Participants: Chuck Holtry
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021644A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:38 A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS JOINING US ACROSS THE 00:40 COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR OUR BIBLE STUDY TIME TODAY. 00:44 ALSO, A WARM WELCOME TO OUR MEMBERS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY 00:47 CHURCH AND THOSE WHO ARE VISITING US FROM ALL OVER THE 00:50 COUNTRY. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME INTERNATIONAL VISITORS THIS 00:53 MORNING; A VERY WARM WELCOME TO YOU AS WELL. 00:56 WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING, THROUGH OUR LESSON QUARTERLY, DEALING 00:58 WITH THE BOOK OF JOB AND TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #5 01:02 ENTITLED CURSE THE DAY - INTERESTING STUDY AS WE LOOK AT 01:05 THE VARIOUS ASPECTS ILLUSTRATED IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT BOOK IN 01:09 THE OLD TESTAMENT. 01:11 NOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF TODAY'S LESSON - THAT'S LESSON 01:13 #5 FOR OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US. 01:15 YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG 01:20 - AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD LESSON #5 AND STUDY ALONG WITH US. 01:24 WE'LL BE GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO 01:27 FILL IN THE ANSWERS AS YOU STUDY ALONG. 01:30 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY. 01:33 IT'S A DVD ENTITLED COSMIC CONFLICT AND THIS IS OUR FREE 01:37 OFFER TODAY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE IT, 01:39 GIVE US A CALL ON OUR RESOURCE PHONE NUMBER. 01:41 THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #809. 01:50 THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966. 01:54 ASK FOR OFFER #809 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THE COSMIC 01:58 CONFLICT AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. 02:02 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO 02:04 BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN PRAISE. 02:06 I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME JOIN ME AND 02:08 THEY'LL LEAD US IN A FEW HYMNS THIS MORNING. 02:12 (PIANO MUSIC) >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 02:19 WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE AND SING SONGS WITH YOU AND THOSE OF 02:22 YOU WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US, YOU'RE READY TO SING - 02:26 I KNOW YOU ARE. AND I KNOW THOSE OF YOU AT HOME DEFINITELY ARE 02:29 BECAUSE YOU LOVE SINGING YOUR HYMNS WITH US HERE AT GRANITE 02:32 BAY AND WE LOVE SINGING WITH YOU. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH 02:35 ONE OF THE FAVORITES THAT I KNOW IS ALL AROUND THE WORLD - 02:40 BECAUSE HE LIVES - AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THE HOPEFUL MESSAGE 02:43 OF THIS SONG WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH DEPRESSING NEWS, THIS IS 02:48 TRULY A - THE PERFECT SONG TO SING BECAUSE - BECAUSE HE LIVES 02:53 I CAN FACE TOMORROW. JOIN WITH US - #526 - #526 - BOTH STANZAS. 03:00 (PIANO MUSIC) >>GOD SENT HIS SON, THEY CALLED 03:29 HIM JESUS, HE CAME TO LOVE, HEAL, AND FORGIVE; HE LIVED AND 03:43 DIED TO BUY MY PARDON, AN EMPTY GRAVE IS THERE TO PROVE MY 03:55 SAVIOR LIVES. BECAUSE HE LIVES I CAN FACE 04:04 TOMORROW, BECAUSE HE LIVES ALL FEAR IS GONE; BECAUSE I 04:17 KNOW HE HOLDS THE FUTURE. ALL LIFE IS WORTH THE LIVING 04:28 JUST BECAUSE HE LIVES. HOW SWEET TO HOLD A NEWBORN 04:40 BABY, AND FEEL THE PRIDE, AND JOY HE GIVES; BUT GREATER STILL 04:55 THE CALM ASSURANCE, THIS CHILD CAN FACE UNCERTAIN 05:03 DAYS BECAUSE HE LIVES. BECAUSE HE LIVES I CAN FACE 05:14 TOMORROW, BECAUSE HE LIVES ALL FEAR IS GONE; BECAUSE I 05:26 KNOW HE HOLDS THE FUTURE. AND LIFE IS WORTH THE LIVING 05:38 JUST BECAUSE HE LIVES. >>AMEN. 05:48 IN KEEPING WITH OUR FAITH AND TRUST SONGS, MY FAITH HAS FOUND 05:53 A RESTING PLACE - #523 - JUST A COUPLE PAGES THE OTHER 05:56 DIRECTION. WE'RE GOING TO SING THE FIRST, 05:59 SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS - #523. (PIANO MUSIC) 06:12 >>MY FAITH HAS FOUND A RESTING PLACE, NOT IN A MAN-MADE CREED; 06:20 I TRUST THE EVER LIVING ONE, THAT HE FOR ME WILL PLEAD. 06:28 I NEED NO OTHER EVIDENCE, I NEED NO OTHER PLEA; IT IS ENOUGH THAT 06:39 JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR ME. 06:45 ENOUGH FOR ME THAT JESUS SAVES, THIS ENDS MY FEAR AND DOUBT; A 06:53 SINFUL SOUL I COME TO HIM, HE WILL NOT CAST ME OUT. 07:01 I NEED NO OTHER EVIDENCE, I NEED NO OTHER PLEA; IT IS ENOUGH THAT 07:11 JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR ME. 07:18 THE GREAT PHYSICIAN HEALS THE SICK, THE LOST HE CAME TO SAVE; 07:26 FOR ME HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD HE SHED, FOR ME HIS LIFE HE GAVE. 07:34 I NEED NO OTHER EVIDENCE, I NEED NO OTHER PLEA; IT IS ENOUGH THAT 07:44 JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR ME. 07:55 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING WITH US FOR OUR SONGS. 07:57 WE LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING WITH YOU ONE DAY ON THE STREETS OF 08:01 GOLD WHERE WE CAN SING MORE OF OUR FAVORITE SONGS TOGETHER AS 08:05 OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD. AT THIS TIME, PASTOR JËAN 08:09 ROSS WILL BE HAVING OUR OPENING PRAYER FOR US. 08:16 >>LET US BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 08:18 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS FOR US TO BE 08:21 ABLE TO LIFT OUR VOICES IN PRAISE TO YOU FOR THE MANY 08:24 BLESSINGS THAT YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON ALL OF US. 08:26 AND NOW, AS WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO OUR STUDY THIS 08:28 MORNING, I WANT TO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR 08:31 HEARTS AND OUR MINDS - LEAD US INTO A CLEARER AND FULLER 08:34 UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR WORD AND THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WANT US TO 08:38 LEARN, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 08:42 OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY THE 08:44 DIRECTOR OF THE AFCOE PROGRAM. 08:47 AFCOE IS THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF EVANGELISM. 08:50 HE'S A MEMBER RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. 08:53 SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE CHUCK TO COME JOIN ME AND CHUCK WILL BE 08:56 BRINGING US OUR LESSON AT THIS TIME. 09:02 >>GOOD MORNING. >>GOOD MORNING. 09:04 >>HAPPY SABBATH. >>HAPPY SABBATH. 09:06 >>I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING. 09:09 I JUST WANT TO WELCOME EACH ONE OF YOU HERE AT GRANITE BAY. 09:14 AND ALSO, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OTHERS WHO ARE PROBABLY WATCHING 09:17 AND I WANT TO WELCOME EACH ONE OF YOU TO OUR STUDY THIS 09:19 MORNING. WHO IS THE WRITER OF JOB? 09:25 >>MOSES. >>MOSES WAS THE WRITER OF JOB. 09:27 SO WHEN DID MOSES WRITE JOB? >>IN THE WILDERNESS. 09:33 >>IN THE WILDERNESS. THAT'S RIGHT. WHAT TIME IN THE 09:34 WILDERNESS? WAS IT AFTER THE EXODUS OR BEFORE THE EXODUS? 09:37 >>BEFORE. >>IT'S BEFORE THE EXODUS. 09:39 WAS IT - SO HE WOULD HAVE JUST FLED FOR HIS LIFE FROM EGYPT AND 09:45 NOW HE'S IN THE WILDERNESS - INTERESTING. 09:51 WOULD HE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A - A BIG REVERSE 09:55 IN HIS LIFE? I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT. 09:57 HE WAS THE DARLING CHILD OF THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE. 10:03 HE WAS THE HERO OF THEIR ARMY. HE WAS THE GENERAL BAR NONE. 10:09 YOU READ ABOUT STEPHEN COMMENTED ON IN ACTS CHAPTER 7, WHEN 10:13 HE GIVES HIS DEFENSE BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN. 10:15 IT'S INTERESTING, HE WAS UNSURPASSED IN HIS WISDOM, 10:19 UNSURPASSED IN HIS KNOWLEDGE. 10:21 HE WAS A BRILLIANT MAN - TOP OF THE LADDER. 10:24 AND NOW HE GOES FROM THE TOP OF THE LADDER TO NOW BEING THE TOP 10:28 OF THE MOST WANTED LIST FOR THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE. 10:31 WHAT A REVERSE. BUT THEN GOD SENDS HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO IMPRESS 10:36 HIM TO WRITE A BOOK - A BOOK ABOUT ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD A HUGE 10:41 REVERSE IN HIS LIFE. I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO THIS 10:43 AT THE END OF OUR LESSON, BUT I WANTED TO GET US STARTED 10:45 WITH THINKING, 'WHAT ARE SOME REVERSES? 10:47 WHAT ARE SOME BIBLE CHARACTERS THAT HAVE HAD HUGE REVERSES IN 10:50 THEIR LIVES?' THEY WENT FROM BEING HERE TO BEING HERE. 10:54 FROM HAVING EVERYTHING TO MAYBE HAVING NOTHING. 10:58 WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT THROUGH THE EYES OF JOB AND 11:01 THEN LOOK AT SOME OTHER BIBLE CHARACTERS AS WE CLOSE UP OUR 11:03 LESSON. NOW, LAST WEEK, WE LOOKED AT THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, 11:09 IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY. THIS WEEK, THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. 11:15 IF YOU DON'T MIND TURNING WITH ME TO JOB CHAPTER 3. 11:18 BEFORE WE START IN JOB 3, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT A FEW PORTIONS 11:23 JUST PRECEDING IT. THE LAST VERSE WE LOOKED AT 11:29 IN OUR LAST STUDY WAS JOB'S RESPONSE TO HIS WIFE. 11:35 IT SAYS, "IN ALL THIS DID NOT JOB SIN WITH HIS LIPS." 11:39 NOW LOOK AT VERSE 11, "NOW WHEN JOB'S THREE FRIENDS HEARD OF ALL 11:43 THIS EVIL THAT WAS COME UPON HIM, THEY CAME EVERY ONE FROM 11:46 HIS OWN PLACE;" - SO NOW HE HAS THREE FRIENDS COMING TO JOIN 11:50 HIM. THIS IS JOB - EXCUSE ME - 11:52 JOB CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 11. YOU HAVE ELIPHAZ, BILDAD, 11:57 ZOPHAR - "FOR THEY HAD MADE AN APPOINTMENT TOGETHER TO COME TO 12:00 MOURN WITH HIM AND TO COMFORT HIM." 12:04 IT SAYS IN VERSE 12, "AND WHEN THEY LIFTED UP THEIR EYES AFAR 12:07 OFF, AND KNEW HIM NOT, THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE, AND WEPT; 12:10 AND THEY RENT EVERY ONE HIS MANTLE, AND SPRINKLED DUST UPON 12:14 THEIR HEADS TOWARD HEAVEN." - A SIGN OF EXTREME MOURNING. 12:19 THEY SEE JOB, THEY WALK UP TO WHERE JOB IS AT, THEY REND THEIR 12:23 OWN GARMENTS, THEY PUT - THROW DUST UP IN THE AIR - LANDS ON 12:26 TOP OF THEM. THEY'RE JUST FEELING TERRIBLE. 12:28 THEN IT SAYS THIS IN VERSE 13, "SO THEY SAT DOWN WITH HIM UPON 12:33 THE GROUND" - HOW LONG? >>SEVEN DAYS. 12:35 >>SEVEN DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS, AND NONE" - DID WHAT? 12:41 - "NONE SPAKE A WORD UNTO HIM:" - QUITE FRANKLY, I HEARD ONE 12:46 COMMENTATOR SAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THEY HAD JUST 12:48 KEPT THAT POSITION FOR THE REST OF THEIR TIME - QUIET. 12:51 UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN'T. - "NONE SPAKE A WORD UNTO HIM: 12:55 FOR THEY SAW THAT HIS GRIEF WAS VERY GREAT." 12:57 DO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON WHO'S GOING THROUGH A 12:58 REALLY DIFFICULT TIME - AND I THINK WE'VE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED 13:00 THIS IN A SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON NOT TOO DISTANT PAST - SOMETIMES 13:03 THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS JUST TO BE THERE, RIGHT? 13:05 JUST TO BE THERE. AND THAT'S WHAT HIS FRIENDS ARE 13:07 DOING, THEY'RE SITTING THERE JUST SITTING NEXT TO HIM, GOING 13:11 THROUGH HIS PAIN WITH HIM. AND THEN, WHAT OUR FOCUS IS, 13:16 IS CHAPTER 3, CHAPTER 6, AND CHAPTER 7. 13:20 THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PLACES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY. 13:22 CHAPTER 3 IS JOB'S INITIAL - SOME PEOPLE CALL IT - LAMENT. 13:27 HIS INITIAL CRY OF FRUSTRATION. AND THEN YOU HAVE ELIPHAZ SAID 13:32 SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS TO HIM. 13:35 WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT THAT. THAT'S GOING TO BE LOOKED AT 13:36 NEXT WEEK, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT JOB'S RESPONSE TO HIM 13:39 IN CHAPTER 6 AND CHAPTER 7. SO LET'S LOOK AT CHAPTER 3. 13:42 THIS IS THE INITIAL RESPONSE OF JOAB - JOB: "AND JOB SPAKE, AND 13:49 SAID," - VERSE 3 - "LET THE DAY PERISH WHEREIN I WAS BORN, AND 13:55 THE NIGHT IN WHICH IT WAS SAID, 'THERE IS A MAN CHILD 13:58 CONCEIVED.' LET THAT DAY BE DARKNESS; LET NOT GOD REGARD IT 14:03 FROM ABOVE, NEITHER LET THE LIGHT SHINE UPON IT. 14:05 LET DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH STAIN IT; LET A CLOUD 14:09 DWELL UPON IT; LET THE BLACKNESS OF THE DAY TERRIFY IT. 14:13 AS FOR THAT NIGHT, LET DARKNESS SEIZE UPON IT; LET IT NOT BE 14:16 JOINED UNTO THE DAYS OF THE YEAR, LET IT NOT COME INTO THE 14:19 NUMBER OF THE MONTHS. LO, LET THAT NIGHT BE SOLITARY, 14:23 LET NO JOYFUL VOICE COME THEREIN. LET THEM CURSE IT THAT 14:29 CURSE THE DAY, WHO ARE READY TO RAISE UP THEIR MOURNING. 14:34 LET THE STARS OF THE TWILIGHT THEREOF BE DARK; LET IT LOOK FOR 14:37 LIGHT, BUT HAVE NONE; NEITHER LET IS SEE THE DAWNING OF THE 14:40 DAY: BECAUSE IT SHUT NOT UP THE DOORS OF MY MOTHER'S WOMB, NOR 14:44 HID SORROW FROM MINE EYES." WOW, WHAT A PICTURE. 14:54 'I WISH I WASN'T BORN.' HE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE POETIC THAN I AM 15:03 - MORE THAN WE WOULD BE IN OUR CULTURE TODAY. 15:05 'I WISH I WASN'T BORN.' HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE THAT? 15:19 I WOULD GUESS THAT PROBABLY EVERY PERSON, AT SOME TIME IN 15:22 THEIR EXPERIENCE, HAS FELT THAT WAY - 'I JUST WISH I WASN'T 15:26 BORN.' MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT. 15:30 I'M GOING TO DO SOME QUESTIONS - AND I KNOW IT'S STRESSFUL A 15:33 LITTLE BIT, SO WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING, I'LL REPEAT IT SO OUR 15:36 WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE CAN LISTEN TO US. 15:38 BUT DO YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO QUESTIONED WHETHER 15:42 LIFE WAS WORTH LIVING? CAN YOU THINK OF - SORRY? 15:46 >>JONAH. >>JONAH - YES, JONAH. 15:49 NOW, JONAH, HE HAD SOME INTERESTING REASONS FOR 15:52 QUESTIONING WHY LIFE WAS WORTH LIVING. 15:54 IF YOU TURN TO JONAH CHAPTER 4, WE'RE GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT 15:57 OF A BIBLE STUDY THIS MORNING - JONAH CHAPTER 4 - JONAH HAS 16:02 FOLLOWED GOD'S COMMAND AND HE HAS GONE OUT AND PREACHED AT 16:08 NINEVEH. NOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND JONAH. 16:13 HE'S NOT THE TOPIC OF OUR STUDY, BUT HE REALLY WISHED THAT THE 16:16 NINEVITES GOT WHAT THEY HAD COMING TO THEM. 16:18 AND THEY DIDN'T. AND HE GOT REALLY FRUSTRATED. 16:20 LOOK WHAT IT SAYS IN VERSE 3 - ACTUALLY VERSE 2 - WHEN HE 16:23 PRAYED UNTO THE LORD AND SAID, "I PRAY THEE, O LORD, WAS NOT 16:27 THIS MY SAYING, WHEN I WAS YET IN MY COUNTRY? 16:30 THEREFORE I FLED BEFORE UNTO TARSHISH: FOR I KNEW THAT THOU 16:33 ART A GRACIOUS GOD, AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF 16:36 GREAT KINDNESS, AND REPENTEST THEE OF THE EVIL. 16:39 THEREFORE NOW, O LORD, TAKE, I BESEECH THEE, MY LIFE FROM ME; 16:43 FOR IT IS BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE." 16:45 'YOU'RE TOO GRACIOUS, GOD. TOO MUCH MERCY.' I DON'T THINK 16:51 I'D BE THE KIND OF PERSON TO PRAY THAT PRAYER. 16:53 I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE, BUT I THINK THE KIND OF PRAYER 16:56 WE NEED TO BE PRAYING IS 'GOD, PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND 16:58 GRACE.' >>AMEN. 17:00 >>'I NEED EVERY OUNCE YOU HAVE.' JONAH GETS MAD. HE GOES, 17:04 'I'D RATHER DIE THAN SEE THEM REPENT.' KIND OF THE OPPOSITE 17:07 FEELING OF WHAT WE EXPECT IN AN EVANGELIST - AM I RIGHT? 17:10 LOOK AT VERSE 8 - HE ACTUALLY - I'LL GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND: A 17:16 GOURD WAS - GOD HAD A GOURD GROW AND IT GREW SO FAST THAT IT 17:20 ACTUALLY CREATED A SHADE FOR JONAH AS HE WAS SITTING OUTSIDE 17:23 THE CITY OF NINEVEH HOPING THAT IT'S GOING TO GET DESTROYED. 17:26 SORRY, I'M GIVING A PICTURE, OKAY? 17:28 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S ENJOYING THE SHADE, HE'S 17:30 ENJOYING IT - ALL OF A SUDDEN A WORM COMES AND KILLS THE GOURD. 17:33 IT DIES AND THE SHADE LEAVES AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS, "AND IT 17:38 CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE SUN DID ARISE, THAT GOD PREPARED A 17:41 VEHEMENT EAST WIND; AND THE SUN BEAT UPON THE HEAD OF JONAH, 17:45 THAT HE FAINTED, AND WISHED IN HIMSELF TO DIE, AND SAID, 'IT IS 17:48 BETTER FOR ME TO DIE THAN TO LIVE.'" JONAH'S A KIND OF 17:51 EMOTIONAL GUY. HAVE YOU SENSED THAT? 17:53 WE COULD USE THE WORD 'MOODY'. IS THAT OKAY IF I 17:54 USE THE WORD 'MOODY'? WE SEE SOME OF THAT HAPPENING. 17:57 SO JONAH IS ONE EXAMPLE OF A PERSON WHO WISHED THEY COULD 17:59 DIE. WHO'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE 18:00 WHO WISHED THEY COULD DIE? KIND OF GETTING AN OVERVIEW 18:04 AS WE'RE GOING INTO JONAH'S EXPERIENCE HERE. 18:07 I'LL GIVE YOU ONE. IS THAT OKAY? I HAVE A WHOLE LIST HERE. 18:10 I REMEMBER SOMEONE BY THE NAME OF DAVID. 18:14 WHEN DID DAVID WISH HE COULD DIE? WHEN WAS IT? 18:19 YOU SAY, 'WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE TIMES.' I'M GOING TO GO TO 2 18:21 SAMUEL 18 - 2 SAMUEL 18 - AND I FIND THIS SPECIAL BECAUSE, AS A 18:27 FATHER, I CAN CONNECT, A LITTLE BIT, WITH THE FEELINGS OF DAVID 18:32 HERE. 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 18. THERE'S A BATTLE BETWEEN JOAB 18:40 AND DAVID'S FORCES AND ABSALOM AND HE REBEL FORCES. 18:44 ABSALOM IS KILLED IN THE PROCESS AND DAVID HAS PRAYED THAT 18:47 ABSALOM WOULDN'T BE KILLED, BUT HE IS. 18:50 DAVID FINDS OUT AND HERE IS HIS RESPONSE IN VERSE 33, "AND THE 18:54 KING WAS MUCH MOVED, AND WENT UP TO THE CHAMBER OVER THE GATE, 18:57 AND WEPT: AND AS HE WENT, THUS HE SAID, 'O MY SON ABSALOM, MY 19:02 SON, MY SON ABSALOM! WOULD GOD I HAD DIED FOR THEE, 19:08 O ABSALOM, MY SON, MY SON!'" 'I WISH I WAS DEAD INSTEAD 19:12 OF HIM.' SO TOTALLY DIFFERENT REASONS. 19:15 JONAH, WE KIND OF HAVE THAT PICTURE OF ABSOLUTE SELFISHNESS, 19:18 IN A WAY. AND DAVID, THAT LACK OF 19:21 SELFISHNESS - BOTH OF THEM WISHING THEY HAD DIED - FOR 19:25 TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT REASONS. ANY OTHER ONES? 19:26 I'M GIVING YOU SOME TIME TO THINK BECAUSE THERE'S QUITE A 19:27 FEW. >>ELIJAH. 19:29 >>ELIJAH, THAT'S RIGHT. YOU REMEMBER ELIJAH? 19:32 HE'S JUST FINISHED HIS EXPERIENCE ON MOUNT CARMEL. 19:35 HE SAW GOD ANSWER WITH FIRE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. 19:37 IT WAS A TREMENDOUS DAY OF VICTORY FOR GOD'S PEOPLE. 19:41 HE GETS BACK, HE RUNS BEFORE AHAB'S CHARIOT THE WHOLE WAY TO 19:43 THE GATES OF SAMARIA, LAYS OUTSIDE THE WALLS - THAT MORNING 19:48 - OR THAT EVENING HE GETS A LITTLE NOTE. 19:51 A MESSENGER COMES AND SAYS, 'JEZEBEL SAID SHE'S GOING TO 19:54 KILL YOU.' - I'M PARAPHRASING. AND HE STARTS RUNNING. 19:58 HE GETS A DAY OUT AND THIS IS - IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THIS 20:01 IS FOUND, THIS IS 1 KINGS 19 - 1 KINGS 19 - HE GETS A DAY OUT - 20:06 GOD COMES TO SPEAK TO HIM - 1 KINGS 19 AND VERSE 4 - THIS IS 20:12 THE RESPONSE OF ELIJAH TO GOD, "IT IS ENOUGH; NOW, O LORD, TAKE 20:26 AWAY MY LIFE; FOR I AM NOT BETTER THAN MY FATHERS." 20:29 'IT IS ENOUGH. I'M NOT BETTER THAN MY FATHERS.' 20:32 I AM GLAD THAT GOD DOES NOT ANSWER THE PRAYER OF JONAH. 20:39 I'M GLAD HE DOESN'T ANSWER THE PRAYER OF - WHO WERE WE JUST 20:43 TALKING ABOUT? >>ELIJAH. 20:45 >>THANK YOU, MY BRAIN JUST LEFT ME THERE. 20:47 AND HE DOESN'T ANSWER THE PRAYER OF DAVID. 20:50 HE DOESN'T DO THAT. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOMETIMES, I 20:52 BELIEVE, IN OUR EXPERIENCE, WE WISH IT WAS JUST OVER AND GOD 20:56 KNOWS - BECAUSE HE CAN SEE THE END FROM THE BEGINNING - THAT 20:59 THIS IS JUST MOMENTARY - IT'S JUST A SHORT TIME. 21:03 THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON - AND I'M GOING TO JUST FOCUS ON TWO 21:07 MORE FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. ONE WAS THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER. 21:09 YOU REMEMBER THAT STORY IN ACTS CHAPTER 16? 21:11 HE WAS GOING TO KILL HIMSELF BECAUSE HE SAW ALL THE PRISONERS 21:14 ESCAPED AND HE KNEW IF THEY ALL ESCAPED HE WAS GOING TO BE 21:16 KILLED ANYHOW, SO HE MIGHT AS WELL COMMIT SUICIDE AND HAVE IT 21:18 DONE WITH. THAT WAS ONE PERSON. AND JEREMIAH WAS ANOTHER MAN 21:22 WHO WISHED THAT HE WOULD DIE. JEREMIAH IS INTERESTING. 21:25 IF YOU DON'T MIND TURNING TO JEREMIAH CHAPTER 20, VERSE 14. 21:29 WE'RE STARTING OUT - WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STORY OF JOB AND 21:33 JOB HAS SAID, 'I WISH THAT I WAS NEVER BORN.' AND WE'RE LOOKING 21:37 AT THAT LAMENT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE 21:41 THAT FELT SIMILARLY. JEREMIAH CHAPTER 20 AND VERSE 21:44 14, "CURSED BE THE DAY WHEREIN I WAS BORN: LET NOT THE DAY 21:50 WHEREIN MY MOTHER BARE ME BE BLESSED." 21:53 WOW - CURSED BE THE DAY I WAS BORN - THAT'S JEREMIAH 20:14. 22:00 WHAT STRONG FEELINGS. JEREMIAH'S SAYING THAT BECAUSE 22:03 HE'S FEELING A LOT OF REPROACH. HE'S BEEN ASKED TO GIVE A 22:06 MESSAGE THAT'S NOT POPULAR. 'WHY AM I DOING THIS, GOD?' 22:14 YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A PROGRESSION OF THOUGHT TODAY. 22:16 THE PROGRESSION'S GOING TO START OUT WITH THIS: 'I WISH I WASN'T 22:19 BORN' TO 'I WISH I HAD DIED BEFORE NOW' - 'I WISH I HAD DIED 22:25 BEFORE THE TRAGEDY TOOK PLACE' TO - ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT 22:27 ONE? TRYING TO REMEMBER IT OFF THE 22:29 TOP OF MY HEAD - THE NEXT ONE IS, 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M 22:32 GOING THROUGH.' HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT WAY? 22:35 WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE. THAT'S WHAT - THAT'S THE JOB 22:37 FEELING - 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH'. 22:39 AND THEN, A FINAL ONE, IS THE QUESTION THAT MOST OF US ASK AT 22:42 SOME POINT IN OUR EXPERIENCE, 'WHY?' 22:45 SO WE'RE GOING TO START OUT WITH 'I WISH I WASN'T BORN' AND WE'RE 22:49 GOING TO FINISH WITH THE QUESTION OF 'WHY?' 22:51 NOW, I DON'T THINK ANY SPEAKER, ANY TEACHER, ANY HUMAN BEING ON 22:55 THIS PLANET COULD FULLY ANSWER WHY. BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOD. 23:01 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VERSE IN PSALMS THAT SAYS, 'YOU'RE GOD IN 23:04 HEAVEN, I'M HERE ON EARTH.' AND SO MANY TIMES, I THINK THAT YOU 23:07 AND I, IN OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE, HAVE TO DO THAT - 23:09 PUT UP OUR HANDS AND SAY, 'YOU'RE GOD. 23:11 I'M NOT.' >>AMEN. 23:13 >>IN FACT, THAT'S HOW GOD SPENDS CHAPTER 38, 39, 40, AND 41 - 23:17 RESPONDING TO JOB. BUT LET'S CONTINUE. 23:23 JOB HAD EVERYTHING, AM I RIGHT? >>YES. 23:28 >>YEAH, HE HAD THE PERFECT HOME, HE HAD PLENTY OF MONEY, HE HAD 23:33 REPUTATION, HE HAD WHAT A GUY LIKES - HE HAD A GOOD 23:36 REPUTATION, HE HAD A GOOD HOME, HE HAD PLENTY OF FINANCES - ALL 23:40 THE TOYS THAT YOU WANT - YOU KNOW, THE FASTEST CAMELS, RIGHT? 23:43 HE HAD EVERYTHING THAT HE DESIRED. 23:45 SO HE IS - HAS 'IT', BUT THEN HE LOSES IT IN ONE DAY - HE LOSES 23:53 MOST OF IT - THEN HE LOSES HIS HEALTH. 23:57 IS IT AMAZING A PERSON CAN GO FROM A PERFECT LIFE TO A 24:02 TERRIBLE EXISTENCE SO QUICKLY? THAT LOSS CAN MAKE 24:08 YOU FEEL THAT WAY? MY WIFE WARNS ME, SOMETIMES 24:18 ABOUT GETTING PHILOSOPHICAL. I'M GOING TO GET A 24:19 LITTLE PHILOSOPHICAL. IS THAT OKAY? 24:21 I THINK JOB IS A PHILOSOPHICAL BOOK AND HE'S PUSHING SOME 24:24 PHILOSOPHY AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW THINGS WITH YOU. 24:26 I BELIEVE IT'S LOSING WHAT WE LOVE THAT MAKES OUR LIVES BITTER 24:32 OR HARD. >>AMEN. 24:35 >>YEAH? >>YES. 24:38 >>THE LESS WE LOVE SOMETHING, THE EASIER IT IS TO LOSE IT. 24:44 THE MORE WE LOVE SOMETHING, THE HARDER IT IS TO LOSE IT. 24:47 NOW, I KNOW THAT'S NOT TOO DEEP PHILOSOPHY - THAT'S LIKE FIRST 24:49 GRADE, BUT HOLD ON. IS IT POSSIBLE, THEN, WHAT WE 24:55 LOVE DETERMINES HOW HARD OUR LIFE IS? 25:03 LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY: IF I LOVE MY REPUTATION, I MAY HAVE A 25:09 HARD LIFE IF MY REPUTATION IS DESTROYED. 25:12 BUT IF I DON'T MAKE MY REPUTATION THE MOST IMPORTANT 25:14 THING, THEN MY LIFE MAY NOT BE HARD WHEN IT'S TAKEN DOWN. 25:19 TODAY I CAME OUT - I WAS ABOUT TO - I HAVE SOME SHIRTS THAT 25:23 HAVE SEEN BETTER DAYS AND MY WIFE HAS BEEN IRONING THEM FOR 25:28 AWHILE AND WE NEED TO CLEAN OUT MY CLOSET A LITTLE BIT. 25:31 AND SO, I PUT ON ONE OF THOSE SHIRTS THIS MORNING AND SHE 25:33 SAID, 'YOU CAN'T PUT THAT ON TODAY! 25:36 YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON TV.' I SAID, 'SO?' 25:44 PRAISE GOD FOR A WIFE WHO HAS NICE, CLEAN SHIRTS, RIGHT? 25:46 I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. 25:49 BUT IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME AND IF SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING I'D BE 25:54 LIKE, 'OKAY, SO BE IT.' BUT IF IT DOES BOTHER YOU, YOUR LIFE 25:58 COULD BE HARD. I HAVE SOME FRIENDS, GOD BLESS 26:01 THEM, I DON'T THINK THEIR WIVES IRON THEIR SHIRTS. 26:04 THEY IRON THEIR OWN SHIRTS BECAUSE IT'S GOT TO BE PERFECT. 26:07 AND, BY THE WAY, I APPRECIATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT, BUT I'M NOT 26:09 ONE OF THEM. SO YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE, WHAT IS 26:12 IT THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT YOU LOVE? DO YOU LOVE MONEY? 26:16 IT'S OKAY TO HAVE MONEY, THE QUESTION IS 'DO YOU LOVE IT?' 26:19 BECAUSE IF YOU LOVE IT AND YOU LOSE IT, WILL YOUR LIFE BE HARD? 26:21 >>YES. >>YES. 26:22 YOU SAY, 'WELL, CHUCK, YOUR LIFE'S HARD WHETHER YOU LOVE IT 26:24 OR NOT AND YOU LOSE IT.' THAT'S TRUE, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, BUT 26:26 IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT HARDER IF YOU LOVE IT. 26:29 SO WHAT YOU LOVE DETERMINES HOW HARD OR BITTER YOUR LIFE IS WHEN 26:34 YOU LOSE IT. NOW YOU CAN - NOW, I LOOK AT WHAT JOB LOST. 26:43 HE LOST HIS WEALTH, HE LOST HIS CHILDREN, AND HE LOST HIS HEALTH 26:49 - AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST THINGS IN THE ENTIRE 26:50 WORLD. I KNOW - I THINK HE COULD HAVE 26:53 GOT AWAY WITHOUT HIS WEALTH. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHARACTER OF 26:56 JOB - AS YOU STUDY THROUGH THIS BOOK OVER THE REST OF THIS 26:58 QUARTER, HE COULD HAVE GOT AWAY WITHOUT HIS WEALTH. 27:01 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF JOB THAT'S SPECIAL, 27:03 BUT I THINK THE CHILDREN ARE WHAT REALLY HIT HIM. 27:05 WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT MUCH WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JOB, BUT 27:08 IT REALLY, REALLY HURT. 27:11 IN FACT, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT IN A FEW DAYS. 27:12 I MEAN, IN A FEW MINUTES IN OUR LESSON - A FEW DAYS DOWN THE 27:15 LESSON - THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. 27:17 IN FACT, HE SAYS, 'MY GRIEF IS SO GREAT YOU CAN'T WEIGH MY 27:19 GRIEF.' IT WASN'T BECAUSE HE LOST HIS SHEEP, IT'S BECAUSE OF 27:24 SOMETHING ELSE. HAD JOB LOST HIS INTEGRITY? 27:31 HAD JOB LOST HIS INTEGRITY AT THIS POINT? 27:33 NO, REMEMBER HIS WIFE SAID, 'WHY DO YOU STILL HOLD ONTO IT?' 27:36 SO HE STILL HAD HIS INTEGRITY. HAD HE LOST HIS WIFE? 27:40 >>NO. >>NO. NO. HAD HE LOST HIS 27:43 FRIENDS? STILL HAD 'EM. DID HE STILL BELIEVE IN GOD? 27:48 >>YES. >>YES. NOW THERE - I SHOULD GIVE 27:51 SOME PARENTHETICAL STATEMENTS TO GO WITH THEM. 27:55 FOR EXAMPLE, HIS INTEGRITY, HE STARTED QUESTIONING A LITTLE BIT 27:57 LATER WHETHER IT WAS WORTH HAVING IT ANYHOW. 28:00 WHEN HIS WIFE - WHAT DID HE CALL HER? 'SPEAK NOT THOU AS THE 28:02 FOOLISH WOMEN.' WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT HIS FRIENDS? 28:06 'A BUNCH OF MISERABLE COMFORTERS.' SO, YES, HE HAD 28:09 THEM, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THEY WERE AT THE TOP OF HIS LIST AT 28:12 THAT POINT. AND, EVEN THOUGHT HE DID BELIEVE 28:14 IN GOD, HE QUESTIONED WHETHER GOD BELIEVED IN HIM. 28:18 YOU CAN SEE THAT COMING OUT IN JOB. 28:20 ALRIGHT, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT JOB CHAPTER 3 AND, STARTING IN VERSE 28:30 11, WE STOPPED IN VERSE 10 - I'D LIKE TO START OUT WITH VERSE 11. 28:35 THE FIRST PART WE LOOKED AT IS JOB SAID, 'I WISH I WASN'T 28:38 BORN.' WHAT'S HE GOING TO SAY NEXT? 28:41 WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT IT, BUT LET'S READ IT OURSELVES. 28:43 CHAPTER 3, VERSE 11, "WHY DIED I NOT FROM THE WOMB? 28:46 WHY DID I NOT GIVE UP THE GHOST WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE BELLY? 28:49 WHY DID NOT THE KNEES PREVENT ME? 28:51 OR WHY THE BREASTS THAT I SHOULD SUCK? 28:53 FOR NOW SHOULD I HAVE LAIN STILL AND BEEN QUIET, I SHOULD HAVE 28:57 SLEPT:" - AND THEN NOTICE THIS PHRASE - "THEN HAD I BEEN AT" - 29:00 WHAT? >>REST. 29:02 >>"REST, WITH KINGS AND COUNSELORS OF THE EARTH, WHICH 29:06 BUILD DESOLATE PLACES FOR THEMSELVES; OR WITH PRINCES THAT 29:09 HAD GOLD, WHO FILLED THEIR HOUSES WITH SILVER: OR AS AN 29:12 HIDDEN UNTIMELY BIRTH I HAD NOT BEEN; AS INFANTS WHICH NEVER SAW 29:16 LIGHT. THERE THE WICKED CEASE FROM 29:18 TROUBLING; AND THERE THE WEARY BE AT REST. 29:21 THERE THE PRISONERS" - WHAT'S THAT WORD AGAIN? 29:24 "REST TOGETHER." YOU'RE GETTING THIS PICTURE 29:27 - 'I JUST WANT TO REST.' LIFE IS NO LONGER REST FOR ME. 29:34 YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR EXPERIENCE WHERE WE 29:36 CAN LAY DOWN ON OUR BEDS AND NOT REST. 29:40 HAVE YOU EVER HAD THAT HAPPEN? YOU LAY DOWN AND YOU'RE LIKE 29:43 'AHHH, OHHH.' IN FACT, HOW - THIS IS HOW JOB PUTS IT - I 29:48 THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT SECTION. >>(YOUNG CHILD) MINE. MINE. 29:52 >>IT IS NOT. SOMEWHERE ELSE HE SAYS THIS: 'I LAY DOWN. 29:57 I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NIGHTTIME - I LAY DOWN AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR 29:59 THE MORNING'. YOU KNOW THAT EXPERIENCE. 30:02 HE GOES, 'I JUST WANT REST.' REST IS SOMETHING, I THINK, IS 30:07 THE DESIRE OF MANY PEOPLE. BUT THE REST HE'S WANTING 30:10 IS NOT PHYSICAL REST, IS IT? IT'S EMOTIONAL REST. 30:14 IT'S REST FROM THESE THINGS - THIS IS TAKING OVER MY LIFE AND 30:19 I WANT TO JUST SIMPLY REST.' IF ANY OF YOU ARE LIKE THAT OR 30:25 ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE, JOB IS YOUR FRIEND. 30:30 HE'S BEEN THERE. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT HE 30:36 USES THE WORD 'REST' SO MUCH. HE DOESN'T SAY, 'I WANT TO DIE 30:38 SO I CAN BE WALKING THE GOLDEN STREETS.' 'I WANT TO DIE SO I 30:42 CAN GO PLAY A HARP' OR 'I JUST WANT TO GET IT ALL OVER WITH SO 30:44 I CAN HAVE THE SOCIETY OF ANGELS AND NOT THESE THREE MISERABLE 30:47 COMFORTERS.' NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT HE'S SAYING. 30:50 HE SAID, 'I WANT REST. I WANT TO REST.' DO YOU MIND 30:55 TURNING YOUR BIBLES WITH ME TO JAMES? WILL YOU? 30:57 JAMES CHAPTER 4 - JAMES CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 14 - JAMES CHAPTER 4 31:07 AND VERSE 14, "WHEREAS YE KNOW NOT WHAT SHALL BE ON THE MORROW. 31:15 FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? IT IS EVEN A VAPOR, THAT 31:18 APPEARETH FOR A LITTLE TIME, AND THEN VANISHETH AWAY." 31:23 YOU KNOW, JOB SAYS THE SAME THING, ALMOST - JOB CHAPTER 7 - 31:25 JOB CHAPTER 7 AND VERSE 7. HE SAYS, "O REMEMBER THAT 31:34 MY LIFE IS WIND:" - OR SOME TRANSLATIONS WOULD 31:36 SAY, 'BREATH'. IT'S HERE, THEN IT'S GONE. 31:40 IN FACT, VERSE 9 SAYS, "AS A CLOUD IS CONSUMED AND VANISHETH 31:43 AWAY: SO HE THAT GOETH DOWN TO THE GRAVE SHALL COME UP NO MORE. 31:47 HE'S GIVING THIS IMPRESSION THAT LIFE IS FLEETING, AND SOMETIMES, 31:50 PEOPLE WHO WISH THEIR LIFE WOULD END, ALSO COMPLAIN THAT LIFE IS 31:53 FLEETING. THAT'S WHAT JOB'S DOING, ACTUALLY. 31:55 HE COMPLAINS LIFE IS FLEETING. IT'S JUST LIKE A WEAVER SHUTTLE 31:58 - IT'S THERE AND THEN IT'S GONE. BUT, IN A WAY, THE FACT THAT 32:04 LIFE IS FLEETING IS A GOOD THING. 32:07 THINK ABOUT IT: BECAUSE LIFE IS FLEETING, THE ROUGH THINGS THAT 32:11 YOU'RE GOING THROUGH NOW WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. 32:14 >>AMEN. >>THAT'S GOOD NEWS. THE THINGS 32:17 THAT YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH NOW WILL NOT BE HERE FOREVER. 32:20 YOU KNOW, I TRIED TO THINK BACK, AS I WAS PUTTING TOGETHER THIS 32:22 LESSON, I WAS TRYING TO THINK BACK TO SOME OF THE EMOTIONS 32:25 THAT I FELT AS A TEENAGER. I KNOW I FELT THEM, BUT I 32:31 DON'T FEEL THEM ANYMORE. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. 32:34 SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 - 32:39 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE GOOD NEWS IS? 32:41 WHEN YOU'RE MY AGE, YOU PROBABLY WON'T FEEL IT ANYMORE. 32:44 AND THEN WHEN I'M THE AGE OF SOME OF YOU IN HERE, I MAY 32:47 FORGET WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW. 32:49 THAT'S GOOD. THERE IS THAT. LIFE IS SHORT AND TRIALS 32:55 DON'T LAST FOREVER. WE SEE THAT IN THE LIFE OF JOB 32:58 AND WE SEE THAT IN A LOT OF PEOPLE. 32:59 IT'S NOT WHAT WE FEEL IN THE MIDST OF IT, BUT SOMETHING WE 33:00 MUST REMEMBER IN THE MIDST OF IT. 33:02 BECAUSE, REMEMBER, FAITH ISN'T FEELING, RIGHT? 33:04 THERE ARE TIMES THAT YOU AND I MUST GO BEYOND OUR FEELING AND 33:07 LIVE FAITH KNOWING THAT GOD'S GOT SOMETHING BETTER IN THE 33:10 FUTURE. DO YOU MIND TURNING TO ANOTHER 33:12 TEXT? 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4 - 33:15 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 16? WE CAN START ANYWHERE 33:31 IN 2 CORINTHIANS 4, BUT WE'LL START IN VERSE 16, "FOR WHICH 33:36 CAUSE WE FAINT NOT; BUT THOUGH OUR OUTWARD MAN PERISH, YET THE 33:40 INWARD MAN IS RENEWED DAY BY DAY." 33:42 HE WAS GOING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES AND, EVEN THOUGH 33:45 LIFE IS DIFFICULT, WE WANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE OUTWARD THINGS 33:47 MAY BE HURTING US, BUT INWARDLY WE CAN BE RENEWED BY CHRIST. 33:50 I'M PARAPHRASING THIS, OKAY? NOW LOOK AT VERSE 17, "FOR 33:53 OUR" - WHAT'S THAT NEXT WORD? >>LIGHT. 33:56 >>"LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR" - 33:59 >>A MOMENT. >>A MOMENT. 34:01 YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDST OF AFFLICTION IT NEVER FEELS LIKE A 34:04 MOMENT, BUT I'M GLAD THAT PAUL CAN TAKE US AND POINT US TO THIS 34:08 AND SAY, 'IT'S LIGHT AND IT'S A MOMENT. 34:10 DON'T WORRY.' BECAUSE PAUL IS ABLE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT, 34:13 OFTENTIMES, WE FORGET IN THE MIDST OF OUR TROUBLES AND THAT 34:16 IS: WE'RE HERE JUST FOR A SHORT WHILE. 34:20 ETERNITY IS SO MUCH GREATER THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE. 34:23 "FOR OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, WORKETH FOR 34:26 US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY; WHILE 34:31 WE LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS 34:34 WHICH ARE NOT SEEN: FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE 34:37 TEMPORAL; BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL." 34:44 WE NEED TO START HAVING FAITH IN UNSEEN REALITIES AND WE NEED TO 34:49 STOP FOCUSING ON THE SCENE. 34:53 IT'S HARD, BECAUSE IN THE MIDST OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SCENE 34:58 AND WHAT AFFECTS OUR SENSES IS WHAT'S MOST REAL TO US. 35:03 BUT PAUL IS SAYING, 'THAT WHICH WE CANNOT SEE - THAT WHICH WE 35:06 CANNOT EXPERIENCE THROUGH OUR SENSES IS EVEN MORE REAL - AND 35:10 IT'S FOREVER.' SO IT'S - A LITTLE BIT OF THINKING IS GOOD 35:15 FOR US TO SEE HERE. SO I - WE HAVE JOB - HE SAID, 'I 35:19 WISH I WAS NEVER BORN.' THEN HE SAYS, 'I WISH I COULD DIE. 35:25 BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED - LET'S GET IT OVER WITH.' NOW LET'S GO 35:27 TO JOB CHAPTER 6 - JOB CHAPTER 6 AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE 35:33 LOOKING AT JUST THE FIRST FEW VERSES OF THIS CHAPTER. 35:36 THERE IS SO MUCH MORE IN IT, BUT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. 35:43 "BUT JOB ANSWERED" - THIS IS ELIPHAZ, WHICH - WHAT KIND OF 35:47 COMFORTERS HE HAD. THEY CAME - I REALLY DO BELIEVE 35:52 THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST KEPT QUIET. 35:54 BUT HERE THEY ARE SPEAKING, TRYING TO GIVE COMFORT BY 35:56 SAYING, 'YOU DESERVED IT' AND HERE'S JOB'S RESPONSE: "OH THAT 36:03 MY GRIEF WERE THOROUGHLY WEIGHED, AND MY CALAMITY LAID IN 36:08 THE BALANCES TOGETHER!" - A SCALE - THEN HE SAYS THIS: 36:13 FOR NOW IT WOULD BE HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA: THEREFORE 36:17 MY WORDS ARE SWALLOWED UP." - 'I CAN'T TALK - CAN'T TALK. 36:23 LET ME JUST TELL YOU' - THEN HE TALKS SOME MORE, BUT I THINK 36:25 HE'S SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY HERE, RIGHT? 36:29 DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT JOB IS GOING THROUGH? NO. 36:35 I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME SAYING THAT SO BLUNTLY. 36:38 YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT JOB IS GOING THROUGH. 36:41 YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE ONLY JOB WENT THROUGH IT. 36:47 ONLY JOB FELT WHAT JOB FELT. SOME MORE OF THIS FIRST GRADE 36:52 PHILOSOPHY, IS THAT OKAY? ONLY JOB FELT WHAT JOB FELT. 36:56 AND, QUITE FRANKLY, ONLY YOU FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. 37:01 HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED SOMETHING AND YOU 37:04 THOUGHT, 'NO ONE ELSE KNOWS WHAT I'M FEELING'? 37:07 YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE RIGHT. NO ONE ELSE DOES KNOW - 37:11 WITH ONE EXCEPTION. THAT'S AMAZING. 37:15 AND SO THAT - I THINK, FOR YOU AND I TO REALIZE THAT NO ONE 37:19 ELSE CAN GRASP WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. 37:21 IT'S OKAY TO SAY THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS 37:24 SOMEONE WHO'S EXTERNAL OF THE NOONE. WHO IS THAT? 37:29 >>GOD. >>CHRIST CAN. 37:31 DO YOU MIND TURNING WITH ME TO HEBREWS CHAPTER 4? HEBREWS 37:34 CHAPTER 4 - HEBREWS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 14. I CAN SYMPATHIZE 37:46 WITH YOU WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME. 37:49 I COULD HAVE GONE THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR, SO WHEN I'M 37:51 SEEING YOUR FEELING, EVERYTHING REMINDS ME OF MY FEELINGS AND SO 37:54 I FEEL MY FEELINGS AND SAY, 'I KNOW WHAT YOU FEEL.' BUT, IN 37:56 REALITY, KNOW WHAT I FEEL, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU FEEL, 37:59 RIGHT? BUT IT'S NOT THAT WAY WITH JESUS. 38:04 HEBREWS 4:14, "SEEING THEN THAT WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, 38:09 THAT IS PASSED INTO THE HEAVENS, JESUS THE" - EXCUSE ME - DID I? 38:16 YES - "THE SON OF GOD, LET US HOLD FAST OUR PROFESSION. 38:19 FOR WE HAVE NOT AN HIGH PRIEST WHICH CANNOT BE TOUCHED WITH THE 38:24 FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES;" - NOT THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR 38:29 INFIRMITIES, THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES. 38:33 JESUS CHRIST CAN FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. 38:39 NO HUMAN BEING CAN DO IT, BUT HE CAN. 38:41 HE KNOWS WHAT YOU FEEL. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING IF 38:44 SOMEONE'S LISTENING TO YOU. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 38:48 IF SOMEONE CARES. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING HOW YOU'RE 38:51 GOING TO SURVIVE THE FINANCIAL STATUS YOU'RE IN. 38:54 WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING IF YOUR MARRIAGE IS GOING TO MAKE IT, 38:57 WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH YOUR KIDS - 39:00 NO ONE ELSE KNOWS, BUT HE KNOWS. 39:03 IT SAYS HE IS TOUCHED WITH YOUR FEELINGS. 39:07 THAT'S GOOD NEWS. >>AMEN. 39:09 >>BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS. 39:12 YOU KNOW, YOU AND I COULD TALK TO FRIENDS AND I DO HAVE FRIENDS 39:13 THAT WILL LISTEN TO ME. I DON'T HAVE MANY MISERABLE COMFORTERS. 39:18 I PRAISE GOD FOR THAT. BUT I HAVE FRIENDS WHO WILL SIT 39:20 DOWN AND LISTEN TO ME AND I'LL SHARE A LOAD - WHAT I'M FEELING. 39:24 DO YOU HAVE SOMEBODY YOU CAN UNLOAD TO? 39:25 I HAVE SOMEONE I CAN UNLOAD TO. I UNLOAD. 39:27 AND THEY'LL SIT THERE. AND I PRAISE GOD FOR THAT. 39:30 BUT THEY CAN NEVER FULLY GRASP WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT WE HAVE A 39:39 HIGH PRIEST WHO IS TOUCHED WITH OUR FEELINGS. 39:41 >>AMEN. >>THAT'S AWESOME. 39:44 WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE GOD, AMEN? >>AMEN. 39:47 >>YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE MORE PASSAGE BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE 39:50 CLOSING SECTIONS HERE, ROMANS CHAPTER 8 - ROMANS CHAPTER 8, 40:01 "LIKEWISE THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES:" - THIS 40:06 IS ROMANS CHAPTER 8 - I'M READING FROM VERSE 26 - "THE 40:10 SPIRIT ALSO HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES: FOR WE KNOW NOT 40:14 WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY FOR AS WE OUGHT: BUT THE SPIRIT ITSELF 40:18 MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US WITH GROANINGS WHICH CANNOT BE 40:23 UTTERED." HOW? 40:25 HOW CAN THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAK FOR ME? 40:31 BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT I FEEL. >>AMEN. 40:34 >>THIS IS THE INFINITE MIND OF GOD WHO SAYS, 'I KNOW WHAT 40:38 YOU'RE FEELING AND I CAN EXPRESS YOUR FEELING EVEN BETTER THAN 40:42 YOU CAN.' WOW. WHAT A GOD. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE 40:49 SAVIOR YOU AND I HAVE. I HOPE THAT YOU - YOU LEAVE THIS 40:53 SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS WITH THIS CONCEPT. NOW, WHERE AM I AT? 41:01 OH YES, 'I WISH IS WAS NEVER' - >>BORN. 41:08 >>'BORN. I WISH THAT I HAD DIED BEFORE 41:12 THIS. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS.' AND NOW, A VERY FEEBLE ATTEMPT 41:20 BY A FEEBLE HUMAN BEING, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 'WHY?' 41:24 - YOU READY? I LIKE TO LOOK AT SOME STORIES 41:30 OF PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO FACED TERRIBLE REVERSES. 41:36 IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAD EVERYTHING GOING WELL AND THEN 41:38 EVERYTHING FELL APART. DO YOU REALIZE HOW EASY 41:41 IT WAS TO FIND THAT? DO YOU REALIZE HOW EASY IT IS TO 41:45 FIND EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME? 41:49 I'M GLAD THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN BY GOD, BECAUSE HE GIVES US 41:54 EVERYTHING. HE SHOWS US THE GOOD, THE BAD, 41:57 AND THE UGLY - EVERYTHING - AND I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN SEE THAT 42:00 AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A 42:04 DESCRIPTION AND I'M GOING TO SEE IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHO IT IS. 42:07 HE WAS THE CODDLED FAVORITE SON OF A WEALTHY MAN. 42:12 JOSEPH - OKAY, GOOD. THAT WAS PRETTY EASY. 42:13 HE HAD EVERYTHING - HE WAS THE SON OF THE FAVORITE WIFE - THERE 42:18 WAS A WHOLE PROBLEM WITH THAT WHOLE SCENARIO, WE UNDERSTAND, 42:20 BUT HE WAS THE SON OF THE FAVORITE WIFE. 42:22 HE - HE ALSO HAD A NATURE THAT WAS SPIRITUAL. 42:27 HAVE YOU SENSED THAT AS YOU READ THE STORY OF JOSEPH? 42:29 HE LEANED TOWARDS SPIRITUAL THINGS. 42:32 HE HAD A DESIRE FOR GOD. HE HAD A DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL THINGS. 42:35 AND THEN EVERYTHING FALLS APART. ABSOLUTELY FALLS APART. 42:40 AND WHERE DO YOU FIND JOSEPH? >>PRISON. 42:42 >>AT THE BOTTOM OF A PIT. >>IN A PIT - OH, HE WAS IN ALL 42:45 OF THESE PLACES - LET ME JUST GO THROUGH THEM. 42:47 HE WENT FROM THE PIT, RIGHT? 42:48 HE'S NOW IN THE PIT SURROUNDED BY THOSE WHO WISHED HE COULD 42:55 DIE, SAVED ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIRE FOR MONEY - AM I RIGHT? 43:02 HE THEN IS SOLD AS A SLAVE AT POTIPHAR'S HOUSE. 43:07 FROM THE PIT TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE, RIGHT? 43:10 AND THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOOD FOR AWHILE, THEN THERE WERE SOME 43:13 ISSUES AT POTIPHAR'S HOUSE TOO AND THEN HE WAS PUT INTO - 43:15 >>PRISON. >>PRISON. SO HE WENT FROM THE 43:17 PIT TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE TO PRISON. HE'S NOT DOING TOO WELL. 43:21 THAT'S HIS EXPERIENCE. CAN YOU IMAGINE? 43:25 YOU HAVE FAITHFULLY SERVED YOUR MASTER AND, I'M GUESSING, BASED 43:29 UPON SOME OF THE DETAILS WE READ, HE SERVED HIS MASTER FOR 43:33 AT LEAST SIX YEARS IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE - SIX YEARS - MAYBE BETTER 43:38 THAN THAT - AND NOW HE'S FALSELY ACCUSED AND HIS MASTER BELIEVES 43:43 IT? HE'S THROWN INTO PRISON, HE HELPS SOME MEN OUT, THEY FORGET 43:46 ABOUT HIM - EVERYTHING GOES WRONG WITH JOSEPH AND JOSEPH, 43:51 TRULY, COULD SAY, 'MY LIFE IS BITTER. 43:54 MY LIFE IS WORTHLESS. WHO AM I?' 43:58 DO YOU EVER THINK OF WHAT JOSEPH COULD HAVE THOUGHT? 44:01 HE IS AN UNKNOWN SLAVE FROM CANAAN IN EGYPT. 44:07 WHY SHOULD GOD DO ANYTHING FOR HIM? HE WORKED FOR HIS DAD, 44:14 JACOB, BUT WHY WOULD HE WORK FOR HIM? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE 44:17 FEELING OF JOSEPH, BUT YOU KNOW THE STORY. 44:24 WE WENT FROM THE PIT TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE TO THE PRISON, 44:29 NOW HE GOES TO THE PALACE. WHAT A PICTURE. 44:33 THEN GOD USES HIM AS THE PRIME MINISTER OF EGYPT TO DO SOME OF 44:36 THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE - SAVE A WHOLE 44:39 GROUP OF PEOPLE. SO WE HAVE JOSEPH: CODDLED 44:45 SON, SLAVE AND PRISONER, PRIME MINISTER. 44:50 DON'T FORGET THOSE THREE COLUMNS. 44:52 I'M SURE YOU WILL, BUT TRY TO REMEMBER THERE'S THREE COLUMNS, 44:54 OKAY? LET'S LOOK AT OUR NEXT ONE. 44:56 HERE'S ANOTHER PERSON. CAN YOU GIVE ME A LADY WHO WENT 44:58 THROUGH THIS TERRIBLE REVERSE IN HER LIFE? 45:02 >>RUTH. >>IT'S CLOSE TO RUTH 45:06 - VERY CLOSE TO RUTH. >>NAOMI. 45:08 >>NAOMI, THAT'S RIGHT, NAOMI. SO NAOMI LEAVES HER HOMELAND, 45:13 BETHLEHEM, JUDAH, RIGHT? BETHLEHEM - THE HOUSE OF BREAD 45:16 - SHE LEAVES BECAUSE THERE'S NO BREAD THERE. SHE GOES TO MOAB, 45:20 WITH HER LOVING HUSBAND AND HER TWO BEAUTIFUL SONS. THEY GO 45:26 THERE AND SOON SOME TERRIBLE REVERSES HAPPEN AND SHE LOSES 45:29 HER HUSBAND. AFTER BEING THERE, HER SONS GET MARRIED TO TWO 45:34 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, RUTH AND ORPAH. 45:37 THEY ARE TOGETHER AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TEN YEARS? 45:41 >>HER SONS - >>HER SONS DIE - BOTH OF THEM. 45:43 CAN YOU IMAGINE? ALL THAT YOU HAVE LOVED, GONE. 45:48 'I LOST MY HUSBAND. I LOST MY SONS. 45:52 IT'S ALL GONE.' IN FACT, SHE SAYS, WHEN SHE COMES BACK WITH 45:55 RUTH, SHE COMES BACK TO BETHLEHEM, 'DON'T CALL ME NAOMI, 45:58 CALL ME' - WHAT? - 'MYRA - I'M BITTER. I'M NOT PLEASANT 46:03 ANYMORE. I'M BITTER.' WHAT A PICTURE YOU HAVE. 46:08 SO WE HAVE HERE LOVING HUSBAND AND SONS - NOW, EMPTY OF ALL 46:14 THINGS - WIDOW AND CHILDLESS. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? 46:21 GOD MOVES IN A MIRACULOUS WAY, THROUGH RUTH AND NAOMI, AND SHE 46:27 BECOMES THE GREAT, GREAT GRANDMOTHER OF DAVID. 46:32 SHE HAS A SO-LOVING FAMILY SURROUNDING HER AT ALL TIMES. 46:36 WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE - SHE BECOMES A GRANDMA. 46:38 AND SOME PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT GRANDMA'S LIKE THE BEST THING IN 46:40 THE WORLD. SHE HAS THAT TOO. 46:42 SO SHE HAS EVERYTHING BEING PULLED TOGETHER. 46:46 BEFORE - TERRIBLE REVERSE - AFTER. 46:52 ANOTHER PERSON I'D LIKE TO GIVE IS DANIEL. 46:54 HE WAS A SON OF THE JEWISH ELITE, YOU KNOW? 46:56 HE WAS ONE OF THE PRINCES. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S A PRINCE - 46:58 A ROYAL PRINCE, BUT HE WAS ONE OF THE PRINCES. 47:01 HE HAD EVERYTHING GOING FOR HIM - BRILLIANT, INTELLIGENT, HE WAS 47:04 TAKEN OFF FROM JUDAH AND HE BECAME A WHAT? 47:08 >>PRISONER. >>PRISONER. HE WAS A PRISONER, 47:12 OF COURSE. AND THEN HE WAS KIND OF GIVEN A 47:15 PRISONER/SCHOLAR/LEADER STATUS. BUT HE WENT THROUGH THAT. 47:22 WHAT IF HE WAS LAYING THERE - HE'S LAYING ON THE SAND AS HE'S 47:25 CROSSING THAT BIT OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT, HEADING BACK TO 47:30 BABYLON, HIS FEET ARE BLISTERED AND SORE, HIS CLOTHES ARE 47:33 FALLING OFF HIS BACK, HE'S REMEMBERING THAT GREAT FOOD HIS 47:37 MOM USED TO COOK AND HE SAYS, 'FORGET IT. 47:40 GOD HAS LEFT ME. IT'S NOT WORTH IT.' BUT HE DIDN'T. HE DIDN'T. 47:48 HE WENT THROUGH A TERRIBLE REVERSE BUT HE DETERMINED THAT 47:52 'WHEN I GO - WHEREVER I GO - I'M GOING TO STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD. 47:56 >>AMEN. >>WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MAN. 47:59 AND THEN THERE'S ONE LAST ONE I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT. HE WAS A 48:02 MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN - ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS OF 48:07 THE SANHEDRIN. >>PAUL. 48:08 >>PAUL. HE WAS A JEW OF THE JEWS - TRIBE 48:13 OF BENJAMIN - A PHARISEE AFTER THE STRICTEST COURT. 48:18 HE WAS THE TOP OF THE LINE IN THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE 48:22 JEWS. AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. 48:25 2 CORINTHIANS - HE MET JESUS. THIS IS - THIS IS ODD BUT 48:32 I LIKE FOR US TO SEE IT. HE MET JESUS AND HIS 48:34 LIFE HAD A REVERSE. SOMEONE CALLED IT TERRIBLE. 48:39 WOULD YOU MIND READING WITH ME 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11 AND VERSE 48:45 33 - 23, EXCUSE ME - 11:23 - PAUL SPEAKING, HE SAYS, "ARE 48:50 THEY MINISTERS OF CHRIST?" 48:52 - THEN HE PUT IN PARENTHESES - "(I SPEAK AS A FOOL) I AM MORE; 48:55 IN LABORS MORE ABUNDANT, IN STRIPES ABOVE MEASURE, IN 48:58 PRISONS MORE FREQUENT, IN DEATHS OFT." 49:01 WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE HE REALLY MADE A GOOD DEAL WHEN HE BECAME 49:03 A CHRISTIAN, WASN'T IT? HE CONTINUES ON - "OF THE JEWS 49:06 FIVE TIMES RECEIVED I FORTY STRIPES SAVE ONE. 49:09 THRICE I WAS BEATEN WITH RODS, ONCE WAS I STONED, THRICE I 49:13 SUFFERED SHIPWRECK, A NIGHT AND A DAY I HAVE BEEN IN THE DEEP;" 49:16 HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HIS LIFE? YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SAY IT: HOW 49:21 WOULD YOU DESCRIBE PAUL'S LIFE? >>MISERABLE. 49:24 >>MISERABLE. DANGEROUS. WOULD HE SAY IT WAS PAINFUL? 49:30 >>YES. >>WOULD YOU SAY THAT 49:32 PAUL HAD A PAINFUL LIFE? FORTY STRIPES WOULD KILL YOU. 49:36 HE HAD RECEIVED FORTY, SAVE ONE - THIRTY-NINE - FIVE TIMES. 49:39 HE WAS STONED AND LEFT FOR DEAD - FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY. 49:43 IT SAYS, "IN JOURNEYINGS OFTEN, IN PERILS OF WATERS, IN PERILS 49:46 OF ROBBERS, IN PERILS BY MINE OWN COUNTRYMEN, IN PERILS BY THE 49:48 HEATHEN, IN PERILS IN THE CITY, IN PERILS IN THE WILDERNESS, IN 49:51 PERILS IN THE SEA, IN PERILS AMONG FALSE BRETHREN; IN 49:53 WEARINESS AND PAINFULNESS, IN WATCHINGS OFTEN, IN HUNGER AND 49:56 THIRST, IN FASTINGS OFTEN, IN COLD AND NAKEDNESS. 49:59 BESIDE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE WITHOUT, THAT WHICH COMETH 50:02 UPON ME DAILY, THE CARE OF ALL THE CHURCHES." 50:05 THAT IS PAUL'S - SO PAUL WENT FROM BEING THIS - TOP OF THE 50:11 AREA WITH JEWISH LEADERSHIP - INTELLECTUALLY, SPIRITUALLY - TO 50:14 GETTING TO A PLACE WHERE HE'S BEING ALMOST KILLED CONSTANTLY. 50:21 HOW DOES HE LOOK AT THAT? 50:24 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 9. 50:31 THIS IS FALLING ON THE WAKE OF ONE OTHER THING, WHICH HE DID 50:36 NOT TELL YOU BEFORE: HE HAD A THORN IN THE FLESH - SOMETHING 50:40 HE JUST WISHED HE COULD GET RID OF. MANY BELIEVE IT WAS A 50:43 PHYSICAL AILMENT, BUT HE CALLED IT A MINISTER OF SATAN. 50:48 DO YOU HAVE ANY MINISTERS OF SATAN IN YOUR LIFE? 50:50 MAYBE YOU CAN CONNECT WITH PAUL. 'MAN, I CAN FEEL IT. 50:52 GOD, YOU JUST - THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING AND I JUST 50:55 WISH YOU WOULD STOP IT.' WELL, THAT'S WHAT HE HAD. 51:00 AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE 9 - "THIS IS WHAT GOD SAID UNTO 51:03 ME, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE: FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE 51:08 PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. MOST GLADLY THEREFORE WILL I 51:12 RATHER GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES, THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST 51:16 MAY REST UPON ME." THEN YOU'RE SURE THAT PAUL 51:20 HAS ALSO LOST HIS MIND. HE'S LOST EVERYTHING ELSE, 51:23 BUT HE'S LOSING HIS MIND TOO. WHY? 51:25 HE SAID, 'I'M GOING TO GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES.' 51:27 YOU GOT YOUR INFIRMITIES? WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A PRAISE 51:31 SESSION RIGHT NOW, FOR YOUR INFIRMITIES, BUT WE COULD. 51:33 HAVE YOU IMAGINED COMING TO CHURCH SOMETIME? 51:36 I SHOULD SUGGEST THIS TO THE PASTORS HERE AT GRANITE BAY. 51:38 LET'S HAVE A PRAISE SESSION FOR OUR INFIRMITIES. 51:42 'GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT I'M HURTING RIGHT NOW.' 51:47 WOULD WE EVER DO THAT? 51:49 BUT PAUL'S GLORYING IN HIS INFIRMITIES. 51:51 THEN HE SAYS THIS IN VERSE 10, "THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN 51:55 INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN 51:59 DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE:" - WHY? 52:03 - "FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG." 52:07 'WHEN I'M AT THE LOWEST PHYSICALLY - WHEN I'M THE LOWEST 52:10 SPIRITUALLY - WHEN I'M THE LOWEST INTELLECTUALLY AND 52:12 EMOTIONALLY, GOD CAN DO SOMETHING THROUGH ME IF I STAY 52:15 CONNECTED TO HIM. THAT'S AWESOME. 52:20 I DON'T TAKE PLEASURE IN MY INFIRMITIES. 52:22 I WANT TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR AS I'M STANDING UP HERE. 52:24 I AM NOT PAUL. BUT I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND 52:27 SAYING, 'WHAT IS PAUL TRYING TO TELL US? 52:29 YOU SEE, WE HAVE THIS COLUMN OF JOSEPH AND NAOMI AND DANIEL AND 52:33 PAUL - PERFECT LIVES, IF YOU WILL - AND THEN YOU MOVE TO THE 52:37 MIDDLE COLUMN AND EVERYTHING SEEMS LIKE IT'S FALLING APART. 52:41 I WANT TO TELL YOU, IT'S HOW YOU DEAL WITH THE MIDDLE COLUMN IN 52:43 YOUR LIFE THAT DETERMINES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. 52:45 >>AMEN. >>HOW YOU DEAL WITH THE MIDDLE 52:47 COLUMN OF PAIN - THE MIDDLE COLUMN OF THINGS FALLING APART - 52:51 THE MIDDLE COLUMN OF INFIRMITY - THE MIDDLE COLUMN OF PERSECUTION 52:53 - HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT DETERMINES WHETHER YOU LEAVE IT 52:57 - >>AMEN. >>OR YOU STAY IN IT. 53:01 DID PAUL GET - HIS PHYSICAL AILMENT LEAVE WHEN HE LEFT THE 53:06 MIDDLE COLUMN? NO. 53:08 DID THE PERSECUTION STOP WHEN HE LEFT THE MIDDLE COLUMN? 53:10 NO, BUT HIS MIND HAD CHANGED. WHAT ABOUT NAOMI? DID SHE GET 53:17 HER HUSBAND AND SONS BACK? NO. BUT GOD GAVE HER SOMETHING 53:22 ELSE TO LOVE, AMEN? WHAT ABOUT JOSEPH? 53:29 DID HE GET BACK THE 20 YEARS HE WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM HIS FATHER? 53:32 DID HE GET THAT BACK? >>NO. 53:33 >>NO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, GOD GAVE HIM SOMETHING ELSE TO LOVE. 53:43 I'M CONVINCED, FRIENDS, THAT OUR WORLD COMES WITH ITS FAIR SHARE 53:49 OF TRIALS. BUT I'M ALSO CONVINCED THAT HOW 53:53 WE DEAL WITH THE MIDDLE COLUMN - HOW WE DEAL WITH THE 53:57 PERSECUTIONS AND TRIALS DETERMINES WHETHER WE LEAVE A 54:01 LIFE OF BITTERNESS TO A LIFE OF LOVE AND HOPE, OR 54:04 WHETHER WE STAY THERE. >>AMEN. 54:07 >>I BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN DO THAT FOR US. 54:09 >>AMEN. >>BUT IT TAKES - IT TAKES 54:11 SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO FINISH IN THIS LESSON, BUT 54:14 I'M GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE I CAN'T LEAVE THE 54:15 LESSON LIKE THIS. IS THAT OKAY? >>AMEN. 54:17 >>PLEASE TURN WITH ME TO JAMES CHAPTER 1 - NO, I REALIZE THAT 54:25 THE ANSWER TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS TAKES PLACE IN LESSON 12 OR 13 54:29 OF THIS LESSON QUARTERLY, BUT I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL THEN FOR 54:31 ANSWERS. IS THAT OKAY? 54:33 LET'S LOOK AT JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSES 2 AND 4 - 2 THROUGH 4 - 54:42 "MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YE FALL INTO DIVERS 54:43 TEMPTATIONS;" - AGAIN, HE'S - JAMES IS BRINGING UP THE SAME 54:46 THING THAT PAUL DID - "KNOW THIS, THAT THE TRYING OF YOUR 54:48 FAITH WORKETH PATIENCE. BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK, 54:51 THAT YE MAY BE PERFECT AND ENTIRE, WANTING NOTHING." 54:53 HE SAID, 'THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ARE MOLDING YOU 54:55 AND MAKING YOU PERFECT.' INTERESTING. 54:59 SO WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH IS ACTUALLY A SHAPENING PROCESS. 55:03 YOU CAN'T SEE IT NOW, BUT FURTHER ALONG I'M GOING TO 55:05 UNDERSTAND. >>AMEN. 55:07 >>VERSE 12, "BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT EDURETH TEMPTATION: 55:11 FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED, HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, 55:14 WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM." 55:17 THERE'S A CROWN OF LIFE, MY FRIENDS, WAITING FOR EACH ONE OF 55:19 US. >>YES. 55:22 >>LET'S PRAY. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE RESTING 55:29 IN FAITH THIS MORNING, KNOWING THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO LOVES 55:34 US MORE THAN WE CAN IMAGINE. AND EVEN THOUGH OUR 55:38 UNDERSTANDING IS NOT NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SEEING THROUGH A 55:42 GLASS DARKLY, WE DO REALIZE THAT FURTHER ALONG WE'LL 55:48 KNOW ALL ABOUT IT. FURTHER ALONG WE'LL UNDERSTAND. 55:52 GIVE US JOY IN YOU THIS MORNING THAT WE MAY MOVE FROM THE MIDDLE 55:58 COLUMN OF TRIAL AND STRESS IN OUR LIFE, TO THE COLUMN OF FAITH 56:03 AND LOVE IN CHRIST JESUS. WE PRAY FOR THIS AND ASK 56:08 IN THE NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. (MUSIC) 56:24 >>HAVE YOU EVER WORRIED THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME 56:25 IN YOUR DAYS? OR YOU CAN ADD ANOTHER DAY TO YOUR LIFE? 56:28 WELL, PERHAPS THERE IS A WAY FOR YOU TO ADD ANOTHER WHOLE DAY TO 56:32 YOUR EXISTENCE. WATCH HOW EASY IT IS. 56:36 I JUST STEPPED INTO YESTERDAY. 56:38 NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE OR BACK IN 56:40 HISTORY; I HAPPEN TO BE STANDING HERE IN TAVEUNI, FIJI, ONE OF 56:44 THE ONLY PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL MERIDIAN 56:48 DATELINE RUNS THROUGH A PIECE OF LAND. 56:51 PEOPLE HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO PLAY WITH TIME THIS WAY. 56:54 BACK IN 1878, SIR SANFORD FLEMING, A CANADIAN, HE 56:58 RECOMMENDED TO THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY OF THE WORLD THAT THE 57:01 GLOBE BE DIVIDED IN 24 EVEN SEGMENTS, EACH SEPARATED BY 15 57:06 DEGREES OF LONGITUDE, THAT WOULD ESTABLISH THE INTERNATIONAL TIME 57:09 SYSTEM. IN 1884, THERE WAS A PRIME 57:12 MERIDIAN CONFERENCE HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO STANDARDIZE 57:16 TIME AND SELECT A POINT FOR THE PRIME MERIDIAN, WHICH WOULD 57:19 BE ZERO DEGREES ON THE GLOBE. IT ENDED UP BEING GREENWICH, 57:23 ENGLAND, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE. 57:25 WE ARE ON THE POLAR OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLANET RIGHT NOW, 57:28 BUT WE'RE GOING TO STEP INTO THE FUTURE - WANT TO COME? 57:32 AND LOOK AT THAT, THE LORD IS STILL WITH US, EVEN HERE. 57:35 HE'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, FRIENDS, WHEREVER YOU GO. 57:38 FRIENDS, DO YOU SOMETIMES WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE? 57:40 WHAT WILL YOU EAT? WILL YOU HAVE A HOME? 57:42 ARE YOU GOING TO STILL HAVE YOUR JOB? WHAT WILL YOU WEAR? 57:46 JESUS TELLS US IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, VERSES 25 THROUGH 34, 57:50 'DON'T TAKE THOUGHT FOR TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL TAKE 57:52 THOUGHT FOR THE THINGS OF ITSELF.' HE TELLS US THAT HE 57:55 FEEDS THE BIRDS AND HE CLOTHES THE FLOWERS - HE'LL TAKE CARE OF 57:59 US. WE KNOW THAT GOD'LL WATCH OVER 58:01 US, FORGIVES THE PAST, HE PROMISES TO BE WITH US IN THE 58:05 PRESENT, AND HE WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD US IN THE FUTURE - BUT 58:09 YOU'VE JUST GOT TO GIVE YOURSELF TO HIM. 58:11 I INVITE YOU TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW. 58:13 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-10-20