[music]
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[music]
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[music]
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Doug Batchelor:
Welcome to our friends for our
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"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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We're so glad that you could
join us here at the Granite Bay
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Seventh Day Adventist Church,
where we're going to be delving
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into our Bible study
in just a few moments,
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talking about the role
of the church in community.
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And today's lesson in particular
is talking about "Jesus
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Ministered to Their
Needs," it's lesson number nine.
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And we always like to remind our
friends that we have a special
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gift book that we'll make
available to anybody that calls
00:00:59.52\00:01:02.49
in, we'll send it
to you, and it's called
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"12 Steps to Revival."
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And if you like our
free offer, it's--you ask for
00:01:07.23\00:01:10.70
offer number 780.
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Just call the
number on the screen...
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and we'll send you the
book "12 Steps to Revival."
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It's got some great outlines,
biblical principles of things
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that you can follow so
that you can experience
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a revival in your life.
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And after you get this, read
it, share it with your friend.
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You can even go to the Amazing
Facts website that is simply
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amazingfacts.org, and I believe
you can download this book
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there, and read it as well.
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Well, in just a moment,
we're going to get into today's
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Sabbath School Study lesson, but
we'd like to invite our singers
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out, and just get our minds
clear and our lungs breathing
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before we enter into
the study of God's Word.
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female: Good
morning, we're going to start
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our song service out
today with number 92,
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"This Is My Father's World."
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And we'll sing all three verses.
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[music]
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¤ This is my Father's world. ¤
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¤ And to my listening
ears, all nature sings, ¤
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¤ and round me rings
the music of the spheres. ¤
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¤ This is my Father's world. ¤
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¤ I rest me in the
thought of rocks and trees, ¤
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¤ of skies and seas, his
hand the wonders wrought. ¤
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¤ This is my Father's world. ¤
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¤ The birds
their carols raise. ¤
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¤ The morning light,
the lily white declare ¤
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¤ their maker's praise. ¤
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¤ This is my Father's world. ¤
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¤ He shines in
all that's fair. ¤
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¤ In the rustling
grass, I hear him pass. ¤
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¤ He speaks to me everywhere. ¤
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¤ This is my Father's world. ¤
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¤ Oh, let me ne'er forget that
though the wrong seems oft ¤
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¤ so strong, God
is the ruler yet. ¤
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¤ This is my Father's world. ¤
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¤ Why should my heart be sad? ¤
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¤ The Lord is king,
let the heavens ring. ¤
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¤ God reigns, let
the earth be glad. ¤¤
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female: Our next
song will be number 478,
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"Sweet Hour of Prayer."
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And we'll sing all three verses.
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[music]
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¤ Sweet hour of
prayer, sweet hour of prayer ¤
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¤ that calls me
from a world of care. ¤
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¤ And bids me at my Father's
throne make all my wants ¤
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¤ and wishes known. ¤
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¤ In seasons of
distress and grief, ¤
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¤ my soul has
often found relief. ¤
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¤ And oft escaped the
tempter's snare by thy return, ¤
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¤ sweet hour of prayer. ¤
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¤ Sweet hour of
prayer, sweet hour of prayer, ¤
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¤ thy wings shall my petition
bear to him whose truth ¤
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¤ and faithfulness engage
the waiting soul to bless. ¤
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¤ And since he
bids me seek his face, ¤
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¤ believe his Word,
and trust his grace, ¤
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¤ I'll cast on him my
every care, and wait for thee, ¤
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¤ sweet hour of prayer. ¤
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¤ Sweet hour of
prayer, sweet hour of prayer, ¤
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¤ may I thy consolation share. ¤
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¤ Till from Mount
Pisgah's lofty height, ¤
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¤ I view my home
and take my flight. ¤
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¤ In my immortal flesh I'll rise
to seize the everlasting prize ¤
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¤ And shout, while
passing through the air, ¤
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¤ "Farewell, farewell,
sweet hour of prayer." ¤¤
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Doug: Thank you very much to
our singers and our musicians.
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And welcome once again to
those who are part of our local
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Sabbath School
class here at Granite Bay.
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We know that we
always have some visitors.
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We're glad that
you're with us today.
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I want to welcome the extended
class that is watching from all
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different parts of the globe.
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Just yesterday,
I was in Phoenix.
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And you know, we record these
programs a few weeks early from
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the time when the rest
of the world church studies.
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I was in Phoenix for
the national ASI meeting.
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And so, that gives us an
opportunity to meet people who
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are part of the class
from all over the world.
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Quite literally, there were
people there from all over the
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world, and so it's so much fun
to have people come up and say,
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"We do Sabbath
School with you every week."
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And many people do it
before they go to church,
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or some are even
watching on Thursday.
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And it's just--it's fun to
know we have this opportunity to
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study the Word
with so many people.
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So, welcome, welcome those of
you who are part of the Granite
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Bay church, some
of our online members.
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We have a mechanism where people
who don't have a local church,
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they can attend, that some are
scattered at different parts of
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the world where
there's no local congregation.
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And we even heard of some
folks that are up in Alaska,
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they watch like a ski
resort through the summer,
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they're all by themselves.
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Or they're at a fire-watch
station up on a mountain
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in some remote wilderness.
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But they got the
internet, and so they say,
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"This is our Sabbath
School, this is our church."
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And I want to welcome those
online members as well. Huh?
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Yeah, we--matter of
fact, Karen and I were in
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Southern California,
we won't point them out,
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and we were visiting with
some of our online members
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that they can't make
it to church every week,
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and it was fun, make
a pastoral visit now.
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We're going to
go into our lesson.
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Lesson is dealing--it's
lesson number nine,
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and we're dealing with the
subject of "Jesus Ministered
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to Their Needs."
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And the memory verse
is from Matthew 9:35.
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Now, we've read this
before, Matthew 9:35.
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And it talks about--it's one
verse that sort of encompasses
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the mission of Jesus' ministry.
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If you'd like to say that with
me here in your study guide,
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it's in the NIV version.
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Are you ready?
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"Jesus went throughout
all the towns and villages,
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teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the good news of the
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kingdom, and healing
every disease and sickness."
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That's a great verse,
it says he went to towns,
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got a country
ministry, city ministry,
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village ministry,
synagogues, in the church,
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in the streets,
preaching the good news,
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preaching, teaching, healing all
kinds of sickness and disease.
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I think Mark, when
he talks about that,
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also includes "and
casting out devils."
00:09:14.85\00:09:18.49
So, the Lord wants us to
minister to the needs of the
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communities in the
churches, in the towns,
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in the cities.
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And we're going to look at a
spectrum of different examples
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from the Bible
where Jesus does this.
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Now, the first one is
talking about an interruption
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from ministry.
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Have you ever been
interrupted in your ministry?
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If you look in Mark chapter 5,
this will kind of give you the
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overview of
that, Mark chapter 5,
00:09:43.98\00:09:46.92
you go to verse 22.
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After Jesus has this experience
with the demoniac of Gadara,
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and he crosses the
sea, when he comes to shore,
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scarcely does he get out of
the boat before there is a ruler
00:09:57.46\00:10:01.56
from the
synagogue, his name is Jairus.
00:10:01.60\00:10:05.43
I've heard people say Jairus.
00:10:05.47\00:10:07.47
It's like the king of
Persia, some say Darius,
00:10:07.50\00:10:10.37
and some say Darius.
00:10:10.41\00:10:12.54
Potato, potato, tomato--anyway,
but I've heard it
00:10:12.57\00:10:17.08
pronounced both ways.
00:10:17.11\00:10:18.71
So, Jairus, this
ruler of the synagogue,
00:10:18.75\00:10:21.12
approaches him, and
he's got a real burden.
00:10:21.15\00:10:22.58
He says--he
earnestly begged in verse 23,
00:10:22.62\00:10:27.79
"My daughter lies
at the point of death."
00:10:27.82\00:10:31.46
It's just at
this crucial moment.
00:10:31.49\00:10:34.23
Time is of the
greatest importance.
00:10:34.30\00:10:36.60
And he said, "Come,
lay your hands on her,
00:10:36.63\00:10:39.63
that she may be healed."
00:10:39.67\00:10:41.00
Jesus already had a
reputation for healing.
00:10:41.04\00:10:43.61
They thought it was
important that he touched them,
00:10:43.64\00:10:45.94
or touched the
daughter to heal her.
00:10:45.97\00:10:48.18
We know later that Jesus healed
the Roman centurion's servant
00:10:48.21\00:10:51.25
just by speaking the word.
00:10:51.28\00:10:53.05
But the ruler said, "You'll
need to come and do laying on of
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hands, and heal
her, and she will live."
00:10:55.35\00:10:58.45
He had faith.
00:10:58.49\00:10:59.89
So, Jesus went with him.
00:10:59.92\00:11:02.42
He's getting ready
to make a home visit.
00:11:02.46\00:11:05.39
Sometimes, sick
people were brought to Jesus,
00:11:05.43\00:11:08.20
but Jesus was not beyond
going to where they were.
00:11:08.23\00:11:12.67
And so, Jesus went with him, and
a great multitude followed him
00:11:12.70\00:11:16.64
and thronged him.
00:11:16.67\00:11:19.37
He's surrounded
by a great crowd.
00:11:19.41\00:11:22.31
There may have been
thousands in the crowd,
00:11:22.34\00:11:24.08
and he's got the 12
apostles around him like
00:11:24.11\00:11:26.38
presidential bodyguards.
00:11:26.41\00:11:27.72
You know, they got the
glasses and the earpieces,
00:11:27.75\00:11:29.42
and they're trying to protect
Jesus as he's being pressed and
00:11:29.45\00:11:32.19
crushed from every side.
00:11:32.22\00:11:34.52
And while this is going on,
and he's making his way up the
00:11:34.56\00:11:36.76
street, and Jairus is a little
worried because his daughter's
00:11:36.79\00:11:40.00
at the point of death.
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She's breathing those
hard, labored final breaths.
00:11:41.83\00:11:46.17
And he's wanting Jesus to
hurry, but Jesus along the way,
00:11:46.20\00:11:48.87
you know, he'll stop and say
an encouraging word to someone,
00:11:48.90\00:11:51.34
and he'll touch somebody else.
00:11:51.37\00:11:52.71
And he's saying,
"Please hurry, Lord."
00:11:52.74\00:11:56.08
And along the way, it says a
certain woman that had a flow of
00:11:56.11\00:12:00.58
blood for 12 years, of
course it's rendered her unclean
00:12:00.62\00:12:04.32
according to the Bible, and
she had seen many physicians,
00:12:04.35\00:12:09.09
and she'd spent
all that she had.
00:12:09.12\00:12:12.36
And she wasn't
better, but rather grew worse.
00:12:12.39\00:12:15.36
Now, you know,
Luke, who was a physician,
00:12:15.40\00:12:17.80
leaves out the part that this
woman had wasted her money on
00:12:17.83\00:12:20.77
many physicians and got worse.
00:12:20.80\00:12:22.77
I don't know why
Dr. Luke left that out,
00:12:22.80\00:12:25.34
but Mark includes that.
00:12:25.37\00:12:27.01
And I think we know sometimes
it can get worse if you get the
00:12:27.04\00:12:33.08
wrong diagnosis.
00:12:33.11\00:12:35.48
And she heard about Jesus.
00:12:35.52\00:12:36.82
She came behind
him in the crowd,
00:12:36.85\00:12:39.09
you know, in the wake
of the river of people
00:12:39.12\00:12:41.96
he's flowing through.
00:12:41.99\00:12:43.29
She figures it's, you know,
"Better if I come in from behind
00:12:43.32\00:12:46.53
maybe."
00:12:46.56\00:12:48.00
And she says, "If I can
just touch his garment."
00:12:48.03\00:12:50.07
She reached out and
touched his garment,
00:12:50.10\00:12:51.40
for she told herself, "If
I can only touch his clothes,
00:12:51.43\00:12:55.07
I might be made well."
00:12:55.10\00:12:56.50
And she does this, and
immediately the fountain of her
00:12:56.54\00:13:00.61
blood, the flow was dried up.
00:13:00.64\00:13:04.05
She felt in her body she
was healed of the affliction.
00:13:04.08\00:13:07.75
Sometimes, when you're
healed, you may not feel
00:13:07.78\00:13:09.85
anything right away.
00:13:09.88\00:13:11.22
Some people have been healed
and gone to go get some kind of
00:13:11.25\00:13:13.29
confirmation from
an X-ray or a doctor.
00:13:13.32\00:13:15.99
But she knew immediately.
00:13:16.02\00:13:17.99
I think Naaman,
when he had leprosy,
00:13:18.03\00:13:19.86
and his fingers and
toes popped back into place,
00:13:19.89\00:13:21.90
he felt something.
00:13:21.93\00:13:23.67
And some people
who've been healed,
00:13:23.70\00:13:25.07
they felt that they were healed.
00:13:25.10\00:13:27.00
She knew
immediately that she was healed.
00:13:27.04\00:13:30.47
You know, one of the most
dramatic healings I've ever
00:13:30.51\00:13:32.97
seen, I guess I
didn't really see it,
00:13:33.01\00:13:35.28
I heard it, Focus on the Family
played it on their program.
00:13:35.31\00:13:40.08
There was a man who had a
terrible problem with his voice
00:13:40.12\00:13:42.95
box, and he had surgery, and he
couldn't barely talk in anything
00:13:42.98\00:13:46.02
above just a very
faint, rough whisper.
00:13:46.05\00:13:49.69
It was like someone who
had been yelling for years,
00:13:49.72\00:13:52.03
their voice was all strained.
00:13:52.06\00:13:53.36
And then--and he was--but
he used to be a Sunday school
00:13:53.40\00:13:56.97
teacher.
00:13:57.00\00:13:58.63
And they were recording him
teaching his class because he
00:13:58.67\00:14:02.74
had been such a good teacher,
but his voice had been so
00:14:02.77\00:14:04.74
damaged for years.
00:14:04.77\00:14:06.41
And they'd been
praying for healing.
00:14:06.44\00:14:08.51
And while he's
teaching the class,
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.51
he says he's
reading from the Bible,
00:14:10.55\00:14:12.41
and he's reading
one of the Psalms.
00:14:12.45\00:14:15.32
And I vaguely remember it was a
psalm that said something about,
00:14:15.35\00:14:18.39
"And he lifts us
up from the pit."
00:14:18.42\00:14:20.79
And right when he
said the word "pit,"
00:14:20.82\00:14:22.12
you heard his voice change.
00:14:22.16\00:14:23.59
And all of a sudden, he
started--he kept talking it,
00:14:23.63\00:14:26.56
and then you can hear him get
choked up while he's talking,
00:14:26.59\00:14:29.80
he starts to cry.
00:14:29.83\00:14:31.13
He says, "You know, I
don't know what happened,
00:14:31.17\00:14:33.13
but my voice is back.
00:14:33.17\00:14:34.47
I'm almost afraid to talk
because this is temporary."
00:14:34.50\00:14:37.27
And you can hear this
clear, resonating voice,
00:14:37.31\00:14:39.87
it was instantly healed.
00:14:39.91\00:14:42.11
And he interviewed the
man on the radio station,
00:14:42.14\00:14:45.05
and they told the story of
all that they went through.
00:14:45.08\00:14:46.98
And just God, when
he read that verse,
00:14:47.02\00:14:48.65
God just healed his
voice, and you hear it.
00:14:48.68\00:14:50.72
You actually hear
someone going through a
00:14:50.75\00:14:54.02
dramatic healing like that.
00:14:54.06\00:14:55.69
He felt something
when that happened.
00:14:55.72\00:14:58.46
Did any of you ever
hear that broadcast?
00:14:58.49\00:15:00.56
I see, yeah, I see some of you,
it was a pretty dramatic--you
00:15:00.60\00:15:03.87
can probably find it online.
00:15:03.90\00:15:05.70
So, God does heal.
00:15:05.73\00:15:07.04
Sometimes you feel it, sometimes
it takes a while for you to
00:15:07.07\00:15:09.64
realize that you've been healed.
00:15:09.67\00:15:12.67
This lady felt
that she'd been healed.
00:15:12.71\00:15:14.94
Now, during this
whole thing, Jesus then,
00:15:14.98\00:15:17.78
verse 30--so far,
Jesus is just moving along,
00:15:17.81\00:15:20.52
going with Jairus
to heal his daughter.
00:15:20.55\00:15:23.35
But when Jesus
feels that virtue,
00:15:23.39\00:15:25.92
vitality, vital force has gone
out of him to heal this woman,
00:15:25.95\00:15:30.89
there's a touch of faith.
00:15:30.93\00:15:32.23
Many people were touching him,
but it wasn't a touch of faith.
00:15:32.26\00:15:35.56
This lady reached
out in faith, and he knew
00:15:35.60\00:15:38.70
something had happened.
00:15:38.73\00:15:40.04
He knew
somebody had trusted him,
00:15:40.07\00:15:42.60
the Holy Spirit
revealed it, and he stopped.
00:15:42.64\00:15:44.94
And everybody kind
of stopped, you know,
00:15:44.97\00:15:47.94
because they had been making
the slow progress up the street.
00:15:47.98\00:15:50.21
And he turns around, he
said, "Who touched my clothes?"
00:15:50.25\00:15:54.58
Now, the disciples were worried
that Jesus had spent too much
00:15:54.62\00:15:57.89
time in the sun, it
was finally getting to him,
00:15:57.92\00:16:00.19
the long hours,
not enough sleep,
00:16:00.22\00:16:01.92
irregular eating times.
00:16:01.96\00:16:03.32
And they said, "Lord, the
multitude is thronging you on
00:16:03.36\00:16:08.70
every side, and you're
saying, 'Who touched me?'"
00:16:08.73\00:16:12.80
And Jesus looked around to
see who had done this thing,
00:16:12.83\00:16:16.34
and the woman knew right away.
00:16:16.37\00:16:18.57
And he said, "Daughter,
your faith has made you well.
00:16:18.61\00:16:21.11
Go in peace and be healed."
00:16:21.14\00:16:23.78
You notice, you
are healed, be healed,
00:16:23.81\00:16:26.78
stay healed of your affliction.
00:16:26.82\00:16:28.92
So, he confirmed the healing
she knew that she had felt.
00:16:28.95\00:16:31.75
Verse 35, "While
he's still speaking,
00:16:31.79\00:16:34.79
someone came from the ruler of
the synagogue's house," someone
00:16:34.82\00:16:38.06
came from
Jairus' house, who said,
00:16:38.09\00:16:39.76
"Your daughter is dead."
00:16:39.79\00:16:41.66
It took too long.
The delay was fatal.
00:16:41.70\00:16:45.17
The interruption
caused her terminal death.
00:16:45.20\00:16:49.67
"Don't trouble
the teacher anymore,
00:16:49.70\00:16:51.51
it's hopeless."
00:16:51.54\00:16:52.84
Jesus is hearing this
message come to Jairus,
00:16:52.87\00:16:54.94
and he interrupts and he said,
00:16:54.98\00:16:57.78
"Do not be
afraid, only believe."
00:16:57.81\00:17:00.68
Hope is not gone yet
is what Jesus is saying.
00:17:00.72\00:17:04.32
I've often found if we
listen to the Holy Spirit,
00:17:04.35\00:17:07.26
and we accept, embrace
these interruptions that come,
00:17:07.29\00:17:10.63
God still works things out.
00:17:10.66\00:17:13.43
And he was going to work
things out for Jairus too.
00:17:13.46\00:17:16.87
When we take time to do God's
will and we think we're too
00:17:16.90\00:17:19.87
busy, and you
give time to people,
00:17:19.90\00:17:22.04
even though you know you're
busy and you're on a mission,
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.11
God will sometimes bless your
mission better than you expected
00:17:24.14\00:17:28.71
because you put
his priorities first.
00:17:28.74\00:17:30.95
That's what I've discovered.
00:17:30.98\00:17:33.68
He said, "Don't be
afraid, only believe."
00:17:33.72\00:17:35.25
He permitted no
one to follow him
00:17:35.28\00:17:36.89
except Peter, James and John.
00:17:36.92\00:17:38.22
There's a big crowd.
00:17:38.25\00:17:39.55
He says to the crowd,
"You've got to stay here.
00:17:39.59\00:17:40.89
Now, we have to make time."
00:17:40.92\00:17:43.12
And they came to the
ruler of the synagogue's house.
00:17:43.16\00:17:45.89
And by the time they
got there, they had already
00:17:45.93\00:17:47.76
brought in the mourners.
00:17:47.83\00:17:49.13
She was so close to
death, they had hired mourners
00:17:49.16\00:17:51.13
waiting for a job.
00:17:51.17\00:17:52.87
And they used to pay mourners,
and they'd wail and weep,
00:17:52.90\00:17:56.67
and they play these doleful
tones on the flutes and their
00:17:56.71\00:18:02.04
instruments.
00:18:02.08\00:18:03.95
And when he came in,
he said, "Why do you make
00:18:03.98\00:18:05.28
this commotion and weep?
00:18:05.31\00:18:06.61
The child is not
dead, but sleeping."
00:18:06.65\00:18:09.15
And they ridiculed him.
00:18:09.18\00:18:11.69
Christians don't
die, they go to sleep,
00:18:11.72\00:18:14.52
waiting for the resurrection.
00:18:14.56\00:18:17.03
"And they ridiculed him.
00:18:17.06\00:18:18.53
But when he had
put them all outside,
00:18:18.56\00:18:20.10
he took the father and
the mother of the child,
00:18:20.13\00:18:22.00
and those who were with
him, and he entered where
00:18:22.03\00:18:24.37
the child was lying.
00:18:24.40\00:18:25.87
And he took the
child by the hand,
00:18:25.90\00:18:27.34
and he said to her, 'Talitha
cumi,' which is translated,
00:18:27.37\00:18:30.34
'Little girl, arise.'"
00:18:30.37\00:18:32.37
And the same kind
of word in Aramaic
00:18:32.41\00:18:35.11
that a mother and father would
say to their little girl if
00:18:35.14\00:18:37.55
she's late for the
school bus, "Honey, wake up."
00:18:37.58\00:18:40.95
It's just a very--it was a
very tender way of saying it.
00:18:40.98\00:18:45.02
"Immediately, the
girl rose, and she walked,
00:18:45.05\00:18:48.69
for she was 12 years of age.
00:18:48.72\00:18:51.03
And they were
overcome with amazement.
00:18:51.06\00:18:52.83
He commanded them strictly
no one should know about it.
00:18:52.86\00:18:55.36
He said, 'Give her
something to eat.'"
00:18:55.40\00:18:57.10
She had been
weakened by the fever,
00:18:57.13\00:18:59.17
and she needed something.
00:18:59.20\00:19:01.57
Now, this is a story, and I know
I'm going beyond what the lesson
00:19:01.60\00:19:04.81
was wanting to bring
up, but I think this is
00:19:04.84\00:19:06.71
such an important story.
00:19:06.74\00:19:08.04
You find this story in the
book of--Gospel of Matthew,
00:19:08.08\00:19:10.55
Mark, and Luke.
00:19:10.58\00:19:11.88
Notice Jesus is on his way, all
these people in the crowd are
00:19:11.91\00:19:16.45
touching him.
00:19:16.48\00:19:18.02
They're not really getting
any better by their touch
00:19:18.05\00:19:19.65
because it's not
a touch of faith.
00:19:19.69\00:19:21.26
Jesus is on his way
to resurrect a girl,
00:19:21.29\00:19:24.29
how old is she?
00:19:24.33\00:19:26.13
Twelve years of age.
00:19:26.16\00:19:27.66
And on his way, another woman
who's been bleeding for how
00:19:27.73\00:19:30.73
long?
00:19:30.77\00:19:32.20
Twelve years, touches him.
00:19:32.23\00:19:35.20
One touches Jesus,
Jesus touches the other.
00:19:35.24\00:19:39.41
What does a woman represent
in Bible allegories frequently,
00:19:39.44\00:19:42.34
not every time?
00:19:42.38\00:19:43.85
And I hope--maybe I'm being
too hyper spiritual with this,
00:19:43.88\00:19:47.05
but I think there might
be an allegory in this story.
00:19:47.08\00:19:49.65
It's in all three gospels.
00:19:49.68\00:19:50.99
The stories have a meaning.
00:19:51.02\00:19:53.89
You have one with a
continual flow of blood.
00:19:53.92\00:19:55.89
And Jesus is on his
way to raise a girl.
00:19:55.92\00:19:59.93
Twelve is a
number for the church.
00:19:59.96\00:20:02.30
Is that right?
00:20:02.33\00:20:05.00
Woman with 12 stars,
12 apostles, 12 tribes.
00:20:05.03\00:20:08.40
And so, while he's on his
way--the Old Testament church,
00:20:08.44\00:20:12.61
how was sin dealt with?
00:20:12.64\00:20:14.11
Sacrifice of goats,
and sheep, and lambs.
00:20:14.14\00:20:16.61
And does that
really wash away our sin?
00:20:16.64\00:20:21.38
And the Lord said,
"Away with your sacrifices."
00:20:21.42\00:20:25.19
They thought--that
was all pointing to Jesus.
00:20:25.22\00:20:27.46
It was pointing to
where Jesus was going.
00:20:27.49\00:20:32.43
And she reaches out in
faith, she's none the better.
00:20:32.46\00:20:35.46
She's got this problem.
00:20:35.50\00:20:36.80
It was through
touching Jesus she's healed.
00:20:36.83\00:20:39.20
That represents the Old
Testament sacrificial system,
00:20:39.23\00:20:44.01
continual flow
of blood, no better,
00:20:44.04\00:20:46.04
only worse.
00:20:46.07\00:20:48.51
But when she
touched Jesus, she's healed.
00:20:48.54\00:20:51.21
Jesus goes from that experience,
and he touches a 12-year-old
00:20:51.25\00:20:53.82
girl, who he
raises, and he says,
00:20:53.85\00:20:55.98
"Give her something to eat."
00:20:56.02\00:20:57.69
And this is like the
New Testament church.
00:20:57.72\00:20:59.55
So, you've almost got two
economies that meet in Jesus.
00:20:59.59\00:21:03.19
Jesus is the intersection of
the Old Testament sacrificial
00:21:03.22\00:21:06.56
system, church, and
the New Testament church,
00:21:06.59\00:21:10.30
where it's a touch of faith.
00:21:10.33\00:21:11.80
One is dead, but
it is raised to life,
00:21:11.83\00:21:14.34
and he says, "Give
her something to eat."
00:21:14.37\00:21:15.70
This is like the
New Testament church.
00:21:15.74\00:21:17.04
So, you see
what I'm saying here?
00:21:17.07\00:21:18.64
So, it's just a great story, but
it all happens in the context of
00:21:18.67\00:21:21.68
that interruption.
00:21:21.71\00:21:23.01
There are other interruptions.
00:21:23.04\00:21:24.35
Sometimes, sometimes the
Lord interrupts us because he's
00:21:24.38\00:21:27.98
trying to save us from disaster.
00:21:28.02\00:21:29.38
And how many of you remember the
story--if you go to the book of
00:21:29.42\00:21:34.72
Numbers chapter 22,
this is a great story,
00:21:34.76\00:21:39.16
Numbers chapter 22, and
I'm going to go to verse 23.
00:21:39.19\00:21:43.00
"Now the donkey saw the angel
of the Lord standing in the way
00:21:43.03\00:21:47.87
with his drawn
sword in his hand.
00:21:47.90\00:21:50.71
And the donkey
turned aside out of the way,
00:21:50.74\00:21:53.38
and went into the field.
00:21:53.41\00:21:54.64
So Balaam struck the donkey
to turn it back on to the road."
00:21:54.68\00:21:57.88
He says, "This is
where I want to go.
00:21:57.91\00:22:00.15
There's money at
the end of the road,
00:22:00.18\00:22:01.65
a reward, I want to go."
00:22:01.68\00:22:03.89
"And the angel of the Lord then
went further up the road and
00:22:03.92\00:22:06.42
stood in a narrow
path between the vineyards,
00:22:06.45\00:22:09.06
with a wall on this
side and a wall on that.
00:22:09.09\00:22:12.13
And when the donkey
saw the angel of the Lord,
00:22:12.16\00:22:14.30
she pushed herself against the
wall and crushed Balaam's foot
00:22:14.30\00:22:17.47
against the wall,
so he struck her again.
00:22:17.50\00:22:20.30
And the angel of the
Lord went further and stood
00:22:20.34\00:22:24.34
in the narrow place."
00:22:24.37\00:22:25.67
You see what's happening?
00:22:25.71\00:22:27.01
Balaam is on a mission he's
not supposed to be going on.
00:22:27.04\00:22:30.31
And the angel of the
Lord's trying to turn him back,
00:22:30.35\00:22:33.25
but he is bent on going
where he's not supposed to go.
00:22:33.28\00:22:38.79
"And the angel went
further down the road.
00:22:38.82\00:22:43.36
And when she saw the angel,"
the donkey saw the angel,
00:22:43.39\00:22:45.79
"she laid down under Balaam."
00:22:45.83\00:22:47.20
She's not going
right or left now,
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.66
she's just
getting down on her knees.
00:22:48.70\00:22:51.17
And Balaam was so
angry, he gets off the donkey,
00:22:51.20\00:22:53.44
and he's aroused, and he strikes
the donkey with his staff,
00:22:53.47\00:22:56.44
he beats the donkey.
00:22:56.47\00:22:58.47
And the Lord opens
the mouth of the donkey,
00:22:58.51\00:23:02.44
and she says to Balaam, "What
have I done to you that you
00:23:02.48\00:23:06.28
struck me these three times?"
00:23:06.31\00:23:08.28
And Balaam is
so out of his mind,
00:23:08.32\00:23:10.25
he's having a
conversation with a donkey,
00:23:10.29\00:23:11.95
and it hasn't occurred
to him the donkey's talking.
00:23:11.99\00:23:13.69
And he says,
"Because you've abused me.
00:23:13.72\00:23:17.49
I wish there was
a sword in my hand,
00:23:17.53\00:23:18.83
I'd kill you."
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.43
I mean, if I heard
the donkey talking,
00:23:21.46\00:23:22.76
I'd stop right there
and say, "Excuse me?"
00:23:22.80\00:23:24.13
But he's
conversating with the donkey.
00:23:24.17\00:23:28.50
And the donkey says to
Balaam, "Am I not your donkey,
00:23:28.54\00:23:31.07
on which you have
ridden ever since I
00:23:31.11\00:23:32.97
became yours to this day?"
00:23:33.01\00:23:34.31
Presumably years,
they live a long time.
00:23:34.34\00:23:36.98
"Was I ever disposed," is
it my custom to do this to you?
00:23:37.01\00:23:40.48
Donkey's got a good vocabulary.
00:23:40.52\00:23:44.49
"Was this ever my
disposition to do this to you?"
00:23:44.52\00:23:47.22
He said, "No."
00:23:47.26\00:23:50.39
Then the Lord
opened Balaam's eyes,
00:23:50.43\00:23:52.09
and he sees the
angel of the Lord,
00:23:52.13\00:23:53.76
this tall,
imposing angel of the Lord,
00:23:53.80\00:23:55.56
not looking too happy, standing
in the way with a drawn sword,
00:23:55.60\00:23:58.40
you draw a sword when
you're going to use it,
00:23:58.43\00:24:00.47
in his hand.
00:24:00.50\00:24:02.30
And now, Balaam
falls on his face flat,
00:24:02.34\00:24:04.71
and the angel of
the Lord said to him,
00:24:04.74\00:24:06.27
"Why have you struck
your donkey these three times?
00:24:06.31\00:24:08.38
Behold, I came out
to stand against you
00:24:08.41\00:24:10.65
because your way is
perverse before me."
00:24:10.68\00:24:11.98
You're going the wrong way.
00:24:12.01\00:24:13.78
"The donkey saw me and
turned aside three times.
00:24:13.82\00:24:16.38
If she had not
turned aside from me,
00:24:16.42\00:24:17.72
surely I would have
killed you and let her live."
00:24:17.75\00:24:20.86
By the way, there is a story in
the Bible where a man was riding
00:24:20.89\00:24:23.63
on a donkey, the lion attacked
the man and let the donkey live,
00:24:23.66\00:24:28.40
which is backwards from
what a lion would normally do.
00:24:28.43\00:24:32.97
But, so sometimes--Balaam
was getting madder and madder
00:24:33.00\00:24:36.34
because he's in a hurry,
and this interruption keeps
00:24:36.37\00:24:38.67
happening, and why
is he being interrupted?
00:24:38.71\00:24:41.28
Because the Lord's
trying to save him.
00:24:41.31\00:24:43.35
Now, I won't ask
you to raise your hand,
00:24:43.38\00:24:45.28
but has there been a time in
your life when everything seemed
00:24:45.31\00:24:48.75
to go wrong as you were
trying to go the wrong way,
00:24:48.78\00:24:51.92
and God was trying to
save you from yourself?
00:24:51.95\00:24:55.72
And you were just
beating the donkey,
00:24:55.76\00:24:59.09
trying to keep going
where you wanted to go.
00:24:59.13\00:25:01.86
And later, your
eyes were opened,
00:25:01.90\00:25:03.20
you said, "Oh, that was the Lord
trying to interrupt my road to
00:25:03.23\00:25:07.80
destruction."
00:25:07.84\00:25:09.67
You need to thank him
for those interruptions.
00:25:09.70\00:25:11.61
There's some other interruptions
that come I'll get to.
00:25:11.64\00:25:13.48
Now, someone's going to
read for me 1 Kings 19:19.
00:25:13.51\00:25:18.58
And--oh, you'll have that, Jan?
00:25:18.61\00:25:21.38
While that's
happening, I'm going to read.
00:25:21.42\00:25:22.82
Sometimes, we're
interrupted by the devil.
00:25:22.85\00:25:26.55
Acts 16:16, "Now it happened as
we went to prayer that a certain
00:25:26.59\00:25:30.86
slave girl, possessed
with a spirit of divination,
00:25:30.89\00:25:33.96
met us, who
brought her masters much
00:25:34.00\00:25:36.93
fortunetelling--much
by fortunetelling.
00:25:36.97\00:25:38.57
This girl followed
Paul and us," that's Luke,
00:25:38.60\00:25:42.00
"cried out, saying, 'These men
are servants of the Most High
00:25:42.04\00:25:44.14
God, who proclaim
the way of salvation!'"
00:25:44.17\00:25:46.14
She's creating a disruption.
00:25:46.17\00:25:48.51
You notice when the devil
brought this interruption?
00:25:48.54\00:25:50.81
On their way to prayer.
00:25:50.85\00:25:53.35
The devil keeps bringing
this distraction on their way
00:25:53.38\00:25:55.25
to prayer, "As
we went to prayer."
00:25:55.28\00:25:56.92
It goes on to say,
"This happened many days."
00:25:56.95\00:25:59.62
Every time they go into prayer,
the devil's got an interruption.
00:25:59.65\00:26:01.96
You ever have that problem?
00:26:01.99\00:26:04.36
Something happens, you're
going to pray, the phone rings.
00:26:04.39\00:26:06.36
Or you think of something,
"Oh, I forgot about this.
00:26:06.39\00:26:14.64
There's
something I've got to do."
00:26:14.67\00:26:15.97
The devil always
tries to interrupt us
00:26:16.00\00:26:17.64
on our way to prayer.
00:26:17.67\00:26:18.97
"Finally, we cast out the
devil," and that caused a lot of
00:26:19.01\00:26:21.71
interesting other experiences.
00:26:21.74\00:26:23.28
Go ahead and read
for us 1 Kings 19:19.
00:26:23.31\00:26:25.45
Jan: "So he departed from
there and found Elisha the son
00:26:25.48\00:26:29.48
of Shaphat, who was plowing
with 12 yoke of oxen before him.
00:26:29.52\00:26:35.39
And he was with the 12.
00:26:35.42\00:26:37.76
Then Elijah passed by him
and threw his mantle on him."
00:26:37.79\00:26:41.96
Doug: Elisha's busy out farming.
00:26:42.00\00:26:44.23
He's got his hands full
of the reins of the oxen,
00:26:44.27\00:26:47.24
and Elijah comes
by and says, "Look,
00:26:47.27\00:26:49.24
I've got a work for you to do.
00:26:49.27\00:26:50.94
God wants you to work for him."
00:26:50.97\00:26:52.27
He could have said,
"Look, don't bother me now,
00:26:52.31\00:26:53.84
I'm plowing. Talk to me later."
00:26:53.88\00:26:55.31
Do you know how often God called
people while they were busy
00:26:55.34\00:26:58.51
doing things?
00:26:58.55\00:27:00.38
You might say he
interrupted their work.
00:27:00.42\00:27:03.85
What was Gideon
doing when the angel came?
00:27:03.89\00:27:07.69
He was threshing wheat.
00:27:07.72\00:27:09.86
Amos was
gathering sycamore fruit.
00:27:09.89\00:27:12.29
What was Peter,
James, and John doing?
00:27:12.33\00:27:15.36
They were cleaning
their nets, fishing,
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.13
cleaning their nets.
00:27:17.17\00:27:19.07
They were busy. The
Lord looks for people busy.
00:27:19.10\00:27:21.37
But sometimes, God will approach
you when you're in the middle of
00:27:21.40\00:27:23.67
something.
00:27:23.71\00:27:25.04
And the Lord says, "That's
why--" You ever heard the
00:27:25.07\00:27:26.64
expression, "If you
want something done,
00:27:26.68\00:27:28.08
get a busy person"?
00:27:28.11\00:27:29.48
You ever heard
that, do it for you?
00:27:29.51\00:27:32.91
That's what the Lord does.
00:27:32.95\00:27:34.25
If we're busy doing
faithfully whatever's at hand,
00:27:34.28\00:27:36.89
he'll give us more to do.
00:27:36.92\00:27:38.82
So, you have
those interruptions.
00:27:38.85\00:27:40.49
All right, next section
is under how can I help you?
00:27:40.52\00:27:43.26
And we're going to go to--here,
the lesson takes us to Mark 10,
00:27:43.29\00:27:46.80
verse 46.
00:27:46.83\00:27:48.30
If you turn in
your Bibles there,
00:27:48.33\00:27:49.96
Mark 10, verse 46.
00:27:50.00\00:27:51.57
And this is when Jesus
is going out of Jericho,
00:27:51.60\00:28:01.48
and he's met by
blind Bartimaeus.
00:28:01.51\00:28:07.58
There's several great
stories in Mark chapter 10.
00:28:07.62\00:28:12.95
"Now, as they came to Jericho,
and as he went out of Jericho
00:28:12.99\00:28:16.49
with his disciples, a great
multitude," another throng is
00:28:16.52\00:28:20.10
following him,
"blind Bartimaeus,
00:28:20.13\00:28:22.36
the son of Timaeus."
00:28:22.40\00:28:23.70
Whenever you see the
word "bar" in Hebrew,
00:28:23.73\00:28:26.63
that means son of.
00:28:26.67\00:28:28.70
Barabbas means son
of Abba, means father.
00:28:28.74\00:28:32.04
Barabbas means
son of the father,
00:28:32.07\00:28:33.68
which is interesting because
Jesus was the son of God,
00:28:33.71\00:28:36.34
Barabbas was the counterfeit son
of the father that the people
00:28:36.38\00:28:39.88
chose instead of Jesus.
00:28:39.91\00:28:41.78
You've heard of
Barnabas, B-A-R, Barnabas means
00:28:41.82\00:28:44.09
son of consolation.
00:28:44.12\00:28:45.42
It even says that in the Bible.
00:28:45.45\00:28:47.02
So, whenever you see bar, that
means son of--son of something.
00:28:47.06\00:28:50.53
Jesus once called
Simon Simon Bar-Jonah.
00:28:50.56\00:28:54.30
That tells you that Simon
Peter's father's name was Jonah.
00:28:54.30\00:28:56.80
"Simon son of Jonah, do
you love me?" You remember?
00:28:56.83\00:29:00.77
So, Bartimaeus means the
son of Timaeus, is a blind man.
00:29:00.80\00:29:04.97
He's sitting by the
roadside, he's begging.
00:29:05.01\00:29:06.74
He's a poor, blind beggar.
00:29:06.78\00:29:08.48
And he hears the commotion,
and he says, "What is this?"
00:29:08.51\00:29:10.91
"It's Jesus," someone tells him.
00:29:10.95\00:29:13.35
And he had heard about Jesus.
00:29:13.38\00:29:14.82
At this point, it's at
the end of Christ's ministry.
00:29:14.85\00:29:17.02
Jesus has already opened
the eyes of the blind people.
00:29:17.05\00:29:19.89
And he thinks, "Oh,
I want my eyes opened."
00:29:19.92\00:29:23.49
So, he begins to
call out, and he says,
00:29:23.53\00:29:25.73
"Son of David,
have mercy on me."
00:29:25.76\00:29:28.00
Now, sometimes
when you can't see,
00:29:28.03\00:29:30.27
your other senses are enhanced,
and he had a strong voice.
00:29:30.30\00:29:34.80
And many warned him to be quiet,
but he cried out all the more,
00:29:34.84\00:29:39.21
"Son of David,
have mercy on me."
00:29:39.24\00:29:41.61
Was he asking
for justice or mercy?
00:29:41.64\00:29:43.38
Does the Lord
want to give mercy?
00:29:43.41\00:29:47.62
Now, you know, the crowd, isn't
it interesting the crowd around
00:29:47.65\00:29:50.72
Jesus is
telling him to be quiet?
00:29:50.75\00:29:53.15
They're trying to
prevent him from receiving
00:29:53.19\00:29:56.06
what God wanted him to do.
00:29:56.09\00:29:58.13
Now, what crowd
was around Jesus?
00:29:58.16\00:30:00.96
Apostles, some of his followers.
00:30:01.00\00:30:05.50
And they say, "Look,
Jesus is on his way somewhere.
00:30:05.53\00:30:08.04
Don't bother him."
00:30:08.07\00:30:09.77
But that's why Jesus had
come, to do that very thing.
00:30:09.80\00:30:12.67
He had come to open
the eyes of the blind
00:30:12.71\00:30:15.18
and set the captives free.
00:30:15.21\00:30:16.51
And so, it's interesting
that the crowd around Jesus,
00:30:16.54\00:30:18.65
what we would call the church,
is really the obstacle to Jesus.
00:30:18.68\00:30:21.92
"Be quiet," they're saying.
00:30:21.95\00:30:23.89
Does he get discouraged?
00:30:23.92\00:30:26.19
Nope.
00:30:26.22\00:30:27.52
He raises his voice, and
he calls out even louder,
00:30:27.56\00:30:29.49
"Son of David,
have mercy on me."
00:30:29.52\00:30:31.09
And it's making such a commotion
that it can't be ignored.
00:30:31.13\00:30:34.73
So, Jesus stood still, and
he commanded him to be called.
00:30:34.73\00:30:38.73
Any of you ever
seen a press conference,
00:30:38.77\00:30:40.90
where there's been some
crisis, national crisis,
00:30:40.94\00:30:43.04
and some police chief or some
president or some FBI agent will
00:30:43.07\00:30:47.38
have to tell the
press what's going on?
00:30:47.41\00:30:49.91
And they don't want to
answer every question because
00:30:49.94\00:30:52.65
sometimes, it's
a sensitive issue.
00:30:52.68\00:30:54.82
And you'll hear
reporters shouting questions.
00:30:54.85\00:30:58.09
Or maybe there's somebody
there on trial for some scandal,
00:30:58.12\00:31:01.62
and they're
walking down the street,
00:31:01.66\00:31:03.26
and you got all these press
following them up the street
00:31:03.29\00:31:05.23
with microphones, and
they're calling out questions.
00:31:05.26\00:31:07.13
Sometimes, the loudest person,
they'll turn them and they'll
00:31:07.20\00:31:09.36
answer one question.
00:31:09.40\00:31:11.27
And you ever heard the
expression the squeaky wheel,
00:31:11.30\00:31:15.07
what's the rest of that?
00:31:15.10\00:31:16.87
Gets the grease.
00:31:16.91\00:31:18.41
Karen picked me up at
the airport yesterday.
00:31:18.44\00:31:20.18
And as we were driving
back, she came to a stop,
00:31:20.21\00:31:23.41
and I heard "eee eee eee eee."
00:31:23.45\00:31:25.71
I said, "Oh man,
that's my brakes."
00:31:25.75\00:31:27.85
See, you don't want to hear that
sound coming out of your brakes.
00:31:27.88\00:31:31.45
And it doesn't take you long
to take care of it because every
00:31:31.49\00:31:34.39
time you hit your
brakes, you're reminded,
00:31:34.42\00:31:35.82
"Oh, I'm just
about metal on metal."
00:31:35.86\00:31:40.36
And it's got that audio reminder
whenever you hit on your brakes
00:31:40.40\00:31:44.27
to do something.
00:31:44.30\00:31:46.84
Does it help to
pray more than once?
00:31:46.87\00:31:48.50
Did Jesus hear Bartimaeus
the first time he prayed?
00:31:48.54\00:31:52.04
Why didn't Jesus
stop the first time?
00:31:52.07\00:31:56.14
Why doesn't the Lord always
answer your prayer the first
00:31:56.18\00:31:58.38
time?
00:31:58.41\00:32:00.48
Are you praying so
that God is informed,
00:32:00.92\00:32:03.35
or does he know what
you need before you ask?
00:32:03.39\00:32:06.92
Does he sometimes make you ask
for a while before he gives you
00:32:06.96\00:32:09.62
the answer?
00:32:09.66\00:32:11.69
Why?
00:32:11.73\00:32:13.23
Why doesn't he give us what
we want the first time we ask?
00:32:13.26\00:32:19.20
Do you appreciate your answer
more sometimes when you had to
00:32:19.23\00:32:23.27
ask for a while?
00:32:23.30\00:32:25.67
Are we changed by praying?
00:32:25.71\00:32:28.48
Does prayer change
God, or does it change us?
00:32:28.51\00:32:30.31
And so, every time
Bartimaeus was praying,
00:32:30.35\00:32:34.02
his faith was getting
stronger, he wouldn't let go.
00:32:34.05\00:32:36.65
How many times did Elijah have
to pray for rain before it came?
00:32:36.69\00:32:42.12
You remember on Mount Carmel?
00:32:42.16\00:32:43.69
Seven times.
00:32:43.73\00:32:45.03
He just kept praying.
00:32:45.06\00:32:46.36
You remember the parable where
Jesus talks about the woman who
00:32:46.39\00:32:49.86
goes to the
unrighteous judge, Luke 18?
00:32:49.90\00:32:52.17
And Jesus said that
there was an unrighteous judge,
00:32:52.20\00:32:54.37
he neither feared God nor man,
and there's this poor widow who
00:32:54.40\00:32:56.94
needed some vindication.
00:32:56.97\00:32:58.27
And the widow
came and said, "Please,
00:32:58.31\00:32:59.61
deliver me from my adversary."
00:32:59.64\00:33:01.01
And he thought, "She's
poor, she can't bribe me.
00:33:01.04\00:33:02.98
I've got other
people that have more money,
00:33:03.01\00:33:04.71
and I'll take care of them."
00:33:04.75\00:33:06.38
And he wouldn't
take care of her,
00:33:06.41\00:33:07.75
he ignored her
pleas for justice.
00:33:07.78\00:33:10.25
But she was relentless.
00:33:10.29\00:33:12.19
And she kept coming, and she
was there when the door opened,
00:33:12.22\00:33:14.89
and she was there when he
came out of the courthouse,
00:33:14.92\00:33:16.99
and she was
saying, "Deliver me."
00:33:17.03\00:33:18.36
He said, "Look,
she's wearing me down."
00:33:18.39\00:33:20.03
And there you've got that
squeaky- wheel principle again.
00:33:20.06\00:33:25.17
And Jesus said,
"Look what happens,
00:33:25.20\00:33:26.90
the unjust judge says, 'Look,
I'm going to help this woman
00:33:26.94\00:33:29.57
because otherwise,
by her continual coming,
00:33:29.60\00:33:32.51
she will weary me.'"
00:33:32.54\00:33:34.28
He said, "Look what
an unjust judge does.
00:33:34.31\00:33:37.01
How much more will your Father
in heaven deliver those who cry
00:33:37.05\00:33:39.78
unto him day and night?"
00:33:39.81\00:33:41.88
And so, the Lord says sometimes
he wants us to be persistent
00:33:41.92\00:33:45.79
about our prayers
because it changes us.
00:33:45.82\00:33:49.59
We, our faith gets
stronger in the process.
00:33:49.62\00:33:51.43
So Bartimaeus,
he continues to cry,
00:33:51.46\00:33:53.76
"Son of David, have mercy," even
though the crowd is discouraging
00:33:53.80\00:33:57.17
him, and the church.
00:33:57.20\00:33:59.13
"Son of David,
have mercy on me."
00:33:59.17\00:34:00.57
And Jesus stood still, and
commanded him to be called.
00:34:00.60\00:34:04.94
And they called
the blind man, saying,
00:34:04.97\00:34:06.81
"Be of good
cheer, you lucky fellow.
00:34:06.84\00:34:08.98
Rise, he's calling you."
00:34:09.01\00:34:10.65
And I always thought
this as a great verse,
00:34:10.68\00:34:12.88
verse 50.
00:34:12.91\00:34:14.62
I'm in Mark
chapter 10, verse 50.
00:34:14.65\00:34:17.05
"Throwing aside his garment,
he rose and came to Jesus."
00:34:17.09\00:34:21.09
Now, that's something you may
want to underline in your Bible.
00:34:21.12\00:34:24.59
What does clothing
represent in the Bible?
00:34:24.63\00:34:29.13
I heard you say righteousness.
00:34:29.16\00:34:30.83
Does our clothing
represent righteousness?
00:34:30.87\00:34:34.37
Clothing represents character.
00:34:34.40\00:34:35.87
So, our clothing, all of
our righteousness is like what?
00:34:35.90\00:34:39.91
Filthy rags.
00:34:39.94\00:34:41.24
So, if you're a blind man--you
ever been in a dark room,
00:34:41.28\00:34:46.35
eat in a dark restaurant,
and think everything's fine?
00:34:46.38\00:34:48.52
You walk out in the light,
realize that you spilled some of
00:34:48.55\00:34:50.39
your salad on your suit
when you're in the light?
00:34:50.42\00:34:54.52
What do you think a
blind man's clothes look like?
00:34:54.56\00:34:57.53
Does he ever see the spots?
00:34:57.56\00:35:00.66
And what if you're not just
blind, you're a blind beggar?
00:35:00.70\00:35:02.73
So, it's not a fancy garment.
00:35:02.76\00:35:05.53
So, when this blind beggar
throws aside his garment as he
00:35:05.57\00:35:08.30
comes to Jesus, when Jesus calls
us to be saved and we have our
00:35:08.34\00:35:13.17
eyes open, we throw
aside our filthy rags,
00:35:13.21\00:35:15.48
and we come to him.
00:35:15.51\00:35:17.08
And so, I always thought this
was an interesting symbol of
00:35:17.11\00:35:19.81
that.
00:35:19.85\00:35:21.32
"Throwing aside his garment,
he rose and came to Jesus."
00:35:21.35\00:35:24.62
Jesus calls us to rise.
00:35:24.65\00:35:25.99
"And he comes, and he says,
'What do you want me to do?'"
00:35:26.02\00:35:29.56
Well, now he's
asking one more time.
00:35:29.59\00:35:32.46
The blind man said, "Well,
I thought that'd be obvious."
00:35:32.49\00:35:35.73
Does Jesus know what he wants?
00:35:35.76\00:35:38.60
Why is he telling him to
state out loud what he wants?
00:35:38.63\00:35:42.80
Why is it sometimes important
to make a prayer request public?
00:35:42.84\00:35:49.58
When you come to a prayer
meeting and you announce your
00:35:49.61\00:35:51.75
prayer request, when
your prayer is answered,
00:35:51.78\00:35:55.65
God gets more glory because
others have heard what you're
00:35:55.68\00:35:59.05
praying about.
00:35:59.09\00:36:01.06
And so, before this
man's prayer is answered,
00:36:01.09\00:36:02.76
he announces
what it is he wants.
00:36:02.79\00:36:05.73
Sometimes, Jesus
wants us to pray out loud.
00:36:05.76\00:36:07.76
He says, "Lord, that I
might receive my sight."
00:36:07.83\00:36:11.47
And Jesus said, "Go your way,
your faith has made you well."
00:36:11.50\00:36:15.34
And immediately, he
received his sight."
00:36:15.37\00:36:17.71
First face he saw, first thing
he saw was the face of Jesus.
00:36:17.74\00:36:20.91
And notice Jesus
says, "Go, you're free."
00:36:20.94\00:36:23.58
He opens his eyes, and he
follows Jesus on the road.
00:36:23.61\00:36:27.92
He said, "I am not
letting you out of my sight."
00:36:27.95\00:36:30.82
And he began to follow him.
00:36:30.85\00:36:34.06
Now, was he
following happy or sad?
00:36:34.09\00:36:37.03
Did he go back for his garment?
00:36:37.06\00:36:39.59
Doesn't sound like it.
00:36:39.63\00:36:42.30
He says, "I don't
need anyone to--I don't
00:36:42.33\00:36:45.33
need to beg anymore."
00:36:45.37\00:36:46.67
He didn't go back and
guard his begging booth.
00:36:46.70\00:36:49.57
You know, beggars
actually stake out territory,
00:36:49.60\00:36:51.71
did you know that?
00:36:51.74\00:36:53.31
And you can get in trouble.
00:36:53.34\00:36:54.64
When I was a
panhandler, there were corners.
00:36:54.68\00:36:57.15
And you don't take
someone else's corner.
00:36:57.18\00:36:59.88
And they kind of staked out,
and there was quite a bit of
00:36:59.91\00:37:02.08
fighting that could go on over
good corners and bad corners.
00:37:02.12\00:37:04.79
And he didn't have to worry
about his begging corner anymore
00:37:04.82\00:37:09.12
because now, he didn't
have to beg because Jesus
00:37:09.16\00:37:12.03
has opened his eyes,
so, he followed Jesus.
00:37:12.06\00:37:14.20
Why does Jesus open our
eyes? So we can follow him.
00:37:14.20\00:37:17.07
Did he follow Jesus
because he was being forced?
00:37:17.10\00:37:20.10
Jesus said, "Go your way."
00:37:20.14\00:37:21.87
He followed Jesus
because he loved him.
00:37:21.90\00:37:24.14
He was willing. His
eyes had been opened.
00:37:24.17\00:37:26.88
All right, and
so Jesus, he says,
00:37:26.91\00:37:30.08
"How can I help?"
00:37:30.11\00:37:31.45
Then there's another story that
we're going to look at in John
00:37:31.48\00:37:33.75
chapter 5, verse 5 and 6.
00:37:33.78\00:37:37.75
Turn in your
Bibles, John chapter 5,
00:37:37.79\00:37:39.59
verse 5 and 6, and you got the
story of the man there by the
00:37:39.62\00:37:42.82
pool of Bethesda.
00:37:42.86\00:37:44.76
There's these porches of water.
00:37:44.79\00:37:47.23
And whenever the water bubbles,
these bubbles would come up that
00:37:47.23\00:37:52.80
all these sick people thought it
was an angel stirring the water,
00:37:52.83\00:37:55.67
and they'd clamor over
each other and try and climb in,
00:37:55.70\00:37:58.04
believing whoever got
in first would be healed.
00:37:58.07\00:37:59.84
And evidently, some were healed,
or at least appeared to be,
00:37:59.87\00:38:03.48
so this whole legend had
grown up around this pool.
00:38:03.51\00:38:06.65
And Jesus saw a man there.
00:38:06.68\00:38:08.55
I'm in John chapter 5,
and you can look at verse 5,
00:38:08.58\00:38:14.72
"A certain man was there
who had an infirmity 38 years."
00:38:14.76\00:38:18.26
Now, it doesn't
mean he's 38 years old.
00:38:18.29\00:38:19.86
He could have been 50 years old,
but he's been sick 38 years.
00:38:19.89\00:38:26.67
"And when Jesus
saw him lying there,
00:38:26.70\00:38:29.24
and knew that he already had
been in that condition a long
00:38:29.27\00:38:32.07
time," does he wait for--does
Jesus wait for the man to ask,
00:38:32.11\00:38:36.38
or does Jesus just offer?
00:38:36.41\00:38:39.25
Sometimes, the Lord just
comes and he interrupts us.
00:38:39.28\00:38:42.15
And that man was probably
gazing off in the water,
00:38:42.18\00:38:45.45
waiting to see it bubble, hoping
he could be the first one in.
00:38:45.49\00:38:48.26
And Jesus speaks to him,
"Do you want to be made well?"
00:38:48.29\00:38:52.46
And the sick man, he's
thinking about the water,
00:38:52.49\00:38:55.46
he says, "Sir, my problem has
been I have no one to put me in
00:38:55.50\00:38:58.00
the pool when the
water is stirred up.
00:38:58.03\00:39:00.57
But while I'm trying to come,"
he's dragging himself over
00:39:00.60\00:39:03.10
there, "another
steps down before me."
00:39:03.14\00:39:06.01
And Jesus says, "Look, we're
going to bypass all of that,
00:39:06.04\00:39:09.68
get rid of all the bureaucracy.
00:39:09.71\00:39:11.15
I'm going to tell
you right now, rise,
00:39:11.18\00:39:13.18
take up your bed, and walk."
00:39:13.21\00:39:14.98
And there was something about
the presence of Jesus and the
00:39:15.02\00:39:17.49
voice of Jesus that
this man recognized.
00:39:17.52\00:39:20.56
Maybe he thought, "Maybe this
is the Savior others have been
00:39:20.59\00:39:24.13
talking about.
00:39:24.16\00:39:25.46
This is the
healer from Nazareth."
00:39:25.49\00:39:27.30
And he acted on Jesus' word.
00:39:27.30\00:39:29.83
Immediately, the
man was made well,
00:39:29.86\00:39:31.47
he took up his
bed, and he walked.
00:39:31.50\00:39:32.87
And it goes on to say
that was the Sabbath day.
00:39:32.90\00:39:35.24
But this is an interesting story
because Jesus did not wait for
00:39:35.27\00:39:38.64
him to come to him, and say,
"Would you like to be healed?"
00:39:38.67\00:39:44.71
Jesus asked him.
00:39:44.75\00:39:46.41
And so often, people
were brought to Christ.
00:39:46.45\00:39:48.78
They said, "Can you
please heal my daughter?
00:39:48.82\00:39:50.65
Can you please heal my
son? Can you please heal me?"
00:39:50.69\00:39:53.99
And this time,
Jesus went to him.
00:39:54.02\00:39:56.39
He was moved by
this man's condition.
00:39:56.42\00:39:59.59
There was another blind man
in John chapter 9 Jesus saw.
00:39:59.63\00:40:03.60
Said to his disciples
he's going to heal this man.
00:40:03.63\00:40:05.93
The man didn't ask.
00:40:05.97\00:40:07.94
And so, sometimes, instead of us
waiting until people come to us
00:40:07.97\00:40:13.38
with needs, we need to
anticipate what those needs are
00:40:13.41\00:40:16.85
and go out to
them, and offer to help.
00:40:16.88\00:40:20.55
Have you ever seen a person
that was obviously struggling,
00:40:20.58\00:40:26.72
they didn't ask for help, but
you could see they needed help,
00:40:26.76\00:40:29.39
and you offer?
00:40:29.42\00:40:30.73
This is part of what it
means to be a Christian.
00:40:30.76\00:40:32.69
You take the initiative, and
you offer, "How can I help you?"
00:40:32.73\00:40:36.50
All right, we're
going to move on then,
00:40:36.53\00:40:39.87
deeper needs.
00:40:39.90\00:40:41.44
Sometimes, the Lord
will look beyond what people
00:40:41.47\00:40:43.30
saw on the surface.
00:40:43.34\00:40:44.64
Go to Mark chapter 2.
00:40:44.67\00:40:46.11
We were just in Mark chapter 10.
00:40:46.14\00:40:48.48
We're going to go
back now to Mark again,
00:40:48.51\00:40:49.81
Mark chapter 2.
00:40:49.84\00:40:51.45
And this is a story where
the man is let down through the
00:40:51.48\00:40:54.62
roof, one of the first
miracles that Jesus performs.
00:40:54.65\00:40:59.02
He enters
Capernaum after some days,
00:40:59.05\00:41:00.92
and it's heard
that he's in the house,
00:41:00.96\00:41:03.16
verse 1, Mark 2.
00:41:03.19\00:41:04.99
"Immediately,
many gathered together,
00:41:05.03\00:41:06.86
so that there was no
longer room to receive them,
00:41:06.90\00:41:08.90
no, not even near the door.
00:41:08.93\00:41:10.83
And he preached
the Word to them."
00:41:10.87\00:41:12.43
Jesus had a crowd
because he preached the Word.
00:41:12.47\00:41:15.47
"Then they came to
him bringing a paralytic
00:41:15.50\00:41:17.37
who was carried by four men.
00:41:17.41\00:41:18.71
And when they could not come
near him because of the crowd,
00:41:18.74\00:41:23.51
they got
discouraged and they went home."
00:41:23.55\00:41:24.88
That's not what they did.
00:41:24.91\00:41:26.35
They found a way in.
00:41:26.38\00:41:28.35
They couldn't
get through the door,
00:41:28.38\00:41:29.68
they couldn't get
through the window,
00:41:29.72\00:41:31.02
so they went to the roof.
00:41:31.05\00:41:32.35
"They uncovered
the roof where he was,
00:41:32.39\00:41:33.69
and so when they
had broken through,
00:41:33.72\00:41:35.22
they let down the bed on
which the paralytic was lying.
00:41:35.26\00:41:38.43
And Jesus said, 'That's very
rude for you to interrupt the
00:41:38.46\00:41:41.30
sermon this way.'"
00:41:41.33\00:41:42.76
Talk about interruptions again,
00:41:42.80\00:41:44.30
wasn't this an interruption?
00:41:44.33\00:41:46.10
He's down in the house teaching.
00:41:46.13\00:41:48.57
It said, "When Jesus saw
their faith," he's pleased.
00:41:48.60\00:41:52.91
He says to the paralytic,
"Son, your sins are forgiven."
00:41:52.94\00:41:56.61
Now, if you're in
that room that day,
00:41:56.64\00:41:58.41
and you see these four friends
are bringing their paralyzed,
00:41:58.45\00:42:01.08
crippled friend on
a stretcher to Jesus,
00:42:01.12\00:42:03.18
and they pulled the
tiles back from the roof,
00:42:03.22\00:42:05.29
and they lower him down,
what would be your first thought
00:42:05.32\00:42:09.89
about what that man needed?
00:42:09.92\00:42:12.36
Well, Jesus is
known as a healer.
00:42:12.39\00:42:15.03
The man is paralyzed. His
friends bring him for healing.
00:42:15.06\00:42:19.43
But is that what Jesus does?
00:42:19.47\00:42:21.47
What's the first
thing Jesus deals with?
00:42:21.50\00:42:24.97
His sin, he has a
different kind of problem.
00:42:25.01\00:42:27.68
In the book "Desire of
Ages," there's an interesting
00:42:27.71\00:42:29.68
quote on this story.
00:42:29.71\00:42:31.08
It's page 267, "Jesus knew
the issue here was more than
00:42:31.11\00:42:36.12
physical.
00:42:36.15\00:42:37.89
Yet it was not physical
restoration he desired so much
00:42:37.92\00:42:40.92
as relief from
the burden of sin.
00:42:40.96\00:42:43.69
If he could see Jesus
and receive the assurance of
00:42:43.73\00:42:46.80
forgiveness and
peace with heaven,
00:42:46.83\00:42:48.76
he would have been
content to live or die according
00:42:48.80\00:42:50.90
to God's will."
00:42:50.93\00:42:52.23
This man was so crushed with
his guilt and shame that was
00:42:52.27\00:42:56.97
evidently
connected with the sin,
00:42:57.01\00:42:58.71
for him, the important
thing was spiritual healing.
00:42:58.74\00:43:02.18
Everyone else only
saw the physical problem.
00:43:02.21\00:43:04.01
The Lord looked beyond, and
he saw the internal problem.
00:43:04.05\00:43:07.65
Sunday night, you know,
we do a live radio program.
00:43:07.68\00:43:11.99
People call in.
00:43:12.02\00:43:13.79
We don't see their faces.
We just hear their voices.
00:43:13.82\00:43:17.43
I know Manjit and
some of you here help,
00:43:17.46\00:43:20.00
screeners for those calls.
00:43:20.03\00:43:21.86
We pray every program.
00:43:21.90\00:43:23.50
We kneel down in
the studio and we pray,
00:43:23.53\00:43:25.10
and we say, "Lord, we
want you to have the right
00:43:25.13\00:43:27.94
calls come through."
00:43:27.97\00:43:29.30
And then we pray for the gift
of discernment because there are
00:43:29.34\00:43:32.81
times when people are calling,
and they're asking a question.
00:43:32.84\00:43:36.98
And you know, they might be
asking a question about divorce.
00:43:37.01\00:43:40.98
And I'm always--you know, man,
you just always want to give
00:43:41.02\00:43:42.95
them an answer
and solve the problem.
00:43:42.98\00:43:44.29
And really I
ought to be thinking,
00:43:44.32\00:43:46.99
"Why are you asking?
00:43:47.02\00:43:48.32
Is there a marriage problem?"
00:43:48.36\00:43:51.09
Sometimes, the
person says, "Well,
00:43:51.13\00:43:52.46
a suicide, can they be saved?"
00:43:52.49\00:43:55.80
And I say, "Well, let
me show you the verses."
00:43:55.83\00:43:57.13
And then the
Holy Spirit will say,
00:43:57.17\00:43:59.40
"Are they thinking of suicide?"
00:43:59.43\00:44:01.50
And we have to--you know, you
can give a correct answer and
00:44:02.80\00:44:06.07
totally miss what
the inner question is.
00:44:06.11\00:44:09.11
And we're not Jesus.
Jesus could read hearts.
00:44:09.14\00:44:11.38
We'll talk more
about that in a minute,
00:44:11.41\00:44:12.71
but he can give us the Spirit.
00:44:12.75\00:44:15.38
And through the Holy Spirit,
you can have discernment into
00:44:15.42\00:44:18.09
people's lives
that will help you see,
00:44:18.12\00:44:20.76
what is the real
question on their heart?
00:44:20.79\00:44:24.29
And so, we pray for that because
you can only do that with God's
00:44:24.33\00:44:27.46
help to really know
what is the real need.
00:44:27.50\00:44:29.53
Otherwise, we'll look
on the outside and say,
00:44:29.56\00:44:30.97
"Oh, they're
paralyzed. They need healing."
00:44:31.00\00:44:33.27
And really they need healing
from guilt or shame or sin.
00:44:33.30\00:44:36.17
There's something on the inside.
00:44:36.20\00:44:39.81
And I'll give you some
other examples of that.
00:44:39.84\00:44:42.58
In a minute, somebody's
going to read for me John 2:24.
00:44:42.61\00:44:46.58
Teri, you'll have that?
00:44:46.61\00:44:48.65
I'm going to read for
you right now John 4:8.
00:44:48.68\00:44:51.02
No, John 4:18.
00:44:51.05\00:44:53.92
Remember the story of
the woman at the well?
00:44:53.96\00:44:55.42
And she's asking
Jesus theological questions.
00:44:55.46\00:45:01.30
And she wants to know, "What
mountain do we worship on?"
00:45:01.33\00:45:06.40
And Jesus says to her,
"Go call your husband."
00:45:06.43\00:45:11.41
Now, why did Jesus say that?
00:45:11.44\00:45:15.18
There's a reason she's
come to the well alone.
00:45:15.21\00:45:17.81
She's an outcast in her
community because she's had five
00:45:17.85\00:45:20.32
husbands, and she's living with
someone she's not married to.
00:45:20.35\00:45:23.12
She was morally considered
inferior to the others in the
00:45:23.15\00:45:26.09
town, and didn't have
too many friends going to
00:45:26.12\00:45:27.79
the well with her.
00:45:27.82\00:45:29.12
Usually, the women
went early in the morning.
00:45:29.16\00:45:31.03
They came together for safety.
00:45:31.06\00:45:32.36
This woman's going
at noon and by herself.
00:45:32.39\00:45:35.63
And Jesus said--he gets right to
the heart of it because he knows
00:45:35.66\00:45:38.53
what the inner problem
is, "Go call your husband.
00:45:38.57\00:45:41.27
You've had some
problems in your relationships.
00:45:41.30\00:45:44.54
And you're
struggling with guilt and sin."
00:45:44.57\00:45:47.48
And so, he gets
right to the heart of it.
00:45:47.51\00:45:50.15
How can God do that?
00:45:50.18\00:45:51.81
I'll read to you a
quote from Psalm 139.
00:45:51.85\00:45:55.32
This applies to all of
us, Psalm 139, verse 1.
00:45:55.35\00:45:58.39
"O Lord, you have
searched me and known me.
00:45:58.42\00:46:01.62
You know my sitting
down and my rising up.
00:46:01.66\00:46:04.03
You understand my
thoughts afar off.
00:46:04.06\00:46:07.36
You comprehend my
path and my lying down,
00:46:07.40\00:46:10.23
and you're
acquainted with all of my ways,
00:46:10.27\00:46:12.37
for there is not a word
on my tongue but behold,
00:46:12.40\00:46:14.74
O Lord, you know it altogether.
00:46:14.77\00:46:16.30
You've hedged me
behind and before.
00:46:16.34\00:46:18.87
You've laid your hand upon me.
00:46:18.91\00:46:20.88
Such knowledge is
too wonderful for me."
00:46:20.91\00:46:23.24
You remember when we
studied the book of Job,
00:46:23.28\00:46:24.78
and it talked about God hedging
in Job for his protection?
00:46:24.81\00:46:28.65
That's why David also says, "You
hedged me behind and before.
00:46:28.68\00:46:31.62
You've laid your hand upon me.
00:46:31.65\00:46:33.25
Such knowledge is
too wonderful for me.
00:46:33.29\00:46:35.09
How do you know all about me?
00:46:35.12\00:46:36.93
It's high, I can't obtain it.
00:46:36.96\00:46:38.63
Where can I go from your spirit?
00:46:38.66\00:46:40.16
Where can I flee
from your presence?
00:46:40.20\00:46:41.93
If I ascend into
heaven, you're there.
00:46:41.96\00:46:44.67
If I make my bed in
hell, behold, you're there.
00:46:44.70\00:46:46.94
If I take the wings of
the morning and dwell in the
00:46:46.97\00:46:49.17
uttermost parts of the sea, even
there your hand will lead me."
00:46:49.20\00:46:53.21
I was watching a news interview
yesterday about a mother whose
00:46:55.71\00:47:00.78
son was being recruited by
ISIS, and how her family was
00:47:00.82\00:47:04.62
devastated by it.
00:47:04.65\00:47:06.19
And the interviewer,
through a translator,
00:47:06.22\00:47:07.86
was asking her about it.
00:47:07.89\00:47:09.59
And she said, "I wish I
could fly away from all of this
00:47:09.62\00:47:13.70
violence and all
that's happened to us."
00:47:13.73\00:47:16.70
But where in the
world could you fly?
00:47:16.73\00:47:19.47
You look at what's happening
in the politics in our country,
00:47:19.50\00:47:21.77
and I sometimes think, man, I
wonder where I can--what other
00:47:21.80\00:47:27.61
country I could go to.
00:47:27.64\00:47:29.64
I just wonder, am I the
only one who's thought that?
00:47:31.05\00:47:32.81
And things are such a mess,
but where are you going to go?
00:47:32.85\00:47:38.99
And sometimes, we wish we
could fly away from ourselves.
00:47:39.02\00:47:42.72
But you can't
because God is there.
00:47:42.76\00:47:44.53
You take yourself
with you wherever you go.
00:47:44.56\00:47:47.30
I found that I used to run away,
thinking that the world was all
00:47:47.36\00:47:49.80
bad, but I was trying
to run away from myself.
00:47:49.83\00:47:51.50
"It's as if I'd take the wings
of the morning and dwell in the
00:47:51.53\00:47:56.07
uttermost parts of the
sea," some remote island.
00:47:56.10\00:47:58.74
"Even there, your
hand shall lead me,
00:47:58.77\00:48:00.64
your right hand shall hold me.
00:48:00.68\00:48:02.54
If I say, 'Surely the darkness
shall fall on me,' even the
00:48:02.58\00:48:05.71
night is light about me."
00:48:05.75\00:48:07.05
God sees even in the dark.
00:48:07.08\00:48:08.68
"Indeed, the darkness
shall not hide from you.
00:48:08.72\00:48:10.65
Behold, the night
shines as the day.
00:48:10.69\00:48:12.55
The darkness and the
light are both alike to you.
00:48:12.59\00:48:14.86
For you formed my
inward parts, you covered me
00:48:14.89\00:48:17.96
in my mother's womb."
00:48:17.99\00:48:19.53
David is saying, "You
know everything about me."
00:48:19.56\00:48:22.13
Does God know
everything in our hearts?
00:48:22.16\00:48:25.03
Does the devil know
what you're thinking?
00:48:25.07\00:48:27.24
No.
00:48:27.27\00:48:30.01
And I'll get to
that in just a minute.
00:48:30.04\00:48:31.34
Go ahead, Teri, read
John 2:24 and 25, please.
00:48:31.37\00:48:35.24
Teri: "But Jesus did not
commit himself to them because
00:48:35.28\00:48:38.18
he knew all men, and had no need
that anyone should testify of
00:48:38.21\00:48:42.45
man, for he knew
what was in man."
00:48:42.48\00:48:45.95
Doug: You know, one of
the definitions of God,
00:48:45.99\00:48:48.79
God Jehovah, is, of
course, God created the heaven
00:48:48.82\00:48:53.09
and the earth.
00:48:53.13\00:48:54.46
Did Jesus create the
heaven and the earth?
00:48:54.50\00:48:57.70
All things that were
made were made by him.
00:48:57.73\00:48:59.83
The Bible says there
is one Savior, Jehovah.
00:48:59.87\00:49:03.07
Is Jesus our Savior?
00:49:03.10\00:49:05.51
I just want you to think
about something for a minute.
00:49:05.54\00:49:07.34
The Bible says that God
and God only can forgive sin,
00:49:07.38\00:49:11.98
Mark chapter 2.
00:49:12.01\00:49:13.75
Can Jesus forgive sin?
00:49:13.78\00:49:16.25
And one of the
other definitions of God,
00:49:16.28\00:49:17.65
it says God Jehovah only knows
the thoughts of men's hearts.
00:49:17.69\00:49:21.26
And that, by the
way, that's 1 Kings 8:38.
00:49:21.29\00:49:23.79
Solomon in his
dedication prayer says,
00:49:23.83\00:49:26.53
"You hear from
heaven, your dwelling place.
00:49:26.56\00:49:28.93
Forgive their sin, and act and
give to everyone according to
00:49:28.96\00:49:32.20
his ways, whose
heart you know, for you,
00:49:32.23\00:49:35.14
you alone know the
hearts of all the sons of men."
00:49:35.17\00:49:39.04
Only God knows your heart.
00:49:39.07\00:49:41.58
So, does that mean you
should only pray in your heart?
00:49:41.61\00:49:44.68
It's good to pray out loud
sometimes because the devil gets
00:49:44.71\00:49:46.82
scared when you pray.
00:49:46.85\00:49:48.68
Did Jesus pray out loud?
00:49:48.72\00:49:50.89
How else would you have John
17 if the disciples didn't hear
00:49:50.92\00:49:52.99
what he was praying?
00:49:53.02\00:49:54.39
So, there's nothing
wrong with praying out loud,
00:49:54.42\00:49:55.86
just don't do
it for a spectacle.
00:49:55.89\00:49:57.19
But God only
knows the hearts of men.
00:49:57.23\00:49:59.56
All right, we're going to
talk about Dorcas in Joppa.
00:49:59.59\00:50:02.23
Go to Acts chapter 9.
00:50:02.26\00:50:04.83
And it says, "At Joppa, there
was a certain disciple named
00:50:04.87\00:50:07.90
Tabitha, which is
translated Dorcas.
00:50:07.94\00:50:10.81
This woman was full of
good works and charitable deeds.
00:50:10.84\00:50:15.14
But it happened
that in those days,
00:50:15.18\00:50:16.81
she became sick and she died.
00:50:16.85\00:50:19.38
And when they had washed
her," had washed her body.
00:50:19.41\00:50:21.98
They knew she was dead.
00:50:22.02\00:50:23.82
They washed her, wrapped her up,
they put her in an upper room.
00:50:23.85\00:50:26.49
And some of the disciples
from Joppa came to Peter,
00:50:26.52\00:50:30.49
and I think he was
at Caesarea at the time,
00:50:30.53\00:50:32.53
and they said,
"Please come, hurry."
00:50:32.56\00:50:34.93
This woman was such a saint.
00:50:34.93\00:50:37.90
And so, Peter goes.
00:50:37.93\00:50:40.14
They lay her in an upper room.
00:50:40.17\00:50:41.57
It's amazing how often in an
upper room God performs these
00:50:41.60\00:50:43.87
miracles.
00:50:43.91\00:50:45.91
And they're
basically asking Peter,
00:50:45.94\00:50:48.54
they said, "Do something
wonderful for this woman."
00:50:48.58\00:50:50.58
All of
them--Peter gets to the house,
00:50:50.61\00:50:51.91
and all the widows are there,
and all the women are there,
00:50:51.95\00:50:54.02
and they're saying,
"You see this shawl?
00:50:54.05\00:50:55.85
You see this
robe? You see this coat?
00:50:55.88\00:50:57.65
Dorcas made it, for
she was so wonderful,
00:50:57.69\00:51:00.29
and she's always weaving
and cooking and doing things for
00:51:00.32\00:51:03.59
person--this person
was full of good works."
00:51:03.63\00:51:06.43
And basically
they said, "You know,
00:51:06.46\00:51:09.16
anything you can
do to bring her back,
00:51:09.20\00:51:10.57
we really need her."
00:51:10.60\00:51:13.74
Now, if you should die,
would the church pray for a
00:51:13.77\00:51:17.67
resurrection?
00:51:17.71\00:51:19.37
Are you such a blessing to the
church that they would weep and
00:51:19.41\00:51:25.65
cry and call an apostle to come
and see if he could pump new
00:51:25.68\00:51:28.92
life into you, or
pray new life into you?
00:51:28.95\00:51:32.15
Or would they say,
"Well, too bad they're gone"?
00:51:32.19\00:51:34.72
You know what else that means?
00:51:34.76\00:51:38.89
Now, does Peter pray?
00:51:38.93\00:51:41.06
He prays in the upper room.
00:51:41.10\00:51:42.46
Does Dorcas come back to life?
00:51:42.50\00:51:44.87
She does, she's resurrected.
00:51:44.90\00:51:47.50
You know what
else that tells me?
00:51:47.54\00:51:48.87
God did answer the
prayers, God does raise her up.
00:51:48.90\00:51:51.51
If you make yourself useful
for God in good works--the Bible
00:51:51.54\00:51:55.68
says this woman
was full of good works.
00:51:55.71\00:51:57.08
We're not saved by good works,
but don't you all like to have
00:51:57.11\00:51:59.71
members that are
full of good works
00:51:59.75\00:52:02.15
that are a blessing to others?
00:52:02.18\00:52:03.49
She was always
serving and helping others.
00:52:03.52\00:52:06.39
Do you know what
this story tells us?
00:52:06.42\00:52:08.26
God is more inclined to keep
you around if you make yourself
00:52:08.29\00:52:12.09
useful.
00:52:12.13\00:52:14.56
I remember hearing a pastor
years ago at a camp meeting say,
00:52:14.56\00:52:21.77
"If you can stay busy for God,
you give God an excuse to keep
00:52:21.80\00:52:25.27
you alive."
00:52:25.31\00:52:27.84
And you know, that stuck
with me because I thought,
00:52:27.88\00:52:29.51
"Well, that makes sense.
Actually, it's practical."
00:52:29.54\00:52:32.38
But if you say,
"I'm retired now, Lord.
00:52:32.41\00:52:34.78
I'm expecting to enjoy
30 years of doing nothing
00:52:34.82\00:52:36.95
and having a good time,"
00:52:36.99\00:52:39.42
God might say, "Well, look,
if you're not doing anything,
00:52:39.45\00:52:40.76
then I may as
well put you to sleep."
00:52:40.79\00:52:42.36
It's more economical.
00:52:42.39\00:52:44.33
So, just the very fact
that God raised up Dorcas,
00:52:44.36\00:52:47.93
and she was full of good
works, is a lesson for us, amen?
00:52:47.96\00:52:53.17
Go ahead, somebody's
going to read for me John 13,
00:52:53.20\00:52:57.17
verse 34 and 35, and
we'll talk about that.
00:52:57.21\00:53:02.51
Go ahead.
00:53:02.54\00:53:04.31
male: John 13:34 and 35, "A
new commandment I give to you,
00:53:04.35\00:53:09.58
that you love one
another as I have loved you,
00:53:09.62\00:53:12.65
that you also love one another.
00:53:12.69\00:53:14.39
By this all will know
that you are my disciples,
00:53:14.42\00:53:17.56
if you have love
for one another."
00:53:17.59\00:53:19.23
Doug: This is what
Dorcas did for the church.
00:53:19.26\00:53:21.80
She loved
everybody, and they loved her.
00:53:21.83\00:53:24.60
John 15:12, "This
is my commandment,
00:53:24.63\00:53:27.27
that you love one
another as I have loved you.
00:53:27.30\00:53:29.80
Greater love has
no one than this,
00:53:29.84\00:53:31.91
that you lay down your
life for your friends."
00:53:31.94\00:53:34.91
And that also ties
into the last section,
00:53:34.94\00:53:36.78
which we don't have time for,
which is the church at work.
00:53:36.81\00:53:39.55
"Commit your way to the Lord,
00:53:39.58\00:53:40.88
and your plans
will be established."
00:53:40.92\00:53:42.62
We need to be
busy working for God.
00:53:42.65\00:53:44.29
Before we sign off, friends,
I do want to remind those who
00:53:44.32\00:53:46.69
maybe did not hear earlier
the free offer we'd like to make
00:53:46.72\00:53:49.82
available for you today
is "12 Steps to Revival"
00:53:49.86\00:53:52.86
by yours truly.
00:53:52.89\00:53:54.20
Went through the Bible
and looked at different
00:53:54.20\00:53:55.86
examples of revival.
00:53:55.90\00:53:57.57
And it talks about
things like prayer,
00:53:57.60\00:53:59.33
study the Word,
sharing your faith,
00:53:59.37\00:54:01.40
things that you can do to
experience revival in your life.
00:54:01.44\00:54:03.87
We'll send this to you free.
00:54:03.91\00:54:05.77
Ask for offer number
780, and call the number...
00:54:05.81\00:54:11.98
we'll send it to you for free.
00:54:12.01\00:54:13.31
Please read it, and
share it with a friend.
00:54:13.35\00:54:15.55
God bless you, and we'll study
his Word together again next
00:54:15.58\00:54:18.32
week.
00:54:18.35\00:54:19.75
[music]
00:54:19.79\00:54:30.33
Doug: Have you ever
heard a mouse howl like a
00:54:30.37\00:54:32.07
wolf?
00:54:32.10\00:54:34.20
Well, what would you expect
would happen when a creature
00:54:34.24\00:54:36.67
changes its destiny from the
hapless prey to mighty predator?
00:54:36.71\00:54:41.04
From the outside, they look
very much like just an oversized
00:54:41.08\00:54:44.38
field mouse.
00:54:44.41\00:54:46.01
Cute brown fur,
white on the underbelly,
00:54:46.05\00:54:48.08
nice little beady eyes.
00:54:48.12\00:54:50.05
But that's where
the similarities stop.
00:54:50.09\00:54:52.35
Grasshopper mice
are very unusual,
00:54:52.39\00:54:54.62
making them the objects of great
interest for animal researchers.
00:54:54.66\00:54:58.29
These furry little creatures are
found in the harsh deserts of
00:54:58.33\00:55:02.93
North America.
00:55:02.96\00:55:04.37
They're very
territorial in nature,
00:55:04.40\00:55:06.07
and they will monopolize
and fend off 25 acres.
00:55:06.10\00:55:09.57
They don't
build their own homes,
00:55:09.60\00:55:11.11
but sort of confiscate the
burrows and the homes of other
00:55:11.14\00:55:13.64
creatures.
00:55:13.68\00:55:15.44
They're not called grasshopper
mice because they hop around,
00:55:15.48\00:55:18.01
but it's because they
eat a lot of grasshoppers.
00:55:18.05\00:55:20.55
In fact, scientists have
discovered grasshopper mice are
00:55:20.58\00:55:23.22
the only mice that
are purely carnivorous.
00:55:23.25\00:55:26.09
They hunt much
like cats or weasels,
00:55:26.12\00:55:29.66
stalking their pray
in a predatory fashion.
00:55:29.69\00:55:32.46
And when they
pounce, they are ferocious,
00:55:32.49\00:55:34.96
sometimes even taking on snakes
and scorpions and centipedes.
00:55:35.00\00:55:40.17
When a grasshopper mouse
gets into a fierce battle with a
00:55:40.20\00:55:42.84
snake or a
scorpion or centipede,
00:55:42.87\00:55:45.04
they may be bit or
stung several times.
00:55:45.07\00:55:47.31
But what is amazing to
researchers is they've noticed
00:55:47.34\00:55:50.85
when they are bitten, they
somehow shake it off because
00:55:50.88\00:55:54.35
they convert the toxin
in the venom to painkiller.
00:55:54.38\00:55:58.99
I think you can understand
why this information would be of
00:55:59.02\00:56:01.66
special interest to scientists
that are trying to discover new
00:56:01.69\00:56:05.13
ways for people to
deal with chronic pain.
00:56:05.16\00:56:09.10
One of the most intriguing
characteristics of these little
00:56:09.13\00:56:11.77
creatures is when they're
defending their territory or
00:56:11.80\00:56:14.97
celebrating a
victory over some adversary,
00:56:15.00\00:56:17.67
they'll throw back their head
and let out this earthshaking
00:56:17.71\00:56:21.61
howl.
00:56:21.64\00:56:23.31
That's a mousy
howl. Check it out.
00:56:23.35\00:56:25.88
[mouse howling]
00:56:25.91\00:56:31.79
Doug: The grasshopper
mouse is not the only member of
00:56:31.82\00:56:34.06
creation that can
survive encounters with
00:56:34.09\00:56:36.49
venomous predators.
00:56:36.52\00:56:38.03
In Luke 10:19, it says, "Behold,
I will give you authority to
00:56:38.06\00:56:42.63
trample on serpents and
scorpions and over all the power
00:56:42.66\00:56:46.17
of the enemy.
00:56:46.20\00:56:47.50
Nothing will by
any means hurt you."
00:56:47.54\00:56:50.27
We don't have to be the biggest
and the strongest to defeat our
00:56:50.31\00:56:52.91
enemy and let out
that victory roar.
00:56:52.94\00:56:55.48
When God called
David to be king,
00:56:55.51\00:56:57.58
no human would have
guessed that he had it in him.
00:56:57.61\00:57:00.08
He was young and insignificant.
00:57:00.12\00:57:02.02
From the outside, he looked like
there was no greatness in him.
00:57:02.05\00:57:05.02
But when God
looked at his heart,
00:57:05.05\00:57:07.32
he saw courage,
humility, compassion,
00:57:07.36\00:57:09.46
and love.
00:57:09.49\00:57:10.86
David wasn't
perfect, and he made mistakes.
00:57:10.89\00:57:12.66
But through God's power,
he was able to conquer giants.
00:57:12.69\00:57:17.63
Friend, God does not intend that
you live out the rest of your
00:57:17.67\00:57:20.24
life cowering and trembling
like a little field mouse.
00:57:20.27\00:57:23.67
If God can take the grasshopper
mouse and give him courage so
00:57:23.71\00:57:26.91
that he fights snakes
and scorpions and centipedes,
00:57:26.94\00:57:30.35
if God can put in the heart
of David the courage to fight
00:57:30.38\00:57:33.21
giants like Goliath, then he
can give you that same courage.
00:57:33.25\00:57:37.35
The Scriptures say God has not
given you the spirit of fear,
00:57:37.39\00:57:41.06
but of power,
love, and a sound mind.
00:57:41.09\00:57:44.49
And you can have that peace in
your heart when you invite the
00:57:44.53\00:57:47.20
Prince of Peace in your heart.
00:57:47.23\00:57:48.83
Why don't you do that right now?
00:57:48.86\00:57:50.20
[music]
00:57:50.23\00:57:59.81
male announcer: For
life-changing Christian
00:57:59.84\00:58:01.31
resources,
visit afbookstore.com,
00:58:01.34\00:58:04.28
or call...
00:58:04.31\00:58:09.35
[music]
00:58:09.38\00:58:19.43
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