Hello, and welcome.
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Thank you for joining us today.
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We are here together to
worship the name of our Lord
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and Savior Jesus Christ.
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We thank you so much for
joining us, and we have with us,
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of course, a worldwide audience.
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We welcome you.
Thank you for joining us.
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And we praise the Lord because
we are now coming to you from
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the metropolis, as some
say, of Thompsonville, Illinois;
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only 600 people, somewhere
between 600 and 900 people.
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However, from this little spot
in the world we are reaching
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the whole world,
via 8 satellites,
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through the Three
Angels Broadcasting Network.
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We praise the Lord
because our remote crew is here.
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They are normally
traveling all over the world
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in different places.
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But normally when they're
in the U.S. we are traveling on
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production trucks.
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And we praise the Lord
that they are here with us today
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for this special event.
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We have a three part series
that we will be having today.
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Our special speaker
is Pastor C. A. Murray.
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We will be mentioning a
few things about him later,
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but we welcome you.
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And we want to
guarantee something to you,
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everyone of you that is here,
and everyone that is watching
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on TV, The Lord has a
plan to bless you today.
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And the Lord will bless
you somehow through the reading
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of the Scripture,
through a Bible Scripture that
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Pastor C. A. Murray will
share, or through a song that
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you will hear today.
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So we encourage you to focus on
what God has intended for you.
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We hope that you have
purposed in your heart
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to receive a blessing.
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Because the Lord
wants to bless His people.
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And so we want to
thank you for joining us.
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And now we would like
to invite you for prayer.
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Sister Mollie Steenson
will be leading us in prayer.
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Afterwards Brother
Matthew Andrew will be sharing
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a Scripture reading with us.
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Pastor Johnny said that he
wanted our hearts to be prepared
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to receive the word.
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And I just want to
encourage all of you.
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Here at Thompsonville I see some
beautiful faces; faces that I've
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never even seen here before.
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So we welcome you
from outside the community,
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as well as from
our local church.
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But we always encourage
you to prepare your hearts
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to receive God's word.
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You know, the Scripture tells
us that the purpose for the word
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is that we would
produce the fruit thereof.
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Do you know that that's
what the Scripture says?
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And the Scripture also tells us
in Mark 4 that when the word is
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sown that it goes where?
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It goes into our heart.
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And it gives us two examples.
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One is where the birds
come and eat that word,
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and another is where the
enemy comes and steals the word
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right out of your heart.
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And I personally
don't believe he should
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have that opportunity.
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Are you in agreement with that?
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So we want to pray tonight.
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We want to ask God, by
the power of His Spirit,
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to plant His
word into your heart.
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That that word will
take root, and it will grow,
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and it will produce.
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How many of you want to produce
for the kingdom of God tonight?
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Both here, and in our worldwide
audience, we want God to do a
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work in our hearts,
and in our lives tonight.
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We don't want to leave
here the same way we came in.
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We want to be changed
by the power of God's word.
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And so let's pray and ask
God to have His perfect way
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in our midst tonight.
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Holy Father we come
before You in the name of Jesus,
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and we are so
grateful, Father, for the power
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that's in Your word.
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And we ask, Father,
tonight as that word is sown,
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as Pastor Murray is the sower of
Your word, and he sows that word
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and it goes into our heart,
Father, that You would guard
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over that word and you
would seal it in our heart.
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That that word would take root
and it would grow and produce
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not thirty fold, not sixty
fold, but a hundred fold return
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on Your word would come
forth in our lives, Father.
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And Father, we
pray for brother Murray.
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Father that right now
that You will anoint him,
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that his words
will be anointing.
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As they go forth they will
be Spirit, and light, and life,
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and they will produce in us what
You would have them produce.
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Father our prayer for Pastor
Murray tonight is that you will
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permit him to preach.
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In Jesus name. And everybody
in agreement says, Amen.
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Good evening. It's now time to
walk out onto the diving board.
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This is where we dive into
the word by the Scriptures.
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Would you open your
Bible, if you have one?
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Please open your Bibles to the
book of Isaiah 3, and we will be
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looking at verses 18 through
26 of chapter 3, and chapter 4,
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verse 1. And I'll be
reading from the New King James.
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And the Scriptures say, In that
day the Lord will take away the
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finery, the jingling anklets,
the scarves, and the crescents,
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the pendants, the bracelets,
and the veils, the headdresses,
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the leg ornaments, and the
headbands, the perfume boxes,
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the charms, and the rings, the
nose jewels, the festal apparel,
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and the mantels, the
outer garments, the purses,
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and the mirrors, the fine linen,
the turbans, and the robes.
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And so it shall be
instead of a sweet smell
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there will be a stench.
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Instead of a sash, a rope.
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Instead of well
set hair, baldness.
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Instead of a rich
robe, a girding of sackcloth.
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The branding instead of beauty.
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Your men shall fall by the sword
and your mighty in the war.
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Her gates shall
lament and mourn.
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And she, being desolate,
shall sit on the ground.
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And in that day seven women
shall take hold of one man,
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saying, We will eat our own
food, and wear our own apparel:
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only let us be called by your
name, to take away our reproach.
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Amen, and amen. Amen to
the reading of God's word.
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I would like to introduce
to you a little bit about
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Pastor C. A. Murray.
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Some of us know a
little bit about him.
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Our worldwide audience
may not know him; some of us.
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And so his journey
through life, through ministry,
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has taken him to serve as
a pastor in the New York area
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for nineteen years.
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He has also
served as a departmental
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director for twelve years.
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And the Lord has blessed
him to be able to preach across
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the U.S., South
America, Europe, Africa,
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on many college campuses.
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And, of course, he has
conducted many weeks of prayer,
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and evangelistic meetings
all over the world practically.
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And the Lord has blessed him to
be able to author three books.
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He's now working
on his fourth book.
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And he's also authored
hundreds of articles for
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Signs of the Times, Message
magazine, and the Review,
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known as the
Adventist Review by most of you.
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He's also a Ph. candidate
in mass communications at
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Columbus University.
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But the Lord has also blessed
him with a love for people,
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and a love for the Lord.
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And so, because of this,
it's a joy to have welcomed him
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to the 3ABN family.
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In January of 2005
he joined us to serve as
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corporate director of marketing.
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And so, praise the Lord,
for his ministry, and we want to
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encourage you to pray
for him as he ministers to us
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in the preaching of God's word.
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I know that in the
short time that I've known him
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is that he loves the
Lord, and he believes in prayer.
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And so I've heard him preach
before, and I know the Lord
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has used him, and I know
that He will use him today.
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So please pray for him.
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Before he speaks, we have with
us Brother Darrell Marshall,
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and you know him as also a
man that has gone through many
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trials and tribulations.
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But he can say, Praise the Lord.
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And that is the title
of the song he will sing,
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Praise the Lord. There
is a message in this song.
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And so we encourage
Brother Marshall to come with us
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and join us to
sing, Praise the Lord.
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And the next voice you will hear
after Brother Darrell Marshall
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is Pastor C. A.
Murray. May God bless us.
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When you're up against a
struggle that shatters all
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your dreams, and your
hopes have been cruelly crushed
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by Satan's manifested schemes,
and you feel the urge within you
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to submit to earthly fear.
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Don't let the faith you're
standing in seem to disappear.
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Praise the Lord. He can
work with those that praise Him.
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Praise the Lord, for
our God inhabits praise.
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Praise the Lord, for the
chains that seemed to bind you,
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serve only to remind you that
they drop powerless behind you
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when you praise Him.
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Now Satan is alive and he wants
to make us think that we are
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paupers, when he knows himself
that we're children of the King.
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So lift up the mighty
shield of faith for the
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battle must be won.
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We know that
Jesus Christ has risen,
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so the work's already done.
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Praise the Lord. He can
work with those that praise Him.
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Praise the Lord. For
our God inhabits praise.
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Praise the Lord. For the
chains that seemed to bind you
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serve only to remind you that
they drop powerless behind you
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when you praise Him.
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Praise the Lord. He can
work with those who praise Him.
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Praise the Lord. For
our God inhabits praise.
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Praise the Lord. For the
chains that seemed to bind you
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serve only to remind you that
they drop powerless behind you
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when you praise Him,
praise Him, praise Him.
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When you praise Him.
00:13:09.66\00:13:19.19
When you praise the Lord.
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Hello. How are you?
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I trust everybody is well.
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I want to thank
Darrell very, very much.
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A mutual friend of ours,
Ruben Carr, asked me when I saw
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Darrel this evening to
give him a punch in the stomach.
00:14:05.50\00:14:08.22
And I told him that will
have to wait until tomorrow.
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I need him to sing first.
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The punch has to come later.
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I'm so very humbled, and so
very glad to be here tonight
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to kick off this time
of spiritual emphasis,
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and to share this
desk with Pastor Lomacang,
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my pastor and friend.
00:14:26.70\00:14:28.21
I rather see this time as
a time of spiritual tune-up.
00:14:28.24\00:14:33.89
You know, we drive these cars,
and it is important every now
00:14:33.92\00:14:38.89
and again to take to
take them in for maintenance;
00:14:39.03\00:14:41.52
for a tune-up. You
need to change the oil,
00:14:41.55\00:14:43.56
and check the tires, and do
all of those kinds of things
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to avoid a major
problem down the road.
00:14:47.03\00:14:50.85
And so this little exercise,
the three sermons this weekend
00:14:50.88\00:14:54.62
and next week, we will
call a little spiritual tune-up,
00:14:54.65\00:14:58.03
a little course
correction, a little adjusting,
00:14:58.06\00:15:00.83
a little changing
of the oil, as it were,
00:15:00.86\00:15:02.84
checking of the tires to
make sure that we are in good
00:15:02.87\00:15:06.64
running condition to run
the race that leads to glory.
00:15:06.67\00:15:10.81
Can you say Amen? Now
in order to do that I'm
00:15:10.84\00:15:13.73
going to need your help.
00:15:13.76\00:15:14.79
I have some exercises for you to
do this week; a little homework
00:15:14.82\00:15:18.78
for you to look at this week.
00:15:18.81\00:15:19.95
I'll be preaching this weekend,
Pastor Lomacang following.
00:15:19.98\00:15:24.72
And to sort of keep you in
spiritual tune we've developed
00:15:24.75\00:15:29.29
a little tune-up
homework assignment for you.
00:15:29.32\00:15:31.80
And if you have a pen
you can write this down.
00:15:31.83\00:15:33.90
They're going to
be up on the board.
00:15:33.93\00:15:34.98
The spiritual tune-up; they will
be in the bulletin on tomorrow.
00:15:35.01\00:15:37.78
These are things we need
you to do each day of the week
00:15:37.81\00:15:41.03
to sort of keep you in spiritual
shape as we go through the week.
00:15:41.06\00:15:44.93
Let's go through them together.
00:15:44.96\00:15:46.06
First one, on Sunday:
00:15:46.09\00:15:47.60
So find a new text that gives
you comfort and encouragement.
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We don't want a text about
judgment, or burning in hell.
00:15:59.67\00:16:02.72
None of those kinds of texts.
00:16:02.75\00:16:03.90
We want a text that lifts
you up, that you can share
00:16:03.93\00:16:06.57
with somebody, that gives
you comfort and encouragement.
00:16:06.60\00:16:10.15
Begin to memorize that text,
and rehearse it in your spirit.
00:16:10.18\00:16:13.53
So this week the first thing
you're going to do on Sunday,
00:16:13.56\00:16:15.82
find a text that gives
you encouragement and comfort.
00:16:15.85\00:16:19.77
Let's go to Monday.
00:16:19.80\00:16:20.83
Write them down: five
people who have been a blessing
00:16:27.18\00:16:30.82
to you this year, since January.
00:16:30.85\00:16:32.89
Five people that
have touched your life,
00:16:32.92\00:16:34.84
that have been a blessing.
00:16:34.87\00:16:36.21
It doesn't need
to be anything big.
00:16:36.24\00:16:37.62
They didn't have to
give you a million dollars.
00:16:37.65\00:16:39.36
Sometimes just a smile,
just a kind word, just food,
00:16:39.39\00:16:42.86
just letting them come over
and watch your television set
00:16:42.89\00:16:46.03
on Sunday, those kinds of
things, a blessing this year.
00:16:46.06\00:16:49.44
Alright that's
your Sunday assignment.
00:16:49.77\00:16:51.47
On Tuesday we want you to:
00:16:51.50\00:16:53.10
Preferably all five.
00:16:54.87\00:16:56.46
Call them. If they work near
you seek them out and tell them,
00:17:00.00\00:17:04.46
You have been a
blessing to me this year.
00:17:04.49\00:17:06.97
That's your Tuesday assignment.
00:17:07.00\00:17:08.57
Amen! Pastor John
Stanton will be leading out.
00:17:12.98\00:17:16.85
And we want you to
give a report of praise.
00:17:16.88\00:17:19.59
Now I'm saying a report of
praise, not a praise report.
00:17:19.62\00:17:22.59
There's a difference.
00:17:22.62\00:17:24.16
A report of praise is a
positive report of praise.
00:17:24.19\00:17:27.32
Now we don't want...
00:17:27.35\00:17:28.38
You know, we've got problems,
but we don't want to hear about
00:17:28.41\00:17:30.51
your sacroiliac, or your
aching feet, or your bunion.
00:17:30.54\00:17:33.57
Not this Wednesday.
00:17:33.60\00:17:34.63
This Wednesday we want
all reports of praise, Amen?
00:17:34.66\00:17:37.70
Positive report of praise
when you come to prayer meeting
00:17:37.73\00:17:40.87
on Wednesday night.
00:17:40.90\00:17:41.93
And you determine who that
is: your wife, your husband,
00:17:44.14\00:17:46.13
your children, a friend at work.
00:17:46.16\00:17:47.68
Pray for your best friend,
and those five people that you
00:17:47.71\00:17:50.90
identified on Monday
who are a blessing to you.
00:17:50.93\00:17:53.71
Pray that God will
share that blessing
00:17:53.74\00:17:56.33
through you, and through them.
00:17:56.36\00:17:57.66
That's for Thursday, and Friday:
00:17:57.69\00:17:59.21
That's your
spiritual homework this week.
00:18:03.06\00:18:07.79
And you'll see
those again on tomorrow.
00:18:07.82\00:18:10.53
The sermons that we're going
to be dealing with this week
00:18:10.56\00:18:14.25
all are drawn from war,
and the experience of war.
00:18:14.28\00:18:19.11
They are war stories.
00:18:19.14\00:18:21.34
Tonight's message is
called, interestingly enough,
00:18:21.37\00:18:26.18
Cheap Date. Uh huh. Ha ha.
00:18:26.21\00:18:32.67
Tomorrow, The
Ishbibenob Incident.
00:18:32.70\00:18:36.18
And tomorrow afternoon we're
going to revisit Any person,
00:18:36.21\00:18:42.34
Any Situation.
Return with me, if you will,
00:18:42.37\00:18:48.71
to the book of
Isaiah, Isaiah 4:1.
00:18:48.74\00:18:58.13
We want to deal with tonight
the cost of discipleship.
00:18:58.16\00:19:02.80
We want to set some groundwork.
00:19:02.83\00:19:05.59
What does it cost to
be a follower of Jesus?
00:19:05.62\00:19:08.64
The cost of discipleship.
00:19:08.67\00:19:13.02
And I'm reading Isaiah
4:1 from the New King James.
00:19:13.05\00:19:18.52
The Word of God reads: And
in that day seven women shall
00:19:18.55\00:19:26.87
take hold of one man.
00:19:26.90\00:19:29.49
It's every man's
fantasy, perhaps.
00:19:29.52\00:19:34.04
Saying we will eat our own
food, wear our own apparel,
00:19:34.07\00:19:40.59
only let us be called by your
name, to take away our reproach.
00:19:40.62\00:19:49.85
Cheap Date! Father God, We
ask You now to speak to us.
00:19:49.88\00:19:58.34
Let us know Your will, and
give us the strength to do it.
00:19:58.37\00:20:04.80
In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:20:04.83\00:20:08.26
I have read through the
Bible countless numbers of times
00:20:08.29\00:20:14.80
and I never cease to be amazed
by the intricacy of this book.
00:20:14.83\00:20:21.10
It is a marvelous
book that grows with you.
00:20:21.13\00:20:27.06
When you're a brand new
Christian you read at one level.
00:20:27.09\00:20:31.33
But as your Christian experience
grows, the Bible grows with you.
00:20:31.36\00:20:36.28
And every time you
read the Bible it is truly
00:20:36.31\00:20:39.06
and brand new book.
00:20:39.09\00:20:42.14
The Bible is for the student; a
window on the soul of humanity.
00:20:42.17\00:20:50.58
You've got questions?
00:20:50.61\00:20:52.71
God's got answers.
00:20:52.74\00:20:55.16
And the answers are in His word.
00:20:55.19\00:20:59.33
There are things in the
Bible that shock us sometimes,
00:20:59.36\00:21:03.93
and disturb us, but
Bible study is a good thing.
00:21:03.96\00:21:08.44
In fact my favorite author says
that Bible study is designed
00:21:08.47\00:21:15.21
by God to increase
the intelligence. Amen.
00:21:15.24\00:21:21.17
You know, you may not be the
sharpest knife in the drawer,
00:21:21.20\00:21:24.61
but if you study the word
of God, you can get smart.
00:21:24.64\00:21:28.94
It will increase
your intelligence
00:21:28.97\00:21:32.66
and shed light on your life.
00:21:32.69\00:21:34.52
And so we need to set
some historical parameters,
00:21:34.55\00:21:37.59
some theo historical
parameters dealing with
00:21:37.62\00:21:40.66
this particular text.
00:21:40.69\00:21:41.79
Polygamy, many
wives, was not and is not
00:21:41.82\00:21:50.02
God's plan for His people. Amen.
00:21:50.05\00:21:54.06
God never intended
any man to have more than
00:21:54.09\00:21:58.00
one wife, uh huh, at a time.
00:21:58.03\00:22:04.04
Now there are circumstances
under which you can
00:22:04.07\00:22:06.82
have several wives.
00:22:06.85\00:22:07.88
But God intended for you
to only have one at a time.
00:22:07.91\00:22:11.28
Polygamy was practiced by
the nations surrounding Israel,
00:22:11.31\00:22:17.08
but they also
practiced polytheism.
00:22:17.11\00:22:20.73
They worshipped many
gods; they had many wives.
00:22:20.76\00:22:25.74
And somehow the Jews were
always attracted throughout
00:22:25.77\00:22:30.93
their history,
throughout the Old Testament,
00:22:30.96\00:22:32.90
to certain aspects
of Canaanite worship.
00:22:32.93\00:22:36.52
They were irresistibly, or
almost irresistibly, allured by
00:22:36.55\00:22:42.35
Canaanite worship,
and Canaanite women,
00:22:42.38\00:22:45.17
and the Canaanite way of life.
00:22:45.20\00:22:47.61
All throughout their
history they struggled with this
00:22:47.64\00:22:50.23
attraction to the ways
of the Canaanite people.
00:22:50.26\00:22:53.41
God told them that if you
intermarry, these women will
00:22:53.44\00:22:57.71
draw you away from Me.
00:22:57.74\00:22:59.73
And yet somehow
they couldn't resist.
00:22:59.76\00:23:02.13
There are two notable examples:
Delilah and, of course, Jezebel.
00:23:02.16\00:23:08.65
But if you break down and digest
Canaanite worship to its least
00:23:08.68\00:23:14.24
common denominator, really
theologians will tell you that
00:23:14.27\00:23:18.71
Canaanite worship was
basically sex and drugs.
00:23:18.74\00:23:22.35
And it's interesting
that the devil has not changed
00:23:22.38\00:23:26.45
his tactics in 3,500 years.
00:23:26.48\00:23:28.56
You look at what's on the TV
set, and in the movie screens,
00:23:28.59\00:23:32.49
it's pretty much the
same things: sex, and drugs,
00:23:32.52\00:23:35.19
and violence. And
the devil's no fool.
00:23:35.22\00:23:38.52
It's been working for
3,500 years. Why change?
00:23:38.56\00:23:41.59
But God's people were
irresistibly attracted to this.
00:23:41.63\00:23:48.17
But that was not
God's design for His people.
00:23:48.21\00:23:51.44
God wanted one
man, one woman, one God.
00:23:51.47\00:23:55.91
Here O Israel, the Lord your
God is One Lord. Mark 12:23.
00:23:55.95\00:24:03.08
Coming from the
mouth of Jesus Himself.
00:24:03.12\00:24:04.98
And if the truth be told,
gentlemen, if we males can
00:24:05.01\00:24:10.09
disabuse ourselves of
our own misguided machismo,
00:24:10.13\00:24:14.43
if we could let go of
our predilection to self
00:24:14.47\00:24:18.71
aggrandizement, and the
sexual hubris of the male ego,
00:24:18.74\00:24:24.08
if we get real with ourselves,
the irreconcilable truth is the
00:24:24.11\00:24:28.51
unavoidable, unassailable,
irrefutable, undeniable truth is
00:24:28.55\00:24:32.91
that one good woman is
more than enough for any man.
00:24:32.94\00:24:41.63
If you can't say Amen, say Ouch!
00:24:41.66\00:24:45.65
And Solomon says, One
bad woman is too much.
00:24:45.68\00:24:52.68
And if you're putting
the requisite time and energy
00:24:52.71\00:24:59.06
that it takes to keep
this ultra complex psychosocial
00:24:59.09\00:25:02.81
sociological machine that
is woman functioning properly
00:25:02.84\00:25:06.55
and happy, you'll
forgive my prerogative English:
00:25:06.59\00:25:09.12
You ain't got
time for nobody else.
00:25:09.16\00:25:13.19
Women are work. Praise God.
00:25:13.23\00:25:18.55
But it is a happy task.
00:25:18.59\00:25:23.85
And don't get hung
up by popular culture
00:25:23.88\00:25:28.33
sitting home
watching The Bachelor.
00:25:28.37\00:25:30.32
That's not reality.
00:25:30.35\00:25:32.20
The Bachelor is not real,
so you keep the one you've got,
00:25:32.24\00:25:37.08
and praise the Lord.
00:25:37.11\00:25:39.40
If you read the book of
Ecclesiastes we find that
00:25:39.43\00:25:42.87
Ecclesiastes is Solomon's diary.
00:25:42.90\00:25:45.40
It is his
doctoral thesis on life.
00:25:45.43\00:25:47.86
And in chapter 2, verse 10, he
says, Anything I wanted I got.
00:25:47.89\00:25:52.60
You know the story:
700 wives, 300 girlfriends.
00:25:52.63\00:25:57.04
And just seven verses later,
chapter 2, verse 17, he says:
00:25:57.07\00:26:01.63
Therefore I hated my life.
00:26:01.67\00:26:03.85
Thought I was
riding high and ended up
00:26:03.88\00:26:08.27
wishing that I was dead.
00:26:08.30\00:26:09.55
Proverbs 31:10, same writer,
Solomon says, Who can find a
00:26:09.58\00:26:15.50
virtuous woman? Her
worth is far above rubies.
00:26:15.54\00:26:19.24
And so God's plan was
that you find a good one,
00:26:19.27\00:26:23.55
and you stay with that
good one through thick and thin,
00:26:23.58\00:26:27.14
and you stick it out.
00:26:27.18\00:26:30.28
When our Scripture lesson
today speaks of desperate times,
00:26:30.32\00:26:36.00
it is a time of war.
00:26:36.03\00:26:37.91
A time when Israel
is at war with a nation,
00:26:37.94\00:26:43.71
not just any nation, but one
of the cruelest, most war like
00:26:43.74\00:26:47.93
nations of the
ancient middle east.
00:26:47.96\00:26:50.96
Their kings were like the
Adolph Hitler's of their day.
00:26:50.99\00:26:55.95
Their names read like
a veritable Who's Who of
00:26:55.99\00:26:59.55
blood thirsty, war mongering
tyrants: Tiglath-Pileser III,
00:26:59.59\00:27:04.63
Shalmaneser V, Sargon II,
Esarhaddon, and Sennacherib;
00:27:04.67\00:27:08.89
men who fought for the
shear pleasure of fighting.
00:27:08.92\00:27:13.08
Men who conquered just because
they could, and for the joy
00:27:13.11\00:27:17.14
of watching people die.
00:27:17.18\00:27:19.22
If you fought the
Assyrians they killed you.
00:27:19.25\00:27:23.57
If you surrendered to the
Assyrians they killed you.
00:27:23.60\00:27:26.84
They took no prisoners.
00:27:26.88\00:27:28.98
And they had no POW problems.
00:27:29.01\00:27:31.53
The Assyrians were
renowned for implacable cruelty,
00:27:31.56\00:27:35.92
and bloodthirsty living.
00:27:35.95\00:27:38.57
They spared no one.
00:27:38.61\00:27:40.60
And Israel fought the Assyrian
empire for twenty plus years.
00:27:40.63\00:27:46.05
And the price they paid in
dead soldiers was staggering.
00:27:46.09\00:27:51.48
Everybody
eligible was in the Army.
00:27:51.51\00:27:55.82
And everybody in
the Army was at war.
00:27:55.85\00:27:59.00
And there simply were
not enough men to go around.
00:27:59.03\00:28:03.20
Isaiah gives us a
view of societal trauma.
00:28:03.23\00:28:09.27
The cities were filled with
women; lonely, desperate women:
00:28:09.30\00:28:14.96
Army widows, women who were
once married, and whose husbands
00:28:15.00\00:28:20.65
went off to war
and never returned.
00:28:20.68\00:28:23.62
Young women who were hoping
to get married: 20 somethings
00:28:23.66\00:28:29.23
whose biological
clock was ticking.
00:28:29.27\00:28:31.46
And they were hoping to
latch on to some eligible man
00:28:31.49\00:28:34.93
before the alarm went off.
00:28:34.96\00:28:36.87
These were desperate times,
and in desperate times desperate
00:28:36.90\00:28:42.19
people do desperate things.
00:28:42.23\00:28:44.69
Now I need to stop here
and state parenthetically,
00:28:44.73\00:28:49.82
if you will allow me to use
the words of an old commercial,
00:28:49.85\00:28:53.06
You've come a long way baby.
00:28:53.09\00:28:58.40
Those were not perfect, and
I would not be so presumptuous
00:29:02.05\00:29:04.84
as to say that they are.
00:29:04.87\00:29:06.06
Women in this country have come
a long way, and God has blessed.
00:29:06.09\00:29:12.50
Now things are not perfect.
00:29:12.54\00:29:14.11
There are still pay gaps,
and classes of men, racism,
00:29:14.14\00:29:19.87
and sexism, and there is unequal
pay, but things are a lot better
00:29:19.91\00:29:25.98
than they used to
be. Can you say Amen?
00:29:26.01\00:29:28.22
Now I'm a black American,
but more importantly I'm a
00:29:28.25\00:29:31.50
Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
00:29:31.54\00:29:32.64
So anytime you say anything
about equal, I'm on board.
00:29:32.67\00:29:36.00
Equal rights, equal opportunity,
equal pay, equal access,
00:29:36.03\00:29:39.33
equal
employment; I like that idea.
00:29:39.36\00:29:42.73
I like working at 3ABN.
00:29:42.76\00:29:44.30
Our founder, of course,
is a male, but our chief of
00:29:44.34\00:29:46.95
operations is a female.
00:29:46.98\00:29:48.29
Our production
coordinator is a female.
00:29:48.33\00:29:51.45
The associate is a female.
00:29:51.48\00:29:53.71
There are women involved
in every strata of 3ABN.
00:29:53.74\00:29:57.36
We can, I think, be proud of
the involvement of women here.
00:29:57.39\00:30:00.73
But it's not that
way in all places.
00:30:00.76\00:30:02.96
There is a pay gap, as I
said before, and a gender gap,
00:30:04.98\00:30:07.78
and yet things
are getting better.
00:30:07.81\00:30:10.50
A certain daytime talk show
host just passed the 1 billion
00:30:10.53\00:30:16.59
dollar net worth
about a year ago.
00:30:16.62\00:30:19.49
Sixteen percent of college and
university presidents are women.
00:30:19.53\00:30:23.75
Fourteen percent of
Congressional and Senatorial
00:30:23.79\00:30:27.40
seats are held by women.
00:30:27.44\00:30:29.13
Women make up fifty-one percent
of the population, and forty-six
00:30:29.16\00:30:34.15
percent of the labor force.
00:30:34.19\00:30:37.35
CNBC president is a woman.
00:30:37.39\00:30:40.48
Hewlett Packard's
president is a woman.
00:30:40.51\00:30:43.29
March, I just found out, is
actually Women's History Month.
00:30:43.32\00:30:48.65
They've got their own
month, praise the Lord.
00:30:48.68\00:30:50.94
But if you think things
are bad now, things were much
00:30:50.98\00:30:59.89
worse in Bible times.
00:30:59.92\00:31:01.96
In the Canaanite cultures
young girls were routinely
00:31:01.99\00:31:06.49
sold to pay bills.
00:31:06.53\00:31:08.58
You know, you get a little
behind on your Master Card,
00:31:08.61\00:31:11.86
you sell your daughter.
00:31:11.90\00:31:13.17
It was routinely done.
00:31:13.20\00:31:15.33
In the ancient near
east in the Samarian culture,
00:31:15.36\00:31:20.64
a wife also had to
sleep with her brother-in-law.
00:31:20.68\00:31:25.89
In Greece, in Sparta, and
in certain parts of the Hittite
00:31:25.92\00:31:31.61
nation, it was mandated
that a wife be given a beating
00:31:31.64\00:31:36.43
at least once a year.
00:31:36.46\00:31:38.50
Part of the culture.
00:31:38.53\00:31:40.50
Now Jewish women had
it a little bit better.
00:31:40.54\00:31:44.43
But even they could be
divorced for what we would
00:31:44.46\00:31:47.47
call trivial offenses.
00:31:47.50\00:31:49.11
A Jewish wife could be
divorced for nagging too much.
00:31:49.15\00:31:53.85
A Jewish wife could
be divorced for laziness.
00:31:53.88\00:32:02.12
You were expected
to share the burden.
00:32:02.15\00:32:05.35
And if you didn't share the
burden, you could be divorced.
00:32:05.38\00:32:07.94
That nagging and laziness.
00:32:07.97\00:32:10.57
She could be divorced
for not cooking dinner.
00:32:10.60\00:32:17.48
She could be divorced
for staying out too late.
00:32:17.52\00:32:24.37
She could be divorced for
talking to a man for too long.
00:32:24.40\00:32:29.27
Women couldn't have a job that
put them in a position over men.
00:32:34.00\00:32:38.01
For the most part they
couldn't inherit wealth.
00:32:38.05\00:32:41.62
There was a long list
of prohibitions concerning
00:32:41.65\00:32:47.33
even Jewish women.
00:32:47.37\00:32:49.11
Their wealth came from the man.
00:32:49.14\00:32:52.12
Their social
status came from the man.
00:32:52.15\00:32:55.03
Their societal
image came from the man.
00:32:55.07\00:32:58.07
Their worth in
society came from the man.
00:32:58.10\00:33:01.07
Their religion
came from the man.
00:33:01.10\00:33:03.10
Their standing in the
community came from the man.
00:33:03.13\00:33:06.13
The theological clock ticked
much faster in those days,
00:33:06.16\00:33:12.56
as did the biological clock.
00:33:12.60\00:33:14.87
You had to find a man,
marry a man, and stay married by
00:33:14.90\00:33:18.14
your eighteenth birthday.
00:33:18.18\00:33:19.38
Many scholars believe that Mary
married Joseph somewhere between
00:33:19.42\00:33:24.49
the ages of twelve and fourteen.
00:33:24.53\00:33:26.38
So this then is the
background for Isaiah chapter 4.
00:33:26.42\00:33:32.03
It is a time of war
with the Assyrian empire.
00:33:32.07\00:33:35.29
It is a bad time. All
or most of the eligible
00:33:35.32\00:33:42.30
bachelors are gone.
00:33:42.33\00:33:43.82
All of the good
catches are dying in war,
00:33:43.85\00:33:47.73
and there just
aren't enough men left.
00:33:47.76\00:33:51.52
And to be without a
man was to be without
00:33:51.55\00:33:54.92
respect in Bible times.
00:33:54.95\00:33:56.87
It was to be
without social standing.
00:33:56.90\00:33:58.97
It was to be without a future.
00:33:59.00\00:34:00.51
And desperate
people do desperate things.
00:34:00.54\00:34:03.50
So these women
had to have a husband,
00:34:03.53\00:34:06.81
even if it was a
husband in name only.
00:34:06.84\00:34:10.35
So they would go to
the few eligible men left
00:34:10.38\00:34:14.02
with this proposition: We
will take care of ourselves.
00:34:14.05\00:34:18.63
You don't have to feed us.
00:34:18.66\00:34:21.06
You don't have
to provide for us.
00:34:21.09\00:34:23.58
You don't really
have to be a husband.
00:34:23.61\00:34:27.35
We will do it all.
00:34:27.38\00:34:30.29
Just give us your name
to take away our reproach
00:34:30.32\00:34:36.94
so that when we go to the
market we're not laughed at,
00:34:36.97\00:34:40.85
so that when we walk
down the streets we have
00:34:40.88\00:34:43.35
respect in the
community, so that when we shop
00:34:43.38\00:34:48.36
and do other kinds of things
we can hold our head up high.
00:34:48.39\00:34:50.97
We don't need any sustenance.
00:34:51.00\00:34:53.52
All we want is your name.
00:34:53.55\00:34:56.54
And I see in this odd little
text a compelling parallel
00:34:59.17\00:35:03.86
to the Christian world today.
00:35:03.89\00:35:06.54
Jeremiah 6:2, God likens the
daughters of Zion to the church.
00:35:06.57\00:35:12.66
And without pointing fingers,
I have a problem with some of
00:35:12.69\00:35:21.56
the Christianity
that I see today.
00:35:21.59\00:35:24.36
I have a problem with that
brand of Christianity that says,
00:35:24.39\00:35:28.66
God is here to serve
us, not we to serve Him.
00:35:28.69\00:35:33.47
For the Bible
message is that we are the
00:35:33.50\00:35:37.13
servants of a loving God.
00:35:37.16\00:35:38.88
And I am convinced in my mind,
and convicted in my spirit,
00:35:38.91\00:35:42.68
that the Christian ranks today
are far too populated by people
00:35:42.71\00:35:47.21
who really don't
want to serve Jesus.
00:35:47.24\00:35:50.34
All they want is the name.
00:35:50.37\00:35:54.64
And they don't
want to carry the weight
00:35:54.67\00:35:57.64
that comes with that name.
00:35:57.67\00:35:59.34
I submit to you in all humility
that there are people across
00:35:59.37\00:36:04.40
this world and in this country
who have said, not so much
00:36:04.43\00:36:09.33
by their words but by
their actions and deportment,
00:36:09.36\00:36:12.39
Jesus, I'm only
going to give You so much.
00:36:12.42\00:36:16.68
Talking about the
cost of discipleship.
00:36:16.71\00:36:19.83
I don't intend to suffer, Jesus.
00:36:19.86\00:36:23.33
I don't intend to be
too uncomfortable, Jesus.
00:36:23.36\00:36:26.53
I don't intend to
sweat, or be disenfranchised,
00:36:26.56\00:36:31.86
or to sacrifice for my faith.
00:36:33.43\00:36:34.46
Jesus, all I want is Your name.
00:36:34.49\00:36:38.06
Look Jesus, you're only
going to get so much energy.
00:36:41.79\00:36:44.02
You're only going
to get so much time.
00:36:44.05\00:36:46.57
You're only going to get so much
of my talents and abilities.
00:36:46.60\00:36:49.12
I'm drawing the line here.
00:36:49.15\00:36:51.47
All I want really,
Jesus, is the name.
00:36:51.50\00:36:54.33
I want the name Christian.
00:36:54.36\00:36:56.82
I don't want the weight
that comes with that name.
00:36:56.85\00:37:00.10
I'll wear my own clothes.
00:37:00.13\00:37:02.59
I'll make my own food.
00:37:02.62\00:37:04.79
I'll live my own life.
00:37:04.82\00:37:06.91
You keep the rules, Jesus.
00:37:06.94\00:37:09.41
You keep the regulations, Jesus.
00:37:09.44\00:37:11.64
You keep the do's and don'ts.
00:37:11.67\00:37:13.56
All I want is Your name.
00:37:13.59\00:37:16.19
You know, it occurs to me that
what the world really wants is
00:37:16.22\00:37:21.43
no sweat religion.
00:37:21.46\00:37:23.27
They want easy religion.
00:37:23.30\00:37:26.11
Let me ask you a question.
00:37:26.14\00:37:30.92
How many believe that
God wants us to be happy?
00:37:30.95\00:37:36.27
Everybody says Amen.
00:37:36.30\00:37:38.53
Now how happy does God want
you to be? Happy as you can.
00:37:38.57\00:37:45.38
And how important is
your happiness to God?
00:37:45.41\00:37:48.91
We all agree that He
wants us to be happy,
00:37:48.94\00:37:52.90
and that our
happiness is important.
00:37:52.93\00:37:56.57
So what's the problem?
00:37:56.60\00:37:58.69
I have a Korean friend.
00:37:58.72\00:38:02.88
He owns three dry cleaners.
00:38:02.91\00:38:05.01
We met at a Christian
businessman's luncheon
00:38:05.04\00:38:07.54
some time ago, and I
figure I'll go to your church,
00:38:07.57\00:38:12.84
and you come to mine.
00:38:12.87\00:38:14.22
I've been to
several of his services;
00:38:14.25\00:38:16.12
never got him to come to mine.
00:38:16.15\00:38:17.24
His reasoning is to me,
God wants me to be happy.
00:38:17.27\00:38:26.68
I'm happy when I make money.
00:38:26.71\00:38:31.30
I make most of my
money on Saturday.
00:38:31.33\00:38:36.77
And if I'm not open on
Saturday, I don't make money.
00:38:36.80\00:38:44.23
And if I don't make
money, I'm not happy.
00:38:44.26\00:38:48.26
So God wants me
to close on Saturday,
00:38:48.29\00:38:53.06
cause He wants me happy.
00:38:53.09\00:38:55.08
And I'm only happy
when I'm making money.
00:38:55.11\00:38:58.27
So how happy does
God want you to be? Huh?
00:38:58.30\00:39:06.68
You see, we see happiness
as a destination, as a goal,
00:39:06.71\00:39:15.60
as somewhere to get to.
00:39:15.64\00:39:17.74
God sees happiness
as a by product of a
00:39:17.77\00:39:22.63
relationship with Him.
00:39:22.66\00:39:24.34
You don't seek for
happiness, you seek for Jesus.
00:39:24.37\00:39:29.90
And when you find Jesus,
Jesus will make you happy.
00:39:29.93\00:39:34.69
You see, it's not a goal.
00:39:34.72\00:39:36.67
If happiness is a
brand new sports car,
00:39:36.70\00:39:39.99
when your car is
new, you're happy.
00:39:40.02\00:39:44.12
But three years down the
road your sports car is old.
00:39:44.15\00:39:49.40
So you've got to get another
sports car or you're not happy.
00:39:49.43\00:39:54.03
Amen. But God says
happiness is a by product
00:39:54.06\00:40:01.17
of a relationship.
00:40:01.20\00:40:02.23
John 13:7, If you
know these things,
00:40:02.26\00:40:07.01
happy are ye if ye do them.
00:40:07.04\00:40:10.69
So happiness is never
a goal, it's a by product
00:40:10.72\00:40:14.50
of a relationship with Jesus.
00:40:14.53\00:40:16.13
And more than that, God not
only guarantees you happiness,
00:40:16.16\00:40:21.38
he guarantees you joy.
00:40:21.41\00:40:23.09
Can you say Amen? Amen.
00:40:23.12\00:40:24.49
Because you know there are
some days when you're just not
00:40:24.52\00:40:27.64
going to be happy.
00:40:27.67\00:40:28.70
Some days you get up; this
is not going to be a happy day.
00:40:28.73\00:40:32.30
Huh? You know, some
days you get up, uh um,
00:40:32.33\00:40:35.17
not going to be a happy day.
00:40:35.20\00:40:36.28
You don't feel good.
00:40:36.31\00:40:37.72
Something is hurting
that didn't hurt last night.
00:40:37.75\00:40:39.50
It's hurting this morning.
00:40:39.53\00:40:40.58
It's not coming, and you
go to work and somebody says:
00:40:40.61\00:40:42.57
How are you doing ugly? Ha ha!
00:40:42.60\00:40:44.25
And they're
just, they're playing.
00:40:44.28\00:40:45.78
You know they're
just playing with you.
00:40:45.81\00:40:47.07
Yesterday you would have
laughed; today that's not funny.
00:40:47.10\00:40:50.22
So it's not going
to be a happy day.
00:40:50.25\00:40:52.47
You get a bad doctor's report.
00:40:52.50\00:40:54.56
It's not going
to be a happy day.
00:40:54.59\00:40:56.14
But Jesus says you can have
joy even when you're not happy.
00:40:56.17\00:41:01.10
Psalm 16:11. Let's
look at that real quick.
00:41:01.13\00:41:04.95
Psalm 16:11. Let me
just find that real fast.
00:41:04.98\00:41:09.55
Psalm 16:11, 16:11.
00:41:09.58\00:41:13.66
You will show me the
path of life: in your presence
00:41:13.69\00:41:19.60
is fullness of joy.
00:41:19.63\00:41:22.13
So as long as you're
in Jesus, you've got joy,
00:41:22.16\00:41:25.38
even though you
may not be happy. Amen?
00:41:25.41\00:41:28.10
Because some days
you just can't be happy.
00:41:28.13\00:41:30.33
But as long as you've
got Jesus, you've got joy.
00:41:30.36\00:41:32.81
In fact we're so accustomed
to the Laodicea condition
00:41:32.84\00:41:38.53
that when we see really happy
people in the midst of trial,
00:41:38.56\00:41:43.06
we think that's great.
00:41:43.09\00:41:44.31
Just got a report of
cancer, but I'm praising God.
00:41:44.34\00:41:49.00
Something wrong with you?
00:41:49.03\00:41:51.16
No, that's Jesus!
That's what Jesus can do.
00:41:51.19\00:41:54.83
I told a story the other day
about my conference president,
00:41:54.86\00:41:56.77
and a good friend
of mine Trevor Baker.
00:41:56.80\00:41:58.34
He came down one day; came
downstairs from his apartment,
00:41:58.37\00:42:01.24
and all four of the doors
on his Oldsmobile were gone.
00:42:01.27\00:42:04.05
They just took the car doors.
00:42:04.08\00:42:05.53
And he went upstairs and
began to play, Jesus, Savior,
00:42:05.56\00:42:09.42
pilot me on the piano.
00:42:09.45\00:42:11.36
And his wife said,
What is the matter with you?
00:42:11.39\00:42:13.35
I'm happy! Got joy in my heart!
00:42:13.38\00:42:18.01
It's alright, because as
long as you've got Jesus,
00:42:18.04\00:42:21.30
you got, you got
joy. Praise His name.
00:42:21.33\00:42:24.37
Being a child of God, being a
Christian, means more than just
00:42:24.40\00:42:28.41
carrying the name.
00:42:28.44\00:42:29.73
It means more
than just the name.
00:42:29.76\00:42:32.99
It's having Jesus within.
00:42:33.02\00:42:34.73
I remember years ago coming
to New York, Pastor Lomacang,
00:42:34.76\00:42:37.15
and I just got to
New York, driving through
00:42:37.18\00:42:39.84
the Lincoln Tunnel, and traffic
was merging down to one lane,
00:42:39.87\00:42:43.00
and a fellow had a Honk
if you love Jesus bumper
00:42:43.03\00:42:45.66
sticker on his car.
00:42:45.69\00:42:46.72
So I pulled up right
beside of him, and I just laid
00:42:46.75\00:42:49.43
on the horn: beep, beep, beep,
beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
00:42:49.46\00:42:52.28
Big mistake! The
fellow rolled down the window
00:42:52.31\00:42:56.84
and threw a gesture at me.
00:42:56.87\00:42:59.08
And I could see
the way his mouth was
00:42:59.11\00:43:00.35
going he was not happy.
00:43:00.47\00:43:01.50
And he sure
didn't love Jesus. Ha ha!
00:43:01.53\00:43:03.93
So being in Christ
means more than just bumper
00:43:03.97\00:43:07.38
stickers on your car.
00:43:07.42\00:43:08.45
It means more than just
carrying the name of Jesus.
00:43:08.48\00:43:11.11
It means having Jesus
down inside, doesn't it?
00:43:11.15\00:43:14.31
Praise God! Let's do a
little Bible searching.
00:43:14.35\00:43:17.45
Luke 9, Luke 9. Let's
find it real quick: Luke 9.
00:43:17.48\00:43:22.12
I'm going to read verses
23 through 25. Luke 9:23-25.
00:43:22.15\00:43:29.93
Luke 9:23-25. Then he said
to them all, If anyone desires
00:43:29.97\00:43:36.58
to come after me, let him do
what? deny himself, and take up
00:43:36.61\00:43:41.68
his cross daily, and follow me.
00:43:41.71\00:43:45.30
For whoever desires to
save his life shall lose it:
00:43:45.33\00:43:48.61
but whoever loses his
life for my sake shall save it.
00:43:48.64\00:43:51.88
For what profit is it to a
man if he gains the whole world,
00:43:51.91\00:43:55.92
and is himself
destroyed or lost?
00:43:55.96\00:44:00.05
I'm in Matthew
10:38, Matthew 10:38.
00:44:00.09\00:44:04.15
Matthew 10:38, the word of God
says: And he who does not take
00:44:10.36\00:44:14.61
his cross and follow
me is not worthy of me,
00:44:14.65\00:44:20.54
says the word of God.
00:44:20.57\00:44:22.58
That's not a message
that we like to embrace,
00:44:22.61\00:44:27.97
if we tell the truth.
00:44:28.01\00:44:29.58
That's not a message
that warms our heart.
00:44:29.61\00:44:33.35
That's not a message that we'd
like to wrap our arms around.
00:44:33.38\00:44:36.27
We like to know that
we're victorious, don't we?
00:44:36.31\00:44:38.79
Well, you are. We like to
know that we're over comers.
00:44:38.83\00:44:42.44
And you are. We like to
know that we're champions;
00:44:42.47\00:44:46.32
which you are. We like to
know that we have authority;
00:44:46.35\00:44:50.20
which you do. We
like to know that we are
00:44:50.23\00:44:53.44
more than
conquerors. All that, too.
00:44:53.47\00:44:56.85
We like to know that God
will bless us abundantly more
00:44:56.89\00:45:00.25
than we can ask or think.
00:45:00.29\00:45:01.96
And that, of course, is true.
00:45:02.00\00:45:03.60
But it comes with a
price, ladies and gentlemen.
00:45:03.64\00:45:07.30
The word of God says,
If you want the crown,
00:45:07.33\00:45:10.96
you have to bear the cross.
00:45:10.99\00:45:14.08
Let's read 1 Peter 4:12,
1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 4:12.
00:45:14.11\00:45:26.50
Beloved, think it not
what? strange concerning the
00:45:26.53\00:45:33.93
fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing
00:45:33.97\00:45:37.50
happened unto you.
00:45:37.54\00:45:38.57
Now I can see the
wheels turning in your minds.
00:45:38.60\00:45:40.56
I can see the
depression etched on your faces.
00:45:40.59\00:45:42.63
You've got a little depressed.
00:45:42.67\00:45:43.70
I can see you
saying, fiery trial!
00:45:43.73\00:45:46.99
I don't want fiery trial.
00:45:47.03\00:45:49.37
Is that what following
Jesus means; fiery trial?
00:45:49.41\00:45:53.16
I don't want to go
through fiery trial.
00:45:53.19\00:45:55.42
I don't like fiery trial.
00:45:55.46\00:45:57.90
I'm scared of fiery trial.
00:45:57.94\00:46:00.31
I don't want to
have fiery trial.
00:46:00.35\00:46:01.89
Well, God's got good news
for you, my brother, my sister.
00:46:01.92\00:46:05.63
One verse later,
just one verse later.
00:46:05.67\00:46:09.67
Look at what it
says in verse 13.
00:46:09.70\00:46:12.13
But rejoice. I
like that word, but.
00:46:12.17\00:46:14.15
You know, but is
an interesting word.
00:46:14.18\00:46:16.09
It is a conjunction, it
is a verb, it is an adverb,
00:46:16.13\00:46:18.27
it is a noun, and a pronoun.
00:46:18.30\00:46:19.72
It's all of the above.
00:46:19.76\00:46:20.79
But rejoice, God says, to the
extent that you are partakers
00:46:20.82\00:46:26.50
of Christ's what? sufferings,
that when his glory is revealed,
00:46:26.53\00:46:32.24
you may be glad
with exceeding joy.
00:46:32.28\00:46:37.22
There's that word again, joy.
00:46:37.25\00:46:39.37
Praise God for joy!
00:46:39.41\00:46:41.79
The Bible says rejoice.
00:46:41.83\00:46:44.14
She rejoice is
jumping joy. Amen?
00:46:44.17\00:46:48.34
Rejoice is animated joy.
00:46:48.38\00:46:50.17
Rejoice is articulated joy.
00:46:50.20\00:46:51.96
I looked it up in the dictionary
just a little while ago.
00:46:51.99\00:46:55.07
The dictionary says
rejoice is to experience joy and
00:46:55.10\00:46:58.17
gladness to a high degree.
00:46:58.21\00:47:00.92
Rejoice is loosed joy.
00:47:00.96\00:47:03.33
It is joy unchanged.
00:47:03.37\00:47:05.51
It's joy on steroids.
00:47:05.54\00:47:07.61
It's taking a bath in joy.
00:47:07.65\00:47:09.81
It's being baptized in joy.
00:47:09.85\00:47:11.96
Rejoice is hallelujah joy.
00:47:11.99\00:47:14.03
Rejoice is Praise the Lord joy.
00:47:14.06\00:47:17.40
Rejoice is drinking from my cup
because my cup overflowed joy.
00:47:17.43\00:47:23.76
You know, rejoice is
feel good all over joy.
00:47:23.80\00:47:26.62
Rejoice is joy unbounded,
and unfettered, and uninhibited,
00:47:26.66\00:47:32.26
and unashamed. Rejoice
is drowning in joy. Amen!
00:47:32.30\00:47:38.32
It's joy all over!
00:47:38.35\00:47:40.91
And God says rejoice.
00:47:40.94\00:47:43.43
The Bible says hang
in there through the
00:47:43.46\00:47:47.84
rough times with Jesus.
00:47:47.87\00:47:48.96
Because when glory rolls around
you're going to get, not a
00:47:49.00\00:47:54.85
spoonful of joy,
you're going to get exceeding
00:47:54.88\00:47:57.95
joy the Bible says.
00:47:57.98\00:47:59.21
You see, it's not all shame.
00:47:59.24\00:48:01.12
It's not all pain.
00:48:01.15\00:48:02.54
It's not all suffering.
00:48:02.58\00:48:04.23
It's not all heartache,
and ridicule, and hard times,
00:48:04.26\00:48:07.04
and sacrifice, and
blood, sweat, and tears.
00:48:07.07\00:48:10.47
Psalm says weeping
may endure for a night,
00:48:10.51\00:48:13.86
but in the morning
you're going to get joy. Amen!
00:48:13.90\00:48:18.16
Jesus promises joy.
00:48:18.20\00:48:21.25
1 Corinthians
10:13; you know the text.
00:48:21.28\00:48:25.01
It says basically that
God will put no more on you
00:48:25.04\00:48:27.73
than you can bear.
00:48:27.77\00:48:28.80
But with that make a way
of escape that you may be
00:48:28.83\00:48:32.81
able to bear it,
because God wants to get you in,
00:48:32.84\00:48:37.05
and God wants to save you.
00:48:37.09\00:48:38.95
You've got a
husband that won't talk.
00:48:38.99\00:48:40.77
You've got a wife
that won't stop talking.
00:48:40.80\00:48:42.78
You've had an affair.
00:48:42.81\00:48:44.46
You are an abuser
or an abuse victim.
00:48:44.49\00:48:47.97
You've got a drug problem.
00:48:48.00\00:48:49.19
You've a victim of pornography.
00:48:49.22\00:48:51.33
You've got a
non-Christian spouse.
00:48:51.37\00:48:53.40
You've got wayward children,
bad marriage, failing in school.
00:48:53.44\00:48:55.90
You hate your
boss; boss hates you.
00:48:55.94\00:48:57.58
Dead end job, you're addicted,
you got a bad medical diagnosis.
00:48:57.61\00:49:02.50
All of these things are
bad, but brothers and sisters,
00:49:02.53\00:49:04.61
they are not new. And somebody
else has gone through them.
00:49:04.64\00:49:08.72
And somebody else has
been victorious over them.
00:49:08.76\00:49:11.31
And just like
they were victorious,
00:49:11.34\00:49:13.10
so you can be victorious, too.
00:49:13.14\00:49:15.41
God says, Don't
worry; hang in there.
00:49:15.44\00:49:18.60
Because after the
trial comes the triumph.
00:49:18.63\00:49:21.08
And after the triumph comes joy!
00:49:21.12\00:49:23.31
Because God is faithful.
00:49:23.34\00:49:26.59
God doesn't want you to
think that heaven is easy,
00:49:26.63\00:49:30.19
but He wants you to know
that heaven is very possible,
00:49:30.22\00:49:33.75
very, very possible.
00:49:33.78\00:49:36.55
And Jesus wants you
to give Him your all,
00:49:36.58\00:49:39.50
because He paid His all.
00:49:39.53\00:49:41.26
Jesus did, indeed, pay it all.
00:49:41.29\00:49:43.48
So you have to
give Him your all.
00:49:43.51\00:49:45.52
It's more than
just carrying the name,
00:49:45.56\00:49:47.31
it's carrying the weight.
00:49:47.34\00:49:48.63
You know that story,
that old story from the
00:49:48.66\00:49:50.98
Army of Alexander?
00:49:51.01\00:49:52.04
There was a
soldier in Alexander's Army
00:49:52.07\00:49:54.09
who was a goof off.
00:49:54.12\00:49:55.15
Had the same name; his
name was also Alexander.
00:49:55.18\00:49:57.79
And he had made so many mistakes
that Alexander called him in
00:49:57.83\00:50:00.76
and he said, What is your name?
00:50:00.79\00:50:01.82
And the soldier said, Alexander.
00:50:01.85\00:50:02.88
He said, The same name as yours.
00:50:02.91\00:50:03.94
And Alexander told him,
You can't carry my name.
00:50:03.97\00:50:08.09
So you either have
to change your ways,
00:50:08.12\00:50:10.05
or you've got to
change your name.
00:50:10.08\00:50:11.71
And it's the same way in
the Christian experience.
00:50:11.74\00:50:15.08
If you're going to be with
Jesus, you've got to either
00:50:15.11\00:50:17.09
change your ways,
or change your name.
00:50:17.12\00:50:19.74
Can't carry the name of
Jesus unless you're willing to
00:50:19.77\00:50:23.93
carry the cross
before you get the crown.
00:50:23.96\00:50:27.26
Jesus promises that you
will be able to make it through.
00:50:27.30\00:50:31.18
Our time is running away.
00:50:31.24\00:50:32.27
Let me just close with
something very, very quick.
00:50:32.30\00:50:33.84
I heard a story some time
ago that I really, really liked.
00:50:33.87\00:50:41.67
And I'm going
to close with this.
00:50:41.71\00:50:42.74
The story of a man who
had, interestingly enough,
00:50:42.77\00:50:47.85
a pet goat. And I don't know
how you develop such a close
00:50:47.88\00:50:53.07
relationship with a
goat, but this fellow did.
00:50:53.11\00:50:54.77
It was a pet. He would put a
plate of food by the back door.
00:50:54.80\00:50:58.86
The goat knew how to kick the
door open, come into the house,
00:50:58.90\00:51:03.00
and eat food right
there in the kitchen.
00:51:03.03\00:51:04.28
And every day at four
o'clock the goat would come in,
00:51:04.31\00:51:06.88
kick the door open, and
eat from the plate of food.
00:51:06.91\00:51:09.41
And the fellow would sit at the
table, and the goat would eat.
00:51:09.44\00:51:11.64
And they would eat together.
00:51:11.67\00:51:12.70
And his wife had
gone; children grown up.
00:51:12.73\00:51:16.07
He lived on a farm.
00:51:16.10\00:51:17.13
And he developed this
relationship with this goat.
00:51:17.16\00:51:19.34
They just sort of bonded.
00:51:19.37\00:51:21.05
He had on that farm a
well that had dried up.
00:51:21.08\00:51:28.05
And you know, sometimes you
make promises to do something,
00:51:28.08\00:51:31.12
but time gets away from
you, so you just never get
00:51:31.15\00:51:33.03
a chance to do it.
00:51:33.06\00:51:34.09
He kept saying, I
need to fill this well in.
00:51:34.12\00:51:35.94
Because this goat, among
other things, is rather nosey.
00:51:35.97\00:51:39.23
One day he's going to
just nose around this well,
00:51:39.27\00:51:42.14
and maybe he'll fall in.
00:51:42.18\00:51:44.45
But you make
promises to yourself,
00:51:44.48\00:51:46.01
and he never got
a chance to do it.
00:51:46.04\00:51:47.99
So one day four
o'clock came along.
00:51:48.02\00:51:49.94
He put the food
there for the goat.
00:51:49.97\00:51:51.74
The goat did not eat, he did
not come, he did not show up.
00:51:51.77\00:51:53.80
And so the man
began to hunt around;
00:51:53.84\00:51:55.33
looking, looking,
looking, wondering why the
00:51:55.37\00:51:57.24
goat did not come.
00:51:57.28\00:51:58.31
And he said, Well, let
me just check the well.
00:51:58.34\00:52:01.82
And sure enough, when
he's shown his flashlight down
00:52:01.86\00:52:03.79
in the well, there at the bottom
of the well was that goat.
00:52:03.83\00:52:06.92
And he was so very, very
saddened he said, Well, now I
00:52:06.96\00:52:10.92
guess I'll just fill it in.
00:52:10.95\00:52:12.20
And what was a hole
will now become his cemetery.
00:52:12.23\00:52:17.69
So he went and got his backhoe.
00:52:17.72\00:52:19.31
He fired up the engine
and sadly begins to throw
00:52:19.34\00:52:22.14
dirt into the hole.
00:52:22.17\00:52:23.25
But you know that
goat was not dead.
00:52:23.28\00:52:27.13
He had just been stunned
by the depth of the fall.
00:52:27.16\00:52:31.34
And when the first shovel
full of dirt hit him he revived.
00:52:31.37\00:52:37.00
And he stood up
and he called out.
00:52:37.03\00:52:40.71
But the noise of the engine
was drowning out his call.
00:52:40.75\00:52:44.40
And so now this man is
burying his friend alive.
00:52:44.43\00:52:50.78
But that goat had watched humans
for a long period of time,
00:52:50.82\00:52:54.58
and he was no dummy.
00:52:54.61\00:52:55.86
Because every time a
shovel full of dirt fell on him,
00:52:55.90\00:53:00.50
do you know what that goat did?
00:53:00.54\00:53:01.63
He shook it off,
and he packed it down,
00:53:01.66\00:53:05.35
and he rose up a little higher.
00:53:05.39\00:53:07.27
He shook it off, packed it down,
and rose up a little higher.
00:53:07.30\00:53:12.79
And after awhile of shaking
dirt off and packing it down,
00:53:12.82\00:53:18.27
he was high enough to
where he could leap out
00:53:18.31\00:53:20.57
of the hole and be safe.
00:53:20.60\00:53:22.07
When I heard that story
years ago, I thought about the
00:53:22.10\00:53:26.64
Christian experience.
00:53:26.68\00:53:28.25
Because so many
times in our life people,
00:53:28.28\00:53:31.87
and the devil himself, and
circumstances will throw dirt
00:53:31.91\00:53:36.81
on our Christian experience.
00:53:36.84\00:53:38.90
They'll tell you you're
too old, you're too black,
00:53:38.93\00:53:41.56
you're too white, you're
too fat, you're too thin,
00:53:41.59\00:53:44.18
you don't have enough education.
00:53:44.21\00:53:45.41
You know, all of the kinds
of excuses that they can give us
00:53:45.44\00:53:47.70
for not being successful.
00:53:47.74\00:53:49.35
And it occurs to me that
God has promised us success
00:53:49.39\00:53:53.72
in Him, so why should we
go around under the abuse
00:53:53.76\00:53:58.03
of someone
else's disappointment?
00:53:58.06\00:54:00.22
When somebody tells you
you can't, do you know what
00:54:00.25\00:54:04.00
you should do? Shake
it off, and pack it down.
00:54:04.04\00:54:09.19
And do you know
what will happen to you?
00:54:09.22\00:54:11.40
You'll rise up a
little higher. Amen!
00:54:11.44\00:54:13.55
Why should you labor under
someone else's disillusionment?
00:54:13.59\00:54:17.08
Why should you take the
devil when the devil says,
00:54:17.12\00:54:21.01
You can't make it, you
tell him, I won't take it.
00:54:21.04\00:54:24.86
Shake it, pack it down, rise
up a little higher in Jesus,
00:54:24.90\00:54:34.15
and carry the name of Jesus.
00:54:34.18\00:54:36.74
Now I know you
are all conservative
00:54:36.77\00:54:37.81
Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
00:54:37.84\00:54:38.87
Stand up with me.
Stand up with me, please.
00:54:38.90\00:54:42.46
The devil is going to
tell you you can't make it.
00:54:42.50\00:54:46.34
What are you going to do?
00:54:46.38\00:54:47.84
Shake it, and
pack it, and rise up.
00:54:47.87\00:54:52.99
One day you'll get so high
you'll be looking right into
00:54:53.02\00:54:56.14
the face of Jesus. Amen!
00:54:56.18\00:54:57.79
And He will say to you,
Come thou blessed of My Father.
00:54:57.82\00:55:02.12
What's in a name?
00:55:02.16\00:55:03.54
There is a name I love to hear.
00:55:03.58\00:55:06.42
I love to sing its worth.
00:55:06.45\00:55:08.74
It sounds like music in my
ear; the sweetest name on earth.
00:55:08.77\00:55:16.74
Oh how I love Jesus!
00:55:16.78\00:55:21.61
There is no other
name given among men
00:55:21.64\00:55:25.76
whereby we must be saved.
00:55:27.46\00:55:30.25
At the name of Jesus every knee
shall bow, every tongue confess,
00:55:30.29\00:55:38.85
that Jesus is Lord.
00:55:38.89\00:55:42.71
Just give us your name,
O yes, but take the world
00:55:42.75\00:55:49.78
and give me Jesus.
00:55:49.81\00:55:53.33
That's the cost of discipleship.
00:55:53.36\00:55:56.70
You've got to give up a
lot, but you get so much more.
00:55:56.73\00:56:02.26
And in exchange for
now, you get eternity.
00:56:02.29\00:56:09.15
In exchange for
three score and ten,
00:56:09.18\00:56:12.91
Jesus will give you forever.
00:56:12.94\00:56:17.34
Pretty good
trade, don't you think?
00:56:17.37\00:56:19.85
Take the name of Jesus
with you wherever you go.
00:56:19.88\00:56:26.11
And He will be with you until He
calls you from labor to reward.
00:56:26.14\00:56:33.71
Shall we pray? Father
God, we thank You Jesus.
00:56:33.74\00:56:37.74
We praise You. We love You Lord.
00:56:37.78\00:56:40.93
We know we've had
to make sacrifices,
00:56:40.97\00:56:43.48
but Jesus is with worth it
all, because Jesus paid it all;
00:56:43.51\00:56:50.35
all to Him we owe.
00:56:50.38\00:56:53.48
Sin left a
crimson stain, dear Lord,
00:56:53.52\00:56:57.28
but you washed it white as snow.
00:56:57.32\00:57:00.31
We owe all to You, and
now we give all to You.
00:57:00.34\00:57:05.93
Keep that which we now give
to You until Jesus comes again.
00:57:05.96\00:57:11.56
We love You, we
praise You, and we thank You.
00:57:11.59\00:57:16.25
In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:57:16.28\00:57:19.46