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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021930A
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00:12 ♪♪♪ 00:22 ♪♪♪ 00:29 ♪♪♪ 00:35 Shawn Brummund: Hello and welcome to another edition 00:37 of the "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:38 We are glad that you have decided to join us here as we 00:42 come together with our local church family, the Granite Bay 00:46 Seventh-day Adventist Church here in the greater Sacramento 00:49 area of California. 00:51 So, welcome, everybody, and good morning to you. 00:54 We are thrilled to have our church family come together 00:56 as we continue to study. 00:57 We're always thrilled to be able to have those who are watching, 01:01 the thousands across America, as well as those 01:03 who are watching from different parts of the world. 01:05 We also have online members of Granite Bay. 01:07 We also want to give a special warm welcome to you as well. 01:10 So, we are coming together again to be able to study a quarterly 01:14 that is something that is very practical, yet very spiritual, 01:18 very important in the eyes of Jesus, 01:20 and it's concerning ministering to those in need. 01:23 And so, we have just recently begun a new quarterly, 01:26 and it is entitled "The Least of These." 01:29 "The Least of These," of course, reflecting the parable 01:31 that Jesus had taught us as recorded 01:33 in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25. 01:37 So, we're going to be looking at lesson study number 4, 01:40 which is entitled "Mercy and Justice 01:42 as Found in the Psalms and in the Proverbs," 01:44 two very important topics in the eyes of God, 01:47 mercy and justice. 01:49 And so, I'm looking forward to being able to learn and see what 01:52 God has in store for us from His Word on that important subject. 01:56 But before we continue on with our study, before we spend 01:58 some time in song, I want to invite you to take advantage 02:01 of something that we like to offer each and every time we 02:04 come together to study, and that is the free offer of the day. 02:07 Now, today's free offer is entitled 02:09 "Saved from Certain Death." 02:11 Now, that sounds pretty important, 02:13 "Saved from Certain Death." 02:14 You want to take advantage of this if you've never studied 02:16 this particular study guide, 02:19 and so you just simply need to dial... 02:25 and ask for free offer number 109. 02:30 Again, that's free offer number 109. 02:33 Now, many of us have a cellphone nowadays, and we can take 02:37 advantage of our free offer by getting a free digital download 02:40 of this as well. 02:42 And you can find that simply by texting to the number 40544, 02:47 that's 40544. 02:49 In the message box, you want to be able to send the message 02:52 to that number, "SH060." 02:56 And once you send that, you'll find almost an instant reply 02:59 of a free digital download of that free offer for the day. 03:02 So please take advantage of that as we continue to study. 03:05 Now, there's a number of us that may be watching this and have 03:09 not found themselves with a copy of the quarterly yet. 03:13 Perhaps you haven't got one for your local church. 03:15 If you have a local church that you can get one from, 03:17 we want to encourage you to go to your local Adventist church 03:20 and ask for a free copy. 03:22 Now, if that's not feasible, or if you'd rather have 03:24 a digital copy, you can go to a website, 03:27 and that website is lesson.aftv.org. 03:32 That is lesson.aftv.org, and you can get a free digital download 03:37 of this quarterly so that you can study throughout the week 03:39 and be prepared as much as possible. 03:42 So, time is ticking fast. 03:43 We want to invite our teacher up as soon as we can, 03:45 but before we do that, we invite you to join us in worship 03:47 as we invite our singers to sing a song for us even now. 03:53 ♪♪♪ 04:00 male: We'll be singing this morning number 515, 04:03 "The Lord is My Light," and we'll sing the first 04:06 and the last verses. 04:09 ♪♪♪ 04:13 ♪ The Lord is my light ♪ 04:15 ♪ Then why should I fear ♪ 04:19 ♪ By day and by night His presence is near ♪ 04:25 ♪ He is my salvation from sorrow and sin ♪ 04:31 ♪ This blessed persuasion the Spirit brings in ♪ 04:37 ♪ The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song ♪ 04:43 ♪ By day and by night He leads me along ♪ 04:49 ♪ The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song ♪ 04:55 ♪ By day and by night He leads me along ♪ 05:02 ♪ The Lord is my light, my all and in all ♪ 05:07 ♪ There is in His sight no darkness at all ♪ 05:13 ♪ He is my Redeemer, my Savior and King ♪ 05:19 ♪ With saints and with angels His praises I sing ♪ 05:26 ♪ The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song ♪ 05:32 ♪ By day and by night He leads me along ♪ 05:38 ♪ The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song ♪ 05:44 ♪ By day and by night He leads me along ♪♪ 05:54 male: Thank you so much for singing. 05:57 ♪♪♪ 06:02 Shawn: For those of you who have been faithfully watching 06:04 each and every edition of "The Sabbath School Study Hour," 06:07 our teacher will not be new to you. 06:09 This is the second time that one of our-- 06:11 well, the newest edition, pastoral edition 06:14 to our team here in Granite Bay. 06:16 Lucas Rodor is going to be teaching 06:18 our lesson study again today. 06:20 So, he is our new youth pastor. 06:22 We're thrilled to have him, and we're also happy to be able 06:24 to have him teach our lesson study today. 06:27 Before he comes up, I wanted to ask you, all of us here 06:30 as well as those who are watching to join me as we pray. 06:33 Father in heaven, we want to thank You for the opportunity 06:36 to be able to come together to worship You. 06:39 God, we want to thank You so much for the Sabbath that You 06:42 have set aside from the beginning of human history that 06:45 we might be able to glorify You and remember that You 06:49 are the Maker of all things. 06:51 And God in heaven, as we study Your Bible today, we are looking 06:54 at two things that Your Son Jesus made very clear as very 06:58 important, three of the biggest topics we can find in the Bible, 07:03 as Jesus had pointed out: faith, and justice, and mercy. 07:08 Lord, as we'd look at justice and mercy today, we want to pray 07:11 that You'll be with our teacher. 07:12 Anoint him with Your Holy Spirit, and guide us and fulfill 07:15 Your promise as You give us Your Spirit to guide us 07:17 into all truth. 07:19 And so we thank You and praise You, in Jesus's name, amen. 07:24 God bless you, Pastor Lucas. 07:31 Lucas Rodor: Hello, it's so good to be with you here 07:35 this morning, as we study this very important lesson. 07:42 This lesson, it doesn't come alone. 07:47 That's the first thing I want to share with you all. 07:49 This lesson, it's part of a package. 07:51 And as you all know, it's part of a package 07:53 of "The Least of These," 07:54 which is our quarterly for this, well, 07:57 for this quarter, our subject for this quarter. 07:58 And up to this point, we've been studying about creation. 08:01 We've studied about how God created a perfect world. 08:03 We've studied about how that world was corrupted by 08:06 something, by a disease called sin, and we've been studying 08:09 progressively about how God is dealing with this problem, 08:14 and how He uses us to be of assistance and to be of help to 08:18 those who are in need, to those who are suffering around us. 08:22 Now, our memory text this week--and just to let you know, 08:28 Pastor Shawn already touched on this, but the title for this 08:31 week was "Mercy and Justice in Psalms and Proverbs." 08:35 And I find that beautiful. 08:37 The memory text comes from Psalm 82:3 and 4 that says: 08:41 "Defend the poor and the fatherless; 08:43 do justice to the afflicted and needy. 08:46 Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand 08:49 of the wicked." 08:51 Now, that being said, I'd like to tell you that, 08:53 at least for myself-- 08:55 I don't know about you, but at least for me, 08:57 these two words, "justice" and "mercy," they present 09:03 to me a kind of conundrum because if you think about it 09:07 in a certain way, justice can be seen 09:10 as the opposite of mercy to many people. 09:13 What is just? What is justice? 09:15 Well, when someone says, "Well, that's just, that's fair," 09:19 that means that that was warranted. 09:21 That was something that was expected. 09:23 Justice is what I have by right, right? 09:26 It should be, at least. 09:28 So, I did justice, or someone did justice for me. 09:30 Someone acted upon what, well, I already deserved. 09:34 Now, when you go to the other side of this subject, 09:36 you get to mercy. 09:38 Mercy is the opposite of that. 09:40 If someone is being merciful, or someone is receiving mercy, 09:43 did they deserve that? 09:45 Was it based on merit? 09:47 No, mercy isn't based on merit. 09:50 Mercy is something completely-- 09:53 it's a God-given trait that, well, 09:55 someone didn't have to do anything for that. 09:58 Mercy is given freely. 10:00 You don't deserve it. 10:02 You receive it, it's a gift. 10:03 So, these two words, they present in a certain aspect, 10:07 in a certain way, they present opposites, they're opposites. 10:11 Justice is what someone deserves, and mercy is 10:15 what people don't deserve, they're opposites. 10:19 Something that I find interesting is that justice, 10:22 at least for a lot of people, and everything that has to do 10:25 with justice, so a judge, for example, or judgment, 10:29 is something that today is seen with good eyes or with bad eyes. 10:34 Bad eyes, for many people, they don't want to be judged. 10:37 Has someone ever told you, you know, "Don't judge me. 10:40 I don't want to be judged." 10:41 People today don't like judgment. 10:44 Bible talks about judgment in a different way. 10:47 And the reason for this is because, for many people, 10:49 justice is seen as retributive. 10:53 It's something that God uses to condemn them. 10:56 I don't want God to judge me. 10:57 I don't want to be judged. 10:59 I'm terrified of biblical judgment or judgment at all 11:02 because that is a measure used to condemn me. 11:04 That's why, for example, that Martin Luther, the great 11:08 medieval reformer, he tells us that from his ordination in 1507 11:15 in Erfurt, and then later on in Wittenberg in Germany, 11:18 he used to say that he was mortified about this topic, 11:21 justice, or the judgment of God. 11:24 He was terrified of it. 11:26 He would self-flagellate himself. 11:27 He would fast, and he would punish himself, all of this 11:31 trying to please a severe, tyrannical God. 11:40 He was terrified of this concept of justice found in the Bible. 11:46 Luther went on to say that he would prefer to hear the name 11:50 of the devil than to hear the name of Christ 11:54 because he was terrified of God. 11:56 He used to be scared of God. 11:58 Later on, he was saved form this agony when he found, 12:01 through the Bible, including many texts in Psalms, 12:06 he found that justice in the Bible was the contrary 12:09 of what he was thinking. 12:10 It was the opposite of what he believed. 12:12 Through Psalms such as Psalm 71, verse 2 that says: "Deliver me 12:16 in Your justice, and cause me to escape; incline Your ear to me, 12:21 and save me." 12:23 Through texts such as these, Luther found out that justice 12:25 was not the measure that God used to condemn him. 12:29 You see, justice in the Bible, judgment in the Bible 12:32 has nothing to do with what God demands from us. 12:36 It has to do with something that God offers to us. 12:40 Justice in the Bible isn't demanded, it's offered. 12:45 It's a gift. 12:46 Living through God's justice, 12:49 and living in God's judgment is a gift. 12:52 And Luther, when he found this out, he went on to become the 12:55 great reformer that we've found out that we know that he was. 12:58 You see, that is how justice is presented in the Bible. 13:01 Even though these two words, "justice" and "mercy," 13:03 can seem as opposites to us, in the Bible, 13:06 mercy is one of the arms of God's justice. 13:10 You see, God is, in essence, just. 13:14 There are two supreme qualities that, if we could talk about, 13:17 you know, God in two--or describe God through two words, 13:22 it would be justice and love, 13:26 justice and love. 13:28 And apparently, these two words, they're contradictions. 13:30 But when applied to God, they walk hand in hand. 13:33 God's justice requires love, and God's love requires justice. 13:40 And one of the greatest aspects of this that we find in this 13:42 lesson is that it is described through the book of Psalms. 13:45 Now, who-- 13:47 We know that many people wrote the book of Psalms. 13:49 It wasn't just one person. 13:51 But there was one that wrote many more Psalms 13:53 than anyone else. 13:55 Who was this? 13:57 King David, King David was the main author 13:59 of the book of Psalms, and we also know that Psalms, 14:02 it was the hymnal book, right? 14:04 It was the hymnal book for the Jewish nation, 14:07 for the Israelites. 14:09 So, these were songs written to God, praise songs, 14:12 songs of praise, songs of lamentation, 14:14 and so on and so forth. 14:15 So, these songs, most of them written by King David. 14:22 Who was King David? 14:23 Think about it for a second. 14:25 We're talking about justice, and we're talking about mercy. 14:29 When you realize that in the setting of the psalms, 14:33 it becomes very curious because King David, 14:38 even though the Bible describes him in the book of Acts as, 14:40 "A man according to God's own heart," 14:44 we see that David, he wasn't perfect. 14:46 One of the greatest defects, or the greatest sins that we find 14:50 of King David in the Bible was when he saw Bathsheba, 14:54 became enchanted with her, took her for himself, devised this 14:57 Machiavellian plan that ended up with Uriah's death. 15:06 Then Prophet Nathan comes up to him and says, 15:08 "Look, this what you did was wrong." 15:10 And we see that David, this is why, perhaps, 15:14 he was a man after God's own heart, because even though 15:16 he was caught in his sin, he didn't make up excuses. 15:20 He had no smart answers for God. 15:22 No, he admitted freely, "I have sinned." 15:26 Now, in the way that God dealt with that sin, was God just? 15:30 Yes, a severe consequence came about in David's family 15:34 because of that sin. 15:36 But at the same time, was God merciful with David? 15:39 Of course He was. 15:41 David was one of the recipients of God's mercy. 15:43 He was one of the greatest examples in the Bible. 15:45 Do you see how these two subjects, when they're applied 15:48 to God, they have to walk hand in hand, God's justice 15:51 and God's mercy, God's justice and God's mercy? 15:55 As a matter of fact, at least 15 times in the Old Testament we 15:59 find that someone cries out to the Lord, and God says, 16:03 "I have heard their cry." 16:05 Do you remember at least one instance where this happens? 16:08 The Israelites in bondage in Egypt, and we read in Exodus 3, 16:12 verse 7: "The Lord said: 'I have surely seen the affliction 16:15 of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because 16:19 of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.'" 16:23 God heard their cry. God heard their lament. 16:26 At least 15 times in the Old Testament where God acts with 16:29 mercy because He hears the cry of His people 16:32 that are suffering. 16:35 God acts with mercy. 16:36 These are examples of how God is just and how He applies 16:40 His mercy upon His children. 16:44 Now, the biblical books of wisdom, and we've already 16:46 touched up on this a little bit, but the biblical books of 16:49 wisdom, they have a lot to say about this duality, 16:51 these two words. 16:53 The biblical books of wisdom-- 16:55 and here's the amazing fact for the day. 16:57 You know that the Bible isn't organized 16:59 in a chronological way? 17:01 I'm sure that all of you know this. 17:02 The Bible's organized thematically, by themes. 17:05 So, for example, we have the first five books of the Bible, 17:07 which are the books of origin, the origin of the world, 17:10 everything that happened. 17:11 God created the world. 17:13 You have the entrance of sin in the world and how God 17:15 explained that He would fix this problem. 17:17 Then you have, from Judges through Esther, 17:19 you have the books of history. 17:21 These are the historical books of the canon of the Bible. 17:23 Then you have the books of wisdom, the sapiential books, 17:27 or the books of poetry, as they're called, 17:30 and these go from Job all the way up to Song of Solomon. 17:32 And then the last books, the prophetic books of the Old 17:35 Testament, and that's how the Old Testament is organized: 17:38 the books or origin, the books of history, the books of wisdom, 17:42 and the prophetic books. 17:44 And curiously enough, the New Testament is organized 17:45 in the exact same way, except there's a shift 17:48 in subject, in theme. 17:50 If the Old Testament is talking about the world, 17:52 the New Testament is talking about the church. 17:54 So the first four books of the New Testament, the Gospels, 17:58 they're the books of origin of the church. 18:00 Acts is the historical book of the New Testament. 18:04 The epistles are called, "The books of wisdom 18:06 of the New Testament." 18:08 And then you have Revelation being the book of prophecy 18:10 of the New Testament. 18:11 Now, the books of wisdom are very interesting because they 18:14 hold the content, at least in the New Testament, 18:17 they hold the content for the church. 18:19 And in the Old Testament, they hold the wisdom of the kings of 18:22 Israel and the wisdom and the songs and the poetry 18:24 of the Jewish nation that described the Messiah, 18:27 that described day-to-day things of life, 18:29 and this is the beauty of the book of Psalms. 18:32 You'll find that it goes all the way from the most day-to-day, 18:35 normal aspects of life all the way up to the most complicated, 18:38 deep, and profound aspects of our religion of the Messiah 18:41 and what He was going to come to do and what they waited for. 18:45 The biblical books of wisdom have much to say about 18:47 the concept of justice and the concept of mercy. 18:51 A few of these psalms, a few of these chapters in psalms, 18:55 a few of these songs, they are called, 18:57 "The psalms of divine justice." 19:00 There are a few of them, and I'm sure that you've read them maybe 19:03 plenty times going through this hymnal book, which is Psalms. 19:08 The psalms of divine justice, where we often find this plea 19:13 for God to apply His justice, for God to be merciful 19:17 upon a given situation, diverse situations of life. 19:21 In a very practical, day-to-day sense, 19:23 justice is something that we often want, right? 19:28 We want fairness. 19:30 We want justice. 19:32 I remember many times when I was a child, you know, 19:34 maybe three or four years old, sometimes six or seven, 19:37 and you know how siblings are sometimes, right? 19:39 They're always fighting and squabbling, you know, 19:42 and arguing with each other. 19:44 And many times, when justice was done from the power above, 19:48 our parents, I would say, "That's not fair." 19:53 Have you ever said that before, maybe to siblings? 19:56 Maybe in your office, in your school, or I'm sure you have, 20:00 "This isn't fair." 20:02 And you want fairness. You want justice. 20:04 Now, the problem is that, oftentimes, what is fair 20:07 to you is unfair to someone else. 20:10 So that's why it's so good for us to have a Mediator, 20:13 which is God, Who is unbiased. 20:16 But even that is something curious. 20:17 We'll talk about that in a little while. 20:21 One thing that I'd like to say is that you'll find in these 20:24 psalms of divine justice, you'll find this tension 20:29 between what is justice, or the desire, 20:31 the plea for justice, and at the same time, 20:34 the fact that sometimes justice doesn't come 20:36 the way we expect it, the way we want it, or when we want it. 20:40 God is always just. God is always fair. 20:43 We know this. 20:44 It's one of His divine qualities. 20:46 But the problem is that God, oftentimes, He postpones 20:51 His justice, at least in our way of seeing it. 20:54 And you'll see this, for example, 20:56 in Psalm chapter 7-- 20:58 sorry, Psalm chapter 9, you'll see this tension between 21:01 a plea for justice and the fact that justice hasn't arrived 21:04 when he asked for it. 21:05 You'll see this in verse 7 through 9, where it says, 21:07 "But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared 21:10 His throne for judgment. 21:12 He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall 21:15 administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. 21:19 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, 21:22 a refuge in times of trouble." 21:24 So, what is this text saying? 21:26 It's saying that "God is just." 21:28 It's saying that "God is a refuge," that "God, 21:30 He will exact justice." 21:31 But at the same time, in the next part of the chapter, 21:35 you find that there is wickedness, 21:37 that bad things do happen, that unfair situations in life, 21:41 they come about. 21:42 And you'll see this, for example, in verse 13. 21:45 It says: " Have mercy on me, O Lord! 21:47 Consider my trouble from those who hate me, 21:49 You who lift me up from the gates of death." 21:51 And you go on reading and you see that David is saying, 21:54 "Lord, I know that You're a refuge, 21:56 I know that You are just, and I know that You 21:58 will bring justice for my cause. 22:01 But Lord, look at what's happening. 22:03 I am having troubles. 22:04 I am surrounded by these pains and afflictions. 22:06 Lord, please judge me fairly. 22:10 Please save me from these iniquities. 22:15 We live in a world of corruption. 22:17 We know this, all around us. 22:19 We don't have to go very far to see that we live in a world 22:22 of corruption, in a world of injustice, in a world of sin. 22:27 Not long ago, a few years actually-- 22:29 I'm from Brazil, and Brazil is going through 22:31 a very difficult political period right now. 22:35 And a few years ago, they unearthed, they discovered one 22:39 of the worst scandals, corruption scandals in history, 22:43 where more than $1 trillion had been stolen 22:46 by a political party, had been stolen from 22:49 the government, $1 trillion. 22:52 That's a lot of money. 22:54 We live in a world of corruption, in a world of sin. 22:59 And it seems, many times, that the better you are, 23:03 the more you suffer. 23:05 And it seems that the wicked people, 23:07 those who will act deceitfully, those who are corrupt, 23:10 it seems many times that they are the ones who prosper, 23:13 that they are the ones who have it good. 23:15 Have you ever thought about this? 23:16 Sometimes it seems, "You know, Lord, I am here. 23:18 I'm trying my best to do the best. 23:20 I'm trying my best to follow your path 23:22 and to walk in your footsteps. 23:24 And Lord, it seems that the more I do that, 23:26 the more I suffer, the more I lose. 23:30 And at the same time, Lord, look at what's happening 23:32 with these people. 23:33 Look at what they're doing and how, apparently, 23:36 they're prospering. 23:37 This is the plea of Psalm chapter 82, 23:41 Psalm chapter 82, verse 2. 23:43 You hear David crying out to God and saying, "How long will you 23:47 judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?" 23:50 This is--apparently, some people would assume that this is David 23:53 talking about God: "Lord, how long will You judge unjustly?" 23:57 Can God judge unjustly? 23:59 Of course not. 24:01 So, in this text we find that the call of Psalm 82 isn't only 24:05 to God, but it's to these leaders who are corrupt. 24:08 David is saying, "Look, you are being corrupt. 24:10 Can't you change your ways?" 24:12 And this is an anthem in the book of Psalms. 24:14 In Psalms chapter 73, verse 3 and 9, 24:18 we find a similar request that David makes to God, 24:21 where he says, Psalm 73, verse 3 through 9, 24:28 that tells us: "For I was envious of the boastful, 24:31 when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 24:34 For there are no pangs in their death, 24:38 but their strength is firm. 24:40 They are not in trouble as other men, 24:42 nor are they plagued like other men. 24:45 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; 24:49 violence covers them like a garment." 24:52 And David goes on describing these wicked that prosper. 24:58 And finally, we arrive in chapter 82, where he just said, 25:01 "Look, how long will you be like this? 25:04 How long will you judge unjustly? 25:07 How long will you be corrupt?" 25:11 Can you see that this isn't anything new? 25:14 It's not from our days that people are like this, 25:16 that the world is like this. 25:18 It's not from our time. The world is unjust. 25:22 In the days of David, in the days of the prophets 25:24 and the kings of Israel, we find that Israel would go deeper 25:27 and deeper into sin. 25:29 The kingdom of the north in Israel, when you read the books 25:32 of Chronicles and Kings, you find that not one 25:36 of the Israelite kings, not one of them in the kingdom 25:38 of the north was good. 25:40 The Bible describes them as, "Continuously doing what was 25:43 wrong in the eyes of the Lord, and walking in the footsteps 25:46 of their fathers." 25:49 Not one good king in the kingdom of the north. 25:51 In Judah and Benjamin, the kingdom of the south, 25:53 you find a few good kings, but in the middle of corruption. 25:58 You'll find one or another that comes along every few 26:01 generations, and they try to fix the things that have happened, 26:04 but it's too much to fix in one lifetime. 26:07 This is not a new problem. 26:10 This has been going on for a very, very long time. 26:14 And because of this, not only were the kings and the leaders 26:17 corrupt and unjust, not only did they treat their population 26:21 unfairly, but the population, per their influence, 26:26 became corrupt. 26:28 People became corrupt. 26:29 The nation became corrupt, and there was much suffering 26:31 around them. 26:33 Up to the point where, and I don't know if you know this, 26:35 but from Babylon on, from the exile of Babylon on, 26:39 with a small pause between the kingdoms of Greece and Rome, 26:44 Israel was never free again. 26:46 It always was subject to one power or another. 26:50 For about 80 years between the rule of Greece and the rule 26:53 of Rome, Israel was free, but other than that, 26:57 always in bondage, always answering to someone 27:01 above them, always. 27:04 Psalm 82 is a call of desperation, where the psalmist, 27:07 he is calling out, crying out not only to God for God to act, 27:11 but also for the corrupt leaders to change, to turn from their 27:14 ways and to act with justice, for them to act with mercy, 27:19 for them to acknowledge God in their leadership. 27:21 Look at what he says in chapter 82, verse 3 and 4: 27:24 "Please defend," I put in the "please." 27:27 "Please defend the poor and fatherless; 27:29 do justice to the afflicted and needy. 27:31 Deliver the poor and the needy; and free them 27:34 from the hand of the wicked." 27:36 Here is David calling out, "Look, you who are corrupt, 27:39 you are who are unjust, stop it. 27:41 Defend the cause of the poor. 27:43 Defend the cause of the needy." 27:46 You know, we live in a world today where people try 27:48 to take matters into their own hands. 27:52 We see many politicians-- 27:54 and I don't know how many of you-- 27:56 I've never been that interested, 27:58 or I don't know much about politics. 28:00 It's not my calling in life. 28:02 But it's very difficult for you to see everything 28:04 that's happening, not only in the country, 28:06 but in the world around us. 28:08 Several politicians promising so many things, promising justice, 28:12 promising a better life, promising to better the world 28:15 and better the nation. 28:17 The problem is, is when you've been lied to so many times, 28:19 you become skeptical. 28:22 There are just so many promises out there for health and for 28:26 finances and for safety, and this is something worldwide. 28:31 The solution will not come through that. 28:33 We discover this through the Bible. 28:35 Media, mainstream media with their movies and their series 28:39 and their magazines and their shows and their books, 28:42 also promise many fixes. 28:44 This is what you'll find in superhero movies, where, 28:46 ultimately, mankind is the solution to its own problem. 28:51 Have you noticed this? 28:52 In these movies and these series and everything in media, 28:56 you'll find that the main theme, the main idea that they're 29:00 trying to convey is that we are the fix. 29:03 We are the solution to our own problem. 29:07 We've been around long enough to see and to know that we are not 29:11 the solution, as the humanist philosophy would like us 29:16 to believe, that we are the cure. 29:19 And you'll find this through and through, through literature, 29:21 through history, through politics. 29:23 What was Marxism, but an idea where mankind can fix its own 29:28 problems, the idea of the uberman, Superman? 29:34 We can fix our own problems. 29:37 Many believe that it's through enlightenment, knowledge, 29:40 the advancement of technology, and this way we will bring, 29:45 finally, we will bring a better world, a world that is just, 29:48 a world where everyone can live perfectly in harmony. 29:54 These are not the solution. 29:57 These things are not the solution. 30:00 The solution is a just God, a biblical God. 30:05 What's more is that, unfortunately, 30:07 in many moments of our life-- 30:09 and this is something very real for us. 30:10 I don't know who you identify with more. 30:12 And you don't have to answer this, okay, 30:13 because it can get quite, you know, 30:15 embarrassing, or-- 30:17 but who do you identify with more, 30:19 those who are suffering, those who are under oppression, 30:25 or those who are causing oppression? 30:28 I believe that in many moments of our life, unfortunately, 30:30 we, you know, humans can be bullies. 30:33 In many moments, we are not the ones that are oppressed. 30:36 We are the oppressors. 30:38 That's why I find it so interesting and so important 30:41 that David here, he makes a call to those unjust rulers: 30:45 "Look, defend the cause of the poor. 30:47 Defend the cause of the needy." 30:49 And that's a call for me and for you today. 30:50 "Look, stop being the way you are. 30:53 Defend the cause of the poor. 30:54 Defend the cause of the needy." 30:56 The call of Psalms 82 is for both groups. 30:59 The oppressors should turn from their ways, 31:01 and the oppressed should place their hope in who? 31:03 In politics? In technology? 31:07 In media and humanist progress? 31:09 No, in God, in the Lord God. 31:14 Have you ever turned your eyes upward in a moment in life, 31:17 going through a moment of injustice, and turned your eyes 31:21 up to God and sighed, apparently, saying, 31:24 "Lord, why don't You come back and fix this whole mess?" 31:28 Have you ever done that? 31:30 I do that a lot. I do that a lot. 31:34 "Lord, please come back and fix this mess. 31:37 Everything's become so chaotic. 31:39 It's such a big mess." 31:41 But here's the beautiful thing of the book of Psalms. 31:44 It gives me hope that God, He will execute justice. 31:53 The dreary days that we find in the world around us 31:56 and in our lifetime, there will be an accounting for them. 31:59 God is just. God is just. 32:03 The only answer for this whole problem around us is a sovereign 32:06 Leader, a sovereign Lord. 32:09 Now, on the same note, and this is where we find the progression 32:14 of the lesson this week. 32:15 It starts off with Psalm 82 and it goes on to Psalm 101, 32:18 and on the same note, here's the thing, 32:20 we all exercise influence over other people. 32:23 We all have opportunities of acting acts of justice, 32:28 all of us do. 32:29 Now, are we sources of justice? 32:33 As humans, are we the source of justice? 32:36 No, we're not. 32:38 We reflect justice. 32:40 God is the source of all justice, and we reflect that. 32:43 You know, I remember when I was small, I saw-- 32:46 and this is very, you know, I'm sure that you've seen it. 32:48 But I saw this picture that had three little monkeys, 32:53 and one of the monkeys had his hands over his mouth. 32:56 Another one had his hands over his eyes. 32:58 And another one had his hands over his ears. 33:00 You've seen this? 33:02 All right, and in one of the pictures, and it had a-- 33:06 it was the one with the monkey over his eyes, 33:07 and this never left my mind, it said, 33:09 "Monkey see monkey do." 33:12 Have you ever head this? 33:13 "Monkey see monkey do." 33:15 And this is the reality about humans. 33:16 Humans, we imitate. 33:19 You know, we imitate people. 33:20 I've already told you the story of my little brother, where we 33:22 caught him one Sabbath morning shaving because he had seen my 33:25 father shaving that same way. 33:27 My brother was four years old, and we caught him shaving, 33:29 you know, with all the apparatus and the shaving, the razor. 33:34 And he looked at us and said, 33:36 "You know, children imitate their parents." 33:37 That's exactly what he said, only he said it in Portuguese. 33:40 "Children copy parents." 33:43 Humans are creatures of habit, 33:45 and we are creatures that imitate. 33:47 That's what we're good at. 33:49 "Monkey see monkey do." 33:50 Now, for you to be just, if you are not the source of justice in 33:53 this universe, if it doesn't come from you, you know, 33:57 when it comes to God, God has two kinds of qualities. 34:00 God has incommunicable qualities. 34:03 What are they? 34:04 What are the incommunicable qualities of God? 34:06 Omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence. 34:10 God can't communicate that to us. 34:12 We cannot be omnipotent. 34:14 We cannot be omniscient, we can't. 34:16 These are qualities that we simply don't have. 34:18 But God has some communicable qualities. 34:21 For example, justice and mercy. 34:23 These are things that we can learn from God 34:25 and we can put into practice in our own life. 34:28 So, when it comes to justice and when it comes to mercy, 34:32 we find that for us to be able to practice these qualities, 34:36 we have to learn them from who? 34:39 From God. 34:41 We have to learn them from somewhere, from someone, 34:43 and we learn them from God. 34:46 David, he composes this list of Christian virtues, 34:50 of Christian qualities, and we find them in Psalm chapter 101. 34:54 We can't read the whole chapter, but we will go through each 34:58 verse and the lesson learned so that we can be Christians 35:01 of justice and Christians of mercy. 35:03 For example, in verse 1, we find that we need to live a life of 35:06 praise and recognition of Who and of what God does for us. 35:11 Verse 2 tells us the importance of seeking wisdom 35:14 to walk before God. 35:17 Verse 3 tells us the importance of protecting the outlets and 35:21 the inlets of our soul, everything that we see and hear. 35:24 Again, you can remember the picture 35:27 of the three little monkeys. 35:29 You have to protect the inlets of your soul, the things 35:31 that you see, the people that you walk with, 35:33 the places that you go, the things that you hear. 35:36 You have to protect the inlets and the outlets of your soul, 35:39 of your mind, the importance of distancing ourselves 35:43 from things that are harmful to us. 35:45 This is done proactively and actively. 35:48 The way we live, the places we go, the people we talk to, 35:52 in a very active way, and sometimes even proactively 35:55 there will be a judge and there will be an influence 35:58 in how we live. 36:00 We have the importance of being real, verse 5, of being humble, 36:04 no slandering or being haughty. 36:07 Verse 6 tells us and teaches us not only the importance 36:10 of keeping away and removing ourselves from things that are 36:13 evil, things that are bad, but proactively associating 36:16 ourselves with what is good, with those who are faithful. 36:20 And in verse 7, we find the importance of being truthful 36:23 and of upholding integrity. 36:25 Now, I went through a whole list, and we could preach 36:27 a whole sermon about this chapter, but unfortunately, 36:30 we don't have the time for that. 36:31 So when you're interested and you want a list of qualities 36:34 of how a Christian should live under justice and under mercy, 36:37 you'll find them in Psalm chapter 101. 36:39 All of these qualities are meant for those 36:43 in positions of leadership. 36:44 This is a kingly psalm. This is what we learn. 36:48 But here's the thing, Christians are a holy priesthood, 36:53 a holy nation. 36:54 And wherever you go, you will exercise leadership. 36:58 As a Christian, as someone who lives for God, you will exercise 37:02 leadership, be that in your office, be that in school, 37:05 be that with friends or with family. 37:09 People should look to you as a leader, as having the quality 37:13 of someone who has these virtues in their life, 37:16 someone who is true, someone who is just, 37:18 someone who is merciful, someone who associates 37:20 with what is good. 37:22 And that's why the king here, he gives this quality for leaders, 37:24 but they apply for all of us. 37:27 Now, a problem with this is that, on this side of eternity, 37:30 we're not born with these qualities, are we? 37:34 We're not born with all these virtues. 37:38 We're not born with justice. 37:40 We're not born being merciful. 37:42 These are things, again, monkey see monkey do. 37:47 We imitate what we see. 37:50 These are God-given qualities, and the question is, 37:52 how do we acquire them? 37:54 How do we become these things? 37:56 How do we practice them? 37:59 There's a story that's told of this man 38:01 called Jean-Harvey Dunant. 38:05 Sorry, Jean-Henri Dunant. 38:08 And Jean-Henri Dunant, Jean, he was a young, 38:11 brilliant Swiss banker. 38:13 And in the year 1859, he was sent by his bank to the Austrian 38:19 Alps, where Napoleon the Second was waging war against Austria, 38:23 and Dunant went there with the objective of asking Napoleon 38:29 for permission to start a new business venture 38:32 in the country of Algeria. 38:34 But when he got there, he saw the cannons blazing, 38:38 he heard the muskets firing, he saw the wails of men 38:42 being wounded and dying. 38:44 That day, 15,000 men died, and that changed him. 38:50 That changed this man. 38:52 The scene broke his heart. 38:54 He spent the entire night caring for the wounded along 38:58 with the other volunteers, caring for the wounded, 39:01 taking care of them. 39:03 And he was never the same. 39:05 Money simply didn't matter that much anymore to him. 39:10 He went back to Europe and he went from country to country, 39:13 meeting with state governors and with country presidents, 39:17 and he was eloquently, very eloquently making 39:20 the cause for peace. 39:22 This man, Jean Dunant, went on to found what we know today 39:27 as the Red Cross International, and he received 39:30 the first-ever Nobel Peace Prize. 39:35 The fact is that when he was confronted with the reality that 39:38 the world wasn't what he thought it was, when he was confronted 39:41 with the reality of those who were suffering, 39:44 he couldn't remain the same. 39:46 God gave him a purpose. 39:48 Now, if he hadn't gone to the Austrian Alps to the middle 39:54 of that war, would anything have happened? 39:57 I doubt it. 39:59 He hadn't been confronted with that reality, with the need. 40:03 You know, Jesus, there is this song that says that we have 40:07 to go out of our comfort zone to see Jesus. 40:10 We have to go out of our comfort zone because Jesus 40:12 isn't in the comfort zone. 40:15 Jesus is not in the comfort zone. 40:18 That's hard for us. 40:20 We like living with these shades over our eyes. 40:24 Apparently, everything is fine. 40:26 No one is need of mercy. 40:28 There is no injustice around us, everything's okay. 40:32 That's our comfort zone. 40:34 But just as Jean Dunant, sometimes we need to leave that 40:38 comfort zone and be confronted with the reality that there are 40:40 harsh realities in this world, there are horrible situations. 40:45 You know, sometimes we have this idea, this crazy idea 40:49 that "God will use me--" 40:51 And bear with me, okay? 40:53 Don't take out of context what I'm saying. 40:55 Sometimes we have this crazy idea that 40:57 "God needs me to go to bless someone else. 41:01 He needs me." 41:04 The fact of the matter is, is that God 41:06 is already exercising justice. 41:08 God is already being merciful. 41:10 He is already out there, out of the comfort zone, 41:12 and He is acting. 41:14 He doesn't need me. 41:16 It's my privilege to work with Him. 41:19 It's a privilege. 41:21 He doesn't need me. 41:22 Before I have the brilliant idea of helping God, 41:24 He was already helping this world. 41:26 He was already serving this world. 41:28 As we find in the book of Acts, where it tells us about Jesus, 41:34 Jesus's greatest, well, His ministry, what He did, 41:37 this is in Acts 10, chapter 10, verse 38. 41:41 Here we find Jesus's mission, what He did. 41:44 It says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 41:46 with the Holy Spirit and with power, 41:49 Who went about doing good and healing all who were 41:53 oppressed by the devil." 41:56 That is Christ's mission statement. 41:58 He went about doing what was good, acting for those who were 42:02 being oppressed by the devil. 42:06 You see, we need to be near God. 42:08 We need to be close to Him. 42:10 We have to learn from Him because when we see 42:13 what He does, when we learn from the true Source of justice, 42:16 when we learn what mercy truly is, we will want to act. 42:21 One of the greatest problems that we face today is 42:23 that Christians, they want to be activists. 42:26 They want to give a lot of social help and go out and help, 42:29 but the problem is that many times 42:31 we forget the reason for this. 42:33 What is the reason for all this activism? 42:36 Is it because we are good? 42:38 No, and that is the main difference between Christians 42:42 and anyone else who does anything good, 42:45 but not for the right reason. 42:49 You remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? 42:53 One of the most well-known parables in the Bible. 42:56 And Jesus is asked a question. 43:00 The Pharisee asked Jesus, after a series of sentences 43:03 and a conversation that goes on with them, 43:07 the Pharisee asked Jesus, "Well, who is my neighbor?" 43:09 Remember that question? 43:11 Do you know why he was asking this question? 43:13 "Who is my neighbor?" 43:15 automatically draws a line because if someone 43:19 is my neighbor, what does that mean? 43:21 That someone isn't. 43:24 So, basically, what the Pharisee was asking is, 43:25 "Well, okay, Lord, well, then who is my neighbor? 43:28 Who will I treat with justice? Who will I have mercy on? 43:32 And who can I forget? Who can I ignore?" 43:37 That's the nature of the question. 43:39 And then Jesus, He goes on. 43:41 He doesn't answer him outright. 43:43 He gives him a parable, the parable of the Good Samaritan, 43:44 that we all know. 43:46 And at the end, Jesus asks him the same question, 43:48 but with a little change. 43:51 What does Jesus ask him? 43:54 "Whose neighbor was he?" Do you see the difference? 43:58 On the first question, on the Pharisee's question, 44:00 the question is, "Who is my neighbor?" 44:03 And then Jesus's question is, 44:05 "Well, whose neighbor was he, was the Samaritan?" 44:08 And the answer that is invoked by the text is, 44:11 "Everyone, anyone, all are my-- I am the neighbor to all." 44:15 The question isn't, "Who is your neighbor?" 44:17 The question is, "To whom are you the neighbor?" 44:19 That is the beauty of this message. 44:21 When God talks about justice and of mercy, it is to everyone. 44:25 When we read the book of Proverbs, when we read the book 44:29 of Proverbs, and this only appears on Thursday 44:31 in the lesson, only one day for the book of Proverbs, 44:33 but we'll find that, through the text presented, 44:36 we see that sometimes people, they--people make bad decisions. 44:42 And if it were up to them deserving our mercy, 44:46 they would never deserve it. 44:48 There are some people that simply make many bad decisions. 44:51 There are people that dig their own graves. 44:54 You understand, right? 44:56 There are some people that dig their own graves. 44:59 Now, if you were to ask, "Well, you know, 45:00 do they deserve my mercy?" 45:03 the answer would be no, because mercy is something that 45:06 many times we assume to be by merit. 45:08 You know, "They were bad. 45:10 I won't be merciful upon them." 45:11 But if I am to take the Bible seriously, if I am to take the 45:16 parable of the Good Samaritan seriously, everyone deserves 45:19 mercy because mercy has nothing to do with merit. 45:24 Mercy has to do with me understanding how just 45:28 and merciful God was to me, and I will pass that on. 45:33 It is about reflecting His character. 45:37 So, when I read these texts in the Bible about mercy, 45:40 about love, about the justice of God, 45:44 I have to understand them biblically. 45:47 Not through the encyclopedia, not through the dictionary, 45:50 because then I'll have missed the whole lesson. 45:53 In the Bible, mercy is the right arm of God's justice 45:57 because without it, there would be no salvation for us. 46:01 If it were purely through justice, 46:03 there would be no salvation for us. 46:05 But praise God, because He is merciful. 46:08 He is abounding in mercy, and He gives us the privilege 46:13 of acting out His mercy through our life. 46:20 Who is your neighbor? Everyone. 46:23 To whom are you a neighbor? Everyone. 46:27 May God bless you, everyone here at the Granite Bay Church, 46:30 and also those who are watching far away from us, 46:33 perhaps in another country. 46:35 May God bless you and give you the ability, 46:37 the strong desire to reflect His justice 46:40 and His mercy to all of the people around you. 46:44 May He use you. May He bless you. 46:46 We are going to be turning off now, 46:48 signing off from our Bible study hour. 46:51 May God bless you. 46:53 male announcer: Don't forget to request 46:55 today's life-changing free resource. 46:56 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 46:59 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 47:01 or mobile device. 47:03 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 47:05 simply text the key word on your screen to... 47:10 or visit the web address shown on your screen. 47:12 And be sure to select the digital download option 47:15 on the request page. 47:16 It's now easier than every for you to study God's Word 47:19 with "Amazing Facts" wherever and whenever you want, 47:22 and most important, to share it with others. 47:30 announcer: "Amazing Facts: Changed Lives." 47:38 Charlie Green: My life was in turmoil. 47:40 My wife and I were fighting all the time, 47:42 and I got away from everything and everybody. 47:45 I don't know, I just, I always had this emptiness 47:47 in my heart I wanted filled. 47:50 I just felt like I went my whole life, you know, 47:52 just searching for something, and my father died, 47:56 and that ruined me a lot. 47:58 My father didn't believe in suicide, and I didn't want to 48:01 live, but rather than disrespect him, I decided I would just 48:05 become so mean that someone else would do it to me, 48:07 and I wouldn't have to. 48:09 So I joined the Army, thinking, 48:10 "What better place to get killed than in the Army?" 48:12 And while I was in the Army, my daughter got injured. 48:15 She was in an accident, and she was blind and paraplegic, 48:21 and it's just like I felt the whole world was 48:23 coming down on me. 48:25 And one morning, I just really got mad, 48:27 and I gave God a cussing like you wouldn't believe. 48:30 I said, "I'm not Moses. I'm not Abraham, you know? 48:34 I don't--but I put my sandals on just like they do, 48:37 and I'm a man. 48:39 I don't want to know why this is happening to me. 48:41 I just want to know that it's happening for a reason. 48:43 If You tell me right now that this is all for a reason, 48:46 then You can stack it on me from here to the end of time, 48:50 and I will never complain again." 48:53 And that little TV came on. 48:56 It had been sitting there, just static all night long, 48:59 and there was this minister. 49:00 Well, he pops up, and he says, 49:02 "Today's lesson's from the book of Job. 49:04 God only lets those suffer that He loves the most." 49:07 And I said, "Well, that's all You had to say, Lord." 49:09 I appreciated Him. 49:11 From that day forward, I knew that He was there 49:13 and He was in my life, and that He would help me. 49:17 I went to prison just almost immediately after that. 49:21 I was in prison for aggravated assault. 49:23 I was in one of the worst prisons in the state 49:25 of Tennessee. 49:27 It was full of gang activity. 49:28 I got my throat cut, 52 stitches. 49:32 I mean, I could take both fingers, 49:34 and stick them all the way through, out my mouth. 49:36 I'd gone to the library that day because it was really 49:39 about the only thing to do. 49:41 And I ran across this little book called 49:42 "The Richest Caveman." 49:44 This book, it's hilarious, but it is great. 49:48 I'm sitting there with this big beard. 49:49 I'm thinking, "Hey, I know what it's like to look 49:51 like a caveman, but--" 49:53 [laughing] 49:54 I'm not an educated person, I guess you'd say, 49:56 but I'm a simple guy. 49:57 I'm just really a simple guy, and that's what I loved 50:00 about Doug Batchelor because this guy is just straight out 50:05 as you can get. 50:06 And my wife and I, we've kept contact through all these years, 50:10 and so much has gone on. 50:14 And I told her, I said, "Listen, this is the center 50:18 of my world right now." 50:20 And I said, "I really want you to be involved in it with me. 50:23 I need it." 50:25 And I said, "And you will too if you ever just take hold of it." 50:28 I told my wife, I said, "Listen, they've got this 'Amazing Facts' 50:30 Bible study on here, and this is the best way for 50:34 you to get this information, I think." 50:37 I said, "Because it's broken down, 50:39 and they give you questions to make you look for these things, 50:47 you know?" 50:48 I says, "It's not anyone telling you. 50:50 You find it on your own, and they teach you 50:51 to actually use the Bible." 50:53 She was there faithfully every Wednesday until we decided, 50:58 you know, she wanted to be baptized also. 51:01 She saw it coming around. 51:04 The choice was made. 51:05 And October the 4th, 2014, my wife and I, 51:09 we were baptized in the water at the same time, 51:12 and we started our walk together, I guess you'd say. 51:18 I went through everything that a man could possibly go through, 51:21 I guess, from marital trouble, loss of family members, 51:27 death in my family. 51:29 My children were harmed, and my daughter 51:31 was handicapped for life. 51:33 I went to prison. 51:35 But still, I kept my word to God that He could stack it on me 51:41 as much as He wanted, and I'd never question Him again, 51:43 and I didn't. 51:45 But I can say this much, He never put nothing on me 51:49 that I couldn't handle, and He walked with me through it all. 51:53 And I'd like to say to anyone who is in prison not to give up. 52:00 Don't lose hope. 52:02 Put your faith in the Lord, and study, and seek Him, 52:06 and He will seek you. 52:08 And my name is Charlie Green, and I want you to know 52:10 that you and "Amazing Facts" have changed my life. 52:19 ♪♪♪ 52:27 female announcer: Let's face it. 52:29 It's not always easy to understand everything you read 52:31 in the Bible. 52:32 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 52:36 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 52:38 To get biblical, straightforward answers, call in to Bible 52:42 Answers Live, a live nationwide call-in radio program 52:45 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 52:48 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 52:50 For times and stations in your area, or to listen to "Answers" 52:53 online, visit bal.amazingfacts.org. 52:59 ♪♪♪ 53:13 Doug Batchelor: For over 60 years, Jeepneys 53:15 have been the virtual king of the road 53:16 here in the Philippines. 53:18 These unique vehicles that are festooned with colorful 53:20 stickers, lights, and chrome have grown into the chief 53:24 source of transportation in the country. 53:26 Let's go. 53:28 ♪♪♪ 53:32 Doug: These iconic 4-wheel-drive military vehicles 53:34 made by the Willys company were known as "Jeeps" 53:37 because it stood for "general purpose." 53:40 But it also came from a character in a "Popeye" cartoon 53:44 that was known as Eugene the Jeep. 53:47 He was an imaginary dog that could crawl across the ceilings 53:50 and the walls, and these Jeeps could go anywhere. 53:52 When the Americans left the Philippines 53:54 following World War II, it was just cheaper for them 53:57 to leave these thousands of military vehicles 53:59 behind rather than to transport them back to the States. 54:02 The creative Filipino people modified these military vehicles 54:06 by extending the frame about 6 feet. 54:09 They added a couple of opposing benches that are designed 54:11 to carry about 18 people. 54:14 They put a cab over it to prevent the water 54:16 from coming in. 54:18 Well, I've seen what looks like 20 to 25 people hanging on every 54:21 possible edge and ledge of a Jeepney, and jumping off, 54:25 jumping on as it goes through congested Manila traffic. 54:30 Every Jeepney is a little bit different. 54:32 Some are just held together with patches of baling wire 54:35 and bubblegum, a little but of duct tape. 54:38 Some are a little more ornate and modern. 54:40 They've got chrome and stainless steel. 54:42 Now, there's good reason that the ceilings are padded. 54:47 When one of the local Filipinos wants a ride on a Jeepney, 54:50 they just flag them down. 54:52 They shout, they tap on the hood, 54:53 and then they jump onboard. 54:55 They may not even slow down when they do this. 54:57 Then they pay about 8 pesos, which is the equivalent 55:00 of 16 cents for us. 55:02 It's by far the most economical way 55:04 to get around in the country. 55:10 Some Jeepneys are even equipped with their own emergency privy. 55:16 One little downside to the Jeepneys is because the cabs 55:19 are open like this, they're not air conditioned. 55:21 It gets pretty hot in the summertime, and all the fumes 55:24 from the street come in, which can make it 55:26 an exhausting experience, whew. 55:29 Part of the downside of a Jeepney is they don't have 55:31 all of the modern safety features, no seatbelts. 55:35 You have to take advantage of the padding if you hit a hard 55:37 bump, and if you're in a serious accident, there's no airbags 55:41 other than the friends that might be sitting around you. 55:44 And that's the upside of the Jeepney. 55:45 Because you're up close and personal with everybody, 55:48 you make some new friends. 55:50 Riding on a Jeepney requires teamwork. 55:52 If you buy something from one of the vendors, 55:54 you all sort of pass it back to each other. 55:56 And when passengers get on board, 55:58 just pass your money up front. 56:05 Thanks a lot. 56:11 Friends, it's safe to say there are no two Jeepneys 56:13 that are exactly the same. 56:15 They're all unique and distinct, and so are you. 56:19 Have you ever felt that you get lost in a mass of humanity 56:22 and God doesn't notice you? 56:24 The Bible tells us that He knows your name, the very hairs 56:26 of your head are numbered, and He hears your prayers. 56:29 More than that, the Lord wants to take you to His kingdom. 56:32 You just have to get on board. 56:35 ♪♪♪ 56:42 ♪♪♪ 56:49 ♪♪♪ 56:59 ♪♪♪ 57:09 ♪♪♪ 57:19 ♪♪♪ 57:26 Doug: Jesus was baptized, that the Heavens were parted for Him. 57:30 The Holy Spirit came down. 57:31 This is what God wants you to experience. 57:34 You come to Christ. 57:35 Your sins are washed away. 57:37 You become a new creature. 57:38 It's a land of beginning again, and how many of you wish 57:40 you could get a new start? 57:44 male announcer: "For I was hungry, 57:45 and you gave Me something to eat. 57:49 Inasmuch as you do it to one of the least of these My brethren, 57:53 you did it to Me." 57:56 ♪♪♪ 58:04 ♪♪♪ 58:14 ♪♪♪ 58:24 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2019-07-23