Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021633A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE TUNING IN. 00:39 WE HAVE A SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR YOU TODAY. 00:41 WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL SONGS AND PASTOR DOUG IS GOING TO BE 00:44 PRESENTING OUR LESSON THIS MORNING. 00:47 LET'S START WITH #294 - IF YOU HAVE A HYMNAL AT HOME, PULL IT 00:52 OUT AND JOIN WITH US. WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL 00:54 THREE STANZAS - #294. (LIVELY PIANO MUSIC) 01:08 >>WOULD YOU BE FREE FROM THE BURDEN OF SIN? 01:12 THERE'S POW'R IN THE BLOOD, POW'R IN THE BLOOD; WOULD YOU 01:18 O'ER EVIL A VICTORY WIN? THERE'S WONDERFUL 01:23 POW'R IN THE BLOOD. THERE IS POW'R, POW'R, 01:28 WONDER-WORKING POW'R IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB; THERE IS 01:35 POW'R, POW'R, WONDER-WORKING POW'R IN THE PRECIOUS 01:41 BLOOD OF THE LAMB. WOULD YOU BE FREE FROM 01:47 YOUR PASSION AND PRIDE? THERE'S POW'R IN THE BLOOD, 01:52 POW'R IN THE BLOOD; COME FOR A CLEANSING TO CALVARY'S TIDE? 01:58 THERE'S WONDERFUL POW'R IN THE BLOOD. 02:03 THERE IS POW'R, POW'R, WONDER-WORKING POW'R IN THE 02:08 BLOOD OF THE LAMB; THERE IS POW'R, POW'R, WONDER-WORKING 02:16 POW'R IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LAMB. 02:23 WOULD YOU DO SERVICE FOR JESUS YOUR KING? 02:27 THERE'S POW'R IN THE BLOOD, POW'R IN THE BLOOD; WOULD YOU 02:33 LIVE DAILY HIS PRAISES TO SING? THERE'S WONDERFUL 02:38 POW'R IN THE BLOOD. THERE IS POW'R, POW'R, 02:44 WONDER-WORKING POW'R IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB; THERE IS 02:51 POW'R, POW'R, WONDER-WORKING POW'R IN THE PRECIOUS 02:57 BLOOD OF THE LAMB. >>AREN'T YOU THANKFUL FOR THE 03:04 POWER IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB? IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT, I 03:09 DON'T THINK I WOULD BE HERE. I KNOW I WOULDN'T BE HERE. 03:12 AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HERE WOULDN'T BE EITHER. 03:15 OUR NEXT SONG IS #292 - BEAUTIFUL SONG - JESUS, I COME - 03:21 WE'RE GOING TO SING THE FIRST, SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS - 03:24 #292. (PIANO MUSIC) 03:35 >>OUT OF MY BONDAGE, SORROW AND NIGHT, 03:41 JESUS, I COME, JESUS, I COME; INTO THY FREEDOM, GLADNESS AND 03:51 LIGHT, JESUS, I COME TO THEE; OUT OF MY SICKNESS INTO THY 04:04 HEALTH, OUT OF MY WANT AND INTO THY WEALTH, OUT OF MY SIN AND 04:15 INTO THYSELF, JESUS, I COME TO THEE. 04:25 OUT OF MY SHAMEFUL FAILURE AND LOSS, JESUS, I COME, JESUS, I 04:35 COME; INTO THE GLORIOUS GAIN OF THY CROSS, JESUS, I COME TO 04:46 THEE; OUT OF EARTH'S SORROWS INTO THY BALM, OUT OF LIFE'S 04:57 STORMS AND INTO THY CALM, OUT OF DISTRESS TO JUBILANT PSALM, 05:10 JESUS, I COME TO THEE. OUT OF THE FEAR AND DREAD OF THE 05:21 TOMB, JESUS, I COME, JESUS, I COME; INTO THY JOY AND LIGHT OF 05:33 THY HOME, JESUS, I COME TO THEE; OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF RUIN 05:46 UNTOLD, INTO THE PEACE OF THY SHELTERING FOLD, EVER THY 05:58 GLORIOUS FACE TO BEHOLD, JESUS, I COME TO THEE. 06:12 >>JOIN WITH ME IN PRAYER, PLEASE. 06:14 FATHER IN HEAVEN, JESUS, WE COME TO YOU TODAY OUT OF OUR 06:21 SICKNESS, OUT OF OUR RUIN, OUT OF OUR DESPAIR, AND WE ASK YOU 06:27 TO TAKE US AS WE ARE AND CHANGE US AND CREATE IN US SOMETHING 06:35 THAT WE CANNOT DO OF OURSELVES. IT IS ONLY THROUGH YOU THAT WE 06:40 CAN BE READY FOR WHEN YOU COME. SO MANY TIMES WE THINK THAT WE 06:46 HAVE TO BE BETTER BEFORE WE COME TO YOU, BUT THE BEAUTIFUL THING 06:51 IS THAT YOU ACCEPT US JUST THE WAY WE ARE AND THEN YOU 06:55 TRANSFORM US TO BE LIKE YOU. FATHER THAT IS OUR PRAYER TODAY. 07:01 I PRAY YOU'LL BE WITH US AS WE OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND WE STUDY 07:04 TOGETHER. BE WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY 07:07 AROUND THE WORLD AND THOSE THAT ARE HERE WITH US. 07:11 AND WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PASTOR DOUG AND HIS MINISTRY AND 07:14 I PRAY THAT YOU'LL GIVE HIM THE WORDS AS HE BRINGS US OUR LESSON 07:17 STUDY. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 07:20 AT THIS TIME OUR LESSON STUDY WILL BE BROUGHT TO US BY OUR 07:23 SENIOR PASTOR HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 07:25 ADVENTIST CHURCH, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 07:32 >>THANK YOU - DEBBIE, OUR MUSICIANS - SINGERS. 07:35 MORNING EVERYBODY. >>MORNING. 07:37 >>I WANT TO WELCOME YOU HERE TO GRANITE BAY AND I ALSO WANT TO 07:41 WELCOME OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE WATCHING. 07:43 WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING VIA SATELLITE AND INTERNET FROM 07:46 ALL OVER THE WORLD. HOW DO I SAY THIS? 07:53 I GOT A BEARD. THAT'S ONE WAY TO SAY IT. 07:56 >>I NOTICED. >>THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE - I'M 07:58 GOING ON A MEN'S RETREAT CAMP OUT THIS - 08:02 ABOUT THIRTY PERCENT OF THE MEN AT GRANITE BAY ARE 08:05 CAMPING OUT THIS WEEKEND THERE UP IN THE SIERRAS ABOUT TWO AND 08:08 A HALF HOURS FROM HERE AND SOMEONE NEEDED TO MIND THE FORT 08:11 SO WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE FAITHFUL ARE ENDURING AND THEN 08:15 OTHERS ARE GOING TO BE DRIVING UP AFTER THE SERVICE AND JOINING 08:18 THEM, AND SO I'M LOOKING OUT AND SEEING A LOT OF LADIES IN THE - 08:23 PROBABLY THE SAME NUMBER OF LADIES THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE, IT 08:25 JUST SEEMS LIKE MORE BECAUSE SO MANY OF OUR MEN ARE UP AT THE 08:28 CAMPOUT RIGHT NOW. LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING INTO OUR 08:31 STUDY TODAY. I WANT TO JUST REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE A FREE 08:35 OFFER. THE OFFER IS CALLED A LOVE THAT TRANSFORMS . 08:38 WE'LL SEND THIS TO YOU FOR FREE AND IT'S OFFER #710 WHEN YOU 08:43 CALL THE NUMBER 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE - 08:50 866-STUDY-MORE - WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU FREE. 08:53 A LOT OF OUR LESSON TODAY IS TALKING ABOUT THE THEME OF LOVE 08:56 AND WE'D BE HAPPY FOR YOU TO HAVE THIS. 08:58 LOOK AT IT AND THEN SHARE WITH A FRIEND. 09:01 TODAY WE'RE ON LESSON #7 TALKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN 09:05 THE COMMUNITY AND THE LESSON TODAY IS JESUS DESIRED THEIR 09:09 GOOD . A LOT OF GOOD ELEMENTS IN OUR STUDY TODAY. 09:13 WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND THE MEMORY VERSE COMES TO US FROM 09:17 MATTHEW 23:37 - I BELIEVE IT'S QUOTED HERE FROM WHAT WE CALL 09:20 THE AUTHORIZED VERSION - KING JAMES VERSION - AND IF YOU WANT 09:24 TO SAY THAT WITH ME, THAT'D BE GREAT - MATTHEW 23:37 - ARE YOU 09:28 READY? O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, THOU THAT KILLEST THE PROPHETS, 09:34 AND STONEST THEM WHICH ARE SENT UNTO THEE, HOW OFTEN WOULD I 09:38 HAVE GATHERED THY CHILDREN TOGETHER, EVEN AS A HEN 09:41 GATHERETH HER CHICKENS UNDER HER WINGS, AND YE WOULD NOT!" 09:45 YOU COULD HEAR JESUS' HEART IS BREAKING, HE HAS TEARS IN HIS 09:50 VOICE, HE'S PLEADING FOR HIS PEOPLE. JUDGMENT WAS COMING, BUT 09:55 IT'S NOT WHAT HE WANTED. THE LORD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY 09:59 SHOULD PERISH BUT HE WANTS ALL TO BE SAVED. 10:02 YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME WHO BELIEVE IN A SORT OF A 10:06 PREDESTINATION VIEW OF SALVATION - THAT GOD HAS ARBITRARILY 10:09 PRE-CHOSEN WHO'S GOING TO BE SAVED, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT 10:13 HE DOESN'T WANT ANY TO BE LOST - 'GOD, WHO WOULD HAVE ALL MEN TO 10:17 BE SAVED.' ISN'T THAT WHAT IT TEACHES? 10:19 AND 'WHOEVER WILL' LET HIM COME. AND SO THIS LESSON TALKS ABOUT 10:24 THAT GOD'S DESIRE IS NOT TO DESTROY. 10:26 JUDGMENT COMES BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE PERSISTED IN REJECTING 10:30 MERCY. THE LORD GOES THE SECOND MILE 10:34 TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN THE BIBLE TO SAVE AS MANY AS 10:37 HE POSSIBLY CAN. NOW THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS 10:39 UNDERSTOOD BY HIS CHURCH IN THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENT. 10:43 AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT. 10:46 TO BEGIN WITH, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE BOOK OF JONAH AND, IF YOU 10:50 LOOK IN JONAH CHAPTER 3, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START WITH VERSE 10:53 4, WE'RE GOING TO READ THIS STORY. NOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO 10:55 TALK ABOUT THE PART OF JONAH SO MUCH WHERE HE'S IN THE FISH. 10:58 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POST-FISH: AND AFTER JONAH CAME OUT OF THE 11:03 FISH AND GOD'S WORD SAID, ONCE AGAIN, 'GO AND PREACH TO THE 11:06 NINEVITES' - REMEMBER, HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. 11:09 HE THOUGHT IF GOD WAS GOING TO JUDGE THEM, GOOD RIDDANCE - THEY 11:12 WERE THE ENEMY OF GOD'S PEOPLE. AND YOU GO TO VERSE - OH, I TELL 11:17 YOU WHAT, LET'S START WITH VERSE 3, "SO JONAH AROSE, AND WENT TO 11:25 NINEVEH, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD. NOW NINEVEH WAS AN 11:27 EXCEEDING GREAT CITY OF THREE DAYS' JOURNEY." 11:31 NOW SOME VERSIONS WILL SAY 'A THREE DAYS' JOURNEY IN EXTENT' - 11:35 THERE'S A MYSTERY HERE ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THAT MEANT. 11:39 WE'RE NOT SURE IF IT JUST BASICALLY SAID 'THREE DAYS' 11:40 JOURNEY'. YOU'LL NOTICE IF IT SAYS 'IN 11:42 EXTENT' IT'S IN ITALICS IN YOUR BIBLE. 11:45 WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANT THAT JONAH WENT THREE DAYS' JOURNEY 11:49 TO NINEVEH FROM WHERE THE FISH BURPED HIM OUT. 11:54 IF HE DID THAT, HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO RIDE FULL SPEED LIKE A 11:57 PONY EXPRESS RIDER TO GET THERE, BUT AFTER GOING THROUGH THE 12:00 FISH, HE MAY HAVE DONE THAT. TO SAY IT'S AN EXCEEDING GREAT CITY 12:04 OF THREE DAYS' JOURNEY - THAT COULD MEAN THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF 12:07 THE CITY AND THAT WOULD BE INCLUDING ITS SUBURBS. 12:11 THAT WOULD BE A VERY BIG CITY. SO WE'RE NOT SURE. 12:14 AND IT SAYS, "AND JONAH BEGAN TO ENTER INTO THE CITY A DAY'S 12:18 JOURNEY." NOW, BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, 12:21 DON'T FORGET A VERY IMPORTANT STATEMENT OF JESUS: JESUS SAID, 12:26 'IT'S AN EVIL AND AN ADULTEROUS GENERATION THAT SEEKS AFTER A 12:28 SIGN AND NO SIGN WILL BE GIVEN BUT' - WHAT WAS THE ONE 12:34 EXCEPTION JESUS MADE WHEN PEOPLE ASKED FOR A SIGN? 12:38 'NO SIGN'LL BE GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF JONAH.' AND, HE SAYS, 12:43 'FOR AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE 12:47 GREAT FISH, SO THE SON OF MAN WILL BE THREE DAYS AND THREE 12:50 NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.' 12:51 THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS IN MATTHEW 12. 12:53 IN LUKE, JESUS SAYS, 'FOR AS JONAH WAS A SIGN TO THE 12:56 NINEVITES, SO THE SON OF MAN WILL BE TO THIS GENERATION.' NOW 13:00 THERE'S MANY WAYS JONAH'S A SIGN. JESUS SLEPT IN A STORM; 13:06 JONAH SLEPT IN A STORM. THEY WOKE UP JESUS AND SAID, 13:09 'MASTER, WE'RE PERISHING!' THEY WOKE UP JONAH AND 13:11 SAID, 'CAREST NOT THAT WE'RE PERISHING? 13:13 CALL UPON YOUR GOD.' IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT JONAH WENT THREE AND 13:19 A HALF DAYS AND THEN HE PREACHED IN NINEVEH, YET - MATTER OF 13:24 FACT, I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF. LOOK AT VERSE 4, "AND 13:26 JONAH BEGAN TO ENTER INTO THE CITY A DAY'S JOURNEY," - THAT 13:29 MEANS ONE DAY - "AND HE CRIED, AND SAID, 'YET FORTY DAYS, AND 13:32 NINEVEH SHALL BE OVERTHROWN.'" SO JESUS - HOW LONG WAS JESUS' 13:38 MINISTRY? THREE AND A HALF DAYS OR THREE AND A HALF YEARS. 13:43 AND THEN JESUS SAID, 'THIS GENERATION WOULD NOT PASS AWAY 13:47 TILL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED.' - SPEAKING OF NOT 13:50 ONE STONE BEING LEFT ON ANOTHER IN JERUSALEM? 13:54 SO JONAH PREACHED THREE AND A HALF DAYS THAT IN FORTY DAYS 13:57 NINEVEH WOULD BE DESTROYED, BUT THEY REPENTED. 14:01 JESUS SAID 'THE NINEVITES WOULD RISE UP IN JUDGMENT AGAINST THE 14:05 PEOPLE IN JERUSALEM BECAUSE THEY REPENTED AT THE PREACHING OF 14:08 JONAH. AND HE SAID, 'A GREATER THAN JONAH IS HERE' - 14:11 YOU GET IT? THREE AND A HALF YEARS JESUS MINISTERED. 14:15 FORTY YEARS LATER THE CITY WAS DESTROYED. 14:17 THREE AND A HALF DAYS JONAH BEGAN TO PREACH - FORTY DAYS 14:23 LATER GOD HAD MERCY. AND SO THAT'S, I THINK, ONE OF 14:26 THE MOST STRIKING SIGNS THERE. BUT LET'S READ ON. 14:29 AND SO, THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH, DID THEY LISTEN? 14:33 THEY BELIEVED GOD. THEY PROCLAIMED HIM - AND JONAH 14:36 WAS PROBABLY VERY EARNEST IN HIS PREACHING. 14:39 HE WASN'T AFRAID OF VERY MUCH AFTER GOING THROUGH HIS 14:40 EXPERIENCE. AND HE WAS VERY CONVINCING. 14:45 "SO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH BELIEVED GOD, AND PROCLAIMED A 14:48 FAST, THEY PUT ON SACKCLOTH, FROM THE GREATEST OF THEM EVEN 14:51 TO THE LEAST OF THEM. FOR WORD CAME UNTO THE KING OF 14:55 NINEVEH, AND HE AROSE FROM HIS THRONE, AND HE LAID HIS ROBE 14:58 FROM HIM, AND COVERED HIM WITH SACKCLOTH, AND SAT IN ASHES." 15:01 - THE KING - "AND HE CAUSED IT TO BE PROCLAIMED AND PUBLISHED 15:04 THROUGH NINEVEH BY THE DECREE OF THE KING AND HIS NOBLES, SAYING, 15:07 LET NEITHER MAN NOR BEAST, HERD NOR FLOCK, TASTE ANY THING: LET 15:12 THEM NOT FEED, NOR DRINK WATER: BUT LET MAN AND BEAST BE COVERED 15:17 WITH SACKCLOTH, AND CRY MIGHTILY UNTO GOD: YEA," - I DON'T KNOW 15:20 HOW THE BEASTS WERE GOING TO CRY MIGHTILY TO GOD - "YEA, LET THEM 15:23 TURN EVERY ONE FROM HIS EVIL WAY, AND FROM THE VIOLENCE THAT 15:26 IS IN THEIR HANDS. WHO CAN TELL IF GOD WILL TURN" - 15:29 THEY'RE TRUSTING IN GOD'S MERCY - "WHO CAN TELL IF GOD WILL TURN 15:32 AND REPENT, AND TURN AWAY FROM HIS FIERCE ANGER, 15:36 THAT WE PERISH NOT?" THAT WORD 'PERISH' AGAIN - GOD 15:41 SO LOVED THE WORLD - THAT'S WHY JESUS CAME. 15:43 "AND GOD SAW THEIR WORKS, THAT THEY TURNED FROM THEIR EVIL WAY; 15:48 AND GOD REPENTED OF THE EVIL, THAT HE HAD SAID THAT HE WOULD 15:50 DO UNTO THEM;" - HERE YOU HAVE THE GREATEST REVIVAL IN THE 15:53 BIBLE. THE AMAZING THING IS THE BEST 15:56 EVANGELIST IN THE BIBLE THAT BROUGHT REVIVAL TO A WHOLE 15:59 CITY, WAS NOT EVEN THOROUGHLY CONVERTED HIMSELF. 16:04 SO IS IT THE EVANGELIST THAT MAKES THE REVIVAL, OR IS IT THE 16:07 POWER OF GOD? IT WAS THE POWER OF THE WORD. HE TURNED. BUT LOOK 16:14 AT VERSE 4, CHAPTER 1 - OR CHAPTER 4, VERSE 1, "BUT IT 16:17 DISPLEASED JONAH EXCEEDINGLY,' WHAT IS HE DISPLEASED ABOUT? 16:23 'WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO MY REPUTATION? 16:25 I SAID FORTY DAYS AND THEY'D ALL BE BURNED UP OR DESTROYED 16:28 SOMEHOW AND WHAT'S WITH THIS LORD? 16:31 NOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD.' - IT'S NOT - WHO'S JONAH 16:33 CARING ABOUT? ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SURVIVING AND GOING TO HAVE 16:38 LIFE NOW? OR IS HE CARING ABOUT HIM? AND HE'S WORRIED, MAYBE 16:42 THEY'RE GOING TO ATTACK ISRAEL LATER. THEY'RE OUR ENEMIES. 16:44 WE WANTED VENGEANCE.' WHO KNOWS WHAT HE'S THINKING, BUT HE'S NOT 16:47 THINKING ABOUT THE SOULS. AND SO HE'S MAD. 16:50 HE SAYS, 'OH LORD, ISN'T THIS WHAT I SAID WHEN I WAS STILL IN 16:52 MY COUNTRY? THEREFORE, I FLED, THIS IS WHY I 16:55 RAN AND WENT TO TARSHISH: FOR I KNOW YOU'RE A 16:57 GRACIOUS AND A MERCIFUL GOD, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABUNDANT IN 17:01 LOVING KINDNESS - ONE WHO RELENTS FROM DOING HARM.' 'HERE 17:03 I WAS GOING TO PREACH TO ALL THESE PEOPLE AND YOU'D FORGIVE 17:05 THEM ANYWAY. AND HERE I RISK MY LIFE FOR 17:08 NOTHING.' 'NOW THEREFORE, O LORD, PLEASE TAKE MY LIFE FROM 17:12 ME; FOR IT'S BETTER FOR ME TO DIE.' HE WANTS TO DIE. 17:16 HE'S FIGURING SOMEONE'S SUPPOSED TO DIE AFTER FORTY DAYS. 17:20 AND THE LORD SAID, 'IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU TO BE ANGRY?' 17:22 BOY, TALK ABOUT A TANTRUM. AND JONAH'S ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT 17:27 GOD DIDN'T BURN UP THE WHOLE CITY. YOU THINK HE WOULD BE 17:31 PRAISING THE LORD FOR THIS SUCCESSFUL REVIVAL. 17:34 HE SAID, 'IT ISN'T RIGHT FOR YOU TO BE ANGRY.' "SO JONAH WENT OUT 17:37 OF THE CITY, AND SAT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY, AND THERE MADE 17:40 HIM A BOOTH, AND SAT UNDER IT IN THE SHADOW, TILL HE MIGHT SEE 17:42 WHAT WOULD BECOME" - HE THOUGHT, 'MAYBE IF I GET LUCKY, GOD'LL 17:44 STILL BURN THEM UP.' - 'AND THE LORD PREPARED A PLANT AND MADE 17:48 IT COME UP OVER JONAH, THAT IT MIGHT HAVE SHADE OVER HIS HEAD, 17:51 TO DELIVER HIM FROM THE MISERY' - IT WAS A HOT SUN BEATING DOWN 17:54 ON HIM. JONAH WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE 17:56 PLANT, BUT AS MORNING DAWNED THE NEXT DAY, GOD PREPARED A WORM 18:01 AND SO IT DAMAGED - THE WORM ATE AWAY - YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOURD, 18:04 IT SAYS IN ONE PLACE, AND YOU KNOW, A GOURD IS ON A LONG OLD 18:07 VINE AND YOU JUST - ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS NIBBLE AWAY AT THE VINE 18:09 AND THE WHOLE PLANT DIES ALMOST INSTANTLY - BIG LEAVES - AND HE 18:16 WAS UPSET BECAUSE THE WORM ATE THE GOURD AND IT DIED. 18:19 HE SAID, "IT IS BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE." 18:21 NOW HE'S MOURNING THAT THE NINEVITES DIDN'T DIE AND THE 18:25 GOURD DID DIE. "THEN GOD SAID TO JONAH, 'IS IT 18:30 RIGHT FOR YOU TO BE ANGRY ABOUT THE PLANT?' 18:32 AND HE SAID, 'IT IS RIGHT FOR ME TO BE ANGRY, EVEN TO DEATH!'" 18:35 - WHAT A MISERABLE LIFE HE'S GOT - "BUT THE LORD SAID, 'YOU 18:38 HAVE HAD PITY ON THE PLANT FOR WHICH YOU HAVE NOT LABORED, NOR 18:40 MADE IT GROWN, WHICH CAME UP IN A NIGHT AND PERISHED IN A NIGHT. 18:43 AND SHOULD I NOT PITY NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY, IN WHICH ARE 18:46 MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND PERSONS WHO CANNOT 18:48 DISCERN BETWEEN THEIR RIGHT HAND AND THEIR LEFT - AND MUCH 18:51 LIVESTOCK?'" NOW JUST A LITTLE FOOTNOTE: MANY OF THE 18:54 COMMENTATORS BELIEVE THAT STATEMENT 'CANNOT DISCERN 18:58 BETWEEN THE RIGHT HAND AND THE LEFT' - THAT IS OFTEN REFERRING 19:01 TO CHILDREN. WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT CHILDREN THEY WOULD OFTEN 19:05 SAY - IN SOME OF THE ANCIENT WRITINGS - 'AND 19:08 THERE ARE MANY THAT CAN'T TELL FROM THE RIGHT HAND TO THE LEFT' 19:10 - AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY CHILDREN. 19:12 SO IT'S SAYING THERE WAS 120,000 CHILDREN AND ANIMALS. 19:16 HE SAID, 'IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE 19:17 REACHED THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, THESE LITTLE 19:20 CHILDREN THAT DON'T EVEN KNOW THE RIGHT FROM THE LEFT - DON'T 19:22 YOU HAVE MERCY ON THEM?' AND SO IT IS A MUCH 19:25 GREATER CITY THAN 120,000. THAT'S JUST THE YOUNG CHILDREN 19:29 WHO DON'T KNOW BETWEEN THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT. 19:32 AND HE SAYS, 'IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM, WHAT ABOUT THE 19:34 ANIMALS?' AND THAT'S THE BOOK OF JONAH - 19:36 JUST STOPS RIGHT THERE, ABRUPTLY WITH A LESSON. 19:40 HERE YOU'VE GOT A RELUCTANT PROPHET - DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. 19:43 AND, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I RACE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION IN THIS 19:45 SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU SOME THOUGHTS ON 19:48 THE BOOK OF JONAH. THE BOOK OF JONAH NOT ONLY TELLS 19:51 US ABOUT JONAH, WHO SLEPT IN A STORM AND THEY WOKE HIM UP AND 19:55 THEY WERE SAVED BY OFFERING JONAH. IT'S LIKE JESUS, WHO 19:59 SLEPT IN A STORM AND THEY WOKE HIM UP AND THEY WERE SAVED. 20:02 AND THEN, AGAIN, HE PREACHES THREE AND A HALF DAYS AND FORTY 20:05 DAYS AND JESUS - THREE AND A HALF YEARS AND THEN FORTY YEARS. 20:08 JONAH REPRESENTS THE JEWISH NATION WHO DID NOT CARE TO 20:13 PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES. 20:15 AND - HOW THE JEWISH NATION - EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKED LIKE THEY 20:20 WERE DESTROYED, THEY MIRACULOUSLY ROSE AND, OF 20:23 COURSE, JONAH BEING THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF 20:27 THE GREAT FISH IS A TYPE OF THE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS WHO, FROM 20:31 THURSDAY WHEN HE WAS BETRAYED - THURSDAY NIGHT, FRIDAY NIGHT, 20:34 SATURDAY NIGHT - WAS BURYING THE SINS OF THE WORLD - ROSE SUNDAY 20:37 MORNING - THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. 20:39 IT'S NOT JUST THE TIME IN THE TOMB IT'S TALKING ABOUT THERE. 20:42 AND SO, IT'S ALSO AMAZING THAT EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK OF JONAH 20:48 LISTENS TO GOD - THINK ABOUT IT NOW - YOU'VE GOT A FISH - GOD 20:52 PREPARES A FISH; THE FISH LISTENS TO GOD. 20:55 THE FISH SWALLOWS JONAH WHEN HE'S SUPPOSED TO; BURPS HIM UP 20:57 WHEN HE'S SUPPOSED TO - TAKES HIM WHERE HE'S SUPPOSED TO - 20:59 PUTS HIM RIGHT ON DRY LAND. THE STORM LISTENS TO GOD. 21:03 THE SAILORS LISTEN TO GOD. THE CAPTAIN LISTENS TO GOD. 21:08 THE NINEVITES LISTEN TO GOD. THE KING LISTENS TO GOD. 21:11 THE ANIMALS LISTEN TO GOD. THE WORM LISTENS TO GOD. 21:14 THE PLANT LISTENS TO GOD. EVERYTHING OBEYS GOD IN THE 21:17 BOOK OF JONAH BUT JONAH. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 21:24 JONAH'S SORT OF A SYMBOL FOR THE JEWISH NATION THAT WAS NOT DOING 21:29 THE WILL OF GOD. JONAH WAS THE ONE, IN THE WHOLE 21:32 STORY, THAT WAS A PROPHET OF GOD - LIKE THE NATION - THEY HAD 21:36 THE WORD OF GOD TO GO TO THE NATIONS. 21:39 AND SO - AND THE JEWS OFTEN REFERRED TO THE GENTILES AND 21:43 LOST AS ANIMALS AND THEY - AND SO GOD WAS TRYING TO TELL A 21:46 MESSAGE - 'I CARE ABOUT THEM TOO. I WANT THEM TO BE SAVED.' 21:49 AND THAT'S WHAT OUR LESSON IS ALL ABOUT IS GOD DESIRES THE 21:53 GOOD - NOT JUST OF JEWS, BUT OF GENTILES AS WELL. AMEN? ALRIGHT, 21:58 SO THAT'S JONAH. YOU CAN READ - EZEKIEL THE 22:01 PROPHET SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THIS PRINCIPLE. 22:03 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME IN JUST A MOMENT, ACTS 3:19. 22:06 AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT THAT THERE. 22:08 I'M GOING TO READ EZEKIEL 33:11, "SAY TO THEM: 'AS I LIVE,' SAYS 22:13 THE LORD GOD, 'I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE 22:16 WICKED, BUT THAT THE WICKED TURN FROM HIS WAY AND LIVE. 22:20 TURN YE, TURN YE FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS! FOR WHY WILL YOU DIE, 22:25 O HOUSE OF ISRAEL?'" THE LORD IS PLEADING - HE 22:29 DOESN'T WANT US TO DIE, HE WANTS US TO LIVE. THAT'S WHY GOD SO 22:32 LOVED THE WORLD HE SENT HIS SON. PLEASE READ FOR US ACTS - 22:37 I THINK IT'S 3:19. >>"REPENT THEREFORE AND BE 22:40 CONVERTED, THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT, SO THAT TIMES OF 22:44 REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD." 22:48 >>AND SOME OF YOU - THANK YOU - WILL HAVE SOME VERSIONS THAT 22:50 ACTUALLY SAY, 'TURN, THEREFORE, THAT YOU MIGHT BE CONVERTED AND 22:56 YOUR SINS' - SO GOD WANTS US TO TURN. 22:58 HE WANTS US TO REPENT AND REPENT IS A U-TURN ON THE ROAD OF LIFE. 23:02 ALRIGHT, THE NEXT SECTION WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE - WHAT THEY 23:05 CALL THE ANY WAY PRINCIPLE AND JESUS - LET'S - SEVERAL VERSES 23:12 OR EXAMPLES HERE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT. 23:14 IF YOU GO TO MATTHEW 8, VERSE 1, "WHEN HE HAD COME DOWN FROM THE 23:18 MOUNTAIN, GREAT MULTITUDES FOLLOWED HIM." 23:20 - THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST MIRACLES OF HEALING THAT JESUS 23:23 PERFORMED, IF NOT THE FIRST - "A GREAT MULTITUDE FOLLOWED HIM AND 23:28 BEHOLD, A LEPER CAME AND WORSHIPED HIM, SAYING, 'LORD, IF 23:32 YOU ARE WILLING, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.'" - NOW, BEFORE I GO ON 23:36 ANY FARTHER, THIS MAN WAS SUPPOSED TO WALK AROUND AND HE'S 23:41 SUPPOSED TO VEIL HIS FACE SO THAT SOMEONE WOULDN'T BE 23:44 CONTAMINATED. WHEN YOU HAD LEPROSY, IF THERE 23:46 WERE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO 23:48 DECLARE 'UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!' 23:51 - WOULDN'T THAT BE TERRIBLE IF YOU WERE SICK? 23:52 CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THEY HAD A LAW LIKE THAT? 23:54 IF A PERSON HAD SOME - YOU'VE GOT THE FLU OR IF YOU'RE HIV 23:58 POSITIVE AND YOU HAVE TO WALK AROUND AND SAY, 'UNCLEAN!' 24:01 THAT WOULDN'T GO VERY WELL, WOULD IT? 24:05 AND THIS MAN HAD TO ANNOUNCE HIS DISEASE FOR EVERYBODY AND - 24:12 JESUS FINISHED TEACHING AND THIS LEPER REALIZES THIS IS MY ONLY 24:16 HOPE AND HE COMES TO JESUS - HE'S GOT GREAT FAITH - AND HE 24:20 FALLS DOWN BEFORE HIM AND HE SAID, 'LORD, IF YOU ARE WILLING 24:24 - IF YOU WANT TO - YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.' HE BELIEVED IT. 24:29 NOW JESUS COULD HAVE RUN FROM HIM, BUT JESUS, INSTEAD, HE 24:33 REACHES OUT TO HIM - HE TAKES A RISK - AND HE TOUCHES HIM AND HE 24:38 SAYS, 'I AM WILLING. BE CLEANSED.' COULDN'T JESUS HAVE 24:41 CLEANSED HIM WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM? 24:43 >>YES. >>YEAH. WHY DID HE GO TO THE 24:47 TROUBLE OF TOUCHING HIM? ANY OF YOU EVER SUNG THAT SONG - 24:52 I THINK THE GAITHERS WROTE IT - HE TOUCHED ME ? 24:54 YEAH, SO JESUS TOUCHED THIS MAN AND HE SAID, 'I AM WILLING. 24:58 BE CLEANSED.' NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS SAID TO THAT MAN - WHEN 25:01 GOD SAYS, 'BE' WHY IS THERE POWER IN THAT TWO-LETTER WORD? 25:07 HOW DID THE WORLD COME INTO EXISTENCE? 25:10 LET THERE BE LIGHT - LET THERE BE THE ANIMALS, THE LAND, THE 25:17 AIR - EVERYTHING. GOD SPOKE AND THE WORD OF GOD HAS CREATIVE 25:20 POWER. JESUS SAID, 'BE' CLEAN. NOW, WHAT HE SAID TO THE LEPER 25:24 - WHAT IS LEPROSY A SYMBOL OF? >>SIN. 25:26 >>SO IF THE LORD SAYS, 'BE CLEAN' IS THAT JUST TALKING 25:31 ABOUT LEPROSY OR CAN HE PRONOUNCE US CLEAN? 25:35 HE TOUCHED THAT MAN - HE EXPOSED HIMSELF TO THE RISK OF LEPROSY 25:41 THAT HE MIGHT KNOW HE CARED AND HE TOUCHED HIM - DIDN'T HAVE TO 25:44 TOUCH HIM. DID JESUS COME INTO OUR WORLD 25:47 AND RISK CONTAMINATION TO CLEANSE US FROM SIN? 25:51 SO THERE'S SOMETHING IN THAT STORY - AND HE WAS CLEANSED. 25:54 AND THEN JESUS SAYS, 'NOW, GO SHOW YOURSELF - DON'T SAY 25:58 ANYTHING TO ANYONE.' OF COURSE, HOW COULD HE KEEP THAT? 26:00 "SHOW YOURSELF TO THE PRIEST, AND OFFER THE GIFT THAT MOSES 26:04 COMMANDED AS A TESTIMONY TO THEM." - MEANING THE UNCLEAN. 26:09 YOU KNOW, HE TOOK A RISK - MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF HUMAN 26:13 SOULS - I'M READING A QUOTE FROM THE BOOK DESIRE OF AGES - THIS 26:15 IS PAGE 640 - "MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF HUMAN SOULS ARE 26:20 READY TO PERISH, BOUND IN CHAINS OF IGNORANCE AND SIN, WHO NEVER 26:25 SO MUCH AS HEARD OF CHRIST'S LOVE FOR THEM. WERE OUR 26:28 CONDITION AND THEIRS TO BE REVERSED, WHAT WOULD WE 26:30 DESIRE THEM TO DO FOR US? ALL THIS, SO FAR AS LIES IN OUR 26:35 POWER, WE ARE UNDER THE MOST SOLEMN OBLIGATION TO DO FOR 26:38 THEM. CHRIST'S RULE OF LIFE, BY WHICH EVERY ONE OF US MUST STAND 26:42 OR FALL IN THE JUDGMENT, IS WHATSOEVER YOU WOULD THAT MEN 26:45 SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO EVEN SO TO THEM." 26:49 THAT'S A HIGH STANDARD - THE GOLDEN RULE: WHATEVER YOU WOULD 26:52 HAVE OTHERS DO FOR YOU, DO ALSO FOR THEM. 26:57 MATTHEW CHAPTER 5:43, "YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, 'YOU 27:02 SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.' BUT I SAY TO 27:04 YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU,'" - 27:09 YOU EVER TRIED THAT? THAT'S HARD - "DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE 27:13 YOU, AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE 27:17 YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN; 27:20 FOR HE MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND 27:24 SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND THE UNJUST." - YOU KNOW, INTO 27:27 EVERYBODY'S LIFE, EVERY NOW AND THEN, YOU'LL MEET 27:29 SOME ORNERY INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL MAYBE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU OR 27:33 DO SOMETHING VERY UNKIND OR CRUEL OR BETRAY YOU IN SOME WAY 27:37 AND YOU BECOME ANGRY AND, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY WAY TO COPE WITH 27:43 THAT IS TO SAY, 'JESUS LOVES THAT PERSON AS MUCH AS HE LOVES 27:47 ME. EVEN THOUGH WHAT THEY DID MAY BE 27:48 DASTARDLY, JESUS LOVES THEM AS MUCH AS HE LOVES ME. 27:53 JESUS WANTS THEIR SALVATION AS MUCH AS HE WANTS MINE, I NEED TO 27:57 PRAY FOR THEM.' AND, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT FEEL LIKE IT, BUT 28:00 YOU'LL FIND WHEN YOU PRAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE WRONGED YOU, YOUR 28:04 ATTITUDE ABOUT THEM STARTS TO CHANGE BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, WHEN 28:07 SINNERS ACT SINFUL, THEY'RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT IS EXPECTED. 28:11 WHEN LOST PEOPLE ACT MEAN AND CRUEL, THAT'S WHAT YOU'D EXPECT. 28:15 THAT'S WHY THEY NEED JESUS, RIGHT? LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. 28:21 HE SENDS THE RAIN ON THE EVIL AND THE GOOD - "FOR IF YOU LOVE 28:25 THOSE WHO LOVE YOU, WHAT REWARD HAVE YOU? 28:28 DO NOT EVEN THE TAX COLLECTORS DO THE SAME?" 28:30 - HE SAID, YOU'RE, AS A CHRISTIAN, CALLED TO DO MUCH 28:32 MORE THAN JUST LOVE YOUR FRIENDS, EVERYONE DOES THAT - 28:35 "AND IF YOU GREET YOUR BRETHREN ONLY, WHAT DO YOU DO MORE THAN 28:37 OTHERS? DO NOT EVEN THE TAX COLLECTORS" 28:40 - MEANING THE PUBLICANS - "DO SO? THEREFORE YOU SHALL BE 28:43 PERFECT, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT." 28:48 LOVING THE LOST - TAKING A RISK AND SHOWING KINDNESS TO THOSE 28:55 THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PAY YOU BACK. 28:59 I HAD AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE LAST NIGHT. 29:03 WE WERE FINALIZING PREPARATION FOR THE SABBATH AND KAREN WAS 29:08 GOING TO DROP OFF - BABY - THAT SHE LATER PICKED UP AGAIN. 29:13 AND SHE CALLED - AND NATHAN PICKED UP THE PHONE AND SHE 29:17 SAID, 'UP HERE ON MADISON AVENUE THERE IS A MAN WHO HAS A CART 29:23 THAT HE'S PULLING AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE WHEEL FELL OFF AND HE'S 29:26 STRUGGLING, RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THIS BUSY STREET, TO TRY TO GET 29:28 HIS WHEEL BACK ON. MAYBE YOU AND DAD COULD HELP.' AND SO NATHAN 29:33 TOLD ME AND I SAID, 'WELL, LET'S THROW THE TOOLS IN THE CAR. 29:37 AND, YOU KNOW, FOR A FLEETING MOMENT I THOUGHT, 'WELL, IT'S 29:40 JUST BEFORE SABBATH.' BUT THEN I THOUGHT, 'THIS GUY, HE'S GOT 29:43 AN OX IN THE DITCH.' WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? 29:48 AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT THE LORD WOULD WANT US 29:52 TO CARE, SO WE THREW OUR - I HAD A LITTLE TOOL BOX I THREW IN 29:56 NATHAN'S CAR AND WE WENT UP AND THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OVER. 29:59 WE SAW THE MAN THERE. HE HAD - YOU KNOW THOSE LITTLE BUGGIES 30:03 THAT THEY PULL BEHIND BICYCLES AND THEY PUT A KID IN IT? 30:06 WELL, HE HAD ONE OF THOSE AND THEY'VE JUST GOT - THEY'VE GOT 30:08 WHEELS WITH PLASTIC AXLES AND HE HAD THE THING JUST LOADED DOWN 30:12 WITH, YOU KNOW, GROCERIES AND MILK AND A LOT OF HIS GEAR AND 30:17 WE COULD SEE THAT IT WAS REALLY ALL OF HIS EARTHLY POSSESSIONS. 30:21 SO WE HAD TO PASS AND PARK UP ON THE STREET. 30:22 NATHAN RAN UP AND SAID, 'DO YOU NEED HELP?' 30:24 AND HE SAID, 'DA.' AND SO NATHAN RAN BACK AND GOT ME. 30:28 I SAID, 'LET'S PULL AROUND. I'LL JUMP OUT WITH THE TOOL BOX' 30:30 - THERE'S NOWHERE TO STOP - NOWHERE TO PULL OVER. HE'S RIGHT 30:32 ON THE SIDEWALK AND CARS ARE RACING BY - SO HE PUT HIS 30:35 EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON, I JUMPED OUT, I GRABBED MY TOOLBOX. 30:38 I STOPPED - NATHAN WENT TO PARK AND THEN CAME AND HELPED. 30:41 AND HIS OVERLOADING THIS LITTLE CART PROBABLY MADE TO HOLD, YOU 30:48 KNOW, A 15-POUND KID AND HE HAD LIKE 90 POUNDS OF GEAR IN IT AND 30:53 THE PLASTIC HAD FINALLY BROKEN IN THE AXLE. 30:57 AND HE HAD MASKING TAPE - I'M NOT EXAGGERATING - POOR MAN, HE 31:02 HAD ALL HIS LIFE'S POSSESSIONS ON THIS BIKE AND IN THIS CART 31:05 AND HE HAD SOME MASKING TAPE AND HE'S TRYING TO MASKING TAPE THIS 31:08 WHEEL TOGETHER SO IT'S GOING TO HOLD 90 POUNDS OF GEAR. 31:13 AND SO WE LOOKED AT IF FOR AWHILE AND THEN I SAW HE HAD 31:15 SOME WIRE THERE AND SO I HELD UP THE WIRE AND HE SAID, 'DA! 31:18 DA!' I SAID, 'YOU'RE RUSSIAN.' 'DA!' HE SAID, 'YOU SPEAK 31:20 RUSSIAN?' YAH PANIMIO NIMNOSHKA RUSKI? - AND SO HE'S 31:23 AN OLD RUSSIAN MAN AND SO WE BEGAN TO WRAP HIS WHEEL UP. 31:29 I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I DIDN'T HAVE A SPARE BICYCLE. 31:31 WE BEGAN TO WRAP HIS WHEEL UP WITH BAILING WIRE - WEAVING THE 31:36 WIRE IN AND OUT OF THE GOOD PART OF THE AXLE WITH THE BAD PART OF 31:39 THE SPOKES AND KIND OF RECREATING A NEW SPOKE WITH 31:43 BALING WIRE AND TWISTING IT. AND THEN I DID SOMETHING THAT I 31:46 LEARNED FROM DAVE, WHO'S SITTING HERE. 31:47 REMEMBER, YOUR INNER TUBE TRICK YOU TAUGHT ME? 31:50 HE HAD A SPARE INNER TUBE IN HIS STUFF - I REMEMBER ONCE, DAVE 31:54 BOATWRIGHT SHOWED ME, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING WITH INNER TUBE - YOU 31:56 JUST CUT UP LITTLE STRIPS OF INNER TUBE, WRAP IT - YOU CAN 31:57 PATCH PIPES - HIS CAR WAS HELD TOGETHER WITH INNER TUBES. 32:00 (LAUGHTER) I REMEMBER GOING AROUND A TURN IN THE CAR WITH 32:05 DAVE AND CINDY AND CINDY WOULD BE SCREAMING AND SAYING, 'SLOW 32:07 DOWN, DAVE, THERE'S JUST THE INNER TUBES HOLDING OUR FRONT 32:10 TIRE ON. (LAUGHTER) THEY'RE 32:13 NOT DENYING IT. THEY KNOW IT'S TRUE. 32:16 AND SO I TOOK SOME INNER TUBE AND I CUT IT UP IN LITTLE 32:19 SLIVERS AND I SAID, 'WAIT, LOOK AT THIS.' AND SO NATHAN HELD THE 32:21 TIRE AND I BEGAN TO WRAP OVER THE WIRE WITH THE INNER TUBE AND 32:25 WE TUCKED IT IN AND PUT IT TOGETHER AND HE PUSHED IT UP AND 32:31 DOWN THE ROAD AND THE WHEEL KIND OF WENT LIKE THAT GOING DOWN THE 32:33 ROAD, BUT IT WAS HOLDING THE CART TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, NOW 32:38 IT'S - THE SUN IS DOWN AND HE BEGINS TO PILE EVERYTHING BACK 32:43 IN AND HE'S SAYING 'THANK YOU' 'SPASIBO' AND I THOUGHT, YOU 32:49 KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD GIVE HIM A LITTLE MONEY BECAUSE HE NEEDS 32:52 ANOTHER CART OR SOMETHING AND SO WE TRIED TO TELL HIM, 'HERE, LET 32:57 ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE SOMETHING.' HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND - I SAID, 32:58 'RUPLES' - HE TURNED AROUND AND SO WE GAVE HIM A LITTLE MONEY 33:04 AND HIS EYES BEGAN TO MOISTEN AND HE SAID, 'CAMELLIA - 33:09 CAMELLIA - PASTOR' - BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, 33:13 FOR 20 YEARS I PASTORED ON CAMELLIA AVENUE. 33:16 HE SAID, 'ADVENTISTA' - HE KNEW WHO WE WERE. 33:22 HE HAD COME TO CENTRAL CHURCH. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, NATHAN? 33:25 AND SO HE SAID, 'PRAY FOR ME.' AND SO WE DROVE AWAY, YOU KNOW, 33:32 WE JUST FELT REALLY BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE GUY. 33:34 I MEAN, I HAD A FLEETING THOUGHT OF MAYBE WE'LL BRING HIM HOME 33:36 AND HELP HIM, BUT I'M LEAVING - I DIDN'T FEEL QUITE RIGHT 33:38 BRINGING A MAN INTO THE HOUSE AND I'M LEAVING, BUT GOD GIVES 33:42 US OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE. 33:45 AND, YOU KNOW, THE SABBATH HAD BEGUN. 33:50 THIS GUY, YOU KNOW, ALL HIS EARTHLY POSSESSIONS WERE STREWN 33:52 ON THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE HIS AXLE CAME OFF. 33:55 THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE OX IN THE DITCH. 33:57 SO YOU SAY, 'WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?' 33:59 WHAT WOULD JESUS DO IN THOSE SITUATIONS? 34:02 NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME, IN A MOMENT, LUKE 6:35 - 34:06 OKAY, YOU'LL HAVE THAT? I'M GOING TO READ LUKE 6:27 - 34:11 JUST BEFORE THAT - "BUT I SAY TO YOU WHO HEAR: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, 34:16 DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, AND 34:20 PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU." 34:24 THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT JESUS SAID. 34:25 NOW, WHAT I ESPECIALLY WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS THIS NEXT VERSE. 34:28 GO AHEAD AND READ FOR US LUKE 35 AND 36 - LUKE 6:35 AND 36. 34:34 >>"BUT LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD, AND LEND, HOPING FOR 34:38 NOTHING IN RETURN; AND YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT, AND YOU 34:41 WILL BE SONS OF THE MOST HIGH. FOR HE IS KIND TO THE 34:46 UNTHANKFUL AND EVIL. THEREFORE BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS 34:50 YOUR FATHER ALSO IS MERCIFUL." >>NOW DID YOU NOTICE WHEN WE 34:54 READ THAT VERSE IN MATTHEW HE SAYS, 'THEREFORE BE PERFECT, 34:57 JUST AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT.' NOW HOW MANY OF YOU 34:59 KIND OF CRINGED WHEN YOU READ THAT VERSE? 35:01 BE PERFECT - EVERYONE HERE QUALIFY? 35:06 BUT WHEN HE SAYS IT IN LUKE HE SAYS 'BE YE THEREFORE MERCIFUL'. 35:11 SO THE PERFECTION GOD IS TALKING ABOUT - RIGHT WHEN JESUS SAYS 35:13 'BE PERFECT' HE'S TALKING ABOUT LOVING YOUR ENEMY. 35:16 THE LORD WANTS US TO HAVE PERFECT LOVE - TO DO UNTO OTHERS 35:20 AS WE WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO US. 35:23 IN KEEPING WITH THIS - THAT MEANS FORGIVING. 35:29 IF YOU LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, IN LUKE 23, VERSE 34, JESUS SAID, 35:33 "'FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO.' AND 35:38 THEY DIVIDED HIS GARMENTS AND CAST LOTS" - FOR HIS CLOTHING. 35:41 EVEN THOSE WHO WERE DESTROYING HIM, HE SAID 'FORGIVE THEM'. 35:45 NOW, CAN CHURCH MEMBERS SOMETIMES MAKE MISTAKES? 35:50 DOES GOD SHOW MERCY? YOU WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF 35:54 JUDAS HAD COME TO JESUS AND SAID, 'LORD, FORGIVE ME.' 35:56 INSTEAD, HE THREW THE MONEY IN THE TEMPLE AND WENT OUT AND HUNG 35:59 HIMSELF. ALL OF THE DISCIPLES FORSOOK JESUS THAT NIGHT WHEN HE 36:05 WAS BETRAYED, BUT PETER WENT THE SECOND MILE. 36:08 THEY NOT ONLY LEFT, HE KIND OF LEFT JESUS TWICE. 36:12 HE LEFT AND HE CAME BACK AGAIN, AND THEN HE DENIED KNOWING HIM 36:15 AND LEFT. AND HE DIDN'T JUST DENY KNOWING 36:17 HIM, HE DENIED KNOWING HIM THREE TIMES AND THEN THE THIRD TIME HE 36:21 PUNCTUATED IT WITH SWEARING AND CURSING THAT HE DID NOT KNOW 36:25 JESUS. RIGHT THEN JESUS TURNED AND LOOKED AT HIM AFTER THE 36:29 ROOSTER CROWED. WE BELIEVE THE SECOND TIME THE 36:31 ROOSTER CROWED, HE HAD FINISHED DENYING HIM THREE TIMES. 36:35 SO YOU WOULD THINK THE LORD WOULD SAY, 'GOOD RIDDANCE. 36:37 I'M GOING TO DENY YOU TOO' - BECAUSE THERE IS A VERSE THAT 36:40 SAYS 'THOSE WHO DENY ME I WILL DENY.' BUT DID JESUS SHOW MERCY 36:45 EVEN AFTER THAT? >>YES. 36:47 >>YOU NOTICE WHEN PETER WENT OUT WHEN HE REALIZED WHAT HE HAD 36:50 DONE - HE SAW THE SOLDIERS BEATING JESUS - HE REMEMBERED 36:53 WHAT JESUS HAD TOLD HIM THAT NIGHT AND PETER HAD - PETER HAD 36:56 BOASTED AND BRAGGED AND SAID, 'THOUGH ALL MEN FORSAKE THEE, I 36:59 WILL NOT FORSAKE THEE.' AND JESUS SAID, 'OH YEAH, PETER, 37:03 THIS - TONIGHT YOU'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST AT DENYING ME - 37:07 THREE TIMES.' AND HE REMEMBERED THAT AND HE 37:10 WENT OUT AND HE WEPT BITTERLY. 37:12 SO AT THE RESURRECTION WHEN THE ANGELS TELL THE WOMEN - NOTICE 37:16 WHAT THEY SAY - MARK 16, VERSE 7 - THE ANGEL SAID, "BUT GO, TELL 37:22 HIS DISCIPLES - AND PETER" - NOW WHY DID THEY INCLUDE PETER? 37:28 HE MAY HAVE - FOR ONE THING, HE WAS KIND OF AN OUTCAST. 37:30 HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WITH THE DISCIPLES BECAUSE HE DIDN'T FEEL 37:33 WORTHY SO THEY HAD TO HUNT DOWN PETER AND TELL HIM. 37:36 THE LORD SAW PETER PRAYING AND HIS REPENTANCE FOR DENYING THE 37:40 LORD - AND GOD WANTS TO SAVE. 37:43 PETER, OF COURSE, BECAME ONE OF THE GREAT APOSTLES. 37:45 AND THEN YOU LOOK - NOW, JESUS WASN'T QUITE DONE JUST BY 37:48 SAYING, 'I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THE GOOD NEWS OF THE 37:50 RESURRECTION.' PETER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO THE TOMB - OF THE 37:53 MEN - I THINK JOHN OUTRAN HIM BUT PETER WENT IN FIRST. 37:57 AND IT SAYS HERE - JOHN 21:15 - NOW ONE OF THE LAST TIMES JESUS 38:04 APPEARS TO THEM UP AT GALILEE, THEY'RE FISHING AND WHEN THEY'D 38:08 EATEN BREAKFAST HE GOES FOR A LITTLE WALK WITH PETER AND JOHN. 38:12 HE SAYS TO SIMON - "SIMON, SON OF JONAH, DO YOU LOVE ME MORE 38:15 THAN THESE?" - GESTURING TO THE OTHER 38:17 APOSTLES BECAUSE PETER SAID, 'THOUGH ALL THESE FORSAKE 38:20 YOU, I WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU.' SO IN THE PRESENCE OF THE OTHER 38:23 APOSTLES JESUS SAID, 'DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?' 38:25 YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PUBLICLY SIN, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PUBLICLY 38:28 REPENT - SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. 38:32 "HE SAID TO HIM, 'YES, LORD; YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU." 38:34 - HE DIDN'T SAY, 'MORE THAN THESE'. 'YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU.' 38:37 "HE SAID TO HIM, 'FEED MY LAMBS.' HE SAID TO HIM AGAIN A 38:41 SECOND TIME, 'SIMON, SON OF JONAH, DO YOU LOVE ME?' 38:46 HE SAID TO HIM, 'YES, LORD; YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.' HE SAID, 38:49 'TEND MY SHEEP.'" - FIRST HE SAYS 'FEED MY LAMBS' THEN HE 38:52 SAYS 'TEND MY SHEEP' - "HE SAID TO HIM THE THIRD TIME," - THEY 38:56 MAY HAVE SPOKEN A LITTLE ABOUT OTHER THINGS, BUT HE BLURTS OUT 38:58 AGAIN A THIRD TIME, "'SIMON, SON OF JONAH, DO YOU LOVE ME?' 39:02 PETER WAS GRIEVED BECAUSE HE SAID TO HIM THE THIRD TIME, 39:05 'DO YOU LOVE ME?' AND HE SAID TO HIM, 'LORD, YOU 39:08 KNOW ALL THINGS; YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.' JESUS SAID TO HIM, 39:11 'FEED MY SHEEP.'" - SO HE SAYS, 'FEED MY LAMBS, TEND MY SHEEP, 39:15 FEED MY SHEEP.' ONE IS TO SHEPHERD THE FLOCK AND THE YOUNG 39:19 - THE YOUNG MEANING NOT ONLY CHILDREN BUT BABY CHRISTIANS. 39:22 SO JESUS IS WANTING TO AFFIRM THAT LOVE FOR HIM. 39:27 NOW LOVE NEVER FAILS IS OUR NEXT SECTION AND IF YOU LOOK IN LUKE 39:33 10:28 THERE'S THAT GREAT COMMAND: "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE 39:37 LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH 39:41 ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND,' AND 'YOUR NEIGHBOR 39:43 AS YOURSELF.'" NOW HOW DOES JESUS ILLUSTRATE THIS PARABLE? 39:49 THIS - HE USES THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 39:51 YOU REMEMBER THE LAWYER - HE SAYS, 'WHAT MUST I DO?' 39:55 AND HE SAYS, 'WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?' 39:56 AND HE SAYS, 'WELL, YOU SHOULD LOVE THE LORD.' AND JESUS SAID, 39:58 'YOU HAVE ANSWERED RIGHT'. ANOTHER PLACE HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE 40:00 NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM.' 'LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF - LOVE 40:06 THE LORD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART. AND THEN HE USES THE PARABLE 40:09 THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 40:12 JOHN - IN 1 JOHN 4:7-9, "BELOVED, LET US LOVE ONE 40:17 ANOTHER, FOR LOVE IS OF GOD;" - YOU KNOW THERE'S A SONG - I 40:21 DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE HEARD THIS SONG MUCH IN THE ADVENTIST 40:25 CHURCH, BUT WHEN I USED TO - I WAS A BABY CHRISTIAN GOING TO 40:28 SOME PENTECOSTAL EVANGELICAL CHURCHES, THEY USED TO SING THAT 40:32 SONG, 'LOVE, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE IS OF GOD AND 40:35 EVERYONE THAT LOVETH IS BORN' - I WON'T SING IT FOR YOU. 40:38 ANYONE ELSE HEARD THAT? OH YEAH, SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE HEARD THAT. 40:41 SO THERE'S A WHOLE SONG ABOUT THIS VERSE. 40:44 "HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE." 40:49 - YOU MAY GO TO CHURCH. YOU MAY BE VERY RELIGIOUS. 40:52 YOU MAY KNOW A LOT OF DOCTRINE, BUT IF YOU DON'T LOVE, YOU DON'T 40:57 REALLY KNOW GOD. THE GREATEST LITMUS TEST OF 41:00 CONVERSION IS AGAPE LOVE - "IN THIS THE LOVE OF GOD WAS 41:08 MANIFESTED TOWARD US, THAT GOD HAS SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON 41:12 INTO THE WORLD, THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM." 41:15 IT'S THROUGH OUR LOVE FOR CHRIST THAT WE DEMONSTRATE WHAT IT 41:20 MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN. AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT 41:22 1 CORINTHIANS 13 - THAT GREAT VERSE IN - READ VERSES 1 THROUGH 41:26 3 - YOU COULD READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER - "THOUGH I SPEAK WITH 41:29 THE TONGUES OF MEN AND ANGELS, IF I DON'T HAVE LOVE I HAVE 41:32 BECOME SOUNDING BRASS OR A CLANGING CYMBAL." 41:34 THE NEXT CHAPTER HE TALKS ABOUT TONGUES BECAUSE THE CORINTHIANS 41:37 WERE ALL ARGUING ABOUT TONGUES AND PAUL SAID, 'IT'S NO GOOD IF 41:40 YOU SPEAK IN MANY LANGUAGES IF YOU DON'T LOVE. 41:42 EVEN IF I SPOKE IN THE TONGUE OF ANGELS AND I DON'T LOVE, IT'S 41:46 NOTHING. ALL I AM IS A SOUNDING BRASS OR A CLANGING SYMBOL. 41:50 AND THOUGH I HAVE A GIFT OF PROPHECY, AND UNDERSTAND ALL 41:53 MYSTERIES AND ALL KNOWLEDGE," - DID PAUL UNDERSTAND ALL 41:54 MYSTERIES AND HAVE ALL KNOWLEDGE? 41:56 NO, HE'S SAYING, 'EVEN IF' - THAT'S WHAT 'THOUGH' MEANS - AND 42:00 I DON'T HAVE LOVE, I'M NOTHING - "AND THOUGH I HAVE ALL FAITH, SO 42:05 THAT I COULD REMOVE MOUNTAINS, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, I AM NOTHING. 42:08 AND THOUGH I BESTOW ALL MY GOODS TO FEED THE POOR, AND THOUGH I 42:12 GIVE MY BODY TO BE BURNED," - IS IT CLEAR THAT HE'S SAYING 'EVEN 42:14 IF'? HE DIDN'T GIVE HIS BODY TO BE 42:16 BURNED, HE WAS BEHEADED -"IT PROFITS ME NOTHING." 42:20 AND SO THEN HE GOES ON AND HE TALKS ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL 42:22 ATTRIBUTES OF LOVE - WHAT CHRISTIAN LOVE IS ALL ABOUT - 42:26 PUTTING OTHERS FIRST. NOW, IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE RELIGIOUS AND NOT 42:31 HAVE LOVE. IN FACT, IN THE LAST DAYS, THE PEOPLE WHO WILL 42:35 PERSECUTE GENUINE CHRISTIANS - ARE THEY RELIGIOUS? 42:38 >>YES. >>THEY JUST DON'T HAVE LOVE. 42:41 DANIEL 7:25 - AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME IN JUST A 42:44 MOMENT, JOHN 16:2 - YOU'LL HAVE THAT? 42:47 DANIEL 7:25, "HE SHALL SPEAK POMPOUS WORDS AGAINST THE MOST 42:51 HIGH, SHALL PERSECUTE THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH, AND 42:54 SHALL INTEND TO CHANGE TIMES AND LAWS. 42:57 THEN THE SAINTS SHALL BE GIVEN INTO HIS HAND FOR A TIME AND 43:00 TIMES AND HALF A TIME." THIS BEAST POWER IS GOING TO 43:02 BE A VERY RELIGIOUS POWER. IT'S GOING TO BE A BLASPHEMING 43:06 POWER, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE LOVE. 43:08 GO AHEAD, READ THAT NEXT VERSE FOR US. 43:11 >>"THEY WILL PUT YOU OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUES; YES, THE TIME IS 43:14 COMING THAT WHOEVER KILLS YOU WILL THINK THAT HE OFFERS GOD 43:17 SERVICE." >>AND THAT'S JOHN 16:2. 43:20 YOU WONDER: 'HE WHO KILLS YOU WILL THINK HE OFFERS GOD 43:23 SERVICE.' WERE THERE SOME OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES THAT 43:27 SINCERELY BELIEVED THAT JESUS WAS A DECEIVER? 43:31 >>YES. >>SO YEAH, EXACTLY - PAUL WAS 43:35 ONE OF THEM - AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERS. 43:38 NICODEMUS WASN'T SURE AT FIRST. GAMALIEL - IT SEEMS 43:42 LIKE THE JURY WAS OUT. HE SAID, 'BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU 43:43 DO TO THESE MEN, YOU MIGHT BE FIGHTING AGAINST GOD.' 43:46 JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, HE WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO COME 43:49 OUT OF THE CLOSET AND - SO THEY WERE STRUGGLING AND THEY - SOME 43:53 WERE SINCERE AND THEY WERE WRONG. 43:56 AND SO, THE REAL TEST IS 'DO YOU HAVE LOVE?' 44:02 WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN WHO WENT TO CHURCH ON THE WRONG 44:06 DAY? >>YES. 44:08 >>WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN THAT SMOKED TOBACCO? 44:12 >>YES. >>YOU WEREN'T AS HEARTY 44:14 AS THAT - SURE THERE WILL. I THINK I'VE TOLD YOU, THE GUY, 44:18 JOHN NEWTON, WHO WROTE AMAZING GRACE, HE SMOKED UNTIL THE DAY 44:21 HE DIED. OF COURSE, THEY RECOMMENDED IT FOR LUNG AILMENTS 44:23 BACK THEN. THEY DIDN'T KNOW. >>WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN 44:27 HEAVEN WHO DRANK ALCOHOL? >>YES. 44:30 >>MARTIN LUTHER DRANK BEER HIS WHOLE LIFE. 44:32 WATER WAS BAD, I GUESS, AND SO HE FIGURED THAT WAS SAFER. 44:36 I EXPECT TO SEE HIM IN THE KINGDOM. 44:39 YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS? 44:40 WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN WHO HAD MULTIPLE WIVES AT THE 44:42 SAME TIME? >>YES. 44:44 >>DAVID, SOLOMON SOUNDS LIKE HE REPENTED. 44:49 WILL THERE BE ANYBODY IN HEAVEN THAT DOESN'T LOVE? 44:52 >>NO. >>NO. SO OF ALL THE THINGS YOU 44:56 NEED TO GET RIGHT - AND I BELIEVE IN ALL 44:58 THE DOCTRINES AND I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, IF I START DRINKING, 45:00 SMOKING, AND TAKING EXTRA WIVES, I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT - AND 45:03 I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW - SO WE'RE NOT SAYING THOSE THINGS 45:07 ARE OKAY, WE'RE SAYING THAT OF ALL THE QUALITIES, LOVE IS THE 45:14 SUPREME THING - AND THIS IS WHAT PAUL WAS SAYING THERE. 45:17 ALRIGHT - AND, BY THE WAY, THAT LAST VERSE WAS JOHN 16:2, THEY 45:21 WILL PUT YOU OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUES; THEY'LL THINK 45:22 THEY'RE SERVING GOD AND THEY'LL KILL YOU.' THAT STARTED WAY BACK 45:25 IN THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES AND IT'S GOING TO BE EMPHASIZED IN 45:28 THE LAST DAYS AGAIN. THE SECOND TOUCH - MARK 8:18 - 45:32 WE LOOKED AT THE FIRST TOUCH WHEN JESUS TOUCHED THE LEPER, 45:35 LET'S LOOK AT THE SECOND TOUCH - AND THIS IS BASED ON - YOU GO TO 45:39 - WELL, LET ME - YEAH, LET ME START OUT BY READING MARK 8:22 45:44 - THIS IS THE MIRACLE WE'RE CONSIDERING. 45:47 'HE CAME TO BETHSAIDA, AND RIGHT AFTER THAT A BLIND MAN WAS 45:50 BROUGHT TO HIM AND HE BEGGED HIM TO TOUCH HIM. 45:53 SO HE TOOK THE BLIND MAN BY THE HAND AND HE LED HIM OUT OF TOWN' 45:56 - HE'S DOING THIS MIRACLE, HE TAKES HIM OUT OF TOWN - 'AND 46:00 WHEN HE HAD SPIT ON HIS EYES AND PUT HIS HANDS ON HIM, HE ASKED 46:04 HIM IF HE SAW ANYTHING.' NOW THERE AGAIN YOU'VE GOT THE 46:07 REVERSE HAPPENING. WHAT NORMALLY MAKES A PERSON UNCLEAN? 46:11 WOULDN'T YOU THINK THAT IF SOMEONE SPIT ON YOU IT WOULD BE 46:13 UNCLEAN? BUT IF THE CREATOR SPITS ON 46:15 YOU, THAT'S A GOOD THING. JESUS JUST EXUDED LIFE. 46:20 INSTEAD OF MAKING HIM UNCLEAN, IT MADE HIM CLEAN. 46:24 NOW, YEAH, LET'S NOT TRY THIS - AFTER THE SERVICE - ON OUR 46:27 NEIGHBORS. THIS WAS JESUS. 46:32 SO HE TOOK THE BLIND MAN BY THE HAND, LED HIM OUT, HE SPIT ON 46:35 HIS EYES AND SAID, 'DO YOU SEE ANYTHING?' HE LOOKED 46:38 UP AND HE SAID, 'I SEE MEN LIKE TREES, WALKING.' HE 46:41 HEARD THESE MEN WALKING AROUND IN AND OUT OF THE TOWN, BUT THEY 46:44 WERE ALL FOGGY - MEN LIKE TREES - IS WHAT HE WAS SAYING. 46:47 IT'S ALL BLURRY, YOU KNOW? "THEN HE PUT HIS HANDS ON HIS 46:53 EYES AGAIN" - THIS IS THE SECOND TOUCH - "AND MADE HIM LOOK UP 46:57 AND HE WAS RESTORED AND SAW EVERYONE CLEARLY. 47:01 THEN HE SENT HIM AWAY TO HIS HOUSE, SAYING, 'NEITHER GO INTO 47:04 THE TOWN, NOR TELL ANYONE...'" HE KNEW THIS MIRACLE - THIS MAN 47:06 HAD GONE FROM PERFECTLY BLIND TO PERFECT SIGHT. 47:08 WHY DID JESUS HEAL HIM IN DEGREES? 47:12 COULDN'T JESUS - DID JESUS SAY, 'OH, I MUST HAVE DONE IT WRONG 47:14 THE FIRST TRY. I BETTER TRY AGAIN?'? 47:17 OR WAS IT DELIBERATE? WHY DO YOU THINK HE DID THAT? 47:22 WELL, FOR ONE THING, NOTICE JUST BEFORE THIS MIRACLE TAKES PLACE 47:25 - LOOK IN MARK 8:18 - SEE, THE MIRACLE IS MARK 8:22 - MARK 8:18 47:32 HE SAYS, "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? 47:35 AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR?" 47:37 SO HEALING THIS MAN'S SIGHT RIGHT AFTER JESUS SAYS THAT 47:40 THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE EYES - THEY DON'T SEE, DOES OUR 47:44 SPIRITUAL VISION SOMETIMES COME BACK IN DEGREES? 47:48 PEOPLE LIKE PAUL DID NOT - PAUL - NOT EVERYONE HAS A DRAMATIC 47:53 EXPERIENCE LIKE HIM ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, WHERE SUDDENLY HE'S 47:57 GOT PERFECT SIGHT - AT LEAST WHEN THE SCALES FELL FROM HIS 48:01 EYES. SOMETIMES THE LORD HEALS IN DEGREES. SOMETIMES OUR 48:06 UNDERSTANDING COMES - OUR VISUAL SIGHT COMES IN STAGES. 48:10 AND THE LORD SOMETIMES HEALS IN STAGES. 48:12 WHEN YOU PRAY FOR SOMEONE'S HEALING, HE MAY NOT DO IT ALL IN 48:15 ONE DAY; HE MIGHT DO IT WITH A PROCESS. 48:18 AND SO THIS MAN WAS HEALED WITH A PROCESS. 48:20 DON'T LOSE PATIENCE WITH PEOPLE IF THEIR SPIRITUAL SIGHT IS 48:23 FUZZY AND THEY SEE MEN AS TREES WALKING, IN THE BEGINNING. 48:28 ALRIGHT, LAST SECTION - IT'S THE OTHER-CENTERED CHURCH - ALRIGHT, 48:32 SOMEONE'S GOING TO LOOK UP FOR ME 1 THESSALONIANS 4:9 AND I'M 48:37 GOING TO READ PHILIPPIANS 2:3, "LET NOTHING BE DONE THROUGH 48:41 SELFISH AMBITION OR CONCEIT, BUT IN LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH 48:46 ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN HIMSELF." 48:49 SO HOW DO YOU PUT THAT INTO PRACTICE IF WE'RE ALWAYS 48:54 CLAMORING FOR THE FIRST PLACE IN LINE AT A POTLUCK? 48:58 NOW EVERYONE'S GOING TO FEEL GUILTY AND NO ONE'S GOING TO 49:00 WANT TO GET IN LINE AT ALL. I KNOW LAST WEEK I 49:05 WAS AT TWO DINNERS. WE HAD THE CHURCH POTLUCK AND I 49:09 WAS THE LAST IN LINE - I'M NOT BRAGGING, IT JUST WORKED OUT 49:12 THAT WAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PASTORS SHAKING HANDS. 49:14 AND SOMETIMES THERE'S NOT AS MUCH LUCK LEFT IN THE POT AT THE 49:17 END OF THE POTLUCK. AND THEN WE HAD A YOUTH PROGRAM 49:21 THAT NIGHT AND I TOLD EVERYONE - I SAID, 'LOOK, I WAS LAST 49:23 TODAY.' I SAID, 'I'M FIRST TONIGHT.' AND SO I - I WAS 49:29 TEASING - THEN I WENT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. 49:30 BUT IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, IT'S REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE 49:35 OTHER PERSON, WHETHER IT'S IN YOUR FAMILY AND BEARING EACH 49:40 OTHER'S BURDENS, WHETHER IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN A CHURCH 49:44 FAMILY, OR THERE'S A MEMBER THAT MAYBE NEEDS TO MOVE AND YOU'VE 49:47 GOT SOME PERSONAL ITEMS AROUND YOUR HOUSE AND YOU SAY, 'I'VE 49:50 GOT MY HONEY-DO LIST HERE AT MY HOUSE, BUT I'VE GOT A BROTHER OR 49:52 SISTER THAT NEEDS HELPING MOVING' AND SAYING, 49:55 'YOU KNOW, GOD'LL PAY ME BACK. 49:57 GOD'LL COMPENSATE SOMEHOW.' I - YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT 50:00 WORKS BUT I'VE SEEN IT - MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN IT TOO - THAT 50:05 WHENEVER I HAVE A STRUGGLE AND SAY, 'LORD, I KNOW THAT THE 50:07 RIGHT CHRIST-CENTERED THING TO DO WOULD BE THIS, BUT I'VE GOT 50:10 THIS OTHER LIST.' AND I SAY, 'ALRIGHT, LORD, I'M GOING TO DO 50:13 WHAT I THINK YOU'RE IMPRESSING ME TO DO.' SOMEHOW, THE OTHER 50:16 THINGS ON THE LIST STILL GET DONE. 50:18 >>AMEN. >>IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT YOU 50:20 WOULD WAKE UP EARLIER SO YOU COULD PRAY AND HAVE MORE ENERGY. 50:25 IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE MORE TIME TO PRAY AND 50:28 END UP GETTING MORE DONE, BUT GOD, SOMEHOW, COMPENSATES. 50:33 I REMEMBER MARTIN LUTHER USED TO SAY, 'UNLESS I SPEND THREE HOURS 50:36 IN PRAYER, I CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE.' DOESN'T THAT SEEM 50:39 ANTITHETICAL TO THE WAY WE WOULD THINK? 50:43 ALRIGHT, PLEASE READ FOR US 1 THESSALONIANS 4:9. 50:46 >>BUT CONCERNING BROTHERLY LOVE YOU HAVE NO NEED THAT I SHOULD 50:50 WRITE TO YOU, FOR YOU YOURSELVES ARE TAUGHT BY GOD TO LOVE ONE 50:54 ANOTHER;" >>YOU KNOW, JOHN, HE WAS ALWAYS 50:57 SAYING, 'BELOVED, LOVE ONE ANOTHER. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 51:00 BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES: BY YOUR 51:04 DOCTRINE, BY YOUR BUILDING, BY YOUR MUSIC, BY YOUR CHILDREN'S 51:07 PROGRAM, BY YOUR ELOQUENT PREACHER - BY THIS ALL MEN WILL 51:10 KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES' - BY WHAT? 51:12 >>YOUR LOVE. >>BY YOUR LOVE. 51:15 THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LITMUS TEST. 51:17 ROMANS 12:10, "BE KINDLY AFFECTIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER" - 51:21 I'VE GOT A SERMON I DID ONE TIME CALLED ONE ANOTHER AND I TOOK 51:24 ALL THE ONE ANOTHERS THAT I COULD FIND IN THE BIBLE AND I 51:27 WENT THROUGH - AND THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF THEM, ESPECIALLY FROM 51:29 PAUL, AND HE TALKS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER AND PRAY 51:32 FOR ONE ANOTHER AND CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER AND CHRISTIANITY IS 51:35 BEING PART OF A BODY WHERE WE ALL SHARE THIS JOINT LOVE. 51:41 "BE KINDLY AFFECTIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER WITH BROTHERLY LOVE, IN 51:45 HONOR GIVING PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER." 51:48 1 PETER 1:22, "SINCE YOU HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING 51:53 THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT IN SINCERE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, 51:57 LOVE ONE ANOTHER FERVENTLY WITH A PURE HEART" - HAVING FERVENT 52:02 LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. AND THEN HEBREWS 13:1, "LET 52:07 BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE." THIS WAS THE HALLMARK OF THE 52:10 EARLY CHURCH THAT MADE IT GROW SO MUCH. 52:13 THE EARLY CHURCH, THEY WERE WILLING TO DIE FOR ONE ANOTHER. 52:16 THEY CARED AND LOVED ONE ANOTHER. 52:19 AND THIS NEEDS TO BE THE STANDARD FOR US AS WELL. 52:22 CAN YOU SAY 'AMEN'? AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS A GREAT 52:25 OFFER FOR TODAY - A LOVE THAT TRANSFORMS - IT TALKS, REALLY, 52:28 ABOUT THE GOSPEL AND IF YOU'VE NOT READ THIS - THIS IS ONE OF 52:31 THE BEST AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES AND - YOU KNOW, WHEN WE 52:33 HOLD THESE THINGS UP, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL LESSONS. 52:35 THEY'RE FULL OF PICTURES AND SCRIPTURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 52:38 AND SO, YOU ASK FOR IT, WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU FOR FREE. 52:41 AND THAT PHONE NUMBER 866-788-3966 AND THAT ADDS UP TO 52:47 866-STUDY-MORE AND JUST ASK; WE'LL SEND. 52:50 YOU KNOW, WE TRUST THAT WE MAIL THESE THINGS OUT EVERY WEEK FROM 52:53 AMAZING FACTS, JUST BELIEVING THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY, 'HEY, YOU 52:57 KNOW, I WANT TO KEEP THIS HAPPENING.' IF YOU SUPPORT OUR 52:59 LITERATURE MINISTRY, WE APPRECIATE THAT. 53:02 THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR OUR STUDY TODAY. 53:04 WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, FRIENDS. 53:06 I ALSO WANT TO GREET THOSE WHO ARE EXTENDED MEMBERS OF THE 53:08 GRANITE BAY CHURCH FAMILY OUT THERE AND OUR REGULAR VIEWERS - 53:12 GOD BLESS YOU AND WE'LL STUDY TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 53:15 (MUSIC) 53:27 >>EVERY NOW AND THEN, IN THE PANORAMA OF HISTORY, WE HEAR 53:29 ABOUT INDIVIDUALS THAT GO FROM THE LOWEST DEPTHS TO THE HIGHEST 53:33 PINNACLES. THEY EMERGE FROM THE SHACKLES 53:35 OF PRISON TO LEAD AND INSPIRE A NATION. 53:39 TAKE JOSEPH, FOR INSTANCE: HE'S SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS AS A SLAVE, 53:43 THEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND THRUST INTO PRISON. 53:46 YET, THROUGH A SERIES OF DIVINE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE MIRACULOUSLY 53:49 GOES FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE, RULING THE ONES WHO ONCE 53:53 IMPRISONED HIM. SOUND FAR-FETCHED? 53:55 IT'S HAPPENED IN HISTORY MORE THAN YOU THINK. 53:58 SOUTH AFRICA IS THE HOME OF JUST SUCH A LEADER. 54:02 NELSON MANDELA WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ESTABLISH PEACE AND FREEDOM 54:05 IN HIS COUNTRY AND HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT AROUND THE WORLD. 54:10 BEFORE FREEDOM, THERE MUST BE FORGIVENESS. 54:13 LIKE JOSEPH, WHO WAS UNJUSTLY ACCUSED OF A CRIME HE DID NOT 54:16 COMMIT, NELSON MANDELA WAS ACCUSED OF TERRORISM AND 54:19 SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON ON ROBIN ISLAND. 54:22 HE WAS OFTEN EXPOSED TO CRUEL PUNISHMENT AND ABUSE. 54:25 BUT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF APPARENT FAILURE AND 54:27 DISCOURAGEMENT, HE NEVER LOST HEART AND HE NEVER GAVE UP. 54:30 AFTER YEARS IN PRISON, A GROWING NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS RALLIED FOR 54:34 HIS RELEASE AND EVENTUALLY IT TOOK PLACE. 54:37 AND GOD USED HIM SO THAT HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO 54:39 ABOLISH RACIAL SEGREGATION IN THE COUNTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA. 54:43 INCREDIBLY, HE NOW WAS, VIRTUALLY, THE ABSOLUTE LEADER 54:46 IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAD IMPRISONED HIM. 54:49 HE HAD ALL THE TOOLS AND THE POWER AT HIS DISPOSAL TO GET 54:51 EVEN WITH THE PRISON GUARDS AND OTHERS THAT HAD MISTREATED HIM. 54:55 INSTEAD, MANDELA CHOSE FORGIVENESS. 54:58 IT REMINDS ME OF THAT VERSE IN THE BIBLE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 55:00 4, VERSE 31, "LET ALL BITTERNESS, WRATH, ANGER, 55:05 CLAMOR, AND EVIL SPEAKING BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MALICE. 55:09 AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE 55:13 ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU." 55:17 I'M SO THANKFUL THAT NELSON MANDELA, LIKE JOSEPH, CHOSE TO 55:20 FORGIVE THOSE WHO WERE ONCE HIS ENEMIES, AND TO SERVE HIS NATION 55:23 WITH LOVE AND COURAGE. YOU CAN FIND A NUMBER OF 55:26 EXAMPLES OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE BIBLE. 55:28 YOU HAVE DANIEL, WHO WAS A CAPTIVE FROM THE LAND OF JUDAH, 55:31 AND YET GOD ARRANGED THINGS WHERE HE BECOMES THE PRIME 55:34 MINISTER IN THE KINGDOM OF BABYLON. YOU HAVE ESTHER, WHO 55:37 WAS A POOR ORPHAN GIRL IN PERSIA, AND YET GOD WORKED 55:40 THINGS OUT WHERE SHE BECOMES THE QUEEN OF THAT COUNTRY. 55:43 THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH ENDS WITH AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF A YOUNG 55:46 KING NAMED JEHOIACHIN, WHO WAS IN A BABYLONIAN DUNGEON FOR 37 55:50 YEARS AND THEN KING EVIL-MERODACH HAS MERCY ON HIM 55:54 AND HE HAD A NEW STATUS, GOING FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE. 55:57 THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU AND ME, FRIENDS. 55:59 HE GIVES YOU THE BREAD OF LIFE. 56:01 HE GIVES YOU THE ROBE OF JESUS' RIGHTEOUSNESS. 56:03 HE GIVES YOU A SEAT AT HIS TABLE. 56:05 IF YOU ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND YOU'RE WILLING TO PASS IT 56:07 ON, YOU AND I CAN LIVE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST. 56:10 WOULDN'T YOU LIKE THAT EXPERIENCE? 56:13 (MUSIC) 56:20 >>AMAZING FACTS HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE. 56:22 >>AND I JUST PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS. 56:24 >>AMAZING FACTS ACTUALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE. 56:27 >>THIS WHOLE PROCESS - GETTING WHERE I AM TODAY - I FELT GOOD 56:30 ABOUT THAT. I DIDN'T FEEL CONDEMNED. 56:31 >>I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE AND - 56:34 >>I GOT BAPTIZED INTO A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - 56:36 >>I REALIZED THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE TO LIFE. 56:39 >>GOD IS REALLY DOING THIS. >>THE LIFE THAT HE'S GIVEN ME. 56:41 >>THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL. >>I'LL FOLLOW CHRIST 56:43 WHEREVER HE GOES. >>AMAZING FACTS. MORE THAN 45 56:48 YEARS OF PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE AROUND THE WORLD. 56:52 >>AND THEN THE LOGO POPS ACROSS AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 56:56 I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MINISTERS, BUT THIS 56:58 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING WHERE 57:01 I HAD TO GRAB MY BIBLE AND ACTUALLY PICK IT UP AND I'VE 57:04 NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. LET ME - LET ME LOOK 57:07 THROUGH AND FIND THIS. AND I JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH. 57:09 >>AND SO I STARTED DOING BIBLE STUDIES. 57:11 EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE GUYS STARTED BEING CHANGED, INCLUDING 57:15 MYSELF. >>MY QUESTION WAS, 'WHY DID 57:18 THAT HAPPEN TO ME, GOD?' THE LORD WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT 57:21 AND - AND I ACTUALLY SAW HIM AS A FATHER. 57:24 >>I LOST EVERYTHING AND THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD 57:28 MISSING IN MY LIFE. >>I WENT TO A PROPHECY 57:30 SEMINAR, WHICH KNOCKED ME OUT. THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL AND 57:36 SO IRREFUTABLE, I JUST WENT, 'THIS IS REAL. 57:38 THIS IS - THIS IS AMAZING.' >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS 57:44 BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 57:47 NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT 57:51 THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:56 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS 58:01 WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 58:05 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. 58:09 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 58:13 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-08-10