Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021444
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS, I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO SABBATH SCHOOL 00:36 STUDY HOUR. AND, AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE'RE IN 00:40 TRANSITION RIGHT NOW AS WE ARE MOVING. 00:43 THIS IS THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. WE'RE DOING OUR SABBATH SCHOOL 00:47 TIME, WHICH IS DURING OUR NORMAL PRAYER MEETING TIME. 00:52 AND, IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE KIND OF RETRO-FITTING A WAREHOUSE 00:56 THAT'S GOING TO SERVE AS OUR CHURCH FOR AWHILE. 00:58 WE'LL MOVE THE STUDIOS OVER THERE. 01:00 BUT WE'RE REALLY GLAD WE CAN CONTINUE STUDYING WITH OUR 01:03 FRIENDS THAT ARE WATCHING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. 01:06 I JUST CAME BACK FROM DOING A PROGRAM IN ST. LOUIS WITH 3ABN. 01:09 I MET A LOT OF OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE IN MID-AMERICA THAT ARE 01:13 PART OF OUR SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS. 01:15 WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU - WELCOME THE CLASS HERE - MATTER OF FACT, 01:17 I BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY SO MAYBE WE'LL JUST GIVE YOU A SHOT 01:21 OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN THE STUDIO. 01:23 THIS IS - THIS IS THE VAST AMAZING FACTS STUDIOS HERE WHERE 01:29 - THAT WE ARE USING FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSES - WHERE IT'S SERVING AS 01:33 OUR PRAYER MEETING GROUP TONIGHT. 01:35 AND I WANT TO THANK THE PRAYER MEETING GROUP FOR LETTING US 01:37 TURN IT INTO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS IN THE MEANTIME. 01:40 IN A MOMENT WE'LL GET INTO OUR LESSON BUT, AS ALWAYS, WE LIKE 01:44 TO START THE PROGRAM WITH A WORD OF PRAYER AND JUST INVITE YOU TO 01:47 JOIN ME. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE JUST THANK 01:50 YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORD AND, IN A SPECIAL SENSE, FOR THE 01:54 STUDY TONIGHT, DEALING WITH YOUR LOVE. 01:56 I PRAY THAT YOUR SPIRIT WILL BE PRESENT. 01:58 JUST GUIDE US IN OUR UNDERSTANDING AND WE PRAY, LORD, 02:01 THAT THIS LESSON WILL BE A TREMENDOUS BLESSING TO EVERYONE 02:04 THAT'S WATCHING AND THE POWER OF THE WORD WILL BE REALIZED. 02:07 BE WITH ME AS I TEACH. 02:09 I PRAY THAT YOU'LL QUICKEN ALL OF OUR MINDS AND WE THANK YOU 02:12 AND ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 02:16 WELL, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE IN OUR LESSON OF JAMES IN JUST A 02:20 MOMENT. IT'LL BE LESSON #5. AS OFTEN, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER 02:24 THAT WE LIKE TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY. JUST - ALL YOU HAVE 02:28 TO DO IS CALL IN AND ASK FOR IT. THIS PARTICULAR LESSON DEALING 02:32 WITH 'IS OBEDIENCE LEGALISM?' IT JUST STRIKES RIGHT AT THE 02:35 HEART OF WHAT OUR SUBJECT IS TODAY. 02:38 YOU CAN ALSO GET IT AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE. 02:40 SO IF YOU THINK 'I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT' OR USE IT - SOME OF 02:42 YOU ACTUALLY WATCH THESE PROGRAMS IN PREPARATION FOR 02:46 HELPING WITH YOUR OWN SABBATH SCHOOL CLASSES. 02:48 YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE AND JUST DOWNLOAD THIS 02:51 LESSON AND READ IT FOR FREE AND THAT WOULD JUST BE 02:54 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY 02:59 WE'LL GIVE IT TO YOU. YOU NEED TO READ IT, THOUGH AND 03:01 SHARE IT WITH SOMEBODY. IT'S OFFER #706. 03:05 THE PHONE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 OR 866-STUDY-MORE AND ASK FOR 03:13 'IS OBEDIENCE LEGALISM?' - OFFER #706 - WE'LL SEND THAT TO YOU. 03:18 WE'RE GETTING INTO LESSON #5 NOW IN OUR STUDY FROM THE BOOK OF 03:22 JAMES AND THE STUDY TONIGHT IS DEALING WITH 'LOVE AND THE LAW.' 03:27 IT'S JUST - IT'S REALLY A TOP PRIORITY SUBJECT MATERIAL. 03:32 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM 03:35 JAMES 13 - JAMES 2:13, SORRY. JAMES CHAPTER 2, VERSE 13 AND IF 03:41 YOU'D LIKE TO SAY THAT WITH ME, THAT'D BE GREAT. ARE YOU READY? 03:45 "FOR JUDGMENT IS WITHOUT MERCY TO THE ONE WHO HAS SHOWN NO 03:49 MERCY. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT." NOW IN THE QUARTERLY 03:54 THEY DID IT FROM THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION AND 03:56 THAT'S WHY YOU SAW A COUPLE OF WORDS WERE IN DIFFERENT SPOTS. 03:59 IT'S TALKING ABOUT MERCY AND JUDGMENT HERE IN A SPECIAL SENSE 04:04 AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE BIG THEME OF THE BIBLE IS ABOUT GOD, 04:10 OBVIOUSLY, AND GOD IS IDENTIFIED - IF YOU WERE TO COALESCE WHO 04:16 AND WHAT GOD IS, WHAT WORD IS USED? 04:20 GOD - THREE LETTERS - THREE WORDS - GOD IS LOVE. 04:26 AND SO, EVEN THE TITLE OF THE LESSON CAN LEAD TO A COMMON 04:34 MISUNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT, SOMEHOW, WHEN YOU 04:38 TALK ABOUT LOVE AND YOU TALK ABOUT LAW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 04:41 TWO DIAMETRIC OPPOSITES. BUT THAT'S A MYTH BECAUSE WHO IS 04:46 THE AUTHOR OF THE LAW? GOD IS, AND GOD IS LOVE. 04:52 IS IT POSSIBLE THAT GOD IS LOVE BUT HIS LAW IS NOT? 04:56 AND WHEN PARENTS GIVE ANY KIND OF RULES TO THEIR CHILDREN, YOU 05:00 KNOW, ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE BEING GOOD PARENTS, THE RULES 05:05 ARE ALL FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE KIDS BECAUSE THEY LOVE THEM. 05:10 AND THE BIBLE SAYS, 'NO GOOD THING WILL GOD WITHHOLD FROM 05:14 THOSE THAT WALK UPRIGHTLY. SO GOD DOESN'T HAVE ANY OF HIS 05:17 LAWS TO RESTRICT OUR FREEDOM, ALL OF HIS LAWS ARE REALLY TO 05:22 ENHANCE OUR LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. 05:24 SO THERE'S REALLY NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THE LAW OF GOD AND LOVE 05:30 FOR GOD, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE ERRING ON THE SIDE OF LAW, WHERE 05:37 YOU FOCUS ON THE LAW WITHOUT GOD AND THAT TURNS INTO LEGALISM 05:41 BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T LOVE GOD AND YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE 05:44 LAW, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU NOT TO GRAVITATE INTO A 05:49 LEGALISTIC BEHAVIOR. WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN 05:54 THAT - OH WAIT, LET ME SAY THIS - YEAH, LET ME SAY IT THAT WAY. 05:59 WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN THAT COMMITTED MURDER? 06:01 >>YES. >>CAN YOU THINK OF ANY FROM THE 06:03 BIBLE? DAVID, PAUL, SAMPSON, MOSES. THAT'S A GOOD START. 06:15 WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN THAT COMMITTED ADULTERY? 06:18 DAVID COMES TO THE TOP OF THE LIST, USUALLY BECAUSE 06:20 HIS WAS SUCH A - WAS SUCH A SCANDAL. 06:23 BUT THERE WERE OTHERS, I MEAN, SAMPSON. 06:29 ABRAHAM - I DON'T KNOW IF I'D PUT THAT IN THE ADULTERY 06:31 CATEGORY, THAT WAS SORT OF - POLYGAMY. 06:34 BUT I GUESS IF YOU HAVE TWO WIVES, THAT'S TECHNICALLY 06:38 BIGAMY, RIGHT? WHEN THERE'S TWO. BUT, YEAH, AND THERE WERE 06:43 OTHERS. WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN 06:45 THAT, MAYBE, TOOK GOD'S NAME IN VAIN? 06:49 DID PETER CURSE AND SWEAR AND DENY KNOWING JESUS? 06:53 AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE LITANY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 06:56 AND THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO BROKE VARIOUS LAWS. 07:00 SOME OF THEM BROKE THE LAWS UNTIL THE DAY THEY DIED. 07:02 TOO MANY WIVES OR, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T KNOW CERTAIN THINGS 07:05 AND GOD WINKED AT THEIR IGNORANCE. BUT WILL THERE BE 07:07 ANYONE IN HEAVEN THAT DIDN'T LEARN TO LOVE GOD? 07:11 AND THAT, USUALLY, WILL PLAY OUT IN ALSO LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR. 07:16 THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, 'THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, THAT 07:18 WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.' THEY'RE NOT - THEY'RE NOT IN 07:21 CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. AND JAMES TALKS ABOUT THAT. 07:27 NOW HE - HE SHARES SOMETHING IN JAMES 2, VERSE 1 - MATTER OF 07:32 FACT, WE'LL GET THE NEXT PERSON SET UP TO READ A VERSE. 07:34 WE'VE GOT PROVERBS 23. WHO HAS THAT? 07:37 PROVERBS 23:4 AND 5. YOU'LL BE NEXT, THEN. 07:40 LET ME READ THIS FOR YOU. JAMES 2:1 THROUGH 4. 07:43 "MY BRETHREN, DO NOT HOLD THE FAITH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, 07:47 THE LORD OF GLORY, WITH PARTIALITY. 07:49 FOR IF THERE SHOULD COME INTO YOUR ASSEMBLY A MAN WITH GOLD 07:54 RINGS, IN FINE APPAREL, AND THERE SHOULD ALSO COME IN A POOR 07:57 MAN IN FILTHY CLOTHES, AND YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE ONE WEARING 08:00 THE FINE CLOTHES AND SAY TO HIM, 'YOU SIT HERE IN A GOOD PLACE,' 08:03 AND SAY TO THE POOR MAN, 'YOU STAND THERE,' OR, 'SIT HERE AT 08:07 MY FOOTSTOOL,' HAVE YOU NOT SHOWN PARTIALITY AMONG 08:10 YOURSELVES, AND BECOME JUDGES WITH EVIL THOUGHTS?" 08:12 NOW, IF I'M HONEST WITH MYSELF, AND MAYBE YOU'RE NOT THIS WAY, 08:19 BUT IF I'M HONEST WITH MYSELF, I'VE CAUGHT MYSELF BEING 08:23 PREFERENTIAL TO PEOPLE BECAUSE OF A PERSON'S BEARING OR BECAUSE 08:27 YOU KNOW THAT THEY HAPPEN TO BE A PERSON OF INFLUENCE OR THEY'RE 08:30 WEALTHY OR SOMETHING AND YOU JUST FIND THAT WE'RE SORT OF 08:34 TRAINED IN OUR SOCIETY TO PUT THEM ON A NOTCH HIGHER, SOMEHOW, 08:38 THAN OTHER PEOPLE. I HEARD ABOUT A PASTOR ONCE - 08:41 THIS MIGHT BE AN URBAN MYTH, BUT IT'S A GOOD ONE - 08:43 THAT HE DRESSED UP LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON - PUT ON 08:48 A BEARD AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, AND THE SUNDAY MORNING, 08:51 BEFORE THEIR CHURCH BEGAN, HE WENT AT THE FOYER AND KIND OF 08:55 HUNG OUT AND PANHANDLED A LITTLE BIT AND FOLKS DIDN'T RECOGNIZE 08:59 HIM AND EVERYBODY WENT IN AND THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF 09:02 PUSHED HIM ASIDE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, 'EW' AND NOBODY OFFERED TO 09:06 HELP HIM. AND THEN AFTER PEOPLE HAD ALL 09:09 FILED IN FOR THE SERVICE, HE WALKED DOWN FRONT AND HE PULLED 09:12 OFF HIS DISGUISE AND IT WAS THE PASTOR AND HE SAID - THEN HE 09:16 READ TO THEM THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 09:21 AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU DON'T KNOW. DOES THE BIBLE SAY 09:27 THAT SOME OF US HAVE ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARE? 09:30 DO THE ANGELS ALWAYS WEAR DESIGNER CLOTHING WHEN THEY 09:35 APPEAR? SO WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL. 09:39 YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOU MIGHT BE TREATING A PERSON AND THE LORD 09:44 COMES IN THE GARB OF MANY OTHERS. ALRIGHT, WHY DON'T YOU 09:48 GO AHEAD AND READ FOR US PROVERBS 23:4 AND 5? 09:52 >>"DO NOT OVEROWRK TO BE RICH; BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN 09:55 UNDERSTANDING, CEASE! WILL YOU SET YOUR EYES ON THAT 09:58 WHICH IS NOT? FOR RICHES CERTAINLY MAKE 10:01 THEMSELVES WINGS; THEY FLY AWAY LIKE AN EAGLE TOWARD HEAVEN. 10:05 >>THANK YOU. THIS IS SOLOMON SPEAKING. 10:07 NOW DID SOLOMON KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT DISCUSSING RICHES? 10:11 I CAN'T THINK OF A KING IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY THAT HAD MORE - 10:16 EVEN JESUS REFERENCED SOLOMON IN ALL OF HIS GORGEOUS APPAREL THAT 10:21 LEFT THE QUEEN OF SHEBA BREATHLESS. 10:24 YOU EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION 'BREATHTAKING?' 10:26 THAT COMES FROM THE BIBLE WHEN THE QUEEN OF SHEBA SAW ALL THAT 10:29 SOLOMON HAD; IT SAYS, 'THERE WAS NO MORE BREATH IN HER.' NO MORE 10:32 'RUACH' IN HER. THAT MEANS 'BREATH' AND THAT'S 10:34 WHERE WE GET THE 'BREATHTAKING' OR SOMEONE IS 'BREATHLESS' FROM 10:38 THE SPLENDOR OF SOMETHING. SO JESUS EVEN RECOGNIZES THAT. 10:42 HE SAYS THE LILIES ARE ARRAYED EVEN MORE BEAUTIFULLY THAN 10:45 SOLOMON. BUT SOLOMON, AT THE END, HE SAID WHAT? 10:48 IT'S ALL VANITY. VANITY. VANITY. 10:51 CAN YOU THINK, IN THE BIBLE, OF PEOPLE THAT HAD VERY HIGH REGARD 10:56 FROM GOD BUT WERE, BY THE WORLD'S STANDARDS, VERY POOR? 11:01 JOHN THE BAPTIST IS ONE. THE GREATEST OF THE PROPHETS, 11:05 WHERE DID HE LIVE? BY TODAY'S STANDARDS WE WOULD 11:08 HAVE SAID HE WAS HOMELESS. RIGHT? 11:11 AND JOHN WAS A TYPE OF WHAT PROPHET? OLD TESTAMENT - 11:15 ELIJAH. WHERE'D ELIJAH LIVE? CREEK - FED BY UNCLEAN BIRDS - 11:20 RAVENS. HE LIVED IN THE - THE ATTIC OF A WIDOW DURING A 11:29 FAMINE. HE LIVED IN A CAVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE - OUT BY 11:34 MOUNT SINAI AND - BUT WHO DID GOD ESTEEM SO HIGHLY THAT HE 11:39 TOOK HIM TO HEAVEN IN A FIERY CHARIOT? 11:43 HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A PERSON AND YOU KIND OF PASS A MENTAL 11:46 JUDGMENT ON THEM AND THEN YOU GET TO TALKING TO THEM AND YOU 11:50 THINK, 'WOW, I HAD NO IDEA HOW SHARP AND DEEP AND BRIGHT THIS 11:55 PERSON WAS.' AND SO YOU CAN'T ALWAYS TELL BY WHAT A PERSON 12:00 WEARS. WHEN I LIVED ON THE STREET, I 12:03 HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO WERE STREET PEOPLE. 12:06 WHEN I - I WAS LIVING IN A CAVE AND I ALSO LIVED ON THE STREETS 12:09 SOMETIMES AND WE STAYED IN ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND I JUST 12:11 - I KNEW A LOT OF THE STREET PEOPLE. 12:13 AND WE PANHANDLED AND IT WAS THAT WHOLE LIFE. 12:15 AND I HAD ONE FRIEND THAT GOT LUCKY ONE NIGHT PLAYING POOL. 12:19 HE JUST - HE WASN'T AS - I DON'T MEAN TO BE UNKIND, BUT HE WASN'T 12:23 THE SHARPEST PERSON - DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF EDUCATION. 12:26 BUT HE GOT LUCKY PLAYING POOL AND HE WON THREE HUNDRED 12:28 DOLLARS, WHICH WAS A LOT OF MONEY BACK THEN, AND HE WENT TO 12:32 A PALM SPRINGS STORE AND HE BOUGHT HIMSELF A THREE-PIECE 12:35 GREEN SUIT. BUT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT WAS 12:38 ACTUALLY IN STYLE - IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE - AT THAT TIME. 12:42 AND FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS HE LOOKED REALLY SHARP. 12:45 HE HAD BOUGHT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE NEW SHOES, THE NEW SOCKS AND 12:47 HE JUST, YOU KNOW, HE HAD NOWHERE TO LIVE BUT HE SPENT ALL 12:50 HIS MONEY ON THIS SUIT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO LOOK IMPORTANT AND 12:58 PEOPLE THOUGHT, 'WOW, WHAT A SMART GUY.' AND THEN THEY'D 13:00 START TALKING TO HIM AND THEY'D REALIZE, 'OH, HE'S REALLY NOT 13:03 VERY EDUCATED.' AND HE WAS JUST A, YOU KNOW, A STREET PERSON. 13:08 AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS IN THAT SUIT IT JUST WASN'T LOOKING SO 13:11 GOOD ANYMORE BECAUSE THAT'S ALL HE HAD. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S - 13:15 SOMETIMES WE LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE AND YOU CAN CHANGE THE OUTSIDE. 13:20 IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE. 13:22 SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE FAIR WITH EVERYBODY AND, FIRST OF 13:24 ALL, HOW DOES THE LORD LOVE EVERYBODY? 13:28 REGARDLESS OF THEIR IQ, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND 13:32 OR EDUCATION, JESUS TREATED EVERYBODY WITH RESPECT AND 13:35 DIGNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN 13:39 IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE THAT HE'S SHARING WITH US HERE. 13:41 I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GRAVITATE INTO ALL THE VERSES IN 13:44 THE BIBLE THAT TALK ABOUT HOW DECEPTIVE RICHES CAN BE. 13:48 WE OFTEN TREAT PEOPLE - YOU KNOW, JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT THE 13:51 PERSON WHO IS OBVIOUSLY A PERSON OF INFLUENCE. 13:54 WE TREAT PEOPLE WITH MONEY AND POSSESSIONS AND POSITION 13:59 DIFFERENTLY AND GOD VALUES EVERY SOUL THE SAME. 14:05 YOU KNOW, THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. WHY WAS SHE THERE ALONE? 14:09 SHE WAS, SORT OF - PROBABLY AN OUTCAST IN HER OWN SOCIETY. 14:12 I MEAN, SHE SAYS - OR JESUS SAID, 'YOU'VE HAD FIVE HUSBANDS' 14:16 - I MEAN, EVEN AMONG THE SAMARITANS THAT WOULD BE 14:18 CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE - 'AND YOU'RE LIVING WITH SOMEONE 14:22 THAT'S NOT YOUR HUSBAND NOW' - EVEN THE SAMARITANS BELIEVED IN 14:24 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. SO SHE'S COMING TO THE WELL 14:29 ALONE - THE WOMEN USED TO GO TOGETHER FOR SAFETY AND THEY 14:31 USUALLY WENT IN THE MORNING. SHE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY - 14:33 SHE WAS SORT OF AN OUTCAST. BUT THINK OF WHAT JESUS DID. 14:36 HE REVEALS TO HER THAT HE'S THE MESSIAH AND SHE BECOMES THE BEST 14:40 INDIVIDUAL TO ANNOUNCE IT TO THE COMMUNITY. 14:43 NOW SHE'S A GENTILE. HE ALSO DOES THAT WITH A JEWISH 14:46 GIRL THAT HAD A BAD REPUTATION. WHO WAS SHE? MARY MAGDALENE. 14:50 PROBABLY THE SAME AS MARY OF BETHANY AND - DID SIMON JUDGE 14:56 HER FROM THE OUTSIDE WHEN SHE WAS WASHING JESUS' FEET? 15:00 AND SAY, 'THIS MAN, IF HE WAS A PROPHET, HE'D KNOW WHO AND WHAT 15:04 MANNER OF WOMAN THIS IS THAT'S TOUCHING HIM, FOR SHE'S A 15:06 SINNER.' BUT JESUS LOOKS ON THE INSIDE. 15:10 THAT, OF COURSE, THAT STATEMENT COMES FROM WHEN, YEAH, SAMUEL IS 15:15 LOOKING FOR THE LORD'S ANOINTED IN BETHLEHEM AND HE SEES THE 15:19 TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME SON OF JESSE - ELIAB, I THINK IT WAS, 15:23 AND HE SAID, 'SURELY THE LORD'S ANOINTED IS BEFORE ME.' 15:26 AND GOD SAID, 'DON'T LOOK ON HIS HEIGHT. 15:28 DON'T LOOK ON HIS OUTWARD APPEARANCE. 15:30 GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART.' SO WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL NOT 15:35 TO JUDGE BASED ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE. 15:38 NOW, WHEN JAMES SAID THIS, YOU REALIZE, THAT WAS REALLY 15:40 SURPRISING BECAUSE, IN THE GREEK AND ROMAN CULTURES, STANDING 15:47 REALLY MEANT SOMETHING. IF YOU MADE A DONATION TO THE 15:49 CHURCH IT MEANT THAT YOU HAD PREMIER SEATING. 15:54 DO YOU KNOW THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TIME, EARLIER IN AMERICA'S 15:56 HISTORY, WHERE YOU RESERVED A PEW IN THE CHURCH BASED ON YOUR 16:00 DONATIONS, IN SOME DENOMINATIONS? 16:03 I THINK ONE OF THE CHURCHES THAT MOODY WENT TO, HE HAD TO RESERVE 16:06 A PEW AND YOU HAD TO PAY FOR THEM. 16:08 AND THERE WERE EVEN PEWS THAT HAD NAMES ON IT. 16:12 I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT KIND OF RUCKUS THERE WAS IF SOME VISITOR 16:14 WENT AND SAT IN SOMEONE ELSE'S PEW. 16:16 I MEAN, NOW WE THINK ABOUT THAT AND YOU THINK, 'OH, WE WANT 16:18 EVERYBODY TO COME.' AND IN A GOOD CHURCH YOU WOULD HOPE TO 16:22 GIVE THE FIRST-CLASS SEATING TO YOUR VISITORS. 16:26 I KNOW, AT CENTRAL, FREQUENTLY WHEN WE HAD EVENTS, WE ALWAYS 16:29 RAN OUT OF PARKING. WE WOULD ASK STAFF AND MEMBERS, 16:33 'PLEASE PARK ACROSS THE STREET AT THE EXTRA PARKING THAT WE 16:38 RESERVED AND LET OUR VISITORS HAVE THE MOST CONVENIENT 16:41 PARKING.' AND THAT, I THINK, SHOULD BE THE 16:43 - SHOULD BE THE STANDARD OF CHRIST. 16:45 SO JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT THAT PRINCIPLE OF LOVE. 16:47 LOVING EVERYBODY AND NOT JUDGING PEOPLE BY THEIR OUTWARD 16:50 APPEARANCE. I CAN PROMISE YOU SOMETHING, IF 16:55 YOU HAD SEEN ME BEFORE I WENT INTO MINISTRY, THE WAY I - WHEN 16:59 I FIRST WENT TO CHURCH I WAS REALLY ROUGH LOOKING. 17:04 I MEAN, JUST TORN CLOTHES AND DIDN'T HAVE REGULAR BATHS AND I 17:12 WAS - I MEAN, I'M JUST BEING HONEST WITH YOU - AND IF YOU HAD 17:17 TOLD THE PEOPLE IN THAT CHURCH, 'SEE THIS FELLA THAT JUST CAME 17:19 IN? HE'S GOING TO BE YOUR PASTOR IN 17:21 A FEW YEARS.' THAT'S HOW IT ENDED UP PLAYING OUT. 17:24 BUT SOMEONE WOULD HAVE SAID, 'I HOPE NOT.' BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE 17:30 GOT - WE'VE GOT TO SEE PEOPLE THE WAY GOD SEES THEM - FOR WHAT 17:33 THEY CAN BE THROUGH CHRIST. AND THAT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE. 17:37 HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT: MARK 2, VERSES 16 AND 17, "AND 17:44 WHEN THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES SAW HIM EATING WITH THE TAX 17:47 COLLECTORS AND SINNERS, THEY SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, 'HOW IS 17:51 IT THAT HE EATS AND DRINKS WITH TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS?' 17:54 WHEN JESUS HEARD IT, HE SAID TO THEM, 'THOSE WHO ARE WELL HAVE 18:00 NO NEED OF A PHYSICIAN, BUT THOSE WHO ARE SICK. 18:03 I DID NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS, TO 18:06 REPENTANCE.'" AND, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY SHOULD BE - THE 18:09 PRIMARY MISSION OF EVERY CHRISTIAN IS WE'RE TO GO INTO 18:12 THE WORLD AND REACH THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW - TO SEEK AND TO SAVE 18:15 THE LOST. AND SOMETIMES WE CONTINUE TO 18:18 SHOW OUR PRIMARY ATTENTION TO PEOPLE OF MEANS AND INFLUENCE 18:23 AND WE FAWN FOR THOSE FOLKS. BUT WHO TYPICALLY FOLLOWED 18:29 JESUS? THERE WERE SOME EXCEPTIONS. 18:32 YOU DID HAVE JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA AND YOU HAD NICODEMUS BUT, 18:38 PRINCIPALLY, IT WAS THE SHEPHERDS, THE TAX COLLECTORS. 18:42 EVEN CHRIST SAID, 'THE TAX COLLECTORS AND HARLOTS GO INTO 18:44 THE KINGDOM BEFORE YOU.' BECAUSE THEY REPENTED - BAD AS THEIR 18:48 SINS WERE, THEY REPENTED AT THE PREACHING OF JOHN. 18:50 AND SO WE'VE GO TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE. 18:53 IN THE WORLD, SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY, YOU KNOW, THE KIND 18:59 OF HOUSE THAT THE FAMILY LIVES IN. 19:02 IN GOD'S ECONOMY, IT'S NOT THE KIND OF HOUSE, BUT IT'S THE KIND 19:07 OF FAMILY THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE. 19:09 IN THE WORLD THEY SOMETIMES MEASURE SUCCESS BY THE DRESS 19:15 THAT THE WOMAN WEARS. AND WHENEVER THEY HAVE ANY KIND 19:18 OF HOLLYWOOD EVENT, THEY ALL DISSECT WHAT EVERYBODY WAS 19:21 WEARING. BUT WITH GOD, HE'S MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT KIND OF WOMAN 19:25 IS WEARING THE DRESS. OR, IN OUR SOCIETY, WHAT KIND OF 19:30 CAR THE MAN DRIVES. DOESN'T THAT SAY SOMETHING? 19:33 I MEAN, AREN'T THERE CERTAIN CARS I COULD RATTLE OFF AND I 19:36 WON'T DO THIS WITH BRAND NAMES BECAUSE WE'RE ON TV AND WHO 19:38 KNOWS WHAT LAWSUITS MIGHT FLY? BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN NAMES THAT 19:43 YOU COULD MENTION AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S - IT EVOKES CLASS AND 19:50 STATUS. AND THERE'S OTHER, YOU COULD SAY 19:53 THAT - THEY JUST MEAN ECONOMY, YOU KNOW? 19:58 AND SO - BUT GOD'S MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT KIND OF MAN 20:00 DRIVES THE CAR THAN WHAT KIND OF CAR THE MAN DRIVES. 20:03 AND SO EVERYTHING'S BACKWARDS. YOU KNOW, THE SECTION WE'RE 20:06 STILL TALKING ABOUT IS UNDER YOUR FIRST DAY. 20:08 IT SAYS, 'MAN IN GOLD.' AND I COULDN'T READ THIS WITHOUT 20:12 REMEMBERING AN AMAZING FACT THAT WE ENCOUNTERED. 20:14 WE SHARED THIS ON THE RADIO PROGRAM A FEW YEARS AGO. 20:17 THERE'S A MAN IN INDIA, HE'S CALLED 'THE GOLD MAN.' 20:19 HIS NAME IS ACTUALLY DATTA PHUGE. 20:23 HE TAKES EXTRAVAGANCE TO A NEW LEVEL. 20:26 HE RECENTLY ORDERED THE CREATION OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE 20:29 SHIRT, MADE WITH MORE THAN SEVEN POUNDS - YOU KNOW HOW MANY 20:32 OUNCES - 16 OUNCES IN A POUND - YOU KNOW WHAT AN OUNCE OF GOLD 20:34 IS WORTH - SEVEN POUNDS OF 22-CARAT GOLD WORTH OVER TWO 20:39 HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS - ONE SHIRT. AND HE 20:43 COULD HAVE GONE TO WALMART - I SAID A NAME. MR. PHUGE, WHO'S 20:48 ALSO NICK-NAMED 'THE GOLD MAN' - I CAN ONLY SAY THIS BECAUSE 20:51 IT'S ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN THE NEWS - IS COVERED WITH 20:55 CHUNKY GOLD BRACELETS, GAUDY SIGNET RINGS AND A GIGANTIC 20:58 MEDALLION THAT ANY OLYMPIC CONTENDER MIGHT ENVY. 21:02 HIS SPECTACULAR SHIRT IS COVERED WITH FOURTEEN THOUSAND GOLD 21:06 FLOWERS INTERWOVEN WITH ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND GILDED SPANGLES 21:10 AND A LINING OF THE FINEST WHITE VELVET. BECAUSE IT CAN'T BE 21:14 DRY CLEANED, HE MUST TAKE GREAT CARE NOT TO GET IT DIRTY OR 21:17 SWEATY, WHICH IS HARD TO AVOID IN THE INDIAN SUMMER. 21:20 GIVEN ITS IMPRACTICAL NATURE, THE GLITTERING GARMENT IS ONLY 21:23 WORN ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND MR PHUGE MUST HAVE HIS SECURITY 21:27 GUARDS WITH HIM WHENEVER HE DOES. 21:28 HE BELIEVES GOLD IS A GOOD INVESTMENT AND ADMITS HE LIKES 21:31 TO WEAR HIS MONEY. ONE SHIRT - TWO HUNDRED AND 21:36 FIFTY THOUSAND - I - HOW COULD YOU RELAX? AND IT'S GOT TO BE 21:40 HEAVY - A SEVEN-POUND SHIRT? CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? 21:44 BUT THAT'S JUST A SAMPLE OF - YOU KNOW, THE MIND SET IN THE 21:47 WORLD. STATUS. WHAT DID JESUS SAY? 21:51 LUKE 11:43, "WOE TO YOU PHARISEES! 21:54 FOR YOU LOVE THE BEST SEATS IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND GREETINGS IN 21:57 THE MARKETPLACES." THE BEST SEATS. 22:01 WHEN I'M ON AN AIRPLANE, WHICH IS FREQUENTLY, I HAVE TO ADMIT, 22:05 I JOSTLE TO TRY TO BE, WHENEVER MY ZONE IS CALLED, 22:10 I WANT TO BE FIRST IN LINE. EVEN THIS LAST WEEK, I HAD TO 22:13 RUN BETWEEN FLIGHTS AND THEY WERE ALREADY BOARDING AND THEY 22:15 HAD BOARDED MY ZONE AND I WAS SO CONCERNED I WOULDN'T HAVE 22:19 OVERHEAD SPACE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL VIE FOR THE BEST SEATS. 22:24 IF YOU'RE ON SOUTHWEST YOU DON'T GET A SEAT ASSIGNMENT SO 22:27 EVERYONE WANTS TO LINE UP AND IT'S LIKE A CATTLE BRANDING 22:29 SESSION, YOU JUST CHARGE IN. BUT, YOU KNOW, JESUS TELLS A 22:37 STORY ABOUT IF YOU'RE INVITED TO A FEAST. 22:40 HE SAID - HAVE YOU BEEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE A WEDDING AND STUFF, 22:44 THEY'VE GOT THE CENTER TABLE WHERE THE HONORED GUESTS ARE AND 22:47 THEN THEY'VE GOT THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR AND THEN, 22:49 YOU KNOW, AT THE SEATING AT A WEDDING. 22:51 AND THEN IT, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO GO UNTIL YOU'RE IN, YOU KNOW, 22:54 AS THEY CALL THE NOSEBLEED SECTION. 22:57 HE SAID, 'IF YOU GO TO A FEAST, IF IT'S OPEN SEATING,' - HE 22:59 SAID - 'TAKE THE LOWEST SEAT AND LET SOMEONE SAY, 23:02 'OH NO, NO, NO. YOU DON'T BELONG THERE. 23:05 YOU SHOULD BE UP HERE BY THIS PLACE OF HONOR.' NOW, I WOULDN'T 23:09 TRY THAT ON SOUTHWEST BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK. 23:13 BUT HE'S TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH BETTER TO HAVE IT THAT WAY THAN 23:17 TO VIE AND JOSTLE FOR THE PROMINENT SEAT AND SOMEONE SAY, 23:21 'I'M SORRY, THIS IS TAKEN.' AND YOU, WITH SHAME, HAVE TO GET UP 23:25 AND GO SLINKING BACK TO THE NOSEBLEED SECTION. 23:30 AND SO THIS WHOLE PRINCIPLE IS SOMETHING THAT JESUS 23:33 AND JAMES ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE. 23:35 PSALM 41, VERSE 1 - HE'S ALSO TALKING ABOUT CONSIDERING THE 23:41 POOR AND THIS IS WHAT THE LAW OF LOVE IS ALL ABOUT. 23:44 DAVID SAYS - PSALM 41:1, "BLESSED IS HE WHO CONSIDERS THE 23:49 POOR;" - NOW HERE'S SOME WONDERFUL PROMISES - "THE LORD 23:53 WILL DELIVER HIM IN TIME OF TROUBLE." 23:55 - WE'VE GOT A TIME OF TROUBLE AHEAD? 23:57 - "THE LORD WILL PRESERVE HIM AND KEEP HIM ALIVE, AND HE WILL 24:01 BE BLESSED ON THE EARTH; YOU WILL NOT DELIVER HIM TO THE WILL 24:05 OF HIS ENEMIES. THE LORD WILL STRENGTHEN HIM ON 24:08 HIS BED OF ILLNESS; YOU WILL SUSTAIN HIM ON HIS SICKBED." 24:12 THAT'S A LOT OF PROMISES JUST FOR - HOW DOES THE LORD CARE 24:16 ABOUT US CONSIDERING THE POOR? WOW. 24:20 IT MAKES YOU WANT TO HELP THE PEOPLE STANDING AT THE 24:23 INTERSECTIONS A LITTLE MORE FREQUENTLY, WITH ALL THOSE 24:25 PROMISES, RIGHT? WHICH IS A GOOD SEGUE TO OUR 24:28 NEXT SECTION UNDER CLASS STRUGGLE. ALRIGHT, WHO'S SET UP? 24:32 IN A MOMENT YOU'LL READ LUKE 6:20. 24:35 I SORT OF ANNOUNCE IT TO GIVE THE CAMERAS WARNING. 24:37 OKAY, I'M GOING TO READ THE NEXT PART OF JAMES. 24:39 YOU NOTICE WE'RE MAKING OUR WAY LITTLE BY LITTLE THROUGH JAMES? 24:41 WE'VE GOTTEN TO LESSON 5. WE'RE NOW ON CHAPTER 2, VERSE 5, 24:46 "LISTEN, MY BELOVED BRETHREN: HAS GOD NOT CHOSEN THE POOR OF 24:50 THIS WORLD TO BE RICH IN FAITH AND HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM WHICH 24:54 HE PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM?" - WHO GETS THE KINGDOM? 24:58 HE'S PROMISED IT TO THOSE THAT LOVE HIM AND HE SAYS, 'IF YOU 25:03 LOVE ME, OBEY.' SO THE TWO GO TOGETHER. 25:06 "BUT YOU HAVE DISHONORED THE POOR MAN. 25:08 DO NOT THE RICH OPPRESS AND DRAG YOU INTO THE COURTS?" 25:11 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. LET'S READ LUKE 6:20. 25:15 >>"THEN HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES TOWARD HIS DISCIPLES, AND SAID: 25:19 'BLESSED ARE YOU POOR, FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD.'" 25:23 >>ALRIGHT, YOU KNOW WHY I PICKED THAT VERSE IN LUKE AND NOT THE 25:26 TYPICAL ONE IN THE BEATITUDES OF MATTHEW? 25:28 IN MATTHEW IT SAYS, 'BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT' AND SO WE 25:35 LOVE TO REMIND OURSELVES THERE'S NO VIRTUE IN BEING POOR, IT'S 25:38 JUST POOR IN SPIRIT. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO MEASURE. 25:42 BUT LUKE IS INTERESTING; HE DOESN'T SAY THAT. 25:44 HE SAYS, 'BLESSED ARE YOU POOR, FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM OF 25:47 HEAVEN.' WELL, I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE, PREDOMINANTLY, THOSE 25:52 WHO END UP FOLLOWING JESUS - DOESN'T THE LORD SAY, IN MARK 25:55 CHAPTER 10 WHEN THE RICH YOUNG RULER CAME AND WE TALKED ABOUT 26:00 THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING THE LESSON, THAT IT'S HARDER FOR 26:05 A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN THAN A CAMEL TO GO 26:08 THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE. NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT GOD 26:12 DOESN'T WANT US TO WORK HARD AND EARN AS MUCH AS WE CAN. 26:15 HOW MUCH IS THAT? HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? SOMEONE ASKED 26:24 ROCKEFELLER - I DON'T KNOW, IT WASN'T NELSON ROCKEFELLER BUT 26:27 ONE OF THE ROCKEFELLERS - SEVERAL YEARS AGO. 26:30 THEY SAID, 'YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. 26:33 HOW MUCH DOES IT TAKE?' HE SAID, 'A LITTLE BIT MORE.' 26:37 IT'S ALWAYS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE. I'VE KNOWN A FEW PEOPLE 26:42 THAT ACTUALLY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND THEY MADE ENOUGH. 26:45 THEY SAID, 'I HAVE ENOUGH NOW TO BE COMFORTABLE. 26:47 I WANT TO DEDICATE THE REST OF MY LIFE TO SERVICE.' AND IT 26:52 TAKES COURAGE TO SAY, 'OKAY, I'VE GOT PLENTY AND NOW I WANT 26:56 TO...' SOME OF YOU KNOW THE STORY OF ALBERT SCHWEITZER. 27:00 HE SPENT THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS OF HIS LIFE STUDYING - STUDIED 27:04 MEDICINE, STUDIED LAW, MUSIC - AND THEN HE SAID, 27:09 'YOU KNOW, I'VE PROBABLY' - LIFE SPAN BACK THEN WAS SIXTY - 27:13 AND HE SAID - AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE HIGH END. 27:17 HE SAID, 'I'VE SPENT HALF MY LIFE LIVING FOR MYSELF,' - HE 27:19 SAYS - 'I'M GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE LIVING FOR GOD.' 27:22 AND HE WENT TO CENTRAL AFRICA AND OPENED A MISSION THERE. 27:25 HE ENDED UP LIVING INTO HIS NINETIES. 27:27 SO HE SPENT SIXTY YEARS USING THE MEDICINE AND THE MUSIC AND 27:30 EVERYTHING HE LEARNED - HE SAID, 'I WANT TO NOW LIVE FOR 27:33 OTHERS.' AND HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO JUST SERVING OTHERS. 27:37 JAMES 2:7 - ANOTHER VERSE HERE IN JAMES. 27:41 SPEAKING OF THE RICH STILL, "DO THEY NOT BLASPHEME THAT NOBLE 27:46 NAME BY WHICH YOU ARE CALLED?" NOW, JAMES IS ALSO REMEMBERING 27:50 THAT - WHO WERE THE PEOPLE OF POWER AND INFLUENCE IN ISRAEL? 27:55 KEEP IN MIND, JAMES IS THE HALF-BROTHER OF JESUS, HE IS 28:01 PRINCIPALLY THE BISHOP IN THE CHURCH OF JERUSALEM. 28:04 WHAT WAS THE ATTITUDE OF THE - WHO WERE THE POWERFUL PEOPLE, 28:08 I SHOULD SAY, IN JERUSALEM? THEY OFTEN BELONGED TO A GROUP 28:11 CALLED THE SANHEDRIN. THEY WERE THE - THEY WERE THE 28:15 SENATE AND CABINET AND CONGRESS ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE. AND THEY 28:19 WERE THE SUPREME COURT. THOSE - BECAUSE OF THOSE 28:23 POSITIONS OF POWER, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE "RELIGIOUS" POSITIONS, 28:26 THEY OFTEN TOOK A LOT OF BRIBES. DIDN'T JESUS SAY, 'YOU ROB 28:30 WIDOWS' HOUSES AND FOR PRETENSE YOU MAKE LONG PRAYERS?' 28:34 THEY TALKED PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR MONEY. THEY USED GUILT TO GET 28:40 MONEY FROM PEOPLE. THEY'D SAY, 'LOOK, YOU DON'T 28:42 NEED TO LEAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR WILL FOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, 28:44 WE'VE GOT THIS NEW PROGRAM CALLED CORBAN. 28:46 YOU DECLARE CORBAN OVER ALL YOUR PROPERTY, GIVE IT TO THE CHURCH, 28:50 AND YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM IN THEIR OLD 28:53 AGE BECAUSE IT'S NOW GOD'S. YOU CAN'T USE IT ANY OTHER WAY. 28:56 'YOU CAN USE IT AS LONG AS YOU'RE ALIVE, BUT YOU HAVE TO 28:58 WILL IT TO US.' THEY HAD ALL THESE LAWS THAT WERE JUST 29:01 DESIGNED TO ENRICH THEM. SO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE RICH 29:04 BACK THEN WERE SOME OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS THAT WERE THE 29:07 BIGGEST ADVERSARIES OF THE CHURCH. 29:09 HE WASN'T SAYING AUTOMATICALLY THAT RICH PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS 29:13 ENEMIES, BUT THEY WERE GETTING THE BULK OF THEIR PERSECUTION 29:16 FROM THE PEOPLE IN POWER - CAESAR'S HOUSEHOLD AND MANY OF 29:20 THE LEADERS - THERE WERE A FEW RARE EXCEPTIONS BUT HE SAID, 'DO 29:24 NOT THEY BLASPHEME THAT NOBLE NAME BY WHICH YOU ARE CALLED. 29:27 EXODUS 23, VERSE 8 - HE'S VERY CLEAR, "AND YOU SHALL TAKE NO 29:32 BRIBE, FOR A BRIBE BLINDS THE DISCERNING AND PERVERTS THE 29:37 WORDS OF THE RIGHTEOUS." DO WE SEE THIS IN OUR 29:41 GOVERNMENT? MATTER OF FACT, LET ME WORD THAT 29:43 DIFFERENTLY: IS THERE ANY GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD, THAT 29:47 YOU KNOW OF, WHERE THAT ISN'T AN ISSUE? WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE 29:50 POSITIONS OF POWER IN THE GOVERNMENT WHERE THEY CAN MAKE 29:52 LAWS, WHERE YOU DON'T EVER HEAR ABOUT THEM TAKING FAVORS. 29:57 YOU KNOW WHY THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ASKED FOR A KING? 30:01 I KNOW THIS IS REALLY STRANGE. THEY WERE PERFECTLY HAPPY FOR A 30:04 WHILE WITH SAMUEL, BUT WHEN SAMUEL'S SONS BEGAN TO TAKE HIS 30:08 PLACE IT SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING BRIBES. 30:12 THEY SAID, 'GIVE US A KING. HE'S JUST GOT ABSOLUTE POWER. 30:16 YOU CAN'T BRIBE HIM. HE'S GOT EVERYTHING.' AND THEY 30:18 THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE SOLUTION. 30:20 IT DIDN'T WORK VERY WELL, DID IT? 30:24 PROVERBS 22:2, "THE RICH AND THE POOR MEET TOGETHER: 30:28 THE LORD IS THE MAKER OF THEM ALL." 30:31 AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE LORD IS TELLING US, SOLOMON HERE, HE 30:34 WOULD KNOW, HE SAID THAT ULTIMATELY GOD IS THE MAKER OF 30:38 ALL - THE RICH AND THE POOR - AND THAT THERE IS NO 30:40 PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT IN GOD'S ECONOMY. ALRIGHT, 30:43 'LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS.' LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SECTION HERE. 30:46 JAMES CHAPTER 2, VERSES 8 AND 9, "IF YOU REALLY FULFILL THE ROYAL 30:53 LAW ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS 30:57 YOURSELF,' YOU DO WELL; BUT IF YOU SHOW PARTIALITY, YOU COMMIT 31:02 SIN, AND ARE CONVICTED BY THE LAW AS TRANSGRESSORS." 31:06 SO NOT ONLY IS IT A QUESTION OF BEING UNFAIR, BUT WHEN WE ARE 31:10 PARTIAL TO PEOPLE WHAT DOES HE CALL IT? 31:13 >>YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY SERIOUS BUSINESS. 31:17 AND SO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT, I THINK, TO 31:21 EXAMINE OUR HEARTS SOMETIMES AND SEE, ARE WE BEING UNFAIR WITH 31:24 PEOPLE? ARE WE BEING PARTIAL? YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S REALLY TOUGH? 31:29 IF YOUR KIDS GET INTO A CONFLICT AT SCHOOL WITH ANOTHER KID AND 31:34 YOU GET PARENTS INVOLVED, HAVE YOU EVER GONE INTO A SITUATION 31:38 WHERE YOU TRIED TO BE NON-PARTIAL AND OBJECTIVE AS A 31:41 PARENT? YOU'RE HEARING TWO SIDES OF A 31:43 STORY - THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFLICT - THE BOYS GOT INTO A 31:46 FIGHT ON THE PLAYGROUND AND THE PARENTS ARE CALLED IN AND BOTH 31:50 BOYS HAVE A VERSION OF HOW THEY WERE JUST MINDING THEIR OWN 31:54 BUSINESS. WHO DO YOU AUTOMATICALLY SIDE WITH? WHY? 32:02 WELL, YOU LOVE THEM. BUT IT'S EASY TO BE PARTIAL. 32:07 YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID YOU SHOULD LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND DO KIND TO 32:10 STRANGERS. HE SAID, IF YOU LOVE THOSE WHO 32:13 LOVE YOU, WHAT GOOD IS THAT? EVERYBODY DOES THAT. IF YOU LOVE 32:17 YOUR KIDS WHAT GOOD IS THAT? EVERYBODY DOES THAT. 32:20 HE SAID IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIKE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER 32:22 IN HEAVEN THEN YOU NEED TO SHOW LOVE AND FAIRNESS AND MERCY TO 32:26 EVEN YOUR ENEMIES. NOW THAT'S REALLY TOUGH. 32:31 LEVITICUS 19, VERSES 17 AND 18 - AND THIS, OF COURSE, IS ONE OF 32:35 THOSE FAMOUS VERSES, "YOU SHALL NOT HATE YOUR BROTHER IN YOUR 32:39 HEART." HOW DOES IT DO WHEN SOMEONE 32:43 SHAKES THEIR FINGER AT YOU AND SAYS, 'YOU SHALL NOT HATE?' 32:46 CAN YOU DO THAT? CAN YOU SHAKE YOUR FINGER AT 32:49 SOMEONE AND SAY, 'THOU SHALT LOVE ME.' YOU EVER SEEN A GUY 32:53 PROPOSE THAT WAY? IS THAT WHAT GOD'S SAYING? 32:58 I MEAN, DOES HE COMMAND US TO LOVE HIM? HE DOES. 33:03 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD THY GOD IS ONE. 33:06 THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD.' SOUNDS LIKE A COMMAND. 33:12 WHY DOES GOD SAY IT LIKE THAT? 33:15 IS HE ORDERING US TO LOVE HIM? I SEE THERE'S SOME LADIES HERE. 33:18 HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE IN THAT STAGE 33:27 IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU WERE PURSUING A SIGNIFICANT OTHER AND 33:30 SOMEONE SAID, 'THOU SHALT LOVE ME.' WOULD THAT BE A VERY GOOD 33:36 INTRODUCTION OR DO THEY HAVE TO KIND OF WIN YOUR LOVE? 33:40 WHY DOES GOD SAY IT AS A COMMAND? 33:45 I THINK THAT THE LORD IS TELLING US THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE 33:48 IT, AS FAR AS OBEYING, UNLESS YOU LOVE. 33:52 AND SO WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT 'WHAT DO WE DO TO LOVE GOD?' 33:56 NOW, IF I WANT TO WIN KAREN, I DIDN'T SAY TO HER, 'HI, YOU KNOW 34:04 YOU'VE TAKEN MY FANCY. YOU NEED TO LOVE ME. 34:07 YOU HEAR ME?' >>IT WAS CLOSE TO THAT. 34:13 >>BUT WHAT I HAD TO DO IS I HAD TO SHOW HER HOW LOVABLE I REALLY 34:19 WAS. ISN'T THAT THE IDEA? 34:21 YOU TRY TO REVEAL YOURSELF TO THE PERSON AND SHOW THEM 34:24 WHATEVER YOUR ATTRIBUTES ARE THAT YOU'RE HOPING THEY'LL FIND 34:26 ATTRACTIVE AND IRRESISTIBLE. AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE. 34:31 BUT - BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVANGELISTS ARE BORN WITH THAT 34:35 GIFT OF PERSUASION. BUT THIS IS WHAT GOD IS SAYING 34:41 WHEN HE SAYS, 'YOU SHOULD LOVE ME.' HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE GOING TO 34:42 NEED TO LOVE ME TO OBEY ME.' BECAUSE IT'S NOT NORMAL FOR US 34:45 IN, YOU KNOW, OUR SINFUL NATURES. 34:47 BUT TO KNOW GOD IS TO LOVE HIM. 34:51 THAT'S ACTUALLY A STATEMENT YOU'LL FIND IN 'DESIRE OF AGES.' 34:53 IF YOU KNOW GOD, YOU'LL LOVE HIM. 34:56 AND SO WHAT HE'S SAYING IS 'YOU MUST LOVE ME.' MEANING 'YOU NEED 34:59 TO KNOW ME, AND IF YOU KNOW ME, YOU'LL LOVE ME. 35:01 NOW WHEN GOD COMMANDS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO LOVE HIM, 35:04 HAD HE ALREADY GIVEN THEM EVIDENCE OF WHO HE WAS? 35:08 >>YES. >>WHEN HE BEGINS THE TEN 35:10 COMMANDMENTS, WHAT'S THE FIRST COMMANDMENT? 35:18 YEAH, THE FIRST COMMANDMENT ACTUALLY BEGINS WITH A PREAMBLE 35:22 BECAUSE IT SAYS IN EXODUS 20, 'AND GOD SPOKE ALL THESE WORDS 35:26 SAYING:" SO HERE'S WHERE THE ETCHING IN THE STONE BEGINS, "I 35:30 AM THE LORD YOUR GOD THAT BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF 35:33 EGYPT; OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE." 35:35 WHY DOES HE START WITH THAT? AND THEN HE SAYS YOU'RE NOT TO 35:38 HAVE OTHER GODS. HE'S SAYING, 'I AM THE GOD WHO 35:42 JUST SHOWED YOU HOW MUCH I LOVED YOU. 35:44 I SAVED YOU WITH THESE SIGNS AND WONDERS UNLIKE ANY NATION HAS 35:47 EVER SEEN. YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU. 35:50 I'M GOING TO PROTECT YOU. I LOVE YOU. 35:52 IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.' DOES THE LORD 35:54 SAY THAT OTHER PLACES IN THE BIBLE? 35:56 YOU READ IN EZEKIEL, YOU READ IN HOSEA, GOD TALKS ABOUT HOW 'WHEN 36:00 I FOUND YOU, YOU WERE DYING AND I RESCUED YOU.' AND HE TALKS 36:03 ABOUT LIKE A BABY, LIKE A BRIDE - HE USES EVERY ANALOGY HE CAN 36:06 THINK OF AND HE'S SAYING, 'I'VE SHOWN YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. 36:09 YOU NEED TO LOVE ME BACK. AND THEN JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU 36:12 LOVE ME.' LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW. 36:19 ALRIGHT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STATEMENT IN YOUR LESSON FROM 36:23 THE BOOK 'DESIRE OF AGES' PAGE 504 THAT I'M GOING TO REPEAT. 36:28 YOU'LL FIND THIS IN YOUR LESSON. "SIN IS THE GREATEST OF ALL 36:31 EVILS AND IT IS OURS TO PITY AND TO HELP THE SINNER. 36:35 THERE ARE MANY WHO ERR WHO FEEL THEIR SHAME AND THEIR FOLLY. 36:38 THEY ARE HUNGRY FOR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. 36:41 THEY LOOK UPON THEIR MISTAKES AND ERRORS UNTIL THEY ARE DRIVEN 36:43 TO ALMOST DESPERATION. THESE SOULS WE ARE NOT TO NEGLECT. 36:48 IF WE ARE CHRISTIANS, WE'RE NOT TO PASS BY ON THE OTHER SIDE, 36:51 KEEPING AS FAR AS POSSIBLE FROM THE VERY ONES WHO MOST NEED OUR 36:54 HELP. WHEN WE SEE HUMAN BEINGS IN DISTRESS, WHETHER THROUGH 36:57 AFFLICTION OR THROUGH SIN" - IT MIGHT EVEN BE THEIR OWN 36:59 PROBLEM - THEIR CHOICES - "WE SHOULD NEVER SAY, 37:03 'THIS DOES NOT CONCERN ME.'" WOW, THAT'S A - 37:07 AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE'S ALLUDING TO 37:09 HERE IS THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 37:13 THIS MAN FALLS AMONG THIEVES AND BY THE TIME THE PRIEST COMES BY 37:20 IT SAYS HE'S STRIPPED AND WOUNDED AND HALF DEAD AND HE 37:24 JUST PASSES BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. 37:27 IF HE HAD BEEN WEARING REALLY NICE CLOTHES HE MIGHT HAVE 37:31 STOPPED TO HELP HIM, BUT HE'D BEEN STRIPPED. 37:34 OR IF HE HAD A NICE GOLDEN CHARIOT, BUT HE'S BEEN ROBBED. 37:39 AND SO THE PERSON SAYS, 'YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN 37:42 EXPENSIVE VENTURE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM FOR TIME AND MEANS.' 37:45 AND HE LEAVES HIM. THEN A LEVITE COMES BY AND HE AT 37:49 LEAST STOPS AND LOOKS AND MAYBE SAYS A PRAYER, BUT THEN HE 37:53 LEAVES. HE MAYBE TAKES DOWN HIS LICENSE 37:55 NUMBER AND SAYS, 'I'LL CALL A TOW TRUCK.' BUT HE LEAVES HIM. 37:58 BUT, ULTIMATELY, IT'S THE SAMARITAN THAT SHOWS MERCY ON 38:03 HIM JUST BECAUSE - NOT BECAUSE THEY HAD ANYTHING IN COMMON - 38:07 THEY WERE DIFFERENT CULTURALLY. THEY WERE DIFFERENT RACIALLY. 38:10 THEY SPOKE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THEY WERE, ACTUALLY, TWO NATIONS 38:14 THAT HAD GREAT ANIMOSITY FOR ONE ANOTHER - TWO PEOPLE - AND HE 38:20 SHOWS LOVE JUST BECAUSE HE'S ANOTHER PERSON. 38:22 THE LORD SAYS, 'IF YOUR ENEMY'S OX OR DONKEY - IF YOU FIND IT 38:28 AND IT'S WANDERING, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TRIP IT UP OR SELL 38:33 IT - WHAT DOES HE SAY? >>BRING IT BACK. 38:36 >>TAKE IT BACK TO HIM. IT'S LOVING YOUR ENEMY. 38:40 SHOWING KINDNESS. 38:42 PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU. 38:47 MATTHEW SAYS - OR JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, VERSE 43, 38:51 "YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR 38:53 NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.' BUT I SAY TO YOU, LOVE YOUR 38:57 ENEMIES, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE 39:02 YOU, AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE 39:05 YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN; FOR HE 39:09 MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN 39:13 ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST." NOW THIS IS SOMETHING - NOW 39:16 THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT VERSE TO REMEMBER BECAUSE SUN AND RAIN 39:19 CAN BE OPPOSITES. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING. 39:22 IF YOU'RE FARMING YOU WANT RAIN AT CERTAIN TIMES AND IF YOU'RE 39:23 ON A PICNIC YOU WANT SUN. THE CHURCH WENT ON A PICNIC LAST 39:26 WEEKEND, YOU HAD A LITTLE RAIN, HUH? 39:29 BUT GOD'S SAYING BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS, WHATEVER IT IS, 39:33 EVERYBODY GETS THEIR FAIR SHARE. JOB SAYS THIS. 39:36 AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO - WE OUGHT TO BE SHOWING GOD'S 39:40 LOVE TO EVERYBODY. NOW, UNDER THE NEXT SECTION, 39:44 UNDER THE WHOLE LAW - IN A MOMENT, SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE 39:47 READING GALATIANS 5:14, SO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOT THAT ONE. 39:52 OKAY, IS THAT - WHO'S GOT GALATIANS 5? 39:55 ALRIGHT, YOU'VE GOT A MOMENT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO READ SOME 39:56 STUFF HERE. JAMES 2, VERSES 10 AND 11, "FOR 40:01 WHOEVER SHALL KEEP" - NOW WE'RE STILL MOVING THROUGH JAMES HERE, 40:03 WE'RE ON VERSE 10, "FOR WHOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, AND 40:07 YET STUMBLE IN ONE POINT, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL. 40:10 FOR HE WHO SAID, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,' ALSO SAID, 'DO NOT 40:13 COMMIT MURDER.' NOW IF YOU DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, BUT YOU DO 40:16 MURDER, YOU HAVE BECOME A TRANSGRESSOR OF THE LAW." 40:23 I THINK KATRINA WAS TELLING ME THIS WEEK THAT THE TEN 40:25 COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT MULTIPLE CHOICE AND GOD DOES NOT GIVE US 40:28 A TWENTY PERCENT DISCOUNT. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE 40:32 LAWS OF LOVE AND ANY VIOLATION - IT'S LIKE A SPACESHIP. 40:38 THINK OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS LIKE A SPACESHIP. 40:40 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT PART OF THE SPACE STATION HAS A RUPTURE, 40:45 THE AIR RUNS OUT AND PEOPLE DIE IF THERE'S A VACUUM. 40:50 YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND SO BY HAVING A - IT'S LIKE A 40:54 CHAIN - YOU'VE GOT TEN LINKS IN IT. 40:58 IT'S ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK. 41:01 AND SO, IF SOMEONE SAYS, 'LOOK, I REALIZE THAT' - THEY GO TO 41:06 COURT AND THEY SAY, 'LOOK, I DID COMMIT MURDER, BUT I DON'T 41:11 WORSHIP IDOLS, I DON'T USE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN, I KEEP THE 41:15 SABBATH, I DON'T STEAL.' WHAT JUDGE IS GOING TO ACCEPT THAT AS 41:19 A DEFENSE? NOW, FOR PETTY CRIME, IF YOU'RE 41:25 A GOOD CITIZEN AND YOU HAVE NO PRIOR RECORD, THAT MIGHT 41:28 ACTUALLY HELP YOU, BUT GOD DOESN'T OPERATE THAT WAY. 41:32 SIN IS SIN AND ALL OF IT IS OFFENSIVE TO HIM. 41:37 SOMETHING ELSE TO NOTICE HERE, YOU REMEMBER WE JUST READ IN 41:41 VERSES 8 AND 9 IN JAMES, 'IF YOU FULFILL THE ROYAL LAW - YOU LOVE 41:46 YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF - AND THEN HE SAYS, IN THE NEXT VERSE, 41:49 'FOR HE THAT SAID 'KEEP THE WHOLE LAW - IF YOU KEEP THE 41:52 WHOLE LAW AND STUMBLE IN ONE POINT' 41:54 AND THEN HE MENTIONS TWO LAWS. WHAT GROUP OF LAWS ARE THOSE 41:58 TWO COMMANDMENTS FROM? >>THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 42:01 >>YEAH, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.' 42:04 YOU KNOW, I WAS SURPRISED, I WATCHED A DEBATE THIS WEEK 42:09 THAT'S UP ON YOUTUBE. IT WAS A SABBATH DEBATE AND I 42:13 WAS AMAZED THAT THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE BEING BROUGHT FORTH BY 42:19 THE ONE PRESENTER IN THE DEBATE THAT WAS AGAINST THE SABBATH 42:25 TRUTH, HE BASICALLY HAD TO THROW OUT THE WHOLE LAW. 42:29 AND, OF COURSE, THE ONE WHO WAS SUPPORTING THE SABBATH TRUTH, HE 42:31 SAID, 'WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER COMMANDMENTS? 42:34 AND HE SAID, 'WELL, IT'S JUST THE SPIRIT NOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, 42:38 IF WE LOVE WE KEEP THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW.' AND HE SAID, 'YOU 42:41 KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP THE LITERAL SABBATH BECAUSE WHEN WE 42:44 COME TO JESUS HE SAID, 'COME TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU REST.' SO 42:48 WE'RE RESTING IN THE LORD AND THAT'S ALL THAT YOU REALLY NEED 42:50 NOW.' BUT THERE IS A SPIRIT OF THE LAW AND THERE IS A LETTER OF 42:54 THE LAW. NOW FOLLOW ME. 42:56 THE LETTER OF THE LAW SAYS 'DON'T KILL.' THE SPIRIT OF THE 43:01 LAW, JESUS SAID, IS 'DO NOT BE ANGRY WITH YOUR BROTHER WITHOUT 43:05 A CAUSE OR YOU'RE GUILTY OF MURDER.' 43:08 SO IF YOU'RE KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW ABOUT KILLING AND 43:13 YOU'RE NOT ANGRY WITH YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER WITHOUT CAUSE 43:15 - YOU'RE NOT COMMITTING SPIRITUAL MURDER, WILL YOU EVER 43:17 COMMIT LITERAL MURDER IF YOU'RE NOT COMMITTING, FIRST, MURDER IN 43:21 YOUR HEART? RIGHT? THE LAW SAYS 'DO NOT COMMIT 43:25 ADULTERY.' THAT'S THE LETTER OF THE LAW. 43:27 SPIRIT OF THE LAW SAYS, 'YOU'RE NOT TO LOOK ON A WOMAN' - IT 43:30 WORKS BOTH WAYS - 'OR A MAN AND LUST IN YOUR HEART.' 43:34 THAT'S BREAKING THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW. YOU MIGHT NOT LITERALLY 43:37 BE COMMITTING ADULTERY BUT YOU NEED TO KEEP THE SPIRIT OF THE 43:40 LAW, IT NEEDS TO BE PURITY OF MIND - PURITY OF HEART. 43:42 SO IF A PERSON SAYS, 'I REALIZE THAT ADULTERY IS A SIN. 43:47 I'M BEING PURE IN MY MIND REGARDING ADULTERY BUT I'M 43:51 ACTUALLY GOING TO BREAK THE LETTER OF THE LAW AND COMMIT 43:53 ADULTERY.' IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BREAK THE LETTER OF 43:56 THE LAW AND BE KEEPING THE SPIRIT? 43:59 OKAY, GO THROUGH ALL THE COMMANDMENTS. 44:00 YOU'LL FIND THAT WHATEVER THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF THAT 44:02 COMMANDMENT IS, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE KEEPING THE LETTER IF YOU'RE 44:05 KEEPING THE SPIRIT. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SABBATH 44:08 COMMANDMENT THEY SAY, 'WE KEEP THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW, WHICH 44:10 MEANS YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THE LETTER ANYMORE.' WOULD ANYONE 44:13 ACCEPT THAT ARGUMENT WITH ANY OF THE OTHER COMMANDMENTS? 44:17 YOU SEE HOW ABSURD THAT IS? ANYWAY, SO JAMES IS SAYING, 'THE 44:21 ROYAL LAW IS THE LAW OF LOVE AND YOU'VE ALL HEARD PEOPLE SAY. 44:25 'JESUS NOW GAVE US THE NEW COMMANDMENT.' 'A NEW COMMANDMENT 44:29 I GIVE UNTO YOU THAT YOU SHOULD LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. 44:33 LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND 44:34 STRENGTH.' DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU NO LONGER KEEP THE TEN? 44:38 DOES ONE REPLACE THE OTHER? 44:41 ALRIGHT, LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THIS. 44:42 ALRIGHT, READ FOR ME - WHOEVER HAS GALATIANS 5:14 AND 15. 44:47 >>"FOR ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD, EVEN IN THIS: 'YOU 44:51 SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. BUT IF YOU BITE AND 44:55 DEVOUR ONE ANOTHER, BEWARE LEST YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE ANOTHER!" 44:59 >>YOU KNOW, I WAS - AS I WAS LOOKING AT THAT VERSE WHEN HE 45:03 SAYS, 'BUT IF YOU BITE AND DEVOUR ONE ANOTHER' - THAT'S - 45:06 WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT? IS HE TALKING ABOUT CANNIBALISM? 45:10 IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE VEGETARIAN CANNIBALS? IT IS WHEN 45:15 IT COMES TO BITING AND DEVOURING EACH OTHER WITH OUR WORDS. 45:19 AND HE SAID, 'SO IF YOU FULFILL - ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN 45:23 THIS WORD, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.' NOW THERE'S SEVERAL TIMES THAT 45:25 THIS PRINCIPLE APPEARS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 45:28 I'VE READ YOU ALREADY DEUTERONOMY 6:4, "THOU SHALT 45:31 LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART." 45:33 SO WHEN IT SAYS THAT ALL THE COMMANDMENTS ARE FULFILLED IN 45:36 THIS, DOES THAT MEAN IF YOU LOVE THE LORD AND YOU LOVE YOUR 45:40 NEIGHBOR THAT TRUMPS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? 45:44 OR IS HE SAYING IT SUMMARIZES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? 45:47 THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. 45:48 SOME PEOPLE SAY, 'I'M NOT UNDER THE OLD LAW ANYMORE BECAUSE NOW 45:51 WE'RE JUST UNDER THE LAW OF LOVE.' WELL, IF YOU SAY, 'I 45:56 REALLY LOVE MY NEIGHBOR BUT I'M KILLING HIM,' YOU DON'T. 45:59 OR 'I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR BUT I'M STEALING FROM THEM' OR COVETING 46:02 WHAT THEY HAVE - OR YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 46:04 HOW CAN YOU SAY 'I LOVE THE LORD' AND WORSHIP IDOLS, USE HIS 46:08 NAME IN VAIN, DON'T TAKE THAT HOLY TIME WITH HIM THAT HE'S 46:11 RESERVED. IT ALL - IT'S A PACKAGE DEAL. 46:14 AGAIN, PAUL SAYS THIS IN ROMANS 13:9 AND 10, "FOR THE 46:19 COMMANDMENTS, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,' ' YOU SHALL 46:22 NOT MURDER,' ' YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,' 'YOU SHALL NOT BEAR 46:25 FALSE WITNESS,' 'YOU SHALL NOT COVET,' AND IF THERE IS ANY 46:28 OTHER COMMANDMENT," - IN OTHER WORDS HE'S SAYING ANY OF THE 46:31 OTHER TEN - ARE ALL SUMMED UP IN THIS SAYING, NAMELY, 'YOU SHALL 46:36 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'" - YOU REALIZE HE'S 46:38 TALKING ABOUT THE COMMANDMENTS BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOR, 46:41 PRINCIPALLY - VERSE 10, "LOVE DOES NO HARM TO A NEIGHBOR; 46:46 THEREFORE LOVE IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW." 46:49 FULFILLMENT DOESN'T MEAN IT ABOLISHES, FULFILLMENT MEANS IT 46:52 FILLS IT FULL. THE BEST WAY TO SHOW OUR LOVE 46:55 FOR GOD IS BY TRUSTING HIM ENOUGH TO DO WHAT HE SAYS AND 46:59 OBEYING HIM. NOW 'JUDGED BY THE LAW' IS THIS 47:04 SECTION HERE. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAVE JOHN 47:08 12:48 IN JUST A MOMENT, OKAY? JOLYNE, YOU'LL BE NEXT. 47:12 NOW WE'RE READING JAMES 2, VERSES 12 AND 13, "SO SPEAK AND 47:17 SO DO AS THOSE WHO WILL BE JUDGED BY THE LAW OF LIBERTY. 47:22 FOR JUDGMENT IS WITHOUT MERCY TO THE ONE WHO HAS SHOWN NO MERCY." 47:26 NOW YOU REMEMBER LAST WEEK WE READ IN PSALM 119, VERSES - I 47:30 THINK - IT'S 44 AND 45, IT SAYS,'SO I'LL KEEP YOUR 47:34 COMMANDMENTS FOREVER AND EVER AND I WILL WALK AT LIBERTY 47:38 BECAUSE I SEEK YOUR PRECEPTS.' SO THE LAW OF LIBERTY THAT HE'S 47:41 REFERRING TO IS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 47:43 THAT'S WHAT GIVES US FREEDOM. 47:45 THOSE WHO ARE KEEPING THE LAW ARE FREE RIGHT NOW. 47:48 "AND MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT." 47:52 THE ONE WHO HAS A JUDGMENT - I'M SORRY, I WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN. 47:56 VERSE 13 - JAMES 2:13 - "FOR JUDGMENT IS WITHOUT MERCY TO THE 48:00 ONE WHO HAS SHOWN NO MERCY. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT." 48:05 WHAT DOES JESUS SAY IN THE BEATITUDES ABOUT MERCY? 48:08 BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, THEY WILL OBTAIN MERCY. 48:17 HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT - 'WOW, I WANT TO BE REALLY 48:22 FORGIVING WITH PEOPLE?' SOMETIMES, IN OUR HEARTS, 48:24 WE DON'T FORGIVE PEOPLE. 48:26 I WANT TO BE FORGIVING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE, AS BAD AS WHAT I THINK 48:29 THEY MAY HAVE DONE IS, LOOK AT HOW MUCH GOD FORGIVES ME. 48:35 AND SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT VERY FORGIVING TO PEOPLE BY - IF YOU 48:40 REHEARSE THEIR MISTAKES - THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF KIND OF 48:44 KEEPING IT ALIVE BUT IF YOU FORGIVE YOU MAY NOT FORGET BUT 48:47 YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHEW ON IT ALL THE TIME. 48:51 YOU KNOW WHAT SEPARATES THE CLEAN ANIMALS FROM THE UNCLEAN 48:54 ANIMALS? PARTED HOOF AND CHEWING THE CUD. 48:58 YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A COW OR DEER CHEWS THE CUD? 49:02 THEY SWALLOW SOMETHING BUT LATER ON THEY BRING IT BACK UP AGAIN 49:05 AND CHEW ON IT. AND SOME PEOPLE DO THAT WITH THINGS THEY SAY 49:09 THEY'VE FORGIVEN. ALRIGHT, READ FOR US JOHN 12:48. 49:15 >>"HE WHO REJECTS ME, AND DOES NOT RECEIVE MY WORDS, HAS THAT 49:21 WHICH JUDGES HIM - THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN 49:24 WILL JUDGE HIM IN THE LAST DAY." 49:27 >>WORDS ARE GOING TO PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE JUDGMENT. 49:33 FIRST OF ALL, JESUS SAYS, 'THE WORDS THAT I'VE SPOKEN.' GOD 49:36 KNOWS WHAT WORDS THAT WE'VE HEARD, RIGHT? 49:39 AND MAN DOESN'T LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT 49:44 PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD. 49:45 GOD WANTS US TO LIVE BY HIS WORDS. 49:47 BUT HE ALSO SAYS, 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH 49:52 SPEAKS.' AND EVERY IDLE WORD THAT WE SPEAK, WE'LL GIVE AN 49:55 ACCOUNT THEREOF IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. 49:58 'FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU'LL BE JUSTIFIED AND BY YOUR WORDS 50:02 YOU'LL BE CONDEMNED.' SO, FOR ONE THING, WE'RE JUDGED BY THE 50:05 WORD OF GOD - THAT WE'RE AWARE OF - IN THE JUDGMENT AND, 50:09 ADDITIONALLY, THE WORDS THAT COME OUT OF OUR MOUTHS - WE'VE 50:12 GOT TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE SAY. CAN YOU THINK OF A TIME IN THE 50:15 BIBLE WHEN SOMEONE PRAYED FOR SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T REALLY 50:18 WANT BUT THEY GOT IT BECAUSE THEY SAID IT? 50:21 WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AFTER THEY LOST FAITH - IN 50:26 NUMBERS 13 - I GUESS IT'S NUMBERS 14 - AT THE BORDERS OF 50:29 THE PROMISED LAND. THEY BELIEVED THE EVIL REPORT OF THE SPIES. 50:34 THEY SAID, 'WOULD GOD THAT WE DIED IN THIS WILDERNESS.' AND 50:39 THE LORD HAD HEARD THEM SAY THAT SO MANY TIMES HE SAID, 50:41 'OKAY, IS THAT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT? 50:43 THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET.' BY YOUR WORDS. 50:46 AND SO WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE SAY AND WHAT WE PRAY FOR 50:50 BECAUSE THOSE - EVERY IDLE WORD THAT WE SPEAK IS RECORDED AND 50:55 THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO COME UP IN THE JUDGMENT. 50:59 HEBREWS 4, VERSES 12 AND 13 - SPEAKING, AGAIN, ABOUT BEING 51:04 JUDGED BY THE LAW, "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL, 51:09 AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, PIERCING EVEN TO THE 51:12 DIVISION OF SOUL AND SPIRIT, AND OF JOINTS AND MARROW, AND IS A 51:17 DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART. 51:20 AND THERE IS NO CREATURE HIDDEN FROM HIS SIGHT, BUT ALL THINGS 51:23 ARE NAKED AND OPEN TO THE EYES OF HIM TO WHOM WE MUST GIVE 51:27 ACCOUNT." NOW HEBREWS IS WRITTEN TO HEBREWS. 51:32 HEBREWS TALKS A LOT ABOUT THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM. 51:36 IN THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM THEY OFFERED ANIMALS. 51:40 IN THE OFFERING OF ANIMALS THEY HAD VERY SHARP KNIVES AND HE IS 51:45 ALLUDING TO THAT WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT SEVERING THE JOINTS AND 51:50 THE MARROW AND THEY HAD OFTEN SEEN THE PRIESTS WERE THE 51:55 BUTCHERS IN THE SANCTUARY AND THEY WOULD CARVE UP THOSE 51:59 SACRIFICES AND LAY THEM IN ORDER ON THE ALTARS. 52:02 AND THE WORD OF GOD CAN CUT. 52:07 IT'S SOMETIMES - WHEN PETER PREACHED ON THE DAY OF 52:09 PENTECOST, AND WHEN HE GOT DONE WITH HIS SERMON, YOU CAN JUST 52:13 BARELY IMAGINE - HERE YOU'VE GOT THESE DEVOUT JEWS WHO HAVE COME 52:16 FROM EVERY NATION - THEY'RE IN JERUSALEM - THEY'VE COME A FEW 52:20 WEEKS AFTER JESUS HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED. 52:23 HE'S SUPPOSEDLY APPEARED ALIVE AND NOW PETER SAYS, 'THE MESSIAH 52:28 FINALLY CAME. WE'VE WAITED FOR 2,000 YEARS. 52:30 THE MESSIAH CAME. GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? WE CRUCIFIED HIM LIKE 52:34 WE DID ALL THE PROPHETS OF OLD.' AND THE PEOPLE WERE SO 52:39 OVERWHELMED, WHEN PETER PREACHED THAT WORD TO THEM, IT SAYS THAT 52:43 THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART AND THEY SAID, 'MEN AND BRETHREN, 52:47 WHAT SHALL WE DO?' AND SO THERE WAS GREAT REPENTANCE. 52:51 WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THAT REPENTANCE? THE WORD OF GOD. 52:54 AND THIS IS THE WORD WE'LL ALL BE JUDGED BY IN THE LAST DAYS. 52:59 JUDGMENT IS WITHOUT MERCY TO THE ONE WHO'S SHOWN NO MERCY AND 53:02 MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT.' 'BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL; THEY 53:06 WILL OBTAIN MERCY.' WHEN LOT INVITED THE ANGELS INTO HIS 53:13 HOME, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED? 53:16 THE CROWD IN THE CITY WANTED TO HURT THE ANGELS. 53:18 BY INVITING THE ANGELS INTO HIS HOME IT SAVED HIM. 53:25 THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES GOD 53:29 HAS PRESERVED BECAUSE THEY'VE SHOWN MERCY TO OTHERS. 53:34 WHEN REBEKKAH SAW THIS DUSTY TRAVELER AND ALL OF HIS CAMELS 53:39 WITH A CARAVAN STANDING BY THE WELL AND SHE SAID, 'LET ME WATER 53:42 YOUR CAMELS FOR YOU.' SHE SAW THIS POOR GUY - DID SHE HAVE ANY 53:47 IDEA THAT HE HAD JUST PRAYED AND SAID, 'LORD, I DON'T KNOW WHO IS 53:51 THE APPROPRIATE ONE TO BE THE WIFE FOR THIS PRINCE, ISAAC - 53:55 VERY WEALTHY - HE'S GOING TO BE THE FATHER OF THE MESSIAH AND 54:01 THE NATION - PEOPLE OF GOD - THIS HAS TO BE THE RIGHT WOMAN. 54:05 WHAT'S THE TEST THAT HE GAVE HER? 54:07 HE SAID, 'WHOEVER IT IS, WHEN I SAY, 'CAN YOU GIVE ME A DRINK OF 54:10 WATER?' ALSO OFFERS TO WATER THE CAMELS. 54:13 I'LL TAKE THAT AS A SIGN.' SHE HAD MERCY ON HIM. 54:17 HE DIDN'T EVEN SAY, 'COULD YOU WATER MY CAMELS?' 54:19 SHE SAW THAT HE HAD A NEED AND SHE DECIDED TO SERVE. 54:23 WHAT WAS THE REWARD FOR HER PASSING THAT TEST? 54:28 SHE ENDS UP BECOMING,YOU KNOW, A VIRTUAL QUEEN IN ISRAEL. 54:31 I MEAN, SHE BECOMES THE MOTHER OF ISRAEL, SO TO SPEAK. 54:34 AND THE PARABLE JESUS SHARES IN MATTHEW 25 - I THINK IT'S VERSE 54:38 31 - OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS - AND THE GREAT JUDGMENT DAY 54:43 WILL BE AS WHEN A SHEPHERD SEPARATES THE SHEEP FROM THE 54:47 GOATS AND HE'LL TURN TO THE SHEEP ON THE RIGHT HAND AND 54:50 HE'LL SAY 'BLESSED ARE YOU, CHILDREN OF MY FATHER, COME 54:53 INHERIT THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE 54:55 WORLD BECAUSE I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU FED ME. 54:58 I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME DRINK. 55:00 I WAS NAKED AND YOU CLOTHED ME. I WAS ALONE AND YOU CAME TO ME. 55:06 I WAS SICK OR IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME. 55:08 AND THEN THEY'LL SAY TO THE LORD - I'M DOING A LOOSE PARAPHRASE 55:11 HERE - 'LORD, WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY OR THIRSTY OR NAKED 55:16 OR A STRANGER SICK OR IN PRISON AND COME TO YOU?' 55:19 AND HE'LL SAY, 'INASMUCH AS YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF 55:22 THESE.' HOW DID OUR STUDY BEGIN? 55:24 IF A MAN COMES IN AND YOU SEE HE'S POOR AND YOU TELL HIM TO 55:26 SIT ON THE FLOOR - 'INASMUCH AS YOU'VE DONE IT UNTO THE ONE OF 55:29 THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU'VE DONE IT TO - TO ME.' SO THINK OF THE 55:35 MOST POWERFUL, RICH, INFLUENTIAL, FAMOUS, BEAUTIFUL 55:39 PERSON YOU CAN THINK OF AND IF THEY SHOULD KNOCK AT YOUR DOOR 55:45 OR SHOW UP IN YOUR CHURCH, HOW WOULD YOU TREAT THEM? WOULD 55:48 YOU TREAT THEM DIFFERENT FROM SOMEBODY THAT MAYBE WAS POOR? 55:55 JESUS IS SAYING 'THERE'S NOBODY IN THIS WORLD RICHER AND MORE 56:00 POWERFUL OR INTELLIGENT OR BETTER LOOKING THAN ME.' 56:04 INASMUCH AS YOU'VE DONE IT TO THE LEAST OF THEM, YOU'RE DOING 56:07 IT TO CHRIST. SO REALLY, THROUGH THIS PARABLE, 56:11 EVERYBODY SHOULD BE GETTING FIRST-CLASS TREATMENT IF YOU'RE 56:14 A CHRISTIAN AND YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. 56:18 AND THEN IT GOES ON AND IT SAYS IN ROMANS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 12, 56:22 "FOR AS MANY AS HAVE SINNED WITHOUT LAW WILL ALSO PERISH 56:26 WITHOUT LAW, AND AS MANY AS HAVE SINNED IN THE LAW WILL BE JUDGED 56:31 BY THE LAW." AND THIS IS - BOY, THIS IS A VERSE YOU ALMOST NEVER 56:34 HEAR SOME PEOPLE QUOTE - PAUL, ROMANS 3 - ROMANS 2:13, 56:40 "(FOR NOT THE HEARERS OF THE LAW ARE JUST IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, 56:44 BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW WILL BE JUSTIFIED;" ARE WE SAVED? 56:48 ARE WE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW? WELL, YOU ARE. 56:54 WHAT IS THE ROYAL LAW? >>THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 56:57 >>AND LOVE. SO IF YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND 57:02 IF YOU LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, THE FINAL CRITERIA 57:06 IS GOING TO BE 'HE THAT HAS MERCY WILL RECEIVE MERCY.' HE 57:09 THAT LOVES GOD, HE THAT LOVES HIS NEIGHBOR IS GOING TO FIND 57:12 SALVATION. OF COURSE, IT'S THROUGH TRUST IN 57:15 CHRIST. BUT THE WAY WE SHOW OUR LOVE FOR 57:16 CHRIST - ANYWAY, WELL WE MADE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LESSON. 57:20 I THINK I STILL HAVE A MINUTE HERE TO REMIND YOU, IF YOU 57:22 DIDN'T FIND OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STUDY, THEN WE HAVE A 57:25 FREE OFFER AND IT'S CALLED 'IS OBEDIENCE LEGALISM?' 57:28 AND THIS IS A GREAT LESSON THAT REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE 57:30 OF LOVE IS THE PRINCIPLE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 57:33 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE, WHICH 57:36 IS SIMPLY 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND ASK FOR OFFER #706. 57:42 IF YOU'RE GOING TO CALL IN, THAT NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 - 57:47 866-STUDY-MORE. WE'LL SEND YOU A COPY IF YOU 57:50 WANT IT AND YOU CAN READ IT AND SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. 57:52 SOMETIMES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT OUR 57:54 NOTES, WHETHER IT'S MYSELF OR PASTOR ROSS. 57:57 WE WILL POST OUR NOTES ALSO AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE AND 58:00 YOU CAN SEE THE ARCHIVES OF THESE STUDIES, ADDITIONALLY, AT 58:04 THE GRANITE BAY SDA CHURCH WEBSITE. 58:07 THANK YOU VERY MUCH FRIENDS. GOD BLESS YOU. 58:08 WE'LL STUDY THE WORD TOGETHER NEXT WEEK. 58:12 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17