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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021538A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:33 >>HELLO FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:36 I'M DELIGHTED THAT YOU'RE JOINING US WHEREVER YOU MIGHT BE 00:38 - ACROSS THE COUNTRY OR AROUND THE WORLD - TO STUDY THE BIBLE 00:41 TOGETHER. NOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING OUR 00:43 REGULAR LESSON STUDY RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH, WE'RE 00:46 ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 00:48 WE'RE GOING TO BE JOINING PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND THE MEMBERS 00:50 OF THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH AT THE CHURCH RETREAT UP AT LEONI 00:54 MEADOWS, THE CAMP HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE. 00:57 BUT BEFORE WE JOIN THEM, I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR 01:00 FREE OFFER FOR TODAY. IT IS A BOOK ENTITLED - ACTUALLY 01:04 A STUDY GUIDE ENTITLED RESCUE FROM ABOVE AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO 01:08 SEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS HERE IN NORTH AMERICA. 01:11 THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #109. 01:19 THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966. 01:24 YOU CAN ALSO READ THIS FOR FREE ONLINE AT AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 01:28 WELL, OUR STUDY FOR TODAY IS LESSON #12 IN THE LESSON 01:32 QUARTERLY ENTITLED: PAUL, MISSION AND MESSAGE. 01:35 AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A STUDY QUARTERLY, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD 01:38 TODAY'S LESSON AT AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. WELL WITH 01:42 THAT, FRIENDS, LET'S JOIN PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND THE MEMBERS 01:45 OF THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH AS WE STUDY TOGETHER TODAY. 01:48 >>(BIRDS CHIRPING) >>WELL, FRIENDS, I WANT TO 01:53 WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR TODAY AND 01:56 YOU'LL NOTICE RIGHT AWAY THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT 01:58 ENVIRONMENT THAN WE NORMALLY HAVE FOR OUR STUDY TIME. 02:02 THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 02:05 HOUR ON THE ROAD AND YOU ARE JOINING THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH 02:08 FOR OUR ANNUAL CHURCH RETREAT. WE ARE UP HERE IN THE BEAUTIFUL 02:12 MOUNTAINS OUTSIDE OF SACRAMENTO IN THE SIERRAS. 02:15 IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN RESORT CALLED LEONI MEADOWS AND 02:18 WE'RE JUST SURROUNDED WITH SOME WONDERFUL BIG TREES AND 02:21 MEADOWS AND SORT OF AT AN OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER AND WE'RE 02:25 GOING TO DO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL TIME HERE. 02:27 WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU CAN JOIN US IN THE WOODS FOR THIS TIME 02:29 TOGETHER AND FOR OUR FAMILY RETREAT. SOME THINGS ARE GOING 02:33 TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE 02:35 ELECTRONIC LOGISTICS WE NORMALLY USE IN OUR CHURCH STUDIO 02:39 FACILITIES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PRESS ON WITH OUR LESSON. 02:42 WE'RE CONTINUING WITH OUR STUDY ON BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES AND 02:46 TODAY WE'RE ON LESSON #12. THIS IS ACTUALLY PART 2 ON PAUL. 02:52 LAST WEEK WE DID PART 1 ON PAUL AND TODAY WE'RE DOING PAUL: 02:56 MISSION AND MESSAGE AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND IF YOU'VE GOT 03:00 YOUR BIBLES - OR YOUR SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLIES WITH YOU, THE 03:03 MEMORY VERSE IS FROM PHILIPPIANS 3, VERSES 13 AND 14 - 03:08 PHILIPPIANS 3, VERSES 13 AND 14 - AND I'LL GIVE YOU JUST A 03:12 SECOND BECAUSE I - I LOVE TO HAVE YOU SAY THE MEMORY VERSE 03:15 WITH ME. ARE YOU READY? 03:17 "BRETHREN, I DO NOT COUNT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED; BUT ONE 03:23 THING I DO, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND AND 03:27 REACHING FORWARD TO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE AHEAD, I PRESS TOWARD 03:32 THE GOAL FOR THE PRIZE OF THE UPWARD CALL OF GOD IN CHRIST 03:35 JESUS." THAT'S JUST A WONDERFUL, 03:38 WONDERFUL MEMORY VERSE I'VE OFTEN QUOTED. 03:41 SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO FORGET THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND AND 03:44 PRESS ON TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE AHEAD. 03:47 NOW JUST AS A LITTLE RECAP, FOR THESE LAST TWO WEEKS WE'RE 03:50 STUDYING PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST EARLY MISSIONARIES IN 03:53 THE BIBLE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE OTHER 03:56 APOSTLES DID NOT DO GREAT MISSIONARY THINGS. 03:59 I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN INDIA YEARS AGO, I WENT TO THE - THE 04:04 CAVE OF THOMAS. THOMAS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GONE 04:07 TO INDIA AND HE DIED THERE AS A MARTYR. 04:12 AND SO THEY HAD THE CAVE WHERE THEY SAID HE HID FOR A WHILE. 04:15 BUT HE DID A GREAT MISSION WORK THERE. 04:17 AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE CHRONICLES OF WHAT ALL THE 04:21 OTHER APOSTLES DID BECAUSE LUKE WROTE SO PROFUSELY IN THE NEW 04:26 TESTAMENT - BOTH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE AND THE BOOK OF ACTS - WE 04:29 HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT PAUL DID. 04:31 PAUL CERTAINLY WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST MISSIONARIES - 04:36 EVANGELISTS - APOSTLES. PAUL WAS BORN IN TARSUS, WHICH 04:41 IS A CITY IN ASIA MINOR ON THE NORTHEASTERN SHORE OF THE 04:46 MEDITERRANEAN SEA. HIS FATHER, AT LEAST, WAS A JEW 04:51 AND HE ALSO WAS A ROMAN CITIZEN. WE ASSUME THAT HIS MOTHER WAS 04:54 JEWISH AS WELL. HE SAID, 'I AM A PHARISEE, THE 04:57 SON OF A PHARISEE.' HIS FATHER WAS A PHARISEE. 05:00 SO WHILE THEY WERE SURROUNDED WITH THE GRECO-ROMAN CULTURE, 05:03 PAUL STILL WAS VERY ZEALOUS ABOUT BEING LOYAL TO THE JEWISH 05:06 RELIGION. AND YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN, EVEN 05:09 IN NORTH AMERICA, THAT WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITIES - ANY OF YOU 05:14 EVER BEEN TO AN AMISH COMMUNITY? I REMEMBER WE TOOK A SCHOOL TRIP 05:18 WHEN I WAS IN NEW YORK CITY AND WENT TO ONE OF THE AMISH 05:21 COMMUNITIES AND THEY SHOWED US HOW THEY MADE SOAP THE 05:24 OLD-FASHIONED WAY AND I'LL NEVER FORGET BUYING SOME LEMON SOAP 05:26 THERE. AND THEY STILL, BY HAND, CHURNED 05:28 THEIR BUTTER AND DID A LOT OF THINGS IN A VERY PRIMITIVE WAY. 05:33 OR YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE MENNONITE COMMUNITIES. 05:36 SO THESE PEOPLE ARE SURROUNDED BY A VERY MODERN, SECULAR 05:40 CULTURE, BUT THEY REMAINED VERY LOYAL TO THEIR TRADITIONS AND 05:43 THEIR RELIGION. AND THIS IS WHAT WAS HAPPENING - 05:45 THIS WAS THE MIND SET AMONG THE JEWS DURING THE TIME OF PAUL, 05:48 BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN CONQUERED BY THESE OUTSIDE ARMIES. 05:52 THEY SAW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY WERE CONQUERED BY THE 05:54 BABYLONIANS AND RULED BY THE PERSIANS, AND THEN THE GREEKS 05:57 AND NOW THE ROMANS. AND THEY SAID, 'IF WE'RE GOING 05:59 TO SURVIVE, WE MUST STAY TRUE TO THE SCRIPTURES. 06:02 WE MUST MEET TOGETHER. WE MUST TEACH OUR CHILDREN.' 06:04 AND THEY HAD VERY CLOSE COMMUNITIES. THIS IS ONE OF THE 06:08 REASONS THAT EVEN AFTER 1900 YEARS OF BEING SCATTERED AROUND 06:11 THE WORLD, THE JEWS HAVE REMAINED A DISTINCT PEOPLE. 06:14 IN FACT, I MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, THERE IS NO NATION 06:19 THAT EVEN COMES CLOSE TO ACCOMPLISHING WHAT'S HAPPENED 06:22 WITH THE MIRACLE OF THE JEWISH NATION IN THAT THREE TIMES, 06:27 HISTORICALLY, THEY HAVE BEEN DISPOSSESSED FROM WHAT WAS THEIR 06:32 LAND, YET THEY REMAINED A DISTINCT PEOPLE AND THEY CAME 06:36 BACK AGAIN. ONCE ABRAHAM FORETOLD THEY WOULD 06:40 BE CARRIED AWAY AND THAT'S WHEN THEY WENT TO EGYPT AS SLAVES - 06:43 BUT THEY CAME BACK. THEN THEY WERE CARRIED AWAY TO 06:46 BABYLON 70 YEARS, BUT THEY CAME BACK. 06:49 AND THEN THEY WERE SCATTERED UNDER THE ROMAN DIASPORA - 06:53 SCATTERED AROUND EUROPE AT THAT POINT AND THEN THEY CAME BACK 06:57 AFTER 1900 YEARS IN 1948. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN STATE AGAIN. 07:00 IT'S JUST AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. 07:02 SO PART OF THE REASON THEY SURVIVED IS THERE WAS A VERY 07:05 LOYAL COMMITMENT. WHEN I MARRIED KAREN, YOU KNOW, 07:09 MY MOTHER WAS JEWISH AND WHEN I MARRIED KAREN, QUITE FRANKLY, 07:14 THE FAMILY ON THAT SIDE WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED. 07:17 THEY SAID, 'DOUGIE, YOU MARRIED A GOYIM - A GENTILE - IS WHAT 07:23 THEY TOLD ME. AND I SAID, 'GRANDMA, GRANDPA' - 07:25 I SAID, 'SHE IS MORE JEWISH THAN YOU.' I SAID, 'SHE DOESN'T EAT 07:27 ANYTHING THAT ISN'T KOSHER AND SHE KEEPS THE SABBATH. 07:29 YOU GUYS ARE VERY SLOPPY ABOUT THAT STUFF.' (LAUGHTER) AND SO 07:33 THAT HELPED A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T CARE 07:37 THAT THEY WEREN'T PRACTICING JUDAISM BUT THEY SAID, 'YOU'VE 07:41 GOT TO MARRY A JEW.' THEY WERE VERY LOYAL TO THE RELIGION. 07:45 AND THERE ARE JEWS WHO DON'T EVEN BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT THEY 07:48 ARE VERY LOYAL ABOUT BEING JEWS AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. 07:51 SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ENTRENCHED. 07:53 SO PAUL, WHILE HE GREW UP IN A - A GREEK CITY AND HE SPOKE GREEK 07:57 AND HE SPOKE SOME LATIN, AT LEAST, HE SPOKE ARAMAIC AND HE 08:01 UNDERSTOOD CLASSIC HEBREW - HE WAS EDUCATED. 08:04 WE KNOW HE WAS PROBABLY THE MOST EDUCATED AMONG THE APOSTLES, 08:07 THAT HE WAS VERY ZEALOUS ABOUT THE JEWISH RELIGION. 08:10 WE'RE NOT SURE IF HE WAS EVER MARRIED. 08:13 WE DON'T KNOW. HE DOESN'T COMMENT ON IT. 08:16 WE KNOW HE WASN'T MARRIED AT THE TIME OF HIS JOURNEYS. 08:19 WE DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS MARRIED - HIS WIFE DIED OR SHE LEFT HIM 08:22 WHEN HE WAS CONVERTED. SOME HAVE ARGUED THAT, IN ORDER 08:25 FOR HIM TO BE PART OF THE SANHEDRIN, THAT YOU HAD TO BE 08:28 MARRIED. WE'RE NOT SURE HE WAS PART OF 08:31 THE SANHEDRIN. WE ARE SURE HE WAS A PHARISEE. 08:33 SO WHEN HE WAS ABOUT THIRTEEN YEARS OLD HE WENT TO JERUSALEM 08:38 AND HE STUDIED UNDER THE FEET OF ONE OF THE GREAT TEACHERS BY THE 08:42 NAME OF GAMALIEL. THAT'S AN INTERESTING MAN. 08:45 HE ACTUALLY APPEARS - EVEN AFTER THE DEATH OF JESUS HE WAS STILL 08:49 PART OF THE SANHEDRIN THAT JUDGED THE APOSTLES. 08:53 REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO KILL THE APOSTLES OR IMPRISON 08:57 THEM AND GAMALIEL SAID, 'SEE THAT YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING TO 08:59 THESE MEN BECAUSE IF THIS IS NOT OF GOD, IT WILL FIZZLE. 09:02 IF IT'S OF GOD, YOU MIGHT BE FIGHTING AGAINST GOD.' THAT WAS 09:05 THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN THE TEACHER. 09:08 BY HIS OWN WORDS, PAUL SAID, 'I HAVE LEARNED AT THE FEET OF 09:10 GAMALIEL.' AND SO HE WAS ONE OF THE GREAT RABBIS. 09:12 FROM THAT TIME ON HE MAY HAVE MADE A FEW TRIPS HOME. 09:16 HE MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A POST AT A SYNAGOGUE, YOU KNOW, THEY DO 09:21 INTERN WORK. HE ALSO WORKED AS AN APPRENTICE IN TENT MAKING. 09:24 ALL OF THE JEWISH CHILDREN, EVEN THE PHARISEES, EVEN IF YOU WERE 09:28 A FULL-TIME LEVITE, YOU ALL HAD TO BE AN EXPERT IN SOME 09:32 PRACTICAL TRADE, WHETHER YOU WERE A TENT MAKER OR A SMITH OR 09:35 YOU WORKED WITH GLASS OR - THEY ALL HAD THESE SPECIAL TRADES. 09:39 THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS PART OF GOOD RELIGION TO KNOW A TRADE. 09:42 AND SO, THIS IS - THIS IS WHAT PAUL WAS LIKE. 09:45 BUT YOU NEED THAT BACKGROUND TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT HIS 09:48 MISSION AND HIS MESSAGE - WHERE HE'S COMING FROM. 09:51 WELL, FIRST LET'S LOOK AT - AND HE PROBABLY WROTE NEARLY HALF OF 09:55 THE NEW TESTAMENT, WHICH MAKES IT ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT. 09:59 FIRST, LET'S LOOK AT GREEKS AND JEWS . AND IF YOU LOOK IN 10:04 DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 6, VERSE 22 IT SAYS, "AND THE LORD SHOWED 10:08 SIGNS AND WONDERS BEFORE OUR EYES, GREAT AND GRIEVOUS 10:12 AGAINST EGYPT, PHARAOH, AND ALL HIS HOUSEHOLD." 10:15 IF YOU'RE PREACHING TO JEWS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY WANT TO KNOW 10:20 - IF YOUR MESSAGE IS OF GOD THEY'LL SAY, 'WHAT SIGN DO YOU 10:24 GIVE US TO PROVE IT?' WHEN GOD FIRST CALLED MOSES AND 10:28 HE SAID, 'I WANT YOU TO GO TO PHARAOH AND SAY, 'LET MY PEOPLE 10:32 GO' HE SAID, 'WHAT SIGN DO I SHOW THEM THAT THEY'RE GOING TO 10:37 BELIEVE ME?' HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE TWO 10:39 SIGNS THAT GOD GAVE MOSES? >>LEPROSY. 10:43 >>HE PUT HIS HAND IN HIS BREAST AND IT CAME OUT LEPROUS - THAT 10:46 PROBABLY SCARED HIM - AND THEN HE THREW THE ROD AND HE TOLD HIM 10:49 THEN TO TAKE IT UP AND TAKE IT BY THE - THE TAIL. 10:52 BY THE WAY, THERE'S A GROUP OF, KIND OF ZEALOUS - THEY CALL THEM 10:56 SNAKE HANDLERS - IN SOME SMALL CHURCHES, IF THERE'S ANY STILL 10:59 AROUND, IN KENTUCKY AND SOME OF THE SOUTH, AND THEY GO OUT 11:03 LOOKING FOR SNAKES AND THEY PICK THEM UP AND THEY HOLD THEM WHILE 11:05 THEY'RE SUPPOSEDLY IN THE SPIRIT AND THEY QUOTE THIS VERSE WHERE 11:09 MOSES WAS TOLD TO TAKE UP THE SERPENT. 11:11 THEY SAY, 'THAT'S HOW YOU SHOW YOUR FAITH. 11:13 IT'S A SIGN.' AND THEN THEY TURN TO THAT VERSE THERE IN MARK 11:15 WHERE IT SAYS, 'AND THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS AND NO - IF 11:19 THEY DRINK ANYTHING DEADLY IT WON'T HURT THEM.' AND, OF 11:22 COURSE, GOD IS NOT TELLING US TO DO THAT. 11:24 SO THEN MOSES EVEN SAID, 'WHAT SIGN?' 11:27 AND THEN WHEN HE WENT BEFORE PHARAOH HE DID SIGNS, BUT THE 11:29 PHARAOH AND HIS MAGICIANS COUNTERFEITED THEIR SIGNS. 11:32 AND SO, FOR THE JEWS, IT'S LIKE WHOSE SIGNS ARE BETTER? 11:35 AND IF YOU WERE TO PROVE THAT YOU WERE SERVING THE REAL GOD, 11:39 WHAT SIGNS DO YOU DO? WHAT DID THEY SAY TO JESUS? 11:41 'WHAT SIGN DO YOU SHOW US?' AND HE SAID - WHAT DID JESUS 11:45 SAY? WHO REMEMBERS? 'IT IS AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS 11:47 GENERATION THAT SEEKS AFTER' - A WHAT? 11:51 'A SIGN.' THAT'S MATTHEW CHAPTER 12. BUT THE JEWS WERE ALWAYS 11:55 INTERESTED IN SIGNS. DID GOD GIVE THEM SIGNS AND 11:58 WONDERS TO PROVE THAT IT WAS OF THE LORD? 12:03 AND SO - LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT - ACTS 7:36 - 12:08 WHEN STEPHEN IS PREACHING. IT SAYS, "HE BROUGHT THEM OUT, 12:11 AFTER HE HAD SHOWN WONDERS AND SIGNS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND 12:14 IN THE RED SEA, AND IN THE WILDERNESS FORTY YEARS." 12:17 NOW I'M JUST GOING TO QUIZ YOU A LITTLE BIT. 12:19 NAME SOME OF THE SIGNS THAT HAPPENED DURING THE TIME OF - 12:25 FROM MOSES BEING CALLED UNTIL THEY ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND 12:28 THAT GOD GAVE THE ISRAELITES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THEM. 12:31 >>MANNA. >>MANNA. 12:33 >>THE CLOUD ABOVE. >>THE SHINING CLOUD? 12:36 THE PILLAR OF CLOUD? >>PILLAR OF FIRE. 12:40 >>YEAH, IT WAS PILLAR OF - BY DAY - FIRE - GLOWED WITH FIRE AT 12:44 NIGHT. >>WATER OUT OF A ROCK. 12:46 >>WATER OUT OF A ROCK. >>HE SPOKE ON MOUNT SINAI. 12:48 >>THEY HEARD HIS VOICE - THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. 12:51 >>PARTING OF THE RED SEA. >>PARTING OF THE RED SEA. 12:53 PARTING OF THE JORDAN. >>MARAH. 12:56 >>TURNING THE WATER THAT WAS BITTER INTO PURE WATER. 13:00 (INAUDIBLE) WHEN THE GROUND OPENS UP AND SWALLOWS KORAH, 13:08 DATHAN AND ABIRAM. THAT WOULD BE A SIGN. 13:11 (INAUDIBLE) I'VE PRAYED FOR THAT SIGN BEFORE (LAUGHTER) IN SOME 13:16 CHURCHES, JUST NOT THIS CHURCH. (LAUGHTER) 13:18 MIRIAM IS HEALED FROM LEPROSY. >>YEAH. 13:23 >>QUAIL. >>SNAKES. 13:25 >>OH, YOU'RE GOING TO - WHAT? >>THE GLOWING FACE. 13:28 >>WHEN MOSES' FACE WAS GLOWING? SOME OF YOUR FACES ARE GLOWING 13:31 RIGHT NOW. WHICH ONE? >>AARON'S ROD THAT BUDDED. 13:34 >>AARON'S ROD THAT BUDDED AND GOT - BORE ALMONDS AND - 13:37 >>YEAH. >>THE QUAIL. 13:39 >>THE QUAIL CAME SEVERAL FEET DEEP AND ALL AROUND THE CAMP FOR 13:41 A DAYS' JOURNEY. >>EGYPT'S ARMY DIED IN THE SEA. 13:44 >>WELL THAT WAS THE RED SEA CLOSING UP AFTER IT OPENED UP. 13:46 THEY JUST WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. 13:49 >>THE SNAKES. >>WHEN HE LIFTED UP THE SERPENT 13:52 AND THEY WERE HEALED. SO I'M - WE - THIS ISN'T ALL OF THEM. 13:56 THERE WERE MANY, MANY SIGNS THAT HE GAVE THEM AND, OF COURSE, 14:00 ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND, THE SUN STANDING STILL, WALLS OF 14:03 JERICHO - I MEAN, YOU SHOUT AND THE WALLS FALL DOWN. 14:05 AND SO, THIS IS THEIR HISTORY - THE JEWISH HISTORY WAS FILLED 14:09 WITH SIGNS. AND EVEN WHEN RAHAB SAID, 14:12 'I KNOW THAT YOUR GOD IS A GOD BECAUSE WE HEARD OF THE SIGNS 14:15 AND WONDERS.' SO WHEN PAUL STARTS PREACHING TO THE JEWS, 14:18 THEY WANT TO KNOW 'WHAT ARE THE SIGNS?' 14:22 AND YOU KNOW WHAT ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE SIGNS IS THAT PAUL 14:24 TALKS ABOUT? HE SAID, 'JESUS ROSE FROM THE 14:27 DEAD AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WITNESSES OF THIS.' AND THEN HE 14:31 TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD, HEALING ALL THOSE 14:34 THAT WERE SICK AND AFFLICTED BY THE DEVIL, AND CASTING OUT 14:37 DEVILS, AND - AND SO THEY TALKED ABOUT THE SIGNS AND THE WONDERS 14:39 AND THE MIRACLES OF JESUS. SO WHEN PAUL WAS PREACHING TO 14:42 THE JEWS, IT WAS ABOUT SIGNS AND WONDERS. 14:44 LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE HERE. 14:46 1 CORINTHIANS 1:22, "FOR JEWS REQUEST A SIGN, AND GREEKS SEEK 14:50 AFTER WISDOM; BUT WE PREACH" - NOW, SO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE 14:55 BETWEEN WHEN HE'S PREACHING TO THE JEWS AND THE GREEKS? 14:57 BY THE WAY, WHEN PAUL SAYS, 'THE GREEKS,' HE DOESN'T JUST MEAN 15:01 GREEK PEOPLE. GREEK WAS SORT OF AN 15:03 ALL-ENCOMPASSING WORD THAT MEANT GENTILES . 15:06 THEY CLASSIFIED EVERYBODY AS EITHER A JEW OR A GREEK - YOU'LL 15:10 SEE ALL THROUGH PAUL'S WRITINGS - THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE GREEKS - 15:12 ACTUALLY, THE ROMANS WERE RULING EVERYTHING, NOT THE GREEKS, BUT 15:15 THE GREEK CULTURE - IT WAS CALLED HELLENIZATION - THROUGH 15:19 ALEXANDER THE GREAT, HAD SPREAD ALL THROUGH THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 15:21 SO PEOPLE WERE EITHER JEWS OR GENTILES. 15:24 ANOTHER WAY THEY SAID IT WAS 'JEWS OR GREEKS.' SO HE SAYS, 15:28 "FOR THE JEWS REQUEST A SIGN, AND GREEKS" - THE PHILOSOPHERS - 15:31 "SEEK AFTER WISDOM; BUT WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, TO THE 15:35 JEWS A STUMBLING BLOCK AND TO THE GREEKS FOOLISHNESS, BUT TO 15:39 THOSE WHO ARE CALLED, BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS, CHRIST THE POWER OF 15:43 GOD AND THE WISDOM OF GOD." SO WHEN PAUL WAS TALKING TO THE 15:48 JEWS HE WOULD OFTEN REFERENCE THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. 15:52 YOU CAN READ IN ACTS 13:16, "THEN PAUL STOOD UP, AND 15:56 MOTIONING WITH HIS HAND SAID, 'MEN OF ISRAEL, AND YOU WHO FEAR 16:00 GOD, LISTEN: THE GOD OF THIS PEOPLE ISRAEL CHOSE OUR FATHERS, 16:04 AND EXALTED THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY DWELT AS STRANGERS IN THE LAND 16:08 OF EGYPT, AND WITH AN UPLIFTED ARM HE BROUGHT THEM OUT OF IT.'" 16:11 SO HE'S SAYING, 'LOOK AT OUR HISTORY AND HOW GOD WORKED IN A 16:14 MARVELOUS WAY USING SIGNS AND WONDERS TO BRING THEM OUT.' GOD 16:18 OFTEN TALKS ABOUT, 'WITH AN UPLIFTED HAND' OR THAT 'THE 16:25 LORD'S HAND IS NOT SHORTENED.' AND WHEN IT'S TALKING ABOUT 16:28 GOD'S HAND, IN THAT RESPECT, IT'S OFTEN TALKING ABOUT HE DID 16:31 THINGS THAT THEY COULD SEE - SIGNS AND WONDERS. 16:34 YOU CAN ALSO READ IN ACTS 17 - PAUL IS PREACHING HERE - AND IT 16:39 SAYS - THIS IS VERSES 1 THROUGH 3 - "NOW WHEN THEY HAD PASSED 16:44 THROUGH AMPHIPOLIS AND APOLLONIA, THEY CAME TO 16:47 THESSALONICA, WHERE THERE WAS A SYNAGOGUE OF THE JEWS. 16:50 THEN PAUL, AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, WENT IN TO THEM, AND FOR THREE 16:55 SABBATHS REASONED WITH THEM FROM SCRIPTURES, EXPLAINING AND 16:59 DEMONSTRATING THAT THE CHRIST HAD TO SUFFER AND RISE AGAIN 17:02 FROM THE DEAD, AND SAYING, 'THIS JESUS WHOM I PREACH TO YOU IS 17:05 THE CHRIST.'" SO WHAT WAS PAUL'S CUSTOM WHEN HE WOULD GO TO A NEW 17:09 TOWN? WELL, THERE WAS A JEWISH COMMUNITY IN VIRTUALLY EVERY 17:15 ROMAN CITY. EVERY MAJOR ROMAN CITY HAD A 17:18 JEWISH COMMUNITY. MATTER OF FACT, THEY LOOKED FOR 17:22 - THE JEWS WOULD LOOK FOR CITIES THAT DID NOT HAVE A JEWISH 17:26 COMMUNITY AND THEY WOULD PLANT ONE THERE. 17:28 AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING TO A YOUNG LADY YESTERDAY, MATTER 17:34 OF FACT, IT'S A FRIEND THAT DANIELLE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT, 17:38 THAT SHE'S INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CHURCH AND BEING BAPTIZED 17:41 AND I SAID, 'WHERE DO YOU LIVE?' AND SHE SAID, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I 17:44 LIVE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.' WELL IT TURNS OUT - I 17:46 SAID, 'THERE'S ADVENTIST CHURCHES OUT THERE.' BECAUSE I 17:48 WANTED TO CONNECT HER WITH A CHURCH. 17:50 I SAID, 'YOU'VE GOT ONE CHURCH SEVEN MILES FROM YOU HERE.' I 17:52 WAS ONLINE AND I LOOKED. I SAID, 'AND YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER 17:54 CHURCH TEN MILES THE OTHER DIRECTION.' I SAID, 'THEY'RE 17:57 EVERYWHERE.' AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS WITH JEWISH COMMUNITIES. 18:00 AND SO, AS HE WENT FROM TOWN TO TOWN, THE FIRST THING PAUL WOULD 18:03 DO - IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPREAD CHRISTIANITY, WHERE DO YOU WANT 18:10 TO START? YOU GO TO - IF YOU'RE GOING TO 18:14 GIVE A BIBLE STUDY - YOU'RE PAUL AND YOU WANT TO TEACH PEOPLE 18:18 ABOUT JESUS, WHAT BIBLE STUDY IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER, A BIBLE 18:22 STUDY TO A GENTILE WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT JEWISH HISTORY AND 18:25 THE GOD OF ISRAEL, OR A BIBLE STUDY TO A JEW THAT KNOWS 18:28 EVERYTHING EXCEPT ABOUT JESUS? WHICH BIBLE STUDY IS GOING TO 18:31 HAVE QUICKER RESULTS? STUDYING WITH THE JEWS. 18:34 PAUL DID NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE JEWS AND SAY, 'LET ME TELL YOU 18:37 ABOUT THE ONE TRUE GOD.' THEY KNEW ABOUT THAT. 18:40 HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THEM AND SAY, 'I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT 18:42 WHAT DAY THE SABBATH IS' OR 'DON'T WORSHIP IMAGES' OR 'DON'T 18:45 COMMIT ADULTERY' OR 'DON'T LIE.' THEY ALL KNEW THAT. 18:47 HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE THEM A STUDY ABOUT CLEAN OR UNCLEAN 18:50 FOODS, THEY ALL KNEW THAT. HE HAD TO GIVE THEM A STUDY 18:53 ABOUT WHO JESUS WAS. NOW FOR US AS CHRISTIANS, 19:00 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS - WHO KNOWS THE SECOND ANGEL'S 19:02 MESSAGE? >>THE JEWS. 19:05 >>COME ON, YOU GUYS OUGHT TO JUST - OUGHT TO KNOW JUST LIKE 19:09 THAT. >>THE JEWS. 19:11 >>OUGHT TO JUST FALL - >>COME OUT OF BABYLON. 19:13 >>BABYLON IS FALLEN - WHO'S BABYLON? 19:15 >>ROME. >>BABYLON AND HER DAUGHTERS - 19:19 IT'S TALKING ABOUT APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY, WHETHER IT'S ROMAN 19:22 OR PROTESTANT, BABYLON IS THE CONFUSION THAT HAS COME INTO 19:25 CHRISTIANITY. DOES GOD HAVE TRUE PEOPLE IN 19:29 MANY OF THESE OTHER PERSUASIONS? >>YES. 19:32 >>SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO EVANGELISM, WHERE ARE YOU GOING 19:36 TO GET THE QUICKEST RESULTS? ISN'T IT BY GOING TO THE LOST 19:39 SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL? YEAH. 19:42 SO THAT'S WHY YOU'LL OFTEN SEE THAT EVANGELISTS WILL DO A 19:46 HANDBILL THAT WILL SAY 'PROPHECY SEMINAR.' WHO DO YOU THINK COMES 19:49 TO A PROPHECY SEMINAR? PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY SOME 19:53 BACKGROUND OR INTEREST IN BIBLE PROPHECY AND THAT - YOU DO A 19:57 SURVEY AND YOU'LL FIND OUT THAT THAT - OPENING NIGHT OF THE 20:01 SEMINAR YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THERE FROM OTHER 20:04 CHURCHES AND THEY ARE, SOMETIMES, YOUR BEST CONTACTS. 20:07 WHEN WE HAVE - YOU KNOW, WHEN I GO TO CHINA AND I DO EVANGELISM 20:10 IT'S GOT TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THERE. 20:12 OF COURSE, THEY'VE GOT A BIG GROWING CHURCH IN CHINA NOW, 20:15 TOO, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO BUDDHISTS - WHEN KAREN AND I 20:17 MADE OUR FIRST TRIP TO CHINA WE HAD A TOUR GUIDE AND HE WAS AN 20:20 ATHEIST. WE STARTED TALKING TO HIM ABOUT JESUS. 20:23 HE DIDN'T KNOW - 'WHAT? JESUS?' - HE KNEW NOTHING. 20:25 IT WAS AMAZING TO ME THERE WAS SOMEONE IN THE WORLD WHO WAS 20:27 EDUCATED THAT KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JESUS. 20:29 BUT IN THE COMMUNIST SCHOOLS THEY NEVER TALKED ABOUT JESUS AT 20:31 ALL AND HE HAD NO COMPREHENSION OF WHO JESUS WAS OR WHAT HE WAS 20:35 AND - YOUR BIBLE STUDIES HAVE TO BE VERY ELEMENTARY BACK THERE. 20:40 YOU'VE GOT TO START FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. 20:43 SO PAUL, HE WOULD NATURALLY GO TO THE SYNAGOGUES FIRST. 20:46 AND HE WOULD REACH AS MANY PEOPLE - AND WHAT WOULD HE 20:50 PREACH WHEN HE WAS IN THE SYNAGOGUES? 20:52 HE'D TALK ABOUT JESUS. HE WOULD TALK - NOW IF YOU'RE 20:55 PAUL AND YOU'RE GOING TO A JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, WHAT ARE YOU 20:57 GOING TO SAY AS YOUR OPENING SERMON? 20:59 YOU KNOW WHERE I'D GO? I'D GO ISAIAH 53 - PROPHECY 21:05 ABOUT THE SUFFERING SERVANT AND HE SUFFERED FOR OUR SORROWS. 21:09 BECAUSE THEY ALL THOUGHT THAT THE MESSIAH WAS GOING TO COME 21:11 LIKE A CONQUERING KING AND OVERTHROW THE ROMANS. 21:14 THEY GOT THE FIRST COMING AND THE SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH 21:17 MIXED UP AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TIME HE COMES LIKE A LAMB, 21:20 THE SECOND TIME HE COMES LIKE A LION. 21:22 THEY THOUGHT HE WAS COMING LIKE A LION NEXT. 21:23 AND SO WHEN JESUS CAME TO SUFFER - PAUL WOULD THEN TAKE THEM TO 21:27 PSALM 22, "THEY PIERCED MY HANDS AND MY FEET." 21:30 AND HE WOULD TAKE THEM TO PSALM 69 AND HE WOULD TAKE THEM TO 21:33 THESE PASSAGES THAT TALKED ABOUT HOW THE MESSIAH WOULD COME AND 21:37 SUFFER AND - TALKED ABOUT JOSEPH BEING SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS AND 21:42 THE ONE THAT - AND, BY THE WAY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT STEPHEN DID 21:45 IN HIS SERMON. HE TALKED ABOUT MOSES, THE ONE 21:50 WHO THEY SAID, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A PRINCE OVER US?' 21:52 ENDED UP BEING RULER AND PRINCE, WHICH IS WHAT THE JEWS SAID TO 21:55 JESUS. SO THEY TOOK THESE OLD TESTAMENT 21:57 STORIES AND THEY WOULD PROVE THIS IS HOW THE MESSIAH WAS 22:00 SUPPOSED TO COME. AND SO THOSE WERE HIS SERMONS. 22:03 BUT WHEN PAUL WAS TALKING TO GENTILES IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT. 22:07 NOW LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. 22:09 IN ACTS 17, VERSE 20, "'FOR YOU ARE BRINGING SOME STRANGE THINGS 22:15 TO OUR EARS. THEREFORE WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT 22:19 THESE THINGS MEAN.' FOR ALL THE ATHENIANS AND THE FOREIGNERS WHO 22:23 WERE THERE SPENT THEIR TIME IN NOTHING ELSE BUT EITHER TO TELL 22:26 OR TO HEAR SOME NEW THING." IN THE GREEK CULTURE AND IN THE 22:30 GRECO-ROMAN WORLD IT WAS ALL ABOUT PHILOSOPHY AND THERE WERE 22:35 SO MANY DIFFERENT GODS, PAUL ONE TIME - THEY JUST - THEY HAD MORE 22:38 GODS THAN PEOPLE IN ROME BACK IN THE TIME OF PAUL. 22:42 SO THEY WOULD - THEY SAW ALL THESE DIFFERENT GODS AND THEY 22:46 HAD ONE PEDESTAL THAT WAS DEDICATED TO THE UNKNOWN GOD AND 22:49 PAUL WAS VERY SMART. HE WENT INTO THE THEATER AND HE 22:51 SAID, 'BRETHREN, I DETERMINED THAT YOU'RE VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. 22:56 YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE GODS DEDICATED' - HE SAID, 'YOU'VE 22:59 EVEN GOT A DEDICATION TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' HE SAYS, 'WELL 23:02 THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING HERE. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT 23:04 GOD THAT YOU DON'T KNOW.' AND SO, WHAT A CLEVER WAY TO START. 23:07 AND THEY SAID, 'YEAH, WE WERE ALWAYS WONDERING ABOUT THAT.' 23:09 YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WE'VE GOT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, 23:11 THEY HAD THE STATUE TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. 23:13 THEY SAID, 'THIS IS THE GOD THAT MADE EVERYTHING. 23:15 THAT'S THE ONE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. 23:17 I'M GOING TO DECLARE HIM TO YOU.' AND SO HE - PAUL KNEW HOW 23:21 TO REASON WITH THE GREEKS BECAUSE HE HAD LIVED AMONG THEM. 23:23 AND SO THEY USED LOGIC AND THEY USED REASON AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN 23:28 PAUL PREACHED TO THE JEWS DID IT ALWAYS WORK OR DID THEY 23:31 SOMETIMES TRY TO STONE HIM? (LAUGHTER) SOME BELIEVED. 23:34 SOME TOOK HIM OUT OF THE CITY AND STONED HIM. 23:38 ONCE THEY THOUGHT THEY STONED HIM TO DEATH. 23:40 AND A LOT OF THE RIOTS WERE ACTUALLY STARTED BY THE JEWS WHO 23:43 WOULD STIR PEOPLE UP. AND THEN - THEN HE'D GO AND HE'D 23:48 TALK TO THE BEREANS AND IT SAID THEY WERE MORE NOBLE THAN THOSE 23:52 OF THESSALONICA BECAUSE 'THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY TO 23:54 DETERMINE WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO.' 23:56 THEY SAID, 'LET'S FIND OUT - IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE TRUE. 23:59 LET'S - IF HE'S GOT BIBLICAL REASONS LET'S FIND OUT.' AND 24:03 THEY'D GO BACK AND FORTH AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO, 24:05 RIGHT? BE LIKE THE BEREANS. AND THEN HE GOT INTO HOT WATER 24:10 WITH THE GREEKS BECAUSE HIS PREACHING WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT 24:17 THE IDOL SALES IN EPHESUS WENT - THE STOCK MARKET CRASHED. 24:21 ALL THE TOURISTS THAT CAME TO EPHESUS, THEY SOLD - THEIR BIG 24:25 THING WAS SELLING THESE LITTLE STATUES OF THE GODDESS OF - 24:29 WHAT'S HER NAME? >>DIANA. 24:31 >>DIANA, THAT CAME DOWN FROM THE HEAVEN. 24:33 THEY SAID 'THE ORIGINAL' - AND THAT 'THESE ARE ALL CLONES OF 24:35 THE ORIGINAL GOD GAVE US.' OF COURSE YOU KNOW HOW TRUE THAT 24:38 PROBABLY IS. AND - BUT WHEN PAUL WAS 24:41 PREACHING ABOUT JESUS, HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT IDOLATRY AND THEY 24:45 STOPPED BUYING IDOLS OR THEY - THEY STARTED SELLING THEIR IDOLS 24:49 CHEAP TO GET RID OF THEM AND THE VALUE OF IDOLS REALLY DROPPED 24:51 AND THE SILVERSMITHS ALL BECAME VERY THREATENED. 24:55 THEY STARTED A RIOT. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT STORY? 24:57 THAT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GENTILES THAT HE HAD. 25:00 ANY OF YOU EVER HEARD OF THE EVANGELIST BILLY SUNDAY? 25:04 I REMEMBER HAVING A MEMBER THAT ACTUALLY HEARD HIM PREACH WHEN 25:09 HE WAS A YOUNG MAN. 25:11 AND HE WAS VERY - IT WOULD NEVER GO IN THE ADVENTIST CHURCH - 25:16 BILLY SUNDAY WAS EXTREMELY DRAMATIC, LIKE WHEN BILLY SUNDAY 25:20 WOULD TALK ABOUT NEBUCHADNEZZAR GETTING - GOING MAD, HE WOULD 25:23 GET DOWN ON ALL FOURS ON THE STAGE AND GROVEL AROUND AND HE'D 25:25 BE SHOUTING - NO MICROPHONES BACK THEN - HE'D BE CRAWLING 25:30 BACK AND FORTH ON THE STAGE - 'AND HE WAS OUT OF HIS MIND' AND 25:32 SO HE WAS - HE USED TO BE A BASEBALL PLAYER AND SO WHEN HE 25:36 BECAME A PREACHER HE WAS VERY DEMONSTRATIVE, BUT HE HAD GREAT 25:38 CROWDS AND HE PREACHED - THE FAVORITE THING BILLY SUNDAY 25:41 PREACHED AGAINST WAS ALCOHOL. 25:42 AND HE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH PROHIBITION BECAUSE HE'D GET 25:47 DONE DOING A REVIVAL SERIES IN A TOWN - ALL THE BARS WOULD CLOSE 25:51 AND THERE WOULD BE THESE GREAT BATTLES BETWEEN THE SALOON 25:54 OWNERS AND BILLY SUNDAY AND SOMETIMES THEY THREATENED HIS 26:00 LIFE BECAUSE IT MEANT THEIR LIVELIHOOD - HE'D COME INTO A 26:02 TOWN AND START PREACHING - THEY'D BECOME SO ANGRY BECAUSE 26:04 THEIR INCOME JUST STOPPED THERE WOULD BE SUCH A REVIVAL. 26:09 WELL THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN PAUL WENT TO SOME OF THESE 26:11 GREEK CITIES, IT WAS JUST TOTALLY MESSING UP THEIR 26:13 IDOLATRY AND THEIR RELIGION. AND, BY THE WAY, THAT'S THAT 26:17 VERSE IN ACTS 17 - "PAUL STOOD" - AND THIS IS VERSE 22 - "STOOD 26:21 IN THE MIDST OF THE AREOPAGUS AND SAID, 'MEN OF ATHENS, I 26:24 PERCEIVE IN ALL THINGS YOU ARE VERY RELIGIOUS; FOR AS I WAS 26:27 PASSING THROUGH AND CONSIDERING THE OBJECTS OF YOUR WORSHIP, I 26:30 EVEN FOUND AN ALTAR WITH THIS INSCRIPTION: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD . 26:33 THEREFORE, THE ONE WHOM YOU WORSHIP WITHOUT KNOWING, HIM I 26:35 PROCLAIM TO YOU.'" ACTS 14:14, "BUT WHEN THE APOSTLES BARNABAS 26:41 AND PAUL HEARD THIS, THEY TORE THEIR CLOTHES AND RAN IN AMONG 26:45 THE MULTITUDE, CRYING OUT AND SAYING, 'MEN, WHY ARE YOU DOING 26:48 THESE THINGS?'" - OH, I'VE GOT TO GIVE YOU THE 26:50 BACKGROUND OF THAT. THEY HEALED A MAN AND AFTER 26:56 WORKING A MIRACLE THE GENTILES THOUGHT THEY MUST BE GODS, 26:59 BECAUSE ALL THE GENTILES, THEY WORSHIPED GODS THAT WERE - THEY 27:04 HAD, LIKE, THESE HUMAN-LIKE QUALITIES AND SO, WHEN PAUL AND 27:07 BARNABAS HEALED THIS MAN, THEY WANTED - THEY WERE PREPARING AN 27:10 OXEN AND, YOU KNOW, OFFER SACRIFICE TO THEM. 27:13 NOW, FOR A JEW, THAT IS BLASPHEMY AND ONE OF THE WORSE 27:16 THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN IS, IF YOU'RE A JEW, IF SOMEONE'S GOING 27:19 TO WORSHIP YOU AS GOD, YOU'RE AFRAID A CURSE IS GOING TO COME 27:22 UPON YOU AND YOU, RIGHT AWAY, REND YOUR GARMENTS AND SAY, 'NO! 27:25 DON'T DO THIS!' - YOU STOP IT. 27:27 AND THAT'S WHAT PAUL DID. HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER SOMEONE 27:29 IN THE BIBLE WHO DID NOT TAKE THAT APPROACH WHEN HE WAS CALLED 27:31 A GOD? >>HEROD. 27:34 >>HEROD IN ACTS CHAPTER 12 - AT THE END THEY SAID, 'IT'S THE 27:37 VOICE OF A GOD AND NOT OF A MAN.' AND INSTEAD OF REBUKING 27:38 THEM AND SAYING THAT'S BLASPHEMY, HE TOOK A BREATH AND 27:42 SAID, 'THAT'S RIGHT.' AND IT SAYS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD 27:45 STRUCK HIM AND HE WAS EATEN OF WORMS. 27:48 AND JOSEPHUS SAYS 'HE DIED IN GREAT DISEASES.' SO WHEN THEY 27:52 STARTED TELLING PAUL AND BARNABAS, 'YOU'RE GODS', THE 27:56 JEWS SAY THAT'S BLASPHEMY - DON'T DO THAT. 27:59 SO HE GOES ON TO SAY HERE - PAUL ALSO TAUGHT IN THE CONTEXT OF 28:06 SOLDIERS AND ATHLETES. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A 28:10 MINUTE. IN 1 TIMOTHY 6:12, HE SAYS, 28:13 "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH, LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE, TO 28:16 WHICH YOU WERE ALSO CALLED AND HAVE CONFESSED THE GOOD 28:20 CONFESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF MANY WITNESSES." 28:22 AND THEN 2 TIMOTHY 2:3, "YOU THEREFORE MUST ENDURE HARDSHIP 28:27 AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST. 28:29 NO ONE ENGAGED IN WARFARE ENTANGLES HIMSELF WITH THE 28:33 AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, THAT HE MAY PLEASE HIM WHO ENLISTED HIM 28:36 AS A SOLDIER." DID THEY SEE VERY MANY SOLDIERS 28:39 IN PAUL'S DAY? >>YES. 28:41 >>DO YOU REMEMBER SOLDIERS COMING TO JOHN THE BAPTIST AND 28:46 THEY SAID, 'WHAT SHOULD WE DO?' WERE THERE CENTURIONS BY THE 28:51 CROSS? >>YES. 28:53 >>DID JESUS COMMEND THE FAITH OF A CENTURION? 28:55 AND THERE WAS A CENTURION THAT WAS THE FIRST GENTILE - A 29:00 SOLDIER - THE FIRST GENTILE? WAS THERE A SOLDIER NAMED NAAMAN 29:04 THAT WAS HEALED OF LEPROSY? >>YES. 29:06 >>SO YOU'VE GOT THESE SOLDIERS THAT APPEAR ALL THROUGH BIBLE 29:09 HISTORY. PAUL WAS ESPECIALLY ACQUAINTED WITH SOLDIERS. 29:13 MATTER OF FACT, A LOT MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO BE. 29:16 PAUL SPENT TIME HANDCUFFED TO SOLDIERS. 29:19 HE MAY HAVE SPENT YEARS HANDCUFFED TO SOLDIERS. 29:22 HE WAS ESCORTED BY SOLDIERS ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN. 29:26 HE WAS IN PRISON, FED DAILY BY SOLDIERS, IN JERUSALEM. 29:31 HE WAS IMPRISONED IN ROME, ATTENDED TO BY SOLDIERS THAT 29:35 GUARDED HIM. HE HAD - SOME OF THEM HE 29:39 MENTIONS BY NAME. HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER JULIUS? 29:42 JULIUS - ANY OF YOU EVER HAD AN ORANGE JULIUS BEFORE? 29:45 (LAUGHTER) GETS ITS NAME FROM JULIUS, THE SOLDIER - NO, I 29:49 DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT - (LAUGHTER) - SO PAUL WAS 29:53 SURROUNDED BY THE - IF YOU LIVED IN ROME BACK THEN, THE REASON 29:56 THAT ROME HAD WHAT THEY CALLED PAX ROMANA - THE ROMAN PEACE - 30:00 WAS BECAUSE THEY RULED WITH A HEAVY HAND. 30:03 THE WERE CALLED THE IRON MONARCHY . 30:04 THEY HAD - YOU THINK AMERICA HAD A BIG MILITARY - ROME HAD A VERY 30:07 BIG MILITARY AND THEY WEREN'T ALL ITALIANS. 30:10 THEY KNEW HOW TO PRESS INTO SERVICE - WHENEVER THEY 30:14 CONQUERED PEOPLE THEY WOULD PRESS PEOPLE INTO SERVICE AND IT 30:16 WAS THE ROMAN SOLDIERS THAT WOULD COMPEL YOU TO CARRY THEIR 30:19 GEAR FOR A MILE. AND JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU WANT TO 30:21 SHOW CHRISTIANITY, CARRY IT TWO MILES AND THAT'LL SHOCK THEM.' 30:23 AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF MILITARY INFLUENCE. 30:27 SO PAUL, IN HIS WRITINGS, REFERENCES A LOT ABOUT MILITARY 30:30 FIGHTING, BECAUSE IT WAS THE CONTEXT OF THEIR LIFE. 30:34 2 CORINTHIANS 10, VERSE 3, "FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE 30:40 DO NOT WAR ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. 30:43 FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL BUT MIGHTY IN GOD 30:49 FOR PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN ARGUMENTS AND EVERY 30:52 HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, 30:55 BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE OBEDIENCE OF 30:58 CHRIST." HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER FELT LIKE 31:03 YOU'RE IN A WAR? YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WAKE UP - 31:07 YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN - YOU CAN WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND KNOW 31:10 BREAKFAST IS IN THE REFRIGERATOR. 31:12 YOU CAN KNOW THERE'S MONEY IN THE BANK. 31:14 YOU CAN FEEL NO ACHES AND PAINS IN YOUR BODY AND KNOW YOU HAVE A 31:18 JOB WAITING FOR YOU. YOU CAN BE WITH A FAMILY WHERE 31:22 YOU HAVE NO OUTSTANDING QUARREL OR STRIFE. 31:25 AND IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BE A CHRISTIAN, YOU WILL FEEL A WAR 31:28 THAT DAY, BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN, 31:33 YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL A WAR BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE 31:36 FLESH. THERE IS THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF 31:39 WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT AND THERE IS THE CARNAL NATURE. 31:41 THERE IS THE LOVE MOTIVE, WHICH IS GOD, AND THERE IS THE SELFISH 31:46 MOTIVE, WHICH WE ALL GRAVITATE TO VERY NATURALLY. 31:49 DON'T WE FIND IT VERY EASY TO THINK OF OURSELVES FIRST? 31:52 MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE. THAT'S VERY EASY FOR ME TO THINK 31:55 OF MYSELF FIRST. IT'S THE CONTEXT OF MY LIFE, YOU 31:59 KNOW, I'M THE MIDDLE OF MY WORLD AND I JUST AM ALWAYS THINKING 32:03 ABOUT ME. AND SO YOU'VE GOT TO WAR AGAINST 32:05 THAT OR THAT BECOMES THE GOVERNING INFLUENCE OF ALL YOU 32:09 DO - ME, MYSELF, AND I - HOW WILL THIS - AND YOU CAN DO NICE 32:12 THINGS BECAUSE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF. 32:14 AND YOU CAN BE VERY NICE AND SOPHISTICATED AND KIND AND 32:17 GRACIOUS TO PEOPLE AND STILL JUST BE THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF. 32:20 YOU DO IT TO BE ACCEPTED. YOU DO IT TO FIT IN, AND YOU CAN 32:24 STILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT MOTIVATED BY SELF. 32:27 AND SO THE WAR YOU FIGHT AS A CHRISTIAN IS TO EVALUATE 32:31 YOURSELF. 'LET EVERY MAN EXAMINE HIMSELF 32:33 WHETHER HE BE IN THE FAITH.' AM I BEING MOTIVATED BY LOVE OR 32:35 SELFISHNESS? SO THAT WAR DOESN'T MEAN A WAR 32:39 AGAINST THE TRIALS OF LIFE. YEAH, THERE ARE TRIALS, AND HOW 32:44 YOU RESPOND TO THOSE, THAT'S AN ISSUE. 32:46 BUT IT'S REALLY A WAR ABOUT 'DO I HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST?' 32:49 EPHESIANS 6:10 - PAUL, AGAIN, USING THESE WAR CONCEPTS, 32:52 "FINALLY, MY BRETHREN, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF 32:58 HIS MIGHT. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, 33:01 THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. 33:05 FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST 33:09 PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE 33:12 DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN 33:15 THE HEAVENLY PLACES." HE SAYS, 'WE WAR.' AND SO, 33:19 BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THAT WAR, YOU NEED TO PUT ON ARMOR. 33:22 I'M GOING TO JUST GO TO THAT REAL QUICK. I DIDN'T PUT THAT 33:25 ALL IN MY NOTES HERE. AND SO, "THEREFORE" - VERSE 13 - 33:30 "TAKE UP THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO 33:33 WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND." 33:36 SO YOU NOTICE ONE THING HE TELLS US? 33:38 DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE ARMOR ON, YOU'RE PROTECTED, BUT IT'S 33:42 HARDER GETTING UP WITH ARMOR IF YOU FALL DOWN. 33:45 SOME OF THOSE OLD - ANY OF YOU EVER BEEN TO ENGLAND OR FRANCE 33:48 AND SEEN SOME OF THE MEDIEVAL ARMOR THAT THEY USED TO WEAR? 33:52 SOME OF THAT STUFF THEY WORE - I KNOW WE'VE GOT - BOB'S ON CAMERA 33:55 HERE. HE USED TO MAKE SOME OF THAT - THAT ARMOR. 33:58 AND WHAT DID A FULL SUIT OF ARMOR WEIGH BACK THEN? 34:00 HOW MUCH COULD IT WEIGH? >>ANYWHERE UP TO 50 TO 60 34:03 POUNDS. >>50 TO 60 POUNDS. 34:05 YEAH, FALL DOWN WITH THAT AND TRY AND JUMP UP. 34:08 AND SO WHAT YOU'D TRY AND DO IF YOU WERE FIGHTING, LIKE SIR 34:10 LANCELOT OR ONE OF THOSE GUYS, YOU'D JUST KICK THEM OVER - TRIP 34:14 THEM - AND THEN IT WAS HARD TO GET THEM BACK UP AGAIN WITH ALL 34:17 THAT ARMOR ON. >>IT'S LIKE BEING PREGNANT. 34:19 >>IT'S KIND OF LIKE BEING PREGNANT - BUT I WOULDN'T KNOW! 34:22 (LAUGHTER) SO - I'VE OBSERVED THAT. 34:24 BUT THAT'S WHY HE SAYS, 'STAND, STAND, STAND.' BECAUSE YOU DON'T 34:30 WANT TO FALL. YOU CAN GET UP, BUT IT'S HARDER. 34:33 IT SAYS, "HAVING DONE ALL TO STAND." 34:35 BUT AS A CHRISTIAN, DON'T WE NEED TO STAND FOR SOMETHING? 34:37 >>AMEN. >>IF YOU DON'T STAND FOR 34:39 SOMETHING, YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING. 34:41 IT SAYS IN VERSE 14, "STAND THEREFORE, HAVING GIRDED YOUR 34:43 WAIST WITH TRUTH, HAVING" - THAT'S THE BELT OF TRUTH - PUTS 34:47 - HOLDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER - "HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE 34:50 OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" - ALL THE VITAL ORGANS ARE PROTECTED IN 34:54 HERE - "AND HAVING SHOD YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE 34:58 GOSPEL OF PEACE;" - YOU KNOW, IT SAYS IN ISAIAH 52, 'HOW 35:00 BEAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS ARE THE FEET OF THOSE THAT BRING 35:03 GOOD NEWS.' - "ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH" - NOW THE 35:08 SHIELD IS INTERESTING, IT'S A DEFENSIVE WEAPON - WELL, SEVERAL 35:12 OF THESE THINGS ARE, ACTUALLY - BUT WHAT THE SHIELD IS DOING IS 35:16 IT'S DEFLECTING THE FIERY DARTS OF THE ENEMY SO THEY DON'T MAKE 35:18 CONTACT. SO AS A CHRISTIAN, YOU WANT TO 35:21 STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM TEMPTATION AND THE ASSAULTS AND USE THIS 35:23 SHIELD OF FAITH TO AVOID A LOT OF TROUBLE. 35:26 "...THE SHIELD OF FAITH WITH WHICH YOU WILL BE ABLE TO QUENCH 35:29 ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED ONE. 35:31 AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION" - NOW, YOU CAN BE IN 35:36 BATTLE AND GET YOUR ARM CUT OR YOUR LEG CUT - YOU CAN EVEN GET 35:39 AN ABDOMINAL WOUND AND YOU CAN SURVIVE, BUT IF YOU LOSE YOUR 35:42 HEAD, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE. AND SO, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING 35:46 IS PROTECTING YOUR NOGGIN. AND, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE 35:51 TROUBLE WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE HELMET 35:54 OF SALVATION, WHAT COMES IN THROUGH YOUR SENSES - I ALWAYS 35:57 THINK OF THE HELMET OF SALVATION KIND OF LIKE WHAT AN ASTRONAUT 36:01 WEARS, BECAUSE IT JUST GIVES YOU A WHOLE NEW ATMOSPHERE. 36:05 AND IF YOU DON'T - YOU LOSE YOUR HELMET AND YOU'RE AN ASTRONAUT 36:08 OUT IN SPACE - THEY SAY IT ISN'T PRETTY. 36:12 BUT AS A CHRISTIAN, YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT ATMOSPHERE. 36:17 YOU KNOW WHERE WE GET INTO TROUBLE? YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE 36:20 SAYS IF YOUR RIGHT HAND OFFENDS YOU, CUT IT OFF. 36:22 YOUR RIGHT HAND USUALLY DOESN'T RUN OFF BY ITSELF WITHOUT YOU 36:24 KNOWING IT. HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT? 36:26 YOU EVER WAKE UP AND SAY, 'WHERE DID THAT HAND GO?' 36:28 GETTING IN TROUBLE - 'I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT, BUT MY HAND DID 36:31 IT.' NO, WHEN JESUS SAID 'IF YOUR RIGHT HANDS OFFENDS YOU' - 36:34 IT STARTS HERE, DOESN'T IT? OR IF YOUR FOOT OFFENDS YOU, OR 36:37 YOUR EYE OFFENDS YOU. YOUR SENSES WHERE YOU TAKE IN 36:41 INFORMATION THROUGH YOUR EARS, YOUR MOUTH, YOUR EYES, IT'S ALL 36:45 WHERE THAT HELMET PROTECTS. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS WE 36:48 DO AS CHRISTIANS IS MAKE DECISIONS EVERY DAY. 36:51 BE CAREFUL, LITTLE EYES, WHAT YOU SEE. 36:53 BE CAREFUL LITTLE EARS, WHAT YOU HEAR. 36:57 AND, ESPECIALLY IN OUR CULTURE, THERE'S SO MUCH TO HEAR AND TO 36:59 SEE AND TO LISTEN TO AND TO EAT THAT CAN GET US INTO TROUBLE, 37:03 THAT WE NEED THAT HELMET ON. AND HE GOES ON AND HE TALKS 37:08 ABOUT THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT THAT 37:14 IS THE WORD OF GOD. THIS IS THE THIRD PLACE WHERE HE 37:15 TALKS ABOUT THE WORD BEING A SWORD, IN THE BIBLE. 37:18 "PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT, 37:22 BEING WATCHFUL TO THIS END WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND 37:25 SUPPLICATION FOR ALL THE SAINTS" - ALL PRAYER, ALL PERSEVERANCE, 37:28 ALL THE SAINTS - SO THERE IS A REAL SPIRITUAL ARMOR THAT WE PUT 37:34 ON IN LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD 37:38 BE DONE DAILY - AND IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO STAND. 37:40 IT'S NOT OUR ARMOR, HE SAID, 'PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD.' I 37:44 USED TO WONDER - WHEN SAUL KNEW DAVID WAS GOING TO FIGHT GOLIATH 37:48 HE SAID, 'HERE, LET ME GIVE YOU MY ARMOR.' DAVID DIDN'T WANT TO 37:51 BE RUDE - HE SAID, 'OKAY.' HE NEVER USED THE ARMOR BEFORE. 37:55 HE PUT IT ON AND HE THOUGHT, 'I'M AS GOOD AS DEAD IF I GO OUT 37:58 THERE TRYING TO USE THIS.' AND WITHOUT WANTING TO INSULT THE 38:00 KING HE SAID, 'YOUR MAJESTY, I'VE NOT PROVED THIS. 38:03 I'VE NOT TESTED - I'M NOT USED TO IT. 38:05 I'M IN TROUBLE IF I TRY AND WEAR IT.' NOT ONLY THAT, SAUL WAS A 38:07 HEAD AND SHOULDERS TALLER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE SO DAVID PROBABLY 38:10 LOOKED OUT THE NECK HOLE, LIKE THIS, IN SAUL'S ARMOR. 38:14 IT JUST WASN'T GOING TO WORK. SO IT'S NOT PUTTING ON SAUL'S 38:20 ARMOR, IT'S PUTTING ON GOD'S ARMOR. 38:21 PUT ON THEREFORE THE ARMOR OF GOD. 38:24 SO PAUL OFTEN WROTE IN THIS CONTEXT. 38:27 AND THEN HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE SPORTS. 38:30 NOW WE'VE GOT A VERY FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENT IN 38:33 THE WORLD TODAY - WHAT DO THEY CALL THAT? 38:36 >>THE OLYMPICS. >>THE OLYMPICS. 38:37 DO YOU KNOW THE OLYMPICS WERE ALREADY OLD WHEN PAUL LIVED, AND 38:42 HE'S LIVING IN A GREEK WORLD AND THEY HAD OLYMPICS NOT JUST EVERY 38:47 FOUR YEARS - THEY HAD THE BIG EVENT - BUT THEY HAD SPORTS 38:49 MEETS LEADING UP TO THE OLYMPICS MANY TIMES A YEAR IN DIFFERENT 38:53 CITIES. AND THEY WERE VERY INTERESTING. THE ATHLETES - 38:57 IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR LANGUAGE WAS, WHAT YOUR NATION 39:00 WAS, IN THE ROMAN CULTURE - EVEN GLADIATORS WERE SET FREE. 39:03 THEY WERE SLAVES, BUT IF THEY DID WELL IN THEIR GAMES, THEY 39:06 WERE MADE HEROES AND THEY SET THEM FREE. 39:09 AND SO ANYBODY COULD COMPETE IN THE VARIOUS SPORTS EVENTS AND 39:14 YOU COULD OFTEN, IF YOU WERE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS, 39:18 NOT ONLY IN A ROMAN CITY OR A GREEK CITY, BUT IF YOU WERE IN 39:22 JERUSALEM, THEY EVEN HAD PLACES WHERE THE ROMANS HAD GYMNASIUMS. 39:27 THEY WEREN'T ALWAYS THE MOST MODEST PLACES, IF YOU'VE LOOKED 39:30 AT ANY ANCIENT GREEK POTTERY. DIDN'T WEAR MUCH WHEN THEY 39:34 PRACTICED, BUT THEY OFTEN SAW PEOPLE RUNNING, PEOPLE 39:38 WRESTLING, PEOPLE FIGHTING. AND SO PAUL WRITES IN THE 39:42 CHRISTIAN LIFE USING THE SPORTS VERNACULAR. 39:45 THAT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT THE THEME OF COMPETITION THERE, HE'S 39:50 TALKING ABOUT THE THEME OF PERSISTENCE - NOT GIVING UP EASY 39:53 - THAT THEY OFTEN SAW. AFTER PEOPLE WERE ALREADY 39:56 EXHAUSTED, THEY KEPT GOING. AND WHEN PEOPLE WERE WANTING TO 39:59 SUCCEED, THEY TRAINED EVERY DAY. DO WE TRAIN WITH OUR BIBLES 40:03 GETTING READY FOR THE FINAL EXAM? 40:05 YEAH, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR TASTE IS - IF YOUR FAITH IS GOING TO BE 40:09 TESTED, YOU CAN'T WAIT TO - TIL THE DEVIL TEMPTS YOU LIKE HE DID 40:15 JESUS AND THEN SAY, 'WELL, LET ME FIND MY BIBLE.' YOU WANT TO 40:17 BE STORING SCRIPTURE AWAY SO YOU'RE READY WHEN THAT 40:19 TEMPTATION COMES. JESUS, RIGHT AWAY, KNEW WHAT TO 40:22 SAY TO THE DEVIL, BECAUSE HE HAD THE SCRIPTURES AT HIS COMMAND 40:25 THROUGH ALL OF THE EARLIER STUDY. 40:28 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24, "DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THOSE WHO RUN IN A 40:34 RACE ALL RUN, BUT ONE RECEIVES THE PRIZE? 40:37 RUN IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN IT." 40:40 PAUL IS SAYING, 'RUN LIKE YOU'VE GOT YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE.' "AND 40:44 EVERYONE WHO COMPETES FOR THE PRIZE IS TEMPERATE IN ALL 40:47 THINGS." - IF YOU'RE GETTING READY FOR A 40:50 BIG RACE, EVEN BACK IN BIBLE TIMES THEY UNDERSTOOD YOU NEED 40:52 TO BE EATING CAREFULLY, YOU NEED TO BE RESTING CAREFULLY, YOU 40:58 NEED TO BE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. DON'T GET AN INJURY. 41:00 THEY WOULD MANAGE THEIR BODIES VERY CAREFULLY SO THAT THEY 41:06 COULD WIN THAT RACE. IT SAYS, 'HE THAT IS GOING TO 41:09 WIN THAT PRIZE MUST BE TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS.' - EVEN GOOD 41:12 THINGS YOU CAN DO TOO MUCH OF - "NOW THEY DO IT TO OBTAIN A 41:15 PERISHABLE CROWN, BUT WE FOR AN IMPERISHABLE CROWN." 41:19 PAUL'S LOGIC HERE IS 'LOOK AT WHAT THE ATHLETES DO TO WIN A 41:24 RACE.' YOU KNOW, I - I JUST - KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME 41:28 ATHLETES - THEY DON'T EVEN BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT THE GOAL IN 41:32 THEIR LIFE IS TO WIN A RACE AND THEY WILL TRAIN AND THEY, YOU 41:38 KNOW, TAKE ALL THESE VITAMINS, AND THEY'RE VERY METICULOUS AND 41:42 THEY'LL CHECK THEIR PULSE AND THEY EAT VERY CAREFULLY AT 41:45 CERTAIN TIMES AND - LET'S JUST FACE IT, SOME GREAT ATHLETES ARE 41:50 DOWNRIGHT ECCENTRIC IN THEIR LIFESTYLE BECAUSE THEY KNOW 41:54 THEIR BODIES AND THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'VE GOT TO DO TO WIN THE 41:57 RACE. AND PAUL IS SAYING, 'THEY DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS - THEY 42:00 HAVE SO MUCH SELF-CONTROL, THEY HAVE SO MUCH DISCIPLINE - AND 42:02 THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT FOR A PERISHABLE CROWN.' YOU KNOW WHAT 42:06 THEY WOULD GIVE THEM? A WREATH OF LEAVES. OR EVEN IF THEY GAVE 42:10 THEM MORE THAN THAT, THEY GAVE THEM A MEDAL, THAT'S PERISHABLE. 42:13 PAUL IS SAYING, 'IF THE ATHLETES IN THE WORLD GO THROUGH ALL THE 42:18 RIGORS OF TRAINING FOR A PERISHABLE CROWN, THEN WHAT 42:22 SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE DOING FOR AN IMPERISHABLE CROWN?' 42:27 THEY GET CARRIED AROUND ON EVERYONE'S SHOULDERS AND THEY 42:29 GET THEIR FIVE MINUTES OF FAME, BUT WHAT IF YOU GET ETERNAL 42:32 GLORY? IS IT WORTH THE DISCIPLINE AND 42:35 THE SELF-CONTROL THAT WE MIGHT OBTAIN THAT ETERNAL CROWN? 42:39 SO HE'S USING THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATIONS. 42:42 LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE HERE. 42:44 HE SAYS - OH, I'M STILL IN 1 CORINTHIANS 9:27 - OH, NO, I'LL 42:49 GO TO VERSE 26, "THEREFORE I RUN THUS: NOT WITH UNCERTAINTY. 42:52 THUS I FIGHT:" - AND THAT WORD FIGHT THERE IS THE WORD TO BEAT 42:54 WITH THE HANDS OR FISTS - IT'S BOXING . 42:59 BOXING GOES BACK QUITE A WAYS AND THEY DIDN'T WEAR GLOVES 43:02 EITHER - "NOT AS ONE WHO BEATS THE AIR. BUT I DISCIPLINE MY 43:05 BODY AND BRING IT INTO SUBJECTION, LEST, WHEN I HAVE 43:09 PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF SHOULD BECOME DISQUALIFIED." 43:12 SO PAUL SAID EVEN FOR A CHRISTIAN WE NEED TO MAINTAIN 43:16 SELF-CONTROL. GALATIANS 5:7, "YOU RAN WELL. 43:21 WHO HINDERED YOU FROM OBEYING THE TRUTH?" 43:24 WHAT IS PAUL TALKING ABOUT, 'YOU RAN WELL'? HE'S USING THE RACE. 43:27 2 TIMOTHY 2:5 - THESE ARE SOME OF THE FINAL WORDS OF PAUL 43:30 BEFORE HE DIED. HE'S IN PRISON WHEN HE WRITES, 43:32 "AND ALSO IF ANYONE COMPETES IN ATHLETICS, HE IS NOT CROWNED 43:37 UNLESS HE COMPETES ACCORDING TO THE RULES. THE HARDWORKING 43:41 FARMER" - AND THEN HE JUMPS OVER TO - AND HE TALKS ABOUT NOT ONLY 43:44 SOLDIERS AND SPORTS, NOW HE'S TALKING ABOUT AGRICULTURE. 43:49 "THE HARDWORKING FARMER MUST BE FIRST TO PARTAKE OF THE CROPS." 43:52 AND GOING TO 2 TIMOTHY 4:7 - THESE ARE SOME OF HIS CLOSING 43:58 WORDS - "I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, 44:01 I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH." SO PAUL, TALKING TO THE JEWS. 44:04 HE TALKED ABOUT SIGNS AND WONDERS TO THE GREEKS. 44:07 HE TALKED ABOUT SPORTS AND SOLDIERS. 44:10 AND THEN YOU'VE GOT PAUL AND THE LAW: ROMANS 3:31, "DO WE THEN 44:16 MAKE VOID THE LAW THROUGH FAITH? CERTAINLY NOT! 44:20 ON THE CONTRARY, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW." 44:22 NOW HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OTHER CHRISTIANS SAY THAT - BIBLE 44:26 CHRISTIANS - BECAUSE OF FAITH WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP THE 44:28 COMMANDMENTS? ANY OF YOU HEARD THAT BEFORE? 44:30 >>YES. >>WHOSE WRITINGS DO THEY POINT 44:33 TO TO MAKE THOSE ARGUMENTS? >>PAUL'S. 44:36 >>A HUNDRED PERCENT PAUL. YOU WILL NEVER HEAR THEM POINT 44:41 TO JAMES OR PETER OR JOHN TO MAKE THOSE ARGUMENTS. 44:45 THEY DON'T USE MATTHEW, THEY DON'T USE MARK, IT'S ALWAYS 44:48 GOING TO BE THE WRITINGS OF PAUL THAT ARE BEING MISUNDERSTOOD. 44:51 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU LOOK IN 2 PETER - 2 PETER CHAPTER 3, VERSE 44:55 15, 'AND COUNT THE PATIENCE OF OUR LORD AS SALVATION - JUST AS 45:00 OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL, ALSO WROTE TO YOU ACCORDING TO THE 45:03 WISDOM GIVEN TO HIM, AS HE DOES IN ALL HIS LETTERS, WHEN HE 45:06 SPEAKS OF THESE MATTERS." - NOTICE - "THERE ARE SOME 45:09 THINGS IN THEM THAT ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, WHICH THE IGNORANT 45:13 AND UNSTABLE TWIST TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION, AS THEY DO OTHER 45:18 SCRIPTURES.' THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. 45:20 FOR ONE THING, PETER IS CALLING PAUL'S WRITING SCRIPTURE. 45:23 IT SAYS THEY'RE TWISTING THE WRITINGS OF PAUL AS THEY DO 45:25 OTHER SCRIPTURE . YOU NOTICE THAT? 45:28 AND IT - NOTICE HOW THEY TWIST THEM. 45:31 'YOU THEREFORE, BELOVED, KNOWING THIS BEFOREHAND, TAKE CARE THAT 45:35 YOU ARE NOT CARRIED AWAY WITH THE ERROR OF THE LAWLESS AND 45:37 LOSE YOUR OWN STABILITY.' THE PROBLEMS THEY WERE MAKING WITH 45:42 THE WRITINGS OF PAUL HAD TO DO WITH LAWLESSNESS. 45:46 AND SO, WHAT DOES LAWLESSNESS MEAN? WELL, LAW. 45:48 SO THEY WOULD MISAPPLY THE WRITINGS OF PAUL. NOW WHEN PAUL 45:53 WOULD SAY, 'WE'RE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT WE'RE UNDER FAITH' 45:56 WHAT DID HE MEAN? DID HE MEAN WE'RE NOT UNDER AN OBLIGATION 46:00 ANYMORE TO KEEP THE LAW? >>NO. 46:02 >>OR DID HE MEAN BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE DEATH PENALTY BECAUSE 46:06 WE BROKE THE LAW, THROUGH CHRIST WE ARE NOT UNDER THE DEATH 46:09 PENALTY ANYMORE, WE ARE NOW COVERED BY HIS GRACE. 46:12 BUT DO WE THEN MAKE VOID THE LAW BY FAITH? 46:17 AND THESE - THIS IS - YOU KNOW, PAUL MAKES IT VERY CLEAR IN 46:20 ROMANS 3:31, "DO WE THEN MAKE VOID THE LAW THROUGH FAITH? 46:25 CERTAINLY NOT! GOD FORBID. 46:26 ON THE CONTRARY, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW." 46:29 PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THOSE VERSES WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO GET RID 46:32 OF THE LAW. ROMANS 6:15, "WHAT THEN? 46:34 SHALL WE SIN BECAUSE WE ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE?" - 46:37 GO FORBID! - "CERTAINLY NOT!" 46:40 AND WHAT IS SIN? BREAKING OF THE LAW. 46:42 IT SAYS 'DO WE SIN BECAUSE WE'RE NOT UNDER THE PENALTY OF THE 46:44 LAW? OF COURSE NOT! 46:46 GOD FORBID.' AND YOU CAN READ - AND THIS, TO ME IS, AS THEY SAY, 46:50 A SLAM-DUNK VERSE - ROMANS 2:13 - PAUL SAID, "(FOR NOT THE 46:54 HEARERS OF THE LAW ARE JUST IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, BUT THE DOERS 46:59 OF THE LAW WILL BE JUSTIFIED;" WHO'S JUSTIFIED? 47:03 NOT THE HEARERS OF THE LAW, BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW. 47:07 I DON'T HEAR THEM QUOTE THAT ONE VERY OFTEN. 47:09 AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU READ WHERE JOHN SAYS IF WE SAY THAT 47:12 WE LOVE HIM AND WE KEEP NOT HIS COMMANDMENTS WE'RE A LIAR. 47:14 'BLESSED ARE THOSE THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS THAT THEY MIGHT 47:18 ENTER THROUGH THE GATES OF THE CITY AND EAT FROM THE TREE OF 47:20 LIFE.' AND 'THE DRAGON IS WROTH WITH THOSE THAT KEEP THE 47:24 COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS.' 47:26 AND YOU CAN GO JUST ON AND ON DOWN THE LINE HOW MUCH 47:28 THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE COMMANDMENTS. 47:30 JESUS SAID, 'NOT EVERYONE THAT SAYS 'LORD, LORD' BUT HE THAT 47:34 DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER.' 'THINK NOT THAT I'VE COME TO 47:36 DESTROY THE LAW. I'VE NOT COME TO DESTROY BUT TO 47:38 FULFILL' - AND THAT MEANS IN HIS LIFE HE FULFILLED IT. 47:42 JESUS WASN'T SAYING, 'I DIDN'T COME TO DESTROY IT BUT TO DO 47:44 AWAY WITH IT.' THAT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. 47:48 AND SO, ALL THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT IT TELLS US THE LAW IS 47:51 INTACT. PAUL IS SIMPLY SAYING THAT WE'RE 47:53 NOT UNDER THE PENALTY OF THE LAW. 47:55 THEN OTHER STATEMENTS PAUL USES - KEEP IN MIND, THE WORD LAW IN 47:58 THE HEBREW IS USED LIKE WE WOULD USE THE WORD CODE IN ENGLISH. 48:06 YOU COULD HAVE MORSE CODE, YOU COULD HAVE A FEDERAL CODE, YOU 48:10 COULD HAVE A CITY CODE, YOU COULD HAVE A STATE CODE, YOU 48:12 COULD HAVE A CORPORATE CODE. THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF CODES. 48:15 THEY HAD THE MORAL LAW, CEREMONIAL LAW, THEY HAD CIVIL 48:21 LAW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT LAW. 48:23 SOMETIMES PAUL, LIKE IN GALATIANS, HE'S TALKING ABOUT 48:27 WE'RE NO LONGER UNDER THE CEREMONIAL LAWS 48:31 - WHEN IT COMES TO THE CEREMONIAL SABBATHS - ABOUT - 48:34 AND THE FEAST DAYS - THE ANNUAL FEASTS. 48:37 AND SO WHEN HE MAKES THAT STATEMENT HE USES THE WORD LAW 48:41 SORT OF GENERICALLY, BUT HE DOESN'T SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO 48:44 KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. AND EVERYONE SORT OF KNOWS THAT 48:46 INHERENTLY. YOU NOTICE THE CHRISTIANS THAT 48:49 SAY 'YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE LAW', IF YOU WERE TO 48:52 ASK THEM 'IS IT OKAY TO LIE?' OF COURSE NOT. 48:55 'CAN YOU STEAL?' 'NO.' 'WORSHIP IDOLS?' 48:58 'NO.' 'COMMIT ADULTERY?' 'NO.' 'GOD'S NAME IN VAIN?' 49:02 'NO.' GO THROUGH ALL NINE COMMANDMENTS AND THEY SAY, 'OF 49:07 COURSE NOT.' 'REMEMBER THE SABBATH.' 'WE'RE NOT UNDER THE 49:10 LAW, WE'RE UNDER GRACE.' SO THE ONLY REASON YOU HEAR THESE VERY 49:14 CREATIVE DISCOURSES ABOUT NOT BEING UNDER THE LAW IS BECAUSE 49:18 ONE COMMANDMENT THAT IS AN ANNOYANCE. WHICH ONE IS THAT? 49:21 IT'S THE SABBATH. ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? I HEARD ONE PASTOR 49:26 PUT IT THIS WAY - THEY GOT A FINGER THAT BOTHERS THEM SO 49:31 THEY CUT OFF TEN OF THEM AND TRY AND SEW THE OTHER NINE BACK ON 49:34 TO JUST GET RID OF THAT ONE. AND IT DOESN'T WORK. 49:40 AND THE ONE THEY TRY TO GET RID OF - THE ONE COMMANDMENT THAT IS 49:42 AN ANNOYANCE IS THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAW. 49:46 IT IS THE LONGEST OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 49:48 AND IT'S THE ONLY COMMANDMENT THAT BEGINS WITH THE WORD 49:51 REMEMBER - AND THAT'S THE ONE THEY WANT EVERYONE TO FORGET. 49:54 SO IT'S JUST - THAT, OF COURSE, JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. 49:58 AND THEN, FINALLY, I THINK THIS'LL HAVE TO BE MY LAST 50:01 THOUGHT, IS THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION. 50:04 THESE WERE THE CENTRAL THEMES OF PAUL'S TEACHING. 50:07 1 CORINTHIANS 2:2, "FOR I DETERMINED NOT TO KNOW ANYTHING 50:11 AMONG YOU EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED." 50:15 NOW THIS DIDN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU WERE A JEW OR GENTILE, THE 50:17 CROSS WAS THE CENTRAL THEME TO PAUL. WHY? 50:20 WHEN JESUS SAID - WHAT WERE THE FIRST WORDS OF JESUS TO PAUL? 50:27 'I AM JESUS WHO YOU PERSECUTE.' CAN I REPHRASE THAT? 50:33 'I AM JESUS WHO YOU CRUCIFIED.' IN PAUL'S KILLING CHRISTIANS, 50:39 JESUS SAID, 'AS MUCH AS YOU'VE DONE IT TO THEM, YOU'VE DONE IT 50:41 TO ME.' THE CROSS WAS REALLY CENTRAL. 50:43 THAT JESUS WOULD - WHEN JESUS, ON THE CROSS, SAID, 'FATHER, 50:47 FORGIVE THEM' - PAUL, THAT WAS VERY PERSONAL TO HIM - THAT HE 50:50 WAS PRAYING FOR THAT FORGIVENESS. 50:52 'I AM DETERMINED NOT TO KNOW ANYTHING BUT JESUS AND HIM 50:56 CRUCIFIED.' 1 CORINTHIANS 1:22, "FOR JEWS REQUEST A SIGN, AND 50:59 GREEKS SEEK AFTER WISDOM; BUT WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, TO THE 51:04 JEWS A STUMBLING BLOCK AND TO THE GREEKS FOOLISHNESS" - 51:08 (SQUIRRELS CHATTERING LOUDLY) 51:09 WILL YOU GUYS CUT IT OUT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 51:11 (LAUGHTER) YOU GOT SOME BABIES - SHOW OFFS. 51:16 KAREN AND I USED TO HAVE A PET SQUIRREL. 51:19 THEY'RE REALLY CUTE. AND SO HE SAID, "FOR THE JEWS 51:26 REQUEST A SIGN, AND GREEKS SEEK AFTER WISDOM; BUT WE PREACH 51:29 CHRIST CRUCIFIED." WE QUOTED THIS FIRST. 51:31 JESUS CRUCIFIED WAS THE CENTRAL THEME FOR PAUL BECAUSE IT REALLY 51:36 WAS EVERYTHING. AND THEN, FINALLY, THE RISEN 51:39 HOPE OF THE CHRISTIAN IS THE RESURRECTION - THE RISEN - THE 51:44 RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IS THE HOPE FOR THE CHRISTIAN. 51:48 1 CORINTHIANS 15 - LET ME JUST READ THIS TO YOU IN CLOSING. 51:51 "NOW, IF CHRIST IS PREACHED THAT HE HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE 51:55 DEAD, HOW DO SOME AMONG YOU SAY THAT THERE IS NO RESURRECTION OF 51:57 THE DEAD? BUT IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, 52:00 THEN CHRIST IS NOT RISEN. AND IF CHRIST IS NOT RISEN, THEN 52:02 OUR PREACHING IS EMPTY AND YOUR FAITH IS ALSO EMPTY. 52:05 YES, AND WE ARE FOUND TO BE FALSE WITNESSES OF GOD, BECAUSE 52:08 WE HAVE TESTIFIED OF GOD THAT HE RAISED UP CHRIST, WHOM HE DID 52:10 NOT RAISE UP - IF IN FACT THE DEAD DO NOT RISE. 52:13 FOR IF THE DEAD DO NOT RISE, THEN CHRIST IS NOT RISEN. 52:15 AND IF CHRIST IS NOT RISEN, YOUR FAITH IS FUTILE; YOU ARE STILL 52:18 IN YOUR SINS! THEN ALSO THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN 52:21 CHRIST HAVE PERISHED." - THERE'S NO HOPE FOR A 52:23 RESURRECTION - "IF IN THIS LIFE ONLY WE HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST, WE 52:25 ARE OF ALL MEN THE MOST PITIABLE." 52:28 - MOST MISERABLE - "BUT NOW CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, 52:31 AND HAS BECOME THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP. 52:34 FOR SINCE BY MAN CAME DEATH, BY MAN (JESUS) ALSO CAME THE 52:38 RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, EVEN SO 52:41 IN CHRIST ALL SHALL BE MADE ALIVE. 52:44 BUT EACH ONE IN HIS OWN ORDER:" - THIS IS IMPORTANT - "CHRIST 52:46 THE FIRSTFRUITS, AFTERWARD THOSE WHO ARE CHRIST'S" - AS SOON AS 52:50 THEY DIE? NO - "AT HIS COMING." 52:53 WHEN DO THE DEAD RISE? AT HIS COMING. 52:56 THIS IS A VERY, VERY CLEAR VERSE ABOUT WHEN THE RESURRECTION 52:59 TAKES PLACE. SO THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS WERE 53:03 CENTRAL THEMES OF PAUL'S TEACHING. 53:05 ANYWAY, I THINK THAT WE'VE RUN OUT OF TIME. 53:07 I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED US FOR THIS SPECIAL 53:09 SESSION OF OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 53:12 YOU'VE BEEN JOINING THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH UP HERE AT A 53:15 CHRISTIAN RETREAT CALLED LEONI MEADOWS AND WE JUST THOUGHT WE'D 53:19 BRING YOU ALONG WITH US. GOD BLESS UNTIL WE STUDY HIS 53:21 WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 53:37 >>WE WERE GOING TO CHURCH EVERY OTHER WEEK. 53:38 AT ABOUT 19 YEARS OLD THINGS REALLY START TO MAKE SENSE FOR 53:42 ME. I START TO GO TO CHURCH FOR MYSELF AND THE PASTOR WANTED TO 53:45 STUDY WITH ME. WHEN WE CAME TO THE STUDY ABOUT 53:50 BAPTISM, I KIND OF JUST SHRUGGED AND PUT MY HEAD DOWN. I SAID, 53:53 'I'M NOT READY.' HE LOOKED ME IN THE EYE AND SAID, 'JASON, YOU'LL 53:57 NEVER MAKE YOURSELF READY. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO.' 54:03 I PUT A LOT OF THINGS BEHIND ME - DRINKING AND SMOKING 54:07 AND ALL THAT STUFF STOPPED. ALL THROUGHOUT THE TIME I'D BEEN 54:10 LEARNING ABOUT GOD, IT WAS JUST ME AND GOD. IT COMES AROUND UP 54:14 TO ABOUT AUGUST AND I MEET THIS GIRL. ABOUT TWO YEARS INTO THE 54:19 RELATIONSHIP WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MARRIAGE AND EVERYTHING. 54:22 WE DIDN'T PRAY. WE DIDN'T STUDY TOGETHER. 54:24 WE WERE ARGUING A LOT BUT WE WERE ENGAGED. 54:30 I STARTED DRINKING AGAIN AND THEN IT WAS A SLOW DOWNWARD 54:34 SPIRAL INTO DIFFERENT THINGS AND MY DEVOTIONAL LIFE STARTED 54:36 REALLY WEASELING AWAY. WE BROKE UP IN 2008. 54:40 IT WAS HEAVY FOR ME BECAUSE, AGAIN, BEING WITH SOMEBODY FOR 54:43 THAT LONG, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A DIVORCE. 54:46 I STARTED TO FALL BACK AWAY EVEN MORE. I REMEMBER LOOKING IN THE 54:52 MIRROR - JUST LOOKING AT MYSELF AND SAYING, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 54:55 HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO GOD WHO'S BROUGHT YOU SO FAR?' 54:59 AND, YOU KNOW, GOD REALLY HEARD MY CRY. 55:03 THERE WAS A TESTIMONY TELLING AT MY CHURCH AND THERE WAS A CALL 55:11 AND KIDS STARTED GETTING UP. A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOL KIDS 55:13 STARTED GETTING UP FOR CALLS OF BAPTISM. 55:15 I'M BACK DOING THE PA SYSTEM AT THIS TIME AND I FEEL JUST LIKE 55:18 THIS URGE - LIKE MY HEART JUST STARTED RIPPING OUT OF MY CHEST 55:21 AND I JUST HAD THIS FEELING JUST TO GO UP. 55:25 I GET UP TO THE FRONT AND I MEET THE PASTOR IN OPEN ARMS. 55:28 I REALIZED THAT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST LIVING 55:34 LIFE FOR MYSELF AND, YOU KNOW, FALLING AWAY - IT'S NOT A 55:38 NECESSITY, BUT GOD CAN WORK THROUGH ANYTHING IN THE BAD TO 55:43 MAKE IT THE GOOD. THAT'S A PROMISE HE MAKES. 55:57 >>TOGETHER WE HAVE SPREAD THE GOSPEL MUCH FARTHER THAN EVER 56:01 BEFORE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 56:10 >>SOMEONE ONCE SAID, 'PICK YOUR HEROES VERY CAREFULLY FOR YOU 56:13 MIGHT BECOME LIKE THEM. SADLY, MOST PEOPLE TODAY ADMIRE 56:16 THE WRONG CLASS OF HEROES - STRONG ATHLETES, TALENTED ACTORS 56:20 OR SINGERS - WHOSE PERSONAL LIVES ARE OFTEN EXPOSED FOR 56:23 VIOLENCE, DRUGS, OR IMMORALITY. THIS IS NOT NEW. 56:27 THE WORLD WILL TYPICALLY CHOOSE THE WRONG HEROES. 56:30 REMEMBER, THE PEOPLE CHOSE BARABBAS INSTEAD OF JESUS. 56:33 WELL, IF YOU'RE READY TO MEET A NEW GROUP OF POSITIVE ROLE 56:37 MODELS, I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INSPIRING 56:39 NEW SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT'LL BE BROADCAST LIVE FROM LANSING, 56:43 MICHIGAN THIS OCTOBER. IT'S CALLED HEROES OF FAITH . 56:47 THIS NEW EVANGELISM SERIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL HIGHLIGHT 56:51 SOME OF THE REAL HEROES OF THE BIBLE. 56:53 PLAN NOW TO ATTEND WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND LEARN 56:57 FROM THE PAST HOW WE CAN BE HEROES OF FAITH TODAY. 57:00 TO FIND OUT MORE OR REGISTER YOUR HOME OR CHURCH, THEN GO TO 57:03 THEHEROESOFFAITH.COM . BE A HERO AND BRING SOMEONE TO CHRIST. 57:10 >>(BIRDS SQUAWKING) >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD SHARE THE 57:12 GOSPEL WITH 20,000 PEOPLE? OR A CAR LIKE THIS ONE COULD 57:16 REACH 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN JESUS. IF YOU HAVE A VEHICLE 57:21 YOU'RE NOT USING AND WOULD LIKE TO REACH HEARTS FOR THE KINGDOM 57:23 OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DONATING YOUR VEHICLE TO 57:26 AMAZING FACTS TODAY. IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED 57:30 CAR, BOAT, RV, MOTORCYCLE, EVEN ATVS AND JET SKIS INTO A 57:36 SOUL-WINNING VEHICLE FOR CHRIST AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 57:40 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 57:44 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 57:45 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 57:49 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 57:51 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST; USE IT 57:56 TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 58:00 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, OR 58:04 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 58:10 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-09-16