Music...
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Welcome to 3ABN
Australia Homecoming.
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Music...
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Hello friends, welcome to
3ABN Australia Homecoming 2018,
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Rosemary, has
this been a blessing?
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It has been a
blessing, many people told me
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how much they're enjoying
it so that's really good.
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Have you been
blessed? Can you say, "Amen. "
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Audience: Amen.
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And this evening's program
is not going to be any different
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as we continue in
the theme of knowing God
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and we thank you for
taking the time to join us.
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We believe as this
is the first Homecoming
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that 3ABN Australia
has done, am I correct?
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And... and look at all the
family that's come to join us.
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That's right...
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and we also thank
you for joining us
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wherever you are, maybe
you're in your car or home
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or wherever you may be,
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we thank you for
taking the time to tune in
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and I'm so glad that the
Homecoming has caught on here
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in Australia...
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if you're part
of the 3ABN family,
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you've seen our homecomings
for many years at 3ABN America.
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That's right.
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But this is the first
and should we do this again?
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Audience: Yes!
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Amen.
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I had someone say to
me... she may even be here...
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I saw her in K-Mart
the other day and she said,
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"I've always wanted to
go to a 3ABN Camp Meeting
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but I can't go there, so
you're bringing it to us. "
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John: That's right.
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Rosemary: So
that was really good.
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So this is... this
is a representation
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of America and an
Auzzie, right eh...
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Rosemary: Down
Under and Up Over.
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Audience: Laughter.
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John: Well, I remember visiting
someone here in Australia
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and they had the picture on
the wall of the map upside down
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and they said,
"You're down under,
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we're up above. "
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But beside all that,
we've been blessed by
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the "Knowing God" theme
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that has gone from
message to message...
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from song to song...
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and tell us about
our Speaker for this...
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for this segment of the program.
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The Speaker for this program
is Pastor Abel lorgulescu...
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say that fast a few times
and you'll twist your tongue.
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He is the Senior Pastor for
this church Avondale Memorial.
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Amen.
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And he's only been here this
year but he's a good Pastor.
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He's a sharp gentleman...
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And he's a good preacher.
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I am looking forward
to hearing that message
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but just before he comes,
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Diane Hope is going to be
blessing us with the song,
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"My Grateful Spirit Sings. "
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Thank you Rosemary.
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And her spirit sings.
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And so, after this next song,
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the next voice that you'll hear
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will be that of
Pastor Abel, amen.
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You're going to say
his surname... lorgulescu.
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Yes.
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Audience: Laughter.
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Thank you Diane.
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Okay.
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Pause.
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Piano...
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more piano...
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In all they works
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I see thy glory
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In mighty wonders,
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in small and simple things
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My heart rejoices in
the bounty set before me
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And my grateful spirit sings
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Each rising sun
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tells of Thy goodness
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The rain proclaims Thee
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in the life it brings
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All creation bears the
sure and silent witness
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And my grateful spirit sings
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The stars that crown
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the realms of space
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Reflect the image
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of thy grace
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The rolling seas,
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the earth and sky
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Declare thy pow'r,
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thy majesty and might
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I see thy hand
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in man's compassion
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Thou art the font
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of kindness whence it springs
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Thy boundless charity hath
wrought my soul's salvation
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And my grateful
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spirit sings.
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For changeless love
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and endless mercy
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For countless blessings
beyond the wealth of kings
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For every perfect gift Thou
sendest, Lord, I praise Thee
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And my grateful
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spirit sings.
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Piano...
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Audience: Amen... clapping.
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Thank you very much,
Diane, good evening everyone,
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it is a privilege to be
standing up here before you guys
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and I'd like to thank
John and Rosemary Malkiewycz
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for this opportunity that I have
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to share the Word of
God with you tonight,
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it's a privilege and
I'd like to affirm them
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for the work
they're doing through 3ABN
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not only in
Australia, but also beyond.
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Can we say,
"Praise God for 3ABN... "
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I'm really grateful for the
theme they have chosen this year
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for the first homecoming ever,
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"Knowing God. "
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Unbeknownst to them, this
has been one of the verses
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that has really impacted
my life a number of years ago
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because for me
as a young person,
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developing faith in God,
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I thought of
eternal life as an event...
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something that was
going to take place
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when Jesus Christ will
return at the second coming
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that we will... you
have eternal life...
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we will no longer die,
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we will no longer
experience pain and suffering
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and I always thought of
eternal life as second coming
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until I came across this
verse in John chapter 17 verse 3
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and it says, "And
this is eternal life,
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that they might know
You, the only true God,
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and Jesus Christ,
whom You have sent. "
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What Jesus is telling us here
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is that eternal life is
not an event, my friends,
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eternal life is a relationship
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and that
relationship begins here and now
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which means that you and
I can have eternal life now,
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we don't have to wait
for the second coming,
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that brings a
new dimension to it
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and hopefully, tonight we're
going to continue our journey
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in understanding
more about God...
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knowing God especially through
the works of the Old Testament.
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Some of you are aware that
many books have been written
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about God's actions
in the Old Testament...
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that some of these actions
are very well received...
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perceived...
understood... or applied.
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For example, and I quote,
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"God is described
as nothing but a bully,
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a murderer and a
cosmic child abuser. "
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Now, what do you
think of such a description?
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Pretty terrible, right?
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And the list of
accusations continues, in that,
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God is accused of
being arrogant and jealous.
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He punishes people too harshly,
is guilty of ethnic cleansing,
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oppresses
women, endorses slavery
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and causes violence.
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This is a picture that people in
the 21st Century get about God,
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especially through
the Old Testament...
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at least this is what has been
dished out... fed to them...
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And the question
for us tonight is,
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"How can we know God by His
works in the Old Testament?"
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In 2006 which was a while ago,
a known Atheist... the author,
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Richard Dawkins published a book
entitled, "The God Delusion"
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and I've got a slide for you.
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In that book, he made
the following reference,
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and I'll step
aside so you can see it,
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hopefully, it's coming,
if not, I'll read it to you.
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"The God of the Old
Testament" you got it,
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"The God of the Old Testament
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is arguably the most unpleasant
character in all fiction... "
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let just that sink in
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and I'm sorry that I have to
go through some of these words,
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I don't feel comfortable
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but I just want
to paint a picture
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of what people think of God
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and His actions
in the Old Testament.
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"He is jealous and proud of it;
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a petty, unjust,
unforgiving control freak;
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vindictive, bloodthirsty
ethnic cleanser... "
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and I don't feel
comfortable continuing.
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I... I'll leave
the passage there
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for you to have an understanding
of Richard's opinion
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of God's actions
in the Old Testament.
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Pause...
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Is this the type of God
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you'd like to have
a relationship with?
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Is this the type of God
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you'd like to
introduce your children to?
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Pause...
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A year later... 2007...
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another world-renowned Atheist
author, Christopher Hitchens,
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he made... he
wrote a book entitled,
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"God is not Great: How
Religion Poisons Everything"
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and in that, if we
can have the next slide,
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Christopher Hitchens
made the following remark
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about God in the Old Testament.
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"He's violent,
irrational, intolerant,
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allied to racism and
tribalism and bigotry,
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invested in ignorance
and hostile to free inquiry,
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contemptuous of women and
coercive towards children:
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organized religion
ought to have a great deal
00:10:37.63\00:10:40.54
on its conscience. "
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And some of this diet is being
fed in schools and universities
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and no wonder, we are
experiencing a massive exodus
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of young people and
young adults leaving the church
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because we don't understand God.
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I don't think we can fully
understand everything about Him
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because that's
what makes Him God...
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but I believe... God is
willing to reveal Himself to us
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and that's what we will
be attempting to do here
00:11:06.46\00:11:09.56
tonight by God's grace
00:11:09.60\00:11:10.93
and before we go any
further I'd like to pray
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not only for myself but
I'd like to pray for you
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that you may stay
awake after this dinner
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and that we will
be blessed together
00:11:19.37\00:11:22.18
and that, at the end,
we will be able to say,
00:11:22.21\00:11:25.08
"God has been in our midst. "
00:11:25.11\00:11:26.75
So, let's bow
our heads together.
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"Father, we pray that this
time will be only about You,
00:11:28.22\00:11:32.59
may You hide me
behind Your cross,
00:11:32.62\00:11:35.12
anoint my
thoughts and on my lips
00:11:35.16\00:11:37.56
and may the words I
proclaim come straight from You.
00:11:37.59\00:11:40.23
Father, may You convict us,
00:11:40.30\00:11:43.53
may You bring
forgiveness into our lives
00:11:43.57\00:11:46.30
and may You renew us through
the power of the Holy Spirit,
00:11:46.33\00:11:48.70
we ask in Jesus' name, amen. "
00:11:48.74\00:11:50.57
If we are honest with ourselves
and we think of our journey
00:11:50.61\00:11:58.31
sometimes when
we read the Bible...
00:11:58.35\00:12:00.62
when we read the Scripture,
00:12:00.65\00:12:02.05
which is the Old Testament...
00:12:02.08\00:12:03.42
sorry, which is
the New Testament
00:12:03.45\00:12:05.15
over the Old Testament.
00:12:05.19\00:12:06.52
because we read about Jesus,
we read about the apostles,
00:12:06.55\00:12:09.42
we read about the miracles,
like the story where...
00:12:09.46\00:12:11.99
where Jesus
writes things on the sand
00:12:12.03\00:12:14.20
and, you know, the
lady is forgiven...
00:12:14.23\00:12:16.00
and these are great...
00:12:16.06\00:12:17.40
but what about the
Old Testament stories?
00:12:17.43\00:12:19.67
If we're honest with ourselves
00:12:19.70\00:12:22.50
sometimes, we're
actually struggling
00:12:22.54\00:12:23.91
and we avoid them
00:12:23.94\00:12:25.57
and new Christians...
00:12:25.61\00:12:28.04
they struggle to make
sense of all these things
00:12:28.08\00:12:30.25
and it's not easy
00:12:30.28\00:12:32.78
but with God, all
things are possible.
00:12:32.81\00:12:35.52
so, the question
is, "How can we know God
00:12:35.55\00:12:38.22
from His works in
the Old Testament?
00:12:38.25\00:12:40.59
I like to address a question
back to these two authors,
00:12:40.62\00:12:46.76
Richard Dawkins and
Christopher Hitchens
00:12:46.80\00:12:48.60
and the
accusations they have made.
00:12:48.63\00:12:50.70
How is it possible to
accuse God of being evil
00:12:50.77\00:12:54.77
when Atheism based on Evolution
does not have a standard
00:12:54.80\00:13:01.14
for what is good or right?
00:13:01.18\00:13:03.14
Sorry... for
what is good or bad.
00:13:03.18\00:13:04.51
Pause...
00:13:04.55\00:13:06.21
Because Morality...
00:13:06.25\00:13:07.58
to say that God is
unjust and immoral,
00:13:07.62\00:13:09.72
you need to have a
standard for morality
00:13:09.75\00:13:12.09
and the only standard that
Society has created for morality
00:13:12.12\00:13:15.46
is based upon
this Holy Scriptures.
00:13:15.49\00:13:17.26
A Christian author by
the name of Paul Copan
00:13:17.29\00:13:21.00
that spends a lot of
time in the Old Testament...
00:13:21.03\00:13:24.07
understanding God's
actions in the Old Testament...
00:13:24.10\00:13:26.13
wrote this about
Dawkins' accusations
00:13:26.17\00:13:29.07
addressed against God
00:13:29.10\00:13:30.44
and He said... if we
can have the next slide,
00:13:30.47\00:13:31.81
"Despite Dawkins' moral outrage,
his metaphysics disallows it,
00:13:31.84\00:13:37.38
admitting that a
universe full of electrons
00:13:37.41\00:13:40.58
contains 'no
evil and no good... '"
00:13:40.62\00:13:43.08
so Richard Dawkins himself says,
00:13:43.12\00:13:45.52
"Because of the universe
in which we live in... "
00:13:45.55\00:13:47.46
and based on their belief
that everything has evolved...
00:13:47.49\00:13:50.19
"there is no evil and no good,
00:13:50.36\00:13:52.89
nothing but blind
pitiless indifference. '
00:13:52.93\00:13:57.47
Indeed, science 'has no method
for deciding what is ethical. '"
00:13:57.50\00:14:03.67
So, on one hand,
they have the ability...
00:14:03.71\00:14:05.74
the authority to say that
this world does not give us
00:14:05.77\00:14:09.68
the tools to say what
is good and what is bad
00:14:09.71\00:14:12.88
and on the other hand,
they accuse God as being unjust.
00:14:12.91\00:14:17.02
So, how can we make
sense of these principles,
00:14:17.05\00:14:19.82
how can we make
sense of these accusations.
00:14:19.85\00:14:22.52
First of all, I believe that
you and I have to be very humble
00:14:22.56\00:14:26.06
as we approach those
stories in the Old Testament
00:14:26.09\00:14:30.17
because God's wisdom
transcends our understanding.
00:14:30.20\00:14:34.20
We are told in the Bible
that His ways are not our ways
00:14:34.24\00:14:40.74
and His thoughts
are not our thoughts.
00:14:40.78\00:14:44.25
So while we may not understand
everything about what God did,
00:14:44.28\00:14:49.12
I believe there
are some principles
00:14:49.15\00:14:51.22
that if we humbly incorporate
them into our teaching
00:14:51.25\00:14:55.32
and living and preaching,
00:14:55.36\00:14:57.03
they can give us
a bit of direction.
00:14:57.06\00:14:58.89
Tonight we're going to
look at two major stories...
00:14:58.93\00:15:00.93
both of them
found in... in Samuel
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.73
but before we jump
into these stories,
00:15:03.77\00:15:06.47
I would like to share
with you four principles...
00:15:06.50\00:15:08.94
they are very short...
I'll run quickly through them...
00:15:08.97\00:15:11.51
this is not...
00:15:11.54\00:15:13.24
they don't
contain the whole truth
00:15:13.27\00:15:16.11
but it creates a starting
point for you and for me
00:15:16.14\00:15:19.38
as we seek to understand
God's works in the Old Testament
00:15:19.41\00:15:23.35
in getting to know Him.
00:15:23.39\00:15:24.72
Principle number one,
00:15:24.75\00:15:26.09
if we can have
that on the screen,
00:15:26.12\00:15:27.66
1. Jesus is the
perfect revelation of God.
00:15:27.69\00:15:32.59
Jesus is the
perfect revelation of God.
00:15:32.63\00:15:37.50
So, what I'm saying is this,
00:15:37.53\00:15:38.97
when you're
struggling with a story...
00:15:39.00\00:15:41.04
when you're struggling with
a passage in the Old Testament,
00:15:41.07\00:15:43.37
leave that passage
for a second and think of
00:15:43.41\00:15:47.18
Jesus. Why do I say that?
00:15:47.24\00:15:49.34
Because there's a passage
that we have and I'll put on the
00:15:49.38\00:15:52.41
screen for you... in Hebrews,
Chapter 1, verses 1 to 3
00:15:52.45\00:15:55.45
and it says, "God,
who at various times
00:15:55.48\00:15:57.89
and in various
ways spoke in time past
00:15:57.92\00:16:00.12
to the fathers by the prophets,
00:16:00.16\00:16:02.92
has in these last days
spoken to us by His Son,
00:16:02.96\00:16:08.30
Who being the
brightness of His glory
00:16:08.33\00:16:11.10
and the express
image of His... "
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.84
so, Jesus Christ is the
express image of the Father,
00:16:13.87\00:16:18.94
no wonder Jesus
said to His disciples,
00:16:18.97\00:16:20.78
"If you have seen me,
you have seen the Father. "
00:16:20.81\00:16:23.85
The reason why I'm
bringing this verse here is...
00:16:23.88\00:16:26.92
is for this reason,
00:16:26.95\00:16:28.28
Jesus never distanced Himself
00:16:28.32\00:16:32.25
from the God of
the Old Testament
00:16:32.29\00:16:34.92
or the teachings
of the Old Testament
00:16:34.96\00:16:37.49
and this is a very important
principle for us to understand.
00:16:37.53\00:16:40.60
Therefore, every single time
we look at the Old Testament
00:16:40.63\00:16:43.20
stories that are
a bit challenging,
00:16:43.23\00:16:44.60
we're going to see
some of them tonight,
00:16:44.63\00:16:46.13
we need to put on some
lenses... some glasses...
00:16:46.17\00:16:49.24
we need to look at them
00:16:49.27\00:16:51.41
from the life and
sacrifice of Jesus Christ
00:16:51.44\00:16:54.08
that we may understand it
00:16:54.14\00:16:55.81
and I call these
lenses, "The Redemptive Lenses"
00:16:55.84\00:16:59.75
that whenever we find a
story that is challenging,
00:16:59.78\00:17:02.42
we put on the
redemptive lenses...
00:17:02.48\00:17:04.75
that we look at them
through the life and sacrifice
00:17:04.79\00:17:07.66
of Jesus Christ.
00:17:07.69\00:17:09.02
Principle number two,
00:17:09.06\00:17:10.66
this is a bit broad
but I want to mention it
00:17:10.69\00:17:13.80
is... people say
the Old Testament...
00:17:13.83\00:17:15.76
it's shocking...
00:17:15.80\00:17:17.57
I'd like to suggest to
you that the New Testament
00:17:17.60\00:17:20.00
also contains
challenging passages as well,
00:17:20.04\00:17:23.10
it's not just the Old Testament.
00:17:23.14\00:17:25.01
Just to mention a couple...
Ananias and Sapphira...
00:17:25.07\00:17:29.14
the only thing
they did is they lied.
00:17:29.18\00:17:31.61
When was the last
time when you lied?
00:17:31.65\00:17:34.08
Praise God you're still alive.
00:17:34.12\00:17:36.42
praise God I'm still alive...
00:17:36.45\00:17:38.72
pause...
00:17:38.75\00:17:41.86
they lied and... bang...
00:17:41.89\00:17:43.69
they were taken out.
00:17:43.73\00:17:46.16
Read the book of Revelation,
00:17:46.19\00:17:47.83
the wrath of God is
not mixed with mercy.
00:17:47.86\00:17:50.63
You've got the Lake of Fire
where Satan... the demons...
00:17:50.67\00:17:54.04
and the wicked are destroyed
00:17:54.07\00:17:55.90
and their smoke ascends
into heaven forever and ever.
00:17:55.94\00:18:00.68
What I'm saying is,
there's a common thread
00:18:00.71\00:18:04.21
between the Testaments.
00:18:04.25\00:18:05.85
You cannot separate them.
00:18:05.88\00:18:07.68
Is it easy to understand them?
00:18:07.72\00:18:09.05
Not really.
00:18:09.08\00:18:10.42
But that shouldn't
stop us from knowing
00:18:10.45\00:18:12.55
or from attempting to know God
00:18:12.59\00:18:14.86
because this is eternal life.
00:18:14.89\00:18:17.13
Principle number three,
00:18:17.16\00:18:19.39
God acts like a surgeon.
00:18:19.43\00:18:21.53
Any surgeons? Any surgeons here?
00:18:21.56\00:18:23.93
No...
00:18:23.97\00:18:25.77
I believe that God acts like
a surgeon in the context that
00:18:25.80\00:18:32.77
He removes the infected
part in order to save the body.
00:18:32.81\00:18:39.75
Sadly, people have
experienced amputations.
00:18:39.78\00:18:43.45
For what purpose?
00:18:43.49\00:18:45.62
Pause.
00:18:45.65\00:18:47.16
To stay alive
00:18:47.22\00:18:48.76
and there have been
times in the Old Testament
00:18:48.79\00:18:50.96
when God has
intervened as a surgeon
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.09
to remove an infected part
00:18:53.13\00:18:55.90
in order to save what was left.
00:18:55.93\00:18:58.63
Both Testaments...
they proclaim this message
00:18:58.67\00:19:03.54
that God loves the
sinner and hates the sin
00:19:03.61\00:19:06.98
and most of the
times we emphasize it...
00:19:07.01\00:19:10.38
yeah, that God loves the sinner
00:19:10.41\00:19:11.75
and that is
great... because He does...
00:19:11.78\00:19:13.28
that's the
truth... that's the gospel
00:19:13.31\00:19:14.82
but we shouldn't ignore the fact
00:19:14.88\00:19:17.85
that God actually hates sin...
00:19:17.89\00:19:20.82
and I believe He
hates it with passion.
00:19:20.86\00:19:24.16
Pause...
00:19:24.19\00:19:26.53
Because it is sin the
one that brought separation
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.06
between us and him
00:19:28.10\00:19:29.43
it's because of sin
that we experience death
00:19:29.46\00:19:31.17
and pain and
suffering and cancer
00:19:31.23\00:19:33.20
and... and abuse...
00:19:33.23\00:19:34.70
and God hates it
00:19:34.74\00:19:36.14
and He wants to deal with it,
00:19:36.17\00:19:38.34
therefore, He acts as a surgeon
00:19:38.37\00:19:40.48
in human history.
00:19:40.51\00:19:42.54
God is the One that knows
everything about everyone.
00:19:42.61\00:19:46.31
He knows the
beginning... sorry... no...
00:19:46.35\00:19:48.25
He knows the end
from the beginning,
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.49
therefore, He
has the moral right
00:19:50.52\00:19:52.72
to intervene in human history
00:19:52.75\00:19:54.79
and act according to His wisdom
00:19:54.82\00:19:57.23
and last principle, number four,
00:19:57.29\00:19:59.63
Place every story in the context
of the Great Controversy.
00:19:59.66\00:20:06.33
Pause.
00:20:06.37\00:20:08.47
Place everything in the context
of the great controversy.
00:20:08.50\00:20:11.77
Sometimes we think of the
battles between the Israelites
00:20:11.81\00:20:15.71
and other nations... with
all the Canaanites and Hittites
00:20:15.74\00:20:19.58
and Philistines and all these...
00:20:19.61\00:20:20.95
and we think they're just
battles between two countries
00:20:20.98\00:20:23.32
or two nations...
00:20:23.35\00:20:24.69
my friends in reality they were
battles between two powers...
00:20:24.72\00:20:29.22
it was a battle between God
00:20:29.26\00:20:31.09
and it was a battle
between God and Satan.
00:20:31.13\00:20:34.63
And I want to create a
foundation for my point
00:20:34.66\00:20:38.23
to sustain what I'm saying here,
00:20:38.27\00:20:39.73
I want to take you
through a small journey
00:20:39.77\00:20:41.34
of three Bible passages in which
I'm trying to build up a case.
00:20:41.37\00:20:44.84
We can have the first
passage that comes from
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.94
Genesis chapter
22 on the screen.
00:20:46.98\00:20:49.14
"God said to Abraham,
00:20:49.18\00:20:50.65
'In your seed all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed,
00:20:50.68\00:20:54.82
because you have
obeyed my voice. '"
00:20:54.85\00:20:56.69
Here we have...
out of all the nations,
00:20:56.72\00:20:58.52
God selected Abraham
00:20:58.55\00:21:00.02
and He said, "In
your seed... " singular...
00:21:00.06\00:21:03.29
"all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed... "
00:21:03.32\00:21:05.63
in other words, He's
saying, "Out of Abraham,
00:21:05.66\00:21:08.03
the Savior for
humanity is going to come... "
00:21:08.06\00:21:10.33
the One that is going
to solve the problem of sin
00:21:10.37\00:21:12.90
for those in North
America... welcome guys here...
00:21:12.93\00:21:15.40
South America...
00:21:15.44\00:21:16.77
Asia, Africa,
Europe, all over the world...
00:21:16.81\00:21:19.97
that Savior is going
to come from Abraham...
00:21:20.01\00:21:22.64
either you like it or
not it doesn't matter.
00:21:22.71\00:21:25.31
It's from
Abraham... it's His seed.
00:21:25.35\00:21:27.95
Paul in the book of
Galatians... next slide...
00:21:27.98\00:21:30.15
tells us... Galatians 3:16,
00:21:30.19\00:21:32.62
"Now to Abraham and his
Seed were the promises made
00:21:32.65\00:21:35.59
and He does not
say, 'And to seeds,'
00:21:35.62\00:21:37.49
as of many, but as of one,
00:21:37.53\00:21:40.50
'And to your
seed,' who is Christ. "
00:21:40.56\00:21:44.17
So what was the
prophecy about give to Abraham?
00:21:44.20\00:21:46.40
Pause.
00:21:46.43\00:21:47.77
Christ will come out of
Abraham, in other words,
00:21:47.80\00:21:50.17
"Christ was going to be
a descendant of Abraham...
00:21:50.21\00:21:52.57
salvation was going
to come from the Jews. "
00:21:52.61\00:21:56.18
While God was interested in the
Chinese and those in Mongolia
00:21:56.21\00:21:59.81
and the Aztecs and
people... Indians in America
00:21:59.85\00:22:02.82
and Aborigines here
and all of the place...
00:22:02.88\00:22:05.62
He had His focus on
one particular group
00:22:05.65\00:22:08.36
and that group
were the Israelites
00:22:08.42\00:22:11.53
because of the
promise made to Abraham
00:22:11.56\00:22:14.60
and Jesus was very
unapologetically about it.
00:22:14.63\00:22:18.10
In John chapter 4 verse 22,
00:22:18.13\00:22:20.60
when He was talking
to the woman at the well,
00:22:20.64\00:22:23.00
the Samaritan
woman... Jesus said to her,
00:22:23.04\00:22:25.27
"You worship what
you do not know... "
00:22:25.31\00:22:27.48
that's not an easy statement.
00:22:27.51\00:22:29.91
He wasn't encouraging her,
00:22:29.94\00:22:32.28
He wasn't
necessarily being friendly,
00:22:32.31\00:22:33.72
He was like, telling the truth.
00:22:33.75\00:22:35.75
"You worship what
you do not know... "
00:22:35.78\00:22:38.09
"we... "
referring to the Jews...
00:22:38.12\00:22:41.76
"we know what we worship,
for salvation is of the Jews. "
00:22:41.79\00:22:47.60
Have you ever wondered
why we have so many prophecies
00:22:47.63\00:22:53.17
with countries like Babylon
and Persia and Greece and Rome,
00:22:53.20\00:22:57.81
but there's no specific prophecy
about the kingdom of the Mongols
00:22:57.84\00:23:01.64
or the Chinese... why?
00:23:01.68\00:23:05.01
Because every single nation
that appears in Bible prophecy
00:23:05.05\00:23:09.78
had something to do
with the Israelites.
00:23:09.82\00:23:12.25
It was about God's people
00:23:12.29\00:23:14.62
and what He's saying here
is salvation was going to come
00:23:14.66\00:23:17.46
through the Jews' Messiah...
00:23:17.49\00:23:18.83
it was going to
come through the Jews.
00:23:18.86\00:23:20.43
Pause.
00:23:20.46\00:23:21.80
Now, Thursday night,
Pastor John used an expression
00:23:21.83\00:23:25.53
and He said, "If I
were the devil... "
00:23:25.60\00:23:28.44
and he said, "I'm not... "
00:23:28.47\00:23:29.80
tonight I'll
flip it and I'll say,
00:23:29.84\00:23:32.31
"If you were the
devil... " and you're not...
00:23:32.34\00:23:35.54
Audience: Laughter.
00:23:35.61\00:23:37.18
"what would you
try to do if you knew
00:23:37.21\00:23:41.38
that the solution to sin
00:23:41.45\00:23:43.89
and the solution for every
single country in the world
00:23:43.92\00:23:47.26
was going to
come from the Jews. "
00:23:47.29\00:23:48.66
If you were the
devil... what would you do?
00:23:48.69\00:23:52.49
Pause...
00:23:52.53\00:23:54.86
You would do your
best to distract...
00:23:54.90\00:23:59.10
deceive and
destroy the Israelites
00:23:59.13\00:24:03.27
hoping that by doing that,
00:24:03.30\00:24:05.41
you'll bring
that promise to an end
00:24:05.44\00:24:08.34
and therefore, Planet
Earth will be lost forever.
00:24:08.38\00:24:13.35
Pause.
00:24:13.38\00:24:15.22
That's why, every single battle
we have in the Old Testament...
00:24:15.25\00:24:19.29
every single
conflict that we have there...
00:24:19.32\00:24:21.86
it's not just a conflict between
Israelites and other nations,
00:24:21.89\00:24:24.39
there's a battle between Satan
00:24:24.43\00:24:26.83
who's trying to bring
this promise to an end
00:24:26.86\00:24:30.83
by distracting,
deceiving and destroying
00:24:30.87\00:24:34.40
and at the same
time, you've got God
00:24:34.44\00:24:37.91
fighting to make sure that
the Jews will last long enough
00:24:37.94\00:24:42.28
for the promise
to become a reality.
00:24:42.34\00:24:45.35
therefore,
every single action...
00:24:45.38\00:24:48.35
every single thing that
God did in the Old Testament
00:24:48.38\00:24:52.49
had only one purpose in mind
00:24:52.52\00:24:54.19
and that was to bring
this prophecy to fulfillment
00:24:54.22\00:24:57.63
that you and I may have the
opportunity to be saved, amen.
00:24:57.66\00:25:02.13
All right, we got this done,
00:25:02.16\00:25:05.47
this... this whole idea is
mentioned in the New Testament,
00:25:05.50\00:25:08.74
Revelation 12 verse 4, it says,
00:25:08.77\00:25:11.81
"... And the dragon
stood before the woman
00:25:11.84\00:25:13.27
who was ready to give birth,
00:25:13.34\00:25:14.68
to devour her Child
as soon as it was born. "
00:25:14.71\00:25:17.11
So we've got this
whole process of Satan
00:25:17.15\00:25:19.35
trying to stop the
prophecy from being fulfilled
00:25:19.41\00:25:23.52
and God making sure
00:25:23.55\00:25:24.99
that the prophecy was
going to actually take place.
00:25:25.02\00:25:27.49
And I'll take you
with me on a journey,
00:25:27.52\00:25:30.13
if you have your
Bibles, 1st Samuel chapter 15
00:25:30.16\00:25:34.20
and this is where we sort
of begin our in-depth study,
00:25:34.23\00:25:37.07
1st Samuel
chapter 15 verses 1 to 3,
00:25:37.10\00:25:40.80
there are many passages that
you find in the Old Testament
00:25:40.84\00:25:44.01
that can be challenging at times
00:25:44.04\00:25:45.57
this is one of my favorite,
00:25:45.61\00:25:48.08
1st Samuel 15 verses 1 to 3,
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.51
it really throws a
spin on how God works
00:25:50.55\00:25:55.92
and we may not
understand everything about Him
00:25:55.95\00:25:58.82
but it's just
amazing what happens here,
00:25:58.85\00:26:01.39
1st Samuel 15 verses 1 to 3,
00:26:01.42\00:26:03.96
it says, "Samuel
said to Saul... "
00:26:03.99\00:26:06.46
we're talking
here about King Saul...
00:26:06.49\00:26:08.93
first king in Israel,
00:26:08.96\00:26:10.50
The LORD sent me to anoint
you king over His people... "
00:26:10.53\00:26:14.44
so the prophet
is reminding Saul,
00:26:14.50\00:26:15.97
"Hey, you are here
because God appointed you... "
00:26:16.00\00:26:19.67
in other words saying,
"You better be prepared
00:26:19.71\00:26:23.35
to do what God is
asking you to do. "
00:26:23.38\00:26:25.38
"Therefore, heed the
voice of the words of the LORD."
00:26:25.41\00:26:30.99
Verse 2, "Thus
says the LORD of hosts,
00:26:31.02\00:26:33.52
I will punish Amalek
for what it did to Israel,
00:26:33.56\00:26:37.19
how he ambushed him on the way
when he came up from Egypt. "
00:26:37.23\00:26:41.50
And verse 3... that is like the
pinnacle of this conversation,
00:26:41.53\00:26:45.80
and it's sort of the
time when people turned away
00:26:45.83\00:26:49.27
and closed their eyes
00:26:49.30\00:26:50.64
and like, "Did
it really happen?"
00:26:50.67\00:26:52.04
"Now go and attack Amalek,
00:26:52.07\00:26:54.84
and utterly
destroy all that they have;
00:26:54.88\00:27:00.22
and do not spare them... "
00:27:00.25\00:27:03.32
and it says, "Kill
both men and women,
00:27:03.39\00:27:09.09
infant and nursing child,
00:27:09.12\00:27:14.10
ox and sheep,
camel and donkey. "
00:27:14.13\00:27:17.47
My question for you tonight is,
00:27:17.50\00:27:20.77
"How can we know
God from this passage?"
00:27:20.80\00:27:23.20
"And this is eternal
life, that we may know God. "
00:27:23.24\00:27:28.61
How can we know Him
from this particular verse?
00:27:28.64\00:27:33.98
A God that orders the
destruction of the entire nation
00:27:34.02\00:27:38.29
including infants... children
that haven't really developed,
00:27:38.35\00:27:44.73
and kill all the animals
00:27:44.76\00:27:47.03
and destroy
everything else around...
00:27:47.06\00:27:51.23
don't you find that
a bit like, "Eh... "
00:27:51.27\00:27:54.60
pause...
00:27:54.64\00:27:57.61
we're trying to
understand God through His works
00:27:57.64\00:28:00.18
in the Old Testament.
00:28:00.21\00:28:01.54
First of all, the destruction
of the Amalek did not come
00:28:01.58\00:28:06.05
as an idea created by
Saul and that's very important
00:28:06.08\00:28:10.69
it wasn't his
initiative, it was God's.
00:28:10.72\00:28:14.36
Secondly, and
that is in verse 2,
00:28:14.39\00:28:17.99
"I will punish Amalek
00:28:18.06\00:28:20.36
for what he did to Israel. "
00:28:20.40\00:28:21.96
This is God speaking,
00:28:22.00\00:28:23.53
"I will punish Amalek for
what he did to My children. "
00:28:23.57\00:28:25.17
What happened?
00:28:25.23\00:28:26.57
This verse is actually referring
to a prophecy that was authored
00:28:26.60\00:28:32.34
five hundred years
before this event took place
00:28:32.37\00:28:36.28
and we got a
passage on the screen...
00:28:36.34\00:28:39.51
Deuteronomy 25 verses 17 to 19,
00:28:39.58\00:28:43.28
and this is what it
says, "Remember... "
00:28:43.32\00:28:44.85
this is God speaking
to the leaders of Israel,
00:28:44.89\00:28:47.12
"Remember what
Amalek did to you on the way
00:28:47.16\00:28:49.36
as you were coming out of Egypt,
00:28:49.39\00:28:51.13
how he met you on the way
and attacked your rear ranks,
00:28:51.16\00:28:55.06
all the stragglers at your rear,
00:28:55.10\00:28:57.13
when you were tired and
weary; and he did not fear God.
00:28:57.17\00:29:01.44
Therefore it shall be,
00:29:01.47\00:29:03.20
when the Lord your
God has given you rest...
00:29:03.24\00:29:05.91
that you will blot out
the remembrance of Amalek
00:29:05.94\00:29:08.48
from under Heaven.
00:29:08.54\00:29:09.88
You shall not forget. "
00:29:09.91\00:29:12.11
500 years before
Saul was asked to do this,
00:29:12.15\00:29:14.62
the prophecy was given by God.
00:29:14.65\00:29:16.85
So, what was happening?
00:29:16.89\00:29:18.22
First of all, we need to
understand that Amalek...
00:29:18.25\00:29:19.95
they were
relatives of the Israelites,
00:29:19.99\00:29:21.86
they were descendants of Esau
00:29:21.89\00:29:23.39
and all of a sudden,
00:29:23.43\00:29:25.49
you have relatives
attacking the Israelites,
00:29:25.53\00:29:27.63
they were first
ones to attack Israel
00:29:27.66\00:29:29.36
after they crossed the Red Sea.
00:29:29.40\00:29:30.73
So, what do we see here?
00:29:30.77\00:29:32.53
None other than Satan
himself using a nation
00:29:32.57\00:29:35.60
to stop Israel from becoming the
nation that God wants them to be
00:29:35.64\00:29:40.21
and from... from
hindering the prophecy
00:29:40.28\00:29:42.84
about Jesus
Christ being fulfilled
00:29:42.88\00:29:45.78
and God said, "I will
eventually destroy them
00:29:45.81\00:29:49.22
but I will give
them some grace. "
00:29:49.25\00:29:52.35
And God waited... not
ten... not 50 years...
00:29:52.39\00:29:56.93
not a 100... not 250...
00:29:56.96\00:29:59.63
but waited 500 years.
00:29:59.69\00:30:02.26
So, the picture that I get
from here is, "Do we know God?"
00:30:02.30\00:30:05.83
"Yes... we know God. "
00:30:05.90\00:30:07.24
And the message is,
"God is a God of grace. "
00:30:07.27\00:30:10.14
Pause.
00:30:10.17\00:30:11.97
And this time of grace is
given for us to make up our mind
00:30:12.01\00:30:16.98
where we want to spend eternity.
00:30:17.05\00:30:19.98
Pause...
00:30:20.02\00:30:21.65
more pause...
00:30:21.68\00:30:23.79
And God allowed them...
generation after generation...
00:30:23.85\00:30:27.39
but the time came for
them to be utterly destroyed
00:30:27.42\00:30:30.69
because even in the
time of Saul... King Saul...
00:30:30.73\00:30:33.93
the Amalekites were used
by Satan to be distracted...
00:30:33.96\00:30:38.67
deceived... and destroyed...
00:30:38.73\00:30:40.77
and God decided to
act like a surgeon...
00:30:40.84\00:30:44.84
remove the infected part
00:30:44.87\00:30:46.81
in order to save
the nation of Israel
00:30:46.84\00:30:49.54
and also, to make sure that
He will bring about salvation
00:30:49.58\00:30:53.28
for you and for me today.
00:30:53.31\00:30:55.92
Place every single story
00:30:55.95\00:30:58.49
in the context of
the Great Controversy.
00:30:58.52\00:31:01.46
The question is, "What happens?"
00:31:01.49\00:31:04.23
Sorry... I need to also mention
00:31:04.29\00:31:06.96
when God asked them to
go and destroy everything,
00:31:07.00\00:31:11.00
that type of war
is called, "Herem"
00:31:11.03\00:31:14.30
which is a holy war...
00:31:14.34\00:31:16.54
which means that
everything is dedicated to God
00:31:16.60\00:31:20.88
and it came as
a divine judgment,
00:31:20.91\00:31:23.11
the soldiers weren't
allowed to benefit from that.
00:31:23.14\00:31:26.01
They weren't allowed to
take any servants or any goods.
00:31:26.05\00:31:29.02
They were going to move
forward... burn everything...
00:31:29.05\00:31:31.99
because it was God's
judgment upon the nation
00:31:32.02\00:31:34.79
it was a battle
between two Gods.
00:31:34.82\00:31:37.26
Verse 9, "Saul and
the people spared.. "
00:31:37.33\00:31:40.56
so, they are told
to destroy everything
00:31:40.60\00:31:43.77
and then verse 9
says, "Saul spared Agag,
00:31:43.80\00:31:46.63
and the best of the sheep,
oxen, the fatlings, the lambs,
00:31:46.67\00:31:50.61
and all that was good,
00:31:50.64\00:31:52.94
and were unwilling
to utterly destroy them:
00:31:52.97\00:31:58.98
but everything despised
00:31:59.01\00:32:02.28
and worthless, that
they utterly destroyed. "
00:32:02.32\00:32:05.52
Pause.
00:32:05.55\00:32:07.32
They kept what was
good for themselves
00:32:07.36\00:32:10.16
and they gave to
God the leftovers.
00:32:10.19\00:32:13.13
And as a result
of this disobedience
00:32:13.16\00:32:16.06
and I can't dwell
too much on this point...
00:32:16.10\00:32:17.73
as a result of
this disobedience,
00:32:17.80\00:32:19.17
the throne was
taken away from Saul
00:32:19.20\00:32:20.74
and from his family.
00:32:20.77\00:32:22.10
Pause.
00:32:22.14\00:32:24.31
Fast forward through...
through Israel's history,
00:32:24.34\00:32:27.04
I want you to think of
the time of Queen Esther,
00:32:27.08\00:32:29.74
what was the name of the man
00:32:29.78\00:32:34.45
that tried to
get rid of the Jews?
00:32:34.48\00:32:37.59
Haman...
00:32:37.62\00:32:39.72
Like I said... was
a verse on the screen
00:32:39.75\00:32:42.92
Esther chapter 3
verse 1, look at this,
00:32:42.96\00:32:46.09
"After these things King
Ahasuerus promoted Haman,
00:32:46.13\00:32:50.83
the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite,
00:32:50.87\00:32:55.04
and advanced him and set
his seat above all the princes
00:32:55.07\00:32:57.51
who were with him. "
00:32:57.57\00:32:58.91
Do you know who was Haman?
00:32:58.94\00:33:00.28
He was an Amalekite.
00:33:00.31\00:33:01.88
One of those that
survived from the conquest
00:33:01.91\00:33:06.01
where Saul was meant to
destroy everything and everyone
00:33:06.05\00:33:08.38
and because God...
00:33:08.42\00:33:10.55
sorry... because
Saul was not obedient,
00:33:10.59\00:33:12.62
the nation had to suffer
again in the coming-up years
00:33:12.65\00:33:20.10
and this is the
son of the Agagite...
00:33:20.13\00:33:23.23
it's placed intentionally
because there's ongoing tension
00:33:23.26\00:33:26.27
between the
Amalekites and the Israelites
00:33:26.63\00:33:28.30
and what I see
here this ongoing...
00:33:28.34\00:33:30.41
Satan is very perseverant...
00:33:30.44\00:33:32.37
Israel comes out of Egypt,
he seeks to destroy them...
00:33:32.41\00:33:35.78
he uses Amalek all
throughout these journeys...
00:33:35.81\00:33:38.05
Saul is
disobedient in his command...
00:33:38.08\00:33:40.12
and then he uses Haman...
00:33:40.15\00:33:41.62
but throughout all of
this, God protects His children
00:33:41.65\00:33:46.69
because He wants to make sure
00:33:46.72\00:33:49.32
that salvation
will be made available
00:33:49.36\00:33:52.49
to every nation under the sun.
00:33:52.53\00:33:54.43
Therefore, God
acts like a surgeon
00:33:54.46\00:33:57.93
removing the infected part,
00:33:57.97\00:33:59.93
therefore, every single story
00:33:59.97\00:34:01.84
that we read in
the Old Testament,
00:34:01.87\00:34:03.51
needs to be
placed in the context
00:34:03.54\00:34:05.14
of the great controversy.
00:34:05.17\00:34:07.41
Pause...
00:34:07.48\00:34:09.51
So, as we wrap up this
story, I'd like to say to you,
00:34:09.54\00:34:16.22
God... can we
know God from this?
00:34:16.25\00:34:19.75
I believe that we can
00:34:19.79\00:34:21.36
and the message
that I get is this,
00:34:21.39\00:34:23.16
God is a warrior...
00:34:23.19\00:34:24.69
do you like that?
00:34:24.73\00:34:26.80
God is a warrior...
00:34:26.83\00:34:28.80
God is a warrior
00:34:28.83\00:34:30.80
but He's not a
warrior against you and me,
00:34:30.83\00:34:33.54
He's a warrior against sin
00:34:33.57\00:34:35.40
and He fights with passion
to stop it and to destroy it
00:34:35.44\00:34:40.94
in order to bring
salvation for you and for me.
00:34:40.98\00:34:45.18
Therefore,
every action of God...
00:34:45.21\00:34:49.05
every command that He authors
00:34:49.08\00:34:51.25
including the
command to destroy everything
00:34:51.29\00:34:54.59
with the Amalekites is made
00:34:54.62\00:34:57.79
in order to
restore the fallen humanity
00:34:57.83\00:35:00.80
and to bring
salvation a step closer
00:35:00.83\00:35:03.73
to its final fulfillment.
00:35:03.77\00:35:05.70
This is how we can know
God in the Old Testament.
00:35:05.73\00:35:10.87
Pause.
00:35:10.91\00:35:12.84
But I want to take
you to another story.
00:35:12.87\00:35:15.54
In 2nd Samuel chapter 6
00:35:15.58\00:35:19.45
and this is a story that I
sort of struggled as a young man
00:35:19.48\00:35:23.42
because I just didn't get it.
00:35:23.45\00:35:24.79
I'm not saying
that I do get it now
00:35:24.82\00:35:26.79
but... 2nd Samuel chapter 6
00:35:26.82\00:35:30.33
and we're going to
read verse 3 first of all.
00:35:30.36\00:35:32.46
2nd Samuel chapter 6 verse 3.
00:35:32.49\00:35:37.00
I'll actually go
through this quite quickly.
00:35:37.03\00:35:40.24
Pause.
00:35:40.27\00:35:42.54
"They set the ark
of God on a new cart,
00:35:42.57\00:35:46.01
and brought it out
of the house of Abinadab
00:35:46.04\00:35:49.44
which was on the hill:
00:35:49.48\00:35:50.95
and Uzzah and Ahio,
the sons of Abinadab,
00:35:50.98\00:35:53.62
drove the new cart.
00:35:53.65\00:35:55.92
Look down to verses 6 through 8,
00:35:55.95\00:35:58.69
when they came to
Nachon's threshingfloor,
00:35:58.72\00:36:02.49
Uzzah put out his
hand to the ark of God,
00:36:02.52\00:36:05.99
took hold of it,
for the oxen stumbled. "
00:36:06.03\00:36:09.46
Pause...
00:36:09.50\00:36:11.47
Wasn't he trying to help?
00:36:11.50\00:36:14.90
You know while he was
trying to stop the ark
00:36:14.97\00:36:17.41
from falling to the
ground and having it dishonored.
00:36:17.44\00:36:19.51
Pause...
00:36:19.54\00:36:21.71
"But then the anger of the
LORD was aroused against Uzzah;
00:36:21.74\00:36:24.51
and God struck him
there for his error;
00:36:24.55\00:36:28.12
and he died there
by the ark of God. "
00:36:28.15\00:36:30.85
Now, look at
King David's reaction,
00:36:30.89\00:36:33.49
"And David became angry...
" not because of Uzzah...
00:36:33.56\00:36:38.33
"he became angry because of the
LORD's outbreak against Uzzah:
00:36:38.36\00:36:42.83
and he called the name of the
place Perezuzzah to this day. "
00:36:42.86\00:36:47.34
What do you
think of this passage?
00:36:47.37\00:36:49.44
What is this passage
telling you about God?
00:36:49.47\00:36:51.91
I mean, he was trying to help
00:36:51.94\00:36:53.81
and this is how
He pays you back?
00:36:53.84\00:36:55.34
Pause...
00:36:55.41\00:36:57.25
Isn't that what it
reads on the surface?
00:36:57.58\00:37:00.62
And I struggled... I mean,
this guy was trying to help,
00:37:00.65\00:37:04.19
he was trying to
do the right thing,
00:37:04.25\00:37:05.75
why would God
react in such a way?
00:37:05.79\00:37:07.16
How can we know God from
His works in the Old Testament?
00:37:07.19\00:37:10.33
What can we know about Him?
00:37:10.36\00:37:12.99
Doesn't it seem
to be a bit unfair?
00:37:13.03\00:37:15.86
I want to tell you
that a careful study
00:37:15.90\00:37:19.07
would reveal something
amazing about this story.
00:37:19.10\00:37:22.14
The death of Uzzah
is actually the last
00:37:22.17\00:37:25.14
of three Old Testament stories
00:37:25.17\00:37:28.54
about those who desecrated
the Ark of the Covenant
00:37:28.58\00:37:32.71
and were slain by God.
00:37:32.75\00:37:34.88
So, the story of Uzzah is part
of three Old Testament stories
00:37:34.92\00:37:40.62
about those who
desecrated the ark
00:37:40.66\00:37:43.29
and suffered as a result of that
00:37:43.32\00:37:45.86
and every single
story leads to the other...
00:37:45.89\00:37:48.43
it actually
builds on top of another,
00:37:48.46\00:37:50.17
so, we need to go back
00:37:50.20\00:37:51.60
about 85 years
prior to this event
00:37:51.63\00:37:54.30
that took place in Uzzah's life.
00:37:54.34\00:37:56.97
Pause.
00:37:57.01\00:37:58.34
First story...
we're not going to read,
00:37:58.37\00:38:00.58
I'm going to
tell you the summary,
00:38:00.61\00:38:01.94
you can check at home,
00:38:01.98\00:38:03.38
1st Samuel chapter 4,
00:38:03.41\00:38:04.75
it is a story
when the Israelites
00:38:04.78\00:38:06.38
fight against the Philistines,
00:38:06.41\00:38:07.95
the Israelites were
losing and they make a decision
00:38:07.98\00:38:10.19
to bring
something into the camp.
00:38:10.22\00:38:11.55
What did they bring?
00:38:11.59\00:38:12.99
They bring the
Ark of the Covenant...
00:38:13.02\00:38:15.09
they say, "If the Ark comes,
we're going to be victorious. "
00:38:15.12\00:38:17.79
The Ark comes... they lose...
00:38:17.86\00:38:19.23
the Ark gets
captured by the Philistines.
00:38:19.26\00:38:22.93
Isn't it
amazing... it fascinates me...
00:38:22.96\00:38:25.83
that here we have
these... these pagans
00:38:25.87\00:38:28.67
touching and handling the Ark...
00:38:28.70\00:38:33.04
are you hearing me?
00:38:33.07\00:38:35.18
They snatch it from the Jews
00:38:35.21\00:38:38.31
and they put it
on their own cart
00:38:38.35\00:38:40.72
but God is not
there to strike them dead
00:38:40.75\00:38:43.92
but He strikes the
fellow that is trying to help.
00:38:43.95\00:38:49.12
Are you with me?
00:38:49.16\00:38:51.66
What is this
revealing to us about God?
00:38:51.69\00:38:54.70
Pause...
00:38:54.76\00:38:56.80
Someone said, "Mercy. "
00:38:56.83\00:38:59.13
Indeed, for the Philistines,
it was the "sin of ignorance. "
00:38:59.17\00:39:03.61
They did not know
how to handle the Ark
00:39:03.64\00:39:06.91
and God in His wisdom and mercy,
00:39:06.98\00:39:09.78
He said, "I'm going to
take them on a journey...
00:39:09.81\00:39:12.81
I'm going to
gradually reveal myself to them
00:39:12.85\00:39:15.78
because they don't
have a clue of who I am. "
00:39:15.85\00:39:18.75
And this brings me so much hope
00:39:18.79\00:39:21.56
and this tells me so much
about God in the Old Testament
00:39:21.59\00:39:24.09
that when you think of
nations around the world,
00:39:24.13\00:39:26.49
He takes every
single one on a journey.
00:39:26.53\00:39:29.06
You and I don't have
to be at the same level
00:39:29.10\00:39:31.70
in order for us to be in heaven.
00:39:31.73\00:39:33.13
Did you know that?
00:39:33.20\00:39:34.57
Pause...
00:39:34.60\00:39:37.01
some of the things that I
consider to be wrong today,
00:39:37.07\00:39:39.57
I did not consider them
to be wrong ten years ago
00:39:39.61\00:39:42.11
and I'm not
necessarily proud of that,
00:39:42.14\00:39:44.61
I'm just stating as a fact
00:39:44.65\00:39:45.98
because we grow and we mature
in our relationship with God
00:39:46.01\00:39:49.38
and God was very
intentional here,
00:39:49.45\00:39:51.95
because He wanted to take
the Philistines on a journey
00:39:51.99\00:39:54.62
so, do you have a family member
that doesn't walk with God?
00:39:54.66\00:39:58.19
Don't expect them to believe...
00:39:58.23\00:40:00.33
to accept
everything that you have
00:40:00.36\00:40:02.90
because God is
taking them gradually.
00:40:02.93\00:40:05.40
They bring the
Ark of the Covenant
00:40:05.43\00:40:07.84
into the temple of Dagon...
00:40:07.87\00:40:09.67
this fellow was half
man... half fish... a statue...
00:40:09.70\00:40:12.47
they placed the Ark there,
00:40:12.51\00:40:14.28
in the morning... none
in the city is affected
00:40:14.31\00:40:18.05
however, the idol
is face to the ground,
00:40:18.08\00:40:21.28
first step, God
is revealing saying,
00:40:21.32\00:40:23.92
"I've got power
over your idol. "
00:40:23.95\00:40:26.45
The following morning,
the idol is down again,
00:40:26.49\00:40:29.52
no one is affected in the city,
00:40:29.56\00:40:30.93
but the idol has the head
chopped and the hands cut off.
00:40:30.96\00:40:34.43
What is God doing?
00:40:34.46\00:40:36.26
Gradually revealing Himself...
00:40:36.30\00:40:39.27
and then
eventually He brings boils
00:40:39.30\00:40:41.14
and these guys
are starting to hurt
00:40:41.20\00:40:42.70
and say, "We need
to move the Ark... "
00:40:42.74\00:40:44.21
and they move it to another town
00:40:44.24\00:40:45.57
and everyone is in pain
00:40:45.61\00:40:46.94
and they push it
from one to another
00:40:46.98\00:40:48.64
when in rebellion
they end up dying,
00:40:48.68\00:40:50.31
they say, "We
need to send it away. "
00:40:50.35\00:40:51.95
Pause...
00:40:51.98\00:40:53.98
What is this
telling me about God?
00:40:54.02\00:40:55.35
He takes people on a
journey and He has patience
00:40:55.38\00:40:58.95
with those who
have no clue about Him
00:40:58.99\00:41:01.02
and I believe we can
learn a lot about God
00:41:01.06\00:41:03.59
through His works
in the Old Testament.
00:41:03.63\00:41:06.16
Pause...
00:41:06.19\00:41:08.06
so this is the first story
00:41:08.10\00:41:09.43
but what's sad is
that the second story
00:41:09.46\00:41:11.60
take place in
1st Samuel chapter 6.
00:41:11.63\00:41:13.90
The Ark... I'm just
cutting it short, guys,
00:41:13.94\00:41:16.10
the Ark is sent away
from the Philistines...
00:41:16.14\00:41:18.27
God leads the cart
00:41:18.31\00:41:19.71
and it arrives in a
town called Bethshemesh...
00:41:19.74\00:41:22.58
how many of you know
what happened in Bethshemesh?
00:41:22.61\00:41:25.38
Pause.
00:41:25.41\00:41:27.42
A number of you...
00:41:27.45\00:41:29.22
Bethshemesh... let
me just remind you...
00:41:29.25\00:41:30.79
this is an
Israelite town, all right.
00:41:30.82\00:41:33.25
This is an Israelite town.
00:41:33.29\00:41:34.82
These people in Bethshemesh...
they see the miracle
00:41:34.86\00:41:38.29
of the cart returning
with the Ark of the Covenant,
00:41:38.33\00:41:41.70
all by itself,
00:41:41.86\00:41:43.20
and they gather
around that cart...
00:41:43.23\00:41:46.60
they remove
whatever it had there,
00:41:46.63\00:41:48.94
and do you know
what these guys did?
00:41:49.00\00:41:51.27
They look inside...
00:41:51.31\00:41:53.44
pause...
00:41:53.48\00:41:56.48
and God does not take
them on a gradual journey.
00:41:56.51\00:42:03.08
Pause...
00:42:03.12\00:42:05.92
because on that moment, God
struck dead... 50,000 people
00:42:05.95\00:42:11.69
in Bethshemesh...
00:42:11.73\00:42:13.83
an Israelite town...
00:42:13.86\00:42:16.87
on that very moment.
00:42:16.90\00:42:19.83
I don't know, it
seems to me on the surface
00:42:19.87\00:42:22.57
that God had more
patience with the Philistines...
00:42:22.60\00:42:24.34
these heathens than
with His own children.
00:42:24.37\00:42:29.21
Pause.
00:42:29.24\00:42:31.21
Can we understand
something about God's character
00:42:31.28\00:42:34.18
in this particular story?
00:42:34.22\00:42:35.55
Pause.
00:42:35.58\00:42:37.72
I believe God is inviting us...
00:42:37.75\00:42:39.62
God is expecting
us to live the truth
00:42:39.65\00:42:44.96
that has been given to us.
00:42:44.99\00:42:47.00
Pause.
00:42:47.03\00:42:48.73
The Israelites were given more,
00:42:48.76\00:42:50.63
therefore, they were
expected to know more.
00:42:50.67\00:42:55.34
Pause.
00:42:55.37\00:42:57.01
They knew better...
00:42:57.07\00:42:58.57
they knew that
only the High Priest
00:42:58.64\00:43:00.34
would be able to
stand before the Ark
00:43:00.38\00:43:02.71
and that'll be once
a year in the Most Holy
00:43:02.74\00:43:05.68
and yet they disregarded
the very instructions of God
00:43:05.71\00:43:10.12
pause...
00:43:10.19\00:43:11.55
and sometimes God acts
because He knows everything
00:43:11.59\00:43:15.02
about everyone...
00:43:15.06\00:43:16.39
He knows the end
from the beginning
00:43:16.42\00:43:17.89
and as a cosmic surgeon,
He intervenes and He acts.
00:43:17.93\00:43:22.43
This is story number two
00:43:22.46\00:43:24.20
and this leads us
to story number three
00:43:24.23\00:43:28.00
and that is the story of Uzzah
00:43:28.04\00:43:30.14
and we read that story.
00:43:30.17\00:43:31.51
Pause...
00:43:31.54\00:43:33.44
So, what was wrong about Uzzah?
00:43:33.48\00:43:35.58
You know, David was excited,
00:43:35.64\00:43:37.65
he wanted to bring the Ark
of the Covenant to Jerusalem,
00:43:37.68\00:43:40.08
pause...
00:43:40.12\00:43:41.75
more pause...
00:43:41.78\00:43:44.12
but they left
something out of that.
00:43:44.15\00:43:46.09
The Bible tells us... they
placed the Ark of the Covenant
00:43:46.12\00:43:51.76
pause
00:43:51.79\00:43:53.76
on a new cart...
00:43:53.80\00:43:55.60
was that the way in
which the Ark of the Covenant
00:43:55.63\00:43:58.83
was meant to be transported?
00:43:58.87\00:44:00.34
Pause...
00:44:00.37\00:44:01.77
No... we know that...
00:44:01.80\00:44:04.67
they knew that
00:44:04.71\00:44:06.17
however, instead
of having it carried
00:44:06.21\00:44:10.48
on shoulders by the priest,
00:44:10.51\00:44:12.75
and that is the sons
of Kohath no one else...
00:44:12.81\00:44:16.62
the sons of Kohath were
chosen for this purpose.
00:44:16.65\00:44:20.46
They decided to
put it on a cart, why?
00:44:20.49\00:44:23.96
Why a cart?
00:44:23.99\00:44:25.83
Pause...
00:44:25.86\00:44:27.20
why a cart?
00:44:27.23\00:44:28.56
Because that's
what the Philistines did
00:44:28.60\00:44:32.57
pause...
00:44:32.63\00:44:34.90
and instead of
listening to God's instructions,
00:44:34.94\00:44:38.21
pause...
00:44:38.24\00:44:39.94
they copied the
pattern of the world
00:44:39.97\00:44:42.41
pause
00:44:42.44\00:44:44.91
and... and my question
00:44:44.98\00:44:47.42
as a leader in the
church and for all of us,
00:44:47.45\00:44:50.32
are we tempted at times to
copy the pattern of the world
00:44:50.35\00:44:57.09
instead of following
the instructions of God?
00:44:57.13\00:45:01.90
Pause.
00:45:01.93\00:45:03.30
Maybe David and the rest
thought it's going to quicker
00:45:03.37\00:45:05.47
to put it on a cart
and drag it along...
00:45:05.50\00:45:07.64
pause...
00:45:07.70\00:45:09.60
I'll tell you what...
00:45:09.64\00:45:11.14
we're going to
fail every single time
00:45:11.17\00:45:12.57
when we try to copy
the pattern of the world
00:45:12.61\00:45:15.38
instead of following
the instructions of God.
00:45:15.41\00:45:18.11
Pause...
00:45:18.18\00:45:19.91
more pause.
00:45:19.95\00:45:21.85
The Bible tells us that
God elected the sons of Kohath
00:45:21.88\00:45:24.65
as the only ones to be
allowed to transport the Ark
00:45:24.69\00:45:27.26
on their shoulders
00:45:27.29\00:45:29.02
but if you read
carefully, Uzzah,
00:45:29.06\00:45:30.76
he wasn't a son of Kohath,
he was the son of Abinadab
00:45:30.79\00:45:34.50
and they were never instructed
00:45:34.53\00:45:37.17
to carry the
Ark of the Covenant.
00:45:37.20\00:45:39.37
Pause.
00:45:39.40\00:45:41.47
Disregarding the
Lord's instructions,
00:45:41.50\00:45:44.74
Uzzah placed himself
where he should not have been
00:45:44.77\00:45:49.24
and he did what he
should not have done
00:45:49.28\00:45:52.98
and the culmination
of this disobedience...
00:45:53.01\00:45:57.25
he touched the Ark and he died.
00:45:57.29\00:46:00.59
Pause...
00:46:00.62\00:46:02.26
Why did Uzzah do such a thing?
00:46:02.29\00:46:03.63
Pause...
00:46:03.66\00:46:07.20
Maybe important for
you to know that his father
00:46:07.23\00:46:10.10
had the Ark of the Covenant
for 20 years in his house.
00:46:10.17\00:46:13.23
Pause...
00:46:13.27\00:46:14.94
Now, what happens
when you have something
00:46:14.97\00:46:16.30
for 20 years in your house?
00:46:16.34\00:46:17.67
Pause...
00:46:17.71\00:46:20.51
You know, when
you buy a new car,
00:46:20.54\00:46:22.04
you're going to
vacuum that car every day.
00:46:22.08\00:46:23.51
You're going to wash it,
00:46:23.55\00:46:25.11
you're going to look
for scratches and marks?
00:46:25.15\00:46:26.92
Twenty years
later, there's a bomb.
00:46:26.95\00:46:29.82
Audience: Laughter.
00:46:29.85\00:46:31.79
Pause...
00:46:31.85\00:46:33.62
Having the Ark of the Covenant
in your house for 20 years...
00:46:33.66\00:46:36.62
we might suspect
that Uzzah started to lose
00:46:36.69\00:46:41.13
the sacredness of the Ark.
00:46:41.16\00:46:43.77
Pause.
00:46:43.80\00:46:46.20
"As that has been here,
of course I can carry it...
00:46:46.23\00:46:48.27
it doesn't matter...
00:46:48.30\00:46:49.64
it's not going to
make a difference,
00:46:49.67\00:46:51.27
pause...
00:46:51.31\00:46:53.78
and what I... I believe
what God was trying to do here,
00:46:53.81\00:46:56.04
pause...
00:46:56.08\00:46:58.01
God was trying to help Israel
regain a sense of His greatness
00:46:58.05\00:47:01.28
and holiness
00:47:01.32\00:47:03.22
and I'm going to get to
this word later on... "Holiness"
00:47:03.25\00:47:06.96
before I finish tonight.
00:47:06.99\00:47:08.42
Pause...
00:47:08.46\00:47:11.43
Look at verse 11
00:47:11.46\00:47:13.03
if you want to check with me in
2nd Samuel chapter 6 verse 11.
00:47:13.06\00:47:18.97
Pause.
00:47:19.00\00:47:21.70
Uzzah died... David was angry
00:47:21.74\00:47:24.64
verse 11 tells us
what happens next.
00:47:24.67\00:47:26.57
"The ark of the LORD remained
in the house of Obededom
00:47:26.64\00:47:31.51
the Gittite three months:
00:47:31.58\00:47:34.82
and the LORD blessed Obededom,
and all his household. "
00:47:34.85\00:47:40.92
Pause... how come he didn't die?
00:47:40.96\00:47:44.13
Pause...
00:47:44.16\00:47:46.26
When the presence of the
Lord is taken seriously...
00:47:46.29\00:47:50.30
when He is invited in your life,
in your house... in your church,
00:47:50.33\00:47:55.87
and you regard
Him as a Holy God,
00:47:55.90\00:47:58.71
He ends up blessing you
00:47:58.74\00:48:01.24
because that's what
He seeks to do anyway,
00:48:01.28\00:48:04.38
He ends up blessing you.
00:48:04.41\00:48:06.75
So here's my point,
maybe from time to time,
00:48:06.78\00:48:11.52
we need to be
reminded that God is holy.
00:48:11.55\00:48:16.22
Have you heard
of that word before?
00:48:16.26\00:48:18.49
Holy...
00:48:18.53\00:48:19.86
Jesus Himself says, "Be holy...
00:48:19.89\00:48:21.76
as our Father in
heaven is holy. "
00:48:21.80\00:48:23.47
Be holy...
00:48:23.50\00:48:26.30
if there is any principle
that the world has lost
00:48:26.33\00:48:30.81
in its view of
God, it's His holiness.
00:48:30.84\00:48:35.31
Churches around the world
are happy to proclaim a God
00:48:35.34\00:48:42.08
that is happy and
friendly and welcoming
00:48:42.12\00:48:45.95
and there's
nothing wrong with that
00:48:45.99\00:48:48.26
because He is... God is happy...
00:48:48.29\00:48:49.62
God is friendly
and God is welcoming.
00:48:49.66\00:48:51.53
But in addition to all of
this or above all of this,
00:48:51.56\00:48:55.13
God is also a
holy God my church,
00:48:55.16\00:48:58.27
God is a holy God.
00:48:58.30\00:49:00.64
No wonder in the book of
Isaiah we have the angels
00:49:00.70\00:49:04.71
that cover their faces
with a pair of their wings
00:49:04.74\00:49:08.74
and cover their
feet with the other pair
00:49:08.78\00:49:11.81
and they sing,
"Holy, holy, holy... "
00:49:11.85\00:49:14.78
and here we have this being
that has never experienced sin,
00:49:14.82\00:49:19.52
the angels in heaven
00:49:19.55\00:49:21.02
covering their faces
and singing holy, holy
00:49:21.06\00:49:24.29
and you and I
have the temptation
00:49:24.33\00:49:26.36
of forgetting the fact
that God is indeed holy
00:49:26.39\00:49:28.96
pause...
00:49:29.00\00:49:30.53
and through this
story, God is reminding us
00:49:30.57\00:49:33.37
that He is holy...
00:49:33.40\00:49:35.57
and He wants to
create that holiness
00:49:35.60\00:49:39.07
in your heart too
00:49:39.14\00:49:40.68
because He wants us
to be just like Him.
00:49:40.71\00:49:44.31
The message of the Bible
is, "Come as you are... "
00:49:44.35\00:49:48.85
pause...
00:49:48.88\00:49:51.25
but I would fail and
the church would fail,
00:49:51.29\00:49:54.82
it would proclaim a message
like, "Stay as you are... "
00:49:54.86\00:49:58.26
pause...
00:49:58.29\00:50:02.60
because God has
called you out of darkness
00:50:02.63\00:50:04.80
into His marvelous
light that you may be like Him
00:50:04.83\00:50:07.54
pause...
00:50:07.57\00:50:09.30
and that is the message of God's
character in the Old Testament.
00:50:09.34\00:50:12.57
Pause.
00:50:12.61\00:50:14.54
So, here we have a God
that seeks to remodel us
00:50:14.58\00:50:16.91
back into His image.
00:50:16.95\00:50:18.28
At creation, He used
His breath to bring life
00:50:18.31\00:50:22.68
and now He uses His
Holy Spirit to recreate us
00:50:22.72\00:50:27.29
back into His image
00:50:27.32\00:50:28.66
to make us new and
to be a new creation.
00:50:28.69\00:50:32.09
Pause.
00:50:32.16\00:50:34.20
God is not only into destroying,
He's also into blessing.
00:50:34.23\00:50:36.87
Why do I say that?
00:50:36.93\00:50:38.83
He blessed Obededom's house
00:50:38.87\00:50:41.50
and you know what's funny?
00:50:41.54\00:50:44.11
David learned his lesson...
King David learned his lesson.
00:50:44.17\00:50:48.41
Look what it says
in verses 12 and 13,
00:50:48.44\00:50:52.11
"Now it was told
King David saying,
00:50:52.18\00:50:55.78
The LORD has blessed
the house of Obededom,
00:50:55.85\00:50:58.29
and all that belongs to him
because of the ark of God. "
00:50:58.32\00:51:00.96
And he looks on...
David becomes a bit envious,
00:51:00.99\00:51:03.63
"Oh, God is
blessing that fellow,
00:51:03.66\00:51:05.86
I would like Him
to bless me too... "
00:51:05.89\00:51:08.00
and God is willing to
bless you too my friend,
00:51:08.03\00:51:11.87
He's just waiting to
be invited in your life...
00:51:11.93\00:51:15.70
in your
family... in your church...
00:51:15.74\00:51:17.77
God is in the
business of blessing people
00:51:17.81\00:51:20.98
to bring a redemption
00:51:21.04\00:51:22.61
and look what David does,
00:51:22.64\00:51:24.18
"David went out and
brought up the ark of God
00:51:24.21\00:51:26.72
from the house of
Obededom to the city of David
00:51:26.75\00:51:29.18
with gladness. "
00:51:29.22\00:51:30.92
So, he was
successful in his mission
00:51:30.95\00:51:32.69
of transporting the ark.
00:51:32.72\00:51:34.69
but Verse 13
tells us how he did it
00:51:34.72\00:51:37.33
because he finally got
the message and he obeyed,
00:51:37.36\00:51:40.63
he no longer followed
the pattern of the world
00:51:40.66\00:51:43.90
but rather,
followed God's instructions
00:51:43.93\00:51:46.84
because that's
when... when we do that,
00:51:46.87\00:51:49.77
we are filled
with His blessings.
00:51:49.80\00:51:52.47
Verse 13, "And so it
was when the house... "
00:51:52.51\00:51:55.94
sorry, "And so it was
00:51:55.98\00:51:57.58
when those bearing
the ark of the Lord
00:51:57.61\00:51:59.95
had gone six paces... "
00:51:59.98\00:52:02.62
Do you know what this means?
00:52:02.65\00:52:04.45
This fellow...
we're walking now,
00:52:04.49\00:52:07.29
the ark was no longer on a cart,
00:52:07.32\00:52:10.29
it was no longer pulled by oxen,
00:52:10.33\00:52:13.23
they were no longer following
the pattern of the world
00:52:13.29\00:52:16.33
and copying whatever
was happening around them,
00:52:16.36\00:52:19.07
they decided to do
what God asked them to do
00:52:19.10\00:52:21.77
and these guys
with these six steps
00:52:21.80\00:52:24.47
and they would stop
on the seventh... why?
00:52:24.51\00:52:28.04
It represented the Sabbath rest
00:52:28.08\00:52:30.98
pause...
00:52:31.01\00:52:32.35
and they did
that for 17 kilometers
00:52:32.38\00:52:35.28
pause...
00:52:35.32\00:52:38.32
because you get
burned only once, eh,
00:52:38.35\00:52:40.69
didn't learn the lesson...
00:52:40.76\00:52:42.09
pause...
00:52:42.12\00:52:44.06
and God blessed David
00:52:44.09\00:52:47.06
and the ark made it to Jerusalem
00:52:47.10\00:52:49.73
because God knows that
when we follow His instructions,
00:52:49.76\00:52:53.30
we are blessed... and those
around us are being blessed.
00:52:53.34\00:52:56.81
From the Philistines...
as we finish this evening,
00:52:56.84\00:53:00.24
from the
Philistines in our first story,
00:53:00.28\00:53:02.94
we learn about
the Lord's patience
00:53:02.98\00:53:06.01
with those who are
ignorant of His Laws.
00:53:06.05\00:53:08.95
The Lord is patient.
00:53:08.98\00:53:11.22
I would like you to
carry that in your heart.
00:53:11.25\00:53:12.99
If you're
praying for someone that
00:53:13.02\00:53:15.16
is not walking with the Lord,
00:53:15.19\00:53:16.89
I'd like you to have hope
00:53:16.93\00:53:18.56
and understand
that the Lord is patient
00:53:18.59\00:53:21.30
and we don't have
to be at the same level
00:53:21.33\00:53:24.00
in order to make it into heaven,
00:53:24.03\00:53:25.37
we just need to live
according to the light
00:53:25.40\00:53:27.44
that has been revealed
to us in a personal way.
00:53:27.47\00:53:29.70
Pause...
00:53:29.74\00:53:31.91
From the people of
Bethshemesh, sadly,
00:53:31.94\00:53:34.51
we learn the importance
of reverencing what is sacred
00:53:34.54\00:53:39.48
because God is holy
00:53:39.51\00:53:42.38
and we have...
00:53:42.42\00:53:44.35
we're facing the
risk of forgetting that
00:53:44.39\00:53:47.02
and finally, from
the death of Uzzah,
00:53:47.06\00:53:49.59
we learn that good motivations
do not rationalize disobedience.
00:53:49.62\00:53:55.26
Good motivations do not
rationalize disobedience.
00:53:55.30\00:54:00.47
Pause...
00:54:00.50\00:54:02.64
So, what is the
end of all of this?
00:54:02.67\00:54:04.51
I'd like to read
to you from Romans...
00:54:04.57\00:54:06.01
if we can have this
verse on the screen,
00:54:06.04\00:54:07.48
Romans 15 verse 4,
00:54:07.51\00:54:09.74
and it says this,
00:54:09.78\00:54:11.95
the Apostle Paul
talking about the stories
00:54:11.98\00:54:14.22
in the Old Testament.
00:54:14.25\00:54:15.58
"For whatever things were
written for our learning... "
00:54:15.62\00:54:19.95
all these
stories... crazy stories
00:54:19.99\00:54:22.89
that we may not make sense
of every single one of them,
00:54:22.92\00:54:25.39
pause...
00:54:25.43\00:54:27.13
"that we through the patience
and comfort of the Scriptures
00:54:27.16\00:54:31.60
might have hope. "
00:54:31.63\00:54:35.20
That is the whole
purpose of these stories.
00:54:35.24\00:54:38.94
Why do I say that?
00:54:38.97\00:54:40.31
Because God did not allow Satan
00:54:40.34\00:54:42.44
to destroy the nation of Israel,
00:54:42.48\00:54:44.61
He wanted to make sure
that the promise of His Son
00:54:44.65\00:54:48.38
bringing salvation
will become a reality.
00:54:48.42\00:54:51.35
We need to have
hope that this same God
00:54:51.39\00:54:54.26
that began a
wonderful work in you,
00:54:54.29\00:54:56.26
will finish it until
the day Jesus will return.
00:54:56.29\00:54:58.86
Pause...
00:54:58.89\00:55:01.26
In the same way that the
house of Obededom was blessed,
00:55:01.30\00:55:04.30
not because they deserved it,
00:55:04.33\00:55:06.13
but because they were
willing to accept a God
00:55:06.17\00:55:09.17
that was holy.
00:55:09.20\00:55:10.54
God wants us to
embrace Him and He's holy...
00:55:10.57\00:55:13.14
When everyone else
ran from a holy God,
00:55:13.17\00:55:17.28
the house of Obededom
00:55:17.31\00:55:19.21
were willing to
welcome Him in their house.
00:55:19.25\00:55:21.52
So, my friends,
here's the challenge.
00:55:21.55\00:55:24.25
When the majority of
people are running away
00:55:24.29\00:55:27.82
from a holy God...
00:55:27.86\00:55:29.26
when the majority of
people are running away
00:55:29.29\00:55:32.33
from a holy God,
00:55:32.36\00:55:33.80
accept Him...
00:55:33.83\00:55:35.16
accept Him... because
He's seeking to bless you.
00:55:35.20\00:55:41.84
He's not in the
business of destroying...
00:55:41.87\00:55:44.47
He's in the
business of re-fashioning you
00:55:44.51\00:55:47.04
in to His likeness.
00:55:47.08\00:55:48.81
Pause...
00:55:48.84\00:55:51.05
Jesus loves you
just the way you are
00:55:51.08\00:55:54.78
but He refuses to
leave you that way.
00:55:54.82\00:55:58.05
He wants you to be like Him.
00:55:58.09\00:56:02.02
So it is my prayer that
as we continue to know God
00:56:02.06\00:56:06.70
through the works
of the Old Testament,
00:56:06.73\00:56:08.76
we will allow Him to
make us holy as He is holy.
00:56:08.80\00:56:14.40
Amen.
00:56:14.44\00:56:15.77
Let us bow our heads in prayer,
00:56:15.80\00:56:17.14
"Father, even though
Your ways are not our ways
00:56:17.17\00:56:22.94
and Your thoughts
are not our thoughts,
00:56:22.98\00:56:24.31
we are grateful that we
can have a little understanding
00:56:24.35\00:56:28.22
of Your actions
in the Old Testament.
00:56:28.25\00:56:30.42
We want to thank You
that You're a God of patience,
00:56:30.45\00:56:34.16
You're a God of mercy.
00:56:34.19\00:56:35.52
You're a God that seeks
to reveal Himself to us,
00:56:35.56\00:56:38.89
but Lord, You're a
God that so loves us
00:56:38.93\00:56:42.56
that You want us to
be made into Your image,
00:56:42.60\00:56:44.80
so, tonight, we consecrate
ourselves into Your hands.
00:56:44.83\00:56:48.37
Forgive us for
where we have failed
00:56:48.40\00:56:50.67
and please Lord, bestow
Your Holy Spirit upon us,
00:56:50.71\00:56:54.91
and as You've taken out of
darkness into marvelous light,
00:56:54.94\00:56:58.45
may we go from
here shining for you
00:56:58.51\00:57:01.12
and help us to be
unashamed of our faith,
00:57:01.15\00:57:03.99
help us to be
bold and courageous
00:57:04.05\00:57:06.09
and help us Lord, to
accept You as a Holy God
00:57:06.12\00:57:09.62
into our lives
and into our families
00:57:09.66\00:57:11.93
and especially,
into our churches.
00:57:11.99\00:57:14.20
This is our prayer
in Jesus' name, amen. "
00:57:14.23\00:57:17.47