¤¤¤
00:00:00.46\00:00:10.24
¤¤¤
00:00:11.97\00:00:21.95
¤¤¤
00:00:21.98\00:00:31.99
Jëan Ross: Good
morning, friends.
00:00:35.30\00:00:37.17
Welcome again to "Sabbath School
Study Hour" here at the Granite
00:00:37.20\00:00:38.83
Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
00:00:38.87\00:00:42.04
I'd like to welcome our online
members and our extended Sabbath
00:00:42.07\00:00:44.94
school class joining in across
the country and around the world
00:00:44.97\00:00:48.91
as we continue our series
dealing with family seasons.
00:00:48.94\00:00:53.21
Actually, today is the final
study with our lesson quarterly
00:00:53.25\00:00:56.72
on the subject
of family seasons.
00:00:56.75\00:00:58.32
Today's lesson
is lesson number 13,
00:00:58.35\00:01:00.82
and it's entitled "Turning
Hearts in the End Times,"
00:01:00.86\00:01:05.83
so that's an important
and interesting study that
00:01:05.86\00:01:07.96
we'll be looking at today.
00:01:07.96\00:01:09.33
Those of you who are here
in person following our lesson
00:01:09.36\00:01:12.13
study today, you'll
be able to receive next
00:01:12.17\00:01:14.74
quarter's lesson quarterly.
00:01:14.77\00:01:17.21
It's entitled "The Least of
These," and this will be handed
00:01:17.24\00:01:20.24
out following
our study time here.
00:01:20.28\00:01:22.98
You'll also see
it on the back table.
00:01:23.01\00:01:24.25
For those of you who are joining
us and who don't have a copy of
00:01:24.28\00:01:26.95
our quarterly for next study,
you can go to Amazing Facts,
00:01:26.98\00:01:32.09
and you can order yours.
00:01:32.12\00:01:33.66
You can also just go visit
a nearby Seventh-day Adventist
00:01:33.69\00:01:36.89
Church, and you'll be able
to receive a lesson quarterly
00:01:36.93\00:01:39.49
there, as well.
00:01:39.53\00:01:40.86
Now, before we go
to our worship time,
00:01:40.90\00:01:44.27
before we get to our lesson, we
have something special that we'd
00:01:44.30\00:01:47.77
like to let you know about.
00:01:47.80\00:01:49.50
This afternoon at 4:30, right
here at the Granite Bay Church
00:01:49.54\00:01:52.37
and also for our friends
who are joining us on Facebook,
00:01:52.41\00:01:54.41
we're going to have a special
Q&A time connected with our
00:01:54.44\00:01:58.91
AFCOE program.
00:01:58.95\00:02:00.85
AFCOE is the Amazing
Facts Center of Evangelism.
00:02:00.88\00:02:03.82
I'm very happy that we have
Daniel with us this morning.
00:02:03.85\00:02:06.49
Daniel, come on up.
00:02:06.52\00:02:07.89
Daniel is the
assistant AFCOE director,
00:02:07.92\00:02:09.62
also very involved
with our AFCOE training,
00:02:09.66\00:02:12.06
traveling around
doing our AFCOE To Gos,
00:02:12.09\00:02:13.93
and he's going to tell us a
little bit about a brand new
00:02:13.96\00:02:16.43
course that is available through
our AFCOE online and then I
00:02:16.46\00:02:19.70
think we're going to show
you a short video about it.
00:02:19.73\00:02:21.87
Daniel Hudgens: That's right.
00:02:21.90\00:02:23.20
You know, time flies, and it's
hard to imagine that just almost
00:02:23.24\00:02:26.81
a year ago we
launched Amazing Disciples,
00:02:26.84\00:02:29.31
which goes through all the
principles of discipleship and
00:02:29.34\00:02:31.55
what it's all about,
about really being a Christian.
00:02:31.58\00:02:34.25
And so, now I'm just thrilled to
announce that we have expanded
00:02:34.28\00:02:36.92
our program with
Amazing Doctrines.
00:02:36.95\00:02:40.72
It's, kind of,
like the next step.
00:02:40.76\00:02:42.22
Now you're a
disciple. What do you teach?
00:02:42.26\00:02:44.26
And all these special
teachings found in the Word.
00:02:44.29\00:02:47.13
You know, Jesus
said, "I am the way,
00:02:47.13\00:02:48.80
the truth, and the life,"
and so each week we're going
00:02:48.83\00:02:52.30
to be going through what is
the way of Jesus and how does it
00:02:52.33\00:02:55.10
affect our life as we study
with others and as we live?
00:02:55.14\00:02:58.21
And so, we've got a pretty cool
video that we're going to show
00:02:58.24\00:03:01.34
you now, letting you know
all about Amazing Doctrines.
00:03:01.38\00:03:04.01
If you want to know more you can
go to online.afcoe.org or you
00:03:04.05\00:03:09.32
can go to afcoe.org and
click on the links there,
00:03:09.35\00:03:13.05
and you can learn
all about both programs,
00:03:13.09\00:03:14.62
Amazing Disciples
and Amazing Doctrines.
00:03:14.66\00:03:18.83
Jëan: All right, we'll take a
look at that video at this time.
00:03:18.86\00:03:22.03
¤¤¤
00:03:22.06\00:03:32.04
¤¤¤
00:03:32.07\00:03:36.31
Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends.
00:03:36.34\00:03:37.68
Last year, we expanded our AFCOE
program to include our very
00:03:37.71\00:03:40.88
first global online platform.
00:03:40.92\00:03:44.19
It's called Amazing Disciples.
00:03:44.22\00:03:46.99
Now we're very excited to
announce our brand new 13-week
00:03:47.02\00:03:51.26
course called "Amazing
Doctrines" that will empower you
00:03:51.29\00:03:55.50
to share the precious
truths found in the Word of God,
00:03:55.53\00:03:58.43
doctrines such as
Scripture, salvation,
00:03:58.47\00:04:01.44
sanctuary, the
state of man in death,
00:04:01.47\00:04:04.01
the Second Coming,
the Sabbath, strength,
00:04:04.04\00:04:07.21
stewardship, the
spirit of prophecy,
00:04:07.24\00:04:09.88
and we'll be talking
about the origin of sin.
00:04:09.91\00:04:13.38
Of course, the material is based
on the firsthand experience of
00:04:13.42\00:04:16.15
our evangelists that they've
acquired in their years of
00:04:16.18\00:04:18.99
experience in the field, so now
you can learn from the very best
00:04:19.02\00:04:22.42
and be equipped with proven
methods to join in the work.
00:04:22.46\00:04:25.89
What's more, you'll be able to
study this fantastic material on
00:04:25.93\00:04:29.56
your phone, your
tablet, your computer,
00:04:29.60\00:04:32.57
and on the go.
00:04:32.60\00:04:34.20
You'll have 13 powerful
lessons, weekly downloads,
00:04:34.24\00:04:37.74
interactive
lessons, video presentations,
00:04:37.77\00:04:40.81
and live question-and-answer
sessions with the AFCOE team.
00:04:40.84\00:04:45.05
You'll have a real team of
teachers to guide you along the
00:04:45.08\00:04:49.05
way and as a student you'll
be able to study from home,
00:04:49.08\00:04:52.45
learn at any time, and become
a confident and effective soul
00:04:52.49\00:04:56.96
winner in your community,
or wherever God calls you.
00:04:56.99\00:05:00.06
And upon
completion of the course,
00:05:00.10\00:05:01.83
you will receive a
certificate of completion.
00:05:01.86\00:05:04.50
Now, how would you
like to meet some of
00:05:04.53\00:05:06.17
your personal instructors?
00:05:06.20\00:05:08.04
Carlos Muñoz and
Daniel Hudgens, my friends and
00:05:08.07\00:05:10.61
powerful evangelists.
00:05:10.64\00:05:12.11
Daniel: Thanks, Pastor Doug.
00:05:12.14\00:05:13.44
Friends, we're so excited
about this new online program.
00:05:13.48\00:05:16.61
Carlos Muñoz: We're
going to be waiting for you,
00:05:16.64\00:05:17.95
so please join us by
logging on to our website.
00:05:17.98\00:05:19.91
¤¤¤
00:05:19.95\00:05:27.59
Jëan: Well, there it
is, our AFCOE Online.
00:05:27.62\00:05:29.72
Very excited about
that, our brand-new series
00:05:29.76\00:05:31.63
called Amazing
Doctrines, and we're
00:05:31.66\00:05:33.93
actually starting
our Q&A time today.
00:05:33.96\00:05:37.27
Again, that's
this afternoon, 4:30,
00:05:37.30\00:05:38.97
right here at the church.
00:05:39.00\00:05:40.50
You're all
welcome to come join us.
00:05:40.54\00:05:41.90
We're going to be taking some
questions from our AFCOE online
00:05:41.94\00:05:45.87
students, some Bible questions,
so I think you'll enjoy that.
00:05:45.91\00:05:49.01
At this time, I'd like to
invite our song leaders to come
00:05:49.04\00:05:51.35
forward, and we're going to
begin our study time by lifting
00:05:51.38\00:05:53.88
our voices in song.
00:05:53.92\00:05:55.88
female: As we do
before every study,
00:05:55.92\00:05:58.85
we lift our voices to
the Lord to sing together,
00:05:58.89\00:06:01.59
so I invite you to pull out your
hymnals and those of you that
00:06:01.62\00:06:04.19
are at home hymn number
318, "Whiter Than Snow."
00:06:04.23\00:06:09.33
And that is what
we all want to be,
00:06:09.36\00:06:10.83
is washed whiter than snow in
the blood of Jesus and taken to
00:06:10.87\00:06:13.07
heaven very soon, so let's sing
verses one, three, and four.
00:06:13.10\00:06:19.57
"Whiter Than Snow."
00:06:19.61\00:06:21.48
¤¤¤
00:06:21.51\00:06:25.38
¤ Lord Jesus, I long
to be perfectly whole.
00:06:25.41\00:06:31.85
¤ I want Thee
forever to live in my soul. ¤
00:06:31.89\00:06:38.69
¤ Break down every
idol, cast out every foe. ¤
00:06:38.73\00:06:46.03
¤ Now wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. ¤
00:06:46.07\00:06:53.94
¤ Whiter than snow,
yes, whiter than snow. ¤
00:06:53.98\00:07:00.85
¤ Now wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. ¤
00:07:00.88\00:07:09.52
¤ Lord Jesus, for this
I most humbly entreat. ¤
00:07:09.56\00:07:16.30
¤ I wait, blessed Lord,
at Thy crucified feet. ¤
00:07:16.33\00:07:23.10
¤ By faith for my cleansing,
I see Thy blood flow. ¤
00:07:23.14\00:07:30.55
¤ Now wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. ¤
00:07:30.58\00:07:39.25
¤ Whiter than snow,
yes, whiter than snow. ¤
00:07:39.29\00:07:45.59
¤ Now wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. ¤
00:07:45.63\00:07:55.57
¤ Lord Jesus, Thou
seest I patiently wait. ¤
00:07:55.60\00:08:01.94
¤ Come now and within
me a new heart create. ¤
00:08:01.98\00:08:08.98
¤ To those who have sought
Thee Thou never said'st no. ¤
00:08:09.02\00:08:16.52
¤ Now wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. ¤
00:08:16.56\00:08:24.47
¤ Whiter than snow,
yes, whiter than snow. ¤
00:08:24.50\00:08:32.14
¤ Now wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. ¤¤
00:08:32.17\00:08:42.18
¤¤¤
00:08:43.59\00:08:52.53
Jëan: Let's bow our
heads for a word of prayer.
00:08:52.56\00:08:53.86
Dear Father, once again we are
grateful for this opportunity to
00:08:53.90\00:08:57.43
gather together and open up
Your Word and study an important
00:08:57.47\00:09:00.17
subject, talking about the
family and how we can prepare
00:09:00.20\00:09:03.54
for the end times that we know
is nearing us sooner all the
00:09:03.57\00:09:08.44
time, so, Lord, we
ask for Your blessing.
00:09:08.48\00:09:10.68
Be with our study time
today. In Jesus's name, amen.
00:09:10.71\00:09:14.08
Our lesson this morning
is going to be brought to
00:09:14.12\00:09:16.05
us by Pastor Doug.
00:09:16.08\00:09:18.09
Doug: Good morning.
00:09:18.65\00:09:20.69
Happy Sabbath.
00:09:20.72\00:09:22.86
Glad to see you here.
00:09:22.89\00:09:24.66
Glad to see those who are here
worshiping and studying with us
00:09:24.69\00:09:28.46
at Granite Bay, as well
as we know there are hundreds
00:09:28.50\00:09:32.10
and thousands around
the world that study.
00:09:32.13\00:09:35.20
Some are watching live now and
then when it's rebroadcast on
00:09:35.24\00:09:39.21
television and satellite later
there are thousands that tune in
00:09:39.24\00:09:42.61
and study with us.
00:09:42.64\00:09:44.05
We're glad that
you're joining us.
00:09:44.08\00:09:45.38
Today, we're going to be
covering our last lesson,
00:09:45.41\00:09:46.75
lesson number 13
in our study guide,
00:09:46.78\00:09:49.45
on family seasons, and you
probably know that means that
00:09:49.48\00:09:52.32
we're going to begin a new study
dealing with the least of these,
00:09:52.35\00:09:56.76
ministering to those in
need, talking about some of the
00:09:56.79\00:09:59.49
practical
aspects of Christianity.
00:09:59.53\00:10:01.86
And for those of you who
are members and attend locally,
00:10:01.90\00:10:04.60
we have our new quarterlies
on the central table out in the
00:10:04.63\00:10:08.30
foyer, and I'm looking forward
to this series of lesson.
00:10:08.34\00:10:11.21
Today, our lesson is talking
about turning hearts in the end,
00:10:11.24\00:10:16.34
turning hearts in the end time,
and our memory verse is Malachi
00:10:16.38\00:10:21.22
chapter 4, last book
in the Old Testament,
00:10:21.25\00:10:25.42
last chapter in
the Old Testament.
00:10:25.45\00:10:27.19
Malachi chapter
4, verse 5 and 6,
00:10:27.22\00:10:29.96
last verses in
the Old Testament.
00:10:29.99\00:10:32.66
You want to say that with me?
00:10:32.69\00:10:34.36
And this is from the
New King James Version.
00:10:34.40\00:10:35.96
Are you ready?
00:10:36.00\00:10:37.37
"Behold, I will send you Elijah
the prophet before the coming of
00:10:37.40\00:10:42.04
the great and
dreadful day of the Lord.
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.57
And he will turn the hearts
of the fathers to the children,
00:10:44.61\00:10:47.98
and the hearts of the
children to their fathers,
00:10:48.01\00:10:50.71
lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse."
00:10:50.75\00:10:55.75
So, our lesson is talking
about turning, turning hearts.
00:10:55.78\00:11:01.26
This turning that is
being discussed in the lesson is
00:11:01.29\00:11:04.99
really talking about repentance.
00:11:05.03\00:11:08.46
Now let me give you a few
verses that illustrate that.
00:11:08.50\00:11:10.63
What will bring about a revival
and repentance in the last days?
00:11:10.67\00:11:14.84
Turning hearts of
families back to the Lord.
00:11:14.87\00:11:17.51
If you look at Malachi chapter
3--if you want to know--what is
00:11:17.54\00:11:21.14
He talking about when He says
there in Malachi 4 "turning the
00:11:21.18\00:11:24.75
hearts of the
fathers to the children"?
00:11:24.78\00:11:26.85
Look at Malachi 3.
00:11:26.88\00:11:28.18
Let the Bible
describe the Bible.
00:11:28.22\00:11:29.52
"'Yet from the days of your
fathers you've gone away from My
00:11:29.55\00:11:33.69
ordinances and
you've not kept them.
00:11:33.72\00:11:36.73
Return to Me, and I will
return to you,' says the Lord."
00:11:36.76\00:11:41.83
So, He's talking about that
they had drifted away from the
00:11:41.86\00:11:44.10
teachings of God, and He says
"in the days of your fathers."
00:11:44.13\00:11:47.54
Now, when it says "restoring
the hearts of the fathers to the
00:11:47.57\00:11:51.34
children and the hearts of the
children to their fathers," this
00:11:51.37\00:11:56.14
is certainly
talking about relationships.
00:11:56.18\00:11:58.85
You know, they say that one of
the--one of the catastrophes in
00:11:58.88\00:12:02.98
the world today is
because of the epidemic
00:12:03.02\00:12:06.99
of divorce and broken homes.
00:12:07.02\00:12:09.22
So many children are growing
up without the father being a
00:12:09.26\00:12:13.33
central part of the family or
not knowing who their father is
00:12:13.36\00:12:15.90
and because of that lack of
strong fathers in the family,
00:12:15.93\00:12:21.74
that it's just created
a whole cultural shift,
00:12:21.77\00:12:24.97
and the Lord wants to
see a revival in this,
00:12:25.01\00:12:27.74
among other things.
00:12:27.78\00:12:29.18
But in the Bible, when
it talks about the fathers,
00:12:29.21\00:12:31.25
it's not just
talking about daddies.
00:12:31.28\00:12:33.38
It's talking about the
teachings of the fathers.
00:12:33.42\00:12:36.82
There's often in the
Bible a generation gap.
00:12:36.85\00:12:40.29
You notice it
tells us, for instance,
00:12:40.32\00:12:42.02
in the book of Judges
that after--I think it's
00:12:42.06\00:12:45.19
even in Joshua.
00:12:45.23\00:12:46.73
After the generation that saw
the works of the Lord had died
00:12:46.76\00:12:49.93
off, their children came who did
not believe in or did not commit
00:12:49.96\00:12:54.64
themselves to the
God of their fathers,
00:12:54.67\00:12:57.51
and they started
going after other gods.
00:12:57.54\00:12:59.51
They rejected the
gods of their fathers,
00:12:59.54\00:13:01.78
so this restoration of
the children to the fathers is
00:13:01.81\00:13:05.31
talking about the children
returning to the teachings of
00:13:05.35\00:13:09.98
the fathers, and the fathers
having a responsibility to train
00:13:10.02\00:13:13.99
up their children
in the way of the Lord,
00:13:14.02\00:13:17.36
to speak of the Word
of God when they lay down,
00:13:17.39\00:13:20.03
when they rise up, on
the doors of the house,
00:13:20.06\00:13:21.86
on the gates of the
city, when you go out,
00:13:21.90\00:13:23.67
when you come in.
00:13:23.70\00:13:25.13
And so, it's really a revival
talking about a repentance
00:13:25.17\00:13:27.80
and a returning back to God.
00:13:27.84\00:13:30.01
Here are some other verses
that will help bear that out.
00:13:30.04\00:13:33.31
Zechariah
chapter 1, verse 3 and 4,
00:13:33.34\00:13:36.95
"Therefore say unto them, 'Thus
says the Lord of hosts: 'Return
00:13:36.98\00:13:41.98
to Me,' says the Lord of hosts,
'and I will return to you.'"
00:13:42.02\00:13:46.22
Can you think of a story
in the Bible where someone was
00:13:46.25\00:13:50.13
returning to the father and
the father returned to them?
00:13:50.16\00:13:56.16
Prodigal son.
00:13:56.20\00:13:58.23
When the boy begins
to make his way home,
00:13:58.27\00:13:59.93
as soon as the
father sees him--now,
00:14:00.04\00:14:01.97
does the father see him
when he knocks on the door?
00:14:02.00\00:14:03.67
How does he see him?
00:14:03.71\00:14:05.01
Long before he
gets to the house,
00:14:05.04\00:14:06.44
a great way off.
00:14:06.47\00:14:08.91
And when he saw him coming
did he fold his arms and tap his
00:14:08.94\00:14:11.41
foot and say, "When he gets
here I'm going to lecture him"?
00:14:11.45\00:14:13.75
Or does the father run to
meet him as soon as he sees him
00:14:13.78\00:14:16.95
making an effort to come home?
00:14:16.99\00:14:19.22
And when God sees us
beginning to draw near to him,
00:14:19.25\00:14:22.09
isn't that what the Lord wants?
00:14:22.12\00:14:24.23
And he runs to meet us.
00:14:24.26\00:14:25.59
Draw near to God, and
he will draw near to you.
00:14:25.63\00:14:30.97
"'Do not be like your fathers,
whom the former prophets
00:14:31.00\00:14:34.00
preached to, saying, "The Lord
of hosts--thus says the Lord of
00:14:34.04\00:14:38.14
hosts: 'Turn now from your
evil ways and your evil deeds.'"
00:14:38.17\00:14:42.34
But they did not hear--they did
not hear me,' says the Lord."
00:14:42.38\00:14:46.01
So, when we're studying turning
the hearts in the end time
00:14:46.05\00:14:48.45
notice what he says.
00:14:48.48\00:14:49.78
"Turn now from your evil
ways and your evil deeds."
00:14:49.82\00:14:51.85
What is the central study today?
00:14:51.89\00:14:53.76
Turning from evil.
00:14:53.79\00:14:55.56
What do we call that?
00:14:55.59\00:14:57.39
Repentance.
00:14:57.43\00:14:59.43
A message in the
last days of repentance.
00:14:59.46\00:15:03.93
What was the
message of John the Baptist?
00:15:03.97\00:15:06.84
Because when it
says here, "Behold,
00:15:06.87\00:15:10.07
I'll send you Elijah the
prophet," haven't gotten there
00:15:10.11\00:15:12.67
yet, but, you know, John
the Baptist came in the spirit
00:15:12.71\00:15:15.44
and the power of Elijah, right?
00:15:15.48\00:15:17.21
And it's a
message of repentance.
00:15:17.25\00:15:19.75
What was the first
thing that Jesus said when
00:15:19.78\00:15:23.25
he began preaching?
00:15:23.28\00:15:25.95
Repent. First word was "repent."
00:15:25.99\00:15:29.62
First word of John
the Baptist was "repent."
00:15:29.66\00:15:32.09
On Pentecost, when Peter
is talking to the people,
00:15:32.13\00:15:36.36
and he preaches and
when he's done they say,
00:15:36.40\00:15:38.90
"Men and
brethren, what shall we do?"
00:15:38.93\00:15:40.40
what's the first thing he says?
00:15:40.44\00:15:42.40
Repent.
00:15:42.44\00:15:43.74
We don't hear a lot of sermons
that talk about repentance,
00:15:43.77\00:15:46.14
but this is what it
means when it talks about
00:15:46.17\00:15:48.41
turning back to God.
00:15:48.44\00:15:50.78
You look in Isaiah 44, verse 22.
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.82
"I have blotted
out, like a thick cloud,
00:15:53.85\00:15:56.82
your transgressions,
and like a cloud, your sins.
00:15:56.85\00:15:59.32
Return to Me, for
I have redeemed you."
00:15:59.35\00:16:03.46
Again, he's
talking about turning,
00:16:03.49\00:16:04.89
and it's a blotting--a
forgiveness that comes.
00:16:04.93\00:16:08.53
And in James chapter 4
here is another example
00:16:08.56\00:16:11.67
of you drawing near to God.
00:16:11.70\00:16:13.07
James 4, verse 7, "Therefore--"
00:16:13.10\00:16:15.34
Now, someone here is going
to read for me Ezekiel 11:19.
00:16:15.37\00:16:18.54
You'll have that
in just a moment.
00:16:18.57\00:16:19.87
"Therefore submit to God.
00:16:19.91\00:16:21.74
Resist the devil and
he will flee from you.
00:16:21.78\00:16:24.38
Draw near to God--"
00:16:24.41\00:16:25.91
Now, how do you
resist the devil?
00:16:25.95\00:16:28.12
You draw near to God.
00:16:28.15\00:16:29.65
"Draw near to God and
He will draw near to you."
00:16:29.68\00:16:32.52
There you have it again.
00:16:32.55\00:16:33.92
Turn to God, He
will turn to you.
00:16:33.96\00:16:36.16
"He will draw near to you.
00:16:36.19\00:16:37.49
Cleanse your
hands, you sinners."
00:16:37.53\00:16:38.96
So, what does it
mean to turn to God?
00:16:38.99\00:16:40.96
"Cleanse your
hands, you sinners;
00:16:40.96\00:16:43.03
purify your
hearts, you double-minded.
00:16:43.06\00:16:45.23
Lament and mourn and weep!
00:16:45.27\00:16:48.27
Let your laughter be turned to
mourning and your joy to gloom."
00:16:48.30\00:16:52.47
Now, does that sound
like a positive message?
00:16:52.51\00:16:56.11
It is a positive message.
00:16:56.14\00:16:58.21
When you think about it,
what's the next verse say?
00:16:58.25\00:17:01.28
"Humble yourself
in the sight of God.
00:17:01.32\00:17:03.18
He will lift you up."
00:17:03.22\00:17:05.15
So, what comes
before God lifts us up?
00:17:05.19\00:17:07.69
A humbling of
ourselves before God.
00:17:07.72\00:17:11.13
You know, that classic
verse there in 2 Chronicles.
00:17:11.16\00:17:15.70
"If my people who--"
00:17:15.73\00:17:17.57
I think it's
chapter 14, verse 7.
00:17:17.60\00:17:19.17
"If My people who are called by
My name will humble themselves
00:17:19.20\00:17:23.37
and pray and seek My face
and turn from their wicked way,
00:17:23.41\00:17:26.07
then I will hear from heaven.
00:17:26.11\00:17:27.98
I will forgive their sin.
00:17:28.01\00:17:29.38
I will heal their land."
00:17:29.41\00:17:30.71
We want God to hear.
00:17:30.75\00:17:32.05
We want God to
forgive. We want God to heal.
00:17:32.08\00:17:34.28
What comes first?
00:17:34.32\00:17:35.65
Humble ourselves
in the sight of God.
00:17:35.68\00:17:37.92
He will lift us
up at that point.
00:17:37.95\00:17:40.86
Now, go ahead.
00:17:40.89\00:17:42.19
You read your verse for
me in Ezekiel 11, verse 19.
00:17:42.22\00:17:45.16
female: Ezekiel 11:19, "Then
I will give them one heart,
00:17:45.19\00:17:49.73
and I will put a
new spirit within them,
00:17:49.76\00:17:52.80
and take the stony
heart out of their flesh,
00:17:52.83\00:17:55.50
and give them a heart of flesh."
00:17:55.54\00:17:58.34
Doug: This is the new
conversion experience.
00:17:58.37\00:18:01.88
We were talking about
this in our family last night,
00:18:01.91\00:18:03.88
about, you know, how
do you really obey God?
00:18:03.91\00:18:07.72
You need to be born-again, but
in so many churches now they're
00:18:07.75\00:18:13.22
teaching that being saved means
you simply embrace salvation
00:18:13.25\00:18:17.23
and there is no
transformation in the life.
00:18:17.26\00:18:19.76
That is not biblical.
00:18:19.79\00:18:21.53
The Bible is pretty clear that
first we must repent and part of
00:18:21.56\00:18:24.80
repentance, the verbal side
of repentance, is confession.
00:18:24.83\00:18:28.14
Is that right?
00:18:28.17\00:18:29.50
Is there a place
for us repenting and
00:18:29.54\00:18:30.84
confessing our sins?
00:18:30.87\00:18:33.27
Now, confession of
sin means--how many know
00:18:33.31\00:18:37.81
every sin you've committed?
00:18:37.85\00:18:39.98
Some of you might
have a photographic
00:18:40.02\00:18:42.58
memory, but I don't.
00:18:42.62\00:18:44.85
How can you be sure that you've
repented and confessed every sin
00:18:44.89\00:18:47.56
you've ever committed?
00:18:47.59\00:18:49.19
Well, the Holy
Spirit will remind you of
00:18:49.22\00:18:51.76
what you need to confess.
00:18:51.79\00:18:53.13
Now, first of all, when God says
repent and confess your sins,
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.33
I don't think He's wanting you
to do an inventory of every sin
00:18:55.36\00:18:59.60
from the day you reached the
age of accountability until the
00:18:59.63\00:19:02.30
present, because I
seriously doubt anyone
00:19:02.34\00:19:04.51
can remember every sin.
00:19:04.54\00:19:06.57
But can you
remember the categories?
00:19:06.61\00:19:09.54
So, you may not remember every
time you told an untruth--that's
00:19:09.58\00:19:13.62
a code for
lie--but you can say--and,
00:19:13.65\00:19:17.52
you know, the Bible says,
"Do not bear false witness."
00:19:17.55\00:19:19.39
Just use the Ten
Commandments as a template.
00:19:19.42\00:19:21.99
Go through them.
00:19:22.02\00:19:23.26
I've said this frequently that
I think it's a very good idea.
00:19:23.29\00:19:25.73
If you've never done this before
and you've accepted Jesus,
00:19:25.76\00:19:29.63
to get off by yourself and
say, "Lord, show me my sins."
00:19:29.66\00:19:35.30
Doesn't David say,
"Search me and try me.
00:19:35.34\00:19:37.71
See if there be any
wicked way in me and lead me in
00:19:37.74\00:19:40.54
the way everlasting"?
00:19:40.58\00:19:42.14
It's like, "Search me and try me
and reveal these things to me.
00:19:42.18\00:19:45.25
I will repent of them."
00:19:45.28\00:19:46.75
And say, "Lord, show me my sin."
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.08
Get by yourself,
get on your knees,
00:19:48.12\00:19:50.05
get a piece of
paper and just say,
00:19:50.09\00:19:52.82
"Lord, I've been a liar.
00:19:52.85\00:19:56.56
I'm guilty of murder."
00:19:56.59\00:19:58.46
"Wait, Pastor Doug,
I've never murdered."
00:19:58.49\00:19:59.79
Jesus says have you been angry
with your brother without cause?
00:19:59.83\00:20:03.97
That's called murder.
00:20:04.00\00:20:06.13
He said, "Do not swear by
heaven above or earth beneath.
00:20:06.17\00:20:09.30
Let your yea be
yea, your nay be nay."
00:20:09.34\00:20:11.41
If you're giving any
kind of shades of the truth,
00:20:11.44\00:20:14.64
that's dishonesty.
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.61
"I've committed adultery."
00:20:16.64\00:20:17.95
"Wait, I've never
committed adultery."
00:20:17.98\00:20:19.28
Have you looked on
the opposite sex to lust?
00:20:19.31\00:20:23.42
Does Jesus say you can
commit adultery in your heart?
00:20:23.45\00:20:26.62
Now, we'd probably be surprised
that most of us are probably
00:20:26.65\00:20:28.89
guilty of all ten.
00:20:28.92\00:20:30.59
"Thou shall not covet."
00:20:30.63\00:20:31.93
And so, just say--go through
the Ten Commandments and say,
00:20:31.96\00:20:33.86
"Lord, I have
broken Your law many times.
00:20:33.90\00:20:37.73
I don't even
remember all the times."
00:20:37.77\00:20:39.30
That way you cover anything
you've left out and say,
00:20:39.33\00:20:43.61
"But I believe Your promise
that if I confess and forsake
00:20:43.64\00:20:48.18
my sins, I will have mercy."
00:20:48.21\00:20:52.28
The Bible says if we
confess our sins--what is this?
00:20:52.31\00:20:55.72
1 John chapter 1, verse 9,
"If we confess our sins He is
00:20:55.75\00:21:01.16
faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us
00:21:01.19\00:21:03.66
from," how much?
00:21:03.69\00:21:05.63
"All unrighteousness."
00:21:05.66\00:21:06.90
Claim that promise and then when
you have repented and confessed
00:21:06.93\00:21:10.77
your sins and you
get off your knees,
00:21:10.80\00:21:12.33
you're forgiven.
00:21:12.37\00:21:14.67
But then, what do you do?
00:21:14.70\00:21:16.00
The Bible tells us there needs
to be a reformation in life.
00:21:16.04\00:21:19.41
Maybe I should
start with a definition of
00:21:19.44\00:21:21.98
what repentance is, to repent.
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.88
This means remorse, regret, or
contrition for past conduct or
00:21:24.91\00:21:30.75
sin, to feel such regret as to
change one's mind regarding it,
00:21:30.79\00:21:36.26
as in repenting of
intemperate behavior,
00:21:36.29\00:21:39.59
to make it change for the
better as a result of remorse,
00:21:39.63\00:21:42.30
or notice what repentance is: to
make a change for the better as
00:21:42.33\00:21:47.14
a result of this remorse
or contrition for one's sins.
00:21:47.17\00:21:51.94
The Hebrew word for
repent is "nocham," and it means
00:21:51.97\00:21:55.51
"to sigh," "to
breathe strongly."
00:21:55.54\00:21:57.51
It's like regret and the Greek
word is "metanoeó," and it means
00:21:57.55\00:22:03.92
to--regretful,
thinking differently,
00:22:03.95\00:22:06.25
turning from sin.
00:22:06.29\00:22:08.59
Peter said,
"Repent and be baptized,
00:22:08.62\00:22:12.09
and you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit," so connected
00:22:12.13\00:22:15.10
with this repentance is
you get a new beginning,
00:22:15.13\00:22:18.40
a washing away from your sin.
00:22:18.43\00:22:19.87
All right, back to our lesson.
00:22:19.90\00:22:21.20
Now, we just heard about this
new heart that God gives us and
00:22:21.24\00:22:25.24
in Ezekiel 18 he says,
"Cast away from you all the
00:22:25.27\00:22:29.51
transgressions that you have
committed," this is describing
00:22:29.54\00:22:33.18
that repentance.
00:22:33.21\00:22:34.72
"'Get yourself a new
heart and a new spirit.
00:22:34.75\00:22:37.45
For why will you
die, O house of Israel?
00:22:37.49\00:22:40.12
For I have no
pleasure in the death of
00:22:40.16\00:22:42.49
one who dies,' says the Lord.
00:22:42.52\00:22:43.96
'Therefore turn,'"
talking about turning hearts.
00:22:43.99\00:22:46.46
What does turning mean?
00:22:46.49\00:22:48.33
It says cast away
your transgressions.
00:22:48.36\00:22:51.77
Turn and live, and
so this is speaking of
00:22:51.80\00:22:55.77
repentance and transformation.
00:22:55.80\00:22:58.74
Now, how many of you have
heard these hints that being a
00:22:58.77\00:23:06.35
Christian means
you come to the front,
00:23:06.38\00:23:08.35
you say a prayer and
say, "I accept Jesus.
00:23:08.38\00:23:10.75
He died for my sins"?
00:23:10.79\00:23:12.62
"Thank you. You're now saved."
00:23:12.65\00:23:15.56
And it's implied that
"this is what you've done.
00:23:15.59\00:23:17.59
Listen, you've
got eternal life now.
00:23:17.63\00:23:19.46
Just enjoy yourself."
00:23:19.49\00:23:21.06
But there is really no teaching
that goes along with it about
00:23:21.10\00:23:23.90
what does it mean to repent.
00:23:23.93\00:23:26.50
It used to be that when
people came to the Lord,
00:23:26.53\00:23:30.04
they say they
wanted to accept Jesus,
00:23:30.07\00:23:33.14
the pastor would
then study with them and
00:23:33.17\00:23:34.68
talk about reformation in life.
00:23:34.71\00:23:37.71
The Bible describes it.
This is what is spoken of here.
00:23:37.75\00:23:41.38
Ezekiel 33:11, "Say to them:
'As I live,' says the Lord God,
00:23:41.42\00:23:46.52
'I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked,
00:23:46.55\00:23:48.69
but that the wicked
turn from his way and live.
00:23:48.72\00:23:52.66
Turn, turn from your evil ways!
00:23:52.69\00:23:55.93
For why will you
die, O house of Israel?'"
00:23:55.96\00:23:59.37
So, a message in the
last days for families
00:23:59.40\00:24:01.54
is turning from evil.
00:24:01.57\00:24:03.71
Ezekiel 33:14. I
just read Ezekiel 33:11.
00:24:03.74\00:24:07.61
Now you go a little
later in the chapter.
00:24:07.64\00:24:09.34
"Again, I say to the wicked,
'You will surely die,' if he
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.42
turns from his sin and
does what is lawful and right,
00:24:13.45\00:24:18.32
if the wicked restores the
pledge," now it's giving you
00:24:18.35\00:24:21.82
some specifics, "if
he restores the pledge,
00:24:21.86\00:24:24.46
gives back what he has stolen,
walks in the statutes of life
00:24:24.49\00:24:28.20
without committing iniquity,
he will surely live and not die.
00:24:28.23\00:24:32.30
None of his sins he has
committed shall be remembered
00:24:32.33\00:24:35.50
against him; what he has done,
he has done what is lawful and
00:24:35.54\00:24:39.54
right; he will surely live."
00:24:39.57\00:24:41.14
Almost makes it
sound like, well,
00:24:41.18\00:24:43.24
is that salvation by
works, I work my way to heaven?
00:24:43.28\00:24:46.75
No, if you are saved by grace,
if you are sorry for your sin
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.48
there'll be an evidence.
00:24:49.52\00:24:51.12
You'll have fruit in your life.
00:24:51.15\00:24:52.45
It's like the
person who says, "Lord,
00:24:52.49\00:24:53.82
please forgive me for borrowing
my neighbor's lawnmower and
00:24:53.86\00:24:57.09
never returning it.
00:24:57.13\00:24:59.16
Praise the Lord, I'm forgiven."
00:24:59.19\00:25:00.63
Now, the question is
do you still have his
00:25:00.66\00:25:01.96
lawnmower in your garage?
00:25:02.00\00:25:03.33
If you say, "Well, I
still got his lawnmower,
00:25:03.37\00:25:05.70
but Jesus has forgiven
me," now wait a second.
00:25:05.73\00:25:07.77
You take the lawnmower back,
otherwise you have not repented.
00:25:07.80\00:25:10.74
Isn't that right?
00:25:10.77\00:25:12.84
I say that because I got some--a
friend who did that to me.
00:25:12.87\00:25:16.48
It wasn't my lawnmower.
00:25:16.51\00:25:18.58
It was something else.
00:25:18.61\00:25:19.91
He borrowed some tools,
then he asked me to forgive him,
00:25:19.95\00:25:21.82
but he never brought them back.
00:25:21.85\00:25:23.95
That's not real repentance.
00:25:23.99\00:25:27.89
All right, next section.
00:25:27.92\00:25:29.49
Oh, I got one more verse here.
00:25:29.52\00:25:30.83
Jonah 3:10.
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.13
When Jonah preached up and
down the streets of Nineveh,
00:25:33.16\00:25:35.66
the Bible says,
"God saw their works,
00:25:35.70\00:25:39.23
that they turned from their
evil way," this is the turning.
00:25:39.27\00:25:43.74
And it says, "He relented from
the disaster that He had said He
00:25:43.77\00:25:48.41
would bring upon
them, and He did not do it."
00:25:48.44\00:25:51.15
Because they turned
God then showed them mercy.
00:25:51.18\00:25:54.88
Friends, is there time
for us right now to turn?
00:25:54.92\00:25:57.92
And if we turn
will he show mercy?
00:25:57.95\00:26:02.19
Will there be a time
when probation closes
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.96
and then it's too late?
00:26:03.99\00:26:06.13
Yes, and now is the time,
today while you hear his voice.
00:26:06.16\00:26:08.30
Jeremiah 19.
00:26:08.33\00:26:10.00
We're talking about
the family reunion here.
00:26:10.03\00:26:11.87
Jeremiah 19, verse 5, "They've
also built high places to the
00:26:11.90\00:26:14.97
Baal, they've burned their sons
in the fire for burnt offerings
00:26:15.00\00:26:18.94
to Baal, which I did
not command or speak,
00:26:18.97\00:26:21.61
neither did it
come into My mind."
00:26:21.64\00:26:23.58
Now, under this
section about family reunion,
00:26:23.61\00:26:25.78
I mean, they want you to read
two chapters or three chapters
00:26:25.81\00:26:30.09
there in 1 Kings, and there's no
way we can do that in the class
00:26:30.12\00:26:33.19
here, but it's telling the story
of what happened because Ahab
00:26:33.22\00:26:36.69
married out of the church.
00:26:36.73\00:26:38.76
Who did Ahab marry?
00:26:38.79\00:26:40.23
Jezebel was a daughter of
Ethbaal from the Sidonians,
00:26:40.26\00:26:46.43
and she was like a priestess for
Baal and here he marries her.
00:26:46.47\00:26:51.74
That's just like really
marrying out of the church,
00:26:51.77\00:26:53.91
and she begins to bring
Baal worship in a big way into
00:26:53.94\00:26:58.21
the northern kingdom.
00:26:58.25\00:27:00.15
And because his--what
was happening in his family,
00:27:00.18\00:27:02.52
it began to spread
throughout the families,
00:27:02.55\00:27:05.09
and so--and all kinds of nasty
things went along with Baal
00:27:05.12\00:27:09.79
worship that was
affecting everybody.
00:27:09.82\00:27:14.10
But during this time, God sends
Elijah to stay with a Sidonian
00:27:14.13\00:27:19.17
family, and he
brings Jehovah there.
00:27:19.20\00:27:22.70
So, here Ahab, he brings the
worship of Baal from Sidon down
00:27:22.74\00:27:30.61
into Israel, and they
start to follow the practice.
00:27:30.65\00:27:33.21
Elijah goes up there,
and he does missionary work.
00:27:33.25\00:27:35.58
It's like the
opposite way in--of doing it in
00:27:35.62\00:27:38.75
the same territory.
00:27:38.79\00:27:40.69
Luke 4.
00:27:40.72\00:27:42.02
Jesus begins his ministry
and notice what he refers to.
00:27:42.06\00:27:44.29
"I tell you truly, many widows
were in Israel in the days of
00:27:44.33\00:27:48.56
Elijah, when the heaven was shut
up three years and six months,
00:27:48.60\00:27:51.50
and there was a great
famine throughout the land;
00:27:51.53\00:27:53.97
but to none of them was
Elijah sent except to Zarephath,
00:27:54.00\00:27:57.57
the region of Sidon, to
a woman who was a widow."
00:27:57.61\00:28:00.68
Now, Jesus--it's interesting.
00:28:00.71\00:28:03.38
Jesus does one
miracle for a Gentile,
00:28:03.41\00:28:09.02
or I'll say a Gentile
mission trip you might say.
00:28:09.05\00:28:12.25
There is one time
when Jesus actually leaves
00:28:12.29\00:28:14.09
the territory of Israel.
00:28:14.12\00:28:15.42
He goes up to Sidon, and a
woman comes crying after Him
00:28:15.46\00:28:19.59
and says, "Have mercy.
00:28:19.63\00:28:20.93
My daughter is tormented by the
00:28:20.96\00:28:22.33
devil," and He
ignores her at first.
00:28:22.36\00:28:24.43
And she continues to
plead, "Have mercy on me.
00:28:24.47\00:28:25.90
My daughter is
tormented by the devil."
00:28:25.93\00:28:27.90
And, finally, He
says, "I--you know,
00:28:27.94\00:28:30.77
I'm not in Israel right now,
and I'm sent to the lost sheep
00:28:30.81\00:28:33.21
of the house of Israel."
00:28:33.24\00:28:34.84
And she said, "O
Lord, have mercy."
00:28:34.88\00:28:36.44
He said, "It's not appropriate
to take the children's food and
00:28:36.48\00:28:38.61
give it to the dogs."
00:28:38.65\00:28:40.22
I know it sounds
like very harsh language.
00:28:40.25\00:28:41.48
Jesus was answering her the way
the priest would have answered.
00:28:41.52\00:28:44.42
He wanted the disciples to
hear how the religious leaders
00:28:44.45\00:28:47.59
sounded, but her
faith was so persistent.
00:28:47.62\00:28:50.26
She said, "Yes, but the little
dogs get the crumbs that fall
00:28:50.29\00:28:52.73
from the children's tables."
00:28:52.76\00:28:54.86
He said, "Woman,
great is your faith.
00:28:54.93\00:28:56.20
Go home.
00:28:56.23\00:28:57.53
Your daughter is going to
be healed," and she went home,
00:28:57.57\00:28:59.50
and her daughter was healed.
00:28:59.53\00:29:01.47
So, Jesus performs a miracle
for a child of a Sidonian woman.
00:29:01.50\00:29:07.14
Elijah goes up into Sidon.
00:29:07.18\00:29:10.41
He performs a miracle.
00:29:10.45\00:29:11.75
You remember he
stays with this woman,
00:29:11.78\00:29:14.48
and he really
gives her quite a test.
00:29:14.52\00:29:16.99
During the time of famine, he
comes to the gates of the city.
00:29:17.02\00:29:21.96
Remember, Elijah is staying by
the Brook Cherith and the water
00:29:21.99\00:29:26.29
in the brook finally dries up.
00:29:26.33\00:29:27.76
That's back when the
ravens were bringing him food,
00:29:27.83\00:29:29.43
and God says, "Go up to Sidon.
00:29:29.46\00:29:32.43
I've spoken to a widow there.
00:29:32.47\00:29:34.74
She's going to
take care of you."
00:29:34.77\00:29:36.17
Well, evidently, the widow
hadn't opened her mail yet,
00:29:36.20\00:29:38.17
because when Elijah comes
outside the gates of the city
00:29:38.21\00:29:41.34
she's out gathering sticks.
00:29:41.38\00:29:43.61
God impresses
Elijah, "That's the woman."
00:29:43.65\00:29:46.58
And he says to her, "Can
you get me a drink of water?"
00:29:46.61\00:29:50.62
She said, "Yeah, there
is still water in the well."
00:29:50.65\00:29:51.95
There was a famine.
00:29:51.99\00:29:53.39
It hadn't rained, but there
is still water in the well,
00:29:53.42\00:29:55.06
so she's going to get a cup
of water and as she's going he
00:29:55.09\00:29:56.79
says, "And can you bring
me a little cake of bread?"
00:29:56.83\00:30:01.16
And she just exasperates.
00:30:01.20\00:30:02.86
She turns around and
says, "Man of God, look.
00:30:02.90\00:30:04.33
I'm out gathering two sticks
so that my son and I can prepare
00:30:04.37\00:30:08.44
our last meal, eat our
last loaf of bread and die."
00:30:08.47\00:30:13.38
He said, "Trust me.
00:30:13.41\00:30:15.08
You go make a loaf for me and
then make for yourself and make
00:30:15.11\00:30:18.21
a loaf for me first,
for thus says the Lord,
00:30:18.25\00:30:20.98
'The flour will not go away from
the bin and the oil will not dry
00:30:21.02\00:30:25.52
up until God sends
rain on the earth.'"
00:30:25.55\00:30:27.99
So, she's got
to make a decision.
00:30:28.02\00:30:30.29
"Do I believe the Word of God?"
00:30:30.33\00:30:33.06
So, she does it.
00:30:33.09\00:30:34.36
She said, "What
have I got to lose?
00:30:34.40\00:30:35.70
He might be right.
00:30:35.73\00:30:37.03
If I put him first
maybe we'll eat for many days,
00:30:37.07\00:30:38.37
otherwise I get
one more meal anyway,
00:30:38.40\00:30:40.44
so what's the difference?"
00:30:40.47\00:30:42.64
I don't know if
that's what she's thinking,
00:30:42.67\00:30:44.04
but that's what I
would have thought,
00:30:44.07\00:30:46.07
so she goes and she
makes a loaf for Elijah,
00:30:46.11\00:30:48.11
gives him a drink of water.
00:30:48.14\00:30:49.48
She comes back to make a loaf
for herself and there is more
00:30:49.51\00:30:51.71
flour in the bin, and it says
she and her family every day ate
00:30:51.75\00:30:57.02
through the
remainder of the famine.
00:30:57.05\00:30:59.55
Whenever she reached
in there there was more.
00:30:59.59\00:31:01.86
It's almost like Jesus
multiplying the bread, right?
00:31:01.89\00:31:06.29
Now, while he's staying with the
widow tragedy strikes the home
00:31:06.33\00:31:09.73
and the woman's
son gets sick and dies,
00:31:09.76\00:31:15.50
and Elijah, he goes up to the
upper room where the child is.
00:31:15.54\00:31:19.37
He prays for the child.
00:31:19.41\00:31:22.41
He stretches
himself on the child,
00:31:22.44\00:31:24.28
and he prays three times
and the child is resurrected.
00:31:24.31\00:31:28.18
Now, what's the response of
the woman when that happens?
00:31:28.22\00:31:31.82
And that's--I think you're
going to be reading that for me.
00:31:31.85\00:31:33.86
So, here he
multiplies the bread.
00:31:33.89\00:31:37.09
This miracle happens.
00:31:37.13\00:31:38.66
What other miracle happens here?
00:31:38.69\00:31:40.00
Go and read--I
think it's 1 Kings 17:24.
00:31:40.03\00:31:42.30
Albert: 1 Kings 17:24,
"Then the woman said to Elijah,
00:31:42.33\00:31:46.80
'Now by this I know
that you are a man of God,
00:31:46.84\00:31:50.61
and that the word of the Lord
in your mouth is the truth.'"
00:31:50.64\00:31:55.31
Doug: You know, something I
probably should have said right
00:31:55.34\00:31:56.75
at the beginning of our
lesson is in our memory verse,
00:31:56.78\00:32:01.25
last prophecy in
the Old Testament,
00:32:01.28\00:32:03.42
"Behold, I send you Elijah the
prophet," did Elijah the prophet
00:32:03.45\00:32:08.32
come back to Earth again?
00:32:08.36\00:32:14.03
Someone venture an answer.
00:32:14.10\00:32:16.06
You get 50/50 chance.
00:32:16.10\00:32:19.73
Well, he did.
00:32:19.77\00:32:21.07
Do you read in Mark chapter 9?
00:32:21.10\00:32:24.21
It's also in Matthew and Luke.
00:32:24.24\00:32:25.81
I think it's also
in Luke chapter 9.
00:32:25.84\00:32:27.58
That Jesus goes
up this mountain,
00:32:27.61\00:32:28.91
and Moses and
Elijah appear to him,
00:32:28.94\00:32:31.18
so technically Elijah does
make at least a brief visit
00:32:31.21\00:32:33.45
back to Earth, right?
00:32:33.48\00:32:35.95
But what is it
specifically talking about?
00:32:35.98\00:32:39.42
Well, John the Baptist
comes in the spirit and
00:32:39.45\00:32:41.02
the power of Elijah.
00:32:41.06\00:32:42.66
We're going to get
to that a little later.
00:32:42.69\00:32:45.06
Who is the first one
who comes in the spirit
00:32:45.09\00:32:47.40
and the power of Elijah?
00:32:47.46\00:32:52.10
Elisha. Am I right?
00:32:52.13\00:32:55.97
When they crossed the Jordan
River and Elijah performs his
00:32:56.00\00:33:01.28
miracle--he hits the Jordan with
his mantle and it parts and they
00:33:01.31\00:33:04.05
go over on dry ground--and
Elijah says to Elisha his
00:33:04.08\00:33:07.28
attendant, his
apprentice prophet,
00:33:07.32\00:33:09.25
he said, "Is there anything that
you want to ask from me before
00:33:09.28\00:33:12.75
I'm taken away to heaven?"
00:33:12.79\00:33:14.09
He said, "Yes, let," what?
00:33:14.12\00:33:16.22
"A double portion of
your spirit be upon me."
00:33:16.26\00:33:19.66
And as they walked together
suddenly Elijah is taken up in
00:33:19.69\00:33:25.43
his chariot, his
heavenly limousine,
00:33:25.47\00:33:29.34
to heaven, and he
throws down his mantle.
00:33:29.37\00:33:32.11
Elisha gets a double
portion of Elijah's spirit,
00:33:32.14\00:33:35.04
so Elisha comes back to the sons
of the prophet and at first he
00:33:35.08\00:33:39.41
comes back to the river.
00:33:39.45\00:33:40.75
He strikes it with
the mantle of Elijah,
00:33:40.78\00:33:42.15
it parts, and then the
sons of the prophets say,
00:33:42.18\00:33:45.99
"Surely the spirit of
Elijah rests on Elisha."
00:33:46.02\00:33:51.83
So, who is the first one
who comes in the spirit and the
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.56
power of Elijah?
00:33:54.60\00:33:56.60
Elisha, right?
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.80
Now, does Elijah
perform a miracle where bread is
00:33:58.83\00:34:03.74
multiplied and the son
is resurrected of a woman
00:34:03.77\00:34:07.68
in an upper room?
00:34:07.71\00:34:10.31
Does Elisha then
stay with a Gentile woman,
00:34:10.35\00:34:14.85
who is a Shunammite, who
builds an upper room for him?
00:34:14.88\00:34:17.92
He prophesies that
she will have a son.
00:34:17.95\00:34:20.49
She has a son.
00:34:20.52\00:34:21.82
When he's like five
years old or so he dies.
00:34:21.86\00:34:24.53
She fetches Elisha,
who goes to the upper room.
00:34:24.56\00:34:29.20
He stretches
himself upon the child.
00:34:29.23\00:34:31.23
He prays.
00:34:31.27\00:34:33.10
The child sneezes seven
times and comes back to life.
00:34:33.13\00:34:37.74
Does Elisha also do a miracle
where he multiplies bread?
00:34:37.77\00:34:40.94
He does, so Elisha does
the same miracles as Elijah,
00:34:40.98\00:34:46.51
and then they are
both types of Christ,
00:34:46.55\00:34:49.42
who is the
ultimate resurrection.
00:34:49.45\00:34:51.82
He is the son that
comes back to life.
00:34:51.85\00:34:53.29
You notice what the woman says,
"By this," what Albert just
00:34:53.32\00:34:57.86
read, "by this I know that
you're a man of God and the Word
00:34:57.89\00:35:01.43
of the Lord is in your mouth."
00:35:01.46\00:35:02.83
What is the greatest evidence
that Jesus had the Word of God
00:35:02.86\00:35:04.87
in his mouth?
00:35:04.90\00:35:06.94
The Resurrection,
that he was the Son of God.
00:35:06.97\00:35:10.64
I mean, it was the
greatest miracle of all,
00:35:10.67\00:35:15.84
so, yeah, and by the way,
00:35:15.88\00:35:17.75
then you find in 2 Kings
4, verse 35 you find where
00:35:17.78\00:35:21.32
Elijah--sorry, Elisha.
00:35:21.35\00:35:24.52
He does the same miracle,
and the woman bows at his feet,
00:35:24.55\00:35:28.09
and she also praises God for
her son that has resurrected.
00:35:28.12\00:35:31.33
All right, so they had the
bread of God in the home being
00:35:31.36\00:35:38.93
multiplying, and
they had the son in the
00:35:38.97\00:35:41.00
home being resurrected.
00:35:41.04\00:35:43.34
These are signs of the Word of
God and the living Christ in the
00:35:43.37\00:35:46.78
families and these
family reunions that's
00:35:46.81\00:35:50.31
being talked about.
00:35:50.35\00:35:52.25
Now, it talks about
here in the next section,
00:35:52.28\00:35:54.52
turning hearts at the altar.
00:35:54.55\00:35:57.49
If you look in
Exodus 29, verse 41--well,
00:35:57.52\00:36:03.29
maybe I ought to direct your
attention to--this is all about
00:36:03.32\00:36:08.00
the Mount Carmel experience,
where you read that--it says in
00:36:08.03\00:36:13.13
1 Kings 18, verse 30
Elijah says to all the people,
00:36:13.17\00:36:17.54
"'Come near to me.'
00:36:17.57\00:36:19.07
So all the
people came near to him.
00:36:19.11\00:36:20.44
And he repaired the altar of
the Lord that was broken down."
00:36:20.48\00:36:23.95
The Mount Carmel
experience is one of the
00:36:23.98\00:36:28.15
high points in the Bible.
00:36:28.18\00:36:29.58
You know, if I were to point to
some of the great glorious times
00:36:29.62\00:36:32.02
of God being magnified in
the Bible let me tell you what I
00:36:32.05\00:36:36.49
think they were: the fiery
furnace on the Plains of Dura
00:36:36.52\00:36:43.47
when three Hebrews stood up
when everyone else bowed down,
00:36:43.50\00:36:46.50
and God came and protected
them, and the whole world had
00:36:46.53\00:36:50.51
a proclamation that
Jehovah was the living God.
00:36:50.54\00:36:52.94
The Lord accomplished through
them that day what He had been
00:36:52.97\00:36:55.61
trying to do through the
nation for hundreds of years.
00:36:55.64\00:36:58.95
He wanted them to be
a light to the world,
00:36:58.98\00:37:00.38
so that was one
of the high points.
00:37:00.42\00:37:01.75
David and Goliath is
one of the high points.
00:37:01.78\00:37:04.25
David goes out
with nothing, really,
00:37:04.29\00:37:06.05
but depending on the Lord,
and you've got one of the high
00:37:06.09\00:37:09.69
points in the Bible.
00:37:09.72\00:37:11.43
Mount Carmel
is--well, of course,
00:37:11.46\00:37:13.70
Daniel in the lions' den is
another one of those high points
00:37:13.73\00:37:15.63
and there is a few
glorious--the Red Sea.
00:37:15.66\00:37:18.57
You know, there are a few
glorious high points in the
00:37:18.60\00:37:22.10
Bible and, well, there's quite
a few now that I think about it,
00:37:22.14\00:37:26.07
but one of them has got to
be the Mount Carmel experience,
00:37:26.11\00:37:30.85
where you've got
the ultimate showdown.
00:37:30.88\00:37:33.55
You've got the good guy--you
got the good cowboy who's
00:37:33.58\00:37:36.95
outnumbered by 800 bad guys, and
he comes fearlessly into town,
00:37:36.99\00:37:44.59
and he's unarmed, at
least it looks that way,
00:37:44.63\00:37:48.66
and he takes on the king
and his army and his priests,
00:37:48.70\00:37:51.80
just Elijah and God.
00:37:51.83\00:37:55.80
You and God are a majority.
00:37:55.84\00:37:57.77
I mean, it's just a great story.
00:37:57.81\00:38:00.11
Talk about the boldness
and the audacity of him to say,
00:38:00.14\00:38:03.21
"Get all of Israel together and
tell all the prophets of Baal.
00:38:03.24\00:38:05.31
You do whatever you want to do.
00:38:05.35\00:38:06.65
You build your altar.
00:38:06.68\00:38:07.98
You see if you can get rain or
fire to come down on your altar
00:38:08.02\00:38:12.09
and then whoever's
god answers by fire,
00:38:12.12\00:38:15.52
he's the real god."
00:38:15.56\00:38:17.26
And so, after the prophets
of Baal just wear themself out.
00:38:17.29\00:38:20.50
They're trying to sneak a
magnifying glass or something
00:38:20.53\00:38:23.16
in there to get their
fire going, and Elijah
00:38:23.20\00:38:24.73
is watching them too carefully.
00:38:24.77\00:38:26.07
They can't do it, and so they're
not able to get the fire,
00:38:26.10\00:38:29.20
and they carry on,
and they cut themselves,
00:38:29.24\00:38:31.34
and they prophesy, and they
bleed, and they beat the drums.
00:38:31.37\00:38:33.74
They jump up and down.
00:38:33.78\00:38:35.18
They chant, "O Baal,
hear us. O Baal, hear us."
00:38:35.21\00:38:37.51
Nothing happens.
00:38:37.55\00:38:39.01
Only thing that gathers
around the sacrifice is flies.
00:38:39.05\00:38:41.88
Then at the end of
the day--and, you know,
00:38:41.92\00:38:45.05
he waits until the time
of the evening sacrifice,
00:38:45.09\00:38:48.22
the time that Israel should
have been sacrificing to God,
00:38:48.26\00:38:51.96
and you read about
this in Exodus 29, verse 41.
00:38:51.99\00:38:55.13
"The other lamb you
shall offer at twilight."
00:38:55.16\00:38:58.57
What time of day did Jesus die?
00:38:58.60\00:39:02.17
It was in the afternoon.
00:39:02.20\00:39:04.34
"And you shall offer it with
the grain offering and the drink
00:39:04.37\00:39:07.58
offering, as in the
morning, for a sweet aroma,
00:39:07.61\00:39:10.01
an offering made
by fire to the Lord."
00:39:10.05\00:39:12.28
So, Elijah, after the prophets
of Baal lose their audience and
00:39:12.31\00:39:17.55
they just totally
give up and they walk away,
00:39:17.59\00:39:19.42
he says, "Come near to me."
00:39:19.45\00:39:22.96
Now, what is this lesson about?
00:39:22.99\00:39:24.66
Drawing near to God.
00:39:24.69\00:39:26.16
He says, "Come near to me."
00:39:26.19\00:39:28.00
What does Jesus say?
00:39:28.03\00:39:29.56
"Come unto Me, all you
who are weary and heavy laden,
00:39:29.60\00:39:33.37
and I'll give you rest."
00:39:33.40\00:39:34.87
And all the people drew
near and what does he do?
00:39:34.90\00:39:37.44
He repairs the
altar of the Lord.
00:39:37.47\00:39:39.67
Now, they used to have morning
and evening sacrifice where they
00:39:39.71\00:39:43.31
gathered together.
00:39:43.35\00:39:44.75
They would read the promises.
00:39:44.78\00:39:47.52
They'd quote one of the
sayings of Moses and then
00:39:47.55\00:39:52.15
they'd offer sacrifice.
00:39:52.19\00:39:54.29
What happens when the
families neglect the time
00:39:54.32\00:39:59.39
of worship in their homes?
00:39:59.43\00:40:01.86
How important is it?
00:40:01.90\00:40:04.03
And is this something
fathers--if a family has a
00:40:04.07\00:40:07.20
father, fathers ought to be
leading out in this, you know?
00:40:07.24\00:40:10.64
The Bible says the father should
be the priest of the family.
00:40:10.67\00:40:13.71
What it says, so don't--I
know it may not be politically
00:40:13.74\00:40:16.91
correct, but it's what it says,
and they ought to be leading the
00:40:16.95\00:40:20.85
family to the altar
and saying, "You know,
00:40:20.88\00:40:22.95
children, wife, hey
let's have worship."
00:40:22.98\00:40:25.65
Sometimes Karen
has to remind me.
00:40:25.69\00:40:26.99
She did this morning, said,
"Why don't we read something?"
00:40:27.02\00:40:29.62
And so, we need to
have worship in our homes,
00:40:29.66\00:40:35.60
morning and evening.
00:40:35.63\00:40:37.07
This is part of what it
says, "Drawing the hearts of the
00:40:37.10\00:40:39.83
fathers to the children and
the children to the fathers,
00:40:39.87\00:40:43.54
lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse."
00:40:43.57\00:40:46.71
Why does the Old
Testament end that way?
00:40:46.74\00:40:48.94
If we neglect the coming
together of the families at the
00:40:48.98\00:40:51.51
altar, the result is going to be
that the sins of the fathers are
00:40:51.55\00:40:57.52
reproduced in the children to
the third and fourth generation.
00:40:57.55\00:41:02.26
It takes a long time to get
another revival and because the
00:41:02.29\00:41:06.09
sins of the fathers are
reproduced in the children,
00:41:06.13\00:41:09.13
the neglect of God, then all the
judgments and the problems and
00:41:09.16\00:41:13.20
the backsliding is
perpetrated in the children.
00:41:13.23\00:41:19.17
And so, there needs to be
a rebuilding of the altar,
00:41:19.21\00:41:22.04
regular worship, even at
times when it seems boring.
00:41:22.08\00:41:26.51
Any of you ever read
the book "The Hiding Place"
00:41:26.55\00:41:29.82
by Corrie ten Boom?
00:41:29.85\00:41:33.02
Yeah, it's a great book.
00:41:33.05\00:41:34.72
She ended up becoming
a great lady of faith,
00:41:34.76\00:41:38.16
and she says that her father,
he had worship every morning and
00:41:38.19\00:41:42.90
every evening,
and she used to think,
00:41:42.93\00:41:44.90
"Oh, no, don't read a
whole chapter from Luke.
00:41:44.93\00:41:47.44
The chapters in Luke are so
long," when she was growing up,
00:41:47.47\00:41:51.87
but her father faithfully.
00:41:51.91\00:41:53.94
And you know what?
00:41:53.98\00:41:55.28
When she went through a trial
and she was in a prisoner-of-war
00:41:55.31\00:41:57.38
camp in Germany, she was so
thankful that her father had put
00:41:57.41\00:42:01.15
the Word of God in her life.
00:42:01.18\00:42:02.85
Even at times when they
had worship it seemed tedious.
00:42:02.88\00:42:06.89
Your kids will
complain, but they're listening,
00:42:06.92\00:42:09.79
and so you got to do it anyway.
00:42:09.82\00:42:11.59
Rebuild the altar of the Lord.
00:42:11.63\00:42:13.36
Can you say amen?
00:42:13.40\00:42:14.93
All right, and you can read here
now in chapter 18, verse 36.
00:42:14.96\00:42:21.54
"It came to pass, at the time
of the offering of the evening
00:42:21.57\00:42:24.61
sacrifice, that Elijah the
prophet came near and said,
00:42:24.64\00:42:28.64
'Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
00:42:28.68\00:42:30.65
let it be known this day
that You are God in Israel,
00:42:30.68\00:42:33.75
that I am Your servant.
00:42:33.78\00:42:35.15
That I've done all
these things at Your word.
00:42:35.18\00:42:37.29
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that
this people might know that You
00:42:37.32\00:42:41.82
are the Lord, that You
have turned their hearts
00:42:41.86\00:42:44.86
back to You again.'"
00:42:44.89\00:42:47.96
And what
happened when he prayed?
00:42:47.96\00:42:49.90
There from a cloudless
sky, like a giant arc welder,
00:42:49.93\00:42:53.13
fire came
rocketing from the heavens,
00:42:53.17\00:42:55.64
burnt up the sacrifice.
00:42:55.67\00:42:58.27
It burnt up the stones.
00:42:58.31\00:42:59.74
It burnt up the water in the
ditch and there was nothing but
00:42:59.77\00:43:02.34
vapor sizzling and
all the people fell down,
00:43:02.38\00:43:06.78
and they said,
"The Lord, He is God!
00:43:06.82\00:43:08.58
The Lord, He is God!"
There's a great revival.
00:43:08.62\00:43:11.02
People's hearts
were turned back.
00:43:11.05\00:43:12.45
There was revival in the nation
because he had rebuilt the altar
00:43:12.49\00:43:15.56
of the Lord and that's
the way that it happens.
00:43:15.59\00:43:19.13
Turning hearts at the Jordan.
00:43:19.16\00:43:21.56
Now, again, you know, you can
talk about when Elijah there at
00:43:21.60\00:43:24.77
the Jordan River--how
many miracles were there
00:43:24.80\00:43:26.74
at the Jordan?
00:43:26.77\00:43:28.87
Can you name some?
00:43:28.90\00:43:33.94
When Elijah and
Elisha crossed the Jordan.
00:43:33.98\00:43:35.94
How about Elisha with Naaman?
00:43:35.98\00:43:39.38
Was that a miracle?
00:43:39.41\00:43:40.98
Did the Jordan River part
miraculously for the children of
00:43:41.02\00:43:43.75
Israel in the days of Joshua?
00:43:43.79\00:43:46.89
Was that a
miracle of the Jordan?
00:43:46.92\00:43:48.69
When Christ is
filled with the Holy Spirit.
00:43:48.72\00:43:53.73
Is that another
miracle of the Jordan?
00:43:53.76\00:43:56.20
What about when Elisha
purified the waters of Jericho?
00:43:56.23\00:44:00.24
Well, it's right
next to the Jordan,
00:44:00.27\00:44:02.50
and he also there
at the Jordan River,
00:44:02.54\00:44:04.21
he multiplied, at the school
of the prophets they had there,
00:44:04.24\00:44:06.94
he multiplied bread.
00:44:06.98\00:44:08.58
You can see quite a few
miracles happen in the Jordan.
00:44:08.61\00:44:10.85
Where was Jesus baptized?
00:44:10.88\00:44:12.81
The Jordan represents this new
birth and so you have all these
00:44:12.85\00:44:18.72
miracles that are happening
there: cleansing from leprosy,
00:44:18.75\00:44:21.06
there's cleansing of sin, the
bread being multiplied talking
00:44:21.09\00:44:23.73
about the Word of God, the
waters being dried up talking
00:44:23.76\00:44:27.46
about that the Jordan--like
a type of death that we cross
00:44:27.50\00:44:30.77
on our way to heaven.
00:44:30.80\00:44:33.10
So, the disciples--when
Jesus--they were asking about,
00:44:33.13\00:44:39.07
"Isn't Elijah supposed to come?"
00:44:39.11\00:44:41.14
And this is
Matthew 17, verse 10.
00:44:41.18\00:44:43.85
Jesus responds,
and Je says, "Indeed,
00:44:43.88\00:44:46.25
Elijah is coming first
and will restore all things."
00:44:46.28\00:44:51.49
Now, when Jesus said this
He's saying he is coming future.
00:44:51.52\00:44:56.26
"But I say that Elijah has
come, and they did not know him,
00:44:56.29\00:45:00.90
but they did to him
whatever they wished.
00:45:00.93\00:45:02.56
Likewise the Son of Man is
about to suffer at their hands."
00:45:02.60\00:45:05.47
Now, that's a
very, very, very, very,
00:45:05.50\00:45:07.74
very important verse.
00:45:07.77\00:45:09.34
I want you to catch that.
00:45:09.37\00:45:10.74
Jesus said Elijah will
come and Elijah has come,
00:45:10.77\00:45:12.47
speaking of John the Baptist.
00:45:12.51\00:45:14.28
Jesus is saying John the Baptist
came in the spirit and the power
00:45:14.31\00:45:17.78
of Elijah and that's going
to be found in Matthew 11:14.
00:45:17.81\00:45:20.98
"If you're willing to receive
it," if you can understand it,
00:45:21.02\00:45:23.55
"he is," John the Baptist,
"is Elijah who is to come.
00:45:23.59\00:45:27.56
He who has ears, let him hear!"
00:45:27.59\00:45:32.69
And some have been confused
by this because the religious
00:45:32.73\00:45:34.76
leaders came to John.
00:45:34.83\00:45:36.16
Once they said,
"Are you Elijah?"
00:45:36.20\00:45:38.10
He said, "No."
00:45:38.13\00:45:39.70
And what they were asking is,
"Are you Elijah resurrected?"
00:45:39.73\00:45:42.37
He said, "No,
you don't understand
00:45:42.40\00:45:43.74
the state of the dead.
00:45:43.77\00:45:45.07
I'm not Elijah resurrected."
00:45:45.11\00:45:47.04
He came in the
spirit and the power.
00:45:47.08\00:45:48.74
Elisha was not
Elijah resurrected,
00:45:48.78\00:45:51.01
but Elisha had the
spirit and the power of Elijah.
00:45:51.05\00:45:54.25
Jesus is saying
Elisha--Elijah will come,
00:45:54.28\00:45:58.65
so if there is--John the
Baptist he says Elijah did come,
00:45:58.69\00:46:04.13
and they did to him
whatever they wanted,
00:46:04.16\00:46:05.99
but Elijah will come.
00:46:06.03\00:46:07.83
In Malachi when we read that
prophecy that we started with,
00:46:07.86\00:46:10.70
"Behold, I send you Elijah the
prophet," was it just talking
00:46:10.73\00:46:13.74
about John the Baptist, or is
there going to be another Elijah
00:46:13.77\00:46:20.14
message in the last days?
00:46:20.18\00:46:22.58
I believe there is.
00:46:22.61\00:46:24.98
I believe God is going to send
that spirit and power of Elijah.
00:46:25.01\00:46:27.62
I don't know if it will be a
message that will take people or
00:46:27.65\00:46:30.15
if there'll be an individual or
maybe a combination of the two
00:46:30.19\00:46:32.92
that will be proclaiming the
Elijah message, a great revival.
00:46:32.95\00:46:37.23
John the Baptist,
he called the people to
00:46:37.26\00:46:39.79
repentance and revival.
00:46:39.83\00:46:42.13
Elijah, it was a message
of repentance and revival,
00:46:42.16\00:46:44.93
and this is supposed to happen
in the last days before--notice,
00:46:44.97\00:46:48.04
"Lest I come and smite the earth
with a curse," and the ultimate
00:46:48.07\00:46:51.97
curse is going to be when
the Lord comes for the lost,
00:46:52.01\00:46:54.91
if they're not ready.
00:46:54.94\00:46:56.78
All right, something
else I want you to notice here
00:46:56.81\00:46:59.55
when he talks about this.
00:46:59.58\00:47:03.49
You look in--how does
the Gospel of Mark--no,
00:47:03.52\00:47:08.22
no, no, the Gospel
of Matthew and Luke,
00:47:08.26\00:47:11.26
they both begin
with the birth of Jesus.
00:47:11.29\00:47:15.06
How does Mark and John begin?
00:47:15.10\00:47:17.13
Where in chronology?
00:47:17.17\00:47:19.57
They begin with
John the Baptist.
00:47:19.60\00:47:21.57
Have you noticed that?
00:47:21.60\00:47:23.54
Matthew and Luke begin
with the Christmas story,
00:47:23.57\00:47:26.98
and Mark and John, they
just--they start right at the
00:47:27.01\00:47:31.55
ministry of Christ that
began at his anointing with the
00:47:31.58\00:47:35.48
Holy Spirit and the
ministry of John the Baptist.
00:47:35.52\00:47:38.15
You can look in Mark chapter 1,
and someone is going to read for
00:47:38.19\00:47:41.12
me in just a moment
John chapter 1, verse 6.
00:47:41.16\00:47:44.33
"The beginning of the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:47:44.36\00:47:46.33
the Son of God.
00:47:46.36\00:47:47.73
As it is written in
the Prophets: 'Behold,
00:47:47.76\00:47:50.20
I send My
messenger before Your face,
00:47:50.23\00:47:52.53
ho will prepare
Your way before You.
00:47:52.57\00:47:54.50
The voice of one crying in
the wilderness: "Prepare the way
00:47:54.54\00:47:57.37
of the Lord; make
His paths straight."'"
00:47:57.41\00:48:00.88
And this is
what they used to do.
00:48:00.91\00:48:02.31
They'd go before the king.
00:48:02.34\00:48:03.98
They had messengers that would
smooth down the high spots and
00:48:04.01\00:48:07.18
fill in the low spots
and make a road for the king.
00:48:07.22\00:48:10.35
John the Baptist
said that was his work.
00:48:10.39\00:48:11.69
You can go ahead
and read your verse.
00:48:11.72\00:48:14.19
female: "There was
a man sent from God,
00:48:14.22\00:48:16.36
whose name was John.
00:48:16.39\00:48:18.19
This man came to witness,
to be a witness to the Light,
00:48:18.23\00:48:21.80
that all through
him might believe.
00:48:21.83\00:48:24.20
He was not the Light,
but he was sent to bear
00:48:24.23\00:48:27.24
the witness of that Light."
00:48:27.27\00:48:29.64
Doug: So, right out of the
gate the Gospel of John talks
00:48:29.67\00:48:32.67
about the ministry
of John the Baptist.
00:48:32.71\00:48:35.28
That John came
to point to Christ,
00:48:35.31\00:48:37.08
said, "This is the Lamb of God."
00:48:37.11\00:48:38.98
And, you know, this is really
the message of repentance.
00:48:39.01\00:48:45.09
Someone asked a rabbi one time.
00:48:45.12\00:48:47.86
They said, "When is
the best time to repent?"
00:48:47.89\00:48:51.99
And he said, "The
last day of your life."
00:48:52.03\00:48:54.73
And they said, "Well, what if
you don't know when the last day
00:48:54.73\00:48:57.87
of your life is?"
00:48:57.90\00:49:00.14
He said, "Exactly."
00:49:00.17\00:49:02.37
Today is the appointed time.
00:49:02.40\00:49:05.74
Today is the day of salvation.
00:49:05.77\00:49:07.68
Failing to repent--someone once
said failing to repent--every
00:49:07.71\00:49:15.65
day you put off repenting is one
more day to repent of and one
00:49:15.68\00:49:22.82
less day to repent in.
00:49:22.86\00:49:26.16
And so, it's something
that so many people say,
00:49:26.19\00:49:28.23
"Yeah, one of these
days I'm going to repent of
00:49:28.26\00:49:30.33
my sins and turn.
00:49:30.37\00:49:32.33
One of these days I'm
going to surrender everything
00:49:32.37\00:49:33.87
and follow Jesus."
00:49:33.90\00:49:35.40
When a person really does make
a complete repentance there is
00:49:35.44\00:49:39.87
going to be a
transformation in life.
00:49:39.91\00:49:42.44
I heard about this evangelist.
00:49:42.48\00:49:44.28
His name was W.P. Nicholson.
00:49:44.31\00:49:46.85
He went to Belfast and had a
great revival and there was such
00:49:46.88\00:49:49.38
a widespread
repentance in the city.
00:49:49.42\00:49:51.55
That a lot of the
shipyards there in Belfast,
00:49:51.59\00:49:55.02
so many of the
workers were convicted of the
00:49:55.06\00:49:58.13
tools they had stolen.
00:49:58.16\00:50:00.10
They brought them back.
00:50:00.13\00:50:01.50
They ended up with so many extra
tools they had to build new
00:50:01.53\00:50:04.77
sheds to hold the tools that had
been purloined by the workers,
00:50:04.80\00:50:10.14
so the revival meant
they brought back--I heard
00:50:10.17\00:50:14.28
about this one man.
00:50:14.31\00:50:15.64
His name was Al Johnson.
00:50:15.68\00:50:17.91
He came to faith in
Christ back in the 1920s,
00:50:17.95\00:50:21.78
and he confessed
to a bank robbery
00:50:21.82\00:50:23.89
he had done with four others.
00:50:23.92\00:50:25.32
He had never been
caught, but he says,
00:50:25.35\00:50:27.22
"I've come to Christ,
and I can't have that on my
00:50:27.26\00:50:28.96
conscience," and
he went to the bank.
00:50:28.99\00:50:30.86
And he had gone past
the statute of limitations.
00:50:30.89\00:50:33.60
They said, "You can't
be prosecuted anymore."
00:50:33.63\00:50:35.20
It had been seven years,
whatever it was back then.
00:50:35.23\00:50:37.37
He said, "It doesn't matter."
00:50:37.40\00:50:38.93
He says, "It's written in
heaven," and he paid back part
00:50:38.97\00:50:41.40
of the money to the
bank that he had stolen.
00:50:41.44\00:50:43.91
He said, "I'm not going to pay
back what the other guys stole,
00:50:43.94\00:50:45.54
but I'll pay back what
I stole, my cut of it."
00:50:45.57\00:50:49.64
That's a sign of repentance.
00:50:49.68\00:50:51.38
I've had people
come to me before,
00:50:51.41\00:50:52.78
and they said, "Pastor
Doug, I want to come to Jesus,
00:50:52.81\00:50:55.68
but I stole from my boss and
if I tell them I'm going to get
00:50:55.72\00:51:00.29
fired, and I'll never be
able to pay back what I stole."
00:51:00.32\00:51:03.32
I say, "Well,
what would Jesus do?"
00:51:03.36\00:51:05.13
He said, "I
might end up in jail."
00:51:05.16\00:51:09.76
I said, "You need to
do the right thing and put
00:51:09.80\00:51:11.23
it in God's hands."
00:51:11.27\00:51:12.57
And I could tell you
testimony after testimony,
00:51:12.60\00:51:14.40
because I've had this
conversation with many people,
00:51:14.44\00:51:16.14
where they go to
their boss, and they say,
00:51:16.17\00:51:20.01
"You know, I found the Lord,
and I got to tell you something.
00:51:20.04\00:51:22.54
I stole from you,
and I cooked the books,
00:51:22.58\00:51:25.85
and I took thousands of
dollars, and I understand
00:51:25.88\00:51:28.32
you'll need to fire me.
00:51:28.35\00:51:29.65
And I'll do everything
I can to pay you back."
00:51:29.68\00:51:32.15
And on more than one occasion
the boss is so flabbergasted he
00:51:32.19\00:51:34.96
has to sit down
with his mouth open.
00:51:34.99\00:51:36.79
He said, "Now I've
got at least one honest
00:51:36.83\00:51:38.66
person working for me.
00:51:38.69\00:51:40.20
I'm not firing you."
00:51:40.23\00:51:43.83
And very rarely--I don't know
of anyone that got prosecuted,
00:51:43.87\00:51:48.80
because it's just like the Holy
Spirit works on their hearts,
00:51:48.84\00:51:51.44
so repentance is
going to mean a reform and
00:51:51.47\00:51:53.84
a transformation in life, amen?
00:51:53.88\00:51:55.84
Doing the right thing.
00:51:55.88\00:51:57.51
Confessing and
forsaking our sin.
00:51:57.55\00:51:59.55
All right, well, we're
out of time for our lesson.
00:51:59.58\00:52:00.95
I want to remind you
that we have a free offer.
00:52:00.98\00:52:03.59
It's "The Day of the Lord" and
if you just contact the number
00:52:03.62\00:52:07.19
on your screen, dial...
00:52:07.22\00:52:11.16
they will send that to you.
00:52:11.19\00:52:12.49
This is a real quality magazine.
00:52:12.53\00:52:13.83
It's filled with
beautiful illustrations.
00:52:13.86\00:52:15.40
After you read it you'll want to
share and don't forget next week
00:52:15.43\00:52:18.37
we're going to begin
our study talking about
00:52:18.40\00:52:21.17
"The Least of
These," our new quarterly.
00:52:21.20\00:52:23.17
God bless you, friends.
00:52:23.20\00:52:24.51
We'll continue, God willing,
to study his Word next week.
00:52:24.54\00:52:27.38
male announcer: Don't
forget to request today's
00:52:28.38\00:52:29.84
life-changing free resource.
00:52:29.88\00:52:31.45
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:52:31.48\00:52:33.58
you can download a digital
copy straight to your computer
00:52:33.62\00:52:36.05
or mobile device.
00:52:36.08\00:52:37.59
To get your digital
copy of today's free gift,
00:52:37.62\00:52:40.12
simply text the key word on your
screen to 40544 or visit the web
00:52:40.16\00:52:45.16
address shown on your screen
and be sure to select a digital
00:52:45.19\00:52:48.40
download option
on the request page.
00:52:48.43\00:52:50.73
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:52:50.77\00:52:53.74
Amazing Facts wherever
and whenever you want and,
00:52:53.77\00:52:57.34
most important, to
share it with others.
00:52:57.37\00:53:00.24
¤¤¤
00:53:00.28\00:53:10.29
Doug: Friends, are
you afraid of heights?
00:53:11.79\00:53:13.25
If so, you might want
to look away right now.
00:53:13.29\00:53:15.59
One of the most famous
attractions in the San Francisco
00:53:15.62\00:53:18.66
Bay area is the
iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
00:53:18.69\00:53:22.23
While this world-famous bridge
was named as one of the seven
00:53:22.26\00:53:25.33
wonders of the modern world,
few people know the story of the
00:53:25.37\00:53:28.54
brave men who were involved in
its construction and also known
00:53:28.57\00:53:31.57
as the Halfway to Hell Club.
00:53:31.61\00:53:34.81
Designed by a group
of visionary engineers,
00:53:34.84\00:53:37.58
at 4,200 feet from end to end
the Golden Gate Bridge was at
00:53:37.61\00:53:41.02
one time the longest
suspension bridge in the world.
00:53:41.05\00:53:44.32
During its
construction from 1933 to 1937,
00:53:44.35\00:53:48.19
the Golden Gate Bridge had one
of the best safety construction
00:53:48.22\00:53:51.59
records of any
project during that time.
00:53:51.63\00:53:54.00
Keep in mind they would factor
in and calculate that one man
00:53:54.03\00:53:57.57
would die for every
million dollars that was spent,
00:53:57.60\00:54:00.74
so with a budget of $35 million
they knew that loss of life
00:54:00.77\00:54:04.37
would be unacceptable.
00:54:04.41\00:54:06.21
This is why the chief
engineer, Joseph B. Strauss,
00:54:06.24\00:54:09.04
was absolutely adamant
about using the most rigorous
00:54:09.08\00:54:11.41
safety precautions that had ever
been used in bridge building.
00:54:11.45\00:54:14.88
He had a local manufacturer of
safety equipment design special
00:54:14.92\00:54:18.85
head gear that he
insisted be worn on every job.
00:54:18.89\00:54:21.42
This became the prototype
for the modern hardhat,
00:54:21.46\00:54:24.63
worn for the first
time ever, but the safety
00:54:24.66\00:54:26.86
precautions went even farther.
00:54:26.90\00:54:28.96
Strauss provided a special hand
and face cream to protect their
00:54:29.00\00:54:32.47
skin from the cold,
biting wind and glare-free
00:54:32.50\00:54:35.20
goggles to protect their eyes.
00:54:35.24\00:54:37.17
In addition, they also ate a
special diet to help ward off
00:54:37.21\00:54:40.31
dizziness when they were
working at those epic heights,
00:54:40.34\00:54:43.51
but the most conspicuous safety
precaution was a gigantic net
00:54:43.55\00:54:47.45
that was suspended from
end to end under the entire
00:54:47.48\00:54:50.59
construction area of
the Golden Gate Bridge.
00:54:50.62\00:54:53.19
In fact, during construction
this net saved the lives of 19
00:54:53.22\00:54:57.83
men who later became known
as the Halfway to Hell Club.
00:54:57.86\00:55:02.70
Now, you need to keep in
mind these were some of the most
00:55:02.73\00:55:05.23
dangerous construction
conditions you can imagine.
00:55:05.27\00:55:07.74
The wind was constantly blowing.
00:55:07.77\00:55:10.31
They were walking around
on iron that sometimes had
00:55:10.34\00:55:13.48
ice from the freezing fog.
00:55:13.51\00:55:15.28
In places they were over
700 feet above the icy waters,
00:55:15.31\00:55:20.42
yet the men coming from all
walks of life were willing to
00:55:20.45\00:55:23.55
take these risks because it
was during the Great Depression,
00:55:23.59\00:55:26.52
and they would get
paid up to $11 a day,
00:55:26.55\00:55:28.76
which was a fortune back then.
00:55:28.79\00:55:31.26
One of the other benefits of the
net was they discovered that the
00:55:31.29\00:55:35.66
men were much more courageous
even though they were walking
00:55:35.70\00:55:38.03
high on those slippery surfaces,
because they knew there was a
00:55:38.07\00:55:41.54
mechanism to protect
them if they should fall.
00:55:41.57\00:55:44.24
This gave them the confidence
and the courage to press on and
00:55:44.27\00:55:46.88
get the bridge
built in record time.
00:55:46.91\00:55:49.28
You know, friends, as Christians
we have a great work to do.
00:55:49.31\00:55:52.55
The Bible tells us that we
get to participate with Jesus in
00:55:52.58\00:55:55.58
building a bridge that connects
heaven and Earth and there are
00:55:55.62\00:55:59.72
dangers along the way.
00:55:59.75\00:56:01.56
The devil would like to paralyze
us with fear that we might fall
00:56:01.59\00:56:04.93
or make a mistake, but we know
that Jesus has provided a safety
00:56:04.96\00:56:08.06
net for us, and we
don't have to be afraid.
00:56:08.10\00:56:10.80
We can press on with confidence,
because the promises in the book
00:56:10.83\00:56:13.70
of Jude verse 24 he is
able to keep us from falling.
00:56:13.74\00:56:17.24
But sometimes we make mistakes.
00:56:17.27\00:56:19.57
Still don't be
discouraged, friends.
00:56:19.61\00:56:21.28
If you read in 1 John chapter
2, verse 1 the Bible says if we
00:56:21.31\00:56:25.28
fall, if we sin we have
an advocate with the Father,
00:56:25.31\00:56:28.92
Jesus Christ, so let's
press on together and build
00:56:28.95\00:56:31.95
that bridge with Christ.
00:56:31.99\00:56:33.36
¤¤¤
00:56:33.39\00:56:38.56
[crickets chirring]
00:56:40.00\00:56:42.20
¤¤¤
00:56:44.30\00:56:54.28
¤¤¤
00:56:54.31\00:57:04.29
[dog barking]
00:57:04.32\00:57:07.96
¤¤¤
00:57:07.99\00:57:12.23
[alarm ringing]
00:57:12.26\00:57:17.47
¤¤¤
00:57:17.50\00:57:23.04
child: Mommy, Daddy, help me.
00:57:23.07\00:57:26.14
¤¤¤
00:57:26.17\00:57:27.68
male: No, I don't think so.
00:57:27.71\00:57:29.04
You didn't do very
well on your report card
00:57:29.08\00:57:30.91
this last quarter, so no.
00:57:30.95\00:57:33.82
female: You haven't been pulling
your weight around here lately.
00:57:33.85\00:57:36.45
You want help?
00:57:36.48\00:57:37.79
Well, I wanted help
with the dishes last night.
00:57:37.82\00:57:39.99
Help yourself.
00:57:40.02\00:57:41.76
child: Huh?
00:57:41.79\00:57:43.39
male: Honey, did you
bring the marshmallows?
00:57:43.43\00:57:46.96
[child coughing]
00:57:47.00\00:57:49.26
¤¤¤
00:57:49.30\00:57:59.27
¤¤¤
00:57:59.31\00:58:08.82
¤¤¤
00:58:09.32\00:58:19.29
¤¤¤
00:58:19.33\00:58:27.30