Well, good morning and I
want to welcome every one of you
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to the Three Angels
Broadcasting Network
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worship centre here
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in beautiful Southern Illinois.
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We've got a gorgeous day
out there today, don't we?
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The rain has gone
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and I think today is
supposed to be beautiful,
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lovely weather, even
cool, only 82 degrees.
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And I think we
can live with that
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as compared to
the last few days.
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And I want to welcome
all of you that are with us
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from around the world.
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Welcome to our Camp Meeting.
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We have got a
wonderful guest this morning.
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Our speaker,
someone that doesn't need
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a whole lot of introduction
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but I am honored,
always honored and appreciative
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when David Asscherick comes
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to be a part of
our Camp Meeting.
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And, you know, David
is an ordained minister
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in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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the Director of ARISE.
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And David started
coming to 3ABN a few years ago
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and something that
we learned about him
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very quickly was that,
he is really a man of God,
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he has a heart after God
and he studies God's word.
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I think it's so
evident that he is someone
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that really diligently studies
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to show himself
approved unto God.
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And something that we
have learned about him as well,
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is that, he's a man
that will stand up for truth,
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he will take a stand for truth
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no matter what the
opposition might be.
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I appreciate what
Pastor Gilley has said.
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"Truth is right all the time."
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It's always right to
stand on the side of truth.
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And not only is
David a man of truth
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but he is a man of integrity.
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And I am just honored
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that he's going to
be with us this morning,
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I am looking forward
to what he has to share.
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But before
Pastor Asscherick comes,
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Melody Firestone is with us
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and I'm gonna ask
Melody to come out now.
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Melody has been with
3ABN before there was a 3ABN.
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And I asked her earlier,
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how long has she been
ministering for the Lord?
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She can remember ministering
since she was eight years old,
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but I believe Danny says
since she was three years old.
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You know, she is a songwriter
and she is a recording artist.
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But I think her
greatest accomplishment
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is that she has eight
well behaved children.
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And Melody is
going to sing a song
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that she personally wrote.
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Melody, what's
the name of the song?
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"We Have This Hope."
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They say what doesn't
kill us makes us strong
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And I've heard it's
always darkest before the dawn
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But all I know is that
God's promises are true
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And He only wants
what was best for you
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We have this hope that
all hurting will be gone
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We have this hope
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That all tears
will be left behind
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I know down here life is hard
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And the world is so unkind
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But hold on
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Because we have
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This hope
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Every one of us has
hard aches and trials
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Just remember we are
only here for assured one
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Sometimes I feel I
have had more than my share
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But He won't give us
more than we can bear
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We have this hope that
all hurting will be gone
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We have this hope
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That all tears
will be left behind
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I know down here life is hard
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And the world is so unkind
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But hold on
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Because we have this hope
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And this hope for us
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Is Jesus
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So hold on
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Because we have this hope
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Amen. Thank you, Melody.
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It's beautiful.
Morning, everyone.
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Morning.
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Happy Friday. Happy Friday.
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Are you having a good day? Yes.
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Yeah, me to until I
had a visit this morning
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with some of
Southern Illinois finest.
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You see I not only speak fast.
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Anyway, I just felt like I have
to confess that this morning.
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I feel like I have
expunged myself of guilt now.
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All I have to
do is pay the fine.
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So when I came
a little bit late,
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they were like
pulling their hair out,
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which they should know better.
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You know, I've been
coming here for 10 years,
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they know I'm
not gonna be on time.
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But this morning I told them
that I had a conference meeting
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with one of the officers,
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I needed to talk with
him about a few things, so...
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Anyway I just
feel so much better now
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that I have
confessed this publicly
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and I feel like
I can move on now
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with the presentation.
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Let me just say that you should
obey all traffic regulations,
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you should obey the...
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I received no
mercy this morning,
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it was all law this morning.
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And I am perfectly
happy to receive law
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because I
preach it all the time.
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I preached that sin is
the transgression of the law.
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So you won't hear me, you
know, winning about a ticket.
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I say, no, I broke the
law, give me the ticket
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and I am happy to pay.
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Now if you want
to be merciful...
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But I don't complain if
the mercy is not forthcoming
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because it would be
very hypocritical of me,
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since that's what I preach
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and I travel all over the world,
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that sin is the
transgression of the law.
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So anyway...
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Feeling much better now.
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Well, our presentation
yesterday morning...
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By the way I just have to
say that I have already been
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richly blessed here
at the Camp Meeting.
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Can you say amen to that? Amen.
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The presentations
yesterday just thrilled my soul.
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And I want to
thank Pastor Brooks
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and Pastor Gibson and Pastor...
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I mean my heart was
just thrilled yesterday
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with the presentations.
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And I just thank
God for these truths
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that He has
committed to us as a people.
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As I was
listening to Pastor Brooks
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talk about the last mile
home, my heart was just...
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I couldn't just
see the imagery there.
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I mean, I was
with him in the forests
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and escaping the
dogs and hiding in trees.
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This was like,
yes, I am with you.
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And when Tai walked us through
the nature of love yesterday
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and just to
look at the conundrum
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that the modern scientific
community finds itself in,
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and affirming the fact
that we are loving people
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but denying the basis
and reality of that love.
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This was so resonating
with the goodness of God and...
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Anyway just a blessing
to be here at Camp Meeting.
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Amen. Amen!
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And so I am looking forward
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to our
presentation this morning.
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It's tight.
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Well, yesterday
was the Friend of God
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and our presentation today
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is called "The
Kingdom of Heaven is Yours."
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So yours is the
kingdom of heaven.
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And I like to just
begin with a word of prayer
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and then we'll get
right into our time together.
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Father in heaven
I want to thank You
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for a new day of life
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and I want to thank You
that You are so good to us,
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Your goodness is
fresh every morning,
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Your mercies are
fresh every morning.
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And Father, as Melody has
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so beautifully
and wonderfully sung
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"We Do Have This Hope."
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And when the times of difficult
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and even when the
times are not difficult,
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when the times are going well,
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we just need to be
continually reminded
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that this world is not our home.
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Father, we're like
Abraham, we are living intense
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and we recognize that
we are looking for a city
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whose builder and maker is God.
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And so Father, I want to
pray for every person here
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and myself included that, that
we would be cutting those ties
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and cutting those chords
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and cutting those chains
that bind us to this earth.
00:10:03.53\00:10:06.43
Father, may we be increasingly
uncomfortable on this planet
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and may we be looking for heaven
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and for that new
heaven and that new earth.
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Father, may we say
with the old song that,
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that this world is not our home,
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we're just a passing through.
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And so Father, as
we learn this morning
00:10:23.62\00:10:25.05
that ours is the
kingdom of heaven.
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Help us to be cognizant Father,
not just in this presentation
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but through rest of our lives,
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that Jesus himself said My
kingdom is not of this world
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or else my servants would find.
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Father, help us to know
that heaven is our home,
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that ours is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:10:39.77\00:10:42.30
And may we have the experience
this morning of orienting
00:10:42.34\00:10:45.91
and in some cases recalibrating
ourselves to be aware that,
00:10:45.94\00:10:50.15
that even though there
are bills that have to be paid
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and there are planes
that have to be caught
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and there are
schedules that have to be kept,
00:10:54.55\00:10:56.08
that ultimately this
world is not our home.
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So be with us now this morning,
as we spend time in Your word
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and through out
the course of this day,
00:11:01.92\00:11:03.66
Father, as we are
immersed in Your word,
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.83
may we receive
again not to hoard,
00:11:05.86\00:11:08.56
but may we'll be receiving
00:11:08.60\00:11:09.93
to give freely you
have received, freely given.
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So come and bless us now,
is our prayer in Jesus name.
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Let all of Gods
friends say, amen.
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Amen.
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Well, our presentation
yesterday as we have said
00:11:21.68\00:11:23.45
was titled, "The Friend of God."
00:11:23.48\00:11:25.45
And Jesus says in John 15:15.
00:11:25.48\00:11:27.72
Remember we were sort of
talking about the new language,
00:11:27.75\00:11:30.95
the new nomenclature that Jesus
seemed to be introducing there.
00:11:30.99\00:11:33.62
He said, "No longer
do I call you servants,"
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because a servant does not
know what his master is doing.
00:11:36.59\00:11:38.93
Now I call you, "What everyone?"
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Now I call you friends.
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Because everything
that Father has shown me,
00:11:42.70\00:11:44.37
I have revealed to you.
00:11:44.40\00:11:46.00
And we learned yesterday that
Abraham was the friend of God,
00:11:46.03\00:11:48.17
that Moses spoke to God.
00:11:48.20\00:11:49.74
As a man speaks to
a friend face to face
00:11:49.77\00:11:52.34
and the God more than
loves us, He likes us.
00:11:52.37\00:11:55.98
But there's also a passage
there just before John 15:15,
00:11:56.01\00:11:58.98
John 15:14 in which Jesus says,
"You are My friends if you do
00:11:59.01\00:12:04.02
whatsoever I
have commanded you."
00:12:04.05\00:12:06.45
"You are My friends if you do
00:12:06.49\00:12:08.29
whatsoever I
have commanded you."
00:12:08.32\00:12:09.69
The reality is, is that we
can become the friends of God
00:12:09.72\00:12:14.33
if we be friendly toward God
00:12:14.36\00:12:16.70
and the sense of being
friendly toward His kingdom
00:12:16.73\00:12:18.63
and toward the principles
upon which His kingdom operates.
00:12:18.67\00:12:21.47
We want to be
the kinds of people
00:12:21.50\00:12:23.34
that would be happy in heaven.
00:12:23.37\00:12:24.71
Amen.
00:12:24.74\00:12:26.07
Can you say Amen to that? Amen!
00:12:26.11\00:12:27.44
I like to tell people that
god is taking everyone to heaven
00:12:27.48\00:12:30.31
who would be happy there.
00:12:30.35\00:12:33.62
If you would be happy in heaven,
00:12:33.65\00:12:35.02
it is a guarantee
that you will be there.
00:12:35.05\00:12:37.19
If you are a friend of God,
00:12:37.22\00:12:38.99
it is a guarantee
that you will be there.
00:12:39.02\00:12:40.96
The only people that
will not be in heaven
00:12:40.99\00:12:42.89
will be people who,
00:12:42.92\00:12:44.26
if they themselves
could choose, would choose
00:12:44.29\00:12:47.60
because they already
have chosen not to be there.
00:12:47.63\00:12:51.00
No one is excluded from
heaven or dismissed from heaven
00:12:51.03\00:12:53.64
on the basis of some
arbitrary degree from God,
00:12:53.67\00:12:56.44
it is our own
unfitness that would shut us out
00:12:56.47\00:12:59.07
from the presence of God.
00:12:59.11\00:13:00.44
And so Jesus invites
us, the Father invites us,
00:13:00.48\00:13:02.98
the spirit invites
us to be His friends.
00:13:03.01\00:13:06.55
But that raises a
question in the minds of many,
00:13:06.58\00:13:08.42
myself included.
00:13:08.45\00:13:09.78
And that is, "How
does God relate to us
00:13:09.82\00:13:11.99
in the meantime, right?"
00:13:12.02\00:13:13.96
How does God relate to us
00:13:13.99\00:13:15.32
if we could sort
of use this stage here
00:13:15.36\00:13:16.69
as a kind of timeline?
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.06
If we think of
this side of the stage
00:13:18.09\00:13:19.69
is being sort of conversion,
the beginnings of conversion.
00:13:19.73\00:13:22.06
Now many of us have sort
of radical transformative
00:13:22.10\00:13:25.07
pivotal immediate conversions
00:13:25.10\00:13:26.84
and we can trace our conversion
00:13:26.87\00:13:28.20
to a single kind of
moment in time to a time
00:13:28.24\00:13:30.74
and some times even to a place.
00:13:30.77\00:13:32.11
But others like my wife...
00:13:32.14\00:13:33.48
In fact I remember very clearly.
00:13:33.51\00:13:34.84
One day I was
speaking to my wife
00:13:34.88\00:13:36.21
and I was talking
about my testimony.
00:13:36.24\00:13:37.58
And she said to me, this
was early in our marriage.
00:13:37.61\00:13:38.95
She said something like,
00:13:38.98\00:13:40.32
"Well, I don't
really have a testimony."
00:13:40.35\00:13:41.78
Now my wife is
raised in the church,
00:13:41.82\00:13:43.82
she never really stayed
far, she stayed close to Jesus,
00:13:43.85\00:13:46.45
she stayed close to her family.
00:13:46.49\00:13:47.86
And so I remember
being shocked by that.
00:13:47.89\00:13:49.39
When my wife said, I
don't really have a testimony.
00:13:49.42\00:13:53.50
Beloved does my
wife have a testimony?
00:13:53.53\00:13:55.73
Yeah, of course she does.
00:13:55.76\00:13:57.10
But we have sort of
programmed ourselves
00:13:57.13\00:13:59.73
in promoting the most radical
pivotal U-turn testimonies.
00:13:59.77\00:14:04.17
We have unwillingly down played
the most powerful testimony
00:14:04.21\00:14:07.84
and that's a testimony
00:14:07.88\00:14:09.21
if somebody who
gives their life to Jesus
00:14:09.24\00:14:10.81
at a very young age
and then stays with Jesus.
00:14:10.85\00:14:13.58
So me that is a more
robust, more profound,
00:14:13.62\00:14:15.72
and more powerful commentary
on the keeping power of God.
00:14:15.75\00:14:19.72
Yes, yes, yes, we
want to hear about the man
00:14:19.75\00:14:21.12
who lived in the cave.
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.49
And yes, yes, yes, we
want to hear about the man
00:14:22.52\00:14:23.86
who was a gangster.
00:14:23.89\00:14:25.23
And yes, yes, yes, we
want to hear about the man
00:14:25.26\00:14:26.59
who was a former
punk rocker or whatever,
00:14:26.63\00:14:28.26
but we also want
to hear about the man
00:14:28.30\00:14:29.63
who gave his
life to Jesus at eight
00:14:29.66\00:14:31.10
and never looked back.
00:14:31.13\00:14:32.47
We want to hear the
testimony about the woman
00:14:32.50\00:14:33.84
who gave her life to Jesus at 10
00:14:33.87\00:14:35.20
and by the grace of
God has never looked back,
00:14:35.24\00:14:37.14
that is just as powerful
00:14:37.17\00:14:38.61
and in some cases a
more powerful testimony.
00:14:38.64\00:14:40.98
And if we are not careful
00:14:41.01\00:14:42.34
on emphasizing both testimonies,
00:14:42.38\00:14:43.71
the message that
we will unwillingly
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.08
send to our young people is it,
00:14:45.11\00:14:46.45
if you really
want to be used by God
00:14:46.48\00:14:48.35
and you really want to
have a powerful testimony,
00:14:48.38\00:14:50.55
you first have to go out
before you can come back in.
00:14:50.59\00:14:55.02
Are we together everyone? Yes.
00:14:55.06\00:14:56.49
And so we need
to be very careful
00:14:56.52\00:14:57.86
that we don't always
place the most emphasis
00:14:57.89\00:14:59.79
on testimonies like my own
00:14:59.83\00:15:01.30
in which people
were out and came in.
00:15:01.33\00:15:03.37
And I tell people all the time.
00:15:03.40\00:15:04.73
If you are in a room,
00:15:04.77\00:15:06.80
you don't have to
leave to come back in.
00:15:06.84\00:15:09.10
Right?
00:15:09.14\00:15:10.47
If you are in this room,
00:15:10.51\00:15:11.84
I don't have to go
running out of that door,
00:15:11.87\00:15:13.88
stay out for a while
and then come back in
00:15:13.91\00:15:15.54
and say, "Uhh,
I am in the room."
00:15:15.58\00:15:17.75
No, no, no, no.
00:15:17.78\00:15:19.11
If you are born in
a Christian context,
00:15:19.15\00:15:20.52
if you are born
in a Christian home,
00:15:20.55\00:15:21.88
if you are born in a home
00:15:21.92\00:15:23.25
that values the
pillars of faith,
00:15:23.28\00:15:24.62
you can just stay there.
00:15:24.65\00:15:26.52
And that is a powerful testimony
00:15:26.55\00:15:28.36
to the keeping of God.
00:15:28.39\00:15:30.13
Everyone has a testimony.
00:15:30.16\00:15:31.49
God has no
grandchildren, only children.
00:15:31.53\00:15:33.73
And so everyone
has to be born again
00:15:33.76\00:15:36.06
because no one
is born, born again.
00:15:36.10\00:15:38.13
Are we together everyone?
00:15:38.17\00:15:39.50
So we sort of use
this as a timeline
00:15:39.53\00:15:41.47
in which you are converted here,
00:15:41.50\00:15:43.41
whether that was a pivotal
crucial water shed moment,
00:15:43.44\00:15:46.07
like my testimony was
and may be it was gradual.
00:15:46.11\00:15:48.08
And you think back that...
00:15:48.11\00:15:49.44
Well, you know, there was
that moment when I was eight
00:15:49.48\00:15:51.21
but there was also
that moment when I was nine
00:15:51.25\00:15:52.78
and, you know, it seems like
00:15:52.81\00:15:54.15
I have always loved
Jesus, good for you.
00:15:54.18\00:15:55.88
Whatever your testimony
is, the reality is that
00:15:55.92\00:15:57.85
once we turn our
life's over to God,
00:15:57.89\00:15:59.65
there is a process.
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.82
There is what everyone?
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.32
There is a transition.
00:16:03.36\00:16:04.69
There is a process in which
we go from being converted...
00:16:04.73\00:16:08.13
That is to say
being declared right.
00:16:08.16\00:16:10.30
I don't want to steal
any of Shelly's thunder
00:16:10.33\00:16:11.80
because she's going to be
talking about justification,
00:16:11.83\00:16:13.60
sanctification
and glorification.
00:16:13.64\00:16:15.07
But there is this
process of being declared holy,
00:16:15.10\00:16:17.24
we call that justification,
00:16:17.27\00:16:18.64
but then there is this
00:16:18.67\00:16:20.01
process of being
made holy, sanctification.
00:16:20.04\00:16:22.68
The process of becoming
increasingly the friend of God,
00:16:22.71\00:16:26.11
until eventually the
process of glorification
00:16:26.15\00:16:28.15
when we are taken home.
00:16:28.18\00:16:29.52
Are we together everyone?
00:16:29.55\00:16:30.89
So, so many of us wonder.
00:16:30.92\00:16:32.32
I myself wonder at times.
00:16:32.35\00:16:33.79
How does God relate
to us in the meantime?
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.99
How does God relate
to us in this process
00:16:37.03\00:16:39.49
when we have begun
the conversion experience?
00:16:39.53\00:16:41.20
And I think many of us
00:16:41.23\00:16:42.56
in this room can relate to this.
00:16:42.60\00:16:43.93
We would love for the Christian
experience to be like this.
00:16:43.97\00:16:47.80
We're just marching and yeah,
that's right I'm converted now,
00:16:47.84\00:16:49.94
I'm going to heaven, right?
00:16:49.97\00:16:51.31
And we are just, would to God,
00:16:51.34\00:16:53.14
that it was just
this absolutely perfect,
00:16:53.17\00:16:54.88
absolutely linear straight line.
00:16:54.91\00:16:57.15
But if your experience
is anything like mine,
00:16:57.18\00:16:59.91
there's a few
dips, there's a few...
00:16:59.95\00:17:01.78
there's a few curves,
there's a few wiggles,
00:17:01.82\00:17:03.72
there's a few pauses,
00:17:03.75\00:17:05.52
and even at times
there's a few of these.
00:17:05.55\00:17:08.72
You know what we
call this? Backsliding.
00:17:08.76\00:17:10.79
Okay.
00:17:10.83\00:17:12.16
Now the good news is, is
that God loves backsliders
00:17:12.19\00:17:14.70
and He can save backsliders
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.26
and it would be the
rare person who doesn't,
00:17:16.30\00:17:18.80
at some level and some
ways struggle with backsliding.
00:17:18.83\00:17:22.77
Are we together
on that everyone?
00:17:22.80\00:17:24.54
And so how does God relate to us
00:17:24.57\00:17:26.01
in the midst of this
wonderful glorious journey,
00:17:26.04\00:17:29.18
there's sometimes curvy,
00:17:29.21\00:17:30.55
sometimes cutest,
sometimes straight,
00:17:30.58\00:17:32.55
and sometimes pensive journey
00:17:32.58\00:17:33.98
that we are taking
towards the kingdom of heaven.
00:17:34.02\00:17:37.09
Well, let me ask you a question
and answering that question,
00:17:37.12\00:17:39.52
the question that how God
relates to us in the meantime.
00:17:39.55\00:17:43.16
We have the Annual
General Conference session
00:17:43.19\00:17:45.86
of Seventh Day Adventist,
00:17:45.89\00:17:47.23
it's taking place this
June I think, is that right?
00:17:47.26\00:17:50.63
Taking place this June.
00:17:50.67\00:17:52.00
I just want you
to imagine with me.
00:17:52.03\00:17:53.70
What if you received a call
00:17:53.74\00:17:56.00
from the General
Conference Executive Committee,
00:17:56.04\00:17:58.14
the programming committee,
00:17:58.17\00:17:59.51
it's gonna be in
Atlanta this year.
00:17:59.54\00:18:00.88
And let's say that
you received a phone call
00:18:00.91\00:18:02.24
and the phone call
went something like this.
00:18:02.28\00:18:04.21
Sir, Madam, we've just come
out of the general conference
00:18:04.25\00:18:07.32
executive committee
programming committee
00:18:07.35\00:18:09.25
for the upcoming General
Conference session in Atlanta.
00:18:09.28\00:18:11.85
And, you know, we were praying
00:18:11.89\00:18:13.22
and we were
asking God to give us
00:18:13.25\00:18:14.59
wisdom about speakers,
wisdom about presenters
00:18:14.62\00:18:16.16
and we just felt
led the spirit of God
00:18:16.19\00:18:19.86
laid your name on our hearts
00:18:19.89\00:18:22.53
and we want you to take
the Sabbath morning ceremony
00:18:22.56\00:18:26.87
for the final weekend
00:18:26.90\00:18:28.24
of the upcoming
General Conference session.
00:18:28.27\00:18:30.47
Now don't we be nervous,
00:18:30.51\00:18:31.84
there will only be
about 70,000 people there
00:18:31.87\00:18:35.74
and millions
tuning in worldwide.
00:18:35.78\00:18:38.01
But we just feel
led of God to invite you
00:18:38.05\00:18:41.35
to take the
Sabbath morning ceremony.
00:18:41.38\00:18:43.05
Now how would you
feel about that invitation?
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.49
How many of you would be nervous
00:18:50.99\00:18:52.73
if you receive that invitation?
00:18:52.76\00:18:54.93
How many of you would
immediately hang up the phone?
00:18:54.96\00:18:59.10
I don't even know what a
Seventh-Day Adventist is?
00:18:59.13\00:19:02.84
Right?
00:19:02.87\00:19:04.21
Many of us, if we
were being totally honest,
00:19:04.24\00:19:05.81
we would distance our
self from invitation like that
00:19:05.84\00:19:08.18
because it would be
scary, it would be...
00:19:08.21\00:19:10.15
I mean, beloved, it's scary
00:19:10.18\00:19:11.51
to stand in front of ten people,
00:19:11.55\00:19:12.88
much less 10,000,
much less 70,000 people.
00:19:12.91\00:19:15.12
I mean, they say that there are
two great public fears, right?
00:19:15.15\00:19:18.55
Consistently there
are two great phobias
00:19:18.59\00:19:20.62
and those phobias are
public speaking and snakes,
00:19:20.66\00:19:26.56
public speaking and snakes.
00:19:26.59\00:19:27.93
So I suppose, if you
have both of those fears,
00:19:27.96\00:19:30.73
be very careful
about taking a mission trip
00:19:30.77\00:19:32.87
to say the Philippians
or south America or Africa,
00:19:32.90\00:19:36.30
a place in which
you could encounter
00:19:36.34\00:19:38.04
both of those primordial
fears at the same time, right?
00:19:38.07\00:19:40.98
Because you
could be standing up.
00:19:41.01\00:19:42.34
Good evening
everyone, we are so happy to
00:19:42.38\00:19:43.71
and a snake could
drop right on the pulpit
00:19:43.75\00:19:45.41
and then you will be faced
00:19:45.45\00:19:46.92
with both the
public speaking fear
00:19:46.95\00:19:48.48
and the snake
fear at the same time.
00:19:48.52\00:19:52.59
The reality is that, many
of us would feel very nervous,
00:19:52.62\00:19:55.69
very apprehensive, very anxious
about an invitation to speak
00:19:55.72\00:19:59.29
even to our local church,
much less to 70,000 people.
00:19:59.33\00:20:03.60
But I want you to think
this morning about Jesus.
00:20:03.63\00:20:06.70
I want you to think
this morning about Jesus.
00:20:06.74\00:20:09.27
Put yourself into
Jesus perspective there.
00:20:09.30\00:20:12.34
We're given hints of
this in the gospel of Luke,
00:20:12.37\00:20:16.24
but it's communicated expressly
00:20:16.28\00:20:17.78
in the book, the Desire of Ages.
00:20:17.81\00:20:19.38
In the Gospel of
Luke, Luke 1 and 2,
00:20:19.41\00:20:21.38
Jesus has taken to the
temple for the first time.
00:20:21.42\00:20:23.89
Does anyone know how old He was?
00:20:23.92\00:20:25.49
He was 12 years old.
00:20:25.52\00:20:26.86
So, Jesus has taken to
the temple for the time.
00:20:26.89\00:20:28.52
He's 12 years old
and at that moment,
00:20:28.56\00:20:30.13
this is hint to
that at Luke, in Luke.
00:20:30.16\00:20:31.99
It's sort of implied in Luke,
00:20:32.03\00:20:33.36
but it's expressly communicated
in the Desire of Ages.
00:20:33.40\00:20:35.80
And that is this idea that Jesus
00:20:35.83\00:20:38.03
when He saw the
Paschal lamb being slain there,
00:20:38.07\00:20:41.04
at the temple
for the first time.
00:20:41.07\00:20:42.57
It was at that moment
that He realized, that's Me.
00:20:42.60\00:20:44.94
We've to remember here
that Jesus, as He was sitting
00:20:47.94\00:20:50.31
as a two year
old or three year old
00:20:50.35\00:20:51.68
or four year old on Mary's lap,
00:20:51.71\00:20:53.05
was not saying to Mary.
00:20:53.08\00:20:54.65
Mary, let Me tell
you what it was like
00:20:54.68\00:20:56.15
with the glories of
heaven before eternity began.
00:20:56.18\00:20:58.92
Let me tell...
00:20:58.95\00:21:00.29
No, no, no, no,
00:21:00.32\00:21:01.66
Jesus the Bible says in Luke 2.
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.19
And of course He's a physician,
00:21:03.22\00:21:04.56
you would
expect him to document,
00:21:04.59\00:21:05.93
the developmental stages,
00:21:05.96\00:21:07.30
that more so than any of
the other Gospel writers.
00:21:07.33\00:21:09.06
And, so Luke Chapter 2:52
says that He grew in wisdom
00:21:09.10\00:21:11.93
and in stature and in
favor with God and men.
00:21:11.97\00:21:14.24
In other words Jesus grew.
00:21:14.27\00:21:15.60
He grew intellectually,
He grew spiritually,
00:21:15.64\00:21:17.67
He grew physically, He
grew socially etcetera.
00:21:17.71\00:21:19.91
And, so it wasn't Jesus
00:21:19.94\00:21:21.28
that was saying to Mary
00:21:21.31\00:21:23.71
as he would been
sitting on his mother's lap.
00:21:23.75\00:21:25.91
It wasn't Jesus that said,
00:21:25.95\00:21:27.28
"Let me tell you what
the glories of, of..."
00:21:27.32\00:21:28.78
No, no, no, no, it was
Marry who is saying to Jesus,
00:21:28.82\00:21:31.45
there were special circumstances
00:21:31.49\00:21:33.15
around Your birth.
00:21:33.19\00:21:34.52
You're the
Messiah, you're the...
00:21:34.56\00:21:36.16
And Jesus would have
heard from his mother's lips
00:21:36.19\00:21:38.63
and from the
teaching of scripture
00:21:38.66\00:21:40.76
about His
identity, who He really was.
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.06
But there was a
moment of crystallization,
00:21:43.10\00:21:44.93
there was a
moment of galvanization.
00:21:44.97\00:21:46.43
When He went to the
temple for the first time
00:21:46.47\00:21:48.60
and He sees that
Paschal lamb being slained
00:21:48.64\00:21:50.71
and it dawns on Him in a...
00:21:50.74\00:21:52.67
In the grandest epiphany,
00:21:52.71\00:21:54.08
you reek a moment in all
of the universe, that's Me.
00:21:54.11\00:22:00.45
I'm the lamb.
00:22:00.48\00:22:01.98
Now, John the Baptist
would say many years later,
00:22:02.02\00:22:03.65
his elder cousin John would say,
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.02
"Behold the lamb of God
00:22:05.05\00:22:06.96
that takes away
the sin of the world."
00:22:06.99\00:22:08.32
But for Jesus this
was a self realization.
00:22:08.36\00:22:10.33
This was an identity of coming
to be aware of His identity.
00:22:10.36\00:22:14.30
He learned, He grew, He quoted
scripture just as you and I.
00:22:14.33\00:22:17.37
He learned as He read,
He learned as He studied,
00:22:17.40\00:22:19.73
He learned from the mouth
of his mother and from others.
00:22:19.77\00:22:22.44
In fact there in Luke 1 and 2,
00:22:22.47\00:22:25.21
when Jesus, just
after He's realized
00:22:25.24\00:22:26.68
that He is the lamb,
00:22:26.71\00:22:28.04
He was confounding the doctors.
00:22:28.08\00:22:29.68
He was confounding the
scribes and the pharisees, why?
00:22:29.71\00:22:32.48
Because God had revealed
all of these things to Him
00:22:32.51\00:22:34.75
in a person-to-person...
00:22:34.78\00:22:36.32
No, no, no because
He had study scripture,
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.02
because He had listened
to the voice of his mother.
00:22:38.05\00:22:39.69
In other words,
Jesus came to know
00:22:39.72\00:22:41.86
that He was the Messiah.
00:22:41.89\00:22:43.43
Are we together everyone? Yes.
00:22:43.46\00:22:45.19
Now, think that through.
00:22:45.23\00:22:47.26
What was likely Jesus vocation
00:22:47.30\00:22:50.60
prior to becoming
a public minister?
00:22:50.63\00:22:53.44
Carpenter.
00:22:53.47\00:22:54.80
Okay, so He was
a carpenter, okay.
00:22:54.84\00:22:56.17
So, so put
yourself in Jesus mind.
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.54
Put yourself in
Jesus perspective
00:22:58.57\00:23:00.28
and here He is sawing
away, right, day after day.
00:23:00.31\00:23:04.05
From the age of 12 on to about,
00:23:04.08\00:23:05.88
we will say 30, we
will just use around number.
00:23:05.91\00:23:07.72
So far 18 years
Jesus is sawing away,
00:23:07.75\00:23:10.59
He's measuring away,
00:23:10.62\00:23:11.95
He's hammering
away, he's carrying...
00:23:11.99\00:23:14.16
All along, He knows that
God has not put him on earth
00:23:14.19\00:23:16.89
primarily to be a carpenter.
00:23:16.93\00:23:18.86
God has put Him on
earth as the Messiah.
00:23:18.89\00:23:22.10
As the, what everyone?
00:23:22.13\00:23:23.47
Messiah. As the messiah.
00:23:23.50\00:23:24.83
Now, the Jewish
nation has been looking for
00:23:24.87\00:23:26.20
to the Messiah from
more than a thousand years.
00:23:26.23\00:23:27.97
They have been
looking forward to the Messiah
00:23:28.00\00:23:29.57
and Jesus is sawing
and Jesus is measuring
00:23:29.60\00:23:32.47
and Jesus is
hammering and He has 18 years,
00:23:32.51\00:23:35.31
the better part of
18 years to think about,
00:23:35.34\00:23:37.08
one day He's gonna take that saw
00:23:37.11\00:23:38.98
and he is gonna lay it down.
00:23:39.01\00:23:40.45
He's gonna take that
hammer, He's gonna lay it down,
00:23:40.48\00:23:42.02
he's gonna take that,
take measure and lay it down
00:23:42.05\00:23:43.69
and He's going to take
off His carpenter garb,
00:23:43.72\00:23:46.15
He's going to put
on the garb of rabbi
00:23:46.19\00:23:48.32
and He's going to step out
00:23:48.36\00:23:49.69
and present Himself to Israel,
00:23:49.72\00:23:52.39
not just as another rabbi,
not just as another teacher,
00:23:52.43\00:23:55.56
but as their Messiah.
00:23:55.60\00:23:59.17
Now, you think
you would be nervous
00:23:59.20\00:24:01.07
speaking to 70,000 people,
00:24:01.10\00:24:02.44
Sabbath morning at the
General Conference session?
00:24:02.47\00:24:04.37
But imagine being the Messiah,
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.27
having that
knowledge for 18 years
00:24:06.31\00:24:08.04
and knowing that one
day you're going to have
00:24:08.08\00:24:10.28
to put down the saw,
put down their hammer,
00:24:10.31\00:24:12.85
put down the tape measure
00:24:12.88\00:24:14.22
and introduce yourself to Israel
00:24:14.25\00:24:15.75
who's been looking forward
to You for a thousand years.
00:24:15.78\00:24:19.39
Do you think that Jesus would
have thought about that sermon?
00:24:19.42\00:24:23.19
Do you think that Jesus
would have thought about
00:24:23.22\00:24:24.79
what He would he say in
His first public address?
00:24:24.83\00:24:27.63
What do you think?
00:24:27.66\00:24:29.00
He had 18 years to
think about it, beloved.
00:24:29.03\00:24:31.53
He had 18 years to think
it through to plan to pray,
00:24:31.57\00:24:35.57
to be in
contact with His Father.
00:24:35.60\00:24:37.47
I mean, dare I say that
if you're invited to speak
00:24:37.51\00:24:39.31
at the upcoming
General Conference session,
00:24:39.34\00:24:40.71
you would spend
sometime in preparation.
00:24:40.74\00:24:42.58
Even if you're invited to
speak at your local church,
00:24:42.61\00:24:44.35
you would spend
sometime in preparation,
00:24:44.38\00:24:45.71
you would spend sometime,
00:24:45.75\00:24:47.08
you would study, you would pray,
00:24:47.12\00:24:48.45
you would want to be prepare.
00:24:48.48\00:24:49.92
Are we together everyone?
00:24:49.95\00:24:51.29
What if you had 18
years to prepare for a sermon?
00:24:51.32\00:24:54.16
What, if you had 18
years to prepare for a sermon?
00:24:54.19\00:24:56.02
But even more than that,
00:24:56.06\00:24:57.39
what if you're
presenting yourself
00:24:57.43\00:24:58.76
not just as the morning speaker,
00:24:58.79\00:25:00.13
not just as the
morning's devotionals speaker,
00:25:00.16\00:25:01.80
but you're presenting yourself
as the long awaited messiah?
00:25:01.83\00:25:06.70
Would there have been anxiety?
00:25:06.74\00:25:08.07
Would there have
been nervousness?
00:25:08.10\00:25:09.44
Would there have
been apprehensiveness?
00:25:09.47\00:25:10.81
The answer is yes.
00:25:10.84\00:25:12.24
And what we encounter is
what we refer to colloquially
00:25:12.27\00:25:15.51
as the Sermon on the Mount.
00:25:15.54\00:25:18.88
What we called the
Sermon on the Mount.
00:25:18.91\00:25:20.95
This is Jesus
first public address.
00:25:20.98\00:25:24.22
This is Jesus introducing
Himself in a public way
00:25:24.25\00:25:27.62
in the
beginning of His ministry,
00:25:27.66\00:25:30.79
in a sermon setting.
00:25:30.83\00:25:32.89
This is who I'm.
00:25:32.93\00:25:34.36
Now, let set a
little bit of context here
00:25:34.40\00:25:35.73
before we actually get
into the Sermon on the Mount.
00:25:35.76\00:25:38.50
Several years ago,
I read a book called
00:25:38.53\00:25:40.04
"Thoughts from the
Mount of Blessing."
00:25:40.07\00:25:42.10
Have you read that book?
00:25:42.14\00:25:43.47
I think I've read it
several times, marvelous book.
00:25:43.51\00:25:45.21
It's basically a verse by verse
00:25:45.24\00:25:47.41
exposition of the
Sermon on the Mount.
00:25:47.44\00:25:49.24
It's a verse by verse
00:25:49.28\00:25:50.61
exposition of the
Sermon on the Mount.
00:25:50.65\00:25:51.98
And in the
introduction to the book there,
00:25:52.01\00:25:54.55
"Thoughts from the
Mount of Blessing,"
00:25:54.58\00:25:55.92
something he said that
00:25:55.95\00:25:57.29
I thought was
absolutely fascinating
00:25:57.32\00:25:58.65
and that is this.
00:25:58.69\00:26:00.02
The author says, "That if
all we had in all of scripture,
00:26:00.06\00:26:04.66
if all we've was the
Sermon on the Mount."
00:26:04.69\00:26:07.73
In other words, not
the 66 books that you see
00:26:07.76\00:26:09.96
between these two
leather covers here
00:26:10.00\00:26:11.33
and then you've in your hands.
00:26:11.37\00:26:12.70
If all we had was Matthew
5, Matthew 6, and Matthew 7.
00:26:12.73\00:26:16.54
The author says, we would have
more than enough to be saved
00:26:16.57\00:26:19.97
and to know who God is in truth.
00:26:20.01\00:26:21.54
Amen.
00:26:21.58\00:26:22.91
Now I remember when I read that,
00:26:22.94\00:26:24.28
I thought, well, wait a minute.
00:26:24.31\00:26:25.65
If everything that I
would need to know for salvation
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.35
and everything that
I need to know about
00:26:27.38\00:26:28.88
the goodness of God
and His love for me,
00:26:28.92\00:26:30.79
and His plan for me is contained
00:26:30.82\00:26:32.79
in sort of nuclear
form, the Sermon on the mount.
00:26:32.82\00:26:36.86
I'm going to
commit that to memory.
00:26:36.89\00:26:38.93
I mean in the sense,
the sermon on the mount,
00:26:38.96\00:26:40.46
it's like a mini Bible.
00:26:40.50\00:26:41.86
It's like a
Bible with in a Bible,
00:26:41.90\00:26:43.67
if all you had
was Matthew 5, 6, 7,
00:26:43.70\00:26:46.07
you would have enough.
00:26:46.10\00:26:47.67
Are we together everyone? Yes.
00:26:47.70\00:26:49.04
And so I began to
commit that to memory.
00:26:49.07\00:26:50.47
I began to commit the
Sermon on the Mount to memory
00:26:50.51\00:26:51.97
because I thought some day
00:26:52.01\00:26:53.34
someone might
take my Bible away,
00:26:53.38\00:26:54.71
but by the grace of God
00:26:54.74\00:26:56.08
they will never
be able to take away
00:26:56.11\00:26:57.45
the mini Bible in my
mind, the Sermon on the Mount.
00:26:57.48\00:26:59.55
Now the point I want to
make here is simply this.
00:26:59.58\00:27:00.95
We're asking the question.
00:27:00.98\00:27:02.32
How does God relate
to us in the meantime?
00:27:02.35\00:27:03.95
How does God relate
to us in that transition
00:27:03.99\00:27:06.19
from the first
part of conversion?
00:27:06.22\00:27:08.69
Whether it's
something you can trace
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.06
to an immediate pivotal moment
00:27:10.09\00:27:11.66
through the process of
what we call sanctification
00:27:11.69\00:27:14.06
to eventually
glorification, translation,
00:27:14.10\00:27:15.80
or in some cases resurrection.
00:27:15.83\00:27:17.17
How does God relate
to us in the meantime?
00:27:17.20\00:27:20.84
Now, we need to set a little
bit of historical context here.
00:27:20.87\00:27:23.27
But you can open your Bibles
00:27:23.30\00:27:24.64
to the Book of
Matthew, Matthew 5.
00:27:24.67\00:27:27.71
Now, when the New Testament
writers realized finally,
00:27:27.74\00:27:31.68
most of them post resurrection
00:27:31.71\00:27:33.31
that Jesus was
who He claimed to be.
00:27:33.35\00:27:35.52
There was a totally
radical transformation
00:27:35.55\00:27:39.22
that took place in a
way that viewed themselves,
00:27:39.25\00:27:41.16
whether if you're God
00:27:41.19\00:27:42.52
and especially
perhaps in the way
00:27:42.56\00:27:43.89
that they viewed
the Old Testament.
00:27:43.93\00:27:46.16
And, what you find in
the New Testament is that,
00:27:46.19\00:27:48.26
the New Testament writers
00:27:48.30\00:27:49.70
began reading the Old Testament,
00:27:49.73\00:27:51.07
but they're reading
it in a radial new way.
00:27:51.10\00:27:54.27
What they
basically done is that,
00:27:54.30\00:27:55.64
God has set a glasses.
00:27:55.67\00:27:57.01
Okay, they had grown up
hearing about the Old Testament
00:27:57.04\00:27:59.51
as Jews would have been...
00:27:59.54\00:28:00.98
They would have
memorized large portion of it.
00:28:01.01\00:28:02.71
They would have known it.
00:28:02.74\00:28:04.08
They would have
been familiar with it.
00:28:04.11\00:28:05.45
They would have
known the major stories,
00:28:05.48\00:28:06.82
the major things etcetera.
00:28:06.85\00:28:08.18
And, so there was a familiarity
00:28:08.22\00:28:09.55
with the Old
Testament in Jesus day.
00:28:09.58\00:28:10.92
In fact on one
occasion Jesus said,
00:28:10.95\00:28:12.29
"You guys are
searching the scriptures
00:28:12.32\00:28:13.66
because in them you
thing you have eternal life,
00:28:13.69\00:28:15.19
but these are
they which testify Me."
00:28:15.22\00:28:17.86
In 2 Corinthians 3,
00:28:17.89\00:28:19.23
the Apostle Paul
uses the image of veil
00:28:19.26\00:28:20.96
and he basically says
that the Jews are veiled.
00:28:21.00\00:28:23.57
The Messiah rejecting Jews,
00:28:23.60\00:28:24.97
the Christ
rejecting Jews are veiled,
00:28:25.00\00:28:26.67
they can't see the real essence,
00:28:26.70\00:28:28.64
the real thing of
the Old Testament,
00:28:28.67\00:28:30.01
they are veiled.
00:28:30.04\00:28:31.37
And then he says
something very interesting.
00:28:31.41\00:28:32.74
He says, that
veil has taken away,
00:28:32.77\00:28:34.64
that opaqueness is
taken away in Christ.
00:28:34.68\00:28:38.71
So what happened
with Paul and Matthew
00:28:38.75\00:28:40.35
and the other New
Testament writers,
00:28:40.38\00:28:41.72
is they began to
read the Old Testament,
00:28:41.75\00:28:43.45
but they didn't
read the Old Testament
00:28:43.49\00:28:44.82
in the normal old
run of the middle way.
00:28:44.85\00:28:46.55
The rabbinical
way, the scribal way,
00:28:46.59\00:28:48.29
they got a new pair of glasses.
00:28:48.32\00:28:50.36
And those new glasses
were a Christocentrism
00:28:50.39\00:28:54.66
and they started
reading the Old Testament
00:28:54.70\00:28:57.77
and Jesus was everywhere.
00:28:57.80\00:28:59.67
Jesus had introduced
this method of Bible study,
00:28:59.70\00:29:02.14
there on the road to a mass,
00:29:02.17\00:29:03.51
where the disciples were walking
00:29:03.54\00:29:04.87
and they were furlonged.
00:29:04.91\00:29:06.24
And, well, this
is the third day.
00:29:06.27\00:29:07.61
And Jesus says,
"Why are you so said?"
00:29:07.64\00:29:08.98
And the Bible says,
that beginning in the Psalms
00:29:09.01\00:29:10.65
and moving even into
the prophets and the law,
00:29:10.68\00:29:15.15
he expounded onto them
all things concerning Himself.
00:29:15.18\00:29:18.99
In other words what Jesus did...
00:29:19.02\00:29:20.36
He said, "Oh, you
guys, you kind of miss it.
00:29:20.39\00:29:21.72
You kind of miss the point."
00:29:21.76\00:29:23.49
Here's the
Messiah. Here's the Messiah.
00:29:23.53\00:29:24.89
Here's the
Messiah. Here's the Messiah.
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.33
Here's the
Messiah. Here's the Messiah.
00:29:26.36\00:29:27.73
It's all over the Old Testament.
00:29:27.76\00:29:29.73
And when that
Bible study was done,
00:29:29.76\00:29:31.10
and if ever
there would have been
00:29:31.13\00:29:32.47
a Bible study to have been,
00:29:32.50\00:29:33.84
to have been privy too, it
would have been the Messiah
00:29:33.87\00:29:35.60
Jesus showing us the
Messiah in the Old Testament.
00:29:35.64\00:29:39.41
But this notion
of Christocentrism
00:29:39.44\00:29:41.51
in the Old
Testament radically informed
00:29:41.54\00:29:43.58
the way that the
New Testament writers
00:29:43.61\00:29:44.95
began to read the Old
Testaments so much so that...
00:29:44.98\00:29:47.32
For example the
Apostle Paul would say
00:29:47.35\00:29:48.82
in 2 Corinthian 1:20.
00:29:48.85\00:29:50.85
Just as an example, he
said all of the promises of God.
00:29:50.89\00:29:55.39
And he's speaking to Jews here
00:29:55.42\00:29:56.76
who would have
known the promises of God,
00:29:56.79\00:29:58.16
who would have clung
to the promises of God.
00:29:58.19\00:29:59.69
The Apostle Paul
says, 2 Corinthian 1:20.
00:29:59.73\00:30:02.00
"All of the promises
of God are yes in Christ."
00:30:02.03\00:30:08.20
In other words the
whole Old Testament
00:30:08.24\00:30:10.31
revolves around, orbits around
00:30:10.34\00:30:12.21
and is centered in Jesus.
00:30:12.24\00:30:14.44
Now, when we come to
the Gospel of Matthew,
00:30:14.48\00:30:16.01
which is what
we're in now, Matthew 5.
00:30:16.04\00:30:17.91
Matthew picks up this theme
00:30:17.95\00:30:19.35
of the Christocentric
nature of the Old Testament
00:30:19.38\00:30:21.12
that He is everywhere
00:30:21.15\00:30:22.48
and he has a favorite word.
00:30:22.52\00:30:23.89
Matthew has a favorite
when he is writing his gospel,
00:30:23.92\00:30:26.45
this word comes
up over and over,
00:30:26.49\00:30:28.29
and-over and over again.
00:30:28.32\00:30:29.66
He uses it more than
Mark, Luke and John combined.
00:30:29.69\00:30:33.90
Does anyone know the word?
00:30:33.93\00:30:36.50
The word is fulfilled.
00:30:36.53\00:30:39.03
The word is fulfilled.
00:30:39.07\00:30:41.00
See because what's
happening with Matthew,
00:30:41.04\00:30:42.40
Matthew is
definitely writing his Gospel
00:30:42.44\00:30:44.41
as a kind of
apologetic to the Jews.
00:30:44.44\00:30:46.01
Scholars agree on this
00:30:46.04\00:30:47.38
and it's just clear from
the textual evidence itself.
00:30:47.41\00:30:49.84
What Matthew is doing,
00:30:49.88\00:30:51.21
is he begins reading
the Old Testament passages
00:30:51.25\00:30:53.42
and he finds a passage
and he pulls that passage out
00:30:53.45\00:30:56.22
and he says, "This
was fulfilled in Jesus."
00:30:56.25\00:30:58.55
And then he reaches into
another Old Testament passage
00:30:58.59\00:31:00.39
and he sees
Messianic overtones there
00:31:00.42\00:31:02.16
and he says, "This
was fulfilled in Jesus."
00:31:02.19\00:31:03.76
What Matthew began to do is,
00:31:03.79\00:31:05.13
he began to look
at the life of Jesus,
00:31:05.16\00:31:06.96
he began to look at
the Old Testament context,
00:31:07.00\00:31:09.66
the Old Testament stories
and the Old Testament Psalms
00:31:09.70\00:31:11.60
and prophets and began to
say, Well, Jesus is everywhere."
00:31:11.63\00:31:13.84
And so as he writes his
Gospel, his you and galleon.
00:31:13.87\00:31:16.57
He's basically seeking
to persuade other Jews.
00:31:16.60\00:31:19.44
Hey, all of these
things in the Old Testament
00:31:19.47\00:31:21.74
were fulfilled in Jesus,
00:31:21.78\00:31:23.11
fulfilled in
Jesus, fulfilled in Jesus,
00:31:23.14\00:31:25.51
fulfilled in
Jesus, fulfilled in Jesus.
00:31:25.55\00:31:27.92
So we together everyone?
00:31:27.95\00:31:29.32
Matthew even
structures his Gospel this way.
00:31:29.35\00:31:33.36
He structures the opening
of his Gospel in this way.
00:31:33.39\00:31:35.72
Just very quickly
by way of review here.
00:31:35.76\00:31:38.73
When Israel
originally went into Egypt,
00:31:38.76\00:31:40.83
it was because named
Joseph had, had dreams.
00:31:40.86\00:31:44.00
And so you've
this very simple thing.
00:31:44.03\00:31:45.37
A man named Joseph has dreams,
00:31:45.40\00:31:46.77
the children of
Israel go into Egypt.
00:31:46.80\00:31:48.64
they remain in Egypt for a time,
00:31:48.67\00:31:50.77
then they're
called out of Egypt.
00:31:50.81\00:31:52.87
When they come out of Egypt,
what is the very first thing
00:31:52.91\00:31:55.41
that the children
of Israel encounter?
00:31:55.44\00:31:57.21
The first major obstacle,
they're being let out of Egypt,
00:31:57.25\00:31:59.95
we call this the Exodus.
00:31:59.98\00:32:01.32
And the first major obstacle
they encounter is the Red Sea.
00:32:01.35\00:32:05.09
After they passed through
the Red Sea incidentally,
00:32:05.12\00:32:07.26
then they go through a
period of wilderness wandering,
00:32:07.29\00:32:09.32
which was only about a
month and that's all the longer
00:32:09.36\00:32:11.33
God intend them to
be in the wilderness.
00:32:11.36\00:32:13.29
It wasn't God's plan
for the children of Israel
00:32:13.33\00:32:14.96
to be in the
wilderness for 40 years.
00:32:15.00\00:32:16.33
So, we together
everyone on that?
00:32:16.36\00:32:17.87
The period of time, the
period of distance between
00:32:17.90\00:32:21.47
leaving the Red Sea
and getting to Mount Sinai,
00:32:21.50\00:32:23.64
it was just over a month.
00:32:23.67\00:32:25.01
In other words,
about a literal 40 days,
00:32:25.04\00:32:27.21
not 40 years.
00:32:27.24\00:32:28.58
And so look at the process here.
00:32:28.61\00:32:29.94
A man named Joseph has dreams,
00:32:29.98\00:32:31.31
the children of
Israel go into Egypt.
00:32:31.35\00:32:33.48
They remain in Egypt for a time,
00:32:33.52\00:32:34.88
then they're
called out of Egypt,
00:32:34.92\00:32:36.35
then they go through
the Red Sea experience,
00:32:36.38\00:32:38.32
then they pass
through the wilderness
00:32:38.35\00:32:39.69
and they come to...
00:32:39.72\00:32:41.06
What did they come to after...?
Where were they headed?
00:32:41.09\00:32:42.92
Where were they headed
when they were on their way?
00:32:42.96\00:32:44.86
To Mount Sinai.
00:32:44.89\00:32:46.33
Okay, now just
follow that basic sequence
00:32:46.36\00:32:48.63
and look at the
Gospel of Matthew.
00:32:48.66\00:32:50.97
Basically we
have in Matthew 1 is,
00:32:51.00\00:32:52.67
is Matthew
setting forth to be gaps.
00:32:52.70\00:32:54.54
He's trying to demonstrate
00:32:54.57\00:32:55.90
that Jesus is in
fact the promised Messiah,
00:32:55.94\00:32:57.51
that's Matthew 1.
00:32:57.54\00:32:59.14
When we come to Matthew 2,
00:32:59.17\00:33:00.61
we have the story
about the birth of Jesus
00:33:00.64\00:33:03.85
and Jesus being
called into Egypt.
00:33:03.88\00:33:06.25
Because an Angel Gabriel
appears to a man named...
00:33:06.28\00:33:09.22
What was Jesus
earthly father's name?
00:33:09.25\00:33:10.75
Joseph.
00:33:10.79\00:33:12.12
So Joseph has dreams
00:33:12.15\00:33:13.49
and the children of
Israel go into Egypt.
00:33:13.52\00:33:16.19
So, a man named
Joseph has dreams,
00:33:16.22\00:33:17.69
the children of
Israel go into Egypt.
00:33:17.73\00:33:19.59
Jesus goes into Egypt.
00:33:19.63\00:33:21.13
Jesus remains there for a time
00:33:21.16\00:33:22.76
and then he
receives another dream,
00:33:22.80\00:33:24.30
bring the little
child out of Egypt
00:33:24.33\00:33:26.03
because here it is dead.
00:33:26.07\00:33:27.40
The very next
thing that we encounter
00:33:27.44\00:33:28.77
in the Gospel of
Matthew, it's Matthew 3.
00:33:28.80\00:33:30.71
Can any Bible student tell me
what's happening in Matthew 3?
00:33:30.74\00:33:34.88
Matthew 3, what is that?
00:33:34.91\00:33:36.51
Matthew 3, not the temptation.
00:33:36.54\00:33:38.61
It's the
baptism. It's the baptism.
00:33:38.65\00:33:40.85
Now you tell me what
happens in Matthew 4?
00:33:40.88\00:33:44.42
The wilderness temptation.
00:33:44.45\00:33:45.79
So look at this,
look at this sequence.
00:33:45.82\00:33:47.82
A man named Joseph has
dreams, Jesus goes into Egypt.
00:33:47.86\00:33:50.53
He remains in Egypt for a time,
then He comes out of Egypt.
00:33:50.56\00:33:52.89
The very first thing that He
encounters coming out of Egypt
00:33:52.93\00:33:55.26
is the Red Sea of
the baptism experience.
00:33:55.30\00:33:57.97
The Apostle Paul says that,
00:33:58.00\00:33:59.33
when the children of
Israel went through the Red Sea,
00:33:59.37\00:34:00.70
they were baptized.
00:34:00.74\00:34:02.07
And then he goes from
the baptism experience
00:34:02.10\00:34:03.91
into the wilderness experience.
00:34:03.94\00:34:05.47
And he's in the
wilderness for how long?
00:34:05.51\00:34:06.84
How long was He there?
00:34:06.88\00:34:08.21
Forty days
corresponding with the 40 years
00:34:08.24\00:34:10.25
that Israel was
in the wilderness
00:34:10.28\00:34:11.61
and then they come to...
00:34:11.65\00:34:13.28
Jesus comes to Matthew 5.
00:34:13.31\00:34:15.02
What we call the
Sermon on the Mount,
00:34:15.05\00:34:17.72
just as the children of
Israel came to Mount Sinai.
00:34:17.75\00:34:20.79
So if you see the sequence,
it's absolutely marvelous
00:34:20.82\00:34:22.92
and Matthew has
constructed his gospel this way.
00:34:22.96\00:34:25.89
Point by point
Jesus is retracing
00:34:25.93\00:34:28.33
the history of national Israel.
00:34:28.36\00:34:29.96
There are even more
evidences incidentally,
00:34:30.00\00:34:31.57
I'm just giving
you the quick version.
00:34:31.60\00:34:33.07
Jesus is moving through
the history of national Israel.
00:34:33.10\00:34:35.47
A man named Joseph has dreams
into Egypt, remain in Egypt,
00:34:35.50\00:34:38.47
called out of Egypt
through the baptism experience,
00:34:38.51\00:34:41.64
Red Sea experience,
00:34:41.68\00:34:43.01
through the
wilderness experience
00:34:43.04\00:34:44.81
and then to the mountain.
00:34:44.85\00:34:46.98
Now, what was so
significant about Mount Sinai?
00:34:47.02\00:34:48.78
You tell me the Bible students.
00:34:48.82\00:34:51.15
What happened at Mount Sinai?
00:34:51.19\00:34:52.99
Okay, they received the law.
00:34:53.02\00:34:55.82
They received the law.
00:34:55.86\00:34:57.53
What's happened in
Matthew 5, 6, and 7?
00:34:57.56\00:35:01.23
Jesus, the Giver of the law,
00:35:01.26\00:35:03.63
the one who in Exodus 20
00:35:03.67\00:35:05.00
had written with his own fingers
00:35:05.03\00:35:06.37
on tables of stones,
00:35:06.40\00:35:07.74
his own finger
on tables of stone.
00:35:07.77\00:35:09.10
Who had given the law,
00:35:09.14\00:35:10.47
Jesus the lawgiver is
now the law expositor.
00:35:10.51\00:35:13.91
He's now the
explainer of the law.
00:35:13.94\00:35:15.51
No wonder he kept
saying things like this.
00:35:15.54\00:35:19.51
You have heard that it
was said by them of all time,
00:35:19.55\00:35:23.62
thou shalt not commit adultery.
00:35:23.65\00:35:25.22
But I say unto you,
that whosoever lust...
00:35:25.25\00:35:27.39
"Whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust
00:35:27.42\00:35:28.76
after her hath
committed adultery
00:35:28.79\00:35:30.23
with her already in his heart."
00:35:30.26\00:35:32.03
What Jesus is doing?
00:35:32.06\00:35:33.40
Here the lawgiver is
becoming the law explicator,
00:35:33.43\00:35:36.30
the law explainer.
00:35:36.33\00:35:38.33
Are we together everyone?
00:35:38.37\00:35:39.80
And, so Mathew has
constructed his gospel,
00:35:39.83\00:35:41.50
his favorite word is fulfilled.
00:35:41.54\00:35:42.90
This is a very
consistent New Testament theme.
00:35:42.94\00:35:45.51
This Christocentrism
00:35:45.54\00:35:46.88
that Jesus is
everywhere in the Old Testament.
00:35:46.91\00:35:48.58
He's
everywhere. He's everywhere.
00:35:48.61\00:35:49.94
He's
everywhere. He's everywhere.
00:35:49.98\00:35:51.31
And Matthew even constructs
the opening of his Gospel
00:35:51.35\00:35:53.95
going from the Egypt experience
00:35:53.98\00:35:55.78
to the baptism
experience, Red Sea experience,
00:35:55.82\00:35:59.05
through the
wilderness experience
00:35:59.09\00:36:00.46
and ending up at Sinai,
00:36:00.49\00:36:01.86
retracing point by point
the history of national Israel.
00:36:01.89\00:36:05.06
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:36:05.09\00:36:06.59
So, Jesus... Now
here's the point.
00:36:06.63\00:36:09.06
Jesus has been thinking
about this sermon for 18 years.
00:36:09.10\00:36:13.34
Jesus has been
thinking about this presentation
00:36:13.37\00:36:15.07
for the better part of 18
years beloved in preparation.
00:36:15.10\00:36:21.11
Now, Jesus says six times,
00:36:21.14\00:36:24.65
you have heard,
but I say to you.
00:36:24.68\00:36:27.68
Now, step outside of
your belief right now.
00:36:27.72\00:36:30.29
Just try to step outside.
00:36:30.32\00:36:31.65
Imagine that you don't believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
00:36:31.69\00:36:34.09
that you don't
even know who Jesus is.
00:36:34.12\00:36:35.72
All you're, as a Galilean
00:36:35.76\00:36:37.09
and you're
sitting on a hillside,
00:36:37.13\00:36:38.46
some 2,000 years ago,
00:36:38.49\00:36:39.86
and there's the
sense of anticipation
00:36:39.89\00:36:41.56
as a provocative new young rabbi
00:36:41.60\00:36:44.00
is sitting on
top of the mountain
00:36:44.03\00:36:45.37
and there's this kind
of electricity in the air.
00:36:45.40\00:36:47.74
Like, who is this Guy?
00:36:47.77\00:36:49.70
What's He is going to say?
00:36:49.74\00:36:51.07
Now, some people
where at his baptism
00:36:51.11\00:36:52.44
and some are claming that
when this Guy was baptized,
00:36:52.47\00:36:54.81
that they actually heard,
00:36:54.84\00:36:56.54
what sounded strangely
like the voice of God saying,
00:36:56.58\00:36:59.98
"This is my beloved Son
in whom I'm well pleased."
00:37:00.02\00:37:01.88
But others said,
"No, no, no, no, no,
00:37:01.92\00:37:03.25
that was just lightening."
00:37:03.28\00:37:04.62
And, so we don't...
How many over there?
00:37:04.65\00:37:05.99
We'll says it's 500, 600,
700, maybe a 1000 or 2000 people
00:37:06.02\00:37:08.16
should have gather
there on that mountain side
00:37:08.19\00:37:10.33
and just imagine this
morning that you're one of them.
00:37:10.36\00:37:12.69
You're just there
00:37:12.73\00:37:14.06
and it's maybe a
nice beautiful sunny day,
00:37:14.10\00:37:15.43
the birds are singing
00:37:15.46\00:37:16.80
and you're
sitting down and this...
00:37:16.83\00:37:18.17
You don't know that
this is the Messiah.
00:37:18.20\00:37:19.90
You don't know that He is doing
00:37:19.93\00:37:21.57
all these
marvelous miracles yet.
00:37:21.60\00:37:22.94
Up to this point, all He's done
00:37:22.97\00:37:24.31
so far as we know
it's the miracle in Cannon,
00:37:24.34\00:37:25.67
with the
changing of water to wine.
00:37:25.71\00:37:27.04
So, and you're just sitting down
00:37:27.08\00:37:28.58
to enjoy a nice
sermon so to speak.
00:37:28.61\00:37:30.85
And this guy, we
don't know how old He was,
00:37:30.88\00:37:32.85
but in our minds
He's 28. He's 28.
00:37:32.88\00:37:35.28
He's 10 years younger than me.
00:37:35.32\00:37:37.65
Okay, so He's a Kid, okay.
00:37:37.69\00:37:39.85
And this Kid, this kid
stands up in front of Israel.
00:37:39.89\00:37:44.93
He stands up in front of Israel
00:37:44.96\00:37:46.49
and He starts
saying things like,
00:37:46.53\00:37:49.56
"You have heard, but I say."
00:37:49.60\00:37:54.70
Now, if Jesus who was anyone
other than who He claim to be.
00:37:54.74\00:37:59.17
What would He sound like?
00:37:59.21\00:38:00.54
What would be your impression?
00:38:00.58\00:38:02.01
What would you think?
00:38:02.04\00:38:04.58
What would you think?
00:38:04.61\00:38:05.95
When you start
hearing this young...
00:38:05.98\00:38:07.32
I mean, who does this
whippersnapper think He is?
00:38:07.35\00:38:08.85
I mean really.
00:38:08.88\00:38:10.59
You would be tempted
to think things like this.
00:38:10.62\00:38:13.69
Who does this Guy think He is?
00:38:13.72\00:38:15.22
I mean seriously.
00:38:15.26\00:38:16.59
I mean He is setting himself
00:38:16.62\00:38:18.06
over and against the
whole rabbinical structure.
00:38:18.09\00:38:20.83
You've heard that it
was said by them, but I say.
00:38:20.86\00:38:24.43
I stand before you today as
a 28 year old whippersnapper
00:38:24.47\00:38:27.30
and I'm telling you.
00:38:27.34\00:38:28.84
And people are saying, "Oh,
this Guy been to the school?
00:38:28.87\00:38:30.67
Is this guy been to seminary?
00:38:30.71\00:38:32.51
Could we see Your credentials?"
00:38:32.54\00:38:35.58
Now, what Jesus communicated
00:38:35.61\00:38:38.31
there on the Sermon on the Mount
00:38:38.35\00:38:39.68
was more than revelatory.
00:38:39.71\00:38:42.42
It was revolutionary.
00:38:42.45\00:38:44.82
Absolutely,
profoundly, revolutionary.
00:38:44.85\00:38:48.52
In fact, let me just
give you a single paragraph,
00:38:48.56\00:38:50.83
just a single short
paragraph from that book
00:38:50.86\00:38:52.53
"Thoughts From the
Mount of Blessing."
00:38:52.56\00:38:53.90
Listen to this.
00:38:53.93\00:38:55.26
Page 147.
00:38:55.30\00:38:57.13
His words, Jesus words,
in the Sermon on the Mount,
00:38:57.17\00:39:00.50
"Had struck at the very root
00:39:00.54\00:39:02.17
of their former
ideas and opinions,
00:39:02.20\00:39:04.97
to obey His teaching
would require a change
00:39:05.01\00:39:08.28
in all their habits
of thought and action.
00:39:08.31\00:39:11.05
It would bring
them into collision
00:39:11.08\00:39:13.21
with their religious teachers."
00:39:13.25\00:39:14.92
Now listen to this language.
00:39:14.95\00:39:16.28
"For it would
involve the overthrow
00:39:16.32\00:39:18.29
of the whole structure
00:39:18.32\00:39:20.32
which for generations
the rabbis had been rearing."
00:39:20.36\00:39:24.23
In other words, if we're
gonna obey what this guy says,
00:39:24.26\00:39:25.79
it's gonna involve the overthrow
00:39:25.83\00:39:27.33
of the whole structure
of rabbinical religion.
00:39:27.36\00:39:30.60
Now let me just
ask you a question.
00:39:30.63\00:39:31.97
What does that sound like?
00:39:32.00\00:39:33.34
The overthrow of a
whole structure of religion...
00:39:33.37\00:39:36.71
What word would you
use to describe that?
00:39:36.74\00:39:38.91
You would call
that a revolution.
00:39:38.94\00:39:41.24
You would call
that a revolution,
00:39:41.28\00:39:43.48
the over through
of whole structures?
00:39:43.51\00:39:46.92
Jesus here is
setting Himself up profoundly
00:39:46.95\00:39:51.75
as the Messiah
and very boldly over
00:39:51.79\00:39:54.62
and against the
typical status quo teaching
00:39:54.66\00:39:58.19
and religiosity of His day.
00:39:58.23\00:39:59.69
You've heard... But I say.
00:39:59.73\00:40:02.43
Six times you repeat
this mantra, this refrain.
00:40:02.46\00:40:04.80
You have heard but I say.
00:40:04.83\00:40:06.17
Now, look at Matthew records.
You're there in Matthew 7.
00:40:06.20\00:40:10.14
Look at Matthew as he records
the response of the people.
00:40:10.17\00:40:15.01
As he records that...
00:40:15.04\00:40:16.38
How did people relate to
this Young whippersnapper,
00:40:16.41\00:40:19.48
who people at this
time are not aware yet...
00:40:19.51\00:40:21.48
How did they relate
to what this Guy said?
00:40:21.52\00:40:24.62
Matthew 7:28.
00:40:24.65\00:40:25.99
"And so it was when
Jesus had ended these sayings
00:40:26.02\00:40:28.59
that the people were..."
00:40:28.62\00:40:29.96
What does your Bible say?
00:40:29.99\00:40:31.33
Astonished. Astonished.
00:40:31.36\00:40:33.96
Synonyms for astonished.
00:40:34.00\00:40:36.67
They were amazed.
00:40:36.70\00:40:38.30
They were shocked. Very good.
00:40:38.33\00:40:39.70
They were surprised, they
were amazed, they shocked,
00:40:39.73\00:40:42.30
they were surprised,
they were astonished.
00:40:42.34\00:40:45.34
When Jesus
finished these sayings,
00:40:45.37\00:40:46.71
the people were
astonished at His teaching.
00:40:46.74\00:40:48.74
Why, according to verse 29.
00:40:48.78\00:40:50.11
According to verse 29,
00:40:50.15\00:40:51.48
what was source of
their astonishment?
00:40:51.51\00:40:54.08
Because when He taught,
00:40:54.12\00:40:55.75
he taught as one
that possessed authority.
00:40:55.78\00:41:01.06
And not like
describes in the Pharisees.
00:41:01.09\00:41:03.99
Beloved, this sermon...
00:41:04.03\00:41:05.36
Did I tell you this sermon
was 18 years in a preparation,
00:41:05.39\00:41:07.76
did I mention that?
00:41:07.80\00:41:09.13
Yeah.
00:41:09.16\00:41:10.50
This sermon was crafted,
00:41:10.53\00:41:11.87
this sermon was
prepared and Jesus, they're not.
00:41:11.90\00:41:13.87
Just imagine you're there,
you're on the mountain side
00:41:13.90\00:41:16.37
and there's the
sense of electricity,
00:41:16.40\00:41:17.74
there's sense of anticipation,
00:41:17.77\00:41:19.11
and they are
like, "Who is this Guy?"
00:41:19.14\00:41:20.48
And Jesus opens His
mouth, 18 years in preparation.
00:41:20.51\00:41:24.35
May have been
17, may have been 19,
00:41:24.38\00:41:25.71
but the point is
the better of 20.
00:41:25.75\00:41:27.15
Jesus opens His mouth
and people are listening.
00:41:27.18\00:41:29.78
And He says, here comes,
00:41:29.82\00:41:31.29
here comes down
the pike, 20 years.
00:41:31.32\00:41:33.25
"Blessed are the poor in Spirit,
00:41:36.32\00:41:42.23
for there's is the
Kingdom of Heaven."
00:41:42.26\00:41:44.07
Amen.
00:41:44.10\00:41:45.97
Now, just to set a
little bit of context here.
00:41:46.00\00:41:47.97
In the book Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing,
00:41:48.00\00:41:49.70
we're told that
these words felt...
00:41:49.74\00:41:52.24
My paraphrase, like a bombshell
on first century listeners.
00:41:52.27\00:41:55.71
I mean, what did He say?
00:41:55.74\00:41:57.68
Blessed are the poor inspirit.
00:41:57.71\00:42:00.55
You need to understand
00:42:00.58\00:42:01.92
that the Judaism
of Jesus day was one,
00:42:01.95\00:42:03.69
in which, if you're a Jew,
you're guaranteed access to God
00:42:03.72\00:42:06.29
by virtue of your genealogical
relationship to Abraham.
00:42:06.32\00:42:09.42
On one occasion
the disciples brought
00:42:09.46\00:42:10.79
a blind man to Jesus,
said, Jesus this guy is blind.
00:42:10.83\00:42:13.19
Why is he blind?
00:42:13.23\00:42:14.56
Because his parent
sinned, because he's sinner,
00:42:14.60\00:42:15.93
Jesus said neither.
00:42:15.96\00:42:17.43
There's sort of his idea
00:42:17.47\00:42:18.80
in first century
Judaism that if you're a Jew,
00:42:18.83\00:42:20.40
you're in by
virtue of your Jewishness.
00:42:20.44\00:42:21.97
That's why John had to say,
00:42:22.00\00:42:23.34
"Don't even begin to
say within yourselves
00:42:23.37\00:42:24.71
we have Abraham as our father.
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.07
But if you're a healthy Jew
00:42:26.11\00:42:27.48
then you're sort
of doubly in with God.
00:42:27.51\00:42:29.34
And on one occasion
Jesus was speaking to a man
00:42:29.38\00:42:30.98
that we know only
as a rich young ruler.
00:42:31.01\00:42:32.71
And he said, man,
that's gonna be hard
00:42:32.75\00:42:34.08
for a rich man to be saved.
00:42:34.12\00:42:35.45
And the disciples were like,
00:42:35.48\00:42:37.02
picking the jaw up
off the ground and saying,
00:42:37.05\00:42:38.82
"Well, who then could be saved?"
00:42:38.85\00:42:41.82
Because in
first Century Judaism,
00:42:41.86\00:42:43.36
you've this idea
that if you're Jew,
00:42:43.39\00:42:44.73
you're recommended to God,
but if you're a healthy Jew,
00:42:44.76\00:42:47.50
you're doubly recommended to God
00:42:47.53\00:42:49.06
and if you're a
healthy, wealthy Jew,
00:42:49.10\00:42:50.60
you're assuring for the kingdom.
00:42:50.63\00:42:52.30
And Jesus begins His
sermon 18 years in preparation
00:42:52.33\00:42:55.14
and says, "Happy or the unhappy?
00:42:55.17\00:43:01.61
Am I right? Blessed
are the poor in spirit.
00:43:01.64\00:43:04.91
Happy...
00:43:04.95\00:43:06.28
The word blessed is
the equivalent of happy.
00:43:06.31\00:43:07.65
Happy or the unhappy.
00:43:07.68\00:43:10.49
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:43:10.52\00:43:12.75
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:43:12.79\00:43:15.49
That's our
presentation this morning.
00:43:15.52\00:43:16.86
Your's is the kingdom of heaven.
00:43:16.89\00:43:19.53
The first century
listeners were like,
00:43:19.56\00:43:21.03
the moment that they
heard blessed are the poor...
00:43:21.06\00:43:25.57
Like, there was just no words.
00:43:25.60\00:43:30.04
What Jesus does here,
is He gives us a sequence.
00:43:30.07\00:43:33.54
Of what, everyone? A sequence.
00:43:33.58\00:43:35.64
Now watch this sequence.
00:43:35.68\00:43:37.48
He begins by saying,
blessed are the poor in spirit.
00:43:37.51\00:43:39.11
Everybody's personal journey
00:43:39.15\00:43:40.72
begins by recognizing
their spiritual poverty.
00:43:40.75\00:43:44.22
Everybody spiritual journey
00:43:44.25\00:43:46.09
begins by recognizing
their spiritual poverty,
00:43:46.12\00:43:48.32
whether you are
living in a 21st century
00:43:48.36\00:43:50.36
or you're the thief
nailed to the cross.
00:43:50.39\00:43:52.36
All that the thief
nailed to the cross knew,
00:43:52.39\00:43:53.96
was he was in
trouble and he was scared.
00:43:54.00\00:43:56.77
And he turns to
Jesus and he says,
00:43:56.80\00:43:58.60
"Lord, when you
come into Your kingdom,
00:43:58.63\00:43:59.97
remember me."
00:44:00.00\00:44:01.34
Jesus says, "Verily
I say unto you today,
00:44:01.37\00:44:02.70
you will be
with Me in paradise."
00:44:02.74\00:44:04.07
All the thief had, by
way of sanctification,
00:44:04.11\00:44:06.47
was that, he
knew he was a sinner
00:44:06.51\00:44:07.88
and he needed to Savior.
00:44:07.91\00:44:09.24
Everyone spiritual journey
00:44:09.28\00:44:11.18
begins by a sober recognition
00:44:11.21\00:44:14.38
of your spiritual
impoverishment before God.
00:44:14.42\00:44:17.79
Amen. Are we together on that?
00:44:17.82\00:44:19.82
So, Jesus says, "Blessed
are the poor in spirit."
00:44:19.85\00:44:22.52
That's the very
first step in the sequence.
00:44:22.56\00:44:25.03
Now, the very next step...
Look at what Jesus says next.
00:44:25.06\00:44:27.00
He says, "Blessed
are they that mourn,
00:44:27.03\00:44:31.70
for they shall be comforted."
00:44:31.73\00:44:33.07
After we recognized
our spiritual poverty,
00:44:33.10\00:44:35.50
we began to mourn
that spiritual condition.
00:44:35.54\00:44:38.57
Are we together everyone?
00:44:38.61\00:44:40.21
We begin to
mourn that condition,
00:44:40.24\00:44:41.58
we feel contrition, we
feel sadness in our hearts,
00:44:41.61\00:44:44.18
but look at what happens next.
00:44:44.21\00:44:45.55
"Blessed are they that mourn
for they shall be comforted.
00:44:45.58\00:44:48.02
Blessed are the meek
00:44:48.05\00:44:50.19
for they shall
inherit the earth."
00:44:50.22\00:44:51.55
When we realize
that, God and His goodness
00:44:51.59\00:44:55.09
reaching down to us
and that we're sinners,
00:44:55.12\00:44:57.06
this begins to affect the way
that we treat those around us.
00:44:57.09\00:44:59.93
It gives us an
attitude of meekness
00:44:59.96\00:45:01.33
and attitude of humility.
00:45:01.36\00:45:02.70
So notice the sequence.
00:45:02.73\00:45:04.07
You first begin by recognizing
your spiritual poverty,
00:45:04.10\00:45:06.37
then blessed are the
merciful, blessed of those
00:45:06.40\00:45:08.77
or blessed are
those that mourn rather
00:45:08.80\00:45:10.61
because they recognized that
00:45:10.64\00:45:12.41
they're basically
corrupt before God
00:45:12.44\00:45:14.98
and then blessed of the
meek, this begins to impact
00:45:15.01\00:45:17.18
that way that we
treat those around us.
00:45:17.21\00:45:18.88
And now you need something,
you long for something,
00:45:18.91\00:45:21.58
you want something
that you realized suddenly
00:45:21.62\00:45:23.55
you, yourself do not possess,
00:45:23.59\00:45:25.05
but you need it desperately,
you need it immediately.
00:45:25.09\00:45:27.39
What do you
need? What do you need?
00:45:27.42\00:45:28.89
You need righteousness.
00:45:28.92\00:45:31.96
You need a righteousness
that can come only from God
00:45:31.99\00:45:33.90
and that's exactly
what Jesus says next.
00:45:33.93\00:45:35.70
Blessed are those that hunger
and thirst for" not for food,
00:45:35.73\00:45:40.60
not for haystacks, for what?
00:45:40.64\00:45:42.80
"For righteousness."
00:45:42.84\00:45:44.57
"Blessed are those that hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
00:45:44.61\00:45:46.17
for they shall be filled."
00:45:46.21\00:45:47.71
But how do we receive
the righteousness of God?
00:45:47.74\00:45:49.84
We receive the
righteousness of God
00:45:49.88\00:45:51.21
because God is so good
and God is so merciful.
00:45:51.25\00:45:52.98
It's not because you're so good,
00:45:53.01\00:45:54.35
it's because God is so good.
00:45:54.38\00:45:55.72
And so notice the
very next step here.
00:45:55.75\00:45:57.09
"Blessed are the merciful
for they shall obtain mercy."
00:45:57.12\00:46:00.39
In other words, when
you realize that you're
00:46:00.42\00:46:01.82
the undeserved
recipient of the mercy of God,
00:46:01.86\00:46:04.73
this begins to impact the
way that you feel about yourself
00:46:04.76\00:46:08.00
and especially the
way you feel about others.
00:46:08.03\00:46:10.17
What Jesus is
doing here marvelously,
00:46:10.20\00:46:11.83
wonderfully is
walking us through a sequence.
00:46:11.87\00:46:14.30
Notice the sequence again.
00:46:14.34\00:46:15.67
First you recognize
your spiritual poverty,
00:46:15.70\00:46:17.57
you mourn that condition,
00:46:17.61\00:46:18.97
this gives you an
attitude of meekness,
00:46:19.01\00:46:20.71
you hunger and
thirst now for righteousness
00:46:20.74\00:46:23.81
and you receive
that righteousness
00:46:23.85\00:46:25.18
because God is so merciful.
00:46:25.21\00:46:28.08
Are we together? Amen.
00:46:28.12\00:46:29.48
And when you
begin to treat others
00:46:29.52\00:46:30.85
the way that
God has treated you,
00:46:30.89\00:46:32.22
when you begin to treat others
00:46:32.25\00:46:33.59
with a kind of mercy
that God has treated you with.
00:46:33.62\00:46:34.96
Look at the next
step on the line...
00:46:34.99\00:46:36.32
What does it say?
00:46:36.36\00:46:37.83
"Blessed are the pure in heart."
00:46:37.86\00:46:40.66
Beloved, when you
begin to treat others
00:46:40.70\00:46:42.06
with the kind of mercy
that God has treated you with,
00:46:42.10\00:46:44.33
something begins to
happen to the human heart
00:46:44.37\00:46:46.27
that all of the enlightenment
00:46:46.30\00:46:47.64
and all of the yoga
and all of the Pilates
00:46:47.67\00:46:49.54
can not accomplish
in the human experience.
00:46:49.57\00:46:52.17
You might be
able to do the splits,
00:46:52.21\00:46:53.54
but you're still the sinner.
00:46:53.58\00:46:55.21
You might able
to touch your toes,
00:46:55.24\00:46:56.58
but you're still a sinner.
00:46:56.61\00:46:57.95
You might be able to umm,
but you're still a sinner.
00:46:57.98\00:47:00.02
As you begin...
00:47:00.05\00:47:01.38
One of the great, one
of the great sad chapters
00:47:01.42\00:47:03.65
in the history of the church
is what's called Monasticism.
00:47:03.69\00:47:06.09
When people began
to move off into the,
00:47:06.12\00:47:08.06
into the nunneries
and the monasteries,
00:47:08.09\00:47:11.36
basically what they did is,
they separated themselves from,
00:47:11.39\00:47:13.93
from the populous
because they thought,
00:47:13.96\00:47:15.90
if they can go just be alone
00:47:15.93\00:47:17.27
and they can
flagellate themselves or eat,
00:47:17.30\00:47:19.40
you know, scanty food
or spend all they washing
00:47:19.43\00:47:21.60
and chanting and praying...
00:47:21.64\00:47:23.54
Now, this is the
path to holiness,
00:47:23.57\00:47:25.17
but this is not
the path to holiness.
00:47:25.21\00:47:26.78
This is the path to a
kind of modified selfishness.
00:47:26.81\00:47:29.14
The path to holiness
is in serving others.
00:47:29.18\00:47:32.45
Because really and I wish
I had time to go into this.
00:47:32.48\00:47:34.28
Holiness is love.
00:47:34.32\00:47:36.28
I wish I had time
to sort of unpack that.
00:47:36.32\00:47:38.09
But holiness is love.
00:47:38.12\00:47:40.16
Truly treating others the
way that God has treated you
00:47:40.19\00:47:42.46
with loving others centeredness,
00:47:42.49\00:47:43.83
as we talked about on
our sermon on the Godhead.
00:47:43.86\00:47:45.66
That is the essence of holiness.
00:47:45.69\00:47:48.00
And when you
begin to treat others
00:47:48.03\00:47:49.36
the way that
God has treated you,
00:47:49.40\00:47:50.73
your heart
begins to be purified.
00:47:50.77\00:47:52.63
God begins to
do something in you
00:47:52.67\00:47:54.04
that all of the
stretching and splits
00:47:54.07\00:47:56.17
and umm, umm, umm,
could never accomplish.
00:47:56.20\00:48:00.81
Are we together? Yes.
00:48:00.84\00:48:02.31
So your heart
begins to be purified,
00:48:02.34\00:48:03.68
but look at what happens.
00:48:03.71\00:48:05.05
As your hearts begins to be
purified, what's the next step?
00:48:05.08\00:48:06.41
Blessed the pure in
heart, for they shall see God.
00:48:06.45\00:48:08.15
Blessed are the peacemakers.
00:48:08.18\00:48:10.29
Beloved, Jesus is
the Prince of peace.
00:48:10.32\00:48:13.09
When you begin to
go to your neighbors,
00:48:13.12\00:48:14.46
when you begin to
go to your brother,
00:48:14.49\00:48:15.82
when you begin to
go to your sister,
00:48:15.86\00:48:17.19
when you begin to go
to those acquaintance
00:48:17.23\00:48:18.56
and introduce them to
the Prince of peace...
00:48:18.59\00:48:19.93
The Apostle Paul
actually says that,
00:48:19.96\00:48:21.30
God in 2 Corinthians 5
has made peace with the world.
00:48:21.33\00:48:24.70
Our message is fundamentally
a message of peace,
00:48:24.73\00:48:27.04
that God has made
peace with humanity
00:48:27.07\00:48:29.64
in the person of Jesus Christ.
00:48:29.67\00:48:31.01
That is our message.
00:48:31.04\00:48:32.37
That's why the
Apostle Paul could say,
00:48:32.41\00:48:33.74
"In the grandest of
his Apostles, Roman 5:1.
00:48:33.78\00:48:35.94
"Therefore being
justified by faith, we have..."
00:48:35.98\00:48:39.68
Does anyone know this?
00:48:39.71\00:48:41.05
"Therefore being
justified by faith
00:48:41.08\00:48:42.42
we have peace with God."
00:48:42.45\00:48:45.59
Our message fundamentally
00:48:45.62\00:48:46.96
and essentially is a
message that God has made peace
00:48:46.99\00:48:48.76
with humanity in
the person of Jesus
00:48:48.79\00:48:50.53
and Jesus as the second Adam.
00:48:50.56\00:48:52.29
If you express faith in Him,
00:48:52.33\00:48:53.70
you're born into
the first Adam's world,
00:48:53.73\00:48:55.66
but you can be again
into the second Adam's world
00:48:55.70\00:48:58.33
and God has made
peace with humanity
00:48:58.37\00:49:00.00
in the second Adam.
00:49:00.04\00:49:02.94
You can be
represented not by the old Adam
00:49:02.97\00:49:04.84
that blew it in
Eden, but by the new Adam
00:49:04.87\00:49:07.38
that won it all in Gethsemane.
00:49:07.41\00:49:10.18
Everything was lost in
the garden by the first Adam,
00:49:10.21\00:49:12.01
everything was
regained in the garden
00:49:12.05\00:49:13.38
by the second Adam.
00:49:13.42\00:49:14.75
You can be newly represented
by your new representative,
00:49:14.78\00:49:17.42
your new Adam.
00:49:17.45\00:49:18.79
The new man kind,
it's what the word means.
00:49:18.82\00:49:20.36
And when this begins to happen,
00:49:20.39\00:49:21.72
you have a message of
peace for those around you.
00:49:21.76\00:49:24.39
You can go to anyone and say,
00:49:24.43\00:49:25.76
"God has made peace with you
in the person of Jesus Christ,
00:49:25.79\00:49:28.00
it is absolutely true.
00:49:28.03\00:49:29.36
And so when we began to bring
00:49:29.40\00:49:30.73
this message of mercy to others,
00:49:30.77\00:49:32.10
our heart begins to be purified
00:49:32.13\00:49:33.47
and we realize that
God has put us on earth,
00:49:33.50\00:49:34.84
not primarily to
acquire new SUV's
00:49:34.87\00:49:36.40
and houses and boats
and clothes and wardrobes.
00:49:36.44\00:49:39.14
God has put us on
earth as Ambassadors
00:49:39.17\00:49:40.98
to bring the message of peace
to those who are in darkness.
00:49:41.01\00:49:44.21
But wait a minute.
What happens after that?
00:49:44.25\00:49:46.98
Once we realized
that we were put on earth
00:49:47.02\00:49:48.88
for the purpose of
communicating the Gospel,
00:49:48.92\00:49:52.19
what is the
inevitable consequence?
00:49:52.22\00:49:54.42
Blessed are they
that are persecuted.
00:49:54.46\00:49:57.16
When Saul was there
on the road to Damascus
00:49:57.19\00:49:59.36
and he was smitten down,
00:49:59.39\00:50:00.83
a voice from heaven
and a blinding light said,
00:50:00.86\00:50:03.00
"Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute my church?"
00:50:03.03\00:50:09.00
No, no, no, no, why
do you persecute Me?
00:50:09.04\00:50:11.37
But wait a minute,
Jesus have been in heaven
00:50:11.41\00:50:12.74
for the better
part for four years.
00:50:12.77\00:50:14.94
In what sense was
Saul persecuting Jesus?
00:50:14.98\00:50:17.58
Jesus was at the
right hand of God in heaven.
00:50:17.61\00:50:19.81
How was Jesus being persecuted?
00:50:19.85\00:50:22.85
He was being
persecuted in the body
00:50:22.88\00:50:25.29
because,
listen, don't miss this.
00:50:25.32\00:50:26.89
The church had so
identified with Jesus...
00:50:26.92\00:50:29.82
The church had so
identified with Jesus
00:50:29.86\00:50:32.73
that to persecute the
church was to persecute Christ.
00:50:32.76\00:50:35.83
Now follow the
sequence and don't miss it.
00:50:35.86\00:50:37.83
Okay? It
begins... What does it say?
00:50:37.87\00:50:39.73
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:50:39.77\00:50:41.20
you recognize your
spiritual property."
00:50:41.24\00:50:42.94
Are we together?
00:50:42.97\00:50:44.31
"Blessed are they that
mourn that spiritual condition."
00:50:44.34\00:50:46.74
Right? "For they
shall be comforted."
00:50:46.78\00:50:48.14
After you mourn
that spiritual condition,
00:50:48.18\00:50:49.51
it's gives you an
attitude of meekness.
00:50:49.54\00:50:51.95
And as you begin to treat others
00:50:51.98\00:50:53.31
the way that
God has treated you,
00:50:53.35\00:50:54.68
earth becomes your home,
heaven becomes your home.
00:50:54.72\00:50:56.58
"Blessed are the meek for
they shall inherit the earth."
00:50:56.62\00:50:57.95
But now you need
something that you realize
00:50:57.99\00:50:59.39
you do not possess and
can come only from God.
00:50:59.42\00:51:01.42
You're hungering and
thirsting for righteousness
00:51:01.46\00:51:04.03
and you receive
the righteousness
00:51:04.06\00:51:05.39
that can come only
through the righteousness
00:51:05.43\00:51:06.76
of Christ by faith.
00:51:06.80\00:51:08.13
Can you say amen to that? Amen.
00:51:08.16\00:51:09.50
You receive the
righteousness of God
00:51:09.53\00:51:10.87
and you realize
that you received it
00:51:10.90\00:51:12.23
because God is merciful.
00:51:12.27\00:51:13.60
And when you
begin to treat others
00:51:13.64\00:51:14.97
the way that
God has treated you,
00:51:15.00\00:51:16.34
"Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall be merciful.
00:51:16.37\00:51:18.41
And then he
began to treat others
00:51:18.44\00:51:19.77
the way that God has treated you
00:51:19.81\00:51:21.14
and something begins
to happen in your heart.
00:51:21.18\00:51:23.88
Your heart
begins to be purified.
00:51:23.91\00:51:25.58
Your heart begins to be purified
00:51:26.61\00:51:27.95
when you reach out
to others in ministry.
00:51:27.98\00:51:29.48
And as you began to reached
out to others in ministry,
00:51:29.52\00:51:31.35
not just with
meeting the physical needs
00:51:31.39\00:51:33.19
and those kinds of needs,
00:51:33.22\00:51:34.62
but you begin to
bring the message
00:51:34.66\00:51:35.99
of the prince of peace,
00:51:36.02\00:51:37.36
you become a
peacemaker just like Jesus,
00:51:37.39\00:51:39.23
who was the prince of peace.
00:51:39.26\00:51:40.60
Incidentally look at
the second half of that.
00:51:40.63\00:51:41.96
It says, "Blessed
are the peacemakers
00:51:42.00\00:51:43.57
for they shall be called," what?
00:51:43.60\00:51:45.07
"Sons of God."
00:51:45.10\00:51:46.43
Let me just
paraphrase that for you.
00:51:46.47\00:51:47.80
"Blessed of the peacemaker
for they shall be many Jesus'."
00:51:47.84\00:51:51.64
Because you're bringing
00:51:51.67\00:51:53.01
the message of
the prince of peace.
00:51:53.04\00:51:54.38
They should be
called sons of God.
00:51:54.41\00:51:55.74
But wait a
minute, when we realized
00:51:55.78\00:51:57.11
that God has put us
earth not to acquire SUV's
00:51:57.15\00:51:58.85
and boats and
wardrobes and stock portfolios,
00:51:58.88\00:52:00.72
but God has put us on earth
00:52:00.75\00:52:02.25
to bring the
Gospel to other people.
00:52:02.28\00:52:04.59
What is the
inevitable consequence?
00:52:04.62\00:52:08.42
Persecution.
00:52:08.46\00:52:10.79
When there is a
infilling of Christ
00:52:10.83\00:52:13.26
in an outpouring of yourself.
00:52:13.29\00:52:15.03
In other words, "Could
you throw me my water bottle
00:52:15.06\00:52:17.10
from back there?"
00:52:17.13\00:52:19.33
Thank you so much,
Robert. I appreciate that.
00:52:19.37\00:52:20.80
Okay, so this is
you, right? This is you.
00:52:20.84\00:52:23.30
The Apostle Paul would say,
you know, we're jars of clay.
00:52:23.34\00:52:26.37
Today he would say,
you're a plastic water bottle.
00:52:26.41\00:52:28.41
Okay.
00:52:28.44\00:52:30.21
This thing is filled to
the brim when you're borned.
00:52:30.25\00:52:31.85
It's filled to
the brim with you.
00:52:31.88\00:52:34.05
Okay?
00:52:34.08\00:52:35.42
But if we take some sand
00:52:35.45\00:52:37.35
and we pour some
sand into a water bottle
00:52:37.39\00:52:39.29
that is perfectly full,
00:52:39.32\00:52:40.66
so full that it
even has a meniscus.
00:52:40.69\00:52:43.36
What happens to
the water that's in?
00:52:43.39\00:52:46.39
Now, water is
displaced precisely
00:52:46.43\00:52:48.13
to the degree
that the new comes in.
00:52:48.16\00:52:50.60
But if we put
another teaspoon of sand in,
00:52:50.63\00:52:52.30
then what happens to the water?
00:52:52.33\00:52:53.80
It's further displaced.
00:52:53.84\00:52:55.17
And if we put a cup of sand,
then what happens to the water?
00:52:55.20\00:52:57.51
It's further displaced.
00:52:57.54\00:52:58.87
This is what's
happening in this process
00:52:58.91\00:53:00.24
that Jesus is describing.
00:53:00.28\00:53:01.61
You're born full of
self, but then you realized
00:53:01.64\00:53:04.25
that you're really
spiritually impoverished.
00:53:04.28\00:53:05.85
And, as you begin to move
00:53:05.88\00:53:07.22
through the sequence of mourning
00:53:07.25\00:53:08.58
your spiritual condition
00:53:08.62\00:53:09.95
of reaching out to
others and meekness
00:53:09.98\00:53:11.32
and realizing that
you're the undeserving recipient
00:53:11.35\00:53:12.69
of the mercy of God
00:53:12.72\00:53:14.06
because you've
hungered and thirst,
00:53:14.09\00:53:15.42
thirsted for righteousness.
00:53:15.46\00:53:16.79
You begin to treat others
the way God has treated you.
00:53:16.83\00:53:18.16
As you go through
this sequence of ministry,
00:53:18.19\00:53:20.33
you're being emptied
and filled with Christ,
00:53:20.36\00:53:23.93
while self goes out.
00:53:23.97\00:53:26.37
And, when you come down
to the end of that sequence,
00:53:26.40\00:53:28.64
apparently there is
such an identification
00:53:28.67\00:53:30.64
with Christ here.
00:53:30.67\00:53:32.01
Such an
identification with Christ
00:53:32.04\00:53:33.51
that prosecution is
the inevitable result,
00:53:33.54\00:53:35.54
because just to be honest,
00:53:35.58\00:53:37.11
Satan can't effort to
have you around anymore.
00:53:37.15\00:53:39.48
You see, we get this idea
00:53:39.51\00:53:40.85
that all
Christians will be persecuted.
00:53:40.88\00:53:42.22
No, no, no.
00:53:42.25\00:53:43.59
Now, all Christians will be
persecuted or being persecuted,
00:53:43.62\00:53:46.09
but not all church members
and there is a distinction.
00:53:46.12\00:53:49.66
Being a church member
does not make you a Christian,
00:53:49.69\00:53:51.89
not at all.
00:53:51.93\00:53:53.26
In fact, there
are many people that,
00:53:53.29\00:53:55.20
they go to church and
they wear the right cloths
00:53:55.23\00:53:57.13
and they say the right things,
00:53:57.17\00:53:58.50
but they're just members
of kind of quasi Sabbath club.
00:53:58.53\00:54:00.74
But there's a huge difference
00:54:00.77\00:54:02.10
between being a
members of our Sabbath club
00:54:02.14\00:54:03.87
and members of God's living,
00:54:03.91\00:54:05.31
breathing, active,
mission minded church.
00:54:05.34\00:54:07.61
Are we together?
00:54:07.64\00:54:08.98
But these
people are just filled,
00:54:09.01\00:54:10.95
so filled that
Satan looks and says,
00:54:10.98\00:54:12.88
"I cannot effort to have
these people around anymore."
00:54:12.91\00:54:16.02
And prosecution is the
inevitable consequence,
00:54:16.05\00:54:18.09
because there's
so little of self
00:54:18.12\00:54:19.45
and so much of Christ.
00:54:19.49\00:54:20.82
We call this process
that Jesus in 18 years,
00:54:20.86\00:54:22.99
18 years in preparation.
00:54:23.02\00:54:25.63
Eighteen years in preparation.
00:54:25.66\00:54:27.46
Jesus begins
basically by telling us,
00:54:27.50\00:54:29.70
how to get access to God.
00:54:29.73\00:54:32.43
Now go look at verse 3 again.
00:54:32.47\00:54:34.67
"Blessed are the poor
in spirit for there is,
00:54:34.70\00:54:38.57
is the kingdom of heaven."
00:54:38.61\00:54:40.51
But take a look
at the next versus
00:54:40.54\00:54:41.88
with me if you would.
00:54:41.91\00:54:43.24
Notice how the sequence changes
00:54:43.28\00:54:44.61
from the present
tense to the future tense.
00:54:44.65\00:54:45.98
Verse 4. "Shall be comforted."
00:54:46.01\00:54:47.45
Verse 5, "Shall
inherit the earth."
00:54:47.48\00:54:49.18
Verse 6, "Shall be filled."
Verse 7, "Shall obtain mercy."
00:54:49.22\00:54:52.79
Verse 8, "Shall see God."
00:54:52.82\00:54:54.59
Verse 9, "Shall we
called the sons of God."
00:54:54.62\00:54:56.79
But in verse 10,
watch what happens.
00:54:56.83\00:54:58.26
"Blessed are the persecute.
00:54:58.29\00:54:59.63
Blessed are those
who are persecuted
00:54:59.66\00:55:01.00
for righteousness sake,
00:55:01.03\00:55:02.36
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:55:02.40\00:55:06.67
Wait a minute.
00:55:06.70\00:55:08.04
All of the B attitudes
00:55:08.07\00:55:09.40
are constructed on
an AB configuration.
00:55:09.44\00:55:11.27
And the, the
first B attitudes A,
00:55:11.31\00:55:12.97
"Blessed are the
poor, for there's,
00:55:13.01\00:55:14.34
is the kingdom of heaven."
00:55:14.38\00:55:15.71
Is present tense,
and every other sequence,
00:55:15.74\00:55:17.81
future tense,
future tense, future tense.
00:55:17.85\00:55:19.51
Shall be, shall be, shall be,
00:55:19.55\00:55:21.45
as you're moving
through the sequence,
00:55:21.48\00:55:22.82
shall be, shall be, shall be.
00:55:22.85\00:55:24.72
These are promises to
be realized, shall we.
00:55:24.75\00:55:26.52
But when you come to the end...
00:55:26.55\00:55:27.89
And you're so filled
with the Spirit of Christ
00:55:31.13\00:55:32.69
that you're a threat
to the kingdom of Satan.
00:55:32.73\00:55:34.06
Jesus says, "Blessed
are those who had persecuted
00:55:34.10\00:55:36.13
for righteousness
sake, for there is..."
00:55:36.16\00:55:39.23
He reverts back
to the present tense.
00:55:39.27\00:55:41.77
But not only does He revert
back to the present tense,
00:55:41.80\00:55:43.51
look at the promise
for there's, is the what?
00:55:43.54\00:55:48.21
Wait a minute. Wait a
minute. What did verse 3 say?
00:55:48.24\00:55:52.61
"Yours...
00:55:52.65\00:55:54.48
Surely you've notice
with me that the promise
00:55:54.52\00:55:56.65
and verb tense in the
very first part of the sequence
00:55:56.69\00:55:59.39
and the promise,
00:55:59.42\00:56:00.76
and the verb tense in the
very last part of the sequence
00:56:00.79\00:56:02.49
are the same.
00:56:02.52\00:56:05.49
Beloved, we've
answered our question.
00:56:05.53\00:56:08.06
We ask the question,
00:56:08.10\00:56:09.43
how does God relate
to us in the meantime?
00:56:09.46\00:56:10.83
In that command,
you're my friends
00:56:10.87\00:56:12.47
if you do whatsoever
I have commanded you.
00:56:12.50\00:56:14.50
Jesus begins by saying that,
00:56:14.54\00:56:15.87
"If all you know
was that you're sinner."
00:56:15.90\00:56:18.54
If you just recognize
your spiritual poverty,
00:56:18.57\00:56:20.48
you might be a
thief nailed to a cross,
00:56:20.51\00:56:21.98
you might be discouraged,
you might be frustrated,
00:56:22.01\00:56:23.55
you might realize, you're a
sinner and need of a Savior.
00:56:23.58\00:56:26.05
Jesus looks you
today and He says,
00:56:26.08\00:56:27.68
"Yours is the
Kingdom of Heaven."
00:56:27.72\00:56:30.29
And you and your journey,
00:56:30.32\00:56:31.65
you might be
further along the track,
00:56:31.69\00:56:33.02
by the grace of God you might
00:56:33.05\00:56:34.39
down at this
place and the sequence,
00:56:34.42\00:56:35.89
you might be at this
point in the sequence.
00:56:35.92\00:56:37.59
At any point in the sequence,
00:56:37.63\00:56:39.09
Jesus can say to you
in the strongest language,
00:56:39.13\00:56:41.63
yours is the kingdom of heaven.
00:56:41.66\00:56:44.33
And even if you
by the grace of God
00:56:44.37\00:56:45.70
make it all the way to the end,
00:56:45.73\00:56:47.07
where you're such a
threat to the kingdom of Satan,
00:56:47.10\00:56:48.97
so filled with
the spirit of Christ
00:56:49.00\00:56:50.34
and so emptied itself,
the reward is the same.
00:56:50.37\00:56:53.94
Jesus once told to
parable and He said.
00:56:53.98\00:56:55.54
There was some people
that went out on their work,
00:56:55.58\00:56:56.91
in the part of the
day, they were paid the same
00:56:56.95\00:56:58.28
as those that
worked in the middle
00:56:58.31\00:56:59.65
and those at the end.
00:56:59.68\00:57:01.02
Beloved, if
you're in this sequence,
00:57:01.05\00:57:04.89
if you're in this sequence
from conversion to translation,
00:57:04.92\00:57:08.72
if you're trusting to Jesus,
00:57:08.76\00:57:13.16
yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.
00:57:13.19\00:57:16.90