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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021528A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:32 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME AGAIN TO 00:35 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:36 A VERY SPECIAL WELCOME TO THOSE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY 00:39 AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR OUR LESSON STUDY TODAY AND ALSO A 00:43 WARM WELCOME TO THE MEMBERS HERE OF THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH AND 00:45 THOSE WHO ARE VISITING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. 00:48 TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING WITH OUR NEW LESSON 00:51 DEALING WITH BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES. TODAY WE FIND 00:54 OURSELVES ON LESSON #2. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LESSON QUARTERLY, 00:58 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON BY JUST SIMPLY GOING TO 01:01 THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 01:05 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON - LESSON #2 - AND YOU CAN FOLLOW 01:09 ALONG WITH US. WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT WE'D LIKE TO LET OUR 01:12 FRIENDS KNOW. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THIS FREE OFFER, JUST 01:16 GIVE US A CALL ON OUR RESOURCE LINE. 01:18 IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED DETERMINING THE WILL OF GOD . THE NUMBER TO 01:22 CALL FOR OUR FREE OFFER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 01:29 OFFER #778. AGAIN, THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 01:36 THE BOOK DETERMINING THE WILL OF GOD . 01:39 WELL, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR LESSON THIS MORNING, I'D LIKE TO INVITE 01:42 OUR SINGERS TO JOIN ME HERE ON STAGE AND WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN 01:45 BY PRAISING THE LORD FOR HIS GOODNESS. THANK YOU. 01:49 >>THANK YOU PASTOR ROSS. TO BEGIN SINGING, WE ARE GOING 01:56 TO GO IN OUR HYMNALS TO HYMN #608 - FAITH IS THE VICTORY - 02:01 AND AS YOU'VE BEEN STUDYING YOUR LESSON THIS WEEK, YOU KNOW THAT 02:05 IT'S ABOUT ABRAHAM AND HE TRULY WAS A MAN OF FAITH. 02:09 IT TOOK A LOT OF FAITH TO FOLLOW GOD AND LEAVE FAMILY, LEAVE 02:12 FRIENDS, AND WANDER AND FOLLOW GOD'S LEADING AS EACH ONE OF US 02:16 DO. SO LET'S SING TOGETHER FAITH IS 02:19 THE VICTORY - WE'LL SING THE FIRST AND THE LAST VERSES. 02:22 (MUSIC) 02:34 >>ENCAMPED ALONG THE HILLS OF LIGHT, YE CHRISTIANS SOLDIERS, 02:39 RISE, AND PRESS THE BATTLE ERE THE NIGHT SHALL VEIL THE 02:45 GLOWING SKIES. AGAINST THE FOE IN VALES BELOW 02:51 LET ALL OUR STRENGTH BE HURLED; FAITH IS THE VICTORY, WE KNOW, 03:00 THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD. FAITH IS THE VICTORY! 03:08 FAITH IS THE VICTORY! OH, GLORIOUS VICTORY, THAT 03:16 OVERCOMES THE WORLD. TO HIM THAT OVERCOMES THE FOE, 03:24 WHITE RAIMENT SHALL BE GIV'N; BEFORE THE ANGELS HE SHALL KNOW 03:31 HIS NAMED CONFESSED IN HEAV'N. THEN ONWARD FROM THE HILLS OF 03:38 LIGHT, OUR HEARTS WITH LOVE AFLAME, WE'LL VANQUISH ALL THE 03:46 HOSTS OF NIGHT, IN JESUS' CONQU'RING NAME. 03:54 FAITH IS THE VICTORY! FAITH IS THE VICTORY! 04:02 OH, GLORIOUS VICTORY, THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD. 04:13 >>OUR NEXT SONG, YOU WON'T EVEN BE SINGING - YOU'LL BE ENJOYING 04:17 - AS I INTRODUCE A VERY SPECIAL FAMILY TO ME - IT'S MY 04:21 SISTER-IN-LAW AND MY THREE NIECES: INARRA, CIANNA, AND 04:26 TAYA, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE SINGING FOR US POWER TO REDEEM. 04:32 (MUSIC) 04:46 >>YOU TAKE WHAT IS AND YOU MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL WHEN LOVE FLOODS 05:00 IN, WE'RE RESORTED FOREVER MORE. WITH BREATH THAT BRINGS THE DEAD 05:15 TO LIFE, WITH WORDS THAT PIERCE THE DARK WITH LIGHT ONLY BY THE 05:21 BLOOD ARE WE SET FREE. WITH MERCY STRONG TO CARRY SHAME 05:30 AND NAIL IT TO A TREE YOU ALONE HOLD THE POWER TO REDEEM. 05:41 NO GUILT COMPETES WITH INNOCENCE CRUCIFIED. 05:58 NO GRAVE CAN HOLD WHAT YOUR GRACE HAS JUSTIFIED. 06:13 WITH BREATH THAT BRINGS THE DEAD TO LIFE WITH WORDS THAT PIERCE 06:18 THE DARK WITH LIGHT ONLY BY THE BLOOD ARE WE SET FREE. 06:28 WITH MERCY STRONG TO CARRY SHAME AND NAIL IT TO A TREE YOU ALONE 06:37 HOLD THE POWER TO REDEEM. REJOICE OH CHILD OF GOD LIFT 06:54 YOUR EYES TO SEE WITH EVERY MORNING LIGHT AGAIN WE ARE 07:10 REDEEMED REJOICE OH CHILD OF GOD LIFT YOUR EYES TO SEE WITH EVERY 07:30 MORNING LIGHT, AGAIN WE ARE REDEEMED WITH BREATH THAT BRINGS 07:45 THE DEAD TO LIFE, WITH WORDS THAT PIERCE THE DARK WITH LIGHT 07:51 ONLY BY THE BLOOD ARE WE SET FREE. WITH MERCY STRONG TO CARRY 08:00 SHAME AND NAIL IT TO A TREE YOU ALONE HOLD THE POWER TO REDEEM. 08:11 OH YOU ALONE, HOLD THE POWER TO REDEEM OH YOU ALONE, 08:21 HOLD THE POWER TO REDEEM 08:44 >>MORNING EVERYBODY. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY WELCOME 08:47 THOSE WHO ARE PART OF OUR REGULAR CLASS HERE AT THE 08:50 GRANITE BAY CHURCH AND TO THE EXTENDED CLASS THAT ARE WATCHING 08:53 VIA STREAMING RIGHT NOW OR SATELLITE TELEVISION AND WE'RE 08:58 THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE TUNING IN AS WELL. AS PASTOR ROSS 09:02 MENTIONED, THERE IS A FREE BOOK THAT WE'RE OFFERING CALLED 09:04 DETERMINING THE WILL OF GOD AND IF YOU CONTACT THE NUMBER 09:08 866-788-3966, WE'LL SEND THIS TO YOU. YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD IT AT 09:13 THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE, WHICH IS JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 09:18 GOING THROUGH OUR BRAND-NEW QUARTERLY DEALING WITH THE 09:21 SUBJECT OF BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES. YOU KNOW, 09:24 SOMETIMES WE SIT AROUND, IN CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS, 09:29 AND WE STRATEGIZE AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT IS OUR VISION. 09:36 AND WE GET TOGETHER VISION STATEMENTS, MISSION STATEMENTS, 09:42 AND I ALWAYS STRUGGLE A LITTLE WITH THAT BECAUSE I FIGURE, IF 09:48 YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION, WE SORT OF HAVE A MISSION 09:50 STATEMENT GIVE TO US BY JESUS AND THAT MISSION STATEMENT IS 09:53 "ALL AUTHORITY IS GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND EARTH; GO YE, 09:57 THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING IN THE NAME 10:01 OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. 10:03 AND, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD." 10:05 THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD MISSION STATEMENT. 10:07 GO INTO ALL THE WORLD - TEACH - TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL 10:09 THINGS, WHATEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND SO WE'RE 10:13 ALL CALLED TO DO MISSION WORK OR BE MISSIONARIES IN SOME SPOT. 10:17 AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DELVE INTO LESSON #2 ON THE SUBJECT OF 10:21 ABRAHAM AND WE - IT'S ABRAHAM, THE FIRST MISSIONARY - AND, AS 10:25 WE ALWAYS DO, WE LIKE TO SAY THE MISSION - MEMORY VERSE, I SHOULD 10:31 SAY - MEMORY VERSE TOGETHER. AND THIS IS FROM GALATIANS. 10:33 YOU'D THINK WHEN WE DO A MEMORY VERSE ON ABRAHAM, WE'D BE GOING 10:36 TO THE OLD TESTAMENT; WE'RE GOING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. 10:38 GALATIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 6 THROUGH 8. 10:42 I'M GOING TO BE DOING IT FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION - 10:44 GALATIANS 3:6 - YOU WANT TO SAY IT WITH ME? YOU READY? 10:48 "JUST AS ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR 10:54 RIGHTEOUSNESS. THEREFORE KNOW THAT ONLY THOSE 10:58 WHO ARE OF FAITH ARE SONS OF ABRAHAM. 11:01 AND THE SCRIPTURE, FORESEEING THAT GOD WOULD JUSTIFY THE 11:05 GENTILES BY FAITH, PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO ABRAHAM BEFOREHAND, 11:08 SAYING, 'IN YOU ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED.'" THIS IS JUST 11:13 ONE OF THOSE VERSES IN THE BIBLE THAT'S, AS THEY SAY, PREGNANT 11:17 WITH MEANING. SO IT'S VOLCANIC IN POTENTIAL. 11:19 FIRST OF ALL, IT TELLS US THAT ONLY THE SONS OF FAITH ARE THE 11:25 ONES WHO ARE ACCOUNTED TO BE RIGHTEOUS. 11:27 IT'S LIKE PAUL SAYS, IN GALATIANS 3, "IF YOU ARE 11:30 CHRIST'S THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED AND HEIRS." 11:34 IT'S NOT JUST PHYSICAL JEWS THAT ARE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. 11:39 THAT MEANS, EVERYBODY HERE THAT HAS THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM CAN BE 11:43 ABRAHAM'S SPIRITUAL SEED. AND THEN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, 11:46 IT'S TELLING US THAT THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO THEM. 11:50 WE ALWAYS THINK OF THE GOSPEL AS A NEW TESTAMENT PHENOMENON. 11:52 HERE IT'S SAYING THAT THE GOSPEL WAS AN OLD TESTAMENT DYNAMIC. 11:56 NOW ABRAHAM, FIRST OF ALL, HIS NAME STARTS OUT IN THE BIBLE - 12:02 WE DON'T HEAR OF ABRAHAM, THAT'S HIS SECOND NAME. 12:04 WHAT'S HIS FIRST NAME? ABRAM. 12:07 AND ABRAM MEANS: AB - ABBA, IN THE BIBLE, MEANS FATHER. 12:12 YOU KNOW HOW PAUL SAYS, 'ABBA' - IT MEANS 'PAPA' OR 'FATHER'. 12:15 ABRAM IS TALKING ABOUT 'FATHER IS EXALTED' - ABRAHAM IS A 12:22 LITTLE TWIST ON THAT AND IT MEANS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT: 12:25 'FATHER OF A MULTITUDE.' IT'S INTERESTING THAT GOD CHANGES 12:29 ABRAHAM'S NAME FROM ABRAM TO ABRAHAM BEFORE HE HAS ANY 12:32 CHILDREN. AND I CAN JUST SEE HIM 12:35 EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE, 'I'VE CHANGED MY NAME. 12:37 I WENT DOWN TO THE COURTHOUSE AND I HAD MY NAME CHANGED. 12:40 GOD TOLD ME TO CHANGE IT.' 'WHAT DID YOU CHANGE IT FROM? 12:43 YOU CHANGED IT FROM 'FATHER IS EXALTED' TO?' 12:46 'ABRAHAM - FATHER OF A MULTITUDE.' 'FATHER OF A 12:50 MULTITUDE, WOW, WONDERFUL, HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU HAVE?' 12:51 'I DON'T HAVE ANY.' 'HOW OLD ARE YOU?' 'SEVENTY-FIVE.' 12:54 'OPTIMISTIC.' SO ABRAHAM STILL IS TALKING ABOUT 'FATHER' BUT 13:04 THE END OF IT IS VERY DIFFERENT: FATHER OF A MULTITUDE. 13:06 AND THE THREE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE EARTH - YOU'VE GOT JUDAISM, 13:11 CHRISTIANITY - BOTH BRANCHES - PROTESTANT AND CATHOLICISM - AND 13:16 ISLAM ALL CLAIM TO TRACE THEIR ROOTS BACK TO ABRAHAM AND SO, HE 13:20 IS A VERY IMPORTANT CHARACTER TO STUDY. SO HE IS CALLED A HEBREW. 13:26 NOW EVERYONE SAYS, 'WELL, ABRAHAM, YOU KNOW, AS THE FATHER 13:30 OF THE JEWS, HE WAS OBVIOUSLY A JEW.' 13:32 NO, HE WASN'T. A LOT OF OTHER RACES CAME OUT OF 13:35 ABRAHAM BEFORE JEWS WERE DEFINED. 13:37 IT'S NOT UNTIL YOU GET DOWN TO THE SONS OF JACOB OR ISRAEL - 13:41 YOU HAVE THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND THOSE WHO SURVIVED THE 13:45 BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY WERE PRINCIPALLY THOUGHT OF AS 'THE 13:48 JEWS' FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET THAT 13:51 WORD. ABRAHAM WAS A HEBREW. 13:53 NOW, THE WORD 'HEBREW' AS NEAR AS WE CAN TELL, IT'S DERIVED 13:56 FROM THE WORD 'EBER' WHICH, YOU NOTICE IN GENESIS 10:21, 14:01 IS ONE OF THE ANCESTORS OF ABRAHAM. 14:04 HE WAS FROM THE PEOPLE OF EBER - A HEBREW - AND THEY - THE WORD 14:09 'HEBREW' IS TALKING ABOUT ONE WHO CROSSED OVER AND IT'S, 14:13 PRESUMABLY, THOSE WHO HAD CROSSED OVER THE EUPHRATES 14:17 BECAUSE THE FIRST SETTLEMENT WAS ALL THERE NOT FAR FROM THE TOWER 14:21 OF BABEL IN MESOPOTAMIA. BUT ABRAHAM, BELIEVING GOD HAD 14:25 CALLED HIM - HE, WITH HIS FATHER, TERAH, AND MUCH OF HIS 14:28 FAMILY, THEY CROSSED OVER AND THEY WERE CALLED 'HEBREWS' SO 14:32 THAT WAS KIND OF AN ENCOMPASSING TERM. 14:35 TECHNICALLY, IT'S NOT USED THAT WAY, BUT ALL OF THE DESCENDENTS 14:40 OF ABRAHAM COULD BE CALLED HEBREWS. 14:43 NOW IT'S INTERESTING THAT WHEN YOU GET TO GENESIS CHAPTER 11 - 14:49 I WANT YOU TO NOTICE - ABRAHAM IS FAMOUS AS A MISSIONARY 14:51 BECAUSE HE CAME OUT FROM A PEOPLE THAT WERE WORSHIPING 14:56 IDOLS THERE IN MESOPOTAMIA - THEY HAD - AFTER THE TOWER OF 14:59 BABEL, LANGUAGES WERE CONFOUNDED, BUT PEOPLE WERE 15:02 STILL PRETTY MUCH SITUATED TO THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 15:06 THERE, BUT THEY HAD GIVEN THEMSELVES OVER TO IDOLATRY. 15:10 INDEED, THE TOWER OF BABEL WAS A BIG SHRINE TO SUN WORSHIP AND 15:16 THAT'S WHY NEBUCHADNEZZAR REBUILT THAT SUN - THAT TOWER - 15:22 THAT TEMPLE - TO MARDUKE. AND SO HE WAS BEING CALLED OUT 15:27 FROM THE IDOLATRY. IT HAPPENED IN TWO STAGES. 15:30 ABRAHAM DID NOT JUST GET A DIRECT FLIGHT FROM UR OF THE 15:36 CHALDEES TO ISRAEL. HE HAD A STOP OVER, AS YOU WOULD 15:40 SAY. IT HAPPENED IN TWO STAGES. 15:42 LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, IN GENESIS 11 - GENESIS 11:31 AND 32 - AND 15:49 IT SAYS, "AND TERAH TOOK HIS SON ABRAM AND HIS GRANDSON LOT, THE 15:55 SON OF HARAN, AND HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW SARAI, HIS SON 16:01 ABRAM'S WIFE, AND THEY WENT OUT WITH THEM FROM UR OF THE 16:05 CHALDEANS TO GO TO THE LAND OF CANAAN;" - THEY'RE GOING TO THE 16:07 LAND OF CANAAN BUT THEY DON'T GET ALL THE WAY THERE - "AND 16:09 THEY CAME TO HARAN AND DWELT THERE." - NOW I'VE ASKED SHERLE 16:13 IF SHE COULD PUT A SLIDE UP ON OUR SCREEN. 16:15 NOW YOU'LL SEE DOWN IN THE LOWER RIGHT YOU'VE GOT UR. 16:18 THAT YELLOW LINE GOES ALL THE WAY UP OVER 600 MILES TO HARAN. 16:21 THAT'S A LONG JOURNEY AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TRAVEL WITH A BIG 16:26 GAGGLE OF A FAMILY AS THEY HAD BACK THEN - YOU'VE GOT YOUR MEN, 16:30 YOUR WOMEN, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR CAMELS, YOUR DONKEYS, YOUR 16:34 GOATS, YOUR SHEEP, YOUR SHEPHERDS, YOUR HOUSEHOLD, YOUR 16:38 SERVANTS - HOW FAR DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET IN A DAY WITH A 16:41 CREW LIKE THAT? ANY OF YOU EVER GO OUT TO LUNCH 16:44 BY YOURSELF AND YOU SAY, 'I CAN HAVE LUNCH IN 20 MINUTES'? 16:48 THEN YOU GO TO LUNCH WITH ONE OTHER FRIEND AND HOW LONG IS IT? 16:51 FORTY MINUTES. THEN YOU HAVE AN OFFICE LUNCH 16:55 WHERE YOU TAKE LIKE SIX PEOPLE - HOUR AND A HALF. 16:57 THE PRICE GOES UP EXPONENTIALLY TOO WHEN YOU DO THAT. 17:02 YOU EVER - YOU GO ON A - ANY KIND OF EXCURSION WITH A GROUP 17:06 AND IT'S LIKE HERDING SQUIRRELS AFTER A WHILE, RIGHT? 17:09 JUST TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY TO GO - AND SO YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, 17:14 AVERAGE TEN - FIFTEEN MILES A DAY AND IT TOOK MONTHS TO MAKE 17:18 THAT JOURNEY. SO THEY GET TO HARAN AND THEY 17:22 GET COMFORTABLE. THEY SETTLE DOWN THERE. THEY MAY HAVE 17:24 STOPPED BECAUSE IT WAS A SEASONAL TIME FOR THEM TO STOP. 17:27 IT'S LIKE THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION: WHEN THEY WERE GOING 17:29 CROSS COUNTRY, THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO STOP AND THEY HAD TO CAMP 17:33 WITH THE MANDAN INDIANS JUST TO SURVIVE THE WINTER. 17:35 IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT. 17:38 THEY JUST - YOU HAVE TO STOP FOR MONTHS BECAUSE THEY'LL - IT WAS 17:40 A BIG FREEZE OUT. THEN YOU WAIT FOR THE THAW THEN 17:42 YOU CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY. AND SO, WEATHER MAY HAVE BEEN 17:44 PART OF THE REASON. SO THEY DID THE FIRST PART OF 17:46 THE TRIP. NOW GO - WELL, LET ME FINISH 17:49 READING THAT. AND IT SAYS - SO THEY WENT "TO 17:51 HARAN AND DWELT THERE. SO THE DAYS OF TERAH WERE TWO 17:55 HUNDRED AND FIVE YEARS, AND TERAH DIED IN HARAN." 18:01 NOW THE PLACE, HERON, WAS NAMED AFTER THE SON OF TERAH BECAUSE 18:04 HE, THE SON OF TERAH, DIED THERE - OR DIED BEFORE THAT AND THEY 18:09 NAMED THE CITY AFTER HIM. TERAH LIVED HOW LONG? 18:13 TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE YEARS. HE LIVED LONGER THAN ABRAHAM, 18:15 DIDN'T HE? ABRAHAM LIVED 175 YEARS. 18:17 TERAH PROBABLY LIVED DURING THE TIME OF JOB. 18:21 YOU KNOW, JOB IS REALLY THE OLDEST BOOK IN THE BIBLE, BUT 18:24 WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE AND YOU LOOK AT THE LENGTH OF 18:27 THE YEARS OF THE PEOPLE OF JOB, YOU NOTICE HOW, FROM THE TOWER 18:30 OF BABEL, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED BEFORE THE FLOOD, THEY LIVED 900 18:33 YEARS AND THE SONS OF NOAH MAYBE 600 YEARS. 18:36 THEN THE AGES WENT DOWN EVERY FEW GENERATIONS UNTIL WE GOT TO 18:40 OUR THREE SCORE AND TEN - MAYBE A LITTLE MORE - BUT THEN YOU 18:44 HAVE - THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN TWO HUNDRED WAS THE 18:48 AVERAGE, AND THAT'S WHEN JOB LIVED. SO JOB WAS PROBABLY A 18:51 CONTEMPORARY OF TERAH, THE FATHER OF ABRAHAM. 18:54 BUT NOW GO TO GENESIS CHAPTER 12 - YOU'VE JUST FINISHED OUT 18:59 GENESIS 11 - "NOW THE LORD HAD SAID TO ABRAM:" - SO HE'S 19:02 SAYING, 'YOU'RE NOT DONE GOING WHERE I TOLD YOU TO GO. 19:06 YOU'VE ONLY GONE PART WAY. I DON'T WANT YOU TO COME PARTWAY 19:09 OUT OF BABYLON; I WANT YOU TO GO ALL THE WAY OUT OF BABYLON.' 19:12 EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD GONE 600 MILES, THEY ARE STILL IN 19:15 MESOPOTAMIA. THEY HAVE NOT COME OUT OF THE 19:18 PLACE WHERE THERE'S STILL IDOLATRY. 19:20 - "NOW THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM:" - GENESIS 12:1 -"'GET OUT OF 19:24 YOUR COUNTRY, FROM YOUR FAMILY AND FROM YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE,'" 19:29 - WHY DID HE SAY OUT FROM YOUR FAMILY? 19:31 DID SOME OF THE RELATIVES OF ABRAHAM STAY IN HARAN? 19:34 WHEN JACOB GOES BACK TO FIND A WIFE, WHERE DOES HE GO? 19:37 HE DOESN'T GO TO UR, HE GOES BACK TO MESOPOTAMIA, BUT NOW HE 19:40 ONLY HAS TO GO TO HARAN TO FIND A GIRL THAT STILL BELIEVES IN 19:43 THE TRUE GOD. AND SO SOME OF THE FAMILY WAS LEFT BEHIND. 19:46 SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? "'GET OUT...FROM YOUR FAMILY AND 19:50 FROM YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE, TO A LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU. 19:53 I WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION; I WILL BLESS YOU AND...I WILL 19:57 BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU AND I WILL CURSE HIM WHO CURSES YOU; 20:01 AND IN YOU ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.'" - 20:06 THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE GREAT VERSES. 20:09 THIS IS THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT THAT IS MADE IN THE BIBLE THAT 20:12 SHOULD BE CAREFULLY NOTED AND MARKED IN YOUR BIBLE. 20:15 WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ABOUT FIVE POINTS THAT ARE MADE IN THIS 20:18 PROMISE IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT SOMEBODY LOOK UP FOR ME - WHO'S 20:21 GOT HEBREWS 11:8? LET ME SEE. 20:24 SOMEONE DOWN FRONT, OKAY, WE'LL HAVE YOU READ THAT IN JUST A 20:25 MOMENT. I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THAT - WHEN 20:27 WAS THE LAST TIME THAT GOD SPOKE TO MAN PRIOR TO GENESIS 12:1? 20:32 IT'S - 422 YEARS HAVE GONE BY SINCE GOD SPOKE TO NOAH. 20:38 DO YOU NOTICE THAT, AS YOU READ THROUGH THE AGES AND STAGES OF 20:44 THE BIBLE, THERE ARE PERIODS OF APPARENT SILENCE? 20:46 YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN ABRAHAM'S DAY COULD HAVE SAID, 'WAY BACK 20:50 IN NOAH'S DAY, GOD SPOKE AND WE HEARD MIRACLES AND THERE WERE 20:52 PROPHETS, BUT I GUESS THAT WAS ALL RUMORS AND FABLES. 20:54 IT DIDN'T REALLY EXIST. GOD - HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING IN 20:56 A LONG TIME. GOD IS DEAD.' YOU KNOW HOW MANY 20:59 TIMES IN HISTORY IT LOOKED LIKE THAT HAPPENED? 21:02 YOU GET DOWN TO THE TIME OF GIDEON AND GIDEON SAYS TO THE 21:04 ANGEL, 'WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE MIRACLES WE USED TO HEAR ABOUT? 21:06 HUNDREDS OF YEARS HAVE GONE BY. NO VOICE FROM GOD. 21:08 NO MIRACLES.' BUT GOD WAS GETTING READY TO DO GREAT 21:11 MIRACLES. AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER GREAT DRY SPELL. 21:13 SO DURING TIMES OF GREAT DELIVERANCE, IT SEEMS LIKE 21:17 THERE'S MIRACLES. SO 400 YEARS HAD GONE BY. 21:20 NOW GOD SPEAKS AND HE ENDS UP SPEAKING TO ABRAHAM VERY 21:23 DIRECTLY, AS YOU READ THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS. 21:26 NOW HE STILL HAS 422 MILES TO GO FROM HARAN - YOU CAN STILL SEE 21:31 THE MAP UP THERE - DOWN TO THE LAND OF CANAAN, WHERE HE STAYED 21:36 IN VARIOUS PLACES. ALRIGHT, I WANT YOU TO LOOK UP 21:41 IN PSALM 27:10 - THIS IS A CALL OF ABRAHAM WE'RE STUDYING NOW 21:45 AND IT SAYS, "WHEN MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER FORSAKE ME, THEN THE 21:50 LORD WILL TAKE ME UP." HE HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO HIS 21:53 FAMILY. WE KNEW HIS FATHER HAD DIED AT 21:55 THAT POINT. WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT HIS MOTHER. 21:57 YOU KNOW, THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO, TO WALK AWAY FROM YOUR 22:01 HOMELAND. I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE GET SO 22:05 ATTACHED TO SOME PLACES THAT THEY CALL HOME. 22:09 HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT THERE ARE SOME PLACES IN 22:12 THE WORLD YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO LIVE AND THAT YOU DON'T KNOW 22:15 WHY ANYONE WOULD WANT TO LIVE THERE. 22:18 I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO SAY TOO MUCH BECAUSE I'LL OFFEND 22:24 SOMEBODY, BUT I HAVE BEEN SOME PLACES - WELL, JUST GOING ACROSS 22:30 NEVADA YOU'LL FIND A TOWN - I MEAN, NOW THEY'VE GOT ALL THE 22:35 MODERN CONVENIENCES - YOU'LL FIND A TOWN OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF 22:37 NOWHERE AND YOU ASK THE LOCALS, 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?' 22:40 'I'VE BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE AND WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 22:42 GENERATIONS.' 'WHY?' 'THAT'S BECAUSE' - HE SAID - 22:45 'IT'S WHERE - IT'S HOME FOR US. WE'RE USED TO IT. 22:47 WE LIKE IT. IT'S ENCHANTING. 22:48 IT GROWS ON YOU.' AND YOU THINK, 'WHAT IN THE WORLD MADE THEM 22:51 START A TOWN THERE?' SOMEONE'S WAGON TRAIN BROKE DOWN 22:57 AND THEY JUST GOT COMFORTABLE AND THE FAMILY GREW UP THERE AND 23:01 IT BECAME HOME. IT GREW ON THEM. 23:03 AND EVEN AFTER THEY TRAVELED, THAT'S WHERE THEY CAME BACK TO 23:06 BECAUSE IT WAS HOME. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET 23:11 SETTLED IN PLACES - THEY GET USED TO IT - THEY GET THE FAMILY 23:14 THERE. THEY'RE ACCUSTOMED TO THE 23:15 ENVIRONMENT AND IT - AND THEY BECOME VERY DEFENSIVE AND 23:17 PATRIOTIC ABOUT THIS SPOT OUT IN THE DESERT. 23:20 I USED TO TEASE MY NAVAJO INDIAN FRIENDS WHEN I'D GO VISIT THEM 23:24 OUT ON THE RESERVATION AND THEY'D HAVE A HOGAN - NO SPRING, 23:26 NO ROCKS, NO TREES - JUST OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE - AND 23:29 THEY'D - THAT WOULD BE THEIR HOME. 23:32 AND GENERATIONS OF THEM LIVED THERE AND I'D ASK THEM, 'HOW IN 23:33 THE WORLD DID YOU PICK THIS SPOT?' 23:36 THEY USED TO TEASE AND THEY SAID, 'WELL, ONE OF OUR 23:40 ANCESTORS SHOT AN ARROW AND A RAVEN CAUGHT THE ARROW AND THE 23:45 RAVEN FLEW AND THEN HE DROPPED THE ARROW AND WE TOOK IT AS A 23:49 SIGN THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BUILD.' AND THAT WAS THE ONLY 23:52 REASON THEY COULD COME UP WITH BECAUSE THEY KNEW THERE WAS NO 23:54 OTHER GOOD REASON TO BE THERE. SO - BUT PEOPLE GET ATTACHED TO 23:59 SPOTS AND IT'S HARD TO MOVE. IT WAS HARD FOR THE CHILDREN OF 24:05 ISRAEL TO COME OUT OF BABYLON AFTER BEING THERE FOR 70 YEARS. 24:10 YOU GET FAMILY. YOU GET ROOTS DOWN AT 70 YEARS. 24:13 YOU'RE ALL READY FOR THAT - FOR HER TO READ THAT VERSE. 24:16 GO AHEAD. TELL YOU WHAT. LET'S READ HEBREWS 11, VERSE 8 24:20 AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. ARE WE READY? 24:23 >>"BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO GO OUT TO THE 24:25 PLACE WHICH HE WOULD RECEIVE AS AN INHERITANCE, AND HE WENT 24:28 OUT NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS GOING." 24:30 >>YOU EVER GOTTEN AN INVITATION TO GO SOMEWHERE AND YOU DON'T 24:35 KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING? CAN YOU JUST HEAR THE 24:38 CONVERSATION BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND SARAH? 24:41 'DEAR, I WANT YOU TO START PACKING.' 'WHY?' 24:45 'WE'RE GOING TO GO ON A TRIP.' 'WHERE?' 24:47 'I DON'T KNOW.' 'WHAT'S THE TEMPERATURE?' 24:52 'DON'T KNOW.' 'HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO BE THERE?' 24:55 'BETTER PACK EVERYTHING.' 'CAN'T FIT EVERYTHING ON THE DONKEY.' 25:00 'NEED TO HAVE A GARAGE SALE OR GIVE IT AWAY.' I HEARD KAREN - 25:06 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING INTO ANOTHER HOUSE NOW THAT WE'VE 25:10 SETTLED HERE IN THIS CHURCH AND WE'RE - YOU KNOW, YOU COLLECT A 25:13 LOT OF STUFF AFTER TWENTY YEARS AND, BOY, WE'RE WONDERING - AND 25:18 WE'RE TRYING TO DOWNSIZE IN OUR HOUSE. 25:20 THAT JUST COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM. SO I CAN IMAGINE THERE WERE SOME 25:25 VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS. HE WENT OUT BY FAITH NOT KNOWING 25:29 WHERE HE WAS GOING. THAT TAKES A LOT OF FAITH. 25:32 YOU KNOW, SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE IN THE BIBLE - THERE'S 25:35 A PATTERN. ABRAHAM BROUGHT HIS WIFE - WHAT 25:40 DOES A WOMAN REPRESENT IN BIBLE ANALOGIES? 25:43 YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THAT - OR ASK THAT - A THOUSAND TIMES IN 25:46 CHURCH. HE BRINGS HER OUT OF MESOPOTAMIA 25:48 - OUT OF BABYLON - TO THE PROMISED LAND. 25:51 THEN ABRAHAM HAS A SON - HE HAS SEVERAL SONS, BUT THE MAIN SON 25:56 OF PROMISE IS ISAAC. THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT ISAAC - 25:59 ALL THE OTHER BOYS OF ABRAHAM - AND HE HAD MANY OTHERS BESIDES 26:02 ISHMAEL, YOU KNOW? AFTER SARAH DIED HE MARRIED 26:04 KETURAH AND HE HAD A LOT MORE WIVES, SO IT WASN'T JUST HAGAR. 26:08 BUT THE ONLY SON OF ABRAHAM THAT WAS THE SON OF PROMISE WAS ISAAC 26:12 AND GOD TELLS ABRAHAM, 'YOU'RE NOT TO HAVE A WIFE COME FROM THE 26:19 LOCALS, BUT YOU MUST HAVE A WIFE THAT YOU BRING - THAT WORSHIPS 26:23 THE TRUE GOD - BRING HER FROM BABYLON TO THE PROMISED LAND. 26:26 AND THAT WAS - ISAAC GOES AND GETS REBEKAH - OR ACTUALLY, THE 26:31 SERVANT OF ELIEZER - SERVANT OF ABRAHAM NAMED ELIEZER - HE 26:34 BRINGS REBEKAH. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT JACOB. 26:37 WELL, ISAAC HAD ESAU ALSO, BUT ESAU MARRIED THE LOCAL GIRLS. 26:41 BUT THEY TOLD JACOB, 'YOU'RE THE CHILD OF PROMISE. 26:45 YOU GO BACK AND YOU BRING YOUR WIFE OUT OF BABYLON. 26:49 THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO JUST BE RACHEL - IT ENDED UP WITH FOUR 26:53 WIVES, BUT BROUGHT THEM FROM BABYLON TO THE PROMISED LAND. 26:57 YOU NOTICE THE REPEAT? THEY'RE BRINGING - AND THEN, THE 26:59 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE CARRIED OFF TO WHERE? 27:01 TO BABYLON AND GOD CALLS THEM, SEVENTY YEARS LATER, OUT OF 27:06 BABYLON - HIS BRIDE - BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND. 27:09 AND THEN YOU READ IN REVELATION - AND WHAT'S THE SECOND ANGEL'S 27:13 MESSAGE? BABYLON IS FALLEN - AND YOU CAN READ IN REVELATION 18 27:19 "FALLEN, FALLEN. COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE." 27:22 GOD IS CALLING, IN THE LAST DAYS, HIS PEOPLE OUT OF BABYLON. 27:26 GOD CALLED ABRAHAM OUT BECAUSE THEY WERE WORSHIPING - ABRAHAM'S 27:29 OWN PEOPLE BEGAN TO WORSHIP FALSE GODS. 27:32 IDOLATRY HAD COME IN. FALSE WORSHIP HAD COME IN. 27:36 CALLING BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND - AND SO, ARE GOD'S PEOPLE 27:40 - IS THIS RELEVANT TODAY? ARE WE BEING CALLED BACK TO THE 27:42 PROMISED LAND? AND SO, GOD WANTED ABRAHAM TO BE 27:45 A MISSIONARY ALONG THE WAY, AS HE WAS COMING OUT. 27:48 AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY GOODBYE TO FAMILY. 27:53 LUKE 14:26, JESUS SAID, "IF ANY MAN COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT 27:57 HATE" - AND THE WORD 'HATE' THERE MEANS 'LOVE LESS 28:01 SUPREMELY' - "HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, HIS WIFE AND HIS 28:04 CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTERS, YES, HIS OWN LIFE, 28:06 HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE." WHAT GOD ASKED ABRAHAM TO DO, 28:08 JESUS ASKED THE DISCIPLES TO DO. HE SAID, 'I'M ASKING YOU TO 28:13 FORSAKE EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW ME.' AND ABRAHAM WAS ASKED, 28:17 BASICALLY, TO WALK AWAY FROM EVERYBODY HE KNEW AND FOLLOW 28:20 WHERE HE KNEW GOD WAS BRINGING HIM. NOW - WELL, I'LL GET TO 28:25 THAT IN A MINUTE. LET'S LOOK AT THAT PROMISE. 28:28 I'VE GOT A LOT TO COVER HERE. I JUST WANT TO LOOK AT THE 28:30 PROMISE THAT'S MADE ONE MORE TIME IN GENESIS 12. 28:33 HE - NOTICE FIVE POINTS - HE SAID, 'I'LL MAKE OF YOU A GREAT 28:36 NATION.' THAT'S QUITE A PROMISE. ABRAHAM HAD NO CHILDREN. 28:40 HE SAID, 'I'LL BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT.' 28:44 BY DESERTING HIS COUNTRY HE'S GOING IN A PLACE WHERE HE HAS NO 28:47 REPUTATION OR NO NAME, SO GOD WAS GOING TO HAVE TO 28:50 GIVE HIM A NAME AMONG THE GENTILES. 28:52 'I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU AND CURSE HIM WHO CURSES 28:55 YOU.' HE WOULD BECOME THE CRITERIA TO EVERYONE ELSE BEING 28:59 BLESSED OR CURSED. WHY DID GOD SAY THAT? 29:02 'THOU SHALT BE A BLESSING.' JUST THE VERY PRESENCE - AS JOSEPH 29:07 WAS A BLESSING TO POTIPHAR, ABRAHAM WOULD BE A BLESSING TO 29:10 ALL WITH WHOM HE CAME IN CONTACT - 'AND IN YOU ALL THE FAMILIES 29:13 OF THE EARTH WILL BE BLESSED' - NOT JUST THE ONES LOCALLY, BUT 29:16 EVERY OTHER FAMILY IN THE WORLD WOULD BE BLESSED THROUGH 29:18 ABRAHAM. WHY? 29:20 HE'S SAYING THE MESSIAH WOULD COME THROUGH YOUR SEED AND IT'S 29:23 THROUGH CHRIST EVERYBODY ELSE IS BLESSED. 29:25 SO THAT'S QUITE A COVENANT THAT GOD IS MAKING. 29:29 ONE MORE THING I WANT TO READ TO YOU HERE. 29:32 WELL, I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE THINGS. 29:34 JOSHUA 24 - TALKING ABOUT WHAT ABRAHAM CAME OUT OF - JOSHUA 24, 29:39 VERSES 2 AND 3 - "AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE, 'THUS 29:47 SAYS THE LORD.'" - THIS IS AT THE END OF JOSHUA'S LIFE - "'THE 29:50 LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, YOUR FATHERS DWELT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 29:54 FLOOD.'" - WHAT FLOOD IS HE TALKING ABOUT? YOU STILL SEE 29:57 THE MAP ON THE SCREEN? YOU NOTICE THE YELLOW LINE? 29:59 THAT YELLOW LINE IS PRETTY MUCH FOLLOWING THE EUPHRATES RIVER 30:02 AND THAT RIVER, WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF RAIN UP IN THE MOUNTAINS 30:06 OF ARARAT AND - UP THERE IN THE NORTH MOUNTAINS, THERE COULD BE 30:13 MASSIVE FLOODS. THEY CALLED THAT RIVER 'THE 30:15 FLOOD' AND IT WOULD FLOOD THE DELTAS AND IT WOULD FLOOD THE 30:17 PLAINS AND SO WHEN JOSHUA SAYS 'ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD' 30:21 IT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TIME OF NOAH, THAT 30:24 FLOOD, IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EUPHRATES. 30:28 HE SAID, 'YOUR FATHERS DWELT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD. 30:32 IN OLD TIME, EVEN TERAH, FATHER OF ABRAM AND THE FATHER OF 30:36 NACHOR, AND THEY SERVED OTHER GODS. 30:39 AND I TOOK YOUR FATHER ABRAHAM FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 30:42 FLOOD' - IT EVEN SAYS TERAH - THEY'D GOTTEN INVOLVED IN 30:45 IDOLATRY. YOU REMEMBER WHY RACHEL GOT IN 30:47 TROUBLE? SHE HID HER FATHER'S GODS. 30:51 ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THAT? EVEN LABAN HAD GOTTEN INVOLVED. 30:57 THEY WERE NOT UNTAINTED FROM IDOLATRY. 30:59 'AND I TOOK YOUR FATHER ABRAHAM FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD 31:04 AND I LED HIM THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND OF CANAAN, MULTIPLIED HIS 31:07 SEED AND GAVE HIM ISAAC.' THAT WAS OVER A THOUSAND-MILE 31:12 JOURNEY. WHO'S GOING TO READ FOR ME IN A 31:15 MOMENT REVELATION 18:4? YEAH, WE'LL GET TO YOU JUST FROM 31:18 - IN JUST A MOMENT. I WANT TO LOOK AT - HERE'S A 31:22 QUOTE FROM PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS P. 125 31:25 - IT SAYS, SPEAKING OF THE AREA THAT ABRAHAM CAME OUT OF, 31:29 "IDOLATRY INVITED HIM ON EVERY SIDE, BUT IN VAIN. 31:34 FAITHFUL AMONG THE FAITHLESS, UNCORRUPTED BY THE PREVAILING 31:38 APOSTASY, HE STEADFASTLY ADHERED TO THE WORSHIP OF THE ONE TRUE 31:42 GOD." CAN WE BE SURROUNDED BY 31:44 COMPROMISE AND IDOLATRY ON EVERY SIDE AND STILL BE TRUE? 31:48 THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE A MISSIONARY. 31:50 WHEN MISSIONARIES GO TO DARK COUNTRIES - WHEN I SAY 'DARK 31:53 COUNTRIES' I MEAN PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL - 31:55 AND THEY'RE SHARING THE GOSPEL, THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO STAND 32:00 FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE WHEN THEY'RE SURROUNDED BY 32:02 COMPROMISING INFLUENCES OR YOU CAN'T BE A MISSIONARY. 32:05 YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE YOUR FAITH - YOUR WORLD VIEW - IT ALL NEEDS 32:10 TO BE LOCKED IN AND SETTLED AND GOD IS GIVING THIS SAME MESSAGE 32:14 TODAY, 'BABYLON IS FALLEN. COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE.' THAT 32:17 DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU GET ON A BOAT SOMEWHERE, IT MEANS WE NEED 32:20 TO COME OUT AND BE SEPARATE IN THE WAY THAT WE LIVE. 32:23 GO AHEAD AND READ THAT FOR US - REVELATION 18:4. 32:25 >>"AND I HEARD ANOTHER VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING, 'COME OUT OF 32:30 HER MY PEOPLE, THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS AND THAT 32:33 YOU RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES.'" 32:36 >>SO IN THE SAME WAY ABRAHAM CAME OUT OF BABYLON AND 32:39 GOD BLESSED HIM, DO GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS NEED TO KNOW 32:43 HOW TO HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO GET OUT OF BABYLON? 32:46 AND IF YOU DON'T, WHAT HAPPENS? PLAGUES - NOT GOOD. 32:49 LOOK IN 2 CORINTHIANS 6:17, "'WHEREFORE, COME OUT FROM AMONG 32:55 THEM AND BE YE SEPARATE,' SAYS THE LORD, 'AND TOUCH NOT THE 32:59 UNCLEAN THING.'" NOW WHEN PAUL SAYS 'COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM 33:02 AND BE SEPARATE' WAS HE ASKING CHRISTIANS TO GO LIVE ON TOP OF 33:05 A PILLAR LIKE SIMON THE STYLITE OR TO GO OFF IN A CAVE AND LIVE 33:09 BY THEMSELVES? NO, HE TOLD ELIJAH TO GET OUT OF 33:11 THE CAVE AND GET BACK INTO THE COUNTRY. 33:13 SO WHEN IT SAYS 'COME OUT AND BE SEPARATE' - 33:15 'COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE' - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 33:17 IT MEANS COME OUT FROM THE WORLDLINESS AND BE HOLY. 33:22 SO YOU CAN COME OUT AND BE SEPARATE WHILE YOU'RE STILL 33:25 SURROUNDED WITH THE SAME KIND OF PEOPLE. IT MEANS YOU'RE COMING 33:27 OUT IN YOUR LIFESTYLE AND BEING SEPARATE AND NOT TOUCHING THE 33:30 UNCLEAN THING - "'AND I WILL BE A FATHER UNTO YOU AND YOU WILL 33:33 BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS' SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY." 33:36 HEBREWS 11:14, "FOR THOSE WHO SAY SUCH THINGS, THEY DECLARE 33:40 PLAINLY THAT THEY SEEK A HOMELAND." 33:42 - AND, TRULY, IF THEY CALLED TO MIND A COUNTRY FROM WHICH THEY 33:45 CAME OUT, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN - "BUT NOW 33:47 THEY DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY THAT IS A HEAVENLY COUNTRY. 33:50 THEREFORE, GOD IS NOT ASHAMED TO BE CALLED THEIR GOD BECAUSE HE 33:54 HAS PREPARED FOR THEM A CITY." AND SO IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE 33:58 CITY OF FAITH. NOW, ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANT 34:02 YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE CALL OF ABRAHAM: IF SOMEONE'S GOING TO 34:06 GO DO MISSION WORK, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU 34:09 TO DO IT? YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD STORIES 34:12 ABOUT MISSIONARIES THAT TAKE TRIPS AND THEN THEY GET TO THE 34:17 MISSION FIELD AND START TO DOUBT THAT GOD EVER CALLED THEM. 34:20 THEY JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EXOTIC AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE 34:23 FUN AND HEARD A GOOD MISSION STORY WHEN THEY WERE KIDS AND 34:25 THEN THEY THINK, 'WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING HERE?' 34:27 THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE ON MISSION 34:31 PROJECTS OR CALLS THAT WERE NOT CALLED. 34:35 I HAVE REPEATED OFTEN A STORY I HEARD - I'VE HEARD A COUPLE 34:40 RENDITIONS OF IT, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME TRUTH TO IT - THAT 34:42 SOMEONE WAS TRAVELING AND THEY - BY CHANCE, THEY WERE ON THEIR 34:47 WAY TO DO MISSION WORK IN SOME FOREIGN COUNTRY AND THEY'RE ON 34:50 AN AIRPLANE AND LO AND BEHOLD THEY'RE SITTING DOWN - AIRPLANE 34:53 OR TRAIN, I'VE HEARD IT BOTH WAYS - NEXT TO BILLY GRAHAM AND 34:55 AS THEY'RE TALKING HE SAYS, 'WHERE'RE YOU GOING?' 35:00 HE SAID, 'I'M GOING' - AND THEY NAMED THIS, YOU KNOW, OFF TO 35:03 SOME REMOTE SPOT IN AUSTRALIA TO DO SOME MISSION WORK AMONG THE 35:07 ABORIGINES OR WHEREVER IT WAS AND HE SAID, 'THAT'S WONDERFUL' 35:11 - HE SAID - 'SO HOW HAS YOUR MISSION WORK GONE AT HOME? 35:13 HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU BRING TO THE LORD IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH 35:15 AND IN YOUR FAMILY?' 'OH, I HAVEN'T BROUGHT ANYONE TO 35:18 THE LORD LOCALLY YET.' HE SAID, 'WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO 35:21 BE EASIER IN A FOREIGN MISSION FIELD WHERE YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY 35:26 STRANGE CUSTOMS, STRANGE LANGUAGE, PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T 35:30 UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE AND WHY - IF YOU CAN'T BE - IF YOU CAN'T 35:33 DO THESE THINGS IN A GREEN TREE, WHY ARE YOU GOING TO DO THEM IN 35:36 THE DRY?' AND SO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT 35:39 YOU'RE CALLED TO DO MISSION WORK AND ONE WAY IS SEE - CAN YOU BE 35:42 SUCCESSFUL LOCALLY? IF YOU CAN'T BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR 35:45 CONVICTIONS AND LIVE A SEPARATE LIFE WHERE YOU ARE, THEN WHY IS 35:49 IT GOING TO BE TRUE WHEN YOU GO TO A MISSION FIELD? 35:52 SO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU. 35:54 YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? ACTS 7:2, "THE LORD GOD OF GLORY 35:58 APPEARED TO OUR FATHER ABRAHAM. SO WHEN ABRAHAM SPOKE - WHEN GOD 36:01 SPOKE TO ABRAHAM DID HE JUST HEAR A VOICE, OR DID STEPHEN 36:06 SAY, IN ACTS, 'GOD APPEARED TO HIM'? 36:08 "THE LORD GOD OF OUR FATHER APPEARED TO HIM WHEN HE WAS IN 36:12 MESOPOTAMIA BEFORE HE DWELT IN 36:14 HERON AND SAID, 'GET OUT OF YOUR COUNTRY AND FROM YOUR RELATIVES 36:17 AND COME TO A LAND I'LL SHOW YOU.'" SO THE FIRST PART OF THE 36:20 CALL ABRAHAM GETS AND TERAH GOES WITH HIM. 36:23 THEY GO TO HERON, GOD GIVES HIM THE SECOND PART OF THE CALL AND 36:25 HE GOES THE REST OF THE WAY. ALRIGHT, BACK NOW TO SECTION 2 36:29 OUT OF 5 - SO WE'VE GOT TO HASTEN ALONG HERE - ABRAHAM'S 36:32 TESTIMONY TO THE KINGS : NOW THIS STORY COMES TO US FROM GENESIS 36:36 14 - LET ME TELL IT TO YOU JUST REAL QUICK. 36:41 WELL, LET ME READ IT - I'LL READ TO YOU - GENESIS 14:21, "NOW THE 36:44 KING OF SODOM SAID TO ABRAHAM, 'GIVE ME THE PERSONS AND TAKE 36:49 THE GOODS FOR YOURSELF.' BUT ABRAHAM SAID TO THE KING OF 36:52 SODOM, 'I'VE RAISED MY HAND TO THE LORD GOD MOST HIGH, 36:54 POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, I'LL TAKE NOTHING FROM A THREAD 36:57 TO A SANDAL STRAP AND I WILL NOT TAKE ANYTHING THAT IS YOURS, 37:01 LEST YOU SHOULD SAY 'I HAVE MADE ABRAHAM RICH.'" 37:04 HERE'S THE CONTEXT FOR THIS INTERESTING STORY: ABRAHAM GREW 37:09 VERY GREAT WHEN HE WAS LIVING THERE. 37:11 HE WAS ALREADY - HAD FLOCKS AND HERDS AND SERVANTS WHEN HE LEFT, 37:14 BUT WE KNOW THAT BY THE TIME THIS STORY HAPPENS IN GENESIS 37:18 14, ABRAHAM'S GOT AT LEAST 300 PEOPLE THAT ARE TRAINED FOR WAR 37:23 IN HIS HOUSEHOLD. SO HE'S GOT A SMALL ARMY OF 300 37:26 WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS NOT BAD BECAUSE THAT'S ALL GIDEON HAD, 37:28 RIGHT? SO I THINK HE HAD A LITTLE MORE - WHAT WAS IT, 37:32 319 MEN? SO HE'S GOT THIS SMALL ARMY. HE'S GOT - HE'S SURROUNDED 37:36 BY THESE OTHER SMALL KINGDOMS. THESE ARE CLAN LEADERS THAT HAD 37:42 SOLDIERS BUT MANY WERE MUCH BIGGER THAN HE - THEY MAY HAVE 37:45 HAD THOUSANDS IN THEIR ARMY - MANY THOUSANDS - AND THE FIVE 37:48 KINGS OF THE NORTH LED BY CHEDORLAOMER. 37:52 THERE'S FIVE CONFEDERATE KINGS - THEY SAID, 'YOU KNOW, WE'RE 37:56 POWERFUL ENOUGH, IF WE WORK TOGETHER WE - SODOM AND GOMORRAH 37:59 AND THOSE CITIES OF THE PLAIN, THEY ARE VERY WEALTHY - WE CAN 38:02 CONQUER THEM AND TAKE EVERYTHING THEY HAVE. 38:05 SO LET'S GO DOWN AND LET'S ATTACK THEM AND WE'LL HAVE THIS 38:09 LARGER EMPIRE.' SO THEY GO DOWN TO THE JORDAN VALLEY AND, YOU 38:14 KNOW, BEFORE THE FIRE AND BRIMSTONE RAINED DOWN ON SODOM 38:17 AND GOMORRAH - REMEMBER, GOD SAID, 'IN THE DAYS OF LOT IT WAS 38:20 LIKE THE GARDEN OF GOD. IT WAS VERY FERTILE, VERY 38:22 BEAUTIFUL, VERY RICH, VERY LUSH, VERY WEALTHY - A LOT OF COMMERCE 38:25 - THE JORDAN VALLEY - AND THEY WANTED THE RICHES. 38:29 SO THEY GO TO THE JORDAN VALLEY - THESE FIVE KINGS FROM THE 38:31 NORTH - THEY CONQUER THE FOUR KINGS OF THE VALLEY - SODOM AND 38:35 GOMORRAH - AND THEY BRING THEM - THEY BRING THEM UP CAPTIVE - 38:39 THEY'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE NORTH. 38:40 ONE SURVIVOR FROM THE BATTLE COMES AND TELLS ABRAHAM. 38:42 ABRAHAM - HIS ONE MAIN CONCERN IS HE WANTS TO RESCUE HIS NEPHEW 38:46 LOT AND HIS FAMILY, WHO HAVE NOW MOVED IN WITH HIM - THEY'RE 38:51 MAKING THAT MISTAKE - AND SO HE GOES AND HE GETS A CONFEDERACY 38:57 OF TWO OTHER FRIENDS, MAMRE AND ESHCOL AND THERE WERE OTHER 39:04 SHEIKS THAT LIVED IN THE LAND AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS AND HE 39:07 SAYS, 'WILL YOU GO WITH ME TO FIGHT AGAINST THE KINGS OF 39:10 DAMASCUS AND BRING BACK OUR FAMILY?' 39:16 AND THEY COME TOGETHER - SO THERE'S LIKE TWELVE KINGS 39:19 INVOLVED - YOU DO THE MATH - FIGURE ABRAHAM'S A SHEIK - HE'S 39:22 A KING - ESHCOL, MAMRE, FIVE FROM THE NORTH, FOUR FROM THE 39:27 SOUTH. SO YOU'VE GOT AT LEAST A DOZEN 39:29 KINGS INVOLVED IN THIS. ABRAHAM BECOMES THE LEADER OF 39:32 THEM ALL AND HE WINS THE BATTLE. HE TAKES THE INITIATIVE AND HE 39:36 FIGHTS TO RESCUE THESE OTHER KINGS. 39:39 I MEAN, IT ALMOST - IT ALMOST SOUNDS STRANGE, BUT DO YOU 39:43 REALIZE BEFORE SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE JUDGED AND 39:47 DESTROYED, SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE SAVED? 39:49 YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? AND JUDE ACTUALLY REFERENCES 39:55 THAT THOUGHT. HE SAYS THE ANGELS THAT WERE ONCE SAVED KEPT NOT 39:59 THEIR FIRST ESTATE AND THEY WERE LATER LOST. THE PEOPLE OF SODOM 40:02 AND GOMORRAH WHO WERE SAVED BY ABRAHAM, BECAUSE THEY TURNED 40:06 BACK TO THEIR WICKEDNESS, THAT JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE WOKEN THEM 40:08 UP AND SAID, 'OH LOOK, WE ALMOST GOT DESTROYED. 40:10 WE PRAYED AND REPENTED AND GOD SAVED US AND NOW WE'VE TURNED 40:13 RIGHT BACK TO OUR WICKEDNESS AGAIN.' AND SO HE SAVED THEM. 40:18 BUT THIS BECAME A TESTIMONY TO THE OTHER NATIONS. 40:21 AND THEN, WHEN THEY SAID, 'LOOK, WE'LL PAY YOU.' HE SAID, 'NO, 40:25 ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT YOU FEED THE SOLDIERS WHAT THEY'VE EATEN. 40:27 HE HAD THE RIGHT TO ALL THE BOUNTY OF THE WAR. 40:30 HE COULD HAVE BEEN FABULOUSLY RICH, BECAUSE NOT ONLY WOULD 40:32 ABRAHAM HAVE OWNED EVERYTHING THAT SODOM AND GOMORRAH HAD 40:34 CAPTURED. HE WOULD HAVE OWNED EVERYTHING 40:37 THEY CAPTURED FROM THE NORTHERN FIVE KINGS, HE COULD HAVE HAD 40:40 ALL THIS WEALTH AND HE SAID, 'NO, I'M NOT GOING TO NEED ANY 40:43 OF IT.' WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF SELF-CONTROL. 40:46 HE SAYS, 'I DON'T WANT YOU TO SAY YOU MADE ABRAHAM RICH. 40:49 IF I'M RICH, GOD'LL MAKE ME RICH AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK 40:54 IT'S BECAUSE OF WAR I BECAME RICH. 40:56 I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT'S BECAUSE OF THE BLESSING OF GOD I BECAME 40:58 RICH.' AND SO IT BECAME A TESTIMONY TO HIS GENEROSITY. 41:04 HE BECAME A TESTIMONY TO THE KINGS OF THE NORTH. 41:06 YOU KNOW, MANY OF THEM SURVIVED - THEY FLED - THEY SAID, 'GOD IS 41:10 WITH ABRAHAM.' AND SO GOD GAVE HIM, THROUGH THIS TRIAL, AN 41:14 OPPORTUNITY. NOW IT SAYS HERE - GO TO THE 41:19 NEXT SECTION UNDER AN EXEMPLAR OF FAITH - SOMEONE'S GOING TO 41:23 READ FOR ME HEBREWS 11, VERSES 9 AND 10 - OKAY, IN JUST A MOMENT. 41:27 I WANT TO READ HEBREWS 15:5 - I'M SORRY, GENESIS 15:5 - GOD 41:33 SAYS TO ABRAHAM - HE BROUGHT HIM OUTSIDE AND HE SAYS, "LOOK NOW 41:38 TOWARDS THE HEAVEN AND COUNT THE STARS IF YOU'RE ABLE TO NUMBER 41:41 THEM." LET ME JUST ASK YOU WHY YOU THINK ABOUT THIS VERSE. 41:44 DID ABRAHAM LIVE LONGER THAN WE LIVE? 41:48 DID PEOPLE LIVE LONGER BACK THEN? 41:51 WAS THE ATMOSPHERE CLEARER BACK THEN? 41:54 DID THEY HAVE AS MUCH POLLUTION AS WE HAVE? 41:56 DO YOU THINK THEIR EYES MIGHT HAVE BEEN EVEN A LITTLE SHARPER? 42:00 YOU KNOW, NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE IS - LIVING IN GRASS VALLEY - IS 42:05 AN AMERICAN LEGEND NAMED RICK - NO, NO, CHUCK YEAGER - I ALMOST 42:11 SAID RICK YEAGER - HE'S A MEMBER. 42:13 CHUCK YEAGER - HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF CHUCK YEAGER? 42:15 PILOT, TEST PILOT - YOU KNOW, HE'S STILL ALIVE - 95 - STILL 42:18 FLIES. I'D LIKE TO FLY WITH HIM. 42:20 OF COURSE, THAT COULD BE A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING - 95 - BUT 42:23 HE STILL FLIES. A FRIEND OF MINE JUST CHECKED HIM OUT. 42:26 HE USED TO HAVE 20/10 VISION IN BOTH EYES. HE COULD SEE - THEY 42:31 SAID HIS SIGHT WAS INCREDIBLE AT SPOTTING OTHER AIRCRAFT. 42:33 HE'D JUST LOOK AROUND JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A GNAT. 42:36 KAREN AND I ARE FLYING ALONG AND I'LL SAY, 'YOU SEE THAT PLANE?' 42:39 - OR I WAS WITH NATHAN LAST WEEK - 'YOU SEE THAT PLANE THERE?' 42:41 'I CAN'T SEE IT.' WE ALL WEAR GLASSES SO - BUT ABRAHAM HAD 42:46 MUCH CLEARER VISION, I THINK, THAN WE HAVE. 42:48 THAT'S JUST MY THEORY. I CAN'T PROVE IT. 42:51 YOU CAN'T DISPROVE IT. I BELIEVE THE SKY WAS CLEAR. 42:54 SO WHEN HE SAYS, 'ABRAHAM, GO OUTSIDE AND LOOK UP.' YOU KNOW, 42:58 YOU EVER BEEN IN THE MOUNTAINS AND YOU SEE A CLEAR SKY? 43:01 WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE COUNTRY AND NOT POLLUTED BY CITY LIGHTS 43:04 AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SKY IS JUST SPLASHED WITH CREAM FROM 43:07 THE MILKY WAY YOU JUST SEE IT JUST SPECKLED EVERYWHERE 43:12 WITH STARS AND HE SEES THESE STARS. 43:14 HE DIDN'T JUST SEE THE BIG STARS WE SEE IN THE CITY, HE SAW THE 43:17 BILLIONS OF STARS AND GOD - 'SEE ALL THAT?' 43:22 - HE SAID, 'YOU'RE SEED IS GOING TO BE MORE THAN THAT. 43:25 IF YOU'RE ABLE TO NUMBER THEM, SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDENTS BE.' 43:30 AND HE BELIEVED THE LORD. HE WASN'T PICKING A SPECIFIC 43:31 NUMBER BECAUSE LATER GOD SAYS, 'CONSIDER IT WILL BE LIKE THE 43:35 SAND OF THE SEASHORE.' SO YOU THINK GOD WAS BEING SPECIFIC OR 43:38 WAS HE GENERALIZING, WITH A POETIC IMAGE, THAT IT WILL BE 43:42 NUMBERLESS, IS ALL HE WAS SAYING. 43:44 AND THEN NOTICE IT SAYS HERE IN VERSE 6, "HE BELIEVED THE LORD 43:48 AND HE (GOD) ACCOUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." HE WAS 43:53 CREDITED WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS BECAUSE HE BELIEVED. 43:56 THAT'S BETTER KNOWN AS RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH. 43:59 THAT COMES UP A LOT THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, BUT YOU FIND IT WITH 44:03 ABRAHAM. HE WAS GIVEN CREDIT FOR 44:06 RIGHTEOUSNESS BECAUSE HE BELIEVED GOD. 44:09 AND IF YOU BELIEVE THE GOSPEL - THAT GOD IS GOING TO FORGIVE 44:12 YOUR SINS - AND THAT GOD IS GOING TO CREATE A MIRACLE WITHIN 44:16 YOU OF NEW LIFE, THAT HIS SON WILL BE IN YOU - SEE ABRAHAM, 44:20 WHEN GOD SAID 'THE MESSIAH'S IN YOUR SEED' GOD WAS SAYING TO 44:24 ABRAHAM, 'THE MESSIAH IS IN YOU.' AND WHEN YOU'RE SAVED, 44:27 HE'S SAYING THE MESSIAH COMES ALIVE IN YOU. 44:29 IT'S CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY. RIGHT? 44:33 AND SO HE BELIEVED GOD AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 44:37 GO AHEAD, READ FOR ME HEBREWS 11, VERSES 9 AND 10. 44:40 >>"BY FAITH HE DWELT IN THE LAND OF PROMISE AS IN A FOREIGN 44:45 COUNTRY, DWELLING IN TENTS WITH ISAAC AND JACOB, THE HEIRS WITH 44:49 HIM OF THE SAME PROMISE, FOR HE WAITED FOR THE CITY WHICH HAS 44:53 FOUNDATIONS, WHOSE BUILDER AND MAKER IS GOD." 44:56 >>YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PROMISE. 44:58 ABRAHAM, HE JUST WANDERED HITHER AND YON ALL THROUGH THE PROMISED 45:03 LAND, BUT HE WAS WAITING ON GOD. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO JUMP DOWN 45:07 HERE. EVERYWHERE ABRAHAM WENT - LET'S 45:12 GO INTO THE SECTION ABRAHAM THE WANDERER - ABRAHAM THE WANDERER . 45:16 YOU KNOW THAT OLD CHRISTMAS SONG, 'I WONDER AS I WANDER OUT 45:20 UNDER THE STARS' - ABRAHAM SPENT QUITE A TIME WANDERING FROM 45:26 PLACE TO PLACE. FOR ONE THING, YOU'LL NOTICE HE 45:28 GOES TO MOREH AT SHEKEM. HE GOES TO HEBRON. 45:35 HE GOES TO MAMRE. HE GOES TO MOUNT MORIAH. 45:40 HE GOES DOWN TO EGYPT. EVERYWHERE HE GOES - MOST PLACES 45:45 HE GOES - IT RECORDS THAT HE BUILDS AN ALTAR. 45:48 GENESIS 12:7, "THE LORD GOD APPEARED TO ABRAHAM AND SAID, 45:52 'UNTO YOUR SEED I'LL GIVE THIS LAND.' 45:53 HE BUILT AN ALTAR TO THE LORD. GENESIS 12:8, "AND HE PITCHED 45:57 HIS TENT WITH BETHEL TOWARD THE SEA AND AI ON THE EAST AND HE 46:01 BUILT AN ALTAR TO THE LORD." AND SO MOST PLACES HE'S MOVING 46:06 HIS TENT - WELL, EVERYWHERE HE MOVES HIS TENT - ABRAHAM BUILDS 46:09 AN ALTAR. WHAT KIND OF TESTIMONY IS THAT 46:11 TO THE NATIONS AROUND YOU? WHEN YOU GO OUT TO EAT WITH 46:15 FRIENDS, MAYBE AT THE OFFICE - YOU'RE A BELIEVER, THEY'RE NOT - 46:18 DO YOU LET THEM KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO PRAY FOR YOUR FOOD? 46:21 OR DO YOU JUST KIND OF WINK ONE EYE AND TELL GOD YOU PRAYED? 46:25 YEAH, I JUST WENT OUT WITH THREE - I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ALL 46:33 ATHEISTS, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT BELIEVERS - A LITTLE WHILE 46:34 AGO AND I KNEW IT MIGHT BE AWKWARD FOR THEM, BUT I FIGURE 46:37 WHY WOULD I BE ASHAMED OF MY FAITH? 46:40 IT MIGHT OPEN A CONVERSATION. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHEN 46:42 YOU'RE WITH PEOPLE AND YOU SAY, 'JUST PARDON ME A MOMENT.' 46:45 AND YOU BOW YOUR HEAD AND YOU THANK THE LORD. 46:47 IF I'M IN A PUBLIC RESTAURANT AND I'M BY MYSELF, I TAKE OFF MY 46:48 BASEBALL CAP AND I LET PEOPLE KNOW I'M PRAYING. 46:52 IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M IN CHIPOTLE OR WHEREVER IT IS. 46:54 AND THE MUSIC'S BLARING - SOMETIMES I GET PHONE CALLS FROM 47:00 PEOPLE AT SOME OF THESE RESTAURANTS AND THE MUSIC IS - 47:03 YOU KNOW, THE FOOD'S GOOD, BUT THE MUSIC IS - AND I HAVE TO 47:07 TELL THEM - I SAY, 'LOOK, THIS IS NOT IN MY CAR, I'M AT 47:10 CHIPOTLE EATING AND I CAN'T HELP IT.' ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M 47:17 TALKING ABOUT? IT CAN BE EMBARRASSING, YOU KNOW? 47:20 YOU GET CALLED - SOME CHURCH CONFERENCE CALL - YOU PICK UP 47:23 THE PHONE - BOMP-TAKA-TAKA-BOMP-TAKA - I'M 47:26 GOING, 'THIS ISN'T MY RADIO! I CAN'T HELP IT.' ANYWAY, BUT I 47:31 PRAY BECAUSE YOU'RE BUILDING AN ALTAR. 47:33 WHEREVER YOU WANDER YOU'RE BEING A MISSIONARY. 47:37 YOU LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU WORSHIP GOD AND WHEN YOU'RE WITH 47:39 YOUR FAMILY, YOU HAVE FAMILY WORSHIP. 47:41 IT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS HE DID EVERYWHERE HE WENT. 47:44 NOW SOMEONE SAID, 'A FUGITIVE IS RUNNING FROM HOME. 47:48 A VAGABOND HAS NO HOME. A STRANGER IS AWAY FROM HOME. 47:53 A WANDERER IS SEARCHING FOR A HOME AND A PILGRIM IS ON HIS WAY 47:58 HOME.' IN HEBREWS IT SAYS - YOU CAN READ IN HEBREWS 11:13, "ALL 48:01 THESE" - SPEAKING OF THE FATHERS OF THE FAITHFUL - "ALL THESE 48:06 DIED IN FAITH NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES, BUT 48:08 HAVING SEEN THEM AFAR OFF AND THEY WERE ASSURED OF THEM AND 48:12 EMBRACED THEM BY FAITH AND CONFESSED THAT THEY WERE 48:16 STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS ON THE EARTH." 48:18 I DON'T KNOW, DO WE STILL HAVE THAT SONG IN OUR BOOK? 48:20 I THINK WE DO. 'I'M A PILGRIM AND I'M A 48:22 STRANGER' - IS THAT STILL IN THE NEW HYMNAL? YEAH, IT IS. 48:26 YEAH, IT'S A GOOD SONG BECAUSE - 'THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME, I'M 48:32 JUST A-PASSING THROUGH' - YOU KNOW THAT ONE? 48:34 'IF HEAVEN'S NOT' - THAT WAS AN OLD PENTECOSTAL SONG, 'IF 48:37 HEAVEN'S NOT MY HOME, O LORD, WHAT WOULD I DO? 48:39 THE ANGELS BECKON ME FROM HEAVEN'S OPEN DOOR AND I CAN'T 48:43 BE AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE.' BECAUSE - NOW - DID - 48:47 WAIT A SECOND, THAT ISN'T FAIR. GOD SAYS TO ABRAHAM, 'I WANT YOU 48:50 TO UPROOT EVERYTHING AND GO TO THE LAND OF CANAAN AND I WANT 48:53 YOU TO WANDER THE WHOLE TIME YOU'RE THERE - AS A PILGRIM.' 48:56 DID HE EVER GET TO SETTLE DOWN AND GET HIS HOUSE? 49:01 NO, BECAUSE ABRAHAM WAS LOOKING BEYOND THIS WORLD TO A CITY THAT 49:07 HAD FOUNDATIONS. WILL ABRAHAM GET TO INHERIT THE 49:12 PROMISED LAND? WHEN THE NEW JERUSALEM COMES 49:15 DOWN TO EARTH - THAT CITY - WHERE IS IT GOING TO LAND? 49:18 IT TELLS US IN THE BIBLE - JESUS' FEET - ZECHARIAH 14 - 49:23 TOUCH WHAT? MOUNT OF OLIVES. JESUS ASCENDED FROM BETHANY ON 49:28 THE MOUNT OF OLIVES; HE COMES BACK ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 49:31 THE NEXT PLACE HIS FEET TOUCH FORMS A GREAT VALLEY - NEW 49:33 JERUSALEM SETTLES DOWN - 375 MILES ON EACH SIDE. 49:36 THE BORDERS OF THE NEW JERUSALEM COMPLETELY ENCOMPASS THE 49:40 PROMISED LAND. IN FACT, THE PROMISED LAND IS 49:43 JUST GOING TO BE LIKE CENTRAL PARK. IT'LL BE SMALL WITHIN THE 49:47 TERRITORY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. SO ABRAHAM WILL LITERALLY 49:50 INHERIT THAT LAND AND HIS SEED - ALL THOSE THAT ARE THE 49:56 SEED OF ABRAHAM - WE DO, LITERALLY, GET THAT LAND - 49:58 THE PERFECT LAND THAT HAD FOUNDATIONS. 50:01 YOU SEE HOW BEAUTIFULLY GOD'S WORD FULFILLED THE PROMISE? 50:04 HE KNEW THIS WAS NOT IT. THIS LIFE IS SHORT. 50:06 COMPARED TO ETERNITY, ABRAHAM SAID, 'I'M GOING TO WANDER HERE 50:09 BUT I'M LOOKING BEYOND TO THE DAY WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS 50:11 LAND FOREVER.' SO UNTIL THEN, WE WANDER. YOU KNOW, WE INTERVIEWED 50:19 A FAMILY THIS WEEK AT AMAZING FACTS - WE'RE CONSIDERING HIRING 50:22 - AND THEY CAME FROM ANOTHER STATE - LONG WAY - BEEN LIVING 50:29 IN THE OTHER STATE THEIR ENTIRE LIVES - ALL OF THEIR FAMILY 50:32 LIVES IN THE OTHER STATE IN A TOWN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. 50:36 ALL OF THEIR ROOTS - CHILDREN IN SCHOOL, BABY, AND I SAID, 'YOU 50:41 KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH.' AND THE FATHER SAID, 'WELL, IF 50:45 ABRAHAM COULD DO IT, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SAY, 'LORD, IF THIS IS 50:49 WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO, WE'LL HAVE FAITH THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU 50:52 WANT US TO DO.' BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD STILL, TODAY WHEN 50:56 YOU'VE JUST GOT TO UPROOT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY AND GO TO A PLACE 50:58 WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE A SUPPORT GROUP BECAUSE YOU THINK THIS IS 51:00 WHERE GOD WANTS US. BUT DOES GOD STILL ASK US TO 51:04 MAKE MOVES OF FAITH TODAY? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED TO GET 51:07 OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE FOR GOD AND DO SOMETHING? 51:10 JUST REMEMBER HOW AWKWARD AND HOW DIFFICULT IT MUST HAVE BEEN 51:14 FOR ABRAM AND SARAH - SARAI - IT WAS ABRAM AND SARAI - LATER 51:19 ABRAHAM AND SARAH - TO DO THAT. SO IT WAS ACTUALLY THE FAITH OF 51:25 THEM BOTH. THEY BOTH GOT A NEW NAME. 51:26 BUT EVERYWHERE THEY WENT THEY WANDERED. 51:29 THEY BUILD AN ALTAR AND THEY ALSO WITNESSED THROUGH THEIR 51:33 FAMILY. HE WAS A MISSIONARY IN HIS OWN HOUSE. 51:37 AND THIS IS JUST MY LAST FEW WORDS. I WANT TO GIVE YOU - 51:39 SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME - IS IT 1 TIMOTHY 4:16? 51:42 YOU'VE GOT THAT? ALRIGHT, IF YOU'LL GET READY WITH THAT, 51:45 I WANT TO READ AGAIN NOW JOSHUA 24, VERSES 2 AND 3, "AND JOSHUA 51:52 SAID TO THE PEOPLE," - OH, I ALREADY READ THAT ONE. 51:57 LET ME SEE, I WANT TO READ - I WANT TO READ GENESIS 18:18 AND 52:04 19, "SINCE ABRAHAM SHALL SURELY BECOME A GREAT AND A MIGHTY 52:08 NATION AND ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH WILL BE BLESSED IN 52:11 HIM, FOR I HAVE KNOWN HIM IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT COMMAND HIS 52:15 CHILDREN AND HIS HOUSEHOLD AFTER HIM, THAT HE MAY KEEP THE WAY OF 52:19 THE LORD TO DO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE THAT THE LORD MIGHT 52:23 BRING ABRAHAM WHAT HE HAS SPOKEN TO HIM. 52:25 HAVE YOU MET FAMILIES BEFORE, THEY SAY, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I 52:28 THINK THAT GOD MAKES US ALL UNIQUE AND WE ALL HAVE A FREE 52:31 WILL AND, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO 52:34 FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND FROM INFANCY ON THEY'LL HAVE TO 52:36 FIND OUT ON THEIR OWN.' THAT WAS SORT OF THE APPROACH MY 52:40 MOTHER TOOK. I'M GLAD, FOR MY SAKE, THAT I 52:43 HAD THAT FREEDOM, BUT I THINK, AS A CHRISTIAN, YOU DON'T TAKE 52:46 THAT APPROACH THAT YOU JUST SORT OF LET THEM GROPE AROUND IN THE 52:50 DARK. I THINK THAT YOU TEACH THEM. 52:52 DOESN'T IT SAY - DOESN'T MOSES SAY, 'WHEN YOU LAY DOWN, WHEN 52:57 YOU RISE UP, WHEN YOU GO OUT, WHEN YOU COME IN, REPEAT THE 53:02 WORD OF GOD TO YOUR CHILDREN'? WORSHIP WITH THEM. 53:06 SHOW THEM THE WAYS OF TRUTH. PUT IT ON YOUR HAND. 53:09 PUT IT ON YOUR FOREHEAD. HE WAS SPEAKING, OF COURSE, 53:12 ILLUSTRATIVELY. HE SAID, 'HAVE IT IN YOUR HEART, 53:15 PUT IT ON THE POSTS OF YOUR HOUSE. 53:17 SURROUND YOURSELVES WITH THE WORD OF GOD SO THAT YOUR 53:21 CHILDREN WILL GROW UP WITH BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES.' AND 53:24 ABRAHAM COMMANDED HIS FAMILY THAT WAY. 53:26 NOW, IN DOING THIS - IN DOING MISSION WORK, IT NOT ONLY 53:30 REACHES OTHERS - YOUR FAMILY - BUT IT IS REDEMPTIVE IN WHAT IT 53:36 DOES FOR YOU. LET'S READ THAT VERSE IN 1 TIMOTHY 4:16. 53:40 >>"TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF AND TO THE DOCTRINE. 53:43 CONTINUE IN THEM, FOR IN DOING THIS YOU WILL SAVE BOTH YOURSELF 53:47 AND THOSE WHO HEAR YOU." 53:49 >>IF YOU'RE A MISSIONARY, RIGHT THERE YOU'VE GOT THE REASON - 53:53 PART OF THE REASON, AT LEAST, THAT I'M INVOLVED IN MINISTRY - 53:56 IS BECAUSE IN REACHING OTHERS YOU SAVE YOURSELF. 54:03 IF YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN AND YOU BELIEVE AND YOU'RE NOT INVOLVED 54:07 IN USING YOUR GIFTS IN SOMEHOW REACHING OTHERS - AND THAT MIGHT 54:11 BE THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS AND YOUR GIFTS, BUT EVERYBODY SHOULD BE 54:13 INVOLVED WITH A PASSION TO WITNESS TO OTHERS. 54:16 IN DOING THIS, YOU SAVE BOTH YOURSELF AND THOSE WHO HEAR YOU. 54:22 HE SAYS, 'FOR IN DOING THIS YOU WILL SAVE YOURSELF AND THOSE WHO 54:25 HEAR YOU.' THAT'S A MESSAGE FOR ME. 54:28 THAT'S A MESSAGE FOR EVERY MISSIONARY. 54:30 DO YOU KNOW A LOT OF MISSIONARIES ARE CONVERTED IN 54:32 THE PROCESS OF DOING MISSION WORK? 54:35 I HEARD A WONDERFUL TESTIMONY YEARS AGO AT CAMP MEETING ABOUT 54:37 A MISSIONARY FAMILY. THEY WENT TO THE MISSION FIELD 54:40 WITH ANOTHER MISSIONARY FAMILY AND THEY'RE IN A - JUST A DARK 54:43 MISSION FIELD SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF JUST VERY 54:47 PRIMITIVE LIVING. PEOPLE WERE JUST RUNNING AROUND 54:49 NAKED - I MEAN, IT WAS A REAL FIRST-CLASS MISSION PROJECT. 54:51 TWO MISSION FAMILIES WERE SUPPOSED TO REACH THE PAGANS. 54:55 THEY BEGAN TO FIGHT AMONG THEMSELVES - THE CHRISTIAN 54:58 FAMILIES. THEY COULD NOT GET ALONG. 55:00 THEY FOUGHT, THEY BICKERED, THE TENSION - AND FINALLY THEY 55:04 REALIZED THAT THE LORD BROUGHT THEM TO THE MISSION FIELD TO 55:08 CONVERT THEM AND THEY WEREN'T GOING TO REACH ANYBODY ELSE 55:13 UNTIL THEY WERE CONVERTED. AND THEY HAD TO GO TO THE OTHER 55:16 SIDE OF THE WORLD TO FIND OUT THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO BE 55:18 MISSIONARIES UNTIL THEY WERE SURRENDERED TO THE LORD. 55:20 THEY COULDN'T GET ALONG WITH ANYBODY ELSE. 55:22 AND IT'S QUITE A DRAMATIC STORY AND I'M NOT ABLE TO DO IT 55:25 JUSTICE, BUT SOMETIMES GOD BRINGS US TO THE MISSION FIELD 55:29 TO REACH THE MISSIONARY AND IN REACHING OTHERS WE'RE CONVERTED 55:33 IN THE PROCESS. I HAVE SEEN, BEFORE, PEOPLE THAT 55:37 ARE GIVING BIBLE STUDIES TO OTHERS ARE CONVERTED BY THE VERY 55:42 TRUTHS THEY ARE SHARING WITH OTHERS. 55:44 THEY STARTED DOING IT BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY SHOULD, BUT IN 55:46 THE PROCESS OF DOING IT THEY GET AHOLD OF IT FOR THEMSELVES. 55:50 AND SO, YOU SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH 55:54 OTHERS EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT ALL 55:57 THE RIGHT REASONS IN DOING IT. DID JESUS SEND OUT PETER, JAMES, 56:01 AND JOHN PREACHING? SELF-EVIDENT QUESTION. 56:06 DID IT CONVERT THEM IN THE PROCESS? 56:09 WERE THEY ARGUING AMONG THEMSELVES WHILE THEY WERE OUT 56:11 DOING MISSION WORK? YEAH. 56:13 AND JESUS SAID TO PETER, 'WHEN YOU ARE CONVERTED, STRENGTHEN 56:16 THE BRETHREN.' HE STILL HAD THEM DOING IT BECAUSE DOING IT WAS 56:20 PART OF THEIR CONVERTING PROCESS. SO EVEN ABRAHAM - 56:24 DID ABRAHAM MAKE SOME MISTAKES IN THE MISSION FIELD? 56:27 DID HE SAY, 'SARAH, OH YEAH, SHE'S NOT MY WIFE. 56:30 SHE'S MY SISTER.' DID HE HAVE A FEW LAPSES ALONG THE WAY? 56:36 AND GOD TAUGHT HIM TO TRUST IN THE PROCESS. 56:39 SO EVERYBODY CAN LEARN FROM THE STORY OF ABRAHAM AND WE CAN ALL 56:43 DO MISSION WORK. AMEN? 56:45 ALRIGHT, WE - I THINK WE'VE RUN OUT OF TIME FOR OUR LESSON, BUT 56:48 I WANT TO REMIND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, IF YOU TUNED IN ALONG 56:50 THE WAY, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER AND IT'S CALLED 56:52 DETERMINING THE WILL OF GOD. MAYBE THE LORD'S CALLING YOU 56:54 SOMEWHERE AND YOU WANT TO KNOW. WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE A 56:57 DECISION - A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL AND THEY SAY, 'I'VE GOT TWO OR 57:01 THREE IMPORTANT OPTIONS - THEY'RE ALL GOOD - AND I DON'T 57:03 KNOW WHICH ONE GOD WANTS ME TO DO.' THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. 57:06 IT GIVES YOU TWELVE PRINCIPLES ON HOW DO YOU MAKE A DECISION 57:08 KNOWING IT'S GOD'S WILL? WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA? 57:12 WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE. CALL 866-788-3966 OR YOU CAN 57:17 LOOK AT IT ONLINE. JUST GO TO AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. GOD BLESS YOU 57:21 AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 57:26 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 57:33 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:36 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:40 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF 57:43 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:47 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? DOES IT REALLY MATTER 57:51 WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? 57:54 DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. 57:57 VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-07-09