Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021523A
|
00:01 (MUSIC)
00:32 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME AGAIN TO SABBATH 00:36 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 I'D LIKE TO EXTEND A VERY SPECIAL WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS 00:40 JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD - AND ALSO 00:43 TO THE MEMBERS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH - THANK YOU 00:45 FOR JOINING US AGAIN THIS MORNING. 00:47 WE'RE STUDYING THROUGH OUR LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH 00:50 THE SUBJECT OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES IN 00:53 LESSON #10 ENTITLED FOLLOWING JESUS IN EVERYDAY LIFE . 00:59 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY FOR TODAY. 01:01 IT'S ENTITLED HIDDEN EYES AND CLOSED EARS - YOU'LL SEE IT UP 01:06 ON YOUR SCREEN. IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE TODAY'S 01:08 FREE OFFER, JUST CALL OUR RESOURCE PHONE NUMBER, IT'S 01:11 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #726. 01:18 THE NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE. 01:26 ONCE AGAIN WE'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME AND 01:29 JOIN US AS WE BEGIN THIS TIME TOGETHER WITH SONG. 01:36 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS, AND HELLO TO EACH OF YOU AT HOME. 01:39 WE'RE SO EXCITED TO SING SONGS WITH YOU AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE 01:44 READY TO BEGIN AND WE ARE HERE AT GRANITE BAY. 01:47 OUR FIRST ONE - TURN IN YOUR HYMNALS TO #619 - LEAD ON O KING 01:53 ETERNAL - WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FIRST AND THE LAST STANZAS. 01:57 JOIN WITH US - #619. (MUSIC) 02:07 >>LEAD ON, O KING ETERNAL, THE DAY OF MARCH HAS COME; 02:16 HENCEFORTH IN FIELDS OF CONQUEST YOUR TENTS WILL BE OUR HOME. 02:24 THROUGH DAYS OF PREPARATION YOUR GRACE HAS MADE US STRONG; AND 02:34 NOW, O KING ETERNAL, WE LIFT OUR BATTLE SONG. 02:43 LEAD ON, O KING ETERNAL; WE FOLLOW, NOT WITH FEARS, FOR 02:52 GLADNESS BREAKS LIKE MORNING WHERE'ER YOUR FACE APPEARS. 03:00 YOUR CROSS IS LIFTED O'ER US, WE JOURNEY IN ITS LIGHT; THE CROWN 03:10 AWAITS THE CONQUEST; LEAD ON, O GOD OF MIGHT. 03:21 >>WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE WILLIAM HERE WITH US, PLAYING 03:24 THE PIANO AND, OF COURSE, LIKE YOU ALREADY MET HIS WIFE JESSICA 03:29 AND SHERRY AND KATRINA. SO NOW YOU KNOW SOME NAMES TO 03:34 SOME FACES AND OUR NEXT SONG, TYING IN WITH OUR THEME 03:39 FOLLOWING JESUS IN EVERYDAY LIFE IS #590 - TRUST AND OBEY - AND I 03:46 KNOW THAT SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU'RE IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU 03:50 HAVE TO TRUST JESUS, IT SOMETIMES SEEMS HARD BECAUSE WE 03:54 HAVE OUR OWN WAY OF WANTING TO DO THINGS. 03:57 BUT WHEN WE LEARN TO TRUST HIM AND OBEY, IT JUST SEEMS TO GO SO 04:02 MUCH BETTER. IF WE WOULD JUST LEARN THAT. 04:05 #590 - JOIN WITH US, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FIRST, THIRD AND FIFTH 04:08 STANZAS - #590 - TRUST AND OBEY. (MUSIC) 04:16 >>WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD IN THE LIGHT OF HIS WORD, 04:23 WHAT A GLORY HE SHEDS ON OUR WAY! 04:28 WHILE WE DO HIS GOOD WILL, HE ABIDES WITH US STILL, 04:34 AND WITH ALL WHO WILL TRUST AND OBEY. 04:40 TRUST AND OBEY, FOR THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS, 04:49 BUT TO TRUST AND OBEY. 04:54 NOT A BURDEN WE BEAR, NOT A SORROW WE SHARE, BUT OUR TOIL HE 05:02 DOTH RICHLY REPAY; NOT A GRIEF OR A LOSS, NOT A FROWN OR A 05:11 CROSS, BUT IS BLESSED IF WE TRUST AND OBEY. 05:18 TRUST AND OBEY, FOR THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS, 05:28 BUT TO TRUST AND OBEY. 05:34 THEN IN FELLOWSHIP SWEET WE WILL SIT AT HIS FEET, OR WE'LL WALK 05:41 BY HIS SIDE IN THE WAY; WHAT HE SAYS WE WILL DO, WHERE HE SENDS 05:49 WE WILL GO; NEVER FEAR, ONLY TRUST AND OBEY. 05:57 TRUST AND OBEY, FOR THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS, 06:07 BUT TO TRUST AND OBEY. 06:14 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SINGING ALONG WITH US. AT THIS TIME, 06:17 PASTOR ROSS IS GOING TO HAVE OUR OPENING PRAYER. 06:23 >>LET'S JUST BOW OUR HEADS AS WE PRAY. 06:24 FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, ONCE AGAIN, 06:27 TO GATHER TOGETHERTO STUDY YOUR WORD. 06:29 WE ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ONCE AGAIN COME AND GUARD OUR HEARTS 06:31 AND OUR MINDS - TO TEACH US HOW TO BE EVERYDAY CHRISTIANS, FOR 06:36 WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 06:39 WELL, FRIENDS, WE HAVE A SPECIAL MISSION FOCUS THAT WE'D LIKE TO 06:42 LET YOU KNOW ABOUT. I'D LIKE TO INVITE CARISSA MCSHERRY TO COME 06:45 FORWARD - SHE'S OUR ASSISTANT AFCOE DIRECTOR. OF COURSE, AFCOE 06:49 IS THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM AND WE'RE VERY 06:53 INVOLVED IN DOING TRAINING - NOT ONLY HERE IN THE U.S., BUT 06:56 AROUND THE WORLD. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AFCOE-AFFILIATED 06:59 SCHOOLS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE GLOBE. WE JUST RECENTLY 07:03 CAME BACK FROM A TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA AND CARISSA IS GOING 07:07 TO SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT MISSION EXPERIENCE 07:10 THAT WE HAD OH, PROBABLY ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO. 07:13 WELL, CARISSA, WHAT BROUGHT THE AFCOE TEAM TO SOUTH AFRICA? 07:17 >>WE HAD ACTUALLY BEEN RECEIVING NUMEROUS REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE 07:20 THAT ARE DESIRING US TO COME DOWN TO SOUTH AFRICA AND 07:23 GIVE EVANGELISM TRAINING. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN AFRICA 07:27 AND, AGAIN, PREDOMINATELY IN SOUTH AFRICA, THAT ARE WATCHING 07:30 THE AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMS AND THERE WAS CERTAINLY A CRAVING TO 07:33 LEARN MORE AND TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT IT THEIR COMMUNITY. 07:37 WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO TWO DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS. 07:40 WE WERE IN DURBAN - A LARGE CITY, AGAIN, IN SOUTH AFRICA - 07:43 AND THEN WE TRAVELED ON DOWN TO CAPE TOWN. 07:46 IN BOTH OF THOSE CITIES WE HELD EVANGELISM TRAINING PROGRAMS. 07:50 THE FIRST CITY THAT WE WERE AT, DURBAN, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE 07:53 SLIDE, THEY HELD A VERY LARGE CAMP MEETING THERE AND THE FOCUS 07:56 OF OUR AFCOE TRAINING WAS, AGAIN, ON EVANGELISM - AGAIN, 07:59 EQUIPPING THE CHURCH MEMBERS TO DO EVANGELISM IN THEIR LOCAL 08:02 COMMUNITIES. WE CALL ALL ATTEST TO THIS - THE 08:05 AFCOE TEAM - THAT THERE WAS A THIRST FOR EVANGELISM THERE IN 08:08 THAT COMMUNITY THAT WE HAD NOT WITNESSED BEFORE. 08:11 WE HAD MANY PEOPLE COME UP TO US, AGAIN, IN TEARS, AND THEY'RE 08:15 SAYING, 'WE HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR YEARS FOR SOMETHING LIKE 08:18 THIS TO COME TO SOUTH AFRICA. THEY WERE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS 08:22 OPPORTUNITY. IN FACT, I REMEMBER GIVING ONE 08:25 CLASS ON, AGAIN, EVANGELISM AND ON FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM - 08:27 REACHING YOUR COMMUNITY FOR JESUS CHRIST. 08:29 AND THERE WAS ONE MAN IN MY AUDIENCE - A MAN PROBABLY IN HIS 08:33 FIFTIES OR SO - AND, AS HE WAS SITTING THERE LISTENING, HIS 08:36 FACE WAS COMPLETELY STOIC - THERE WAS NO EMOTION WHATSOEVER. 08:39 AND I REMEMBER THINKING "AM I NOT CONNECTING? 08:43 IS IT NOT MAKING SENSE?" 08:44 AND I'M TRYING TO GEAR MY COMMENTS TOWARDS HIM - I'M 08:47 LOOKING AT HIM - AND STILL HIS FACE IS JUST BLANK. 08:50 AT THE END OF THE SEMINAR I WENT UP TO HIM AND I BEGAN TO TALK 08:52 WITH HIM A BIT AND HE - HE BEGAN TO FIGHT BACK THE TEARS. 08:56 AND HE SAID "THE ENTIRE TIME YOU WERE TALKING, I WAS TRYING NOT 08:59 TO CRY. I HAVE FELT SO CONVICTED THAT I 09:04 NEEDED TO BE DOING FULL-TIME MINISTRY IN MY COMMUNITY. 09:06 I'VE BEEN PUTTING OFF THAT CONVICTION FOR SOME TIME NOW, 09:09 BUT WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING IT'S AS THOUGH GOD WAS SPEAKING 09:12 THROUGH YOU. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT IT OFF ANYMORE. 09:15 I'M GOING TO WALK FORWARD IN FAITH." PRAISE GOD. 09:18 >>SO THAT WAS ONE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD DURING THE TIME 09:21 THAT WAS SPENT THERE IN DURBAN, DOING SOME TRAINING AT A CAMP 09:24 MEETING. ANY OTHER TESTIMONIES FROM YOUR 09:26 EXPERIENCE OVER THERE? I KNOW THERE'S MANY, IS THERE 09:29 ANOTHER ONE YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? 09:30 >>ABSOLUTELY. 09:32 WE MET A BEAUTIFUL COUPLE BY THE NAME OF JOHANNES AND CHANTAL, AS 09:35 YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT SLIDE HERE. JOHANNES AND CHANTAL WERE 09:37 THRILLED TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM AMAZING FACTS THERE AT 09:41 THEIR HOME. YOU SEE, JOHANNES WAS RAISED IN 09:44 A SECULAR HOME. HE HAD A MOTHER THAT KEPT THE 09:48 SABBATH DAY, BUT HIS FATHER WAS JUST NOT RELIGIOUS WHATSOEVER. 09:53 AND SO, AS JOHANNES GREW UP, HE AGAIN, DID NOT HAVE THAT 09:55 SPIRITUAL INTEREST UNTIL HE WENT THROUGH A CRISIS. 09:59 AND AS HE WENT THROUGH THAT CRISIS HE REALIZED HE WAS EMPTY 10:02 AND HE NEEDED SOMETHING GREATER IN HIS LIFE. 10:04 HE DECIDED HE WOULD TURN TO THE BIBLE FOR THE ANSWERS. 10:07 HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE RELIGIOUS JUST BECAUSE HIS MOM WAS OR WHAT 10:11 SOME OTHER CHURCH TAUGHT, HE WANTED TO SEE IT IN THE BIBLE 10:13 FOR HIMSELF. AND AS HE BEGAN TO STUDY VERSE 10:16 BY VERSE, PASSAGE BY PASSAGE, HE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS HIS 10:21 PERSONAL SAVIOR. AND AS JOHANNES STUDIED, HE 10:24 REALIZED THAT TRULY THE SEVENTH DAY WAS THE SABBATH AND THAT WAS 10:28 THE DAY THAT GOD WAS CALLING HIM TO KEEP. 10:30 IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE WAS BAPTIZED INTO THAT LOCAL CHURCH. 10:33 BUT, YOU SEE, JOHANNES NOW FACED HIS FIRST CHALLENGE - HE OWNED A 10:38 RATHER LARGE RESORT - HE AND HIS WIFE CHANTAL - AND, AS YOU KNOW, 10:42 FOR RESORTS THE MOST POPULAR DAY FOR PEOPLE TO COME IS SATURDAY - 10:45 SABBATH. HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY CLOSE DOWN 10:51 HIS BUSINESS ON THE MOST POPULAR DAY? BUT HE WAS CONVICTED. 10:56 HE PRAYED ABOUT IT AND HE KNEW THAT WAS WHAT GOD WAS CALLING 10:59 HIM TO DO AND SO HE DECIDED TO STEP OUT IN FAITH. 11:01 HE TOLD HIS COWORKERS - HIS EMPLOYEES - WHAT HIS DECISION 11:04 WAS AND THEY TOLD HIM, "YOU ARE CRAZY. 11:07 THIS BUSINESS IS GOING TO GO BANKRUPT. 11:09 THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN SURVIVE." BUT AGAIN, JOHANNES HAD DECIDED 11:13 AND HE PRESSED FORWARD IN FAITH AND TODAY HIS BUSINESS HAS 11:18 INCREASED BY 40 PERCENT. GOD HAS BLESSED AND HE IS USING 11:23 THIS, AGAIN, AS A TOOL FOR MINISTRY. 11:26 HE AND HIS WIFE CHANTAL ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT AMAZING FACTS 11:29 WAS A CRITICAL ROLE IN HELPING THEM IN THEIR SPIRITUAL WALK. 11:33 THEY WERE, AGAIN, SO EXCITED TO HAVE AMAZING FACTS THERE AND TO 11:36 HOST US AT THEIR LOCATION AND THIS NEXT YEAR THEY ARE PLANNING 11:41 ON HOSTING AFCOE TRAINING THERE ON THEIR PROPERTY SO THEY CAN 11:46 TAKE THOSE TOOLS AND MINISTER TO OTHERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. 11:49 >>AMEN. THAT'S AN EXCITING TESTIMONY OF 11:51 THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE. WELL, AFTER SPENDING ABOUT FIVE 11:55 DAYS UP IN THE DURBAN AREA, THE TEAM THEN TRAVELED DOWN TO CAPE 11:59 TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA AND SPENT SOME TIME WORKING WITH A LOCAL 12:03 CHURCH DOING A WEEKEND TRAINING INTENSIVE. 12:05 TELL US ABOUT THAT. >>ABSOLUTELY. 12:07 WE WENT DOWN TO CAPE TOWN AND, AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, JËAN 12:11 ROSS IS ACTUALLY FROM CAPE TOWN AND HE IS A CAPETONIAN. 12:17 SO THERE WE WERE IN CAPE TOWN, WE WERE WORKING WITH A RIVERSIDE 12:20 CHURCH - THIS BEAUTIFUL CHURCH FAMILY HERE. 12:23 AND, AGAIN, WE SAW THAT SAME PASSION - THAT SAME ZEAL FOR 12:25 EVANGELISM. OPENING NIGHT WE HAD INDIVIDUALS 12:29 THERE FROM 22 DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 12:32 AGAIN, THIS PASSION - THIS ZEAL - WAS SPREADING THROUGHOUT THAT 12:36 COMMUNITY. IT WAS A BLESSING TO WORK WITH A 12:38 TEAM CALLED AMEN - ADVENT MESSAGE TO EVERY NATION . 12:41 THEY WERE VERY ORGANIZED - VERY BUSINESS-MINDED YOUNG 12:44 PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT TAKING 12:47 EVANGELISM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. 12:49 >>WELL, CARISSA, WE HAVE A SPECIAL TESTIMONY YOU'D LIKE TO 12:52 SHARE OF ONE EXPERIENCE - THERE WERE MANY, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR 12:56 THAT REALLY TOUCHED YOUR HEART AND REALLY, I THINK, CAPSULATES 12:59 WHAT AFCOE TRAINING REALLY IS ALL ABOUT. 13:02 >>ABSOLUTELY. WHEN I WAS IN DURBAN, AT THE CAMP MEETING, 13:06 WITH THE TEAM - JËAN ROSS AND CHUCK HOLTRY - I REMEMBER 13:09 SPEAKING ONE MORNING ON THE DIVINE COMMISSION - 13:12 ON HOW GOD HAS CALLED US TO REACH OUR FAMILY - TO REACH OUR 13:15 FRIENDS FOR JESUS CHRIST - THAT WE ARE ALL CALLED TO BE 13:18 A PART OF THIS MISSION. AT THE END I SHARED A TRUE STORY 13:21 ABOUT A YOUNG ORPHAN BOY AND ABOUT A WOMAN THAT ACCEPTED THIS 13:25 ORPHAN BOY INTO HER HOME AS HER OWN SON - GAVE HIM A HUG AND 13:29 SAID, 'MY SON, YOU'RE HOME.' AND I COMPARED IT TO THE LIFE OF 13:32 CHRIST - HOW SOMEDAY SOON WE WILL BE IN HEAVEN. 13:36 SOMEDAY SOON IT'S AS THOUGH WE'LL HEAR THE VOICE OF THE 13:39 FATHER SAYING, 'MY CHILD, YOU'RE HOME. YOU'RE FINALLY HOME.' 13:42 AFTER I GAVE THAT MESSAGE, A WOMAN CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, 'I 13:46 HAVE A TESTIMONY I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU.' YOU SEE, ABOUT A YEAR 13:50 AGO HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HE SAW A MAN THAT 13:54 JUST SEEMED SO LOST - SO EMPTY - AND SO HE STOPPED AND HE SAID, 13:59 "YOUNG MAN, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" AND THE YOUNG MAN, ABOUT 14:03 20 YEARS OLD, TOLD HIM, "I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF. 14:05 I HAVE NO FAMILY. NO ONE CARES ABOUT ME. 14:09 I'M DONE WITH THIS WORLD. I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF." 14:11 AND HER HUSBAND TOLD THE YOUNG MAN, "NO YOU'RE NOT. 14:15 YOU'RE COMING HOME WITH ME." 14:16 AND SO HE TOOK THAT YOUNG MAN HOME. 14:20 WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME THAT NIGHT, THERE HER HUSBAND WAS 14:22 TALKING WITH THIS YOUNG MAN, SHOWING HIM WHERE HIS ROOM WOULD 14:25 BE, MAKING HIM FEEL AT HOME. BUT SHE WAS UPSET. 14:29 "WHO IS THIS GUY? HOW CAN HE MAKE HIMSELF AT HOME HERE? 14:33 THIS IS NOT HIS HOUSE." 14:34 THEY ALREADY HAD A SON AND, AGAIN, SHE WAS JUST VERY UPSET 14:38 THAT HER HUSBAND WOULD MAKE THIS DECISION. TWO WEEKS LATER, 14:42 TRAGICALLY, HER HUSBAND SUDDENLY DIED OF A HEART ATTACK. 14:47 SO NOW HERE SHE IS LEFT WITH THIS YOUNG MAN IN HER HOUSE AND 14:52 SHE TOLD HER SON, "I DON'T WANT HIM. 14:55 HE HAS TO GO. HE CAN'T STAY." 14:56 AND HER SON TOLD HER, "MOM, HE IS STAYING. 15:00 DAD BROUGHT HIM HERE AND HE IS STAYING." 15:03 SHE TOLD ME HOW THIS YOUNG MAN, AGAIN, ABOUT 20 YEARS OLD, IS SO 15:07 LOVING AND CARING AND HE BEGAN TO STUDY THE BIBLE FOR HIMSELF. 15:12 HE TOOK BIBLE STUDIES AND SOON HE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST, HE 15:15 ACCEPTED THE SABBATH AND HE WAS BAPTIZED IN THAT LOCAL CHURCH. 15:18 SHE SAID "HE'S SO DEPENDABLE. HE'S ALWAYS TAKING CARE OF THE 15:22 HOUSE, BUT I'VE ALWAYS JUST BEEN SO ANGRY. 15:24 HE DIDN'T BELONG. I DIDN'T WANT HIM." 15:27 BUT SHE SAID, AFTER HEARING THAT STORY OF THE ORPHAN BOY, AFTER 15:31 HEARING OF THE MOTHER THAT ACCEPTED HIM, AFTER HEARING 15:35 ABOUT HOW OUR GOD, TOO, IS GOING TO ACCEPT US AND BRING US INTO 15:38 OUR FOREVER HOME, SHE SAID, "I CAN'T ABANDON HIM ANYMORE. 15:42 WHEN I GET HOME I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM A BIG HUG AND I AM 15:45 GOING TO TELL HIM, "MY SON, YOU ARE HOME." 15:49 >>AMEN. WHAT A POWERFUL TESTIMONY OF 15:52 LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. 15:55 CARISSA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING WITH US THIS EXCITING 15:59 NEWS ABOUT SOME OF THE EVANGELISM TRAINING AND SOME OF 16:02 THE EXPERIENCES OF THE TEAM DOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 16:05 AND, BY THE WAY, THERE IS AN INTEREST FOR US TO GO BACK AND 16:07 DO SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING SO WE'RE EXPLORING SOME OPTIONS TO 16:10 HELP THE FOLKS DOWN THERE IN EVANGELISM TRAINING AND 16:13 OUTREACH. THANK YOU, CARISSA. 16:15 AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR TO COME 16:17 FORWARD. HE'LL BE LEADING US IN OUR 16:19 LESSON FOR TODAY. THANK YOU, PASTOR DOUG. 16:22 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. THANK YOU, CARISSA. 16:26 THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS STORY - A VERY ENCOURAGING TESTIMONY. 16:30 PART OF SABBATH SCHOOL IS TO DO A LITTLE MISSION REPORT AND 16:33 THAT'S WHY WE SPRINKLE THESE IN ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TIME. 16:37 I WANT TO WELCOME OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US FOR OUR 16:40 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR AND WE ARE GOING TO BE CONTINUING WITH 16:43 OUR STUDY DEALING WITH THE BOOK OF LUKE - THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. 16:47 AND TODAY, WE'RE, IN PARTICULAR, IN LESSON #10 AND IT'S CALLED 16:53 FOLLOWING JESUS IN EVERYDAY LIFE . 16:55 NOW THIS LESSON, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU'LL HAVE A LESSON 17:00 THAT'S BASED UPON ONE PARTICULAR THEME, BUT THIS IS REALLY, AS 17:04 YOU WOULD SAY, "ACROSS THE BOARD" - THIS IS AN ECLECTIC 17:06 LESSON THAT JUST KIND OF COVERS - I BET THEY HAD TROUBLE AT THE 17:10 SABBATH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, NAMING THIS LESSON, IF YOU WANT 17:12 TO KNOW THE TRUTH. BECAUSE IT'S TAKING TEACHINGS 17:16 THROUGHOUT THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ON A BROAD SPECTRUM OF AREAS, THAT 17:19 ARE VERY IMPORTANT BUT THEY COVER A NUMBER OF SITUATIONS AND 17:24 AREAS IN LIFE. WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND THE 17:28 MEMORY VERSE IS FROM LUKE 17:5 - LUKE 17:5 - IF ANY OF YOU HAVE 17:32 THAT, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SAY IT WITH ME. 17:35 AND IT'S "AND THE APOSTLES SAID TO THE LORD, 'INCREASE OUR 17:41 FAITH.'" INCREASE OUR FAITH. 17:44 YOU KNOW, WITHOUT FAITH, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD AND HE 17:47 THAT COMES TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS AND HE IS A REWARDER 17:51 OF THOSE THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. 17:53 NOW IN THE FIRST SECTION OF THE LESSON, WHICH WE WOULD HAVE 17:56 UNDER SUNDAY , IT'S TITLED, FLEE PHARISAISM . 18:01 NOW WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD PHARISEE , DOES THAT CONJURE UP 18:06 WITHIN YOU POSITIVE, GOOD FEELINGS? WOULD YOU TAKE IT AS A 18:11 COMPLIMENT IF SOMEONE CALLED YOU A PHARISEE? 18:14 >>NO. >>PROBABLY NOT. 18:16 BUT, YOU KNOW, BACK IN CHRIST'S DAY, IT WAS A COMPLIMENT - IF 18:19 YOU WERE RELIGIOUS - AND TO CALL SOMEONE A PHARISEE, THAT WAS 18:24 CONSIDERED A GOOD THING BECAUSE THE PHARISEES WERE CONSIDERED 18:29 THE PURITANS. THEY WERE THE HOLY ONES. 18:32 THEY - AND THE WORD PHARISEE MEANS, 'THOSE WHO ARE THE 18:35 SEPARATISTS' OR 'THE SEPARATED ONES' - AND THEY WERE SEPARATING 18:39 FROM THE WORLDLINESS AND THE CULTURE AROUND THEM. 18:42 AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE IN THE TIME OF CHRIST, 18:46 CONDITIONS THEN, KIND OF, RESEMBLED CONDITIONS IN THE 18:50 WORLD TODAY. YOU HAD THE INFLUENCE OF 18:53 ALEXANDER THE GREAT - THEY CALL IT THE - THE GREEKS - THE 18:58 HELENIZATION, KIND OF, HAD CONQUERED THEIR CULTURE AND THEY 19:02 HAD A LOT OF SPORTING EVENTS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN 19:06 ANY OF THE ANCIENT GREEK ART, BUT THE ATHLETES DIDN'T WEAR 19:09 VERY MUCH AND THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT. 19:11 I DIDN'T MEAN A PUN BY THAT BUT THEY JUST ABOUT STREAKED AROUND. 19:18 AND SO YOU HAD THESE GYMNASIUMS BACK THEN AND THEY HAD THE 19:22 THEATER IN ROME AND YOU CAN GO TO CAESAREA AND STILL SEE - I'VE 19:27 BEEN THERE - ONE OF THESE THEATERS. 19:29 THEY'RE BUILT WITH AMAZING ACOUSTICS AND THE PEOPLE WERE 19:31 PREOCCUPIED WITH THE THEATER AND THERE WERE VIOLENT GAMES AND 19:33 CHARIOT RACES AND - BEN HUR WASN'T ENTIRELY BASED ON 19:37 FICTION. AND SO THIS WAS A VERY SECULAR WORLD. 19:43 NOW, AGAINST THAT BACKDROP, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF JEWS THAT 19:47 KNEW THAT THEY HAD GONE THROUGH A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN THEIR 19:52 HISTORY BECAUSE OF BEING COMPROMISING WITH THE WORLD, 19:55 WHICH WAS TRUE. YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THE 19:58 HISTORY OF JEWS DURING THE TIME OF THE JUDGES AND THE KINGS, 20:01 THEN THEY WERE CARRIED OFF TO BABYLON AND THE TEN TRIBES WERE 20:05 CONQUERED BY THE ASSYRIANS. AND ALL THESE JUDGMENTS CAME 20:08 UPON THEM BECAUSE THEY KEPT COMPROMISING THEIR FAITH. 20:11 SO WHEN THEY CAME BACK FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY, SOME OF 20:15 THE VERY LOYAL JEWS - THEY TOOK THE GOOD EXAMPLE OF EZRA AND 20:18 NEHEMIAH, AND THEY SAID, 'WE NEED TO MAKE UP OUR MINDS TO 20:21 NEVER MAKE THESE WORLDLY MISTAKES AGAIN AND WE ARE GOING 20:25 TO SEPARATE FROM THE WORLDS AND THE CULTURES AROUND US AND WE 20:28 ARE GOING TO BE GENUINE JEWS, NO MATTER WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES. 20:32 AND THEY WERE VERY LOYAL AND THEY MADE A NUMBER OF RULES TO 20:38 MAKE SURE YOU WOULDN'T BREAK GOD'S RULES. 20:40 FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW IT'S OKAY TO TAKE A WALK ON SABBATH, BUT 20:45 AT WHAT POINT DOES WALK TURN INTO WORK? 20:48 AND SO THEY WENT THROUGH ENDLESS DEBATE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW 20:52 FAR, EXACTLY, COULD YOU GO ON THE SABBATH DAY BEFORE IT TURNS 20:54 INTO A LABOR? AND THEY FIGURED OUT WHAT THAT 20:57 DISTANCE WAS - I DON'T REMEMBER. IT'S - I'VE GOT IT IN MY NOTES 21:01 SOMEWHERE BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A FEW HUNDRED YARDS YOU COULD 21:04 WALK BEFORE IT TURNED INTO A BURDEN. 21:06 AND, IF THEY WERE GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ON SABBATH - ON FRIDAY 21:08 - THEY WOULD TAKE A ROLL OF STRING THAT WAS A SABBATH DAY'S 21:12 JOURNEY AND THEY WOULD REEL IT OUT TO THEIR FRIEND'S HOUSE AND 21:16 SAY, 'IS THIS TOO CLOSE OR TOO FAR - CAN I GET THERE?' 21:19 THEY SAID, 'HOW MUCH CAN YOU CARRY ON SABBATH BEFORE IT TURNS 21:22 INTO WORK?" AND THEY FINALLY SAID, 'WELL, 21:24 YOU SHOULDN'T CARRY ANYTHING OR IT COULD BE A BURDEN.' 'WELL, 21:26 WHAT IF I NEED A HANDKERCHIEF?' 'WELL, THAT WOULD BE A BURDEN.' 21:28 'WHAT IF I SEW THE HANDKERCHIEF TO MY CLOTHES, THEN IT'S PART OF 21:32 MY CLOTHES - IT'S NOT A BURDEN ANYMORE?' 21:34 SO THEY'D KEEP A HANKIE SEWED TO THEIR CLOTHES FOR AN EMERGENCY. 21:37 AND I'VE BEEN TO ISRAEL AND YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE ORTHODOX 21:42 JEWS TODAY THAT, WHEN THEY GET ON THE ELEVATOR, AND IN NEW YORK 21:48 AS WELL AS IN ISRAEL, THEY DON'T WANT TO PUSH A BUTTON FOR FEAR 21:53 OF IT BEING LABOR AND THEY'LL STAND IN THE ELEVATOR UNTIL A 21:57 GENTILE GETS ON THE ELEVATOR AND HAPPENS TO PUSH THEIR FLOOR. 21:59 SO IN ISRAEL, THE WAY THEY OVERCOME THAT IS THEY HAVE 22:02 SHABBAT ELEVATORS IN SOME BUILDINGS THAT STOP ON EVERY 22:06 FLOOR WHEN YOU GET ON. NOW YOU AND I THINK, 'WELL, 22:09 THAT'S KIND OF EXTREME.' BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIRE THEM IN THAT THEY 22:12 WANTED TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO COMPROMISE AND SO THEY MADE ALL 22:16 OF THESE RULES. SO THE PHARISEES, THEY WERE 22:19 KNOWN TO BE JUST EXTREMELY ZEALOUS, BUT SO MUCH OF IT, OVER 22:24 THE YEARS, HAD GROWN INTO LIKE AN OUTWARD DEMONSTRATION OF 22:28 PIETY AND RELIGION AND IT WAS COUNTERFEIT. 22:32 WHEN JESUS BEGINS TO TEACH - MAYBE I SHOULD START WITH A 22:37 PASSAGE FROM LUKE AND THEN I'LL DELVE INTO THIS MORE. 22:40 LUKE 16:14 - BY THE WAY, IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, OF THE 80 22:43 REFERENCES TO PHARISEES IN THE BIBLE, 25 OF THEM ARE IN THE 22:47 BOOK OF LUKE - A LITTLE MORE THAN A QUARTER - LUKE 16:14, 22:52 "NOW THE PHARISEES, WHO WERE LOVERS OF MONEY, ALSO HEARD ALL 22:56 THESE THINGS, AND THEY DERIDED HIM." 22:58 THEY DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT LOVE FOR JESUS. 23:01 YOU KNOW, THE PHARISEES WOULD PRAY TO BE SEEN OF MEN JESUS 23:04 SAYS IN MATTHEW. THEY GAVE TO BE SEEN OF MEN . 23:08 THEY FASTED TO BE SEEN OF MEN AND SO MUCH OF IT WAS FOR 23:12 OUTWARD SHOW. SOMEBODY SAID ONE TIME, 23:17 'HYPOCRISY IS THE HOMAGE THAT VICE PAYS TO VIRTUE. 23:23 THAT'S REALLY PRETTY PROFOUND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. 23:26 IT'S SOMEONE WHO MAY, IN THEIR HEART - THERE'S A LOT OF VICE - 23:30 BUT THEY WILL TRY TO LOOK RELIGIOUS TO PAY THE PRICE FOR 23:34 THE APPEARANCE OF PIETY BUT THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY 23:39 CARE MORE ABOUT WHAT MEN THINK THAN WHAT GOD THINKS - AND 23:42 THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAID, 'YOU PRAY TO BE SEEN OF MEN, FAST TO 23:45 BE SEEN OF MEN, GIVE TO BE SEEN OF MEN. 23:46 GIVE IN SECRET, COMB YOUR HAIR (IF YOU HAVE IT) WHEN YOU FAST 23:50 SO THAT YOU'LL - GOD KNOWS YOU'RE FASTING AND IT'S NOT FOR 23:54 MEN - AND WHEN YOU GIVE, DON'T LET YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT 23:57 YOUR RIGHT HAND DOES. GOD'LL SEE YOUR GIVING. 23:59 GOD'LL REWARD YOU OPENLY FOR WHAT YOU DO IN SECRET.' SO JESUS 24:02 SAID RELIGION REALLY NEEDS TO BE FROM THE HEART AND IT SHOULD BE 24:05 TO SATISFY AND PLEASE GOD AND NOT MEN. 24:08 BUT THE PHARISEES WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE OUTWARD 24:11 RATHER THAN THE INWARD. AND THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID - I'LL 24:16 READ THIS IN LUKE ALSO - LUKE 11:37 - "AND AS HE SPOKE, A 24:21 CERTAIN PHARISEE ASKED HIM TO DINE WITH HIM. 24:24 SO HE WENT IN AND SAT DOWN TO EAT. 24:27 WHEN THE PHARISEE SAW IT, HE MARVELED THAT HE HAD NOT FIRST 24:30 WASHED BEFORE DINNER." NOW, KEEP IN MIND, THIS HAS 24:35 NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KIND OF SANITATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 24:39 THE PHARISEES HAD A LONG RITUAL THEY WOULD GO THROUGH. 24:43 THEY ACTUALLY HAD A WRITTEN PRESCRIPTION FOR HOW YOU ARE TO 24:47 SYMBOLICALLY WASH BEFORE YOU EAT WHERE THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, 24:50 RINSE ONE HAND AND HAVE IT DRIP DOWN AND RINSE THE OTHER HAND 24:53 AND THEN THEY'D DRY IT AND THEN THEY'D RINSE IT AGAIN. 24:55 IT WAS JUST A WHOLE CEREMONIAL WASHING BEFORE YOU EAT - AND 24:58 JESUS JUST SAT DOWN AND STARTED EATING. 25:01 NOW, BY THE WAY, YOU REALIZE IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO WASH YOUR 25:05 HANDS BEFORE YOU EAT, BUT IT'S NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO 25:11 SURVIVE. HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN 25:15 YOU WERE KIDS? ANY OF YOU MAKE MUD PIES AND EAT THEM? 25:17 OR AT LEAST TRY? IT'S AMAZING THAT KIDS SURVIVE, ISN'T IT? 25:21 AND MOTHERS GO AROUND TRYING TO SANITIZE THEIR LITTLE KIDS' 25:24 GRUBBY FINGERS ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE PUTTING THEM IN 25:27 THEIR MOUTH AND THEIR EARS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE AND THEY'RE 25:29 DIGGING IN THE DIRT AND PUTTING IT BACK IN THEIR MOUTH. 25:31 AND, YOU KNOW, JESUS DID SAY, 'IT'S NOT WHAT GOES IN YOUR 25:35 MOUTH THAT DEFILES YOU.' BECAUSE WHAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH IS 25:38 PURIFIED BY YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, BUT WHAT COMES OUT OF 25:43 THE HEART IS WHAT DEFILES YOU. AND THEY HAD MADE SUCH A BIG 25:46 DEAL, THOSE PHARISEES, ABOUT THE PHYSICAL WASHING, THEY DIDN'T 25:50 CARE ABOUT THE REAL PURITY OF HEART. 25:53 AND SO JESUS SAID, "NOW YOU PHARISEES" - I'M STILL BACK IN 25:56 MATTHEW - I'M SORRY, LUKE 11 AND THIS WOULD BE VERSE 39, I 26:02 BELIEVE. "NOW YOU PHARISEES MAKE THE 26:04 OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH CLEAN, BUT YOUR INWARD PART IS 26:07 FULL OF GREED AND WICKEDNESS. FOOLISH ONES! 26:11 DID NOT HE WHO MADE THE OUTSIDE MAKE THE INSIDE ALSO? 26:13 BUT RATHER GIVE ALMS OF SUCH THINGS AS YOU HAVE; THEN INDEED 26:18 ALL THINGS ARE CLEAN TO YOU. BUT WOE TO YOU PHARISEES! 26:21 FOR YOU TITHE MINT AND RUE AND ALL MANNER OF HERBS, AND PASS BY 26:24 JUSTICE AND THE LOVE OF GOD. THESE YOU OUGHT TO HAVE DONE, 26:28 WITHOUT LEAVING THE OTHERS UNDONE." 26:31 BY THE WAY, THIS IS ALSO FOUND IN MATTHEW 23:23 AND SOME PEOPLE 26:35 - YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING HOW OFTEN WE RUN INTO PEOPLE THAT 26:38 SAY, 'WELL, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THAT SAYS YOU 26:41 SHOULD PAY TITHE.' THAT'S NOT TRUE. 26:43 THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO PLACES WHERE JESUS TALKS TO THE 26:46 PHARISEES - HE RIDICULES THEM FOR BEING SO FASTIDIOUS ABOUT 26:50 PAYING TITHE OF THEIR HERB GARDENS. 26:52 HE SAYS, "THESE YOU OUGHT TO HAVE DONE" - AND DON'T LEAVE THE 26:56 OTHER - THE PAIN OF TITHE - UNDONE. 26:58 IN OTHER WORDS, YOU SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE JUSTICE, MERCY, AND 27:00 FAITH, BUT DON'T NEGLECT PAYING TITHE. 27:02 AND SO, YEAH, THE NEW TESTAMENT ALSO STILL TEACHES THAT TITHE IS 27:06 PART OF GOD'S PLAN. "THESE YOU OUGHT TO HAVE DONE, 27:09 WITHOUT LEAVING THE OTHERS UNDONE. 27:11 WOE TO YOU PHARISEES! FOR YOU LOVE THE BEST SEATS IN 27:14 THE SYNAGOGUES (FOR SHOW) AND GREETINGS IN THE MARKETPLACES. 27:17 WOE TO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! 27:20 FOR YOU ARE LIKE GRAVES WHICH ARE NOT SEEN, AND THE MEN WHO 27:23 WALK OVER THEM ARE NOT AWARE OF THEM." 27:25 IT'S LIKE A GRAVE, YOU KNOW, FULL OF THAT WHICH IS UNCLEAN 27:28 AND DEAD MEN'S BONES AND THE BIBLE DECLARED IT UNCLEAN. 27:31 AND HE SAID, 'YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE - ON THE OUTSIDE IT'S 27:35 LIKE A WHITED SEPULCHER.' BY THE WAY, THAT'S WHAT PAUL CALLED THE 27:37 HIGH PRIEST ONE TIME. AND SO JESUS DID NOT GET ALONG 27:43 WITH THE PHARISEES AND THEY DID NOT LIKE HIM VERY MUCH BECAUSE 27:46 HE WANTED GENUINE RELIGION AND THE PHARISEES HAD BECOME, SORT 27:53 OF, THE EMBODIMENT OF SUPERFICIAL RELIGION. 27:57 NOW, IS THAT STILL A DANGER TODAY? THE - JUST THE OUTWARD 28:02 RELIGION AND NEGLECTING THE INWARD RELIGION. 28:04 WERE ALL PHARISEES BAD? >>NO. 28:08 >>CAN THERE BE PHARISEES IN HEAVEN? 28:09 >>SURE. 28:12 >>YEAH, YOU LOOK AT ACTS 23:6, "BUT WHEN PAUL PERCEIVED THAT 28:16 ONE PART WERE SADDUCEES AND THE OTHER PHARISEES, HE CRIED OUT IN 28:19 THE COUNCIL, 'MEN AND BRETHREN, I AM A PHARISEE, THE SON OF A 28:22 PHARISEE; CONCERNING THE HOPE AND RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD 28:26 I AM BEING JUDGED." 28:27 THAT WAS A PRETTY SHREWD THING FOR HIM TO DO BECAUSE HE GOT THE 28:29 SANHEDRIN TO GO AGAINST EACH OTHER AND THEY SORT OF - THE 28:32 PHARISEES SUDDENLY BECAME HIS FRIENDS BECAUSE HE SAID HE 28:35 BELIEVED IN THE RESURRECTION. AND, YOU KNOW, THE PHARISEES, 28:38 JESUS COMMENDED THEM SOMETIMES FOR GOOD THINGS. 28:41 IN FACT, CHRIST SAID, 'EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS THAT 28:44 OF THE PHARISEES, YOU'LL BY NO MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM OF 28:48 HEAVEN.' NOW WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT? 28:50 'EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS' - DOES THAT MEAN YOU 28:53 HAVE TO BE MORE METICULOUS AND LEGALISTIC THAN THE PHARISEES OR 28:56 YOU CAN'T ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN? 28:59 YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK WHAT JESUS IS SAYING - 'EXCEPT YOUR 29:01 QUALITY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS THAT OF THE PHARISEES' - IT HAS 29:07 TO BE REAL AND THE LORD CALLS FOR A HIGH STANDARD, 29:13 BUT HE WANTS IT TO BE FROM THE HEART. AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT 29:16 JOHN 3:1, "THERE WAS A MAN OF THE PHARISEES NAMED - 29:20 >>NICODEMUS. >>NICODEMUS - WILL HE BE IN 29:22 HEAVEN? >>YES. 29:25 >>YEAH, AND YOU LOOK IN ACTS AND IT SAYS AMONG THOSE WHO WERE 29:29 BAPTIZED AFTER THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT, THEY WERE 29:32 PRIESTS AND THEY WERE PHARISEES - THAT THEIR HEARTS WERE 29:35 CHANGED. SO THERE WERE SOME VERY SINCERE PHARISEES, BUT JESUS HAD 29:38 NO PATIENCE FOR THE OUTWARD RELIGION. 29:40 LOOK AGAIN, AT ANOTHER EXAMPLE FROM LUKE - IN LUKE 18, VERSE 9, 29:45 "ALSO HE SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO SOME WHO TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES 29:50 THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS, AND DESPISED OTHERS: 'TWO MEN WENT 29:53 UP TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY," - THAT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? 29:56 - "ONE A PHARISEE AND THE OTHER A TAX COLLECTOR." - BETTER KNOWN 30:00 AS A 'PUBLICAN' - THEY WERE THE ANTITHESIS OF A PHARISEE. 30:04 IN THEIR CULTURE, IF YOU WANTED TO COMPLIMENT SOMEBODY FOR THEIR 30:07 RELIGION YOU'D SAY, 'OH, YOU'RE A GOOD PHARISEE.' I KNOW, YOU 30:11 AND I THINK IT'S AN INSULT, BUT THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS A 30:12 COMPLIMENT. IF YOU WANTED TO INSULT 30:14 SOMEBODY, YOU WOULD CALL THEM A TAX COLLECTOR. 30:17 NOW THAT WAS MUCH WORSE BACK THEN THAN IT IS TODAY. 30:20 TODAY IT'S STILL NOT - NO ONE, YOU KNOW, IS HAPPY TO HEAR TAX 30:25 COLLECTORS AT THEIR DOOR, BUT BACK THEN THEY WERE CONSIDERED 30:27 LIKE THE MAFIA. THEY WERE PRETTY UNRIGHTEOUS IN 30:30 THEIR COMPANY. "TWO MEN WENT UP TO THE TEMPLE 30:35 TO PRAY, ONE A PHARISEE AND THE OTHER A TAX COLLECTOR. 30:37 THE PHARISEE STOOD" - PROBABLY NEAR THE FRONT - "AND PRAYED 30:40 THUS WITH HIMSELF, 'GOD, I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE OTHER 30:43 MEN'" - SO WHAT'S HIS PRAYER ABOUT? IS HIS PRAYER ABOUT GOD? 30:47 IS HIS PRAYER ABOUT HIS NEIGHBOR? 30:48 OR IS HIS PRAYER ABOUT HIM? 30:50 - "I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE OTHER MEN - EXTORTIONERS, 30:55 UNJUST, ADULTERERS, OR EVEN AS THIS TAX COLLECTOR." 30:58 - ALL OF IT WAS HORIZONTAL - "I FAST TWICE A WEEK;" - 31:01 HE PROBABLY DID. THAT'S A GOOD THING. 31:03 IT WASN'T REQUIRED, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 31:06 FASTING'S NOT ALL BAD - "I GIVE TITHES OF ALL THAT I POSSESS." 31:08 - THAT'S GOOD - "AND THE TAX COLLECTOR, STANDING AFAR OFF, 31:12 WOULD NOT SO MUCH AS RAISE HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, BUT BEAT HIS 31:15 BREAST," - IN SELF-HUMILIATION - "SAYING, 'GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME 31:19 A SINNER!'" - THAT'S ONE OF THE SHORTEST 31:22 PRAYERS IN THE BIBLE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS SAID? 31:24 - "I TELL YOU THAT THIS MAN" - THE PUBLICAN - "WENT DOWN TO HIS 31:28 HOUSE JUSTIFIED RATHER THAN THE OTHER;" - THE PHARISEE - "FOR 31:31 EVERYONE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED AND HE THAT HUMBLES 31:35 HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED." YOU KNOW THE HARDEST THING FOR 31:38 GOD TO REACH IS PRIDE - PRIDE AND SELF SUFFICIENCY. 31:42 SOMEONE SAID 'YOU'RE NEVER MORE LIKE THE DEVIL THAN WHEN YOU'RE 31:45 PROUD.' I THINK THAT WAS JOHN KNOX THAT SAID THAT. 31:49 AND YOU'RE NEVER MORE LIKE JESUS THAN WHEN YOU'RE HUMBLE. 31:52 SO THE PHARISEES - IT WAS ALL LIKE THEY WERE PROUD OF THEIR 31:56 HUMILITY. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF IS AN ENDLESS CYCLE. 32:02 HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO BE HUMBLE LIKE JESUS? I DO. 32:08 IF YOU EVER GET TO THAT POINT WHERE YOU THINK, 'I FINALLY GOT 32:12 THE HUMILITY OF JESUS,' THEN YOU ARE AT RISK OF BECOMING PROUD 32:15 THAT YOU'RE AS HUMBLE AS JESUS. SO YEAH, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO 32:22 GUARD - YOU KNOW SOMETHING ELSE ON THAT SUBJECT? 32:24 CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE IN THE BIBLE WE'RE TO PRAY THAT GOD 32:29 WILL HUMBLE US? IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. 32:34 BUT OVER AND OVER IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS 'HUMBLE YOURSELF,' WHICH 32:38 IS PROOF THAT YOU HAVE A FREE WILL. 32:40 GOD CANNOT FORCE YOU TO BE HUMBLE. 32:42 GOD CAN PUT YOU THROUGH SOME HUMILIATING CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT 32:45 FOR YOU TO REALLY - LOOK AT ALL THAT THE LORD DID TO PHARAOH. 32:48 DID IT HUMBLE HIM OR DID IT HARDEN HIS HEART? 32:50 SEE, YOU'RE ALL FREE TO REACT TO CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT ONLY YOU CAN 32:55 CHOOSE TO BE HUMBLE AND UNLESS YOU CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE IT, WE 33:00 WILL BE SELFISH AND PROUD. AND SO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE 33:04 MUST EMBRACE AND IT DOESN'T COME NATURALLY. 33:07 SO THE PHARISEE - IT WAS ALL ABOUT SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS - AND 33:12 THE PUBLICAN, HE WAS FORGIVEN. SOMEONE ONCE SAID, 'THE NUMBER 33:16 ONE CAUSE OF ATHEISM IS CHRISTIANS.' THOSE WHO PROCLAIM 33:20 GOD WITH THEIR MOUTHS AND DENY HIM WITH THEIR LIFESTYLES 33:23 ARE WHAT AN UNBELIEVING WORLD FINDS SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE. 33:27 SO IT'S THE OUTWARD - DON'T YOU SEE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND IN 33:31 THE MEDIA, THEY LOVE TO FIND HYPOCRISY AMONG CHRISTIANS AND 33:34 JUST ALL OF THE PROGRAMS - AND THEY WRITE IT INTO ALL OF THE 33:38 SCRIPTS - THAT THE BIGGEST SCOUNDREL IN ANY PROGRAM IS 33:41 GOING TO BE THE PROFESSED CHRISTIAN AND THEY'RE MOCKED AND 33:45 THEY'RE DERIDED. SOMEONE ELSE - OSWALD CHAMBERS - HE SAID, 33:49 'THE WORLD IS GLAD OF AN EXCUSE NOT TO LISTEN TO THE GOSPEL 33:53 MESSAGE AND THE INCONSISTENCIES OF CHRISTIANS IS THE EXCUSE THE 33:57 WORLD IS LOOKING FOR. SO THE LORD WANTS US TO BE 34:00 AUTHENTIC AND THE HYPOCRISY OF THE PHARISEES RUBBED JESUS THE 34:06 WRONG WAY. ALRIGHT, WELL, I'LL MOVE ON. 34:10 WE NEED TO GET ON TO OUR SECTION ON FEARING GOD, AND THIS WOULD 34:14 BE MONDAY. LUKE 12:4 - LUKE 12:4, "AND I 34:18 SAY TO YOU, MY FRIENDS, DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THOSE WHO KILL THE 34:22 BODY, AND AFTER THAT HAVE NO MORE THAT THEY CAN DO. 34:25 BUT I WILL SHOW YOU WHOM YOU SHOULD FEAR: FEAR HIM WHO, AFTER 34:28 HE HAS KILLED, HAS POWER TO CAST INTO HELL; YES, I SAY TO YOU, 34:32 FEAR HIM! ARE NOT FIVE SPARROWS SOLD FOR TWO COPPER COINS? 34:35 AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS FORGOTTEN BEFORE GOD. BUT THE VERY HAIRS 34:38 OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED. DO NOT FEAR THEREFORE; YOU ARE 34:42 OF MORE VALUE THAN MANY SPARROWS." 34:44 SO HERE HE'S TELLING US ABOUT WHO TO FEAR, AND THEN HE SAYS 34:47 'DO NOT FEAR.' SO, ARE WE TO FEAR GOD OR NOT FEAR GOD? 34:52 IS ALL FEAR - YOU KNOW, THIS IS - THIS IS A CONUNDRUM 34:56 UNDERSTANDING THIS SOMETIMES BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS IN THE 34:59 GOSPEL OF 1 JOHN, CHAPTER 4:18, "THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE; BUT 35:07 PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR, BECAUSE FEAR INVOLVES TORMENT. 35:09 BUT HE WHO FEARS HAS NOT BEEN MADE PERFECT IN LOVE." 35:13 - AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGE AND WHAT IS IT? 35:17 FIRST ANGEL, REVELATION 14:7 - WE'RE TO PROCLAIM "FEAR GOD AND 35:22 GIVE GLORY TO HIM FOR THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME." 35:25 SO HOW DO WE RECONCILE THESE TWO APPARENTLY CONTRADICTORY FORMS 35:30 OF FEAR IN THE BIBLE? 'JOB WAS A PERFECT AND UPRIGHT 35:35 MAN, ONE WHO' - WHAT? - 'FEARED GOD AND HATED EVIL.' THAT WAS A 35:39 GOOD FEAR. ADAM AND EVE, THEY SAID, 35:43 'WE HEARD YOUR VOICE IN THE GARDEN AND WE WERE AFRAID AND 35:47 WE RAN.' IS THAT THE RIGHT KIND OF FEAR 35:50 THAT GOD WANTS US TO HAVE? NO. 35:51 SO THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT IS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO HAVE A FEAR 36:00 THAT IS AN AWESOME REVERENCE FOR THE MAJESTY OF GOD. 36:05 I THINK THAT IT WAS JOHN WESLEY THAT SAID, 'IF YOU FEAR GOD, YOU 36:10 WON'T FEAR ANYTHING ELSE' - IF YOU TRULY FEAR GOD - 'IF YOU 36:13 DON'T FEAR GOD, YOU'LL FEAR, BASICALLY, EVERYTHING ELSE.' BUT 36:16 IF YOU REALLY ONLY FEAR GOD AND YOU FEAR HIM APPROPRIATELY WHERE 36:21 YOU'RE CONSUMED BY NOTHING MORE THAN PLEASING GOD, 36:24 THAT'S STEP #1 IN BEING A CHRISTIAN. 36:29 IT IS APPROPRIATE TO TREMBLE FOR GOD, BUT IT'S NOT THE KIND OF 36:34 FEAR WHERE YOU RUN FROM HIM, LIKE ADAM, BUT YOU GO TO HIM 36:38 THROUGH JUST AWE - YOU'RE DRAWN BY HIS LOVE - BUT THE PRESENCE 36:42 OF THE LORD - HOW DID JOHN ACT WHEN HE SAW THE PRESENCE OF AN 36:47 ANGEL? >>FELL ON HIS FACE. 36:50 >>YEAH, HE FELL DOWN LIKE HE WAS DEAD. WHAT ABOUT DANIEL WHEN HE 36:52 SAW THE LORD? 'I HAD NO STRENGTH REMAINED IN 36:55 ME.' HE FELL DOWN. HOW ABOUT EZEKIEL? 36:57 WHAT ABOUT ISAIAH, 'WOE IS ME, I AM UNDONE.' YOU GO THROUGH THE 37:01 BIBLE, JACOB SAID, 'I'LL DIE FOR I'VE SEEN GOD.' I MEAN, YOU GO 37:04 THROUGH THE BIBLE AND THE ONES WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED GOD WERE 37:07 TERRIFIED, BUT THEY ALL CONTINUED TO LOVE AND SERVE HIM. 37:11 AND SO, IT'S JUST A REVERENCE FOR HIM AND A MAJESTY TO HIM, 37:17 AND AN AWARENESS THAT YOU BELONG TO HIM. THEN THERE'S THE FEAR 37:19 OF THE UNBELIEVING THAT THEY RUN FROM GOD AND THAT'S NOT WHAT GOD 37:24 WANTS US TO DO. HERE'S THE WRONG KIND OF FEAR: 37:27 DEUTERONOMY 28 - AND THIS IS IN YOUR LESSON - DEUTERONOMY 28:66 37:31 - IF YOU DISOBEY GOD HE SAYS ALL THESE CURSES WILL FOLLOW YOU: 37:37 "YOUR LIFE SHALL HANG IN DOUBT BEFORE YOU; YOU SHALL FEAR DAY 37:40 AND NIGHT, AND HAVE NO ASSURANCE OF LIFE. 37:43 IN THE MORNING YOU SHALL SAY, 'OH, THAT IT WERE EVENING!' 37:45 AND AT EVENING YOU SHALL SAY, 'OH, THAT IT WERE MORNING!' 37:47 BECAUSE OF THE FEAR WHICH TERRIFIES YOUR HEART, AND 37:50 BECAUSE OF THE SIGHT WHICH YOUR EYES SEE." 37:52 NOW THAT'S THE FEAR OF A PERSON THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE SPIRIT OF 37:56 GOD. ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW WHAT 37:59 BROUGHT ABOUT THE CONVERSION OF JOHN WESLEY? 38:01 HE WAS IN A STORM ON A BOAT, COMING BACK FROM A FAILED 38:04 MISSION TRIP IN NORTH AMERICA, TO ENGLAND AND THEY ENCOUNTERED 38:08 A TERRIBLE STORM AND HE OBSERVED THE MORAVIAN FAMILIES, THAT WERE 38:13 SORT OF LIKE A GERMAN PRIMITIVE BAPTIST, THEY WERE SINGING IN 38:18 THE MIDST OF THE STORM, UP ON THE DECK OF THE BOAT. 38:19 YOU GET SEASICK WHEN IT'S BAD AND YOU GO DOWN BELOW, AND THEY 38:22 WERE UP ON THE DECK AND THE WAVES WERE CRASHING OVER AND ALL 38:25 THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND WESLEY SAID TO THE FATHER, HE 38:28 SAYS, 'AREN'T YOU AFRAID?' HE SAID, 'NO, WE'RE NOT AFRAID 38:30 TO DIE.' 'AREN'T YOUR WOMEN AND YOUR CHILDREN AFRAID?' 38:32 'NO, WE ARE - OUR LIVES ARE IN GOD'S HANDS. 38:35 WHATEVER GOD WILLS, WE'RE HAPPY WITH THAT.' AND HE REALIZED HE 38:38 DIDN'T KNOW THE LORD AND THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE CONVERSION OF 38:41 WESLEY BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID OF GOD INSTEAD OF HAVING A LOVING 38:46 REVERENCE FOR GOD. SO - DIDN'T JESUS SLEEP IN A STORM? 38:51 AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLES WHEN THEY WOKE HIM UP 38:54 AND SAID, 'MASTER, CAREST THOU NOT THAT WE'RE PERISHING?' 38:56 HE SAID, 'WHY DID YOU - WHY ARE YOU AFRAID?' THAT SUGGESTS TO ME 39:00 THAT IF WE HAVE THE KIND OF FAITH WE SHOULD HAVE, 39:03 WE WON'T BE AFRAID OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE OUR 39:09 LIVES ARE IN GOD'S HANDS. HOW COULD PAUL WRITE WITH SUCH 39:12 PEACE? YOU EVER READ 2 TIMOTHY? HE'S ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED. 39:14 HE'S PREOCCUPIED WITH THE WELL-BEING OF THE CHURCH, NOT 39:17 THAT HE'S GOING TO DIE IN A FEW DAYS. 39:19 I MEAN, HE SAID, 'I KNOW THAT MY DEPARTURE IS AT HAND, BUT I KNOW 39:22 WHOM I'VE BELIEVED AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT HE IS GOING TO 39:28 KEEP THAT WHICH I'VE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY.' 39:31 PAUL WAS NOT AFRAID OF DYING. PETER SAID, 'I KNOW - THE LORD'S 39:35 SHOWN ME I MUST PUT OFF MY TABERNACLE' - MEANING HE WAS 39:37 GOING TO DIE - BUT HE WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE CHURCH AND 39:40 THAT'S IN 2 PETER - BUT THEY WEREN'T AFRAID TO DIE. 39:44 AND THIS IS WHAT CONVERTED SO MANY IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE, WHEN 39:47 THEY SAW THE CHRISTIANS DIE WITHOUT FEAR IN THE COLISEUMS. 39:51 SO DON'T YOU WANT THAT KIND OF FAITH? BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN 39:54 THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A REVERENCE, AN APPROPRIATE AWE, TREMBLING, 40:01 AT THE GLORY AND THE MAJESTY OF GOD. SO, ALRIGHT, JOHN - OH, 40:07 LET'S SEE - PSALM 27:1, "THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY 40:10 SALVATION; WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY 40:14 LIFE; OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?" 40:16 YOU KNOW, WHEN GOD CAME TO DAVID ONCE, BECAUSE HE HAD SINNED, HE 40:20 SAID, 'I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THREE OPTIONS:" - I MEAN, IT'D 40:24 BE TERRIBLE TO PICK YOUR PUNISHMENT. 40:25 YOUR PARENTS EVER DO THAT TO YOU? 40:27 THEY GIVE YOU OPTIONS: 'SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE? 40:29 WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET WHIPPED THREE TIMES? 40:31 WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO DAYS OF NO FRIENDS? 40:34 OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO" - OH, IT'S - I HATED THAT. 40:36 SO THE LORD, THROUGH A PROPHET, HE ASKED DAVID, HE SAID, 'DO YOU 40:40 WANT THREE DAYS OF PLAGUE TO FALL THROUGH THE CITY OR DO YOU 40:44 WANT TO BE CHASED BY YOUR ENEMIES OR DO YOU WANT SO MANY 40:46 YEARS OF FAMINE?' AND DAVID SAID, 'WELL, I DON'T 40:50 WANT TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF MAN AND BE CHASED BY MY ENEMIES" 40:54 - HE HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THAT - HE SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO 40:57 FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LORD.' SO A PLAGUE CAME ON 41:01 ISRAEL AND GOD SHORTENED IT IN MERCY. 41:03 DAVID SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I CAN TRUST THAT GOD AND HIS 41:06 JUDGMENTS, WHATEVER HAPPENS, IT'LL BE LOVE.' BUT HE DIDN'T 41:09 WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE FEAR OF MAN. 41:12 NOW IN THIS SECTION, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT APPROPRIATE AND 41:17 INAPPROPRIATE FEAR, BIBLICALLY, LUKE HAS THIS PARABLE. 41:20 LUKE 12:13, "THEN ONE FROM THE CROWD SAID TO HIM, 'TEACHER, 41:26 TELL MY BROTHER TO DIVIDE THE INHERITANCE WITH ME.'" - 41:28 YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST PAUSE HERE AND SAY SOMETHING THAT I HOPE IS 41:32 TAKEN APPROPRIATELY. AS A PASTOR, IT IS AMAZING TO ME 41:37 - YOU SEE FAMILIES THAT GET ALONG FOR MANY YEARS AND THEN 41:43 THE PARENTS DIE AND IF THEIR WILL ISN'T VERY PRECISE, 41:47 SIBLINGS THAT HAVE GONE TO THE SAME CHURCH AND GOT ALONG FOR 41:51 YEARS AND THEY'RE ADULTS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'RE EVEN IN 41:53 THEIR LATER YEARS - THEY GET INTO FIGHTS OVER STUFF AND THEY 41:56 NEVER TALK AGAIN. AND THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON. 42:01 BUT HERE - SO MAKE OUT A GOOD WILL. BE SPECIFIC. 42:05 HERE SOMEONE SAYS, "LORD, TELL MY BROTHER TO DIVIDE THE 42:10 INHERITANCE WITH ME." WHAT USUALLY CAUSES THOSE 42:13 BATTLES? LOVE OF STUFF, YEAH. 42:16 BUT HE SAID TO HIM, 'MAN, WHO MADE ME A JUDGE AND AN ARBITER 42:19 OF YOU?'- I'M NOT THE ARBITER OF YOUR WILL - HE SAID, "TAKE HEED 42:24 AND BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS," - WHAT IS JESUS SAYING? 42:26 BY THE WAY, WHICH COMMANDMENT IS THAT? TENTH, RIGHT? 42:31 "BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS, FOR ONE'S LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST IN 42:34 THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS HE POSSESSES." 42:36 I'VE SEEN PEOPLE FIGHT OVER LITTLE KNICK KNACKS AND YOU GO 42:40 TO THEIR HOMES AND THEY'RE FULL - THE GARAGE IS - THEY CAN'T FIT 42:44 THE CAR - THE CAR'S ON THE STREET BECAUSE THE GARAGE IS 42:45 FULL OF JUNK. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 42:48 "THEN HE SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO THEM, SAYING: 'THE GROUND OF A 42:54 CERTAIN RICH MAN YIELDED PLENTIFULLY. 42:57 AND HE THOUGHT WITHIN HIMSELF, SAYING, 'WHAT SHALL I DO, SINCE 42:59 I HAVE NO ROOM TO STORE MY CROPS?' 43:01 SO HE SAID, 'I WILL DO THIS: I WILL PULL DOWN MY BARNS AND 43:06 BUILD GREATER, AND THERE I WILL STORE ALL MY CROPS AND MY GOODS. 43:08 AND I WILL SAY TO MY SOUL, 'SOUL, YOU HAVE MANY GOODS LAID 43:11 UP FOR MANY YEARS; TAKE YOUR EASE; EAT, DRINK, AND BE 43:14 MERRY.'' BUT GOD SAID TO HIM, 'FOOL! 43:16 THIS NIGHT YOUR SOUL WILL BE REQUIRED OF YOU; THEN WHOSE WILL 43:20 THOSE THINGS BE WHICH YOU HAVE PROVIDED?' 43:24 SO IS HE WHO LAYS UP TREASURE FOR HIMSELF, AND IS NOT RICH 43:27 TOWARD GOD.'" IF ALL WE THINK ABOUT IS 'WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?' 43:31 AND 'WHAT HAVE I STORED FOR MYSELF?' AND WE'RE NOT 43:34 CONCERNED ABOUT GOD AND HIS WORK AND WE DON'T APPRECIATE THE 43:36 BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN, THAT'S SOMETHING TO FEAR. 43:39 THAT'S ACTUALLY - JESUS IS SAYING THAT'S DANGEROUS. 43:44 ALRIGHT, NEXT SECTION WE HAVE BE PREPARED AND WATCHFUL - 43:48 AND IN LUKE 12:48 JESUS SAID, "BUT HE WHO DID NOT KNOW, YET 43:54 COMMITTED THINGS DESERVING OF STRIPES," - 43:57 STRIPES ARE WHEN YOU WERE WHIPPED AND IT LEFT A STRIPE ON 43:59 YOUR BACK - "SHALL BE BEATEN WITH FEW. 44:01 BUT TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, FROM HIM MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED; AND 44:05 TO WHOM MUCH HAS BEEN COMMITTED, OF HIM THEY WILL ASK THE MORE." 44:08 WE'RE TO BE VIGILANT AND WATCHFUL BECAUSE WE'RE ALL TO 44:12 GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO GOD FOR WHAT WE DO IN LETTING THE WORLD KNOW 44:14 AND WHAT WE DO WITH THE GIFTS THE LORD HAS GIVEN US. 44:18 JESUS TELLS THIS PARABLE IN LUKE 12, VERSE 35, "LET YOUR WAIST BE 44:23 GIRDED AND YOUR LAMPS BURNING; AND YOU YOURSELVES BE LIKE MEN 44:26 WHO WAIT FOR THEIR MASTER, WHEN HE WILL RETURN FROM THE WEDDING, 44:29 THAT WHEN HE COMES AND KNOCKS THEY MAY OPEN TO HIM 44:32 IMMEDIATELY. BLESSED ARE THOSE SERVANTS WHO 44:34 THE MASTER, WHEN HE COMES, WILL FIND WATCHING. 44:36 ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU THAT HE WILL GIRD HIMSELF AND HAVE THEM 44:39 SIT DOWN TO EAT, AND WILL COME AND SERVE THEM. 44:42 AND IF HE SHOULD COME IN THE SECOND WATCH, OR COME IN THE 44:45 THIRD WATCH, AND FIND THEM SO, BLESSED ARE THOSE SERVANTS. 44:48 BUT KNOW THIS, THAT IF THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE HAD KNOWN 44:51 WHAT HOUR THE THIEF WOULD COME, HE WOULD HAVE WATCHED AND NOT 44:53 ALLOWED HIS HOUSE TO BE BROKEN INTO. 44:55 THEREFORE YOU ALSO BE READY, FOR THE SON OF MAN IS COMING AT AN 45:00 HOUR YOU DO NOT EXPECT." YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT 45:03 JESUS SAID HE MIGHT COME IN THE FIRST WATCH, BUT IF HE DOESN'T 45:07 COME, DON'T GET TIRED OF SERVING HIM. HE MIGHT COME IN THE SECOND 45:11 WATCH, BUT IF HE DOESN'T COME IN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND WATCH, 45:15 OH MAN, NOW YOU'VE WAITED FOR, YOU KNOW, 6 - 12 HOURS - WHAT 45:18 ABOUT THE THIRD WATCH? AND SO JESUS IS SAYING IT MIGHT 45:23 BE LATER THAN YOU THINK. DON'T DESPAIR. 45:25 NOW WE'RE ALL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, AT LEAST MOST OF US, 45:28 AND THE WORD ADVENTIST MEANS THAT WE'RE A PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE 45:31 IN THE NEAR OR SOON ADVENT (RETURN) OF THE LORD. 45:35 IS THERE A DANGER THAT ADVENTISTS COULD GET TO THE 45:38 POINT WHERE THEY STOP BELIEVING IN THE EMINENT ADVENT OF JESUS? 45:40 >>YES. >>YEAH. ISN'T THAT KIND OF WHAT 45:43 THE LORD FORETOLD WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN? WHY IS IT THAT THERE ARE 45:48 SO MANY PARABLES AND STORIES THAT JESUS TELLS ABOUT AN 45:52 APPARENT DELAY CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND COMING? 45:55 WHILE THE BRIDEGROOM TARRIED, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TEN 46:00 VIRGINS WENT TO SLEEP? >>FIFTY. 46:03 >>A HUNDRED PERCENT. IT WAS FIVE WISE, FIVE FOOLISH, 46:06 HOW MANY WERE SLEEPING? A HUNDRED PERCENT UNTIL THEY 46:09 HEARD THE CRY. WHY? HE TARRIED - AN APPARENT DELAY. 46:12 JESUS SAYS, AT THE END OF MATTHEW 24, 'IF THAT SERVANT 46:15 SAYS IN HIS HEART, 'MY LORD DELAYS HIS COMING.' CHRIST MIGHT 46:19 BE ALLUDING TO THE STORY WHERE MOSES GOES UP THE MOUNTAIN. 46:24 AND IT SAYS, 'WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW THAT MOSES DELAYED COMING 46:26 DOWN.' LATER THAN THEY THOUGHT. WHEN SAUL IS WAITING FOR SAMUEL 46:31 - SAMUEL SAID, 'AFTER SEVEN DAYS I'LL COME. 46:33 WHEN SAMUEL DELAYED, SAUL LOST FAITH DURING THAT TIME OF 46:37 TESTING AND HE LOST THE CROWN. IT SEEMS LIKE THE PROPHECIES 46:41 TELL US THERE IS AN APPARENT DELAY THAT GOD IS FORETELLING. 46:45 THERE'S THE APPEARANCE OF IT. WHY IS IT THAT JESUS SAID, 'IN 46:49 SUCH AN HOUR AS YOU THINK NOT THE SON OF MAN COMES"? 46:52 YOU CAN GET THE TAPE AND CHECK FOR YOURSELF, BUT BACK IN 1999, 46:54 WHEN I WAS DOING THE NET 99 PROGRAMS, I TOLD EVERYBODY, 'IF 47:00 EVERYONE THOUGHT Y2K' - YEAR 2,000 - END OF THE WORLD - ANY 47:03 OF YOU REMEMBER HEARING ANY OF THAT? 47:05 AND I SAID, 'I DON'T THINK JESUS IS COMING.' AND PEOPLE SAID, 47:09 'YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY THAT. WHY DO YOU SAY THAT? 47:11 THE YEAR 2,000 - SIX THOUSAND YEARS - IT'LL BE THE END.' 47:15 YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 47:16 I SAID, 'MY BIBLE SAYS 'IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YOU THINK NOT.' 47:19 AND EVERYBODY THOUGHT HE WAS COMING. 47:21 I SAID, 'NO, THAT'S NOT - PROBABLY - EVERYONE WAIT FOR THE 47:24 STOCK MARKET TO DROP - EVERYONE RAN TO THE HILLS AND THEY CUT UP 47:27 THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS AND THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSES AND PUT 47:31 FOOD IN 5-GALLON PLASTIC BUCKETS AND, I MEAN, I REALLY - I KNOW 47:34 PEOPLE THAT DID ALL THESE THINGS - GETTING OFF THE GRID AND 47:36 WORLD'S GOING TO END AND - HERE WE ARE NOW, FIFTEEN YEARS LATER. 47:39 BUT NOW PEOPLE HAVE STARTED SAYING, 'OH MAN, WE'VE GOT 47:42 ANOTHER MILLENNIUM SPREAD BEFORE US. 47:44 HE MAY NEVER COME.' ON SUCH AN HOUR AS YOU THINK NOT. 47:46 NOW I START GETTING EXCITED BECAUSE IT'S WHEN THE CHURCH 47:50 STARTS SAYING, 'MY LORD DELAYS HIS COMING.' THAT'S WHEN YOU 47:53 KNOW THAT THE COMING IS NEAR. ALRIGHT, SO WHAT DID JESUS TELL 47:59 US TO DO UNTIL THAT DAY? LUKE 19:13 - HE SAID, "OCCUPY 48:04 TILL I COME." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 48:06 DO BUSINESS, STAY BUSY, GROW YOUR TALENTS, SHARE THE GOSPEL. 48:10 BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK IS THE BEST SIGN 48:13 OF THE NEARNESS OF CHRIST'S COMING? 48:15 ALRIGHT, SINCE YOU ASKED, I'LL TELL YOU. 48:16 MATTHEW CHAPTER 24, VERSE 14, "THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM WILL 48:21 BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS TO ALL NATIONS, AND 48:24 THEN THE END WILL COME." THERE'S NOWHERE IN THE WORLD I 48:27 GO NOW WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE GOSPEL. 48:30 I MEAN, THROUGH THE INTERNET AND SATELLITE, ISLANDS OUT IN THE 48:33 MIDDLE OF THE PACIFIC THAT USED TO BE REMOTE AND ISOLATED, THERE 48:36 ARE TRIBES WHERE PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY BAREFOOT AND THEY'VE 48:38 GOT THE INTERNET ON PHONES. I'M SERIOUS, I MEAN, IT'S JUST 48:42 AMAZING, WHEREVER I GO NOW - AND WE RUN INTO PEOPLE THAT ARE 48:46 STREAMING OUR PROGRAMS AND A LOT OF OTHER GOSPEL PROGRAMS. 48:49 JESUS DIDN'T SAY THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD BELIEVE, HE SAID IT'LL GO 48:53 INTO ALL THE WORLD AS A WITNESS - AN OPPORTUNITY. AND SO NOW 48:57 THE GOSPEL IS GOING INTO CHINA, IT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE 49:00 MIDDLE EAST - A LOT OF THESE COUNTRIES - AND THEN THE END 49:03 WILL COME. HE DIDN'T SAY IT MIGHT COME, HE SAID, 'THEN IT'LL 49:06 COME.' THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK THAT THE END IS NEAR. 49:09 ALRIGHT, BE PREPARED, BE WATCHFUL - AND IT SAYS, 'BE A 49:12 FAITHFUL WITNESS.' ACTS 1:8 - AND THIS WAS WRITTEN BY LUKE - 49:17 "BUT YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME 49:20 UPON YOU; AND YOU SHALL BE WITNESSES TO ME IN JERUSALEM, 49:23 AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND TO THE END OF THE EARTH." 49:28 AND SO THE LORD WANTS US TO START AT HOME. SOMEONE SAID, 'IF 49:32 YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, CLEAN YOUR BEDROOM.' 49:34 START AT HOME AND THEN START BEING - YOU KNOW, BILLY GRAHAM 49:39 MET A YOUNG MAN THAT SAID HE WAS GOING TO GO TO A FOREIGN MISSION 49:41 FIELD - THEY WERE TRAVELING ON SOME CONVEYANCE, A PLANE, A 49:44 TRAIN, OR SOMETHING - HE SAID, 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' 49:46 'I'M GOING TO BE A MISSIONARY.' HE SAID, 'HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE 49:48 YOU BROUGHT TO THE LORD IN YOUR HOMETOWN?' 49:50 'WELL, NOBODY YET, BUT I'M GOING TO GO - I'M GOING TO GO AND DO 49:53 MISSION WORK.' HE SAID, 'LOOK, IF YOU CAN'T REACH PEOPLE IN 49:56 YOUR FAMILY OR YOUR HOMETOWN, DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE 49:58 EASIER IN SOME STRANGE LAND WITH STRANGE CUSTOMS AND A STRANGE 50:00 LANGUAGE.' HE SAID, 'YOU WANT TO START WHERE YOU ARE BEING A 50:04 WITNESS.' AND WE'RE - THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WE CAN ALL BE 50:07 WITNESSES, AMEN? AND LUKE 8:4, "AND WHEN A GREAT 50:13 MULTITUDE HAD GATHERED, AND THEY HAD COME TO HIM FROM EVERY CITY, 50:16 HE SPOKE BY A PARABLE: 'A SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW HIS SEED. 50:20 AND AS HE SOWED, SOME FELL BY THE WAYSIDE; AND IT WAS TRAMPLED 50:23 DOWN, AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR DEVOURED IT. SOME FELL ON ROCK; 50:26 AND AS SOON AS IT SPRANG UP, IT WITHERED AWAY BECAUSE IT LACKED 50:29 MOISTURE. AND SOME FELL AMONG THORNS, AND THE THORNS SPRANG UP 50:32 WITH IT AND CHOKED IT. BUT OTHERS FELL ON GOOD GROUND AND 50:38 SPRANG UP YIELDING A CROP OF A HUNDREDFOLD. 50:41 AND WHEN HE SAID THESE THINGS HE SAID, 'HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, 50:44 LET HIM HEAR.'" YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? WHEN IT COMES TO 50:46 BEING A WITNESS, YOU WANT TO SOW AS MUCH SEED AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE 50:49 THREE OUT OF FOUR OF THOSE SEEDS DIDN'T PRODUCE A CROP. 50:53 BUT THEY WERE SURE THANKFUL ABOUT THE FOURTH. 50:56 YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF SALESMAN - THEY MAKE A 51:00 WHOLE LOT OF CALLS BEFORE THEY MAKE A SALE. 51:03 AND MORMON MISSIONARIES, THEY GO OUT - I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE 51:05 RATIO IS, YOU MIGHT KNOW THIS, CARISSA, BUT I THINK THEY COUNT 51:08 ON GOING TO LIKE 50 HOMES BEFORE THEY GET A BIBLE STUDY, BUT 51:11 THEY'RE SO - THEY JUST KNOW IT AHEAD OF TIME. 51:13 YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A FISHERMAN MIGHT HAVE TO DROP HIS 51:15 LINE IN THE WATER BEFORE HE PULLS IN A FISH? 51:17 THEY DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. 51:19 AND SO YOU'VE JUST GOT TO COUNT ON SOWING A LOT OF SEED AND 51:21 YOU'LL END UP GETTING A HARVEST ALONG THE WAY, AMEN? 51:24 ANYWAY, WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME FOR TODAY'S LESSON. 51:27 I WANT TO REMIND OUR LISTENERS, IF THEY DIDN'T CATCH IT AT THE 51:30 BEGINNING, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER AND IT'S CALLED HIDDEN EYES AND 51:34 CLOSED EARS , WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS. 51:36 WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE IT'S OFFER #726 - OFFER #726. 51:42 CALL 855-788-3966. WE'LL SEND THIS TO YOU AND YOU CAN ALSO 51:46 READ IT FOR FREE AT THE AMAZINGFACTS.ORG WEBSITE AND 51:51 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. IF YOU ORDER ONE READ 51:53 IT AND THEN SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND. 51:54 OUT OF TIME. WE ENCOUAGE YOU TO STUDY YOUR LESSON AND WE'LL GET 51:57 TOGETHER AND STUDY IT TOGETHER NEXT WEEK. 52:05 >>AMAZING FACTS. CHANGED LIVES >>WHEN I WAS 15 I BOUGHT MY 52:13 FIRST BAG OF MARIJUANA OUT OF CURIOUSITY. 52:16 AND FROM THE AGE OF 15 ON TO 23 WAS A CONSTANT EXPERIMENTATION 52:22 WITH DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES. BY THE TIME I WAS 23 THERE WAS 52:27 NOT A DRUG I HAD NOT TRIED. I HAD WORN MYSELF OUT SEARCHING 52:31 FOR HAPPINESS. AND ONE DAY I CAME HOME, TIRED 52:35 AS USUAL, AND I STARTED DRINKING. 52:38 AND AS USUAL, AFTER I STARTED DRINKING, I STARTED LOOKING FOR 52:43 A HIGHER BUZZ. SOMEONE CAME BY WITH SOME XANAX. 52:50 SOMEONE ALSO CAME BY WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT I LIKED AND 52:53 THAT WAS COCAINE. THIS TIME, NOT THINKING, I TOOK 52:56 THE WHOLE THING. SO I WENT TO BED ABOUT 5:00 IN 53:01 THE AFTERNOON. MY ROOMMATE WENT OFF TO WORK 53:03 THAT NIGHT. WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM WORK THE 53:06 NEXT DAY THOUGH HE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE I 53:09 WAS STILL IN BED IN THE SAME POSITION. 53:11 HE TRIED TO WAKE ME UP AND HE COULDN'T WAKE ME UP. 53:17 WHEN MY PARENTS FOUND ME, THEY FOUND ME CURLED UP IN THE FETAL 53:21 POSITION IN MY HOSPITAL ROOM, UNCONSCIOUS STILL, AND I STAYED 53:27 UNCONSCIOUS, IN THIS COMA-LIKE STATE FOR THE NEXT WEEK. 53:31 I STAYED THE NEXT MONTH IN THE HOSPITAL SLOWLY GETTING BETTER 53:38 TO WHERE I COULD SIT UP IN BED, AND I HAD TO LEARN TO WALK 53:40 AGAIN. BUT MY PARENTS FOUND THIS ONE 53:43 FACILITY OUT IN THE HILLS OF TENNESSEE. 53:46 I HAD TO ADMIT THAT I LIKED THE PLACE, BUT THEY WERE CHRISTIAN 53:51 AND EVEN WORSE THAN THAT I SAID "YES" WHEN THEY ASKED ME IF I 53:55 WANTED TO GO TO CHURCH THAT WEEK. 53:58 BEFORE THE PASTOR SAID THE BENEDICTION I WAS SO EXCITED 54:00 BECAUSE I WAS PLANNING MY ESCAPE. 54:03 AND SO AFTER EVERYBODY WAS ALL IN BED THAT NIGHT I MADE SURE 54:06 THAT THEY WERE SNORING AND THAT THEY WERE ASLEEP. 54:10 I WENT INTO THE KITCHEN AND STOLE A FEW BANANAS, GOT MY 54:13 BACKPACK READY - I FIGURED I COULD GET SOBER ON MY OWN. 54:18 MY FAVORITE SONG WAS I DID IT MY WAY . 54:21 OF COURSE, MY DEFINITION OF SOBER WAS A NICE SUPPLY OF 54:27 MARIJUANA EACH DAY AND ALCOHOL ON THE WEEKENDS. 54:31 AND OF COURSE IF I HAD A BAD HANGOVER I MIGHT NEED SOME OF 54:33 THOSE RELAXING PILLS TO TAKE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT WOULD 54:39 BE IT. SO HERE I AM STRANDED ON THE 54:41 STREET IN THE BIG CITY OF HOUSTON. MY BAG OF CLOTHES 54:45 IS GONE. MY CELL PHONE IS GONE, MY WALLET, MY BUS TICKET'S GONE. 54:49 I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BUT THE SHIRT ON MY BACK. 54:52 IT'S AT THAT POINT THAT THIS MAN COMES UP TO ME - THIS MYSTERIOUS 54:56 MAN AND HE'S ACTUALLY VERY SHORT AND APPEARS TO BE HOMELESS. 55:00 AND HE LED ME TO SOME FOOD AND EVEN A PLACE TO STAY THAT NIGHT. 55:04 LOOKING BACK IT IS MY FIRM CONCLUSION THAT THAT WAS AN 55:08 ANGEL. SO MY DAD WAS ABLE TO COME DOWN 55:12 TO HOUSTON AND PICK ME UP AND TAKE ME BACK UP TO THE HEALTH 55:15 RETREAT AT WILDWOOD IN TENNESSEE. 55:18 THEY HAD A SATELLITE. ON THIS CHANNEL THERE WAS A MAN 55:22 NAMED DOUG BATCHELOR. I LIKED WHAT I HEARD. 55:26 I LIKED THE WAY HE EXPLAINED THE BIBLE. 55:28 IT WAS SO SIMPLE AND HE ALSO HAD AN EXPERIENCE SIMILAR TO MINE. 55:32 AND I TALKED TO LOU ABOUT HIM AND THEY HAPPENED TO HAVE 55:36 A WHOLE SET OF CASSETTE TAPES. I WOULD WAKE UP AT 4:00 IN THE 55:39 MORNING SOMETIMES AND I WOULD GET UP AND I WOULD WATCH TWO OF 55:43 THOSE VIDEOS BEFORE BREAKFAST. I WOULD SIT THIS CLOSE TO THE TV 55:47 WATCHING WHAT DOUG BATCHELOR WAS SAYING, JUST EATING UP EVERY 55:51 WORD OF IT. I WAS SO TIRED OF HEARING LIES 55:53 AND EVEN BELIEVING MY OWN LIES - IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO FIND 55:57 SOMETHING THAT WAS SOLID, THAT I COULD RELY ON. 56:02 AND SO WHEN I GOT HOME FROM REHAB IN MY LOCAL CHURCH, ERIK 56:07 FLICKINGER FROM AMAZING FACTS WAS HOLDING AN EVANGELISTIC 56:10 SERIES. THEY SOLIDIFIED MY CONVICTION 56:13 AND IT WAS THEN I MADE THE ABSOLUTE DECISION TO FOLLOW 56:17 JESUS. I PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 56:21 FOR AMAZING FACTS. I PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS 56:26 BECAUSE THEY'RE SO BIBLE-BASED. THEY SEND OUT EVANGELISTS WHO 56:30 ARE WILLING TO TEACH THE TRUTH TO PEOPLE. 56:33 I'M THANKFUL THAT THEY'RE PREACHING RIGHT NOW ALL OVER THE 56:37 WORLD, CHANGING LIVES JUST AS THEY CHANGED MINE. 56:43 >>TOGETHER WE HAVE SPREAD THE GOSPEL MUCH FARTHER THAN EVER 56:47 BEFORE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 56:56 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 56:59 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:03 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:06 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:09 REVELATION, BIBLEHISTORY.COM IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:13 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. ENHANCE YOUR 57:17 KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S WORD. 57:21 GO DEEPER. VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIMELINE 57:24 AT BIBLEHISTORY.COM . 57:28 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:32 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH 57:35 DAY OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF 57:39 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:42 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 57:45 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 57:47 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT. DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 57:51 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. 57:58 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 58:05 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-06-10