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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021632A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS JOINING US ONCE AGAIN, 00:39 ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, OUR EXTENDED SABBATH 00:42 SCHOOL CLASS AND ALSO TO THE MEMBERS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY 00:45 CHURCH AND THOSE WHO ARE VISITING - A VERY WARM WELCOME 00:48 TO YOU AS WELL. WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH OUR 00:50 LESSON QUARTERLY ENTITLED THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE 00:54 COMMUNITY AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HERE HAVE A COPY OF 00:57 THE LESSON QUARTERLY. IF YOU DON'T, YOU CAN JUST GET 00:59 AHOLD OF ONE OF OUR DEACONS FOLLOWING SABBATH SCHOOL AND 01:02 THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET YOU A LESSON SO YOU CAN 01:04 STUDY ALONG WITH US. AND FOR OUR FRIENDS JOINING US, 01:07 IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THIS QUARTER OF THE LESSONS, YOU CAN 01:10 GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU 01:15 CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON AND YOU CAN STUDY ALONG WITH US. 01:19 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TODAY, IT'S 01:21 A BOOK WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS ENTITLED ALONE IN THE CROWD AND 01:26 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY IN NORTH AMERICA THAT 01:28 GIVES US A CALL. THE PHONE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 01:34 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #714. WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR 01:38 LESSON TODAY, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN 01:42 PRAISE, SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE JOLYNE AND EMMA AND THEY'LL 01:45 LEAD US AS WE SING TOGETHER. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 01:49 YOU KNOW, WORSHIP IS NOT COMPOSED OF JUST LISTENING TO 01:54 SERMONS OR READING THE BIBLE, IT'S ALSO SINGING, WHICH IS ONE 01:58 OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF WORSHIP, AND WE KNOW BY THE LETTERS THAT 02:02 WE GET AND THE E-MAILS THAT WE GET, THAT THAT'S PART OF YOUR 02:04 FAVORITE ALSO. SO I INVITE YOU HERE IN THE 02:08 STUDIO, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE AT HOME, PULL OUT YOUR HYMNALS AND 02:11 WE'RE GOING TO SING ABOUT GOD'S GREATNESS TODAY - HYMN #21 - 02:15 IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE . 02:20 >>IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE, IN LIGHT INACCESSIBLE HID 02:32 FROM OUR EYES, MOST BLESSED, MOST GLORIOUS, THE ANCIENT OF 02:39 DAYS, ALMIGHTY, VICTORIOUS, THY GREAT NAME WE PRAISE. 02:48 UNRESTING, UNHASTING, AND SILENT AS LIGHT, NOR WANTING, NOR 02:57 WASTING, THOU RULEST IN MIGHT; THY JUSTICE LIKE MOUNTAINS HIGH 03:06 SOARING ABOVE THY CLOUDS, WHICH ARE FOUNTAINS OF GOODNESS AND 03:15 LOVE. GREAT FATHER OF GLORY, PURE 03:21 FATHER OF LIGHT, THINE ANGELS ADORE THEE, ALL VEILING THEIR 03:29 SIGHT; ALL LAUD WE WOULD RENDER: O HELP US TO SEE 03:37 'TIS ONLY THE SPLENDOR OF LIGHT HIDETH THEE. 03:47 >>HYMN #6 - O WORSHIP THE LORD - IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 03:52 BOW DOWN BEFORE HIM, HIS GLORY PROCLAIM. 03:56 I PRAY THAT THOSE ARE YOUR WORDS ON YOUR HEART AS WE SING HYMN #6 04:01 - O WORSHIP THE LORD - THE FIRST, THE SECOND, AND THE LAST 04:04 VERSES. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:14 >>O WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS, 04:21 BOW DOWN BEFORE HIM, HIS GLORY PROCLAIM; WITH GOLD OF 04:29 OBEDIENCE, AND INCENSE OF LOWLINESS, KNEEL AND ADORE HIM; 04:38 THE LORD IS HIS NAME. LOW AT HIS FEET LAY THY BURDEN 04:47 OF CAREFULNESS; HIGH ON HIS HEART HE WILL BEAR IT FOR THEE, 04:56 COMFORT THY SORROWS AND ANSWER THY PRAYERFULNESS, GUIDING THY 05:05 STEPS AS MAY BEST FOR THEE BE. THESE, THOUGH WE BRING THEM IN 05:14 TREMBLING AND FEARFULNESS, HE WILL ACCEPT FOR THE NAME THAT IS 05:23 DEAR; MORNINGS OF JOY GIVE FOR EVENINGS OF TEARFULNESS, TRUST 05:33 FOR OUR TREMBLING, AND HOPE FOR OUR FEAR. 05:42 >>WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL HAVE A BLESSED WEEK, BEFORE WE COME AND 05:45 JOIN AND SING TOGETHER AGAIN. AT THIS TIME, PASTOR ROSS 05:49 WILL LEAD US IN PRAYER. >>THANK YOU, LADIES. 05:56 BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR STUDY, LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 05:59 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE, ONCE AGAIN, TO OPEN 06:02 UP THE BIBLE AND TO STUDY TOGETHER - TO LOOK AT THE 06:04 EXAMPLE OF JESUS IN SHARING WITH OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS OF 06:08 SALVATION. AND SO, FATHER, WE ASK FOR THE 06:10 HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND JUST LEAD US INTO 06:13 A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING AND IMPRESS UPON US WHAT WE CAN DO 06:17 IN THAT GREAT WORK OF SHARING GOOD NEWS TO OTHERS, FOR WE ASK 06:20 THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. OUR LESSON TODAY WILL BE 06:24 BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG. >>GOOD MORNING. 06:29 >>GOOD MORNING. >>HOW'S EVERYBODY? 06:31 >>GOOD. >>I WANT TO WISH YOU A HAPPY 06:34 SABBATH. I WANT TO GREET THOSE WHO ARE 06:36 WATCHING VIA TELEVISION OR THE INTERNET AND WE HAVE SOME 06:40 REGULAR CLASS MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD - GREETINGS - WE ALSO HAVE 06:44 SOME OF OUR EXTENDED FAMILY THAT ARE PART OF THE GRANITE 06:47 BAY CHURCH - SOME OF OUR ONLINE MEMBERS - I WANT TO 06:49 WELCOME YOU AS WELL. WE ARE CONTINUING OUR STUDY 06:52 DEALING WITH THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE 06:57 PROBABLY COULD TAKE A WHOLE YEAR AND TALK ABOUT 'WHAT IS 06:59 THE WORK OF THE CHURCH?'. TODAY'S LESSON IS LESSON #6. 07:03 IT'S TITLED JESUS MINGLED WITH PEOPLE - I ALMOST SAID 'JINGLE' 07:09 - JESUS MINGLED WITH PEOPLE. AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND 07:14 THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM LUKE 15, VERSES 1 AND 2 - AND I'VE 07:18 GOT IT HERE IN THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION AND I'D APPRECIATE 07:23 IT IF YOU WANT TO SAY IT ALONG WITH ME. 07:24 ARE YOU READY? LUKE 15:1 AND 2, "THEN ALL THE 07:28 TAX COLLECTORS AND THE SINNERS DREW NEAR TO HIM TO HEAR HIM. 07:33 AND THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES COMPLAINED, SAYING, 'THIS MAN 07:38 RECEIVES SINNERS AND EATS WITH THEM.'" NOW THIS IS GOING TO 07:42 COME UP AGAIN A LITTLE LATER IN OUR STUDY TODAY. 07:45 NOW, THE LESSONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO STUDY ABOUT THE CHURCH 07:49 AND COMMUNITY IN THE NEXT OH, I GUESS, ABOUT FOUR WEEKS OR SO, 07:53 ARE GOING TO BE BASED ON AN OUTLINE OF A QUOTE THAT YOU 07:57 FIND IN THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY AND IT'S FROM THE BOOK MINISTRY 08:00 OF HEALING - THIS WAS WRITTEN BY ELLEN WHITE - P. 143. 08:04 NOW, LET ME MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, OUR STUDIES ARE BASED ON THE 08:06 BIBLE, BUT THIS QUOTE FROM ELLEN WHITE MAKES A GREAT OUTLINE AS A 08:12 STUDY GUIDE FOR THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH. 08:14 AND HERE'S WHAT THE QUOTE SAYS - IT'S MINISTRY OF HEALING P. 08:17 143, "CHRIST'S METHOD ALONE WILL GIVE TRUE SUCCESS IN 08:22 REACHING THE PEOPLE. THE SAVIOR MINGLED WITH MEN AS 08:26 ONE WHO DESIRED THEIR GOOD. HE SHOWED HIS SYMPATHY FOR THEM, 08:30 MINISTERED TO THEIR NEEDS, AND WON THEIR CONFIDENCE. 08:33 HE THEN BADE THEM, 'FOLLOW ME.'" SO THERE'S A STEP OF - THERE'S 08:37 SOME STEPS OF PROGRESSION IN 'HOW DO YOU REACH OUT?' 08:40 FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH? 08:42 WHAT'S OUR MISSION STATEMENT? WHAT'S OUR ROLE? 08:46 WE ARE TO BRING PEOPLE TO CHRIST. 08:49 WE ARE TO BE A LIGHT IN THE WORLD. WE ARE TO BE A SALT 08:53 IN THE COMMUNITY FOR GOOD. WE ARE TO GO AND TO PREACH AND 08:59 TO TEACH AND TO BAPTIZE AND TO BRING PEOPLE FROM BEING LOST TO 09:04 BEING FOUND, FROM DEATH TO LIFE, FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT. 09:08 THE CHURCH IS - WE ARE A NATION OF KINGS AND PRIESTS. 09:12 WE - THE PRIEST'S JOB WAS TO MAKE ATONEMENT - THAT MEANS 09:15 AT-ONE-MENT - PEOPLE ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD. 09:18 THE CHURCH IS TO BRING THEM TO GOD. 09:20 SO WE ARE CHRIST'S REPRESENTATIVES. 09:22 WE'RE HIS AMBASSADORS - THIS IS OUR WORK. 09:24 AND SO, ONE OF THE WAYS YOU DO THAT - HOW DO YOU REACH PEOPLE? 09:28 CHURCHES SHOULD NOT BE FORTRESSES WHERE WE JUST SORT OF 09:32 CLOISTER OURSELVES AND SAY, 'WE'RE PART OF THIS CLUB AND WE 09:36 JUST GET TOGETHER AND ENJOY EACH OTHER'S COMPANY.' WE'RE NOT 09:38 DOING OUR WORK. UNLESS WE'RE REACHING OUT, WE'RE 09:41 NOT DOING OUR JOB AS THE CHURCH. WE ARE TO BE GROWING. 09:45 AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE - THE WONDERFUL MINISTRIES WE HAVE 09:49 HERE AT GRANITE BAY - AND THIS IS - MAY SOUND LIKE A SHAMELESS 09:53 PROMOTION OR BRAGGING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING, BUT I 09:56 DO THINK THE LORD HAS BLESSED THIS CHURCH. 09:59 THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE PART OF THE CHURCH PLANT - WHAT? 10:01 - ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO WITH TWELVE PEOPLE AND NOW WE'LL HAVE 10:05 SOME SABBATHS WITH 500 PEOPLE - 600. 10:08 VERY RARELY DO YOU HAVE AN ADVENTIST CHURCH THAT HAS MORE 10:11 IN ATTENDANCE THAT IT HAS MEMBERS. 10:14 USUALLY YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND PEOPLE ON THE BOOKS - 10:16 400 ACTUALLY SHOW UP, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 10:20 WE'RE THE OTHER WAY AROUND BECAUSE WE ARE REACHING OUT AND 10:22 THIS CHURCH HAS GOT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S HOMELESS MINISTRY, THERE 10:25 ARE PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE DOING PRISON MINISTRY, THERE'S HEALTH 10:27 MINISTRY AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMUNITY THINGS AND SO WE'RE 10:31 TRYING TO REACH OUT. THIS IS GREAT. 10:33 THIS IS THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH - DOING EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY. 10:36 AND SO, WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE OF JUST 10:39 THINKING, 'I'VE PUT IN MY TIME. I WENT TO CHURCH.' THAT'S 10:42 NOT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT. FIRST OF ALL, YOU WILL NOT BE 10:45 CLOSE TO JESUS UNLESS YOU'RE ENGAGED IN BRINGING 10:47 OTHERS TO JESUS. >>AMEN. 10:49 >>YOU WILL DRY UP AND DIE SPIRITUALLY UNLESS YOU ARE USING 10:52 YOUR GIFTS TO DO THE WORK OF CHRIST IN THE CHURCH. 10:57 WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED. AND SO, SOMETIMES, WE WONDER 11:00 WHAT BRINGS ON THE LUKEWARM CONDITION. 11:03 WELL, THAT'S ONE THING, SAYING WE'RE RICH AND INCREASED WITH 11:05 GOODS - WE'RE COMFORTABLE WHERE WE ARE AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING 11:08 - IT DIES AT THAT POINT. SO THE STATEMENT WE JUST READ - 11:14 "CHRIST'S METHOD ALONE" - I'M GOING TO READ IT ONE MORE TIME 11:17 - "CHRIST'S METHOD" - NOT SOME METHOD - "CHRIST'S METHOD ALONE 11:20 WILL GIVE TRUE SUCCESS IN REACHING THE PEOPLE. 11:24 THE SAVIOR MINGLED WITH MEN AS ONE WHO DESIRED THEIR GOOD, HE 11:27 SHOWED HIS SYMPATHY FOR THEM, MINISTERED TO THEIR NEEDS, WON 11:30 THEIR CONFIDENCE, AND THEN HE BADE THEM, 'FOLLOW ME.'" NOW, 11:34 THERE ARE LIKE FIVE POINTS THE LESSON BREAKS UP. 11:37 YOU'LL NOTICE ON YOUR FIRST PAGE OF THIS QUOTE. 11:38 THIS IS GOING TO BE AN OUTLINE FOR A STUDY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. 11:41 WE'RE GOING TO SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON POINT #1 TODAY, WHICH 11:45 IS JESUS MINGLED WITH PEOPLE AS ONE THAT DESIRED THEIR GOOD. 11:49 AND WE'LL LOOK AT SCRIPTURES ON THAT OUTLINE POINT. 11:54 FIRST OF ALL, WHY DO WE NEED TO GO OUT AND BRING PEOPLE TO GOD? 12:01 BECAUSE WE'RE SEPARATED FROM GOD - SIN SEPARATES. 12:07 NOW, SOMEONE IS GOING TO READ FOR ME IN A MOMENT, GENESIS 3:8. 12:12 OKAY, SAM, YOU'LL HAVE THAT? LET ME READ SOMETHING TO YOU 12:14 FROM ISAIAH 59, VERSES 1 AND 2, "BEHOLD, THE LORD'S HAND IS NOT 12:20 SHORTENED, THAT IT CANNOT SAVE; NOR HIS EAR HEAVY, 12:23 THAT IT CANNOT HEAR. BUT YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE 12:26 SEPARATED YOU FROM YOUR GOD; AND YOUR SINS HAVE HIDDEN HIS FACE 12:32 FROM YOU, SO THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR." 12:34 NOW, IT'S NOT THAT GOD IS BEING ARBITRARY OR VINDICTIVE IN 12:40 SAYING, 'LOOK, YOU SINNED AND SO I'M GOING TO RUN FROM YOU.' IT'S 12:44 REALLY THAT, IF GOD DID NOT SHIELD HIMSELF FROM OUR SIGHT - 12:50 AND FROM MOUNT SINAI, WHEN HE GAVE THE LAW, WHY DID HE VEIL 12:54 HIMSELF IN DARKNESS? TO JUST TRY TO BE OBSCURE? 12:59 OR WAS IT BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT IF - THE NATION COULD BARELY 13:02 STAND TO HAVE GOD SPEAK TO THEM. MATTER OF FACT, THEY FINALLY 13:05 SAID, 'DON'T SPEAK TO US ANYMORE, SPEAK TO MOSES AND THEN 13:08 LET HIM TALK TO US.' AND MOSES WAS A MEDIATOR BECAUSE THEY 13:11 COULD NOT HANDLE THE DIRECT GLORY OF GOD. GOD IS PARTIALLY 13:15 SEPARATED FROM US BECAUSE IT WOULD DESTROY US AND HE LOVES US 13:18 AND HE KNOWS WE CAN'T HANDLE IT. BUT WE HAVE BEEN SEPARATED 13:22 BECAUSE OF OUR SIN. GO AHEAD, READ PLEASE, 13:25 THE VERSE I GAVE YOU. >>"AND THEY HEARD THE SOUND OF 13:28 THE LORD GOD WALKING IN THE GARDEN IN THE COOL OF THE DAY, 13:32 AND ADAM AND HIS WIFE HID THEMSELVES FROM THE PRESENCE OF 13:35 THE LORD GOD AMONG THE TREES OF THE GARDEN." 13:38 >>THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER - WHO RAN FROM WHOM FIRST. 13:44 GOD CAME LOOKING FOR MAN; MAN RAN FROM GOD. 13:48 I'VE HEARD IT SAID BEFORE THAT THE FIRST QUESTION THAT GOD ASKS 13:52 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IS 'WHERE ARE YOU?' THE FIRST QUESTION MAN 13:57 ASKS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS 'WHERE IS HE?' 14:01 THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT A GREAT SEPARATION AND THE PURPOSE OF 14:06 THE PLAN OF SALVATION IS TO RESTORE. 14:09 GOD HIMSELF WILL BE WITH US - TO RESTORE GOD. 14:12 NOW, AFTER MAN CONFESSED OF HIS SIN AND THAT WAS REVEALED, THEN 14:15 - YOU CAN READ IN GENESIS 3:23, IT SAYS, "THEREFORE THE LORD GOD 14:19 SENT HIM OUT OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO TILL THE GROUND FROM 14:23 WHICH HE WAS TAKEN." SO MAN WAS BASICALLY 14:26 EVICTED FROM GOD'S GARDEN. HE WAS EXPELLED FROM HIS 14:31 PARADISE HOME AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION 14:34 IS TO GET MAN BACK IN THE GARDEN AGAIN. 14:36 SO YOU SEE THE TREE OF LIFE THERE - MAN COULD NO LONGER EAT 14:39 FROM THE TREE OF LIFE. HE WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE GARDEN. 14:42 IN REVELATION WE SEE THE TREE OF LIFE IS RESTORED. 14:46 MAN, AGAIN, LIVES FOREVER, HE'S IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 14:49 AND BETWEEN GENESIS AND REVELATION, YOU'VE GOT THE STORY 14:51 OF SIN AND SALVATION AND HOW TO BE RECONCILED AND GET BACK TO 14:56 GOD. JUST A FEW MORE VERSES TO 14:58 ILLUSTRATE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. THERE'S A PROBLEM: GOD HAS GIVEN 15:02 THE CHURCH THE MANDATE TO HELP RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. 15:05 HERE'S THE PROBLEM - DEUTERONOMY 31:17 AND VERSE 18, GOD SAYS, 15:10 "THEN MY ANGER SHALL BE AROUSED AGAINST THEM...AND 15:12 THEY WILL BE DEVOURED" - I'M SORRY - "AND I WILL FORSAKE 15:16 THEM, AND I WILL HIDE MY FACE FROM THEM, AND THEY SHALL BE 15:19 DEVOURED. AND MANY EVILS AND TROUBLES WILL 15:21 BEFALL THEM AND THEY WILL SAY IN THAT DAY, 'HAVE NOT THESE EVILS 15:25 COME UPON US BECAUSE GOD IS NOT AMONG US?' 15:28 AND I'LL SURELY HIDE MY FACE IN THAT DAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE EVIL 15:31 WHICH THEY HAVE DONE AND WHICH THEY HAVE TURNED TO OTHER GODS." 15:35 BECAUSE OF THE EVIL THAT WE'VE DONE, WE ARE SEPARATED. 15:38 'I'LL HIDE MY FACE FROM THEM.' SEE HOW THE PROBLEM WORKS? 15:41 THE BOOK OF MICAH 3, VERSE 4, "THEN THEY WILL CRY TO THE LORD, 15:45 BUT HE WILL NOT HEAR THEM; HE WILL EVEN HIDE HIS FACE FROM 15:48 THEM AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN EVIL IN THEIR DEEDS." 15:52 NOW SOME PEOPLE THINK, 'ISN'T THIS A CONFLICT? 15:54 DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD?' 15:57 IS THERE ANYWHERE YOU CAN RUN FROM HIS PRESENCE? 16:00 DID JONAH TRY TO HIDE FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD? 16:03 SO WHEN GOD SAYS, 'I'LL HIDE MY FACE FROM THEM' HE'S TALKING 16:06 ABOUT COMMUNICATION. IT'S NOT THAT GOD DOESN'T KNOW 16:09 SOMETHING - THAT YOU COULD PLAY, YOU KNOW, PEEK-A-BOO WITH THE 16:12 LORD AND HE DOESN'T SEE YOU, GOD SEES EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME, 16:15 BUT HE HIDES HIS FAVOR - HE HIDES HIS PRESENCE FROM US AND 16:20 THE BLESSINGS, BECAUSE OF OUR SINS. 16:22 WE BECOME SEPARATED FROM GOD, WHO IS THE SOURCE OF ALL 16:25 BLESSING. NOW THAT'S THE PROBLEM. 16:28 WHAT'S THE ANSWER? RESTORATION COMES THROUGH WHO? 16:33 THROUGH JESUS. MATTHEW 18:12, JESUS SAYS, "WHAT DO YOU THINK? 16:37 IF A MAN HAS A HUNDRED SHEEP, AND ONE OF THEM GOES ASTRAY, 16:42 DOES HE NOT LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE AND GO TO THE 16:44 MOUNTAINS TO SEEK THE ONE THAT IS STRAYING?" 16:47 CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THE LOST. 16:50 IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSES 16 THROUGH 18, "AND THAT HE 16:57 MIGHT RECONCILE THEM BOTH TO GOD IN ONE BODY THROUGH THE CROSS, 17:02 THEREBY PUTTING TO DEATH THE ENMITY. 17:06 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE AFAR OFF AND TO 17:09 THOSE WHO WERE NEAR. FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE 17:14 ACCESS BY ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER." 17:16 THROUGH CHRIST WE'RE RESTORED. WE HAVE ACCESS, AGAIN, TO GOD. 17:21 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME 1 PETER 3:18 - OKAY, JUST GET YOU 17:25 READY. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN AMBASSADOR? 17:30 YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN WE'RE HEARING ABOUT SOME OF THE 17:33 TURMOIL IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND, AT THE TIME OF THIS RECORDING, 17:37 THEY WERE PUTTING DOWN A MILITARY COUP IN TURKEY AND, YOU 17:44 KNOW, THE U.S., WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY'LL OFTEN SEND OUT 17:47 A MESSAGE TO THEIR EMBASSIES IN THESE COUNTRIES AND THEY'LL 17:50 RECALL - THEY'LL SAY, 'LOOK, THINGS ARE OUT OF CONTROL. 17:52 YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THERE.' BUT EMBASSIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE 17:56 PROTECTED AND THE PURPOSE OF AN EMBASSY IS TO REPRESENT ONE 18:03 COUNTRY WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF ANOTHER COUNTRY. 18:07 AND IT'S LIKE A HAVEN - IT'S LIKE - IT'S A - 18:10 IT'S A MINI MICROCOSM OF THAT COUNTRY. 18:14 I WAS IN CAMEROON, AFRICA AND IN THE HOTEL I GOT ON THE ELEVATOR 18:18 AND IN STEPPED A MARINE WEARING HIS UNIFORM - HIS BLUES. 18:23 OUR SON DANIEL WAS IN THE MARINES AND SO WE QUICKLY 18:26 IDENTIFIED THAT AND SAID, 'HI, YOU KNOW, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?' 18:30 HE SAID, 'WELL, I'M PART OF THE EMBASSY.' AND IT WAS AN AMERICAN 18:35 HOLIDAY AND HE SAYS, 'WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY.' I 18:39 SAID, 'OH.' HE SAID, 'YEAH, WE TREAT THE EMBASSY LIKE IT'S AN 18:42 EXTENSION OF THE UNITED STATES AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO 18:45 REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES IN THIS COUNTRY.' AND SO THEY WERE 18:49 HAVING THEIR OWN - I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS - FOURTH OF JULY OR 18:51 THANKSGIVING - IT MAY HAVE BEEN THANKSGIVING - I FORGET. 18:54 BUT WHEN YOU ARE GOING INTO ANOTHER COUNTRY, THE EMBASSY, 19:00 WHILE THEY'RE REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES, THEY UNDERSTAND 19:03 THE CUSTOMS OF THE COUNTRY THEY'RE IN - BECAUSE IT'S HARD 19:06 TO COMMUNICATE - IT'S HARD TO MEDIATE - IF YOU DON'T KNOW 19:09 SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. SO THEY'LL STUDY THEIR DRESS. 19:13 THEY'LL UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR FOOD AND THEIR DIET, 19:16 THEIR CUSTOMS, THEIR LANGUAGE - SO THEY CAN COMMUNE WITH THEM. 19:19 BUT THE PEOPLE IN THE EMBASSY, THEY WEAR THEIR NATIVE CLOTHING, 19:25 THEY SPEAK THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE, THEY EAT THEIR NATIVE 19:28 FOOD. GO TO WASHINGTON D.C. YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF EMBASSIES FROM 19:33 THE WORLD IN WASHINGTON. IF YOU - MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S 19:37 ONE ROW - I FORGET WHAT STREET IT IS, BUT ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT 19:39 THERE'S ALL THESE HIGH SECURITY BUILDINGS. 19:42 THEY CALL IT, LIKE, EMBASSY ROW - AND YOU'LL SEE THEY'VE GOT THE 19:45 EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA - VERY NICE - AND THEN THEY'VE GOT THE 19:48 EMBASSY OF, YOU KNOW, SOUTH AFRICA, AND THEY'VE GOT THE 19:50 EMBASSY OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES THERE. 19:53 ONCE YOU GO WITHIN THE WALLS OF THAT, THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE 19:56 PRACTICES OF THEIR COUNTRY AND THEY ARE UNDER THE LAWS AND THE 19:59 CONSTITUTIONS OF THEIR COUNTRIES. 20:01 WELL, AS CHRISTIANS IN THE CHURCH, WE'RE SOMETHING LIKE AN 20:04 EMBASSY, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO REACH THE PEOPLE. 20:09 WE ARE TO COMMUNE WITH THE PEOPLE IN THESE OTHER - IN, 20:13 BASICALLY, A FOREIGN LAND - BECAUSE WE'RE PILGRIMS. 20:16 SO, CHRIST'S MISSION IS TO BRING US TOGETHER. 20:20 LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE AND THEN I'LL HAVE YOU READ 20:21 1 PETER. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:19, "THAT IS, THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST 20:28 RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF." 20:32 PASTORS THAT DO MARRIAGE COUNSELING OFTEN ARE INVOLVED IN 20:35 RECONCILIATION. YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH TWO 20:41 PEOPLE THAT HAVE ANIMOSITY OR THERE'S SOME DIVISION AND BRING 20:45 THEM BACK INTO A ONENESS AND HARMONY. 20:48 IT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH TWO PEOPLE - TWO SISTERS IN THE CHURCH - 20:51 TWO BROTHERS IN THE CHURCH, WHERE YOU TRY TO SAY, 'LOOK, 20:53 THERE'S BEEN SOME DIVISION.' YOU WANT THEM TO BE RECONCILED 20:56 TOGETHER. WE ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD. 20:59 CHRIST IS RECONCILING US, AS OUR MEDIATOR, TO THE FATHER. 21:03 "GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF, NOT 21:07 IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES TO THEM, AND HAS COMMITTED TO US 21:12 THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION." 21:13 SO THE WORK THAT JESUS DID, OF RECONCILIATION, HE COMMITS TO US 21:18 THAT WE MIGHT WORK TO RECONCILE THE WORLD TO GOD. 21:21 WELL, YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT WHERE THEY ARE TO DO THAT. 21:23 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, PLEASE, 1 PETER 3:18. 21:27 >>"FOR CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED ONCE FOR SINS, THE JUST FOR THE 21:31 UNJUST, THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD, BEING PUT TO DEATH IN 21:36 THE FLESH BUT MADE ALIVE BY THE SPIRIT." 21:39 >>JESUS CAME WHY? THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD 21:45 BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SEPARATED FROM GOD. 21:47 AND WHAT JESUS DID FOR US, HE WANTS US TO DO FOR THE WORLD. 21:50 HE WANTS US TO BRING PEOPLE BACK TO GOD. 21:53 WELL, YOU CAN'T REALLY DO THAT IF YOU DON'T SPEND TIME WITH 21:56 PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T GO TO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE. YOU NEED TO 22:00 DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS. NOW, GOD WAS IN CHRIST - IT'S 22:07 CALLED THE INCARNATION. LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, AND THIS IS 22:10 IN YOUR LESSON - MATTHEW 1:22 AND 23. 22:12 MATTHEW IS QUOTING A PROPHECY IN ISAIAH AND HE SAID, "SO ALL THIS 22:18 WAS DONE THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY 22:20 THE LORD THROUGH THE PROPHET," - THE PROPHET ISAIAH - "SAYING: 22:23 'BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND 22:27 THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,' WHICH IS TRANSLATED, 22:30 'GOD WITH US.'" WELL, HOW OFTEN DO VIRGINS HAVE CHILDREN? 22:36 NOT VERY OFTEN. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT 22:38 THE WORLD REALLY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 22:43 IS THE VIRGIN BIRTH. THEY SAY, 'OH, COME ON NOW. 22:45 THAT'S NOT SCIENTIFIC. THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN.' 22:48 I WAS - I'M STUDYING FOR ANOTHER SERIES OF SERMONS. 22:50 I WAS READING UP ABOUT ISLAM AND, YOU KNOW, ISLAM BELIEVES IN 22:54 THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS. THEY JUST DON'T BELIEVE 22:58 HE DIED ON THE CROSS. BUT THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, 23:02 EVIDENTLY, FELT IT WAS IN THE - IT WAS IN THE RECORDS 23:05 WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED. SO THE INCARNATION IS GOD WITH 23:09 US - IMMANUEL - GOD HIMSELF BEING WITH US. 23:11 ANOTHER VERSE THAT EXPLAINS THIS - THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1 - 1 23:15 CHAPTER OF JOHN, VERSE 14, "AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT 23:20 AMONG US, AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY 23:24 BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." 23:28 REMEMBER, JOHN SAID, IN THAT OTHER VERSE IN 1 JOHN, 'OUR EYES 23:31 HAVE SEEN, OUR EARS HAVE HEARD, OUR HANDS HAVE TOUCHED' - THAT'S 23:37 WHY JOHN, WHEN HE WRITES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, HE SAYS, 'I, 23:41 JOHN, DO TESTIFY WHAT I'VE SEEN. THIS IS TRUE. 23:44 I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO BELIEVE' - THAT'S WHY HE 23:46 EMPHASIZES THAT - 'BUT IT'S TRUE. 23:48 IT REALLY DID HAPPEN. I REALLY SAW THESE THINGS.' AND 23:51 SO, GOD CAME, IN CHRIST, TO RECONCILE THE WORD. 23:56 NOW THAT WORK HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH. 23:59 NOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE NEXT FEW MINUTES TALKING ABOUT 24:02 LUKE 15. THERE'S A SERIES OF 3 VERY 24:06 FAMOUS PARABLES THAT JESUS SHARES. 24:08 IF YOU GO TO LUKE 15 - SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME VERSES - I 24:12 THINK IT'S JUST VERSES 1 AND 2 - AND YOU'LL BE DOING THAT AND 24:15 WE'LL GET READY FOR THAT AND THEN VERSES 1 AND 2 EXPLAIN 24:19 WHY JESUS GIVES THE NEXT THREE FAMOUS PARABLES. 24:23 THOSE PARABLES ARE THE LOST SHEEP, THE LOST COIN, AND THE 24:27 LOST SON. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ FOR US 24:30 PLEASE LUKE 15:1 AND 2. >>THEN ALL THE TAX COLLECTORS 24:34 AND THE SINNERS DREW NEAR TO HIM TO HEAR HIM. 24:37 AND THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES COMPLAINED, SAYING, 'THIS MAN 24:39 RECEIVES SINNERS AND EATS WITH THEM." 24:41 >>THE TAX COLLECTORS AND THE SINNERS, NOW, YOU KNOW, 24:45 IT'S SOMETIMES HARD FOR US IN OUR CULTURE TO UNDERSTAND 'TAX 24:48 COLLECTOR' BECAUSE WE THINK TAX COLLECTOR, WE THINK IT'S - YOU 24:51 KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE HAPPY WHEN THE TAX COLLECTOR VISITS OR 24:54 SENDS US A LETTER, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY A RESPECTABLE 24:58 POSITION, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF TAXES TO KEEP 25:01 THINGS RUNNING, BUT 'TAX COLLECTOR' IN BIBLE TIMES WAS 25:04 MORE LIKE GANG MEMBERS AND MAFIA - IT WAS ORGANIZED CRIME. 25:12 THEY GOT CONTRACTS FROM THE ROMANS TO EXTRACT TAXES FROM 25:16 THEIR OWN PEOPLE. THEY OFTEN DID THIS BY ROUGHING THEM UP. 25:19 AND THEY WOULD EXTORT EXTRA MONEY. 25:22 THEY'D GET UNDERHANDED DEALS TO CHARGE THEM LESS TAXES BUT 25:24 THEY'D GET KICKBACKS. I MEAN, IT WAS A VERY CORRUPT BUSINESS. 25:28 SO 'TAX COLLECTOR,' 'PUBLICAN,' - YOU'VE GOT TO THINK MAFIA - 25:33 JUST CROOKED - THE UNDERWORLD, SORT OF, GROUP, OKAY? 25:39 AND THEN, OF COURSE, TAX COLLECTORS WERE OFTEN MENTIONED 25:43 WITH PROSTITUTES AND SINNERS AND HARLOTS. 25:47 AND SO, YOU SEE, THAT'S - THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE CONSIDERED THE 25:52 OFFSCOURING OF SOCIETY WERE DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE THEY 25:58 RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE SINNERS AND THEY NEEDED HELP. 26:03 WELL, WHEN THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES - THESE WERE THE 26:05 CHURCH FOLK - CHURCH LEADERS - WHEN THEY SAW ALL OF THESE 26:11 SINFUL PEOPLE SURROUNDING JESUS AND CHRIST RECEIVING THEM AND 26:16 THEM RECEIVING CHRIST INTO THEIR HOMES, THEY THOUGHT, 'OH, THIS 26:19 IS DESPICABLE. WHAT A BAD EXAMPLE. 26:22 WHY WOULD HE BE WITH PEOPLE LIKE THIS?' AND HE WAS BASICALLY 26:24 SAYING, 'THIS IS WHY I'M HERE. IT'S THE SICK THAT NEED A 26:28 PHYSICIAN, NOT THOSE THAT ARE WELL. 26:30 SO HE THEN GOES ON AND HE SHARES THESE NEXT THREE PARABLES. 26:33 I'LL READ THE FIRST PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP - AND THIS BEGINS 26:39 WITH VERSE 3 IN LUKE 15, "SO HE SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO THEM, 26:43 SAYING: 'WHAT MAN OF YOU, HAVING A HUNDRED SHEEP,'" - NOW I READ 26:47 YOU A VERSE EARLIER FROM MATTHEW - THIS IS THE ONE IN LUKE - "'IF 26:51 HE LOSES ONE OF THEM, DOES NOT LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE IN THE 26:56 WILDERNESS, AND GO AFTER THE ONE WHICH IS LOST UNTIL HE FINDS IT? 27:00 AND WHEN HE HAS FOUND IT,'" - MEANING HE SEARCHES UNTIL HE 27:03 FINDS IT. HE DOESN'T SAY 'IF HE FINDS IT' 27:06 - "'WHEN HE HAS FOUND IT HE LAYS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS, REJOICING. 27:11 AND WHEN HE COMES HOME, HE CALLS'" - HE DOESN'T SCOLD THE 27:13 SHEEP AND SAY, 'YOU DUMB SHEEP', HE DOESN'T DRAG IT BY ITS NECK, 27:19 HE PUTS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS BECAUSE IT'S HAD A ROUGH DAY AND 27:22 - HE'S HAD A ROUGH DAY TOO, BUT HE CARES ABOUT THE SHEEP - WHEN 27:27 HE COMES HOME, HE CALLS TOGETHER HIS FRIENDS AND HE SAYS, 'YOU 27:29 KNOW THAT SHEEP I LOST?' - HE'S REJOICING - "'HE CALLS 27:32 TOGETHER HIS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, SAYING TO THEM, 27:34 'REJOICE WITH ME, FOR I HAVE FOUND MY SHEEP WHICH WAS LOST!' 27:37 I SAY TO YOU THAT LIKEWISE THERE WILL BE MORE JOY IN HEAVEN OVER 27:41 ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN OVER NINETY-NINE JUST PERSONS WHO 27:46 NEED NO REPENTANCE.'" NOW, IN THESE STORIES, IT TALKS ABOUT 27:50 NOT JUST LOSING A SHEEP - IF I HAD NINETY-NINE SHEEP - IF I HAD 27:54 A HUNDRED SHEEP AND I LOST ONE, I'D SAY, 'WELL, I GOT 27:56 99-PERCENT; THAT'S NOT TOO BAD.' BUT THIS SHEPHERD LOVES HIS 28:00 SHEEP AND HE'S RISKING HIS LIFE - HE'S GOING OUT IN THE 28:03 WILDERNESS FOR THIS SHEEP. THIS IS WHAT JESUS DID 28:07 WHEN HE CAME TO THIS WORLD. IT'S DANGEROUS. AND THEN HE TELLS 28:10 ANOTHER PARABLE OF A LOST COIN. NOW, A SHEEP KNOWS IT'S LOST, 28:18 EVENTUALLY, BUT IT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK. 28:20 A LOT OF ANIMALS - YOU KNOW, MONARCH BUTTERFLIES CAN FIND 28:23 THEIR WAY 2,000 MILES TO THE WOODS IN MEXICO. 28:28 THESE GREEN SEA TURTLES AND LEATHERBACK TURTLES, THEY CAN 28:33 FIND THEIR WAY 2,000 - 5,000 MILES ACROSS A TRACKLESS OCEAN 28:37 TO THIS LITTLE BITTY ISLAND WHERE THEY BREED AND THEN THEY 28:40 TAKE OFF AGAIN FOR YEARS. THEY FIND IT. SHEEP DON'T HAVE 28:43 THAT MIGRATION GPS IN THEIR HEAD LIKE OTHER ANIMALS. 28:46 WE HAVE BRED THAT OUT OF THEM WHERE THEY ARE PRETTY DUMB AND 28:51 THEY MAKE GREAT WOOL AND MAYBE MILK AND WHATEVER ELSE WE NEED 28:54 FROM THEM, BUT WE'VE BRED OUT A LOT OF THE NATURAL SURVIVAL 28:57 ABILITY. AND, YOU'VE HEARD THE EXPRESSION BEFORE, DUMB SHEEP? 29:00 THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. IT'S BECAUSE THEY GET LOST. 29:05 I'VE HEARD STORIES OF DOGS AND CATS THAT ARE 2,000 MILES FROM 29:08 THEIR HOME - THEY GET LOST AT A REST STOP - AND THEY FIND THEIR 29:11 WAY HOME. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD THESE STORIES? 29:14 YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT A SHEEP THAT GOT LEFT OUT THERE 2,000 29:18 MILES FROM HOME AND FOUND ITS WAY HOME. 29:22 IT DOESN'T KNOW IT'S - HOW TO GET BACK, IT JUST KNOWS IT'S 29:25 LOST. IT NEEDS SOMEONE TO FIND IT. 29:27 THEN THERE'S A COIN. THE COIN DOESN'T KNOW IT'S LOST. 29:30 NOW, YOU NOTICE JUST THE NUMBERS HERE TOO. 29:32 IT SAYS THAT THERE'S A MAN WITH A HUNDRED SHEEP, A LADY WITH TEN 29:36 COINS, AND A MAN WITH TWO SONS. SO THE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN - 29:42 AND THE FEWER YOU'VE GOT, THE MORE PRECIOUS IT GETS. 29:45 THAT ONE SON IS WORTH MORE THAN TEN COINS OR A HUNDRED SHEEP. 29:50 IF YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH COINS, YOU CAN BUY SHEEP, BUT WHO'S GOING 29:52 TO TRADE THEIR SON FOR COINS OR SHEEP? 29:56 SEE WHAT JESUS IS DOING IN THE STORY IS HE'S BRINGING IT IN TO 29:58 THE THINGS THAT ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS. 30:00 THEN HE TELLS ABOUT THIS WOMAN - TEN SILVER COINS. 30:03 THESE WERE OFTEN COINS THAT WERE GIVEN, MAYBE, AS WEDDING GIFTS 30:07 OR MOMENTOS AND SO THEY'RE PRECIOUS. 30:10 AND SHE LOSES ONE COIN. SHE DOESN'T SHRUG AND SAY, 'I'VE 30:13 GOT, YOU KNOW, TEN PERCENT - OR NINETY PERCENT. 30:17 SHE LIGHTS A LAMP - THEY DIDN'T HAVE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT, YOU HAD 30:22 TO LIGHT A LAMP. SHE GETS OUT A BROOM. 30:25 SHE DECIDES TO JUST CLEAN AND SWEEP EVERY CORNER AND SHE 30:29 SEARCHES CAREFULLY UNTIL - SHE KNOWS IT'S IN THE HOUSE. 30:33 IT DOESN'T KNOW IT'S LOST. 30:34 SHE WON'T GIVE UP UNTIL SHE FINDS IT. 30:36 AND THEN SHE GOES AND TELLS HER NEIGHBORS, 'REJOICE WITH ME!' 30:40 IF YOU CAME AND KNOCKED ON MY DOOR AND SAID, 'COME ON OVER, 30:42 WE'RE HAVING A PARTY.' I'D SAY, 'WELL, WHAT'S THE OCCASION?' 30:44 'I LOST ONE OF MY COINS.' I'D SAY, 'OKAY, ANY GOOD REASON TO 30:51 CELEBRATE.' BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, YOU REJOICE 30:54 WITH THOSE THAT REJOICE. THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAID. "LIKEWISE," - 30:59 HE TELLS US - "THERE IS JOY IN HEAVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE 31:02 ANGELS OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS." 31:05 JUST ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS. 31:09 WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO THE LORD, THE ANGELS ARE REJOICING. 31:12 THEY'RE ALL INVOLVED IN SAVING SOMEBODY HERE IN THIS WORLD. 31:15 AND THEN, HE FINALLY - BEFORE I LEAVE THE POINT OF THE COIN, I 31:23 JUST HEARD A PASTOR ILLUSTRATE ONE TIME, 'WHAT ELSE COMES IN 31:27 DENOMINATIONS OF TEN? WELL, YOU'VE GOT TEN LEPERS AND 31:33 ONE CAME BACK TO THANK THE LORD. YOU'VE GOT TEN COMMANDMENTS - 31:39 WAS ONE LOST FOR A MILLENNIA? AND WHAT DOES A WOMAN REPRESENT 31:45 IN BIBLE ANALOGIES OR METAPHORS? A CHURCH. 31:49 SO YOU'VE GOT A WOMAN - AND WHAT DOES A LAMP REPRESENT? 31:53 WORD OF GOD - 'THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET' - RIGHT? 31:57 ISN'T THAT WHAT IT SAYS? SO HERE SHE LOSES ONE OF 32:01 SOMETHING INANIMATE, BUT PRECIOUS. 32:03 THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD ARE NOT HUMAN, BUT THEY'RE PRECIOUS. 32:07 AND SHE LIGHTS A LAMP AND SHE TAKES OUT THE BROOM OF DILIGENCE 32:11 AND FAITH AND SHE SEARCHES UNTIL SHE FINDS IT, AND WHEN SHE FINDS 32:14 IT SHE SAYS, 'OH BUMMER, A NEW LAW.' THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE SAYS. 32:19 SHE REJOICES. THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IN THE 32:22 BIBLE ARE ALWAYS PRESENTED AS SOMETHING THAT IS PRECIOUS. 32:25 I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING SPIRITUAL APPROACH 32:28 TO THAT PARABLE ABOUT FINDING A MISSING COMMANDMENT AND 32:32 REJOICING. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A MISSING SON. 32:35 NOW, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS TOGETHER AND WE STILL HAVE SOME 32:38 OTHER POINTS TO COVER SO I'LL TRY TO PACE MYSELF. 32:43 AND YOU GO TO LUKE 11, "A CERTAIN MAN HAD" - LUKE - I'M 32:49 SORRY, 15, VERSE 11 - "A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS." 32:53 IT KIND OF TALKS ABOUT THE TWO ROADS IN THE KINGDOM - STRAIGHT 32:59 GATE - BROAD WAY TO DESTRUCTION - "AND THE YOUNGER OF THEM SAID 33:02 TO HIS FATHER, 'FATHER, GIVE ME THE PORTION OF GOODS THAT FALLS 33:06 TO ME.' SO HE DIVIDED TO THEM HIS LIVELIHOOD. 33:10 AND NOT MANY DAYS AFTER, THE YOUNGER SON...JOURNEYED TO A FAR 33:13 COUNTRY'" - GETS AS FAR AWAY FROM HIS FATHER - SEE, HE KNOWS 33:16 WHERE HE'S GOING. IT'S DELIBERATE - "AND THERE WASTED 33:21 HIS POSSESSIONS WITH PRODIGAL" - OR RIOTOUS - "LIVING. 33:24 BUT WHEN HE HAD SPENT ALL," - YOU NOTICE HE SPENT IT PRETTY 33:27 QUICK - AN INHERITANCE THAT IS GOTTEN HASTILY IS OFTEN LOST 33:31 QUICKLY TOO. WHEN YOU WORK FOR YOUR MONEY FOR 33:36 YEARS AND YOU SAVE IT, YOU'RE MORE CAREFUL HOW YOU SPEND IT. 33:40 WHEN PEOPLE COME INTO MONEY QUICKLY AND EASILY, 33:43 THEY'RE OFTEN RECKLESS IN SPENDING IT. 33:45 HAVE YOU ALL HEARD THE STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE THAT SOMEHOW WIN 33:47 THE LOTTERY AND WHAT THEIR LIVES ARE LIKE A YEAR LATER? 33:51 SOME AMAZING STORIES OF JUST DISSIPATION AND SQUANDERING IT 33:56 AND BEING ROBBED BY OTHER FAMILY AND THEY'RE MORE MISERABLE AND, 33:59 SOMETIMES, EVEN IN DEBT DEEPER A YEAR AFTER WINNING THE LOTTERY - 34:04 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS - THAN THEY WERE BEFORE. 34:08 SO THIS YOUNG MAN GETS THIS MONEY AND HE SQUANDERS IT AND 34:14 AFTER HE SQUANDERS IT WITH WILD LIVING, THEN HE SPENDS ALL - 34:19 "THERE AROSE A SEVERE FAMINE" - TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE - "IN THAT 34:22 LAND," - THIS FAR COUNTRY - "AND HE BEGAN TO BE IN WANT." 34:26 - MISSING THE BASIC NECESSITIES. AND HE FINALLY, IN DESPERATION, 34:30 HE JOINS HIMSELF TO A CITIZEN OF THAT COUNTRY - THE ONLY WORK 34:33 HE CAN FIND - THEY HAD NO GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS YOU COULD 34:37 APPLY FOR - HE SENDS HIM INTO HIS FIELD TO FEED PIGS. 34:42 NOW REMEMBER, JESUS IS SHARING THIS STORY IN - TO A JEWISH 34:46 AUDIENCE AND JUST THE VERY WORST THING YOU COULD TO IS TO BE - 34:52 WHAT DO THEY CALL IT IN GERMAN? A SCHWEINEHERDE - A PIGGARD - 34:56 TAKE CARE OF PIGS - AND - AND - SENDS HIM INTO THE FIELDS TO 35:04 FEED THE PIGS THESE SEED PODS "AND HE GLADLY WOULD HAVE FILLED 35:08 HIS STOMACH WITH THE PODS THAT THE SWINE ATE, AND NO 35:12 ONE GAVE HIM ANYTHING." HE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS 35:15 WHEN HE HAD MONEY. NOW HE'S ALL ALONE. HE'S LOST. 35:20 HE'S SEPARATED FROM HIS FATHER, BUT HE COMES TO HIMSELF. 35:24 THE HOLY SPIRIT BEGINS TO WORK ON HIM AND HE REASONS AND HE 35:27 SAYS, 'HOW MANY OF MY FATHER'S HIRED SERVANTS HAVE BREAD ENOUGH 35:31 TO SPARE AND I PERISH WITH HUNGER?' 35:33 - HE'S REJECTED HIS FATHER'S BREAD AND NOW HE WANTS THAT 35:36 BREAD. "AND I PERISH" - JESUS SAID HE 35:40 CAME THAT WE MIGHT NOT PERISH - "I WILL ARISE" - HE NEEDS TO DO 35:44 SOMETHING ON HIS OWN - "AND GO TO MY FATHER, AND WILL SAY TO 35:48 HIM, 'FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND BEFORE YOU, 35:50 AND I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON. 35:53 MAKE ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR HIRED SERVANTS.'" HE THOUGHT, 'I'M 35:56 MUCH BETTER OFF BEING A SERVANT OF MY FATHER'S HOUSE THAN TAKING 35:59 CARE OF THESE PIGS.' - "AND HE AROSE AND CAME TO HIS FATHER." 36:03 - HE'S COME FROM A FAR COUNTRY - "BUT WHEN HE WAS STILL A GREAT 36:07 WAY OFF, HIS FATHER SAW HIM AND HAD COMPASSION, AND RAN AND FELL 36:12 ON HIS NECK" - HE WONDERED IF HIS FATHER WOULD ACCEPT HIM. 36:15 THE BIBLE SAYS 'DRAW NEAR TO GOD, HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU.' 36:18 AS SOON AS THE FATHER SAW HIM DRAWING NEAR, HE RUNS TO MEET 36:21 HIM. AS SOON AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT 36:24 WE'VE DRIFTED FROM GOD AND WE MAKE OUR WAY BACK, 36:26 THE LORD COMES TO US. >>AMEN. 36:29 >>HE CAME TO HIS FATHER AND HIS FATHER RAN - HE HAD COMPASSION - 36:32 HE FELL ON HIS NECK AND HE KISSED HIM - HE'S SO HAPPY THAT 36:35 HE'S COME HOME - HAPPIER THAN THE WOMAN WHO FOUND THE COIN OR 36:38 THE SHEPHERD THAT FOUND THE SHEEP. 36:40 THIS MAN HAS FOUND HIS SON. AND HE BEGINS - THE BOY 36:43 BEGINS TO MAKE HIS SPEECH OF REPENTANCE. 36:45 "FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND IN YOUR SIGHT, AND AM 36:49 NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON.' BUT THE FATHER SAID 36:52 TO HIS SERVANTS, 'BRING OUT THE BEST ROBE AND PUT IT ON HIM, AND 36:55 PUT A RING ON HIS HAND AND SANDALS ON HIS FEET.'" - COVER 36:58 UP THE RAGS THAT HE'S WEARING. GIVE HIM A ROYAL ROBE. 37:02 KIND OF WHAT JACOB DID FOR JOSEPH - "'AND BRING THE FATTED 37:05 CALF HERE AND KILL IT, AND LET US EAT AND BE MERRY;'" - LET'S 37:09 CELEBRATE - LET'S HAVE A FEAST - "'FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD AND 37:12 IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST AND IS FOUND.'" - NOW WHO DOES THAT 37:18 SON REPRESENT? YOU KNOW WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT 37:21 THIS PARABLE, FROM SOME OF THE OTHERS? IS THERE IS A BOY WHO IS 37:26 EVIDENTLY IN THE FATHER'S HOUSE WHEN HE STARTS, BUT HE DOESN'T 37:29 APPRECIATE IT AND HE LEAVES. PEOPLE GROW UP IN THE CHURCH, 37:34 THEY THINK MAYBE THE WORLD'S MORE ATTRACTIVE, THEY GET BORED 37:37 WITH THE FATHER'S BREAD, THEY GET BORED WITH THE FATHER'S 37:40 RULES AND THINK IT'LL BE A LOT MORE INTERESTING OUT THERE IN 37:43 THE WORLD AND THEY LEAVE THE CHURCH. 37:46 THEY LEAVE THEIR FAMILY'S RELIGION AND THEY FIND OUT THAT 37:49 THE HARD WAY, OFTEN, AND AFTER SOME SCARS AND BAD LESSONS - 37:53 THERE'S NO PEACE FOR THE WICKED. THERE'S NO REST FOR THE WICKED. 37:56 AND THEY START SAYING, 'WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?' 37:59 SOMETIMES IT TAKES YEARS. YOU KNOW THAT PROMISE: 'TRAIN UP 38:02 A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE WILL NOT 38:05 DEPART FROM IT.' SOMETIMES IT'S WHEN THEY'RE OLD. 38:09 NOW THERE'S NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO DO THAT. 38:12 THE WISE THING TO DO IS TO REMEMBER THE LORD IN THE DAYS OF 38:16 YOUR YOUTH, AMEN? >>AMEN. 38:18 >>AND DON'T GO DOWN THAT ROAD. BUT HE COMES TO HIS SENSES, THE 38:22 FATHER CELEBRATES, AND THEY BEGIN TO MAKE MERRY. 38:26 NOW, WHEN THE OLDER SON - HE'S NEVER LEFT HOME - HE'S IN THE 38:29 FIELD AND HE COMES AND HE DRAWS NEAR - HE'S BEEN OUT WORKING IN 38:32 THE FIELDS - WORKING FOR THE FATHER - HE HEARS THE MUSIC AND 38:36 DANCING AND HE CALLS ONE OF THE SERVANTS. 38:39 HE DOESN'T GO IN AND FIND OUT; HE WANTS TO FIND OUT BEFORE HE 38:41 GOES IN, WHAT'S GOING ON. 38:43 HE ASKS A SERVANT: HE SAID, "'YOUR BROTHER HAS COME, AND 38:46 BECAUSE HE RECEIVED HIM SAFE AND SOUND, YOUR FATHER HAS KILLED 38:51 THE FATTED CALF.' BUT HE WAS ANGRY AND WOULD NOT GO IN. 38:55 THEREFORE HIS FATHER CAME OUT AND PLEADED WITH HIM. 38:58 SO HE ANSWERED AND SAID...'LO, THESE MANY YEARS I HAVE BEEN 39:01 SERVING YOU; I NEVER TRANSGRESSED YOUR COMMANDMENT AT 39:04 ANY TIME; AND YET YOU NEVER GAVE ME A YOUNG GOAT, THAT I MIGHT 39:07 MAKE MERRY WITH MY FRIENDS. BUT AS SOON AS THIS SON OF YOURS 39:13 CAME,'" - YOU NOTICE HE DOESN'T SAY, 'MY BROTHER'? 39:16 - "'WHO HAS DEVOURED YOUR LIVELIHOOD WITH HARLOTS, YOU 39:19 KILLED THE FATTED CALF FOR HIM.'" - HE SAID, "'SON, YOU ARE 39:23 ALWAYS WITH ME, AND ALL THAT I HAVE IS YOURS. 39:25 IT WAS RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD MAKE MERRY AND BE GLAD, FOR YOUR 39:28 BROTHER WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN, AND WAS LOST AND IS 39:31 FOUND.'" NOW WHO - JESUS IS TELLING THIS PARABLE TO THE 39:37 SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES THAT ARE SAYING, 'WHY DOES THE SON OF 39:40 MAN MINGLE AND HANG OUT WITH SINNERS? 39:44 AND JESUS IS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THEM, WITH THIS SERIES OF 39:47 PARABLES, THAT WE SHOULD LOVE THE LOST AND THERE'S TWO 39:52 CATEGORIES OF LOST PEOPLE THAT JESUS IS SPEAKING ABOUT HERE. 39:56 ONE IS THE JEWS - THEY'RE JEWS, BUT THEY'RE PUBLICANS AND 40:01 THEY'RE HARLOTS AND THEY'VE WANDERED FROM GOD. 40:04 THEY'RE NOT RELIGIOUS AND THEY'VE JUST BEEN WRITTEN OFF AS 40:07 LOST. THE OTHER ARE THE GENTILES WHO 40:10 WERE CONSIDERED TOTALLY FOREIGN TO GOD. 40:14 AND, IN THIS SERIES OF PARABLES, JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT REACHING 40:17 BOTH. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK 40:20 ABOUT REACHING THE LOST, THERE'S TWO GROUPS: YOU'VE GOT 40:23 BACKSLIDDEN BELIEVERS AND YOU'VE GOT UNBELIEVERS - 40:28 ISN'T THAT RIGHT? WHAT OTHER GROUP IS THERE? 40:31 THERE'S PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW. THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ONCE KNEW 40:33 AND THEY WANDERED - AND WE SHOULD HAVE COMPASSION FOR BOTH. 40:36 BUT HERE THIS BOY WHO STAYS HOME - HE WORKS FOR THE FATHER - 40:39 SOMEHOW HE THINKS HE'S EARNING HIS SALVATION. 40:42 HE DOESN'T REALIZE IT'S BASED ON GRACE. 40:44 ALRIGHT, LET'S KEEP MOVING HERE. SO, EATING WITH SINNERS - NOW, 40:48 THIS STORY - THIS IS A GOOD SEGUE INTO ONE OF THE WAYS 40:52 THAT WE REACH THE PEOPLE. WE'VE GOT TO MINGLE WITH THEM. 40:56 AND YOU CAN READ SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS - MATTHEW 9, VERSE 10 - 41:01 AND IT SAYS HERE, "NOW IT HAPPENED, AS JESUS SAT AT THE 41:05 TABLE IN THE HOUSE," - THIS IS IN THE HOUSE OF MATTHEW - AFTER 41:08 HE CALLS MATTHEW, MATTHEW WALKS AWAY FROM HIS TAX BOOTH - "MANY 41:14 TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS CAME AND SAT DOWN" - ALL OF MATTHEW'S 41:16 FRIENDS WERE INVITED AND WHAT DID THEY DO? 41:18 THEY'RE TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS. 41:21 AND THEY SAT WITH "HIS DISCIPLES AND WHEN THE PHARISEES SAW IT, 41:24 THEY SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES" - THEY DON'T SAY IT TO JESUS - 41:27 "'WHY DOES YOUR TEACHER EAT WITH TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS?' 41:31 WHEN JESUS HEARD THAT HE SAID TO THEM, "THOSE WHO ARE WELL HAVE 41:35 NO NEED OF A PHYSICIAN, BUT THOSE WHO ARE SICK. 41:38 BUT GO AND LEARN WHAT THIS MEANS: 'I DESIRE MERCY AND NOT 41:41 SACRIFICE.' FOR I DID NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT 41:44 SINNERS TO REPENTANCE." DURING OUR CAMP OUT - I THINK I 41:48 MENTIONED TO YOU THAT THE LAST DAY - NOW, MOST OF THE GUYS THAT 41:56 WE WERE OUT CAMPING WITH ARE MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH - ALL 42:00 BELIEVERS IN GOD - AND THERE'S NO BEER, NO SMOKING, NO DIRTY 42:04 STORIES - WE HAD A LOT OF FUN - SO IT'S A GOOD, CLEAN GROUP. 42:09 NOT ALL CAMPERS AND HUNTERS ARE LIKE THAT. 42:12 AND THE LAST NIGHT WE WERE THERE, SOME HEADLIGHTS CAME ON - 42:17 WE HAD A GREAT CAMPSITE - SOMEONE ELSE PULLED UP WITH 42:20 THEIR QUAD - ONE GUY - AND THEIR CAMPER AND SAID, 42:27 'HOW LONG YOU GUYS GOING TO BE HERE?' 42:29 WE SAID, 'WELL, WE'RE PULLING OUT IN THE MORNING.' HE SAID, 42:31 'WELL, I'LL GO OFF AND I'LL COME BACK.' I SAID, 'NO, NO, YOU 42:33 COME' - WE SAID, 'YOU COME JOIN US.' WE SAID, 'JUST HANG OUT 42:35 WITH US AND WHEN WE'RE GONE YOU'LL HAVE MORE SPACE. 42:39 AND HE WAS SO HAPPY TO TALK WITH US. 42:41 HE OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT A BELIEVER AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT 42:46 DRINKING AND HE WAS TELLING SOME SORDID STORIES AND HE WAS 42:50 TALKING ABOUT HOW BIG HIS STEAKS AND PORK CHOPS WERE AND WE 42:55 INVITED HIM FOR BREAKFAST AND HE WANTED TO KNOW IF WE'D HAVE 42:57 BACON AND (LAUGHS) - WE SAID, 'NO, IT MAY NOT BE THAT 43:01 ELABORATE.' BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW HOW TO - ALL 43:06 OF MY FRIENDS, THEY KEYED RIGHT IN, THEY SAID, 'WE'RE GOING TO 43:08 MAKE A FRIEND OUT OF THIS GUY.' AND WE WERE SO NICE AND SO 43:11 WELCOMING - AND THAT'S HOW YOU REACH PEOPLE. 43:14 WE DIDN'T SAY, 'BACON, WE DON'T EAT BACON.' HE KIND OF FIGURED 43:18 THAT OUT THE NEXT MORNING. (LAUGHTER) 'HAVEN'T YOU 43:23 HEARD - THEY'RE UNCLEAN!' YOU CAN'T SHARE EVERYTHING WITH 43:28 EVERYBODY ALL AT ONCE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 43:30 FIRST YOU'VE GOT TO WHAT? YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH 43:32 THEM AND MINGLE WITH THEM. AND, OF COURSE, AS I LEFT I 43:36 SAID, 'NOW, IF YOU'RE RIDING AROUND UP IN THE DESERT AND YOU 43:37 FIND A BACKPACK - AND I WROTE MY HOME NUMBER ON MY BUSINESS CARD, 43:44 HOPING THAT HE'LL CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE. 43:48 AND SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN STUFF LIKE THAT, IT'S EVANGELISTIC. 43:50 BUT YOU'VE GOT TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. 43:53 NOW THERE'S A - IT PUSHES YOUR - IT SOMETIMES PUSHES CHRISTIANS 43:59 IN THEIR COMFORT ZONE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO JUST 44:03 KNOW HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT 44:05 THINGS THAT YOU - YOU KNOW, HE WAS TELLING US ALL ABOUT ALL HIS 44:09 HUNTING. WE SAID, 'WELL, WE'RE NOT REALLY 44:10 DOING ANY HUNTING, WE'RE JUST' - I MEAN, WE HAD A COUPLE OF 44:14 PISTOLS BECAUSE THERE ARE RATTLESNAKES OUT THERE, BUT WE 44:16 DIDN'T DO ANY HUNTING, THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR PURPOSE WAS. 44:18 WE WERE JUST ENJOYING THE SCENERY AND RIDING AROUND. 44:20 BUT YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WITHOUT 44:23 OFFENDING THEM OR ACTING LIKE, 'I'M MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN THOU' 44:27 AND SHOW THAT YOU VALUE THEM. AND THIS IS THE METHOD 44:29 THAT JESUS USED. JESUS THEN SAID - WHEN THE 44:35 PHARISEES WERE GIVING HIM A HARD TIME - HE SAID, 'THOSE WHO 44:38 ARE WELL DO NOT NEED A PHYSICIAN BUT THOSE WHO ARE SICK. 44:41 BUT GO LEARN WHAT THIS MEANS: I DESIRE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE, 44:46 FOR I DID NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS BUT SINNERS TO 44:48 REPENTANCE.' JESUS IS QUOTING HOSEA 6:6. 44:52 THE LORD WANTS PEOPLE WHO ARE POOR IN SPIRIT. 44:56 HE'S LOOKING FOR PEOPLE. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SINFUL WE 44:58 ARE. IF THERE'S A CONTRITION, HE CALLS IT. 45:01 IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY LIKE NICODEMUS, WHO WAS 45:05 A RELIGIOUS LEADER, OR YOU'RE MARY MAGDALENE. KING DAVID SAID 45:09 IN PSALM 51, VERSE 17, "THE SACRIFICES OF GOD ARE A BROKEN 45:13 SPIRIT, A BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART - THESE, 45:16 O GOD, YOU WILL NOT DESPISE." 45:18 'WHOEVER COMES TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.' IT DOESN'T 45:21 MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE A TRULY CONVERTED REPENTING RELIGIOUS 45:25 PERSON OR IF YOU HAVE BEEN A SINNER THAT DOESN'T KNOW THE 45:28 FIRST THING ABOUT HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND IN THE BIBLE. 45:32 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE STORIES IN THE BIBLE THAT ALWAYS KIND OF 45:35 STRUCK ME IS ABOUT DAVID AND HIS MIGHTY MEN - HIS ARMY. 45:42 HAVE YOU READ THAT WHEN HE FIRST ATTRACTED THIS ARMY - HOW THEY 45:46 WERE COMPOSED? IT SAYS, "DAVID THEREFORE 45:49 DEPARTED, HE ESCAPED TO THE CAVE OF ADULLAM. 45:52 SO WHEN HIS BROTHERS AND ALL HIS FATHER'S HOUSE HEARD IT, THEY 45:55 WENT DOWN THERE TO HIM." - DAVID'S RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE, 45:57 HE'S LIVING IN A CAVE - "AND EVERYONE WHO WAS IN DISTRESS, 46:01 EVERYONE WHO WAS IN DEBT," - THESE PEOPLE NOT PAYING THEIR 46:05 CREDIT CARDS - "AND EVERYONE WHO WAS DISCONTENTED 46:10 GATHERED TO HIM." SO HE BECAME CAPTAIN OVER THEM. 46:13 AND THERE WERE ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED MEN WITH HIM. 46:16 ALL KINDS OF STRANGE CHARACTERS GATHERED AROUND DAVID AND HE 46:21 TURNED THEM INTO A FORMIDABLE ARMY BY MINGLING WITH THEM, BY 46:26 HIS EXAMPLE - HE TAUGHT THEM HOW TO PRAY, HE TAUGHT THEM HOW TO 46:28 TRUST GOD, HE TAUGHT THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW TO ORDER THEIR LIVES - 46:32 HE WAS A LEADER FOR A VERY STRANGE GROUP, BUT HE 46:35 DISCIPLINED THEM - BUT HE WELCOMED THEM. 46:38 IT DOESN'T SAY HE REJECTED ANY OF THEM AND SAID, 'YOU'RE IN 46:40 DEBT.' 'YOU'RE A GRUMBLER.' 'YOU'RE A COMPLAINER.' 46:43 'YOU'RE A REBEL.' THEY ALL GATHERED TO HIM. 46:45 THEY WERE ATTRACTED TO HIM - AND HE TURNED THEM INTO THE LEADERS 46:49 OF THE KINGDOM. IT'S LIKE JESUS WITH THE APOSTLES. 46:51 HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT WHAT THEY WERE MADE OF? 46:53 THERE WERE FISHERMEN AND SHEPHERDS AND TAX COLLECTORS AND 46:57 SCRIBES AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. 47:00 BUT HE BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. WE HAVE ONE MORE VERSE I'D LIKE 47:04 YOU TO READ AND THAT'S LUKE 19 - THIS WAS OUR MEMORY VERSE, BUT I 47:08 THOUGHT IT'D BE A GOOD PLACE TO SHARE. 47:12 GO AHEAD, WHY DON'T YOU READ THAT? LUKE 19:5-7. 47:15 >>"AND WHEN JESUS CAME TO THE PLACE, HE LOOKED UP AND SAW HIM, 47:18 AND SAID TO HIM, 'ZACCHAEUS, MAKE HASTE AND COME DOWN, FOR 47:22 TODAY I MUST STAY AT YOUR HOUSE.' SO HE MADE HASTE AND 47:26 CAME DOWN, AND RECEIVED HIM JOYFULLY. 47:29 BUT WHEN THEY SAW IT, THEY ALL COMPLAINED, SAYING, 'HE HAS GONE 47:32 TO BE A GUEST WITH A MAN WHO IS A SINNER.'" 47:35 >>GOING TO EAT AT THE HOUSE OF ZACCHAEUS - THAT BOTHERED THEM - 47:39 BUT JESUS SAID, 'THIS IS WHY I CAME.' THE LORD WANTS TO BE IN 47:43 THEIR HOMES. IF YOU WANT TO WIN PEOPLE TO THE LORD YOU NEED TO 47:45 GO INTO THE HOMES OF PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BELIEVE AND LEARN HOW TO 47:49 INTERACT WITH THEM IN A WINSOME WAY AND WIN THEIR HEARTS. 47:53 NOW THERE'S A BALANCE IN MINGLING WISELY. 47:57 YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO BE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT THE WORLD 48:00 BEING IN YOU. SAMSON MIGHT HAVE ARGUED HE WAS 48:05 DOING MISSIONARY WORK AMONG THE PHILISTINES, BUT INSTEAD OF 48:09 WINNING THE PHILISTINES, THE PHILISTINES WON HIM. 48:14 INSTEAD OF REACHING THEM, THEY TRAPPED HIM. 48:19 AND SO, YOU'VE GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL. 48:20 THERE IS A BALANCE AND MAYBE WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT NEXT 48:23 WEEK AND - HOW DO YOU DRAW THAT LINE SO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE 48:26 REACHING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, MINGLING AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE 48:31 LOST, WITHOUT THEM AFFECTING YOU AND REACHING YOU? 48:35 IT'S ONE THING TO GO OUT IN THE OCEAN AND TO CATCH FISH, BUT IF 48:40 YOU GET TOO FAR IN THE WATER, THE FISH COULD CATCH YOU. 48:44 SOMEONE SAID THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE A BOAT IN 48:46 THE OCEAN. A BOAT ON DRY LAND LOOKS 48:51 USELESS, DOESN'T IT? AND IN THE SAME WAY - BUT, IF 48:54 THE OCEAN GETS IN THE BOAT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, RIGHT? 48:57 AND SO YOU'VE GOT TO MAINTAIN THAT SEPARATION. 48:59 ALRIGHT, WELL, WE'RE OUT OF TIME AND I'LL MAYBE COVER SOME OF 49:01 THESE OTHER POINTS NEXT WEEK. I WANT TO REMIND THOSE WHO ARE 49:03 WATCHING, WE DO HAVE THE FREE OFFER. 49:05 YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THAT AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S CALLED ALONE IN 49:08 THE CROWD - GREAT BOOK BY JOE CREWS - ASK FOR OFFER #714 WHEN 49:12 YOU CALL 866-788-3966 - THAT'S SIMPLY 866-STUDY-MORE. 49:18 WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU. YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD IT FOR 49:20 FREE ONLINE. GOD BLESS 'TIL WE STUDY HIS 49:22 WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 49:35 >>ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1971, 17-YEAR-OLD JULIANE KOEPCKE 49:40 BOARDED LANSA FLIGHT #508 WITH HER MOTHER IN LIMA, PERU. 49:44 THEY INTENDED TO JOIN HER FATHER FOR CHRISTMAS AT HIS RESEARCH 49:48 STATION IN THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST. 49:51 AFTER CROSSING THE ANDES AT ABOUT 21,000 FEET, THEIR 49:54 AIRCRAFT WAS ENVELOPED BY LARGE, DARK THUNDERCLOUDS AND IT 49:58 ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE. LIGHTNING WAS FLASHING 50:01 EVERYWHERE AND THE PLANE WAS SHAKEN VIOLENTLY, WHICH 50:04 NATURALLY TERRIFIED THE PASSENGERS. 50:06 THEN, A BOLT OF LIGHTNING STRUCK THE PLANE'S ENGINE AND TORE OFF 50:11 A WING. AS THE DOOMED AIRLINER HURTLED 50:14 TOWARDS THE EARTH, THE CABIN CAME APART AND THE NEXT THING 50:17 SHE KNEW, JULIANE FOUND HERSELF STRAPPED ALONE TO A ROW OF SEATS 50:21 FALLING AND SPINNING SILENTLY FROM OVER 10,000 FEET 50:25 ABOVE THE RAIN FOREST. SHE PLUMMETED THROUGH THE JUNGLE 50:28 CANOPY AND SLAMMED ON THE FOREST FLOOR. 50:31 WHEN SHE AWOKE THE NEXT DAY, JULIANE WAS AMAZED TO REALIZE 50:34 SHE HAD SURVIVED THE TWO-MILE FALL WITH JUST A BROKEN 50:38 COLLARBONE AND A BAD GASH IN HER ARM. 50:41 AFTER FAILING TO FIND ANY OTHER SURVIVORS, JULIANE RELIED ON 50:44 WHAT HER FATHER HAD TAUGHT HER: THAT WALKING DOWNSTREAM WILL 50:48 ALWAYS LEAD TO CIVILIZATION. SO, WITH A BAG OF CANDY THAT HAD 50:52 FALLEN FROM THE PLANE AND ONE SANDAL, SHE STARTED WALKING. 50:56 FOR TEN DAYS JULIANE HOBBLED, SWAM, OR FLOATED DOWNSTREAM. 51:01 HER WOUNDS BECAME INFECTED AND SHE WAS PLAGUED BY MAGGOTS WHILE 51:04 HAVING TO DODGE CROCODILES, PIRANHAS, AND RELENTLESS 51:07 INSECTS. EVENTUALLY SHE CAME TO A SHACK 51:11 WHERE SHE SLEPT AND SHE WAS SOON DISCOVERED BY PERUVIAN LOGGERS. 51:15 EVENTUALLY JULIANE WAS UNITED WITH HER AMAZED FATHER. 51:20 IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL SURVIVING 51:22 SUCH A FALL AND THEN HIKING ALONE OUT OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST 51:26 RAINFOREST. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT 51:29 SOME WHO SURVIVED AN EVEN GREATER FALL THAN JULIANE. 51:33 IN FACT, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, WHEN ADAM AND EVE 51:36 FELL IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, IT BROUGHT THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE 51:38 DOWN. BUT JESUS CAME TO REDEEM THE WORLD FROM SIN. 51:42 PERHAPS YOU'RE THINKING TO YOURSELF, 'WELL, THAT'S OKAY FOR 51:45 THE WORLD, BUT I'VE FALLEN TOO FAR.' 51:48 WELL, IF THE LORD CAN SAVE JULIANE, GOD CAN SAVE YOU. 51:52 YOU'VE NOT GONE FARTHER THAN MOSES, WHO WAS GUILTY OF MURDER, 51:55 OR DAVID, WHO WAS GUILTY OF ADULTERY, OR PETER, WHO DENIED 51:58 JESUS - AND ALL OF THEM WERE SAVED AND RESTORED FROM THEIR 52:02 FALL. OR MAYBE YOU'RE THINKING, 'I'VE 52:04 FALLEN TOO MANY TIMES.' BE OF GOOD COURAGE. 52:07 IT SAYS IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 24, VERSE 16, "FOR A RIGHTEOUS MAN 52:11 MAY FALL SEVEN TIMES AND RISE AGAIN" - AND JESUS CAST SEVEN 52:15 DEVILS OUT OF MARY MAGDALENE. SO DON'T GET DISCOURAGED, 52:18 FRIEND, IF YOU'VE FALLEN, GET BACK UP AGAIN. 52:20 THE SAME WAY THAT HE COULD SAVE JULIANE - LEAD HER FROM THAT 52:23 LOST CONDITION IN THE RAINFOREST AND RESTORE HER TO HER FATHER, 52:27 JESUS CAN LEAD YOU FROM YOUR LOST CONDITION AND RESTORE YOU 52:30 TO YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER. (MUSIC) 52:44 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 52:51 >>WHEN I WAS 15 I BOUGHT MY FIRST BAG OF MARIJUANA OUT OF 52:55 CURIOSITY AND FROM THE AGE OF 15 ON TO 23 IT WAS A CONSTANT 53:02 EXPERIMENTATION WITH DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES. 53:06 BY THE TIME I WAS 23 THERE WAS NOT A DRUG I HAD NOT TRIED. 53:10 I HAD WORN MYSELF OUT SEARCHING FOR HAPPINESS AND ONE DAY I CAME 53:14 HOME, TIRED AS USUAL, AND I STARTED DRINKING. 53:19 AND, AS USUAL, AFTER I STARTED DRINKING, I STARTED LOOKING FOR 53:23 A HIGHER BUZZ. SOMEONE CAME BY WITH SOME XANAX. SOMEONE ALSO 53:30 CAME BY WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT I LIKED AND THAT WAS COCAINE. 53:35 BUT THIS TIME, NOT THINKING, I TOOK THE WHOLE THING. 53:39 SO I WENT TO BED ABOUT FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON. 53:42 MY ROOMMATE WENT OFF TO WORK THAT NIGHT; WHEN HE CAME BACK 53:46 FROM WORK THE NEXT DAY THOUGH, HE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG 53:49 BECAUSE I WAS STILL IN BED IN THE SAME POSITION. 53:52 HE TRIED TO WAKE ME UP AND HE COULDN'T WAKE ME UP. 53:57 AND WHEN MY PARENTS FOUND ME, THEY FOUND ME CURLED UP IN THE 54:01 FETAL POSITION IN MY HOSPITAL ROOM UNCONSCIOUS STILL. 54:07 AND I STAYED UNCONSCIOUS IN THIS COMA-LIKE STATE FOR THE NEXT 54:11 WEEK. I STAYED THE NEXT MONTH IN THE 54:14 HOSPITAL, SLOWLY GETTING BETTER TO WHERE I COULD SIT UP IN BED 54:20 AND I HAD TO LEARN TO WALK AGAIN. BUT MY PARENTS FOUND THIS 54:23 ONE FACILITY OUT IN THE HILLS OF TENNESSEE. 54:26 I HAD TO ADMIT THAT I LIKED THE PLACE, BUT THEY WERE CHRISTIAN - 54:32 AND EVEN WORSE THAN THAT, I SAID 'YES' WHEN THEY ASKED ME IF I 54:36 WANTED TO GO TO CHURCH THAT WEEK. 54:38 BEFORE THE PASTOR SAID THE BENEDICTION I WAS SO EXCITED 54:41 BECAUSE I WAS PLANNING MY ESCAPE. 54:43 AND SO, AFTER EVERYBODY WAS ALL IN BED THAT NIGHT, I MADE SURE 54:46 THAT THEY WERE SNORING AND THAT THEY WERE ASLEEP. 54:50 I WENT INTO THE KITCHEN AND STOLE A FEW BANANAS, GOT MY 54:54 BACKPACK READY - I FIGURED I COULD GET SOBER ON MY OWN. 54:59 MY FAVORITE SONG WAS 'I DID IT MY WAY'. OF COURSE, MY 55:03 DEFINITION OF SOBER WAS A NICE SUPPLY OF MARIJUANA EACH DAY AND 55:10 ALCOHOL ON THE WEEKENDS. AND, OF COURSE, IF I HAD A BAD 55:13 HANGOVER, I MIGHT NEED SOME OF THOSE RELAXING PILLS TO TAKE, 55:16 BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT WOULD BE IT. 55:20 SO HERE I AM, STRANDED ON THE STREET IN THE BIG CITY OF 55:23 HOUSTON, MY BAG OF CLOTHES IS GONE. 55:27 MY CELL PHONE IS GONE - MY WALLET, MY BUS TICKET'S GONE. 55:30 I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BUT THE SHIRT ON MY BACK. 55:33 IT'S AT THAT POINT THAT THIS MAN COMES UP TO ME - THIS MYSTERIOUS 55:36 MAN - HE'S ACTUALLY VERY SHORT AND APPEARS TO BE HOMELESS AND 55:40 HE LED ME TO SOME FOOD AND EVEN A PLACE TO STAY THAT NIGHT. 55:45 LOOKING BACK, IT IS MY FIRM CONCLUSION THAT THAT WAS AN 55:49 ANGEL. SO MY DAD WAS ABLE TO COME DOWN 55:52 TO HOUSTON AND PICK ME UP AND TAKE ME BACK UP TO THE HEALTH 55:55 RETREAT AT WILDWOOD IN TENNESSEE. THEY HAD A SATELLITE. 56:01 ON THIS CHANNEL THERE WAS A MAN NAMED DOUG BATCHELOR. 56:04 I LIKED WHAT I HEARD. I LIKED THE WAY HE EXPLAINED 56:08 THE BIBLE - IT WAS SO SIMPLE. AND HE ALSO HAD AN EXPERIENCE 56:11 SIMILAR TO MINE AND I TALKED TO LOU ABOUT THEM AND THEY 56:15 HAPPENED TO HAVE A WHOLE SET OF CASSETTE TAPES. 56:18 I WOULD WAKE UP AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING SOMETIMES AND I WOULD 56:22 GET UP AND I WOULD WATCH TWO OF THOSE VIDEOS BEFORE BREAKFAST. 56:26 I WOULD SIT THIS CLOSE TO THE TV, WATCHING WHAT DOUG BATCHELOR 56:29 WAS SAYING - JUST EATING UP EVERY WORD OF IT. 56:32 I WAS SO TIRED OF HEARING LIES AND EVEN BELIEVING MY OWN LIES, 56:35 THAT IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WAS SOLID AND 56:40 THAT I COULD RELY ON. AND SO, WHEN I GOT HOME FROM 56:44 REHAB, IN MY LOCAL CHURCH, ERIC FLICKINGER FROM AMAZING FACTS 56:49 WAS HOLDING AN EVANGELISTIC SERIES. 56:52 THEY SOLIDIFIED MY CONVICTION AND IT WAS THEN I MADE THE 56:56 ABSOLUTE DECISION TO FOLLOW JESUS. 56:59 I PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR AMAZING FACTS. 57:04 I PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO BIBLE BASED. 57:09 THEY SEND OUT EVANGELISTS WHO ARE WILLING TO TEACH THE TRUTH 57:12 TO PEOPLE. I'M THANKFUL THAT THEY'RE 57:15 PREACHING RIGHT NOW ALL OVER THE WORLD, CHANGING LIVES 57:20 JUST AS THEY CHANGED MINE. >>TOGETHER, WE HAVE SPREAD THE 57:25 GOSPEL MUCH FATHER THAN EVER BEFORE. 57:28 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 57:36 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH 57:37 AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 57:40 NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT 57:44 THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU 57:51 CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED 57:54 MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT 57:59 FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 58:06 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:13 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-08-01