Participants: Pr. Jëan Ross
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021604A
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00:05 (MUSIC)
00:39 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS. 00:41 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:43 AND OUR FRIENDS JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND 00:45 THE WORLD, A VERY WARM, SPECIAL WELCOME TO EACH OF YOU AS WELL. 00:49 THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US AS WE STUDY GOD'S WORD 00:52 TOGETHER. ALSO, A WARM WELCOME TO THE 00:54 GRANITE BAY CHURCH MEMBERS AND THE VISITORS WHO 00:57 ARE WITH US TODAY. WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE. 01:00 AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR STUDY DEALING WITH 01:02 THE GREAT CONTROVERSY THEME. 01:05 TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES IN LESSON #4 TALKING ABOUT CONFLICT 01:08 AND CRISIS DURING THE TIME PERIOD OF THE JUDGES. 01:11 BUT WE'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY, 01:14 ABOUT A FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE AT AMAZING FACTS. 01:16 IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT . 01:19 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO ANYBODY IN NORTH AMERICA WHO 01:22 CALLS AND ASKS FOR IT. THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 01:24 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #792. 01:32 THAT PHONE NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966. 01:37 ASK FOR OFFER #792 - A BOOK ENTITLED THE FLESH AND THE 01:42 SPIRIT . WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY 01:44 THIS MORNING, WE HAVE A REAL TREAT FOR YOU. 01:46 WE HAVE A GROUP OF MUSICIANS - GRACE SYMPHONY - THAT IS JOINING 01:50 US HERE AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING US TWO MUSICAL ITEMS 01:54 BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY. WE'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM 01:57 TO COME OUT AT THIS TIME. >>WHY ARE YOU STANDING GAZING? 02:04 YE MEN OF GALILEE THE SAVIOR WILL DESCEND IN THE SAME MANNER 02:13 IN WHICH YOU SAW HIM ASCEND GO TO EVERY NATION TELL OF HIS 02:23 RETURN SOON HE WILL DESCEND LIKE A THIEF IN THE MIDNIGHT PREPARE 02:33 HOLD ON TO THE FAITH NEVER EVER LET GO THOUGH THE HEAVENS MAY 02:41 FALL OR TORTURED ONLY 'CAUSE OF GOD HOLD ON, NOT LONG FROM NOW 02:51 WE'LL SEE THE LORD IN THE CLOUDS COMING BACK TO TAKE ALL THE 02:58 SAINTS AND THE REDEEMED HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH ON HIGH 03:12 WE WILL SEE HIM WITH HIS MIGHTY ANGELS OUR LOVED ONES THAT HAVE 03:22 GONE BEFORE US WILL RISE UP TO MEET HIM WHAT A GREAT REUNION 03:35 HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH ON HIGH WE WILL SEE HIM WITH HIS MIGHTY 03:46 ANGELS OUR LOVED ONES THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE US WILL RISE UP TO 03:59 MEET HIM WHAT A GREAT REUNION WHAT A GREAT REUNION WHAT A 04:16 GREAT REUNION HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH. 04:27 >>AMEN! 04:33 >>HE DIDN'T BRING US THIS FAR TO LEAVE US. 04:37 HE DIDN'T TEACH US TO SWIM TO LET US DROWN. 04:44 HE DIDN'T BUILD HIS HOME IN US TO MOVE AWAY. 04:48 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 04:53 HE DIDN'T BRING US THIS FAR TO LEAVE US. 04:56 HE DIDN'T TEACH US TO SWIM TO LET US DROWN. 05:03 HE DIDN'T BUILD HIS HOME IN US TO MOVE AWAY. 05:07 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 05:12 THERE ARE SOME PROMISES IN THE LETTER WRITTEN A LONG, LONG TIME 05:19 AGO THEY'RE NOT GETTING OLD THEY'RE GETTING BETTER BECAUSE 05:26 HE STILL WANTS US TO KNOW HE DIDN'T BRING US THIS FAR TO 05:33 LEAVE US. HE DIDN'T TEACH US TO SWIM TO LET US DROWN. 05:41 HE DIDN'T BUILD HIS HOME IN US TO MOVE AWAY. 05:46 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. NEVER USE THE WORD 'IF' 05:53 HE CLAIM THE PROMISES TO EVERYONE OF THEM EVERY SPOKEN 06:00 WORD HE SAYS BECAUSE YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO ME. 06:10 HE DIDN'T BRING US THIS FAR TO LEAVE US. 06:14 HE DIDN'T TEACH US TO SWIM TO LET US DROWN. 06:20 HE DIDN'T BUILD HIS HOME IN US TO MOVE AWAY. 06:25 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 06:29 HE DIDN'T BRING US THIS FAR TO LEAVE US. 06:33 HE DIDN'T TEACH US TO SWIM TO LET US DROWN. 06:39 HE DIDN'T BUILD HIS HOME IN US TO MOVE AWAY. 06:43 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 06:47 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 06:51 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 06:57 HE DIDN'T LIFT US UP TO LET US DOWN. 07:05 >>AMEN! >>BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY 07:10 THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU JUST TO BOW YOUR 07:11 HEADS AS WE HAVE A WORD OF PRAYER. 07:13 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THE SCRIPTURES. 07:16 WE THANK YOU FOR THE STORIES THAT WE FIND IN THE BIBLE THAT 07:18 BRING INSTRUCTION, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND STRENGTHEN 07:21 OUR FAITH AS WE SEE YOU'RE DEALING WITH, AT TIMES, SOME 07:25 RATHER STIFF-NECKED INDIVIDUALS. BUT LORD, WE ASK YOUR BLESSING 07:29 AS WE STUDY TOGETHER. MAY WE SEE A CLEARER PICTURE OF 07:32 THE GREAT CONTROVERSY AND HOW YOU HAVE DEALT WITH US AND WITH 07:35 MANKIND THROUGH THE CENTURIES, FOR WE ASK THIS IN 07:37 JESUS' NAME, AMEN. >>AMEN. 07:40 >>AS MENTIONED A LITTLE EARLIER, OUR LESSON TODAY IS LESSON #4 07:44 ENTITLED CONFLICT AND CRISIS . 07:47 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT TIME PERIOD OF THE JUDGES. 07:50 NOW, DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, IN ISRAEL, I THINK THE GENERAL 07:56 FEELING OF THE NATION AT THE TIME CAN BE SUMMARIZED BY WHAT 08:00 WE READ IN JUDGES CHAPTER 17, VERSE 6, WHICH SAYS, 'EVERY MAN 08:04 DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES. 08:08 IT WAS A TIME WHERE DIFFERENT FAMILIES, DIFFERENT TRIBES, 08:11 DIFFERENT GROUPS WERE REACHING THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS AS TO WHAT 08:14 TRUE WORSHIP REALLY WAS ALL ABOUT - WHETHER THEY WOULD 08:18 FOLLOW THE GOD WHO HAD DELIVERED THEM FROM EGYPT, OR WHETHER THEY 08:21 WERE GOING TO FOLLOW THE GODS OF THE NATIONS SURROUNDING THEM. 08:24 NOW, IN OUR STUDY FOR THIS PAST WEEK, WE HAVE LOOKED AT SEVERAL 08:28 DELIVERERS IN ISRAEL AND HOW GOD USED THEM AND HOW THAT 08:33 ILLUSTRATES THE THEME OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY DURING THIS 08:35 TIME PERIOD OF THE JUDGES. WE DO HAVE A MEMORY TEXT, WHICH 08:39 COMES FROM 1 SAMUEL 2 AND VERSE 1. 08:42 IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES YOU CAN TURN TO THAT OR YOU CAN READ IT 08:45 RIGHT OUT OF YOUR SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY. 08:47 IT IS THE PRAYER THAT HANNAH PRAYED AFTER SHE RECEIVED A 08:50 CHILD THE LORD HAD GIVEN HER, SAMUEL. 08:53 OUR MEMORY TEXT - 1 SAMUEL 2, VERSE 1 SAYS, "AND HANNAH PRAYED 08:57 AND SAID: 'MY HEART REJOICES IN THE LORD; MY HORN IS EXALTED IN 09:02 THE LORD.'" - NOW IN THE BIBLE A HORN OFTEN IS 09:04 ASSOCIATED WITH DELIVERANCE AND VICTORY. 09:07 THEN SHE GOES ON - "'I SMILE AT MY ENEMIES, BECAUSE I REJOICE IN 09:12 YOUR SALVATION.'" THAT SUMMARIZES THE ATTITUDE THAT 09:17 HANNAH HAD AND HOW THE LORD BLESSED HER BECAUSE OF THAT 09:20 HUMBLE SPIRIT WHEN SHE ASKED FOR A CHILD. SO THE TIME OF THE 09:23 JUDGES WAS A CHAOTIC PERIOD OF SACRED HISTORY. 09:28 GOD'S PEOPLE DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD AND THE LORD 09:30 SOLD THEM INTO THE HANDS OF AN OPPRESSOR. 09:32 THE PEOPLE CRIED UNTO THE LORD AND THE LORD RAISED UP DIFFERENT 09:35 DELIVERERS WHO BROUGHT PEACE TO THE LAND; HOWEVER, THAT ONLY 09:39 LASTED UNTIL THE SAME CYCLE RETURNED. 09:42 SO IT WAS A LESSON THAT KEPT REPEATING TIME AND TIME AGAIN. 09:45 OPPRESSORS WOULD COME AGAINST ISRAEL. 09:48 THEY WOULD REALIZE THE FOLLY OF THEIR WAYS. 09:50 THEY WOULD CRY OUT TO THE LORD FOR DELIVERANCE. 09:52 GOD WOULD RAISE UP A DELIVERER. THERE WOULD BE PEACE FOR SEVERAL 09:55 YEARS AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WENT BACK INTO IDOLATRY. 09:58 NOW IN THIS WEEK, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT SEVERAL DELIVERERS 10:01 THAT GOD RAISED UP DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. 10:04 WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT DEBORAH, WHO WAS ONE OF THE 10:06 JUDGES IN ISRAEL. WE'LL BE ALSO LOOKING 10:09 AT THE STORY OF GIDEON WHO WAS A DELIVERER WHEN THE CHILDREN OF 10:13 ISRAEL FACED IMPOSSIBLE ODDS. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT 10:17 SAMSON WHO WAS A JUDGE IN ISRAEL - VERY INTERESTING CHARACTER. 10:21 AND THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING, BRIEFLY, AT THE STORY OF RUTH 10:25 AND THEN FINISH UP WITH THE STORY OF SAMUEL. 10:28 SO IT IS A LOT OF MATERIAL TO COVER IN THIS WEEK'S LESSON. 10:31 SO WE'LL JUST TOUCH ON THE HIGH POINTS OF THESE VARIOUS 10:34 DELIVERERS, ASKING THE QUESTION, 'WHAT DO THESE EXPERIENCES TEACH 10:38 US ABOUT THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL?' 10:42 SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH DEBORAH AND WE'RE GOING TO GET A 10:44 LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND WITH REFERENCE TO WHO SHE WAS AND 10:48 WHAT SHE DID. SO DEBORAH WAS A PROPHETESS WHO 10:52 APPEARED IN THE LIST OF JUDGES OF ISRAEL AROUND 1125 BC. 10:57 ACCORDING TO JUDGES CHAPTER 4, SHE LIVED NEAR THE TOWN OF 10:59 BETHEL AND WAS CONSULTED THERE BY THE ISRAELITES FROM VARIOUS 11:03 TRIBES WHO WISHED TO HAVE THEIR DISPUTES SETTLED. 11:06 SHE COMMANDED BARAK - WE'RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT HIM IN 11:09 JUST A MINUTE - TO LEAD THE ISRAELITES IN BATTLE AGAINST 11:12 SISERA AND, AT HIS INSISTENCE, SHE ACCOMPANIED HIM IN BATTLE. 11:16 THE RESULT WAS A CRUSHING DEFEAT FOR SISERA AND THE CANAANITE 11:21 FORCES AT THE BATTLE OF KESHON, AND THE LIBERATION OF ISRAEL 11:25 FROM CANAANITE OPPRESSION. SO DEBORAH WAS A PROPHETESS 11:29 IN ISRAEL. SHE WAS ALSO A JUDGE. 11:32 SHE WAS THE ONE THAT SUMMONED BARAK TO GO UP AGAINST THE 11:36 FORCES OF CANAAN. WHO WAS BARAK? THE NAME BARAK MEANS LIGHTNING. 11:40 HE WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF NAPHTALI AND WAS SUMMONED BY THE 11:43 PROPHET DEBORAH TO LEAD ISRAEL IN BATTLE AGAINST SISERA. 11:47 HE WAS THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE CONFEDERATE CANAANITE 11:51 FORCES. HE AGREED, ON CONDITION, THAT 11:54 DEBORAH ACCOMPANY HIM IN BATTLE. THE DETAILS OF HIS VICTORY, WHEN 11:58 A SUDDEN DOWNPOUR FLOODED THE RIVER KESHON AND IMMOBILIZED 12:01 SISERA'S 900 CHARIOTS IS DEPICTED IN THE SONG OF DEBORAH 12:05 THAT'S RECORDED IN JUDGES CHAPTER 5. BUT BEFORE WE READ 12:09 THAT, WE ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, VERSE 32, 12:13 BARAK IS LISTED AMONGST THE HEROES OF FAITH. 12:18 NOW HOW GOD DELIVERED ISRAEL FROM THEIR ENEMIES IS SORT OF 12:22 DESCRIBED IN THE SONG THAT DEBORAH SANG AND WE READ IT IN 12:27 JUDGES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 19 THROUGH 21 - JUST A PORTION OF 12:31 THAT - SHE SAYS, "THE KINGS CAME AND FOUGHT, THEN THE KINGS OF 12:34 CANAAN FOUGHT IN TAANACH, BY THE WATERS OF MEGIDDO; THEY TOOK NO 12:40 SPOILS OF SILVER. THEY FOUGHT FROM THE HEAVENS; 12:43 THE STARS FROM THEIR COURSES FOUGHT AGAINST SISERA. 12:46 THE TORRENT OF KESHON SWEPT THEM AWAY, THE ANCIENT TORRENT, THE 12:51 TORRENT OF KESHON." - AND THEN I LIKE THIS LAST 12:53 PHRASE IN VERSE 21 - "O MY SOUL, MARCH ON IN STRENGTH!" 13:00 ISN'T THAT A GREAT DESCRIPTION? GOD DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE AND THE 13:04 MESSAGE IS MARCH ON IN STRENGTH. NOW WHO WAS SISERA? 13:09 SISERA WAS THE COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF JABIN. 13:12 JABIN WAS THE KING OF HAZAR, A TOWN FURTHER NORTH, CLOSE TO THE 13:17 SEA OF GALILEE. AND FOR TWENTY YEARS HE CRUELLY 13:21 OPPRESSED THE ISRAELITES. SISERA SUFFERED A CRUSHING 13:25 DEFEAT AGAINST DEBORAH AND BARAK AND FLED ON FOOT TO THE TENT 13:28 OF JAEL, THE WIFE OF HEBER THE KENITE WHERE HE WAS DECEPTIVELY 13:33 KILLED - AND WE'LL LOOK AT THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. 13:36 THUS, DEBORAH'S PROPHECY THAT THE SLAYING OF SISERA WOULD BE 13:39 DONE BY A WOMAN WAS FULFILLED. IN JUDGES CHAPTER 4, VERSE 17 13:44 WE FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO SISERA. 13:46 IT SAYS, "HOWEVER, SISERA HAD FLED AWAY ON FOOT TO THE TENT OF 13:49 JAEL," - THIS IS AFTER THE FLOOD CAME AND DESTROYED THE CHARIOTS 13:54 OF THE CANAANITE FORCES. THE ISRAELITES WERE DRIVING THEM 13:57 SOUTH AND SISERA FLED UP NORTH TO MAKE HIS WAY TO HAZAR, AND ON 14:01 THE WAY HE CAME TO THE TENT OF JAEL. 14:04 JAEL WAS NOT AN ISRAELITE AND YET SHE RECOGNIZED THE TRUE GOD, 14:09 AS WE SEE IN THE STORY, SHE WAS - "THE WIFE OF HEBER THE KENITE; 14:13 FOR THERE WAS PEACE BETWEEN JABIN KING OF HAZAR AND THE 14:16 HOUSE OF HEBER THE KENITE...THEN JAEL, HEBER'S WIFE, TOOK A TENT 14:21 PEG AND TOOK A HAMMER IN HER HAND, AND WENT SOFTLY TO HIM AND 14:25 DROVE THE PEG INTO HIS TEMPLE, AND IT WENT DOWN INTO THE 14:28 GROUND; FOR HE WAS FAST ASLEEP AND WEARY. SO HE DIED." 14:32 SO JAEL'S CLAIM TO FAME - SHE WAS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY KILLED 14:37 SISERA AND SHE WAS NOT EVEN AN ISRAELITE. 14:40 SO IN THE STORY WE SEE A PROPHETESS PLAY AN IMPORTANT 14:44 ROLE IN PROVIDING LEADERSHIP FOR BARAK AND THE DELIVERANCE OF 14:48 ISRAEL, AND THEN A WOMAN PUTTING TO DEATH SISERA, THE GENERAL OF 14:53 THE CANAANITE FORCES. SO, A LITTLE BIT OF THE STORY, 14:56 JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND. WE HAVE DEBORAH THE 14:58 PROPHET - THE LORD COMES AND SPEAKS TO HER AND SAYS IT'S TIME 15:01 THAT DELIVERANCE COMES FROM THE CANAANITES. 15:04 AND SO SHE SPEAKS TO BARAK AND BARAK SAID, 'WELL, I'LL ONLY GO 15:07 IF YOU GO WITH ME.' AND SHE AGREES. 15:10 AND SO BARAK - YOU CAN SEE THERE IN THE MAP - HE GATHERS HIS 15:13 FORCES TOGETHER JUST SOUTH OF THE SEA OF GALILEE - AND THE 15:18 ISRAELITES MARCH TOWARDS MOUNT TABOR AS BEING THE RALLY POINT 15:22 FOR THE FORCES OF ISRAEL. YOU HAVE THE CANAANITES UNDER 15:26 SISERA AND THEY ARE MARCHING EAST AND THEY GATHER IN THE AREA 15:31 OF MEGIDDO AND THEY MARCH UP AGAINST THE FORCES OF ISRAEL. 15:35 WELL, IT'S AT THAT TIME THAT THE LORD RAINS DOWN FROM HEAVEN WITH 15:40 THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AND THE RIVER KESHON FLOODS ITS BANKS. 15:44 THE 900 CHARIOTS OF SISERA ARE BOGGED DOWN IN THE MUD AND THE 15:48 LORD BRINGS A GREAT DELIVERANCE FOR ISRAEL DURING THAT TIME. 15:52 SO IN THE STORY, WE CAN SEE THIS GREAT CONTROVERSY WHERE GOD 15:56 COMES TO THE DELIVERANCE OF HIS PEOPLE AND THERE ARE SOME 15:59 INTERESTING CONNECTIONS, OR PARALLELS, YOU MIGHT SAY, 16:02 BETWEEN THIS EXPERIENCE OF ISRAEL AND GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE 16:07 END OF TIME. IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, 16:08 TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 16:11 THIS IS ACTUALLY A REFERENCE THAT WE FIND IN OUR LESSON 16:13 QUARTERLY. REVELATION CHAPTER 12 AND WE 16:17 AGAIN SEE GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF TIME VASTLY OUTNUMBERED 16:21 BY THE ENEMY, AND YET GOD HAS A PLAN TO DELIVER THEM. 16:25 NOW REMEMBER THE STORY THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT OF DEBORAH, SHE 16:28 WAS A PROPHETESS AND SHE PROVIDED GUIDANCE FOR GOD'S 16:31 PEOPLE AND GOD DELIVERED THEM WHEN THEY WERE OBEDIENT. 16:34 WE SEE A SIMILAR THING ARRANGED HERE IN REVELATION CHAPTER 12. 16:38 SO LET'S LOOK IN REVELATION CHAPTER 12, BEGINNING IN VERSE 16:41 13. THESE ARE FAMILIAR VERSES TO US. 16:44 IT SAYS, "NOW WHEN THE DRAGON SAW THAT HE HAD BEEN CAST TO THE 16:47 EARTH, HE PERSECUTED THE WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE MALE 16:50 CHILD." NOW, IN BIBLE PROPHECY, WHO 16:53 DOES THIS WOMAN REPRESENT IN REVELATION CHAPTER 12? 16:56 REPRESENTS THE CHURCH. AND NOW WHO IS THE DRAGON? 17:00 THE DRAGON IS SATAN - OR THE DEVIL - AND WHO WOULD BE THE 17:03 MALE CHILD IN THIS PASSAGE? THAT REPRESENTS JESUS. 17:07 AND THEN VERSE 14 SAYS, "BUT THE WOMAN WAS GIVEN TWO WINGS OF A 17:11 GREAT EAGLE, THAT SHE MIGHT FLY INTO THE WILDERNESS TO HER 17:14 PLACE, WHERE SHE IS NOURISHED FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A 17:18 TIME, FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE SERPENT." 17:21 NOW THE TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, THAT'S REPRESENTING THE 17:24 1260 YEARS OF PAPAL SUPREMACY WHEN THOSE WHO REFUSED TO 17:29 ACKNOWLEDGE PAPAL RULERSHIP FACED TERRIBLE PERSECUTION. 17:33 BUT GOD PROVIDED FOR THEM. MANY FOUND SAFETY IN THE 17:36 MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN ITALY IN THE WALDENSIAN AREA. 17:39 BUT THEN IT GOES ON, IN VERSE 15, IT SAYS, "SO THE SERPENT 17:43 SPEWED WATER OUT OF HIS MOUTH LIKE A FLOOD AFTER THE WOMAN, 17:47 THAT HE MIGHT CAUSE HER TO BE CARRIED AWAY BY THE FLOOD." 17:50 - VERSE 16 SAYS, "BUT THE EARTH HELPED THE WOMAN, AND THE EARTH 17:52 OPENED ITS MOUTH AND SWALLOWED UP THE FLOOD WHICH THE DRAGON 17:56 HAD SPEWED OUT OF HIS MOUTH. NOW HERE'S THE POINT I WANT YOU 17:59 TO, IN A PARTICULAR WAY, NOTE: VERSE 17, IT SAYS, "AND THE 18:03 DRAGON WAS ENRAGED WITH THE WOMAN," - THE CHURCH - "AND HE 18:07 WENT TO MAKE WAR WITH THE" - REMNANT OR - "THE REST OF HER 18:10 OFFSPRING," - THOSE LIVING AT THE END OF TIME. 18:13 NOTICE THE TWO CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE GIVEN, OF GOD'S PEOPLE 18:16 AT THE END - THOSE "WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE THE 18:20 TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." NOW, IN ORDER FOR BARAK TO GAIN 18:24 THE VICTORY OVER SISERA, HE HAD TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. 18:28 GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF TIME, IN ORDER FOR THEM TO HAVE 18:30 VICTORY OVER THEIR ENEMIES, THEY NEED TO KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. 18:35 YOU SEE, AT THE END OF TIME, ACCORDING TO REVELATION CHAPTER 18:37 13, THERE IS A DEATH DECREE THAT IS PASSED AGAINST GOD'S 18:41 FOLLOWERS. IF GOD'S PEOPLE ARE TO ENDURE 18:44 AND BE FAITHFUL, THEY NEED TO BE KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS BECAUSE 18:47 GOD COMES TO THEIR DELIVERANCE. IT'S ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE 18:50 THAT GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF 18:52 TIME HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS. 18:54 ACCORDING TO REVELATION CHAPTER 10 - 19, VERSE 10 - WHAT IS THE 18:58 TESTIMONY OF JESUS? IT IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. 19:02 SO GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF TIME, JUST LIKE ISRAEL DURING 19:05 THE DAYS OF BARAK AND DEBORAH, GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END WILL BE 19:09 GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. 19:12 SO THE COUNSEL GIVEN TO US (THE CHURCH) TODAY IS THE COUNSEL 19:17 THAT CAME TO ISRAEL OF OLD: KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. 19:20 HEED THE INSTRUCTION THAT COMES FROM THE PROPHET AND GOD WILL 19:23 GIVE DELIVERANCE. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT 19:26 LESSON FOR US TO REMEMBER. SO, IN THAT STORY, WE SEE GOD 19:30 COMING TO THE DEFENSE AND THE RESCUE OF HIS PEOPLE. 19:34 NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT ANOTHER DELIVERER THAT GOD 19:36 RAISED UP WHO ALSO CAME TO THE DEFENSE OF GOD'S PEOPLE, 19:42 THAT GOD USED IN A MIGHTY WAY. ON MONDAY, THE LESSON IS ALL 19:45 ABOUT GIDEON, THAT GREAT CHAMPION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, 19:48 AND IT BEGINS BY ASKING A QUESTION RIGHT AT THE 19:51 BEGINNING OF MONDAY'S LESSON. IT SAYS, ACCORDING TO JUDGES 19:54 CHAPTER 6, VERSE 1 AND JUDGES 6:10, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 19:58 ISRAEL DURING THIS TIME? WELL, IN JUDGES CHAPTER 6, 20:02 VERSE 10, IT TELLS YOU WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT SAID - THE LORD 20:05 SAID - "...THE LORD YOUR GOD; FEAR NOT THE GODS OF THE 20:08 AMORITES, IN WHOSE LAND YE DWELL: BUT YE HAVE NOT OBEYED MY 20:11 VOICE." SO ISRAEL ENDED UP FOLLOWING 20:14 THESE PAGAN DEITIES FROM THESE VARIOUS NATIONS THAT SURROUNDED 20:18 THEM AND, AS A RESULT, THEY CAME UNDER SOME DEGREE OF AFFLICTION 20:24 BY THE VARIOUS NATIONS THAT SURROUNDED THEM. 20:27 DURING THE TIME OF GIDEON, IT WAS THE MIDIANITES THAT CAME UP 20:30 AGAINST ISRAEL. IN OUR LESSON ON MONDAY WE READ: 20:34 "AFTER DEBORAH, THE LAND ENJOYED PEACE FOR THE NEXT FORTY YEARS. 20:38 BUT SOON ISRAEL WENT BACK INTO THE HANDS OF OPPRESSORS. 20:41 THIS TIME, IT WAS THE MIDIANITES WHO, WITH THEIR ALLIES, WOULD 20:45 ENTER ISRAEL AND DESTROY ALL OF THE NEWLY PLANTED CROPS AND 20:49 STEAL THEIR LIVESTOCK. ISRAEL BECAME GREATLY 20:53 IMPOVERISHED AND CRIED OUT TO THE LORD. 20:55 THEY FINALLY REALIZED THAT THEIR FASHIONABLE GODS WERE OF NO USE. 21:00 SO GOD, NOW, RAISES UP A DELIVERER, GIDEON, THAT 21:04 LIBERATES THESE PEOPLE." WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT GIDEON? 21:08 LET'S LOOK AT THE STORY OF GIDEON. 21:10 THE WORD 'GIDEON' MEANS 'HEWER OR SMITER' - THAT'S WHAT THE 21:13 NAME MEANS. HE WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF 21:15 MANASSEH AND HE DELIVERED ISRAEL FROM THE MIDIANITES SOME 21:18 FORTY YEARS AFTER DEBORAH. GIDEON WAS CALLED BY GOD WHILE 21:23 THRESHING WHEAT IN A WINEPRESS, SECRETLY, FOR FEAR OF 21:26 THE MIDIANITE RAIDS. AFTER BEING CALLED, 21:29 HE DESTROYED HIS FATHER'S BAAL AND ASHEROTH IMAGES, SIGNIFYING 21:33 PROTEST AGAINST THE IDOLATROUS PRACTICE IN ISRAEL. 21:37 AT GOD'S COMMAND, GIDEON REDUCED HIS ARMY FROM 32,000 TO JUST 300 21:42 MEN AND MADE A SUDDEN NIGHT ATTACK, WHICH LED TO COMPLETE 21:46 VICTORY OVER THE MIDIANITES. NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND 21:50 JUST REVIEW THE STORY, BRIEFLY, ABOUT GIDEON. 21:52 GIDEON, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, WAS FROM THE TOWN OR THE CITY OF 21:56 OPHRAH, AND IT WAS THERE, WHILE THRESHING WHEAT IN A WINEPRESS - 22:00 THE REASON HE WAS DOING IT IN A WINE PRESS - HE WAS TRYING TO DO 22:02 IT WITHOUT ANYBODY SEEING BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID OF THE 22:05 MIDIANITES COMING AND TAKING AWAY THE WHEAT. 22:08 AND WHILE HE WAS THRESHING WHEAT, "...THE ANGEL OF THE LORD 22:10 APPEARED UNTO HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, 'THE LORD IS WITH THEE, 22:14 THOU MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR. AND GIDEON SAID, '...IF THE LORD 22:18 BE WITH US, WHY THEN IS ALL THIS BEFALLEN US? 22:20 AND WHERE BE ALL HIS MIRACLES WHICH OUR FATHERS TOLD US OF, 22:24 SAYING, DID NOT THE LORD BRING US OUT OF EGYPT?'" 22:27 AND THEN, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, WHICH IS CHRIST, THE 22:30 MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT - THEY'RE NOT SAYING JESUS IS AN 22:32 ANGEL, BUT 'THE ANGEL' MEANS 'MESSENGER'. 22:35 AND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, JESUS SOMETIMES IS DESCRIBED AS THE 22:37 ANGEL OF THE LORD, AND HE SAID TO GIDEON, THE LORD IS WITH YOU 22:43 AND YOU WILL DELIVER ISRAEL FROM THE HANDS OF THE MIDIANITES. 22:48 AND GIDEON SAID, 'WELL, IF I'M TO DO THIS, I NEED TO HAVE A 22:53 SIGN. SO HE ASKED THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, HE SAID, 'WOULD YOU 22:56 WAIT HERE WHILE I GO PREPARE A PRESENT? 22:59 AND THEN, IF I RETURN AND YOU'RE STILL HERE, THEN I KNOW, YES, 23:02 THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO DO.' THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID, 23:05 'YES, I WILL WAIT.' SO GIDEON WENT BACK HOME AND HE PREPARED A 23:07 GOAT AND HE MADE SOME UNLEAVENED BREAD AND HE MADE A BROTH AND HE 23:11 BROUGHT IT OUT TO WHERE THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WAS, AND THE 23:14 ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID, 'WELL, TAKE THE FOOD AND PUT IT ON A 23:16 ROCK' - WHICH WAS THERE - AND GIDEON DID THAT AND THEN THE 23:20 ANGEL OF THE LORD REACHED FOR IT AND TOUCHED THE ROCK WITH HIS 23:23 STAFF AND, IMMEDIATELY, FLAMES SPRUNG UP FROM THE ROCK AND 23:26 CONSUMED THE FOOD. 23:28 SUDDENLY GIDEON REALIZED THAT THIS JUST WASN'T ANY ANGEL, BUT 23:31 HE WAS STANDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 23:34 AND HE CRIED OUT AND HE SAID, 'OH, LORD GOD.' AND THEN CHRIST 23:38 SAID TO HIM, 'DO NOT BE AFRAID FOR I WILL BE WITH YOU.' AND SO 23:42 GIDEON, AFTER THAT, GOES BACK TO HIS HOME TOWN AND THAT SAME 23:45 NIGHT THE LORD SPEAKS TO GIDEON AND SAYS, 'YOU NEED TO DESTROY 23:49 THE ALTAR OF BAAL THAT YOUR FATHER HAD ESTABLISHED THERE IN 23:52 THE TOWN AND ALSO CUT DOWN THE WOODEN IMAGE THAT HAD BEEN MADE 23:56 TO ASHERAH, ONE OF THE DEITIES OF THE PAGAN NATIONS. 23:59 AND SO, DURING THE NIGHT, GIDEON AND TEN OTHER MEN GOT UP AND 24:02 THEY DESTROYED THE ALTAR OF BAAL. 24:03 THEY CUT DOWN THAT WOODEN STATUE AND, ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD HAD 24:08 TOLD GIDEON, HE MADE AN ALTAR AND HE USED THE WOOD FROM THE 24:11 STATUE, PLACED THAT ON THE ALTAR, AND HE PRESENTED THE 24:14 SACRIFICE. IN THE MORNING, THE MEN FROM THE 24:17 TOWN CAME AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHO DESTROYED THE ALTAR OF 24:20 BAAL, AND THEY FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS GIDEON. 24:24 SO THEY WENT TO GIDEON'S FATHER AND SAID, 'GIVE US GIDEON SO WE 24:26 CAN PUT HIM TO DEATH BECAUSE HE DESTROYED THE ALTAR OF BAAL.' 24:29 BUT GIDEON'S FATHER ANSWERED VERY WISELY AND SAID, 24:32 'LET BAAL FIGHT FOR HIMSELF. IF HE IS THE GOD, YOU DON'T HAVE 24:37 TO DEFEND HIM, HE CAN DEFEND HIMSELF.' RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME 24:41 PERIOD THEN, THE MIDIANITES, WITH THE AMALEKITES, GATHERED 24:45 TOGETHER TO COME UP AGAINST ISRAEL. 24:48 AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON GIDEON AND HE SOUNDED THE 24:50 TRUMPET AND HE SENT OUT A MESSAGE TO THE TRIBES NEARBY HIM 24:54 AND HE CALLED FOR ALL THE MEN TO COME. 24:57 AND 32,000 MEN FROM THE TRIBES NEARBY CAME TO GIDEON AND THEY 25:02 GATHERED TOGETHER IN THE AREA OF - LET'S SEE - CLOSE TO MEGIDDO 25:07 IS WHERE THEY'RE FIRST ASSEMBLED - AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO MARCH 25:10 DOWN SOUTH AND THEY MET WITH SOME ADDITIONAL MEN THAT CAME 25:14 AND JOINED AND FINALLY CAMPED CLOSE TO THE TOWN OF HAROD. 25:19 THERE WAS A SPRING THERE AND THAT'S WHERE THE FORCES OF 25:21 GIDEON GATHERED. JUST A LITTLE FURTHER WERE THE 25:24 MIDIANITE ARMY, 'AS THE SAND OF THE SEA', THE BIBLE SAYS - 25:28 LIKE GRASSHOPPERS THEY'RE JUST GATHERED THERE TOGETHER. 25:31 AND THEN THE LORD SAID TO GIDEON, 'I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE 25:33 VICTORY BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY MEN WITH YOU.' NOW THEY 25:37 WERE VASTLY OUTNUMBERED WITH 32,000 AND STILL, GOD SAID, 25:41 'THIS IS TOO MANY.' AND SO GIDEON SAID, 'THOSE WHO ARE 25:44 AFRAID, THEY CAN GO HOME.' AND 22,000 OF THE 32,000 WENT 25:48 HOME AND HE WAS LEFT WITH 10,000. 25:50 AND STILL, THE LORD SAID, 'THIS IS TOO MANY. 25:52 I CAN'T GIVE MIDIAN INTO YOUR HANDS LEST ISRAEL SAY, 'MY OWN 25:55 HAND' - OR ARM - 'HAS DELIVERED ME.' AND SO GOD SAID THERE WAS 26:00 GOING TO BE A TEST AND ALL OF THE MEN, THE 10,000, WERE 26:03 BROUGHT DOWN TO THE RIVER TO DRINK. 26:04 THOSE WHO SCOOPED THE WATER WITH THEIR HAND AND LIFTED UP THEIR 26:08 HAND TO THEIR MOUTH AND DRANK, THEY WERE SET ASIDE FROM THE 26:11 REST WHO GOT DOWN ON THEIR HANDS AND KNEES AND DRANK DIRECTLY 26:14 FROM THE RIVER. 26:15 AND FINALLY GIDEON ENDED UP WITH 300 MEN. 26:19 AND THEN, THAT NIGHT, GOD SPOKE TO GIDEON AND HE SAID, 'TAKE 26:22 YOUR SERVANT AND GO DOWN INTO THE CAMP OF THE MIDIANITES. 26:26 GO UP TO A TENT.' AND SO HE DID SO. 26:29 NOW JUST PRIOR TO THIS, AFTER THE 32,000 CAME, GIDEON WANTED 26:34 TO MAKE SURE THAT GOD WAS CALLING HIM TO LEAD THE ARMY 26:37 INTO BATTLE, AND SO HE PUT OUT THE FLEECE AND THE FLEECE WAS 26:41 WET IN THE MORNING - THE GROUND WAS DRY - AND THEN HE SAID, 26:44 'LORD, LET'S DO IT ONE MORE TIME.' HE PUT OUT THE FLEECE 26:45 AGAIN AND THE GROUND WAS DRY - THE GROUND WAS WET AND THE 26:48 FLEECE WAS DRY - AND KNOW GOD WANTED TO LEAD HIM IN THIS, BUT 26:52 THAT NIGHT HE WENT DOWN TO THE CAMP OF MIDIAN AND HE WAS 26:54 LISTENING AS TWO OF THE MIDIANITE ARMY SOLDIERS WERE 26:58 TALKING ONE TO ANOTHER AND THE ONE SAID, 'I HAD A DREAM LAST 27:00 NIGHT AND IN THE DREAM THIS LOAF OF BARLEY ROLLED DOWN TO THE 27:05 CAMP OF THE MIDIANITES AND KNOCKED DOWN A TENT.' AND THE 27:09 OTHER INTERPRETED THE DREAM AND SAID, THIS MEANS THAT THE SWORD 27:12 OF GIDEON IS COMING AGAINST US AND THAT GOD WILL DELIVER US 27:16 INTO THEIR HANDS.' WELL THAT REASSURED GIDEON THAT, 27:19 YES, GOD WAS LEADING. 27:20 SO HE WENT BACK TO THE CAMP OF ISRAEL - HE HAD 300 MEN - HE 27:24 DIVIDED THEM UP INTO THREE GROUPS, GAVE EACH MAN A TRUMPET 27:27 AND A TORCH AND A CLAY PITCHER AND HE COMMANDED THAT THEY WERE 27:30 TO SURROUND THE CAMP ON THREE SIDES. 27:33 AND THEN, AT GIDEON'S SIGNAL, THEY WERE TO BLOW THE TRUMPETS, 27:36 BREAK THE CLAY PITCHER, REVEALING THE FLAMING TORCH - 27:39 AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. 27:41 AND WHEN THE MIDIANITES SUDDENLY HEARD THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPETS 27:43 AND THEY SAW THE TORCHES AND THEY HEARD THE CRY OF THE SWORD 27:46 OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON, THE MIDIANITES AND THE AMALEKITES 27:50 WERE FILLED WITH FEAR AND THEY BEGAN FIGHTING ONE UPON ANOTHER 27:54 AND GIDEON WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THEM ALL THE WAY OUT OF ISRAEL 27:57 AND REALLY BROUGHT A TIME PERIOD OF PEACE FOR ISRAEL FROM THE 28:01 MIDIANITES. WELL AFTER GIDEON HAD GAINED 28:03 THIS GREAT VICTORY, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME TO HIM AND SAID, 28:06 'WE WANT YOU TO BE OUR KING.' BUT HE REFUSED TO BECOME KING 28:10 FOR HE RECOGNIZED THAT GOD WAS THE KING OF ISRAEL - 28:14 IT WASN'T TO BE A MAN. NOW A FEW OTHER LITTLE THINGS 28:17 ABOUT THIS BATTLE THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST: IT SAYS THAT THE 28:19 DEFEAT OF THE MIDIANITES WAS DECISIVE AND ISRAEL HAD PEACE 28:22 DURING THE REMAINDER OF GIDEON'S LIFE. 28:26 AFTER THE DELIVERANCE, GIDEON WAS ASKED TO ESTABLISH A 28:29 KINGSHIP IN ISRAEL, BUT HE REFUSED, THUS EMPHASIZING THE 28:32 FACT THAT ISRAEL'S IDEAL GOVERNMENT WAS A THEOCRACY AND 28:36 NOT A MONARCHY. HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, VERSE 32, 28:39 GIVES GIDEON A PLACE AMONGST THE HEROES OF FAITH, FOR HE TRUSTED 28:43 GOD RATHER THAN A LARGE ARMY. NOW THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION 28:48 THAT ONE OF THE CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF GIDEON'S 28:51 STRENGTH WAS HIS OWN SENSE OF UNIMPORTANCE AND WEAKNESS. 28:56 HE RECOGNIZED HIS DELIVERANCE - OR HIS DEPENDENCE UPON GOD FOR 28:59 DELIVERANCE. AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT LESSON 29:03 FOR US, THE CHURCH, TO RECOGNIZE TODAY: OUR SECRET OF VICTORY 29:07 IS OUR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD. TURN IN YOUR BIBLES, IF YOU 29:11 WOULD, TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 - AND WE'LL 29:16 LOOK AT THE WARFARE THAT THE CHURCH IS TO BE ENGAGED IN AND 29:20 THE SECRET OF THE STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH IN THESE LAST DAYS. 29:23 MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 AND WE'LL BEGIN READING THERE IN VERSE 13 29:28 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 16, BEGINNING HERE IN VERSE 13 - IT SAYS, 29:35 "WHEN JESUS CAME INTO THE COASTS OF CAESAREA PHILIPPI, HE ASKED 29:39 HIS DISCIPLES, SAYING, 'WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I THE SON OF MAN 29:43 AM?'" SO JESUS ENTERS INTO THIS REGION AND HE ASKED HIS 29:47 DISCIPLES, 'WHO DO THE PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?' 29:49 WHY DO YOU SUPPOSED JESUS ASKED THAT QUESTION? 29:52 DIDN'T JESUS KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE THOUGHT OF HIM? 29:55 YES HE DID, BUT HE WANTED THE DISCIPLES TO THINK ABOUT IT SO 29:57 HE ASKED THEM, 'WHO DO THE PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?' 30:00 AND THEY RESPONDED AND SAID, "...SOME SAY THAT THOU ART JOHN 30:03 THE BAPTIST:" - BY THIS TIME JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD BEEN 30:06 BEHEADED BY HEROD, BUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE LOOKED AT JESUS AND 30:09 SAID, 'THIS IS JOHN THE BAPTIST RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD.' 30:13 OTHERS SAID, 'NO, HE IS ELIJAH.' AND THE REASON THEY SAID JESUS 30:17 WAS ELIJAH IS BECAUSE OF THE PROPHECY THAT YOU FIND IN THE 30:19 BOOK OF MALACHI THAT SAYS, 'BEHOLD, I SEND YOU ELIJAH THE 30:22 PROPHET BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE 30:25 LORD.' AND PEOPLE LOOKED AT JESUS AND SAID, 'THIS IS ELIJAH 30:28 THAT IS COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.' OTHERS SAID, 'NO, HE IS 30:31 JEREMIAH' OR 'HE'S JUST ONE OF THE PROPHETS.' BUT THEN VERSE 30:34 15: JESUS SAID TO THEM, "BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?" 30:38 NOW HERE'S THE KEY: THE PEOPLE SAID THAT JESUS WAS EITHER 30:42 JEREMIAH OR JOHN THE BAPTIST OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS OR ELIJAH, 30:47 BUT JESUS SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, 'WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?' 30:50 AND SIMON PETER - VERSE 16 - ANSWERED AND SAID, 'YOU ARE THE 30:53 CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.' THAT'S THE SECRET OF 30:58 VICTORY FOR THE CHURCH - THE FACT THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST. 31:05 NOW THE WORD 'CHRIST' MEANS 'THE ANOINTED'. 31:08 IT'S THE DELIVERER - IT'S THE PROMISED REDEEMER - THE ONE WHO 31:11 WOULD COME AND DELIVER HIS PEOPLE. 31:13 JESUS IS OUR CHRIST. HE IS OUR DELIVERER. HE IS OUR GIDEON. 31:17 HE IS THE ONE THAT WILL BRING VICTORY TO HIS PEOPLE. 31:21 BUT NOTICE, JESUS GOES ON, IN VERSE 17, "JESUS ANSWERED AND 31:25 SAID TO HIM" - SPEAKING TO PETER - "BLESSED ART THOU, SIMON 31:28 BARJONA: FOR FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, 31:31 BUT MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN." 31:34 FOR A PERSON TO COME TO A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF WHO 31:37 JESUS IS, IT'S REALLY THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON THAT 31:41 PERSON'S HEART. 31:42 YOU SEE, JESUS MUST BE MORE THAN JUST AN INTELLECTUAL 31:46 UNDERSTANDING THAT, YES, HE IS THE CHRIST - HE'S THE SON OF 31:49 GOD. HE CAME 2,000 YEARS AGO. 31:51 HE DIED FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS. 31:53 TO REALLY EXPERIENCE VICTORY, WE NEED TO SEE JESUS AND EXPERIENCE 31:58 JESUS AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR - OUR PERSONAL DELIVERER - THE ONE 32:02 WHO HAS COME TO GIVE US PERSONAL VICTORY. 32:05 AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN JUST READ ABOUT, THAT IS 32:08 THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UPON A PERSON'S HEART. 32:11 JESUS SAID, 'EXCEPT HE BE BORN AGAIN' - SPEAKING TO NICODEMUS - 32:15 'YOU CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' IT IS THE MOVING OF THE 32:18 HOLY SPIRIT UPON THE HEART. IT IS GENUINE CONVERSION. 32:21 BUT THEN JESUS GOES ON IN VERSE 18 AND HE SAID, "AND I SAY ALSO 32:25 UNTO THEE, THAT THOU ART PETER, AND UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD 32:29 MY CHURCH; AND THE GATES OF HADES SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST 32:33 IT." NOW I HOPE WE ALL UNDERSTAND 32:35 THAT PETER IS NOT THE ROCK UPON WHICH THE CHURCH IS BUILT. 32:38 THE WORD 'PETER' MEANS 'PEBBLE' OR 'STONE'. 32:41 BUT THE STATEMENT THAT PETER HAD JUST MADE, THAT JESUS IS THE 32:45 CHRIST, WELL THAT'S THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE CHURCH 32:48 IS BUILT. PETER NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE 32:51 THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH. ACTUALLY, WHEN PETER PREACHED 32:54 AND WHEN HE WROTE IN 1 AND 2 PETER, HE SPOKE OF JESUS BEING 32:58 THE CORNERSTONE - BEING THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH. 33:01 BUT THEN JESUS GOES ON IN VERSE 19 AND HERE, IN PARTICULAR, IS 33:06 THE POINT I WANT US TO NOTE: VERSE 18 HE SAYS THAT THE GATES 33:11 OF HELL - THE LAST PART OF VERSE 18 - JESUS SAID, "UPON THIS ROCK 33:15 I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL 33:18 AGAINST IT." NOW THE 'IT' IN THE VERSE IS THE CHURCH. 33:23 THE FACT THAT JESUS IS OUR CHRIST - JESUS IS OUR DELIVERER 33:28 - THAT EMPOWERS THE CHURCH TO BE VICTORIOUS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST 33:33 SIN. INSTEAD OF THE CHURCH BEING ON 33:36 THE DEFENSE AND TREMBLING AT THE PRESENCE OF THE DEVIL, THE 33:41 CHURCH IS TO BE MARCHING FORWARD. NOTICE, IT'S NOT THE 33:44 DEVIL BREAKING DOWN THE GATES OF THE CHURCH IN THIS VERSE, BUT IT 33:49 IS THE CHURCH BREAKING DOWN THE GATES OF THE DEVIL. 33:53 IN OTHER WORDS, THE CHURCH, RECOGNIZING THAT JESUS IS THE 33:57 CHRIST, RECEIVING HIM AS OUR PERSONAL DELIVERER - OUR SAVIOR 34:01 - BEING OBEDIENT TO HIS COMMANDS, THE CHURCH IS ABLE TO 34:04 GO FORWARD ENTERING INTO SATAN'S STRONGHOLD AND SETTING SIN'S 34:08 CAPTIVES FREE BECAUSE JESUS IS THE CHRIST. 34:13 THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE ON THE WINNING TEAM. 34:16 JESUS IS OUR DELIVERER. HE WILL SEE US THROUGH. 34:20 AND THAT'S THE CHURCH TODAY. 34:22 WE LEARN THIS LESSON BY LOOKING AT ISRAEL OF OLD AND SEEING HOW 34:26 GOD RAISED UP DELIVERERS WHO BROUGHT DELIVERANCE TO THEM. 34:30 GOD WANTS TO BRING DELIVERANCE TO US. 34:33 NOW ON TUESDAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING JUST BRIEFLY AT QUITE 34:37 A COLORFUL CHARACTER - SAMSON - STRONGEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED. 34:43 AND IT'S VERY UNUSUAL THAT GOD WOULD USE SAMSON, IT SEEMS, WITH 34:48 ALL OF HIS FLAWS AND ALL OF HIS SELFISHNESS, TO BE A DELIVERER, 34:52 BUT HE WAS A DELIVERER OF GOD'S PEOPLE. NOW BEGINNING AT THE TOP 34:55 OF THE LESSON ON TUESDAY, IT SAYS THAT THE BATTLE LINES 34:57 BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL ARE BLURRED IN THE STORY OF SAMSON. 35:01 HIS LIFE STARTS WITH AN IMPRESSION - WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 35:04 FASHION WITH AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE ANGEL OF THE LORD THAT 35:07 HE IS TO BE A NAZARITE FROM BIRTH. 35:09 AND IT SEEMED THAT THINGS WERE GOOD THUS FAR. 35:13 GOD, INDEED, HAD A SPECIAL PLAN FOR SAMSON. 35:16 UNFORTUNATELY, THINGS DID NOT WORK OUT AS WELL AS THEY COULD 35:19 HAVE BECAUSE OF SAMSON'S HARD HEARTEDNESS AND SELFISHNESS. 35:24 SO LET'S LEARN JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE, ABOUT SAMSON. 35:27 SAMSON WAS THE SON OF MINOAH, WHOSE WIFE, LIKE SARAH, 35:30 HANNAH AND ELIZABETH, WAS BARREN. 35:32 HIS BIRTH, LIKE THAT OF ISAAC AND JOHN THE BAPTIST, WAS 35:35 ANNOUNCED BY AN ANGEL. HE WAS TO BE A NAZARITE, MEANING 35:39 SEPARATED OR CONSECRATED TO GOD FROM HIS BIRTH. 35:42 SAMSON'S PARENTS LIVED IN A PLACE CALLED ZORAH, ON THE 35:46 BORDER BETWEEN DAN AND JUDAH. SAMSON POSSESSED UNUSUAL 35:50 STRENGTH, WITH WHICH HE PERFORMED HEROIC DEEDS 35:53 OF EXTRAORDINARY VALOR. IF HIS MORAL CHARACTER HAD BEEN 35:57 EQUAL TO HIS STRENGTH, GOD COULD HAVE USED HIM TO A MUCH GREATER 36:01 DEGREE THAN HE DID FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL. 36:06 YOU SEE, GOD HAD GREATER PLANS FOR SAMSON, BUT SAMSON DIDN'T 36:09 ALWAYS FOLLOW GOD'S PLAN. 36:12 SAMSON MOVED AGAINST THE PHILISTINES IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, 36:15 EACH IN ANGRY RESPONSES TO PERSONAL SLIGHTS. 36:19 FIRST - YOU CAN READ THE ACCOUNT IN JUDGES - HE KILLED THIRTY MEN 36:23 AND TOOK THEIR CLOTHES BACK TO HIS WEDDING FEAST TO PAY A DEBT. 36:27 THEN HE DESTROYED THEIR CROPS WHEN HIS WIFE WAS GIVEN TO HIS 36:30 BEST MAN. THEN SAMSON KILLED MANY IN 36:33 REVENGE FOR THE PHILISTINES KILLING HIS WIFE AND HER FATHER. 36:37 WHEN THE PHILISTINES TRIED TO AVENGE THAT ACTION, HE KILLED A 36:42 THOUSAND WITH A DONKEY'S JAWBONE. FINALLY, HE PULLED DOWN 36:45 THEIR TEMPLE AND KILLED THREE THOUSAND FOR BLINDING HIM. 36:50 IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A SOAP OPERA - ONE THING HAPPENS AND 36:53 THEN SAMSON TAKES REVENGE AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS - 36:55 AND YOU WONDER, 'SAMSON, IF YOU WOULD HAVE JUST FOLLOWED GOD 36:59 FROM THE BEGINNING, HOW DIFFERENT THINGS COULD HAVE 37:02 ENDED UP.' AND YET, WE STILL SEE GOD, AT THE END OF SAMSON'S 37:05 LIFE, WHEN HE HUMBLES HIMSELF AND HE CRIES OUT TO GOD, GOD 37:10 HEARS HIS PRAYER. IN SPITE OF SAMSON'S GRAVE 37:13 FAILURES, THE NEW TESTAMENT LISTS HIM AMONG THE GREAT HEROES 37:17 OF FAITH IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, VERSE 32, POSSIBLY BECAUSE HE 37:22 FINALLY REALIZED HIS TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD AND CALLED 37:26 UPON HIM IN HIS LAST ACT OF VALOR. 37:29 THE STORY OF SAMSON NOT ONLY GIVES US A PICTURE OF A CHOSEN 37:32 INSTRUMENT OF GOD WHOSE SELFISHNESS AND PASSION MADE IT 37:35 IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO FULFILL HIS FULL CALLING, BUT IT ALSO 37:39 PROVIDES A PICTURE OF GOD'S MERCY. WHEN SAMSON TURNED BACK 37:43 TO GOD WITH ALL OF HIS HEART, GOD HEARD AND GOD ANSWERED. 37:48 SO FROM THE STORY OF SAMSON WE BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT EVEN 37:52 THOUGH WE MAKE MISTAKES AND WE DON'T ALWAYS DO THINGS THE WAY 37:55 GOD INTENDS FOR US TO DO, GOD DOES NOT ABANDON US. 37:58 HE IS RICH IN MERCY AND, IF WE BUT TURN TO HIM, HE WILL BE ABLE 38:02 TO EVEN TAKE THOSE BAD SITUATIONS AND, BY HIS GRACE, 38:05 OFTEN TURN THEM AROUND FOR ULTIMATE GOOD. 38:08 SO GOD IS A MERCIFUL GOD AND WE SEE THAT IN THE STORY OF ISRAEL. 38:11 HOW MANY TIMES DID ISRAEL GO AND WORSHIP THESE PAGAN GODS THAT 38:15 SURROUNDED THEM AND YET, WHEN THEY TURNED TO GOD WITH 38:17 SINCERITY, GOD RECEIVED THEM AND GOD RAISED UP A DELIVERER. 38:22 IN THE BOOK PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS , ON PAGE 563, WE HAVE 38:25 THIS QUOTE: "JUST AS HE" - SPEAKING OF SAMSON - "WAS 38:29 ENTERING UPON MANHOOD - THE TIME WHEN HE MUST EXECUTE HIS DIVINE 38:32 MISSION - THE TIME ABOVE ALL OTHERS, WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 38:35 TRUE TO GOD, SAMSON CONNECTED HIMSELF WITH THE ENEMIES OF 38:39 ISRAEL." SO INSTEAD OF BEING FAITHFUL TO 38:42 GOD, HE GAVE IN TO THE PRESSURES OF THOSE NATIONS SURROUNDING 38:46 HIM. AND THEN THERE IS A QUESTION 38:48 THAT WE HAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LESSON ON TUESDAY, IT SAYS, 38:52 'HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT GOD USED SAMSON'S WEAKNESSES FOR 38:56 WOMEN AS AN OCCASION TO MOVE AGAINST THE PHILISTINES?' 38:59 NOW WE CAN READ IN JUDGES CHAPTER 14 - AND MAYBE I'LL JUST 39:02 READ THIS PORTION TO YOU - JUDGES 14 FROM 1 THROUGH TO 39:06 VERSE 4 IT SAYS, "AND SAMSON WENT DOWN TO TIMNATH, AND SAW A 39:10 WOMAN IN TIMNATH OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PHILISTINES. 39:13 AND HE CAME UP, AND TOLD HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND SAID, 39:16 'I HAVE SEEN A WOMAN IN TIMNATH OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE 39:18 PHILISTINES: NOW THEREFORE GET HER FOR ME TO WIFE." 39:22 NOW GOD HAD GIVEN STRICT INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ISRAELITES 39:25 THAT THEY WERE NOT TO TAKE WIVES OF THE PAGAN NATIONS AROUND THEM 39:29 FOR THESE WIVES WOULD LEAD THEM INTO IDOLATRY. 39:32 AND YET, SAMSON IGNORED THAT COUNSEL. 39:34 HE WANTED THIS WOMAN AS A WIFE - VERSE 3 - "THEN HIS FATHER AND 39:37 HIS MOTHER SAID UNTO HIM, 'IS THERE NEVER A WOMAN AMONG THE 39:40 DAUGHTERS OF THY BRETHREN, OR AMONG ALL MY PEOPLE, THAT THOU 39:44 GOEST TO TAKE A WIFE OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINES?' 39:47 AND SAMSON SAID TO HIS FATHER, 'GET HER FOR ME; FOR SHE 39:51 PLEASETH ME WELL.'" NOW, NOTICE VERSE 4: "BUT HIS FATHER AND HIS 39:55 MOTHER KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS OF THE LORD, THAT HE SOUGHT AN 40:02 OCCASION AGAINST THE PHILISTINES: FOR AT THAT TIME 40:05 THE PHILISTINES HAD DOMINION OVER ISRAEL." SO EVEN THOUGH IT 40:09 WAS NOT GOD'S IDEAL OR GOD'S PURPOSE THAT SAMSON FOLLOW THIS 40:13 COURSE, GOD WAS STILL ABLE TO WORK OUT HIS WILL IN THE END. 40:18 BUT HOW MUCH BETTER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF SAMSON WOULD HAVE 40:20 FOLLOWED GOD FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. 40:22 WHAT A GREATER DELIVERANCE HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING. 40:26 NOW, ON WEDNESDAY, WE LOOK AT THE STORY OF RUTH. 40:30 NOW WE DON'T THINK OF RUTH AS BEING A DELIVERER IN THE SENSE 40:32 OF GIDEON OR BARAK OR DEBORAH, AND YET, WE DO SEE IN THE STORY 40:36 OF RUTH, IN HER FAMILY, A CONFLICT - WE SEE THE STRUGGLE 40:41 BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. THE GREAT CONTROVERSY IS 40:43 ILLUSTRATED IN THE STORY OF RUTH. 40:46 BEGINNING ON WEDNESDAY'S LESSON IT SAYS, "RATHER THAN TALKING 40:49 ABOUT VAST ENEMY ARMIES THAT THREATEN GOD'S PEOPLE, THE STORY 40:52 OF RUTH SPEAKS ABOUT SOMETHING SMALLER - A FAMILY ALMOST DYING 40:56 OUT. INSTEAD, THOUGH, AT THE END, 40:58 BEING REVIVED AND STRENGTHENED BY GOD'S MERCY. SO WHAT DO WE 41:03 KNOW ABOUT THE STORY OF RUTH? NOW RUTH, SHE WAS A MOABITE WHO 41:07 LIVED IN THE TIME OF THE JUDGES - ABOUT 1230 B.C. 41:11 IN HER OWN LAND, RUTH HAD MARRIED THE ELDEST SON OF 41:16 ELIMELECH AND NAOMI, ISRAELITES FROM BETHLEHEM-JUDAH, 41:21 WHO HAD COME TO MOAB DURING A FAMINE. 41:24 NAOMI WAS WIDOWED AND THEN HER TWO SONS DIED WITHOUT HEIRS. 41:30 AFTER THIS SHE DETERMINED TO RETURN TO HER NATIVE COUNTRY, 41:34 WHEREUPON RUTH ANNOUNCED THAT SHE INTENDED TO ACCOMPANY HER, 41:37 ADOPTING BOTH HER NATION AND HER GOD. ONLY BY DEATH WOULD THEY BE 41:41 SEPARATED. AND HERE WE FIND IN RUTH CHAPTER 41:44 1, VERSE 16 - THIS FAMILIAR VERSE - "AND RUTH SAID, ENTREAT 41:49 ME NOT TO LEAVE THEE, OR TO RETURN FROM FOLLOWING AFTER 41:52 THEE: FOR WITHER THOU GOEST, I WILL GO; AND WHERE THOU LODGEST, 41:56 I WILL LODGE:" - NOTICE THE LAST PART - "THY PEOPLE SHALL BE MY 42:00 PEOPLE AND THY GOD MY GOD:" NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, YOU 42:05 CAN KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF THE DISTANCE TRAVELED: YOU HAVE 42:08 BETHLEHEM AND THEN JUST ABOVE IT YOU HAVE JERUSALEM. 42:10 NAOMI AND HER FAMILY WERE FROM BETHLEHEM AND THEY TRAVELED UP, 42:15 PROBABLY THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DEAD SEA, AND THEN THEY HAD 42:19 TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE AREA OCCUPIED BY MOAB AND 42:23 THEY WERE THERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. 42:25 HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY - HER SONS PASSED AWAY - SHE DIDN'T 42:28 HAVE ANY CHILDREN AND SO NOW SHE'S GOING BACK. 42:31 SHE HEARS THAT THE FAMINE HAS LESSENED IN ISRAEL AND SHE'S 42:33 GOING TO GO BACK TO HER HOME TOWN AND RUTH FOLLOWS AND SAYS, 42:37 'I'M GOING TO GO WITH YOU; YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE MY PEOPLE AND 42:40 YOUR GOD WILL BE MY GOD.' NOW, DURING THE BARLEY HARVEST - THEY 42:44 ALL GO BACK TO BETHLEHEM - DURING THE BARLEY HARVEST IN 42:47 BETHLEHEM, RUTH WENT TO GLEAN IN THE FIELDS OF BOAZ, A WEALTHY 42:51 RELATIVE OF ELIMELECH. BOAZ NOTICED HER AND GAVE HER 42:56 HIS PROTECTION IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HER LOYALTY TO NAOMI. 43:01 AFTER BOAZ REDEEMED A PLOT OF LAND WHICH BELONGED TO 43:04 ELIMELECH, HE MARRIED RUTH AND THEIR FIRST CHILD, OBED, WAS 43:09 GIVEN TO NAOMI TO CONTINUE THE NAME OF ELIMELECH. 43:13 OBED WAS THE GRANDFATHER OF DAVID, THROUGH WHOSE FAMILY 43:17 THE LINEAGE OF JESUS WAS BORN. 43:20 SO HERE WE FIND, IN THE LINEAGE OF JESUS, SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT 43:24 EVEN AN ISRAELITE - RUTH THAT CAME FROM MOAB. 43:28 SO RIGHT THERE WE CAN LEARN THIS IMPORTANT LESSON OF GOD'S MERCY 43:31 - NOT ONLY FOR HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE - FOR ISRAEL - BUT GOD EXTENDS 43:35 MERCY, EVEN FOR THOSE WHO COME FROM THE ENEMY OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 43:40 IN OTHER WORDS, GOD HAS FAITHFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF THE 43:45 FAMILY, SO TO SPEAK, BUT HE WILL CALL THEM AND THEY WILL COME. 43:49 NOW IN THE LESSON IT SAYS THAT IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THE LAND 43:52 OF JUDAH SUFFERED FROM A FAMINE DURING THAT TIME. 43:55 THAT WAS BECAUSE THE ISRAELITES HAD APOSTATIZED AND GONE AFTER 43:57 THESE PAGAN DEITIES. THIS WAS A SIGN THAT THE PEOPLE 44:00 OF THE COVENANT HAD FORSAKEN THEIR GOD. 44:03 AND THEN WE SEE, IN THIS STORY HERE OF RUTH, HER COMMITMENT FOR 44:07 HER TO COME WITH NAOMI AND TO ALLOW HER GOD - RUTH WANTED TO 44:12 COME WITH NAOMI - TO ALLOW NAOMI'S GOD TO BE HER GOD. 44:15 AND THAT'S THE LESSON THAT I THINK WE CAN REALLY TAKE 44:17 FROM HERE IN THIS CONFLICT IDEA. 44:20 TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO REVELATION CHAPTER 18. 44:23 AND HERE WE FIND GOD'S CHURCH AT THE END OF TIME WITH A MESSAGE 44:26 THAT HAS TO GO TO ALL THE WORLD - REVELATION CHAPTER 18 AND 44:32 WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN HERE IN VERSE 1 - REVELATION CHAPTER 18, 44:35 BEGINNING IN VERSE 1 - IT SAYS, "AND AFTER THESE THINGS I SAW 44:39 ANOTHER ANGEL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, HAVING GREAT AUTHORITY; 44:43 AND THE EARTH WAS ILLUMINATED WITH HIS GLORY." 44:46 NOW IN BIBLE PROPHECY, AN ANGEL HERE, REPRESENTS A MESSENGER OR 44:50 A MESSAGE THAT HAS TO GO TO ALL THE WORLD. 44:53 IT REPRESENTS GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF TIME. 44:55 VERSE 2 SAYS, "AND HE CRIED MIGHTILY WITH A LOUD VOICE, 44:58 SAYING, 'BABYLON THE GREAT IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN, AND HAS 45:02 BECOME A DWELLING PLACE OF DEMONS, A PRISON FOR EVERY FOUL 45:06 SPIRIT, AND A CAGE FOR EVERY UNCLEAN AND HATED BIRD!" 45:10 VERSE 3 SAYS, "FOR ALL THE NATIONS HAVE DRUNK THE WINE OF 45:14 THE WRATH OF HER FORNICATION, THE KINGS OF THE EARTH HAVE 45:17 COMMITTED FORNICATION WITH HER AND THE MERCHANTS OF THE EARTH 45:20 HAVE BECOME RICH THROUGH THE ABUNDANCE OF HER LUXURY." 45:23 SO HERE IS A MESSAGE THAT HAS TO GO TO ALL THE WORLD BEFORE JESUS 45:27 COMES: 'BABYLON IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN.' BUT I WANT YOU TO 45:30 NOTICE VERSE 4: IT SAYS, "AND I HEARD ANOTHER VOICE FROM HEAVEN" 45:34 - THIS IS THE VOICE OF GOD - THE VOICE OF JESUS SPEAKING - 45:37 "SAYING, 'COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE...LEST YOU SHARE IN HER 45:41 SINS AND LEST YOU RECEIVE OF HER PLAGUES.'" NOW, JUST LIKE IN THE 45:45 TIME OF ISRAEL, GOD HAD FAITHFUL MEN AND WOMEN WHO WERE OUTSIDE 45:48 OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL. AT TIMES, THEY WERE EVEN AMONGST 45:51 THE ENEMY OF GOD'S PEOPLE, YET THEIR HEARTS WERE LOYAL AND 45:55 SINCERE AND GOD CALLED THEM INTO THE FAMILY OF ISRAEL. 45:59 SO, LIKEWISE, AT THE END OF TIME. 46:01 GOD HAS GOT FAITHFUL MEN AND WOMEN IN BABYLON - BABYLON 46:04 REPRESENTS RELIGIOUS CORRUPTION AT THE END OF TIME. 46:07 THE TIME WILL COME WHEN GOD WILL CALL HIS FAITHFUL PEOPLE TO COME 46:11 OUT OF RELIGIOUS APOSTASY AND TO MAKE THEIR STAND WITH 46:14 GOD'S COMMANDMENT-KEEPING PEOPLE. 46:17 SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE THAT OUR MISSION AS A 46:20 CHURCH IS TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS - THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGES - 46:25 WITH THE WORLD BECAUSE GOD IS GOING TO CALL HIS PEOPLE TO 46:28 COME OUT OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION. THE PROBLEM WITH ISRAEL WAS THEY 46:31 THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE THIS PRIVILEGED GROUP OF PEOPLE AND 46:34 THAT THEY WERE SUPERIOR TO ALL THE NATIONS AROUND THEM. 46:38 THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT GOD RAISED UP ISRAEL FOR THE VERY 46:41 PURPOSE OF BRINGING AND PROCLAIMING AND PREACHING THE 46:44 COMING OF THE MESSIAH - THE FIRST COMING OF JESUS. 46:47 SO LIKEWISE TODAY, THE CHURCH HAS BEEN RAISED UP BY GOD TO 46:50 PREPARE THE WORLD FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 46:54 AND THEN, ON THURSDAY, WE JUST GET A QUICK GLIMPSE OF ANOTHER 46:58 BIBLE CHARACTER DURING THE TIME OF THE JUDGES, SAMUEL. 47:03 NOW WHAT DOES THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF SAMUEL HAVE TO DO 47:06 WITH THE GREAT CONTROVERSY THEME? 47:08 THERE IS NO OBVIOUS THREAT TO THE CREATED ORDER AND THERE ARE 47:11 NO VAST ARMIES AT THE BORDER. 47:14 THE ATTACK OF EVIL IS MORE SUBTLE, BUT NO LESS REAL, AS 47:18 WE'LL SEE IN THE STORY OF SAMUEL. SO LET'S JUST KIND OF 47:22 GET A LITTLE BIT OF A MORE CLEAR IDEA OF SAMUEL. SAMUEL OR, AT 47:26 LEAST HIS MOTHER HANNAH - HER NAME WAS 'GRACE'. 47:29 SHE WAS THE FAVORITE OF THE TWO WIVES OF ELKANAH, AN EPHRAIMITE 47:34 OF LEVITICAL STOCK, WHO LIVED IN THE TOWN OF RAMAH. 47:38 THE OTHER WIFE, PENINA, MOCKED HER BECAUSE SHE HAD NO CHILDREN. 47:42 SHE PRAYED AND VOWED THAT IF GOD WOULD GIVE HER A SON, 47:45 SHE WOULD DEVOTE HIM TO GOD AS A NAZARITE. 47:48 A YEAR AFTER THIS VOW SHE BORE A SON AN NAMED HIM SAMUEL. 47:53 THEN, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, SHE DID JUST AS SHE HAD 47:56 PROMISED, AND HE SERVED AS A PRIEST BEFORE GOD. 48:01 SHE BROUGHT SAMUEL A ROBE EVERY YEAR WHEN SHE CAME UP TO SHILOH 48:04 TO WORSHIP. SHE LATER BECAME THE MOTHER OF 48:07 THREE SONS AND TWO DAUGHTERS. NOW WHAT ABOUT SAMUEL HIMSELF? 48:12 WHILE STILL A BOY HE EXPERIENCED THE PROPHETIC CALL AT A TIME - 48:16 AND THE TIME WAS ESTABLISHED - AS TIME WENT ON, HE WAS 48:19 ESTABLISHED AS A PROPHET AND A JUDGE IN ISRAEL. 48:21 IN HIS OLD AGE, HIS LEADERSHIP WAS CHALLENGED BY THE TRIBAL 48:25 ELDERS WHO WANTED A KING IN ISRAEL. HE WAS TOLD BY GOD TO 48:29 ANOINT SAUL AS THE FIRST KING IN ISRAEL AND THEN, LATER, AFTER 48:33 THE APOSTASY OF SAUL, WAS DIRECTED TO ANOINT DAVID AS 48:36 KING. SAMUEL MARKED A TRANSITION POINT 48:39 IN THE HISTORY OF GOD'S PEOPLE, FROM THAT OF A THEOCRACY, 48:42 TO THAT OF A MONARCHY. HE DIED AT THE AGE OF 112 YEARS 48:46 AND WAS BURIED IN RAMAH AROUND 1017 BC. NOW, WITH REFERENCE TO 48:52 ISRAEL WANTING TO HAVE A KING - 1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 8, VERSE 4 - WE 48:57 READ, "THEN ALL THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL GATHERED TOGETHER AND 49:00 CAME TO SAMUEL AT RAMAH, AND SAID TO HIM, 'LOOK, YOU ARE OLD, 49:04 AND YOUR SONS DO NOT WALK IN YOUR WAYS. 49:07 NOW MAKE US A KING TO JUDGE US LIKE ALL THE NATIONS.' 49:11 BUT THE THING DISPLEASED SAMUEL WHEN THEY SAID, 'GIVE US A KING 49:15 TO JUDGE US.' SO SAMUEL PRAYED TO THE LORD. 49:19 AND THE LORD SAID TO SAMUEL, 'HEED THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE IN 49:22 ALL THAT THEY SAY TO YOU; FOR THEY HAVE NOT REJECTED YOU, BUT 49:27 THEY HAVE REJECTED ME, THAT I SHOULD NOT REIGN OVER THEM.'" 49:31 SO DESPITE THE FACT THAT ISRAEL HAD THE WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE AND 49:35 BLESSING OF HAVING GOD BE THEIR KING, THEY DIDN'T WANT GOD AS 49:38 THE KING, THEY WANTED TO HAVE A KING LIKE ALL THE PAGAN NATIONS 49:41 AROUND THEM, AND THIS GRIEVED THE HEART OF SAMUEL. 49:44 NEVERTHELESS, SAMUEL WAS THAT TRANSITIONAL PERSON FROM THE 49:49 TIME OF A THEOCRACY TO BECOMING A NATION OF KINGS. 49:52 THE MONARCHY WAS ESTABLISHED DURING THIS TIME. 49:55 BUT THERE WERE A FEW REAL CHALLENGES. 49:58 EARLY ON, IN THE LIFE OF SAMUEL, BECAUSE OF ELI, WHO WAS THE 50:01 PRIEST - IN THE BOOK PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS ON PAGE 575, WE 50:06 HAVE THIS QUOTE, SPEAKING OF ELI, "BUT ALTHOUGH HE (ELI) HAD 50:10 BEEN APPOINTED TO GOVERN THE PEOPLE, HE DID NOT RULE HIS OWN 50:13 HOUSEHOLD. ELI WAS AN INDULGENT FATHER. 50:17 LOVING PEACE AND EASE, HE DID NOT EXERCISE HIS AUTHORITY TO 50:20 CORRECT THE EVIL HABITS AND PASSIONS OF HIS CHILDREN. 50:23 RATHER THAN CONTEND WITH THEM OR PUNISH THEM, HE WOULD SUBMIT TO 50:26 THEIR WILL AND GIVE THEIR OWN WAY. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS 50:31 GREAT APOSTASY." YOU CAN READ ABOUT THE SONS OF 50:33 ELI AND THE WICKED THINGS THAT THEY DID. 50:36 THIS FINALLY LED TO A BATTLE WITH THE PHILISTINES WHEN THE 50:39 ARK OF THE COVENANT WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN AWAY FROM ISRAEL AND THE 50:43 ARK WAS, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, OVER THERE IN THE LAND OF THE 50:46 PHILISTINES. "YET, IN CONTRAST TO ELI'S 50:49 WICKED SONS, WE HAVE THE STORY OF A SMALL BOY DRESSED AS A 50:53 PRIEST WHO, LIKE JESUS, SPEAKING OF SAMUEL, GREW IN STATURE AND 50:57 FAVOR WITH BOTH THE LORD AND WITH MAN." 51:00 SO SAMUEL WAS AN IMPORTANT PERSON, DURING THAT TIME, TO 51:03 DIRECT ISRAEL'S ATTENTION BACK TO THE TRUE GOD WHO WAS THE ONE 51:07 WHO COULD BRING GENUINE DELIVERANCE FROM THEIR ENEMIES. 51:11 SO SAMUEL MARKED THIS TRANSITIONAL POINT IN THE 51:13 HISTORY OF GOD'S PEOPLE. HE WAS THE LAST OF THE JUDGES 51:17 AND A KEY FIGURE IN THE DEVELOPING GREAT CONTROVERSY. 51:21 HIS STABLE INFLUENCE GUIDED THE PEOPLE DURING A CRITICAL TIME 51:25 OF ISRAEL'S HISTORY. 51:28 SO IN THESE STORIES THAT WE LOOKED AT DURING OUR LESSON FOR 51:31 THIS WEEK, WE CAN SEE HOW THE GREAT CONTROVERSY WAS PLAYED OUT 51:34 IN A VERY REAL SCENARIO WITH THE NATION OF ISRAEL. 51:38 ISRAEL WOULD ABANDON THEIR TRUE WORSHIP OF GOD AND WOULD FOLLOW 51:42 AFTER THESE PAGAN DEITIES THAT SURROUNDED THEM. 51:45 AS A RESULT, FAMINE WOULD COME OR AN ARMY WOULD COME AND OCCUPY 51:50 THE LAND AND THEY WOULD SUFFER AT THEIR HAND. 51:53 FINALLY, THEY WOULD REALIZE THE CAUSE FOR ALL OF THESE TERRIBLE 51:56 THINGS WAS BECAUSE THEY HAD LEFT GOD AND THEY TURNED AND THEY 51:59 CRIED OUT TO GOD AND GOD WOULD RAISE UP A DELIVERER TO COME AND 52:02 GUIDE THEM. AND IT SEEMED THAT WORKED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT 52:05 THEN ISRAEL KEPT SLIPPING BACK INTO THE OLD WAYS OF SEEKING TO 52:09 FOLLOW THESE PAGAN DEITIES. NOW, COULD IT BE TODAY THAT WE 52:14 FOLLOW THE SAME COURSE OF ISRAEL FROM TIME TO TIME? 52:19 I JUST THINK OF OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES. 52:21 ARE THERE TIMES IN OUR LIFE WHERE WE HAVE NEGLECTED OUR 52:25 COMMITMENT AND OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD, ONLY TO FIND OURSELVES 52:29 IN TROUBLE, CRYING OUT TO GOD FOR DELIVERANCE? 52:33 GOD, IN HIS MERCY, COMES AND DELIVERS US, BUT THEN IT SEEMS 52:36 LIKE THINGS GO BACK THE WAY THAT THEY WERE AND, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO 52:41 EXPERIENCE THAT REVIVAL AND SAY, 'LORD, PLEASE DELIVER ME FROM MY 52:45 ENEMY' - WHICH, OF COURSE, IS THE DEVIL - 'DELIVER ME FROM 52:48 SIN.' AND THAT EXPERIENCE THAT ISRAEL HAD IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT 52:52 EACH OF US, I THINK, HAVE IN OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, BUT GOD WANTS US 52:55 TO STAY CONSISTENT WITH HIM, NOT TO HAVE THIS UP AND DOWN KIND OF 52:59 SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, BUT HE WANTS US TO BE DEVOTED AND 53:02 FAITHFUL, TRUSTING IN HIM. 53:05 I THINK SAMUEL IS SET FORTH AS A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR US CHRISTIANS 53:08 TO FOLLOW. FROM HIS EARLY YEARS ALL THE WAY 53:11 TO HIS OLD YEARS, HE WAS FAITHFUL TO HIS GOD. 53:13 AND WHENEVER HE FACED OPPOSITION OR TRIALS OR DIFFICULTIES, THE 53:17 FIRST THING HE DID WAS TO TURN TO GOD IN PRAYER. 53:20 WHEN THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL CAME, WHEN THEY WANTED A KING, THE 53:23 FIRST THING SAMUEL DID WAS HE PRAYED TO THE LORD. 53:26 HE TALKED TO THE LORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM - 'WHAT DO I DO?' 53:28 WE NEED TO HAVE THAT SAME ATTITUDE OF PRAYER - THAT 53:31 WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCE MIGHT BE THAT WE FACE, OUR FIRST 53:34 INSTINCT IS TO TURN TO GOD IN PRAYER AND SAY, 'LORD, WHAT DO 53:37 YOU WANT ME TO DO? HOW CAN I BE FAITHFUL TO YOU AND 53:40 FOLLOW THE LEADING THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN?' NOW ON FRIDAY, AT THE 53:44 END OF OUR LESSON, THERE'S JUST A QUICK SUMMARY. 53:46 IT SAYS "WE ARE EITHER THE LORD'S, DOING SOMETHING 53:50 MEANINGFUL AND OF PURPOSE FOR HIM, OR WE, IN THE END, ARE 53:56 WORTHLESS." TWO CHOICES. 53:58 AND, OF COURSE, THAT MAKES SENSE, CONSIDERING THAT OUR 54:01 WHOLE EXISTENCE AND PURPOSE IN LIFE COMES ONLY FROM HIM. 54:05 SO ALL OF US FACE A SIMILAR CHOICE. 54:08 WE'RE ALL PART OF THIS GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE FORCES 54:11 OF GOOD AND THE FORCES OF EVIL. AND EVERY ONE OF US, IN OUR OWN 54:15 LIVES, EVERY DAY, WE MAKE A CHOICE: WHOSE SIDE 54:18 ARE WE GOING TO BE ON? ARE WE GOING TO BE ON THE SIDE 54:20 OF GOD OR ARE WE GOING TO BE ON THE SIDE OF THE ENEMY? 54:23 HOW DO WE RESPOND AND REACT WHEN WE FACE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES 54:27 IN OUR LIFE? DO WE REALIZE THAT THIS IS AN 54:30 OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SEEK THE LORD FOR DELIVERANCE, OR DO WE 54:34 TRY TO BATTLE THESE THINGS ON OUR OWN? THE LESSON THAT WE 54:38 LEARN FROM JUDGES IS GOD'S WAY IS INDEED THE BEST WAY. 54:42 WELL, FRIENDS, WE'RE OUT OF TIME, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST 54:45 REMIND YOU OF A FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE. 54:47 IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT AND WE'LL BE 54:50 HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 54:52 THE NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #792. 55:01 AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 866-788-3966. 55:05 ASK FOR OFFER #792 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO ANYBODY 55:08 HERE IN NORTH AMERICA. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE 55:11 OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA, YOU CAN READ THIS BOOK FOR FREE 55:14 ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE. 55:17 AND I HOPE THAT YOU PLAN TO JOIN US NEXT WEEK AS WE CONTINUE OUR 55:20 STUDY IN GOD'S WORD. (MUSIC) 55:32 >>SO WHAT IS THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 55:35 NATURALLY YOU'D SAY THE SUN, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 55:37 BRIGHTEST MAN-MADE LIGHT IN THE WORLD. 55:40 IT'S THE LIGHT THAT SHINES OUT OF THE ROOF OF THAT 55:42 PYRAMID-SHAPED HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS CALLED THE LUXOR. 55:46 THERE IN THE CAP OF THAT HOTEL, THERE'S A ROOM THAT CONTAINS 39 55:50 WASHING-MACHINE-SIZED XENON BULBS AND EACH OF THOSE BULBS 55:55 REQUIRES ABOUT 7,000 WATTS. ALTOGETHER THEY PRODUCE ABOUT 40 55:59 BILLION CANDLE POWER OF LIGHT. CAN YOU IMAGINE GETTING THAT 56:03 ELECTRIC BILL AT THE LUXOR HOTEL EVERY MONTH? 56:06 THAT LIGHT IS SO BRIGHT THAT PLANES CAN SEE IT 250 MILES 56:11 AWAY. THEY'RE SHOOTING LIGHT TEN MILES 56:14 UP INTO SPACE, MEANING THAT IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE FLOATING BY, 56:17 YOU COULD READ A NEWSPAPER UP THERE. 56:19 AND, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, THAT BRIGHT LIGHT HAS BECOME THE 56:22 WORLD'S BEST BUG ATTRACTOR, BRINGING IN MOTHS AND BATS AND 56:26 OWLS, CREATING ITS OWN ECOSYSTEM THERE AT NIGHT ABOVE THE HOTEL. 56:30 BUT THE SAD THING ABOUT THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD IS, 56:33 ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NIGHT AIR IS CLEAR - WITHOUT ANY PARTICLES - 56:36 THE LIGHT DOESN'T HIT ANYTHING AND IT'S INVISIBLE. 56:40 IT SHOOTS UP INTO EMPTY SPACE. THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE 56:44 WORLD ILLUMINATES NOTHING. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US 56:48 THAT THERE'S ANOTHER GREAT WASTED LIGHT, AND THAT'S 56:50 THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD. IT SAYS, IN PSALM 119, VERSE 56:54 105, "THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH." 56:59 AND YET, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WALKING IN DARKNESS. 57:02 FURTHERMORE, JESUS SAID IF YOU DO HAVE THAT LIGHT, MAKE SURE 57:05 YOU DON'T PUT IT UNDER A BUSHEL, BUT YOU LET IT SHINE AND 57:08 ILLUMINATE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. JESUS SAID, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 57:12 5, SET YOUR LIGHT UP ON A HILL, LIKE A CITY, SO THAT ALL MIGHT 57:15 SEE IT. LIGHT ONLY BENEFITS OTHERS WHEN 57:18 IT REFLECTS OFF OF SOMETHING. GOD WANTS OUR LIGHTS TO 57:22 ILLUMINATE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. SO ARE YOU GLOWING FOR GOD? 57:26 REMEMBER, JESUS SAID, 'LET THERE BE LIGHT.' 57:29 (MUSIC) 57:38 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:42 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:46 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF 57:49 PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? 57:53 WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 57:55 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 57:58 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 58:01 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT SABBATHTRUTH.COM. 58:09 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 58:13 OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-01-20