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00:11 ♪♪♪ 00:21 ♪♪♪ 00:35 Jëan Ross: Good morning, friends. 00:37 Welcome again to "Sabbath School Study Hour" here at the Granite 00:38 Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church in Sacramento, California. 00:42 I'd like to welcome our online members and our extended Sabbath 00:44 school class joining in across the country and around the world 00:48 as we continue our series dealing with family seasons. 00:53 Actually, today is the final study with our lesson quarterly 00:56 on the subject of family seasons. 00:58 Today's lesson is lesson number 13, 01:00 and it's entitled "Turning Hearts in the End Times," 01:05 so that's an important and interesting study that 01:07 we'll be looking at today. 01:09 Those of you who are here in person following our lesson 01:12 study today, you'll be able to receive next 01:14 quarter's lesson quarterly. 01:17 It's entitled "The Least of These," and this will be handed 01:20 out following our study time here. 01:23 You'll also see it on the back table. 01:24 For those of you who are joining us and who don't have a copy of 01:26 our quarterly for next study, you can go to Amazing Facts, 01:32 and you can order yours. 01:33 You can also just go visit a nearby Seventh-day Adventist 01:36 Church, and you'll be able to receive a lesson quarterly 01:39 there, as well. 01:40 Now, before we go to our worship time, 01:44 before we get to our lesson, we have something special that we'd 01:47 like to let you know about. 01:49 This afternoon at 4:30, right here at the Granite Bay Church 01:52 and also for our friends who are joining us on Facebook, 01:54 we're going to have a special Q&A time connected with our 01:58 AFCOE program. 02:00 AFCOE is the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism. 02:03 I'm very happy that we have Daniel with us this morning. 02:06 Daniel, come on up. 02:07 Daniel is the assistant AFCOE director, 02:09 also very involved with our AFCOE training, 02:12 traveling around doing our AFCOE To Gos, 02:13 and he's going to tell us a little bit about a brand new 02:16 course that is available through our AFCOE online and then I 02:19 think we're going to show you a short video about it. 02:21 Daniel Hudgens: That's right. 02:23 You know, time flies, and it's hard to imagine that just almost 02:26 a year ago we launched Amazing Disciples, 02:29 which goes through all the principles of discipleship and 02:31 what it's all about, about really being a Christian. 02:34 And so, now I'm just thrilled to announce that we have expanded 02:36 our program with Amazing Doctrines. 02:40 It's, kind of, like the next step. 02:42 Now you're a disciple. What do you teach? 02:44 And all these special teachings found in the Word. 02:47 You know, Jesus said, "I am the way, 02:48 the truth, and the life," and so each week we're going 02:52 to be going through what is the way of Jesus and how does it 02:55 affect our life as we study with others and as we live? 02:58 And so, we've got a pretty cool video that we're going to show 03:01 you now, letting you know all about Amazing Doctrines. 03:04 If you want to know more you can go to online.afcoe.org or you 03:09 can go to afcoe.org and click on the links there, 03:13 and you can learn all about both programs, 03:14 Amazing Disciples and Amazing Doctrines. 03:18 Jëan: All right, we'll take a look at that video at this time. 03:22 ♪♪♪ 03:32 ♪♪♪ 03:36 Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. 03:37 Last year, we expanded our AFCOE program to include our very 03:40 first global online platform. 03:44 It's called Amazing Disciples. 03:47 Now we're very excited to announce our brand new 13-week 03:51 course called "Amazing Doctrines" that will empower you 03:55 to share the precious truths found in the Word of God, 03:58 doctrines such as Scripture, salvation, 04:01 sanctuary, the state of man in death, 04:04 the Second Coming, the Sabbath, strength, 04:07 stewardship, the spirit of prophecy, 04:09 and we'll be talking about the origin of sin. 04:13 Of course, the material is based on the firsthand experience of 04:16 our evangelists that they've acquired in their years of 04:19 experience in the field, so now you can learn from the very best 04:22 and be equipped with proven methods to join in the work. 04:25 What's more, you'll be able to study this fantastic material on 04:29 your phone, your tablet, your computer, 04:32 and on the go. 04:34 You'll have 13 powerful lessons, weekly downloads, 04:37 interactive lessons, video presentations, 04:40 and live question-and-answer sessions with the AFCOE team. 04:45 You'll have a real team of teachers to guide you along the 04:49 way and as a student you'll be able to study from home, 04:52 learn at any time, and become a confident and effective soul 04:56 winner in your community, or wherever God calls you. 05:00 And upon completion of the course, 05:01 you will receive a certificate of completion. 05:04 Now, how would you like to meet some of 05:06 your personal instructors? 05:08 Carlos Muñoz and Daniel Hudgens, my friends and 05:10 powerful evangelists. 05:12 Daniel: Thanks, Pastor Doug. 05:13 Friends, we're so excited about this new online program. 05:16 Carlos Muñoz: We're going to be waiting for you, 05:17 so please join us by logging on to our website. 05:19 ♪♪♪ 05:27 Jëan: Well, there it is, our AFCOE Online. 05:29 Very excited about that, our brand-new series 05:31 called Amazing Doctrines, and we're 05:33 actually starting our Q&A time today. 05:37 Again, that's this afternoon, 4:30, 05:39 right here at the church. 05:40 You're all welcome to come join us. 05:41 We're going to be taking some questions from our AFCOE online 05:45 students, some Bible questions, so I think you'll enjoy that. 05:49 At this time, I'd like to invite our song leaders to come 05:51 forward, and we're going to begin our study time by lifting 05:53 our voices in song. 05:55 female: As we do before every study, 05:58 we lift our voices to the Lord to sing together, 06:01 so I invite you to pull out your hymnals and those of you that 06:04 are at home hymn number 318, "Whiter Than Snow." 06:09 And that is what we all want to be, 06:10 is washed whiter than snow in the blood of Jesus and taken to 06:13 heaven very soon, so let's sing verses one, three, and four. 06:19 "Whiter Than Snow." 06:21 ♪♪♪ 06:25 ♪ Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole. 06:31 ♪ I want Thee forever to live in my soul. ♪ 06:38 ♪ Break down every idol, cast out every foe. ♪ 06:46 ♪ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ♪ 06:53 ♪ Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow. ♪ 07:00 ♪ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ♪ 07:09 ♪ Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat. ♪ 07:16 ♪ I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet. ♪ 07:23 ♪ By faith for my cleansing, I see Thy blood flow. ♪ 07:30 ♪ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ♪ 07:39 ♪ Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow. ♪ 07:45 ♪ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ♪ 07:55 ♪ Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait. ♪ 08:01 ♪ Come now and within me a new heart create. ♪ 08:09 ♪ To those who have sought Thee Thou never said'st no. ♪ 08:16 ♪ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ♪ 08:24 ♪ Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow. ♪ 08:32 ♪ Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ♪♪ 08:43 ♪♪♪ 08:52 Jëan: Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 08:53 Dear Father, once again we are grateful for this opportunity to 08:57 gather together and open up Your Word and study an important 09:00 subject, talking about the family and how we can prepare 09:03 for the end times that we know is nearing us sooner all the 09:08 time, so, Lord, we ask for Your blessing. 09:10 Be with our study time today. In Jesus's name, amen. 09:14 Our lesson this morning is going to be brought to 09:16 us by Pastor Doug. 09:18 Doug: Good morning. 09:20 Happy Sabbath. 09:22 Glad to see you here. 09:24 Glad to see those who are here worshiping and studying with us 09:28 at Granite Bay, as well as we know there are hundreds 09:32 and thousands around the world that study. 09:35 Some are watching live now and then when it's rebroadcast on 09:39 television and satellite later there are thousands that tune in 09:42 and study with us. 09:44 We're glad that you're joining us. 09:45 Today, we're going to be covering our last lesson, 09:46 lesson number 13 in our study guide, 09:49 on family seasons, and you probably know that means that 09:52 we're going to begin a new study dealing with the least of these, 09:56 ministering to those in need, talking about some of the 09:59 practical aspects of Christianity. 10:01 And for those of you who are members and attend locally, 10:04 we have our new quarterlies on the central table out in the 10:08 foyer, and I'm looking forward to this series of lesson. 10:11 Today, our lesson is talking about turning hearts in the end, 10:16 turning hearts in the end time, and our memory verse is Malachi 10:21 chapter 4, last book in the Old Testament, 10:25 last chapter in the Old Testament. 10:27 Malachi chapter 4, verse 5 and 6, 10:29 last verses in the Old Testament. 10:32 You want to say that with me? 10:34 And this is from the New King James Version. 10:36 Are you ready? 10:37 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of 10:42 the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 10:44 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 10:48 and the hearts of the children to their fathers, 10:50 lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." 10:55 So, our lesson is talking about turning, turning hearts. 11:01 This turning that is being discussed in the lesson is 11:05 really talking about repentance. 11:08 Now let me give you a few verses that illustrate that. 11:10 What will bring about a revival and repentance in the last days? 11:14 Turning hearts of families back to the Lord. 11:17 If you look at Malachi chapter 3--if you want to know--what is 11:21 He talking about when He says there in Malachi 4 "turning the 11:24 hearts of the fathers to the children"? 11:26 Look at Malachi 3. 11:28 Let the Bible describe the Bible. 11:29 "'Yet from the days of your fathers you've gone away from My 11:33 ordinances and you've not kept them. 11:36 Return to Me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord." 11:41 So, He's talking about that they had drifted away from the 11:44 teachings of God, and He says "in the days of your fathers." 11:47 Now, when it says "restoring the hearts of the fathers to the 11:51 children and the hearts of the children to their fathers," this 11:56 is certainly talking about relationships. 11:58 You know, they say that one of the--one of the catastrophes in 12:03 the world today is because of the epidemic 12:07 of divorce and broken homes. 12:09 So many children are growing up without the father being a 12:13 central part of the family or not knowing who their father is 12:15 and because of that lack of strong fathers in the family, 12:21 that it's just created a whole cultural shift, 12:25 and the Lord wants to see a revival in this, 12:27 among other things. 12:29 But in the Bible, when it talks about the fathers, 12:31 it's not just talking about daddies. 12:33 It's talking about the teachings of the fathers. 12:36 There's often in the Bible a generation gap. 12:40 You notice it tells us, for instance, 12:42 in the book of Judges that after--I think it's 12:45 even in Joshua. 12:46 After the generation that saw the works of the Lord had died 12:49 off, their children came who did not believe in or did not commit 12:54 themselves to the God of their fathers, 12:57 and they started going after other gods. 12:59 They rejected the gods of their fathers, 13:01 so this restoration of the children to the fathers is 13:05 talking about the children returning to the teachings of 13:10 the fathers, and the fathers having a responsibility to train 13:14 up their children in the way of the Lord, 13:17 to speak of the Word of God when they lay down, 13:20 when they rise up, on the doors of the house, 13:21 on the gates of the city, when you go out, 13:23 when you come in. 13:25 And so, it's really a revival talking about a repentance 13:27 and a returning back to God. 13:30 Here are some other verses that will help bear that out. 13:33 Zechariah chapter 1, verse 3 and 4, 13:36 "Therefore say unto them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Return 13:42 to Me,' says the Lord of hosts, 'and I will return to you.'" 13:46 Can you think of a story in the Bible where someone was 13:50 returning to the father and the father returned to them? 13:56 Prodigal son. 13:58 When the boy begins to make his way home, 14:00 as soon as the father sees him--now, 14:02 does the father see him when he knocks on the door? 14:03 How does he see him? 14:05 Long before he gets to the house, 14:06 a great way off. 14:08 And when he saw him coming did he fold his arms and tap his 14:11 foot and say, "When he gets here I'm going to lecture him"? 14:13 Or does the father run to meet him as soon as he sees him 14:16 making an effort to come home? 14:19 And when God sees us beginning to draw near to him, 14:22 isn't that what the Lord wants? 14:24 And he runs to meet us. 14:25 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 14:31 "'Do not be like your fathers, whom the former prophets 14:34 preached to, saying, "The Lord of hosts--thus says the Lord of 14:38 hosts: 'Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.'" 14:42 But they did not hear--they did not hear me,' says the Lord." 14:46 So, when we're studying turning the hearts in the end time 14:48 notice what he says. 14:49 "Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds." 14:51 What is the central study today? 14:53 Turning from evil. 14:55 What do we call that? 14:57 Repentance. 14:59 A message in the last days of repentance. 15:03 What was the message of John the Baptist? 15:06 Because when it says here, "Behold, 15:10 I'll send you Elijah the prophet," haven't gotten there 15:12 yet, but, you know, John the Baptist came in the spirit 15:15 and the power of Elijah, right? 15:17 And it's a message of repentance. 15:19 What was the first thing that Jesus said when 15:23 he began preaching? 15:25 Repent. First word was "repent." 15:29 First word of John the Baptist was "repent." 15:32 On Pentecost, when Peter is talking to the people, 15:36 and he preaches and when he's done they say, 15:38 "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 15:40 what's the first thing he says? 15:42 Repent. 15:43 We don't hear a lot of sermons that talk about repentance, 15:46 but this is what it means when it talks about 15:48 turning back to God. 15:50 You look in Isaiah 44, verse 22. 15:53 "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, 15:56 your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. 15:59 Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." 16:03 Again, he's talking about turning, 16:04 and it's a blotting--a forgiveness that comes. 16:08 And in James chapter 4 here is another example 16:11 of you drawing near to God. 16:13 James 4, verse 7, "Therefore--" 16:15 Now, someone here is going to read for me Ezekiel 11:19. 16:18 You'll have that in just a moment. 16:19 "Therefore submit to God. 16:21 Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 16:24 Draw near to God--" 16:25 Now, how do you resist the devil? 16:28 You draw near to God. 16:29 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." 16:32 There you have it again. 16:33 Turn to God, He will turn to you. 16:36 "He will draw near to you. 16:37 Cleanse your hands, you sinners." 16:38 So, what does it mean to turn to God? 16:40 "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; 16:43 purify your hearts, you double-minded. 16:45 Lament and mourn and weep! 16:48 Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom." 16:52 Now, does that sound like a positive message? 16:56 It is a positive message. 16:58 When you think about it, what's the next verse say? 17:01 "Humble yourself in the sight of God. 17:03 He will lift you up." 17:05 So, what comes before God lifts us up? 17:07 A humbling of ourselves before God. 17:11 You know, that classic verse there in 2 Chronicles. 17:15 "If my people who--" 17:17 I think it's chapter 14, verse 7. 17:19 "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves 17:23 and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked way, 17:26 then I will hear from heaven. 17:28 I will forgive their sin. 17:29 I will heal their land." 17:30 We want God to hear. 17:32 We want God to forgive. We want God to heal. 17:34 What comes first? 17:35 Humble ourselves in the sight of God. 17:37 He will lift us up at that point. 17:40 Now, go ahead. 17:42 You read your verse for me in Ezekiel 11, verse 19. 17:45 female: Ezekiel 11:19, "Then I will give them one heart, 17:49 and I will put a new spirit within them, 17:52 and take the stony heart out of their flesh, 17:55 and give them a heart of flesh." 17:58 Doug: This is the new conversion experience. 18:01 We were talking about this in our family last night, 18:03 about, you know, how do you really obey God? 18:07 You need to be born-again, but in so many churches now they're 18:13 teaching that being saved means you simply embrace salvation 18:17 and there is no transformation in the life. 18:19 That is not biblical. 18:21 The Bible is pretty clear that first we must repent and part of 18:24 repentance, the verbal side of repentance, is confession. 18:28 Is that right? 18:29 Is there a place for us repenting and 18:30 confessing our sins? 18:33 Now, confession of sin means--how many know 18:37 every sin you've committed? 18:40 Some of you might have a photographic 18:42 memory, but I don't. 18:44 How can you be sure that you've repented and confessed every sin 18:47 you've ever committed? 18:49 Well, the Holy Spirit will remind you of 18:51 what you need to confess. 18:53 Now, first of all, when God says repent and confess your sins, 18:55 I don't think He's wanting you to do an inventory of every sin 18:59 from the day you reached the age of accountability until the 19:02 present, because I seriously doubt anyone 19:04 can remember every sin. 19:06 But can you remember the categories? 19:09 So, you may not remember every time you told an untruth--that's 19:13 a code for lie--but you can say--and, 19:17 you know, the Bible says, "Do not bear false witness." 19:19 Just use the Ten Commandments as a template. 19:22 Go through them. 19:23 I've said this frequently that I think it's a very good idea. 19:25 If you've never done this before and you've accepted Jesus, 19:29 to get off by yourself and say, "Lord, show me my sins." 19:35 Doesn't David say, "Search me and try me. 19:37 See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in 19:40 the way everlasting"? 19:42 It's like, "Search me and try me and reveal these things to me. 19:45 I will repent of them." 19:46 And say, "Lord, show me my sin." 19:48 Get by yourself, get on your knees, 19:50 get a piece of paper and just say, 19:52 "Lord, I've been a liar. 19:56 I'm guilty of murder." 19:58 "Wait, Pastor Doug, I've never murdered." 19:59 Jesus says have you been angry with your brother without cause? 20:04 That's called murder. 20:06 He said, "Do not swear by heaven above or earth beneath. 20:09 Let your yea be yea, your nay be nay." 20:11 If you're giving any kind of shades of the truth, 20:14 that's dishonesty. 20:16 "I've committed adultery." 20:17 "Wait, I've never committed adultery." 20:19 Have you looked on the opposite sex to lust? 20:23 Does Jesus say you can commit adultery in your heart? 20:26 Now, we'd probably be surprised that most of us are probably 20:28 guilty of all ten. 20:30 "Thou shall not covet." 20:31 And so, just say--go through the Ten Commandments and say, 20:33 "Lord, I have broken Your law many times. 20:37 I don't even remember all the times." 20:39 That way you cover anything you've left out and say, 20:43 "But I believe Your promise that if I confess and forsake 20:48 my sins, I will have mercy." 20:52 The Bible says if we confess our sins--what is this? 20:55 1 John chapter 1, verse 9, "If we confess our sins He is 21:01 faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us 21:03 from," how much? 21:05 "All unrighteousness." 21:06 Claim that promise and then when you have repented and confessed 21:10 your sins and you get off your knees, 21:12 you're forgiven. 21:14 But then, what do you do? 21:16 The Bible tells us there needs to be a reformation in life. 21:19 Maybe I should start with a definition of 21:22 what repentance is, to repent. 21:24 This means remorse, regret, or contrition for past conduct or 21:30 sin, to feel such regret as to change one's mind regarding it, 21:36 as in repenting of intemperate behavior, 21:39 to make it change for the better as a result of remorse, 21:42 or notice what repentance is: to make a change for the better as 21:47 a result of this remorse or contrition for one's sins. 21:51 The Hebrew word for repent is "nocham," and it means 21:55 "to sigh," "to breathe strongly." 21:57 It's like regret and the Greek word is "metanoeó," and it means 22:03 to--regretful, thinking differently, 22:06 turning from sin. 22:08 Peter said, "Repent and be baptized, 22:12 and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," so connected 22:15 with this repentance is you get a new beginning, 22:18 a washing away from your sin. 22:19 All right, back to our lesson. 22:21 Now, we just heard about this new heart that God gives us and 22:25 in Ezekiel 18 he says, "Cast away from you all the 22:29 transgressions that you have committed," this is describing 22:33 that repentance. 22:34 "'Get yourself a new heart and a new spirit. 22:37 For why will you die, O house of Israel? 22:40 For I have no pleasure in the death of 22:42 one who dies,' says the Lord. 22:43 'Therefore turn,'" talking about turning hearts. 22:46 What does turning mean? 22:48 It says cast away your transgressions. 22:51 Turn and live, and so this is speaking of 22:55 repentance and transformation. 22:58 Now, how many of you have heard these hints that being a 23:06 Christian means you come to the front, 23:08 you say a prayer and say, "I accept Jesus. 23:10 He died for my sins"? 23:12 "Thank you. You're now saved." 23:15 And it's implied that "this is what you've done. 23:17 Listen, you've got eternal life now. 23:19 Just enjoy yourself." 23:21 But there is really no teaching that goes along with it about 23:23 what does it mean to repent. 23:26 It used to be that when people came to the Lord, 23:30 they say they wanted to accept Jesus, 23:33 the pastor would then study with them and 23:34 talk about reformation in life. 23:37 The Bible describes it. This is what is spoken of here. 23:41 Ezekiel 33:11, "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 23:46 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, 23:48 but that the wicked turn from his way and live. 23:52 Turn, turn from your evil ways! 23:55 For why will you die, O house of Israel?'" 23:59 So, a message in the last days for families 24:01 is turning from evil. 24:03 Ezekiel 33:14. I just read Ezekiel 33:11. 24:07 Now you go a little later in the chapter. 24:09 "Again, I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' if he 24:13 turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 24:18 if the wicked restores the pledge," now it's giving you 24:21 some specifics, "if he restores the pledge, 24:24 gives back what he has stolen, walks in the statutes of life 24:28 without committing iniquity, he will surely live and not die. 24:32 None of his sins he has committed shall be remembered 24:35 against him; what he has done, he has done what is lawful and 24:39 right; he will surely live." 24:41 Almost makes it sound like, well, 24:43 is that salvation by works, I work my way to heaven? 24:46 No, if you are saved by grace, if you are sorry for your sin 24:49 there'll be an evidence. 24:51 You'll have fruit in your life. 24:52 It's like the person who says, "Lord, 24:53 please forgive me for borrowing my neighbor's lawnmower and 24:57 never returning it. 24:59 Praise the Lord, I'm forgiven." 25:00 Now, the question is do you still have his 25:02 lawnmower in your garage? 25:03 If you say, "Well, I still got his lawnmower, 25:05 but Jesus has forgiven me," now wait a second. 25:07 You take the lawnmower back, otherwise you have not repented. 25:10 Isn't that right? 25:12 I say that because I got some--a friend who did that to me. 25:16 It wasn't my lawnmower. 25:18 It was something else. 25:19 He borrowed some tools, then he asked me to forgive him, 25:21 but he never brought them back. 25:23 That's not real repentance. 25:27 All right, next section. 25:29 Oh, I got one more verse here. 25:30 Jonah 3:10. 25:33 When Jonah preached up and down the streets of Nineveh, 25:35 the Bible says, "God saw their works, 25:39 that they turned from their evil way," this is the turning. 25:43 And it says, "He relented from the disaster that He had said He 25:48 would bring upon them, and He did not do it." 25:51 Because they turned God then showed them mercy. 25:54 Friends, is there time for us right now to turn? 25:57 And if we turn will he show mercy? 26:02 Will there be a time when probation closes 26:03 and then it's too late? 26:06 Yes, and now is the time, today while you hear his voice. 26:08 Jeremiah 19. 26:10 We're talking about the family reunion here. 26:11 Jeremiah 19, verse 5, "They've also built high places to the 26:15 Baal, they've burned their sons in the fire for burnt offerings 26:18 to Baal, which I did not command or speak, 26:21 neither did it come into My mind." 26:23 Now, under this section about family reunion, 26:25 I mean, they want you to read two chapters or three chapters 26:30 there in 1 Kings, and there's no way we can do that in the class 26:33 here, but it's telling the story of what happened because Ahab 26:36 married out of the church. 26:38 Who did Ahab marry? 26:40 Jezebel was a daughter of Ethbaal from the Sidonians, 26:46 and she was like a priestess for Baal and here he marries her. 26:51 That's just like really marrying out of the church, 26:53 and she begins to bring Baal worship in a big way into 26:58 the northern kingdom. 27:00 And because his--what was happening in his family, 27:02 it began to spread throughout the families, 27:05 and so--and all kinds of nasty things went along with Baal 27:09 worship that was affecting everybody. 27:14 But during this time, God sends Elijah to stay with a Sidonian 27:19 family, and he brings Jehovah there. 27:22 So, here Ahab, he brings the worship of Baal from Sidon down 27:30 into Israel, and they start to follow the practice. 27:33 Elijah goes up there, and he does missionary work. 27:35 It's like the opposite way in--of doing it in 27:38 the same territory. 27:40 Luke 4. 27:42 Jesus begins his ministry and notice what he refers to. 27:44 "I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of 27:48 Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, 27:51 and there was a great famine throughout the land; 27:54 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, 27:57 the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow." 28:00 Now, Jesus--it's interesting. 28:03 Jesus does one miracle for a Gentile, 28:09 or I'll say a Gentile mission trip you might say. 28:12 There is one time when Jesus actually leaves 28:14 the territory of Israel. 28:15 He goes up to Sidon, and a woman comes crying after Him 28:19 and says, "Have mercy. 28:20 My daughter is tormented by the 28:22 devil," and He ignores her at first. 28:24 And she continues to plead, "Have mercy on me. 28:25 My daughter is tormented by the devil." 28:27 And, finally, He says, "I--you know, 28:30 I'm not in Israel right now, and I'm sent to the lost sheep 28:33 of the house of Israel." 28:34 And she said, "O Lord, have mercy." 28:36 He said, "It's not appropriate to take the children's food and 28:38 give it to the dogs." 28:40 I know it sounds like very harsh language. 28:41 Jesus was answering her the way the priest would have answered. 28:44 He wanted the disciples to hear how the religious leaders 28:47 sounded, but her faith was so persistent. 28:50 She said, "Yes, but the little dogs get the crumbs that fall 28:52 from the children's tables." 28:54 He said, "Woman, great is your faith. 28:56 Go home. 28:57 Your daughter is going to be healed," and she went home, 28:59 and her daughter was healed. 29:01 So, Jesus performs a miracle for a child of a Sidonian woman. 29:07 Elijah goes up into Sidon. 29:10 He performs a miracle. 29:11 You remember he stays with this woman, 29:14 and he really gives her quite a test. 29:17 During the time of famine, he comes to the gates of the city. 29:21 Remember, Elijah is staying by the Brook Cherith and the water 29:26 in the brook finally dries up. 29:27 That's back when the ravens were bringing him food, 29:29 and God says, "Go up to Sidon. 29:32 I've spoken to a widow there. 29:34 She's going to take care of you." 29:36 Well, evidently, the widow hadn't opened her mail yet, 29:38 because when Elijah comes outside the gates of the city 29:41 she's out gathering sticks. 29:43 God impresses Elijah, "That's the woman." 29:46 And he says to her, "Can you get me a drink of water?" 29:50 She said, "Yeah, there is still water in the well." 29:51 There was a famine. 29:53 It hadn't rained, but there is still water in the well, 29:55 so she's going to get a cup of water and as she's going he 29:56 says, "And can you bring me a little cake of bread?" 30:01 And she just exasperates. 30:02 She turns around and says, "Man of God, look. 30:04 I'm out gathering two sticks so that my son and I can prepare 30:08 our last meal, eat our last loaf of bread and die." 30:13 He said, "Trust me. 30:15 You go make a loaf for me and then make for yourself and make 30:18 a loaf for me first, for thus says the Lord, 30:21 'The flour will not go away from the bin and the oil will not dry 30:25 up until God sends rain on the earth.'" 30:28 So, she's got to make a decision. 30:30 "Do I believe the Word of God?" 30:33 So, she does it. 30:34 She said, "What have I got to lose? 30:35 He might be right. 30:37 If I put him first maybe we'll eat for many days, 30:38 otherwise I get one more meal anyway, 30:40 so what's the difference?" 30:42 I don't know if that's what she's thinking, 30:44 but that's what I would have thought, 30:46 so she goes and she makes a loaf for Elijah, 30:48 gives him a drink of water. 30:49 She comes back to make a loaf for herself and there is more 30:51 flour in the bin, and it says she and her family every day ate 30:57 through the remainder of the famine. 30:59 Whenever she reached in there there was more. 31:01 It's almost like Jesus multiplying the bread, right? 31:06 Now, while he's staying with the widow tragedy strikes the home 31:09 and the woman's son gets sick and dies, 31:15 and Elijah, he goes up to the upper room where the child is. 31:19 He prays for the child. 31:22 He stretches himself on the child, 31:24 and he prays three times and the child is resurrected. 31:28 Now, what's the response of the woman when that happens? 31:31 And that's--I think you're going to be reading that for me. 31:33 So, here he multiplies the bread. 31:37 This miracle happens. 31:38 What other miracle happens here? 31:40 Go and read--I think it's 1 Kings 17:24. 31:42 Albert: 1 Kings 17:24, "Then the woman said to Elijah, 31:46 'Now by this I know that you are a man of God, 31:50 and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.'" 31:55 Doug: You know, something I probably should have said right 31:56 at the beginning of our lesson is in our memory verse, 32:01 last prophecy in the Old Testament, 32:03 "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet," did Elijah the prophet 32:08 come back to Earth again? 32:14 Someone venture an answer. 32:16 You get 50/50 chance. 32:19 Well, he did. 32:21 Do you read in Mark chapter 9? 32:24 It's also in Matthew and Luke. 32:25 I think it's also in Luke chapter 9. 32:27 That Jesus goes up this mountain, 32:28 and Moses and Elijah appear to him, 32:31 so technically Elijah does make at least a brief visit 32:33 back to Earth, right? 32:35 But what is it specifically talking about? 32:39 Well, John the Baptist comes in the spirit and 32:41 the power of Elijah. 32:42 We're going to get to that a little later. 32:45 Who is the first one who comes in the spirit 32:47 and the power of Elijah? 32:52 Elisha. Am I right? 32:56 When they crossed the Jordan River and Elijah performs his 33:01 miracle--he hits the Jordan with his mantle and it parts and they 33:04 go over on dry ground--and Elijah says to Elisha his 33:07 attendant, his apprentice prophet, 33:09 he said, "Is there anything that you want to ask from me before 33:12 I'm taken away to heaven?" 33:14 He said, "Yes, let," what? 33:16 "A double portion of your spirit be upon me." 33:19 And as they walked together suddenly Elijah is taken up in 33:25 his chariot, his heavenly limousine, 33:29 to heaven, and he throws down his mantle. 33:32 Elisha gets a double portion of Elijah's spirit, 33:35 so Elisha comes back to the sons of the prophet and at first he 33:39 comes back to the river. 33:40 He strikes it with the mantle of Elijah, 33:42 it parts, and then the sons of the prophets say, 33:46 "Surely the spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." 33:51 So, who is the first one who comes in the spirit and the 33:54 power of Elijah? 33:56 Elisha, right? 33:58 Now, does Elijah perform a miracle where bread is 34:03 multiplied and the son is resurrected of a woman 34:07 in an upper room? 34:10 Does Elisha then stay with a Gentile woman, 34:14 who is a Shunammite, who builds an upper room for him? 34:17 He prophesies that she will have a son. 34:20 She has a son. 34:21 When he's like five years old or so he dies. 34:24 She fetches Elisha, who goes to the upper room. 34:29 He stretches himself upon the child. 34:31 He prays. 34:33 The child sneezes seven times and comes back to life. 34:37 Does Elisha also do a miracle where he multiplies bread? 34:40 He does, so Elisha does the same miracles as Elijah, 34:46 and then they are both types of Christ, 34:49 who is the ultimate resurrection. 34:51 He is the son that comes back to life. 34:53 You notice what the woman says, "By this," what Albert just 34:57 read, "by this I know that you're a man of God and the Word 35:01 of the Lord is in your mouth." 35:02 What is the greatest evidence that Jesus had the Word of God 35:04 in his mouth? 35:06 The Resurrection, that he was the Son of God. 35:10 I mean, it was the greatest miracle of all, 35:15 so, yeah, and by the way, 35:17 then you find in 2 Kings 4, verse 35 you find where 35:21 Elijah--sorry, Elisha. 35:24 He does the same miracle, and the woman bows at his feet, 35:28 and she also praises God for her son that has resurrected. 35:31 All right, so they had the bread of God in the home being 35:38 multiplying, and they had the son in the 35:41 home being resurrected. 35:43 These are signs of the Word of God and the living Christ in the 35:46 families and these family reunions that's 35:50 being talked about. 35:52 Now, it talks about here in the next section, 35:54 turning hearts at the altar. 35:57 If you look in Exodus 29, verse 41--well, 36:03 maybe I ought to direct your attention to--this is all about 36:08 the Mount Carmel experience, where you read that--it says in 36:13 1 Kings 18, verse 30 Elijah says to all the people, 36:17 "'Come near to me.' 36:19 So all the people came near to him. 36:20 And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down." 36:23 The Mount Carmel experience is one of the 36:28 high points in the Bible. 36:29 You know, if I were to point to some of the great glorious times 36:32 of God being magnified in the Bible let me tell you what I 36:36 think they were: the fiery furnace on the Plains of Dura 36:43 when three Hebrews stood up when everyone else bowed down, 36:46 and God came and protected them, and the whole world had 36:50 a proclamation that Jehovah was the living God. 36:52 The Lord accomplished through them that day what He had been 36:55 trying to do through the nation for hundreds of years. 36:58 He wanted them to be a light to the world, 37:00 so that was one of the high points. 37:01 David and Goliath is one of the high points. 37:04 David goes out with nothing, really, 37:06 but depending on the Lord, and you've got one of the high 37:09 points in the Bible. 37:11 Mount Carmel is--well, of course, 37:13 Daniel in the lions' den is another one of those high points 37:15 and there is a few glorious--the Red Sea. 37:18 You know, there are a few glorious high points in the 37:22 Bible and, well, there's quite a few now that I think about it, 37:26 but one of them has got to be the Mount Carmel experience, 37:30 where you've got the ultimate showdown. 37:33 You've got the good guy--you got the good cowboy who's 37:36 outnumbered by 800 bad guys, and he comes fearlessly into town, 37:44 and he's unarmed, at least it looks that way, 37:48 and he takes on the king and his army and his priests, 37:51 just Elijah and God. 37:55 You and God are a majority. 37:57 I mean, it's just a great story. 38:00 Talk about the boldness and the audacity of him to say, 38:03 "Get all of Israel together and tell all the prophets of Baal. 38:05 You do whatever you want to do. 38:06 You build your altar. 38:08 You see if you can get rain or fire to come down on your altar 38:12 and then whoever's god answers by fire, 38:15 he's the real god." 38:17 And so, after the prophets of Baal just wear themself out. 38:20 They're trying to sneak a magnifying glass or something 38:23 in there to get their fire going, and Elijah 38:24 is watching them too carefully. 38:26 They can't do it, and so they're not able to get the fire, 38:29 and they carry on, and they cut themselves, 38:31 and they prophesy, and they bleed, and they beat the drums. 38:33 They jump up and down. 38:35 They chant, "O Baal, hear us. O Baal, hear us." 38:37 Nothing happens. 38:39 Only thing that gathers around the sacrifice is flies. 38:41 Then at the end of the day--and, you know, 38:45 he waits until the time of the evening sacrifice, 38:48 the time that Israel should have been sacrificing to God, 38:51 and you read about this in Exodus 29, verse 41. 38:55 "The other lamb you shall offer at twilight." 38:58 What time of day did Jesus die? 39:02 It was in the afternoon. 39:04 "And you shall offer it with the grain offering and the drink 39:07 offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, 39:10 an offering made by fire to the Lord." 39:12 So, Elijah, after the prophets of Baal lose their audience and 39:17 they just totally give up and they walk away, 39:19 he says, "Come near to me." 39:22 Now, what is this lesson about? 39:24 Drawing near to God. 39:26 He says, "Come near to me." 39:28 What does Jesus say? 39:29 "Come unto Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, 39:33 and I'll give you rest." 39:34 And all the people drew near and what does he do? 39:37 He repairs the altar of the Lord. 39:39 Now, they used to have morning and evening sacrifice where they 39:43 gathered together. 39:44 They would read the promises. 39:47 They'd quote one of the sayings of Moses and then 39:52 they'd offer sacrifice. 39:54 What happens when the families neglect the time 39:59 of worship in their homes? 40:01 How important is it? 40:04 And is this something fathers--if a family has a 40:07 father, fathers ought to be leading out in this, you know? 40:10 The Bible says the father should be the priest of the family. 40:13 What it says, so don't--I know it may not be politically 40:16 correct, but it's what it says, and they ought to be leading the 40:20 family to the altar and saying, "You know, 40:22 children, wife, hey let's have worship." 40:25 Sometimes Karen has to remind me. 40:27 She did this morning, said, "Why don't we read something?" 40:29 And so, we need to have worship in our homes, 40:35 morning and evening. 40:37 This is part of what it says, "Drawing the hearts of the 40:39 fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, 40:43 lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." 40:46 Why does the Old Testament end that way? 40:48 If we neglect the coming together of the families at the 40:51 altar, the result is going to be that the sins of the fathers are 40:57 reproduced in the children to the third and fourth generation. 41:02 It takes a long time to get another revival and because the 41:06 sins of the fathers are reproduced in the children, 41:09 the neglect of God, then all the judgments and the problems and 41:13 the backsliding is perpetrated in the children. 41:19 And so, there needs to be a rebuilding of the altar, 41:22 regular worship, even at times when it seems boring. 41:26 Any of you ever read the book "The Hiding Place" 41:29 by Corrie ten Boom? 41:33 Yeah, it's a great book. 41:34 She ended up becoming a great lady of faith, 41:38 and she says that her father, he had worship every morning and 41:42 every evening, and she used to think, 41:44 "Oh, no, don't read a whole chapter from Luke. 41:47 The chapters in Luke are so long," when she was growing up, 41:51 but her father faithfully. 41:53 And you know what? 41:55 When she went through a trial and she was in a prisoner-of-war 41:57 camp in Germany, she was so thankful that her father had put 42:01 the Word of God in her life. 42:02 Even at times when they had worship it seemed tedious. 42:06 Your kids will complain, but they're listening, 42:09 and so you got to do it anyway. 42:11 Rebuild the altar of the Lord. 42:13 Can you say amen? 42:14 All right, and you can read here now in chapter 18, verse 36. 42:21 "It came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening 42:24 sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, 42:28 'Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, 42:30 let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, 42:33 that I am Your servant. 42:35 That I've done all these things at Your word. 42:37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people might know that You 42:41 are the Lord, that You have turned their hearts 42:44 back to You again.'" 42:47 And what happened when he prayed? 42:49 There from a cloudless sky, like a giant arc welder, 42:53 fire came rocketing from the heavens, 42:55 burnt up the sacrifice. 42:58 It burnt up the stones. 42:59 It burnt up the water in the ditch and there was nothing but 43:02 vapor sizzling and all the people fell down, 43:06 and they said, "The Lord, He is God! 43:08 The Lord, He is God!" There's a great revival. 43:11 People's hearts were turned back. 43:12 There was revival in the nation because he had rebuilt the altar 43:15 of the Lord and that's the way that it happens. 43:19 Turning hearts at the Jordan. 43:21 Now, again, you know, you can talk about when Elijah there at 43:24 the Jordan River--how many miracles were there 43:26 at the Jordan? 43:28 Can you name some? 43:33 When Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan. 43:35 How about Elisha with Naaman? 43:39 Was that a miracle? 43:41 Did the Jordan River part miraculously for the children of 43:43 Israel in the days of Joshua? 43:46 Was that a miracle of the Jordan? 43:48 When Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit. 43:53 Is that another miracle of the Jordan? 43:56 What about when Elisha purified the waters of Jericho? 44:00 Well, it's right next to the Jordan, 44:02 and he also there at the Jordan River, 44:04 he multiplied, at the school of the prophets they had there, 44:06 he multiplied bread. 44:08 You can see quite a few miracles happen in the Jordan. 44:10 Where was Jesus baptized? 44:12 The Jordan represents this new birth and so you have all these 44:18 miracles that are happening there: cleansing from leprosy, 44:21 there's cleansing of sin, the bread being multiplied talking 44:23 about the Word of God, the waters being dried up talking 44:27 about that the Jordan--like a type of death that we cross 44:30 on our way to heaven. 44:33 So, the disciples--when Jesus--they were asking about, 44:39 "Isn't Elijah supposed to come?" 44:41 And this is Matthew 17, verse 10. 44:43 Jesus responds, and Je says, "Indeed, 44:46 Elijah is coming first and will restore all things." 44:51 Now, when Jesus said this He's saying he is coming future. 44:56 "But I say that Elijah has come, and they did not know him, 45:00 but they did to him whatever they wished. 45:02 Likewise the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands." 45:05 Now, that's a very, very, very, very, 45:07 very important verse. 45:09 I want you to catch that. 45:10 Jesus said Elijah will come and Elijah has come, 45:12 speaking of John the Baptist. 45:14 Jesus is saying John the Baptist came in the spirit and the power 45:17 of Elijah and that's going to be found in Matthew 11:14. 45:21 "If you're willing to receive it," if you can understand it, 45:23 "he is," John the Baptist, "is Elijah who is to come. 45:27 He who has ears, let him hear!" 45:32 And some have been confused by this because the religious 45:34 leaders came to John. 45:36 Once they said, "Are you Elijah?" 45:38 He said, "No." 45:39 And what they were asking is, "Are you Elijah resurrected?" 45:42 He said, "No, you don't understand 45:43 the state of the dead. 45:45 I'm not Elijah resurrected." 45:47 He came in the spirit and the power. 45:48 Elisha was not Elijah resurrected, 45:51 but Elisha had the spirit and the power of Elijah. 45:54 Jesus is saying Elisha--Elijah will come, 45:58 so if there is--John the Baptist he says Elijah did come, 46:04 and they did to him whatever they wanted, 46:06 but Elijah will come. 46:07 In Malachi when we read that prophecy that we started with, 46:10 "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet," was it just talking 46:13 about John the Baptist, or is there going to be another Elijah 46:20 message in the last days? 46:22 I believe there is. 46:25 I believe God is going to send that spirit and power of Elijah. 46:27 I don't know if it will be a message that will take people or 46:30 if there'll be an individual or maybe a combination of the two 46:32 that will be proclaiming the Elijah message, a great revival. 46:37 John the Baptist, he called the people to 46:39 repentance and revival. 46:42 Elijah, it was a message of repentance and revival, 46:44 and this is supposed to happen in the last days before--notice, 46:48 "Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse," and the ultimate 46:52 curse is going to be when the Lord comes for the lost, 46:54 if they're not ready. 46:56 All right, something else I want you to notice here 46:59 when he talks about this. 47:03 You look in--how does the Gospel of Mark--no, 47:08 no, no, the Gospel of Matthew and Luke, 47:11 they both begin with the birth of Jesus. 47:15 How does Mark and John begin? 47:17 Where in chronology? 47:19 They begin with John the Baptist. 47:21 Have you noticed that? 47:23 Matthew and Luke begin with the Christmas story, 47:27 and Mark and John, they just--they start right at the 47:31 ministry of Christ that began at his anointing with the 47:35 Holy Spirit and the ministry of John the Baptist. 47:38 You can look in Mark chapter 1, and someone is going to read for 47:41 me in just a moment John chapter 1, verse 6. 47:44 "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 47:46 the Son of God. 47:47 As it is written in the Prophets: 'Behold, 47:50 I send My messenger before Your face, 47:52 ho will prepare Your way before You. 47:54 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way 47:57 of the Lord; make His paths straight."'" 48:00 And this is what they used to do. 48:02 They'd go before the king. 48:04 They had messengers that would smooth down the high spots and 48:07 fill in the low spots and make a road for the king. 48:10 John the Baptist said that was his work. 48:11 You can go ahead and read your verse. 48:14 female: "There was a man sent from God, 48:16 whose name was John. 48:18 This man came to witness, to be a witness to the Light, 48:21 that all through him might believe. 48:24 He was not the Light, but he was sent to bear 48:27 the witness of that Light." 48:29 Doug: So, right out of the gate the Gospel of John talks 48:32 about the ministry of John the Baptist. 48:35 That John came to point to Christ, 48:37 said, "This is the Lamb of God." 48:39 And, you know, this is really the message of repentance. 48:45 Someone asked a rabbi one time. 48:47 They said, "When is the best time to repent?" 48:52 And he said, "The last day of your life." 48:54 And they said, "Well, what if you don't know when the last day 48:57 of your life is?" 49:00 He said, "Exactly." 49:02 Today is the appointed time. 49:05 Today is the day of salvation. 49:07 Failing to repent--someone once said failing to repent--every 49:15 day you put off repenting is one more day to repent of and one 49:22 less day to repent in. 49:26 And so, it's something that so many people say, 49:28 "Yeah, one of these days I'm going to repent of 49:30 my sins and turn. 49:32 One of these days I'm going to surrender everything 49:33 and follow Jesus." 49:35 When a person really does make a complete repentance there is 49:39 going to be a transformation in life. 49:42 I heard about this evangelist. 49:44 His name was W.P. Nicholson. 49:46 He went to Belfast and had a great revival and there was such 49:49 a widespread repentance in the city. 49:51 That a lot of the shipyards there in Belfast, 49:55 so many of the workers were convicted of the 49:58 tools they had stolen. 50:00 They brought them back. 50:01 They ended up with so many extra tools they had to build new 50:04 sheds to hold the tools that had been purloined by the workers, 50:10 so the revival meant they brought back--I heard 50:14 about this one man. 50:15 His name was Al Johnson. 50:17 He came to faith in Christ back in the 1920s, 50:21 and he confessed to a bank robbery 50:23 he had done with four others. 50:25 He had never been caught, but he says, 50:27 "I've come to Christ, and I can't have that on my 50:28 conscience," and he went to the bank. 50:30 And he had gone past the statute of limitations. 50:33 They said, "You can't be prosecuted anymore." 50:35 It had been seven years, whatever it was back then. 50:37 He said, "It doesn't matter." 50:38 He says, "It's written in heaven," and he paid back part 50:41 of the money to the bank that he had stolen. 50:43 He said, "I'm not going to pay back what the other guys stole, 50:45 but I'll pay back what I stole, my cut of it." 50:49 That's a sign of repentance. 50:51 I've had people come to me before, 50:52 and they said, "Pastor Doug, I want to come to Jesus, 50:55 but I stole from my boss and if I tell them I'm going to get 51:00 fired, and I'll never be able to pay back what I stole." 51:03 I say, "Well, what would Jesus do?" 51:05 He said, "I might end up in jail." 51:09 I said, "You need to do the right thing and put 51:11 it in God's hands." 51:12 And I could tell you testimony after testimony, 51:14 because I've had this conversation with many people, 51:16 where they go to their boss, and they say, 51:20 "You know, I found the Lord, and I got to tell you something. 51:22 I stole from you, and I cooked the books, 51:25 and I took thousands of dollars, and I understand 51:28 you'll need to fire me. 51:29 And I'll do everything I can to pay you back." 51:32 And on more than one occasion the boss is so flabbergasted he 51:34 has to sit down with his mouth open. 51:36 He said, "Now I've got at least one honest 51:38 person working for me. 51:40 I'm not firing you." 51:43 And very rarely--I don't know of anyone that got prosecuted, 51:48 because it's just like the Holy Spirit works on their hearts, 51:51 so repentance is going to mean a reform and 51:53 a transformation in life, amen? 51:55 Doing the right thing. 51:57 Confessing and forsaking our sin. 51:59 All right, well, we're out of time for our lesson. 52:00 I want to remind you that we have a free offer. 52:03 It's "The Day of the Lord" and if you just contact the number 52:07 on your screen, dial... 52:11 they will send that to you. 52:12 This is a real quality magazine. 52:13 It's filled with beautiful illustrations. 52:15 After you read it you'll want to share and don't forget next week 52:18 we're going to begin our study talking about 52:21 "The Least of These," our new quarterly. 52:23 God bless you, friends. 52:24 We'll continue, God willing, to study his Word next week. 52:28 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's 52:29 life-changing free resource. 52:31 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 52:33 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 52:36 or mobile device. 52:37 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 52:40 simply text the key word on your screen to 40544 or visit the web 52:45 address shown on your screen and be sure to select a digital 52:48 download option on the request page. 52:50 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 52:53 Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want and, 52:57 most important, to share it with others. 53:00 ♪♪♪ 53:11 Doug: Friends, are you afraid of heights? 53:13 If so, you might want to look away right now. 53:15 One of the most famous attractions in the San Francisco 53:18 Bay area is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. 53:22 While this world-famous bridge was named as one of the seven 53:25 wonders of the modern world, few people know the story of the 53:28 brave men who were involved in its construction and also known 53:31 as the Halfway to Hell Club. 53:34 Designed by a group of visionary engineers, 53:37 at 4,200 feet from end to end the Golden Gate Bridge was at 53:41 one time the longest suspension bridge in the world. 53:44 During its construction from 1933 to 1937, 53:48 the Golden Gate Bridge had one of the best safety construction 53:51 records of any project during that time. 53:54 Keep in mind they would factor in and calculate that one man 53:57 would die for every million dollars that was spent, 54:00 so with a budget of $35 million they knew that loss of life 54:04 would be unacceptable. 54:06 This is why the chief engineer, Joseph B. Strauss, 54:09 was absolutely adamant about using the most rigorous 54:11 safety precautions that had ever been used in bridge building. 54:14 He had a local manufacturer of safety equipment design special 54:18 head gear that he insisted be worn on every job. 54:21 This became the prototype for the modern hardhat, 54:24 worn for the first time ever, but the safety 54:26 precautions went even farther. 54:29 Strauss provided a special hand and face cream to protect their 54:32 skin from the cold, biting wind and glare-free 54:35 goggles to protect their eyes. 54:37 In addition, they also ate a special diet to help ward off 54:40 dizziness when they were working at those epic heights, 54:43 but the most conspicuous safety precaution was a gigantic net 54:47 that was suspended from end to end under the entire 54:50 construction area of the Golden Gate Bridge. 54:53 In fact, during construction this net saved the lives of 19 54:57 men who later became known as the Halfway to Hell Club. 55:02 Now, you need to keep in mind these were some of the most 55:05 dangerous construction conditions you can imagine. 55:07 The wind was constantly blowing. 55:10 They were walking around on iron that sometimes had 55:13 ice from the freezing fog. 55:15 In places they were over 700 feet above the icy waters, 55:20 yet the men coming from all walks of life were willing to 55:23 take these risks because it was during the Great Depression, 55:26 and they would get paid up to $11 a day, 55:28 which was a fortune back then. 55:31 One of the other benefits of the net was they discovered that the 55:35 men were much more courageous even though they were walking 55:38 high on those slippery surfaces, because they knew there was a 55:41 mechanism to protect them if they should fall. 55:44 This gave them the confidence and the courage to press on and 55:46 get the bridge built in record time. 55:49 You know, friends, as Christians we have a great work to do. 55:52 The Bible tells us that we get to participate with Jesus in 55:55 building a bridge that connects heaven and Earth and there are 55:59 dangers along the way. 56:01 The devil would like to paralyze us with fear that we might fall 56:04 or make a mistake, but we know that Jesus has provided a safety 56:08 net for us, and we don't have to be afraid. 56:10 We can press on with confidence, because the promises in the book 56:13 of Jude verse 24 he is able to keep us from falling. 56:17 But sometimes we make mistakes. 56:19 Still don't be discouraged, friends. 56:21 If you read in 1 John chapter 2, verse 1 the Bible says if we 56:25 fall, if we sin we have an advocate with the Father, 56:28 Jesus Christ, so let's press on together and build 56:31 that bridge with Christ. 56:33 ♪♪♪ 56:40 [crickets chirring] 56:44 ♪♪♪ 56:54 ♪♪♪ 57:04 [dog barking] 57:07 ♪♪♪ 57:12 [alarm ringing] 57:17 ♪♪♪ 57:23 child: Mommy, Daddy, help me. 57:26 ♪♪♪ 57:27 male: No, I don't think so. 57:29 You didn't do very well on your report card 57:30 this last quarter, so no. 57:33 female: You haven't been pulling your weight around here lately. 57:36 You want help? 57:37 Well, I wanted help with the dishes last night. 57:40 Help yourself. 57:41 child: Huh? 57:43 male: Honey, did you bring the marshmallows? 57:47 [child coughing] 57:49 ♪♪♪ 57:59 ♪♪♪ 58:09 ♪♪♪ 58:19 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2019-06-24