Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021718A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 00:37 HOUR, COMING TO YOU FROM THE GRANITE BAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 00:41 NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. I'D LIKE TO WARMLY WELCOME OUR 00:44 ONLINE MEMBERS AND, ALSO, THOSE WATCHING ON THE VARIOUS 00:46 TELEVISION NETWORKS AND ALSO THE MEMBERS AND THE VISITORS RIGHT 00:50 HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH - ALWAYS A JOY ON SABBATH MORNING 00:54 TO BE ABLE TO GATHER TOGETHER TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 00:57 NOW THIS QUARTER, WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE FIRST AND SECOND 00:59 BOOKS OF PETER. OUR LESSON QUARTERLY IS ENTITLED 01:02 FEED MY SHEEP AND, FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, IF YOU DON'T HAVE 01:05 A COPY OF THE QUARTERLY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT ONE OF 01:08 THE LOCAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO 01:11 GET A COPY OF THE QUARTERLY THERE. OR, GO TO THE AMAZING 01:14 FACTS WEBSITE, JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU CAN 01:18 DOWNLOAD THE QUARTERLY AND THE LESSON AND STUDY WITH US. 01:21 TODAY, WE'RE ON LESSON #6 ENTITLED SUFFERING FOR CHRIST 01:26 AND WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TODAY, 01:29 A BOOK ENTITLED WHEN THE BROOK DRIED UP . 01:33 AND THIS IS FREE FOR THOSE WHO ARE VIEWING IN NORTH AMERICA. 01:36 ALL YOU'LL NEED TO DO IS JUST GIVE US A CALL ON OUR RESOURCE 01:38 PHONE NUMBER. THAT NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND 01:44 YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #171. THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 01:48 866-788-3966 AND ASK FOR THE BOOK WHEN THE BROOK DRIED UP . 01:54 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY IN NORTH AMERICA. 01:57 IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA, JUST GO TO THE AMAZING 01:59 FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU CAN 02:03 DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE BOOK AND READ IT RIGHT THERE FOR FREE. 02:07 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING, AS WE NORMALLY DO, 02:10 WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG, SO I'D LIKE 02:13 TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME AND LEAD US IN OUR PRAISE 02:16 THIS MORNING. (PIANO MUSIC) 02:20 >>WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE JOINING US TO WORSHIP 02:22 TOGETHER AND TO SING TOGETHER AS WE DO EVERY WEEK. 02:25 SO I INVITE YOU, THOSE THAT ARE AT HOME, TO PULL OUT YOUR 02:29 HYMNALS - THOSE THAT ARE HERE - WE'RE GOING TO SING HOW SWEET 02:32 ARE THE TIDINGS THAT GREET THE PILGRIMS EAR - AND IF THERE WAS 02:36 NEVER A TIME THAT WE WANTED TO HEAR GOOD NEWS, IT IS NOW, ON 02:40 THIS PLANET EARTH, AS WE ARE WRAPPING IT UP. 02:42 AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR GOD'S WORD AND THE TIDINGS THAT WE 02:46 FIND IN THERE - HYMN #442 - HOW SWEET ARE THE TIDINGS - WE'LL 02:50 SING THE FIRST, THE SECOND, AND THE LAST VERSES. 02:53 (PIANO MUSIC) 05:20 >>I AM SO GRATEFUL, THIS MORNING, THAT WE 05:22 HAVE THAT HOPE THAT SOON HE IS COMING AND THAT WE CAN, RIGHT 05:27 NOW, MAKE THE DECISION TO BE THERE WITH HIM AND RECEIVE 05:29 ETERNAL, EVERLASTING LIFE. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT 05:33 AND I HOPE YOU ARE TOO. AT THIS TIME, PASTOR ROSS WILL 05:36 LEAD US IN OPENING PRAYER. >>DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A 05:40 PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY TOGETHER. 05:42 AND, AS YOU LOOK AT COUNSEL GIVEN TO US THROUGH THE APOSTLE 05:46 PETER MANY YEARS AGO, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE 05:49 RELEVANT TRUTHS FOR US FOR THE TIME IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING. 05:52 SO WE PRAY, ONCE AGAIN, FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME AND GIVE 05:55 GUIDANCE TO OUR HEARTS AND MINDS - LEAD US INTO A CLEARER 05:57 UNDERSTANDING OF BIBLE TRUTH TODAY, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' 06:01 NAME, AMEN. >>AMEN. 06:03 >>OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY 06:05 PASTOR DOUG. >>GOOD MORNING. 06:07 >>GOOD MORNING. >>HOW IS EVERYBODY? 06:09 >>GREAT. >>IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME. 06:13 YOU DON'T KNOW I LEFT AGAIN SINCE I SAW YOU LAST WEEK 06:15 (LAUGHTER) AND CAME BACK AGAIN. AND I WANT TO WELCOME OUR CLASS 06:21 THAT IS STUDYING SABBATH SCHOOL WITH US. 06:23 BY THE WAY, I KNOW THAT THEY MENTIONED THIS BOOK ALREADY, BUT 06:26 I'LL MENTION IT AGAIN - IT REALLY IS A GOOD BOOK. 06:27 THE SUBTITLE GOES WITH OUR LESSON TODAY, IT'S WHY DO 06:31 CHRISTIANS SUFFER? AND OUR LESSON TODAY IS #6 06:35 IN OUR STUDY GUIDE OF PETER, TALKING ABOUT THE 06:38 SUBJECT OF SUFFERING. AND SO, WE'RE GOING TO BE 06:41 DEALING WITH STUFF - WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT SUFFERING? 06:45 SHALL WE HAVE A VOTE? IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO 06:48 TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE HOW MANY SUFFER? 06:50 >>ALL. >>WE ALL DO. 06:51 SO IT'S - IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. 06:53 THE LESSON, THOUGH, IS REALLY TITLED THE SUFFERING FOR CHRIST 06:58 - AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE AND THE MEMORY VERSE IS 1 PETER 2:21 07:03 - HERE IT'S IN THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION, IF YOU'D READ 07:05 THAT WITH ME. ARE YOU READY? 07:08 "FOR TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED, BECAUSE CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED FOR 07:13 US, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, THAT YOU SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS:" 07:19 NOW, YOU GO BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING AND YOU'LL FIND 07:25 SUFFERING COMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER SIN COMES. 07:30 NOT ALWAYS, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE ENTER THE WORLD WITH 07:34 SUFFERING. AND, NOT ALWAYS, BUT MANY TIMES, 07:37 PEOPLE LEAVE THE WORLD IN SUFFERING. 07:40 I KNOW THAT WHEN KAREN GAVE BIRTH I SAID, 'DO YOU WANT TO DO 07:45 NATURAL?' AND SHE SAID, 'NO'. 07:48 SHE SAID, 'GIVE ME AN EPIDURAL'. >>AMEN. 07:53 >>IT'S WONDERFUL THAT THEY HAVE THINGS, NOW, THAT WHEN PEOPLE 07:56 ENTER THE WORLD - YEAH, IT WAS NATURAL - THEY WERE NATURAL 08:01 DRUGS. (LAUGHTER) AND THEN, YOU KNOW - 08:08 I SUPPOSE - PEOPLE WONDER, YOU KNOW, YOU READ THOSE FIRST 08:11 VERSES IN THE BIBLE - IN GENESIS 3:15, ONE OF THE FIRST 08:15 PROPHECIES AFTER THE FALL - AFTER SIN ENTERED THE WORLD - 08:19 GOD SAID, 'I'LL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN;'- 08:22 SPEAKING TO THE SERPENT - 'BETWEEN YOUR SEED AND HER 08:26 SEED;' - NOW THIS IS TALKING ABOUT - THERE WOULD BE A WAR, 08:30 BASICALLY - ENMITY - THERE WOULD BE OPPOSITION - THERE'D BE A 08:34 STRUGGLE. IT SAYS, 'YOU WILL BRUISE' - "HE SHALL BRUISE YOUR 08:39 HEAD, AND YOU SHALL BRUISE HIS HEEL." HIS HEEL BEING THE SEED 08:43 OF THE SERPENT - OR JESUS. AND SO, YOU'VE GOT TWO BRUISES 08:47 RIGHT THERE IN THE VERY FIRST PROPHECY. 08:50 NOW MOST OF YOU KNOW WHEN A BRUISE DEVELOPS, WHAT CAUSED 08:55 THE BRUISE IS USUALLY SOME PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. 08:58 AND SO, YOU SEE PAIN RIGHT THERE. 08:59 AND IN THE NEXT VERSE - AND IT SAYS THERE IN GENESIS 3:16, "TO 09:03 THE WOMAN HE SAID: 'I WILL GREATLY MULTIPLY YOUR SORROW AND 09:07 YOUR CONCEPTION;" - NOW THE WORD 'CONCEPTION' THERE IS SOMETIMES 09:11 CONCEPTION - WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT BATHSHEBA CONCEIVING, THAT WAS, 09:16 YOU KNOW, NINE MONTHS BEFORE THE CHILD CAME. 09:18 AND, IT IS TRUE THAT IN CONCEPTION MANY WOMEN GET SICK 09:23 AND - BUT THEN HE GOES ON AND SAYS, "IN PAIN YOU SHALL BRING 09:28 FORTH CHILDREN; YOUR DESIRE SHALL BE FOR YOUR HUSBAND, AND 09:31 HE SHALL RULE OVER YOU." SO, RIGHT THERE IN THE VERY 09:34 BEGINNING PAIN AND BRINGING FORTH. 09:37 NOW WHAT DOES A WOMAN REPRESENT? >>A CHURCH. 09:40 >>A CHURCH. DOES THE CHURCH BRING FORTH 09:43 CHILDREN WITHOUT PAIN? OR IS THERE A STRUGGLE INVOLVED 09:49 IN CHILDREN BEING BROUGHT FORTH? WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE 09:54 BORN AS A NATION, THAT'S AN ALLEGORY OF SALVATION. 09:59 WAS THERE A STRUGGLE? >>YES. 10:01 >>THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS STRUGGLE. 10:03 THERE WERE PLAGUES AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LET THEM GO AND 10:06 THEY CHASED AFTER THEM TO KILL THEM. 10:08 AND SO, YOU FIND PERSECUTION AND STRUGGLE RIGHT THERE IN THE 10:11 BEGINNING WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO COME FORTH AS A NATION. 10:14 IT MAKES YOU WONDER THOUGH, WHEN GOD SAYS TO EVE, 'IN PAIN YOU'LL 10:17 BRING FORTH'. WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN LIKE, 10:20 IF THERE HAD BEEN NO SIN, FOR A WOMAN TO HAVE A BABY? 10:24 WOULD SHE ELBOW ADAM IN THE MORNING AND SAY, 'YOU'LL NEVER 10:26 BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?' 10:27 (LAUGHTER) I MEAN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM IT 10:33 LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THE ANIMALS - NOT ALL, BUT SOME OF THE ANIMALS 10:36 - LOOKED LIKE IT JUST - YOU KNOW, BABIES KIND OF - 10:39 THERE'S NO CRYING - IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S TERRIBLY PAINFUL, 10:43 BUT - I GUESS IT WAS TO BE PAIN FREE IN THE BEGINNING. 10:47 AND THEY'VE GOT DRUGS NOW - WHEN YOU LEAVE LIFE, MANY TIMES 10:50 PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND SOMETIMES THEY'VE GOT THINGS 10:53 THAT WILL MAKE THAT MORE BEARABLE. 10:55 IN MANY CASES, THE PAIN DRUGS THAT THEY GIVE YOU, WHEN A 11:02 PERSON'S IN THEIR FINAL ILLNESS, IS A COUP DE GRAS. 11:05 IT ACTUALLY DOES MORE DAMAGE. I KNOW WITH MY MOM, SHE HAD 11:08 CANCER AND THEY JUST GAVE HER SO MUCH MORPHINE, WE'RE PRETTY SURE 11:11 IT WAS THE MORPHINE THAT DID HER IN. 11:13 BUT THERE'S PAIN IN LIFE. THERE'S SUFFERING. 11:17 AND WHAT'S THE PENALTY FOR SIN? >>DEATH. 11:23 >>THAT'S TRUE, BUT IS THERE MORE TO IT THAN THAT? 11:26 WILL THE WICKED WHO ARE LOST DIE FOR THEIR SIN? 11:33 YES. RIGHT? YEAH. 11:37 DO THEY ONLY DIE OR IS THERE SUFFERING AND DEATH? 11:42 SO THAT SUFFERING IS IN PROPORTION TO - EVERY MAN 11:45 SUFFERS ACCORDING TO WHAT HE DESERVES. 11:47 JESUS SAID, 'HE WHO HAD DONE MANY THINGS WORTHY OF STRIPES 11:50 WILL BE BEATEN WITH MANY STRIPES. 11:52 HE THAT HAS DONE FEW THINGS - FEW STRIPES.' STRIPES WERE, WHEN 11:55 THEY WHIPPED YOU, IT LEFT A STRIPE ON YOUR BACK. 11:57 AND SO THERE'S VARYING DEGREES OF SUFFERING, VARYING DEGREES OF 12:00 REWARD, VARYING DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT. 12:03 AND SOME PEOPLE, THOUGH, THEY COME INTO THE WORLD. 12:06 THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG AND THEY SUFFER. 12:11 THIS IS ALL THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN. 12:15 AND SO, YOU SEE THIS RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING - THAT THERE 12:17 IS SUFFERING - BUT WHERE DID IT ORIGINALLY COME FROM? 12:23 WAS SUFFERING PART OF GOD'S PLAN? 12:25 >>NO. >>WHEN GOD FINISHED MAKING THE 12:27 WORLD EVERYTHING WAS 'GOOD, GOOD, VERY GOOD'. 12:32 GOD TOOK MAN AND PUT HIM IN A PARADISE. 12:36 SO, NOW, IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING A LITTLE 12:38 BIT, ABOUT THE SUFFERING THAT COMES AS A RESULT OF 12:41 CHRISTIANITY. WHY DO CHRISTIANS SUFFER 12:43 FOR BEING CHRISTIANS? THE DEVIL HATES JESUS AND, IF 12:51 YOU TAKE THE NAME OF JESUS AND IF YOU SEEK TO LIVE THE LIFE OF 12:54 JESUS, HE'LL HATE YOU. AND CHRIST SAID, 'PRETTY MUCH' 12:58 HE SAID, 'LOOK, IF THEY HATE ME THEY'RE GOING TO HATE YOU.' 13:01 AND THE SUFFERING THAT JESUS ENDURED, WHICH IS REALLY THE 13:04 WRATH OF THE DEVIL, IS BECAUSE OF OUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST. 13:09 NOW THE WORDS 'SUFFER' AND 'SUFFERING' APPEAR SIXTEEN TIMES 13:14 IN 1 AND 2 PETER, SO I WAS JUST WAITING FOR THIS STUDY TO COME 13:18 ALONG, BECAUSE WHEN I READ 1 AND 2 PETER, IF YOU'RE TO ASK 13:20 SOMEBODY 'WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TEACHING OF 1 AND 2 PETER?' 13:25 - IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU STUDY THE BOOK OF DANIEL - 13:27 WHAT'S THE MAIN TEACHING IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL? 13:30 IT'S THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL WIN IN THE END. 13:33 EVERY CHAPTER IS TALKING ABOUT A BATTLE BETWEEN THE KINGDOMS OF 13:35 THE WORLD AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 13:37 AND YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT BOOKS AND THERE'S LIKE A THEME. 13:40 THE THEME IN 1 AND 2 PETER IS HE IS WRITING TO CHRISTIANS WHO ARE 13:44 ENCOUNTERING PERSECUTION AND SUFFERING AND HE'S TELLING THEM 13:48 HOW TO BEAR IT PATIENTLY. SIXTEEN TIMES IN 1 AND 2 PETER 13:52 YOU FIND 'SUFFER', 'SUFFERING', OR SOME DERIVATIVE OF THAT. 13:56 THAT'S MORE THAN ANY OTHER BOOK OF THE BIBLE. 13:59 AND SO, THIS IS REALLY A THEME HERE. 14:02 AND PART OF THE REASON IS, BY THE TIME PETER WROTE HIS BOOKS, 14:06 SOME OF THE ROMAN PERSECUTION AGAINST CHRISTIANS HAD ALREADY 14:09 BEGUN. NOW, HOW DID PETER DIE? 14:14 IT DOESN'T SAY - WELL, IT DOES SAY IN THE BIBLE. 14:17 IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT HIS DEATH AS - YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD HE 14:20 WAS CRUCIFIED UPSIDE DOWN DURING THE TIME OF NERO, BUT JESUS DID 14:25 TELL PETER, 'WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG YOU GIRD YOURSELF AND WENT WHERE 14:28 YOU WANTED, BUT WHEN YOU ARE OLD ANOTHER WILL GIRD YOU AND YOU 14:31 WILL STRETCH FORTH YOUR HANDS' - INDICATING THE KIND OF DEATH HE 14:34 WOULD DIE, WHICH, ULTIMATELY, WAS CRUCIFIXION. 14:38 BUT YOU CAN READ IN ACTS 18 - NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR 14:40 ME IN JUST A MOMENT. IF WE GO THE WAY WE USUALLY DO, 14:44 HAFDIS, YOU'D BE FIRST, I THINK. THAT'S 1 PETER 5:10, RIGHT? 14:48 OH YOU'LL - WE'RE GOING - YOU GUYS FOOLED ME. 14:50 YOU'RE DOING IT LEFT TO RIGHT. BUT I WANT TO READ ACTS 18:2: 14:57 AND IT SAYS, "AND HE FOUND A CERTAIN JEW NAMED AQUILA, BORN 15:00 IN PONTUS, WHO HAD RECENTLY COME FROM ITALY WITH HIS WIFE 15:03 PRISCILLA" - AND THEN HERE'S WHAT'S A PARENTHETICAL STATEMENT 15:06 - IT SAYS, "(BECAUSE CLAUDIUS HAD COMMANDED ALL THE JEWS TO 15:11 DEPART FROM ROME);" - NOW HERE YOU SEE THE BEGINNING OF THIS 15:15 PERSECUTION THAT ENDED UP GOING AGAINST THE JEWS. 15:18 THEY WERE CAUSING SOME PROBLEMS AND THERE WAS SOME REBELLING 15:20 AND, FINALLY, THERE WAS A MAJOR REBELLION AROUND 68 AD THAT 15:25 FINALLY RESULTED IN JERUSALEM BEING DESTROYED IN 70 AD, AS 15:29 CHRIST HAD FORETOLD. THEN, FOR MANY YEARS AFTER THAT, 15:33 THE JEWS WERE PRETTY MUCH ON THE OUTS WITH THE ROMANS. 15:37 MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN CARRIED OFF AND MADE SLAVES. 15:39 THEY WERE SEEN AS TROUBLEMAKERS - AND THEN CHRISTIANS - BECAUSE 15:42 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION WAS SO CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE JEWISH 15:45 RELIGION - CONSIDERED TO BE A MONOTHEISTIC RELIGION - 15:48 WORSHIPING THE SAME GOD, THEY USED TO KEEP THE SAME SABBATH, 15:53 AND THEY USED TO OBSERVE THE SAME CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FOODS. 15:56 EVEN THOUGH MANY CHRISTIANS DON'T TODAY, THEY DID BACK THEN. 15:59 THEY WERE SEEN AS A BRANCH OF JUDAISM AND THEY WERE 16:03 PERSECUTED. AND SO, THEY WERE EXPERIENCING 16:07 THIS AND PETER IS WRITING TO THE BELIEVERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH 16:10 SOME OF THIS PERSECUTION. YOU CAN READ IN 1 PETER 1:6, 16:15 "IN THIS YOU GREATLY REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A LITTLE WHILE, 16:19 IF NEED BE, YOU HAVE BEEN GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS" - 16:24 NOW, DOES SUFFERING LAST VERY LONG? 16:28 >>SOMETIMES. >>SEEMS LIKE IT. 16:32 I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE IN INDIA AND - I KNOW DEBBIE REMEMBERS 16:38 THIS DAY - WHEN WE WERE VISITING WITH SOME OF THE DOCTORS, WE 16:41 TOOK SOME - THIS WAS ON OUR SECOND TRIP TO INDIA - WE TOOK 16:45 SOME DOCTORS WITH US AND THEY HAD A MEDICAL CLINIC OUT THERE 16:48 IN ONE OF THE VILLAGES AND THIS ONE LADY CAME UP AND SHE WAS - 16:53 SHE WAS INTELLIGENT ENOUGH, BUT SHE WAS DEFORMED IN SOME WAY AND 16:59 SHE WAS CRYING AND SHE WAS ASKING US, THROUGH THE 17:01 TRANSLATOR, 'WHY DOES GOD LET ME SUFFER SO?' 17:04 I MEAN, SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS FIFTY YEARS OLD - MAY HAVE BEEN 17:06 YOUNGER, JUST LOOKED THAT OLD - AND SHE HAD OBVIOUSLY SUFFERED 17:10 FROM GREAT PHYSICAL PAIN HER WHOLE LIFE. 17:12 IT LOOKED, TO ME, LIKE SHE WAS BORN WITH SOME DEFORMITY. 17:16 AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE THAT. 17:19 'WHY IS GOD MAKING ME SUFFER SO?' 17:21 SHE WAS JUST CRYING. AND THEN DEBBIE STARTED CRYING 17:25 AND SOME OF THE OTHERS WERE CRYING - AND IT JUST, SORT OF, 17:29 REPRESENTED THE SUFFERING IN THE WORLD. 17:31 BUT COMPARED TO ETERNITY, HOW LONG DOES ANYONE REALLY SUFFER? 17:40 DOESN'T PAUL SAY THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT WORLD 17:45 ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED WITH THE ETERNAL GLORY THAT GOD 17:50 HAS FOR THOSE THAT LOVE HIM. SO, AFTER YOU GET THROUGH YOUR 17:53 FIRST ZILLION YEARS OF PARADISE, AND YOU LOOK BACK ON THE SEVENTY 17:59 YEARS OF SUFFERING, ASSUMING THAT YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, LIVED A 18:02 LIFE OF TERRIBLE SUFFERING, HOW MUCH IS IT? 18:08 NOW THAT'S EASY TO SAY, PHILOSOPHICALLY, IT'S HARD WHEN 18:10 YOU'RE SUFFERING FOR YEARS. AND I'VE GOT SOME FRIENDS 18:14 THAT STRUGGLE WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND THERE'S LIKE - 18:17 THE QUESTION IS NOT 'ARE YOU HURTING?' 18:20 THE QUESTION IS 'HOW BAD IT IS TODAY?' 18:22 AND THEY'RE JUST ALWAYS IN SOME KIND OF PAIN AND YOUR HEARTS GO 18:25 OUT TO THEM. AND MY BROTHER WAS LIKE THAT. 18:27 HE STRUGGLED TO BREATHE HIS WHOLE LIFE - HE HAD CYSTIC 18:30 FIBROSIS AND HAD A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS AND I USED TO JUST 18:33 WONDER - I ALWAYS FELT A LITTLE GUILTY BECAUSE I WAS SO HEALTHY. 18:38 HE USED TO SAY, 'DOUG, GOD'S NOT FAIR, YOU'RE HEALTHY AND STUPID; 18:41 I'M SMART AND SICK.' (LAUGHTER) AND SO I KNOW, YOU CAN SAY, 'OH 18:47 WELL, BUT IT WON'T LAST LONG' - BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE BIBLE 18:51 TEACHES: 'WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE 18:55 MORNING.' AND SO, ALL THE SUFFERING IS GOING TO JUST LOOK 18:59 LIKE A GLIMMER WHEN YOU'RE IN ETERNITY LOOKING BACK. 19:02 SO HAVING THAT PERSPECTIVE - I REMEMBER BONNIE SAYING, ONE TIME 19:06 - SHE'S IN BOSTON RIGHT NOW SO I CAN TALK ABOUT HER - SHE SAID, 19:10 'YOU CAN HANDLE ALMOST ANYTHING IF YOU KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO 19:12 LAST.' YOU CAN HANDLE ALMOST ANYTHING IF YOU KNOW IT'S NOT 19:16 GOING TO LAST. AND SO YOU JUST, KIND OF, GRIN AND BEAR IT. 19:20 SO PETER IS SAYING, "THOUGH NOW FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IF NEED BE, 19:26 YOU HAVE BEEN GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS". 19:29 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, PLEASE, 1 PETER 5. 19:32 >>"BUT MAY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO CALLED US TO HIS ETERNAL 19:37 GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS, AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE, PERFECT, 19:42 ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN, AND SETTLE YOU." 19:46 >>VERY GOOD. NOW YOU NOTICE AGAIN, PETER SAYS 19:48 YOU SUFFER 'FOR AWHILE', BUT WHAT IS THAT SUFFERING DOING? 19:54 IT SAYS, 'PERFECT' - PERFECT - I'M SORRY - "PERFECT, ESTABLISH, 20:00 STRENGTHEN, AND SETTLE" - SO WHAT IS HAPPENING? 20:02 WHAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT GOD ALLOWS US TO GO THROUGH 20:05 SUFFERING? >>SPIRITUAL - 20:08 >>IT'S SPIRITUAL GROWTH, YEAH. NOT ONLY THAT, SOMETIMES GOD 20:12 ALLOWS US TO SUFFER BECAUSE IT HELPS THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING. 20:18 I REMEMBER - I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, I READ A 20:20 BOOK YEARS AGO, WRITTEN BY MARVIN MOORE, CALLED WITNESSING 20:24 THROUGH TRIALS AND IT JUST HAD A VARIETY OF STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO 20:28 WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF TRIALS IN THEIR LIFE AND THEY WERE 20:30 WONDERING, 'WHY IS GOD LETTING ME DO THIS?' 20:34 WELL, IT WASN'T JUST FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT, BUT OTHERS WERE 20:37 WATCHING THEM BEAR THEIR SUFFERINGS PATIENTLY AND IT WAS 20:40 PREACHING TO THOSE WHO WATCHED THEM. 20:44 IF WE COMPLAIN WHEN WE'RE SUFFERING, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M 20:50 A BIG BABY. I JUST - I GET A SPLINTER AND I 20:53 WANT THE WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW. AND YOU GET A FLAT TIRE AND YOU 20:57 THINK THE WORLD'S COMING TO AN END. 20:59 I MEAN, SUFFERING IS NOT ALWAYS PHYSICAL SUFFERING. 21:01 THERE'S TRIALS WE GO THROUGH - SOME PEOPLE - TERRIBLE STRESS. 21:04 SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH FINANCIAL STRUGGLES AND 21:07 SUFFERING - THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT SUFFERING. 21:10 WE DON'T JUST MEAN PHYSICAL PAIN. 21:11 BUT IF YOU BEAR IT PATIENTLY, AND PEOPLE WATCH THAT - I'VE 21:18 GONE TO SEE FOLKS IN THE HOSPITAL THAT WERE SICK AND THEY 21:21 WERE STRUGGLING AND FOLKS WOULD COME IN AND TALK TO THEM AND 21:24 THEY WERE ALWAYS SO POSITIVE, IN SPITE OF THEIR SUFFERING. 21:28 PEOPLE WALKED AWAY AND SAID, 'BOY, THEY'VE GOT TO BE 21:30 CHRISTIANS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN? 21:32 JUST LOOK AT THOSE PEOPLE - THEY'RE SO OPTIMISTIC, IN SPITE 21:34 OF THEIR SUFFERING. SO, BEING A CHRISTIAN DOESN'T 21:37 MEAN YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO SUFFER. 21:39 I HAVE BIG ISSUE WITH THESE PROSPERITY PREACHERS THAT SAY IF 21:42 YOU'VE JUST GOT ENOUGH FAITH, YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE PLENTY OF 21:44 MONEY - YOU'LL ALWAYS BE HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE. 21:46 DOESN'T - THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE APOSTLES. 21:49 THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES. 21:51 AND - BUT WE ARE TO WITNESS THROUGH OUR TRIALS, AMEN? 21:57 AND THEN, IN THAT SECTION, IT SAYS THERE IN REVELATION 2, 22:00 VERSE 10 - JESUS, SPEAKING TO THE CHURCH, SAYS, "DO NOT FEAR 22:06 ANY OF THOSE THINGS" - AND THIS IS THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA, I 22:09 BELIEVE - "DO NOT FEAR ANY OF THOSE THINGS WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT 22:12 TO SUFFER." SO DOES IT - IS THE CHURCH FREE FROM SUFFERING? 22:17 JESUS IS TALKING TO A WHOLE AGE OF THE CHURCH HERE. 22:20 - "INDEED, THE DEVIL" - NOW THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING RIGHT THERE: 22:22 HE SAYS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SUFFER AND THEN HE SAYS THE DEVIL. 22:24 WHO'S BEHIND IT? >>THE DEVIL. 22:26 >>WHO IS BEHIND THE SUFFERING OF JOB? 22:28 >>THE DEVIL. >>WHO IS BEHIND THE 22:29 SUFFERING OF JESUS? AND IT'S IN MOST CASES - NOT IN 22:34 ALL CASES, BUT IN MOST CASES THE DEVIL IS TRYING TO HEAP 22:37 SUFFERING ON THE CHURCH. DO NOT FEAR ANY OF THOSE 22:40 THINGS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SUFFER. ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT. 22:42 WHAT DOES JESUS TELL US ABOUT SUFFERING? 22:45 'DON'T FEAR.' YOU KNOW, I DO A PROPHECY PROGRAM AND YOU TALK 22:48 ABOUT THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION - AND, 22:51 YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT, THERE'S SOME FRIGHTENING WORDS IN THERE 22:54 - "SUCH AS THERE NEVER HAS BEEN KNOWN NOR WILL THERE EVER BE" - 22:58 SO JUST THINK OF THIS TROUBLE - IT'S THE WORST TROUBLE - AND 23:00 AFTER YOU THINK YOU'VE IMAGINED IT, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE IT. 23:03 THAT'S ACTUALLY A QUOTE FROM ELLEN WHITE - AND THE BIBLE. 23:08 SO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE TRIBULATION AND I'VE TALKED TO 23:10 FOLKS AND THEY SAY, 'OH, PASTOR DOUG, WHERE DO WE HIDE? 23:12 WHAT DO WE DO? I'M SO AFRAID.' AND OUR CHARISMATIC FRIENDS HAVE 23:17 JUST DEVELOPED A WHOLE NEW THEOLOGY TO ESCAPE THAT AND THEY 23:20 SAY, 'WE'LL JUST GET RAPTURED UP BEFORE THE TRIBULATION. 23:22 YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT.' BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T 23:23 HANDLE THE FEARS SO THEY DEVELOPED A WHOLE NEW THEORY. 23:26 YES, WE WILL BE HERE DURING THE TRIBULATION, IF YOU'RE ALIVE IN 23:30 THE END OF TIME, BUT DO WE NEED TO FEAR IT? 23:33 WHAT HAS JESUS SAID? 'DO NOT FEAR' - HE SAYS, 'I'VE 23:38 OVERCOME, YOU CAN OVERCOME. THE THINGS YOU'RE ABOUT TO 23:41 SUFFER, INDEED THE DEVIL WILL THROW SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON 23:45 THAT YOU MAY BE TESTED AND YOU'LL HAVE TRIBULATION TEN 23:48 DAYS.' NOW, HE'S TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A TRIBULATION 23:54 THAT HAPPENED DURING THE TIME, I THINK IT WAS OF DOMITION - 23:57 FROM WAS IT 303 TO 313 - PASTOR ROSS, HERE? I'M PRETTY SURE 24:03 THAT'S CORRECT, YEAH. >>AND SO THEY HAD TEN YEARS OF 24:08 TERRIBLE SUFFERING DURING THAT TIME. 24:11 BUT, "BE FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE CROWN OF 24:14 LIFE." YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE WORST THING 24:16 THAT THE WICKED CAN DO TO US? JESUS SAID, 'DO NOT FEAR THOSE 24:20 WHO DESTROY THE BODY AND THAT'S ALL THEY CAN DO. 24:23 RATHER, FEAR HIM WHO CAN DESTROY SOUL AND BODY.' 24:26 SO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO FEAR SOMEONE, FEAR GOD. 24:28 AND IT'S LIKE WESLEY USED TO SAY, 'IF YOU FEAR GOD, YOU WON'T 24:32 FEAR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IF YOU DON'T FEAR GOD, YOU'LL FEAR 24:35 EVERYTHING.' SO NOTICE THE WORDS JUST IN REVELATION 2:10: 24:41 'SUFFER', 'PRISON', 'TESTED', 'DEATH', 'TRIBULATION' - AND 24:46 HE'S WRITING TO THE CHURCH. SO, WE DO GO THROUGH HARD TIMES; 24:51 WE OUGHT TO BE PRAISING GOD FOR THE GOOD TIMES. WHAT'S GOING TO 24:55 BRING REVIVAL TO THE CHURCH? >>PERSECUTIONS. 24:59 >>DO WE NEED REVIVAL? >>YES. 25:03 >>I THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE TRIALS THAT WILL COME. 25:07 AND IT'S NOT GOING TO - I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET 25:09 PERSECUTED RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE YOU GET PERSECUTED FOR GODLY 25:11 LIVING AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GODLY LIVING RIGHT NOW, TO JUST 25:15 BE HONEST WITH YOU. I THINK THE TRIALS ARE GOING TO 25:18 TURN US TO GOD AND WE'LL HAVE GODLY LIVING AND THEN YOU MAY 25:22 GET PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE. 25:25 BUT RIGHT NOW, IF TROUBLE COMES, IT'S JUST GOING TO BE PUNISHMENT 25:29 FOR WORLDLINESS. I'M JUST BEING HONEST WITH YOU. 25:32 I DON'T KNOW IF YOU AGREE WITH ME BUT, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THE 25:33 CHURCH TODAY AND I LOOK AT THE CHURCH IN THE TIME OF THE 25:35 APOSTLES AND THERE'S A BIG DELTA BETWEEN THE HOLINESS AND THE 25:40 LIVES THEY LIVED AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN GENERAL 25:42 CHRISTIANITY TODAY. AND I THINK THERE'S GOING 25:45 TO BE TRIALS THAT WILL COME INDISCRIMINATELY ON THE WORLD 25:48 THAT ARE GOING TO TURN PEOPLE TO GOD, THEN THERE'LL BE GODLY 25:51 LIVING, THEN THE PERSECUTION WILL COME BECAUSE 25:53 OF GODLY LIVING. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE GODLY 25:56 LIVING IS A REAL THREAT TO THE DEVIL. 25:58 YOU START LIVING GODLY AND IT BOTHERS HIM. 26:01 IF YOU TAKE THE NAME OF CHRIST AND YOU LIVE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, 26:04 HE SAYS THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE I WANT YOU. 26:06 YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH RELIGION TO FOOL YOURSELF, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO 26:10 BE A THREAT TO ME. DID YOU CATCH THAT? THE DEVIL LOVES IT WHEN WE 26:15 TAKE THE NAME OF CHRIST - WE HAVE A NAME THAT WE LIVE, BUT 26:17 WE'RE DEAD SPIRITUALLY. BUT WHEN WE REALLY START LIVING 26:20 HOLY, THAT'S WHEN HE GETS NERVOUS. 26:23 THAT'S WHY YOU'VE GOT THAT - I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF HERE. 26:27 SO JESUS SAID, AND I QUOTED THIS TO YOU IN MATTHEW 10:28, 'DO NOT 26:30 FEAR THOSE WHO KILL THE BODY BUT THEY CAN'T DO ANY MORE.' 1 PETER 26:33 4 - SUPPOSED TO BE STUDYING PETER AND I'M READING ALL THE 26:36 OTHER VERSES - 1 PETER 4:12, "BELOVED, DO NOT THINK IT 26:40 STRANGE CONCERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, AS 26:44 THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO YOU; BUT REJOICE TO 26:48 THE EXTENT THAT YOU PARTAKE OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS..." 26:51 SO WHAT DID JESUS SAY WE SHOULD DO? 26:53 HE SAID, 'IF YOU ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE' - THAT'S 26:57 MATTHEW 5, VERSE 10, "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR 27:02 RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 27:05 BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN THEY REVILE AND PERSECUTE YOU, AND SAY ALL 27:09 KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU FALSELY" - SO CHRISTIAN 27:13 SUFFERING IS NOT JUST SOMEONE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, BAMBOO SHOOTS 27:16 UNDER OUR TOENAILS, RIGHT? IT SAYS IT'S ALSO JUST PEOPLE 27:20 TALKING ABOUT YOU AND HURTING YOU THAT WAY. 27:22 THEY SAY ALL KINDS OF EVIL THINGS AGAINST YOU FALSELY, FOR 27:26 MY SAKE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WHETHER IT'S 27:28 PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ANGUISH, HE SAYS, "REJOICE AND BE 27:33 EXCEEDINGLY GLAD" - NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT IS DIFFERENT HERE? 27:37 WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE BEATITUDES HE SAYS BLESSED ARE 27:39 THE PEACEMAKERS, BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, BLESSED ARE THE POOR 27:44 IN SPIRIT, BUT WHEN HE GETS TO PERSECUTION HE SAYS, 'THIS IS 27:48 THE GREATEST BLESSING - REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD. 27:53 NOW HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO REJOICE EXCEEDINGLY? 27:58 YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS. YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER. 28:02 WHAT IS - 'WHAT'S THE PRICE, PASTOR DOUG?' 28:05 IF YOU WANT TO REJOICE EXCEEDINGLY, HE SAID, 'WHEN YOU 28:08 SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' - NOW, I DON'T THINK WE OUGHT TO BE 28:10 KOOKY MASOCHISTICS GOING AROUND LOOKING FOR SUFFERING SO WE CAN 28:12 REJOICE WITH JESUS, JUST LIVE GODLY, IT'LL HAPPEN. 28:17 HE SAYS, "REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD, FOR GREAT IS 28:22 YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN, FOR SO THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS WHO 28:26 WERE BEFORE YOU." NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ, FOR ME, MATTHEW 28:29 17:12 - WHO'S THAT? YOU'LL HAVE THAT? OKAY, I WANT TO READ - 28:33 BEFORE YOU GET THERE I WANT TO READ MATTHEW 10:24. 28:38 AND WE'RE TALKING, NOW, ABOUT THE SUFFERINGS AN EXAMPLE OF 28:40 CHRIST - MATTHEW 10:24, "A DISCIPLE IS NOT ABOVE HIS 28:43 TEACHER, NOR A SERVANT ABOVE HIS MASTER." 28:47 JESUS SAID, "IT IS ENOUGH FOR A DISCIPLE THAT HE BE LIKE HIS 28:49 TEACHER, AND A SERVANT LIKE HIS MASTER. 28:51 IF THEY HAVE CALLED THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE BEELZEBUB, HOW MUCH 28:55 MORE WILL THEY CALL THOSE OF HIS HOUSEHOLD?" 28:57 SO, AGAIN, SOME SUFFERING IS VERBAL - IT'S JUST BEING 29:01 REPROACHED AND FALSELY ACCUSED. DOESN'T IT HURT WHEN YOU'RE 29:04 ACCUSED OF DOING SOMETHING TERRIBLE YOU DIDN'T DO? 29:06 >>YES. >>BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU WORK TO 29:08 HAVE A GODLY REPUTATION AND THEN PEOPLE SLANDER YOU. 29:11 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ, FOR US, MATTHEW 17:12, PLEASE. 29:15 >>"BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT ELIJAH HAS COME ALREADY, AND THEY DID 29:19 NOT KNOW HIM BUT DID TO HIM WHATEVER THEY WISHED. 29:23 LIKEWISE THE SON OF MAN IS ALSO ABOUT TO SUFFER AT THEIR HANDS." 29:29 >>SO JESUS WAS AS CLEAR AS HE COULD BE THAT HE WOULD BE 29:33 SUFFERING. NOW, THIS WAS ONE OF THE BIG 29:35 CHALLENGES THE DISCIPLES HAD IN THE EARLY DAYS IS THEY WERE SO 29:38 SURE THE MESSIAH WAS GOING TO COME AND JUST RAIN LIKE KING 29:42 DAVID AND OVERTHROW THE ENEMIES AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE A 29:45 GLORIOUS KINGDOM, LIKE IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF SOLOMON AND 29:48 EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE HUNKY DORY - THERE'S NOT A WORD IN THE 29:52 BIBLE THAT SAYS 'HUNKY DORY' BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY THAT. 29:55 I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT 1 PETER 3:13 AND, AS WE GO THROUGH - I'M 30:01 GOING TO READ THROUGH VERSE 22 - WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 30:03 SUFFERINGS AN EXAMPLE OF CHRIST - "AND WHO IS HE WHO WILL HARM 30:07 YOU IF YOU BECOME FOLLOWERS OF WHAT IS GOOD? 30:10 BUT EVEN IF YOU SHOULD SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, 30:13 YOU ARE BLESSED. 'AND DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEIR 30:15 THREATS, NOR BE TROUBLED.'" - AND HE'S QUOTING FROM THE BIBLE 30:18 THERE - BUT HE SAYS THERE'S A BLESSING IF YOU SUFFER FOR 30:21 RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE - "BUT SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN YOUR 30:24 HEARTS, AND ALWAYS BE READY TO GIVE A DEFENSE TO EVERYONE WHO 30:27 ASKS YOU A REASON FOR THE HOPE THAT IS IN YOU, WITH MEEKNESS 30:30 AND FEAR;" - NOW WHY DID PETER INCLUDE THAT IN 30:33 CONNECTION WITH SUFFERING? WAS PAUL IN PRISON AND HE HAD 30:38 TO GIVE TESTIMONY FOR HIS FAITH SEVERAL TIMES? 30:43 DID JESUS SAY THAT YOU'LL BE PERSECUTED AND YOU'LL BE BROUGHT 30:47 TO TRIAL - DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, THE 30:50 HOLY SPIRIT WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO SAY IN THAT HOUR? 30:53 THAT VERSE IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTIANS THAT KNOW HOW TO GIVE 30:56 BIBLE STUDIES - BE READY ALWAYS TO GIVE AN ANSWER. 30:59 THAT'S A GOOD VERSE FOR BIBLE STUDIES BUT YOU KNOW WHAT 31:02 PETER'S TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE WRITES THAT? 31:04 CHRISTIANS WHO ARE BEING TRIED FOR THEIR FAITH THAT ARE GIVING 31:07 A DEFENSE FOR THEIR FAITH. AND SO HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, BE 31:12 READY TO SHARE - TO DEFEND WHAT YOU BELIEVE. 31:15 HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE GOING TO BE FALSELY ACCUSED - SANCTIFY THE 31:17 LORD GOD IN YOUR HEART - AND VERSE 16, "HAVING A GOOD 31:21 CONSCIENCE, THAT WHEN THEY DEFAME YOU AS EVILDOERS, THOSE 31:25 WHO REVILE YOUR GOOD CONDUCT IN CHRIST MAY BE ASHAMED." 31:29 YOU KNOW, ONE REASON THAT NERO STARTED THE GREAT PERSECUTION OF 31:33 ROME - NERO WAS KIND OF A PASSIONATE BUILDER, AMONG OTHER 31:37 THINGS, AND, IN THE TIME OF NERO, ROME WAS A CITY OF WOODEN 31:42 TENEMENTS AND THERE WERE LARGE SWATHS OF THE CITY THAT HE 31:45 WANTED TO REBUILD IN MARBLE AND STONE, SO HE HAD HIS SOLDIERS 31:48 SET IT ON FIRE. WELL THAT CAUSED GREAT OUTRAGE. 31:51 THERE WAS GREAT LOSS OF LIFE AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE FIRE TRUCKS 31:54 BACK THEN AND IT JUST BURNT THROUGH WHOLE SECTIONS OF THE 31:56 CITY AND HE SAID, 'THE CHRISTIANS DID IT.' NOW THEY 32:00 CONTROLLED THE PRESS BACK THEN - IT'S WHAT YOU CALL 'FAKE NEWS' - 32:05 AND SO HE SAID, 'THE CHRISTIANS DID IT. 32:07 FURTHERMORE, THEY LIVE UNDERGROUND SO THEY COULD HAVE 32:11 THESE SECRET CEREMONIES WHERE THEY PRACTICE CANNIBALISM' - 32:14 BECAUSE THEY TOOK WHERE THE CHRISTIANS SAID 'THIS IS MY BODY 32:17 - THIS IS MY BLOOD' - EATING THE BREAD AND THE GRAPE JUICE - AND 32:20 THEY SAID, 'THEY'RE CANNIBALS AND WE HEARD THEM - WE OVERHEARD 32:23 THEM TALKING ABOUT 'THIS IS MY BODY, EAT IT' - AND THEY WERE 32:28 TERRIBLY DISTORTED. AND WOULDN'T THAT GRIEVE 32:30 YOU BACK THEN IF YOU WERE A CHRISTIAN? 32:32 YOU'RE A PEACE-LOVING PERSON - YOU'D NEVER PRACTICE CANNIBALISM 32:34 - AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S IN THE HEADLINES: 'WATCH OUT FOR 32:36 THE CHRISTIANS, THEY'RE CANNIBALS!' 32:37 AND 'THEY'RE ARSONISTS!' AND SO THEY WERE BEING ACCUSED 32:42 OF THESE THINGS EVEN BACK THEN - TERRIBLE THINGS - "...WHEN THEY 32:46 DEFAME YOU AS EVILDOERS, THOSE WHO REVILE YOUR" - THEY'LL LOOK 32:51 AT YOUR - "GOOD CONDUCT IN CHRIST MAY BE ASHAMED." 32:53 - THEY'LL SAY, 'YOU KNOW, IN SPITE OF WHAT NERO SAYS, THEY 32:55 SURE SEEM LIKE GOOD PEOPLE' - "FOR IT IS BETTER, IF IT IS THE 32:59 WILL OF GOD, TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD THAN FOR DOING EVIL." 33:04 - AND THEN HE GOES INTO JESUS - "FOR CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED ONCE 33:08 FOR SINS, THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST, THAT HE MIGHT BRING US 33:11 TO GOD, BEING PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH BUT MADE ALIVE BY THE 33:15 SPIRIT," - AND, YEAH, WE'VE STUDIED THAT OTHER SECTION 33:21 PRETTY THOROUGHLY IN A PREVIOUS LESSON, SO WE'LL STOP THERE. 33:24 CHRIST SUFFERED FOR SINS. WAS JESUS A WITNESS 33:27 THROUGH HIS SUFFERING? YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT 33:30 MADE THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH JUST EXPLODE BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS 33:33 OF THE GREAT PERSECUTION? WHEN THE CHRISTIANS WERE TOLD 33:37 'YOU CAN LIVE IF YOU DENY CHRIST; IF YOU DON'T DENY 33:42 CHRIST, YOU'RE GOING TO THE COLISEUM. 33:45 YOU'LL EITHER BE SPORT FOR THE GLADIATORS OR FOOD FOR THE LIONS 33:51 OR SOME FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT THAT WILL KILL YOU.' THEY WERE 33:55 WILLING TO DIE - AND WHEN THEY BROUGHT THEM TO THE COLISEUMS 33:58 AND THEY WERE EITHER BURNED OR FED TO THE LIONS, THEY CONDUCTED 34:02 THEMSELVES WITH THIS SPIRIT-FILLED PEACE THAT THE 34:08 PAGANS KNEW THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE. 34:10 THEY WOULD SEE THEM PRAYING - THEY'D SAY, 'YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 34:13 LIFE.' MATTER OF FACT, I REMEMBER SEEING THIS ENGRAVING 34:18 IN THESE MINES THAT THEY'VE GOT IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 34:21 THEY USED TO SEND THE CHRISTIANS TO WORK IN THESE MINES AND THEY 34:26 PUT ON THE WALLS, 'VIDA, VIDA, VIDA' AND THEN SOME OTHER LATIN 34:32 WORD BUT, BASICALLY, IT SAID, 'LIFE, LIFE, WE HAVE LIFE'. 34:34 AND THEY'D WORK THEM IN THE MINES UNTIL THEY DIED. 34:36 BUT THEN, YOU LOOK IN THE PAGANS' GRAVES AND THEY WERE 34:40 VERY DEJECTED AND HOPELESS; THEIR GRAVE INSCRIPTIONS WOULD 34:43 SAY, 'GOODBYE FOREVER - ENTERING THE ETERNAL NIGHT' AND IT WAS 34:47 ALL, YOU KNOW, VERY HOPELESS. WHERE THE CHRISTIANS HAD AN 34:52 ENDLESS HOPE, THE PAGANS HAD A HOPELESS END - AND THEY'D SEE 34:55 THE CHRISTIANS DYING WITH HOPE AND THEY'D SAY, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, 35:00 WHAT DO THEY GOT THAT I DON'T HAVE?' 35:02 AND SO, IN SPITE OF THE PERSECUTION - IT'S LIKE THE 35:05 CHURCH FATHER TERTULLIAN SAID, 'THE SEED' - I'M SORRY - 'THE 35:09 BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS IS SEED FOR THE GOSPEL.' THE MORE THEY MOWED 35:13 THEM DOWN IT SEEMED TO JUST SPREAD, BECAUSE THEY CONDUCTED 35:17 THEMSELVES PATIENTLY, THROUGH THEIR SUFFERINGS, WITH FAITH. 35:23 OKAY, AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT - YOU READ THE ONE ABOUT ELIJAH, 35:29 RIGHT? YEAH, WAS ELIJAH PERSECUTED? 35:36 AND THEN HE SAYS THAT ONE WOULD COME IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF 35:39 ELIJAH. WHO WAS THAT? JOHN THE BAPTIST. 35:42 WHAT DID THEY DO TO HIM? >>BEHEADED. 35:45 >>HE'S IN PRISON - HE'S PERSECUTED - AND THEN YOU LOOK - 35:51 LOOK IN HEBREWS - IT TALKS AGAIN ABOUT THE SUFFERING OF JESUS - 35:54 HEBREWS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 9 - AND THIS IS IN YOUR LESSON, "BUT WE 35:59 SEE JESUS, WHO WAS MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS, FOR THE 36:03 SUFFERING OF DEATH CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR, THAT HE, BY THE 36:08 GRACE OF GOD, MIGHT TASTE DEATH FOR EVERYONE." 36:12 - BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY - "FOR IT WAS FITTING FOR HIM, FOR 36:16 WHOM ARE ALL TINGS AND BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, IN BRINGING MANY 36:21 SONS TO GLORY, TO MAKE THE CAPTAIN OF THEIR SALVATION 36:24 PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERINGS." CHRIST, THE CAPTAIN OF OUR 36:29 SALVATION, WAS MADE PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERINGS. 36:32 HE SUFFERED - IS THERE ANYONE WHO WILL EVER SUFFER MORE THAN 36:36 JESUS? WHAT WAS IT THAT BROUGHT THE GREATEST ANGUISH ON HIM? WAS 36:43 IT THE NAILS OR THE WHIPPING OR THE MOCKING? ALL OF THAT, I'M 36:51 SURE, HURT. AND IT WAS ALL THERE, BUT I THINK THE THING 36:56 THAT WAS THE HARDEST ON JESUS WAS THE SEPARATION FROM THE 36:59 FATHER THAT HE EXPERIENCED THAT BROKE HIS HEART AND - ARE 37:05 CHRISTIANS GOING TO SOMETIMES GO THROUGH A TIME OF JACOB'S 37:08 TROUBLE WHERE WE FEEL SEPARATED FROM GOD AND WE FEEL ALONE? 37:13 I THINK THAT EVERY BELIEVER, AT SOME TIME, GOES THROUGH 37:15 WHAT JESUS AND JOB WENT THROUGH, WHEN YOU JUST FEEL LIKE 37:18 EVERYTHING EARTHLY HAS BEEN CUT OFF. 37:20 I THINK THERE'S A STATEMENT WHERE ELLEN WHITE SAYS THAT, AT 37:24 SOME POINT, WE'RE GOING TO SENSE THAT EVERY EARTHLY SUPPORT HAS 37:27 BEEN CUT OFF AND ALL WE HAVE IS TO HANG BY FAITH ON GOD. 37:31 THAT'S A ROUGH PARAPHRASE OF THAT. 37:33 ANYWAY, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SECTION - FIERY TRIAL - 37:36 NOW, WE'VE READ THIS VERSE BEFORE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO READ 37:38 IT AGAIN AND DRAW SOMETHING ELSE OF OUT IT. 37:40 AGAIN, 1 PETER 4:12 TO 14, "BELOVED, DO NOT THINK IT 37:45 STRANGE CONCERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, AS 37:49 THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO YOU; BUT REJOICE TO 37:53 THE EXTENT THAT YOU PARTAKE OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS, THAT WHEN 37:56 HIS GLORY IS REVEALED, YOU MAY ALSO BE GLAD WITH EXCEEDING JOY. 38:00 IF YOU ARE REPROACHED FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST, BLESSED ARE YOU, 38:04 FOR THE SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTS UPON YOU. ON THEIR 38:07 PART HE IS BLASPHEMED, BUT ON YOUR PART HE IS GLORIFIED." 38:12 CAN YOU THINK OF A TIME IN THE BIBLE WHEN THE DISCIPLES 38:14 REJOICED ABOUT SUFFERING? WHERE WAS THAT? 38:21 YOU REMEMBER IN ACTS WHEN THEY HAD BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE THE 38:24 SANHEDRIN AND TOLD NOT TO PREACH IN JESUS' NAME ANYMORE? 38:28 AND PETER SAID, 'WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN'. 38:31 AND THEY WERE GOING TO ARREST HIM - THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO 38:32 DO - AND FINALLY GAMELIEL SAID, 'BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO WITH 38:35 THESE MEN BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE FOUND TO BE FIGHTING AGAINST 38:38 GOD. SO, AS A COMPROMISE, THEY SAID, 38:41 'WE'LL JUST WHIP THEM AND LET THEM GO'. AND THEY WHIPPED THEM 38:44 AND THEN AFTERWARD IT SAYS THE DISCIPLES REJOICED. 38:47 THEY CAME OUT OF THAT WHIPPING TOGETHER REJOICING THAT THEY 38:50 WERE WORTHY TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST. NOW, THAT WAS ESPECIALLY 38:54 KEEN FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE FIRST-HAND WITNESSES OF JESUS 38:58 HANGING ON THE CROSS FOR THEM. AND BECAUSE THEY HAD ACTUALLY 39:01 SEEN JESUS SUFFERING LIKE THAT FOR THEM, TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST'S 39:05 NAME, THEY REALLY DID REJOICE IN THAT. 39:10 YOU EVER SEEN A CHRISTIAN REJOICE FOR THEIR SUFFERINGS? 39:14 I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A BABY CHRISTIAN AND I WAS READING THE 39:18 BIBLE AND I REMEMBER READING WHERE IT SAID, 'IN EVERYTHING 39:22 GIVE THANKS' - I ALWAYS THOUGHT, 'HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?' 39:26 I MEAN, SOME THINGS, HOW CAN YOU BE THANKFUL FOR? 39:28 AND NOT LONG AFTER READING THAT I STOOD UP ONE EVENING IN THE 39:33 CAVE AND THE CAVE HAD A SLOPING ROOF AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW 39:36 FAR BACK I WAS AND I BONKED MY HEAD ON THE ROOF OF THE CAVE - 39:40 AND IT'S HARD - IT'S A ROCK CEILING - AND I, YOU KNOW, THE 39:43 OLD NATURE - I HAVE THAT WHOLE VOCABULARY STILL - THERE'S A 39:47 WHOLE FILE OF WORDS FOR OCCASIONS LIKE THAT AND I JUST 39:51 GOT READY TO BLURT OUT ALL OF THESE WORDS AND THEN I THOUGHT 39:56 ABOUT PAIN - I THOUGHT ABOUT WHERE GOD SAID, 'BE THANKFUL FOR 40:00 EVERYTHING'. I THOUGHT, 'HOW CAN YOU THANK GOD AT A TIME LIKE 40:04 THIS. I THOUGHT, 'ALRIGHT, I'VE GOT TO TRY THIS.' I SAID, 'LORD, 40:07 I DON'T KNOW WHY I JUST BONKED MY HEAD. 40:10 I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOOD WILL EVER COME FROM THIS BUT I'M GOING TO 40:13 THANK YOU ANYWAY BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO THANK YOU IN ALL 40:15 THINGS'. AND IT STARTED FEELING 40:17 BETTER RIGHT AWAY. IT WAS BETTER THAN CURSING. 40:22 BUT EVEN WHEN YOU'RE SUFFERING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE AND YOU 40:26 DON'T KNOW WHY - YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT GOOD IS GOING TO - YOU 40:29 KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU CAN SEE - 'I CAN SEE WHERE GOOD CAN COME FROM 40:32 THIS' - BUT EVEN IF YOU CAN'T SEE WHERE ANY GOOD CAN COME FROM 40:35 IT, THAT'S WHERE YOU TRUST GOD AND YOU THANK HIM. 40:38 WELL, WE ALL GO THROUGH FIERY TRIALS. 40:41 THERE'S A VERSE IN THE LESSON, MALACHI CHAPTER 3, WHERE HE 40:44 TALKS ABOUT THAT - MALACHI 3:1, "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER, 40:50 AND HE WILL PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE ME. 40:52 AND THE LORD, WHOM YOU SEEK, WILL SUDDENLY COME TO HIS 40:55 TEMPLE, EVEN THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT, IN WHOM YOU 40:58 DELIGHT. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING," - THAT'S 41:01 A PROPHECY, OF COURSE, ABOUT CHRIST COMING. 41:03 HE CAME TO THE TEMPLE WITH HIS ZEAL AND HIS WHIP, BUT IT'S ALSO 41:07 TALKING ABOUT CHRIST COMING TO THE TEMPLE OF GOD - HIS PEOPLE - 41:10 "SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. BUT WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF 41:14 HIS COMING? AND WHO CAN STAND WHEN HE APPEARS? 41:18 FOR HE IS LIKE A REFINER'S FIRE AND LIKE A LAUNDERER'S SOAP." 41:22 - OKAY, TALKS ABOUT THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT COMING 41:24 TO THE TEMPLE. SO WHAT IS THE TEMPLE? 41:27 WELL, JESUS TAUGHT IN THE LITERAL TEMPLE, BUT WHAT ELSE IS 41:29 A TEMPLE? >>YOUR BODY. 41:31 >>YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 41:34 WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? 41:36 SO WHAT DOES HE DO WHEN HE COMES? 41:38 IT SAYS HE WORKS LIKE A REFINER. AND HOW DOES A REFINER REFINE? 41:45 DOES HE USE BANANA SPLITS TO REFINE US? 41:48 OR DOES HE USE - YEAH, FIRE - LIKE YOU'RE MELTING DOWN GOLD - 41:52 "BUT WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? 41:55 AND WHO CAN STAND WHEN HE APPEARS? 41:56 FOR HE IS LIKE A REFINER'S FIRE AND LIKE A LAUNDERER'S SOAP. 42:00 HE WILL SIT AS A REFINER AND A PURIFIER OF SILVER; HE WILL 42:04 PURIFY THE SONS OF LEVI," - YOU'RE A NATION OF KINGS AND 42:07 PRIESTS - "AND PURGE THEM AS GOLD AND SILVER, THAT THEY MAY 42:11 OFFER TO THE LORD AN OFFERING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS." SO THIS IS NOT 42:16 THE COMING THAT IS GOING TO DESTROY, THIS IS A COMING THAT 42:19 IS GOING TO SANCTIFY AND THAT'S WHEN HE COMES INTO OUR LIVES. 42:23 THAT'S WHEN HE ALSO CAME TO HIS PEOPLE AND HE BROUGHT REVIVAL. 42:27 SO, STILL TALKING ABOUT THE FIERY TRIALS, JOB 23:10, JOB 42:34 SAID, "BUT HE KNOW THE WAY THAT I TAKE; WHEN HE HAS TESTED ME, I 42:39 SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD." HOW WOULD YOU TEST GOLD? 42:43 YOU'D PURGE OUT THE DROSS - AGAIN, IT WAS BY FIRE. 42:48 THERE'S A STATEMENT HERE FROM THE BOOK ACTS OF THE APOSTLES , 42:51 WHERE ELLEN WHITE SAYS, "SO IT WILL BE WITH ALL WHO LIVE GODLY 42:55 IN CHRIST JESUS. PERSECUTION AND REPROACH AWAIT 42:59 ALL WHO ARE IMBUED WITH THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST." 43:02 HOW MANY? >>ALL. 43:03 >>THERE'S GOING TO BE ALL KINDS OF PERSECUTION AND REPROACH. 43:05 SHE'S NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT PHYSICAL, ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE - 43:09 "THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSECUTION CHANGES WITH THE 43:12 TIMES, BUT THE PRINCIPLE AND THE SPIRIT THAT UNDERLIES IT IS THE 43:17 SAME THAT HAS SLAIN THE CHOSEN OF THE LORD EVER SINCE THE DAYS 43:20 OF ABEL. IT'S THE HATRED OF SATAN FOR 43:23 CHRIST THAT INSPIRES THIS PERSECUTION." 43:26 IT'LL MANIFEST ITSELF MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. 43:28 AND, IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE LORD KNOWS - WHAT'S THAT? 43:33 >>IT'S THE HATRED OF CHRIST FOR SATAN NOT SATAN FOR CHRIST. 43:35 >>OH, DID I SAY IT BACKWARDS? >>I THINK SO. 43:38 >>YEAH, IT SAYS THE SAME PERSECUTION EVER - THAT THE LORD 43:42 HAS - HE'S PERSECUTED THE CHOSEN OF THE LORD SINCE THE DAYS OF 43:47 ABEL - YEAH, SAME THING THAT THE DEVIL HAS DONE AGAINST THE LORD. 43:52 THAT'S WHAT I MEANT TO SAY. JOHN 15:20- NOW, SOMEONE'S 43:56 GOING TO READ FOR ME, IN JUST A MOMENT, MATTHEW 24:9, OKAY? 44:00 JOHN 15:20, "REMEMBER THE WORD THAT I SAID TO YOU, 44:04 'A SERVANT IS NOT GREATER THAN HIS MASTER.' 44:06 IF THEY PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU." 44:10 - AND IF WE LIVE LIKE JESUS WE'LL BE PERSECUTED - "IF THEY 44:13 KEPT MY WORD, THEY WILL KEEP YOURS ALSO. 44:16 BUT ALL THESE THINGS THEY WILL DO TO YOU FOR MY NAME'S SAKE, 44:19 BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HIM WHO SENT ME." 44:23 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, PLEASE, READ FOR US MATTHEW 24:9. 44:27 >>"THEN THEY WILL DELIVER YOU UP TO TRIBULATION AND KILL YOU, AND 44:30 YOU WILL BE HATED BY ALL NATIONS FOR MY NAME'S SAKE." 44:34 >>IS THAT OBSCURE OR IS THAT EASY TO UNDERSTAND? 44:39 JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT, IN THE DAYS OF THE SECOND COMING, HE 44:42 SAYS, 'HE THAT ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED'. 44:45 WHAT ARE YOU ENDURING? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TO ENDURE A 44:50 GREAT DAY - A BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH GREAT FOOD? 44:55 YOU DON'T HAVE TO ENDURE THAT, RIGHT? 44:57 WE USUALLY HAVE TO ENDURE TROUBLE. 45:00 HE SAYS THEY'RE GOING TO DELIVER YOU UP TO TRIBULATION. 45:03 HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, FAMILY MEMBERS WILL TURN ON EACH OTHER, 45:06 THEY'LL KILL YOU. MANY OF THE DISCIPLES WERE KILLED. 45:10 DID THAT KEEP THEM FROM PREACHING? 45:13 IT'S AMAZING, IN SPITE OF JESUS SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO BE 45:15 KILLED, SHOULD A BELIEVER BE AFRAID OF BEING KILLED? 45:20 I REMEMBER HEARING THE STORY OF JOHN PATTON, MISSIONARY THAT 45:23 WENT DOWN TO - THEY CALLED IT THE [NEW] HEBRIDES BACK THEN, I 45:26 THINK IT WAS - SOME OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS WHERE THEY 45:29 PRACTICED CANNIBALISM AND SEVERAL MISSIONARIES BEFORE HIM 45:33 HAD BEEN KILLED AND EATEN BY CANNIBALS. 45:35 KAREN AND I WERE JUST IN NEW GUINEA WITH JARED IN THE STUDIO 45:40 AND WAYNE - THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING CANNIBALISM THERE 45:45 SIXTY YEARS AGO IN SOME AREAS - ANYWAY, THEY TOLD JOHN PATTEN, 45:49 'DON'T GO! THE SAVAGES WILL EAT YOU!' 45:54 AND HE SAID, 'LOOK, IF I DIE HERE I'LL GET EATEN BY WORMS. 45:57 IF THEY KILL ME THERE I'LL GET EATEN BY CANNIBALS.' - HE SAID, 45:59 'I DON'T CARE WHETHER I'M EATEN BY WORMS OR EATEN BY CANNIBALS.' 46:03 HE SAID, 'ONE WAY OR ANOTHER YOU'RE GOING TO BE EATEN.' 46:06 AND SO HE WENT. HE NEVER DID GET EATEN BY 46:08 CANNIBALS, BUT HE HAD A LOT OF CLOSE CALLS. 46:12 SO THE DISCIPLES WEREN'T AFRAID. THEY FIGURED 'WE'RE DYING 46:14 ANYWAY.' YOU EVER THINK OF IT THAT WAY? 46:17 WHETHER YOU SERVE GOD AND PREACH AND LIVE THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN 46:20 OR NOT, YOU'RE DYING, SO WHY NOT MAKE THE MOST OF IT AND LIVE FOR 46:24 GOD? ANYWAY, I'M GOING TO READ - LET ME SEE - 46:31 REVELATION 12:17 - THIS SUMMARIZES WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 46:36 THE LAST DAYS, "AND THE DRAGON" - THAT'S A SYMBOLIC 46:40 NAME FOR WHO? >>SATAN. 46:42 >>THE DEVIL - "WAS ENRAGED" - WROTH - "WITH THE WOMAN," - 46:46 HE'S FURIOUS. WHO'S THE WOMAN? 46:48 >>THE CHURCH. >>THE CHURCH. "AND HE WENT TO 46:50 MAKE WAR WITH THE REST OF HER OFFSPRING," - HER SEED - THE 46:54 DESCENDENTS - THE REMNANT - "WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND 46:59 HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." SO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE 47:01 TO WELCOME THE ANIMOSITY OF THE DEVIL, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? 47:06 TWO THINGS: THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS - KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS 47:10 OF GOD AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS. 47:12 IF YOU'RE LIVING FOR CHRIST - IF YOU'RE LIVING OUT HIS WORD, HE'S 47:15 GOING TO BE ANGRY - ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE IN THE LAST DAYS WHO 47:18 ARE PREACHING THE TRUTH WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY COUNTERFEITS. 47:21 AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD FOR US TO 47:25 THINK ABOUT FOR JUST A MOMENT IS THERE ARE SO MANY COUNTERFEITS 47:28 OUT THERE THAT THE DEVIL'S HAPPY; 47:31 AND WHEN WE START PREACHING THE TRUTH, HE'S THREATENED. 47:34 BUT, IN THE SAME WAY, DO WE NEED TO THINK THAT THE DEVIL'S 47:37 GOING TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN GOD? 47:40 IN THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, DON'T FORGET, GREATER IS 47:42 HE THAT IS IN YOU THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD. 47:45 NOW, I DON'T WANT TO SCARE YOU WITH THIS LESSON ON SUFFERING. 47:47 I WANT TO JUST SPREAD THAT LAST THOUGHT A LITTLE FURTHER. 47:53 MOST OF US ARE BLESSED MOST OF THE TIME. 47:59 YOU THINK OF JOB AND EVERYBODY - YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, 'WOULD YOU 48:02 LIKE TO BE JOB?' 'OH NO, MAN. 48:04 HE SUFFERED LIKE - WOO HOO' - I'D LIKE TO BE JOB. 48:07 JOB WAS BLESSED FOR LIKE 220 YEARS AND HE SUFFERED FOR THREE 48:13 WEEKS. SO THAT'S NOT BAD. 48:17 I MEAN, HE WAS FABULOUSLY WEALTHY AND HAD A GREAT FAMILY 48:20 AND HE WAS DOUBLY BLESSED IN THE LAST - YES, HE DID HAVE - 48:23 EVERYONE THINKS ABOUT THE SUFFERING - YOU EVER HEARD THE 48:25 EXPRESSION 'ONE GUNSHOT IS HEARD MORE THAN A THOUSAND PRAYERS'? 48:29 AND SO, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD IN LIFE. 48:31 AND ONE REASON THAT THE SUFFERING STANDS OUT IS BECAUSE 48:33 THERE'S SO MANY BLESSINGS - THERE'S SO MANY GOOD THINGS IN 48:36 LIFE - AND THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THE DEVIL WOULD LIKE TO 48:38 DO TO US THAT HE CAN'T DO TO US BECAUSE GOD'S ANGELS PROTECT US. 48:43 SO I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE - MAKE YOU WALK OUT OF HERE THINKING, 48:45 'OH, WHEN IS IT GOING TO HIT ME?' - THIS PERSECUTION. 48:49 WHEN THE DEVIL CAME TO TEMPT JESUS THERE WERE THOSE THREE 48:52 GREAT TEMPTATIONS AND JESUS, I MEAN, HE'D BEEN FASTING 48:56 FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS SO HE WAS SUFFERING. 48:58 BUT HE RESISTED THE TEMPTATIONS - YOU KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? 49:01 'THE DEVIL LEFT HIM.' HE LEFT HIM FOR A SEASON, BUT HE LEFT 49:05 HIM. AND SO, IF WE ARE FAITHFUL, 49:07 THE LORD GIVES US REPRIEVE. JUDGMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD 49:14 - UNDER THIS NEXT SECTION HERE. IF YOU LOOK IN 1 PETER 4:17, 49:19 "FOR THE TIME HAS COME FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN AT THE HOUSE 49:22 OF GOD; AND IF IT BEGINS WITH US FIRST, WHAT WILL BE THE END OF 49:25 THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL OF GOD? 49:28 NOW 'IF THE RIGHTEOUS ONE IS SCARCELY SAVED,'" - OR BARELY 49:31 SAVED - "'WHERE WILL THE UNGODLY AND THE SINNER APPEAR?' 49:34 THEREFORE LET THOSE WHO SUFFER ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD 49:37 COMMIT THEIR SOULS TO HIM IN DOING GOOD, AS TO A FAITHFUL 49:41 CREATOR." DO GOOD NO MATTER WHAT AND - 49:45 BECAUSE OF - EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY GO THROUGH TRIALS. 49:47 NOW HE SAYS, 'JUDGMENT BEGINS AT THE HOUSE OF GOD'. 49:50 WHAT IS PETER TALKING ABOUT? FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS A 49:54 PRE-ADVENT JUDGMENT, WE ALL KNOW. HAVE YOU READ EZEKIEL 9? 49:59 YOU KNOW, EZEKIEL 9, IT TELLS US THAT THESE ANGELS ARE TOLD TO 50:05 PLACE A MARK ON THE FOREHEADS OF THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING AND 50:08 TRUSTING GOD. THIS IS A GOOD MARK, NOT A BAD MARK. 50:11 YOU'VE GOT, IN REVELATION, TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE: 50:13 ONE GET A BAD MARK, ONE GET A GOOD MARK. 50:15 YOU'VE GOT THE SEAL OF GOD AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST. 50:17 THIS IS A GOOD MARK, IN 1 PETER 4:17 AND HE SAID, 'IF' - NO, I 50:26 WANT TO GO TO, RATHER, EZEKIEL 9:5, "TO THE OTHER HE SAID IN MY 50:30 HEARING, 'GO AFTER HIM THROUGH THE CITY AND KILL; DO NOT LET 50:34 YOUR EYE SPARE, NOR HAVE ANY PITY. UTTERLY SLAY OLD AND YOUNG 50:38 MEN, MAIDENS AND LITTLE CHILDREN AND WOMEN; BUT DO NOT COME NEAR 50:41 ANYONE ON WHOM IS THE MARK; AND BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY.'" 50:46 WHERE DOES THIS JUDGMENT BEGIN? >>THE CHURCH. 50:48 >>THE HOUSE OF GOD - BEGIN AT MY SANCTUARY. 50:52 YOU REMEMBER THE STORY WHERE JESUS SAID, 'HE WHO IS WITHOUT 50:54 SIN AMONG YOU LET HIM CAST THE FIRST STONE' WITH THAT WOMAN 50:58 CAUGHT IN ADULTERY - MANY BELIEVE WAS MARY MAGDALENE? 51:00 WHERE DID THAT TAKE PLACE? >>AT THE TEMPLE. 51:03 >>IN THE SANCTUARY. AND IT SAYS HERE, IN EZEKIEL 9, 51:06 'BEGIN WITH THE ANCIENT MEN' - SO THEY BEGAN WITH THE ELDERS 51:10 - THEY BEGAN WITH THE OLDEST. YOU REMEMBER IN JOHN CHAPTER 8, 51:14 WHEN THE WOMAN WAS GOING TO BE STONED? 51:16 IT SAYS THEY WENT OUT ONE BY ONE, BEGINNING AT THE ELDEST, 51:19 EVEN UNTO THE LEAST. AND SO HERE YOU'VE GOT THIS 51:23 JUDGMENT IN THE HOUSE OF GOD THAT HE TALKS ABOUT. 51:27 AND SO, THERE NEEDS TO BE FAITHFULNESS AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE 51:32 BECAUSE THERE'S A JUDGMENT THERE. LET ME MOVE ON HERE. 51:35 FAITH AMID TRIALS - SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME JOB 2:7 - 51:41 YOU'LL HAVE THAT, JOHN? OKAY. 51:42 HEBREWS 11:24, "BY FAITH MOSES, WHEN HE BECAME OF AGE, REFUSED 51:48 TO BE CALLED THE SON OF PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER, CHOOSING 51:50 RATHER TO SUFFER AFFLICTION WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD THAN TO 51:53 ENJOY THE PASSING PLEASURES OF SIN." 51:56 SO YOU'VE GOT AFFLICTION; YOU'VE GOT PLEASURE - WHAT'S LASTING? 52:01 THE PLEASURE IS LASTING FOR GOD; IT'S PASSING IN THE WORLD. 52:06 THE AFFLICTION IN THE WORLD IS TEMPORARY AND MOSES SAID, 'I CAN 52:11 DO THE MATH ON THIS. I'D RATHER SUFFER AFFLICTION FOR 52:15 AWHILE - FOR A SEASON - WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD AND HAVE ETERNAL 52:20 PLEASURE IN GOD'S KINGDOM. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ FOR 52:24 US, PLEASE - JOB 2:7. >>JOB 2:7 - "SO SATAN WENT OUT 52:28 FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, AND STRUCK JOB WITH PAINFUL 52:31 BOILS FROM THE SOLE OF HIS FOOT TO THE CROWN OF THIS HEAD." 52:36 >>WHEN WE WERE IN NEW GUINEA, WE WERE TALKING WITH ONE OF THE 52:38 MISSIONARIES THAT WAS THERE AND THE ROADS WERE AWFUL AND - 52:43 JUST POTHOLES EVERYWHERE AND YOU JUST - YOU'RE JUST GETTING 52:46 THROWN AROUND LIKE YOU'RE BEING BODY SLAMMED BY A WRESTLER IN 52:48 THE BACK OF THESE CARS. AND HE SAID ONE DAY HE HAD TO 52:52 TAKE THIS REALLY LONG TRIP AND HE HAD BOILS - SOMETIMES IN THE 52:56 JUNGLE YOU GET THESE BOILS. AND A BOIL IS VERY PAINFUL - 53:00 I WON'T ASK IF YOU'VE HAD ONE BEFORE, BUT I JUST COULDN'T 53:03 IMAGINE - I MEAN, HERE HE'S ON THE LORD'S SERVICE AND HE'S IN 53:05 THE BACK OF A LAND CRUISER GETTING BOUNCED FROM WALL TO 53:07 WALL WITH BOILS. JUST, YOU KNOW, GOD'S PEOPLE SOMETIMES 53:13 GO THROUGH TRIALS AND THE DEVIL TRIES TO DISCOURAGE THEM. 53:16 LOOK AT HEBREWS 11:35, SPEAKING, AGAIN, OF THE FAITHFUL, "WOMEN 53:20 RECEIVED THEIR DEAD RAISED TO LIFE AGAIN. 53:23 OTHERS WERE TORTURED, NOT ACCEPTING DELIVERANCE, THAT THEY 53:26 MIGHT OBTAIN A BETTER RESURRECTION." 53:28 - SEE, AGAIN, THEY'RE LOOKING BEYOND - THEY'RE EVEN BEING 53:30 TORTURED, BUT THEY DON'T DENY THE LORD BECAUSE THEY WANT A 53:34 BETTER RESURRECTION. - "STILL OTHERS HAD TRIAL OF 53:37 MOCKINGS AND SCOURGINGS, YES, AND OF CHAINS AND IMPRISONMENT." 53:40 AND THAT VERSE GOES ON - IT TALKS ABOUT THE SUFFERINGS. 53:43 HAVE YOU READ ABOUT WHAT PAUL SAID? 53:45 1 CORIN - I'M SORRY, 2 CORINTHIANS 11:23 - PAUL IS 53:49 TALKING TO SOME OF THE ELDERS IN THE CHURCH THAT ARE QUESTIONING 53:51 HIS APOSTLESHIP AND HE BECOMES A LITTLE INDIGNANT AND HE SAYS, 53:55 "ARE THEY MINISTERS OF CHRIST -" - AND YOU DON'T THINK I AM? 53:58 - "I SPEAK AS A FOOL - I AM MORE: IN LABORS MORE ABUNDANT, 54:02 IN STRIPES ABOVE MEASURE, IN PRISONS MORE FREQUENTLY, IN 54:05 DEATHS OFTEN. FROM THE JEWS FIVE TIMES I 54:09 RECEIVED FORTY STRIPES MINUS ONE. 54:11 THREE TIMES I WAS BEATEN WITH RODS; ONCE I WAS STONED; THREE 54:14 TIMES I WAS SHIPWRECKED; A NIGHT AND A DAY I HAVE BEEN IN THE 54:17 DEEP; IN JOURNEYS OFTEN, IN PERILS OF WATERS, IN PERILS OF 54:20 ROBBERS, IN PERILS OF MY OWN COUNTRYMEN, IN PERILS OF THE 54:24 GENTILES, IN PERILS IN THE CITY, IN PERILS IN THE [WILDERNESS]," 54:28 - TALK ABOUT COUNTRY MINISTRY, HE - CITY MINISTRY - 54:30 HE HAD PERILS BOTH PLACES. "IN PERILS IN THE SEA, 54:33 IN PERILS AMONG FALSE BRETHREN; IN WEARINESS AND TOIL, 54:38 IN SLEEPLESSNESS OFTEN, IN HUNGER AND THIRST, IN FASTINGS 54:41 OFTEN, IN COLD AND NAKEDNESS - BESIDES ALL THE OTHER THINGS, 54:45 WHAT COMES UPON ME DAILY: MY DEEP CONCERN FOR ALL THE 54:48 CHURCHES." YOU KNOW, IN THE MILITARY, IF YOU HAVE SERVED A 54:54 LONG TIME, YOU OFTEN HAVE STRIPES ON YOUR SHOULDER AND 54:59 YOU'VE GOT MEDALS AND EACH OF THOSE MEDALS REPRESENTS THIS 55:02 BATTLE, THAT BATTLE, THIS CAMPAIGN, THAT STRUGGLE - AND 55:07 YOU'RE BASICALLY WEARING ALL OF YOUR STRUGGLES AND - TO BE A 55:11 SOLDIER AND BE RESPECTED BY THE OTHER SOLDIERS, THEY WANT TO 55:16 KNOW, 'WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THROUGH?' AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT 55:20 GIVES YOU CREDIBILITY, SOMETIMES, AS A CHRISTIAN, IS 55:22 NOT WHEN YOU'VE JUST BEEN BLESSED ON EVERY SIDE, LIKE 55:25 THESE PROSPERITY PREACHERS - LOOK, GOD'S BLESSED ME, SEE MY 55:27 ROLEX? THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO FOLLOW ME.' JESUS SAID, 'HERE'S 55:33 MY SCARS. IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME' - HE SHOWED THEM HIS SCARS 55:38 AND THAT WAS EVIDENCE OF HIS LOVE AND HIS FAITHFULNESS. 55:41 AND, IN LIFE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SCARS - OUR MASTER HAD 55:43 SCARS - BUT BE OF GOOD COURAGE. HE SAYS, 'I'VE OVERCOME 55:47 THE WORLD.' AMEN? >>AMEN. 55:49 >>ALRIGHT, WE'RE OUT OF TIME AND WE'RE OUT OF LESSON. 55:52 I WANT TO REMIND YOU WE HAVE A FREE OFFER. 55:54 IT'S CALLED WHEN THE BROOK DRIED UP AND IT TALKS ABOUT 'WHY DO 55:56 CHRISTIANS SUFFER?' GOOD FOR OUR LESSON TODAY - ASK 55:59 FOR OFFER #171 WHEN YOU CALL AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE IT ONLINE IF 56:04 YOU'RE OVERSEAS, YOU JUST GO TO AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 56:08 GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO STUDYING 56:10 MORE ABOUT PETER NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 56:22 >>FRIENDS, WE'RE OUT HERE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN NOT 56:24 TOO FAR FROM THE ISLAND OF FIJI, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO LOOK 56:27 AT SOME WONDERS IN THE DEEP. THE BIBLE SAYS GOD MADE THE 56:32 HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA. 56:34 AND THERE ARE THINGS UNDER THE SEA THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL THAT MANY 56:36 PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN. SOME FOLKS MIGHT JUST SKIM ALONG 56:39 - SNORKEL ON THE SURFACE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE REAL MAJESTY 56:42 OF THE OCEAN, YOU'VE GOT TO GO DEEPER. (LIVELY MUSIC) 56:59 >>BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE GILLS LIKE FISH, WE HAVE TO DO 57:02 SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE BELOW THE 57:04 SURFACE. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BREATHE ALL THE TIME, WE NEED 57:08 THIS SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. (SOUND OF BREATHING APPARATUS) 57:12 IN THE SAME WAY, THE BIBLE SAYS A CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO PRAY 57:14 WITHOUT CEASING. WE NEED TO ALWAYS BE BREATHING 57:18 THE ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN IF WE'RE GOING TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN 57:20 LIFE IN THIS WORLD BELOW. (MUSIC) 57:49 >>WOW, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD. (MUSIC) 58:04 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT 58:06 AFBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 58:13 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-04-28