(MUSIC) 00:00:00.46\00:00:35.46 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:00:35.46\00:00:38.27 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS JOINING US ACROSS THE 00:00:38.27\00:00:40.24 COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR OUR BIBLE STUDY TIME TODAY. 00:00:40.24\00:00:44.57 ALSO, A WARM WELCOME TO OUR MEMBERS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY 00:00:44.57\00:00:47.34 CHURCH AND THOSE WHO ARE VISITING US FROM ALL OVER THE 00:00:47.34\00:00:50.25 COUNTRY. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME INTERNATIONAL VISITORS THIS 00:00:50.25\00:00:53.11 MORNING; A VERY WARM WELCOME TO YOU AS WELL. 00:00:53.11\00:00:56.22 WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING, THROUGH OUR LESSON QUARTERLY, DEALING 00:00:56.22\00:00:58.35 WITH THE BOOK OF JOB AND TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #5 00:00:58.35\00:01:02.12 ENTITLED CURSE THE DAY - INTERESTING STUDY AS WE LOOK AT 00:01:02.12\00:01:05.86 THE VARIOUS ASPECTS ILLUSTRATED IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT BOOK IN 00:01:05.86\00:01:09.73 THE OLD TESTAMENT. 00:01:09.73\00:01:11.07 NOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF TODAY'S LESSON - THAT'S LESSON 00:01:11.07\00:01:13.74 #5 FOR OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US. 00:01:13.74\00:01:15.90 YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG 00:01:15.90\00:01:20.21 - AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD LESSON #5 AND STUDY ALONG WITH US. 00:01:20.21\00:01:24.61 WE'LL BE GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO 00:01:24.61\00:01:27.82 FILL IN THE ANSWERS AS YOU STUDY ALONG. 00:01:27.82\00:01:30.39 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY. 00:01:30.39\00:01:33.92 IT'S A DVD ENTITLED COSMIC CONFLICT AND THIS IS OUR FREE 00:01:33.92\00:01:37.59 OFFER TODAY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE IT, 00:01:37.59\00:01:39.73 GIVE US A CALL ON OUR RESOURCE PHONE NUMBER. 00:01:39.73\00:01:41.93 THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #809. 00:01:41.93\00:01:50.41 THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966. 00:01:50.41\00:01:54.44 ASK FOR OFFER #809 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THE COSMIC 00:01:54.44\00:01:58.85 CONFLICT AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. 00:01:58.85\00:02:02.02 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO 00:02:02.02\00:02:04.52 BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN PRAISE. 00:02:04.52\00:02:06.76 I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME JOIN ME AND 00:02:06.76\00:02:08.99 THEY'LL LEAD US IN A FEW HYMNS THIS MORNING. 00:02:08.99\00:02:12.59 (PIANO MUSIC) >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 00:02:12.59\00:02:19.30 WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE AND SING SONGS WITH YOU AND THOSE OF 00:02:19.30\00:02:22.60 YOU WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US, YOU'RE READY TO SING - 00:02:22.60\00:02:26.07 I KNOW YOU ARE. AND I KNOW THOSE OF YOU AT HOME DEFINITELY ARE 00:02:26.07\00:02:29.11 BECAUSE YOU LOVE SINGING YOUR HYMNS WITH US HERE AT GRANITE 00:02:29.11\00:02:32.41 BAY AND WE LOVE SINGING WITH YOU. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH 00:02:32.41\00:02:35.68 ONE OF THE FAVORITES THAT I KNOW IS ALL AROUND THE WORLD - 00:02:35.68\00:02:40.32 BECAUSE HE LIVES - AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THE HOPEFUL MESSAGE 00:02:40.32\00:02:43.69 OF THIS SONG WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH DEPRESSING NEWS, THIS IS 00:02:43.69\00:02:48.83 TRULY A - THE PERFECT SONG TO SING BECAUSE - BECAUSE HE LIVES 00:02:48.83\00:02:53.77 I CAN FACE TOMORROW. JOIN WITH US - #526 - #526 - BOTH STANZAS. 00:02:53.77\00:03:00.88 (PIANO MUSIC) >>GOD SENT HIS SON, THEY CALLED 00:03:00.88\00:03:29.84 HIM JESUS, HE CAME TO LOVE, HEAL, AND FORGIVE; HE LIVED AND 00:03:29.84\00:03:43.39 DIED TO BUY MY PARDON, AN EMPTY GRAVE IS THERE TO PROVE MY 00:03:43.39\00:03:55.26 SAVIOR LIVES. BECAUSE HE LIVES I CAN FACE 00:03:55.26\00:04:04.67 TOMORROW, BECAUSE HE LIVES ALL FEAR IS GONE; BECAUSE I 00:04:04.67\00:04:17.35 KNOW HE HOLDS THE FUTURE. ALL LIFE IS WORTH THE LIVING 00:04:17.35\00:04:28.80 JUST BECAUSE HE LIVES. HOW SWEET TO HOLD A NEWBORN 00:04:28.80\00:04:40.28 BABY, AND FEEL THE PRIDE, AND JOY HE GIVES; BUT GREATER STILL 00:04:40.28\00:04:55.36 THE CALM ASSURANCE, THIS CHILD CAN FACE UNCERTAIN 00:04:55.36\00:05:03.67 DAYS BECAUSE HE LIVES. BECAUSE HE LIVES I CAN FACE 00:05:03.67\00:05:14.14 TOMORROW, BECAUSE HE LIVES ALL FEAR IS GONE; BECAUSE I 00:05:14.14\00:05:26.92 KNOW HE HOLDS THE FUTURE. AND LIFE IS WORTH THE LIVING 00:05:26.92\00:05:38.87 JUST BECAUSE HE LIVES. >>AMEN. 00:05:38.87\00:05:48.54 IN KEEPING WITH OUR FAITH AND TRUST SONGS, MY FAITH HAS FOUND 00:05:48.54\00:05:53.28 A RESTING PLACE - #523 - JUST A COUPLE PAGES THE OTHER 00:05:53.28\00:05:56.99 DIRECTION. WE'RE GOING TO SING THE FIRST, 00:05:56.99\00:05:59.55 SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS - #523. (PIANO MUSIC) 00:05:59.55\00:06:12.53 >>MY FAITH HAS FOUND A RESTING PLACE, NOT IN A MAN-MADE CREED; 00:06:12.53\00:06:20.84 I TRUST THE EVER LIVING ONE, THAT HE FOR ME WILL PLEAD. 00:06:20.84\00:06:28.75 I NEED NO OTHER EVIDENCE, I NEED NO OTHER PLEA; IT IS ENOUGH THAT 00:06:28.75\00:06:39.39 JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR ME. 00:06:39.39\00:06:45.63 ENOUGH FOR ME THAT JESUS SAVES, THIS ENDS MY FEAR AND DOUBT; A 00:06:45.63\00:06:53.91 SINFUL SOUL I COME TO HIM, HE WILL NOT CAST ME OUT. 00:06:53.91\00:07:01.05 I NEED NO OTHER EVIDENCE, I NEED NO OTHER PLEA; IT IS ENOUGH THAT 00:07:01.05\00:07:11.79 JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR ME. 00:07:11.79\00:07:18.13 THE GREAT PHYSICIAN HEALS THE SICK, THE LOST HE CAME TO SAVE; 00:07:18.13\00:07:26.24 FOR ME HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD HE SHED, FOR ME HIS LIFE HE GAVE. 00:07:26.24\00:07:34.05 I NEED NO OTHER EVIDENCE, I NEED NO OTHER PLEA; IT IS ENOUGH THAT 00:07:34.05\00:07:44.69 JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR ME. 00:07:44.69\00:07:55.30 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING WITH US FOR OUR SONGS. 00:07:55.30\00:07:57.87 WE LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING WITH YOU ONE DAY ON THE STREETS OF 00:07:57.87\00:08:01.54 GOLD WHERE WE CAN SING MORE OF OUR FAVORITE SONGS TOGETHER AS 00:08:01.54\00:08:05.45 OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD. AT THIS TIME, PASTOR JËAN 00:08:05.45\00:08:09.55 ROSS WILL BE HAVING OUR OPENING PRAYER FOR US. 00:08:09.55\00:08:16.99 >>LET US BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 00:08:16.99\00:08:18.96 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS FOR US TO BE 00:08:18.96\00:08:21.43 ABLE TO LIFT OUR VOICES IN PRAISE TO YOU FOR THE MANY 00:08:21.43\00:08:24.53 BLESSINGS THAT YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON ALL OF US. 00:08:24.53\00:08:26.74 AND NOW, AS WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO OUR STUDY THIS 00:08:26.74\00:08:28.94 MORNING, I WANT TO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR 00:08:28.94\00:08:31.11 HEARTS AND OUR MINDS - LEAD US INTO A CLEARER AND FULLER 00:08:31.11\00:08:34.28 UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR WORD AND THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WANT US TO 00:08:34.28\00:08:38.15 LEARN, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 00:08:38.15\00:08:42.38 OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY THE 00:08:42.38\00:08:44.62 DIRECTOR OF THE AFCOE PROGRAM. 00:08:44.62\00:08:47.09 AFCOE IS THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM. 00:08:47.09\00:08:50.69 HE'S A MEMBER RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. 00:08:50.69\00:08:53.09 SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE CHUCK TO COME JOIN ME AND CHUCK WILL BE 00:08:53.09\00:08:56.53 BRINGING US OUR LESSON AT THIS TIME. 00:08:56.53\00:09:02.70 >>GOOD MORNING. >>GOOD MORNING. 00:09:02.70\00:09:04.61 >>HAPPY SABBATH. >>HAPPY SABBATH. 00:09:04.61\00:09:06.44 >>I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING. 00:09:06.44\00:09:09.74 I JUST WANT TO WELCOME EACH ONE OF YOU HERE AT GRANITE BAY. 00:09:09.74\00:09:14.72 AND ALSO, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OTHERS WHO ARE PROBABLY WATCHING 00:09:14.72\00:09:17.09 AND I WANT TO WELCOME EACH ONE OF YOU TO OUR STUDY THIS 00:09:17.09\00:09:19.82 MORNING. WHO IS THE WRITER OF JOB? 00:09:19.82\00:09:25.49 >>MOSES. >>MOSES WAS THE WRITER OF JOB. 00:09:25.49\00:09:27.93 SO WHEN DID MOSES WRITE JOB? >>IN THE WILDERNESS. 00:09:27.93\00:09:33.13 >>IN THE WILDERNESS. THAT'S RIGHT. WHAT TIME IN THE 00:09:33.13\00:09:34.84 WILDERNESS? WAS IT AFTER THE EXODUS OR BEFORE THE EXODUS? 00:09:34.84\00:09:37.67 >>BEFORE. >>IT'S BEFORE THE EXODUS. 00:09:37.67\00:09:39.41 WAS IT - SO HE WOULD HAVE JUST FLED FOR HIS LIFE FROM EGYPT AND 00:09:39.41\00:09:45.58 NOW HE'S IN THE WILDERNESS - INTERESTING. 00:09:45.58\00:09:51.35 WOULD HE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A - A BIG REVERSE 00:09:51.35\00:09:55.79 IN HIS LIFE? I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT. 00:09:55.79\00:09:57.93 HE WAS THE DARLING CHILD OF THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE. 00:09:57.93\00:10:03.63 HE WAS THE HERO OF THEIR ARMY. HE WAS THE GENERAL BAR NONE. 00:10:03.63\00:10:09.54 YOU READ ABOUT STEPHEN COMMENTED ON IN ACTS CHAPTER 7, WHEN 00:10:09.54\00:10:13.58 HE GIVES HIS DEFENSE BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN. 00:10:13.58\00:10:15.54 IT'S INTERESTING, HE WAS UNSURPASSED IN HIS WISDOM, 00:10:15.54\00:10:19.78 UNSURPASSED IN HIS KNOWLEDGE. 00:10:19.78\00:10:21.25 HE WAS A BRILLIANT MAN - TOP OF THE LADDER. 00:10:21.25\00:10:24.02 AND NOW HE GOES FROM THE TOP OF THE LADDER TO NOW BEING THE TOP 00:10:24.02\00:10:28.02 OF THE MOST WANTED LIST FOR THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE. 00:10:28.02\00:10:31.99 WHAT A REVERSE. BUT THEN GOD SENDS HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO IMPRESS 00:10:31.99\00:10:36.26 HIM TO WRITE A BOOK - A BOOK ABOUT ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD A HUGE 00:10:36.26\00:10:41.17 REVERSE IN HIS LIFE. I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO THIS 00:10:41.17\00:10:43.81 AT THE END OF OUR LESSON, BUT I WANTED TO GET US STARTED 00:10:43.81\00:10:45.64 WITH THINKING, 'WHAT ARE SOME REVERSES? 00:10:45.64\00:10:47.74 WHAT ARE SOME BIBLE CHARACTERS THAT HAVE HAD HUGE REVERSES IN 00:10:47.74\00:10:50.58 THEIR LIVES?' THEY WENT FROM BEING HERE TO BEING HERE. 00:10:50.58\00:10:54.68 FROM HAVING EVERYTHING TO MAYBE HAVING NOTHING. 00:10:54.68\00:10:58.12 WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT THROUGH THE EYES OF JOB AND 00:10:58.12\00:11:01.82 THEN LOOK AT SOME OTHER BIBLE CHARACTERS AS WE CLOSE UP OUR 00:11:01.82\00:11:03.66 LESSON. NOW, LAST WEEK, WE LOOKED AT THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, 00:11:03.66\00:11:09.30 IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY. THIS WEEK, THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. 00:11:09.30\00:11:15.10 IF YOU DON'T MIND TURNING WITH ME TO JOB CHAPTER 3. 00:11:15.10\00:11:18.97 BEFORE WE START IN JOB 3, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT A FEW PORTIONS 00:11:18.97\00:11:23.08 JUST PRECEDING IT. THE LAST VERSE WE LOOKED AT 00:11:23.08\00:11:29.68 IN OUR LAST STUDY WAS JOB'S RESPONSE TO HIS WIFE. 00:11:29.68\00:11:35.79 IT SAYS, "IN ALL THIS DID NOT JOB SIN WITH HIS LIPS." 00:11:35.79\00:11:39.66 NOW LOOK AT VERSE 11, "NOW WHEN JOB'S THREE FRIENDS HEARD OF ALL 00:11:39.66\00:11:43.23 THIS EVIL THAT WAS COME UPON HIM, THEY CAME EVERY ONE FROM 00:11:43.23\00:11:46.94 HIS OWN PLACE;" - SO NOW HE HAS THREE FRIENDS COMING TO JOIN 00:11:46.94\00:11:50.47 HIM. THIS IS JOB - EXCUSE ME - 00:11:50.47\00:11:52.31 JOB CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 11. YOU HAVE ELIPHAZ, BILDAD, 00:11:52.31\00:11:57.45 ZOPHAR - "FOR THEY HAD MADE AN APPOINTMENT TOGETHER TO COME TO 00:11:57.45\00:12:00.35 MOURN WITH HIM AND TO COMFORT HIM." 00:12:00.35\00:12:04.59 IT SAYS IN VERSE 12, "AND WHEN THEY LIFTED UP THEIR EYES AFAR 00:12:04.59\00:12:07.16 OFF, AND KNEW HIM NOT, THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE, AND WEPT; 00:12:07.16\00:12:10.93 AND THEY RENT EVERY ONE HIS MANTLE, AND SPRINKLED DUST UPON 00:12:10.93\00:12:14.00 THEIR HEADS TOWARD HEAVEN." - A SIGN OF EXTREME MOURNING. 00:12:14.00\00:12:19.10 THEY SEE JOB, THEY WALK UP TO WHERE JOB IS AT, THEY REND THEIR 00:12:19.10\00:12:23.61 OWN GARMENTS, THEY PUT - THROW DUST UP IN THE AIR - LANDS ON 00:12:23.61\00:12:26.21 TOP OF THEM. THEY'RE JUST FEELING TERRIBLE. 00:12:26.21\00:12:28.74 THEN IT SAYS THIS IN VERSE 13, "SO THEY SAT DOWN WITH HIM UPON 00:12:28.74\00:12:33.05 THE GROUND" - HOW LONG? >>SEVEN DAYS. 00:12:33.05\00:12:35.52 >>SEVEN DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS, AND NONE" - DID WHAT? 00:12:35.52\00:12:41.29 - "NONE SPAKE A WORD UNTO HIM:" - QUITE FRANKLY, I HEARD ONE 00:12:41.29\00:12:46.39 COMMENTATOR SAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THEY HAD JUST 00:12:46.39\00:12:48.13 KEPT THAT POSITION FOR THE REST OF THEIR TIME - QUIET. 00:12:48.13\00:12:51.57 UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T. - "NONE SPAKE A WORD UNTO HIM: 00:12:51.57\00:12:55.00 FOR THEY SAW THAT HIS GRIEF WAS VERY GREAT." 00:12:55.00\00:12:57.24 DO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON WHO'S GOING THROUGH A 00:12:57.24\00:12:58.47 REALLY DIFFICULT TIME - AND I THINK WE'VE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED 00:12:58.47\00:13:00.24 THIS IN A SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON NOT TOO DISTANT PAST - SOMETIMES 00:13:00.24\00:13:03.41 THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS JUST TO BE THERE, RIGHT? 00:13:03.41\00:13:05.95 JUST TO BE THERE. AND THAT'S WHAT HIS FRIENDS ARE 00:13:05.95\00:13:07.42 DOING, THEY'RE SITTING THERE JUST SITTING NEXT TO HIM, GOING 00:13:07.42\00:13:11.09 THROUGH HIS PAIN WITH HIM. AND THEN, WHAT OUR FOCUS IS, 00:13:11.09\00:13:16.99 IS CHAPTER 3, CHAPTER 6, AND CHAPTER 7. 00:13:16.99\00:13:20.43 THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PLACES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY. 00:13:20.43\00:13:22.26 CHAPTER 3 IS JOB'S INITIAL - SOME PEOPLE CALL IT - LAMENT. 00:13:22.26\00:13:27.00 HIS INITIAL CRY OF FRUSTRATION. AND THEN YOU HAVE ELIPHAZ SAID 00:13:27.00\00:13:32.67 SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS TO HIM. 00:13:32.67\00:13:35.01 WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT THAT. THAT'S GOING TO BE LOOKED AT 00:13:35.01\00:13:36.51 NEXT WEEK, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT JOB'S RESPONSE TO HIM 00:13:36.51\00:13:39.45 IN CHAPTER 6 AND CHAPTER 7. SO LET'S LOOK AT CHAPTER 3. 00:13:39.45\00:13:42.58 THIS IS THE INITIAL RESPONSE OF JOAB - JOB: "AND JOB SPAKE, AND 00:13:42.58\00:13:49.59 SAID," - VERSE 3 - "LET THE DAY PERISH WHEREIN I WAS BORN, AND 00:13:49.59\00:13:55.53 THE NIGHT IN WHICH IT WAS SAID, 'THERE IS A MAN CHILD 00:13:55.53\00:13:58.57 CONCEIVED.' LET THAT DAY BE DARKNESS; LET NOT GOD REGARD IT 00:13:58.57\00:14:03.04 FROM ABOVE, NEITHER LET THE LIGHT SHINE UPON IT. 00:14:03.04\00:14:05.51 LET DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH STAIN IT; LET A CLOUD 00:14:05.51\00:14:09.58 DWELL UPON IT; LET THE BLACKNESS OF THE DAY TERRIFY IT. 00:14:09.58\00:14:13.52 AS FOR THAT NIGHT, LET DARKNESS SEIZE UPON IT; LET IT NOT BE 00:14:13.52\00:14:16.92 JOINED UNTO THE DAYS OF THE YEAR, LET IT NOT COME INTO THE 00:14:16.92\00:14:19.22 NUMBER OF THE MONTHS. LO, LET THAT NIGHT BE SOLITARY, 00:14:19.22\00:14:23.59 LET NO JOYFUL VOICE COME THEREIN. LET THEM CURSE IT THAT 00:14:23.59\00:14:29.86 CURSE THE DAY, WHO ARE READY TO RAISE UP THEIR MOURNING. 00:14:29.86\00:14:34.34 LET THE STARS OF THE TWILIGHT THEREOF BE DARK; LET IT LOOK FOR 00:14:34.34\00:14:37.27 LIGHT, BUT HAVE NONE; NEITHER LET IS SEE THE DAWNING OF THE 00:14:37.27\00:14:40.44 DAY: BECAUSE IT SHUT NOT UP THE DOORS OF MY MOTHER'S WOMB, NOR 00:14:40.44\00:14:44.95 HID SORROW FROM MINE EYES." WOW, WHAT A PICTURE. 00:14:44.95\00:14:54.49 'I WISH I WASN'T BORN.' HE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE POETIC THAN I AM 00:14:54.49\00:15:03.43 - MORE THAN WE WOULD BE IN OUR CULTURE TODAY. 00:15:03.43\00:15:05.60 'I WISH I WASN'T BORN.' HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE THAT? 00:15:05.60\00:15:19.75 I WOULD GUESS THAT PROBABLY EVERY PERSON, AT SOME TIME IN 00:15:19.75\00:15:22.65 THEIR EXPERIENCE, HAS FELT THAT WAY - 'I JUST WISH I WASN'T 00:15:22.65\00:15:26.86 BORN.' MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT. 00:15:26.86\00:15:30.36 I'M GOING TO DO SOME QUESTIONS - AND I KNOW IT'S STRESSFUL A 00:15:30.36\00:15:33.06 LITTLE BIT, SO WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING, I'LL REPEAT IT SO OUR 00:15:33.06\00:15:36.43 WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE CAN LISTEN TO US. 00:15:36.43\00:15:38.77 BUT DO YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO QUESTIONED WHETHER 00:15:38.77\00:15:42.47 LIFE WAS WORTH LIVING? CAN YOU THINK OF - SORRY? 00:15:42.47\00:15:46.57 >>JONAH. >>JONAH - YES, JONAH. 00:15:46.57\00:15:49.58 NOW, JONAH, HE HAD SOME INTERESTING REASONS FOR 00:15:49.58\00:15:52.35 QUESTIONING WHY LIFE WAS WORTH LIVING. 00:15:52.35\00:15:54.32 IF YOU TURN TO JONAH CHAPTER 4, WE'RE GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT 00:15:54.32\00:15:57.19 OF A BIBLE STUDY THIS MORNING - JONAH CHAPTER 4 - JONAH HAS 00:15:57.19\00:16:02.22 FOLLOWED GOD'S COMMAND AND HE HAS GONE OUT AND PREACHED AT 00:16:02.22\00:16:08.36 NINEVEH. NOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND JONAH. 00:16:08.36\00:16:13.57 HE'S NOT THE TOPIC OF OUR STUDY, BUT HE REALLY WISHED THAT THE 00:16:13.57\00:16:16.07 NINEVITES GOT WHAT THEY HAD COMING TO THEM. 00:16:16.07\00:16:18.47 AND THEY DIDN'T. AND HE GOT REALLY FRUSTRATED. 00:16:18.47\00:16:20.84 LOOK WHAT IT SAYS IN VERSE 3 - ACTUALLY VERSE 2 - WHEN HE 00:16:20.84\00:16:23.95 PRAYED UNTO THE LORD AND SAID, "I PRAY THEE, O LORD, WAS NOT 00:16:23.95\00:16:27.08 THIS MY SAYING, WHEN I WAS YET IN MY COUNTRY? 00:16:27.08\00:16:30.12 THEREFORE I FLED BEFORE UNTO TARSHISH: FOR I KNEW THAT THOU 00:16:30.12\00:16:33.42 ART A GRACIOUS GOD, AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF 00:16:33.42\00:16:36.46 GREAT KINDNESS, AND REPENTEST THEE OF THE EVIL. 00:16:36.46\00:16:39.83 THEREFORE NOW, O LORD, TAKE, I BESEECH THEE, MY LIFE FROM ME; 00:16:39.83\00:16:43.20 FOR IT IS BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE." 00:16:43.20\00:16:45.83 'YOU'RE TOO GRACIOUS, GOD. TOO MUCH MERCY.' I DON'T THINK 00:16:45.83\00:16:51.04 I'D BE THE KIND OF PERSON TO PRAY THAT PRAYER. 00:16:51.04\00:16:53.81 I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE, BUT I THINK THE KIND OF PRAYER 00:16:53.81\00:16:56.64 WE NEED TO BE PRAYING IS 'GOD, PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND 00:16:56.64\00:16:58.95 GRACE.' >>AMEN. 00:16:58.95\00:17:00.68 >>'I NEED EVERY OUNCE YOU HAVE.' JONAH GETS MAD. HE GOES, 00:17:00.68\00:17:04.22 'I'D RATHER DIE THAN SEE THEM REPENT.' KIND OF THE OPPOSITE 00:17:04.22\00:17:07.52 FEELING OF WHAT WE EXPECT IN AN EVANGELIST - AM I RIGHT? 00:17:07.52\00:17:10.76 LOOK AT VERSE 8 - HE ACTUALLY - I'LL GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND: A 00:17:10.76\00:17:16.16 GOURD WAS - GOD HAD A GOURD GROW AND IT GREW SO FAST THAT IT 00:17:16.16\00:17:20.14 ACTUALLY CREATED A SHADE FOR JONAH AS HE WAS SITTING OUTSIDE 00:17:20.14\00:17:23.00 THE CITY OF NINEVEH HOPING THAT IT'S GOING TO GET DESTROYED. 00:17:23.00\00:17:26.24 SORRY, I'M GIVING A PICTURE, OKAY? 00:17:26.24\00:17:28.24 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S ENJOYING THE SHADE, HE'S 00:17:28.24\00:17:30.68 ENJOYING IT - ALL OF A SUDDEN A WORM COMES AND KILLS THE GOURD. 00:17:30.68\00:17:33.55 IT DIES AND THE SHADE LEAVES AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS, "AND IT 00:17:33.55\00:17:38.69 CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE SUN DID ARISE, THAT GOD PREPARED A 00:17:38.69\00:17:41.89 VEHEMENT EAST WIND; AND THE SUN BEAT UPON THE HEAD OF JONAH, 00:17:41.89\00:17:45.23 THAT HE FAINTED, AND WISHED IN HIMSELF TO DIE, AND SAID, 'IT IS 00:17:45.23\00:17:48.23 BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE.'" JONAH'S A KIND OF 00:17:48.23\00:17:51.27 EMOTIONAL GUY. HAVE YOU SENSED THAT? 00:17:51.27\00:17:53.34 WE COULD USE THE WORD 'MOODY'. IS THAT OKAY IF I 00:17:53.34\00:17:54.70 USE THE WORD 'MOODY'? WE SEE SOME OF THAT HAPPENING. 00:17:54.70\00:17:57.11 SO JONAH IS ONE EXAMPLE OF A PERSON WHO WISHED THEY COULD 00:17:57.11\00:17:59.34 DIE. WHO'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE 00:17:59.34\00:18:00.74 WHO WISHED THEY COULD DIE? KIND OF GETTING AN OVERVIEW 00:18:00.74\00:18:04.05 AS WE'RE GOING INTO JONAH'S EXPERIENCE HERE. 00:18:04.05\00:18:07.12 I'LL GIVE YOU ONE. IS THAT OKAY? I HAVE A WHOLE LIST HERE. 00:18:07.12\00:18:10.42 I REMEMBER SOMEONE BY THE NAME OF DAVID. 00:18:10.42\00:18:14.99 WHEN DID DAVID WISH HE COULD DIE? WHEN WAS IT? 00:18:14.99\00:18:19.36 YOU SAY, 'WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE TIMES.' I'M GOING TO GO TO 2 00:18:19.36\00:18:21.03 SAMUEL 18 - 2 SAMUEL 18 - AND I FIND THIS SPECIAL BECAUSE, AS A 00:18:21.03\00:18:27.60 FATHER, I CAN CONNECT, A LITTLE BIT, WITH THE FEELINGS OF DAVID 00:18:27.60\00:18:32.94 HERE. 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 18. THERE'S A BATTLE BETWEEN JOAB 00:18:32.94\00:18:40.92 AND DAVID'S FORCES AND ABSALOM AND HE REBEL FORCES. 00:18:40.92\00:18:44.42 ABSALOM IS KILLED IN THE PROCESS AND DAVID HAS PRAYED THAT 00:18:44.42\00:18:47.49 ABSALOM WOULDN'T BE KILLED, BUT HE IS. 00:18:47.49\00:18:50.73 DAVID FINDS OUT AND HERE IS HIS RESPONSE IN VERSE 33, "AND THE 00:18:50.73\00:18:54.63 KING WAS MUCH MOVED, AND WENT UP TO THE CHAMBER OVER THE GATE, 00:18:54.63\00:18:57.27 AND WEPT: AND AS HE WENT, THUS HE SAID, 'O MY SON ABSALOM, MY 00:18:57.27\00:19:02.77 SON, MY SON ABSALOM! WOULD GOD I HAD DIED FOR THEE, 00:19:02.77\00:19:08.11 O ABSALOM, MY SON, MY SON!'" 'I WISH I WAS DEAD INSTEAD 00:19:08.11\00:19:12.51 OF HIM.' SO TOTALLY DIFFERENT REASONS. 00:19:12.51\00:19:15.02 JONAH, WE KIND OF HAVE THAT PICTURE OF ABSOLUTE SELFISHNESS, 00:19:15.02\00:19:18.45 IN A WAY. AND DAVID, THAT LACK OF 00:19:18.45\00:19:21.02 SELFISHNESS - BOTH OF THEM WISHING THEY HAD DIED - FOR 00:19:21.02\00:19:25.13 TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT REASONS. ANY OTHER ONES? 00:19:25.13\00:19:26.93 I'M GIVING YOU SOME TIME TO THINK BECAUSE THERE'S QUITE A 00:19:26.93\00:19:27.96 FEW. >>ELIJAH. 00:19:27.96\00:19:29.70 >>ELIJAH, THAT'S RIGHT. YOU REMEMBER ELIJAH? 00:19:29.70\00:19:32.07 HE'S JUST FINISHED HIS EXPERIENCE ON MOUNT CARMEL. 00:19:32.07\00:19:35.17 HE SAW GOD ANSWER WITH FIRE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. 00:19:35.17\00:19:37.67 IT WAS A TREMENDOUS DAY OF VICTORY FOR GOD'S PEOPLE. 00:19:37.67\00:19:41.14 HE GETS BACK, HE RUNS BEFORE AHAB'S CHARIOT THE WHOLE WAY TO 00:19:41.14\00:19:43.98 THE GATES OF SAMARIA, LAYS OUTSIDE THE WALLS - THAT MORNING 00:19:43.98\00:19:48.95 - OR THAT EVENING HE GETS A LITTLE NOTE. 00:19:48.95\00:19:51.35 A MESSENGER COMES AND SAYS, 'JEZEBEL SAID SHE'S GOING TO 00:19:51.35\00:19:54.82 KILL YOU.' - I'M PARAPHRASING. AND HE STARTS RUNNING. 00:19:54.82\00:19:58.76 HE GETS A DAY OUT AND THIS IS - IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THIS 00:19:58.76\00:20:01.73 IS FOUND, THIS IS 1 KINGS 19 - 1 KINGS 19 - HE GETS A DAY OUT - 00:20:01.73\00:20:06.63 GOD COMES TO SPEAK TO HIM - 1 KINGS 19 AND VERSE 4 - THIS IS 00:20:06.63\00:20:12.94 THE RESPONSE OF ELIJAH TO GOD, "IT IS ENOUGH; NOW, O LORD, TAKE 00:20:12.94\00:20:26.39 AWAY MY LIFE; FOR I AM NOT BETTER THAN MY FATHERS." 00:20:26.39\00:20:29.96 'IT IS ENOUGH. I'M NOT BETTER THAN MY FATHERS.' 00:20:29.96\00:20:32.36 I AM GLAD THAT GOD DOES NOT ANSWER THE PRAYER OF JONAH. 00:20:32.36\00:20:39.23 I'M GLAD HE DOESN'T ANSWER THE PRAYER OF - WHO WERE WE JUST 00:20:39.23\00:20:43.81 TALKING ABOUT? >>ELIJAH. 00:20:43.81\00:20:45.57 >>THANK YOU, MY BRAIN JUST LEFT ME THERE. 00:20:45.57\00:20:47.38 AND HE DOESN'T ANSWER THE PRAYER OF DAVID. 00:20:47.38\00:20:50.55 HE DOESN'T DO THAT. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOMETIMES, I 00:20:50.55\00:20:52.78 BELIEVE, IN OUR EXPERIENCE, WE WISH IT WAS JUST OVER AND GOD 00:20:52.78\00:20:56.52 KNOWS - BECAUSE HE CAN SEE THE END FROM THE BEGINNING - THAT 00:20:56.52\00:20:59.82 THIS IS JUST MOMENTARY - IT'S JUST A SHORT TIME. 00:20:59.82\00:21:03.53 THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON - AND I'M GOING TO JUST FOCUS ON TWO 00:21:03.53\00:21:07.30 MORE FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. ONE WAS THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER. 00:21:07.30\00:21:09.83 YOU REMEMBER THAT STORY IN ACTS CHAPTER 16? 00:21:09.83\00:21:11.47 HE WAS GOING TO KILL HIMSELF BECAUSE HE SAW ALL THE PRISONERS 00:21:11.47\00:21:14.70 ESCAPED AND HE KNEW IF THEY ALL ESCAPED HE WAS GOING TO BE 00:21:14.70\00:21:16.54 KILLED ANYHOW, SO HE MIGHT AS WELL COMMIT SUICIDE AND HAVE IT 00:21:16.54\00:21:18.41 DONE WITH. THAT WAS ONE PERSON. AND JEREMIAH WAS ANOTHER MAN 00:21:18.41\00:21:22.08 WHO WISHED THAT HE WOULD DIE. JEREMIAH IS INTERESTING. 00:21:22.08\00:21:25.15 IF YOU DON'T MIND TURNING TO JEREMIAH CHAPTER 20, VERSE 14. 00:21:25.15\00:21:29.35 WE'RE STARTING OUT - WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STORY OF JOB AND 00:21:29.35\00:21:33.39 JOB HAS SAID, 'I WISH THAT I WAS NEVER BORN.' AND WE'RE LOOKING 00:21:33.39\00:21:37.43 AT THAT LAMENT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE 00:21:37.43\00:21:41.33 THAT FELT SIMILARLY. JEREMIAH CHAPTER 20 AND VERSE 00:21:41.33\00:21:44.17 14, "CURSED BE THE DAY WHEREIN I WAS BORN: LET NOT THE DAY 00:21:44.17\00:21:50.44 WHEREIN MY MOTHER BARE ME BE BLESSED." 00:21:50.44\00:21:53.24 WOW - CURSED BE THE DAY I WAS BORN - THAT'S JEREMIAH 20:14. 00:21:53.24\00:22:00.38 WHAT STRONG FEELINGS. JEREMIAH'S SAYING THAT BECAUSE 00:22:00.38\00:22:03.95 HE'S FEELING A LOT OF REPROACH. HE'S BEEN ASKED TO GIVE A 00:22:03.95\00:22:06.62 MESSAGE THAT'S NOT POPULAR. 'WHY AM I DOING THIS, GOD?' 00:22:06.62\00:22:14.56 YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A PROGRESSION OF THOUGHT TODAY. 00:22:14.56\00:22:16.87 THE PROGRESSION'S GOING TO START OUT WITH THIS: 'I WISH I WASN'T 00:22:16.87\00:22:19.67 BORN' TO 'I WISH I HAD DIED BEFORE NOW' - 'I WISH I HAD DIED 00:22:19.67\00:22:25.01 BEFORE THE TRAGEDY TOOK PLACE' TO - ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT 00:22:25.01\00:22:27.64 ONE? TRYING TO REMEMBER IT OFF THE 00:22:27.64\00:22:29.31 TOP OF MY HEAD - THE NEXT ONE IS, 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M 00:22:29.31\00:22:32.41 GOING THROUGH.' HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT WAY? 00:22:32.41\00:22:35.15 WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. THAT'S WHAT - THAT'S THE JOB 00:22:35.15\00:22:37.25 FEELING - 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH'. 00:22:37.25\00:22:39.55 AND THEN, A FINAL ONE, IS THE QUESTION THAT MOST OF US ASK AT 00:22:39.55\00:22:42.52 SOME POINT IN OUR EXPERIENCE, 'WHY?' 00:22:42.52\00:22:45.83 SO WE'RE GOING TO START OUT WITH 'I WISH I WASN'T BORN' AND WE'RE 00:22:45.83\00:22:49.06 GOING TO FINISH WITH THE QUESTION OF 'WHY?' 00:22:49.06\00:22:51.43 NOW, I DON'T THINK ANY SPEAKER, ANY TEACHER, ANY HUMAN BEING ON 00:22:51.43\00:22:55.47 THIS PLANET COULD FULLY ANSWER WHY. BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOD. 00:22:55.47\00:23:01.84 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VERSE IN PSALMS THAT SAYS, 'YOU'RE GOD IN 00:23:01.84\00:23:04.25 HEAVEN, I'M HERE ON EARTH.' AND SO MANY TIMES, I THINK THAT YOU 00:23:04.25\00:23:07.12 AND I, IN OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE, HAVE TO DO THAT - 00:23:07.12\00:23:09.58 PUT UP OUR HANDS AND SAY, 'YOU'RE GOD. 00:23:09.58\00:23:11.72 I'M NOT.' >>AMEN. 00:23:11.72\00:23:13.29 >>IN FACT, THAT'S HOW GOD SPENDS CHAPTER 38, 39, 40, AND 41 - 00:23:13.29\00:23:17.86 RESPONDING TO JOB. BUT LET'S CONTINUE. 00:23:17.86\00:23:23.40 JOB HAD EVERYTHING, AM I RIGHT? >>YES. 00:23:23.40\00:23:28.04 >>YEAH, HE HAD THE PERFECT HOME, HE HAD PLENTY OF MONEY, HE HAD 00:23:28.04\00:23:33.61 REPUTATION, HE HAD WHAT A GUY LIKES - HE HAD A GOOD 00:23:33.61\00:23:36.68 REPUTATION, HE HAD A GOOD HOME, HE HAD PLENTY OF FINANCES - ALL 00:23:36.68\00:23:40.55 THE TOYS THAT YOU WANT - YOU KNOW, THE FASTEST CAMELS, RIGHT? 00:23:40.55\00:23:43.85 HE HAD EVERYTHING THAT HE DESIRED. 00:23:43.85\00:23:45.62 SO HE IS - HAS 'IT', BUT THEN HE LOSES IT IN ONE DAY - HE LOSES 00:23:45.62\00:23:53.16 MOST OF IT - THEN HE LOSES HIS HEALTH. 00:23:53.16\00:23:57.20 IS IT AMAZING A PERSON CAN GO FROM A PERFECT LIFE TO A 00:23:57.20\00:24:02.64 TERRIBLE EXISTENCE SO QUICKLY? THAT LOSS CAN MAKE 00:24:02.64\00:24:08.61 YOU FEEL THAT WAY? MY WIFE WARNS ME, SOMETIMES 00:24:08.61\00:24:18.09 ABOUT GETTING PHILOSOPHICAL. I'M GOING TO GET A 00:24:18.09\00:24:19.55 LITTLE PHILOSOPHICAL. IS THAT OKAY? 00:24:19.55\00:24:21.82 I THINK JOB IS A PHILOSOPHICAL BOOK AND HE'S PUSHING SOME 00:24:21.82\00:24:24.19 PHILOSOPHY AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW THINGS WITH YOU. 00:24:24.19\00:24:26.90 I BELIEVE IT'S LOSING WHAT WE LOVE THAT MAKES OUR LIVES BITTER 00:24:26.90\00:24:32.00 OR HARD. >>AMEN. 00:24:32.00\00:24:35.60 >>YEAH? >>YES. 00:24:35.60\00:24:38.94 >>THE LESS WE LOVE SOMETHING, THE EASIER IT IS TO LOSE IT. 00:24:38.94\00:24:44.58 THE MORE WE LOVE SOMETHING, THE HARDER IT IS TO LOSE IT. 00:24:44.58\00:24:47.72 NOW, I KNOW THAT'S NOT TOO DEEP PHILOSOPHY - THAT'S LIKE FIRST 00:24:47.72\00:24:49.32 GRADE, BUT HOLD ON. IS IT POSSIBLE, THEN, WHAT WE 00:24:49.32\00:24:55.52 LOVE DETERMINES HOW HARD OUR LIFE IS? 00:24:55.52\00:25:03.03 LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY: IF I LOVE MY REPUTATION, I MAY HAVE A 00:25:03.03\00:25:09.40 HARD LIFE IF MY REPUTATION IS DESTROYED. 00:25:09.40\00:25:12.51 BUT IF I DON'T MAKE MY REPUTATION THE MOST IMPORTANT 00:25:12.51\00:25:14.74 THING, THEN MY LIFE MAY NOT BE HARD WHEN IT'S TAKEN DOWN. 00:25:14.74\00:25:19.05 TODAY I CAME OUT - I WAS ABOUT TO - I HAVE SOME SHIRTS THAT 00:25:19.05\00:25:23.62 HAVE SEEN BETTER DAYS AND MY WIFE HAS BEEN IRONING THEM FOR 00:25:23.62\00:25:28.49 AWHILE AND WE NEED TO CLEAN OUT MY CLOSET A LITTLE BIT. 00:25:28.49\00:25:31.16 AND SO, I PUT ON ONE OF THOSE SHIRTS THIS MORNING AND SHE 00:25:31.16\00:25:33.93 SAID, 'YOU CAN'T PUT THAT ON TODAY! 00:25:33.93\00:25:36.36 YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON TV.' I SAID, 'SO?' 00:25:36.36\00:25:44.44 PRAISE GOD FOR A WIFE WHO HAS NICE, CLEAN SHIRTS, RIGHT? 00:25:44.44\00:25:46.74 I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. 00:25:46.74\00:25:49.84 BUT IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME AND IF SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING I'D BE 00:25:49.84\00:25:54.95 LIKE, 'OKAY, SO BE IT.' BUT IF IT DOES BOTHER YOU, YOUR LIFE 00:25:54.95\00:25:58.95 COULD BE HARD. I HAVE SOME FRIENDS, GOD BLESS 00:25:58.95\00:26:01.76 THEM, I DON'T THINK THEIR WIVES IRON THEIR SHIRTS. 00:26:01.76\00:26:04.69 THEY IRON THEIR OWN SHIRTS BECAUSE IT'S GOT TO BE PERFECT. 00:26:04.69\00:26:07.36 AND, BY THE WAY, I APPRECIATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT, BUT I'M NOT 00:26:07.36\00:26:09.76 ONE OF THEM. SO YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE, WHAT IS 00:26:09.76\00:26:12.70 IT THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT YOU LOVE? DO YOU LOVE MONEY? 00:26:12.70\00:26:16.47 IT'S OKAY TO HAVE MONEY, THE QUESTION IS 'DO YOU LOVE IT?' 00:26:16.47\00:26:19.27 BECAUSE IF YOU LOVE IT AND YOU LOSE IT, WILL YOUR LIFE BE HARD? 00:26:19.27\00:26:21.54 >>YES. >>YES. 00:26:21.54\00:26:22.94 YOU SAY, 'WELL, CHUCK, YOUR LIFE'S HARD WHETHER YOU LOVE IT 00:26:22.94\00:26:24.21 OR NOT AND YOU LOSE IT.' THAT'S TRUE, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, BUT 00:26:24.21\00:26:26.88 IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT HARDER IF YOU LOVE IT. 00:26:26.88\00:26:29.08 SO WHAT YOU LOVE DETERMINES HOW HARD OR BITTER YOUR LIFE IS WHEN 00:26:29.08\00:26:34.86 YOU LOSE IT. NOW YOU CAN - NOW, I LOOK AT WHAT JOB LOST. 00:26:34.86\00:26:43.67 HE LOST HIS WEALTH, HE LOST HIS CHILDREN, AND HE LOST HIS HEALTH 00:26:43.67\00:26:49.10 - AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST THINGS IN THE ENTIRE 00:26:49.10\00:26:50.67 WORLD. I KNOW - I THINK HE COULD HAVE 00:26:50.67\00:26:53.64 GOT AWAY WITHOUT HIS WEALTH. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHARACTER OF 00:26:53.64\00:26:56.64 JOB - AS YOU STUDY THROUGH THIS BOOK OVER THE REST OF THIS 00:26:56.64\00:26:58.61 QUARTER, HE COULD HAVE GOT AWAY WITHOUT HIS WEALTH. 00:26:58.61\00:27:01.15 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF JOB THAT'S SPECIAL, 00:27:01.15\00:27:03.45 BUT I THINK THE CHILDREN ARE WHAT REALLY HIT HIM. 00:27:03.45\00:27:05.92 WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT MUCH WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JOB, BUT 00:27:05.92\00:27:08.82 IT REALLY, REALLY HURT. 00:27:08.82\00:27:11.36 IN FACT, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT IN A FEW DAYS. 00:27:11.36\00:27:12.93 I MEAN, IN A FEW MINUTES IN OUR LESSON - A FEW DAYS DOWN THE 00:27:12.93\00:27:15.56 LESSON - THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. 00:27:15.56\00:27:17.80 IN FACT, HE SAYS, 'MY GRIEF IS SO GREAT YOU CAN'T WEIGH MY 00:27:17.80\00:27:19.73 GRIEF.' IT WASN'T BECAUSE HE LOST HIS SHEEP, IT'S BECAUSE OF 00:27:19.73\00:27:24.74 SOMETHING ELSE. HAD JOB LOST HIS INTEGRITY? 00:27:24.74\00:27:31.68 HAD JOB LOST HIS INTEGRITY AT THIS POINT? 00:27:31.68\00:27:33.92 NO, REMEMBER HIS WIFE SAID, 'WHY DO YOU STILL HOLD ONTO IT?' 00:27:33.92\00:27:36.48 SO HE STILL HAD HIS INTEGRITY. HAD HE LOST HIS WIFE? 00:27:36.48\00:27:40.12 >>NO. >>NO. NO. HAD HE LOST HIS 00:27:40.12\00:27:43.83 FRIENDS? STILL HAD 'EM. DID HE STILL BELIEVE IN GOD? 00:27:43.83\00:27:48.53 >>YES. >>YES. NOW THERE - I SHOULD GIVE 00:27:48.53\00:27:51.37 SOME PARENTHETICAL STATEMENTS TO GO WITH THEM. 00:27:51.37\00:27:55.17 FOR EXAMPLE, HIS INTEGRITY, HE STARTED QUESTIONING A LITTLE BIT 00:27:55.17\00:27:57.37 LATER WHETHER IT WAS WORTH HAVING IT ANYHOW. 00:27:57.37\00:28:00.28 WHEN HIS WIFE - WHAT DID HE CALL HER? 'SPEAK NOT THOU AS THE 00:28:00.28\00:28:02.98 FOOLISH WOMEN.' WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT HIS FRIENDS? 00:28:02.98\00:28:06.88 'A BUNCH OF MISERABLE COMFORTERS.' SO, YES, HE HAD 00:28:06.88\00:28:09.32 THEM, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THEY WERE AT THE TOP OF HIS LIST AT 00:28:09.32\00:28:12.95 THAT POINT. AND, EVEN THOUGHT HE DID BELIEVE 00:28:12.95\00:28:14.82 IN GOD, HE QUESTIONED WHETHER GOD BELIEVED IN HIM. 00:28:14.82\00:28:18.59 YOU CAN SEE THAT COMING OUT IN JOB. 00:28:18.59\00:28:20.86 ALRIGHT, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT JOB CHAPTER 3 AND, STARTING IN VERSE 00:28:20.86\00:28:30.14 11, WE STOPPED IN VERSE 10 - I'D LIKE TO START OUT WITH VERSE 11. 00:28:30.14\00:28:35.58 THE FIRST PART WE LOOKED AT IS JOB SAID, 'I WISH I WASN'T 00:28:35.58\00:28:38.08 BORN.' WHAT'S HE GOING TO SAY NEXT? 00:28:38.08\00:28:41.12 WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT IT, BUT LET'S READ IT OURSELVES. 00:28:41.12\00:28:43.49 CHAPTER 3, VERSE 11, "WHY DIED I NOT FROM THE WOMB? 00:28:43.49\00:28:46.29 WHY DID I NOT GIVE UP THE GHOST WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE BELLY? 00:28:46.29\00:28:49.76 WHY DID NOT THE KNEES PREVENT ME? 00:28:49.76\00:28:51.49 OR WHY THE BREASTS THAT I SHOULD SUCK? 00:28:51.49\00:28:53.90 FOR NOW SHOULD I HAVE LAIN STILL AND BEEN QUIET, I SHOULD HAVE 00:28:53.90\00:28:57.23 SLEPT:" - AND THEN NOTICE THIS PHRASE - "THEN HAD I BEEN AT" - 00:28:57.23\00:29:00.44 WHAT? >>REST. 00:29:00.44\00:29:02.04 >>"REST, WITH KINGS AND COUNSELORS OF THE EARTH, WHICH 00:29:02.04\00:29:06.37 BUILD DESOLATE PLACES FOR THEMSELVES; OR WITH PRINCES THAT 00:29:06.37\00:29:09.48 HAD GOLD, WHO FILLED THEIR HOUSES WITH SILVER: OR AS AN 00:29:09.48\00:29:12.98 HIDDEN UNTIMELY BIRTH I HAD NOT BEEN; AS INFANTS WHICH NEVER SAW 00:29:12.98\00:29:16.52 LIGHT. THERE THE WICKED CEASE FROM 00:29:16.52\00:29:18.95 TROUBLING; AND THERE THE WEARY BE AT REST. 00:29:18.95\00:29:21.79 THERE THE PRISONERS" - WHAT'S THAT WORD AGAIN? 00:29:21.79\00:29:24.23 "REST TOGETHER." YOU'RE GETTING THIS PICTURE 00:29:24.23\00:29:27.40 - 'I JUST WANT TO REST.' LIFE IS NO LONGER REST FOR ME. 00:29:27.40\00:29:34.60 YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR EXPERIENCE WHERE WE 00:29:34.60\00:29:36.74 CAN LAY DOWN ON OUR BEDS AND NOT REST. 00:29:36.74\00:29:40.18 HAVE YOU EVER HAD THAT HAPPEN? YOU LAY DOWN AND YOU'RE LIKE 00:29:40.18\00:29:43.68 'AHHH, OHHH.' IN FACT, HOW - THIS IS HOW JOB PUTS IT - I 00:29:43.68\00:29:48.68 THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT SECTION. >>(YOUNG CHILD) MINE. MINE. 00:29:48.68\00:29:52.25 >>IT IS NOT. SOMEWHERE ELSE HE SAYS THIS: 'I LAY DOWN. 00:29:52.25\00:29:57.56 I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NIGHTTIME - I LAY DOWN AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR 00:29:57.56\00:29:59.39 THE MORNING'. YOU KNOW THAT EXPERIENCE. 00:29:59.39\00:30:02.56 HE GOES, 'I JUST WANT REST.' REST IS SOMETHING, I THINK, IS 00:30:02.56\00:30:07.17 THE DESIRE OF MANY PEOPLE. BUT THE REST HE'S WANTING 00:30:07.17\00:30:10.17 IS NOT PHYSICAL REST, IS IT? IT'S EMOTIONAL REST. 00:30:10.17\00:30:14.98 IT'S REST FROM THESE THINGS - THIS IS TAKING OVER MY LIFE AND 00:30:14.98\00:30:19.68 I WANT TO JUST SIMPLY REST.' IF ANY OF YOU ARE LIKE THAT OR 00:30:19.68\00:30:25.39 ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE, JOB IS YOUR FRIEND. 00:30:25.39\00:30:30.23 HE'S BEEN THERE. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT HE 00:30:30.23\00:30:36.23 USES THE WORD 'REST' SO MUCH. HE DOESN'T SAY, 'I WANT TO DIE 00:30:36.23\00:30:38.70 SO I CAN BE WALKING THE GOLDEN STREETS.' 'I WANT TO DIE SO I 00:30:38.70\00:30:42.07 CAN GO PLAY A HARP' OR 'I JUST WANT TO GET IT ALL OVER WITH SO 00:30:42.07\00:30:44.97 I CAN HAVE THE SOCIETY OF ANGELS AND NOT THESE THREE MISERABLE 00:30:44.97\00:30:47.61 COMFORTERS.' NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT HE'S SAYING. 00:30:47.61\00:30:50.11 HE SAID, 'I WANT REST. I WANT TO REST.' DO YOU MIND 00:30:50.11\00:30:55.58 TURNING YOUR BIBLES WITH ME TO JAMES? WILL YOU? 00:30:55.58\00:30:57.39 JAMES CHAPTER 4 - JAMES CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 14 - JAMES CHAPTER 4 00:30:57.39\00:31:07.36 AND VERSE 14, "WHEREAS YE KNOW NOT WHAT SHALL BE ON THE MORROW. 00:31:07.36\00:31:15.40 FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? IT IS EVEN A VAPOR, THAT 00:31:15.40\00:31:18.47 APPEARETH FOR A LITTLE TIME, AND THEN VANISHETH AWAY." 00:31:18.47\00:31:23.04 YOU KNOW, JOB SAYS THE SAME THING, ALMOST - JOB CHAPTER 7 - 00:31:23.04\00:31:25.98 JOB CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 7. HE SAYS, "O REMEMBER THAT 00:31:25.98\00:31:34.59 MY LIFE IS WIND:" - OR SOME TRANSLATIONS WOULD 00:31:34.59\00:31:36.59 SAY, 'BREATH'. IT'S HERE, THEN IT'S GONE. 00:31:36.59\00:31:40.86 IN FACT, VERSE 9 SAYS, "AS A CLOUD IS CONSUMED AND VANISHETH 00:31:40.86\00:31:43.20 AWAY: SO HE THAT GOETH DOWN TO THE GRAVE SHALL COME UP NO MORE. 00:31:43.20\00:31:47.04 HE'S GIVING THIS IMPRESSION THAT LIFE IS FLEETING, AND SOMETIMES, 00:31:47.04\00:31:50.67 PEOPLE WHO WISH THEIR LIFE WOULD END, ALSO COMPLAIN THAT LIFE IS 00:31:50.67\00:31:53.81 FLEETING. THAT'S WHAT JOB'S DOING, ACTUALLY. 00:31:53.81\00:31:55.98 HE COMPLAINS LIFE IS FLEETING. IT'S JUST LIKE A WEAVER SHUTTLE 00:31:55.98\00:31:58.85 - IT'S THERE AND THEN IT'S GONE. BUT, IN A WAY, THE FACT THAT 00:31:58.85\00:32:04.59 LIFE IS FLEETING IS A GOOD THING. 00:32:04.59\00:32:07.36 THINK ABOUT IT: BECAUSE LIFE IS FLEETING, THE ROUGH THINGS THAT 00:32:07.36\00:32:11.59 YOU'RE GOING THROUGH NOW WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. 00:32:11.59\00:32:14.83 >>AMEN. >>THAT'S GOOD NEWS. THE THINGS 00:32:14.83\00:32:17.83 THAT YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH NOW WILL NOT BE HERE FOREVER. 00:32:17.83\00:32:20.34 YOU KNOW, I TRIED TO THINK BACK, AS I WAS PUTTING TOGETHER THIS 00:32:20.34\00:32:22.94 LESSON, I WAS TRYING TO THINK BACK TO SOME OF THE EMOTIONS 00:32:22.94\00:32:25.67 THAT I FELT AS A TEENAGER. I KNOW I FELT THEM, BUT I 00:32:25.67\00:32:31.35 DON'T FEEL THEM ANYMORE. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. 00:32:31.35\00:32:34.68 SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 - 00:32:34.68\00:32:39.82 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE GOOD NEWS IS? 00:32:39.82\00:32:41.66 WHEN YOU'RE MY AGE, YOU PROBABLY WON'T FEEL IT ANYMORE. 00:32:41.66\00:32:44.83 AND THEN WHEN I'M THE AGE OF SOME OF YOU IN HERE, I MAY 00:32:44.83\00:32:47.60 FORGET WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW. 00:32:47.60\00:32:49.63 THAT'S GOOD. THERE IS THAT. LIFE IS SHORT AND TRIALS 00:32:49.63\00:32:55.14 DON'T LAST FOREVER. WE SEE THAT IN THE LIFE OF JOB 00:32:55.14\00:32:58.04 AND WE SEE THAT IN A LOT OF PEOPLE. 00:32:58.04\00:32:59.24 IT'S NOT WHAT WE FEEL IN THE MIDST OF IT, BUT SOMETHING WE 00:32:59.24\00:33:00.78 MUST REMEMBER IN THE MIDST OF IT. 00:33:00.78\00:33:02.48 BECAUSE, REMEMBER, FAITH ISN'T FEELING, RIGHT? 00:33:02.48\00:33:04.88 THERE ARE TIMES THAT YOU AND I MUST GO BEYOND OUR FEELING AND 00:33:04.88\00:33:07.88 LIVE FAITH KNOWING THAT GOD'S GOT SOMETHING BETTER IN THE 00:33:07.88\00:33:10.22 FUTURE. DO YOU MIND TURNING TO ANOTHER 00:33:10.22\00:33:12.99 TEXT? 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4 - 00:33:12.99\00:33:15.92 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 16? WE CAN START ANYWHERE 00:33:15.92\00:33:31.34 IN 2 CORINTHIANS 4, BUT WE'LL START IN VERSE 16, "FOR WHICH 00:33:31.34\00:33:36.21 CAUSE WE FAINT NOT; BUT THOUGH OUR OUTWARD MAN PERISH, YET THE 00:33:36.21\00:33:40.45 INWARD MAN IS RENEWED DAY BY DAY." 00:33:40.45\00:33:42.75 HE WAS GOING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES AND, EVEN THOUGH 00:33:42.75\00:33:45.15 LIFE IS DIFFICULT, WE WANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE OUTWARD THINGS 00:33:45.15\00:33:47.86 MAY BE HURTING US, BUT INWARDLY WE CAN BE RENEWED BY CHRIST. 00:33:47.86\00:33:50.63 I'M PARAPHRASING THIS, OKAY? NOW LOOK AT VERSE 17, "FOR 00:33:50.63\00:33:53.56 OUR" - WHAT'S THAT NEXT WORD? >>LIGHT. 00:33:53.56\00:33:56.13 >>"LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR" - 00:33:56.13\00:33:59.50 >>A MOMENT. >>A MOMENT. 00:33:59.50\00:34:01.70 YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDST OF AFFLICTION IT NEVER FEELS LIKE A 00:34:01.70\00:34:04.21 MOMENT, BUT I'M GLAD THAT PAUL CAN TAKE US AND POINT US TO THIS 00:34:04.21\00:34:08.38 AND SAY, 'IT'S LIGHT AND IT'S A MOMENT. 00:34:08.38\00:34:10.95 DON'T WORRY.' BECAUSE PAUL IS ABLE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT, 00:34:10.95\00:34:13.82 OFTENTIMES, WE FORGET IN THE MIDST OF OUR TROUBLES AND THAT 00:34:13.82\00:34:16.32 IS: WE'RE HERE JUST FOR A SHORT WHILE. 00:34:16.32\00:34:20.22 ETERNITY IS SO MUCH GREATER THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE. 00:34:20.22\00:34:23.59 "FOR OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, WORKETH FOR 00:34:23.59\00:34:26.36 US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY; WHILE 00:34:26.36\00:34:31.30 WE LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS 00:34:31.30\00:34:34.94 WHICH ARE NOT SEEN: FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE 00:34:34.94\00:34:37.81 TEMPORAL; BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL." 00:34:37.81\00:34:44.28 WE NEED TO START HAVING FAITH IN UNSEEN REALITIES AND WE NEED TO 00:34:44.28\00:34:49.25 STOP FOCUSING ON THE SCENE. 00:34:49.25\00:34:53.05 IT'S HARD, BECAUSE IN THE MIDST OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SCENE 00:34:53.05\00:34:58.99 AND WHAT AFFECTS OUR SENSES IS WHAT'S MOST REAL TO US. 00:34:58.99\00:35:03.20 BUT PAUL IS SAYING, 'THAT WHICH WE CANNOT SEE - THAT WHICH WE 00:35:03.20\00:35:06.23 CANNOT EXPERIENCE THROUGH OUR SENSES IS EVEN MORE REAL - AND 00:35:06.23\00:35:10.64 IT'S FOREVER.' SO IT'S - A LITTLE BIT OF THINKING IS GOOD 00:35:10.64\00:35:15.28 FOR US TO SEE HERE. SO I - WE HAVE JOB - HE SAID, 'I 00:35:15.28\00:35:19.21 WISH I WAS NEVER BORN.' THEN HE SAYS, 'I WISH I COULD DIE. 00:35:19.21\00:35:25.62 BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED - LET'S GET IT OVER WITH.' NOW LET'S GO 00:35:25.62\00:35:27.99 TO JOB CHAPTER 6 - JOB CHAPTER 6 AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE 00:35:27.99\00:35:33.29 LOOKING AT JUST THE FIRST FEW VERSES OF THIS CHAPTER. 00:35:33.29\00:35:36.67 THERE IS SO MUCH MORE IN IT, BUT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. 00:35:36.67\00:35:43.41 "BUT JOB ANSWERED" - THIS IS ELIPHAZ, WHICH - WHAT KIND OF 00:35:43.41\00:35:47.61 COMFORTERS HE HAD. THEY CAME - I REALLY DO BELIEVE 00:35:47.61\00:35:52.05 THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST KEPT QUIET. 00:35:52.05\00:35:54.05 BUT HERE THEY ARE SPEAKING, TRYING TO GIVE COMFORT BY 00:35:54.05\00:35:56.75 SAYING, 'YOU DESERVED IT' AND HERE'S JOB'S RESPONSE: "OH THAT 00:35:56.75\00:36:03.32 MY GRIEF WERE THOROUGHLY WEIGHED, AND MY CALAMITY LAID IN 00:36:03.32\00:36:08.36 THE BALANCES TOGETHER!" - A SCALE - THEN HE SAYS THIS: 00:36:08.36\00:36:13.20 FOR NOW IT WOULD BE HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA: THEREFORE 00:36:13.20\00:36:17.11 MY WORDS ARE SWALLOWED UP." - 'I CAN'T TALK - CAN'T TALK. 00:36:17.11\00:36:23.18 LET ME JUST TELL YOU' - THEN HE TALKS SOME MORE, BUT I THINK 00:36:23.18\00:36:25.81 HE'S SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY HERE, RIGHT? 00:36:25.81\00:36:29.38 DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT JOB IS GOING THROUGH? NO. 00:36:29.38\00:36:35.66 I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME SAYING THAT SO BLUNTLY. 00:36:35.66\00:36:38.79 YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT JOB IS GOING THROUGH. 00:36:38.79\00:36:41.86 YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE ONLY JOB WENT THROUGH IT. 00:36:41.86\00:36:47.47 ONLY JOB FELT WHAT JOB FELT. SOME MORE OF THIS FIRST GRADE 00:36:47.47\00:36:52.01 PHILOSOPHY, IS THAT OKAY? ONLY JOB FELT WHAT JOB FELT. 00:36:52.01\00:36:56.21 AND, QUITE FRANKLY, ONLY YOU FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. 00:36:56.21\00:37:01.32 HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED SOMETHING AND YOU 00:37:01.32\00:37:04.95 THOUGHT, 'NO ONE ELSE KNOWS WHAT I'M FEELING'? 00:37:04.95\00:37:07.92 YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE RIGHT. NO ONE ELSE DOES KNOW - 00:37:07.92\00:37:11.56 WITH ONE EXCEPTION. THAT'S AMAZING. 00:37:11.56\00:37:15.76 AND SO THAT - I THINK, FOR YOU AND I TO REALIZE THAT NO ONE 00:37:15.76\00:37:19.40 ELSE CAN GRASP WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. 00:37:19.40\00:37:21.00 IT'S OKAY TO SAY THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS 00:37:21.00\00:37:24.47 SOMEONE WHO'S EXTERNAL OF THE NOONE. WHO IS THAT? 00:37:24.47\00:37:29.38 >>GOD. >>CHRIST CAN. 00:37:29.38\00:37:31.48 DO YOU MIND TURNING WITH ME TO HEBREWS CHAPTER 4? HEBREWS 00:37:31.48\00:37:34.45 CHAPTER 4 - HEBREWS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 14. I CAN SYMPATHIZE 00:37:34.45\00:37:46.73 WITH YOU WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME. 00:37:46.73\00:37:49.33 I COULD HAVE GONE THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR, SO WHEN I'M 00:37:49.33\00:37:51.73 SEEING YOUR FEELING, EVERYTHING REMINDS ME OF MY FEELINGS AND SO 00:37:51.73\00:37:54.24 I FEEL MY FEELINGS AND SAY, 'I KNOW WHAT YOU FEEL.' BUT, IN 00:37:54.24\00:37:56.40 REALITY, KNOW WHAT I FEEL, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU FEEL, 00:37:56.40\00:37:59.21 RIGHT? BUT IT'S NOT THAT WAY WITH JESUS. 00:37:59.21\00:38:04.15 HEBREWS 4:14, "SEEING THEN THAT WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, 00:38:04.15\00:38:09.72 THAT IS PASSED INTO THE HEAVENS, JESUS THE" - EXCUSE ME - DID I? 00:38:09.72\00:38:16.06 YES - "THE SON OF GOD, LET US HOLD FAST OUR PROFESSION. 00:38:16.06\00:38:19.06 FOR WE HAVE NOT AN HIGH PRIEST WHICH CANNOT BE TOUCHED WITH THE 00:38:19.06\00:38:24.13 FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES;" - NOT THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR 00:38:24.13\00:38:29.27 INFIRMITIES, THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES. 00:38:29.27\00:38:33.81 JESUS CHRIST CAN FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. 00:38:33.81\00:38:39.45 NO HUMAN BEING CAN DO IT, BUT HE CAN. 00:38:39.45\00:38:41.85 HE KNOWS WHAT YOU FEEL. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING IF 00:38:41.85\00:38:44.89 SOMEONE'S LISTENING TO YOU. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 00:38:44.89\00:38:48.76 IF SOMEONE CARES. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING HOW YOU'RE 00:38:48.76\00:38:51.56 GOING TO SURVIVE THE FINANCIAL STATUS YOU'RE IN. 00:38:51.56\00:38:54.46 WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING IF YOUR MARRIAGE IS GOING TO MAKE IT, 00:38:54.46\00:38:57.93 WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH YOUR KIDS - 00:38:57.93\00:39:00.57 NO ONE ELSE KNOWS, BUT HE KNOWS. 00:39:00.57\00:39:03.17 IT SAYS HE IS TOUCHED WITH YOUR FEELINGS. 00:39:03.17\00:39:07.18 THAT'S GOOD NEWS. >>AMEN. 00:39:07.18\00:39:09.11 >>BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS. 00:39:09.11\00:39:12.01 YOU KNOW, YOU AND I COULD TALK TO FRIENDS AND I DO HAVE FRIENDS 00:39:12.01\00:39:13.98 THAT WILL LISTEN TO ME. I DON'T HAVE MANY MISERABLE COMFORTERS. 00:39:13.98\00:39:18.29 I PRAISE GOD FOR THAT. BUT I HAVE FRIENDS WHO WILL SIT 00:39:18.29\00:39:20.42 DOWN AND LISTEN TO ME AND I'LL SHARE A LOAD - WHAT I'M FEELING. 00:39:20.42\00:39:24.09 DO YOU HAVE SOMEBODY YOU CAN UNLOAD TO? 00:39:24.09\00:39:25.43 I HAVE SOMEONE I CAN UNLOAD TO. I UNLOAD. 00:39:25.43\00:39:27.23 AND THEY'LL SIT THERE. AND I PRAISE GOD FOR THAT. 00:39:27.23\00:39:30.93 BUT THEY CAN NEVER FULLY GRASP WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT WE HAVE A 00:39:30.93\00:39:39.07 HIGH PRIEST WHO IS TOUCHED WITH OUR FEELINGS. 00:39:39.07\00:39:41.88 >>AMEN. >>THAT'S AWESOME. 00:39:41.88\00:39:44.48 WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE GOD, AMEN? >>AMEN. 00:39:44.48\00:39:47.02 >>YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE MORE PASSAGE BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE 00:39:47.02\00:39:50.79 CLOSING SECTIONS HERE, ROMANS CHAPTER 8 - ROMANS CHAPTER 8, 00:39:50.79\00:40:01.30 "LIKEWISE THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES:" - THIS 00:40:01.30\00:40:06.00 IS ROMANS CHAPTER 8 - I'M READING FROM VERSE 26 - "THE 00:40:06.00\00:40:10.67 SPIRIT ALSO HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES: FOR WE KNOW NOT 00:40:10.67\00:40:14.71 WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY FOR AS WE OUGHT: BUT THE SPIRIT ITSELF 00:40:14.71\00:40:18.48 MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US WITH GROANINGS WHICH CANNOT BE 00:40:18.48\00:40:23.15 UTTERED." HOW? 00:40:23.15\00:40:25.12 HOW CAN THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAK FOR ME? 00:40:25.12\00:40:31.33 BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT I FEEL. >>AMEN. 00:40:31.33\00:40:34.63 >>THIS IS THE INFINITE MIND OF GOD WHO SAYS, 'I KNOW WHAT 00:40:34.63\00:40:38.53 YOU'RE FEELING AND I CAN EXPRESS YOUR FEELING EVEN BETTER THAN 00:40:38.53\00:40:42.47 YOU CAN.' WOW. WHAT A GOD. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE 00:40:42.47\00:40:49.41 SAVIOR YOU AND I HAVE. I HOPE THAT YOU - YOU LEAVE THIS 00:40:49.41\00:40:53.38 SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS WITH THIS CONCEPT. NOW, WHERE AM I AT? 00:40:53.38\00:41:01.99 OH YES, 'I WISH IS WAS NEVER' - >>BORN. 00:41:01.99\00:41:08.86 >>'BORN. I WISH THAT I HAD DIED BEFORE 00:41:08.86\00:41:12.47 THIS. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS.' AND NOW, A VERY FEEBLE ATTEMPT 00:41:12.47\00:41:20.58 BY A FEEBLE HUMAN BEING, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 'WHY?' 00:41:20.58\00:41:24.71 - YOU READY? I LIKE TO LOOK AT SOME STORIES 00:41:24.71\00:41:30.79 OF PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO FACED TERRIBLE REVERSES. 00:41:30.79\00:41:36.39 IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAD EVERYTHING GOING WELL AND THEN 00:41:36.39\00:41:38.39 EVERYTHING FELL APART. DO YOU REALIZE HOW EASY 00:41:38.39\00:41:41.76 IT WAS TO FIND THAT? DO YOU REALIZE HOW EASY IT IS TO 00:41:41.76\00:41:45.27 FIND EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME? 00:41:45.27\00:41:49.97 I'M GLAD THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN BY GOD, BECAUSE HE GIVES US 00:41:49.97\00:41:54.01 EVERYTHING. HE SHOWS US THE GOOD, THE BAD, 00:41:54.01\00:41:57.58 AND THE UGLY - EVERYTHING - AND I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN SEE THAT 00:41:57.58\00:42:00.88 AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A 00:42:00.88\00:42:04.29 DESCRIPTION AND I'M GOING TO SEE IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHO IT IS. 00:42:04.29\00:42:07.02 HE WAS THE CODDLED FAVORITE SON OF A WEALTHY MAN. 00:42:07.02\00:42:12.19 JOSEPH - OKAY, GOOD. THAT WAS PRETTY EASY. 00:42:12.19\00:42:13.93 HE HAD EVERYTHING - HE WAS THE SON OF THE FAVORITE WIFE - THERE 00:42:13.93\00:42:18.97 WAS A WHOLE PROBLEM WITH THAT WHOLE SCENARIO, WE UNDERSTAND, 00:42:18.97\00:42:20.54 BUT HE WAS THE SON OF THE FAVORITE WIFE. 00:42:20.54\00:42:22.34 HE - HE ALSO HAD A NATURE THAT WAS SPIRITUAL. 00:42:22.34\00:42:27.71 HAVE YOU SENSED THAT AS YOU READ THE STORY OF JOSEPH? 00:42:27.71\00:42:29.71 HE LEANED TOWARDS SPIRITUAL THINGS. 00:42:29.71\00:42:32.15 HE HAD A DESIRE FOR GOD. HE HAD A DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL THINGS. 00:42:32.15\00:42:35.08 AND THEN EVERYTHING FALLS APART. ABSOLUTELY FALLS APART. 00:42:35.08\00:42:40.59 AND WHERE DO YOU FIND JOSEPH? >>PRISON. 00:42:40.59\00:42:42.82 >>AT THE BOTTOM OF A PIT. >>IN A PIT - OH, HE WAS IN ALL 00:42:42.82\00:42:45.96 OF THESE PLACES - LET ME JUST GO THROUGH THEM. 00:42:45.96\00:42:47.23 HE WENT FROM THE PIT, RIGHT? 00:42:47.23\00:42:48.86 HE'S NOW IN THE PIT SURROUNDED BY THOSE WHO WISHED HE COULD 00:42:48.86\00:42:55.50 DIE, SAVED ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIRE FOR MONEY - AM I RIGHT? 00:42:55.50\00:43:02.64 HE THEN IS SOLD AS A SLAVE AT POTIPHAR'S HOUSE. 00:43:02.64\00:43:07.35 FROM THE PIT TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE, RIGHT? 00:43:07.35\00:43:10.59 AND THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOOD FOR AWHILE, THEN THERE WERE SOME 00:43:10.59\00:43:13.05 ISSUES AT POTIPHAR'S HOUSE TOO AND THEN HE WAS PUT INTO - 00:43:13.05\00:43:15.99 >>PRISON. >>PRISON. SO HE WENT FROM THE 00:43:15.99\00:43:17.29 PIT TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE TO PRISON. HE'S NOT DOING TOO WELL. 00:43:17.29\00:43:21.80 THAT'S HIS EXPERIENCE. CAN YOU IMAGINE? 00:43:21.80\00:43:25.87 YOU HAVE FAITHFULLY SERVED YOUR MASTER AND, I'M GUESSING, BASED 00:43:25.87\00:43:29.60 UPON SOME OF THE DETAILS WE READ, HE SERVED HIS MASTER FOR 00:43:29.60\00:43:33.31 AT LEAST SIX YEARS IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE - SIX YEARS - MAYBE BETTER 00:43:33.31\00:43:38.28 THAN THAT - AND NOW HE'S FALSELY ACCUSED AND HIS MASTER BELIEVES 00:43:38.28\00:43:43.15 IT? HE'S THROWN INTO PRISON, HE HELPS SOME MEN OUT, THEY FORGET 00:43:43.15\00:43:46.72 ABOUT HIM - EVERYTHING GOES WRONG WITH JOSEPH AND JOSEPH, 00:43:46.72\00:43:51.33 TRULY, COULD SAY, 'MY LIFE IS BITTER. 00:43:51.33\00:43:54.86 MY LIFE IS WORTHLESS. WHO AM I?' 00:43:54.86\00:43:58.03 DO YOU EVER THINK OF WHAT JOSEPH COULD HAVE THOUGHT? 00:43:58.03\00:44:01.60 HE IS AN UNKNOWN SLAVE FROM CANAAN IN EGYPT. 00:44:01.60\00:44:07.08 WHY SHOULD GOD DO ANYTHING FOR HIM? HE WORKED FOR HIS DAD, 00:44:07.08\00:44:14.25 JACOB, BUT WHY WOULD HE WORK FOR HIM? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE 00:44:14.25\00:44:17.95 FEELING OF JOSEPH, BUT YOU KNOW THE STORY. 00:44:17.95\00:44:24.86 WE WENT FROM THE PIT TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE TO THE PRISON, 00:44:24.86\00:44:29.50 NOW HE GOES TO THE PALACE. WHAT A PICTURE. 00:44:29.50\00:44:33.50 THEN GOD USES HIM AS THE PRIME MINISTER OF EGYPT TO DO SOME OF 00:44:33.50\00:44:36.37 THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE - SAVE A WHOLE 00:44:36.37\00:44:39.97 GROUP OF PEOPLE. SO WE HAVE JOSEPH: CODDLED 00:44:39.97\00:44:45.65 SON, SLAVE AND PRISONER, PRIME MINISTER. 00:44:45.65\00:44:50.89 DON'T FORGET THOSE THREE COLUMNS. 00:44:50.89\00:44:52.55 I'M SURE YOU WILL, BUT TRY TO REMEMBER THERE'S THREE COLUMNS, 00:44:52.55\00:44:54.59 OKAY? LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEXT ONE. 00:44:54.59\00:44:56.59 HERE'S ANOTHER PERSON. CAN YOU GIVE ME A LADY WHO WENT 00:44:56.59\00:44:58.93 THROUGH THIS TERRIBLE REVERSE IN HER LIFE? 00:44:58.93\00:45:02.06 >>RUTH. >>IT'S CLOSE TO RUTH 00:45:02.06\00:45:06.87 - VERY CLOSE TO RUTH. >>NAOMI. 00:45:06.87\00:45:08.44 >>NAOMI, THAT'S RIGHT, NAOMI. SO NAOMI LEAVES HER HOMELAND, 00:45:08.44\00:45:13.24 BETHLEHEM, JUDAH, RIGHT? BETHLEHEM - THE HOUSE OF BREAD 00:45:13.24\00:45:16.71 - SHE LEAVES BECAUSE THERE'S NO BREAD THERE. SHE GOES TO MOAB, 00:45:16.71\00:45:20.92 WITH HER LOVING HUSBAND AND HER TWO BEAUTIFUL SONS. THEY GO 00:45:20.92\00:45:26.35 THERE AND SOON SOME TERRIBLE REVERSES HAPPEN AND SHE LOSES 00:45:26.35\00:45:29.42 HER HUSBAND. AFTER BEING THERE, HER SONS GET MARRIED TO TWO 00:45:29.42\00:45:34.63 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, RUTH AND ORPAH. 00:45:34.63\00:45:37.03 THEY ARE TOGETHER AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TEN YEARS? 00:45:37.03\00:45:41.00 >>HER SONS - >>HER SONS DIE - BOTH OF THEM. 00:45:41.00\00:45:43.44 CAN YOU IMAGINE? ALL THAT YOU HAVE LOVED, GONE. 00:45:43.44\00:45:48.94 'I LOST MY HUSBAND. I LOST MY SONS. 00:45:48.94\00:45:52.08 IT'S ALL GONE.' IN FACT, SHE SAYS, WHEN SHE COMES BACK WITH 00:45:52.08\00:45:55.92 RUTH, SHE COMES BACK TO BETHLEHEM, 'DON'T CALL ME NAOMI, 00:45:55.92\00:45:58.75 CALL ME' - WHAT? - 'MYRA - I'M BITTER. I'M NOT PLEASANT 00:45:58.75\00:46:03.89 ANYMORE. I'M BITTER.' WHAT A PICTURE YOU HAVE. 00:46:03.89\00:46:08.86 SO WE HAVE HERE LOVING HUSBAND AND SONS - NOW, EMPTY OF ALL 00:46:08.86\00:46:14.70 THINGS - WIDOW AND CHILDLESS. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? 00:46:14.70\00:46:21.51 GOD MOVES IN A MIRACULOUS WAY, THROUGH RUTH AND NAOMI, AND SHE 00:46:21.51\00:46:27.85 BECOMES THE GREAT, GREAT GRANDMOTHER OF DAVID. 00:46:27.85\00:46:32.49 SHE HAS A SO-LOVING FAMILY SURROUNDING HER AT ALL TIMES. 00:46:32.49\00:46:36.36 WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE - SHE BECOMES A GRANDMA. 00:46:36.36\00:46:38.56 AND SOME PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT GRANDMA'S LIKE THE BEST THING IN 00:46:38.56\00:46:40.16 THE WORLD. SHE HAS THAT TOO. 00:46:40.16\00:46:42.06 SO SHE HAS EVERYTHING BEING PULLED TOGETHER. 00:46:42.06\00:46:46.70 BEFORE - TERRIBLE REVERSE - AFTER. 00:46:46.70\00:46:52.67 ANOTHER PERSON I'D LIKE TO GIVE IS DANIEL. 00:46:52.67\00:46:54.71 HE WAS A SON OF THE JEWISH ELITE, YOU KNOW? 00:46:54.71\00:46:56.81 HE WAS ONE OF THE PRINCES. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S A PRINCE - 00:46:56.81\00:46:58.98 A ROYAL PRINCE, BUT HE WAS ONE OF THE PRINCES. 00:46:58.98\00:47:01.72 HE HAD EVERYTHING GOING FOR HIM - BRILLIANT, INTELLIGENT, HE WAS 00:47:01.72\00:47:04.82 TAKEN OFF FROM JUDAH AND HE BECAME A WHAT? 00:47:04.82\00:47:08.86 >>PRISONER. >>PRISONER. HE WAS A PRISONER, 00:47:08.86\00:47:12.79 OF COURSE. AND THEN HE WAS KIND OF GIVEN A 00:47:12.79\00:47:15.40 PRISONER/SCHOLAR/LEADER STATUS. BUT HE WENT THROUGH THAT. 00:47:15.40\00:47:22.27 WHAT IF HE WAS LAYING THERE - HE'S LAYING ON THE SAND AS HE'S 00:47:22.27\00:47:25.71 CROSSING THAT BIT OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT, HEADING BACK TO 00:47:25.71\00:47:30.01 BABYLON, HIS FEET ARE BLISTERED AND SORE, HIS CLOTHES ARE 00:47:30.01\00:47:33.88 FALLING OFF HIS BACK, HE'S REMEMBERING THAT GREAT FOOD HIS 00:47:33.88\00:47:37.05 MOM USED TO COOK AND HE SAYS, 'FORGET IT. 00:47:37.05\00:47:40.02 GOD HAS LEFT ME. IT'S NOT WORTH IT.' BUT HE DIDN'T. HE DIDN'T. 00:47:40.02\00:47:48.36 HE WENT THROUGH A TERRIBLE REVERSE BUT HE DETERMINED THAT 00:47:48.36\00:47:52.47 'WHEN I GO - WHEREVER I GO - I'M GOING TO STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD. 00:47:52.47\00:47:56.81 >>AMEN. >>WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MAN. 00:47:56.81\00:47:59.67 AND THEN THERE'S ONE LAST ONE I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT. HE WAS A 00:47:59.67\00:48:02.91 MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN - ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS OF 00:48:02.91\00:48:07.58 THE SANHEDRIN. >>PAUL. 00:48:07.58\00:48:08.92 >>PAUL. HE WAS A JEW OF THE JEWS - TRIBE 00:48:08.92\00:48:13.46 OF BENJAMIN - A PHARISEE AFTER THE STRICTEST COURT. 00:48:13.46\00:48:18.03 HE WAS THE TOP OF THE LINE IN THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE 00:48:18.03\00:48:22.06 JEWS. AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. 00:48:22.06\00:48:25.50 2 CORINTHIANS - HE MET JESUS. THIS IS - THIS IS ODD BUT 00:48:25.50\00:48:32.37 I LIKE FOR US TO SEE IT. HE MET JESUS AND HIS 00:48:32.37\00:48:34.84 LIFE HAD A REVERSE. SOMEONE CALLED IT TERRIBLE. 00:48:34.84\00:48:39.48 WOULD YOU MIND READING WITH ME 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11 AND VERSE 00:48:39.48\00:48:45.65 33 - 23, EXCUSE ME - 11:23 - PAUL SPEAKING, HE SAYS, "ARE 00:48:45.65\00:48:50.56 THEY MINISTERS OF CHRIST?" 00:48:50.56\00:48:52.19 - THEN HE PUT IN PARENTHESES - "(I SPEAK AS A FOOL) I AM MORE; 00:48:52.19\00:48:55.60 IN LABORS MORE ABUNDANT, IN STRIPES ABOVE MEASURE, IN 00:48:55.60\00:48:58.23 PRISONS MORE FREQUENT, IN DEATHS OFT." 00:48:58.23\00:49:01.04 WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE HE REALLY MADE A GOOD DEAL WHEN HE BECAME 00:49:01.04\00:49:03.04 A CHRISTIAN, WASN'T IT? HE CONTINUES ON - "OF THE JEWS 00:49:03.04\00:49:06.78 FIVE TIMES RECEIVED I FORTY STRIPES SAVE ONE. 00:49:06.78\00:49:09.94 THRICE I WAS BEATEN WITH RODS, ONCE WAS I STONED, THRICE I 00:49:09.94\00:49:13.28 SUFFERED SHIPWRECK, A NIGHT AND A DAY I HAVE BEEN IN THE DEEP;" 00:49:13.28\00:49:16.89 HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HIS LIFE? YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SAY IT: HOW 00:49:16.89\00:49:21.92 WOULD YOU DESCRIBE PAUL'S LIFE? >>MISERABLE. 00:49:21.92\00:49:24.43 >>MISERABLE. DANGEROUS. WOULD HE SAY IT WAS PAINFUL? 00:49:24.43\00:49:30.37 >>YES. >>WOULD YOU SAY THAT 00:49:30.37\00:49:32.07 PAUL HAD A PAINFUL LIFE? FORTY STRIPES WOULD KILL YOU. 00:49:32.07\00:49:36.34 HE HAD RECEIVED FORTY, SAVE ONE - THIRTY-NINE - FIVE TIMES. 00:49:36.34\00:49:39.97 HE WAS STONED AND LEFT FOR DEAD - FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY. 00:49:39.97\00:49:43.81 IT SAYS, "IN JOURNEYINGS OFTEN, IN PERILS OF WATERS, IN PERILS 00:49:43.81\00:49:46.21 OF ROBBERS, IN PERILS BY MINE OWN COUNTRYMEN, IN PERILS BY THE 00:49:46.21\00:49:48.65 HEATHEN, IN PERILS IN THE CITY, IN PERILS IN THE WILDERNESS, IN 00:49:48.65\00:49:51.22 PERILS IN THE SEA, IN PERILS AMONG FALSE BRETHREN; IN 00:49:51.22\00:49:53.92 WEARINESS AND PAINFULNESS, IN WATCHINGS OFTEN, IN HUNGER AND 00:49:53.92\00:49:56.93 THIRST, IN FASTINGS OFTEN, IN COLD AND NAKEDNESS. 00:49:56.93\00:49:59.79 BESIDE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE WITHOUT, THAT WHICH COMETH 00:49:59.79\00:50:02.13 UPON ME DAILY, THE CARE OF ALL THE CHURCHES." 00:50:02.13\00:50:05.07 THAT IS PAUL'S - SO PAUL WENT FROM BEING THIS - TOP OF THE 00:50:05.07\00:50:11.17 AREA WITH JEWISH LEADERSHIP - INTELLECTUALLY, SPIRITUALLY - TO 00:50:11.17\00:50:14.24 GETTING TO A PLACE WHERE HE'S BEING ALMOST KILLED CONSTANTLY. 00:50:14.24\00:50:21.45 HOW DOES HE LOOK AT THAT? 00:50:21.45\00:50:24.62 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 9. 00:50:24.62\00:50:31.73 THIS IS FALLING ON THE WAKE OF ONE OTHER THING, WHICH HE DID 00:50:31.73\00:50:36.13 NOT TELL YOU BEFORE: HE HAD A THORN IN THE FLESH - SOMETHING 00:50:36.13\00:50:40.47 HE JUST WISHED HE COULD GET RID OF. MANY BELIEVE IT WAS A 00:50:40.47\00:50:43.44 PHYSICAL AILMENT, BUT HE CALLED IT A MINISTER OF SATAN. 00:50:43.44\00:50:48.31 DO YOU HAVE ANY MINISTERS OF SATAN IN YOUR LIFE? 00:50:48.31\00:50:50.75 MAYBE YOU CAN CONNECT WITH PAUL. 'MAN, I CAN FEEL IT. 00:50:50.75\00:50:52.61 GOD, YOU JUST - THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING AND I JUST 00:50:52.61\00:50:55.98 WISH YOU WOULD STOP IT.' WELL, THAT'S WHAT HE HAD. 00:50:55.98\00:51:00.12 AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE 9 - "THIS IS WHAT GOD SAID UNTO 00:51:00.12\00:51:03.89 ME, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE: FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE 00:51:03.89\00:51:08.43 PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. MOST GLADLY THEREFORE WILL I 00:51:08.43\00:51:12.37 RATHER GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES, THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST 00:51:12.37\00:51:16.97 MAY REST UPON ME." THEN YOU'RE SURE THAT PAUL 00:51:16.97\00:51:20.01 HAS ALSO LOST HIS MIND. HE'S LOST EVERYTHING ELSE, 00:51:20.01\00:51:23.91 BUT HE'S LOSING HIS MIND TOO. WHY? 00:51:23.91\00:51:25.88 HE SAID, 'I'M GOING TO GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES.' 00:51:25.88\00:51:27.82 YOU GOT YOUR INFIRMITIES? WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A PRAISE 00:51:27.82\00:51:31.65 SESSION RIGHT NOW, FOR YOUR INFIRMITIES, BUT WE COULD. 00:51:31.65\00:51:33.89 HAVE YOU IMAGINED COMING TO CHURCH SOMETIME? 00:51:33.89\00:51:36.06 I SHOULD SUGGEST THIS TO THE PASTORS HERE AT GRANITE BAY. 00:51:36.06\00:51:38.93 LET'S HAVE A PRAISE SESSION FOR OUR INFIRMITIES. 00:51:38.93\00:51:42.10 'GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT I'M HURTING RIGHT NOW.' 00:51:42.10\00:51:47.40 WOULD WE EVER DO THAT? 00:51:47.40\00:51:49.77 BUT PAUL'S GLORYING IN HIS INFIRMITIES. 00:51:49.77\00:51:51.31 THEN HE SAYS THIS IN VERSE 10, "THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN 00:51:51.31\00:51:55.34 INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN 00:51:55.34\00:51:59.28 DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE:" - WHY? 00:51:59.28\00:52:03.52 - "FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG." 00:52:03.52\00:52:07.62 'WHEN I'M AT THE LOWEST PHYSICALLY - WHEN I'M THE LOWEST 00:52:07.62\00:52:10.29 SPIRITUALLY - WHEN I'M THE LOWEST INTELLECTUALLY AND 00:52:10.29\00:52:12.46 EMOTIONALLY, GOD CAN DO SOMETHING THROUGH ME IF I STAY 00:52:12.46\00:52:15.93 CONNECTED TO HIM. THAT'S AWESOME. 00:52:15.93\00:52:20.40 I DON'T TAKE PLEASURE IN MY INFIRMITIES. 00:52:20.40\00:52:22.44 I WANT TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR AS I'M STANDING UP HERE. 00:52:22.44\00:52:24.11 I AM NOT PAUL. BUT I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND 00:52:24.11\00:52:27.18 SAYING, 'WHAT IS PAUL TRYING TO TELL US? 00:52:27.18\00:52:29.31 YOU SEE, WE HAVE THIS COLUMN OF JOSEPH AND NAOMI AND DANIEL AND 00:52:29.31\00:52:33.75 PAUL - PERFECT LIVES, IF YOU WILL - AND THEN YOU MOVE TO THE 00:52:33.75\00:52:37.62 MIDDLE COLUMN AND EVERYTHING SEEMS LIKE IT'S FALLING APART. 00:52:37.62\00:52:41.69 I WANT TO TELL YOU, IT'S HOW YOU DEAL WITH THE MIDDLE COLUMN IN 00:52:41.69\00:52:43.73 YOUR LIFE THAT DETERMINES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. 00:52:43.73\00:52:45.96 >>AMEN. >>HOW YOU DEAL WITH THE MIDDLE 00:52:45.96\00:52:47.76 COLUMN OF PAIN - THE MIDDLE COLUMN OF THINGS FALLING APART - 00:52:47.76\00:52:51.10 THE MIDDLE COLUMN OF INFIRMITY - THE MIDDLE COLUMN OF PERSECUTION 00:52:51.10\00:52:53.77 - HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT DETERMINES WHETHER YOU LEAVE IT 00:52:53.77\00:52:57.07 - >>AMEN. >>OR YOU STAY IN IT. 00:52:57.07\00:53:01.61 DID PAUL GET - HIS PHYSICAL AILMENT LEAVE WHEN HE LEFT THE 00:53:01.61\00:53:06.72 MIDDLE COLUMN? NO. 00:53:06.72\00:53:08.75 DID THE PERSECUTION STOP WHEN HE LEFT THE MIDDLE COLUMN? 00:53:08.75\00:53:10.99 NO, BUT HIS MIND HAD CHANGED. WHAT ABOUT NAOMI? DID SHE GET 00:53:10.99\00:53:17.33 HER HUSBAND AND SONS BACK? NO. BUT GOD GAVE HER SOMETHING 00:53:17.33\00:53:22.53 ELSE TO LOVE, AMEN? WHAT ABOUT JOSEPH? 00:53:22.53\00:53:29.04 DID HE GET BACK THE 20 YEARS HE WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM HIS FATHER? 00:53:29.04\00:53:32.11 DID HE GET THAT BACK? >>NO. 00:53:32.11\00:53:33.64 >>NO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, GOD GAVE HIM SOMETHING ELSE TO LOVE. 00:53:33.64\00:53:43.22 I'M CONVINCED, FRIENDS, THAT OUR WORLD COMES WITH ITS FAIR SHARE 00:53:43.22\00:53:49.99 OF TRIALS. BUT I'M ALSO CONVINCED THAT HOW 00:53:49.99\00:53:53.76 WE DEAL WITH THE MIDDLE COLUMN - HOW WE DEAL WITH THE 00:53:53.76\00:53:57.37 PERSECUTIONS AND TRIALS DETERMINES WHETHER WE LEAVE A 00:53:57.37\00:54:01.64 LIFE OF BITTERNESS TO A LIFE OF LOVE AND HOPE, OR 00:54:01.64\00:54:04.47 WHETHER WE STAY THERE. >>AMEN. 00:54:04.47\00:54:07.34 >>I BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN DO THAT FOR US. 00:54:07.34\00:54:09.34 >>AMEN. >>BUT IT TAKES - IT TAKES 00:54:09.34\00:54:11.28 SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO FINISH IN THIS LESSON, BUT 00:54:11.28\00:54:14.18 I'M GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE I CAN'T LEAVE THE 00:54:14.18\00:54:15.18 LESSON LIKE THIS. IS THAT OKAY? >>AMEN. 00:54:15.18\00:54:17.62 >>PLEASE TURN WITH ME TO JAMES CHAPTER 1 - NO, I REALIZE THAT 00:54:17.62\00:54:25.76 THE ANSWER TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS TAKES PLACE IN LESSON 12 OR 13 00:54:25.76\00:54:29.10 OF THIS LESSON QUARTERLY, BUT I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL THEN FOR 00:54:29.10\00:54:31.40 ANSWERS. IS THAT OKAY? 00:54:31.40\00:54:33.03 LET'S LOOK AT JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSES 2 AND 4 - 2 THROUGH 4 - 00:54:33.03\00:54:42.08 "MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YE FALL INTO DIVERS 00:54:42.08\00:54:43.91 TEMPTATIONS;" - AGAIN, HE'S - JAMES IS BRINGING UP THE SAME 00:54:43.91\00:54:46.38 THING THAT PAUL DID - "KNOW THIS, THAT THE TRYING OF YOUR 00:54:46.38\00:54:48.72 FAITH WORKETH PATIENCE. BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK, 00:54:48.72\00:54:51.42 THAT YE MAY BE PERFECT AND ENTIRE, WANTING NOTHING." 00:54:51.42\00:54:53.56 HE SAID, 'THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ARE MOLDING YOU 00:54:53.56\00:54:55.96 AND MAKING YOU PERFECT.' INTERESTING. 00:54:55.96\00:54:59.83 SO WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH IS ACTUALLY A SHAPENING PROCESS. 00:54:59.83\00:55:03.06 YOU CAN'T SEE IT NOW, BUT FURTHER ALONG I'M GOING TO 00:55:03.06\00:55:05.33 UNDERSTAND. >>AMEN. 00:55:05.33\00:55:07.67 >>VERSE 12, "BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT EDURETH TEMPTATION: 00:55:07.67\00:55:11.94 FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED, HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, 00:55:11.94\00:55:14.98 WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM." 00:55:14.98\00:55:17.78 THERE'S A CROWN OF LIFE, MY FRIENDS, WAITING FOR EACH ONE OF 00:55:17.78\00:55:19.75 US. >>YES. 00:55:19.75\00:55:22.35 >>LET'S PRAY. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE RESTING 00:55:22.35\00:55:29.22 IN FAITH THIS MORNING, KNOWING THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO LOVES 00:55:29.22\00:55:34.03 US MORE THAN WE CAN IMAGINE. AND EVEN THOUGH OUR 00:55:34.03\00:55:38.40 UNDERSTANDING IS NOT NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SEEING THROUGH A 00:55:38.40\00:55:42.30 GLASS DARKLY, WE DO REALIZE THAT FURTHER ALONG WE'LL 00:55:42.30\00:55:48.14 KNOW ALL ABOUT IT. FURTHER ALONG WE'LL UNDERSTAND. 00:55:48.14\00:55:52.88 GIVE US JOY IN YOU THIS MORNING THAT WE MAY MOVE FROM THE MIDDLE 00:55:52.88\00:55:58.89 COLUMN OF TRIAL AND STRESS IN OUR LIFE, TO THE COLUMN OF FAITH 00:55:58.89\00:56:03.39 AND LOVE IN CHRIST JESUS. WE PRAY FOR THIS AND ASK 00:56:03.39\00:56:08.83 IN THE NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. (MUSIC) 00:56:08.83\00:56:24.05 >>HAVE YOU EVER WORRIED THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME 00:56:24.05\00:56:25.71 IN YOUR DAYS? OR YOU CAN ADD ANOTHER DAY TO YOUR LIFE? 00:56:25.71\00:56:28.95 WELL, PERHAPS THERE IS A WAY FOR YOU TO ADD ANOTHER WHOLE DAY TO 00:56:28.95\00:56:32.15 YOUR EXISTENCE. WATCH HOW EASY IT IS. 00:56:32.15\00:56:36.16 I JUST STEPPED INTO YESTERDAY. 00:56:36.16\00:56:38.09 NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE OR BACK IN 00:56:38.09\00:56:40.70 HISTORY; I HAPPEN TO BE STANDING HERE IN TAVEUNI, FIJI, ONE OF 00:56:40.70\00:56:44.80 THE ONLY PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL MERIDIAN 00:56:44.80\00:56:48.00 DATELINE RUNS THROUGH A PIECE OF LAND. 00:56:48.00\00:56:51.34 PEOPLE HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO PLAY WITH TIME THIS WAY. 00:56:51.34\00:56:54.31 BACK IN 1878, SIR SANFORD FLEMING, A CANADIAN, HE 00:56:54.31\00:56:58.21 RECOMMENDED TO THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY OF THE WORLD THAT THE 00:56:58.21\00:57:01.15 GLOBE BE DIVIDED IN 24 EVEN SEGMENTS, EACH SEPARATED BY 15 00:57:01.15\00:57:06.15 DEGREES OF LONGITUDE, THAT WOULD ESTABLISH THE INTERNATIONAL TIME 00:57:06.15\00:57:09.89 SYSTEM. IN 1884, THERE WAS A PRIME 00:57:09.89\00:57:12.76 MERIDIAN CONFERENCE HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO STANDARDIZE 00:57:12.76\00:57:16.10 TIME AND SELECT A POINT FOR THE PRIME MERIDIAN, WHICH WOULD 00:57:16.10\00:57:19.80 BE ZERO DEGREES ON THE GLOBE. IT ENDED UP BEING GREENWICH, 00:57:19.80\00:57:23.17 ENGLAND, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE. 00:57:23.17\00:57:25.21 WE ARE ON THE POLAR OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLANET RIGHT NOW, 00:57:25.21\00:57:28.54 BUT WE'RE GOING TO STEP INTO THE FUTURE - WANT TO COME? 00:57:28.54\00:57:32.58 AND LOOK AT THAT, THE LORD IS STILL WITH US, EVEN HERE. 00:57:32.58\00:57:35.52 HE'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, FRIENDS, WHEREVER YOU GO. 00:57:35.52\00:57:38.29 FRIENDS, DO YOU SOMETIMES WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE? 00:57:38.29\00:57:40.49 WHAT WILL YOU EAT? WILL YOU HAVE A HOME? 00:57:40.49\00:57:42.52 ARE YOU GOING TO STILL HAVE YOUR JOB? WHAT WILL YOU WEAR? 00:57:42.52\00:57:46.16 JESUS TELLS US IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, VERSES 25 THROUGH 34, 00:57:46.16\00:57:50.30 'DON'T TAKE THOUGHT FOR TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL TAKE 00:57:50.30\00:57:52.70 THOUGHT FOR THE THINGS OF ITSELF.' HE TELLS US THAT HE 00:57:52.70\00:57:55.84 FEEDS THE BIRDS AND HE CLOTHES THE FLOWERS - HE'LL TAKE CARE OF 00:57:55.84\00:57:59.04 US. WE KNOW THAT GOD'LL WATCH OVER 00:57:59.04\00:58:01.04 US, FORGIVES THE PAST, HE PROMISES TO BE WITH US IN THE 00:58:01.04\00:58:05.41 PRESENT, AND HE WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD US IN THE FUTURE - BUT 00:58:05.41\00:58:09.28 YOU'VE JUST GOT TO GIVE YOURSELF TO HIM. 00:58:09.28\00:58:11.32 I INVITE YOU TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW. 00:58:11.32\00:58:13.49 (MUSIC) 00:58:13.49\00:58:28.47