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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021552A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS AND WELCOME AGAIN 00:36 TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. A VERY SPECIAL WARM 00:39 WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS JOINING US ACROSS THE 00:40 COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD - AN EXTENSION OF 00:43 OUR SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME 00:46 THE MEMBERS, HERE, OF THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. 00:48 GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN THIS MORNING. 00:50 AND WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING LESSON #13 IN 00:53 THIS SERIES DEALING WITH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH. 00:56 SO LESSON #13 ENTITLED LESSONS FROM JEREMIAH AND 01:00 FOR OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE WATCHING, IF YOU DON'T 01:02 HAVE THE STUDY GUIDE, YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING 01:03 FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG - AND YOU 01:07 CAN CLICK ON THE LINK THAT SAYS SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 01:09 HOUR AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON. 01:13 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO THE LESSON, I'D LIKE TO TELL 01:14 YOU ABOUT A FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE. 01:16 IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED FAITH RECLAIMED AND WE'LL BE 01:19 HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY IN NORTH AMERICA 01:21 WHO GIVES US A CALL. THE NUMBER AT OUR RESOURCE 01:24 LINE IS 866-788-3966. THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 01:29 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #788. 01:36 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 01:39 AND FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA, YOU CAN 01:41 ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE AT 01:43 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU CAN FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN 01:46 ALSO OBTAIN THE BOOK CALLED FAITH RECLAIMED . 01:50 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY, I WOULD LIKE TO 01:52 INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME AND JOIN US HERE AND 01:54 WE'LL SING TOGETHER AS WE PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR OUR 01:59 STUDY FOR TODAY. 02:03 >>HAPPY SABBATH CHURCH FAMILY, AS WELL AS OUR 02:05 EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD. 02:08 THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE LIKE TO REFLECT 02:11 UPON AND REJOICE OVER THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR. 02:15 AND AS THE ANGELS CONTINUALLY SING HIM 02:17 PRAISES, WE WILL TURN TO OUR HYMNALS AND SING 02:22 TOGETHER HYMN #142 - ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON 02:27 HIGH - PLEASE JOIN US IN SINGING. 02:29 (MUSIC) >>ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH, SINGING 02:48 SWEETLY THROUGH THE NIGHT, AND THE MOUNTAINS, IN 02:54 REPLY, ECHOING THEIR BRAVE DELIGHT. 03:00 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO, GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO. 03:28 SHEPHERDS, WHY THIS JUBILEE? 03:32 WHY THESE SONGS OF HAPPY CHEER? 03:37 WHAT GREAT BRIGHTNESS DID YOU SEE? 03:41 WHAT GLAD TIDINGS DID YOU HEAR? 03:45 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO, GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO. 04:13 COME TO BETHLEHEM AND SEE HIM WHOSE BIRTH THE ANGELS 04:21 SING; COME ADORE, ON BENDED KNEE, CHRIST THE 04:27 LORD, THE NEWBORN KING. GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO, 04:43 GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO. SEE HIM IN A MANGER LAID 05:03 WHO THE ANGELS PRAISE ABOVE; MARY, JOSEPH, LEND 05:10 YOUR AID, WHILE WE RAISE OUR HEARTS IN LOVE. 05:16 GLORIA, IN EXCELSIS DEO, GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO. 05:46 >>OUR NEXT SONG IS GOING TO BE JOY TO THE WORLD THE 05:48 LORD HAS COME , WHAT JOY IT BRINGS US TO KNOW THAT 05:51 JESUS LEFT THE GLORIES OF HEAVEN TO COME DOWN TO 05:54 THIS SINFUL EARTH TO SHOW US WHAT REAL LOVE AND 05:57 SACRIFICE IS AND TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. 06:00 AS WE GIVE OUR LIVES TO HIM AND MAKE HIM THE LORD 06:04 OF OUR LIVES, MAY HIS LOVING CHARACTER SHINE 06:09 THROUGH US. JOY TO THE WORLD . 06:12 (MUSIC) 06:14 >>JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME! 06:19 LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING; LET EVERY HEART 06:26 PREPARE HIM ROOM, AND HEAVEN AND NATURE SING, 06:31 AND HEAVEN AND NATURE SING, AND HEAVEN, AND 06:36 HEAVEN AND NATURE SING. 06:40 JOY TO THE EARTH, THE SAVIOR REIGNS! 06:45 LET MEN THEIR SONGS EMPLOY; WHILE FIELDS AND 06:52 FLOODS, ROCKS, HILLS, AND PLAINS, REPEAT THE 06:56 SOUNDING JOY, REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY, REPEAT, 07:02 REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY. 07:07 NO MORE LET SIN AND SORROW GROW, NOR THORNS INFEST 07:14 THE GROUND; HE COMES TO MAKE HIS BLESSINGS FLOW 07:22 FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND, FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND, 07:27 FAR AS, FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND. 07:34 HE RULES THE WORLD WITH TRUTH AND GRACE, AND MAKES 07:40 THE NATIONS PROVE THE GLORIES OF HIS 07:47 RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND WONDERS OF HIS LOVE, AND WONDERS 07:53 OF HIS LOVE, AND WONDERS, AND WONDERS OF HIS LOVE. 08:04 >>THANK YOU FOR SINGING WITH US THIS MORNING. 08:15 >>I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO BOW YOUR HEADS AS WE 08:16 OPEN WITH PRAYER. DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, 08:18 ONCE AGAIN WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO GATHER 08:20 TOGETHER TO STUDY THE BIBLE TOGETHER. AND IT'S BEEN A RICH 08:23 STUDY FOR US LOOKING AT THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH. 08:26 AND AS WE FINISH UP OUR LESSON QUARTERLY TODAY, WE 08:28 JUST ASK ONCE AGAIN THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD 08:30 SPEAK TO US, GUIDE US THROUGH YOUR WORD; FOR WE 08:32 ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 08:35 NOW THIS MORNING, JUST BEFORE I INVITE PASTOR 08:37 DOUG TO COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN OUR STUDY 08:40 TOGETHER, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING WHAT WE CALL 08:41 HERE A LITTLE MISSION EMPHASIS OR MISSION FOCUS SEGMENT. 08:45 FROM TIME TO TIME HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH, WE 08:47 LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE VARIOUS MISSION 08:50 ACTIVITIES THAT MEMBERS ARE INVOLVED IN OR MAYBE 08:52 AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN. 08:55 WELL, TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO INVITE ONE OF OUR AFCOE 08:58 GRADUATES TO COME AND SHARE WITH US ABOUT SOME 09:00 OF THE MISSION EVANGELISM OUTREACH THAT THEY'RE 09:03 DOING IN THAILAND. SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE 09:06 BRIAN ATWELL TO COME AND JOIN ME HERE ON STAGE. 09:08 BRIAN WENT THROUGH THE AFCOE PROGRAM IN SPRING 2011. 09:13 NOW AFCOE IS THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM 09:16 AND WE TRAIN INDIVIDUALS FOR BIBLE WORK, FOR 09:19 MISSION ACTIVITY, FOR EVANGELISM, AND JUST 09:21 LEADERSHIP IN THEIR LOCAL CHURCH OR IN THEIR OWN 09:24 MINISTRY. SO BRIAN, THE LORD HAS 09:26 CALLED YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, JESSICA AND 09:28 YOUR LITTLE SON ASHER - >>ASHER. 09:30 >>TWO YEARS OF AGE - AND YOU FOLKS ARE DOING 09:33 MISSIONARY WORK OVER IN THAILAND. 09:34 NOW, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAILAND TO BE THE PLACE TO GO? 09:38 >>WELL, YOU KNOW, WE FELT GOD'S CALL TO FOREIGN 09:40 MISSION SERVICE AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO 09:42 AND SO WE BEGAN PRAYING AND WE WERE ASKING, 09:44 SPECIFICALLY, WHERE GOD FELT HIS GREATEST NEED WAS. 09:47 AND AS WE RESEARCHED SOME OF THE NUMBERS THERE, WE 09:49 FOUND THAT IN THE COUNTRY OF 67 MILLION, THERE WAS 09:52 LESS THAN ONE PERCENT THAT WERE CHRISTIAN THERE. 09:56 >>OKAY, SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING OVER THERE IN THAILAND? 10:00 >>SO WE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED US 10:01 TO DO, BUT WE KNEW THE CALL WAS THERE AND SO, 10:03 THROUGH SOME COUNSEL WE RECEIVED, WE TOOK TIME TO 10:06 JUST STUDY THE LANGUAGE AND THE CULTURE AND GET A 10:09 BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE WERE 10:11 GOING TO TRY AND BE SERVING. 10:12 >>ALRIGHT, SO IS THE COUNTRY OF THAILAND OPEN 10:15 TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING - ARE THEY OPEN TO 10:17 CHRISTIANITY? >>YOU KNOW, AS A COUNTRY 10:19 THEY'VE BEEN VERY OPEN TO ALL RELIGIONS. 10:21 THEY ARE BUDDHISTS, PREDOMINANTLY, AND SO TO 10:24 BE A BUDDHIST MEANS YOU JUST NEED TO BE A BETTER 10:25 PERSON AND THEY FELT THAT ALL RELIGIONS HELP YOU TO 10:28 BE A BETTER PERSON. 10:29 BUT THROUGH A SERIES OF EVENTS RECENTLY, THE 10:31 COUNTRY HAS NOW DECLARED IN THEIR CONSTITUTION 10:35 THAT, IN ORDER TO DO MISSION WORK, YOU NEED TO 10:37 HAVE A PERMIT OR A LICENSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT. 10:39 SO THE DOORS THAT ONCE WERE VERY WIDE OPEN, ARE 10:41 NOW, WE CAN SEE, CLOSING UP. 10:43 >>NOW YOU'RE SITUATED IN BANGKOK, THE CAPITAL THERE 10:46 IN THAILAND? >>CORRECT. 10:47 >>AND WHAT TYPE OF MINISTRY ARE YOU DOING 10:49 THERE IN THAT MASSIVE CITY? 10:51 >>SO, YEAH, THE CITY ITSELF HAS 12 MILLION 10:53 PEOPLE ON THE BOOKS AND SO - OR ON THE CENSUS - AND 10:57 SO WE - WE, OBVIOUSLY, COULDN'T REACH ALL OF THEM 11:00 AND SO WE FELT THAT SETTING UP, WHAT WE CALL A 11:01 'CENTER OF INFLUENCE' OR A SMALL CAFÉ WITH A FITNESS 11:04 CENTER, WHERE THE PEOPLE CAN COME AND WE CAN BUILD 11:06 RELATIONSHIPS AND HELP GUIDE THEM TO CHRIST, 11:09 WAS THE WAY TO GO. 11:11 YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF 11:13 THE BIBLE, HAVE NEVER HEARD OF JESUS, AND SO 11:15 JUST GOING IN WITH A BIBLE STUDY OUTRIGHT WAS NOT A 11:17 METHOD THAT SEEMED TO BE WORKING AND SO WE FELT 11:19 BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS - HELPING 11:21 THEM TO SEE CHRISTIANITY LIVED OUT IN OUR LIVES - 11:24 AND THEN LEADING THAT INTO A BIBLE STUDY WAS THE WAY 11:26 TO GO. >>AMEN. 11:28 NOW WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GREATEST NEEDS THAT YOU 11:29 SEE OVER THERE IN THAILAND - IN THE WORK THAT YOU'RE 11:32 DOING? >>YOU KNOW, THE GREATEST 11:33 NEED THAT WE HAVE IS PEOPLE. 11:36 YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, THERE ARE 12 MILLION 11:38 PEOPLE JUST IN THE CITY OF BANGKOK ALONE AND THERE 11:40 ARE VERY FEW MISSIONARIES THAT ARE SERVING THERE. 11:43 AND SO, THE GREATEST NEED - YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE 11:45 SAY, 'WE NEED MONEY' AND 'WE NEED THIS' - BUT THE 11:47 GREATEST NEED WE HAVE IS FOR PEOPLE TO BE THERE 11:50 BUILDING AND NURTURING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. 11:52 YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE MONEY IN THE WORLD WOULD NOT 11:55 HELP IF THERE WEREN'T PEOPLE THERE TO SERVE. 11:57 JESUS SAID THE FIELD IS RIPE BUT THE LABORERS ARE 12:00 FEW AND WE HAVE DEFINITELY SEEN THAT IS TRUE. 12:02 >>OKAY, SO THERE'S A GREAT CALL FOR WORKERS TO 12:05 BE OUT THERE WORKING IN THAILAND. 12:07 NOW IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE 12:09 WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE MINISTRY THAT YOU'RE 12:10 INVOLVED IN, HOW DO THEY GET THAT INFORMATION? 12:12 >>SO THEY CAN GO TO JESUSFORASIA.ORG AND UNDER 12:15 THE PROJECTS PAGE OR ON THE COUNTRY PAGE THEY CAN 12:18 CLICK ON THAILAND AND THEN BANGKOK OUTREACH. 12:21 THEY CAN GO TO ATTHEWELLMINISTRIES - 12:24 ALL ONE WORD - .WORDPRESS.COM OR THEY CAN 12:27 SIMPLY SEND US AN E-MAIL AT NEWSTARTFOODS@GMAIL.COM 12:31 >>ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRIAN, FOR 12:32 SHARING A LITTLE BIT OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING 12:34 IN THAILAND. INCIDENTALLY, WE HAVE OUR 12:36 AFCOE PROGRAM THAT'S JUST FINISHED UP - OUR LAST 12:39 SESSION THAT WE HAD - THEY'RE DOING SOME 12:42 EVANGELISM IN THAILAND RIGHT NOW. 12:44 THERE'S A TEAM OVER THERE AND THEY'RE DOING SOME 12:46 HEALTH OUTREACH, SOME EVANGELISM, SOME TRAINING 12:49 - SO AN IMPORTANT WORK TO DO WHILE WE HAVE THE 12:51 OPPORTUNITY - MINISTERING TO THE MANY PEOPLE OUT 12:53 THERE IN THAILAND. WELL, AT THIS TIME, I'D 12:55 LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR DOUG TO COME FORWARD AND HE'LL 12:57 LEAD US IN OUR LESSON STUDY FOR TODAY. 13:05 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. AND BRIAN, THAT'S EXCITING. 13:08 I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE NEW CROP 13:11 OF AFCOE STUDENTS WHEN THEY COME BACK - THE ONES 13:14 WHO ARE IN THAILAND RIGHT NOW - MAYBE GIVE US 13:16 ANOTHER MISSION REPORT. BOY, IMAGINE THAT, ONLY 13:19 ONE PERCENT CHRISTIAN IN THE COUNTRY. 13:21 PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR DOING GOSPEL WORK. 13:25 WELCOME, FRIENDS, TO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 13:27 WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'VE JOINED US. 13:29 WE NOT ONLY WANT TO WELCOME OUR FRIENDS THAT 13:30 ARE SOME OF OUR CLASS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, BUT WE 13:33 KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAVE SOME WHO ARE GRANITE BAY 13:36 MEMBERS - SOME OF OUR ONLINE MEMBERS - THERE ARE 13:39 PEOPLE WHO ARE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE 13:41 COUNTRY OR EVEN IN THE WORLD AND FOR SOME REASON 13:43 THERE'S NO LOCAL CHURCH THEY CAN ATTEND, BUT 13:45 THROUGH THE INTERNET OR SATELLITE THEY'RE ABLE TO 13:48 PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY AND WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU. 13:51 THERE MIGHT BE SOME OF YOU WHO ARE IN THAT CATEGORY - 13:53 YOU'RE THINKING, 'I'D LIKE TO BE CONNECTED WITH 13:55 A CHURCH. HOW DO I DO THAT?' 13:57 YOU CAN SIMPLY GO TO THE GRANITE BAY WEBSITE, WHICH 13:59 IS GRANITEBAYSDA.ORG AND LET US KNOW AND WE'LL SEE IF 14:03 WE CAN GET YOU CONNECTED SOMEHOW. 14:06 WE ARE GOING TO BE GETTING INTO OUR LESSON IN 14:08 JEREMIAH IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT TODAY WE'RE IN LESSON 14:12 #13, WHICH IS THE LAST LESSON IN THE QUARTER, 14:15 WHICH MEANS WE'RE GETTING READY, STARTING NEXT WEEK, 14:18 TO ENTER A NEW QUARTER'S STUDY AND OUR NEW 14:21 QUARTER'S LESSON IS GOING TO BE CALLED REBELLION AND 14:24 REDEMPTION - REBELLION AND REDEMPTION - IT'S GOING TO 14:27 BE DEALING WITH THE THEME OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY 14:30 AND, YOU KNOW, THE FALL OF LUCIFER AND HOW SIN 14:33 ENTERED THE WORLD - AND THESE ARE SOME VERY 14:35 IMPORTANT THEMES. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING OUR 14:37 CLASS HERE WE'LL HAVE SOME AVAILABLE TO GIVE OUT TO 14:41 THOSE WHO ARE REGULAR ATTENDERS OF THE CLASS. 14:43 AND YOU CAN ALSO FIND THESE STUDY MATERIALS ONLINE. 14:48 YOU CAN EITHER GO TO THE GRANITE BAY WEBSITE, 14:50 AMAZING FACTS, SABBATH SCHOOL WEBSITES - AND 14:54 YOU'LL FIND THAT THE NEW STUDY MATERIALS AND THE 14:56 LESSON ALSO ARE AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET. WITH THAT, 15:00 WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO JEREMIAH, OUR LAST LESSON IN 15:05 THIS BOOK OF 52 CHAPTERS THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING. 15:08 OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO STUDY IT ALL. 15:10 THE TITLE FOR THE LESSON TODAY IS LESSONS FROM 15:14 JEREMIAH - LESSON #13 - AND THE MEMORY VERSE COMES 15:18 TO US FROM JEREMIAH 23, VERSE 5 - IF YOU'D LIKE TO 15:22 SAY THAT WITH ME HERE IN THE LESSON, IT'S FROM THE 15:24 NEW KING JAMES VERSION - JEREMIAH 23, VERSE 5 - 15:28 WILL YOU HELP ME? YOU READY? 15:30 "'BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING,' SAYS THE LORD, 15:34 'THAT I WILL RAISE TO DAVID A BRANCH OF 15:37 RIGHTEOUSNESS; A KING SHALL REIGN AND PROSPER, 15:41 AND EXECUTE JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE 15:44 EARTH.'" YOU KNOW, AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT 15:50 JEREMIAH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE BOOK IS - PARTS OF IT 15:56 CAN BE, LET'S JUST FACE IT, DIFFICULT. 15:59 I MEAN, EVEN AFTER THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH - 16:01 JEREMIAH WROTE ANOTHER BOOK CALLED LAMENTATIONS 16:03 BECAUSE HE SPENT - YOU KNOW, HE STARTS OUT A YOUNG MAN. 16:06 HE RECEIVES HIS CALL - HE SPENT A LOT OF HIS TIME IN 16:09 MINISTRY TALKING ABOUT IMPENDING JUDGMENT BECAUSE 16:12 OF THE DISOBEDIENCE AND REBELLION OF THE PEOPLE. 16:15 BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BRIGHT SPOTS IN THE BOOK 16:19 OF JEREMIAH. THERE ARE SOME GREAT PROMISES THERE. 16:22 JEREMIAH IS A FREQUENTLY CITED BIBLE BOOK IN SPITE 16:27 OF THE FACT THAT IT DOES HAVE A FAIR SHARE OF 16:31 SIGHING AND CRYING AND WHINING AND PINING BECAUSE 16:35 OF ALL THE SINS OF GOD'S PEOPLE. WHY DO YOU THINK JEREMIAH 16:39 IS AN IMPORTANT BOOK FOR US TO STUDY TODAY? 16:42 DOESN'T IT DEAL WITH OLD ISRAEL HISTORY? 16:45 WHY WOULD IT BE RELEVANT TODAY? 16:48 DOES HISTORY TEND TO REPEAT ITSELF? 16:51 THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE JUDGMENT OF 16:54 BABYLON CAME DOWN ON GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE OLD 16:58 TESTAMENT, WILL SOME OF THAT HISTORY BE REPEATED? 17:01 DID JEREMIAH STRUGGLE WITH THE PEOPLE FORGETTING GOD 17:05 AND APOSTASY IN THE CAMP AND GOING THROUGH THE 17:08 FORMS OF RELIGION WITHOUT THE POWER? 17:10 AND IDOLATRY? AND ALL THE THINGS YOU'LL 17:12 FIND THAT HE'S DEALING WITH IN HIS BOOK ARE 17:15 ISSUES THAT YOU STILL RUN INTO IN THE CHURCH TODAY. 17:18 AND SO I THINK IT'S BEEN A VERY PRODUCTIVE STUDY. 17:21 ALRIGHT, WELL WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THE LESSON. 17:23 OH, BY THE WAY, OUR MEMORY VERSE THAT SAID ''THE DAYS 17:26 ARE COMING,' SAYS THE LORD, 'I WILL RAISE UP A 17:28 BRANCH - TO DAVID A BRANCH' - WHAT DOES THAT 17:31 BRANCH TO DAVID? >>JESUS. 17:34 >>ISAIAH 11:1, "THERE SHALL COME FORTH A ROD FROM THE STEM OF 17:38 JESSE, AND A BRANCH SHALL GROW OUT OF HIS ROOTS. 17:41 AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL REST UPON HIM," - 17:44 WHO IS THAT BRANCH? >>JESUS. 17:47 >>IT'S TALKING ABOUT CHRIST. 17:48 THAT'S A MESSIANIC PROPHECY, ISN'T IT? 17:50 AND SO JEREMIAH IS AMONG THE PROPHETS IN THE OLD 17:54 TESTAMENT THAT FORETOLD THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH. 17:57 NOW THERE'S - THE FIRST SECTION HERE UNDER SUNDAY 18:01 SAYING JEREMIAH'S LORD AND A PICTURE OF GOD IS GIVEN 18:06 IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH. I'M - SOMEONE HERE IS 18:08 GOING TO READ JEREMIAH 31:3. DO WE HAVE SOMEONE? 18:12 YOU'LL - ALRIGHT, JUST A MOMENT. WE'LL GET TO YOU. 18:14 BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSES HERE THAT GIVE US 18:16 DIFFERENT PICTURES. 18:18 ALL THESE DIFFERENT VERSES OF JEREMIAH ARE KIND OF 18:19 LIKE WALKING AROUND A JEWEL AND YOU HAVE 18:22 DIFFERENT FACETS THAT REFLECT DIFFERENT 18:24 CHARACTERISTICS OR ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. 18:27 FOR INSTANCE, JEREMIAH 2:13, "FOR MY PEOPLE HAVE 18:31 COMMITTED TWO EVILS: THEY HAVE FORSAKEN ME, THE 18:34 FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS, AND HEWN THEMSELVES 18:37 CISTERNS-BROKEN CISTERNS THAT CAN HOLD NO WATER." 18:40 WELL, RIGHT AWAY YOU SAY, 'WHAT DOES THIS TELL US 18:42 ABOUT GOD AND THE CHURCH? WELL, FOR ONE THING, IT 18:45 SAYS THAT - WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE, A 18:48 FOUNTAIN OR A POT? >> A FOUNTAIN. 18:51 >>IF YOU HAVE A FOUNTAIN YOU HAVE A CONTINUAL, 18:53 UNENDING - YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID TO THE WOMAN AT THE 18:55 WELL, 'YOU'RE GOING TO GET A POT OF WATER, BUT HE 18:58 THAT DRINKS OF THE WATER THAT I'M OFFERING, HE WILL 19:01 HAVE AN ARTESIAN WELL WITHIN THEM SPRINGING UP.' 19:04 AND I WONDER IF JESUS WAS DRAWING ON - OR REFERRING 19:07 TO JEREMIAH WHEN HE SAID THIS. 19:09 'YOU HAVE REJECTED ME, THE FOUNTAIN OF WATER, AND 19:12 YOU'VE GOT YOURSELVES CISTERNS - POTS - THAT ARE 19:15 CRACKED - THAT HOLD NO WATER. 19:18 AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUY A HOUSE WITH 19:21 A SWIMMING POOL, MAKE SURE THE SWIMMING POOL DOESN'T 19:23 LEAK, BECAUSE IF IT LEAKS YOU BETTER FIND A CHEAPER HOUSE. 19:29 AND BACK THEN, IF YOU HAD A CISTERN AND YOU PUT ALL 19:31 YOUR WATER - THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GET YOU 19:32 THROUGH THE SUMMER IN A CISTERN AND THEN YOU FIND 19:34 OUT THAT IT LEAKS AND YOU GO FOR THE WATER AND IT'S 19:36 GONE, YOU'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM. 19:39 AND HE SAID, 'YOU'VE REJECTED ME, A LIVING 19:41 FOUNTAIN, AND YOU'RE GETTING CRACKED POTS INSTEAD.' 19:47 BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS VERSE, WHAT IT REALLY TELLS US? 19:49 IT SAYS - AND THIS IS JEREMIAH 2:13 - "FOR MY 19:53 PEOPLE" - WHO DOES HE CALL THEM? 19:56 EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING AS FOOLISH AS 19:59 THAT, HE SAYS THEY'RE 'MY PEOPLE.' WHAT DOES GOD SAY 20:02 TO THE PEOPLE IN BABYLON? 'BABYLON IS FALLEN. 20:06 COME OUT OF HER - >>MY PEOPLE. 20:07 >>MY PEOPLE. YOU MEAN GOD HAS HIS 20:09 PEOPLE IN BABYLON? ALRIGHT, ANOTHER ONE. 20:13 JEREMIAH 5:22, "'DO YOU NOT FEAR ME?' SAYS THE LORD. 20:18 'WILL YOU NOT TREMBLE AT MY PRESENCE, WHO HAVE 20:19 PLACED THE SAND AS THE BOUND OF THE SEA, BY A 20:23 PERPETUAL DECREE, THAT IT CANNOT PASS BEYOND IT? 20:25 AND THOUGH ITS WAVES TOSS TO AND FRO, YET THEY 20:28 CANNOT PREVAIL; THOUGH THEY ROAR, YET THEY CANNOT 20:30 PASS OVER IT.'" NOW THIS VERSE COMES TO REMIND THEM 20:34 - THEY WERE SO AFRAID OF THE ASSYRIANS AND THEN 20:37 LATER THE BABYLONIANS - THAT THEY WERE GOING TO 20:39 COME WASHING OVER THEIR LAND AND THAT THEY WERE 20:41 GOING TO CONQUER THEM. AND GOD SAID, 'LOOK, I CAN 20:44 TAKE CARE OF THEM IF YOU TRUST ME. 20:46 IF I CAN STOP THE OCEAN WITH THE SANDS OF THE SEA, 20:50 I CAN STOP THESE ENEMY ALIENS FROM COMING IN AND 20:52 TAKING OVER YOUR COUNTRY, BUT YOU NEED TO TRUST ME.' 20:56 AND HE SAYS, 'DON'T BE AFRAID OF THEM. 20:58 BE AFRAID OF ME.' AND SO HE SAID, 'I'M A GOD TO BE FEARED. 21:03 IF YOU PUT ME FIRST - YOU'VE HEARD IT SAID 21:04 BEFORE THAT IF YOU FEAR GOD YOU FEAR NOTHING ELSE, 21:07 IF YOU DON'T FEAR GOD YOU FEAR EVERYTHING.' BUT IF 21:10 YOU REALLY FEAR GOD, YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF 21:12 ANYTHING ELSE. ALRIGHT, YOU'RE GOING TO 21:14 READ FOR US JEREMIAH 31:3, PLEASE. 21:17 >>JEREMIAH 31:3, "THE LORD HAS APPEARED OF OLD TO ME, 21:22 SAYING: 'YES, I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING 21:25 LOVE; THEREFORE WITH LOVINGKINDNESS I HAVE 21:28 DRAWN YOU.'" >>NOW IT SAYS 'THE LORD HAS 21:31 APPEARED OF OLD TO ME.' HOW LONG AGO DID GOD SAY HE LOVED HIS 21:36 PEOPLE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE? IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK. 21:40 WHAT DOES PAUL TELL US ABOUT THE LOVE OF GOD IN 21:43 ROMANS? CAN ANYTHING SEPARATE US? 21:45 HEIGHT OR DEPTH OR BREADTH OR PRINCIPALITIES OR 21:48 THINGS ABOVE OR THINGS BELOW? 21:49 NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD AND 21:52 HE'S EMPHASIZING THIS - 'I'VE DRAWN YOU WITH 21:55 EVERLASTING LOVE - WITH LOVINGKINDNESS I'VE DRAWN 21:58 YOU.' GOD IS ALWAYS TRYING TO DRAW US IN. 22:01 YOU KNOW, THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL AND VICTORIOUS 22:05 CHRISTIAN LIFE IS LOVE FOR GOD. 22:07 LOVE FOR GOD NEEDS TO BE THE MAIN THING. 22:10 THEN YOU LOOK AND ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT VERSES - 22:13 AND WE'RE JUMPING AROUND THROUGH THE BOOK HERE - 22:14 ARE TELLING US THINGS ABOUT THE FACETS OF GOD'S CHARACTER. 22:17 JEREMIAH 11 IS ANOTHER ONE GIVEN IN THE LESSON - 22:20 JEREMIAH 11:22, "THEREFORE THUS SAYS THE LORD OF 22:23 HOSTS: 'BEHOLD, I WILL PUNISH THEM. 22:25 THE YOUNG MEN SHALL DIE BY THE SWORD, THEIR SONS 22:28 AND DAUGHTERS SHALL DIE BY FAMINE;" NOW HE JUST SAID 22:31 HE LOVES THEM AND THEN HE SAYS HE'LL PUNISH THEM. 22:34 IS THAT INCONSISTENT? DOES THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH 22:38 WARN OF COMING JUDGMENT? WHY? WHAT DOES THIS 22:42 TELL US ABOUT GOD? IF GOD WANTS TO PUNISH 22:45 THEM, WHY TELL THEM IN ADVANCE? 22:49 DOESN'T HE WANT TO WARN THEM SO THEY'LL REPENT? 22:52 HE DOESN'T WANT TO PUNISH THEM. 22:54 AND, BECAUSE YOU PUNISH SOMEONE, DOES THAT MEAN 22:56 THAT YOU DON'T LOVE THEM? OR DOES IT SAY IN HEBREWS, 23:01 'EVERY SON WHO THE FATHER LOVES HE WILL CHASTEN'? 23:06 HOW MANY OF YOU ARE PARENTS? 23:10 DO YOU PUNISH YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE YOU DON'T 23:12 LOVE THEM OR BECAUSE YOU DO LOVE THEM? 23:15 SOME PARENTS ABUSE THEIR CHILDREN EITHER BECAUSE 23:18 THEY DON'T LOVE THEM OR THEY'VE GOT PROBLEMS - 23:20 OTHER ISSUES - BUT WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN 23:23 THERE IS APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT TO BE 23:25 REDEMPTIVE, RIGHT? THAT'S THE IDEA. 23:28 SO IT TELLS US THAT GOD IS A LOVING FATHER, BUT HE'S 23:30 ALSO A JUST KING AND HE WILL PUNISH TRANSGRESSION. 23:36 JEREMIAH 3, VERSE 7, "AND I SAID, AFTER SHE HAD DONE 23:41 ALL THESE THINGS, 'RETURN TO ME.' BUT SHE DID NOT RETURN. 23:45 AND HER TREACHEROUS SISTER JUDAH SAW IT." 23:47 HERE GOD IS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A LOVE 23:49 RELATIONSHIP LIKE A HUSBAND FOR A WIFE AND 23:52 HE'S REFERRING TO JUDAH AND ISRAEL AS HIS 23:56 BETROTHED AND THEY LEFT HIM AND HE SAID, 'I'LL 24:01 TAKE YOU BACK.' NOW HOW OFTEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN 24:03 THERE'S INFIDELITY IN THE MARRIAGE THE HUSBAND OR 24:07 WIFE SAYS, 'THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT. 24:08 YOU DON'T GET A SECOND CHANCE. 24:10 THAT WAS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.' AND EVEN IN THE 24:14 BIBLE IT SAYS THERE IS GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE - 24:16 WHAT IS GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE? UNFAITHFULNESS - FORNICATION. 24:21 BUT GOD IS SAYING, 'EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE BEEN 24:23 TREACHEROUS, I WILL TAKE YOU BACK.' AND THAT'S - 24:28 THAT'S A LOT OF LOVE. AND HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE 24:30 FLIRTED WITH THE DEVIL AND GOD IS STILL WILLING TO 24:33 TAKE US BACK BECAUSE HE LOVES US? 24:35 SO ALL THROUGH THE KALEIDOSCOPE OF VERSES IN 24:39 THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH, WE'RE GETTING PICTURES OF 24:41 GOD. JEREMIAH'S A GREAT BOOK. 24:43 YOU WALK AROUND IT AND YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU WILL 24:46 SEE JUST THE CHARACTER OF GOD REFLECTED IN DIFFERENT 24:49 WAYS, BUT IT REALLY GIVES US THE PICTURE OF GOD AS A 24:51 KING, AS A LOVING FATHER, AS A HUSBAND, AS A SAVIOR, 24:57 CREATOR - ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SECTION 25:01 THAT DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF RITUAL AND SIN. 25:07 JEREMIAH 6:20 - WE'RE GOING TO START WITH, "FOR 25:10 WHAT PURPOSE TO ME COMES FRANKINCENSE FROM SHEBA, 25:16 AND SWEET CANE FROM A FAR COUNTRY? 25:19 YOUR BURNT OFFERINGS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, NOR YOUR 25:22 SACRIFICES SWEET TO ME." NOW ISAIAH SAYS SOMETHING 25:26 SIMILAR TO THAT. HE SAYS, 'AWAY WITH YOUR 25:28 SACRIFICES AND YOUR NEW MOONS AND YOUR SABBATHS.' 25:31 WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE EXTERNAL FORMS OF WORSHIP 25:34 AND OUR HEARTS AREN'T IN THE RIGHT PLACE, THEN 25:38 GOD SAYS THAT'S NOT REAL WORSHIP. 25:40 SO ONE OF THE THINGS HE WAS TRYING TO SAY IS THAT 25:42 HAVING RITUALS DOES NOT COMPENSATE FOR WICKEDNESS. 25:46 JEREMIAH CHAPTER 7, VERSES 8 AND 9 - OR 8 THROUGH 10, RATHER 25:54 - "BEHOLD YOU TRUST IN LYING WORDS THAT CANNOT PROFIT. 25:57 WILL YOU STEAL, MURDER, COMMIT ADULTERY, SWEAR 26:00 FALSELY, BURN INCENSE TO BAAL, AND WALK AFTER OTHER 26:03 GODS WHOM YOU DO NOT KNOW, AND THEN COME AND STAND 26:06 BEFORE ME IN THIS HOUSE WHICH IS CALLED BY MY 26:08 NAME, AND SAY, 'WE ARE DELIVERED TO DO ALL THESE 26:11 ABOMINATIONS'?" NOW THIS IS A VERY 26:13 IMPORTANT VERSE. 'WE ARE DELIVERED TO DO 26:16 THESE ABOMINATIONS.' DOES GOD SAVE US TO SIN 26:20 OR SAVE US FROM SIN? >>FROM. 26:22 >>BUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CHURCHES THINK THAT HE 26:24 JUST GIVES US GRACE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE PEACE OF 26:28 MIND WHILE WE CONTINUE IN WILFUL SIN. 26:31 THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL AND THIS IS 26:34 WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING - THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE OLD 26:36 TESTAMENT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THEY'RE MAKING TODAY. 26:39 THEY WENT AND THEY COMMITTED ALL THESE THINGS 26:41 - HE SAID, 'YOU STEAL, YOU MURDER, YOU COMMIT 26:43 ADULTERY, YOU SWEAR FALSELY' - SOME OF IT MAY 26:44 HAVE BEEN STEALING IN THEIR HEARTS, COMMITTING 26:46 ADULTERY IN THEIR HEARTS - 'YOU BURN INCENSE TO FALSE 26:50 GODS, YOU WALK AFTER OTHER GODS AND THEN YOU COME TO 26:52 THE CHURCH AND YOU SAY, 'WE ARE DELIVERED TO DO 26:55 ALL THESE ABOMINATIONS. WE'VE GOT THE HOUSE 26:57 OF THE LORD HERE. WE'VE GOT THIS HERITAGE. 26:59 AND SO, GOD'S GOING TO HAVE TO WATCH OVER US 27:02 BECAUSE WE'RE HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE. 27:04 DO WE EVER HAVE THAT MINDSET? 27:07 HAVE YOU MET PEOPLE BEFORE THAT WILL SAY, 'WHY WE'VE 27:10 BEEN IN THE CHURCH FOR THREE GENERATIONS. 27:13 WE'VE GOT - WE BUILT THE SCHOOL. WE BUILT THE CHURCH. 27:17 WE'VE GOT THIS LONG HISTORY AND' - YOU KNOW, 27:20 IT'S NICE TO HAVE A HERITAGE, BUT IS THERE ANY 27:22 REDEMPTIVE VALUE IN THAT? >>NO. 27:26 >>WHAT DOES GOD LOOK AT? ARE YOU SURRENDERED TO ME? 27:29 DO YOU OBEY ME? I KNOW I WAS TALKING TO 27:33 ONE LADY ONE TIME AND I MENTIONED I WAS A CHRISTIAN. 27:38 I WAS TALKING TO HER ABOUT THE LORD AND SHE WAS 27:40 SAYING, 'OH, YOU DON'T NEED TO WASTE YOUR TIME 27:41 TALKING TO ME ABOUT THE LORD. 27:42 MY FATHER WAS A PASTOR.' AND I THOUGHT, 'WHAT DOES 27:47 THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? 27:49 DOES THAT MAKE YOU A CHRISTIAN? 27:51 DO CHRISTIANS BIOLOGICALLY REPRODUCE CHRISTIANS? 27:55 IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. SOMEONE SAID, 'GOD HAS NO 27:57 GRANDCHILDREN.' EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE BORN 28:00 AGAIN, RIGHT? EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE AN 28:03 INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. AND SO HERE THEY WERE 28:06 THINKING THAT WAS SOMEHOW GIVING THEM CREDIT. 28:09 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US ACTS 10:34 AND 35, PLEASE. 28:14 >>"THEN PETER OPENED HIS MOUTH AND SAID: 'IN TRUTH 28:17 I PERCEIVE THAT GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY. 28:20 BUT IN EVERY NATION WHOEVER FEARS HIM AND 28:24 WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ACCEPTED BY HIM." 28:28 >>IN EVERY NATION, WHOEVER IT IS, WHETHER YOU'RE A 28:31 JEW OR A GENTILE BUT, YET, THEY REALLY STRUGGLED 28:35 BELIEVING THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN CHOSEN BY 28:38 GOD, THAT SOMEHOW THEY HAD SPECIAL RIGHTS TO SALVATION. 28:41 BUT DIDN'T THE LORD TELL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, 28:44 'DO NOT THINK THAT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE 28:46 BETTER THAN OTHER NATIONS, INDEED, YOU ARE A STUBBORN 28:49 AND A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE. 28:50 I CHOSE YOU, IN PART, BECAUSE YOU ARE STUBBORN 28:54 AND STIFF-NECKED, TO SHOW THAT IF I COULD EVEN REACH 28:56 YOU, I COULD REACH ANYBODY.' SO INSTEAD OF IT 28:59 BEING A CAUSE FOR BRAGGING, 'GOD CHOSE US 29:01 BECAUSE WE'RE BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE,' GOD WAS 29:03 SAYING, 'NO, IT'S ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE. 29:05 I CHOSE YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE THE LEAST OF THE LEAST. 29:08 YOU WERE A NATION OF SLAVES AND I WANTED TO 29:10 SHOW THAT MY WORD AND MY TRUTH - WHAT IT COULD DO 29:14 WITH SLAVES - HOW IT COULD SET THEM FREE AND 29:16 TRANSFORM THEM. SO DON'T BRAG AND 29:18 SAY, 'WE ARE CHOSEN. WE'RE BETTER THAN YOU.' 29:21 NOW WE CAN BE AT RISK OF THAT SAME ATTITUDE. 29:25 WHEN GOD, PROVIDENTIALLY REVEALS THE TRUTH TO YOU, 29:28 WHETHER YOU'RE BORN INTO THE KNOWLEDGE OR WHETHER 29:30 YOU DISCOVER IT, YOU COULD SUBTLY SAY TO YOURSELF, 29:34 'THERE WAS SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT ME AND SO GOD CHOSE 29:38 ME.' BUT YOU REALLY CAN'T THINK THAT BECAUSE THE 29:41 ONES THAT GOD SAYS KNOW THE TRUTH - THAT ARE 29:45 CHOSEN - BUT IF WE HAVE PRIDE AND WE THINK WE'RE 29:47 BETTER, WE'RE MISSING THE WHOLE POINT. 29:50 GALATIANS 3:29, "AND IF YOU ARE CHRIST'S, THEN YOU 29:54 ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE." 29:57 AND YET, THERE'S A DANGER THAT WE'LL MAKE THE SAME 29:59 MISTAKES SOME OF THE JEWS MADE IN JESUS' DAY, 30:01 THINKING THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE PHYSICAL JEWS, THAT 30:05 SOMEHOW THEY HAD A SPECIAL RIGHT TO ETERNAL LIFE, BY 30:09 VIRTUE OF THEIR BLOOD TYPE OR DNA OR GENETICS. 30:12 GOD DOESN'T SAVE PEOPLE BASED ON GENETICS. 30:15 IT SAYS, 'GOD HAS MADE OF ONE BLOOD ALL NATIONS.' 30:17 AND PETER JUST SAID, 'I PERCEIVE THAT GOD SHOWS NO 30:21 PARTIALITY, BUT IN EVERY NATION, WHOEVER FEARS HIM,' 30:26 AS HE DID WHEN HE DECIDED TO HEAL NAAMAN THE LEPER. 30:30 WHILE THERE WERE STILL PLENTY OF LEPERS IN 30:31 ISRAEL, HE HEALED THE ASSYRIAN. 30:33 AND HE WENT TO THE CANAANITE WOMAN WITH 30:35 ELIJAH AND PERFORMED MIRACLES FOR HER AND 30:37 RAISED HER SON. AND SO, WHOEVER FEARS HIM 30:41 - JOHN 8 - NOW HERE'S A DISCOURSE. 30:43 I'M GOING TO READ VERSES 39 THROUGH 44. 30:47 JESUS IS HAVING A DISCOURSE WITH THE JEWS OF 30:49 HIS DAY: THEY SAID, "'ABRAHAM IS OUR FATHER.' 30:53 JESUS SAID TO THEM, 'IF YOU WERE ABRAHAM'S 30:55 CHILDREN, YOU WOULD DO THE WORKS OF ABRAHAM.'" - 30:58 ALRIGHT, SO WHAT MAKES YOU ABRAHAM'S CHILD, ACCORDING 31:00 TO JESUS? >>IF YOU DO THE WORK. 31:02 >>DO WHAT ABRAHAM DID. WHAT DID ABRAHAM DO? 31:05 ABRAHAM HAD FAITH. ABRAHAM HAD ENOUGH 31:07 FAITH TO OBEY. THE BIBLE SAYS, 'ABRAHAM 31:09 KEPT MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY LAWS.' SO 31:14 ABRAHAM PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE. HE PUT HIS VERY SON 31:16 ON THE ALTAR FOR GOD. HE WAS GOING TO LAY 31:18 IT ALL DOWN FOR GOD. "'IF YOU WERE ABRAHAM'S 31:21 CHILDREN YOU WOULD DO THE WORKS OF ABRAHAM. 31:23 BUT NOW YOU SEEK TO KILL ME,'" - HE DIDN'T - THEY 31:26 DIDN'T THINK HE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING, BUT HE 31:29 EXPOSED IT - "'NOW YOU SEEK TO KILL ME, A MAN WHO 31:31 HAS TOLD YOU THE TRUTH WHICH I HEARD FROM GOD. 31:34 ABRAHAM DID NOT DO THIS. YOU DO THE DEEDS OF YOUR 31:37 FATHER.' THEN THEY SAID TO HIM, 'WE WERE NOT BORN OF 31:41 FORNICATION; WE HAVE ONE FATHER'" - NOW YOU KNOW 31:43 WHY THEY SAID 'WE'RE NOT BORN OF FORNICATION'? 31:46 BECAUSE EVEN THAT LATE IN JESUS' LIFE, THEY KNEW 31:50 THERE WAS SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS ABOUT HIS BIRTH. 31:53 THAT MARY SEEMED TO COME UP PREGNANT LONG - TOO 31:57 SHORT A TIME AFTER THE WEDDING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 32:01 AND THEY WERE ALWAYS QUESTIONING HIS LINEAGE 32:05 AND SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY A SLAP. 32:08 THEY SAID, "'WE WERE NOT BORN OF FORNICATION; WE 32:10 HAVE ONE FATHER-GOD.' JESUS SAID TO THEM, "IF 32:13 GOD WERE YOUR FATHER, YOU WOULD LOVE ME, FOR I 32:16 PROCEEDED FORTH AND CAME FROM GOD; 32:18 NOR HAVE I COME OF MYSELF, BUT HE SENT ME. 32:21 WHY DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND MY SPEECH? 32:23 BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO LISTEN TO MY WORD.'" - 32:25 YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID SPIRITUAL THINGS ARE 32:26 SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED - "'YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER 32:29 THE DEVIL,'" - NOW, WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S RUDE? 32:36 WOULD YOU SAY THAT TO ANYBODY? 32:38 PROBABLY NOT. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER 32:40 SAID THAT TO ANYBODY. I'VE THOUGHT IT. 32:42 (LAUGHTER) BUT I DIDN'T SAY IT. 32:47 HE SAID, "'YOU ARE OF YOUR'" - AND HE SAID THIS 32:48 TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS. HE KNEW HE WAS FINISHED 32:50 WHEN HE SAID THAT. "'YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER 32:53 THE DEVIL.'" - THEY SAID, 'GOD'S OUR FATHER.' 32:54 HE SAID, 'NO, YOU'VE GOT A DIFFERENT FATHER.' 32:56 NOW DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY WERE LIKE LITTLE 32:58 ROSEMARY'S BABY CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL? 33:02 YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THE ANTICHRIST 33:04 IS GOING TO BE THE RESULT OF THE DEVIL HAVING 33:07 INTIMATE RELATIONS WITH A HUMAN AND GIVE BIRTH TO 33:09 THIS HALF DEVIL/HALF HUMAN - NO, ANGELS AND HUMANS 33:15 DON'T PROCREATE. SO WHEN JESUS SAID, 33:17 'YOU'RE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL', HE DIDN'T MEAN 33:19 THAT THE DEVIL WILL LITERALLY BEGET THEM. 33:22 IT MEANS YOU END UP BEHAVING LIKE WHOEVER YOUR 33:25 FATHER IS. IF YOU'RE CREATED IN THE 33:26 IMAGE OF GOD, YOU WILL BEAR THE IMAGE OF JESUS. 33:29 IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE DEEDS OF THE DEVIL, 33:32 YOU'LL BEAR HIS IMAGE. 33:34 HE SAID, "'YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL AND THE 33:36 DESIRES OF YOUR FATHER YOU WANT TO DO. 33:40 HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING,'" - WAY BACK 33:42 WITH CAIN - "'HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE 33:44 BEGINNING, AND DOES NOT STAND IN THE TRUTH, 33:46 BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. 33:48 WHEN HE SPEAKS A LIE, HE SPEAKS FROM HIS OWN 33:50 RESOURCES , FOR HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF 33:52 IT.'" HE IS THE ONE WHO UTTERED THE FIRST LIE. 33:56 NOW THAT MAKES IT PRETTY CLEAR THAT GOD DOES NOT 34:00 SAVE PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR HERITAGE. 34:04 HE SAID, 'ARE YOU CHILDREN OF FAITH?' 34:06 - CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. 34:07 MATTHEW 9:12, "WHEN JESUS HEARD THAT, HE SAID TO 34:14 THEM, 'THOSE WHO ARE WELL HAVE NO NEED OF A 34:16 PHYSICIAN, BUT THOSE WHO ARE SICK.'" SO WHO IS 34:19 QUALIFIED TO BE HEALED BY THE GREAT PHYSICIAN? 34:22 WHAT MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO COME TO JESUS? 34:24 KNOWING YOU'RE SICK. HE SAID, 'I DIDN'T COME TO 34:28 CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE. 34:30 AND SO THIS IDEA THAT YOU'VE GOT THE RITUALS AND 34:34 THAT YOU'RE AUTOMATICALLY TO BE SAVED IS NOT WHAT 34:36 THE BIBLE TEACHES. ALRIGHT, NEXT SECTION: 34:38 RELIGION OF THE HEART . JEREMIAH HAS A LOT TO SAY 34:43 ABOUT GOING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER - HEART 34:45 RELIGION - AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME 34:48 JEREMIAH 17:10 IN JUST A MOMENT. 34:51 ALRIGHT, ROMANS 14:12, "SO THEN EACH OF US SHALL GIVE 34:55 AN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD." EVERYBODY IS INVOLVED. 35:01 EVERY KNEE WILL BOW. EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS. 35:03 WE WILL ALL GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO GOD. 35:06 JESUS SAID EVERYONE OF US WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR 35:09 EVERY IDLE WORD THAT IS SPOKEN - 'FOR BY YOUR 35:11 WORDS YOU'LL BE JUSTIFIED AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU'LL 35:13 BE CONDEMNED. YOU CAN READ IN 35:15 DEUTERONOMY 6:4 - THE GREAT - THIS GREAT SHEMA, 35:20 "HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE! 35:24 YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR 35:27 HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR 35:29 STRENGTH." - SO WHAT DOES THE LORD WANT? 35:32 HE WANTS OUR HEART. DO YOU KNOW, THE MOST 35:34 IMPORTANT THING IN OBEYING GOD IS TO BE IN LOVE. 35:38 YOU KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO SERVE GOD WHEN YOU LOVE HIM? 35:41 IT'S SO MUCH EASIER. >>AMEN. 35:43 >>WHEN THERE'S LOVE. LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL 35:46 YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. 35:50 AND JEREMIAH BEARS THIS OUT. YOU LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, 35:52 IN JEREMIAH 9:23, "THUS SAYS THE LORD, 'LET NOT 35:57 THE WISE MAN GLORY IN HIS WISDOM, LET NOT THE MIGHTY 36:00 MAN GLORY IN HIS MIGHT, NOR LET THE RICH MAN GLORY 36:02 IN HIS RICHES; BUT LET HIM WHO GLORIES GLORY IN THIS, 36:05 THAT HE UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ME, THAT I AM THE 36:08 LORD, EXERCISING LOVINGKINDNESS, JUDGMENT, 36:12 AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE EARTH. 36:13 FOR IN THESE I DELIGHT,' SAYS THE LORD." 36:15 THE LORD DELIGHTS IN LOVINGKINDNESS. 36:18 AND, GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, PLEASE JEREMIAH 17:10. 36:22 >>"I, THE LORD, SEARCH THE HEART, I TEST THE MIND, 36:26 EVEN TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS, 36:29 ACCORDING TO THE FRUIT OF HIS DOINGS." 36:32 >>SO IS IT JUST WHAT YOU DO? 36:34 OR DOES THE LORD LOOK ON THE HEART TO FIND OUT WHY 36:36 YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU DO? DID JESUS, WHEN HE WAS 36:41 TEACHING, HE SAID, 'THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO PRAY BUT 36:44 THEY'RE NOT REALLY TALKING TO ME IN THEIR HEART, 36:46 THEY'RE PRAYING TO BE SEEN.' IT'S A SPECTACLE. 36:49 AND HE SAID THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO GIVE AND THEY 36:51 MAY GIVE LARGE AMOUNTS, BUT THEY'RE GIVING TO 36:54 HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME LIBRARY NAMED AFTER THEM 36:57 AND IT'S REALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE GIVING FOR THEIR 36:59 OWN GLORY, NOT FOR LOVE FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN. 37:02 AND JESUS POINTS OUT A POOR WIDOW WHO PUTS IN HER 37:04 LAST TWO CENTS - VERY SMALL, VERY INSIGNIFICANT 37:07 - AND JESUS SAID, 'WOW, THEY'RE REALLY PLAYING THE 37:09 BAND RIGHT NOW IN HEAVEN FOR WHAT THIS WIDOW GAVE, 37:12 BECAUSE SHE GAVE MORE THAN ANYBODY.' 37:13 HOW DID GOD KNOW? GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART. 37:17 AND SO, GOD NOT ONLY LOOKS AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, 37:20 THOUGH HE SEES THAT, HE LOOKS AT WHY 37:24 YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. 37:25 THERE WAS A STINGY MAN IN SCOTLAND NAMED O'NEILL AND 37:32 HE WOULD GO TO CHURCH EVERY WEEK AND HE WAS VERY 37:34 FAITHFUL TO GIVE HIS ONE DOLLAR EVERY WEEK. 37:39 AND ONE WEEK, WHEN HE WAS THUMBING THROUGH HIS 37:42 WALLET AND THE DEACON CAME BY, HE TOSSED IN THE 37:46 DOLLAR, BUT JUST AS THE PLATE WAS GOING BY HE 37:48 REALIZED HE HAD ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED IN A TEN. 37:53 AND HE WENT TO GET THE DEACON FURTHER DOWN THE 37:57 LINE - HE SAID, 'OH, I MADE A MISTAKE. I MEANT TO PUT A ONE IN 37:59 AND I PUT A TEN.' HE SAID, 'LOOK,' - HE SAID, 'YOU'VE 38:03 GOT FREEDOM TO CHOOSE BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN, BUT 38:05 ONCE IT'S IN, IT DOESN'T COME BACK OUT.' HE SAID, 38:08 'BUT, BUT, BUT' - HE SAID, 'NO, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. 38:11 YOU PUT IT IN, IT STAYS.' >>AMEN. 38:14 >>HE SAID, 'WELL, I'LL GET CREDIT FOR TEN.' AND THE 38:17 DEACON SAID, 'NO, YOU'RE GOING TO GET CREDIT FOR 38:18 ONE DOLLAR BECAUSE THAT'S ALL YOU MEANT TO PUT IN.' 38:23 IT'S SAYING GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART. 38:25 HE DIDN'T - HE WAS NOT A CHEERFUL GIVER. 38:30 ALRIGHT, JEREMIAH 12:7 - STILL TALKING ABOUT 38:33 RELIGION OF THE HEART, "I HAVE FORSAKEN MY HOUSE, I 38:37 HAVE LEFT MY HERITAGE; I HAVE GIVEN THE DEARLY 38:40 BELOVED OF MY SOUL INTO THE HAND OF HER ENEMIES. 38:43 MY HERITAGE IS TO ME LIKE A LION IN THE FORESTS; IT 38:46 CRIES OUT AGAINST ME; THEREFORE I HAVE HATED IT." 38:49 YOU NOTICE, TWICE HE SAYS, 'MY HERITAGE - MY 38:52 HERITAGE' - THESE ARE MY PEOPLE. 38:53 AND YOU CAN TELL THAT GOD IS - DOES GOD HAVE 38:56 FEELINGS? OH, HE'S BIG AND STRONG. 39:01 YOU CAN'T HURT GOD. HOW CAN YOU HURT GOD? 39:05 HE'S A HUNDRED TIMES STRONGER THAN ANY SUPERMAN. 39:10 BUT WHY DO YOU HAVE FEELINGS? 39:13 YOU HAVE FEELINGS BECAUSE GOD HAS FEELINGS AND 39:14 YOU'RE MADE IN HIS IMAGE. AND SO, INSTEAD OF 39:17 WONDERING IF GOD THINKS LIKE YOU, YOU BETTER MAYBE 39:21 REVERSE THAT AND REALIZE THAT YOU THINK AND HAVE 39:23 EMOTIONS BECAUSE YOU GET THOSE FROM GOD. 39:26 I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE EVIL ONES BECAUSE YOU 39:29 KNOW, GOD IS NOT TEMPTED WITH EVIL, BUT IF YOU ARE SAD 39:33 BECAUSE YOU LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE OR ARE BETRAYED 39:36 BY SOMEONE YOU LOVE, DID IT HURT JESUS WHEN JUDAS 39:40 BETRAYED HIM? IT DEEPLY HURT HIM. 39:43 DID IT HURT JESUS WHEN PETER DENIED HIM? 39:47 DID IT HURT THE LORD WHEN THE WHOLE NATION, AFTER 39:49 ALL HE HAD DONE TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THEM WHEN 39:52 THEY TURNED FROM HIM TO OTHER GODS? 39:55 AND SO THAT'S WHY JEREMIAH IS SOMETIMES CALLED THE 39:58 WEEPING PROPHET IS BECAUSE HE HAD THE HEART OF GOD 40:00 AND HE SAW HOW MUCH THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE WERE 40:03 HURTING GOD. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT 40:06 JEREMIAH 17:7, "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN THE 40:10 LORD, AND WHOSE HOPE IS THE LORD." AND SO GOD IS A GOD WHO 40:14 WANTS US TO HAVE THAT INNER HOPE. 40:16 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INNER MOTIVES. 40:18 AND THEN JEREMIAH - WE READ THIS TWICE NOW - 40:20 JEREMIAH 29:13, "AND YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME 40:23 WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART." 40:27 SO WHEN IT SAYS 'YOU'LL SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL 40:29 YOUR HEART', DOES THAT MEAN YOU SEARCH FOR ME 40:31 WITH MORE SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT? 40:35 DOES THAT HELP YOU FIND THE LORD? 40:37 EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE GOT BETTER SEARCH TOOLS THAN 40:40 WE'VE EVER HAD AND YOU CAN ACCESS TO MORE MATERIAL 40:43 AND INFORMATION THAN YOU EVER COULD BEFORE, THAT'S 40:46 NOT THE KIND OF SEARCHING GOD'S TALKING ABOUT. 40:49 YOU CANNOT CLICK YOUR WAY TO THE KINGDOM. 40:52 IF YOU HAD THE OLD STRONG'S & YOUNG'S 40:55 ANALYTICAL CONCORDANCES BUT YOU'RE SEARCHING WITH 40:58 YOUR HEART, GOD SAYS YOU'LL FIND HIM. 41:02 IF YOU'VE GOT ALL OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED SEARCH 41:04 ENGINES OF GOOGLE AND YAHOO, BUT YOU'RE NOT 41:07 SEARCHING WITH YOUR HEART, YOU WON'T FIND HIM. 41:09 YOU'LL HAVE LOTS OF INFORMATION BUT, YOU KNOW, 41:12 IN THE LAST DAYS IT SAYS KNOWLEDGE WILL 41:15 INCREASE AND PEOPLE WILL STILL BE WICKED. 41:19 SO YOU CAN HAVE ALL KINDS OF BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE AT 41:21 YOUR FINGERTIPS AND STILL NOT HAVE YOUR HEART WITH GOD. 41:25 DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? >>IT SURE DOES. 41:27 >>SO THE CRITERIA IS TO SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL OF 41:29 YOUR HEART, IS WHAT GOD WANTS. ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE 41:34 TWILIGHTS - THE TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS . 41:40 JEREMIAH 10:8 - NOW WHEN I FIRST READ THIS SUBTITLE 41:44 FOR THE LESSON - THE TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS - 41:46 FOR THIS DAY, WHAT IT MADE ME THINK OF IS - ARE YOU 41:51 AWARE THAT AFTER THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - AFTER 41:53 JEREMIAH - AFTER THEY WERE CARRIED OFF TO BABYLON, 41:55 THEY SAW ALL THE IDOLATRY IN BABYLON, THE REMNANT 41:58 THAT CAME BACK FROM BABYLON NEVER HAD A 42:02 PROBLEM WITH PHYSICAL IDOLS AGAIN. DID YOU KNOW THAT? 42:08 YOU LOOK AT ISRAEL IN THE TIME OF JESUS - THE ROMANS MAY 42:11 HAVE BROUGHT IDOLS, BUT THE JEWS HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH IDOLS. 42:15 JESUS SAID ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT IDOLS. 42:17 JOHN AND THE APOSTLES TALKED ABOUT IDOLS TO THE 42:19 GENTILE CONVERTS THAT WERE COMING FROM THE 42:21 GRECO-ROMAN RELIGIONS INTO CHRISTIANITY, BUT THE JEWS 42:24 FINALLY GOT THE VICTORY OVER IDOLS AFTER JEREMIAH 42:29 BECAUSE THEY SAW WHAT IT DID TO THEM. 42:32 BUT, DURING JEREMIAH'S TIME, THEY WERE WORSHIPING 42:35 THE IDOLS. YOU GO TO JEREMIAH 10:8 42:38 THROUGH 11, "BUT THEY ARE ALTOGETHER DULL-HEARTED 42:41 AND FOOLISH; A WOODEN IDOL IS A WORTHLESS DOCTRINE. 42:45 SILVER IS BEATEN INTO PLATES; IT IS BROUGHT FROM 42:47 TARSHISH, AND GOLD FROM UPHAZ, THE WORK OF THE 42:50 CRAFTSMAN AND OF THE HANDS OF THE" - BY THE WAY, JUST 42:54 A LITTLE TRIVIA, WHEN IT SAYS HERE 'SILVER WAS 42:57 BROUGHT FROM TARSHISH' - I THINK I MENTIONED TO YOU 43:01 THAT WAS MY - ACTUALLY MY MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME, BUT 43:03 TARSHISH WAS A COASTAL CITY ON SPAIN JUST BEFORE 43:07 YOU GO THROUGH THE GATES OF HERCULES FROM THE 43:09 MEDITERRANEAN INTO THE ATLANTIC. 43:11 IT WAS ONE OF THE FURTHEST MOST PHOENICIAN CITIES 43:14 AND THERE ARE A FEW VERSES IN THE BIBLE THAT TALK 43:16 ABOUT SILVER AND TARSHISH AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN 43:20 LOOKING FOR SILVER MINES IN SPAIN BECAUSE OF THESE VERSES. 43:25 THEY KNOW THERE WAS GOLD DOWN IN ARABIA WHERE THEY 43:28 WENT TO - THEY WENT FROM EZION-GEBER AND THEY'D GO 43:31 DOWN TO THE LAND OF UPHAZ LOOKING FOR GOLD. 43:35 BUT THEY NEVER DID FIND THE SILVER MINES OF 43:39 TARSHISH AND THERE WERE ALWAYS THESE FABLED MINES 43:41 - AND I GUESS THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THEM - 43:44 "THE WORK OF THE CRAFTSMAN AND OF THE METALSMITH; 43:46 BLUE AND PURPLE ARE THEIR CLOTHING;" - THEY MAKE 43:48 THESE IDOLS AND THEN THEY CLOTHE THEM AND PLATE THEM 43:50 WITH SILVER AND GOLD - "THEY ARE ALL THE WORK OF 43:52 SKILLFUL MEN. BUT THE LORD IS THE TRUE 43:55 GOD; HE IS THE LIVING GOD AND THE EVERLASTING KING." 43:59 - ARTISTS, NOW, CAN MAKE REPLICAS OF HUMANS THAT 44:06 ARE SO REAL - IN FACT, HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER BEEN 44:10 TO A WAX MUSEUM? AND YOU'LL SEE, THEY'LL 44:14 MAKE A LIFE-SIZED QUEEN ELIZABETH. 44:18 THE EYES SPARKLE LIKE THEY'RE MOIST. 44:20 THE SKIN HAS THE TEXTURE - JUST THE PORES AND THE 44:23 HAIRS - THEY LOOK SO REAL YOU EXPECT THEM TO START 44:27 BREATHING. AND IF YOU PUT THE REAL 44:30 QUEEN ELIZABETH NEXT TO THE WAX ONE, IT'S HARD TO 44:34 TELL WHICH IS WHICH IF THERE'S NO MOVEMENT. 44:37 BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SKILLFUL THOSE WAX ARTISTS 44:40 ARE, IT'S STILL JUST WAX. IT'S NOT ALIVE. 44:45 JESUS ISN'T GOING TO DIE FOR IT. 44:47 BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME RELIGIONS AND THEY 44:50 THINK, 'OH THE MORE BEAUTIFUL THE IDOL, THE MORE DIVINE - 44:53 THERE'S SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL AND YOU CAN PRAY TO IT. 44:55 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BEAUTIFUL THE IDOL IS. 44:59 IT IS STONE. IT IS WOOD. 45:01 IT'S LIKE EINSTEIN SAID, 'IT'S JUST STICKS AND 45:02 STONES.' AND YET PEOPLE PRAY TO A BLOCK OF WOOD - 45:08 THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS IN THE BIBLE - THEY'RE PRAYING TO 45:09 A BLOCK OF WOOD OR A PIECE OF METAL. 45:11 AND THIS IS WHAT JEREMIAH WAS TALKING ABOUT. 45:15 "BUT THE LORD IS THE TRUE GOD; HE IS THE LIVING GOD 45:17 AND THE EVERLASTING KING. AT HIS WRATH THE EARTH 45:22 WILL TREMBLE, AND THE NATIONS WILL NOT BE ABLE 45:24 TO ENDURE HIS INDIGNATION. THUS SHALL YOU SAY TO 45:26 THEM: 'THE GODS THAT HAVE NOT MADE THE HEAVENS AND 45:29 THE EARTH SHALL PERISH FROM THE EARTH AND FROM 45:32 UNDER THESE HEAVENS.'" THAT'S AN INTERESTING PLAY 45:34 ON WORDS - THE GODS THAT DID NOT MAKE THE HEAVENS 45:36 AND THE EARTH WILL PERISH FROM UNDER THE HEAVENS. 45:39 DEUTERONOMY 4:11 - AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ 45:41 FOR ME EXODUS 20:25, I GUESS. DEUTERONOMY 4:11, "THEN 45:48 YOU CAME NEAR AND STOOD AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN, 45:50 AND THE MOUNTAIN BURNED WITH FIRE TO THE MIDST OF 45:52 HEAVEN, WITH DARKNESS, CLOUD, AND THICK DARKNESS. 45:55 AND THE LORD SPOKE TO YOU OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE. 45:58 YOU HEARD THE SOUND OF THE WORDS, BUT SAW NO 46:01 FORM;" - NOW WHY DOES GOD SAY THAT? 46:04 HE WAS REMINDING THEM - 'DON'T BE TEMPTED TO THINK 46:08 YOU SAW A FORM AND DON'T MAKE ANY FORM BECAUSE I 46:11 DON'T WANT YOU MAKING AN IDOL.' 46:13 HE EMPHASIZES THAT. YOU SAW NO FORM. 46:16 YOU ONLY HEARD A VOICE - "SO HE DECLARED TO YOU HIS 46:18 COVENANT WHICH HE COMMANDED YOU TO PERFORM, 46:20 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS; AND HE WROTE THEM ON TWO 46:22 TABLETS OF STONE." GO AHEAD AND READ THAT 46:24 NEXT VERSE FOR ME, PLEASE, IN EXODUS. 46:26 >>"AND IF YOU MAKE ME AN ALTAR OF STONE, YOU SHALL 46:29 NOT BUILD IT OF HEWN STONE; FOR IF YOU USE YOUR 46:32 TOOL ON IT, YOU HAVE PROFANED IT." 46:35 >>WHY DID GOD SAY, 'WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR ALTAR, GET 46:38 THE TWELVE STONES - JUST GET ROUGH STONES. 46:40 YOU DIG 'EM UP. 46:41 PRY 'EM UP OUT OF THE GROUND, STACK THEM UP INTO 46:43 TWELVE - ONE FOR EACH TRIBE - DO NOT LIFT UP A 46:47 CHISEL AND A HAMMER ON THEM. 46:48 IF YOU DO, YOU HAVE POLLUTED THEM. 46:50 YOU ROLL IT AWAY AND GET ANOTHER ROCK.' WHY DID HE 46:53 SAY IT IS TO BE AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE? 46:56 IS THAT BECAUSE GOD ONLY BELIEVES IN ORGANIC 46:58 ALTARS? IS THE LORD AN ENVIRONMENTALIST? YOU KNOW WHY? 47:05 BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT AS SOON AS THEY THOUGHT IT 47:08 WAS OKAY TO MODIFY THAT ALTAR WITH THEIR ARTISTIC 47:11 ABILITY AND THEY PUT THEIR WORKS IN IT, THEY WOULD 47:13 BEGIN TO ADMIRE WHAT THEY HAD DONE AND THEY'D FORGET 47:16 ABOUT WORSHIPING GOD AND IT WOULD BE ABOUT 47:18 WORSHIPING THE ALTAR. BUT AS LONG AS THEY WERE 47:21 JUST ROUGH, ROUND ROCKS, THERE WAS NOTHING VERY 47:24 AESTHETICALLY PLEASING ABOUT THE ALTAR. 47:28 IT WAS TO BE WITHOUT A MAN'S HAND TOUCHING IT. 47:33 'YOU SAW NO FORM IN THE MOUNTAIN. 47:35 DO NOT MAKE A GOLDEN CALF. WHERE'D YOU GET THAT IDEA?' 47:38 GOD DID NOT APPEAR TO THEM AS A CALF AT ANY TIME IN HISTORY. 47:41 LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS POINT: 47:44 DANIEL CHAPTER 2, VERSE 34, "YOU WATCHED WHILE A 47:48 STONE WAS CUT OUT WITHOUT HANDS, WHICH STRUCK THE 47:53 IMAGE ON ITS FEET OF IRON AND CLAY, AND BROKE THEM 47:55 IN PIECES." YOU NOTICE THAT IN DANIEL 47:57 2, THE WHOLE VISION - I'M ASSUMING YOU ALL KNOW 48:00 ABOUT THE VISION IN DANIEL 2 - IT'S ALL ABOUT 48:03 A GREAT IDOL. CAN YOU TELL ME - HOW MANY 48:06 OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE IDOL IN DANIEL 2? 48:09 YOU'VE SEEN PAINTINGS OF IT - YOU KNOW WHAT I'M 48:11 TALKING ABOUT. WHAT DOES IT USUALLY LOOK LIKE? 48:14 ISN'T IT USUALLY A MAN? WHERE DOES IT 48:16 SAY IT'S A MAN? IT SAYS AN IMAGE. 48:22 FOR ALL WE KNOW, IT HAD A DONKEY HEAD. 48:25 IT HAS A HEAD IS ALL IT SAID. 48:27 IT HAS ARMS BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE 48:29 - BECAUSE THE PAGANS, THEY WORSHIPED IDOLS. 48:32 EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS AN IDOL UNTIL YOU GET TO THE STONE. 48:36 AND IT SAYS THE STONE IS CUT WITHOUT HANDS - 48:40 MEANING, NOT MAN'S HANDS - THAT DESTROYS IT. 48:43 AND IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN GOD'S 48:46 TRUTH - THE TRUE WORSHIP - AND MAN-MADE IDOLATRY. 48:51 THAT STONE IS THE TRUTH OF GOD - CHRIST - DESTROYING 48:54 THE RELIGION - THE IDOLS OF THE WORLD. 48:56 THE WHOLE THING IS ABOUT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN TWO 48:59 KINGDOMS - A KINGDOM OF THE IDOLS - WORLD RELIGION 49:01 - IDOLATRY AND GOD'S KINGDOM. 49:03 ALRIGHT, LAST SECTION - THE REMNANT - ALRIGHT, IN 49:08 - IF YOU GO TO HAGGAI CHAPTER 2, VERSE 2, "SPEAK 49:12 NOW TO ZERUBBABEL THE SON OF SHEALTIEL, GOVERNOR OF 49:15 JUDAH, AND TO JOSHUA THE SON OF JEHOZADAK, THE HIGH 49:18 PRIEST, AND TO THE REMNANT OF THE PEOPLE, SAYING: 49:21 'WHO IS LEFT AMONG YOU WHO SAW THIS TEMPLE IN ITS 49:23 FORMER GLORY? AND HOW DO YOU SEE IT NOW? 49:26 IN COMPARISON WITH IT, IS THIS NOT IN YOUR EYES AS 49:29 NOTHING?'" YOU KNOW, I'M JUMPING 49:31 AHEAD TO HAGGAI BECAUSE JEREMIAH LIVED BEFORE THE 49:35 DESTRUCTION THAT HAPPENED IN JERUSALEM. 49:38 HE SAID THEY WERE GOING TO - JEREMIAH FORETOLD, 49:40 'YOU'LL SERVE BABYLON SEVENTY YEARS. 49:42 HERE YOU ARE, THEY COME BACK AND REBUILD THE 49:44 TEMPLE A FEW YEARS AFTER THEY'VE BEEN FREED - THE 49:48 KING HELPS UNDERWRITE BUILDING THE TEMPLE - AND 49:51 THERE WERE ACTUALLY STILL PEOPLE ALIVE THAT HAD SEEN 49:55 SOLOMON'S TEMPLE BEFORE IT WAS DESTROYED AND THEY 49:58 WERE HEARTBROKEN. SOME OF THE PEOPLE ARE 50:00 REJOICING BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING THE BIG INAUGURATION TO LAY THE 50:03 CORNERSTONE, AND THESE OLD MEN ARE ALL CRYING. THEY'RE GOING. 50:06 'WHY ARE YOU CRYING?' 'OH, THIS IS NOTHING! 50:08 COMPARED TO SOLOMON'S TEMPLE, THIS IS PITIFUL!' 50:12 AND THAT'S WHEN HAGGAI GAVE THEM THE PROPHECY AND 50:14 SAID, 'WELL, THE GLORY OF THIS TEMPLE IS GOING TO BE 50:16 BIGGER THAN THE GLORY OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE BECAUSE 50:18 MY SON IS COMING TO THIS TEMPLE.' AND SO IT'S A 50:22 DIFFERENT STORY, BUT THERE WERE STILL PEOPLE ALIVE 50:24 FROM THE DAYS OF JEREMIAH, WHO HAD HEARD JEREMIAH 50:28 PROPHESY, THAT LIVED THROUGH THE BABYLONIAN 50:30 CAPTIVITY AND THEY CAME BACK. 50:33 THERE WAS A REMNANT THAT SURVIVED. 50:35 NOW WHEN THE BABYLONIANS CAME, IF YOU WERE GOING TO 50:37 GUESS, WHO WOULD BE THE REMNANT? 50:41 THE ONES THAT ARE BEING CARRIED OFF INTO BABYLON, 50:43 THAT WILL BE SURROUNDED WITH PAGANISM AND 50:45 SURROUNDED WITH FALSE RELIGION? 50:47 THEY'RE GOING TO END UP - WOULD THEY SURVIVE AND 50:50 COME BACK, OR WOULD THEY BE DIFFUSED AND DISAPPEAR? 50:54 OR WOULD IT BE THE ONES THAT NEBUCHADNEZZAR SAID, 50:56 'I'M GOING TO LET YOU STAY IN THE LAND. 50:57 YOU CAN LIVE IN WHATEVER HOUSE YOU WANT.' YOU WOULD 50:59 HAVE THOUGHT, 'OH, THAT WILL BE THE REMNANT.' BUT 51:01 WHEN YOU READ JEREMIAH - DO YOU REMEMBER AS WE STUDIED? 51:04 THE ONES THAT STAYED BEHIND THAT HAD AN 51:08 ABUNDANCE OF FOOD, THAT WERE TOLD 'YOU CAN HAVE 51:10 WHATEVER HOUSE YOU WANT TO LIVE IN.' THEY APOSTATIZED. 51:14 THEY LOST FAITH. THEY WENT TO EGYPT. THEY DISAPPEAR. 51:17 THE ONES WHO WERE PERSECUTED IN BABYLON, 51:21 THEY BEGAN TO CLING TO THEIR HERITAGE AND THEY 51:24 HAD DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO - OF 51:28 COURSE THOSE WERE THEIR BABYLONIAN NAMES - THERE 51:30 WAS HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AZARIAH, ESTHER, EZEKIEL, 51:34 MORDECAI - YOU HAVE ALL THESE FAITHFUL HEROES AND 51:37 ALL OF THEM SEEM TO SURVIVE IN SPITE OF 51:40 ATTEMPTS TO KILL THEM. 51:42 WAS THERE AN ATTEMPT TO KILL DANIEL? 51:44 A COUPLE - ONCE WHEN THEY GATHERED ALL THE WISE MEN 51:46 TO ANNIHILATE THEM, AND THEN IN THE LIONS' DEN. 51:49 GOD PRESERVED THEM AND WITNESSED THROUGH THEM. 51:52 WAS THERE AN ATTEMPT TO DESTROY SHADRACH, MESHACH 51:55 AND ABEDNEGO - AND A GOLDEN STATUE? 51:58 WAS THERE AN ATTEMPT TO DESTROY ESTHER, MORDECAI? 52:03 AND EZEKIEL WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THAT. 52:06 SO THEY SURVIVED THROUGH TRIAL. 52:09 NOW THERE'S A LESSON FOR US. 52:10 IT SEEMS LIKE GOD REFINES HIS PEOPLE THE BEST, NOT 52:15 IN PROSPERITY, BUT IN TRIAL. 52:17 SO WHEN YOU PRAY FOR REVIVAL FOR THE CHURCH, 52:21 SHOULD YOU BE PRAYING THAT GOD SENDS TROUBLE? 52:23 NOBODY WANTS TO PRAY THAT, RIGHT? 52:26 HISTORICALLY, THAT'S USUALLY - WHEN DID THE 52:28 CHURCH GROW THE MOST IN THE FIRST CENTURY? 52:31 IN TIMES OF PERSECUTION. WHEN WAS THE GREATEST APOSTASY? 52:36 WHEN CHRISTIANITY WAS LEGALIZED. ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 52:41 WELL, I'VE GOT TO TIE THIS OFF BECAUSE I'M RUNNING 52:43 OUT OF TIME HERE. JUST A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. 52:48 WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO JEREMIAH EXACTLY. 52:51 AS FAR AS WE KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE OF ANCIENT 52:53 HISTORIANS - ONE BEING JEROME TERTULLIAN - WE 52:57 BELIEVE THEY ARE QUOTING EARLIER SOURCES. 53:00 THEY SAY JEREMIAH DIED IN EGYPT IN TAHPANHES AND HE 53:04 WAS STONED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE THERE. 53:08 NOT TOO MUCH THAT WE'VE READ CONTRADICTS THAT. 53:11 IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WEREN'T VERY HAPPY WITH 53:12 HIS LAST PROPHECIES. 53:14 THE FINAL PROPHECY IN JEREMIAH IS INTERESTING. 53:16 IT'S A QUOTE - JEREMIAH IS QUOTING 2 KINGS 25 OR 2 53:22 KINGS WAS ADDED TO THE END OF JEREMIAH. 53:24 IT'S NOT LIKELY JEREMIAH LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE 53:26 THIS, BUT IT SAYS, "NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE 53:29 THIRTY-SEVENTH YEAR OF THE CAPTIVITY OF JEHOIACHIN 53:31 KING OF JUDAH, IN THE TWELFTH MONTH, ON THE 53:34 TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY OF THE MONTH," - IT'S VERY 53:35 CAREFUL ABOUT THE DATE HERE - "THAT EVIL-MERODACH 53:38 KING OF BABYLON, IN THE YEAR THAT HE BEGAN TO 53:40 REIGN," - RIGHT AFTER NEBUCHADNEZZAR DIED, 53:42 EVIL-MERODACH, FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD WAS KING AND 53:44 THEN HE WAS ASSASSINATED, HE LIFTED UP THE HEAD OF 53:47 JEHOIACHIN KING OF JUDAH AND BROUGHT HIM OUT OF PRISON." 53:50 - THIS YOUNG KING, THE LAST SURVIVING KING OF 53:53 DAVID - THE LAST SON OF DAVID - OR DESCENDENT OF 53:55 DAVID WHO SERVED AS A KING - WAS BROUGHT OUT OF 53:58 PRISON. AND I KNOW I READ THIS TO 54:01 YOU EARLIER - HE SPOKE KINDLY TO HIM. 54:03 HE GAVE HIM A MORE PROMINENT SEAT THAN THE 54:05 KINGS WHO WERE WITH HIM IN BABYLON - "SO JEHOIACHIN 54:08 CHANGED FROM HIS PRISON GARMENTS, AND HE ATE BREAD 54:10 REGULARLY BEFORE THE KING ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE. 54:14 AND AS FOR HIS PROVISIONS, THERE WAS A REGULAR RATION 54:16 GIVEN HIM BY THE KING, A PORTION FOR EACH DAY, ALL 54:20 THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE." I THINK IT'S INTERESTING 54:24 THAT THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH ENDS, OF ALL THINGS, 54:27 WITH THE WORD 'LIFE'. OF ALL THE WORDS THAT YOU 54:30 COULD PICK, IT ENDS WITH THE WORD 'LIFE'. 54:32 AND THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH ENDS BY TALKING ABOUT 54:34 SOMEONE GOING FROM PRISON GARMENTS AND PRISON FOOD 54:37 AND PRISON STATUS TO THE KING'S PALACE, THE KING'S 54:41 ROBES, THE KING'S FOOD, AND LIFE. 54:44 AND SO YOU'VE GOT, IN THAT LAST STORY, YOU HAVE THE 54:47 SCENARIO OF BEING SAVED FROM CAPTIVITY, BEING 54:51 BROUGHT TO THE PALACE - THAT'S THE WHOLE GOSPEL 54:53 STORY. ISN'T THIS LAST - THE LAST 54:55 STATEMENT HERE IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH? 54:57 WELL, I HOPE THAT YOU'VE BEEN BLESSED BY IT. 54:58 I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE A FREE OFFER. 55:02 IT'S CALLED FAITH RECLAIMED AND IF YOU CALL 55:05 866-788-3966 WE'LL SEND YOU THAT FOR FREE. 55:09 AND ALSO, DON'T FORGET, WE'RE STARTING NEXT WEEK 55:11 IN OUR NEW SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY DEALING WITH THE 55:14 SUBJECT OF REBELLION AND REDEMPTION: THE GREAT 55:17 CONTROVERSY . THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR 55:19 STUDYING WITH US AND, GOD WILLING, WE'LL STUDY HIS 55:21 WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 55:23 (RAIN POURING) (DOOR SQUEAKING) >>THROUGHOUT 55:35 RECORDED HISTORY TALES OF GHOSTS AND SPIRITS CAN BE 55:38 FOUND IN FOLKLORE IN NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY AND 55:42 CULTURE. EGYPTIANS BUILT PYRAMIDS 55:45 TO HELP GUIDE THE SPIRITS OF THEIR LEADERS. 55:49 ROME SANCTIONED HOLIDAYS TO HONOR AND APPEASE THE 55:52 SPIRITS OF THEIR DEAD. 55:54 EVEN THE BIBLE TELLS OF A KING THAT USED A WITCH TO 55:57 CONTACT THE SPIRIT OF A DECEASED PROPHET. 56:01 TODAY, ANCIENT FOLKLORE OF SPIRITS AND APPARITIONS 56:04 HAVE GONE FROM MERE SUPERSTITIONS TO 56:07 MAINSTREAM ENTERTAINMENT AND REALITY. 56:10 SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS INVESTIGATE STORIES OF 56:13 HAUNTINGS AND SIGHTINGS, TRYING TO PROVE, ONCE AND 56:17 FOR ALL, THE EXISTENCE OF GHOSTS. 56:23 EVEN WITH ALL THE NEW-FOUND TECHNOLOGY AND 56:25 CENTURIES OF STORIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, THERE IS 56:29 STILL NO CLEAR-CUT ANSWER. SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT'S TRUE? 56:37 WHY DO THESE STORIES PERSIST? DOES IT EVEN MATTER? 56:45 WE INVITE YOU TO LOOK INSIDE AND FIND OUT FOR 56:49 YOURSELF. VISIT GHOSTTRUTH.COM . 56:59 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 57:02 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY 57:04 MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE 57:07 AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:12 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO 57:15 PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE 57:18 OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM 57:23 YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:29 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:33 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE 57:36 SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS 57:39 OF PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:43 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 57:53 CHANGED. VISIT SABBATHTRUTH.COM. 57:59 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT 58:02 AFBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 58:09 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-12-16