of the world's population,
00:42:58.17\00:43:02.98
that's the 1% Club.
00:43:03.01\00:43:04.35
Now, I'm not part of that club.
00:43:04.38\00:43:06.51
But living in Australia,
I'm probably very close to it.
00:43:06.55\00:43:11.72
Because I've been
to the third world
00:43:11.75\00:43:13.42
and I've seen what they
have and what they don't have.
00:43:13.46\00:43:17.13
Oxfam, a number of years
ago, a couple of years ago,
00:43:17.16\00:43:20.20
two or three years ago,
00:43:20.23\00:43:21.56
I can't remember how
many years ago it was.
00:43:21.60\00:43:23.23
But they came up
with an astounding,
00:43:23.26\00:43:26.87
an astounding statistic that
just blew me out of the water.
00:43:26.90\00:43:30.14
And that was that.
00:43:30.17\00:43:32.81
Eight
individuals, eight individuals
00:43:32.84\00:43:36.24
own as much as the 50%
00:43:36.28\00:43:41.38
of the world's poorest.
00:43:41.42\00:43:43.55
Let me repeat that.
00:43:43.59\00:43:44.92
Some of you are
shaking your heads
00:43:44.95\00:43:46.29
and you're
looking at me a bit like
00:43:46.32\00:43:47.66
what did you just say, Danny?
00:43:47.69\00:43:49.06
Let me repeat,
00:43:49.09\00:43:50.43
eight
individuals on the planet own
00:43:50.46\00:43:53.09
as much as half
the world's population
00:43:53.13\00:43:55.70
or almost 4 billion people.
00:43:55.73\00:44:00.10
We have never lived
in a world like that.
00:44:00.14\00:44:03.24
We are indeed living in a world
00:44:03.27\00:44:04.84
where there is
great social injustice.
00:44:04.87\00:44:08.44
James 5:1-8 speaks on that,
00:44:08.48\00:44:12.25
regarding the
economic exploitation
00:44:12.28\00:44:14.25
that will be
happening at the end of time.
00:44:14.28\00:44:15.72
We don't have time
to read those verses,
00:44:15.75\00:44:17.29
you can do that
in your own time.
00:44:17.32\00:44:19.42
God want His people Israel,
00:44:19.45\00:44:21.76
that when they
entered the promised land
00:44:21.79\00:44:24.39
that were to take care
of the poor, the widows,
00:44:24.43\00:44:26.59
the orphans, the marginalized,
the helpless, the strangers,
00:44:26.63\00:44:32.33
who are the immigrants.
00:44:32.37\00:44:34.70
Notice these words
00:44:34.74\00:44:36.07
from Deuteronomy 14:19 and 22,
00:44:36.10\00:44:41.84
"When you reap your harvest,"
00:44:41.88\00:44:43.28
God is speaking
to His people Israel
00:44:43.31\00:44:45.85
through Moses,
00:44:45.88\00:44:47.22
who are, they are on the
edge of the Promised Land,
00:44:47.25\00:44:50.22
they're about to enter in
00:44:50.25\00:44:51.59
after wandering in the
wilderness for 40 years.
00:44:51.62\00:44:54.29
God is speaking
to them and He says,
00:44:54.32\00:44:55.99
"When you reap your
heart in your field,
00:44:56.02\00:44:58.63
and forget a sheaf in the field,
00:44:58.66\00:45:01.86
you shall not go back to it,
it shall be for the stranger,
00:45:01.90\00:45:06.07
the fatherless, and the widow,
00:45:06.10\00:45:07.90
that the Lord
your God may bless you
00:45:07.94\00:45:10.31
in all the work of your hands.
00:45:10.34\00:45:12.57
And you shall remember that
00:45:12.61\00:45:13.94
you were a slave
in the land of Egypt,
00:45:13.98\00:45:15.94
therefore I command
you to do this thing."
00:45:15.98\00:45:19.61
God says, remember, that
you were a slave in Egypt.
00:45:19.65\00:45:23.39
Remember that you
were under oppression.
00:45:23.42\00:45:25.52
Remember that you
experienced abuse.
00:45:25.55\00:45:27.52
Remember what that was like?
00:45:27.56\00:45:30.33
When you go into
the Promised Land,
00:45:30.36\00:45:33.16
make sure you do not
00:45:33.19\00:45:35.36
follow in the
footsteps of the Egyptians.
00:45:35.40\00:45:37.63
Make sure you do not follow
00:45:37.67\00:45:39.00
in the footsteps
of the Canaanites,
00:45:39.03\00:45:43.14
because you too will
end up back in exile.
00:45:43.17\00:45:48.44
And guess what?
00:45:48.48\00:45:50.05
One of the main reasons
00:45:50.08\00:45:52.41
why the 10 tribes
were taken by the Assyrians
00:45:52.45\00:45:58.05
into exile and Judah
00:45:58.09\00:46:00.42
was taken by the
Babylonians into exile.
00:46:00.46\00:46:03.56
One of the main reasons
00:46:03.59\00:46:04.93
was the exploitation of the poor
00:46:04.96\00:46:07.73
and the helpless and
not fulfilling this promise
00:46:07.76\00:46:11.03
that God made to them.
00:46:11.07\00:46:14.54
Today, we're
living in a day and age
00:46:14.57\00:46:17.81
where these words need
to be remembered by all.
00:46:17.84\00:46:21.11
Proverbs 14:31, I
pray that these words
00:46:21.14\00:46:24.11
will be remembered by all of us.
00:46:24.15\00:46:26.41
"He who oppresses the
poor reproaches his Maker,
00:46:26.45\00:46:30.09
but he who honors Him
has mercy on the needy."
00:46:30.12\00:46:33.79
We need to look out for
those who are most in need.
00:46:33.82\00:46:37.86
We need to look out for
those who are the helpless.
00:46:37.89\00:46:41.66
And now I'm going
to broach a subject
00:46:41.70\00:46:44.00
that not many want
to talk about today.
00:46:44.03\00:46:48.27
And that is the subject
00:46:48.30\00:46:49.97
of those who are
the most helpless.
00:46:50.01\00:46:52.14
And you know
00:46:52.17\00:46:53.51
who the most
helpless in our society are.
00:46:53.54\00:46:56.95
It's the unborn, the unborn.
00:46:56.98\00:47:01.78
I wish I didn't have to share
00:47:01.82\00:47:03.69
with you the
statistic of how bad it is.
00:47:03.72\00:47:07.82
But in the previous 12 months,
00:47:11.16\00:47:15.06
40 million
children were aborted.
00:47:15.10\00:47:20.27
Forty million children
were aborted around the world.
00:47:20.30\00:47:25.17
That's horrific.
00:47:25.21\00:47:26.78
That's horrific.
00:47:26.81\00:47:29.08
Around the world,
00:47:29.11\00:47:30.58
10 million
people died of cancer,
00:47:30.61\00:47:35.55
15 million died
of heart disease,
00:47:35.58\00:47:39.09
heart disease and
cancer 25 million,
00:47:39.12\00:47:42.82
unborn children 40 million.
00:47:42.86\00:47:48.70
So how do we, how
do we deal with this?
00:47:48.73\00:47:52.33
And maybe someone,
00:47:52.37\00:47:54.37
maybe someone
00:47:54.40\00:47:55.74
who has experienced loss.
00:47:55.77\00:48:00.81
It may be someone as
I've shared these statistics
00:48:00.84\00:48:03.65
who are saying, yes,
I'm sadly one of those.
00:48:03.68\00:48:07.95
I'm sadly one of those through
00:48:07.98\00:48:09.92
whatever your circumstances
00:48:09.95\00:48:11.35
may be that you
chose an abortion.
00:48:11.39\00:48:17.09
I want to encourage
you with the words of Jesus
00:48:17.13\00:48:20.63
to the woman who
was caught in adultery.
00:48:20.66\00:48:22.86
And He said to her, "I
haven't come to judge you.
00:48:22.90\00:48:27.34
I've come to forgive
you and to save you."
00:48:27.37\00:48:31.41
So regardless of
how it came to be,
00:48:31.44\00:48:35.91
I want to encourage
you to turn to Jesus.
00:48:35.94\00:48:37.95
He is filled with forgiveness.
00:48:37.98\00:48:40.45
For Jesus said in John 3:16-17.
00:48:40.48\00:48:43.69
Notice these words that
Jesus said in John 3:16-17.
00:48:43.72\00:48:48.36
He said, "For God
so loved the world
00:48:48.39\00:48:51.56
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:48:51.59\00:48:53.40
that whosoever believes
in Him should not," what?
00:48:53.43\00:48:56.87
"Perish, but have
everlasting life."
00:48:56.90\00:48:58.43
And notice verse 17, we
don't often read verse 17.
00:48:58.47\00:49:02.67
And we ought to
memorize verse 17, as well.
00:49:02.70\00:49:05.44
"For God did not send His
Son into the world to do," what?
00:49:05.47\00:49:08.94
"To condemn the world,
00:49:08.98\00:49:10.31
but that the world
through Him might be," what?
00:49:10.35\00:49:12.68
"Saved."
00:49:12.71\00:49:15.32
So no matter what our situation,
00:49:15.35\00:49:17.89
no matter what we
are involved in now
00:49:17.92\00:49:21.72
or not involved in regardless,
00:49:21.76\00:49:25.19
Jesus has His
arms outstretched wide,
00:49:25.23\00:49:28.70
those nail scarred
hands are outstretched wide.
00:49:28.73\00:49:31.80
And He's saying to
you, He's saying to me,
00:49:31.83\00:49:33.87
saying to all of us,
00:49:33.90\00:49:36.97
if you've got an
issue with a sexual issue,
00:49:37.01\00:49:40.21
come to Me.
00:49:40.24\00:49:41.58
If you have an issue
with violence, come to Me.
00:49:41.61\00:49:43.81
If you have an issue
with pride, come to Me.
00:49:43.85\00:49:46.11
If you're having an
issue with racism, come to Me.
00:49:46.15\00:49:49.22
If you have an
issue with whatever it is,
00:49:49.25\00:49:51.69
you fill in the
blanks, come to Me,
00:49:51.72\00:49:54.49
I will receive you as you are.
00:49:54.52\00:49:57.33
And then I will
restore you into My image
00:49:57.36\00:50:00.46
more and more day by day.
00:50:00.50\00:50:01.83
Amen?
00:50:01.86\00:50:03.20
That's the good
news of the gospel.
00:50:03.23\00:50:04.97
The good news of
the gospel is that
00:50:05.00\00:50:07.17
we can come to
Jesus as we are broken
00:50:07.20\00:50:11.21
and battered and bruised.
00:50:11.24\00:50:13.88
We can come as
sinners, deep in our sins,
00:50:13.91\00:50:18.01
for Jesus Christ said,
00:50:18.05\00:50:19.78
I have come to seek and
to save those who are what?
00:50:19.81\00:50:23.15
Lost.
00:50:23.18\00:50:24.52
Those who are well
do not need a doctor,
00:50:24.55\00:50:26.69
a physician, but
those who are what?
00:50:26.72\00:50:28.92
Are sick. Jesus is
the divine physician.
00:50:28.96\00:50:32.49
And so Jesus
says, 'Come unto Me,
00:50:32.53\00:50:34.30
all you who labor
and are heavy laden,
00:50:34.33\00:50:35.73
I'll give you, come as you are."
00:50:35.76\00:50:37.50
But the good news
of the gospel is that
00:50:37.53\00:50:41.67
Jesus not only
receives us as we are.
00:50:41.70\00:50:45.34
And if you're
not sure about that,
00:50:45.37\00:50:47.38
go ahead and read the story
00:50:47.41\00:50:49.44
of the prodigal son again.
00:50:49.48\00:50:52.01
You come as you are stinking
and smelling of your sin.
00:50:52.05\00:50:57.69
And Jesus then like
00:50:57.72\00:50:59.15
in the story of
the prodigal son,
00:50:59.19\00:51:00.52
He doesn't leave you as you are.
00:51:00.56\00:51:02.96
He then begins through
the power of His Holy Spirit,
00:51:02.99\00:51:05.79
day by day to
transform you more and more
00:51:05.83\00:51:08.93
into His image as to
what He wants you to be.
00:51:08.96\00:51:12.90
Because God
created you, He created me,
00:51:12.93\00:51:16.77
He created all
of us in His what?
00:51:16.81\00:51:20.01
In His image, God
created us in His image,
00:51:20.04\00:51:23.91
God created us to thrive,
00:51:23.95\00:51:26.51
not just to be
alive, but to thrive.
00:51:26.55\00:51:29.95
He created us to
enjoy life to the full.
00:51:29.98\00:51:34.86
And so, He wants to help us
00:51:34.89\00:51:38.69
move away from the net,
00:51:38.73\00:51:41.20
from the ball and chain
00:51:41.23\00:51:44.07
that the enemy
has placed around us.
00:51:44.10\00:51:47.34
And He alone can do it.
00:51:47.37\00:51:48.77
He alone can do it.
00:51:48.80\00:51:51.81
So how should God's end time
00:51:51.84\00:51:54.98
Noah generation respond?
00:51:55.01\00:51:57.81
Micah 6:8.
00:51:57.85\00:52:00.88
I love this scripture.
00:52:00.92\00:52:02.55
And it's such a challenge to me
each and every time I read it.
00:52:02.58\00:52:06.52
God's speaking here, He
says, "He has shown you,
00:52:06.55\00:52:09.79
O, man, what is good."
00:52:09.82\00:52:12.29
And what is good?
00:52:12.33\00:52:13.66
He goes on, "And what
does the Lord require of you,
00:52:13.70\00:52:16.70
but to do," what?
00:52:16.73\00:52:18.23
"To do justly, to love," what?
00:52:18.27\00:52:21.07
"Mercy and to walk," what?
00:52:21.10\00:52:23.17
"Humbly with your God?"
00:52:23.20\00:52:25.34
There's that word again,
walk, walk with your God.
00:52:25.37\00:52:30.15
Who walked with God?
00:52:30.18\00:52:32.55
Noah, the Bible says Noah
00:52:32.58\00:52:35.05
walked with God,
and you are right.
00:52:35.08\00:52:37.19
Enoch also walked with God.
00:52:37.22\00:52:39.15
He was the first one according
00:52:39.19\00:52:40.52
to Scripture
that walked with God.
00:52:40.56\00:52:42.89
And we're now in
Revelation 14:4-5.
00:52:42.92\00:52:45.86
They're God's end time
people, those who are sealed,
00:52:45.89\00:52:48.76
those that are shut in by
00:52:48.80\00:52:50.27
God's grace at the end of
time, will also walk with God
00:52:50.30\00:52:54.74
because the Bible
says in Revelation 14:4-5
00:52:54.77\00:52:58.47
that they follow the
Lamb wherever He goes.
00:52:58.51\00:53:02.91
Walk with God, walk with God.
00:53:02.94\00:53:07.18
So what about
the Sabbath blessing?
00:53:07.22\00:53:09.65
What about the Sabbath blessing?
00:53:09.68\00:53:11.85
We've looked at
God's original plan
00:53:11.89\00:53:15.32
for the animal
kingdom and all of nature,
00:53:15.36\00:53:18.99
for marriage and the family.
00:53:19.03\00:53:20.36
But what about the
seventh day Sabbath blessing?
00:53:20.40\00:53:24.63
Well, that is a subject
00:53:24.67\00:53:27.10
that deserves to be
dealt with on its own.
00:53:27.14\00:53:31.81
And so in our next message,
00:53:31.84\00:53:33.17
we're going to take a
look at the Sabbath blessing
00:53:33.21\00:53:36.28
from creation,
through to the flood,
00:53:36.31\00:53:39.21
through to our
time, through to eternity.
00:53:39.25\00:53:42.38
So you don't want to miss that.
00:53:42.42\00:53:43.89
You don't want to miss that.
00:53:43.92\00:53:45.95
That's in our next message
00:53:45.99\00:53:47.32
when we take a
look at the Sabbath.
00:53:47.36\00:53:50.43
But for now, how
then shall we live
00:53:50.46\00:53:55.73
as we prepare for
the soon return of Jesus?
00:53:55.76\00:53:58.63
How then shall we live?
00:53:58.67\00:54:01.04
How then shall we live?
00:54:01.07\00:54:03.44
I can't think of better words,
00:54:03.47\00:54:06.47
as a final scripture than
the words of the Apostle Paul,
00:54:06.51\00:54:10.05
as He speaks to
those that will especially
00:54:10.08\00:54:13.42
be living at the close of time.
00:54:13.45\00:54:15.52
These words are for
all in all generations,
00:54:15.55\00:54:19.79
but especially relevant
00:54:19.82\00:54:21.42
for those that
are living in a time
00:54:21.46\00:54:23.69
when time is
indeed running what?
00:54:23.73\00:54:26.16
Running out.
00:54:26.19\00:54:27.53
Notice these words,
00:54:27.56\00:54:28.90
Romans 13:11-14,
I love these words.
00:54:28.93\00:54:33.13
He writes, "And do
this, knowing the time
00:54:33.17\00:54:36.40
that now it is," what?
00:54:36.44\00:54:38.97
"High time to," do what?
00:54:39.01\00:54:41.01
"To awake out on sleep, for now,
00:54:41.04\00:54:43.75
our salvation is nearer
than when we first believed."
00:54:43.78\00:54:47.08
I just want to
pause there for a moment.
00:54:47.12\00:54:49.48
Based on what we have
discovered in this message,
00:54:49.52\00:54:53.29
is our salvation today nearer
00:54:53.32\00:54:55.99
than when we first believed?
00:54:56.02\00:54:58.29
Indeed it is.
00:54:58.33\00:54:59.96
Indeed it is.
00:55:00.00\00:55:01.33
Jesus is coming soon.
00:55:01.36\00:55:02.76
I can almost hear
the sound of the trumpet.
00:55:02.80\00:55:06.37
I can, I can almost hear
00:55:06.40\00:55:10.47
the angels
practicing their harps.
00:55:10.51\00:55:14.48
I can almost
see the preparations
00:55:14.51\00:55:20.32
being made for
the greatest entrance
00:55:20.35\00:55:23.72
in human history
that Jesus will bring in.
00:55:23.75\00:55:26.82
We are there, we are there.
00:55:26.86\00:55:29.36
Our salvation is nearer
than when we first believed.
00:55:29.39\00:55:31.76
We continue to reading.
00:55:31.79\00:55:33.43
"The night is far
spent, the day is at hand.
00:55:33.46\00:55:36.56
Therefore let us cast
off the works of darkness,
00:55:36.60\00:55:39.53
and let us put on
the armor of light.
00:55:39.57\00:55:41.60
Let us walk properly,"
there's that word walk again,
00:55:41.64\00:55:45.84
"as in the day not in
revelry and drunkenness,
00:55:45.87\00:55:48.54
not in lewdness and
lust, not in strife and envy.
00:55:48.58\00:55:51.58
But instead, let us put
on the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:55:51.61\00:55:55.15
and make no provision
00:55:55.18\00:55:56.58
for the flesh to
fulfill its lusts."
00:55:56.62\00:55:59.29
What a challenge,
what an invitation.
00:55:59.32\00:56:02.82
Let us by the grace of God,
00:56:02.86\00:56:05.43
put off strife and lust
00:56:05.46\00:56:09.26
and the things of this world.
00:56:09.30\00:56:10.73
And let us put on
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:56:10.77\00:56:14.70
Amen? Is that your decision?
00:56:14.74\00:56:17.07
Jesus is inviting you.
00:56:17.11\00:56:18.71
He's inviting me to put
on the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:56:18.74\00:56:24.05
And if there was something
00:56:24.08\00:56:25.41
that we
desperately needed today,
00:56:25.45\00:56:26.98
it is to put on
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:56:27.02\00:56:28.82
Jesus is coming back
soon, He really is, my friends.
00:56:28.85\00:56:31.15
He really, really is.
00:56:31.19\00:56:33.62
I'm convinced
with all of my heart,
00:56:33.66\00:56:36.26
that Jesus' coming
is even at the door,
00:56:36.29\00:56:38.99
even at the door.
00:56:39.03\00:56:40.36
And He wants you and
I to be part of those
00:56:40.40\00:56:43.37
that will look
up and say, behold,
00:56:43.40\00:56:45.53
this is our God we
have daily by His grace
00:56:45.57\00:56:48.90
put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:56:48.94\00:56:52.07
And He has now come to save us.
00:56:52.11\00:56:54.51
I want to be part of that group
that He is the words of Jesus,
00:56:54.54\00:56:57.85
"Well done, good
and faithful servant."
00:56:57.88\00:57:00.68
Enter into the joy of your Lord.
00:57:00.72\00:57:02.25
You want to join me?
00:57:02.28\00:57:03.69
Do you want to
join me on that day?
00:57:03.72\00:57:05.52
Let's pray together.
00:57:05.55\00:57:06.89
Father in heaven,
00:57:06.92\00:57:08.26
we want to thank
You for Your Word.
00:57:08.29\00:57:09.62
We want to thank You for
the promises of Your Word.
00:57:09.66\00:57:11.96
We want to thank You
that You are coming back soon.
00:57:11.99\00:57:14.50
Oh Father, please,
please daily encourage us,
00:57:14.53\00:57:18.77
impress us through
Your Holy Spirit Father
00:57:18.80\00:57:21.10
that we may daily put
on the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:57:21.14\00:57:24.64
and make no
provision for the flesh.
00:57:24.67\00:57:27.11
For we pray this in Jesus'
name and everybody say amen.
00:57:27.14\00:57:30.08