[music]
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[music]
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Jean Ross: Good
morning, friends,
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and welcome again to
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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A very warm welcome
to our friends joining us
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across the country
and around the world,
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also to our online
members who faithfully tune in
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every Sabbath to join
us as we study together,
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also to our church
members here in Sacramento area.
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A very warm welcome to you.
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We know we have some
visitors that have come from,
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oh, quite a distance to
be with us this morning,
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and a very special and
warm welcome to all of you.
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Our study today is lesson
number six, entitled symbols--
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or "Symbolic Acts" is what
it's called, and we're studying
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through our lesson,
courtly dealing with the book
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of Jeremiah, the prophet.
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Just a great study that
we've been going through.
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We do have a free offer we would
like to let you know about.
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It is a--something a little
different about this offer.
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This is
"Prophecy Foundations" DVD.
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For our friends watching across
North America, if you'd like
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to receive our free
offer, the number to call is...
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That number again is...
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and you can ask for offer 814.
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We'll be happy to
send that to you, called
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"Prophecies Foundation" DVD set.
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Well, at this time I'd
like to invite our song leaders
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to come and join
me here on stage.
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And we're going to
begin our study time together
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by lifting our
voices in praise to God.
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Thank you.
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Jolyne Simler:
Thank you, Pastor Ross.
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We know that you love to
sing with us as much as we love
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to sing with you by
the emails that we receive.
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So let's sing
together "Anywhere with Jesus"
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hymn number 508, and
we'll sing all three verses.
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[music]
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go ¤
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¤ anywhere he leads
me in this world below ¤
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¤ Anywhere without him,
dearest joys would fade ¤
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I am not afraid ¤
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¤ Anywhere,
anywhere, fear I cannot know ¤
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go ¤
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I am not alone ¤
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¤ Other friends may
fail me, he is still my own ¤
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¤ Though his hand may
lead me over dreary ways ¤
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¤ anywhere with Jesus
is a house of praise ¤
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¤ Anywhere,
anywhere, fear I cannot know ¤
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go ¤
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I can go to sleep ¤
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¤ when the gloomy
shadows round about me creep ¤
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¤ Knowing I shall
waken never more to roam ¤
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¤ anywhere with Jesus
will be home sweet home ¤
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¤ Anywhere,
anywhere, fear I cannot know ¤
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¤ Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go ¤¤
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Jolyne: We know
that we can go anywhere
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with Jesus safely, don't we?
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He is with us every step of
the way, and it is his own way.
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We are going to sing now
567 "Have Thine Own Way Lord."
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And as you're singing
that I pray that you will think
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of these words that
it's Lord not my way,
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but your way and
your will that we can live
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totally in harmony
with him till he comes, 567.
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[music]
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¤ Have thine own way,
Lord, have thine own way ¤
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¤ Thou art the
Potter, I am the clay ¤
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¤ Mold me and make
me after thy will ¤
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¤ while I am
waiting yielded and still ¤
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¤ Have thine own way,
Lord, have thine own way ¤
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¤ Search me and
try me, Master, today ¤
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¤ Whiter than snow,
Lord, wash me just now ¤
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¤ as in thy
presence humbly I bow ¤
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¤ Have thine own way,
Lord, have thine own way ¤
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¤ Wounded and
weary, help me, I pray ¤
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¤ Power, all
power, surely is thine ¤
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¤ Touch me and
heal me, Savior divine ¤
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¤ Have thine own way,
Lord, have thine own way ¤
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¤ Hold over my
being absolute sway ¤
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¤ Fill with thy
Spirit till all shall see ¤
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¤ Christ only,
always, living in me ¤¤
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Jolyne: At this time
Pastor Ross will give us
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our opening prayer.
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Pastor Ross: We invite you
to bow your heads for prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven, we
thank you once again for the
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opportunity to gather
together to study your Word.
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Thank you for the special time,
the Sabbath, and Lord, as we
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open up the Scriptures we ask
that the Holy Spirit will guide
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our hearts, our minds, lead us
into clearer truth and impress
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upon us the lessons
that you would have us know.
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For we ask this
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our lesson this
morning will be brought to us
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by Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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Doug Batchelor:
Thank you, Pastor Ross.
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Morning, everyone.
It's good to be home.
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Some of you maybe
didn't know I was gone.
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But for those that didn't know
we were in Michigan for the last
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couple of weeks doing the
"Heroes of Faith" program.
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Did some of you tune into?
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Someone, come
on. I'm your pastor.
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Hold your hand up.
Just make it look good.
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And the Lord blessed.
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We had some of our
team here was there with us
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and had a great
program, heard wonderful reports
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of people that tuned
in from around the world.
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Heard about one church said they
had 21 decisions for baptism
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from the participating there,
and so it was exciting and very
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thankful for the
Lansing, Michigan, Church.
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One of dear friends,
Pastor Wes Peppers, was there.
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And just the church opened up to
us and had a wonderful program.
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Good to be home, and I'm glad
to be able to study the lesson
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with you today in Jeremiah, and
a subject of special interest
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of mine dealing with symbols.
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There's a lot of symbols in
the Bible that the Lord uses,
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especially if you're an
evangelist and you teach
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Revelation, you need to
know there's a lot of symbols,
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and what do these symbols mean?
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Jeremiah being, a prophet,
God often gave him messages
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in symbols, and so our lesson
number six is "Symbolic Acts."
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And we have a memory
verse and the memory verse
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is from Roman 9:21.
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I'll be encouraged
if you say it with me.
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Romans 9:21, are you ready?
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"Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to
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make one vessel unto honor
and another unto dishonor?"
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Talking about the potter and the
clay and that'll be addressed
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in more detail in some of
the sections that we're going
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through here in just a moment.
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So there's a number of symbols
in the Bible and maybe we should
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start by just laying
down some ground work.
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Did Jesus sometimes use
visual symbols to teach?
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He used grain.
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He used the sheep.
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He used planting,
fishing, all the things
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that people saw
in their daily life.
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Everything from flowers
to mountains, Jesus used
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a lot of the symbolic
imagery in his teaching.
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There's a quote
here in the lesson from
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"Christ Object
Lessons," page 133.
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The significance
of the Jewish economy
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is not yet fully comprehended.
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Truths vast and
profound are shadowed forth
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in its rites and symbols."
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And she says they're not
even fully understood yet.
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"The gospel is the key
that unlocks its mysteries.
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Through a knowledge of the plan
of redemption its are truths
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open to the understanding."
00:10:21.58\00:10:24.12
And so all through the Bible
there are a number of symbols
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and stories that are
used, and God teaches us
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through these things.
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And so we're gonna dive right
in, and in the first section,
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"Truth in Symbols," it
talks about just starting there
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in Genesis with the
story of Cain and Abel.
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Two sacrifices that really
highlight and illustrate two
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completely different forms
of worship and you can read
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about this in Genesis
chapter 4, verse 3 through 7.
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"And in the process of
time it came to pass that Cain
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brought an offering the fruit
of the ground unto the Lord.
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Abel also brought the firstlings
of his flock and their fat.
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And the Lord
respected Abel and his offering,
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but he did not
respect Cain and his offering.
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And Cain was very angry
and his countenance fell.
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So the Lord said to
Cain, 'If you do what is right
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won't you to be accepted?
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But if you're doing what's
wrong sin lies at the door.'"
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Anyway we all know the
story of Cain and Abel.
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At the very foundation
of the Bible you've got
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this picture of two
different kinds of worship.
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How does the Bible end?
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A battle between a
true and a false worship.
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One group is worshipping
the beast and its image.
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The other is
worshipping God biblically.
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And the one who is persecuted is
the one who is worshipping right
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by the one who is
worshipping wrong.
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I know that
sounds very simplistic,
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but that's what happened.
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Cain who had manmade worship,
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it's really
righteousness by works.
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Cain brought the
fruit of his labors
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rather than a
sacrifice, a cost of life.
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Cain's was not accepted.
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How do we know
Cain's was not accepted?
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In the early days, like
when the temple was built,
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I can think of three
times, four times in the Bible
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when fire came down from heaven.
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When God built the earthly
sanctuary in the wilderness
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and it was finished and they
activated the first sacrifice,
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fire came down from
God, showed it was accepted.
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When there was a plague in
Jerusalem, and the men were
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dying, and David offered on
the threshing floor of Araunah
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there was an angel
with a sword drawn.
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Fire came down from God to show
he had accepted the sacrifice.
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In the story of
Mount Carmel and Elijah,
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who is the true
God, Baal or Jehovah?
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Fire came down from God to show.
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And then when Solomon dedicated
the temple, says the fire of
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the Lord came down from
heaven and the glory of God
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so filled the temple they could
not even enter and minister.
00:12:52.70\00:12:56.27
So when it says Cain's
offering was not accepted,
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it meant that the fire
came and accepted Abel's
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and nothing but fruit flies,
'cause he offered vegetables
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and fruit came to Cain's.
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And he was angry and so
he persecuted his brother.
00:13:07.95\00:13:12.85
And so you got these two
different forms of worship,
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true and false.
00:13:15.12\00:13:16.26
Do you see those two themes
running through the Bible?
00:13:16.29\00:13:19.29
Did Jesus deal with
counterfeit worship with
00:13:19.33\00:13:21.53
the Pharisees and the scribes?
00:13:21.56\00:13:23.23
Do you see the prophets
addressing counterfeit worship
00:13:23.26\00:13:26.03
in their messages to
Israel when they begin
00:13:26.07\00:13:28.47
to compromise with the pagans?
00:13:28.50\00:13:30.37
And Moses warned about it, and
he tried to save the Israelites
00:13:30.41\00:13:33.24
from adopting the
ways of the Egyptians
00:13:33.27\00:13:35.24
with the golden calf
and the Ten Commandments,
00:13:35.28\00:13:37.38
two opposite forms of worship.
00:13:37.41\00:13:39.05
And it's the
theme in the last days.
00:13:39.08\00:13:42.08
True worship and false worship
and you'll be called legalistic
00:13:42.12\00:13:45.42
if you make a big deal about
the particulars of worship,
00:13:45.45\00:13:50.26
but God does.
00:13:50.29\00:13:51.89
He cares how we worship
him, because how you worship him
00:13:51.93\00:13:55.16
says something about who he
is, and that's very important.
00:13:55.20\00:13:58.67
All right, so that's one symbol.
00:13:58.70\00:14:00.67
Now then there's another
prominent symbol that we find
00:14:00.70\00:14:02.84
and Jesus refers to this one.
00:14:02.87\00:14:04.37
You remember in John
chapter 3 and verse 15 he says,
00:14:04.41\00:14:08.08
"As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness,
00:14:08.11\00:14:10.81
even so the Son of
man should be lifted up
00:14:10.85\00:14:13.48
that whosoever believeth
in him shall not perish,
00:14:13.52\00:14:15.82
but have everlasting life."
00:14:15.85\00:14:17.32
And then we all know John 3:16.
00:14:17.35\00:14:19.85
As Moses lifted up the serpent,
that harkens back to a story you
00:14:19.89\00:14:23.36
kind in Numbers 21, verse
8, if you've got your Bibles,
00:14:23.39\00:14:26.76
and there's a symbol
here, an important symbol.
00:14:26.80\00:14:30.80
"Then the Lord said to
Moses all the children--
00:14:30.83\00:14:33.70
let me give you
the background story.
00:14:33.74\00:14:35.70
Most of you know it, but
the children of Israel began
00:14:35.74\00:14:38.21
to complain, manna,
manna, manna every day.
00:14:38.24\00:14:40.81
Manna for breakfast.
00:14:40.84\00:14:41.91
Manna for lunch, manna
sandwiches, manna porridge,
00:14:41.94\00:14:43.81
manna casserole, manna, manna.
00:14:43.85\00:14:45.31
We wish we were back in Egypt.
00:14:45.35\00:14:46.65
And they began to complain about
the manna that God gave 'em
00:14:46.68\00:14:49.18
bread from heaven.
00:14:49.22\00:14:50.69
And so the Lord was displeased.
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.02
He withdrew his protection and
there was a plague of serpents.
00:14:52.05\00:14:55.99
Now it is true that in
some parts of the country in
00:14:56.02\00:14:58.53
springtime snakes can
begin to breed, and hatch out
00:14:58.56\00:15:02.96
in just enormous numbers,
and these snakes were not like
00:15:03.00\00:15:07.07
your garden snakes.
00:15:07.10\00:15:08.47
They were actually
venomous, and so there was
00:15:08.50\00:15:11.21
a plague of
serpents that broke out,
00:15:11.24\00:15:13.24
and they were
finding snakes in their boots
00:15:13.27\00:15:15.24
and in their
clothes and in their tents
00:15:15.28\00:15:17.25
and they were being bitten.
00:15:17.28\00:15:18.85
And they were
dying from the bites.
00:15:18.88\00:15:22.22
And so God told Moses,
"Make a fiery serpent."
00:15:22.25\00:15:26.52
They called it
the fiery serpent.
00:15:26.55\00:15:28.52
We're not sure.
00:15:28.56\00:15:29.52
It could've been
because he had a fiery red color
00:15:29.56\00:15:31.53
or it could've been the fiery
burning nature of their sting,
00:15:31.56\00:15:33.66
but they called
them fiery serpents.
00:15:33.70\00:15:36.43
"Make a fiery serpent and set
it on the pole, and it shall be
00:15:36.46\00:15:41.44
that whoever is bitten
when he looks at it shall live."
00:15:41.47\00:15:45.37
So Moses made a bronze
serpent and put it on a pole.
00:15:45.41\00:15:49.18
Obviously a pole so it could be
lifted up and if a serpent had
00:15:49.21\00:15:52.78
bitten anybody when he looked
at bronze serpent he lived.
00:15:52.81\00:15:57.75
Now God did not want them
to worship the bronze serpent,
00:15:57.79\00:16:00.36
'cause years later they had
actually kept that as a relic,
00:16:00.39\00:16:03.43
and in the days of Hezekiah he
saw people were burning incense
00:16:03.46\00:16:06.36
to this ancient bronze
serpent that Moses had made,
00:16:06.39\00:16:09.13
and Hezekiah crushed it.
00:16:09.16\00:16:10.20
He said, "You're
turning to idolatry.
00:16:10.23\00:16:12.20
That's not what
this is all about."
00:16:12.23\00:16:14.20
That serpent was supposed
to be a symbol of the sacrifice
00:16:14.24\00:16:18.54
of Christ, but when it
happened they did not know.
00:16:18.57\00:16:21.81
What did a serpent
on a stick represent
00:16:21.84\00:16:24.45
to a nation of shepherds?
00:16:24.48\00:16:27.52
Did shepherds carry staffs?
00:16:27.55\00:16:30.72
Are snakes a
problem for sheep and goats?
00:16:30.75\00:16:32.89
Do you know if you have
pigs can by--or rather pigs
00:16:32.92\00:16:37.99
can be bitten
by snakes and live.
00:16:38.03\00:16:40.43
And we had a dog that
was bitten by a rattlesnake
00:16:40.46\00:16:42.56
and his neck swole up,
but they live through it.
00:16:42.60\00:16:45.00
But sheep and goats
they're like people.
00:16:45.03\00:16:47.00
They're a lot more vulnerable.
00:16:47.04\00:16:48.00
They will die.
00:16:48.04\00:16:49.20
They'll seize up and they'll
die from a venomous snake bite.
00:16:49.24\00:16:52.21
So when the shepherd saw
a serpent that was anywhere
00:16:52.24\00:16:56.68
near their sheep they
would clobber it and then
00:16:56.71\00:17:00.52
because they're venomous
you don't leave them there
00:17:00.55\00:17:02.52
on the ground, 'cause if
someone steps on it barefoot,
00:17:02.55\00:17:04.52
the skeleton teeth of a
dead rattlesnake can actually
00:17:04.55\00:17:08.62
still cause an
infection and pain
00:17:08.66\00:17:10.63
and problems for a person.
00:17:10.66\00:17:12.33
So you bury it.
00:17:12.36\00:17:14.00
And so whenever you saw a
shepherd carrying a serpent
00:17:14.03\00:17:17.17
on a stick it meant
there is a dead snake
00:17:17.20\00:17:20.20
going off to a funeral.
00:17:20.24\00:17:22.97
And so when they saw this
serpent up on a pole that to
00:17:23.00\00:17:27.01
them, as shepherds,
represented a defeated serpent.
00:17:27.04\00:17:32.08
Now we know what
that represents for us.
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.08
When Jesus died on the cross and
we look by faith at the cross
00:17:34.12\00:17:38.02
we are saved from sin by that.
00:17:38.05\00:17:39.79
And so this was a
symbol of salvation.
00:17:39.82\00:17:43.02
Looking in faith--matter
of fact, you can read
00:17:43.06\00:17:45.43
in "Patriarchs and Prophets."
00:17:45.46\00:17:47.23
There the author says, "The
Israelites saved their lives
00:17:47.30\00:17:50.53
by looking upon
the uplifted serpent.
00:17:50.57\00:17:52.77
That look implied faith.
00:17:52.80\00:17:55.27
They lived because they believed
the Word of God and trusted
00:17:55.30\00:17:58.74
the means provided
for their recovery."
00:17:58.77\00:18:00.98
And then as time goes
by, because Jesus said,
00:18:01.01\00:18:03.68
"As Moses lifted up the
serpent, even so the Son of man
00:18:03.71\00:18:06.82
should be lifted up,"
00:18:06.85\00:18:07.92
we know there's a
bigger meaning in that,
00:18:07.95\00:18:10.39
that it symbolized
Christ being lifted up.
00:18:10.42\00:18:12.55
Christ said, "If I am
lifted up I will draw all men.
00:18:12.59\00:18:15.59
What does lifted up mean?
00:18:15.62\00:18:17.36
Crucifixion right?
00:18:17.39\00:18:20.56
And so no Jesus was not
the serpent, but he became sin
00:18:20.60\00:18:24.27
for us who knew no sin.
00:18:24.30\00:18:25.87
All right, somebody
look up for me Psalm 91.
00:18:25.90\00:18:28.90
I think we gave that out.
00:18:28.94\00:18:30.27
Who's got that, Alberto?
00:18:30.31\00:18:31.27
All right you'll be next.
00:18:31.31\00:18:32.67
Meantime I'm going to
read Genesis 3, verse 14-15.
00:18:32.71\00:18:36.41
Still talking about the serpent.
00:18:36.44\00:18:39.78
If you look here it says, "So
the Lord said to the serpent,
00:18:39.81\00:18:42.98
'Because you've done
this you are cursed more than
00:18:43.02\00:18:45.79
all cattle and more
than any beast of the field.
00:18:45.82\00:18:49.49
On your belly you will go and
eat dust all the days of your
00:18:49.52\00:18:52.79
life and I'll put enmity
between you and the woman,
00:18:52.83\00:18:55.43
between your seed and her seed.
00:18:55.46\00:18:57.87
It shall bruise your head
and you shall bruise his heel.'"
00:18:57.90\00:19:01.37
Does the serpent have a
symbolic meaning in the Bible?
00:19:01.40\00:19:06.34
You know Jesus said in, and
I'm not seeing too many in North
00:19:06.37\00:19:10.18
America practice this, but
Jesus said in Mark chapter 16,
00:19:10.21\00:19:15.42
"And you will take up
serpents and if you drink
00:19:15.45\00:19:17.42
any deadly thing
it will not hurt you."
00:19:17.45\00:19:19.42
Did Jesus really want us
going around on snake safaris?
00:19:19.45\00:19:23.73
So what does a
serpent represent?
00:19:23.76\00:19:26.06
Go ahead, and why
don't you read Psalm 91:13?
00:19:26.09\00:19:29.60
Alberto: "You shall tread
upon the lion and the cobra.
00:19:29.63\00:19:32.53
The young lion and the serpent
you shall trample underfoot."
00:19:32.57\00:19:36.34
Pastor Doug: Are we
supposed to go around
00:19:36.37\00:19:37.67
stomping on lions and snakes?
00:19:37.71\00:19:41.14
When God--when the devil
spoke through the serpent
00:19:41.18\00:19:44.65
from then on the
serpent became a symbol of what?
00:19:44.68\00:19:47.32
When you go to
Revelation 12 that old dragon,
00:19:47.35\00:19:53.89
the serpent and the devil.
00:19:53.92\00:19:57.46
So who is the serpent?
00:19:57.49\00:19:59.56
It's symbolic for the devil,
because it was the devil that
00:19:59.59\00:20:01.83
had possessed the first
serpent and so through his--
00:20:01.86\00:20:04.97
so when it says, "You
will tread upon the serpent,"
00:20:05.00\00:20:07.00
it's talking, yeah.
00:20:09.24\00:20:10.21
And in the lion.
00:20:10.24\00:20:11.54
The devil goes
around as a roaring lion.
00:20:11.57\00:20:13.91
All right, so
through the Bible you'll see,
00:20:13.94\00:20:15.91
and when Samson kills a
lion and David kills a lion,
00:20:15.94\00:20:19.35
these are talking
about types of Christs
00:20:19.38\00:20:21.35
taking on the devil so forth.
00:20:21.38\00:20:22.48
The lions could not
keep Daniel in the den.
00:20:22.52\00:20:25.22
The devil could not
keep Jesus in the tomb.
00:20:25.25\00:20:27.76
So now I'm getting
beyond the lesson a little bit,
00:20:27.79\00:20:29.76
but you get the point.
00:20:29.79\00:20:31.16
Okay, now we're going to
go to Jeremiah's prophecy.
00:20:31.19\00:20:33.60
So far that was just talking
about some of the symbols.
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.86
Go to Jeremiahs
prophecy in chapter 18.
00:20:35.90\00:20:38.27
And we'll be
reading verse 1 through 4.
00:20:38.30\00:20:42.74
This is the prophecy
dealing with the potter's clay,
00:20:42.77\00:20:47.74
Jeremiah 18:1 to 4.
00:20:47.78\00:20:49.98
And it says, "The Word came to
Jeremiah from the Lord saying,
00:20:50.01\00:20:54.22
'Arise and go down
to the potter's house
00:20:54.25\00:20:56.75
and there I will cause
you to hear my words.'"
00:20:56.79\00:20:58.95
He said, "I'm
not telling you yet.
00:20:58.99\00:21:00.96
You go and I'll tell you."
00:21:00.99\00:21:02.29
"So I went down to the potter's
house and there he was making,
00:21:02.32\00:21:05.89
he was at the
wheel and the vessel
00:21:05.93\00:21:08.86
that the potter
made was marred."
00:21:08.90\00:21:10.87
Any of you have ever
seen a potter working
00:21:10.90\00:21:12.87
with a potter's wheel?
00:21:12.90\00:21:14.10
They're all motorized now, but
you can still today go to India,
00:21:14.14\00:21:18.81
and Africa, and
some parts of the world,
00:21:18.84\00:21:20.81
and you'll see a potter,
and what they've got is like
00:21:20.84\00:21:22.88
a big axle with
some kind of a bearing,
00:21:22.91\00:21:25.25
and it's a big flat
table, and you'll see them
00:21:25.28\00:21:27.45
take their foot, and very
dexterously they are spinning
00:21:27.48\00:21:30.85
the wheel with their foot.
00:21:30.89\00:21:32.69
Some of you remember the old
treadle sewing machines where
00:21:32.72\00:21:34.69
you actually had to make the fly
wheel go, I had one of those,
00:21:34.72\00:21:37.16
with your foot
and it worked, Singer,
00:21:37.19\00:21:39.16
old Singer
treadle sewing machine.
00:21:39.19\00:21:41.13
Anyway so they're spinning
it, and they got a lump of clay,
00:21:41.16\00:21:43.13
and they get it
going fast enough.
00:21:43.16\00:21:45.13
It's got quite a bit,
it's like a big fly wheel.
00:21:45.17\00:21:47.14
It's got quite a
bit of weight to it.
00:21:47.17\00:21:49.14
So it going.
00:21:49.17\00:21:50.14
It's got a lot of momentum.
00:21:50.17\00:21:51.37
And they take a big old blob
of soft clay and they slap it.
00:21:51.41\00:21:53.14
And they know how to
get it right in the middle,
00:21:53.17\00:21:55.14
and they start working
it, and they center it,
00:21:55.18\00:21:57.15
and they begin to
shape it, and press it.
00:21:57.18\00:21:59.15
They'll hammer it down, and
they start getting the air out.
00:21:59.18\00:22:01.15
They start making something,
00:22:01.18\00:22:02.15
and it gets
spinning pretty quick,
00:22:02.18\00:22:04.15
and when they're doing
the final work on the edges
00:22:04.19\00:22:06.15
if they wiggle, or
sneeze, or something,
00:22:06.19\00:22:08.16
once it gets out of
center and it wobbles
00:22:08.19\00:22:10.16
and it just...
00:22:10.19\00:22:11.16
the whole thing
just falls apart.
00:22:11.19\00:22:13.16
Have any of you
have ever seen this?
00:22:13.19\00:22:15.13
So they had to have a
steady hand to do that.
00:22:15.16\00:22:17.13
So that's why Jeremiah
says, the potter was working
00:22:17.17\00:22:19.70
and it says, "The vessel
that he made of clay was marred,
00:22:19.73\00:22:24.47
it was disfigured in
the hand of the potter.
00:22:24.51\00:22:26.57
It flopped.
00:22:26.61\00:22:28.48
So he pounded it down and made
it again into another vessel
00:22:28.51\00:22:31.98
as seen good to
the potter to make.
00:22:32.01\00:22:34.62
Then the Word of the
Lord came to me saying,
00:22:34.65\00:22:37.59
'Oh house of Israel, can I
not do with you as the potter?'
00:22:37.62\00:22:40.39
says the Lord.
00:22:40.42\00:22:41.62
'Look, as the clay
is in the potter's hands
00:22:41.66\00:22:43.63
so are you in my
hand, O house of Israel.
00:22:43.66\00:22:47.03
The instant I speak concerning
a nation, concerning a kingdom
00:22:47.10\00:22:50.47
to pluck it up, to pull it down,
to destroy it, if that nation
00:22:50.50\00:22:54.24
who I have spoken to turns
from it's evil I will relent
00:22:54.27\00:22:58.94
of the disaster that I
thought to bring upon it.'"
00:22:58.97\00:23:02.08
He saying,
"Look, I am the potter.
00:23:02.11\00:23:04.08
You are the clay."
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.01
We were just singing
about that a minute ago.
00:23:05.05\00:23:07.08
"And at my will I
can change what I planned
00:23:07.12\00:23:11.12
to make out of you."
00:23:11.15\00:23:13.39
Now can you think of a
nation that God had destined
00:23:13.42\00:23:15.72
for destruction, but
they repented and he changed?
00:23:15.76\00:23:19.63
Nineveh in the time of Jonah.
00:23:19.66\00:23:20.86
A lot of people say, "Oh, I
guess Jonah wasn't a prophet."
00:23:20.90\00:23:23.16
He said it would be destroyed.
00:23:23.20\00:23:24.37
He marched up
and down the street.
00:23:24.40\00:23:26.37
He said, 'Forty days
Nineveh will be destroyed."
00:23:26.40\00:23:28.74
They repented and
he didn't destroy it.
00:23:28.77\00:23:30.74
And they say, "Oh, I
guess he wasn't a profit."
00:23:30.77\00:23:33.24
God says, "No.
00:23:33.27\00:23:34.94
I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked.
00:23:34.98\00:23:36.95
I want them to repent."
00:23:36.98\00:23:38.81
And so he's saying,
"Look, it also is true
00:23:38.85\00:23:41.48
if a wicked nation repents I
will relent of destroying it.
00:23:41.52\00:23:46.42
If a nation I promised to bless
turns from their righteousness
00:23:46.45\00:23:50.76
I can change my
plans for them and punish."
00:23:50.79\00:23:54.66
The children of Israel said,
"We're God's chosen people.
00:23:54.73\00:23:57.10
You brought us out of Egypt.
00:23:57.13\00:23:58.13
You did all those miracles.
00:23:58.17\00:23:59.17
Your temple is in our midst.
00:23:59.20\00:24:00.27
We're your people."
00:24:00.30\00:24:01.54
But they were turning
to sin and God is saying,
00:24:01.57\00:24:03.54
"Look, I can change what
I'm going to do with you."
00:24:03.57\00:24:06.74
And that's the message that
he's trying to give him here.
00:24:06.78\00:24:09.04
And you look, for
instance, in Isaiah 29.
00:24:09.08\00:24:15.35
Somebody down here
has got Isaiah 64, okay?
00:24:15.38\00:24:18.45
I'm gonna read Isaiah 29:16.
00:24:18.49\00:24:22.06
"Surely you have
turned things around.
00:24:22.09\00:24:24.23
Shall the potter be
esteemed as the clay?
00:24:24.26\00:24:27.20
For shall the thing
made say to him who made it
00:24:27.23\00:24:31.10
he did not make me?
00:24:31.13\00:24:32.77
Or shall the thing
formed say to him who formed it
00:24:32.80\00:24:35.70
he has no understanding?"
00:24:35.74\00:24:38.64
It's always strange
when you hear an atheist say,
00:24:38.67\00:24:41.38
"I happened by accident,"
and "There is no God."
00:24:41.41\00:24:44.95
And you know God is
looking down and he's going,
00:24:44.98\00:24:48.15
"You're denying
that I made you."
00:24:48.18\00:24:50.15
And this is what
the nation is doing.
00:24:50.19\00:24:53.66
They're saying, "No,
you didn't raise us up."
00:24:53.69\00:24:55.89
You can also look in,
these are a couple of verses
00:24:55.92\00:24:58.19
dealing with vessels.
00:24:58.23\00:24:59.19
You can look in Isaiah 45:9.
00:24:59.23\00:25:02.06
"Woe to him who
strives with his maker.
00:25:02.10\00:25:05.40
Let the potsherd," Now potsherd
is a broken piece of pottery.
00:25:05.43\00:25:09.10
It's what Job used to
scrape himself when he
00:25:09.14\00:25:11.21
was mourning and from his boils.
00:25:11.24\00:25:13.38
It says, "Will
the potsherd strived
00:25:13.41\00:25:16.31
with the potsherds of the earth?
00:25:16.34\00:25:20.58
Shall the clay say
to him who forms it,
00:25:20.62\00:25:23.12
'What are you making?'
00:25:23.15\00:25:24.45
or shall the handiwork
says, 'He has no hands?'"
00:25:24.49\00:25:27.96
You know what always struck me
as peculiar and I haven't really
00:25:27.99\00:25:31.29
figured out how to deal with it.
00:25:31.33\00:25:33.83
How does the devil who goes way
back with God and saw God create
00:25:33.86\00:25:38.50
many things and the devil,
Lucifer, knows that God is
00:25:38.53\00:25:40.67
the creator, how does Lucifer
grapple with the idea that he
00:25:40.70\00:25:43.81
as the creation that he could
somehow over throw the creator?
00:25:43.84\00:25:47.84
Isn't it madness to think
that the creation can somehow
00:25:47.88\00:25:52.15
have more power
than the creator?
00:25:52.18\00:25:54.15
But if we're made less than
angels, the Bible says we are,
00:25:54.18\00:25:58.55
and if Lucifer was the greatest
of the angels than can human
00:25:58.59\00:26:03.22
deceive themself too that
somehow they can manipulate
00:26:03.26\00:26:07.23
the maker and they're
just the, we're just the clay.
00:26:07.23\00:26:11.50
What did God make Adam out of?
00:26:11.53\00:26:14.84
There's not a big difference
between dust and clay is there?
00:26:14.87\00:26:19.21
And so here we are.
We're just the clay, you know?
00:26:19.24\00:26:22.04
And have you heard of the story
in the Bible where Jesus took
00:26:22.08\00:26:24.45
some dust, and he spat on it,
and he made clay, and he put it
00:26:24.48\00:26:28.35
on a man's eyes,
and he healed him?
00:26:28.38\00:26:30.39
Yeah, so there's a healing
that came from the clay itself.
00:26:30.42\00:26:33.49
All right, go ahead read
for us, please, Isaiah 68.
00:26:33.52\00:26:38.16
female: "But now, O
Lord, you are our Father.
00:26:38.19\00:26:41.70
We are the clay
and you our potter
00:26:41.73\00:26:44.93
and all we are the
work of your hand."
00:26:44.97\00:26:48.94
Pastor Doug: Yeah, Karen
and I had a long discussion
00:26:48.97\00:26:50.94
this morning about
praying according to God's will.
00:26:50.97\00:26:56.41
Sometimes we pray and we
tell God, "This is what you're
00:26:56.44\00:26:58.71
supposed to do with my life."
00:26:58.75\00:27:00.92
And we say,
"This is what I want"
00:27:00.95\00:27:02.92
and "Lord, how come you
didn't answer my prayer?"
00:27:02.95\00:27:04.92
We don't always have submission
to his will in our prayers.
00:27:04.95\00:27:10.13
We say, "Lord,
you gotta do this,
00:27:10.16\00:27:11.79
you gotta fix it, you
gotta give me this job,
00:27:11.83\00:27:13.43
you gotta heal
me, you gotta do this,
00:27:13.46\00:27:15.06
and if you don't do
what I'm telling you to do,
00:27:15.10\00:27:16.60
then you're not real."
00:27:16.63\00:27:18.63
But maybe God is
saying, "You pray about it.
00:27:18.67\00:27:21.20
That's fine, but I
might have a different answer
00:27:21.24\00:27:24.91
than you anticipate,
part of my perfect will."
00:27:24.94\00:27:28.44
That means are you gonna
be pliable clay in his hands
00:27:28.48\00:27:33.11
so he can shape you?
00:27:33.15\00:27:34.82
Or are we gonna be resistant
and hard and so you crack
00:27:34.85\00:27:38.32
in the potter's hands?
00:27:38.35\00:27:40.16
Romans, now this gets
really deep in theology.
00:27:40.19\00:27:43.53
This is one of the great
mysteries that the Christians
00:27:43.56\00:27:45.53
have argued about for ages.
00:27:45.56\00:27:47.00
Romans 9:17, "For the
Scripture says to the pharaoh,
00:27:47.03\00:27:53.34
'For this very purpose
I have raised you up.'"
00:27:53.37\00:27:55.90
He's quoting from
the Old Testament.
00:27:55.94\00:27:58.91
"God said to pharaoh, 'For this
purpose I have raised you up
00:27:58.94\00:28:01.14
that I might show my
power in you and that my name
00:28:01.18\00:28:03.81
might be declared
in all the earth.'
00:28:03.85\00:28:05.81
Therefore he has mercy
on whom he will and whom
00:28:05.85\00:28:08.65
he will he hardens.
00:28:08.68\00:28:11.82
And you'll say to me then,
"Why does he still find fault
00:28:11.85\00:28:14.72
for who has resisted his will?
00:28:14.76\00:28:16.19
But indeed, old man, who
are you to reply against God?
00:28:16.22\00:28:19.59
Will the thing formed
say to him who formed it,
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.46
'Why did you make me like this?'
00:28:22.50\00:28:24.47
Does the potter have power
over the clay from one lump
00:28:24.50\00:28:28.04
to make one vessel for
honor and another for dishonor?"
00:28:28.07\00:28:31.54
Now do you see what
the problem is here?
00:28:31.57\00:28:36.54
Did God make the
pharaoh hard-hearted so that he
00:28:36.58\00:28:40.32
can use him as an
example to talk about his power?
00:28:40.35\00:28:43.89
This is where we're
talking about free will
00:28:47.19\00:28:49.99
and predestination,
which is a big debate.
00:28:50.03\00:28:52.69
It says here God
hardened pharaohs heart.
00:28:54.96\00:28:58.63
But you know you can
read two or three other verses
00:28:58.67\00:29:00.64
in Exodus where it says,
"Pharaoh hardened his heart."
00:29:00.67\00:29:03.07
In the Hebrew mind in
the Old Testament you'll find
00:29:06.27\00:29:08.54
that God often is
given credit for everything.
00:29:08.58\00:29:13.25
Says, "Shall not good
come from the hand of the Lord
00:29:13.28\00:29:15.25
and evil also?"
00:29:15.28\00:29:16.25
Isn't that what Job said?
00:29:16.28\00:29:18.22
But the Bible says every good
and perfect gift is from God.
00:29:18.25\00:29:20.39
What they mean is that God is
sovereign and for evil to come
00:29:20.42\00:29:24.93
he must allow certain things.
00:29:24.96\00:29:27.66
If God wants to
make a bad person
00:29:27.66\00:29:30.23
say something good, he can.
00:29:30.27\00:29:33.90
Did he do it with Balaam?
00:29:33.94\00:29:35.90
When Balaam tried to
curse he couldn't when blessing
00:29:35.94\00:29:38.91
came out of his mouth.
00:29:38.94\00:29:41.38
And in the same way you know
the Lord can choose to change
00:29:41.41\00:29:48.08
a person's intended direction,
but ultimately a person is saved
00:29:48.12\00:29:52.12
based on how they respond
to the providence of God.
00:29:52.15\00:29:57.99
The things, the plagues, the
events that God sent upon Egypt,
00:29:58.03\00:30:02.33
pharaoh could have
softened his heart,
00:30:02.36\00:30:04.93
but pharaoh hardened his heart.
00:30:04.97\00:30:07.20
Now some people say God
hardened pharaoh's heart,
00:30:07.24\00:30:09.20
'cause God sent
the circumstances.
00:30:09.24\00:30:11.21
You see what I'm saying?
00:30:11.24\00:30:12.31
It is true God sent the
circumstances, but pharaoh
00:30:12.34\00:30:14.44
had a choice of how to
respond to the circumstances.
00:30:14.48\00:30:18.78
Otherwise why would the Lord
say, "As for me and my house,
00:30:18.81\00:30:23.55
we will serve the Lord.
00:30:23.59\00:30:24.55
Choose ye this day
who you will serve."
00:30:24.59\00:30:26.55
If you have no choice,
if God is up in the sky
00:30:26.59\00:30:31.13
as the Greek gods used to
make it look, kind of going,
00:30:31.16\00:30:34.73
eeny-meeny-miny-moe.
00:30:34.73\00:30:35.86
I'm gonna save you and
you're lost and I need someone
00:30:35.90\00:30:38.57
to be the fall guy.
00:30:38.60\00:30:39.83
I'll call you Judas and you're
gonna be the one to betray me.
00:30:39.87\00:30:41.94
Otherwise, I know
you wanted to be good,
00:30:41.97\00:30:43.94
but you don't have a choice.
00:30:43.97\00:30:44.94
I need someone
to be the fall guy.
00:30:44.97\00:30:46.94
So, Judas, you're going to
betray me and hang yourself.
00:30:46.98\00:30:48.94
Sorry, I'm the
potter, you're the clay."
00:30:48.98\00:30:51.18
Is that what God did with Judas?
00:30:51.21\00:30:53.28
Or was Jesus
anxious to save Judas?
00:30:53.31\00:30:55.28
Did Judas have an
opportunity to be saved?
00:30:55.32\00:30:59.59
And then people will say,
00:30:59.62\00:31:01.96
"But someone had
to be the betrayer."
00:31:01.99\00:31:04.79
I don't know how
God would have done it.
00:31:04.83\00:31:06.80
Those hypothetical questions
can go forever and ever,
00:31:06.83\00:31:09.13
but he would have
worked it out another way
00:31:09.16\00:31:12.00
or he never would have
foretold it was a betrayer,
00:31:12.03\00:31:14.50
but God knew down through
time how it was going to happen.
00:31:14.54\00:31:16.97
You see, God knows.
00:31:17.01\00:31:18.74
It's like now with
weather satellites the accuracy
00:31:18.77\00:31:23.75
of weather
prediction is getting better.
00:31:23.78\00:31:25.75
Still not perfect,
but it's a lot better.
00:31:25.78\00:31:27.75
They can look
and they could say,
00:31:27.78\00:31:29.75
"We see this front
moving in you direction.
00:31:29.78\00:31:31.75
You're gonna get some rain.
00:31:31.79\00:31:32.75
You're gonna get some wind."
00:31:32.79\00:31:33.99
And usually they're getting
closer and closer, 'cause they
00:31:34.02\00:31:35.76
have a perspective from
the sky that we don't have.
00:31:35.79\00:31:39.33
They get a big picture.
00:31:39.36\00:31:40.33
They can look miles away.
00:31:40.36\00:31:41.76
They can look
thousands of miles away and say,
00:31:41.80\00:31:43.77
"A hurricane is
gonna hit in a week."
00:31:43.80\00:31:45.77
And they track it with computers
and models and that's man
00:31:45.80\00:31:51.11
making his best guess, but they
have a higher perspective now.
00:31:51.14\00:31:55.31
How good is God's
perspective of the future?
00:31:55.34\00:31:58.75
Is it better than a
satellite and a weatherman?
00:31:58.78\00:32:02.22
He can look 1,000
years into the future
00:32:02.25\00:32:04.22
with his perspective.
00:32:04.25\00:32:05.45
So could God predict thousands
of years in advance exactly
00:32:05.49\00:32:08.12
how Judas was going to respond?
00:32:08.16\00:32:10.73
But who made the choice?
00:32:10.76\00:32:13.06
See this is the important point.
00:32:13.09\00:32:15.26
Judas chose how to respond.
00:32:15.30\00:32:17.63
Now what about a person who's
born with maybe some handicap
00:32:17.67\00:32:20.70
and you're lacking in some gifts
and you shake your fist at God
00:32:20.74\00:32:23.54
and say, "How come
all these other people
00:32:23.57\00:32:25.54
are pretty and I'm not?
00:32:25.57\00:32:26.54
How come they got
these talents and I don't?
00:32:26.57\00:32:28.68
How come I'm
handicapped and they're not?"
00:32:28.71\00:32:31.58
Well, that's a place where you
might say, "Shall the thing made
00:32:31.61\00:32:35.02
say to the one that made
it, 'Why do you make me thus?'
00:32:35.05\00:32:38.82
Will the clay
protest against the potter?"
00:32:38.85\00:32:41.72
There's some things where God
is sovereign and we just need
00:32:41.76\00:32:44.33
to surrender and
say, "Lord, this is what
00:32:44.36\00:32:46.33
I've got to work with.
00:32:46.36\00:32:47.30
I will do my best
with the free will I have
00:32:47.30\00:32:49.60
to work with
these circumstances.
00:32:49.63\00:32:51.60
I've been born into this body,
these talents to serve you."
00:32:51.63\00:32:54.80
That's where you just
need to surrender and say,
00:32:54.84\00:32:56.81
"He's the potter."
00:32:56.84\00:32:57.77
But it doesn't mean we
don't have a free will.
00:32:57.81\00:32:59.81
You see the
difference between the two?
00:32:59.84\00:33:01.91
All right, so moving along here.
00:33:01.94\00:33:04.71
Acts 19:5, "But
the Lord said to him."
00:33:04.75\00:33:08.12
I'm gonna look
at several vessels.
00:33:08.15\00:33:10.82
We're talking
about symbols here.
00:33:10.85\00:33:12.82
Through the Bible vessels
are often symbols of people.
00:33:12.85\00:33:18.56
Acts 19:5, "The
Lord said to him--"
00:33:21.26\00:33:23.93
Or 9:5.
00:33:23.97\00:33:24.93
Try that one more time.
00:33:24.97\00:33:27.04
Acts 9:15, "The
Lord said to Ananias,
00:33:27.07\00:33:31.14
"Go, for he is a
chosen vessel of mine."
00:33:31.17\00:33:34.01
He's telling him to
go lay hands on Paul.
00:33:34.04\00:33:36.31
He doesn't wanna do it.
00:33:36.34\00:33:37.28
He says, "Paul, man,
he's been persecuted."
00:33:37.31\00:33:39.31
He said, "No.
00:33:39.35\00:33:40.28
Paul is actually
gonna be a great apostle.
00:33:40.32\00:33:43.35
He's not gonna be an
enemy of Christianity.
00:33:43.39\00:33:45.42
You go lay hands on him.
00:33:45.45\00:33:46.62
He's a vessel of mine."
00:33:46.65\00:33:47.82
What does he mean vessel?
00:33:47.86\00:33:49.86
What are vessels for?
00:33:51.56\00:33:52.93
What do you do with a vessel?
00:33:52.96\00:33:57.73
They hold things, right?
00:33:57.77\00:34:00.07
And we're supposed
to be vessels that are
00:34:00.10\00:34:02.34
filled with God's Spirit.
00:34:02.37\00:34:06.54
Vessels are used to save.
00:34:06.57\00:34:08.11
What was Moses put in when
he was plucked from the river?
00:34:08.14\00:34:12.65
Put in a vessel.
00:34:12.68\00:34:14.65
What did God use to
save Noah and his family?
00:34:14.68\00:34:17.82
Used a vessel.
00:34:17.85\00:34:19.32
That's what a ship
is called, a vessel.
00:34:19.35\00:34:21.32
The Ark of the Covenant
that held the Ten Commandments,
00:34:21.36\00:34:25.59
it's a vessel.
00:34:25.63\00:34:26.76
You've got these.
00:34:26.80\00:34:27.76
Any of you ever
heard of the Holy Grail?
00:34:27.76\00:34:30.60
That's of course a legend, it's
not true, but it's a legend that
00:34:30.63\00:34:33.74
came during the Gothic
era that somewhere somebody
00:34:33.77\00:34:37.41
and managed to carry
off from the Last Supper
00:34:37.44\00:34:40.14
the actual plate
where the lamb was, or--
00:34:40.18\00:34:42.91
it goes back and forth--
00:34:42.94\00:34:43.85
or it's the cup
that Jesus passed around.
00:34:43.88\00:34:45.91
They say it was one cup he
passed around, and if you could
00:34:45.95\00:34:49.45
just find that plate or that
cup, one of those vessels, and
00:34:49.48\00:34:53.05
you could eat from it or drink
from it you'd have some kind of
00:34:53.09\00:34:55.26
supernatural powers, and
people went on great prilgrimage
00:34:55.29\00:34:57.93
to find the Holy
Grail and they figured,
00:34:57.96\00:35:00.66
"Boy, if you could
drink from the cup."
00:35:00.70\00:35:02.63
You know the last thing in
the world the disciples were
00:35:02.66\00:35:04.63
thinking of, I don't
know if you heard this,
00:35:04.67\00:35:07.50
but when Pope
Francis spoke to Congress
00:35:07.54\00:35:12.07
they had a cup of water.
00:35:12.11\00:35:14.04
He took the cup.
00:35:14.08\00:35:15.24
He took a sip of
it and he put it down.
00:35:15.28\00:35:17.25
He may have
taken two sips of it.
00:35:17.28\00:35:19.25
Most of it was full.
00:35:19.28\00:35:20.38
Immediately after he
walked off the platform one of
00:35:20.42\00:35:22.72
the congressman ran
up and grabbed the cup.
00:35:22.75\00:35:24.89
How many of you
heard about that?
00:35:24.92\00:35:27.66
He took it back to his office
where his staffers, Catholics,
00:35:27.69\00:35:31.16
were taking the water
and sprinkling each other.
00:35:31.19\00:35:33.76
And then they
decide, "Let's just save it.
00:35:33.80\00:35:35.73
"And someone
said, "You stole it."
00:35:35.76\00:35:37.73
He said, "No, I'm
gonna pay for the cup."
00:35:37.77\00:35:39.73
But to them that
was the Holy Grail.
00:35:39.77\00:35:42.97
But the last thing in the world
the disciples were thinking
00:35:43.00\00:35:45.64
when Jesus walked away
from that Upper Room was,
00:35:45.67\00:35:48.41
"Who wants to
sell the cup on eBay?"
00:35:48.44\00:35:51.55
They weren't thinking, because
they had eaten so many meals
00:35:51.58\00:35:54.05
with Jesus, they had drunk
from so many cups with Jesus
00:35:54.08\00:35:57.62
it didn't even occur to them.
00:35:57.65\00:35:59.89
So the chances that anybody made
a special note of that cup is
00:35:59.92\00:36:04.33
pretty remote that it's floating
around out there, or the shroud,
00:36:04.36\00:36:08.76
or splinters from the cross.
00:36:08.80\00:36:10.67
They didn't necessarily--matter
of fact, that was idolatry.
00:36:10.70\00:36:14.84
They didn't do that back then.
00:36:14.87\00:36:17.54
Anyway, but
vessels in the Bible,
00:36:17.57\00:36:20.41
they represent
something that holds.
00:36:20.44\00:36:22.74
You know that boy in 1948
that was looking for a goat
00:36:22.78\00:36:26.51
and instead he found
these vessels in a cave?
00:36:26.55\00:36:29.58
And you know what
was in those vessels?
00:36:29.62\00:36:32.15
The Dead Sea Scrolls.
00:36:32.19\00:36:34.32
The Word of God in a vessel.
00:36:34.36\00:36:36.46
Isn't that what you
and I are supposed to be?
00:36:36.49\00:36:39.06
Isn't that what Jesus was?
00:36:39.09\00:36:41.63
The Word became flesh.
00:36:41.66\00:36:44.80
Yeah, I used to--when I first
moved up in the hills I didn't
00:36:44.83\00:36:47.94
have all the fancy tanks
and things they have now.
00:36:47.97\00:36:51.01
My hot water heater
was a 55 gallon drum.
00:36:51.04\00:36:53.48
You know an oil drum.
00:36:53.51\00:36:54.54
We cleaned it out.
00:36:54.58\00:36:55.71
We ran our water in it,
and set it next to the stove,
00:36:55.74\00:36:57.55
and it really worked
very good in the winter.
00:36:57.58\00:36:59.55
The stove was going.
00:36:59.58\00:37:00.62
We had 55 gallons of
hot water under pressure
00:37:00.65\00:37:02.55
and we could have hot showers.
00:37:02.58\00:37:03.62
It was really nice.
00:37:03.65\00:37:04.69
Just put your hand on
the barrel you could see
00:37:04.72\00:37:06.69
how much hot water you had left.
00:37:06.72\00:37:08.69
It would* be ice
cold at the bottom and be
00:37:08.72\00:37:10.69
piping hot at the top.
00:37:10.73\00:37:11.73
It was amazing.
00:37:11.76\00:37:12.83
Eventually it would
blend if you weren't using it,
00:37:12.86\00:37:14.73
but I learned
something about barrels.
00:37:14.73\00:37:19.40
I'd get these old barrels,
and if I kept them full of water
00:37:19.43\00:37:23.07
they would last for years.
00:37:23.10\00:37:25.21
If they were left empty they
rusted and rotted very quickly.
00:37:25.24\00:37:29.91
And if we're not
full, we don't last.
00:37:29.94\00:37:34.42
Those that just kinda
live under themselves,
00:37:34.45\00:37:36.42
if they're empty vessels
they don't last very well.
00:37:36.45\00:37:38.62
2 Timothy 2:19, "Let everyone
who names the name of Christ
00:37:38.65\00:37:45.06
depart from iniquity.
00:37:45.09\00:37:46.80
Now in a great house there
are not only vessels of gold
00:37:46.83\00:37:49.43
and silver," in
other words in a mansion,"
00:37:49.46\00:37:52.37
but there's also wood and clay.
00:37:52.40\00:37:54.34
Some for honor.
Some for dishonor."
00:37:54.37\00:37:57.54
Now in some of those
homes they had vessels that were
00:37:57.57\00:38:00.08
for display and they
were beautiful and then
00:38:00.11\00:38:02.24
you had vessels for
taking out the trash.
00:38:02.28\00:38:04.35
And Paul was saying it's
all kinds of different vessels.
00:38:04.38\00:38:10.79
"There if anyone cleanses
himself from the latter,
00:38:10.82\00:38:13.22
"being a poor vessel,
"he'll be a vessel of honor,
00:38:13.25\00:38:15.39
sanctified and
useful for the master,
00:38:15.42\00:38:18.06
prepared for every good work."
00:38:18.09\00:38:19.89
That's an important truth.
00:38:19.93\00:38:21.16
We want to allow the
Lord to cleanse us so that we
00:38:21.20\00:38:23.87
can be vessels for
the filling of his spirit.
00:38:23.90\00:38:26.47
God cannot fill a full vessel.
00:38:26.50\00:38:30.07
He fills empty ones.
00:38:30.11\00:38:32.51
Any of you remember the story?
00:38:32.54\00:38:33.58
This is found in
2 Kings chapter 4.
00:38:33.61\00:38:36.68
It's one of my
favorite vessel stories.
00:38:36.71\00:38:38.98
A widow comes to
Elisha, the prophet.
00:38:39.01\00:38:42.72
And she had been married to
one of the sons of the prophets,
00:38:42.75\00:38:45.39
but her husband died.
00:38:45.42\00:38:46.92
Left her with two
boys, and she had no income,
00:38:46.96\00:38:50.33
and her husband had borrowed
money to farm, but he died,
00:38:50.36\00:38:54.56
and she couldn't
pay back the debt.
00:38:54.56\00:38:57.20
And the creditors back then,
if you owed money and the law
00:38:57.23\00:39:00.64
supported them, they would just
come whenever payment was due,
00:39:00.67\00:39:03.61
and if you couldn't make the
payment they could walk through
00:39:03.64\00:39:05.61
your house ransack,
take whatever they thought
00:39:05.64\00:39:07.61
was value of the next payment.
00:39:07.64\00:39:09.04
So the creditor would come
and he'd take things, whatever,
00:39:09.08\00:39:11.38
you know, take her
furniture, and take the carpets,
00:39:11.41\00:39:13.98
and take things, and finally
there's nothing left to take.
00:39:14.02\00:39:17.15
In his next trip he has
the right to take her boys
00:39:17.19\00:39:20.22
and make them slaves.
00:39:20.26\00:39:22.66
And she comes to Elisha
and she says, "I have nothing."
00:39:22.69\00:39:25.96
And he says, "What do
you have in the house?"
00:39:25.99\00:39:27.96
Nothing.
00:39:27.96\00:39:28.93
All I've got this jar of oil.
00:39:28.96\00:39:29.93
He said, "You got something.
00:39:29.96\00:39:32.10
Here's what you do.
00:39:32.13\00:39:33.44
Go through the neighborhood."
00:39:33.47\00:39:35.04
All she had was one little
vessel with some oil in it.
00:39:35.07\00:39:37.84
Said, "Go
through the neighborhood.
00:39:37.87\00:39:39.84
Tell your boys to
help you collect vessels,
00:39:39.87\00:39:42.08
borrow empty
vessels from your neighbors.
00:39:42.11\00:39:45.68
Not just a few."
00:39:45.71\00:39:46.65
In other words, get
as many as you can get.
00:39:46.68\00:39:49.32
So the boys run up
and down the street
00:39:49.35\00:39:51.32
with their Radio Flyer wagons,
00:39:51.35\00:39:52.69
and they collected vessels
and they brought this new ones
00:39:52.72\00:39:57.99
and old ones and short
ones and tall ones and thin ones
00:39:58.03\00:40:01.33
and wide ones, and some
were ornate and some were plain.
00:40:01.36\00:40:04.43
Just all these different--
they didn't match vessels,
00:40:04.47\00:40:07.77
but they were empty.
00:40:07.80\00:40:09.70
Brought 'em into the house.
00:40:09.74\00:40:11.64
Shut the door.
00:40:11.67\00:40:12.64
All the neighbors
cared about her and she says,
00:40:12.67\00:40:14.64
"Elisha told me
to borrow vessels."
00:40:14.68\00:40:16.64
And so they gave her vessels.
00:40:16.68\00:40:17.71
Then he said take the
oil and start to pour from
00:40:17.75\00:40:19.65
your little vessel
into your empty ones.
00:40:19.68\00:40:21.65
Now you don't question Elisha.
00:40:21.68\00:40:24.92
Even though it didn't make
any sense she started doing it
00:40:24.95\00:40:27.46
and the oil kept coming, and
kept coming, and kept coming,
00:40:27.49\00:40:31.53
and here she's got this
little, you know, quart of oil,
00:40:31.56\00:40:33.90
and it fills this
30-gallon Firkin full of oil,
00:40:33.93\00:40:39.43
and another one and another one
00:40:39.47\00:40:41.57
and these chalices and
vessels are being filled.
00:40:41.60\00:40:45.24
And then she goes back
and she says, "Now what?"
00:40:45.27\00:40:47.24
And he said, "Well."
00:40:47.28\00:40:50.01
When all the vessels were
full the oil stopped flowing."
00:40:50.05\00:40:52.21
Notice the miracle
happened as long as there were
00:40:52.25\00:40:54.22
empty vessels available.
00:40:54.25\00:40:57.12
As long as were--and you notice
the miracle of Jesus multiplying
00:40:57.15\00:41:00.66
bread lasted as long as
there were hungry people.
00:41:00.69\00:41:04.06
God provides where the need is.
00:41:04.09\00:41:05.66
God doesn't provide
miracles in abundance.
00:41:05.69\00:41:08.73
He provides miracles in want.
00:41:08.76\00:41:11.83
And so she says, "Now what?"
00:41:11.87\00:41:12.83
He said, "Now go
sell what you have.
00:41:12.87\00:41:14.84
Pay off your debt
and live off the rest.
00:41:14.87\00:41:16.84
There will be surplus."
00:41:16.87\00:41:18.07
Just like there was surplus
when he multiplied the bread.
00:41:18.11\00:41:21.94
So what does that story mean?
00:41:21.98\00:41:23.21
Talking about
symbols and vessels here.
00:41:23.24\00:41:26.28
What does a woman represent?
00:41:26.31\00:41:27.85
It's not in this
study, but we know.
00:41:27.88\00:41:29.85
What does a woman
represent in Bible symbols?
00:41:29.88\00:41:32.29
Often the church.
00:41:32.32\00:41:33.22
Frequent examples
in Scriptures on that.
00:41:33.25\00:41:35.72
Husbands love your wives
as Christ loved the church
00:41:35.76\00:41:37.96
and so forth, and the
women in Revelation 12,
00:41:37.99\00:41:41.13
the woman the Revelation 17.
00:41:41.16\00:41:42.63
So here's a woman.
00:41:42.66\00:41:44.93
She's a widow.
00:41:44.97\00:41:46.74
She's got boys and the creditor
is to come take them slaves.
00:41:46.77\00:41:51.24
It's like the devil.
00:41:51.27\00:41:53.34
She goes to the prophet,
by the way Elisha's name
00:41:53.38\00:41:55.68
is very much like
the name of Jesus.
00:41:55.71\00:41:57.81
Elohim is Savior
is what it means.
00:41:57.85\00:42:01.22
And he says, "Fill your
home with empty vessels."
00:42:01.25\00:42:03.72
What do vessels represent?
00:42:03.75\00:42:04.79
People.
00:42:04.82\00:42:07.12
What kind of vessels?
00:42:07.16\00:42:08.12
Empty ones and pour out the oil.
00:42:08.16\00:42:10.13
What does oil represent?
00:42:10.16\00:42:12.26
If our churches would do that,
if we'd go through our community
00:42:12.29\00:42:14.46
and bring all the
empty vessels into our house,
00:42:14.50\00:42:16.93
people that are empty.
00:42:16.97\00:42:18.13
You're surrounded in your
community with empty vessels.
00:42:18.17\00:42:20.67
They're tall and
they're short, and they're wide,
00:42:20.70\00:42:23.04
and they're thin,
they're young, and they're old,
00:42:23.07\00:42:25.47
and some of crackpots.
00:42:25.51\00:42:30.15
And you bring all of
those vessels into your home
00:42:30.18\00:42:33.88
and you take the
little oil you've got.
00:42:33.92\00:42:35.88
Well, Lord, I don't have much.
00:42:35.92\00:42:36.89
Do you have any?
00:42:36.92\00:42:37.89
I have a little.
00:42:37.92\00:42:39.09
Okay take the little you've
got and share and you'll find--
00:42:39.12\00:42:41.36
how much bread did
it take to feed 5,000?
00:42:41.39\00:42:43.76
A few loaves. All
they had was a little.
00:42:43.79\00:42:46.80
Everyone's got something.
00:42:46.83\00:42:47.86
You take what you have,
if you're willing to share
00:42:47.93\00:42:49.80
what you have God performs
miracles and multiplies.
00:42:49.83\00:42:53.60
That, to me, is sort
of like a story of symbols
00:42:53.64\00:42:56.44
that talks about what
the church ought to do.
00:42:56.47\00:42:58.84
And her sons are saved.
00:42:58.87\00:43:00.64
The debtor goes away
and everybody's got oil.
00:43:00.68\00:43:06.68
And so it's just a
wonderful illustration
00:43:06.72\00:43:08.85
of vessels in the Bible.
00:43:08.88\00:43:12.22
Somebody's got
2 Corinthians 4:7.
00:43:12.25\00:43:14.22
All right, Dick.
00:43:14.26\00:43:15.52
You go on ahead, read that.
00:43:15.56\00:43:16.52
You let me know
when you're ready.
00:43:16.56\00:43:18.53
In the meantime I'm
gonna read John 2:6.
00:43:18.56\00:43:20.53
How many of you remember
the first miracle of Jesus?
00:43:20.56\00:43:22.50
What did he do?
00:43:22.53\00:43:24.77
It was a miracle
of vessels wasn't it?
00:43:24.80\00:43:27.54
What is says, "Now there
were six water pots of stone
00:43:27.57\00:43:31.61
according to the manner
of purification of the Jews
00:43:31.64\00:43:34.44
containing 20 or 30 gallons,"
I think they call it Firkins,
00:43:34.48\00:43:37.58
"a piece."
00:43:37.61\00:43:38.61
Twenty or thirty
gallons, now he did not turn
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.88
that water into booze.
00:43:41.92\00:43:43.22
Can you imagine someone
coming to Jesus and saying,
00:43:43.25\00:43:45.65
"You know they're
nearly out of booze,
00:43:45.69\00:43:47.66
liquor for the party."
00:43:47.69\00:43:48.89
And he says, "Oh, man, I'm gonna
make hundreds of gallons more.
00:43:48.92\00:43:51.86
You just don't worry about it.
00:43:51.89\00:43:53.96
We'll really party now."
00:43:54.00\00:43:56.26
No, that was pure grape juice.
00:43:56.30\00:43:58.70
They called it wine.
00:43:58.73\00:43:59.70
Same word is used.
00:43:59.73\00:44:01.44
But he performed a miracle
in taking something very common,
00:44:01.47\00:44:05.34
water, and he turned
it to wine, grape juice.
00:44:05.37\00:44:09.98
I always thought it was
interesting the first miracle
00:44:10.01\00:44:12.01
of Jesus is turning water
to wine, pure grape juice.
00:44:12.05\00:44:16.28
The last thing that
happens on the cross,
00:44:16.32\00:44:18.92
they offer him
sour wine fermented.
00:44:18.95\00:44:22.79
It's almost like
Jesus does a blood--
00:44:22.82\00:44:24.79
what does that wine represent?
00:44:24.83\00:44:27.23
When he gave his grape
juice to the disciples it was
00:44:27.23\00:44:29.80
unleavened bread
and unfermented wine.
00:44:29.83\00:44:31.80
He gave it to them.
00:44:31.83\00:44:33.03
It's a symbol of his blood,
and so here he gives the pure
00:44:33.07\00:44:37.67
to man at a wedding.
00:44:37.71\00:44:39.51
And at the crucifixion
they give him the sour.
00:44:39.54\00:44:41.68
It's almost like he
makes a trade with humanity.
00:44:41.71\00:44:44.61
Sorry, go ahead read for
us that other verse in Exodus.
00:44:44.65\00:44:47.65
male: "But we have this
treasure in earthen vessels
00:44:48.48\00:44:50.75
that the excellence of the power
may be of God and not of us."
00:44:50.79\00:44:55.52
Pastor Doug:
Thank you. I misspoke.
00:44:55.56\00:44:56.79
I meant 2 Corinthians 4:7.
00:44:56.83\00:44:58.63
We have this
treasure in earthen vessels.
00:44:58.66\00:45:00.73
What's the treasure?
00:45:00.76\00:45:02.00
God's Spirit, the
presence of Christ.
00:45:02.03\00:45:04.00
Not I that live, but what?
00:45:04.03\00:45:06.40
Christ who lives where? In.
00:45:06.43\00:45:08.87
Go through--just for
your own study sometime,
00:45:08.90\00:45:12.01
go through the writings of Paul,
00:45:12.04\00:45:13.98
make a note how often
Paul uses the phrase in Christ
00:45:14.01\00:45:18.81
or Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
00:45:18.85\00:45:21.55
The Christ, Paul is always
referring to Christ within.
00:45:21.58\00:45:26.05
If Jesus is always out
here, you're not a Christian.
00:45:26.09\00:45:29.16
Jesus needs to be inside.
00:45:29.19\00:45:31.16
That's what it means to
have the personal relationship.
00:45:31.19\00:45:33.50
Okay, the
degradation of a nation.
00:45:33.53\00:45:35.46
I'm not gonna take a lot of
time here and someone, I think,
00:45:35.50\00:45:37.30
has got Exodus 19.
00:45:37.33\00:45:39.27
Yuri, you'll have that?
00:45:39.30\00:45:41.04
Jeremiah 19, verse 1-2, "Thus
says the Lord, 'Go, and get
00:45:41.07\00:45:45.31
a potter's earthen flask,
and take some of the elders
00:45:45.34\00:45:49.01
of the people, and some
of the elders of the priests,
00:45:49.04\00:45:51.35
and go out to the Valley
of the Son of the Hinnom,
00:45:51.38\00:45:54.22
which is by the entry
of the Potsherd gate.'"
00:45:54.25\00:45:56.42
Now that's not a
good sign right there.
00:45:56.45\00:45:58.62
They're going to the valley of
Gehenna, later known as Gehenna,
00:45:58.65\00:46:02.52
son of Hinnom, which
became a type of Hades.
00:46:02.56\00:46:07.13
It was the city
dump because they had
00:46:07.20\00:46:10.57
all these idols down there.
00:46:10.60\00:46:11.57
And so one of the
kings finally said,
00:46:11.60\00:46:13.57
"That's where we're
throwing the garbage."
00:46:13.60\00:46:15.57
It was a very steep valley,
too, and they would frequently
00:46:15.60\00:46:17.57
burn the trash down there.
00:46:17.61\00:46:18.57
That's why they
called it the Potsherd gate.
00:46:18.61\00:46:21.38
Broken pottery.
00:46:21.41\00:46:22.71
Everything was done
with pottery back then.
00:46:22.74\00:46:24.71
There were a lot of broken pots.
00:46:24.75\00:46:26.92
I remember when I went to
live with my uncle in New Mexico
00:46:26.95\00:46:30.82
that--I think I can tell you
this without getting arrested,
00:46:30.85\00:46:34.49
that he took me to an
ancient site near Chaco Canyon.
00:46:34.52\00:46:40.96
He lived at the Nageezi Trading
Post and there was another
00:46:41.00\00:46:44.23
trading post I would
watch over called Kimbato.*
00:46:44.27\00:46:46.77
There's nothing there
now but some red cars.
00:46:46.80\00:46:49.04
I went there
with Karen last year.
00:46:49.07\00:46:51.87
But I remember, I'm
talking 40 years ago.
00:46:51.91\00:46:55.41
I was young, that's
more than 40 years ago,
00:46:55.44\00:46:57.41
42 years ago
Uncle Harry took me,
00:46:57.45\00:46:59.41
and he showed me an Indian
dump, and I couldn't believe it.
00:46:59.45\00:47:02.75
There was all this
ancient, Indian pottery,
00:47:02.78\00:47:05.29
just piles and mounds.
00:47:05.32\00:47:07.09
And if you thought, "Oh, wow,
I found an Indian artifact,"
00:47:07.12\00:47:09.29
you'd get bored there 'cause
there was just mountains of it.
00:47:09.32\00:47:12.09
Some of it hundreds, maybe even
thousands of years old, painted.
00:47:12.13\00:47:15.03
We'd dig around, we'd
find little turquoise beds,
00:47:15.06\00:47:17.10
and it was just
like, "Oh, this was great!"
00:47:17.13\00:47:19.10
And I had a whole pile of
this stuff I carried around
00:47:19.13\00:47:21.10
with me for a while.
00:47:21.14\00:47:22.44
Now you're not
allowed to do that anymore,
00:47:22.47\00:47:24.34
but back then it
was just everywhere.
00:47:24.37\00:47:26.34
It was a dump and they
had that back in Bible times,
00:47:26.37\00:47:29.11
just lots and
lots of broken pottery.
00:47:29.14\00:47:32.08
So he said, "Take
this vessel and go out."
00:47:32.11\00:47:34.78
Let's read it
here in Jeremiah 19,
00:47:34.82\00:47:37.02
"Get a potter's earthen flasks.
00:47:37.05\00:47:40.16
Take some of
the elders with you.
00:47:40.19\00:47:42.16
You want them to be witnesses.
00:47:42.19\00:47:43.66
Go to the Valley
of the Son of Hinnom."
00:47:43.69\00:47:45.66
I'm in Jeremiah 19:1-2.
00:47:45.69\00:47:47.03
"By the Potsherd gate and
proclaim there these words
00:47:47.10\00:47:51.77
that I will tell you and
say, 'Hear the word of the Lord,
00:47:51.80\00:47:54.97
O kings of Judah and
inhabitants of Jerusalem.
00:47:55.00\00:47:57.87
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, behold,
00:47:57.91\00:48:00.84
I will bring such a
catastrophe on this place
00:48:00.88\00:48:03.41
that whoever hears of
it their ears will tingle,
00:48:03.45\00:48:07.15
because they have forsaken
me and made this an alien place,
00:48:07.18\00:48:12.25
because they have burned
incense in it to other Gods
00:48:12.29\00:48:14.96
whom neither they, nor
their fathers, or the kings
00:48:14.99\00:48:18.19
of Judah have known
and they filled this place
00:48:18.23\00:48:20.63
with the blood of the innocents.
00:48:20.66\00:48:22.60
They've also
built the high places."
00:48:22.63\00:48:24.73
And it goes on and it tells
us that after he makes this
00:48:24.77\00:48:27.04
statement, says in verse 10,
"Then you will break the flask
00:48:27.07\00:48:33.71
in the sight of the men
who go with you and say,
00:48:33.74\00:48:36.75
'Thus says the Lord of hosts
even so will I break this people
00:48:36.78\00:48:40.85
and this city as one
breaks a potter's vessel,
00:48:40.88\00:48:43.85
which cannot be made whole again
00:48:43.89\00:48:46.82
and they will
bury them in Topheth
00:48:46.86\00:48:48.82
until there is no place to bury.
00:48:48.86\00:48:50.83
There will be so many graves."
00:48:50.86\00:48:52.36
Wow that would be a pretty
scary symbol, illustration.
00:48:52.39\00:48:56.63
Any of you know the
story Humpty Dumpty?
00:48:56.67\00:49:00.30
All the king's horses
and all the king's men.
00:49:00.34\00:49:03.30
Humpty Dumpty's like an
egg we have that's supposed
00:49:03.34\00:49:06.31
to be analogous of King
George when they wrote it.
00:49:06.34\00:49:09.04
I don't remember.
00:49:09.08\00:49:10.18
We had someone from
England here that can remind me,
00:49:10.21\00:49:12.05
but anyway something broken that
can't be fixed with super glue.
00:49:12.08\00:49:17.22
And he's saying, "This is what's
going to happen to the nation."
00:49:17.25\00:49:19.22
He takes them and he does it
where they're worshipping false
00:49:19.25\00:49:21.26
gods and he cracks down
a vessel in there presence.
00:49:21.29\00:49:25.59
That's a pretty strong symbol
that they would not forget.
00:49:25.63\00:49:27.76
Did it happen?
00:49:27.83\00:49:29.73
They were
destroyed. They never returned.
00:49:29.76\00:49:32.33
They've never had a king.
00:49:32.37\00:49:33.40
You realize since Nebuchadnezzar
conquered Jerusalem,
00:49:33.44\00:49:36.27
Israel has never
had a king other than
00:49:36.30\00:49:38.54
Jesus, but you know what I mean.
00:49:38.57\00:49:40.54
They never had a monarchy again.
00:49:40.58\00:49:42.54
So they were broken so
that they could not be repaired.
00:49:42.58\00:49:44.55
All right, I've got just a
few minutes to talk about--
00:49:44.58\00:49:50.09
Let me see here.
00:49:50.12\00:49:51.19
Someone's gonna
read Exodus 19:5 first.
00:49:51.22\00:49:53.52
Go ahead, Yuri. I
think you're ready.
00:49:53.56\00:49:55.36
Yuri: "Now, therefore, if
you will indeed obey my voice
00:49:55.39\00:49:59.03
and keep my commandments, then
ye shall be a special treasure
00:49:59.06\00:50:03.30
to me above all people
for all the earth is mine."
00:50:03.33\00:50:08.14
Pastor Doug: So he
said, "If you disobey me,
00:50:08.17\00:50:10.37
I will cast you
down like a crack pot.
00:50:10.41\00:50:14.64
If you obey me, you
will be a special treasure.
00:50:14.68\00:50:17.55
You don't throw it at the dump.
00:50:17.58\00:50:19.08
You put it on a place of honor.
00:50:19.11\00:50:20.68
It's like what Paul said again.
00:50:20.72\00:50:22.02
You got vessels of
honor, vessels of dishonor.
00:50:22.05\00:50:24.55
So he makes this
extreme comparison.
00:50:24.59\00:50:27.62
And you're saying, "If
you'll obey me I'll protect.
00:50:27.66\00:50:29.69
I'll treat you like a
vessel of honor, a treasure."
00:50:29.72\00:50:32.89
Okay that's the first
part about smashing the jar.
00:50:32.93\00:50:39.33
And now last section is under
the linen belt and someone,
00:50:39.37\00:50:43.14
I think, has got
Leviticus 16, okay.
00:50:43.17\00:50:46.27
If you read in
Jeremiah 13, Jeremiah 13,
00:50:46.31\00:50:49.68
I'll read verses 1 and 2.
00:50:49.71\00:50:51.51
"Thus says the Lord to me, 'Go
and get yourself a linen sash
00:50:51.55\00:50:56.18
and put it around your waist,
but do not put it in water.'
00:50:56.22\00:51:00.66
So I got a sash according
to the Word of the Lord
00:51:00.69\00:51:02.92
and I put it around my waist."
00:51:02.96\00:51:05.16
Now what was this
sash to represent?
00:51:05.19\00:51:08.96
You're gonna give us that
when you read Leviticus 16.
00:51:09.00\00:51:11.00
So, go ahead, Leviticus 16:4.
00:51:11.03\00:51:13.27
male: "He shall put
the holy linen tunic
00:51:13.30\00:51:15.70
and the linen
trousers on his body.
00:51:15.74\00:51:18.07
He shall be girded with a linen
sash and with a linen turban
00:51:18.11\00:51:22.28
he shall be attired.
00:51:22.31\00:51:23.98
These are holy garments."
00:51:24.01\00:51:25.68
Pastor Doug: So it's pretty
clear that the holy garments
00:51:25.71\00:51:27.78
of the priests included a
linen sash, and we learned
00:51:27.82\00:51:30.72
in an earlier study
that Jeremiah was from
00:51:30.75\00:51:33.79
the family of the priest, right?
00:51:33.82\00:51:35.52
Remember that?
00:51:35.56\00:51:37.03
So he's told to put on--and
this is not a normal linen sash.
00:51:37.06\00:51:40.43
It's not a diaper.
00:51:40.46\00:51:42.03
This is not you know,
just a piece of white cloth
00:51:42.06\00:51:45.30
that they wrap around.
00:51:45.33\00:51:46.40
It was the kind of
piece where it was beautiful.
00:51:46.43\00:51:49.80
It may have had blue in it,
which is a sign of loyalty to
00:51:49.84\00:51:52.77
God and it was very
spectacular, but then he's told,
00:51:52.81\00:51:56.75
'Don't put it in water."
00:51:56.78\00:51:57.75
In other words don't wash it.
00:51:57.78\00:51:59.51
It was to have all
the vivid brightness.
00:51:59.55\00:52:01.52
Wrap it tight, close to
your body, but don't wash it,
00:52:01.55\00:52:05.12
and he was to
wear it for a while.
00:52:05.15\00:52:07.59
Then he was to go up
and then to bury the sash
00:52:07.62\00:52:10.56
by the Euphrates River.
00:52:10.59\00:52:11.66
God told Jeremiah a
couple of times to take things
00:52:11.69\00:52:14.46
to the Euphrates.
00:52:14.46\00:52:15.93
Once he was told to
take a deed up there.
00:52:15.96\00:52:19.17
Now the Euphrates
was the border of Babylon
00:52:19.20\00:52:21.17
where they were
going to be carried captive
00:52:21.20\00:52:23.17
and that was a journey that
took him a couple of weeks to
00:52:23.20\00:52:25.81
get up there.
00:52:25.84\00:52:26.81
So when God said, "Jeremiah,
00:52:26.84\00:52:27.81
I want you to
illustrate something.
00:52:27.84\00:52:29.81
Take a trip to the Euphrates."
00:52:29.84\00:52:31.38
O Lord, really?
00:52:31.41\00:52:32.38
I mean, you know
that's a long trip,
00:52:32.41\00:52:34.55
but this is what I want you do.
00:52:34.58\00:52:36.79
So now he takes the
sash and he's got to go up to
00:52:36.82\00:52:38.82
the Euphrates River
and he buries it in a hole,
00:52:38.85\00:52:42.36
one of the rock
up above the river.
00:52:42.39\00:52:44.36
A little crag in the
rocks and he buries it there.
00:52:44.39\00:52:46.66
Says, "Okay, go home."
00:52:46.70\00:52:47.86
Okay Lord.
00:52:47.93\00:52:48.86
Says, "After many days."
00:52:48.90\00:52:50.07
It doesn't tell us how long.
00:52:50.10\00:52:52.13
May have been moths.
00:52:52.17\00:52:53.13
May have been a year.
00:52:53.17\00:52:54.97
Says, "Go back."
00:52:55.00\00:52:55.94
It doesn't say a few
days, says many days.
00:52:55.97\00:52:58.97
And of course what happens
to a piece of cloth that's just
00:52:59.01\00:53:01.28
left out in the elements where
there's rain and rot and bugs.
00:53:01.31\00:53:05.61
And he goes back, and
he digs it up, and he says,
00:53:05.65\00:53:09.48
"It was ruined and
there's nothing I could do."
00:53:09.52\00:53:13.29
It says, "So I went and
I hid it at the Euphrates."
00:53:13.32\00:53:15.46
And this is verse 4 to 11,
"As the Lord commanded me."
00:53:15.49\00:53:18.93
And it says, "After many days,
I went to Euphrates, and I dug,
00:53:18.96\00:53:23.63
and I took the sash from
the place where I had hidden it,
00:53:23.67\00:53:26.47
and there was the sash ruined.
00:53:26.50\00:53:27.90
It was profitable for nothing."
00:53:27.94\00:53:29.64
You know we say
good for nothing?
00:53:29.67\00:53:32.24
"Then the Word of the
Lord came to me saying,
00:53:32.27\00:53:34.24
'Thus says the Lord, in this
manner I will ruin the pride
00:53:34.28\00:53:37.48
of Judah and the
great pride of Jerusalem
00:53:37.51\00:53:40.75
for as the sash
clings to the waist of man,
00:53:40.78\00:53:43.45
he called us to be
a nation of priest.'"
00:53:43.49\00:53:45.92
The sash was worn by the priest.
00:53:45.95\00:53:48.29
It's close.
00:53:48.32\00:53:49.29
It's intimate.
00:53:49.32\00:53:50.29
God wanted an
intimate relationship with us.
00:53:50.33\00:53:52.29
It was for glory.
00:53:52.33\00:53:53.29
He wanted to be the
glory of his people.
00:53:53.33\00:53:56.77
"As a sash clings to the
waist of man so I have caused
00:53:56.80\00:53:59.67
the whole house of
Israel and the whole house of
00:53:59.70\00:54:02.04
Judah to cling to
me,' says the Lord.
00:54:02.07\00:54:04.07
'That they may become my
people for reknown, for praise,
00:54:04.11\00:54:06.84
and for glory, but
they would not hear.'"
00:54:06.88\00:54:09.98
So basically he says, "I'm
going to take you to Babylon
00:54:10.01\00:54:12.71
by the Euphrates and there
you'll find out what happens."
00:54:12.75\00:54:16.35
And there would
be a great punishment
00:54:16.38\00:54:18.35
that would come upon them.
00:54:18.39\00:54:20.12
You're reading Jeremiah
13:15, "Hear and give ear.
00:54:20.16\00:54:22.96
Do not be proud for
the Lord has spoken.
00:54:22.99\00:54:26.06
Give glory to the Lord your
God before he causes darkness
00:54:26.09\00:54:29.43
and before your feet
stumble on the dark mountains
00:54:29.46\00:54:32.23
and while you're
looking for light he turns it
00:54:32.27\00:54:34.24
into the shadow of death
and makes dense darkness.
00:54:34.27\00:54:37.24
If you will not
hear my soul will reap
00:54:37.27\00:54:41.01
in secret for your pride."
00:54:41.04\00:54:42.48
How does God
feel about our pride?
00:54:42.51\00:54:44.61
"My soul will weep,' God
says, "Because of your pride.
00:54:44.65\00:54:48.28
My eyes will weep bitterly
and run down with tears,
00:54:48.32\00:54:51.32
because the Lord's
flock has been taken captive."
00:54:51.35\00:54:53.82
He says you'll be
carried away, you'll be
00:54:53.86\00:54:55.82
humbled for these things.
00:54:55.86\00:54:56.83
So he uses a sash
as an illustration.
00:54:56.86\00:55:00.10
Sometimes cloth was used
as illustrations and symbols.
00:55:00.13\00:55:04.70
How many of you remember
when Solomon had too many wives
00:55:04.73\00:55:09.94
and he started to
worship other Gods.
00:55:09.97\00:55:12.04
God sent the prophet, I think
his name was Elijah to Jeroboam,
00:55:12.07\00:55:15.71
and what Elijah did was he
took a cloth, and he tore it
00:55:15.74\00:55:18.51
into 12 parts, and he
gave 10 parts to Jeroboam,
00:55:18.55\00:55:22.55
and he said, two
parts will be for Judah.
00:55:22.58\00:55:25.55
So that cloth represented the
kingdom of Israel, that robe.
00:55:25.59\00:55:29.46
And then another time when
king Saul told Samuel, "Wait."
00:55:29.49\00:55:32.86
He had disobeyed God
and he'd not dispatched
00:55:32.89\00:55:37.53
the Amalachites as he was told.
00:55:37.57\00:55:39.40
Samuel was walking away, and
Saul reached out to grab Samuel,
00:55:39.43\00:55:43.14
and he grabbed
his linen garment,
00:55:43.17\00:55:45.14
and it tore off in his hand.
00:55:45.17\00:55:46.37
A piece of it tore of in his
hand, and Saul was desperate,
00:55:46.41\00:55:51.05
and he didn't know his
own strength, and for whatever
00:55:51.08\00:55:53.05
reason, and Samuel
used it as a symbol.
00:55:53.08\00:55:55.78
He turned back and he said,
"Thus the Lord has torn the
00:55:55.82\00:55:59.59
kingdom away from
Saul and he will give it
00:55:59.62\00:56:02.49
to your neighbor
who is better than you."
00:56:02.52\00:56:05.06
And so, you can see
these symbols that are made
00:56:05.09\00:56:07.10
about the cloth as well.
00:56:07.13\00:56:09.00
Well, we've just
about run out of time,
00:56:09.03\00:56:11.00
but I think we've
covered the bulk of the lesson.
00:56:11.03\00:56:13.00
By the way, I wanna
remind our friends that maybe
00:56:13.03\00:56:15.87
not all the time,
but most of the time
00:56:15.90\00:56:17.87
what we do is
we upload the notes
00:56:17.91\00:56:19.87
and so we've got these notes
I've shared and a few extras
00:56:19.91\00:56:22.34
that will be at the
Amazing Facts website.
00:56:22.38\00:56:24.35
If you are a teacher and
you want to download them
00:56:24.38\00:56:26.35
or just for your
personal study we usually have
00:56:26.38\00:56:28.52
the notes that
are uploaded there.
00:56:28.55\00:56:30.52
And also, don't forget
we do have a free offer,
00:56:30.55\00:56:32.82
and Pastor Ross
mentioned to you that everybody
00:56:32.85\00:56:35.52
who would like a copy of
"The Prophecy Foundation" DVD.
00:56:35.56\00:56:38.19
It is a DVD. It is not a movie.
00:56:38.23\00:56:41.56
So you need to put
it in your computer.
00:56:41.60\00:56:43.57
It has a lot of sermons on it.
00:56:43.60\00:56:45.17
Matter of fact, it's a
whole evangelistic meeting.
00:56:45.20\00:56:47.60
It's got all the sermons
of an evangelistic meeting.
00:56:47.64\00:56:50.44
The videos are on here.
00:56:50.47\00:56:52.07
The lessons are on here,
the resource study books.
00:56:52.11\00:56:54.98
It's a whole
evangelistic series that we have
00:56:55.01\00:56:56.98
condensed into one DVD.
00:56:57.01\00:56:59.55
So you get this and you
share with people to watch
00:56:59.58\00:57:01.85
and study on their computer.
00:57:01.88\00:57:03.72
People have got it
before and say, "Well, I wonder
00:57:03.75\00:57:05.05
what the "Prophecy
Foundation" movie is."
00:57:05.09\00:57:06.65
It's not a movie.
00:57:06.69\00:57:08.42
It's a DVD for your computer
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filled with
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00:57:10.86\00:57:12.36
You can have it for free.
00:57:12.39\00:57:13.83
It's a great
resource for sharing...
00:57:13.86\00:57:15.83
And we'll you a send
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00:57:19.33\00:57:20.87
God bless you
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00:57:20.90\00:57:22.60
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