Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021447
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>GOOD EVENING FRIENDS. WELCOME, AGAIN, TO SABBATH 00:36 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU. THANK YOU FOR 00:39 JOINING US AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY IN THE BOOK OF JAMES. 00:43 BEFORE WE GET STARTED, THOUGH, WE WANT TO INVITE GOD'S PRESENCE 00:46 TO BE WITH US AND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND 00:49 OUR MINDS IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT STUDY. 00:52 SO JOIN US NOW AS WE BEGIN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. 00:55 DEAR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY 00:58 YOUR WORD TOGETHER. WE INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO 01:01 COME AND LEAD OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. 01:03 THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT SO WE ASK, IN A SPECIAL WAY, FOR 01:07 YOUR PRESENCE TO BE WITH US. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 01:11 I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME OUR LOCAL AUDIENCE HERE - 01:14 OUR GRANITE BAY CHURCH MEMBERS - THIS IS OUR 01:16 TUESDAY EVENING PRAYER MEETING. 01:18 AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WE'RE IN TRANSITION TO OUR NEW 01:21 CHURCH LOCATION AND WE'RE HERE AT THE AMAZING FACTS STUDIO, 01:26 STUDYING OUR SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY ON THE BOOK OF JAMES. 01:30 FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US, IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW 01:32 ALONG WITH THIS QUARTER'S STUDY, YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS 01:36 WEBSITE OR THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH WEBSITE - 01:39 GRANITEBAYSDA.ORG - AND YOU CAN CLICK ON THE LINK THAT SAYS 01:43 'SABBATH SCHOOL' AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE LESSON AND YOU CAN 01:47 FOLLOW ALONG WITH US. WE ALSO HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT 01:50 WE'D LIKE TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO YOU, 'COMPROMISE, CONFORMITY, 01:53 AND COURAGE' - A BOOK WRITTEN BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 01:57 IF YOU CALL OUR RESOURCE NUMBER - 866-788-3966 - AND YOU CAN ASK 02:05 FOR OFFER #774. AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 02:09 866-788-3966 OR 866-STUDY-MORE AND ASK FOR THE BOOK 02:17 'COMPROMISE, CONFORMITY, AND COURAGE' OR OFFER #774. 02:22 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU AND THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR 02:24 STUDY FOR TODAY. SO PASTOR DOUG, WITH THAT, WE'LL INVITE YOU TO 02:28 COME FORWARD AND YOU WILL LEAD OUT IN OUR STUDY THIS EVENING. 02:34 >>THANK YOU PASTOR ROSS AND GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. 02:38 IT'S EVENING HERE. 02:39 GOOD MORNING TO MANY OF OUR CLASS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE 02:41 WATCH THESE PROGRAMS IN THE MORNING AND - THEN FOR THAT 02:45 MATTER, ALL OVER THE WORLD IT'S AT DIFFERENT HOURS. 02:48 WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE JOINING US FOR OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY TIME. 02:50 AND WE'RE CONTINUING IN OUR STUDY IN THE BOOK OF JAMES AND 02:55 WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. 02:57 THE LESSON IS JAMES - IT'S LESSON #8 AND IT'S - THE MEMORY 03:04 VERSE IS JAMES 4:10 AND IT'S - WELL, I'LL LET YOU ALL SAY IT 03:10 WITH ME. YOU READY? IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR LESSON OPEN 03:12 OR YOUR BIBLES OPEN, HERE WE GO. 03:13 JAMES 4:10, "HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD AND HE 03:19 WILL LIFT YOU UP." THAT'S RIGHT. 03:22 SOME OF YOU IT SAYS, 'HE WILL EXALT YOU.' KING JAMES/NEW KING 03:25 JAMES IT SAYS, 'HE WILL LIFT YOU UP.' THIS LESSON IS TITLED 03:29 'HUMILITY' - 'THE HUMILITY OF HEAVEN' - LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. 03:35 THIS LESSON IS TITLED 'THE HUMILITY OF HEAVENLY WISDOM.' 03:39 AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OF YOU PARTICIPATE IN JUST A MOMENT 03:43 - IN HELPING US READ ALONG. YOU KNOW, IN PREPARATION FOR 03:48 THIS LESSON I'M ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST EVEN TEACHING AND 03:53 PREACHING IT BLESSES ME BECAUSE IN STUDYING TO TALK TO OTHERS, 03:57 IT'S NOT AS THOUGH I'M ONE WHO HAS ARRIVED. 04:01 I'M CONVICTED OFTEN BY THE THINGS I PREPARE IN THE STUDY 04:06 TIME AND THIS LESSON THAT'S DEALING WITH PRIDE AND HUMILITY 04:12 - I'D READ IT YEARS BEFORE, THERE'S A BOOK THAT'S SOMEWHAT 04:16 OF A CLASSIC CALLED 'MERE CHRISTIANITY' BY C.S. 04:19 LEWIS AND HE'S GOT A CHAPTER IN THERE CALLED 'THE GREAT SIN' AND 04:23 IN THAT CHAPTER, WHERE HE DEALS WITH THE GREAT SIN, IT'S TALKING 04:27 ABOUT PRIDE. I'LL READ YOU ONE LITTLE EXCERPT 04:30 FROM THAT, "ACCORDING TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS, THE 04:34 ESSENTIAL VICE, THE UTMOST EVIL, IS PRIDE. 04:39 UNCHASTITY, ANGER, GREED, DRUNKENNESS, AND ALL OF THAT ARE 04:43 MERE FLEA BITES IN COMPARISON. IT WAS THROUGH PRIDE THE DEVIL 04:47 BECAME THE DEVIL. PRIDE LEADS TO EVERY OTHER 04:50 VICE. IT IS COMPLETE ANTI-GOD STATE OF 04:54 MIND - IT IS THE COMPLETE ANTI-GOD STATE OF MIND." 04:57 AND, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS PONDERING THAT AND CONSIDERING 05:00 THE LESSON, IT REALLY IS THE FOUNDATION OF JUST ABOUT EVERY 05:04 OTHER SIN BECAUSE PRIDE REALLY LEADS TO THE HEART OF 05:07 SELFISHNESS. PRIDE IS WHAT TURNED SATAN INTO 05:10 A DEVIL - OR LUCIFER, I SHOULD SAY, INTO A DEVIL. 05:13 HE WAS A GOOD ANGEL. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS JOHN 05:18 KNOX - I FORGET WHICH ONE OF THE REFORMERS IT WAS THAT SAID, 05:21 'YOU'RE NEVER MORE LIKE THE DEVIL THAN WHEN YOU'RE PROUD.' 05:25 AND YOU'RE NEVER MORE LIKE JESUS THAN WHEN YOU'RE HUMBLE BECAUSE 05:29 THEY REPRESENT THE TWO POLAR OPPOSITES. 05:33 JESUS WAS - HE SAYS, 'COME UNTO ME...FOR I AM MEEK AND LOWLY.' 05:37 JESUS WAS THE EXHIBIT A OF HUMILITY AND SO, IN THIS LESSON 05:45 AND IN A NUMBER OF PLACES IN THE BOOK OF JAMES HE APPEALS FOR US 05:49 TO MODEL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRIST, WHICH IS THAT OF 05:52 HUMILITY. NOW, JUST TO START OUT, I 05:56 THOUGHT IT'D BE GOOD TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES IN THE 05:58 BIBLE THAT ILLUSTRATE THIS POINT OF HOW DANGEROUS PRIDE IS. 06:04 WHEN CHRIST FIRST BEGAN TEACHING, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, 06:08 HE TALKS ABOUT THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES, BUT IT'S NOT 06:11 RESTRICTED TO THEM - IT HAPPENS IN CHURCHES ALL THE TIME, THAT 06:15 PRAY TO BE SEEN OF MEN. YOU PRAY LONG PRAYERS THINKING 06:19 THAT YOU'RE GOING TO IMPRESS PEOPLE WITH HOW HOLY YOU ARE. 06:21 WHAT IS THE ROOT MOTIVE FOR DOING THAT? PRIDE. 06:26 HE SAID THAT THEY FAST AND DISFIGURE THEIR FACES SO THAT 06:29 THEY LOOK HOLY AND TELL EVERYBODY THEY'RE FASTING. 06:32 WHAT IS THE MOTIVE BEHIND THAT? PRIDE. 06:35 IT'S, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO APPEAR RELIGIOUS - THIS IS WHERE IT'S 06:39 SO DANGEROUS - IT'S RELIGIOUS PRIDE. 06:42 AND HE SAID THAT - 'AND YOU BLOW THE TRUMPET BEFORE YOU MAKE A 06:44 DONATION' - YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY NAME A PEW OR A 06:48 WINDOW OR A BRICK AFTER YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR DONATION. 06:51 WHAT'S AT THE HEART OF THAT? JESUS SAID, 'WHEN YOU GIFT, 06:54 DON'T LET YOUR - WHEN YOU GIVE, DON'T LET YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW 06:56 WHAT YOUR RIGHT HAND DOES. THAT WOULD BE HUMILITY, WHEN YOU 07:01 QUIETLY GIVE THINGS AWAY. I READ ABOUT THIS BILLIONAIRE - 07:05 IT WAS ONE OF THE AMAZING FACTS DURING OUR PROGRAM. 07:08 I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT HE HAD OVER A 07:11 BILLION DOLLARS AND HE GAVE AWAY ALL OF IT BUT A COUPLE HUNDRED 07:14 MILLION DOLLARS AND HE DID IT QUIETLY. 07:16 WITHOUT ANY FANFARE, HE WOULD SECRETLY GO INTO THESE 07:19 INSTITUTIONS - HE'D WRITE LETTERS - HE'D SAY, 'HERE'S WHAT 07:21 I HOPE YOU CAN USE THIS FOR' - AND HE JUST - HE SAID, 'MY GOAL 07:24 IS, I WANT TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY - WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO 07:26 NEED - BECAUSE I WANT TO DIE WITHOUT ANYTHING LEFT.' AND IT 07:30 WAS - IT'S JUST AMAZING THAT HE JUST GAVE AWAY HIS WEALTH AND HE 07:34 WANTED NOBODY TO KNOW. MATTER OF FACT, FOR THE LONGEST 07:36 TIME, PEOPLE WERE WONDERING, 'WHERE'S ALL THIS MONEY COMING 07:38 FROM FOR THESE PROJECTS?' AND HE WOULD FLY COACH FARE - 07:43 BILLIONAIRE - RIDE THE BUS AND THE TRAIN. 07:46 DIDN'T OWN A CAR. DIDN'T OWN A HOME. 07:49 IT'S QUITE A - IT'S QUITE A STORY AND - 07:54 BUT HE DIDN'T WANT ANY CREDIT FOR DOING THAT. 07:59 RELIGIOUS PRIDE - AND SINCE WE'RE PRINCIPALLY TALKING TO 08:04 PEOPLE THAT ARE STUDYING A SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON, I THOUGHT 08:05 THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONTEXT FOR THIS. 08:08 IT'S JUST AS DEADLY AS ANY OTHER KIND OF PRIDE. 08:11 YOU KNOW, YOU SEE A FOOTBALL PLAYER GET A TOUCHDOWN. 08:14 HE DOES HIS VICTORY DANCE. WHAT'S BEHIND THAT? 08:16 HE'S STOMPING AROUND, THROWING THE BALL, AND IT'S JUST, YOU 08:19 KNOW, IT'S AN ACT OF HUMILITY? NO, IT'S PRIDE. 08:23 BUT DO WE HAVE THAT SOMETIMES, EVEN IN THE CHURCH? 08:27 MAKE A DONATION, BLOW THE TRUMPET. SAY A LONG PRAYER, 08:31 TELL EVERYONE WE'RE FASTING. WHY DID THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS 08:37 CRUCIFY JESUS? BECAUSE OF PRIDE AND ENVY. 08:42 EVEN PILATE SAID - THE BIBLE SAYS - HE KNEW THAT IT WAS FOR 08:46 ENVY THAT THEY HAD BROUGHT HIM TO PILATE. 08:50 ENVY IS REALLY A - IT'S FALLOUT FROM PRIDE - BEING JEALOUS THAT 08:56 SOMEBODY ELSE IS GETTING THE CREDIT THAT YOU WANT. 08:59 SO PRIDE IS REALLY STRIKING AT THE HEART. 09:01 YOU CAN EVEN THINK OF SOME OF THE GOOD PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE - 09:04 GOOD KINGS - KING UZZIAH. YOU READ ABOUT THE HISTORY OF 09:10 UZZIAH, HE'S THE SECOND-LONGEST REIGNING KING IN JUDEA - 09:15 ACTUALLY, FOR ALL OF ISRAEL. I THINK HE REIGNED FIFTY-TWO 09:17 YEARS. THAT'S A LONG REIGN. MANASSEH IS THE ONLY ONE THAT 09:20 REIGNED LONGER. I THINK THAT WAS FIFTY-FIVE 09:22 YEARS. UZZIAH - GOOD KING - HE BUILT - 09:23 THE LORD WAS WITH HIM - MATTER OF FACT, THE RECORD OF UZZIAH 09:25 SAYS HE WALKED IN THE COMMANDMENTS ACCORDING TO DAVID, 09:27 HIS FATHER - OR LIKE DAVID HIS FATHER. 09:31 BUT ONE DAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER HIM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS 09:34 THEY SAY THAT POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS 09:39 ABSOLUTELY AND WHEN YOU'RE KING AND EVERYONE TELLS YOU HOW 09:42 WONDERFUL YOU ARE BECAUSE THEY WANT FAVORS, IT CAN START TO - 09:45 YOU CAN START BELIEVING IT AFTER AWHILE. 09:49 AND SOMETHING POSSESSED HIM AND ONE DAY UZZIAH THOUGHT, YOU 09:52 KNOW, HOW COME I CAN'T GO INTO THE HOLY PLACE AND BURN INCENSE 09:56 LIKE A PRIEST? ALL OF THESE OTHER PAGAN NATIONS 09:58 AROUND ME, THE KINGS ALSO GET TO ACT AS A PRIEST. 10:01 WHY DON'T I GET TO ACT LIKE A PRIEST?' 10:03 - HE SAID - 'I SHOULD BE A' - WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WAS THINKING? 10:06 BUT HE TOOK A GOLDEN CENSOR IN HIS HAND, HE THREW SOME INCENSE 10:09 ON THE COALS AND HE WENT IN AND STARTED TO WAVE IT BACK AND 10:11 FORTH LIKE A PRIEST. ALL THE PRIESTS SAW WHAT WAS 10:13 HAPPENING AND LIKE EIGHTY PRIESTS GOT TOGETHER AND THEY 10:16 ALL CONFRONTED HIM AND THEY SAID, 'YOUR MAJESTY, THIS IS NOT 10:19 APPROPRIATE. THE SCRIPTURES SAY IT IS ONLY 10:20 FOR THE SONS OF AARON TO DO THIS.' HE SAID, 'I'M THE KING. 10:23 I CAN DO WHAT I WANT.' AND THEY SAID, 'NO.' AND HE GOT ANGRY. 10:28 WHY DID HE GET ANGRY? PRIDE WAS OFFENDED. 10:32 HE WANTED A POSITION ABOVE AND AS HE BEGAN TO ARGUE AND SAY, 10:38 'I'VE GOT MY RIGHTS AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS' - AND WHO 10:40 KNOWS WHAT HE SAID? IT JUST SAYS HE BECAME ENRAGED. 10:43 LEPROSY BROKE OUT ON HIS FOREHEAD RIGHT AT THAT VERY 10:46 MOMENT AND IT STAYED WITH HIM UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED. 10:49 WHAT IS LEPROSY A TYPE OF IN THE BIBLE? SIN. 10:52 AND YOU'RE NEVER MORE LIKE THE DEVIL THAN WHEN YOU'RE PROUD. 10:56 THEY CHASED HIM OUT OF THE SANCTUARY BECAUSE HE WAS UNCLEAN 11:00 AND HE HAD TO FINISH OUT HIS REIGN LIVING IN ISOLATION. 11:05 WHAT ABOUT KING HEZEKIAH? GOOD KING. 11:12 WHO HERE WOULDN'T WANT HEZEKIAH? 11:13 I MEAN, HE PRAYED AND GOD SLEW A WHOLE ARMY. GOOD KING. 11:17 HE PRAYED AND GOD TURNED THE SUN BACKWARDS. 11:20 DIDN'T JUST STOP IT LIKE HE DID FOR JOSHUA, IT WENT BACKWARDS. 11:23 HE WAS A GOOD KING. 11:25 BUT WHEN THE AMBASSADORS CAME FROM BABYLON AND HE SAID, 11:29 'NOW WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM? BABYLON? 11:31 WOW.' THAT WAS THE CENTER OF LEARNING IN THE WORLD. 11:34 'FROM BABYLON - YOU'VE COME TO ME? TO LEARN FROM ME? WOW! 11:37 HEY, COMPARED TO BABYLON, I'M A SMALL KING. I BETTER IMPRESS 11:41 THESE GUYS.' AND SO INSTEAD OF TELLING THEM ABOUT THE GOD 11:44 THEY'VE COME TO INQUIRE ABOUT - THE WONDER DONE WHEN THE LORD 11:47 TURNED THE SUN BACK - THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. 11:49 INSTEAD OF TALKING TO THEM ABOUT GOD - 11:51 WHAT A WASTED MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITY. 11:54 HE SAID, 'LET ME SHOW YOU MY SPICES. 11:56 LET ME SHOW YOU MY ARMORY. LET ME SHOW YOU MY TREASURES. 11:59 LET ME SHOW YOU' - AND 'MY, MY, MY, ME, ME, ME.' AND THEN ISAIAH 12:03 CAME AND HE SAID, 'THESE PEOPLE CAME TO LEARN ABOUT THE LORD. 12:08 WHAT DID THEY SEE IN YOUR HOUSE?' 12:09 HE SAID, 'WELL, YEAH, BABYLON. I SHOWED THEM EVERYTHING. 12:11 THEY WERE IMPRESSED. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THEM. 12:13 THEIR EYES SPARKLED WHEN THEY SAW ALL MY STUFF.' AND ISAIAH 12:17 SAID, 'YEAH, WELL HERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY. 12:19 BECAUSE YOU WERE JUST THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF' - THIS IS A 12:22 PARAPHRASE - HE SAID, 'THE BABYLONIANS ARE GOING TO COME 12:26 AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL THE TREASURES YOU SHOWED THEM 12:28 BACK TO BABYLON AND THEY'LL TAKE UP YOUR SONS AND MAKE THEM 12:31 EUNUCHS IN THEIR PALACE.' DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH AND 12:34 ABEDNEGO - THEY WERE SOME OF THE PRINCES OF JUDEA THAT WERE TAKEN 12:39 OFF. AND HE WAS PROUD OF HIS STUFF. 12:45 I THINK IT WAS SPURGEON THAT SAID, 'DON'T BE PROUD OF FACE OR 12:49 RACE OR PLACE.' - MEANING YOUR POSITION. 12:53 BUT STAND AT THE DOOR AFTER A SERMON, WHEN YOU'RE A PASTOR, 12:58 AND PEOPLE SAY THE NICEST THINGS. 13:03 BUT I HAVE ALSO STOOD AT THE DOOR KNOWING THAT I PREACHED A 13:11 TERRIBLE SERMON AND PEOPLE STILL SAID NICE THINGS. 13:15 AND IT FINALLY OCCURRED TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST BEING NICE 13:18 AND THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. 13:20 YOU START TO BELIEVE ALL THAT STUFF. 13:22 I THINK, WHO WAS IT? AGAIN, IT WAS JOHN KNOX. 13:25 SOMEONE SAID TO HIM, 'PASTOR KNOX, YOU'RE THE BEST PREACHER 13:28 IN ALL OF SCOTLAND.' HE SAID, 'I KNOW, THE DEVIL TELLS ME THAT 13:31 ALL THE TIME.' SO AFTER A YEAR, THE BIBLE SAYS IN DANIEL CHAPTER 13:38 4, VERSE 30, "THE KING SPAKE, AND SAID," - HE'S WALKING ON HIS 13:42 BALCONY OVERLOOKING A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET GLISTENING OFF THE 13:46 KINGDOM OF BABYLON - WHICH WAS QUITE A KINGDOM - "IS NOT THIS 13:50 GREAT BABYLON, THAT I HAVE BUILT FOR THE HOUSE OF THE KINGDOM BY 13:54 THE MIGHT OF MY POWER, AND FOR THE HONOR OF MY MAJESTY? 13:59 WHILE THE WORD WAS IN THE KING'S MOUTH, THERE FELL A VOICE FROM 14:03 HEAVEN, SAYING, 'O KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR, TO THEE IT IS 14:05 SPOKEN; THE KINGDOM IS DEPARTED FROM THEE." 14:08 JUST THAT QUICK HE TURNED INTO JUST A RAVING ANIMAL. 14:14 HE DROPPED TO HIS KNEES AND BEGAN TO PROWL AROUND AND PEOPLE 14:18 WONDERED, 'WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH HIM?' 14:21 YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND - I THINK IT WAS KING GEORGE, DURING THE 14:24 REVOLUTIONARY WARY, LOST HIS MIND. 14:27 AND THEY ENDED UP FINDING IT WAS - WELL, AT LEAST THE HISTORIANS 14:30 SPECULATE HE HAD SOME KIND OF URIC ACID POISONING OR SOMETHING 14:35 - IT WAS A RARE DISEASE. 14:36 BUT HE ENDED UP GETTING HIS WITS BACK BUT A LONG TIME THEY TRIED 14:40 TO HIDE THAT THE KING HAD LOST HIS MIND - KING GEORGE. 14:45 AND, YOU KNOW, THE ORDERS THAT HE GAVE HIS BRITISH TROOPS WERE 14:48 NOT VERY COHERENT AS AMERICA, BEING INDEPENDENT TODAY, IS 14:53 EVIDENCE OF THAT. BUT NEBUCHADNEZZAR LOST HIS MIND AND 14:58 - TALK ABOUT PUTTING HIM OUT TO PASTURE - THEY, LITERALLY, DID. 15:02 THEY TRIED TO HIDE IT - I DON'T KNOW - HIS CABINET TRIED TO RUN 15:07 THINGS FOR HIM, BUT FOR SEVEN YEARS THEY KEPT WONDERING, 15:09 'WHERE'D HE GO?' HOW MANY OF YOU HEARD IN THE 15:11 NEWS TODAY THAT FOLKS ARE ALL SPECULATING WHAT'S WRONG WITH 15:15 THE DICTATOR OF NORTH KOREA JUST SUDDENLY FELL OFF THE PUBLIC 15:21 SCENE FOR SIX WEEKS AND NOW HE APPEARS - YOUNG GUY - YOUNGER 15:24 THAN ME - A LITTLE BIT HEAVY FOR HIS AGE - HOBBLING AROUND WITH A 15:28 CANE AND THEY'RE THINKING - THEY'RE JUST GUESSING - 'MAYBE 15:31 HE'S GOT GOUT.' - THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT THEY TRIED 15:35 TO HIDE IT BECAUSE IT CAN CREATE INSTABILITY. 15:37 SO THEY TRIED TO HIDE IT FOR NEBUCHADNEZZAR, BUT WHAT MADE 15:40 HIM LOSE HIS MIND? PRIDE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO 15:43 THIS THEME OF PRIDE LATER IN OUR LESSON. 15:45 I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE THAT - JUST FROM BOW TO STERN IN THE 15:49 BIBLE - WHY DID EVE EAT FROM THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT? 15:53 THE DEVIL SAID, 'YOU WILL' - AND WHAT DID THE DEVIL WANT? 15:58 'BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH. YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD.' AND YEAH, 16:04 SO ALL THOSE THINGS. YEAH, THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD POINT. 16:07 THE BIBLE SAYS, "LOVE NOT THE WORLD" - THIS IS 1 JOHN CHAPTER 16:11 2, VERSE 15 - "NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORLD. 16:13 IF ANY MAN LOVE THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN 16:16 HIM. FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD, 16:18 THE LUST OF THE FLESH, AND THE LUST OF THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE 16:21 OF LIFE, IS NOT OF THE FATHER, BUT IS OF THE WORLD. 16:24 AND THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY, AND THE LUST THEREOF: BUT HE THAT 16:27 DOETH THE WILL OF GOD..." SO THE PRIDE IN THE WORLD IS THE 16:30 ANTITHESIS OF WHAT GOD IS. AND SO, WHEN JAMES IS TALKING 16:34 ABOUT THIS, HE MENTIONS PRIDE AND HUMILITY QUITE A BIT. 16:38 IT MUST HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH BACK THEN. 16:40 I'M GLAD WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM IN OUR CHURCH TODAY. 16:45 YOUR LAUGH I'LL TAKE AS TESTIMONY THAT YOU KNOW I WAS 16:48 BEING FACETIOUS. ALRIGHT, 'THE MEEKNESS OF 16:50 WISDOM.' WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO HELP US WITH A FEW VERSES. 16:52 SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME PROVERBS 27, VERSE 2. 16:55 WHO'S GOING TO HAVE THAT? YOU'LL HAVE THAT ONE DICK - IN 16:57 JUST A MOMENT HERE - AND I'M GOING TO READ JAMES 3:13. 17:02 "WHO IS WISE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG YOU? 17:05 LET HIM SHOW BY GOOD CONDUCT THAT HIS WORKS ARE DONE IN THE 17:09 MEEKNESS OF WISDOM." NOW YOU NOTICE, WE'RE STILL, 17:11 LITTLE BY LITTLE, PLODDING THROUGH JAMES AND NOW WE'RE JUST 17:15 READING JAMES 3:13 - WE'RE BREAKING THESE THINGS DOWN. 17:17 'IN THE MEEKNESS OF WISDOM.' 'THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE 17:23 BEGINNING OF WISDOM.' BUT HERE HE'S CONNECTING MEEKNESS WITH 17:27 WISDOM. HOW MUCH WISER WAS NEBUCHADNEZZAR WHEN HE HAD AN 17:32 ERUPTION OF PRIDE? OR DID HE LOSE ALL HIS WISDOM? 17:36 HE BECAME AN ANIMAL. SO PRIDE, YOU KNOW - PEOPLE MAKE 17:40 A LOT OF RASH, BAD DECISIONS WHEN THEY'RE DRIVEN BY PRIDE. 17:44 MEEKNESS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT. 17:47 MATTER OF FACT, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND READ THAT VERSE FOR US 17:49 NOW IN PROVERBS 27? 17:52 >>"LET ANOTHER MAN PRAISE YOU AND NOT YOUR OWN MOUTH; 17:55 A STRANGER AND NOT YOUR OWN LIPS." 17:59 >>NOW IF - NOW IS IT EVER WRONG TO COMPLIMENT SOMEBODY? 18:05 IS IT EVER WRONG? WELL, IT COULD BE. 18:08 DOES THE BIBLE TALK ABOUT FLATTERING YOUR NEIGHBOR AND 18:10 SPREADING A NET FOR THEIR FEET? IT COULD BE. 18:13 IT'S NOT ALWAYS WRONG. 18:14 I SAID, 'IS IT EVER WRONG?' TRICK QUESTION, YEAH. 18:19 SOMEBODY SAID THAT HUMILITY IS MIND OVER FLATTER. 18:28 AND SOMEONE ELSE SAID, 'COMPLIMENTS ARE LIKE PERFUME, 18:31 SNIFF BUT DO NOT SWALLOW.' BECAUSE - THERE'S ANOTHER ONE. 18:38 HERE - I GOT ONE METAPHOR AFTER ANOTHER, "MANY A BEE HAS DROWNED 18:41 IN ITS OWN HONEY.' HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT ONE? 18:45 SO YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE THESE THINGS TOO SERIOUS AND - IT'S 18:49 GOOD, WE SHOULD SHOW APPRECIATION. 18:51 WE SHOULD COMPLIMENT, BUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 18:53 COMPLIMENT AND FLATTERY? WELL, SINCERITY - MOTIVATION. 19:00 I THINK SOMETIMES, WHEN SOMEONE IS FLATTERING ANOTHER PERSON, 19:02 THEY'RE WANTING A FAVOR AND THEY'RE BUTTERING A PERSON UP. 19:05 THEY'RE TRYING TO WIN SOME KIND OF BENEFIT FROM THEM. 19:09 AND ANYWAY - ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ALONG. 19:14 WE SHOULD - IN HEBREWS 13:7 - I WANT YOU TO KNOW - WE JUST READ 19:19 JAMES 3:13 - IT TALKS ABOUT 'LET HIM SHOW BY GOOD CONDUCT, THAT 19:24 HIS WORKS ARE DONE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.' THEN YOU GO TO 19:26 HEBREWS 13:7 - THAT WORD 'CONDUCT' IN THE GREEK, IS 19:30 REALLY TALKING ABOUT A LIFE OF WISDOM. 19:34 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED ABOUT DAVID - KING DAVID 19:37 - HE'S ACTUALLY THE ONLY DAVID IN THE BIBLE SO THAT'S NOT EASY 19:41 TO CONFUSE - WHEN HE WAS LIVING IN THE PALACE WITH SAUL AND HE 19:47 KNEW THAT SAUL'S TEMPERAMENT WAS VERY TENUOUS, IT SAYS, 'HE 19:51 CONDUCTED HIMSELF WISELY.' WHY DID SAUL WANT TO KILL DAVID? 19:58 WHAT STARTED - WHAT TRIGGERED THE WHOLE THING? 20:00 DO YOU REMEMBER? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. THEY WERE COMING 20:06 BACK FROM A BATTLE AGAINST THE PHILISTINES AND THE WOMEN USED 20:08 TO COME OUT AND MEET THE SOLDIERS WHEN THEY CAME BACK. 20:10 AND THEY WOULD COME OUT WITH SINGING AND TAMBOURINES AND THE 20:13 WOMEN WERE SINGING A SONG AND SAUL LIKED THE FIRST VERSE. 20:19 IT SAID, 'SAUL HAS SLAIN HIS THOUSANDS' - AND HE TOOK A BIG 20:24 CHESTFUL OF AIR AND LIFTED HIS HEAD A LITTLE NOTCH AND THEN 20:28 THEY - HE HEARD VERSE 2, 'AND DAVID HIS TEN THOUSANDS.' 20:33 FROM THAT MOMENT HE WANTED TO KILL DAVID. 20:35 IF THEY HAD SAID, 'SAUL HAS KILLED HIS THOUSANDS AND DAVID 20:37 HIS HUNDREDS,' HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY. 20:41 BUT BECAUSE THEY ASCRIBED MORE VICTORIES TO DAVID THAN TO - AND 20:48 WHAT THEY MEANT WAS, WHEN DAVID KILLED GOLIATH, HE SENT THE 20:51 WHOLE ARMY RUNNING. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. 20:53 THAT DID NOT SET VERY WELL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE YOUNG LADIES 20:59 SINGING. THAT JUST RIGHT THERE WAS A 21:02 TIPPING POINT FOR HIM. WHY? PRIDE. HOW DIFFERENT WAS THE 21:07 ATTITUDE OF SAUL'S SON JONATHAN THAN HIS FATHER? 21:13 JONATHAN SAID, 'DAVID, I KNOW GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU. 21:16 AND EVEN THOUGH I'M THE CROWN PRINCE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE KING 21:18 IN MY PLACE.' AND HE SAID, 'I JUST HOPE THAT YOU'LL NOT WIPE 21:21 OUT MY FAMILY WHEN I'M GONE AND I'LL BE THERE TO HELP YOU.' AND 21:25 HE WAS SINCERE - A HUMBLE MAN. AND YET HE HAD GREAT VICTORIES 21:29 IN BATTLE TOO. YOU EVER WONDER SOMETIMES, WHEN 21:32 YOU GO THROUGH THE KINGS OF ISRAEL, YOU GET A REALLY BAD, 21:34 WICKED KING AND HE HAS A REALLY GOOD KING AS A SON. 21:39 AND IT'S LIKE JOSIAH'S FATHER WAS WICKED BUT JOSIAH WAS GOOD. 21:44 AND THEN HIS SONS WERE WICKED. AND HEZEKIAH WAS GOOD BUT 21:45 MANASSEH WAS WICKED. SAUL WAS WICKED. JONATHAN WAS GOOD. 21:51 IT KIND OF GOES TO SHOW THAT THE SONS WILL NOT BEAR THE SINS FOR 21:54 THE FATHERS AND THE FATHERS FOR THE SONS - MOTHERS/DAUGHTERS - 21:56 SAME THING. ANYWAY, BUT HEBREWS - I NEVER GOT TO IT, SORRY. 22:01 HEBREWS USES THE SAME WORD - "REMEMBER THOSE" - THIS IS 22:04 HEBREWS 13:7 - "REMEMBER THOSE WHO RULE OVER YOU, WHO HAVE 22:07 SPOKEN THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU, WHOSE FAITH FOLLOW, CONSIDERING 22:11 THE OUTCOME OF THEIR CONDUCT." ALRIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 22:15 SOMEONE READ PROVERBS 16:19 - YOU'LL HAVE THAT KATRINA - 22:20 JUST A MOMENT, OKAY? SPEAKING ABOUT - NOW WE'RE 22:24 TALKING ABOUT THE MEEKNESS OF WISDOM. 22:26 IS WISDOM DIFFERENT FROM KNOWLEDGE? 22:32 YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE LOTS OF KNOWLEDGE AND THERE'S SOME 22:38 PEOPLE THAT ARE GENIUSES - THEY'LL FALL DOWN THREE TIMES ON 22:42 THEIR WAY TO THE PIANO, BUT ONCE THEY GET THERE THEY JUST PLAY 22:44 LIKE A GENIUS. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUILD A CAR 22:50 WITH KNOWLEDGE. IT TAKES WISDOM TO KNOW HOW FAST 22:54 TO DRIVE THE CAR. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 22:57 IT'S DIFFERENT - IN DANIEL 12:3, NOTICE THE USE OF THESE WORDS, 23:03 "THOSE WHO ARE WISE SHALL SHINE LIKE THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE 23:07 FIRMAMENT, AND THOSE WHO TURN MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE THE 23:11 STARS FOREVER AND EVER. BUT YOU, DANIEL, SHUT UP THE 23:16 WORDS, AND SEAL THE BOOK UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END; MANY SHALL 23:19 RUN TO AND FRO, AND KNOWLEDGE SHALL INCREASE." 23:22 HOW MANY WOULD AGREE THAT WE'RE LIVING IN AN AGE THAT HAS MORE 23:25 KNOWLEDGE? I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PULL 23:30 THEM OUT RIGHT NOW, BUT ON YOUR SMART PHONES YOU'RE ABLE TO 23:33 ACCESS THE INFORMATION OF THE WORLD THROUGH GOOGLE OR YAHOO OR 23:39 BING OR WHATEVER YOUR FAVORITE SEARCH ENGINE HAPPENS TO BE. 23:43 CAN YOU IMAGINE - JUST IMAGINE TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT TO THE 23:48 APOSTLE PETER AS HE CLIMBS FROM HIS FISHING BOAT 2,000 YEARS 23:51 AGO. SAY, 'YEAH, I WANT TO SHOW YOU 23:53 SOMETHING, PETER. COME OVER HERE. 23:54 SEE THIS THING? YOU THINK IT'S A SHINY ROCK. 23:55 IT'S NOT. IT'S CALLED A SMART PHONE. 23:58 LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT CAN DO.' OF COURSE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE 24:01 HAD THE SUPPORT NETWORK BACK THEN, SO. 24:04 BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? JUST THINK ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE. 24:08 I'VE HEARD VARYING STATISTICS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST 24:11 TWENTY YEARS THE MAJORITY OF KNOWLEDGE OF ALL OF HISTORY CAN 24:17 BE FOCUSED IN THE JUST LAST TWENTY YEARS AND EVERY FEW YEARS 24:19 IT'S DOUBLING. YOU JUST THINK ABOUT HOW - BUT 24:23 WITH ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE, DO WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST 24:26 BLOWING EACH OTHER UP IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD AND 24:29 DOING TERRIBLY VIOLENT THINGS TO TOTAL STRANGERS? 24:34 WHEN IT COMES TO WISDOM, WISDOM'LL TURN PEOPLE TO 24:37 RIGHTEOUSNESS. KNOWLEDGE CAN JUST BE KNOWING THINGS. 24:40 AND IN THE LAST DAYS PEOPLE WILL RUN TO AND FRO. 24:43 WE'RE RUNNING TO AND FRO FASTER NOW THAN WE EVER HAVE IN THE 24:46 HISTORY OF MAN. KNOWLEDGE WILL INCREASE, BUT NOT 24:50 NECESSARILY WISDOM. WISDOM COMES FROM THE FEAR OF 24:54 THE LORD. 'WISE MEN SPEAK BECAUSE THEY 24:58 HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY; FOOLS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO 25:01 SAY.' SOMEONE SAID, 'HE THAT KNOWS LITTLE OFTEN REPEATS IT.' 25:09 YOU EVER READ WHAT SOLOMON SAYS ABOUT THE WISE AND THE FOOLS? 25:13 I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT BUT, OF COURSE, BEING 25:17 FOOLISH IS SOMETHING THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT A LOT. 25:21 JESUS SAID WHEN WE DON'T HAVE FAITH WE'RE FOOLISH. 25:24 'O FOOLS, SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE, ALL THE PROPHETS HAVE 25:29 SPOKEN: THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM.' GO 25:31 AHEAD, READ WITH US - READ THAT NEXT VERSE FOR US THEN. 25:35 >>"BETTER IT IS TO BE OF AN HUMBLE SPIRIT WITH THE LOWLY, 25:38 THAN TO DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE PROUD." 25:41 >>AND THIS IS WHAT JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT. 25:42 BY THE WAY, THAT WAS PROVERBS 16:19, "AN HUMBLE SPIRIT WITH 25:47 THE LOWLY, THAN TO DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE PROUD." 25:51 AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE - ALL THROUGH 25:55 PROVERBS IT TALKS ABOUT HAVING A HUMBLE SPIRIT. 25:57 NOW HOW HUMBLE WAS SOLOMON? IT DEPENDS UPON WHAT AGE OF HIS 26:02 LIFE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. WHEN SOLOMON WAS YOUNG, WHAT WAS 26:08 HIS PRAYER? 'LORD, I'M JUST A CHILD. 26:13 I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO OUT OR COME IN AND HERE YOU'VE MADE ME 26:16 RULER OF THIS PEOPLE THAT'S LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA. 26:18 I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.' AND BECAUSE HE HAD A HUMBLE 26:21 HEART HE SAID, 'LORD, PLEASE GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING THAT I CAN 26:24 KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL.' BECAUSE HE HAD A 26:27 HUMBLE ATTITUDE, GOD ANSWERED HIS PRAYER AND HE GAVE HIM ALL 26:31 THE THINGS THAT PROUD PEOPLE PRAY FOR. 26:34 HE GAVE HIM RICHES AND GLORY AND ALL OF THAT. 26:38 BUT LATER IN HIS LIFE, WHEN A PROPHET CAME TO HIM AND TOLD HIM 26:42 HE WAS SINNING BECAUSE HE WAS BEGINNING TO LET HIS PAGAN WIVES 26:46 MANIPULATE HIM AND HE WAS PUTTING IDOLS IN THE TEMPLE OF 26:48 THE LORD. WHEN THE PROPHET CONFRONTED HIM, 26:51 SOLOMON WANTED TO PUNISH THE PROPHET. 26:54 HIS WHOLE ATTITUDE CHANGED. HE BECAME PROUD. 26:57 HIS PRIDE WAS OFFENDED. CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER STORIES 27:00 IN THE BIBLE WHERE A PROPHET COMES TO TELL THE KING THE TRUTH 27:05 AND THE KING'S PRIDE IS OFFENDED - HE WANTS TO TAKE IT OUT ON THE 27:07 PROPHET? HOW ABOUT JEROBOAM? 27:12 YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE PROPHET FROM JUDAH - IT DOESN'T TELL US 27:14 HIS NAME - CAME TO REBUKE HIM FOR PUTTING UP IDOLS - THOSE 27:17 GOLDEN CALVES - AND THE KING SAID, 'SEIZE HIM!' 27:20 - WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS ARM? FROZE - HE COULDN'T PULL IT 27:24 BACK. IT JUST LOCKED UP. AND THEN HE SAID TO THE PROPHET, 27:27 'PLEASE, PRAY FOR ME.' HIS PRIDE WAS OFFENDED THAT THIS PROPHET 27:32 WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO TELL HIM THE TRUTH IN THE NAME OF THE 27:35 LORD. AND IT KIND OF HUMBLED HIM THEM. 27:38 DO YOU REMEMBER, IN THE BIBLE, WHEN MICAIAH WAS A PROPHET? 27:43 HE WENT AND HE TALKED TO AHAB AND JEHOSHAPHAT AND HE SAID TO 27:46 AHAB, 'YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IN BATTLE IF YOU GO FIGHT AT 27:49 RAMOTH GILEAD, BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO THE PROPHETS OF 27:52 GOD.' AHAB SAID, 'PUT HIM IN JAIL AND FEED HIM WITH THE BREAD 27:55 OF AFFLICTION AND THE WATER OF AFFLICTION UNTIL I COME BACK IN 27:57 PEACE.' WHY? PRIDE WAS OFFENDED. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN OFFENDED WHEN 28:03 SOMEBODY TOLD YOU THE TRUTH? YOU EVER HAVE SOMEONE SAY 28:06 SOMETHING TO YOU AND THEN THEY SAY THEY'RE JUST KIDDING? 28:09 USUALLY THEY'RE NOT KIDDING WHEN THEY SAY THAT. 28:13 ISN'T THAT TRUE? AND WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, 'IT'S NOT 28:17 THE MONEY.' IT'S USUALLY THE MONEY. 28:22 'THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MONEY.' THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE, 28:26 BUT OFTEN IT CAN BE TRUE. WELL, WE'RE GETTING MORE THAN WE 28:30 PAID FOR NOW. LET'S GET BACK INTO THE LESSON. 28:33 SOMEONE SAID ONCE, 'WISDOM IS KNOWING WHAT TO DO NEXT. 28:38 SKILL IS KNOWING HOW TO DO IT. 28:40 - YOU MIGHT EVEN SAY KNOWLEDGE IS KNOWING HOW TO DO IT - 'AND 28:42 VIRTUE IS DOING IT.' ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO 'TWO KINDS OF 28:46 WISDOM.' JAMES 3:15 AND 16 AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE READING 28:52 COLOSSIANS 3:1 AND 2 - AND WHO'S GOT THAT VERSE NEXT? 28:58 OH, OKAY, I RECOGNIZE THAT YOUNG LADY. 29:00 ALRIGHT, JAMES 3, LET'S READ THAT. 29:02 "THIS WISDOM DOES NOT DESCEND FROM ABOVE," - HE'S TALKING 29:06 ABOUT THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD - "BUT IS EARTHLY, SENSUAL, 29:11 DEMONIC. FOR WHERE ENVY AND SELF-SEEKING 29:13 EXIST, CONFUSION AND EVERY EVIL THING ARE THERE." 29:17 HAVE YOU EVER HEARD STORIES ABOUT A CHURCH THAT SPLIT? 29:21 TWO DIFFERENT CHURCH GROUPS FORM - I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A CHURCH 29:28 PLANT, I'M TALKING ABOUT A CHURCH SPLIT. 29:30 DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE? 29:31 WHAT USUALLY IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF A CHURCH SPLIT? 29:34 NOW GOD HAS TAKEN SOME CHURCH SPLITS AND WORKED IT FOR GOOD 29:38 BUT, YOU KNOW, MORE TIMES THAT NOT THERE ARE TWO WARRING 29:43 FACTIONS THAT ARE NOT BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT BUT THEY'RE BEING 29:47 LED BY THE FLESH. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE JUST 29:49 ARGUING AMONG THEMSELVES OVER SOME - IT MAY HAVE BEEN 29:53 ARCHITECTURAL PLANS - I MENTION THAT BECAUSE I KNOW ONE 29:57 CHURCH, IN PARTICULAR, THAT WHEN IT CAME TO THE ARCHITECTURAL 30:00 PLANS PEOPLE WERE SO ENTRENCHED THEY HAD A FIGHT AND THEY SPLIT 30:03 AND THEY ENDED UP WITH TWO CHURCHES BECAUSE OF THAT. 30:05 SOME IT COULD BE A DECORATING COMMITTEE. 30:07 DO YOU KNOW WHAT OFTEN CAUSES CHURCH SPLITS? 30:12 NOMINATING COMMITTEE. WHY DO YOU THINK? 30:17 SOMEONE IS PASSED UP FOR A POSITION OR THEY'RE REPLACED AND 30:23 THEY BECOME UPSET. THEY START - THEY GET A GROUP 30:28 TOGETHER AND THEY SAY, 'OH, THIS LEADERSHIP HERE, THEY DON'T 30:31 RECOGNIZE REAL TALENT.' OR THEY MAY NOT SAY IT THAT WAY. 30:33 AND THEN THEY HAVE A BREAKAWAY. BUT WHAT'S AT THE HEART OF THAT? 30:38 SPIRIT OF CHRIST? ME, ME, ME. YEAH. 30:44 I'M SO GLAD JESUS' DISCIPLES NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT. 30:49 WHAT WERE THE DISCIPLES ARGUING ABOUT EVEN UP UNTIL JUST BEFORE 30:53 THE LAST SUPPER? YEAH, THEY - WELL, JAMES AND 30:59 JOHN CAME, WITH THE HELP OF A GOOD JEWISH MOTHER THAT WENT TO 31:03 JESUS AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW, THESE SONS OF MINE,' - YOU KNOW, SHE 31:07 WAS ACTUALLY A DISTANT RELATIVE OF JESUS THROUGH MARY SO SHE WAS 31:11 ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, FAMILY FAVOR - 'BLOOD IS THICKER THAN 31:13 WATER, YOU KNOW. 'THEY REALLY OUGHT TO BE SITTING 31:14 ON YOUR RIGHT AND YOUR LEFT HAND.' 31:17 AND THEN LATER THEY ARGUED ON THE ROAD WHICH OF THEM WAS THE 31:22 GREATEST. NOW JAMES AND JOHN, THEY WERE SO 31:24 MAD AT JAMES AND JOHN WHEN THAT HAPPENED. 31:26 WHY DO YOU THINK THE DISCIPLES WERE MAD AT JAMES AND JOHN? 31:29 BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT OF IT FIRST. 31:31 THEY THOUGHT OF ASKING THAT - THEY WERE ALL THINKING IT BUT 31:34 THEY THOUGHT, 'THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE AUDACITY TO ASK AND THEY GOT 31:37 THEIR MOTHER TO DO IT FOR THEM.' 'WHO COULD BE MORE QUALIFIED 31:43 THAN MY SONS?' DOESN'T EVERY MOTHER FEEL THAT 31:45 WAY? TALKING ABOUT THE DISCIPLES. 31:52 DOESN'T THAT ENCOURAGE YOU THOUGH? 31:54 THAT IF JESUS' DISCIPLES, THAT ENDED UP TURNING THE WORLD 31:57 UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, IF THEY HAD PROBLEMS 32:01 WITH PRIDE - WHEN WE LOOK IN OUR HEARTS AND IN OUR MIRRORS - AND 32:06 I LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND IT LENDS TO HUMILITY BUT - BUT YOU 32:11 KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT - AND WE SEE - 32:14 WE SEE THESE SAME THINGS IN OUR OWN HEARTS. 32:17 WE THINK, 'HOW AM I EVER GOING TO MAKE IT? YOU THINK, WELL, 32:20 JESUS WAS DEALING WITH THE SAME SUBSTANCE IN THE DISCIPLES. 32:25 PAUL, BARNABAS - GOOD FRIENDS - WAS THERE A LITTLE CHURCH SPLIT 32:31 AMONG THEM? MARK - JOHN MARK - ON ONE OF 32:37 THEIR MISSIONARY ENDEAVORS, HE JUST GOT DISCOURAGED AND JUST 32:41 GAVE - THREW IN THE TOWEL AND WALKED AWAY AND LEFT THEM. 32:44 AND THEY REALLY NEEDED HIS HELP AND THEN LATER WHEN THEY WERE 32:49 GOING TO GO ON ANOTHER MISSIONARY EXCURSION, BARNABAS 32:52 SAID, 'LET'S BRING MARK WITH US.' PAUL SAID, 32:54 'NOT ON YOUR LIFE. YOU FORGOT WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME? 32:57 NO, THIS ISN'T BASEBALL - THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT.' HE 33:00 SAID, 'ONCE YOU'RE OUT.' BARNABAS SAID, 'GIVE HIM ANOTHER 33:02 CHANCE.' HE SAID, 'NO, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO RISK HIM JUST WALKING 33:05 OUT ON US AGAIN AND WE'RE GOING TO TEACH HIM A LESSON.' WHO 33:08 KNOWS, BUT I BET THEY SAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 33:10 AND IT SAYS THE CONTENTION WAS SO GREAT BETWEEN THEM - 33:15 I'M SURE PRIDE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. 33:18 WHICH OF THEM WAS RIGHT? - THAT THEY SPLIT? 33:22 AND THEY ENDED UP WITH TWO MISSIONARY GROUPS. 33:26 BARNABAS WENT WITH JOHN MARK - BY THE WAY, BARNABAS WAS 33:28 EVIDENTLY RIGHT BECAUSE LATER IN PAUL'S WRITINGS HE SAID, 'SEND 33:31 MARK TO ME. HE'S PROFITABLE FOR ME IN THE 33:33 GOSPEL.' BUT - AND THEN SILAS WENT WITH PAUL. 33:38 SO YOU ENDED UP WITH TWO MISSIONARY GROUPS. 33:39 GOD WORKED THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD, BUT I DON'T THINK HE 33:41 WANTED THEM TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTENTION. I THINK THERE'S 33:45 A LOT OF, SOMETIMES, UNNECESSARY CONTENTION IN FAMILIES. 33:52 SOMETIMES IN FAMILIES PEOPLE SAY THINGS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A 33:55 CUTTING EDGE ON THEIR WORDS - LITTLE SARCASM - A LITTLE BIT OF 34:00 A BITE. WHY? SOMEONE'S BEEN OFFENDED AND 34:06 THEY'RE JUST LETTING YOU KNOW WITH THEIR VERBIAGE. 34:11 'WELL, I CAN BE SHARP TOO.' AND ALL KINDS OF CONFLICTS COME INTO 34:15 FAMILIES BECAUSE OF WHAT? 'I HAVE NOT BEEN APPRECIATED THE 34:21 WAY I THINK I SHOULD BE APPRECIATED.' 'MAN, HERE HE GOES 34:27 ON A BUSINESS TRIP AND WHILE HE'S GONE I FILL HIS CAR WITH 34:31 GAS AND I WASH IT.' >>EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE. 34:35 >>'AND HE DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING TO THANK ME.' I WASN'T THINKING 34:39 OF ANYONE IN PARTICULAR. >>EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE. 34:47 >>BUT SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS HAPPEN WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL 34:51 LIKE WE'RE NOT APPRECIATED OR WE FORGET TO APPRECIATE AND 34:55 PEOPLE'S FEELINGS ARE HURT. AND - I DON'T THINK ABOUT US, I 35:02 WAS JUST THINKING - NOW YOU'RE GOING TO READ YOUR SCRIPTURE. 35:07 >>ARE YOU READY? COLOSSIANS 3:1 AND 2, "IF THEN 35:12 YOU WERE RAISED WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE 35:15 ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. 35:19 SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH." 35:24 >>NOW THIS IS A COROLLARY OF THE VERSE THAT WE JUST READ IN JAMES 35:27 WHERE IT SAID, 'THIS WISDOM DOES NOT - THIS WISDOM DOES NOT 35:31 DESCEND FROM ABOVE' - TALKING ABOUT THE SENSUAL WISDOM OF THE 35:33 WORLD. THERE'S TWO KINDS OF WISDOM: 35:35 THERE'S A GODLY WISDOM AND THERE'S A WORLDLY WISDOM. 35:38 AND THAT'S WHAT, ALSO, PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT. 35:40 HE SAYS, 'IF YOU'VE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS 35:43 THAT ARE ABOVE.' YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME, IN OUR SPIRIT, WE 35:46 CAN JUST TELL. RIGHT NOW WE'RE - BY THE TIME 35:50 THIS PROGRAM AIRS IT MIGHT BE OVER, BUT WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF 35:54 ELECTION SEASON AND I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD BE PATRIOTIC. 36:00 IT'S GOOD TO VOTE. VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE. BUT LET'S FACE IT, 36:04 SOMETIMES YOU ALMOST HAVE TO HOLD YOUR NOSE AND VOTE 36:07 AND WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE ADS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY LAMBASTING 36:12 EACH OTHER AND - AND YOU WONDER AND - BOY, BUT THE WISDOM THAT 36:18 GOES INTO SOME OF THE POLITICAL JOSTLING - I MEAN, THEY GET THE 36:22 BEST MINDS IN THE WORLD. IS THAT DIVINE WISDOM OR IS IT 36:28 WORLDLY WISDOM? ARE THEY CLEVER, SHREWD, SHARP, 36:34 EVIL? ALL AT THE SAME TIME. 36:37 SO THERE'S AN EARTHLY WISDOM AND THEN THERE'S A HEAVENLY WISDOM. 36:41 YOU KNOW, TO BE A GOOD PEACEMAKER, IT TAKES WISDOM, BUT 36:45 IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF WISDOM THAT'S FROM ABOVE. 36:47 THIS IS WHERE JAMES IS HIGHLIGHTING. 36:49 JESUS TALKS ABOUT THIS WISDOM THAT COMES FROM ABOVE. 36:52 JOHN 3 - WE ALL KNOW THIS - JOHN 3:3 - I'LL READ THROUGH VERSE 7. 36:57 THIS IS WHEN NICODEMUS CAME TO CHRIST. 37:01 "JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO HIM, 'MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, 37:06 UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.' 37:10 NICODEMUS SAID TO HIM, 'HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN WHEN HE IS OLD? 37:14 CAN HE ENTER A SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHER'S WOMB AND BE BORN?'" 37:17 - OF COURSE THERE'S A LITTLE SARCASM THERE - "JESUS ANSWERED, 37:21 'MOST ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS ONE IS BORN OF WATER AND 37:24 THE SPIRIT, HE CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 37:27 THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH, AND THAT WHICH IS BORN 37:31 OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. DO NOT MARVEL THAT I SAID TO 37:33 YOU, 'YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.'" I'VE HEARD IT SAID BEFORE AND 37:37 I'VE PROBABLY REPEATED IT SEVERAL TIMES, 'IF YOU'RE ONLY 37:40 BORN ONCE YOU WILL DIE TWICE - SECOND DEATH. 37:43 IF YOU'RE BORN TWICE, YOU ONLY DIE ONCE.' YOU MIGHT NOT DIE AT 37:47 ALL IF YOU'RE ALIVE WHEN JESUS COMES, RIGHT? 37:50 YOU NEED TO BE BORN AGAIN. THE SECOND BIRTH, WHICH BRINGS 37:54 ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL LIFE IN THE SOUL. 37:57 AND THIS IS THAT WISDOM THAT IS FROM ABOVE THAT JESUS TALKS 38:01 ABOUT. AND WHERE DOES THE WISDOM COME 38:05 FROM? FROM THE FEAR OF THE LORD. 38:07 THE BIBLE ALSO TELLS US THAT COMES FROM THE WORD OF THE LORD. 38:10 NOW I'M JUMPING BACK TO DEUTERONOMY. 38:13 DEUTERONOMY 4, VERSES 5 AND 6, MOSES - THIS IS THE LAST SERMON 38:17 OF MOSES, IS WHAT DEUTERONOMY IS. 38:19 HE SAYS, "SURELY I HAVE TAUGHT YOU STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS, JUST 38:24 AS THE LORD MY GOD COMMANDED ME, THAT YOU SHOULD ACT ACCORDING TO 38:27 THEM IN THE LAND WHICH YOU GO TO POSSESS. 38:30 THEREFORE BE CAREFUL TO OBSERVE THEM; FOR THIS IS YOUR WISDOM 38:35 AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING IN THE SIGHT OF THE PEOPLES WHO WILL 38:39 HEAR ALL THESE STATUES, AND SAY, 'SURELY THIS GREAT NATION IS A 38:43 WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE.'" WHERE DOES THIS WISDOM COME 38:47 FROM? IT SAYS, 'WHEN YOU FOLLOW THE 38:49 STATUTES THAT I'VE GIVEN YOU EVEN OTHER NATIONS WILL SAY THIS 38:53 IS A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE.' CAN I 38:57 JUST, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POLITICS, I'LL JUST PUT IN MY 38:59 TWO CENTS - AND IT'S JUST HAPPENING SO FAST. 39:05 WHILE I BELIEVE AMERICA WAS FOUNDED WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF 39:11 SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE - MEANING THAT IT WAS THE 39:16 INTENTION OF THE FOUNDERS THAT THERE WAS NEVER TO BE A 39:19 DENOMINATION OR CHURCH, LIKE THEY HAD IN ENGLAND, THAT RAN 39:22 THE STATE - OR LIKE THEY HAD IN ROME. 39:24 IT WAS NEVER INTENDED BY THE FOUNDERS - YOU CAN READ THEIR 39:27 LANGUAGE - TO MEAN THAT OUR NATION WAS NOT TO BE GOVERNED 39:31 BY BIBLICAL MORALS. THAT'S RIGHT. 39:35 AND BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THAT TOO FAR, NOW IT SEEMS LIKE 39:42 THEY'RE CHANGING EVERYTHING. WE WERE ONCE - I'M STILL NOT 39:45 PLANNING ON MOVING - BUT WE WERE ONCE A NATION THAT ALL THE OTHER 39:48 NATIONS WANTED TO BE LIKE BECAUSE IT SAID, 'WHERE DO YOU 39:52 FIND SUCH A WISE NATION?' BECAUSE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES WERE 39:56 THE FOUNDATION OF OUR GOVERNMENT. 39:59 AND, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE THE PRINCIPLES THAT - IN PROVIDENCE 40:03 RHODE ISLAND - I STARTED WITH. WHEN - WAS IT ROGER WILLIAMS? 40:08 HE SAID, 'WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE LAST SIX COMMANDMENTS IN OUR 40:15 GOVERNMENT.' RATHER, I'M SORRY - YEAH, BEGINNING WITH 'HONOR YOUR 40:19 FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER' - HE SAYS, 'NO COUNTRY CAN SURVIVE 40:22 THAT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE LAST SIX COMMANDMENTS. 40:25 WE WILL LET EVERY MAN DECIDE FOR HIMSELF HOW TO APPLY THE FIRST 40:28 FOUR. WE WILL NOT TELL YOU WHAT GOD TO WORSHIP. 40:31 WE WILL NOT TELL YOU WHEN TO WORSHIP HIM. 40:32 WE WILL NOT TELL YOU WHO HE IS. EVERYONE IS FREE TO DETERMINE 40:35 THAT. BUT YOU CANNOT SURVIVE CIVILLY 40:38 IF YOU DON'T RESPECT THE LAST SIX. 40:40 WHEN THE GOVERNMENT TAKES AWAY PARENTAL RIGHTS, WHEN WE STOP 40:43 RESPECTING THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE OR SAY THAT MARRIAGE 40:45 CAN BE BETWEEN ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE OF ANY GENDER OR COMINGLE 40:50 IT ANY WAY, THAT'S - THEN YOU STOP BEING THAT NATION THAT 40:55 OTHER NATIONS WILL LOOK AT AND SAY, 'WHAT A WISE AND 40:57 UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE.' AND THAT'S A REAL CONCERN OF MINE 41:01 BECAUSE I JUST - IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THESE FUNDAMENTAL 41:04 PRINCIPLES THAT WERE THE FOUNDATION OF THE COUNTRY - THIS 41:06 DIVINE WISDOM THAT WE ONCE HAD - IS JUST LIKE FALLING LIKE 41:11 DOMINOES. AND A COUNTRY CAN NOT LONG 41:14 SURVIVE THAT DOES THAT. ANYWAY, ALRIGHT, GETTING BACK TO 41:18 - NOW I'M OFF MY SOAPBOX, BUT IT FELT GOOD. 41:21 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ GALATIANS 5:17 - JUST A MINUTE - 41:24 WOULD THAT BE YOU, CANDACE, SINCE YOU'RE HOLDING THE MIC? 41:27 OKAY, I'M GOING TO READ FIRST, JAMES 4:1, "WHERE DO WARS AND 41:30 FIGHTS COME FROM AMONG YOU? DO THEY NOT COME FROM YOUR 41:34 DESIRES FOR PLEASURE THAT WAR IN YOUR MEMBERS?" 41:37 NOW WHEN HE SAYS 'DESIRE FOR PLEASURES' - HE'S NOT JUST 41:39 TALKING ABOUT CENTRAL DESIRES, HE'S TALKING ABOUT JUST THE 41:42 SELFISH EARTHLY DESIRES AND THAT COULD BE PRIDE, 41:46 IT COULD BE ATTENTION. 41:47 AND IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, OUR - OUR SELFISH - SELFISHNESS. 41:53 AND THESE ARE ALL SO - YOU'VE GOT TWO FRUITS THAT IT TALKS 41:56 ABOUT THERE IN GALATIANS AND YOU'VE GOT THE FRUITS OF THE 42:01 FLESH AND THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT AND THEY'RE JUST - 42:05 THEY'RE OPPOSITES FROM EACH OTHER AND THEY - IT'S LIKE 42:08 THERE'S THAT WAR. PAUL TALKS ABOUT THE WAR BETWEEN 42:10 THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH. WE ARE NOT TO BE CARNALLY 42:13 MINDED, WE ARE TO BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED. 42:15 THAT'S ROMANS CHAPTER 8 - TALKS ABOUT THAT. 42:19 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ FOR US GALATIANS 5:17. 42:23 >>FOR THE FLESH LUSTS AGAINST THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT 42:27 AGAINST THE FLESH; AND THESE ARE CONTRARY TO ONE ANOTHER, SO THAT 42:31 YOU DO NOT DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WISH." 42:35 >>SO HE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE IS THIS BATTLE BETWEEN THESE TWO 42:38 FORCES THAT WE ALL HAVE INSIDE, BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE 42:42 FLESH. I FEEL IT EVERY DAY. 42:44 UNLESS I CONSCIOUSLY PRAY FOR GOD'S SPIRIT AND THE SPIRIT IS 42:48 PRESENT TO GUIDE ME IN MY THINKING, MY THINKING WILL BE 42:53 SELFISH. IT'S JUST LIKE A COMPASS NEEDLE. 42:56 YOU CAN MOVE A COMPASS NEEDLE BUT IT TAKES AN OUTSIDE FORCE. 42:59 LET TO ITSELF IT'S GOING TO POINT TO THE SAME DIRECTION 43:01 EVERY TIME. AND UNLESS WE HAVE THE HOLY 43:04 SPIRIT GIVING US THE MIND OF CHRIST, WE WILL NATURALLY 43:08 INTERPRET EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS AROUND US IN A SELFISH 43:12 WAY. IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR A BABY TO 43:16 BE LOVING. HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT BABIES ARE 43:19 BORN - THEY'RE CUTE. GOD MAKES THEM CUTE BECAUSE IF 43:21 THEY WEREN'T CUTE, THEY WOULDN'T LAST LONG. 43:25 THEY'RE CUTE BUT THEY ARE EXTREMELY SELFISH, RIGHT? 43:31 AND YOU HAVE TO TEACH THEM TO LOVE. 43:35 IT COMES MORE NATURALLY FOR SOME THAN OTHERS. 43:38 IF YOU OVERINDULGE THEM, YOU END UP WITH A SELFISH MONSTER. 43:42 THAT'S RIGHT, THEY THINK THE WHOLE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND 43:45 THEM. WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE IT'S ALL 43:47 ABOUT ME, ME, ME. I REMEMBER THERE'S A SONG WE 43:52 SANG IN CRADLE ROLL, 'JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE ONES LIKE ME, 43:55 ME, ME.' FORTUNATELY, HE ALSO - THERE'S ANOTHER VERSE THAT SAYS, 43:59 'HE ALSO LOVES PEOPLE LIKE YOU, YOU, YOU.' ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 44:04 THAT FIRST PART COMES REALLY EASY FOR THE LITTLE KIDS. 44:08 JAMES 4 - STILL READING - NOW WE'RE READING JAMES 4, VERSE 2 - 44:12 WE JUST READ JAMES 4, VERSE 1, "YOU LUST AND DO NOT HAVE. 44:17 YOU MURDER AND COVET AND CANNOT OBTAIN. YOU FIGHT AND WAR. 44:22 YET YOU DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK. 44:25 YOU ASK AND DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK AMISS, THAT YOU 44:28 MAY SPEND IT ON YOUR PLEASURES. ADULTERERS AND ADULTERESSES! 44:33 DO YOU NOT" - BOY, HOW DID HE EVER GET ELECTED TO OFFICE IN 44:36 THE CHURCH, TALKING TO MEMBERS LIKE THAT? 44:40 - "ADULTERERS AND ADULTERESSES! DO YOU NOT KNOW" - NOW WAS HE 44:46 SAYING THAT EVERYBODY IN THE CHURCH WAS COMMITTING ADULTERY? 44:49 OR DO YOU THINK THAT HE WAS ALSO TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING 44:52 ON THE INSIDE? THE PURE IN HEART WILL SEE GOD. 44:56 ADULTERY, JESUS MADE IT CLEAR, IS NOT JUST THE ACT, 44:58 IT CAN BE THE ATTITUDE. 45:00 HE SAID, AND - ONE MORE THING, WHILE WE'RE ON THAT SUBJECT - 45:04 ADULTERY IN THE HEBREW MIND, THEY REMEMBER THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 45:09 THERE'S A SPIRITUAL ADULTERY, NOT JUST THINKING IT CARNALLY, 45:13 BUT AGAINST GOD, WHEN WE'RE - WHEN A CHRISTIAN IS THINKING, 45:18 'HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP TO GET INTO HEAVEN? 45:22 HOW MUCH OF THE WORLD CAN I STILL HAVE AND MANAGE TO SQUEEZE 45:24 IN THE GATES? THAT IS THINKING LIKE THE WORLD. 45:29 THAT'S NOT MOTIVATED BY LOVE FOR GOD. 45:30 THAT'S REALLY A KIND OF SPIRITUAL ADULTERY. 45:34 CAN YOU IMAGINE A HUSBAND SAYING TO HIS WIFE, 'CAN WE NEGOTIATE A 45:38 LITTLE BIT?' THERE YOU'RE STANDING BEFORE THE PASTOR. 45:41 YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET MARRIED. LET'S PUT IT IN THAT CONTEXT. 45:44 AND YOU SAY - PASTOR COMES TO THE PART WHERE HE SAYS, 45:47 'FORSAKING ALL OTHERS, KEEP YOURSELF SOLELY UNTO HIM OR HER. 45:51 'WAIT CAN I JUST GO ON A COUPLE OF DATES A MONTH WITH THE OLD 45:57 GIRLFRIEND? JUST A DATE - JUST DINNER.' 46:02 WHEN YOU START THINKING LIKE THAT, 46:04 WOULD THE BRIDE-TO-BE SAY, 'WAIT A SECOND NOW, I MIGHT HAVE THE 46:07 WRONG GUY?' - WOULDN'T YOU? 46:11 YOU'D THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG IN THE HEART. 46:12 AND SO WHEN WE SAY, 'LORD, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN BUT 46:16 I REALLY LIKE THE DEVIL TOO. I REALLY LIKE THE WORLD TOO.' 46:20 THAT'S THE KIND OF ADULTERY THAT, I THINK, JAMES IS TALKING 46:23 ABOUT HERE. ALRIGHT, "DO YOU NOT KNOW 46:27 FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD" - THAT'S WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT - 46:29 "IS ENMITY WITH GOD?" WHERE DO YOU SEE THAT WORD 46:32 'ENMITY?' GENESIS 3 - IS IT VERSE 15? 46:37 YEAH, WHERE IT SAYS, "I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN THEE AND THE 46:40 WOMAN." THE WOMAN IS A SYMBOL THERE OF 46:41 THE CHURCH, RIGHT? "BETWEEN THY SEED AND HER SEED." 46:46 AND YOU'VE GOT THE SEED OF THE SERPENT AND THE SEED OF THE 46:48 WOMAN. THAT ENMITY MEANS POLAR OPPOSITES - THERE'S A 46:51 RESISTANCE. YOU EVER TRYING AND PUSH THE SAME 46:53 END OF TWO MAGNETS TOGETHER AND THEY JUST - PFFFT - THAT'S 46:56 WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN THESE FORCES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS - 46:58 GOOD AND EVIL - IN THE WORLD. "WHOEVER WANTS TO BE THE FRIEND 47:03 OF THE WORLD MAKES HIMSELF AN ENEMY OF GOD." 47:07 WOW, I READ THAT AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU - I MEAN, GOD SO 47:12 LOVED THE WORLD HE WANTS TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. 47:15 BUT SOMETIMES WE LOVE THE STUFF IN THE WORLD. 47:18 AND WE WANT TO BE AS COMFORTABLE AS WE CAN BE IN THIS WORLD AND 47:22 STILL GET INTO HEAVEN, RIGHT? WE WANT TO BE AS LIKED AS WE CAN 47:26 BE IN THIS WORLD AND STILL GET INTO HEAVEN. 47:29 BUT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD, JESUS SAID, 'WOE UNTO YOU WHEN 47:32 ALL MEN SPEAK WELL OF YOU.' AND SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO LIVE A 47:36 GODLY LIFE AND PLEASE EVERYBODY. USUALLY WHEN YOU DO THAT YOU'LL 47:41 END UP PLEASING NOBODY. ALRIGHT, LET'S GO - TALKING 47:45 ABOUT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD, AND I JUST READ THAT VERSE IN 47:48 JAMES - THAT'S UNDER THAT SECTION THERE. 47:51 JEREMIAH MAKES AN INTERESTING STATEMENT IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 2, 47:57 "GO AND CRY IN THE HEARING OF JERUSALEM, SAYING, 'THUS SAYS 48:00 THE LORD: 'I REMEMBER YOU, THE KINDNESS OF YOUR YOUTH, THE LOVE 48:05 OF YOUR BETROTHAL, WHEN YOU WENT AFTER ME IN THE WILDERNESS, IN A 48:09 LAND NOT SOWN.'" YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S ALMOST SAYING? 48:13 IT SOUNDS LIKE REVELATION, WHERE JESUS SAID TO THE CHURCH OF 48:16 EPHESUS - WHO KNOWS WHERE I'M GOING? 48:18 'YOU'VE LOST YOUR FIRST LOVE.' GOD IS SAYING TO ISRAEL, 'YOU 48:22 KNOW, BEFORE WE CAME INTO THE PROMISED LAND' - THAT GENERATION 48:25 THAT ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND, THEY WERE PRETTY FAITHFUL, FOR 48:27 THE MOST PART, AND SO 'YOU WERE WILLING TO FOLLOW ME THROUGH THE 48:30 DESERT AND YOU HAD THAT FIRST LOVE. 48:32 YOU WERE REJOICING WHEN I BROUGHT YOU OUT OF EGYPT.' 48:35 HE SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT NOW IT'S LIKE, 48:39 'OH, JEHOVAH? WE STILL HAVE TO SERVE JEHOVAH?' 48:42 BUT THAT WAS THE SELFISHNESS IN THEIR HEARTS. 48:47 ALRIGHT, LET'S GO UNDER - I'M LOOKING AT THE CLOCK - I WANT TO 48:51 TRY AND GET A NUMBER OF OTHER THOUGHTS IN HERE BEFORE WE RUN 48:54 OUT OF TIME - STILL DEALING WITH PRIDE AND HUMILITY - JAMES 4:7. 48:59 NOW THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE GREAT VERSES. 49:01 YOU - YOU SHOULD HAVE, AT LEAST PART OF THIS, MEMORIZED. 49:04 "THEREFORE, SUBMIT TO GOD" - HERE'S A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS 49:07 RIGHT HERE - "SUBMIT TO GOD, 49:09 RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. 49:12 DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU." 49:16 THAT RIGHT THERE SHOULD BE UNDERLINED. 49:18 EVERY TIME YOU DRAW NEAR TO GOD, WHETHER IT'S COMING TO A PRAYER 49:21 MEETING, WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCH, YOU GO TO AN EVANGELISTIC 49:24 MEETING, WHEN YOU GO IN YOUR CLOSET AND YOU READ YOUR BIBLE - 49:28 OR YOUR OFFICE OR WHEREVER IT HAPPENS TO BE, AND YOU ARE 49:30 DRAWING NEAR TO GOD, GOD ALWAYS SEES YOU DRAWING NEAR AND, LIKE 49:34 THE FATHER OF THE PRODIGAL, AS SOON AS HE SAW HIS SON COMING 49:37 HOME, HE RAN TO MEET HIM. WHEN GOD SEES US MAKING AN 49:40 EFFORT TO DRAW NEAR TO HIM, HE WILL RESPOND - HE LOVES US. 49:44 HE'S WAITING FOR US TO REACH OUT TO HIM. YOU REACH OUT TO HIM, 49:47 HE REACHES OUT TO YOU. WHAT A GREAT PROMISE. 49:49 'DRAW NEAR TO GOD, HE'LL DRAW NEAR' - YOU NOTICE IT SAYS 49:52 'RESIST THE DEVIL, HE'LL FLEE FROM YOU.' IT MIGHT NOT BE FIRST 49:56 RESISTANCE OR SECOND RESISTANCE, YOU KEEP RESISTING - JESUS HAD 49:59 THREE TEMPTATIONS AND THEN THE DEVIL LEFT HIM, RIGHT? 50:03 SO YOU MIGHT GET A LITTLE BLITZKRIEG OF TEMPTATION THAT 50:05 COMES - HOLD FIRM. HE GETS TIRED. 50:08 THE DEVIL HAS NO PATIENCE. HE GETS TIRED AND HE GOES AND 50:11 REGROUPS. 'RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE'LL FLEE 50:14 FROM YOU.' WHAT GREAT PROMISES - "CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, 50:18 YOU SINNERS" CLEANSE THEM FROM WHAT? SIN? 50:23 - "PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, YOU DOUBLE-MINDED." 50:25 - ANY OF YOU EVER FEEL DOUBLE MINDED? 50:28 YOU LOVE THE LORD BUT YOU LOVE YOURSELF AND YOU LOVE THE WORLD 50:32 BUT YOU LOVE THE CHURCH. 50:34 AND WE ALL FEEL A LITTLE SCHIZOPHRENIC, DON'T WE? 50:37 IF YOU'RE HONEST WITH ME, YOU'RE HERE - THE VERY FACT YOU'RE HERE 50:40 IS EVIDENCE OF YOUR BEING A LITTLE SPIRITUALLY BIPOLAR - 50:45 MAYBE I SHOULDN'T SAY IT THAT WAY - BECAUSE WE WERE ALL LOST 50:50 IN THE WORLD BUT WE WEREN'T SATISFIED AND WE SAID, 'I WANT 50:52 THE LORD.' BUT YOU PROBABLY ALSO STILL FEEL THE TUG OF THE WORLD 50:55 BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A DEVIL. IF YOU FEEL NO TUG THEN 51:00 SOMETHING'S WRONG - OF THE WORLD. 51:03 BECAUSE BEING A CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE GOING AGAINST THE WIND. 51:07 BEING A CHRISTIAN YOU'RE SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT AND 51:10 YOU'RE GOING TO MEET THAT RESISTANCE. 51:11 YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL DOUBLE MINDED. 51:13 "LAMENT AND MOURN AND WEEP! 51:17 LET YOUR LAUGHTER BE TURNED TO MOURNING AND YOUR JOY TO GLOOM. 51:20 HUMBLE YOURSELVES" - AREN'T YOU GLAD THE VERSE DOESN'T END THAT 51:23 WAY? IT JUST SAYS, "LET YOUR LAUGHTER 51:27 BE TURNED TO MOURNING AND YOUR JOY TO GLOOM." 51:30 WOW, DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY WE SHOULD HAVE JOY? 51:33 THIS IS KIND OF TALKING ABOUT REPENTANCE - THAT THERE NEEDS TO 51:37 BE A HUMBLING OF YOURSELF - "HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT 51:40 OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP." 51:42 HE DOESN'T LEAVE YOU IN THE CLOUDS. 51:45 HE DOESN'T LEAVE YOU IN THE GLOOM. 51:47 HE SAYS, 'DON'T BE JOYFUL ABOUT BEING LOST. 51:50 HUMBLE YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR SINS. REPENT OF YOUR SINS. 51:52 TURN FROM YOUR SINS AND THEN GOD'LL LIFT YOU UP AND GIVE YOU 51:55 THE REAL JOY. IT'S NOT THE JOY THAT SOLOMON TALKS 51:58 ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE HOUSE OF FEASTING INSTEAD OF THE 52:01 HOUSE OF MOURNING. HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE BETTER OFF IN 52:03 THE HOUSE OF MOURNING THAN THE HOUSE OF WORLDLY FEASTING' - 52:06 BECAUSE PEOPLE FORGET. THERE, AGAIN, YOU HAVE THE WORD 52:12 'HUMBLE.' 'BLESSED ARE THE MEEK FOR' - WHAT? 52:19 - 'THEY'LL INHERIT' - MATTER OF FACT, WHO HAS PSALM 37:11? 52:23 I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU READ THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. 52:25 MATTER OF FACT - YOU GUYS - I'LL LET THEM GET READY. 52:28 I WANT YOU TO READ THAT NEXT BECAUSE OF THE VERSE I JUST 52:30 QUOTED. YOU READY FOR THAT? HOLD. HOLD. JUST ABOUT READY. 52:37 THUMBS UP. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. 52:39 >>"BUT THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH, AND SHALL DELIGHT 52:41 THEMSELVES IN THE ABUNDANCE OF PEACE." 52:44 >>SO WHEN JESUS SAYS, IN MATTHEW, 'BLESSED ARE THE MEEK 52:46 FOR THEY'LL INHERIT THE EARTH,' WHO IS HE QUOTING? 52:50 HE'S QUOTING FROM DAVID, ASSUMING THIS IS A PSALM OF 52:53 DAVID. TEN PERCENT OF EVERYTHING JESUS 52:55 SAID WAS QUOTING THE OLD TESTAMENT. 53:00 WHEN THE - WHEN JESUS SAID, 'MAN WILL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, 53:04 BUT EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' DO YOU 53:08 KNOW THAT PART OF THAT VERSE SAYS THAT GOD ALLOWED YOU TO GO 53:11 INTO THE WILDERNESS THAT HE MIGHT HUMBLE YOU AND TEACH YOU 53:15 THAT MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT' - BY EVEN THAT VERY 53:19 VERSE, JESUS QUOTED TO THE DEVIL. YOU KNOW, 53:23 I READ STORIES IN THE BIBLE ABOUT PRIDE AND HUMILITY AND I'M 53:26 AMAZED AT HOW POWERFUL HUMILITY IS, BUT HUMILITY IS SOMETHING 53:32 YOU MUST CHOOSE. 53:34 THE BIBLE SAYS 'YOU HUMBLE YOURSELF.' WHEN GOD FORCES A 53:38 PERSON - YOU CAN'T FORCE A PERSON REALLY, TO BE HUMBLE. 53:41 GOD CAN MAKE A PERSON GO THROUGH A HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE, BUT 53:44 YOU STILL DON'T HAVE TO BE HUMBLE. 53:47 I'VE SEEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST BEEN SO EMBARRASSED, BUT INSTEAD 53:50 OF HUMBLING THEMSELVES, THEY JUST HARDEN THEIR HEARTS. 53:55 HERE'S FROM TESTIMONIES 9, VERSE 189 - GOOD REASON TO PRACTICE 54:02 THE THINGS JAMES WAS TALKING ABOUT, "IF WE WOULD HUMBLE 54:04 OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD AND BE KIND AND COURTEOUS AND TENDER 54:08 HEARTED AND PITIFUL, THERE WOULD BE ONE HUNDRED CONVERSIONS TO 54:12 THE TRUTH WHERE NOW THERE IS ONLY ONE." 54:15 IF WE WOULD HUMBLE OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD. 54:19 'IF MY PEOPLE, WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, WOULD HUMBLE THEMSELVES 54:24 AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE" - DRAW NEAR TO ME, I'LL DRAW NEAR 54:28 TO YOU - "TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM 54:32 HEAVEN. I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN." 54:35 - THAT WAS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR FORGIVENESS, HUMBLE YOURSELF AND 54:38 HE WILL LIFT YOU UP. 54:39 'CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS.' GOING BACK TO JAMES, 54:42 "I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND." 54:46 GOD CAN'T FORGIVE AND HEAL US UNTIL WE HUMBLE OURSELVES. 54:49 IN THE BIBLE, YOU CAN EVEN FIND WICKED KINGS, LIKE AHAB - AFTER 54:54 AHAB KILLED NABOTH - OR ACTUALLY HIS WIFE DID THE DIRTY WORK BUT 54:58 HE WAS AN ACCOMPLICE - AND ELIJAH CONFRONTED HIM. 55:01 AHAB REALIZED THAT ELIJAH WAS RIGHT AND HE HUMBLED HIMSELF. 55:06 THIS IS AHAB THAT HAD DONE ALL KINDS OF TERRIBLE THINGS. 55:09 THEY SAID HE WAS A TERRIBLE KING. 55:10 LISTEN TO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS - GOD IS SPEAKING, HE'S TALKING TO 55:13 ELIJAH - GOD SAYS, "SEE HOW AHAB HAS HUMBLED HIMSELF BEFORE ME? 55:17 BECAUSE HE HAS HUMBLED HIMSELF, I WILL NOT BRING THE CALAMITY IN 55:21 HIS DAYS, BUT IN HIS SON'S DAYS." 55:23 BECAUSE HE HUMBLED HIMSELF. 55:25 2 CHRONICLES 32:26, "THEN HEZEKIAH HUMBLED HIMSELF FOR THE 55:31 PRIDE OF HIS HEART, HE AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, SO 55:35 THAT THE WRATH OF THE LORD DID NOT COME UPON THEM IN THE DAYS 55:37 OF HEZEKIAH." BECAUSE HE HUMBLED HIMSELF. 55:41 2 CHRONICLES 12:6, "SO THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL AND THE KING 55:44 HUMBLED THEMSELVES; AND THEY SAID, 'THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS.' 55:47 NOW WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT THEY HUMBLED THEMSELVES, THE WORD OF 55:51 THE LORD CAME TO SHEMAIAH SAYING, 'THEY HAVE HUMBLED 55:54 THEMSELVES; THEREFORE I WILL NOT DESTROY THEM, BUT I WILL GRANT 55:58 THEM SOME DELIVERANCE.'" WOW, THAT'S A POWERFUL LESSON, 56:01 DON'T YOU THINK? WE NEED TO HUMBLE OURSELVES AND 56:04 I JUST READ THIS AND AS I WENT THROUGH THE STUDY - NO, THERE'S 56:07 MUCH MORE - LET ME READ YOU ONE MORE THING AND WE'LL CLOSE WITH 56:09 THIS. "THE EVIL THAT LED TO PETER'S 56:13 FALL, THAT SHUT THE PHARISEE OUT FROM COMMUNION WITH GOD, IS 56:18 PROVING THE RUIN OF THOUSANDS TODAY. 56:20 THERE IS NOTHING SO OFFENSIVE TO GOD, NOTHING SO DANGEROUS TO THE 56:23 HUMAN SOUL AS PRIDE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY. 56:27 OF ALL SINS, IT IS THE MOST HOPELESS AND INCURABLE." 56:31 THAT'S FROM 'CHRIST'S OBJECT LESSONS' PAGE 154. 56:34 YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S THE SINGLE THING WE SHOULD PRAY FOR, 56:37 IT'S THE MIND OF CHRIST. 56:39 JESUS, WHO LAID ASIDE HIS THRONE, THE ONE WHO HUMBLED 56:44 HIMSELF THE MOST IS GOING TO BE EXALTED THE MOST. 56:47 THAT'S JESUS - MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION BUT TOOK UPON 56:49 HIMSELF THE FORM OF A SERVANT - AND THAT'S THE SPIRIT AND MIND 56:53 THAT WE ALL NEED. DON'T FORGET WE HAVE A FREE 56:56 OFFER AND IT'S THAT BOOK CALLED 'COMPROMISE, CONFORMITY, AND 57:00 COURAGE' AND WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU JUST FOR ASKING. 57:02 CALL 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE. 57:08 WE'LL SEND YOU THIS FREE BOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU READ IT 57:11 AND THEN SHOW IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. 57:13 GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS, UNTIL WE STUDY AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 57:16 >>EVERY DAY WE MAKE HUNDREDS OF DECISIONS. 57:19 SOMETIMES THESE CHOICES ARE MUNDANE - WHAT WILL YOU HAVE FOR 57:22 BREAKFAST? OR WHAT WILL YOU WEAR FOR WORK? 57:24 BUT SOMETIMES THESE DECISIONS CAN HAVE AN ETERNAL IMPACT, LIKE 57:29 WHEN YOU SET UP AN ESTATE PLAN THAT SUPPORTS GOD'S WORK. 57:33 WE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY, FRIENDS, TO ENSURE AS MANY SOULS 57:37 AS POSSIBLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR CHRIST. 57:41 AND WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO INCLUDE YOUR EVANGELISM VALUES IN YOUR 57:44 ESTATE PLAN TODAY, AMAZING FACTS CAN DO EVEN MORE TO EXPAND GOD'S 57:49 KINGDOM THROUGH YOUR FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP. 57:52 I'D LIKE TO OFFER YOU A FREE GIFT ENTITLED, 'PROVIDE AND 57:55 PROTECT' WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE TELLING ABOUT LIFE AND 57:59 DEATH DECISIONS CONNECTED WITH YOUR ESTATE PLAN. 58:02 CONTACT OUR PLANNED GIVING DEPARTMENT AT 800-436-2695 OR 58:08 VISIT 'ENDURINGLEGACY.ORG' AND YOU CAN HAVE THE PEACE OF MIND 58:13 THAT COMES FROM KNOWING YOUR HOUSE IS IN ORDER. 58:17 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17