Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021510
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS, AND WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO 00:35 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 I'D LIKE TO, IN A SPECIAL WAY, WELCOME OUR FRIENDS JOINING US 00:40 ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 00:42 THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDY. 00:46 WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BOOK OF PROVERBS - THAT'S OUR LESSON 00:49 QUARTERLY FOR THIS QUARTER. TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON 00:51 LESSON #10. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR LESSON 00:55 QUARTERLY, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON AT THE AMAZING 00:57 FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 01:01 DOWNLOAD LESSON #10 ENTITLED BEHIND THE MASK AND YOU CAN 01:05 FOLLOW ALONG WITH US AS WE STUDY TOGETHER. 01:07 I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE MEMBERS OF THE GRANITE BAY 01:10 CHURCH HERE FOR OUR MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY. 01:13 THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR COMING OUT AND JOINING US. 01:15 WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE PRESENTATION 01:19 FOR THIS EVENING. IT'S ENTITLED SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS . 01:23 AND FOR OUR FRIENDS WATCHING, YOU CAN CALL AND ASK FOR OUR 01:27 FREE OFFER TODAY OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BOOK AT THE AMAZING 01:30 FACTS WEBSITE AND YOU CAN READ IT THERE FOR FREE. 01:34 THE NUMBER TO CALL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS FREE OFFER, 01:36 IS 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE AND YOU CAN ASK 01:44 FOR OFFER #191. AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 01:48 866-788-3966 - ASK FOR THE BOOK SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS . 01:54 WELL, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR STUDY, LET'S INVITE GOD'S PRESENCE TO 01:58 GUIDE US. DEAR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN WE THANK YOU FOR 02:01 THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TOGETHER AND OPEN UP YOUR WORD. 02:04 AND LORD, WE ASK FOR YOUR BLESSING. 02:06 SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS AND MAY 02:09 WE UNDERSTAND MORE OF THE GREAT WISDOM THAT YOU HAVE IN STORE 02:14 FOR US IN YOUR WORD. BLESS OUR STUDY TOGETHER. 02:16 IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. >>AMEN. 02:19 >>OUR STUDY THIS EVENING IS BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG 02:22 BATCHELOR. THANK YOU, PASTOR DOUG. 02:25 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 02:29 >>GOOD EVENING. 02:30 GOOD MORNING TO MANY WHO I KNOW ARE WATCHING, BECAUSE A LOT OF 02:34 PEOPLE VIEW THIS PROGRAM ON SABBATH MORNING. 02:36 I THINK THEY ALSO AIR IT ON THURSDAY NIGHT. 02:38 AND A COUPLE OF EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE DEVELOPING - I THINK 02:42 MOST OF OUR FRIENDS THAT HAVE WATCHED SABBATH SCHOOL FOR 02:44 SEVERAL YEARS NOW KNOW THAT WE'RE, SORT OF, IN TRANSITION 02:48 AND, GOD WILLING, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE CONGREGATION IS 02:51 ACTUALLY GOING TO GET TO MOVE INTO OUR NEW FACILITY THAT WE'VE 02:54 BEEN RENOVATING. AND SO YOU'LL BE SEEING THE 02:57 PROGRAMS SHORTLY BE COMING FROM THAT DIRECTION. 03:00 WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE MEDIA WORK TO DO TO GET THAT SET UP. 03:02 SOMETHING ELSE I THOUGHT I'D SHARE WITH YOU. 03:04 WE HAD AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE THIS WEEK - A LITTLE MISSION 03:07 STORY, IF YOU WILL - SUNDAY. TWO DAYS AGO. 03:12 I WAS HOME PREPARING FOR OUR BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE PROGRAM. 03:17 MRS. BATCHELOR WENT TO A WEDDING DOWN AT CENTRAL CHURCH, 03:20 WHERE SOME FRIENDS GOT MARRIED. AND SHE SAID, 'DOUG, THERE'S A 03:24 MAN HERE WHO CAME FROM CHINA AND HE'S LOOKING FOR YOU.' 03:30 AND I SAID, 'SAY THAT AGAIN, CAREFULLY.' AND SHE SAID, 03:36 'THERE'S A MAN HERE. HE FLEW FROM CHINA. 03:39 HE FOUND SOME PEOPLE WHO DROVE HIM FROM SAN FRANCISCO. HE SAID, 03:42 'I'M LOOKING FOR AMAZING FACTS AND DOUG BATCHELOR.' 03:45 AND THEY DROVE HIM FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO SACRAMENTO AND HE'S 03:49 HERE AT THE CHURCH AND, BY THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, KAREN WAS AT 03:53 THE CHURCH. IT'S INTERESTING, I PREACHED 03:54 ABOUT PROVIDENCE THE DAY BEFORE - AND SHE WASN'T EVEN SURE SHE 03:58 WAS GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE WEDDING. 03:59 SHE MADE IT TO THE WEDDING AND MET THIS MAN AND HE - HE SAID, 04:04 'I HAVE COME TO THE LORD. I'VE ACCEPTED THE TRUTH. 04:10 I LOOKED ALL OVER CHINA AFTER BECOMING A CHRISTIAN, VISITED 04:12 ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHURCHES, WENT TO HUNDREDS OF CHURCHES, 04:14 AND I DISCOVERED THE AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDIES.' AND THEN 04:18 HE SHOWED US THE BIBLE STUDIES THAT HE HAD FILLED OUT. 04:20 AND HE SAID, 'AND I'VE WATCHED THE AMAZING FACTS DVDS - OUR 04:25 EVANGELISTIC PROGRAMS THAT WERE TRANSLATED - AND HE BROUGHT THEM 04:27 WITH HIM ON THE PLANE - SHOWED THEM. 04:29 AND SO I SAID - SHE SAID, 'COULD YOU COME MEET WITH THE MAN?' 04:32 I SAID, 'ALRIGHT.' SO WE SET UP JUST ABOUT AN HOUR FOR DINNER 04:36 AND KAREN JOINED ME WITH - HIS NAME IS MR. WU - AND HE TOLD US 04:42 HIS INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY THROUGH HIS FRIENDS THAT BROUGHT HIM 04:44 FROM SAN FRANCISCO THAT TRANSLATED. 04:46 HE'S ACTUALLY NOW STAYING IN THE AREA AND HE'S FINALIZING BIBLE 04:50 STUDIES BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED AND GO BACK TO CHINA. 04:53 SOLD HIS BUSINESS. BOUGHT A TICKET TO COME TO 04:57 AMERICA JUST BY FAITH. DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF I WAS GOING 05:00 TO BE IN TOWN AND WE WORKED IT OUT. 05:02 HE WAS HERE - WE GAVE HIM A TOUR AROUND THE OFFICE YESTERDAY AND 05:05 TODAY. AND HE DOESN'T SPEAK VERY MUCH ENGLISH. 05:10 I DON'T KNOW - CLARENCE IS MR. WU HERE TONIGHT? 05:12 >>WE COULDN'T FIND HIM. WE LOOKED FOR HIM AND, YOU KNOW, 05:14 WE WENT TO HIS HOTEL AND CALLED. >>MR. WU IS MISSING. 05:18 NO, HE'S - I'M SURE HE PROBABLY JUST WENT OUT FOR DINNER. 05:20 BUT ANYWAY, SO WE WERE GOING TO INTRODUCE HIM TO YOU. 05:23 DIDN'T KNOW IF WE COULD TELL HIM - AT THE LAST MINUTE WE CALLED 05:26 TO SEE IF WE COULD HAVE HIM COME BY. JUST AN AMAZING TESTIMONY. 05:29 AND SO, WE'RE SO THRILLED - THE WAY THE LORD IS WORKING. 05:34 NOW HE WANTS TO GO BACK. HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, GOD SAVED ME 05:38 SO THAT I COULD DO HIS WORK.' AND SO JUST INCREDIBLE 05:42 TESTIMONY. IT MIGHT EVEN WORK OUT WHERE THE 05:46 FIRST BAPTISM WE HAVE AT OUR NEW FACILITY WILL BE, KIND OF, AN 05:49 OMEN OF SOMEBODY WHO'S COME FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD 05:52 BECAUSE OF THE OUTREACH OF THE PROGRAM. 05:55 >>AMEN. >>SO THAT IS VERY EXCITING. 05:56 OUR STUDY, AS PASTOR ROSS SAID, IS WE'RE DEALING WITH CHAPTERS 06:01 25 THROUGH 27, VERSE 6 IN PROVERBS. 06:05 AND IT'S LESSON #10 - IT'S CALLED BEHIND THE MASK AND WE 06:10 HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM PROVERBS 06:13 25, VERSE 6 - PROVERBS 25, VERSE 6 AND THIS IS, HERE IN THE 06:18 LESSON, FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 06:19 IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY IT WITH ME, ARE YOU READY? 06:23 "DO NOT EXALT YOURSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING, AND DO NOT 06:28 STAND IN THE PLACE OF THE GREAT." 06:31 KIND OF REMINDS ME OF WHERE JAMES SAID, 'BE NOT MANY MASTERS 06:35 FOR YOU'LL RECEIVE MORE SEVERE JUDGMENT OR GREATER 06:38 CONDEMNATION.' YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SEEKING TO 06:40 EXALT YOURSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER PEOPLE. 06:44 HE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED. 06:48 HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED. 06:50 AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DIVE IN TO SOME OF THE VERSES. 06:52 IF YOU GO TO PROVERBS CHAPTER 25 - MATTER OF FACT, LET ME TURN 06:56 HERE IN MY BIBLE VERY QUICK AND - THE REASON WE'RE KIND OF 07:01 STARTING WITH VERSE 2 IS BECAUSE PROVERBS CHAPTER 25 SAYS 07:05 SOMETHING WE'VE ALLUDED TO EARLIER - VERSE 1, "THESE ALSO 07:09 ARE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON WHICH THE MEN OF HEZEKIAH KING OF 07:14 JUDAH COPIED:" - AND, OF COURSE, ALL THE BIBLE 07:18 HAS BEEN WRITTEN DOWN BY SCRIBES. 07:20 WHEN IT SAYS 'COPIED' IT'S SAYING MORE THAN THAT. 07:22 IT'S REALLY SAYING THAT THEY ORGANIZED OR THEY COLLECTED AND 07:25 PUT INTO THESE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS. 07:27 AND SO THEN IT REALLY BEGINS WITH VERSE 2. 07:30 IN VERSE 2 IT SAYS, "IT IS THE GLORY OF GOD TO CONCEAL A 07:35 MATTER, BUT THE GLORY OF KINGS IS TO SEARCH OUT A MATTER." 07:39 AND THAT REMINDS ME - WELL, TELL YOU WHAT, FIRST LET'S FIND OUT - 07:45 SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE READING, IN A MOMENT, DEUTERONOMY 29:29 - 07:48 OKAY, WE'LL GET TO YOU ON MIC IN JUST A MINUTE. 07:51 AND THAT REMINDS ME OF A VERSE WHERE JESUS SAYS, IN LUKE 8, 07:55 VERSES 9 AND 10, "THEN HIS DISCIPLES ASKED HIM, SAYING, 08:00 'WHAT DOES THIS PARABLE MEAN?' AND HE SAID, 'TO YOU IT HAS BEEN 08:03 GIVEN TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, BUT TO THE 08:07 REST IT IS GIVEN IN PARABLES, THAT 'SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, 08:09 AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.'" 'IT'S THE GLORY OF 08:13 KINGS - THE GLORY OF GOD TO CONCEAL A MATTER, BUT THE GLORY 08:16 OF KINGS TO SEARCH OUT A MATTER.' WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 08:20 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT YOU APPRECIATE SOMETHING MORE WHEN 08:24 YOU SEARCH FOR IT AND YOU FIND IT? 08:26 DID JESUS TRY TO HIDE THE TRUTH IN PARABLES OR DID HE PLANT THEM 08:31 IN PARABLES SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF LOOKING 08:35 FOR THEM AND SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THEM? 08:38 YOU NOTICE JESUS DOESN'T SAY, 'YOU WILL FIND?' 08:41 HE SAYS, 'SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND.' IN FACT, IN ANOTHER PLACE 08:45 HE SAYS, 'YOU WILL SEARCH FOR ME AND YOU'LL FIND ME WHEN YOU 08:47 SEARCH FOR...ALL YOUR HEART.' AND SO, THE TRUTH - IT SEEMS THE 08:51 LORD HAS CONCEALED IT, BUT BENEATH A LAYER TO SAY, 'DO WE 08:55 BELIEVE IT'S PRECIOUS?' WHY IS IT GOLD NUGGETS AREN'T 08:58 JUST LAYING ON THE GROUND? YOU KIND OF HAVE TO DIG. 09:02 AND THIS IS A TREASURE AND IT'S THE GLORY OF GOD TO CONCEAL A 09:05 MATTER BUT THE GLORY OF KINGS TO SEARCH OUT A MATTER. 09:08 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, DEUTERONOMY 29:29, PLEASE. 09:11 >>"THE SECRET THINGS BELONG TO THE LORD OUR GOD, BUT THOSE 09:15 THINGS WHICH ARE REVEALED BELONG TO US AND TO OUR CHILDREN 09:19 FOREVER, THAT WE MAY DO ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW." 09:23 >>NOW GOD - THERE'S CERTAIN SECRETS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAN IS 09:26 NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO PENETRATE BECAUSE, AS THE 09:28 HEAVENS ARE HIGH ABOVE THE EARTH, 09:30 SO ARE MY WAYS ABOVE YOUR WAYS. BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT THE LORD 09:34 HAS MADE MANIFEST AND IF WE'LL LOOK FOR IT - THE BIBLE SAYS, 09:38 'IF YOU SEARCH FOR ME YOU'LL FIND ME.' IF WE DRAW NEAR TO 09:41 HIM, HE'LL DRAW NEAR TO US. HE WANTS US TO INVEST AN EFFORT 09:44 IN RECOGNIZING THAT THE TRUTH IS PRECIOUS. 09:47 AND SO THESE THINGS SHOULD BE SOUGHT OUT. 09:51 THE GLORY OF KINGS IS TO SEARCH A MATTER OUT. 09:53 SOLOMON TOOK GREAT INTEREST IN STUDYING THINGS AND WHEN YOU 09:58 READ ABOUT SOLOMON IT SAYS HE STUDIED EVERYTHING. 10:00 HE STUDIED ANTS. HE STUDIED EAGLES. HE STUDIED PEOPLE. 10:03 AND YOU GO THROUGH AND YOU LOOK AT THE ECCLESIASTES AND THE 10:05 PROVERBS OF SOLOMON - THE SONG OF SOLOMON - AND YOU CAN SEE HE 10:08 WAS QUITE A - QUITE A SCIENTIST OF LIFE. 10:13 HE TALKS ABOUT CLOUDS, HE TALKS ABOUT RIVERS, HE TALKS ABOUT, 10:16 LIKE I SAID, ANIMALS AND JUST EVERYTHING. 10:19 AND SO THAT REQUIRES SEARCH. IT REQUIRES CURIOSITY. 10:23 AND THEN THERE'S WISDOM OF THE WORLD AND THERE'S THE WISDOM OF 10:27 GOD THAT IT TALKS ABOUT HERE. IF YOU LOOK IN VERSE 3 - 10:32 PROVERBS 25, VERSE 3, "AS THE HEAVENS FOR HEIGHT AND THE EARTH 10:37 FOR DEPTH, SO THE HEART OF KINGS IS UNSEARCHABLE." 10:42 WHY WOULD A HEART OF A KING BE MORE UNSEARCHABLE THAN SOMEONE 10:45 ELSE'S HEART. DOES THE LORD RAISE UP LEADERS 10:52 AND PUT DOWN LEADERS? >>YES. 10:55 >>THE RESPONSIBILITIES - WHO WAS IT? SHAKESPEARE OR SOMEBODY? 10:59 - THAT SAID, 'HEAVY RESTS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN.' I 11:05 MISQUOTED THAT. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 11:07 >>IT WAS CLOSE. 11:08 >>YEAH, WITH ALL THAT A KING IS DEALING WITH, HIS HEART - HIS 11:13 MIND - IS BURDENED WITH MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AND SO, I THINK 11:17 THIS IS ALLUDING TO THAT. THAT IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND 11:19 EVERYTHING A KING IS GRAPPLING WITH. NOW, IF YOU LOOK IN 11:22 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 6 IT SAYS, "HOWEVER, WHEN WE SPEAK 11:27 WISDOM" - AND THIS IS UNDER THE SECTION CALLED THE MYSTERY OF 11:30 GOD - "HOWEVER, WHEN WE SPEAK WISDOM AMONG THOSE WHO ARE 11:33 MATURE, YET NOT THE WISDOM OF THIS AGE, NOR OF THE RULERS OF 11:38 THIS AGE WHO ARE COMING TO NOTHING. 11:40 BUT WE SPEAK THE WISDOM OF GOD IN A MYSTERY, THE HIDDEN WISDOM 11:44 WHICH GOD ORDAINED BEFORE THE AGES FOR OUR GLORY." 11:50 HAVE YOU HEARD BEFORE OF THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY? 11:54 PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT 'THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY DOTH ALREADY WORK.' 11:57 AND HE TALKS ABOUT THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS. 12:00 CAN YOU THINK OF SOME THINGS THAT WOULD BE A MYSTERY OF GOD? 12:04 >>HOW CAN GOD BECOME MAN? 12:08 >>KAREN SAID, 'HOW CAN GOD BECOME MAN?' 12:10 HAVE YOU EVER HEARD PEOPLE TRY AND PONDER, 'DID JESUS DIE ON 12:14 THE CROSS?' 'WAS JESUS GOD?' 12:17 'DID GOD DIE?' 'HOW COULD GOD DIE?' 12:20 'HOW COULD THE UNIVERSE KEEP GOING IF GOD DIED?' 12:23 'DID ONLY PART OF GOD DIE - THE PART THAT WAS IN THE SON?' 12:25 - SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE A REAL MYSTERY. 12:28 HOW DO YOU GET 100 PERCENT OF DIVINITY COMPRESSED INTO 12:32 HUMANITY? THERE ARE MYSTERIES. THE MYSTERY OF GOD - I HEARD 12:37 SOMEONE SAY ONE TIME IS HOW GOD COULD BECOME A MAN. 12:42 THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY IS HOW THE CREATURE WOULD WANT TO BE 12:44 GOD. AND, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT HOW CRAZY IT IS THAT THE DEVIL - 12:51 THAT CREATION WOULD THINK THAT HE COULD OVERTHROW HIS CREATOR. 12:55 IT'S THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY. WHERE DID SIN COME FROM? 12:58 IT'S LIKE SOMEONE SAYS - YOU KNOW, YOU EVER GET A COLD AND 13:01 YOU SAY, 'WELL IT'S NOT MY FAULT, I GOT IT FROM SO AND SO.' 13:04 WELL, WHERE'D THE FIRST COLD COME FROM? 13:06 WHERE DID AIDS ORIGINATE? WHO HAD THE FIRST CASE? 13:09 WHERE'D SIN COME FROM? SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE A MYSTERY. 13:13 YOU KNOW A QUESTION THAT EVOLUTIONISTS LIKE TO ASK 13:19 LITERAL CREATIONISTS - PEOPLE THAT LITERALLY BELIEVE IN A 13:22 DIVINE CREATION - THEY SAY, 'WELL, WHO MADE GOD? 13:26 WHERE'D HE COME FROM? 13:28 HOW COULD HE JUST?' - AND YOU SAY, 'WELL, HE'S 13:29 ALWAYS BEEN - FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING - HE'S ALWAYS 13:31 EXISTED.' DID YOU EVER TRY AND WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THAT? 13:35 OR I'VE THOUGHT BEFORE - AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE - JUST IMAGINE YOU 13:38 COULD BE - PUT A SADDLE ON A CANNON BALL AND YOU GET FIRED 13:43 INTO SPACE. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. 13:46 YOU COULD DO A UNICORN IF YOU LADIES DON'T THINK A CANNON BALL 13:48 WOULD BE GOOD. YOU GET FIRED OFF INTO SPACE AND 13:50 - YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND TIMES FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF LIGHT. 13:55 AND WHEN YOU GO PAST THE KNOWN UNIVERSE, WHAT'S OUT THERE? 13:58 DO YOU EVER REACH AN END? OR IS IT LIKE A BIG CIRCLE? 14:01 ONCE YOU GET TO THE END IT'S ACTUALLY - YOU START AT THE 14:03 BEGINNING AGAIN LIKE, KIND OF, GOING AROUND THE BLOCK. 14:05 I MEAN, CAN YOU - CAN YOUR MIND COMPREHEND THESE THINGS? 14:09 EVOLUTIONISTS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. 14:11 WHERE DID EVERYTHING COME FROM? HOW DO YOU GET SOMETHING FROM 14:15 NOTHING? HOW DO YOU GET ORGANIZATION FROM 14:18 CHAOS? HOW DO YOU GET MATTER FROM 14:20 NON-MATTER. THOSE THINGS DEFY ALL WE KNOW 14:23 ABOUT SCIENCE. SO THEY'RE FACED WITH THE SAME 14:25 THING ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE ALL THE INTELLIGENCE AND DESIGN AND 14:29 ORGANIZATION AND BEAUTY IN THE WORLD FROM NOTHING. 14:31 THEY SAY THAT ALL THE UNIVERSE - I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD 14:34 THIS BEFORE BUT IT - IF IT WASN'T SAD THAT SOME PEOPLE 14:37 BELIEVED IT, IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS. 14:39 THEY SAY EVERYTHING IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE WAS ONCE COMPRESSED TO 14:42 SOMETHING SMALLER THAN THE HEAD OF A PIN AND IT EXPLODED AND 14:45 CAUSED THE BIG BANG. HOW MANY OF YOU HEARD THAT? 14:53 I DON'T KNOW WHAT PHYSICS COULD EXPLAIN THAT, BUT IT IS EASIER 14:57 FOR ME TO BELIEVE IN GOD THAN TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING IN THE 15:00 INFINITE UNIVERSE EXPLODED OUT OF SOMETHING SMALLER THAN THE 15:03 HEAD OF A PIN. HOW YOU GET ALL THAT MATTER OUT OF NON-MATTER. 15:08 ALL I'M SAYING NOW IS THERE'S MYSTERIES. AND THERE'S SOME 15:12 THINGS THAT WE JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT WE DON'T KNOW. 15:15 YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT THE KINGS SEVERAL TIMES IN CHAPTER 15:20 25 AND IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT GOING - IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE 15:24 LESSON - DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 17, VERSE 14. 15:27 NOW WAS IT GOD'S WILL THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL PICK A KING? 15:32 >>NO. >>NO. DID HE KNOW THAT THEY 15:35 MIGHT DO THAT ANYWAY? >>YES. 15:39 BECAUSE HE MADE A PROVISION - IT WAS NEVER HIS WILL - FOR SEVERAL 15:43 THINGS - IT WAS NEVER HIS WILL THAT A MAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE 15:45 WIFE. >>AMEN. 15:47 >>OR A WOMAN MORE THAN ONE HUSBAND. YEAH, OR SLAVERY. 15:52 BUT DID GOD MAKE LAWS TO PROTECT MULTIPLE WIVES AND SLAVES? 15:57 AND JESUS SAID HE ALLOWED DIVORCE - NOT THAT DIVORCE IS 16:01 HIS WILL, BUT BECAUSE OF THE HARDNESS OF YOUR HEARTS. 16:03 AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHEN GOD MADE A PROVISION - NOT 16:06 THAT HE APPROVED - HE MADE A PROVISION FOR A KING. 16:08 AND HE WANTED THE KINGS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE. DEUTERONOMY 17:14, 16:13 "WHEN YOU COME TO THE LAND WHICH THE LORD YOUR 16:15 GOD IS GIVING YOU, AND POSSESS IT AND DWELL IN IT, AND SAY, 'I 16:18 WILL SET A KING OVER ME LIKE ALL THE NATIONS THAT ARE AROUND 16:21 ME,'" - THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID THERE IN 1 SAMUEL - "YOU 16:23 SHALL SURELY SET A KING OVER YOU WHOM THE LORD YOUR GOD CHOOSES; 16:27 ONE FROM AMONG YOUR BRETHREN YOU SHALL SET AS KING OVER YOU; YOU 16:31 MAY NOT SET A FOREIGNER OVER YOU," - WE HAVE A LAW LIKE THAT 16:34 FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES - HAS TO BE U.S. 16:36 BORN, RIGHT? - "WHO IS NOT YOUR BROTHER. 16:42 BUT HE SHALL NOT MULTIPLY HORSES FOR HIMSELF, NOR CAUSE THE 16:45 PEOPLE TO RETURN TO EGYPT TO MULTIPLY HORSES, FOR THE LORD 16:48 HAS SAID TO YOU, 'YOU SHALL NOT RETURN THAT WAY AGAIN.' NEITHER 16:51 SHALL HE MULTIPLY WIVES FOR HIMSELF, LEST HIS HEART TURN 16:54 AWAY; NOR SHALL HE GREATLY MULTIPLY SILVER AND GOLD FOR 16:58 HIMSELF." YOU KNOW WHO MOSES DESCRIBES HERE? 17:02 WHAT KING MULTIPLIED WIVES, HORSES, AND GOLD? 17:08 >>SOLOMON. >>THE ONE WHO WROTE PROVERBS. 17:11 AND HE SAYS, 'LEST THEY DRAW YOUR HEART AWAY.' DID THAT 17:14 PROPHECY COME TRUE? >>YES. 17:16 >>THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. BY THE WAY, THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD 17:20 PROPHECY. WE'RE DOING A PROPHECY DVD - 17:21 I'VE GOT TO REMEMBER SOME OF THESE. 17:24 WE'RE DOING A DVD ABOUT THE 50 MOST COMPELLING PROPHECIES THAT 17:26 PROVE THE BIBLE. AND THEN IT TELLS US AGAIN IN 17:29 PROVERBS 25:3, "AS THE HEAVENS FOR HEIGHT AND THE EARTH FOR 17:33 DEPTH, SO THE HEART OF KINGS IS UNSEARCHABLE." 17:36 1 KINGS 4:29, "AND GOD GAVE SOLOMON WISDOM AND EXCEEDINGLY 17:42 GREAT UNDERSTANDING, AND LARGENESS OF HEART LIKE THE SAND 17:47 ON THE SEASHORE." SO HERE IT TALKS ABOUT AS THE 17:50 HEAVENS AND THE EARTH FOR DEPTH, SO THE HEART OF A KING. 17:54 WHO WAS SOLOMON'S FATHER? DAVID. SO HERE YOU'VE GOT THIS KING, 18:01 WHO IS THE SON OF DAVID, WHO HAD A LARGENESS OF HEART. 18:05 AND WHAT IT SAYS HERE IN PROVERBS 3, 'AS THE HEAVENS FOR 18:08 HEIGHT AND THE EARTH FOR DEPTH, SO THE HEART OF THE KING IS 18:11 UNSEARCHABLE.' BY THE WAY, THAT'S KIND OF A - SOMETHING 18:14 ISAIAH ALMOST QUOTES - IT'S A TYPE OF CHRIST. 18:17 CHRIST IS THE SON OF DAVID WHOSE HEART IS UNSEARCHABLE. 18:23 SO IT'S, I THINK, AN ALLUSION TO HIM HERE. 18:24 ALRIGHT, LET'S GO ON NOW TO MONDAY. THE FOOL AS THE WISE . 18:30 AND, IN A MOMENT, WE'RE GOING TO BE JUMPING INTO PROVERBS - SOME 18:33 OF THE PROVERBS FROM PROVERBS 26. 18:35 NOW HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT FOOLS? 18:43 AS A CHRISTIAN, DOES THAT MAKE YOU CRINGE JUST A LITTLE BIT? 18:45 WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO LABEL ANYBODY THAT WAY? 18:48 IS THERE A VERSE IN THE BIBLE THAT TELLS US NOT TO DO THAT? 18:52 MATTHEW 5 - THAT WAS CALLED A LEADING QUESTION - MATTHEW 5, 18:58 VERSE 22, "BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT WHOEVER IS ANGRY WITH HIS 19:03 BROTHER WITHOUT A CAUSE SHALL BE IN DANGER OF THE JUDGMENT. 19:06 AND WHOEVER SAYS TO HIS BROTHER, 'RACA!' 19:08 SHALL BE IN DANGER OF THE COUNCIL. 19:10 BUT WHOEVER SAYS, 'YOU FOOL!' SHALL BE IN DANGER OF HELL 19:14 FIRE." WELL THAT'S KIND OF FRIGHTENING. 19:16 THAT'S ALMOST LIKE THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. 19:23 EVER WANT TO RISK CALLINGS ANYBODY A FOOL OR STUPID ORU 19:28 SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AND IT SAYS 'IN DANGER OF HELL 19:30 FIRE.' DO YOU KNOW THAT WORD IS ONLY FOUND ONCE IN THE BIBLE? 19:36 IT'S A DIFFERENT WORD. DID JESUS EVER CALL ANYBODY A FOOL? 19:42 THINK ABOUT IT. 'O FOOLS AND SLOW OF HEART TO 19:46 BELIEVE. ALL THE PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN.' 19:48 'O YOU FOOLISH ONES, HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH? 19:50 WE TOOK BREAD WITH US.' OR, YOU KNOW, 'BECAUSE I SAID YOU FORGOT 19:54 BREAD.' SEVERAL TIMES JESUS USED THAT TALKING TO THE APOSTLES. 19:58 SO OBVIOUSLY, AND IF SOLOMON MAKES SO MANY DEFINING 20:01 STATEMENTS ABOUT WHAT A FOOL IS, THEN HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD BE 20:06 BRAVE ENOUGH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO FOOLISH 20:08 THINGS? OKAY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 20:12 SO, IT'S NOT A SIN. 20:13 I USED TO REALLY WORRY ABOUT EVER WONDERING 'HOW YOU APPLY 20:15 THESE VERSES ABOUT SOMEONE BEING FOOLISH BECAUSE I DON'T WANT 20:18 HELL FIRE.' IT'S A PRETTY STRONG STATEMENT. 20:21 NOW, SOLOMON GOES INTO SEVERAL DEFINITIONS AND WE'VE JUST GOT 20:25 TO BE PLAIN ABOUT IT. SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE PSALM 20:28 14:1 IN A MOMENT, OKAY? THIS IS BEA. 20:31 PROVERBS 26:11 AND 12, "AS A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT," - NOT 20:36 A PRETTY PICTURE - "SO A FOOL REPEATS HIS FOLLY. 20:39 DO YOU SEE A MAN WISE IN HIS OWN EYES? 20:42 THERE IS MORE HOPE FOR A FOOL THAN FOR HIM." 20:45 NOW, WE'VE ALL SEEN PEOPLE THAT DO THINGS THAT THEY KNOW HURT 20:49 THEM AND THEY GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN. 20:52 AND THAT - THAT ADAGE ABOUT THE DOG, IS THAT ALSO FOUND IN THE 20:58 NEW TESTAMENT? USED BY PETER? 21:01 HE NOT ONLY TALKS ABOUT THE DOG - HE SAYS, 'AS A DOG RETURNS TO 21:04 VOMIT' - I DON'T LIKE SAYING THAT ON TELEVISION AND VIDEO, 21:07 BUT IT'S IN THE BIBLE. 'AND AS A PIG WHO IS WASHED TO 21:10 WALLOWING IN THE MIRE, SO ARE THESE PEOPLE WHO KNEW THE TRUTH 21:14 AND TURN AWAY FROM IT.' SO WHAT IS THE FOOL? 21:20 THE FOOL IS SOMEBODY WHO KNEW THE TRUTH - WHO KNEW GOD - AND 21:23 TURNS AWAY TO THE SIN THAT MADE THEM SICK. 21:26 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD AND READ PSALM 14:1. 21:31 >>"THE FOOL HAS SAID IN HIS HEART, 'THERE IS NO GOD.' THEY 21:35 ARE CORRUPT, THEY HAVE DONE ABOMINABLE WORKS, 21:38 THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD." >>SO HAS EVERYBODY DONE 21:44 SOMETHING FOOLISH? >MMM HMM. YES. 21:46 >>NOW DON'T WE ALL HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE USED BY GOD? 21:50 WILL WE ALL ADMIT THAT AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIFE WE'VE PROBABLY 21:53 BEEN USED BY THE ENEMY? >>MMM HMM. 21:55 >>TO JUST - EVEN THE APOSTLE PETER. 21:58 I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING, THE SAME DAY THAT JESUS SAYS, 'THOU ART 22:03 PETER AND UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.' AND SOME 22:07 PEOPLE SAY, 'VOILA, PETER MUST HAVE BEEN THE FIRST POPE.' AND, 22:10 OF COURSE, HE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT PETER BEING THE ROCK, HE 22:13 WAS TALKING ABOUT THE TRUTH THAT PETER SPOKE, 'YOU ARE THE 22:15 MESSIAH.' THAT IS THE ROCK UPON WHICH JESUS BUILDS THE CHURCH. 22:17 SAME DAY, JESUS SAID, 'I'M GOING TO JERUSALEM. 22:20 I'M GOING TO BE BETRAYED. I'LL BE PLACED IN THE HANDS OF 22:23 GENTILES. THEY'LL CRUCIFY ME. 22:25 I'LL RISE THE THIRD DAY.' PETER CHASTISED JESUS - SAYS, 22:28 'NOT SO LORD. DON'T EVEN TALK LIKE THAT.' AND 22:30 JESUS SAYS TO PETER, 'GET BEHIND ME SATAN.' AND SO - SO THE DEVIL 22:36 WILL SOMETIMES TRY TO WORK THROUGH PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSE TO 22:41 YOU AND SOMETIMES HE MIGHT EVEN DO IT THROUGH US. 22:45 IF YOU ARE IN A FAMILY SITUATION YOU'VE PROBABLY HAD MOMENTS 22:48 WHERE YOU'VE PLAYED THE PART OF THE NOT SO WISE. 22:54 AND SO, ALL OF US, THIS IS SPEAKING NOT JUST TO THOSE OUT 22:57 THERE - SOMETIMES THESE STATEMENTS ABOUT BEING FOOLISH - 22:59 IT SAYS, 'A FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART THERE IS NO GOD.' 23:04 ARE THERE TIMES WHEN WE SOMETIMES ACT LIKE WE DON'T 23:06 THINK THERE'S A GOD? LIKE THERE'S NOT CONSEQUENCES 23:08 FOR OUR LIVES AND OUR WORDS? IS ATHEISM FOOLISH? 23:15 >>YES. >>I DON'T WANT TO SOUND 23:17 JUDGMENTAL, BUT I THINK IT IS. YOU KNOW WHY? 23:21 WHAT DOES ATHEISM SAY? 'A FOOL SAYS 'THERE'S NO GOD.'' 23:24 ATHEISM SAYS - NOT 'I DON'T KNOW.' THAT'S AN AGNOSTIC. 23:28 AN ATHEIST SAYS, 'I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS A GOD.' I HEARD 23:32 IT EXPLAINED THIS WAY ONE TIME: HOW BIG IS THE UNIVERSE? 23:38 YOU KNOW, MILKY WAY GALAXY - JUST A LITTLE BITTY - I MEAN, 23:43 THERE ARE BILLIONS OF GALAXIES WITH BILLIONS OF STARS AND WE 23:48 ARE LIVING IN ONE GALAXY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 200 MILLION STARS. 23:51 THOSE STARS ARE SUNS - OTHER - THEY HAVE PLANETS AROUND THEM 23:54 AND IT'S 93 MILLION MILES FROM US TO THE NEAREST STAR OR SUN. 23:59 IT IS SO BIG - I - YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST WONDERING IF IN OUR 24:02 LIFETIME WE CAN GET TO MARS. THAT'S IN OUR LITTLE SOLAR 24:05 SYSTEM. AND YOU THINK ABOUT HOW BIG - 24:08 YOU TRAVEL 186,000 MILES A SECOND, IT TAKES YOU FOUR YEARS, 24:12 GOING THE SPEED OF LIGHT, TO GET TO THE CLOSEST STAR. 24:15 HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSE? 24:19 >>NOT MUCH. >>WE HAVEN'T EVEN LEFT THE FRONT 24:21 DOOR - BY GOING TO THE MOON AND GOING OUT TOWARDS PLUTO WITH THE 24:25 VOYAGER EXPLORERS. SO ISN'T IT A LITTLE ARROGANT 24:29 FOR US TO SAY WE KNOW THAT THERE'S NO GOD? 24:33 IF WE ONLY KNOW ONE FRACTION OF ONE-HUNDREDTH OF ONE-THOUSANDTH 24:38 OF A PERCENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE, FOR US TO SAY, 'I 24:42 KNOW THERE'S NO GOD.' ISN'T THAT REALLY RECKLESS? 24:46 WE'VE WATCHED A LOT OF NATURE VIDEOS IN OUR HOME - PROBABLY AD 24:52 NAUSEAM. WE LIKE - I JUST - YOU'VE GOT 24:55 AMAZING FACTS AND THERE'S SOME OF THEM - AND WE'VE SEEN A 24:57 NUMBER OF THEM WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH - YOU'VE PROBABLY 24:59 SEEN - HE'S A FAMOUS NATURALIST AND HE'S DONE SOME - HE'S HOSTED 25:02 SOME JUST BEAUTIFUL SERIES. I ALWAYS GET A LITTLE BIT 25:06 FRUSTRATED WHEN THEY SAY, 'MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.' AND, 25:09 YOU KNOW, I'VE TOLD MY KIDS THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST 25:12 TRANSLATE THAT INTO THOUSANDS AND IT USUALLY WORKS. 25:15 BUT ANYWAY, SOMEONE WAS INTERVIEWING HIM AND ASKING HIM 25:20 - THEY SAID, 'ARE YOU AN ATHEIST?' HE SAID, 'NO, I COULD 25:22 NEVER SAY THAT.' THEY SAID, 'WHY NOT?' 25:24 BECAUSE HE'S GOT DAWKINS AND ALL THESE FRIENDS IN ENGLAND 25:26 THAT ARE ATHEISTS. 25:28 HE SAID, 'NO, I'M NOT GOING TO GO ON THAT.' HE SAYS, 'I THINK 25:29 IT'S UNSCIENTIFIC.' HE SAID, 'BECAUSE IT WOULD BE LIKE A 25:32 TERMITE SAYING HE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WORLD FROM 25:35 THE VANTAGE POINT OF HIS TERMITE MOUND.' AND HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, 25:40 WE'RE SO SMALL AND WE KNOW SO LITTLE.' AND I THOUGHT, 'WELL 25:42 THAT'S - AT LEAST HE'S ADMITTING HE DOESN'T KNOW. 25:45 SO IT'S FOOLISH FOR A PERSON TO DENY GOD. 25:50 AND I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE - I'VE STUDIED WITH PEOPLE BEFORE AND 25:52 THEY SAY, 'OH DOUG, DON'T PREACH TO ME. 25:53 I DON'T - I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A GOD.' I SAID, 'ALRIGHT, LET'S 25:55 SUPPOSE YOU'RE NOT SURE. SUPPOSE I'M RIGHT. 25:58 JUST SUPPOSE THERE'S A CHANCE THAT I'M RIGHT AND THAT IF YOU 26:01 BELIEVE IN GOD YOU HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE AND IF YOU 26:04 DON'T, YOU HAVE EVERLASTING LOSS. 26:06 AND YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU JUST DIE AND YOU TURN INTO NOTHING.' 26:12 I SAID, 'IF YOU LIVE LIKE ME AND YOU, AT LEAST, EXPLORE THESE 26:17 THINGS, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF EVERLASTING LIFE. 26:20 DO YOU KNOW HOW RECKLESS IT IS TO THROW AWAY YOUR ONE CHANCE AT 26:22 LIFE, WHICH IS YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE ETERNAL 26:25 LIFE? IF THERE IS TRUTH IN THAT ARE 26:29 YOU SO SURE THAT THERE IS NO GOD, NO JESUS, NO EVERLASTING 26:32 LIFE, YOU'RE GOING TO GAMBLE ETERNITY AND THE ETERNITY OF 26:34 YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY ON THAT GUESS? 26:39 REALLY, THAT'S DANGEROUS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. 26:41 THAT'S WHY I STARTED STUDYING THE BIBLE. 26:42 I THOUGHT, 'IT'D REALLY BE FOOLISH NOT TO EXPLORE IT IF 26:45 THESE CHRISTIANS ARE RIGHT. I'D BETTER FIND OUT. 26:48 OF COURSE, BACK THEN I BELIEVED IN AN EVER-BURNING HELL TOO AND 26:49 I THOUGHT, 'WELL, I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE SO I BETTER FIND 26:54 OUT.' NOW THERE'S SEVERAL STATEMENTS HERE ABOUT FOOLS THAT 26:59 ARE INTERESTING. PROVERBS 26:4, "DO NOT ANSWER A 27:04 FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY, LEST YOU ALSO BE LIKE HIM." 27:09 THAT ONE'S SAYING, 'IF A FOOL IS TRYING TO ENGAGE YOU IN AN 27:13 ARGUMENT, DON'T ARGUE WITH HIM BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SOUND 27:15 LIKE A FOOL. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 27:17 BUT LISTEN TO THE VERY NEXT THING THAT SOLOMON SAYS: "ANSWER 27:21 A FOOL ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY, LEST HE BE WISE IN HIS OWN 27:24 EYES." MEANING, IF A FOOL MAKES AN 27:26 OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT AND YOU DON'T CORRECT HIM, HE'S GOING TO 27:28 THINK HE'S RIGHT AND HE'LL BE SMUG ABOUT IT AND YOU'VE GOT TO, 27:32 SOMETIMES, REPROVE PEOPLE. AND SO HERE SOLOMON'S SAYING, 27:37 'DON'T ANSWER A FOOL OR YOU'LL BE LIKE HIM. 27:39 ANSWER A FOOL OR HE'LL THINK HE'S RIGHT.' 27:41 YOU KNOW WHAT THE SUBTLE EMPHASIS IS OF SOLOMON HERE? 27:47 WHEN YOU'RE ARGUING WITH A FOOL, YOU DON'T WIN EITHER WAY. 27:51 IF YOU DO ANSWER HIM YOU SOUND LIKE A FOOL. I REMEMBER I HAD A 27:54 TEACHER, I'D ASK A QUESTION AND SHE'D SAY, 'A FOOLISH QUESTION 27:59 DESERVES A FOOLISH ANSWER.' OF COURSE, OTHER TEACHERS SAY 28:05 'THERE IS NO FOOLISH QUESTION.' BUT I HAD THE OTHER KIND OF 28:09 TEACHER FOR A WHILE. AND - BUT YOU GET INVOLVED - YOU 28:13 EVER HEARD SOMEONE - A NEWS REPORTER ASK SOMEONE A QUESTION 28:16 AND THEY SAID, 'THAT QUESTION DOESN'T DESERVE AN ANSWER?' 28:19 SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE GUILTY. 28:22 THEY SAY 'IT DOESN'T DESERVE AN ANSWER. 28:25 BUT SOMETIMES IT'S JUST BECAUSE YOU GIVE CREDIBILITY TO AN 28:30 OUTRAGEOUS QUESTION BY ARGUING WITH THEM. 28:33 BUT THEN, IF YOU DON'T, THEY'LL SAY, 'AHA! 28:36 I'M RIGHT!' MEANING YOU JUST CAN'T WIN. 28:41 PROVERBS 26, VERSES 7 THROUGH 10 - THERE'S SEVERAL IN A ROW HERE, 28:46 IN PROVERBS 26, ON THE FOOL AND THE WISE. 28:48 "LIKE THE LEGS OF THE LAME THAT HANG LIMP IS A PROVERB IN THE 28:54 MOUTH OF FOOLS." IT MEANS IT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE. 28:59 YOU EVER HEARD - SOME PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOOD WITH TIMING, IF 29:02 THEY'RE GOING TO TELL YOU A FUNNY STORY, AND THEY HAVE A WAY 29:06 WITH WORDS AND THEY KNOW HOW TO JUST PLANT IT AND THEY JUST - 29:08 THEIR TIMING IS GREAT AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT? 29:10 HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A PERSON TRY AND RE-TELL A JOKE THEY'VE HEARD 29:13 AND THEY DON'T KNOW IT AND THEY MESS IT UP AND IT JUST IS 29:18 PATHETIC? WELL, I KNOW SOLOMON'S NOT 29:21 TALKING ABOUT JOKES, HE'S TALKING ABOUT A PROVERB, BUT A 29:22 PROVERB IS A WITTICISM THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DELIVERED IN A 29:26 WISE WAY AND HE SAID, 'A PROVERB IN THE MOUTH OF A FOOL, IT'S 29:30 LIKE LIMP - SOMEONE WHO'S LIMP - LAME - WHOSE LIMBS ARE HANGING 29:36 LIMP AND THEN IT SAYS, "LIKE A THORN THAT GOES INTO THE HAND OF 29:39 THE DRUNKARD IS A PROVERB IN THE MOUTH OF FOOLS." 29:43 IT'S LIKE YOU LEAN DOWN ON SOMETHING AND YOU FIND OUT 29:45 YOU'RE LEANING AGAINST THORNS. YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME. 29:49 "THE GREAT GOD WHO FORMED EVERYTHING GIVES THE FOOL HIS 29:54 HIRE AND THE TRANSGRESSOR HIS WAGES." 29:57 NOW IT'S A FOOL THAT SAYS THERE IS NO GOD AND SO EVERYBODY'S 30:03 GOING TO BE PAID SOMEDAY AND EVEN THE FOOL WILL SOMEDAY 30:06 DISCOVER THE FOOLISHNESS OF THEIR LIVES AND THEIR CHOICES. 30:10 JUDGES 21:25, IT DESCRIBES HERE - AND THIS IS IN THE LESSON - 30:14 THAT THERE WAS A DAY WHEN THERE WAS NO KING IN ISRAEL AND 30:19 EVERYBODY DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES. 30:21 WHAT DOES SOLOMON SAY IS THE END WHEN A PERSON SAYS 'THERE'S A 30:25 WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT UNTO A MAN BUT THE END THEREOF...' 30:28 >>IS DEATH. >>ARE THE WAYS OF DEATH. 30:31 EVERYBODY DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES. 30:33 YOU KNOW ONE REASON WE GO TO CHURCH? 30:36 BECAUSE YOU ARE WISER WHEN YOU ARE - A MULTITUDE OF COUNSELORS, 30:40 THERE'S WISDOM. YOU EVER MET ANYBODY THAT LIVED 30:43 LIKE A HERMIT? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ME. 30:47 BUT PEOPLE WHO DON'T WORSHIP WITH OTHERS? 30:50 YOU BECOME ECCENTRIC. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 30:53 IF YOU DON'T BOUNCE YOUR IDEAS OFF SOMEBODY ELSE YOU CAN START 30:59 COMING UP WITH SOME PRIVATE INTERPRETATIONS. 31:01 YOU SAY, 'WELL IT FEELS RIGHT TO ME.' WELL, IF YOU'RE YOUR ONLY 31:04 GUIDE, YOU HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF MAKING A MISTAKE. 31:08 IT'S LIKE TRYING TO LIVE ON ONE LEG - GOOD CHANCE OF FALLING 31:11 OVER. SO DON'T DO WHAT'S RIGHT IN YOUR OWN EYES. 31:15 1 CORINTHIANS 1:20 AND 21 - TALKING ABOUT WISDOM AGAIN - THE 31:19 SECTION'S TALKING ABOUT THE FOOL AND THE WISE. 31:21 "WHERE IS THE WISE? WHERE IS THE SCRIBE? 31:25 WHERE IS THE DISPUTER OF THIS AGE? HAS NOT GOD MADE FOOLISH 31:29 THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD? FOR SINCE THE WISDOM OF GOD, THE 31:32 WORLD, THROUGH WISDOM, DID NOT KNOW GOD. 31:34 IT PLEASED GOD THROUGH THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE MESSAGE 31:36 PREACHED TO SAVE THOSE WHO BELIEVE." 31:40 DOES THE WORLD THINK THAT CHRISTIANITY IS A WISE RELIGION? 31:46 OR DOES THE MEDIA AND THE CULTURE TRY TO PORTRAY 31:49 CHRISTIANS AS BIGOTED IGNORAMUSES? 31:53 BUT WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, I MEAN, SOME OF THE GREATEST 31:56 MINDS AND SCIENTISTS - EVERYONE FROM ISAAC NEWTON TO DA VINCI TO 32:00 ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND FARADAY, AND ALL OF THESE BRILLIANT PEOPLE, 32:06 THEY WERE BELIEVERS. THE FOUNDING FATHERS ALL 32:10 BELIEVED IN GOD. SOME WERE DEISTS, BUT THEY ALL 32:12 BELIEVED IN GOD. MOST WERE CHRISTIANS. 32:14 SOME WERE PASTORS THAT SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 32:17 AND THE CONSTITUTION. SO TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT WISE - 32:23 IT'S THE FEAR OF THE LORD THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. 32:27 BUT THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING IS WHAT GOD HAS CHOSEN TO 32:33 TRANSFORM PEOPLE'S LIVES. WHAT DID JESUS DO? 32:39 DID JESUS EVER WRITE A BOOK? 32:41 DID JESUS EVER COMPOSE A SYMPHONY? 32:45 YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT STATEMENT CALLED ONE SOLITARY 32:47 LIFE - AN EXCERPT FROM A SERMON THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, HE NEVER 32:50 WENT MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES FROM THE PLACE OF HIS BIRTH. 32:52 HE NEVER WROTE A BOOK. HE NEVER PAINTED A PICTURE, YET 32:55 MOST OF THE ART IN THE WORLD IS DEDICATED TO HIM. 32:57 HE NEVER SCULPTED A SCULPTURE YET THERE'S MORE SCULPTURES 33:00 DEDICATED TO CHRISTIANITY THAN ANY OTHER RELIGION IN THE WORLD. 33:03 AND YOU CAN GO ON AND ON TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS - I THINK 33:08 IT CLOSES BY SAYING, 'ALL THE ARMIES THAT EVER MARCHED AND ALL 33:11 THE NAVIES THAT EVER SAILED AND ALL THE PARLIAMENTS THAT HAVE 33:13 EVER SAT HAVE NOT AFFECTED LIFE ON EARTH AS MUCH AS THIS ONE 33:15 SOLITARY LIFE.' HOW? HE PREACHED. 33:20 IT SAYS WHEN HE WAS - DIDN'T EVEN - WASN'T KNOWN AT ALL 33:23 PUBLICLY EXCEPT BY HIS FAMILY AND A FEW PEOPLE IN TOWN UNTIL 33:26 HE WAS THIRTY YEARS OLD. 33:28 AND THEN IN THREE AND A HALF YEARS IT SAYS HE BEGAN PREACHING 33:31 - SAYING - AND THEN HE TAUGHT AND PREACHED AND THOSE WHO WENT 33:34 TO HEAR HIM SAID, 'NEVER A MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN.' WORDS - 33:38 AND THE IDEAS AND THE WORDS THAT HE SHARED AFFECTED EVERY AREA OF 33:42 LIFE AND IT TURNED - IT REVOLUTIONIZED THE WORLD. 33:45 HE MADE A LOT OF ENEMIES TOO. ALRIGHT, TALK ABOUT THE 33:51 SLUGGARD. YOU EVER HAVE THOSE LITTLE 33:55 CREATURES IN YOUR GARDEN CALLED SLUGS? 33:59 WE'VE GOT SOME UP IN THE HILLS BY OUR CABIN AND THEY CALL THEM 34:07 BANANA SLUGS. THEY'RE BIG OLD HONKIN' THAT'S 34:12 HOW WIDE THEY ARE. NO, THEY'RE PRETTY LONG. 34:16 AND YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL THEY - I DON'T KNOW, THEY LIKE TO KIND OF 34:20 GO UP ONE SIDE OF OUR HOUSE AND DOWN THE OTHER AND THEY LEAVE A 34:22 SLIMY TRAIL EVERYWHERE THEY GO. BUT THEY DON'T MOVE VERY FAST, 34:26 WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE CALLED SLUGS. 34:29 AND SO, A SLUGGARD, WHAT IS THAT TALKING ABOUT? 34:33 >>SLOW. >>SOMEONE WHO IS LAZY OR - WHY 34:37 IS A SLOTH CALLED A SLOTH? YOU EVER SEEN ONE OF THESE 34:40 JUNGLE SLOTHS? THEY'VE GOT THE THREE-TOED 34:42 SLOTHS AND THEY - AND THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE RUNNING. 34:48 YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? CLIMBING UP THE TREE AND DOWN 34:52 THE TREE - AND THEY'RE VERY VULNERABLE. 34:53 BUT SO, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT A SLUGGARD OR A SLOTH IN THE BIBLE 34:57 - AND THAT'S WHERE THESE CREATURES GET THEIR NAMES - IT'S 34:59 TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO'S LAZY AND SOLOMON HAD A LOT TO SAY 35:03 ABOUT THAT. IF YOU READ IN - LET'S GO - PROVERBS 26, VERSE 13 35:10 - SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ PROVERBS 15:19 - YOU, CATHY? 35:14 OKAY. PROVERBS 26:13, "THE LAZY MAN 35:17 SAYS, 'THERE'S A LION IN THE ROAD - A FIERCE LION IN THE 35:20 STREETS. AS A DOOR TURNS ON ITS HINGES, 35:23 SO THE LAZY MAN TURNS ON HIS BED." ALRIGHT, LET'S STOP HERE 35:28 BEFORE I START TO EXTRAPOLATE A LITTLE BIT. 35:30 WHAT DOES IT MEAN, 'THERE'S A LION IN THE ROAD - A FIERCE LION 35:32 IN THE STREETS?' 'I WOULD GO OUT AND WORK BUT I 35:35 HEARD THERE'S A LION ROAMING SO I BETTER STAY HOME.' 35:38 THEY CAN ALWAYS FIND SOME CRAZY REASON NOT TO GO ANYWHERE. 35:44 AND, AS A PASTOR, SOMETIMES IT'S EXASPERATING BECAUSE EVERY NOW 35:48 AND THEN YOU'LL MEET SOMEBODY AND THEY'RE OSTENSIBLY A 35:50 CHRISTIAN AND THE MAN HASN'T WORKED IN YEARS 35:55 AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY. 35:58 I'LL TALK TO THEM AND I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, 'HOW'S IT GOING?' 36:00 AND THEY'LL SAY, 'WELL,' - YOU KNOW, THE WIFE'S WORKING HERSELF 36:02 TO DEATH AND SHE'S TAKING CARE OF THE KIDS AND KEEPING A JOB 36:04 AND - HE SAYS, 'I'M PRAYING THAT GOD WILL HELP ME FIND A JOB.' I 36:09 SAID, 'WELL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP GOD ANSWER YOUR 36:11 PRAYERS?' 'WELL, I'M JUST PUTTING IT IN 36:13 GOD'S HANDS.' I SAID, 'WELL, HAVE YOU - HOW ABOUT THAT JOB AT 36:17 TACO BELL?' 'NO, NO, THAT'S - I DON'T THINK 36:20 THAT'S MY CALLING.' AND THEY'VE JUST GOT A THOUSAND - YOU ALL 36:23 KNOW THAT PERSON? THEY'VE GOT A THOUSAND EXCUSES 36:27 FOR - YOU KNOW, THEY IMAGINE SOME BIG CALLING AND THEY'VE GOT 36:32 A THOUSAND REASONS TO DO NOTHING. 36:34 AND SO WHILE THEY STAY HOME AND WATCH FOOTBALL, THEY THINK THE 36:36 LORD'S GOING TO REVEAL TO THEM, WITHOUT SEARCHING THE HIRING ADS 36:42 IN THE PAPER OR ANYTHING, THAT SUDDENLY AN ANGEL'S GOING TO 36:44 KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND SAY, 'I'VE FOUND THE JOB FOR YOU. 36:46 THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR DILIGENCE. 36:50 I KNOW THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL SALESMAN - HE'S ACTUALLY A BIBLE 36:55 SALESMAN. HE'S GOT ALL THESE FUNNY ONE LINERS. 36:58 AND HE SAYS, 'THE HARDER I WORK THE LUCKIER I GET.' YOU KNOW 37:04 WHAT THAT MEANS? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LUCK. 37:08 IT MEANS GOD BLESSES - IT'S NOT IN THE BIBLE, BUT BEN FRANKLIN 37:10 USED TO SAY - HE WROTE A LOT ABOUT SLOTH IN POOR RICHARD'S 37:14 ALMANAC, BUT HE USED TO SAY, 'GOD HELPS THOSE THAT HELP 37:17 THEMSELVES.' AND GOD HELPS THOSE THAT ARE DILIGENT. 37:21 BEN FRANKLIN HAD A PROVERB THAT HE KEPT BEFORE HIM IN HIS LIFE. 37:25 IT SAID, 'SEE A MAN DILIGENT IN HIS BUSINESS? 37:27 HE WILL STAND BEFORE KINGS AND NOT MEAN PERSONS.' MEAN DOESN'T 37:30 MEAN MEAN LIKE - MEAN MEANS PEOPLE OF NO ESTEEM. 37:34 AND FRANKLIN, WHO WAS LIKE ONE OF, I DON'T KNOW, SIXTEEN KIDS, 37:39 HE HAD AN ENORMOUS FAMILY - VERY POOR - LEFT HOME WITH NOTHING 37:42 BUT A SHILLING IN HIS POCKET AND JUST HAD NOWHERE TO LIVE. 37:45 RAN AWAY FROM HOME - HE ENDED UP STANDING BEFORE KINGS. 37:49 HE BECAME AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE UNITED STATES. 37:51 BUT ONE THING YOU COULD NEVER ACCUSE HIM OF IS HE WAS NOT 37:54 LAZY. YOU EVER LOOK AT ALL THE 37:56 EXPERIMENTS THAT HE DID? I MEAN, NOT ONLY WAS IT BIFOCAL 37:59 GLASSES AND THE FRANKLIN STOVE AND THE ELECTRIC EXPERIMENTS. 38:02 ANY OF YOU EVER SEEN THE GLASS HARMONICA HE INVENTED? 38:06 HE HAD THIS GLASS HARMONICA - IT WAS A WHEEL. 38:08 YOU EVER SEE SOMEBODY TAKE THEIR FINGER AND THEY RUN IT ON A 38:09 GLASS SO IT SINGS? 38:11 HE MADE A WHOLE ROW OF THESE, DIFFERENT SIZES, AND YOU WOULD 38:13 CRANK IT THROUGH WATER AND YOU'D PUT YOUR FINGER ON IT AND THEY'D 38:15 - IT PLAYED THIS ENCHANTING MUSIC. 38:18 AND, I MEAN, HE JUST - HIS MIND WAS GOING ALL THE TIME AND HE 38:21 WAS A PRINTER AND HE WAS A WRITER AND JUST INCREDIBLY 38:24 DILIGENT AND THE LORD BLESSED HIS DILIGENCE. 38:27 BUT THAT WAS A PROMISE THAT HE CLAIMED. 38:29 HE SAID, 'I'M GOING TO WORK HARD.' AND IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN 38:34 WE CAN ALSO BELIEVE THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO STILL TRUE, THAT IF YOU 38:38 DON'T DO ANYTHING, THAT YOU WILL NOT PROSPER. PROVERBS 19:24 - 38:42 OH WAIT, I DIDN'T EVEN FINISH PROVERBS 13 THROUGH 16. 38:46 YEAH, IT SAYS "A LAZY MAN BURIES HIS HAND IN THE BOWL; IT WEARIES 38:50 HIM TO BRING IT BACK TO HIS MOUTH. 38:54 THE LAZY MAN IS WISER IN HIS OWN EYES THAN SEVEN MEN WHO CAN 38:57 ANSWER SENSIBLY." LAZY MAN - YOU EVER KNOWN 39:00 SOMEONE THAT'S ALL TALK AND NO ACTION? 39:03 THEY'VE GOT LOTS OF OPINIONS AND THEY'VE GOT LOTS OF IDEAS AND 39:07 THEY'VE GOT LOTS OF INTENTIONS AND THEY CAN TELL EVERYBODY 39:10 EVERYTHING EVERYONE IS DOING WRONG, BUT THEY AREN'T 39:12 REALLY DOING ANYTHING WITH THEIR LIVES. 39:15 THEY - YEAH, THEY - WISER IN HIS OWN EYES. 39:21 PROVERBS 19:24, "LAZY MAN BURIES HIS HAND IN A BOWL" - SIMILAR TO 39:24 WHAT WE JUST READ HERE IN PROVERBS 26:13 - 39:28 "A LAZY MAN BURIES HIS HAND IN THE BOWL AND WILL NOT SO MUCH AS 39:31 BRING IT TO HIS MOUTH AGAIN." HE'S TOO TIRED TO EVEN LIFT THE 39:33 FOOD TO HIS MOUTH. GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, CATHY, I 39:36 THINK IT'S PROVERBS 15:19. >>"THE WAY OF THE SLOTHFUL MAN 39:41 IS AS A HEDGE OF THORNS; BUT THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS MADE 39:44 PLAIN." >>NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 39:48 THE WAY OF THE SLOTHFUL MAN - OR THE LAZY MAN - IS AS A HEDGE OF 39:51 THORNS? JUST HE SEES OBSTACLES 39:55 EVERYWHERE AND HE WON'T PLOW THROUGH ANYTHING DIFFICULT. 39:59 AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE JUST CAN'T SEE THE WAY. 40:04 BUT A PLAIN MAN, HE SAYS, 'THAT'S WHERE I NEED TO GO' AND 40:06 IF THERE'S THORNS IN THE WAY, HE JUST GOES AROUND THEM OR THROUGH 40:08 THEM OR OVER THEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 40:10 BUT A LAZY MAN HAS A LOT OF WAYS OF SEEING OBSTACLES. 40:14 NOW, BIBLE'S CLEAR ENOUGH THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO REST EVERY 40:21 SEVENTH DAY, RIGHT? WHAT ELSE IS COMMANDED IN THE 40:25 TEN COMMANDMENTS? >>WORK - SIX DAYS. 40:28 >>PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY, 'THOU SHALT NOT WORK ON THE SABBATH.' BUT, 40:32 YOU KNOW, IT SAYS 'SIX DAYS THOU SHALT WORK.' 40:35 BY THE WAY, THAT'S THREE TIMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: 40:37 SIX DAYS THOU SHALT WORK. 40:40 NOW, I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT BECAUSE OF AGE - YOU SLOW 40:43 DOWN - THEY'RE MAYBE HANDICAPPED - I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE 40:46 OUT THERE THAT FOR SOME REASON THEY CAN'T WORK FEEL BAD, WE'RE 40:50 TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO CAN WORK THAT DON'T DO ANYTHING. 40:53 AND SO, WE'RE COMMANDED TO BE BUSY - TO BE DILIGENT AND TO - 40:57 GOD - WHAT DID - EVEN BEFORE SIN, WHY DID GOD MAKE MAN? 41:02 BUILD HAMMOCKS AND SWING BACK AND FORTH ON SANDY BEACHES AND? 41:07 OR DID HE PUT THEM IN THE GARDEN TO WORK, DRESS AND KEEP IT? 41:11 AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY GREAT SATISFACTION HAVING - 41:15 DON'T YOU FEEL GOOD WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING DONE? 41:17 WHEN YOU CREATE SOMETHING, YOU STAND BACK AND YOU LOOK AT IT - 41:20 WHETHER IT'S A QUILT OR A HOUSE THAT YOU BUILD OR WHATEVER IT 41:23 IS? GOD CREATED US TO BE CREATORS, 41:28 TO BE PRODUCTIVE, TO DO THINGS, TO MAKE THINGS, TO PRODUCE, AND 41:33 HE WANTS US TO HAVE LIVES LIKE THAT, WHERE WE MAKE THE WORLD 41:36 BETTER THROUGH CREATIVITY. "SIX DAYS YOU SHALL LABOR AND DO 41:39 ALL YOUR WORK." ROMANS 12, VERSE 11, "NOT 41:43 LAGGING IN DILIGENCE, FERVENT IN SPIRIT, SERVING THE LORD." 41:48 SO CHRISTIANS, WE'RE TO DO ALL THINGS AS UNTO THE LORD. 41:51 DO THINGS DILIGENTLY. DO THINGS WITH FERVENCY. 41:53 CHRISTIANS OUGHT TO BE - THE PASTOR WHO BAPTIZED ME, AND I'VE 41:56 QUOTED IT MANY TIMES BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS CUTE. 41:58 HE SAID, 'WE OUGHT TO HAVE ZIP IN OUR HIP AND PEP IN OUR STEP 42:02 AND SPUNK IN OUR TRUNK.' AND HE DID - UP - YOU KNOW, THIS PASTOR 42:08 WHO BAPTIZED ME, HE WAS JUST SO PHENOMENAL. 42:10 KAREN AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT HIM THE OTHER NIGHT BECAUSE WE 42:12 WERE READING THESE OLD - ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE OLD 42:14 ERIC B. HARE STORIES FROM BURMA? 42:17 WELL, PASTOR PHILLIPS AND HIS WIFE, THEY WERE MISSIONARIES IN 42:19 BURMA, NOW MYANMAR, AND HE RETIRED AND BUILT THE CHURCH IN 42:27 COVELO BEFORE I WAS BORN. HE BAPTIZED ME WHEN HE WAS 87. 42:32 HE WAS STILL GIVING BIBLE STUDIES AND DOING EVANGELISTIC 42:34 WORK AND HE LIVED INTO HIS NINETIES, AS DID HIS WIFE. 42:38 JUST BUSY RIGHT UP TO THE END. AND THAT JUST HAS ALWAYS 42:43 INSPIRED ME TO HAVE A FULL AND A PRODUCTIVE LIFE. 42:45 ALRIGHT, ENOUGH ABOUT THAT, I HOPE I'VE MADE EVERYONE 42:49 ADEQUATELY GUILTY ABOUT NOT BEING MORE DILIGENT. 42:53 THE FRIEND AS AN ENEMY - PROVERBS 25:5 42:59 "TAKE AWAY THE WICKED FROM BEFORE THE KING AND HIS THRONE 43:03 WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS." 43:06 YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A GOVERNMENT - AND SOMETIMES 43:09 IT MAY EVEN SEEM A LITTLE HARSH, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A 43:13 GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH RIGHTEOUSNESS - THAT THE LAWS 43:17 WILL BE KEPT. NOW, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT 43:23 SINGAPORE HAS SOME VERY STRICT LAWS. 43:26 AND SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER WHEN A YOUNG MAN NAMED MICHAEL - 43:31 A FEW YEARS AGO HE WAS CAUGHT PAINTING GRAFFITI OR SOMETHING 43:34 ON SOME VEHICLES IN SINGAPORE AND HE WAS ARRESTED AND THE 43:38 PENALTY WAS THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE WHACKED WITH A ROD. 43:43 THAT'S WHAT THEIR PENALTY WAS. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA 43:45 CAME UNGLUED AND THEY SAID, 'THAT'S BARBARIC.' AND THEY 43:47 TRIED EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO INTERVENE AND TO STOP IT AND 43:50 SOME INTERESTING THINGS CAME OUT AT THAT TIME. 43:53 FIRST OF ALL, VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE ARRESTED FOR SUCH THINGS AND 43:56 VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE PUNISHED THAT WAY - YEAH, THEY WERE GOING 43:59 TO CANE HIM. AND IT WASN'T A CANDY CANE - 44:03 IT'S A BAMBOO ROD AND IT LEAVES A WELT AND IT HURTS. 44:07 BUT THE CRIME RATE AND THE VANDALISM RATE AND THE 44:12 CLEANLINESS OF SINGAPORE ARE LEGENDARY AND THEY HAVE STRICT 44:17 LAWS THAT THEY ENFORCE AND THEIR STREETS ARE VERY SAFE. 44:22 BUT YOU GO TO COUNTRIES WHERE THEY'RE ALWAYS SO CONCERNED 44:25 ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE CRIMINAL AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS TO 44:29 THE CRIME RATES THERE? >>IT SOARS. 44:32 >>NOW WHEN SOLOMON BECAME KING, HE DID SOME THINGS THAT PROBABLY 44:36 WOULD BE VIEWED, IN OUR DAY, AS BRUTAL. 44:40 ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS SOLOMON DID WHEN HE BECAME KING IS HE 44:43 FOLLOWED THROUGH ON SOME THINGS HIS FATHER ADVISED HIM ON. 44:46 HE SAID, 'THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT BE LOYAL AND YOU 44:49 NEED TO DEAL WITH IT. DAVID SAID, 'I'M NOT GOING TO 44:52 TELL YOU. YOU'RE A WISE MAN AND YOU'LL 44:54 KNOW WHAT TO DO.' WELL, ONE MAN, WHO HAD CURSED DAVID, SOLOMON 44:59 SAID, 'YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LEAVE TOWN. 45:00 YOU ARE TO BE RESTRICTED TO JERUSALEM. 45:03 HIS NAME WAS SHIMEI AND HE SAID, 'IF YOU LEAVE JERUSALEM, ON THE 45:08 DAY YOU LEAVE, YOU'LL DIE.' HE SAID, 'FAIR ENOUGH.' HE COULDN'T 45:11 CONTROL HIMSELF AND HE CHASED AFTER SOME RUNAWAY SLAVES AND 45:14 THE KING FOUND OUT AND HE DIED. 45:16 JOAB, WHO HAD BEEN DAVID'S GENERAL, BUT HAD ALSO KILLED TWO 45:20 OTHER COMPETITIVE GENERALS THAT WERE INNOCENT MEN, HE TRIED TO 45:25 MAKE SOLOMON'S BROTHER ADONIJAH KING. 45:28 JOAB WAS SLAIN. ABIATHAR THE PRIEST, WHO HAD ALSO 45:34 CONSPIRED, HE WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE PRIESTHOOD. 45:37 SOLOMON DID SEVERAL THINGS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, TO ESTABLISH 45:40 RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE KINGDOM, AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? 45:43 THERE WERE FORTY YEARS OF PEACE. BUT RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING HE 45:47 SAID, 'THIS IS THE LAW AND THE LAW IS GOING TO BE OBEYED. 45:52 AND IN CASE YOU THINK THAT I'M GOING TO BE WISHY-WASHY, I'LL 45:56 LET YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT I MEAN BUSINESS.' AND ONCE HE DID 45:59 THAT - THAT'S, I THINK, KIND OF WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. 46:02 IT SAYS, "TAKE AWAY THE WICKED FROM BEFORE THE KING; HIS THRONE 46:05 WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS." 46:07 THERE WAS KIND OF A PURGING THAT HAPPENED AT THE VERY BEGINNING. 46:09 PROVERBS 25, VERSES 6 AND 7, "DO NOT EXALT YOURSELF IN THE 46:14 PRESENCE OF THE KING AND DO NOT STAND IN THE PLACE OF THE GREAT" 46:18 - WE READ THIS - "FOR IT IS BETTER THAT HE SAY TO YOU, 'COME 46:20 UP HERE' THAN YOU SHOULD BE PUT LOWER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE 46:24 PRINCE WHOM YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN." 46:27 NOW SOMEBODY'S GOING TO READ THE NEXT VERSE, WHICH IS MATTHEW 23, 46:31 VERSES 5 AND 6. IS THAT YOU KATRINA? 46:33 HOPEFULLY THEY'RE READY FOR THAT. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. 46:37 >>"BUT ALL THEIR WORKS THEY DO TO BE SEEN BY MEN. 46:40 THEY MAKE THEIR PHYLACTERIES BROAD AND ENLARGE THE BORDERS OF 46:44 THEIR GARMENTS. THEY LOVE THE BEST PLACES AT 46:46 FEASTS, THE BEST SEATS IN THE SYNAGOGUES." 46:49 >>YOU KNOW, IN SYNAGOGUES THEY WOULD HAVE SEATS BASED ON 46:54 AUTHORITY AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE GOT TO SIT IN DIFFERENT PLACES 46:57 BASED ON THEIR ESTEEM AND THEIR PRESTIGE AND THEIR DEGREES AND 47:00 WHATEVER IT HAPPENED TO BE, AND THEY ALL KIND OF CLAMORED FOR 47:03 THE HIGHEST SEATS. I'VE SEEN IT AT DINNERS, AT 47:09 WEDDINGS - THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THE FAMILY AND CERTAIN 47:14 GUESTS SIT AND FOLKS WANT TO BE CLOSEST TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM. 47:17 JESUS SAID - LUKE 14:8 - HE'S TALKING ABOUT THIS VERY 47:20 PRINCIPLE - "WHEN YOU ARE INVITED BY ANYBODY TO A WEDDING 47:24 FEAST, DO NOT SIT DOWN IN THE BEST PLACE LEST ONE MORE 47:28 HONORABLE THAN YOU BE INVITED BY HIM AND HE WHO INVITED YOU AND 47:32 HIM COME AND SAY TO YOU, 'CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE UP YOUR SEAT FOR 47:35 THIS MAN?' AND THEN YOU BEGIN, WITH SHAME, 47:38 TO TAKE THE LOWEST PLACE. 47:40 BUT WHEN YOU'RE INVITED, GO AND SIT DOWN IN THE LOWEST PLACE SO 47:44 THAT WHEN HE WHO INVITED YOU COMES, HE MAY SAY, 'FRIEND, GO 47:48 UP HIGHER.' THEN YOU'LL HAVE GLORY IN THE PRESENCE OF THOSE 47:51 WHO SIT AT THE TABLE WITH YOU. FOR WHOEVER EXALTS HIMSELF WILL 47:55 BE HUMBLED AND HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED." 47:59 AND SO THIS IS WHAT SOLOMON IS SAYING: DO NOT EXALT YOURSELF IN 48:03 THE PRESENCE OF THE KING. MUCH BETTER THAT THE KING SAY, 48:06 'OH YOU, COME SIT BY ME.' OR 'COME AND SIT IN THIS PLACE OF 48:10 HONOR' THAN FOR THE KING TO SAY, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? 48:12 GET BACK IN - GO BACK TO THE PRESS BOX.' THIS IS - THAT GOES 48:20 BACK TO THAT VERY SIMPLE PRINCIPLE, 'WHOEVER EXALTS 48:24 HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED AND HE THAT HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE 48:26 EXALTED.' WHO IS IT IN THE UNIVERSE WHO EXALTED HIMSELF 48:30 MORE THAN ANYBODY? >>SATAN. 48:33 >>THE DEVIL. WHO IS GOING TO BE HUMBLED THE MOST? THE DEVIL. 48:36 WHO HUMBLED HIMSELF THE MOST OF ANYBODY? 48:39 >>JESUS. >>JESUS. AND HE WHO HUMBLED 48:42 HIMSELF IS GOING TO BE EXALTED HIGHER THAN ANYBODY. RIGHT? 48:46 SO THAT EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AT THE NAME OF CHRIST. 48:48 ALRIGHT, OUR LAST SECTION IS THE FRIEND - THE ENEMY AS A FRIEND . 48:53 AND IF WE LOOK HERE IN - SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ, 48:57 IN JUST A MOMENT, PROVERBS 5:17. 48:59 I'M GOING TO READ - I'M SORRY, YOU'LL BE READING JOB 5:17. 49:03 PROVERBS 26:17, "HE WHO PASSES BY AND MEDDLES IN A QUARREL THAT 49:08 IS NOT HIS OWN, IS LIKE ONE WHO TAKES A DOG BY THE EARS." 49:12 NOW, IS THERE EVER A TIME TO MEDDLE IN A QUARREL THAT ISN'T 49:16 YOURS? >>YES. 49:19 >>YEAH, I CAME UPON A MAN THAT WAS BEATING HIS WIFE AND, YOU 49:25 KNOW, ONE SIDE OF YOU IS SAYING, 'THIS IS A FAMILY PROBLEM.' THE 49:28 OTHER SIDE OF YOU - YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THE WAY MY FATHER RAISED 49:30 ME, IS YOU NEVER HIT A GIRL AND THAT YOU'RE - MEN ARE SUPPOSED 49:38 TO DEFEND. IT MAKES IT KIND OF AWKWARD WHEN IT'S A MARRIED 49:40 THING, BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN SOMEBODY'S BEING HARMED. 49:44 YOU JUST - YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED. 49:46 BUT YOU GET INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, JUST A TYPICAL STREET 49:49 ARGUMENT, YOU KNOW, VENDORS AND PEOPLE FIGHTING OVER STUFF THAT 49:52 - YOU JUST SOMETIMES - YOU JUST SAY YOU'RE GOING TO LET THEM 49:55 WORK IT OUT. HOPEFULLY NO ONE'S ARMED. 49:56 AND, YOU KNOW, LET THEM DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S 50:00 LIKE TAKING A DOG BY THE EARS. YOUR KIDS EVER DO THAT WITH A 50:04 DOG? OUR SON DANIEL'S GOT A SCAR ON HIS FACE FROM GRABBING A DOG 50:09 BY THE EARS. THE DOG WAS NORMALLY NICE, BUT 50:12 HE DIDN'T LIKE A LITTLE KID GRABBING HIM BY THE EARS. 50:15 "OR LIKE A MADMAN WHO THROWS FIREBRANDS, ARROWS, AND DEATH IS 50:21 THE MAN WHO DECEIVES HIS NEIGHBOR AND SAYS, 'I WAS ONLY 50:24 JOKING.'" HOW MANY TIMES HAS SOMEONE SAID, 'OH, JUST 50:29 KIDDING.' RIGHT AFTER THEY UTTERED SORT OF A SCATHING 50:32 LITTLE SARCASM - A LITTLE CUT - AND THEY SAY, 50:36 'OH, I'M JUST KIDDING.' NO YOU'RE NOT. 50:39 USUALLY, WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, 'I'M JUST KIDDING' THEY'VE AT LEAST 50:43 VEILED AN ELEMENT OF TRUTH IN WHAT THEY SAID AND - BUT THEN 50:49 THEY SAY, 'OH, I'M JUST KIDDING.' AND THAT'S WHY HE 50:51 SAID, 'SO IS HE WHO SAID, 'I WAS ONLY JOKING.'' HE GOES ON AND 50:56 SAYS - SAME PASSAGE - PROVERBS 26, VERSE - OH, I GUESS I'M IN 51:01 VERSE 20 NOW, "WHERE THERE IS NO WOOD THE FIRE GOES OUT AND WHERE 51:05 THERE IS NO TALE-BEARER" - AND THAT WORD THERE IS 'GOSSIP' OR 51:09 'SLANDER,' 'WHISPER' - "STRIFE WILL CEASE." 51:14 JUST ABOUT EVERY CHURCH HAS A MEMBER NAMED GABRIELLA GOSSIP. 51:19 OF COURSE THEY COULD BE A MAN. HIS NAME IS GARTH GOSSIP. 51:22 BUT YOU CAN SOMETIMES SEE THAT WHEN THOSE PEOPLE TRANSFER THEIR 51:28 MEMBERSHIP, ALL OF A SUDDEN THINGS CALM WAY DOWN. 51:32 IF SOMEONE IS NOT - YOU KNOW ONE OF THE SINS THAT GOD HATES? 51:35 HE TALKS ABOUT LYING. HE TALKS ABOUT PRIDE. 51:38 HE TALKS ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND THEN HE SAYS, 'HE 51:40 THAT SOWS DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN.' AND SO, GOD WANTS US 51:45 TO BE CAREFUL WITH OUR WORDS TO BRING UNITY AND NOT TO BRING 51:47 DIVISION OR STRIFE. "SO IS A CONTENTIOUS MAN TO 51:52 KINDLE STRIFE. THE WORDS OF A TALE-BEARER ARE 51:55 LIKE TASTY TRIFLES AND THEY GO DOWN TO THE INMOST BODY." 51:58 SOMETHING WHERE SOMEONE SAYS, 'OH MAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I JUST 52:01 HEARD?' TASTY TRIFLE - LET ME GET - 'I'VE GOT THE HOT GOSSIP. 52:07 YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS.' AND PEOPLE ALWAYS LIKE TO 52:10 HAVE THAT INSIDE INFORMATION AND THEY GO DOWN INTO THE INMOST 52:15 BODY. "FERVENT LIPS WITH A WICKED 52:18 HEART ARE LIKE AN EARTHENWARE COVERED WITH SILVER DROSS." 52:23 PEOPLE THAT SPEAK WITH PASSION WITH EVIL INTENT - IT'S LIKE 52:26 TAKING SOMETHING THAT'S NOTHING MORE THAN CLAY AND SILVER 52:30 COATING IT. IT'S JUST MISPLACED. 52:33 IT'S JUST STILL GOING TO BE CLAY. 52:35 I THINK SOLOMON ALSO SAID, 'LIKE APPLES OF GOLD IN SETTINGS OF 52:43 SILVER, SO IS A WORD IN DUE SEASON.' PROVERBS 27, VERSE 5, 52:50 "OPEN REBUKE IS BETTER THAN LOVE CAREFULLY CONCEALED. 52:54 FAITHFUL ARE THE WOUNDS OF A FRIEND, 52:57 BUT THE KISSES OF AN ENEMY ARE DECEITFUL. 52:59 DON'T YOU APPRECIATE PEOPLE THAT REALLY JUST ARE HONEST, I MEAN, 53:02 IN A NICE WAY, BUT THEY'LL TELL YOU REALLY HOW THEY FEEL. 53:05 I'VE GOT A NUMBER OF AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS AND THEY'RE LEGENDARY 53:08 FOR BEING VERY ABRUPT SOMETIMES - AND I HOPE I'M NOT SAYING 53:13 ANYTHING THAT'S NOT ALLOWED BUT I THINK THEY'LL ADMIT IT. 53:16 I'VE GOT AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS, THEY'LL SAY, 'AH, AN AMERICAN. 53:18 YOU'LL STAB EACH OTHER IN THE BACK. 53:19 AUSTRALIAN, WE'LL STAB YOU IN THE FRONT.' AND THEY SAID, 53:22 'WE'LL TELL YOU RIGHT WHAT WE THINK RIGHT UP FRONT.' AND THEY 53:25 HAVE SOME VERY HEALTHY ARGUMENTS BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GUESS. 53:27 MY GRANDMOTHER WAS THAT WAY. SHE WOULD JUST SAY - YOU NEVER 53:31 HAD TO WONDER WHAT SHE WAS THINKING. 53:32 I THINK SOME OF IT RUBBED OFF ON ME. 53:34 HOPEFULLY GOD'S USED IT FOR GOOD. 53:36 BUT IT HELPS, SOMETIMES, TO JUST BE HONEST WITH PEOPLE - IN A 53:40 NICE WAY. YOU WANT TO BE DIPLOMATIC. 53:42 ALRIGHT, READ FOR US JOB 5:17. 53:44 >>JOB 5:17, "BEHOLD, HAPPY IS THE MAN WHOM GOD CORRECTS. 53:50 THEREFORE, DO NOT DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE ALMIGHTY." 53:53 >> THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS IN THE BIBLE ABOUT 53:55 REBUKE. YOU KNOW, EVEN IN THE CHRISTIAN 53:58 CHURCH IT TALKS ABOUT JESUS REBUKED. 54:01 PAUL SAYS, 'REBUKE THOSE' - TO TIMOTHY - 'THAT NEED IT.' MATTER 54:04 OF FACT, IN 2 TIMOTHY 4:2, "PREACH THE WORD. 54:07 BE READY IN SEASON, OUT OF SEASON. 54:09 CONVINCE, REBUKE, EXHORT WITH LONG-SUFFERING AND TEACHING. 54:12 SOMETIMES REBUKE IS JUST A KIND WAY OF TELLING A PERSON 'THIS 54:18 BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE.' OR 'WHAT YOU SAID IS PATENTLY WRONG 54:22 AND YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE.' OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, BUT SOME 54:25 PEOPLE ACTUALLY - IF YOU LOVE THEM, YOU NEED TO CONFRONT THEM. 54:30 AND YOU NEED TO HAVE THOSE HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS EVEN IN A 54:33 CHURCH. IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THEM ALONE. 54:35 YOU DON'T WANT TO OPENLY REBUKE A PERSON FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY 54:37 BE A PRIVATE ISSUE AND - BUT THERE'S - DOES GOD - HAPPY IS 54:42 THE MAN WHOM GOD CORRECTS, RIGHT? 54:46 AND SO IT'S GOOD THAT A LOVING FATHER CHASTENS HIS CHILDREN AND 54:49 SO THERE NEEDS TO BE THIS KIND OF LOVING ACCOUNTABILITY, EVEN 54:51 IN A CHURCH. WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME BUT I 54:54 WANT TO REMIND YOU, BEFORE WE SIGN OFF WE HAVE A FREE OFFER - 54:57 YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THIS AT THE OPENING OF THE PROGRAM. 54:59 IT'S CALLED SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS - OFFER #191 - AND 55:03 YOU CAN JUST EITHER READ IT ONLINE AT THE AMAZINGFACTS.ORG 55:06 WEBSITE OR TYPE IN - OR CALL, RATHER, 866-788-3966 - 55:13 THAT'S 866-STUDY MORE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN 55:16 FOR THIS WEEK OF OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 55:19 GOD BLESS. 55:25 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. >>YOU KNOW, I WASN'T RAISED TO 55:36 BE A METHAMPHETAMINE MANUFACTURER. 55:39 I WASN'T RAISED TO BE A DRUG DEALER. 55:40 I WAS RAISED IN THE CHURCH. I WANTED TO FIT IN. 55:44 I WANTED TO BE IN THE IN-CROWD. I WANTED TO FEEL ACCEPTED SO I 55:48 GOT INTO ALL THE THINGS THAT MY FRIEND WAS INTO. SHE WAS AN AVID 55:53 DRINKER AND BY THE TIME I WAS 16 I WAS DRINKING QUITE A BIT. 56:00 AND PRETTY SOON SOMEONE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO HAVE SOME COCAINE 56:05 AND ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND PRETTY SOON I STARTED TO SELL 56:08 COCAINE AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I CAN QUIT ANYTIME I WANT - THAT 56:13 THIS REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A HOLD ON ME. 56:16 AND ONE DAY, MY FRIEND, SHE WAS DRIVING - A TRAIN HAD WENT BY 56:21 AND SOMEHOW SHE DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER TRAIN COMING AND SHE 56:27 DIDN'T MAKE IT AND THAT RIGHT THERE JUST DEVASTATED ME. 56:34 IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I JUST CRIED OUT TO GOD AND I SAID, 56:39 'GOD, YOU KNOW, DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO. 56:42 I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS. 56:43 INTERVENE IN MY LIFE.' MY PARENTS, IN THE MEANTIME, HAD 56:50 BEEN PRAYING FOR ME - THAT I WOULD COME BACK TO THE LORD. 56:54 THEY ACTUALLY HAD INVITED ME TO A PROPHECY SEMINAR. 56:58 I DECIDED TO COME, BUT I WENT THERE HIGH. 57:01 AND I'M NOT PROUD OF IT - WHY I EVEN MENTION IT TODAY IS BECAUSE 57:06 I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL AND 57:12 HE STARTED WORKING ON MY HEART. IT'S LIKE I KNEW THAT THE HOLY 57:19 SPIRIT WAS CONVICTING ME BUT YET IT WASN'T EVEN LIKE IT WAS ME. 57:22 I LITERALLY, I WAS PICKED UP AND TAKEN DOWN TO THE FRONT. 57:25 YOU CAN BE RAISED IN THE CHURCH AND DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND 57:30 THE DEVIL WILL MAKE YOU THINK THAT GOD WON'T ACCEPT YOU BACK. 57:36 BUT GOD IS MERCIFUL. HE IS LOVING AND HE - IT DOESN'T 57:41 MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. HE JUST WANTS YOU TO COME BACK HOME. 57:53 >>TOGETHER, WE HAVE SPREAD THE GOSPEL MUCH FARTHER THAN EVER 57:56 BEFORE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 58:05 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-03-05