い
00:00:00.76\00:00:03.63
>> Let's bow our heads and pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, oh, what
an awesome day, this glorious
00:00:10.24\00:00:16.34
Sabbath, that we just want to
thank you for bringing us
morning by morning, day by day.
00:00:16.34\00:00:21.35
So we just ask that You be with
us as we worship and praise Your
00:00:21.35\00:00:25.52
name. In Jesus' name. Amen.
00:00:25.52\00:00:27.66
If you believe God has been
faithful to you this week, can I
00:00:27.69\00:00:31.33
hear you say amen? >> Amen.
00:00:31.33\00:00:33.50
>> Yes. And He deserves
all the glory and praise.
00:00:33.50\00:00:36.87
So join us as we
sing "Prince of Peace."
00:00:36.87\00:00:40.30
い
00:00:40.37\00:00:43.37
い
00:00:50.45\00:00:53.38
>> Amen. With a God so powerful
and so strong, there's nothing
00:08:20.16\00:08:26.57
that we should be afraid of,
because He is alpha and omega,
the beginning and end.
00:08:26.57\00:08:31.27
He is with us on the journey. He
goes before us. So if you
believe or you want to
00:08:31.27\00:08:36.34
say that is my desire, to serve
Him, to give Him all my
problems, no matter what I'm
00:08:36.34\00:08:41.58
going through, to trust Him,
I just invite you to stand as we
00:08:41.58\00:08:47.86
sing. い
00:08:47.89\00:08:50.79
い
00:08:57.83\00:09:00.84
い
00:09:07.91\00:09:09.01
>> Good morning, boys and girls.
>> Good morning. >> Now, I know
00:12:49.73\00:12:57.64
you can make more noise than
that. Good morning, boys and
00:12:57.64\00:13:01.68
girls. >> Good morning!
>> That's good. Good morning.
00:13:01.71\00:13:06.15
You all look so
beautiful and handsome.
00:13:06.15\00:13:09.22
I have a question. How many of
you -- just raise your hands if
00:13:09.25\00:13:15.82
you've ever been to war. >> Me!
>> There's one right there --
00:13:15.82\00:13:20.50
two, two. You and
you. You, really, to war?
00:13:20.50\00:13:27.44
Wow! Do we have any 7-year-olds
here? >> You're 7, too, and you
00:13:27.44\00:13:34.54
went to war? Man! You
know, I've spent a career in
00:13:34.54\00:13:42.35
the U.S. Army, flying
helicopters. I went to war five
00:13:42.35\00:13:48.46
times, but never as a
7-year-old. [ Laughter ] Never
00:13:48.46\00:13:54.40
as a 7-year-old. However, I want
to tell you a story that when I
was 7, I was out playing in my
00:13:54.40\00:14:01.84
yard. Now, check this out. So, I
was playing in the yard by
myself, and these boys were
00:14:01.84\00:14:10.01
running past my fence, in my
yard. And they were running, and
00:14:10.01\00:14:17.19
they were carrying sticks. And
they had branches from the tree,
and they were dressed in
00:14:17.19\00:14:23.22
all this kind of stuff, and some
of them had hats on. Some of
00:14:23.22\00:14:29.30
them had bicycle helmets,
football helmet here and there.
And they were running, and they
00:14:29.30\00:14:33.74
were shouting, and I was like,
"Where are they going?" And they
passed my house and
00:14:33.74\00:14:39.57
went on, and I didn't hear them
or anything like that. And about
an hour later, they
00:14:39.57\00:14:44.75
came running back, and they were
shouting, and they were singing,
and they were having a good
00:14:44.75\00:14:50.42
time. And I was --
"Where did you guys go?"
00:14:50.42\00:14:54.26
And they said, "We went to war,
and we won!" And I said, "I want
00:14:54.26\00:15:00.36
to go to war." And, then,
the next day, they did it again.
00:15:00.36\00:15:04.77
They ran by my house. They were
all dressed in all kinds of
things, and they all
00:15:04.77\00:15:09.44
had sticks this time. Some of
them had sticks that looked like
00:15:09.44\00:15:13.98
swords they had made. And they
were going to war. And I said,
00:15:13.98\00:15:17.38
"Where are you going?" And they
said, "We're going to war with
00:15:17.38\00:15:21.62
the enemy!" And I ran to ask my
father. I said, "Father, can I
go to war with these children?"
00:15:21.62\00:15:29.02
And he said no. [ Laughter ]
And I was very sad, and I had to
00:15:29.02\00:15:34.46
watch them go off to war. And
they came back an hour later,
and they were cheering,
00:15:34.46\00:15:39.93
and they were chanting, and they
were singing songs, and they had
conquered some enemy.
00:15:39.93\00:15:47.31
And I thought to myself, "I have
to go to war with them. The next
time they come, I'm not
00:15:47.31\00:15:52.58
gonna ask my father." And sure
enough, the next day, they came
running by, and they
00:15:52.58\00:15:59.15
were like, "You need to come.
We're going to war." And I
climbed over the fence,
00:15:59.15\00:16:05.23
and I went to war with them.
They went to this huge field in
00:16:05.23\00:16:12.10
the woods. And they were looking
around and all this. And I said,
00:16:12.10\00:16:15.60
"What are you doing?" They said,
"We're looking for the enemy."
00:16:15.60\00:16:18.31
I said, "Who's the enemy?" They
said, "The bees are the enemy."
00:16:18.31\00:16:23.14
[ Laughter ] They were looking
for a beehive. And, then, some
00:16:23.14\00:16:28.52
of the other boys, they would
just take their sticks, and they
found one, and they started
00:16:28.52\00:16:34.56
smacking it. And all of a
sudden, the bees came out. But
these weren't bees.
00:16:34.56\00:16:40.20
They were hornets! They were
big, old suckers, too. And you
00:16:40.20\00:16:46.07
know what? We were swinging. I
grabbed the stick from the
ground, and I'm swinging.
00:16:46.07\00:16:51.21
And you can't hit a hornet
with a stick. And somebody was
00:16:51.21\00:16:56.31
swinging their branches. They
had leaves on it, and you can't
take out a hornet with
00:16:56.31\00:17:01.32
branches with leaves on it. And
so someone said, "Run!" And we
00:17:01.32\00:17:06.39
all ran. [ Laughter ] And I ran.
And there were like 10 hornets
00:17:06.39\00:17:10.76
chasing me, and they were
stinging me on my butt, and they
were stinging me on my legs,
00:17:10.76\00:17:15.56
'cause I was wearing shorts.
They were stinging me all over
00:17:15.56\00:17:19.47
my face. And, you know, I have
an allergic reaction every time
a mosquito stings me.
00:17:19.47\00:17:25.17
My heads gets all shapen. Does
your head get shapen like that?
00:17:25.17\00:17:29.68
No. That's a good thing. I ran
home, and I was crying, and I
climbed the fence, and the
00:17:29.68\00:17:37.39
hornets were still stinging me.
And I ran in the house, and I
said, "Dad, please help me."
00:17:37.39\00:17:44.63
And he did. He took some
ointment, and he put it on those
00:17:44.63\00:17:51.07
stings, and it hurt even
more. And I had a whole bunch of
00:17:51.07\00:17:55.50
Band-Aids. Who likes Band-Aids?
>> Me! >> I like Band-Aids.
00:17:55.50\00:17:59.31
Yes! And, you know, I expected
my father to give me a spanking.
00:17:59.31\00:18:07.12
Who likes spankings? [
Laughter ] There's one!
00:18:07.12\00:18:15.59
Spare the rod, spoil the child.
That's right. No. So [chuckles]
00:18:15.59\00:18:22.76
I didn't get a spanking.
I thought I was gonna get a
00:18:22.76\00:18:25.33
spanking. In our house, we
called them whippings, 'cause
they really weren't spankings.
00:18:25.33\00:18:29.90
They were more whippings. But
he said, "You were disobedient.
00:18:29.90\00:18:36.54
You could have been hurt more
had you gotten stung more." You
know, some people are
00:18:36.54\00:18:47.06
allergic -- they're so allergic
to stings from a bee or a hornet
that they go to sleep and they
00:18:47.06\00:18:54.40
don't wake up. That's right.
Some people are like that.
00:18:54.40\00:18:59.83
Sometimes, you don't know until
you get stung and you have a
00:18:59.83\00:19:04.54
reaction. You know, I'm reminded
of the fifth commandment. It
says, "Honor thy father and
00:19:04.54\00:19:11.58
thy mother so that thy days
may be long." You know, for some
00:19:11.58\00:19:19.65
people if you don't honor your
father and your mother, your
days aren't gonna be long.
00:19:19.65\00:19:25.33
It's very important. And so what
I want to do right now is I want
00:19:25.33\00:19:32.03
to pray that we honor our father
and our mothers and be obedient.
Do I have two volunteers to --
00:19:32.03\00:19:38.71
yes, come on. Two volunteers.
One more. Come on, come on.
00:19:38.71\00:19:43.08
One more. You want to come,
too? Okay, we'll have three.
00:19:43.08\00:19:47.08
All right. Here, stand
up. So, you're gonna pray for
00:19:47.08\00:19:50.89
everybody and yourself so that
you can be obedient. Okay, so
let's fold our hands so
00:19:50.89\00:19:56.52
they're not a distraction. Let's
close our eyes so that we're not
00:19:56.52\00:20:01.73
distracted. Here we go. >> Dear
Jesus, thank you for this day.
00:20:01.73\00:20:05.60
Thank you for the kids are here,
and now we won't be disobedient,
and we'll be nice and kind, and
00:20:05.60\00:20:11.24
we'll listen to our moms and
dads and that the hornets won't
00:20:11.24\00:20:17.51
make you sick. And please bless
us today, and his story was
great, and we love you. Amen.
00:20:17.51\00:20:22.95
[ Laughter ] >>
Thank -- Amen. Okay.
00:20:22.95\00:20:26.62
>> [ Speaking
indistinctly ] Amen. >> Amen.
00:20:26.62\00:20:37.37
>> Dear Father, help the days,
and help other people to not get
stinged by hornets, and help
00:20:37.37\00:20:45.11
other people to know that they
should be obedient. In Jesus'
name we pray. Amen.
00:20:45.11\00:20:49.78
>> Amen, amen. Okay, you
can go back to your seats.
00:20:49.78\00:20:52.98
Very quiet. Be careful
going down the steps. Good.
00:20:52.98\00:20:58.52
い
00:20:58.59\00:21:01.66
>> You pray that prayer, "Give
me Jesus," every morning of your
life and mean it, and I promise
00:21:12.20\00:21:18.31
you, life for you will be an
adventure and, as Oswald
Chambers puts it, and "a
00:21:18.31\00:21:23.48
romance." "Give me Jesus." Wow!
00:21:23.48\00:21:29.12
That's what we need. That's what
we have to have. As exiles, we
00:21:29.12\00:21:36.06
have to have Him. Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, what Julie just
saying with Ken, we have to have
00:21:36.06\00:21:42.53
Him. We can't live
without Him, not as exiles.
00:21:42.53\00:21:45.97
If we weren't exiles, we could
pretty much take care of
ourselves, but we're exiles.
00:21:45.97\00:21:52.97
Oh, Lord, bring Yourself into
our lives every day, right now.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
00:21:52.97\00:22:03.62
So, I want to share with
you four very short tales.
00:22:03.65\00:22:07.89
Amazing reality of these tales
is the stunning shared bottom
00:22:07.89\00:22:15.50
line. Very short
tale number one, once
00:22:15.50\00:22:17.93
upon a time, there was a girl, a
beautiful girl, and she won the
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.60
national lottery for
queen. She became queen.
00:22:20.60\00:22:24.77
And she was a Jew
and an exile at that.
00:22:24.77\00:22:27.21
Go figure.
00:22:27.21\00:22:29.78
And she was planning to live her
life happily ever after, because
nobody knew that she was a Jew.
00:22:29.81\00:22:35.85
Uh-oh. But there was an evil man
who hated Jews, and he crafted a
00:22:35.85\00:22:44.86
law through duplicity to
exterminate every Jew in the
entire kingdom. But the queen
00:22:44.86\00:22:52.37
found out about it, and in a
stunning turn of events, the
evil man gets impaled, the king
00:22:52.37\00:22:59.37
and the queen collaborate to
countermand that first decree
with another to spare the lives
00:22:59.37\00:23:06.78
of every Jew in the empire,
and the Jews and the queen are
00:23:06.78\00:23:12.89
saved. The end. Very short story
number two. Once upon a longer
time ago, there was a young man
00:23:12.89\00:23:22.23
taken captive, marched to a city
he'd never heard of, exiled. But
lo and behold, when he gets
00:23:22.23\00:23:32.07
to the city, he is enrolled in
the greatest university in the
00:23:32.07\00:23:36.08
land. Can you believe it?
And he gets to eat in the king's
00:23:36.08\00:23:39.88
cafeteria. No kidding. Only the
cafeteria offers foods and
drinks that are not only
00:23:39.88\00:23:45.65
unclean, they are unhealthful.
Now, contrary to the girl who
wouldn't admit she was a Jew,
00:23:45.65\00:23:53.83
this boy is very up front, "I am
a Jew, and I will not eat that
00:23:53.83\00:24:00.44
food." And so, with a little
test about vegetables and water
-- go figure again -- he and his
00:24:00.44\00:24:07.98
buddies come out of that test,
when it's done finally, 10 times
smarter than every student
00:24:07.98\00:24:15.78
enrolled in the
national university. Wow!
00:24:15.78\00:24:20.76
They got appointed as
councilors, by the way, to the
00:24:20.76\00:24:24.53
king himself. Once upon a time,
that king couldn't sleep. Just
like the king in the first
00:24:24.53\00:24:28.66
story, by the way, this one
can't sleep either. Calls in his
wise men, "I've had
00:24:28.66\00:24:33.07
a dream." They can't tell
him the dream, and so they can't
00:24:33.07\00:24:37.11
interpret the dream. He's so
furious, he orders the execution
00:24:37.11\00:24:41.91
of all of them, including our
young exiled Jew with his
buddies. They pray fervently to
00:24:41.91\00:24:46.75
their God, and would you believe
it, that night, their God gave
them the dream and its
00:24:46.75\00:24:51.72
interpretation. That young
exile went before the king.
00:24:51.72\00:24:55.32
The king was so amazed that at
the end, he falls on the ground
in obeisance to the God of this
00:24:55.32\00:25:03.70
exile. Very short story number
three. Once upon a later time,
00:25:03.70\00:25:11.54
the three friends of that Jew
exile young man are gathered
with empire officials in a wide,
00:25:11.54\00:25:18.78
sprawling plain. And in the
middle of that plain is a tall,
00:25:18.78\00:25:25.59
golden image. And the vain king
announces "That image is me, and
I'm commanding you now to bow
00:25:25.59\00:25:31.63
down to that image as a sign of
your loyalty to me." The king's
brass band began to
00:25:31.63\00:25:38.13
play, and -- whoo! -- everybody
on that plain on their faces,
worshipping the king, except --
00:25:38.13\00:25:45.64
you guessed it -- the three
friends of that young Jew exile.
00:25:45.64\00:25:52.21
The king is livid. He bellows,
"Make the furnace seven times
hotter, and throw them in," and
00:25:52.21\00:26:00.56
they do. The king cannot believe
his eyes, because the three
young men are walking as if
00:26:00.56\00:26:05.69
there is no fire in town. And as
he looks closely, there's
another being that looks a lot
00:26:05.69\00:26:10.40
like a god. And I love this part
of the story -- the king issues
00:26:10.40\00:26:14.47
another order -- "Yo, boys, come
out." And they come out, and the
king issues a proclamation,
00:26:14.47\00:26:21.51
"There is no god greater than
the God of these three boys, and
I'll kill anybody who says there
00:26:21.51\00:26:28.18
is." Very short story number
three. Here comes, finally,
00:26:28.18\00:26:32.92
number four. Very short story,
because that young Jew exile
gets older. He gets older and
00:26:32.92\00:26:39.96
older, and the empires change,
and the kings come and go, and
he's still there, close to the
00:26:39.96\00:26:47.67
throne. Some evil men are
jealous of him, and they devise
through duplicity a way to
00:26:47.67\00:26:52.67
convince the king to pass a law
that for the next 30 days,
nobody can pray to any other god
00:26:52.67\00:26:59.25
but to me. The very next day,
after the law is passed, guess
what? That now elderly Jewish
00:26:59.25\00:27:05.62
exile boy, now man, opens the
windows to his house and three
public times prays to the God of
00:27:05.62\00:27:12.36
gods and the Creator of Heaven
and Earth. With glee, the evil
00:27:12.36\00:27:18.03
men run to the king and
demand the execution now of that
00:27:18.03\00:27:22.20
elderly exile. The king is
distraught, but there's no way
00:27:22.20\00:27:26.41
to change the law. Into the
lions' den the man goes. The
king fasts and prays all
00:27:26.41\00:27:30.71
night to the God of the exile,
saying, "Surely you can deliver
00:27:30.71\00:27:36.89
this boy." The next morning,
early, he hurries to that
subterranean pit, and he calls
00:27:36.89\00:27:43.76
down, his voice echoing, and he
hears a human voice coming back
00:27:43.76\00:27:50.43
from those roars. I want you to
pick up this fourth story right
here. Open your Bible to Daniel
00:27:50.43\00:27:55.70
-- Daniel chapter 6. We
got to see this for ourselves.
00:27:55.70\00:27:59.27
There's something going on here.
Four exile stories. Very short,
00:27:59.27\00:28:09.35
but very profound, the shared
bottom line. We haven't seen it
yet, but we're wondering, "What
00:28:09.35\00:28:13.96
could it be?" This is Daniel
chapter 6. We'll pick it up in
00:28:13.96\00:28:17.83
verse 19. The end. Four tales,
one stunning bottom line that
hasn't occurred to you
00:29:40.91\00:29:47.35
yet either. Because, you
see, when it comes to this quite
00:29:47.35\00:29:54.09
unpleasant subject of
persecution, which is the common
denominator in all four exile
00:29:54.09\00:30:00.00
stories, there's some
surprisingly good news. Now, I
don't know about you, but I grew
00:30:00.00\00:30:04.27
up as a kid, and my folks were
talking about persecution
coming, and, boy, it made me
00:30:04.27\00:30:07.70
nervous. I said, "I don't want
to go into persecution. Whatever
that is, I don't want
00:30:07.70\00:30:11.47
it to happen to me." Jesus
said, "Deliver us from evil."
00:30:11.47\00:30:14.38
That's the prayer we ought to be
praying. But imagine, as I have
00:30:14.38\00:30:21.32
had this opportunity now to
ponder these stories of these
exiles, imagine to discover that
00:30:21.32\00:30:31.49
in fact, there's some very good
news. Now, look, if I had a
whiteboard right here, and I
00:30:31.49\00:30:35.36
said, "Give me some reasons why
God lets His friends be
persecuted," we'd come up with
00:30:35.36\00:30:39.07
at least three of them. We'd
all agree. We got the three.
00:30:39.07\00:30:40.97
We wouldn't come up with number
four, but it's number four we
need to understand today.
00:30:40.97\00:30:44.54
So pull your study guide out
right now. We'll turn it into
00:30:44.54\00:30:47.21
that whiteboard. Pull out your
study guide. It will become your
00:30:47.21\00:30:50.11
whiteboard. And we're gonna
write down four reasons God
permits His friends to be
00:30:50.11\00:30:56.52
persecuted. Those of you
watching on livestream right
00:30:56.55\00:30:59.42
now, you're already at the
website. You just pull up that
00:30:59.42\00:31:02.29
study guide. This is
a little serious called
00:31:02.29\00:31:04.49
"In Exile: Cadences of Home,"
title of episode number 2 today,
00:31:04.49\00:31:07.76
"Really, Really
Faithful Under Fire."
00:31:07.76\00:31:10.63
You'll see study guide,
and you'll have the very one we
00:31:10.63\00:31:13.00
have. All right?
00:31:13.00\00:31:14.87
You see the website on
the bottom of that slide,
00:31:14.87\00:31:17.07
www.newperceptions.tv.
00:31:17.07\00:31:21.11
Okay, let's go. Four reasons why
God permits His friends to be
00:31:21.14\00:31:27.28
persecuted. And may I remind you
that the devil is "evil" with a
00:31:32.22\00:31:35.99
"D" in front of it.
He's nothing but trouble.
00:31:35.99\00:31:39.39
He's evil to the basest
core. He's not your friend.
00:31:39.39\00:31:46.07
There is persecution because it
is the expected modus operandi,
00:31:46.07\00:31:49.87
mode of operation, of the devil,
in his "great controversy"
00:31:49.87\00:31:53.44
warfare to do what? Jot it down.
00:31:53.44\00:31:55.61
To silence the divine
allies and exiles on Earth.
00:31:55.61\00:31:59.41
You are an exile. I am an exile.
00:31:59.41\00:32:01.88
There's one strategy -- "Silence
her, silence him. I don't care
00:32:01.92\00:32:05.65
what you do, I don't care what
it takes, just get his voice
shut. Turn it off."
00:32:05.65\00:32:11.26
Those are the orders every demon
of hell lives under -- just
silence those exiles.
00:32:11.26\00:32:18.50
Hmpf. If you're an ally of God,
if you're a disciple of Jesus,
00:32:18.50\00:32:22.14
guess what? Whether you want
to, whether you know it or not,
00:32:22.14\00:32:25.71
you've already been marked. May
I share a line with you, put it
00:32:25.71\00:32:28.78
on the screen? This is that line
in 2 Timothy 3:12. "In fact,"
00:32:28.78\00:32:33.65
Paul writes, "everyone who wants
to live a godly life in Christ
00:32:33.65\00:32:39.12
Jesus will be"? Oh! Did you have
to read that one today? I mean,
it's sunshining out
00:32:39.12\00:32:43.83
there, for Pete's sake. Nope.
You want to live a godly life,
00:32:43.83\00:32:48.20
guess what? You've signed on
for persecution. You pray the
00:32:48.20\00:32:51.60
prayer, "Give me Jesus," ooh.
But I guess He was persecuted,
00:32:51.60\00:32:57.07
too, wasn't He? Yeah. You may be
persecuted for your faith on the
00:32:57.07\00:33:01.88
job. You may be persecuted for
your faith in your marriage. You
may be persecuted for your
00:33:01.88\00:33:06.11
faith in your school. It doesn't
matter where, and it doesn't
00:33:06.11\00:33:09.78
matter how. If you're persecuted
for your faith, that's
persecution. You don't have to
00:33:09.78\00:33:14.06
have stones and guns and sticks
and rocks. All right. Reason
number 2 why God permits
00:33:14.06\00:33:24.03
persecution to come
to His closest friends.
00:33:24.03\00:33:26.50
That's why God allows
human suffering. Some of you are
00:33:31.64\00:33:35.08
suffering right now. That's the
whole point. Suffering takes us
00:33:35.08\00:33:37.95
through, because of the great
controversy between Christ and
Satan -- welcome to it -- takes
00:33:37.95\00:33:42.05
us through. So we have to
suffer. Sorry. Never forget the
00:33:42.05\00:33:48.46
words of Jesus on the eve of His
own execution. So this is late
Thursday night when Jesus speaks
00:33:48.46\00:33:52.26
these words. You
see them. John 16:33.
00:33:52.26\00:33:54.46
Jesus talking to His followers.
"I have told you these things,
00:33:54.46\00:33:58.20
so that in Me
you may have peace."
00:33:58.20\00:34:00.10
That's the whole goal.
"I want you to be at peace."
00:34:00.10\00:34:02.60
And when the subject is
through, you'll be at peace.
00:34:02.60\00:34:06.68
"In this world," Jesus goes on,
"you will have trouble --" or
00:34:06.68\00:34:09.81
"tribulation,"
depending on your translation.
00:34:09.81\00:34:12.25
Put them both down.
"You will have trouble.
00:34:12.25\00:34:14.58
You will have
tribulation. But take heart!
00:34:14.58\00:34:16.85
Be of good cheer. I
have overcome the world."
00:34:16.85\00:34:19.29
What do you say to that?
"I have overcome the world,
00:34:19.29\00:34:21.82
guys. The enemy has already been
00:34:21.82\00:34:23.43
overcome. Not to worry."
00:34:23.43\00:34:25.76
Phew! No wonder
Peter wrote the way he
00:34:25.76\00:34:28.60
did. And by the
way, this is Peter
00:34:28.60\00:34:30.27
who when it comes to his moment
for martyrdom, he says, "No, no,
00:34:30.27\00:34:33.10
no. You can't
crucify me right side
00:34:33.10\00:34:34.84
up. You got to
crucify me -- that's
00:34:34.84\00:34:36.54
my Lord's way. You
turn me upside down."
00:34:36.54\00:34:39.31
Peter writes to the believers
of that 1st Century church.
00:34:39.31\00:34:43.75
On the screen, "Dear friends,
do not be surprised at the fiery
00:34:43.75\00:34:46.51
ordeal that has
come on you to test you."
00:34:46.51\00:34:49.32
That's why they come.
They test us, as though
00:34:49.32\00:34:51.15
something strange
were happening to you.
00:34:51.15\00:34:52.82
"But rejoice inasmuch as you
participate in the sufferings of
00:34:52.82\00:34:55.22
Christ."
00:34:55.22\00:34:56.46
If you're singing with Julie,
"Give me Jesus every morning,"
life will be an adventure, and
00:34:56.49\00:35:00.80
it will be a romance, and it
will put you in the footsteps of
your master, who knows all about
00:35:00.80\00:35:07.20
persecution. Sorry. That's okay.
00:35:07.20\00:35:11.81
Peter says, "Rejoice that you
participated with Him so that
00:35:11.84\00:35:14.28
you may be overjoyed
when His glory is revealed."
00:35:14.28\00:35:17.08
>> 'Cause Jesus is coming back.
Hallelujah. And He gets the last
00:35:17.11\00:35:20.25
word. What do you say?
Yeah, that's it. Trials and
00:35:20.25\00:35:22.98
tribulations. Some of you are
going through trials and
tribulations right now.
00:35:22.98\00:35:28.22
Don't you worry. The Jesus you
pray for every day is the Jesus
00:35:28.22\00:35:34.03
who goes through those with you.
Okay, number three -- there are
only four of these.
00:35:34.03\00:35:36.56
Here comes number three. Why
does God permit persecution for
00:35:36.56\00:35:40.04
His friends? Walter Brueggemann,
the great Old Testament scholar,
in his wonderful book "Cadences
00:35:46.57\00:35:52.18
of Home: Preaching Among Exiles"
-- I love that book. That's
where I got part of our
00:35:52.18\00:35:56.28
title, "Cadences of Home."
00:35:56.28\00:35:58.55
Brueggemann writes, "The great
problem for exiles --" speaking
00:35:58.59\00:36:02.09
of you and me, because he
believes that church today is in
00:36:02.09\00:36:05.33
exile. And so do I.
00:36:05.33\00:36:06.70
"The great problem for exiles
is cultural assimilation."
00:36:06.70\00:36:10.53
Ooh. Would you write that big
word down, two "S's," cultural
00:36:10.53\00:36:15.04
assimilation?
What's assimilation?
00:36:15.04\00:36:17.77
That's where everything gets
mixed together, and you can't
00:36:17.77\00:36:19.97
tell the difference.
It's just all running all over
00:36:19.97\00:36:21.94
each other.
Everything's the same.
00:36:21.94\00:36:24.25
Cultural assimilation is
the great problem for exiles.
00:36:24.25\00:36:27.72
Keep reading. "The
primary threat to those
00:36:27.72\00:36:30.52
ancient Jews was that members of
the community would decide that
00:36:30.52\00:36:34.52
Jewishness was too demanding,
or too dangerous, or too costly,
00:36:34.52\00:36:40.96
and simply accept Babylonian
definitions and modes of
00:36:40.96\00:36:46.33
reality."
00:36:46.33\00:36:48.67
That's the reason our
schools exist. Do you know why
00:36:48.70\00:36:52.54
Andrews University exists? For
that very reason right there.
00:36:52.54\00:36:55.04
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
schools don't exist just so that
our kids have something to do on
00:36:55.04\00:36:58.65
Friday nights when they can't
go to sports. That's hardly it.
00:36:58.65\00:37:03.08
They exist to make clear the
line of demarcation between the
captor, the dark lord of
00:37:03.08\00:37:08.36
captivity, and the exiles. Line
of demarcation. There's been a
00:37:08.36\00:37:18.53
line drawn in the sand of the
exiles' wilderness. Is it an
easy line to draw? I'm telling
00:37:18.53\00:37:24.94
you what, the longer I live, the
more complicated it seems it is
to draw, to know where to draw
00:37:24.94\00:37:29.38
that line. But it still must
be drawn. We have to draw it and
00:37:29.38\00:37:35.32
hold the line. Lee Beach in
his book "The Church in Exile:
00:37:35.35\00:37:37.85
Living in Hope After
Christendom," one line, wise bit
00:37:37.85\00:37:41.46
of -- pithy bit of council here.
00:37:41.46\00:37:42.89
You don't have to conform. You
don't have to be sucked in and
00:37:49.93\00:37:54.74
assimilated. You can stand up.
Four exile tales. Every one of
00:37:54.74\00:38:01.64
them stood up. I got to tell
you, Esther and Daniel had to
live with dual loyalties.
00:38:01.64\00:38:04.88
They had a loyalty to the king,
and, then, they had this higher
loyalty to their God.
00:38:04.88\00:38:08.75
But when push came to shove,
they are firstly loyal to their
00:38:08.75\00:38:12.72
God. Jesus was praying for you
and me there in John 17 when he
says, "Oh, Father, I don't ask
00:38:12.72\00:38:16.99
that you take them out of the
world. Just don't let them be of
00:38:16.99\00:38:27.67
the world." In the world, but
not of the world. That's the
line of demarcation.
00:38:27.67\00:38:32.24
"I want you to be in,
but not of." No assimilation.
00:38:32.24\00:38:36.58
Stand tall. Dare to be a
Daniel. Dare to be an Esther.
00:38:36.58\00:38:40.35
Stand tall. All right. Ah,
but there's a fourth reason.
00:38:40.35\00:38:47.82
We wouldn't have put it on the
whiteboard, 'cause you wouldn't
have thought of it, and I
00:38:47.82\00:38:51.16
wouldn't have before looking at
these stories. There's a fourth
00:38:51.16\00:38:54.00
reason for persecution I find
utterly stunning and clearly
evident in the Diasporic -- and
00:38:54.00\00:38:59.20
that's what they call the
disaspora is when the Jews are
spread. They call them
00:38:59.20\00:39:04.77
di-a-spor-ic or di-as-por-ic
morality tales. There's
something there we haven't
00:39:04.77\00:39:08.44
caught. Number four,
write it down. Here it is.
00:39:08.44\00:39:10.95
Amazing, amazing.
Persecution grows the kingdom.
00:39:16.28\00:39:22.66
Consider the biblical evidence.
Last week, we purposely left a
00:39:22.69\00:39:26.06
line out of Esther's story.
You've never read this line.
00:39:26.06\00:39:30.53
You read right through it, but
you've never stopped and looked
00:39:30.53\00:39:33.07
at this line. I want
you to look at it in your
00:39:33.07\00:39:35.04
Bible right now.
Come on. Find Esther.
00:39:35.04\00:39:36.74
It's not after Daniel,
though she lived after Daniel.
00:39:36.74\00:39:38.97
You got to go back before
the songs, before Job, and then
00:39:38.97\00:39:41.34
you'll run into Esther. Go
to Esther chapter 8, please.
00:39:41.34\00:39:44.55
Esther chapter 8.
Drop down to verse 17.
00:39:44.55\00:39:48.35
Esther 8:17. We just blow right
through this, we're so excited
00:39:48.38\00:39:53.12
that the story's finally turning
out to be good news for the
Jews. Esther chapter 8.
00:39:53.12\00:39:56.79
So, Haman's decreed death
overnight. One-day, universal
00:39:56.79\00:40:02.96
death decree. The king
countermands it, and when the
Jews hear that it's been
00:40:02.96\00:40:06.57
countermanded, they're
rejoicing. Verse 17, the last
verse of Esther chapter 8.
00:40:06.57\00:40:11.14
Now here it comes.
00:40:19.85\00:40:21.28
You never saw that before in
your life. But here's the point
00:40:30.13\00:40:35.96
-- persecution grows the Kingdom
of God on Earth. And it happened
00:40:35.96\00:40:42.47
with Esther. They became Jews.
The decree to exterminate the
Jews, coupled with their
00:40:42.47\00:40:48.71
courageous stand -- "We will not
bow. No matter what the decree
00:40:48.71\00:40:53.31
is, we will only stand for our
God --" that just wowed the
neighbors, and they said,
00:40:53.31\00:40:58.82
"There's something about this
religion we do not understand."
And many of them became Jews.
00:40:58.82\00:41:04.16
Isn't that amazing? Never, by
the way, underestimate the power
of an exile's witness
00:41:04.16\00:41:09.50
under duress. You're on the job
and you're under duress, that's
00:41:09.50\00:41:12.93
when your witness shines. You're
in a marrage that's not working
out, that's when your
00:41:12.93\00:41:16.14
witness shines. You're in a
school where they're making fun
of your face, that's
00:41:16.14\00:41:19.47
when your witness shines. Don't
bail out now. You're exactly
00:41:19.47\00:41:24.98
where God needs you, because
persecution grows the Kingdom of
00:41:24.98\00:41:30.95
God on Earth. Man. And, by the
way, did you notice, that
response during the time of
00:41:30.95\00:41:36.02
Esther had already been
precedented, because Daniel
happens before Esther, with all
00:41:36.02\00:41:40.53
the monarchs that Daniel has
dealings with. Did you notice
that? Come on, I want you to jot
00:41:40.53\00:41:43.47
these down. This just
blows your mind, but it's there.
00:41:43.47\00:41:45.63
Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar's
dream -- what does the king do
00:41:45.63\00:41:48.90
at the end? The king falls at
Daniel's feet in obeisance to
Daniel's God. Persecution.
00:41:48.90\00:41:54.78
"I'm gonna kill all of you." And
the king says, "Your God's the
00:41:54.78\00:41:59.05
God." Here's another one.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
00:41:59.08\00:42:01.58
and the king's
image. What happens there?
00:42:01.58\00:42:03.65
The king decrees their
God above all other gods.
00:42:03.65\00:42:05.99
Same king. Daniel
and Nebuchadnezzar after
00:42:05.99\00:42:09.52
his insanity -- that's one
little morality tale we didn't
00:42:09.52\00:42:12.53
touch -- after his seven years
of insanity, Nebuchadnezzar now
00:42:12.53\00:42:15.73
gives a personal testimony.
And this is an exact quote --
00:42:15.73\00:42:18.73
"I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and
exalt and glorify the King --"
00:42:18.73\00:42:21.94
listen, the King of Heaven.
00:42:21.94\00:42:23.67
You can praise somebody, you can
exalt somebody, but when you use
the word glorify, you are
00:42:23.71\00:42:28.11
saying, "I am bowing down in
adoration and worship to this
00:42:28.11\00:42:31.48
being." Whatever you glorify,
you worship. If you glorify your
00:42:31.48\00:42:34.65
money, you're worshipping it. If
you're glorifying your
possessions, you're worshipping
00:42:34.65\00:42:38.59
it. If you're glorifying your
success, you're worshipping it.
00:42:38.59\00:42:42.92
Whatever you
glorify, you worship.
00:42:42.92\00:42:45.19
And he confesses, "I glorify
the King of Heaven --" wow!
00:42:45.23\00:42:50.27
"-- because
everything He does is right."
00:42:50.27\00:42:52.73
In other words, Nebuchadnezzar
got saved. Let me hear an amen
00:42:52.77\00:42:56.10
for the saved king. When you get
to Heaven, I want you to look up
00:42:56.10\00:42:59.64
the guy with the funny-looking
beard. That's Nebuchadnezzar.
And you go and give him a
00:42:59.64\00:43:03.31
high-five, and you say, "You
know what? Your story inspired
00:43:03.31\00:43:08.78
me." If God had not had exiles
in place in both kingdoms and
empires, the kings would never
00:43:08.78\00:43:15.99
have been saved. Impossible.
Somebody has to get close to a
00:43:15.99\00:43:19.83
person of influence. Some of you
need to be praying for persons
of influence in the
00:43:19.83\00:43:24.33
world today, because you may be
the one that God is planning to
get close to one of those
00:43:24.33\00:43:29.14
persons of
influence. You never know.
00:43:29.14\00:43:36.21
Oh, yeah, and, by the way,
Daniel and Darius the Great --
00:43:36.24\00:43:39.01
Darius issues this decree.
I read it just a moment ago.
00:43:39.01\00:43:41.15
"I issue a decree that in every
part of my kingdom people must
00:43:41.15\00:43:43.49
fear and reverence
the God of Daniel."
00:43:43.49\00:43:45.85
In other words, the persecutions
of Esther, Daniel, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego all
00:43:45.89\00:43:51.66
resulted in a major net gain
for God of both monarchs and
00:43:51.66\00:43:59.20
peoples. Persecution grows the
Kingdom of God on Earth.
Tertullian, the ancient church
00:43:59.20\00:44:07.14
father, during a bloody and
bitter time in the early history
of the Roman Empire, or the
00:44:07.14\00:44:11.21
early history of the Christian
Church -- what's going on in the
00:44:11.21\00:44:15.05
Roman Empire? Tertullian wrote
this line. You've heard it
before. "The blood of Christians
00:44:15.05\00:44:18.42
is" what? >> Seed. >>
Come on, say it out loud.
00:44:18.42\00:44:20.86
"The blood of Christians is
seed." What do you do with seed?
00:44:20.86\00:44:24.03
You plant seed, because
seed planted then bursts into a
00:44:24.03\00:44:27.86
harvest, right? "The
blood of Christians is seed."
00:44:27.86\00:44:30.00
A friend of mine gave me the
second volume of Frederick Dale
00:44:34.14\00:44:39.91
Bruner's marvelous commentary on
the Book of Daniel. So this is
00:44:39.91\00:44:43.51
volume 2, the last half of
Daniel. Where Bruner is
commenting on Jesus' warning in
00:44:43.51\00:44:47.28
Matthew 24:9, He says, "By the
way, they're gonna kill you. I
just need you to know they're
00:44:47.28\00:44:51.12
gonna kill you. They're
going to kill you after I leave.
00:44:51.12\00:44:55.56
I'm telling you, they will kill
you." Bruner commenting on that
00:44:55.56\00:45:01.70
-- oh, this is good.
00:45:01.70\00:45:03.10
Put it on the screen for you.
00:45:03.13\00:45:05.03
Bruner says,
"Lookit, guys. We're in it.
00:45:13.48\00:45:15.94
The tribulation of persecution
is the essence of Christian
00:45:15.94\00:45:19.35
mission --" key word "-- a
winnowed, persecuted, purged,
00:45:19.35\00:45:22.65
minority Church --
paradoxically, evangelically --"
00:45:22.65\00:45:25.69
we'd say
evangelistically "-- grows."
00:45:25.69\00:45:30.99
All the biblical evidence, the
comments are all conspiring to
lead us to one conclusion --
00:45:31.03\00:45:36.13
persecution grows the Kingdom
of God on the Earth. That's it.
00:45:36.13\00:45:40.44
You never thought about that
before, and neither did I. But
that must be why He has
00:45:40.44\00:45:46.24
exiles. That must
be why He has Diaspora.
00:45:46.24\00:45:50.48
He wants to move His people out.
I mean, look what happened to
the Church in the New Testament.
00:45:50.48\00:45:54.08
Look at this. This is Acts
chapter 8. "On that great day,"
00:45:54.08\00:45:58.22
after the stoning of Stephen, "a
great persecution broke out
against the Church in Jerusalem,
00:45:58.22\00:46:02.19
and all except the apostles were
-- what's the word? That's why
00:46:02.19\00:46:05.96
God allows persecution. Get them
out. "You guys are like a salt
00:46:05.96\00:46:09.06
lick around here at Berrien
Springs. You're not going
anywhere. You die here.
00:46:09.06\00:46:12.70
You come here early. You die
in the end. You haven't done a
00:46:12.70\00:46:16.30
thing for me beyond this little
village, and you're only talking
to yourselves here anyway."
00:46:16.30\00:46:21.48
Guys, it's the truth, it's the
truth. But God has a way to get
00:46:21.48\00:46:26.85
us off our what my friend
Michael Hale has called the
behind. [ Laughter ]
00:46:26.85\00:46:35.86
God has a way to get us off our
behinds. "Out, out, out, out!
00:46:35.86\00:46:39.43
Go, go, go!" That's what
happened. "All all except the
00:46:39.43\00:46:43.83
apostles were scattered
throughout Judea and Samaria."
And what did they do when they
00:46:43.83\00:46:46.57
were scattered? "Those who had
been scattered preached the word
00:46:46.57\00:46:49.34
wherever they went." Everybody's
preaching now. We don't have a
00:46:49.34\00:46:52.31
professional clientele, because
the professional clientele's
still back in Jerusalem.
00:46:52.31\00:46:54.84
So everybody else is preaching.
They don't have credentials.
They're just preaching, women
00:46:54.84\00:46:57.95
and men. Man.
Persecution is how God grows His
00:46:57.95\00:47:02.78
Kingdom and Church. And, by the
way, look what's happening in
00:47:02.78\00:47:07.76
China. Look what's happening in
Islamic countries. The
number-one repressive regime
00:47:07.76\00:47:11.66
on the planet today against
Christianity, North Korea -- the
number one, opendoorsusa.org.
00:47:11.66\00:47:17.87
Go look at that sometime.
Mm-hmm. The number-one regime is
North Korea against Christians.
00:47:17.87\00:47:23.14
But have you noticed this? The
more repressive the government
becomes, the more the
00:47:23.14\00:47:26.61
Church explodes?
That's the point! Wow.
00:47:26.61\00:47:33.45
That's what happened with
Persia, Haman's death decree.
I'm gonna read Esther 8:17
00:47:33.45\00:47:37.82
again, that last line. "And many
people of other nationalities
00:47:37.82\00:47:43.32
became Jews because of the fear
of the Jews had seized them."
Christian scholars agree that
00:47:43.32\00:47:50.07
one line is hugely missional in
its intent. It happened that way
00:47:50.07\00:47:57.71
for Esther, Daniel, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, and it's
gonna happen that way for you
00:47:57.71\00:48:01.61
and me, because now we come to
where the rubber meets the road.
And we're gonna talk very
00:48:01.61\00:48:04.68
frankly here. That should be
good news for us when we're
hearing all of this,
00:48:04.68\00:48:10.92
exiles as you and I are, we, who
like these Jews, are exile
Sabbatarians, worshipping the
00:48:10.92\00:48:18.63
Creator God of the universe, who
on the seventh day set aside the
Sabbath as an eternal memorial
00:48:18.63\00:48:27.14
of His Lordship over creation.
Yep. Let's not kid ourselves.
Revelation 13, which is about
00:48:27.14\00:48:35.14
the sea beast and the earth
beast and the mark of the beast
-- Revelation 13 is clear
00:48:35.14\00:48:40.28
enough. There is coming one day,
sooner than we may imagine, a
00:48:40.28\00:48:44.85
strong and violent pushback
against the faith community that
refuses to bow down to the
00:48:44.85\00:48:51.09
authority of the majority in
their tampering with the fourth
commandment. We're not bowing
00:48:51.09\00:48:56.23
down. We will not bow down. I
don't care what you say. Heat it
seven times hotter.
00:48:56.23\00:49:01.34
Fine by me. And if my God does
not save me, I'm not worried.
00:49:01.34\00:49:07.44
He still wins. I don't
have to be saved for Him to win.
00:49:07.44\00:49:13.18
Wow. Just like the Jews of old,
this countercultural community
00:49:13.18\00:49:18.42
of Sabbatarians will become, to
quote Bruner, "a winnowed,
persecuted, purged, minority
00:49:18.42\00:49:23.36
Church that grows." Revelations
predicted persecution at the
00:49:23.36\00:49:27.50
hands of Babylon with its own
universal death decree, just
like Haman's, precipitates a
00:49:27.50\00:49:32.90
final burst of harvest growth
for God's Kingdom. That's why
that universal death
00:49:32.90\00:49:36.87
decree will come. Yeah, but
it'll go -- whish! -- right over
00:49:36.87\00:49:43.04
our heads. Sorry. Last
quotation. Little American
00:49:43.04\00:49:49.58
writer named Ellen White. On the
screen, a century ago, links
persecution to growth.
00:49:49.58\00:49:54.06
Watch this. "The
two armies --" so, she's
00:49:54.09\00:49:55.66
talking about two
different faith communities.
00:49:55.66\00:49:57.39
By the way, at the end of
time, there's not gonna be three
00:49:57.39\00:49:59.49
choices. There's
not gonna be four
00:49:59.49\00:50:00.86
choices. There's
not gonna be 5, 6, 10,
00:50:00.86\00:50:02.36
20. No. There
will be only two --
00:50:02.36\00:50:04.77
light and
darkness, truth and error.
00:50:04.77\00:50:08.77
"The two armies," the two faith
communities -- this is something
00:50:08.77\00:50:12.67
"-- will stand distinct and
separate, and this distinction
00:50:12.67\00:50:16.28
will be so marked that many who
are over here, in the darkness,
00:50:16.28\00:50:20.15
shall be convinced of truth and
will come on the side of God's
00:50:20.15\00:50:23.95
commandment-keeping people."
00:50:23.95\00:50:25.89
Persecution will grow the
Kingdom right at the end, before
the last curtain drops.
00:50:25.92\00:50:33.36
Now, I would have been glad if
she'd have just stopped right
there, because that's fine.
00:50:33.36\00:50:35.96
Okay, I accept that. That's a
little principle -- "persecution
00:50:35.96\00:50:38.17
grows the Kingdom of God on
Earth." But no! She says, "Let
me tell you what will be
00:50:38.17\00:50:40.74
happening at that time."
00:50:40.74\00:50:42.14
Read the next sentence.
"When this grand work is to take
00:50:42.17\00:50:45.11
place in the battle, many --"
Did she have to use that word,
00:50:45.11\00:50:48.21
"many"? "Many
will be imprisoned."
00:50:48.21\00:50:50.18
Ah! "Many --" many?
00:50:50.18\00:50:52.81
"Many will flee for their lives
from cities and towns, and many
00:50:52.81\00:50:55.92
will be --" What's
the word? What's the word?
00:50:55.92\00:50:58.25
"Many will be martyrs."
00:50:58.25\00:51:00.06
See, we think -- whoosh, whoosh,
whoosh! -- "Won't happen to me.
No, because I'm faithful.
00:51:00.09\00:51:04.83
I'll come out of that fiery
furnace just like Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
00:51:04.83\00:51:08.96
Not to worry." You better not
stake all your faith in Jesus on
00:51:08.96\00:51:17.07
that outcome. Many in the final
battle will be martyred. Why?!
00:51:17.07\00:51:23.41
Because the blood of martyrs,
the blood of Christians, is
00:51:23.41\00:51:27.28
seed. And when blood gets
planted, the Kingdom grows with
new people flocking, or whatever
00:51:27.28\00:51:35.16
it is that makes him stand like
this. Whatever it is that makes
her stand this way, I want it.
00:51:35.16\00:51:40.63
I want it for me. That's
what happened with Esther.
00:51:40.63\00:51:45.53
Many! "There will be many
marytrs for Christ's sake in
00:51:45.53\00:51:52.47
standing in defense of the
truth." Is anybody here
surprised? I mean, come on.
00:51:52.47\00:51:57.18
Tell me, honestly, are you
surprised? Did you think we had
00:51:57.18\00:52:01.32
a "get out of jail free" card
that takes us all the way to the
Kingdom? That's "Monopoly,"
00:52:01.32\00:52:06.35
folks. This is life. It's gonna
come. "You trying to intimidate
00:52:06.35\00:52:14.00
me, Dwight?" Nope, I'm not.
But I am asking for a reality
00:52:14.00\00:52:17.07
check, because some of us are
living as if we had forever.
Never have to make a decision
00:52:17.07\00:52:20.87
for Jesus. "I'm just gonna
live it. I've got my portfolio.
00:52:20.87\00:52:23.57
We're gonna have a wonderful
retirement one of these days.
And that's life for me."
00:52:23.57\00:52:28.11
Wrong, because one day, all
those portfolios will be dust
and ash, and you'll have to
00:52:28.11\00:52:34.82
stand with nothing under you but
the Word of God itself. Then
we'll find out who the men
00:52:34.82\00:52:43.96
and women are from the boys and
the girls. There's no
intimidation to this,
00:52:43.96\00:52:50.97
folks, but look at it. If the
blood of martyrs is seed, then
why wouldn't God permit for
00:52:50.97\00:52:55.34
his persecution to come to his
last faith community on Earth,
to keep building up his Kingdom,
00:52:55.34\00:52:59.94
one last chance? If persecution
grows the Kingdom, why not?
00:52:59.94\00:53:06.18
And what if it came to
you? Jesus said -- don't be
00:53:06.18\00:53:11.99
surprised. Jesus said this, that
same upper room, just before His
00:53:11.99\00:53:15.99
death. On the screen.
"Remember what I told you: 'A
00:53:16.02\00:53:18.36
servant is not
greater than his master.'
00:53:18.36\00:53:20.60
If they persecuted Me
--" What are they gonna do?
00:53:20.60\00:53:23.50
They're gonna go
after you, buddy.
00:53:23.50\00:53:25.93
Sis, they're going after you.
Why? Because you belong to Him.
00:53:25.93\00:53:29.94
Silence them!
00:53:29.94\00:53:31.51
Remember the dragon. Silence
them! Dietrich Bonnhoeffer,
00:53:31.54\00:53:38.55
never one to miss a
beat. He's absolutely right.
00:53:38.55\00:53:41.05
That comes with your calling.
When Christ calls a woman, he
bids her, "Come and die."
00:53:45.82\00:53:50.29
It goes with the calling. If
you're praying every morning,
"Give me Jesus," then guess
00:53:50.29\00:53:54.83
what? You got the calling.
I'm not trying to intimidate
00:53:54.83\00:53:58.00
you. You ought to be thankful.
Hey, listen, listen, listen.
00:53:58.00\00:54:01.80
If you are called, if the call
of martyr comes to you -- if the
call of martyr comes to you, the
00:54:01.80\00:54:15.08
faith of martyr will be given
to you. Don't worry about it.
00:54:15.08\00:54:21.59
Don't get all twitterpated
in advance. Just be at peace.
00:54:21.59\00:54:24.33
Oh, I love what our musician
sang just a moment ago, and I
00:54:24.33\00:54:27.83
ran over to Dan. I said, "Dan,
come on. Give me those words on
paper. I got to read them."
00:54:27.83\00:54:31.20
We sang this just a moment.
Thank you, Cindy Gugu. "I know
who goes before me.
00:54:31.20\00:54:35.67
I know who stands behind. The
God of angel armies is always by
00:54:35.67\00:54:40.24
my side. The One who reigns
forever -- He's a friend of
mine. The God of angel armies is
00:54:40.24\00:54:45.25
always by my side." Hallelujah.
You have nothing to be afraid
00:54:45.25\00:54:49.45
of. Girl, boy, you have
nothing to be afraid of.
00:54:49.45\00:54:54.26
What do you got to lose? Look,
and if Jesus should come to me
00:54:54.26\00:54:58.03
right now and say, "Dwight, I
have determined -- I've just
done a little calculus here -- I
00:54:58.03\00:55:02.36
have determined that if you die
now, I get more in my Kingdom
than if you keep living."
00:55:02.36\00:55:05.60
If Jesus would come to me and
say, "Do you mind if we just
kind of not so natural as your
00:55:05.60\00:55:11.21
expectations were, if we kind of
go with death now, for you?"
What am I gonna say?
00:55:11.21\00:55:18.31
"No. I don't care about
You growing Your Kingdom.
00:55:18.31\00:55:22.38
I just want to live as long as
I possibly can." Am I gonna say
00:55:22.38\00:55:26.15
that? I'm not gonna say that.
No. "You need me to die now?
00:55:26.15\00:55:30.99
Are you serious, Lord? You get
more now than if I just die of
00:55:30.99\00:55:34.73
old age?" "Trust me, Dwight. We
get more." "You got it." You're
just gonna go to sleep.
00:55:34.73\00:55:41.60
You understand that? I don't
care how you die. You're gonna
00:55:41.60\00:55:45.87
go to sleep. That's all it is.
The next thing you see, the King
of Kings, Esther's King and
00:55:45.87\00:55:50.41
Daniel's King, is sitting on
a cloud, and He's saying, "Get
00:55:50.41\00:55:54.32
home. Let's go, exiles. Let's go
home." It doesn't get any better
00:55:54.32\00:56:00.29
than that. Cut my head off, like
they do on videos in the Islamic
00:56:00.29\00:56:04.06
world. Pssh! Go ahead.
00:56:04.06\00:56:06.56
I'm still coming
back. Isn't that great news?
00:56:06.59\00:56:10.47
Listen, don't
you worry about it.
00:56:10.47\00:56:13.17
The God of the
universe. "Just give me Jesus."
00:56:13.17\00:56:14.80
You just pray that
every morning, "Give me Jesus.
00:56:14.80\00:56:16.50
Just give me Jesus." Life
will be an adventure and a
00:56:16.50\00:56:20.01
romance, and you'll
never be the same again.
00:56:20.01\00:56:21.98
You pray that prayer every
morning and you mean it, it will
00:56:21.98\00:56:24.45
never be the same again.
00:56:24.45\00:56:27.82
Doesn't that make you happy? It
does me. When I'm sitting here,
00:56:27.85\00:56:33.66
watching you sing, and I'm
listening, and I'm saying, "My
God, I don't know when Your
00:56:33.66\00:56:39.09
clock stops, but if this is the
group that's going to be the
exiles mobilized the last time,
00:56:39.09\00:56:45.67
take them. Take
them. Look at them.
00:56:45.67\00:56:49.57
Listen to them. They love You.
They want to give everything to
00:56:49.57\00:56:53.48
You. Honor that!
Grow Your Kingdom.
00:56:53.48\00:56:58.61
Take us home.
What do you say? Amen.
00:56:58.61\00:57:03.15
>> We've been really blessed by
the financial support that comes
00:57:06.76\00:57:08.76
from our viewers, and we've
made a conscious decision not to
00:57:08.76\00:57:12.09
continually appeal
to you for that support.
00:57:12.09\00:57:15.13
The fact is, as everyone in the
industry will tell you, we're
00:57:15.13\00:57:18.30
needing to make constant
upgrades to our technology.
00:57:18.30\00:57:21.04
So if God has blessed you and
you'd like to further the work
00:57:21.04\00:57:23.74
of this ministry, we
invite you to partner with us.
00:57:23.74\00:57:26.07
Not a single penny of
your donation will go to me.
00:57:26.07\00:57:29.08
Every bit of your gift goes
to the mission of blessing your
00:57:29.08\00:57:32.55
community and our world.
You can donate on our website,
00:57:32.55\00:57:35.58
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Or call the number.
00:57:35.58\00:57:38.69
You know the
number -- 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:38.69\00:57:41.12
Again, that number is 877
-- the two words "HIS-WILL."
00:57:41.12\00:57:45.46
And may the God who has blessed
you continue to pour into your
00:57:45.46\00:57:48.03
life the gifts of
His joy and His hope.
00:57:48.03\00:57:51.10
Thank you. And
I'm looking forward to
00:57:51.10\00:57:53.27
seeing you, right
here, again, next time.
00:57:53.27\00:57:56.30
い い
00:58:00.38\00:58:20.40
い
00:58:20.40\00:58:28.47