Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021721A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH. 00:37 WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL HERE TO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR 00:40 THIS MORNING. WHETHER YOU'RE JOINING US ONLINE 00:43 OR FROM THE VARIOUS TELEVISION NETWORKS, WE WANT TO ESPECIALLY 00:46 WELCOME YOU THIS MORNING TO THE SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:50 WE ALSO WANT TO WELCOME OUR ONLINE MEMBERS THAT JOIN US EACH 00:53 AND EVERY SABBATH MORNING, AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL MEMBERS HERE 00:55 AT THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:58 AS YOU ALL KNOW, OR MAY NOT KNOW, WE'VE BEEN STUDYING 01:01 THROUGH THE EPISTLES OF PETER - 1 AND 2 PETER, TO BE EXACT - AND 01:06 THIS MORNING'S LESSON IS LESSON #9 IN THE QUARTERLY, ENTITLED 01:11 BE WHO YOU ARE . NOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A 01:14 QUARTERLY, YOU CAN JUST GO TO AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND CLICK ON 01:18 THE SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR AND THERE YOU'LL FIND A 01:21 LINK ENTITLED QUARTERLY . JUST CLICK ON THAT AND YOU CAN 01:24 DOWNLOAD THE LESSON AND JOIN RIGHT IN WITH US THIS MORNING. 01:28 NOW, EACH AND EVERY SABBATH MORNING WE HAVE A FREE OFFER. 01:31 AND SO, OUR OFFER THIS MORNING IS ASSURANCE: 01:34 JUSTIFICATION MADE SIMPLE . 01:37 YOU CAN FIND THAT AT 1-866-788-3966. 01:44 TO RECEIVE THIS FREE OFFER, JUST CALL 1-866-788-3966 - IT'S OFFER 01:50 #727 - ASSURANCE: JUSTIFICATION MADE SIMPLE . 01:56 NOW, BEFORE WE JUST JUMP RIGHT IN TO OUR LESSON EACH AND EVERY 01:58 SABBATH MORNING, WE LOVE TO SING PRAISES TO OUR GOD. 02:03 AND SO, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE OUR SINGERS TO COME 02:05 OUT - LEAD US IN SOME PRAISE HYMNS AS WE SING TO OUR GOD AND 02:10 HIS HONOR AND GLORY. (A CAPELLA) 04:24 >>WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE, RIGHT? WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE 04:26 CLOUDS OF GLORY. YOU KNOW, HE'S PREPARING A 04:29 PEOPLE FOR THAT DAY AND HE'S DOING A WORK ALL OVER THE WORLD. 04:32 AND, AS WE DO, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, FROM TIME TO TIME, WE 04:35 LOVE TO HAVE A LITTLE MISSION STORY 04:37 HERE, DURING OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 04:39 AND SO, OSTAP IS GOING TO SHARE WITH US SOME OF THE THINGS HE'S 04:42 BEEN DOING AND HOW THE LORD HAS BEEN BLESSING IN MEXICO, AS 04:46 THEY'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THE LORD'S RETURN AND DOING A 04:49 SPECIAL WORK. SO, OSTAP, THANK YOU FOR SHARING. 04:51 >>THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CHURCH FAMILY. 04:54 EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU AND WE WANT TO 04:57 SHARE A SMALL GLIMPSE OF THE PROJECT THAT WE JUST HAD IN 05:00 MEXICO; IT'S THE CITY OF HERMOSILLO. 05:03 WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO TRAVEL THERE AND RESPOND TO A CALL THAT 05:07 CAME BECAUSE, YOU SEE, JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE WAS A GROUP 05:12 OF BELIEVERS IN MEXICO, PRAYING THAT GOD WOULD SEND SOMEONE TO 05:16 HELP THEM FINISH THEIR CHURCH BUILDING. 05:19 AND SO, WE RECEIVED THIS CALL - WE BEGAN TO PLAN - BEGAN TO 05:23 ORGANIZE THE VOLUNTEERS - AND I HAVE HERE WITH ME, SUE, AND SHE 05:27 WAS ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT CAME WITH US. 05:29 AND I'LL LET HER EXPLAIN TO US HOW SHE MADE THE DECISION TO 05:31 COME WITH US. >>PRAISE THE LORD. 05:34 WHEN OSTAP ASKED ME THE FIRST TIME HE SAID, 'HEY SUE, DO YOU 05:39 WANT TO GO WITH ME TO THE MISSION TRIP TO MEXICO?' 05:42 AND I SAID, 'OKAY, LET ME GO PRAY ABOUT IT. 05:46 I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU 'YES' OR 'NO', BUT GIVE ME TIMES TO 05:49 PRAY ABOUT IT, BECAUSE EVERYTHING I HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR 05:53 HIS PERMISSION.' SO I WENT AND PRAYED ABOUT THAT WHOLE WEEK, 05:58 AND THEN I COME BACK AND TELL OSTAP, 'YES, I'M GOING'. 06:03 SO I PRAISE GOD FOR THAT. >>AMEN. 06:06 AND SO, AS WE'RE IN MEXICO, WE'RE BUILDING, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, 06:10 ACQUIRING MATERIALS - WE HAVE THE TRACTOR ON SITE TO HELP US 06:14 WITH THE LANDSCAPING AND MOVING THE DIRT, SO WE'RE EXCITED. 06:18 BUT WE RAN INTO A CHALLENGE AND THE CHALLENGE WASN'T VERY EASY, 06:23 AND SO, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED TO DO. 06:26 SUE, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED? 06:27 >>YES, I DO REMEMBER. ONE DAY, WHEN WE WAS WORKING SO 06:32 HARD AND THEN THE WATER STOPPED - NO WATER COME. 06:37 ONE OF OUR BROTHERS CAME TO ME AND HE SAID, 'HEY SUE, WE NEED 06:42 TO PRAY. THERE'S NO MORE WATER.' 06:44 AND I SAID, 'OKAY, LET'S PRAY. AND WE HAVE TO TRUST AND 06:48 BELIEVING IN GOD THAT HE SEND US HERE TO DO THIS WORK'. 06:53 AND HE SAID, 'OKAY'. AND THEN I PRAYED - FOUR OF US - 06:56 WE'RE PRAYING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING. 06:58 AND WHEN I PRAY, I BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT GOD WILL SEND THE 07:02 WATER AGAIN. SO, AFTER I PRAY - AND THEN I 07:06 SAY, 'OKAY, GO BACK TO YOUR POSITION. 07:08 DO YOUR WORK AND THAT GOD WILL BRING THE WATER LATER.' SO IN 07:12 ABOUT THREE HOURS PASSED AND THEN THE SAME BROTHER CAME TO ME 07:17 AND HE SAID, 'SUE, WE HAVE THE WATER'. 07:20 AND I SAID, 'PRAISE GOD HE ANSWERS OUR PRAYER AND PRAISE 07:23 GOD FOR THE MIRACLES.' SO WE HAD THE WATER TO DO THE 07:26 WORK THAT DAY. >>AMEN. 07:29 AND SO, IN THE MORNING - THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WE WERE 07:32 WORKING AND BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTING THIS CHURCH. 07:35 IN THE AFTERNOONS WE WOULD TAKE TIME TO CLEAN EVERYTHING UP AND 07:39 WE HEADED BACK TO THIS PLACE WHERE WE WERE STAYING. 07:42 AND PART OF THE WORK THAT WE WANTED TO DO THERE WAS TO DO 07:44 SOME EVANGELISM TRAINING WITH THE CHURCH MEMBERS. 07:47 AND SO, HERE ON YOUR SCREEN YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE OF US DOING 07:50 SOME OF THE TRAINING. OUR VOLUNTEER, URI, THAT CAME 07:53 WITH US, THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND 07:57 SO HE WAS EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE AND, NOT ONLY TO SHARE, 08:01 BUT TO SHARE HIS FAITH WITH THOSE PEOPLE THERE AND TO 08:05 ENCOURAGE THEM TO ALSO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND SHARE 08:08 WITH THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE. 08:10 AND I KNOW THAT MANY ARE THERE IN MEXICO WATCHING OUR 08:14 PRESENTATIONS AND, AS SUE AND I WERE THERE, THEY WERE TELLING US 08:18 THAT THEY HAVE SEEN OUR CHURCH SERVICES THERE IN MEXICO. 08:21 AND SO, WE WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO THEM AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE 08:24 WATCHING AS WELL. AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE 08:27 CHURCH MEMBERS HERE, AS WELL, TO GET INVOLVED - TO SIGN UP. 08:31 WE HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT PROJECTS SCHEDULED THIS YEAR. 08:34 WE'LL BE GOING UP TO REDWOOD CAMP TO HELP OUT - ESTABLISH THE 08:38 CAMP BEFORE SUMMER AND OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT. AND SO, WE 08:41 ENCOURAGE OUR MEMBERS TO SIGN UP AND TO JOIN US ON FUTURE TRIPS. 08:45 WE HAVE SEEN, AGAIN AND AGAIN, HOW THE LORD WAS BLESSING, HOW 08:48 HE WAS PROVIDING, HOW HE WAS ANSWERING THE PRAYERS, AS THE 08:52 PROJECT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD. 08:54 CURRENTLY, THEY'RE FINISHING UP THE ROOF AND THEY'VE DONE THE 08:59 PLASTERING OF THE WALLS AND THEY'RE GOING TO START PAINTING 09:01 THE CHURCH PROBABLY NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER. 09:04 AND SO, WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS THERE BECAUSE THIS 09:07 CHURCH FAMILY HAS GROWN SO MUCH, THEY NO LONGER FIT INTO THE 09:11 SMALL HOUSE THAT THEY'RE RENTING. 09:13 AND SO, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT, THAT NOW THEY HAVE THE 09:16 OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO WORSHIP VERY SOON IN THEIR OWN 09:19 CHURCH BUILDING - AND TO ALSO INVITE THE COMMUNITIES THERE. 09:24 WE THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT'S BEEN SUPPORTING OUR 09:27 PROJECTS, PRAYING FOR OUR PROJECTS - I KNOW THAT MANY OF 09:29 YOU HAVE COME AND APPROACHED ME AND SAID, 'WE CONTINUE TO PRAY 09:32 FOR YOU DAY AND DAY OUT AS YOU GUYS TRAVEL, AS YOU GUYS DO 09:35 THESE PROJECTS', AND SO, FOR MYSELF AND SUE, WE'RE ALSO VERY 09:39 EXCITED TO SHARE THIS UPDATE WITH YOU ON THE MISSION PROJECT 09:42 AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU WITH US ON FUTURE PROJECTS. 09:45 AMEN. >>AMEN. 09:52 >>BEFORE WE JUMP INTO OUR LESSON THIS MORNING, LET'S HAVE A WORD 09:55 OF PRAYER. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU 09:58 SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO JUST HEAR OF THE 10:01 THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING AROUND THE WORLD, IN PREPARATION 10:04 FOR YOUR SOON RETURN. LORD, AS WE TAKE THIS TIME, WE 10:07 JUST ASK THAT YOUR SPIRIT LEAD AND GUIDE OUR THOUGHTS AND OPEN 10:11 OUR EARS - AS WE STUDY YOUR WORD - AS WE JUMP INTO THIS LESSON. 10:16 MAY YOU BE GLORIFIED THROUGH ALL OF IT. 10:19 MAY WE BE CHANGED. MAY WE BECOME MORE 10:21 AND MORE LIKE JESUS. FOR WE JUST THANK 10:24 YOU AND PRAISE YOU. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. 10:28 OUR LESSON IS BROUGHT TO US THIS MORNING BY PASTOR DOUG. 10:35 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR MARSHALL. I ENJOYED THAT MISSION 10:38 REPORT, HOW ABOUT YOU? AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE A 10:42 CHURCH HERE THAT'S INVOLVED IN DOING MINISTRY AND GOING 10:45 DIFFERENT PLACES. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AS I SPEAK 10:47 RIGHT NOW, PASTOR ROSS IS IN SERBIA. 10:50 YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT? 10:54 WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MEMBERS WITH CONNECTIONS IN SERBIA, HERE. 10:57 AND, ANYWAY, GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY. 11:01 I WANT TO WELCOME OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE PART OF OUR REGULAR 11:03 CLASS AND, OF COURSE WE'VE GOT SOME OF OUR EXTENDED GRANITE BAY 11:06 MEMBERS THAT ARE JOINING US FOR OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 11:09 WE ARE CONTINUING OUR STUDY DEALING WITH THE FIRST AND 11:13 SECOND BOOKS OF PETER AND TODAY'S LESSON, REALLY, BEGINS 11:17 DIVING INTO THE FIRST FEW VERSES OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 2 PETER. 11:21 AND SO, WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE. 11:24 I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER 11:28 THAT'S BEEN MENTIONED - ASSURANCE: JUSTIFICATION MADE 11:31 SIMPLE - AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. 11:34 AND THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM 2 PETER CHAPTER 1, VERSES 5 11:39 THROUGH 7. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY THIS WITH 11:40 ME - 2 PETER 1:5 THROUGH 7 - NOW, I'M READING IT FROM THE 11:45 LESSON, WHICH IS THE NIV VERSION. YOU READY? 11:49 "FOR THIS VERY REASON, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ADD TO YOUR 11:53 FAITH GOODNESS; AND TO GOODNESS, KNOWLEDGE; AND TO KNOWLEDGE, 11:57 SELF-CONTROL; AND TO SELF-CONTROL, PERSEVERANCE; AND 12:01 TO PERSEVERANCE, GODLINESS; AND TO GODLINESS, MUTUAL AFFECTION; 12:06 AND TO MUTUAL AFFECTION, LOVE." THAT'S - WE'RE GOING TO GET TO 12:10 THAT THERE IN JUST A MINUTE. THAT'S CALLED 'PETER'S LADDER' 12:14 AND - BUT, TO START WITH, LET'S JUST LOOK AT THE 12:16 FIRST FIVE VERSES. AS WE GET INTO SECTION 1 IN OUR 12:19 STUDY TODAY, I WANT TO READ TO YOU THE FIRST FIVE VERSES. 12:21 WE'LL TAKE THAT AND TALK ABOUT IT; WE'LL BACK UP AND WE'LL 12:24 CONTINUE TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THIS LESSON. 12:27 "SIMON PETER, A BONDSERVANT AND APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST," - 12:32 ALRIGHT, LET'S STOP RIGHT THERE. DID YOU NOTICE SOMETHING 12:35 HAPPENING HERE YOU DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? 12:41 PETER IS OFTEN CALLED PETER, OR HE'S CALLED SIMON. 12:46 SOMETIMES HE'S CALLED CEPHAS, WHICH IS ANOTHER WORD FOR PETER, 12:51 BUT HERE, HE'S CALLED SIMON PETER. NOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS 12:55 HE'S GIVING YOU THE NAME THAT WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS PARENTS, 12:59 AND THEN HE'S GIVING YOU THE NAME THAT WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY 13:02 HIS LORD, AND THEN HE'S GIVING YOU WHAT HIS TITLE IS THAT WAS 13:07 GIVEN TO HIM BY JESUS AND RECOGNIZED BY THE CHURCH. 13:11 SO HE'S GOT HIS FAMILY, HIS LORD, AND HIS CHURCH THAT ARE 13:14 BEING MENTIONED IN THIS - AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST. 13:17 NOW, I, YOU KNOW, I WAS WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT TO EVEN 13:21 MENTION THIS, BUT PROBABLY IT'S GOOD FOR YOU, SINCE THIS IS A 13:26 CLASS TO BE INFORMED, I DON'T KNOW THAT - YOU MAY OR MAY NOT 13:30 BE AWARE THAT THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS, WHEN THEY WERE PUTTING 13:35 TOGETHER THE BOOKS OF THE CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT - THE OLD 13:37 TESTAMENT WAS PRETTY WELL ESTABLISHED AND NAILED IN STONE 13:41 BY THE JEWISH SCRIBES, BUT AS THEY WERE DEVELOPING THE CANON 13:47 IN THE FIRST CENTURY, THERE WAS SOME QUESTION ABOUT 2 PETER. 13:53 AND THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE, LIKE ORIGEN AND SOME OF THE 13:55 EARLY FATHERS 'WE'RE NOT SURE THAT THIS WAS WRITTEN BY PETER,' 14:00 BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THAT WAS A DEBATE THAT CAME 14:03 UP, AND - BUT THE OTHER SCHOLARS AND THE FATHERS, THEY TRACED IT 14:07 BACK AND THEY SAID IT - IT FITS - THERE WERE SOME STYLISTIC 14:11 DIFFERENCES - AND, FINALLY, THE ARGUMENT WAS THAT SINCE THESE 14:16 BOOKS COME FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN IMPRESS A 14:20 PERSON BASED ON THE SUBJECT, WITH A LITTLE DIFFERENT STYLE, 14:23 IN ONE BOOK FROM ANOTHER. YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 14:26 THE BOOKS OF MOSES. THE STYLE BETWEEN GENESIS IS A 14:31 LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN EXODUS, WHICH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT - 14:34 GENESIS IS MORE OF A STORY FORM, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM 14:37 LEVITICUS - IS VERY MUCH THE PRIESTLY CEREMONIES, AND YOU GET 14:41 TO NUMBERS AND IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF NUMBERS AND CHRONICLES IN 14:44 THERE AND, AND SO, YOU CAN SEE EVEN ONE WRITER TAKES ON 14:48 A LITTLE DIFFERENT STYLE, DEPENDING ON THE SUBJECT MATTER. 14:51 BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT ARGUMENT DID COME UP IN THE 14:53 EARLY CHURCH, BUT IT WAS SQUELCHED PRETTY QUICK AND 14:56 EVERYBODY HAS WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT THIS IS AUTHENTIC, 15:02 INSPIRED TEACHINGS OF THE APOSTLE PETER. 15:07 AND THEN HE GOES ON TO SAY HE WRITING TO WHOM? 15:10 NOW THIS IS ADDRESSED TO THE SAME GROUP THAT IS IN THE FIRST 15:14 BOOK - "TO THOSE WHO HAVE OBTAINED LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH 15:18 WITH US BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF OUR GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS 15:23 CHRIST:" - NOW YOU'VE HEARD THE EXPRESSION BEFORE, 15:26 'RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH' - IS THAT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE 15:30 A SPECIAL INTEREST TO GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS? 15:34 JUST NOW OR ALWAYS? HOW DOES ANYBODY GET TO HEAVEN? 15:42 WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH. 15:47 THROUGH THAT FAITH, A TRANS - TRANSACTION IS MADE. 15:53 WE GET RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT WE DON'T DESERVE, THAT REALLY 15:58 BELONGS TO JESUS. WE RECEIVE THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH. 16:03 AND SO PETER, HERE, IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS BY 16:06 FAITH - THAT HERE WE RECEIVE THESE EXCEEDING GREAT AND 16:10 PRECIOUS PROMISES THROUGH FAITH. - 16:13 "TO THOSE WHO HAVE OBTAINED LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH WITH US" - 16:17 IT SAYS 'YOU HAVE IT; WE HAVE IT' - "BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF 16:20 OUR GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST:" - THEN HE GOES ON AND 16:26 HE SAYS, "GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU IN THE 16:30 KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND OF JESUS OUR LORD," - SO HE TALKS ABOUT 16:34 JESUS CHRIST, JESUS OUR LORD, AND GOD. 16:37 NOW, IS HE SAYING THAT JESUS IS NOT GOD? 16:41 OR IS HE JUST SPECIFYING GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS, WHO IS GOD THE 16:46 SON, SO YOU CAN MAKE A DISTINCTION WHEN YOU'RE 16:48 EXPLAINING THAT? SO YES, HE DID BELIEVE THAT 16:51 CHRIST WAS GOD - GOD THE SON. MATTER OF FACT, JESUS - PETER'S 16:56 THE ONE WHO MADE THAT GREAT DECLARATION. 16:59 SO HERE YOU HEARD - YOU READ 'RIGHTEOUSNESS', YOU READ 17:03 'FAITH', AND YOU READ 'GRACE' - AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT THIS. 17:11 "GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU IN THE KNOWLEDGE" - 17:14 NOW, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE - HOW ARE WE SAVED? 17:19 WHAT DOES JESUS SAY IN JOHN CHAPTER 17, THE FIRST THREE 17:25 VERSES? "...THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE THAT 17:28 THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD..." 17:32 WHAT WILL THE LORD SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST? 17:36 'I KNOW THEE NOT'. DOES WHAT YOU KNOW MAKE A DIFFERENCE? 17:42 YOU KNOW, THEY SAY IN HOLLYWOOD, 'IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S 17:45 WHO YOU KNOW.' AND IT IS TRUE THAT IN CHRISTIANITY IT'S NOT 17:49 ONLY WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHO YOU KNOW. 17:53 IT - BUT NOTICE THE EMPHASIS ON KNOWLEDGE HERE. 17:56 I WANT TO READ THIS TO YOU AGAIN - VERSE 2 - 2 PETER, CHAPTER 1, 18:03 "GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 18:08 AND OF JESUS OUR LORD, AS HIS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVEN TO US 18:12 ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS," - HOW? 18:16 - "THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM WHO CALLED US BY GLORY AND 18:20 VIRTUE," - PETER MAKES A PRETTY 18:23 STRONG EMPHASIS ON 'YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW SOMETHING'. 18:28 YOU NEED TO KNOW HIM - THIS IS - ALSO THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO 18:31 KNOW, AND HE SPECIFIES WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE IN YOUR BOOK. 18:34 NOW, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? 18:36 IF YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND DECIDE YOU DON'T LIKE THE 18:38 DAY AND YOU ROLL OVER AND PUT THE PILLOW OVER YOUR HEAD, HOW 18:41 ARE YOU GOING TO GROW IN THE LORD THAT DAY? 18:44 SO HOW DO YOU GROW IN KNOWLEDGE? IF YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW 18:50 SOMETHING - YOU'RE GOING TO GRADUATE COLLEGE AND YOU'RE 18:52 GOING TO KNOW SOMETHING, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? 18:55 YOU'VE GOT TO GO TO CLASS, YOU'VE GOT TO LISTEN, YOU'VE GOT 18:56 TO OPEN THE BOOKS, YOU'VE GOT TO STUDY. 18:59 IF YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW SOMEBODY, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO 19:01 DO? YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE TIME 19:04 LISTENING TO THEM, COMMUNICATING WITH THEM, DRAWING THEM OUT. 19:09 I HAD A PRETTY NEAT EXPERIENCE THIS WEEK. 19:12 I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONTROL MYSELF IN NOT SENDING OUT THE 19:15 PICTURE TO EVERYBODY, BUT HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHO GENERAL 19:18 CHUCK YEAGER IS? FIRST MAN TO BREAK THE SOUND 19:22 BARRIER - VERY FAMOUS PILOT - HE'S LIKE 95 NOW AND THE 19:32 PHYSICIAN WHO DOES MY THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL - A FRIEND - 19:36 ALSO COMES TO CHURCH HERE - ALSO DID HIS THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL FOR 19:41 AVIATION AND I HEARD THAT AND SAID, 'OH, I'D LOVE TO MEET 19:44 GENERAL YEAGER.' THE GUY'S A LEGEND - A HERO - A WAR HERO, 19:48 PILOT, BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER AND ALL THESE THINGS, AND SO SHE 19:52 ARRANGED, THIS WEEK, WHERE I GOT TO BE WITH HIM. 19:55 AND I THOUGHT OF A THOUSAND THINGS I WANTED TO ASK HIM TO 19:57 GET TO KNOW HIM BETTER, BUT WHEN I WAS SITTING THERE WITH HIM, I 20:02 JUST WENT BLANK. I COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING. 20:05 AND AFTER I LEFT I THOUGHT, 'OH, I WISH I WOULD HAVE ASKED THIS' 20:08 AND 'I WISH I WOULD HAVE ASKED THIS' AND 'I WANTED TO ASK THIS' 20:11 AND I THOUGHT, 'OH WHAT A' - HERE I WAS IN HIS PRESENCE - HE 20:16 FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II, FOUGHT IN THE VIETNAM WAR, WAS ONE OF 20:19 THESE FAMOUS TEST PILOTS, ALL THESE - CRASHED SEVERAL TIMES. 20:24 SOMEONE ASKED HIM ONCE, 'DID YOU CRASH?' 20:25 HE SAID, 'I CRASHED A LOT'. JUST INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES. 20:29 BUT I THOUGHT - I COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING TO SAY. 20:33 IT WAS ALL JUST SORT OF LIGHT CONVERSATION. 20:35 BUT IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN WITH JESUS AND ASK HIM SOMETHING, 20:40 WHAT WOULD YOU ASK HIM? WELL, DO YOU KNOW, YOU CAN? 20:47 HE SAYS, 'I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.' HE'S WITH YOU 20:50 EVERY DAY. HE SAYS, 'I'LL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.' SO DO 20:52 YOU PRAY? DO YOU TALK TO HIM? 20:55 DO YOU ASK HIM FOR INFORMATION? HE'LL REVEAL THINGS TO YOU. 20:58 THE LORD SAYS, 'COME NOW, LET US REASON TOGETHER.' WHAT A 21:01 PRIVILEGE THAT WE GET TO HAVE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH 21:05 JESUS. CAN YOU SAY, 'AMEN'? 21:07 >>AMEN. >>THAT'S WONDERFUL. 21:08 ALRIGHT, SO HE SAYS - BUT IT'S THIS PRECIOUS KNOWLEDGE THAT WE 21:12 NEED OF GOD - WE NEED TO HAVE A KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND OF JESUS, 21:16 OUR LORD. AS HIS DIVINE - SO THERE'S THINGS ABOUT THEOLOGY 21:20 AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, BECAUSE GOD'S INVISIBLE, BUT 21:22 THERE'S ALSO THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS. 21:25 GOD BECAME A MAN IN CHRIST THAT WE MIGHT KNOW HIM. 21:28 JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE FATHER.' 21:31 AND THEN HE WANTS TO GIVE US GRACE AND HE SAYS 'GRACE BE 21:34 MULTIPLIED TO YOU.' WHAT DOES MULTIPLIED MEAN? 21:38 WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU MULTIPLY SOMETHING? 21:41 YOU GROW IT EXPONENTIALLY. YOU'RE GOING TO GET MORE WHEN 21:46 YOU DO 2X4 THAN YOU DO WHEN YOU DO 1X1. 21:50 DOES GOD CONTINUE TO GIVE US MORE GRACE AND MULTIPLY FAITH 21:54 AND KNOWLEDGE TO US AS WE WALK WITH HIM? 21:57 AND OUR KNOWLEDGE SHOULD GROW - I WAS TELLING SOMEONE THIS WEEK 21:59 THAT - YOU KNOW, I'M PREACHING TODAY ON ABSALOM AND, IN 22:06 PREPARATION, I DO A LOT OF THINGS - STUDY AND GO TO 22:10 COMMENTARIES - AND ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT I'D DO IS I 22:14 PREACHED ABOUT ABSALOM YEARS AGO AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL AND THEY 22:18 RECORDED IT. MATTER OF FACT, I SAW SOME 22:20 OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE. AND IT WAS SO LONG AGO MY HAIR 22:26 WAS DARK, THICKER, AND I HAD NO GLASSES. 22:31 AND SO I LISTENED AND, AS I'M LISTENING TO MYSELF PREACH - 15 22:35 YEARS AGO - 20 YEARS AGO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS - I'M 22:38 GOING, 'MAN, I'M SUCH A POOR PREACHER.' 22:43 I SAID, 'AND PEOPLE LISTEN TO THAT?' 22:44 I THOUGHT I'D GET SOMETHING OUT OF MY OLD SERMON - SOMETIMES I 22:46 DO - I SAY, 'OH YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. 22:47 I FORGOT ABOUT THAT.' JOHN WESLEY USED TO SAY, 'EVERY FIVE 22:51 YEARS I THROW AWAY ALL MY SERMONS BECAUSE IF I'M NOT A 22:54 BETTER PREACHER NOW THAN I WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, I OUGHT TO 22:56 QUIT.' ARE YOU GROWING IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD? 23:01 ARE YOU THE SAME TODAY AS YOU WERE FIVE YEARS AGO? 23:04 OR ARE YOU GETTING DEEPER? IS IT MULTIPLYING? 23:08 SO, PETER IS TALKING ABOUT YOU'VE GOT TO GROW. 23:09 OKAY? GOD IS GOING TO MULTIPLY GRACE TO YOU. 23:12 YOU NEED TO HAVE AN EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE. 23:14 THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY ALSO TALKS ABOUT WE NEED A FRESH 23:17 EXPERIENCE WITH THE LORD. SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST CONSTANTLY 23:22 LIVING OFF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED LONG AGO AND THEIR 23:24 MANNA HAS GOTTEN WORMS AND IT STINKS. 23:27 YOU NEED TO HAVE A FRESH EXPERIENCE. 23:29 AND HE GOES ON TO SAY, 'THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM WHO HAS 23:33 CALLED US' - WE'VE ALL BEEN CALLED BY THE LORD - 'BY GLORY 23:37 AND VIRTUE, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US - BY WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN 23:41 TO US EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES THAT THROUGH 23:49 THESE YOU MIGHT BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE.' WHAT IS THE 23:54 PURPOSE OF SALVATION? THE DEVIL CAME ALONG, IN THE 23:58 GARDEN OF EDEN - MAN WAS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD - THE DEVIL 24:00 CAME ALONG AND HE ERASED THE IMAGE OF GOD FROM MAN. 24:04 HE WANTS TO RESTORE THE IMAGE OF GOD TO MAN. 24:08 AND IT SAYS THAT THROUGH - WHAT IS IT THAT WE BECOME PARTAKERS 24:12 OF? THE DIVINE NATURE. GOD WANTS TO GIVE 24:14 US A DIVINE NATURE. HAVE YOU EVER SLAPPED SOMEONE ON 24:17 THE BACK AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU, 24:19 YOU'VE GOT A DIVINE NATURE'? WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO HAVE 24:23 THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST? HOW DO WE GET THAT? 24:28 NOW HERE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS SECTION: 'HE'S 24:30 GIVEN US EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES.' 24:34 WHERE DO WE FIND THESE PROMISES? IN HIS WORD. 24:39 DO YOU THINK ABOUT AND MEMORIZE THE PROMISES OF GOD? 24:44 LET'S TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THE PROMISES OF GOD. 24:46 I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW OF MINE AND THEN I MIGHT ASK YOU FOR A FEW 24:48 OF YOURS. I JUST GRABBED A FEW. 24:53 THERE ARE HUNDREDS - THERE ARE MANY EXCEEDING GREAT AND 24:59 PRECIOUS PROMISES IN THE BIBLE. THE BIBLE'S A BIG BOOK. 25:03 GOD GIVES US A LOT OF PROMISES THERE. 25:05 DO YOU KNOW THEM? DO YOU CLAIM THEM? 25:07 WHEN I SIGN A BOOK I OFTEN SIGN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29:13. 25:12 THE REASON I SIGN THE CAVEMAN BOOK THAT WAY IS BECAUSE I WAS 25:15 SEARCHING FOR GOD AND IT SAYS, 'YOU WILL SEARCH FOR ME AND 25:19 YOU'LL FIND ME WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART.' 25:22 BUT JEREMIAH 29:11 IS ALSO VERY VALUABLE. 25:26 I DON'T OFTEN SIGN THAT BECAUSE THAT'S MORE WRITING AND I'M 25:28 LAZY, BUT JEREMIAH 29:11 SAYS, "FOR I KNOW THE THOUGHTS THAT I 25:32 THINK TOWARD YOU, SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHTS OF PEACE AND NOT OF 25:35 EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE." 25:37 - 'I'VE GOT PLANS FOR YOU TO HAVE A GOOD FUTURE AND HOPE.' 25:40 HOW DID GOD MAKE MAN? EVERYTHING WAS GOOD, GOOD - 25:43 GOD'S PLANS FOR MAN WERE GOOD PLANS. WHY DID JESUS COME? 25:47 TO BRING THAT GOOD. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT PROMISE 25:49 RIGHT THERE IN HIS WORD. THAT'S AN EXCEEDING GREAT 25:52 AND PRECIOUS PROMISE. JESUS - MATTHEW 11 - YOU ALL 25:56 KNOW WHAT THAT SAYS - VERSES 28 AND 29 - "COME TO ME, ALL YOU 26:00 WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. 26:03 TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND 26:07 LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." 26:11 ANOTHER EXCEEDING GREAT - AND, YOU KNOW, THESE PROMISES ARE 26:13 EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS WHEN YOU NEED THEM. 26:16 I REMEMBER, ONE TIME, I WAS IN A RESTAURANT, HITCHHIKING WITH A 26:20 GIRLFRIEND, HUNGRY - NOTHING TO EAT - WE JUST SAT THERE WAITING 26:24 FOR THE SUN TO COME UP BECAUSE IT WAS A DANGEROUS PART OF TOWN. 26:27 AND I JUST SAT THERE AND DRANK ONE CUP OF COFFEE AFTER ANOTHER 26:31 BECAUSE YOU HAD TO KIND OF ACT LIKE YOU WERE DOING SOMETHING. 26:35 COFFEE WAS TEN CENTS BACK THEN, IN THIS RESTAURANT - A CUP - FOR 26:38 A CUP OF COFFEE - ALL YOU COULD DRINK FOR TEN CENTS. 26:42 AND SO WE THOUGHT, 'WELL, WE'LL JUST STAY HERE AND DRINK COFFEE 26:44 ALL NIGHT.' AND I WAS A BABY CHRISTIAN AND I STARTED GETTING 26:51 CRAMPS IN MY STOMACH BECAUSE COFFEE CAN DO THAT TO YOU - NO 26:55 FOOD - AND WE WERE JUST READING THE NEW TESTAMENT BACK AND FORTH 26:59 - THAT'S BACK WHEN I WAS LIVING IN THE CAVE - AND I READ THAT 27:04 PROMISE WHERE IT SAID, 'IF YOUR SON IS HUNGRY, WOULDN'T YOU GIVE 27:08 HIM FOOD? HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER 27:11 IN HEAVEN GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO THOSE THAT ASK?' 27:14 AND SO I WENT INTO THE RESTROOM, WHICH HAPPENS A LOT AFTER 18 27:20 CUPS OF COFFEE, AND I PRAYED - I REMEMBER I PRAYED AND I SAID, 27:24 'LORD, YOU SAY IN YOUR WORD - YOU'VE GOT A PROMISE HERE THAT 27:26 IF YOU'RE HUNGRY THAT YOU'LL FEED US.' - I SAID - 'IT'S THE 27:29 MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT' - IT'S TWO IN THE MORNING IN THIS EMPTY 27:31 RESTAURANT AND I SAID,' I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN' - 27:34 I WAS GOING TO PANHANDLE OUT FRONT BUT THERE'S NOBODY TO 27:36 PANHANDLE, IT'S EMPTY - I SAID, 'LORD, WE'RE HUNGRY.' SO I 27:40 WALKED BACK OUT AND MY GIRLFRIEND'S SMILING. 27:42 I SAID, 'WHY ARE YOU SMILING?' SHE SAID, 'WHILE YOU WERE IN THE 27:44 BATHROOM THE WAITRESS CAME UP AND SAID, 'WOULD YOU 27:46 LIKE TO ORDER SOME FOOD?' AND I TOLD HER 'NO' - BECAUSE WE 27:50 HAVE NO MONEY - 'AND SHE SAID, 'I'LL BUY YOUR DINNER TONIGHT.' 27:55 NOW HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO TO THE RESTAURANT AND THE WAITRESS 27:57 OFFERS TO BUY YOUR FOOD? RIGHT AFTER I CLAIMED THAT 28:00 PROMISE GOD GAVE US FOOD - IN THE MOST AMAZING WAY. 28:05 AND THAT'S HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. 28:06 THIS IS HOW THE PROMISES OF GOD WORK. 28:09 YOU - IT'S NOT JUST THEY SIT IN THE BIBLE ON YOUR SHELF AND YOU 28:12 DON'T GET ANY BENEFIT, YOU'VE GOT TO READ THEM, POINT TO THEM, 28:15 BELIEVE IN THEM, AND SAY, 'LORD, PLEASE, HERE YOU SAID THIS. 28:18 I BELIEVE IT.' AND THINGS HAPPEN. 28:20 BUT YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. 28:23 IT'S LIKE - I HEARD ABOUT THIS MAN THAT HIS - IN HIS OLD AGE HE 28:32 STRUGGLED AND, THROUGH HIS LIFE HE HAD STRUGGLED FINANCIALLY AND 28:40 WANTED TO GET ALONG AND FINALLY, WHEN HE WAS GETTING OLD, HIS 28:44 KIDS CAME ALONG AND THEY SAID, 'POP, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CLEAN 28:47 OUT THE ATTIC. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME. 28:48 WE'VE GOT A HOME WE'RE GOING TO MOVE YOU INTO.' AND THEY FOUND 28:53 THIS BIBLE THAT HIS PARENTS HAD GIVEN HIM, IN HIS HOME, AND HE 28:56 REMEMBERED THAT HIS MOTHER SAID, 'MAKE SURE AND READ THAT BOOK. 28:59 IT IS FULL OF RICH PROMISES'. - OR SHE SAID, 'IT'S FULL OF 29:02 PROMISES THAT'LL MAKE YOU RICH.' AND HE NEVER OPENED THE BIBLE. 29:06 HE KIND OF DRIFTED FROM GOD. AND SO HE FINALLY TOOK DOWN HIS 29:08 PARENTS' BIBLE AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT KEEPING 29:10 THIS.' AND HE OPENED IT UP AND BEGAN TO FLIP THROUGH IT AND ALL 29:13 SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK WAS MONEY. 29:18 SHE HAD PUT BILLS - LARGE BILLS - ALL THROUGH THE BOOK TO 29:22 ENCOURAGE HIM TO READ, BUT THE SAD THING WAS HE HAD BEEN POOR 29:26 ALL HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER OPENED IT UNTIL THE END. 29:31 ALL THOSE YEARS THOSE RICHES WERE THERE IN THE BIBLE AND YOU 29:35 WONDER HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE MISSED THE PROMISES OF GOD THAT 29:38 GOD'S PUT IN HIS WORD TO SAVE US WITH OUR ISSUES TO BRING US 29:42 ENCOURAGEMENT OR COMFORT OR WHATEVER WE NEED - AND WE FORGET 29:44 IT'S THERE BECAUSE WE DON'T LOOK. 29:46 YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK FOR THEM. ALRIGHT, SOMEBODY'S GOING TO 29:49 READ ONE OF THESE PROMISES FOR ME IN JUST A MINUTE. 29:52 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT? I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER 29:54 PROMISE - JOHN 6:37 - CHRIST SAID, "ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVES 29:58 ME WILL COME TO ME, AND THE ONE WHO COMES TO ME I WILL 30:01 BY NO MEANS CAST OUT." ISN'T THAT A WONDERFUL PROMISE? 30:04 IF YOU COME TO HIM 'I WILL NOT CAST YOU OUT'. COME TO ME. 30:08 GO AHEAD, READ THAT OTHER ONE FOR US IN HEBREWS 13:5. 30:12 >>"LET YOUR CONDUCT BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS; BE CONTENT WITH 30:16 SUCH THINGS AS YOU HAVE. FOR HE HIMSELF HAS SAID, 'I WILL 30:20 NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU." 30:22 >>NOW ISN'T THAT A PROMISE? 30:23 'I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU' - PAUL SAYS THAT - 'I WILL NEVER LEAVE 30:28 YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.' WHERE IS PAUL QUOTING FROM? 30:33 THIS IS IN HEBREWS - HE SAYS, 'GOD HAD SAID 'I WILL NEVER 30:37 LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU' - WHERE DOES JESUS SAY THAT? 30:42 WHEN HE GOES TO HEAVEN, DOESN'T HE SAY, 'I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS'? 30:45 AND DIDN'T GOD ALSO TELL JOSHUA, 'I'LL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU 30:49 GO'? AND DIDN'T HE TELL JACOB, 'I'LL BE WITH YOU'? SO, 30:51 SCATTERED THROUGH THE BIBLE YOU FIND THAT PROMISE REPEATED MANY 30:54 TIMES. SO I THINK PAUL ACTUALLY SAYS IT DIFFERENT. 30:57 HE BUNCHES A FEW OF THEM TOGETHER, WHERE GOD PROMISES HIS 31:02 HEROES THROUGH THE BIBLE, 'I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU' - ANOTHER 31:04 TIME HE SAYS, 'I WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU' - AND HE PUTS IT 31:06 ALL TOGETHER - 'I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU AND I WILL NOT FORSAKE 31:07 YOU.' ALRIGHT, YOU'VE JUST GOT TO GIVE ME A REAL QUICK ANSWER 31:12 BECAUSE I'M GOING TO REPEAT IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO PASS 31:13 AROUND THE MICROPHONE. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PROMISE? 31:17 NO HESITATION - VICKY? 31:18 >>ISAIAH 40 - STARTING AT 28 AND ON. 31:21 >>ISAIAH 40:28 - >>"HAVE YOU NOT KNOWN? 31:24 HAVE YOU NOT HEARD? THE EVERLASTING GOD, THE LORD, THE 31:27 CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EAR, NEITHER FAINTS NOR IS WEARY." 31:30 >>GOD NEVER FAINTS NOR IS WEARY - HAVE YOU NOT HEARD? 31:34 THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD PROMISE. ANYONE ELSE? 31:37 >>ISAIAH 49:15-17, "CAN A WOMAN FORGET HER SUCKLING CHILD"? 31:45 >>IF A WO - "CAN A WOMAN FORGET HER NURSING CHILD," - 'IF THESE 31:48 CANNOT FORGET, NEITHER WILL I FORGET YOU. 31:50 I HAVE GRAVEN YOU ON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS' - IN ISAIAH. 31:53 ANOTHER ONE - ANYONE ELSE? GOD WON'T FORGET US. 31:58 I SEE ONE WAY IN THE BACK. >>'AND I HEARD A LOUD VOICE FROM 32:03 HEAVEN SAYING, 'BEHOLD, THE TABERNACLE OF GOD' - 32:06 >>'GOD WAS WITH MEN AND HE HIMSELF WILL BE THEIR GOD AND HE 32:12 WILL BE WITH THEM. >>"AND GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY EVERY 32:15 TEAR" - >>'ALL TEARS FROM THEIR 32:16 EYES' - >>"THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, 32:18 NO SORROW, NOR CRYING; THERE SHALL BE NO MORE 32:22 PAIN, FOR THE FORMER THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY." 32:25 >>YEAH, HE'LL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM THE EYES - NO MORE 32:29 SORROW, NO MORE PAIN. OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY. 32:31 ALL THINGS ARE MADE NEW. WHAT A WONDERFUL PROMISE. 32:34 AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HEARING SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE'S 32:37 PRECIOUS PROMISES AND YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING, 'OH, THAT'S A 32:39 GOOD ONE TOO. CAN I BORROW YOUR PROMISE?' 32:43 SO PETER'S TELLING US RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING, WE'VE GOT THESE 32:46 EXCEEDING GREAT - ANYONE ELSE, BEFORE I CLOSE THAT OFF - YOU 32:48 GOT A PROMISE? HI JEN, HOW YOU DOIN'? 32:51 >>GOOD. >>YEAH? 32:52 >>PROVERBS 3:5 AND 6, "TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART; 32:55 AND LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING. 32:56 IN ALL THEY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE..." 32:58 - >>'AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATHS' - YEP. 33:00 'TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART...IN ALL YOUR WAYS 33:02 ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATHS.' WHAT ANOTHER 33:06 BEAUTIFUL PROMISE. AND SO, HE PROMISES, 'IF YOU 33:09 CLAIM THESE I'LL GUIDE YOU' - ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR 33:11 - SAY, 'LORD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DECISION TO MAKE, BUT LOOK HERE, 33:14 YOU'VE MADE A PROMISE - YOU'RE GOING TO DIRECT MY PATHS. 33:18 I'M COMMITTING MY WAY TO YOU.' WILL HE ANSWER THAT THEN? 33:21 YEAH, IF GOD KEEPS HIS WORD - AND I BELIEVE HE DOES. 33:23 ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ALONG HERE - AND, YOU KNOW, 33:28 ANOTHER ONE? PHILIPPIANS 4:19, 'AND THIS SAME 33:32 GOD WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF ME WILL SUPPLY ALL OF YOUR NEEDS 33:35 FROM HIS GLORIOUS RICHES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US IN CHRIST 33:37 JESUS.' GOD WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS. 33:40 ISAIAH 40 SAYS, 'THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD WILL FIND STRENGTH; 33:46 THEY WILL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY'LL RUN AND NOT 33:49 BE WEARY, THEY'LL WALK AND NOT FAINT.' THAT'S VERSE 31. 33:52 THERE'S JUST SO MANY PROMISES. NOW, WHEN WE READ THIS HERE, AND 33:59 WE TALK ABOUT THE PROMISES OF GOD, HE GOES ON THEN, IN VERSE 34:04 5, AND I'M GOING TO READ VERSES 5 TO 7 HERE - I'M IN 2 PETER 34:07 1:5-7 - "BUT ALSO FOR THIS VERY REASON, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE, 34:13 ADD TO YOUR FAITH VIRTUE, TO VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE," - NOW, 34:16 HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT WORD 'KNOWLEDGE' KEEPS APPEARING? 34:20 YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING AS A CHRISTIAN. 34:23 BUT HERE'S WHERE YOU FIND PETER'S LADDER: "GIVING ALL 34:27 DILIGENCE," - THAT MEANS WORK AT THIS - BE ZEALOUS - MAKE IT A 34:32 PRIORITY - "ADD TO YOUR FAITH VIRTUE, TO VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE, TO 34:38 KNOWLEDGE SELF-CONTROL, TO SELF-CONTROL PERSEVERANCE, TO 34:43 PERSEVERANCE GODLINESS, TO GODLINESS BROTHERLY KINDNESS, 34:48 AND TO BROTHERLY KINDNESS LOVE." THIS IS CALLED 'PETER'S LADDER' 34:53 - THERE'S A SEQUENCE OF GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING HERE. 34:57 YOU KNOW, YOU FIND A NUMBER OF LISTS IN THE BIBLE AND A LOT OF 35:01 THE LISTS ACTUALLY END WITH THE QUINTESSENCE OF THE LIST BEING 35:09 LOVE. WHEN YOU GET TO REVELATION - SORRY, UH - 1 CORINTHIANS 35:15 CHAPTER 13 - WHAT'S THE - WHAT'S THE GREATEST OF THESE? 35:17 >>LOVE. >>LOVE. 35:19 AND WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT - WHO'S 35:22 GOING TO READ THAT FOR ME? YOU'LL HAVE THAT KATRINA? 35:24 I'LL GIVE A CAMERA JUST A MINUTE - TO GET READY - I'LL GIVE YOU 35:26 ANOTHER LIST - ROMANS 5, [VERSE] 3, "AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE 35:32 ALSO GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS, KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION 35:34 PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE; AND PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND 35:38 CHARACTER, HOPE." - YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER LIST HERE - 35:41 "NOW HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF GOD HAS 35:43 BEEN POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO 35:46 WAS GIVEN TO US." GO AHEAD, READ THE LIST THAT 35:48 PAUL GIVES IN GALATIANS 5:22, 23. 35:51 >>"BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, 35:55 LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, 35:59 GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL. AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW." 36:05 >>SO HERE HE PUTS LOVE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST AND HE TELLS US 36:10 THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. AND WHAT DOES THE APOSTLE JOHN 36:13 SAY, AGAIN, AS A QUINTESSENCE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU KNOW GOD? 36:18 IF YOU LOVE GOD - IF YOU LOVE EACH OTHER - FOR GOD IS LOVE. 36:24 YOU'LL NOTICE THAT - SOMETIMES WHEN A PERSON GIVES A TOP TEN 36:27 LIST, THEY START OUT WITH THE LOWEST AND THE GREATEST IS GOING 36:31 TO BE THE TENTH. AND THIS IS WHAT PETER IS DOING, IS HE'S 36:34 GIVING THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE LIST AT THE END. 36:37 JAMES HAS ANOTHER LIST YOU CAN READ IN JAMES 1, VERSES 3 AND 4, 36:42 "KNOWING THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE. 36:46 BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE ITS PERFECT WORK, THAT YOU MAY BE 36:50 PERFECT AND COMPLETE, LACKING NOTHING." 36:52 AND THEN MOSES ASKED GOD - HE SAID, 'SHOW ME YOUR CHARACTER' - 36:59 AND WHAT DOES HE REVEAL TO HIM? 37:00 THIS IS EXODUS 34:5, "NOW THE LORD DESCENDED IN THE CLOUD AND 37:05 STOOD WITH HIM THERE, AND PROCLAIMED THE NAME OF THE LORD. 37:08 AND THE LORD PASSED BEFORE HIM AND PROCLAIMED, 'THE LORD, THE 37:13 LORD GOD, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, LONGSUFFERING, AND ABOUNDING IN 37:18 GOODNESS AND TRUTH, KEEPING MERCY FOR THOUSANDS, FORGIVING 37:22 INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSION AND SIN," - TALKS ABOUT THE LOVE AND 37:26 THE MERCY AND THE PATIENCE OF GOD. 37:28 AND SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TO STUDY AND WE KNOW AND 37:32 WE SAY, 'LORD, HELP ME TO REMODEL - REPRODUCE THESE THINGS 37:36 THROUGH YOUR SPIRIT - IN MY LIFE. 37:38 AND SO PETER'S LIST, ONE MORE TIME, 'GIVE ALL DILIGENCE, 37:42 FAITH' - BEGINS WITH FAITH - 'VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE, CONTINUE TO 37:48 GROW, SELF-CONTROL, PERSEVERANCE, GODLINESS, 37:52 BROTHERLY KINDNESS, LOVE.' YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN INTERESTING 37:57 STATEMENT IN THE BOOK MARANATHA - HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN OR 38:01 YOU'VE GOT THAT DEVOTIONAL CALLED MARANATHA ? 38:04 THAT'S A CLASSIC. IT'S ONE, YOU KNOW, SOME YEARS 38:06 - EVERY YEAR OUR CHURCH HAS A DAILY DEVOTIONAL. 38:09 WE HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE WATCHING THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE 38:11 ADVENTIST CHURCH, BUT WE PROVIDE A DEVOTIONAL TO ENCOURAGE 38:16 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO READ A SPECIAL DEVOTIONAL ALONG WITH 38:19 YOUR BIBLE. IT BEGINS WITH A VERSE AND THEN IT GIVES SOME 38:22 INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS. AND THEY CAN BE FROM THE BIBLE OR OTHER 38:25 INSPIRED WRITERS, AND SOME ARE GOOD AND THEY HELP. 38:29 SOME ARE STANDARDS AND THEY STICK AROUND YEAR AFTER YEAR. 38:33 AND ONE OF THEM THAT HAS ENDURED THE TEST OF TIME WAS THAT 38:35 DEVOTIONAL CALLED MARANATHA . I THINK IT'S STILL IN PRINT. 38:38 IT TALKS ABOUT THE SECOND COMING AND PROMISES ABOUT THE SECOND 38:41 COMING. THIS IS A QUOTE FROM PAGE 84 IN 38:44 THAT DEVOTIONAL AND IT TALKS ABOUT PETER'S LADDER - HOW WE 38:49 GROW IN GRACE TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. 38:53 "POINT THE YOUTH TO PETER'S LADDER, OR THOSE EIGHT ROUNDS, 38:57 AND PLACE THEIR FEET, NOT ON THE HIGHEST ROUND, BUT ON THE 38:59 LOWEST" - YOU EVER START CLIMBING A LADDER BY GOING TO 39:01 THE TOP ROUND? SO THERE'S A PROGRESSION IN THE 39:04 CHRISTIAN LIFE. SOME PEOPLE AREN'T SATISFIED 39:06 BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AT THE TOP INSTANTLY. 39:08 THAT'S CALLED SANCTIFICATION - YOU DEVELOP GROWTH - "AND PLACE 39:12 THEIR FEET" - ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE YOUNG - 39:14 "NOT ON THE HIGHEST ROUND, BUT ON THE LOWEST, AND WITH EARNEST 39:17 SOLICITATION, URGE THEM TO CLIMB TO THE VERY TOP. 39:21 CHRIST IS THE LADDER. 39:22 THE BASE IS PLANTED FIRMLY ON THE EARTH IN HIS HUMANITY. 39:26 THE TOPMOST ROUND REACHES TO THE THRONE OF GOD IN HIS DIVINITY." 39:32 - WE START AS HUMAN, WE TRY TO BE LIKE CHRIST, WHO'S DIVINE - 39:35 "THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST EMBRACES FALLEN HUMANITY, WHILE HIS 39:39 DIVINITY LAYS HOLD UPON THE THRONE OF GOD." 39:42 BY THE WAY, PEOPLE HAVE WONDERED ABOUT THE NATURE OF CHRIST - SHE 39:45 SAYS THERE, "THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST EMBRACES FALLEN HUMANITY, 39:48 WHILE HIS DIVINITY LAYS HOLD UPON THE THRONE OF GOD. 39:52 WE ARE SAVED BY CLIMBING ROUND AFTER ROUND LOOKING TO CHRIST" - 39:56 THAT'S IN FAITH - "CLINGING TO CHRIST, MOUNTING STEP BY STEP TO 40:00 THE HEIGHTS OF CHRIST SO THAT HE IS MADE, UNTO US, WISDOM AND 40:04 RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SANCTIFICATION AND REDEMPTION. 40:07 FAITH, VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE, TEMPERANCE, PATIENCE, GODLINESS, 40:11 BROTHERLY KINDNESS, AND CHARITY ARE THE ROUNDS OF THIS LADDER. 40:15 ALL THESE GRACES ARE TO BE MANIFESTED IN THE CHRISTIAN 40:18 CHARACTER. AND, IF YOU DO THESE THINGS, YOU 40:21 WILL NEVER FAIL, FOR AN ENTRANCE WILL BE MINISTERED UNTO YOU 40:24 ABUNDANTLY IN THE EVERLASTING KNOWLEDGE" - I'M SORRY - "IN THE 40:28 EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. 40:33 YOU'RE NOT TO THINK THAT YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE 40:34 PERFECTED ONE GRACE BEFORE CULTIVATING ANOTHER. 40:37 NO, THEY ARE TO GROW UP TOGETHER. 40:40 EVERY DAY THAT YOU LIVE YOU CAN BE PERFECTING THE BLESSED 40:43 ATTRIBUTES FULLY REVEALED IN THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST. 40:47 DO NOT BECOME OVERWHELMED WITH THE GREAT AMOUNT OF" - THIS IS 40:50 AN IMPORTANT QUOTE - DON'T BECOME OVERWHELMED WITH THE 40:51 GREAT AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU MUST DO IN YOUR LIFETIME. 40:54 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE LOOKED AT CHRIST, YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF, 40:57 AND YOU GET OVERWHELMED? YOU LOOK AT HIS CHARACTER AND 41:00 YOU LOOK AT YOURS AND YOU GET OVERWHELMED. 41:02 SHE SAYS, 'DON'T GET OVERWHELMED.' YOU KNOW, PAUL, AT 41:05 ONE POINT, HE SAYS, 'I DO NOT COUNT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED 41:07 OR TO HAVE OBTAINED.' AND THEN LATER PAUL SAYS, 'I'VE FOUGHT 41:10 THE GOOD FIGHT; I'VE FINISHED MY COURSE.' SO EVEN IN THE WRITINGS 41:13 OF PAUL YOU SEE THAT HE, AT TIMES, SAID, 'I'VE GOT A WAYS TO 41:17 GO'. BUT YOU ALSO SEE A VICTORY AT THE END. "FOR YOU'RE NOT 41:22 REQUIRED TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE." - DID YOU CATCH THAT? 41:26 DON'T EXPECT TO GET TO THE TOP RUNG OF THE LADDER IN CHRISTIAN 41:29 SANCTIFICATION ALL AT ONCE. YOU ALL WITH ME? 41:31 THIS IS GOOD STUFF. I'M EXCITED. BECAUSE SOMETIMES 41:36 I GET DISCOURAGED. I THINK, 'OH, YOU'RE NEVER - 41:39 YOU'RE MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES YOU MADE 20 YEARS AGO - IT SAYS, 41:43 "LET EVERY POWER OF YOUR BEING GO INTO EACH DAY'S WORK. 41:47 IMPROVE EACH PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY. 41:49 APPRECIATE THE HELPS THAT GOD GIVES YOU AND MAKE ADVANCEMENT." 41:53 - THOSE HELPS ARE THE EXCEEDING PRECIOUS PROMISES OF GOD - "AND 41:55 MAKE ADVANCEMENT UP THE LADDER OF PROGRESS STEP BY STEP. 42:00 REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE TO LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME - THAT GOD HAS 42:03 GIVEN YOU ONE DAY AND HEAVEN'S RECORDS WILL SHOW HOW YOU HAVE 42:09 VALUED ITS PRIVILEGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. 42:11 MAY YOU SO IMPROVE EVERY DAY GIVEN YOU OF GOD THAT YOU MAY, 42:16 AT LAST, HEAR THE MASTER SAY, 'WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL 42:19 SERVANT." I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. SO, THE LORD HAS 42:23 THESE LISTS OF GROWTH IN THE BIBLE. I LIKE - YOU KNOW, I LIKE 42:26 THE SIMPLE ONES LIKE MICAH, 'HE'S SHOW THEE O MAN WHAT IS 42:29 GOOD AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE BUT TO DO 42:33 JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.' DO THOSE THINGS. 42:40 THERE'S ANOTHER GOOD LIST YOU'LL FIND IN PSALMS 15, WHERE IT 42:45 TALKS ABOUT WHO WILL DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 42:48 AND SO, PETER, HE GIVES US THIS LIST OF BROTHERLY KINDNESS AND 42:52 THEN HE GOES ON TO SAY - GOING BACK TO - I LOST MY PLACE IN 42:56 PETER WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR YOUR PROMISES. 42:58 IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT. GOING BACK TO 2 PETER AND WE'RE 43:05 READING THROUGH THESE - THE FIRST FEW VERSES HERE - "AND TO 43:10 GODLINESS BROTHERLY KINDNESS; AND TO BROTHERLY KINDNESS LOVE. 43:13 FOR IF THESE THINGS ARE YOURS AND ABOUND, YOU WILL BE NEITHER 43:18 BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL" - NOW DID PETER EVER TALK TO JESUS - OR 43:22 DID JESUS EVER TALK TO PETER ABOUT BEING FRUITFUL? 43:26 JESUS, DELIBERATELY CURSED ONE THING. 43:30 WHAT WAS IT? IT WAS A FIG TREE. WHY DID HE CURSE A FIG TREE? 43:34 BECAUSE HE WAS HUNGRY AND THERE WAS NO FRUIT ON IT AND HE HAD 43:37 LOW BLOOD SUGAR AND SO HE LOST HIS TEMPER BECAUSE HE WAS 43:40 IRRITABLE. IS THAT WHY HE CURSED THE FIG TREE? 43:44 OR DID THE FIG TREE - IT HAD A PRETENSE OF HAVING FRUIT - YOU 43:47 SEE, USUALLY, FIGS ARE UNLIKE SOME TREES, WHEN THE LEAVES ARE 43:49 IN FULL BLOOM THE FRUIT IS APPEARING AT THE SAME TIME. 43:52 AND THIS FIG TREE HAD THE PRETENSE OF FRUIT, BUT THERE WAS 43:56 NO FRUIT. AND SO HE CURSED IT. IT'S LIKE THE NATION OF ISRAEL 43:59 HAD THE ROUNDS OF RELIGION AND THE SACRIFICES AND THE 44:02 CEREMONIES BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. 44:06 AND YOU WONDER HOW MANY CHURCHES ARE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT HAVE 44:08 ALL OF THE TRAPPINGS OF RELIGION, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE 44:11 THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. SO PETER SAID, 'IF YOU CONTINUE 44:16 TO EVALUATE YOUR LIFE BY THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST AND GROW IN 44:20 THE GRACE OF THESE STEPS, YOU WILL BE FRUITFUL.' AND NOT 44:25 BEING FRUITFUL IS FATAL. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT ANY 44:31 BRANCH IN ME THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT IS GOING TO BE 44:32 PRUNED OFF AND BURNED. ISN'T THAT WHAT IT SAYS? 44:36 HE WANTS US TO HAVE THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES. 44:38 OKAY, SO WE TALKED ABOUT CLIMBING PETER'S LADDER. 44:41 ALRIGHT, BE WHO YOU ARE - YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON 44:45 CRIMES IN THE WORLD TODAY IS CALLED 'IDENTITY THEFT'. 44:49 AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH YOUR IDENTITY. 44:53 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE A FEW PASSWORDS IN YOUR LIFE? 44:58 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE PASSWORDS? 45:01 HOW MANY OF YOU FORGET YOUR PASSWORDS SO YOU'VE GOT THEM ALL 45:03 WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HIDDEN 45:06 THAT LIST OF PASSWORDS? AND YOU HAVE A PASSWORD TO GET 45:10 INTO YOUR LIST OF PASSWORDS? (LAUGHTER) COME ON 45:13 - ISN'T THAT RIGHT? BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD 45:16 STEAL OUR IDENTITY. (LAUGHS) YEAH, I'VE - I'VE 45:24 FORGOTTEN PASSWORDS BEFORE AND I DIDN'T HAVE MY LIST AND I 45:28 WAS TRYING TO LIKE LOG INTO SOMETHING - LIKE ON UNITED 45:31 AIRLINES, I'M TRYING TO FIND THIS PASSWORD SO I CAN GET 45:33 ONLINE AND I JUST START GOING THROUGH ALL OF MY PASSWORDS 45:36 WHERE ALL THESE BIBLE NAMES AND NUMBERS - 'NO, NOT THAT ONE!' 45:41 - ALL THESE VERSES AND THINGS - 'NO, NOT THAT ONE. 45:43 NO' - AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER - BUT SOME OF THEM I 45:47 CAPITALIZED THIS AND I DIDN'T CAP - NOW I'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH 45:50 THE WHOLE LIST AGAIN AND SAY, 'OH, I FORGOT TO CAPITALIZE.' 45:54 AND YOU KNOW WHY WE DO ALL THAT? BECAUSE SOMEONE'S GOING TO STEAL 45:57 ALL OUR INFORMATION, TAKE OUR IDENTITY, PRETEND TO BE US, 46:00 AND SPEND ALL OUR MONEY. THE DEVIL IS IN THE 46:05 BUSINESS OF IDENTITY THEFT. HE TRIES TO TAKE OUR IDENTITY 46:09 AND HE TRIES TO DISTORT GOD'S IDENTITY ABOUT WHO HE IS. 46:14 PETER GOES ON TO SAY - WE'RE GOING TO READ 2 PETER 1:8-11 46:17 HERE, "FOR IF THESE THINGS ARE YOURS AND ABOUND, YOU WILL BE 46:22 NEITHER BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS 46:24 CHRIST. FOR HE WHO LACKS THESE THINGS IS 46:26 SHORTSIGHTED, EVEN TO BLINDNESS, AND HAS FORGOTTEN THAT HE WAS 46:31 CLEANSED FROM HIS OLD SINS. THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BE EVEN 46:36 MORE DILIGENT TO MAKE YOUR CALL AND ELECTION SURE," - WE'VE GOT 46:40 TO JUST PAUSES ON THAT FOR A SECOND. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE 46:42 HEARD OF CHRISTIANS THAT BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION? 46:45 ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED - AND THEY TALK ABOUT ELECTION AND 46:47 THEY SAY GOD HAS ELECTED SOME TO BE SAVED AND, IF THEY'RE ELECTED 46:50 TO BE SAVED, THEY'RE SAVED, AND IF THEY'RE NOT, TOO BAD, YOU'RE 46:53 LOST AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE PUNISHED AND GO TO HELL AND BURN 46:55 FOREVER AND GOD CHOSE AHEAD OF TIME THAT YOU WOULD BE LOST. 46:59 ALMOST MAKES THE LORD AN ACCOMPLICE IN OUR SIN, IF HE'S 47:03 CHOOSING THAT. HERE, PAUL IS SAYING THAT YOU 47:06 COULD BE ELECT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE TO PRESERVE YOUR 47:10 SALVATION - MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE, BECAUSE IT IS 47:14 POSSIBLE FOR SOME TO STUMBLE AND TO BE SHORT-SIDED TO BLINDNESS 47:20 AND TO FORGET AND TO BE UNFRUITFUL. 47:23 AND SO HE'S WARNING THOSE WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO GOD'S CALL, TO 47:28 MAKE IT SURE THAT YOU DO NOT STUMBLE SO THAT - NOTICE - "SO 47:33 AN ENTRANCE WILL BE SUPPLIED TO YOU ABUNDANTLY INTO THE 47:37 EVERLASTING KINGDOM" - IF YOU DO NOT MAKE YOUR CALLING AND 47:40 ELECTION SURE, YOU WILL NOT HAVE THAT ABUNDANT ENTRANCE INTO HIS 47:44 KINGDOM. IS THAT DISTORTING WHAT HE'S 47:46 SAYING OR ISN'T THAT WHAT HE'S SAYING? 47:48 HE'S BEING PRETTY CLEAR, I THINK, THAT YOU'VE GOT TO BE 47:52 CAREFUL. YOU COULD FORGET. 47:54 IN YOUR LESSON, THERE'S A QUOTE FROM THE BOOK FAITH AND WORKS , 47:58 PAGE 50, AND HERE, E.G. WHITE SAYS, "WE HEAR A GREAT DEAL 48:04 ABOUT FAITH, BUT WE NEED TO HEAR A GREAT DEAL MORE ABOUT WORKS. 48:09 MANY ARE DECEIVING THEIR OWN SOULS BY LIVING AN EASYGOING, 48:12 ACCOMMODATING, CROSSLESS RELIGION." 48:16 IF YOU HAVE FAITH YOU WILL TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND DENY YOURSELF. 48:19 AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT FAITH AND THERE'S NO CROSS 48:21 - THERE'S NO SELF-DENIAL - AND THE BIBLE SAYS WE ARE SAVED BY 48:25 GRACE THROUGH FAITH, BUT YOU READ IN THE NEXT FEW VERSES, YOU 48:28 KNOW WHAT IT SAYS? WE ARE SAVED FOR GOOD WORKS. 48:32 IF YOU HAVE THAT FAITH THERE WILL BE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR 48:36 WORKS. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 48:39 ROMANS 6:11, "LIKEWISE YOU ALSO RECKON YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD 48:44 INDEED TO SIN, BUT ALIVE TO GOD..." 48:47 - IT'S THROUGH FAITH THAT WE DO THIS - "...ALIVE TO GOD IN 48:50 CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD." NOW PETER TALKS ABOUT SHEDDING 48:55 THE TENT, AND I'M GOING TO READ TO YOU 2 PETER 1:12 - PETER GOES 49:01 ON TO SAY, "FOR THIS REASON I WILL NOT BE NEGLIGENT TO REMIND 49:04 YOU ALWAYS OF THESE THINGS," - WHY DO WE NEED TO BE REMINDED? 49:10 IS THERE A COMMANDMENT THAT TALKS ABOUT REMINDING? 49:13 >>REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY. >>WHAT DOES THE FOURTH 49:16 COMMANDMENT SAY? WHY DOES GOD SAY 49:18 'REMEMBER THE SABBATH'? WOULD YOU SAY 'REMEMBER' TO 49:22 SOMEBODY UNLESS THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THEY'D FORGET? 49:25 WHY DOES PETER SAY, 'I WANT TO PUT YOU IN REMEMBRANCE OF THESE 49:28 THINGS ALWAYS'? BECAUSE WE QUICKLY FORGET. 49:32 WHY DO YOU NEED TO HAVE DAILY DEVOTIONS? 49:34 YOU READ THE BIBLE ONCE, YOU'RE DONE - YOU GOT IT. 49:35 I'VE MET PEOPLE BEFORE THAT SAID, 'OH YEAH, I READ THE 49:37 BIBLE.' 'HOW LONG AGO?' 'THIRTY YEARS AGO.' 'CAN YOU 49:41 REPEAT ANY OF IT TO ME?' 'UH, JOHN 3:16.' YOU'VE GOT TO 49:47 CONTINUE TO READ IT BECAUSE WE FORGET. 49:50 IT'S LIKE THE HYMN SAYS, WE ARE PRONE TO WANDER. 49:53 AND PETER REALIZED THAT WE NEED TO BE REMINDED. 49:56 AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME NOW, ROMANS 15:15 - YOU HAVE 49:59 A BIBLE HERE? GET READY - I'LL GIVE YOU A 50:01 MINUTE TO FIND IT - ROMANS 15:15. 50:04 I'M GOING TO READ JUDE 5 - THERE ARE NO CHAPTERS IN JUDE - JUDE'S 50:09 ONE CHAPTER - "BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU, THOUGH YOU ONCE KNEW 50:12 THIS," - LOOK AT WHAT THE ANGELS SAID TO THE DISCIPLES WHEN THEY 50:15 COME TO THE TOMB - LUKE 24:6, "HE IS NOT HERE, BUT IS RISEN! 50:20 REMEMBER HOW HE SPOKE TO YOU WHEN HE WAS STILL IN GALILEE, 50:24 SAYING, 'THE SON OF MAN MUST BE DELIVERED INTO THE HANDS OF 50:26 SINFUL MEN, AND BE CRUCIFIED, AND THE THIRD DAY RISE AGAIN.' 50:30 AND THEY REMEMBERED HIS WORDS." DID THEY GET IN TROUBLE BECAUSE 50:34 THEY FORGOT WHAT JESUS SAID? THEY WERE SO DISCOURAGED BECAUSE 50:37 HE SAID, 'I TOLD YOU, AND YOU FORGOT.' SO WE NEED 50:40 TO BE REMINDED. YOU GOT THAT, RON? 50:43 >>"NEVERTHELESS, BRETHREN, I HAVE WRITTEN MORE BOLDLY TO YOU 50:46 ON SOME POINTS, AS REMINDING YOU, BECAUSE OF THE GRACE GIVEN 50:50 TO ME BY GOD." >>YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THIS IS 50:52 A COMMON THEME ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE WRITERS. 50:55 THEY'RE SAYING, 'I'M REMINDING YOU'. 50:57 2 PETER 1:12 HE SAYS, 'I WANT TO REMIND YOU.' 1 PETER HE SAYS, 'I 51:03 WANT TO REMIND YOU' BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT THEY WOULD FORGET 51:06 THESE THINGS. AND THEN HE'S GOING ON AND HE 51:09 SAYS, 'I WANT TO TELL YOU THESE THINGS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S 51:14 RIGHT, AS LONG AS I AM IN THIS TENT,' - WHAT DOES PETER 51:19 MEAN BY 'IN THIS TENT'? >>HIS BODY. 51:22 >>THE WORD 'TENT' THERE IS 'TABERNACLE'. 51:24 YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - THIS IS FAMILIAR 51:26 BIBLE METAPHORS. PETER SAID, 'THIS 51:29 TENT, IT'S TEMPORARY. I'M DWELLING IN THIS TENT OF 51:33 CLAY RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PUT IT OFF. 51:35 I'M NOT GOING TO BE IN MY BODY ANYMORE'. 51:37 "YES, I THINK IT IS RIGHT, AS LONG AS I AM IN THIS TENT, TO 51:40 STIR YOU UP BY REMINDING YOU, KNOW THAT SHORTLY I MUST PUT OFF 51:44 MY TENT, JUST AS OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST SHOWED ME." 51:49 WHERE DID JESUS SHOW HIM THAT? LOOK IN JOHN 21:18, "MOST 51:56 ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER," - JESUS TOLD 51:59 PETER - "'YOU GIRDED YOURSELF AND WALKED WHERE YOU WISHED; 52:03 BUT WHEN YOU ARE OLD, YOU WILL STRETCH OUT YOUR HANDS, AND 52:06 ANOTHER WILL GIRD YOU AND CARRY YOU WHERE YOU DO NOT WISH.' THIS 52:10 HE SPOKE, SIGNIFYING BY WHAT DEATH HE WOULD GLORIFY GOD. 52:15 AND WHEN HE HAD SPOKEN THIS, HE SAID TO HIM, 'FOLLOW ME.'" 52:17 HOW WAS PETER GOING TO GLORIFY GOD? 52:20 HE WOULD BE CRUCIFIED AS JESUS WAS. 52:23 HE SHARED IN CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS AND TRADITION TELLS US THAT 52:27 PETER, WHEN HE WAS CRUCIFIED, HE DIDN'T FEEL WORTHY TO DIE LIKE 52:30 JESUS AND SO HE SAID, 'PLEASE CRUCIFY ME WITH MY HEAD DOWN, 52:34 BECAUSE I DENIED THE LORD.' AND THEY DID. 52:36 THEY ACTUALLY SPED UP HIS DEMISE SO IT TURNED OUT BEING MERCIFUL. 52:41 BUT NOT ONLY THERE DID JESUS TELL PETER HOW HE WOULD DIE, 52:44 LOOK IN JOHN 13:36, "SIMON PETER SAID TO HIM, 'LORD, WHERE ARE 52:51 YOU GOING?' JESUS ANSWERED HIM, 'WHERE I 52:55 AM GOING YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME NOW,'" - BUT HE LOOKS AT PETER 52:58 AND HE SAYS, "BUT YOU SHALL FOLLOW ME AFTERWARD." 53:02 YOU NOTICE THAT JESUS SAID, 'WHEN YOU'RE OLD YOU'LL STRETCH 53:05 OUT YOUR HANDS' AND THEN HE SAYS TO PETER, 'FOLLOW ME'. 53:09 SO DOESN'T JESUS TELL US ALL TO DO THE SAME THING? 53:11 'WHOEVER WOULD FOLLOW ME, LET HIM TAKE UP HIS CROSS.' AND SO, 53:16 IT WASN'T JUST PETER, BUT FOLLOWING JESUS INVOLVES US, 53:20 LIKE PETER, SAYING WE'RE GOING TO DENY OURSELVES. 53:23 AND HE KNEW THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE SOON. 53:24 HE WAS CRUCIFIED BY NERO DURING THE SAME PERSECUTION THAT 53:29 ULTIMATELY KILLED PAUL. PAUL WAS BEHEADED BECAUSE 53:31 HE WAS A ROMAN CITIZEN. PETER WAS NOT, SO 53:34 HE WAS CRUCIFIED. AND YOU CAN READ WHERE PAUL SAYS 53:38 - 1 CORINTHIANS 15:52 - PAUL KNEW HIS DAY WAS COMING TOO. 53:42 HE SAYS, 'I KNOW THAT THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE IS AT HAND - YOU 53:45 CAN READ IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15:52, "IN A MOMENT, IN THE TWINKLING 53:49 OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMPET. FOR THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND, 53:52 AND THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE, AND 53:55 WE SHALL BE CHANGED. FOR THIS CORRUPTIBLE" - THESE 53:57 TENTS THAT WE'VE GOT WILL PUT ON THE GLORIOUS BODY - 54:00 "...INCORRUPTION, AND THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY." 54:04 AND SO PETER SAID, 'AS LONG AS I'M IN MY BODY - I'VE GOT A 54:07 LITTLE WHILE LEFT TO TRY TO STIR YOU UP AND REMIND YOU.' IT'S 54:11 LIKE PARENTS GIVING THEIR LAST WORDS TO THEIR CHILDREN TO 54:14 REMIND THEM OF WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE AND THAT'S WHAT 54:17 PETER IS DOING IN THIS BOOK. WELL, WE PRETTY MUCH COVERED UP 54:19 THROUGH VERSE 15 AND THAT'S OUR ASSIGNMENT FOR TODAY. 54:22 WE'RE OUT OF TIME. WE LOOK FORWARD TO STUDYING 54:25 GOD'S WORD WITH OUR CLASS TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT SABBATH. 54:29 (MUSIC) >>CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? 54:41 CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? 54:45 ACTUALLY, I KNOW THEY CAN'T HEAR ME BECAUSE THERE'S NO CELL PHONE 54:47 RECEPTION HERE. WE'RE, RIGHT NOW, STANDING IN 54:50 WHAT IS KNOWN AS 'A QUIET ZONE' AND THERE'S A VERY 54:53 GOOD REASON FOR THAT. HIDDEN, NESTLED AMONG THE JUNGLE 54:57 MOUNTAINS OF PUERTO RICO, IS A GIANT SENTINEL, AN ALUMINUM 55:00 EAR 1,000 FEET ACROSS. LOCATED TEN MILES SOUTH OF THE 55:05 COASTAL CITY OF ARECIBO, THIS ENORMOUS SPACE-AGE PARABOLIC 55:09 DISH IS AIMED AT THE SKY, LISTENING. 55:12 BUILT IN 1963 BY CORNELL UNIVERSITY, THE ARECIBO 55:16 OBSERVATORY DISH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CURVED FOCUSING ANTENNAE 55:20 ON EARTH. THE DISH SURFACE IS MADE OF 55:23 NEARLY 40,000 PERFORATED ALUMINUM PANELS, EACH MEASURING 55:27 ABOUT 3-FEET BY 6-FEET AND SUPPORTED BY A MESH 55:30 OF STEEL CABLES. THE VAST ANTENNAE SURFACE COVERS 55:32 18 ACRES, OR ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS 26 FOOTBALL FIELDS. 55:37 WHEN THE HUGE TELESCOPE SWITCHES TO RADAR MODE, IT BEAMS OUT A 55:41 POWERFUL SIGNAL OF 1 MILLION WATTS, TOWARDS THE PLANETS, 55:44 MOONS, ASTEROIDS, AND COMETS. THE FAINT ECHO OF THE SIGNAL 55:48 BOUNCING OFF ITS ASTRONOMICAL TARGETS IS COLLECTED BY THE 55:51 HUGE DISH AND THEN AMPLIFIED, ALLOWING SCIENTISTS TO CREATE 55:55 SCANNER-LIKE IMAGES AND MAPS OF THE OBJECT. 55:58 BUT ANOTHER PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR THE ARECIBO OBSERVATORY IS SETI. 56:02 SETI'S AN ACRONYM FOR SEARCH FOR EXTRA TERRESTRIAL 56:05 INTELLIGENCE - THEY'RE LISTENING FOR MESSAGES FROM ABOVE. 56:09 FOR OVER 50 YEARS, RADIO ASTRONOMERS HAVE USED THE 56:13 WORLD'S LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE TO STUDY THE RADIO SIGNALS 56:16 EMANATING FROM THE COSMOS. WHILE LISTENING TO THE STRANGE 56:19 SONGS BURIED IN THE HEART OF THE DISTANT STARS AND QUASARS, 56:23 THEY'RE ALSO LISTENING AND ANALYZING EVERY SIGNAL FOR 56:27 SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE. IT'S REALLY ASTONISHING, WHEN 56:30 YOU THINK ABOUT IT, FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS NOW THE ARECIBO 56:33 OBSERVATORY HAS BEEN SCANNING THE HEAVENS, SPENDING MILLIONS 56:37 OF DOLLARS, WONDERING IF THERE'S INTELLIGENT LIFE OUT THERE. 56:41 YET, IN MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY OF LISTENING, SETI HAS NOT 56:44 IDENTIFIED A SINGLE RADIO SIGNAL THAT SEEMS TO COME FROM EXTRA 56:48 TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE. PERHAPS THEY'RE MISSING THE 56:51 FOREST BECAUSE THE TREES ARE IN THE WAY. 56:53 SOME MESSAGES HAVE ACTUALLY ALREADY COME FROM SPACE. 56:56 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US, IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS, 'FAITH COMES 56:59 BY HEARING AND HEARING COMES BY THE WORD OF GOD.' IT SEEMS, 57:03 OFTEN WHEN GOD WANTS TO TALK TO US, HE HAS TO TAKE US WHERE WE 57:06 CAN ACTUALLY HEAR HIS VOICE. WHEN GOD WANTED TO SPEAK TO 57:09 ELIJAH, HE ENDED UP DOWN IN THE DESERTS OF MOUNT SINAI. 57:12 THERE WAS A FIRE, AND EARTHQUAKE, AND A WIND, BUT GOD 57:16 WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE OR THE FIRE OR THE WIND, BUT GOD SPOKE 57:19 THROUGH A STILL SMALL VOICE. JESUS WANTS TO TALK TO YOU. 57:23 HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE, BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE A QUIET PLACE 57:26 WHERE YOU CAN HEAR HIM. (PHONE RINGING) 57:31 OH, IT'S FOR YOU. (MUSIC) 57:38 >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING 57:41 YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS 57:45 CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 57:49 TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS 57:53 LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK 57:57 TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE 58:00 QUESTIONS. FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR AREA, OR TO 58:03 LISTEN TO ANSWERS ONLINE, VISIT BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 58:10 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-05-22