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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021617A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS. WELCOME, AGAIN, TO SABBATH 00:37 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY 00:40 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR 00:43 REGULAR CHURCH MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO ARE VISITING WITH US TODAY. 00:46 WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE BOOK OF MATTHEW AND TODAY WE 00:49 FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #4 ENTITLED GET UP AND WALK: FAITH 00:53 AND HEALING , BUT BEFORE WE GET TO OUR LESSON FOR TODAY, WE'D 00:57 LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT A FREE OFFER, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO 00:59 ARE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 01:02 OUR FREE OFFER TODAY IS A MAGAZINE CALLED AMAZING HEALTH 01:06 FACTS AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY IN NORTH AMERICA 01:09 THAT GIVES US A CALL ON OUR RESOURCE NUMBER. THE PHONE 01:12 NUMBER IS 866-788-3966. AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 01:18 866-788-3966 - AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #806. 01:25 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THIS BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE 01:28 DEALING WITH SOME BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH. 01:31 I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT VERY FASCINATING. 01:33 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY FOR THIS MORNING, I'D LIKE TO 01:36 INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME AND JOIN ME HERE ON STAGE. 01:39 AND WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN BY SINGING PRAISES TO GOD FOR HIS 01:42 BLESSINGS AND HIS GOODNESS. (MUSIC) 01:46 >>GOOD MORNING. HAPPY SABBATH. WE'RE GOING TO START OUR SABBATH 01:51 SCHOOL SONG SERVICE THIS MORNING WITH #645 - GOD OF OUR FATHERS . 02:01 >>GOD OF OUR FATHERS, WHOSE ALMIGHTY HAND LEADS FORTH IN 02:12 BEAUTY ALL THE STARRY BAND OF SHINING WORLDS IN SPLENDOR 02:24 THROUGH THE SKIES, OUR GRATEFUL SONGS BEFORE THY THRONE ARISE. 02:40 THY LOVE DIVINE HATH LED US IN THE PAST, IN THIS FREE LAND BY 02:53 THEE OUR LOT IS CAST; BE THOU OUR RULER, GUARDIAN, GUIDE, AND 03:03 STAY, THY WORD OUR LAW, THY PATHS OUR CHOSEN WAY. 03:19 FROM WAR'S ALARMS, FROM DEADLY PESTILENCE, BE THY STRONG ARM 03:30 OUR EVER SURE DEFENSE; THY TRUE RELIGION IN OUR HEARTS INCREASE, 03:44 THY BOUNTEOUS GOODNESS NOURISH US IN PEACE. 03:57 REFRESH THY PEOPLE ON THEIR TOILSOME WAY, LEAD US FROM 04:08 NIGHT TO NEVER ENDING DAY; FILL ALL OUR LIVES WITH LOVE AND 04:20 GRACE DIVINE, AND GLORY, LAUD, AND PRAISE BE EVER THINE. 04:36 >>AT THIS TIME WE HAVE A SPECIAL MUSIC NUMBER. 04:56 (MUSIC) >>BY FAITH WE SEE THE 05:10 HAND OF GOD IN THE LIGHT OF CREATION'S GRAND DESIGN, IN THE 05:20 LIVES OF THOSE WHO PROVED HIS FAITHFULNESS; WHO WALK BY 05:28 FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. BY FAITH OUR FATHERS ROAMED THE 05:36 EARTH WITH THE POW'R OF HIS PROMISE IN THEIR HEARTS, OF A 05:45 HOLY CITY BUILT BY GOD'S OWN HAND; A PLACE WHERE 05:53 PEACE AND JUSTICE REIGN. WE WILL STAND AS CHILDREN OF THE 06:01 PROMISE WE WILL FIX OUR EYES ON HIM OUR SOUL'S REWARD TILL THE 06:10 RACE IS FINISHED AND THE WORK IS DONE WE'LL WALK BY FAITH AND NOT 06:19 BY SIGHT. BY FAITH THE PROPHETS SAW A DAY 06:31 WHEN THE LONGED-FOR MESSIAH WOULD APPEAR, WITH THE POW'R 06:38 TO BREAK THE CHAINS OF SIN AND DEATH; AND RISE TRIUMPHANT FROM 06:46 THE GRAVE. BY FAITH THE CHURCH WAS CALLED TO GO IN THE POW'R OF 07:00 THE SPIRIT TO THE LOST; TO DELIVER CAPTIVES AND TO PREACH 07:07 GOOD NEWS IN EVERY CORNER OF THE EARTH. 07:14 WE WILL STAND AS CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE WE WILL FIX OUR EYES ON 07:23 HIM OUR SOUL'S REWARD TILL THE RACE IS FINISHED AND THE WORK IS 07:31 DONE WE'LL WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. 07:42 BY FAITH THIS MOUNTAIN SHALL BE MOVED AND THE POW'R OF THE 07:48 GOSPEL SHALL PREVAIL; FOR WE KNOW IN CHRIST ALL THINGS ARE 07:55 POSSIBLE, FOR ALL WHO CALL UPON HIS NAME. 08:03 WE WILL STAND AS CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE WE WILL FIX OUR EYES ON 08:11 HIM OUR SOUL'S REWARDS TILL THE RACE IS FINISHED AND THE WORK IS 08:19 DONE WE'LL WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. 08:43 >>AMEN. >>AMEN. 08:49 AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO BOW YOUR HEADS AS WE 08:51 BEGIN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, ONCE 08:55 AGAIN WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL SABBATH 08:57 THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US. WE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE 08:59 OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TOGETHER TO STUDY YOUR WORD SO WE ASK THE 09:02 HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS AS WE 09:05 OPEN THE SCRIPTURES, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 09:11 OUR LESSON TODAY WILL BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 09:14 THANK YOU, PASTOR DOUG. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 09:17 I WANT TO THANK THE WEIMAR STUDENTS FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL 09:19 MUSIC. >>AMEN. 09:21 >>AND THE CONDUCTOR. HOW IS EVERYONE? 09:26 WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING IN OUR STUDY WITH THE BOOK OF 09:31 MATTHEW, AND TODAY OUR MISSION IS GOING TO BE TO GO THROUGH 09:34 MATTHEW CHAPTER 8 AND THE FIRST FEW VERSES IN CHAPTER 9. 09:38 - MATTHEW 8 THROUGH MATTHEW 9, VERSE 8 - AND THE TITLE OF OUR 09:42 LESSON TODAY IS GET UP AND WALK: FAITH AND HEALING . 09:48 I HAVE A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF HEALING HERE IN THE BIBLE. 09:50 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE - AND THAT'S MATTHEW 9:5 - IF YOU'D 09:54 LIKE TO SAY THAT WITH ME, I'LL GIVE YOU A SECOND TO FIND IT. 09:56 MATTHEW CHAPTER 9, VERSE 5 - ARE YOU READY? 10:01 KAREN'S SAYING, 'WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!' READY? 10:02 HERE WE GO - IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A MEMORY VERSE - YOU SHOULD 10:05 MEMORIZE IT - "WHICH IS EASIER, TO SAY, 'YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN 10:11 YOU' OR TO SAY 'ARISE AND WALK'?" AND, BY THE WAY, THAT 10:16 VERSE IS ALSO FOUND IN MARK CHAPTER 2 AND SOME OTHERS. 10:20 WELL, WE'RE GOING TO DIVE RIGHT IN. 10:21 WE'VE GOT SOME BIG STORIES TO TALK ABOUT IN OUR STUDY TODAY 10:26 AND THE LESSON IS, SORT OF, DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF HEALING 10:30 EXPERIENCES THAT YOU FIND IN THE LIFE OF JESUS. 10:35 AND THE FIRST ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE LEPER. 10:37 THERE'S A LEPER THAT COMES TO CHRIST, AND YOU CAN READ THIS IN 10:39 MATTHEW CHAPTER 8:1-4, AND THIS VERSE IS ALSO FOUND - OR THIS 10:44 STORY IS ALSO FOUND IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5:12-14. 10:48 IT SAYS, "WHEN HE HAD COME DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN, 10:50 GREAT MULTITUDES FOLLOWED HIM." 10:52 - NOW, NOTICE THAT PART ABOUT THE GREAT MULTITUDE - "AND 10:55 BEHOLD, A LEPER CAME AND WORSHIPED HIM, SAYING, 'LORD, IF 11:00 YOU ARE WILLING, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.' THEN JESUS PUT OUT HIS 11:04 HAND AND TOUCHED HIM, SAYING, 'I AM WILLING; BE CLEANSED.' 11:09 IMMEDIATELY HIS LEPROSY WAS CLEANSED. 11:12 AND JESUS SAID TO HIM, 'SEE THAT YOU TELL NO ONE; BUT GO YOUR 11:15 WAY, SHOW YOURSELF TO THE PRIEST, AND OFFER THE GIFT THAT 11:18 MOSES COMMANDED, AS A TESTIMONY TO THEM.'" NOW WHY WAS THIS AN 11:22 UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE, IN PARTICULAR? 11:27 BECAUSE LEPROSY IS A DEADLY, CONTAGIOUS DISEASE. 11:31 AND WHAT WAS A LEPER SUPPOSED TO DO IF THEY GOT CLOSE TO ANYBODY? 11:36 LEVITICUS 13 - NOW HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE LEPROSY BACK THEN? 11:39 LISTEN TO THIS: LEVITICUS 13:44-46 - "HE IS A LEPROUS 11:43 MAN. HE IS UNCLEAN. THE PRIEST SHALL SURELY 11:46 PRONOUNCE HIM UNCLEAN; HIS SORE IS ON HIS HEAD. 11:49 NOW THE LEPER ON WHOM THE SORE IS," - THE EVIDENCE OF LEPROSY - 11:53 "HIS CLOTHES SHALL BE TORN AND HIS HEAD BARE; AND HE SHALL 11:57 COVER HIS MUSTACHE," - I GUESS THAT'S EVIDENCE WE'RE SUPPOSED 12:02 TO HAVE MUSTACHES - "HE SHALL COVER HIS MUSTACHE AND CRY, 12:06 'UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!' HE SHALL BE UNCLEAN. 12:10 ALL THE DAYS HE HAS THE SORE HE SHALL BE UNCLEAN. 12:14 HE IS UNCLEAN, AND HE SHALL DWELL ALONE; HIS DWELLING SHALL 12:17 BE OUTSIDE THE CAMP." SO THEY KNEW LEPROSY WAS 12:21 CONTAGIOUS AND YOU HAD TO DWELL IN AN ISOLATED SPOT. 12:24 AND IF YOU HAD LEPROSY, YOU HAD TO GO - WHENEVER YOU SAW PEOPLE 12:27 YOU HAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT YOU WERE A LEPER - AND YOU WOULDN'T 12:30 JUST SAY, 'I'M A LEPER.' YOU'D SAY, 'UNCLEAN!' 12:33 I MEAN, HOW WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? 12:35 SO JESUS IS TEACHING A GREAT MULTITUDE - THERE'S A LOT OF 12:39 PEOPLE THERE - AND AS HE - THIS MAN APPROACHES, EVIDENTLY, HE'S 12:42 MUSTERED THE COURAGE TO COME TO JESUS AND ASK FOR CLEANSING, BUT 12:45 THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S A CROWD THERE. 12:47 SO AS HE APPROACHES, HE HAS TO SAY, 'UNCLEAN! 12:51 UNCLEAN!' AND WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE 12:53 CLEAN AND YOU TOUCH SOMETHING UNCLEAN? DOES THE UNCLEAN THING 13:00 BECOME CLEAN OR DOES THE CLEAN THING BECOME UNCLEAN? 13:05 NORMALLY, IF YOU'RE CLEAN AND SOMETHING ELSE IS UNCLEAN, IF 13:08 YOU TOUCH WHAT'S UNCLEAN, THEN YOU BECOME CONTAMINATED. 13:11 BUT THE OPPOSITE'S GETTING READY TO HAPPEN. 13:14 SO THIS MAN IS APPROACHING JESUS. 13:16 THE CROWD IS MELTING BACK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE'S SAYING, 13:19 'UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!' THEY DON'T WANT TO BE CONTAMINATED. 13:21 THEY KNEW IT WAS CONTAGIOUS. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE UNCLEAN. 13:23 AND - BUT JESUS DOESN'T RUN AND HE FALLS DOWN AT JESUS' FEET. 13:28 NOW, BY THE WAY, IN LUKE'S ACCOUNT OF THIS STORY, IT SAYS 13:33 HE WAS FULL OF LEPROSY. 13:35 SO THIS MAN HAS AN ADVANCED CASE OF LEPROSY AND SO PEOPLE CAN SEE 13:42 HE'S A LEPER - IT'S A PITIFUL SIGHT. 13:45 AND SO HE COMES TO JESUS IN THIS TERRIBLE, DECREPIT CONDITION AND 13:49 HE SAYS, 'LORD, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN CLEAN ME.' THAT TAKES 13:53 FAITH. WHAT WOULD GIVE HIM FAITH THAT 13:56 A PERSON COULD BE CLEANSED FROM LEPROSY? 13:59 DO YOU REMEMBER ANY STORIES IN THE BIBLE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE 14:02 CLEANSED FROM LEPROSY? NAME ONE. 14:06 >>NAAMAN. >>NAAMAN WAS CLEANSED 14:08 FROM LEPROSY. MIRIAM WAS CLEANSED FROM 14:12 LEPROSY - THAT'S RIGHT. AND, MATTER OF FACT, YOU CAN 14:17 READ THE STORY ABOUT MIRIAM IN NUMBERS CHAPTER 12 - SOMEONE'S 14:20 GOING TO READ FOR ME ISAIAH 59:2 IN JUST A MOMENT, OKAY? 14:24 IN NUMBERS CHAPTER 12:9 IT SAYS, "SO THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS 14:28 AROUSED AGAINST THEM, AND HE DEPARTED. 14:31 AND WHEN THE CLOUD DEPARTED FROM ABOVE THE TABERNACLE, SUDDENLY 14:34 MIRIAM BECAME LEPROUS, AS WHITE AS SNOW." 14:36 - YOU REMEMBER MIRIAM WAS A LITTLE JEALOUS AND SHE KIND OF 14:40 INSTIGATED AARON THAT MOSES WAS NOT CONSULTING HER, THE OLDER 14:44 SISTER OF THESE THREE SIBLINGS AND, INSTEAD, HE WAS CONFIDING 14:48 MORE IN HIS WIFE - NOW WE'RE NOT SURE IF THIS WAS ZIPPORAH OR IF 14:51 SHE DIED AND HE REMARRIED, BUT IT CALLS HER AN ETHIOPIAN. 14:54 AND THEY BEGIN TO KIND OF BACKBITE BEHIND THEIR BROTHER'S 14:59 BACK AND IT REALLY DISPLEASED THE LORD. 15:01 AND IT SAYS THAT WHEN THE CLOUD DEPARTED FROM ABOVE THE 15:05 TABERNACLE, SUDDENLY MIRIAM BECAME LEPROUS - AS WHITE AS 15:08 SNOW - A VERY ADVANCED CASE - "SO AARON SAID TO MOSES, 'OH, MY 15:14 LORD! PLEASE DO NOT LAY THIS SIN 15:15 ON US, IN WHICH WE HAVE DONE FOOLISHLY AND IN WHICH WE HAVE 15:18 SINNED.'" - NOTICE, LEPROSY IS A TYPE OF WHAT? 15:23 BECAUSE OF THE SIN THERE WAS LEPROSY. WHAT ABOUT THE SERVANT 15:28 OF NAAMAN - ELISHA - HIS NAME WAS GEHAZI? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM 15:34 BECAUSE OF HIS COVETOUSNESS? BECAUSE HE STOLE THE MONEY THAT 15:39 - GOD SAID THE HEALING OF NAAMAN WOULD BE FREE. 15:41 IT SAYS HE WENT OUT OF ELISHA'S PRESENCE A LEPER, WHITE AS SNOW 15:47 AND A CURSE WAS PRONOUNCED UPON HIM. 15:49 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US ISAIAH 59:2. 15:52 >>"BUT YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM YOUR GOD; AND 15:55 YOUR SINS HAVE HIDDEN HIS FACE FROM YOU, SO THAT HE WILL NOT 15:59 HEAR." >>SO - AND WHAT DID ISAIAH 16:03 SAY WHEN HE SAW THE LORD? 'WOE IS ME, I AM UNDONE. 16:07 I AM A MAN OF' - WHAT LIPS? >>UNCLEAN. 16:09 >>'UNCLEAN LIPS AND I DWELL IN THE MIDST OF A PEOPLE 16:11 OF - HE SAYS, 'UNDONE, UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN.' WHEN HE SAW THE 16:16 PRESENCE OF THE LORD HE BECAME AWARE OF HIS (LEPROSY) WHICH IS 16:20 A TYPE OF SIN. BUT HE CAME TO JESUS LIKE HE WAS. 16:28 THIS IS NOT LIKE THE TEN LEPERS. THE TEN LEPERS COME LATER. 16:32 YOU'LL NOTICE THIS IS EARLY ON IN THE GOSPELS. 16:34 THE TEN LEPERS COME LATER - MAYBE THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS 16:36 LEPER THAT WAS HEALED AND SO THEY GOT COURAGE TO GO. 16:39 BUT THIS MAN HE COMES AND HE - WHAT IF JESUS SAID, 'NO, I'M NOT 16:42 WILLING. YOU'RE GETTING THE CURSE OF 16:44 GOD.' HE BELIEVES IN THE MERCY OF GOD. 16:47 HE BELIEVES GOD HAS DONE IT BEFORE. 16:49 HE SEES HOW COMPASSIONATE JESUS IS - MAYBE FROM A HILL HE'S 16:52 WATCHING AS JESUS IS HEALING ALL KINDS OF OTHER SICKNESS AND HE 16:56 SAYS, 'YOU'VE GOT THE POWER. IF YOU WANT TO, I KNOW YOU CAN. 16:59 THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU WANT TO? AND SO HE COMES TO HIM 17:03 AND WHAT DOES JESUS SAY? 'I AM WILLING.' 17:08 SO IF WE ASK THE LORD, 'ARE YOU WILLING TO CLEANSE US FROM OUR 17:12 SIN?' WHAT DOES JESUS SAY? 17:14 'I AM WILLING.' YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I MEET PEOPLE - THEY 17:17 FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOT TOO FAR OR THEIR SIN IS SO BAD THAT GOD 17:19 JUST DOESN'T WANT TO FORGIVE THEM. BUT IF THEY WOULD COME TO 17:23 HIM AND SAY, 'LORD, IF YOU'RE WILLING.' 17:25 WHAT WOULD THE LORD SAY? IS GOD WILLING THAT YOU PERISH? 17:31 DO WE HAVE SCRIPTURE FOR THAT? 'THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT 17:34 ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.' 17:37 SO IF GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH THEN IS THE 17:39 LORD WILLING TO MAKE US CLEAN? AND THEN IT SAYS - HE SAYS, 'I 17:43 AM WILLING.' AND JESUS SAID - HE PUT OUT HIS HAND - VERSE 3 - 17:48 "AND TOUCHED HIM," - NOW CAN YOU HEAR THE CROWD GASPING 17:53 SAYING, 'DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT!' 17:55 AS HE'S REACHING OUT TO TOUCH THAT MAN BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO 17:58 HAPPEN TO JESUS WHEN HE TOUCHES AN UNCLEAN MAN? 18:02 IF HE'S NOT CLEANSED, THAT LEPROSY'S EITHER GOING TO FLOW 18:07 TO CHRIST OR THE CLEANSING OF CHRIST IS GOING TO FLOW INTO THE 18:12 LEPER. WHICH RIVER HAS THE STRONGEST STREAM? 18:16 IT'S GOING TO PUSH BACK THE OTHER ONE. 18:18 AND SO, BY CHRIST REACHING OUT WITH HIS CLEANSING, IT PUSHES 18:21 BACK THE LEPROSY AND THIS MAN BECOMES CLEAN. 18:23 NORMALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU AND I TOUCH THE SICK PERSON, THE 18:26 DISEASE COMES TOWARDS US. I THINK IT'S SIGNIFICANT THAT 18:31 IT SAYS, 'HE TOUCHED HIM'. COULD JESUS HAVE SPOKEN? 18:36 I MEAN, WOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN A - LATER IN THE STORY - IN OUR 18:38 STUDY TODAY, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND WHERE CHRIST SPOKE AND A 18:40 PERSON WAS CLEANSED. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO - I'D 18:43 PREFER JUST SPEAKING TO THE LEPER, WOULDN'T YOU? 18:46 I MEAN YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND SOMEONE WITH LEPROSY - I 18:48 COULD SAY, 'LOOK, I DON'T NEED TO TOUCH YOU. 18:49 I'M GOING TO SPEAK THE WORD. MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO GO 18:51 TO THE OTHER ROOM AND SPEAK THE WORD BECAUSE GOD CAN DO IT THAT 18:53 WAY TOO.' BUT JESUS LETS HIM GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AND 18:57 TOUCHES THE UNTOUCHABLE. YOU KNOW, LEGALLY, THE CASTE 19:02 SYSTEM IS ABOLISHED IN INDIA. I SAID 'LEGALLY' BECAUSE IN 19:07 REALITY IT'S STILL VERY MUCH THERE. 19:10 YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY THE CASTE SYSTEM? 19:12 THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE IN INDIA - THEY CALL THEM 19:14 UNTOUCHABLES - THEY'RE THE VERY LOWEST - AND THE HIGHEST ARE THE 19:17 BRAHMANS AND THEY'VE GOT SEVERAL IN BETWEEN. 19:19 THEY KIND OF RECOGNIZE A CASTE AND THE UNTOUCHABLES DO SOME 19:22 THINGS FOR WORK THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER UNTOUCHABLE AND THEY 19:27 HAVE THE LOWEST POSITIONS. BUT JESUS WAS NOT AFRAID 19:30 TO TOUCH THE UNTOUCHABLE. HOW IMPORTANT IS TOUCH? 19:37 YOU EVER YEARN FOR TOUCH SOMETIMES? 19:42 SOMETHING ABOUT HUMAN TOUCH. YOU KNOW, IT ALWAYS FEELS BETTER 19:46 WHEN KAREN RUBS MY NECK THAN WHEN I RUB MY OWN NECK. 19:50 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT IT FEELS A LITTLE BETTER WHEN - 19:52 THERE'S A HUMAN TOUCH - I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ELECTRICAL AURA 19:56 IMPULSES - EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING - BUT WHEN SOMEONE 19:58 ELSE TOUCHES YOU IT'S LIKE SOMETHING HAPPENS - AND THERE'S 20:02 SOMETHING TENDER. DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE 20:04 CHILDREN - MOTHERS BROUGHT THEIR CHILDREN THAT JESUS 20:06 MIGHT TOUCH THEM? HE WAS GOING TO BLESS THEM, BUT 20:10 TO BLESS THEM HE WAS GOING TO TOUCH THEM. AND THE DISCIPLES 20:14 SAID, 'NO, DON'T BOTHER. HE'S BUSY. COME ON. 20:16 THESE LITTLE KIDS - GET THEM OUT OF HERE.' AND JESUS SAID, 20:19 'NOOOOO. SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 20:23 EXCEPT YOU BECOME CONVERTED LIKE A LITTLE CHILD, YOU WILL NOT 20:26 ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' AND HE TOOK THEM UP IN HIS ARMS 20:29 AND HE LAID HIS HANDS ON THEM. JESUS SAW THERE WAS AN 20:33 IMPORTANCE OF TOUCH. YOU REMEMBER THE LADY - SHE 20:37 WANTED TO BE HEALED BY JESUS - SHE'D BEEN BLEEDING FOR TWELVE 20:40 YEARS AND COULDN'T GET NEAR HIM FOR THE CROWD. 20:45 AND SHE THOUGHT, 'BUT SOMEHOW I'VE GOT TO TOUCH HIM. 20:48 IF I CAN'T TOUCH HIM, AT LEAST TOUCH THEM HEM OF HIS GARMENT.' 20:51 AND, FOR HER, REACHING OUT AND GETTING A HOLD OF THAT AND 20:54 ACTUALLY TOUCHING IT - WE'RE TANGIBLE CREATURES. 20:58 IT REALLY MEANT SOMETHING. AND SHE WAS HEALED! 21:00 IN DESIRE OF AGES PAGE 266, IT SAYS IN OUR LESSON, "THE WORK OF 21:07 CHRIST IN CLEANSING THE LEPER FROM HIS TERRIBLE DISEASE IS AN 21:09 ILLUSTRATION OF HIS WORK IN CLEANSING THE SOUL FROM SIN. 21:14 THE MAN WHO CAME TO JESUS WAS FULL OF LEPROSY; 21:17 IT'S DEADLY POISON PERMEATED HIS WHOLE BODY. 21:20 THE DISCIPLES SOUGHT TO PREVENT THEIR MASTER FROM TOUCHING HIM, 21:23 FOR HE WHO TOUCHED THE LEPER BECAME, HIMSELF, UNCLEAN. 21:26 BUT IN LAYING HIS HEAD UPON THE LEPER - IN LAYING HIS HAND UPON 21:30 THE LEPER, JESUS RECEIVED NO DEFILEMENT. 21:33 HIS TOUCH, INSTEAD, IMPARTED LIFE-GIVING POWER. 21:36 THE LEPROSY WAS CLEANSED, THUS IT WAS THE LEPROSY OF SIN - 21:40 DEEP-ROOTED, DEADLY, IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CLEANSED BY HUMAN POWER, 21:44 BUT IT CAN BE CLEANSED BY THE POWER OF CHRIST. 21:47 THAT MEANS, IF WE COME TO JESUS AND SAY, 'LORD, I'VE SINNED, IF 21:50 YOU'RE WILLING YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.' WILL HE GIVE US THAT 21:53 TOUCH OF LIFE? IS HE WILLING? >>AMEN. 21:57 >>ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO THE NEXT SECTION. 21:59 THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE ROMAN CENTURION AND THE MESSIAH . 22:04 YOU FIND THIS IN VERSE 5. YOU JUST KEEP GOING THROUGH THE 22:06 CHAPTER HERE - MATTHEW CHAPTER 8, VERSE 5 - AND IT SAYS, 22:11 "NOW WHEN JESUS HAD ENTERED CAPERNAUM, A CENTURION CAME TO 22:14 HIM, PLEADING WITH HIM, SAYING, 'LORD, MY SERVANT IS LYING AT 22:19 HOME PARALYZED, DREADFULLY TORMENTED.' AND JESUS SAID TO 22:22 HIM, 'I WILL COME AND HEAL HIM.'" - NOW, I'VE GOT A 22:27 FEW THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT 22:29 CENTURIONS FOR A MOMENT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CAPERNAUM, 22:32 AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A CONFLICT IN THIS STORY - BECAUSE 22:36 TWO GOSPEL WRITERS TELL IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. 22:40 FIRST OF ALL, CENTURIONS: A ROMAN CENTURION TYPICALLY HAD 22:45 SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 600 AND 1,000 SOLDIERS UNDER HIM. 22:49 THEY WERE, SOMETIMES, THE BEST MEN IN THE ROMAN ARMY. 22:54 THE REASON IS, THEY DIDN'T GET APPOINTED BECAUSE THEY HAD 22:57 FAMILY WITH MONEY AND IT WAS SOME SPECIAL POLITICAL FAVOR. 23:01 TO BE APPOINTED AS A CENTURION, ACCORDING TO THE ROMANS, YOU HAD 23:04 TO BE ELECTED BY OTHER SOLDIERS THAT WENT TO BATTLE WITH YOU, 23:08 THAT YOU WERE SOMEONE OF COURAGE, YOU WERE SOMEONE THEY 23:11 COULD TRUST THAT WAS NOT GOING TO ORDER THEM INTO A FOOLISH 23:15 BATTLE PLAN THAT WAS GOING TO KILL THEM. 23:17 YOU NEEDED TO BE A PERSON OF INTELLIGENCE, YOU NEEDED TO BE A 23:19 PERSON OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY, COURAGE - AND SO THE OTHER 23:22 SOLDIERS WOULD BE INVOLVED IN ELECTING THOSE WHO WOULD BE 23:25 CENTURIONS AND THEY ENDED UP BEING SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE IN 23:29 THE ROMAN ARMY. CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING 23:32 BAD THAT CAN BE SAID ABOUT A CENTURION IN THE BIBLE? 23:37 ARE THERE SEVERAL CENTURIONS THAT APPEAR? 23:41 WAS THERE ONE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS? 23:44 AND WHAT DID HE SAY? IT'S INTERESTING, THE TESTIMONY 23:48 THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD CAME FROM A THIEF 23:51 AND A ROMAN SOLDIER. THE THIEF ON THE CROSS AND THE 23:55 CENTURION WHO SAW THE EARTHQUAKE AND HEARD JESUS CRY OUT AND 23:58 SAID, 'SURELY THIS WAS THE SON OF GOD.' WHO WAS THE FIRST 24:02 GENTILE TO HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM? A ROMAN 24:07 CENTURION. WHAT WAS HIS NAME? >>CORNELIUS. 24:10 >>CORNELIUS - CHAPTER 10 OF ACTS. 24:13 DID PAUL - WAS PAUL GUARDED BY A CENTURION? 24:18 WAS HE A GOOD CENTURION? AND HIS NAME WAS ORANGE JULIUS 24:26 - NO, IT WAS JUST JULIUS. NOW YOU'LL REMEMBER IT. 24:31 AND DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN ALL THE OTHER SOLDIERS WANTED - THE 24:33 SHIPWRECK - THE SOLDIERS SAID, 'LET'S KILL ALL THE PRISONERS' 24:36 AND HE, WANTING TO SPARE PAUL, HE SAID, 'NO.' AND HE SAVED 24:40 PAUL'S LIFE AND HE GAVE PAUL LIBERTY WHEN HE WENT TO SHORE. 24:44 AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE CENTURIONS IN THE BIBLE, THEY'RE 24:46 ALL PRETTY GOOD GUYS. AND SO HERE'S A CENTURION - IT 24:50 DOESN'T TELL US HIS NAME - YOU WONDER, WAS HE ONE THAT 24:52 LATER WAS AT THE CROSS? YOU DON'T KNOW - IT DOESN'T SAY. 24:57 AND IT SAYS THAT JESUS HAS THIS - HIS WORD HAS GONE ABROAD ABOUT 25:05 HIS HEALING - AND SO THE CENTURION, IN CAPERNAUM - IT 25:09 SAYS IN LUKE 5, HE SENDS A DELEGATION OF JEWS. 25:14 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU GO TO LUKE 7, RATHER, VERSE 2, "AND A 25:17 CERTAIN CENTURION'S SERVANT, WHO WAS DEAR TO HIM, WAS SICK AND 25:20 READY TO DIE. SO WHEN HE HEARD ABOUT JESUS, HE 25:23 SENT ELDERS OF THE JEWS" - HE THOUGHT, 'I'M NOT WORTHY' - 25:26 "...PLEADING WITH HIM TO COME AND HEAL HIS SERVANT." 25:29 AND THEY ARGUE WITH JESUS AND SAY, 'HE LOVES OUR NATION. 25:31 HE'S BUILT US A SYNAGOGUE.' NOW YOU WONDER, WAS THIS LATER 25:35 CORNELIUS - YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT HE'S A - CENTURION WHO ENDS UP 25:39 BELIEVING IN JEHOVAH. NOW, FIRST, IT SAYS THE 25:42 CENTURION CAME - IN MATTHEW. LUKE SAYS A ROMAN - 25:45 JEWISH DELEGATION CAME. WHICH IS IT? 25:49 WELL, WHEN YOU READ THE BOOK DESIRE OF AGES SHE KIND OF 25:51 CLEARS IT UP. FIRST HE SENDS A DELEGATION OF 25:54 JEWS AND THEY SAY, 'WILL YOU COME AND HEAL THIS MAN'S 25:57 SERVANT BECAUSE HE LOVES HIM. HE'S DONE A LOT FOR OUR NATION. 26:01 HE'S WORTHY.' AND SO JESUS SAYS, 'I'LL GO.' SO HE'S ON HIS WAY - 26:05 MESSENGERS WENT BACK TO THE CENTURION AND SAID, 'HE'S 26:07 COMING.' AND THE CENTURION SAID, 'NO, NO, I DIDN'T ASK HIM TO 26:09 COME. HE'S TOO BUSY. 26:12 I JUST WANTED HIM TO SPEAK THE WORD AND SO NOW THE CENTURION 26:14 COMES PERSONALLY AND SAYS - HE KNEELS BEFORE HIM AND SAYS, 'I'M 26:16 NOT WORTHY YOU SHOULD COME TO MY HOUSE. 26:18 JUST SPEAK THE WORD.' SO THAT'S WHY ONE GOSPEL SAYS THERE'S A 26:21 DELEGATION. THE OTHER GOSPEL SAYS 26:23 THAT HE CAME IN PERSON. FIRST HE SENDS A DELEGATION. 26:25 HE DIDN'T MEAN FOR JESUS TO COME, HE JUST MEANT FOR JESUS TO 26:28 SPEAK THE WORD. HE SEES THAT JESUS IS COMING, 26:31 HE SAYS, 'NO, I DIDN'T WANT TO TROUBLE HIM. 26:32 IT'S A DISTANCE!' HE COMES IN PERSON. 26:35 SEE HOW YOU RECONCILE THE TWO? AND SO - GO BACK TO THE STORY. 26:42 YOU GO BACK INTO THE GOSPEL OF LUKE AND IT SAYS HERE - I'M 26:47 SORRY, GOSPEL OF MATTHEW - IT SAYS HE ENTERED CAPERNAUM - SO 26:51 WHERE DID JESUS DO MOST OF HIS MINISTRY? 26:56 IF YOU LOOK IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 4, VERSE 15, IT SAYS, "THE LAND 27:04 OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, 27:08 BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES: THE PEOPLE WHO SAT 27:12 IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT, AND UPON THOSE WHO SAT IN 27:16 THE REGION AND SHADOW OF DEATH LIGHT HAS DAWNED." 27:20 AND, ACTUALLY, MATTHEW, THERE IS QUOTING ISAIAH CHAPTER 9, VERSES 27:23 1 AND 2. YOU CAN READ IN MATTHEW 9:1, 27:26 "SO HE GOT INTO A BOAT, CROSSED OVER, AND CAME TO HIS OWN CITY." 27:30 NOW DID I - DID I TELL - I DID. I TOOK SOMEBODY'S VERSE. 27:36 SOMEONE WAS GOING TO READ - SORRY KATRINA. 27:38 TELL YOU WHAT, I'LL SWAP WITH YOU. 27:40 I'VE GOT ONE I WAS GOING TO READ - I'LL LET YOU READ. 27:42 GO TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 4, VERSES 23 AND 24 - IT'S A BETTER VERSE, 27:46 ANYWAY. CAN YOU SAY THAT 27:47 ABOUT THE BIBLE? MATTHEW 4, VERSES 23 AND 24. 27:52 NOW YOU - YOU GOT TO PRACTICE THE OTHER ONE. 27:53 THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE COLD TURKEY. 27:55 SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO - MATTHEW CHAPTER 4, VERSES 23 AND 24. 28:00 I GET EXCITED TALKING ABOUT CENTURIONS AND I READ HER VERSE. 28:04 YEAH, GO AHEAD. >>"AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL 28:08 GALILEE TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, PREACHING THE GOSPEL 28:11 OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING ALL KINDS OF SICKNESSES AND ALL 28:15 KINDS OF DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE. 28:18 THEN HIS FAME WENT THROUGHOUT ALL SYRIA AND BROUGHT TO HIM ALL 28:23 SICK PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFLICTED WITH VARIOUS DISEASES AND 28:27 TORMENTS AND THOSE WHO WERE DEMON POSSESSED, EPILEPTICS, 28:31 AND PARALYTICS AND HE HEALED THEM." 28:34 >>ALRIGHT, SO HERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE APPEALING MINISTRY OF 28:37 JESUS, ESPECIALLY AROUND CAPERNAUM. 28:40 THE MAIN FOCUS OF HIS MINISTRY WAS AROUND GALILEE, BUT WHAT DID 28:44 IT CALL CAPERNAUM? HIS OWN CITY. 28:47 NOW, NORMALLY, IF I SAID WHAT WAS THE CITY OF JESUS? 28:49 YOU WOULD HAVE SAID, 'BETHLEHEM.' OR 'HE WEPT OVER 28:52 JERUSALEM.' MAYBE NAZARETH. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW 28:56 THAT ONCE HE BEGAN HIS MINISTRY HIS CITY WAS CAPERNAUM. 29:00 WHERE DID PETER LIVE? IT WAS CAPERNAUM. 29:03 AND HERE'S WHERE THIS MIRACLE WAS. 29:05 AND THERE'S ANOTHER MIRACLE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A 29:06 LITTLE LATER - AND IT WAS ALL HAPPENING IN CAPERNAUM. 29:09 SO YOU GO BACK TO THE STORY OF THE CENTURION IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 29:12 8 AND IT SAYS THAT THE CENTURION ANSWERED - NOW THE CENTURION 29:17 COMES PERSONALLY AND HE SAYS, "LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY THAT YOU 29:22 SHOULD COME UNDER MY ROOF. BUT ONLY SPEAK A WORD, AND MY 29:25 SERVANT WILL BE HEALED. FOR I ALSO AM A MAN UNDER AUTHORITY... 29:28 AND I SAY TO THIS ONE, 'GO,' AND HE GOES; AND TO ANOTHER, 'COME,' 29:30 AND HE COMES; AND TO MY SERVANT, 'DO THIS,' AND HE DOES IT.' WHEN 29:34 JESUS HEARD IT, HE MARVELED," - THIS STOPPED JESUS IN HIS TRACKS 29:38 - HE SAID, "'ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, I HAVE NOT FOUND SUCH GREAT 29:43 FAITH, NOT EVEN IN ISRAEL!'" THERE'S A COUPLE OF TIMES IN 29:46 JESUS' MINISTRY THAT HE COMMENDED PEOPLE FOR GREAT 29:49 FAITH. YOU KNOW WHO THEY WERE? GENTILES. 29:54 YOU REMEMBER THE WOMAN WHO DOGGED AFTER HIS STEPS AND SAID, 29:58 'PLEASE HEAL MY DAUGHTER.' AND HE SAID, 'IT'S NOT GOOD TO TAKE 30:00 THE CHILDREN'S FOOD AND GIVE IT TO THE DOGS.' AND SHE SAID, 'OH, 30:04 BUT YES, EVEN THE PUPPIES GET THE CRUMBS THAT FALL FROM THE 30:07 CHILDREN'S TABLE.' AND JESUS SAID, 'GREAT IS YOUR FAITH.' AND 30:11 SO THE LORD COMMENDED THE FAITH OF SOME OF THESE GENTILES. 30:14 THAT WAS A WOMAN FROM TYRE THAT HE PERFORMED THAT MIRACLE FOR. 30:19 'GREAT IS YOUR FAITH.' NOW JESUS SAYS, 'BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO 30:24 BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING.' BELIEVING IN THE WORD - GOD 30:31 MAKES PROMISES. THOMAS SAID, 'IF I SEE AND IF I CAN TOUCH, THEN 30:34 I'LL BELIEVE.' JESUS SAID, 'I WANT YOU TO GO BEYOND THAT. 30:37 I WANT YOU TO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING.' AND SO THIS CENTURION, 30:40 HE JUST SENT A MESSAGE. HE SAID, 'JUST SPEAK THE WORD. 30:42 I THINK YOUR WORD IS SO POWERFUL THAT YOUR WORD CAN HEAL WITHOUT 30:45 EVEN COMING.' DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE PROMISES OF GOD? 30:50 >>AMEN. >>WHEN YOU SEE PROMISES IN HIS 30:52 WORD AND YOU SAY, 'LORD, LOOK, YOU SAID THIS AND I BELIEVE IT 30:54 AND I'M GOING TO CLAIM THIS PROMISE.' AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO 30:57 SEE EVIDENCE - YOU SAY, 'GOD SAID IT. 30:59 I BELIEVE IT.' I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY YESTERDAY - I WON'T 31:04 TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY BUT I'LL JUST SAY IT'S SOMEONE I 31:06 HAVE KNOWN FOR 40 YEARS - AND THEY WERE IN VERY FRAIL 31:12 CONDITION. THEY ONCE WERE MEMBERS OF OUR 31:14 CHURCH BUT THEY HAD DRIFTED AWAY. AND, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, 31:22 THEY RAN INTO THE TV PROGRAM. THEY CALLED THE OFFICE. 31:26 BONNIE GAVE ME A MESSAGE THIS WEEK. 31:28 SHE SAID THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT'S UP IN COVELO, THEY'VE BEEN 31:32 WATCHING THE PROGRAM.' AND I THOUGHT, 'WELL, THAT'S 31:35 PROVIDENTIAL I'M HERE.' AND SO KAREN AND I, YESTERDAY, WE 31:39 STOPPED TO SEE THIS PERSON THAT I'D KNOWN FOR YEARS - THAT HAD 31:43 DRIFTED. AND WHEN THEY HAD DRIFTED, THEY 31:45 DRIFTED PRETTY WELL, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - PRETTY FAR. 31:50 AND SO THEY'RE IN VERY FRAIL CONDITION IN A BED WITH OXYGEN 31:55 AND I TALKED TO THIS BROTHER AND HE JUST SAID, 'BOY, YOU KNOW, 31:57 I'VE BEEN SO FAR FROM GOD FOR SO LONG.' AND I SAID, 'DO YOU 32:01 BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD?' I SAID, 'HE DOESN'T SAY 'HOW 32:06 BAD A SINNER HAVE YOU BEEN?'' I SAID, 'YOU MAY HAVE WANDERED 32:09 ALL YOUR LIFE' - I SAID, 'LOOK AT SAMSON. 32:11 IN THE LAST HOURS OF HIS LIFE HE TURNED BACK TO GOD AND HE 32:14 PRAYED.' I SAID, 'GOD SAYS IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL 32:18 AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND CLEANSE US.' I SAID, 'GOD 32:20 SAID IT. DO YOU BELIEVE IT?' AND WE PRAYED TOGETHER. 32:25 AND IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION OF DO YOU BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD? 32:30 >>AMEN. >>AND SO, KEEP MY FRIEND UP 32:35 THERE - YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW HIS NAME - GOD KNOWS 32:37 - IN YOUR PRAYERS. AND HE SAID, 'LOOK, I'VE GOT TWO 32:41 OF THESE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES. 32:43 HOW DO I GET THE REST OF THEM?' GREAT. 32:48 ANYWAY, YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE. JESUS WAS SO EXCITED HE SAID, 32:53 'LOOK, SINCE YOU BELIEVE, BE IT DONE.' AND THE VERY HOUR CHRIST 32:56 SPOKE THE WORD, THE CENTURION WENT HOME AND FOUND THAT HIS 33:00 SERVANT WAS HEALED AT THAT MOMENT THAT JESUS 33:02 HAD SPOKEN THE WORD. ALRIGHT, LET'S GO ON NOW. 33:05 WE'RE GOING TO TALK NEXT - ABOUT DEMONS AND PIGS. 33:13 I KNOW THAT SOUNDS KIND OF OMINOUS. 33:15 NOW THIS IS A STORY THAT YOU FIND - YOU CAN READ IT HERE IN 33:18 MATTHEW CHAPTER 8, VERSE 28, "WHEN HE HAD COME TO THE OTHER 33:21 SIDE, TO THE COUNTRY OF THE GERGESENES, THERE MET HIM TWO 33:25 DEMON-POSSESSED MEN, COMING OUT OF THE TOMBS," - NOW I NEED TO 33:28 STOP HERE AND ASK YOU, DO YOU NOTICE A PROBLEM? YOU READ THIS 33:32 STORY IN MARK 5 AND IN LUKE CHAPTER 8 AND IT SAYS THERE'S 33:36 ONE MAN. YOU READ IT IN MATTHEW, IT SAYS THERE'S TWO MEN. 33:41 PEOPLE LOVE TO POINT TO THESE THINGS AND SAY, 'THE BIBLE CAN'T 33:43 BE TRUSTED.' TO ME, THIS WOULD BE EVIDENCE OF THE BIBLE'S 33:47 TRUTHFULNESS BECAUSE IF MARK AND MATTHEW JUST ALL COPIED FROM 33:52 EACH OTHER, WHY WOULD YOU MAKE A BLUNDER LIKE THAT? 33:54 BUT THEY'RE TELLING WHAT THEY REALLY SAW AND REMEMBERED AND 33:57 MATTHEW SAYS THERE WERE TWO. MARK AND LUKE SAY 33:59 THERE WERE ONE. WHY IS THAT? 34:01 IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE COMMENTATORS, THE ONES I TRUST, 34:04 THEY SAY THERE WERE PROBABLY TWO MEN. 34:06 ONE OF THEM MAY HAVE STAYED IN THE BACKGROUND, ONE WAS THE 34:08 SPOKESMAN THAT THE DEVIL SPOKE THROUGH. ONE MAYBE CAME RUNNING 34:11 TO JESUS BUT THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO IN THE VICINITY. 34:14 ONE WAS REAL NOTORIOUS SO - FOR MARK AND FOR LUKE, THEY TALKED 34:19 PARTICULARLY ABOUT THIS MAN WHO WAS ESPECIALLY POSSESSED THAT 34:23 SPOKE TO JESUS - THAT CAME DOWN TO JESUS. 34:25 ONE MAY HAVE STILL BE UP IN THE TOMBS, BUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY 34:28 TWO DEMON-POSSESSED MEN. I HOPE YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT. 34:32 YOU EVER SEE PEOPLE GIVE A REPORT ON A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AT 34:35 AN INTERSECTION? AND THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES 34:39 THAT THEY'LL HAVE OF THE SAME ACCIDENT? 34:42 AND THE DISCIPLES WERE GIVING THEIR HONEST ACCOUNT OF WHAT 34:46 THEY SAW. SO THAT DOESN'T SHAKE MY FAITH 34:48 AT ALL BUT I JUST NEED TO BE HONEST. 34:50 THERE'S A LITTLE DISCREPANCY THERE. 34:53 AND IT SAYS HERE THAT "WHEN HE HAD COME TO THE OTHER SIDE, TO 34:57 THE COUNTRY OF THE GERGESENES," - THIS IS OPPOSITE GALILEE - 35:00 THAT MEANS IT'S ACROSS THE OCEAN FROM THE SEA OF - FROM CAPERNAUM 35:05 - ACROSS THE SEA OF GALILEE - AND IT IS WHAT YOU WOULD CALL - 35:09 IT'S A REGION THAT WAS KNOWN AS DECAPOLIS. 35:11 IT WAS NAMED BY ALEXANDER THE GREAT BECAUSE THERE WERE TEN 35:14 CITIES - DECA - A DECADE - TEN YEARS - POLIS - DECAPOLIS - THEY 35:18 HAD TEN CITIES. THEY WERE NOT JEWISH CITIES. 35:22 THESE WERE CITIES THAT HAD BEEN BUILT BY THE GREEKS AND THAT 35:25 COMES INTO PROMINENCE BECAUSE THEY'RE GROWING PIGS AND YOU 35:28 WOULD KNOW THAT WOULD NOT GO WELL FOR A JEWISH SABBATH SCHOOL 35:32 MINISTRY TO HAVE A PIG FARM. AND SO HE'S CROSSED THE SEA - 35:38 AND HE'S NOT THERE TOTALLY BY DESIGN. 35:41 DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS THE NIGHT BEFORE IS THERE'S A 35:42 TERRIBLE STORM AND THE BOAT IS DRIVEN BY THE STORM. 35:46 IT'S WET - THEY'RE ALL WATERLOGGED - AND AFTER JESUS 35:48 CALMS THE STORM HE DIRECTS THEM TO THIS COAST - MAYBE TO BUILD A 35:52 FIRE AND DRY OFF A LITTLE BIT AND RECOVER AND BAIL THE WATER 35:55 OUT OF THE BOAT. BUT THEY NORMALLY WOULD NOT 35:57 HAVE GONE TO MINISTER IN THIS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY 36:01 BRING THE BOAT UP ON THE SHORE OF A CEMETERY. 36:03 THEY LAND AND IT'S A PLACE FULL OF TOMBS. 36:06 THAT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST PLACE YOU'D GO AND DO EVANGELISM, 36:08 WOULD IT? IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING IN YOUR 36:11 EVANGELISM IT COULD BE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO A CEMETERY. 36:14 YOU'VE GOT TO BE GOING WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE, RIGHT? 36:18 BUT JESUS, ACTUALLY, HE HAS GREAT SUCCESS THERE. 36:20 SO THESE TWO DEMON-POSSESSED MEN COME RUNNING OUT OF THE TOMBS - 36:26 EXCEEDINGLY FIERCE - THEY'RE FURIOUS - THEY'RE FILLED WITH 36:29 ANGER, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE - YOU GOT FULL OF 36:32 THE DEVIL - PEOPLE THAT LOSE THEIR TEMPER ARE OFTEN, AT 36:35 LEAST, TEMPORARILY, DEMON POSSESSED. 36:38 SO THAT NOBODY WOULD PASS THAT WAY. 36:40 THEY BROKE CHAINS - IT SAYS IN LUKE AND MARK - CUT THEMSELVES 36:44 AND CRIED OUT - "AND SUDDENLY THEY CRIED OUT, SAYING, 'WHAT 36:48 HAVE WE TO DO WITH YOU, JESUS, YOU SON OF GOD? 36:50 HAVE YOU COME HERE TO TORMENT US BEFORE THE TIME?'" 36:53 WHY WOULD THEY SAY THAT? IS THERE TORMENT 36:58 FOR FALLEN ANGELS? DOES THE BIBLE SAY THEY'RE 37:02 KEPT IN CHAINS RESERVED FOR DESTRUCTION? IS THE DEVIL - 37:07 AND HIS ANGELS - ARE THEY GOING TO A LAKE OF FIRE? 37:12 DOESN'T IT SAY THAT IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 25? 37:14 DO THE DEVILS KNOW WHAT THEIR FATE IS? 37:16 >>YES. >>DON'T YOU WISH SOME 37:18 OF THE LOST KNEW? IF LOST PEOPLE KNEW WHAT SOME 37:21 OF THE DEVILS KNEW, MAYBE WE'D REPENT. 37:24 DOES THE DEVIL KNOW HE HAS A SHORT TIME? 37:25 >>YES. >>DON'T YOU WISH SOME OF THE 37:27 LOST KNEW THAT - AND THEN THEY'D REPENT? THE DEVILS, THEY BELIEVE 37:31 AND TREMBLE. "'HAVE YOU COME HERE TO TORMENT US BEFORE THE 37:35 TIME?'" YOU KNOW, IT SAYS IN MARK, 'DON'T CAST US INTO THE 37:38 ABUSSOS.' AND THAT WORD 'ABUSSOS' IS THE 37:41 SAME WORD - BOTTOMLESS PIT - YOU FIND IN 37:44 REVELATION WHEN SATAN AND HIS ANGELS ARE BOUND. 37:47 THEY KNOW THERE'S A TIME WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THE 37:48 ABUSSOS AND THEY CAN'T POSSESS ANYBODY. 37:50 RIGHT NOW, THE DEVILS STAY OCCUPIED POSSESSING PEOPLE AND 37:54 PIGS AND SERPENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. 37:58 NOW, YOU JUMP ALONG HERE IN THE STORY AND IT SAYS, "NOW A GOOD 38:04 WAY OFF FROM THERE WAS A HERD OF MANY SWINE FEEDING. 38:08 SO THE" - OH WAIT, NO, SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME - DID I - 38:11 ONE OF YOU HAVE MARK - MARK 5:5 AND 6. 38:16 GO AHEAD, DEAR, WHY DON'T YOU READ THAT? 38:17 >>"AND ALWAYS, NIGHT AND DAY, HE WAS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IN THE 38:21 TOMBS, CRYING OUT AND CUTTING HIMSELF WITH STONES. 38:24 WHEN HE SAW JESUS FROM AFAR, HE RAN AND WORSHIPED HIM." 38:28 >>ONE OF THEM RAN AND DID WHAT? WHY WOULD A DEVIL 38:31 COME TO WORSHIP JESUS? NOW THIS MAN - OR THESE 38:37 MEN - ARE DEMON POSSESSED. BUT EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE DEMON - 38:42 AND THESE MEN ARE POSSESSED WITH LEGIONS OF DEMONS, 38:45 ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN WORD. WHEN PEOPLE ARE DEMON POSSESSED, 38:48 IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL PERSON STILL INSIDE? 38:50 >>YES. >>YEAH. 38:53 IF THERE WASN'T THEY'D HAVE NOTHING TO POSSESS - THEY'D DIE. 38:55 WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF THIS MAN INSIDE, WHEN HE HEARD THE DEVILS 38:59 TALK AND SAY, 'OH, IT'S JESUS, SON OF GOD, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO 39:01 DO?' HE THOUGHT, 'THIS IS MY ONLY 39:03 HOPE.' HE RAN TO JESUS JUST LIKE HE WAS AND WORSHIPED HIM. 39:09 DOES THE DEVIL WANT TO WORSHIP HIM? 39:11 NO, THE DEVIL SAYS TO JESUS, 'YOU FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP ME.' 39:14 THE DEVIL DOESN'T WANT HIS MINIONS WORSHIPING JESUS. 39:18 WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF THAT MAN WANTED TO WORSHIP JESUS AND ASK 39:22 FOR HELP. BUT HE COULDN'T EVEN PRAY. 39:25 NOW THIS IS A GREAT STORY IN THE BIBLE OF SOMEBODY - OR TWO MEN - 39:31 THAT WERE AS FAR AWAY FROM GOD AS ANYBODY COULD BE. 39:35 FIRST OF ALL, WHERE DO THEY LIVE? 39:37 >>CEMETERY. >>CEMETERY. WHO TYPICALLY LIVES 39:40 IN CEMETERIES? DEAD PEOPLE. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS - 39:44 AND THAT REPRESENTS SPIRITUALLY DEAD. 39:48 THAT'S A TRICK QUESTION: DO DEAD PEOPLE LIVE IN CEMETERIES? 39:52 NO, THEY'RE NOT REALLY THERE. WHAT IS HE SURROUNDED BY? 39:58 WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS ARE UP IN THE HILLS? 40:00 PIGS, RIGHT? I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET, BUT 40:03 YOU'VE HEARD IT IN THE TITLE OF THE DAY'S STUDY - PIGS - 40:08 SURROUNDED BY HERDS OF PIGS. ARE PIGS CLEAN OR UNCLEAN? 40:12 HE CUTS HIMSELF WITH STONES LEAVING BLOOD AND BRUISES. 40:15 IS BLOOD CLEAN OR UNCLEAN? ARE THE DEAD CLEAN OR UNCLEAN? 40:21 SO FOR THE JEWISH MIND, WHEN YOU READ THIS STORY - IN THE TOMB - 40:25 UNCLEAN. YOU'RE UNCLEAN IF YOU 40:26 TOUCH A DEAD BODY. PIGS - UNCLEAN - 40:28 BLOOD - UNCLEAN. HE'S ISOLATED. 40:32 HE'S ACROSS THE SEA. HE'S BY HIMSELF. 40:34 HE'S COVERED WITH CHAINS - A SYMBOL OF HIS BONDAGE. 40:37 THIS MAN IS - IT SAYS HE'S NAKED. WHAT DOES CLOTHING 40:41 REPRESENT IN THE BIBLE? CHARACTER - CHRIST'S ROBE 40:44 WOULD BE RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS MAN IS AS FAR FROM GOD AS 40:47 ANYONE COULD BE, BUT HE COMES TO JESUS LIKE HE IS - AND 40:51 DOES JESUS TURN HIM AWAY? HE IS THE MOST UNSAVED 40:55 PERSON IN THE BIBLE. WOULD YOU AGREE? 40:57 I'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT. IF YOU CAN THINK OF ANYONE IN 40:59 THE BIBLE WHO IS MORE LOST THAN THIS MAN, YOU TELL ME. 41:04 HE IS NAKED, CUT, CHAINS, PIGS, DEAD BODIES, I MEAN, CRYING - 41:12 IT'S A PICTURE - IT'S A PITIFUL, PITIFUL PICTURE OF A DESPERATE 41:20 LOST PERSON. AND SO HE COMES TO WORSHIP JESUS AND JESUS TELLS 41:25 THE DEVILS TO GO. AND THE DEVILS SAID, 'DON'T CAST 41:28 US INTO THE NOTHINGNESS, CAST US INTO THE PIGS.' AND HE SAYS, 41:31 'OKAY, GO.' NOW, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'WHY WOULD JESUS LET' 41:36 - WHY WOULD YOU ANSWER THE PRAYER OF A DEVIL? 41:39 AND THAT ALSO BEGS ANOTHER QUESTION - IF JESUS IS WILLING 41:43 TO ANSWER THE PRAYER OF DEVILS THAT ASK, WHY DON'T WE ASK MORE? 41:48 ISN'T THAT A GOOD QUESTION? EVEN THE DEVILS GOT THEIR PRAYER 41:52 ANSWERED. WHY DO WE PRAY SO LITTLE? THEY SAID, 'DON'T CAST 41:55 US INTO THE NOTHINGNESS, CAST US INTO THE PIGS.' 41:57 WELL, THE PIGS WERE NOT BEING RAISED FOR PETS, THEY WERE BEING 42:00 RAISED FOR FOOD AND GOD CARES MORE ABOUT PEOPLE THAN PIGS SO 42:03 HE CAST THESE DEVILS - THERE MAY HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF DEVILS, 42:06 BECAUSE TWO THOUSAND PIGS WENT BERSERK AND THEY WENT RUNNING 42:10 OFF THIS STEEP PLACE LIKE AN AVALANCHE OF PORK CHOPS 42:14 CASCADING OFF INTO THE WATER AND THEY DROWNED. 42:19 TWO THOUSAND OF THEM - SEA OF GALILEE IS NOT THAT BIG. 42:22 YOU CAN SEE ACROSS IT. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHY THIS STORY 42:27 IS FOUND IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE? 42:30 IF YOU HAD TWO THOUSAND BLOATED PIG CARCASSES FLOATING IN A 42:34 JEWISH LAKE, DID EVERYBODY KNOW - TALK ABOUT A TOXIC SPILL - DID 42:40 EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED? 42:44 THIS STORY WENT EVERYWHERE. SO JESUS ALLOWED IT. 42:47 THE DEVILS THOUGHT THAT, 'OH, THIS IS GOING TO BACKFIRE.' WHEN 42:50 THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE CITY HEARD WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THEY 42:54 CAME OUT AND ASKED JESUS TO LEAVE. AND JESUS LEFT. 42:58 BUT CHRIST TOLD THE MAN, 'YOU GO OUT AND TELL WHAT GREAT THINGS 43:01 GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU.' THEY CAME, THEY FOUND THE MAN SITTING 43:05 AT THE FEET OF JESUS CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND. 43:09 JOE CREWS LIKED TO BRING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BEING CLOTHED 43:12 AND BEING IN YOUR RIGHT MIND. AND THE MORE AND MORE YOU LIVE 43:16 IN A CULTURE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE UNCLOTHED, THE MORE OUT OF 43:19 THEIR MINDS IT APPEARS THEY ARE. AND YOU WOULD PROBABLY - IF 43:23 SOMEONE STRIPPED DOWN TO NOTHING RIGHT NOW, WOULDN'T WE 43:25 CALL FOR MEDICAL HELP? (LAUGHTER) RIGHT? 43:29 DON'T PROVE IT. DON'T TEST THAT. 43:34 THEY BEGGED HIM TO DEPART AND JESUS DEPARTED. 43:37 THEY WERE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE PIGS THEY HAD LOST THAN THE MAN 43:39 THAT WAS SAVED. ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? 43:42 THIS MAN HAD BEEN TORMENTING THE TERRITORY FOR AGES - BREAKING 43:46 CHAINS, HAUNTING THEM - JESUS SAVES THE MAN. 43:49 HE'S IN HIS - WHERE'D HE GET THE CLOTHES? 43:50 HE WAS SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS CLOTHED. 43:52 I THINK THE CHAINS FELL OFF WHEN JESUS SPOKE. 43:55 HE TOOK HIM TO THE WATER, HE WASHED HIM, HE GAVE HIM HIS 43:57 OUTER ROBE. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO 43:59 HAVE THE ROBE OF JESUS? WHERE'D HE GET THE CLOTHES? 44:02 THIS IS THE STORY OF HIS, LIKE, BAPTISM - AND THEN HE 44:05 COMMISSIONS HIM RIGHT AWAY AND SAYS, 'YOU GO TELL OTHERS WHAT 44:07 GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU.' AND HE GOES AND TELLS EVERYBODY. 44:11 AND IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE IT SAYS WHEN HE CAME BACK THEY WERE 44:13 WAITING FOR HIM. IT SOUNDS LIKE HE CAME BACK 44:15 TO THAT AREA AND THE PEOPLE WERE READY BECAUSE OF THE 44:17 MINISTRY OF THE DEMONIAC. SO IT'S A GREAT STORY OF A 44:20 PERSON WHO IS AS LOST AS THEY CAN BE. JESUS SAVES THEM, HEALS 44:25 THEM, AND THEN SENDS THEM TO TELL OTHERS. 44:29 NOW WHAT HE DOES FOR THAT MAN, HE CAN DO WITH EACH ONE OF US. 44:32 ALRIGHT, THAT'S - THAT'S THE PIGS. 44:35 NOW GET UP AND WALK - MATTHEW 9, VERSES 1 THROUGH 8, "SO HE GOT 44:40 INTO A BOAT, CROSSED OVER, AND CAME TO HIS OWN CITY. 44:43 THEN BEHOLD, THEY BROUGHT TO HIM A PARALYTIC LYING ON A BED. 44:47 WHEN JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH, HE SAID TO THE PARALYTIC, 'SON, BE 44:51 OF GOOD CHEER; YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU.' AND AT ONCE SOME 44:55 OF THE SCRIBES SAID WITHIN THEMSELVES, 'THIS MAN 44:57 BLASPHEMES!' BUT JESUS...SAID, 'WHY DO YOU 45:00 THINK EVIL IN YOUR HEARTS? FOR WHICH IS EASIER, TO SAY, 45:02 'YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU,' OR TO SAY, 'ARISE AND WALK'? 45:05 BUT THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE SON OF MAN HAS POWER ON EARTH TO 45:09 FORGIVE SINS' - THEN HE SAID TO THE PARALYTIC, 'ARISE, TAKE UP 45:13 YOUR BED, AND GO TO YOUR HOUSE.' AND HE AROSE AND DEPARTED TO HIS 45:17 HOUSE. NOW WHEN THE MULTITUDES SAW IT, 45:19 THEY MARVELED AND GLORIFIED GOD, WHO HAD GIVEN SUCH 45:21 POWER TO MEN." OH, ANOTHER GREAT STORY. 45:24 YOU'LL FIND THIS IN MARK CHAPTER 2. 45:25 IT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT HIS FRIENDS - THEY CARRIED HIM A 45:27 LONG WAY, BECAUSE WHEN THEY GET TO THE HOUSE THERE'S ALREADY A 45:30 CROWD THERE AT THE HOUSE. IT MAY HAVE BEEN PETER'S 45:32 HOUSE - CAPERNAUM. SO THEY COME TO THE HOUSE, THEY 45:35 CAN'T GET THROUGH THE WINDOW, THEY CAN'T GET THROUGH THE 45:37 DOOR AND SO WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY TELL THEIR FRIEND THEY'VE 45:41 CARRIED TO JESUS, THEY SAID, 'LOOK, IT'S TOO CROWDED. 45:43 WE'LL TRY ANOTHER DAY.' IS THAT WHAT THEY DO? 45:46 NO, THEY MAY HAVE SAID, 'LOOK, WE CARRIED YOU HERE. 45:48 YOU'RE WALKING HOME.' (LAUGHTER) AND SO THEY GO AROUND BEHIND THE 45:52 BUILDING AND THEY FIND A WAY UP ON THE ROOF. 45:56 NOW, I KNOW THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT VIOLENT, IT SAYS THEY TORE 46:00 UP THE ROOF AND THEY LET THE MAN DOWN IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS. 46:03 THEY DIDN'T GET UP ON THE ROOF LIKE FIREMEN WITH AXES AND PICKS 46:06 AND START HACKING THROUGH THE ROOF. IN THE JEWISH CULTURE THEY 46:10 OFTEN HAD A PLACE WHERE YOU WALK ON THE ROOF. THEY ACTUALLY HAD 46:12 LAWS ABOUT HAVING A BORDER AROUND YOUR ROOF. DAVID WAS UP 46:15 ON HIS ROOF. PETER'S PRAYING ON THE ROOF 46:17 BEFORE LUNCH - YOU REMEMBER? IN ACTS CHAPTER 10? 46:20 AND SO YOU COULD GO UP ON YOUR ROOF AND THERE WAS OFTEN AN 46:22 OPENING IN THE MIDDLE - ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER - 46:26 THEY REMOVED SOME TILES - THE INNER COOKING SMOKE WOULD GO OUT 46:29 AND IT CREATED A NATURAL CONVECTION - IT BROUGHT THE AIR 46:32 IN THROUGH THE DOOR AND THE WINDOW AND IT WENT OUT THE 46:33 CEILING. SO THAT WAS VERY COMMON. 46:36 SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY JUST MOVED ASIDE THE TILES. 46:39 JESUS WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM. 46:40 THEY SAW THE SUNLIGHT COMING IN AND THE DUST FILTERING DOWN AND 46:44 THESE GUYS BEGAN TO LOWER THEIR FRIEND, MAYBE WITH SOME ROPES OR 46:48 THEY TIED SOME SHEETS TOGETHER, DOWN INTO THE PRESENCE OF JESUS 46:52 - AND HE'S THERE TEACHING - SOME OF THE SCRIBES AND RABBIS AND 46:55 PHARISEES ARE IN THERE AND THEY THINK, 'WHAT A SPECTACLE. 46:59 WHAT ARE THEY DOING?' AND WHEN JESUS SAID, 'YOUR SINS 47:02 ARE FORGIVEN' - THIS MAN'S ALL GNARLED AND PARALYZED - HE'S 47:04 THERE LOOKING PITIFUL AND JESUS SAID, 'SON, YOUR SINS ARE 47:08 FORGIVEN.' AND THEY THOUGHT, 'THIS MAN SPEAKS BLASPHEMIES. 47:12 WHO CAN FORGIVE SIN BUT GOD ONLY?' 47:15 NOW, DID THEY TELL THE TRUTH? >>YES. 47:18 >>DOES THE BIBLE SAY THAT GOD AND GOD ONLY CAN FORGIVE SIN? 47:21 >>YES. >>THAT'S TRUE. 47:22 THERE IS ONE SAVIOR FROM SIN. 47:24 IT'S - BY THE WAY, THE BIBLE SAYS ONLY JEHOVAH CAN FORGIVE 47:28 SIN AND IT SAYS ONLY JESUS CAN FORGIVE SIN, WHICH MIGHT MAKE 47:33 YOU THINK MAYBE JEHOVAH AND JESUS ARE SIMILAR. 47:36 IT'S JUST IF YOU EVER HAVE A STUDY WITH A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS - 47:39 BUT ANYWAY, SO HE SAYS, 'YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.' AND THEN HE 47:45 KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE THINKING BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IN THEIR 47:46 HEARTS, 'THIS MAN SPEAKS BLASPHEMIES' - THEY DIDN'T SAY 47:48 IT, THEY THOUGHT IT. YOU KNOW, ANOTHER DEFINITION FOR 47:50 GOD, IT SAYS, 'GOD AND GOD ONLY KNOWS THE THOUGHTS OF MEN'S 47:53 HEARTS.' AND JOHN SAYS HE KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN. 47:58 GOD CAN READ YOUR PRAYERS, YOUR HEARTS. 48:00 AND HE SAID, 'WHAT'S EASIER, TO SAY TO THIS MAN 'YOUR SINS ARE 48:05 FORGIVEN' OR 'TAKE UP YOUR BED AND WALK'? 48:07 WELL, WHICH IS EASIER. SAYING 'TAKE UP YOUR BED AND 48:12 WALK' IS EASIER THAN FORGIVING SIN. 48:14 MEN MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THEIR GIFTS TO HEAL OTHER MEN, BUT 48:18 ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE SIN. AND SO HE SAID, 'BUT THAT YOU 48:24 MIGHT KNOW' - SO WHY DID JESUS HEAL ANYBODY PHYSICALLY? 48:27 'THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW THE SON OF MAN HAS POWER ON EARTH TO 48:30 FORGIVE SINS' - HE SAID TO THE SICK AND THE PALSIED. 48:32 WHY DOES JESUS HEAL PHYSICALLY? EVERYBODY THAT JESUS EVER HEALED 48:37 PHYSICALLY LATER GOT SICK AND DIED. 48:43 ISN'T THAT RIGHT? SO WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE? 48:46 WELL, HE PROLONGED THEIR LIVES, THAT'S NICE. 48:49 THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF HIS HEALING IS THAT WE MIGHT KNOW 48:54 - FIRST OF ALL, HE WANTS TO BLESS US, BUT - HE WANTS US TO 48:57 HAVE ABUNDANT LIFE - BUT THAT HE HAS POWER TO HEAL SPIRITUALLY. 49:02 AND HE SAID, 'BUT THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW' - HE SAID TO THE SICK AND 49:05 THE PALSIED - 'ARISE, TAKE UP YOUR BED, AND WALK.' AND HE GOT 49:07 UP, STRENGTH CAME INTO HIS LIMBS. 49:10 HIS MUSCLES FILLED OUT SUDDENLY AND HE STOOD UP AND HE OBEYED - 49:15 ROLLED UP HIS BED AND WALKED OUT AND THEY WERE ALL AMAZED AND 49:19 GLORIFIED GOD. YOU KNOW, WHAT HEALED THIS MAN, 49:24 THE FAITH OF THE MAN ON THE MAT OR THE FAITH OF HIS 49:26 FRIENDS THAT BROUGHT HIM? YOU NOTICE IN THE VERSE HERE 49:30 IT SAYS, 'WHEN JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH.' YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE 49:35 THAT WERE HEALED BY JESUS WERE BROUGHT BY OTHERS. 49:38 CAN YOU INTERCEDE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S BEHALF? 49:42 NOW, I THINK THE MAN HAD FAITH TOO. 49:44 HE SAID, 'TAKE ME TO JESUS.' BUT HE SAW THE PERSISTENCE - THEY 49:48 COULD HAVE GIVEN UP WHEN THE DOORS WERE BLOCKED. 49:50 THEY COULD HAVE GIVEN UP WHEN THEY COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE 49:51 WINDOW OR THE BACK DOOR, BUT THE WAY THEY SHOWED THEIR FAITH 49:55 IS THEY PERSISTED. HAVE YOU SOMETIMES HAD TO PRAY 49:58 PERSISTENTLY FOR SOMEONE FOR YEARS? 50:01 YEAH, I JUST TOLD YOU A MINUTE AGO - THIS FELLOW THAT WE SAW 50:03 YESTERDAY, I'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR FOR THIRTY YEARS. 50:07 I'VE KNOWN HIM FORTY YEARS - LEFT THE CHURCH THIRTY YEARS 50:09 AGO. AND GOD ANSWERS PRAYER, BUT 50:14 YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP PRAYING. PERSISTENCE - HE 50:19 SAW THEIR FAITH. NOW, WHEN THAT MAN CAME 50:22 TO JESUS HE HAD A BED. WHEN HE LEFT JESUS HE HAD A BED. 50:28 BUT WAS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN HE CAME AND WHEN HE 50:30 LEFT? HOW MANY OF US WOULD ADMIT THAT 50:35 WE HAVE A CARNAL SIDE TO OUR NATURE? 50:40 AND THERE'S A SPIRITUAL SIDE. AND THERE'S SOMETIMES A 50:44 WAR BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH. 50:47 YOU GOING TO ADMIT THAT? >>YES. 50:49 >>WHEN YOU COME TO JESUS DOES THE CARNAL SIDE OF YOUR NATURE 50:53 DISAPPEAR? >>NO. 50:55 >>NO. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 50:57 BEFORE JESUS AND AFTER JESUS? IT'S IN THIS STORY. 51:02 WHEN YOU COME TO JESUS YOU'RE CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH AND NOT 51:05 BY THE SPIRIT. THAT MAN HAD A BED WHEN HE CAME 51:08 TO JESUS, BUT THE BED CARRIED HIM. AFTER JESUS HEALED HIM, HE 51:15 CARRIED THE BED. >>AMEN. 51:17 >>BEFORE JESUS, HE WENT WHERE THE BED TOOK HIM. 51:20 AFTER JESUS, HE TOOK THE BED. >>AMEN. 51:25 >>YOU MAY STILL HAVE CARNAL TEMPTATIONS, BUT YOU ARE NO 51:27 LONGER CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH. 51:29 THE BIBLE SAYS SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU ANYMORE - 51:33 THAT CHRIST - 'DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL MEMBERS' - 51:37 WHO'S IN CHARGE? WHO'S ON THE THRONE? 51:39 IT MUST BE JESUS ON THE THRONE, AMEN? 51:42 SO THAT MAN WENT OUT AND THEY ALL GLORIFIED HIM. 51:44 ALRIGHT, OUR LAST STORY: LETTING THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD - MATTHEW 51:47 8:18 - AND IT SAYS HERE, "AND WHEN JESUS SAW GREAT MULTITUDES 51:52 ABOUT HIM, HE GAVE A COMMAND TO DEPART TO THE OTHER SIDE. 51:55 THEN A CERTAIN SCRIBE CAME AND SAID TO HIM, 'TEACHER, I WILL 51:58 FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.' AND JESUS SAID TO HIM, 'FOXES HAVE 52:03 HOLES AND BIRDS OF THE AIR HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS 52:07 NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD.'" NOW IT'S INTERESTING THAT JESUS 52:10 WOULD USE THOSE TWO ANALOGIES - HE SAID ONE GOES DOWN IN THE 52:13 GROUND AND THE OTHER GOES UP IN THE TREES - THEY'RE COMPLETELY 52:17 OPPOSITE. YOU CAN HAVE A CLEAN BIRD BUT 52:19 YOU CAN ONLY HAVE AN UNCLEAN FOX. 52:21 AND HE - WHO WAS HE TALKING TO WHEN HE SAID THAT? 52:25 IT SAYS 'A CERTAIN SCRIBE'. YOU KNOW, IF YOU READ THE BOOK 52:28 DESIRE OF AGES IT SAYS THAT WAS JUDAS. JESUS CHOSE THE APOSTLES, 52:33 JUDAS SORT OF VOLUNTEERED. AND HE SAID, 'LORD, I'LL FOLLOW 52:36 YOU.' AND JESUS KNEW HE HAD POSSIBILITIES AND JESUS FINALLY 52:40 ENDORSED - OR APPROVED - JUDAS BEING RECOMMENDED BY THE OTHER 52:44 APOSTLES, BUT HE SAID, 'LOOK, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ME FOR EARTHLY 52:48 GAIN, I DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO LAY MY HEAD IN THIS WORLD. 52:51 IF YOU WANT EARTHLY GAIN - IF YOU'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT YOUR 52:53 KINGDOM - YOUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN, DON'T FOLLOW ME.' HE 52:56 SAYS, 'IN THIS WORLD, EVEN FOXES HAVE A PLACE - BIRDS HAVE A 52:59 PLACE - THE ANIMALS ARE BETTER OFF THAN ME. 53:01 I'VE GOT TO SLEEP, YOU KNOW, IN AN OLIVE GARDEN OR DEPEND ON 53:04 SOMEONE ELSE'S HOSPITALITY.' HE SAYS, 'IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ME 53:07 BECAUSE YOU WANT AN EARTHLY KINGDOM FOR THE SON OF DAVID, 53:10 DON'T FOLLOW ME.' SO IT WAS A WARNING TO JUDAS BECAUSE JESUS 53:14 READ HIS HEART. AND THEN HE SAID SOMETHING 53:17 REALLY STRANGE: ANOTHER MAN CAME TO HIM - AND HE SAID - THIS IS 53:20 VERSE 21 - MATTHEW 8:21 - "LORD, LET ME 53:23 FIRST GO AND BURY MY FATHER." - NOW, THAT COULD BE 53:27 MEANT ONE OF TWO WAYS. ONE, IT MAY MEAN HIS FATHER 53:31 DIED AND THEY HAD TO SETTLE THE ESTATE. ANOTHER MEANS 'MY FATHER 53:34 IS AGED. HE'S HOME. DEATH ISN'T FAR AWAY, BUT I'VE 53:37 GOT TO STAY AND TAKE CARE OF HIM AND AFTER HE DIES THEN I'LL 53:41 FOLLOW YOU.' AND JESUS SAID SOMETHING STRANGE. 53:43 YOU THINK HE'D SAY, 'SURE, GO AHEAD, TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY 53:47 AFFAIRS.' I MEAN, EVEN ELISHA, WHEN ELIJAH CALLED ELISHA, AND 53:50 HE SAYS - HE PUT HIS MANTLE ON HIM. YOU KNOW WHAT ELISHA SAID? 53:53 LET ME GO KISS MY MOTHER AND FATHER GOOD BYE.' AND ELIJAH 53:57 SAID, 'GO, WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU? 53:59 THAT'S FINE.' AND HE LET HIM GO SAY GOOD BYE AND THEN HE 54:01 FOLLOWED. BUT JESUS SAYS TO 54:02 THIS MAN, 'FOLLOW ME. LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN 54:07 DEAD.' WOW, THAT'S A LITTLE ROUGH. 54:10 WHO ARE THE DEAD THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT HERE? 54:13 SO YOU'RE GOING TO READ - SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ 54:14 EPHESIANS 2:5 - WHO HAS THAT? I'LL GET YOU SET UP. 54:18 WHILE YOU'RE FINDING THAT I'M GOING TO READ LUKE 15:24. 54:21 WHAT DID THE FATHER SAY REGARDING THE PRODIGAL SON? 54:24 "FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST AND IS 54:30 FOUND." WHAT DID HE MEAN BY DEAD? 54:33 SPIRITUALLY LOST. IS THAT SAFE TO SAY? 54:35 WHEN A PERSON DOESN'T HAVE JESUS DO THEY HAVE LIFE? 54:37 HE THAT HAS THE SON HAS LIFE; HE THAT HAS NOT THE SON HAS NOT 54:40 LIFE. GO AHEAD, READ PLEASE, EPHESIANS 2:5. 54:44 >>"EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES, MADE US ALIVE 54:47 TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED)." 54:51 >>SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT BEING DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS. 54:55 AND CHRIST SAID, 'LOOK, IF YOU GET PREOCCUPIED WITH THE CARES 54:59 OF THIS LIFE, THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN EXCUSE.' YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS 55:03 IS SAYING, IS 'WHEN I CALL YOU TO FOLLOW ME, DON'T LET ANY 55:09 EARTHLY AFFAIRS DISTRACT YOU FROM FOLLOWING ME BECAUSE THE 55:13 CALL TO LIFE IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF RIGHT 55:17 AWAY. LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD.' 55:20 THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME EXCUSE OR SOME DISTRACTION FOR 55:23 YOU TO DO OTHER THINGS, BUT WHEN GOD CALLS YOU, THERE'S NOTHING 55:27 MORE IMPORTANT THAN FOLLOWING JESUS AND THAT'S WHAT 55:28 JESUS WAS SAYING. HE SAID, 'LOOK, I'VE CALLED YOU 55:30 TO FOLLOW ME.' HE CALLED PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN TO FOLLOW HIM. 55:35 THIS IS SOMEONE HE CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE. 55:37 NOTHING CAN DISTRACT YOU FROM THAT. 55:39 DON'T TURN TO THE RIGHT HAND, DON'T TURN TO THE LEFT, RIGHT? 55:43 AMEN? WELL, WE ARE OUT OF TIME. WE GOT THROUGH 55:45 MOST OF THE LESSON. I WANT TO REMIND OUR FOLLOWERS, 55:48 WE HAVE A FREE, SORT OF A PREMIUM OFFER. 55:50 I HOPE YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. 55:52 EIGHT - IT'S CALLED AMAZING HEALTH FACTS: 8 BIBLE SECRETS . 55:55 IT'S REALLY GOT THE BIBLE SECRETS TO A LONGER, STRONGER 55:57 LIFE AND WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU. JUST CALL 866-788-3966 56:02 - ASK FOR OFFER #806. READ IT. 56:06 YOU'LL ENJOY IT. IT'S VERY BEAUTIFULLY 56:07 ILLUSTRATED - READ IT, IT'S FREE - AND THEN SHARE IT WITH 56:09 SOMEBODY - GIVE YOU SOME WITNESSING TOOLS. 56:11 GOD BLESS YOU UNTIL WE STUDY HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 56:16 >>AMAZING FACTS HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE. 56:18 >>AND I JUST PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS. 56:20 >>AMAZING FACTS ACTUALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE. 56:22 >>THIS WHOLE PROCESS - GETTING WHERE I AM TODAY - I FELT GOOD 56:25 ABOUT THAT. I DIDN'T FEEL CONDEMNED. 56:27 >>I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE AND - 56:30 >>I GOT BAPTIZED INTO A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - 56:32 >>I REALIZED THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE TO LIFE. 56:34 >>GOD IS REALLY DOING THIS. >>THE LIFE THAT HE'S GIVEN ME. 56:37 >>THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL. 56:38 >>I'LL FOLLOW CHRIST WHEREVER HE GOES. 56:40 >>AMAZING FACTS. MORE THAN 45 YEARS OF 56:44 PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE AROUND THE WORLD. 56:47 >>AND THEN THE LOGO POPS ACROSS AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 56:51 I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MINISTERS, BUT THIS 56:54 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING WHERE 56:57 I HAD TO GRAB MY BIBLE AND ACTUALLY PICK IT UP AND I'VE 57:00 NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. LET ME - LET ME LOOK THROUGH AND 57:03 FIND THIS. >>THAT I JUST COULDN'T GET 57:04 ENOUGH. >>AND SO I STARTED 57:05 DOING BIBLE STUDIES. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE GUYS 57:09 STARTED BEING CHANGED, INCLUDING MYSELF. 57:12 >>MY QUESTION WAS, 'WHY DID THAT HAPPEN TO ME, GOD?' 57:15 THE LORD WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT AND - AND I ACTUALLY SAW HIM AS 57:18 A FATHER. >>I LOST EVERYTHING AND THAT WAS 57:22 WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD MISSING IN MY LIFE. 57:25 >>I WENT TO A PROPHECY SEMINAR, WHICH KNOCKED ME OUT. 57:29 THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL AND SO IRREFUTABLE, I JUST WENT, 57:33 'THIS IS REAL. THIS IS - THIS IS AMAZING.' 57:39 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO 57:42 WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, 57:46 VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:51 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS 57:56 WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 58:01 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. 58:04 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 58:08 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-04-14