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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021723A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH. 00:37 WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU, WHETHER YOU'RE JOINING US ONLINE OR 00:40 THROUGH THE VARIOUS TELEVISION NETWORKS, TO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL 00:43 STUDY HOUR THIS MORNING IN THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:46 ADVENTIST CHURCH. IF YOU'RE JOINING US FOR THE 00:50 VERY FIRST TIME, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE THE QUARTERLY, WE'D LIKE 00:54 TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO WWW.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG - 00:57 THERE YOU CAN CLICK ON SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR AND YOU'LL 01:00 NOTICE A LITTLE LINK ENTITLED QUARTERLY . 01:03 JUST CLICK ON THAT LINK AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE LESSON AND JOIN 01:06 RIGHT IN THIS MORNING AS WE STUDY GOD'S WORD. 01:09 NOW OUR FREE OFFER THIS MORNING IS FACE TO FACE WITH THE REAL 01:14 GOSPEL - IT'S OFFER #789 - FACE TO FACE WITH THE REAL GOSPEL - 01:20 AND TO GET THIS, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CALL 1-866-788-3966 AND 01:26 JUST ASK FOR OFFER #789 - FACE TO FACE WITH THE REAL GOSPEL . 01:31 NOW, AS WE LIKE TO DO ALWAYS, BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR LESSON 01:34 STUDY, WE LOVE TO SING PRAISES TO OUR GOD. 01:37 AND SO, I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS OUT THIS MORNING AS 01:41 THEY LEAD US IN PRAISE TO OUR CREATOR. 01:48 (PIANO MUSIC) >>THANK YOU, MARSHALL. 01:50 WE LOVE TO SING TOGETHER, SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AT HOME, 01:53 PULL OUT YOUR HYMNALS - AND THOSE HERE. 01:55 WE ARE GOING TO SING ABOUT GOD'S BLESSINGS THIS MORNING. 01:58 YOU KNOW, THIS WORLD IS FALLING APART, BUT EVERY DAY WE 02:01 EXPERIENCE BLESSINGS FROM GOD JUST BY BREATHING AND BEING ABLE 02:05 TO WITNESS FOR HIM. SENT FORTH BY GOD'S BLESSINGS - 02:08 THAT'S US, EVERY DAY - HYMN #407 - WE'RE GOING TO SING BOTH 02:13 VERSES. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:19 >>AT THIS TIME, MARSHALL WILL LEAD US IN PRAYER. 04:22 >>LET'S PRAY TOGETHER BEFORE WE DIVE INTO OUR LESSON THIS 04:25 MORNING. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU 04:27 SO MUCH FOR YOUR MANY BLESSINGS. WE THANK YOU FOR THE SABBATH 04:30 THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO US AND THIS OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO 04:32 STUDY, LORD, YOUR WORD TOGETHER, AS WE AGAIN GO INTO THE 2 BOOK 04:39 OF PETER. JUST PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE WITH DR. DAVID DEROSE 04:43 THIS MORNING - BLESS HIM AS HE SHARES WITH US AND AS WE STUDY 04:47 YOUR WORD. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. OUR LESSON THIS 04:51 MORNING IS BROUGHT TO US BY DR. DAVID DEROSE. 04:59 >>THANK YOU, MARSHALL. AND THANK YOU, FOR BEING HERE TO 05:03 JOURNEY WITH US THROUGH THE BOOK OF 2 PETER. 05:07 WE'VE BEEN STUDYING 1 AND 2 PETER TOGETHER AND AS WE'RE 05:10 EMBARKING ON LESSON 11, THE AUTHOR OF THE LESSON TALKED 05:17 ABOUT THE CONTEXT IN WHICH PETER WAS WRITING. 05:20 AND, AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE SETTING - IT'S AN INTERESTING 05:24 ONE - PETER, ONE OF THE DOMINANT FIGURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, 05:28 BUT REALLY THERE IS RELATIVELY LITTLE THAT WE HAVE, FROM 05:32 PETER'S HAND, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - JUST THESE TWO 05:35 RELATIVELY SHORT BOOKS. WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE IF YOU HAD 05:42 AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SHARE WHAT WAS ON YOUR HEARTS - TO 05:47 GOD'S PEOPLE - FOR CENTURIES TO COME? YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING 05:52 ABOUT THAT AND MY MIND WENT BACK TO SOME YEARS AGO. 05:56 MY WIFE AND I WERE ON A TRIP IN EUROPE AND WE WENT TO VISIT THAT 06:01 GREAT MUSEUM IN GERMANY - IN BERLIN THERE'S A MUSEUM CALLED 06:06 THE PERGAMON MUSEUM - AND NOT ONLY IS THERE THE ALTAR FROM 06:10 PERGAMON THAT IS MENTIONED IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, NOT ONLY 06:15 DO YOU FIND THE WALL RELIEFS, THE BRICKS FROM BABYLON, THE 06:20 ISHTAR GATE (HAVING BEEN RECREATED THERE IN BERLIN), BUT 06:25 THERE IS ALSO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE CITY OF 06:30 MILETUS. AND MY MIND WAS DRAWN TO THAT 06:33 SETTING AS I THOUGHT ABOUT PETER'S MINISTRY IN 1 AND 06:36 2 PETER, BECAUSE THERE'S A PARALLEL MINISTRY THAT IS 06:40 CONDENSED IN CHAPTER 20 OF THE BOOK OF ACTS. 06:43 I INVITE YOU TO TURN THERE. I THINK IT'S A FITTING 06:46 INTRODUCTION TO WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH 2 PETER AND HOW WE 06:49 PULL IN THE CONTEXT THAT PETER HAS BEEN SHARING WITH US 06:54 THROUGHOUT HIS LETTERS. IT'S ACTUALLY, IN ACTS 20, 06:58 ANOTHER RAPID-FIRE PRESENTATION. THIS TIME, IT'S A PRESENTATION - 07:05 AN ORAL PRESENTATION - GIVEN BY THE APOSTLE PAUL. 07:08 PAUL IS HASTENING BACK TO JERUSALEM. 07:12 THERE IS NOT TIME FOR HIM TO VENTURE TO THE CITY OF EPHESUS 07:16 WHERE HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME EARLIER IN HIS MINISTRY. 07:19 AND SO, THE WORD GOES OUT FROM THE LITTLE TOWN OF MILETUS, THAT 07:23 PAUL WANTS TO SPEAK WITH THE CHURCH LEADERS FROM EPHESUS. 07:27 NOW THIS MAY NOT SOUND LIKE AN UNUSUAL REQUEST, BUT EPHESUS WAS 07:32 SOME 35 MILES FROM MILETUS, WHERE PAUL IS BRIEFLY TARRYING. 07:37 HOW LONG DID IT TAKE, IN ANTIQUITY, TO TRAVEL 35 MILES? 07:43 WE'RE TALKING AT LEAST A GOOD DAY'S JOURNEY, RIGHT? 07:46 35 MILES? TRAVELING THAT ON FOOT? 07:49 SO, PAUL SENDS OUT THIS MESSAGE - I'M IN ACTS CHAPTER 20 IN 07:53 VERSE 17. IT SAYS, "FROM MILETUS HE" - PAUL - "SENT TO EPHESUS 07:59 AND CALLED FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH." 08:03 - AND SO, WHAT HAPPENS? THEY ACTUALLY COME. 08:08 I MEAN, WOULD YOU TRAVEL THAT FAR OUT OF YOUR WAY TO SEE A 08:10 BELOVED PASTOR? WE WON'T USE ANY PERSONAL 08:13 EXAMPLES HERE - A - ONE DAY'S TRAVEL - TO HEAR A FEW WORDS 08:18 FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL - BUT THEY WERE SO ENDEARED TO HIM. 08:21 AND, AS PAUL BEGINS TO SHARE IN THIS - JUST VERY SHORT ORDER, HE 08:25 TOUCHES ON THE VERY SAME THEMES THAT WE FIND IN 1 AND 2 PETER. 08:29 THEY'RE THEMES OF URGENCY. WHAT DOES PETER SPEAK 08:33 ABOUT IN HIS LETTERS? IT'S THE SAME THINGS 08:35 WE FIND IN ACTS 20. LOOK WHAT PAUL SAYS - I'M GOING 08:38 TO JUST BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THESE THINGS. 08:41 FIRST, IN VERSES 18 THROUGH 21, HE SPEAKS ABOUT HOW HE PREACHED 08:45 THE GOSPEL. HE TESTIFIED ABOUT HOW WE NEED 08:48 TO REPENT - HOW WE NEED TO COME TO JESUS. 08:50 AND THEN, IN VERSE 22, HE SAYS, "AND SEE, NOW I GO BOUND IN THE 08:54 SPIRIT TO JERUSALEM, NOT KNOWING THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN TO 08:58 ME THERE, EXCEPT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT TESTIFIES IN EVERY CITY, 09:03 SAYING THAT CHAINS AND TRIBULATIONS AWAIT ME." 09:07 SO LET'S JUST PAUSE RIGHT THERE. AS WE STUDIED THROUGH 1 PETER, 09:11 DID WE READ A LOT ABOUT TRIBULATION? 09:14 ABOUT PERSISTENCE IN SUFFERING? THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT PAUL IS 09:18 SHARING ABOUT HIS MINISTRY. HE SEES, THROUGH THE HOLY 09:21 SPIRIT, THAT PERSECUTION IS COMING. 09:24 AND A LOT OF 1 PETER WAS DEVOTED TO THAT THEME. 09:27 BUT NOT ONLY ARE THERE DANGERS FROM WITHOUT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO 09:32 DANGERS FROM WHERE? >>WITHIN. 09:35 >>FROM WITHIN. SO NOT ONLY ARE THE ENEMIES OF 09:38 THE CHURCH ATTACKING THE CHURCH, BUT THERE ARE ENEMIES 09:40 INSIDE THE CHURCH. AND SO, AS PAUL IN ACTS 20, GOES 09:47 THROUGH WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS REVEALED TO HIM, WE SEE THE VERY 09:51 SAME THEMES THAT PETER TOUCHES ON. 09:53 LOOK WITH ME AT ACTS 20 NOW, GOING TO VERSE 27, "FOR I HAVE 09:59 NOT SHUNNED TO DECLARE TO YOU THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD. 10:05 THEREFORE TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES AND TO ALL THE FLOCK, 10:07 AMONG WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS MADE YOU OVERSEERS, TO SHEPHERD 10:12 THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. 10:16 FOR I KNOW THIS, THAT AFTER MY DEPARTURE SAVAGE WOLVES WILL 10:20 COME IN AMONG YOU, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK. 10:23 ALSO FROM AMONG YOURSELVES MEN WILL RISE UP, SPEAKING PERVERSE 10:27 THINGS, TO DRAW AWAY THE DISCIPLES AFTER THEMSELVES. 10:33 THEREFORE WATCH, AND REMEMBER THAT FOR THREE YEARS I DID NOT 10:36 CEASE TO WARN EVERYONE NIGHT AND DAY WITH TEARS." 10:41 SO HERE WE HAVE A GLIMPSE OF ANOTHER APOSTLE. 10:44 THIS TIME THE APOSTLE PAUL, IN ACTS 20, DOING THE VERY SAME 10:47 THING WE'VE BEEN STUDYING ABOUT IN PETER'S LETTERS - VERY SHORT, 10:52 IMPASSIONED PRESENTATIONS WHERE AN APOSTLE IS SAYING, 'I HAVE A 10:57 SPECIAL BURDEN FOR AT LEAST THREE THINGS: ONE IS TO ANCHOR 11:02 YOU IN THE GOSPEL, BUT THE SECOND IS TO PREPARE YOU FOR 11:06 TRIBULATION FROM WITHOUT - ENEMIES WITHOUT THE CHURCH THAT 11:11 ARE GOING TO BE PERSECUTING YOU - ATTACKING YOU. BUT THEN, 11:14 THIRD, DANGERS FROM WITHIN THE CHURCH. WITH THAT BACKGROUND, 11:19 NOW LET'S LOOK CAREFULLY AT 2 PETER CHAPTER 2, BECAUSE THE 11:24 FOCUS IN 2 PETER 2 IS ON THESE THREATS FROM WITHIN THE CHURCH. 11:29 AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO REMIND MYSELF OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN. 11:33 THIS IS, AGAIN, A VERY SOBERING CHAPTER. 11:36 IN FACT, IF YOU WERE TO WALK INTO A CHURCH AND THEY WERE 11:40 PREACHING ON 2 PETER 2 - BY THE WAY, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING 11:43 RIGHT HERE - (LAUGHTER) - IF YOU WERE TO WALK IN AND YOU HEARD 11:48 SOMEONE PREACHING ON THIS, YOU WOULD SAY, 'WELL, THIS IS SO 11:50 DISCOURAGING. I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS. 11:53 I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE LOVING MINISTRY OF JESUS. 11:56 I DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT ALL THESE BAD THINGS THAT ARE GOING 11:58 TO HAPPEN.' WHY WAS PETER - WHY WAS PAUL, 12:05 UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, SO BURDENED 12:07 TO SHARE THESE SOMBER MESSAGES? WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT? 12:13 WHY DON'T THEY JUST SPEAK ABOUT THE LOVE OF JESUS? 12:15 WHY DON'T THEY JUST SPEAK ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL? 12:19 IT - >>THEY WANT US TO BE READY. 12:20 >>THAT'S RIGHT, THEY WANT US TO BE READY. 12:21 THEY WANT US TO BE PREPARED BECAUSE DIFFICULT TIMES ARE 12:24 COMING, IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY KNOCKING ON YOUR DOORS. 12:27 AND GOD IS SAYING, IN A WAY, THROUGH THESE MESSAGES, HE 12:30 UNDERSTANDS OUR HEARTS. HE KNOWS WHAT DIFFICULTIES WE 12:34 FACE IN LIFE AND HE TRIES TO PREPARE US IN HIS WORD. 12:37 BY THE WAY, THERE IS A MAJOR DIAGNOSES - A DIAGNOSIS - IN 12:42 MEDICAL CIRCLES THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT TODAY IN THE PUBLIC 12:46 HEALTH COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY, AND 12:49 IT'S SOMETHING CALLED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER - 12:53 PTSD. AND THEY'VE STUDIED A LOT ABOUT 12:56 THIS CONDITION - YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IT YEARS AGO, TALKING 12:59 ABOUT SHELL-SHOCK AND COMBAT VETERANS, BUT IT CAN HAPPEN 13:03 WHEN ANY TERRIBLE THING - ANY DRAMATIC THING HAPPENS. 13:06 IT COULD BE A NATURAL DISASTER. IT COULD BE A PERSONAL AFFRONT. 13:10 IT COULD BE A RAPE. IT COULD BE ABUSE. 13:13 IT COULD BE COMBAT. IT COULD BE A CAR ACCIDENT. 13:17 FOLLOWING SUCH A TRAUMATIC EVENT YOU COULD HAVE A MEDICAL 13:20 CONDITION CALLED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. 13:24 ONE OF THE VERY INTERESTING THINGS THEY'VE LEARNED ABOUT 13:26 PTSD IS THERE IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY CAN PROTECT YOU FROM 13:30 IT. >>GOD. 13:32 >>WELL, GOD CAN PROTECT YOU FROM IT, THAT IS TRUE, BUT ONE OF THE 13:35 WAYS GOD PROTECTS US FROM DIAGNOSES LIKE THIS, IS HE 13:38 PREPARES US FOR WHAT'S COMING. SO, ACTUALLY, PREPAREDNESS, 13:43 INSTEAD OF WEAKENING US, ACTUALLY STRENGTHENS US. 13:48 SO, JUST LIKE THE FIRE DRILL OR THE EARTHQUAKE DRILL IN SCHOOL, 13:53 IT'S NOT MEANT TO SCARE YOU. 13:55 IT'S MEANT TO HELP YOU IF THAT CONDITION OCCURS. 13:59 AND, IF IT DOES OCCUR, THE RESEARCH SHOWS YOU ARE MORE 14:01 LIKELY TO COME THROUGH IT MENTALLY STRONGER. 14:06 ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? >>AMEN. 14:07 >>AND SO, HERE, GOD IS MINISTERING TO US THROUGH THE 14:10 WORDS OF PETER. THEY ARE STERN WORDS. 14:13 BUT LET'S REALIZE WHERE WE'VE COME FROM. 14:15 WE'VE COME FROM 1 PETER - NOW, I KNOW SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO THIS, 14:19 THE TEMPTATION IS, 'WELL, DR. DEROSE, WE HAVE SUCH LITTLE 14:22 TIME TO STUDY 2 PETER CHAPTER 2, WHY ARE WE REVIEWING? 14:27 WHY ARE YOU SO BURDENED WITH REVIEWING?' 14:29 I'M SO BURDENED WITH REVIEWING BECAUSE NONE OF THESE LETTERS 14:32 EVER CAME TO US OUT OF CONTEXT. 14:36 WE HAVE ALL OF 1 PETER AND ALL OF 2 PETER AND, AS WE'RE READING 14:40 PETER'S SECOND LETTER, AS WE STUDIED EARLIER RIGHT HERE IN 14:44 THIS VERY VENUE, WE SAW THAT HE BEGAN IN 2 PETER, CHAPTER 1, 14:51 SPEAKING ABOUT THE GOSPEL - GRACE AND PEACE - RIGHTEOUSNESS 14:56 THAT COMES TO US THROUGH OUR GOD AND SAVIOR, JESUS. 14:59 AND SO, THIS IS HOW THE LETTER STARTS. 15:01 AND THEN, AS WE WENT THROUGH 2 PETER CHAPTER 1, HE GAVE US THIS 15:06 IMAGE OF THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. 15:09 JESUS, HIMSELF, REVEALED IN HIS GLORY, SHADOWED TO SOME EXTENT, 15:16 BUT STILL, IN SOME MEASURE OF HIS GLORY, TO THOSE THREE 15:19 DISCIPLES WHO WERE CLOSEST TO HIM, PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN. 15:24 BUT NOW WE COME TO CHAPTER 2 AND IT BEGINS THIS WAY - SO JUST 15:27 HAVING READ ABOUT GOD'S GREAT GLORY SHOWN AT THE MOUNT OF 15:31 TRANSFIGURATION, WE READ THIS: "BUT THERE WERE ALSO FALSE 15:35 PROPHETS AMONG THE PEOPLE, EVEN AS THERE WILL BE FALSE TEACHERS 15:40 AMONG YOU, WHO WILL SECRETLY BRING IN DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES, 15:44 EVEN DENYING THE LORD WHO BOUGHT THEM, AND BRING ON THEMSELVES 15:49 SWIFT DESTRUCTION." WE LOOKED AT ACTS 20. 15:56 WE SAW HOW THIS WAS A BURDEN OF THE APOSTLE PAUL. 16:00 OUR LESSON, AS WE GO THROUGH IT, POINTS US, IN WEDNESDAY, TO 16:05 ANOTHER INSPIRED MESSENGER, WHO GAVE US SIMILAR COUNSEL AND IT'S 16:10 IN THE BOOK OF JUDE. THE ENTIRE LETTER OF JUDE - IT'S JUST ONE 16:15 SHORT CHAPTER - IT BASICALLY IS LIKE A MIRROR ON 2 PETER CHAPTER 16:22 2, THAT WE'RE STUDYING TODAY. SO, IF YOU WANT TO REALLY GET 16:24 THE FULL IMPORT OF WHAT PETER WAS SHARING, LOOK AT ACTS 20 AND 16:28 LOOK AT JUDE AND COMPARE IT WITH 2 PETER, BECAUSE THE HOLY 16:31 SPIRIT, SPEAKING THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT NEW TESTAMENT 16:34 INDIVIDUALS, IN VERY SHORT FASHION, IS HIGHLIGHTING THE 16:39 IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING THERE WILL BE ERROR WITHIN THE CHURCH 16:44 - ERROR WITHIN THE CHURCH. WELL, WE'RE GOING TO PICK UP SOME MORE 16:48 OF THESE STRANDS IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, BUT I WANT 16:52 YOU TO NOTICE THAT THERE'S A TENSION THAT BEGINS TO DEVELOP 16:56 IN 2 PETER. YOU NOTICE THERE, IN VERSE 1, IT MENTIONS THAT THOSE 17:03 WHO BRING THESE DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES INTO THE CHURCH WILL 17:07 EXPERIENCE A TYPE OF DESTRUCTION. 17:10 WHAT IS THE ADJECTIVE USED TO DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF DESTRUCTION 17:15 THAT THEY WILL EXPERIENCE? THAT'S RIGHT, IT IS SWIFT. 17:20 IF YOU CAME INTO THE - ACTUALLY, EVEN INTO MY MEDICAL OFFICE, AND 17:26 WE PUT YOU ONTO THE HEART MONITOR - WE DO THAT NOW - IT'S 17:30 NOT A FORMAL HEART MONITOR, LIKE AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, BUT 17:33 INSTEAD OF HAVING OUR MEDICAL ASSISTANTS PUTTING A BLOOD 17:37 PRESSURE CUFF ON AND CHECKING YOUR PULSE AND YOUR 17:40 RESPIRATIONS, IT'S ALL AUTOMATED NOW. 17:42 THERE'S A DEVICE THAT THEY PLUG YOU INTO AND IT WILL CHECK YOUR 17:45 PULSE. AND IF YOUR PULSE IS 120 17:49 ACTUALLY, IF IT'S ANYTHING ABOVE 100, WE HAVE A SPECIFIC NAME FOR 17:53 IT IN MEDICAL CIRCLES - DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE CALL THAT? 17:56 THAT'S RIGHT, WE CALL IT TACHYCARDIA - TACHYCARDIA. 18:01 THAT ROOT 'TACHY' IS A GREEK WORD AND IT'S RIGHT HERE - THAT 18:06 ROOT 'TACHY' IS USED AND IT'S TRANSLATED 'SWIFT' OKAY? 18:12 SWIFT. NOW, IT'S SETTING US UP FOR 18:15 SOMETHING HERE AND, BY THE WAY, THE BIBLE OFTEN DOES THIS. 18:19 THE THREE LAST TIMES THAT JESUS SPEAKS IN THE BIBLE, IN THE BOOK 18:23 OF REVELATION, YOU MAY JUST BE TURNING THERE - IT'S EASY IF 18:26 YOU'VE GOT A RED-LETTER EDITION - THE THREE LAST TIMES JESUS 18:30 SPEAKS IN REVELATION CHAPTER 22, THERE IS A WORD, AGAIN, FROM 18:36 THIS GREEK ROOT 'TACHY' THAT APPEARS AND IT'S TRANSLATED 'I 18:40 COME QUICKLY' OR 'I COME SOON'. BY THE WAY, WHEN WAS THE 18:45 BOOK OF REVELATION GIVEN? >>A LONG TIME AGO. 18:48 >>A LONG TIME AGO. THAT'S RIGHT, A 18:50 LONG, LONG TIME AGO. SO IT'S SPEAKING ABOUT A SWIFT 18:54 DESTRUCTION IN 2 PETER CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1. 18:58 JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT COMING QUICKLY, ON COMING SOON. 19:02 IS THERE A TENSION THAT'S ALREADY STARTING TO DEVELOP? 19:06 AND, IN FACT, WE'LL SEE THIS TENSION PLAY OUT FULLY IN 19:08 CHAPTER 3 OF 2 PETER. THE TENSION WILL PLAY OUT FULLY 19:11 BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY, 'WELL, WHERE IS HIS COMING?' 19:14 OKAY? 'WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS THIS SOON COMING?' 19:18 AND WE COULD ASK IT IN CHAPTER 2 OF 2 PETER, 'WHERE IS THE SWIFT 19:22 DESTRUCTION?' JUST KEEP READING IN VERSE 2 OF 19:25 2 PETER 2, "AND MANY WILL FOLLOW THEIR DESTRUCTIVE WAYS, BECAUSE 19:29 OF WHOM THE WAY OF TRUTH WILL BE BLASPHEMED." 19:32 - BY DECEPTIVE WORDS - THAT'S RIGHT - AND COVETOUSNESS THEY 19:36 WILL EXPLOIT YOU - "FOR A LONG TIME THEIR JUDGMENT HAS NOT BEEN 19:40 IDLE, AND THEIR DESTRUCTION DOES NOT SLUMBER." 19:44 SO WE'RE CATCHING TWO DIFFERENT GLIMPSES HERE. 19:46 THERE'S A TENSION THAT I HOPE YOU'RE ALREADY STARTING TO PICK 19:48 UP, BECAUSE, ON ONE HAND, WE'RE READING ABOUT A SWIFT 19:51 DESTRUCTION, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO HEARING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS 19:55 NOT YET, BUT IT'S NOT SLUMBERING, IT'S GOING TO 19:59 HAPPEN. DO YOU CATCH THIS TENSION? 20:01 HOW CAN SOMETHING BE SWIFT AND STILL NOT HAVE HAPPENED YET? 20:06 AND THIS IS WHAT PETER IS SPEAKING ABOUT. 20:09 SO NOW HE GIVES SOME EXAMPLES. AND, BY THE WAY, YOU WOULD SEE 20:12 THE VERY SAME EXAMPLES IN JUDE AND, BECAUSE THIS IS SO SOMBER, 20:18 WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP PUTTING THIS IN CONTEXT. 20:24 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STRANGE THING THAT HAPPENS IN LIFE. 20:27 WHEN WE'RE DELIVERED FROM SOMETHING, WE'RE NOT IMMEDIATELY 20:33 AND ETERNALLY FREE FROM THAT WHICH HAS OVERCOME US. 20:38 IN THE ADDICTIONS COMMUNITY WE KNOW THIS VERY WELL. 20:43 THERE'S ANOTHER MEDICAL TERM WE SOMETIMES USE, IT'S CALLED 20:45 'RECIDIVISM'. IT'S A LONG WORD, BUT IT REFERS 20:49 TO SOMETHING THAT PETER ACTUALLY ADDRESSES IN THIS VERY CHAPTER. 20:55 SO WE'RE GOING TO COME AND LOOK AT THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM AND 20:58 GET A LITTLE BIT MORE IDEA OF IT, BUT I'M, AGAIN, TRYING TO 21:01 FRAME IT POSITIVELY, LEST WE MISS THE EMPHASIS OF THE GOSPEL 21:07 WRITERS. I'M LOOKING AT THE VERY LAST FEW VERSES NOW OF 2 PETER. 21:13 IT'S ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTED IN TUESDAY'S LESSON, IF YOU'RE 21:16 FOLLOWING ALONG THE STRUCTURED LESSON STUDY. 21:21 2 PETER CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 21 - HE IS SPEAKING OF THOSE 21:30 WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED BY JESUS. 21:32 LET'S PICK IT UP IN VERSE 20 - 2 PETER 2, VERSES 20 THROUGH 22, 21:37 "FOR IF, AFTER THEY HAVE ESCAPED THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD 21:42 THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, 21:45 THEY ARE AGAIN ENTANGLED IN THEM AND OVERCOME, THE LATTER END IS 21:50 WORSE FOR THEM THAN THE BEGINNING. 21:53 FOR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR THEM NOT TO HAVE KNOWN THE 21:55 WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAN HAVING KNOWN IT, TO TURN FROM 21:58 THE HOLY COMMANDMENT DELIVERED TO THEM. 22:00 BUT IT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM ACCORDING TO THE TRUE PROVERB: 22:03 'A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT,' AND, 'A SOW, HAVING 22:07 WASHED, TO HER WALLOWING IN THE MIRE.'" NOW LET'S LOOK AT A 22:13 PARALLEL - SOME PARALLEL VERSES FROM THE GOSPELS. 22:16 I WANT YOU TO PICK UP THIS THEME BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS 22:20 GOD IS TRYING TO POINT OUT OUR DANGER TO US TO SAVE US. 22:24 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME WORDS OF JESUS. 22:25 SOMEONE IS GOING TO READ FOR US, IN JUST A MOMENT, FROM JOHN 9, 22:28 VERSES 39 THROUGH 41, BUT BEFORE THEY DO, TURN WITH ME TO 22:32 JOHN 15. JOHN 15 IS A SECTION WHERE JESUS 22:37 IS BURDENED FOR US AND HIS DISCIPLES. HE EVEN PRAYS FOR US 22:43 IN JOHN 17 - YOU CAN READ THAT AGAIN IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT 22:46 LATELY, BUT IN JOHN 15, HE'S SPEAKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF 22:50 US ABIDING IN JESUS - BEING CONNECTED TO THE VINE. 22:55 AND THERE'S A STRANGE PASSAGE THAT COMES IN THIS CONTEXT, 22:58 WHERE JESUS, SPEAKING ABOUT THIS PRIVILEGE OF US BEING INTIMATELY 23:02 CONNECTED WITH HIM AND HE GIVES THIS VERY SOBERING MESSAGE. 23:10 IT TIES IN WITH 1 PETER AND 2 PETER. I'M IN JOHN CHAPTER 15, 23:14 BEGINNING WITH VERSE 18, "IF THE WORLD HATES YOU, YOU KNOW THAT 23:18 IT HATED ME BEFORE IT HATED YOU." 23:22 AND HE SPEAKS ABOUT THE PERSECUTION THAT WILL COME TO 23:26 THE CHURCH, BUT THEN HE SAYS, IN VERSE 22, SPEAKING TO THOSE WHO 23:32 DO THE PERSECUTING, "IF I HAD NOT COME AND SPOKEN TO THEM, 23:36 THEY WOULD HAVE NO SIN, BUT NOW THEY HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR THEIR 23:40 SIN. HE WHO HATES ME HATES MY FATHER ALSO. 23:43 IF I HAD NOT DONE AMONG THEM THE WORKS WHICH NO ONE ELSE DID, 23:47 THEY WOULD HAVE NO SIN; BUT NOW THEY HAVE SEEN AND ALSO HATED 23:51 BOTH ME AND MY FATHER. BUT THIS HAPPENED THAT THE WORD 23:54 MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THEIR LAW, 'THEY 23:56 HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.'" NOW LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER STATEMENT 24:03 OF JESUS FROM JOHN 9 - THIS IS AFTER JESUS HEALED A BLIND 24:06 MAN AND HE'S SPEAKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS - SO WE'LL 24:10 HEAR NOW FROM JOHN 9, VERSES 39 THROUGH 41. 24:15 >>"AND JESUS SAID, 'FOR JUDGMENT I HAVE COME INTO THIS WORLD, 24:18 THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT SEE MAY SEE, AND THAT THOSE WHO SEE MAY 24:22 BE MADE BLIND.' THEN SOME OF THE PHARISEES WHO WERE WITH HIM 24:26 HEARD THESE WORDS, AND SAID TO HIM, 'ARE WE BLIND ALSO?' 24:30 JESUS SAID TO THEM, 'IF YOU WERE BLIND, YOU WOULD HAVE NO SIN; 24:34 BUT NOW YOU SAY, 'WE SEE.' THEREFORE YOUR SIN REMAINS." 24:39 >>SO WHY DOES GOD ALLOW LIGHT TO SHINE ON THE PATH OF THE 24:43 RIGHTEOUS AS WELL AS THE WICKED? HE'S - THAT'S RIGHT, HE'S TRYING 24:49 TO PREPARE THE CHURCH FOR DIFFICULTIES THAT WILL COME, BUT 24:54 HE'S ALSO TRYING TO SAVE THE WICKED. HE'S TRYING TO POINT OUT 24:58 THEIR BEHAVIOR. NOW, IT'S VERY INTERESTING WHAT 25:02 HAPPENS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 25:05 AND YOU'VE HEARD THE ANALOGY, HAVEN'T YOU? 25:07 THE HOLY SPIRIT, SOMETIMES BEING PERSONIFIED AS THE SUNSHINE - 25:11 YOU'VE HEARD THIS ANALOGY, RIGHT? 25:13 WHERE YOU'VE GOT BUTTER AND CLAY? 25:16 WHAT DOES THE SUNSHINE DO THE BUTTER? 25:19 IT MELTS THE BUTTER. IT SOFTENS THE BUTTER. 25:23 WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE CLAY? IT HARDENS IT. 25:27 IT'S THE SAME SUNSHINE. SO THE HOLY SPIRIT AND GOD IN 25:31 HIS GRACIOUSNESS, POURING OUT HIS GRACIOUSNESS, IT IS OUR OWN 25:35 CHARACTER - WHAT'S IN US - THAT DETERMINES HOW WE RESPOND. 25:40 WILL OUR HEART BE SOFTENED WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT POINTS THINGS 25:44 OUT, OR WILL WE HARDEN OUR HEARTS? 25:48 WELL, LET'S COME BACK NOW, WITH THAT KIND OF FRAME WORK. 25:52 WE SEE WHERE PETER BEGAN AND WHERE HE'S GOING IN THIS CHAPTER 25:56 - MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST DO THE SAME WITH JUDE. 25:58 GO IN YOUR BIBLES TO JUDE. IT'S THE LAST BOOK IN THE BIBLE 26:01 BEFORE REVELATION - BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY 26:05 ONE OF JESUS' BROTHERS. JUST AS JAMES, ONE OF THE EARLY 26:09 CHURCH LEADERS - YOU KNOW, THERE WERE TWO JAMESES - THERE WAS 26:13 JAMES THE DISCIPLE, WHO WAS THE FIRST OF THE TWELVE TO BE 26:17 MARTYRED, AND THEN THERE WAS JAMES, JESUS' BROTHER, WHO, WHEN 26:21 WE READ THINGS LIKE ACTS 15, JAMES, HE WAS THE VISIBLE 26:25 LEADER OF THE CHURCH. BY THE WAY, NOT PETER. 26:28 IF YOU READ ACTS 15. JAMES WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE LORD'S 26:33 BROTHER - JESUS' HALF BROTHER THROUGH JOSEPH - JUDE, WHO HAS 26:38 ALSO WRITTEN A BOOK, ALSO BELIEVED TO BE ONE OF THE 26:41 BROTHERS OF JESUS - ONE OF THE HALF BROTHERS THROUGH JOSEPH. 26:45 SO LOOK AT HOW JUDE BEGINS HIS LETTER - JUDE - I'M IN JUDE - 26:51 ONLY ONE CHAPTER, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 1, "JUDE, A BONDSERVANT OF 26:57 JESUS CHRIST, AND BROTHER OF JAMES, TO THOSE WHO ARE CALLED, 27:02 SANCTIFIED BY GOD THE FATHER, AND PRESERVED IN JESUS CHRIST: 27:06 MERCY, PEACE, AND LOVE BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU." 27:10 NOW, IN JUST A MOMENT, SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR US HOW JUDE 27:13 CLOSES HIS LETTER, IN JUDE 24 AND 25, BUT I WANT YOU TO 27:17 NOTICE: AS JUDE IS BEGINNING HIS LETTER - JUST LIKE PETER - HE'S 27:20 ANCHORING US IN THE TRUTHS OF THE WORD. 27:23 WE'RE SANCTIFIED - WE'RE MADE HOLY BY GOD. 27:25 GOD LOVES US. HE CARES FOR US. 27:27 MERCY, PEACE, AND LOVE ARE PROCLAIMED. 27:30 BY THE WAY, WHEN THE BIBLE SPEAKS A BLESSING OF MERCY AND 27:33 PEACE AND LOVE, WHAT IS WAITING FOR US TO RECEIVE? 27:39 THAT BLESSING, RIGHT? IF GOD SAYS, 'I WANT YOU TO BE' 27:42 - 'I WANT MERCY TO GO OUT TO YOU AND PEACE AND LOVE' - IT'S 27:46 WAITING FOR US TO RECEIVE IT. OKAY, HOW DOES JUDE 27:51 CLOSE HIS LETTER? AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE 27:54 THINGS - REMEMBER - BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING, IN 27:56 A MOMENT, ON SOME VERY, VERY SOBERING THINGS IN THE BIBLE - 28:00 THINGS THAT ATHEISTS HAVE USED TO CAST BLAME AGAINST GOD. 28:04 AND WE'RE TRYING TO SEE THAT IT IS SET IN THE CONTEXT OF GOD'S 28:07 LOVE AND MERCY. AND IF WE MISS THAT, WE'RE 28:10 MISSING THE EMPHASIS OF PETER'S LETTER; WE'RE MISSING THE 28:12 EMPHASIS THAT GOD LAID ON PAUL'S HEART IN ACTS 20; WE'RE MISSING 28:16 THE EMPHASIS THAT GOD LAID ON JUDE. SO WE'RE GOING TO HEAR NOW 28:20 FROM JUDE'S CLOSING VERSES, VERSES 24 AND 25. 28:26 >>"NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM STUMBLING, AND TO 28:30 PRESENT YOU FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY WITH 28:33 EXCEEDING JOY, TO GOD OUR SAVIOR, WHO ALONE IS WISE, BE 28:38 GLORY AND MAJESTY, DOMINION AND POWER, BOTH NOW AND FOREVER. 28:43 AMEN." >>SO JUDE IS GOING TO COVER THE 28:46 SAME SOMBER GROUND THAT PETER TAKES US OVER. 28:51 SOME OF THE VERY SAME EXAMPLES WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IN JUST A 28:54 MOMENT, BUT HOW DOES JUDE END? HOW DOES IT END? 29:00 THAT'S RIGHT - GOOD NEWS. HE IS ABLE TO KEEP 29:02 YOU FROM STUMBLING. HAVE YOU STUMBLED THIS WEEK? 29:07 HAVE YOU HAD CHALLENGES IN YOUR LIFE? 29:09 ARE YOU STRUGGLING? GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP 29:11 YOU FROM FALLING. HE'S ABLE TO PRESENT YOU 29:15 FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY, WITH EXCEEDING JOY. 29:21 IS THAT GOOD NEWS? >>AMEN. 29:23 >>AND SO, BASICALLY, WE'RE NOT - THE MESSAGES HERE, ALTHOUGH 29:26 THEY'RE SOLEMN, THEY'RE NOT TO DRIVE US TO DESPAIR AND SAY, 29:29 'WELL, WOW, IF THOSE PEOPLE, IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES AND BIBLE 29:32 TIMES COULDN'T STAND, HOW CAN I STAND?' NO, 29:35 THE MESSAGE IS THAT WHEN WE COME TO JESUS HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US 29:40 FROM FALLING. AND THAT IS EXTREMELY GOOD NEWS. 29:43 AND THAT IS THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THESE MESSAGES ARE GIVEN. 29:46 WE'LL STUDY MORE IN 2 PETER CHAPTER 3, AS WE FINISH UP THE 29:49 SERIES OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. BUT I WANT YOU TO 29:52 SEE WHERE IT'S GOING. IT'S NOT GOING TO LEAVE US 29:55 HANGING IN CHAPTER 2 WITH THESE SOLEMN JUDGMENTS, BUT WE NEED TO 30:00 LOOK AT THEM BECAUSE, IN ACTS 20, PAUL SAID, 'I HAVE NOT 30:06 HESITATED FROM GIVING YOU THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD.' 30:12 PETER DOES IT NOW HERE TOO. HE SPEAKS ABOUT JUDGMENT COMING 30:15 UPON THOSE IN THE CHURCH AND HE GIVES US THIS EXAMPLE. 30:21 ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH HOW THERE CAN BE SWIFT DESTRUCTION 30:24 AND YET HOW IT CAN WAIT? LET'S LOOK AT THESE EXAMPLES - 30:28 SAME EXAMPLES IN JUDE, BY AND LARGE. 30:31 LOOK WITH ME IN 2 PETER CHAPTER 2, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 4, "FOR 30:35 IF GOD DID NOT SPARE THE ANGELS WHO SINNED, BUT CAST THEM DOWN 30:40 TO HELL AND DELIVERED THEM INTO CHAINS OF DARKNESS, TO BE 30:44 RESERVED FOR JUDGMENT; AND DID NOT SPARE THE ANCIENT WORLD, BUT 30:48 SAVED NOAH, ONE OF EIGHT PEOPLE, A PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 30:52 BRINGING IN THE FLOOD ON THE WORLD OF THE UNGODLY; AND 30:55 TURNING THE CITIES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH INTO ASHES, CONDEMNED 30:59 THEM TO DESTRUCTION, MAKING THEM AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO 31:02 AFTERWARD WOULD LIVE UNGODLY;" AND, BY THE WAY, I'M STOPPING 31:06 MID-SENTENCE, BECAUSE IT IS ONE SENTENCE, IT JUST CONTINUES WITH 31:10 EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? 31:12 LET'S JUST STOP FOR A MINUTE. FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE FOCUSING 31:17 ON THE ANGELS AND THERE'S THIS TRANSLATION HERE - MY VERSION 31:24 IS SAYING, 'CAST THEM DOWN TO HELL'. 31:27 IN THE GREEK IT'S A SINGLE WORD: 'TARTAROO' AND IT REFERS TO 31:34 TARTARIZING THEM. TARTARUS WAS THE LOWEST HELL 31:38 IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, WHERE THE WICKED DEAD WERE CAST TO. 31:42 AND SO, IT'S - YOU ALMOST COULD PARAPHRASE IT 'DAMNING' THEM, 31:47 OKAY? RELEGATING THEM TO JUDGMENT. 31:53 IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF SWIFT DESTRUCTION? 31:59 I MEAN, LOOK AT WHAT IT'S SAYING HERE. 32:02 IT IS MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY JUDGED YET. 32:06 BY THE WAY, SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AND THEY SAY, 'WELL LOOK, 32:08 THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A BURNING HELL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT SAYS THESE 32:12 ANGELS WERE CAST THERE.' NO, IT SAYS THEY ARE RESERVED FOR 32:17 JUDGMENT IN CHAINS OF DARKNESS. 32:21 YOU SAY, 'WELL, WHAT DOES THAT ALL MEAN?' 32:24 LOOK AT JUDE - WE WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE WINDOW - THE 32:26 REASON WHY THESE PARALLEL PASSAGES ARE SO HELPFUL, IF YOU 32:31 DON'T UNDERSTAND IT IN ONE PLACE, YOU SOMETIMES GET A 32:34 LITTLE MORE CLARITY IN THE OTHER. 32:36 SO, IN JUDE, AS HE WALKS THROUGH SOME OF THESE SAME EXAMPLES - 32:39 LOOK WHAT IT SAYS HERE IN VERSE 6 OF THE BOOK OF JUDE: 32:44 "AND THE ANGELS WHO DID NOT KEEP...THEIR OWN ABODE," - 32:48 THAT'S HEAVEN - "HE HAS RESERVED IN EVERLASTING 32:51 CHAINS UNDER DARKNESS FOR THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT DAY;" - 32:56 THEY ARE NOT BEING JUDGED NOW. THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED 32:59 THEIR FINAL JUDGMENTS. IT'S NOT IN A PLACE THAT'S 33:01 BURNING, CALLED 'HELL'. THEY ARE CAST INTO DARKNESS, 33:07 AWAY FROM GOD'S PRESENCE. BY THE WAY, IF YOU WANT TO STUDY 33:10 MORE ABOUT THAT, SOME GREAT RESOURCES ON THE AMAZING FACTS 33:14 WEBSITE ABOUT THE TRUTH ABOUT HELL. 33:18 YOU CAN STUDY IT ALL. WE CAN'T - WE CAN'T GO INTO ALL 33:20 THE DETAIL, BUT THE POINT IS THE VERY CONTEXT HERE IS SAYING 33:24 THEY'RE BEING RESERVED FOR JUDGMENT. 33:25 THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR JUDGMENT. 33:27 THEY ARE NOT BURNING IN A PLACE CALLED HELL. 33:30 THEY'RE CAST AWAY FROM GOD'S LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 33:32 BY THE WAY, IN THE CONTEXT OF 2 PETER 1, WHAT WAS THE LIGHT OF 33:37 GOD? IN 2 PETER 1, WAS THERE ANY 33:41 REVELATION OF GOD'S LIGHT? WELL, LOOK THERE WITH ME. 33:47 LOOK IN 2 PETER 1, VERSE 16, "...EYEWITNESSES OF HIS 33:53 MAJESTY." - WHAT DID THEY SEE? THE TRANSFIGURATION. 33:59 AND THEN, IN VERSE 19, HE SPEAKS - PETER - OF A LIGHT THAT SHINES 34:04 IN A DARK PLACE. WHAT IS IT? IT'S THE WORD. IT IS THE BIBLE. 34:08 AND SO, JESUS, WHO IS THE WORD, HE IS THIS BRIGHT SHINING LIGHT. 34:12 THEY ARE CAST OUT OF HIS PRESENCE. 34:15 BUT THEN, THERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE, RIGHT? 34:18 THE EXAMPLE OF THE FLOOD AND NOAH. 34:21 IS THIS A SOMBER STORY? THE STORY OF THE FLOOD? 34:27 IS THE FLOOD, AS SOME ATHEISTS WOULD ARGUE, AN EXAMPLE OF A 34:35 TYRANT WHO IS WIPING OUT MOST OF THE PLANET? 34:40 OR IS IT A MANIFESTATION OF A GOD OF LOVE WHO WOULD DO 34:46 ANYTHING TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE? WHICH IS IT? 34:52 YOU UNDERSTAND - HOW SWIFT WAS THAT DESTRUCTION OF THE FLOOD? 34:55 WAS THE FLOOD SWIFT DESTRUCTION? WELL, YES, BUT NO. 35:02 I MEAN, THE FLOOD, WHEN IT CAME, WAS SWIFT, RIGHT? 35:06 BUT WHEN DID GOD START WARNING THE PEOPLE OF A FLOOD? 35:09 >>120 YEARS. >>120 YEARS BEFORE. 35:13 AND NOAH IS PREACHING AND HE'S NOT ONLY PREACHING WITH WORD, 35:18 HE'S PREACHING WITH A HAMMER. HOW DO YOU PREACH WITH A HAMMER? 35:21 THAT'S RIGHT. WHEN HE'S FOLLOWING GOD'S 35:23 COMMAND TO BUILD AN ARK. AND, IF YOU READ GENESIS - YOU 35:27 READ GENESIS, THE ORIGINAL CREATION, THERE WAS NO RAIN. 35:31 A MIST WOULD COME UP FROM THE GROUND. 35:33 THIS WAS THE UTTER FOLLY, RIGHT? GUY TALKING ABOUT WATER COMING 35:37 OUT OF THE SKIES AND HE'S BUILDING A BOAT? 35:39 DID HE BELIEVE IN WHAT HE WAS SAYING? 35:43 THERE WAS NO QUESTION HE BELIEVED IT. 35:44 AND HE'S BUILDING AN ARK FOR 120 YEARS. 35:47 SO, DID DESTRUCTION COME SWIFTLY? 35:50 WELL, YES AND NO - YES AND NO. SO NOW WE'RE READING 35:55 ABOUT THE FLOOD. GOD DID NOT SPARE 35:59 THAT ANCIENT WORLD. BY THE WAY, THERE WAS A 36:02 PLAGUE IN THAT ANCIENT WORLD. THE PLAGUE IS CALLED SIN. 36:06 AND, AFTER 120 YEARS, ALL THOSE THAT WERE ALIVE, EXCEPT FOR 36:10 EIGHT - THOSE OF NOAH'S FAMILY - HAD BEEN INFECTED WITH THIS 36:15 TERMINAL VIRUS. THEY HAD COMMITTED 36:20 THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. THEY HAD CLOSED THEIR HEARTS FOR 36:24 120 YEARS - MANY OF THEM - TO GOD'S MERCIFUL PLEADING. 36:29 THEY WERE GOING TO DIE ETERNALLY. 36:33 IF GOD DID NOT SEND A FLOOD, THE WHOLE EARTH WOULD HAVE BEEN 36:38 SWELLED UP IN INIQUITY. YOU AND I ARE HERE TODAY - THOSE 36:43 OF YOU VIEWING TODAY ARE VIEWING BECAUSE GOD WAS WILLING TO 36:48 DO HIS STRANGE ACT AND ALLOW JUDGMENT TO BE METED OUT UPON 36:52 THOSE WHO HAD CLOSED THEIR PROBATION. 36:55 DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD DID? HE SAVED EIGHT PEOPLE. 36:59 BY THE WAY, IF YOU THINK YOU'RE RELATED TO ME ONLY BY ADAM, 37:03 YOU'RE MISTAKEN. WE'RE ALL RELATED BY WHO? 37:06 >>NOAH. >>BY NOAH. WE ARE ALL NOAH'S 37:09 RELATIVES - WE'RE BROTHERS AND SISTERS THROUGH NOAH. 37:13 GOD, IN HIS MERCY, DESTROYED THIS VIRUS OF SIN - NOT 37:18 COMPLETELY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NOAH AND HIS FAMILY WEREN'T 37:21 RENDERED PERFECT AND SINLESS - THAT'S RIGHT. 37:27 AND THEY HAD THEIR SHARES OF PROBLEMS AND STILL, WE ALL DO. 37:32 BUT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE POINT? 37:33 WAS GOD BEING MERCIFUL OR VINDICTIVE? 37:36 HE WAS BEING MERCIFUL. LET'S CONTINUE NOW. 37:42 BY THE WAY, THERE'S A SUBJECT TO ALL THESE CLAUSES. 37:48 THE SUBJECT IS GOD. GOD CAST THE ANGELS OUT; GOD - 37:54 VERSE 5 - SAVED NOAH; GOD TURNED THE CITIES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH 37:58 INTO ASHES; GOD - IN VERSE 7 - WE'RE COMING TO - 38:03 DELIVERED RIGHTEOUS LOT. ARE YOU FOLLOWING ALONG HERE? 38:06 SO GOD IS THE ACTIVE AGENT IN ALL OF THESE THINGS. 38:11 NOW, WE'VE TALKED A BIT ABOUT CONTEXT AND PETER. 38:17 WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CONTEXT IN THE SCRIPTURES. 38:19 CONTEXT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WHENEVER WE READ ANYTHING THAT'S 38:25 INSPIRED. NOW, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD JUST 38:30 TAKE ONE MORE STEP - AS WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE 38:34 EXAMPLES, AND LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE AT THIS NEXT EXAMPLE HERE. 38:39 SODOM AND GOMORRAH - BY THE WAY, WAS IT JUST PETER AND JUDE THAT 38:47 USED THIS AS AN EXAMPLE TO MODERN-DAY SAINTS? 38:51 WHO ELSE USED THE EXAMPLE OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND THE FLOOD 38:55 AS THINGS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF TODAY? 38:57 >>JESUS. >>THAT'S RIGHT, 38:59 JESUS - JESUS DID. YOU THINK OF MATTHEW 24 - LET'S 39:02 TURN TO LUKE 17 - LUKE 17 - AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW JESUS 39:13 REFERRED TO THESE EXAMPLES. SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE READING 39:16 FOR US IN A MOMENT FROM LUKE 17:28-32, BUT I'M GOING TO READ 39:20 SOME OF THE VERSES THAT PRECEDE IT. 39:22 THESE ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS - AND SOME OF THIS IS VERY CLEAR 39:28 AND SOME OF IT'S PERPLEXING. REMEMBER, WE STARTED BY SAYING, 39:32 'WHY DON'T WE JUST TALK ABOUT THE PLEASANT THINGS - ABOUT HOW 39:34 JESUS SAVES US AND LOVES US? I JUST WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE 39:37 LOVING MINISTRY OF JESUS.' BY THE WAY, WHO IS 39:40 SPEAKING IN LUKE 17? IT'S JESUS. 39:44 SOMEHOW WE HAVE SELECTIVE MEMORY, OKAY? 39:48 WHEN PEOPLE SAY, 'I JUST WANT TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS AND HIS LOVE.' 39:51 THIS IS JESUS AND HIS LOVE, IN LUKE 17, AND HE IS GIVING US A 39:55 VERY SOBERING MESSAGE JUST LIKE PETER IS GIVING. 39:59 SO LET'S PICK IT UP IN LUKE 17 AND LET'S START - LET'S START 40:08 WITH VERSE 26 - VERSE 26. I'LL READ VERSES 26 AND 27 AND 40:14 THEN WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ VERSES 28 AND ONWARD. 40:17 SO, BEGINNING WITH LUKE 17, VERSE 26 - JESUS IS SPEAKING 40:21 ABOUT HIS COMING. HE SAYS - VERSE 26, "AND AS IT 40:26 WAS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, SO IT WILL BE ALSO IN THE DAYS OF 40:29 THE SON OF MAN: THEY ATE, THEY DRANK, THEY MARRIED WIVES, THEY 40:33 WERE GIVEN IN MARRIAGE, UNTIL THE DAY THAT NOAH ENTERED THE 40:36 ARK, AND THE FLOOD CAME AND DESTROYED THEM ALL." 40:40 WE SAID THAT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT? 40:42 SWIFT DESTRUCTION - THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN SWIFTLY - 120 YEARS 40:47 BEFORE IT HAPPENED. NOW WE HAVE SOMEONE TO READ FOR 40:51 US LUKE 17, VERSES 28 THROUGH 32. 40:56 >>LUKE 17:28-32, "LIKEWISE AS IT WAS ALSO IN 41:01 THE DAYS OF LOT: THEY ATE, THEY DRANK, THEY BOUGHT, THEY SOLD, 41:07 THEY PLANTED, THEY BUILT; BUT ON THE DAY THAT LOT WENT OUT 41:09 OF SODOM IT RAINED FIRE AND BRIMSTONE FROM HEAVEN 41:13 AND DESTROYED THEM ALL. EVEN SO WILL IT BE IN THE DAY 41:16 WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED. IN THAT DAY, HE WHO IS ON THE 41:20 HOUSETOP, AND HIS GOODS ARE IN THE HOUSE, LET HIM NOT COME 41:24 DOWN TO TAKE THEM AWAY. AND LIKEWISE, THE ONE WHO IS 41:27 IN THE FIELD, LET HIM NOT TURN BACK. REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE." 41:34 >>DID JESUS THINK THESE WERE REAL STORIES - REAL HISTORY? 41:38 YES, HE'S STATING IT - REAL HISTORY - THE FLOOD, THE 41:42 DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH - AND HE'S SAYING THAT 41:45 WE SHOULD REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED 41:50 IN SODOM AND GOMORRAH? WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE? 41:54 TURN WITH ME, IF YOU WOULD, FIRST, TO GENESIS 13 - WE'RE 41:59 GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE, IN A MINUTE, READ TO US THE END OF 42:03 SODOM AND GOMORRAH - GENESIS 19 - BUT I'M TURNING TO GENESIS 13. 42:08 AND, BY THE WAY, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG, SOME OF YOU, 42:11 PERHAPS, SOMEWHAT DISTURBED BY MY COVERING THE WHOLE LESSON, 42:15 BUT NOT IN ORDER, ACTUALLY WE DO HAVE SOME OF THESE VERY SAME 42:20 VERSES MENTIONED IN THURSDAY'S LESSON, OKAY? 42:24 SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING WHERE IN THE QUARTERLY WE'RE AT, GENESIS 42:27 13 IS MENTIONED THERE IN THURSDAY'S LESSON AND THAT'S 42:30 WHERE I'M TURNING. VERY, VERY INTERESTING. 42:34 WE'LL COME BACK TO PETER'S WORDS IN A MINUTE. 42:36 WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THE CONTEXT HERE. 42:38 YOU REMEMBER, GOD HAS PHYSICALLY BLESSED - MATERIALLY BLESSED 42:43 ABRAHAM AS WELL AS HIS RELATIVE NEAR-KINSMAN, LOT. 42:49 IN FACT, THEY ARE SO BLESSED, IT SAYS IN VERSE 6 OF GENESIS 13, 42:54 "NOW THE LAND WAS NOT ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM," - THEY HAD SO 42:58 MUCH LIVESTOCK - THEY WERE SO RICH - THAT THEY HAD TO SAY, 43:03 'LOOK,' - VERSE 8 - "PLEASE LET THERE BE NO STRIFE BETWEEN YOU 43:09 AND ME, AND BETWEEN MY HERDSMEN AND YOUR HERDSMEN;" - YOU SEE, 43:12 THEIR HIRED HANDS WERE ARGUING, 'HEY, WE GOT HERE FIRST. 43:16 THIS LAND IS FOR OUR SHEEP.' 'NO, I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY SO 43:18 MUCH LAND. YOU'VE GOT TO SHARE IT WITH US.' 43:20 YOU CAN IMAGINE THE CHALLENGES. SO, IN VERSE 9, ABRAHAM SAYS 43:25 TO LOT, "IS NOT THE WHOLE LAND BEFORE YOU? 43:28 PLEASE SEPARATE FROM ME. IF YOU TAKE THE LEFT, THEN I 43:31 WILL GO TO THE RIGHT; OR, IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT, THEN 43:33 I WILL GO TO THE LEFT." BY THE WAY, WHO WAS 43:35 THE SENIOR PARTY? IT WAS ABRAHAM. 43:39 WHO - WHO IS ABRAHAM GIVING THE CHOICE TO? 43:43 TO HIS NEPHEW LOT. SO WHAT SHOULD LOT HAVE DONE? 43:47 WHAT DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD HAVE DONE? 43:49 YEAH, DEFERRED TO ABRAHAM. WOULDN'T THAT HAVE 43:51 BEEN A GOOD THING? BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, IF 43:54 SOMEONE OFFERS YOU SOMETHING, YOU SAY, 'WELL, BOY, THEY'RE 43:57 OFFERING IT TO ME, I BETTER TAKE IT NOW BEFORE THEY CHANGE THEIR 43:59 MIND.' THAT'S A DANGEROUS POSTURE, WE'LL SEE IN 44:04 A MINUTE, IN 2 PETER. BUT SO LOT, IT SAYS IN VERSE 10, 44:09 LIFTS HIS EYES - HE SEES ALL THE PLAIN OF THE JORDAN THAT WAS 44:11 WELL-WATERED EVERYWHERE. WE'RE REMINDED THAT WAS BEFORE 44:15 THE LORD DESTROYED SODOM AND GOMORRAH. 44:18 IT WAS LIKE THE GARDEN OF THE LORD, LIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT. 44:21 IT WAS LIKE EDEN. AND SO, WHAT DID LOT CHOOSE? 44:25 HE CHOSE THAT BEAUTIFUL LAND. 44:31 BUT WE HAVE THIS FOOTNOTE AT THE END OF VERSE 13, IT SAYS HE 44:35 PITCHED HIS TENT AS FAR AS SODOM (OR NEAR SODOM). 44:39 LATER WE FIND HE'S LIVING IN SODOM, BUT VERSE 13 SAYS, "BUT 44:43 THE MEN OF SODOM WERE EXCEEDINGLY WICKED AND SINFUL 44:48 AGAINST THE LORD." OKAY, SO, WHAT HAPPENS 44:56 TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH? WELL, QUITE A BIT HAPPENS. 44:59 WE CAN'T GO THROUGH THE WHOLE - ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT DRAMA 45:03 ABOUT HOW THAT KINGDOM IS OVERRUN BY ENEMIES, HOW ABRAHAM 45:08 DELIVERS THEM - AND THEN WE COME TO CHAPTER 18 AND, IN CHAPTER 45:15 18, GOD HIMSELF, JESUS, AS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD IS MEETING 45:23 WITH ABRAHAM - AS GENESIS 18 BEGINS IT SAYS, "THE LORD" - 45:27 THAT'S YAHWEH - THAT'S THE SACRED NAME OF GOD. 45:29 JESUS COMING AS AN ANGEL, WITH TWO OTHER ANGELIC BEINGS - AND 45:34 IT SAYS SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING HAPPENS. 45:37 AFTER THE DIALOG ABOUT THE PROMISED HEIR IN GENESIS CHAPTER 45:41 18, IT SAYS, IN VERSE 17, "AND THE LORD SAID, 'SHALL I HIDE 45:48 FROM ABRAHAM WHAT I AM DOING?'" 45:53 - WHAT IS THE LORD REFERRING TO HERE? 45:55 WHAT DOES GOD SAY HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING - OR HE IS 45:58 GOING TO DO? WHAT IS HE ABOUT TO DO? 46:02 HE IS ABOUT TO DESTROY SODOM AND GOMORRAH. 46:06 GOD IS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR DOING THE DESTRUCTION. 46:10 HE SAYS, 'SHALL I HIDE FROM ABRAHAM WHAT I AM DOING - WHAT I 46:15 AM ABOUT TO DO?' WE'RE GOING TO READ, NOW - SOMEONE HAS THIS 46:18 READING FOR US FROM GENESIS 19, VERSES 24 TO 26. 46:23 YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN 18, LOT PLEADS WITH ABRAHAM - EXCUSE ME, 46:27 ABRAHAM PLEADS WITH GOD ON BEHALF OF LOT AND THOSE IN 46:31 SODOM, AND HE SAYS, 'YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S JUST 50 RIGHTEOUS 46:34 ONES' AND HE WORKS THE NUMBER DOWN AND DOWN UNTIL, YOU KNOW, 46:38 THERE'S GOT TO BE THAT MANY RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE. 46:40 HE'S CONCERNED - HE'S WORRIED - ABRAHAM IS - THAT GOD WILL BE 46:46 MISUNDERSTOOD, IT SEEMS, DOESN'T IT? HE'S ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT 46:51 THE RIGHTEOUS NOT BEING DESTROYED WITH THE WICKED. 46:57 OKAY, WE'RE IN GENESIS 19, VERSES 24 TO 26 - SOMEONE HAS 47:02 THAT FOR US. LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. 47:05 >>"THEN THE LORD RAINED BRIMSTONE AND FIRE ON SODOM AND 47:09 GOMORRAH, FROM THE LORD OUT OF THE HEAVENS. SO HE OVERTHREW 47:13 THOSE CITIES, ALL THE PLAIN, ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITIES, 47:17 AND WHAT GREW ON THE GROUND. BUT HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK BEHIND 47:21 HIM, AND SHE BECAME A PILLAR OF SALT." 47:27 >>SO HERE GOD TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT THE 47:31 BIBLE CALLS HIS 'STRANGE ACT'. GOD ACTING IN JUDGMENT. 47:39 GOD DESTROYING SODOM AND GOMORRAH. NO, NO! 47:43 NO, NO, WAIT A MINUTE! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT - 47:46 YOU'VE READ IT, HAVEN'T YOU? HAVE YOU READ IT BEFORE? 47:50 YEAH, SOME OF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M THINKING - WHERE I'M GOING. 47:52 THERE IS ACTUALLY A STATEMENT IN THAT PROLIFIC ADVENTIST WRITER, 47:58 ELLEN WHITE, WHERE SHE USES THE WORDS 'GOD DESTROYS' SOME PLACES 48:03 'NO ONE' - OTHER PLACES - 'GOD DESTROYS NO MAN' - AND SO PEOPLE 48:08 SAY, 'NO, NO, SO GOD COULD NOT HAVE DESTROYED SODOM AND 48:11 GOMORRAH.' BY THE WAY, IN JUDE, FOR YOUR STUDY, IT ALSO MENTIONS 48:17 THE REBELLION OF KORAH. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT ONE? 48:21 WHERE FIRE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND DESTROYED A NUMBER OF 48:26 LEADERS WHO WERE OFFING INCENSE BEFORE THE ALTAR, WITHOUT BEING 48:30 CALLED TO THE PRIESTHOOD? AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED TO DATHAN 48:34 AND ABIRAM AND THOSE AROUND THEM? 48:35 DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED? THE EARTH OPENED UP. 48:39 MOSES SAID, 'IF THEY DIE THE DEATH OF ANY COMMON PERSON, 48:42 YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW THAT GOD DIDN'T SEND ME. 48:44 BUT IF YOU SEE A NEW THING AND THE EARTH SWALLOWS THEM UP' - 48:46 AND WHAT HAPPENS? THE EARTH SWALLOWS THEM UP. 48:53 GOD DESTROYS NO MAN - GOD DESTROYS NO ONE. 48:56 BY THE WAY, IF YOU ACTUALLY READ THE CONTEXT - YOU HEARD THAT 48:59 WORD BEFORE? THE CONTEXT - THE CONTEXT OF 49:02 THOSE STATEMENTS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GOD JUDGING EVIL. 49:07 YOU READ IT. AT LEAST 8 TIMES - I'VE LOOKED 49:09 THROUGH THE REFERENCES - READ THEM AGAIN RECENTLY. 49:12 IT'S SPEAKING ABOUT GOD DESTROYS NO ONE, IN THE SENSE HE CONDEMNS 49:16 NO ONE TO DESTRUCTION BY HIS OWN WHIMS. 49:20 GOD DOES NOT PREDESTINATE ANYONE TO DESTRUCTION. 49:23 MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN ELLEN WHITE MENTIONS THAT, 'GOD 49:26 DESTROYS NO ONE' OR 'GOD DESTROYS NO MAN' - SHE'S 49:28 SPEAKING OF PHARAOH AND HOW PHARAOH HARDENED HIS HEART. 49:31 IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE END-TIME JUDGMENT ON THE WICKED. 49:34 IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GOD SENDING THE FLOOD. 49:37 AND, BY THE WAY, READ IT IN PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS IF YOU 49:39 WANT TO TALK ABOUT ELLEN WHITE. SATAN, HIMSELF, FEARED FOR 49:43 HIS LIFE DURING THE FLOOD. IT'S PATRIARCHS AND 49:45 PROPHETS , PAGE 99. YOU SAY, 'DR. DEROSE, THERE IS A 49:50 BIBLICAL ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF GOD NOT DESTROYING.' THERE IS - 49:55 THERE IS. WE WON'T LOOK AT IT IN DETAIL, BUT IN THE STORY OF 49:59 SODOM THERE IS A BIBLICAL ARGUMENT - YOU COULD PUT FORTH 50:02 AN ARGUMENT FROM THE BIBLE THAT GOD DESTROYS NO ONE. 50:06 WHEN SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE GOING TO BE DESTROYED, LOT TRIED 50:11 TO WARN HIS FAMILY. ARE YOU FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME? 50:15 LOT TRIED TO WARN HIS FAMILY. I WILL LOOK AT IT. 50:19 GENESIS 19, VERSE 15 - LOT SAYS - VERSE 16 - ACTUALLY, VERSE 14 50:29 IS THE BEST VERSE, "SO LOT WENT OUT AND SPOKE TO HIS 50:32 SONS-IN-LAW," - 19:14 - GENESIS - "WHO HAD MARRIED HIS 50:36 DAUGHTERS, AND SAID, 'GET UP, GET OUT OF THIS PLACE; FOR THE 50:38 LORD WILL'" - DO WHAT? - "'DESTROY THIS CITY!'" 50:43 - BUT WHO SAID GOD DIDN'T DESTROY? 50:47 LOT'S SONS-IN-LAW. 'GOD DOESN'T DESTROY. 50:50 IT'S A JOKE.' BY THE WAY, WHO SAID GOD DIDN'T DESTROY WHEN 50:55 KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM WERE SWALLOWED UP BY THE EARTH? 51:00 IT WAS THE WICKED INDIVIDUALS WHO DID NOT ACCEPT GOD'S 51:03 JUDGMENT. THEY SAID, 'MOSES AND AARON DID THIS'. 51:06 THEY WERE ATTRIBUTING THE POWER OF SATAN. 51:08 BY THE WAY, THIS IS WHAT THE SIN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS, WHEN YOU 51:11 ATTRIBUTE - WHEN YOU ATTRIBUTE THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK TO SATAN. 51:15 BE VERY, VERY, VERY CAREFUL.' WE'RE BACK TO 2 PETER. 51:21 HE GIVES US THESE SOBERING EXAMPLES. 51:24 YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT THIS WAY: IMAGINE YOU HAD A 51:28 LOVING GERMAN SHEPHERD - PART OF THE FAMILY. 51:33 CAN YOU RELATE TO THAT? MAYBE YOU HAVE A 51:34 DOG THAT YOU LOVE. AND THIS DOG IS, I MEAN, 51:37 HE SLEEPS WITH YOU. YOU HAVE THIS ORIGINAL NAME 51:40 FOR HIM - SHEP - RIGHT? ISN'T THAT WHAT THEY 51:43 CALL GERMAN SHEPHERDS? AND SO SHEP IS LIKE 51:45 ONE OF THE FAMILY. HE EATS WITH YOU. 51:46 I MEAN, HE WON'T EVEN EAT UNLESS YOU'RE EATING, SITTING AT THE 51:49 TABLE AND HIS BOWL IS RIGHT THERE. 51:50 YOU FOLLOW ALONG WITH THIS? AND SO THIS DOG IS JUST 51:54 - YOU LOVE THIS DOG. HE'S PART OF THE FAMILY. 51:56 AND, AFTER MANY YEARS, ONE DAY SHEP STARTS ACTING KIND OF 52:00 STRANGE AND HE'S NOT HIS NORMAL PERSON - SOMETHING'S WRONG, BUT 52:04 YOU KNOW, YOU LOVE - AND YOU START TO WONDER, I MEAN, HE USED 52:07 TO BE SO GOOD AROUND EVERYBODY AND, FOR SOME REASON, YOU START 52:10 PUTTING HIM IN A CAGE. HE'S KIND OF SNAPPING AT YOU - 52:13 SOME - YOU KNOW, 'IT COULDN'T BE SHEP. HE COULDN'T BE DOING 52:16 THIS.' BY THE WAY, YOU'VE GOT SHEEP TOO, YOU KNOW, AND SHEP 52:20 WOULD ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF THE SHEEP AND WATCH THEM. 52:25 YOU LET SHEP OUT, EVEN IN THIS STATE, AND YOU HEAR SOME 52:28 COMMOTION OUTSIDE AND YOU LOOK OUT THERE AND YOU SEE SHEP HAS 52:32 KILLED ONE OF THE LAMBS AND HE'S IN THE PROCESS OF KILLING 52:36 ANOTHER ONE AND, BY THE WAY, YOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILD OR 52:40 GRANDSON - OR GREAT-GRANDSON - HOWEVER OLD YOU ARE - IS OUT 52:43 THERE TOO. AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU CONNECT 52:45 ALL THE DOTS IN YOUR MIND. 'WHAT'S GOING ON? 52:50 SHEP HAS RABIES, RIGHT? AND SO, AS YOU SEE SHEP HEADING 52:54 OVER TO THE FOUR YEAR OLD, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? 52:58 I WAS TELLING THIS STORY TO SOME PEOPLE - THIS ILLUSTRATION - 53:01 THEY SAID, 'WELL, IF YOU HAD A GUN, YOU'D GET THE GUN OUT AND 53:03 YOU'D KILL THE DOG BEFORE HE INFECTED THE CHILD WITH RABIES.' 53:08 AND MAYBE, EVEN AFTER YOU KILLED THAT DOG, THE FIRST THING YOU 53:10 WOULD DO INSTEAD OF COMFORTING THE CHILD, YOU'D RUN OUT TO THE 53:12 DOG AND SAY, 'OH, SHEP, HOW COULD I DO IT? 53:15 OH, MY BELOVED DOG.' ARE YOU FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME? 53:19 WAS IT LOVE OR WAS IT MERCY THAT KILLED THE RABID DOG? 53:24 WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CROSSED THE LINE - WHEN THEY'VE SINNED THE 53:27 SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT - AND, BY THE WAY, IF ANY OF YOU 53:30 ARE CONCERNED THAT YOU'VE SINNED THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, 53:32 YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT. IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT 53:35 FOLLOWING JESUS AND SATAN IS TELLING YOU YOU'RE TOO FAR 53:38 GONE, YOU'RE NOT, OKAY? THAT'S A SIGN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS 53:41 STILL WORKING WITH YOU, OKAY? BUT IF SOMEONE'S HEART IS 53:44 STEELED, SOMETIMES GOD DOES BRING JUDGMENT AND MERCY. 53:48 NO, NO, NO, NO!' THAT'S NOT THE WAY 53:50 IT WOULD HAPPEN. IF IT WAS GOD, HE WOULD 53:52 JUST REMOVE HIS LIFE FORCE. THE DOG WOULD BE RUNNING AND 53:54 THE DOG WOULD JUST FALL DEAD. BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THAT. 53:59 IF THE DOG JUST FELL DEAD, THE CHILD WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THE 54:03 FATHER OR THE GRANDFATHER OR THE GREAT-GRANDFATHER HAD INTERVENED 54:07 TO SAVE THEM. >>AMEN. 54:09 >>YOU SEE? GOD IS INTERESTED IN 54:12 SAVING US FROM OURSELVES. AND SOMETIMES HE HAS TO ACT 54:17 IN STERN WAYS IN JUDGMENT. THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES. 54:21 AND I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO REALIZE THAT, BECAUSE 2 PETER IS BOTH AN 54:26 ENCOURAGEMENT AND A WARNING. IT'S AN ENCOURAGEMENT THAT JESUS 54:30 HAS GIVEN EVERYTHING FOR US. HE'S REVEALED HIMSELF. 54:34 HE'S GIVEN US HIS WORD THAT'S A LIGHT. 54:36 WHEN JUDE IS WRITING THE SAME THING, HE SAYS THAT GOD IS ABLE 54:39 TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE WORRIED 54:42 ABOUT FOLLOWING THE WAY OF SODOM OR THOSE WHO WERE 54:45 REJECTORS OF THE FLOOD. BUT THERE IS A JUDGMENT COMING. 54:49 IT'S A SOBERING THING. IT'S COMING SWIFTLY. 54:51 AND, EVEN THOUGH - EVEN THOUGH JUDGEMENT IS TARRYING, IT WILL 54:55 COME SWIFTLY. THE GOOD NEWS IS JESUS IS BIG 55:00 ENOUGH TO SAVE ALL OF US. AREN'T YOU GLAD? 55:04 HE'S NOT JUST LOOKING ON AS WE SUFFER PAIN, HE HURTS WITH US. 55:09 HE FEELS WITH YOU TODAY AND HE'S INTERESTED IN SAVING US. 55:14 WELL, WE'LL FIND THE CONCLUSION TO 2 PETER, ON THIS ENCOURAGING 55:18 NOTE, AS WE GO TO2 PETER CHAPTER 3 NEXT WEEK. 55:22 WE'LL SEE HOW THE INSPIRED APOSTLE PULLS ALL THESE THINGS 55:26 TOGETHER. SOBERING REMINDERS, BUT 55:29 ENCOURAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE A MIGHTY SAVIOR. 55:34 >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING 55:37 YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS 55:41 CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 55:45 TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS 55:48 LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK 55:52 TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE 55:56 QUESTIONS. FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR 55:58 AREA, OR TO LISTEN TO ANSWERS ONLINE, VISIT 56:01 BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . (MUSIC) 56:17 >>HI FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, THE MODERN FLAGS THAT WE SEE 56:20 FLYING FROM THE TOP OF CAPITAL BUILDINGS, OR OUT IN FRONT OF 56:22 PATRIOTIC HOMES, REALLY STEM BACK FROM THE TIMES OF BATTLES 56:26 BEING FOUGHT BETWEEN WARRING NATIONS. 56:29 THESE BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED AND INTRICATELY COLORED BANNERS WERE 56:32 FLOWN HIGH ABOVE THE BATTLEFIELDS SO THE WARRING 56:34 FORCES WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, AMID THE CHAOS AND THE SMOKE AND 56:38 THE FOG OF WAR, WHERE THEIR FORCES WERE RALLIED AND WHERE 56:41 THEY WERE FIGHTING THE BATTLE. AND, IF YOU COULD CAPTURE YOUR 56:43 ENEMY'S FLAG, IT WAS CONSIDERED THE HIGHEST HONOR. 56:47 I WONDER IF THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THE GAME 'CAPTURE THE FLAG'. 56:50 WITH THE CHANGES IN WAR, NOW THESE FLAGS ALSO REPRESENT A 56:54 LITTLE MORE OF A DEMARCATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENT 56:58 NATIONALITIES. TODAY, THE FLAGS THAT REPRESENT 57:00 THE DIFFERENT NATIONS OF THE WORLD ARE VERY COLORFUL AND 57:02 DIVERSE AND ALL OF THE COLORS AND THE SHAPES HAVE 57:05 A SPECIFIC MEANING. THEY'RE EASY TO DISTINGUISH AND 57:08 RECOGNIZE FROM ONE ANOTHER. PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST 57:11 INTERESTING FLAGS IN THE WORLD IS THE FLAG OF THE PHILIPPINES. 57:14 THIS IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT IS FLOWN DIFFERENTLY IN TIMES OF 57:18 PEACE THAN IT IS IN TIMES OF WAR. 57:20 DURING TIMES OF PEACE, THE FILIPINO FLAG, THAT'S COMPOSED 57:23 OF RED, WHITE, BLUE, AND YELLOW, IS FLOWN WITH THE BLUE SIDE UP. 57:27 BUT, IN TIMES OF WAR, THEY FLIP IT AROUND AND THE RED SIDE IS UP 57:31 BECAUSE THERE THEY'RE WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES OF THEIR BLOOD 57:34 TO DEFEND THE FREEDOM OF THE COUNTRY. IN THE SAME WAY THAT AN 57:38 EMBASSY THAT IS SITUATED IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY FLIES THEIR FLAG 57:42 WHILE STILL SURROUNDED BY ANOTHER NATION, CHRISTIANS ARE 57:46 SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE FLAG OF GOD'S LOVE FLYING IN THIS FALLEN 57:49 WORLD. YOU CAN READ IN THE BOOK SONG OF SOLOMON CHAPTER 2, VERSE 57:52 4, "HIS BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE." LOVE IS THE FLAG THAT IDENTIFIES 57:57 CHRISTIANS AS A UNIQUE KINGDOM EVEN HERE IN THE WORLD. 58:01 SO, FRIEND, THE BIG QUESTION IS: HOW ARE YOU FLYING YOUR FLAG? 58:06 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-06-07