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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021618A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:33 >>WELCOME AGAIN TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:36 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO THE MEMBERS OF THE GRANITE BAY 00:38 CHURCH, ALSO THOSE WHO ARE VISITING FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY 00:41 AND EVEN SOME INTERNATIONAL GUESTS THIS MORNING. 00:44 WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE WITH US. AND ALSO TO OUR FRIENDS WHO 00:47 ARE JOINING US IN OUR EXTENDED SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS ACROSS THE 00:50 COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD - A VERY WARM WELCOME TO YOU AS WELL 00:53 AS TO OUR ONLINE CHURCH MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THIS 00:56 WORSHIP STUDY TIME TOGETHER. WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH OUR 00:59 LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH THE BOOK OF MATTHEW AND TODAY 01:02 WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #5 ENTITLED THE SEEN AND THE 01:07 UNSEEN WAR - THAT'S LESSON #5. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LESSON 01:10 QUARTERLY BUT YOU'D LIKE TO STUDY ALONG WITH US, JUST VISIT 01:13 THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 01:17 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON AND STUDY ALONG. 01:21 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TODAY. 01:23 IT'S AN AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDE CALLED RESCUE FROM ABOVE. 01:27 AND TO OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US IN NORTH AMERICA, IF 01:30 YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS FOR FREE, JUST GIVE US A CALL ON OUR 01:33 RESOURCE NUMBER. THE PHONE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966. 01:40 AGAIN, THAT'S 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 01:44 OFFER #109 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THIS STUDY GUIDE - 01:48 RESCUE FROM ABOVE . WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY 01:52 THIS MORNING, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR CHORISTERS TO COME 01:55 AND LEAD US AS WE SING A SONG OF PRAISE, WARMING UP OUR 01:58 HEARTS FOR OUR STUDY. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 02:05 IT'S SO NICE TO SEE ALL OF YOUR SMILING FACES. 02:08 AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US, WE CAN'T SEE YOUR FACES BUT 02:10 WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE HAPPY TO BE SINGING SOME SONGS AND 02:14 WORSHIPING TOGETHER LIKE WE DO EVERY WEEK. 02:17 SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES - ONE OF OUR 02:20 FAVORITES TOO - BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE! 02:23 - IT'S FOUND ON #462 IN YOUR HYMNAL. 02:26 JOIN WITH US. (MUSIC) 02:41 >>BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE! 02:46 O, WHAT A FORETASTE OF GLORY DIVINE! 02:52 HEIR OF SALVATION, PURCHASE OF GOD, BORN OF HIS SPIRIT, WASHED 03:01 IN HIS BLOOD. THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY 03:07 SONG, PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG; THIS IS MY STORY, THIS 03:17 IS MY SONG, PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG. 03:26 PERFECT SUBMISSION, PERFECT DELIGHT, VISIONS OF RAPTURE NOW 03:35 BURST ON MY SIGHT. ANGELS DESCENDING BRING FROM 03:41 ABOVE ECHOES OF MERCY, WHISPERS OF LOVE. 03:49 THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG, PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE 03:59 DAY LONG; THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG, PRAISING MY SAVIOR 04:10 ALL THE DAY LONG. PERFECT SUBMISSION, ALL IS AT 04:18 REST, I IN MY SAVIOR AM HAPPY AND BLEST, WATCHING AND WAITING, 04:28 LOOKING ABOVE, FILLED WITH HIS GOODNESS, LOST IN HIS LOVE. 04:37 THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG, PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE 04:47 DAY LONG; THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG, PRAISING MY 04:56 SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG. >>ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT 05:10 OUR SABBATH SCHOOL PROGRAM IS WE HAVE VISITORS THAT COME FROM 05:13 TIME TO TIME AND WE LIKE TO HAVE THEM SHARE THEIR SPECIAL PIECES 05:18 WITH YOU. SO TODAY WE HAVE A VISITING 05:21 CHOIR. IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO STAND 05:23 UP AND START COMING UP HERE - THIS IS THE SLAVIC CHOIR - 05:26 THEY'RE FROM THE SLAVIC CHURCH IN CARMICHAEL, CALIFORNIA, WHICH 05:30 IS PROBABLY 20 MINUTES FROM HERE IN GRANITE BAY. 05:33 AND THE MEMBERS OF THE CHOIR ARE FROM RUSSIA, UKRAINE, MOLDOVA - 05:38 AND TODAY THEY'RE SINGING LORD, YOU ARE MY SHELTER . 05:45 (MUSIC) (SINGING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) 10:16 >>AMEN. >>AMEN. WHAT A BLESSING. 10:19 I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO BOW YOUR HEADS AS WE HAVE A WORD OF 10:21 PRAYER. DEAR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN WE ARE 10:23 GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GATHER TOGETHER TO STUDY THE 10:25 BIBLE - STUDY THIS WONDERFUL BOOK ABOUT JESUS, THE LIFE OF 10:29 CHRIST, AND THE LESSONS TAUGHT. WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US ONCE 10:32 AGAIN AS WE STUDY MATTHEW. GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS, 10:35 FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 10:38 OUR LESSON THIS MORNING WILL BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG. 10:43 >>MORNING FRIENDS. >>MORNING. 10:45 >>I'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY SABBATH AND THANK YOU TO 10:47 THE SLAVIC GROUP - THAT WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL. 10:50 (RUSSIAN WORDS) (LAUGHTER) AND FOR OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE OUT 10:56 THERE, WELCOME. I WANT TO WELCOME OUR EXTENDED 10:57 CLASS THAT IS STUDYING THE LESSON WITH US FROM ALL 11:01 DIFFERENT POINTS AROUND THE GLOBE. 11:02 AND SOME OF YOU ARE ACTUALLY MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH BECAUSE 11:05 YOU HAVE NO LOCAL CHURCH YOU CAN ATTEND. 11:07 I WANT TO WELCOME THE EXTENDED GRANITE BAY CHURCH FAMILY THAT 11:10 IS OUT THERE. WE'RE CONTINUING OUR STUDY 11:12 TODAY DEALING WITH THE BOOK OF MATTHEW. 11:15 AND TODAY'S STUDY, IN PARTICULAR, IS GOING TO BE 11:18 TALKING ABOUT MATTHEW CHAPTERS 11 AND 12. 11:21 AND WE'LL ALWAYS - YOU COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE, YOU 11:24 END UP BOUNCING AROUND A LITTLE BIT. 11:26 THE LESSON IS CALLED THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN WAR . 11:30 MATTHEW TALKS ABOUT THIS GREAT CONTROVERSY - THIS BATTLE. 11:34 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM MATTHEW 11:38 11, VERSE 12 AND I - IT COMES IN THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION - I 11:43 INVITE YOU TO SAY THIS OUT LOUD WITH ME, BUT I WANT TO LET YOU 11:46 GET READY. YOU READY? 11:48 YOU CAN READ IT RIGHT OUT OF YOUR QUARTERLY OR YOUR BIBLE - 11:50 MATTHEW 11:12 - HERE WE GO, "AND FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN THE 11:55 BAPTIST UNTIL NOW THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERS VIOLENCE, AND THE 12:01 VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE." NOW IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THEY 12:05 PICKED THIS AS THE MEMORY VERSE BECAUSE WE HAVE A WHOLE SECTION 12:09 WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERSE. 12:11 IT IS A DIFFICULT VERSE. MATTHEW - THERE'S A NUMBER OF 12:15 VERSES IN MATTHEW THAT SCHOLARS HAVE BEEN PERPLEXED BY. 12:21 YOU KNOW, THAT VERSE THERE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 WHERE HE SAYS 12:27 TO PETER, 'YOU ARE THE ROCK' AND 'THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT 12:31 PREVAIL AGAINST MY CHURCH' AND 'WHOEVER'S SINS YOU FORGIVE, 12:35 THEY ARE FORGIVEN.' AND PEOPLE GO, 'WHAT? 12:37 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?' AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE 12:40 VERSES THAT YOU FIND HERE IN MATTHEW. 12:42 NOW GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR BIBLE AND TURN THERE, PLEASE, TO 12:47 MATTHEW CHAPTER 11, VERSES 11 AND 12. 12:49 WE'RE GOING TO READ IT AND WE'RE GOING TO SORT OF BREAK THIS DOWN 12:51 PIECE BY PIECE AND, I THINK, IN THE PROCESS WE'LL LEARN A LOT OF 12:54 OTHER THINGS THAT ARE JUST KIND OF INTERCONNECTED. 12:57 NOW AT THE BEGINNING OF MATTHEW 11 - I SHOULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU 13:02 A LITTLE BACKGROUND. PART OF YOUR STUDY TODAY IS 13:04 MATTHEW 11, YOU KNOW, 1 THROUGH 19, TALKING ABOUT JOHN THE 13:07 BAPTIST, BUT IT STARTS BY GOING TO THIS SECTION SETTING THE 13:10 STAGE ABOUT JOHN BEING A GREAT CHAPTER. 13:13 LATER IN OUR STUDY TODAY IT'LL GO BACK TO THE FIRST VERSES IN 13:15 CHAPTER 11. JESUS SAYS, "ASSUREDLY I SAY TO 13:20 YOU, AMONG THOSE BORN OF WOMEN, THERE HAS NOT RISEN ONE GREATER 13:26 THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST; BUT HE WHO IS LEAST IN THE KINGDOM 13:30 OF HEAVEN IS GREATER THAN HE. AND FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN THE 13:34 BAPTIST UNTIL NOW, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERS VIOLENCE, AND 13:37 THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE." ALRIGHT, FIRST LET'S - LET'S 13:41 EXAMINE THE FIRST PART OF THIS. HE MAKES A BOLD PROCLAMATION. 13:45 THERE'S LOTS OF PROPHETS IN THE BIBLE AND JESUS SAID, 'I TELL 13:48 YOU THAT AMONG THOSE WHO ARE BORN OF WOMEN' - ANYONE HERE NOT 13:52 BORN OF A WOMAN? JUST CHECKING. SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT 13:56 ALL HUMANS, RIGHT? 'AMONG THOSE BORN OF WOMEN THERE 14:01 IS NOT RISEN ONE GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST.' 14:05 NOW HOW IS JOHN THE BAPTIST GREATER? 14:09 IS IT BECAUSE OF THE BOOK THAT HE WROTE? 14:13 YOU ALL ENJOY READING THE BOOK OF JOHN THE BAPTIST? 14:15 THERE IS NO BOOK. THERE'S NO LETTER 14:18 THAT JOHN WROTE. IS IT BECAUSE OF THE 14:20 MIRACLES THAT JOHN DID? WHAT WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST'S 14:23 GREATEST MIRACLE? >>HE BAPTIZED JESUS. 14:26 >>WAS THAT A MIRACLE? I'VE BAPTIZED PEOPLE - 14:29 IT'S NOT REALLY A MIRACLE. IT WAS IMPORTANT. 14:32 SO WHY IS JOHN THE BAPTIST CALLED 'GREATER'? 14:36 NOW IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA, YOU'VE GOT TO SUMMARIZE IT INTO A 14:39 SENTENCE. YOU RAISE YOUR HAND - I'LL 14:40 REPEAT IT SO THAT PEOPLE HEAR. ANY OF YOU? 14:43 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT JOHN THE - OKAY, VICKY. 14:46 >>HE WAS THE ONE WHO BAPTIZED GOD. 14:47 >>HE BAPTIZED JESUS, GOD THE SON. 14:49 OKAY. NO ONE ELSE HAD 14:51 DONE THAT BEFORE. >>HERALDED THE COMING OF JESUS. 14:53 >>HE ANNOUNCED THE COMING OF JESUS. 14:55 HE WAS THE ONE TO INTRODUCE AND ANNOUNCE THE MESSIAH HAS COME. 14:59 AND THAT'S, I BELIEVE, ONE OF THEM. 15:00 ANY OTHERS? IN THE BACK? 15:03 >>HE WAS BORN WITH THE HOLY GHOST AS JESUS. 15:04 >>NOW THAT'S TRUE. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE HOLY 15:06 SPIRIT FROM THEIR BIRTH? BUT THE BIBLE SAYS REGARDING - 15:09 YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT IN MY NOTES - THAT'S A GOOD POINT, THOUGH. 15:11 THE BIBLE DOES SAY, REGARDING JOHN THE BAPTIST, THAT HE WAS 15:15 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. LET ME GIVE YOU 15:20 SOME OF THE PRIORITIES OF WHY I THINK HE WAS BIGGER. 15:24 FIRST OF ALL, HE WAS PROPHESIED OF THE OTHER PROPHETS - ISAIAH 15:30 43, MALACHI 1 - SO YOU'VE GOT - WHEN PROPHETS FORETELL ANOTHER 15:34 PROPHET'S - THAT'S GOING TO COME. 15:36 YOU KNOW, MOSES FORETOLD, 'THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP A 15:38 PROPHET UNTO YOU' - IN DEUTERONOMY 18 - SPEAKING OF 15:42 JESUS - BUT HERE OTHER PROPHETS FORETOLD THE COMING OF THIS 15:46 PROPHET, AND THAT WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST. 15:49 ANOTHER REASON? BECAUSE HE HAD THE PRIVILEGE - 15:52 AND SOMEONE TOUCHED ON THIS - OF SHOWING THE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR 15:55 PREDICTIONS WHEN THEY CAME TO JOHN AND SAID, 'WHO ARE YOU?' 15:57 HE SAID, 'I AM THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS.' HE 15:59 QUOTES ISAIAH AND SAYS 'ISAIAH FORETOLD WHAT I'M DOING. 16:03 PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD.' SO HE WAS PREPARING THE WAY TO 16:07 INTRODUCE THE MESSIAH. SECONDLY - OH, THAT WAS SECOND 16:12 - THIRDLY, BECAUSE HE SAW AND ENJOYED THAT SALVATION WHICH 16:16 THEY COULD ONLY FORETELL, LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER PROPHETS THAT 16:18 LOOKED FORWARD TO THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH. 16:21 JOHN WAS GREATER IN THAT HE GOT TO LAY HANDS ON HIM. 16:24 REMEMBER WHAT JOHN THE APOSTLE - NOT JOHN THE BAPTIST - JOHN THE 16:27 APOSTLE SAYS, 'OUR HANDS HAVE HANDLED THE WORD OF LIFE.' WELL, 16:31 JOHN THE BAPTIST HELD HIM IN HIS HANDS AND BAPTIZED HIM. 16:34 AND HE SAW THE HOLY SPIRIT COMING UPON HIM. 16:38 AND ONE I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE SAY YET - IS IT, BIBLICALLY, AN 16:44 HONOR OR AN INSULT TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST'S SAKE? 16:50 DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY, 'REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD IF YOU'RE 16:52 PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. WAS JOHN PERSECUTED 16:56 FOR HIS PROCLAMATION? AND WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN, 17:01 THAT'LL BE AN HONOR THROUGH ETERNITY - THAT HE 17:03 DIED A MARTYR'S DEATH. SO - NOW THE TIME THAT CHRIST 17:07 WAS SPEAKING THAT HADN'T QUITE HAPPENED YET. 17:09 SO JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS THE GREATEST OF THE PROPHETS FOR 17:13 THOSE REASONS. IT DOESN'T MEAN HE DID 17:16 THE GREATEST MIRACLE. WHO DO YOU THINK - WHAT PROPHET 17:18 DO YOU THINK DID THE GREATEST MIRACLE? 17:22 I THINK ELIJAH'S PRAYING AND FIRE COMING DOWN, PRAYING AND 17:25 RAIN COMING DOWN - MOSES WOULD PRAY AND THEN GOD WOULD SEND 17:29 PLAGUES, BUT ELIJAH SEEMED TO HAVE JUST A - HE'S THOUGHT OF AS 17:34 ONE OF THE GREAT PROPHETS, BUT THE HONOR THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST 17:37 HAD REALLY, KIND OF, EXCEEDED THEM ALL. 17:40 AND, BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS, THERE'S ANOTHER WAY JOHN THE 17:44 BAPTIST IS GREATER IN THAT HE BROUGHT - AND OUR LESSON'LL GET 17:47 TO THIS IN A MOMENT - HE BROUGHT REVIVAL TO THE PEOPLE. 17:53 THE WORK OF ELIJAH WAS TO BRING REVIVAL. 17:57 AND JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU CAN RECEIVE IT, THIS IS ELIJAH WHO 18:00 WAS TO COME. SO - AND HOW WAS JESUS - MATTER 18:07 OF FACT, I'M JUMPING AHEAD HERE - SOMEBODY'S GOING TO 18:10 READ FOR ME IN LUKE 13:24. YOU'LL HAVE THAT IN 18:14 JUST A MOMENT, OKAY? WE'LL GET READY FOR THAT. 18:17 IT GOES ON, IN MATTHEW 11, AND IT SAYS, "AND FROM THE DAYS OF 18:21 JOHN THE BAPTIST" - NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH JOHN THE APOSTLE 18:25 OR THE OTHERS - "UNTIL NOW THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERS 18:29 VIOLENCE," - NOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF VIOLENCE, IS THAT A GOOD 18:33 THING OR A BAD THING? HOW DID THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 18:36 SUFFER VIOLENCE FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST? 18:40 THEN HE GOES ON AND HE SAYS, "AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY 18:41 FORCE." THIS IS A DIFFICULT VERSE BUT I 18:45 THINK WE CAN FIND SOME ANSWERS TO IT. GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, 18:49 PLEASE, LUKE 24, VERSE - I'M SORRY, LUKE 13, VERSE 24. 18:54 >>"STRIVE TO ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE, FOR MANY, I SAY TO 18:58 YOU, WILL SEEK TO ENTER AND WILL NOT BE ABLE." 19:02 >>THERE'S A STRIVING TO ENTER A GATE. IF YOU'RE GOING TO CONQUER 19:07 A CITY, YOU TRY TO GET THROUGH THE GATES, RIGHT? 19:11 YOU REMEMBER THAT VERSE THAT SAYS IN JOHN 16 - I'M SORRY, 19:14 LUKE 16:16, "THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS WERE UNTIL JOHN." 19:18 - JOHN THE BAPTIST - "SINCE THAT TIME THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS BEEN 19:23 PREACHED AND EVERYONE IS PRESSING INTO IT." 19:27 SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE STRIVING TO GET IN A GATE - 19:30 PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM - AND SO WHEN HE SAYS THE KINGDOM OF 19:36 HEAVEN SUFFERS VIOLENCE, HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH 19:41 TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS ATTACKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD, HE'S TALKING 19:45 ABOUT THE POWER IN WHICH ALL OF THE PEOPLE WERE RESPONDING AND 19:50 THEY WERE COMING AND LISTENING TO THE PREACHING OF JOHN. 19:53 YOU LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 3, VERSE 5 - 19:57 COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE - SPEAKING OF THE MINISTRY OF 19:59 JOHN THE BAPTIST, "THEN JERUSALEM, ALL JUDEA, AND ALL 20:06 THE REGION AROUND THE JORDAN WENT OUT TO HIM AND WERE 20:10 BAPTIZED BY HIM IN THE JORDAN, CONFESSING THEIR SINS." 20:14 WHAT HAPPENED AS THE RESULT OF THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE 20:17 BAPTIST? ALL OF JUDEA AND ALL OF JERUSALEM AND ALL OF THE REGIONS 20:23 AND ALL THE PEOPLE WENT AND WERE BAPTIZED. 20:26 ABOUT THE ONLY ONES THAT WERE NOT BAPTIZED WERE SOME OF THE 20:29 RELIGIOUS LEADERS, BUT - AND THEY EVEN CAME TO JOHN AND JOHN 20:32 CALLED THEM A BROOD OF VIPERS. AND THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 'WHAT 20:36 DID YOU GO OUT IN THE WILDERNESS TO SEE?' 20:38 HE DIDN'T SAY 'SOME OF YOU' - HE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE, ALL OF YOU. 20:41 HE SAID, 'WHY'D YOU GO OUT THERE?' 20:43 PEOPLE CAME IN DROVES TO HEAR THIS ONE MAN WHO WAS PREACHING 20:47 WITH SUCH AN UNCTION OF THE SPIRIT THAT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS 20:50 DRESSED IN BIZARRE ATTIRE - YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT A LEATHER BELT 20:54 AND CAMEL FUR - KIND OF CAMEL BURLAP IS MORE LIKE WHAT IT WAS 20:59 - AND HE'S EATING LOCUST - IT DOESN'T SAY LOCUST BEAN - I HOPE 21:03 IT WAS LOCUST BEAN. IT COULD HAVE BEEN LOCUST BEAN, 21:06 IT COULD HAVE BEEN LOCUST LOCUST - AND WILD HONEY. 21:09 IF YOU SAW SOMEBODY PREACHING ON A SOAP BOX IN SACRAMENTO DRESSED 21:14 LIKE THAT, WOULD YOU STOP AND LISTEN? 21:17 BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT JOHN. 21:18 YOU WONDER WHO WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT NOTICED HE WAS PREACHING. 21:21 HAVE YOU EVER PICTURED THAT? HE - SOMEONE WALKING THROUGH THE 21:24 DESERT, ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS GUY'S STANDING UP ON A ROCK AND 21:26 HE STARTS TO PREACH TO HIM. AND HE'S PASSING FROM JERUSALEM 21:29 TO JERICHO AND HE GETS TO JERICHO AND SAID, 'DO YOU SEE 21:31 THAT GUY OUT THERE PREACHING? BOY, HE REALLY' - AND THEN SOME 21:33 OTHERS GO OUT AND SOME MORE COME OUT AND PRETTY SOON THE REPORTS 21:36 SPREAD AND DROVES GO OUT AND HE SAYS THEY NEED TO REPENT, THE 21:40 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS COMING, THE MESSIAH'S COMING. 21:41 JOHN, THOUGH HE WAS DRESSED ROUGH, HIS SPEECH WAS NOT THAT 21:47 WAY BECAUSE WHAT DID JOHN'S FATHER DO FOR A LIVING? 21:50 A PRIEST. COULD THE PRIESTS READ? 21:53 WERE THEY ARTICULATE? AND HE CAME FROM ELIZABETH. 21:58 IT SAYS SHE WAS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF AARON. 22:02 AND SO FATHER AND MOTHER WERE EDUCATED. 22:05 YOU REMEMBER WHEN JOHN LOST - ZACHARIAH LOST HIS ABILITY TO 22:10 SPEAK AND THEY SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CALL HIM? 22:12 AND HE TOOK A TABLET AND HE WROTE. 22:14 HE KNEW HOW TO WRITE. THEY KNEW HOW TO READ. 22:17 AND SO, HE HAD EDUCATED PARENTS BUT YET HE'S OUT IN THE 22:20 WILDERNESS AND THERE WAS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT HIM AND ALL 22:23 THESE PEOPLE CAME IN DROVES. AND SO THEY WERE PRESSING 22:26 INTO THE KINGDOM. AND THEN IT GOES ON AND SAYS, 22:29 "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERS VIOLENCE AND THE VIOLENT 22:33 TAKE IT BY FORCE." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 22:36 LOOK IN MATTHEW 21:26, "BUT IF WE SAY, 'FROM MEN,'" - THIS IS 22:45 WHEN JESUS STUMPED THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES - HE SAID, 22:48 'WAS THE BAPTISM OF JOHN FROM GOD OR FROM MEN?' 22:51 AND THEY SAID, 'WELL, IF WE SAY MEN WE FEAR THE MULTITUDE, FOR 22:54 ALL COUNT JOHN AS A PROPHET.' EVERYBODY WENT OUT TO HIM. 23:00 LOOK AT JOHN 12:19, "THE PHARISEES THEREFORE SAID AMONG 23:04 THEMSELVES, 'YOU SEE THAT YOU ARE ACCOMPLISHING NOTHING. 23:08 LOOK, THE WORLD HAS GONE AFTER HIM!'" 23:10 AND HERE THEY'RE SPEAKING ABOUT JESUS. 23:12 SO WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IS, FROM THE TIME THAT JOHN CAME - THE 23:16 PROPHETS PROPHESIED UNTIL JOHN - BUT FROM THE TIME OF JOHN THE 23:19 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERED VIOLENCE MEANING, PEOPLE WERE 23:22 POURING INTO IT. THEY WERE PRESSING INTO IT LIKE 23:25 - LIKE AN ARMY STORMING THE GATES OF THE CITY. 23:29 AND, MATTER OF FACT, I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY THE WAY - YEAH, 23:35 YEAH, JOHN WESLEY WORDED IT THIS WAY, IN EXPLAINING THIS VERSE, 23:39 "THAT IS, FROM THE TIME THAT JOHN HAD FULFILLED HIS MINISTRY, 23:43 MEN RUSH INTO MY KINGDOM WITH VIOLENCE, LIKE THOSE WHO ARE 23:47 TAKING A CITY BY STORM." AND SO, WHEN IT SAYS THAT THE 23:51 VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE, WHICH PEOPLE WERE THE ONES THAT 23:57 ACCEPTED THE TEACHING OF JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST? 24:01 WAS IT THE RELIGIOUS ELITE? OR WAS IT THE ROUGH? 24:08 YOU KNOW, PAUL SAYS, 'NOT MANY WISE, NOT MANY NOBLE, BUT GOD 24:13 HAS CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD.' AND WHEN JESUS BEGAN 24:16 TO PREACH, IT WASN'T THOSE WHO WERE CONSIDERED DELICATE AND 24:21 SOPHISTICATED AND REFINED, BUT IT WAS THE VIOLENT. 24:28 NOW THE WORD 'VIOLENT' - WHEN YOU THINK OF VIOLENCE, YOU 24:30 USUALLY THINK ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO IS, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING 24:35 VIOLENT - SOMEBODY WHO IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ATTACKING YOU OR 24:38 HITTING YOU OR THERE'S SOME KIND OF BLOODSHED OR GORE. 24:43 THE WORD 'VIOLENT' DIDN'T ALWAYS MEAN THAT. IT COULD MEAN THOSE 24:46 WHO WERE ROUGH, WHO WERE FORCEFUL - AND WHEN THEY SAW 24:51 THESE FISHERMEN AND THESE SHEPHERDS AND THESE HERDERS AND 24:56 TAX COLLECTORS - LET ME GIVE YOU SOME MORE EVIDENCE FOR THAT. 25:01 GO, FOR INSTANCE, TO MATTHEW 21 - MATTHEW 21:31 - "JESUS SAITH 25:08 UNTO THEM, 'VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT THE PUBLICANS AND THE 25:11 HARLOTS GO INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEFORE YOU. 25:14 FOR JOHN CAME UNTO YOU IN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND YE 25:18 BELIEVED HIM NOT: BUT THE PUBLICANS AND THE HARLOTS 25:21 BELIEVED HIM: AND YE, WHEN YE HAD SEEN IT, REPENTED NOT 25:24 AFTERWARD, THAT YE MIGHT BELIEVE HIM.'" AND SO, HERE, JESUS IS 25:28 SAYING - WHO WAS IT THAT ENDED UP BELIEVING JOHN THE BAPTIST? 25:32 IT WAS THE ROUGH - THE VIOLENT - THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. 25:35 AND THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT VERSE THAT SAYS - MATTHEW 16:18 25:42 - "AND I ALSO SAY TO YOU THAT YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK 25:46 I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HADES SHALL NOT PREVAIL 25:52 AGAINST IT." NOW WHAT DOES THAT VERSE MEAN? 25:55 TALKING ABOUT DIFFICULT VERSES HERE. 25:57 THERE'S A QUOTE IN THE LESSON FROM STEPS TO CHRIST , I WANT TO 26:00 READ THAT TO YOU RIGHT NOW, "GOD HAS GIVEN US, IN THE SCRIPTURES, 26:03 SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE FOR THEIR DIVINE CHARACTER AND WE ARE NOT 26:07 TO DOUBT HIS WORD BECAUSE WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE 26:10 MYSTERIES OF HIS PROVIDENCE, ESPECIALLY AT FIRST READING." 26:13 WHAT'S NEAT ABOUT THE BIBLE IS THE LONGER YOU READ IT, THE MORE 26:17 YOU UNDERSTAND. IT CONTINUES TO UNFOLD. 26:20 SO WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAYS, 'THE GATES OF HADES WILL 26:23 NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT'? WELL, YOU'VE GOT A PICTURE IN 26:28 YOUR MIND OF GATES OF A CITY - THEY'RE GUARDING THE CITY - 26:32 AND YOU'VE GOT AN ARMY THAT IS ATTACKING THE GATES, 26:35 TRYING TO CONQUER THE CITY. WHO IS ATTACKING WHOM? 26:40 WHEN IT SAYS 'THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT' 26:44 PEOPLE HAVE SOMETIMES PICTURED THAT THE CHURCH IS THE KINGDOM 26:50 AND WE'VE GOT THESE GATES AND THE DEVIL'S TRYING TO BREAK HIS 26:53 WAY IN BUT THEY WILL NOT PREVAIL. 26:55 IT'S ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE OF THAT. 26:59 WE ARE BEING TOLD, AS BELIEVERS, THAT THERE'S A WAR AND WE ARE TO 27:03 GO FORTH WITH CHRIST CONQUERING WITH THE SWORD AND THE WORD OF 27:08 GOD AND THE ARMOR OF GOD AND THE GATES OF THE DEVIL, WHO IS 27:11 HOLDING ALL OF HIS CAPTIVES, WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST US. 27:16 YOU GET THAT? AND SO, WE ARE STORMING 27:19 THE GATES OF THE ENEMY. THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE AND 27:24 WE'RE TRYING TO LIBERATE THE DEVIL'S CAPTIVES. 27:27 THIS IS THE PICTURE THAT JESUS HAD. 27:28 THROUGH THE PREACHING OF JOHN, ALL THESE CONVERTS WERE SEIZING 27:31 THE KINGDOM AND, THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTLES - I 27:34 MEAN, JESUS, EVEN BEFORE HE DIED, SENT OUT THE APOSTLES AND 27:38 HE SENT OUT THE 70 PREACHING - THEY SAID, 'EVEN THE DEVILS ARE 27:40 SUBJECT UNTO US.' THE GATES OF HADES DID NOT PREVAIL AGAINST 27:45 THE CHURCH PREACHING. THE DEVIL'S GATES CANNOT - YOU 27:49 REMEMBER WHEN SAMSON, WITH ALL OF HIS FLAWS, ONE TIME HE WAS 27:56 SHUT UP IN - WHAT WAS IT, EKRON? ONE OF THE PHILISTINE CITIES - 28:00 AND THEY SAID, 'WE'VE GOT HIM NOW. 28:02 WE - HE'S ENTERED INTO A CITY WITH GATES AND BARS' - THAT'S 28:04 EXACTLY WHAT THE PHILISTINE'S SAID - 'HE'S ENTERED INTO A CITY 28:07 WITH GATES AND BARS. HE CAN'T GET OUT. NOW WE'LL GET HIM. 28:11 WELL, WHAT DID SAMSON DO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? 28:14 HE WOKE UP AND HE CAME TO THE GATE AND HE TRIED THE DOOR AND 28:16 IT WAS LOCKED SO HE TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND HE TORE THE GATES - 28:20 BARS, HINGES, LINTEL - RIGHT OUT OF THE WALLS, PUT IT ON HIS 28:24 SHOULDERS - HE COULDN'T JUST KNOCK IT DOWN AND WALK OUT, HE 28:25 HAD TO MAKE A SPECTACLE OF IT - PUT IT ON HIS SHOULDERS AND 28:28 CARRIED IT TEN MILES UP ON TOP OF A HILL BY HEBRON AND THREW IT 28:32 OFF. SO HE TORE OFF THE GATES OF THE 28:35 ENEMY CITY. SO YOU SEE WHAT THE PICTURE OF 28:38 JESUS IS REFERRING TO HERE, ABOUT WHAT GATES ARE KEEPING WHO 28:43 IN. AGAIN, IF YOU - YEAH, LET ME JUMP OVER HERE - THERE'S ANOTHER 28:55 VERSE I'M MISSING I WANT TO READ TO YOU. 28:58 OH, YEAH, GO HERE TO - GO TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 11 - GO TO 29:07 MATTHEW CHAPTER 11 IN YOUR LESSON HERE - AND I WANT YOU TO 29:13 KNOW - I WANT YOU TO READ VERSE 13, "FOR ALL THE PROPHETS AND 29:19 THE LAW ARE PROPHESIED UNTIL JOHN." 29:22 NOW WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THAT? THE - WHAT'S THE CENTRAL THEME 29:27 OF ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS? >>JESUS IS COMING. 29:30 >>IT'S JESUS, ISN'T IT? AT LEAST JESUS' FIRST COMING 29:33 - BUT IT'S ABOUT JESUS. CHRIST, WHEN HE TOLD THE 29:35 DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS, 'BEGINNING AT MOSES AND ALL THE 29:39 PROPHETS, HE EXPOUNDED UNTO THEM IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES THE THINGS 29:43 CONCERNING HIMSELF.' JESUS SAID, 'YOU SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES FOR 29:48 IN THEM YOU THINK YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. 29:50 THESE ARE THEY THAT TESTIFY OF ME.' AND SO, WHEN HE SAYS THERE 29:54 IN MATTHEW 11 'ALL THE PROPHETS AND THE LAW PROPHESIED UNTIL 29:58 JOHN AND IF YOU ARE WILLING TO RECEIVE IT, HE IS ELIJAH WHO IS 30:03 TO COME.' NOW WHAT IS CHRIST REFERRING TO THERE? 30:08 IS JOHN THE BAPTIST THE REINCARNATION OF ELIJAH? 30:12 NO. THAT'S - THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE WHEN THE 30:16 RELIGIOUS LEADERS CAME TO JOHN AND THEY SAID, 'ARE YOU THE ONE 30:20 WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR? ARE YOU ELIJAH? 30:23 ARE YOU THAT PROPHET THAT MOSES SPOKE ABOUT?' 30:25 AND WHEN THEY SAID, 'ARE YOU ELIJAH?' 30:27 HE SAID, 'NO.' WHY DID ELIJAH SAY 'NO' WHEN THEY ASKED HIM ARE 30:32 YOU - WHY DID JOHN THE BAPTIST SAY 'NO' WHEN THEY ASKED HIM 30:35 'ARE YOU ELIJAH?'? BECAUSE THEY WERE ASKING 30:38 THE WRONG QUESTION. THEY WERE WONDERING, 'ARE 30:39 YOU ELIJAH REINCARNATED?' WHERE DO THEY GET THAT? 30:44 WHAT'S THE LAST PROPHECY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? 30:46 MALACHI CHAPTER 4, REMEMBER THE LAW OF MOSES, 'BEHOLD I SEND YOU 30:52 ELIJAH THE PROPHET BEFORE THE GRATEFUL - THE DREADFUL DAY OF 30:56 THE LORD AND HE WILL TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THE 30:59 CHILDREN AND THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN TO THE FATHERS, LEST I 31:01 COME AND SMITE THE EARTH WITH A CURSE.' PERIOD - END OF OLD 31:05 TESTAMENT. SO THE LAST THING THAT MALACHI SAYS IS 'I WILL 31:09 SEND YOU ELIJAH.' WELL, ELIJAH WENT UP TO HEAVEN AND SO THEY 31:12 THOUGHT, WELL, HE WAS GOING TO COME DOWN - THAT HE'D BE 31:15 REINCARNATED. HOW WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST LIKE ELIJAH? 31:20 LET'S KEEP READING MATTHEW 11, "AND IF YOU ARE WILLING TO 31:23 RECEIVE IT," - NOW WHY DOES JESUS SAY, 'IF YOU'RE WILLING TO 31:25 RECEIVE IT?' NOT EVERYBODY - NOT ONLY WILLING 31:30 - COULD THEY UNDERSTAND IT? HE'S SAYING, 'CAN YOU - IF YOU 31:34 CAN COMPREHEND THIS' - IT'S NOT JUST THAT I'M - I DON'T WANT TO 31:37 KNOW THE TRUTH, SOME PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T GET IT. 31:39 AND JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU'RE WILLING TO RECEIVE IT, THIS IS 31:42 ELIJAH WHO IS TO COME. HE THAT HAS EARS, LET HIM 31:46 HEAR' - THOSE WITH SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT. SO TO UNDERSTAND 31:49 HOW YOU COME LIKE ELIJAH, GO BACK TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO 31:53 CAME LIKE ELIJAH. THE ANGEL GABRIEL TOLD THE FATHER OF JOHN 31:58 THE BAPTIST, 'YOUR SON WILL GO FORTH IN THE SPIRIT AND THE 32:03 POWER OF ELIJAH. WHO WAS THE FIRST ONE WHO CAME IN THE SPIRIT 32:07 AND THE POWER OF ELIJAH? >>ELISHA. 32:10 >>ELISHA. GOOD. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IN 2 KINGS 32:14 CHAPTER 2 - YOU REMEMBER WHEN ELIJAH SAYS TO ELISHA, 'WHAT 32:18 CAN I DO FOR YOU BEFORE I GO TO HEAVEN?' 32:20 HE SAID, 'LET A DOUBLE PORTION OF YOUR SPIRIT BE UPON ME.' NOW 32:25 THAT DIDN'T MEAN THAT ELIJAH HAD SOME SPECIAL TRADEMARK SPIRIT 32:30 THAT WAS JUST HIS THAT GOD TOOK SOME OF IT OUT OF HIM. 32:33 ELISHA, IN HIS REQUEST TO ELIJAH, IS QUOTING SOMETHING 32:39 THAT HAPPENED IN THE BIBLE BEFORE WHERE GOD TOOK THE SPIRIT 32:43 OF MOSES AND PUT IT ON THE 70 ELDERS. 32:46 IT'S THE HOLY SPIRIT. IT WASN'T LIKE - I MEAN, HOW DO 32:50 YOU TAKE THE SPIRIT OF ONE MAN AND PUT IT ON ALL THESE PEOPLE? 32:53 DIDN'T JESUS GIVE OF HIS SPIRIT TO US? 32:56 ISN'T THAT WHAT IT'S TEACHING US? 32:58 WHEN CHRIST BREATHED ON THE DISCIPLES HE SAID, 'RECEIVE YE 33:00 THE SPIRIT.' SO THESE WERE ALL ILLUSTRATIONS OF GIVING THE HOLY 33:04 SPIRIT TO OTHERS. SO, THE FIRST ONE WHO HAD THE 33:07 SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH WAS ELISHA. 33:10 IT DOESN'T MEAN ELISHA WAS A REINCARNATION OF ELIJAH BECAUSE 33:14 THEY WERE BOTH ALIVE AT THE SAME TIME. 33:16 IT MEANS THAT HE WOULD DO A SIMILAR WORK AND HAVE THE SAME 33:19 HOLY SPIRIT AND THE SAME POWER, OKAY? 33:22 SO WHEN IT SAYS THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST CAME IN THE SPIRIT AND 33:25 POWER OF ELIJAH AND HE WAS THE FULFILLMENT - HE WAS PART OF THE 33:29 FULFILLMENT. LET ME EXPLAIN THAT. 33:31 GO WITH ME TO MATTHEW 17 REAL QUICK AND LOOK IN VERSE 11 - 33:38 WE'RE STILL IN MATTHEW - I'M DIVERGING A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M 33:42 STAYING IN MATTHEW AND THAT'S OUR ASSIGNMENT. 33:46 "AND HIS DISCIPLES ASKED HIM, SAYING, 'WHY THEN DO THE SCRIBES 33:48 SAY THAT ELIJAH MUST COME FIRST?'" - 33:51 BEFORE THE MESSIAH - AND LISTEN TO WHAT JESUS SAYS - 33:53 VERSE 11 - MATTHEW 17:11, "JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO THEM, 33:57 'INDEED, ELIJAH IS COMING'" - NOW WHEN THEY ASKED THAT JOHN 34:03 THE BAPTIST WAS ALREADY THERE. HE'D ALREADY DONE HIS MINISTRY. 34:06 HE'S ALREADY IN PRISON. AND JESUS SAID, 'ELIJAH IS 34:09 COMING' - THAT'S FUTURE - "BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT ELIJAH HAS COME 34:15 ALREADY, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW HIM BUT DID TO HIM 34:17 WHATEVER THEY WISHED. LIKEWISE THE SON OF MAN IS ALSO 34:20 ABOUT TO SUFFER AT THEIR HANDS." AND SO JOHN THE BAPTIST HAS 34:21 ALREADY BEEN KILLED AT THIS POINT IN THE STORY. 34:25 BUT JESUS SAID ELIJAH IS COMING AND THEN HE SAYS ELIJAH DID 34:29 COME. WHY DID JESUS SAY THAT? BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO COMINGS OF 34:34 THE LORD THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES FOR. 34:37 THERE ARE TWO COMINGS OF THE LORD THAT ELIJAH PREPARES FOR. 34:41 JOHN THE BAPTIST CAME IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH TO 34:43 PREPARE THE WORLD FOR THE FIRST COMING. 34:46 IN THE LAST DAYS THERE IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER JOHN THE BAPTIST 34:50 OR GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WILL HAVE THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF 34:53 ELIJAH THAT WILL DO A SIMILAR WORK. 34:56 I THINK IT WILL BE MANY NOT ONE. WHY? 34:58 BECAUSE FOR JESUS' FIRST COMING HE HAD TWELVE APOSTLES THAT HE 35:03 FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. FOR HIS SECOND COMING HE'S GOT 35:06 12 TIMES 12,000 - THEY'RE CALLED THE 144,000. 35:10 SO, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY MORE APOSTLES, I THINK THERE'S GOING 35:12 TO BE MANY MORE JOHN THE BAPTISTS - OR AT LEAST THEY'LL 35:15 HAVE THAT SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH. 35:17 WHAT WAS IT ABOUT ELIJAH AND JOHN THE BAPTIST THAT IS A 35:21 MESSAGE FOR TODAY? AND I SEE THE CLOCK. 35:23 I'M GOING TO TRY AND GET TO THE LESSON, BUT I HATE TO RUSH PAST 35:25 THIS BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO US TODAY. 35:27 WHAT MADE JOHN DIFFERENT? DID JOHN PREACH ABOUT 35:33 THE COMING OF THE LORD? >>YES. 35:35 >>'PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. 35:37 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.' IS THAT TO BE A MESSAGE 35:39 THAT WE'RE TO BE GIVING TODAY - FOR THE LAST GROUP OF ELIJAHS? 35:44 DID JOHN BELIEVE IN COUNTRY LIVING? 35:49 I'M NOT GOING TO GO OFF THAT ROAD TOO FAR, BUT HE DID - HE 35:53 DID GET OUT IN THE WILDERNESS. DID JOHN BELIEVE 35:57 IN HUMBLE DRESS? >>YES. 36:01 >>COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN MUCH MORE HUMBLE. YOU COULD NEVER SAY THAT 36:04 HE WAS A CLOTHESHORSE. AND WHEN YOU OPENED HIS CLOSET 36:08 YOU DIDN'T SEE 50 PAIRS OF SHOES LIKE IMELDA MARCOS. 36:12 JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD HUMILITY IN HIS DRESS. 36:15 DID HE HAVE A SIMPLE DIET? >>YES. 36:17 >>HE DID. AND DID HE LIVE A HOLY LIFE? 36:21 THESE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS, BUT YOU LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JOHN THE 36:24 BAPTIST AND YOU LOOK AT THE LIFE OF ELIJAH AND THEY'RE 36:26 SPIRIT-FILLED, THEY'RE SIMPLE LIVES, THEY'RE PREOCCUPIED WITH 36:30 HOLINESS AND SO WE NEED THAT SAME MESSAGE IN THE LAST DAYS. 36:35 WE NEED THE MESSAGE OF MODESTY. WE NEED THE HEALTH MESSAGE. 36:40 WE NEED THE MESSAGE OF THAT CLOSENESS TO GOD AND THAT 36:44 WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE. ALRIGHT, I BETTER MOVE RIGHT ALONG HERE. 36:49 FRONTIERS OF DARKNESS IS THE NEXT SECTION. 36:52 AND IN A MOMENT SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ GENESIS 32:24. 36:56 OKAY, KELLY, YOU'LL HAVE THAT? LIGHT AND DARKNESS. 36:59 LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE. COLOSSIANS 1:12-14 - 37:03 THIS IS IN YOUR LESSON - "GIVING THANKS TO THE FATHER WHO HAS 37:07 QUALIFIED US TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS IN 37:12 THE LIGHT. HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM THE 37:14 POWER OF DARKNESS" - YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY DISCOVERED 37:18 THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY FOUND VIRTUALLY EVERY 37:22 BOOK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IN PART OR WHOLE. 37:24 THE ONLY BOOK THAT WAS COMPLETELY ABSENT WAS THE BOOK 37:26 OF ESTHER. BUT EVERY OTHER BOOK THEY FOUND 37:29 - MANY OF THEM IN ENTIRETY, SOME IN PART - BUT THEY ALSO FOUND 37:32 OTHER BOOKS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE BIBLE. 37:35 AND THE WRITERS WHO WROTE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, WHO 37:39 TRANSCRIBED THE BIBLE, AND ALSO WROTE OTHER BOOKS, THEY WERE 37:42 PROBABLY KNOWN TO JOHN THE BAPTIST BECAUSE THE DEAD SEA 37:45 SCROLLS WERE NOT FOUND VERY FAR FROM AENON WHERE IT'S A POOL IN 37:50 THE JORDAN RIVER WHERE JOHN BAPTIZED AND THE PART OF THE 37:53 WILDERNESS WHERE JOHN HAUNTED - WHEN I SAY THAT I DON'T MEAN IT 37:56 LIKE A SPIRIT, I MEAN WHERE HE WORKED - WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE 38:00 ESSENES, THESE JEWISH SCRIBES - THIS VERY - AND THEY PRACTICED 38:06 BAPTISM TOO. THEY HAD BAPTISTERIES. 38:08 ANY OF YOU EVER BEEN TO MASADA? I SEE SOME OF YOU'VE BEEN - YOU 38:12 KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, YEAH. 38:13 THEY'VE ACTUALLY UNCOVERED - RIGHT BY MASADA - BY THE JORDAN 38:16 RIVER NEAR THE DEAD SEA, WHERE THE JORDAN RUNS INTO THE DEAD 38:19 SEA - THIS ESSENE COMMUNITY - JOHN ALMOST CERTAINLY KNEW THEM. 38:22 THEY WROTE BOOKS ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT AND THE 38:26 CHILDREN OF DARKNESS. 38:28 THEY HAD A WHOLE DIFFERENT SEPARATE GROUP OF WRITINGS WHERE 38:31 THEY TALKED ABOUT THE SONS OF LIGHT AND THE SONS OF DARKNESS. 38:35 AND THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THIS TOO. 38:38 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREAT STATEMENTS OF JESUS IS IN THE 38:42 BOOK OF - WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT STATEMENTS OF JESUS YOU THINK 38:44 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN, RIGHT? 38:46 BUT JESUS SAYS SOME THINGS IN ACTS, TOO. 38:50 AND DEEP IN ACTS - ACTS CHAPTER 26 - YOU'LL FIND RED-LETTER 38:54 EDITION. JESUS SPEAKS AND HE SAYS - 38:58 HE'S TALKING TO PAUL - 'I WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE JEWISH 39:04 PEOPLE, AS WELL AS FROM THE GENTILES TO WHOM I NOW SEND YOU, 39:07 TO OPEN THEIR EYES IN ORDER TO TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO 39:12 LIGHT, FROM THE POWER OF SATAN' - WHO IS THE DARKNESS? 39:16 - 'FROM THE POWER OF SATAN THAT THEY MIGHT RECEIVE FORGIVENESS 39:20 OF SINS AND AN INHERITANCE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED BY 39:24 FAITH IN ME.' BOY, THAT'S THE WHOLE GOSPEL RIGHT THERE - TO 39:28 TURN THEM FROM THE POWER OF THE DEVIL. 39:29 GOD WANTS TO SAVE US FROM THE POWER OF THE DEVIL - FROM THE 39:32 DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT - THAT THEY MIGHT BE SANCTIFIED - MADE 39:36 HOLY - BY FAITH IN ME. AND HE ALSO SAYS, 'I'LL PRESERVE 39:40 YOU WHILE YOU GIVE THIS MESSAGE. I'LL DELIVER YOU FROM THE PEOPLE 39:43 THAT WANT TO STOP YOU FROM GIVING THIS MESSAGE. 39:45 HE HAS THESE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PROMISES. 39:48 SO YOU'VE GOT THAT LIGHT AND DARKNESS TENSIONS. 39:52 THE CHRISTIAN LIFE INVOLVES A BATTLE. 39:56 THAT'S WHAT THIS LESSON IS TALKING ABOUT. 39:58 IT'S A STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. 40:01 FOR INSTANCE, READ GENESIS 32:24. 40:06 >>"THEN JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE; AND A MAN WRESTLED WITH HIM 40:09 UNTIL THE BREAKING OF DAY." >>ALRIGHT, THERE WAS WRESTLING. 40:13 WHO WAS JACOB WRESTLING WITH? I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS BUT 40:19 I THINK IF ANY OF YOU OWN A TELEVISION AND YOU'RE HONEST, 40:21 YOU HAVE SURFED BY SOME OF THIS TEN-YEAR-OLD WRESTLING - I MEAN, 40:27 IT'S MADE FOR 10-YEAR-OLDS - THAT THEY HAVE ON TV. 40:30 IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS HYPER-DRAMA WHERE THERE'S GRANDSTANDING AND 40:35 PEOPLE ARE JUMPING AND THROWING CHAIRS AND IT'S - IT'S ALL KIND 40:40 OF - IT'S A JOKE. I HOPE YOU DON'T WATCH THAT, BUT 40:43 YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN IT BEFORE BECAUSE IT'S - THEY EVEN HAVE 40:46 IT ON IN AIRPORTS SOMETIMES. THAT'S NOT WRESTLING. 40:50 COLLEGE WRESTLING IS A LITTLE MORE LIKE WHAT IT IS - WHERE 40:55 YOU'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE PITTING ALL OF THEIR STRENGTH - 40:57 I WRESTLED IN MILITARY SCHOOL. 40:59 I WAS ON A WRESTLING TEAM - YOU GET SO EXHAUSTED IN JUST A FEW 41:02 MOMENTS BECAUSE YOU USE EVERY OUNCE OF STRENGTH THAT YOU'VE 41:05 GOT AND YOU'RE USING ALL THE MUSCLES IN YOUR BODY TO TRY AND 41:09 OVERCOME SOMEONE - USUALLY THE SAME WEIGHT AND SIZE AS YOU - 41:12 AND - TO PIN THEM AND YOU - AFTER THREE MINUTES, YOU JUST - 41:16 YOU CAN FALL OVER YOU'RE SO EXHAUSTED. THE BIBLE TELLS US 41:20 THAT JACOB WAS PRAYING BY THE BROOK JABBOK THERE. HIS BROTHER 41:25 WAS COMING WITH AN ARMY, INTENT ON GETTING VENGEANCE FOR HIS 41:29 STEALING HIS BIRTHRIGHT. AND HERE JACOB'S GOT ALL HIS FAMILY, 41:33 HIS CHILDREN, ALL HIS STUFF AND HE'S JUST PRAYING WITH GOD 41:35 FOR FORGIVENESS FOR HIS SIN AND HE'S - ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS MAN 41:39 TOUCHES HIM - IT'S ACTUALLY THE LORD. 41:41 AND HE DOESN'T KNOW, HE THINKS IT'S SOME BANDIT OR SOMEBODY 41:45 FROM ESAU'S COMPANY AND HE TRIES TO DEFEND HIMSELF AND HE'S 41:48 GRABBING HIS WRIST AND THEN HIS ANKLE AND THEN THEY'RE TUSSLING 41:51 AND IT SAYS HE WRESTLED HIM UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAY. 41:56 WRESTLE THREE MINUTES, LET ALONE THREE HOURS, AND THAT SYMBOLIZES 42:04 PRAYING. FINALLY, WHEN THIS ANGEL OF 42:08 THE LORD - WE BELIEVE HE WAS WRESTLING WITH THE LORD BECAUSE 42:10 HE SAYS, 'I'VE SEEN GOD.' HE TOUCHES HIS HIP AND IT'S TAKEN 42:14 OUT OF JOINT AND - BUT HE WON'T LET GO. 42:17 HE REALIZES IT'S THE LORD AND HE GRABS HIM BY THE ANKLE. 42:20 HE SAYS, 'I'LL NOT LET YOU GO' - THE ANGEL SAYS, 'LET GO. 42:21 IT'S BREAKING OF DAY. I NEED TO GO.' HE SAYS, 'I WON'T 42:24 LET YOU.' YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS GOING TO - WHY MICHAEL 42:27 THE ARCHANGEL WOULD SAY THAT TO JACOB - IT'S NOT LIKE HE WAS 42:30 GOING TO TURN INTO A PUMPKIN OR SOMETHING, BUT HE SAID, 42:33 'LET ME GO. THE DAY IS BREAKING.' I THINK 42:37 IT'S BECAUSE HE HAD TO GO TALK TO ESAU AND CALM HIM DOWN. 42:40 AND HE SAID, 'I'LL NOT LET YOU GO UNTIL YOU BLESS ME.' AND THAT 42:45 HAS BECOME A SYMBOL OF WRESTLING WITH GOD IN PRAYER. 42:49 IT'S A BATTLE BETWEEN THE FORCES OF DOUBT AND FAITH AND WE ALL GO 42:55 THROUGH THAT. SOMETIMES WE WRESTLE WITH GOD IN 42:57 PRAYER WHEN THERE'S TEMPTATION AND THERE'S A STRIVING GOING 43:01 ON AND IT CAN BE EXHAUSTING. THERE'S A BATTLE 43:04 BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. SO THE BIBLE SAYS THAT 43:06 CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE MEEK - BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, THEY WILL 43:12 INHERIT THE EARTH - BUT DOES MEEK MEAN WEAK? 43:16 IT'S ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE. IT TAKES STRENGTH TO BE MEEK. 43:23 THE BIBLE SAYS THAT MOSES WAS THE MEEKEST MAN IN ALL THE WORLD 43:27 BUT HE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO CHASE OFF SEVEN SHEPHERDS THAT 43:30 WERE BOTHERING THE GIRLS - ONE MAN AGAINST SEVEN. 43:33 SO JESUS, HE SAID, 'I AM MEEK AND LOWLY' BUT HE HAD INCREDIBLE 43:39 INTERNAL STRENGTH WHERE HE WAS NOT AFRAID. 43:42 I MEAN, THERE IN THE GARDEN PRAYING, HE WAS WRESTLING WITH 43:44 GOD, SWEATING DROPS OF BLOOD, KIND OF LIKE A SYMBOL OF JACOB'S 43:47 TIME OF TROUBLE AND WRESTLING. AND WE WILL ALL HAVE OUR GARDEN 43:52 OF GETHSEMANE EXPERIENCE. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? 43:55 THE BIGGEST BATTLE - I THINK THIS IS IN THE BOOK STEPS TO 43:57 CHRIST ALSO, BUT I FORGET THE REFERENCE - THE BIGGEST BATTLE 43:59 THAT ANYONE IS GOING TO FACE IS THE WAR AGAINST SELF. 44:04 WHEN YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE SELFISH NATURE AND YOU PRAY TO 44:10 COME TO THE POINT WHERE YOU REALLY PRAY AND SAY, 'NOT MY 44:13 WILL, THY WILL BE DONE' - THAT BATTLE AGAINST SELF. 44:15 I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I HAVE TROUBLE GOING TEN MINUTES 44:18 WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT MYSELF. LESS THAN THAT. 44:22 BUT I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW BAD IT REALLY WAS. 44:26 AND I EXPECT YOU'D FIND THE SAME THING, BUT THAT BATTLE OF 44:28 SAYING, 'NOT I BUT CHRIST', THAT'S THE BIGGEST BATTLE. 44:31 IT'S A WRESTLING MATCH. 44:33 EPHESIANS 6:12, "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, 44:39 BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES," - NOW YOU NOTICE THEY'VE GOT TWO 44:41 DIFFERENT WRESTLINGS HERE - YOU WRESTLE WITH THE LORD IN PRAYER 44:43 SOMETIMES AND SAY, 'DON'T LET ME GO. 44:45 I WON'T LET YOU GO TILL YOU BLESS ME.' BUT WE ALSO WRESTLE 44:49 AGAINST THE ENEMY - "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND 44:52 BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, 44:55 AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST 44:58 SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." 45:01 SO THERE'S A BATTLE THAT GOES ON. 45:04 THIS IS WHY JESUS SAID, AND THIS IS IN YOUR LESSON AS WELL, IN 45:08 MATTHEW 10:34 - NOW WE'RE GOING BACK BEFORE MATTHEW 11 - "DO NOT 45:12 THINK THAT I CAME TO BRING PEACE ON EARTH. 45:14 I DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE BUT A" - WHAT? 45:17 >>SWORD. >>WAIT A SECOND, A SWORD? 45:20 I THOUGHT THAT YOU ACCEPT JESUS AND YOU HAVE PEACE. 45:23 AND IF EVERYBODY WAS A CHRISTIAN, WOULDN'T WE HAVE 45:24 PEACE ON EARTH? GOODWILL AND PEACE ON EARTH? 45:28 PROBLEM IS THERE'S SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T ACCEPT JESUS - THE 45:32 DEVIL. HE CLAIMS THIS WORLD AS HIS OWN. 45:35 EVEN JESUS RECOGNIZED THE DEVIL HAS A FOOTHOLD HERE. 45:37 HE CALLS HIM THE PRINCE OF THE WORLD. 45:40 SO THERE'S THIS BATTLE. CHRIST SAID, 'I AM SAVING YOU. 45:43 YOU'RE IN THE WORLD BUT YOU'RE NOT OF THE WORLD.' 45:44 THERE'S THIS BATTLE BETWEEN THESE OPPOSING FORCES AND 45:47 MATTHEW BRINGS THIS OUT QUITE A BIT IN HIS BOOK. 45:53 ONE MORE VERSE HERE - 2 CORINTHIANS 12:10 - YOU KNOW, 45:56 I'VE GOT SOME VERSES YOU WON'T FIND IN YOUR LESSON. 45:57 FOR THOSE WHO FREQUENT THE AMAZING FACTS OR GRANITE BAY 46:01 WEBSITE, WE DO POST MOST OF THE NOTES. SO IF YOU WANT THESE - IF 46:04 YOU'RE A TEACHER - FOR WHATEVER THEY'RE WORTH. HE SAYS HERE IN 2 46:08 CORINTHIANS 12:10, "THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN 46:12 REPROACHES, IN NEEDS, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES, FOR 46:16 CHRIST'S SAKE." - NOTICE THIS - "FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM 46:19 STRONG." WHAT DOES PAUL MEAN BY THAT? 'WHEN I COME TO THE POINT 46:24 WHERE I KNOW I CAN'T DEPEND ON MYSELF, THEN I'M STRONG.' 46:28 HAVE YOU HAD THOSE EXPERIENCES WHERE GOD HAS TO BRING YOU DOWN 46:30 TO REALIZE YOUR DEPENDENCE ON HIM? AND YOU'RE STRONG IN THE 46:33 LORD BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR OWN WEAKNESS? 46:35 YEP, THE LORD SOMETIMES DOES GREAT THINGS BY 46:38 THOSE WHO RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN WEAKNESS. 46:40 HE KILLS GIANTS WITH LITTLE DAVIDS. 46:43 EPHESIANS 10 - I'M SORRY, EPHESIANS 6:10, "FINALLY, MY 46:47 BRETHREN, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT." 46:51 - SO HOW ARE WE STRONG? WE CAN BE MEEK AND VERY STRONG 46:54 IN THE POWER OF THE LORD. SO MATTHEW TEACHES THIS WHOLE 46:59 WARFARE WORLD VIEW, WHICH IS OUR NEXT SECTION, AND SOMEONE'S 47:03 GOING TO READ 1 JOHN 5:19 - JUST A MOMENT. 47:07 I'M GOING TO READ MATTHEW 12:25, "BUT JESUS KNEW THEIR THOUGHTS, 47:11 AND SAID TO THEM: 'EVERY KINGDOM DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF IS 47:15 BROUGHT TO DESOLATION, AND EVERY CITY OR HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST 47:19 ITSELF WILL NOT STAND. IF SATAN CASTS OUT SATAN, HE IS DIVIDED 47:23 AGAINST HIMSELF. HOW THEN WILL HIS KINGDOM STAND?'" 47:26 ALRIGHT, I WANT TO PAUSE RIGHT HERE AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT THIS 47:29 VERSE QUICKLY. JESUS WAS CASTING OUT DEVILS. 47:33 HIS ENEMIES WERE SAYING, 'YOU'RE CASTING OUT DEVILS THROUGH THE 47:36 POWER OF THE DEVIL.' AND JESUS SAID, 'JUST KNOW WHAT YOU'RE 47:39 SAYING.' HE SAYS, 'IF YOU SAY THAT SATAN IS CASTING OUT SATAN, 47:42 HE'S GOT INTERNAL DIVISION, HIS KINGDOM WILL NOT STAND.' WAS 47:47 JESUS SAYING THAT SATAN WILL NEVER APPEAR TO CAST OUT SATAN 47:53 FOR THE PURPOSE OF DECEIVING? NO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES SATAN WILL 47:56 MAKE YOU THINK THAT HE'S CASTING OUT SATAN - TO DECEIVE. 48:01 WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING, IS WHEN HE 48:02 DOES THAT, HIS KINGDOM WON'T STAND. 48:04 HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A CHURCH SERVICE WHERE YOU'VE GOT THIS 48:07 GUY UP THERE THAT'S CARRYING ON - HE'S ACTING LIKE HE'S CASTING 48:10 OUT DEVILS AND YOU KNOW THAT HE'S BAMBOOZLING PEOPLE - THAT 48:13 HE'S BEGGING FOR THEIR MONEY AND HE'S A - LATER IT'S DISCOVERED 48:15 THAT HE'S A FRAUD AND HE'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND AND ALL THESE OTHER 48:17 PROBLEMS - BUT HE SAID HE WAS CASTING OUT DEVILS. 48:21 OR CAN THE DEVIL MAKE A PERSON SICK AND THEN GIVE ONE OF HIS 48:25 REPRESENTATIVES THE POWER TO APPEAR THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEALED? 48:31 SO CAN SATAN CREATE THE ILLUSION THAT HE'S CASTING OUT SATAN? 48:35 IT'S LIKE A DOUBLE SPY. SURE HE CAN. 48:37 ALL JESUS IS SAYING IS HIS KINGDOM'S NOT GOING TO STAND. 48:40 DID THAT MAKE SENSE? SO CHRIST WAS NOT SAYING JUST 48:44 BECAUSE SOME MINISTER OUT THERE IS CASTING OUT DEVILS HE 48:46 CAN'T BE A COUNTERFEIT. THERE ARE - THERE'S COUNTERFEITS 48:49 OUT THERE THAT THE DEVIL IS USING. 48:52 ALRIGHT, LET ME READ THE REST OF THAT VERSE - "AND IF I CAST OUT 48:55 DEVILS BY BEELZEBUB, BY WHOM DO YOUR SONS CAST THEM OUT?" 49:00 THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THE PRIESTS' SONS THAT WERE GOING 49:02 OUT CASTING OUT DEVILS. YOU CAN READ ABOUT ONE OF 49:05 THEM IN THE BOOK OF ACTS. IT SAYS THESE SEVEN SONS OF 49:08 SCEVA TRIED TO CAST OUT THE DEVIL IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND 49:11 THE DEVIL SAID, 'I KNOW PAUL AND I KNOW JESUS, BUT I DON'T KNOW 49:14 YOU.' THE DEMON-POSSESSED MAN JUMPED ON THESE SEVEN BOYS, 49:18 BEAT THEM UP, AND THEY RAN OUT WOUNDED AND NAKED. 49:20 AND SO, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THESE PRIESTS HAD SONS THAT HAD 49:23 THESE ITINERANT 'WE CAST OUT DEVILS' MINISTRIES. 49:27 AND HE SAID, 'WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME A HARD TIME FOR CASTING OUT 49:30 THE DEVIL WHEN YOUR SONS ARE CLAIMING TO DO IT? 49:33 BY WHOM DO THEY CAST OUT DEVILS? 49:35 AND THEREFORE, THEY'LL BE YOUR JUDGES. 49:38 "BUT IF I CAST OUT DEMONS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, SURELY THE 49:40 KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME UPON YOU. 49:43 OR HOW CAN ONE ENTER A STRONG MAN'S HOUSE AND PLUNDER HIS 49:45 GOODS, UNLESS HE FIRST BINDS THE STRONG MAN? 49:48 AND THEN HE WILL PLUNDER HIS HOUSE." SO HERE WE'VE GOT AGAIN 49:50 A PICTURE OF THE DEVIL AND HIS POWERS BEING BOUND - THE GATES 49:55 OF THE DEVIL WILL NOT RESIST THE POWER OF GOD. IF YOU'VE GOT A 49:59 PERSON - YOUR BODY'S A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - BUT THE DEVIL 50:03 INVADES THAT HOUSE AND HE TAKES POSSESSION OF YOUR HOUSE, IF YOU 50:07 WANT TO OVERCOME - IF YOU WANT TO DELIVER THE PERSON, YOU NEED 50:11 TO OVERPOWER THE DEVIL WHO HAS TAKEN THAT PERSON. AND JESUS IS 50:15 SAYING BASICALLY, WHEN WE INVITE HIS LIGHT INTO OUR LIVES, THAT 50:20 HE WILL BIND THE POWER OF THE DEVIL. 50:24 YOU'LL SOMETIMES HEAR CHARISMATIC PREACHERS SHAKING 50:26 THEIR FISTS AND SCREAMING, 'I BIND YOU, SATAN.' AND IT LOOKS 50:30 LIKE MAYBE THEY'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT - A LITTLE AUDACIOUS 50:35 TO SAY, 'I'VE GOT THE POWER TO BIND SATAN.' BUT IT IS TRUE. 50:39 IT IS BIBLICAL THAT CHRIST CAN BIND SATAN. 50:44 WHAT HAPPENS IN REVELATION 20? 'I SAW AN ANGEL COME DOWN FROM 50:47 HEAVEN WITH A GREAT CHAIN AND HE LAYS HOLD ON THAT SERPENT 50:50 AND HE' - DOES WHAT? BINDS THEM. HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO 50:54 HAVE THE LORD BIND THE DEVIL'S POWER IN YOUR LIFE. 50:58 SO IN PRINCIPLE, IT'S TRUE - THAT WHEN THE LORD COMES IN - 51:01 HAVE YOU SEEN PEOPLE BEING SET FREE FROM THEIR SIN? 51:05 YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BOUND BY THE CORDS OF THEIR SINS. 51:08 JESUS COMES IN, SAVES THEM, AND THEY'RE DELIVERED. 51:11 SO THE DEVIL'S POWER IS BOUND WHEN YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. 51:17 WHEN SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO WERE TIED UP AND THROWN 51:20 IN THE FIERY FURNACE, WHAT DID THE FIRE DO? 51:23 IT BURNED THE ROPES THAT BOUND THEM. WHEN JESUS BROUGHT LAZARUS 51:27 OUT OF THE GRAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID? 51:29 HE WAS ALL WRAPPED UP WITH GRAVE CLOTHES - HE SAID, 'UNBIND 51:30 HIM.' AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THE LORD DOES IS WHEN HE ENTERS 51:34 A PERSON'S LIFE, HE BREAKS THE CHAINS. 51:37 SO THERE'S A BATTLE BETWEEN THESE TWO FORCES. 51:40 YOU'RE EITHER A SERVANT OF THE LORD OR A SLAVE OF THE DEVIL. 51:44 HOW MUCH OF THE WORLD IS UNDER THE SWAY OF THE WICKED ONE? 51:47 ARE BELIEVERS IN THE WORLD THE MAJORITY OR THE MINORITY? 51:52 SO WHEN YOU'VE GOT TWO FORCES GOING TO BATTLE, DON'T YOU WANT 51:57 TO HAVE MORE SOLDIERS THAN THE OTHER GUY, TYPICALLY? 52:01 WHEN YOU'RE FIGHTING WITH GOD, DOES THE MAJORITY MATTER? 52:06 HOW MANY TIMES DID DAVID GO WITH A MUCH SMALLER FORCE AGAINST THE 52:10 PHILISTINES AND WIN? SOMETIMES DAVID HAD AN ARMY THAT 52:14 NUMBERED IN HUNDREDS AND HE FOUGHT AN ARMY THAT NUMBERED 52:18 IN THOUSANDS AND HE WON. JUST LIKE WHEN HE 52:20 WON AGAINST GOLIATH. SO EVEN THOUGH BELIEVERS ARE A 52:25 SMALLER GROUP IN THIS WORLD, YOU AND GOD ARE ALWAYS A MAJORITY. 52:34 IS THAT RIGHT? >>AMEN. 52:35 >>SO - I MEAN, THAT'S WHY MOSES SAID 'DON'T FOLLOW A MULTITUDE 52:38 TO DO EVIL.' DON'T WAIT FOR THE TRUTH TO BE POPULAR. 52:42 IT IS NEVER GOING TO BE POPULAR. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WAVES, 52:45 LIKE DURING THE TIME OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND JESUS 52:47 - A GREAT REVIVAL. MANY WERE FORCING THEIR WAY INTO 52:49 THE CHURCH BUT, BY AND LARGE, THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD 52:52 DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THE LORD. AND SO, THERE'S THIS POWER, BUT 52:58 WE NEED TO TRUST THAT GOD'S MORE POWERFUL. 53:00 ROMANS 16:20 - I LIKE THIS VERSE - PAUL CLOSES OUT THE BOOK OF 53:03 ROMANS WITH THIS, "AND THE GOD OF PEACE WILL CRUSH SATAN" - NOW 53:09 WAIT A SECOND. DOES A PEACEFUL PERSON CRUSH? 53:13 WHAT DOES HE USE? HE USES THE SWORD - "THE GOD OF 53:17 PEACE WILL CRUSH SATAN UNDER YOUR FEET SHORTLY." 53:20 WHAT IS PAUL REFERRING TO WHEN HE SAYS THAT? 53:23 YOU KNOW THE FIRST PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE? 53:25 IN GENESIS 3:14 THE LORD SAID TO THE SERPENT, "BECAUSE YOU HAVE 53:29 DONE THIS, YOU ARE CURSED MORE THAN ALL CATTLE, AND MORE THAN 53:32 EVERY BEAST OF THE FIELD; ON YOUR BELLY YOU SHALL GO, AND 53:35 YOU SHALL EAST DUST ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. 53:37 AND I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN," - THERE'LL 53:39 BE CONSTANT ANIMOSITY - AGITATION - OPPOSITION BETWEEN 53:43 THE CHURCH AND THE DEVIL - "AND BETWEEN YOUR SEED AND HER SEED; 53:49 HE" - JESUS, THE MESSIAH, THE SEED OF THE WOMAN - "SHALL 53:52 BRUISE YOUR HEAD, AND YOU" - THE SERPENT - 53:55 "SHALL BRUISE HIS HEEL." 53:57 THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE CONFLICT THAT WOULD GO ON - THE 54:00 WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL THROUGHOUT HISTORY. 54:02 YOU'VE GOT THE WORK OF GOD - CHRIST - THE SEED OF THE WOMAN - 54:04 WALKING WITH THE GOSPEL AND THE DEVIL'S CONSTANTLY BITING AT HIS 54:08 HEELS, IMPEDING HIS PROGRESS. IF YOUR HEEL IS BITTEN AND YOUR 54:11 FOOT IS SWOLLEN WITH VENOM, YOU WALK MORE SLOWLY. 54:14 BUT, ULTIMATELY, WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE? A WOUNDED HEEL OR A 54:18 CRUSHED HEAD? SO WHO LOSES THE BATTLE? 54:23 SATAN, BUT DOES THE CHURCH SOMETIMES LOSE BATTLES? 54:27 YEAH, WE DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF - DID THE DISCIPLES GET WELCOMED 54:31 IN EVERY PLACE THEY PREACHED, OR DID THEY SOMETIMES GET STONED? 54:35 HOW MANY OF THE APOSTLES WERE KILLED FOR THEIR FAITH? 54:39 MOST OF THEM. NO, JOHN THE REVELATOR DIED OF 54:43 OLD AGE, BUT THEY TRIED TO KILL HIM. 54:45 BUT ALL THE OTHERS - HISTORY - TRADITION TELLS US THAT THEY 54:48 WERE MARTYRED. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE RUN OUT 54:50 OF TIME HERE, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT WHEN THE BATTLE GETS NASTY. 54:54 JOHN'S FAITH WAS CHALLENGED WHEN HE WAS IN PRISON - MATTHEW 11. 54:58 HE HEARD ABOUT THE MIRACLES OF JESUS. 55:00 HE KEPT WAITING FOR JESUS TO DO WHAT HE THOUGHT THE MESSIAH WAS 55:02 GOING TO DO - THAT HE WOULD GET ON A WHITE HORSE AND BRING 55:06 ARMIES AND FIGHT AGAINST THE ROMANS AND ISRAEL WOULD BECOME A 55:09 NATION AGAIN. EVEN JOHN THE BAPTIST DIDN'T 55:13 FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PROPHECIES AND HE WAS WONDERING, 'WHY IS 55:15 JESUS JUST GOING AROUND TEACHING AND HEALING AND PREACHING AND - 55:19 ISN'T THE MESSIAH GOING TO DO SOMETHING MORE 55:21 INTERNATIONALLY DRAMATIC? ISN'T THERE GOING TO BE 55:25 SOMETHING HAPPENING MILITARILY, POLITICALLY?' 55:29 AND SO HE WAITED AND WAITED AND JOHN WAS LEFT IN PRISON. 55:31 HIS FAITH WAS TRIED. THE DEVIL WAS TRYING TO DISCOURAGE JOHN. 55:35 AND HE SENT A MESSAGE TO JESUS. HE SAID, 'ARE YOU THE ONE WE'RE 55:37 WAITING FOR OR DO WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER?' JESUS DIDN'T ANSWER 55:40 THE MESSENGERS RIGHT AWAY. HE SAID, 'JUST STAND RIGHT 55:43 THERE.' AND THEY WATCHED HIM TEACH, 55:45 HEAL, YOU KNOW, RAISE THE DEAD, CLEANSE THE LEPER, PREACH 55:51 THE GOSPEL - AND HE SAID, 'NOW GO TELL JOHN WHAT YOU SAW.' 55:55 AND THEY WENT BACK AND REPORTED THAT AND THEN 55:57 JOHN REMEMBERED ISAIAH 61 WHERE IT TALKED ABOUT THE MINISTRY 56:01 OF THE MESSIAH WOULD BE ONE OF OPENING THE EYES OF THE BLIND 56:06 AND SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE. AND HE SAW THAT THERE WAS 56:08 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE TO IT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THEY WANTED 56:12 TO GET RID OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND STOP HIS PREACHING 56:15 - HE WAS BEHEADED. THE REASON WE PRAY, IN THE 56:19 LORD'S PRAYER, 'THY WILL BE DONE' IS BECAUSE GOD'S 56:22 WILL IS NOT ALWAYS DONE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? 56:27 NOT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD IS GOD'S WILL. 56:30 GOD IS NOT - PARDON ME - GOD - THE BIBLE SAYS GOD IS NOT 56:34 WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE 56:38 PERISHING IS EVIDENCE THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS GOD'S WILL. 56:41 WELL, WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME FOR THE LESSON. 56:44 THANK YOU SO MUCH, FRIENDS, FOR WATCHING. 56:46 I PRAY THAT YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE OFFER THAT 56:48 WE HAVE RESCUE FROM ABOVE - TALKING ABOUT SALVATION. 56:51 CALL THE NUMBER THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. 56:53 ASK FOR OFFER #109. PLEASE READ IT AND SHARE 56:56 IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. AND GOD WILLING, WE'LL BE BACK 56:58 TO STUDY HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 57:03 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 57:05 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 57:08 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 57:12 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 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Revised 2016-04-20