Good morning, friends,
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and welcome again to
Sabbath School Study Hour,
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coming to here from Granite Bay
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Seventh-day Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
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Very warm welcome
to our online members
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and those who are
joining us across the country
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and around the world,
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part of our study
Sabbath school group
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this morning.
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Also I'd like to
welcome the regular members
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and visitors right here
at the Granite Bay Church.
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Over the past few weeks,
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we've been
studying through a lesson
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quarterly on stewardship.
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It's entitled "Stewardship,
Motives of the Heart".
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It's been an
excellent study so far.
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It's actually been convicting
on a number of those topics
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that were brought to
view in our study together.
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Today, we find
ourselves on lesson number six,
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and it's entitled
the "Marks of a Steward",
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lesson number six,
the Marks of a Steward.
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For those who are joining
us, if you don't have a copy of
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lesson number six
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and would like to
study along with us,
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you can download the lesson
at the Amazing Facts website,
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just amazingfacts.org.
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Click on the link that
says Sabbath School Study Hour,
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and you can
download lesson number six,
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the Marks of a Steward,
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and that's what we're
going to be studying today.
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We also have a free offer
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that goes along with the subject
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that we're looking at.
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It's an Amazing
Facts study guide
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entitled In God We Trust?
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And this is our free
offer for this morning.
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If you'd like to receive
this anywhere in North America,
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give us a call on
our resource phone line,
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that number is 866-788-3966.
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If you're
outside of North America,
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you can read the study guide
at the Amazing Facts website,
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just amazingfacts.org.
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But before we get to
our study this morning,
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we like to begin by
lifting our voices in song.
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I'd like to
invite our song leaders
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to come join me.
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Come, all
Christians, be committed
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To the service of the Lord
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Make your lives
for Him more fitted
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Tune your hearts with one accord
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Come into His
courts with gladness
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Each his sacred vows renew
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Turn away from sin and sadness
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Be transformed with life anew
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Of your time and talents give ye
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They are gifts from God above
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To be used by Christians freely
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To proclaim His wondrous love
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Come again to serve the Savior
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Tithes and
off'rings with you bring
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In your work,
with Him find favor
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And with joy His praises sing
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Come in praise and adoration
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All who in Christ's name believe
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Worship Him with consecration
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Grace and love you will receive
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For His grace give Him the glory
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For the Spirit and the Word
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And repeat the gospel story
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Till mankind His name has heard
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Dear Father in heaven,
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we thank You
for the opportunity,
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once again to come
and open up Your Word
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and study this
very important subject
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of being a
faithful steward to You.
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For all of the blessings
and all of the many things
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which You have been
trusted to our care,
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help us to use our
talents, our abilities wisely
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for the
furtherance of Your kingdom.
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Bless our time today,
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for we ask this
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our lesson this morning
is going to be brought to us
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by Dr. David DeRose.
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Thank you.
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Well, we're
continuing on our journey
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studying through Stewardship,
Motives of the Heart.
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And as Pastor John
mentioned not long ago,
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lesson six is our focus today,
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the Marks of a
Steward, the Marks of a Steward.
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Perhaps, you've
thought about it,
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maybe you hadn't lately,
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but it continuous to
bombard us in the media,
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and it simply how the
actions of a single person
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or a few people can
totally damage a brand.
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Have you thought about it?
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A few airline employees
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treat someone
unkindly on a plane,
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and what happens to
the brand of that airline?
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A few engineers
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tinker with the
exhaust system of a vehicle
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and end up trashing the brand
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that is represented
by thousands of people
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throughout the world.
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Are you following the law?
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But it doesn't have
to be something abstract,
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it maybe doesn't
directly impact you,
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maybe it was just
that last phone call
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to the big
retailer that you deal with,
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perhaps an online retailer,
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and you make that call
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and you get someone on
the other end of the line
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who is totally insensitive,
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maybe even rude, that's right.
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What does that do to
the brand of that company?
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Well, this
morning, our lesson study
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brings the concept
of brand into focus.
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As we begin this study
on the Marks of a Steward,
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we have a scripture
reading, a memory text
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that actually crystallizes a lot
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of what today's lesson is about.
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This week's lesson,
the Marks of a Stewart,
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1 Corinthians 4 is
where the scripture is found,
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verses 1 and 2, and feel
free to read that with me
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in the New King James Version,
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1 Corinthians 4:1 and 2,
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"Let a man so consider us,
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as servants of Christ
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and stewards of
the mysteries of God.
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Moreover it is
required in stewards
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that one be found faithful."
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Well, as the lesson
opens up, it says stewards
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are known by their brand
or their distinctive mark.
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Think about it, what
are Christians known for?
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You might say well,
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Christians are
known for good things,
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we're Christians after all,
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we're here
worshipping in God's house,
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but in many people's minds
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Christianity is not
associated with good things.
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Are there places in the world
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where someone
labeled a Christian
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is identified with immorality?
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You're following along with me?
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There are, there
are places in the world
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where people that take
the name of Jesus Christ
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are identified with
those who do not dress morally,
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do not watch
things that are immoral,
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do not live moral lives.
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Are you following along with me?
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How is it with our
representation of Jesus?
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How is it with
my representation?
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That scripture, 1 Corinthians
4 is embedded in a context,
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and we want to
spend a little time
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looking at the
context of 1 Corinthians.
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I don't know
what kind of churches
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you've been members of,
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and here we're in
the Granite Bay Church.
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I'm thankful to be a
member of this congregation.
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Not every church though
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has a well desirable
pedigree if you will.
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If you turn in your
Bibles to 1 Corinthians
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where our memory text came from.
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We're reading about a church.
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We're reading a letter
that Paul wrote to a church
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that is not a church
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that had an enviable reputation,
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at least at the time
Paul was writing his letter.
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In fact, things were so
bad in the Corinthian Church
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that by the time Paul gets
to chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians,
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and I'm paraphrasing.
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Chapter 5 opens up
where Paul is saying,
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"Things so bad are
happening in your church
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that not even the non-Christians
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would think of
doing anything like this."
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It's interesting to me though
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that 1
Corinthians and 2 Corinthians
00:10:02.60\00:10:05.23
really give us some
of the clearest insight
00:10:05.23\00:10:07.97
into what it takes to
be an effective steward.
00:10:07.97\00:10:11.44
And it actually is crystallized
in a number of descriptions
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of the calling that
we have as believers.
00:10:15.84\00:10:18.55
Let's look
together at, first of all,
00:10:18.55\00:10:20.52
a very key
scripture that actually comes
00:10:20.52\00:10:24.19
from 1 Corinthians
right before that low point
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if you will in 1 Corinthians 5,
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I'm going to 1 Corinthians 4:16.
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1 Corinthians
4:16, a very short verse,
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but one that really
behooves us to really imbibe,
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to really take in.
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There Paul writes,
1 Corinthians 4:16,
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"Therefore I
urge you, imitate me."
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Paul is urging
believers to do what?
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To imitate him.
00:11:02.49\00:11:04.39
Paul is basically saying
that Jesus is calling him
00:11:04.39\00:11:08.83
to be an example of believers.
00:11:08.83\00:11:11.57
They might say,
"Well, that's good for Paul,
00:11:11.57\00:11:14.10
but what about for you and
me," Paul's example as he writes
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the letters to
the Corinthian Church,
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1 and 2 Corinthians,
00:11:20.94\00:11:22.61
is actually
revealing his own heart
00:11:22.61\00:11:24.91
in our calling as believers.
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Let's look at some of
the descriptions here.
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And the reason we're doing
it is because I don't want us
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to fall in the trap,
as important as it is
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to understand the
call to being stewards,
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the Bible calls us
other things as well that take
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in a fuller idea of stewardship.
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In fact, a fuller idea,
an idea that we might miss,
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where we just to think
about what a steward does,
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and we are going to
look at that in detail.
00:11:49.37\00:11:51.84
So let's look a little bit
more at some of the descriptions
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of Paul's own calling
and the calling of believers.
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Remember, we're
looking at Paul's calling
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for two reasons.
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We're to do what?
00:12:00.98\00:12:02.15
We just read in
1 Corinthians 4:16,
00:12:02.15\00:12:05.49
we're to imitate Paul.
00:12:05.49\00:12:07.09
So Paul's calling
is my calling as well,
00:12:07.09\00:12:09.52
it's your calling
as well because Paul
00:12:09.52\00:12:12.29
under divine
inspiration was saying,
00:12:12.29\00:12:14.30
God was leading in his
life so that we would imitate,
00:12:14.30\00:12:19.07
that we would catch in
him a picture of Jesus.
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Isn't that what it's all about?
00:12:22.64\00:12:24.04
It's not about Paul,
it's not about you or me,
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it's reflecting the Master.
00:12:26.47\00:12:28.28
Let's see that. Let's
see how that picks up.
00:12:28.28\00:12:30.38
I'm going back to
1 Corinthians 3 now.
00:12:30.38\00:12:32.35
We're just looking at
a few other descriptors
00:12:32.35\00:12:35.08
that help us have a
better understanding
00:12:35.08\00:12:36.92
of our calling
and they all tie in
00:12:36.92\00:12:38.45
ultimately with stewardship.
00:12:38.45\00:12:40.32
1 Corinthians 3:5,
let's look at this,
00:12:40.32\00:12:45.03
"Who then is Paul,
and who is Apollos,
00:12:45.03\00:12:48.90
but ministers
through whom you believed,
00:12:48.90\00:12:52.17
as the Lord gave to each one?"
00:12:52.17\00:12:55.74
So what is Paul
calling himself in this verse?
00:12:55.74\00:13:00.78
A minister.
00:13:00.78\00:13:01.94
So what does a minister do?
00:13:01.94\00:13:06.18
Yeah, you're saying ministers,
00:13:06.18\00:13:07.35
I mean, well,
it's a silly question.
00:13:07.35\00:13:09.25
But what does it mean
to minister to someone?
00:13:09.25\00:13:13.66
To be a spiritual leader,
00:13:13.66\00:13:15.09
to teach some of
these ideas come to...
00:13:15.09\00:13:16.79
Let me ask you this question,
and don't all raise your hands
00:13:16.79\00:13:19.66
or don't all shout out at once,
00:13:19.66\00:13:21.20
but has anyone ministered to you
00:13:21.20\00:13:23.60
since you walked
through the doors
00:13:23.60\00:13:24.97
of the church this morning?
00:13:24.97\00:13:27.74
I mean, how do, and I see
00:13:27.74\00:13:28.90
some of you nodding
your heads, smiling.
00:13:28.90\00:13:31.04
How did someone minister to you?
00:13:31.04\00:13:32.17
Did they teach?
00:13:32.17\00:13:33.24
Did they preach to
you as you walked in?
00:13:33.24\00:13:36.01
They prayed with
you, they loved you,
00:13:36.01\00:13:38.95
someone was friendly to you.
00:13:38.95\00:13:41.05
So basically, we're
seeing that one characteristic
00:13:41.05\00:13:43.75
of this calling, and
it really, it takes in,
00:13:43.75\00:13:45.89
it takes in stewardship
because we're being entrusted
00:13:45.89\00:13:48.86
as stewards, one's who
cares for the Master's goods,
00:13:48.86\00:13:52.96
for the Master's work,
00:13:52.96\00:13:54.20
if you will in the
eyes of the lesson,
00:13:54.20\00:13:56.20
the Master's brand.
00:13:56.20\00:13:58.77
Let's look at
another descriptor,
00:13:58.77\00:14:00.77
1 Corinthians
3:9, Paul says here,
00:14:00.77\00:14:05.91
"For we are
God's fellow workers,
00:14:05.91\00:14:09.78
you are God's field,
you are God's building."
00:14:09.78\00:14:14.65
Now here's some other
interesting imagery, isn't it?
00:14:14.65\00:14:17.52
Now we're what?
00:14:17.52\00:14:18.99
Fellow workers.
00:14:18.99\00:14:20.99
Now, what does that imply?
00:14:20.99\00:14:25.26
Like workers imply, we
have some kind of a job,
00:14:25.26\00:14:27.56
we have a work to do,
but what is that idea,
00:14:27.56\00:14:29.56
fellow workers imply?
00:14:29.56\00:14:33.40
Yeah, we're
working side by side.
00:14:33.40\00:14:34.77
In fact, as you read the
opening of 1 Corinthians,
00:14:34.77\00:14:38.27
what was agonizing Paul's heart?
00:14:38.27\00:14:40.68
Was it, there was
disunity in the church,
00:14:40.68\00:14:43.11
there were factions
in the church, okay.
00:14:43.11\00:14:46.25
This was the report
that came back to Paul,
00:14:46.25\00:14:48.52
and the
immorality in the church.
00:14:48.52\00:14:51.29
So the church were not being
good stewards of the message
00:14:51.29\00:14:54.92
that God has entrusted,
00:14:54.92\00:14:56.02
so as Paul's
writing this letter,
00:14:56.02\00:14:57.33
we see all this imagery
of what he's called us to be.
00:14:57.33\00:15:00.56
We're called to
be God's building,
00:15:00.56\00:15:02.46
His church, His
body, His members,
00:15:02.46\00:15:05.70
all this things come
out in 1 and 2 Corinthians.
00:15:05.70\00:15:08.80
Let's look at
just a few others here,
00:15:08.80\00:15:13.38
chapter 4 began with
this imagery of stewards
00:15:13.38\00:15:17.51
and servants,
00:15:17.51\00:15:19.28
but as you slip down to verse 9,
00:15:19.28\00:15:22.22
we catch another
glimpse, 1 Corinthians 4:9,
00:15:22.22\00:15:26.59
"For I think that
God has displayed us,
00:15:26.59\00:15:28.96
the apostles, last, as
men condemned to death,
00:15:28.96\00:15:33.56
for we have been made
a spectacle to the world,
00:15:33.56\00:15:39.07
both to angels and to men."
00:15:39.07\00:15:43.54
We are, if you
will, actors on a stage,
00:15:43.54\00:15:47.74
not playing a role that
really isn't who we are,
00:15:47.74\00:15:51.58
but actually the
world is looking on
00:15:51.58\00:15:53.88
at the Christian church.
00:15:53.88\00:15:55.35
The world is
looking at you and me,
00:15:55.35\00:15:57.09
they're judging Jesus by us.
00:15:57.09\00:15:59.45
I mean it's a sobering,
sobering thought, isn't it?
00:15:59.45\00:16:06.33
Sometime ago, I met a
women, we'll call her Lowes.
00:16:06.33\00:16:11.73
And Lowes was
telling me with her contact
00:16:11.73\00:16:15.34
with the Christian church.
00:16:15.34\00:16:17.87
It actually happened to be
00:16:17.87\00:16:18.94
the Seventh-day
Adventist Church,
00:16:18.94\00:16:21.58
it could've just
as well, you could say
00:16:21.58\00:16:23.18
it had been the Baptist
Church or Assemblies of God,
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.35
but you think about it.
00:16:25.35\00:16:26.41
What do people think
when they hear Christian,
00:16:26.41\00:16:29.12
or Adventist, or
any denomination,
00:16:29.12\00:16:31.12
what do they hear?
00:16:31.12\00:16:32.15
Well, Lowes had a
unique perspective
00:16:32.15\00:16:35.46
on the local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:16:35.46\00:16:38.86
because it happened to be right
across the street from her.
00:16:38.86\00:16:43.50
So she and her husband
didn't see what was happening
00:16:43.50\00:16:46.37
in the church, they had
never walked into the church.
00:16:46.37\00:16:49.27
They just saw what was happening
00:16:49.27\00:16:51.04
in the church parking lot.
00:16:51.04\00:16:52.87
So what would someone
see if they were looking
00:16:56.71\00:16:58.48
at the Granite Bay
Church parking lot?
00:16:58.48\00:17:02.95
Or for those of
you that joined us
00:17:02.95\00:17:04.55
from around the world,
00:17:04.55\00:17:06.25
what would they see
looking at your church
00:17:06.25\00:17:08.36
from a distance
at the parking lot?
00:17:08.36\00:17:10.36
What happens in the parking lot?
00:17:10.36\00:17:12.69
Are there warm greetings?
00:17:12.69\00:17:15.83
Are there angry words spoken?
00:17:15.83\00:17:20.80
If someone giving
dirty looks to someone
00:17:20.80\00:17:24.07
'cause they pulled
in their parking spot.
00:17:24.07\00:17:27.14
By the way, I'm not
speaking about anything
00:17:27.14\00:17:28.51
that I know of
happening here at Granite Bay,
00:17:28.51\00:17:30.55
I'm just
thinking of the scenario
00:17:30.55\00:17:32.11
that could be played
out in many churches.
00:17:32.11\00:17:36.02
And so Lowes and
her husband are looking
00:17:36.02\00:17:38.35
at that local
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:17:38.35\00:17:42.16
Now, how many of you
are a little bit on the edge
00:17:42.16\00:17:44.09
of your seat
wondering what they saw?
00:17:44.09\00:17:46.93
I mean, I hear
stories like this,
00:17:46.93\00:17:48.26
I'm thinking, you
know, what's going to happen?
00:17:48.26\00:17:50.50
I mean, what does
this woman get to see?
00:17:50.50\00:17:53.94
She said...
00:17:53.94\00:17:55.30
She and her husband said,
00:17:55.30\00:17:57.04
"These look like the
happiest people on earth."
00:17:57.04\00:18:02.08
Said, "We have to find
out why they're so happy."
00:18:02.08\00:18:06.48
When I met Lowes,
00:18:06.48\00:18:07.52
she was a Seventh-day Adventist.
00:18:07.52\00:18:09.08
She and her husband
had been won to the church
00:18:09.08\00:18:12.25
because of what?
00:18:12.25\00:18:14.19
The stewardship of members.
00:18:14.19\00:18:16.06
They were entrusted
with this responsibility
00:18:16.06\00:18:20.63
of carrying on the Lord's work.
00:18:20.63\00:18:22.90
And it wasn't just
something they put on
00:18:22.90\00:18:25.00
when they walk through
the doors of the church,
00:18:25.00\00:18:26.94
it apparently was happening
every time they at least drove
00:18:26.94\00:18:30.81
into the church parking lot.
00:18:30.81\00:18:32.67
And if it happened
every time they drove
00:18:32.67\00:18:34.21
in the church parking
lot, you can be pretty sure,
00:18:34.21\00:18:36.58
it was happening at home too.
00:18:36.58\00:18:39.01
Wouldn't be good
if we all had churches
00:18:39.01\00:18:41.78
like the one
that Lowes looked at
00:18:41.78\00:18:43.99
that just drew people in,
00:18:43.99\00:18:45.59
because even if
they never walked
00:18:45.59\00:18:47.32
through the doors of the church,
00:18:47.32\00:18:49.09
they would say, "If
those people are like that,
00:18:49.09\00:18:51.03
I want to find out
00:18:51.03\00:18:53.09
what makes them click."
00:18:53.09\00:18:58.10
Well, few other
glimpses of steward,
00:18:58.10\00:19:01.17
few other glimpses
here in 1 and 2 Corinthians.
00:19:01.17\00:19:04.41
Maybe your mind has
run to 2 Corinthians 5
00:19:04.41\00:19:08.68
because this also ties in
00:19:08.68\00:19:10.55
with this broad
concept of stewardship.
00:19:10.55\00:19:12.45
And again, why I thought
it was important to do this
00:19:12.45\00:19:15.45
is because if we
isolate that single descriptor
00:19:15.45\00:19:18.79
for what we've called to
be steward, it's powerful,
00:19:18.79\00:19:21.66
but we don't catch
that whole range of meanings
00:19:21.66\00:19:24.86
that we sometimes appreciate
00:19:24.86\00:19:26.36
when we see some of
the other adjectives
00:19:26.36\00:19:29.70
that are used to
describe believers.
00:19:29.70\00:19:32.97
So let's look here,
it is actually a noun,
00:19:32.97\00:19:36.91
we're called to be
00:19:36.91\00:19:39.01
in 2 Corinthians 5:20, 21.
00:19:39.01\00:19:45.48
Paul speaking of his own calling
00:19:45.48\00:19:49.55
of which we are to
emulate, 2 Corinthians 5:20,
00:19:49.55\00:19:56.22
"Now then, we are
ambassadors for Christ,
00:19:56.22\00:20:01.53
as though God were
pleading through us:
00:20:01.53\00:20:04.77
we implore you
on Christ's behalf,
00:20:04.77\00:20:08.54
be ye reconciled to God.
00:20:08.54\00:20:12.51
For He made Him Jesus,
00:20:12.51\00:20:14.74
who knew no sin
to be sin for us,
00:20:14.74\00:20:17.51
that we might become
00:20:17.51\00:20:18.75
the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:20:18.75\00:20:23.22
What's the calling here?
00:20:23.22\00:20:26.02
Ambassadors, representatives
of the highest order,
00:20:26.02\00:20:31.39
representing a
dignitary, a foreign nation,
00:20:31.39\00:20:34.93
a foreign ruler, we
here are on planet earth,
00:20:34.93\00:20:38.13
foreign territory,
we're not in heaven,
00:20:38.13\00:20:40.37
and we're called as what?
00:20:40.37\00:20:42.14
Stewards and ambassadors,
called as ministers,
00:20:42.14\00:20:45.97
called as kings and priests,
00:20:45.97\00:20:48.04
the descriptors
could go on and on.
00:20:48.04\00:20:50.28
That doesn't mean
that we're all called
00:20:50.28\00:20:52.11
to fulltime gospel ministry,
00:20:52.11\00:20:56.95
but it means
that every one of us
00:20:56.95\00:20:58.62
are called as
stewards to represent the king,
00:20:58.62\00:21:04.06
so that's what a steward
does, that's what a steward is,
00:21:04.06\00:21:07.50
that's some of the picture
00:21:07.50\00:21:09.03
that these
descriptive words give us,
00:21:09.03\00:21:13.44
so that tells us some about
the Marks of a Steward, right?
00:21:13.44\00:21:18.14
We are
representing the King of kings,
00:21:18.14\00:21:21.08
we are representing
that brand of Christianity
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.91
whether you like
that analogy or not,
00:21:23.91\00:21:27.38
but there are
certain characteristics
00:21:27.38\00:21:29.25
that make a
steward an effective one.
00:21:29.25\00:21:35.22
1 Corinthians 4 said
one key characteristic
00:21:35.22\00:21:40.20
is faithfulness, faithfulness.
00:21:40.20\00:21:44.70
Let's go to the
dictionary for a minute
00:21:44.70\00:21:46.20
and catch this concept.
00:21:46.20\00:21:47.80
What does it
mean to be faithful?
00:21:47.80\00:21:51.04
First
definition, loyal, constant,
00:21:51.04\00:21:56.24
and steadfast.
00:21:56.24\00:21:59.55
Can refer to of a
spouse or a partner,
00:21:59.55\00:22:02.48
never having a
sexual relationship
00:22:02.48\00:22:04.59
with any other.
00:22:04.59\00:22:05.69
It can refer to an
object, a faithful object,
00:22:05.69\00:22:08.99
an object that is reliable.
00:22:08.99\00:22:11.49
Second definition,
00:22:11.49\00:22:12.93
true to the
facts or the original.
00:22:12.93\00:22:16.67
A faithful copy of something.
00:22:16.67\00:22:20.57
Another definition
of faithful is firm
00:22:20.57\00:22:24.34
in adherence to promises
00:22:24.34\00:22:27.74
or in observance
of duty, faithful.
00:22:27.74\00:22:32.98
And actually, the
dictionary tells us
00:22:32.98\00:22:35.12
it's an obsolete definition,
00:22:35.12\00:22:37.09
but it really hints at
the origin of the word.
00:22:37.09\00:22:40.29
Faithful literally means
full of faith, full of faith.
00:22:40.29\00:22:46.80
Here's what I'd
like to suggest to you
00:22:46.80\00:22:48.06
as we look at the
Marks of a Steward,
00:22:48.06\00:22:49.86
as we look at everything
00:22:49.86\00:22:51.47
presented in this week's lesson.
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.64
The only way to be a steward
and effectively represent
00:22:53.64\00:23:00.68
the King of kings is to
have that characteristic
00:23:00.68\00:23:04.81
of being full of faith.
00:23:04.81\00:23:07.75
What do you think?
00:23:07.75\00:23:09.45
I mean, look at
the lesson descriptors,
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.79
faithfulness.
00:23:12.79\00:23:13.82
In fact, we saw,
00:23:13.82\00:23:15.96
and we'll look a
little bit more momentarily
00:23:15.96\00:23:18.46
at Monday's
descriptor that's loyalty.
00:23:18.46\00:23:22.96
Faithfulness and loyalty,
essentially, synonymous,
00:23:22.96\00:23:27.67
at least one aspect of
faithfulness is being loyal.
00:23:27.67\00:23:31.74
How about a clear
conscience on Tuesday?
00:23:31.74\00:23:35.24
What gives us a
clear conscience?
00:23:35.24\00:23:38.81
Being faithful, right?
00:23:38.81\00:23:41.38
How about obedience?
00:23:41.38\00:23:43.22
Well, we heard that
00:23:43.22\00:23:44.69
in the definitions
of faithfulness, right?
00:23:44.69\00:23:46.96
Being obedient,
being faithful, being...
00:23:46.96\00:23:51.09
Holding your allegiance.
00:23:51.09\00:23:53.86
What about trustworthiness?
00:23:53.86\00:23:56.33
Really, all of
these descriptors,
00:23:56.33\00:23:58.37
aren't they
aspects of being faithful?
00:23:58.37\00:24:02.00
So this sets, what we might say,
00:24:02.00\00:24:05.11
a very high bar
because you can say,
00:24:05.11\00:24:06.91
"Well, who has
that kind of faith?"
00:24:06.91\00:24:09.98
Turn your Bibles to
Romans, then look at Romans 12.
00:24:09.98\00:24:16.05
In Romans 12 we read something
that's encouraging to me.
00:24:16.05\00:24:20.56
Romans 12, hopefully,
it's encouraging to you too
00:24:20.56\00:24:23.53
because sometimes
we look in the mirror,
00:24:23.53\00:24:27.13
and we feel like our
faith isn't all that great.
00:24:27.13\00:24:32.43
But Romans 12
reminds us of a great truth,
00:24:32.43\00:24:36.74
Romans 12:3, and
it's quite interesting
00:24:36.74\00:24:40.54
because here
Paul is getting ready
00:24:40.54\00:24:44.41
to speak about
the Christian church,
00:24:44.41\00:24:46.31
this unified church
that has different roles.
00:24:46.31\00:24:49.12
It's one of those descriptions
of the church as a body,
00:24:49.12\00:24:52.79
but as he is beginning
this description, Romans 12:3,
00:24:52.79\00:24:56.29
he says this, "For I say,
through the grace given to me,
00:24:56.29\00:25:00.66
to everyone who is among you,
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.56
not to think of
himself more highly
00:25:02.56\00:25:04.97
than he ought to
think, but to think soberly,
00:25:04.97\00:25:09.40
as God has dealt to every one
00:25:09.40\00:25:13.78
a measure of faith."
00:25:13.78\00:25:17.65
So you might say, "I
just don't have faith,"
00:25:17.65\00:25:19.91
but you do have faith.
00:25:19.91\00:25:21.45
The Bible says every
one of us is given one,
00:25:21.45\00:25:24.79
a measure of faith.
00:25:24.79\00:25:27.19
So here's the
question, how do you grow faith?
00:25:27.19\00:25:31.69
How do you grow faith?
00:25:31.69\00:25:35.03
Faith grows like anything else.
00:25:35.03\00:25:38.77
Well, tell you
about one of my patients,
00:25:38.77\00:25:40.94
I can tell you about
several of my patients.
00:25:40.94\00:25:43.57
I've got a number of patients
00:25:43.57\00:25:45.14
who've had the
unfortunate experience
00:25:45.14\00:25:47.41
of having had a stroke.
00:25:47.41\00:25:50.91
And so the stroke
destroyed a part of their brain,
00:25:50.91\00:25:55.05
and I'm
thinking of some patients
00:25:55.05\00:25:56.35
whose brains were
destroyed in regions
00:25:56.35\00:25:59.32
that control the movement
on one side of their body.
00:25:59.32\00:26:04.89
See, you come in, and you see
one of those patients with me.
00:26:04.89\00:26:07.13
If you were in the office,
and you'd see a normal arm
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.10
perhaps on the left, and
you look at the right arm
00:26:10.10\00:26:14.24
that has been
afflicted with the stroke,
00:26:14.24\00:26:16.07
maybe five, six years
ago, and you look at that arm,
00:26:16.07\00:26:19.77
and what's different
about the stroke affected arm
00:26:19.77\00:26:23.61
than the arm
that is wholly sound,
00:26:23.61\00:26:26.48
what's different?
00:26:26.48\00:26:29.38
That's right, that
arm that doesn't have
00:26:29.38\00:26:32.89
the brain nerves supply
has not been moving, okay.
00:26:32.89\00:26:38.06
They've not been
able to use that arm.
00:26:38.06\00:26:40.56
And as a result,
that arm has atrophied.
00:26:40.56\00:26:45.20
"Troph" refers to
''grow'', ''A'' means "without
00:26:45.20\00:26:48.47
or lack of", so
there's lack of growth,
00:26:48.47\00:26:50.44
it's atrophic, the
muscles have wasted away.
00:26:50.44\00:26:56.48
Why has their arm
not gotten stronger?
00:26:56.48\00:26:59.38
Or why has it not even
maintained its strength,
00:26:59.38\00:27:01.55
what's the problem?
00:27:01.55\00:27:04.62
That's right, they've
not been using their arm.
00:27:04.62\00:27:07.19
The arm was not
getting messages from the brain
00:27:07.19\00:27:09.26
and it wasn't being used.
00:27:09.26\00:27:10.83
Well, let's follow
the illustration out.
00:27:10.83\00:27:13.23
If as Christians, we're
ambassadors and stewards,
00:27:13.23\00:27:16.90
we're taking care of
someone else's goods,
00:27:16.90\00:27:18.90
we're representing
someone else, who is that?
00:27:18.90\00:27:22.00
That's Jesus.
00:27:22.00\00:27:23.91
And so if we have a
connection with Jesus,
00:27:23.91\00:27:26.57
what does He tell us
to do with our faith?
00:27:26.57\00:27:31.21
To use it,
right? To exercise it.
00:27:31.21\00:27:34.42
Now, for how many of
you did it take much faith
00:27:34.42\00:27:37.05
to come to church today?
00:27:37.05\00:27:40.56
I mean, some of
you may have, others,
00:27:40.56\00:27:42.12
you're smiling like
well, it didn't take much faith
00:27:42.12\00:27:44.09
for me to come to church,
and I just jumped in the car.
00:27:44.09\00:27:46.56
Well, for some of you,
00:27:46.56\00:27:47.60
it might have
taken a lot of faith,
00:27:47.60\00:27:48.80
maybe you have a car
that is very unreliable, okay,
00:27:48.80\00:27:52.40
and a long drive, and
you were just praying,
00:27:52.40\00:27:55.04
"Lord, please help this
to be the one day this week
00:27:55.04\00:27:58.47
that the car gets
to its destination
00:27:58.47\00:28:00.41
without breaking down," right?
00:28:00.41\00:28:02.64
So you had a journey of faith.
00:28:02.64\00:28:05.11
I had a friend who I forget
what he said his car ran on.
00:28:05.11\00:28:08.55
It either ran on grace or faith,
00:28:08.55\00:28:10.82
I think it was
actually both, right?
00:28:10.82\00:28:13.89
So think about it though.
00:28:13.89\00:28:15.92
How many of you
like to be in situations
00:28:15.92\00:28:18.29
where you have
to exercise faith?
00:28:18.29\00:28:23.57
I mean, usually,
we would prefer things
00:28:23.57\00:28:26.23
just to go smoothly, right?
00:28:26.23\00:28:29.17
But God puts us in situations
00:28:29.17\00:28:31.17
where we have to exercise faith,
00:28:31.17\00:28:32.84
we have to trust Him, we
have to move out in faith.
00:28:32.84\00:28:36.75
The quarterly gives perhaps
00:28:36.75\00:28:38.75
one of the great
examples of faith.
00:28:38.75\00:28:40.52
It is one of the
Bible's crowning examples,
00:28:40.52\00:28:43.85
and it refers us
to not only Hebrews
00:28:43.85\00:28:47.09
but also Romans,
00:28:47.09\00:28:49.06
and let's just turn
there to Hebrews 11.
00:28:49.06\00:28:52.89
You know that Hebrews 11
is often referred to as what?
00:28:52.89\00:28:56.97
That's right, the faith
chapter or the hall of faith.
00:28:56.97\00:29:00.74
The hall of faith
there in Hebrews 11.
00:29:00.74\00:29:04.31
We read there
about champions of faith,
00:29:04.31\00:29:06.01
some of whom did not seem
all that faithful at times.
00:29:06.01\00:29:09.34
I don't know, we often
don't sometimes mention
00:29:09.34\00:29:11.91
that part of the story.
00:29:11.91\00:29:13.88
But Hebrews 11, we're
going to go to verse 8
00:29:13.88\00:29:17.32
because in verse 8
we bring in sharp focus
00:29:17.32\00:29:21.26
perhaps the person who
is identified for faith,
00:29:21.26\00:29:24.73
and yet this
individual was not always
00:29:24.73\00:29:27.23
again an emblem of faithfulness.
00:29:27.23\00:29:30.23
Hebrews 11
beginning with verse 8,
00:29:30.23\00:29:34.27
"By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out
00:29:34.27\00:29:39.41
to the place
where he would receive
00:29:39.41\00:29:41.74
an inheritance and he went out,
00:29:41.74\00:29:44.45
not knowing where he was going."
00:29:44.45\00:29:47.95
I mean, I love this picture.
00:29:47.95\00:29:49.82
And we were talking,
00:29:49.82\00:29:50.85
some of us not
long ago about this.
00:29:50.85\00:29:52.65
Can you imagine you're
packing the moving truck
00:29:52.65\00:29:55.62
in front of your house,
the moving truck is all packed.
00:29:55.62\00:29:58.96
And one of your neighbors says,
00:29:58.96\00:30:00.56
"I didn't know
you were leaving."
00:30:00.56\00:30:03.00
It was a hasty packing job.
00:30:03.00\00:30:05.10
They say, "Where are you going?"
00:30:05.10\00:30:08.64
"I don't know, I don't know."
00:30:08.64\00:30:11.87
How would that feel?
00:30:11.87\00:30:15.68
Abraham left prosperity,
00:30:15.68\00:30:17.85
that's what the
historical record,
00:30:17.85\00:30:19.68
the
archeological record shows us
00:30:19.68\00:30:21.52
Ur of the Chaldees.
00:30:21.52\00:30:25.12
One of the chief
cities of its day,
00:30:25.12\00:30:26.86
they found opulent
gold artifacts from Ur.
00:30:26.86\00:30:31.06
I mean beautifully crafted,
00:30:31.06\00:30:32.76
I mean this was
the place to live.
00:30:32.76\00:30:36.23
I don't know what the
place to live is in the eyes
00:30:36.23\00:30:38.83
of the average
person in the world.
00:30:38.83\00:30:41.04
May be it's London or Paris,
or New York, San Francisco,
00:30:41.04\00:30:45.31
I don't know,
it's some great city.
00:30:45.31\00:30:47.84
You're living in an
ideal circumstances.
00:30:47.84\00:30:50.15
You say, but Dr.
DeRose, I don't like cities.
00:30:50.15\00:30:53.31
Whatever the circumstances,
it was the place to live
00:30:53.31\00:30:56.28
and Abraham is
told by God to do what?
00:30:56.28\00:30:59.62
To leave.
00:30:59.62\00:31:01.19
No, it's fine to leave
but you just want to know
00:31:01.19\00:31:04.16
where you're going, right?
00:31:04.16\00:31:06.19
I mean, you're okay, right,
00:31:06.19\00:31:07.30
you're okay with
moving for God, aren't you?
00:31:07.30\00:31:10.40
You're willing to go somewhere
where it's not comfortable,
00:31:10.40\00:31:12.53
but are you willing to go
not knowing where you're going?
00:31:12.53\00:31:16.64
I mean, it's not
really respectable, is it?
00:31:16.64\00:31:19.64
I mean, could you imagine
if our one of pastors said,
00:31:19.64\00:31:22.21
"I've an announcement to
make, the Lord has called me
00:31:22.21\00:31:24.28
to leave, He's got
a different ministry."
00:31:24.28\00:31:26.01
Well, where you
going? "I don't know."
00:31:26.01\00:31:27.92
We say, well, I mean that's...
00:31:27.92\00:31:30.02
In ministry, I mean
that's just faithfulness,
00:31:30.02\00:31:31.82
maybe you would be
inspired by such a pastor.
00:31:31.82\00:31:34.52
But most people
are not impressed
00:31:34.52\00:31:36.86
"by those who are exercising
such faith as Abraham."
00:31:36.86\00:31:40.63
But you know Abraham's
story doesn't end there,
00:31:40.63\00:31:42.83
and if we were to
look at all the scriptures
00:31:42.83\00:31:44.10
we would be
reminded, we would be reminded
00:31:44.10\00:31:46.60
of other aspects of the
faith of Abraham, right?
00:31:46.60\00:31:51.07
How about the
sacrifice of his own son.
00:31:51.07\00:31:55.38
I mean, have you
ever thought about that?
00:31:55.38\00:31:57.71
That experience on Mount Moriah.
00:31:57.71\00:32:00.35
Abraham getting
the message to go
00:32:00.35\00:32:03.42
and to sacrifice
his son of promise.
00:32:03.42\00:32:08.49
Look in Hebrews, it
mentions that very story,
00:32:08.49\00:32:11.99
and go with me
there in Hebrews 11 again
00:32:11.99\00:32:17.37
to 17.
00:32:17.37\00:32:19.77
It's amazing
the faith of Abraham
00:32:19.77\00:32:22.00
when you think about it.
00:32:22.00\00:32:23.94
"By faith
Abraham," Hebrews 11:17,
00:32:23.94\00:32:27.28
"When he was
tested, offered up Isaac
00:32:27.28\00:32:31.81
and he who had
received the promises
00:32:31.81\00:32:34.58
offered up his
only begotten son.
00:32:34.58\00:32:37.55
Of whom it was said in Isaac
your seed shall be called."
00:32:37.55\00:32:42.16
Concluding that God
was able to raise him up
00:32:42.16\00:32:45.36
even from the dead, from
which he also received him
00:32:45.36\00:32:48.80
in a figurative sense.
00:32:48.80\00:32:50.40
Do you realize
what the scripture
00:32:50.40\00:32:52.03
is telling us here?
00:32:52.03\00:32:54.54
Abraham knew at this point,
I mean even though he wavered,
00:32:54.54\00:32:57.97
his faith wavered, didn't it?
00:32:57.97\00:32:59.34
But here when it comes
to the sacrifice of Isaac,
00:32:59.34\00:33:02.51
he knows God has called
his son Isaac to be the heir.
00:33:02.51\00:33:08.05
And now God, he
knows, he knows God's voice,
00:33:08.05\00:33:10.69
God is calling him
to sacrifice his son.
00:33:10.69\00:33:13.09
He says, look, I
don't know how this works.
00:33:13.09\00:33:15.72
All I know is God's
telling me to sacrifice my son
00:33:15.72\00:33:19.66
and he is the heir of promise.
00:33:19.66\00:33:21.06
I believe that if God's
calling me to kill my son,
00:33:21.06\00:33:24.13
He could raise
him from the dead.
00:33:24.13\00:33:27.44
I mean, is that not remarkable.
00:33:27.44\00:33:30.17
So God is asking
for us as stewards
00:33:30.17\00:33:33.17
to have this
characteristic of faithfulness.
00:33:33.17\00:33:36.28
And we look at Abraham
and we say, I mean how can we,
00:33:36.28\00:33:39.65
how can we have
the faith of Abraham.
00:33:39.65\00:33:42.12
We've all been
given the measure of faith
00:33:42.12\00:33:44.65
and God gives us
opportunities to exercise it.
00:33:44.65\00:33:48.06
And we exercise faith,
when we follow God's will,
00:33:48.06\00:33:54.36
especially when it conflicts
00:33:54.36\00:33:58.83
with our desires.
00:33:58.83\00:34:01.00
Right?
00:34:01.00\00:34:02.47
If you're just
doing what you're on,
00:34:02.47\00:34:05.01
common sense would
tell you to do if you say,
00:34:05.01\00:34:06.71
well, anybody would do that.
00:34:06.71\00:34:10.21
It doesn't take faith.
00:34:10.21\00:34:11.65
Hebrews doesn't
end with chapter 11,
00:34:16.45\00:34:19.89
unless we get so
focused on things
00:34:19.89\00:34:22.56
that seem awfully stern.
00:34:22.56\00:34:25.16
Like rightly
representing the King,
00:34:25.16\00:34:27.13
and being ambassadors,
00:34:27.13\00:34:28.33
and living a
life of faithfulness.
00:34:28.33\00:34:30.53
Let's look at really
what all this is supposed
00:34:30.53\00:34:33.64
to point the world to.
00:34:33.64\00:34:36.17
Hebrews 12, it
points us to Jesus,
00:34:36.17\00:34:40.81
it points us to Jesus.
00:34:40.81\00:34:42.51
Let's look there.
00:34:42.51\00:34:43.75
Hebrews 12,
00:34:43.75\00:34:44.81
speaking of this
great cloud of witnesses,
00:34:44.81\00:34:47.75
not that they are somehow
cheering us on from heaven...
00:34:47.75\00:34:52.79
Most all of these individuals
are sleeping in the grave
00:34:52.79\00:34:55.52
to this day
according to the Bible.
00:34:55.52\00:34:58.59
But in chapter 12, it
says, "We're surrounded
00:34:58.59\00:35:02.00
by these great witnesses,"
Just like the Bible said,
00:35:02.00\00:35:05.60
even though Abel was dead,
his witness was still speaking.
00:35:05.60\00:35:10.01
Are you following along?
00:35:10.01\00:35:11.57
So these witnesses in Hebrews 11
00:35:11.57\00:35:13.64
are still speaking to us.
00:35:13.64\00:35:15.68
And what are they calling
us to do, listen, Hebrews 12...
00:35:15.68\00:35:20.78
No, you there,
Hebrews 12:1 and onward.
00:35:20.78\00:35:24.42
"Therefore we also
since we are surrounded
00:35:24.42\00:35:27.92
by so great a
cloud of witnesses,
00:35:27.92\00:35:32.16
let us lay aside every weight,
00:35:32.16\00:35:34.83
and the sin which
so easily ensnares us,
00:35:34.83\00:35:38.97
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us.
00:35:38.97\00:35:44.21
Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith,
00:35:44.21\00:35:50.85
who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross,
00:35:50.85\00:35:55.58
despising the
shame, and has sat down
00:35:55.58\00:35:58.42
at the right hand
of the throne of God."
00:35:58.42\00:36:01.92
Does this bring it
back into focus for us?
00:36:01.92\00:36:04.53
Doesn't it?
00:36:04.53\00:36:06.16
Think about it, we've been
called to have faith, right?
00:36:06.16\00:36:09.66
But here Jesus is what?
00:36:09.66\00:36:12.37
He is the author and what?
00:36:12.37\00:36:15.17
The finisher of our faith.
00:36:15.17\00:36:17.81
So the Holy Spirit
gives everyone of us
00:36:17.81\00:36:20.38
a measure of
faith, and as we exercise
00:36:20.38\00:36:22.58
that faith looking
to Jesus, what happens?
00:36:22.58\00:36:26.75
That faith grows,
and Jesus is committed
00:36:26.75\00:36:29.25
not only to give us
that measure of faith
00:36:29.25\00:36:32.55
but to bring our
faith to completion.
00:36:32.55\00:36:34.72
He is the author and
the finisher of our faith.
00:36:34.72\00:36:38.83
And you catch
what Jesus was doing
00:36:38.83\00:36:40.93
as He looked to the cross.
00:36:40.93\00:36:43.20
He wasn't looking at
the shame of the cross.
00:36:43.20\00:36:49.14
As He looked at
that calling that He had,
00:36:49.14\00:36:51.57
what was He looking at?
00:36:51.57\00:36:54.34
He was looking at
the joy set before Him.
00:36:54.34\00:36:58.61
Remember Lowes and her
husband, what did they see
00:36:58.61\00:37:01.78
when they looked
across the street
00:37:01.78\00:37:03.18
at that
Seventh-day Adventist Church?
00:37:03.18\00:37:05.99
They saw joyful, happy people.
00:37:05.99\00:37:10.66
And sometimes I
just scratch my head,
00:37:10.66\00:37:12.86
Jesus was a man
of sorrows, right?
00:37:12.86\00:37:15.96
He was acquainted with
grief, but was it like to be
00:37:15.96\00:37:18.67
in the presence of Jesus?
00:37:18.67\00:37:22.54
It was joy to be
in Jesus' presence.
00:37:22.54\00:37:25.11
I mean who ran to
Jesus, little children.
00:37:25.11\00:37:29.38
I mean little children don't run
00:37:29.38\00:37:31.11
to the grumpiest person
in the group, they don't.
00:37:31.11\00:37:34.52
It was joy to be
in Jesus' presence,
00:37:34.52\00:37:36.25
so how He had the joy
of heaven in His heart,
00:37:36.25\00:37:39.95
but He was still burdened
with the sins of the world.
00:37:39.95\00:37:42.39
We're called to
be His ambassadors,
00:37:42.39\00:37:44.29
His stewards.
00:37:44.29\00:37:45.53
We're called to
have the faith of Jesus
00:37:45.53\00:37:47.46
in the midst of the world
that is crashing and burning.
00:37:47.46\00:37:51.87
Well, loyalty, a
clear conscience,
00:37:51.87\00:37:56.37
let's go to that
clear conscience because...
00:37:56.37\00:38:02.31
You know, we observed already
00:38:02.31\00:38:04.48
that all of these
are aspects of faith.
00:38:04.48\00:38:06.38
If I'm living a faithful life,
I've a clear conscience, right?
00:38:06.38\00:38:11.42
Before God if I'm trusting
Him, if I'm walking with Him
00:38:11.42\00:38:14.49
but here is the problem.
00:38:14.49\00:38:16.36
How many of us have
lived a perfect Christian life?
00:38:16.36\00:38:20.63
How many of us have
walked a perfect walk?
00:38:20.63\00:38:22.96
How many of us have fallen?
00:38:22.96\00:38:25.30
The Bible says,
"All have sinned," right,
00:38:25.30\00:38:27.34
"all have come short
of the glory of God."
00:38:27.34\00:38:28.74
Only Jesus, right, was tempted
at all points without sinning.
00:38:28.74\00:38:33.54
So what hope do we have then?
00:38:33.54\00:38:37.28
Let's look, we're in Hebrews,
00:38:37.28\00:38:38.61
we've been
looking a lot at Hebrews.
00:38:38.61\00:38:40.95
Hebrews 10 has some
very sober statements.
00:38:40.95\00:38:47.39
We'll look there because Hebrews
00:38:47.39\00:38:49.02
has this
balance of encouragement
00:38:49.02\00:38:52.33
and things that bring us
00:38:52.33\00:38:54.56
a greater measure of sobriety.
00:38:54.56\00:38:58.70
Hebrews 10
00:38:58.70\00:39:01.20
beginning with verse 19,
00:39:01.20\00:39:06.14
Hebrews 10 beginning
with verse 19, it says,
00:39:06.14\00:39:09.84
"Therefore, brethren having
boldness to enter the holiest,"
00:39:09.84\00:39:14.58
the most holy place,
"by the blood of Jesus.
00:39:14.58\00:39:17.69
By a new and living way,
which he consecrated for us,
00:39:17.69\00:39:20.89
through the veil,
that is his flesh.
00:39:20.89\00:39:22.96
And having a high
priest over the house of God,
00:39:22.96\00:39:25.66
let us draw near
with a true heart
00:39:25.66\00:39:28.46
in full assurance of faith,
00:39:28.46\00:39:31.60
having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience,
00:39:31.60\00:39:34.74
and our bodies
washed with pure water."
00:39:34.74\00:39:40.34
So just as there're
sobering passages in Hebrews
00:39:40.34\00:39:43.35
about the danger of
turning away from Christ,
00:39:43.35\00:39:45.71
there are these pictures
of Jesus as our high priest
00:39:45.71\00:39:48.58
that we can come to.
00:39:48.58\00:39:49.58
We'll go back to
Hebrews 4 for another picture,
00:39:49.58\00:39:52.65
another word picture
of this privilege we have.
00:39:52.65\00:39:55.36
Hebrews 4:14.
00:39:55.36\00:39:59.59
Again, this imagery of Jesus
as our high priest in heaven,
00:39:59.59\00:40:04.30
"Seeing then
that we have," what?
00:40:04.30\00:40:06.60
"A great high
priest who is passed
00:40:06.60\00:40:09.90
through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God,
00:40:09.90\00:40:13.17
let us," do what?
00:40:13.17\00:40:14.94
"Hold fast our confession."
00:40:14.94\00:40:17.51
We could say
hold fast our faith,
00:40:17.51\00:40:19.38
hold fast our call as stewards.
00:40:19.38\00:40:22.08
"For we don't have a high priest
00:40:22.08\00:40:24.02
who can't
sympathize with our weaknesses
00:40:24.02\00:40:27.22
but was in all
points tempted like
00:40:27.22\00:40:29.26
as we are yet without sin.
00:40:29.26\00:40:31.13
Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace
00:40:31.13\00:40:35.20
that we may obtain mercy
00:40:35.20\00:40:37.23
and find grace to
help in time of need."
00:40:37.23\00:40:39.50
You know, the invitation
is there for each one of us,
00:40:43.44\00:40:46.27
we can come to Jesus boldly.
00:40:46.27\00:40:48.24
We don't have to be
afraid of what's in our past,
00:40:48.24\00:40:51.48
we can come right
to Jesus right now.
00:40:51.48\00:40:54.15
He want to equip us
00:40:54.15\00:40:55.68
and fit us to be loyal stewards,
00:40:55.68\00:40:58.45
to be obedient
and faithful stewards.
00:40:58.45\00:41:02.56
But, you know,
it's still a struggle,
00:41:02.56\00:41:04.26
I know many times and
I've dealt with it myself.
00:41:04.26\00:41:07.13
We look at our own past
00:41:07.13\00:41:08.66
and we say, how
can God forgive me.
00:41:08.66\00:41:11.13
Some of you might be here today,
00:41:11.13\00:41:12.53
or you might be viewing,
00:41:12.53\00:41:13.94
and you haven't fully connected
with the Lord's people.
00:41:13.94\00:41:17.11
You haven't been
baptized with Bible baptism.
00:41:17.11\00:41:20.34
You've not come
into God's fold fully
00:41:20.34\00:41:23.21
because you don't feel worthy.
00:41:23.21\00:41:25.95
Turn your Bibles to Luke 19.
00:41:25.95\00:41:29.75
I think one of the great stories
00:41:29.75\00:41:31.29
because remember, we
can have a clear conscience
00:41:31.29\00:41:34.06
as we're faithful but
if we look at our past,
00:41:34.06\00:41:36.96
we often see that
our conscience is marred
00:41:36.96\00:41:40.40
and sometimes we can
fear to take God at His word,
00:41:40.40\00:41:45.13
when He tells us to
come, when Jesus says...
00:41:45.13\00:41:49.67
"Come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden,
00:41:49.67\00:41:52.64
and I will give you rest."
00:41:52.64\00:41:53.74
Jesus says,
00:41:53.74\00:41:56.38
I won't cast you
out, whoever comes to me,
00:41:56.38\00:41:58.68
I'll no ways cast you out.
00:41:58.68\00:42:01.15
Luke 19, I love this story,
it's one of these great stories
00:42:01.15\00:42:04.75
because it teaches
us something powerful
00:42:04.75\00:42:07.16
about a clear conscience,
it's the story of Zacchaeus.
00:42:07.16\00:42:10.99
You know the story, right?
00:42:10.99\00:42:12.76
Zacchaeus, chief tax collector,
a Jew hated by his own people
00:42:12.76\00:42:18.37
because he was in
collusion with the Romans.
00:42:18.37\00:42:22.17
Tax collection was
synonymous with extortion
00:42:22.17\00:42:26.27
because the tax
collectors lined their pockets
00:42:26.27\00:42:29.04
when they could
extort more money
00:42:29.04\00:42:31.78
from the tax
collecteese if you will,
00:42:31.78\00:42:35.68
that's Zacchaeus.
00:42:35.68\00:42:37.02
But what picture
do we get of Zacchaeus
00:42:37.02\00:42:40.22
when Jesus comes to Jericho?
00:42:40.22\00:42:42.06
He is climbing up
a tree to see Jesus.
00:42:44.73\00:42:48.46
Now, I want you
to think about this.
00:42:48.46\00:42:50.33
He was likely one
of the wealthiest men
00:42:50.33\00:42:53.20
in that area.
00:42:53.20\00:42:57.17
How surprised would you be
00:42:57.17\00:42:59.74
to see a wealthy
New York businessman
00:42:59.74\00:43:03.21
at the Thanksgiving Day
parade shimming up a light post
00:43:03.21\00:43:07.82
to get a better
view of the parade,
00:43:07.82\00:43:09.58
what would you think?
00:43:09.58\00:43:11.79
I mean, you think come on.
00:43:11.79\00:43:13.12
I mean, a little kid
might do that, right?
00:43:13.12\00:43:15.99
Zacchaeus humbled himself
00:43:15.99\00:43:18.23
because he was
so focused on what?
00:43:18.23\00:43:21.73
Looking on to Jesus, right?
00:43:21.73\00:43:25.53
Now what's
remarkable about the story
00:43:25.53\00:43:27.40
as it relates to conscience.
00:43:27.40\00:43:30.11
Jesus looks up,
He tells Zacchaeus,
00:43:30.11\00:43:33.38
He has already made an
appointment at his home,
00:43:33.38\00:43:36.08
but it doesn't stop there.
00:43:36.08\00:43:39.95
As the crowd
begins to grumble...
00:43:39.95\00:43:44.62
Zacchaeus, sinner,
00:43:44.62\00:43:46.62
Jesus is going to
eat with this guy,
00:43:46.62\00:43:48.02
going to his house.
00:43:48.02\00:43:50.16
Zacchaeus makes a
statement in verse 8,
00:43:50.16\00:43:53.50
"Look Lord, I give
half my goods to the poor,
00:43:53.50\00:43:57.77
and if I have taken
any thing from anyone
00:43:57.77\00:44:00.54
by false accusation,
00:44:00.54\00:44:02.20
I restore fourfold."
00:44:02.20\00:44:07.31
Now listen what
Jesus says, verse 9,
00:44:07.31\00:44:10.85
"Today salvation
has come to this house
00:44:10.85\00:44:16.28
because he also
is a son of Abraham.
00:44:16.28\00:44:19.52
For the son of
man has come to seek
00:44:19.52\00:44:21.42
and to save
that which was lost."
00:44:21.42\00:44:23.73
Here is the question.
00:44:23.73\00:44:25.33
Has Zacchaeus made
everything right in Luke 19?
00:44:25.33\00:44:31.43
He has not.
00:44:31.43\00:44:32.83
There is still a lot
of baggage in his life
00:44:32.83\00:44:35.17
that he hasn't
fully accounted for yet,
00:44:35.17\00:44:37.07
but what has he decided?
00:44:37.07\00:44:38.91
He has decided to follow Jesus.
00:44:38.91\00:44:42.28
You see, you don't have to wait
00:44:42.28\00:44:43.95
till everything is
cleaned up in your life
00:44:43.95\00:44:45.65
to come to Jesus.
00:44:45.65\00:44:47.85
You don't have to wait
till everything is perfect.
00:44:47.85\00:44:50.62
Jesus asks you
to come as you are.
00:44:50.62\00:44:52.42
Yes, He wants us to repent,
00:44:52.42\00:44:54.19
He wants us to make
things right in the past
00:44:54.19\00:44:56.32
but, you know, some of
us have so much baggage
00:44:56.32\00:44:59.66
that we would never
come to Jesus, right?
00:44:59.66\00:45:02.43
If we just looked at our past.
00:45:02.43\00:45:04.30
I was brought
back into the past,
00:45:09.90\00:45:11.71
not my own past
00:45:11.71\00:45:13.48
but the past in
the state of Arizona,
00:45:13.48\00:45:16.41
just last week I was
speaking at a small church,
00:45:16.41\00:45:20.75
the Benson Church
outside of Tucson.
00:45:20.75\00:45:24.35
And some of the
gracious church members
00:45:24.35\00:45:26.15
decided to take me to
one of the local sites.
00:45:26.15\00:45:31.26
I there learned about
a couple of gentlemen.
00:45:31.26\00:45:33.50
Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts,
00:45:36.53\00:45:42.24
couple of amateur
spelunkers, cave explorers.
00:45:42.24\00:45:46.84
Back in the '70s, students
at the University of Arizona,
00:45:46.84\00:45:50.98
they had heard rumors that
somewhere outside of Benson
00:45:50.98\00:45:54.05
there was a cave.
00:45:54.05\00:45:55.25
In fact,
00:45:55.25\00:45:57.59
Randy had been out
there some seven years before.
00:45:57.59\00:46:00.26
This is now back in 1974,
00:46:00.26\00:46:02.69
these two
individuals go to this location.
00:46:02.69\00:46:08.13
There is a sinkhole
there in the middle of some
00:46:08.13\00:46:10.57
vast ranch
lands, nobody is around,
00:46:10.57\00:46:12.80
nobody is looking.
00:46:12.80\00:46:14.30
It's private property but...
00:46:14.30\00:46:16.50
I mean who is going
to know when you've got
00:46:16.50\00:46:17.67
acres and acres
of cattle ranch land.
00:46:17.67\00:46:20.58
And so these two guys go
down and they look at a spot
00:46:20.58\00:46:24.21
that Randy had seen
some seven years before.
00:46:24.21\00:46:28.35
Heard there was a cave there
00:46:28.35\00:46:29.72
but just doesn't seem
there is anyway to get into it,
00:46:29.72\00:46:32.52
but now it actually seemed like,
00:46:32.52\00:46:33.86
I don't know if the
ground had moved a little bit
00:46:33.86\00:46:35.92
or maybe things had settled.
00:46:35.92\00:46:37.73
And Gary and Randy thought that
00:46:37.73\00:46:39.53
they could actually get
through this small crevice,
00:46:39.53\00:46:42.80
and they make their way in,
00:46:42.80\00:46:44.87
and they find about
a hundred feet of cave.
00:46:44.87\00:46:50.51
So obvious other
people had been there before,
00:46:50.51\00:46:52.51
there is footprints,
there is broken structures,
00:46:52.51\00:46:55.54
cave structures,
stalactites or stalagmites,
00:46:55.54\00:46:59.51
they didn't go
into detail about it.
00:46:59.51\00:47:02.75
But what attracted
them on this particular day
00:47:02.75\00:47:08.99
is there was a warm moist breeze
00:47:08.99\00:47:13.43
coming out when
they first arrived.
00:47:13.43\00:47:16.13
And as they got into
this 100 feet or so of rooms
00:47:16.13\00:47:19.67
that obviously
been occupied before.
00:47:19.67\00:47:22.14
They said there was too much,
too much warm breeze coming out
00:47:22.14\00:47:27.01
to actually just be coming
from these two small rooms.
00:47:27.01\00:47:31.88
And as they scouted around,
00:47:31.88\00:47:33.78
they found another small passage
00:47:33.78\00:47:35.68
where they crawled
for some eight feet or so
00:47:35.68\00:47:38.92
and they came to a
tiny three inch hole,
00:47:38.92\00:47:44.96
warm moist air coming out.
00:47:44.96\00:47:47.46
What would you do?
00:47:51.50\00:47:53.17
I tell you what I
would probably have done,
00:47:53.17\00:47:54.54
I probably
would have left, okay.
00:47:54.54\00:47:57.21
But that was not what
these two guys were going to do,
00:47:57.21\00:47:59.74
they had a small sledgehammer.
00:47:59.74\00:48:01.84
Now, I don't have one of these
in my armamentarium at home
00:48:01.84\00:48:05.51
but it was a three
pound sledgehammer.
00:48:05.51\00:48:09.55
We've got some sledgehammers
that are a lot bigger than that
00:48:09.55\00:48:11.72
but I guess they
couldn't get anything larger in.
00:48:11.72\00:48:15.16
And as I read
through the story, you know,
00:48:15.16\00:48:16.89
in a scientific
journal I don't usually read.
00:48:16.89\00:48:20.73
This story is actually found
00:48:20.73\00:48:21.93
in the Journal of
Cave and Karst Studies
00:48:21.93\00:48:25.67
from back in 1999.
00:48:25.67\00:48:27.97
They are describing
exactly what they did.
00:48:27.97\00:48:30.44
They started
hammering on this little hole
00:48:30.44\00:48:32.94
until they opened
up a hole big enough,
00:48:32.94\00:48:36.28
big enough...
00:48:36.28\00:48:38.68
Boy, it's kind of
amazing what they said.
00:48:38.68\00:48:42.95
Okay, I'll read it to
you 'cause some of you
00:48:42.95\00:48:44.89
I can tell want to know
what they did at that point.
00:48:44.89\00:48:49.06
It says, "They
laid in this crawlway,
00:48:49.06\00:48:53.63
for two hours
they widened that hole
00:48:53.63\00:48:56.10
with a
sledgehammer and a chisel."
00:48:56.10\00:48:58.57
And it says,
"Finally they were able to
00:48:58.57\00:49:00.44
squeeze through the hole.
00:49:00.44\00:49:03.67
Tenen first and then Tufts
00:49:03.67\00:49:07.34
but only by
taking off their belts
00:49:07.34\00:49:10.81
and exhaling."
00:49:10.81\00:49:15.28
I don't know,
00:49:15.28\00:49:17.75
I think I would
have probably wanted
00:49:17.75\00:49:19.62
a little wider than that.
00:49:19.62\00:49:21.29
But as these guys
continued their explorations
00:49:21.29\00:49:24.53
that day onward,
they ended up finding
00:49:24.53\00:49:26.33
what is called
Kartchner Caverns.
00:49:26.33\00:49:29.03
An amazing caverns
as I looked at that...
00:49:29.03\00:49:33.80
less than a week ago.
00:49:33.80\00:49:35.40
Amazing cave structures,
00:49:35.40\00:49:37.31
no one had ever
been there before.
00:49:37.31\00:49:39.74
It's a living cave,
00:49:39.74\00:49:41.81
and what struck me
about the whole story
00:49:41.81\00:49:45.31
is listen to the description
of the finders of this cave.
00:49:45.31\00:49:50.89
Here's what they said,
"Since we discovered the cave
00:49:50.89\00:49:53.76
in 1974,
00:49:53.76\00:49:55.82
all our efforts
00:49:55.82\00:49:57.89
have been for the purpose
00:49:57.89\00:49:59.66
of protecting the
cave for posterity."
00:49:59.66\00:50:04.90
They saw themselves
as stewards of the cave.
00:50:04.90\00:50:10.44
And they tell
the whole story there
00:50:10.44\00:50:11.97
of how they worked
with the State Legislature
00:50:11.97\00:50:14.38
trying to keep everything
secret the whole time,
00:50:14.38\00:50:17.35
blindfolding state
officials driving them in,
00:50:17.35\00:50:20.82
you know, circuitous routes
to bring them to the cave,
00:50:20.82\00:50:24.39
amazing story.
00:50:24.39\00:50:26.02
But now there is
this amazing cave
00:50:26.02\00:50:29.06
and the state has spent some,
00:50:29.06\00:50:31.26
they told me $38
million to this point
00:50:31.26\00:50:34.56
developing this cave,
00:50:34.56\00:50:35.86
blasting up until
they got to, you know,
00:50:35.86\00:50:39.63
so close that you couldn't
say if we blast without damaging
00:50:39.63\00:50:42.54
the cave structures.
00:50:42.54\00:50:43.84
But blasting
through large amounts
00:50:43.84\00:50:46.04
and in order to go
into this living cave,
00:50:46.04\00:50:48.98
they had to take us
through barrier after barrier.
00:50:48.98\00:50:51.98
It's like you're entering
some kind of a clean room
00:50:51.98\00:50:54.82
in a semi-conductor factory
00:50:54.82\00:50:58.55
or going into some
carefully guarded prison.
00:50:58.55\00:51:02.42
I used to spend a
little bit of time
00:51:02.42\00:51:05.96
in the State Mental Facility
00:51:05.96\00:51:07.40
when I was doing my
preventive medicine training.
00:51:07.40\00:51:09.33
We had to go through
these different doors,
00:51:09.33\00:51:11.07
and all these safeguards,
and that's what it was.
00:51:11.07\00:51:13.84
They're
controlling the humidity.
00:51:13.84\00:51:15.20
The cave is a living cave.
00:51:15.20\00:51:17.51
Now, here is my point,
00:51:17.51\00:51:18.84
and I think there is some
interesting illustrations.
00:51:18.84\00:51:21.48
First of all what drew
them into the cave was what?
00:51:21.48\00:51:25.48
This warm wind.
00:51:25.48\00:51:27.45
And in the Bible we often
speak about the wind being what?
00:51:27.45\00:51:31.62
The Holy Spirit, right?
00:51:31.62\00:51:33.12
Now you might tell, Dr. DeRose,
00:51:33.12\00:51:34.52
you're taking some
liberties here with the account.
00:51:34.52\00:51:36.73
But really, they
were drawn into something,
00:51:36.73\00:51:39.66
there was incredible
treasure but it wasn't visible.
00:51:39.66\00:51:44.13
I mean isn't that
really what Christianity is.
00:51:44.13\00:51:46.80
It's a great treasure
that God's entrusted to us.
00:51:46.80\00:51:49.44
I mean, the Bible
uses the same illustration
00:51:49.44\00:51:51.57
of the buried treasure, right?
00:51:51.57\00:51:53.27
Where man would sell
everything to have the field.
00:51:53.27\00:51:56.48
I guess these guys
couldn't buy all the acres
00:51:56.48\00:52:00.68
that the Kartchners owned.
00:52:00.68\00:52:02.18
The Kartchners
actually owned that land,
00:52:02.18\00:52:04.05
that's what the
caverns are named after.
00:52:04.05\00:52:06.12
Now it's a state park but,
00:52:06.12\00:52:09.32
and what do they
see their privilege as.
00:52:09.32\00:52:12.09
It was a joy and privilege
to enjoy this amazing cave
00:52:12.09\00:52:17.10
but they didn't
wanted just for themselves,
00:52:17.10\00:52:20.14
but they wanted to preserve it.
00:52:20.14\00:52:22.70
They saw themselves as stewards,
00:52:22.70\00:52:25.17
and they were
obedient to the trust
00:52:25.17\00:52:27.98
that was committed to them.
00:52:27.98\00:52:31.98
You know, some of you
may have scratched your head
00:52:31.98\00:52:33.88
in Thursday's lesson
00:52:33.88\00:52:35.18
where it speaks
about trustworthiness.
00:52:35.18\00:52:37.59
Just talked
about couple of people
00:52:37.59\00:52:38.89
who were trustworthy
00:52:38.89\00:52:39.95
because the scripture focus
00:52:39.95\00:52:41.99
there is on the parable
of the steward in Luke 16.
00:52:41.99\00:52:46.76
We won't read that
whole parable there,
00:52:46.76\00:52:49.66
but it is one of the
more difficult parables
00:52:49.66\00:52:52.07
because this is a steward
who is not being faithful.
00:52:52.07\00:52:56.17
And when his unfaithfulness
is discovered by the master,
00:52:56.17\00:52:59.21
what does he say?
00:52:59.21\00:53:00.81
He said, "Listen, I
can't do manual labor,
00:53:00.81\00:53:02.91
I can't dig, I'm ashamed to beg,
00:53:02.91\00:53:05.18
I'm not going to be a,
you know, pauper begging."
00:53:05.18\00:53:07.32
So what does he do?
00:53:07.32\00:53:09.48
He actually starts
trading on the master's goods.
00:53:09.48\00:53:13.59
But not in an honest
way, in a dishonest way,
00:53:13.59\00:53:15.82
he starts lowering
00:53:15.82\00:53:18.06
the indebtedness
of all the debtors
00:53:18.06\00:53:20.60
to his master, you
remember the story, right?
00:53:20.60\00:53:22.26
Someone owes, you know, a
hundred pounds or something,
00:53:22.26\00:53:24.67
look, okay, I'll make it fifty.
00:53:24.67\00:53:27.70
And what did the
master in that story do?
00:53:27.70\00:53:32.44
He commended
that unjust steward.
00:53:32.44\00:53:35.78
Now the master
there is not Jesus,
00:53:35.78\00:53:38.25
it's a worldly master,
00:53:38.25\00:53:40.05
who is
commending a worldly steward
00:53:40.05\00:53:43.25
for being shrewd in
a difficult position.
00:53:43.25\00:53:46.12
But his shrewdness was in taking
00:53:46.12\00:53:49.36
the goods off the master
00:53:49.36\00:53:51.86
and sharing them
with other people.
00:53:51.86\00:53:54.73
Isn't that amazing
insight into stewardship.
00:53:54.73\00:53:59.17
You know, it's
interesting to me,
00:53:59.17\00:54:00.60
Luke 16 is also
where you have that parable
00:54:00.60\00:54:03.44
of the rich man in Lazarus.
00:54:03.44\00:54:05.81
And most Christians will not say
00:54:05.81\00:54:07.58
they'd be happy
with the church treasurer
00:54:07.58\00:54:09.98
who was skimming the books
00:54:09.98\00:54:12.61
and cheating the church, right?
00:54:12.61\00:54:15.58
But they want to take
the parable of the rich man
00:54:15.58\00:54:17.55
in Lazarus very literally.
00:54:17.55\00:54:19.09
I mean you can't
do it with either one,
00:54:19.09\00:54:20.32
they are parables,
okay, to teach a lesson.
00:54:20.32\00:54:22.89
And the lesson
is God has made us
00:54:22.89\00:54:24.93
stewards of His goods,
00:54:24.93\00:54:27.13
and we're to take
those goods and do what?
00:54:27.13\00:54:29.43
To share them with others.
00:54:29.43\00:54:30.47
Are we hoarding
them to ourselves?
00:54:30.47\00:54:34.07
You know, when I read
Tenen and Tufts' account
00:54:34.07\00:54:39.07
of their finding of
the Kartchner Caverns,
00:54:39.07\00:54:42.28
they wanted to keep those
caves a secret to themselves,
00:54:42.28\00:54:46.28
they did for a number
of years, several years.
00:54:46.28\00:54:48.98
But they realized
that was not a way
00:54:48.98\00:54:51.85
to be stewards of
that great treasure.
00:54:51.85\00:54:55.29
They had to give
away what they were given.
00:54:55.29\00:54:58.99
And I think their faith in
the whole process increased.
00:54:58.99\00:55:02.70
They had a lot of doubts
about what the state would do
00:55:02.70\00:55:06.37
and how things would work out.
00:55:06.37\00:55:08.57
But now thousands of people
seeing something of beauty
00:55:08.57\00:55:12.67
that they were
entrusted as stewards with.
00:55:12.67\00:55:16.58
Well, there is a lot
more we'll be talking about
00:55:16.58\00:55:18.25
in this quarter
about stewardship.
00:55:18.25\00:55:20.22
We've also got a
free resource for you,
00:55:20.22\00:55:23.28
it's called In God We Trust.
00:55:23.28\00:55:25.89
You can get it free
if you're in the US,
00:55:25.89\00:55:28.26
North America by
calling 866- Study-More.
00:55:28.26\00:55:33.63
I invite you all to
be back with us next week
00:55:33.63\00:55:36.33
as we continue our
study on Stewardship,
00:55:36.33\00:55:41.54
Motives of the Heart.
00:55:41.54\00:55:43.17
We'll look forward
to seeing you then.
00:55:43.17\00:55:45.17
Have you ever heard
the expression before,
00:56:03.26\00:56:05.26
they eat like a bird,
00:56:05.26\00:56:06.53
talking about somebody
that has a minuscule appetite?
00:56:06.53\00:56:09.90
Well, you might
want to think twice
00:56:09.90\00:56:11.07
the next time you
use that expression.
00:56:11.07\00:56:13.23
For example,
take the humming bird.
00:56:13.23\00:56:15.70
In order for it to maintain
its incredible metabolism,
00:56:15.70\00:56:18.64
it has to eat about 50%
of its body weight everyday.
00:56:18.64\00:56:23.21
To put that in perspective,
00:56:23.21\00:56:24.75
if a 100 pound woman was
to eat like a humming bird,
00:56:24.75\00:56:27.95
she would have to eat
50 pounds of sugar a day
00:56:27.95\00:56:30.62
just to
maintain her body weight,
00:56:30.62\00:56:32.32
imagine that.
00:56:32.32\00:56:33.86
Maybe you don't
want to imagine that.
00:56:33.86\00:56:36.06
Or perhaps you want to
consider this another way.
00:56:36.06\00:56:38.73
The humming bird
typically consumes between
00:56:38.73\00:56:40.96
four to seven calories a day,
00:56:40.96\00:56:42.90
on the other hand a human
about 3500 calories a day.
00:56:42.90\00:56:46.87
But if you were to eat
like a bird, a humming bird,
00:56:46.87\00:56:49.40
you'd have to eat over
150,000 calories a day.
00:56:49.40\00:56:55.21
Oh, that's like
a man of 170 pounds
00:56:55.21\00:56:57.31
that would be
eating 3000 Oreo cookies.
00:56:57.31\00:57:01.08
Under normal conditions,
00:57:01.08\00:57:02.75
a humming bird needs to
eat every five or ten minutes.
00:57:02.75\00:57:05.52
But there is actually
one time during the year,
00:57:05.52\00:57:07.46
the humming bird will
eat its entire body weight
00:57:07.46\00:57:09.92
everyday.
00:57:09.92\00:57:11.86
You see once a year
they make this migration
00:57:11.86\00:57:14.46
500 miles across
the Gulf of Mexico
00:57:14.46\00:57:17.17
from Texas to the
Yucatan Peninsula.
00:57:17.17\00:57:21.10
In order to do that,
00:57:21.10\00:57:22.47
the humming
bird feasts on nectar
00:57:22.47\00:57:24.57
and gorges
themselves on this nectar
00:57:24.57\00:57:26.91
for about a week,
00:57:26.91\00:57:28.21
doubling their body weight.
00:57:28.21\00:57:30.11
That's the only way they
can store enough calories
00:57:30.11\00:57:32.18
to help them with their
70 wing beats per second
00:57:32.18\00:57:35.82
or roughly 4 million
wing beats on that journey.
00:57:35.82\00:57:39.85
You know, in the
same way, friends,
00:57:39.85\00:57:40.99
as we near the end of time,
00:57:40.99\00:57:42.52
we need to be
feasting and gorging ourselves
00:57:42.52\00:57:44.83
on the nectar of God's Word.
00:57:44.83\00:57:46.70
We've got to be able
to have that strength
00:57:46.70\00:57:48.33
to get us through the
times of trouble that are ahead.
00:57:48.33\00:57:50.57
So when it comes to the Bible
and your personal devotions,
00:57:50.57\00:57:53.74
if you're going
to eat like a bird,
00:57:53.74\00:57:55.34
eat like a humming bird.
00:57:55.34\00:57:56.84