Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021511
|
00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:38 MY NAME IS CHUCK HOLTRY AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE AMAZING 00:40 FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. 00:42 PASTOR DOUG AND PASTOR JËAN ARE OUT OF TOWN THIS WEEK AND SO I 00:45 HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SPENDING SOME TIME WITH YOU. 00:47 OUR STUDY THIS WEEK IS GOING TO BE LESSON #11 - LIVING BY FAITH. 00:52 BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR FREE 00:54 OFFER. IT IS HIDDEN EYES AND CLOSED EARS . 00:58 THIS IS OFFER #726 AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS, YOU WILL WANT TO 01:02 GET A COPY OF THIS. YOU CAN CALL 1-866-788-3966 - 01:09 THAT'S 866-788-3966 OR 866-STUDY-MORE. 01:18 BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR LESSON, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT 01:22 TO BE WITH US. IF YOU DON'T MIND BOWING YOUR HEADS WITH ME. 01:26 FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE THANKFUL THAT WE CAN COME AND 01:29 STUDY HERE TODAY. WE ASK THAT AS WE OPEN YOUR 01:33 WORD, YOU OPEN OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. 01:36 WE ASK IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. >>AMEN. 01:40 >>JUST RECENTLY I WAS FLYING INTO NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AND IT 01:46 WAS AFTER ONE OF THE LARGEST ICE STORMS THEY'VE HAD IN A LONG 01:50 TIME. AND AS WE LANDED ON THE RUNWAY, EVERYTHING WAS GOING 01:53 SMOOTH AND THEN WE STARTED TO TAXI OFF AND I REALIZED, WE WERE 01:57 GOING ACROSS ICE AND MY HEART SANK A LITTLE BIT. 02:03 YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE, JUST RECENTLY, 02:05 THAT ACTUALLY SLID OFF A RUNWAY. IT WAS GOING SLOW AND GOT STUCK 02:09 IN THE MUD. EVERY TIME YOU TRAVEL, 02:14 ESPECIALLY BY AIR, I THINK WE'RE LIVING BY FAITH. 02:18 BUT GOD'S ASKING US TO DO A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIVING BY 02:21 FAITH - A LITTLE BIT DEEPER. YOU KNOW, THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN 02:24 TODAY DOESN'T LIVE BY FAITH NATURALLY, WE LIVE BY OUR SENSES 02:28 - WHAT WE CAN SEE, WHAT WE CAN HEAR, WHAT WE CAN TASTE, ETC. 02:32 BUT GOD IS ASKING US TO LIVE BY FAITH. 02:34 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE BY FAITH? 02:36 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT FIVE KEY POINTS FROM THE BOOK OF 02:38 PROVERBS. AND SO, THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE 02:41 GOING TO BE LOOKING FIRST IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 28. 02:46 SO IF YOU COULD TURN WITH ME TO PROVERBS CHAPTER 28, THERE ARE 02:50 SEVERAL KEY PASSAGES THAT SOLOMON POINTS OUT HERE THAT 02:57 TALK ABOUT LIVING BY FAITH. OUR FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE 03:00 LIVING BY FAITH MEANS KEEPING THE LAW. 03:03 SOMEHOW KEEPING THE LAW HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH LIVING BY 03:05 FAITH. LET'S LOOK AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 03:06 28 AND WE'LL LOOK AT VERSE 4. "THOSE WHO FORSAKE THE LAW 03:14 PRAISE THE WICKED, BUT SUCH AS KEEP THE LAW CONTEND WITH THEM." 03:20 VERSE 7, "WHOSO KEEPETH THE LAW IS A WISE SON: BUT HE THAT IS A 03:29 COMPANION OF RIOTOUS MEN SHAMETH HIS FATHER." 03:31 THE LAST VERSE - THE FINAL ONE I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IS VERSE 10 03:36 - ACTUALLY VERSE 9, "HE THAT TURNETH AWAY HIS EAR FROM 03:40 HEARING THE LAW, EVEN HIS PRAYER SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION." 03:43 SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE THINGS TAKING PLACE HERE: IN VERSE 4 WE 03:47 HAVE "THOSE THAT FORSAKE THE LAW PRAISE THE WICKED: BUT SUCH AS 03:53 KEEP THE LAW CONTEND WITH THEM." IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE WHO 03:55 KEEP THE LAW, THE WICKED DON'T LIKE THEM. 03:59 THERE'S THIS ANIMOSITY THAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN THE TWO. 04:02 AND MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE OR RECOGNIZE THIS KIND OF 04:05 ACTION. LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 7. 04:08 VERSE 7 SAYS, "WHOSO KEEPETH THE LAW IS A WISE SON:" KEEPING THE 04:12 LAW MAKES US WISE. SO LIVING BY FAITH AND KEEPING 04:19 THE LAW - KEEPING THE LAW PUTS ME AT ODDS, IF YOU WILL, WITH 04:23 THE WICKED. IT HELPS ME TO BE WISE, AND 04:25 WHAT'S THAT FINAL POINT THAT WE LOOKED AT IN VERSE 9? 04:28 IT SAYS, "HE THAT TURNETH AWAY HIS EAR FROM HEARING THE LAW, 04:33 EVEN HIS PRAYER SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION." 04:38 WHEN WE TAKE TIME TO HEAR THE WORD, THE LAW SPECIFICALLY, 04:42 OUR PRAYERS ARE ALSO HEARD. SO IF I WERE TO SUM IT UP, THESE 04:47 THREE POINTS - THEY'VE BEEN LAID OUT HERE JUST IN THE BEGINNING - 04:50 ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT LIVING BY FAITH AND KEEPING THE 04:52 LAW IS IN CONNECTION WITH THAT. THOSE WHO KEEP THE LAW ARE 04:58 CONSIDERED WISE. THOSE WHO KEEP THE LAW CAN HEAR 05:05 GOD AND GOD CAN HEAR THEM. THE LAST ONE - YES, THAT IS IT. 05:13 THOSE TWO ARE THE ONES I WAS GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON. 05:15 WISDOM IS NOT BASED UPON PHILOSOPHY AND I THINK THAT'S 05:21 WHERE WE'RE KIND OF CONNECTING SOME THINGS HERE TOGETHER. 05:23 THE LAW SOMETIMES DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO, CAN I SAY, THE CARNAL 05:29 MIND. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT A 05:30 LITTLE BIT MORE IN ANOTHER LESSON. 05:31 THE LAW DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE ALL THE TIME, BUT BECAUSE 05:34 GOD ASKED ME TO DO IT - HE ASKED ME TO KEEP THE LAW - IN DOING 05:38 THAT I'M LIVING A LIFE OF FAITH. FAITH IS DOING SOMETHING THAT 05:41 DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE TO YOU. 05:45 FAITH IS JUST DOING IT BECAUSE GOD SAID IT. 05:48 'GOD'S WORD SAYS IT, I'LL DO IT. I'M NOT TRYING TO EARN MY WAY TO 05:53 HEAVEN, THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE HERE. 05:55 I'M DOING IT BECAUSE WHEN GOD SAYS SOMETHING, IT'S WHAT'S BEST 05:58 FOR ME.' IT'S THAT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING I THINK IS VERY 06:01 IMPORTANT THAT SOLOMON IS TRYING TO BRING OUT HERE. 06:04 WHY IS THE LAW SO IMPORTANT FOR WISDOM? WHY IS IT? 06:09 BECAUSE WE LOOKED AT HERE, KEEPING THE LAW BRINGS WISDOM. 06:12 WHY IS KEEPING THE LAW SO IMPORTANT FOR WISDOM? 06:14 IF YOU DON'T MIND TURNING TO ROMANS, WE'RE GOING TO - IT'S 06:17 KIND OF HARD TO TALK ABOUT FAITH AND NOT BE IN ROMANS, SO I'M 06:19 GOING TO GO TO ROMANS HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT. 06:20 ROMANS CHAPTER 3 - WE'LL LOOK AT ROMANS CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 20. 06:25 THIS TEXT, WE HAVE USED DOZENS OF TIMES. 06:28 WE HEAR IT, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL IN OUR DISCUSSION 06:32 TODAY. "THEREFORE BY THE DEEDS OF THE 06:34 LAW THERE SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT:" - THEN 06:38 IT SAYS THIS: - "FOR BY THE LAW IS" - WHAT? 06:42 >>THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN. >>SO THE LAW TEACHES ME. 06:45 IT TELLS ME WHAT IS SIN. ROMANS CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 7 - 06:50 ROMANS 7:7. PAUL IS CONTINUING HIS DIALOGUE A LITTLE BIT LATER. 06:55 HE SAYS, "WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? 06:57 IS THE LAW SIN? GOD FORBID. 06:58 NAY, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN, BUT BY THE LAW: FOR I HAD NOT KNOWN 07:02 LUST, EXCEPT THE LAW HAD SAID, 'THOU SHALT NOT COVET.'" PAUL 07:05 SAYS, 'I KNOW WHAT SIN IS BECAUSE THE LAW TELLS ME WHAT IT 07:07 IS.' THE LAW GIVES ME KNOWLEDGE. WHY DO I NEED KNOWLEDGE? 07:16 CAN'T I JUST FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF? 07:18 CAN'T I JUST DISCERN WHAT'S GOOD AND BAD? 07:20 IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US, APART FROM GOD, TO SIMPLY DISCERN WHAT 07:25 IS GOOD AND BAD? YOU NOTICE HOW I COUCHED THAT 07:28 QUESTION? NO, IT'S NOT. 07:31 BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT TALK ABOUT - YOU KNOW THE 07:33 PASSAGE - JEREMIAH CHAPTER 17, VERSE 9, "THE HEART IS 07:37 DECEITFUL...AND DESPERATELY WICKED:" - REALLY? 07:42 MAYBE YOU SAY, 'CHUCK, YOUR HEART'S THAT WAY, BUT DON'T PUT 07:45 ME IN THAT CATEGORY.' ALL OF OUR HEARTS ARE THAT WAY, FOR ALL 07:51 HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. 07:55 JEREMIAH 13:23 SAYS THE LEOPARD CAN'T CHANGE HIS SPOTS, THE 07:58 ETHIOPIAN CAN'T CHANGE HIS SKIN AND NEITHER CAN YOU, WHO ARE 08:01 USED TO DOING EVIL, DO GOOD. SLIGHT PARAPHRASE. 08:05 AND THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE. 08:09 YOU AND I CAN'T DISCERN APART FROM THE LAW. THE LAW HELPS US. 08:17 THE REASON WHY YOU, AT ANY TIME IN YOUR LIFE, KNOW WHAT IS GOOD 08:20 AND BAD, IS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN INGRAINED IN YOU VIA GOD AND THE 08:24 SPIRIT, WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD. 08:26 AND THE LAW IS THAT CODIFICATION. 08:28 WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT SPELLED OUT. BEAUTIFUL. 08:31 THERE IS ONE MORE PASSAGE: ROMANS CHAPTER 8 AND VERSE 7. 08:38 THE BIBLE SAYS, "BECAUSE THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST 08:41 GOD: FOR IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, NEITHER INDEED 08:46 CAN BE." MY NATURAL HEART - MY NATURAL 08:50 MIND - TENDS TO GO AWAY FROM THE LAW AND THE LAW SHOWS ME WHAT IS 08:58 WISDOM. AND SO, WHEN I LOOK AT THE WISDOM - I LOOK AT THE LAW 09:01 I SAY, 'OKAY WAIT, WHAT IS CHUCK? NOT GOOD. 09:05 I DESPERATELY NEED GOD.' REMEMBER, THE LAW IS NOT THERE 09:09 TO SAVE ME, BUT THE LAW IS THERE TO HELP ME HAVE KNOWLEDGE 09:14 OF WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. 09:16 YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE THAT IS VERY, VERY 09:19 UNCOMMON TO KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. 09:21 YOU KNOW, WHAT IS RIGHT IS WHATEVER YOU FEEL IS RIGHT. 09:23 WHAT IS WRONG IS, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T HURT SOMEBODY 09:25 ELSE, I GUESS YOU'RE OKAY - THAT DEPENDS WHAT CULTURE YOU'RE IN, 09:28 OF COURSE. SOME CULTURES SAY THAT RIGHT IS 09:30 KILLING PEOPLE IF THEY GO AGAINST YOU. 09:32 SO HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT RIGHT AND WRONG IS? 09:35 VERY SIMPLE. IT IS WHAT? THE LAW. 09:40 THE LAW GIVES ME WISDOM. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. 09:44 SO, IF I WANT TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH, THE LAW IS IMPORTANT TO 09:47 ME BECAUSE IT SHOWS ME WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. 09:50 IT CAN'T SAVE ME, BUT IT SURE CAN TEACH ME. 09:54 AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT 09:56 THIS PICTURE. YOU AND I ARE NOT NATURALLY 09:59 WISE, THAT'S WHY GOD GAVE US THE LAW. 10:02 I HOPE THAT'S NOT OFFENSIVE, BUT IT'S TRUE. 10:06 YOU AND I ARE NOT NATURALLY WISE. 10:08 SO LIVING BY FAITH OBEYS GOD BY FAITH AND NOT ONE'S OWN SELF. 10:19 THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN LIVING BY FAITH WE PICK UP HERE FROM 10:22 PROVERBS. LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEXT LESSON. 10:23 THE NEXT DAY IS SEEKING THE LORD. I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT A 10:28 PASSAGE IN ROMANS - NOT ROMANS - IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 28. 10:37 AND WHILE YOU'RE TURNING TO PROVERBS CHAPTER 28, I'D LIKE TO 10:41 TELL YOU A STORY. HE WAS AN OKAY GUY. 10:49 HE WAS A MAN WHO WAS GIFTED IN HIS BUSINESS. 10:52 HE WAS WELL-KNOWN - VERY WEALTHY. HE HAD A LOT OF THINGS 10:56 GOING FOR HIM. HE WASN'T POPULAR AND SOMETIMES 10:59 THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE IN THOSE KINDS OF POSITIONS. 11:02 AND ONE DAY HE HEARD A TEACHING TRUTH FROM THE WORD OF GOD AND 11:07 HE REALIZED, 'I AM WRONG.' IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES? 11:13 WE HEAR THE LAW, WE HEAR WHAT IT'S SAYING AND WE REALIZE WHO 11:16 WE ARE BECAUSE NOW WE DISCERN BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR AND THIS 11:18 MAN REALIZED, 'I'M IN ERROR.' AND THEN HE DID THE NEXT STEP - 11:22 A VERY IMPORTANT STEP - HE STARTED SEEKING GOD. 11:26 'I MESSED UP SO NOW I MUST FIND A SOLUTION FOR MY PROBLEM.' AND 11:31 HE STARTED SEEKING GOD. HE SOUGHT, AND AS HE SOUGHT 11:35 HE STARTED TO CHANGE. SOME OF THE BUSINESS PRACTICES 11:39 THAT WERE A LITTLE BIT SHADY WERE NOW SWEPT AWAY AND HE 11:42 BECAME A GOOD BUSINESSMAN. HE WASN'T TRUSTED BY MANY 11:48 PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF HIS PAST, BUT HE WAS A GOOD MAN. 11:51 AND EVENTUALLY - YOU KNOW THE STORY BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO 11:54 SWITCH TO THE SABBATH SCHOOL VERSION - JESUS WAS ENTERING 11:57 JERICHO AND THIS RICH MAN, ZACCHAEUS, STARTED SEEKING EVEN 12:04 MORE. AND IN THAT SEEKING HE FOUND CHRIST. 12:10 YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS IN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29? 12:12 IT SAYS, "AND YE SHALL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEARCH WITH 12:15 ALL YOUR HEART." SO ZACCHAEUS FINDS - BECAUSE 12:17 HE'S SEARCHING WITH ALL OF HIS HEART AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE 12:19 HAPPENS: ZACCHAEUS IS CHANGED. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. 12:25 THAT IS THE POWER - SO IF I WANT TO LIVE A LIFE BY FAITH, NOT 12:30 ONLY IS THE LAW INVOLVED, BECAUSE IT SHOWS ME, RIGHT? 12:34 IT HELPS ME DISCERN. 12:35 BUT LIVING A LIFE BY FAITH INVOLVES SEEKING. 12:39 I SEEK GOD WITH EVERYTHING THAT I'VE GOT. 12:42 THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE BY FAITH. 12:46 I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN PEOPLE SET UP THEMSELVES ON A PATH OF 12:50 SEEKING, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS? THEIR LIVES CHANGE. 12:54 IF YOU TRULY ARE ON A PATH OF SEEKING GOD, YOU CANNOT BE THE 12:58 SAME, JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. 13:03 THE SEEKING OF GOD WILL CHANGE YOU. I REMEMBER I WAS - 13:08 FRESHMAN YEAR? SOPHOMORE YEAR - IN COLLEGE. 13:12 WE WERE GETTING TOGETHER AND WE GOT IN THESE LITTLE GROUPS AND 13:14 WE ALL SHARED OUR FAVORITE TEXTS AND WE WENT AROUND - IT WAS 13:16 ORIENTATION - BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR - AND THIS YOUNG MAN 13:18 SAID IN THE GROUP - AND HE SHARED A TEXT WITH ME AND I'VE 13:21 ACTUALLY ALREADY QUOTED IT - JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29, VERSE 13, 13:24 "AND YE SHALL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SHALL SEARCH FOR ME 13:27 WITH ALL YOUR HEART." BUT WHEN I HEARD IT WAS ALMOST 13:29 LIKE THIS - FOR ME A LIGHT BULB WENT ON IN MY MIND. 13:33 GOD CAN BE FOUND. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE YOU'VE HAD 13:39 THAT HAPPEN TO YOU IN YOUR PAST, BUT IT HAPPENED TO ME THEN. 13:42 GOD CAN BE FOUND. HE CAN BE SOUGHT AND HE WILL BE 13:46 FOUND IF YOU SEARCH WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT. 13:48 AND I DETERMINED I WILL DO THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO FIND HIM. 13:52 WHEN I FELL, WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES, AND 13:54 THINGS WERE TOO CONFUSING FOR ME I WOULD SAY, 'GOD, YOU PROMISED 13:57 THAT IF I WOULD SEEK FOR YOU I WILL FIND YOU AND SO I'M GOING 14:01 TO KEEP SEEKING EVEN THOUGH I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE I'M AT 14:03 TODAY, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY LIFE 14:06 TODAY, YOU'VE PROMISED THAT IF I SEEK YOU I WILL FIND YOU.' IT'S 14:10 GOOD NEWS, ISN'T IT? LET'S LOOK AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 14:13 28 AND VERSE 5, "EVIL MEN UNDERSTAND NOT JUDGMENT: BUT 14:22 THEY THAT SEEK THE LORD UNDERSTAND ALL THINGS." I LIKE 14:28 THAT THEY THAT SEEK THE LORD, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? 14:31 THEY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH? >>ALL. 14:34 >>ALL. THAT IS BEAUTIFUL. NOW THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT 14:37 HAPPEN WHEN YOU SEEK THE LORD - YOU KNOW, THERE'S ANOTHER 14:40 PASSAGE PROBABLY POPPED IN YOUR MIND NOT TOO DISTANT FROM THIS. 14:43 WE SING A SONG ALL THE TIME: 'SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF 14:49 GOD' - WHEN YOU SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD, WHAT HAPPENS? 14:52 'AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS' - THANK YOU - WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? 14:55 >>ALL THESE THINGS. >>ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE WHAT? 14:58 >>ADDED. >>ADDED UNTO YOU. 14:59 SO IN PROVERBS I FIND OUT THAT WHEN I SEEK I UNDERSTAND ALL 15:04 AND, OF COURSE, JESUS MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WHEN YOU AND I SEEK 15:06 HIM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS HE ADDS ALL. 15:11 ALL IS PART OF COMING - IT COMES WITH SEEKING - SO I SEEK WITH 15:14 ALL AND I RECEIVE ALL. YOU GOT THAT? 15:20 WHEN I'M SEEKING, I SEEK WITH ALL THAT I AM AND I RECEIVE ALL 15:24 THAT HE IS. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PICTURES, I BELIEVE. 15:28 IN MY OPINION, ANYONE WHO EVER GETS TO HEAVEN IS A SEEKER. 15:34 IT'S THE SEEKERS WHO MAKE IT - THOSE WHO SEEK FOR GOD WITH ALL 15:38 THAT THEY HAVE ARE THE ONES WHO RECEIVE ALL THAT GOD IS - AND HE 15:41 HAS A LOT TO GIVE US AND THAT'S ANOTHER LESSON FOR ANOTHER TIME. 15:45 I'D LIKE TO READ A PASSAGE - THIS IS ACTUALLY FROM THE 15:49 SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON - VERY, VERY NICE - CAN'T SAY IT ANY 15:54 BETTER. "FOR ANCIENT ISRAEL, KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THINGS WAS NOT 15:58 SEPARATED FROM RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. FAITH WAS CLOSELY 16:02 TIED TO INTELLIGENCE AND RATIONAL UNDERSTANDING." 16:06 IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING HOW THIS IS PUT: FAITH AND 16:09 INTELLIGENCE WERE CLOSELY TIED TOGETHER. 16:12 "IT WAS INCONCEIVABLE TO HAVE FAITH WITHOUT THINKING OR 16:16 THINKING WITHOUT FAITH BECAUSE GOD WAS THE FOUNDATION OF BOTH 16:21 DOMAINS." I KIND OF LIKE THE WAY THE EDITOR OF THIS LESSON - THE 16:26 WRITER OF THIS LESSON - PUT THAT. 16:27 IT'S ONLY IN GOD THAT WE HAVE TRUE KNOWLEDGE AND THAT IS - 16:33 THAT CONCEPT IS DENIED TODAY, MORE THAN HAS EVER BEEN DENIED 16:37 BEFORE. GOD AND KNOWLEDGE ARE NOT THE 16:41 SAME IN THE EYES OF THE ACADEMIC WORLD TODAY. 16:46 IN GOD'S EYES, KNOWLEDGE AND FAITH ARE TIED TOGETHER. 16:53 BUT IN THE WORLD'S EYES, THEY'RE SEPARATE. 'THIS IS FAITH AND 16:57 THE WORLD OF FAITH AND GOD BLESS THE PASTORS WHO ARE FAITHFUL. 17:01 THEY HELP DEAL WITH OUR SPIRITUAL SIDE.' AND THEN HERE'S 17:04 THE ACADEMICIANS AND THE SCIENTISTS AND THEY DEAL WITH 17:07 OUR INTELLECTUAL SIDE AND NEVER SHALL THE TWO COME TOGETHER.' 17:11 BUT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DEFIES THAT AND I WOULD SAY 'PRAISE 17:14 GOD.' YOU'RE ALLOWED TO SAY THAT TOO IF YOU'D LIKE. 17:16 IT DEFIES THAT. IT SAYS THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT IS. 17:21 EDUCATION - CHRISTIAN EDUCATION PUTS THE TWO TOGETHER. 17:25 IN FACT, THERE'S A SCHOOL - YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, IT'S 17:28 CALLED THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST. WHAT DOES JESUS SAY? 17:31 'TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND' - DO WHAT? 17:33 'LEARN OF ME.' WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LEARN OF JESUS - SIT AT HIS 17:38 FEET. HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE MASTER TEACHER. 17:40 THAT'S THE GREAT SCHOOL, THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST. 17:42 OUR CONNECTION WITH JESUS DETERMINES OUR AMOUNT OF 17:46 KNOWLEDGE. LIVING BY FAITH - THAT'S WHAT 17:54 WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT - LIVING BY FAITH RECOGNIZES THE 17:57 LAW - SHOWS ME WHAT I NEED TO KNOW. 18:00 IT GIVES ME WISDOM - HELPS ME DISCERN BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. 18:02 LIVING BY FAITH DOES SOMETHING ELSE. 18:05 IT RECOGNIZES THAT TRUE KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM WHO? GOD. 18:10 AND SO LIVING BY FAITH SEEKS GOD WITH ALL AND RECEIVES ALL. 18:16 THAT'S THE SECOND POINT. LET'S LOOK AT OUR THIRD ONE. 18:27 THIS NEXT POINT I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW IN THE WORLD TO 18:29 FIT INTO THE LESSON. IT DOES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE 18:34 RICH PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO WE CONSIDER GREAT MEN AND WOMEN? 18:40 SOME OF THE HEROES OF THE BIBLE THAT ARE RICH? 18:42 >>JOB. >>JOB IS ONE, THAT'S RIGHT. 18:44 >>ABRAHAM. >>ABRAHAM, OF COURSE, THAT'S 18:46 RIGHT. >>SOLOMON. 18:47 >>SOLOMON - SOLOMON, YOU GET JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WEALTH 18:50 THERE IN SOLOMON, THAT'S OKAY. WHO ELSE? 18:53 >>DAVID. >>DAVID. DAVID WAS A VERY 18:56 WEALTHY MAN. I PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. THAT'S OKAY. 19:03 >>ISAAC. >>ISAAC. 19:04 IT SAYS ISAAC WOULD GO OUT AND HE WOULD SOW AND HE WOULD 19:06 RECEIVE A HUNDRED-FOLD. 19:09 I MEAN, ISAAC WAS JUST EXTREMELY WEALTHY. 19:11 HE PROBABLY WAS MORE WEALTHY THAN HIS FATHER. 19:12 WE REALLY DON'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT THAT. 19:13 SOMEONE SAID JACOB? >>YEAH. 19:15 >>JACOB, HE WENT FROM NOTHING TO BEING AN EXTREMELY WEALTHY 19:20 PERSON. THESE ARE SOME OF THE HEROES. 19:22 >>JOSEPH. >>JOSEPH. 19:24 JOSEPH WAS VERY WEALTHY. WOW. 19:28 YOU GAVE ME A LOT OF OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE. 19:32 WE HAVE SOME VERY WEALTHY NEW TESTAMENT PEOPLE. 19:34 THEY PROBABLY DON'T FIT OUT IN THE HERO SECTION, BUT NICODEMUS 19:37 WOULD FIT IN, YES? MAYBE JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA? 19:40 WE JUST MENTIONED ONE OF THEM IN OUR - ZACCHAEUS, YES? 19:43 SO WHY DO YOU THINK THAT SOME OF THE GREATEST HEROES OF THE BIBLE 19:49 WERE WEALTHY? I MEAN THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I 19:53 KIND OF TRIED TO WRAP MY BRAIN AROUND. WHY WERE SOME OF THE 19:57 WEALTHIEST PEOPLE ALSO SOME OF THE FAMOUS ONES? 20:02 BY THE WAY, WELL YOU UNDERSTAND, I BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS HIS 20:06 PEOPLE THAT ARE WEALTHY AND POOR AND WE'LL SEE THAT IN OUR NEXT 20:09 DAY, SO I WANT TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR ON THAT. 20:11 BUT HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW HARD IT MUST BE FOR A 20:15 WEALTHY PERSON TO BE A CHRISTIAN? 20:20 ALL MY DEAR, RICH FRIENDS OUT THERE, I'M NOT SPEAKING IT IN A 20:22 NEGATIVE WAY, BUT JESUS HIMSELF SAID IT'S HARDER FOR A CAMEL TO 20:26 GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE THAN FOR A RICH MAN TO BE SAVED. 20:29 IT'S KIND OF A BOLD STATEMENT FOR JESUS TO SAY, YET WE HAVE 20:33 ALL THESE EXAMPLES OF RICH PEOPLE WHO WERE IN LIVING 20:35 CONNECTION WITH CHRIST, SO WE KNOW IT'S VERY POSSIBLE, AMEN? 20:38 SO WHAT ARE WE SEEING HERE? WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF SOMETHING 20:44 IT TAKES A LOT MORE FAITH TO NOT DEPEND ON IT. CAN YOU SEE THAT? 20:52 WHEN I HAVE A LOT OF INTELLIGENCE - I HAVE A FRIEND 20:55 OF MINE WHO'S A PROFESSOR - BRILLIANT MAN. HE WAS THIRTY 21:01 YEARS OLD AND HE WAS HEAD OF A MAJOR DEPARTMENT AT A MAJOR 21:03 UNIVERSITY. SOON HE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THREE COLLEGES, ONE 21:07 IN SUCCESSION AFTER ANOTHER - JUST AN INCREDIBLE MIND. 21:12 BUT SEE, IT'S - IT TAKES ALMOST MORE FAITH FOR A REALLY 21:17 INTELLIGENT MAN TO SAY, 'I DON'T TRUST MY MIND. 21:19 I TRUST GOD'S WORD.' RIGHT? 21:22 THEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO MAY BE VERY STRONG. 21:26 I HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND OF MINE WHO'S A MARTIAL ARTS EXPERT. 21:30 BRILLIANT IN HIS FIGHTING ABILITY, HAD HIS OWN DOJO, DID 21:35 HIS OWN TRAINING. FOR HIM IT TAKES A LOT OF FAITH 21:41 THAT WHEN YOU'RE ATTACKED - AND HE WAS - SOMEONE TRIED TO MUG 21:44 HIM - IT TAKES A LOT OF FAITH TO SAY, 'I'M NOT FIGHTING YOU. 21:49 GOD WILL PROTECT ME.' BECAUSE I'M NOT DEPENDING ON WHAT I'VE 21:53 GOT AN ABUNDANCE OF, I'M DEPENDING ON WHAT GOD CAN DO. 21:59 AND WEALTH IS THE SAME EXACT WAY. 22:01 SOMETIMES, I WOULD GUESS - I'M NOT AN EXTREMELY WEALTHY PERSON 22:04 - I WOULDN'T EVEN SAY A MODERATELY WEALTHY PERSON - BUT 22:06 IF I WAS, I COULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO NOT TRUST 22:09 IN MY WEALTH AND TO, SOMEHOW, DEPEND ON GOD. 22:14 SOMETIMES IT'S JUST EASIER TO DO IT WITH WHAT I'VE GOT. 22:18 I ACT THAT WAY AND I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ANY OF THE ABOVE 22:21 CATEGORIES. SO IT'S AMAZING - I THINK THAT'S 22:24 SOMETHING THAT'S A STRUGGLE THAT MAYBE THOSE WHO ARE RICH FACE. 22:29 AND, DARE I SAY, THOSE WHO HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF ANY OF THE AREAS 22:32 WE'VE LOOKED AT. THERE'S SOME COUNSEL THAT 22:34 PROVERBS GIVES SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM STEP BY 22:37 STEP. THERE'S FOUR IN A LESSON - I 22:39 ADDED ONE SO I HAVE FIVE. LET'S LOOK AT NUMBER 1 - 22:42 PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND VERSE 8 - PROVERBS 28, VERSE 8 - THIS IS 22:48 SOME COUNSEL THAT IS BEING GIVEN HERE. 22:52 LIVING BY FAITH WHEN YOU'RE RICH - "HE THAT BY USURY AND UNJUST 22:56 GAIN INCREASETH HIS SUBSTANCE, HE SHALL GATHER IT FOR HIM THAT 23:01 WILL PITY THE POOR." DON'T TAKE FROM THE POOR. DON'T GET RICH AT 23:07 THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR, I THINK IS WHAT SOLOMON IS SAYING HERE. 23:10 I HAVE A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WAS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY AND THERE 23:15 WAS A MULTIMILLIONAIRE ATTENDING THE SAME CHURCH THAT HE WAS 23:18 ATTENDING. AND WHAT THIS MULTIMILLIONAIRE 23:20 DID IS LOAN HIM SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS INTEREST FREE. 23:25 NOW, HE KNEW THAT MY FRIEND WAS TRUSTWORTHY - TRUSTED HIM 23:29 IMPLICITLY - HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW WHAT? 23:32 I KNOW YOU NEED IT AND I CAN GIVE YOU A WHOLE LOT BETTER DEAL 23:34 THAN THE BANK CAN GIVE YOU. WE'RE BROTHERS. GOD BLESS YOU. 23:37 YOU HAVE TO PAY IT BACK, BUT WE'LL DO IT INTEREST FREE.' THAT 23:41 WAS KIND OF A NICE THING THAT HE DID. 23:42 HE OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT DETERMINED TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF HIS POORER 23:47 CHURCH MEMBER. DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF LABAN AND JACOB? 23:53 LABAN WAS A RICH MAN WHO WAS TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING HE 23:57 COULD OUT OF THE POOR MAN JACOB. AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF GOD - 24:02 I THINK THAT'S WHAT JACOB SAID - THIS IS GENESIS CHAPTER 31 - HE 24:06 SAID, 'IT'S ONLY BECAUSE GOD INTERVENED THAT I'M NOT LEAVING 24:09 YOU PENNILESS AFTER WORKING FOR YOU FOR TWENTY YEARS. 24:11 IT'S ONLY BECAUSE GOD INTERVENED.' OF COURSE, YOU AND 24:14 I BOTH KNOW THAT JACOB LEFT WITH A LOT OF WEALTH BECAUSE GOD 24:17 INTERVENED. POINT NUMBER 2 THAT'S GIVEN HERE 24:21 - AND THIS IS KIND OF THE OPPOSITE OF THE FIRST POINT - 24:23 AND THAT IS CHAPTER 28 OF PROVERBS AND VERSE 27. 24:28 THE FIRST WAS 'DON'T GET RICH AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR.' NOW 24:31 WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS - VERSE 27 - IT SAYS, "HE THAT GIVETH UNTO 24:35 THE POOR" - WHAT? >>HE SHALL NOT LACK. 24:39 >>HE WILL NOT LACK. WOW. SO A WORD OF WISDOM: IF YOU WANT 24:46 TO LIVE BY FAITH, IF SOMEONE HAS WEALTH, DON'T GAIN YOUR MONEY 24:50 UNFAIRLY AND GIVE TO THE POOR - GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NEED. 24:54 SO IT'S ANOTHER PART THAT COMES OUT HERE. IN FACT, 29 - 24:58 PROVERBS 29, VERSE 7 DOES MORE THAN JUST SAY 'GIVE TO THE 25:02 POOR.' NOTICE WHAT IT SAYS HERE: VERSE 7 OF PROVERBS 29 SAYS, 25:06 "THE RIGHTEOUS CONSIDERS THE CAUSE OF THE POOR." 25:10 CONSIDERS THE NEED OF THE POOR - HE LOOKS OUT AND HE'S TRYING TO 25:12 FIGURE OUT 'WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS? 25:14 WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?' WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE WE'RE 25:17 SEEING HERE IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND 29. 25:23 I HAVE TWO GENTLEMEN THAT CAME ACROSS MY MIND AS I WAS THINKING 25:27 ABOUT IT - I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T NAME THEM BY NAME, SO I WON'T, 25:30 BUT WHO HAVE GIVEN WHAT THEY HAVE TO THE CAUSE OF GOD. 25:35 ONE OF THEM FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A SCHOOL TO BE 25:39 DEVELOPED IN HIS AREA - A TRAINING SCHOOL - AND SO HE 25:42 POURED HIS LIFE INTO DEVELOPING AND SETTING UP A TRAINING SCHOOL 25:46 TO TRAIN OTHER PEOPLE TO SHARE JESUS. BEAUTIFUL. 25:51 HE HAD ENOUGH INCOME THAT HE COULD SURVIVE, SUPPORT HIS 25:54 FAMILY, AND PROVIDE. AND HE SET ASIDE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 25:59 BEAUTIFUL. AND THERE IS THAT KIND OF NEED. 26:01 HE CONSIDERED THE CAUSE AND SAID, 'LET'S DO IT.' LET'S LOOK 26:05 AT NUMBER THREE. PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND VERSE 19 26:11 - PROVERBS 28, VERSE 19, "HE THAT TILLETH HIS LAND SHALL HAVE 26:18 PLENTY OF BREAD:" - I'LL JUST STOP WITH THAT FIRST PART. 26:21 IT'S KIND OF THE PART WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON - 26:22 "HE THAT TILLETH HIS BREAD - TILLETH HIS LAND" - 26:24 EXCUSE ME - "SHALL HAVE PLENTY OF BREAD." WEALTH SHOULD NOT 26:30 COME BY STEALING - AS WE LOOKED IN POINT NUMBER ONE - 26:33 OR BY CHANCE, WEALTH SHOULD COME FROM WORKING FOR IT. 26:38 YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS - I HAVE A - I HAD AN UNCLE WHO, AT THE 26:45 TIME OF MY STORY, WAS QUITE WEALTHY, AND I WAS GOING TO SEE 26:50 HIM JUST TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF SPRING BREAK WITH HIM AND I 26:53 WAS WORKING ON A MISSIONARY STIPEND AND MY CAR WOULD WORK 26:58 AND THEN NOT WORK, AND THEN WORK AND NOT WORK AND I REMEMBER I 27:01 WAS GOING OFF TO TELL HIM - SPEND SOME TIME WITH HIM - WE 27:04 HAD A GREAT TIME - A VERY GOOD UNCLE OF MINE - AND IN THE 27:09 PROCESS, I HAPPENED TO TELL HIM WHAT MY CAR WAS LIKE AND HE 27:14 SAID, 'YOU KNOW CHUCK, MY FIRST TEN YEARS OF WORKING I HAD A CAR 27:18 JUST LIKE THAT. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? 27:20 YOU JUST KEEP FAITHFUL IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU'LL GET WHAT 27:22 YOU NEED.' IT'S NOT THE ANSWER I WANTED. 27:25 I WAS KIND OF HOPING A NEW CAR FROM, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL 27:27 PARKING LOT. BUT HE WAS GIVING ME A VERY, VERY WISE ANSWER. 27:32 WORK FOR IT AND YOU WILL RESPECT IT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? 27:36 AND THAT'S THE PICTURE THAT'S BEING GIVEN HERE, THAT GOD'S 27:39 ACTUALLY GIVEN TO THE WEALTHY. AND LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEXT ONE: 27:42 PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND VERSE 20 AND VERSE 22. 27:48 IT'S KIND OF CONNECTED WITH WHAT WE JUST LOOKED AT IN OUR THIRD 27:50 POINT THERE. VERSE 20 SAYS, "A FAITHFUL MAN 27:53 SHALL ABOUND WITH BLESSINGS: BUT HE THAT MAKETH HASTE TO BE RICH 27:56 SHALL NOT BE INNOCENT." IF YOU'RE GIVEN - IF YOU'RE JUST 28:00 TRYING HARD TO GET RICH QUICK - HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE GET RICH 28:05 QUICK SCHEMES? YOU CAN SEE THEM POSTED ON - 28:08 AROUND SACRAMENTO. I DRIVE AROUND AND THEY SAY, 'IF 28:11 YOU WANT TO EARN ADDITIONAL FIVE GRAND A MONTH, TRY THIS. 28:16 IF YOU WANT TO EARN THIS FROM HOME AND YOU ONLY HAVE TO WORK 28:18 TEN HOURS A WEEK AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND 28:21 A YEAR. ALL THESE ARE IS SCHEMES. 28:24 AND WE CAN SMILE WHEN WE LOOK AT THEM AND I THINK MOST OF US 28:27 REALIZE YOU'VE GOT TO WORK A LITTLE HARDER THAN THAT IF 28:29 YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT KIND OF FINANCES. 28:30 BUT HE THAT MAKETH HASTE TO BE RICH SHALL NOT BE INNOCENT. 28:33 IN VERSE 22 IT SAYS, "HE THAT HASTETH TO BE RICH HATH AN EVIL 28:37 EYE, AND CONSDIERETH NOT THAT POVERTY SHALL COME UPON HIM." 28:40 IN OTHER WORDS, THE END RESULT IS NOT GOING TO BE GOOD. 28:42 THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE. 28:44 THERE'S ONE THAT'S NOT IN THE LESSON. 28:46 I THOUGHT I'D ADD IT, IF THAT'S OKAY. 28:48 PROVERBS CHAPTER 28, VERSE 11 - PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND VERSE 11 28:58 - IT SAYS, "THE RICH MAN IS WISE IN HIS OWN CONCEIT; BUT THE POOR 29:02 THAT HATH UNDERSTANDING SEARCHETH HIM OUT." 29:04 THE RICH MAN IS WISE IN HIS OWN CONCEIT - THERE IS A POSSIBILITY 29:11 - AND THIS IS COUNSEL THAT GOD'S GIVING - IF YOU'RE RICH, DON'T 29:14 TRUST IN YOUR RICHES. DON'T DEPEND ON IT. 29:19 DON'T GET WISE LIKE 'HEY, I GOT THIS MONEY AND I GOT IT THROUGH 29:21 MY HARD WORK AND MY HARD LABOR AND SO LISTEN TO ME. 29:27 YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO - YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT 29:34 YOU'RE ABOUT TO SAY, BUT I HAVE BEEN TO CONGREGATIONS AMONG 29:39 GOD'S PEOPLE WHERE SOME PEOPLE ARE GIVEN A POSITION ON A BOARD 29:44 SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES AND THAT 29:50 IS NOT A REASON TO CHOOSE A PERSON. 29:54 WISDOM IS A GOOD REASON, AMEN? 29:58 FAITHFULNESS TO GOD IN WEALTH IS A GOOD REASON. 30:01 BUT SIMPLY WEALTH ITSELF IS NOT A GOOD REASON TO CHOOSE. 30:05 I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN WITH A LOT OF SMALL CHURCHES. 30:08 'WE'RE GOING TO LET THE BUSINESSMEN BE ON OUR BOARD.' 30:11 AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT IF THEY'RE CHRISTIAN 30:14 BUSINESSMEN, AMEN? IF THEY'VE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES 30:17 TO DOING GOD'S WORK. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US 30:19 TO REALIZE - THINK ABOUT NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 30:22 WOULD YOU SAY NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS A WEALTHY MAN? VERY WEALTHY. 30:28 AND WHAT DID HE SAY? THERE IT IS IN DANIEL CHAPTER 4, 30:31 'LOOK AT THIS BABYLON THAT I HAVE BUILT FOR MYSELF.' AND I 30:36 COMPLETELY PARAPHRASED THAT, BUT THAT'S THE CONCEPT. 30:38 BUT THERE'S ANOTHER GREATLY WEALTHY MAN, HIS NAME WAS JOB, 30:42 AND HOW DID HE RESPOND WHEN THINGS FELL APART FOR HIM? 30:47 'THE LORD GIVETH; THE LORD TAKETH AWAY. 30:49 WHAT I HAD CAME FROM GOD.' THAT KIND OF RECOGNITION IS POWERFUL. 30:54 I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING. 30:56 THAT WOULD BE A SIXTH POINT, BUT SINCE THAT DIDN'T COME FROM 30:58 PROVERBS WE'LL JUST STICK WITH THE FIVE WE'VE GOT. 31:02 I BELIEVE THE GREATEST EXERCISE OF FAITH - AND THAT'S GOING TO 31:06 BE THE SUMMATION OF THIS SECTION ON - IT'S CALLED WORDS FOR THE 31:10 RICH - THE GREATEST EXERCISE OF FAITH IS WHEN YOU AND I DON'T 31:14 TRUST IN WHAT WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF. 31:17 I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST EXERCISES OF FAITH. 31:20 SO LIVING BY FAITH - IF I WERE TO, KIND OF, GO WHERE WE'VE BEEN 31:24 SO FAR - LIVING BY FAITH IS KEEPING THE WORDS OF THE LAW, 31:29 WHY? BECAUSE THEY TELL ME WHAT IS AND 31:32 IS NOT RIGHT. I CAN'T TRUST MY OWN MIND AND MY 31:33 OWN PHILOSOPHY. LIVING BY FAITH IS SEEKING GOD. 31:38 IF I SEEK WITH ALL I WILL RECEIVE ALL. 31:42 AND LIVING BY FAITH IS ALSO THIS ELEMENT OF - ESPECIALLY FOUND IN 31:46 THE WORDS OF THE RICH - TO THE RICH - THAT FAITH IS NOT 31:51 TRUSTING IN WHAT I HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF. 31:54 GOOD LESSONS, I THINK, THAT SOLOMON'S BRINGING OUT FOR US. 31:57 LET'S GO TO THE NEXT ONE - AND THIS WOULD BE, I THINK IT'S 32:02 WEDNESDAY'S LESSON - HANDBOOK FOR THE POOR . 32:05 NOW AFTER EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT, WE STARTED OUT WITH THE 32:08 LAST ONE SAYING ABOUT HERE'S THESE GREAT LEADERS AND ALL 32:10 THESE HEROES IN THE BIBLE AND THEY JUST HAPPENED TO BE RICH. 32:13 SO ARE THE POOR SECOND-RATE CITIZENS? 32:17 OF COURSE YOU KNOW BY THE WAY I'M SAYING IT THE ANSWER IS NO. 32:20 WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME HEROES IN THE BIBLE THAT WERE 32:26 POOR? >>JESUS. 32:27 >>I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD SAY THAT, SIR. 32:29 JESUS. ABSOLUTELY - THE CLASSIC EXAMPLE. 32:32 ANYBODY ELSE? >>JOHN THE BAPTIST. 32:33 >>JOHN THE BAPTIST. HE'S THE OTHER PERSON IN MY NOTES? 32:38 WHO ELSE? >>THE WIDOW AND HER MITE. 32:40 >>THE WIDOW AND HER MITE AND - INCREDIBLE - THAT ACT WILL BE 32:43 TALKED ABOUT FOREVER. A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE. 32:47 WE COULD ALMOST LIST OUT MOST OF THE DISCIPLES. WE'LL SKIP 32:51 MATTHEW, OF COURSE, BUT MOST OF THE DISCIPLES WERE POOR PEOPLE. 32:54 WE LOOK AT PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN - I MEAN, THEY JUST SEE 32:58 JESUS DIE, THEY KNOW HE'S BEEN RESURRECTED, THEY GO UP TO THE 33:00 SEA OF GALILEE AND THEY SAY, 'WE BETTER GO FISHING.' I THINK IT 33:06 WAS MORE THAN JUST THE FACT THAT THEY LOVED FISHING, THEY ALSO 33:08 HAD FINANCIAL NEEDS AND NONE OF THEM WERE INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY. 33:12 SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A PICTURE WE SEE. 33:16 WHAT ARE SOME WORDS THAT GOD HAS FOR THE POOR - OR THOSE WHO 33:23 DON'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MEANS AS THE WEALTHY? 33:25 LET'S LOOK AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 - NO, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO 33:29 JUMP OUT OF 20 - LET'S GO BACK TO PROVERBS 23 AND VERSE 4. 33:33 PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST COUNSELS THAT WE SEE BEING GIVEN 33:36 HERE, PROVERBS 23, VERSE 4, "LABOR NOT TO BE RICH:" - DON'T 33:49 MAKE THIS YOUR WHOLE FOCUS IN LIFE - TO BE RICH. 33:53 I HAVE - I HAVE MET PEOPLE WHO HAVE GROWN UP IN POVERTY AND 33:57 THEY'VE DETERMINED THAT THEY WILL NOT DIE IN POVERTY AND THEY 34:01 POUR EVERY OUNCE OF THEIR BEING TO BECOME FABULOUSLY WEALTHY. 34:06 AND SOME DO BECOME THAT; THEY FIND AT THE END THAT IT DOESN'T 34:09 SATISFY THEIR SOUL, BUT THEY POUR THEIR HEART INTO REACHING 34:14 THAT. SO HERE'S THE COUNSEL, IT'S NOT WRONG TO LABOR, AMEN? 34:21 I THINK YOU AND I SHOULD BE LABORING FOR THE KINGDOM OF 34:23 HEAVEN, BUT LABORING SIMPLY TO HAVE WEALTH IS NOT SOMETHING 34:28 THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU AND I TO DO. 34:31 LABORING TO HELP THE CAUSE OF GOD, BE IT THROUGH OUR WEALTH OR 34:36 OUR TIME OR OUR ENERGY, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. 34:38 SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT MOTIVE HERE AND, OF COURSE, I'M TAKING 34:41 THE KING JAMES READING HERE AND PLAYING WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT, 34:44 AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED. LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEXT ONE. 34:48 PROVERBS CHAPTER 24 AND WE'RE LOOKING AGAIN - WORDS TO THOSE 34:55 WHO ARE POOR - WE'RE GOING TO BALANCE OUT WHAT WE JUST SAID 34:57 ABOUT LABORING NOT TO BE RICH WITH THIS ONE, PROVERBS 24 - 35:00 LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 32, "THEN I SAW AND CONSIDERED IT WELL: I 35:07 LOOKED UPON IT, AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTION. 35:09 YET A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER, A LITTLE FOLDING OF THE 35:14 HANDS TO SLEEP: SO SHALL THY POVERTY COME AS ONE THAT 35:18 TRAVAILETH; AND THY WANT AS AN ARMED MAN." 35:22 WOULD YOU LIKE A SUMMARY OF THIS? LAZY WILL BE POOR. 35:28 NOW THIS IS NOT SAYING THAT ALL POOR PEOPLE ARE LAZY. 35:32 IT'S NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE 35:36 WHO WORK EXTREMELY HARD - POUR THEIR HEARTS OUT - JUST BARELY 35:40 ABLE TO SURVIVE. IN FACT, I WOULD SAY A MAJORITY 35:42 OF OUR PLANET IS LIKE THAT. BUT I TELL YOU WHAT. 35:47 IF YOU'RE LAZY, POVERTY IS A MUCH MORE SURE THING. 35:51 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? JUST SIT DOWN AND RELAX AND TWIDDLE MY 35:54 THUMBS AND HOPE THAT SOMEHOW THE FOOD FALLS IN MY MOUTH. 35:57 THAT'S THE PICTURE THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE. 36:02 DON'T LABOR TO BE RICH, BUT PLEASE DON'T BE LAZY. 36:07 THIS IS KIND OF A PICTURE THAT'S BEING LAID OUT. 36:09 LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEXT POINT. PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND VERSE 3 36:13 - AND I LIKE - I'M REALLY GLAD THAT THIS WAS BROUGHT OUT IN THE 36:17 LESSON. IT BRINGS OUT SOMETHING I HAD 36:19 NOT THOUGHT OF BEFORE AND I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY HELPFUL. 36:21 PROVERBS 28:3 SAYS THAT "A POOR MAN THAT OPPRESSETH THE POOR IS 36:25 LIKE A SWEEPING RAIN WHICH LEAVETH NO FOOD." 36:28 A POOR MAN OPPRESSING THE POOR? 36:30 DO YOU KNOW THE POOR HAVE THE SAME DUTIES AS THE RICH DO? 36:34 THE RICH ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPPRESS THE POOR AND THE POOR 36:36 ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPPRESS THE POOR. 36:41 ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT THE POOR ONES ARE BEING OPPRESSED? 36:43 IN BOTH CASES - THE POOR GET OPPRESSED BY THE POOR AND THE 36:46 POOR GET OPPRESSED BY THE RICH. AND GOD TELLS BOTH OF THEM 36:48 'DON'T OPPRESS THEM.' AND I HAVE TO SAY, I WISH MORE OF OUR 36:51 PLANET FOLLOWED THIS COMMENDATION, DON'T YOU? 36:54 THAT THEY WOULD DO THIS - NOT COMMENDATION - RECOMMENDATION - 36:58 THAT THE POOR WOULD NOT BE. IT'S INTERESTING, I THINK A LOT 37:02 OF TIMES THERE'S A TENDENCY SOMETIMES TO 37:05 OPPRESS THOSE THAT ARE LOWER THAN YOU. NO MATTER HOW LOW WE 37:10 ARE, WE CAN ALMOST ALWAYS FIND SOMEONE LOWER AND THAT'S THE ONE 37:12 WE WOULD TEND TO OPPRESS, UNLESS YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN. 37:15 BECAUSE CHRISTIANS REALIZE THAT LIVING BY A LIFE OF FAITH, THIS 37:18 IS NOT THE KIND OF THING I'M GOING TO DO. 37:21 IT'S JUST NOT THE THING THAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO. 37:25 SO PROVERBS CHAPTER 28, VERSE 6 - PROBABLY THE MAIN FOCAL POINT 37:32 OF THIS DAY LOOKING AT A HANDBOOK FOR THE POOR - 37:35 PROVERBS CHAPTER 28 AND VERSE - WHAT VERSE WAS IT? - 6. 37:41 "BETTER IS THE POOR THAT WALKETH IN HIS UPRIGHTNESS, THAN HE THAT 37:47 IS PERVERSE IN HIS WAYS, THOUGH HE BE RICH." BETTER IS THE POOR 37:55 THAT WALKETH IN HIS UPRIGHTNESS. THERE IS MUCH TO BE SAID HERE, 38:04 BUT GOD IS LOOKING FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO VALUE RIGHTEOUSNESS - 38:10 UPRIGHTNESS - MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. 38:13 THAT'S WHAT HE'S LOOKING FOR - PEOPLE WHO WILL SAY, 'THERE'S 38:18 NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO US THAN RIGHTEOUSNESS ITSELF. 38:25 SO, BASED UPON THIS, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION: IS RIGHTEOUSNESS 38:29 MORE TO BE DESIRED THAN WEALTH? YEAH, WITHOUT A QUESTION. 38:38 IS IT MORE DESIRED IN YOUR LIFE? DON'T ANSWER. 38:43 YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH THIS, 38:49 ESPECIALLY, I WOULD SAY, MAYBE THOSE WHO HAVE LESS MEANS. 38:53 'I WANT THIS.' I USED TO DREAM OF HAVING A BRAND-NEW CAR. 38:58 THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I USED TO DREAM ABOUT WHEN I WAS A KID. 39:00 I'D HAVE MY FRIENDS WHO - I HAD ONE FRIEND, WHEN HE WAS 16 HIS 39:04 FAMILY BOUGHT HIM A CORVETTE - BRAND NEW. 39:08 OF COURSE HE CRASHED IT SO HE WAS DOWNGRADED TO A BRAND-NEW 39:10 JEEP CHEROKEE. YOU KNOW, THE TOUGH LIFE SOME 39:13 PEOPLE LIVE. I REMEMBER MY FIRST CAR. 39:21 YES, I CAME HOME AND I HAD IN MY MIND THE KIND OF CAR THAT I 39:24 NEVER WANTED - MAYBE YOU CAN THINK OF THAT RIGHT NOW IN YOUR 39:28 MIND - A CAR YOU WOULD NEVER, EVER WANT. 39:29 I HAD THAT IN MY MIND AS A YOUNG MAN. 39:32 AND I CAME HOME FROM COLLEGE AND THERE SITTING UP ON JACK STANDS, 39:36 BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF IT, WAS THE CAR THAT I WANTED 39:41 NEVER TO HAVE. AND THE PROBLEM WAS I HAD TO PUT 39:44 THE TRANSMISSION IN AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE KNOWN ME WELL, 39:48 I HAVE MORE THAN TWO THUMBS - AT LEAST SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE 39:50 THAT IN MECHANICS. I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT GIFT OF 39:54 PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER AND SO MY DAD SAID, 'PART OF HAVING A 39:56 CAR IS LEARNING HOW TO WORK ON IT. 39:58 I'LL HELP YOU WORK ON IT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO DO IT.' AND I USED 40:03 TO DREAM, 'OH WHY DID I HAVE TO GET A CAR' - BY THE WAY, THE 40:05 DRIVE SHAFT WAS BENT AND SO ONCE YOU GOT OVER 65 MILES AN HOUR, 40:09 THE WHOLE CAR STARTED SHAKING LIKE THIS. 'WHY, GOD? 40:12 I WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.' SO I WOULD DESIRE WEALTH, I 40:16 WOULD SAY, MORE THAN RIGHTEOUSNESS. 40:19 IT'S PROBABLY NOT AN UNCOMMON THING SOMETIMES. 40:22 BUT I REALIZE, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, GOD IS CLEARLY SAYING, 40:25 'WEALTH IS REALLY INSIGNIFICANT IN COMPARISON TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. 40:31 NOW, IF YOU WERE TO SAY, 'GOD, I WANT YOU TO BLESS MY LIFE.' 40:37 BASED UPON THIS VERSE, WHAT IS HIS PRIORITY GOING TO BE? 40:41 >>RIGHTEOUSNESS. >>RIGHTEOUSNESS. 40:46 'GOD, I WANT BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE.' 'OKAY, I'M GOING TO DO 40:50 WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP YOU BECOME RIGHTEOUS.' 'WAIT, WAIT, 40:53 WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! THAT'S NOT THE BLESSINGS I WAS ASKING FOR GOD. 40:56 LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.' RIGHT? BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WHEN WE THINK 40:59 OF BLESSINGS, WHAT DO WE THINK OF? HEALTH, RIGHT? 41:04 HEALTH, WEALTH, FAME, OR COMFORTABILITY AT LEAST? 41:09 AND GOD SAID, 'THAT'S NOT MY MAIN PRIORITY. 41:12 MY MAIN PRIORITY IS WHAT?' RIGHTEOUSNESS. 41:16 SO WHEN YOU ASK FOR BLESSINGS, YOU'RE ASKING GOD TO HELP YOU 41:19 HAVE RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT'S KIND OF SCARY. YOU MIGHT 41:24 WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT TWICE BEFORE YOU START ASKING GOD 41:26 FOR BLESSINGS - UNLESS YOU SAY, 'GOD, I WANT BLESSINGS ACCORDING 41:29 TO MY UNDERSTANDING. IS THAT OKAY?' 41:31 NOW WE WOULDN'T PRAY LIKE THAT, RIGHT? 41:33 BUT I THINK SOMETIMES THAT - THAT IS SOMETHING WE - AT LEAST 41:38 STUCK OUT TO ME AS I WAS LOOKING AT THIS. 41:39 I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TRULY LIVING BY FAITH. 41:41 LIVING BY FAITH IS REALIZING I WANT WHATEVER GOD WANTS TO GIVE 41:46 ME. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 41:50 AND THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS, BY THE WAY, DOESN'T COME THROUGH 41:53 ANYTHING THAT I'VE DONE. RIGHTEOUSNESS ONLY COMES THROUGH 41:57 THE INDWELLING IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. BEAUTIFUL - 42:01 POWERFUL - AND THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, MY DAD SAID 42:05 ONCE THIS: 'OFTENTIMES THE ONLY TIME A MAN WILL LOOK UP IS WHEN 42:08 HE'S LAYING ON HIS BACK.' SCARY THOUGHT BUT I THINK IT'S TRUE. 42:13 SOMETIMES WE ARE PUT IN SUCH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS THAT THE 42:17 ONLY WAY WE'RE WILLING TO SAY, 'HEY, I NEED YOU GOD.' IS TO BE 42:22 IN THE SITUATION WHERE LIFE ISN'T PLEASANT OR IT'S NOT 42:24 COMFORTABLE. WHEN YOU LIVE BY FAITH, YOU 42:28 VALUE RIGHTEOUSNESS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. 42:35 BY THE WAY, LOOK AT THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 42:38 WHAT WAS THE MOST VALUED THING IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST? 42:42 IT WASN'T HIS NICE MANSION, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE ONE WHEN 42:45 HE WAS DOWN HERE - AT LEAST NOT ONE ON EARTH, RIGHT? IT WASN'T 42:50 HIS FANCY DONKEY - DIDN'T HAVE ONE AS FAR AS WE KNOW. 42:57 IN FACT, HE SAID, 'I HAVE NOTHING.' RIGHT? 42:58 'THE BIRDS OF THE AIR AND THE FOXES, THEY HAVE PLACES TO GO. 43:02 I HAVE NOTHING.' SO WHAT WAS VALUABLE TO CHRIST? 43:06 >>HIS CONNECTION WITH THE LORD. >>HIS CONNECTION WITH JESUS - 43:08 CONNECTION WITH GOD - AND FOR YOU AND I IT WOULD BE OUR 43:10 CONNECTION WITH HIM, AMEN? THAT IS WHAT IS OF VALUE. 43:15 SO, RECAPPING AGAIN - THE TEACHER SIDE: LIVING A LIFE OF 43:20 FAITH, KEEPING THE LAW, HELPS ME UNDERSTAND WHAT IS RIGHT AND 43:23 WHAT IS WRONG. THEN IT POINTS ME TO WHO? JESUS CHRIST - AND WHEN 43:27 I SEEK WITH ALL, I RECEIVE ALL. THEN I HAVE LOOKED AT THIS 43:31 CONCEPT OF GOD SPOKE SPECIFICALLY TO THE POOR. 43:33 WHAT KIND OF LESSON TO THOSE FOR US WHO 43:35 WANT TO LIVE BY FAITH - WHAT WAS THE LESSON, I FORGOT? 43:40 THOSE THAT - FOR THE RICH - LIVING BY FAITH IS NOT TRUSTING 43:45 IN WHATEVER YOU HAVE THE ABUNDANCE OF. 43:48 AND I GUESS WE USE IT AS RICH, BUT IT COULD BE AN ABUNDANCE OF 43:50 ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, AS WE 43:52 LOOKED AT THE COUNSEL TO THE POOR, THE MOST VALUABLE THING IN 43:55 THE WORLD IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT'S WEALTH, NO? STRENGTH? 44:01 NO. HEALTH? NOT EVEN HEALTH. IT'S RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THAT'S 44:05 THE PICTURE THAT WE SEE BEING PULLED OUT HERE. 44:07 ALRIGHT, THIS LAST ONE IS A - THIS IS LOVING THE TRUTH AND, OF 44:16 COURSE, THIS STARTS FROM 2 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 44:19 10 AND BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO STICK IN PROVERBS, I'M NOT GOING 44:21 THERE. SO IF YOU CAN STAY IN PROVERBS, 44:25 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT PROVERBS CHAPTER 29 - 29 VERSE 15 - A 44:32 FAVORITE VERSE, I'M SURE, OF MY FATHER. 44:36 PROVERBS CHAPTER 29 AND VERSE 15, "THE ROD AND REPROOF GIVE 44:45 WISDOM - THE ROD AND REPROOF GIVE WISDOM: BUT A CHILD LEFT TO 44:53 HIMSELF BRINGETH HIS MOTHER TO SHAME." 44:59 NOW, OUR SUBJECT'S BEEN LIVING BY FAITH , BUT IF I WERE TO HAVE 45:06 A SECOND SUBJECT, IT'D BE WISDOM. WHY? 45:09 BECAUSE WE'RE STUDYING PROVERBS. KEEPING THE LAW GIVES ME WISDOM. 45:12 SEEKING THE LORD GIVES ME WISDOM. 45:13 AND NOW, REPROOF GIVES ME WISDOM. 45:16 THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN TODAY'S LESSON - KIND OF 45:18 A SUBSET OF TOPICS. HOW CAN REPROOF GIVE ME WISDOM? 45:22 WHY WOULD I WANT REPROOF? 45:26 I, PERSONALLY, DON'T LIKE REPROOF. 45:29 BUT REPROOF IS SOMETHING - IS IT TO BE DESIRED? 45:35 >>YES, A WISE MAN DESIRES IT. >>YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN READING 45:40 THE BOOK OF PROVERBS, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. 45:41 LET'S LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THESE ONES. 45:44 PROVERBS CHAPTER 9, VERSE 8 - PROVERBS CHAPTER 9 - THERE'S A 45:47 LOT THAT'S ACTUALLY SAID IN THE BIBLE ON THIS CONCEPT. 45:52 PROVERBS 9, VERSE 8 SAYS, "REPROVE NOT A SCORNER, LEST HE 46:00 HATE THEE: REBUKE A WISE MAN, AND HE WILL" - DO WHAT? 46:05 >>LOVE YOU. >>HE WILL LOVE YOU. 46:08 SO IF YOU'RE WISE - I'M GOING TO DO SOME REVERSE REASONING HERE, 46:13 IF YOU'RE WISE AND YOU'RE REBUKED, YOU WILL LOVE THE 46:16 PERSON WHO REBUKED YOU. THAT'S ONE TO WORK ON. 46:23 IF YOU'RE A WISE MAN AND YOU'RE REBUKED, YOU WILL LOVE THE 46:26 PERSON WHO DID IT. WHY? 46:29 WHY WOULD YOU LOVE SOMEONE WHO REBUKES YOU? 46:31 >>TO KEEP YOU FROM MAKING A FOOL OF YOURSELF. 46:33 >>KEEPING YOU FROM MAKING A FOOL OF YOURSELF, THAT'S RIGHT. 46:36 >>YOU LEARN FROM - SOMEONE ELSE CAN SEE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T 46:41 AND THEY BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION - IF YOU'RE WISE YOU 46:43 WILL NOT GET UPSET WITH THEM ABOUT IT, YOU WILL GO, 'THANK 46:47 YOU, THAT'S - I HADN'T SEEN IT THAT WAY.' AND YOU WILL LEARN - 46:50 AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS TO APPLY IT. 46:52 >>PEOPLE SEE THINGS THAT YOU AND I CAN'T SEE. 46:54 I'M GOING TO REPEAT IT JUST BECAUSE WE'VE GOT IT HERE. 46:56 OTHER PEOPLE CAN SEE THINGS THAT YOU AND I CAN'T SEE. 47:00 I KNOW IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT NONE OF US ARE PERFECT. 47:04 AND THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE WHO CAN SEE 47:07 THINGS WE CAN'T SEE AND WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT 47:09 THEY'RE BRINGING IT TO US. 47:10 I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST STARTED DOING PUBLIC EVANGELISM. 47:12 WE WERE - I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE TOLD THIS STORY BEFORE. 47:17 WELL, YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T HEARD IT. WE WERE TRAVELING - MY WIFE 47:23 AND I - 45 MINUTES BACK AND FORTH FROM WHERE WE WERE STAYING 47:27 TO THE MEETING SITE - AND AFTER THE FIRST NIGHT - IT WAS 47:30 MY FIRST TIME EVER PREACHING A PUBLIC SEMINAR LIKE THIS. 47:34 I FINISHED PREACHING. 47:35 WE GOT ON THE ROAD AND WE HAD OUR 45-MINUTE RIDE BACK AND I 47:38 SAID, 'SO HONEY, WHAT DID YOU THINK?' 47:41 YEAH, SOME OF YOU ARE LOOKING AT ME SAYING, 'WHY DID YOU ASK THAT 47:42 QUESTION?' I ASKED IT AND MY WIFE WOULD BE VERY KIND. 47:47 SHE DECIDED TO MAKE A SANDWICH - MAYBE YOU HEARD THIS IN 47:50 PSYCHOLOGY. SHE GAVE - 'WOW, I THINK IT WAS 47:53 REALLY NICE. YOU SEEM TO KNOW YOUR SUBJECT WELL.' AND THEN 47:58 'BUT...' DA DUNT, DA DUNT, DA DUNT.' I WAS LIKE 'AAAGGGHHH.' 48:03 THEORETICALLY, WHAT SHOULD I HAVE BEEN DOING? 48:07 "THANK YOU HONEY, THAT'S GREAT.' BUT AFTER TWO NIGHTS - THAT 48:11 HAPPENED TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW - I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, HONEY, COULD 48:14 YOU JUST NOT TELL ME THE NIGHT THAT IT HAPPENS? 48:17 JUST WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AND THEN TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG, 48:19 BUT JUST DON'T TELL ME THE NIGHT OF THE PREACHING, BECAUSE' - BUT 48:21 YOU KNOW WHAT? I FOUND OUT SOMETHING TOOK PLACE. 48:24 MY WIFE DOESN'T THINK LIKE ME, PRAISE GOD, AND BECAUSE SHE 48:29 DOESN'T THINK LIKE ME, I TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE'S COMING 48:32 FROM. THERE'S A LOT IN MY AUDIENCE WHO 48:35 THINK LIKE HER AND IF I UNDERSTAND THAT, I HAVE A BETTER 48:38 CHANCE OF BEING SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT GOD HAS CALLED ME TO DO. 48:41 LOVE REBUKE. BE THANKFUL WHEN A REBUKE COMES. 48:46 LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER ONE - PROVERBS CHAPTER 27 AND VERSE 5 48:51 - PROVERBS 27 AND VERSE 5 - COMMON PASSAGE THAT'S USED - 48:57 "OPEN REBUKE IS BETTER THAN SECRET LOVE." 49:02 YES, WE'LL GO ON TO ANOTHER VERSE. 49:07 PROVERBS - PSALMS CHAPTER 141 - PSALMS 141 - AND THIS IS DAVID 49:14 SPEAKING AND HE SAYS THIS - DAVID ACTUALLY PUTS INTO WORDS 49:17 WHAT HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN YET, BUT I'VE SAID IT A FEW TIMES - 49:20 PSALMS 141, VERSE 5. HE SAYS, "LET THE RIGHTEOUS 49:30 SMITE ME;" - DAVID SAID LET SOME WHO'S RIGHTEOUS - SOMEONE WHO'S 49:34 GOOD - LET THEM HIT ME. TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING WRONG. 49:37 LET THEM DO IT AND - "IT SHALL BE A KINDNESS:" - 49:45 HAVE YOU EVER DECIDED YOU'RE GOING TO GO UP TO SOMEONE IN THE 49:46 CHURCH YOU KNOW REALLY LOVES GOD AND SAY, 49:48 'HEY, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? 49:50 I NEED SOME KINDNESS TODAY.' WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO THAT, BUT 49:57 THAT'S WHAT IT'S SAYING HERE - "LET THE RIGHTEOUS SMITE ME AND 49:59 IT SHALL BE A KINDNESS: AND LET HIM REPROVE ME; IT SHALL BE AN 50:04 EXCELLENT OIL, WHICH SHALL NOT BREAK MY HEAD:" - IF IT'S COMING 50:10 FROM SOMEONE LIKE THIS, IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE EXCELLENT OIL. 50:13 NOW WE'RE SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT HERE - OIL WAS SOMETHING THAT 50:15 WAS POSITIVE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR ME. 50:17 THAT REPROOF WILL BE SOMETHING THAT HELPS ME BE HEALTHIER, IF I 50:22 COULD PUT IT IN A MODERN CONTEXT. THAT REPROOF WILL MAKE 50:25 ME A BETTER PERSON. SO, I'M GOING TO GO TO A 50:29 RIGHTEOUS PERSON AND SAY, 'TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG. 50:32 I'M READY TO TAKE IT.' I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, 50:34 PER SE, BUT DAVID IS SAYING THAT'S A GOOD THING. 50:37 LET IT HAPPEN. BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR GENERATION? 50:44 SURELY WE DON'T NEED REBUKE AND REPROOF. 50:47 WE HAVE BEEN AROUND SO LONG AS A MOVEMENT, WE HAVE FINE-TUNED 50:53 EVERYTHING SO WE ARE BASICALLY READY FOR TRANSLATION. 50:59 YOU CAN'T SPEAK MUCH MORE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK, AS YOU 51:00 REALIZE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MESSAGE THE 51:03 BIBLE HAS THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU AND FOR ME. 51:07 IT'S FOR THE TIME PERIOD THAT YOU AND I ARE LIVING IN AND IT'S 51:09 FOUND IN A BOOK CALLED REVELATION - REVELATION CHAPTER 51:13 3 - REVELATION CHAPTER 3 -THERE'S A TALK HERE OF REBUKE. 51:23 THE SPEAKER HERE IS JESUS, THE SUBJECT: THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA. 51:32 REVELATION CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 19, OUR BIBLES READ "AS MANY AS 51:38 I" - WHAT'S THAT NEXT WORD? >>LOVE. 51:42 >>"LOVE, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN:" THIS IS HOW GOD SHOWS US LOVE. 51:49 "AS MANY AS I LOVE, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN:" YOU KNOW, WHEN MY 51:54 PARENTS REBUKED AND CHASTENED ME AS A CHILD, THAT WAS NOT - 51:57 IT DID NOT FEEL LIKE LOVE. IT JUST DIDN'T. 51:59 THERE WAS NO FEELING OF LOVE IN IT - AT LEAST FROM MY HEART'S 52:02 PERSPECTIVE - BUT AS I LOOK BACK AT WHAT MY LIFE HAS BEEN BECAUSE 52:06 OF THE REBUKING AND CHASTENING OF MY PARENTS, I CAN TELL YOU 52:09 RIGHT NOW, MY PARENTS LOVE ME. THEY DID. 52:14 MY DAUGHTER, RIGHT NOW, DOES NOT FEEL THAT I LOVE HER ALL THE 52:17 TIME. I KNOW THAT. THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHEN I WILL 52:21 SAY, 'YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS.' 'BUT DADDY I WANT TO.' 'IT'S NOT 52:25 AN OPTION.' SOMEDAY, LORD WILLING, TWO DECADES FROM NOW, I 52:32 MIGHT GET A 'THANK YOU, DADDY.' BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? 52:36 I LOVE HER AND SO I'M WILLING TO REBUKE AND CHASTEN HER. 52:41 AND THAT'S WHAT GOD DOES WITH US. 52:44 YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT LIVING BY FAITH IS NOT AVOIDING THE 52:49 REBUKES OF GOD, IT'S CHERISHING THEM. 52:54 LIVING BY FAITH IS COMPLETELY OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT 52:59 IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY. LIVING BY FAITH IS EMBRACING THE 53:08 REBUKE OF GOD. FIVE POINTS WE'VE LOOKED AT IN 53:12 OUR LESSON TONIGHT: KEEPING THE LAW IS LIVING BY FAITH. 53:19 IT HELPS ME TO DISCERN BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. 53:22 SEEKING THE LORD IS LIVING BY FAITH BECAUSE WHEN I GIVE ALL, I 53:28 RECEIVE ALL. NOT DEPENDING ON WHAT I HAVE A 53:31 LOT OF IS LIVING BY FAITH AND IT'S PRETTY EASY TO EXPLAIN. 53:38 VALUING RIGHTEOUSNESS ABOVE ALL ELSE IS LIVING BY FAITH. 53:43 AND THIS LAST ONE, CHERISHING THE REBUKE OF GOD IS LIVING BY 53:49 FAITH. THIS IS THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE I WANT TO HAVE. 53:54 I THINK IT'S AN EXPERIENCE WE ALL WANT TO HAVE. 53:56 TO HAVE THIS KIND OF WALK WHERE, STEP BY STEP, WE'RE GETTING 54:00 CLOSER AND CLOSER TO JESUS CHRIST. YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT 54:05 THAT KIND OF WALK IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REAL. 54:10 THAT KIND OF WALK WHERE, AS ENOCH HAD, WE GET CLOSER AND 54:14 CLOSER - AND I THINK THERE'S AN OLD SPIRITUAL THAT SAYS THIS: 54:18 'ONE DAY GOD LOOKED AT ENOCH AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW WHAT? 54:21 WE'RE CLOSER TO MY HOME THAN YOURS. WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME 54:23 HOME WITH ME.' THAT IS THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE GOD WANTS FOR 54:28 US - CLOSER AND CLOSER BY FAITH - THAT WALK - TRUSTING HIM IN 54:35 EVERY FACET OF OUR LIVES. I WANT TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, 54:38 DON'T YOU? >>AMEN. 54:39 >>LET US ASK GOD - SPEND SOME TIME RIGHT NOW - JUST ASK GOD TO 54:44 WORK OUT HIS WILL IN OUR LIVES AND TO HELP US HAVE THAT KIND OF 54:48 FAITH WITH HIM. SO COULD YOU BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME AS WE PRAY? 54:53 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE WANT THIS KIND OF FAITH. 54:58 WE ASK THAT, LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH. 55:01 HELP OUR UNBELIEF, FATHER, AND HELP US TO HAVE FAITH. 55:04 WE WANT THAT EXPERIENCE OF WALK WITH YOU. 55:08 AND NOW WE PRAY, FATHER, THAT YOU WOULD DRAW CLOSE TO EACH ONE 55:10 OF US. FILL US WITH YOUR SPIRIT. 55:13 WE ASK IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. 55:16 I WANT TO THANK EACH ONE OF YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE SABBATH 55:20 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU CAME AND 55:23 WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING WITH YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 55:26 I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WE HAVE A 55:28 FREE OFFER - #726 - HIDDEN EYES AND CLOSED EARS AND IF YOU WOULD 55:34 LIKE THIS, OUR NUMBER IS 866-788-3966. 55:39 GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU WALK AND LIVE BY FAITH. 55:47 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. >>MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY WHEN I 55:57 WAS THREE AND MY PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS DECIDED THAT THEY 56:02 WOULD CARE FOR MY TWO OLDER SISTERS AND I SO THAT MY FATHER 56:07 WOULD HAVE TIME TO MOURN. WE NEVER REALLY HAD A MOTHER OR 56:11 A STRONG FATHERLY FIGURE - AND I'M NOT BLAMING MY DAD, I'M JUST 56:15 SAYING THAT'S HOW THINGS WORKED OUT. WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, 56:20 MY OLDER SISTER GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH OUR FATHER AND MY 56:27 SISTER AND I DECIDED THAT WE WOULD TAKE HER SIDE AND SO THAT 56:34 CAUSED A SPLIT IN OUR FAMILY. FOR FOUR YEARS WE LIVED IN THE 56:41 SAME HOUSE, WE ATE FROM THE SAME POT, WE USED THE SAME RESTROOM, 56:45 WE WALKED BY EACH OTHER, BUT WE NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO OUR 56:48 FATHER AND HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO US. 56:54 A YEAR LATER I HAD DECIDED I WOULD MOVE OUT FOR COLLEGE. 56:56 HE WASN'T VERY HAPPY WITH THAT. WE GOT BOOTED OUT OF THE HOUSE. 57:02 WE WENT BACK TO APOLOGIZE BUT WE WEREN'T REALLY ACCEPTED BACK. 57:09 I HAVE FELT SO ALONE A LOT OF MY LIFE. I FELT LIKE I'VE HAD TO 57:14 FEND MORE FOR MYSELF. I'VE BEEN MISSING A FATHERLY LOVE. 57:19 I DON'T HAVE FAMILY WITH ME. 57:24 I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THINGS BUT I HAVE GOD AND I'VE BEEN 57:31 FULFILLED. I'VE BEEN SATISFIED. GOD HAS BEEN MY FATHER. 57:43 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:48 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:51 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF 57:54 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:58 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 58:00 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 58:03 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT. DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 58:07 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. 58:14 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-03-12