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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021848A
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00:35 Welcome to the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:39 located in Rocklin, California. 00:42 We are continuing our lesson that we just actually started 00:46 not that long ago, 00:47 and if you do not have a copy 00:50 and you would like to study along with us, 00:53 it's very simple, 00:54 you just go to aftv.org, 00:59 and you can download the current lesson 01:01 of the Sabbath School quarterly. 01:03 And if you are somewhere 01:05 and you are close to an Adventist church, 01:07 I encourage you to go visit it, and you can get a hard copy. 01:10 So before we get into the lesson, 01:14 I'm going to tell you about our free offer. 01:16 Every week, we have a free offer, 01:18 and we would love to hear from you, 01:19 so if you would like this, please go and contact us. 01:22 It is offer number 842 entitled, 01:26 "Who Needs The Church." 01:28 Great question. 01:31 Number 842. 01:33 This is a DVD by Pastor Doug Batchelor, 01:36 and for this you can call 866-788-3966, 01:41 or the easy way is 866-Study-More. 01:44 So that a DVD if you would like to watch that. 01:49 And also, we have a digital download. 01:52 So this one is super easy. 01:54 You just have to get out your phones and text. 01:57 Text the code "SH096" 02:00 to 40544. 02:03 So "SH096" is what you're going to text 02:07 to 40544, 02:10 and you will receive your free digital download. 02:13 So go ahead, 02:15 contact your local church for the quarterly, 02:17 go online for our DVD, 02:20 or get on your phone and text. 02:22 There's so many different ways, 02:23 and we would love to hear from you. 02:26 Before we get into our lesson which will be brought to us 02:29 by Pastor Shawn Brummund, 02:31 we have music like we do every week. 02:33 But this week, it's special. 02:34 We have special guests joining us 02:37 from the Pine Hills Seventh-day Adventist School 02:40 which is not very far from our church 02:42 right here in Rocklin, 02:43 they're probably 20 minutes up Highway 02:47 80 towards the mountains, and they are here, 02:50 their group is called the Choraliers, 02:53 and they will be singing for us a song called, "Grace," 02:57 conducted by Jill Genobaga, 03:00 and right now, they will bring us our music. 03:16 Amazing grace! 03:22 How sweet the sound 03:27 That saved a wretch 03:33 A wretch like me 03:39 I once was lost 03:44 But now I'm found 03:50 I was once blind 03:56 But now I see 04:09 'Twas grace that taught 04:14 My heart to fear 04:20 And I say grace 04:25 My fears relieved 04:30 How precious did 04:35 That grace appear 04:41 The hour when 04:47 I first believed 04:57 Through many dangers 05:03 Toils and snares 05:07 I have already 05:13 Safely come 05:17 'Tis grace hath brought 05:21 Me safe thus far 05:27 And surely 05:32 Grace will lead me home 05:38 I shall go home 05:54 When we've been there 05:59 Ten thousand years 06:04 Bright shining as 06:11 The sun 06:15 We've no less days 06:20 To sing God's praise 06:27 Than since the day 06:33 We'd first begun 06:45 Than since the day 06:52 We'd first 06:55 Begun 07:12 Before we get into our program, into our lesson, 07:15 let's bow our heads for prayer. 07:18 Thank you, Father, for this opportunity 07:21 that we have to be here today, here physically 07:27 at the Granite Bay Adventist Church, 07:30 and as an extended family all around the world, 07:34 there are so many who join us each week, 07:39 and I know that you know exactly who they are, 07:42 and I just pray that 07:43 You will be with each one of them 07:45 as we open up Your Word 07:46 and we study together right now. 07:48 Thank you so much for Your love, 07:51 and Your protection, and I know that right now, 07:54 California is going through some difficulties 07:59 with these fires throughout the state, 08:01 and I just pray that those who have been affected 08:04 that You will please just bring extra comfort 08:07 and strengths to them right now 08:10 as they figure out where to go from here. 08:14 And not just the people here in California, 08:16 but around the world who are suffering. 08:18 I pray that You will just be very close right now. 08:23 And as we open up Your Word and we study together, 08:26 please just fill our hearts with Your Spirit 08:29 and open up our minds, in Jesus' name, amen. 08:32 Good morning to everyone that is here. 08:34 It's good to be here. 08:35 It's good to continue to open God's Word 08:38 as we continue to come together week by week. 08:41 And we've been looking at a very important topic 08:43 over the last two, 08:45 almost two months now or a month and a half, 08:47 and we will be until the end of this particular year 08:50 which is, "Oneness in Christ." 08:53 And this is no small topic. 08:54 It's one of the great doctrines. 08:56 In fact, if you were to open up the book that we call 08:59 the 28 fundamental beliefs 09:01 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 09:03 we recognize that this Bible teaching is so important 09:06 that it's one isolated individual belief that we have 09:11 because the Bible talks so much about it. 09:14 And so it's important for us to be able to understand it. 09:15 Amen? 09:17 And so we're looking at that here today, 09:19 And so today's lesson is entitled, 09:22 "The Most Convincing Proof," 09:24 and that starts on page 72 09:25 if you have your lesson study with you, 09:28 and so we have the most convincing proof. 09:32 Well, that's a pretty cryptic title, isn't it? 09:35 The most convincing proof of what? 09:37 The most convincing proof of who or where or when or how? 09:41 What does that mean? 09:42 Well, we're going to find that out. 09:43 If you've read your lesson study already, 09:45 had you already know the answer to that 09:47 because it's found in the lesson study. 09:49 But we're going to be looking at it here today as well. 09:52 So today is kind of a part two, if we could call it, 09:55 from last week's study because as we came together 09:57 and studied last week in lesson number eight, 09:59 we've found that God has given a very real driving force 10:03 that draws us together in unity 10:05 and that is to come under the umbrella 10:07 of like belief, and like teaching. 10:10 In other words, the Bible has a number of 10:13 what we call foundational 10:15 or some might call it fundamental beliefs, 10:19 and so these are, kind of, the bedrock, kind of, 10:22 beliefs that set the stage 10:24 for each and every member of a church. 10:27 Now with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 10:28 as I just mentioned earlier, 10:29 there's 28 fundamental or foundational beliefs 10:33 that we all hold in common. 10:35 And when you hold so much important information 10:39 in common that naturally draws us together, doesn't it? 10:42 It gives us something very important 10:44 that's in common. 10:46 Well, today is part two 10:48 because not only is a common message of truth, 10:52 doctrine, as the Bible calls it, 10:54 important to be able to draw us together, 10:56 but there is also something else 10:57 that draws us together in a very powerful way, 11:00 and that is the second powerful unifying force, 11:03 and in extension to that, there's also another, 11:06 if you could call it a subcategory 11:08 of a driving force that draws us together, 11:10 we'll talk about that today here as well. 11:13 But the second foundational driving force 11:15 that draws us together in unity is a common experience, okay? 11:20 Last week, again, we looked at a common belief, 11:23 and today we're looking at a common shared experience 11:27 that God has intended for us to be able to have together. 11:31 What kind of experience is that? 11:32 Well, it's an experience that is empowered 11:34 by the Holy Spirit. 11:36 When one comes to surrender before Christ, 11:39 when one comes to confess your sins, ask for cleansing, 11:42 ask for God to be their Lord, and we open up our hearts, 11:46 God doesn't leave our hearts empty, does He? 11:48 He just floods right in with His Holy Spirit, 11:51 and we become born again, 11:54 as Jesus had taught the great Nicodemus 11:56 late one night in His meeting with him. 11:59 And so it's very important for us to understand that 12:03 there is a very strong driving force 12:05 that draws us together and that is that 12:08 we all share that born again experience, 12:11 what it's like to have the Holy Spirit in your heart, 12:14 and to be able to find that power 12:16 that God gives to us. 12:18 And as we come to experience that, of course, 12:21 we come under the sacrifice of Jesus. 12:24 We come to the foot of the cross 12:26 as we have one or more hymns that have been sung 12:29 that draws us to the foot of the cross 12:31 where we find that there is a savior, 12:34 the Son of God that has died for us, 12:38 and that blood that He shed is the blood that cleanses us. 12:42 It's the foundational hope of the gospel. 12:45 It's the core of our hope as Christians 12:48 that we might be able to understand 12:50 and know that there is a God that has died for us. 12:54 And not only has He died for us, 12:56 but He didn't stay in the grave, did He? 12:57 We also know that He rose back to life again. 13:00 And so we also share that hope 13:02 on the second half of the gospel 13:03 which is the resurrection, 13:05 and not only the resurrection 13:06 but then what Jesus started to do for us 13:08 after that resurrection and that is become 13:10 our High Priest. 13:11 And so now we know 24/7 13:13 that we can come before the Father 13:15 in the name of Jesus, 13:17 and under the blood of His sacrifice, 13:19 and know that Jesus is an interceder for you and I, 13:22 that He is living, that He is working 13:24 for you and I in heaven even right now. 13:28 So that's the great experience and extension of the message 13:31 that God gives to us. 13:33 And so in summary of that truth that I just shared with you, 13:37 it's very important to understand that the message 13:39 that God has given to us, the gospel, 13:42 the three angels' message, 13:43 the great prophecies of Daniel and Revelation 13:45 and other things that God has called us 13:48 to be able to proclaim, 13:49 all of that is only half of the witness 13:51 that God has given to us to give to the world. 13:54 So in other words, when we stand up 13:55 before a television camera, or we're before a live crowd 13:59 and we're sharing the message, 14:00 that is a real part of the witness 14:02 that God has given to us 14:03 when we share with our coworkers, 14:04 or fellow students, or our neighbors, 14:06 and we start to give Bible studies, 14:08 or share some literature, again, 14:10 that message is a real and powerful first half 14:14 of the witness that God gives us to the world. 14:18 Well, what's the second half? 14:21 The second half is people looking at us, 14:25 and seeing Christ played out in our experience, 14:30 in our words, in our behavior, in our attitudes. 14:34 All of these different things is the second half 14:36 of the witness God has for us for the world, is it not? 14:39 And so people, when they come to know as Christians 14:42 and they find that we believe in the Son of God, 14:45 that we believe in the gospel, 14:46 that we believe in the Bible and so on, 14:47 this is all very important, but this is not everything. 14:53 God has called us to be able to... 14:55 They start watching you, don't they? 14:57 They start to see exactly how do you treat your wife? 15:01 You know, how do you treat your husband? 15:03 How do you parent? 15:05 What do you do when you get 15:06 in financial straits or, and such? 15:09 And so our neighbors are watching us all the time. 15:12 And so, not only are they watching us individually, 15:14 but then if we manage to be able to get them 15:16 to church, what are they watching? 15:18 They're not just watching us now, 15:19 they're watching all of you, aren't they? 15:21 And they're looking around and saying, 15:22 "Well, what kind of people are these?" 15:25 And so that's the second half of the message. 15:28 Now as I was contemplating this very important truth, 15:30 and the topic that we're looking at on that, 15:34 there's very one outstanding personal experience 15:36 that I just can't help from sharing. 15:37 And so this is a very powerful illustration. 15:41 My mother and father-in-law, Denise's, 15:43 my wife's name is Denise, 15:44 and her mom and dad is Gisela and Didier Sockle. 15:49 And as it turns out Didier and Gisela were instrumental 15:53 in introducing both Denise and I 15:56 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 15:58 I'd never heard of the Seventh-day Church 16:00 until I was about 25 years of age 16:02 and my wife about the same. 16:04 And so Denise and I, you know, some of you know, 16:08 and if you don't know now, 16:10 you know now that I was born and raised in Canada 16:13 and so was my wife. 16:15 And so at the time, we were living in Canada, 16:17 and Denise and I were going to Toronto 16:20 which is the other side of the country 16:21 where we were raised 16:22 and where our hometown is, and we're going there 16:25 for Denise's university studies. 16:27 And during that three years 16:29 that we were taking those studies in Toronto, 16:31 Denise's mom and dad were invited 16:33 to a Seventh-day Adventist Health Program. 16:36 Now again, they had never heard 16:38 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 16:40 But one of their clients, their hairdressers, 16:43 and one of their clients had invited them 16:46 to a health program 16:47 and that health program was called CHIP. 16:50 Now some of you know that acronym. 16:51 I've been involved in CHIP. 16:53 CHIP has been a very successful, 16:54 very helpful health program. 16:56 It's an acronym for Coronary Health Improvement Project. 17:01 And that particular program was just being pioneered 17:04 by Dr. Hans Diehl at the time. 17:05 And so he was actually in B.C., Canada, 17:07 pioneering and starting to live lecture 17:10 through this new series that he was developing. 17:13 Well, as it turns out, 17:15 my mother-in-law couldn't help but saying yes 17:19 because the client had told her, 17:20 "Listen, this is a great program. 17:22 It's called eat more and lose weight." 17:25 And so she said, "How can I say no to that? 17:27 I've been trying every diet under the sun. 17:29 I've got to go and try this particular program." 17:31 And so she showed up, 17:32 and her husband came with her, Didier, 17:34 and the two of them started to just eat up everything, 17:38 no pun intended. 17:40 But they started to eat up everything that Dr. Diehl 17:43 was sharing with them. 17:44 And then they brought Gisela's mother 17:47 which is Denise's grandmother, 17:49 and Denise's grandmother was in serious dire straits 17:52 with type 2 diabetes. 17:54 And she was quite obese, her legs were going black, 17:58 and the doctor was saying, 17:59 "It's only a matter of months before she loses her leg." 18:02 She's on high insulin every day. 18:05 And by the time they got to the end the program 18:07 in couple of three, four months after, 18:08 she was off insulin completely, 18:10 she'd lost 60 pounds, and she'd saved her legs, 18:13 and now she is walking half an hour every day. 18:15 And so this was a very powerful experience. 18:18 And so Didier and Gisela 18:19 became Dr. Diehl's greatest evangelists. 18:22 And they had a stack of his books 18:24 in their hair shop that they owned, 18:25 and they were just selling those to their clients 18:27 all day long as they were coming 18:29 through their shop and inviting them 18:32 to be able to come to the program as well. 18:35 There's one outstanding thing. 18:36 At the same time, just shortly after that, 18:38 Denise and I moved back and we were staying with them 18:40 as we're being established after Denise graduated. 18:42 We're staying with them 18:44 in our hometown of Kelowna, B.C. 18:46 And so we found there 18:48 that there was one key statement 18:50 that Gisela kept sharing in concern to her experience 18:55 with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 18:56 Now, as it turns out, 18:57 not only had she gotten to a CHIP program, 18:59 but then that also 19:00 led into going to Revelation seminar, 19:02 into a Prophecy seminar, 19:04 and so she had also been well studied 19:06 and exposed to the Bible truth and its message 19:09 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as well. 19:12 But there's one statement that she kept repeating. 19:14 "Shawn, Denise, there's something different 19:16 about these people." 19:19 There's just something different about these people. 19:21 Now sometimes when we say that, we get a little bit nervous, 19:23 and we think, "Well, what do you mean by different? 19:25 You mean strange, weird, you know, mean? 19:28 What is it that's different about them?" 19:29 You know, when she said it, 19:30 she said it with a smile in her face. 19:31 "There's just something different about these people. 19:34 They're very special." 19:36 There's just something different that she could see. 19:38 What was she seeing? 19:41 She was seeing that there was a difference 19:43 between her fellowship and time rubbing shoulders 19:45 with Seventh-day Adventists, 19:47 and rubbing shoulders with people in the world, 19:49 or even with some of the churches 19:50 that she had attended. 19:51 She was grown up Lutheran, 19:52 and even though there are some beautiful Lutheran people, 19:55 she found that the Seventh-day Adventists 19:57 had something extra special, 19:59 and she could see that difference. 20:02 And that's what we're looking at in our study here 20:04 this particular week is that there is a witness 20:07 that God has called us to be able to experience 20:11 and to share with those 20:13 who are observing us and experiencing us. 20:16 And by the way, that led to Denise and I 20:19 also learning about the message. 20:20 And in 1992, we had all gone to a Prophecy seminar 20:22 and the four of us were baptized 20:25 and haven't looked back since. 20:27 And so God does powerful things with the witness. 20:30 Was it the message of the health program? 20:32 Yes, that information was life changing. 20:35 Was it the message of the gospel 20:36 and the three angels' message? 20:38 Yes, that was a powerful thing. 20:40 But was it also the witness of them 20:43 observing the difference 20:45 that they saw between us and other people? 20:48 Yes, that was a key difference 20:51 and that kept coming up to the surface. 20:52 "Shawn, there's something different about those people." 20:57 It was funny because then we became 20:59 one of those people. 21:02 And so for a number of years afterwards, you know, 21:04 she'd been saying that for so long that she would say, 21:06 you know, "Yes, there's always something special 21:08 about those people," and we'd remind her, 21:09 "Mom, you're one of those people." 21:13 And she'd, "Yeah, that's right. 21:14 I'm one of those people." 21:16 Now some of you have had the privilege of meeting them. 21:18 They came and visited last, 21:20 early spring around April there. 21:22 And so, I know some of you 21:23 had the privilege of seeing them. 21:24 And the more you get to know them 21:25 and the more you rub shoulders with them, 21:27 you start to see there is something different 21:29 about those people 21:31 because God is shining through them 21:33 in a very special and powerful way. 21:36 And so, thank you, mom, thank you, dad, 21:37 for being such great witnesses and shining for Jesus. 21:42 Amen. 21:44 Well, I invite you to come to page 72 21:46 which is the opening of our lesson study here today. 21:50 Page 72, and I just want to read 21:52 a quote as I kind of left you hanging 21:54 with the title of our message here today 21:56 which is, "The Most Convincing Proof," 21:59 and so we're going to go to the bottom of page 72, 22:02 and read a quote there. 22:03 It's by my favorite author outside of the Bible by far, 22:07 Ellen G. White, 22:08 and it's quoting 22:09 from the Seventh-day Adventist's commentary 22:11 that collected a statement from her. 22:13 It says, "Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity 22:17 with one another." 22:19 Unity with Christ establishes a bond with one another. 22:22 In other words, when we find ourselves 22:24 connecting with Christ, 22:26 there is a natural drawing power 22:30 that God gives to us that binds us to one another. 22:33 When we find somebody... 22:34 You know, I was just driving over in Vallejo 22:36 to pick something up this week there. 22:38 And I got a really nice sticker that I found on Amazon 22:42 which is a white sticker which is the church logo. 22:45 And so I bought that, 22:46 and it's about four or five inches high, 22:48 and I put that on the back of my tinted window 22:50 in the back of my car, and I thought, 22:52 "Hey, that's a great way of telling other people, 22:54 hey, I'm a Seventh-day Adventist. 22:55 I'm a Christian." 22:56 And so I was driving there, and I pulled up to a light, 22:58 and I happened to have my window down 22:59 and the guy next to me said, "Hey, yo, brother," 23:02 and I said, "Yeah, what is it?" 23:04 He goes, "So you're a Seventh-day Adventist?" 23:06 And I said, "Yeah, yeah." 23:07 Well, the light turned green, we had to keep going. 23:08 And he goes, "I am too. Have a blessed day." 23:11 You know, and we continued on down the street. 23:14 And did that make my day? 23:16 It did, didn't it? 23:17 And what was it that got him excited? 23:20 Was it that I was driving a car that he really liked? 23:22 The sticker. 23:23 It was the sticker, and the sticker told him 23:25 that I was a fellow believer, 23:27 and so he got excited about that, 23:29 and then I got excited about that. 23:31 There was a drawing power there, wasn't there? 23:34 We had a like experience, 23:35 we have a like hope that we share 23:37 with one another, and we were excited about that. 23:40 And I know many of you are excited about that as well. 23:43 And so that's the drawing power. 23:45 I didn't finish the statement yet, did I? 23:47 "Unity with Christ establishes 23:48 a bond of unity with one another. 23:50 This unity is the most convincing proof to the world," 23:54 there it is, "the most convincing proof 23:56 to the world that the majesty and virtue of Christ 24:00 and of His power to take away sin." 24:03 And so that's kind of the subcategory, 24:05 the second driving force of the witness 24:07 that God gives to us, the message 24:09 but also then the witness of our experience. 24:12 And part of that witness of our experience 24:14 is that Christ then, when we become born again, 24:16 He starts to take away our sin, doesn't He? 24:19 Does He forgive us for our sin? 24:21 Yes, He does. 24:22 But when... 24:23 She's making that statement 24:24 that it is a powerful proof of Christ 24:27 and His power to take away sin. 24:29 He's not just talking about taking away the guilt, 24:31 but He's talking about removing active sin in our life 24:34 in a real way. 24:36 Okay. 24:37 Now does that mean that He starts to help us 24:39 to keep the Ten Commandments? 24:41 Yes. 24:42 So if I was a thief, 24:43 He starts to help me to be honest, 24:44 and not take anything that doesn't belong to me. 24:46 If I had an honesty problem, 24:47 He starts to give me honest words 24:49 instead of dishonest words. 24:50 And so He starts to take away that sin, 24:53 and that's a powerful part of our experience 24:55 and witness to the world. 24:57 We're going to read later a little bit as well 25:00 that it's not just keeping the Ten Commandments, 25:02 but it's also taking away malice. 25:04 It removes revenge, it removes envy. 25:08 Have you ever experienced envy from somebody else against you? 25:11 Maybe you've experienced yourself toward someone else. 25:13 You know, God takes that away. 25:15 And does that make our fellowship sweeter 25:18 when jealousy is taken out of the picture? 25:20 Of course, it does, doesn't it? 25:21 Jealousy is a wicked thing 25:23 that really destroys relationships. 25:26 And so when we have that eliminated out of the factor, 25:28 it makes us more bound and happier 25:31 with each other, isn't it? 25:32 Okay. 25:33 So we take away envy, jealousy, bitterness, gossip, 25:36 and slandering. 25:38 All these things God takes away as we give our hearts to Him 25:41 and we share that life experience. 25:47 And so it's important to understand 25:48 that church unity is a spiritual gift 25:51 that comes from God. 25:53 Spiritual unity or church unity is not something that we can, 25:59 kind of, materialize 26:01 or manifest in our own strength, 26:02 in our own wisdom, in our own ability. 26:04 There's no special seminar 26:06 or formula that we can come up with 26:07 outside of connecting with Christ. 26:10 And so it's important for us to understand that true unity 26:13 in the church is a supernatural phenomenon. 26:17 The Holy Spirit is at the foundation 26:19 of that unity. 26:21 And that's why it's important when we find that our unity 26:23 is being threatened 26:24 that we find ourselves more time on our knees, why? 26:28 Because it's only on our knees asking for the Holy Spirit, 26:31 to soften our hearts, to guide our minds, 26:35 and to help us to understand 26:36 where that unity might be threatened 26:38 and how God would have us do our part 26:41 to be able to contribute to a better unity 26:43 within the church. 26:45 And so it's very important for us 26:47 to understand that unity is a spiritual gift from God, 26:50 just like the other spiritual gifts 26:51 are given to us as well. 26:55 Well, we're going to open our Bibles 26:56 here to 1 John 1:7, 26:59 and we're going to have a volunteer 27:04 read that for us. 27:06 We're going near to the end of the Bible. 27:08 1 John 1:7, we find a very powerful verse 27:13 that not only shares the gospel 27:14 as we talked about that draws us together, 27:16 but also the light of God. 27:18 1 John 1:7, who is our volunteer? 27:21 Thank you, Hafdis. 27:22 1 John 1:7. 27:24 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, 27:28 we have fellowship with one another, 27:30 and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us 27:34 from all sin." 27:36 Okay. Thank you. 27:37 Okay. 27:38 So very powerful text that brings us 27:42 to a very important question, and the text is telling us 27:46 that if we walk in the light as He is in the light, 27:48 then we have something very special. 27:50 We have fellowship with who? 27:53 Well, we have fellowship with Christ, 27:54 that's what other verses say. 27:55 But in this case, it doesn't say that 27:57 we have fellowship with Christ, 27:58 but it says we have fellowship with one another. 28:01 And so walking in that light again, and so again, 28:04 not only having our sins forgiven 28:06 and believing in the message, 28:07 but then also finding that elimination of sin 28:11 in our life that makes us much more lovable, and amiable, 28:14 and much better people to get along with 28:16 and enjoy each other much more, why? 28:18 Because now we're replacing sin with love, 28:21 and with righteousness, and truth, aren't we? 28:23 And so that's the beautiful, 28:25 powerful witness that God has for us. 28:28 Now there's a very important question 28:29 that we need to ask ourselves at this juncture. 28:33 And this particular question is one that has been asked 28:37 by many Christians, and most of the time 28:40 they get the answer right, 28:41 and it's in line with the Bible. 28:42 But sometimes as a pastor, over the years, 28:44 you are exposed to a number of different theologies 28:47 and conclusions that aren't so in line with the Bible, 28:51 and this is one of those. 28:54 And so what is the question? 28:55 When we find ourselves as spirit filled believers, 29:00 does this mean that all our works 29:01 and attitudes of the flesh easily 29:03 and naturally disappear without any effort? 29:05 Okay. 29:07 In other words, once we come to surrender with Christ, 29:09 we confess our sins, 29:11 we ask for the Holy Spirit in our life, 29:12 we become born again. 29:13 Does that mean that all sins and attitudes and faults 29:17 in our character just kind of fall to the wayside, 29:18 they just fall on the floor, 29:20 and we just walk in the perfection of Christ 29:22 from that time forward? 29:25 No, some of your smile doesn't say, you know, 29:27 some of you have been Christians 29:28 for more than a day. 29:30 And so because of that, you've experienced that, 29:34 you know, not everything disappears right away. 29:36 Now I don't undermine the fact that, 29:37 and I know this by personal experience, 29:39 when I was 21 years old, 29:40 that summer I started to turn 21. 29:42 The Holy Spirit flooded into my life as he has with you 29:46 when you opened your heart to him, 29:47 and I started to experience 29:50 an elimination of sin in my life 29:51 that was just fantastic. 29:53 It was powerful and it was a witness. 29:55 You know, even my mother, 29:57 who is still not a full believer today, 29:59 you know, she confessed to me about a year later. 30:01 She said, "Shawn, you know, I have to confess. 30:02 There's something very different about you. 30:05 You've changed." 30:06 And she didn't give me the details, 30:08 but we both knew what she was talking about, 30:10 you know? 30:11 Suddenly, I wasn't self-centered. 30:13 Suddenly, all that arrogance and vanity 30:15 and all these different things 30:17 that sin had cultivated in my life had disappeared. 30:20 And so God had made me new indeed. 30:22 "All things had become new." 30:25 And so that statement in the Bible is very true. 30:28 But the fact of the matter is that 30:30 not everything disappeared during that first year. 30:34 And some of our sinful weaknesses and attitudes, 30:37 we started to discover after baptism, 30:39 they don't want to vacate quite as fast as some of the others, 30:43 and they don't go away quite as easy as some of the others. 30:48 And so we come back to the question. 30:49 This brings us to a very important question. 30:51 When we find ourselves a spirit filled believers, 30:53 does this mean that all works 30:54 and attitudes of our flesh easily 30:56 and naturally disappear without any effort? 30:58 Well, no, not at all. 31:00 Did the scriptures tell us this? 31:03 Well, as it turns out, when you go to the Bible, 31:04 there is just lots and lots... 31:06 In fact, the Bible is loaded with hundreds of verses 31:10 instructing us in God's holy ways. 31:15 Now, friends, the Bible would be only half the size 31:17 if we removed all the scriptures 31:19 that tell us God's ways 31:21 and how He wants us to live as Christians. 31:23 Now if everything just kind of happened naturally, 31:26 why would He bother putting half of the verses 31:28 that are found in the Bible telling us how to live? 31:31 If we just live naturally and easily 31:33 and without any effort, 31:35 we wouldn't need half the Bible, would we? 31:36 Okay. 31:37 Is there Bible instruction that tells us 31:40 how God wants us to live after we become born again, 31:44 after we're baptized? 31:45 Sure, there is, isn't there? 31:47 Okay. 31:48 That's why we keep coming back to it. 31:49 That's why we keep coming back to it. 31:52 We wouldn't need all that instruction 31:54 if it came easily. 31:56 Well, the first example, 31:57 let's look at a couple of Bible examples 31:58 before that. 32:00 One of the most obvious ones is Exodus Chapter 20, 32:02 we have the Ten Commandments. 32:04 If we kept the Ten Commandments naturally, 32:06 we wouldn't need the Ten Commandments in the Bible, 32:08 would we? 32:09 But we have them there, why? 32:10 Because God is there not only to instruct us 32:12 when we first are baptized and want to walk with Him, 32:14 but He keeps reminding us 32:15 as we come back to those Ten Commandments. 32:18 And so that's important as well. 32:20 What about the Love Chapter? 32:22 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, we find the key verses there 32:25 that describe true love in verses 4 through 6. 32:30 Now this is not a small passage 32:33 and these are very important verses, why? 32:35 Because Jesus said, "The two greatest commandments 32:37 in the Bible is to love the Lord, your God, 32:40 with all your heart, your soul, and your mind, 32:41 and to love your neighbor as yourself." 32:44 Okay. 32:45 Now that love is expressed 32:47 through the Ten Commandments as well. 32:48 The first four is in relationship 32:50 to our love relationship with God 32:51 and the last six is regarding our love relationship 32:54 with each other as human beings. 32:56 But is that the end of the story? 32:58 No. 32:59 And Jesus says that we shall love our neighbor, 33:01 the second greatest commandment in all the Bible. 33:03 He also gave us the Love Chapter 33:04 in verses 4 to 6 in verse 13 33:07 to tell us more about what love is. 33:10 He tells us that love suffers long and is kind. 33:14 Love does not envy, okay, that's jealousy again. 33:17 Love does not parade itself. 33:19 What does that mean, parade itself? 33:22 Okay, somebody said to show off, okay, to brag. 33:25 If you're to love your neighbor, 33:28 you're not going to brag to your neighbor, 33:29 you're not going to show off. 33:31 Love is not puffed up. 33:33 That's arrogance, and vanity, and self-centeredness. 33:36 Love does not behave rudely. 33:39 So every time we behave rudely to another human being, 33:42 we've broken the second greatest commandment 33:44 in the Bible. 33:47 Have you ever confessed at the end of the day? 33:48 Lord, forgive me for being rude today 33:52 for breaking the second greatest commandment 33:54 in the Bible. 33:57 Love does not seek its own. 33:59 In other words, it's not selfishness, 34:00 not self-centered. 34:02 Love is not provoked. There is another one. 34:05 Lord, please forgive me for being provoked 34:07 on the road today. 34:08 I was coming down the I-80, 34:10 and well, you know what happened. 34:12 I don't want to go over the details again, 34:13 but Lord, I was provoked today. 34:15 Please forgive me for breaking 34:18 Your second greatest commandment. 34:20 Love thinks no evil. 34:21 It does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. 34:27 Romans 13:1, and then also verses 6 and 7. 34:31 It says, "Let every soul be subject 34:32 to the governing authorities. 34:34 For because of this, you'll also pay taxes." 34:37 Now, I've met more than a couple of church members 34:38 that don't like the government, and not so convinced 34:41 that they should obey and submit to the government. 34:43 I've also met some church members 34:45 that are not always convinced 34:46 that they should pay their taxes. 34:47 Okay. 34:49 In other words, 34:50 that part doesn't come naturally, 34:51 we have to surrender and make a prayerful effort 34:55 to be able to obey God in concern to paying our taxes 34:59 even if we don't like it. 35:01 God calls us to do it. 35:03 Yeah. 35:05 "Paying taxes, for they are God's ministers 35:06 attending continually to this very thing. 35:08 Render therefore to all their due: 35:10 taxes to whom taxes are due, 35:12 customs to customs, fear to whom fear, 35:14 and honor to whom honor." 35:15 We are to honor our political leaders 35:18 even if we don't like them. 35:19 We may not agree with everything 35:20 that they're doing, or that they believe in, 35:22 or that they're pushing for. 35:23 We still are called to honor them, aren't we? 35:27 We're still called to give the due customs as well. 35:32 Ephesians 4:25-32. 35:37 It says, "Therefore, putting away lying, 35:39 'Let each of you speak truth with his neighbor,' 35:42 for we are members of one another. 35:45 'Be angry, and do not sin.'" 35:46 Now this is Paul speaking to church members. 35:50 "And do not sin. 35:51 Do not let the sun go down on your wrath." 35:53 In other words, make sure that you get a hold of your temper. 35:57 "Do not give place to the devil. 35:58 Let him who stole steal no longer, 36:01 but rather let him labor, 36:03 working with his hands what is good, 36:04 that he may have something to give to him who has need." 36:07 And so in other words, 36:08 the Bible here is instructing a believing ex-thief, 36:13 and he's saying, "Listen, rather than steal any more, 36:15 you need to do the opposite. 36:17 You need to turn it right upside. 36:18 Turn your life completely upside down. 36:20 Rather than taking what doesn't belong to you 36:21 for your benefit, 36:22 now go out and make a honest living 36:25 with good, hard, productive labor, 36:27 and then take those proceeds 36:28 to not only feed yourself and your family, 36:30 now, to give to those who have a need. 36:31 So rather than taking from people, 36:33 now you go out and give." 36:35 It's a beautiful picture, isn't it? 36:38 And so there are those within the Ephesians' church 36:41 that were listening and saying, "You know what? 36:43 I need to do that." 36:45 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth." 36:49 Now there is a good counsel. 36:51 You know, as a pastor, sometimes we're in the room 36:53 and some church members don't realize it at first, 36:57 and they're sharing in a conversation 37:00 with somebody else on the phone or another church member, 37:02 and they're using some language that I know they wouldn't use 37:05 if they knew I was in the room. 37:08 You know, God calls us to let 37:10 no corrupt word proceed from our mouth. 37:12 In other words, God is saying, "Listen," 37:14 one of the beautiful and powerful things 37:16 that come with being born again as a believer is that 37:19 you start to eliminate some of your vocabulary. 37:24 And there are certain words they used to use 37:26 that you don't use anymore. 37:28 And so God is instructing us in these things. 37:31 And sometimes, that doesn't disappear right away. 37:34 You know, I've had church members 37:35 that have been sincere Christians for many years, 37:37 and they'll say to me, "You know, the other day, 37:39 it slipped out, you know?" 37:41 Again, "Somebody provoked me on the road, 37:43 and I said something that I shouldn't have, 37:45 and so I had to confess." 37:47 How did they know that it was wrong when it happened? 37:50 Well, there was conviction from the Holy Spirit, 37:52 but that conviction was much strong 37:54 because of the fact that they had read the instruction 37:57 where God had several times in the Bible told us that 37:59 we should have clean language. 38:03 And so it's that instruction that's important for us 38:05 to understand 38:07 and how valuable it is. 38:12 Before we read the rest of this particular passage, 38:14 I'm thinking of Proverbs, and once... 38:17 I've read through Proverbs many times, 38:18 but we were studying it through our midweek study once, 38:20 verse by verse. 38:22 And as we're going through the Proverbs, 38:23 as you go through the first several chapters, 38:25 you'll see there that God says over and over and over again, 38:27 "Do not get caught up in adultery. 38:29 Do not lust after one another and do not, you know, 38:31 watch out, and stay your distance 38:32 from seductress woman or seductress men and so on, 38:36 seducing men and seducing women." 38:38 You know, but He doesn't say once or twice or three times, 38:41 He says it like these many times. 38:46 You know, did we understand it the first three times? 38:48 Yes. 38:49 Then why does He say it 12 times? 38:52 Well, because He knows that 38:53 we're slow at hearing sometimes, 38:55 and that He knows how important 38:56 that instruction is. 38:57 God has been watching us for many centuries, 38:59 and He know how easily we can fall into adultery. 39:03 Does adultery happen today in America? 39:06 Sure it does, doesn't it? Okay. 39:08 Adultery is a rampant problem 39:09 that we have in our society today. 39:11 And the church is not exempt from that. 39:12 Now the rate is much lower fortunately within the church, 39:15 but being a Christian doesn't mean that 39:17 you're automatically immune to that. 39:18 And so God repeats it dozens of times 39:21 throughout the Bible to protect our marriage, 39:23 and to protect our relationship with each other, and with God. 39:26 And so He gives us that important instruction. 39:31 Yes. Where were we? Verse 29. 39:33 "Let no corrupt word proceed from your mouth, 39:34 but what is good for necessary edification, 39:37 that it may impart grace to the hearers. 39:39 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 39:41 by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 39:43 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, 39:49 evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 39:53 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, 39:56 forgiving one another, 39:58 even as God in Christ forgave you." 40:03 Is that very clear obvious instruction? 40:06 Sure it is, isn't it? Okay. 40:08 So as a Christian, 40:09 we can walk through life and not even realize, 40:11 "Hey, wait a minute, you mean, God doesn't... 40:12 You know, if we don't come to this instruction, 40:14 we might not even understand that God wants to take 40:16 all malice out of our heart or bitterness and so on." 40:20 And so these things He gives to us, 40:23 and if He knew He didn't have to have it instructed to us, 40:26 He wouldn't have put it in the Bible. 40:28 And so the very fact that we find it repeated 40:29 over and over and the Bible tells us that 40:31 He knows how often that we need to hear it, 40:33 and we need to be instructed more than once 40:36 through our experience. 40:39 And so all of this reveals something 40:41 very, very important in response to the question 40:43 that I proposed, 40:44 and that is that God knows that it is important for us 40:47 to cooperate with His instruction 40:51 through prayerful conscious effort. 40:55 It's a decision that we need to make daily. 40:57 When we get up in the morning, God is calling us to daily ask 41:00 for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 41:02 "Fill me with the Holy Spirit that I might not be left 41:04 in walking without you today, 41:07 and then also deciding that I'm going to surrender 41:10 and obey You today. 41:11 I'm giving You my decided obedience, 41:14 my conscious obedience. 41:16 I'm going to cooperate with You." 41:18 And sometimes, obeying God 41:20 as a born again believer is not easy. 41:22 Sometimes you don't want to obey Him. 41:25 But God is saying, listen, even in times 41:27 when you don't want to obey Him, 41:29 you're going to decide to obey Him anyway. 41:32 And that's part 41:33 of the Christian growth experience, 41:34 and part of that also is confessing 41:37 when we fall short. 41:38 And then what do we do? 41:39 We pray for forgiveness of the sins, 41:42 but what else do we pray for? 41:45 We pray for the victory over that sin, don't we? 41:48 And so we say, 41:49 "Lord, not only forgive me for that sin, 41:50 but please give me better victory 41:52 over this particular weakness in my life in the future." 41:55 And that's the kind of prayers that God is looking for. 41:58 And I fear that we're not bringing 42:00 those prayers to Him as often as we should. 42:02 This should be a daily experience, 42:05 you know, Lord, help me, give me victory 42:07 over these different faults in my character and in my life. 42:11 Well, come with me to one of my favorite verses. 42:13 It's in the same neighborhood as 1 John, 42:15 it's 1 Peter which is just one book back. 42:21 1 Peter 1:22. 42:24 1 Peter 1:22. 42:32 In verse 22, it says, "Since you have purified 42:34 your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit 42:38 in sincere love of the brethren." 42:40 And so there again you have that full picture there. 42:44 You have purified your souls in obeying the truth, 42:46 make it a cited obedience and surrendered to God 42:49 through the help of the Holy Spirit. 42:50 Of course, we never want to find ourselves doing it 42:52 by ourselves. 42:53 So the first thing we ask every day 42:55 is for the Holy Spirit, 42:56 and then we ask for Him to give us victory over sin, 43:00 and make a decision for obedience. 43:04 Yeah. 43:05 We get ourselves in big trouble for not doing it in the Spirit. 43:08 "In sincere love of the brethren, 43:09 love one another lackadaisically 43:14 with a pure heart." 43:17 Is that what it says? No. 43:19 It says, "Love one and one another fervently 43:21 with a pure heart." 43:23 And so how much love should God see 43:24 with one another as fellow believers? 43:27 Fervent love for one another. 43:29 And so I love that. 43:31 I just love that verse because many times 43:32 it says that we should love each other, 43:34 but here Paul has got us inspired... 43:36 Peter, I should say to put in there fervently. 43:38 What as powerful, powerful adjective to be able to add 43:43 to that action of love that God has for us. 43:44 And so there should be a very fervent love 43:47 that we have for one another. 43:48 When people see us, they should say, 43:50 "There's just something different about those people. 43:53 There's something special. 43:54 They have this fervent love for one another." 43:57 All right. 43:58 We're going to run out of time if we don't get to our 44:01 second volunteer here. 44:02 Ephesians 1:7. 44:06 We're going to go to Ephesians 44:10 Chapter 1, 44:11 and we're going to read verses 7 through 10. 44:15 Ephesians 1:7-10. 44:20 Ephesians 1:7-10. 44:23 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, 44:25 the forgiveness of sins, 44:27 according to the riches of His grace 44:29 which He made to abound toward us 44:31 in all wisdom and prudence, 44:34 having made known to us the mystery of His will, 44:37 according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 44:41 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the things 44:45 He might gather together in one all things in Christ, 44:48 both which are in heaven 44:50 and which are on earth, in Him." 44:53 Okay. Thank you. 44:55 So here we have a very powerful, 44:57 very deep passage here where Paul is reflecting 44:59 on the greatest act of love 45:02 that God has given to the planet, 45:04 and not only to the planet, but as we read in verse 10, 45:06 and we'll expand on that in a moment, 45:08 to the whole universe of intelligent beings. 45:12 And so when Jesus had purposed 45:14 and then went through with that plan 45:16 and died on that cross, 45:19 there is a powerful gospel and message, 45:21 a foundational truth that draws us together 45:24 as Christians. 45:25 It is the great hope that God gives to us, 45:27 that voluntary cross. 45:29 That is not only 45:30 the foundational truth of the gospel, 45:32 but it's the ultimate vindication 45:33 of God's true character. 45:35 When Jesus died on that cross, 45:37 it was the last elimination of any nagging thoughts 45:40 or doubts or questions 45:41 that were in the minds of any angels 45:43 in all of heaven and all the universe 45:46 because they saw there, the true character of Satan 45:48 being revealed for its fullness and in the fruit of the pathway 45:52 that he had chose in rebellion, but it also revealed 45:54 the great truth of the heart of who God really is, 45:59 that God indeed has the best interest of us 46:02 in mind at all times, 46:04 not just most of the time, all time. 46:05 And because of that, 46:07 we can believe everything that God says. 46:10 Anything that God tells you and I, we can trust implicitly, 46:13 and know that He has our best interest in mind, why? 46:17 Because He was willing to go to the ends of the universe 46:19 and do anything He needed to be able to save us. 46:22 That's how much He loves us, 46:24 including a horrible, terrible death on the cross. 46:29 And so this is the great hope. 46:31 You know, what reflects on Genesis Chapter 3 46:33 where we have that historical conversation 46:35 between the serpent who has been used 46:38 by Satan and that of Eve. 46:40 And as they were talking, you know, the serpent started, 46:42 "Has God truly said that you shall not eat of every tree 46:44 of the garden?" 46:46 And then she rightly, you know, 46:47 reflects upon God's orders, and says, "No. 46:49 God has warned us, and told us that we can eat of 46:51 all the trees of the garden except just the one, 46:53 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." 46:56 And then he went on, the serpent responded and said, 46:58 "Well, you will not surely die, 47:01 and not only that but God is holding back on you. 47:03 You can't trust everything that God... 47:05 God doesn't have your best interest in mind fully. 47:07 He's holding back on you. 47:09 He doesn't want you to be like gods and be like me 47:11 and have freedom and liberty to be able to have 47:13 the knowledge of good as well as evil." 47:16 And that same... 47:18 By the way, that same conversation 47:20 was also started in heaven 47:22 as the great rebellion of Lucifer started in heaven 47:25 even before it came to the earth. 47:26 We find that in Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, 47:29 Revelation, Chapter 12. 47:30 Opens the windows for us and helps us to be able to see 47:33 that that rebellion actually began in heaven. 47:35 And so the very same words that Lucifer had won 47:38 a third of the angels in heaven into rebellion 47:40 with was the same words that he shared 47:42 with our first mother and father. 47:44 And so we need to be able to draw away from that 47:47 and come to the cross and know that 47:49 when we come to this great truth 47:51 of God's great love for us 47:52 and His sacrifice that we can trust Him 47:55 implicitly as His citizens of His kingdom. 47:59 By the way, the Bible tells us that God has citizens 48:01 not only on earth, 48:02 but He also has citizens in His kingdom in heaven. 48:05 Millions upon billions of angels 48:09 are also part of His great kingdom. 48:12 And what I like about verse 10 is that it's the great end 48:15 to the great controversy. 48:17 This great battle between good and evil, 48:19 this war that is taking place between Christ and His angels, 48:23 and between Satan and his angels, 48:25 which are also called demons, by the way. 48:28 And so there's this great warfare that's taking place. 48:30 But verse 10 tells us, 48:32 "That through the dispensation of the fullness of times 48:34 He might gather together in one..." 48:36 And how many? 48:38 "In one all things in Christ, 48:40 both which are in heaven 48:41 and which are on earth, in Him." 48:43 And so Christ's death on the cross did not only win 48:45 a great and powerful unity among us as believers, 48:49 but it also won an eternal unity 48:51 amongst the angels of heaven as well, 48:54 those who are in heaven. 48:55 And so the cross is where Jesus won the battle. 49:00 This is where the battle was finally won. 49:01 Now He's letting some of the things play out 49:03 that we might be able to learn our lesson in, 49:05 and know that indeed the cross of Christ, 49:07 and the character of God is worth trusting, 49:10 and can be trusted implicitly, 49:13 and the words of Satan really 49:15 are not the better pathway. 49:19 And so in page 75, 49:23 we'll close with that because I see that 49:24 we're coming to a close in regards to our time. 49:27 And so let's go to page 75. 49:33 And I'm going to read a quote again from Ellen White here, 49:38 and this comes from The Signs of the Times, 1902. 49:41 It says, "What Christ was in His life on this earth 49:45 that every Christian is to be." 49:47 In other words, the way that Christ lived 49:49 is the way that we are to live. 49:51 "He is our example not only in a spotless purity 49:56 but in patience, in His gentleness, 50:01 and in His winsome disposition." 50:04 Isn't that fascinating? 50:05 And so she points out, she is inspired by God 50:07 to tell us that not only are we to imitate 50:10 and emulate His perfect moral purity, 50:13 but also we are to remember that we are to be like Jesus 50:16 in His patience, His gentleness, 50:18 His winsomeness of disposition. 50:21 And so God has a character development in us 50:24 that includes the Ten Commandments 50:25 but it also involves 50:27 some of these different attitudes 50:29 and character traits that God wants us 50:31 to have just like Jesus as well. 50:35 Well, there is a few other things 50:36 that we want to look at here, 50:38 but unfortunately we're out of time. 50:41 But God continues to bless us, 50:43 and give us unity as we come together, 50:45 and as we give that second powerful witness 50:47 to the world, 50:48 and that is the experience and character of Christ 50:51 working through us. 50:53 God bless you. 50:54 Thank you for joining us here on Sabbath School Study Hour. 50:56 We look forward to having you join us next week 50:58 and we wish you a blessed week. 51:03 Don't forget to request today's life changing free resource. 51:06 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 51:09 you can download a digital copy 51:10 straight to your computer or mobile device. 51:12 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 51:15 simply text the key word on your screen to 40544, 51:19 or visit the web address shown on your screen, 51:22 and be sure to select a digital download option 51:24 on the request page. 51:26 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 51:29 with Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want, 51:32 and most important, to share it with others. 51:44 Hello, friends. 51:46 We all know a marathon is one of the longest 51:48 and hardest races a person can run. 51:50 But did you hear about the ultramarathon 51:52 they used to have in Australia? 51:54 It was 544 miles from Melbourne to Sydney. 51:58 It attracted as many as 150 world class athletes. 52:02 But then something happened that no one would ever forget. 52:05 In 1983, a 61-year-old potato farmer named Cliff Young 52:10 decided to enter the race. 52:11 People were very amused 52:12 because he had on rubber galoshes over his boots. 52:16 And when the race began and all the runners took off, 52:19 sure enough, old Cliff was left behind 52:21 shuffling along very slowly, 52:23 but he was shuffling very persistently. 52:26 Normally, during this seven-day race, 52:28 the runners would go about 18 hours running 52:31 and then they'd sleep for six hours. 52:33 But nobody ever told Cliff that. 52:35 When the other runners stopped to rest during the night, 52:37 Cliff just kept on running. 52:39 Some people were afraid 52:40 old Cliff was going to have a heart attack, 52:43 and they were asking the race organizers 52:44 to show mercy and stop the crazy old man. 52:47 But he would have none of it. 52:48 Each day, he was gaining on the pack 52:51 because when they were sleeping, 52:52 he was plodding along. 52:54 During the last night of the race, 52:56 Cliff passed all of these world class athletes. 53:00 Not only was Cliff able to run that 544 mile race 53:03 without dying, 53:04 he won beating all the other racers 53:07 by nine hours, breaking the record, 53:09 and becoming a national hero in process. 53:12 What's really amazing is when they told him 53:13 that he had won the $10,000 prize, 53:16 he looked confused and said 53:17 he didn't know there was a prize, 53:19 and he decided to share it with the other runners. 53:21 When asked how he was able to run all night long, 53:24 Cliff respond that he grew up on a farm 53:26 where they had about 2,000 herd of cattle, 53:28 and because he couldn't afford horses, 53:30 he used to have to round them up on foot 53:32 sometimes running two and three days nonstop. 53:34 So throughout the race, 53:36 he just imagined he was chasing after the cows 53:38 and trying to outrun a storm. 53:41 Old Cliff's secret was to keep on running 53:43 while others were sleeping. 53:45 You know, the Bible tells us 53:46 that the race 53:47 is not necessarily to the swift, 53:49 something like Aesop's parable of the tortoise and the hare. 53:52 The tortoise just kept on plodding along. 53:55 That's why Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:13, 53:58 "He that endures unto the end, the same will be saved." 54:02 Now you might slip and fall during the race. 54:04 You might even get off to a bad start. 54:06 But in the Christian race that we run, 54:08 the main thing is you want to finish well. 54:11 Keep on running, friends, and don't give up. 55:03 The heavens were parted for him. 55:05 The Holy Spirit came down. 55:06 This is what God wants you to experience. 55:09 You come to Christ, your sins are washed away, 55:12 you become a new creature. 55:13 It's a land of beginning again, 55:15 and how many of you wish you can restart. 55:19 "For I was hungry 55:20 and you gave me something to eat, 55:23 in as much you shall do it to one of the least of these, 55:27 My brethren, you did it to Me." 55:55 Have you ever heard the expression before, 55:57 they eat like a bird, 55:59 talking about somebody that has a minuscule appetite? 56:02 Well, you might want to think twice the next time 56:04 you use that expression. 56:05 For example, take the humming bird. 56:08 In order for it to maintain its incredible metabolism, 56:11 it has to eat about 50% of its body weight every day. 56:15 To put that in perspective, 56:17 if a 100 pound woman was to eat like a humming bird, 56:20 she would have to eat 50 pounds of sugar a day 56:23 just to maintain her body weight, imagine that. 56:26 Maybe you don't want to imagine that. 56:29 Or perhaps you want to consider this another way. 56:31 The humming bird typically consumes 56:33 between four to seven calories a day, 56:35 on the other hand a human about 3,500 calories a day. 56:39 But if you were to eat like a bird, a humming bird, 56:42 you'd have to eat over 150,000 calories a day. 56:48 Oh, that's like a man of 170 pounds 56:49 that would be eating 3,000 Oreo cookies. 56:54 Under normal conditions, 56:55 a humming bird needs to eat every five or ten minutes. 56:58 But there is actually one time during the year, 57:00 the humming bird will eat 57:01 its entire body weight every day. 57:04 You see once a year 57:05 they make this migration 500 miles 57:08 across the Gulf of Mexico 57:09 from Texas to the Yucatan Peninsula. 57:13 In order to do that, 57:15 the humming bird feasts on nectar 57:17 and gorges themselves 57:18 on this nectar for about a week, 57:20 doubling their body weight. 57:22 That's the only way they can store enough calories 57:24 to help them with their 70 wing beats per second 57:28 or roughly 4 million wing beats on that journey. 57:32 You know, in the same way, friends, 57:33 as we near the end of time, 57:35 we need to be feasting and gorging ourselves 57:37 on the nectar of God's Word. 57:39 We've got to be able to have that strength to get us 57:41 through the times of trouble that are ahead. 57:43 So when it comes to the Bible and your personal devotions, 57:46 if you're going to eat like a bird, 57:48 eat like a humming bird. |
Revised 2018-11-27