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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021533A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:33 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME AGAIN TO 00:34 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS JOINING US ONCE AGAIN, 00:40 ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, THANK YOU FOR BEING A 00:42 PART OF THIS INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDY. 00:45 ALSO, A WARM WELCOME TO THE MEMBERS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY 00:48 CHURCH, AND OUR VISITORS; IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE YOU AND SPEND 00:50 TIME TOGETHER STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD. 00:54 YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALWAYS REALIZE IT, BUT AMAZING FACTS 00:56 AND THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH REALLY HAS A GLOBAL OUTREACH IN 01:00 SHARING THE GOSPEL AROUND THE WORLD. 01:03 THIS PAST WEEK I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM SOMEBODY WHO 01:06 REGULARLY TUNES IN TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR 01:09 IN A COUNTRY WHERE CHRISTIANITY IS ILLEGAL. HE WATCHES ONLINE 01:14 AND HE WORSHIPS WITH US AND HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF PART OF THE 01:17 GRANITE BAY CHURCH FAMILY. SO REALLY, OUR WORK HERE IS 01:21 IMPACTING THE LIVES OF MANY. AT THIS TIME, WHAT I'D LIKE TO 01:25 DO IS SHOW YOU A BRIEF VIDEO - SORT OF A 50-YEAR VIDEO REVIEW 01:30 OF AMAZING FACTS AND SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING. 01:34 AND THE REASON WE WANT TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU IS BECAUSE THE 01:37 GRANITE BAY CHURCH IS A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THIS 01:39 WORLD-WIDE PROCLAMATION OF THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGES. 01:43 SO AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THIS SHORT VIDEO. 01:47 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS BEGAN IN 1965 01:54 WITH A GOD-INSPIRED CONCEPT. >>HELLO, THIS IS JOE CREWS AND 02:00 THE AMAZING FACTS BROADCAST - FACTS WHICH AFFECT YOU. 02:03 >>THESE RADIO BROADCASTS WOULD BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING FACT FROM 02:07 SCIENCE, NATURE, OR HISTORY, FOLLOWED BY A BIBLE MESSAGE THAT 02:11 TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF LISTENERS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. 02:15 THE PROGRAM WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS AND THE MINISTRY SOON 02:18 BEGAN EXPANDING TO INCLUDE BIBLE LESSONS. 02:21 IN 1986 AMAZING FACTS ADDED THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION TO ITS 02:26 GROWING OUTREACH EFFORTS, OFFERING SOUL-WINNING 02:29 EVANGELISTIC MESSAGES FOR VIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD. 02:33 IN 1994, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE 02:37 MINISTRY, ADDING THE BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE CALL-IN RADIO 02:41 PROGRAM AND NEW MINISTRY TV PROGRAMS BEGAN AIRING ON 02:45 MULTIPLE NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD. 02:47 FOR 50 YEARS, THE DRIVING VISION OF AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN THE 02:52 BOLD PROCLAMATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND, WITH A 02:56 TEAM OF EVANGELISTS CIRCLING THE GLOBE AND THOUSANDS OF MEN AND 03:00 WOMEN BEING TRAINED THROUGH THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF 03:03 EVANGELISM PROGRAM - AFCOE - THE MINISTRY IS HELPING GOD'S 03:07 CHURCH SEE A RICH HARVEST OF SOULS. 03:10 AMAZING FACTS - GOD'S MESSAGE, OUR MISSION. 03:19 >>AND THERE YOU HAVE A TASTE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT AMAZING 03:21 FACTS IS DOING IN REACHING THE GOSPEL - OR REACHING THE WORLD, 03:25 I SHOULD SAY - WITH THE GOSPEL - THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION. 03:28 AND AGAIN, GRANITE BAY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT AND OUR 03:31 SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON 03:35 LESSON #7 IN OUR LESSON QUARTERLY. THE TITLE OF TODAY'S 03:39 LESSON IS JESUS, THE MASTER OF MISSIONARIES . 03:42 WE'RE LOOKING AT THE GREATEST EXAMPLE THAT WE CAN EVER FIND, 03:45 OF MISSIONARY WORK. AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS JESUS. 03:48 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER WE'D LIKE TO TELL OUR FRIENDS ABOUT. 03:51 IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED DOWN FROM HIS GLORY . 03:53 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 03:57 THE PHONE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966. THAT NUMBER AGAIN 04:03 IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #154. 04:11 YOU CAN ALSO READ THIS FOR FREE ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS 04:14 WEBSITE, THE BOOK IS ENTITLED DOWN FROM HIS GLORY . 04:18 WELL, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR LESSON THIS MORNING, WE WOULD LIKE TO 04:22 INVITE DEBBIE TO COME AND LEAD US IN A FEW SONGS OF PRAISE 04:25 BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF STUDY, THAT OF PRAISE AND 04:29 WORSHIPING GOD. THANK YOU, DEBBIE. 04:30 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. I KNOW YOU'RE READY TO SING 04:36 HERE, AND THOSE OF YOU AT HOME, I KNOW THAT YOU LOOK FORWARD TO 04:39 YOUR FAVORITE HYMNS EVERY WEEK, BECAUSE WE HEAR FROM YOU, SO 04:43 WE'RE GOING TO START WITH #578 - JOIN WITH US. 04:47 WE'RE GOING TO DO THE FIRST, SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS. 04:50 (MUSIC) >>SO SEND I YOU BY GRACE 05:00 MADE STRONG TO TRIUMPH O'ER HOSTS OF HELL, O'ER DARKNESS 05:08 DEATH AND SIN, MY NAME TO BEAR, AND IN THAT NAME TO 05:17 CONQUER SO SEND I YOU MY VICTORY TO WIN. 05:28 SO SEND I YOU TO TAKE TO SOULS IN BONDAGE THE WORD OF TRUTH 05:39 THAT SETS THE CAPTIVE FREE, TO BREAK THE BONDS OF SIN, TO LOOSE 05:49 DEATH'S FETTERS SO SEND I YOU, TO BRING THE LOST TO ME. 06:00 SO SEND I YOU TO BEAR MY CROSS WITH PATIENCE, AND THEN ONE DAY 06:10 WITH JOY I'LL LAY IT DOWN, TO HEAR MY VOICE, "WELL DONE, MY 06:19 FAITHFUL SERVANT' COME, SHARE MY THRONE, MY KINGDOM, AND MY 06:28 CROWN!" "AS THE FATHER HATH SENT ME, SO SEND I YOU." 06:50 >>THANK YOU FOR SINGING THIS MORNING. 06:51 AND NOW, PASTOR ROSS IS GOING TO HAVE PRAYER FOR US. 06:56 >>I INVITE YOU TO BOW YOUR HEADS AS WE PRAY TOGETHER. 06:58 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO 07:02 BE CO-LABORERS WITH YOU IN TAKING THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD. 07:06 AND FATHER, NOT ONLY DO WE THINK OF THOSE DISTANT LANDS THAT NEED 07:09 TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION, WE KNOW OF PEOPLE 07:12 THAT ARE CLOSER TO US - MAYBE FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH OR EVEN 07:16 FAMILY MEMBERS THAT NEED TO HEAR AND NEED TO RECEIVE THIS 07:20 WONDERFUL MESSAGE OF HOPE. AND SO, WE PRAY THAT YOU'D GIVE 07:23 US WISDOM AS WE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP 07:25 FURTHER THE WORK IN SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH OTHERS. 07:29 BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER AS WE STUDY, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' 07:33 NAME, AMEN. OUR LESSON THIS MORNING WILL BE 07:37 BROUGHT TO US BY ONE OF THE AMAZING FACTS EVANGELISTS - 07:39 EVANGELIST TIM JONES. HE ACTUALLY IS A MEMBER OF THE 07:43 GRANITE BAY CHURCH. WE DON'T GET TO SEE HIM TOO 07:45 OFTEN BECAUSE HE AND HIS WIFE, CAROL, ARE USUALLY OUT DOING 07:48 EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 07:51 TIM AND CAROL WERE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE 07:55 GRANITE BAY CHURCH ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME 07:59 THEY'RE BACK AT THEIR HOME BASE HERE IN SACRAMENTO AND I SAID, 08:02 "TIM, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU WOULD TEACH THE LESSON FOR US 08:05 TODAY." SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, TIM, FOR BEING WILLING TO SHARE 08:08 WITH US. WE INVITE YOU TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE. 08:11 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH, PASTOR ROSS. 08:14 GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH TO YOU ALL. 08:18 WELL, SOME OF YOU ARE AWAKE. SOME - THE REST OF YOU HAD 08:25 MORNINGS KIND OF LIKE MINE, I THINK. 08:27 WHERE YOU GET UP LIKE AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING AND YOU CAN'T QUITE 08:32 GET YOURSELF BACK TO SLEEP AND SO YOU SAY, "WELL, I MIGHT AS 08:36 WELL GET DRESSED AND GET ABOUT THE DAY." 08:39 WELL, THAT WAS MY MORNING TODAY AS WELL. 08:43 BUT I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY - TO SEE ALL OF YOU. 08:46 WE, KIND OF - WASN'T EXPECTING TO BE DOING THE LESSON TODAY, 08:54 BUT I'M THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TO DO IT. 08:57 WE, KIND OF, PUT TOGETHER THE LESSON ON - WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY 09:03 SHORT NOTICE, BUT KIND OF QUICKLY. 09:05 SO AS WE GO THROUGH OUR TEXT TODAY - OR OUR LESSON VERSES, 09:09 I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE SPENDING MORE TIME REFERRING TO 09:14 MY NOTES THAT I - THAN I WOULD ACTUALLY BE COMFORTABLE WITH 09:19 DOING, BUT I'M GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT 09:22 I GET THE POINTS ACROSS THAT I BELIEVE GOD'S PUT ON MY HEART TO 09:26 SHARE TODAY. NOW WHEN - AS PASTOR ROSS SAID, 09:32 WE ARE NOT HERE THAT OFTEN. THIS IS OUR HOME CHURCH, BUT WE 09:36 TRAVEL A LOT SO WE ARE ON THE ROAD MOST OF THE YEAR AND, WHEN 09:42 WE ARE HERE, BECAUSE THIS CHURCH HAS SUCH A - SUCH A RICHNESS IN 09:49 MINISTRY AND IN PEOPLE WHO ARE CAPABLE OF MINISTERING THE WORD, 09:54 I CAN'T - WHEN YOU SEE ME UP HERE DOING THIS, YOU KNOW 09:57 THEY'VE GONE TO THE BENCH. NOW FORTUNATELY, GRANITE BAY - 10:04 IF THIS WAS A SPORTING EVENT, RIGHT? 10:07 YOU KNOW, A TEAM - THEY HAVE THE GUYS THAT ARE THE REGULAR 10:09 STARTERS - THE PLAYERS - AND THEN THEY HAVE THE GUYS THAT ARE 10:12 ON THE BENCH, WHO COME IN WHEN SOMEBODY IS HURT OR INJURED OR 10:15 TIRED. FORTUNATELY, GRANITE BAY HAS A 10:19 REALLY DEEP BENCH. AND SO, I'M THRILLED TO BE 10:24 COMING OFF THE BENCH TO BE ABLE TO STAND IN AND TO SHARE TODAY. 10:30 WELL, WE ARE ON - LET ME JUST MENTION, ONCE AGAIN, THE OFFER 10:34 THAT PASTOR ROSS MENTIONED EARLIER. 10:37 THERE'S A FREE BOOK ON - YOU CAN GET IT ON THE LIBRARY - OR YOU 10:42 CAN REQUEST IT AS #154 AND YOU CAN CALL THE NUMBER - 10:46 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE - AND YOU'LL BE 10:53 PROVIDED WITH THIS WONDERFUL RESOURCE: DOWN FROM HIS GLORY . 10:58 WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING LESSON #7 IN OUR QUARTERLY, IF 11:04 YOU HAVE YOUR QUARTERLIES, BUT BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR LESSON, 11:08 LET'S JUST HAVE ANOTHER, VERY SHORT, WORD OF PRAYER. 11:11 FATHER IN HEAVEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE 11:14 TO STUDY YOUR WORD AS YOUR PEOPLE. 11:16 AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL AND PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO FREELY 11:20 GATHER AND OPEN YOUR HOLY BOOK. AND LORD, WE KNOW THAT THE TIME 11:28 THAT WE HAVE TO FREELY ASSEMBLE, LORD, MAY BE LIMITED AND WE WANT 11:34 TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE NOW, 11:39 TO BE ABOUT OUR - YOUR BUSINESS - OUR FATHER'S BUSINESS. 11:44 SO LORD, BLESS US TODAY AS WE STUDY. LET YOUR HOLY SPIRIT BE 11:47 PRESENT. ANOINT EACH ONE. AND LET THE POWER OF GOD BE HERE 11:53 AND THAT CHRIST WOULD BE GLORIFIED. 11:55 WE ASK IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. >>AMEN. 11:59 >>WE'RE ON LESSON #7 AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE STUDYING THE 12:02 WORD, PEOPLE OFTEN GET DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND LIFE APPLICATIONS 12:07 FROM THE SAME BIBLE STUDY, AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES BIBLE STUDY 12:12 AND SHARING BIBLE TRUTHS WONDERFUL AND EXCITING. 12:16 SAME PERSON CAN READ THE SAME LESSON AND CAN STAND UP HERE AND 12:21 GIVE YOU A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON IT. 12:24 AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE 12:28 DIFFERENT GIFTS AND GOD USES US QUITE DIFFERENTLY. 12:33 NOW, IN THE NATURAL, WE HAVE A BODY THAT'S COMPRISED OF SEVERAL 12:38 DIFFERENT PARTS AND ALL OF THESE PARTS; HOWEVER, ARE SUPPLIED BY 12:43 THE SAME SYSTEMS AND EACH PART RECEIVES EXACTLY WHAT IT NEEDS. 12:49 AND WHEN THOSE BODY PARTS RECEIVE FROM THE SAME SYSTEM 12:53 THAT'S SUPPORTING ALL OF THIS STRUCTURE, WHY, THE BODY 12:57 OPERATES NORMALLY. IT'S HEALTHY. 13:02 AND EACH PART DOES SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 13:05 THEY DON'T BEHAVE THE SAME WAY. AND THAT WORKS THE SAME WAY 13:13 SPIRITUALLY. WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST AMEN? 13:18 AND WE SPIRITUALLY RECEIVE FROM THE SAME SOURCE, BUT ALL OF US 13:23 HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS AND WE ALL PERFORM OUR TASKS - 13:28 GOD-GIVEN TASKS - IN DIFFERENT WAYS. 13:30 I JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE BEEN AT THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. 13:33 A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO - WE WERE STILL THERE, IN FACT, AND IT WAS 13:38 A REAL AWAKENING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. 13:43 YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT THE ALAMO DOME AND THEY HAVE THIS 13:47 WALKWAY GOING OVER - IT'S A HUGE WALKWAY - I JUST - WHEN I SAY 13:54 WALKWAY YOU THINK OF A SMALL SPACE - BUT THIS IS A HUGE THING 13:57 GOING OVER THE ROADS THERE - THE FREEWAYS OR THE OVER PASS - 14:03 AND YOU WALK OVER THIS THING AND IT'S - AND IT GOES DOWN INTO 14:06 THE ENTRANCE TO THE ALAMO DOME. 14:08 WELL, AS I WAS WALKING IN THIS HUGE CROWD OF PEOPLE, I LOOKED 14:14 AROUND AND I THOUGHT THIS IS WHAT HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE LIKE, 14:22 BECAUSE NOW I'M IN THE MIDST OF THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF 14:29 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS - NOT THAT SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS ARE 14:33 THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN HEAVEN, BUT AT THIS 14:35 OCCASION THERE WERE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ADVENTISTS. 14:38 AND I LOOKED AROUND AT THEM AND THEY DIDN'T LOOK LIKE PEOPLE 14:47 THAT I NORMALLY SEE IN CHURCH. THEY WERE FROM ALL OVER THE 14:51 WORLD. THEY WERE - THERE WERE PEOPLE - 14:54 IT WAS JUST A - JUST A BOUQUET OF ALL KINDS OF ETHNICITIES AND 15:00 - AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM WERE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. 15:06 AND I THOUGHT THIS IS WHAT THE ROAD TO HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE 15:11 LIKE AND THIS IS WHAT HEAVEN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. 15:15 THERE'S, I THINK, EIGHTEEN AND A HALF MILLION SEVENTH-DAY 15:22 ADVENTISTS IN THE WORLD AND ONLY 1.2 MILLION OF THAT GROUP ARE IN 15:29 NORTH AMERICA. SO WHEN YOU GET OUTSIDE OF WHERE 15:33 WE ARE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE CHURCH LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT. 15:41 HEAVEN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE THAT AND ONE OF THE THINGS I 15:49 LOVE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO IS THAT I CAN GO TO ANY CITY - 15:54 ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD - AND I CAN FIND BROTHERS AND SISTERS 16:00 WHO WILL TREAT ME JUST LIKE I'M FAMILY. 16:03 >>AMEN. >>ANY CITY - AND I'VE DONE IT - 16:06 ANY CITY, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, AND 16:11 THERE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT WILL TAKE ME INTO THEIR 16:14 HOMES, THEY WILL FEED ME, GIVE ME A PLACE TO STAY. WHY? 16:21 BECAUSE WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BODY. NOW OUR SABBATH SCHOOL 16:28 LESSON - I HAVE TO GET TO THAT OR I WON'T HAVE TIME TO FINISH 16:31 IT. BY THE WAY, IF YOU STUDY YOUR SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON, IT 16:36 IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO DO BIBLE STUDIES. 16:40 WE TRY TO DO THIS EVERY EVENING - IS TO TAKE OUT OUR SABBATH 16:45 SCHOOL - BECAUSE IT'S BY DAYS OF THE WEEK - IF YOU SPEND TIME 16:48 EACH DAY BEFORE YOU RETIRE STUDYING THE BIBLE, PRAYING 16:56 TOGETHER WITH YOUR FAMILY OR YOUR SPOUSE, IT IS A WONDERFUL 16:59 WAY TO BRING CLOSURE TO YOUR DAY. AND SO, PRAYER AND THE WORD 17:05 IS CRITICAL TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, SO I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO STUDY 17:09 THE SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS, STUDY THEM DAILY, AND TO MAKE 17:14 THE APPLICATION OF WHAT YOU ARE RECEIVING FROM THE WORD OF GOD, 17:18 MAKE THAT APPLICATION SOMETHING THAT YOU DRAW STRENGTH FROM. 17:22 NOW WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR MEMORY TEXT, STARTING - WE'RE IN LESSON 17:28 #7 - JESUS, THE MASTER OF MISSIONS . 17:30 OUR MEMORY TEXT IS FOUND IN JOHN 20 AND 21 AND THIS IS WHAT IT 17:36 SAYS - AGAIN JESUS SAID, "PEACE BE WITH YOU! 17:42 AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU." 17:47 NOW THAT'S WRITTEN IN THE NIV. SO I'M READING FROM THE TEXT. 17:52 LET'S READ IT AGAIN, "AND JESUS SAID, 'PEACE BE WITH YOU! 17:55 AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU.'" NOW THE YOU IN 17:59 THIS TEXT REFERS NOT ONLY TO THE DISCIPLES WHO WERE PRESENT WHEN 18:05 JESUS WAS SPEAKING. SEE, IN THE MIND OF CHRIST, THE 18:11 ENTIRE CHURCH IS INCLUDED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT HE GIVES TO 18:17 HIS DISCIPLES. THE WORD IS FOR ALL OF US. 18:22 WHEN JESUS SPOKE TO THOSE DISCIPLES - WHEN HE SAID TO 18:26 THEM, 'AS THE FATHER SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU.' I BELIEVE THAT 18:30 HE WAS SPEAKING TO ME ALSO. THE PRAYER THAT JESUS PRAYED IN 18:38 JOHN 17 IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. 18:40 HE SAYS, 'I'M NOT JUST PRAYING FOR THESE, I'M PRAYING FOR 18:43 EVERYONE WHO COMES THROUGH THEIR WORK IN MINISTRY.' AMEN? 18:46 'EVERYONE THAT COMES AFTER THEM, I'M PRAYING FOR THEM ALSO.' HE 18:50 IS SPEAKING TO US. SO IT'S CLEAR, HERE, FROM JOHN 18:53 CHAPTER 21 - 20, VERSE 21 - THAT MISSION BEGAN WITH GOD. 19:02 THE FATHER DID THE SENDING. JESUS SAID, 'AS THE FATHER HAS 19:09 SENT ME.' THE FATHER DID THE SENDING. 19:12 HE INITIATED IT AND JESUS ACCEPTED HIS CALL TO MISSION. 19:20 SO ESSENTIALLY, JESUS IS THE MASTER OF MISSIONS, AS OUR 19:27 LESSON SAYS AND, IN FACT, HE IS THE FIRST MISSIONARY. 19:32 HE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT, ACCORDING TO 19:36 SCRIPTURE, BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN. HE KNEW THAT THIS MISSION 19:44 TRIP, THAT HE WAS VOLUNTEERING FOR, BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN, 19:48 WOULD COST HIM HIS LIFE, BUT HE CAME ANYWAY. 19:51 HE HAD THE LOVE AND HE HAD THE COURAGE TO SURRENDER TO THE WILL 19:56 OF THE FATHER. WHY? FOR THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND. 20:02 SEE, GOD FOREKNEW THAT WE WOULD NEED A SAVIOR, SO A PLAN OF 20:07 REDEMPTION WAS INITIATED EVEN BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE. 20:13 GOD IS ALWAYS SEVERAL STEPS AHEAD OF THE DEVIL. 20:19 THERE'S NOTHING THAT THE ENEMY CAN DO THAT GOD HAS NOT ALREADY 20:25 PREPARED FOR. BY THE WAY, THERE'S NOTHING THAT 20:30 HAPPENS IN THE LIVES OF HIS CHILDREN THAT GOD IS NOT AWARE 20:34 OF AND THAT HE'S ALREADY MADE A PLAN FOR THEIR DELIVERANCE. 20:41 GOD IS ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE DEVIL. NOW THE OBJECTIVE OF 20:45 MISSION, FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME, 20:50 THAT IS, TO REACH AND TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE LOST. 20:55 IT WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, WAS HIS OBJECTIVE, AND IT CONTINUES 21:01 THROUGH HIS CHURCH TODAY. FROM THE BEGINNING WE HAVE THE 21:06 FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING TOGETHER TO 21:12 FULFILL THE MISSION OF REDEMPTION. 21:16 THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE DIVINE AGENCY THROUGH WHICH 21:22 THE FATHER EMPOWERS THE WORK OF MISSION. 21:26 IN ACTS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 38, THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS - ACTS 21:30 10:38 - "HOW GOD ANOINTED JESUS OF NAZARETH WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT 21:37 AND WITH POWER, WHO WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD AND HEALING ALL WHO 21:42 WERE OPPRESSED BY THE DEVIL, FOR GOD WAS WITH HIM." 21:47 SO JESUS, WHO ACCEPTED THE CALL OF GOD BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN 21:52 WAS, IN HIS INCARNATE HUMANITY, ANOINTED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT'S 21:58 POWER TO FULFILL THE MISSION AND WILL OF GOD. 22:03 SO IN CHRIST, THE WILL OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED. 22:09 YOU SEE, GOD HAS INCREASE ON HIS MIND. 22:14 ONE DOESN'T GO ON A MISSION TO DECREASE THE FAMILY OF GOD. 22:21 ONE GOES ON A MISSION TO INCREASE THE FAMILY OF GOD. 22:26 GOD IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE DEMISE OF THE CHURCH, GOD IS 22:31 INTERESTED IN INCREASE. GOD IS INTERESTED IN GROWTH. 22:36 GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO HEAR OF HIS LOVE AND TO HAVE THEIR LIVES 22:40 CHANGED BY THE POWER OF THAT LOVE. 22:44 GOD HAS INCREASE ON HIS MIND AND EVERY CHILD OF GOD, I BELIEVE, 22:51 WILL HAVE THE SAME MIND. JESUS WAS OF THE SAME MIND. 22:57 HE CAME TO BE THE SEED THAT WHEN THAT SEED DIES AND WAS PLANTED, 23:03 WHY, IT SPRANG UP WITH A TREMENDOUS INCREASE. 23:11 SO THE MISSION OF CHRIST IS A MISSION OF INCREASE. 23:17 LUKE 19:10 SAYS, "FOR THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE 23:22 THAT WHICH WAS LOST." NOW WE MOVE ON TO OUR - WELL, 23:28 ACTUALLY, I HAVEN'T MOVED ON. I'M STILL ON SABBATH AFTERNOON. 23:31 I'M GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIME. I CAN TELL. 23:36 IN THE SABBATH AFTERNOON READING, THERE'S A STATEMENT IN 23:41 THERE THAT SAYS, "IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, JESUS OUTLINES THE 23:47 PROGRAM FOR MISSIONS." SO WHAT DOES JESUS - WHAT DOES 23:52 HIS MISSION PROGRAM CONSIST OF? WELL, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE - 23:59 THIS IS JUST MY TAKE ON IT, BY THE WAY, BUT I BELIEVE THAT 24:03 THERE ARE FIVE THINGS THAT HIS PROGRAM CONSISTS OF. 24:06 THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE COMMITMENT. 24:09 COMMITMENT TO THE FATHER. JESUS DIDN'T COME TO DO HIS 24:14 WILL, HE SAYS, BUT THE WILL OF WHAT? 24:17 THE ONE THAT SENT HIM. SO THERE IS FIRST COMMITMENT TO 24:22 THE FATHER TO DO THE WILL OF GOD. 24:25 THE SECOND THING IN HIS PROGRAM IS PREPARATION. 24:31 AND JESUS, IN CONCERT WITH THE GODHEAD, WHY THEY MADE 24:37 PREPARATION BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. 24:41 HE JUST DIDN'T UP AND COME, THEY HAD ALREADY PREPARED THIS THING 24:44 BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. 24:47 AND THEN THE THIRD COMPONENT WOULD BE EXECUTION - THAT'S 24:52 ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING. WELL, HE DID. ULTIMATELY, HE CAME. 24:58 HIS LIFE AND HIS DEATH HERE ON EARTH REQUIRED A COMPLETE 25:03 SACRIFICE. SO HE HAD THE COMMITMENT, HE HAD 25:07 THE PREPARATION, AND THEN HE HAD THE EXECUTION. 25:10 AND, BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU'RE EXECUTING A MISSION, IT REQUIRES 25:13 A COMPLETE SACRIFICE. NINETY- NINE AND A HALF WON'T DO. I WAS 25:20 RAISED A PENTECOSTAL. YOU COULD NEVER TELL THAT, BUT I WAS. 25:24 AND THE OLD PEOPLE USED TO SING THIS SONG IN THE PENTECOSTAL 25:30 CHURCH: LORD, I'M RUNNING TRYING TO MAKE A HUNDRED. 25:33 NINETY-NINE AND A HALF WON'T DO. IN ANYTHING THAT WE COMMIT TO DO 25:38 FOR GOD, NINETY-NINE AND A HALF WON'T DO. 25:42 IT REQUIRES A TOTAL COMMITMENT. THE NEXT COMPONENT, I BELIEVE, 25:49 IS EXTENSION. THAT IS, NOT ONLY DID HE COME 25:54 AND THAT HE'D DO - HE DID HIS MISSION, BUT HE APPOINTED AND 25:59 EQUIPPED OTHERS TO CONTINUE THE WORK. 26:03 IT WASN'T JUST A ONE SHOT THING, YOU SEE, HE CAME, HE COMMITTED 26:09 FULLY, AND THEN HE APPOINTED AND EQUIPPED OTHERS TO CONTINUE THE 26:14 WORK. THEN THE LAST PART IN JESUS' PROGRAM FOR MISSION, 26:20 I BELIEVE, IS COMPLETION. THAT IS, WHEN PROBATION CLOSES, 26:26 THEN JESUS RETURNS AGAIN TO TAKE ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN 26:32 GATHERED TOGETHER, RECEIVE HIM INTO ONE WONDERFUL HARVEST. 26:40 I WANT TO BE IN THAT NUMBER, HOW ABOUT YOU? 26:42 SO HE WILL, ULTIMATELY, COMPLETE THE WORK. 26:48 NOW, IN ORDER FOR US TO BE LIKE CHRIST, WHO IS THE MASTER OF 26:52 MISSIONS, I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST UTILIZE THESE SAME 26:57 COMPONENTS, OR SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR, IF WE ARE TO BE 27:05 INVOLVED IN A MISSION THAT LOOKS LIKE THE MISSION OF JESUS. 27:13 NOW THE REASON FOR STUDYING ABOUT CHRIST AND STUDYING ABOUT 27:18 THE MASTER OF MISSION, IS TO BECOME LIKE HIM. 27:25 WE WANT TO LEARN TO FOLLOW HIS STEPS. 27:29 WE'RE NOT STUDYING ABOUT HIM JUST TO ACCUMULATE MORE HEAD 27:33 KNOWLEDGE OR TO PRESENT OURSELVES AS MORE ACCOMPLISHED 27:36 OR MORE ENLIGHTENED, WE WANT TO BE CHANGED. 27:41 WE WANT TO BE LIKE JESUS. NOW MOVING ON TO SUNDAY'S 27:46 LESSON: JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - 2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1 27:56 AND VERSES 8 AND 9 - IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES YOU CAN TURN WITH ME 28:01 THERE. I WILL READ IT. 28:03 IT SAYS, "THEREFORE DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY OF OUR 28:07 LORD, NOR OF ME HIS PRISONER, BUT SHARE WITH ME IN THE 28:12 SUFFERINGS FOR THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE POWER OF GOD, 28:16 WHO HAS SAVED US AND CALLED US WITH A HOLY CALLING, NOT 28:22 ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE AND 28:27 GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE TIME BEGAN." 28:36 NOW THE KING JAMES SAYS, "BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN." 28:39 NOW IS TIME IMPORTANT? WELL GOD CREATED TIME, DIDN'T HE? 28:47 IF IT'S NOT IMPORTANT I DON'T THINK GOD WOULD HAVE CREATED IT. 28:54 ALL OF GOD'S NATURAL CREATION EXISTS IN THE REALM OF TIME. 29:02 WITHOUT TIME WE LOSE OUR BEARING. 29:05 OUR CONNECTION WITH CREATION ITSELF IS HINDERED. 29:09 OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD IS HINDERED AND WE LOSE CONNECTION 29:15 WITH OUR HISTORY. REDEMPTION, ACCORDING TO 29:21 SCRIPTURE - WE JUST READ IT, WAS INITIATED BEFORE TIME BEGAN. 29:28 CONSEQUENTLY, IT DOESN'T FLOW FROM THE NATURAL ORDER OF 29:35 CREATED THINGS. IT DOES NOT FLOW FROM NATURAL OR 29:43 CREATED THINGS BECAUSE IT WAS INITIATED BEFORE ANY OF THOSE 29:49 THINGS EXISTED, ARE YOU WITH ME? DID I LOSE HALF OF YOU? 29:56 >>NO. >>OKAY. 29:58 I TOLD YOU ALL I WAS RAISED A PENTECOSTAL. 30:03 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? IF YOU SAY 'AMEN' IT DOESN'T 30:06 BOTHER ME ONE BIT. NOT ONE BIT. >>AMEN. 30:13 >>NOW, SINCE REDEMPTION WAS INITIATED BEFORE TIME BEGAN - 30:21 YOU SEE, IT COMES FROM THE HEART OF GOD, IT SPRANG FROM THE 30:27 ETERNAL, AND WAS IN PLACE BEFORE ANYTHING THAT IS TEMPORAL WAS 30:33 MADE. JESUS, THE LAMB OF GOD - THE 30:37 SCRIPTURE SAYS - WAS SLAIN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE 30:41 WORLD. REDEMPTION, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT 30:46 MISSION IS ALL ABOUT - GOING OUT TO REACH THE LOST - WAS FIRST. 30:51 HE PUT THAT IN PLACE FIRST. AND CREATION AND TIME FOLLOWED. 31:02 SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GOD? 31:05 I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GOD, BASED ON WHAT WE JUST 31:12 READ, IS THE ETERNAL REDEMPTION OF MANKIND. 31:18 HE MADE PROVISION FOR THAT FIRST. SEE, HE WASN'T TAKING A 31:25 CHANCE WHEN HE CREATED MANKIND, HE ENSURED THAT THERE WAS A PATH 31:32 TO REDEMPTION IN PLACE BEFORE HE EVER MADE MAN. 31:37 NOW JESUS, WHO IS THAT PATH, EXISTED BEFORE TIME BEGAN. 31:47 SO IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WHICH BEGINS WITH THE WORDS, "IN THE 31:52 BEGINNING GOD" - CLEARLY THE GODHEAD WAS THERE IN THE 31:57 BEGINNING. IN THE BEGINNING OF WHAT? 32:02 WELL, I BELIEVE THAT IT REFERS TO IN THE BEGINNING OF TIME. 32:10 IN THE BEGINNING OF TIME, GOD CREATED. 32:15 NOW WHAT WAS BEFORE THE BEGINNING? 32:17 WAS ANYTHING BEFORE THE BEGINNING? 32:20 THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ALREADY WERE THERE. 32:24 SO THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT, 32:32 JESUS IS PRESENT. JESUS WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE 32:38 FIRST WORDS WERE EVER WRITTEN. JESUS WILL BE PRESENT AFTER THE 32:43 LAST WORD IS FULFILLED. NOW HERE'S AN IMPORTANT 32:49 PRINCIPLE: IF SOMETHING EXISTS IN THE HEART OF GOD, IT EXISTS 32:57 ALREADY, WHETHER YOU CAN SEE IT OR NOT. 33:02 AND BECAUSE IT ALREADY EXISTS IN GOD, IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE 33:09 MANIFESTED IN THE SPIRIT - IN THE PHYSICAL REALM, ALL GOD HAS 33:13 TO DO IS SAY THE WORDS AND IT COMES TO PASS. 33:26 THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE A NEGATIVE UNBELIEVING WORD SHOULD NEVER 33:31 COME OUT OF A BELIEVER'S MOUTH. WHY? 33:35 BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST IN THE HEART OF GOD. 33:38 EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED ALREADY EXISTS IN GOD, WHETHER YOU SEE 33:45 IT OR NOT. AND WHATEVER YOU NEED, NO MATTER 33:51 WHAT IT IS, GOD ALREADY HAS A SOLUTION FOR IT. 33:58 ISAIAH 61 AND VERSE 1 SAYS, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD GOD IS UPON 34:08 ME, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH GOOD 34:12 TIDINGS TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO 34:17 PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES, AND THE OPENING OF 34:21 THE PRISON TO THOSE WHO ARE BOUND." 34:25 NOW THIS IS A MESSIANIC PROPHECY AND JESUS QUOTED THIS VERY TEXT 34:31 IN LUKE 4:18 WHILE TEACHING IN THE SYNAGOGUE - SYNAGOGUE. 34:36 ESSENTIALLY, HE WAS LAUNCHING HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY AND THE 34:40 SCRIPTURE SAYS, 'ALL THE EYES IN THAT PLACE WERE FIXED ON HIM.' 34:46 BUT THIS TEXT, I BELIEVE, ALSO REFERS TO CHRIST WORKING THROUGH 34:51 HIS CHURCH FOR THE WORK OF MISSION. 34:55 EVERY MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST WHO IS FILLED WITH THE 35:00 HOLY SPIRIT AND SURRENDERED TO THE WILL OF GOD, CAN MAKE THIS 35:05 VERY DECLARATION, DO YOU REALIZE THAT? 35:08 BECAUSE WE'RE REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRIST HERE ON EARTH. 35:17 JESUS, WHO IS THE MASTER OF MISSIONS, WAS ANOINTED WITH 35:21 POWER AND HE ANOINTS HIS BODY TODAY WITH THAT SAME POWER FOR 35:28 MISSIONS. WELL, LET'S CONTINUE WITH JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT . 35:37 ISAIAH CHAPTER 7, VERSE 14, "THEREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF WILL 35:43 GIVE YOU A SIGN: BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A 35:49 SON, AND SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL." 35:51 SO JESUS, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IS REVEALED AND WHEN HE APPEARS 36:01 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - WELL, LET ME SAY THAT CORRECTLY - JESUS, 36:08 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IS REVEALED WHEN HE APPEARS IN THE NEW 36:16 TESTAMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME THE 36:19 NEW TESTAMENT TIMES CAME, THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND THE 36:26 RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE ONE WHO WAS 36:30 FORETOLD IN THE VERY TEXT THAT THEY READ ALMOST EVERY SABBATH. 36:35 THEY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE ONE WHO WAS FORETOLD IN SCRIPTURE 36:39 AND THE ONE WHO WAS ON A MISSION TO REDEEM THEM. ISAIAH VERSE 9 - 36:46 CHAPTER 9, RATHER - VERSE 6 SAYS, "FOR UNTO US A 36:50 CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN; 36:55 AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER. 36:57 AND HIS NAME WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY 37:01 GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE." 37:05 NOW YOU READ THESE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES AND YOU MARVEL AT HOW 37:09 ANYONE, PARTICULARLY A PEOPLE WHO WERE STEEPED IN THE OLD 37:15 TESTAMENT, HOW ANYONE COULD READ THESE PROPHECIES AND MISS THE 37:21 FACT THAT THEY WERE FULFILLED IN CHRIST. 37:25 IT'S LIKE YOU WANT TO SCREAM, 'LOOK AT JESUS! 37:32 THE PROPHETS WROTE ABOUT HIM! HE'S THERE IN THE PAGES OF 37:37 SCRIPTURE!' IT'S A POWERFUL PROPHECY. 37:44 COULD THERE BE ANY DOUBT THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS WROTE 37:50 ABOUT CHRIST AND HIS MISSION? NONE. 37:55 NOW I COULD READ MORE, BUT I HAVE TO MOVE AHEAD FOR SAKE OF 37:59 TIME. NOW LEST IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE 38:03 CASTING ASPERSIONS AT OTHERS BECAUSE OF THEIR BLINDNESS, WE 38:08 UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN BLIND AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES 38:13 AND GOD, FORTUNATELY, DID NOT GIVE UP ON US. AND JUST AS HE - 38:23 JUST AS HE DIDN'T GIVE UP ON US, WE MUST NOT GIVE UP ON MISSION 38:29 UNTIL EVERYONE THAT CAN BE SAVED IS SAVED. ISAIAH 53, VERSE 1 38:39 SAYS, "WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM 38:44 OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED? FOR HE SHALL GROW UP BEFORE HIM 38:48 AS A TENDER PLANT, AND AS A ROOT OUT OF A DRY GROUND 38:51 HE HAS NO FORM OR COMELINESS; AND WHEN WE SEE HIM, THERE IS NO 38:57 BEAUTY THAT WE SHOULD DESIRE HIM. 38:59 HE IS DESPISED AND REJECTED BY MEN, A MAN OF SORROWS AND 39:03 ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF. AND WE HID, AS IT WERE, OUR 39:07 FACES FROM HIM; HE WAS DESPISED, AND WE DID NOT ESTEEM HIM. 39:11 SURELY HE HAS BORNE OUR GRIEFS AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS; YET WE 39:17 ESTEEMED HIM STRICKEN, SMITTEN BY GOD, AND AFFLICTED. 39:20 BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED 39:23 FOR OUR INIQUITIES; THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS 39:26 UPON HIM, AND BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED." 39:31 YOU SEE, JESUS WAS THE ACTIVE AGENT OF THE FATHER AT CREATION. 39:37 THE BIBLE SAYS 'ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM AND WITHOUT HIM 39:41 THERE WAS NOTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE.' HE'S OUR CREATOR AND HE 39:48 HAS BECOME THE SURETY FOR OUR SALVATION. 39:53 YOU SEE, THE PENALTY WAS HANDED DOWN - WHAT THE PENALTY SHOULD 40:00 BE FOR ALL OF US. AND WHAT WAS THAT PENALTY BY THE WAY? 40:04 DEATH. AND WONDER OF WONDERS, HE 40:09 OFFERED HIMSELF UP TO TAKE THAT PENALTY ON OUR BEHALF. 40:17 GIVING UP YOUR LIFE IS THE HIGHEST PRICE THAT ANYONE COULD 40:24 PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE - ON PURPOSE - TO DO THAT. 40:27 'I'M GOING TO, ON PURPOSE, DIE FOR YOU.' ANYONE WHO WOULD DIE 40:34 FOR YOU WOULD SURELY TAKE CARE OF YOU WHILE YOU WERE ALIVE, 40:39 AMEN? >>AMEN. 40:41 >>AND IN THE FACE OF THAT KIND OF LOVE FROM A LOVING CREATOR, 40:45 WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT OUR HOPE IN AN ETERNAL FUTURE IS SECURED. 40:55 AND IT'S THAT MESSAGE, YOU SEE, THAT FORMS THE CORE OF MISSION. 41:02 WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO MONDAY: THE DESIRE OF AGES . 41:11 WHEN GOD CREATED MAN IN GENESIS - WELL, ACTUALLY, WHEN HE 41:21 CREATED THE WHOLE WORLD INCLUDING MAN - THE ENTIRE 41:25 UNIVERSE OPERATED IN HARMONY WITH 41:29 ALL OF HIS PROCESSES, SYSTEMS, AND STRUCTURES SUPPORTING THE 41:35 WHOLE - NOT ONLY WAS THE EARTH A PARADISE, ALL OF CREATION WAS 41:41 PERFECTLY SYNCHRONIZED. EVERYTHING IN ORDER. 41:46 THERE WERE NO JEWS. THERE WERE NO GENTILES. 41:49 IN FACT, THERE WERE ONLY TWO PEOPLE AND I WOULD JUST ASSUME 41:54 THAT THEY WERE THE SAME. SO WE HAD EVERYTHING IN ORDER. 42:01 WE HAD ONE RACE OF PEOPLE. AND THE INTRODUCTION OF SIN 42:06 UPSET THE HARMONY OF GOD'S PERFECT CREATION. 42:13 BUT AS WE POINTED OUT EARLIER, GOD HAD ALREADY MADE PROVISIONS 42:16 FOR THAT EVENTUALITY. IN CHRIST, THE RESOLUTION FOR 42:21 SIN WAS OFFERED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD - NOT 42:25 JUST FOR THE JEWS - NOT FOR ANY PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE - 42:29 BUT, ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. 42:32 WHEN JESUS CAME ONTO THE SCENE, EVERYTHING CHANGED. 42:37 FINALLY, THE WORLD COULD SEE, IN HUMAN FORM, WHAT GOD WAS LIKE. 42:45 HERE HE IS, STANDING THERE IN FRONT OF YOU. 42:49 HERE IS CHRIST - HE'S SOMEONE THAT IS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, BUT 42:55 AT THE SAME TIME HE'S WHOLLY DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE. 42:59 HE WAS A MAN ON A MISSION FROM GOD. HE WAS THE TURNING POINT 43:10 FOR A NEW CREATION - A NEW RACE OF MAN. 43:16 HE WAS THE LAST ADAM, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. 43:20 AND EVERYONE WHO EMBRACES HIM, MOVES FROM THE OLD CREATION TO 43:26 BECOME A NEW CREATION. YOU'VE MOVED FROM WHATEVER YOUR 43:33 IDENTITY WAS. IF YOU'RE STILL IDENTIFYING WITH 43:37 THAT OLD FLESH LIFE - IF YOU'RE STILL IDENTIFYING WITH YOUR OLD 43:41 FLESH - THEN YOU NEED TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS. 43:46 AND SEE, THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE ISSUE OF MISSION - JESUS, THE 43:50 MASTER MISSIONARY - THAT'S WHAT HIS MISSION IS ALL ABOUT, TO 43:53 MOVE US FROM WHERE WE WERE TO SOMEPLACE THAT IS SO MUCH 43:57 BETTER. OH, I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME. 44:06 WELL, LET'S READ A COUPLE OF TEXTS HERE, OF HIM COMING. 44:10 LUKE CHAPTER 2, VERSE 8 - IT SAYS, "NOW THERE WERE IN THE 44:15 SAME COUNTRY SHEPHERDS LIVING OUT IN THE FIELDS, KEEPING WATCH 44:18 OVER THEIR FLOCK BY NIGHT. AND BEHOLD, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD 44:21 STOOD BEFORE THEM, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THEM, 44:23 AND THEY WERE GREATLY AFRAID. THEN THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM, 'DO 44:27 NOT BE AFRAID, FOR BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT 44:31 JOY WHICH WILL BE TO ALL PEOPLE.'" - HOW MANY PEOPLE? 44:35 ALL PEOPLE - "FOR THERE IS BORN TO YOU THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF 44:40 DAVID A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. 44:43 AND THIS WILL BE A SIGN TO YOU: YOU WILL FIND A BABE WRAPPED IN 44:48 SWADDLING CLOTHS, LYING IN A MANGER. 44:52 AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS WITH THE ANGEL A MULTITUDE OF THE 44:56 HEAVENLY HOST PRAISING GOD AND SAYING: 'GLORY TO GOD IN THE 45:01 HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN!'" 45:06 - TOWARD ALL MEN, NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. JOHN 1:29, "THE NEXT 45:14 DAY JOHN SAW JESUS COMING TOWARD HIM, AND SAID, 'BEHOLD! 45:19 THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!'" 45:29 SEE, JESUS CAME TO BE THE SAVIOR IN HIS MISSION TRIP. 45:35 OF NOT JUST A PARTICULAR PEOPLE - HE CAME TO BE THE SAVIOR OF 45:41 THE ENTIRE WORLD. NOW THAT IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE NO MATTER 45:45 WHERE YOU HAPPEN TO LIVE TODAY, IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR COUNTRY, 45:50 IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR UPBRINGING, IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR ETHNICITY, 45:55 JESUS CAME TO BE YOUR SAVIOR. >>AMEN. 45:59 >>AND, AS I MENTIONED IN MY INTRODUCTION, ABOUT MY 46:05 EXPERIENCE AT THE GC, I SAW THAT. 46:09 I SAW PEOPLE FROM EVERYWHERE - ALL - BIG, LITTLE, TALL, SHORT, 46:18 ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT COLORS - THEY HAD EMBRACED THE SAVIOR. 46:24 THAT'S WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO - TO SAVE THE WORLD. 46:29 AND HE ALSO CAME TO EMPOWER US - TO CARRY THIS MESSAGE OF 46:35 REDEMPTION TO THE WORLD. THE WORLD, YOU SEE, IS OUR 46:40 MISSION FIELD. NOW, FOR SOME OF US, WHEN JESUS 46:46 SAYS 'GO' THAT MIGHT MEAN JUST ACROSS THE STREET OR IT COULD 46:53 JUST MEAN NEXT DOOR, BUT THE WHOLE WORLD IS OUR MISSION 46:58 FIELD. THE MISSION - THE FIELD, RATHER 47:03 - IS ALL AROUND US. THE MISSION IS IN US. 47:07 AS WE TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND, REALLY, AROUND THE WORLD, 47:13 I'M AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF CHURCH MEMBERS - SEVENTH-DAY 47:19 ADVENTIST CHURCH MEMBERS WHO WILL TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE 47:23 NEVER LED A SINGLE PERSON TO CHRIST. 47:28 SOME HAVE BEEN IN THE CHURCH ALL OF THEIR LIVES OR FOR A LONG 47:35 NUMBER OF YEARS AND HAVE NEVER LED A SOUL TO JESUS. 47:43 NOW, I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE MET A FISHERMAN WHO HAS NEVER CAUGHT 47:50 A FISH. NOT ONCE HAVE I MET A FISHERMAN 47:55 THAT WILL TELL ME, 'I'VE BEEN FISHING FOR ALL THESE YEARS. 47:58 I'VE NEVER CAUGHT A FISH.' AND IF I DID, I WOULD PROBABLY TELL 48:05 HIM, 'YOU KNOW, BROTHER, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO CONSIDER TAKING 48:09 A FISHERMAN'S SELF-HELP CLASS. CLEARLY YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING 48:17 WRONG.' YOU WON'T CATCH ANY FISH FISHING IN YOUR BATHTUB. 48:33 IS THAT A REVELATION? >>YEAH. 48:38 >>YOU WON'T CATCH ANY FISH FISHING IN YOUR HOUSE IN YOUR 48:43 BATHTUB. IF YOU WANT TO CATCH FISH, YOU 48:47 HAVE TO GO TO WHERE THE FISH ARE. 48:52 YOU'VE GOT TO GO TO THE WATER, THE LAKES, OR THE RIVERS WHERE 48:56 THE FISH TEND TO CONGREGATE OR PASS THROUGH. 48:59 IF YOU FISH IN THE WATER, EVEN IF YOU'RE A LOUSY FISHERMAN, 49:03 YOU'LL CATCH A FISH BY ACCIDENT IF YOU DO IT LONG ENOUGH. 49:13 IN MONDAY'S LESSON, THERE IS A QUOTE FROM ELLEN WHITE FROM 49:25 TESTIMONIES, VOL. 6 . NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE 49:31 QUARTERLY, THEY LEAVE OUT THE LAST LINE OF THE QUOTE. 49:37 I'M GOING TO READ IT TO YOU WITH THAT LINE INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY 49:41 SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THAT. THIS IS WHAT SHE WROTE, "THE 49:46 MISSIONARY SPIRIT NEEDS TO BE REVIVED IN OUR CHURCHES. 49:49 EVERY MEMBER OF THE CHURCH SHOULD STUDY HOW TO HELP FORWARD 49:54 THE WORK OF GOD, BOTH IN HOME MISSIONS AND IN FOREIGN 50:00 MISSIONS. SCARCELY A THOUSANDTH PART OF THE WORK IS BEING DONE 50:05 THAT OUGHT TO BE DONE IN MISSIONARY FIELDS. 50:08 GOD CALLS UPON HIS WORKERS TO ANNEX NEW TERRITORY FOR HIM. 50:14 THERE ARE RICH FIELDS OF TOILS AWAITING THE FAITHFUL WORKERS." 50:19 - NOW HERE'S THE SENTENCE THAT THEY DIDN'T PUT IN THE QUARTERLY 50:22 - "AND MINISTERING ANGELS WILL COOPERATE WITH EVERY MEMBER OF 50:26 THE CHURCH WHO WILL LABOR UNSELFISHLY FOR THE MASTER." 50:31 AMEN. SO GOD DOESN'T EXPECT US TO DO MISSION ALONE. 50:42 WE HAVE BACK UP. WE HAVE HELP. 50:50 AND MINISTERING ANGELS, IT SAYS, WILL COOPERATE WITH NOT JUST THE 50:55 SELECT FEW - NOT JUST THE MARQUEE NAMES, BUT IT SAYS 51:00 "EVERY MEMBER OF THE CHURCH WHO LABOR UNSELFISHLY FOR THE 51:07 MASTER." I WANT TO BE IN THAT NUMBER, HOW 51:12 ABOUT YOU? >>AMEN. 51:15 >>WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO TUESDAY. 51:18 WE MAY GET TUESDAY INTRODUCED. IT SAYS MISSION TO THE JEWS . 51:24 IN MATTHEW 10:5 AND 6, "THESE TWELVE JESUS SENT OUT AND 51:29 COMMANDED THEM, SAYING: 'DO NOT GO INTO THE WAY OF THE GENTILES, 51:33 AND DO NOT ENTER A CITY OF THE SAMARITANS. 51:38 BUT GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.'" AND 51:43 JESUS, HIMSELF, SAID IN MATTHEW 15:24, "I WAS NOT SENT EXCEPT TO 51:47 THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL." 51:52 NOW OF ALL THE PEOPLE ON EARTH, GOD CHOSE ABRAHAM AND CUT A 51:57 COVENANT WITH HIM. AND OF ALL OF ABRAHAM'S 52:02 DESCENDENTS - AND HE HAD MANY - GOD CHOSE ISRAEL TO BE HIS 52:07 CHOSEN PEOPLE - A PEOPLE THROUGH WHOM HE COULD REACH THE WORLD. 52:12 ISRAEL, UNFORTUNATELY, FAILED IN THEIR MISSION AND WHEN CHRIST 52:15 CAME, HE CAME AS A MESSIAH IN FULFILLMENT OF BIBLE PROPHECY. 52:20 AND ACCORDING TO THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL CHAPTER 9, SEVENTY 52:25 PROPHETIC WEEKS OF THE 2300-YEAR PROPHECY WAS DESIGNATED - CUT 52:30 OFF - FOR ISRAEL. AND THE MESSIAH'S MISSION WAS 52:36 DURING THE LAST WEEK OF THIS SEVENTY-WEEK PROPHECY. 52:44 THE LAST SEVEN YEARS ENCOMPASSED THE MISSION OF THE MESSIAH. 52:50 SO IT WAS GOD'S ATTEMPT TO GIVE THEM ONE LAST CHANCE. 52:59 ONE LAST CHANCE TO REACH THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF 53:03 ISRAEL AND TO HAVE THEM EMBRACE THE MESSIAH THAT HAD BEEN 53:08 PROMISED TO THEM THROUGH PROPHECIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. 53:12 JESUS CAME AND HE PREACHED TO THEM. 53:14 JESUS WORKED MIRACLES AMONG THEM, THEN HE SENT HIS DISCIPLES 53:18 TO PREACH TO THEM BUT THEY REJECTED THE MESSAGE. 53:24 THEY REJECTED CHRIST AND, ULTIMATELY, A NEW COVENANT WAS 53:29 CUT WITH SPIRITUAL ISRAEL - THE ISRAEL OF GOD - AND THE MESSAGE 53:35 WENT TO THE GENTILES. SO TODAY, THE CHURCH, SPIRITUAL 53:40 ISRAEL, IS MADE UP OF JEWS AND GENTILES WHO EMBRACE CHRIST THE 53:45 MESSIAH AND WHO EMBRACE HIS MISSION. SO THE CHURCH IS THE 53:52 OPERATIONAL ORGANISM THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORKED THROUGH 53:56 TO FULFILL THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE MASTER OF MISSIONS. 54:05 I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, AS WE CLOSE - I'M GOING TO HAVE TO 54:10 STOP NOW - I'M NOT FINISHED BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO STOP - BUT 54:15 I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THERE IS A FREE OFFER. 54:20 THIS BOOK DOWN FROM HIS GLORY - IT'S A FREE BOOK. 54:25 YOU CAN GET IT ONLINE OR YOU CAN ORDER IT BY CALLING 866-788-3966 54:35 - IT'S OFFER #154 - 866-788-3966 OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE - 54:44 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU CAN READ IT FOR FREE. 54:48 866-STUDY-MORE - OFFER #154 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO 54:53 YOU. GOD BLESS YOU AND HAVE A 54:55 WONDERFUL AND BLESSED SABBATH. >>AMEN. 54:58 >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH 20,000 55:02 PEOPLE? OR A CAR LIKE THIS ONE CAN REACH 55:05 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN JESUS. IF YOU HAVE A VEHICLE 55:10 YOU'RE NOT USING AND WOULD LIKE TO REACH HEARTS FOR THE KINGDOM 55:13 OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DONATING YOUR VEHICLE TO 55:16 AMAZING FACTS TODAY. IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED CAR, BOAT, 55:20 RV, MOTORCYCLE, EVEN ATVS AND JET SKIS INTO A SOUL-WINNING 55:26 VEHICLE FOR CHRIST AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 55:29 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 55:33 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 55:35 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 55:37 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 55:41 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST, USE IT 55:45 TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 55:49 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, OR 55:52 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 55:59 >>AMAZING FACTS, THROUGH YOUR FAITHFUL SUPPORT, HAS HAD A 56:03 MAJOR IMPACT ON SOME OF THE LARGEST NON-CHRISTIAN LOCATIONS 56:06 IN THE WORLD. BEYOND THE GREAT WALL THE 56:09 PRINTING AND TRANSLATION OF OUR BOOKS AND VIDEO MATERIALS ARE IN 56:12 CONSTANT MOTION. >>(MAN SPEAKING CHINESE) 56:20 >>THE AMAZING FACTS CHINESE LANGUAGE WEBSITE IS NOW ONE OF 56:23 OUR MOST VISITED WEBSITES. WE ALSO TRANSLATED THOUSANDS OF 56:27 PIECES OF LITERATURE FOR THESE NATIONS. WHAT STARTED OUT AS 56:31 HUNDREDS OF FOLLOWERS IS NOW IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. 56:35 THE IMPACT OF YOUR FUNDS INVESTED IN SHARING THE 56:37 EVERLASTING GOSPEL IN THESE FOREIGN LANDS WILL BE FELT FOR 56:41 YEARS TO COME. >>YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK WE HEAR 56:44 THE MOST INCREDIBLE STORIES FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE, OF LIVES 56:47 THAT ARE BEING CHANGED AND HEARTS THAT ARE BEING 56:49 TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE WORD. 56:52 AND NONE OF IT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT YOUR TEAMWORK WITH THIS 56:54 MINISTRY. GOD BLESS YOU. 57:00 >>CONGRATULATIONS. YOU'RE RETIRED. 57:02 A TIME TO ENJOY WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND GOD. 57:06 BUT SOMETIMES, WITH RETIREMENT, COMES ANXIETY ABOUT FUTURE 57:09 INCOME AND FRUSTRATING LIMITATIONS ON OUR ABILITY TO 57:12 HELP IN MINISTRY. WELL, AMAZING FACTS HAS AN 57:15 OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ON BOTH FRONTS. 57:17 WITH A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY FROM AMAZING FACTS, YOU CAN 57:20 ASSURE YOURSELF OF A STEADY INCOME THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE AND 57:22 ADVANCE MINISTRY AND EVANGELISM AROUND THE WORLD. 57:26 WHY NOT CALL TODAY? >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS 57:32 BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 57:34 NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING. 57:38 WATCH AMAZING FACTS TELEVISION BY VISITING 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:44 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN VIEW AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMMING 24 57:49 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR 57:52 MOBILE DEVICE. WHY WAIT A WEEK? 57:55 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG' - IT'S THAT EASY. 58:02 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 58:06 OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 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Revised 2015-08-06