Romans 5:8, this one I'm gonna
share with you to begin with.
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But it says "God demonstrates
His own love toward us."
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His own personal love
towards you and towards me.
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And as I share with
you already it just,
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it's just beyond my imagination
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and
understanding and comprehension
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that God, the
God of the universe,
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the Creator of all
that we can possibly see
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or experience of
life itself that,
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that this little planets
hanging somewhere out there
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in the basses of space
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and on that little planet
way down there is you and me,
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that God can take a
personal interest in me.
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That God could
love me personally
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and that He cares
what's happening in my life.
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By the way, He loves and
cares about you too as well.
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Isn't that
something to think about?
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You'll think God,
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you know, so
great and so powerful
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He's got so many more
and more important things
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that He ought to
be concerned about.
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But I'll tell you when
sin came into this world
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this really began to show
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the true
character of God, didn't it?
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But God acted, here it
says "God demonstrated His own,
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His own personal love toward us,
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in that while we
were yet sinners,
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Christ died for us."
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And my friend, that is
so essential to understand
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the depths of God's love.
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Well, it says well,
we were yet sinners,
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Christ God loved us and
He demonstrated it for us
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at the Cross of the
Calvary when Jesus died for us.
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And my friend, there is
power in that kind of love
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when we began to comprehend
it and as we experience it,
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its life changing that
love that God has for us.
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And it's important to realize
that God loves us as sinners.
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It is not
predicated upon our performance
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yet there is as we
come into this relationship
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there comes this deep desire
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to become more
and more like Jesus.
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In Ephesians 2:8, 9
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I read "For by grace you
have been saved through faith,
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and that not of yourselves,
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it is the gift of God,
not as a result of works,
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that no one should boast."
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And so, my friend, I
standing this morning with God
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it's not depending on
anything of ourselves,
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it is not
depended on who we are,
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it is not
depended on what we can do.
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I thought to hear a
name of that but anyway,
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don't you fall
asleep on me this morning
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because I've got
important subject for you.
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And I'm going to share with you
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two stories, one
in the Old Testament
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and one in the New Testament
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that illustrates
exactly what I'm getting at.
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And I think the
crucial issue is where is God
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when we have just
absolutely blown it,
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when we have
absolutely failed where is God?
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Take your Bibles and
turn with me to 1 Kings 19
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it's the Old
Testament page 272, 1 Kings 19.
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I'm going to set
up the background,
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the context of
this particular passage
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and it's a story
about Elijah the prophet.
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And we know that
Elijah was ministering
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as we noted last night
actually in the presentation.
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He was ministering
in a period of time
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in which God's
people had gone astray.
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They had gone into apostasy,
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they had
embraced Baal the sun god
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and they were
hunting down the prophets
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one by one to eliminate them.
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They hated the messages
that God was sending to them.
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And Elijah was one of those
prophets and the king was Ahab.
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And you know, his queen
was the wicked queen Jezebel.
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And Ahab, you know, he
just hated those prophets.
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And yet Elijah was sent in
by God to give him a message.
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And boldly he went into
the presence of the king,
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it was unexpected.
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And he told King
Ahab because of the sin
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of his house and of the people
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that there was not going to be
rain again except by his word.
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And he was out of there.
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And he went into
seclusion just like God's people
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who are going to be in
seclusion at certain point says
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"we realize that,
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you know, we have a evil one
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that's
determined to take us down."
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Just as much as Ahab
and even more than Ahab
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was determined
to take Elijah that
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how dare he
come into my presence
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and to give
that kind of message.
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It just, it was
just so straddled,
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you know, he was taken back
and so Elijah got out of there
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and for the next
three and half years there
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was no rain.
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And then God said to Elijah
the prophet go back, go back.
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And so as he is
heading back to his homeland,
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guess who he comes
across in the wilderness?
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He is out there with his
servants looking for water.
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They are so desperate for water.
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It was King Ahab.
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And so you have in 1
Kings 18 this interchange
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"you troubler of Israel?"
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And Elijah came
back "no it's not me
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that is troubled Israel
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but you and your father's
house have troubled Israel.
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And out of the
doors of determination
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there was going
to be this meeting
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on the top of Mount Carmel.
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Okay, and there is
Mount Carmel right there.
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And all the house
of Israel were invited.
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So I understand a little
bit more why it's kind of a,
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you know, it's that the
kind of mountain we think.
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And there was, you know,
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kind of flat
plateau, high plateau.
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And you can imagine the
people of God that were there.
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And their test was
gonna be whichever God
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answered with fire
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consuming the sacrifice
will be the God of Israel.
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Now remember Baal was the god
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that they were had
now embraced, the sun god.
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And you know the
story, don't you?
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By the hundreds they were there
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these false prophets of Baal
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and they were
pleading long into the day
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to the point of
exhaustion asking god,
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their god to bring fire
down to consume the sacrifice.
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It didn't happen.
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Elijah was, you know--
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you're caught you
must be in a faraway trap.
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Maybe he is asleep,
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maybe you need to just call
out to him a little bit louder.
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And then finally when
they gave up an exhaustion
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Elijah built that altar
put that sacrifice on it,
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drenched it with
all of that water,
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bails of water from
the Mediterranean Sea.
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And by the way
the Mediterranean Sea
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is just off to my left
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when I took that picture
so it's right on the coast.
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And they drenched that sacrifice
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and then Elijah
prayed and God answered
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and that sacrifice was consumed.
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And then Elijah
prayed again, they had cloud.
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He didn't have to
break to see the whole sky
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built with those dark clouds.
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He just saw a cloud
over the Mediterranean Sea.
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And he said to Ahab, you
better get back to the city
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because the rains are coming.
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And you follow the story as
the rains are just drenching,
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rain is coming down,
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Elijah is running
before the chariot of Ahab
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and leads him back to the city.
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I'm gonna tell you if ever there
was a mountain top experience
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Elijah was in it.
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I mean what a thrilling
experience to see the victory
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that God established for His
name on behalf of His people.
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But you know even prophets
have their valley experiences
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and that's what I'm
interested in getting that.
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I just want to give
you the background of it.
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So we pick it up here
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in 1 Kings 19 and
beginning with verse 1.
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Where it says
"Now Ahab told Jezebel
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all that Elijah had done,
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and how he had killed all
the prophets with the sword.
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Then Jezebel sent a
messenger to Elijah, saying,
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'So may the gods do
to me and even more,
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if I do not make your
life as the life of one of them
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by tomorrow about this time.'"
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I mean, she hated
this man, this man of God.
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And when Elijah
received this message
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he knew the
character of the woman
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that he was dealing with.
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Now just think of the
past history of the prophet.
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Just think what have
happened the previous day,
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how boldly with such
assurance and confidence
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he says "stood alone on
the top of that mountain."
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And the
powerful things that came
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and answered through the
prayers that he lay before God.
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What follows just simply is
out of character for the man.
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Because he doesn't act
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in accordance with
what we would expect
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out of his past
history for it says in verse 3
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"And he was afraid fear gripped
the heart of the prophet."
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He knew this was no idol,
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it was no idol threat
but Jezebel was making fear.
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I wonder what fears you
and I may have this morning.
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Fears about the economy,
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fears about our
jobs, our wealth there,
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what's around the next
corner, fear for family.
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What fears are we dealing with?
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The Elijah certainly had fear.
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He was afraid the kind of fear.
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Have you ever
had the kind of fear
00:10:01.57\00:10:02.94
where you just wish
you could get up and run?
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I'm not gonna ask
you rise your hand,
00:10:07.39\00:10:08.59
but have you had
that kind of fear?
00:10:08.62\00:10:11.06
I'm going to be honest,
I've had that kind of fear
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where I wish I could just run
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and get away as far
as I possibly could.
00:10:16.09\00:10:21.06
But Elijah not
only had that fear
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and the desire
to run, he did run.
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It says "He was afraid
and arose and ran for his life
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and came to Beersheba,
which belongs to Judah,
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and left his servant there."
00:10:35.53\00:10:37.30
And as we follow
this story, my friend,
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let me tell you he is running
deep into the wilderness,
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deep into the
desert as what we find.
00:10:42.64\00:10:47.04
And that's
exactly what happens to us
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when we give
ourselves over to our fears.
00:10:50.29\00:10:52.16
We end up in very dry parched
barren places in our lives.
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Do you know it is
possible to be sitting here
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this Sabbath morning
and to be on the run?
00:11:01.89\00:11:05.25
Do you know that's possible?
00:11:05.28\00:11:06.85
The haunt, the
peroneus, the emptiness,
00:11:06.88\00:11:12.16
the sense of abandonment,
00:11:12.19\00:11:15.25
the sense of fear
within our hearts.
00:11:15.28\00:11:21.54
You know, we put the mask on,
00:11:21.57\00:11:23.85
we dress up,
we're here but inside
00:11:23.88\00:11:28.33
only you and maybe God knows
00:11:28.36\00:11:30.83
and we could be on that trip.
00:11:30.86\00:11:32.19
Verse 4
00:11:32.22\00:11:33.39
"But he himself went a day's
journey into the wilderness."
00:11:33.42\00:11:36.53
And let me tell you
00:11:36.56\00:11:37.79
he was not taking
the leisurely walk out
00:11:37.82\00:11:40.59
there into the
wilderness, he was running.
00:11:40.62\00:11:42.48
I don't know what
kind of, of course they--
00:11:42.51\00:11:44.16
they didn't have a
lot of transportation,
00:11:44.19\00:11:45.51
so they did a lot walking.
00:11:45.54\00:11:46.64
So he probably
was pretty conditioned
00:11:46.67\00:11:49.86
and I imagine he was running.
00:11:49.89\00:11:51.58
He you could just imagine
00:11:51.61\00:11:52.88
that Jezebel was
not that far behind him
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.38
with the determination
to carry out her threat.
00:11:55.41\00:11:58.79
So I imagine he's out of
breath by the end of the day,
00:11:58.82\00:12:01.88
this day's journey
into the wilderness.
00:12:01.91\00:12:03.97
And he came and sat
down under a juniper tree.
00:12:04.00\00:12:08.22
He's exhausted.
00:12:08.25\00:12:10.96
My friend, again when we
give ourselves over to our fears
00:12:10.99\00:12:14.22
we're gonna end up in
a state of exhaustion.
00:12:14.25\00:12:18.03
I wonder what he was thinking
00:12:18.06\00:12:19.22
as he was running
out into the wilderness.
00:12:19.25\00:12:23.19
I imagine he was thinking
about how God lead in the past.
00:12:23.22\00:12:26.22
I think he was
thinking about how--
00:12:26.25\00:12:27.58
it just was a day or two before
00:12:27.61\00:12:29.86
he was on top of that mountain
00:12:29.89\00:12:31.79
and the powerful thing
that God had accomplished.
00:12:31.82\00:12:34.19
He was the
instrument and what a privilege
00:12:34.22\00:12:35.99
to abundant
instrument by which God
00:12:36.02\00:12:39.82
had acted in such a
wonderful way for His people.
00:12:39.85\00:12:45.31
I imagine he was
thinking to himself,
00:12:45.34\00:12:47.70
why, why am I out
here, why did I do this?
00:12:47.73\00:12:51.08
And yet the fear was so real,
00:12:51.11\00:12:53.58
he could almost
taste it was so real.
00:12:53.61\00:12:56.92
And yet thinking if
only I stood my ground
00:12:56.95\00:13:00.06
and trusted God as a
gun on every other occasion
00:13:00.09\00:13:04.08
the victory would
have been completed
00:13:04.11\00:13:06.01
if I'd only stood my ground
and then the sense of failure.
00:13:06.04\00:13:11.99
Don't you think he
had these thoughts?
00:13:12.02\00:13:15.00
I failed God, when it
really came down to it.
00:13:15.03\00:13:19.90
And that sense of condemnation
that came with failure, a guilt.
00:13:19.93\00:13:27.06
I think that was
all-- all a part of it
00:13:27.09\00:13:29.02
and on top of it
physical exhaustion
00:13:29.05\00:13:32.23
and of course
emotional exhaustion.
00:13:32.26\00:13:35.23
As he is out in the wilderness
he found this little brush tree,
00:13:35.26\00:13:39.22
juniper tree barely
would provide any kind of shade
00:13:39.25\00:13:43.72
from the oppressive sun,
he is sitting there under it.
00:13:43.75\00:13:48.63
And it was on the same verse
4 and he requested for himself.
00:13:48.66\00:13:51.68
He is praying again
"That he might die, and said,
00:13:51.71\00:13:56.58
'It is enough now,
O Lord, take my life,
00:13:56.61\00:14:00.29
for I am not
better than my fathers.'"
00:14:00.32\00:14:04.24
And so going through
this whole range of emotion
00:14:04.27\00:14:06.63
that I imagine
that he went through.
00:14:06.66\00:14:08.05
Fear and all the other
things that we're talking about
00:14:08.08\00:14:10.28
now he ends up in a
state of depression.
00:14:10.31\00:14:14.05
His thoughts are
thoughts of suicide.
00:14:14.08\00:14:16.74
He's not worth it anymore,
just how we're going on.
00:14:16.77\00:14:19.29
I just so totally failed.
00:14:19.32\00:14:21.27
Lord, just take
my life just end it,
00:14:21.30\00:14:23.32
put me out of my misery.
00:14:23.35\00:14:27.25
And I hope nobody
is there this morning
00:14:27.28\00:14:28.87
but if you are, my
friend, there's hope.
00:14:28.90\00:14:32.33
And by the way I'm
not gonna point out
00:14:32.36\00:14:33.58
because this looks so many,
00:14:33.61\00:14:34.71
placed so many centuries
ago this is pre-prosaic days.
00:14:34.74\00:14:38.76
What did they do
with depression back then?
00:14:38.79\00:14:41.80
Well, actually
Elijah was probably doing
00:14:41.83\00:14:43.98
one of the best
things he could have done.
00:14:44.01\00:14:45.35
The motivation was wrong.
00:14:45.38\00:14:46.91
He must be doing
probably one of the best things
00:14:46.94\00:14:48.32
he could have done,
he is out there running.
00:14:48.35\00:14:50.81
You know,
getting those endorphins,
00:14:50.84\00:14:52.77
you know, falling
through the system
00:14:52.80\00:14:54.25
but he wasn't doing
much good at this point
00:14:54.28\00:14:56.21
because it's wishing
to God that he could die.
00:14:56.24\00:15:00.67
And my friend,
depression is an awful thing.
00:15:00.70\00:15:02.96
Some of us have fought it,
00:15:02.99\00:15:04.49
some of us are
in the midst of it,
00:15:04.52\00:15:06.90
some of us have
been in and out of it,
00:15:06.93\00:15:10.29
some of us possibly
have been years in it.
00:15:10.32\00:15:15.68
And the question that I have
00:15:15.71\00:15:17.81
as we are looking
at the story of Elijah
00:15:17.84\00:15:20.36
where is God in this
picture, where is God?
00:15:20.39\00:15:24.76
And as I think
about the possibility
00:15:24.79\00:15:26.96
some of us have
been struggling too long.
00:15:26.99\00:15:30.35
I think the question we
need to ask where is God,
00:15:30.38\00:15:33.76
where is God in
this picture in my life,
00:15:33.79\00:15:37.55
in this
experience I'm going through?
00:15:37.58\00:15:39.44
Does-- does it
matter, does He really care?
00:15:39.47\00:15:44.71
But just tell me
what the book says
00:15:44.74\00:15:46.48
but I want to know
does He really care
00:15:46.51\00:15:50.03
or is He only there
when things are going well,
00:15:50.06\00:15:52.76
and when they
are not going well,
00:15:52.79\00:15:54.64
He just kind of disappears.
00:15:54.67\00:15:57.57
Don't you think
that's a valid question?
00:15:57.60\00:16:00.89
You know the
things that we believe
00:16:00.92\00:16:03.78
and the things that we
teach I don't wanted to be just,
00:16:03.81\00:16:07.65
I just don't wanted
to be good theology,
00:16:07.68\00:16:10.52
I want to know does this work.
00:16:10.55\00:16:14.69
Does this mean in my
need, is this relevant?
00:16:14.72\00:16:18.83
'Cause it work in
the nitty-gritty of life,
00:16:18.86\00:16:21.99
life as I'm experiencing it.
00:16:22.02\00:16:26.39
And my friend, if
what we are preaching
00:16:26.42\00:16:28.29
and teaching and
what is happening here
00:16:28.32\00:16:30.25
within these walls
here in and near out
00:16:30.28\00:16:34.41
is not relevant to
your life and my life,
00:16:34.44\00:16:38.89
why are we here?
00:16:38.92\00:16:42.27
Well, I think because many of us
have concluded it is relevant.
00:16:42.30\00:16:46.14
But again I want to examine
this in light of Prophet Elijah.
00:16:46.17\00:16:50.11
Verse 5 it says "He lay down
and slept under a juniper tree."
00:16:50.14\00:16:53.64
Again he's just so exhausted.
00:16:53.67\00:16:55.95
Now here's the first clue about
where God is in this picture.
00:16:55.98\00:17:00.67
Because it goes on
to say "And behold,
00:17:00.70\00:17:02.33
there was an angel touching him,
00:17:02.36\00:17:06.47
and he said to
him 'Arise, eat.'"
00:17:06.50\00:17:11.04
Where did that angel come from
00:17:11.07\00:17:14.49
and who sent that angel?
00:17:14.52\00:17:17.15
Who sent the angel?
00:17:17.18\00:17:19.45
God sent the angel
which tells us what?
00:17:19.48\00:17:23.76
With the
vastness of the universe,
00:17:23.79\00:17:25.70
with so many great concerns
that God has before Him,
00:17:25.73\00:17:30.41
He yet noted what
was happening to Elijah.
00:17:30.44\00:17:35.69
He was looking over him.
00:17:35.72\00:17:36.75
He saw the fear,
He saw him running,
00:17:36.78\00:17:40.12
He was looking over him
00:17:40.15\00:17:41.81
as he was running
into the wilderness,
00:17:41.84\00:17:43.70
He saw how exhausted he was,
00:17:43.73\00:17:45.73
He saw him in his despair.
00:17:45.76\00:17:51.24
And then it was that God acted.
00:17:51.27\00:17:54.02
He sent this messenger,
this heavenly messenger.
00:17:54.05\00:17:57.63
And notice the
first thing it says,
00:17:57.66\00:17:59.55
the first thing it says is
that the angel touched him.
00:17:59.58\00:18:02.27
What is in the touch?
00:18:02.30\00:18:04.72
Touch just can be a
very powerful thing--
00:18:04.75\00:18:09.03
it can be.
00:18:09.06\00:18:10.19
Six, seven years
ago I finished a series
00:18:10.22\00:18:12.89
in Newberg Oregon actually
they're working ten men,
00:18:12.92\00:18:16.98
but having some back troubles,
00:18:17.01\00:18:18.08
but I've had back troubles
through a lot of my adult years
00:18:18.11\00:18:22.21
and there is a reason for that.
00:18:22.24\00:18:25.94
Going back to a job I had
after my high school years
00:18:25.97\00:18:29.10
that summer I
was working at GSA,
00:18:29.13\00:18:31.14
shipping
nonmilitary supplies to Vietnam
00:18:31.17\00:18:33.49
and I don't remember
there ever teaching us
00:18:33.52\00:18:35.44
how to properly
lift with all the lifting
00:18:35.47\00:18:37.78
we were doing
day in and day out.
00:18:37.81\00:18:39.12
And I've been
having some back troubles
00:18:39.15\00:18:41.28
and I was driving
my Toyota 4Runner home,
00:18:41.31\00:18:47.64
six or seven hour trip,
gotten out to gas up once
00:18:47.67\00:18:51.67
but when I got home I found
out what pain was really about.
00:18:51.70\00:18:58.45
I could hardly get
out of the vehicle.
00:18:58.48\00:19:01.22
I could not even stand up,
00:19:01.25\00:19:04.42
I was in excruciating pain.
00:19:04.45\00:19:07.25
It was that about L5, L6
00:19:07.28\00:19:09.29
somewhere in that
range in my spine,
00:19:09.32\00:19:12.44
a disk had
almost exploded I guess.
00:19:12.47\00:19:17.30
I probably should have
gone to the emergency room
00:19:17.33\00:19:20.72
and I thought I was doing
all the things I did before.
00:19:20.75\00:19:23.05
I was stretching, I
trying to stretch it out
00:19:23.08\00:19:25.26
and I was trying
to do all the things,
00:19:25.29\00:19:26.82
walk it out and yet I
was in this disposition
00:19:26.85\00:19:30.07
and that was
miserable, I couldn't stand up.
00:19:30.10\00:19:32.27
That was either more miserable,
00:19:32.30\00:19:33.50
couldn't lay
down, that was awful.
00:19:33.53\00:19:35.95
And I went
through this awful night,
00:19:35.98\00:19:37.54
finally got to
my doctor's office.
00:19:37.57\00:19:39.25
He sent me over for an MRI
00:19:39.28\00:19:41.04
and eventually found
myself in a surgeon's office.
00:19:41.07\00:19:45.41
And he's looking at
the MRI and he said,
00:19:45.44\00:19:47.59
well, I don't
think you'll need surgery
00:19:47.62\00:19:49.39
which was awfully nice to hear.
00:19:49.42\00:19:51.81
And he said, I think eventually
00:19:51.84\00:19:53.74
you will get back to where
you could do lifting again.
00:19:53.77\00:19:56.83
I just have to deal
with it from time to time,
00:19:56.86\00:19:58.53
but he said, we're
going to get some injections.
00:19:58.56\00:20:02.66
Now I've lost my fear
in needles a long time ago.
00:20:02.69\00:20:07.12
But they send me to
Spokane Valley Hospital.
00:20:07.15\00:20:10.48
My best friend actually he
was as anesthesiologist there
00:20:10.51\00:20:13.99
and I didn't
realize an anesthesiologist
00:20:14.02\00:20:16.01
was going to be
doing the injections
00:20:16.04\00:20:18.85
and I've asked for
Bob but knowing Bob
00:20:18.88\00:20:21.55
he probably would
have really stuck it to me.
00:20:21.58\00:20:24.00
And just as aside to him but
anyway so here I'm in that gown.
00:20:24.03\00:20:27.88
You just feel so exposed in
one of those hospital gowns,
00:20:27.91\00:20:30.39
don't you?
00:20:30.42\00:20:31.45
And they put, you know,
00:20:31.48\00:20:32.80
they did put
these curtains around me
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.21
and they're getting ready.
00:20:35.24\00:20:36.57
I see them bring the needle out,
00:20:36.60\00:20:38.39
I see them draw that,
its cortisone I think it was.
00:20:38.42\00:20:42.01
I knew what was, something
that what was going to happen
00:20:42.04\00:20:45.67
and I was nervous
because I've gone chance
00:20:45.70\00:20:48.04
but never in
that place of my body.
00:20:48.07\00:20:50.70
And so I was asking questions.
00:20:50.73\00:20:52.45
You know, I verbalize a lot,
00:20:52.48\00:20:54.10
you know, and when I'm nervous
00:20:54.13\00:20:55.21
I verbalize even
more that I do normally.
00:20:55.24\00:20:57.71
So I'm asking questions
00:20:57.74\00:20:59.42
and they are not
responding to me.
00:20:59.45\00:21:02.85
You know, it's
like I didn't exist
00:21:02.88\00:21:04.42
which made me even more nervous.
00:21:04.45\00:21:07.22
Finally the
anesthesiologist said,
00:21:10.01\00:21:13.45
well, "There is going to be
a little bit of discomfort."
00:21:13.48\00:21:16.41
At that point my
heart just froze,
00:21:16.44\00:21:19.27
because I knew that
was hospital speak for
00:21:19.30\00:21:22.13
that's gonna be a lot of pain.
00:21:22.16\00:21:26.11
And it wasn't hot, but
I was sweating profusely.
00:21:26.14\00:21:29.13
My glasses steamed up literally,
00:21:29.16\00:21:31.49
my glasses were steamed up.
00:21:31.52\00:21:34.30
And they told me
get into fetal position.
00:21:34.33\00:21:36.25
Oh man, fetal position.
00:21:36.28\00:21:39.40
Finally that
nurse, she came over,
00:21:39.43\00:21:41.81
you know, I'm in
the fetal position
00:21:41.84\00:21:42.98
and she put her hand
right here on my thigh.
00:21:43.01\00:21:47.14
I want to tell you it
relaxed me, it reassured me.
00:21:47.17\00:21:52.03
It was pretty powerful,
and it's really what I needed.
00:21:52.06\00:21:55.36
That's what
Elijah was going through
00:21:55.39\00:21:57.39
when the angel touched him.
00:21:57.42\00:21:59.11
Think about angel touching you.
00:21:59.14\00:22:02.60
And then notice,
00:22:02.63\00:22:04.30
you know a lot of words
like I would do, arise eat.
00:22:04.33\00:22:07.80
What's the first that God
did to meet Elijah and his need.
00:22:07.83\00:22:11.96
The first thing He did was
to meet his most immediate need.
00:22:11.99\00:22:16.28
The man was exhausted,
00:22:16.31\00:22:18.15
he needed physical nourishment.
00:22:18.18\00:22:20.88
You know, how easy this to
overlook the simple blessings
00:22:20.91\00:22:24.17
that God uses to
minister to us in times of need.
00:22:24.20\00:22:27.67
Because if you are like me
00:22:27.70\00:22:29.29
when I'm down and out
00:22:29.32\00:22:30.61
I want God to act
and I want Him to act now
00:22:30.64\00:22:33.60
and I want Him to be powerful.
00:22:33.63\00:22:35.75
But God sometimes is very subtle
00:22:38.64\00:22:41.06
in how He works in our lives.
00:22:41.09\00:22:42.55
You have noticed
that, haven't you?
00:22:42.58\00:22:44.73
How subtle God is and
nevertheless it can be
00:22:44.76\00:22:48.29
and is very powerful.
00:22:48.32\00:22:50.10
So that's what we're seeing here
00:22:50.13\00:22:51.96
as we're looking at
1 Kings 19 we move on.
00:22:51.99\00:22:54.49
Let's see, we read verse 6.
00:22:54.52\00:22:56.42
"Then he looked and behold,
00:22:56.45\00:22:57.58
there was at his
head a bread cake." Cake.
00:22:57.61\00:23:02.33
God provided cake.
00:23:02.36\00:23:04.12
Probably about the
German chocolate cake
00:23:04.15\00:23:05.54
I was talking about
earlier this morning
00:23:05.57\00:23:07.23
but anyway "Bread
cake baked on hot stones,
00:23:07.26\00:23:12.18
and a jar of water.
00:23:12.21\00:23:13.54
So he ate and drank
and lay down again."
00:23:13.57\00:23:15.44
I mean, he was really exhausted.
00:23:15.47\00:23:17.58
Verse 7 "The angel of the Lord
came again the second time."
00:23:17.61\00:23:20.43
And again we know
who sent that angel
00:23:20.46\00:23:22.15
that second time
go back, go back.
00:23:22.18\00:23:24.93
He's been
sleeping, he's been resting,
00:23:24.96\00:23:27.77
but it's time
for you to go back.
00:23:27.80\00:23:29.76
And again it says the angel
00:23:29.79\00:23:31.31
"Touched him and
said, 'Arise, eat.'"
00:23:31.34\00:23:38.21
Again nourishment is
being provided but more.
00:23:38.24\00:23:40.95
Now he began to get a
little more sense of where
00:23:40.98\00:23:43.39
what's in the heart of
God in this experience.
00:23:43.42\00:23:45.73
"Arise eat, because the journey,
00:23:45.76\00:23:49.60
the journey is
too great for you."
00:23:49.63\00:23:54.56
What does it tell you
what was in the heart of God?
00:23:54.59\00:23:59.03
Does He feel for
us when we're tried,
00:23:59.06\00:24:05.09
when we're down, when
we feel like we're out?
00:24:05.12\00:24:11.12
Does He care when
we're discouraged,
00:24:11.15\00:24:16.72
we're distressed,
depressed does it matter to God?
00:24:16.75\00:24:22.80
Oh, my friend, He feels.
00:24:22.83\00:24:25.47
We serve a God who feels.
00:24:25.50\00:24:30.07
He understands and comprehends
far more than we realize.
00:24:30.10\00:24:34.29
Verse 8 "So he
arose and ate and drank,
00:24:34.32\00:24:36.26
and went in the
strength of that food
00:24:36.29\00:24:37.69
forty days and forty nights."
00:24:37.72\00:24:39.22
I tell you, man, he is going
deep into the wilderness now.
00:24:39.25\00:24:44.52
Other motivations I think
I started into be a play now
00:24:44.55\00:24:48.91
and talking about
being strengthened forty days
00:24:48.94\00:24:51.48
after that water and those
two meals that were provided.
00:24:51.51\00:24:55.12
Forty days and forty nights
he's out in the wilderness,
00:24:55.15\00:24:57.98
he comes to Horeb,
the mountain of God
00:24:58.01\00:24:59.68
that's just another
name for Mount Sinai.
00:24:59.71\00:25:02.82
And, you know, I
don't think he intended
00:25:02.85\00:25:04.54
to go to Mount
Sinai to begin with,
00:25:04.57\00:25:06.51
but he found himself running
in that general direction.
00:25:06.54\00:25:10.01
And I think, I know
what he was thinking.
00:25:10.04\00:25:12.35
This is where God
met with His people.
00:25:12.38\00:25:14.71
And I need God to meet with me,
00:25:14.74\00:25:16.54
I'm going to this
place, this special place.
00:25:16.57\00:25:19.28
So he's on the run
way out there verse 9
00:25:19.31\00:25:21.48
"Then he came there to
a cave and lodged there,
00:25:21.51\00:25:24.37
and behold, the word
of the Lord came to him,
00:25:24.40\00:25:26.33
and said to him,
00:25:26.36\00:25:28.35
'What are you
doing here, Elijah,
00:25:28.38\00:25:30.16
and who sent you here?'"
00:25:30.19\00:25:31.52
You know, it's all and how
you say it sometimes, isn't it?
00:25:34.43\00:25:39.01
He could have, you
blew it, are you blew it,
00:25:39.04\00:25:44.22
what were you taking off.
00:25:44.25\00:25:46.77
You know, some people
have that view of God.
00:25:46.80\00:25:50.85
That angry side of God,
when it speaks of God's anger
00:25:50.88\00:25:53.48
it is never in regards
to our failures, it is not.
00:25:53.51\00:25:58.26
We got to get
that off our thinking.
00:25:58.29\00:26:01.24
No I don't think the
way he said it at all,
00:26:01.27\00:26:03.60
it is not in keeping with
what we've already seen about
00:26:03.63\00:26:05.60
where God was in this picture.
00:26:05.63\00:26:07.69
Now God is saying what
are you doing here, Elijah?
00:26:07.72\00:26:10.93
Have you ever done
something you just blown it
00:26:10.96\00:26:12.78
and you said to
yourself those weary words
00:26:12.81\00:26:14.35
"what am I doing?
What did I say that?
00:26:14.38\00:26:18.06
What was I thinking of?"
00:26:18.09\00:26:22.26
I'm gone through that.
00:26:22.29\00:26:25.90
"What are you
doing here, Elijah?"
00:26:25.93\00:26:29.03
Notice the change in
emotions in his heart.
00:26:29.06\00:26:35.14
"He said, 'I have been
very zealous for the Lord,
00:26:35.17\00:26:38.05
the God of hosts
for the sons of Israel
00:26:38.08\00:26:41.55
have forsaken Your
covenant, torn down Your altars
00:26:41.58\00:26:44.29
and killed Your
prophets with the sword.
00:26:44.32\00:26:46.40
And I alone" I alone "am
left and they seek my life,
00:26:46.43\00:26:51.58
to take it away."
00:26:51.61\00:26:54.18
Now what would
you describe that as?
00:26:54.21\00:26:55.97
The word is self-pity.
00:26:58.44\00:26:59.94
He's feeling down right
side for himself, isn't he?
00:26:59.97\00:27:03.55
I mean, he's going
through the whole range of it.
00:27:03.58\00:27:06.69
Nothing worse than self-pity,
00:27:06.72\00:27:08.62
it's a pitiable,
pitiful state to be in
00:27:08.65\00:27:11.56
when you're just
feeling so sorry for yourself.
00:27:11.59\00:27:14.95
But anyway God understands.
00:27:14.98\00:27:17.41
Now verse 11, this
is what I'm going to.
00:27:17.44\00:27:19.84
We've set the story
up. Where is God in this?
00:27:19.87\00:27:22.60
This is where we've seen
indications of where God is.
00:27:22.63\00:27:25.26
This is where now God really
reveals Himself to Elijah.
00:27:25.29\00:27:30.27
And I want you to
notice first of all
00:27:30.30\00:27:31.84
how He does not
reveal Himself to Elijah,
00:27:31.87\00:27:34.18
because that is
made abundantly clear,
00:27:34.21\00:27:37.33
but I want you to
notice how He does
00:27:37.36\00:27:39.74
if you're not looking
for you could miss Him.
00:27:39.77\00:27:43.87
'Cause verse 11 says
"So He said, Go forth.'"
00:27:43.90\00:27:46.42
This is God speaking.
00:27:46.45\00:27:47.84
"'Go forth and
stand on the mountain
00:27:47.87\00:27:49.82
before the Lord.'
00:27:49.85\00:27:50.88
And behold, the
Lord was passing by"
00:27:50.91\00:27:53.16
Just as He did with
Moses on that mountain
00:27:53.19\00:27:55.62
many centuries ago.
00:27:55.65\00:27:57.44
"And a great and strong
wind was rending the mountains
00:27:57.47\00:28:01.44
and breaking in pieces
the rocks before the Lord."
00:28:01.47\00:28:05.59
I mean, this was a
Katrina type of an experience.
00:28:05.62\00:28:09.62
"Breaking of rocks off
to the mountains this wind,
00:28:09.65\00:28:12.66
but it says the Lord
was not in the wind."
00:28:12.69\00:28:17.68
He wasn't in that
powerful display you see.
00:28:17.71\00:28:20.75
And then it goes on to say
00:28:20.78\00:28:21.81
"And after the
wind an earthquake."
00:28:21.84\00:28:23.37
That whole mountain
begin to shake to and fro
00:28:23.40\00:28:25.25
just like hundred centuries ago
00:28:25.28\00:28:28.15
when God came
down upon that mountain
00:28:28.18\00:28:30.05
before His people
and yet again it says
00:28:30.08\00:28:35.94
"But the Lord was
not in the earthquake."
00:28:35.97\00:28:39.56
"And after the earthquake
a fire just like happen."
00:28:39.59\00:28:44.26
Read Exodus 19.
00:28:44.29\00:28:46.53
The rocks of the
mountains on top of Mount Sinai
00:28:46.56\00:28:49.68
melted at the presence of God
00:28:49.71\00:28:52.10
as He came down that
mountain again centuries ago.
00:28:52.13\00:28:55.93
And so there
was a consuming fire
00:28:55.96\00:29:00.01
that was burning
on that mountain.
00:29:00.04\00:29:01.38
But again it says "The
Lord was not in the fire."
00:29:01.41\00:29:07.53
Like I said that you
could almost miss Him
00:29:07.56\00:29:10.21
because here He comes.
00:29:10.24\00:29:12.14
And after the fire a
sound of a gentle blowing
00:29:12.17\00:29:19.81
and gentle breeze.
00:29:19.84\00:29:24.61
Ever been down there in
the desert absolutely dry,
00:29:24.64\00:29:32.52
the air absolutely still
110, 115 degrees Arizona,
00:29:32.55\00:29:38.66
Death Valley type
of the experience.
00:29:41.96\00:29:45.29
Ever been in a
suffocating kind of heat
00:29:45.32\00:29:48.94
and then the
breeze began to pick up.
00:29:48.97\00:29:51.84
Remember how
reviving and refreshing
00:29:51.87\00:29:55.29
that was when the
gentle breeze began to blow.
00:29:55.32\00:30:00.48
My friend, that is
Him, that is our God.
00:30:00.51\00:30:06.80
In a gentle blow and Elijah
00:30:06.83\00:30:08.65
no question about
it recognized Him.
00:30:08.68\00:30:11.22
Where it says in verse 13
00:30:11.25\00:30:12.58
"When Elijah heard it"
Notice how he responded.
00:30:12.61\00:30:15.17
First of all it says "He
wrapped his face in his mantle."
00:30:15.20\00:30:17.85
He knew he was in the
presence of the almighty.
00:30:17.88\00:30:22.18
We are powerful one
in the presence of God.
00:30:22.21\00:30:24.37
"He wrapped his
face in his mantle
00:30:24.40\00:30:27.25
and he went out and stood
in the entrance of the cave."
00:30:27.28\00:30:31.73
And again it says "A
voice came to him and said,
00:30:31.76\00:30:35.15
'What are you
doing here, Elijah?'"
00:30:35.18\00:30:39.38
And God send him back.
00:30:39.41\00:30:43.75
That's what God did with the man
00:30:43.78\00:30:47.11
that went through
the valley experience.
00:30:47.14\00:30:53.91
No thunder
lightening, no displays of anger
00:30:53.94\00:30:59.29
and impatience,
and irritability.
00:30:59.32\00:31:03.24
I mean, those are
characteristics we have
00:31:03.27\00:31:05.69
when we relate to
people that fail, don't we?
00:31:05.72\00:31:07.83
Some of us-- particularly
00:31:07.86\00:31:09.30
we have this critical
and almost cruel spirit
00:31:09.33\00:31:12.75
when people don't quite
measure up to our expectations
00:31:12.78\00:31:16.40
or what we think
they ought to be.
00:31:16.43\00:31:19.12
Aren't you glad
God is not that way
00:31:19.15\00:31:21.20
in His dealing with us?
00:31:21.23\00:31:23.70
Actually He dealt with Elijah
00:31:23.73\00:31:26.65
in such a gentle
and compassionate way.
00:31:26.68\00:31:31.54
And this is the
man that God took up
00:31:31.57\00:31:33.81
and translated to
heaven without death.
00:31:33.84\00:31:41.19
Isn't that interesting?
00:31:41.22\00:31:42.78
Anyway, there's a lot
to get out of this story.
00:31:42.81\00:31:47.15
And I just want to meditate
00:31:47.18\00:31:48.64
but I've got
another story to get to.
00:31:48.67\00:31:50.79
It's in the New
Testament its John 8
00:31:50.82\00:31:52.88
the New Testament page 78.
00:31:52.91\00:31:54.40
You're gonna
remember this story for sure.
00:31:54.43\00:31:56.38
Page 78 John 8 and
beginning with verse 3.
00:31:56.41\00:31:59.84
And we find in
context Jesus is in Jerusalem,
00:31:59.87\00:32:03.33
He is
specifically in the temple,
00:32:03.36\00:32:05.87
He is teaching as He often did
00:32:05.90\00:32:08.28
when He was in Jerusalem.
00:32:08.31\00:32:09.39
He is teaching in the temple
00:32:09.42\00:32:11.14
which was a direct threat
to the established authorities
00:32:11.17\00:32:16.14
who govern the
temple to the chief priest
00:32:16.17\00:32:18.38
and the Pharisees.
00:32:18.41\00:32:19.92
How dare He intrude our
territory in this place?
00:32:19.95\00:32:26.61
You know, this was
going on, don't you?
00:32:26.64\00:32:29.43
And so He is there,
00:32:29.46\00:32:30.49
He is teaching and He is healing
00:32:30.52\00:32:32.43
and so they decided to take
some action to deal with Jesus.
00:32:32.46\00:32:37.25
And it was kind of subtle,
00:32:37.28\00:32:39.39
but they were setting Him up.
00:32:39.42\00:32:41.79
John 8 and
beginning with verse 3.
00:32:41.82\00:32:44.13
Yes, it's this
woman caught in adultery,
00:32:44.16\00:32:45.88
here it is this
story the scribes--
00:32:45.91\00:32:48.67
He is in the temple
now when this happens.
00:32:48.70\00:32:52.79
"The scribes and the Pharisees
00:32:52.82\00:32:54.12
brought a woman
caught in adultery"
00:32:54.15\00:32:57.81
caught in adultery "
00:32:57.84\00:33:00.16
and having set her in
the center of the court."
00:33:00.19\00:33:05.39
They begin to
make their accusations.
00:33:05.42\00:33:07.58
So I want you to get this scene.
00:33:07.61\00:33:10.97
Adultery, a ministry an occasion
00:33:11.00\00:33:14.83
you are called upon
to minister to people
00:33:14.86\00:33:16.58
who are guilty sometimes
of the sin, of adultery.
00:33:16.61\00:33:20.43
It is not an easy
issue to deal with.
00:33:20.46\00:33:24.58
You got a
marriage that is involved,
00:33:24.61\00:33:27.07
you have often family
that is deeply involve.
00:33:27.10\00:33:29.99
There is a lot of statement
00:33:30.02\00:33:31.06
somebody as been
guilty of adultery.
00:33:31.09\00:33:34.30
You have also the spiritual
interest of the individual
00:33:34.33\00:33:37.77
when somebody is
being guilty of adultery
00:33:37.80\00:33:39.57
to take in consideration.
00:33:39.60\00:33:40.63
And you also have then the,
00:33:40.66\00:33:42.70
you know, the
welfare and the reputation
00:33:42.73\00:33:46.14
of the church to take.
00:33:46.17\00:33:47.20
And depending on how
public all of its gets
00:33:47.23\00:33:49.13
and sometimes it
seems get public.
00:33:49.16\00:33:51.72
I think several cases that
got very public in my ministry
00:33:51.75\00:33:54.49
and boy, they are
tough to deal with.
00:33:54.52\00:33:56.22
How do you deal with it?
00:33:56.25\00:33:58.40
And but never in my experience
00:33:58.43\00:34:01.54
have I ever caught
somebody in the very act of it.
00:34:01.57\00:34:05.77
Have you Gale?
Nor do I ever hope to.
00:34:05.80\00:34:09.44
Now sometimes,
00:34:09.47\00:34:10.50
you know, you wish to
have there were cameras
00:34:10.53\00:34:11.90
or something to establish
really what had happened.
00:34:11.93\00:34:14.73
You know, because
there is all these stories
00:34:14.76\00:34:16.21
going around of what
did or did not happen.
00:34:16.24\00:34:18.85
But this woman
had-- just think of it.
00:34:18.88\00:34:20.98
Put yourself under
the skin of this woman.
00:34:21.01\00:34:24.68
You are that woman
and you are caught,
00:34:24.71\00:34:28.04
there are witnesses
00:34:28.07\00:34:30.24
that's why I know
she was set up for this.
00:34:30.27\00:34:34.01
She was set up
which says something about
00:34:34.04\00:34:36.14
the character of
this woman, doesn't it?
00:34:36.17\00:34:38.58
That they thought they
could set her up and she was.
00:34:38.61\00:34:41.63
And that, you know this was done
in a place of seclusion surely.
00:34:41.66\00:34:46.58
It was done in
place of seclusion,
00:34:46.61\00:34:48.13
but they're dragging her out
00:34:48.16\00:34:51.58
for the privacy of that
place right into the, light.
00:34:51.61\00:34:55.87
You know the noon
day sun we would say.
00:34:55.90\00:34:59.03
I can imagine her
trying to cover herself.
00:34:59.06\00:35:03.06
And by the way have you
ever asked yourself the question
00:35:03.09\00:35:07.08
what happened to the man.
00:35:07.11\00:35:10.50
They just let him go?
00:35:10.53\00:35:14.01
Now tell me actually
does that bother anybody?
00:35:14.04\00:35:17.18
The woman, but the man,
00:35:17.21\00:35:18.88
you know nothing about the man.
00:35:18.91\00:35:21.04
Well, I think she was setup
00:35:21.07\00:35:22.38
and I think he was
playing a part in this
00:35:22.41\00:35:24.91
that's what I think.
00:35:24.94\00:35:26.11
I don't have that
in the Scripture here
00:35:26.14\00:35:28.84
but I think that's what
was going on, it was a setup.
00:35:28.87\00:35:31.33
And so she is
trying to cover herself.
00:35:31.36\00:35:32.96
She is being drag
up by these Pharisees.
00:35:32.99\00:35:35.04
How would you like to
be caught by a Pharisee
00:35:35.07\00:35:38.12
and you sinned and a
pretty terrible sin like that?
00:35:38.15\00:35:42.92
And you know the Pharisees
ought not to particularly
00:35:42.95\00:35:44.81
have been kind and
gentle and understanding.
00:35:44.84\00:35:49.72
And so they take this woman
00:35:49.75\00:35:51.85
and they take her
specifically to the temple
00:35:51.88\00:35:55.47
where Jesus is,
they knew He was there.
00:35:55.50\00:35:59.24
How do you like to be drag
up to the temple, to the church?
00:35:59.27\00:36:03.49
And there is a
multitude of God's people there
00:36:03.52\00:36:05.79
because they were
listening to Jesus
00:36:05.82\00:36:07.38
and He was healing them.
00:36:07.41\00:36:08.95
And you're being drag right
00:36:08.98\00:36:10.19
into the middle of that
scene with the Pharisees.
00:36:10.22\00:36:16.18
Well, that's was happening.
00:36:16.21\00:36:18.26
I think if there ever was a time
00:36:18.29\00:36:19.85
I wish the ground would
just open up and swallow me,
00:36:19.88\00:36:22.62
if I was that
woman that's exactly
00:36:22.65\00:36:24.65
what I would-- the shame
00:36:24.68\00:36:27.57
of this been brought
right out in the open.
00:36:27.60\00:36:32.16
And yes, yes and
they come to Jesus.
00:36:32.19\00:36:34.76
Verse 4 "And they
said to Him, 'Teacher,
00:36:34.79\00:36:36.47
this woman has been caught
in adultery, in the very act.'"
00:36:36.50\00:36:39.91
As we've already noted.
00:36:39.94\00:36:41.17
And being good Pharisees
00:36:41.20\00:36:42.55
they go on to
court from the law.
00:36:42.58\00:36:47.14
To the character, aren't they?
00:36:47.17\00:36:49.90
Verse 5 "Now in the Law,"
00:36:49.93\00:36:52.14
these doctors of the law declare
00:36:52.17\00:36:56.72
"Moses commanded us
to stone such woman."
00:36:56.75\00:37:03.03
Notice what the stand
they said that to such woman.
00:37:03.06\00:37:07.67
"What then do you say?"
00:37:07.70\00:37:09.69
Boy, they were out
there to hang Jesus.
00:37:09.72\00:37:13.16
But they asked the right
question actually, didn't they?
00:37:16.13\00:37:19.64
And isn't that a question
you'd like to know the answer.
00:37:19.67\00:37:22.82
I know you know the story,
00:37:22.85\00:37:23.88
but isn't that
really a relevant question,
00:37:23.91\00:37:27.01
what do you say, Jesus.
00:37:27.04\00:37:29.19
When I blown it, when I'm guilty
00:37:29.22\00:37:31.28
I was caught red handed
00:37:31.31\00:37:32.34
there is no way I can
excuse it, that witnesses.
00:37:32.37\00:37:37.79
What then do you say?
00:37:37.82\00:37:39.03
Well the first
thing we take note of
00:37:39.06\00:37:40.50
is that Jesus said not a word.
00:37:40.53\00:37:43.66
Jesus was not
gonna play their game.
00:37:43.69\00:37:47.19
And by the way, Jesus
never plays the little games
00:37:47.22\00:37:50.12
that sometimes you
and I get involved with.
00:37:50.15\00:37:53.04
He always seems
through it, doesn't He?
00:37:53.07\00:37:56.67
We do these things.
00:37:56.70\00:37:57.93
And so sometimes,
00:37:57.96\00:37:59.83
you know, actions are
more powerful than words.
00:37:59.86\00:38:02.95
What Jesus did
was pretty powerful.
00:38:02.98\00:38:04.99
And I want you to
notice the first thing
00:38:05.02\00:38:07.04
He did was to deal
with her accusers with the--
00:38:07.07\00:38:12.13
those Pharisees.
00:38:12.16\00:38:14.26
I think that's powerful.
00:38:14.29\00:38:16.71
Verse 6 "They were
saying this, testing Him,
00:38:16.74\00:38:18.79
so that they might have
grounds for accusing Him.
00:38:18.82\00:38:21.63
But Jesus stooped
down and with His finger
00:38:21.66\00:38:23.33
wrote on the ground.
00:38:23.36\00:38:25.07
But when they
persisted in asking Him,
00:38:25.10\00:38:27.37
He straightened
up, and said to them,
00:38:27.40\00:38:29.03
'He who is
without sin among you,
00:38:29.06\00:38:31.35
let him be the first
to throw a stone at her.'
00:38:31.38\00:38:34.25
And again He stooped down
and wrote on the ground. "
00:38:34.28\00:38:36.57
My friend, He read their hearts.
00:38:36.60\00:38:38.57
He knew the evil
intensions that were there.
00:38:38.60\00:38:40.71
He knew every
fault, every failure.
00:38:40.74\00:38:44.13
He could have
just shouted it out,
00:38:44.16\00:38:46.86
"you hypocrites, you Pharisees
00:38:46.89\00:38:50.46
how dare you stand in
judgment of this woman
00:38:50.49\00:38:52.69
when you have done this?"
00:38:52.72\00:38:54.21
He knew every chapter
and verse of their lies
00:38:54.24\00:38:56.87
and He could have
leaded out just like that.
00:38:56.90\00:39:01.04
And He knew the evil intension
not only towards that woman,
00:39:01.07\00:39:03.59
but the evil
intensions towards Him
00:39:03.62\00:39:05.02
and He could have done that.
00:39:05.05\00:39:08.44
But I want you take note to,
00:39:08.47\00:39:11.09
how Jesus dealt
with the accusers.
00:39:11.12\00:39:13.66
He dealt with them effectively,
00:39:13.69\00:39:15.67
but He didn't deal
with it as He could have
00:39:15.70\00:39:18.53
and He could have really
deeply embarrassed them, right.
00:39:18.56\00:39:21.42
But what He did was enough,
00:39:21.45\00:39:22.83
that one by one they
left, they got out of there.
00:39:22.86\00:39:26.57
They forgot all
about what they were up
00:39:26.60\00:39:28.68
were going to do with.
00:39:28.71\00:39:29.74
But anyway, verse 9
"When they heard it,
00:39:29.77\00:39:32.11
they began to go out one by one,
00:39:32.14\00:39:33.81
beginning with the older ones,
00:39:33.84\00:39:34.99
and He was left alone,
00:39:35.02\00:39:36.88
and the woman, where she was,
in the center of the court."
00:39:36.91\00:39:39.99
My friend, no better place to be
00:39:40.02\00:39:41.33
even with the multitudes
gathered around when you failed
00:39:41.36\00:39:44.75
and when you
sinned to be left there
00:39:44.78\00:39:47.40
in the presence of Jesus.
00:39:47.43\00:39:50.05
No better place.
00:39:50.08\00:39:52.55
Now He's ready to
address the woman.
00:39:52.58\00:39:55.01
Let's take a look at that.
00:39:55.04\00:39:56.07
Verse 10 "Straightening up,
00:39:56.10\00:39:57.13
Jesus said to her,
'Woman, where are they?
00:39:57.16\00:40:01.33
Did no one condemn you?'"
00:40:01.36\00:40:04.61
Now can you imagine what
she was feeling at this point?
00:40:04.64\00:40:07.59
What did she expect to happen?
00:40:07.62\00:40:10.12
She knew enough of
the Mosaic Law to know
00:40:10.15\00:40:13.98
and it was just coded.
00:40:14.01\00:40:15.84
She expected that they
would be picking up stones
00:40:15.87\00:40:18.88
and they were going to stone her
to death there at the temple.
00:40:18.91\00:40:24.04
That's what she
expected, right? Yes.
00:40:24.07\00:40:26.36
And when that did not happen
00:40:26.39\00:40:28.71
and when she realized
00:40:28.74\00:40:29.95
that her accusers
those Pharisees were gone.
00:40:29.98\00:40:34.87
I can imagine, you
know, the whole time
00:40:34.90\00:40:36.90
I think she was
just looking down,
00:40:36.93\00:40:38.36
I think she just
overwhelmed grief
00:40:38.39\00:40:42.32
and she just, you
know, the whole range of,
00:40:42.35\00:40:45.30
the emotions of woman go through
on that kind of a situation
00:40:45.33\00:40:49.14
and realize that they were gone.
00:40:49.17\00:40:52.44
And she said, "no one, Lord.
00:40:52.47\00:40:54.65
No one. No one."
00:40:54.68\00:41:01.46
I don't know about you, but
that just kind of touches me.
00:41:01.49\00:41:06.69
"And she said, 'No one, Lord.'
00:41:06.72\00:41:09.03
And Jesus said, 'I do
not condemn you, either.
00:41:09.06\00:41:13.81
Go. From now on sin no more.'"
00:41:13.84\00:41:18.27
Come on.
00:41:18.30\00:41:22.55
Why didn't He at least
say to her young woman,
00:41:22.58\00:41:25.26
I hope you learned
a lesson out of this
00:41:25.29\00:41:27.01
and that you never, never again
00:41:27.04\00:41:28.70
will put yourself in
those kind of circumstances
00:41:28.73\00:41:31.22
or in that situation again.
00:41:31.25\00:41:33.17
Go, sin no more. So
what was going on here?
00:41:33.20\00:41:38.92
Did Jesus condemn what she did?
00:41:38.95\00:41:41.27
No. So what's going
on? What's going on?
00:41:41.30\00:41:48.45
Okay, well, He knew first of all
what was going on in her heart
00:41:48.48\00:41:53.97
and He knows what's
going on in your heart.
00:41:54.00\00:41:56.58
He knew that she
stood there self condemned.
00:41:56.61\00:42:00.81
She was crushed,
she was experiencing
00:42:00.84\00:42:04.16
the full weight of
her guilt and it was open.
00:42:04.19\00:42:09.95
Jesus knew that if He did utter
00:42:09.98\00:42:13.30
those kind of harsh words
judgmental, condemnatory words
00:42:13.33\00:42:18.17
He could crush
hope out of her life.
00:42:18.20\00:42:21.46
And my friend,
Jesus is not interested
00:42:21.49\00:42:24.50
in crushing hope
in anyone's life.
00:42:24.53\00:42:28.14
Now it is true we
must be aware of how deep
00:42:28.17\00:42:31.64
and complete
our need is of Jesus
00:42:31.67\00:42:33.93
and that we are sinners.
00:42:33.96\00:42:35.55
And yes, the Holy Spirit
will convict us of our sins.
00:42:35.58\00:42:38.35
I do not deny that,
00:42:38.38\00:42:40.96
but we must understand
what the end point of it all is
00:42:40.99\00:42:43.95
and the end point of that
all is is that we will be saved.
00:42:43.98\00:42:48.81
And He knows that at
some point we must experience
00:42:48.84\00:42:52.83
and we must respond to
the depths of His love.
00:42:52.86\00:42:57.19
For simply condemning somebody
00:42:57.22\00:42:59.18
for something they've done wrong
and nothing more cures nothing.
00:42:59.21\00:43:05.98
It doesn't cure
anything in your life
00:43:06.01\00:43:07.87
and my life and some of us
00:43:07.90\00:43:08.95
grown up in
those kinds of homes.
00:43:08.98\00:43:10.84
Maybe we had a critical
mother, a critical father
00:43:10.87\00:43:13.71
or maybe, you
know, we went around
00:43:13.74\00:43:16.01
with a crowd that was
constantly putting us down.
00:43:16.04\00:43:20.89
My friend, you
put somebody down time
00:43:20.92\00:43:22.66
and time again,
you can crush them.
00:43:22.69\00:43:26.00
And God is not interested
in crushing any of us.
00:43:26.03\00:43:30.77
He desires for all of
us to come to repentance
00:43:30.80\00:43:33.59
which means we come to
knowledge of salvation.
00:43:33.62\00:43:38.29
And that comes out
of an understanding
00:43:38.32\00:43:40.47
of the depths of His love
00:43:40.50\00:43:43.43
that's the focal
point in the whole process.
00:43:43.46\00:43:45.85
Don't you ever forget
it and if you do forget it
00:43:45.88\00:43:49.84
and you're going
through tough times
00:43:49.87\00:43:52.19
the Lord help you to remember
00:43:52.22\00:43:57.47
that there is a
God that loves you
00:43:57.50\00:44:00.55
in spite of
whatever is going on.
00:44:00.58\00:44:03.89
And I want to share with you
00:44:03.92\00:44:05.56
what a powerful thing this
was in the life of this woman.
00:44:05.59\00:44:08.91
I have one other
passage I want to take you to
00:44:08.94\00:44:11.79
and it's over here in Luke
7, the New Testament page 51.
00:44:11.82\00:44:16.74
I am gonna end on this.
00:44:16.77\00:44:18.33
Another story
that connects to this.
00:44:18.36\00:44:19.99
Luke 7, the New
Testament page 51.
00:44:20.02\00:44:22.94
Luke 7 and
beginning with verse 36.
00:44:22.97\00:44:25.77
The setting is in Bethany
and Jesus has healed a Pharisee,
00:44:25.80\00:44:30.27
his name is Simon.
00:44:30.30\00:44:31.98
Simon throws a dinner party
00:44:32.01\00:44:34.94
to express his
gratitude to Jesus
00:44:34.97\00:44:38.00
and this woman shows up.
00:44:38.03\00:44:40.33
By the way, who was this woman?
00:44:40.36\00:44:42.55
What was her name?
Mary, the sister Martha.
00:44:42.58\00:44:48.79
They lived in Bethany.
And actually they knew Simon.
00:44:48.82\00:44:52.53
There's
actually more behind this
00:44:52.56\00:44:53.80
connection
between Simon and Mary
00:44:53.83\00:44:55.73
than what we have here.
00:44:55.76\00:44:57.74
Desire of Ages would be
an interesting background
00:44:57.77\00:45:00.26
take to look at
but anyway here it is.
00:45:00.29\00:45:01.98
Luke 7 and
beginning with verse 36.
00:45:02.01\00:45:04.13
"Now one of the Pharisees
00:45:04.16\00:45:06.18
was requesting
Him to dine with him,
00:45:06.21\00:45:07.84
and He entered
the Pharisee's house
00:45:07.87\00:45:09.10
and reclined at the table."
00:45:09.13\00:45:10.75
Isn't it wonderful to know that
Jesus also would put His feet
00:45:10.78\00:45:14.25
under the table of the
Pharisee and would associate
00:45:14.28\00:45:17.93
and would allow Himself to
be entertained by a Pharisee?
00:45:17.96\00:45:22.35
So you know, we are
hard on the Pharisees,
00:45:22.38\00:45:24.73
but don't you forget that
God loves the Pharisee too.
00:45:24.76\00:45:29.06
You remember that?
00:45:29.09\00:45:30.77
And may be some of us
kind of pharisaical attitude.
00:45:30.80\00:45:34.11
God loves you, God
loves me completely and fully.
00:45:34.14\00:45:38.12
Verse 37 "And there
was a woman in the city
00:45:38.15\00:45:41.78
who was a sinner."
00:45:41.81\00:45:42.84
She had the well
established reputation.
00:45:42.87\00:45:45.13
It's the same woman.
00:45:45.16\00:45:46.69
"And when she
learned that He was reclining
00:45:46.72\00:45:49.16
at the table in
the Pharisee's house,
00:45:49.19\00:45:50.72
she brought an
alabaster vial of perfume."
00:45:50.75\00:45:52.81
Again you know
this part of the story.
00:45:52.84\00:45:55.14
Again we have
to remind ourselves
00:45:55.17\00:45:56.44
however other culture
of that period of time.
00:45:56.47\00:45:59.21
When men gathered
together to share entertainment
00:45:59.24\00:46:04.58
and to eat together
as was happening here
00:46:04.61\00:46:07.01
a woman was only allowed
00:46:07.04\00:46:09.62
to be present for
the purpose of serving.
00:46:09.65\00:46:13.18
So for this woman
00:46:13.21\00:46:15.82
with the
reputation she particular had
00:46:15.85\00:46:19.38
and she did, she sort
it through it quietly,
00:46:19.41\00:46:22.00
but to interject herself
00:46:22.03\00:46:23.47
into that room,
into that setting
00:46:23.50\00:46:25.42
as she did there
were some powerful things
00:46:25.45\00:46:28.82
that were moving her to do so.
00:46:28.85\00:46:32.28
Now we know this took place
at the end of Jesus ministry.
00:46:32.31\00:46:35.46
In a few days He
was gonna be crucified.
00:46:35.49\00:46:38.53
And Jesus have been
trying to prepare His disciples
00:46:38.56\00:46:40.46
for what was ahead.
00:46:40.49\00:46:41.77
He been telling
them again and again,
00:46:41.80\00:46:43.22
He is gonna go to Jerusalem,
this is what was gonna happen.
00:46:43.25\00:46:45.75
He was gonna be put to death,
but they didn't want to hear it.
00:46:45.78\00:46:50.38
They were clinging to their,
00:46:50.41\00:46:51.66
you know, they were
clinging to their own ideas.
00:46:51.69\00:46:53.89
But none of His disciples have
00:46:53.92\00:46:55.52
really picked up
on this except Mary.
00:46:55.55\00:46:59.06
She had been listening.
00:46:59.09\00:47:01.31
She was listening clearly
00:47:01.34\00:47:02.83
to what was about
to happen to Jesus.
00:47:02.86\00:47:04.70
And she was not
going to let this come down
00:47:04.73\00:47:09.08
without her
expressing the depths
00:47:09.11\00:47:11.92
of her devotion to Jesus.
00:47:11.95\00:47:14.00
I mean, she had been
one of His closest followers
00:47:14.03\00:47:16.62
since, you know, she had
been caught in adultery anyway,
00:47:16.65\00:47:21.09
but she took this opportunity.
00:47:21.12\00:47:23.75
You know, she was not
gonna let it passed by.
00:47:23.78\00:47:25.39
So that's what was moving her.
00:47:25.42\00:47:27.84
And so there is this verse 38
00:47:27.87\00:47:29.88
"Standing behind
Him at His feet."
00:47:29.91\00:47:33.70
She is in the presence of Jesus
00:47:33.73\00:47:35.11
all of this man and the Pharisee
at the head of the table.
00:47:35.14\00:47:37.92
That's the scene that we see.
00:47:37.95\00:47:40.15
And she's standing there
00:47:40.18\00:47:42.25
and these deep emotions began
to wallop within her heart.
00:47:42.28\00:47:46.75
She is remembering all
that Jesus is done for her,
00:47:46.78\00:47:49.16
and all that
Jesus has meant to her.
00:47:49.19\00:47:51.35
And the tears began
to flow down her cheeks.
00:47:51.38\00:47:54.84
I mean, she just
didn't get wet eyes,
00:47:54.87\00:47:57.59
she was crying and
weeping, the tears were flowing.
00:47:57.62\00:48:03.17
"She began to wet
His feet with her tears,
00:48:07.84\00:48:12.40
and kept wiping them
with the hair of her head,
00:48:12.43\00:48:18.91
and kissing His feet
00:48:18.94\00:48:21.55
and anointing
them with the perfume."
00:48:21.58\00:48:25.82
How she loved
Him. How she loved Him.
00:48:25.85\00:48:32.65
How welled up in
her sight of her.
00:48:32.68\00:48:37.31
It kind of takes your
breath away, doesn't it?
00:48:37.34\00:48:40.83
What a precious moment.
00:48:40.86\00:48:46.79
I've always talking
about how Jesus loves us,
00:48:46.82\00:48:49.61
but my friend, how
much do we love Jesus?
00:48:49.64\00:48:53.84
We've talked
about His gentleness
00:48:53.87\00:48:55.52
and His compassion, but
how about our love for Him?
00:48:55.55\00:49:02.54
That's what we see here.
00:49:02.57\00:49:05.21
Now the Pharisee,
oh, it just breaks
00:49:05.24\00:49:07.32
the whole thought doesn't it?
00:49:07.35\00:49:09.23
Now the Pharisee in verse 39
00:49:09.26\00:49:11.54
"Now when the Pharisee
who had invited Him saw this."
00:49:11.57\00:49:14.03
He was taking this in. He
was not moved by this at all.
00:49:14.06\00:49:17.16
"He said to himself,
'If this man were a prophet
00:49:17.19\00:49:19.72
He would know who and what
sort of person this woman is
00:49:19.75\00:49:22.93
who is touching Him,
that she is a sinner.'"
00:49:22.96\00:49:25.93
How can He let her do
that? What a Pharisee.
00:49:25.96\00:49:30.91
I don't know why
Jesus even healed Him.
00:49:30.94\00:49:32.99
That's a human side of me.
00:49:33.02\00:49:34.16
But anyway, so Jesus,
Jesus took this all in.
00:49:34.19\00:49:39.00
And I want you to notice
what He does with the Pharisee.
00:49:39.03\00:49:42.10
He tries to teach
him something here
00:49:42.13\00:49:43.72
and He brings it out of
him some of reluctantly,
00:49:43.75\00:49:45.63
but Jesus had the way of
doing this with these stories.
00:49:45.66\00:49:48.45
And again I want you to
know how He deals with him,
00:49:48.48\00:49:52.59
before again He turns her.
00:49:52.62\00:49:54.24
But anyway, verse 40
"And Jesus answered him,
00:49:54.27\00:49:57.94
'Simon, I have
something to say to you.'
00:49:57.97\00:49:59.82
And he replied,
'Say it, Teacher.'
00:49:59.85\00:50:02.64
A moneylender had two debtors."
00:50:02.67\00:50:04.12
This is a simple story,
but it was a real set up.
00:50:04.15\00:50:06.56
"A moneylender had two debtors
one owed five hundred denarii,
00:50:06.59\00:50:09.31
and the other fifty.
00:50:09.34\00:50:10.53
When they were unable to repay,
00:50:10.56\00:50:12.85
he graciously
forgave them both."
00:50:12.88\00:50:15.62
So here it comes the
point. "So which of them."
00:50:15.65\00:50:19.96
It was inescapable.
00:50:19.99\00:50:21.46
"So which of them
will love him more?"
00:50:21.49\00:50:25.80
Now even a
Pharisee who gets that,
00:50:25.83\00:50:28.35
because there is only one
way to answer that, right.
00:50:28.38\00:50:31.84
Jesus was very clever.
00:50:31.87\00:50:34.54
Verse 43 "Simon
answered and said, 'I suppose.'"
00:50:34.57\00:50:37.85
Look at the
reluctance, the reluctance.
00:50:37.88\00:50:41.28
"I suppose the one
whom he forgave more."
00:50:41.31\00:50:44.69
And He said to him,
"You have judged correctly."
00:50:44.72\00:50:48.71
Good for you. Maybe
there is hope for you.
00:50:48.74\00:50:52.26
He didn't say
that, but I'll say it.
00:50:52.29\00:50:54.50
Maybe there is
hope of the Pharisee.
00:50:54.53\00:50:57.33
But He was making a point.
00:50:57.36\00:50:58.72
He was really
trying to reach His heart.
00:50:58.75\00:51:00.61
Verse 44, now He
turns to the woman,
00:51:00.64\00:51:02.37
and He draws a
comparison between the Pharisee
00:51:02.40\00:51:05.97
who stood in such
judgment of this woman
00:51:06.00\00:51:09.13
and the woman He
draws this comparison.
00:51:09.16\00:51:11.77
And it's not a
favorable one for the Pharisee.
00:51:11.80\00:51:14.30
"Turning toward the
woman, He said to Simon,
00:51:14.33\00:51:16.21
'Do you see this woman?
00:51:16.24\00:51:17.85
I entered your house you
gave Me no water for My feet,
00:51:17.88\00:51:22.22
but she has wet My
feet with her tears
00:51:22.25\00:51:25.42
and wiped them with her hair."
00:51:25.45\00:51:27.08
I mean, this was simple
hospitality in that culture.
00:51:27.11\00:51:30.73
And he somehow
He'd overlooked it.
00:51:30.76\00:51:34.59
Verse 45 "You gave Me no kiss."
00:51:34.62\00:51:36.60
No kiss of welcome.
00:51:36.63\00:51:38.07
"But she, since
the time I came in,
00:51:38.10\00:51:39.66
has not ceased to kiss My feet.
00:51:39.69\00:51:42.01
You did not anoint My
feet My head with oil,
00:51:42.04\00:51:45.61
but she anointed
My feet with perfume."
00:51:45.64\00:51:48.22
This was not a
parable comparison.
00:51:48.25\00:51:50.59
The Pharisee came
across as insensitive
00:51:50.62\00:51:54.97
and hard of hard of
heart and the woman came across
00:51:55.00\00:51:59.57
as I hoped, I can
come across as loving
00:51:59.60\00:52:05.19
and caring and responsive.
00:52:05.22\00:52:09.12
Is that the way you want to be?
00:52:09.15\00:52:11.75
I don't want to be a Pharisee,
00:52:11.78\00:52:14.05
I don't want
that kind of hardness
00:52:14.08\00:52:15.85
and that judgmental spirit.
00:52:15.88\00:52:18.54
I want to have
the Spirit of Jesus,
00:52:18.57\00:52:21.08
and that is the spirit of love.
00:52:21.11\00:52:23.79
Verse 47 "For this
reason I say to you,
00:52:27.09\00:52:31.84
her sins, which are many."
00:52:31.87\00:52:35.19
Did he know her?
00:52:35.22\00:52:36.45
My friend, the
question is does He know you?
00:52:38.55\00:52:42.65
Does He know me?
00:52:42.68\00:52:45.22
He does.
00:52:45.25\00:52:47.05
And we are sinners.
00:52:47.08\00:52:52.89
And our sins are many,
00:52:52.92\00:52:56.50
we don't like to talk
about it but they are many.
00:52:56.53\00:53:00.50
Maybe not to say
that she was guilty,
00:53:00.53\00:53:02.36
but maybe some.
00:53:02.39\00:53:04.91
"Her sins, which were
many, have been forgiven."
00:53:04.94\00:53:09.30
Can you imagine what that did
00:53:09.33\00:53:10.87
but thrilled that
went through Mary's heart.
00:53:10.90\00:53:12.95
She known and but
here Jesus said again,
00:53:12.98\00:53:15.65
her sins which are many
they have been forgiven.
00:53:15.68\00:53:18.36
It's passed. What a thrill.
00:53:18.39\00:53:22.67
What joy. What a thrill.
00:53:22.70\00:53:28.77
And then He
shares with a Pharisee
00:53:28.80\00:53:31.89
why, you know, remember
His time to the Pharisee here
00:53:31.92\00:53:35.43
for she loved much.
00:53:35.46\00:53:38.13
Why did she love?
00:53:38.16\00:53:39.88
Well, I have to go back to
the story that Jesus shared,
00:53:39.91\00:53:41.73
because you have
been forgiven so much,
00:53:41.76\00:53:43.97
because she loved much.
00:53:44.00\00:53:47.59
But He who is
forgiven little loves little.
00:53:47.62\00:53:51.61
And then He said to her Mary,
00:53:51.64\00:53:54.81
your sins have been forgiven.
00:53:54.84\00:54:01.51
My friend, do you have that
assurance this morning in Jesus?
00:54:01.54\00:54:05.80
Your sins have been forgiven
00:54:05.83\00:54:07.86
or have you been
caring this load of guilt?
00:54:07.89\00:54:10.37
Have you been
living with the past?
00:54:10.40\00:54:13.56
Are you the kind of
individual just like a tape,
00:54:13.59\00:54:15.66
you just play
over all these false,
00:54:15.69\00:54:17.32
all these failures in
your mind and your heart,
00:54:17.35\00:54:19.64
Am I worthy? I am not deserving.
00:54:19.67\00:54:22.73
Yes, you are not worthy.
You never will be worthy.
00:54:22.76\00:54:27.49
That's the other
tape you got to play.
00:54:27.52\00:54:29.23
You never be deserving and
that's the beauty of grace,
00:54:29.26\00:54:32.64
that's the beauty of
divine love because worthiness
00:54:32.67\00:54:36.19
and being deserved is
never the issue, never.
00:54:36.22\00:54:41.23
If it was, you and
I would not be here
00:54:41.26\00:54:43.67
this Sabbath morning.
00:54:43.70\00:54:45.34
Would we? We would not be here.
00:54:45.37\00:54:48.94
Verse 49, "Those who were
reclined at the table with Him
00:54:51.15\00:54:53.61
began to say to themselves,
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'Who is this man
who even forgives sins?'
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And He said to the woman"
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He said this with such
deep love and compassion,
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"Your faith, Mary, have
saved you, go in peace."
00:55:04.58\00:55:11.55
Have you longed
for peace in your life
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and have never truly found it?
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My friend, this is the place,
00:55:19.41\00:55:22.41
this is the
dynamic that brings it
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is when we realize what
Jesus has done for us as sinners
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and the depths of His love.
00:55:30.64\00:55:34.28
And it leads
us-- it's the amazing,
00:55:34.31\00:55:37.70
in song Amazing
Grace, it's the amazement,
00:55:37.73\00:55:41.75
it's the amazement that comes.
00:55:41.78\00:55:45.01
And that's why I began
this whole revival series
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way back four weeks
ago by saying some of us
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have being
content to be cauterized
00:55:53.71\00:55:57.10
into the Adventist system.
00:55:57.13\00:55:58.38
We have grown
contempt with the lifestyle
00:55:58.41\00:56:03.11
and in the process in time
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we have lost the
first love experience
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that it is our
privilege to experience here.
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And now 50-years ago
you may have accepted Jesus,
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my friend, you and I can be
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in that first love
experience in the year and now.
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And my friends,
that is what gives us
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deep meaning to what we do here.
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It gives meaning to
the songs that we sing.
00:56:26.72\00:56:28.72
It gives meaning to
the prayers that we pray.
00:56:28.75\00:56:30.82
It gives meaning to
the offerings that we give.
00:56:30.85\00:56:32.89
It gives meaning to
the word that is preached.
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It gives meaning
to the fellowship
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that we are share in.
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It's the depths of that love
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and to be satisfied
with anything less than
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that first love
experience my friend,
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it's to be satisfied with crumbs
from banquet table of His love.
00:56:48.23\00:56:54.25
And how many of us
are needing the crumbs
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when we would be banqueting?
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And how the joy,
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oh, my friend,
first love brings joy,
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it brings peace,
it brings meaning.
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Such as many of--
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maybe some of us had not
have for a very long time.
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Oh, I know God loves
me, I know He died for me
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and we've been but my
friend, this got to be real.
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