Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021502
|
00:00 (MUSIC) >>GOOD EVENING, FRIENDS,
00:35 AND WELCOME AGAIN TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:38 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR AUDIENCE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY 00:40 AND AROUND THE WORLD ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION NETWORKS. 00:43 I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME OUR LOCAL AUDIENCE HERE IN 00:46 SACRAMENTO, THE MEMBERS OF THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:48 ADVENTIST CHURCH WHO HAVE BRAVED THE RAIN AND THE WIND TO COME 00:52 JOIN US THIS EVENING AS YOU CONTINUE TAPING THIS VERY 00:56 INTERESTING STUDY DEALING WITH THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. 00:59 FRIENDS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR LESSON QUARTERLY, YOU CAN 01:02 DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST 01:06 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' OR '.COM' AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON. 01:11 TODAY WE'RE LOOKING AT LESSON #2 IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS - IN OUR 01:14 STUDY TOGETHER ON THE BOOK - AND IT'S ENTITLED, 'FROM EARS TO 01:17 FEET.' VERY INTERESTING STUDY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY. 01:21 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER, THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE LESSON FOR TODAY, 01:25 THAT'S ENTITLED 'IS IT IS A SIN TO BE TEMPTED?' AND WE'LL BE 01:29 HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS FOR IT. 01:31 OUR RESOURCE LINE IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 01:39 THE BOOK, 'IS IT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED?' 01:41 YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS BOOK AT THE AMAZING FACTS 01:47 WEBSITE - JUST 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND YOU CAN 01:50 CLICK ON THE FREE LIBRARY - YOU CAN TYPE IN 'IS IT A SIN TO BE 01:54 TEMPTED?' AND YOU CAN READ THE WHOLE BOOK 01:56 RIGHT THERE ONLINE. WELL, AGAIN, WELCOME. 01:59 THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. AS USUAL, BEFORE WE START OUR 02:01 STUDY IN GOD'S WORD, LET'S JUST BOW OUR HEADS FOR A WORD OF 02:05 PRAYER. DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK 02:07 YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TOGETHER TO STUDY YOUR 02:09 WORD. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT BOOK 02:12 FILLED WITH PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING. 02:15 SO BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER AS WE CONTINUE STUDYING THE BOOK OF 02:19 PROVERBS, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 02:22 WELL, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR TO 02:25 COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN OUR STUDY THIS EVENING. 02:28 >>THANK YOU PASTOR JËAN ROSS AND WELCOME, FRIENDS, TO OUR SABBATH 02:34 SCHOOL TIME. I ALWAYS WANT TO EXTEND A SPECIAL WELCOME TO 02:37 THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING ON TELEVISION OR THE INTERNET. 02:40 IT'S ALWAYS ENCOURAGING WHEN WE HEAR PEOPLE THAT ARE TUNING IN 02:44 FROM SO MANY PLACES AROUND THE GLOBE AND AS WE TRAVEL - 02:47 RECENTLY WE WERE IN NEW MEXICO, MET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WATCH 02:51 THE PROGRAM THERE IN TOWN AND SO I JUST WANT TO WELCOME YOU 02:54 AGAIN. OUR LESSON IN DEALING WITH PROVERBS IS - 02:57 WHO FEELS ADEQUATE TAKING THE THINGS THAT SOLOMON WROTE AND 03:02 EXPOUNDING ON THEM? AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH TRYING 03:07 TO DELVE INTO THE PROVERBS OF THE WISEST MAN, 03:10 ASIDE FROM CHRIST, WHO EVER LIVED. 03:13 BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO ENDEAVOR THAT AGAIN TONIGHT. 03:17 OUR LESSON, ONCE AGAIN, IS 'FROM EARS TO FEET' IS LESSON 03:19 #2 IN OUR NEW QUARTERLY DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT OF PROVERBS. 03:23 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. 03:25 AND THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM PROVERBS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 26 03:30 AND 27 AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE IF YOU WANT TO SAY THAT WITH ME 03:34 OUT LOUD - PROVERBS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 26 AND 27, ARE YOU READY? 03:39 "PONDER THE PATH OF YOUR FEET, AND LET ALL YOUR WAYS BE 03:43 ESTABLISHED. DO NOT TURN TO THE RIGHT OR THE 03:48 LEFT; REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM EVIL." 03:52 NOW, IN THE BIBLE, WHEN IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF 03:56 HEARING, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN JUST YOUR AUDITORY NERVES. 04:02 IT'S GOING MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT. 04:04 AND AS WE STUDY THESE PROVERBS AND, BY THE WAY, OUR LESSON 04:08 TODAY IS REALLY GOING TO BE DEALING WITH PROVERBS CHAPTER 4 04:11 AND IF WE GET ALL OUR HOMEWORK DONE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE 04:13 IT TO PROVERBS CHAPTER 6, VERSE 19. 04:16 NEXT WEEK WE'LL TAKE UP PROVERBS CHAPTER 6 STARTING WITH VERSE 20 04:19 ON, BUT THAT'S OUR - KIND OF OUR ASSIGNMENT AND IF WE CAN GET 04:22 THROUGH ALL OF THAT, THAT'LL BE WONDERFUL. 04:24 THE FIRST VERSE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 4, 04:27 "HEAR, MY CHILDREN, THE INSTRUCTION OF A FATHER, AND 04:31 GIVE ATTENTION TO KNOW UNDERSTANDING;" NOW, THE WORD 04:36 THAT YOU HAVE THERE IN HEBREW FOR 'HEAR' IS THE WORD SHEMA 04:41 AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THE SAME THING AS HEARING, 04:46 TYPICALLY WHEN WE USE THAT WORD IN ENGLISH. 04:49 THE DEFINITION YOU'D FIND, AND THIS IS JUST FROM STRONG'S 04:52 CONCORDANCE, IT MEANS, 'TO HEAR INTELLIGENTLY OR BY IMPLICATION 04:56 OF HEAR WITH ATTENTION; TO HEAR WITH OBEDIENCE; TO DISCERN; TO 05:02 GIVE EAR; TO UNDERSTAND.' NOW JUST - SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO 05:07 UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE IS TO LET THE BIBLE EXPLAIN THE BIBLE. 05:10 SOLOMON, WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO BE KING - HE WAS A YOUNG MAN, 05:16 HIS FATHER DIED - HE WAS OVERWHELMED WITH THE TASK OF 05:19 BEING KING OF THE PEOPLE. YOU REMEMBER, HE PRAYED A PRAYER 05:22 AND HE SAID, 'LORD, I'M JUST A CHILD. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO 05:26 OUT OR COME IN' AND HE PRAYED FOR WISDOM. 05:28 BUT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HE SAID? 05:30 IF YOU LOOK IN 1 KINGS 3, VERSE 9, HE PRAYED, "THEREFORE, GIVE 05:35 TO YOUR SERVANT AN UNDERSTANDING HEART TO JUDGE YOUR PEOPLE THAT 05:40 I MIGHT DISCERN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. FOR WHO IS ABLE TO JUDGE 05:43 THIS GREAT PEOPLE OF YOURS. THAT WORD, 'UNDERSTANDING' IS 05:46 THE WORD 'SHEMA' - IT MEANS 'A HEARING HEART' - A HEART THAT'S 05:51 ABLE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT. 05:55 NOW CAN YOU THINK OF SOME PLACES WHERE JESUS SAID, 'HE THAT HAS 05:59 EARS' - REVELATION 3:22 - 'HE THAT HAS EARS LET HIM HEAR' - 06:05 WHAT? - 'WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS.' SO 06:08 IT'S ONE THING TO HEAR, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO LISTEN. 06:12 IN THE HEBREW MIND, WHEN IT SAID 'HEAR' - IT'S REALLY SAYING, 06:16 'OBEY.' SO WHEN IT BEGINS AND IT SAYS, 'MY SON - HEAR, MY 06:22 CHILDREN' - I REMEMBER I HAD AN ENGLISH TEACHER - I WENT TO A 06:23 CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN MIAMI - I WENT TO TWO DIFFERENT CATHOLIC 06:26 SCHOOLS IN MIAMI - THIS WAS A SCHOOL CALLED 'CURLEY' - ALL 06:29 BOYS SCHOOL - AND WE HAD AN ENGLISH TEACHER AND I REMEMBER, 06:33 MORE THAN ONCE, HE SAID IT TO ME AND OTHER STUDENTS, WE'D SAY, 06:36 'COULD YOU REPEAT THAT, WE DIDN'T HEAR YOU?' 06:38 HE SAID, 'YOU HEARD ME, YOU WEREN'T LISTENING.' 06:40 SO SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T HEAR. 06:46 IT'S LIKE THESE TWO GUYS WERE OUT FISHING ONE TIME AND ONE OF 06:49 THEM SAYS TO HIS FRIEND, HE SAID, ' MY WIFE SEEMS TO TALK TO 06:52 HERSELF.' AND HIS BUDDY RESPONDED, HE SAID, 'MY WIFE 06:55 TALKS TO HERSELF TOO, BUT SHE'S NOT AWARE OF IT. 06:58 SHE THINKS I'M LISTENING.' SO YOU HAVE THAT DYNAMIC WHERE 07:02 PEOPLE ARE THERE, THEY'RE JUST NOT REALLY LISTENING. 07:05 AND GOD IS SAYING, 'SHEMA' 'HEAR, UNDERSTAND' - AND IT'S 07:09 THE KIND OF LISTENING WHERE YOU ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH. 07:12 NOW, IN A MOMENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY READ ISAIAH 30, 07:15 VERSE 21, WHO'S GOT QUEUED UP FOR THAT? 07:18 MRS. BATCHELOR, WE'LL GET TO YOU IN JUST A MOMENT. 07:21 BUT BEFORE WE DO, I WANT TO ALSO READ A FEW OTHER VERSES THAT 07:24 JUST BRING OUT THE HEARING ASPECT OF WHAT SOLOMON IS 07:28 SAYING. BY THE WAY, ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING - 07:33 THERE'VE BEEN SEVERAL VERY SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING 07:35 CAMPAIGNS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM IS THE 'GOT MILK?' 07:38 CAMPAIGN - IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL - AND ANOTHER ONE WAS 07:41 THE 'CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?' IT WAS FOR VERIZON PHONE. 07:46 ALL OF YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THIS GUY WALKS ALONG, HE'S ON 07:49 THE BILLBOARDS AND THE TVS EVERYWHERE AND HE'S JUST 07:51 STOPPING AT ALL THESE DESTINATIONS EVERYWHERE SAYING, 07:53 'CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?' BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE 07:56 KNOWS THE FRUSTRATION - IT HAPPENED TO ME TODAY - OF BEING 07:59 ON A CELL CALL AND HAVING IT BREAK UP AND RIGHT WHEN 08:03 SOMETHING VERY CRUCIAL IS BEING SAID AND I'VE - MATTER OF FACT, 08:07 KAREN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SHE WAS LOOKING A LITTLE PERPLEXED - 08:12 SHE WAS DRIVING AWAY FROM THE HOUSE AND SHE SAW ME PARKED 08:14 THREE HOUSES DOWN FROM OUR HOUSE AND I THINK SHE WAS WONDERING 08:18 LATER, 'WHY WERE YOU PARKED THERE? 08:20 OUR HOUSE IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.' I SAID, 'I WAS ON A 08:23 VERY IMPORTANT CALL WITH A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON, AND AS I 08:27 ENTERED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT STARTED BREAKING UP AND I TURNED 08:29 AROUND, LEFT OUR HOUSE, PULLED BACK TO WHERE IT WAS CLEAR AND I 08:32 STOPPED BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT HE SAID AND I 08:35 WANTED HIM TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT I SAID. 08:38 YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING IS SOMETIMES I'LL BE 08:41 IN A CONVERSATION AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I JUST FEEL LIKE I WAX 08:44 ELOQUENT AND I SAY ALL OF THESE THINGS AND THEN I REALIZE I'VE 08:47 LOST THE SIGNAL, THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING I SAID. 08:51 ANYONE ELSE HAVE THAT BEFORE? MY BEST THOUGHTS - MY MOST 08:55 IMPORTANT POINTS AND NOBODY WAS LISTENING. 08:58 SO HE SAYS - IF YOU LOOK IN PROVERBS 4:20, "MY SON, GIVE 09:04 ATTENTION TO MY WORDS; INCLINE YOUR EAR TO MY SAYINGS." 09:09 - GIVE ATTENTION - IT MEANS BEING A HEARER AND A DOER. 09:14 AND THEN YOU'LL FIND, YOU KNOW, - PART OF OUR ASSIGNMENT IS 09:17 PROVERBS 5 - LOOK AT PROVERBS 5:1, "MY SON, PAY ATTENTION TO 09:21 MY WISDOM; LEND YOU EAR TO MY UNDERSTANDING," - YOU KNOW, GOD 09:27 SAYS, 'THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTHS BUT THEIR 09:29 HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME.' AND SOMETIMES WE SAY, 09:33 'YES, YES, LORD.' BUT WE DON'T DO. 09:35 JESUS TELLS A PARABLE ONE TIME TO ILLUSTRATE THIS POINT. 09:39 A MAN HAD TWO SONS AND HE SAID TO THE FIRST SON, 'SON, I NEED 09:43 YOU TO WORK IN THE FIELD FOR ME TODAY.' HE SAYS, 'I'M ON MY WAY, 09:45 DAD.' BUT HE DOESN'T GO. AND THE SECOND SON, HE SAYS, 09:50 'I'VE GOT OTHER PLANS.' BUT HE REGRETS LATER AND HE GOES. 09:52 AND JESUS ASKS A SIMPLE QUESTION, "WHICH OF THE TWO DID 09:55 THE WILL OF THE FATHER IN HEAVEN.' THEY SAID, 09:58 'WELL, THE SECOND ONE.' YOU KNOW WHY? 10:01 THEY BOTH HEARD THEIR FATHER BUT ONE HEARD WITH HIS FEET. 10:02 HE WENT AND HE DID IT, WHICH IS A GREAT SEGUE TO YOUR VERSE, 10:07 MRS. BATCHELOR, ISAIAH 30, VERSE 21. 10:10 >>AND IT READS, "YOUR EARS SHALL HEAR A WORD BEHIND YOU, SAYING, 10:15 'THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT,' WHENEVER YOU TURN TO THE RIGHT 10:19 HAND OR WHENEVER YOU TURN TO THE LEFT." 10:21 >>AND SO HERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT HEARING AND SHOWING THAT 10:25 YOU'RE LISTENING BY WHERE YOUR FEET GO. 10:28 SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FEET IN THE BIBLE - FOR OUR FRIENDS 10:36 THAT ARE LISTENING ON TELEVISION, IF YOU HEAR A FAINT 10:38 ROAR IN THE BACKGROUND, IT'S NOT AUDIO PROBLEMS, IT'S POURING 10:41 RAIN, WHICH WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR IN CALIFORNIA, IT'S POURING 10:45 RAIN. I KNOW EVERYONE HERE HEARS IT LOUD AND CLEAR. 10:47 I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE MICROPHONES ARE PICKING IT UP, 10:49 BUT ANYWAY, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOMEONE WALKING WITH GOD, WHO 10:55 COMES TO YOUR MIND? >>ENOCH. 10:58 >>ENOCH. AND YOU WALK WITH WHAT PART OF YOUR BODY? 11:00 YOUR FEET. AND YOU WALK DOWN THE PATHS. 11:03 YOU'LL OFTEN HEAR THE WORDS 'THE WALK,' 'THE PATH,' 'GOING,' AND 11:08 IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE. 11:10 IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF ORDINANCES. 11:13 ONE OF THEM IS THE COMMUNION SERVICE, WHICH ALSO ENCOMPASSES 11:17 - AT THE LORD'S SUPPER HE WASHED THEIR FEET AND THEN THE, OF 11:22 COURSE, BAPTISM IS THE OTHER. WHY DO WE WASH FEET? 11:26 WHY DOES ISAIAH SAY, 'HOW BEAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS ARE 11:30 THE FEET?' I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK OF A 11:33 PERSON AND HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE, HOW OFTEN DO YOU SAY, 'WOW, 11:35 THEY'VE GOT REALLY PRETTY FEET?' I MEAN, THAT'S - TO ME, FEET ARE 11:41 THE GNARLIEST PART OF A PERSON'S BODY AND, YOU KNOW, THEY 11:44 TYPICALLY ARE GOING DOWN ROADS - BACK THEN, IN PARTICULAR, THAT 11:47 WERE SHARED WITH THE ANIMALS AND SO TO SAY, 'HOW BEAUTIFUL ON THE 11:51 MOUNTAIN ARE THE FEET OF THOSE THAT BRING GOOD NEWS' - IT'S THE 11:55 DIRECTION OF THEIR WALK THAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT. 11:58 WHO ELSE DOES IT SAY IN GENESIS WALKED WITH GOD - BESIDES ENOCH? 12:02 >>NOAH. >>NOAH. THAT'S RIGHT. NOAH 12:05 WALKED WITH GOD. I REMEMBER DOING AN AMAZING FACT ABOUT A 12:11 MAN NAMED DAVID KUNST, WHO TOOK OFF FROM, I THINK, WASECA - WHAT 12:14 IS IT - WISCONSIN OR - AND HE WALKED AROUND THE WORLD. 12:18 HIS GOAL - HE STARTED OUT AS A SURVEYOR - HE DECIDED TO WALK 12:22 AROUND THE WORLD. IT TOOK HIM YEARS. 12:23 HALF WAY THROUGH THE JOURNEY, HIS BROTHER ACTUALLY WAS SHOT IN 12:26 AFGHANISTAN AND HE TOOK A BREAK - HE WAS SHOT TOO, BUT HE 12:29 SURVIVED, WENT BACK, STARTED OFF WHERE THE ACCIDENT WAS - OR THE 12:34 MURDER - CONTINUED HIS WALK - WALKED FROM - WALKED FROM 12:38 WISCONSIN TO NEW YORK - TOOK A BOAT, OF COURSE, DIDN'T WALK 12:44 ACROSS THE ATLANTIC - TO SPAIN - PORTUGAL, WALKED ACROSS SPAIN, 12:48 WALKED ACROSS EUROPE, ALL THE WAY ACROSS ASIA, AFGHANISTAN, 12:52 THE MIDDLE EAST, TO INDIA, TOOK ANOTHER BOAT TO AUSTRALIA - AND 12:56 HE HAD MULES THAT WOULD PULL A CART WITH HIM. 12:58 THE MULE WAS CALLED 'WILLIE MAKEIT' 13:01 AND HE WENT THROUGH THREE MULES ON THE JOURNEY - GOT 13:05 TO AUSTRALIA AND WALKING ACROSS AUSTRALIA IS - I'VE BEEN THERE - 13:09 IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLY WIDE, DRY COUNTRY AND HIS MULE DIED 13:14 AND THERE WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER, I THINK HER NAME WAS JENNY, AND 13:17 SHE OFFERED TO PULL HIS CART - SHE JUST PUT THE CART SORT OF IN 13:20 IDLE MODE - SHE PULLED IT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE OUTBACK AS HE 13:24 WALKED. THEY ENDED UP GETTING MARRIED, 13:27 AS YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT SURPRISED. 13:28 AND HE MADE IT, THEN, BACK TO CALIFORNIA AND THEN FROM 13:32 CALIFORNIA BACK TO - THEY HAD HIM CARRY THE OLYMPIC TORCH - 13:34 MADE IT ALL THE WAY BACK - WALKED AROUND THE WORLD ONE STEP 13:38 AT A TIME. THAT'S TALKING ABOUT THE 13:40 DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE IS YOUR WALK. 13:42 SO PROVERBS 4 - AND WE'RE STILL IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 18 13:49 AND 19, "BUT THE PATH OF THE JUST IS LIKE THE SHINING SUN, 13:56 THAT SHINES EVER BRIGHTER" - IT'S GROWING BRIGHTER - 13:59 "UNTO THE PERFECT DAY." - SO PATH IS TALKING ABOUT 14:03 SOMEONE YOU WALK ON - IT'S MOVEMENT - IT'S GROWTH. 14:06 SO THERE'S GROWTH IN LISTENING TO GOD'S WISDOM. 14:08 IT'S NOT STATIONARY. YOU MAKE A MISTAKE OR YOU OBEY 14:11 AND YOU PROGRESS. YOU LEARN NEW THINGS. 14:14 YOU MOVE ON EVERY DAY - THROUGH YOUR LIFE IS - LIFE IS DYNAMIC. 14:17 YOU'RE CONSTANTLY IN MOTION. 14:19 NOW, BY THE WAY, THAT PROVERBS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 18 AND 19 14:24 SOUNDED TO ME A LITTLE BIT LIKE 2 PETER 1:19, WHERE IT SAYS, 14:28 "AND SO WE HAVE THE PROPHETIC WORD CONFIRMED, WHICH YOU DO 14:33 WELL TO HEED AS A LIGHT THAT SHINES IN A DARK PLACE, UNTIL 14:38 THE DAY DAWNS AND THE MORNING STAR RISES IN YOUR HEARTS;" - 14:42 TALKING ABOUT THAT LIGHT THAT GETS BRIGHTER AS YOU WALK IN IT. 14:45 DOES GOD SAY 'IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT THE 14:49 BLOOD OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST WASHES US FROM ALL SIN?' 14:53 IT'S - SO WHAT DOES WALKING MEAN, BIBLICALLY, AND TO 14:56 SOLOMON? NOT JUST WALKING IN CIRCLES, 15:00 TALKING ABOUT FOLLOW - HEARING WITH YOUR FEET. 15:02 HEARING WITH YOUR FEET THE WORDS OF GOD - GOING IN THE DIRECTION 15:06 GOD GIVES YOU. IT'S ONE THING TO SAY 'I HEAR.' 15:09 BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SHOW YOU HEAR BY DOING. 15:12 SO, IT'S KIND OF LIKE IF THERE'S A FIRE ALARM GOING OFF AND 15:17 SOMEONE SAYS, 'DO YOU HEAR THE ALARM?' 15:19 AND YOU SAY, 'YEAH.' AND YOU SIT THERE. 15:21 YOU WONDER, 'DO THEY REALLY HEAR THE ALARM?' 15:22 BECAUSE IF YOU REALLY HEAR THE ALARM, YOU TAKE COVER OR YOU 15:27 ESCAPE THE BUILDING. SO HEARING, IN THE BIBLICAL 15:30 SENSE, MEANS IT'S AN ACTIVE WORD. WHILE I'M ON THE SUBJECT, 15:34 BELIEVING, IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE, IS ALSO AN ACTIVE WORD. 15:40 'WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING 15:44 LIFE.' BELIEVING - IT MEANS, BIBLICALLY, 'TO BE LIVE' - IT'S 15:47 A LIFE IN HIM. LIVING IN HIM. IT'S NOT - SOMETIMES WE THINK, 15:52 'WELL, YEAH, I BELIEVE THERE'S A GOD, THAT MEANS I'M SAVED.' AND 15:54 JAMES SAYS, 'WELL, THE DEVILS BELIEVE. 15:57 IT'S MORE THAN THAT.' SO - SAME THING WITH THE IDEA OF HEARING 16:00 AND WALKING IN THE BIBLE - IT MEANS GOING IN THE DIRECTION 16:03 OF GOD. ALRIGHT, IN A MOMENT SOMEONE'S 16:05 GOING TO READ JOHN 12:28 - YOU'LL BE LINED UP FOR THAT. 16:09 ALRIGHT, FIRST WE'RE GOING TO DO MATTHEW 3:17, "AND SUDDENLY A 16:11 VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM 16:17 I AM WELL PLEASED." SO THAT'S ONE POINT, WHEN JESUS 16:21 WAS BAPTIZED. HOW ABOUT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, DID SOME PEOPLE 16:24 HEAR GOD SPEAK AUDIBLY? >>SAMUEL. 16:26 >>SAMUEL. THAT'S RIGHT. OF COURSE, ELI DIDN'T HEAR IT BUT 16:30 SAMUEL HEARD IT THREE TIMES. HOW ABOUT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? 16:33 I MEAN, HERE YOU'RE NOT - IT'S ONE THING WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, 16:37 'GOD SPOKE TO ME LAST NIGHT.' AND YOU SAY, 'OH, REALLY?' 16:39 YOU KNOW? AND HOW MANY OF YOU KIND OF LOOK AT A PERSON WITH 16:42 YOUR HEAD TO THE SIDE A LITTLE BIT WHEN THEY SAY, 'I HEARD THE 16:46 VOICE OF GOD.' YOU WONDER IF THEY MAYBE DID HEAR SOMETHING 16:49 BUT YOU DON'T KNOW. BUT WHEN A WHOLE NATION SAYS, 16:53 'WE HEARD GOD DECLARE HIS LAW.' THAT'S IN THE TESTIMONY NOT OF 16:58 TWO OR THREE, BUT OF TWO OR THREE MILLION HEARD IT. 17:02 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US JOHN 12:28. HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE: 17:06 >>"'FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME.' 17:08 THEN A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, 'I HAVE BOTH GLORIFIED 17:12 IT AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN.'" >>ALRIGHT, SO HERE'S TWO TIMES 17:16 THE FATHER SPEAKS, POINTING OUT THAT JESUS IS HIS SON, AND 17:19 THERE'S ANOTHER TIME WHEN JESUS GOES UP THE MOUNT OF 17:22 TRANSFIGURATION AND PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN, AFTER THEY SEE 17:26 MOSES AND ELIJAH AND THEY HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD, AND WHAT DOES 17:29 HE SAY? 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON. HEAR HIM.' THE VOICE OF GOD - 17:35 THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD. BUT MOST OF US DON'T HEAR GOD'S 17:38 VOICE AUDIBLY. WE HEAR HIM SPEAK TO US. 17:42 SOMETIMES GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES. 17:45 SOMETIMES HE'LL SPEAK TO US, OF COURSE, THROUGH HIS WORD. 17:50 GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH - SOMETIMES OTHER PEOPLE AND/OR 17:54 EVENTS OR PROVIDENCE - BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO 17:58 HEAR. I ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS STORY 18:01 ABOUT THAT GREAT PREACHER GEORGE WHITFIELD. 18:03 YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A FEW PREACHERS THAT BROUGHT ABOUT A 18:07 GREAT REFORMATION IN THE LATE 1700S. 18:11 ONE WAS JOHN WESLEY AND ANOTHER ONE WAS GEORGE WHITFIELD - 18:14 GEORGE WHITFIELD ACTUALLY WENT INTO AN ACTING CAREER AND WAS 18:17 CONVERTED BY STUDYING WITH CHARLES - PRINCIPALLY WITH 18:20 CHARLES AND JOHN WESLEY - AND HE HAD - HE HAD SUCH A TREMENDOUS 18:24 VOICE - I READ A BOOK ONCE CALLED, 'TRUMPET OF THE LORD.' 18:27 YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, 'THAT GUY'S GOT PIPES?' 18:30 WHITFIELD, EVEN BY THE TESTIMONY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, HAD A ONE 18:37 IN A MILLION VOICE AND WHEN HE WOULD PREACH, HE COULD PROJECT 18:43 SO THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COULD HEAR HIM. 18:47 NOW, I REALLY RESPECT THAT BECAUSE I KNOW, WITHOUT 18:50 ARTIFICIAL P.A. - SMALL ROOM LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, 18:52 YOU CAN HEAR, BUT WITHOUT AN ARTIFICIAL P.A. SYSTEM, 18:55 YOU GET 500 PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TO HEAR. 18:58 AND I - IF I TRY TO PROJECT MYSELF - YOU CAN ASK KAREN, IF 19:02 THEY DON'T TURN UP THE AUDIO, I LOSE MY VOICE. 19:05 AND THIS GUY WOULD SPEAK TO THOUSANDS AND FRANKLIN ACTUALLY 19:08 DID AN EXPERIMENT WHERE HE ACTUALLY WALKED AS FAR AWAY AS 19:11 HE COULD AND HE SAYS IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 'I GOT A MILE 19:13 AWAY - I COULD STILL HEAR HIM.' I MEAN, HE HAD AN INCREDIBLE 19:16 VOICE. WELL, HE WOULD GO THROUGH TOWNS. NOT ONLY DID HE HAVE AN 19:19 INCREDIBLE VOICE, HE HAD THE POWER OF GOD'S SPIRIT AND HE 19:22 WOULD PREACH AND SALOONS WOULD CLOSE AND GO OUT OF BUSINESS AND 19:25 GREAT REVIVALS FOLLOWED WHEN HE WENT. 19:29 AND I REMEMBER READING ONE STORY ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS THAT WERE 19:33 IN THIS TOWN, THEY HEARD THAT WHITFIELD WAS COMING - THIS IS 19:35 IN AMERICA - AND THEY SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M INTERESTED TO SEE THE 19:39 MAN BUT I DON'T WANT TO HEAR HIM PREACH BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT 19:41 IF YOU ACTUALLY HEAR HIM PREACH YOU'LL GET CONVERTED AND I DON'T 19:43 WANT TO BE CONVERTED. I LIKE MY DRINKIN' 19:45 - I LIKE MY WAYS - BUT I'M REAL CURIOUS.' SO 19:48 THEY SAID, 'IF YOU HEAR HIM, YOU'LL BE CONVERTED SO DON'T GO 19:50 IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE CONVERTED.' AND HE SAID, 'WELL, 19:53 I'LL JUST GO AND WHEN HE GETS UP TO PREACH I'LL PLUG MY 19:55 EARS.' AND SO HE WENT, AS THE STORY GOES, HE WENT AND HE FOUND 20:01 A TREE AT THE EDGE OF THE CROWD AND HE CLIMBED UP IN THE TREE 20:04 LIKE ZACCHEUS AND HE KIND OF LOCKED HIS LEGS AROUND A BRANCH 20:07 AND LEANED BACK AGAINST THE TREE AND WHEN WHITFIELD TOOK THE 20:10 PLATFORM AND STARTED PREACHING, HE STUCK HIS FINGERS IN HIS EARS 20:13 AND A HORSEFLY STARTED BUZZING AROUND HIS HEAD. 20:19 NOW HORSEFLIES BITE AND HE WAS, YOU KNOW, SHAKING, TRYING TO 20:23 KEEP THE THING AWAY FROM HIM AND THE THING LANDED ON HIS FACE. 20:27 RIGHT WHEN HE PULLED HIS HANDS OUT OF HIS EARS TO SHOO THE 20:30 THING, HE HEARD WHITFIELD SAY, 'HE THAT HAS EARS LET HIM HEAR 20:35 WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS.' AND HE WAS - I DON'T KNOW IF HE FELL 20:44 OUT OF THE TREE OR WHAT, BUT THAT'S ALL IT TOOK 20:46 AND HE KNEW GOD WAS SPEAKING TO HIM. 20:48 AND THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAYS, OF COURSE, IN REVELATION 3:22. 20:52 CHRIST SAID, IN MATTHEW 13:44 - AND WE'RE STILL FINISHING UP THE 20:57 SECTION ON HEARING, HE SAID, 'AGAIN, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS 21:00 LIKE A TREASURE HIDDEN IN A FIELD, WHICH A MAN FOUND AND 21:04 HID; AND FOR JOY OVER IT HE GOES AND SELLS ALL THAT HE HAS AND 21:09 BUYS THAT FIELD." SO THIS BIBLICAL KIND OF HEARING 21:12 IS THE KIND OF HEARING WHERE YOU RECOGNIZE THE WORD OF GOD AND 21:16 THEN YOU GO AND YOU'RE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. 21:21 IF IT MEANS LIQUIDATE ALL THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU MIGHT FOLLOW 21:23 WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING. YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO KINDS OF 21:28 EARS THAT YOU HAVE AS A CHRISTIAN. 21:30 WE'VE ALL GOT EARS WHERE WE HEAR THE HORIZONTAL. 21:33 AND THEN, AS A CHRISTIAN, YOU NEED TO HAVE EARS WHERE YOU'RE 21:37 ALWAYS LISTENING TO THE VERTICAL. 21:39 HOW MANY OF YOU, THROUGH THE DAY, SEND UP LITTLE PRAYERS? 21:42 YOU'RE TALKING TO SOMEONE, YOU'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH AN 21:46 ISSUE, YOU'RE NEEDING WISDOM FOR A DECISION, YOU'RE PRAYING 21:48 A LIGHT WILL CHANGE BEFORE YOU GET TO IT AND - 21:50 AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT'S DONE THAT? 21:53 AND YOU JUST - YOU'RE CONSTANTLY LAUNCHING THESE LITTLE PRAYERS. 21:56 YOU KNOW, A LOT OF AIRPLANES ACTUALLY HAVE TWO RADIOS. 21:59 AND YOU'VE GOT ONE RADIO WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY FLY ALONG AND 22:03 YOU CAN LISTEN TO RADIO STATIONS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. 22:05 PEOPLE IN AIRPLANES ACTUALLY GET MORE BORED, SOMETIMES, THAN 22:08 DRIVERS BECAUSE YOU DON'T EVEN GET TO TURN, IT'S JUST USUALLY A 22:11 MONOTONOUS STRAIGHT LINE AND - SO YOU'VE GOT A RADIO THAT 22:15 LISTENS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ON EARTH BUT, EVEN MORE IMPORTANT 22:18 IS, YOU'VE GOT A RADIO THAT'S TELLING YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 22:21 THE AIR. AND YOU'VE GOT TO LISTEN TO AIR 22:23 TRAFFIC AND DIRECTIONS AND - BEING A CHRISTIAN, YOU ALMOST 22:27 NEED BOTH KINDS OF EARS. YOU NEED THE SPIRITUAL EARS AND 22:30 YOU NEED THE TYPICAL EARS TO LISTEN TO OTHERS. 22:33 ALRIGHT, NEXT SECTION, AND THIS LAUNCHES INTO PROVERBS 5, 22:36 DEALING WITH NOT ONLY HEARING, BUT PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY. 22:42 IN THE NEXT FEW SECTIONS WE'RE GOING TO DO 'PROTECT YOUR 22:44 FAMILY, PROTECT YOUR FRIENDSHIPS, PROTECT YOUR WORK, 22:47 PROTECT YOURSELF.' SO THE REST OF THEM ARE UNDER THE 'PROTECT' 22:50 CATEGORY. AND MAYBE WE SHOULD START OUT 22:53 AND JUST TAKE A LOOK HERE IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 5, IF YOU GO TO 22:58 - OH, I'M GOING TO READ VERSE 2 - WE ALREADY READ VERSE 1, "THAT 23:04 YOU MAY PRESERVE DISCRETION, AND YOUR LIPS MAY KEEP KNOWLEDGE." 23:08 - BEING CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY - "FOR THE LIPS OF AN IMMORAL 23:12 WOMAN DRIP HONEY," - NOW HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT LIPSTICK. 23:15 LIPS TYPICALLY, IN THE BIBLE, IS TALKING ABOUT - WHEN JESUS SAID, 23:19 'THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR LIPS' - IT'S NOT 23:21 TALKING ABOUT KISSES, IT'S TALKING ABOUT WORDS. 23:24 AND SO WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT "THE LIPS OF AN IMMORAL WOMAN DRIP 23:27 HONEY, AND HER MOUTH IS SMOOTHER THAN OIL;" - IT'S NOT TALKING 23:30 ABOUT APPEARANCE. IT'S TALKING ABOUT SEDUCTIVE 23:33 WORDS. AND THIS WORKS BOTH WAYS. 23:36 SOLOMON, BEING A MAN WITH MANY WIVES, EVIDENTLY WAS AN EXPERT 23:40 IN THIS CATEGORY AND HE IS WARNING AGAINST BEING ENTICED. 23:44 AND SO NOW IT'S TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY AND 23:48 YOU'LL SEE AS WE READ ON HE'S TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR 23:50 MARRIAGE - AND HE GIVES SOME VERY CLEAR GUIDANCE HERE. 23:55 "FOR THE LIPS OF AN IMMORAL WOMAN" - THIS IS PROVERBS 5:3 - 24:00 "DRIP HONEY, AND HER MOUTH IS SMOOTHER THAN OIL; BUT IN THE 24:04 END SHE IS BITTER AS WORMWOOD, SHARP AS A TWO-EDGED SWORD. 24:10 HER FEET GO DOWN TO DEATH, HER STEPS LAY HOLD OF HELL" - OR THE 24:15 GRAVE - SHEOL - "LEST YOU PONDER HER PATH OF LIFE - HER WAYS ARE 24:20 UNSTABLE; YOU DO NOT KNOW THEM. THEREFORE HEAR ME NOW, MY 24:24 CHILDREN, AND DO NOT DEPART FROM THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH. 24:27 REMOVE YOUR WAY FAR FROM HERE, AND DO NOT GO NEAR THE DOOR OF 24:32 HER HOUSE," - ALRIGHT, I'M GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY READ FOR ME, IN 24:35 A MOMENT, GENESIS 39, VERSE 10 - YOU'LL HAVE THAT? OKAY. 24:40 AND YOU NOTICE HE'S SAYING, NOT ONLY IN PROVERBS 5, VERSE 8, 24:46 "REMOVE YOUR WAY FAR FROM HER," - THAT MEANS, YOU SEE HER 24:52 COMING, CROSS THE STREET AND PASS ON THE OTHER SIDE. 24:55 TALKING ABOUT - NOW, IS THIS JUST TALKING ABOUT PREDATOR 25:00 WOMEN OUT THERE OR IS IT TALKING ABOUT A PRINCIPLE OF TEMPTATION? 25:03 THAT'S WHY WE'RE OFFERING THIS BOOK ON TEMPTATION. 25:06 THAT CAN BE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF TEMPTATION. 25:08 IT'S NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT MEN BEING TEMPTED BY WOMEN, 25:10 BUT IT COULD BE WOMEN TEMPTED BY MEN. IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT 25:14 AVOID THOSE AREAS OF TEMPTATION. HE ALSO GOES ON TO SAY, "...DO 25:19 NOT GO NEAR THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE," - DON'T EVEN GO NEAR 25:24 WHERE THE TEMPTATION IS. IN CONNECTION WITH THAT, WE'RE 25:27 GOING TO LOOK AT A VERSE DEALING WITH THE LIFE OF JOSEPH. 25:29 WHY DON'T YOU READ FOR US GENESIS 39, VERSE 10? 25:32 >>"SO IT WAS, AS SHE SPOKE TO JOSEPH DAY BY DAY, THAT HE DID 25:36 NOT HEED HER, TO LIE WITH HER OR TO BE WITH HER." 25:40 >>JUST - HE WENT - NOW, I THINK ALL OF US REMEMBER THE STORY 25:44 WHERE JOSEPH BECAME A SLAVE IN THE HOUSE OF POTIPHAR. 25:47 POTIPHAR'S WIFE - IT SAYS 'SHE CAST HER EYES ON JOSEPH' AND 25:51 SHE'D TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO - SHE WASN'T BEATING AROUND THE 25:55 BUSH - SHE ACTUALLY CAME OUT AND SAID, 'LIE WITH ME.' AND HE 25:59 SAID, 'HOW CAN I DO THAT? THAT'S A SIN!' AND SHE DIDN'T TAKE 26:03 'NO' FOR AN ANSWER. SHE FIGURED, 'YOU'RE A SLAVE. 26:06 I'M THE MASTER. THIS IS AN ORDER.' AND HE JUST AVOIDED HER. 26:09 AND HE WOULD STAY AS FAR AWAY AS HE COULD. 26:12 YOU KNOW, WE THINK - THERE ARE SO MANY EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF 26:16 PEOPLE THAT FELL. YOU'VE GOT THE WISEST MAN, 26:20 SOLOMON, DID HE FALL IN THAT AREA? YOU'VE GOT THE STRONGEST 26:24 MAN - WHO'S THAT? >>SAMPSON. 26:26 >>DID HE FALL IN THAT AREA? YOU GET A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN 26:29 HEART, LIKE DAVID, ONE OF THE BRAVEST MEN - GOES AGAINST 26:32 GIANTS - DID HE FALL IN THE AREA OF THAT TEMPTATION? 26:35 AND SO - BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M SO GLAD THERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES, I 26:40 CAN THINK OF, OF HEROES IN THE BIBLE THAT WERE VICTORIOUS. 26:45 WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, 'WELL, EVERYBODY'S WEAK AND EVERYONE'S 26:46 HUMAN' - AND PEOPLE LOVE TO QUOTE DAVID AND SAY, 'HE WAS A 26:49 MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART.' BUT I DON'T THINK WE OUGHT TO QUOTE 26:51 DAVID, I THINK WE OUGHT TO QUOTE JOSEPH AND SAY, 'YES, PEOPLE CAN 26:57 BE VICTORIOUS.' JOB SAYS, 'I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH MY 27:02 EYES. WHY SHOULD I LOOK UPON A MAID?' 27:05 HE WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK UPON IT TO BE TEMPTED. 27:08 AND HE'S GOT A WHOLE SECTION IN THERE WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT THAT 27:10 AND I'LL NOT READ RIGHT NOW. PAUL SAYS IF - WHEN A PERSON 27:16 VIOLATES THEIR MARRIAGE, THEY'RE TAKING FIRE IN THEIR BOSOM AND 27:20 THEY'RE SINNING AGAINST THEIR OWN FLESH. 27:22 AND SO, IN PROTECTING YOURSELF, IN PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY, THE 27:26 BIBLE SAYS 'STAY AWAY FROM THESE AREAS OF TEMPTATION.' IF YOU'RE 27:36 OUT TRAVELING AND YOU GO INTO A HOTEL THAT'S GOT ALL THOSE CABLE 27:41 MOVIES, DON'T SAY, 'WELL, I'M JUST GOING TO SEE WHAT THE 27:45 MOVIES ARE.' DON'T EVEN GO LOOK. DON'T GO NEAR IT. 27:47 DON'T ENGAGE. I HAVE A PRACTICE - I HAVE ONE GIRLFRIEND. 27:54 SHE'S HERE TONIGHT. KAREN KNOWS HER. IT'S HER. 28:01 YOU'RE GOING TO THINK I'M EXTREMELY OLD FASHIONED, BUT I 28:04 THINK IT'S DANGEROUS FOR MEN TO HAVE CLOSE FEMALE FRIENDS IF 28:10 THEY'RE MARRIED - ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE IN THE BALLPARK - I 28:13 MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND THAT'S 80 YEARS OLD, 28:15 NOTHING - NO OFFENSE TO THOSE THAT ARE 80 OUT THERE WATCHING - 28:18 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. 28:20 YOU NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM THOSE - FIRST OF ALL, AVOIDING THE 28:23 APPEARANCE OF EVIL, BUT DON'T EVEN GIVE SIN AN OPPORTUNITY. 28:27 AND I, AS A PASTOR, I'VE HAD LADIES THAT HAVE COME TO ME 28:31 DURING THE SERVICE AND HAVE SAID, 'I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO 28:34 YOU ABOUT SOMETHING.' I SAY, 'ALRIGHT, LET'S TALK.' 'WELL, 28:36 CAN WE GO TO YOUR OFFICE?' I SAID, 'NO.' I SAID, 'WE'LL SIT 28:38 RIGHT HERE IN THE COURTYARD.' OR YOU LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN AND 28:42 SOMEONE ELSE IS IN THE OTHER ROOM OR YOU JUST - YOU DON'T 28:46 GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN IN 28:49 TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY GET TOO CLOSE TO THE DOOR OF TEMPTATION. 28:52 YOU READ IN PROVERBS 5:15, HE GOES ON AND HE ELABORATES ON 28:57 THAT PRINCIPLE. "DRINK WATER FROM YOUR OWN 29:00 CISTERN, AND RUNNING WATER FROM YOUR OWN WELL. SHOULD YOUR 29:05 FOUNTAINS BE DISPERSED ABROAD, STREAMS OF WATER IN THE STREETS? 29:08 LET THEM BE ONLY YOUR OWN, AND NOT FOR STRANGERS WITH YOU. 29:11 LET YOUR FOUNTAIN BE BLESSED, AND REJOICE WITH THE WIFE OF 29:14 YOUR YOUTH." IS HE TALKING ABOUT WATER? 29:16 IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE WATER COOLER? 29:19 IS HE TALKING ABOUT DRILLING A WELL BY YOUR HOUSE? 29:20 OR IS HE TALKING ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AND YOUR LOVE? 29:22 HAVING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP, WHEN YOU'RE MARRIED, IS SUPPOSED 29:26 TO BE WITH YOUR WIFE. ONE HUSBAND. ONE WIFE. 29:29 IT'S - THAT'S WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS - YOU GET THE METAPHORS 29:33 THAT HE'S USING HERE? AND HE DOESN'T - IF ANYONE HAS 29:36 ANY DOUBTS, HE MAKES IT REALLY CLEAR, "REJOICE WITH THE WIFE OF 29:40 YOUR YOUTH. AS A LOVING DEER AND A GRACEFUL 29:43 DOE," - THEN IT SAYS SOME STUFF THAT MAKES YOU BLUSH - I WON'T 29:47 GET INTO - "AND ALWAYS BE ENRAPTURED WITH HER LOVE. 29:49 FOR WHY SHOULD YOU, MY SON, BE ENRAPTURED BY AN IMMORAL WOMAN, 29:53 AND BE EMBRACED IN THE ARMS OF A SEDUCTRESS? 29:56 FOR THE WAYS OF MAN ARE BEFORE THE EYES OF THE LORD," - THERE 30:00 YOU GO AGAIN WITH THE WAYS - MEANING THE PATH - THE DIRECTION 30:04 OF YOUR FEET - AND HE PONDERS ALL HIS PATHS. 30:08 HIS OWN INIQUITIES ENTRAP THE WICKED MAN, AND HE IS CAUGHT IN 30:12 THE CORDS OF HIS SIN." NOW THAT'S A PRINCIPLE THAT IS TRUE. 30:19 PEOPLE ARE TYPICALLY CAUGHT WITH THE CORDS OF THEIR OWN MAKING. 30:23 SAUL FELL ON HIS OWN SWORD. 30:29 JUDAS TOOK HIS LIFE BECAUSE HIS PLOT BACKFIRED. 30:35 LATER ON IN PROVERBS, IT'LL TALK ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE 'IF YOU ROLL 30:39 A STONE, BE CAREFUL, THAT STONE MIGHT ROLL BACK ON YOU.' AND SO 30:44 YOU CAN JUST FIND A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF THAT. 30:47 SO, THERE'S A LOT SAID HERE ABOUT RESISTING TEMPTATION. 30:50 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU LOOK IN 1 CORINTHIANS 10, VERSE 13, "NO 30:57 TEMPTATION HAS OVERTAKEN YOU EXCEPT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN; 31:03 BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BE TEMPTED 31:06 BEYOND WHAT YOU ARE ABLE, BUT WITH THE TEMPTATION WILL ALSO 31:10 MAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE, THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT." 31:14 NOW THAT'S A WONDERFUL PROMISE, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE SAY, 31:17 'OH, I JUST COULDN'T DEAL WITH IT. 31:18 THE TEMPTATION WAS TOO STRONG.' ISN'T THAT A PROMISE THAT GOD 31:22 WILL NEVER - WHEN YOU'RE TEMPTED, GOD HAS ALREADY WEIGHED 31:26 AND MEASURED YOUR TEMPTATION AND HE KNOWS WHAT YOUR CAPACITY IS 31:29 AND HE'S MADE A PROMISE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE TEMPTED ABOVE YOUR 31:33 CAPACITY TO RESIST THAT TEMPTATION. 31:36 YOU KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT IF YOU SAY, 'THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE. 31:38 I JUST DON'T THINK I CAN DEAL WITH IT. 31:40 IT'S JUST TOO MUCH.' WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE. 31:42 THAT'S WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS YOU TO THINK. 31:44 GOD SAYS, 'IT WILL NEVER BE TOO MUCH BECAUSE I WILL NEVER PUT A 31:46 BURDEN ON YOU.' BY THE WAY, IF GOD ALLOWS YOU TO BE TEMPTED 31:53 BEYOND WHAT YOU'RE ABLE - IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE NO POWER 31:56 TO RESIST THAT TEMPTATION, THEN IT NO LONGER IS A SIN. 32:00 IF YOU'RE TEMPTED - IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE DEVIL TOOK EVE IN 32:05 THE GARDEN OF EDEN AND HE, IN HIS SNAKE-LIKE FORM, WRAPPED 32:11 HIMSELF AROUND HER AND HELD HER TO THE GROUND AND WITH HIS TAIL 32:13 PUSHED THE FRUIT IN HER MOUTH, WOULD GOD HAVE ACCUSED HER OF A 32:16 SIN? IF SHE - THERE'S NOTHING SHE 32:18 COULD DO TO RESIST IT - IF SHE WAS PHYSICALLY FORCED TO EAT THE 32:20 FRUIT - BUT IT'S BECAUSE SHE HAD THE POWER OF CHOICE AND AS LONG 32:25 AS GOD GIVES YOU HIS SPIRIT AND YOU HAVE THE POWER OF CHOICE, 32:27 YOU ARE ABLE TO RESIST TEMPTATION. 32:30 IT MAY BE A STRUGGLE, I'M NOT DENYING THAT. SOMETIMES IT MAY 32:35 BE DIFFICULT TO BEAR, BUT GOD SAYS IT WILL NEVER BE TOO MUCH. 32:40 YOU KNOW, MATTER OF FACT, THERE ARE SOME TIPS THAT - IT'S IN 32:44 THIS BOOK THAT WE'RE OFFERING ON 'TIPS TO RESISTING TEMPTATION.' 32:48 IT'S NOT JUST DEALING WITH SECTION 5 AND PROTECTING YOUR 32:51 FAMILY, BUT WHATEVER THE TEMPTATIONS ARE - I THINK, ON 32:53 THE COVER, WE'VE GOT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. 32:55 WHATEVER THE TEMPTATION MIGHT BE, THE LORD GIVES YOU 33:03 PRINCIPLES TO AVOID IT. HOW DID JESUS FIGHT TEMPTATION? 33:07 WHENEVER THE DEVIL CAME TO HIM WITH - AND, BY THE WAY, WHEN 33:12 DOES THE DEVIL COME TO US WITH TEMPTATION? JESUS - 33:17 WAS HE TIRED? WHAT ELSE WAS HE DOING FOR FORTY DAYS? 33:21 FASTING? LOW BLOOD SUGAR - HE WAS WEAK. 33:24 DID HE HAVE MORAL SUPPORT OR WAS HE IN THE DESERT ALONE? 33:28 AND SO WHEN YOU'RE ALONE - DO SOME PEOPLE FALL INTO TEMPTATION 33:33 BECAUSE THEY THINK NO ONE'S AROUND? 33:34 WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE ALONE, BECAUSE YOU'RE NEVER REALLY 33:38 ALONE, WHEN YOU'RE TIRED, DON'T WAIT TO HAVE THOSE VERY DELICATE 33:43 CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR SPOUSE WHEN YOU'RE BOTH TIRED AND IT'S 33:46 LATE AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE WORLD IS FALLING IN ON YOU. 33:50 YOU'LL FIND OFTEN, AFTER A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, YOU DON'T EVEN 33:52 KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM THE NIGHT BEFORE. 33:54 JUST - YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SAY - INSTEAD OF GOING TO BED 33:57 MAD, 'LET'S JUST SLEEP ON THIS AND TALK ABOUT IT IN THE MORNING 34:01 WHEN OUR MINDS ARE CLEAR.' A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP SOLVES A LOT 34:04 OF PROBLEMS. SOME PEOPLE, I THINK, WOULD HAVE POSTPONED 34:08 SUICIDE IF THEY COULD HAVE GOTTEN A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP. 34:11 NOW THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. 34:13 SO THAT'S ONE THING ABOUT TEMPTATION, WAIT. 34:17 SOME TEMPTATIONS - THEY SAY THAT WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH 34:22 SMOKING, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU RESIST THE TEMPTATION FOR THREE 34:25 MINUTES YOU'LL FIND THAT IT SUBSIDES. 34:27 SAME THING WITH TEMPTATIONS FOR FOOD. THEY SAY IF YOU'RE HUNGRY, 34:30 DRINK A CUP OF WATER AND WAIT THREE MINUTES AND YOU MIGHT FIND 34:33 THAT THAT WILL SUBDUE MOST TEMPTATIONS. 34:35 SO SOMETIMES, AS YOU RESIST - WHAT DID THE DEVIL DO WHEN JESUS 34:38 RESISTED TEMPTATION? HE ULTIMATELY LEFT. 34:42 BUT HE MET IT WITH THE PROMISES OF GOD. 34:44 ALL THREE TIMES, 'IT IS WRITTEN. IT IS WRITTEN. IT IS WRITTEN.' 34:47 AND THAT'S WHAT SOLOMON DOES HERE THROUGH 34:49 PROVERBS, HE SAYS, 'THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF 34:53 WISDOM.' MEANING THE WORDS OF GOD. 34:54 AND SO WHEN HE SAYS, 'MY SON HEAR MY WORDS' - IN CHAPTER 5 - 34:58 IS THIS JUST SOLOMON SPEAKING TO HIS SONS OR DAVID SPEAKING TO 35:03 SOLOMON? OR IS IT GOD SPEAKING TO HIS 35:05 SONS AND DAUGHTERS? SO, YEAH. 35:09 NOTICE, ALSO, I WANT TO - I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THAT HE NOT ONLY 35:14 TALKS ABOUT THE FATHER, HE TALKS ABOUT THE FATHER AND THE MOTHER. 35:19 YEAH, CHAPTER 4 - I'M JUST JUMPING BACK A LITTLE BIT - 35:23 "HEAR, MY CHILDREN, THE INSTRUCTION OF A FATHER, AND 35:26 GIVE ATTENTION TO KNOW UNDERSTANDING; FOR I GIVE YOU 35:29 GOOD DOCTRINE: DO NOT FORSAKE MY LAW. 35:31 WHEN I WAS MY FATHER'S SON, TENDER AND THE ONLY ONE IN THE 35:34 SIGHT OF MY MOTHER," AND THEN HE GOES ON. 35:37 HE TALKS ABOUT 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.' AND SO 35:39 IT'S IN THAT SAME VEIN. ALRIGHT, MOVING ALONG WITH OUR 35:44 STUDY HERE, 'PROTECT YOUR FRIENDSHIP.' WE'RE GOING TO JUMP 35:48 TO WELL, I WANT TO JUST FINISH THAT SECTION ON CHAPTER 5. 35:54 "HIS OWN INIQUITIES ENTRAP THE WICKED MAN, AND HE IS CAUGHT IN 35:58 THE CORDS OF HIS SIN. HE SHALL DIE FOR LACK OF 36:01 INSTRUCTION, AND IN THE GREATNESS OF HIS FOLLY HE SHALL 36:04 GO ASTRAY." YOU KNOW WHO IS SOMEBODY WHO WAS 36:07 CAUGHT WITH THE CORDS OF HIS SIN? IF YOU READ IN THE BOOK OF 36:11 ESTHER - HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN HAMAN, HE 36:15 DEVELOPED A TRAP, HAD SOMEONE BUILD GALLOWS TO HANG MORDECAI. 36:20 WHO ENDED UP HANGING ON THE GALLOWS? 36:24 HAMAN WAS HOLDEN WITH THE CORDS OF HIS SIN AND HE ENDED UP 36:27 GETTING HUNG ON THE VERY GALLOWS THAT HE BUILT. 36:29 ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL GO TO CHAPTER 6, PROVERBS 6, VERSES 1 THROUGH 36:33 5 AND SOMEBODY GET READY TO READ EXODUS 23 - WHO'S NEXT ON THAT? 36:38 - EXODUS 23, VERSES 2 AND 3 YOU'LL BE DOING. 36:42 PROVERBS 6, "MY SON, IF YOU BECOME SURETY FOR YOUR FRIEND, 36:47 IF YOU HAVE SHAKEN HANDS IN PLEDGE FOR A STRANGER, YOU ARE 36:51 SNARED BY THE WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH; YOU ARE TAKEN BY THE 36:55 WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH. SO DO THIS, MY SON, AND DELIVER 36:58 YOURSELF; FOR YOU HAVE COME INTO THE HAND OF YOUR FRIEND: GO AND 37:01 HUMBLE YOURSELF; PLEAD WITH YOUR FRIEND. 37:04 GIVE NO SLEEP TO YOUR EYES, NOR SLUMBER TO YOUR EYELIDS. 37:07 DELIVER YOURSELF LIKE A GAZELLE FROM THE HAND OF THE HUNTER ," - 37:10 HOW DOES A GAZELLE LEAVE WHEN HE SPOTS A HUNTER? 37:12 DOES HE WALK AWAY OR DOES HE DASH? 37:13 YEAH, IT'S JUST A - THEY DART - "AND LIKE A BIRD FROM THE HAND 37:19 OF THE FOWLER." - THE BIRDS DON'T JUST KIND OF 37:21 HOP AWAY, THEY FLIT AND FLY AS FAST AS THEY CAN. 37:24 AND SO, HE'S SAYING 'DO THIS QUICKLY. 37:27 GO TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SETTLE THAT 37:33 AGREEMENT.' NOW WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT THERE? 37:37 'IF YOU'VE BECOME SURETY.' WHAT IS SURETY, BIBLICALLY? 37:42 IF YOU COSIGN FOR SOMEBODY - IF YOU MAKE A VOW WHERE YOU BECOME 37:48 RESPONSIBLE - IF YOU ENTER INTO A BUSINESS AGREEMENT AND YOU 37:52 MAKE A COVENANT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE MAKING A COVENANT WITH 37:55 SOMEBODY THAT MAY NOT BE A BELIEVER. 37:58 YOU'VE GOT - SOME OF US HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE NOT - IT'S OKAY 38:01 IF YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS THAT ARE NOT BELIEVERS. 38:03 HOW ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO REACH THEM? 38:04 BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE UNEQUALLY YOKED IN A BUSINESS 38:07 VENTURE WITH SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T SHARE YOUR PRINCIPLES. 38:10 AND SO, NOT ONLY IS IT TALKING ABOUT THESE VERTICAL 38:13 RELATIONSHIPS, HERE SOLOMON IS TALKING ABOUT PRACTICAL 38:16 PARTNERSHIP RELATIONSHIPS. 38:20 KAREN AND I HAVE SOME DEAR FRIENDS UP IN THE HILLS THAT 38:23 WE'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS AND, AT ONE POINT, WE WENT INTO A 38:26 BUSINESS VENTURE WITH THEM AND WE BOUGHT A SMALL PIECE OF LAND 38:30 AND WE WERE GOING TO BUILD A BUSINESS ON IT, AND AS WE 38:32 STARTED GETTING INTO IT, MY FRIEND CAME TO ME AND SAID, 38:35 'DOUG, WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, OUR 38:38 FRIENDSHIP OR THIS BUSINESS VENTURE.' HE SAID, 'IF THIS 38:43 KEEPS GOING, I ANTICIPATE THAT IT MAY COST US OUR FRIENDSHIP.' 38:47 AND SO I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE WHERE THAT COULD HAPPEN TOO 38:51 AND THE FRIENDSHIP IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME.' AND SO I SAID, 38:54 'HERE, WE'LL SELL YOU OUR INTEREST IN THE LAND.' 38:56 AND WE'RE STILL FRIENDS TO THIS DAY. 38:58 BUT SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO JUST REALIZE THAT THE DEVIL WILL TAKE 39:02 OPPORTUNITY IF YOU GET INVOLVED IN COVENANTS, FINANCIAL 39:06 OBLIGATIONS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 39:08 I HAD ANOTHER FRIEND, HE WAS ACTUALLY A CHURCH MEMBER - THIS 39:10 IS NOT JUST TRUE OF PASTORS, BUT GOT A CHECK, THEY WERE NEW IN 39:17 TOWN AND THEY WERE TRYING TO GET ESTABLISHED AND THEY SAID, 39:22 'PASTOR DOUG, WE JUST GOT THIS CHECK FROM THIS INSURANCE 39:24 COMPANY.' AND I LOOKED AT IT - IT'S, YOU KNOW, AETNA INSURANCE, 39:28 LEGITIMATE FIRM - $1,500.00 - AND THEY SAID, 'BUT THE BANK 39:32 SAID THEY CAN'T CASH THE CHECK BECAUSE WE'RE NEW IN TOWN AND WE 39:34 HAVEN'T OPENED AN ACCOUNT. WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO COVER 39:36 IT AND WE HAVE TO GET SOMEONE TO COSIGN.' THAT'S SURETY. 39:39 YOU ARE MAKING THEIR OBLIGATION SURE TO THE BANK. 39:43 AND SO I SAID, 'OKAY, OH, I THINK WE'VE GOT ENOUGH TO COVER 39:47 IT. WE'LL COSIGN.' SO WE COSIGNED. 39:51 A WEEK OR TWO LATER I WENT TO THE BANK AND I DON'T REMEMBER 39:54 EXACTLY HOW I FOUND OUT. I JUST REMEMBER DISCOVERING IN A 39:58 VERY ABRUPT WAY THAT $1,500.00 WERE GONE FROM OUR ACCOUNT AND I 40:03 WENT STOMPING INTO THE BANK AND SAID, 'YOU'VE GOT - WHAT'S THIS 40:05 - THIS IS...' AND THEY SAID, 'OH, YOU DIDN'T KNOW. 40:08 YOU COSIGNED FOR THIS CHECK AND IT WAS CANCELED. 40:12 THE INSURANCE COMPANY RECALLED IT OR CANCELED THE CHECK AND 40:15 SINCE YOU COSIGNED AND WE ALREADY GAVE THEM THE MONEY, IT 40:18 COMES OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT.' WELL THAT REALLY CAUSED A PROBLEM. 40:23 SO I WENT TO THIS CHURCH MEMBER - NOW I'M THE PASTOR - AND I 40:29 SAID, 'BROTHER SO AND SO,' - I SAID - 'OH!' - HE SAID, 'I HEARD 40:32 ABOUT THAT. I'M SO SORRY PASTOR.' HE WAS A BODY MAN. 40:34 HE SAID, 'LOOK, I'VE GOT THIS JOB AND I GOT THAT JOB. 40:39 I'M GOING TO GET THIS DONE AND WE'LL PAY YOU BACK. 40:40 DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.' THIS WAS OUR VACATION MONEY AND THEN 40:44 SOME. AND WHEN I WAS PREACHING, SMALL 40:48 CHURCH, THAT WEEK, FAMILY WAS SITTING UP FRONT. 40:51 THEY USED TO SING AND SIT UP FRONT AND WERE VERY INVOLVED AND 40:54 IT CHANGED THE RELATIONSHIP INSTANTLY WHEN IT WENT FROM 41:00 'PASTOR, FELLOW MEMBER TO LENDER AND BORROWER.' ONE PERSON IS 41:09 A DEBTOR AND I'M A DEBT COLLECTOR. 41:12 THAT CHANGES YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY. 41:14 AND, YOU KNOW, A WEEK OR TWO WENT BY AND NOTHING HAPPENED AND 41:18 I CHECKED WITH HIM AND SAID, 'ANY WORD?' 41:20 'OH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS TERRIBLE EXPENSE.' AND THEY WERE 41:24 ABSOLUTELY SINCERE. THEY WERE JUST - THEY HAD A LOT 41:26 OF BAD LUCK - AND IT WASN'T COMING IN. 41:29 AND I NOTICED SOMETHING, THAT AFTER A FEW WEEKS THEY WERE 41:32 SITTING BACK A FEW ROWS AND STILL NONE OF THE MONEY WAS 41:38 COMING. NOT A PENNY. AND A FEW WEEKS LATER THEY MISSED A WEEK. 41:43 THEY CAME BACK THEN THEY MISSED TWO WEEKS. 41:46 AND I'D GO VISIT THEM AND I'D JUST GO VISIT TO SEE HOW THEY 41:49 WERE DOING. THE FIRST THING OUT OF THEIR 41:51 MOUTHS WHEN I'D GO VISIT THEM - WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS? 41:53 'NO, WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT. 41:55 I'VE GOT THIS CAR. I'VE GOT THAT CAR. 41:56 I'VE GOT THIS JOB. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT. 41:58 WE'RE GOING TO GET IT FIXED AND...' BUT THEY WERE JUST 42:01 STRUGGLING AND AT ONE POINT I HAVE TO DECIDE - THE LORD SPOKE 42:06 TO ME AND KIND OF SAID, 'DOUG, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT? 42:10 YOU'RE LOSING THESE PEOPLE.' AND WE BASICALLY FORGAVE THE DEBT 42:16 AND WE'RE STILL FRIENDS TODAY. BUT YOU HAD TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND 42:19 WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF YOU GET INTO THAT KIND OF 42:22 SURETY RELATIONSHIP WITH A FRIEND, SOLOMON SAYS THE DEVIL 42:27 IS GOING TO EXPLOIT IT - SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG. 42:32 NOW, I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW MANY OF YOU, TO SOME EXTENT, HAVE 42:34 DONE THAT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY AND IT DIDN'T WORK OUT WELL? 42:40 OH, JUST MOST HANDS. OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 42:43 SO HE'S SAYING, 'IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, 42:46 BE CAREFUL. NOW, HOW DO YOU - I WAS GOING TO 42:49 HAVE YOU READ A VERSE BEFORE I RAMBLE SOME MORE. 42:51 GO AHEAD, PLEASE READ FOR US EXODUS 23, VERSES 2 AND 3. 42:55 >>"YOU SHALL NOT FOLLOW A CROWD TO DO EVIL; NOR SHALL YOU 42:59 TESTIFY IN A DISPUTE SO AS TO TURN ASIDE AFTER MANY TO 43:03 PERVERT JUSTICE. YOU SHALL NOT SHOW PARTIALITY TO 43:08 A POOR MAN IN HIS DISPUTE." >>AND I WANT TO - YOU LOOK AT 43:12 THIS VERSE HERE FROM EXODUS AND THEN, ALSO, I WANT TO READ VERY 43:15 QUICKLY A SHORT VERSE IN GALATIANS 6:2, "BEAR ONE 43:18 ANOTHER'S BURDENS, AND SO FULFILL THE LAW OF CHRIST." 43:22 IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH A FRIEND WHERE 43:25 YOU'RE GOING TO LEND THEM MONEY, YOU'D BETTER MAKE UP YOUR MIND 43:27 RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, 'AM I READY TO SACRIFICE THE MONEY TO 43:31 PRESERVE THE FRIENDSHIP?' YOU MIGHT BE BETTER OFF JUST GIVING 43:35 IT TO A PERSON. AS A PASTOR, PERIODICALLY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, 43:39 THERE ARE MEMBERS THAT WILL ASK THE PASTORS IN THE CHURCH IF THE 43:43 CHURCH CAN LEND AN INDIVIDUAL MONEY. 43:46 DO YOU REMEMBER A WOMAN CAME TO ELISHA AND SHE SAID, 'WE'RE 43:49 BADLY IN DEBT AND THE COLLECTOR'S GOING TO COME AND 43:51 TAKE AWAY MY SONS.' AND HE SAID, 'WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?' 43:53 IN OTHER WORDS, HE SAYING, 'I'M NOT A BANK. 43:55 BUT GOD'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU.' AND HE TOLD HER HE'D WORKED A 43:57 MIRACLE FOR HER AND TOOK CARE OF HER NEED. 43:58 BUT ELISHA SAID - HE DIDN'T SAY, 'HERE, I'M GOING TO COSIGN FOR 44:01 YOU.' HE DIDN'T SAY THAT. AND SO CHURCHES AND PASTORS HAVE 44:05 TO BE VERY CAREFUL. PASTORS FREQUENTLY WILL MAKE 44:08 DONATIONS TO MEMBERS THAT ARE IN SOME KIND OF - THE BIBLE SAYS 44:12 CHURCHES SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THOSE OF THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLD. 44:14 THEY'LL SOMETIMES HELP WITH EMERGENCIES, FOR THE FATHERLESS 44:17 AND THE WIDOWS, AND - BUT WE DON'T DO A LOAN. 44:20 YOU'VE JUST GOT TO SAY, 'IT'S A GIFT.' AND YOU JUST LEAVE IT 44:23 RIGHT THERE. BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE RELATIONSHIP WHEN ALL OF A 44:27 SUDDEN IT BECOMES A DEBTOR RELATIONSHIP. 44:30 ANYWAY, THAT'S WHY SOLOMON MAKES A BIG DEAL OUT OF THAT AND 44:32 THERE'S GOOD WISDOM THERE. THEN HE GOES ABOUT NOT JUST 44:36 PROTECTING YOUR FRIENDSHIPS AND PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY, NOW 44:38 WE'RE UNDER THE SECTION FOR PROTECTING YOUR WORK. 44:41 AND IN A MINUTE SOMEBODY IS GOING TO READ FOR ME 44:43 PROVERBS 13:4 - YOU'LL HAVE THAT, OKAY? 44:47 LET'S READ PROVERBS 6:6 THROUGH 8, "GO TO THE ANT, YOU SLUGGARD! 44:53 CONSIDER HER WAYS AND BE WISE, WHICH, HAVING NO CAPTAIN, 44:57 OVERSEER OR RULER, PROVIDES HER SUPPLIES IN THE SUMMER, 45:01 AND GATHERS HER FOOD IN THE HARVEST. 45:03 HOW LONG WILL YOU SLUMBER, O SLUGGARD? 45:06 WHEN WILL YOU RISE FROM YOUR SLEEP? 45:09 A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER, A LITTLE FOLDING OF THE 45:12 HANDS TO SLEEP - SO SHALL YOUR POVERTY COME ON YOU LIKE A 45:17 PROWLER, AND YOUR NEED LIKE AN ARMED MAN." 45:21 AND SO HERE HE'S SAYING DILIGENCE - YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE 45:25 - I REMEMBER - YOU HEARD ME REFER TO IT EARLIER, BUT YEARS 45:28 AGO I READ THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BEN FRANKLIN WHICH IS, BY THE 45:31 WAY, VERY ENTERTAINING. HE'S A BRILLIANT MAN. 45:33 BUT BEN FRANKLIN QUOTED FROM A PROVERB WE'LL PROBABLY GET LATER 45:38 - GET TO LATER IN OUR STUDY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE TEACHING 45:41 THAT LESSON, SO I'M GOING TO SAY IT NOW, WHERE HE SAID, 'SHOW ME 45:44 A MAN DILIGENT IN HIS BUSINESS; HE WILL STAND BEFORE KINGS AND 45:48 NOT MEAN PERSONS.' MEAN PERSONS MEANING THE LOW - PEOPLE OF LOW 45:52 ESTEEM. AND FRANKLIN TOOK THAT AND HE 45:58 SAID, 'I'M GOING TO BE DILIGENT IN MY BUSINESS. 46:00 HE WAS A - NOT ONLY A BRIGHT MAN. 46:03 YOU EVER HEARD OF 'POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC?' 46:05 'EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE, MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY, 46:07 AND WISE.' 'GOD HELPS THOSE THAT HELP THEMSELVES.' ALL THESE 46:10 FAMOUS ADAGES THAT WE QUOTE, AT LEAST IN NORTH AMERICA, COME 46:14 FROM FRANKLIN, WHO WAS EXTREMELY DILIGENT AND HE WAS ALWAYS 46:18 ADMONISHING PEOPLE WITH PROVERBS IN 'POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC.' HE 46:22 WAS POOR RICHARD. HE WROTE THE WHOLE THING. 46:24 AND - BUT HE TALKED ABOUT DILIGENCE AND HE TALKED ABOUT 46:27 BEING SLOTHFUL BECAUSE HERE THEY HAD THIS NEW COUNTRY AND HE 46:31 REALLY INSTILLED A LOT OF THE DILIGENCE AND THE INDUSTRY IN 46:37 THE MIND SET OF THE PEOPLE BACK THERE DURING THE INFANCY OF THE 46:40 COUNTRY. ALRIGHT, AND SO, IN THAT SPIRIT 46:43 WE'RE GOING TO READ PROVERBS 13, VERSE 4. 46:46 >>"THE SOUL OF A LAZY MAN DESIRES, AND HAS NOTHING; BUT 46:50 THE SOUL OF THE DILIGENT SHALL BE MADE RICH." 46:53 >>YOU KNOW WHERE A LOT OF GOVERNMENT MONEY COMES FROM? 46:57 LOTTERIES. HOW MANY PEOPLE REALLY SUCCEED 47:03 BECAUSE THEY'RE LOTTERY PLAYERS? DO THEY DESIRE TO HAVE WEALTH? 47:09 SURE THEY DO, BUT THEY COME TO POVERTY, TYPICALLY. 47:12 AND EVEN SOME OF THEM - VERY, VERY FEW PERCENTAGE THAT DO 47:16 ACTUALLY WIN SOMETHING, BECAUSE THEY'VE NOT GAINED IT THROUGH 47:20 DILIGENCE AND WORK AND SAVING, IT'S USUALLY GONE VERY QUICKLY 47:24 AND IT DOESN'T END WELL. WHAT DOES SOLOMON TELL US TO 47:29 BEHOLD AS AN EXAMPLE OF DILIGENCE? 47:33 >>THE ANT. >>HE SAID, 'GO TO THE ANT, YOU 47:37 SLUGGARD! CONSIDER HER WAYS AND BE WISE.' YOU KNOW, IT'S 47:39 INTERESTING, HE DOESN'T SAY, 'CONSIDER HIS WAYS.' DO YOU KNOW 47:42 THAT VIRTUALLY ALL ANTS ARE FEMALES? 47:45 MOST OF THE ANT IN THE COLONY ARE SISTERS? YEAH, THEY - LAID 47:50 BY THE EGGS OF A QUEEN. I WAS DOING A FEW AMAZING FACTS 47:56 ON THE RADIO PROGRAM ABOUT ANTS AND THEY'RE AMAZING. 47:59 SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT IN SOUTH AMERICA, FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE 48:06 BIOMASS - LIVING MATERIAL OF ORGANISMS - IS ANTS. 48:14 SO IF YOU WERE TO TAKE ALL THE LIVING CREATURES IN SOUTH 48:18 AMERICA, BREAK THEM DOWN, AND WEIGH THEM, ANTS WOULD MAKE UP 48:21 FIFTEEN PERCENT OF ALL THE CREATURES. 48:23 THAT MEANS THE HORSES, THE PEOPLE, AND ALL THE OTHER 48:25 INSECTS PUT TOGETHER, ANTS WOULD BE FIFTEEN PERCENT. 48:28 THEY'RE VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND SOME ANTS ACTUALLY 48:32 GO PLACES - THEY'VE GOT PLAGUES OF CRAZY ANTS IN TEXAS. 48:34 AND EVEN THOUGH ANTS - FOR AN INSECT, THEY'VE GOT THE LARGEST 48:39 BRAINS. THEY ACTUALLY - ANTS ACTUALLY 48:41 HAVE GRAY MATTER IN THEIR HEADS SIMILAR TO HUMAN GRAY MATTER. 48:45 SOMEBODY SAID THAT THERE ARE SOME ANT COLONIES THAT ARE SO 48:49 BIG THAT IF YOU WERE TO TAKE ALL THEIR BRAINS TOGETHER THAT IT 48:51 WOULD EQUAL THE BRAIN OF ONE HUMAN. 48:53 THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU FEEL VERY GOOD, DOES IT? 48:56 BUT THEY'RE HARD WORKERS AND THEY HAVE TO WORK - 49:01 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHAT IS IT? 49:02 AESOP'S FABLE ABOUT THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT? 49:04 AND THE GRASSHOPPER IS JUST KIND OF HOPPING AROUND - EATS WHEN 49:08 THE GRASS IS GREEN BUT HE DOESN'T STORE ANYTHING AND HE 49:10 STARTS BEGGING FOOD FROM THE ANT IN THE WINTERTIME BECAUSE THE 49:14 ANT HAS STORED IT. SOLOMON OBSERVED EVERYTHING IN NATURE. 49:17 HE WAS VERY INQUISITIVE - ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT THAT 49:20 ANOTHER PLACE IN THE BIBLE. YOU'VE HEARD OF LEAF-CUTTER ANTS 49:23 OR PARASOL ANTS? THEY CALL THEM PARASOL ANTS 49:26 BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE WALKING AROUND IN A PROCESSION WITH 49:28 LITTLE CUT LEAVES, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE HOLDING LITTLE UMBRELLAS 49:30 OVER THEIR HEADS. THESE AMAZING CREATURES ARE 49:33 OFTEN SEEN WALKING IN PROCESSIONS WITH A GREEN LEAF 49:37 ABOVE THEIR HEAD. THEY CUT OFF THESE BITS OF LEAF. 49:39 IT'S NOT FOOD, BUT THEY TAKE THEM TO THEIR NESTS AND THEY 49:41 MAKE THEM INTO COMPOST AND THESE ACTUALLY GROW A MOLD AND THEY 49:46 ACTUALLY HARVEST AND DRY AND PROTECT THE MOLD AND THAT 49:50 BECOMES THEIR BREAD. ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING ANTS 49:54 IS A SPECIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. 49:57 IT PRODUCES ITS FOOD FROM FARMED SEED. 50:01 THE ANTS TAKE THE SEEDS, THEY LAY THEM OUT IN THE RAIN. 50:04 WHEN IT RAINS IT STARTS TO SPROUT. THEY LET THEM GROW A 50:07 LITTLE BIT, THEY CUT THE SPROUT OFF, THEY TAKE THE SPROUTS DOWN 50:10 INTO THEIR DEN - THEIR HOLE - WHERE THEY CHEW THEM UP. 50:14 THEY MAKE THEM INTO LITTLE COOKIE-DOUGH-LIKE COOKIES, THEN 50:19 THEY BRING THEM OUT IN THE SUN ON A HOT DAY, THEY BAKE THEM, 50:22 THEN THEY BRING THEM IN AND THEY STORE THEM. 50:25 AND SO THEY'VE GOT PARASOL ANTS, THEY'VE GOT BAKING ANTS. 50:31 THEN THEY'VE GOT SHEPHERDING ANTS. 50:33 YOU'VE HEARD OF ANTS THAT WILL ACTUALLY SHEPHERD LITTLE APHIDS. 50:36 THESE ANTS WILL HAVE THOUSANDS OF APHIDS THAT ARE LIKE THEIR 50:40 SHEEP, THEY'LL TAKE THE APHIDS FROM DIFFERENT GRAZING PLACES - 50:43 TO THE PLANTS THAT THEY LIKE - THEY GUARD THEM VERY CAREFULLY, 50:47 AND THEY LET THEM FEED AND THE ANTS THEN STROKE THEM 50:51 AND THE APHIDS EXUDE A LITTLE SAP. 50:54 I WON'T TELL YOU WHERE IT IS EXUDED FROM - AND THE ANTS EAT 50:57 THAT - IT'S A SWEET SAP - THEY CONVERT THE LEAF INTO THIS SAP 51:00 AND THE ANTS, THEY SHEPHERD, THEY PROTECT, THEY TAKE CARE - 51:04 THEY'RE LIKE SHEPHERDS. JUST THINK, IT ONLY TOOK 51:07 50 MILLION YEARS FOR ALL THAT TO EVOLVE. 51:09 AND YET, THEY HAVE - WOLVES HAVE AN ALPHA MALE THAT TAKES THE 51:15 PACK AND EVEN HORSES WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, A MUSTANG THAT WILL - 51:18 A STALLION THAT WILL LEAD EVERYTHING BUT, ANTS DON'T HAVE 51:22 A LEADER THAT TELLS THEM WHAT TO DO, BUT SOMEHOW THEY ALL KNOW 51:26 HOW TO COOPERATE AND WORK TOGETHER - AND THEN THERE'S ANTS 51:29 THAT, IN A FLOOD, THEY'LL ALL LOCK THEMSELVES INTO A RAFT AND 51:31 FLOAT. AND SOME OF THEM KNOW THAT 51:34 THEY'RE TO PROTECT THE OTHERS AND ARMY ANTS - JUST STUDY ANTS, 51:36 IT'S INCREDIBLE. AND SO SOLOMON IS SAYING, 51:39 'LOOK. LOOK AT THE ANTS. THEY'RE ONE OF THE MOST 51:41 SUCCESSFUL CREATURES ON THE PLANET AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE 51:45 DILIGENT IN THINKING AHEAD AND WORKING COOPERATIVELY TO PLAN 51:50 AND TO PREPARE. SO, PROTECT YOUR WORK. 51:53 GOD WANTS US TO BE PRODUCTIVE. 51:55 AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS VERY 51:59 IMPORTANT TO CHRISTIANITY, IS GOD CALLS BUSY PEOPLE. 52:05 YOU EVER NOTICE THAT? WHEN GOD CALLED PETER, JAMES, 52:08 JOHN, ANDREW - WHAT WERE THEY DOING? 52:10 WERE THEY SITTING AROUND SAYING, 'I'M WAITING FOR THE LORD TO 52:13 TELL ME WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO?' I'VE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT 52:16 AREN'T WORKING AND I'LL SAY, 'WHAT'S UP?' THEY'LL SAY, 'WELL, 52:18 I'M WAITING ON THE LORD.' 'WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON HIM FOR? 52:21 ARE YOU GETTING NEWSPAPER AND LOOKING IN THE?' 52:22 'WELL, I DON'T THINK GOD WANTS ME WORKING AT THIS, YOU KNOW, 52:25 I'M NOT GOING TO FLIP BURGERS AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO THIS AND 52:27 I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT. GOD'S GOT A PLAN FOR ME AND I'M 52:28 WAITING ON HIM.' AND THEY JUST WAIT - EVERYONE SUPPORTS THEM 52:32 WHILE THEY'RE WAITING ON THE LORD. 52:33 ANY OF YOU EVER MET THAT PERSON BEFORE? BUT WHEN GOD CALLED THEM 52:37 THEY WERE FISHING, THEY WERE MENDING THEIR NETS - WHEN GOD 52:39 CALLED GIDEON WHAT WAS HE DOING? THRESHING WHEAT. 52:42 WHEN HE CALLED DAVID - TAKING CARE OF HIS FATHER'S SHEEP. 52:46 WHEN HE CALLED MOSES - TAKING CARE OF HIS FATHER'S SHEEP. 52:48 WHEN HE CALLED AMOS - GATHERING SYCAMORE FRUIT. 52:51 AND YOU JUST GO THROUGH THE BIBLE, WHEN THE LORD CALLS THESE 52:54 PEOPLE THEY'RE BUSY - WHEN ELISHA'S CALLED HE'S OUT PLOWING 52:57 - AND GOD LIKES US TO DO THINGS. GOD MADE MAN TO WORK. 53:01 NOW THE WORK OF ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN BEFORE SIN WOULD HAVE 53:06 BEEN A LOT MORE PLEASANT THAN THE WORK AFTER SIN, BUT WORK IS 53:09 A BLESSING. GOD DIDN'T GIVE MAN WORK TO BE A CURSE, 53:13 WORK WAS MADE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT WORK IS A BLESSING. 53:16 AND SO HE WANTS US TO BE PRODUCTIVE. 53:18 OKAY, 'PROTECT YOURSELF.' NOW WE'RE IN PROVERBS 6:14 AND IT 53:22 SAYS - LET ME JUST READ THESE LAST FEW VERSES. 53:28 I'M GOING TO GO FROM 14 ON TO 19, "PERVERSITY IS IN HIS HEART, 53:35 HE DEVISES EVIL CONTINUALLY, HE SOWS DISCORD. 53:39 THEREFORE HIS CALAMITY SHALL COME SUDDENLY; 53:42 SUDDENLY HE SHALL BE BROKEN WITHOUT REMEDY." 53:45 - THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU 53:48 AND SOLOMON IS SAYING, 'PROTECT YOUR FAMILY, YOU KNOW, PROTECT 53:52 YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, AND YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOURSELF.' SOMEONE 53:57 SAID THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS IS JOY, WHICH IS JESUS, OTHERS, 54:02 YOURSELF - J-O-Y. LOVE THE LORD, LOVE YOUR 54:06 NEIGHBOR - THAT'S OTHERS - AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. 54:09 AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH PROTECTING YOURSELF. 54:12 THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. 54:16 IF YOU SAY YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, THEY THINK THAT MEANS 54:18 'GULLIBLE.' PEOPLE CONFUSE MEEKNESS FOR WEAKNESS AND 54:22 SOLOMON IS SAYING THAT IF YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO ABUSE AND 54:27 EXPLOIT YOU, YOU'RE NOT HELPING THEM AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING 54:30 YOURSELF. SO HE'S SAYING, 'AVOID CERTAIN 54:33 PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE PREDATORS THAT ARE OUT THERE.' 54:36 LET'S FACE IT, THERE'S A DEVIL IN THE WORLD AND NOT EVERYONE'S 54:39 LISTENING TO THE LORD. AND THE DEVIL USES PEOPLE TO 54:43 SOMETIMES DISTRACT YOU FROM YOUR WORK AND YOUR CALLING. 54:47 DID A MAN COME TO JESUS ONE TIME AND HE SAID, 'LORD, TELL MY 54:50 BROTHER TO DIVIDE THE INHERITANCE WITH ME.' 54:53 AND YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS SAID TO HIM? 54:55 I'LL GIVE YOU A LOOSE TRANSLATION: 'THAT'S NOT MY 54:59 CALLING.' HE SAID, 'LORD - MAN, WHO MADE ME A JUDGE AND A RULER 55:02 OVER YOU? MY CALLING IS NOT TO ARBITRATE 55:05 BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BROTHER.' I MEAN, CAN YOU SEE HOW QUICKLY 55:10 JESUS COULD BECOME DISTRACTED FROM HIS MISSION? 55:13 HAVE YOU SOMETIMES HAD PEOPLE THAT - AND I'VE GOT TO SAY THIS 55:18 CAREFULLY, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO LOVE PEOPLE, WE NEED TO 55:20 CARE FOR PEOPLE, BUT THE DEVIL HAS PEOPLE THAT HE WILL USE TO 55:23 DISTRACT YOU FROM WHAT GOD REALLY WANTS YOU TO DO. 55:27 THEY'LL TAKE YOU FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU COULD DO AND 55:31 THEY WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED. JESUS SAID IT, SO YOU TAKE IT UP 55:36 WITH HIM, 'DO NOT CAST YOUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE. 55:39 DO NOT GIVE THAT WHICH IS HOLY TO THE DOGS.' NOBODY EVER WANTS 55:44 TO POINT TO SOMEBODY THAT FITS IN THAT CATEGORY, BUT WE ALL 55:47 KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT THE DEVIL USES TO 55:50 JUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU - IT SAYS HE WALKS WITH A PERVERSE 55:56 MOUTH AND HIS CALAMITY WILL COME SUDDENLY.' GO TO VERSE 16, 56:01 "THESE SIX THINGS THE LORD HATES, YES, SEVEN ARE AN 56:06 ABOMINATION TO HIM:" - SO HERE'S A LIST - HOW TO IDENTIFY THESE 56:08 PEOPLE - "A PROUD LOOK, A LYING TONGUE, HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT 56:12 BLOOD," - THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE OUT MURDERING EVERYONE, 56:15 SOMETIMES THEY JUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INNOCENT PEOPLE - 56:17 "A HEART THAT DEVISES WICKED PLANS, FEET" - THERE YOU'VE GOT 56:21 THE FEET AGAIN - "THAT ARE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO EVIL, A FALSE 56:24 WITNESS WHO SPEAKS LIES, AND" - LISTEN TO THE ONE THAT HE CAPS 56:29 IT OFF WITH - "ONE WHO SOWS DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN." 56:33 YOU KNOW THAT, TO ME, I THINK WHEN YOU'RE A PASTOR YOU'LL HAVE 56:37 A CHURCH AND THE LORD'S BLESSING AND ALL IT TAKES IS ONE PERSON 56:40 WHO HAS THAT SPIRIT TO JUST GO FROM PERSON TO PERSON - LIKE 56:46 JUDAS - AND PLANT INSINUATIONS AND EVIL THOUGHTS AND DOUBTS AND 56:50 SUSPICION AND JEALOUSY IN THE HEARTS OF OTHERS AND IT CAN JUST 56:54 BRING DISCORD AND BITTERNESS INTO A WHOLE CONGREGATION. 56:57 AND SO THE DEVIL USES THESE THINGS AND YOU NEED TO JUST 57:00 RECOGNIZE WHEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS OUT THERE - LOVE THEM, PRAY FOR 57:04 THEM - BUT DON'T LET THEM CONTROL YOUR LIVES BECAUSE 57:06 YOU'VE GOT TO PROTECT YOURSELF. 57:11 YOU'VE GOT TO PROTECT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL. 57:13 ANYWAY, THIS IS - OH, THERE'S SOME OTHER VERSES IN HERE - IN 57:17 THE LESSON - THAT ALSO TALKS ABOUT MATTHEW CHAPTER 15, VERSE 57:20 19, "FOR OUT OF THE HEART PROCEED EVIL THOUGHTS, MURDERS, 57:23 ADULTERIES, FORNICATIONS, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, 57:26 BLASPHEMIES." JEREMIAH 17, "THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL 57:31 THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED; WHO CAN KNOW IT?" 57:34 SO WE NEED TO LOVE EVERYBODY BUT RECOGNIZE THAT WE ALL HAVE THE 57:37 CAPACITY TO BE VERY SELFISH AND SO MAYBE I SHOULD CLOSE BY 57:42 WORDING IT THIS WAY: WE NEED TO GUARD OURSELF FOR THAT CAPACITY 57:45 THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE IN BEING SELFISH AND HARMFUL. 57:51 WE HAVE A SPECIAL BOOK - FREE OFFER - OUT OF TIME FOR THE 57:53 LESSON - 'IS IT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED?' 57:55 AND YOU CAN GET THIS BY CALLING THE RESOURCE NUMBER - 57:58 866-788-3966. WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE OR 58:03 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE, JUST GO TO 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. 58:07 GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS AND THE LORD WILLING, WE'LL BE STUDYING 58:09 AGAIN - CHAPTER 3 NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-01-07