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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021544A
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00:12 [music] 00:22 [music] 00:34 Debbie Thompson Kippel: Welcome to 00:35 "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:37 We're so glad that you are joining us and tuning in from 00:39 across the country and around the world. 00:42 We have a wonderful program ready for you today. 00:44 Pastor Jean Ross, our Associate Pastor, 00:47 Admin Pastor here at Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church is 00:50 bringing us the lesson. 00:51 And before he does that, we're gonna start with favorite songs 00:55 and a book offer. 00:56 So join with us. 00:58 Pull out your hymnals it you have them with you and sing with 01:01 us 616, "Soldiers of Christ Arise." 01:05 And we will be doing all three stanzas, 01:07 "Soldiers of Christ Arise." 01:09 Join with us. 01:13 [music] 01:19 ♪ Soldiers of Christ, arise, ♪ 01:23 ♪ and put your armor on, ♪ 01:27 ♪ strong in the strength which God supplies ♪ 01:32 ♪ through his eternal Son. ♪ 01:37 ♪ Strong in the Lord of hosts, ♪ 01:41 ♪ and in his mighty power, ♪ 01:45 ♪ who in the strength of Jesus trusts ♪ 01:50 ♪ is more than conqueror. ♪ 01:55 ♪ Stand then in his great might, ♪ 01:59 ♪ with all his strength endued, ♪ 02:04 ♪ but take, to arm you for the fight, ♪ 02:09 ♪ the panoply of God; ♪ 02:13 ♪ that, having all things done, ♪ 02:17 ♪ and all your conflicts passed, ♪ 02:22 ♪ you may o'ercome through Christ alone, ♪ 02:26 ♪ and stand entire at last. ♪ 02:33 ♪ From strength to strength go on, ♪ 02:36 ♪ wrestle and fight and pray, ♪ 02:41 ♪ tread all the powers of darkness down ♪ 02:45 ♪ and win the well-fought day. ♪ 02:50 ♪ Still let the Spirit cry in all his soldiers, ♪ 02:57 ♪ "Come!" ♪ 03:00 ♪ Till Christ the Lord who reigns on high shall ♪ 03:04 ♪ take the conquerors home. ♪♪ 03:11 Debbie: Before we have our lesson study, 03:12 number five, "More Woes for the Prophet, 03:16 we have a book offer that we would like to tell you about. 03:21 It goes along with our lesson today, 03:22 and we encourage you, if you are in North America, 03:25 to call our number... 03:31 That is "Study More"... 03:35 "Can a Saved Man Choose to be Lost?" 03:37 And this is by Joe Crews. 03:38 So we encourage you to contact us and ask for this free book. 03:42 You will be definitely blessed by it. 03:44 This time our lesson study will be brought to us by our 03:47 Associate Administrative Pastor here at Granite Bay Seventh-day 03:50 Adventist Church, Pastor Jean Ross. 03:56 Pastor Jean Ross: Good morning, everyone. 03:58 audience: Good morning. 04:00 Jean: And happy Sabbath. 04:01 Again, I'd like to welcome our church members here, 04:04 and our visitors joining us at our church here in 04:07 Sacramento, California. 04:09 And also our friends watching across the country and around 04:11 the world, a very warm welcome to you. 04:14 As was mentioned in the introduction, 04:16 we've been studying through our lesson currently dealing with 04:18 the book of Jeremiah. 04:19 Today we find ourselves on lesson number five. 04:22 Today's lesson is interesting. 04:24 It's called "More Woes for the Prophet." 04:28 Now, let me ask you, did Jeremiah face some trials and 04:30 tribulations in his life? 04:31 Absolutely. 04:33 Not only did he face trials from his own countrymen, 04:37 from the Jews, but he also went through the captivity of 04:40 Jerusalem. 04:42 Now, God protected him during that time, 04:43 when the Babylonians came and conquered Jerusalem. 04:46 So he knew something about trials and tribulations. 04:49 Our memory text is Jeremiah chapter 20, verse 7. 04:53 And I'm gonna read it to you here. 04:55 Jeremiah chapter 20, beginning in verse 7: "O Lord, 04:58 thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; 05:01 thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision 05:06 daily," now the word, "derision" there literally means "to be an 05:09 object of ridicule and scorn." 05:12 So Jeremiah the prophet was an object of ridicule and scorn to 05:15 his countrymen. 05:17 "Every one mocks me." 05:18 Now, this is an interesting verse. 05:20 Here you have the prophet given a message from God to give to 05:23 the people. 05:25 And Jeremiah faithfully preached that message. 05:27 He proclaimed that warning, but he didn't get the response from 05:30 the people that he had anticipated. 05:33 Maybe Jeremiah was thinking that the message would be received 05:36 and there'd be a revival and a reformation taking 05:38 place in Jerusalem. 05:39 But instead of the people turning to God, 05:42 the people turned against the prophet. 05:44 And all kinds of trials and difficulties came to Jeremiah. 05:48 In our introduction for our lesson, 05:50 we have the following: "One thing anyone who has followed 05:56 the Lord for any length of time will learn that is being a 06:00 believer in Jesus and seeking to do his will does not guarantee 06:04 an easy passage through life. 06:07 After all, as we have been told, yes, 06:10 all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer 06:14 persecution." 06:16 That's true in the case of Jeremiah. 06:18 This truth Jeremiah was surely learning for himself. 06:21 Now, there are a couple of important points that I want to 06:23 bring up right at the beginning of our study this morning. 06:25 Number one: believers are never left alone to endure trials, 06:30 but Jesus is with them. 06:34 And Jesus said, "I will never leave you or," what? 06:37 "Forsake you." 06:38 So whatever the trial, whatever the difficulty, 06:41 whatever the pressure that comes upon the believer, 06:43 we know that Jesus is with us. 06:46 He can sustain us. 06:47 He can give us power. 06:49 Point number two: trials and tribulations remind the believer 06:52 of the reality of the great controversy. 06:56 Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12 tells us: "We do not wrestle 07:00 against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 07:03 against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this 07:06 age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." 07:11 So we find ourselves in the midst of the great controversy. 07:14 Now, in the great controversy between the forces of good and 07:16 the forces of evil, there are certain things that God will not 07:20 allow the devil to do. 07:22 And we're very grateful for that. 07:24 I mean, if the devil had his way, 07:26 I'm sure we would all be dead. 07:28 And God won't allow the devil to do that, amen? 07:30 If Satan had his way, he would try and possess every person 07:33 on the planet. 07:35 But God won't allow that. 07:36 Now, if somebody opens up the door, 07:38 that's a different story. 07:39 But there are certain bounds that God has placed upon Satan. 07:43 Likewise, God being a God of justice, 07:47 he has also limited what he does to influence a person. 07:51 There are these certain rules, you might say. 07:53 But when a believer prays and intercedes for somebody else, 07:58 or prays and asks God for special help, 08:00 that enables God to do more to reach that person, 08:04 to minister to that person, than he would do if we didn't pray. 08:08 And when Satan says, "Unfair, you can't do that because you're 08:11 breaking the rules of engagement, 08:12 God says, "No, I have a right to do that because one of my 08:15 children is earnestly seeking for my aid." 08:19 And God can do that. 08:21 So in the midst of trials and difficulties, 08:23 when we sense the great controversy between the forces 08:26 of good and the forces of evil, don't get discouraged. 08:30 Rather, increase your prayer, asking God for his strength, 08:35 for his help. 08:36 And then the third point that I want to emphasize about facing 08:39 trials is this: the greater the pressure, 08:43 the greater the power. 08:45 The greater the pressure, the greater the power. 08:49 I'm gonna talk about that here in just a minute. 08:51 But can you think of some Bible characters who have faced 08:54 tremendous trials and difficulties? 08:56 Jeremiah was one, but there were many. 08:58 If you go to the New Testament time, 08:59 one of the greatest heroes of the New Testament era, 09:03 Paul, he faced a number of trials. 09:06 In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 24 through 27 he tells us 09:10 some of the things that he went through. 09:13 Paul writes: "From the Jews five times I received forty stripes 09:17 minus one." 09:19 So 5 times, he received 39 lashes. 09:23 What is that? 09:24 A total of about 195 lashes. 09:27 Now, that's some trials and tribulation. 09:29 But he goes on: "Three times I was beaten with rods," 09:33 he doesn't tell us how many individual strikes he had, 09:36 but three times he was beaten with rods, 09:38 "once was I stoned," and he was left for dead. 09:42 You'd think right there it's a good indication that it's time 09:45 for Paul to change his career, do something else 09:48 other than preach. 09:50 But he didn't. He kept preaching. 09:53 "Three times," Paul says, "I was shipwrecked," 09:56 and then he says, "a night and a day I have been in the deep," 09:59 more than 24 hours Paul was holding onto a piece of wood in 10:03 the ocean, waiting for rescue. 10:06 Incredible. 10:07 "In journeys often, in perils of water, 10:10 in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, 10:12 in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, 10:16 in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, 10:19 in perils amongst false brethren; 10:21 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, 10:25 in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 10:28 in cold and in nakedness." 10:31 Yes, Paul knew something about trials and tribulations. 10:35 But what is the lesson that Paul highlights as a result 10:39 of these trials? 10:40 So this is an incredible verse, 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 10:43 He's just been talking about all of the things that he's gone 10:45 through, and then he brings this to a conclusion. 10:48 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse--chapter 12, 10:51 verse 9 and 10, Paul says: "Therefore most gladly I will 10:55 rather boast in infirmities, that the power of Christ might 11:01 rest upon me." 11:04 So Paul saw the connection, that when we go through trials and 11:07 difficulties, that enables the power of Christ to rest upon us. 11:12 And we'll explain how that works in just a minute. 11:14 "Therefore," he says, "I will take pleasure in infirmities, 11:18 in reproaches, in need, in persecutions, 11:21 in distress, for Christ's sake. 11:23 For when I am weak, then I am strong, amen? 11:29 So trials enable us to receive more of God's power. 11:33 How does that work? 11:35 You know, this past week I was teaching my sons how to drive a 11:38 manual, how to use the stick shift, 11:42 and how to use the clutch. 11:43 And you know, it takes a little bit of practice. 11:45 So we were actually here in the church parking lot 11:47 earlier this week. 11:49 And I was sitting in the passenger's seat. 11:51 They were sitting in the driver's seat. 11:53 And I was trying to explain to them how the clutch, 11:55 and the accelerator, and the gears, 11:57 and the brakes, and how all of that works together. 11:59 So I was trying to come up with an illustration, 12:02 at least to explain to them how this works. 12:05 So I told them that the engine is where the power is. 12:09 And the engines is attached to a disk that is called 12:11 the flywheel. 12:13 Now, bear with me. There's a point to this. 12:14 I then said, "There is another disk that is called the clutch 12:18 plate that is just a small distance away from the flywheel 12:22 when you're pressing the clutch." 12:25 The flywheel is attached--not the flywheel, 12:28 but rather the clutch plate is attached to the gear box. 12:31 The gear box is attached to the wheels. 12:34 So the power is in the engine. 12:35 And I said that when you release the clutch, 12:38 it puts pressure on the clutch plate, 12:40 and it pushes up against the flywheel. 12:43 And the more pressure that you release and push that clutch 12:48 plate up against the flywheel, the more power from the engine 12:51 flows through the gearbox to the wheels. 12:54 So the greater the pressure that you release, 12:57 the more it pushes up against the flywheel, 12:59 the more power will go to the wheels. 13:01 Now, I don't know if that helped the boys. 13:03 We still struggled to get going. 13:05 But they were finally getting it. 13:06 But I thought, "You know, there's a spiritual lesson in 13:09 that for us." 13:10 The greater the pressure that comes to us in our lives, 13:13 the more we are to lean up against Jesus, amen? 13:19 And the more we lean up against Jesus, 13:21 the more power he is able to give to us. 13:25 So there is a purpose behind trials. 13:28 Trials cause us to go to our knees and to pray with a purpose 13:32 and an intensity that otherwise we wouldn't have if we weren't 13:35 going through those trials. 13:37 So trials enable us to lean heavily upon Jesus. 13:42 Jesus then is able to give us strength and power. 13:45 Now, on Sunday's lesson, it is entitled "Godless Priests and 13:50 Prophets." 13:52 The question that was asked in our lesson: what are some of the 13:54 evils that the Lord was dealing with in Judah 13:56 at the time of Jeremiah? 13:59 And if you have your Bibles, you can turn to Jeremiah chapter 23, 14:02 and we're gonna begin reading here in verse 14. 14:05 Jeremiah chapter 23, and we'll start reading in verse 14. 14:13 Jeremiah writes: "And also I have seen a horrible thing in 14:16 the prophets of Jerusalem: they commit adultery 14:19 and they walk in lies." 14:22 Now, in Bible symbolism, the church is likened unto a woman. 14:27 But when the church leaves her allegiance to Jesus and forms an 14:30 alliance with a political power, she is guilty of committing 14:34 spiritual fornication, or spiritual adultery. 14:37 So what was happening in Jerusalem at the time, 14:40 the religious leaders were looking to the state to try and 14:43 enforce their doctrines, their traditions. 14:46 That's spiritual fornication. 14:49 It goes on: "They have also strengthened the hands of 14:51 evildoers, so that nobody turns back from his wickedness. 14:55 All of them are like Sodom to me, 14:58 and her inhabitants like Gomorrah." 15:00 Moral corruption. 15:02 "Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the 15:04 prophets: 'Behold, I will feed them with wormwood.'" 15:08 Notice that word, we're gonna come back to it. 15:10 "'And make them drink water of gall; 15:13 for from the prophets of Jerusalem profaneness has gone 15:16 out into all of the lands.'" 15:18 So here you have these false prophets, 15:20 these false teachers, likened unto wormwood. 15:24 Wormwood is a bitter herb. 15:26 That same imagery of wormwood being associated with false 15:29 prophets or lies is picked up in Revelation chapter 8. 15:33 Revelation chapter 8, verse 10 and 11 says: "Then the third 15:37 angel sounded: and a great star fell from heaven, 15:40 who's that great star falling from heaven? 15:43 What do stars sometimes represent in the Bible? 15:46 Angels. 15:48 And here you have an angel falling from heaven. 15:50 Well, that represents Satan. 15:52 "Burning like a torch," the Word of God is likened unto a torch, 15:56 but this is a corruption of the Word of God, 15:58 "and it fell on a third of the rivers and on 16:00 the springs of waters." 16:03 Rivers and springs were used for drinking and irrigation. 16:06 It represents truth. 16:08 Revelation 8, verse 11 says: "The name of the star is 16:11 Wormwood. 16:12 And a third of the waters became wormwood, 16:14 and many men died from the water, 16:15 because it was made bitter." 16:17 So when it talks about wormwood, it's talking about a corruption 16:20 of the truth. 16:22 And that was prevalent in Jeremiah's time. 16:25 The prophets, the teachers, instead of teaching the truths 16:27 of God's Word, they were corrupting the truth 16:30 with tradition. 16:31 And so God sent a message through Jeremiah. 16:34 Is there a need for us today to have a message calling people 16:37 back to the truths of God's Word? 16:39 Is there a corruption of truth even today amongst the religious 16:43 leaders in the world? 16:45 Absolutely. 16:46 Now, what were some of the evils that Jeremiah was specifically 16:50 prophesying against that was so prevalent in Jerusalem? 16:55 Jeremiah chapter 5, verse 26 and 27 is the next passage we're 16:59 going to. 17:01 Jeremiah chapter 5, 26, 27, very interesting verse here. 17:06 Jeremiah 5, 26, 27: "'For among My people are found wicked men; 17:14 they lie in wait as one who sets snares; 17:17 they set a trap; they catch men.'" 17:21 Notice verse 27: "'As a cage 17:23 is full of birds, so are their houses are full of deceit. 17:27 Therefore they have become great and grown rich.'" 17:31 So there were religious leaders that are likened 17:34 here as those that catch birds, as their houses 17:39 are full of--their houses, 17:41 or their churches, are full of deceit. 17:42 Now, this is a theme that is picked up by John 17:46 in the book of Revelation. 17:47 If you have your Bibles, go to Revelation chapter 18. 17:49 Revelation chapter 18, and you'll see the connection 17:52 between Jeremiah and Revelation. 17:54 Revelation chapter 18 here, 17:56 and I'm gonna start reading in verse 1. 17:58 And remember the phrase, "As a cage is full of birds." 18:01 You'll see that referred to here. 18:04 Revelation chapter 18, beginning in verse 1: "After these things 18:08 I saw another angel coming down from heaven, 18:11 having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with 18:14 his glory." 18:16 So here this angel represents God's people proclaiming God's 18:19 last warning message to the world. 18:21 Verse 2: "And he cried mightily with a loud voice, 18:23 saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, 18:25 is fallen.'" 18:27 In Revelation chapter 17, 18:29 Babylon is the name given to a woman. 18:31 A woman in Bible prophecy represents a church. 18:33 So Babylon is the church, or the churches, 18:37 that have fallen from the truths of God's Word. 18:39 "'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 18:42 has become the dwelling place of demons, 18:45 the prison of every foul spirit,'" 18:46 and notice this part, "'the cage for every unclean 18:50 and hated bird!'" 18:53 So the same thing that Jeremiah was facing in his day, 18:56 where there is a corruption of the truth, 18:58 where the preachers and the teachers, 19:00 instead of preaching truth are preaching doctrine that is 19:03 contrary to the Bible. 19:05 And as a result, they are becoming 19:07 great and growing very rich. 19:11 Is that a description of some churches today? 19:13 Where the preachers and the teachers are becoming great and 19:17 very, very rich? 19:20 And those are the sins prevalent in Israel. 19:22 And that's what the prophet specifically was talking about. 19:25 You know, Jesus said that this would happen before the end, 19:28 that there would be a corruption of the truth, 19:30 that churches would fall away from the commandments. 19:34 Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24. 19:37 Now, Matthew chapter 24, you have Jesus talking about events 19:40 associated with the Second Coming, 19:43 and also the destruction of Jerusalem. 19:46 But he finishes up this discussion about the signs of 19:52 the end by telling a parable. 19:53 And you pick up the parable here in verse 45. 19:56 It's really describing our time. 19:59 Matthew 24, in verse 45: "'Who then is a faithful and wise 20:04 servant, whom his master has made ruler over his household, 20:08 to give them food in due season?'" 20:12 Now, in the parable, who do you suppose the owner 20:15 of the household is? 20:17 That would be Jesus. 20:19 What do you think the house is? 20:21 The church. 20:23 And who do you suppose the servants are? 20:26 The leaders of the church, the preachers, 20:27 the teachers. 20:29 And what are they to be doing in verse 45? 20:31 They are to be giving food in due season. 20:34 Meaning, they are to give a present truth message, 20:37 a message that is relevant to the time in which we are living 20:41 and the situation that the members are facing 20:43 in the church. 20:45 Verse 46: "'Blessed is that servant whom his master, 20:48 when he comes, will find them so doing.'" 20:51 But verse 47: "'Assuredly, I say unto you that he will 20:54 make him ruler over all of his goods. 20:57 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 21:00 'My master is delaying his coming,'" 21:04 so these are Adventists. 21:07 Adventists are looking forward to the soon coming of Jesus. 21:10 And the message was preached, "Jesus is coming soon." 21:13 But here is an unfaithful servant who says in his heart, 21:16 "My Lord is delaying his coming. 21:19 Jesus isn't coming as soon as we've been saying." 21:23 After all, we've been preaching this message for over 100 years, 21:26 and Jesus hasn't come yet. 21:28 Now, he might not preaching that from the front. 21:30 It says, "He says is it in his heart, 21:33 'My Lord delays his coming.'" 21:35 And what follows? 21:36 Verse 49: "'And begins to beat his fellow servants," 21:40 there is criticism that comes, "'and to eat and drink 21:44 with the drunkards.'" 21:46 It's interesting to note in Revelation chapter 17, 21:48 the woman with the name of Babylon, 21:51 representing these false churches, 21:53 it says, "She is drunk with her false doctrine and with her 21:57 persecution." 21:59 So to eat and drink with the drunkard is to leave the truths 22:03 of God's Word and go look for truths outside of God's Word. 22:08 Are you with me? 22:10 To eat and drink with the drunkard. 22:12 Verse 50: "'The master of that servant will come in a day when 22:15 he is not looking for him and in an hour that he is not aware," 22:18 verse 51, "'and will cut him in two and appoint his portion 22:22 with the hypocrites. 22:23 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" 22:26 So Jesus said that before he comes, there will be 22:28 a falling away from the truth. 22:31 We need to be aware of this. 22:32 We need to be faithful to God's Word. 22:34 That's the message of Jeremiah. 22:36 He's calling the people in Jerusalem to return to the Lord, 22:39 to be faithful to the teachings of Scripture. 22:42 So a couple of points to mention here. 22:44 The Bible predicts that in the last days there would be a 22:47 turning away from the truths of Scripture. 22:50 We can see that happening in our world today. 22:52 The Bible also tells us, "To the law and to the testimony. 22:56 If they speak not according to this, 22:58 there is," how much light in them? 22:59 "There is no light in them." 23:01 So everything that we hear that's being taught and that's 23:05 being preached needs to be tested with the Bible, amen? 23:09 The great cry of the Protestant Reformation was, 23:11 "Sola scriptura," 23:12 "The Bible and the Bible only." 23:14 We need to get back to that, the Bible and the Bible only. 23:17 That needs to be our focus. 23:18 Point number two: false teaching and preaching often leads 23:22 to persecution. 23:26 False teaching and preaching leads to persecution. 23:28 Because of the false teachers and preachers in Jeremiah's 23:31 time, Jeremiah faced persecution. 23:35 And when there is false teaching and preaching in the church, 23:38 God's true followers will face persecution. 23:42 You see some examples of this during the 1260 years 23:45 of papal supremacy. 23:47 From 538 till 1798, those individuals who refused to 23:51 acknowledge papal supremacy faced all kinds of persecution. 23:56 They refused to set aside God's commandments in order to keep 24:00 the manmade traditions that were advocated by the church. 24:04 This especially happens when the church looks to the state to 24:07 enforce her doctrines and decrees. 24:11 Now, will persecution come against God's people 24:14 in the last days? 24:15 Yes, the Bible says it's gonna happen. 24:19 In Revelation chapter 13, you have a description 24:22 of two beasts. 24:23 The first beast comes up from the sea. 24:26 Now, in Bible prophecy, a beast represents a ruling power. 24:29 The sea represents multitudes, and nations, 24:33 and kindreds, and tongues, Revelation chapter 17, 24:35 verse 15. 24:37 So here you have a ruling power that arises in a densely 24:40 populated area and rules over nations, 24:43 and kingdoms, and peoples. 24:45 This beast has seven heads and ten horns. 24:49 But one of its heads receives a deadly wound. 24:52 The deadly wound is eventually healed. 24:55 "And all the world wonders after the beast." 24:58 Now, the Protestant reformers identified this first beast as 25:01 representing the papal power. 25:03 For 1260 years the Roman church persecuted groups like the 25:09 Waldenses and the reformers, those who refused to acknowledge 25:12 papal supremacy. 25:14 Now, that power received a deadly wound in 1798 when 25:18 Berthier, Napoleon's general, marched into Rome and proclaimed 25:22 the political rule of the papacy at an end. 25:25 That wound began to be healed when the papacy once again 25:29 received political status, not just religious status. 25:34 As I think we all know, the Vatican is the smallest 25:36 independent country in the world. 25:39 So it's not just a church. 25:41 It is a political institution. 25:43 It is a political power. 25:45 Now, there is a second beast that's described in 25:48 Revelation chapter 13. 25:51 The second beast is described as, 25:52 "Coming up from the earth. 25:54 It has two horns like a lamb," but it ends, 25:57 "speaking like a dragon." 26:00 Now, again, reformers and Bible scholars have identified that 26:04 second beast of Revelation chapter 13 as the United States. 26:08 The United States was coming to power when the first beast 26:11 received its deadly wound. 26:14 Right around 1798 is when the United States was being 26:17 recognized around the world as a nation, 26:20 as an independent power separated from England. 26:23 Right around that same time period. 26:25 And of course, the two lamblike principles 26:28 that the United States was founded upon was 26:30 freedom of religion, where we could worship God according 26:32 to the dictates of our conscience, 26:34 and freedom of speech. 26:36 You know, God never forces worship. 26:39 When Jesus was on the earth, he invited people to come, 26:42 and receive him, and worship him. 26:44 But he never forced worship. 26:45 The devil, on the other hand, he will get worship any way that he 26:48 can, even if it means forcing somebody to worship him. 26:52 But that's not the way God works. 26:55 So the United States has been the beacon of religious freedom 26:58 around the world, for the most part. 27:00 It is legislated in favor of religious freedom. 27:03 But according to this passage, there is a change that takes 27:06 place in the United States. 27:09 Revelation chapter 13, in verse 12: "And he, 27:12 that's the second beast, or the United States, 27:15 "exercises all the authority of the first beast, 27:18 the papal power, "in his presence, 27:20 meaning the deadly wound is healed, 27:24 "and causes the earth and those who dwell therein it to worship 27:27 the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." 27:31 So there is a change that happens. 27:33 The United States begins to enforce the teachings and the 27:37 doctrines of the Roman power. 27:40 Now, several years ago this might have sounded like, 27:43 "Wow, that sounds really farfetched." 27:45 But after the recent visit of the pope, 27:47 and the incredible response received by the United States 27:51 government and the citizens, it doesn't sound that farfetched 27:54 anymore. 27:57 You can see prophecy being fulfilled. 27:58 Something else of interest, somebody sent me an article. 28:02 It's an official decree, or an official statement 28:07 from the papacy. 28:10 And it is a called a "Bull of Indiction of an 28:12 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy." 28:14 And by the way, this is all on the Vatican website. 28:17 You can actually read this Bull of Indiction, 28:19 this official announcement or statement. 28:21 And I want to just read a few lines out of this. 28:23 This is Pope Francis declaring next year as a special year of 28:29 Jubilee, and he's calling it, "A special year of mercy." 28:33 And I quote: "I have chosen the date of 8 December, 28:37 the beginning of this Jubilee, "because of its rich meaning in 28:41 the recent history of the Church. 28:43 In fact, I will open the Holy Door on the fiftieth anniversary 28:47 of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council." 28:51 So there is December the 8th an opening of a holy door, 28:56 symbolizing the beginning of this 1 year of special mercy. 29:02 Now, what exactly is involved with this 1 year 29:04 of special mercy? 29:05 I read on: "Recall the poignant words of Saint John XXIII when, 29:09 opening the Council," talking about the Second Vatican 29:11 Council, "he indicated the path to follow." 29:15 So this is the path that the church is to follow. 29:19 "Now the Bride of Christ," which the church claims to be, 29:24 "wishes to use the medicine of mercy rather than 29:29 taking up arms of severity." 29:32 In other words, there is a special opportunity 29:35 of mercy, according to the church, 29:38 that is opening up December the 8th. 29:40 And it's gonna last a year. 29:42 We're not gonna use severity at this point, 29:45 but we are gonna open up mercy, and we're gonna invite 29:47 people to come. 29:48 And I read on: "The Catholic Church, 29:49 as she holds high the torch of Catholic truth at this 29:53 Ecumenical Council, wants to show herself a loving mother to 29:57 all; patient, kind, moved by compassion and goodness towards 30:01 her separated children." 30:04 Who do you suppose the separated children would be? 30:08 Those Protestant churches, right? 30:10 Then it goes on: "The Jubilee year will close...on the 20th 30:15 November 2016." 30:18 So if this year of mercy is gonna close on the 20th of 30:22 November, what's gonna follow? 30:25 What's the next step? 30:27 It goes on: "We shall be filled," 30:29 talking about the close of this mercy, 30:31 "We shall be filled above all, with a sense of gratitude and 30:33 thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for having granted us an 30:37 extraordinary time of grace." 30:42 So next year has been set aside as an extraordinary time of 30:45 grace, where the church is gonna extend mercy, 30:47 not severity. 30:49 But at the end of that time period, 30:51 what's gonna follow? 30:55 Well, we know what the Bible tells us will follow, right? 30:56 All right, so God's people throughout history who have 30:58 stood up for the truth have faced opposition. 31:01 They have faced trials and tribulations, 31:03 and even persecution. 31:05 Now, Monday's lesson is entitled "Jeremiah in Stocks." 31:09 And I want to begin by just reading a paragraph from the 31:11 lesson itself. 31:12 It says: "The job of the prophet has always been to convey God's 31:15 message, not to count how many people accept it or reject it." 31:19 It's not the prophet's job to figure out, 31:22 "Well, will this be successful or not?" 31:24 His work is to preach the message and leave the results 31:27 with God. 31:28 Generally, the number of those who accept what the prophet 31:30 preach at their time of preaching it is low. 31:34 For example, though we don't know how many people were alive 31:37 at the time of Noah, we can reasonably assume that the 31:40 majority was not very receptive to the message, 31:42 given the small number of people that actually entered 31:45 into the Ark. 31:46 All through sacred history, this seems to be the pattern. 31:49 So when the message of truth is preached, 31:52 when the warning is given, it is not typically received. 31:55 There is, of course, one stark contrast to this, 31:58 and that is the preaching of Jonah, 32:00 the reluctant prophet, to Nineveh. 32:02 Not even God's people, and yet they came to repentance. 32:05 Well, that sort of stands alone with reference to a message of 32:09 warning being received. 32:10 Now, what kind of reception did Jeremiah's message get when he 32:15 preached to the inhabitants of Jerusalem? 32:17 Jeremiah chapter 20, and we're gonna be looking here at verse 1 32:20 through to verse 6. 32:21 Jeremiah chapter 20, beginning in verse 1, 32:24 you can follow along with us: "Now Pashhur the son of Immer, 32:28 the priest who was also the chief governor of the house of 32:31 the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things." 32:37 So here you have the religious leader who is hearing the 32:39 message that the Lord is sending through Jeremiah. 32:41 You might be wondering, "Well, what was the message that 32:43 Jeremiah had prophesied?" 32:45 You can see that in Jeremiah 19, verse 15. 32:48 I'm just gonna read it. Here's the message: 32:49 "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, 32:51 the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring on this city,'" 32:53 Jerusalem, "'and on her towns all the doom that I have 32:57 pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks 33:00 that they might not hear my words.'" 33:04 So that's the message that Jeremiah brings. 33:05 The religious leaders don't receive the message. 33:08 They don't like the message. 33:09 Verse 2, it says: "Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, 33:14 he didn't like the message, so he slapped the messenger. 33:19 Now, of course, Jeremiah's not the only one who got slapped for 33:21 standing up for truth. 33:23 Jesus himself was struck in the face. 33:25 And of course, he is the truth. 33:27 More than that, they took Jeremiah, 33:30 "And they put him in the stocks." 33:32 Now, the stocks there, the word in the Hebrew literally means 33:35 "forced in a crooked position for the purpose of pain." 33:39 So he was put in the stocks, but in a very difficult position 33:42 that would bring terrible pain to his back, 33:44 and to his legs, and to his arms. 33:46 He was there for the whole night. 33:48 Verse 3 says: "And it happened on the next day that Pashhur 33:52 brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. 33:54 Then Jeremiah said unto him, 'The Lord has not called your 33:58 name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib.'" 34:02 Now, what does Magor-Missabib mean? 34:04 "Terror on every side." 34:06 By the way, you know how you can remember that word, 34:08 "Missabib"? 34:10 I think of a toddler eating and he misses the bib, 34:12 Missabib. 34:14 Magor-Missabib, meaning "terror on every side." 34:17 Then verse 4 says: "For thus saith the Lord: 'Behold, 34:20 I will make a terror to yourself and to all of your friends; 34:23 and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, 34:25 and your eyes shall see it. 34:27 And I will give all of Judah into the hands of the 34:29 king of Babylon,'" 34:31 of course, that would be Nebuchadnezzar, 34:32 "'and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them 34:34 with the sword.'" 34:36 Who are some of the Jews that were taken 34:38 captive back to Babylon? 34:40 Daniel and his three friends, along with others. 34:42 "'Moreover I will deliver the wealth of this city, 34:45 and all of its produce, and all of its precious things; 34:48 and all of the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into 34:51 the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, 34:54 seize them, and carry them to Babylon. 34:56 And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, 34:59 shall go into captivity. 35:00 You shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die, 35:04 and be buried, you and all of your friends, 35:06 to whom you have prophesied lies.'" 35:10 And of course, what 35:11 Jeremiah said to Pashhur perfectly was fulfilled. 35:14 Around 600 years before Christ, about 605 BC, 35:18 the Babylonian armies did surround Jerusalem. 35:21 Their massive battering rams pounded on the huge city gates 35:24 until finally they gave in. 35:25 Thousands of Jews were killed. 35:27 The rest were taken captive back to Babylon. 35:30 The Word of the Lord was fulfilled. 35:32 So three points I want to emphasize in this warning that's 35:36 given to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 35:38 and I think it applies for us today. 35:41 Number one: God will bring judgment. 35:43 God will bring judgment. 35:44 Will God bring judgment on the world? 35:46 Yes. 35:48 Jeremiah said that the city, Jerusalem, 35:51 would be besieged and starvation would follow. 35:55 Will there be literal starvation in the earth before Jesus comes? 35:59 Yes. 36:01 One of the plagues is intense heat. 36:03 That's gonna lead to starvation. 36:04 But more than that, is there going to be spiritual starvation 36:08 in the world before Jesus comes? 36:09 Yes. 36:11 Matter of fact, it seems like we see a little bit of that even 36:12 happening now. 36:14 And the third part of the warning message, 36:15 that people will fall by the sword and be taken into 36:18 captivity. 36:19 And that was fulfilled around 600 BC. 36:22 The next question we need to consider then is, 36:25 just like Jeremiah had a special message of warning for 36:28 Jerusalem, does God have a special message of warning for 36:33 the world today? 36:35 And the answer is, "Yes." 36:38 In the book of Amos, Amos chapter 3, 36:39 verse 7 we read: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, 36:43 unless he reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets." 36:49 So God, before he judges the earth, 36:52 will send a message of warning. 36:54 Just like he did for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 36:56 God sends a special message of warning to the world. 37:01 Now, where do you suppose we are able to find God's last warning 37:04 message for the world? 37:06 What book in the Bible should I turn to? 37:08 I should go to Revelation. 37:11 And what chapter in particular? 37:13 Revelation chapter 14, ah. 37:17 What do we find in Revelation chapter 14? 37:19 We call it "The three angels' messages." 37:22 This is God's last warning message that he has given us to 37:25 share with the world. 37:27 Now, how do we know this is God's last warning message? 37:30 Well, immediately following the proclamation of the three 37:32 angels' messages in verse 14, you have a picture of 37:36 the Second Coming of Christ. 37:38 Revelation 14, beginning in verse 14, 37:40 it says: "Then I looked, and behold, 37:42 a white cloud, and on the cloud one like unto the Son of Man," 37:45 who's that? 37:47 That's Jesus. 37:48 "Having on his head a golden crown, 37:51 and in his hand a sharp sickle." 37:54 Well, let me just say something about that golden crown. 37:56 There are three phases to Christ's ministry. 37:59 When he was on the earth, he was our sacrifice and our 38:01 sin-bearer. 38:03 He died for us. 38:04 Now, Jesus is ministering in heaven in the heavenly sanctuary 38:07 as our High Priest. 38:09 But when his priestly ministry finishes, 38:12 the close of probation, then Jesus removes his priestly robes 38:17 and he puts on his kingly robes. 38:19 And he comes back the second time, 38:21 not as a Priest, not as a sin-bearer, 38:24 but he comes back as King of kings and Lord of lords to 38:27 deliver his faithful people. 38:29 So here in Revelation 14, Jesus is described as coming back as 38:33 King, King of kings, and Lord of lords. 38:37 It says he has a sharp sickle in his hand. 38:39 Do you all know what a sickle is? 38:41 That instrument, that knife that is bent on the side, 38:45 typically used for harvesting wheat. 38:47 Of course, we don't use that here in North America very much. 38:49 But growing up in Africa, the people will 38:52 still use the sickle. 38:54 And it's very important, very important for harvest. 38:56 So here, Jesus is coming with the sickle in his hand, 38:59 symbolizing that he's coming to reap the harvest of the earth. 39:02 And you read on in the passage, there are two different 39:05 kinds of harvest. 39:07 There is the harvest of the wheat, 39:08 which represents the righteous. 39:10 And there is the harvest of the grapes, 39:11 which represents the wicked. 39:13 So what's described here is the Second Coming of Christ. 39:17 Now, the harvest is specifically identified in Matthew chapter 13 39:21 as the end of the age and the Second Coming of Jesus. 39:25 So before the harvest of the earth, 39:26 before Jesus comes, there is a special message of warning that 39:30 has to go to the world. 39:32 Where is that message? 39:33 Revelation chapter 14, and verse 6: "Then I saw another angel 39:39 flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to 39:41 preach to them that dwell upon the earth--to every nation, 39:44 kindred, tongue, and people." 39:46 You know, the message that Jeremiah brought to the 39:48 inhabitants of Jerusalem was a message of warning, 39:51 but it was also a message of hope and redemption. 39:54 His message was, "Return to God, and God will deliver you." 39:58 Likewise, at the end there is a message of redemption. 40:01 There is a message of hope. 40:03 It's the everlasting gospel. 40:05 Yes, the three angels' messages is a message of warning, 40:08 but it is also a message of salvation. 40:10 It is a message of hope. 40:11 Then you go on in verse 7: "Saying with a loud voice, 40:13 'Fear God and give him glory,'" the world needs to the message, 40:17 "'for the hour of his judgment has come," 40:20 Jesus is soon to come to execute judgment upon the 40:24 wicked, "'and worship him who made the heavens, 40:27 the earth, the sea and the fountains of water.'" 40:30 A call to worship God as the Creator. 40:32 Of course, we remember God's creative work in the 40:35 commandments. 40:36 Jesus says, "Remember the Sabbath, 40:37 to keep it holy," so God says. 40:39 And when we keep the Sabbath, we are reminded that God is our 40:42 Creator. 40:44 It is looking back at what he has done. 40:45 It is also looking forward by faith to that glorious Sabbath 40:48 rest when Jesus comes. 40:50 The second angel's message, Revelation chapter 14, 40:52 verse 8: "Another angel followed, 40:54 saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 40:56 that great city,'" very similar to the message that you read in 40:59 Revelation 18. 41:01 And then the third angel, verse 9: "A third angel followed them, 41:04 saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and 41:06 his image, or receives his mark in his forehead or on his hand, 41:10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of 41:12 the wrath poured out.'" 41:14 Now, the wrath of God, the most fearful warning that 41:16 you can find anywhere in the Scripture is that third angel's 41:19 message, "Don't worship the beast. 41:21 Don't worship his image. 41:22 Don't receive his mark." 41:24 You see, the issue at the end of time revolves around worship. 41:27 Who are you gonna worship? 41:29 Are we gonna be faithful to God? 41:31 Are we gonna worship Jesus in spirit and in truth? 41:35 Or are we gonna give in to the pressure that is gonna mount 41:38 against God's commandment keepers in the last days and 41:41 compromise our faith in order for us to be able to 41:44 buy and sell? 41:46 Matter of fact, that's what happens. 41:47 Revelation chapter 13 says there is a decree that if you don't 41:49 worship the beast, you're not gonna be able to buy and sell. 41:52 God's people will remain faithful to him. 41:54 They will trust in him. 41:55 Now, friends, you're only gonna be able to stand faithful to God 41:59 if you know God in your heart and in your life. 42:04 It has to be more than just an intellectual understanding 42:07 of truth. 42:08 It has to be a personal connection with Christ. 42:11 That experience of knowing him, of surrendering to him. 42:14 That experience of leaning up on Jesus and trusting in Jesus. 42:19 That's the experience that God's people need at the end of time. 42:23 All right, moving right along. 42:24 Tuesday's lesson is called "Fire in his Bones." 42:27 Jeremiah chapter 20, verse 7: "O Lord, 42:30 you induced me, and I was persuaded; 42:31 you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. 42:34 I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me." 42:37 Again, Jeremiah didn't anticipate the reception of the 42:40 message being as negative as it actually was. 42:44 He thought maybe this would bring about 42:45 some kind of revival. 42:47 But the people rejected him. 42:48 They rejected the message. That surprised Jeremiah. 42:51 Verse 8 says: "For I spoke and cried out; 42:53 I shouted, 'Violence and plunder!' 42:55 Because the Word of the Lord 42:57 was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. 43:01 Then I said, 'I will not make mention of him, 43:04 nor speak anymore in his name.'" 43:07 Well, because the prophet faced persecution. 43:09 He said, "It's not a good idea for me to keep 43:10 preaching these things." 43:12 But he goes on: "But his Word was in my heart like a burning 43:15 fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, 43:20 I could not." 43:23 So even though Jeremiah thought, "You know, 43:24 it's probably not a good idea for me to keep preaching the 43:26 message God gives me to preach because it's not popular and I'm 43:29 facing tribulation and persecution. 43:31 Maybe I'll keep quiet." 43:33 But he couldn't keep quiet. 43:34 He says, "It's fire in my bones." 43:36 Oh, friends, we have a message that must go to the world. 43:40 Yes, sometimes it's challenging. 43:42 And to stand up for the truth in our own lives, 43:45 we might face tribulation. 43:48 But we have to stand for the truth, amen? 43:50 Just like Jeremiah. 43:51 The message needs to be fire in our bones. 43:54 We need to preach the message. 43:55 We need to warn the world. 43:57 That's what Christ is asking us to do. 44:00 If you jump down to verse 11, he goes on, 44:03 he says: "But the Lord is with me, 44:05 he is mighty, he is the awesome one. 44:07 Therefore my persecutors will stumble, 44:10 and will not prevail. 44:12 They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. 44:17 Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten." 44:22 So, yes, even though he was facing persecutions from his 44:24 enemies, he recognized that deliverance would come. 44:27 He needs to be faithful to God. 44:28 Deliverance would come. 44:30 Now, Revelation chapter 6, 16 and 17 tells us that at the end, 44:35 those who persecuted God's people will face final judgment. 44:40 Matter of fact, the wicked turn to the rocks and the mountains 44:42 and they say, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him 44:45 that sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 44:48 For the great day of his wrath has come, 44:51 and what's the question? 44:53 "Who shall be able to stand?" 44:56 Now, the answer to the question, "Who's gonna be able to stand?" 44:59 Is found in Revelation chapter 7, 45:00 it's those who have the seal of God in their foreheads. 45:04 They are the ones who are able to stand when Jesus comes again. 45:08 Now, if you look in verse 14, even though Jeremiah recognizes 45:14 that his message is from God, he's still keenly aware of the 45:18 pain and the sufferings that he's going through for preaching 45:22 that message. 45:23 And yes, even if we stand up for the truth and face persecution, 45:26 it doesn't mean that we don't feel the pain. 45:28 Yeah, sometimes we do feel the pain. 45:30 It's difficult. 45:32 And of course, when we face trials, 45:33 what are we to do? 45:35 We are to lean on Jesus, and we are to trust in him. 45:37 But here, Jeremiah expresses the turmoil that he's going through. 45:41 And he says in verse 14: "Cursed be the day that I was born!" 45:44 He gets so discouraged. 45:45 "Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!" 45:49 Now, can you think of another Bible character who also faced 45:51 tremendous trials, and difficulties, 45:53 and he also cursed the day in which he was born? 45:56 Job. 45:58 Did Job have some trials to deal with? 46:00 Absolutely. 46:01 You know, that's an incredible story. 46:03 Accusations are made by Satan against Job that Job only 46:08 worships God because of all of the blessings that God has 46:11 bestowed upon him. 46:12 God knows the heart of Job, and allows Satan to remove all of 46:15 these blessings. 46:17 And finally, everything Job has is gone. 46:19 His wife says, "Why don't you just curse God and die?" 46:21 He has his friends show up, and instead of encouraging Job, 46:25 they criticize him and say, "Man, 46:27 you must be guilty of some terrible sin that all these 46:30 things have happened." 46:31 And Job goes through a terrible time of trouble. 46:33 Even to the point where he begins to question and say, 46:36 "You know, I wish I had a chance where I could stand before God. 46:39 I don't understand why this is happening. 46:42 I want to be able to ask God." 46:44 Have you ever felt that way, where you've been praying about 46:47 something and it seems as though your prayers are not being 46:49 answered? 46:51 And you think to yourself, "You know, 46:53 Lord, I sure would just, you know, 46:54 like to know why. 46:56 Why is this happening? Where are you when I need you?" 46:58 That's kind of the experience Jeremiah had. 47:01 That's kind of the experience that Job had. 47:02 Matter of fact, that's the experience of all of God's 47:04 people who have faced trials. 47:06 Their faith has been tried. 47:09 That's Job's experience. 47:11 And then finally, God answers. 47:13 Job says, "You know, Lord, I wish I could stand before you. 47:15 And I don't understand why this is happening." 47:17 And finally, God responds to Job. 47:19 Now, God's response is incredible. 47:22 You'll find it in Job chapter 38. 47:23 God does not say, "Well, you know." 47:25 And God says--it's not--he doesn't explain the situation. 47:29 He doesn't say, "Job, the reason you're going through these 47:31 terrible things is because Satan made these accusations. 47:33 And I'm really standing up for you. 47:35 I'm staking my reputation on you." 47:37 God doesn't say that. 47:38 Instead, God says to Job, "Who is this that darkens counsel, 47:42 speaking words without wisdom? 47:44 Gird yourself up like a man, and I will demand of you and you 47:48 answer me if you can." 47:50 God's talking to Job. 47:51 Then God says, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of 47:53 the world? 47:55 Tell me now if you can." 47:57 And then God goes on to talk about his power in creating all 47:59 things, and how he created the stars and the universe, 48:02 and how the sons of God sang for joy at creation. 48:05 And God talks about these incredible creatures that he has 48:08 made and how he sustains and provides for all 48:11 of his creation. 48:13 And that Job can trust him. 48:15 And finally, when God gets through talking about his power, 48:17 and his goodness, and his glory, Job responds and says, 48:21 "I've always heard about you with my hearing, 48:23 but now my eyes have seen you. 48:26 Therefore I repent in dust and ashes." 48:29 You see, friends, when we face trials and tribulations, 48:32 we need to remember that God is still on 48:34 the throne of the universe. 48:36 He is still in charge. 48:39 He has plenty of power. 48:41 He loves us. 48:43 He cares about us. 48:44 He knows the end from the beginning, 48:46 and he's encouraging us to trust him. 48:48 Even when we can't see through the trials, 48:50 we can trust in Jesus, amen? 48:53 We can lean on Christ because he loves us. 48:57 Of course, God has demonstrated his great love for us in giving 48:59 us Jesus, who bore our sins and died in our place. 49:04 Now, of course, there are a few other examples in the Bible of 49:07 prophets who have faced trials and tribulations. 49:09 And they also went through a time of discouragement. 49:12 You have Elijah, who on Mount Carmel had the prayer answered 49:16 that he prayed, and fire came and consumed 49:18 the ultimate sacrifice. 49:20 And he prayed for rain, and the rain came. 49:22 There was a wonderful revival that took place there on 49:23 Mount Carmel. 49:25 So much so that he led the chariot of Ahab the king 49:28 back to Samaria. 49:30 And he lay down to sleep at the gate. 49:31 And Ahab the king went and told Jezebel 49:33 all the things that happened. 49:35 And Jezebel sent a message to the prophet, 49:37 saying, "This time tomorrow, you will be as those prophets that 49:41 you put to death." 49:43 Suddenly, Elijah's heart is filled with fear. 49:47 And he gets up and he runs out into the wilderness. 49:50 And he gets so discouraged, his faith is tried and tested. 49:53 Finally, you read in 1 Kings chapter 19, 49:56 verse 4: "Elijah prays and he says, 49:59 'It is enough! 50:00 Now, Lord, just take my life, 50:02 for I am no better than my fathers!'" 50:05 Have you ever felt that way? 50:07 Felt, "Lord, it's enough. 50:09 I can't take anymore." 50:11 Well, the good news is God did not answer that 50:12 prayer of Elijah. 50:14 Instead, God sent an angel to sustain him, 50:16 and strengthen him. 50:18 And he was sustained, and he was strengthened. 50:20 And God still had a work for Elijah to do. 50:22 And how did Elijah die? 50:24 He didn't die. 50:27 He was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot. 50:29 God sustained him and saw him through. 50:31 What about John the Baptist? 50:33 Did John the Baptist face trials? 50:35 Here is the one who announced Jesus as the Messiah 50:37 at the baptism of Christ and said, "Behold, 50:39 the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." 50:41 But then for preaching the truth, 50:43 he is taken and thrown in prison. 50:46 And while he's in prison, he's waiting. 50:48 And it seems though his prayers are not being answered, 50:51 Jesus doesn't come to his defense. 50:53 Jesus does not perform a miracle to deliver him. 50:55 He's there in this dungeon, and he begins to wonder, 50:59 "Is Jesus the Christ, or did I make a mistake?" 51:03 This is John the Baptist. 51:04 So finally he sends two of his disciples to Jesus and they ask 51:07 the question, "Are you the one, or should we look for another?" 51:11 And Jesus doesn't immediately answer. 51:14 Rather, he says, "Just watch." 51:16 And they watch as he opens the eyes of the blind, 51:19 and preached the gospel to the poor, 51:21 and healed the sick. 51:23 And after they witnessed everything that Jesus had done, 51:25 then he says, "Go back and report everything back to John, 51:30 and tell him, 'Blessed is he who is not offended of me.'" 51:34 Of course, as the disciples leave, 51:36 then Jesus turns to the crowd 51:37 and he says, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? 51:39 A reed shaken by the wind? 51:43 What did you go out into the wilderness to see? 51:45 A man dressed in fine apparel?" 51:47 Jesus said, "Those wearing fine apparel belong in palaces. 51:50 But what did you go into the wilderness to see? 51:52 A prophet? Yea, and more than a prophet. 51:55 For of all of them born unto a woman, 51:57 there is not arisen one greater than John the Baptist." 52:01 You can just imagine those disciples hurrying back to tell 52:04 John all the things that they had seen. 52:06 And they said, "You know, Jesus says not to be offended." 52:09 And then, "Oh, by the way, while we were going, 52:14 you should have heard what Jesus said about you." 52:16 And John was encouraged. He was sustained. 52:20 He was strengthened to face that final trial. 52:23 Even to the point of laying down his life. 52:26 Will God's people have their faith tested at the end of time? 52:31 Will we go through a time of trouble, 52:34 just like John the Baptist, like Elijah, 52:37 like Jeremiah, like the prophets, 52:39 like the apostles? Yes. 52:41 Matter of fact, the Bible tells us in Daniel chapter 12, 52:43 verse 1, it says: "At that time Michael shall stand up, 52:46 the great prince who stands watch over the sons of thy 52:49 people; and there will be a time of trouble, 52:51 such as never was since there was a nation, 52:53 even to that time. 52:55 But at that time thy people shall be delivered, 52:58 every one found written in the book, amen? 53:01 There will be a time of trouble, where our faith will be tested 53:05 and tried. 53:07 And we'll need to lean up upon Jesus with all of our might. 53:10 But the promise is, "We shall be delivered." 53:14 We will trust in him, and he will see us through. 53:19 Well, what a wonderful promise. 53:20 You know, I like the quote here from the book, 53:23 "Education," page 56, 57. 53:25 You've heard it before. It's one of my favorites. 53:26 It's talking about the need in these last days of men and women 53:30 willing to stand up for the truth. 53:32 And this is what it says: "The greatest wonder of the world is 53:35 the wonderful men. 53:37 Men who will not be bought or sold. 53:39 Men who, in their innermost souls, 53:41 are true and honest. 53:43 Men who do not fear to call sin by its right name. 53:46 Men whose conscience is true to duty as the needle to the pole. 53:52 Men who will stand for the right, 53:55 though the heavens fall," amen? 53:58 Do we want to be those kind of individuals that stand for the 54:02 right, though the heavens fall? 54:04 All right, some key lessons that we learned from this week, 54:07 our study of the book of Jeremiah. 54:09 Number one: believers are never left alone to face trials. 54:13 Jesus says, "I'll never leave you nor forsake you." 54:15 Point number two: the greater the pressure that comes against 54:18 us, the greater the power as we learn to trust in Jesus, 54:23 as we depend upon him. 54:25 Point number three: in the last days, 54:27 the Bible tells us there would be false teachers and false 54:30 preachers, and we are to test all things by the Word, 54:34 "To the law, to the testimony. 54:35 If they speak not according to this, 54:37 there is no light in them." 54:38 Point number four: false teaching and preaching often 54:42 leads to persecution. 54:44 The Bible actually tells us that before Jesus comes, 54:46 yes, there will be persecution against those who 54:49 stand true to God. 54:51 But God'll sustain them as they trust in him. 54:54 Point number five: the unconverted heart does not 54:58 receive the message of warning. 55:01 Did the people receive the message of warning that Jeremiah 55:04 gave them? 55:05 So don't get discouraged if you're witnessing and sharing 55:09 your faith and it's not received the way that you would expect. 55:13 Don't get discouraged. 55:15 Just be faithful in doing the things God is doing. 55:18 You know, I believe there will be many in the last days that we 55:20 have shared our faith with who, when they begin to see prophecy 55:24 fulfilled, they'll be reminded of the things that they have 55:27 heard, and they will make a stand for truth. 55:30 So don't get discouraged. 55:32 You know, if you're praying for a loved one, 55:33 family member, maybe you're praying for a son or a daughter, 55:36 don't give up praying. 55:38 Keep praying. Keep trusting. 55:40 Keep leaning on Jesus. 55:42 And then, of course, we have the promise that God gives us of 55:44 deliverance, the promise of a new heart. 55:48 I like this verse, Ezekiel 36:26, 55:51 a good verse to close on. 55:53 God says: "'I will give you a new heart. 55:55 I will put a new spirit within you; 55:57 I will take out the heart of stone out of your flesh and 56:00 give you a heart of flesh.'" 56:02 Yes, the warning message conveys a 56:04 message of hope, a message of deliverance. 56:07 And that message is for everyone. 56:10 Well, I hope that you've been blessed in your study of the 56:12 book of Jeremiah. 56:14 There's so many practical lessons, 56:15 I think, that we can apply to our everyday experience. 56:17 And I want to encourage you. 56:20 If you're not in a regular habit of studying the lesson 56:22 currently, take advantage of it. 56:24 Great opportunity to study together. 56:26 Let's close with a word of prayer. 56:27 Dear Father, we thank you so much for the opportunity that we 56:30 have to study your Word. 56:32 And we thank you for the lessons that we learn, 56:34 written so many years ago, but so relevant for the time in 56:37 which we are living. 56:38 Most of all, Lord, we pray that we might have faith even as 56:41 Jeremiah, who preached the Word despite 56:44 discouraging circumstances. 56:46 Help us to be faithful. 56:48 Thank you, Lord, for your promise to never leave us or 56:50 forsake us. 56:51 Teach us to lean up against you for power. 56:54 For we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 56:58 male announcer: Did you know that Noah was present at the 57:00 birth of Abraham? 57:01 Okay, maybe he wasn't in the room. 57:04 But he was alive, and probably telling stories about his 57:06 floating zoo. 57:08 From the creation of the world to the last day events of 57:11 Revelation, biblehistory.com is a free resource where you can 57:15 explore major Bible events and characters. 57:18 Enhance your knowledge of the Bible, 57:20 and draw closer to God's Word. 57:22 Go deeper. 57:24 Visit the amazing Bible timeline at biblehistory.com. 57:30 announcer: In 6 days, God created the heavens 57:32 and the earth. 57:34 For thousands of years, man has worshiped God on the seventh day 57:37 of the week. 57:39 Now, each week millions of people worship on the first day. 57:43 What happened? 57:44 Why did God create a day of rest? 57:46 Does it really matter what day we worship? 57:49 Who was behind this great shift? 57:51 Discover the truth behind God's law and how it was changed. 57:54 Visit sabbathtruth.com 58:00 announcer: For life-changing Christian resources, 58:02 visit afbookstore.com, or call... 58:10 [music] |
Revised 2015-10-28