(MUSIC) 00:00:00.30\00:00:35.30 >>WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:00:35.33\00:00:37.23 WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE TUNING IN WHEREVER YOU ARE FROM. 00:00:37.27\00:00:41.24 WE KNOW WE HAVE AN EXTENDED SABBATH SCHOOL FAMILY AROUND THE 00:00:41.27\00:00:43.61 WORLD AND EACH WEEK WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT WE GET TO SING AND 00:00:43.64\00:00:47.24 STUDY TOGETHER WITH YOU, WHETHER YOU ARE LISTENING ON THE RADIO, 00:00:47.28\00:00:50.31 WATCHING LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE, OR ON THE VARIOUS TELEVISION 00:00:50.35\00:00:53.52 NETWORKS. WE ARE JUST GLAD YOU'RE JOINING 00:00:53.55\00:00:55.58 WITH US AND WE HAVE ANOTHER STUDY WITH YOU TODAY. 00:00:55.62\00:00:58.32 AND, OF COURSE, BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE ALWAYS SING OURS - AND 00:00:58.35\00:01:01.59 YOUR - FAVORITE SONGS. AND SO, WE'RE GOING TO START 00:01:01.62\00:01:04.46 WITH #614 - SOUND THE BATTLE CRY - AND WE'RE GOING TO DO 00:01:04.49\00:01:09.16 ALL THREE STANZAS - #614. (PIANO MUSIC) 00:01:09.20\00:01:23.11 >>FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE YOUR SOLDIERS TODAY, AND I PRAY THAT 00:03:21.06\00:03:26.43 YOU'LL GIVE US THAT ZEAL AND THAT FIRE THAT WE WILL TAKE THE 00:03:26.47\00:03:31.24 MESSAGE TO THE WORLD AND THAT, IN OUR DAILY LIVES, WE WILL BE 00:03:31.27\00:03:35.54 LIVING EXAMPLES TO THOSE AROUND US - THAT WE ARE TRULY YOURS. 00:03:35.58\00:03:41.75 AND I PRAY THAT YOU WILL JUST SPEAK TO US TODAY, THAT YOU WILL 00:03:41.78\00:03:45.79 BE WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD - EACH AND 00:03:45.82\00:03:48.36 EVERY ONE OF THEM - THERE ARE SO MANY. 00:03:48.39\00:03:50.39 THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO STUDY TOGETHER, 00:03:50.43\00:03:53.83 AND FOR OUR SPEAKER. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 00:03:53.86\00:03:58.13 OUR LESSON STUDY TODAY IS ENTITLED, FROM SLAVES TO HEIRS , 00:03:58.17\00:04:02.57 AND YOU FIND IT IN THE ADVENTIST QUARTERLY. 00:04:02.60\00:04:06.44 IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OF THESE, YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR LOCAL 00:04:06.47\00:04:08.94 ADVENTIST CHURCH AND GET ONE OF THEM. 00:04:08.98\00:04:12.01 IT'S THE GOSPEL IN GALATIANS AND WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH 00:04:12.05\00:04:14.82 THIS. AND, TODAY, IT'S LESSON #8 AND 00:04:14.85\00:04:17.72 IT'S GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY CARISSA MCSHERRY, WHO IS THE 00:04:17.75\00:04:21.96 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AFCOE - THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF 00:04:21.99\00:04:27.56 EVANGELISM - SO CARISSA'S GOING TO BE BRINGING US OUR LESSON 00:04:27.60\00:04:30.47 STUDY, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE BLESSED. 00:04:30.50\00:04:44.48 >>GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH. 00:04:44.51\00:04:46.28 >>GOOD MORNING. >>IS IT A HAPPY SABBATH? 00:04:46.31\00:04:48.62 >>YES. >>AMEN. ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, 00:04:48.65\00:04:51.19 JUST THIS MORNING, AS I WAS DRIVING TO CHURCH, I WAS 00:04:51.22\00:04:53.76 THINKING ABOUT HOW OFTEN I TAKE THIS SABBATH BLESSING FOR 00:04:53.79\00:04:57.53 GRANTED. IT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY SINGLE 00:04:57.56\00:05:00.80 WEEK, BUT WHAT AN INCREDIBLE BLESSING IT IS, EVERY SINGLE 00:05:00.83\00:05:04.70 WEEK, TO GATHER TOGETHER WITH LIKE BELIEVERS, TO STUDY THE 00:05:04.73\00:05:07.97 WORD OF GOD, AND TO GROW IN GRACE TOGETHER. 00:05:08.00\00:05:10.94 IT'S A BLESSING, AMEN? >>AMEN. 00:05:10.97\00:05:12.77 >>AMEN. THIS WEEK WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE TOPIC 00:05:12.81\00:05:16.28 FROM SLAVE TO HEIR - LOOKING AT THE LATTER PORTION OF 00:05:16.31\00:05:20.18 GALATIANS 3 AND THEN DIVING INTO GALATIANS CHAPTER 4, SO THAT IS 00:05:20.22\00:05:25.52 WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT TOGETHER THIS MORNING. 00:05:25.55\00:05:29.02 BUT FIRST, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU OF OUR FREE OFFER. 00:05:29.06\00:05:32.33 IT IS CALLED, AGAIN, THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS - IT'S AN 00:05:32.36\00:05:35.60 EXCELLENT LITTLE BOOKLET AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK IT 00:05:35.63\00:05:38.63 OUT. YOU CAN RECEIVE IT BY CALLING 00:05:38.67\00:05:41.74 866-STUDY-MORE - 866-STUDY-MORE - AND JUST MENTION 00:05:41.77\00:05:46.81 THAT IT IS OFFER #156. IF YOU HAVE YOUR QUARTERLY THIS 00:05:46.84\00:05:51.61 MORNING, OUR MEMORY TEXT IS FOUND IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 4 AND 00:05:51.65\00:05:57.89 VERSE 7 - GALATIANS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 7. IF YOU WOULD JUST 00:05:57.92\00:06:01.96 READ THAT ALOUD WITH ME. THE BIBLE SAYS, "SO YOU ARE NO 00:06:01.99\00:06:08.80 LONGER A SLAVE, BUT A SON; AND IF A SON, THEN AN HEIR 00:06:08.83\00:06:14.40 THROUGH GOD." THOSE ARE BEAUTIFUL WORDS AND 00:06:14.44\00:06:18.37 TRULY, IN ESSENCE, IT EXPRESSES THE GOSPEL. 00:06:18.41\00:06:21.68 'YOU ARE NO LONGER A SLAVE, BUT A SON; AND IF A SON, THEN AN 00:06:21.71\00:06:25.28 HEIR THROUGH GOD.' YOU SEE, ADOPTION, AS WE'RE GOING TO BE 00:06:25.31\00:06:29.58 SPEAKING OF TODAY, WAS ACTUALLY A VERY COMMON PRACTICE IN ROME 00:06:29.62\00:06:34.39 DURING THE TIME THAT PAUL WAS WRITING THIS LETTER TO THE 00:06:34.42\00:06:37.29 GALATIANS. IT TYPICALLY OCCURRED UPON THE 00:06:37.33\00:06:40.30 MORE WEALTHY CLASS - THOSE THAT ARE MORE WELL OFF. 00:06:40.33\00:06:43.83 YOU SEE, IT WAS VERY MUCH A REQUIREMENT IN THOSE DAYS THAT 00:06:43.87\00:06:47.14 YOU HAD AN HEIR - A MALE HEIR. SO, FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT HAVE 00:06:47.17\00:06:52.07 CHILDREN OR, PERHAPS YOU HAD FAR TOO MANY CHILDREN AND CHILDREN 00:06:52.11\00:06:56.64 WERE EXPENSIVE TO HAVE - EXPENSIVE TO RAISE - AND SO, 00:06:56.68\00:07:00.85 TYPICALLY, THAT WAS FROWNED UPON. SO IF YOU HAD MANY 00:07:00.88\00:07:04.55 CHILDREN, SOMEONE WHO DID NOT HAVE A CHILD, OR MAYBE ONLY HAD 00:07:04.59\00:07:08.49 DAUGHTERS, WOULD ADOPT ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN. 00:07:08.52\00:07:12.99 NOW, THE CHILD THEY ADOPTED FROM YOU WAS NOT TYPICALLY THE LAST 00:07:13.03\00:07:17.37 BORN - THE OOPS - IT WAS NOT THE UNWANTED CHILD. 00:07:17.40\00:07:22.80 OFTEN THE ONE THAT WAS ADOPTED WAS THE ELDEST CHILD - THE ONE 00:07:22.84\00:07:26.71 THAT HAD PROVEN THEIR CHARACTER AND THEIR FAITHFULNESS. 00:07:26.74\00:07:30.15 THAT CHILD WOULD THEN BE ADOPTED BY SOMEONE IN THE UPPER CLASS. 00:07:30.18\00:07:35.45 THAT CHILD WOULD BE PAID FOR - THERE WOULD BE A SUM OF MONEY 00:07:35.48\00:07:39.42 THAT WAS EXCHANGED FOR THIS ADOPTION, AND THAT CHILD WOULD 00:07:39.45\00:07:43.46 THEN BECOME A FULL HEIR OF THAT NEW ADOPTED FAMILY. 00:07:43.49\00:07:48.86 HE WOULD TAKE ON THE NAME OF THAT FAMILY AS WELL. 00:07:48.90\00:07:53.57 NOW ADOPTION WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A SHAMEFUL THING OR A 00:07:53.60\00:07:57.04 SECRETIVE THING. IT WAS VERY OPEN AND, IN FACT, 00:07:57.07\00:08:00.34 VERY MUCH ENCOURAGED IN SOME SITUATIONS. 00:08:00.38\00:08:04.65 YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE NAMES OF VERY FAMOUS 00:08:04.68\00:08:08.32 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE, IN FACT, ADOPTED. MEN SUCH AS NERO, 00:08:08.35\00:08:14.56 TIBERIUS, AND AUGUSTUS. THEY WERE ALL ADOPTED. 00:08:14.59\00:08:20.33 SO, AS PAUL IS ADDRESSING THIS LETTER TO THE GALATIANS, HE'S, 00:08:20.36\00:08:22.96 AGAIN, LOOKING AT THIS CONTEXT OF WHAT ADOPTION MEANS AND 00:08:23.00\00:08:28.04 REMINDING US THAT THAT IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT GOD WANTS EVERY 00:08:28.07\00:08:31.94 SINGLE ONE OF US TO HAVE TODAY. WE ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERING, 00:08:31.97\00:08:36.78 IN OUR LESSON, THREE QUESTIONS: HOW DO WE BECOME CLOTHED WITH 00:08:36.81\00:08:42.95 CHRIST AND HEIRS OF HIS KINGDOM? SECONDARILY, HOW MIGHT WE, WHO 00:08:42.98\00:08:49.89 HAVE BEEN GOD'S CHILDREN, SLIDE BACK INTO THE SLAVERY OF WORKS? 00:08:49.92\00:08:56.16 AND, LASTLY, HOW DO WE DAILY CLOTHE OURSELVES IN THE DEATH 00:08:56.20\00:09:02.40 AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST? 00:09:02.44\00:09:06.31 BUT, BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THIS TOPIC MUCH DEEPER, WOULD YOU 00:09:06.34\00:09:09.44 JUST BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME AS WE PRAY? HEAVENLY FATHER, GOD, 00:09:09.48\00:09:14.12 LORD, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL SABBATH DAY. 00:09:14.15\00:09:16.75 LORD, I JUST THANK YOU THAT WE CAN OPEN YOUR WORD AND THAT WE 00:09:16.79\00:09:19.92 CAN WORSHIP YOU AS OUR LORD AND AS OUR GOD. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE 00:09:19.95\00:09:24.83 PRAY FOR YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND, LORD, TODAY, AS WE OPEN YOUR 00:09:24.86\00:09:27.60 WORD, MAY YOU OPEN OUR HEARTS. WE THANK YOU, FATHER AND WE 00:09:27.60\00:09:31.30 PRAY, TRUSTING IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, AMEN. 00:09:31.33\00:09:35.90 WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN OUR STUDY WITH SUNDAY'S LESSON ENTITLED 00:09:35.94\00:09:40.68 OUR CONDITION IN CHRIST . TURN, WITH ME, IN YOUR BIBLES TO 00:09:40.71\00:09:44.51 GALATIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 26 TO 27. 00:09:44.55\00:09:49.22 ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER WHO WILL BE READING THAT FOR US. 00:09:49.25\00:09:51.85 WE ARE IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 26 AND 27. 00:09:51.89\00:09:57.93 >>"FOR YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. 00:09:57.96\00:10:02.36 FOR AS MANY OF YOU AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE PUT ON 00:10:02.40\00:10:06.30 CHRIST." >>OKAY. SO WE ARE ALL SONS 00:10:06.33\00:10:11.21 THROUGH WHAT? THROUGH - >>CHRIST. 00:10:11.24\00:10:15.84 >>THROUGH CHRIST, BUT WHAT THROUGH CHRIST? 00:10:15.88\00:10:18.51 >>SONS OF GOD. >>WE ARE ALL SONS OF GOD 00:10:18.55\00:10:20.98 THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST. IS THAT CORRECT? WE MUST HAVE THAT 00:10:21.02\00:10:26.89 FAITH IN CHRIST IN ORDER TO BE THOSE SONS. "FOR AS MANY OF YOU 00:10:26.92\00:10:32.09 AS WERE BAPTIZED" HAVE PUT ON JESUS CHRIST. 00:10:32.13\00:10:36.03 SO WE ARE SEEING HERE THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION. 00:10:36.06\00:10:38.17 WHEN YOU ARE BAPTIZED, YOU ARE PUTTING ON JESUS CHRIST. 00:10:38.20\00:10:42.90 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PUT ON JESUS CHRIST? 00:10:42.94\00:10:48.68 TURN WITH ME IN YOUR BIBLES, AS WE FURTHER ILLUSTRATE THIS, TO 00:10:48.71\00:10:51.68 ROMANS - IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6 AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT VERSES 3 00:10:51.71\00:10:58.32 THROUGH 6 - ROMANS CHAPTER 6 - AGAIN, THE SAME AUTHOR HERE, 00:10:58.35\00:11:03.96 PAUL, IS SPEAKING. WE ARE IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6, 00:11:03.99\00:11:07.66 VERSES 3 THROUGH 6. THE BIBLE TELLS US THIS MORNING, 00:11:07.66\00:11:15.30 "OR DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT AS MANY OF US AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO 00:11:15.34\00:11:19.47 CHRIST JESUS WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS" - WHAT? 00:11:19.51\00:11:22.81 >>HIS DEATH. >>INTO HIS DEATH - "THEREFORE 00:11:22.84\00:11:25.08 WE WERE BURIED WITH HIM THROUGH BAPTISM INTO DEATH, THAT JUST 00:11:25.11\00:11:29.45 AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, 00:11:29.48\00:11:32.95 EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE." I'M GOING TO 00:11:32.99\00:11:38.23 PAUSE THERE FOR A JUST A MOMENT. NOTICE, DO WE DIE SO THAT WE MAY 00:11:38.26\00:11:42.53 REMAIN DEAD? NO, WHY DO WE DIE? 00:11:42.56\00:11:46.47 >>SO THAT WE CAN BE RAISED WITH HIM. 00:11:46.50\00:11:47.87 >>SO THAT WE CAN BE RAISED TO LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. 00:11:47.90\00:11:51.51 YOU SEE, AGAIN, THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE GOSPEL. 00:11:51.54\00:11:53.21 HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MERELY REMAIN DEAD. 00:11:53.24\00:11:55.64 HE IS SAYING YOU ARE DEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED. 00:11:55.68\00:11:58.31 WHY? SO THAT YOU CAN RISE AGAIN - SO 00:11:58.35\00:12:00.85 THAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THAT BEAUTIFUL, ABUNDANT LIFE. 00:12:00.88\00:12:06.65 CONTINUING IN VERSE 5, "FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN UNITED TOGETHER IN 00:12:06.69\00:12:11.46 THE LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, CERTAINLY WE ALSO SHALL BE IN 00:12:11.49\00:12:15.56 THE LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION," - NOTICE, IF WE 00:12:15.60\00:12:20.27 ARE NOT UNITED IN HIS DEATH, WE CANNOT BE UNITED IN HIS - 00:12:20.30\00:12:25.51 >>RESURRECTION. >>RESURRECTION. BEFORE WE CAN 00:12:25.54\00:12:28.31 EXPERIENCE THE RESURRECTION, WE MUST EXPERIENCE THE DEATH. 00:12:28.34\00:12:32.75 VERSE 6, "KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD MAN WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, 00:12:32.78\00:12:39.32 THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DONE AWAY WITH, THAT WE SHOULD 00:12:39.35\00:12:43.02 NO LONGER BE SLAVES OF SIN." THE BIBLE SAYS, HERE, THAT 00:12:43.06\00:12:49.36 SIN IS A SLAVE MASTER. SIN KEEPS US IN BONDAGE. 00:12:49.40\00:12:55.37 BUT HERE, JESUS IS SAYING, 'YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN BONDAGE, I 00:12:55.40\00:12:58.61 WANT YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION.' 00:12:58.64\00:13:03.55 IT SPEAKS OF OUR OLD MAN BEING WHAT? 00:13:03.58\00:13:07.32 >>DEAD. >>CRUCIFIED - BEING DEAD 00:13:07.35\00:13:10.69 AND BEING CRUCIFIED. NOW, WAS CRUCIFIXION 00:13:10.72\00:13:13.82 A BEAUTIFUL PROCESS? >>NO. 00:13:13.86\00:13:16.32 >>WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD DESIRE TO EXPERIENCE? NO. 00:13:16.36\00:13:20.06 CRUCIFIXIONS WERE PAINFUL, WERE THEY NOT? 00:13:20.10\00:13:22.63 AND, SOMETIMES IN THAT SURRENDER PROCESS, WE MIGHT FEEL AS THOUGH 00:13:22.66\00:13:26.23 WE WANT TO COME DOWN FROM THAT CROSS. 00:13:26.27\00:13:29.10 'LORD, THIS CRUCIFIXION, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.' BUT GOD IS 00:13:29.14\00:13:31.97 SAYING, 'NO, COME TO ME IN YOUR ENTIRETY. THE DEPTHS OF THAT 00:13:32.01\00:13:35.64 SURRENDER AND, AS YOU ARE CRUCIFIED WITH ME, AS YOU GIVE 00:13:35.68\00:13:38.88 ALL TO ME, THEN YOU WILL EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY 00:13:38.91\00:13:42.32 OF THAT RESURRECTED LIFE.' FURTHER ILLUSTRATING THIS, WE 00:13:42.35\00:13:47.26 ARE GOING TO TURN TO COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 9 THROUGH 00:13:47.29\00:13:52.63 10 - GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS - COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 00:13:52.66\00:13:58.83 3, LOOKING AT VERSES 9 AND 10. THE BIBLE SAYS, "DO NOT LIE TO 00:13:58.87\00:14:09.88 ONE ANOTHER, SINCE YOU HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN WITH HIS DEEDS, 00:14:09.91\00:14:16.48 AND HAVE PUT ON THE NEW MAN WHO IS RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE 00:14:16.52\00:14:22.29 ACCORDING TO THE IMAGE OF HIM WHO CREATED HIM." 00:14:22.32\00:14:26.73 NOTICE, WHAT ARE WE PUTTING OFF? >>THE OLD MAN. 00:14:26.76\00:14:29.83 >>THE OLD MAN. AND IN ITS PLACE, 00:14:29.86\00:14:31.90 WHAT DO WE PUT ON? >>CHRIST. 00:14:31.93\00:14:33.64 >>THE NEW MAN, JESUS CHRIST, IN HIS IMAGE. 00:14:33.67\00:14:37.64 WE ARE RENEWED IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST. 00:14:37.67\00:14:41.84 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE RENEWED? NEW - RE-NEWED - RIGHT? 00:14:41.88\00:14:50.62 TO BE MADE NEW ONCE AGAIN. AND JESUS IS SAYING, THE WAY 00:14:50.65\00:14:56.32 THAT YOU CAN BE MADE NEW ONCE AGAIN - THE WAY THAT YOU CAN 00:14:56.36\00:14:59.36 EXPERIENCE THAT NEW BIRTH IS THROUGH WHAT? 00:14:59.39\00:15:03.53 >>THE HOLY SPIRIT. >>THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES THE WORK 00:15:03.57\00:15:05.90 - WE ARE RENEWED IN HIM THROUGH A - 00:15:05.93\00:15:09.04 >>KNOWLEDGE. >>KNOWLEDGE. THROUGH A KNOWLEDGE 00:15:09.07\00:15:12.04 OF WHAT? THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST - 00:15:12.07\00:15:17.48 THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS CRUCIFIXION - THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS LIFE. 00:15:17.51\00:15:20.32 IT IS THROUGH THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST - IT IS THROUGH 00:15:20.35\00:15:23.82 LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, 00:15:23.85\00:15:27.42 THAT WE CAN COME TO THAT RENEWED EXPERIENCE. 00:15:27.46\00:15:32.29 YOU SEE, IF I JUST LOOK AT MYSELF ALL DAY LONG AND SAY, 00:15:32.33\00:15:34.96 'WOW, I'M SO SELFISH. WOW, I'M SO PROUD. 00:15:35.00\00:15:38.27 WOW, I'M SO THIS - I'M SO THAT.' I AM TURNING MY LOOKS AND I AM 00:15:38.30\00:15:42.30 BECOMING EVEN MORE SELFISH. AND I FIND NO VICTORY 00:15:42.34\00:15:46.74 LOOKING IN MYSELF. AND HERE WE ARE REMINDED, 00:15:46.78\00:15:50.61 LOOKING UNTO JESUS, RENEWED IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. 00:15:50.65\00:15:56.18 JOHN CHAPTER 17 AND VERSE 3 TELLS US, "AND THIS IS ETERNAL 00:15:56.22\00:16:00.79 LIFE, THAT THEY MAY" - WHAT? >>KNOW YOU. 00:16:00.82\00:16:03.83 >>"THAT THEY MAY KNOW YOU." ETERNAL LIFE IS ALL ABOUT 00:16:03.86\00:16:08.46 KNOWING JESUS - ABOUT HAVING THAT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH 00:16:08.50\00:16:14.10 HIM. 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 IS ANOTHER TEXT TO CONSIDER. 00:16:14.14\00:16:18.94 AS WE LOOK AT JESUS WE BECOME TRANSFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE. 00:16:18.97\00:16:24.21 BUT AS WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT IT MEANS TO PUT OFF AND PUT ON, 00:16:24.25\00:16:28.98 I WANT TO CONSIDER VERSES 11 TO 13. 00:16:29.02\00:16:32.45 WE ARE IN COLOSSIANS 3, VERSES 11 TO 13. 00:16:32.49\00:16:39.56 THE BIBLE SAYS, "WHERE THERE IS NEITHER GREEK NOR JEW, 00:16:39.59\00:16:44.77 CIRCUMCISED NOR UNCIRCUMCISED, BARBARIAN, SCYTHIAN, SLAVE NOR 00:16:44.80\00:16:49.44 FREE, BUT CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL. 00:16:49.47\00:16:53.14 THEREFORE, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, PUT ON TENDER 00:16:53.17\00:16:57.61 MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, LONGSUFFERING; BEARING 00:16:57.65\00:17:03.69 WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, IF ANYONE HAS A 00:17:03.72\00:17:08.19 COMPLAINT AGAINST ANOTHER; EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO YOU 00:17:08.22\00:17:13.06 ALSO MUST DO." >>AMEN. 00:17:13.09\00:17:16.16 >>NOW NOTICE, WHEN IT LOOKS AT THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A 00:17:16.20\00:17:18.60 CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE 'PUTTING ON', WHO DOES THAT REMIND YOU 00:17:18.63\00:17:22.64 OF? >>JESUS. 00:17:22.67\00:17:25.21 >>JESUS CHRIST, DOES IT NOT? YOU LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL 00:17:25.24\00:17:28.84 EXAMPLE AND YOU LOOK AT YOUR OWN HEART - I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE 00:17:28.88\00:17:31.48 LIKE ME, I SAY, 'WOE IS ME FOR I AM UNDONE'. 00:17:31.51\00:17:34.78 BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT JESUS WE SEE THAT EXAMPLE PERFECTLY LIVED OUT 00:17:34.82\00:17:39.49 IN HIS LIFE AND WE KNOW, BY FAITH, THAT IF JESUS LIVED THAT 00:17:39.52\00:17:43.26 LIFE, HE, TOO, CAN LIVE IT THROUGH US TODAY. GOD IS CALLING 00:17:43.29\00:17:48.66 US TO PUT ON THESE THINGS TO THE POWER OF GOD. 00:17:48.70\00:17:52.20 NOW JUST AS A SMALL SIDE NOTE HERE, PLEASE DO PAY SPECIAL 00:17:52.23\00:17:56.27 ATTENTION TO VERSE 11, WHERE IT SPEAKS ABOUT THERE BEING NEITHER 00:17:56.30\00:18:00.04 GREEK NOR JEW, CIRCUMCISED NOR UNCIRCUMCISED. 00:18:00.08\00:18:04.11 WE ARE GOING TO FIND A SIMILAR VERSE IN GALATIANS 3, VERSE 28, 00:18:04.15\00:18:08.22 THAT HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF MUCH CONTROVERSY. 00:18:08.25\00:18:10.52 SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THIS TEXT IN MIND IN ORDER SO THAT WE 00:18:10.55\00:18:13.32 CAN HAVE AN ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING. 00:18:13.36\00:18:16.69 NOTICE, AGAIN, IT SAYS, "...CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL." 00:18:16.73\00:18:20.00 SO THE CONTEXT THERE, AGAIN, IS NOT THIS GROUP, THAT GROUP, THIS 00:18:20.03\00:18:23.13 GROUP, THAT GROUP - IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR BACKGROUND, IT 00:18:23.16\00:18:25.93 DOESN'T MATTER YOUR ETHNICITY, IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR ECONOMIC 00:18:25.97\00:18:28.47 STATUS, CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL. >>AMEN. 00:18:28.50\00:18:33.98 >>WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THIS THOUGHT IN ZECHARIAH 00:18:34.01\00:18:37.91 CHAPTER 3. I LOVE THIS STORY OF JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST. 00:18:37.95\00:18:44.55 I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IT LATER IN ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 3. 00:18:44.59\00:18:47.89 THE BIBLE TELLS THAT JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST WAS STANDING BEFORE 00:18:47.92\00:18:51.49 THE ANGEL OF THE LORD AND THE DEVIL CAME AND BEGAN TO ACCUSE 00:18:51.53\00:18:56.16 HIM. WE KNOW THAT THE DEVIL IS THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN. 00:18:56.20\00:19:00.67 HE LOVES TO COME IN, FIND OUR FAULTS, AND CRITICIZE AND SAY, 00:19:00.70\00:19:04.67 'OH, YOU'LL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH. 00:19:04.71\00:19:06.11 LOOK AT YOUR FAULTS.' AND THERE, AS JOSHUA STOOD BEFORE THE LORD, 00:19:06.14\00:19:10.28 HIS GARMENTS, WERE THEY CLEAN? >>NO. 00:19:10.31\00:19:13.38 >>NO, THEY WERE FILTHY, FILTHY RAGS. 00:19:13.42\00:19:18.12 AND HE STANDS BEFORE HIM IN HIS IMPURITY AND THE DEVIL POINTS 00:19:18.15\00:19:21.66 OUT EVERY FLAW. AND THEN JESUS, THE LORD, LOOKS 00:19:21.69\00:19:27.76 UPON JOSHUA AND HE SAYS, 'REMOVE THOSE GARMENTS.' NOTICE, IT'S 00:19:27.76\00:19:32.27 NOT JOSHUA THAT DOES THE REMOVING. 00:19:32.30\00:19:34.70 GOD REMOVES THOSE FILTHY GARMENTS AND DOES HE LEAVE HIM 00:19:34.74\00:19:37.97 NAKED? >>NO. 00:19:38.01\00:19:39.67 >>NO, WHAT DOES HE THEN DO? HE CLOTHED HIM THEN WITH 00:19:39.71\00:19:44.08 THAT ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. SO, ALSO, IN OUR EXPERIENCE, 00:19:44.11\00:19:49.32 WHO TOOK OFF THE ROBE? GOD DID, RIGHT? 00:19:49.35\00:19:53.56 IT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK FOR THAT ROBE TO BE REMOVED. 00:19:53.59\00:19:56.52 AND WHO PUT ON THE NEW ROBE? >>GOD. 00:19:56.56\00:19:58.59 >>GOD DID. YOU SEE, BOTH JUSTIFICATION AND 00:19:58.63\00:20:03.00 SANCTIFICATION ARE THE WORK OF GOD. 00:20:03.03\00:20:07.24 >>AMEN. >>SOMETIMES WE THINK THAT WE 00:20:07.27\00:20:09.44 BEGAN THIS GOOD WORK AND WE CAN COMPLETE IT. 00:20:09.47\00:20:13.31 OR MAYBE WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, 'I WAS CONVERTED, I GAVE 00:20:13.34\00:20:17.38 MY LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST, HE FORGAVE ME, I WAS BAPTIZED, I 00:20:17.41\00:20:20.85 WAS CLEANSED, NOW THE REST OF MY LIFE I'M GOING TO MAKE IT WORK. 00:20:20.88\00:20:24.35 THE REST OF MY LIFE I'M GOING TO HANDLE IT SO I CAN BE APPROVED 00:20:24.39\00:20:27.49 OF GOD.' IS THAT THE CASE? NO, THE SAME ONE WHO BEGAN THIS 00:20:27.52\00:20:33.80 GOOD WORK IN YOU IS THE SAME ONE WHO WILL BE FAITHFUL 00:20:33.83\00:20:36.90 TO COMPLETE IT. AND HE WILL, BY HIS GRACE, COMPLETE IT. 00:20:36.93\00:20:43.20 >>AMEN. >>PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2 AND 00:20:43.24\00:20:46.61 VERSE 12 TELLS US TO WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION WITH WHAT? 00:20:46.64\00:20:51.65 >>FEAR AND TREMBLING. >>FEAR AND TREMBLING. 00:20:51.68\00:20:55.52 YOU SEE, SOME PEOPLE LEAVE - THEY STOP AT THAT VERSE. 00:20:55.55\00:20:59.49 DOES THAT SOUND LIKE AN ENJOYABLE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE? 00:20:59.52\00:21:02.02 >>NO. >>'WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION. 00:21:02.06\00:21:06.16 IT IS UP TO YOU. YOU WORK YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN.' 00:21:06.19\00:21:10.07 HOWEVER, VERSE 13 PUTS IT IN ITS PROPER CONTEXT: "FOR IT IS GOD 00:21:10.10\00:21:16.40 WHO WORKS IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO FOR HIS 00:21:16.44\00:21:21.88 GOOD PLEASURE." YOU SEE, THAT FEAR AND TREMBLING 00:21:21.91\00:21:26.95 IS MERELY US COMING TO GOD AND SURRENDERING OUR LIVES AND 00:21:26.98\00:21:30.29 SAYING, 'GOD, I HAVE THESE FILTHY RAGS. 00:21:30.32\00:21:32.72 PLEASE TAKE THEM OFF OF ME AND PUT ON YOUR ROBE. 00:21:32.75\00:21:37.66 GOD, I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO EVEN TAKE THEM OFF, BUT I AM 00:21:37.69\00:21:40.86 SURRENDERING TO YOU BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE THE POWER.' FEAR 00:21:40.90\00:21:45.53 AND TREMBLING IS COMING TO GOD AND SEEKING THAT SURRENDER WITH 00:21:45.57\00:21:48.64 ALL OF OUR HEART. AND IT IS GOD WHO NOT ONLY 00:21:48.67\00:21:53.48 CREATES THE DESIRE WITHIN US, BUT WHO IS ABLE TO COMPLETE IT. 00:21:53.51\00:22:01.62 THE SAME GOD THAT BEGAN THAT GOOD WORK IN US WILL BE FAITHFUL 00:22:01.65\00:22:05.59 TO COMPLETE IT TODAY. LET'S DIVE BACK TO GALATIANS - 00:22:05.62\00:22:11.79 BACK TO GALATIANS CHAPTER 3 AND WE ARE NOW GOING TO BE 00:22:11.83\00:22:16.03 CONSIDERING VERSES 28 AND 29 - GALATIANS CHAPTER 3:28 AND 29 - 00:22:16.06\00:22:25.34 IF YOU WOULD READ THAT FOR US, PLEASE. 00:22:25.37\00:22:26.71 THANK YOU. >>"THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR 00:22:26.74\00:22:28.84 GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE, THERE IS NEITHER MALE 00:22:28.88\00:22:32.18 NOR FEMALE; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. 00:22:32.21\00:22:36.58 AND IF YOU ARE CHRIST'S, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND 00:22:36.62\00:22:39.82 HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE." 00:22:39.85\00:22:41.89 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS TEXT, AS I MENTIONED 00:22:41.92\00:22:45.13 EARLIER, HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF MUCH CONTROVERSY. 00:22:45.16\00:22:48.76 BUT IF WE LOOK AT IT IN THE CONTEXT IN WHICH PAUL IS 00:22:48.80\00:22:52.13 SPEAKING IT, I BELIEVE THAT THE CONTEXT MAKES IT QUITE CLEAR. 00:22:52.17\00:22:57.37 HE IS SAYING HERE, 'IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE JEW OR IF YOU 00:22:57.41\00:23:01.54 ARE GREEK; IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE AMERICAN OR IF YOU ARE 00:23:01.58\00:23:05.18 ANY OTHER NATIONALITY; IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR 00:23:05.21\00:23:08.08 BACKGROUND IS; IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE A LAWYER, A DOCTOR, A 00:23:08.12\00:23:13.19 MECHANIC, A CONSTRUCTION WORKER, A TEACHER, OR A PASTOR; YOU ARE 00:23:13.22\00:23:20.06 OF EQUAL VALUE BEFORE JESUS CHRIST. 00:23:20.10\00:23:23.30 >>AMEN. >>DO YOU BELIEVE THAT, TODAY? 00:23:23.33\00:23:25.70 >>AMEN. >>REGARDLESS OF YOUR BACKGROUND, 00:23:25.73\00:23:28.54 REGARDLESS OF YOUR ECONOMIC STATUS, YOU ARE OF EQUAL 00:23:28.57\00:23:32.57 VALUE BEFORE JESUS CHRIST. YOUR ROLE IN THE BODY - YOUR 00:23:32.61\00:23:37.38 ROLE IN THE CHURCH - IS CRUCIAL. >>AMEN. 00:23:37.41\00:23:42.22 >>WE ARE ALL A PART OF THAT BODY OF CHRIST AND SOMETIMES WE THINK 00:23:42.25\00:23:45.35 THAT THE PASTOR IS THE ONE WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF 00:23:45.39\00:23:48.99 THAT BODY. BUT THE BIBLE SAYS, 'NO, THAT'S NOT IT. 00:23:49.02\00:23:53.16 1 CORINTHIANS 12 - WE ARE ALL A PART OF THAT BODY OF CHRIST. 00:23:53.19\00:23:56.83 WE HAVE EQUAL IMPORTANCE BEFORE GOD. 00:23:56.87\00:23:59.60 >>AMEN. >>SECONDARILY, THE POINT THAT IS 00:23:59.63\00:24:01.70 BEING BROUGHT OUT HERE: THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE TO YOU BEING BORN A 00:24:01.74\00:24:06.94 JEW; NO ADVANTAGE TO YOU BEING BORN A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - 00:24:06.98\00:24:12.91 IF YOU THINK THAT THAT IS WHAT WILL GIVE YOU SALVATION. 00:24:12.95\00:24:18.82 THERE IS NO SALVATION IN YOU BEING A PASTOR; NO SALVATION IN 00:24:18.85\00:24:22.36 YOU BEING WHATEVER CHRISTIAN IT MAY BE. THE SALVATION IS FOUND 00:24:22.39\00:24:25.96 IN JESUS CHRIST. >>AMEN. 00:24:25.99\00:24:28.16 >>WE CANNOT WORK OUR WAY INTO HEAVEN. 00:24:28.20\00:24:31.33 NOW, AGAIN, GRANTED, AS WE COME CLOSER TO JESUS CHRIST, WE COME 00:24:31.37\00:24:34.67 CLOSER INTO A DESIRE TO BE IN HARMONY WITH HIS WORD. 00:24:34.70\00:24:38.61 BUT IT IS THROUGH THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE ARE SAVED. 00:24:38.64\00:24:42.41 IT IS THROUGH GRACE BY FAITH THAT WE EXPERIENCE SALVATION, 00:24:42.44\00:24:46.28 NOT BY WORKS LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. 00:24:46.31\00:24:50.89 IS THAT CLEAR FROM THE WRITINGS OF PAUL, TODAY? 00:24:50.92\00:24:52.62 >>YES. >>AMEN. 00:24:52.65\00:24:54.46 THAT IS A CRUCIAL, CRUCIAL POINT. 00:24:54.49\00:24:58.06 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 13 FURTHER ILLUSTRATES IT 00:24:58.09\00:25:03.30 - FURTHER REINFORCES THIS FACT, WHERE PAUL SAYS, "FOR BY ONE 00:25:03.33\00:25:07.54 SPIRIT WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY-WHETHER JEWS OR GREEKS, 00:25:07.57\00:25:14.91 WETHER SLAVES OR FREE-AND HAVE ALL BEEN MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE 00:25:14.94\00:25:20.85 SPIRIT." YOU SEE, AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF 00:25:20.88\00:25:23.72 OUR BACKGROUND, WE ARE ONE IN JESUS CHRIST. 00:25:23.75\00:25:27.72 NOW, FOR US, AS WE'RE READING THIS, WE THINK, 'WELL, OF 00:25:27.76\00:25:30.66 COURSE.' FOR US IT MAY NOT BE THAT DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW BUT, 00:25:30.69\00:25:35.50 AGAIN, REMEMBER THE TIME PERIOD THAT PAUL WAS WRITING HERE. 00:25:35.53\00:25:40.14 REMEMBER, AGAIN, THAT THE JEWS, HISTORICALLY, DURING THIS TIME, 00:25:40.17\00:25:44.74 WOULD PASS THE OTHER WAY, RATHER THAN TO COME IN CONTACT WITH A 00:25:44.77\00:25:47.91 GENTILE. YOU DON'T WANT THEIR SHADOW TO COME UPON YOU BECAUSE 00:25:47.94\00:25:51.58 THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE UNCLEAN. AND THE VIEW OF WOMEN, OF 00:25:51.61\00:25:55.68 COURSE, WAS ALSO PUT DOWN IN MANY INSTANCES. 00:25:55.72\00:25:59.52 SO HERE, AS PAUL IS WRITING THESE WORDS, FOR SOME PEOPLE 00:25:59.55\00:26:02.09 THEY WERE A LITTLE HARD TO SWALLOW. 00:26:02.12\00:26:04.03 AND HE IS SAYING, 'DON'T ALLOW THOSE PREJUDICES TO HOLD YOU 00:26:04.06\00:26:07.50 AWAY FROM JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE ONE AND WE ARE 00:26:07.50\00:26:11.80 ALL IN JESUS CHRIST. THERE IS NO DISTINCTION. 00:26:11.83\00:26:17.17 NOW WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO MONDAY'S LESSON. 00:26:17.21\00:26:20.41 THE CONCEPT IS, ENSLAVED TO ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES . 00:26:20.44\00:26:26.31 WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO GALATIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1 00:26:26.35\00:26:30.32 THROUGH 3 - GALATIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1 TO 3. 00:26:30.35\00:26:35.52 >>"NOW I SAY THAT THE HEIR, AS LONG AS HE IS A CHILD, DOES NOT 00:26:35.56\00:26:39.79 DIFFER AT ALL FROM A SLAVE, THOUGH HE IS MASTER OF ALL, BUT 00:26:39.83\00:26:43.83 IS UNDER GUARDIANS AND STEWARDS UNTIL THE TIME APPOINTED BY THE 00:26:43.87\00:26:47.10 FATHER. EVEN SO WE, WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN, WERE IN BONDAGE UNDER 00:26:47.14\00:26:52.07 THE ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD." >>THANK YOU. 00:26:52.11\00:26:55.91 THANK YOU, VICKY, I APPRECIATE IT. I'M GOING TO NOW CONTINUE 00:26:55.94\00:26:58.65 WITH VERSE 9, JUST A COMPARISON TO WHAT WAS JUST READ. 00:26:58.68\00:27:05.19 "BUT NOW AFTER YOU HAVE KNOWN GOD OR RATHER ARE KNOWN BY 00:27:05.22\00:27:09.89 GOD, HOW IS IT THAT YOU TURN AGAIN TO THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY 00:27:09.92\00:27:14.73 ELEMENTS, TO WHICH YOU DESIRE AGAIN TO BE IN BONDAGE? 00:27:14.73\00:27:18.57 YOU OBSERVE DAYS AND MONTHS AND SEASONS AND YEARS. 00:27:18.60\00:27:21.30 I AM AFRAID FOR YOU, LEST I HAVE LABORED FOR YOU IN VAIN." 00:27:21.34\00:27:27.11 THE SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY BROUGHT OUT A VERY INTERESTING 00:27:27.14\00:27:29.44 POINT ON PAGE 66 AND I WANT TO JUST READ IT TO YOU HERE 00:27:29.48\00:27:33.48 BRIEFLY. THEY MENTIONED "PAUL IS REFERRING, HERE, TO THE 00:27:33.52\00:27:38.72 RUDIMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS LIFE. 00:27:38.75\00:27:42.12 IF SO, PAUL IS SAYING THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD, WITH ITS 00:27:42.16\00:27:46.53 LAWS AND ITS SACRIFICES, WAS MERELY A GOSPEL PRIMER THAT 00:27:46.56\00:27:51.27 OUTLINED THE BASICS OF SALVATION. THUS, AS IMPORTANT 00:27:51.30\00:27:55.80 AND INSTRUCTIONAL AS THE CEREMONIAL LAWS WERE TO ISRAEL, 00:27:55.84\00:27:59.24 THEY WERE ONLY SHADOWS OF WHAT WAS TO COME. 00:27:59.27\00:28:04.68 THEY NEVER WERE INTENDED TO TAKE THE PLACE OF CHRIST. 00:28:04.71\00:28:08.58 SO, FOR THE GALATIANS TO RETURN TO THOSE BASIC ELEMENTS AFTER 00:28:08.62\00:28:12.15 CHRIST HAD ALREADY COME WOULD BE LIKE THE ADULT SON, IN PAUL'S 00:28:12.19\00:28:16.52 ANALOGY, WANTING TO BE A MINOR AGAIN." 00:28:16.56\00:28:22.16 SO HERE THEY ARE CLINGING TO THE CEREMONIAL LAWS WHEN CHRIST WAS 00:28:22.20\00:28:26.37 THERE IN THE VERY PRESENCE. AS A WAY OF ILLUSTRATING THIS, 00:28:26.40\00:28:32.64 IMAGINE, WITH ME, THAT A SON GOES OFF TO WAR. 00:28:32.67\00:28:38.28 THE MOTHER IS WORRIED ABOUT HER SON. 00:28:38.31\00:28:40.55 SHE MISSES HER SON. SHE LONGS TO EMBRACE 00:28:40.58\00:28:43.22 HER SON AGAIN. SHE FEARS THE DANGERS 00:28:43.25\00:28:46.22 THAT HE WILL FACE. THERE ON THE MANTLE, THERE, SHE 00:28:46.25\00:28:49.66 HAS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF HER SON. 00:28:49.69\00:28:54.30 AND, OCCASIONALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE'S FEELING LONELY, SHE 00:28:54.36\00:28:57.13 TAKES DOWN THAT PICTURE AND SHE SITS ON THE COUCH AND SHE JUST 00:28:57.17\00:29:00.80 LOOKS AT THAT PICTURE SO LOVINGLY. 00:29:00.84\00:29:04.11 AND SHE LOOKS INTO HIS EYES - THOSE EYES THAT SHE CAN'T WAIT 00:29:04.14\00:29:07.01 TO SEE AGAIN, AND SHE LOOKS AT THE PICTURE AND MAYBE CRIES A 00:29:07.04\00:29:10.45 TEAR OR TWO AND MAYBE KIND OF RUBS HER FINGER ALONG THE 00:29:10.48\00:29:14.52 PICTURE AS SHE'S SITTING THERE ADMIRING IT. 00:29:14.55\00:29:17.79 THE MONTHS PASS BY AND THE WAR IS OVER AND, ONE DAY, HER SON 00:29:17.82\00:29:23.09 COMES HOME, THROWS OPEN THE FRONT DOOR, AND SAYS, 'SURPRISE! 00:29:23.12\00:29:26.70 I'M HERE! I'M HOME!' AND HE HEARS SILENCE. 00:29:26.73\00:29:32.00 HE GOES INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND SEES HIS MOTHER SITTING THERE ON 00:29:32.03\00:29:34.77 THE COUCH LOOKING AT THIS PICTURE, ADORING IT, HOLDING IT 00:29:34.80\00:29:39.01 CLOSE TO HER. AND THE SON SAYS, 'MOM, I'M HOME!' 00:29:39.04\00:29:44.08 'MOM, I'M HERE!' 'MOM, I'M ALIVE!' 00:29:44.11\00:29:48.58 AND THE MOTHER IGNORES HIM AS SHE CONTINUES TO STARE AT THE 00:29:48.62\00:29:52.12 PICTURE. CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS 00:29:52.15\00:29:55.29 SCENE TAKING PLACE? HOPEFULLY NOT, RIGHT? 00:29:55.32\00:30:00.56 IT SOUNDS ABSURD, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD ANY MOTHER DO? 00:30:00.60\00:30:07.60 SHE'S GONNA THROW THAT PICTURE TO THE SIDE - DOESN'T CARE IF IT 00:30:07.64\00:30:10.34 BREAKS IN THE PROCESS - SHE IS JUMPING UP TO GRAB HER SON. 00:30:10.37\00:30:15.68 AND, YOU SEE, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT, UNFORTUNATELY, DID NOT 00:30:15.71\00:30:18.68 HAPPEN TO THE JEWISH NATION AT LARGE. 00:30:18.71\00:30:22.48 GRANTED, THERE WERE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE NATION THAT DID 00:30:22.52\00:30:25.12 ACCEPT CHRIST BUT, AT LARGE, THE JEWISH NATION HELD ONTO THAT 00:30:25.15\00:30:29.79 PICTURE AND THEY CONTINUED TO LOVE IT AND TO ADORE IT AND TO 00:30:29.82\00:30:33.63 BECOME SO FOCUSED ON THE CEREMONIAL LAWS, THAT THEY 00:30:33.66\00:30:37.50 MISSED THE VERY ONE WHO WAS SYMBOLIZED BY THOSE LAWS - THE 00:30:37.53\00:30:43.71 VERY ONE WHOSE PRESENCE WAS THERE WITH THEM. 00:30:43.74\00:30:47.04 THEY WERE SO FOCUSED ON SACRIFICING THE LAMB THAT THEY 00:30:47.08\00:30:49.71 DIDN'T REALIZE THAT MESSIAH, THE LAMB - JESUS CHRIST - WAS BEFORE 00:30:49.74\00:30:52.88 THEM. IS THERE A RISK THAT WE CAN 00:30:52.91\00:30:57.92 DO THE SAME THING TODAY? >>YES. 00:30:57.95\00:31:01.19 >>NO, WE DO NOT KEEP THE CEREMONIAL LAWS. 00:31:01.22\00:31:03.83 WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST - IN HIS REALITY TODAY - BUT COULD IT 00:31:03.86\00:31:08.96 BE THAT SOMETIMES WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE FORMS - IN THE 00:31:09.00\00:31:13.07 CEREMONIES? MAYBE IN THE DUTIES? 00:31:13.10\00:31:17.11 THEY MAY EVEN BE RIGHT. DO YOU SEE THE CEREMONIAL LAWS 00:31:17.14\00:31:20.04 WERE ESTABLISHED FOR A PURPOSE? JESUS, IN FACT, IS 00:31:20.08\00:31:23.55 THE ONE WHO GAVE THEM. THEY WERE THERE TO POINT TO HIM. 00:31:23.58\00:31:28.78 BUT, SOMETIMES EVEN IN OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE, EVEN THE 00:31:28.82\00:31:31.59 THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US TO POINT TO JESUS, WE CAN 00:31:31.62\00:31:35.89 MAKE AN IDOL IN AND OF THEMSELVES. 00:31:35.92\00:31:40.10 FOR INSTANCE, DO WE SOMETIMES BECOME SO FOCUSED ON ALL THE 00:31:40.13\00:31:44.57 WORK WE NEED TO DO AT CHURCH OR A SABBATH SCHOOL PROGRAM? 00:31:44.60\00:31:49.54 OR 'GOT TO BE AT CHURCH 9:30 ON SABBATH MORNING BECAUSE THAT'S 00:31:49.57\00:31:53.41 WHAT I DO'? 'THAT'S MY CUSTOM.' AND WE BECOME SO FOCUSED ON THE 00:31:53.44\00:31:59.15 CEREMONIES THAT WE FORGET THE MEANING BEHIND THEM. 00:31:59.18\00:32:04.02 DO YOU SEE THIS? >>AMEN. 00:32:04.05\00:32:07.06 >>NOW IS IT IMPORTANT TO GATHER TOGETHER IN CHURCH ON SABBATHS? 00:32:07.09\00:32:09.62 >>YES. >>YES, 'NOT FORSAKING THE 00:32:09.66\00:32:11.89 ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER' THAT IS CRUCIAL. 00:32:11.93\00:32:14.50 BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE IS, IF I AM DOING 00:32:14.56\00:32:17.43 THESE THINGS BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO WORK MY WAY INTO FAVOR WITH 00:32:17.47\00:32:20.44 GOD, IF I AM DOING THESE THINGS AS A WAY TO EARN MY SALVATION, 00:32:20.47\00:32:24.94 I'VE MISSED THE MARK. JESUS IS SAYING, 'NO, THE 00:32:24.97\00:32:28.74 SABBATH IS ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH ME - COMING CLOSER TO ME. 00:32:28.78\00:32:34.65 THAT IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO EXPERIENCE. 00:32:34.68\00:32:37.15 THAT IS THE BLESSING OF THE SABBATH.' 00:32:37.19\00:32:40.29 >>AMEN. >>IS THAT CLEAR THIS MORNING? 00:32:40.32\00:32:42.26 >>AMEN. >>ARE WE EXPERIENCING THE FULL 00:32:42.29\00:32:44.76 BLESSING THAT GOD DESIRES TO GIVE TO US, OR ARE WE, 00:32:44.79\00:32:47.56 SOMETIMES, HOLDING ON TO THE CEREMONIES? 00:32:47.60\00:32:52.07 ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT THAT PAUL IS BRINGING OUT. 00:32:52.10\00:32:55.77 HE ASKS, 'WHY ARE YOU DESIRING TO BE IN BONDAGE YET AGAIN? 00:32:55.80\00:33:02.31 GOD HAS MADE YOU FREE SO WHY, THEN, ARE YOU DESIRING TO RETURN 00:33:02.34\00:33:06.78 TO BONDAGE?' YOU SEE THE GALATIANS, MANY OF 00:33:06.82\00:33:10.42 THEM HAD BEEN WORSHIPERS OF IDOLS. 00:33:10.45\00:33:13.46 THESE PAGAN PRACTICES - PRACTICES WHERE YOU HAVE TO WORK 00:33:13.49\00:33:17.09 YOUR WAY INTO FAVOR WITH THE GODS - SACRIFICING UNDER THEM TO 00:33:17.13\00:33:22.10 APPEASE THEIR WRATH. AND THEY, THEN, TOOK THIS 00:33:22.13\00:33:26.10 MENTALITY INTO THEIR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 00:33:26.13\00:33:29.47 THEY ARE NOW EMBRACING THE CEREMONIES, YET AGAIN - THE 00:33:29.50\00:33:33.61 JEWISH CUSTOMS - AS A WAY OF, AGAIN, WORKING THEMSELVES INTO 00:33:33.64\00:33:37.65 FAVOR WITH GOD. AND PAUL IS SAYING, 00:33:37.68\00:33:40.65 'WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT? YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN SET 00:33:40.68\00:33:44.15 FREE FROM THE BONDAGE. DON'T ENTER INTO IT YET AGAIN. 00:33:44.19\00:33:49.89 YOU CANNOT WORK YOUR WAY INTO FAVOR WITH GOD. 00:33:49.92\00:33:53.16 IT IS A FREE GIFT THAT I AM OFFERING TO YOU TODAY.' AMEN. 00:33:53.19\00:34:00.50 TURN WITH ME IN YOUR BIBLES TO JOHN CHAPTER 8. 00:34:00.54\00:34:05.84 HOW DO WE EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE TODAY? 00:34:05.87\00:34:12.45 WE ARE IN JOHN CHAPTER 8 AND WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN IN VERSE 31. 00:34:12.48\00:34:19.22 THE BIBLE SAYS, IN JOHN CHAPTER 8 AND VERSE 31, "THEN JESUS SAID 00:34:19.25\00:34:24.26 TO THOSE JEWS WHO BELIEVED HIM, 'IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORD, YOU 00:34:24.29\00:34:28.63 ARE MY DISCIPLES INDEED. AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND 00:34:28.66\00:34:33.54 THE TRUTH SHALL'" - DO WHAT? 00:34:33.57\00:34:35.24 >>MAKE YOU FREE. >>"MAKE YOU FREE." 00:34:35.27\00:34:37.57 NOTICE, THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. 00:34:37.61\00:34:41.61 VERSE 33, "THEY ANSWERED HIM, 'WE ARE ABRAHAM'S DESCENDANTS,'" 00:34:41.64\00:34:45.85 - IN OTHER WORDS, 'WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO? 00:34:45.88\00:34:48.72 DON'T YOU KNOW THAT JUST BY OUR HERITAGE WE ARE SAVED? 00:34:48.75\00:34:53.72 WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN BONDAGE TO ANYONE.' - "HOW CAN YOU SAY, 00:34:53.76\00:34:57.73 'YOU WILL BE MADE FREE'? JESUS ANSWERED THEM, 'MOST 00:34:57.76\00:35:01.60 ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER COMMITS SIN IS A SLAVE OF SIN.'" 00:35:01.63\00:35:08.10 HAVE YOU FELT THAT SLAVERY FROM SIN BEFORE? 00:35:08.14\00:35:11.61 SIN IS A CRUEL TASKMASTER. VERSE 35, "AND A SLAVE DOES NOT 00:35:11.64\00:35:17.05 ABIDE IN THE HOUSE FOREVER, BUT A SON ABIDES FOREVER. 00:35:17.08\00:35:23.72 THEREFORE IF THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED." 00:35:23.75\00:35:30.29 HOW DO WE EXPERIENCE FREEDOM TODAY? 00:35:30.33\00:35:32.66 >>THROUGH CHRIST. >>IT'S THROUGH CHRIST. 00:35:32.69\00:35:35.06 IF THE SON SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE PARTLY FREE? 00:35:35.10\00:35:39.77 YOU SHALL BE MOSTLY FREE? YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED. 00:35:39.80\00:35:44.94 THERE IS NO EXCEPTION HERE. IF THE SON IS THE ONE WHO MAKES 00:35:44.97\00:35:48.01 YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE COMPLETELY INDEED. 00:35:48.04\00:35:53.72 I FOUND IT INTERESTING, AS I'M LOOKING AT THIS CONTRAST, 00:35:53.75\00:35:57.19 NOTICE, AGAIN, IN VERSE 32, IT SAYS, "AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE 00:35:57.22\00:36:01.52 TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE." 00:36:01.56\00:36:05.49 AND THEN IN VERSE 36 IT SAYS THAT "...THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, 00:36:05.53\00:36:09.23 YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED." SO WHAT ARE THE TWO 00:36:09.26\00:36:13.67 THINGS HERE THAT BRING FREEDOM? >>CHRIST AND THE TRUTH. 00:36:13.70\00:36:17.47 >>AH - ARE THEY TWO THINGS OR ARE THEY ONE? 00:36:17.51\00:36:21.08 YOU MENTIONED JESUS IS THE TRUTH. 00:36:21.11\00:36:23.81 THAT IS CORRECT. THE TRUTH MAKES YOU FREE 00:36:23.85\00:36:26.95 - JESUS MAKES YOU FREE. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY 00:36:26.98\00:36:30.22 BEFORE, 'YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN JESUS. 00:36:30.25\00:36:32.25 I LOVE JESUS, BUT FORGET TALKING ABOUT DOCTRINE'? 00:36:32.29\00:36:36.29 YOU'VE HEARD THIS, RIGHT? 'JUST FOCUS ON JESUS.' BUT 00:36:36.32\00:36:40.20 DOCTRINE IS MERELY TEACHING. IT IS AN ILLUSTRATION. 00:36:40.23\00:36:45.07 IT IS THE REVEALING OF THE CHARACTER OF GOD. 00:36:45.10\00:36:49.30 AND SO, HERE, HE'S SAYING, 'JESUS AND HIS TRUTH, THEY BOTH 00:36:49.34\00:36:52.74 SET YOU FREE BECAUSE THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME.' IT IS MERELY 00:36:52.77\00:36:56.31 THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST REVEALED. 00:36:56.34\00:37:00.25 THEREFORE, IF I WANT TO EXPERIENCE FREEDOM, WHAT DO I 00:37:00.28\00:37:04.55 NEED TO DO? >>COME CLOSER TO GOD. 00:37:04.59\00:37:06.65 >>COME CLOSER TO JESUS CHRIST. HOW DO I COME CLOSER TO HIM? 00:37:06.69\00:37:10.66 >>HIS TRUTH. >>THROUGH HIS TRUTH. 00:37:10.69\00:37:12.86 'THY WORD IS TRUTH.' SO IF I AM PRAYING TODAY AND I'M SAYING, 00:37:12.89\00:37:17.70 'LORD, I WANT A CLOSER EXPERIENCE WITH YOU. 00:37:17.73\00:37:20.34 I WANT TO BE RENEWED IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST. 00:37:20.37\00:37:24.51 I WANT TO EXPERIENCE THAT FREEDOM FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN 00:37:24.54\00:37:28.64 AND THAT CRUEL TASKMASTER OVER ME', THE WAY THAT I EXPERIENCE 00:37:28.68\00:37:33.28 THIS FREEDOM AND SALVATION TODAY IS BY KNOWING HIM. 00:37:33.31\00:37:37.82 >>AMEN. >>IT'S BY SPENDING THAT TIME 00:37:37.85\00:37:40.56 IN HIS WORD AND ALLOWING THAT CREATIVE WORD TO RECREATE 00:37:40.59\00:37:45.29 OUR HEARTS TODAY. AND THAT IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT 00:37:45.33\00:37:49.03 GOD IS NOT ONLY CALLING US TO, BUT GOD IS ALSO MAKING 00:37:49.06\00:37:53.30 PROVISION FOR TODAY. WHOEVER COMMITS SIN, HE WAS 00:37:53.34\00:38:00.68 ILLUSTRATING AGAIN, IS A SLAVE OF SIN. 00:38:00.71\00:38:03.28 BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE SLAVES OF SIN AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT 00:38:03.31\00:38:06.85 JESUS AND EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM THAT HE HAS OFFERED TO US. 00:38:06.88\00:38:12.19 IMAGINE, WITH ME, THAT THERE IS A CHILD BORN - THE MOTHER WAS A 00:38:12.22\00:38:17.19 DRUG ADDICT - THE CHILD WAS BORN ADDICTED TO DRUGS. 00:38:17.23\00:38:22.26 MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF THESE SCENARIOS BEFORE WHERE THE CHILD 00:38:22.30\00:38:24.83 LITERALLY GOES THROUGH WITHDRAWALS IN THE HOSPITAL AS 00:38:24.87\00:38:28.20 THEY ARE COMING OFF THIS ADDICTION TO THESE DRUGS. 00:38:28.24\00:38:32.31 IMAGINE A FAMILY COMES IN AND ADOPTS THAT CHILD AND THEY 00:38:32.34\00:38:36.44 NURTURE THAT CHILD AND THEY CARE FOR THAT CHILD, THEY PROVIDE FOR 00:38:36.48\00:38:40.22 THAT CHILD - THAT CHILD IS THEIRS. THEY LOVE HIM. 00:38:40.25\00:38:43.99 AND WHEN HE BECOMES A TEENAGER THE PARENTS SIT HIM DOWN AND 00:38:44.02\00:38:47.49 THEY SAY, 'YOU KNOW, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH THAT WE WANT TO OFFER 00:38:47.52\00:38:51.86 YOU FREEDOM - FULL FREEDOM - SO IF YOU WANT TO USE DRUGS - WE 00:38:51.89\00:38:56.36 KNOW YOU HAVE AN INCLINATION TOWARDS IT ANYWAYS, BECAUSE OF 00:38:56.40\00:38:59.53 YOUR MOTHER'S HISTORY, AND SO, IF YOU WANT TO USE DRUGS, JUST 00:38:59.57\00:39:03.87 KNOW THAT WE LOVE YOU ENOUGH THAT YOU'RE FREE TO DO THAT.' 00:39:03.91\00:39:08.14 IS THAT WHAT THE ADOPTED FAMILY WOULD SAY? 00:39:08.18\00:39:10.35 >>NO. >>NO. 00:39:10.38\00:39:12.85 'WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH THAT WE DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT. 00:39:12.88\00:39:16.32 WE SEE HOW DESTRUCTIVE IT IS AND WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE 00:39:16.35\00:39:21.29 CAN TO KEEP YOU FROM THAT LIFESTYLE - MAKE EVERY PROVISION 00:39:21.32\00:39:27.20 POSSIBLE FOR YOU.' YOU SEE, SOMETIMES PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND 00:39:27.23\00:39:31.63 THE FREEDOM THAT GOD IS OFFERING AND THEY SAY, 'WELL, NOW THAT 00:39:31.67\00:39:35.60 I'M FREE IN CHRIST. I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT. 00:39:35.64\00:39:39.71 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I DO, I AM FREE IN JESUS CHRIST.' BUT, 00:39:39.74\00:39:44.85 HERE, WE ARE TOLD THAT THAT FREEDOM MEANS I DON'T HAVE TO GO 00:39:44.88\00:39:48.58 BACK INTO THAT BONDAGE. THAT FREEDOM MEANS THAT I CAN 00:39:48.62\00:39:51.99 HAVE VICTORY IN MY LIFE AND THAT THAT VICTORY IS 00:39:52.02\00:39:55.76 ASSURED TO US TODAY. >>AMEN. 00:39:55.79\00:39:59.26 >>1 JOHN CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 9. A FAMILIAR TEXT TO US ALL, IT 00:39:59.29\00:40:04.27 SAYS THAT "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND 00:40:04.30\00:40:08.57 JUST TO" - >>FORGIVE. 00:40:08.60\00:40:10.77 >>FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO" - 00:40:10.81\00:40:14.28 >>CLEANSE. >>"CLEANSE US FROM 00:40:14.31\00:40:15.84 ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS." YOU SEE, OFTENTIMES I SEE THIS 00:40:15.88\00:40:20.62 FROM MANY CHRISTIANS - OR I HEAR THIS - THE FIRST PART OF THAT 00:40:20.65\00:40:25.62 PASSAGE IS FULLY ACCEPTED. YOU CONFESS YOUR SINS, 00:40:25.65\00:40:29.32 JESUS WILL FORGIVE YOU. BUT THEY FORGET OR THEY FAIL TO 00:40:29.36\00:40:34.36 INCLUDE THAT SECOND PORTION. IF WE CONFESS, HE WILL 00:40:34.36\00:40:38.47 FORGIVE AND CLEANSE US. YOU SEE, IF I LEAVE OFF THE 00:40:38.50\00:40:45.81 CLEANSING, I AM NOT TRULY REVEALING THE GOSPEL. 00:40:45.84\00:40:49.44 THE GOSPEL HAS THE POWER, NOT ONLY TO FORGIVE, BUT ALSO TO DO 00:40:49.48\00:40:52.71 WHAT? >>TO CLEANSE. 00:40:52.75\00:40:54.45 >>TO CLEANSE. NOT ONLY TO FORGIVE BUT TO EMPOWER US. 00:40:54.48\00:40:59.29 NOT ONLY TO GIVE US THE FREEDOM THAT IS BEING PROMISED HERE IN 00:40:59.32\00:41:03.02 GALATIANS 4, BUT ALSO TO EMPOWER US TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THAT 00:41:03.06\00:41:09.00 FREEDOM - TO NOT ENTER BACK INTO THAT BONDAGE OF SIN, BUT TO 00:41:09.03\00:41:14.50 CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THAT FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST. 00:41:14.54\00:41:20.71 TURN WITH ME TO GALATIANS CHAPTER 4 - GALATIANS CHAPTER 4 00:41:20.74\00:41:26.35 AND WE ARE IN VERSE 16 NOW. A COUNSEL FROM PAUL THAT WE CAN 00:41:26.38\00:41:32.35 POSSIBLY CONNECT WITH TODAY - GALATIANS CHAPTER 00:41:32.39\00:41:37.03 4 AND VERSE 16. PAUL IS SAYING, "HAVE I 00:41:37.06\00:41:40.70 THEREFORE BECOME YOUR ENEMY BECAUSE I TELL YOU THE TRUTH?" 00:41:40.73\00:41:47.94 HERE THE GALATIANS LOVED PAUL - THEY WERE WILLING TO GIVE THEIR 00:41:47.97\00:41:51.07 LIVES FOR PAUL - AND NOW PAUL IS GIVING THEM A BIT OF A HEFTY 00:41:51.11\00:41:55.38 REBUKE. AND HE SAYS, 'AM I NOW YOUR 00:41:55.41\00:41:59.05 ENEMY BECAUSE I HAVE REVEALED THE TRUTH TO YOU?' 00:41:59.08\00:42:05.39 YOU KNOW THE OLD ADAGE 'DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER'? 00:42:05.42\00:42:09.22 DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER IF THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT GOD HAS 00:42:09.26\00:42:12.73 SENT. PROVERBS CHAPTER 27 AND VERSE 00:42:12.76\00:42:14.76 6 TELLS US, "FAITHFUL ARE THE WOUNDS OF A FRIEND, BUT 00:42:14.83\00:42:20.74 THE KISSES OF AN ENEMY ARE DECEITFUL." 00:42:20.77\00:42:24.71 FAITHFUL ARE THE WOUNDS OF A FRIEND, BUT THE KISSES OF AN 00:42:24.74\00:42:27.48 ENEMY ARE DECEITFUL. ARE THERE TIMES WHERE WE 00:42:27.51\00:42:31.78 NEED TO SPEAK THE WORD? SEASONED WITH 00:42:31.81\00:42:35.25 GRACE - ABSOLUTELY. BUT PAUL LOVED THIS GROUP OF 00:42:35.28\00:42:39.35 PEOPLE SO MUCH THAT HE DESIRED THEM TO BE SET FREE. 00:42:39.39\00:42:43.22 AND HE WAS WILLING TO PUT HIMSELF ON THE LINE, EVEN IF IT 00:42:43.26\00:42:46.70 MADE SOME DIFFICULTIES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE HE 00:42:46.73\00:42:50.97 GENUINELY CARED ABUT THEM. SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. 00:42:51.00\00:42:59.31 DID PAUL, IN GALATIANS, CALL OUT ANOTHER BELIEVER - IN FACT, 00:42:59.34\00:43:04.75 PUBLICLY? WHO WAS THAT INDIVIDUAL? 00:43:04.78\00:43:07.62 >>PETER. >>PETER. 00:43:07.65\00:43:09.28 IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 2, PAUL PUBLICLY CALLS OUT PETER BECAUSE 00:43:09.32\00:43:15.02 HE WOULD NO LONGER KEEP COMPANY WITH THE GENTILES WHEN THE JEWS 00:43:15.06\00:43:18.73 WERE AROUND. HE WAS BEING A HYPOCRITE. 00:43:18.76\00:43:22.30 HE WAS LIVING A DOUBLE LIFE. AND, BECAUSE IT WAS A PUBLIC 00:43:22.33\00:43:25.27 SIN, PAUL CALLED IT OUT PUBLICLY. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I 00:43:25.30\00:43:29.47 APPRECIATE SO MUCH? IS THE RESPONSE THAT PETER GAVE. 00:43:29.50\00:43:35.41 IT'S NOT RECORDED IN THAT PASSAGE, PER SE, BUT WHEN YOU 00:43:35.44\00:43:38.28 READ ACTS OF THE APOSTLES AND OTHER COMMENTARY, YOU SEE THAT 00:43:38.31\00:43:41.65 PETER, THEN, AFTER HE RECEIVED THIS REBUKE - AND HELP ME OUT 00:43:41.68\00:43:46.39 HERE, HOW MANY OF US WANT TO BE PUBLICLY REBUKED? 00:43:46.42\00:43:49.22 (LAUGHTER) DOES THAT SOUND ENJOYABLE? 00:43:49.26\00:43:51.36 >>NO. >>ABSOLUTELY NOT. 00:43:51.39\00:43:54.46 BUT PETER, AFTER RECEIVING THIS PUBLIC REBUKE, HE COULD HAVE 00:43:54.46\00:43:57.63 BEEN ANGRY. HE COULD HAVE BEEN MAD. 00:43:57.67\00:43:59.43 HE COULD HAVE CALLED PAUL ALL SORTS OF THINGS, BUT INSTEAD, HE 00:43:59.47\00:44:02.80 TOOK IT HUMBLY. HE ACCEPTED THE REBUKE. 00:44:02.84\00:44:06.47 'YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT.' AND WE READ IN ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 00:44:06.51\00:44:09.61 THAT HE WENT TO THE OTHERS AND AS FAR AS WAS WITHIN HIS POWER, 00:44:09.64\00:44:14.12 HE SOUGHT TO CORRECT THIS MISTAKE THAT HAD BEEN MADE. 00:44:14.15\00:44:18.79 HE SOUGHT TO MAKE THAT CHANGE IN HIS LIFE. 00:44:18.82\00:44:22.09 HOW DO WE RESPOND WHEN WE'RE CORRECTED? 00:44:22.12\00:44:24.83 ARE WE WILLING TO HUMBLE OURSELVES AND SAY, 'YOU KNOW 00:44:24.86\00:44:27.60 WHAT? YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT? 00:44:27.60\00:44:30.73 I SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT. WILL YOU FORGIVE ME?' 00:44:30.77\00:44:35.27 ARE WE HUMBLE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND WILLING TO MAKE THAT 00:44:35.30\00:44:38.37 RESTITUTION WHERE NEEDED? WE'RE GOING TO LOOK, NOW, AT 00:44:38.41\00:44:43.08 TUESDAY'S LESSON, GOD SENDING FORTH HIS SON . 00:44:43.11\00:44:47.92 GALATIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSES 4 THROUGH 7. 00:44:47.95\00:44:52.89 THANK YOU. >>"BUT WHEN THE FULLNESS OF THE 00:44:52.92\00:44:55.22 TIME HAD COME, GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, BORN 00:44:55.26\00:45:01.76 UNDER THE LAW, TO REDEEM THOSE WHO WERE UNDER THE LAW, THAT WE 00:45:01.80\00:45:07.90 MIGHT RECEIVE THE ADOPTION AS SONS. 00:45:07.94\00:45:12.44 AND BECAUSE YOU ARE SONS, GOD HAS SENT FORTH THE SPIRIT OF HIS 00:45:12.47\00:45:17.25 SON INTO YOUR HEARTS, CRYING OUT, 'ABBA, FATHER!' 00:45:17.28\00:45:23.22 THEREFORE YOU ARE NO LONGER A SLAVE BUT A SON, AND IF A SON, 00:45:23.25\00:45:29.86 THEN AN HEIR OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST." 00:45:29.89\00:45:34.86 >>AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I LOVE THE PERSONAL 00:45:34.93\00:45:38.53 CONNECTION THERE. NOTICE, 'YOU ARE AN HEIR' - YOU 00:45:38.57\00:45:42.07 ARE A CHILD OF GOD AND, BECAUSE YOU ARE SUCH, YOU CRY 00:45:42.10\00:45:45.07 OUT 'ABBA, FATHER'. NOTICE THAT'S A VERY 00:45:45.11\00:45:49.48 AFFECTIONATE PHRASE. IT WOULD BE LIKE 00:45:49.51\00:45:51.28 SAYING, 'DADDY'. YOU ARE NOT A FOSTER CHILD. 00:45:51.31\00:45:55.75 'YOU ARE NOT IN A GROUP HOME WHERE YOU SAY, 'MR. 00:45:55.78\00:45:57.99 AND MRS. JOHNSON', YOU ARE MY ADOPTED CHILD. 00:45:58.02\00:46:01.89 YOU ARE A CO-HEIR. YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE KING.' 00:46:01.92\00:46:07.60 ABBA FATHER - THAT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP THAT CHRIST 00:46:07.66\00:46:10.83 WANTS TO HAVE WITH US. NOTICE, IT STATES THAT CHRIST 00:46:10.87\00:46:14.90 CAME IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME. CHRIST CAME EXACTLY ON TIME. 00:46:14.94\00:46:21.64 WE SEE, IN DANIEL CHAPTER 9, THAT IT WAS PREDICTED - WHAT 00:46:21.68\00:46:25.35 YEAR JESUS WOULD BE BORN - ABOUT 500 YEARS EARLIER THAN THE 00:46:25.38\00:46:28.88 BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. SO YES, HE CAME ON TIME, PROPHETICALLY 00:46:28.92\00:46:33.49 SPEAKING, BUT ALSO CULTURALLY AND POLITICALLY SPEAKING AS 00:46:33.52\00:46:37.39 WELL. OF COURSE, WE SEE THAT MOST OF THE COUNTRIES, THEY WERE 00:46:37.43\00:46:41.03 UNDER THAT GOVERNMENT - GOVERNMENT RULING POWER - OF 00:46:41.06\00:46:45.27 ROME. GREEK WAS A COMMON LANGUAGE AT THAT TIME AND, IN 00:46:45.30\00:46:50.01 FACT, THE SCRIPTURES HAD BEEN WRITTEN IN GREEK FOR ABOUT THE 00:46:50.04\00:46:53.44 LAST 200 YEARS - OR AT LEAST BEEN AVAILABLE IN GREEK - FOR 00:46:53.48\00:46:56.71 ABOUT 200 YEARS BEFORE THE COMING OF CHRIST. 00:46:56.75\00:46:59.88 SO THERE WAS AN INCREASED INTEREST IN RELIGION. 00:46:59.91\00:47:03.85 NOTICE THAT THE PROPHECY OF A MESSIAH COMING WAS FIRST GIVEN 00:47:03.89\00:47:08.42 ABOUT 4,000 YEARS BEFORE JESUS ACTUALLY CAME. 00:47:08.46\00:47:13.73 CAN YOU IMAGINE WAITING 4,000 YEARS FOR A PROMISE TO BE 00:47:13.76\00:47:16.30 FULFILLED? THE JEWISH NATION, YOU COULD 00:47:16.33\00:47:19.67 IMAGINE, MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE FULFILLED 00:47:19.70\00:47:22.50 AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF WAITING. HAVE YOU EVER WAITED A LONG TIME 00:47:22.54\00:47:26.81 FOR GOD TO FULFILL A PROMISE FOR YOU? 00:47:26.84\00:47:30.41 AND YOU HOPED IT WOULD HAPPEN LIKE YESTERDAY, RIGHT? 00:47:30.45\00:47:34.45 AND, INSTEAD, YOU KEEP WAITING AND WAITING AND WONDERING, 'WHEN 00:47:34.48\00:47:37.92 WILL THAT FULFILLMENT COME?' DESIRE OF AGES, P. 32 00:47:37.95\00:47:42.49 TELLS US THIS: "LIKE THE STARS IN THE VAST CIRCUIT OF 00:47:42.52\00:47:47.00 THEIR APPOINTED PATH, GOD'S PURPOSES KNOW NO HASTE AND NO 00:47:47.03\00:47:52.07 DELAY." LIKE THE STARS IN THEIR 00:47:52.10\00:47:55.97 APPOINTED PATH, GOD'S PURPOSES KNOW NO HASTE AND NO DELAY. 00:47:56.00\00:48:03.18 JUST AS JESUS CAME RIGHT ON TIME, SO, ALSO, YOU CAN BE 00:48:03.21\00:48:07.28 ASSURED TODAY THAT THE PROMISES HE HAS ASSURED YOU OF WILL BE 00:48:07.32\00:48:11.55 FULFILLED. HE KNOWS THE BEST TIME. HE KNOWS WHEN. 00:48:11.59\00:48:16.96 BUT BELIEVE THAT CHRIST WILL DO IT AGAIN TODAY. 00:48:16.99\00:48:22.43 TURN WITH ME AGAIN TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 20 AS WE BEGIN TO WIND 00:48:22.46\00:48:25.13 THIS UP. WE ARE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 20 AND VERSE 28. 00:48:25.17\00:48:32.37 MATTHEW CHAPTER 20 AND VERSE 28. THE BIBLE SAYS, IN MATTHEW 20, 00:48:32.41\00:48:44.89 VERSE 28, "JUST AS THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, 00:48:44.92\00:48:49.32 BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY." 00:48:49.36\00:48:56.00 THE SON CAME TO BE WHAT? >>SIN. 00:48:56.03\00:48:59.27 >>A RANSOM. HE CAME TO PAY THAT PRICE. 00:48:59.30\00:49:03.14 IN FACT, ISAIAH 52, VERSE 3 SAYS, "YOU HAVE SOLD YOURSELVES 00:49:03.17\00:49:07.71 FOR NOTHING," - WHEN WE GIVE OURSELVES TO THE WORLD, WE TRULY 00:49:07.74\00:49:12.41 HAVE SOLD OURSELVES FOR NOTHING - "YOU HAVE SOLD YOURSELVES FOR 00:49:12.45\00:49:16.48 NOTHING, AND YOU SHALL BE REDEEMED WITHOUT MONEY." 00:49:16.52\00:49:20.96 WE, TOO, WERE REDEEMED WITHOUT MONEY. 00:49:20.99\00:49:23.69 WE WERE REDEEMED BY THE VERY LIFE - THE VERY BLOOD OF JESUS 00:49:23.73\00:49:27.66 CHRIST. YOU SEE, HERE, AGAIN WE ARE TOLD 00:49:27.66\00:49:30.30 THAT WE ARE CO-HEIRS WITH JESUS CHRIST. 00:49:30.33\00:49:33.27 WE ARE RECEIVING THAT INHERITANCE FROM GOD. 00:49:33.30\00:49:36.00 WHAT MUST OCCUR BEFORE AN INHERITANCE IS GIVEN? 00:49:36.04\00:49:39.51 >>A DEATH. >>A DEATH. 00:49:39.54\00:49:42.64 AND JESUS DIED SO THAT WE COULD BE RANSOMED. 00:49:42.68\00:49:45.61 JESUS DIED SO THAT WE COULD RECEIVE THAT INHERITANCE. 00:49:45.65\00:49:50.39 THE STORY IS TOLD OF A PASTOR WHO WAS ONCE TALKING WITH A 00:49:50.42\00:49:53.15 NON-BELIEVING FRIEND OF HIS AND HE TOLD HIM OF A BOY WHO HAD 00:49:53.19\00:49:58.69 BEEN IN VENEZUELA AND WAS KIDNAPPED - AND THE FATHER PAID 00:49:58.73\00:50:03.00 ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO RECEIVE THAT CHILD AGAIN - TO RANSOM HIS 00:50:03.03\00:50:08.70 CHILD BACK. AND HE ASKED HIS NON-BELIEVING 00:50:08.74\00:50:11.54 FRIEND, 'YOU KNOW, WAS THAT WORTH IT? A MILLION DOLLARS? 00:50:11.57\00:50:15.24 I'M SURE YOU COULD FIND A BOY FOR CHEAPER THAN THAT. 00:50:15.28\00:50:17.65 WAS IT WORTH A MILLION DOLLARS?' 00:50:17.68\00:50:19.95 AND THE FRIEND SAID, 'WELL, TO THE FATHER, IT WAS.' AND SO, 00:50:19.98\00:50:25.62 ALSO, IN OUR LIFE TODAY, IF YOU EVER QUESTION YOUR VALUE - IF 00:50:25.65\00:50:28.72 YOU EVER QUESTION YOUR WORTH, REMEMBER THAT YOUR LIFE WAS 00:50:28.76\00:50:32.03 WORTH THE SON OF GOD - THAT YOU WERE WORTH THAT RANSOM OF JESUS 00:50:32.06\00:50:37.40 CHRIST THAT WAS PAID SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE UNDER THAT 00:50:37.43\00:50:41.57 BONDAGE AND CONTINUE TO GO BACK INTO THAT WORKS-ORIENTED 00:50:41.60\00:50:45.44 RELIGION, BUT, INSTEAD, WE CAN EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM THAT IS 00:50:45.47\00:50:49.14 FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST - THE FREEDOM THAT EMPOWERS US - THE 00:50:49.18\00:50:53.95 FREEDOM THAT GIVES US THAT NEW LIFE TODAY. 00:50:53.98\00:50:58.05 THERE'S SO MUCH MORE IN THIS LESSON THAT I DESIRE TO COVER, 00:50:58.09\00:51:01.42 BUT, OF COURSE, TIME GOES TOO FAST. 00:51:01.46\00:51:03.89 BUT, IN ESSENCE, I WANT TO LEAVE US WITH THIS THOUGHT AS I CLOSE 00:51:03.93\00:51:06.93 WITH A STORY. WHAT IS THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE 00:51:06.96\00:51:11.23 BETWEEN A SLAVE AND AN HEIR? YOU SEE, WHEN YOU ARE A SLAVE, 00:51:11.27\00:51:18.17 WHAT YOU DO PLEASES THE MASTER. BUT WHEN YOU ARE AN HEIR, WHO 00:51:18.21\00:51:24.65 YOU ARE PLEASES THE MASTER. SO TODAY, WHO YOU ARE - THE 00:51:24.68\00:51:31.29 PERSON JESUS CREATED YOU TO BE - YOU PLEASE THE MASTER. 00:51:31.32\00:51:37.66 THE TRUE STORY IS TOLD OF A HUSBAND AND WIFE - THEY HAD COME 00:51:37.69\00:51:42.40 OUT WEST IN THE LATE 1800S, SETTLING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. 00:51:42.43\00:51:47.30 THEY WERE NEWLYWEDS, DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN, JUST 00:51:47.34\00:51:50.34 A LITTLE PLOT OF LAND - NOT TOO MUCH TO THEIR NAME. 00:51:50.37\00:51:54.28 BUT THEY HAD A DESIRE TO BUILD UP THEIR LAND AND THEIR PROFITS 00:51:54.31\00:51:58.41 AND SO ONE DAY THE HUSBAND GOES TO THE WIFE AND SAYS, 'ELLA, I 00:51:58.45\00:52:01.45 NEED TO BUY A HORSE.' AND ELLA LOOKS AT HIM, 00:52:01.48\00:52:04.75 ADORINGLY, AND SAYS, 'WELL, SURE, HONEY, BUT 00:52:04.79\00:52:06.72 WHILE YOU'RE IN TOWN, I NEED FLOUR AND SUGAR AND COTTON AND' 00:52:06.76\00:52:10.96 - YOU GUYS KNOW THE HONEY-DO LIST, RIGHT? 00:52:10.99\00:52:14.60 AND SO HE SAID, 'WELL, YES, DEAR.' AND THE NEXT MORNING HE 00:52:14.63\00:52:17.10 SET OFF IN HIS LITTLE BUGGY AND HE WENT TO TOWN. 00:52:17.13\00:52:20.24 HE GOES TO THE GENERAL STORE AND HE TELLS THE MANAGER, 00:52:20.27\00:52:22.80 'HEY, I'M LOOKING TO BUY A HORSE. 00:52:22.84\00:52:24.04 I NEED A NICE, BIG, STRONG HORSE TO WORK IN MY FIELDS.' AND THE 00:52:24.07\00:52:28.51 MANAGER SAYS, 'WELL, I HAVE JUST THE HORSE YOU'RE TALKING OF.' 00:52:28.54\00:52:31.95 HE LET HIM OUT BACK TO PASTURE THERE AND HE LOOKED AT THE HORSE 00:52:31.98\00:52:36.65 THAT, INDEED, WAS THE HORSE OF HIS DREAMS. 00:52:36.69\00:52:39.42 AND HE BEGAN TO BARTER BACK AND FORTH, FINALLY ARRIVING AT A 00:52:39.45\00:52:42.66 PRICE. HE SAID, 'I'LL TAKE IT! SOLD!' BUT THE MAN REPLIED, 'NOT 00:52:42.69\00:52:48.56 SO FAST. IF YOU WANT THIS HORSE, YOU GET 00:52:48.60\00:52:53.20 THE BOY.' IF YOU WANT THE HORSE, YOU GET THE BOY. 00:52:53.23\00:53:00.61 HE POINTED OVER TO A BAIL OF HAY AND A LITTLE BOY, THREE OR FOUR 00:53:00.64\00:53:03.71 YEARS OLD SITTING LOOKING FAR TOO ALONE IN THIS BIG OLD WORLD. 00:53:03.75\00:53:09.42 IF YOU WANT THE HORSE, YOU GET THE BOY. 00:53:09.45\00:53:14.39 OF COURSE, WHAT WAS THIS MAN GOING TO DO? 00:53:14.42\00:53:16.46 YOU SEE, THIS BOY'S FAMILY HAD COME ACROSS ON A WAGON TRAIN. 00:53:16.49\00:53:19.66 SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THE FAMILY - IT WAS LOST IN HISTORY 00:53:19.69\00:53:22.93 - BUT ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE BOY AND THE HORSE. 00:53:22.96\00:53:27.00 IF YOU WANT THE HORSE, YOU GET THE BOY. 00:53:27.04\00:53:31.41 HE CONTINUED HIS SHOPPING WITH A HEAVY HEART - THEY DIDN'T EVEN 00:53:31.44\00:53:33.84 HAVE ANY CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN, HOW COULD HE COME HOME THAT DAY 00:53:33.88\00:53:36.44 WITH A HORSE AND FLOUR AND COTTON AND A SON? 00:53:36.48\00:53:40.22 TELL ME, GENTLEMEN, HOW DO YOU SPRING THAT ON YOUR WIFE? 00:53:40.25\00:53:45.49 AND, AS HE SET OFF FOR HOME IN HIS BUGGY, HE FINALLY GOT THE 00:53:45.52\00:53:49.99 COURAGE TO LOOK BEHIND HIM AT THE HORSE TIED TO THE BACK OF 00:53:50.03\00:53:53.90 HIS BUGGY AND THE LITTLE BOY SITTING NEXT TO HIM. 00:53:53.93\00:53:58.17 OF COURSE, HE COULDN'T LEAVE THAT LITTLE BOY BEHIND. 'BOY, 00:53:58.20\00:54:01.20 WHAT'S YOUR NAME?' 'HARRY.' 'WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME?' 00:54:01.24\00:54:05.47 'HARRY.' YOU SEE, THE LITTLE BOY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HIS LAST NAME. 00:54:05.51\00:54:09.68 NOW, NATHAN REALIZED THAT HE NEEDED A PLAN AND HE NEEDED A 00:54:09.71\00:54:12.28 PLAN FAST. 'HARRY, WHEN WE GET HOME, I WANT YOU TO RUN UP TO 00:54:12.31\00:54:18.42 ELLA AND TELL HER, 'MOMMY, I'M HOME!' THEY BEGAN TO PRACTICE 00:54:18.45\00:54:24.83 BACK AND FORTH - 'MOMMY, I'M HOME!' AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE 00:54:24.86\00:54:29.46 THEY, INDEED, WERE PULLING UP THAT DRIVEWAY FOR HOME. 00:54:29.50\00:54:34.07 YOU CAN IMAGINE THE NERVES THAT NATHAN WAS FEELING AS HE SEES 00:54:34.10\00:54:36.87 ELLA STANDING THERE ON HIS PORCH LOOKING OUT. 00:54:36.91\00:54:39.81 THEY PULL UP AND STOP IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, BUT BOTH NATHAN 00:54:39.84\00:54:42.98 AND HARRY ARE FROZEN TO THE SEAT. WITH A LITTLE NUDGE FROM 00:54:43.01\00:54:47.35 NATHAN, HARRY CLIMBS DOWN, RUNS UP THOSE STAIRS, GRABS ELLA 00:54:47.38\00:54:54.39 AROUND THE WAIST AND SAYS, 'MOMMY, I'M HOME!' 00:54:54.42\00:54:58.36 (LAUGHTER) WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT, ELLA REACHED DOWN, 00:54:58.39\00:55:05.03 PICKED HIM UP, HUGGED HIM TIGHT AND SAID, 'YES, MY SON, YOU ARE 00:55:05.07\00:55:12.61 HOME.' YOU SEE, THIS STORY IS PRECIOUS TO ME BECAUSE ELLA AND 00:55:12.64\00:55:17.45 NATHAN WERE THE FIRST SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS IN MY 00:55:17.48\00:55:19.75 FAMILY. THEY WENT ON TO ADOPT MANY MORE 00:55:19.78\00:55:23.02 CHILDREN AND TO HAVE MANY MORE CHILDREN AND THIS STORY HAS 00:55:23.05\00:55:26.45 BEEN PASSED ALONG THROUGH THE GENERATIONS. 00:55:26.49\00:55:29.39 BUT I LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL SPIRITUAL PICTURE THAT IT GIVES 00:55:29.42\00:55:32.36 US AS WELL. OF THE DAY WHEN, BY THE GRACE OF 00:55:32.39\00:55:35.36 GOD, WE WILL BE IN HEAVEN BEFORE JESUS CHRIST - OF JESUS 00:55:35.40\00:55:39.50 BRINGING US BEFORE THE FATHER. IMAGINE, ON THAT DAY, LOOKING 00:55:39.53\00:55:43.81 INTO THE FATHER'S FACE AND SAYING, 'FATHER, I'M HOME!' 00:55:43.84\00:55:47.21 >>AMEN. >>AND HEARING GOD TELL YOU, 00:55:47.24\00:55:50.21 'YES, MY SON - YES, MY DAUGHTER, YOU ARE HOME.' 00:55:50.25\00:55:58.19 >>AMEN. >>DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THAT 00:55:58.22\00:55:59.75 DAY, TODAY? >>AMEN. 00:55:59.79\00:56:01.46 >>AMEN. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE WILL FINALLY BE 00:56:01.49\00:56:05.53 HOME. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, AGAIN, TO CALL FOR THIS FREE 00:56:05.56\00:56:09.16 OFFER. I KNOW THAT YOU WILL ENJOY IT AND IT WILL BE A 00:56:09.20\00:56:11.90 BLESSING AS WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY WITH JESUS CHRIST. 00:56:11.93\00:56:14.94 FREE OFFER #156 - CALL 866-STUDY-MORE. MAY GOD BLESS 00:56:14.97\00:56:21.58 AND KEEP YOU UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 00:56:21.61\00:56:35.99 >>FRIENDS, ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT YOU'LL OFTEN FIND IN 00:56:36.02\00:56:38.03 THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS, LIKE HERE ON FIJI, IS THE VAIVAI 00:56:38.06\00:56:41.50 PLANT. NOW, IN NORTH AMERICA, IF YOU 00:56:41.53\00:56:43.57 WANT TO BUILD A FENCE YOU'VE GOT TO GET FENCE POSTS AND THEN YOU 00:56:43.60\00:56:45.90 PUT THE WOODEN FENCE POSTS IN THE GROUND AND THEN AFTER A FEW 00:56:45.93\00:56:49.40 YEARS THEY'RE GOING TO ROT AND BREAK OFF, UNLESS THEY'RE 00:56:49.44\00:56:51.11 SPECIALLY TREATED. BUT HERE, THEY'VE GOT THESE 00:56:51.14\00:56:53.68 TREES - THE VAIVAI TREE - THEY CAN CUT THEM RIGHT OUT OF THE 00:56:53.71\00:56:56.64 WOODS, THEY'LL TAKE A STICK, THEY STICK IT IN THE GROUND, AND 00:56:56.68\00:57:00.05 BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MUCH RAIN AND PRECIPITATION, IT BEGINS TO 00:57:00.08\00:57:03.42 SPROUT AND TURNS INTO A LIVING FENCE POST. 00:57:03.45\00:57:06.25 IT MAKES UP ITS MIND THAT IT'S GOING TO FLOURISH WHEREVER YOU 00:57:06.29\00:57:08.26 STICK IT, WHICH IS A GOOD LESSON FOR YOU AND ME. 00:57:08.29\00:57:11.66 SO YOU MIGHT WONDER SOMETIMES IF YOU'VE GOT A PURPOSE IN LIFE. 00:57:11.69\00:57:14.73 YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GROWING SORT OF SPORADICALLY IN 00:57:14.76\00:57:16.77 EVERY DIRECTION, AND THEN ALONG COMES THIS PERSON WHO CUTS YOU 00:57:16.80\00:57:20.00 DOWN AND CARRIES YOU OFF, HE STICKS YOU IN THE GROUND BUT YOU 00:57:20.04\00:57:24.14 LOOK BACK AND SAY, 'THERE WAS A PLAN. 00:57:24.17\00:57:26.94 THERE WAS A PURPOSE.' GOD KNOWS HOW TO TEACH US HOW TO PROSPER 00:57:26.98\00:57:30.75 WHERE HE PLANTS US. YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY THE LORD 00:57:30.78\00:57:33.42 HAS PUT YOU WHERE HE HAS IN LIFE, BUT YOU CAN PUT DOWN ROOTS 00:57:33.45\00:57:36.48 AND YOU CAN GROW AND YOU CAN SERVE A GREAT PURPOSE FOR GOD. 00:57:36.52\00:57:39.42 YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE GOD SAYS IN JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29, 'I KNOW THE 00:57:39.45\00:57:42.99 PLANS THAT I'VE GOT FOR YOU TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE.' GOD HAS A 00:57:43.02\00:57:46.03 PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE, FRIENDS, AND HE CAN HELP YOU TO PROSPER 00:57:46.06\00:57:48.93 AND GROW WHEREVER YOU'RE PLANTED. (MUSIC) 00:57:48.96\00:57:58.07 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT 00:57:58.11\00:58:01.04 AFBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 00:58:01.08\00:58:07.72 (MUSIC) 00:58:07.75\00:58:22.73