Previously on Law
of Love & Liberty:
00:00:39.53\00:00:42.84
There is something special.
Thompsonville is maybe a dot
00:00:43.47\00:00:46.88
on the map but we
know that God is here.
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We are standing
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in His presence
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on holy ground.
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This is the first sermon
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in our Law of Love & Liberty
series on the 10 Commandments.
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Jesus
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is life
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to me.
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What is the finger of God?
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The finger of God according to
this verse is the power of God.
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It's the power of God to
cast devils out of people.
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It's the power of God to
remove sin from our lives.
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It's the power of God
to completely eradicate
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the devil. He's going to write
in our hearts His law of love.
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That's what we
see taking place here.
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This is the promise
that we see taking place here
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in Hebrews chapter 8.
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Hello and welcome to
3ABN Spring Camp Meeting:
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Law of Love & Liberty.
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Are you having a
blessed time? Amen!
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I LOVE Camp Meeting and
the excitement of Camp Meeting
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and the time we get to
spend in the Word of God.
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And we welcome you at home!
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Thank you for tuning in.
We're already getting e-mails
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and messages hearing
that you have been blessed by
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the meetings. This is our
second sermon here this evening.
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One of my absolute favorite
preachers Pastor John Bradshaw.
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He is a man of the
Word... a man of God.
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But what I like most
about him is that he practices
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what he preaches. He is a
genuine person who loves God
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and loves His people. I
love to hear his warmth,
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his humor, and him
share from his experience
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from the Word of God.
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He's preached for
well over 20 years.
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He just returned
last night from Australia.
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The message he will be
presenting this evening
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is God's
Governmental Sovereignty.
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His wife Melissa came with
him and they have two wonderful
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kids as well.
But before he speaks
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Ryan Day, who's an
integral part of the ministry
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here of 3ABN... The
Lord has blessed him
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to speak AND to sing.
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He will be bring us the
song I'd Rather Have Jesus.
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The next voice you will hear
after that of Pastor Ryan Day
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is our friend
Pastor John Bradshaw.
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I'd rather have Jesus
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than silver or gold.
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I'd rather be His
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than have riches untold.
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I'd rather have Jesus
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than houses or lands...
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I'd rather be led
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by His nail-pierced hand.
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Than to be the king of
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a vast domain
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or be held
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in sin's dread sway.
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I'd rather have Jesus
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than anything
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this world
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affords today.
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Oh, I'd rather
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have Jesus
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than men's applause.
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I'd rather be faithful
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to His dear cause.
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I'd rather have Jesus
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than world-wide fame...
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I'd rather be true
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to His holy name!
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Than to be
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the king of a vast
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domain
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or be held
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in sin's dreadful sway.
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I'd rather have
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Jesus
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than anything
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this world
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affords
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today.
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Amen!
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There is a reason why
Ryan sings and I don't.
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And you just heard the reason.
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Good evening everyone!
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Good evening! Really
a blessing to be here.
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If you fall asleep
while I'm speaking tonight,
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it's OK... you're
probably done it before.
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Lots of people do.
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When I meet an anesthetist
or an anesthesiologist I say:
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"Hey, you and me... we
kind of do the same job. "
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But anesthesiologists
will turn to me and say:
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"No, no... but a
big part of my job
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is to wake 'em
up. " And then I say:
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"Well, that's kind of my
job too is to wake them up. "
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But if you fall asleep
tonight, you know, like I said
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it wouldn't be the first
time I've ever seen it done.
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However, please watch
for something: there's a fair
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possibility that
I'll fall asleep tonight.
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I mean, I'm doing OK but
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last night I arrived
home after being in Australia
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for about 32 days.
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We conducted four evangelistic
series at the same time.
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My colleague Eric
Flickinger did two and I did two
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and we did four It Is
Written evangelistic meetings
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in four different locations
across the very large city
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of Melbourne which has a
population of around about
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five million people.
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How did it go? Well,
with 58 churches on board
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you can be sure that
things went pretty well.
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God blessed. Lots and
lots and lots of decisions
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made; many baptisms.
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We're just thanking God
that He is on His throne
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and we have a little
privilege of being able to work
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alongside Him and
walk along side Him
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as He is doing His
work... and so that's good.
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And before I get
started it would be remiss of me
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not to tell you
this. And that is
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to pay credit... this is
a little back-hand bragging
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but you're not even going
to notice. I'm going to be
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so smooth about it
you are going to say:
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"Wait, is he just bragging? "
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And the person next
to you will be like:
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"No... because he
wouldn't do that. "
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That's right...
I wouldn't do that.
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But I just need
to pay credit to 3ABN
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for having such fine...
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What are you laughing at?
It's not time to laugh yet.
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For having such fine
taste in Christian programming.
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Amen! Now the reason
I'm saying that is because
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five of the television
programs that they air
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which all happen to be
produced by It Is Written
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but... Five of the
programs that they air
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between them they
recently won 18 awards.
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Isn't that fantastic?
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Eighteen awards. So of
course I would like to thank
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our production team at
It Is Written but mostly
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this is credit to
3ABN for their fine taste
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in choosing programs to
air that win lots of awards.
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That's really all I'm saying.
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Danny, that was a
compliment to 3ABN, wasn't it?
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That wasn't any? Was that?
00:10:02.56\00:10:03.90
There you go...
that's all right.
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That's right. I knew
you'd see it that way.
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What a great organization!
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They know how to pick 'em!
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Well done... well done.
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Well, with that
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it's probably about
time for us to start
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and so we shall pray.
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I'm so glad for
our subject tonight.
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I'm really glad. I
hope that you're glad too.
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By the time we get
into it and done with it
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I pray you're not only
glad but blessed and encouraged.
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So let's pray
together now... let's do that.
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Our Father in heaven,
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we are grateful to be
able to be in this place
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which is Your place tonight.
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We're thankful to
be in Your presence.
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But as we gather
together in this room,
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but as we gather
together around this planet,
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we are gathering
together around Your throne
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asking that we would
hear from the great Monarch
00:11:03.29\00:11:07.40
of the universe... from
our great Sovereign Lord.
00:11:07.60\00:11:12.20
As tonight we speak about
the sovereignty of Almighty God
00:11:13.34\00:11:18.41
we ask, Lord, that
we would be blessed,
00:11:18.61\00:11:22.14
that our searching of
the Scriptures would yield
00:11:22.54\00:11:26.82
many gems. We ask
You to guide our thoughts
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and speak to our heart
and own us and have us.
00:11:31.92\00:11:34.12
And we pray gratefully
tonight in spite of ourselves;
00:11:34.62\00:11:37.99
we pray claiming the merits
of the shed blood of Jesus.
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And it is in Jesus' name that
we pray. Let us say Amen. Amen!
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Amen. Early in the 1990's...
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actually it may
well have been in 1990...
00:11:52.57\00:11:55.74
a little mystery emerged
on the streets of England.
00:11:55.94\00:12:00.48
Not only in
London but London largely
00:12:00.98\00:12:02.88
and in various
places... but largely London.
00:12:03.08\00:12:05.79
People would try to figure
out just who this could be.
00:12:05.99\00:12:08.62
Just who this could
be. I'm not suggesting this
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.49
is a mystery with
any great eternal import.
00:12:10.69\00:12:13.26
I don't mean that.
I'm not suggesting that
00:12:13.46\00:12:15.16
you've missed out on
anything. I don't mean that.
00:12:15.36\00:12:17.33
But for the people that
walk the streets of London
00:12:17.73\00:12:20.04
this was a mystery
because from time to time
00:12:20.24\00:12:22.94
and from place to place
various works of street art
00:12:23.14\00:12:28.88
would appear.
00:12:29.08\00:12:30.55
Some of it was dark;
much of it was humorous.
00:12:30.75\00:12:33.01
And it was all
really rather well done.
00:12:33.72\00:12:35.68
Oh, no, there was
nothing that rivaled a da Vinci.
00:12:35.88\00:12:37.79
There were no Rembrandts there.
00:12:37.99\00:12:39.39
There was nothing that
looked like a Monet or a Gogan
00:12:39.59\00:12:42.72
or a van Gogh...
nothing like that.
00:12:42.92\00:12:45.13
Street art, but kind
of cool, kind of cute.
00:12:45.53\00:12:48.20
Very clever street art.
00:12:48.60\00:12:50.33
I'm not endorsing
all of it by the way
00:12:50.53\00:12:52.07
but this was a little mystery
because people started to ask
00:12:52.27\00:12:55.10
then: "Who is this? "
00:12:55.30\00:12:57.07
"Just who is this? "
00:12:57.47\00:12:59.34
Well it emerged that the
works of art were being created
00:12:59.84\00:13:02.38
by someone who went
by the moniker of Banksy.
00:13:02.58\00:13:06.18
Banksy... B-A-N-K-S-Y.
00:13:06.38\00:13:08.62
Banksy. And
from then until now -
00:13:08.82\00:13:11.79
and this is the
better part of 30 years -
00:13:11.99\00:13:13.39
Bansky has become a
tremendous celebrity.
00:13:13.59\00:13:16.46
In fact, some of
his actual works of art
00:13:16.66\00:13:19.46
have sold for really rather
respectable sums of money.
00:13:19.66\00:13:22.83
And he created little art
works in surprising places.
00:13:23.73\00:13:28.47
Offbeat
places... whimsical places.
00:13:28.67\00:13:31.87
And these things would pop
up and no one ever caught the
00:13:32.27\00:13:34.64
artist in the act. Very
clearly he painted or created
00:13:34.84\00:13:38.91
under some supervision.
Maybe under some guard
00:13:39.11\00:13:42.08
and very obviously
in the dead of night.
00:13:42.28\00:13:44.59
And from that day to
now no one actually knows
00:13:45.22\00:13:49.32
who the artist is other
than calling him Banksy.
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That's what he goes by.
00:13:53.96\00:13:55.73
Very talented
but clearly anonymous
00:13:55.93\00:13:59.30
and happy with his anonymity.
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"Who is he? " "He's Banksy. "
00:14:01.97\00:14:03.61
"Ah... but who is that? "
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.14
Tonight we ask a far more
pressing and far more important
00:14:06.98\00:14:10.75
question. We are speaking about
the Maker of heaven and earth.
00:14:10.95\00:14:13.25
And we ask
ourselves: "Who is He? "
00:14:13.45\00:14:15.92
There are many people
who see the works of nature
00:14:16.12\00:14:18.25
and they will say: "Well
that got here by accident. "
00:14:18.45\00:14:20.59
"That got here by
some cosmic mistake. "
00:14:20.79\00:14:22.56
That nature that you see -
be it a mountain or an ocean,
00:14:22.96\00:14:25.76
an animal of great complexity
or rather less complexity,
00:14:25.96\00:14:29.20
the laugh of a little baby
or the rather miraculous flight
00:14:29.40\00:14:32.47
of a bumblebee or a bird -
00:14:32.67\00:14:34.20
who made that?
How'd it get here?
00:14:34.40\00:14:35.97
Some will say: "God. "
Others will say: "Oh, no...
00:14:36.17\00:14:37.97
evolution did that. "
00:14:38.17\00:14:39.51
Others will say:
"An accident did that. "
00:14:39.54\00:14:41.58
Some will say: "There was an
explosion; there was a big bang.
00:14:41.78\00:14:44.41
That's who did
that. " We would say:
00:14:44.61\00:14:46.92
"God did that! "
And somebody might say:
00:14:47.12\00:14:49.85
"Who is this God?
You mean that tyrant?
00:14:50.05\00:14:52.82
You mean that killer? You
mean that bloodthirsty one?
00:14:53.02\00:14:55.82
You mean that destroyer?
Is that who you mean? "
00:14:56.02\00:14:58.49
And we would say: "Of
course that's not who we mean. "
00:14:58.69\00:15:01.26
"Ah... but who do you mean? "
00:15:01.46\00:15:03.00
"We mean God. "
00:15:03.20\00:15:04.53
"Who is this God that we
should worship Him anyway?
00:15:04.60\00:15:07.04
Who is this God? "
00:15:07.44\00:15:08.77
If you have your Bible
or you have a device, please
00:15:08.97\00:15:10.51
turn to Revelation chapter 4.
00:15:10.71\00:15:12.17
And I'm going to
confess to you tonight
00:15:12.37\00:15:14.11
that we will be here and
there as we look in the Bible
00:15:14.31\00:15:17.95
at a picture of
the Sovereign God.
00:15:18.15\00:15:22.45
Absolutely
fundamental and foundational
00:15:22.65\00:15:25.52
to what we are
looking at tonight...
00:15:25.92\00:15:28.09
in fact, across this
entire Camp Meeting weekend.
00:15:28.29\00:15:32.26
We would look in
Revelation chapter 4
00:15:32.46\00:15:35.33
and we would begin in
verse 10 where the Bible says
00:15:35.53\00:15:38.23
that the four and twenty elders
00:15:38.43\00:15:40.57
"fall down before Him
that sat on the throne
00:15:40.77\00:15:43.71
and worship Him that
liveth forever and ever.
00:15:43.91\00:15:47.74
And cast their crowns
before the throne saying:
00:15:47.94\00:15:51.51
'Thou art worthy, O Lord,
00:15:51.71\00:15:54.28
to receive glory and honor
00:15:54.48\00:15:57.32
and power for Thou
hast created... ' "
00:15:57.52\00:16:00.36
How many things? "ALL things
00:16:00.56\00:16:02.52
and for Your pleasure they
are and they were created. "
00:16:02.72\00:16:07.36
The Bible begins
with the most famous words
00:16:07.76\00:16:10.53
in all of literature -
00:16:10.73\00:16:12.07
and I don't mean
just Christian literature:
00:16:12.23\00:16:13.90
"In the beginning... " Tell me:
00:16:14.10\00:16:16.84
"God created... " What?
00:16:17.04\00:16:18.84
"the heavens and the earth. "
00:16:19.04\00:16:20.38
He spoke and it was done.
00:16:20.78\00:16:23.28
He commanded and it
did what? It stood fast.
00:16:23.68\00:16:27.12
It is only God
00:16:27.32\00:16:29.38
who can speak to the nothingness
00:16:29.58\00:16:31.82
and bring
"somethingness" out of it.
00:16:32.02\00:16:34.46
There was nothing at all.
00:16:34.66\00:16:35.99
God spoke: Boom! I
believe there was a big bang.
00:16:36.02\00:16:38.19
Boom! when God spoke.
00:16:38.39\00:16:40.03
He spoke and there was light
and then there was atmosphere.
00:16:40.43\00:16:45.40
And then there were
five... well, four, four, five
00:16:45.60\00:16:49.20
depends on how
you want to term it...
00:16:49.40\00:16:50.87
more days of creation.
And by the time God had done
00:16:51.07\00:16:54.68
it was indescribably beautiful.
00:16:54.88\00:16:57.51
The God Himself said...
the Majesty Himself said:
00:16:57.71\00:17:01.38
"Very good! " He
spoke it into existence
00:17:01.58\00:17:04.25
with the exception,
of course, of humanity.
00:17:04.65\00:17:07.16
It was God who got down
in the dust and formed man
00:17:07.36\00:17:09.69
out of the dust of the ground.
00:17:09.89\00:17:11.23
And He got close...
close... it was intimate.
00:17:11.26\00:17:14.06
And He breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life.
00:17:14.26\00:17:16.87
The man became a living soul.
00:17:17.07\00:17:19.10
Adam was created and then
00:17:19.50\00:17:22.30
Eve was fashioned from the
rib of Adam... handmade by God.
00:17:22.50\00:17:26.37
Handmade. And so God is Creator.
00:17:26.57\00:17:29.88
He is Lord of
all; He is Sovereign.
00:17:30.08\00:17:32.08
But let's go a
little deeper than that...
00:17:32.28\00:17:33.75
well a little further than that.
00:17:33.95\00:17:35.28
I want to try to
round out the picture of God
00:17:35.42\00:17:37.32
just a little bit.
00:17:37.52\00:17:38.85
God is Sovereign, and let's stop
to think about what that means.
00:17:38.99\00:17:43.19
Sovereign... where
does the word come from?
00:17:43.59\00:17:45.93
Sovereignty is
supreme power or authority.
00:17:46.13\00:17:49.40
A Sovereign is a supreme ruler.
00:17:50.47\00:17:53.27
And you know why we
have that word supreme?
00:17:53.47\00:17:55.20
Because it comes
from the Latin word super.
00:17:55.40\00:17:58.31
That's where it begins.
00:17:58.51\00:17:59.84
So a Sovereign... that
comes from a French word
00:18:00.11\00:18:03.11
souveraine from
the Latin originally
00:18:03.31\00:18:06.11
super. And this is where
we get this picture of God...
00:18:06.31\00:18:09.42
super meaning above.
00:18:09.62\00:18:11.65
So God, Sovereign
over all, Maker over all,
00:18:12.05\00:18:16.22
"in the beginning God created. "
00:18:16.42\00:18:20.03
And I don't want to
share anything with you tonight
00:18:20.23\00:18:21.83
merely to put another colorful
or otherwise thought into your
00:18:22.03\00:18:25.00
mind. I'm not trying to fatten
up your store of information
00:18:25.20\00:18:28.24
or sharpen up
your spiritual weapons.
00:18:28.64\00:18:32.84
No, I'm not
trying to do that at all.
00:18:33.04\00:18:34.91
By the time we're done my
prayer is that we would have
00:18:35.11\00:18:37.88
a more complete picture of God.
00:18:38.08\00:18:39.61
A greater understanding of
God - even if it was this much -
00:18:39.81\00:18:42.55
'cause this much can
move a mountain Jesus said.
00:18:42.75\00:18:45.02
And a greater love for...
a determination to experience
00:18:45.42\00:18:49.29
a deeper surrender to God.
00:18:49.49\00:18:51.49
Who is this Sovereign God?
00:18:51.89\00:18:54.36
Who is this Creator God?
00:18:54.76\00:18:56.67
I want you to turn with me in
your Bible to the book of Mark,
00:18:56.87\00:18:59.10
Mark and chapter 4.
We are not going to look
00:18:59.30\00:19:00.94
at merely one passage tonight.
00:19:01.14\00:19:02.50
We will look at several.
00:19:02.70\00:19:04.07
Mark chapter 4 and
we want to pick it up
00:19:04.27\00:19:06.41
in verse 35.
00:19:06.61\00:19:09.21
Mark 4 and verse 35.
00:19:09.41\00:19:10.85
"And the same day
when the evening was come
00:19:11.05\00:19:14.38
He said to them:
'Let us pass over
00:19:14.58\00:19:18.35
unto the other side. ' "
00:19:18.55\00:19:20.16
Now I want to make
sure that you got that.
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.56
"Let's pass over
to the other side. "
00:19:22.76\00:19:24.93
Where were they going?
Can you tell me, please?
00:19:25.13\00:19:27.00
To the other side. It was
the other side of the lake.
00:19:27.40\00:19:29.46
This was the Sea of Galilee.
00:19:29.66\00:19:31.00
"We are going to
the other side. "
00:19:31.03\00:19:34.40
That was the
determination of divinity,
00:19:34.60\00:19:36.37
and unless God spoke up and said
00:19:37.21\00:19:39.64
"There has been
a change of plan"
00:19:39.84\00:19:41.98
unless that happened
00:19:42.18\00:19:44.11
they were
indisputably going to where?
00:19:44.31\00:19:46.98
The other side.
00:19:47.18\00:19:48.52
All right. That's
not our main point, but
00:19:48.55\00:19:50.39
it's too good a point to miss
and we shall come back to it.
00:19:50.59\00:19:53.32
"And when they had
sent away the multitude
00:19:53.96\00:19:55.69
they took Him even
as He was in the ship.
00:19:55.89\00:19:58.13
And there were also
with them other little ships.
00:19:58.53\00:20:00.76
And there arose a
great storm of wind
00:20:00.96\00:20:03.90
and the waves beat into the ship
00:20:04.10\00:20:06.43
so that it was now full. "
00:20:06.63\00:20:09.00
There is another
passage telling the same story
00:20:09.20\00:20:11.77
and it says they
were "in jeopardy. "
00:20:11.97\00:20:13.78
It was very clear they were
in danger of losing their lives.
00:20:13.98\00:20:16.48
They could swim
one would imagine.
00:20:16.68\00:20:18.01
They were fisherfolks.
00:20:18.11\00:20:19.45
But there was a raging storm.
The waves were up; the wind was
00:20:19.68\00:20:22.85
howling down from the
Capernaum end of the lake.
00:20:23.05\00:20:25.59
Rain was beating down.
00:20:26.19\00:20:27.72
You've been in storms
where you feared I would think.
00:20:27.92\00:20:31.46
You've been in storms where you
wondered what's going to happen
00:20:31.66\00:20:33.46
next. I don't know if
you've ever been out on the
00:20:33.66\00:20:36.16
water and feared
for your life. I have.
00:20:36.36\00:20:38.43
I used to live not on the
edge of but with a great view
00:20:38.97\00:20:42.17
of a beautiful lake back in
my home country of New Zealand.
00:20:42.37\00:20:45.81
And I wore a younger
man's clothes at the time
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.14
and so I was not...
00:20:48.34\00:20:50.25
oh, young and stupid
is really what I was.
00:20:51.31\00:20:53.55
And we had a friend whose dad
had a little holiday place there
00:20:53.75\00:20:56.89
and he had access to a boat.
00:20:57.09\00:20:58.65
It was a little aluminium thing.
00:20:58.85\00:21:00.32
Aluminum... aluminium.
00:21:00.52\00:21:01.86
In civilized
countries we say "aluminium. "
00:21:02.22\00:21:05.03
Had a little
outboard motor on it.
00:21:08.50\00:21:10.47
And we were in a
bay... in a wee bay.
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.97
And out beyond the
bay the wind was howling
00:21:13.17\00:21:16.44
and the waves were up. And
I don't mean they were giant
00:21:16.64\00:21:18.67
but they were up, you know.
00:21:18.87\00:21:20.21
And it was as bouncy and
rocky out there as anything
00:21:20.24\00:21:22.48
but where we were it was
glassy... not glassy calm but
00:21:22.68\00:21:24.61
it was calm. And my friend
Wilber - John - we called him
00:21:24.81\00:21:27.95
Wilber - my friend John and I
00:21:28.15\00:21:29.62
said to our friend Brett...
00:21:29.82\00:21:32.35
We said: "Brett, why
don't you take this thing
00:21:32.55\00:21:34.86
out beyond the good
weather and give us, you know,
00:21:35.06\00:21:37.23
we'll have a
little bit of fun? "
00:21:37.43\00:21:38.76
And he said: "Oh, no,
no... that would be crazy.
00:21:38.79\00:21:40.30
I'm not going to do that. "
00:21:40.50\00:21:41.83
He knew from experience
you just don't do that.
00:21:41.86\00:21:44.73
My friend John
and I had no idea.
00:21:44.93\00:21:47.14
We just thought
this would be fun.
00:21:47.34\00:21:48.67
Eventually we wore him down.
00:21:48.84\00:21:50.84
How's that for peer pressure?
00:21:51.04\00:21:52.37
And he consented to jeopardize
all three of our lives
00:21:52.41\00:21:56.44
and take the boat out
there beyond the calm water.
00:21:56.64\00:21:59.18
Oh man! We were
up and we were down
00:21:59.58\00:22:02.78
and we were
rocking and we were rolling
00:22:02.98\00:22:04.82
and there was water
getting in the boat.
00:22:05.02\00:22:06.35
And we both looked at him
and we said: "Who's crazy idea
00:22:06.52\00:22:09.02
was this? " And he looked at us.
00:22:09.22\00:22:10.93
"What are you talking about?
00:22:11.13\00:22:12.46
We should get us back
there as quick as you can. "
00:22:12.49\00:22:14.53
He said: "It's
just not that easy. "
00:22:14.73\00:22:16.36
And it wasn't.
00:22:16.56\00:22:17.90
And we likely
wouldn't have perished,
00:22:17.97\00:22:19.30
but man we were worried.
00:22:19.43\00:22:20.97
And I think about that
when I think about these guys.
00:22:21.17\00:22:22.90
I've never had really a
worse experience than that
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.84
on the water and
I don't want one.
00:22:26.04\00:22:27.38
But here were these fishermen
in the midst of a howling gale.
00:22:27.74\00:22:30.08
The rain was beating down.
00:22:30.28\00:22:31.71
The waves were beating up
00:22:31.91\00:22:33.25
and they thought
they were going to die.
00:22:33.28\00:22:35.08
And the interesting thing was
00:22:35.28\00:22:37.29
is the Bible
says that He - Jesus -
00:22:37.49\00:22:40.99
was in the
hinder part of the ship.
00:22:41.19\00:22:43.93
The hinder part.
00:22:44.33\00:22:45.96
In the stern... back there.
00:22:46.16\00:22:47.53
He was what? He
was asleep on a pillow.
00:22:47.93\00:22:52.37
And they woke
Him up and they said:
00:22:52.57\00:22:54.70
"Master, carest Thou
not that we perish? "
00:22:54.90\00:22:57.61
"Don't You care that we
are going to die out here? "
00:22:58.01\00:23:01.61
"Don't ya care? "
00:23:02.01\00:23:03.35
And Jesus' response
was really interesting.
00:23:03.48\00:23:06.21
He rose up and rebuked
the wind and the waves...
00:23:06.41\00:23:08.32
I'll come back to that. "He
said: 'Why are you so fearful?
00:23:08.52\00:23:12.35
How is it that
you have no faith? ' "
00:23:12.55\00:23:15.19
I want you to think that
through before we really get
00:23:15.89\00:23:17.63
to the main point.
00:23:17.83\00:23:19.16
Jesus said: "You all
don't have any faith. "
00:23:19.26\00:23:21.76
Here they were in a storm
and they were about to die.
00:23:22.16\00:23:25.20
I would not be surprised
if one of them had said:
00:23:25.40\00:23:27.27
"Man, that is
easy for You to say. "
00:23:27.47\00:23:29.60
"You were sleeping and we
were in the process of dying
00:23:29.80\00:23:33.68
and You were
asleep. We saved You! "
00:23:33.88\00:23:35.51
Jesus was right...
they didn't have any faith.
00:23:39.81\00:23:41.62
And how do we know that
they didn't have any faith?
00:23:41.82\00:23:43.25
Because Jesus had said:
"We are going to the... "
00:23:43.65\00:23:46.52
other side. Didn't
matter how much rain there was.
00:23:46.72\00:23:48.62
Didn't matter if they
sank to the bottom of the sea.
00:23:49.09\00:23:51.09
It didn't matter. Jesus
said it plainly and clearly:
00:23:51.29\00:23:54.33
"We are going to the
other side of the lake. "
00:23:54.53\00:23:57.97
There was nowhere else that
they could possibly have gone.
00:23:58.37\00:24:01.44
He spoke and they were going.
00:24:01.64\00:24:03.41
Come on... say "Amen.
" Amen! They were going!
00:24:03.61\00:24:05.57
When God speaks
something is going to happen.
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.04
The same word that
Jesus speaks to us today
00:24:08.24\00:24:10.88
is the same word that
He spoke 6,000 years ago
00:24:11.08\00:24:14.18
when He said:
"Let there be light! "
00:24:14.38\00:24:16.75
There is creative power
in the word of God. Amen?
00:24:16.95\00:24:19.32
Amen! Great power!
00:24:19.52\00:24:20.96
But come back up here.
00:24:21.26\00:24:22.72
"He arose... " verse
39. "He rebuked the wind
00:24:22.92\00:24:25.73
and said to the sea:
'Peace, be still. ' "
00:24:25.93\00:24:30.17
And you could have said that
till you were blue in the face
00:24:30.37\00:24:32.57
and it would have
just kept on howling.
00:24:32.77\00:24:34.90
Although... let
me tell you this:
00:24:35.84\00:24:38.31
I was at a Camp Meeting
once and we were in a tent
00:24:39.47\00:24:43.61
and it was
raining cats and dogs.
00:24:44.01\00:24:46.88
And, of course,
there was amplification
00:24:47.75\00:24:49.98
and there was a microphone and
speakers that worked very well.
00:24:50.39\00:24:53.09
But no matter how loud I spoke
00:24:53.29\00:24:56.29
they... people just
could barely hear me.
00:24:56.49\00:24:59.06
Barely. You know how it
is when you can hear someone
00:24:59.26\00:25:00.90
but there's rain. And
I hadn't even started.
00:25:01.06\00:25:04.10
And I had a
whole sermon to go yet
00:25:04.50\00:25:06.13
and I thought: "This
is going to be rough. "
00:25:06.33\00:25:07.80
I said: "Let's pray
that the rain will stop. "
00:25:08.00\00:25:10.07
And so I prayed:
"Father in heaven... "
00:25:10.47\00:25:12.31
And the rain is bucketing down!
00:25:12.51\00:25:14.51
It's hosing down!
"Lord, bless the message
00:25:14.71\00:25:17.81
and in spite of the
preacher bless the message. "
00:25:18.01\00:25:20.48
It is POURING DOWN!
00:25:20.68\00:25:23.49
And then I prayed: "Lord,
we would really appreciate it
00:25:24.25\00:25:26.82
if this rain would stop. "
00:25:27.02\00:25:28.79
It got louder! Pouring down!
00:25:28.99\00:25:32.83
And I prayed:
"Lord, if it's Your will
00:25:33.83\00:25:36.63
that the rain keep on
then let it go. We'll be happy.
00:25:36.83\00:25:40.14
But we are asking
You if You wouldn't mind
00:25:40.34\00:25:44.01
stopping the
rain. " It just kept on!
00:25:44.21\00:25:48.28
Man, it was raining
like you never heard!
00:25:48.48\00:25:50.55
And I prayed:
"And we thank you...
00:25:50.75\00:25:52.91
Pouring down! "in
Jesus' name. " Pouring down!
00:25:53.11\00:25:58.75
Amen. STOPPED!
00:25:58.95\00:26:01.86
Right on cue! Stopped!
00:26:03.32\00:26:06.96
And I don't mean it eased off.
00:26:07.66\00:26:10.03
It didn't ease off. It
was like you turned off
00:26:10.23\00:26:12.37
the tap in the kitchen sink.
00:26:12.57\00:26:14.50
Bam! Just like that!
00:26:14.70\00:26:16.57
And of course I
was not surprised...
00:26:17.57\00:26:19.71
Who would be?
00:26:27.18\00:26:28.52
So 3 or 4 weeks later
I'm at another Camp Meeting.
00:26:31.35\00:26:33.59
This one's in Oklahoma
00:26:35.26\00:26:36.96
and there were tornado warnings.
00:26:37.89\00:26:39.59
And by the time... anyhow...
00:26:40.26\00:26:42.53
and the weather was really bad.
00:26:42.73\00:26:44.80
And I say: "OK, they
can hardly hear me now. "
00:26:45.63\00:26:47.34
It's not a
tent... it's a tin roof.
00:26:47.54\00:26:49.04
And I'm thinking: "Man,
you know, I've gotta pray here.
00:26:50.81\00:26:52.77
Last time I did this I
prayed and the rain stopped.
00:26:53.17\00:26:55.64
Let's pray. "
00:26:56.04\00:26:58.21
"Father in heaven... " I prayed.
The rain is pouring down.
00:26:58.41\00:27:00.62
And I'm thinking to myself:
"Right now I'm batting 1,000
00:27:01.55\00:27:04.19
on rain. I'm winning
every time, one out of one. "
00:27:05.25\00:27:08.56
And there was something
back there that said: "Just go
00:27:12.39\00:27:14.30
and pray... just ask.
00:27:14.46\00:27:16.26
If God doesn't give it to you,
it's God's thing not yours. "
00:27:16.46\00:27:19.13
Amen!
00:27:19.33\00:27:20.67
I chickened out...
I didn't even pray.
00:27:21.07\00:27:22.90
I didn't even ask
that the rain would stop.
00:27:23.51\00:27:26.14
I'm thinking: "Not this time. "
00:27:26.34\00:27:27.81
Lack of faith,
huh? Lack of faith!
00:27:28.01\00:27:30.71
Who is God? He is Sovereign.
00:27:31.11\00:27:33.38
He is Sovereign over the
wind and the waves. Amen!
00:27:33.58\00:27:36.99
He's Sovereign!
00:27:37.39\00:27:38.95
Now if He determines that
the flood is going to come
00:27:39.15\00:27:41.46
and wash your house
away that's His problem.
00:27:41.66\00:27:44.89
I'm not saying that
lightly. I'm not saying that
00:27:45.59\00:27:47.53
flippantly, but God has demon-
strated that He is Sovereign.
00:27:47.73\00:27:52.00
He calmed the
wind and the waves.
00:27:52.20\00:27:55.27
They stopped. The
disciples said: "Whoa! "
00:27:55.47\00:27:58.74
"What is that that happened? "
00:27:58.94\00:28:00.91
I'll give you another story,
and I'm spending too much time
00:28:01.11\00:28:02.88
on this. But this
is such a great story
00:28:03.08\00:28:04.41
I need to tell you. So in Kenya
00:28:04.45\00:28:06.05
holding my very first
evangelistic series. And this
00:28:06.25\00:28:10.05
was years ago. And
the children said to me
00:28:10.25\00:28:12.52
where I was staying... I
was staying in a certain home
00:28:12.72\00:28:14.39
and the kids said to me:
"Pastor, there will not be
00:28:14.59\00:28:17.36
a meeting this afternoon.
It is going to rain. "
00:28:17.56\00:28:19.66
I said: "No, no, no...
it's not going to rain. "
00:28:20.06\00:28:21.76
They said: "It's going to
rain. " I said: "No, it cannot
00:28:21.96\00:28:23.70
rain because I have to preach.
" And we're preaching outdoors.
00:28:23.90\00:28:25.97
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
00:28:26.97\00:28:28.57
"No, Pastor, it's going
to... " I said: "No, no,
00:28:29.34\00:28:30.87
it cannot
rain... it cannot rain. "
00:28:31.07\00:28:32.41
And I'll never forget the
words of the 16-year-old boy.
00:28:33.21\00:28:37.05
He said: "But
Pastor, it MUST rain. "
00:28:37.25\00:28:40.62
They could see the
signs in the weather
00:28:42.42\00:28:44.42
and when it looks like
that it's going to rain.
00:28:44.82\00:28:46.69
And I said: "No,
it's not going to rain.
00:28:47.09\00:28:48.46
You guys gotta
learn something. "
00:28:48.66\00:28:49.99
I opened up to a
passage in the Bible
00:28:50.93\00:28:52.36
and I wish I could
remember which one it was.
00:28:52.56\00:28:54.16
Right now I don't recall.
00:28:54.36\00:28:55.70
I said: "See, God's in control
of the weather, isn't He? "
00:28:55.73\00:28:58.27
And they nodded and they said
like: "Yes He is, but it's still
00:28:58.90\00:29:02.40
going to rain. "
00:29:02.60\00:29:04.64
I said: "No, it can't
rain because the people have to
00:29:05.07\00:29:06.98
hear the Word of
God so let's pray. "
00:29:07.18\00:29:09.51
And so we knelt down to pray
00:29:09.71\00:29:11.05
and we knelt in a little
circle in their living room.
00:29:11.08\00:29:13.42
And I prayed and I
presented this promise
00:29:13.82\00:29:15.35
before God and I
placed my finger on it
00:29:15.55\00:29:17.22
and I said: "Lord, I
know You can read this. "
00:29:17.42\00:29:19.02
And I'm praying
two prayers at once.
00:29:19.22\00:29:20.86
I'm praying that God
would keep the rain away
00:29:21.26\00:29:23.06
and I'm praying
the silent prayer
00:29:23.26\00:29:25.09
"You've gotta answer this prayer
00:29:25.29\00:29:26.83
'cause I've really stuck my
neck out here, and these kids,
00:29:27.03\00:29:29.06
I mean... this
would be faith building
00:29:29.26\00:29:31.20
so You've gotta
answer the prayer. "
00:29:31.60\00:29:33.23
And so then we
walked later in the day
00:29:33.74\00:29:35.80
a mile or two to where the
preaching was taking place.
00:29:36.00\00:29:38.14
And the kids said:
"Pastor, it's going to rain. "
00:29:38.54\00:29:40.14
And I looked up
and in the distance
00:29:40.34\00:29:41.68
it was just as
dark... that dark grey-blue
00:29:41.71\00:29:44.81
color that you know is rain.
00:29:45.01\00:29:46.51
I said: "No, no, we prayed.
God will answer our prayer. "
00:29:47.25\00:29:49.72
The other prayer: "You've
got to answer our prayer. "
00:29:50.12\00:29:52.35
I stood up to speak
00:29:55.92\00:29:57.43
and I'm looking out there
to where the kids are sitting
00:29:57.79\00:29:59.69
on the grass and
they're looking up.
00:29:59.89\00:30:01.80
And they're looking at me.
00:30:02.00\00:30:03.33
And they're looking up.
00:30:03.50\00:30:04.83
And they're looking at me.
00:30:04.93\00:30:06.27
Because by the time I was
half-way through the sermon
00:30:06.84\00:30:09.74
there was rain pouring...
00:30:10.14\00:30:12.84
not on us but around us.
00:30:13.04\00:30:14.94
360 degrees around us!
00:30:15.98\00:30:18.11
Everywhere you turned
00:30:19.11\00:30:21.18
no matter where you
turned you could see rain
00:30:21.38\00:30:23.39
hosing down.
00:30:23.59\00:30:25.35
And the kids are looking
at me like... looking up.
00:30:25.55\00:30:27.59
They came to me after
the sermon and they said:
00:30:28.12\00:30:29.69
"OK, Pastor, it can
rain now. " I said: "No! "
00:30:29.89\00:30:31.86
I was pushing my luck.
00:30:32.69\00:30:34.53
"It cannot rain now
00:30:36.06\00:30:37.93
because we've got the
Bible study classes...
00:30:38.33\00:30:41.07
the baptismal
preparation classes.
00:30:41.27\00:30:42.97
Not until after
that can it rain. "
00:30:43.17\00:30:44.91
And they looked at me
like I was out of my mind.
00:30:45.11\00:30:47.28
And so the classes
took place about 40 minutes
00:30:47.64\00:30:49.98
still it's raining 360
degrees around us but not on us.
00:30:50.18\00:30:53.55
They came to us and they
said: "It's gonna rain now. "
00:30:53.75\00:30:56.02
I said: "No... not
for about fifteen minutes
00:30:56.22\00:30:58.62
because the people have
to get home and stay dry. "
00:30:58.82\00:31:00.62
They couldn't believe
what they were hearing.
00:31:01.02\00:31:03.19
Fifteen minutes later
00:31:03.39\00:31:04.79
it was time for us to leave.
00:31:04.99\00:31:06.33
I said: "Let's go. " And
as we started walking home
00:31:06.53\00:31:08.66
man, the heavens opened up!
00:31:08.86\00:31:10.97
Boom! It rained like
you wouldn't believe.
00:31:11.13\00:31:14.34
I had my Bible under
whatever clothing I was wearing,
00:31:14.74\00:31:18.14
walking. Soaked!
Drenched to the bone!
00:31:18.34\00:31:21.68
Thought we were going
to drown walking home!
00:31:21.88\00:31:24.81
Can God control the weather?
00:31:27.25\00:31:28.95
Yes! Why can He do that?
00:31:29.15\00:31:30.82
Because He is Sovereign.
00:31:31.02\00:31:32.35
He is Sovereign God!
00:31:32.39\00:31:33.82
It's what He does when
it works for His glory.
00:31:34.02\00:31:38.19
Amen! When it
works for His glory.
00:31:38.39\00:31:40.83
Now brothers and sisters,
you talk about Sovereign God
00:31:41.23\00:31:43.20
and you will say: "Yeah, but
the wind blew away my house. "
00:31:43.40\00:31:46.33
Or: "The rain came
and flooded my basement. "
00:31:46.53\00:31:48.40
OK. I wish I
could explain that to ya
00:31:48.60\00:31:51.07
other than
"Sometimes bad things happen. "
00:31:51.27\00:31:53.78
And sometimes
good things happen.
00:31:54.18\00:31:56.31
The good that you don't deserve
happens to you all the time.
00:31:56.51\00:31:58.81
So when the bad that you
don't deserve happens to you
00:31:59.21\00:32:01.82
there's no point shaking
your fists in God's face.
00:32:02.02\00:32:04.32
He is still God!
00:32:04.62\00:32:05.95
And let me tell you something:
00:32:06.12\00:32:07.59
you are not gonna get out
of here with your possessions
00:32:07.79\00:32:11.09
anyway! Amen!
00:32:11.29\00:32:13.80
When we get there,
we're not takin' it with us.
00:32:14.00\00:32:15.66
It's not ours anyhow.
00:32:16.06\00:32:18.13
It is God's... not ours.
00:32:18.33\00:32:21.00
God's! God is Sovereign.
00:32:21.20\00:32:23.37
And He spoke one day -
Christ did - and He said:
00:32:23.57\00:32:26.27
"Peace, be still! "
00:32:26.47\00:32:28.98
And it was still. I want
to make an application here.
00:32:29.18\00:32:31.91
There might be a
storm ranging in your heart
00:32:32.11\00:32:33.95
in your life tonight.
00:32:34.15\00:32:35.48
It might be a storm of
illness; financial challenge.
00:32:35.55\00:32:38.25
There might be an
interpersonal storm.
00:32:38.65\00:32:40.26
Maybe the foundations of your
marriage are starting to crack
00:32:40.46\00:32:43.29
and you don't know how
to polyfiller up the gaps
00:32:43.49\00:32:45.16
quickly enough. It
might be... you name it.
00:32:45.36\00:32:48.56
But Jesus is fully able
00:32:48.96\00:32:51.23
to stand up and speak
to the storm in your life
00:32:51.43\00:32:53.50
and say: "Peace, be still! "
00:32:53.70\00:32:55.40
And if He doesn't
calm the waves and the sea,
00:32:55.60\00:32:57.74
He can
certainly calm your heart.
00:32:57.94\00:32:59.27
Come on and say "Amen. "
Amen! Because He is Sovereign.
00:32:59.44\00:33:01.68
He is mighty and He is
perfectly willing and able
00:33:01.88\00:33:05.51
to be as mighty in your
life as you need Him to be.
00:33:05.71\00:33:09.15
AMEN! Where else
is Jesus Sovereign?
00:33:09.35\00:33:12.15
He is Sovereign everywhere!
00:33:12.35\00:33:14.29
But I want to tell you He
is Sovereign over the elements
00:33:14.49\00:33:16.56
of nature. He's... you might say
00:33:16.76\00:33:19.83
"The weather is all of that. "
Yeah, but I would have only had
00:33:20.03\00:33:22.10
one. This time I've got two.
00:33:22.30\00:33:23.63
So I'm splitting
them up like that.
00:33:23.83\00:33:25.30
He's Sovereign over
the elements of nature
00:33:25.50\00:33:28.07
and I want to show you
this in Daniel and chapter 3.
00:33:28.27\00:33:30.24
Daniel chapter
3... you know the story.
00:33:30.44\00:33:32.41
There shouldn't be
any surprises here.
00:33:32.61\00:33:33.98
I shouldn't even be able to
take you anywhere in the Bible
00:33:34.18\00:33:36.24
that would surprise you.
00:33:36.44\00:33:37.78
You go to Daniel chapter
3 and you know the story.
00:33:37.81\00:33:40.02
The king set up a golden image
90 feet high and 9 feet wide.
00:33:40.95\00:33:45.05
Set it up on the plain of Dura.
00:33:45.25\00:33:47.06
And he said:
"Come on out everybody
00:33:47.26\00:33:49.39
and inaugurate this image.
00:33:49.59\00:33:51.13
We are going to have you
all bow down and worship it. "
00:33:51.53\00:33:55.50
And it was perfectly
acceptable for him to do that.
00:33:55.70\00:33:58.87
Culturally,
socially, religiously.
00:33:59.27\00:34:02.60
No matter how you cut it up
00:34:02.80\00:34:04.57
what he was doing was
entirely in sync with the times.
00:34:04.77\00:34:08.44
"Let's bow down
and worship the thing
00:34:08.64\00:34:10.68
when you hear the music play-
ing - that Babylonian music. "
00:34:10.88\00:34:15.15
Babylonian music is especially
suited for bowing down to idols.
00:34:15.35\00:34:19.29
"When you hear that
Babylonian music, bow down. "
00:34:20.29\00:34:23.66
But there were three
young men who did not bow down.
00:34:24.06\00:34:28.16
Simply wouldn't do it.
00:34:28.36\00:34:30.53
And this is quite phenomenal.
00:34:30.93\00:34:33.57
I'll get to the main
point second. I'll get to the
00:34:36.10\00:34:38.14
secondary point first.
00:34:38.34\00:34:39.67
The secondary point
is what one would think
00:34:39.87\00:34:41.74
is the spectacular
point... but it's not really.
00:34:41.94\00:34:44.21
And so we read in verse 19
that they wouldn't bow down.
00:34:44.61\00:34:47.68
Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury.
00:34:47.88\00:34:50.09
I love this: "And
the form of his visage -
00:34:50.29\00:34:52.85
his appearance - was changed
00:34:53.05\00:34:54.66
against Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. "
00:34:54.86\00:34:56.62
So he went from calm and
serene to just angry and twisted
00:34:56.83\00:35:00.66
and bent. "He
commanded the most mighty men
00:35:00.86\00:35:03.97
to cast them into a
burning fiery furnace. "
00:35:04.17\00:35:06.33
Now you're going to love this:
00:35:06.53\00:35:07.87
"So these three men
were bound in their coats
00:35:08.00\00:35:10.57
and their hosen and their
hats and their other garments
00:35:10.77\00:35:13.27
and were cast into the midst
of a burning fiery furnace.
00:35:13.48\00:35:17.31
Therefore, because the
king's commandment was urgent
00:35:17.71\00:35:20.35
and it was exceedingly hot
00:35:20.55\00:35:22.08
the flame of fire slew the
men that threw our three friends
00:35:22.28\00:35:26.29
into the fire.
But these three men -
00:35:26.49\00:35:29.12
Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego -
00:35:29.32\00:35:30.66
fell down bound into the midst
of the burning fiery furnace.
00:35:30.83\00:35:33.90
Nebuchadnezzar was astonished!
00:35:34.10\00:35:37.00
He said: 'Didn't
we cast three men
00:35:37.20\00:35:39.73
bound into the
midst of the fire? '
00:35:39.93\00:35:41.50
They said: 'True, king. '
00:35:41.70\00:35:43.04
He answered and
said: 'Lo, I see four men
00:35:43.17\00:35:44.87
loose, walking in
the midst of the fire
00:35:45.07\00:35:46.54
AND THEY HAVE NO HURT!
00:35:46.94\00:35:50.88
And the form of
the fourth is like
00:35:51.28\00:35:53.68
the Son of God. ' "
Or, a son of the gods.
00:35:53.88\00:35:56.65
Can you imagine
somebody going into the flames
00:35:57.05\00:35:59.35
and having no hurt?
00:35:59.55\00:36:00.89
I just read a
fascinating story. In fact,
00:36:01.72\00:36:03.76
Melissa found this when
she was doing some research
00:36:03.96\00:36:06.26
for her My Place
With Jesus ministry.
00:36:06.46\00:36:08.70
And she found this wonderful
story just very recently.
00:36:08.90\00:36:11.33
In West Virginia a
church was devastated by fire.
00:36:11.53\00:36:15.44
Absolutely burned to the ground.
00:36:15.64\00:36:17.11
And you think that this is
fiction? It's not. I've seen the
00:36:17.31\00:36:19.64
picture. Everything was
burned to virtually nothing
00:36:19.84\00:36:23.48
except for the Bibles.
00:36:23.68\00:36:25.11
Amen.
00:36:26.41\00:36:27.75
Except for the Bibles. No joke!
00:36:27.78\00:36:29.48
This was in
mainstream news just a...
00:36:29.88\00:36:33.09
Don't give me: "You can't
trust anything in the news. "
00:36:33.29\00:36:35.26
We're not
getting political here.
00:36:35.46\00:36:36.79
But in regular
news just recently.
00:36:37.93\00:36:40.96
Church is burned to smithereens
00:36:41.16\00:36:42.50
and the Bibles
have been preserved.
00:36:42.80\00:36:45.00
So God is able to do
it. And He does it again
00:36:45.20\00:36:47.40
and He does it again.
But here went these three men
00:36:47.60\00:36:49.90
into the fire. The
fire couldn't touch them.
00:36:50.11\00:36:52.67
Why? Because God is
Sovereign over the fire.
00:36:52.87\00:36:55.54
Amen! He's
supreme over the elements.
00:36:55.74\00:36:58.11
There is nothing over
which God is not supreme.
00:36:58.31\00:37:00.95
Nothing at all!
00:37:01.35\00:37:03.95
I've never had that
happen to me... never!
00:37:05.79\00:37:08.79
I've been
singed... a little burned.
00:37:08.99\00:37:10.89
Thank God never
anything terribly bad.
00:37:11.09\00:37:12.89
But whenever I have
tangled with fire, the fire wins
00:37:13.73\00:37:16.23
and I come second.
00:37:16.43\00:37:17.77
This was different. And now
I want to get back to the main
00:37:17.80\00:37:20.24
point. Not the secondary
point... the MAIN point.
00:37:20.44\00:37:24.07
Because Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego
00:37:24.91\00:37:27.04
answered and said to the
king: "Oh Nebuchadnezzar,
00:37:27.24\00:37:29.14
we are not careful to
answer thee in this matter. "
00:37:29.54\00:37:31.91
They were not
being smart alecks.
00:37:32.11\00:37:33.52
They were simply saying:
"We don't have to think twice. "
00:37:33.72\00:37:37.02
"We don't have to sit
here stroking our chins
00:37:37.85\00:37:40.09
wondering how we
should respond. "
00:37:40.29\00:37:41.72
They said: "If it be so,
00:37:42.12\00:37:45.76
our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us
00:37:45.96\00:37:51.57
from the burning fiery furnace.
00:37:51.77\00:37:53.64
And He will
deliver us out of your hand
00:37:53.84\00:37:58.44
O king. " That was BOLD!
00:37:58.64\00:38:01.14
But they followed it
up... this is the main point:
00:38:01.98\00:38:04.75
"But if not, be it
known unto thee, O king,
00:38:05.15\00:38:08.65
we will not worship your
god or serve the golden image
00:38:08.85\00:38:14.09
which you have set up. "
00:38:14.29\00:38:16.36
"It doesn't matter to
us whether God delivers us
00:38:16.56\00:38:19.09
from this mess or not
00:38:19.29\00:38:20.76
we are still not
going to bow down. " Amen!
00:38:20.96\00:38:26.43
And you know that
Daniel chapter 3 is simply
00:38:26.63\00:38:28.20
a mirror of what takes
place in Revelation chapter 13.
00:38:28.40\00:38:30.97
Why was God
able to deliver them?
00:38:31.81\00:38:33.48
Because they threw themselves
at God's feet and said:
00:38:33.68\00:38:36.64
"We are hanging on...
we have nothing else. "
00:38:36.85\00:38:39.05
And they had said: "It's up
to You; we simply trust You. "
00:38:39.25\00:38:42.92
"It's up to You. "
00:38:43.22\00:38:44.55
Somebody asked me a
question the other night
00:38:44.82\00:38:46.59
during this event, one
of the evangelistic meetings
00:38:46.79\00:38:48.42
that we just did in
Melbourne, Australia.
00:38:48.62\00:38:49.96
And they said:
"Should I tithe on my income
00:38:50.16\00:38:52.53
because I have a lot of bills? "
00:38:52.73\00:38:54.06
And my answer was:
"Absolutely you should! "
00:38:54.33\00:38:56.56
You are not going to
see God work a miracle
00:38:56.77\00:38:58.60
unless you put it out
there and say: "I need You
00:38:58.80\00:39:01.04
to work a miracle. "
Amen! And that's what He does.
00:39:01.24\00:39:03.20
When the boss says to you:
"You've got to work on Sabbath"
00:39:03.41\00:39:06.21
now I can't promise you exactly
what's going to take place
00:39:06.41\00:39:08.64
except that God is
going to come through for you.
00:39:08.84\00:39:12.55
I've known many
people who have lost jobs
00:39:12.75\00:39:15.38
over the Sabbath, but
I have not known anyone
00:39:15.78\00:39:18.95
who's ever been worse off.
00:39:19.15\00:39:20.49
My own wife's
father. He said to the boss:
00:39:20.52\00:39:23.02
"Listen... I've had a change of
heart. I've given my life to the
00:39:23.22\00:39:25.33
Lord. I've had kind of
a re-configuration in my
00:39:25.53\00:39:29.13
Christian experience.
I can't work Friday night
00:39:29.33\00:39:31.37
to Saturday
night... sunset to sunset.
00:39:31.57\00:39:32.90
I'll work any other time. "
00:39:33.10\00:39:34.44
"I'll work Sunday.
I'll work Monday night,
00:39:34.77\00:39:36.71
Tuesday night, Wednesday night.
Do whatever I need to do. "
00:39:36.91\00:39:39.11
He said: "You be here on
Saturday or you're going to
00:39:39.31\00:39:40.84
lose your job. "
He said: "No, no, no,
00:39:41.04\00:39:42.84
no... I cannot
be here but I... "
00:39:43.04\00:39:44.45
"Don't even
bother coming Monday. "
00:39:44.65\00:39:46.55
So of course
Friday night he's at home.
00:39:48.45\00:39:50.55
Sabbath morning he's in church.
00:39:50.75\00:39:52.52
Monday morning he's
back at the work site
00:39:53.49\00:39:55.92
and there's
someone else doing his job.
00:39:56.96\00:39:58.99
And the boss said: "I
told you not to come back
00:40:01.06\00:40:03.03
if you weren't going
to be here on Saturday. "
00:40:03.93\00:40:05.73
And this was a few years ago.
He didn't know anything about
00:40:06.30\00:40:08.87
public affairs
and religious liberty.
00:40:09.07\00:40:11.04
He didn't know anything
about that. He didn't even think
00:40:11.44\00:40:12.94
to call a lawyer. He figured
he'd go to his lawyer in heaven
00:40:13.14\00:40:15.91
and talk to God.
00:40:16.11\00:40:17.45
He said: "Well man,
I'm in a bit of a fix here.
00:40:17.48\00:40:20.02
I've got three
girls in church school
00:40:20.42\00:40:22.82
and we've got bills to pay and
we are trying to get ahead. "
00:40:23.22\00:40:25.99
And the Lord said to
him: "There's another way. "
00:40:26.19\00:40:28.09
"What other way? "
00:40:28.29\00:40:29.62
He said: "Why don't you open
a business doing those things
00:40:29.82\00:40:32.19
that you're good
at and like so much? "
00:40:32.39\00:40:33.73
He said: "A business? Me?
I don't know anything about
00:40:33.90\00:40:35.66
opening a business. "
"Well give it a try. "
00:40:35.86\00:40:37.57
So he opened a business.
00:40:37.97\00:40:39.30
The story does not end
with him becoming as wealthy
00:40:39.43\00:40:42.07
as Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos.
00:40:42.27\00:40:44.01
But the story DOES
end with his three girls
00:40:44.41\00:40:46.88
going through
Christian elementary school,
00:40:47.08\00:40:48.71
and church high school,
and church college as well.
00:40:48.91\00:40:51.91
Amen! And he made
it with money to spare!
00:40:52.11\00:40:55.52
Did God come through for him?
00:40:55.92\00:40:57.45
Yes, because as somebody said
00:40:57.65\00:40:59.55
"You can't walk on water unless
you get out of the boat. "
00:40:59.75\00:41:03.26
Amen! God is
Sovereign ladies and gentlemen.
00:41:03.46\00:41:05.89
He is SOVEREIGN!
00:41:06.09\00:41:07.63
And these characters
here in the book of Daniel
00:41:07.83\00:41:10.50
chapter 3: they
weren't going to bow down
00:41:10.70\00:41:13.07
to no lousy golden image...
00:41:13.27\00:41:14.70
not even if their
lives depended on it
00:41:15.10\00:41:18.61
because they recognized
00:41:18.81\00:41:20.48
that the Monarch to
whom they were answerable
00:41:20.68\00:41:23.18
was not Nebuchadnezzar
but the God in heaven
00:41:23.38\00:41:27.55
who is Sovereign over
all. Come on, say "Amen. "
00:41:27.75\00:41:30.82
Amen! That's right.
Here they were in Egypt.
00:41:31.02\00:41:32.79
Have you seen
Egypt? Big old place.
00:41:32.99\00:41:34.39
You can hardly get
from one place to another
00:41:34.59\00:41:36.39
from where God
was trying to get them
00:41:36.59\00:41:37.93
without the Red
Sea getting in the way.
00:41:38.09\00:41:39.49
And God said: "Out you go. "
00:41:39.69\00:41:41.20
And they said: "All right. "
00:41:41.40\00:41:43.03
And God led them. He
had already shown Himself
00:41:43.23\00:41:44.97
in a pillar of fire
and a pillar of cloud
00:41:45.17\00:41:46.80
and so at least
Moses was trusting.
00:41:47.00\00:41:49.07
And they get down to
the edge of the Red Sea
00:41:49.27\00:41:50.74
and God says: "Keep on
going... keep on going.
00:41:50.94\00:41:53.27
Hold out your hand; something
great is going to happen. "
00:41:53.48\00:41:55.38
And he held out his hand
00:41:55.58\00:41:56.91
and you saw something happening
that had never happened before.
00:41:57.08\00:42:00.18
Who could do that?
00:42:00.95\00:42:02.32
I'm going to tell you tonight
00:42:02.72\00:42:04.05
if God can keep
three men from being burned
00:42:04.12\00:42:06.65
in the fire, if Jesus was with
them in the midst of that fire,
00:42:06.86\00:42:11.26
if Jesus can calm
the wind and the waves
00:42:11.66\00:42:14.03
and keep the rain from
stopping an evangelistic meeting
00:42:14.23\00:42:17.13
in the middle of
nowhere in Africa,
00:42:17.33\00:42:18.87
if God can cause
the Red Sea to open up
00:42:19.27\00:42:22.47
and let His people
cross that thing on dry land,
00:42:22.67\00:42:25.27
then God can move in your life.
00:42:25.47\00:42:28.08
He's not only Sovereign
over the wind and the waves.
00:42:28.28\00:42:30.85
He's Sovereign over what's
going on in your life, too.
00:42:31.25\00:42:33.55
Oh yes He is!
00:42:33.85\00:42:35.18
Sovereign...super.
He is the supreme Ruler.
00:42:35.28\00:42:39.19
That's what God is! Amen!
00:42:39.39\00:42:41.62
And here we are,
human beings. We ignore God
00:42:41.82\00:42:44.43
and we go about our own business
00:42:44.63\00:42:46.23
and we build
monuments to ourselves.
00:42:46.43\00:42:49.56
There they were at Jericho.
They had a handsome city
00:42:49.76\00:42:52.40
and it was a walled city.
00:42:52.60\00:42:54.00
You read the story
in Judges and chapter 6.
00:42:54.20\00:42:56.67
And God said: "No problem;
those walls are going to fall. "
00:42:56.87\00:42:59.04
"OK... how is it
going to happen? "
00:42:59.24\00:43:02.84
God said: "I have a
very high-tech plan. "
00:43:03.04\00:43:04.55
"This is going to
involve walking and shouting. "
00:43:08.78\00:43:10.75
You know,
Joshua... good for Joshua.
00:43:13.89\00:43:15.52
But what about the men
in the army who were just
00:43:15.72\00:43:17.06
taking orders?
They must have thought
00:43:17.16\00:43:19.56
"We don't trust this
guy... vote of no confidence. "
00:43:19.76\00:43:22.96
I mean, I'm thinking somebody
had to have thought that.
00:43:23.16\00:43:26.53
Can imagine them
walking around Jericho
00:43:26.84\00:43:28.87
and someone's
explaining to his friend:
00:43:29.07\00:43:30.41
"You know what
we're going to do?
00:43:30.44\00:43:31.77
We're just going to
walk around the city.
00:43:31.81\00:43:33.14
And on the seventh day
- we do it seven times -
00:43:33.21\00:43:34.81
we shout. "
00:43:35.01\00:43:36.34
The guy's going to defect.
00:43:40.28\00:43:42.22
"I think I'll go
fight for them. "
00:43:42.42\00:43:44.39
And they walked
and they shouted.
00:43:46.62\00:43:49.69
Have you seen? Have
you ever seen a walled
00:43:49.89\00:43:52.53
city before? You know
what these walls are like?
00:43:52.73\00:43:55.00
They're not made
of cardboard, man.
00:43:55.20\00:43:57.20
They're not paper mache.
00:43:57.60\00:43:59.07
They're the real
thing. Great big stones
00:43:59.27\00:44:02.74
carved out of a
quarry of some kind
00:44:02.94\00:44:05.27
stacked on top of each other.
00:44:05.47\00:44:06.81
Some of these
walls are big and wide.
00:44:06.91\00:44:09.51
And they walked and they walked
00:44:10.41\00:44:14.65
and they SHOUTED
00:44:14.85\00:44:17.35
and what happened to
the walls of Jericho?
00:44:17.55\00:44:19.39
Fell down! Just fell down!
00:44:19.69\00:44:23.22
God is Sovereign
00:44:23.53\00:44:25.89
even over the
monuments we make to ourselves.
00:44:26.09\00:44:30.40
There's a great
story. Peter is in prison.
00:44:30.60\00:44:32.83
In prison! He's
behind gates and walls
00:44:33.03\00:44:36.27
and there are men...
I'm going to read it.
00:44:36.47\00:44:37.81
I can't help it...
I've got to read this.
00:44:37.84\00:44:39.41
We're going to go
to Acts chapter 12.
00:44:39.61\00:44:41.11
This is such a beautiful story.
00:44:41.31\00:44:42.64
Acts chapter 12. I
want you to know tonight
00:44:42.68\00:44:44.78
that God is Sovereign.
00:44:44.98\00:44:46.65
Ladies and gentlemen, He
is Sovereign; He is Lord!
00:44:46.85\00:44:49.22
He is the supreme Ruler.
00:44:49.52\00:44:50.85
There was... "Behold,
I am the Lord, the God of
00:44:50.95\00:44:53.82
all flesh" God said one day.
00:44:54.02\00:44:55.99
And then He asked a question:
00:44:56.19\00:44:57.53
"Is there
anything too hard for Me? "
00:44:57.73\00:45:00.13
Oh no there's
not for God is God!
00:45:00.33\00:45:02.73
"Peter, therefore, was
kept in prison... " Acts 12:5
00:45:02.93\00:45:05.37
"but... " listen...
"prayer was made without ceasing
00:45:05.57\00:45:09.10
of the church
unto God for him. "
00:45:09.30\00:45:10.84
I think this had
a lot to do with it.
00:45:11.04\00:45:12.54
"And when Herod would
have brought him forth,
00:45:13.51\00:45:14.84
the same night
Peter was sleeping. "
00:45:15.04\00:45:16.38
That's gotta tell you something!
00:45:16.44\00:45:17.78
James had just lost his head.
00:45:17.91\00:45:19.91
It appeared that
Peter was going to lose his
00:45:20.42\00:45:22.82
and he's in prison sleeping.
00:45:23.02\00:45:25.29
Sleeping.
00:45:26.12\00:45:27.46
I just read, I just wish I could
tell you what, where somebody
00:45:27.56\00:45:29.42
said: "I couldn't
sleep; I was awake all night. "
00:45:29.62\00:45:31.96
Peter was sleeping.
00:45:33.46\00:45:35.10
What does that tell
you about his trust in God?
00:45:35.30\00:45:37.70
This brother believed
that God was Sovereign.
00:45:38.10\00:45:40.20
Whether he lived or died, it
was of very little consequence
00:45:40.60\00:45:43.54
as long as God was glorified.
00:45:43.74\00:45:45.87
And Peter knew that his
heart was in God's hands.
00:45:46.27\00:45:48.78
So Peter is busy
snoring in a jail cell.
00:45:48.98\00:45:51.81
He's bound with
chains... plural.
00:45:52.41\00:45:55.65
And the keepers of
the prison... sorry:
00:45:55.85\00:45:58.52
"And the keepers before
the door kept the prison. "
00:45:58.72\00:46:01.09
So this is plural as well.
00:46:01.29\00:46:02.66
More than one.
"Behold, the angel of the Lord
00:46:02.86\00:46:04.93
came upon him. A
light shined in the prison.
00:46:05.13\00:46:07.16
He smote him on the side. "
Bam! He was a heavy sleeper!
00:46:07.36\00:46:11.60
"He raised him up
saying: 'Arise up quickly'
00:46:12.00\00:46:14.74
and his chains fell off! "
00:46:15.14\00:46:18.14
Amen! How can that happen?
00:46:18.34\00:46:19.87
It can happen because
there is a Sovereign God
00:46:20.08\00:46:22.01
stronger than any human chain.
00:46:22.21\00:46:24.48
"Chains fell off. The
angel said: 'Gird yourself;
00:46:24.68\00:46:27.85
bind on your
sandals. ' " He did it.
00:46:28.05\00:46:29.42
"He said: 'Cast
your garment about you
00:46:29.62\00:46:31.49
and follow me. ' And he
went out and followed him. "
00:46:31.69\00:46:33.66
"He didn't know that it was
true what was done by the angel.
00:46:33.86\00:46:35.92
He thought he saw a vision.
00:46:36.12\00:46:37.46
When they passed the
first and the second ward... "
00:46:37.63\00:46:41.33
you've gotta love that...
00:46:41.53\00:46:42.86
"they came unto the iron
gate that led unto the city.
00:46:42.96\00:46:46.30
It opened to them
of its own accord.
00:46:46.50\00:46:50.17
They went out and
passed on through one street.
00:46:50.37\00:46:53.51
The angel
departed and Peter said:
00:46:53.71\00:46:56.18
'What in the world? ' "
00:46:56.38\00:46:58.05
In fact, Peter
said: "God is great! "
00:46:58.25\00:47:00.88
"God is supreme;
God is Sovereign. "
00:47:01.08\00:47:03.52
You know in
Revelation chapter 16
00:47:03.72\00:47:05.55
hail stones about 70 lbs. each
00:47:05.75\00:47:07.49
are going to come
battering down on this earth.
00:47:07.69\00:47:09.36
They will absolutely devastate
the monuments that we have built
00:47:09.56\00:47:12.29
to ourselves...
every last one of them...
00:47:12.49\00:47:14.33
because God is Sovereign.
00:47:14.53\00:47:15.86
God is able; God is supreme.
00:47:16.06\00:47:18.23
God is over all. He
is the SOVEREIGN GOD!
00:47:18.43\00:47:22.50
And so when God then said:
00:47:22.70\00:47:25.91
"I am the Lord your God
that brought you out of the
00:47:26.11\00:47:28.28
land of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage,
00:47:28.48\00:47:30.41
you shall have no other
gods before Me" and so on
00:47:30.61\00:47:34.55
we know who we're talking about.
00:47:34.75\00:47:36.15
We are talking
about the Creator...
00:47:36.82\00:47:38.52
the One who
spoke and it was done.
00:47:38.72\00:47:40.16
The One who said to Jeremiah:
00:47:40.36\00:47:41.92
"I knew you while
you were in the womb. "
00:47:42.12\00:47:44.89
I'm going to tell you something:
people are forgetting that
00:47:45.79\00:47:48.46
God is Sovereign. You know that.
00:47:48.66\00:47:50.00
People in the world acting
as though there is no God.
00:47:50.80\00:47:53.37
Taking life.
00:47:54.04\00:47:55.50
Acting God. I just
read a terrible story.
00:47:55.70\00:47:58.07
It's so terrible...
I'll tell you about it.
00:47:58.27\00:48:01.28
Seventeen-year-old
woman in the Netherlands.
00:48:01.48\00:48:03.61
Seventeen. You've gotta
believe that the devil runs
00:48:03.81\00:48:06.55
the government of some countries
00:48:06.75\00:48:08.08
in spite of what otherwise
you would call good people.
00:48:09.55\00:48:12.12
The devil is in charge.
00:48:13.02\00:48:14.36
Seventeen-year-old
girl was euthanized.
00:48:14.56\00:48:16.62
Euthanized! You know they
use euthanasia in some countries
00:48:16.83\00:48:18.89
in Europe. Now she had
had some terrible experiences.
00:48:19.09\00:48:21.80
Some terrible experiences.
00:48:22.00\00:48:23.33
I won't go into the
details. Terrible experiences.
00:48:23.53\00:48:25.73
And she said: "I
am seventeen years old
00:48:26.13\00:48:27.80
and I'm so depressed.
00:48:28.00\00:48:29.34
I just don't see
how I can face life. "
00:48:29.37\00:48:31.31
Now you have to have
a doctor to agree that
00:48:31.71\00:48:33.11
ending someone's life is best.
No sweat. Doctor signed the
00:48:33.31\00:48:36.31
certificate. Killed her.
00:48:36.51\00:48:37.91
And her life was ended
because she was depressed.
00:48:38.61\00:48:42.42
I'm not minimizing depression.
00:48:42.82\00:48:44.15
I know it's a
beast, it's a monster.
00:48:44.35\00:48:45.92
I understand that.
00:48:46.12\00:48:47.46
But we can't think a)
that there's no way out
00:48:48.62\00:48:51.96
and we cannot begin
to think that we are...
00:48:52.16\00:48:55.20
that we are sovereign.
00:48:55.40\00:48:56.73
That we get to
choose who lives and dies.
00:48:56.77\00:48:58.90
That we can say "It's
just a clump of cells.
00:48:59.50\00:49:01.80
Let's remove it from the womb;
it has no right to go on. "
00:49:02.00\00:49:05.01
The heart may be beating, but
what does that mean to me? Huh?
00:49:05.21\00:49:08.98
No, no, no, no... we allow God
to make those decisions. Yes!
00:49:09.38\00:49:13.38
Not you and me. It is God
who is Sovereign over all.
00:49:13.58\00:49:16.95
We've got no right going
down those roads. That's right!
00:49:17.15\00:49:20.82
I tell you what: it's
going to be a fearful time
00:49:21.06\00:49:23.26
in the judgment for
those folks who decided
00:49:23.46\00:49:25.06
that they would play
God here on the earth...
00:49:25.26\00:49:26.90
a fearful, fearful time.
00:49:27.40\00:49:29.40
God is Sovereign
over the animal kingdom.
00:49:30.33\00:49:32.53
There was Daniel in a
den filled with hungry lions
00:49:32.93\00:49:35.40
in Daniel chapter 6.
The king was beside himself.
00:49:35.60\00:49:38.11
"Man, I got tricked! I
got shanghaied into this
00:49:38.31\00:49:40.14
and here I am casting the
best guy into a den of lions. "
00:49:40.54\00:49:43.35
"Oh my
goodness... I got buffaloed! "
00:49:43.55\00:49:45.55
And then he comes
down to the lion's den:
00:49:46.21\00:49:48.42
"Daniel! Daniel! "
And Daniel cries out:
00:49:48.62\00:49:50.15
"I'm fine... I'm fine! "
00:49:50.35\00:49:51.79
It's not written in the
text but you know he said:
00:49:51.99\00:49:53.86
"Lions need to be fed, though. "
00:49:54.06\00:49:55.99
"Send down that lion food. "
00:49:56.73\00:49:58.49
"Lions need to be
fed but I'm fine! "
00:49:59.19\00:50:01.83
I wouldn't trust
myself in a den of lions.
00:50:02.83\00:50:04.93
Oh man! We
wouldn't want to do that.
00:50:05.33\00:50:07.64
But God is
Sovereign over those lions.
00:50:08.04\00:50:09.80
It was God who caused the
animals in two's and seven's
00:50:10.21\00:50:13.61
to march from out of the
jungle, out of the woods,
00:50:13.81\00:50:16.31
from across the fruited plain,
00:50:16.51\00:50:17.95
and all take their
place orderly on Noah's ark.
00:50:18.15\00:50:20.55
God... He's
Sovereign over all of that!
00:50:20.95\00:50:23.28
He is God... He is Sovereign!
00:50:24.05\00:50:27.12
And so He speaks
and He says: "Thou shalt
00:50:27.32\00:50:29.79
and thou shalt
not" and we say: "Yes! "
00:50:29.99\00:50:32.43
Now, granted, it will
rub your fur the wrong way.
00:50:32.83\00:50:36.40
If you are halfway human,
the will of God will often
00:50:36.60\00:50:39.37
cut against yours
because we are growing.
00:50:39.57\00:50:42.54
But what do we
say? "Not my will, God,
00:50:42.74\00:50:45.17
but Your will be done. "
00:50:45.37\00:50:46.78
Let me tell you something:
00:50:47.18\00:50:48.51
there's one area where God
is Sovereign but He demonstrates
00:50:48.54\00:50:51.51
His sovereignty in
an interesting way.
00:50:51.71\00:50:53.05
Could God
change the human heart?
00:50:53.21\00:50:54.98
Could God change your
mind if He wanted to do that?
00:50:55.18\00:50:58.02
Yes He could.
00:50:58.22\00:50:59.55
But when Eve was about to
take that fruit from the serpent
00:50:59.85\00:51:02.56
and put it in
her mouth and bite it
00:51:03.29\00:51:05.23
could God have
intervened? Yes He could have
00:51:05.43\00:51:07.20
but He chose not to
00:51:07.40\00:51:08.73
knowing full well that
death would come to this earth.
00:51:10.20\00:51:12.63
Knowing full well that
Jesus would die on the cross.
00:51:13.13\00:51:16.87
Any other
sovereign that you know of
00:51:17.87\00:51:20.14
who could have known that the
earth would have been plunged
00:51:20.91\00:51:22.91
into chaos, that
death would come,
00:51:23.11\00:51:24.88
and his or her son would die
00:51:25.08\00:51:27.02
could have stopped it
immediately... but not God.
00:51:27.22\00:51:29.18
So God is either the crazy One
00:51:29.38\00:51:31.15
or the only sane One.
00:51:32.09\00:51:33.92
God understood that
His sovereignty would be
00:51:34.66\00:51:37.16
demonstrated not by
power, not by force.
00:51:37.36\00:51:39.66
Look at the wind and the waves
and see God control them. Amen!
00:51:39.86\00:51:42.33
Look at the lions closing their
mouths instead of opening their
00:51:43.47\00:51:46.67
mouths. That's beautiful.
00:51:46.87\00:51:48.24
Watch the animals go on the ark.
00:51:48.44\00:51:50.11
The fire didn't even scorch
the hair on Daniel's arms.
00:51:50.31\00:51:55.14
Didn't even singe
his eyebrows. Sorry...
00:51:55.54\00:51:57.28
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
00:51:57.48\00:51:58.81
Didn't even singe
the hair on their heads.
00:51:59.18\00:52:01.72
That's not the greatest
evidence that God is Sovereign.
00:52:02.52\00:52:05.89
One day Jesus Christ was
hanging on and old rugged cross
00:52:07.16\00:52:11.76
and some smart
aleck started baiting Him.
00:52:13.06\00:52:15.73
And they said:
"He saved others...
00:52:16.67\00:52:18.47
if He be the King of
Israel let Him now come down
00:52:19.60\00:52:22.87
from the cross and
we will believe Him. "
00:52:23.07\00:52:26.07
"He saved others...
Himself He cannot save. "
00:52:26.47\00:52:30.28
Wrong!
00:52:30.68\00:52:32.01
He saved others...
Himself He WILL NOT save!
00:52:32.98\00:52:36.58
Who is this?
00:52:36.79\00:52:38.12
What kind of
sovereign does that?
00:52:38.15\00:52:39.85
Woman taken in
adultery as guilty as sin.
00:52:40.26\00:52:42.92
Jesus says: "I
don't condemn you. "
00:52:43.12\00:52:44.76
Woman at the well:
"Where's your husband? "
00:52:45.16\00:52:46.66
"Oh, no, I'm not married.
" "Ain't that the truth! "
00:52:46.86\00:52:48.76
"Ain't that the truth! "
00:52:49.16\00:52:50.50
"You're a serial marrier. "
00:52:52.37\00:52:54.44
And instead of rebuking this
woman whose morals were so lax
00:52:59.01\00:53:02.31
she didn't go to the
well when others went
00:53:02.51\00:53:06.68
she didn't want to incur
their wrath or see their frowns.
00:53:07.82\00:53:10.75
Instead of rebuking her
Jesus said: "Hey, there's
00:53:11.15\00:53:13.05
a way out of this,
lady, and I am The Way.
00:53:13.25\00:53:15.29
Because even
though you deserve to die
00:53:15.69\00:53:17.69
I shall die for you. "
00:53:17.89\00:53:19.23
Now that, brothers and
sisters, is the supreme example
00:53:19.56\00:53:23.50
of God's sovereignty. It
is a sovereignty of love.
00:53:23.70\00:53:26.60
Amen! The Sovereign absolutely
didn't have to go to the cross
00:53:26.80\00:53:31.67
but He went because
that's what sovereign love does.
00:53:31.87\00:53:35.14
We're not talking about sov-
ereign anger or sovereign wrath.
00:53:36.28\00:53:39.55
Sovereign love. We
are going to see fire
00:53:39.75\00:53:42.15
come down from God out of
heaven in the end of time.
00:53:42.35\00:53:44.49
BOOM! The earth is going
to turn into a lake of fire.
00:53:44.89\00:53:48.06
Sin will be gone...
sinners will be gone.
00:53:48.46\00:53:52.16
But no, that's not
the greatest demonstration
00:53:52.36\00:53:54.36
of the sovereignty of God.
00:53:54.56\00:53:55.93
Jesus was hanging
on an old rugged cross
00:53:57.13\00:53:59.63
and about the ninth hour
He cried with a loud voice
00:53:59.83\00:54:02.07
saying: "Eloi,
Eloi, lama sabachthani? "
00:54:02.27\00:54:05.41
And that is to
say: "My God, My God,
00:54:06.44\00:54:08.48
why have You forsaken Me? "
00:54:09.44\00:54:11.01
He was repeating the words
written by David in Psalm 22:1.
00:54:11.21\00:54:14.52
"And Jesus, when He cried
again with a loud voice... "
00:54:16.69\00:54:18.85
verse 50...
"yielded up the ghost.
00:54:19.05\00:54:22.06
And behold the veil
of the temple was rent
00:54:22.26\00:54:23.73
in twain from the
top to the bottom.
00:54:23.93\00:54:25.26
The earth did quake
and the rocks rent. "
00:54:25.39\00:54:26.73
And God said in the silence:
00:54:26.93\00:54:29.20
"I am Sovereign. "
00:54:29.40\00:54:31.23
Sovereignty is demonstrated
best not by force but by love.
00:54:32.17\00:54:35.57
Amen! And the sovereignty
of God was revealed then
00:54:35.77\00:54:39.04
and for all time by
the Sovereign, the Creator,
00:54:39.24\00:54:43.51
the One who spoke, the
One who with His own finger
00:54:43.71\00:54:46.35
wrote the law on
two tables of stone
00:54:46.55\00:54:48.38
but here He wrote
love on two beams of wood.
00:54:48.58\00:54:51.95
Head rested on His
chest; He perished.
00:54:52.95\00:54:56.69
Before long blood and
water flowed and God said:
00:54:56.89\00:55:00.26
"That's what
sovereignty looks like. " Amen!
00:55:00.46\00:55:04.97
The mighty Sovereign who
caused the rain to fall or not,
00:55:05.73\00:55:08.90
the mighty Sovereign who
caused the fire to burn or not.
00:55:09.10\00:55:11.57
The mighty Sovereign who
caused the lions to bite or not.
00:55:11.77\00:55:14.54
Ah, the mighty Sovereign
who hung on an old rugged cross
00:55:14.94\00:55:18.68
and died so we might
live... that's sovereignty.
00:55:18.88\00:55:21.75
And so we know
about God's sovereignty,
00:55:23.12\00:55:24.92
but when we
experience God's sovereignty
00:55:25.12\00:55:26.69
will we? What do you do
about God's sovereignty?
00:55:26.89\00:55:29.62
It's good to know that He spoke
00:55:29.82\00:55:31.26
and created the things we see
and much of what we don't see.
00:55:31.46\00:55:35.03
But is He speaking
to your heart tonight?
00:55:36.06\00:55:38.63
Does He have your heart?
00:55:38.83\00:55:40.17
You could talk about God being
sovereign until the cows come
00:55:40.27\00:55:42.54
home, but if He's
not your Sovereign
00:55:42.74\00:55:45.37
then that knowledge will
ultimately be a curse to you
00:55:45.57\00:55:47.28
and not a blessing.
Is He your Sovereign?
00:55:47.48\00:55:50.05
Does He have your heart?
00:55:50.25\00:55:51.58
What's He speaking
to you about tonight?
00:55:51.61\00:55:53.52
"It is God who works in
you both to will and to do
00:55:54.48\00:55:56.99
for His good pleasure. "
00:55:57.39\00:55:59.25
As long as you let
Him. He won't force His way.
00:55:59.45\00:56:02.12
That's sovereignty.
00:56:02.32\00:56:03.86
In days of old sovereigns
would behead, execute.
00:56:04.69\00:56:07.63
Have killed and hung
those who disagreed with them
00:56:07.83\00:56:12.27
or ticked them off. But God? No.
00:56:12.47\00:56:15.64
God gives us time. He is
patient and He is loving.
00:56:15.84\00:56:18.87
He is merciful and He
is gracious and He says:
00:56:19.27\00:56:21.54
"Will you respond?
Will you respond? "
00:56:21.74\00:56:23.65
The sovereignty we
see in the spectacular
00:56:23.85\00:56:26.01
is designed to
lead us to the cross.
00:56:26.21\00:56:28.52
And God asks us
today: "Will you respond? "
00:56:29.58\00:56:32.92
"Will you accept? "
00:56:33.12\00:56:34.46
"Will you
surrender to the Sovereign
00:56:34.49\00:56:36.76
and to the
sovereignty of love? "
00:56:37.16\00:56:40.63
Let us pray together now.
00:56:41.13\00:56:43.87
Our Father and our God,
00:56:44.07\00:56:45.77
in the name of the
mighty Sovereign Jesus
00:56:46.90\00:56:51.31
we come to You.
00:56:51.51\00:56:52.84
Mighty God, we
know You are supreme.
00:56:53.54\00:56:56.54
You are the supreme Ruler.
00:56:56.75\00:56:58.08
You have supreme authority.
00:56:58.31\00:56:59.88
Of course, that
perplexes us sometimes
00:57:00.08\00:57:02.25
because we know that
You could heal Grandma,
00:57:03.32\00:57:07.56
You could heal this
child or that child.
00:57:07.76\00:57:10.59
We know. But You
have given us evidence -
00:57:10.79\00:57:14.20
plenty - that we can trust You
in spite of what may perplex us.
00:57:14.40\00:57:19.40
There is only one God
who opened up the Red Sea.
00:57:20.40\00:57:22.90
That's You. You caused a
flood to inundate the earth.
00:57:23.10\00:57:26.34
You are supreme.
Only You could do that.
00:57:26.54\00:57:27.88
You closed the lions'
mouths; You caused the flame
00:57:28.88\00:57:32.11
to back off instead of press on.
00:57:32.31\00:57:35.58