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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021631A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>HELLO FRIENDS. WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 A VERY SPECIAL WELCOME TO THOSE OF YOU JOINING US HERE FROM THE 00:41 GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH AS WE STUDY 00:44 TOGETHER. I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE MEMBERS OF THE 00:46 CHURCH - SO GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. WE'VE BEEN STUDYING 00:49 THROUGH OUR LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT THE 00:52 ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY . TODAY WE FIND 00:55 OURSELVES ON LESSON #5 - JESUS ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH . 01:00 SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US, IF YOU'D LIKE TO 01:02 FOLLOW ALONG AND YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE LESSON, JUST GO TO 01:05 THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG , CLICK ON THE 01:10 LINK THAT SAYS SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO 01:13 DOWNLOAD LESSON #5 AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH US. 01:16 WE ALSO HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TODAY. 01:20 IT IS A CLASSIC - A BOOK ENTITLED STEPS TO CHRIST . 01:23 NOW I KNOW MANY OF US HAVE READ THIS BOOK AND BEEN RICHLY 01:26 BLESSED. FOR THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US, IF 01:28 YOU'VE NEVER READ THE BOOK, GIVE US A CALL ON OUR 01:30 RESOURCE PHONE NUMBER. THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND 01:35 ASK FOR OFFER #736 - AGAIN THAT NUMBER IS 866-788-36 - 01:43 THEY TOOK THE NUMBER DOWN, SORRY - THERE IT IS. 01:46 CALL US ON 866-788-3966 AND IT'S OFFER #736 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO 01:53 SEND YOU THE BOOK. WELL, WITH THAT WE'RE GOING TO 01:56 INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME OUT AND JOIN ME. 01:58 BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR 02:01 VOICES IN SONG. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 02:07 YOU KNOW, IT'S A CRAZY WORLD WE LIVE IN. 02:08 A LOT OF TERRIBLE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED THIS WEEK, AND IT'S - 02:12 WE REALLY REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD THAT WE 02:15 FIGHT, BUT IT IS AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS OF 02:18 DARKNESS. AND JESUS IS ABOUT TO COME AND 02:20 THE ONLY PLACE THAT WE CAN FIND HOPE IS TRULY IN THE FACT THAT 02:24 WE ARE A CHILD OF THE KING. SO PULL OUT YOUR HYMNALS AND 02:28 SING WITH US A CHILD OF THE KING - HYMN #468. 02:33 WE'RE GOING TO SING THE FIRST, THE THIRD, AND THE LAST VERSES. 02:36 I'M A CHILD OF THE KING, PRAISE THE LORD. (PIANO MUSIC) 02:55 >>MY FATHER IS RICH IN HOUSES AND LANDS, HE 03:03 HOLDETH THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD IN HIS HANDS! 03:09 OF RUBIES AND DIAMONDS, OF SILVER AND GOLD, HIS COFFERS ARE 03:18 FULL, HE HAS RICHES UNTOLD. I'M A CHILD OF THE KING, A CHILD 03:28 OF THE KING; WITH JESUS MY SAVIOR, I'M A CHILD OF THE KING. 03:41 I ONCE WAS AN OUTCAST A STRANGER ON EARTH, A SINNER BY CHOICE, 03:50 AND AN ALIEN BY BIRTH, BUT I'VE BEEN ADOPTED, MY NAME'S WRITTEN 04:00 DOWN, AN HEIR TO A MANSION, A ROBE, AND A CROWN. 04:09 I'M A CHILD OF THE KING, A CHILD OF THE KING; WITH JESUS MY 04:19 SAVIOR, I'M A CHILD OF THE KING. 04:27 A TENT OR A COTTAGE O WHY SHOULD I CARE? 04:34 THEY'RE BUILDING A PALACE FOR ME OVER THERE; THOUGH ABSENT FROM 04:43 HOME, YET STILL I MAY SING, "ALL GLORY TO GOD, I'M A CHILD OF THE 04:54 KING." I'M A CHILD OF THE KING, A CHILD 05:02 OF THE KING; WITH JESUS MY SAVIOR, I'M A CHILD OF THE KING. 05:18 >>WELL, HOPEFULLY, AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS NEXT WEEK, THAT 05:21 SONG WILL BE RINGING IN YOUR HEAD - THAT YOU ARE TRULY A 05:24 CHILD OF THE KING AND NOTHING CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU. 05:27 RIGHT ACROSS THE PAGE - LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS - #469 - 05:32 WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE VERSES - LEANING ON THE 05:35 EVERLASTING ARMS . (PIANO MUSIC) 05:51 >>WHAT A FELLOWSHIP, WHAT A JOY DIVINE, 05:56 LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS; WHAT A BLESSEDNESS, WHAT A PEACE 06:05 IS MINE, LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 06:10 LEANING, LEANING, SAFE AND SECURE FROM ALL ALARMS; LEANING, 06:22 LEANING, LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 06:30 O HOW SWEET TO WALK IN THIS PILGRIM WAY, LEANING ON THE 06:36 EVERLASTING ARMS; O HOW BRIGHT THE PATH GROWS FROM DAY TO DAY, 06:43 LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 06:48 LEANING, LEANING, SAFE AND SECURE FROM ALL ALARMS; LEANING, 06:59 LEANING, LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 07:09 WHAT HAVE I TO DREAD, WHAT HAVE I TO FEAR, LEANING ON THE 07:15 EVERLASTING ARMS? I HAVE BLESSED PEACE WITH MY 07:21 LORD SO NEAR, LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 07:27 LEANING, LEANING, SAFE AND SECURE FROM ALL ALARMS; LEANING, 07:39 LEANING, LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 07:48 >>AND I PRAY THAT THAT IS WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF THIS WEEK - 07:51 LEANING ON JESUS' EVERLASTING ARMS. 07:54 AT THIS TIME, PASTOR ROSS WILL COME UP AND LEAD US IN PRAYER. 08:04 >>LET'S BEGIN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, 08:07 WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO BE ABLE TO GATHER TOGETHER AND OPEN 08:10 UP YOUR WORD - TO STUDY TOGETHER - TO LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OF 08:13 JESUS, OF HOW HE MINISTERED TO THOSE AROUND HIM. 08:15 TODAY, AS WE OPEN UP THE SCRIPTURES, WE ONCE AGAIN ASK 08:18 FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, 08:21 FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 08:25 OUR LESSON TODAY, LESSON #5 IN OUR STUDY, IS GOING TO BE 08:28 BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 08:37 GOOD MORNING. >>GOOD MORNING 08:39 >>OUR GRANITE BAY CLASS - WE HAVE SOME BOTH IN THE 08:41 BUILDING - WE HAVE SOME OF OUR GRANITE BAY MEMBERS THAT ARE 08:44 WATCHING ONLINE FROM VARIOUS POINTS AROUND THE GLOBE. 08:47 WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE STUDYING THE WORD OF 08:51 GOD WITH YOU. WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR SABBATH 08:53 SCHOOL LESSON CALLED THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY 08:56 AND THIS WAS PRODUCED BY THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 09:00 THEY DO IT AS A QUARTERLY LESSON. 09:02 IF YOU'D LIKE A COPY, YOU CAN GO TO YOUR LOCAL ADVENTIST CHURCH, 09:05 IF YOU HAVE ONE LOCALLY, THEY'LL PROBABLY SHARE ONE WITH YOU - I 09:08 HOPE THEY WILL - AND OTHERWISE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT. 09:11 I STUDY IT, ACTUALLY, ONLINE BECAUSE IT MAKES IT EASY FOR ME 09:13 TO COPY AND PASTE IN MY NOTES. WE'RE ON LESSON #5 TODAY, 09:18 TALKING ABOUT JESUS ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH. 09:22 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE - AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE IT IF YOU 09:25 CAN SAY THE MEMORY VERSE HERE LOCALLY WITH ME OUT LOUD, IT'S 09:29 MATTHEW 4:23 - MATTHEW 4:23 - HERE IN THE LESSON IT'S FROM THE 09:33 NEW KING JAMES VERSION. ARE YOU READY? 09:37 JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL GALILEE, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, 09:42 PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING ALL KINDS 09:46 OF SICKNESS AND ALL KINDS OF DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE." 09:51 AND JESUS - THIS WAS THE CORE MINISTRY - THE TEACHING OF JESUS 09:56 - THE MISSION OF JESUS WAS TO LET THE LIGHT SHINE. 10:00 SO IN LESSON - IN OUR LESSON - UNDER SUNDAY'S STUDY, IT'S 10:04 JESUS' MISSION STATEMENT AND IT GIVES - JESUS' MISSION STATEMENT 10:09 COMES FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE CHAPTER 4 AND YOU CAN READ HERE, 10:16 FOR INSTANCE, IN VERSE 15 IT SAYS, "AND HE TAUGHT IN THEIR 10:19 SYNAGOGUES, BEING GLORIFIED BY ALL." 10:22 NOW WHEN DID HE START DOING THAT? 10:24 RIGHT AFTER HE WAS BAPTIZED. YOU READ IN MATTHEW 3:16 AND 17 10:29 - IN JUST A MOMENT I THINK ONE OF OUR READERS IS GOING TO DO 10:31 MATTHEW 4:17 - WILL THAT BE YOU? OKAY. 10:34 BUT IF YOU READ IN MATTHEW 3:16, "WHEN HE HAD BEEN BAPTIZED, 10:39 JESUS CAME UP IMMEDIATELY FROM THE WATER; AND BEHOLD, THE 10:42 HEAVENS WERE OPENED TO HIM, AND HE SAW THE SPIRIT OF GOD 10:45 DESCENDING LIKE A DOVE AND ALIGHTING UPON HIM. 10:49 AND SUDDENLY A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, 'THIS IS MY 10:52 BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.'" NOW JESUS DID NOT GO 10:58 OUT DOING THIS WORK UNTIL HE WAS ANOINTED WITH THE SPIRIT AND HE 11:02 SET THE SAME EXAMPLE FOR THE DISCIPLES. 11:05 HE TOLD THE DISCIPLES, 'WAIT IN JERUSALEM UNTIL YOU RECEIVE 11:10 POWER FROM ON HIGH. AND THEN YOU'RE TO GO AND BE MY 11:13 WITNESSES.' HE SAYS, 'BEGINNING IN JERUSALEM, JUDEA, SAMARIA' - 11:18 THE OUTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH. BUT IT'S DIFFICULT - 11:21 IMPOSSIBLE, REALLY - TO DO THE WORK OF GOD WITHOUT THE SPIRIT 11:23 OF GOD. NOW JESUS OBVIOUSLY HAD THE HOLY 11:26 SPIRIT BEFORE HIS BAPTISM. DO YOU AGREE? 11:29 BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES IN DIFFERENT MEASURES AND THE HOLY 11:33 SPIRIT COMES WITH DIFFERENT GIFTS. AND A SPECIAL BAPTISM OF 11:37 THE SPIRIT OR ANOINTING OF THE SPIRIT - AND WHAT DOES 11:41 THE WORD 'CHRIST' MEAN? THE ANOINTED - CHRISTOS. 11:46 WHEN YOU CHRISTEN A SHIP - OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT TO GET 11:49 ANOINTED WITH CHAMPAGNE, BUT THEY CHRISTEN A SHIP - THEY 11:51 BREAK A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE ON IT - THEY ANOINT IT SO TO SPEAK 11:54 - THEY NAME IT. AND WHEN A BABY IS CHRISTENED, 11:56 IT'S OFTEN WHEN THEIR NAME IS OFFICIALLY DECLARED. 11:59 AND THE WORD MESSIAH IS THE HEBREW WORD FOR THE ANOINTED. 12:04 AND SO, THIS TALKS ABOUT WHEN CHRIST WAS ANOINTED. 12:07 AND AFTER THAT TIME, HE WENT OUT PREACHING. 12:09 IF YOU LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE REST OF LUKE 4 - GO TO VERSE 12:14 16, HIS FIRST SERMON IN HIS HOME CHURCH HE STANDS UP - HE COMES 12:21 TO NAZARETH WHERE HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP AND, AS HIS CUSTOM 12:24 WAS - MEANING THE WHOLE TIME HE WAS BROUGHT UP - HE WENT INTO 12:26 THE SYNAGOGUE ON THE SABBATH. WAS JESUS A SABBATH KEEPER? 12:29 >>YES. >>WAS THAT HIS CUSTOM? 12:31 >>YES. >>DID HE READ THE BIBLE? 12:32 WAS THAT HIS CUSTOM? 'AS HIS CUSTOM WAS' - "AND HE 12:36 WAS HANDED THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH AND WHEN HE HAD 12:39 OPENED THE BOOK, HE FOUND THE PLACE" - HE OPENED 12:41 THE SCROLL, HE ROLLED IT OUT, HE KNEW THE SPOT - THEY DIDN'T HAVE 12:45 VERSES AND CHAPTERS BACK THEN - SO HE KNEW WHERE IT WOULD BE IN 12:49 ITS PERCENTAGE OF THE SCROLL AND HE DELIBERATELY BEGINS WITH 12:53 THESE WORDS WHEN HE STARTS PREACHING. 12:55 "'THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME 13:00 TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE 13:05 BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND 13:08 RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE 13:12 OPPRESSED; TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.' 13:16 THEN HE CLOSED THE BOOK, AND GAVE IT BACK TO THE ATTENDANT" - 13:19 THEY HAD SOMEONE, ACTUALLY, WHO GUARDED THE BIBLE. 13:21 IT WAS THE MOST SACRED THING IN - NOT EVERYONE HAD BIBLES. 13:24 THERE WAS THE SCRIPTURE ATTENDANT IN THE SYNAGOGUE. 13:28 YOU HANDED IT TO HIM - HE LOCKED IT UP. 13:30 IT WAS ALL HAND WRITTEN - VERY VALUABLE. 13:32 HE GAVE IT TO THE ATTENDANT AND SAT DOWN "AND THE EYES OF ALL 13:36 WHO WERE IN THE SYNAGOGUE WERE FIXED ON HIM." 13:39 AND, YOU KNOW, HE WENT ON TO SAY, 'THIS DAY IS THIS PROPHECY 13:41 FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING.' HE WAS CLAIMING TO BE THE ANOINTED. 13:45 'THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME.' 13:47 BUT THIS IS HIS MISSION STATEMENT. 13:50 'PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR, HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, PROCLAIM 13:55 LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES, THE RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE 13:58 BLIND' - THAT'S, OF COURSE, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGHT - 14:00 'TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED' - SPIRITUAL LIBERTY 14:04 FROM THE DEVIL - 'TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE 14:06 LORD.' AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT VERSE - WHAT DID HE 14:09 SPECIFICALLY SAY WHEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH AND STARTED PREACHING 14:12 THE GOSPEL? THAT'S IN MATTHEW 4:17. 14:15 >>"FROM THAT TIME JESUS BEGAN TO PREACH AND TO SAY, 'REPENT, FOR 14:18 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.'" 14:20 >>SO PART OF HIS MISSION STATEMENT WAS TO REPENT. 14:25 PART OF RECEIVING THAT GOSPEL THAT HE TALKED ABOUT - BINDING 14:28 THE BROKEN HEARTED - WAS FOR PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THEIR NEED 14:31 OF GOD AND TO COME TO GOD. WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT 14:35 JOHN THE BAPTIST SAID WHEN HE STARTED PREACHING? 14:38 'REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.' I CAN'T 14:43 REALLY IMPROVE ON THE MISSION STATEMENT OF JESUS IN MATTHEW 14:47 CHAPTER 28, 'GO YE, THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING 14:51 THEM IN THE NAME - ALL AUTHORITY IS GIVEN TO ME OF MY FATHER. 14:54 GO THEREFORE, TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM - MAKE DISCIPLES 14:57 OF ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND 15:00 HOLY SPIRIT, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER 15:03 I'VE COMMANDED YOU. LO, I AM WITH YOU UNTIL THE END 15:05 OF THE WORLD.' THAT'S A GREAT MISSION STATEMENT! 15:08 AND SO I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE, WELL, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC 15:12 - OR, YOU KNOW, THE ARGUMENTS. BUT THAT WAS REALLY THE MISSION 15:15 STATEMENT OF JESUS. HE CAME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED AND THEN 15:18 HE TOLD US TO GO AND SHARE THAT WITH OTHERS. 15:21 ALRIGHT, UNDER THE NEXT SECTION, IT'S LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR , AND 15:29 IF YOU LOOK IN LUKE 10:27, AND - YOU KNOW, MATTER OF FACT, GO AND 15:35 WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD 15:38 SAMARITAN - THAT YOU ONLY FIND IN THIS GOSPEL. 15:43 WAIT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GO BACK AND SAY SOMETHING. 15:45 WILL YOU LET ME BACKTRACK? PLEASE? 15:48 OH, COME ON, I JUST FORGOT SOMETHING. 15:49 WHEN JESUS STOOD UP AND HE READ THAT PROPHESY FROM ISAIAH, HE 15:55 CLOSED THE BOOK AND HE STOPPED A VERSE SHORT. 15:59 YOU NOTICE, WHEN HE WAS SAYING, 'TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE 16:02 OPPRESSED AND TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD' - 16:05 AND THEN HE CLOSED THE BOOK. HE LEFT OUT THE PART THAT SAID, 16:09 'AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD.' 16:11 DID YOU EVER NOTICE THAT? HAVE YOU EVER COMPARED WHAT 16:13 JESUS SAID AND WHAT HE WAS QUOTING FROM ISAIAH? 16:17 HE'S QUOTING ISAIAH 61 VERBATIM, BUT HE LEAVES OUT THE PART THAT 16:22 SAYS, 'THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD' - HE STOPS THERE. 16:26 HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WHY DID HE DO THAT? 16:32 WHEN YOU READ THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, YOU REALIZE THAT THE 16:35 PROPHECIES, SOMETIMES, ARE BIG SPANS OF TIME THAT ARE 16:37 CONDENSED. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN READ IN 16:40 REVELATION 12 AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE WAR IN 16:44 HEAVEN AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE WOMAN FLEEING AND JUST ONE VERSE 16:47 - A THOUSAND YEARS MIGHT BE IN ONE VERSE. 16:50 WELL, JESUS' FIRST COMING WAS AS A LAMB - TO PROCLAIM THE 16:53 ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD. THERE'S ANOTHER COMING WHERE THE 16:57 DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD IS THE DAY OF THE LORD. 17:02 HE ACTUALLY DID SOME OF THAT TOWARDS THE END OF HIS MINISTRY 17:04 TOO WHEN HE PRONOUNCED SOME OF THE JUDGMENTS THAT WERE COMING 17:07 ON JERUSALEM, WHO HAD REJECTED HIS MISSION. 17:11 SO THAT WASN'T THE TIME FOR THAT VERSE YET. 17:14 THE FIRST PART OF THE VERSE WAS 'COME UNTO ME' - WHEN HE BEGAN 17:18 HIS MINISTRY HE SAID, 'THIS IS MY FATHER'S HOUSE' - AT THE END 17:20 OF HIS MINISTRY HE SAID, 'YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO YOU 17:22 DESOLATE.' SO SOMETHING HAPPENED THROUGH HIS MINISTRY AND HE JUST 17:26 KNEW IT WASN'T THE TIME FOR THAT VERSE YET. 17:27 ANYWAY, I JUST - I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED THAT. 17:30 ALRIGHT, IN THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN, YOU'LL NOTICE 17:33 THAT THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING AFTER JESUS GETS DONE WITH AN 17:36 EPISODE OF TEACHING. GO TO VERSE 25 - LUKE 10, VERSE 17:40 25, AND IT SAYS, "AND BEHOLD, A CERTAIN LAWYER STOOD UP AND 17:44 TESTED HIM, SAYING, 'TEACHER, WHAT SHALL I DO TO INHERIT 17:48 ETERNAL LIFE?'" - HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO 17:50 THAT QUESTION? I MEAN, ISN'T THAT - WE WANT TO 17:54 - LORD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? 17:55 I MEAN, SOME ARE SAVED; SOME ARE LOST. 17:57 YOU AND I MOSTLY ARE NOT PREDESTINATIONALISTS THAT FIGURE 18:02 THAT GOD IS UP THERE JUST DECIDING WHO IS SAVED AND WE 18:05 HAVE NO CHOICE, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NO CHOICE YOU HAVE NO POWER 18:08 TO LOVE AND WE BELIEVE WE DO HAVE A CHOICE AND THAT'S WHY THE 18:12 BIBLE SAYS, 'CHOOSE YE THIS DAY' 'WHOSOEVER WILL' - 18:16 YOU HAVE A WILL. 18:17 YOU REALIZE THAT A BIG SWATH OF CHRISTIANITY BELIEVES THAT IT'S 18:20 ALL ARBITRARILY PREDETERMINED BY GOD AND WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. 18:24 AND SO, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT. SO, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 18:27 HE'S ASKING, 'IS THERE SOMETHING I DO?' 18:30 JESUS DIDN'T SAY, 'NO, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO, GOD'S 18:32 ALREADY DECIDED. THEY'RE THE ELECT.' 18:35 YOU NOTICE JESUS SAID THERE IS SOMETHING. 18:37 YOU SEE, I JUST ADDRESSED A VERY DIFFICULT PART OF THEOLOGY WITH 18:40 THIS SIMPLE PASSAGE. 'WHAT SHALL I DO?' 18:45 "HE SAID TO HIM, 'WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW? 18:47 WHAT IS YOUR READING OF IT?'" 18:48 - WHERE DID JESUS DIRECT HIM WHEN HE SAID, 'WHAT DO I DO?' 18:52 HE SAID, 'THE LAW TELLS YOU.' - "SO HE ANSWERED AND SAID, 'YOU 18:56 SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL 18:58 YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH AND WITH ALL YOUR 19:00 MIND,' AND 'YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'" CAN YOU THINK OF 19:03 SOMEONE ELSE THAT CAME TO JESUS AND SAID, 'WHAT MUST I DO TO BE 19:05 SAVED?' THE RICH YOUNG RULER - 19:09 I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY. AND WHAT DID JESUS SAY? 19:13 'IF YOU WOULD ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.' YOU 19:15 NOTICE, BOTH TIMES THAT SOMEONE ASKED HIM 'WHAT MUST I DO TO BE 19:19 SAVED?' HE POINTS THEM BACK TO THE LAW. 19:22 HE BASICALLY SAYS, 'THE ANSWER IS NOT VERY FAR FROM YOU.' AND 19:25 BOTH OF THEM, YOU KNOW, ONE WAS A LAWYER - AND SHOULDN'T A 19:29 LAWYER KNOW THE LAW? AND THE OTHER ONE'S A RICH YOUNG 19:32 RULER WHO GREW UP, YOU KNOW, GOING TO SYNAGOGUE AND SABBATH 19:35 SCHOOL - THEY KNEW THE LAW. AND HE SAID, 'IT'S NOT A 19:38 MYSTERY.' SO HE DIRECTED THEM TO THE LAW. 19:41 NOW, ARE WE SAVED BY KEEPING THE LAW? 19:46 WHAT ABOUT THAT LAW THAT SAYS, 'LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR 19:48 HEART? DOES THAT HAVE SOMETHING 19:51 TO DO WITH OUR SALVATION? WELL, THE LORD WANTS US TO LOVE 19:57 HIM AND HE COMMANDS US TO LOVE HIM. 20:01 AND THOSE AREN'T SUGGESTIONS. THAT MEANS YOU CHOOSE TO 20:04 TRUST HIM AND TO LOVE HIM. THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO. 20:07 PART OF LOVING THE LORD IS HAVING FAITH IN HIS WORD. 20:10 AND HE SAID - BECAUSE WE'RE SAVED BY FAITH - BUT THAT'S PART 20:12 OF IT. DID THAT MAKE SENSE? I HOPE SO. 20:18 AND HE SAID, 'YOU SHOULD LOVE THE LORD'. 20:20 AND JESUS SAID, 'YOU HAVE ANSWERED RIGHTLY. 20:22 DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.' SEE THAT? 20:25 DO THIS - LOVE THE LORD. 20:28 YOU KNOW WE HAD WORSHIP LAST NIGHT. 20:29 WE READ A REALLY GOOD CHAPTER OUT OF THE BOOK WE'RE READING 20:32 AND IT TALKED ABOUT THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT PAUL CHANGED 20:36 THE WORLD IS BECAUSE HE LOVED THE LORD SO MUCH HE WAS WILLING 20:39 TO ENDURE ANYTHING BECAUSE HE LOVED SO MUCH. 20:42 AND WE GOT DONE READING WORSHIP AND WE THOUGHT, BOY, THINK ABOUT 20:46 HOW MUCH MORE WE COULD DO IF WE LOVED THE LORD BETTER. 20:49 THE REASON PAUL MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE IN HIS WORLD IS 20:51 BECAUSE HE WAS SO THOROUGHLY IN LOVE WITH JESUS. 20:54 AND SO, ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT PRAYERS SHOULD BE, 20:57 'LORD, HELP ME LOVE YOU MORE.' IS THAT A REASONABLE PRAYER? 21:02 AND IS IT OKAY TO SAY, 'HELP ME LOVE MY NEIGHBOR MORE? 21:07 PUT MORE - WOULDN'T WE GIVE MORE TO MISSION AND DO MORE MISSION 21:10 WORK IF WE LOVED OUR NEIGHBOR MORE? 21:14 SOMETIMES I SAY, 'LORD, I MUST NOT LOVE YOU VERY WELL OR I'D 21:17 FOLLOW YOU BETTER.' AND SO I SAY, 'HELP ME LOVE YOU MORE.' HE 21:20 SAID, 'LOVE THE LORD' - HE SAID, 'YOU'VE ANSWERED CORRECTLY. 21:22 YOU WIN. THIS IS IT. DO THIS AND LIVE.' BUT HE WANTED - IT SEEMED 21:28 LIKE HE ANSWERED HIS OWN QUESTION. 21:30 HE FELT A LITTLE SILLY AND, WANTING TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF, HE 21:32 SAID, 'WELL, IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE. WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? 21:35 YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, BUT WHO IS 21:37 MY NEIGHBOR? IS EVERYBODY MY NEIGHBOR?' 21:39 AND JESUS ANSWERS HIM WITH THIS PARABLE. 21:43 'A CERTAIN MAN WENT DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO AND HE FELL 21:47 AMONG THIEVES WHO STRIPPED HIM OF HIS CLOTHING, WOUNDED HIM, 21:51 AND DEPARTED LEAVING HIM HALF DEAD. 21:54 NOW, BY CHANCE, A CERTAIN PRIEST CAME DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN HE 21:57 SAW HIM, HE PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. 22:00 LIKEWISE, A LEVITE, WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE PLACE, HE CAME 22:02 AND HE LOOKED AND HE PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. 22:06 BUT A CERTAIN SAMARITAN, AS HE JOURNEYED, HE CAME TO WHERE HE 22:09 WAS, AND WHEN HE SAW HIM, HE HAD COMPASSION. 22:13 SO HE WENT TO HIM AND HE BANDAGED HIS WOUNDS, POURING ON 22:18 OIL AND WINE, AND HE SET HIM ON HIS OWN ANIMAL, AND BROUGHT 22:21 HIM TO AN INN AND TOOK CARE OF HIM. 22:24 ON THE NEXT DAY, WHEN HE DEPARTED, HE TOOK OUT TWO 22:26 DENARII AND GAVE IT TO THE INNKEEPER AND SAID TO HIM, 'TAKE 22:30 CARE OF HIM AND WHATEVER MORE YOU SPEND, WHEN I COME AGAIN, 22:32 I'LL REPAY YOU. SO WHICH OF THESE THREE DO YOU 22:36 THINK WAS A NEIGHBOR TO HIM WHO FELL AMONG THIEVES?'' 22:40 - AND THE LAWYER - HE'S ADDRESSING THIS TO THE LAWYER 22:42 AND HE SAID, 'HIM WHO SHOWED MERCY.' - HE DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO 22:45 SAY 'THE SAMARITAN' BECAUSE THE JEWS DIDN'T HAVE MUCH REGARD FOR 22:48 THE SAMARITANS SO HE JUST SAID 'HIM WHO SHOWED MERCY ON HIM.' 22:54 JESUS SAID, 'GO AND DO LIKEWISE.' SO IN THE PARABLE - 22:58 LET'S LOOK AT A FEW THINGS IN HERE. WHO WAS THE MAN THAT FELL 23:01 AMONG THIEVES? US - IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE FALL 23:08 OF ADAM - ALL OF US HAVE FALLEN. AND WHO IS THE THIEF THAT ROBBED 23:16 AND BEAT THE MAN - LEFT HIM HALF DEAD? 23:19 THE DEVIL IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER. 23:22 AND WHO IS THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE THAT COME BY? 23:30 THEY REPRESENT JUST RELIGION IN AND OF ITSELF. 23:38 IT'S NOT THAT RELIGION'S BAD, BUT IF IT'S A RELIGION THAT JUST 23:41 HAS REGIMENT AND DOESN'T DO ANYTHING, IT'S NOT MUCH GOOD. 23:45 AND THEN WHO DOES THE SAMARITAN REPRESENT? 23:49 THAT WOULD BE JESUS BECAUSE IT SAYS HE HAD COMPASSION - GOD'S 23:55 HAD COMPASSION ON US. JESUS SAW THE MULTITUDE AND HAD COMPASSION 23:58 ON THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE LIKE A SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. 24:01 AND HE COMES AND HE BINDS UP HIS WOUNDS. WHAT DID HE USE TO WRAP 24:05 UP HIS WOUNDS? HE MAY HAVE TAKEN SOME CLOTH AND 24:10 TORN IT UP - MAYBE ONE OF HIS OWN ROBES. 24:13 WHAT DOES JESUS USE TO BIND OUR WOUNDS? 24:16 AND HE POURS IN OIL - WHAT IS OIL A SYMBOL OF? 24:18 >>HOLY SPIRIT. >>HOLY SPIRIT. 24:20 AND WINE - YOU KNOW, WINE WAS AN ASTRINGENT - ANTISEPTIC BACK 24:23 THEN. SO WHAT IS THE WINE? 24:27 A SYMBOL OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. PUTS HIM ON HIS OWN ANIMAL. 24:30 COULD HAVE BEEN A DONKEY OR A CAMEL - PROBABLY A DONKEY. 24:33 THAT MEANS HE'S GIVEN HIM HIS STRENGTH. ANIMALS OFTEN 24:36 REPRESENT EXTRA STRENGTH BECAUSE AN OXEN OR THESE ANIMALS COULD 24:42 CARRY MORE/PLOW MORE THAN A HUMAN COULD. 24:45 AND THEN HE BRINGS HIM TO THE INN - TAKES HIM TO CHURCH - AND 24:50 HE CARES FOR HIM THERE AND HE GIVES MONEY TO THE INNKEEPER AND 24:53 HE SAYS, 'LOOK, TAKE CARE OF HIM AND 'WHEN I COME AGAIN' - THE 24:59 SAMARITAN SAYS, 'WHEN I COME AGAIN.' IS JESUS COMING BACK? 25:03 HE SAYS, 'YOU TAKE CARE OF HIM. I'M GIVING YOU 25:05 SOME TO START OUT. YOU MIGHT NEED TO INVEST ALSO. 25:08 I'VE MADE A SACRIFICE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM; YOU MIGHT NEED TO 25:11 MAKE AN ADDITIONAL SACRIFICE AND WHEN I COME AGAIN, I'LL 25:13 REPAY YOU. SO CHRIST, HE BRINGS TO THE 25:16 CHURCH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BEAT UP BY THE DEVIL. 25:19 THEY'VE FALLEN AMONG THE THIEVES. HE STRIPS AND ROBS US 25:23 AND WOUNDS US AND LEAVES US HALF DEAD. YOU KNOW, WITHOUT CHRIST 25:26 WE'RE UNDER A DEATH SENTENCE. WE'RE DYING. 25:28 IF IT WASN'T FOR THE SAMARITAN COMING, HE WOULD HAVE DIED. 25:31 YOU SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? THAT'S THE HUMAN RACE. 25:34 SO THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN - JESUS ENDS UP 25:36 SAYING, 'SO WHO IS - WHO'S THE NEIGHBOR - WHO'S YOUR NEIGHBOR?' 25:42 ANYBODY THAT NEEDS YOUR HELP THAT GOD BRINGS INTO YOUR PATH. 25:49 WHO IS YOUR FRIEND OUT THERE? THE ONE THAT YOU 25:53 ARE FRIENDLY TO. YOU MAKE FRIENDS. 25:56 SOMEBODY SAYS, 'WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS.' THE BIBLE 25:58 SAYS, 'HE WHO WOULD HAVE FRIENDS MUST MAKE HIMSELF BE FRIENDLY.' 26:03 IF YOU WANT TO HAVE NEIGHBORS, ACT NEIGHBORLY AND DO THINGS FOR 26:06 YOUR NEIGHBOR. SHOW THAT YOU CARE. 26:09 AND SO, THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CHRIST IN THE COMMUNITY IS 26:13 JUST FIND OUT THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED. 26:15 NOW NOTICE, LAST WEEK, WE TALKED ABOUT LOT AND HOW HE WAS 26:21 SUPPOSED TO BE SALT AND A WITNESS AND LIGHT IN SODOM, BUT 26:27 THERE WERE SO FEW PEOPLE WITNESSING THERE THAT GOD 26:30 COULDN'T EVEN FIND TEN. BUT WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT LOVING 26:33 YOUR NEIGHBOR - GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, I THINK WE'VE GOT 26:35 SOMEONE LINED UP TO READ, - IS IT GENESIS 19:2 AND 3? 26:39 OKAY, KATRINA, YOU'LL DO THAT? 26:41 >>"AND HE SAID, 'HEAR NOW, MY LORDS, PLEASE TURN INTO YOUR 26:45 SERVANT'S HOUSE AND SPEND THE NIGHT AND WASH YOUR FEET. 26:49 THEN YOU MAY RISE EARLY AND GO ON YOUR WAY.' AND THEY SAID, 26:53 'NO, BUT WE'LL SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE OPEN SQUARE.' BUT HE 26:57 INSISTED STRONGLY, SO THEY TURNED INTO HIM AND ENTERED HIS 27:01 HOUSE. THEN HE MADE THEM A FEAST AND 27:04 BAKED THEM UNLEAVENED BREAD AND THEY ATE." 27:07 >>HOUSE-PITALITY. LOT BROUGHT THOSE ANGELS IN. 27:13 HE SAW THEM STAYING OUT IN THE SQUARE. 27:14 HE KNEW IT WASN'T SAFE. HE WAS CONCERNED FOR THEM - HE 27:17 DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE ANGELS TO START WITH - AND HE SAID, 27:20 'YOU GUYS MIGHT BE NEW IN THE COMMUNITY BUT 27:21 I WOULDN'T HANG OUT HERE. YOU COME STAY WITH ME.' 'OH NO, 27:24 NO.' 'NO, YOU COME STAY WITH ME.' AND HE URGED THEM. 27:28 WAS LOT GLAD THAT HE SHOWED THEM HOSPITALITY LATER? 27:32 DID THAT MERCY COME BACK ON HIM AND HE WAS SAVED? 27:35 YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS WAS WALKING DOWN THE ROAD TO EMMAUS 27:38 AND THEY CAME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD AND THE TWO DISCIPLES SAID, 27:40 'COME AND STAY WITH US.' AND THEY URGED HIM AND HE CAME IN. 27:43 WERE THEY GLAD THEY INVITED THAT STRANGER TO COME STAY WITH THEM? 27:46 THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS JESUS. 27:48 DID ABRAHAM INVITE THREE PEOPLE TO COME AND DINE WITH HIM, THAT 27:51 HE SAW WALKING DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY? 27:53 AND HE LATER FOUND OUT THAT ONE OF THEM WAS THE LORD. 27:56 HAVE YOU READ IN THE BIBLE WHERE IT SAYS IN HEBREWS THAT SOME 27:59 HAVE ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARE? HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF YOU 28:02 SHOWED THAT KINDNESS TO AN ANGEL? 28:05 AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LOOKING LIKE A PERSON PANHANDLING AT AN 28:07 INTERSECTION OR SOMEONE ELSE THAT NEEDED YOUR HELP. 28:13 EVEN IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES IT TALKS ABOUT THIS OLD MAN COMING 28:16 FROM THE FIELDS, SAW THIS LEVITE AND HIS CONCUBINE AND HE SAYS, 28:21 'COME STAY IN MY HOME. LET ALL YOUR NEEDS FALL 28:23 UPON ME.' AND THERE YOU HAD HOSPITALITY. 28:26 SO PART OF BEING A NEIGHBOR AND PART OF 28:27 WITNESSING IS WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HOME. 28:29 AND - ALRIGHT, SO LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SECTION: THE WHOLE 28:33 RECIPE - IT TALKS ABOUT HERE. AND IF YOU LOOK IN MATTHEW 5:13 28:39 AND SOME OF THESE METAPHORS WE'VE USED BEFORE, BUT WE'RE 28:42 LOOKING AT AGAIN - IT SAYS, "YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH; BUT 28:46 IF THE SALT LOSES ITS FLAVOR, HOW SHALL IT BE SEASONED? 28:50 IT IS THEN GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT TO BE THROWN OUT AND TRAMPLED 28:53 UNDERFOOT BY MEN." IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SALT 28:56 SAFE, KEEP IT IN A SHAKER WITH ALL THE OTHER SALT. 28:59 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES - IT CAN 29:01 BE COMFORTABLE TO LIVE IN A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. 29:04 YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME TOWNS WHERE WE'VE GOT OUR COLLEGES AND 29:07 UNIVERSITIES AND MEDICAL CENTERS AND YOU'VE GOT A GREAT 29:09 CONCENTRATION OF BELIEVERS IN THAT AREA. 29:12 BUT YOU WONDER, HOW MUCH REAL EVANGELISM IS HAPPENING? 29:15 DOESN'T THE LORD WANT US TO GO OUT AND DISPERSE? 29:19 NOW HERE, WE PLANTED THIS CHURCH IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA - AND 29:23 SACRAMENTO IS NOT A - WE DON'T HAVE A SCHOOL HERE. 29:28 WE DON'T HAVE A HOSPITAL HERE. THIS IS WHERE REAL PEOPLE LIVE. 29:30 AND WE ALL - MOST OF US - WHEN WE LEAVE CHURCH, WE GO AND WE 29:33 WORK OUT IN THE WORKPLACE WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF FOLKS AND 29:37 WE HAVE A CHANCE TO DISPERSE OUR INFLUENCE AND TRY TO BRING 29:41 PEOPLE TO THE LORD. AND IT'S JUST - IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE 29:45 TO DO THAT. MATTER OF FACT, THIS MORNING, OUT IN THE FOYER BY THE 29:48 WATER FOUNTAIN, ONE OF YOU CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, 'I WAS 29:51 WORKING IN A HOSPITAL AND A MAN IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM ASKED IF I 29:56 WAS A BELIEVER.' - MAYBE THEY WERE SICK AND THEY WANTED TO 29:58 KNOW - THEY SAID, 'I AM.' HE SAID, 'WHAT CHURCH DO YOU GO 30:01 TO?' HE SAID, 'I'M A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST.' HE SAID, 'OH, I'M A 30:03 BAPTIST BUT DO YOU KNOW DOUG BATCHELOR? I WATCH HIS 30:06 PROGRAMS.' (LAUGHTER) AND SO, IT'S FUN TO KNOW PEOPLE ARE OUT 30:09 THERE THAT YOU'RE HAVING AN INFLUENCE AND THAT THEY'RE 30:12 LISTENING. AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS EXCITING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE 30:15 PURPOSE OF SALT IS - IT'S TO BE DISPERSED. 30:19 YOU KNOW, WE SAW SOME JUST TRAGIC THINGS IN THE NEWS TODAY 30:23 - THIS WEEK - AND, YOU KNOW, IT COULD KIND OF BE SUMMED UP IN - 30:29 JESUS SAID IN THE LAST DAYS THE LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD. 30:33 THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ANGER AND HATRED AND A LOT OF DIVISION. 30:41 AND IT'S NOT JUST SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH 30:46 THE POLICE AND RACE - POLITICS - ALL OF THIS IS REACHING A 30:51 FEVERED PITCH. BUT JESUS SAID IN THE LAST DAYS, BECAUSE THE LOVE 30:59 OF MANY WILL GROW COLD - THERE'LL BE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. 31:02 AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING - 'BECAUSE LAWLESSNESS WILL 31:04 ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD.' YOU KNOW WHAT LAW - 31:09 LAWLESSNESS IS ABOUNDING WHEN YOU CAST OUT THE LAW OF GOD. 31:14 WE'VE EVEN SEEN SOME LAWS THAT HAVE HAPPENED FROM THE SUPREME 31:16 COURT, IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THAT HAVE BASICALLY 31:18 THROWN OUT LAWS OF GOD THAT WERE MORALS IN OUR SOCIETY. 31:23 AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING IT HAVE AFTERSHOCKS IN A 31:28 CULTURE. 'BECAUSE LAWLESSNESS ABOUNDS, 31:32 THE LOVE OF MANY GROWS COLD.' HOW DO YOU MELT ICE? 31:38 WHAT DO THEY PUT ON THE ROADS IN MICHIGAN - CHICAGO? 31:42 >>SALT. >>SALT. NOT VERY GOOD FOR THE 31:44 CARS, BUT IT HELPS THE ROADS BE SAFER. AND SALT MELTS ICE. 31:49 YOU AND I ARE TO BE SALT TO MELT THAT ICE. 31:52 YOU CAN READ IN COLOSSIANS, 'LET YOUR SPEECH ALWAYS BE SEASONED 31:57 WITH SALT THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW HOW YOU OUGHT TO ANSWER.' HAVE 32:01 GRACE IN YOUR WORDS AND IN YOUR CONVERSATION. 32:04 NOW, ARE CHRISTIANS IN NORTH AMERICA BEING EFFECTIVE IN 32:10 SHARING OUR FAITH? LET ME READ YOU A COUPLE OF POLLS. 32:16 A CNN POLL - 2009 - 'AMERICA IS A LESS CHRISTIAN NATION THAN IT 32:21 WAS 20 YEARS AGO.' NOW THIS IS A POLL FROM 2009, STARTING HERE. 32:26 'CHRISTIANITY IS NOT LOSING OUT TO OTHER RELIGIONS BUT, 32:29 PRIMARILY, A REJECTION OF RELIGION ALTOGETHER. 32:32 A SURVEY PUBLISHED MONDAY FOUND 75% OF AMERICANS CALL THEMSELVES 32:36 CHRISTIANS, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS 32:38 IDENTIFICATION SURVEY FROM TRINITY COLLEGE IN HARTFORD, 32:41 CONNECTICUT. IN 1990 THE FIGURE WAS 86%. 32:45 SO BETWEEN 1990 AND 2009, THE PERCENTAGE OF CHRISTIANS IN 32:51 NORTH AMERICA WENT FROM 86% TO 75%. 32:56 DO YOU REALIZE THAT IS A PRECIPITOUS DECLINE? 32:59 BUT WAIT, IT GETS BETTER - OR WORSE. 33:03 WASHINGTON 2015 - THE UNITED STATES IS A SIGNIFICANTLY LESS 33:08 CHRISTIAN COUNTRY THAN WE WERE SEVEN YEARS AGO. THE PEW 33:12 RESEARCH CENTER'S NEWEST REPORT SAID, 'IN AMERICA'S CHANGING 33:16 RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE, RELEASED TUESDAY, CHRISTIANITY STILL 33:19 DOMINATES THE RELIGIOUS IDENTITY NOW 70% - DOWN FROM 75%. 33:27 BUT THE SURVEY SHOWS A DRAMATIC SHIFT AS MORE PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF 33:31 THE DOORS OF DENOMINATIONS, SHEDDING SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS 33:34 ALONG THE WAY. NEARLY 8%-POINT DROP IN THOSE 33:37 CALLING THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS FROM 78% TO 70.6% 33:42 IN JUST SEVEN YEARS. THEY USED A DIFFERENT 33:44 STARTING POINT. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. 33:48 IF THOSE NUMBERS ARE ACCURATE, CHRISTIANITY IS CERTAINLY 33:50 SHRINKING IN AMERICA AT A RATE THAT, IF IT CONTINUES OVER THE 33:54 COMING YEARS AND DECADES, WILL PRODUCE PROFOUND CULTURAL 33:57 CHANGE. ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS HAVE 34:01 NEARLY DOUBLED THEIR SHARE OF THE RELIGIOUS MARKETPLACE. 34:04 AN OVERALL INDIFFERENCE TO RELIGION OF ANY SORT IS RISING 34:08 AS WELL. ONLY HISTORICALLY BLACK 34:12 PROTESTANT CHURCHES HAVE HAD A STEADY GRIP THROUGH THE YEARS. 34:15 THEY'VE HAD A SMALL DECREASE, BUT THEY'VE HELD FAIRLY STEADY. 34:21 WHAT DOES THAT TELL US? 34:22 HOW GOOD ARE WE DOING AT BEING SALT IN OUR COMMUNITY? 34:26 NOW, YOU KNOW, DON'T WANT TO PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK TOO MUCH, 34:30 BUT YOU'LL BE A LITTLE ENCOURAGED TO KNOW THAT 34:32 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS IN NORTH AMERICA ARE GROWING. 34:36 NOT THE ANGLOS, THEY ARE DECLINING. 34:40 IT IS THE MINORITY CHURCHES THAT ARE GROWING. 34:45 THE ANGLO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES ARE IN DECLINE. 34:49 AND SO, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO FOR US TO BE 34:53 MISSIONARIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHY IS THAT? 34:59 WHAT'S MAKING SUCH A CHANGE WHERE CHRISTIANITY SEEMS TO BE 35:01 SHRIVELING IN NORTH AMERICA? >>WE HAVE THINGS TOO GOOD. 35:07 >>IT'S A - SEVERAL THINGS, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I THINK THE 35:08 CHIEF FACTOR IS: PEOPLE ARE THE SUM TOTAL OF WHAT THEY HEAR AND 35:15 WHAT THEY SEE AND THE MEDIA IS SO SECULAR. 35:20 THE MEDIA DOES SO MUCH TO MOCK THE BELIEFS OF THE BIBLE AND 35:24 CHRISTIANITY IS BEING DERIDED ON EVERY FRONT, BY THE MEDIA, THAT 35:28 IT'S HAVING AN EFFECT. AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE - AND 35:32 THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT RELIGIOUS SCANDAL, PEOPLE 35:34 LOSE ANY KIND OF CONFIDENCE IN CHRISTIANITY. 35:37 SO ALL THESE THINGS ARE COMING TOGETHER. 35:39 HAS THERE EVER BEEN A GREATER NEED? 35:41 YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GREW UP YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT, 'SOMEDAY I'M 35:44 GOING TO GO BE A MISSIONARY. I AM GOING TO GO TO SOME JUNGLE 35:47 SOMEWHERE AND I AM GOING TO SERVE JESUS AND BRING THOSE 35:50 PAGANS TO THE SAVIOR. HOW FAR DO YOU NEED TO GO NOW? 35:55 >>ACROSS THE STREET. >>YEAH, JUST GO ACROSS THE 35:58 STREET - MAYBE EVEN JUST NEXT DOOR. 36:02 YOU MIGHT NOT NEED TO CROSS THE STREET. 36:05 AND THERE'S PLENTY - IT MIGHT BE THE CUBICLE NEXT TO YOU WHERE 36:08 YOU WORK. THERE'S PLENTY OF MISSION 36:10 WORK, RIGHT NEARBY, AMEN? >>AMEN. 36:14 >>SO WE SEE THINGS HAPPENING HERE. 36:16 ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SALT AND THERE ARE SOME 36:20 CHALLENGES HERE. NOW, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 36:23 BEING SALT - YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT - IN A MOMENT SOMEONE'S 36:28 GOING TO READ 1 PETER 3:1 AND 2 - OKAY, YOU'LL HAVE THAT? 36:33 I TALKED LAST WEEK ABOUT REACHING JESUS ON THE OUTSIDE IN 36:36 YOUR COMMUNITY - BEING SALT IN THE COMMUNITY. 36:39 DO YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO NEED TO BE SALT IN YOUR OWN HOME? 36:43 YOU HAVE A SANCTIFYING INFLUENCE IN YOUR FAMILY. 36:46 LET ME READ SOMETHING TO YOU FROM 1 CORINTHIANS 7 - YOU MAY 36:48 NOT HAVE EVER READ THIS THIS WAY BEFORE - 1 CORINTHIANS 7, VERSE 36:51 12, "BUT TO THE REST I, NOT THE LORD, SAY: 'IF ANY BROTHER HAS A 36:57 WIFE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE," - NOW WHAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT 37:00 HERE - HE SAYS, 'DON'T BE UNEQUALLY YOKED' - BELIEVERS 37:02 SHOULD NOT MARRY UNBELIEVERS, IS THAT CLEAR? 37:05 BUT WHEN PAUL WENT OUT PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES, 37:09 THERE WERE A LOT OF GENTILES WHERE ONE HUSBAND OR WIFE WOULD 37:12 BELIEVE AND THE OTHER WOULD NOT. SO ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY FOUND 37:15 THEMSELVES WHERE ONE ACCEPTED THE LORD AND THE OTHER HAD NOT 37:17 AND YOU'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'VE GOT A DIVIDED HOME. 37:20 AND SO THAT'S WHAT HE'S ADDRESSING HERE. 37:23 AND IT SAID IF HE HAS A WIFE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE "AND SHE IS 37:27 WILLING TO LIVE WITH HIM, LET HIM NOT DIVORCE HER. 37:30 AND A WOMAN WHO HAS A HUSBAND WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE, IF HE IS 37:34 WILLING TO LIVE WITH HER, LET HER NOT DIVORCE HIM. 37:37 FOR THE UNBELIEVING HUSBAND IS SANCTIFIED BY THE WIFE, AND THE 37:42 UNBELIEVING WIFE IS SANCTIFIED BY THE HUSBAND; OTHERWISE YOUR 37:46 CHILDREN WOULD BE UNCLEAN, BUT NOW THEY ARE HOLY." 37:49 THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING PHRASE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN 37:53 BEFORE THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE IS A 37:55 SANCTIFYING INFLUENCE OF PRAYER OF A BELIEVING FAMILY AND PARENT 38:02 MEMBER - OR PARENT IN THAT FAMILY ON THE CHILDREN. THERE 38:05 ARE BLESSINGS THEY GET TO CLAIM BECAUSE OF THE BELIEVING PARENT. 38:09 AND HE'S SAYING, 'DON'T, YOU KNOW, ABANDON YOUR CHILDREN' - 38:12 OR 'DON'T LOSE THAT INFLUENCE UPON THEM.' AND HE GOES ON TO 38:17 SAY, "FOR HOW DO YOU KNOW, O WIFE, WHETHER YOU WILL SAVE YOUR 38:20 HUSBAND? OR HOW DO YOU KNOW, O HUSBAND, WHETHER YOU WILL SAVE 38:23 YOUR WIFE?" BY STICKING WITH THEM AND BY 38:25 TRYING TO MODEL IT - THAT'LL LEAD US TO THE NEXT VERSE. 38:28 LET'S GO AHEAD AND READ 1 PETER 3:1 AND 2. 38:32 >>"WIVES, LIKEWISE, BE SUBMISSIVE TO YOUR OWN HUSBANDS, 38:35 THAT EVEN IF SOME DO NOT OBEY THE WORD, THEY, WITHOUT A WORD, 38:39 MAY BE WON BY THE CONDUCT OF THEIR WIVES, WHEN THEY OBSERVE 38:42 YOUR CHASTE CONDUCT ACCOMPANIED BY FEAR." 38:45 >>YEAH, ISN'T THIS INTERESTING THAT THROUGH THE BEHAVIOR AND - 38:51 WHERE'S THE HARDEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO BE A MISSIONARY? 38:53 >>HOME. >>YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO 38:57 BE A CHRISTIAN, WHAT INTEGRITY IS - IT MEANS THAT YOU'RE THE 39:00 SAME PERSON IN PUBLIC AS YOU ARE IN PRIVATE. YOU'RE THE SAME 39:04 PERSON WHEN PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT WATCHING. 39:07 AND CHRISTIANS SHOULD HAVE INTEGRITY. 39:09 AND WE OUGHT TO BE LOVING AND CONSISTENT AND NICE AND POLITE 39:12 IN OUR FAMILIES AND WE OUGHT TO BE THAT WAY IN THE PUBLIC. 39:15 AND IF YOUR UNBELIEVING WIFE OR HUSBAND SEES THAT YOU ARE A 39:20 CHRISTIAN HUGGING YOUR BIBLE WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCH, BUT 39:22 YOU'RE ROTTEN AND CANTANKEROUS WHEN YOU COME HOME, YOU'RE 39:25 PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WIN THEM TO THE LORD. 39:28 BUT IF THEY SEE THAT YOU LOVE THEM AND YOU LOVE THE LORD IN 39:32 PUBLIC, AND YOU LOVE THEM AND YOU LOVE THE LORD IN PRIVATE AND 39:36 THERE'S KINDNESS AND THERE'S COURTESY AND WHEN YOU NEED TO 39:38 APOLOGIZE YOU APOLOGIZE AND YOU TRY TO DEMONSTRATE THE CHRISTIAN 39:42 FRUITS AND VIRTUES, IT SOFTENS HEARTS. IF YOU SHOW THAT JESUS 39:47 HAS BROUGHT JOY TO YOU, THEY WILL WANT THAT JOY. 39:51 BUT IF YOU'RE COMPLAINING AND CRABBY AND GRIPING AND - AND YOU 39:56 WONDER WHY YOUR UNBELIEVING HUSBAND OR WIFE HAS NOT BEEN 40:00 CONVERTED, WELL, ARE YOU LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE? 40:05 NOW I'M NOT TRYING TO GIVE YOU A HARD TIME, BUT ISN'T THAT TRUE? 40:10 IT SAYS LET THEM SEE YOUR BEHAVIOR AND THAT'LL HAVE A 40:14 SANCTIFYING INFLUENCE. SO THIS IS PART OF THE CHURCH IN 40:17 THE COMMUNITY - STARTS IN THE FAMILY. 40:19 CAN YOU SAY 'AMEN'? >>AMEN. 40:21 >>THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO 40:23 TO THE NEXT SECTION ON BEING A FARMER. 40:25 AND HERE JESUS IS TAKING A PARABLE AND - AND HE'S NOT 40:29 ACTUALLY TAKING A PARABLE, HE'S USING AN ILLUSTRATION. 40:32 AFTER HE SHARED WITH THE WOMAN AT THE WELL, ABOUT HE WAS THE 40:39 LIVING WATER, SHE WAS SO EXCITED - HE REVEALED HE'S THE MESSIAH - 40:43 SHE GOES BACK IMMEDIATELY AND SHE TELLS THE PEOPLE IN THEIR 40:47 COMMUNITY, 'COME SEE A MAN THAT SHOWED ME ALL THAT EVER I DID.' 40:50 YOU CAN FIND THAT PHRASE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN - 40:53 'COME AND SEE - COME AND SEE. 40:55 YOU COME TO JESUS AND YOU SEE.' AND SO WHEN SHE GOES AND SHE 41:01 TELLS THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME, THE DISCIPLES 41:06 COME BACK AND THEY SEE THAT JESUS WAS TALKING TO THIS WOMAN, 41:08 SHE'S LEFT, AND THEY'RE WONDERING WHAT - WHAT - THEY 41:11 WERE - HE WAS DOING TALKING TO A SAMARITAN - A PAGAN - AND THEN 41:16 ALL THESE PEOPLE BEGIN TO COME OUT OF THE CITY OF SICHAR - THIS 41:20 SAMARITAN VILLAGE - AND JESUS SEES THE PEOPLE COMING BECAUSE 41:23 THEY WANT TO SEE THIS MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MESSIAH - 41:26 THE PROPHET - AND HE SAID, 'DO YOU NOT SAY THERE ARE STILL FOUR 41:29 MONTHS AND THEN COMES THE HARVEST? 41:31 BEHOLD, I SAY TO YOU, 'LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT THE FIELDS 41:35 FOR THEY ARE ALREADY WHITE FOR HARVEST. YOU KNOW, WHEN - YOU 41:40 USUALLY DON'T HARVEST THE GRAIN WHEN IT'S ALL GREEN. 41:43 SUMMER COMES AND THE GRAIN BEGINS TO DRY OUT AND THEY OPEN 41:47 UP AND IT - IT'S WHITE FOR HARVEST, YOU CAN TELL. 41:52 'AND HE WHO REAPS RECEIVES WAGES AND HE GATHERS FRUIT UNTO 41:55 ETERNAL LIFE THAT BOTH HE WHO SOWS AND HE WHO REAPS MAY 41:59 REJOICE TOGETHER. FOR IN THIS THE SAYING IS TRUE. 42:03 ONE SOWS AND ANOTHER REAPS. I SENT YOU TO REAP THAT FOR 42:06 WHICH YOU'VE NOT LABORED. OTHERS HAVE LABORED AND HAVE 42:08 ENTERED INTO THEIR LABORS.' SO PART OF BEING A CHRISTIAN AND 42:13 A WITNESS IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS THAT WE ALL FARM TOGETHER. 42:17 THAT MEANS WE USE OUR DIFFERENT GIFTS. 42:21 SOME ARE PASTORS, SOME ARE EVANGELISTS - SOME ARE PASTORS 42:26 AND EVANGELISTS. SOME HAVE GIFTS OF ADMINISTRATION. 42:29 SOME HAVE GIFTS OF HELP. SOME HAVE GIFTS OF COOKING, 42:34 MUSIC - ALL KINDS OF GIFTS THAT A PERSON HAS. 42:37 WHEN YOU WORK AS A CHURCH FAMILY, YOU ARE ONE BODY WITH 42:40 MANY DIFFERENT MEMBERS - I'D BETTER BE CAREFUL, I THINK 42:42 THERE'S A LESSON COMING ON THAT LATER. I DON'T WANT TO DO IT ALL 42:45 NOW. BUT IT'S LIKE WE'RE ONE BODY WITH DIFFERENT GIFTS AND 42:49 DIFFERENT MEMBERS AND WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER - IT'S BEAUTIFUL 42:51 TO SEE A CHURCH GET INVOLVED IN EVANGELISM, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S 42:54 USING THEIR SPIRITUAL GIFTS, ALL MAKING SACRIFICES AND PUTTING 42:58 THEIR ENERGY INTO THE COMMON GOAL OF FULFILLING THE GREAT 43:01 COMMISSION OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL - LEADING PEOPLE TO 43:04 CHRIST. AND - BUT PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR DIFFERENT GIFTS, BUT 43:09 WE ALL HARVEST AND REJOICE TOGETHER. 43:12 NOW, DID JESUS SAY THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PEOPLE OUT 43:16 THERE JUST AREN'T INTERESTED IN CHRISTIANITY? 43:18 IS THAT WHY CHRISTIANITY IS ON THE DECLINE? 43:21 I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT I THINK PEOPLE ARE LOOKING MORE 43:25 NOW FOR ANSWERS THAN ANY TIME I CAN REMEMBER IN MY LIFE. 43:29 PEOPLE ARE MORE FRIGHTENED AND WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE. 43:31 PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON. 43:34 THEY MAY NOT AFFILIATE WITH ANY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, BUT THEY 43:37 ARE SEARCHING. THEY ARE SCARED. 43:40 THEY SEE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD THAT IS UNPRECEDENTED. 43:44 AND DOES IT LOOK LIKE TERRORISM IS BEING - THE WAR AGAINST 43:48 TERRORISM IS BEING WON - THAT IT'S GOING AWAY? 43:51 OR IS IT GETTING NOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALMOST SHRUGGING WHEN 43:55 THEY HEAR ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE BLOWN UP IN BAGHDAD. 43:58 AND WE SHAKE OUR HEADS AND SAY, 'ISN'T THAT AWFUL?' 44:00 AND GO ON OUR WAY. AND WE'RE BECOMING NUMB TO IT BECAUSE IT'S 44:03 BECOMING SO COMMON. AND SO PEOPLE ARE - THEY'RE FRIGHTENED. 44:08 AND WHAT KIND OF WORLD - AND IF CHRISTIANS ARE BEING THE SALT IN 44:11 THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE, THEN YOU'LL SEE A HARVEST. 44:15 1 CORINTHIANS - ONE SOWS, ANOTHER REAPS - 1 CORINTHIANS 44:19 3:5 THROUGH 8. PAUL IS WRITING, "WHO THEN IS 44:23 PAUL, AND WHO IS APOLLOS, BUT MINISTERS THROUGH WHOM YOU 44:25 BELIEVED, AS THE LORD GAVE TO EACH ONE?" 44:27 - NOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IS PAUL WAS WRITING TO THE CHURCH IN 44:30 CORINTH AND THEY WERE MAKING GROUPEES OUT OF THE APOSTLES. 44:34 APOLLOS ENDED UP BECOMING A VERY SUCCESSFUL ELDER AND LATER, 44:38 EVIDENTLY, LOOKED UPON AS AN APOSTLE IN THE CHURCH - OR AT 44:41 LEAST AN EVANGELIST. 44:44 SOME WERE SAYING, 'I WAS BAPTIZED BY PAUL AND HE'S DONE 44:46 MORE MIRACLES THAN APOLLOS.' AND SOME SAID, 'OH, APOLLOS IS EVEN 44:49 A BETTER PREACHER - HE'S A BETTER ORATOR THAN EVEN PAUL. 44:52 AND PAUL'S SMALL AND HE'S SQUINTY. 44:53 HE CAN'T SEE VERY WELL.' AND THEY WERE MAKING THESE IDOLS AND 44:55 PUTTING POSTERS OF APOLLOS AND PAUL - AND THEY WERE GETTING 44:59 DIVIDED OVER THAT. YOU KNOW, 'WHO BAPTIZED YOU?' 45:01 'I WAS BAPTIZED BY HIM.' AND PAUL IS SAYING, 'IT HAS NOTHING 45:05 TO DO WITH THE MINISTER.' HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BEFORE? 45:10 PEOPLE KIND OF FOLLOWING MINISTERS LIKE ROCK STARS? 45:13 AND THAT'S NOT GOD'S PLAN. MATTER OF FACT, I READ AGAIN 45:16 THIS WEEK WHERE JESUS SAID, 'DON'T BE CALLED 'FATHER, 45:20 FATHER' - DON'T BE CALLED 'RABBI, RABBI' - YOU HAVE ONE 45:22 RABBI.' HE SAYS WE'RE NOT TO BE GIVING THESE ELEGANT TITLES. 45:26 IN OUR CHURCH WE KIND OF SHUN BEING CALLED REVEREND, BECAUSE 45:31 THE BIBLE SAYS 'HOLY AND REVEREND IS HIS NAME.' EVERY 45:35 MINISTER, WHETHER YOUR GIFT IS PREACHING OR EVANGELISM OR 45:38 WHATEVER YOUR GIFT IS, ALL OF US WORK TOGETHER. 45:42 JESUS SAID, 'I CAME AS ONE TO SERVE. 45:45 I'M YOUR MASTER BUT I'M A SERVANT.' THE APOSTLES SAID, 45:48 'WE'RE SERVANTS.' AND SO THAT'S WHAT PAUL IS REITERATING HERE. 45:51 HE'S SAYING, "...THE LORD GAVE TO EACH ONE. 45:55 I PLANTED, APOLLOS WATERED, BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE." 45:58 - WE'RE FARMING TOGETHER - "SO THEN NEITHER HE WHO PLANTS IS 46:01 ANYTHING, NOR HE WHO WATERS, BUT GOD WHO GIVES THE INCREASE. 46:06 NOW HE WHO PLANTS AND HE WHO WATERS ARE ONE," - WE'RE WORKING 46:09 TOGETHER - "AND EACH ONE WILL RECEIVE HIS OWN REWARD ACCORDING 46:12 TO HIS OWN LABOR." PERIODICALLY WE'LL GET A TESTIMONY IN THE 46:16 MAIL AT AMAZING FACTS AND IT'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, 'BROTHER DOUG, 46:22 I WENT TO MARK FINLEY'S NET 95 MEETING AND THEN I WENT TO 46:27 DWIGHT NELSON'S NET 98 MEETING, AND THEN I WENT TO NET 99 AND 46:32 ALL OF IT TOGETHER FINALLY GOT MY ATTENTION.' AND I'LL TAKE 46:35 THAT AND I'LL COPY AND E-MAIL IT AND I'LL SEND IT TO PASTOR 46:38 NELSON, I'LL SEND IT TO MARK FINLEY, AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL 46:40 QUOTE THIS VERSE - 'ONE PLANTED, ONE WATERED' AND - JUST TO SHOW 46:45 THAT SOMETIMES IT'S SEVERAL THINGS. 46:48 THE BAPTISM OF NAAMAN - YOU KNOW THE STORY OF NAAMAN THE LEPER? 46:54 WHO GETS THE CREDIT FOR NAAMAN'S CONVERSION? 46:57 THE LITTLE GIRL WHO SAID, 'YOU NEED TO GO WASH IN THE JORDAN?' 47:01 WAS IT THE SERVANT OF ELISHA - THE LITTLE GIRL WHO SAID, 'YOU 47:05 NEED TO SEE ELISHA', THE SERVANT OF ELISHA WHO SAID, 'YOU NEED TO 47:10 WASH IN THE JORDAN', OR HIS SOLDIERS WHO SAID, 'YOU NEED TO 47:14 LISTEN TO THE PROPHET'? HE GOT THREE DIFFERENT MESSAGES 47:18 AND HE FINALLY LISTENED, THEN HE GOT BAPTIZED. 47:20 SO WHO GETS THE CREDIT? EVERYONE'S WORKING TOGETHER. 47:24 AND SO THIS IS WHAT PAUL IS SAYING AND THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS 47:27 SAYING IN OUR LESSON TODAY. SO ONE PLANTS, ANOTHER SOWS. 47:32 MATTHEW 9:35, "AND JESUS WENT ABOUT" - NOW, YOU'LL NOTICE, 47:37 WHAT IS OUR MEMORY VERSE? 47:40 YOU REMEMBER WE READ OUR MEMORY VERSE IN MATTHEW 4:23? 47:42 I WANT YOU TO CATCH SOMETHING HERE - MATTHEW 4:23 - MEMORY 47:46 VERSE - "AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL GALILEE, TEACHING IN THEIR 47:48 SYNAGOGUES, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING ALL 47:51 KINDS OF SICKNESS AND ALL KINDS OF DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE." 47:53 NOW JUMP TO MATTHEW 9:35, "THEN JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL THE CITIES 47:59 AND VILLAGES, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, PREACHING THE GOSPEL 48:02 OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING EVERY SICKNESS AND EVERY DISEASE 48:05 AMONG THE PEOPLE." THAT SOUND SIMILAR? 48:09 MATTHEW'S JUST REITERATING THAT - HE DID IT IN CAPERNAUM, YOU 48:12 KNOW, HE DID IT UP IN NAZARETH. HE WENT DOWN TO JERUSALEM. 48:16 HE WENT EVERYWHERE PREACHING THE GOSPEL, HEALING SICKNESS - YOU 48:21 KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT VERSE BECAUSE DID JESUS HAVE A COUNTRY 48:25 MINISTRY? HE WENT TO THE VILLAGES. 48:28 DID HE HAVE A CITY MINISTRY? HE WENT TO ALL THE 48:31 CITIES AND THE VILLAGES. DID HE HAVE A TEACHING MINISTRY? 48:35 IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEACHING AND PREACHING? 48:38 IT SAYS HE SAT DOWN AND TAUGHT THE PEOPLE. 48:40 BUT IN THE SYNAGOGUE HE STOOD UP AND HE PREACHED AND HE READ THE 48:42 BIBLE. AND HE WAS PREACHING THE GOSPEL 48:45 - TEACHING - PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM. 48:49 HEALING - DID HE HAVE A MEDICAL MINISTRY? 48:51 >>YES. >>AND DID HE DO IT IN 48:54 THE CONTEXT OF A CHURCH? DID HE GO TO SYNAGOGUES? 48:57 A SYNAGOGUE WAS THE GATHERING. IT WAS THE CHURCH. 49:00 SO HE HAD A - HE DID CHURCH-BASED MINISTRY AND HE DID 49:04 ALL THIS HEALING - ALL KINDS OF DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE. 49:07 AND IT GOES ON TO SAY, IN VERSE 6 - I'M STILL IN MATTHEW 9:35-38 49:15 - "BUT WHEN HE SAW THE MULTITUDES, HE WAS MOVED WITH 49:18 COMPASSION FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE WEARY AND SCATTERED, 49:21 LIKE SHEEP HAVING NO SHEPHERD. THEN HE SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, 49:25 'THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTIFUL, BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW. 49:28 THEREFORE PRAY THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT LABORERS 49:32 INTO HIS HARVEST.'" PROBLEM ISN'T THAT PEOPLE 49:34 DON'T WANT TO HEAR. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE 49:36 WILLING TO SHARE. >>AMEN. 49:38 >>FINAL SECTION IS UNDER CHURCH PLANTING - MATTHEW 10:5-10, 49:44 "THESE TWELVE JESUS SENT OUT AND COMMANDED THEM, SAYING: 'DO NOT 49:48 GO INTO THE WAY OF THE GENTILES,'" - NOT YET - THAT 49:50 HAPPENED AFTER PENTECOST - "'DO NOT ENTER'" - AND, BY THE WAY, 49:54 IT DIDN'T GO IN THE WAY OF THE GENTILES, REALLY, UNTIL AFTER. 49:59 THEY DID START PREACHING IN SAMARIA, BUT THEY DIDN'T GO 50:01 REALLY TO THE GENTILES UNTIL AFTER THE STONING OF STEPHEN - 50:05 AFTER THAT 490-YEAR PROPHECY THERE WAS A GREAT PERSECUTION 50:08 AND THEY WENT EVERYWHERE PREACHING THE GOSPEL. 50:11 - HE SAID, "'DO NOT GO IN THE WAY OF THE GENTILES... 50:12 BUT GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL." 50:15 - "'AND DO NOT ENTER A CITY OF THE SAMARITANS. 50:18 BUT GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. 50:20 AND AS YOU GO, PREACH, SAYING, 'THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT 50:24 HAND.'" - THEY WERE PROBABLY ALSO SAYING, 'REPENT FOR THE 50:27 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND - "'HEAL THE SICK, CLEANSE THE 50:30 LEPERS, RAISE THE DEAD, CAST OUT DEMONS.'" - WE'LL TALK ABOUT 50:33 THAT DURING OUR SERMON - "'FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, 50:36 FREELY GIVE. PROVIDE NEITHER GOLD NOR SILVER, 50:39 NOR COPPER IN YOUR MONEY BELTS, NOR BAG FOR YOUR JOURNEY, NOR 50:43 TWO TUNICS, NOR SANDALS, NOR STAFFS; FOR A WORKER IS WORTHY 50:47 OF HIS FOOD.'" YOU KNOW WHAT HE WAS SAYING? 50:51 DON'T PACK A LOT OF EVERYTHING SO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR SUPPLIES 50:55 TAKEN CARE OF. GO LIGHT SO THAT YOU CAN GO FAR. 51:00 TRUST THAT I WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU THROUGH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU 51:04 PREACH TO. THERE WILL BE SOME THAT WILL TAKE YOU IN. 51:08 THAT'S WHY HE SAID - GO TO MARK 6, FOR INSTANCE, VERSE 7, "AND 51:15 HE CALLED THE TWELVE TO HIMSELF, AND BEGAN TO SEND THEM OUT TWO 51:17 BY TWO," - SO HOW DO WE GO? SEE, MATTHEW 10 LEFT THAT OUT. 51:21 HE SENT THEM OUT - SO THE TWELVE DISCIPLES, HE SENDS THEM OUT 51:23 TWO-BY-TWO. HOW MANY GROUPS IS THAT? SIX GROUPS. 51:26 AND THEN HE SENT OUT SEVENTY, LATER, TWO-BY-TWO, WHICH IS 35? 51:33 YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. YOU'VE GOT 35 GROUPS. 51:37 WHY DID HE SEND THEM OUT TWO-BY-TWO? 51:42 SO WHILE ONE IS PREACHING, ONE CAN PRAY. 51:44 YOU CAN ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER. 51:46 IT'S A LOT EASIER TO STAND ON TWO LEGS THAN ONE LEG, RIGHT? 51:49 IT JUST GIVES YOU SUPPORT - AND HE SENT "THEM OUT TWO BY TWO, 51:55 AND GAVE THEM POWER OVER UNCLEAN SPIRITS. HE COMMANDED THEM TO 51:59 TAKE NOTHING FOR THE JOURNEY EXCEPT A STAFF" - THAT'S WHAT 52:02 MOSES AND AARON HAD - "NO BREAD, NO COPPER IN THEIR MONEY BELTS - 52:06 BUT TO WEAR SANDALS, AND NOT TO PUT ON TWO TUNICS. 52:09 ALSO HE SAID TO THEM, 'IN WHATEVER PLACE YOU ENTER A 52:12 HOUSE, STAY THERE.'" - SO THEY WERE TO DO - TEACHING BIBLE 52:15 STUDIES IN THE HOUSE, BUT HE ALSO SAID, 'GO AND PREACH' - 52:19 "'STAY THERE TILL YOU DEPART FROM THAT PLACE. 52:22 AND WHOEVER WILL NOT RECEIVE YOU NOR HEAR YOU, WHEN YOU DEPART 52:25 FROM THERE, SHAKE OFF THE DUST UNDER YOUR FEET AS A TESTIMONY 52:29 AGAINST THEM.'" HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT? 52:33 I HAVE ONCE OR TWICE, WHERE SOMEBODY JUST SLAMMED THE DOOR 52:38 AGAINST THE GOSPEL AND I JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBERED 52:42 THAT VERSE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DUST I HAD ON MY FOOT, BUT 52:45 I SHOOK MY FEET AS I WALKED AWAY. 52:48 I SAID, 'JESUS, YOU TOLD ME TO DO IT.' SHAKE THE DUST OFF YOUR 52:54 FEET FROM THAT PLACE. HE'S SAYING, 'BOY, DON'T EVEN 52:56 WANT THE DUST.' WHY DOES HE SAY THAT? 52:58 HE SAYS, 'THAT HOME - THERE'S A CURSE - IF THEY REJECT YOU AND 53:01 YOU ARE BRINGING THE GOSPEL - THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN 53:05 THE WORLD AND THEY'RE REJECTING THE BLESSINGS OF GOD. 53:08 THEY'RE REJECTING - WHAT'S LEFT IF YOU GET RID OF THE BLESSING 53:10 AND THE LIGHT? DARKNESS AND CURSING. 53:13 HE SAYS, "'IT WILL BE MORE TOLERABLE FOR SODOM AND GOMORRAH 53:16 IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT THAN FOR THAT CITY!' 53:19 SO THEY WENT OUT AND PREACHED THAT PEOPLE SHOULD REPENT. 53:22 AND THEY CAST OUT MANY DEMONS, AND ANOINTED WITH OIL MANY WHO 53:25 WERE SICK, AND HEALED THEM." NOW, YOU'LL NOTICE 53:28 THEY WENT INTO HOMES. MY LAST VERSE HERE IS ACTS 53:31 16:14, "NOW A CERTAIN WOMAN NAMED LYDIA HEARD US. 53:35 SHE WAS A SELLER OF PURPLE FROM THE CITY OF THYATIRA," - THIS 53:38 HAPPENED IN PHILIPPI - "WHO WORSHIPPED GOD. 53:44 THE LORD OPENED HER HEART TO HEED THE THINGS SPOKEN BY PAUL. 53:47 AND WHEN SHE AND HER HOUSEHOLD WERE BAPTIZED, SHE BEGGED US, 53:50 SAYING, 'IF YOU HAVE JUDGED ME TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE LORD, COME 53:53 TO MY HOUSE AND STAY.' SO SHE PERSUADED US." 53:56 SO THAT OFTEN HAPPENED BACK THEN. 53:58 NOW, AS EVANGELISTS TRAVEL, THEY TYPICALLY STAY - YOU KNOW, WHEN 54:00 I FIRST STARTED DOING EVANGELISM, SEVERAL TIMES 54:03 I WOULD STAY IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE. UP IN PARADISE, I STAYED 54:05 IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE. IN SANTA ROSA I STAYED 54:08 IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE. UKIAH - THEY HAD A - YEAH, IT 54:11 WAS A GUEST HOME ATTACHED TO THE CARETAKER'S HOME - A ROOM - AND 54:14 YOU'D OFTEN STAY WITH PEOPLE. NOW IT'S JUST A LOT MORE COMMON 54:18 PEOPLE STAY IN HOTELS AS THEY TRAVEL. 54:22 BUT THEY USED TO STAY IN HOMES. THEY'D GIVE BIBLE STUDIES. 54:24 AND THERE'S AN INFLUENCE THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE IN A HOME 54:26 WITH SOMEBODY AND YOU SEE THEM LIVING OUT THEIR CHRISTIANITY. 54:30 SO HERE HE'S TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC PREACHING, HE'S TALKING 54:32 ABOUT DOING HOME MISSION WORK AND HAVING AN INFLUENCE IN THE 54:36 COMMUNITY THROUGH THESE - THESE DIFFERENT METHODS. 54:40 TIME IS UP BUT I WANT TO REMIND THOSE WHO, MAYBE, MISSED THE 54:42 OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT, WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER. 54:45 CALL 866-788-3966 - READ STEPS TO CHRIST - I READ THIS 54:50 SOMETIMES - ONCE A YEAR. 54:51 IT IS A WONDERFUL BOOK AND IT'LL REALLY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE 54:55 GOSPEL AND THEN SHARE IT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. 54:57 GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS, UNTIL WE STUDY HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN 55:00 NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 55:13 >>EVERY NOW AND THEN, IN THE PANORAMA OF HISTORY, WE HEAR 55:15 ABOUT INDIVIDUALS THAT GO FROM THE LOWEST DEPTHS TO THE HIGHEST 55:19 PINNACLES. THEY EMERGE FROM THE SHACKLES 55:21 OF PRISON TO LEAD AND INSPIRE A NATION. 55:25 TAKE JOSEPH, FOR INSTANCE: HE'S SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS AS A SLAVE, 55:29 THEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND THRUST INTO PRISON. 55:32 YET, THROUGH A SERIES OF DIVINE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE MIRACULOUSLY 55:35 GOES FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE, RULING THE ONES WHO ONCE 55:38 IMPRISONED HIM. SOUND FAR-FETCHED? 55:41 IT'S HAPPENED IN HISTORY MORE THAN YOU THINK. 55:44 SOUTH AFRICA IS THE HOME OF JUST SUCH A LEADER. 55:47 NELSON MANDELA WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ESTABLISH PEACE AND FREEDOM 55:51 IN HIS COUNTRY AND HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT AROUND THE WORLD. 55:55 BEFORE FREEDOM, THERE MUST BE FORGIVENESS. 55:58 LIKE JOSEPH, WHO WAS UNJUSTLY ACCUSED FOR A CRIME HE DID NOT 56:01 COMMIT, NELSON MANDELA WAS ACCUSED OF TERRORISM AND 56:04 SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON ON ROBIN ISLAND. 56:08 HE WAS OFTEN EXPOSED TO CRUEL PUNISHMENT AND ABUSE. 56:11 BUT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF APPARENT FAILURE AND 56:12 DISCOURAGEMENT, HE NEVER LOST HEART AND HE NEVER GAVE UP. 56:16 AFTER YEARS IN PRISON, A GROWING NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS RALLIED FOR 56:19 HIS RELEASE AND EVENTUALLY IT TOOK PLACE. 56:22 AND GOD USED HIM SO THAT HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO 56:25 ABOLISH RACIAL SEGREGATION IN THE COUNTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA. 56:29 INCREDIBLY, HE NOW WAS, VIRTUALLY, THE ABSOLUTE LEADER 56:32 IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAD IMPRISONED HIM. 56:35 HE HAD ALL THE TOOLS AND THE POWER AT HIS DISPOSAL TO GET 56:37 EVEN WITH THE PRISON GUARDS AND OTHERS THAT HAD MISTREATED HIM. 56:40 INSTEAD, MANDELA CHOSE FORGIVENESS. 56:44 IT REMINDS ME OF THAT VERSE IN THE BIBLE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 56:46 4, VERSE 31, "LET ALL BITTERNESS, WRATH, ANGER, 56:50 CLAMOR, AND EVIL SPEAKING BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MALICE. 56:54 AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE 56:58 ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU." 57:02 I'M SO THANKFUL THAT NELSON MANDELA, LIKE JOSEPH, CHOSE TO 57:06 FORGIVE THOSE WHO WERE ONCE HIS ENEMIES, AND TO SERVE HIS NATION 57:09 WITH LOVE AND COURAGE. YOU CAN FIND A NUMBER OF 57:12 EXAMPLES OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE BIBLE. 57:14 YOU HAVE DANIEL, WHO WAS A CAPTIVE FROM THE LAND OF JUDAH, 57:17 AND YET GOD ARRANGED THINGS WHERE HE BECOMES THE PRIME 57:19 MINISTER IN THE KINGDOM OF BABYLON. YOU HAVE ESTHER, WHO 57:23 WAS A POOR ORPHAN GIRL IN PERSIA, AND YET GOD WORKED 57:26 THINGS OUT WHERE SHE BECOMES THE QUEEN OF THAT COUNTRY. 57:29 THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH ENDS WITH AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF A YOUNG 57:32 KING NAMED JEHOIACHIN, WHO WAS IN A BABYLONIAN DUNGEON FOR 37 57:36 YEARS AND THEN KING EVIL-MERODACH HAS MERCY ON HIM 57:39 AND HE HAS A NEW STATUS, GOING FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE. 57:43 THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU AND ME, FRIENDS. 57:45 HE GIVES YOU THE BREAD OF LIFE. 57:46 HE GIVES YOU THE ROBE OF JESUS' RIGHTEOUSNESS. 57:49 HE GIVES YOU A SEAT AT HIS TABLE. 57:50 IF YOU ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND YOU'RE WILLING TO PASS IT 57:53 ON, YOU AND I CAN LIVE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST. 57:56 WOULDN'T YOU LIKE THAT EXPERIENCE? (MUSIC) 58:06 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT 58:09 AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:10 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-07-25