Good morning, friends,
00:00:35.16\00:00:36.13
and welcome again to
Sabbath School Study Hour
00:00:36.13\00:00:38.40
here at the Granite Bay
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:00:38.40\00:00:40.74
I'd like to
welcome our online members,
00:00:40.74\00:00:42.74
and our friends
who are joining us
00:00:42.74\00:00:44.01
across the country
and around the world,
00:00:44.01\00:00:46.37
very warm welcome to all of you
00:00:46.37\00:00:48.24
as well as our
regular church members,
00:00:48.24\00:00:50.55
our Sabbath school members,
00:00:50.55\00:00:51.85
and those who
are visiting with us
00:00:51.85\00:00:53.15
right here at the
Granite Bay Church.
00:00:53.15\00:00:55.08
It's always nice to be
able to gather together
00:00:55.08\00:00:56.82
Sabbath morning,
open up our lesson,
00:00:56.82\00:00:59.09
and study together.
00:00:59.09\00:01:00.92
Now over the past few
weeks we've been studying
00:01:00.92\00:01:02.89
through the theme
of unity in the Bible,
00:01:02.89\00:01:05.73
and today we find
ourselves on lesson number 10
00:01:05.73\00:01:08.63
which is entitled "Unity
and Broken Relationships."
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Of course, in any
family relationships,
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sometimes things get broken.
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How do we maintain unity
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even when they are
broken relationships?
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So that's going to be our theme,
00:01:20.81\00:01:22.01
our study for today.
00:01:22.01\00:01:23.91
But before we get to the lesson,
00:01:23.91\00:01:25.25
we'd like to lead our friends,
who are viewing this program,
00:01:25.25\00:01:28.05
know about a free
offer that we have.
00:01:28.05\00:01:30.15
It is a book entitled,
"The Surrender of Self,"
00:01:30.15\00:01:33.69
very important key to
mending broken relationships.
00:01:33.69\00:01:37.56
And this is our
free offer today.
00:01:37.56\00:01:39.16
If you'd like to receive
it, all you'll have to do
00:01:39.16\00:01:41.16
is call 866-788-3966,
00:01:41.16\00:01:45.63
and ask for offer number 153.
00:01:45.63\00:01:48.80
We'll be happy to send that
to anyone who calls and asks.
00:01:48.80\00:01:51.41
If you'd like to
receive a digital copy
00:01:51.41\00:01:53.41
of our free offer today,
00:01:53.41\00:01:55.04
the number to text is 40544
00:01:55.04\00:01:59.41
and you want to
text the code "SH087."
00:01:59.41\00:02:04.75
If you'll send a
text with that code
00:02:04.75\00:02:06.59
to the number I just gave you,
00:02:06.59\00:02:08.09
you'll receive an e-mail,
00:02:08.09\00:02:09.59
and you'll be able to
download this free resource,
00:02:09.59\00:02:12.99
a very important book
called "The Surrender of Self."
00:02:12.99\00:02:16.36
Well, before we get to
our study this morning,
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we like to begin
our Sabbath school
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by lifting our voices in song.
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I'd like to
invite the song leaders
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to come forward.
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Thank you so much
for joining with us,
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and we will sing more
favorite Christmas songs
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next time.
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At this time though,
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Pastor Ross is going to
have our opening prayer.
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Dear Father in
heaven, thank You once again
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for the opportunity
for us to gather together
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and open up Your Word
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and study this very
important theme of unity,
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especially in the
church and in the home.
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Father, we ask
for the Holy Spirit
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to come and guide us
and help us to understand
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and also to implement
these biblical principles
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in our relationships, for
we ask this in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Our lesson study today
is going to be brought to us
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by our family life pastor
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here at Granite Bay,
Pastor Shawn Brummund.
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I'd like to invite
you to open your Bibles
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to the Gospel of John 13:35.
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And while we're turning to that,
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I would like to do a
quick survey for us here
00:06:47.54\00:06:51.17
as we get into our
subject in our study,
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which is a very important one
00:06:53.51\00:06:56.21
in regards to our
personal relationships.
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Has anybody here ever been
hurt by any other church member?
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Any church members here
today that have ever been hurt
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by another church
member at some point,
00:07:06.05\00:07:07.99
not right now, but at
some point in the past.
00:07:07.99\00:07:11.16
All right, put your hand up.
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Raise them high,
so I can see it. Okay.
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Everybody look around.
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Okay, everybody look
around. Keep your hands up.
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All right, okay.
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For those of you who are looking
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and maybe have a
camera on the people
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that are with us
here today in Granite Bay,
00:07:23.97\00:07:25.81
there was a number of
hands went up, at least half,
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maybe even over
half of the hands,
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and I know that
that some of the people
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who didn't put their hands up,
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they just didn't
want to be bothered,
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I know how that works.
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And some of you that
didn't put your hands up
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also have been hurt
by other church members.
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Now when I put my hand up,
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I wasn't just putting
up as a model this time
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like I did at last
study when I asked a question,
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but I've been
hurt more than once
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by another church member,
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both before I
entered the pastor calling
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that God had given
me as well as since.
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And this just is
part of the reality
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of bringing a
number of people together
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even born again Christians
00:07:59.61\00:08:02.04
that are growing in
the grace of Christ,
00:08:02.04\00:08:03.98
that are learning
sometimes by our blunders,
00:08:03.98\00:08:06.55
by our mistakes.
00:08:06.55\00:08:07.62
And sometimes we say
things that we regret,
00:08:07.62\00:08:10.59
sometimes we make decisions
and actions that we regret
00:08:10.59\00:08:14.92
that not only do we have to ask
the Lord for forgiveness for,
00:08:14.92\00:08:17.93
but also each other,
other people that we have hurt.
00:08:17.93\00:08:21.56
And so this is one of the things
00:08:21.56\00:08:23.80
that we carry through
our Christian experience
00:08:23.80\00:08:27.17
and through the church,
00:08:27.17\00:08:28.97
and I am just so
thankful that the Bible gives us
00:08:28.97\00:08:32.27
some examples of some
of the most prominent,
00:08:32.27\00:08:34.94
most spiritual,
most devout Christians
00:08:34.94\00:08:37.71
that we have in all of history,
00:08:37.71\00:08:39.61
some of them Bible prophets
00:08:39.61\00:08:41.25
and apostles that
also found themselves
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either being hurt or
hurting other fellow Christians
00:08:44.75\00:08:48.22
as they also were growing
00:08:48.22\00:08:50.43
in the
understanding of God's love.
00:08:50.43\00:08:53.66
So if you were in
your lesson study,
00:08:53.66\00:08:56.77
lesson study number 10,
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you would have already known
00:08:58.17\00:08:59.63
that the text
that I pointed as to,
00:08:59.63\00:09:01.97
which is John 13,
00:09:01.97\00:09:04.17
is also found at the bottom
of page 80 on the first day,
00:09:04.17\00:09:08.44
and first page
of our lesson study
00:09:08.44\00:09:09.98
for this weekend.
00:09:09.98\00:09:11.41
And so let's go
ahead and read that.
00:09:11.41\00:09:12.85
You read it silently,
I'll read it out loud.
00:09:12.85\00:09:14.82
In John 13:35,
00:09:14.82\00:09:16.48
we have the
powerful statement of Christ
00:09:16.48\00:09:18.29
where He says,
"By this all will know
00:09:18.29\00:09:20.96
that you are My disciples,
00:09:20.96\00:09:22.92
if you have love
for one another."
00:09:22.92\00:09:26.16
Now I know even as we read that,
00:09:26.16\00:09:27.93
for those of you like myself
00:09:27.93\00:09:29.26
that have been in
the church 20 plus years,
00:09:29.26\00:09:31.43
you've been in
the faith many years,
00:09:31.43\00:09:32.93
you've heard that statement
more than once, haven't you?
00:09:32.93\00:09:35.87
In fact, it's one of
the most repeated statements
00:09:35.87\00:09:39.14
of the words of Christ.
00:09:39.14\00:09:40.44
And so I've heard
it read many times
00:09:40.44\00:09:42.58
by their
pastors, and Christians,
00:09:42.58\00:09:44.08
and Bible studies,
and sermons and such.
00:09:44.08\00:09:46.31
Why?
00:09:46.31\00:09:47.35
Because it's a very important
00:09:47.35\00:09:48.62
and powerful statement by Jesus.
00:09:48.62\00:09:51.29
Now one of the dangers
that takes place though
00:09:51.29\00:09:53.62
is that the more we hear it,
00:09:53.62\00:09:55.29
the more it can
kind of just roll off us
00:09:55.29\00:09:57.69
because, oh, I said, "Oh,
yeah, I've heard that before."
00:09:57.69\00:09:59.49
I've heard it a
million times, and, of course,
00:09:59.49\00:10:02.36
one of the dangers of
that happening is that
00:10:02.36\00:10:05.53
we can be in
danger of forgetting
00:10:05.53\00:10:07.54
how important it is for us
to have love for each other.
00:10:07.54\00:10:11.87
And that's the point
that Jesus made, wasn't it?
00:10:11.87\00:10:15.38
Is that Jesus is reminding us
00:10:15.38\00:10:17.51
that one of the
most important elements
00:10:17.51\00:10:19.45
that we bring to the
church is the love that we bring
00:10:19.45\00:10:23.39
when we walk
into the church doors.
00:10:23.39\00:10:25.45
And not only
into the church doors,
00:10:25.45\00:10:27.32
when we come together
on Sabbath for worship,
00:10:27.32\00:10:29.42
but when we walk
into each other's homes,
00:10:29.42\00:10:31.66
and we walk
into different events
00:10:31.66\00:10:33.56
or we go on
mission trips together.
00:10:33.56\00:10:35.33
And every time
that we're walking
00:10:35.33\00:10:37.47
and meeting each other,
00:10:37.47\00:10:38.60
God has called us for
a love, one for another.
00:10:38.60\00:10:45.34
Quick question, what
is the opposite of love?
00:10:45.34\00:10:50.45
Okay, somebody said selfishness,
00:10:50.45\00:10:52.91
hate, okay,
00:10:52.91\00:10:54.08
that was the first
one that came to my mind,
00:10:54.08\00:10:55.48
probably most of you
thought of hate right away.
00:10:55.48\00:10:57.35
With think love and then hate.
00:10:57.35\00:10:59.02
And that's
certainly a fitting opposite.
00:10:59.02\00:11:02.42
Selfishness also is
very fitting as well.
00:11:02.42\00:11:05.89
Anything else? Okay,
what about some others?
00:11:05.89\00:11:10.30
I had some more time
to think about, of course,
00:11:10.30\00:11:11.93
as I prepared.
00:11:11.93\00:11:13.00
What about betrayal?
00:11:13.00\00:11:15.40
Betrayal, when
you betray somebody
00:11:15.40\00:11:17.01
that has trusted
you, betrayed their trust,
00:11:17.01\00:11:19.07
that would be the
opposite of what true love is.
00:11:19.07\00:11:21.24
What about violent acts?
00:11:21.24\00:11:23.65
Violent acts, of
course, is the opposite of love.
00:11:23.65\00:11:27.32
What about jealousy?
00:11:27.32\00:11:29.78
When you're
jealous of someone else,
00:11:29.78\00:11:30.95
what if you're
bitter towards someone else?
00:11:30.95\00:11:33.36
What about resentment?
00:11:33.36\00:11:35.86
Of course, there's
condemnation or judgment.
00:11:35.86\00:11:38.43
Sometimes we find ourselves
acting in the opposite of love
00:11:38.43\00:11:41.53
when we condemn
or judge somebody
00:11:41.53\00:11:44.83
in a way that God
has called us not to.
00:11:44.83\00:11:47.17
What about being
rude to a fellow person,
00:11:47.17\00:11:50.31
a fellow member.
00:11:50.31\00:11:52.11
Is that the opposite of love?
00:11:52.11\00:11:54.21
Sure it is, yeah, Jesus tells us
00:11:54.21\00:11:55.91
that love is
kind and is not rude.
00:11:55.91\00:11:59.41
And I think we talked about that
00:11:59.41\00:12:00.65
over the last couple of studies
that we've been together.
00:12:00.65\00:12:02.68
And so these are
all fitting words
00:12:02.68\00:12:06.22
that can be found on
the other side of the track.
00:12:06.22\00:12:08.96
We have love on one side,
00:12:08.96\00:12:10.66
and then we have a number
of these other sinful realities
00:12:10.66\00:12:15.06
that we grow out of that.
00:12:15.06\00:12:16.80
We are called to be able to
put behind us as Christians.
00:12:16.80\00:12:20.10
And when we fall
into one of these things
00:12:20.10\00:12:21.60
that are in the
opposite of love.
00:12:21.60\00:12:23.00
Why, of course,
then we find ourselves
00:12:23.00\00:12:25.61
threatening in our
relationships with each other.
00:12:25.61\00:12:28.54
Because if there's one thing
that I've learned by experience
00:12:28.54\00:12:30.65
is that once I hurt somebody
because of my non loving act
00:12:30.65\00:12:34.45
towards a fellow
Christian church member,
00:12:34.45\00:12:38.15
you know, that relationship
becomes strain, doesn't it?
00:12:38.15\00:12:41.72
And sometimes
depending, of course,
00:12:41.72\00:12:43.43
on the magnitude
of my act or my words,
00:12:43.43\00:12:48.40
will also be directly
relational to the strain
00:12:48.40\00:12:51.67
that it brings on
to that relationship.
00:12:51.67\00:12:53.17
Maybe we won't talk
to each other for a time,
00:12:53.17\00:12:55.77
maybe we'll avoid each
other, maybe, you know, well,
00:12:55.77\00:12:58.61
you know, there's all
kinds of different reactions
00:12:58.61\00:13:00.78
or, you know, or
maybe I'll just be
00:13:00.78\00:13:02.28
strained for an hour,
00:13:02.28\00:13:03.38
and an hour
later, we're, you know,
00:13:03.38\00:13:05.31
we're sharing some
special memory together
00:13:05.31\00:13:08.62
or something.
00:13:08.62\00:13:09.65
So it depends, it
depends on the breach
00:13:09.65\00:13:12.35
and, of course, the
magnitude of the offense.
00:13:12.35\00:13:16.79
Well, I had the privilege
of teaching lesson number seven
00:13:16.79\00:13:19.09
about, throughout, it
would be three lessons ago
00:13:19.09\00:13:21.13
when it was entitled,
"When Conflicts Arise."
00:13:21.13\00:13:24.53
And how conflicts
00:13:24.53\00:13:26.07
between groups of
church members take place.
00:13:26.07\00:13:29.80
It took place in
the early church,
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.44
it takes place
today in our church,
00:13:31.44\00:13:36.61
sometimes it's small groups
within a local congregation,
00:13:36.61\00:13:39.28
sometimes a local congregation
00:13:39.28\00:13:40.98
will kind of be
divided right down the center
00:13:40.98\00:13:43.59
and needs to be
able to work that out.
00:13:43.59\00:13:46.45
And so we looked at some
healthy ways that we can...
00:13:46.45\00:13:50.13
that God gives to us
00:13:50.13\00:13:51.19
to be able to make
our way through that
00:13:51.19\00:13:53.23
and bring ourselves
back into unity once again.
00:13:53.23\00:13:57.87
And then last
week, as we came together
00:13:57.87\00:13:59.17
in lesson number nine,
00:13:59.17\00:14:00.27
our witness to
the unbelieving world
00:14:00.27\00:14:01.87
was looked at,
00:14:01.87\00:14:03.00
and that witness
reflects the statement
00:14:03.00\00:14:04.84
that Christ has given to us
00:14:04.84\00:14:06.17
at the beginning
of this lesson's,
00:14:06.17\00:14:08.28
this week's lesson
study, and that is,
00:14:08.28\00:14:10.68
"The unbelieving
world is watching us
00:14:10.68\00:14:12.35
and seeing how we have
one love for one another."
00:14:12.35\00:14:17.32
And so having that
love for one another
00:14:17.32\00:14:19.85
is a big part of
our witness, isn't it?
00:14:19.85\00:14:22.22
It's not only the
message of the Bible,
00:14:22.22\00:14:24.06
which is also
important and powerful,
00:14:24.06\00:14:26.76
but it's also
living out the principles
00:14:26.76\00:14:29.13
that we have found in the Bible
00:14:29.13\00:14:30.80
as transformed
spirit filled Christians
00:14:30.80\00:14:33.64
loving each other in a
way that the world knows
00:14:33.64\00:14:36.27
that they don't love each other
00:14:36.27\00:14:37.61
outside of the
borders of the church.
00:14:37.61\00:14:39.67
And so that's
important for us to look at.
00:14:39.67\00:14:42.21
Now today we're going to
look at personal relationships
00:14:42.21\00:14:44.48
in the church, and
how they're broken.
00:14:44.48\00:14:45.85
We're going to
examine some principles,
00:14:45.85\00:14:47.82
some different counsels
00:14:47.82\00:14:48.98
that God gives
to us in the Bible
00:14:48.98\00:14:50.99
to give that relationship
00:14:50.99\00:14:52.39
the best chance of being healed,
00:14:52.39\00:14:54.22
the best chance
of being restored.
00:14:54.22\00:14:57.99
Sadly,
00:14:57.99\00:14:59.06
sometimes those relationships
are never restored,
00:14:59.06\00:15:01.33
but we want to prayerfully
look at the scriptures today
00:15:01.33\00:15:04.70
and say, "Lord,
how can I preserve
00:15:04.70\00:15:07.34
and maintain or
restore all my relationships
00:15:07.34\00:15:11.11
with my fellow church
members as best as possible.
00:15:11.11\00:15:16.31
And so my
number one favorite day
00:15:16.31\00:15:18.98
of this week's lesson
study was found on Sunday.
00:15:18.98\00:15:20.95
And Sunday's points us to
two very important individuals.
00:15:20.95\00:15:24.85
And those two
important individuals...
00:15:24.85\00:15:27.32
Well, the first
one is very famous.
00:15:27.32\00:15:30.13
In fact, the
first one is so famous
00:15:30.13\00:15:31.89
that over the last 2,000
years, there's been thousands,
00:15:31.89\00:15:34.76
maybe millions of baby boys
00:15:34.76\00:15:36.83
that have been born
to Christian parents,
00:15:36.83\00:15:39.07
and the Christian parents
have decided to name their son
00:15:39.07\00:15:42.64
after the Apostle Paul.
00:15:42.64\00:15:45.91
And so we have many
Pauls even in our generation
00:15:45.91\00:15:49.01
here in America
today because of that.
00:15:49.01\00:15:51.08
And so Paul is one of the
most famous individuals by far
00:15:51.08\00:15:56.12
in all of history
00:15:56.12\00:15:57.49
as well as in the
Christian church and Bible.
00:15:57.49\00:16:00.89
Now the second
individual is just as essential,
00:16:00.89\00:16:04.09
but it's interesting that
he's not nearly as famous.
00:16:04.09\00:16:07.46
Has anybody ever ran
into a Barnabas lately?
00:16:07.46\00:16:12.53
Okay, all right, no Barnabases.
00:16:12.53\00:16:15.27
I can't recall, maybe I have,
00:16:15.27\00:16:17.01
but if I have I can't recall
ever running into a Barnabas.
00:16:17.01\00:16:21.38
And yet how many
have known a Paul?
00:16:21.38\00:16:23.24
There might be a
Paul in our midst today
00:16:23.24\00:16:24.95
or watching on the
program here today.
00:16:24.95\00:16:27.22
Lots of Pauls but no Barnabases,
00:16:27.22\00:16:29.22
why is that?
00:16:29.22\00:16:31.39
Well, that's a
whole other discussion.
00:16:31.39\00:16:33.52
Well,
Barnabas's name actually...
00:16:33.52\00:16:35.16
His parents didn't name
him Barnabas, by the way.
00:16:35.16\00:16:38.39
His actual original
name was a Joses or a Joseph
00:16:38.39\00:16:42.13
depended on what
manuscript evidence you look at.
00:16:42.13\00:16:44.47
So we know that his birth name
00:16:44.47\00:16:47.04
actually was
something totally different.
00:16:47.04\00:16:49.57
You may not have known
that Barnabas was the name
00:16:49.57\00:16:52.11
that the apostles gave to him.
00:16:52.11\00:16:54.34
And so his name was changed.
00:16:54.34\00:16:57.01
Saul's name was changed to Paul,
00:16:57.01\00:16:58.85
and so Paul's original
name was not Paul, it was Saul,
00:16:58.85\00:17:03.35
and it was changed to Paul.
00:17:03.35\00:17:05.15
And here we have Barnabas's
name was changed to...
00:17:05.15\00:17:08.52
Joseph's name was
changed to Barnabas as well.
00:17:08.52\00:17:12.66
We also have Simon,
one of the apostles,
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.83
his name was
changed to Peter, okay?
00:17:14.83\00:17:18.77
So it's interesting
how God has moved upon
00:17:18.77\00:17:21.24
some of the early
leaders of the church
00:17:21.24\00:17:23.91
and gave them a new name.
00:17:23.91\00:17:25.37
Now what does Barnabas mean?
00:17:25.37\00:17:29.38
It means son of encouragement.
Son of encouragement.
00:17:29.38\00:17:33.72
What an honor to
have your name changed
00:17:33.72\00:17:35.45
to son of encouragement.
00:17:35.45\00:17:36.89
Now the Bible tells us
that one of the spiritual gifts
00:17:36.89\00:17:38.85
is encouragement or
edification to minister
00:17:38.85\00:17:41.62
and lift up our
fellow Christians.
00:17:41.62\00:17:42.92
And so some of us have
been endowed like Barnabas
00:17:42.92\00:17:45.69
with a spiritual gift
00:17:45.69\00:17:46.86
that when somebody is
discouraged in the church,
00:17:46.86\00:17:49.20
you kind of just are one
of the most natural people
00:17:49.20\00:17:50.87
to just kind of run in there
and help encourage that person
00:17:50.87\00:17:55.47
through a difficult time
that they may be going through
00:17:55.47\00:17:57.91
in their faith
00:17:57.91\00:17:58.97
or perhaps some challenges
in their life and such.
00:17:58.97\00:18:01.61
Well, Barnabas lived
out, and lived up to his name
00:18:01.61\00:18:04.25
as you look at Barnabas
through the Book of Acts,
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.82
at least through
the first 15 chapters
00:18:06.82\00:18:08.78
where he's talked about.
00:18:08.78\00:18:10.72
And so we're
going to spend some time
00:18:10.72\00:18:12.35
just kind of tracing
this beautiful relationship
00:18:12.35\00:18:14.69
between these two
very important individuals.
00:18:14.69\00:18:17.86
In Acts Chapter 9, we
find that Saul is converted
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.80
as he's making his
way up to the north,
00:18:20.80\00:18:22.93
the far north of
Israel to Damascus.
00:18:22.93\00:18:25.40
And as he's almost at Damascus,
00:18:25.40\00:18:27.17
of course, he has
this encounter with Jesus.
00:18:27.17\00:18:29.47
To make a long story short,
00:18:29.47\00:18:30.84
we find that he
eventually is born again
00:18:30.84\00:18:33.44
in the city of Damascus.
00:18:33.44\00:18:35.11
And rather than persecuting,
00:18:35.11\00:18:36.75
and trying to
arrest, and imprison,
00:18:36.75\00:18:38.15
and even kill
some of the Christians
00:18:38.15\00:18:39.55
as he had planned,
00:18:39.55\00:18:40.88
now he's
fellowshipping with them
00:18:40.88\00:18:42.62
and he's praying on
his knees with them,
00:18:42.62\00:18:44.72
he's standing up and
he's preaching for them,
00:18:44.72\00:18:46.99
and he's just
excited on fire for the Lord
00:18:46.99\00:18:50.03
because his eyes
have been opened,
00:18:50.03\00:18:52.43
and he's a different person.
00:18:52.43\00:18:53.73
All things have been made new,
00:18:53.73\00:18:55.53
and now he realized
that the very message
00:18:55.53\00:18:58.17
in religion that he
was fighting against
00:18:58.17\00:19:00.77
is the very message of truth
00:19:00.77\00:19:03.24
that God has for
mankind and for Paul.
00:19:03.24\00:19:07.58
Now when he returns
back to the city of Jerusalem
00:19:07.58\00:19:10.25
where he had
first started and such,
00:19:10.25\00:19:13.28
he naturally wants to find
and share with other Christians
00:19:13.28\00:19:15.78
that his eyes have been opened,
00:19:15.78\00:19:17.39
to tell them that he's
now full of the Holy Spirit,
00:19:17.39\00:19:19.82
and that he's a
converted believer in Christ
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.12
just like they are,
00:19:22.12\00:19:23.22
so you can
imagine Paul's excitement
00:19:23.22\00:19:24.89
when he gets back into Jerusalem
00:19:24.89\00:19:26.80
because he just wants to find
00:19:26.80\00:19:28.20
all the
Christians he can find now,
00:19:28.20\00:19:29.76
but his motive is completely
the opposite now, isn't it?
00:19:29.76\00:19:33.77
And so when he's out
looking for the Christians,
00:19:33.77\00:19:36.04
he can't wait to be
able to share with them.
00:19:36.04\00:19:38.61
But now we have to put ourselves
00:19:38.61\00:19:39.87
in the shoes of the Christians
because when he left Jerusalem,
00:19:39.87\00:19:42.88
it had been many
weeks, maybe months now
00:19:42.88\00:19:45.01
that he had been searching
out imprisoning, torturing,
00:19:45.01\00:19:47.95
and killing Christians.
00:19:47.95\00:19:51.05
And so the more
that the word got out
00:19:51.05\00:19:52.92
that Paul was
trying to find them,
00:19:52.92\00:19:54.19
the more they kind of
went into the woodwork
00:19:54.19\00:19:55.62
and try to hide from him.
00:19:55.62\00:19:57.26
And when the word got to
them that Paul was converted
00:19:57.26\00:20:00.43
that he was now a Christian,
00:20:00.43\00:20:02.50
they had a hard
time believing that,
00:20:02.50\00:20:03.90
and the Bible tells us so
in that particular chapter.
00:20:03.90\00:20:08.94
And so they were filled
with fear, and disbelief,
00:20:08.94\00:20:12.74
and naturally so.
00:20:12.74\00:20:15.14
Now we don't know
how long it would be
00:20:15.14\00:20:16.64
before Paul was finally united
00:20:16.64\00:20:18.35
with the Christians in Jerusalem
00:20:18.35\00:20:20.58
if it wasn't for Barnabas.
00:20:20.58\00:20:21.95
But we do know
that the Bible tells us
00:20:21.95\00:20:23.69
that Barnabas
was the key mediator
00:20:23.69\00:20:26.42
that went and
sought out, found Paul,
00:20:26.42\00:20:29.66
heard his story,
00:20:29.66\00:20:31.56
checked out his
genuineness and so on,
00:20:31.56\00:20:34.03
and then took him
and introduced him
00:20:34.03\00:20:36.60
to the very
heart of Christianity.
00:20:36.60\00:20:38.70
He didn't just
bring him to Mary's house
00:20:38.70\00:20:40.30
where there was a
group of Christians,
00:20:40.30\00:20:41.44
but no, he brought him...
00:20:41.44\00:20:42.44
Maybe it was Mary's
house where the apostles were,
00:20:42.44\00:20:45.04
but we find
there that the apostles
00:20:45.04\00:20:47.54
is the first people that
Barnabas introduces Paul to.
00:20:47.54\00:20:51.25
So he brings them
00:20:51.25\00:20:52.28
to the very heart of
the Christian church,
00:20:52.28\00:20:54.78
to the apostles themselves.
00:20:54.78\00:20:57.85
We find that in verse 27.
00:20:57.85\00:20:59.69
It says, "But Barnabas took him,
00:20:59.69\00:21:01.89
and brought him
to the apostles."
00:21:01.89\00:21:04.33
And so Barnabas finds
himself as a mediator.
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.53
Now this is the
spark of the beginning
00:21:06.53\00:21:08.36
of a lifelong relationship
between these two men.
00:21:08.36\00:21:11.90
You can imagine how special
00:21:11.90\00:21:13.50
Barnabas
immediately became to Paul
00:21:13.50\00:21:15.74
because Barnabas was
the key to bringing Paul
00:21:15.74\00:21:19.47
and introducing
him to the very heart
00:21:19.47\00:21:20.98
of the Christian Church.
00:21:20.98\00:21:23.51
Well, Paul's still
excited for the Lord,
00:21:23.51\00:21:25.05
and so he is standing up
before different Christians,
00:21:25.05\00:21:27.48
and synagogues, and
on the street corners,
00:21:27.48\00:21:29.08
probably in the open
courts of the temple,
00:21:29.08\00:21:31.22
and he's preaching Jesus now,
he's preaching the very message
00:21:31.22\00:21:35.06
and the very person, Jesus,
that he had been persecuting
00:21:35.06\00:21:38.63
and working against so strongly.
00:21:38.63\00:21:40.66
And so it took the Jews,
the Jewish populations a while
00:21:40.66\00:21:44.27
to kind of come to
grips with what happened
00:21:44.27\00:21:46.27
with this 180 change.
00:21:46.27\00:21:48.10
And, but it tells
us that eventually
00:21:48.10\00:21:50.01
the heat rose to the point
00:21:50.01\00:21:51.17
where word got out to
Paul and the Christian church
00:21:51.17\00:21:54.01
that they were
going to kill Paul.
00:21:54.01\00:21:55.81
And so the Christian church
wisely then kind of took Paul
00:21:55.81\00:21:58.48
probably in the night,
00:21:58.48\00:21:59.55
and brought him
over to Caesarea,
00:21:59.55\00:22:02.32
which was a port city nearby
00:22:02.32\00:22:04.29
the main port city
that they could find,
00:22:04.29\00:22:06.86
put him on a boat,
00:22:06.86\00:22:07.92
and sent him back to
his home city of Tarsus,
00:22:07.92\00:22:09.62
where he can get
some refuge and safety
00:22:09.62\00:22:11.96
until he kind of
settled down in Jerusalem.
00:22:11.96\00:22:17.70
And so this was the beginning
of a lifelong relationship
00:22:17.70\00:22:20.10
between these two men
that were instrumental
00:22:20.10\00:22:23.00
in developing a
network of churches
00:22:23.00\00:22:25.01
throughout the Roman Empire.
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.11
These are no small individuals
in regards to God's plan
00:22:27.11\00:22:31.21
to spread and network His church
00:22:31.21\00:22:33.65
throughout the known world.
00:22:33.65\00:22:35.38
When we come to Acts 11,
00:22:35.38\00:22:37.25
we find that God
leads Barnabas again
00:22:37.25\00:22:39.69
to take the lead.
00:22:39.69\00:22:40.92
Well, how does he
take the lead this time?
00:22:40.92\00:22:43.32
Well, Barnabas visits the
city by the name of Antioch.
00:22:43.32\00:22:46.76
Now Antioch is not in Israel,
but it's just north of Israel.
00:22:46.76\00:22:50.13
And if you were to follow
the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
00:22:50.13\00:22:52.77
that Israel kind of lines,
00:22:52.77\00:22:54.54
you'll find that
almost at the very top
00:22:54.54\00:22:56.34
of that eastern shoreline,
00:22:56.34\00:22:57.47
you'll find another port
city by the name of Antioch.
00:22:57.47\00:23:00.81
Now Antioch is a Roman city,
00:23:00.81\00:23:03.28
but because it's close enough
to Jerusalem or anti-Israel,
00:23:03.28\00:23:06.92
we find that there's
a substantial population
00:23:06.92\00:23:09.45
still of Jewish
people there living as well.
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.52
And not only that, but
there's a lot of Hellenists
00:23:12.52\00:23:14.49
that are living there.
00:23:14.49\00:23:15.79
And Hellenists are kind of Jews
that have adopted the Jewish...
00:23:15.79\00:23:19.33
the Greek language,
00:23:19.33\00:23:21.43
the Greek
culture in a large way.
00:23:21.43\00:23:22.63
And some of
them had intermarried
00:23:22.63\00:23:23.83
with Greeks as well.
00:23:23.83\00:23:25.27
And so they were
referred to as Hellenism.
00:23:25.27\00:23:27.70
And a lot of them
weren't recognized
00:23:27.70\00:23:30.27
as complete Jews
by the purists down
00:23:30.27\00:23:33.07
in Jerusalem and Judea.
00:23:33.07\00:23:35.14
And so word got
out that there was,
00:23:35.14\00:23:37.31
the word was
being spread out there,
00:23:37.31\00:23:38.71
and the gospel's being
accepted by Hellenists.
00:23:38.71\00:23:40.55
These kind of half Jews,
almost like a Samaritan type.
00:23:40.55\00:23:43.95
And so the brethren
in Jerusalem had decided
00:23:43.95\00:23:49.96
to send Barnabas
up north to Antioch,
00:23:49.96\00:23:52.73
and to give them a report.
00:23:52.73\00:23:54.73
Well after he gets up
there, he's just so excited,
00:23:54.73\00:23:56.40
he encourages the church,
00:23:56.40\00:23:57.50
he sees the hand of
the Lord there and such,
00:23:57.50\00:24:00.14
and then after a time
00:24:00.14\00:24:01.20
after he's finished his mission,
00:24:01.20\00:24:04.14
we find there is
that that Barnabas decides
00:24:04.14\00:24:06.91
and was moved by God, I'm sure,
00:24:06.91\00:24:08.64
to go and get Saul and
bring him back to Antioch.
00:24:08.64\00:24:11.38
Now, Barnabas, I'm sure
00:24:11.38\00:24:13.11
was acquainted with
the geography of the time.
00:24:13.11\00:24:15.75
And as it turns out,
when you look at a map,
00:24:15.75\00:24:17.29
Antioch is just
a short boat ride
00:24:17.29\00:24:19.49
across the top eastern
corner of the Mediterranean Sea
00:24:19.49\00:24:22.89
to get to the home
city of Paul, Tarsus.
00:24:22.89\00:24:26.23
And that's where, of course,
00:24:26.23\00:24:27.30
where the Christian
church last sent him.
00:24:27.30\00:24:31.20
And so Barnabas
leaves the city of Antioch.
00:24:31.20\00:24:34.10
Now the city of
Antioch is a fascinating city
00:24:34.10\00:24:36.20
as we'll continue to see here
00:24:36.20\00:24:37.67
because Antioch was
the most fitting port city
00:24:37.67\00:24:41.01
that was as north as
you could get from Israel
00:24:41.01\00:24:44.81
without entering into
the full blown Gentile world
00:24:44.81\00:24:48.38
of the Western Empire.
00:24:48.38\00:24:50.45
And so we find
there that Paul is...
00:24:50.45\00:24:54.06
or not Paul, but
Barnabas and Paul
00:24:54.06\00:24:56.29
eventually become
sponsored from this,
00:24:56.29\00:24:58.26
and Antioch becomes
the kind of bridge city,
00:24:58.26\00:25:01.00
the kind of the
missionary outpost
00:25:01.00\00:25:04.60
to the Gentile world
that God had intended
00:25:04.60\00:25:07.50
for them to reach.
00:25:07.50\00:25:10.37
Well, after Barnabas
goes to Saul, Tarsus,
00:25:10.37\00:25:12.41
he finds Saul, and sure enough,
00:25:12.41\00:25:13.64
again as he did
before in Jerusalem,
00:25:13.64\00:25:15.38
he takes Saul back to Antioch,
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.15
introduces him
to this key church,
00:25:17.15\00:25:19.71
and God is working
through all this, of course,
00:25:19.71\00:25:22.12
to be able to
establish this church
00:25:22.12\00:25:23.99
as the missionary outpost,
00:25:23.99\00:25:25.02
but also Paul and Barnabas
as the key missionaries.
00:25:25.02\00:25:28.56
And so the Bible tells us
00:25:28.56\00:25:30.96
that they spent a
year there together.
00:25:30.96\00:25:32.56
And so Saul and
Barnabas are Paul and Barnabas,
00:25:32.56\00:25:36.36
spent a year working
hand-in-hand preaching,
00:25:36.36\00:25:39.03
teaching, evangelizing
the great city of Antioch.
00:25:39.03\00:25:42.30
It is in the city of Antioch
00:25:42.30\00:25:43.64
that we are first
called Christians by the way.
00:25:43.64\00:25:47.98
And so that's an
interesting key trivia
00:25:47.98\00:25:52.01
and point there as well.
00:25:52.01\00:25:53.85
And so the people
outside of the church
00:25:53.85\00:25:55.52
started to call as Christians,
00:25:55.52\00:25:56.99
those who are
followers of Christ.
00:25:56.99\00:26:00.69
Now Antioch now becomes
the missionary outpost center.
00:26:00.69\00:26:04.73
And in Acts 12, Paul
and Barnabas finish...
00:26:04.73\00:26:07.96
After they finish
delivering some food
00:26:07.96\00:26:10.80
to the city of Jerusalem,
00:26:10.80\00:26:11.83
there was a famine
that had been prophesied,
00:26:11.83\00:26:13.70
and predicted, and sure
enough it came in Jerusalem,
00:26:13.70\00:26:15.84
the land of Judea and such
00:26:15.84\00:26:17.67
and other parts
of the known world.
00:26:17.67\00:26:19.11
And so they, Paul and
Barnabas, were sent by Antioch
00:26:19.11\00:26:21.98
to bring a number
of generous donations
00:26:21.98\00:26:24.95
to be able to feed those
particular hungry Christians
00:26:24.95\00:26:28.72
that were back in
Jerusalem and in Judea.
00:26:28.72\00:26:31.72
And after they
finish their business,
00:26:31.72\00:26:33.05
the Bible tells us in Acts 12
00:26:33.05\00:26:34.62
that they return back
to the city of Antioch,
00:26:34.62\00:26:36.69
and when they return,
00:26:36.69\00:26:38.73
they bring with
them a young man,
00:26:38.73\00:26:40.56
a promising
young man for ministry
00:26:40.56\00:26:42.13
and his name is John,
John Mark is his full name.
00:26:42.13\00:26:47.07
Now he is famously known
00:26:47.07\00:26:48.67
as the author
of the gospel of...
00:26:48.67\00:26:50.87
Not the Gospel of
John, but the Gospel of Mark.
00:26:50.87\00:26:55.44
Now some of you
may not know this,
00:26:55.44\00:26:56.75
but Mark is not his first name.
00:26:56.75\00:27:00.12
If you're to
address him formally,
00:27:00.12\00:27:01.75
you would call him Mr.
Mark, and that is because
00:27:01.75\00:27:04.69
Mark was his last
name, it was his surname.
00:27:04.69\00:27:07.56
His first name was John.
00:27:07.56\00:27:09.99
Now why they
decided to call him Mark,
00:27:09.99\00:27:12.26
I can't find any Bible
verse that tells us for sure,
00:27:12.26\00:27:15.56
but I would put
my money on the fact
00:27:15.56\00:27:17.70
that there was a
very prominent apostle
00:27:17.70\00:27:19.67
by the name of John already,
00:27:19.67\00:27:22.07
and so in order
to avoid confusion,
00:27:22.07\00:27:24.04
they decided to call
Mark, Mark, or John Mark,
00:27:24.04\00:27:26.84
Mark by his last name,
00:27:26.84\00:27:28.41
so they could have an easy
distinction between the two.
00:27:28.41\00:27:34.98
And so they bring this young man
00:27:34.98\00:27:36.08
by the name of Mark.
00:27:36.08\00:27:37.15
Now Mark was the son of
a key figure in Jerusalem.
00:27:37.15\00:27:39.92
And that key
figure's name was Mary.
00:27:39.92\00:27:43.26
Now, no, this is
not the mother of Jesus,
00:27:43.26\00:27:45.86
not Mary, the mother of
Jesus, but rather this is Mary
00:27:45.86\00:27:49.43
who is a prominent figure
00:27:49.43\00:27:50.53
and a prominent
Christian in Jerusalem
00:27:50.53\00:27:52.93
that hosted the church
quite often in her home.
00:27:52.93\00:27:55.37
And so I'm guessing she
was one of more privilege,
00:27:55.37\00:27:58.47
had a larger home, had more room
00:27:58.47\00:28:01.04
to accommodate
worship services and so on.
00:28:01.04\00:28:04.08
Many of us are
familiar with the story
00:28:04.08\00:28:05.68
when Peter was imprisoned,
and he was on death row.
00:28:05.68\00:28:08.62
King Herod was going to
kill him the next morning.
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.55
God delivers him with
an angel through the night,
00:28:10.55\00:28:12.75
Peter comes and starts
to rap on the door of Mary.
00:28:12.75\00:28:16.83
And all the
Christians, and all of them,
00:28:16.83\00:28:18.86
but there is certainly a
substantial group in there
00:28:18.86\00:28:21.20
that were
praying on their knees,
00:28:21.20\00:28:23.30
you know, "Lord,
please deliver Peter.
00:28:23.30\00:28:25.47
Don't let him die
tomorrow as planned."
00:28:25.47\00:28:27.70
And God answered
their prayers, didn't He?
00:28:27.70\00:28:30.21
And so it was Mary's home.
00:28:30.21\00:28:32.74
And so inevitably, John
Mark or Mark as we know him
00:28:32.74\00:28:36.51
would have been
in that group praying
00:28:36.51\00:28:38.25
for Peter's deliverance.
00:28:38.25\00:28:39.88
And so now we have
Paul, and Barnabas,
00:28:39.88\00:28:42.88
and Mark perhaps
had approached them,
00:28:42.88\00:28:45.02
perhaps they approached
him, we don't know the details
00:28:45.02\00:28:47.29
but somehow there was
a sense of the calling
00:28:47.29\00:28:49.62
that God had called
Mark to be a minister
00:28:49.62\00:28:51.49
and a missionary for the Lord.
00:28:51.49\00:28:55.96
And then we come to Acts 13.
00:28:55.96\00:28:57.90
In Acts 13, God
tells the Antioch Church
00:28:57.90\00:29:00.77
now as He leads through a
number of different prophets.
00:29:00.77\00:29:03.27
He says, "I want you to
ordain both Paul and Barnabas,
00:29:03.27\00:29:08.81
and I want you to send them out
00:29:08.81\00:29:10.18
as the first
sponsored missionaries
00:29:10.18\00:29:12.65
that the Christian church
has ever officially sent."
00:29:12.65\00:29:15.72
And so this is an exciting story
00:29:15.72\00:29:17.75
because these are the first
00:29:17.75\00:29:18.99
official sponsored missionaries.
00:29:18.99\00:29:21.96
And so after the
ordination, of course,
00:29:21.96\00:29:24.26
they begin to make their
plans, and they jump in a boat,
00:29:24.26\00:29:26.53
and they sail out
to a substantial island
00:29:26.53\00:29:29.73
towards the
Western Mediterranean Sea
00:29:29.73\00:29:31.30
called Cyprus.
00:29:31.30\00:29:33.30
Now I want just
to stop for a moment,
00:29:33.30\00:29:36.04
and imagine how close
00:29:36.04\00:29:38.44
these two Christian
brothers are at this point.
00:29:38.44\00:29:42.24
They've spent
several years together,
00:29:42.24\00:29:43.71
they've traveled,
they evangelized together,
00:29:43.71\00:29:46.28
they've sat in people's
home giving Bible studies
00:29:46.28\00:29:48.68
with people that are learning
00:29:48.68\00:29:50.02
the truth in the
gospel for the first time.
00:29:50.02\00:29:53.36
These are close,
close brothers in the Lord.
00:29:53.36\00:29:58.39
All right, chapter 13 in
the same chapter verse 5,
00:29:58.39\00:30:00.76
it tells us that John
Mark is taken as an assistant.
00:30:00.76\00:30:05.17
And so we find that
the first missionary team
00:30:05.17\00:30:07.47
was actually made up of three,
we have Paul, we have Barnabas,
00:30:07.47\00:30:12.14
and then we also have Mark
00:30:12.14\00:30:14.94
or John Mark as
his full name is.
00:30:14.94\00:30:17.65
And it tells us very clearly
00:30:17.65\00:30:19.35
that he's
recognized as an assistant,
00:30:19.35\00:30:20.98
so he's not
ordained at this point,
00:30:20.98\00:30:22.28
but he's coming along
as kind of as an assistant
00:30:22.28\00:30:25.15
to get his feet wet a
little bit in the ministry,
00:30:25.15\00:30:27.09
he doesn't have the experience
00:30:27.09\00:30:28.29
of Paul and the
Barnabas both have in preaching,
00:30:28.29\00:30:30.69
and evangelizing, and such,
00:30:30.69\00:30:33.06
and so he comes
along as an assistant.
00:30:33.06\00:30:37.73
Let's read that in...
00:30:37.73\00:30:39.30
Read more about
that in Acts 13:13.
00:30:39.30\00:30:43.07
Let's go to Acts 13 now.
00:30:43.07\00:30:44.74
Acts 13:13,
00:30:50.95\00:30:57.42
because we find here
00:30:57.42\00:30:58.59
after they had
gone through about...
00:30:58.59\00:30:59.95
Now the first
missionary tour that took place
00:30:59.95\00:31:04.23
was the shortest one that
Paul and Barnabas went on.
00:31:04.23\00:31:08.30
And so the three main
tours or missionary trips
00:31:08.30\00:31:10.90
that Paul went on,
this was the shortest.
00:31:10.90\00:31:12.90
But half way through that
particular missionary tour,
00:31:12.90\00:31:18.01
we find here that John
Mark kind of falls short.
00:31:18.01\00:31:22.38
Let's find that, Acts
13:13, and we have a volunteer
00:31:22.38\00:31:27.15
that's going to
read that for us.
00:31:27.15\00:31:28.85
Go ahead kindly.
00:31:28.85\00:31:31.02
"Now when Paul and his
party set sail from Paphos,
00:31:31.02\00:31:34.56
they came to Perga in Pamphylia,
00:31:34.56\00:31:37.13
and John, departing from
them, returned to Jerusalem."
00:31:37.13\00:31:41.13
Okay, so here we find
00:31:41.13\00:31:44.57
that the party is
going in one direction,
00:31:44.57\00:31:46.80
that's Paul and Barnabas,
and Mark kind of bails out.
00:31:46.80\00:31:50.51
And we don't
know all the details,
00:31:50.51\00:31:52.41
but we can only guess,
you know, being a missionary,
00:31:52.41\00:31:55.41
my hat goes off to missionaries,
00:31:55.41\00:31:56.81
can you say amen to that?
00:31:56.81\00:31:58.31
My hat goes off to missionaries.
00:31:58.31\00:31:59.38
I have done some
short mission trips
00:31:59.38\00:32:02.02
to some of the
Caribbean Islands, and so on.
00:32:02.02\00:32:05.62
And when you've been brought
up in the standard of living
00:32:05.62\00:32:07.36
that you have in America,
00:32:07.36\00:32:08.86
and my years that
I grew up in Canada,
00:32:08.86\00:32:11.36
and you go to some of
these developing countries,
00:32:11.36\00:32:13.23
you realize how
blessed you really are.
00:32:13.23\00:32:16.43
And so the rigors
of missionary work
00:32:16.43\00:32:20.84
is a great sacrifice.
00:32:20.84\00:32:23.30
And God calls
very special people
00:32:23.30\00:32:26.47
to be able to
make that sacrifice
00:32:26.47\00:32:27.98
and continue to bring the gospel
00:32:27.98\00:32:29.48
to all points of the planet.
00:32:29.48\00:32:33.38
And so...
00:32:33.38\00:32:34.45
But it's a very rigorous.
00:32:34.45\00:32:36.15
And in the travels
back then, of course,
00:32:36.15\00:32:38.25
were very
primitive compared to today,
00:32:38.25\00:32:39.95
they didn't have nice seats,
00:32:39.95\00:32:41.82
we complain
about the little seats
00:32:41.82\00:32:43.12
that are
shrinking in our planes,
00:32:43.12\00:32:44.49
well, they would
love to have those seats,
00:32:44.49\00:32:46.53
you know,
compared to being on a ship
00:32:46.53\00:32:47.86
and throwing up
over the edge of the sea,
00:32:47.86\00:32:50.20
and it didn't smell
too good all the time,
00:32:50.20\00:32:53.67
they didn't have the sanitation
00:32:53.67\00:32:54.97
and sewer systems that
we have on our ships today.
00:32:54.97\00:32:57.37
And so it was rough.
00:32:57.37\00:32:59.64
And, of course, their lives
were in danger all the time.
00:32:59.64\00:33:01.84
And we read about Paul,
and Barnabas, and Silas,
00:33:01.84\00:33:04.05
I mean they had a lot
of scars on their back
00:33:04.05\00:33:06.55
because of some of
the different whippings,
00:33:06.55\00:33:08.55
and beatings, and stonings
that they had been exposed to.
00:33:08.55\00:33:13.56
And so Mark goes home,
and he gets on the ship,
00:33:13.56\00:33:17.19
and he says, "Sorry, I
just can't take this anymore,
00:33:17.19\00:33:19.43
I've got to go home
and kind of regroup."
00:33:19.43\00:33:21.63
And so he goes home, and
Paul and Barnabas goes on,
00:33:21.63\00:33:24.67
and they continue
and finish their tour.
00:33:24.67\00:33:29.94
Well, Paul was
not happy about this.
00:33:29.94\00:33:32.84
Barnabas was a
little bit more discerning,
00:33:32.84\00:33:34.51
he was a little
bit more sensitive.
00:33:34.51\00:33:36.38
Paul was a go-getter,
he was a real accomplisher,
00:33:36.38\00:33:39.65
and God needed an
individual like that
00:33:39.65\00:33:42.22
to be able to accomplish
the very vigorous plan
00:33:42.22\00:33:45.32
that God had for him.
00:33:45.32\00:33:46.55
And...
00:33:46.55\00:33:47.72
But one of the shortcomings
00:33:47.72\00:33:48.79
sometimes with that
kind of personality is that
00:33:48.79\00:33:50.46
you don't have very much
tolerance for those of you,
00:33:50.46\00:33:52.86
for those who aren't
quite as rigorous as you are,
00:33:52.86\00:33:55.10
and quite as thick skinned
as you are perhaps and such.
00:33:55.10\00:33:58.67
And so Paul
apparently writes off Mark,
00:33:58.67\00:34:01.80
and he just
writes him off, and says,
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.51
"Well,
obviously he's not cut out
00:34:03.51\00:34:04.77
for the rigors
of missionary life."
00:34:04.77\00:34:07.18
And so that's the end of Paul,
00:34:07.18\00:34:09.18
I mean the end of
Mark in Paul's mind.
00:34:09.18\00:34:13.11
Well, how do we know this?
00:34:13.11\00:34:14.82
Well, we find it in Acts 15:36.
00:34:14.82\00:34:17.32
Let's go to Acts
Chapter 15. Acts Chapter 15.
00:34:17.32\00:34:21.89
In Acts 15:36,
00:34:26.26\00:34:28.66
we'll read right to the
end of the chapter there.
00:34:28.66\00:34:30.93
It says "Then after some
days Paul said to Barnabas,
00:34:30.93\00:34:33.70
'Let us now go back and
visit our brethren in every city
00:34:33.70\00:34:37.57
where we have
preached the word of the Lord,
00:34:37.57\00:34:39.44
and see how they are doing.'
00:34:39.44\00:34:41.54
Now Barnabas was
determined to take with them
00:34:41.54\00:34:43.68
John called Mark."
00:34:43.68\00:34:45.68
Well, there it goes.
00:34:45.68\00:34:46.75
Okay, "But Paul insisted
00:34:46.75\00:34:48.02
that they should not
take with them the one
00:34:48.02\00:34:50.02
who had departed
from them in Pamphylia,
00:34:50.02\00:34:52.42
and had not gone
with them to the work."
00:34:52.42\00:34:55.39
And so Paul completely
opposed and is not interested
00:34:55.39\00:34:59.89
in cooperating
with Mark coming along.
00:34:59.89\00:35:02.26
Verse 39 says,
00:35:02.26\00:35:03.37
"Then the
contention became so sharp
00:35:03.37\00:35:06.13
that they parted
from one another.
00:35:06.13\00:35:07.57
And so Barnabas took
Mark and sailed to Cyprus,"
00:35:07.57\00:35:10.64
which was
retracing the same route
00:35:10.64\00:35:13.38
that they did
on their last tour,
00:35:13.38\00:35:15.11
the first tour.
00:35:15.11\00:35:16.24
"But Paul chose
Silas and departed,
00:35:16.24\00:35:19.18
being commended by the
brethren to the grace of God.
00:35:19.18\00:35:21.85
And he went
through Syria and Cilicia,
00:35:21.85\00:35:24.32
strengthening the churches."
00:35:24.32\00:35:27.09
And so it turns out that
Paul chose another partner.
00:35:27.09\00:35:29.52
He said, "Listen, Barnabas,
00:35:29.52\00:35:30.59
if you're going
to take along Mark,
00:35:30.59\00:35:31.83
I'm not going."
00:35:31.83\00:35:33.33
And Barnabas said, "Listen,
00:35:33.33\00:35:34.30
if you're not going to
let me take along Mark,
00:35:34.30\00:35:35.83
I'm not going."
00:35:35.83\00:35:37.33
And so they both had...
00:35:37.33\00:35:38.40
There's two key words in
that one key verse there,
00:35:38.40\00:35:40.44
around verse 40, what was that?
00:35:40.44\00:35:41.87
Contention and sharp.
00:35:41.87\00:35:44.94
Does that sound
like a good conversation?
00:35:44.94\00:35:47.54
Okay, all right.
00:35:47.54\00:35:49.01
So this is more of
an argument, isn't it?
00:35:49.01\00:35:51.25
Okay, and so
they're butting heads,
00:35:51.25\00:35:53.95
and they're not moving,
00:35:53.95\00:35:55.32
they're both
putting their heels in,
00:35:55.32\00:35:56.38
and they're
saying we're not moving,
00:35:56.38\00:35:57.42
and so finally Paul
says, "Well, that's it,
00:35:57.42\00:35:59.32
I'm dropping you and
Mark. I'm going to take Silas.
00:35:59.32\00:36:02.66
And I'm going to take
Silas and we're going to go up
00:36:02.66\00:36:04.26
and we're going to do a
different missionary trip."
00:36:04.26\00:36:05.79
And so they took the land route
00:36:05.79\00:36:07.00
around the top of
the Mediterranean Sea
00:36:07.00\00:36:09.13
to get into the
West, and as we just read,
00:36:09.13\00:36:11.53
we find that Barnabas took Mark
00:36:11.53\00:36:13.74
and went back to
their original tour,
00:36:13.74\00:36:16.27
the first tour at Cyprus.
00:36:16.27\00:36:20.61
I want to read
something here from lesson,
00:36:20.61\00:36:22.84
from the lesson we're
looking out on page 81.
00:36:22.84\00:36:26.72
And so if you
have your lesson books,
00:36:26.72\00:36:27.98
you can turn there
with me if you wish.
00:36:27.98\00:36:30.45
And I'm going to read a quote
from one of my favorite books,
00:36:30.45\00:36:33.02
it comes from the Acts
of the Apostles, page 170.
00:36:33.02\00:36:36.06
The Acts of the
Apostles written by Ellen White.
00:36:36.06\00:36:38.86
And it says this, it says,
"This desertion caused Paul
00:36:38.86\00:36:42.23
to judge Mark unfavorably,
and even severely, for a time.
00:36:42.23\00:36:46.94
Barnabas, on the other hand,
00:36:46.94\00:36:48.07
was inclined to excuse him
because of his inexperience.
00:36:48.07\00:36:51.07
He felt anxious that Mark
00:36:51.07\00:36:52.71
should not abandon the ministry,
00:36:52.71\00:36:54.38
for he saw in him qualifications
00:36:54.38\00:36:56.31
that would fit him to be
a useful worker for Christ."
00:36:56.31\00:37:00.42
And so thank God for
Barnabas in this case, right?
00:37:00.42\00:37:04.22
Then it goes on as the
lesson study reflects on that.
00:37:04.22\00:37:06.69
It says, "Although
God used all these men,"
00:37:06.69\00:37:08.72
and I like that.
00:37:08.72\00:37:09.72
God is still using
each of these men, isn't He?
00:37:09.72\00:37:11.83
Even as they departed
00:37:11.83\00:37:12.89
with different
partners in mission,
00:37:12.89\00:37:15.03
God is still working
through them in spite of them,
00:37:15.03\00:37:18.07
and I take encouragement in that
00:37:18.07\00:37:21.17
that God can work
through me in spite of me.
00:37:21.17\00:37:24.47
"Although God
used all these men,
00:37:24.47\00:37:26.04
the issues between
them needed resolution."
00:37:26.04\00:37:29.08
That was not to be ignored.
00:37:29.08\00:37:30.98
"The apostle who preached
grace needed to extend grace
00:37:30.98\00:37:34.58
to a young preacher
who had disappointed him.
00:37:34.58\00:37:36.89
The apostle
forgiveness needed to forgive.
00:37:36.89\00:37:39.82
John Mark grew
00:37:39.82\00:37:41.16
in the affirming
mentorship of Barnabas,"
00:37:41.16\00:37:44.33
Acts 15:39, "and eventually
00:37:44.33\00:37:47.13
Paul's heart was apparently
touched by the changes.
00:37:47.13\00:37:50.30
And so this broke,
two key relationships.
00:37:54.14\00:37:56.97
Paul now has two
broken relationships.
00:37:56.97\00:37:58.91
He has a broken relationship
00:37:58.91\00:38:00.21
with a longtime
companion and friend
00:38:00.21\00:38:01.98
by the name of Barnabas,
00:38:01.98\00:38:03.45
and he also has a
broken relationship
00:38:03.45\00:38:05.18
with a new found
relationship and friendship
00:38:05.18\00:38:08.15
that he had with another upstart
00:38:08.15\00:38:10.42
by the name of Mark.
00:38:10.42\00:38:12.85
And so Barnabas is
not mentioned again
00:38:12.85\00:38:16.22
for the rest of Acts.
00:38:16.22\00:38:17.43
You know, I started to look
at the Concordance and I said,
00:38:17.43\00:38:19.19
"Well, Barnabas
must come up later,
00:38:19.19\00:38:20.46
there must be some kind of
reconciliation, something."
00:38:20.46\00:38:22.63
Well, but there's nothing.
00:38:22.63\00:38:23.67
Barnabas just disappears
00:38:23.67\00:38:24.90
off the map for
the rest of the book.
00:38:24.90\00:38:27.24
And so then I thought to myself,
00:38:27.24\00:38:28.60
"Well, maybe God just
wants to leave it open-ended.
00:38:28.60\00:38:30.41
He just doesn't tell us
00:38:30.41\00:38:31.47
that they
reconciled one with another."
00:38:31.47\00:38:34.18
But as I looked
at the Concordance,
00:38:34.18\00:38:35.78
I found that
there was one more time
00:38:35.78\00:38:37.61
that Barnabas is mentioned,
00:38:37.61\00:38:39.45
and it's
mentioned by Paul himself
00:38:39.45\00:38:40.95
as Paul is
writing back to a church
00:38:40.95\00:38:42.88
that he had planted in
Corinth on his second tour.
00:38:42.88\00:38:46.32
And come with me to
1 Corinthians 9:5-6.
00:38:46.32\00:38:51.03
So let's read it together.
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.09
It's the last
mention of Barnabas.
00:38:52.09\00:38:54.30
Okay, we're going
to 1 Corinthians 9...
00:38:54.30\00:38:57.17
and 5-6.
00:39:03.41\00:39:04.47
And we have a volunteer here.
00:39:04.47\00:39:05.67
Seth is going to
read for us, thank you.
00:39:05.67\00:39:08.71
1 Corinthians 9:5-6,
00:39:08.71\00:39:12.35
"Do we not have a right to
take along a believing wife,
00:39:12.35\00:39:15.68
even as rest of the apostles
00:39:15.68\00:39:17.75
and the brothers of
the Lord and Cephas?
00:39:17.75\00:39:20.19
Or do only Barnabas and I
00:39:20.19\00:39:22.19
not have a right to
refrain from working?"
00:39:22.19\00:39:25.29
Okay, thank you.
00:39:25.29\00:39:26.70
So here we have poor
Paul as he is so often,
00:39:26.70\00:39:28.46
he's defending
himself by false accusers
00:39:28.46\00:39:31.07
and false accusations
that are taking place
00:39:31.07\00:39:32.80
while he's out of town.
00:39:32.80\00:39:35.67
And how often that happens,
say they're taking advantage,
00:39:35.67\00:39:38.77
that the accusers are
waiting till Paul's out of town,
00:39:38.77\00:39:41.14
and then they
start running him down.
00:39:41.14\00:39:43.71
And, so Paul here
is defending himself,
00:39:43.71\00:39:46.28
and he says, "Do
we not have the right
00:39:46.28\00:39:48.82
to bring along a believing wife
as also the other apostles."
00:39:48.82\00:39:51.92
And so here we find
some interesting evidence
00:39:51.92\00:39:54.19
that reveals that
most of the apostles
00:39:54.19\00:39:56.22
traveled with their wife.
00:39:56.22\00:39:58.09
And it's interesting
that the only apostle
00:39:58.09\00:40:00.26
that is mentioned
by name is Cephus.
00:40:00.26\00:40:02.13
Now, Cephus is
another name for Peter.
00:40:02.13\00:40:06.70
And so Peter is on record
of traveling with his wife.
00:40:06.70\00:40:10.27
Now this doesn't work very well
with a Roman Church tradition
00:40:10.27\00:40:14.84
that tells its people that,
that Peter is the first pope,
00:40:14.84\00:40:19.08
and that both the pope
00:40:19.08\00:40:20.78
and its army of
cardinals, and priests,
00:40:20.78\00:40:24.25
and so on are forbidden
to marry and have a wife.
00:40:24.25\00:40:27.29
And yet we have Peter,
00:40:27.29\00:40:28.36
who's claimed to
be the first pope
00:40:28.36\00:40:30.16
is sleeping with
his wife every night.
00:40:30.16\00:40:34.30
Isn't that interesting?
00:40:34.30\00:40:35.80
It's almost like God
put that there on purpose,
00:40:35.80\00:40:37.50
I'm not sure.
00:40:37.50\00:40:38.63
But anyway that's a sideline.
Okay, so 1 Corinthians.
00:40:38.63\00:40:43.47
Now, what we need
to pick up here is that
00:40:43.47\00:40:45.01
on the first tour that
Paul and Barnabas went on,
00:40:45.01\00:40:49.14
they never made it
to the city of Corinth,
00:40:49.14\00:40:51.68
they never made it
to the city of Corinth.
00:40:51.68\00:40:57.12
So when Paul is writing
back and mentioning Barnabas,
00:40:57.12\00:41:00.39
that gives us
very clear evidence
00:41:00.39\00:41:03.39
that Barnabas had reckoned,
00:41:03.39\00:41:04.89
not only
reconciled back with Paul,
00:41:04.89\00:41:06.59
but had joined hands
with Paul and his crew,
00:41:06.59\00:41:09.36
and on the
third missionary trip,
00:41:09.36\00:41:11.20
inevitably traveled with Paul
00:41:11.20\00:41:13.23
as well as
individuals, now we have Mark,
00:41:13.23\00:41:15.44
who is also with
them now as well,
00:41:15.44\00:41:17.24
and then we also have Luke,
00:41:17.24\00:41:20.21
who is with them
and named as well,
00:41:20.21\00:41:22.51
as well as some
other individuals.
00:41:22.51\00:41:23.65
And so the crew has built
itself up a little bit bigger
00:41:23.65\00:41:26.65
by the time they get to
the third missionary tour,
00:41:26.65\00:41:28.82
and we find that
Barnabas is part of it again.
00:41:28.82\00:41:31.95
Isn't that good news? Why?
00:41:31.95\00:41:33.72
Because it tells us
that Barnabas and Paul
00:41:33.72\00:41:35.62
worked out their
differences and their hurts,
00:41:35.62\00:41:38.09
and they restored
their relationship,
00:41:38.09\00:41:40.60
and a working relationship,
00:41:40.60\00:41:42.33
and friendship
one back with another.
00:41:42.33\00:41:44.67
And so I found
that very encouraging
00:41:44.67\00:41:47.07
as I continued to do
some investigation there
00:41:47.07\00:41:50.01
and work that out.
00:41:50.01\00:41:52.84
Okay, let's go to
2 Timothy Chapter 4.
00:41:52.84\00:41:55.78
We're going to go to 2 Timothy.
00:41:55.78\00:42:00.38
And when we go to 2
Timothy, every time I go there,
00:42:00.38\00:42:02.68
I go there kind of
solemnly because 2 Timothy
00:42:02.68\00:42:05.85
is kind of the last
words that Paul is writing
00:42:05.85\00:42:10.83
to his fellow worker
by the name of Timothy
00:42:10.83\00:42:13.93
and fellow missionary.
00:42:13.93\00:42:15.50
But it's just
kind of his last words
00:42:15.50\00:42:16.97
if we could say it.
00:42:16.97\00:42:18.03
He's about to lose his life,
00:42:18.03\00:42:20.37
he's about to be executed
by the Roman authorities.
00:42:20.37\00:42:22.50
And so God inspires him
to write this last word,
00:42:22.50\00:42:25.27
this last letter.
00:42:25.27\00:42:28.78
And we would come
to the last chapter,
00:42:28.78\00:42:31.28
we come to verse 11,
00:42:31.28\00:42:32.48
and we're going to ask
our last volunteer, Dianna,
00:42:32.48\00:42:34.58
to kindly read that for us.
00:42:34.58\00:42:36.95
2 Timothy 4:11,
"Only Luke is with me.
00:42:36.95\00:42:41.66
Get Mark and bring him with you,
00:42:41.66\00:42:43.36
for he is useful
to me for ministry."
00:42:43.36\00:42:46.59
Can you say amen?
00:42:46.59\00:42:48.20
All right, so he's saying,
listen only Luke is with me.
00:42:48.20\00:42:50.37
And Paul is
writing from his prison
00:42:50.37\00:42:52.83
at home and such
in the city of Rome,
00:42:52.83\00:42:55.07
and he's saying, "Oh,
make sure you bring Mark
00:42:55.07\00:42:56.74
because Mark is useful to me."
00:42:56.74\00:42:58.91
Do you see a restored
relationship there, friends?
00:42:58.91\00:43:02.08
There's a beautiful
restored relationship
00:43:02.08\00:43:03.98
that is found there
in that powerful verse.
00:43:03.98\00:43:05.95
Thank God for that verse.
00:43:05.95\00:43:08.05
And so Mark is
very obviously on record
00:43:08.05\00:43:09.68
of becoming a
very valued missionary
00:43:09.68\00:43:11.82
and accomplished
minister of the Lord.
00:43:11.82\00:43:14.06
And Paul recognizes that,
00:43:14.06\00:43:15.69
and already has some very
good experiences on the road
00:43:15.69\00:43:18.29
and in the field with
him in the years passed.
00:43:18.29\00:43:21.20
In fact, God saw Mark is
so powerful and so important
00:43:21.20\00:43:24.50
that He actually gave Mark
00:43:24.50\00:43:26.30
the privilege of
writing one of the four gospels
00:43:26.30\00:43:28.90
on the life teachings, death,
and resurrection of Jesus.
00:43:28.90\00:43:32.01
And so Mark
becomes a very prominent
00:43:32.01\00:43:34.41
important individual in
the early Christian Church.
00:43:34.41\00:43:38.38
Well, you see that we
have a few minutes left,
00:43:38.38\00:43:39.95
and I want to spend
the last few minutes
00:43:39.95\00:43:41.45
just running through
a very important subject
00:43:41.45\00:43:43.69
that is found in the
later days studying our lesson,
00:43:43.69\00:43:47.32
and that is the
subject of forgiveness.
00:43:47.32\00:43:50.36
Forgiveness is a huge subject,
00:43:50.36\00:43:52.16
and I wish we
had a whole session
00:43:52.16\00:43:53.86
just to look at that,
00:43:53.86\00:43:54.86
maybe we will in
the future some day.
00:43:54.86\00:43:58.03
Did Barnabas
need to forgive Paul
00:43:58.03\00:44:00.80
for Paul's overly
harsh judgment of Mark,
00:44:00.80\00:44:03.34
and also not trusting
at Barnabas' discernment?
00:44:03.34\00:44:05.87
You know, Barnabas said,
00:44:05.87\00:44:07.04
"Listen, this
is my take on Mark.
00:44:07.04\00:44:08.98
I really think
there's a lot of potential.
00:44:08.98\00:44:10.98
Yes, he kind of had a
bump in the road there,
00:44:10.98\00:44:13.45
but we all do.
00:44:13.45\00:44:14.52
So let's just
take him under a wing
00:44:14.52\00:44:16.12
and give him another shot."
00:44:16.12\00:44:17.92
And Paul said,
"Absolutely not, you know.
00:44:17.92\00:44:20.99
I'll go a different way,
00:44:20.99\00:44:22.06
and I'll pick
somebody else if it takes it.
00:44:22.06\00:44:24.23
Did Paul need to...
00:44:24.23\00:44:25.79
I mean did Barnabas
need to forgive Paul?
00:44:25.79\00:44:28.56
Yeah, he did.
00:44:28.56\00:44:29.76
Sure there were
some hurtful words,
00:44:29.76\00:44:31.10
and some hurtful
stands that Paul had made.
00:44:31.10\00:44:34.67
Did Paul need to forgive Mark
00:44:34.67\00:44:35.87
for bailing on them in
the first mission trip?
00:44:35.87\00:44:38.71
Sure he did.
00:44:38.71\00:44:39.77
Now we don't
know if he forgave him
00:44:39.77\00:44:41.68
before he went on
that second mission trip
00:44:41.68\00:44:43.61
and refused to
bring Mark with him.
00:44:43.61\00:44:46.05
He might have forgave him
but still judged him and said,
00:44:46.05\00:44:48.98
"Listen, I don't think
00:44:48.98\00:44:49.95
that you're cut out
for the mission field."
00:44:49.95\00:44:52.59
Did Mark need to forgive Paul
for writing him off so quickly?
00:44:52.59\00:44:58.03
Sure, you think
Mark was hurt by that?
00:44:58.03\00:45:00.46
Of course, he was, yeah,
00:45:00.46\00:45:01.73
maybe even overheard
some of those conversations
00:45:01.73\00:45:03.80
between Paul and Barnabas,
00:45:03.80\00:45:05.03
and poor Mark's
maybe in the room,
00:45:05.03\00:45:06.33
and he's heard them argue over
00:45:06.33\00:45:08.10
whether Mark's
going to come or not,
00:45:08.10\00:45:09.24
and Paul says, "No way,
that guy's not cut out for it,
00:45:09.24\00:45:11.27
I don't think he has it.
00:45:11.27\00:45:12.74
I don't believe in him."
00:45:12.74\00:45:14.64
And so was Mark
hurt? Sure he was.
00:45:14.64\00:45:17.95
And so Mark had to forgive Paul
for writing him off so quickly.
00:45:17.95\00:45:21.08
You see, friends,
00:45:21.08\00:45:22.08
forgiveness is at the
very heart of the gospel.
00:45:22.08\00:45:24.92
It is a permanent
attitude of God's heart,
00:45:24.92\00:45:27.42
and that's why when
we see the Son of God,
00:45:27.42\00:45:29.86
and we have to remember
when we see Jesus on the cross,
00:45:29.86\00:45:32.16
Jesus had said
just hours before that,
00:45:32.16\00:45:34.36
He said, "When you see
Me, you have seen the Father."
00:45:34.36\00:45:39.23
And so when Jesus
cried out to his opposers,
00:45:39.23\00:45:41.80
to those who
were spitting on Him,
00:45:41.80\00:45:43.30
and mocking Him,
00:45:43.30\00:45:44.54
and cheering on His
death and His suffering,
00:45:44.54\00:45:46.98
He said, "Forgive them,
00:45:46.98\00:45:49.38
for they know not what they do."
00:45:49.38\00:45:51.68
Is that the heart of the Father?
00:45:51.68\00:45:53.62
Sure it is.
00:45:53.62\00:45:54.72
You have seen Me,
you have seen the Father.
00:45:54.72\00:45:57.15
And so we find that
00:45:57.15\00:45:58.19
at the very heart
of God's existence,
00:45:58.19\00:46:00.39
in the very
heart of God's heart,
00:46:00.39\00:46:02.22
there is an attitude
00:46:02.22\00:46:03.46
that is a permanent
attitude of forgiveness.
00:46:03.46\00:46:06.66
God desires and
wants to forgive us.
00:46:06.66\00:46:10.07
And so because of
this, because we're called
00:46:10.07\00:46:12.47
to reflect the heart
of God as Christians,
00:46:12.47\00:46:14.94
our personal spiritual
and emotional well-being
00:46:14.94\00:46:17.67
depends largely on
having that same attitude,
00:46:17.67\00:46:21.11
the same attitude
that God had as well.
00:46:21.11\00:46:25.78
What is forgiveness?
00:46:25.78\00:46:29.45
What is forgiveness?
00:46:29.45\00:46:31.65
That's important for us to stop
and just pause for a moment.
00:46:31.65\00:46:33.86
Forgiveness is letting go.
00:46:33.86\00:46:37.06
It's letting go of a
wrong that is against you.
00:46:37.06\00:46:39.63
Somebody has offended
you, and you have chosen
00:46:39.63\00:46:42.80
not to hold that
against that person, in case,
00:46:42.80\00:46:45.67
it's very important
for us to understand
00:46:45.67\00:46:46.94
what forgiveness even is.
00:46:46.94\00:46:48.54
Now this is the
most common question
00:46:48.54\00:46:50.27
that is asked by many people.
00:46:50.27\00:46:52.14
Many people that have
sat down with us Christians
00:46:52.14\00:46:54.24
have asked this question.
00:46:54.24\00:46:55.31
Does forgiveness
tell the offender
00:46:55.31\00:46:57.71
that what they did was okay?
00:46:57.71\00:47:00.22
If I choose to forgive
somebody that has offended me,
00:47:00.22\00:47:03.18
am I telling that
person, it's okay?
00:47:03.18\00:47:05.52
There's a certain part of us,
00:47:05.52\00:47:06.65
and I've heard
this over and over
00:47:06.65\00:47:08.02
that have a hard
time separating the two,
00:47:08.02\00:47:11.49
and they say, "Well,
if I forgive that person
00:47:11.49\00:47:13.33
who has done such a
serious offense against me
00:47:13.33\00:47:16.33
or a loved one that I know
or friend, if I forgive them,
00:47:16.33\00:47:19.87
then it's like
condoning what they did,
00:47:19.87\00:47:21.44
it's like
approving what they did."
00:47:21.44\00:47:24.07
And that's not just true.
00:47:24.07\00:47:25.47
For those of you who may be
watching on program here today
00:47:25.47\00:47:28.91
or in the future,
those of you here today,
00:47:28.91\00:47:30.95
I want to put it in a way
00:47:30.95\00:47:32.55
that might help
you to understand.
00:47:32.55\00:47:34.15
Have you ever...
00:47:34.15\00:47:35.18
Has anybody here
ever forgiven somebody
00:47:35.18\00:47:36.85
for doing
something good to them?
00:47:36.85\00:47:40.72
Anybody ever came up
to somebody and said,
00:47:40.72\00:47:43.53
"You know, John,
you know, the other day
00:47:43.53\00:47:45.66
you just did
such a kind act to me,
00:47:45.66\00:47:47.13
you know, when you
help me into the car there,
00:47:47.13\00:47:48.66
when I couldn't
get in, I broke my leg,
00:47:48.66\00:47:50.40
I just want to
forgive you for that."
00:47:50.40\00:47:54.67
Okay, all right,
some of you are chuckling.
00:47:54.67\00:47:56.84
We don't forgive
people for doing good, do we?
00:47:56.84\00:47:58.97
The very act of forgiving
is actually confirming that
00:47:58.97\00:48:03.75
what that person
did was wrong, okay?
00:48:03.75\00:48:07.95
So I hope that
helps a little bit
00:48:07.95\00:48:10.69
'cause sometimes
we hesitate to do
00:48:10.69\00:48:12.09
what God has asked us
to do, which is forgive.
00:48:12.09\00:48:15.42
By the way, the
Lord's Prayer says,
00:48:15.42\00:48:18.39
"Forgive us our sins,
00:48:18.39\00:48:20.06
even as we forgive
those who sin against us."
00:48:20.06\00:48:25.13
And so God has called us
00:48:25.13\00:48:26.33
to have a continual
attitude of forgiveness
00:48:26.33\00:48:28.44
toward our fellow man,
00:48:28.44\00:48:30.17
and toward our fellow members,
and so that's important.
00:48:30.17\00:48:35.34
And so to forgive somebody
is actually the opposite.
00:48:35.34\00:48:37.45
You're confirming that
what they did was wrong,
00:48:37.45\00:48:39.38
you're saying to that person,
00:48:39.38\00:48:40.62
"Even though you
did what was wrong,
00:48:40.62\00:48:42.62
I choose to let it go,
00:48:42.62\00:48:44.12
I choose not to
hold it against you,
00:48:44.12\00:48:46.59
and it both frees
my heart and my spirit,
00:48:46.59\00:48:50.09
and it also frees your
heart and your spirit,"
00:48:50.09\00:48:53.03
and gives the offender
a much better opportunity
00:48:53.03\00:48:55.96
to be able to change
00:48:55.96\00:48:57.37
and do what's
right in the future.
00:48:57.37\00:48:59.03
And so not only are
you liberating yourself,
00:48:59.03\00:49:01.50
but you're also
giving opportunity
00:49:01.50\00:49:02.90
to liberate the
offender as well.
00:49:02.90\00:49:04.77
And so that's
very important for us
00:49:04.77\00:49:07.48
to be able to understand
in regards to forgiveness.
00:49:07.48\00:49:13.45
And I see here that
we're on the very last minutes
00:49:13.45\00:49:16.45
of our program here,
00:49:16.45\00:49:18.79
and I just want to
ask you a question.
00:49:18.79\00:49:20.92
Did everyone at
Christ's crucifixion repent?
00:49:20.92\00:49:25.89
No. Okay.
00:49:25.89\00:49:27.13
Did Jesus ask
for the forgiveness
00:49:27.13\00:49:29.06
of all that were in the crowd?
00:49:29.06\00:49:31.10
Yes. Okay.
00:49:31.10\00:49:32.70
As Christians we are called
00:49:32.70\00:49:33.97
to have an
attitude of forgiveness
00:49:33.97\00:49:35.40
even if the person
chooses not to repent
00:49:35.40\00:49:37.34
because that's another question
some people ask me as a pastor.
00:49:37.34\00:49:39.54
"Pastor, if that
person hasn't repented,
00:49:39.54\00:49:41.64
if they haven't given any
indication or demonstration
00:49:41.64\00:49:43.91
that they are
changing their offending ways,
00:49:43.91\00:49:47.42
should I forgive them?"
00:49:47.42\00:49:48.95
And the answer
is yes. Okay. Why?
00:49:48.95\00:49:52.09
Again, because you're
liberating your own spirit
00:49:52.09\00:49:54.66
and your own
attitude in your heart,
00:49:54.66\00:49:56.29
but you're also giving
them a bigger opportunity
00:49:56.29\00:49:59.13
to liberate their spirit as well
00:49:59.13\00:50:00.53
because now they're
not rocked with guilt
00:50:00.53\00:50:02.43
every time they see you,
00:50:02.43\00:50:03.60
and they know that you're
holding something against them.
00:50:03.60\00:50:06.17
And so that's important as well.
00:50:06.17\00:50:09.50
And so love, forgiveness,
this is all part of healing
00:50:09.50\00:50:13.98
and maintaining our
broken relationships.
00:50:13.98\00:50:18.08
I hope for those of
you who are watching,
00:50:18.08\00:50:19.48
I know that some
of you have tuned in
00:50:19.48\00:50:21.92
after we already
offered our free offer.
00:50:21.92\00:50:23.75
We'd like to offer
that just one more time
00:50:23.75\00:50:25.29
before we say goodbye today.
00:50:25.29\00:50:26.99
And today's offer is
"The Surrender of Self."
00:50:26.99\00:50:30.53
Now that may sound a
little bit confusing,
00:50:30.53\00:50:32.09
you're wondering, "Do I
want to surrender myself?"
00:50:32.09\00:50:34.36
And the answer is,
00:50:34.36\00:50:35.73
if you want to
be liberated, yes.
00:50:35.73\00:50:37.60
And so, you just have
to call into 1-866-788-3966
00:50:37.60\00:50:42.57
and ask for offer number 153,
00:50:42.57\00:50:44.97
and we'll be happy
to send that out to you
00:50:44.97\00:50:46.37
if you're in
America or North America
00:50:46.37\00:50:48.28
I should say in
American territories.
00:50:48.28\00:50:50.38
If you'd like a
digital download,
00:50:50.38\00:50:51.71
you can text on
your phone to 40544
00:50:51.71\00:50:56.42
and you just
text the code "SH087,"
00:50:56.42\00:50:59.72
we'll be happy to send you
a digital download for free
00:50:59.72\00:51:03.12
and help you to
study, continue to grow.
00:51:03.12\00:51:05.33
So until next
week, don't forget,
00:51:05.33\00:51:07.40
we're praying
for you, we love you,
00:51:07.40\00:51:08.50
we look forward
to seeing you again.
00:51:08.50\00:51:10.23
God bless.
00:51:10.23\00:51:11.30
Don't forget to request
00:51:12.40\00:51:13.50
today's life
changing free resource.
00:51:13.50\00:51:15.97
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:51:15.97\00:51:18.11
you can download a digital
copy straight to your computer
00:51:18.11\00:51:20.71
or mobile device.
00:51:20.71\00:51:21.98
To get your digital
copy of today's free gift,
00:51:21.98\00:51:24.68
simply text the key
word on your screen to 40544
00:51:24.68\00:51:28.85
or visit the web
address shown on your screen,
00:51:28.85\00:51:31.65
and be sure to select
that digital download option
00:51:31.65\00:51:33.99
on the request page.
00:51:33.99\00:51:35.36
It's more easier than ever
for you to study God's Word
00:51:35.36\00:51:38.46
with Amazing Facts
wherever and whenever you want,
00:51:38.46\00:51:41.70
and most important
to share it with others.
00:51:41.70\00:51:44.20
Can't get enough
Amazing Facts Bible Study?
00:51:46.80\00:51:49.77
You don't have to
wait until next week
00:51:49.77\00:51:51.47
to enjoy more
truth-filled programming.
00:51:51.47\00:51:54.14
Visit the Amazing Facts
Media Library at aftv.org.
00:51:54.14\00:51:59.25
At aftv.org, you can enjoy video
00:51:59.25\00:52:02.62
and audio presentations
00:52:02.62\00:52:04.32
as well as printed
material all free of charge,
00:52:04.32\00:52:07.39
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
00:52:07.39\00:52:10.06
right from your
computer or mobile device.
00:52:10.06\00:52:12.49
Visit aftv.org.
00:52:12.49\00:52:14.76
Amazing Facts Changed Lives.
00:52:20.07\00:52:22.80
Early 1980,
00:52:27.81\00:52:28.91
all the baby
boomers were turning 21.
00:52:28.91\00:52:31.41
The night club
scenes were exploding
00:52:31.41\00:52:33.25
and I started an
entertainment lighting company.
00:52:33.25\00:52:35.92
I was the president,
and there were six divisions
00:52:35.92\00:52:38.52
doing the raves
in the '80s and '90s,
00:52:38.52\00:52:40.86
you know, in some warehouse,
00:52:40.86\00:52:42.06
where you're
setting up lighting,
00:52:42.06\00:52:43.19
and fog, and, you know,
00:52:43.19\00:52:44.76
who knows what's
going on in there,
00:52:44.76\00:52:46.26
and nightclub,
nightclub installations,
00:52:46.26\00:52:49.46
I loved it, and
it was who I was.
00:52:49.46\00:52:52.50
Bought a new house out of town,
00:52:52.50\00:52:53.77
and we moved
about two, three times,
00:52:53.77\00:52:56.10
but we were always
going to different churches.
00:52:56.10\00:52:58.71
We're in a Lutheran church,
00:52:58.71\00:52:59.91
then we are in
the Methodist church,
00:52:59.91\00:53:01.34
and then we went to three
different Baptist churches.
00:53:01.34\00:53:04.05
My wife was raised Catholic,
I was raised Methodist.
00:53:04.05\00:53:06.92
Currently, I've been out
00:53:06.92\00:53:07.98
reading all the
Helen Zille books,
00:53:07.98\00:53:09.52
and watching all
the Left Behind movies.
00:53:09.52\00:53:11.79
So I really wanted to understand
00:53:11.79\00:53:13.12
what the Book of
Revelation was all about,
00:53:13.12\00:53:14.96
but nothing really
ever made sense to me.
00:53:14.96\00:53:17.09
One day Pastor
Lloyd Logan came knocking,
00:53:17.09\00:53:20.13
and he had that net 99 flyer.
00:53:20.13\00:53:23.13
We were preparing for
an evangelistic series.
00:53:23.13\00:53:27.20
And different people were
going different directions
00:53:27.20\00:53:29.70
with those handbills
00:53:29.70\00:53:31.41
to invite
people to the meetings.
00:53:31.41\00:53:34.04
I saw that coming at me,
you know, all the colors,
00:53:34.04\00:53:36.51
and I thought, "Oh, no,
00:53:36.51\00:53:37.68
this is some
kind of cult thing."
00:53:37.68\00:53:39.38
And she said,
"Thank you very much,
00:53:39.38\00:53:40.68
I'm not much interested myself,
00:53:40.68\00:53:43.55
but my husband like
that kind of thing."
00:53:43.55\00:53:45.92
Then Lloyd said, "Would
you give it to him please?"
00:53:45.92\00:53:48.86
And I said, "Okay, I will."
00:53:48.86\00:53:51.29
So I took the pamphlet
and I put in on the counter.
00:53:51.29\00:53:54.56
Gary came home
and he walked by it.
00:53:54.56\00:53:56.43
Ran to the
kitchen to quickly eat,
00:53:56.43\00:53:58.67
and take a
shower, and go back out,
00:53:58.67\00:54:00.60
and work a show.
00:54:00.60\00:54:01.77
Two, three days
went by like this,
00:54:01.77\00:54:03.17
and I moved that
brochure from the counter,
00:54:03.17\00:54:06.81
put it on the dining table,
put it back on the counter,
00:54:06.81\00:54:10.65
in fact I actually
threw in the garbage.
00:54:10.65\00:54:12.45
As I threw it in
that garbage can,
00:54:12.45\00:54:14.62
I could hear him,
and see his face saying,
00:54:14.62\00:54:17.49
"Would you give
it to him, please?"
00:54:17.49\00:54:19.55
And I actually
took the garbage out,
00:54:19.55\00:54:21.52
and that night lying in
bed, I kept seeing his face
00:54:21.52\00:54:24.23
and hearing his voice
and thinking, "Oh, boy,
00:54:24.23\00:54:26.86
I got to get that
brochure out of the garbage."
00:54:26.86\00:54:30.27
And I took that, and I put it
00:54:30.27\00:54:31.70
right underneath remote control,
00:54:31.70\00:54:34.64
bright colors, he'll see it.
00:54:34.64\00:54:36.47
I finally sat
down in my living room,
00:54:36.47\00:54:38.14
and I picked up the remote,
00:54:38.14\00:54:39.27
I saw that angel
holding up that scroll.
00:54:39.27\00:54:41.88
Wow, cool, what is this?
00:54:41.88\00:54:44.31
And I was in the kitchen
cooking, I thought, "Oh, no."
00:54:44.31\00:54:48.12
And I looked at it,
and I turned it over,
00:54:48.12\00:54:49.82
and then I saw
a little building,
00:54:49.82\00:54:51.82
little church building,
and it wasn't too far away,
00:54:51.82\00:54:54.36
it was about six houses down.
00:54:54.36\00:54:56.42
And it said, "Friday night."
00:54:56.42\00:54:57.96
And I certainly wasn't going.
00:54:57.96\00:55:00.06
I mean, it wasn't
my intention to go.
00:55:00.06\00:55:01.90
I didn't have any
shows going on that night.
00:55:01.90\00:55:03.93
And so I thought it
was a one night deal,
00:55:03.93\00:55:06.23
and I went, and as I
heard about the Millennium Man,
00:55:06.23\00:55:09.37
I was just blown away.
00:55:09.37\00:55:11.34
I didn't want it to end,
I knew what I was hearing
00:55:11.34\00:55:13.61
was all from the Scripture,
00:55:13.61\00:55:15.11
and it wasn't
based on Hollywood movies
00:55:15.11\00:55:16.88
or other books
that were written.
00:55:16.88\00:55:18.68
They said, "Come
again tomorrow night."
00:55:18.68\00:55:20.45
And I thought,
"Wow, great! Two nights.
00:55:20.45\00:55:22.98
So I tried to
tell my wife about it,
00:55:22.98\00:55:24.59
and she still wasn't interested,
00:55:24.59\00:55:26.76
and then she decided to come.
00:55:26.76\00:55:27.99
I started to hear the truth,
you know, I started to get fed.
00:55:27.99\00:55:31.59
Every night after the seminar,
00:55:31.59\00:55:33.23
he would hand us an
Amazing Facts study guide.
00:55:33.23\00:55:36.20
I couldn't do those fast enough.
00:55:36.20\00:55:37.73
The business kept us
going seven days a week,
00:55:37.73\00:55:40.94
and it was night and day.
00:55:40.94\00:55:42.40
Crew working all
around the clock,
00:55:42.40\00:55:44.24
and so when we finally heard
the Sabbath message, you know,
00:55:44.24\00:55:47.44
so far everything has been true,
00:55:47.44\00:55:48.74
that's from the Bible.
00:55:48.74\00:55:49.81
Church on Saturday, no
work, anyway it all clicked.
00:55:49.81\00:55:53.98
Both our heads
turned at each other,
00:55:53.98\00:55:55.65
our jaws dropped open.
00:55:55.65\00:55:57.25
I said, "We can't do that."
00:55:57.25\00:56:00.39
And the first thing that
came out of my mouth was,
00:56:00.39\00:56:02.46
"We have to."
00:56:02.46\00:56:03.69
I knew that it
would be a sacrifice,
00:56:03.69\00:56:06.19
and I was in fear about it.
00:56:06.19\00:56:08.83
We didn't know how
we're going to do it,
00:56:08.83\00:56:10.57
but we talked to
the pastor about it,
00:56:10.57\00:56:13.40
and the pastor said,
00:56:13.40\00:56:14.47
"We'll just pray about
it, and God will open door.
00:56:14.47\00:56:16.91
I didn't want to give up
all the connections I made,
00:56:16.91\00:56:19.61
all the networking,
00:56:19.61\00:56:20.84
all the money,
all the investment.
00:56:20.84\00:56:22.98
We went to the
board and asked them
00:56:22.98\00:56:24.41
if they would
consider closing on Saturday,
00:56:24.41\00:56:27.22
and they agreed to.
00:56:27.22\00:56:28.35
So we closed the
store front on Saturday,
00:56:28.35\00:56:30.62
but we were still
doing productions,
00:56:30.62\00:56:32.19
and that kind of bothered us.
00:56:32.19\00:56:33.69
So a couple of months later,
God opened a door for my wife,
00:56:33.69\00:56:37.39
she exited the
company, I prayed about it,
00:56:37.39\00:56:39.76
and God opened
a door for me too.
00:56:39.76\00:56:41.66
Gary, shortly
after, was offered a job
00:56:41.66\00:56:44.97
being paid more money
00:56:44.97\00:56:46.50
than he made as an
owner of the company.
00:56:46.50\00:56:49.14
He said, "I will
give you a $1,000 raise,
00:56:49.14\00:56:52.11
and you will never
work another weekend."
00:56:52.11\00:56:54.71
And we were able
to keep the Sabbath
00:56:54.71\00:56:56.95
and enjoy the
wonderful blessings
00:56:56.95\00:56:59.58
that God had for
us on the Sabbath day.
00:56:59.58\00:57:02.22
And my kids
never again had to say,
00:57:02.22\00:57:03.89
"Quit talking about work."
00:57:03.89\00:57:05.59
After the seminar,
we'd go over, my wife and I,
00:57:05.59\00:57:07.52
and my children
were all baptized
00:57:07.52\00:57:09.26
into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:57:09.26\00:57:11.13
Even if I gave up everything,
00:57:11.13\00:57:12.69
I knew that God would
have something better.
00:57:12.69\00:57:15.00
I have much more understanding,
and there's much more depth
00:57:15.00\00:57:19.73
in my Christian
walk with the Lord.
00:57:19.73\00:57:22.27
We started an Amazing
Facts Bible school at a church
00:57:22.27\00:57:25.24
that allows anybody to
understand the Scripture,
00:57:25.24\00:57:27.94
to understand the end times.
00:57:27.94\00:57:29.48
Church changed my
life dramatically,
00:57:29.48\00:57:31.71
and I'm very happy and
excited to be a part of it.
00:57:31.71\00:57:34.18
Did you know
that Noah was present
00:57:43.12\00:57:44.69
at the birth of Abraham?
00:57:44.69\00:57:46.49
Okay, maybe he
wasn't in the room,
00:57:46.49\00:57:48.73
but he was alive and
probably telling stories
00:57:48.73\00:57:51.53
about his floating zoo.
00:57:51.53\00:57:53.54
From the creation of the world
00:57:53.54\00:57:55.17
to the last day
events of Revelation,
00:57:55.17\00:57:57.51
biblehistory.com
is a free resource
00:57:57.51\00:58:00.08
where you can explore
00:58:00.08\00:58:01.18
major Bible
events and characters.
00:58:01.18\00:58:03.68
Enhance your
knowledge of the Bible
00:58:03.68\00:58:05.81
and draw closer to God's Word.
00:58:05.81\00:58:08.08
Go deeper.
00:58:08.08\00:58:09.45
Visit the amazing Bible Timeline
00:58:09.45\00:58:11.52
at biblehistory.com.
00:58:11.52\00:58:13.32