Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021715A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 00:37 HOUR, COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:40 ADVENTIST CHURCH IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:43 I'D LIKE TO EXTEND A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS JOINING 00:45 US ONLINE, TO OUR ONLINE MEMBERS, AND ALSO OUR FRIENDS 00:48 WATCHING ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION NETWORKS, A VERY WARM 00:51 WELCOME TO YOU AND WE'RE GLAD YOU CHOSE TO STUDY WITH US 00:54 TODAY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE 00:56 MEMBERS AND THE VISITORS RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH 00:59 - ALWAYS NICE TO SEE YOU WEEK AFTER WEEK. 01:02 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT WE'D LIKE TO LET EVERYBODY WATCHING 01:05 KNOW ABOUT - IT'S A BOOK WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS ENTITLED 01:08 IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT SINNING? 01:11 IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE IT, CALL US ON OUR RESOURCE PHONE 01:13 NUMBER - THAT'S 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #187. 01:21 YOU CAN ALSO READ IT FOR FREE ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS 01:24 WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG - AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BOOK 01:28 AND YOU CAN READ IT RIGHT THERE. 01:29 NOW WE STARTED A NEW LESSON QUARTERLY NOT TOO LONG AGO 01:32 DEALING WITH THE FIRST AND THE SECOND BOOKS OF PETER. 01:35 OUR LESSON QUARTERLY IS ENTITLED FEED MY SHEEP . 01:38 NOW, I KNOW MANY OF YOU HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE, YOU HAVE THE 01:42 LESSON QUARTERLY SO YOU'RE ABLE TO STUDY DURING THE WEEK AND 01:45 THEN YOU COME PREPARED TO STUDY HERE AT CHURCH. 01:47 BUT FOR OUR FRIENDS WATCHING ONLINE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY 01:50 OF THE LESSON QUARTERLY, YOU CAN GET ONE, PROBABLY BY AN 01:53 ADVENTIST CHURCH NEARBY, OR YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS 01:57 WEBSITE, JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG - DOWNLOAD LESSON #3, TALKING 02:02 ABOUT THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE THEME 02:05 THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT TODAY. WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR 02:08 LESSON STUDY, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN 02:10 SONG, SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME 02:13 AND JOIN ME ON STAGE. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 02:19 IT IS ALWAYS A PRIVILEGE TO SING WITH YOU EVERY WEEK - WE LOOK 02:24 FORWARD TO IT, DON'T WE LADIES? >>WE DO. 02:26 >>IT'S JUST THE LADIES TODAY, UM - AND, SO IT'S THAT TIME AND 02:31 WE'RE GOING TO PULL OUT OUR HYMNALS AND WE'RE GOING TO 02:33 PRAISE THE LORD IN SONG - #282 - I HEAR THY WELCOME VOICE - 02:39 BEAUTIFUL SONG - WE'LL DO THE FIRST, SECOND AND FOURTH 02:42 STANZAS. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:44 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING WITH US AND, AT THIS TIME, 04:47 PASTOR ROSS IS GOING TO HAVE OUR OPENING PRAYER. 04:55 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 04:57 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO GATHER 05:00 TOGETHER AND OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY. 05:02 AND, AS WE'VE STARTED THIS STUDY SERIES DEALING WITH THE BOOKS OF 05:06 1 AND 2 PETER, WE PRAY, LORD, FOR YOUR SPIRIT TO COME AND 05:08 GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS, FOR THERE IS SUCH IMPORTANT 05:11 INFORMATION FOR US THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND FOR THIS TIME IN 05:14 WHICH WE ARE LIVING. SO, LORD, BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER FOR WE 05:17 ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. WELL, OUR LESSON THIS MORNING 05:21 IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR MARSHALL MCKENZIE. 05:24 HE IS THE PUBLISHING DIRECTOR AT AMAZING FACTS. 05:27 HE HAS TAUGHT LESSONS SEVERAL TIMES HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY 05:30 CHURCH SO, THANK YOU, MARSHALL, WE'LL TURN THE TIME OVER TO YOU. 05:34 >>IT'S A POWERFUL LESSON - LESSON #3 IN OUR STUDY - FEED MY 05:40 SHEEP - 1 AND 2 PETER - WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO A ROYAL 05:44 PRIESTHOOD THIS MORNING. I THOUGHT IT WAS SO APPROPRIATE 05:47 THE LAST SONG THAT WE SANG IN RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST AND HIS 05:51 SHED BLOOD AND WHAT HE DID ON CALVARY SO THAT WE COULD BE PART 05:56 OF THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD THAT HE IS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP. 06:03 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, THE GOSPEL'S GOING FORWARD, AND 06:08 PEOPLE ARE MAKING DECISIONS AND THEY'RE BECOMING PART OF THIS 06:12 FOLD. I WANT TO LOOK AT THE MEMORY 06:14 TEXT THIS MORNING - IT'S KIND OF THE CENTRAL TEXT AND THE CENTRAL 06:18 THEME FOR OUR STUDY THIS MORNING IN 2 - OR 1 PETER CHAPTER 2. 06:25 OUR MEMORY VERSE - AND I'M JUST GOING TO READ IT RIGHT OUT OF 06:28 OUR LESSON QUARTERLY. IT SAYS, "YOU ARE A CHOSEN 06:32 GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, HIS OWN SPECIAL 06:41 PEOPLE, THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED 06:45 YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT;" - THAT HE 06:50 HAS CALLED US OUT OF WHAT? HE'S CALLED US OUT OF DARKNESS 06:54 AND HE'S BROUGHT US IN TO THIS MARVELOUS LIGHT. 06:59 IT'S THAT SAME LIGHT THAT, REALLY, COVERED OUR FIRST 07:05 PARENTS, ADAM AND EVE, IN THE GARDEN BEFORE THE FALL. 07:09 THAT SAME ROBE OF LIGHT IS WHAT GOD IS CALLING US INTO, THROUGH 07:14 CHRIST, AND HE'S CALLING US OUT OF DARKNESS AND HE GIVES US THIS 07:17 PRIVILEGE AND THIS OPPORTUNITY, WHEN WE COME OUT, TO BE PART OF 07:22 THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. NOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT, 07:27 THROUGHOUT THIS LESSON, THERE'S SEVERAL POINTS THAT ARE BROUGHT 07:30 OUT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. 07:34 A FEW THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION - WE MAY NOT BE 07:37 ABLE TO COVER THEM ALL, BUT I WANT TO JUST BRING TO YOUR 07:41 ATTENTION THESE FIVE POINTS THAT THE LESSON COVERS AS WE DIVE 07:46 INTO 1 PETER CHAPTER 2. THE FIRST POINT DEALS WITH A 07:52 CHRISTIAN LIFE - LIVING AS CHRISTIANS. 07:57 THE SECOND POINT IS CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE. 08:02 SO, IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE'RE GOING TO LIVE AS CHRISTIANS - IF 08:06 WE'RE GOING TO LIVE CHRIST-LIKE LIVES, THEN WE NEED TO BE 08:10 LEANING ON WHO? WE NEED TO BE LEANING ON JESUS, 08:14 WHO PETER DESCRIBES AS THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. 08:19 AND WE'RE GOING TO - WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT 08:21 MORE - THE THIRD POINT IS THIS CONTINUITY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 08:26 COVENANT AS IT RELATES TO THE NEW TESTAMENT. 08:31 SO, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 IS HOW PETER 08:34 ACTUALLY GOES BACK INTO THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THEN HE PULLS SOME 08:39 PRINCIPLES THAT WERE GIVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND HE 08:42 BRINGS THEM ALL THE WAY FORWARD AND HE APPLIES THEM TO THE 08:46 GENTILE CHRISTIANS, AND IT'S A POWERFUL POINT. 08:51 THE FOURTH POINT THAT THE LESSON BRINGS OUT IS THE BIBLICAL 08:55 CONCEPT OF THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD OR A HOLY NATION. 09:01 SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CHRIST'S SPECIAL PEOPLE - HIS 09:06 CHOSEN GENERATION - AS WE'RE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS OF 09:09 EARTH'S HISTORY. AND, FINALLY, WE CAN'T END 09:13 WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE PROCLAMATION OF THIS MESSAGE. 09:17 AND, IN THE LAST LESSON - THURSDAY'S LESSON - 09:20 WE GET INTO THE PROCLAMATION OF PRAISES. 09:24 WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL THAT CHRIST HAS DONE AND WHAT CHRIST IS 09:27 HELPING US TO BE A PART OF, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TELL OTHERS - YOU 09:33 CAN'T HELP BUT SHARE THAT WITH OTHER PEOPLE - BECAUSE YOU WOULD 09:38 WANT THEM TO EXPERIENCE WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING, RIGHT? 09:42 YOU'D WANT THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS OF BEING PART OF 09:45 THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD THAT CHRIST IS HELPING US TO BE A 09:50 PART OF. SO I WANT TO JUST DIVE RIGHT 09:54 IN FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, OKAY? WE'RE GOING TO DIVE RIGHT IN AND 09:58 WE'RE GOING TO START HERE WITH 1 PETER CHAPTER 2. 10:02 SO, IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO OPEN THEM UP TO 10:04 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND 10:09 MOST OF OUR TIME THIS MORNING - 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 - AND WE'RE 10:15 GOING TO ACTUALLY START HERE RIGHT AWAY WITH VERSE 1, OKAY? 10:19 1 PETER CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1 SAYS, "THEREFORE," - PETER WRITES - 10:24 "LAYING ASIDE ALL MALICE, ALL DECEIT, HYPOCRISY, ENVY, AND ALL 10:30 EVIL SPEAKING, AS NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE PURE MILK OF THE 10:35 WORD, THAT YOU MAY GROW THEREBY, IF INDEED YOU HAVE TASTED THAT 10:43 THE LORD IS GRACIOUS." YOU WANT TO NOTICE HOW 10:49 PETER STARTS THIS CHAPTER. HE STARTS IT WITH A VERY SIMPLE 10:53 WORD. THAT WORD - AND I'M READING FROM 10:56 THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION - IS 'THEREFORE'. 11:01 NOW IT'S INTERESTING, WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH SCHOOL I HAD A 11:04 TEACHER, AS WE WERE STUDYING THE BIBLE, HE WOULD ALWAYS TELL US, 11:08 'WHEN YOU SEE THE WORD 'THEREFORE' YOU ALWAYS ASK 11:13 'WHAT'S IT THERE FOR?'' OKAY? WHICH, ULTIMATELY, LEADS YOU 11:18 BACK BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD, OKAY? 11:23 IT'S KIND OF LIKE HERE, IN CALIFORNIA, YOU HAVE THESE 11:25 AMAZING - YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE RIVERS AND THEN WE HAVE 11:28 THESE MOUNTAINS AND, SOMEWHERE ALONG THESE RIVER WAYS, YOU FIND 11:33 THAT THE CLIFFS GET A LITTLE SHORTER AND A LITTLE SHORTER, 11:36 AND YOU GET TO THAT POINT WHERE THEY MIGHT BE 15 FEET OR 20 11:39 FEET, AND SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE LOVE TO JUMP OFF OF THOSE - 11:45 RIGHT? - INTO THE WATER. NOW, SOME OF YOU, PROBABLY, 11:48 SITTING HERE ARE GOING, 'NO WAY.' EVEN IF IT WERE FIVE FEET 11:50 I DON'T THINK I WOULD JUMP, OKAY? 11:52 BUT I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO LIKE DOING THAT AND I'VE DONE IT 11:55 MYSELF A FEW TIMES, BUT YOU'LL NOTICE WHEN YOU GO TO THE EDGE 11:59 YOU DON'T USUALLY GET UP THERE AND JUST GO - AND YOU RUN OFF 12:03 AND YOU JUST JUMP. ME, PERSONALLY, I KIND OF GO TO 12:06 THE EDGE AND I TAKE A LITTLE LOOK AND THEN I - WHAT? 12:10 I STEP BACK, OKAY? AND THE PURPOSE FOR STEPPING 12:14 BACK SOMETIMES IS TO CONTEMPLATE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO, OKAY? 12:18 AND THINK ABOUT IT. BUT IT - THAT'S WHAT PETER'S 12:22 DOING; WHEN HE USES THE WORD 'THEREFORE' HE'S ACTUALLY HAVING 12:25 US STEP BACK FOR JUST A MINUTE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO 12:28 KIND OF GET A RUN - OKAY? - AT 1 PETER CHAPTER 2. 12:32 SO, WHEN WE SEE 'THEREFORE' - AND I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO 12:34 VERSE 22, OKAY? THE WHOLE CHAPTER HERE IN 1 12:39 PETER CHAPTER 1 REALLY IS UPLIFTING JESUS CHRIST. 12:45 MATTER OF FACT, IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 1, VERSE 3 - BEFORE WE 12:48 READ - IT BRINGS OUT THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 12:52 IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 1, VERSES 7 AND 13, PETER TALKS ABOUT THE 12:57 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. AND THEN, IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 1, 13:03 VERSE 11, PETER TALKS ABOUT THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. ALL OF 13:09 THESE THINGS, BY THE WAY, ARE SPOKEN OF IN THE WORD OF GOD, 13:15 AND THIS IS WHERE PETER ENDS CHAPTER 1, THAT I'D LIKE TO 13:18 BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO AS WE KIND OF GO INTO 1 PETER CHAPTER 13:22 2. NOTICE, WITH ME, STARTING WITH VERSE 22 OF 1 PETER CHAPTER 13:26 1, HE SAYS, "SINCE YOU HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING 13:33 THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT IN SINCERE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, 13:39 LOVE ONE ANOTHER FERVENTLY WITH A PURE HEART, HAVING BEEN BORN 13:45 AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED BUT INCORRUPTIBLE, THROUGH THE" 13:52 - WHAT? - "THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD" - NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE, BUT 13:57 OF INCORRUPTIBLE, "THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD WHICH LIVES AND 14:03 ABIDES FOREVER," - GOD'S WORD NEVER FAILS. 14:08 GOD'S WORD IS ALWAYS TRUE AND IT'S ALWAYS CONSTANT. 14:14 IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING CONSTANT IN YOUR LIFE, IF YOU'RE 14:17 LOOKING FOR SOMETHING STABLE IN YOUR LIFE, LOOK TO THE WORD OF 14:22 GOD. GOD NEVER FAILS ANY OF US. >>AMEN. 14:27 >>AND SO PETER SAYS, 'THIS WORD OF GOD, WHICH LIVES AND ABIDES 14:31 FOR FOREVER' - HOW MANY OF US WANT TO LIVE AND ABIDE FOREVER? 14:35 >>AMEN. >>I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY 14:37 WHAT WE WANT, RIGHT? I WANT TO - I NEVER, BY THE 14:41 GRACE OF GOD, I WANT TO SEE TRANSLATION. 14:42 I DON'T WANT TO DIE. >>AMEN. 14:44 >>I WANT TO LIVE FOREVER. NOW, IT'S IN THE LORD'S HANDS, 14:48 BUT I KNOW THERE'S A RESURRECTION - AND PETER TALKS 14:49 ABOUT THAT IN 1 PETER - OKAY? 14:52 BUT, NONETHELESS, THE WORD OF GOD ABIDES AND LIVES FOREVER. 14:56 NOW NOTICE, HE SAYS, "BECAUSE 'ALL FLESH IS AS GRASS, AND ALL 15:02 THE GLORY OF MAN AS THE FLOWER OF THE GRASS. 15:04 THE GRASS WITHERS, AND ITS FLOWER FALLS AWAY, BUT THE WORD 15:08 OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.'" AND THE HE SAYS, "NOW THIS IS 15:13 THE WORD WHICH BY THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO YOU." 15:18 AND FROM THAT WORD HE CONTINUES TO BUILD ON THIS CONCEPT, IN 15:25 RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST, WHEN HE BEGINS TO SAY, 'LAY ASIDE ALL 15:30 MALICE' - "THEREFORE, LAYING ASIDE ALL MALICE, ALL DECEIT, 15:35 HYPOCRISY, ENVY, AND ALL EVIL SPEAKING," - AND HE GOES ON, BUT 15:40 I WANT TO DRAW YOU ATTENTION TO THIS - TWO WORDS - WHERE HE 15:45 SAYS, 'LAY ASIDE'. MATTER OF FACT THEY REMIND ME 15:50 OF WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL HAS TO WRITE. 15:54 YOU READ THESE WORDS IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 12, VERSE 1 - PAUL, 15:59 SPEAKING JUST LIKE PETER, SAYS TO US, "THEREFORE," - NOW, WE 16:03 DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET INTO HEBREWS CHAPTER 11. 16:05 EVEN PAUL, HERE, IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 12 STARTS WITH 16:07 "THEREFORE," - OKAY? "WE ALSO, SINCE WE ARE 16:13 SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES," - HE SAYS - "LET 16:17 US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT," - JUST LIKE PAUL - OR JUST LIKE 16:24 PETER SAYS AS HE BEGINS CHAPTER 2, HE SAYS, "LAYING ASIDE ALL 16:30 MALICE, ALL DECEIT, HYPOCRISY, ENVY, AND ALL EVIL SPEAKING". 16:36 PAUL, IN HEBREW, HE SAYS, "...LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT," 16:41 - THAT SO EASILY BESETS US - OKAY? OR "THE SIN WHICH SO 16:45 EASILY ENSNARES US, AND LET US RUN WITH 16:49 ENDURANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US". 16:52 YOU KNOW, SOME YEARS AGO I STARTED RUNNING. 16:55 I REMEMBER, IN HIGH SCHOOL, THE COACHES, WHEN I WAS IN TRACK, 16:59 THEY WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME, 'YOU'RE NOT A LONG-DISTANCE 17:02 RUNNER. YOU'RE KIND OF BUILT FOR THOSE 17:05 SHORT DISTANCES.' IN MY MIND, I WANTED TO RUN LONG DISTANCES. 17:13 I WASN'T SO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEY TOLD ME, BUT THEY NEVER 17:16 GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY, AND SO I'D ALWAYS RUN THE 100 METERS 17:20 AND THE 200 AND THEN WE'D DO A 400-RELAY AND SO FORTH. 17:23 SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS IN WISCONSIN, AND I WAS THERE 17:29 PASTORING, I REALLY TOOK IT TO MYSELF - I WANTED TO RUN AND I 17:33 WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO RUN AND I HAD THIS GOAL THAT I WAS GOING 17:37 TO RUN A MARATHON. AND SO, I SET OUT AND I STARTED 17:42 TRAINING, AND I LOST SOME WEIGHT AND, MAN, MY TIMES WERE GETTING 17:47 FASTER AND I WAS RUNNING LONGER - TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD RUN 17:51 FOUR HOURS WITHOUT STOPPING, OKAY? 17:54 I HAD GONE DOWN TO ABOUT - ABOUT 162 POUNDS AND I WAS JUST - I 17:59 WAS ENJOYING IT - SO I RAN TWO MARATHONS IN A FOUR-MONTH PERIOD 18:03 AND THEN I RAN A COUPLE HALF MARATHONS, BUT THEN, AFTERWARDS, 18:07 I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'OKAY, I'VE ACCOMPLISHED ALL THAT. 18:10 I JUST NEED TO SIT DOWN AND RELAX.' AND, WHERE I WAS LIVING 18:16 AT THE TIME, WE HAD A LOT OF DAIRY QUEENS AROUND AND I 18:21 THOUGHT, 'YOU KNOW, I'M DOING ALRIGHT, I CAN START THIS 18:23 PROCESS.' AND SO I HAD ONE AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER AND PRETTY 18:26 SOON I HAD GAINED 50 POUNDS. IT HAPPENED THAT FAST. 18:32 AND I THOUGHT - (TAKES DEEP BREATH) - AND SO THIS - WHAT 18:35 PAUL'S TELLING US HERE AND WHAT PETER'S TELLING US - IT MAKES A 18:39 DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU LAY THAT ASIDE. 18:42 WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT YOU CAN DO AND HOW YOU CAN LIVE 18:47 MAKES SO MUCH MORE DIFFERENCE WHEN WE LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT. 18:53 OR LIKE PETER SAYS HERE IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 2, HE SAYS, 18:57 "...LAYING ASIDE ALL MALICE, ALL DECEIT, HYPOCRISY, ENVY, AND ALL 19:04 EVIL SPEAKING" - IF WE WOULD JUST LAY THAT ASIDE, HOW 19:09 DIFFERENT LIFE WOULD BE, WOULDN'T IT? 19:12 WHAT A DIFFERENCE OUR LIFE WOULD MAKE, NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES BUT 19:16 TO THE PEOPLE AROUND US, IF WE WOULD JUST DO, HERE, WHAT 19:21 PETER'S TALKING ABOUT. BUT HE DOESN'T STOP THERE. 19:24 NOTICE, WITH ME, VERSE 2, AS WE READ, HE SAYS, 'LAYING THIS 19:27 ASIDE' AND THEN HE SAYS, "AS NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE PURE 19:32 MILK OF THE WORD, THAT YOU MAY GROW THEREBY" - SO NOW I WANT TO 19:38 DRAW YOUR ATTENTION - HE SAYS, 'AS NEWBORN BABES' - WHAT DO 19:43 NEWBORN BABES LOVE TO DO? WELL, WE KNOW THEY 19:46 LIKE TO SLEEP, OKAY? MAYBE SOME AREN'T SLEEPERS AT 19:52 FIRST, BUT THEY ALL ARE EATERS, OKAY? 19:56 WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT - I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST, 20:01 I MEAN, FEEDING EVERY TWO HOURS - AND THAT WENT ON FOR DAY AFTER 20:06 DAY AFTER DAY AND MY WIFE'S JUST TIRED. 20:10 BUT HERE, PETER GIVES US THIS ILLUSTRATION AND HE SAYS, 'LIKE 20:14 NEWBORN BABES WE ARE TO BE HUNGERING AND THIRSTING AND WE 20:19 ARE TO BE EATING THE WORD, IF - IF WE COULD, EVERY TWO HOURS - 20:24 EVERY THREE HOURS - EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY. 20:27 AND THIS REMINDED ME OF WHAT JESUS SAID WHEN HE WAS TALKING 20:31 IN THE BEATITUDES IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, VERSE 6: JESUS SAID, 20:35 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS" - 20:42 JUST LIKE PETER'S DESCRIBING - AS NEWBORN BABES. 20:44 HE SAYS, "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR 20:47 RIGHTEOUSNESS" - WHY? 20:50 YOU KNOW, WHEN A BABY IS HUNGRY AND GETS FED, THAT BABY IS FULL 20:54 AND THEY'RE HAPPY AND YOU SEE THE LOOK ON THEIR FACE CHANGE 20:59 AND JESUS SAYS, 'THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER 21:02 RIGHTEOUSNESS, THEY SHALL BE FILLED. IT'S ONE THING WHEN 21:07 YOU'RE FILLED, ISN'T IT? YOU'RE HUNGRY, YOU'RE IRRITABLE, 21:10 BUT MAN, YOU GET SOME FOOD IN YOUR SYSTEM AND ALL OF A 21:13 SUDDEN IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY ALTOGETHER. 21:17 MATTER OF FACT, IN JOB CHAPTER 23, VERSE 12, JOB SAYS, "I HAVE 21:21 NOT DEPARTED FROM THE COMMANDMENT OF HIS LIPS; I HAVE 21:27 TREASURED THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD." 21:35 IN OTHER WORDS, JOB SAYS, 'LISTEN, I VALUE THE WORD OF GOD 21:40 MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD.' AND THIS IS WHAT PETER'S TALKING 21:44 ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS, 'AS NEWBORN BABES' - WE NEED TO HUNGER AND 21:48 WE NEED TO THIRST AND WE NEED TO DESIRE THE PURE MILK OF THE 21:54 WORD. AND WHY DOES HE SAY WE NEED TO DO THIS? 22:00 WE LAY ASIDE, RIGHT? WE LAY ASIDE THE MALICE 22:03 AND THE ENVY, OKAY? - THE EVIL SPEAKING - AND THEN, 22:07 AS NEWBORN BABES, WE THIRST AND WE HUNGER OVER THE WORD OF GOD. 22:13 AND THEN PETER SAYS, 'THAT YOU MAY GROW THEREBY' - THAT YOU MAY 22:18 GROW. WE EAT - RIGHT? - TO LIVE AND IT HELPS US TO GROW. 22:26 EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 14 AND 15 - PAUL ALSO TALKS ABOUT 22:32 THIS GROWING - HE SAYS THAT "WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, 22:37 TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT WITH EVERY WIND OF 22:40 DOCTRINE, BY THE TRICKERY OF MEN, IN THE CUNNING" - OF 22:45 CRAFTINESS - OR "THE CUNNING CRAFTINESS OF DECEITFUL 22:48 PLOTTING, BUT, SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE," - HE SAYS - WE 22:54 "MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM..." SO PAUL GIVES US THE 23:00 SAME PICTURE AS PETER DOES, THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - THAT LIVING 23:05 AS A CHRISTIAN IS ALL ABOUT CONTINUING TO GROW. 23:10 YOU KNOW, WE'RE TOLD THAT WHEN YOU ENTER THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST, 23:15 YOU NEVER GRADUATE - YOU NEVER GRADUATE. 23:20 THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN. 23:22 THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO KNOW AND GOD HAS SO MUCH TO SHARE 23:27 WITH US THAT HE WANTS US TO CONTINUE TO FEED SO THAT WE CAN 23:31 CONTINUE TO GROW. WHO WANTS TO STOP GROWING? 23:35 WHAT YOUNG PERSON EVER WANTS TO STOP GROWING? 23:39 YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT MY SON WHO IS ALMOST TALLER THAN I AM NOW, 23:44 AND HE'S LOVING IT. HE JUST WANTS TO KEEP GROWING 23:47 AND HE KEEPS REMINDING ME, 'ONE DAY, I'M GOING TO BE TALLER THAN 23:50 YOU.' AND THAT DAY IS COMING. MATTER OF FACT, MY WIFE SAID, 23:55 NOT SO LONG AGO, SHE SAID, 'SOMETIMES I LIKE TO KIND OF 23:58 STAND AWAY FROM HIM BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY ALMOST TALLER THAN 24:00 ME.' THEY LOVE TO GROW - AND CHRISTIANS - LIVING AS A 24:06 CHRISTIAN, WE SHOULD LOVE TO GROW. 24:08 WE SHOULD LOVE TO LEARN. WE SHOULD LOVE TO BE LIKE JESUS. 24:14 SO PETER SAYS, 'THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD' - AS HE'S GOING TO 24:18 DESCRIBE LATER - IS A PRIESTHOOD THAT LITERALLY, AS HE SAYS HERE, 24:23 LAYS ASIDE MALICE AND ENVY. THEY'RE DESIRING THE WORD OF GOD 24:28 AND THEY'RE CONSISTENTLY GROWING - CONSISTENTLY 24:33 GROWING AND LEARNING. AND THEN HE ENDS - NOTICE VERSE 24:37 3 - "IF INDEED YOU HAVE TASTED THAT THE LORD IS GRACIOUS." 24:45 HOW MANY OF YOU THIS MORNING HAVE TASTED THAT THE LORD IS 24:49 GRACIOUS? THIS IS - THIS IS THE EXPERIENCE 24:54 - WHAT IT IS TO LIVE AS A CHRISTIAN. 24:56 WE GET TO TASTE THE LORD DAILY. WE GET TO TASTE AND SEE, AS THE 25:03 PSALMIST SAYS, THAT THE LORD IS GOOD. 25:07 WHEN WE HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, LIKE NEWBORN 25:10 BABES - WHEN WE LAY ASIDE THE MALICE AND THE ENVY, PETER SAYS, 25:15 'WE SHALL TASTE THAT THE LORD IS GRACIOUS' AND THE PSALMIST 25:21 REALLY POINTS THAT OUT AND BRINGS THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. 25:26 WE NEED TO TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD. 25:30 NOW I WANT TO JUMP, IN THE LESSON, WE'RE GOING TO JUMP 25:32 RIGHT OVER TO MONDAY'S LESSON, BECAUSE THIS KIND OF LEADS US 25:36 ALONG. 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 - OKAY? - VERSES 4 THROUGH 8 - SO NOW 25:43 PETER'S GOING TO SHIFT FOR JUST A MINUTE. 25:45 HE'S GOING TO GO FROM, 'OKAY, THIS IS WHAT, AS CHRISTIANS, WE 25:49 NEED TO BE DOING' - AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SHIFTS THE FOCUS 25:53 TO THE LIVING STONE. WHY IS ALL OF THIS RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT? 26:00 SOME OF THE THINGS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT - BECAUSE NOW, 26:04 PETER'S GOING TO TIE IT TO THE LIVING STONE. 26:08 SO, IF YOU'LL NOTICE WITH ME, IN YOUR BIBLES, WE'RE GOING TO READ 26:10 THE NEXT FOUR VERSES IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 2, VERSES 4 THROUGH 8 - 26:17 HE SAYS, "COMING TO HIM AS TO A LIVING STONE," - I WANT TO STOP 26:21 THERE JUST A MINUTE. NOTICE HOW IT SAYS, 'COMING TO HIM'. 26:25 SO, WHEN WE LAY ASIDE ENVY AND MALICE AND EVIL SPEAKING, WHEN 26:30 WE COME AS NEWBORN BABES, HUNGERING AND THIRSTING OVER THE 26:34 WORD OF GOD TO BE FILLED, AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW IN CHRIST, AS 26:42 WE CONTINUE TO TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD, PETER 26:47 SAYS YOU ARE COMING TO HIM. WE'RE DRAWING CLOSER AND 26:53 CLOSER AND CLOSER TO CHRIST. SO HE SAYS, "COMING TO HIM AS TO 27:00 A LIVING STONE, REJECTED INDEED BY MEN," - WHICH WE'LL TALK 27:05 ABOUT - "BUT CHOSEN BY GOD AND PRECIOUS," - JESUS WAS CHOSEN 27:13 BY GOD AND JESUS IS PRECIOUS. WHO KNOWS THAT BETTER 27:19 THAN PETER, RIGHT? THINK ABOUT IT - LESSON #1 WE 27:23 TALK ABOUT THE PERSON, PETER, IN THIS QUARTERLY, WHO, BY THE WAY, 27:28 DIDN'T HE DENY CHRIST, RIGHT? THREE TIMES? 27:33 AS CHRIST WAS FACING THIS SUFFERING AND THIS PERSECUTION, 27:38 PETER WAS THERE AND HE DENIED HIM. 27:40 BUT WHAT DID GOD DO? GOD FORGAVE HIM, RIGHT? 27:43 AND CHRIST SAID, 'I'M PRAYING THAT YOUR FAITH DOESN'T FAIL.' 27:49 AND SO CHRIST FORGIVES PETER - HE EXPERIENCES THAT - AND 27:52 PETER'S A NEW MAN - A NEW MAN. 27:56 AND SO, PETER UNDERSTANDS HOW PRECIOUS THIS STONE REALLY IS - 28:02 THIS LIVING STONE - THIS CHOSEN STONE. 28:09 THEN, VERSE 5, HE SAYS, "YOU ALSO, AS LIVING STONES, ARE 28:13 BEING BUILT UP A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, A HOLY PRIESTHOOD, TO 28:18 OFFER UP SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS 28:23 CHRIST. THEREFORE" - VERSE 6 - "IT IS 28:27 ALSO CONTAINED IN THE SCRIPTURE, 'BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHIEF 28:32 CORNERSTONE, ELECT, PRECIOUS, AND HE WHO BELIEVES ON HIM WILL 28:40 BY NO MEANS BE PUT TO SHAME.' THEREFORE, TO YOU WHO 28:44 BELIEVE, HE IS" - WHAT? - "HE IS PRECIOUS; BUT TO THOSE 28:52 WHO ARE DISOBEDIENT, 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS 28:57 BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE,' AND 'A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A 29:02 ROCK OF OFFENSE.' THEY STUMBLE, BEING DISOBEDIENT TO 29:05 THE WORD," - RIGHT? REMEMBER THAT WORD WE'RE 29:08 TALKING ABOUT HERE IN THE VERY BEGINNING? 'TO EAT OF' - HE SAYS 29:13 THERE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DISOBEDIENT TO THAT WORD - 29:16 "TO WHICH THEY ALSO WERE APPOINTED." NOW THERE ARE SOME 29:20 INTERESTING THINGS THAT THE LESSON BRINGS UP IN TALKING 29:24 ABOUT THIS LIVING STONE, AS PETER DESCRIBES, THE PERSON OF 29:30 CHRIST. AFTER TELLING HIS READERS - 29:34 AFTER TELLING HIS READERS TO SEEK SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT, 29:40 PETER IMMEDIATELY DIRECTS THEIR ATTENTION TO JESUS 29:44 CHRIST, THE LIVING STONE. NOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT 29:49 PETER, IN STARTING TO TALK ABOUT JESUS AS THE LIVING STONE, 29:54 SWITCHES TO THE OLD TESTAMENT AND HE ACTUALLY BRINGS OUT AN 29:59 OLD TESTAMENT PRINCIPLE IN RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST, SO HE'S 30:04 BEGINNING TO DRAW THESE TWO THINGS TOGETHER. THERE'S THREE 30:09 OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES THAT PETER'S PULLING FROM, THAT 30:13 HIGHLIGHT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CORNER STONE, WHICH 30:19 REPRESENTS THE ROLE OF CHRIST IN HIS CHURCH, AMONG HIS CHOSEN 30:24 GENERATIONS. I DO NOT WANT YOU TO MISS THE 30:28 SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT PETER IS DOING IN GOING BACK TO THE OLD 30:34 TESTAMENT IN REFERENCE TO THIS CORNERSTONE, AS HE'S SPEAKING, 30:39 NOW, TO NEWBORN BABES - HE'S SPEAKING TO CHRIST'S BODY - HE'S 30:45 SPEAKING TO THIS GENERATION - THIS CHOSEN GENERATION 30:48 - THIS SPECIAL PEOPLE. AND, BY THE WAY, HE'S NO 30:53 DIFFERENT THAN THE APOSTLE PAUL - THEY DO THE SAME THING. 30:56 NOTICE, WITH ME, IN EPHESIANS - YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLE, TURN TO 30:58 EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 - EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 - NOTICE WITH ME, 31:06 EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 - WE'RE JUST GOING TO READ VERSES 19 - OKAY? 31:11 - EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSES 19 THROUGH 22 - AND PAUL, HERE, IS 31:19 SPEAKING TO GENTILE CHRISTIANS, OKAY? 31:24 AND HE ALSO IS GOING BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT IN DOING SO - IN 31:30 SPEAKING TO THESE GENTILE CHRISTIANS. 31:33 VERSE 19 IT SAYS, "NOW, THEREFORE, YOU ARE NO LONGER 31:36 STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS," - YOU'RE NO LONGER STRANGERS AND 31:41 FOREIGNERS - "BUT FELLOW CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS AND 31:46 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD, HAVING BEEN BUILT ON THE 31:52 FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF 31:58 BEING THE" - WHAT? - "THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, IN 32:02 WHOM THE WHOLE BUILDING, BEING FITTED TOGETHER, GROWS INTO A 32:08 HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD, IN WHOM YOU ALSO ARE BEING BUILT 32:14 TOGETHER FOR A DWELLING PLACE OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT." 32:20 SO HERE PAUL IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT PETER'S DOING; HE'S GOING 32:25 BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT AND SAYING, 'LISTEN,' - TO THE 32:28 GENTILES - 'YOU ARE A PART OF GOD'S PLAN. 32:33 YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF GOD'S PLAN. 32:36 WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST, YOU'RE NO LONGER 32:39 STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS, BUT YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE 32:45 HOUSEHOLD OF GOD.' SO THE PROPHECY AND WHAT GOD'S PLAN WAS 32:51 FOR ISRAEL WAS MUCH BROADER THAN JUST ISRAEL. 32:56 'FOR GOD SO LOVED THE' - WHAT? 'THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY 33:01 BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT 33:06 PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE', AMEN? 33:10 WHOEVER - AND SO, PETER IS GOING BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT, 33:15 COMING FORWARD, SPEAKING TO THE GENTILES. 33:17 PAUL'S DOING THE EXACT SAME THING - HE'S BRINGING THEM 33:19 TOGETHER, HELPING THEM REALIZE 'YOU'RE PART OF A BIGGER 33:23 PICTURE' - 'YOU'RE PART OF A BIGGER PLAN' - 'YOU'RE PART OF A 33:27 TREMENDOUS FAMILY'. AND THIS SHOULD GIVE US ENCOURAGEMENT. 33:34 I REMEMBER WHEN I BECAME A CHRISTIAN, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 33:38 'I'M GOING TO LOSE ALL MY FRIENDS. 33:42 I WON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS.' BUT I MADE THE DECISION AND, BELIEVE 33:47 ME, I HAVE FRIENDS ALL OVER THE WORLD. 33:51 GOD'S FAMILY IS MORE THAN ANY ONE CLASS OF PERSONS. 33:57 GOD LOVES THE WHOLE WORLD AND HE LOVES EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL. 34:02 AND SO, PAUL, REACHING BACK, IS HELPING THEM TO GRASP THIS. 34:06 HE'S ALSO HELPING THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS TO GRASP THIS CONCEPT 34:11 ALSO. IT'S BIGGER THAN JUST YOU AND I. 34:15 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, JESUS, IN TALKING TO THE CHIEF 34:19 PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES, GOES BACK TO THE SAME OLD TESTAMENT 34:24 PASSAGES TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THIS POINT - AND THAT THE FOCUS 34:30 IS CHRIST - THE FOCUS IS CHRIST. HE'S THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. 34:37 IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CORNERSTONE, EVERYTHING FALLS 34:41 APART. IF, IN OUR LIVES, WE DON'T HAVE THAT CORNERSTONE - WE 34:46 WONDER, SOMETIMES, WHY OUR LIVES FALL APART: BECAUSE WE DON'T 34:51 HAVE THE CORNERSTONE - JUST LIKE A BUILDING. 34:53 BUT JESUS TALKS ABOUT THIS IN LUKE CHAPTER 20, VERSES 17 34:57 THROUGH 19 - I'LL READ IT FOR YOU. 34:59 HE SAYS, "WHAT THEN IS THIS THAT IS WRITTEN: 'THE STONE WHICH THE 35:04 BUILDERS REJECTED'" - BY THE WAY, WHO IS HE REFERRING TO? 35:08 HE'S REFERRING TO ISRAEL. THEY WERE TO BE BUILDERS. 35:11 THEY WERE TO BUILD UP THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD. 35:15 THEY WERE TO ENLARGE THE TENT, SO TO SPEAK, SO THAT EVERYBODY 35:19 WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UNDER THAT TENT. 35:24 BUT THEY - THEY REJECTED THE STONE. 35:29 HE SAYS IT "'HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE'? 35:33 WHOEVER FALLS ON THAT STONE WILL BE BROKEN; BUT ON WHOMEVER IT 35:38 FALLS IT WILL GRIND HIM TO POWDER.' AND THE CHIEF PRIESTS 35:43 AND THE SCRIBES THAT VERY HOUR SOUGHT TO LAY HANDS ON HIM, BUT 35:47 THEY FEARED THE PEOPLE - FOR THEY KNEW HE HAD SPOKEN THIS 35:50 PARABLE AGAINST THEM." SO JESUS, GOING BACK TO THESE 35:55 SAME PASSAGES THAT PETER'S TAKING THE CHURCH BACK TO - THAT 35:59 PAUL'S TAKING THE CHURCH BACK TO - HE'S ENCOURAGING PEOPLE THAT 36:03 THE TENT IS MUCH BROADER THAN WHAT THEY THINK IT IS - 36:09 THAN WHAT THEY THINK IT IS. THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE 36:13 IS PRECIOUS. THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE IS VITAL. 36:18 THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE, 36:23 WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE, BUT TO THOSE WHO ARE DISOBEDIENT, 36:27 WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE, HE IS A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK 36:32 THAT ALWAYS SEEMS IN THE WAY. I TOLD YOU THAT I 36:36 BECAME A CHRISTIAN. I MADE MY DECISION 36:39 TO FOLLOW CHRIST. BEFORE THAT, LIFE WAS MISERABLE. 36:45 BUT I REMEMBER MY DAD GOING TO CHURCH AND HE CAME BACK AND HE 36:50 WAS STUDYING HIS BIBLE AND HE WAS GOING TO CHURCH ON A REGULAR 36:53 BASIS. AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WOULD GO 36:55 VISIT HIM, HE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THESE RULES. 37:00 'MARSHALL, WHEN YOU COME TO MY HOUSE ON SABBATH' - ON SATURDAY 37:05 - HE SAID, 'WE DON'T SLEEP ON THE COUCH, WE GO TO CHURCH.' 37:11 AND, FOR THE LONGEST TIME, I THOUGHT, 'THIS IS JUST GETTING 37:14 IN MY WAY' - BECAUSE I HADN'T MADE MY OWN DECISION. 37:22 BUT I REMEMBER, WHEN I STARTED MAKING MY DECISION TO FOLLOW 37:25 CHRIST - I REMEMBER GOING TO VISIT MY DAD AND, ALL OF A 37:28 SUDDEN, WHAT I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS GETTING IN THE WAY - THAT IT 37:32 WAS A ROCK OF STUMBLING, OR A ROCK OF OFFENSE, I ENJOYED. 37:39 MATTER OF FACT, I REMEMBER BEING THE FIRST ONE UP IN THE MORNING, 37:42 FIRST ONE DRESSED, FIRST ONE READY TO GO. 37:44 NOW, THAT TOOK A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT SLOWLY GOD WAS MAKING 37:50 THE CHANGE AND NO LONGER WAS THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE A ROCK OF 37:55 STUMBLING, BUT NOW HE WAS PRECIOUS BECAUSE HE WAS GIVING 38:00 ME LIFE AND HE WAS HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS A PART OF 38:05 A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD - I WAS PART OF A BIGGER FAMILY AND A BIGGER 38:09 PLAN THAN ONE I WAS CURRENTLY LIVING. 38:13 IT'S POWERFUL WHAT PETER'S TALKING ABOUT - WHAT PAUL'S 38:16 TALKING ABOUT. THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS IN 38:22 THESE VERSES I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO: IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 38:26 2 THERE'S A COUPLE POINTS THAT ARE BROUGHT OUT IN RELATIONSHIP 38:30 TO THIS LIVING STONE - THIS CHIEF CORNERSTONE. 38:37 NOTICE, WITH ME, 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 - AND NOTICE WITH ME, VERSE 5 38:44 - ACTUALLY, I'LL GO VERSES 4 AND 5 - NOTICE THERE'S A PARALLEL 38:48 HERE THAT TAKES PLACE, OKAY? 38:51 "COMING TO HIM AS TO A LIVING STONE, REJECTED INDEED BY MEN, 38:57 BUT CHOSEN BY GOD AND PRECIOUS" - VERSE 5 - HE SAYS, "YOU ALSO, 39:03 AS LIVING STONES," - YOU NOTICE THAT? 39:07 JUST LIKE THE LIVING STONE, HIS CHURCH IS TO BE WHAT? 39:14 LIVING STONES - PLURAL - WE'RE TO BE LIKE CHRIST. 39:20 THERE'S THIS PARALLEL THAT PETER'S MAKING BETWEEN THE STONE 39:25 AND THE STONES - OR THE MEMBERS THAT MAKE UP THE BODY. 39:31 AND THIS PARALLEL IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN HE BEGINS TO TALK 39:35 ABOUT THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT IN 39:38 JUST A MINUTE. BUT NOTICE THIS PARALLEL: HE'S 39:41 THE LIVING STONE AND THEN HE SAYS YOU, ALSO, 39:45 ARE LIVING STONES. THE LIVING STONE AND GOD'S 39:51 LIVING STONES - GOD'S SPIRITUAL HOUSE - HOLY PRIESTHOOD - JUST 39:56 AS THE LIVING STONE WAS CHOSEN - NOTICE, WITH ME, VERSE 4 - "BUT 40:02 CHOSEN BY GOD AND" - WHAT? - "PRECIOUS," - NOW MOVE OVER 40:06 TO VERSE 9 AND YOU'LL NOTICE, AGAIN, THIS PARALLEL - OKAY? 40:11 - 1 PETER CHAPTER 2, VERSE 9, "BUT YOU ARE A" - WHAT? 40:15 - "CHOSEN GENERATION" - JUST LIKE CHRIST WAS THE LIVING STONE 40:20 AND YOU ARE TO BE LIVING STONES - JUST LIKE CHRIST WAS CHOSEN 40:25 AND PRECIOUS, HIS BODY IS WHAT? A CHOSEN GENERATION. 40:30 THERE'S THIS PARALLEL THAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS 40:34 BODY - CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH - THEY'RE TO BE TOGETHER - 40:39 THEY'RE TO BE KNIT TOGETHER. MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU TURN 40:44 WITH ME TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 16 - THIS 40:51 IS BROUGHT OUT IN A - IN A CONVERSATION THAT CHRIST HAD 40:58 WITH PETER AND PETER IS, BY THE WAY, WRITING ABOUT THIS IN 41:02 1 PETER, SO IT WOULD ONLY MAKE SENSE THAT WE GO BACK TO THIS 41:05 SITUATION WHERE CHRIST AND PETER ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION AND 41:10 THIS POINT IS BROUGHT OUT IN THIS CONVERSATION. 41:13 MATTHEW CHAPTER 16, VERSES 14 THROUGH 19 - IT SAYS, "SO THEY 41:18 SAID, 'SOME SAY JOHN THE BAPTIST, SOME ELIJAH,'" - IN 41:24 OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE ASKING - OTHER PEOPLE HAD OTHER THOUGHTS 41:27 ABOUT JESUS - 'WHO WAS HE?' 'WAS HE ELIJAH?' - 41:29 OKAY? - 'WAS HE JUST A PROPHET?' 41:32 ETC. IT SAYS, "'AND OTHERS JEREMIAH OR ONE OF THE 41:36 PROPHETS.' HE SAID TO THEM," - JESUS SPEAKING NOW, SAYS, "BUT 41:40 WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?" - OKAY? SO EVERYBODY'S OUT THERE 41:45 AND THEY'RE WONDERING, 'WHO IS JESUS?' 41:47 BUT THEN JESUS SAYS, 'BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?' 41:51 - SPEAKING TO HIS DISCIPLES - AND, SIMON PETER, THE FIRST ONE 41:54 TO RESPOND - VERSE 16 - "...ANSWERED AND SAID, 'YOU ARE 41:58 THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.' JESUS ANSWERED AND 42:03 SAID TO HIM, 'BLESSED ARE YOU, SIMON BAR-JONAH, FOR FLESH AND 42:08 BLOOD HAS NOT REVEALED THIS TO YOU, BUT MY FATHER WHO IS IN 42:12 HEAVEN. AND I ALSO SAY TO YOU THAT YOU 42:15 ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE 42:19 GATES OF HADES SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT. 42:22 AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, AND 42:24 WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH WILL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHATEVER 42:27 YOU LOOSE ON EARTH WILL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN.'" THE 42:32 INTERESTING FACT IN THIS PASSAGE IS HOW SIMON EXHIBITS A FAITH IN 42:38 CHRIST AND HOW JESUS THEN TURNS TO SIMON AND CHANGES HIS NAME TO 42:44 PETER, WHICH IS A STONE - OKAY? - PETRAS OR A ROCK. 42:51 YET JESUS, IN SAYING THIS, BRINGS PETER BACK TO THE FACT, 42:57 THOUGH, THAT HE, CHRIST, IS THE ROCK - PETRA - UPON WHICH THE 43:03 WHOLE HOUSE IS FITLY JOINED TOGETHER. 43:07 SO, EVEN THOUGH PETER - HE SAYS, 'PETER YOU'RE A STONE AMONGST 43:11 THE STONES, BUT I AM THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.' 43:17 >>AMEN. >>'I AM THE ROCK THAT THIS 43:20 CHURCH IS GOING TO BE BUILT ON.' AND SO WHAT PETER'S TALKING 43:24 ABOUT IN 1 PETER IS - ALL GOES BACK TO PART OF WHAT HE 43:29 EXPERIENCED WHEN HE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH CHRIST AND HE 43:32 REALIZED HIS PLACE IN ALL OF THIS. CHRIST IS THE ROCK - HE'S 43:40 THE LIVING STONE AND WE ARE JUST LIVING STONES. 43:49 THE SECOND THING THAT THIS BRINGS OUT - GOING BACK TO PETER 43:51 - 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 - THE SECOND POINT THAT'S MADE HERE BY PETER 43:57 IS THIS CONCEPT OF A SPIRITUAL HOUSE. 44:01 NOW, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE VERSE 5. 44:03 HE SAYS, "YOU ALSO, AS LIVING STONES, ARE BEING BUILT UP A 44:09 SPIRITUAL HOUSE, A HOLY PRIESTHOOD, TO OFFER UP 44:15 SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST." 44:21 SO HE SAYS, 'LISTEN, YOU'RE LIVING STONES. 44:24 YOU'RE TO BE A SPIRITUAL HOUSE. NOW, THERE'S A 44:26 PARALLEL, CHRIST, RIGHT? HE'S THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. 44:30 HE CAME TO SET THE EXAMPLE FOR US AND, AS WE LIVE BY THAT 44:35 EXAMPLE, THIS IS HOW WE RELATE TO HIM - WE'RE TO BE A SPIRITUAL 44:40 HOUSE. WE'RE TO BE A HOLY PRIESTHOOD. WHAT DID PRIESTS DO 44:46 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY 44:49 DID WAS OFFERED SACRIFICES. AND SO, PETER, GOING BACK TO THE 44:53 OLD TESTAMENT POINTS BACK TO THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND HE'S 44:58 TALKING ABOUT IT IN RELATIONSHIP TO SACRIFICES. 45:01 WHAT KIND OF A SACRIFICE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? 45:04 WHAT KIND OF SACRIFICE DO THESE LIVING STONES OFFER? 45:10 NOTICE, WITH ME, ROMANS CHAPTER 12, VERSES 1 AND 2 - ROMANS 45:14 CHAPTER 12, VERSES 1 AND 2 - ROMANS CHAPTER 12, VERSES 1 AND 45:20 2 - PAUL WRITES, "I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE 45:31 MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YOU PRESENT YOUR BODIES A" - WHAT? 45:36 >>A LIVING SACRIFICE. >>"A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, 45:40 ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE. 45:44 AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE 45:48 RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND 45:52 ACCEPTABLE PERFECT WILL OF GOD." PAUL SAYS THE SACRIFICE - PETER 45:55 SAYS WE ARE TO BE LIVING STONES AND WE ARE TO OFFER SACRIFICES. 46:02 AND THEN PAUL TURNS AROUND AND SAYS, 'AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS 46:05 THE SACRIFICE YOU ARE TO OFFER AS A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD - IT'S 46:10 YOUR LIVES.' YOUR LIVES ARE TO BE A LIVING SACRIFICE. 46:17 PETER'S USING THE TERM 'PRIESTHOOD' TO EMPHASIZE THE 46:21 NEED FOR MAKING A SACRIFICE. THIS - ONE OF THE THINGS THE 46:26 LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD DID IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND, IN DOING SO, 46:30 THEY WERE TO BE AS HOLY EXAMPLES OF CHRIST TO THE PEOPLE. 46:35 OUR SACRIFICES ARE TODAY OUR LIVES. 46:41 BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE - THIS IS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT WITH 46:44 A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, OKAY? AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO GRASP. 46:48 SO I WANT TO SKIP, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M GOING TO MOVE RIGHT 46:51 OVER TO WEDNESDAY'S LESSON WHEN WE DEAL WITH THE ROYAL 46:54 PRIESTHOOD, OKAY? I'LL MAKE A QUICK NOTE TO 46:58 THIS COVENANT PEOPLE, OKAY? BECAUSE PETER'S GOING BACK TO 47:02 THE OLD TESTAMENT - HE'S GOING BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT - PART 47:05 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PLAN WAS THAT, ULTIMATELY, THEY WERE TO 47:09 BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD - THEY ARE A COVENANT PEOPLE, OKAY? 47:16 SO NOTICE WITH ME, THERE'S A COUPLE PASSAGES - IN THE VERY 47:18 BEGINNING GOD FORMED A COVENANT - OKAY? - WITH HIS PEOPLE. 47:23 THE FIRST ONE IS IN GENESIS CHAPTER 9, VERSE 9. 47:26 I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY - IT'S NOAH. 47:28 WHEN NOAH GETS OFF THE ARK AND HE OFFERS A SACRIFICE THERE, 47:35 THEN GOD SAYS, 'AND I WILL MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOU.' THIS IS 47:39 THE COVENANT THAT HAS ALWAYS EXISTED, AND WHAT GOD IS DOING 47:43 IS HE'S RENEWING THE COVENANT. MATTER OF FACT, WHEN YOU TURN 47:48 TO GENESIS CHAPTER 17, VERSES 1 THROUGH 4 - IT'S THE ONE WE 47:52 ALWAYS LIKE TO TALK ABOUT - IT'S THAT COVENANT THAT GOD 47:55 FORMS WITH ABRAHAM. REMEMBER, HE PULLED HIM OUT OF 47:58 THE LAND OF UR AND HE'S WALKING THROUGH AND HE'S EXPERIENCING, 48:02 BY FAITH, WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE FOR GOD ON A REGULAR BASIS. 48:08 GOD, ALONG THE WAY, GETS TO THE POINT WHERE HE SAYS, 'NOW THIS 48:11 IS THE COVENANT THAT I'M MAKING WITH YOU.' HE'S NOT MAKING A NEW 48:15 COVENANT, HE'S RENEWING THE COVENANT HE'S ALWAYS DESIRED - 48:19 >>AMEN. >>WITH HIS PEOPLE. 48:21 AND SO, CONSTANTLY THROUGH SCRIPTURE - IN EXODUS CHAPTER 2, 48:25 VERSE 24 GOD REMEMBERED THIS COVENANT WHEN HE RESCUED HIS 48:31 PEOPLE FROM OPPRESSION IN EGYPT. AND THEN EXODUS CHAPTER 19 - 48:38 GOD, SPEAKING TO MOSES, REMINDS THEM OF THIS COVENANT JUST 48:43 BEFORE HE GIVES THEM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. SO WHEN WE GO BACK 48:48 TO THE OLD TESTAMENT - WHAT PETER IS DOING WHEN HE'S TALKING 48:51 ABOUT A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND HE'S PULLING THAT FROM THE OLD 48:54 TESTAMENT, WHAT HE'S SAYING IS THAT GOD WANTS A COVENANT 48:58 RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU GENTILES, JUST AS HE - MUCH AS HE DESIRED 49:02 TO HAVE A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 49:07 THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE. GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY, RIGHT? 49:13 >>AMEN. >>GOD IS NOT PARTIAL. 49:15 THE COVENANT THAT HE'S ALWAYS DESIRED, HE WILL ALWAYS WANT. 49:19 AND, IT'S INTERESTING, IN DANIEL CHAPTER 9, VERSE 27 IT TALKS 49:25 ABOUT CHRIST AND, AT HIS DEATH, HE CONFIRMS THE COVENANT - THE 49:31 VERY COVENANT THAT WE CONSISTENTLY SEE THROUGHOUT 49:34 SCRIPTURE. AND THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE 49:36 PART OF THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD - THIS HOLY NATION - IT MEANS THAT 49:41 WE - HOLY PEOPLE - THAT WE ARE PARTAKERS OF THIS COVENANT 49:45 RELATIONSHIP THAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED AND THAT GOD IS 49:49 GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH. MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU'D TURN TO 49:52 HEBREWS WITH ME - IF YOU TURN TO HEBREWS CHAPTER 8 - OKAY? 49:58 HEBREWS CHAPTER 8 - PAUL COMES BACK TO THIS ISSUE OF THE 50:03 COVENANT WHEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE HEBREW CHRISTIANS IN HEBREWS 50:08 CHAPTER 8. HE SAYS - VERSE 7 IS WHERE I'LL 50:14 START - "FOR IF THAT FIRST COVENANT HAD BEEN FAULTLESS, 50:17 THEN NO PLACE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOUGHT FOR A SECOND." 50:19 - HE SAYS - "BECAUSE FINDING FAULT WITH THEM," - THERE WAS NO 50:22 PROBLEM WITH THE COVENANT. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH GOD 50:26 MAKING A COVENANT WITH THE PEOPLE. 50:28 THE ISSUE WAS THE PEOPLE - WHETHER THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE 50:33 IN THE COVENANT OR NOT - BUT THE COVENANT ITSELF DOESN'T CHANGE 50:37 AND THIS IS WHY PETER CAN GO BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT AND 50:40 APPLY IT WHEN HE'S TALKING TO THE GENTILES. 50:43 AND YOU'LL NOTICE WITH ME - HE GOES ON - "BECAUSE FINDING FAULT 50:46 WITH THEM, HE SAYS: 'BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, 50:49 WHEN I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT'" - AND THE WORD, 50:52 THERE, IS ACTUALLY 'RENEWAL' OF THIS COVENANT - 50:56 "WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH - 51:00 NOT ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT THAT I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS 51:03 IN THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE 51:06 LAND OF EGYPT; BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND 51:10 I DISREGARDED THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 51:12 FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF 51:15 ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAY THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN 51:18 THEIR MIND AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS; AND I WILL BE 51:21 THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." 51:25 AND SO PAUL IS TELLING THIS TO THE HEBREW CHRISTIANS, BUT PETER 51:28 HELPS US UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COVENANT IS MUCH BROADER. 51:31 IT'S NOT JUST FOR LITERAL ISRAEL, THERE'S ALSO A SPIRITUAL 51:35 ISRAEL THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT. THIS TRANSITION - AND THIS IS 51:40 WHAT PETER'S GETTING INTO AND HE'S STARTING TO MAKE THIS 51:44 TRANSITION IN HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE PART 51:48 OF A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD - THEY'RE PART OF A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP 51:53 WITH GOD, AND THAT IS FOR EVERYBODY. 51:57 NOTICE, WITH ME, VERSE 10 OF 1 PETER CHAPTER 2 - NOTICE, WITH 52:02 ME - WELL, WE'LL GO BACK TO 9 AND 10 SO YOU CAN SEE IT 52:05 TOGETHER - KIND OF BRINGING THIS ALL TOGETHER - HE SAYS, "BUT YOU 52:12 ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, HIS 52:17 OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO 52:24 CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT;" - IN VERSE 52:28 10 HE SAYS, "WHO ONCE WERE NOT A PEOPLE BUT ARE NOW THE PEOPLE OF 52:35 GOD, WHO HAD NOT OBTAINED MERCY BUT NOW HAVE OBTAINED MERCY." 52:42 GOD, HERE, IS TALKING ABOUT A HOLY NATION. 52:48 HE'S TALKING ABOUT A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD THAT IS CONNECTED 52:53 WITH THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST. 52:58 HE'S THE CORNERSTONE THAT MAKES ALL OF THIS WORK. 53:01 AND I THOUGHT IT'S INTERESTING THAT PETER USES THE WORDS 53:04 'ROYAL' AND 'PRIESTHOOD'. WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHRIST THE 53:09 LIVING STONE - THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE - DO YOU REALIZE 53:13 THAT SCRIPTURE, AND PAUL IN HEBREWS, TALKS ABOUT HOW 53:16 CHRIST IS A PRIEST KING? CHRIST IS DESCRIBED AS - HE'S 53:22 AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZADEK, WHICH WAS A PRIEST KING. 53:27 AND SO, HIS BODY, IF IT'S CONNECTED TO HIM, 53:31 THEY WOULD ONLY BE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. 53:36 NOTICE, WITH ME, REVELATION - AND I'M GOING TO CLOSE WITH THIS 53:39 - NOTICE, WITH ME, REVELATION - REVELATION CHAPTER 1, VERSE 1 - 53:55 HE STARTS OUT BY SAYING, "THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" - SO 53:59 WE KNOW, WHEN WE GET INTO THE BOOK OF REVELATION, OUR REAL 54:02 FOCUS, THROUGH ALL OF IT, IS CHRIST. 54:05 BUT THEN I WANT YOU TO NOTICE VERSE 5 AND VERSE 6: "AND FROM 54:12 JESUS CHRIST, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE 54:17 DEAD, AND THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. 54:24 TO HIM WHO LOVED US AND WASHED US FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN 54:28 BLOOD, AND HAS MADE US" - WHAT? - "KINGS AND PRIESTS TO HIS GOD 54:36 AND FATHER, TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOREVER AND EVER." 54:42 JESUS IS THE KING PRIEST AND HIS BODY WOULD ONLY BE A ROYAL 54:49 PRIESTHOOD. HE'S MADE US, THROUGH WASHING 54:52 US, THROUGH CLEANSING US FROM OUR SIN. 54:55 HE'S MADE US TO BE KINGS AND PRIESTS. 54:58 MATTER OF FACT, WHEN JESUS WRITES, IN REVELATION CHAPTER 3, 55:01 TO THAT LAST CHURCH, HE SAYS, 'TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH, I WILL 55:05 GRANT FOR HIM TO SIT ON MY THRONE.' DO YOU REALIZE CHRIST 55:13 WANTS US TO BE PART OF HIS ROYAL FAMILY? 55:18 BUT THAT ROYAL FAMILY IS ALSO A HOLY FAMILY - A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD 55:27 - A HOLY NATION. AND SO PETER PUTS THESE ALL 55:31 TOGETHER AND HE ENCOURAGES THE BODY - THAT WHAT GOD MEANT FOR 55:36 THE OLD TESTAMENT, HE MEANS FOR EVERYBODY. 55:39 THIS WAS FOR EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE IN AND TO BECOME 55:43 PART OF. AND SO, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, MAY 55:47 WE TRULY PROCLAIM THIS TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE COME 55:52 IN CONTACT WITH. MAY THEY SEE THAT WE'RE A PART 55:55 OF THIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. >>AMEN. 56:00 >>I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, OUR FREE 56:04 OFFER TODAY IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT SINNING? 56:08 - IT'S OFFER #187 AND YOU CAN GET IT IF YOU JUST CALL 56:12 866-788-3966 OR 866-STUDY-MORE AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET THIS 56:21 IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT SINNING? 56:24 FROM THE LIBRARY OF SERMONS. MAY GOD BLESS YOU THIS SABBATH 56:28 DAY AS YOU PARTICIPATE IN HIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. 56:34 >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING 56:37 YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS 56:41 CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 56:45 TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS 56:49 LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK 56:53 TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE 56:56 QUESTIONS. FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR AREA, OR TO 56:59 LISTEN TO ANSWERS ONLINE, VISIT BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 57:07 >>AMAZING FACTS, THROUGH YOUR FAITHFUL SUPPORT, HAS HAD A 57:10 MAJOR IMPACT ON SOME OF THE LARGEST NON-CHRISTIAN LOCATIONS 57:14 IN THE WORLD. BEYOND THE GREAT WALL, THE 57:17 PRINTING AND TRANSLATION OF OUR BOOKS AND VIDEO MATERIALS 57:20 ARE IN CONSTANT MOTION. >>(CHINESE DIALOGUE) 57:27 >>THE AMAZING FACTS CHINESE LANGUAGE WEBSITE IS NOW ONE OF 57:31 OUR MOST VISITED WEBSITES. WE ALSO TRANSLATED THOUSANDS OF 57:35 PIECES OF LITERATURE FOR THESE NATIONS. 57:37 WHAT STARTED OUT AS HUNDREDS OF FOLLOWERS IS NOW IN THE HUNDREDS 57:41 OF THOUSANDS. THE IMPACT OF YOUR FUNDS 57:43 INVESTED IN SHARING THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL IN THESE 57:46 FOREIGN LANDS WILL BE FELT FOR YEARS TO COME. 57:50 >>YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK WE HEAR THE MOST INCREDIBLE STORIES FROM 57:53 ALL OVER THE GLOBE, OF LIVES THAT ARE BEING CHANGED AND 57:56 HEARTS THAT ARE BEING TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE 57:58 WORD. AND NONE OF IT COULD HAPPEN 58:01 WITHOUT YOUR TEAMWORK WITH THIS MINISTRY. GOD BLESS YOU. 58:07 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-04-11