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00:12 CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 abercap.com 00:16 ♪♪♪ 00:35 Jean Ross: Good morning, friends. 00:36 I'd like to welcome you to "Sabbath School Study Hour" 00:38 here at the Granite Bay 00:40 Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Sacramento, California. 00:42 I'd like to welcome our online members and our friends who are 00:44 joining us across the country and around the world, our 00:47 extended Sabbath School class, as well as our regular Sabbath 00:51 School members and those who are visiting with us today. 00:53 We're just delighted that you're here this morning. 00:56 We have a very important lesson that we'll be looking at. 00:59 It's still on the subject that we have, the theme, 01:02 for our whole quarter, entitled, "The Least of These." 01:05 And today we're looking at lesson number six. 01:07 The title of the lesson is "Worship the Creator." 01:11 And of course, that has something to do with 01:13 the Sabbath. 01:14 The Sabbath is a memorial of God's creative work but there 01:16 are some other things that's going to be addressed in our 01:18 lesson today. 01:19 So it's lesson number six if you're following along in your 01:21 lesson quarterly entitled "Worship the Creator." 01:23 And for those of you who might not have a copy of today's 01:26 lesson, you can download one for free by simply visiting 01:30 the website, Lesson.aftv.org. 01:34 And again, that website is Lesson.aftv.org. 01:38 Download lesson number six and you'll be able to study 01:41 along with us. 01:42 It's entitled "Worship the Creator." 01:43 We also have a free offer we'd like to let you know about, 01:46 those who are joining us on the various networks 01:48 as well as watching online, 01:49 a book entitled, 01:51 "Why God Said Remember." 01:52 And this is our free offer today. 01:55 What you'll need to do in order to receive this book is to call 01:57 the number... 02:01 and you want to ask for offer number 185. 02:04 That number again... 02:09 ask for offer number 185. 02:11 We'll be happy to send that to anyone here in North America. 02:15 If you're outside of North America, you can send a text 02:19 message to the following code and be able to 02:21 download the book. 02:23 So you want to send the text code "SH129" 02:27 to the number 40544. 02:32 And again, then you'll get a link and you'll be able to 02:35 download and read the book "Why God Said Remember." 02:37 I think it'll be a blessing 02:38 as you read through that. 02:40 Well, before we get to our study this morning, we're going to 02:42 start by lifting our voices in song. 02:45 I'd like to invite our song leaders to please come forward. 02:54 female: Good morning, and happy Sabbath, church family. 02:56 We invite you to join us in singing our hymn this morning, 02:59 hymn number 422, "Marching to Zion." 03:02 And we're going to sing all four verses. 03:05 ♪♪♪ 03:11 ♪ Come, we that love the Lord, ♪ 03:15 ♪ and let our joys be known; ♪ 03:18 ♪ Join in a song with sweet accord ♪ 03:21 ♪ join in a song with sweet accord, ♪ 03:25 ♪ and thus surround the throne, ♪ 03:28 ♪ and thus surround the throne. ♪ 03:31 ♪ We're marching to Zion, ♪ 03:34 ♪ beautiful, beautiful Zion. ♪ 03:38 ♪ We're marching upward ♪ 03:39 ♪ to heavenly Zion, ♪ 03:42 ♪ the beautiful city of God. ♪ 03:45 ♪ Let those refuse to sing, who never knew our God; ♪ 03:52 ♪ but children of the heavenly King ♪ 03:56 ♪ but children of the heavenly King ♪ 03:59 ♪ may speak their joys abroad, ♪ 04:03 ♪ may speak their joys abroad. ♪ 04:06 ♪ We're marching to Zion, ♪ 04:10 ♪ beautiful, beautiful Zion. ♪ 04:14 ♪ We're marching upward ♪ 04:16 ♪ to heavenly Zion, ♪ 04:17 ♪ the beautiful city of God. ♪ 04:21 ♪ The hill of Zion yields ♪ 04:25 ♪ a thousand sacred sweets, ♪ 04:29 ♪ before we reach the heavenly fields ♪ 04:32 ♪ before we reach the heavenly fields, ♪ 04:36 ♪ or walk the golden streets, ♪ 04:40 ♪ or walk the golden streets. ♪ 04:43 ♪ We're marching to Zion, ♪ 04:46 ♪ beautiful, beautiful Zion. ♪ 04:50 ♪ We're marching upward ♪ 04:52 ♪ to heavenly Zion, ♪ 04:54 ♪ the beautiful city of God. ♪♪ 05:01 female: Thank you for singing with us. 05:05 Jean: "Marching to Zion," one of my favorite hymns. 05:08 What a great theme to kind of remind us that, yes, heaven is 05:11 our home, that heavenly Zion. 05:14 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 05:16 Dear Father, once again, we are grateful that we're able to 05:18 gather in Your house to open up Your Word and study a very 05:20 important lesson, a lesson that is so important to us as 05:24 individuals for we are Your creation. 05:27 You have made us and You are worthy of worship, and so we do 05:30 pray that You bless us as we look at this theme of "Worship 05:32 the Creator," and we commit this time in Your keeping in Jesus's 05:35 name, amen. 05:38 Our lesson this morning is going to be brought to us by the 05:41 Amazing Facts director of the AFCA program. 05:44 AFCA is the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism and one of our 05:47 evangelists is currently our AFCA director, evangelist 05:51 Carlos Munoz, and he is going to be sharing our lesson today. 05:54 God bless you. 05:58 Carlos Munoz: [speaking foreign language] 06:00 Ooh, you sound a little weak there, i see. 06:03 [speaking foreign language] 06:06 Christ is coming, amen? 06:08 So I want to welcome everybody to our Sabbath School. 06:12 It's a great privilege and an honor to be here with you and 06:16 when I was asked to share and do the Sabbath School this week, 06:21 I was interesting because I was making memory and I thought, 06:24 "You know, I've never actually given the Sabbath School lesson 06:27 in English, right?" 06:28 I was--I came in ten years ago through Hispanic churches and so 06:32 I was thinking, "I've actually never done it in English." 06:35 I was, like, "Whoo." 06:36 I was, you know, excited about that. 06:38 It's the first time I--when I was growing up in the church, I 06:41 started as a deacon, I was an elder, and I was a Sabbath 06:45 School teacher, so it comes very natural to me, 06:47 but--so this is fun, amen? 06:50 It's fun as we come together and study this wonderful topic and 06:53 not any topic but what's the title for the lesson this week? 06:55 It's what? "Worship the Creator." 06:58 Now, automatically, when I say the title, "Worship the 07:01 Creator," what do we think about? 07:03 What did you think about when you heard the title, 07:04 "Worship the Creator"? 07:06 What come to mind? 07:09 Revelation chapter 14, what? 07:11 Verse 6, right? 07:12 It said: "And another angel said flying in the midst of heaven, 07:15 with the having the," what? 07:16 "The everlasting gospel." 07:17 "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has 07:21 come; and worship Him who made," or created, "the heavens, 07:25 the sea, the earth, and the springs of water." 07:28 So immediately, it took me to the three angels' message. 07:30 Now we'll see how this ties in, in the lesson as we continue. 07:34 Before we start, I'd like to have a word of prayer. 07:37 Father, thank You for this opportunity to come together and 07:40 study Your Word in such a wonderful topic as is worshiping 07:44 You as our creator. 07:45 And so, Father, we ask that Your Spirit guide us and strengthen 07:49 us and we ask these things in Jesus's name, amen. 07:52 Amen, so "Worshiping the Creator." 07:54 One of the things that I like to do when I give my Sabbath School 07:57 lesson is to start off with the title. 07:58 Now, the first word is "Worshiping." 08:01 Now, what does "worshiping" mean? 08:04 What is "worshiping"? 08:05 Some people think that worshiping is having some type 08:09 of spiritual manifestation where people are jumping up and down 08:12 or maybe they're--they think that they're speaking in 08:15 tongues, right, and they think that this manifestation is a 08:18 form of worship, right? 08:19 You ask other people. 08:20 Other people will say, "Well, worshiping is singing 08:22 and praising God." 08:24 Other people will say, "It's preaching." 08:27 And while some of those things more than others, right, 08:29 they do apply. 08:31 The word "worship" is very interesting in the Bible. 08:33 In Greek, the word "worship" is proskuneo. 08:37 Now, what does the word "proskuneo" mean? 08:39 I'm not going to tell you what it means. 08:41 I'm going to show you what the word "proskuneo" means. 08:44 So if you run the camera with me, maybe you want to follow me. 08:47 This is what proskuneo means biblically. 08:55 Did you get that? 08:57 So what does worship mean biblically? 09:01 It's to what? 09:03 It's to humble yourself, it's to prostrate yourself 09:05 before the Lord. 09:06 It's to put your hands, your knees, and your face 09:08 on the floor. Is everybody following me? 09:10 So singing and studying the Bible and praising 09:15 God, those things are part of our worship, amen? 09:19 But the worship is really founded on what? 09:22 On a humbled heart, on a heart that has been given over to 09:25 the Lord in submission, amen? 09:26 Saying, "Lord," if you remember in the Bible it says that when 09:29 God's people--when some tragedy would happen or where something 09:32 was intensely--an emergency came, they would do what? 09:35 They would prostrate themselves. 09:37 They would throw dust and they would throw what? 09:39 And they would throw, what else did they throw on themselves? 09:42 Dust and ashes. 09:44 And what does that mean? 09:46 What do they mean when they were throwing dust 09:47 and ashes on themselves? 09:48 Dust represents what? 09:50 What are we made from? 09:51 Of? 09:52 Of dust. And ashes. 09:53 What we're saying is, "Lord." 09:55 When we prostrate ourselves, "Lord, I am dust," right? 09:57 "I came from dust. 09:58 You are my creator. 10:00 And if I don't repent and I don't submit myself to You, if I 10:03 don't humble myself to You, I'm going to be turned into," what? 10:07 "Into ashes." 10:08 So it's an affliction of the soul, actually. 10:11 It's a humbling before God. 10:12 That's what the word "worship" means. 10:14 And if we were to give the word "worship" a synonym, 10:16 and did I say that correctly? 10:19 I always get it confused with synonym. 10:21 Synonym is the actual word, not cinnamon. 10:23 If I were to use a synonym for the word "worship," you know 10:27 what word I would use? 10:29 "Obedience," amen? 10:31 Who wants to worship God? 10:33 Raise your hand. 10:35 Then obey Him, because that is the obedience, 10:38 that is the true worship, is a submission to God's will. 10:42 It's just saying, "Lord, here I am. 10:43 Use me in Your service. 10:45 Use me as You are." 10:46 And why is it that He deserves worship in this context? 10:50 It's because He is our what? 10:52 He is our creator. 10:53 He is our maker, amen? 10:54 And He is the life-giver. 10:56 And so when we choose not to give Him the worship as our 11:00 creator, to give Him the obedience to submit ourselves in 11:03 humility as He is the one, what we're saying is, "I don't want 11:06 to live anymore because He is the life-giver." 11:08 Is everybody with me? 11:09 That's what we're saying. We're rejecting life. 11:11 And He says, if that's what you choose, God respects our 11:14 decision but what we're saying is, "I don't want to live 11:16 anymore because He is the one that gives life and so it is 11:19 through worship, my loved ones, that we are honoring, 11:22 recognizing Him as our--as our creator, amen? 11:26 And we're going to see that as we continue to go into the 11:28 lesson and so immediately, my loved ones, what we find 11:31 is then there's an--is worship and idolatry connected? 11:37 Yes or no, right? 11:40 Is there a connection between worship and idolatry? 11:42 Yes, because when you choose not to worship God, automatically 11:46 what do you fall into? 11:49 You fall into idolatry. 11:50 And so we see this connection in Scripture. 11:52 So if true worship is obedience to God, then what is false 11:57 worship? 11:59 Disobedience to God. 12:01 It's idolatry. 12:02 Is everybody following me? 12:03 And so this is what we find when we come into our lesson, right? 12:06 It gives us the first example. 12:07 It talks about what? 12:09 What is the first example that it gives us about issues with 12:12 worship in our lesson this week? 12:14 It was on regards to--it was on regards to what? 12:18 Egypt, right? 12:19 It was in regards to Egypt. 12:20 I call this worshiping Egyptian style. 12:24 So God--God's people, what happened? 12:26 We know the story. 12:26 They were--they had been hundreds of years. 12:28 They were--they fell into slavery in Egypt. 12:30 Now, do you think that they fell into slavery into Egypt because 12:33 they were obeying God? 12:34 What do you say? 12:36 Go ahead, you can answer. 12:37 Do you think that they fell into slavery because they were 12:40 obeying God, because they were worshiping God properly? 12:43 No, right? 12:44 Maybe during the times of Joseph, Joseph was the pillar, 12:47 right? 12:48 Joseph was the focal point, but once Joseph died, the Scripture 12:51 says that they fell out of favor and I'm sure that also they 12:54 started to follow in the Egyptian worship styles, right? 12:57 They probably started to eat Egyptian food, Egyptian 13:00 entertainment, Egyptian fashion, and the Egyptian lifestyle, 13:04 right? 13:05 Egyptian worship, and they got all caught up but they fell into 13:08 slavery because, why? 13:10 Because they fell away from the Lord. 13:11 But the Lord listened to them, it says in Exodus chapter 2, 13:14 amen? 13:14 And what happened? 13:16 That eventually, slavery becomes such a burden on them, that they 13:18 did what? 13:19 They had no other where to go than back to the God of Abraham, 13:23 of Jacob, and of Isaac, amen? 13:25 Is everybody with me? 13:26 And so they--it says in Exodus chapter 2, around 13:29 verse 23 and 24, it says that they pleaded and they say-- 13:32 they looked up to the Lord. 13:33 Did the Lord listen to them? 13:35 Amen, they were slaves. 13:36 I have a question. Were we slaves? 13:38 Yes, we were slaves to what? To sin. 13:42 We were born in the condition, just as God's people during this 13:46 time, they had been born under that condition. 13:48 It's all they knew but it became such a burden that they asked 13:52 God for freedom, right? 13:53 And did God send a liberator, yes or no? 13:56 Oh yes, He did. Who did He send? 13:59 He sent Moses, amen? 14:00 Moses, a type of Christ, Moses then comes in. 14:04 Moses wants to what? 14:05 Moses then comes in and part of God to do what? 14:08 To free God's people. 14:09 Were they freed, yes or no? 14:10 Yes or no? 14:12 Oh, yes, through what? 14:13 Through the blood of the Lamb, amen? 14:14 And so as the blood of the Lamb comes in, what happens? 14:16 Then they are taken--they're taken through the Red Sea, which 14:21 is a representation of baptism. 14:24 And then what comes next? 14:26 And then God takes them into the desert and what does He do 14:28 with them? 14:29 He says, "Do you see what I have done for you? 14:31 I am the God of Abraham, I am the God of Isaac, 14:34 I am the God of Jacob, and I want to be your God," amen? 14:37 "I want to be your God. 14:39 I want to--I just showed you what I did because I want to 14:41 keep My covenant with My son, Abraham, 14:44 and I want to be your God. 14:46 I want you to be My people, My bride." 14:48 And they said, "Yes," but what happened immediately? 14:52 What happened immediately after Moses went up to spend that time 14:55 with God in 40 days? 14:56 What did they do? 14:58 They began to worship Egyptian-style, right? 15:01 They had just said, "We're not going to go running into 15:03 idolatry." 15:04 They had just committed to the Ten Commandments, these divine 15:07 principles, but they chose to do what? 15:10 They chose then to follow back in what they knew, right? 15:13 The impatience. 15:14 And whose fault was it? 15:15 Was it their fault? 15:17 Whose fault was it? 15:18 Aaron's fault, right? 15:20 It was Aaron's fault and God--and Moses says, "What have 15:23 you done? What have you taken them to do?" 15:25 Is this, my loved ones, is this story planning to point to us? 15:29 Is God trying to tell us something about worship in the 15:32 end times, right? 15:33 That a leadership is supposed to uphold these principles, these 15:37 divine principles of worship, right? 15:39 Of how it is to serve God, how it is to live for God, how it is 15:43 to follow God and to show and witness to others and so we see 15:47 that God's people did what? 15:48 They veered off because of the leadership and this is not only 15:50 talking about just the pastors and the elders. 15:53 This is also talking about Mom and Dad at home. 15:55 Is everybody with me, right? 15:57 Those principles, go with them, 15:59 because truly, kids come to church for what? 16:01 For maybe a couple hours on Sabbath, maybe an hour during 16:03 the week. 16:04 The real sanctuary, the real church, is where? 16:07 Is in your house. It's at home. 16:10 It's those principles that you have established for them, 16:12 upholding the principles of God and so we see how this veered 16:15 off very quickly. Is everybody with me? 16:18 And so, go with me please to Psalm. 16:22 Let's go to Psalm chapter 115 because in the lesson it uses 16:26 this verse in a very interesting way and I actually, I don't know 16:29 about you, but I never really saw it--saw this verse 16:33 through my studies in Psalms chapter 118. 16:36 We're going to start on verse number 1. 16:39 Psalms 118. 16:40 So we see Egyptian-style worship came in, right? 16:43 And immediately these issues. I have a question. 16:46 Did the same thing happen with the early church? 16:48 Yes or no? Right? 16:50 Christ established the early church. 16:52 We read in the book of Acts, how was the early church? 16:54 Ho, they were fervent for the Lord. 16:56 They were ministering, they were doing the Lord's work, but what 16:59 happened? 17:00 After a while, right, the leadership kind of died out. 17:03 The disciples died out and what led into the church? 17:06 What does Revelation tell us in the second, third, 17:10 and fourth seal? What came in? 17:12 Idolatry came in. 17:13 So when we put these principles aside, when we don't uphold the 17:17 principles of God, when we stop worshiping God, 17:20 when we stop submitting to God, immediately what is going 17:23 to come into our lives? Idolatry. 17:25 In other words, you're going to put something 17:27 or someone before God. 17:29 That's the danger and that's why God puts His Ten Commandments, 17:32 those protections about don't worship, don't follow any other 17:36 god, don't follow, don't put your worship into any other 17:39 thing, because anything that you put before Me is going to lead 17:42 you down to destruction. 17:43 Why? 17:44 Because you're going to be submitting yourself 17:46 to the things of the flesh. 17:47 And this is how it leads. 17:49 And this is what we're looking at. 17:50 Psalms 115. 17:51 Everybody there? 17:52 Verse number 1 says: "Not unto us, O Lord, unto--not unto us, 17:56 but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, 17:59 because of Your truth," amen? 18:01 "Why should the Gentiles say, 'So where is their God?' 18:04 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 18:08 Their idols are silver and gold, the works of man hands. 18:11 They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes, 18:15 but they do not--" 18:15 "They have ears, but they do not--" 18:18 "Noses, but they do not--" 18:20 Is everybody with me? 18:22 "They have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but 18:25 they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat." 18:28 And it says: "Those who make them are like them; so is 18:32 everyone who trusts in them." 18:34 So what is this principle talking about here? 18:37 Is that you will turn into or what you will become what you 18:41 contemplate, right? 18:43 Whatever is your idol, whatever is you--whatever you put if--let 18:47 me put it this way. 18:48 Anything that you put before God, whether it be a person or 18:50 whether it be a thing, that is your idol. 18:52 And you will contemplate that, you will become that. 18:56 That's psychology 101. 18:57 What you contemplate is what you will become. 19:00 And so God puts these limitations. 19:03 When God puts these Ten Commandments, when He puts these 19:05 holy principles, it's to protect us from falling into idolatry. 19:09 Is everybody with me? 19:10 It's to protect us from our own carnal nature and when we see 19:13 this, that's--those are the principles and so when we talk 19:16 about why do we worship God, why do we worship God? 19:20 The lesson tells us very clearly in the lesson title. 19:22 Because He is what? Is that the only reason? 19:25 Is that the only reason we worship God, because of 19:28 creation? No, why else? 19:29 Because of redemption, right? 19:32 It was talked about in a couple of lessons ago. 19:34 Deuteronomy chapter 5 when it gives the Ten Commandments, 19:37 especially specifically the Sabbath. 19:38 It talks about why? 19:39 Because You have redeemed us. 19:40 How? 19:41 With a strong arm, with open arms, amen? 19:44 Have we been redeemed through Christ, extending His arms and 19:47 putting Himself on Calvary, yes or no? 19:49 And so we worship because of creation. 19:51 Who wants to thank God for creating us? 19:53 Let me see, raise your hand. 19:54 Praise the Lord, I do too. 19:55 Who wants to thank Christ for redeeming us? 19:58 Amen, but you know that's not the only reason. 20:00 The other reason why is because of sanctification. 20:03 Do you know that? 20:04 It says that He is a--it is a seal, a sign, that He is our God 20:08 because He has sanctified us, amen? 20:10 Who wants to thank God for sanctification? 20:12 Whoo, because sanctification, my loved ones, is what gets us to 20:16 be ready to live in the presence of God, amen? 20:19 And it's not only because of creation. 20:21 Not only because of redemption, not only because of 20:23 sanctification but also because of glorification, amen? 20:26 Because in Isaiah chapter 66, when you read verses 22 and 33, 20:29 it says that from Sabbath, from new month to month to month and 20:33 from Sabbath to Sabbath we shall what? 20:35 "In the new heavens and the new earth we shall all come to 20:39 worship Him," amen? 20:40 And it's because of what? 20:42 Because of what He has. 20:43 We're worshiping for the past, because of the present, and 20:46 because of the future, amen? 20:48 And so these are great reasons, amen? 20:50 Amen? 20:52 Now, there's an issue. 20:53 The devil knows this and so what does the devil do? 20:57 He tries to what? 20:59 He tries to distort God's plan. 21:02 He tries to deviate us from God's plan. Why? 21:05 Because he knows that if we deviate from these principles, 21:08 if we deviate from this foundation of God, worshiping 21:11 God, submitting our lives, giving our lives over as God is 21:14 our creator, then what happens? 21:17 Then he knows were going to automatically fall into idolatry 21:19 because only God can protect us from the ways of the flesh, only 21:23 God can sustain us. 21:24 Is everybody with me, amen? 21:25 And so what happens? Go with me. 21:27 I want to show you something fascinating. 21:29 Romans chapter 1. 21:30 Go with me to Romans chapter 1. 21:32 I want to show you how this plays out in Scripture and 21:35 especially how this leads because, my loved ones, if we do 21:37 not submit to God, if we do not give ourselves over to God, then 21:42 we are in danger of following in the ways of the flesh and the 21:46 ways of the flesh are what? 21:48 What are the ways of the flesh? 21:50 Death. 21:51 Look at Romans chapter 1. 21:52 Watch the enemy's plan. 21:54 Paul saw this. 21:55 He saw it coming and look at how Paul so masterfully 21:58 breaks this down. 21:59 Romans chapter 1. 22:00 Everybody there? 22:02 Verse number 18: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven 22:06 against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," and 22:10 women, who do what? 22:11 "Who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." 22:14 Now, what is this truth that is being suppressed that Paul is 22:17 talking about? 22:18 Look at what it says in verse 19. 22:20 "Because what may be known of God is manifested in them, for 22:24 God has shown it to them." 22:25 What has God shown us? 22:27 What has God manifested to us that is being suppressed, that 22:30 is being put aside? 22:32 Here it is, verse 20: "For since the creation of the world His 22:35 invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the 22:39 things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so 22:44 that they are," what? 22:45 "So they are without excuse." 22:48 So what is it making reference? 22:49 What is Paul pointing to? 22:50 He's pointing to people that do what? 22:52 They don't want to look, they don't want to give God credit 22:54 for being what? The creator, right? 22:56 And that's what the devil's plan is. 22:58 He says, "If I can keep their focus away, if I can make them 23:02 think that they can be Christians, that they can honor 23:04 God and worship God, and pull away that concept of God as 23:08 their creator, as God as their foundation, and Paul says what? 23:11 The evidence is so clear. 23:12 It's abundantly clear, what? 23:14 Through the things that we see, amen? 23:15 Through the things that we see it is very clear that 23:18 there is a God. 23:19 I--I don't know if most of you know, 23:21 but I used to be an atheist. 23:22 I didn't believe in God. 23:24 And when people asked me, "What made you to believe in God?" 23:27 do you know what I tell them? "Science. 23:28 Science is what made me believe in God." 23:30 And people say, "What? 23:31 That's crazy because I thought science says no." 23:32 Science, when I studied science, the brain, biology, the 23:35 universe, the ecosystems, everything, is order and logic. 23:41 And I said, "This has to come from someplace." 23:44 Is everybody with me? 23:46 And this--it took me a long time, it wasn't overnight, 23:48 trust me. 23:49 Took me a number of years but eventually science is what got 23:52 me to believe that there is something supernatural 23:55 in the world. Does everybody follow me? 23:57 Now, a lot of people say, "Oh, but science disproved God." 23:59 I'm sorry, but science cannot disprove God. 24:02 Why? 24:03 Because science is the study of the natural world, hmm? 24:07 What is science? 24:08 The study of the natural world, and if God is supernatural, then 24:13 that means that science is not capable of pointing to God 24:17 because that's not the purpose of science. 24:20 Is everybody following me? 24:22 So how are we going to use something to measure God when 24:25 it's inept, it's not capable of the supernatural? 24:28 It would be like me trying to use a ruler to measure how much 24:31 air is in the tires of my car. 24:34 Is it going to work? 24:35 No, that's not what the purpose of the ruler is. 24:37 Science cannot prove God because God is supernatural. 24:41 He is above it. 24:42 Is everybody with me? 24:43 And so this is what we're seeing. 24:45 Let's continue to read because this is fascinating. 24:47 It continues to say, Romans chapter 1, verse number 21: 24:50 "Because, though they know God, they did not glorify Him as God, 24:53 nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, 24:56 and their foolish hearts were darkened. 24:58 Professing to be wise, they became," what? 25:01 Why? 25:02 Because they don't want to recognize God as what? 25:04 As the creator. 25:05 "And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into a image 25:09 made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals 25:13 and creeping things." Let's stop here for a minute. 25:15 Instead of man giving honor and worshiping God and giving Him 25:19 the praise and glory for being our creator, it says here that 25:21 they were looking at what? 25:23 "At corruptible things," at us. 25:25 I like to say, "God created man and women in His image and 25:28 likeliness and after sin we have given back the same favor," 25:34 right? 25:35 Doesn't translate in English so well but in Spanish it sounds 25:37 really nice. 25:38 What it means is that God created us in His image and 25:41 likeness and after sin what are we doing? 25:43 We're creating God in our fallen image and likeliness, right? 25:46 We're wanting God to be like us so why? 25:47 So it's comfortable. 25:49 So it's not--so we say, "You know what? 25:51 I can live the way I want to live, I can live in the ways of 25:53 the flesh." 25:54 That's just fine because God is like that too, right? 25:57 And so this is what humanity is doing. 25:59 This is what it's pointing to and look at how it goes. 26:01 We not only stop worshiping God the creator but now we're 26:03 looking at the earth and the things that were created. 26:05 Verse 24: "Therefore also--God also gave them unto 26:09 uncleanliness, in the lusts of their," what? 26:12 "Their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who 26:15 exchanged the truth of God for a lie," and what did they worship? 26:19 "Worshiped and served," what? 26:22 "Creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, 26:26 amen." 26:27 So what did humanity start to do? 26:29 Instead of worshiping God as the creator, 26:31 what did they start to worship? 26:33 Creation. 26:34 I have a question. 26:35 How is this theory manifested now in society? 26:40 How is it that human beings are not giving worshiping and 26:43 honoring God as their creator but worshiping creation? 26:46 What is that theory called? 26:48 Evolution, thank you. 26:49 Evolution. 26:51 Isn't that what evolution is? 26:52 Oh, we didn't come from God, we came from what? 26:54 We evolved from some cosmic, right, 27:00 some cosmic mucus that became a tadpole, and then it became 27:04 a fish, and then it became a lizard and then an ape 27:07 and that's how we came up from. 27:09 This--isn't that what Paul is talking about? 27:10 What happens? 27:12 That's why the devil is so tricky because he's taken 27:14 humanity to think we don't need to have God as a creator. 27:17 We've got to not create and by automatically pushing us away 27:20 from looking and focusing on God as the creator, what happens is 27:23 that we start to what? 27:24 We fall into idolatry. 27:26 We fall into the ways of the lusts of the flesh 27:28 and we start what? Focusing on us. 27:30 And if you start looking at us and looking at creation, 27:32 you can justify anything. 27:34 Anything you can justify and that's why we have all of this 27:37 confusion in this world. 27:39 Look at what it continues to say. 27:41 It says in verse number 26: "For this reason God gave them up to 27:45 vile passions. 27:46 For even their woman exchanged the natural use for what is," 27:48 what? "Against nature. 27:50 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, 27:53 burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing 27:57 what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of 27:59 their error which is due." 28:01 And you can continue to read. 28:02 You know the story. 28:03 It's basically saying when we keep our focus off of worshiping 28:07 God, honoring God, as the creator, what happens? 28:10 We start to fall in the most vile and lustful beliefs 28:13 of the flesh. 28:15 And amongst those it's talking about evolution, right? 28:18 And there are people that look at evolution and they say, 28:20 "Well." 28:21 And it's also talking about what? 28:22 It's also talking about homosexuality, right? 28:25 Now, does God love the sinner? 28:28 Amen, right? We're all on that boat, right? 28:32 But God hates sin. 28:33 And so we're called to what? 28:35 To move away from sin but what is the justification? 28:38 "Oh, no, this is how we are. 28:39 This is how he made us. 28:40 C'mon, we see it in nature. 28:42 We see animals doing homosexual acts too." 28:44 Are you following me? 28:45 We're not putting God in His place. 28:47 We're not telling Him and putting those principles and 28:50 that automatically will lead into idolatry in the mind 28:53 and in the being. Is everybody following me? 28:55 Is everybody with me? 28:56 And we see in this connection and how the devil is trying to 28:59 play off, trick us. 29:00 Look at what it says here in a quote from "Great Controversy." 29:02 It said, "It is a law both of the intellectual and 29:06 the spiritual nature that by beholding, we become changed. 29:10 The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is 29:13 allowed to dwell. 29:14 It becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to. 29:17 Love and reference. 29:20 Love and reference, I'm sorry. 29:21 To which it is accustomed to love and reference." 29:23 I didn't say that right. Let me read that again. 29:25 "It becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love 29:28 and reverence." 29:30 So what you love and reverence, that's what's going to appear. 29:33 Have you ever seen somebody that looks like their car? 29:37 Actually, I know people that worship their car. 29:39 It's all about their car, all the money, everything is about 29:42 their car. 29:43 And it gets to a point where they look like their car. 29:46 Men will never rise higher than his standard of purity or 29:49 goodness or truth. 29:50 It is self in his loftiest ideal, he will never attain to 29:54 anything more exalted. 29:56 So if this is the image that you have, then that's how high your 29:59 standards and your principles are going to go. 30:01 Is everybody with me? 30:02 But the grace of God alone has power to exalt man. 30:05 Left to himself his course must inevitably be downwards. 30:11 Are you following me? 30:12 And so the devil knows this. 30:14 The devil understands this perfectly and that's what he's 30:16 trying to take us to. 30:17 Go with me please to Deuteronomy chapter 10. 30:19 Deuteronomy chapter 10. 30:21 Now, in the context of the lesson, does this have to do 30:24 also with our service, right? 30:27 Some people say, you know, ministering and servicing to 30:31 others is part--is a part of our worship. 30:35 No, it is worship because, remember, worship is not just 30:41 doing x or y. 30:42 Worship is what? 30:43 What did we show worship to be? 30:44 A total submission to God's will. 30:48 And so in God's will, we see that service to others in the 30:51 same way that God served us should be the ideal or the 30:54 principle that is brought forth when you have known and given 30:58 your life over to God, amen? 31:00 Because in the same way that He has done for us, we were slaves, 31:03 we were foreigners, we were dead in our lusts and in our flesh. 31:08 God sent His Son, amen, to do what? 31:11 To save us, to bring us up, to show us what it means to live a 31:16 holy righteous life in the Spirit. 31:18 And so because he has served us, automatically what should we be 31:21 doing? 31:22 Serving others that were in our same condition, in our unsaved, 31:27 fleshly, live condition. 31:29 Is everybody with me? 31:30 And so what happens is, let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 10. 31:33 What happens is, my loved ones, is that now we understand why 31:36 the devil attacks the Sabbath. 31:38 Why? 31:39 Because if you take away the Sabbath, what does the Sabbath 31:41 point to? 31:43 Creation, worshiping Christ as what? 31:46 As the creator. 31:47 And so the devil says, "If I can take the Sabbath away, then I 31:49 can take their focus away from Christ as their creator and then 31:54 what? 31:55 And then I could do anything I want with them, right? 31:56 Because they've left the door open for me to come in." 31:59 Look at Deuteronomy chapter 17: "For the Lord your God is God of 32:04 gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, 32:08 who shows no," what? 32:10 Who shows no what? 32:13 Should we be showing partiality towards others? 32:14 No, God wasn't impartial with us, amen? 32:19 God was what? 32:20 God was pointing to us directly, amen. 32:22 He didn't say, "Look at these people." 32:24 He sent His only begotten Son, amen? 32:28 I'm glad that when I started my Christian walk, somebody did not 32:31 look at me because I did get the looks when I got into church 32:34 because before I became a Christian ten years ago, 32:37 whoo-hoo! 32:38 Piercings all over the place, tattoos, ripped jeans. 32:42 I was all over the place. 32:45 And they--people looked at me. They looked at me, eugh. 32:48 "This guy--eugh, this kid ain't going nowhere." 32:50 But I'm glad that as God does not show partiality, so was I 32:55 not showing partiality, amen? 32:57 And I was received and accept the same. 32:59 They didn't see me for who I was. 33:00 They saw me for who I was going to become in Christ. 33:03 "He administers justice for the fatherless and the widows, and 33:08 loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 33:10 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land 33:13 of Egypt. 33:15 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and do 33:18 Him--and to Him you shall," what? 33:20 "Hold fast, and take oaths in His name. 33:24 He is your praise, He is your God, who has done for you these 33:28 great and awesome things which you--" which you what? 33:33 "Which you have seen with your own eyes." 33:35 I have a question. 33:36 Have you seen the glory of God in your life? 33:39 Have you been witness to the glory of God in your life? 33:42 Then you are not the same person because when God touches you, 33:45 when God comes into your life, you can't be the same. 33:48 "Your fathers went down to Egypt with 70 persons, and now the 33:55 Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in 33:58 multitude," amen? 33:59 And so it's pointing to, again, it's just giving honor to God as 34:04 our creator but also because he is a God of what? 34:07 He is a just God, amen? 34:09 He is a righteous God. 34:10 He is a holy God. 34:11 And in that context, it's clearly pointing to what? 34:15 To serving others, amen? 34:16 To love for others. 34:17 What are the two--what are the--how many table commandments 34:21 do we have? We have how many? 34:22 Ten Commandments divided in how many tablets? 34:24 Two. Why two tablets? 34:26 'Cause when God was writing the first tablet, He ran out of 34:29 space and, "Hey, give Me another tablet. 34:30 C'mon, I'm running out of space." 34:31 No, why? 34:33 Because the first commandment, the first tablet, 34:35 has to do with what? 34:36 Our worship towards. 34:37 But the second commandment also has to do with our worship 34:40 towards God, right? 34:42 But our responsibility and commitment to who? 34:44 To others, amen? 34:46 And so that's why when you see in the Gospels, you see when 34:48 Christ comes along, He doesn't focus too much on the first 34:52 tablet, if you're noticed. 34:53 He does touch on the fourth one, the Sabbath, because of what it 34:55 had become. 34:56 But really, Christ focuses on what? 34:58 On the aspect of loving your neighbor. 35:00 He consistently is pushing them. 35:02 Why? 35:03 Because they had become so legalistic, they had become so 35:06 full of themselves, they had become so adapted as Isaiah as 35:09 we see in the lesson, to the ritual and the practices and 35:12 they thought that that was the end and not knowing that that 35:14 was a mean to the end, who was Christ, amen? 35:17 All of those things were pointing to Christ but they 35:20 thought it, what? 35:21 By them fulfilling it, they were what? 35:23 Oh, they will--and they forgot what? 35:25 They forgot the most basic and elemental part of what? 35:28 Of loving your neighbor. 35:30 Because how is it that we can love God who we have not seen if 35:34 we don't love our neighbors who we do see? 35:37 Isn't that a principle in the Bible? 35:39 Go with me, Romans chapter 13. 35:40 Go with me. I'm sorry, 1 John. 35:42 I wanted to show you this. 35:43 1 John. 35:44 This is the foundation, my loved ones, of our worship. 35:47 And our worship leads us into automatically a unique and a 35:52 distinct perspective of our neighbors are those that are 35:55 around us. 35:56 We're not here in a vacuum. 35:58 We're not here sitting down, just putting on the seatbelt and 36:01 hitting cruise control, waiting for Christ to come. 36:03 We have a job. 36:04 1 John chapter 4. 36:09 Who's there? 36:10 1 John chapter 4. 36:11 1 John chapter 4. 36:13 It says--we're going to start on verse number 7. 36:17 Look at this: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is 36:20 of--and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 36:24 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 36:29 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God 36:32 has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might 36:35 live through Him." Now watch this. 36:37 This verse--this verse number 10--the 9 is amazing; 10 is 36:42 just--it should shake us to the bones. 36:44 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us 36:48 and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins," 36:52 amen? 36:53 "By this we know that we--" I'm sorry. 36:56 "Beloved, if God so loved us, then we also ought to," what? 37:01 "Love others." 37:04 It's--you can't take it apart. 37:06 That's why when people say, "Oh, ministry is part of our walk." 37:10 No, it is. 37:11 It's the express manifestation of the love for God is what? 37:16 Is a love for one another. 37:17 It's a ministering to one another. 37:19 It's the sharing to one another. 37:21 It's the seeing where I came from and how now God has used me 37:25 and changed and transformed me and I want to be that same 37:28 instrument to others, amen? 37:31 And that's what it's pointing to. 37:33 That's why it says--go with me to Romans chapter 13. 37:35 Romans chapter 13. 37:36 These are profound principles, my loved ones. 37:39 You cannot--I'm looking for the word in English. 37:41 I'm thinking in Spanish. 37:42 As you know, I've already mentioned to you, I think in 37:43 Spanish but I'm translating in English and so, good for you, 37:46 because that way I speak slower. 37:50 In Spanish I'm like a machine gun, right? 37:53 Romans chapter 13, right? 37:55 You can't separate. That's the word. 37:57 You can't separate the love for God from the love for others, 38:00 and when you love others you will minister, you will treat 38:03 them, you will reach out to them. 38:04 You will love them. 38:05 Romans chapter 13. 38:06 Who's there? 38:08 Look at verse number 8: "Owe no one anything except to," what? 38:12 "To love one another, for he who loves another has," what? 38:15 "Fulfilled the law. 38:17 For the commandment says, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You 38:20 shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear 38:22 false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any 38:25 other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, 'You 38:28 shall love your neighbor as yourself,' love does no harm to 38:32 the neighbor; therefore the love is the," what? 38:34 "The fulfillment of the law," amen? 38:37 So how do we love our neighbors? 38:38 That second table, right? 38:40 It's that second perspective. 38:42 But that only happens, my loved ones, when we have a transformed 38:44 heart. 38:46 That's why when you go to Matthew chapter 25, when it 38:47 talks about the separating, right, of the lamb--of the lambs 38:50 and the goats in English, right? And what happens? 38:52 He says to the lambs, "Oh, you fed Me, you took care of Me, you 38:57 gave Me food, you gave Me water, you visit Me in prison," and 39:00 what did they say? "When? 39:01 When would we do that, Lord?" 39:03 And He said, "When you did it to one of My little ones," right? 39:07 It's the expression, the manifestation, of the love of 39:09 God in us is manifested through the love of God to others. 39:12 But this is not human because we are selfish. 39:16 Is everybody following me? 39:17 So this has to be a transforming power of God working in us. 39:21 And it's by contemplating, by looking at Him, by pointing to 39:25 Him, by keeping Him as the focus and His power, His Spirit, 39:28 working through us, then we can minister to others as He has 39:31 ministered to us, amen? 39:32 But what happens in the time of Isaiah, right? 39:36 They were saved from Egypt, amen? 39:39 Saved from Egypt. 39:40 They were taken, they were given a little pow-pow lesson in the 39:43 desert because they didn't get it so for 40 years God what? 39:46 God had to let that generation go and restart, right? 39:49 It was a restart, reboot, His people through giving him the 39:52 law again. But then what happens? 39:54 Then, as they start to establish as a kingdom, then comes the 39:57 time of Isaiah. 39:58 Go with me please to the times of Isaiah, whoo. 40:00 And that's kind of where the lesson left off last week in the 40:03 book of Isaiah. 40:04 Let's go with me to chapter 1. 40:06 Isaiah chapter 1, and we're going to go to verse number 10. 40:11 And now when we read this, remember I've--I think I've 40:13 mentioned this to you. 40:14 When we read these things, please read it as if it's 40:18 happening to us. 40:19 This is talking about us. 40:21 This is talking about our times because these things will what? 40:24 These things will happen again, my loved ones. 40:26 They're not here just to say, "Wow, these people during the 40:28 times of Isaiah, they were terrible. 40:30 Whoo, good thing we're not like that." 40:34 The reason it's here is because history repeats itself, and God 40:38 is putting it because the devil is the devil and he's going to 40:42 continue to push us into living and worshiping in the flesh. 40:48 Isaiah chapter 1, everybody there? 40:50 And it says in verse number 10: "Hear the word of the Lord, you 40:56 rulers of Sodom." 40:58 What? He's not talking to Sodom. 41:00 He's talking to who? 41:01 To his people. 41:02 "Give ear to the law of our God," why? 41:06 Why the law of the God? 41:07 Because the law of God has what? 41:09 Holy principles, amen? 41:11 Holy principles that protect us from sin. 41:13 I didn't hear anybody say, "Amen." 41:16 That's how I see the Ten Commandments. 41:17 The Ten Commandments is like a barrier. 41:19 It's a protection wall that God has given us to say, "That's 41:22 what sin is. 41:23 Stay away from it. 41:25 Don't get close to it." 41:27 And so the law of God protects us from ourselves. 41:30 It's the manifestation of God's love, showing us, "Don't, 41:34 because I know what transgression of My law does. 41:37 I know what happens when you walk away, when you become 41:39 idolatrous." 41:40 Continues to read: "'To what purpose is the multitude of your 41:43 sacrifices to Me?' says the Lord. 41:45 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of 41:48 fed cattle. 41:50 I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lamb or goats. 41:53 When you come to appear before Me,'" He says. 41:56 What does He say? 41:57 "Who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? 42:00 Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. 42:04 The New Moons, the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies--I cannot 42:08 endure iniquity and the sacred meetings. 42:11 Your New Moons, your appointed festivals My soul hates; they 42:14 are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 42:17 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; 42:20 even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. 42:22 Your hands are full of blood. 42:25 Wash yourselves," amen? 42:27 "Make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings before 42:30 My eyes. 42:31 Cleanse to do evil--cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek 42:37 justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for 42:41 the widow." Now, I have a question. 42:44 All of these things were instituted by God, yes or no, in 42:46 the Mosaic law? 42:48 Yes, the incense, the sacrifices, all of the feast 42:51 days, all of this was instituted. 42:53 Is he saying not to do them? 42:54 Is that what he's saying? 42:56 No. 42:57 Remember, all those things pointed to Christ, amen? 42:59 They all point to Christ. 43:00 He's not saying not to do them. 43:01 He's saying, what? 43:02 You're doing them because you think that these are the end, 43:05 that this is the purpose. 43:06 No, these are the means to an end. 43:09 They are pointing to something greater but you've taken these 43:12 rituals, you've taken them and you've put them in a ritualized 43:16 way and you've made them the what? 43:18 The center and you forgot about what? 43:20 You forgot about those around you. 43:22 And so when we take--when we keep our focus, here's what 43:24 happens in Christianity. 43:26 When we keep our focus off Christ, when we disconnect with 43:29 God, when we no longer have that intimate daily communion with 43:32 God, then those things which are supposed to be a means to 43:36 obtain, to connect with God, we then place them as what? 43:41 As these holy principles over serving and worshiping God with 43:46 our hearts. 43:47 And so we put them and what do we do with them? 43:51 We make, "Oh, they--it's more important." 43:53 I'm sure you've seen--I like the lessons because sometimes they 43:55 have questions. 43:57 I'll give you an example of this. 43:58 Have you ever seen when they do the Communion service, right? 44:01 I remember one time in my church they were doing Communion sermon 44:04 and this deaconess, she was new, right? 44:09 And so they put her to do the cloth, right? 44:11 And so, obviously, she wasn't doing that good because, you 44:12 know, she made mistakes. 44:13 They didn't practice with her enough. 44:15 And so she was there, trying to do her best but what happened? 44:18 Oh, you can see the head deaconesses and they were just 44:21 fuming, "Ohh, look at what she's doing." 44:24 And they had rage in their heart, and then they took her 44:26 and they scolded her and, "Oh, look at what you did." 44:29 That poor child, that poor lady, she was just doing what? 44:32 What she knew. 44:33 And so we have taken these--established these 44:38 beautiful sermon, baptism and Communion, and we've taken these 44:42 things and we've put them above the love for others. 44:46 It doesn't mean that we don't do them. 44:48 It doesn't mean that these are not holy things of God, but they 44:51 are not the end. 44:52 They are the means. 44:54 They are pointing to Christ. 44:55 Is everybody with me? 44:57 And so sometimes, we put these things over the love of our 45:00 fellow beings and we do the same thing, my loved ones, 45:02 consistently. 45:04 Why? 45:05 We do this consistently when we are not connected with God. 45:08 We forget that the purpose of God is to what? 45:11 Is to save humans, amen? 45:13 And that should be the focus, as we keep our focus on the Lord. 45:16 And so when we go into the book, it talks about the number of 45:19 ways to worship and it goes into Isaiah chapter 58, right? 45:23 And it talks about, again, about fasting. 45:25 I have a question. 45:26 Is fasting not biblical? 45:28 Yes, it is biblical but what was happening? 45:30 What is Isaiah pointing to in Isaiah chapter 58? 45:34 Yes, they were using it as a means--as an end, right? 45:37 To obtain something and not knowing that what he says--what 45:40 is the fast? What is it I want you to do? 45:41 I want you to stop focusing on yourself. 45:43 That's basically what Isaiah 58 is saying. 45:45 Stop focusing on yourself, stop being so preoccupied in your own 45:49 things, your--what you want, and go serve. 45:52 Go minister. 45:53 That is, my loved ones, that is the manifestation, that is the 45:56 result. 45:57 It is of seeing and--are we just ministering to minister? 46:00 I have a question. 46:01 Are we just ministering to minister? 46:03 No, 'cause I'll tell you the truth. 46:06 I know churches that they do a lot of work, communities, oh, 46:10 community service, then they come back and the question is, 46:13 "And how many people did you minister to? 46:15 Yes, you fed them, amen, amen. 46:17 Yes, you reached out to them. But the purpose was what? 46:20 The purpose is to show them Christ, amen? 46:22 To win, to touch on their needs, to touch and minister to what 46:25 they have. 46:26 It's not just to say, to calm your conscience and say, "Oh, 46:29 I did my work this week," right? 46:31 "I gave somebody some food and I'm good to go." 46:34 Look at what it says: "Christ's method alone will give true 46:37 success in reaching," what? 46:38 "The people. 46:40 The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. 46:43 He showed His sympathy for them. 46:45 He ministered to their needs and won their confidence but with 46:48 what purpose? 46:49 What is the end result of all of these things? 46:51 And then He obeyed them to," what? 46:53 "Follow Me," amen? 46:56 So when we're ministering, we're not just ministering to put a 46:59 checklist on what I'm--I behaved like a Christian this week. 47:02 Or a checklist because I said, "Whoo, now I can say I've done 47:05 what I need to do." 47:07 No, the purpose of ministering to people's needs, the purpose 47:10 as God is God wants us to be a blessing so that they can see 47:13 our God that we serve, amen? 47:15 That through our lives, through our works, they can see 47:18 something different and they can see the God that we serve and 47:20 they say, "You know what? 47:21 I want to serve that God. 47:22 That God that you're serving, I like it." 47:26 And they'll be listening. Isn't that what Jesus did? 47:28 He didn't heal just to heal. 47:30 Because after the healing what's going to happen? 47:32 They're going to die again. 47:36 But what? 47:37 The purpose was to give them what? 47:39 Something that could not--would not pass away here on earth but 47:43 would be what? Everlasting life, amen? 47:45 And so as we're ministering to people, we should be focusing 47:48 on what? 47:49 On trying to reach them-- 47:50 but, again, we need to be what? 47:52 We need to be connected with God. 47:54 That submission to God's will. 47:56 If we don't have it, my loved ones, if we cease to focus on 48:00 worshiping God for the right purpose, because He created us, 48:02 because He redeemed us, because He has sanctified us, 48:05 because He is going to glorify us. 48:06 If we keep that out of focus and we don't give--then, we're going 48:10 to fall into all of these legalistic ways of thinking that 48:13 we're living by God and we're really trying to prove ourselves 48:16 to others and to God. 48:18 And that is not salvation. Is everybody with me? 48:20 And so the way you live, worship is not a moment. 48:23 Worshiping is not just coming here to church, it's not just 48:26 about preaching, it's not just about reading, it's not just 48:28 about singing. Worship is a lifestyle. 48:31 It's a daily manifestation, is how you carry yourself when you 48:34 talk, when you walk, when other people see you. 48:36 What do your neighbors think about you? 48:38 What do your friends think about you? 48:40 Have you been ministering to them? 48:42 This is not just homeless people, it's not just going to 48:44 Africa. 48:45 You have a mission field where you live. 48:48 You are a missionary, amen? 48:50 You might be a contract worker, but you're really a missionary 48:54 disguised as a contract worker. 48:56 You might be an accountant. 48:58 No, you're not an accountant; you're a missionary disguised as 49:00 an accountant. 49:01 God has placed you there so that what? 49:04 You can serve that mission field, amen, to reach out to 49:07 others, to minister to others. 49:09 But the foundation of all is what? 49:10 That God is what? 49:11 Is the God that we are serving. 49:13 It is why we do it. Is everybody with me? 49:15 And so, I mean, there's so much to talk about, my loved ones. 49:19 It's a fascinating lesson. 49:20 What I want to do is I want to challenge you. 49:22 I want to challenge you to go out and minister. 49:25 Minister to your neighbors. 49:28 Minister to the people that you know, to your--people that you 49:30 maybe never met. 49:31 Maybe somebody that lives down the block. 49:34 Minister, go out, pray with them. 49:37 Show them the God that we serve, amen? 49:39 Show them the God that created us and has saved us. 49:41 That is the same God that we want to show others. 49:43 Is everybody with me? 49:44 And so is the Sabbath a purpose of this, my loved ones? 49:48 That's what the lesson "Worshiping the Creator." 49:49 Sabbath is the great day. 49:51 Sabbath is the purpose, amen? 49:53 With the Sabbath, what are we doing? 49:54 We're putting it together. 49:55 We don't work today. 49:57 Jesus says, "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 50:00 So that means that today is a great day to minister as a 50:04 church, amen? 50:06 To go out and reach people, to go out and minister to people. 50:09 That's what we're called to do, my loved ones, amen? 50:13 And we do it every day but a Sabbath is a special part. 50:15 That's why we worship the Creator. 50:17 What better way to worship the Creator on His day than to go 50:20 out and minister to others, amen? 50:22 Praise the Lord and so I want to remind you that we have our 50:25 offer for those that are watching: 50:28 "Why God Said Remember." 50:30 "Why God Said Remember." 50:31 This is our free offer, number 185. 50:33 You can if--reach out at... 50:39 And also you can text the code "SH129." 50:45 Text it to number 40544 if you would like to receive this free 50:51 gift that we have, and so 50:53 thank you for this time we spent together and remember, 50:54 we'll be back next week with another lesson. 50:57 Praise the Lord. 51:00 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's life-changing 51:03 free resource. 51:04 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, you can 51:06 download a digital copy straight to your computer or mobile 51:09 device. 51:10 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, simply text 51:14 the key word on your screen to 40544 or visit the web address 51:18 shown on your screen, and be sure to select 51:21 the digital download option on the request page. 51:23 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 51:26 with "Amazing Facts," wherever and whenever you want 51:30 and most important, to share it with others. 51:34 ♪♪♪ 51:44 Doug Batchelor: On Christmas Eve, 1971, 51:46 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke bordered LANSA flight 508 51:51 with her mother in Lima, Peru. 51:53 They intended to join her father for Christmas at his research 51:57 station in the Amazon Rainforest. 51:59 After crossing the Andes at about 21,000 feet, their 52:03 aircraft was enveloped by large dark thunderclouds and it 52:07 encountered severe turbulence. 52:09 Lightning was flashing everywhere and the plane was 52:11 shaking violently, which naturally terrified the 52:15 passengers. 52:16 Then a bolt of lightning struck the plane's engine and tore off 52:20 a wing. 52:21 As the doomed airliner hurtled towards the earth, the cabin 52:24 came apart and the next thing she knew, Juliane found herself 52:28 strapped alone to a row of seats, falling and spinning 52:31 silently from over 10,000 feet above the rainforest. 52:35 She plummeted through the jungle canopy and slammed to 52:38 the forest floor. 52:40 When she awoke the next day, Juliane was amazed to realize 52:44 she had survived the 2-mile fall with just a broken collarbone 52:47 and a bad gash in her arm. 52:49 After failing to find any other survivors, Juliane relied on 52:53 what her father had taught her, that walking downstream will 52:57 always lead to civilization. 52:59 So with a bag of candy that had fallen from the plane and one 53:02 sandal, she started walking. 53:04 For ten days, Juliane hobbled, swam, or floated downstream. 53:10 Her wounds became infected and she was plagued by maggots while 53:13 having to dodge crocodiles, piranhas, and relentless 53:16 insects. 53:18 Eventually, she came to a shack where she slept and she was soon 53:22 discovered by Peruvian loggers. 53:24 Eventually, Juliane was united with her amazed father. 53:28 It's hard to imagine a 17-year-old girl surviving such 53:31 a fall and then hiking alone out of the world's largest 53:35 rainforest. 53:37 You know, the Bible talks about some who survived an even 53:39 greater fall than Juliane. 53:41 In fact, according to the Scriptures, when Adam and Eve 53:44 fell in the Garden of Eden, it brought the whole human race 53:47 down. 53:48 But Jesus came to redeem the world from sin. 53:51 Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, "Well, that's okay for 53:54 the world but I've fallen too far." 53:57 Well, if the Lord can save Juliane, God can save you. 54:00 You've not gone farther than Moses who was guilty of murder 54:04 or David who was guilty of adultery or Peter who denied 54:07 Jesus, and all of them were saved and restored 54:10 from their fall. 54:11 Or maybe you're thinking, "I've fallen too many times." 54:15 Be of good courage. 54:16 It says in Proverbs chapter 24, verse 16: "A righteous man falls 54:20 seven times and rises again." 54:22 And Jesus cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene. 54:25 So don't get discouraged, friend. 54:26 If you've fallen, get back up again. 54:29 The same way that He could save Juliane, lead her from that lost 54:32 condition in the rainforest, and restore her to her father, Jesus 54:36 can lead you from your lost condition and restore you to 54:40 your heavenly Father. 54:42 ♪♪♪ 54:54 Diana Dixon: My name is Diana Dixon. 54:56 I'm a professional truck driver. 54:58 In August 4, 2011, I stopped to help in an accident. 55:02 male: Diana Dixon also tried to help. 55:04 She parked her semi, jumped out, and headed toward the pick-up. 55:08 That's when she saw vehicles barreling toward her so she 55:11 reacted by jumping off 475 to a road below. 55:15 Diana: Well, a pick-up had clipped a semi, and I stopped to 55:18 help and I saw it in the mirror, so I walked back. 55:20 A gentleman told me, he says, 55:21 "Hey, you know, everything's okay. 55:23 Call 911." 55:24 And I looked over at the pick-up and there was a black pick-up 55:27 over there and he was okay. 55:29 At about that time, I don't know how far I walked, but I walked 55:31 far enough and a semi hit him and it imploded. 55:35 I knew it was going to hit me. 55:37 I had 30 seconds to decide and I decided to jump." 55:41 Diana: Yeah, I jumped off the bridge. 55:43 My back's broken. 55:45 dispatcher: Where are you at? 55:47 Diana: I don't know. 55:50 Diana: Fractured my pelvis in 24 places, 5 broken ribs, C5 55:53 neck fracture, I had a collapsed lung, I had a lacerated bladder, 55:58 I was bleeding internally, I had no marks on the outside of me 56:02 at all but a scrape where my arm had scraped the concrete. 56:05 From the chest down, I was on fire. 56:07 I was a dispatcher for a year after the accident and I went 56:11 back, finished my degree, and I went to Pittsburgh. 56:14 Threw a backpack over my back, walked like all the other 56:18 students. 56:19 I ran a marathon and I'm--since then I've been back to 56:22 truck-driving. 56:24 There was a gentleman I worked with and one day he was walking 56:27 in and he walked up to my desk and I was reading my Bible. 56:30 And he says, "Are you a believer?" 56:33 And I said, "Yes." 56:35 And he gave me some "Amazing Facts" study guides and it 56:37 just--it was an eye-opening experience for me. 56:42 I mean, I started reading them and I had a bunch of questions 56:44 to ask him, so I got online and I got on the "Amazing Facts" 56:47 web page and I just found information just that 56:52 I'd never known. 56:54 I went back to work as a truck driver because 56:56 that was my ministry. 56:57 It was my ministry before the accident and I was driving down 57:01 the road and I just needed a connection and I was flipping 57:04 through and somehow I ended up on YouTube and next thing I 57:07 know, "Amazing Facts," one of those things would come up there 57:10 and I listened to it. 57:12 I'm driving down the road, I got 11 hours of driving. 57:16 So I listened to one, I listened to another one. 57:19 And the more I listened to him, everything that I thought in my 57:22 heart, I'd just click on to one of these YouTubes and there he 57:25 was giving me the answer. 57:26 I walked in Seventh-Day Adventist Church for the first 57:28 time and I felt at home. 57:31 I was baptized in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church 57:33 because I had found the truth that I just was searching for 57:38 and I'd been praying about. 57:40 "Amazing Facts" has been such an inspiration and important for my 57:44 coming back into ministry that I want to be able to give back 57:48 to anyone that I can and "Amazing Facts" 57:51 is the backbone of my ministry. 57:55 My name is Diana Dixon. 57:57 Thank you for changing my life. 58:08 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2019-08-06