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Jean Ross: Good
morning, friends.
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Welcome to "Sabbath School Study
Hour" here at the Granite Bay
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Seventh Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
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I would like to welcome our
online members who tune in week
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after week as well as our
friends who are joining us
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across the country
and around the world and,
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of course, our regular
Sabbath School members,
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those of you who
are here in person.
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We're delighted that
you're here this morning,
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ready to study together.
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Today, we're going
to continue our study in
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our lesson quarterly.
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It's entitled "The
Least of These: Ministering
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to Those in Need."
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And lesson number ten
is an important study.
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It's entitled "Living the
Gospel," so that's lesson number
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ten in our lesson quarterly.
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For those of you who are joining
us who might not have a lesson
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quarterly but you'd
like to study along with us,
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you could just simply go to
Lesson.aftv.org and you'll be
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able to download
lesson number ten.
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Again, that's Lesson.aftv.org,
download lesson number ten,
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and you'll be able
to study along with us.
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Well, before we
get to our study,
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we like to let our friends know
about a free offer that we have.
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It's a sermon DVD entitled "How
Perfect Must a Christian Be?"
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Good question.
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"How Perfect
Must a Christian Be?"
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If you'd like to
receive a free copy of this DVD,
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the number to call
is...and ask for offer
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number 863 or you're able
to text the code "SH117" to the
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number 40544 and you'll be
able to download a digital copy
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of the sermon.
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Again, it's entitled "How
Perfect Must a Christian Be?"
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Very important subject.
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Well, before we get to
our study this morning,
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going to invite our song leaders
to come and they'll be leading
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us in our song for
Sabbath School today.
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¤ Oh, there'll be
joy when the work is ¤
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¤ done, joy when the
reapers gather home, ¤
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¤ bringing the sheaves at set ¤
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¤ of sun to the New Jerusalem. ¤
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¤ Joy, joy,
there'll be joy by and by, ¤
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¤ joy, joy, where
the joys never die. ¤
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¤ Joy, joy, for the
day draweth nigh when ¤
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¤ the workers gather home. ¤
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¤ Sweet are the songs
that we hope to sing, ¤
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¤ grateful the thanks
our hearts shall bring, ¤
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¤ praising
forever Christ our King ¤
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¤ in the New Jerusalem. ¤
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¤ Joy, joy,
there'll be joy by and by, ¤
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¤ joy, joy, where
the joys never die. ¤
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¤ Joy, joy, for
the day draweth ¤
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¤ nigh when the
workers gather home. ¤
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¤ Pure are the joys
that await us there, ¤
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¤ many the
golden mansions fair; ¤
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¤ Jesus Himself
doth them prepare ¤
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¤ in the New Jerusalem. ¤
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¤ Joy, joy,
there'll be joy by and by, ¤
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¤ joy, joy, where
the joys never die. ¤
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¤ Joy, joy, for
the day draweth nigh ¤
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¤ when the
workers gather home. ¤¤
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Jean: Let's bow
our heads for prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven, we
thank You for the opportunity
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to gather together on
this Your Sabbath day,
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opening up our Bibles and
studying together an important
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theme we find
throughout the Bible,
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that of living our faith and
being the gospel in living form,
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revealing the love
of Jesus to others.
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So bless our time
together for we ask this
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in Jesus's name, amen.
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Our lesson today is going to
be brought to us by our senior
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pastor here at the
Granite Bay Church.
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If you didn't
know, it's Pastor Doug.
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Doug Batchelor: We're
continuing in our study talking
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about "The Least of These," and
in today's study we're talking
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about "Living the
Gospel," lesson number ten.
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We have a memory verse and the
memory verse is from Ephesians
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chapter 2, verse 8 through 10.
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I bet a lot of you
probably already know
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this verse by heart.
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But I'd encourage you to
go ahead and say it with me.
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It's Ephesians 2:8 through
10, New King James Version.
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Are you ready?
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"For by grace you have
been saved through faith,
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and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,
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not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
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For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good
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works, which God
prepared beforehand that we
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should walk in them."
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So living the gospel.
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On the streets we used to say,
"They're not just talking the
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talk, they're," what?
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"They're walking the walk."
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And more people have been turned
away from Christianity because
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of hypocrisy, people who, they
put on the mask of Christianity
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but they don't
really live the life.
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The Lord is--it's great that we
come to church and I wish more
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people would do
it more faithfully,
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but even more important
than that is that we live like
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Christians through the week and
that they say character is that
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you're the same person when
you're alone as you are around
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others, that you are, of
course, unless you're ornery,
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then you're just
an ornery character,
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but if you're a good
person, you want to be good,
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you want to be honest, whether
people are watching or not,
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because you have integrity.
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And Christians should be
living out the gospel that way.
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And people want to see
Christianity with skin on it,
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as they say.
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Now, in our first
section it talks about,
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"For God so loved," and
it's based on John 3:16.
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Now when it says, "For
God so loved," it says,
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"For God so loved the
world," I used to wonder.
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I'd say, "Well,
Lord, didn't You say,
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'Love not the world'?"
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This is in 1 John chapter 2.
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"'Love not the world or the
things that are in the world.
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If any man loves the world,
the love of the Father's not in
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him,' and then You say,
'For God so loved the world.'
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Well, which is it, Lord?
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Are we supposed to love the
world or not love the world?"
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And there's really two
different meanings here.
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When we talk about worldliness,
God does not want us to be
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worldly and love worldliness
but the word that's used here in
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John 3:16 is the word "cosmos,"
and it means the creation and
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the people in the creation.
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"God so loved the people in
the creation that He gave His
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only begotten Son."
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Now, probably, you know
what the most quoted verse
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is in the Bible?
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Anyone?
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It's not John 3:16.
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The most quoted verse in the
Bible is often quoted by people
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that don't know any
other part of the Bible.
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But they say, "Judge
not lest you be judged."
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But when they--and
they can't tell you what the
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verse is, usually.
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But I've heard and I believe
that that's probably one of the
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most quoted verses in the Bible.
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Another one is: "Do
not worry," or "Worry not."
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But the verse you'll see popping
up everywhere on the street,
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in football
games, is John 3:16, why?
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Because it encapsulates
the gospel so beautifully.
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Just let me give
you an example here.
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This was Martin Luther's
favorite verse: "For God," the
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greatest giver, "so
loved," the greatest motive,
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"the world,"
the greatest number,
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"that He gave,"
the greatest act,
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"His only Son,"
the greatest gift,
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"that whosoever,"
the greatest invitation,
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"believes in Him,"
the greatest opportunity,
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"should not perish,"
the greatest deliverance,
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"but have eternal
life," the greatest joy."
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Isn't that beautiful?
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When you really think about it,
it's telling us about what the
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problem is: we're perishing.
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It tells us what the answer
is, that God gave His Son,
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and if we believe in
Him we might not perish.
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And so just the whole
gospel is encapsulated in this
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beautiful, beautiful verse.
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And it reminds us that God--now
we always think about God 3:16
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in relation to ourselves,
but--in John 3:16 in relation to
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ourselves, but God wants us
to also consider John 3:16 in
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relation to others.
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That God so loves the
world, meaning it's others,
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not just us, that He
sent His only begotten Son.
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Now, it tells us that He gave.
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He wants us to give of
ourselves and that's sometimes
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the hardest thing to do.
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Most people are lost because
of selfishness and if we could
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learn to not live and be
all wrapped up in ourselves,
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they say the smallest package in
the world is someone wrapped up
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in themselves, but
to be able to give.
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Heard about this hiker.
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He was walking across the desert
in Nevada and he got lost and
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got--ran out of water.
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And he was really--his
life was at risk that
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he was going to die of thirst.
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Now, I've been out in
those deserts and I was
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with some friends.
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We ran out of water and
it was serious business.
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It's, you know, 90
degrees and very hot.
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But he managed to
stumble along an old homestead.
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It was an abandoned homestead.
There had been a ranch there.
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All the boards had fallen
off the walls and stuff and no
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cattle in the corral
but it had been abandoned
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many years earlier.
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And--but they had a hand pump,
one of the old hand crank pumps
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that went down to a well,
and next to the hand pump was a
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clear gallon jug, a
glass jug, full of water.
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Oh, praise the Lord, I'm saved.
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Now there was a sign--a note was
written and pasted on the jug
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and it said, "Do
not drink this water.
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Pour the water down in
the well while you're pumping.
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It'll lubricate the pump and
prime the pump and you'll have
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all the cold clean
water you can want.
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Do not drink this water."
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Now the man had to
make a terrible decision.
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Does he believe the
note or does he pour it out,
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believing--he's going to pour it
out believing that if he pumps
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it it's going to lubricate
that leather washer and start
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bringing cold water up
from where he can't reach it,
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or does he say,
"Forget the note.
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I'm drinking it"?
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And of course, the
next person that comes by,
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they're in trouble
'cause there's no way
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to prime the pump.
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So he thought, "All right,
well, I'm going to try this."
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As thirsty as he was, as much as
he wanted to drink that water,
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it was a little warm
but it was clean water,
00:11:28.82\00:11:31.15
he took the water and he poured
it down the well as he was
00:11:31.19\00:11:34.69
pumping and pretty soon he felt
some pressure and then gradually
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some brown water sputtered out
of the pump and then clear water
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began to come out of the pump.
00:11:41.86\00:11:43.80
He kept pumping.
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.13
He drank all he could
drink, filled his canteen,
00:11:45.17\00:11:47.10
and then he
filled back up the jug,
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put the cork back in and
left it there by the well.
00:11:49.44\00:11:51.61
That's the key to
the Christian life.
00:11:51.64\00:11:54.24
Some people say, "I
want everything right now.
00:11:54.28\00:11:56.95
I don't trust that God
has eternal life for me later.
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So I'm just going to take what I
can get now," and in doing that,
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that's all you get and
you lose everything else.
00:12:03.39\00:12:05.65
But if you believe that Jesus
is offering everlasting life and
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.86
you're willing
to give this life,
00:12:08.89\00:12:11.86
it primes the pump so
you get everlasting life,
00:12:11.89\00:12:15.53
all you can take,
and your cup runs over.
00:12:15.56\00:12:17.43
Good story, huh?
00:12:17.47\00:12:19.90
I've seen those
wells before out there
00:12:19.93\00:12:22.04
in--riding around in the desert.
00:12:22.07\00:12:24.81
"For God so loved the world
He gave His only begotten Son."
00:12:24.84\00:12:29.64
You know, that word "so."
00:12:29.68\00:12:34.82
Have you ever wondered why
they--why didn't it just say,
00:12:34.85\00:12:37.92
"God loved the world
and He gave His Son"?
00:12:37.95\00:12:39.95
But it says, "He so."
00:12:39.99\00:12:41.52
Define "so" for me.
00:12:41.56\00:12:44.23
He didn't just love the world.
00:12:44.26\00:12:45.83
He so loved the world.
00:12:45.86\00:12:48.40
It makes it bigger, right?
00:12:48.43\00:12:52.07
Pastor Fagel, some of you
remember the original television
00:12:52.10\00:12:58.34
program, "Faith for Today," that
was on and he was reading the
00:12:58.37\00:13:07.48
paper, the way
I heard the story.
00:13:07.52\00:13:09.48
He was reading the paper one day
when he was a pastor before he
00:13:09.52\00:13:12.15
started the TV program.
00:13:12.19\00:13:13.76
And in the
obituary of the paper,
00:13:13.79\00:13:15.82
he saw a very tragic story about
a boy who had gotten a new red
00:13:15.86\00:13:20.96
wagon for his birthday and
he took it down the driveway,
00:13:21.00\00:13:24.83
didn't know how
to turn it quite yet,
00:13:24.87\00:13:26.84
and it went out into the street.
00:13:26.87\00:13:28.97
He was hit by a
truck and he was killed.
00:13:29.00\00:13:30.94
And the pastor read that.
00:13:30.97\00:13:32.57
He said, "Oh, that
is so heartbreaking."
00:13:32.61\00:13:34.08
His wife saw him weeping.
00:13:34.11\00:13:35.48
He's sitting there
reading the paper and he
00:13:35.51\00:13:36.81
said tears were in his eyes.
00:13:36.85\00:13:38.15
She said, "What's the matter?"
He pointed to the story.
00:13:38.18\00:13:39.81
Now, shortly
after he had done that,
00:13:39.85\00:13:41.45
the phone rang and it was
someone who--in the family,
00:13:41.48\00:13:46.12
and they said, "We're looking
for a pastor who can do this
00:13:46.15\00:13:47.96
funeral for us."
00:13:47.99\00:13:49.72
He said, "I'll
be happy to help."
00:13:49.76\00:13:51.36
And so at the
funeral, he commented that,
00:13:51.39\00:13:54.10
you know, sometimes after
the service and the little white
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.87
casket, this four-year-old
boy is in there and the casket's
00:13:56.90\00:14:01.24
open and after the
service and the family,
00:14:01.27\00:14:03.87
all the visitors go by
and they greet the family,
00:14:03.91\00:14:06.37
and the family, typically before
you take the body out to the
00:14:06.41\00:14:08.94
hearse, they go by the
casket and say their farewells
00:14:08.98\00:14:11.95
before they close it.
00:14:11.98\00:14:14.05
And the pastor's job is to
stand at the head of the casket,
00:14:14.08\00:14:17.32
which can be a difficult
vantage point for these events.
00:14:17.35\00:14:20.29
And he said he'll never forget
how the mother when she finally
00:14:20.32\00:14:24.13
got to the little boy, that she
just kind of went to pieces and
00:14:24.16\00:14:28.23
said over and over
again, "We loved you so,
00:14:28.26\00:14:31.90
we loved you so."
00:14:31.93\00:14:34.14
And he said he could
never preach on John 3:16 again
00:14:34.17\00:14:36.94
without thinking about
how big that little word is.
00:14:36.97\00:14:40.21
"God so loved."
00:14:40.24\00:14:43.01
He demonstrates what "so" means
in that He gives His Son to show
00:14:43.04\00:14:47.92
how much He loves the world.
00:14:47.95\00:14:50.35
So how much should you
and I love the least of these?
00:14:50.39\00:14:56.46
So I can see why God so loves
the world 'cause I'm in it.
00:14:56.49\00:15:01.93
But does He still feel
the same way if I wasn't here?
00:15:01.96\00:15:04.47
You know I'm
being sarcastic, I hope.
00:15:04.50\00:15:08.17
But I'm not totally being
sarcastic 'cause I think all of
00:15:08.20\00:15:11.21
us figure, "Well, of
course, He so loves the world,
00:15:11.24\00:15:13.61
I'm part of it."
00:15:13.64\00:15:15.51
But even if you
weren't part of it,
00:15:15.54\00:15:16.98
would He love it any less?
00:15:17.01\00:15:19.11
Which means He
loves everybody, right?
00:15:19.15\00:15:22.52
It's not just me.
He so loves everyone.
00:15:22.55\00:15:26.86
And that should affect how
mobilized we are in sharing the
00:15:26.89\00:15:30.13
gospel with other people.
00:15:30.16\00:15:32.09
Because He so loves the world
that He does the greatest thing:
00:15:32.13\00:15:35.60
He gives.
00:15:35.63\00:15:37.70
And let's face it,
if we're all honest,
00:15:37.73\00:15:40.57
we would say as we drive around
and look at the children of men
00:15:40.60\00:15:43.44
that some seem more
valuable than others.
00:15:43.47\00:15:48.48
We've all seen people that they
don't look very good and they're
00:15:48.51\00:15:52.28
sick and they don't look like
they're very talented and they
00:15:52.31\00:15:54.72
don't have much going for them,
and when gifts were passed out,
00:15:54.75\00:16:00.26
it's like they were at the
end of the line and you think,
00:16:00.29\00:16:03.22
"I certainly am
worth more than they are."
00:16:03.26\00:16:05.06
But it's not true in God's eyes.
00:16:05.09\00:16:07.30
God often surprises us by
saving His best for the least.
00:16:07.30\00:16:10.23
People had written off Mary
Magdalene and yet Jesus reveals
00:16:10.27\00:16:14.54
to her He's resurrected.
00:16:14.57\00:16:16.77
And who was it that finds out
of all the abundant treasure?
00:16:16.81\00:16:20.84
It's four lepers at
the gate that couldn't
00:16:20.88\00:16:22.18
even get in the city.
00:16:22.21\00:16:23.88
God reveals to the four lepers,
"There's this great treasure out
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.85
there 'cause the
Assyrians had run."
00:16:26.88\00:16:29.78
And just all through the Bible
you find God seems to use little
00:16:29.82\00:16:33.12
unnoticed instruments.
00:16:33.15\00:16:37.26
It's the little maid
in Naaman's house, right?
00:16:37.29\00:16:39.79
It's the little boy
with the five loaves.
00:16:39.83\00:16:41.56
God likes to glorify the
least and so we shouldn't rush
00:16:41.60\00:16:45.40
past that truth.
00:16:45.43\00:16:47.40
Heard about a nurse that
was working in Africa in a leper
00:16:47.44\00:16:53.01
hospital and a friend came to
visit her from another country
00:16:53.04\00:16:57.95
and she came and
saw her at work one day,
00:16:57.98\00:17:00.22
dressing the
wounds of the lepers,
00:17:00.25\00:17:02.22
and when she got
her alone she said,
00:17:02.25\00:17:03.99
"I don't know
how you can do that."
00:17:04.02\00:17:06.69
She said, "You
couldn't get me to do that for
00:17:06.72\00:17:09.06
a million dollars."
00:17:09.09\00:17:11.83
And her friend who
was the nurse said,
00:17:11.86\00:17:13.09
"You couldn't get me to do
it for a million dollars either.
00:17:13.13\00:17:16.16
But for Jesus,
I'll do it for free."
00:17:16.20\00:17:18.53
So when you think
about it, we're not doing it
00:17:18.57\00:17:21.87
for earthly reward.
00:17:21.90\00:17:24.64
We're doing it for the
one who loved us so much.
00:17:24.67\00:17:26.61
And then it says:
"So--whosoever believes in Him."
00:17:26.64\00:17:31.41
Now this is an often
misunderstood part of John 3:16.
00:17:31.45\00:17:36.38
How many believe in the Lord?
00:17:36.42\00:17:40.52
But in the Bible it says
the devils will even tremble.
00:17:40.56\00:17:43.43
Which way do you believe?
00:17:43.46\00:17:45.53
Is your belief a
belief that, yes,
00:17:45.56\00:17:48.10
He exists and He
came into the world,
00:17:48.13\00:17:49.53
He died for sinners?
00:17:49.56\00:17:50.87
Does the devil
believe that? He does.
00:17:50.90\00:17:53.74
Is that going to save him? No.
00:17:53.77\00:17:55.80
So what kind of
belief do we need?
00:17:55.84\00:17:57.84
It's a different kind of belief.
00:17:57.87\00:17:59.87
Might I submit the word
"believe" here doesn't mean just
00:17:59.91\00:18:03.14
acknowledge that God exists.
00:18:03.18\00:18:05.28
It means "be-live in Him."
00:18:05.31\00:18:08.42
"Whosoever be-lives in Him."
00:18:08.45\00:18:10.19
I'll give you an example
of what biblical belief is.
00:18:10.22\00:18:12.62
You have to understand this
'cause there's a lot of cheap
00:18:12.65\00:18:15.69
grace out there and they
take the word "believe" and they
00:18:15.72\00:18:17.93
totally abuse it.
00:18:17.96\00:18:19.53
If I were to say to you,
"I've just received supernatural
00:18:19.56\00:18:25.07
message from the Lord that in 60
seconds this building is going
00:18:25.10\00:18:30.51
to implode in a
terrible earthquake," and I say,
00:18:30.54\00:18:35.08
"How many believe me?"
00:18:35.11\00:18:36.41
And you say, "We
believe you, brother Doug."
00:18:36.44\00:18:38.11
But you sit there.
00:18:38.15\00:18:39.45
You don't believe me.
00:18:39.48\00:18:41.18
If you believe me, you run
out of the building, right?
00:18:41.22\00:18:46.02
So when we say, "I believe
Jesus," that means I believe
00:18:46.05\00:18:50.79
what He commands and I am
going to do what He says."
00:18:50.83\00:18:55.96
Now we may not always do it
perfectly or on time but our
00:18:56.00\00:18:58.63
goal in life is we
believe His words and we
00:18:58.67\00:19:00.77
want to live His words.
00:19:00.80\00:19:02.40
Says, "Whoever believes
in Me," doesn't mean that
00:19:02.44\00:19:03.81
he believes He exists.
00:19:03.84\00:19:06.11
The devil knows that.
00:19:06.14\00:19:07.98
It means whoever
believes His teachings.
00:19:08.01\00:19:10.01
How do you show you
believe His teachings?
00:19:10.05\00:19:11.45
You follow them, right?
00:19:11.48\00:19:13.78
And so whoever believes in
Him will not perish but have
00:19:13.82\00:19:20.02
everlasting life.
00:19:20.06\00:19:21.82
The Bible says: "All
that call in the name of the
00:19:21.86\00:19:23.59
Lord will be saved."
00:19:23.63\00:19:25.36
That's true.
00:19:25.39\00:19:26.70
What does it mean to
call on the name of the Lord?
00:19:26.73\00:19:29.00
Does it mean just
to say one prayer?
00:19:29.03\00:19:32.43
Well, it starts with
one prayer and you can be
00:19:32.47\00:19:33.77
saved after one prayer.
00:19:33.80\00:19:35.17
But those who are Christians,
it's all those who have a life
00:19:35.20\00:19:38.87
of calling on God.
00:19:38.91\00:19:41.78
Do you have a
life of regular prayer?
00:19:41.81\00:19:43.68
All those that call on the
Lord, it's an ongoing verb.
00:19:43.71\00:19:48.65
So a lot has been done to damage
and cheapen what it means to
00:19:48.68\00:19:52.42
believe and to call
on the name of the Lord.
00:19:52.45\00:19:55.66
So, you know, I could go on and
on through--but the wonderful
00:19:55.69\00:20:00.26
thing is it says:
"They will not perish."
00:20:00.30\00:20:02.46
You know, I like this John 3:16.
00:20:02.50\00:20:04.83
When you're teaching
the state of the dead,
00:20:04.87\00:20:06.40
you can't get
better than John 3:16.
00:20:06.43\00:20:09.37
People think you die and you
burn forever and ever in hell.
00:20:09.40\00:20:10.97
That's not
according to John 3:16.
00:20:11.01\00:20:14.01
The word "perish"
means to cease to exist.
00:20:14.04\00:20:17.45
But, contrasting with it,
they have everlasting life.
00:20:17.48\00:20:21.48
It doesn't say you get
everlasting life in the fire or
00:20:21.52\00:20:23.32
everlasting life in heaven.
00:20:23.35\00:20:24.95
It's either perish
or everlasting life.
00:20:24.99\00:20:28.56
And so John 3:16 is just
one of my favorite verses.
00:20:28.59\00:20:32.46
All right, let's go to the next
section here that talks about
00:20:32.49\00:20:36.00
compassion and repentance.
00:20:36.03\00:20:38.63
And in a moment I think I've got
someone going to read a verse
00:20:38.67\00:20:41.07
for me, okay?
00:20:41.10\00:20:42.87
I'm going to start with
John 9:36: "But when He," Jesus,
00:20:42.90\00:20:47.41
"saw the multitudes, He
was moved with compassion,
00:20:47.44\00:20:51.45
because they were
weary and scattered,
00:20:51.48\00:20:55.15
like sheep having no shepherd."
00:20:55.18\00:20:56.99
What does it mean when a
person is moved with compassion?
00:20:57.02\00:21:01.09
Well, He didn't just
think compassionate thoughts
00:21:01.12\00:21:03.43
in His head.
00:21:03.46\00:21:04.86
His disciples saw Him visibly
demonstrate how it broke His
00:21:04.89\00:21:09.26
heart that all the people
were weary and scattered and
00:21:09.30\00:21:13.23
wandering like
sheep having no shepherd.
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.40
That's why He often fed them or
at least a couple of occasions
00:21:15.44\00:21:18.04
'cause He had
compassion on them.
00:21:18.07\00:21:20.58
He says, "These
people are hungry.
00:21:20.61\00:21:22.21
They're going to faint
on the way going back home.
00:21:22.24\00:21:24.05
They've had nothing to eat.
00:21:24.08\00:21:25.48
They've been sitting all day."
00:21:25.51\00:21:26.85
Jesus cared how people felt.
00:21:26.88\00:21:28.42
He was--you know what the
word "compassion" comes from?
00:21:28.45\00:21:32.45
It's where you get
the word "sympathy."
00:21:32.49\00:21:34.52
"Com" means with,
passion or pathos, with feeling.
00:21:34.56\00:21:39.53
And it means you're feeling
what another person feels.
00:21:39.56\00:21:41.73
That's where you
get pathos, sympathy.
00:21:41.76\00:21:43.70
And Jesus knows how we feel.
00:21:43.73\00:21:48.57
I think I touched
on this last week.
00:21:48.60\00:21:49.97
He really does.
00:21:50.01\00:21:51.31
He knows when you're hungry,
He sees every tear you cry,
00:21:51.34\00:21:53.94
He knows when you're
joyful, and He shares.
00:21:53.98\00:21:56.98
You know, the Bible commands
us, "Weep with those that weep."
00:21:57.01\00:21:59.65
When God ask us to do
something He didn't do,
00:21:59.68\00:22:03.55
the Bible says, "Rejoice
with those that rejoice.
00:22:03.59\00:22:06.42
Weep with those that weep."
00:22:06.45\00:22:07.79
And that's because
this is how God lives.
00:22:07.82\00:22:09.49
He feels what we feel.
00:22:09.52\00:22:10.83
He rejoices with us, assuming
you're rejoicing over something
00:22:10.86\00:22:14.40
you can rejoice over.
00:22:14.46\00:22:16.06
And He weeps when we weep.
00:22:16.10\00:22:18.67
And so Jesus was moved.
00:22:18.70\00:22:20.57
He felt the
suffering of humanity.
00:22:20.60\00:22:23.10
Luke 19:41: "Now as He
drew near the city of Jerusalem,
00:22:23.14\00:22:27.28
He wept over it,
saying, 'If you had known,
00:22:27.31\00:22:31.91
even you,
especially in this your day,'"
00:22:31.95\00:22:34.52
oh, the day they'd waited for.
00:22:34.55\00:22:36.28
The Messiah had come.
00:22:36.32\00:22:37.82
"'The things that
make for your peace!
00:22:37.85\00:22:40.69
But now they're
hidden from your eyes.
00:22:40.72\00:22:42.76
For the days will come upon
you when enemies will build an
00:22:42.79\00:22:45.59
embankment around you, and
surround you and close you in on
00:22:45.63\00:22:48.46
every side, and level you,
and your children within you,
00:22:48.50\00:22:52.30
to the ground; and they'll
not leave in you one stone upon
00:22:52.33\00:22:55.60
another, because
you did not know the
00:22:55.64\00:22:57.71
time of your visitation.'"
00:22:57.74\00:22:59.67
They'd missed their
golden opportunity of
00:22:59.71\00:23:02.11
recognizing the
Messiah when He came,
00:23:02.14\00:23:04.21
making peace with
Him and exalting Him.
00:23:04.25\00:23:05.98
And He wept over the city,
like David wept over Jerusalem,
00:23:06.01\00:23:10.59
Jesus wept, 'cause
He felt compassion.
00:23:10.62\00:23:13.76
All right, go ahead
please. Read your verse for us.
00:23:13.79\00:23:16.32
female: John 11:34
through 36: "And He said,
00:23:16.36\00:23:20.96
'Where have you laid him?'
00:23:20.96\00:23:22.36
They said to Him,
'Lord, come and see.'
00:23:22.40\00:23:25.67
Jesus wept.
00:23:25.70\00:23:27.84
Then the Jews said,
'See how He loved him!'"
00:23:27.87\00:23:32.11
Doug: Yeah, that was
Jesus weeping for Lazarus.
00:23:32.14\00:23:36.95
Not necessarily because He was
getting ready to raise Lazarus
00:23:36.98\00:23:39.45
but He saw the people weeping
and in that funeral I think that
00:23:39.48\00:23:44.05
every time you've gone to
a funeral and you see people
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.76
weeping, you know,
Jesus wept with them.
00:23:46.79\00:23:50.29
Christ was looking at that grave
there of Lazarus and He was
00:23:50.33\00:23:54.20
thinking of all the people
through the ages that will not
00:23:54.23\00:23:57.50
just die and the grief that's
caused by that but He's thinking
00:23:57.53\00:24:00.67
about the second death.
00:24:00.70\00:24:02.47
People that will die a
death where they don't get the
00:24:02.50\00:24:05.41
resurrection, the
resurrection of life anyway.
00:24:05.44\00:24:11.45
So He was weeping with them.
00:24:11.48\00:24:12.81
He felt compassion.
00:24:12.85\00:24:14.32
Was this the
only time Jesus cried?
00:24:14.35\00:24:18.55
No, I think there's many times
in the life of Christ when He
00:24:18.59\00:24:23.53
was moved with
compassion and He wept.
00:24:23.56\00:24:25.96
This is one time
that it's recorded.
00:24:25.99\00:24:27.60
By the way, this is not the
shortest verse in the Bible.
00:24:27.60\00:24:31.50
It is the shortest verse
in the King James Version.
00:24:31.53\00:24:35.94
There is a shorter verse
in Greek and it's the word
00:24:35.97\00:24:39.31
"Rejoice forevermore."
00:24:39.34\00:24:40.74
It's that verse where it
says, "Rejoice forevermore."
00:24:40.78\00:24:42.78
It's actually shorter than
the one that says: "Jesus wept."
00:24:42.81\00:24:45.68
But--so Christ
felt what others feel.
00:24:45.71\00:24:48.95
If you look in
Ezekiel chapter 33.
00:24:48.98\00:24:51.65
These verses always move me.
00:24:51.69\00:24:53.15
Ezekiel 33:11, Christ
is telling the prophet,
00:24:53.19\00:24:57.49
"Say to them: 'As I
live,' says the Lord,
00:24:57.53\00:25:00.43
'I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked,
00:25:00.46\00:25:02.23
but the wicked will
turn from his way and live.'"
00:25:02.26\00:25:05.27
I mean, God has made
an incredible investment
00:25:05.30\00:25:08.87
in this world to keep us
from perishing 'cause he cares.
00:25:08.90\00:25:11.07
He has compassion
and he wants us to turn.
00:25:11.11\00:25:14.94
He wants us to live.
00:25:14.98\00:25:16.81
He says, "Turn,
turn from your evil ways!
00:25:16.85\00:25:20.18
For why will you
die, O house of Israel?"
00:25:20.22\00:25:24.65
You know,
whenever you see that word,
00:25:24.69\00:25:26.19
"Oh," it's like the word "So."
00:25:26.22\00:25:27.89
You can almost hear the
pleading of God in there.
00:25:27.92\00:25:30.99
Turn, turn, why will you die?
00:25:31.03\00:25:33.19
God is pleading, "Why are you
going to destroy your life by
00:25:33.23\00:25:36.83
clinging to sin?"
00:25:36.87\00:25:38.77
God is pleading.
00:25:38.80\00:25:40.50
His heart wants us to be saved.
00:25:40.54\00:25:42.00
Deuteronomy
5:29, a similar verse.
00:25:42.04\00:25:44.24
It begins with the word "Oh."
00:25:44.27\00:25:47.28
There you get that "Oh" again.
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.28
Deuteronomy 5:29: "Oh, that they
had such a heart in them that
00:25:49.31\00:25:53.68
they would fear Me always
and keep all of My commandments,
00:25:53.72\00:25:57.65
that it might be well
with them and their children."
00:25:57.69\00:26:00.89
God's saying, "Oh."
00:26:00.92\00:26:02.22
You ever felt that
way about your kids?
00:26:02.26\00:26:03.56
Oh, when will they learn?
00:26:03.59\00:26:05.69
And God is
wanting us to be saved.
00:26:05.73\00:26:09.13
You can hear it.
00:26:09.16\00:26:10.50
You can hear the
ache in God's heart in so
00:26:10.53\00:26:13.60
many of these verses.
00:26:13.64\00:26:15.40
And then, of
course, it's talking about
00:26:15.44\00:26:18.57
compassion and repentance.
00:26:18.61\00:26:20.78
Now, I don't want to park here
too long but I do want to slow
00:26:20.81\00:26:23.95
down and just emphasize a point.
00:26:23.98\00:26:26.85
You hear it here in this church
but I like to channel surf and
00:26:26.88\00:26:32.09
listen to other Christian
preachers and pastors and
00:26:32.12\00:26:35.32
ministries and just see
what's going on out there
00:26:35.36\00:26:37.46
in the Christian world.
00:26:37.49\00:26:38.79
And I'm stunned so often
how little--there's a famine of
00:26:38.83\00:26:44.93
preaching on the
priorities of repentance.
00:26:44.97\00:26:49.87
Repentance is, like, the first
sermon that Jesus preached.
00:26:49.90\00:26:53.14
It says He began
preaching, saying, "Repent."
00:26:53.17\00:26:57.55
First thing John the Baptist
said in preparing the way for
00:26:57.58\00:27:00.62
Christ, he said, "Repent, the
kingdom of heaven is at hand."
00:27:00.65\00:27:03.72
First thing the apostles
said after the Holy Spirit was
00:27:03.75\00:27:06.82
poured out is what?
00:27:06.86\00:27:08.59
"Repent and be baptized, every
one of you and you shall receive
00:27:08.62\00:27:11.89
the Holy Spirit."
00:27:11.93\00:27:13.53
Part of the salvation process
is a sorrow for sin and a
00:27:13.56\00:27:18.93
willingness, a confession
of sin and a willingness
00:27:18.97\00:27:23.44
to turn away from sin.
00:27:23.47\00:27:25.14
And I listen to a lot of pastors
and it's starting to kind of
00:27:25.17\00:27:28.24
encroach even in our own church
ministries and denomination
00:27:28.28\00:27:32.01
where people kind of
dumb down the gospel.
00:27:32.05\00:27:36.25
It's like they dilute
the medicine so that it has
00:27:36.28\00:27:38.72
no effect anymore.
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.46
And they say, you know,
if you want to accept Jesus,
00:27:40.49\00:27:42.19
you just bow your
head and close your eyes,
00:27:42.22\00:27:45.23
repeat after me, and
they say some prayer that,
00:27:45.26\00:27:48.00
you know, I don't want to
diminish that God can save
00:27:48.03\00:27:50.23
people with anyone praying,
making those first steps but you
00:27:50.27\00:27:53.30
can't skip the
step of repentance.
00:27:53.34\00:27:57.67
It's one of the
steps in salvation,
00:27:57.71\00:27:59.81
it's what you see when
Isaiah saw the Lord and he
00:27:59.84\00:28:02.68
finally said, "Woe is me.
00:28:02.71\00:28:04.61
I am undone."
00:28:04.65\00:28:06.35
And David fell on
his face before the Lord.
00:28:06.38\00:28:08.48
And repentance is a sorrow for
sin but it's not just sorry like
00:28:08.52\00:28:11.79
Judas went out and hung
himself after he repented.
00:28:11.82\00:28:13.79
That's now what God wants.
00:28:13.82\00:28:15.79
Pharaoh repented until
the next plague went away.
00:28:15.82\00:28:17.99
That's not the repentance.
00:28:18.03\00:28:20.40
Repentance is where Peter went
out and he wept bitterly and he
00:28:20.43\00:28:23.77
was a changed man.
00:28:23.80\00:28:25.63
It's, you know, seeds can lay
dormant for years until they get
00:28:25.67\00:28:29.97
the water and a lot of seeds of
life have been sprouted in the
00:28:30.01\00:28:33.78
tears of our repentance.
00:28:33.81\00:28:36.75
And it's through broken
clouds that you get the shower,
00:28:36.78\00:28:40.75
it's through a broken alabaster
box you get the ointment,
00:28:40.78\00:28:44.25
and it's through broken hearts
that you get the new birth.
00:28:44.29\00:28:48.26
And so part of living life means
that there's a repentance and a
00:28:48.29\00:28:54.13
sorrow for sin that will lead
then to a turning away from it.
00:28:54.20\00:28:58.23
I'd feel a lot
better if someone would say,
00:28:58.27\00:29:00.40
"Amen" at this point because I
think that's a true point that I
00:29:00.44\00:29:05.44
just--I want to make sure people
listening out there know I'm not
00:29:05.47\00:29:07.78
alone in that teaching.
00:29:07.81\00:29:10.68
In--oh, wait, did I
leave a verse out here
00:29:10.71\00:29:12.65
I was going to share?
00:29:12.68\00:29:13.98
Yeah, and so 1
John 1:8 through 10,
00:29:14.02\00:29:17.35
if we do sin
after you've repented,
00:29:17.39\00:29:19.42
don't become discouraged.
00:29:19.45\00:29:21.26
It says: "If we
say we have no sin,
00:29:21.29\00:29:23.53
we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us.
00:29:23.56\00:29:25.89
If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us
00:29:25.93\00:29:30.97
our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
00:29:31.00\00:29:34.70
If we say we've not sinned,
we make Him a liar and His Word
00:29:34.74\00:29:37.67
is not in us."
00:29:37.71\00:29:39.01
So, you know, be encouraged.
00:29:39.04\00:29:40.68
John said,
"Everyone struggles with sin.
00:29:40.71\00:29:43.08
As long as you're in this life,"
I'll be talking more later about
00:29:43.11\00:29:45.71
the spiritual
warfare that's going on.
00:29:45.75\00:29:47.68
All right, next section
is grace and good works,
00:29:47.72\00:29:51.79
and I want to spend a
little time on this as well.
00:29:51.82\00:29:53.92
Going back to our memory verse
in Ephesians chapter 2: "For by
00:29:53.96\00:29:58.96
grace you have been
saved through faith,
00:29:58.99\00:30:03.16
that not of yourselves;
it's the gift of God,
00:30:03.20\00:30:06.30
not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
00:30:06.33\00:30:09.00
For we are--" Now I
want to stop right there.
00:30:09.04\00:30:11.54
"It's the gift of
God, not of works,
00:30:11.57\00:30:13.81
lest anyone should boast."
00:30:13.84\00:30:15.38
Can anybody--does anyone really
have a right to boast that
00:30:15.41\00:30:18.88
they're saved?
00:30:18.91\00:30:21.05
Because if it wasn't
for the outside work of God,
00:30:21.08\00:30:24.55
you would continue on
your road to destruction.
00:30:24.59\00:30:27.06
God somehow arrested your
attention with the Holy Spirit
00:30:27.09\00:30:30.86
that brought conviction or some
crisis in your life that God
00:30:30.89\00:30:35.20
basically, He went after you.
00:30:35.23\00:30:38.23
If you're saved, it's not
because you are brilliant and
00:30:38.27\00:30:42.74
you had an epiphany
one day on your own.
00:30:42.77\00:30:44.24
And God intervened in your
life and He acted to save you.
00:30:44.27\00:30:51.51
You--and then the grace to turn
from your sins and live a new
00:30:51.55\00:30:55.05
life, all that
power comes from Him.
00:30:55.08\00:30:57.22
We are not saved because we've
done these good works and the
00:30:57.25\00:30:59.79
Lord said, "You know, normally,
I have to just forgive people
00:30:59.82\00:31:03.93
but you've been so
good, you've worked so hard."
00:31:03.96\00:31:06.39
Have you ever met anybody--my
father used to think this.
00:31:06.43\00:31:09.60
He thought that in the judgment
day that God had a scale and
00:31:09.63\00:31:14.84
He'd put your bad works--He
figured everyone was allowed so
00:31:14.87\00:31:17.41
many bad works and then you get
some good works and as long as
00:31:17.44\00:31:21.38
you had more good
works than bad works,
00:31:21.41\00:31:22.94
you were going to make it.
00:31:22.98\00:31:24.38
In my dad's mind, he thought,
"As long as I'm donating more
00:31:24.41\00:31:26.41
money and helping a lot of
people more than my own personal
00:31:26.45\00:31:29.65
sins, then I'm
going to make it."
00:31:29.68\00:31:32.99
As a dad, it
doesn't work that way.
00:31:33.02\00:31:34.49
You don't have enough money to
pay for your forgiveness and you
00:31:34.52\00:31:38.26
could never do enough
good works to earn it.
00:31:38.29\00:31:41.70
This is what Paul is saying.
00:31:41.73\00:31:43.16
God doesn't grade on the curve.
00:31:43.20\00:31:44.97
And it's not how many good works
you do against your bad works.
00:31:45.00\00:31:48.04
Had nothing to
do with your works.
00:31:48.07\00:31:49.50
The thief on the cross,
the one that turned to Jesus,
00:31:49.54\00:31:53.38
will he be saved?
00:31:53.41\00:31:55.68
Is he saved based on
the good works he did after
00:31:55.71\00:31:58.75
he came to Christ?
00:31:58.78\00:32:00.65
Well, he did one
good work, you know?
00:32:00.68\00:32:02.55
Jesus said, "This is the work
you should do: believe on the
00:32:02.58\00:32:05.42
One the Father has sent.
00:32:05.45\00:32:07.26
Believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ," right?
00:32:07.29\00:32:09.46
So he believed.
00:32:09.49\00:32:11.03
That was the work he did
but he didn't go out and saying,
00:32:11.06\00:32:14.03
"I'm going to go
raise up an orphanage,
00:32:14.10\00:32:15.63
and I'm going to go give money
to the poor and I'm going to go
00:32:15.66\00:32:17.97
feed people and
visit the hospital."
00:32:18.00\00:32:19.47
He didn't do
good works after that.
00:32:19.50\00:32:22.34
He saved solely on his faith.
00:32:22.37\00:32:24.34
Now, if he had
come off the cross,
00:32:24.37\00:32:26.11
of course I can't prove that,
but I'm--can guarantee you if by
00:32:26.14\00:32:30.58
some miracle he didn't died on
the cross after coming to Christ
00:32:30.61\00:32:34.38
and they'd taken a crowbar and
pulled the nails out and bound
00:32:34.42\00:32:37.49
up his wounds and he
went on to live his life,
00:32:37.52\00:32:39.12
would he have then
had different works?
00:32:39.15\00:32:42.96
We hope so.
00:32:42.99\00:32:45.19
If he was really
converted, would he
00:32:45.23\00:32:46.80
have had different works?
00:32:46.83\00:32:48.56
So why is it then if
we're saved by grace,
00:32:48.60\00:32:51.17
we're judged by our works?
00:32:51.20\00:32:53.37
Let me read some verses here.
00:32:53.40\00:32:55.60
First of all,
before I get to that point,
00:32:55.64\00:32:57.47
let's get to the
second part of that verse.
00:32:57.51\00:33:02.51
It says: "Lest
anyone should boast."
00:33:02.54\00:33:04.95
I'm still on
Ephesians 2, verse 8 through 10.
00:33:04.98\00:33:07.52
"For we are his workmanship,"
it's Him working in us,
00:33:07.55\00:33:10.95
"created in Christ
Jesus for good works."
00:33:10.99\00:33:14.86
Why'd He create
us? "For good works."
00:33:14.89\00:33:16.89
He wants us to have good works,
"which God prepared beforehand
00:33:16.93\00:33:19.86
that we should walk in them."
00:33:19.89\00:33:21.53
That means we should be walking
in good works and this includes
00:33:21.56\00:33:25.27
good works for our
fellow men, the least of these.
00:33:25.30\00:33:28.37
Someone's going to read 2
Timothy 2 in just a moment.
00:33:28.40\00:33:32.81
I'm going to
read 1 Timothy first.
00:33:32.84\00:33:34.64
That's 'cause 1
Timothy comes before 2 Timothy.
00:33:34.68\00:33:38.18
1 Timothy 5, verse 10: "Well
reported for good works: if she
00:33:38.21\00:33:43.55
has brought up children," now
what Paul is saying here--keep
00:33:43.59\00:33:47.19
in mind, Paul wrote Ephesians.
00:33:47.22\00:33:48.76
Paul is saying here that when
you look at the criteria for
00:33:48.79\00:33:52.56
having a widow
within the church,
00:33:52.59\00:33:54.40
that gets
assistance from the church,
00:33:54.46\00:33:56.56
there's certain
criteria you've got to meet.
00:33:56.60\00:33:59.20
And here's the criteria:
that she's "well reported
00:33:59.23\00:34:03.47
for good works."
00:34:03.51\00:34:05.04
You mean they're going to
judge a person for good works?
00:34:05.07\00:34:07.28
Yeah.
00:34:07.31\00:34:08.68
"If she's brought up children,
if she has lodged strangers,
00:34:08.71\00:34:10.78
if she's washed
the saints' feet,
00:34:10.81\00:34:12.65
if she's relieved the afflicted,
if she has diligently followed
00:34:12.68\00:34:15.88
every good work."
00:34:15.92\00:34:18.29
It's amazing to me that people
say it's not of works and they
00:34:18.32\00:34:20.42
try to make it sound like good
works have nothing to do with
00:34:20.46\00:34:24.19
living the Christian life.
00:34:24.23\00:34:25.99
Notice I didn't say salvation.
00:34:26.03\00:34:27.96
Are good works part
of the Christian life?
00:34:27.96\00:34:31.73
Should we teach good works?
00:34:31.77\00:34:33.50
Did Paul teach good works?
00:34:33.54\00:34:35.30
He did, and so--but now,
if you mention about works,
00:34:35.34\00:34:39.67
it's almost like that's a dirty
word in modern Christianity.
00:34:39.71\00:34:44.15
They go, "Oh,
you're works oriented."
00:34:44.18\00:34:46.38
Well, Paul was
pretty works oriented too.
00:34:46.41\00:34:48.15
We're not saved by
them but if you are saved,
00:34:48.18\00:34:51.42
you will have good works.
00:34:51.45\00:34:53.52
Isn't that right?
00:34:53.56\00:34:54.86
All right, go ahead
please. Read your verse for us.
00:34:54.89\00:34:57.39
male: 2 Timothy 2:21:
"Therefore if anyone cleanses
00:34:57.43\00:35:01.50
himself from the latter,
he will be a vessel for honor,
00:35:01.53\00:35:05.20
sanctified and
useful for the Master,
00:35:05.23\00:35:07.87
prepared for every good work."
00:35:07.90\00:35:10.14
Doug: So if we've
received the Lord,
00:35:10.17\00:35:12.51
if we've been saved by
grace, we are sanctified by the
00:35:12.54\00:35:15.24
Master, prepared for what?
00:35:15.28\00:35:17.61
Every good work.
00:35:17.65\00:35:19.75
Jesus said we're
saved by grace but He
00:35:19.78\00:35:23.39
says: "You will
know them by what?
00:35:23.42\00:35:26.12
By their fruits.
00:35:26.15\00:35:28.12
And what are the
fruits of the Spirit?
00:35:28.16\00:35:30.86
Love, joy,
peace, long-suffering,
00:35:30.89\00:35:33.36
goodness, faith, mercy.
00:35:33.40\00:35:35.00
And that will be demonstrated
in a lifestyle of living out the
00:35:35.03\00:35:39.13
Christian virtues
and loving others.
00:35:39.17\00:35:41.90
So when we're talking about
walking the walk and living the
00:35:41.94\00:35:45.77
Christian life, I think I have
shared this story many times.
00:35:45.81\00:35:53.45
I know we have different people
here so I'll repeat it and if
00:35:53.48\00:35:55.58
you've heard it before,
you can take a brief nap.
00:35:55.62\00:35:57.42
I'll wake you up when it's over.
00:35:57.45\00:35:59.29
But I was driving--I pick
up hitchhikers periodically.
00:35:59.32\00:36:05.99
I don't go looking for 'em
but I'm impressed sometimes and
00:36:06.03\00:36:08.76
I spent a lot of
time hitchhiking so I feel
00:36:08.80\00:36:10.37
empathy, compassion.
00:36:10.40\00:36:13.10
And I remember, I was up by
Clearlake and I was going down
00:36:13.13\00:36:16.64
this long hill just before you
get to the flat part of where
00:36:16.67\00:36:19.24
Clearlake is and there was a guy
who was standing on the road and
00:36:19.27\00:36:23.81
he was
hitchhiking, going my direction.
00:36:23.85\00:36:26.35
And I went by him.
I had cars behind me.
00:36:26.38\00:36:29.75
It wasn't a good
place to pull over.
00:36:29.78\00:36:31.19
I went by and I felt
impressed to pull him
00:36:31.22\00:36:32.92
over but I didn't right away.
00:36:32.95\00:36:34.82
And then I felt convicted
I should give him a ride.
00:36:34.86\00:36:36.73
I really felt this
strong, like, you need to
00:36:36.76\00:36:39.19
give that guy a ride.
00:36:39.23\00:36:40.53
And I had already gone,
like, half a mile down the road.
00:36:40.56\00:36:43.30
Finally said, "All
right, this is not going to let
00:36:43.33\00:36:45.07
me have any peace."
00:36:45.10\00:36:46.50
So I turned around,
I came back, and now,
00:36:46.53\00:36:49.80
of course, I'm going the other
direction 'cause I'm just coming
00:36:49.84\00:36:51.57
back to pick him up but now
he's gone across the road to
00:36:51.61\00:36:54.24
the other side of the
road and he's hitchhiking
00:36:54.28\00:36:56.21
the opposite direction.
00:36:56.24\00:36:58.48
I'm saying, "Lord,
this guy's confused.
00:36:58.51\00:37:00.15
He doesn't know
where he's going."
00:37:00.18\00:37:01.42
So I pull over and I say, "Look,
I stopped to pick you up but you
00:37:01.45\00:37:04.75
were going the other way and
I'm not really going this way."
00:37:04.79\00:37:08.32
He said, "I know."
He said, "I don't care."
00:37:08.36\00:37:10.56
He said, "There was no traffic
going that way so I went over
00:37:10.59\00:37:12.56
this way because I'm freezing."
00:37:12.59\00:37:14.46
I said, "Oh, it is
really cold out, yeah."
00:37:14.46\00:37:16.16
I said, "Well, climb on in.
00:37:16.20\00:37:17.57
I'm going back the
other way towards Yucay."
00:37:17.60\00:37:19.83
He said, "Oh."
00:37:19.87\00:37:21.30
He got in and we're driving
along for a minute and I don't
00:37:21.34\00:37:24.01
know how it came up but
usually I bring it up somehow.
00:37:24.04\00:37:26.37
He said, "Where
are you coming from?"
00:37:26.41\00:37:27.81
And I said, "Well, I'm
a pastor and I'm going--"
00:37:27.84\00:37:29.58
"Oh, you're a
pastor. I'm a Christian too."
00:37:29.61\00:37:31.95
He said, "I'm just not
a practicing Christian."
00:37:31.98\00:37:36.15
I said, "Oh, I didn't
know there was that category."
00:37:36.18\00:37:40.26
Is there that category?
00:37:40.29\00:37:42.72
No, I know a lot of
people out there that say,
00:37:42.76\00:37:45.16
"Once you're saved, you can't be
lost and so I got saved when I
00:37:45.19\00:37:48.03
was 15 years old
and I'm a Christian but,
00:37:48.06\00:37:50.47
you know, now I'm
kind of over fools hill.
00:37:50.50\00:37:52.83
I'm not practicing
but I'm still a Christian,
00:37:52.87\00:37:54.60
I'm still saved."
00:37:54.64\00:37:56.77
I said, "Tell me about that."
00:37:56.81\00:37:58.81
And he said, "Well, yeah,
I've had all these problems.
00:37:58.84\00:38:00.51
I just got out of
jail and, you know,
00:38:00.54\00:38:03.11
had these problems.
00:38:03.14\00:38:04.95
My girlfriend and I had a big
fight," and he's telling me all
00:38:04.98\00:38:08.22
the trouble he's
having and I said,
00:38:08.25\00:38:09.92
"So your trouble
is with sin, right?"
00:38:09.95\00:38:12.42
"Yeah."
00:38:12.45\00:38:13.89
I said, "Did Jesus
save you from your sins?"
00:38:13.92\00:38:16.09
"Well, yeah, He forgave me."
00:38:16.12\00:38:17.66
I said, "Wait a second.
00:38:17.69\00:38:18.99
Did He save you from
your sins or did He save
00:38:19.03\00:38:20.90
you in your sins?"
00:38:20.93\00:38:22.96
I said, "A Christian is
not saved in their sins.
00:38:23.00\00:38:24.93
He's saved from their sins."
00:38:24.97\00:38:26.84
I said, "Sin is controlling
your life, not Christ.
00:38:26.87\00:38:28.87
Sin should not
have dominion over you."
00:38:28.90\00:38:31.71
Said, "But I got a
cross." He says, "See my cross?"
00:38:31.74\00:38:34.64
He started telling
me about this cross.
00:38:34.68\00:38:36.01
I said, "Did Jesus ask
us to wear the cross or
00:38:36.04\00:38:38.28
bear the cross?"
00:38:38.31\00:38:39.61
He got real quiet, and
he said, "I guess I'm not a
00:38:39.65\00:38:42.48
Christian, am I?"
00:38:42.52\00:38:45.15
I said, "But we can fix that."
00:38:45.19\00:38:46.89
And so by the
time I dropped him off,
00:38:46.92\00:38:49.66
we had prayer together.
00:38:49.69\00:38:50.99
I talked about what it
means to really be a Christian.
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.73
God wants to save you from
your sins and the drugs and the
00:38:52.76\00:38:55.36
different things in
his life that were causing
00:38:55.40\00:38:57.00
all his problems.
00:38:57.03\00:38:58.33
I said, "God wants to
save you. He saved me."
00:38:58.37\00:39:00.24
I think I even had a
testimony book I gave him.
00:39:00.27\00:39:01.84
But you'd be surprised.
00:39:01.87\00:39:03.67
There's a lot of
people out there that think,
00:39:03.71\00:39:05.27
"Oh, I am a Christian.
00:39:05.31\00:39:06.78
I'm just not a
practicing Christian."
00:39:06.81\00:39:08.64
There is no such category.
00:39:08.68\00:39:11.38
Didn't Jesus say, "You
are either with Me," or what's
00:39:11.41\00:39:14.02
the other option?
00:39:14.05\00:39:15.45
"You're against Me."
00:39:15.48\00:39:17.05
There's no
middle ground in this.
00:39:17.09\00:39:19.25
Titus 2:7: "In all
things showing yourself to be
00:39:19.29\00:39:23.26
a pattern of good works."
00:39:23.29\00:39:25.96
The same author
who wrote Ephesians.
00:39:25.99\00:39:28.10
We are to, "in all things,
have a pattern of good works;
00:39:28.13\00:39:31.90
in doctrine showing integrity,
reverence, incorruptible."
00:39:31.93\00:39:35.10
Revelation 22:12,
last chapter in the Bible,
00:39:35.14\00:39:38.07
what does Jesus say?
00:39:38.11\00:39:39.41
"Behold, I am coming quickly,
and My reward is with Me,
00:39:39.44\00:39:42.44
to give to every one
according to his faith."
00:39:42.48\00:39:47.32
Did you catch
that? I misquoted that.
00:39:47.35\00:39:49.58
Preachers are going to
fool you if you're not careful.
00:39:49.62\00:39:52.22
"Behold, I'm coming
quickly, My reward is with Me,
00:39:52.25\00:39:55.16
to give to every one
according to my grace."
00:39:55.19\00:39:58.29
Doesn't say that.
00:39:58.33\00:40:00.23
Says: "To give to every
one according to his work."
00:40:00.26\00:40:04.10
"But Pastor Doug,
we are saved by grace."
00:40:04.13\00:40:06.17
We are and your works will
demonstrate whether you have
00:40:06.20\00:40:08.74
been saved by grace, right?
00:40:08.77\00:40:11.34
Jesus said, "You'll
know them by their fruits."
00:40:11.37\00:40:15.41
All right, there's a
interesting verse in the book,
00:40:15.44\00:40:17.81
"Ministry of Healing," page 103.
00:40:17.85\00:40:20.05
"Those who receive
are to impart to others.
00:40:20.08\00:40:22.78
From every direction
are coming calls for help.
00:40:22.82\00:40:25.65
God calls upon men to minister
gladly to their fellow men."
00:40:25.69\00:40:29.06
And so doing the good works,
showing love to their fellow men
00:40:29.09\00:40:33.70
is just a very
important part of the gospel.
00:40:33.73\00:40:36.13
Someone put it this way: "I used
to be a sinner running after
00:40:36.16\00:40:39.87
sin, but now that I'm saved,
I'm a sinner running from sin."
00:40:39.90\00:40:44.64
'Course, but there's to be
a holiness there so I don't
00:40:44.67\00:40:47.01
totally agree with that quote.
00:40:47.04\00:40:48.44
"Grace does not
save us against our will.
00:40:48.48\00:40:51.25
He makes us
willing by his grace.
00:40:51.28\00:40:54.52
He does not tear up the door of
our hearts with a forcible entry
00:40:54.55\00:40:58.42
but rather the key of
grace that softens our heart."
00:40:58.45\00:41:00.86
All right, then we've got the
section on our common humanity
00:41:00.89\00:41:05.29
and I like this passage here.
00:41:05.33\00:41:07.20
Malachi 2:10.
00:41:07.23\00:41:08.83
Someone's going to
read for me 1 Corinthians
00:41:08.86\00:41:10.73
12:13 in just a minute.
00:41:10.77\00:41:12.80
That'll be you.
00:41:12.83\00:41:14.14
I'm going to read
the Malachi 2:10 first.
00:41:14.17\00:41:16.00
"Have we not all one Father?
00:41:16.04\00:41:19.24
Has not one God created us?"
00:41:19.27\00:41:21.68
Even in the Old Testament
they recognized all people are
00:41:21.71\00:41:25.15
sons of Adam.
00:41:25.18\00:41:27.78
Acts 17:26: "He has made from
one blood every nation of men to
00:41:27.82\00:41:32.39
dwell upon the
face of the earth,
00:41:32.42\00:41:34.16
and has determined
their preappointed times."
00:41:34.19\00:41:37.06
"Made of one blood."
00:41:37.09\00:41:39.03
We did not evolve from different
subcategories of orangutan in
00:41:39.06\00:41:42.40
different parts of the world.
00:41:42.43\00:41:44.37
You know, they've done DNA
testing now and even atheists
00:41:44.40\00:41:47.60
agree that all the
humans in the world came from
00:41:47.64\00:41:49.20
two original humans.
00:41:49.24\00:41:50.94
Have you heard that?
00:41:50.97\00:41:52.57
Yeah, so hmm, I know
what their names were.
00:41:52.61\00:41:58.88
The DNA won't show
that but the Bible does.
00:41:58.91\00:42:02.72
Yeah, we're all
really--go ahead,
00:42:02.75\00:42:04.05
read for us your verse.
00:42:04.09\00:42:05.45
female: "For by one Spirit
we were all baptized into one
00:42:05.49\00:42:09.19
body--whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free--and have
00:42:09.22\00:42:14.73
all made to
drink into one Spirit."
00:42:14.73\00:42:18.40
Doug: Very good, thank you.
00:42:18.43\00:42:19.73
And by the way,
that's 1 Corinthians 12:13.
00:42:19.77\00:42:21.34
So it doesn't matter if
you're a Jew, you're Greek.
00:42:21.37\00:42:23.64
Do you mean--Greek
means Gentile, any non-Jew.
00:42:23.67\00:42:27.68
We are all related.
00:42:27.71\00:42:29.74
Yeah, I'm thankful my
mother--when I was growing up I
00:42:29.78\00:42:32.35
went to so many different
schools and including public
00:42:32.38\00:42:35.35
school in New York City which
I don't know if any of you hung
00:42:35.38\00:42:38.35
out in New York City
but you cross the street and
00:42:38.39\00:42:40.42
you're in Italy.
00:42:40.46\00:42:41.79
Then you cross the
street again, you're in Germany.
00:42:41.82\00:42:43.59
Then you cross the street
again, you're in Chinatown.
00:42:43.63\00:42:45.49
And it just--it's
like every block has its
00:42:45.53\00:42:49.50
own international ethnicity.
00:42:49.53\00:42:51.93
And I went to a public school.
00:42:51.97\00:42:53.57
It was international exposure.
00:42:53.60\00:42:55.30
And so my friends were from all
over the world and I'm thankful
00:42:55.34\00:42:58.91
that I had that experience
because it just--it helps you
00:42:58.94\00:43:03.61
realize the equal value
of all of God's children.
00:43:03.65\00:43:07.38
But even in the
church, sometimes people
00:43:07.42\00:43:10.62
have--they discriminate.
00:43:10.65\00:43:14.02
There's some prejudice.
00:43:14.06\00:43:15.36
They think
others are worth more.
00:43:15.39\00:43:16.89
The Jews had it.
00:43:16.93\00:43:18.39
Didn't the Lord have to convince
Peter it was okay to preach
00:43:18.43\00:43:20.96
to the Gentiles?
00:43:20.96\00:43:22.33
He got that vision.
00:43:22.36\00:43:23.93
Said, "Lord, I can't be defiled
by going to a Gentile's house."
00:43:23.97\00:43:28.37
God said, "Do not call
unclean what I've cleansed."
00:43:28.40\00:43:33.01
And even Jesus was nearly killed
at the beginning of His ministry
00:43:33.04\00:43:35.81
because He said that God has
people outside of Jews that He
00:43:35.84\00:43:39.78
wants to save.
00:43:39.81\00:43:41.12
And Luke 4:25, Christ is
preaching: "I tell you truly,
00:43:41.15\00:43:46.35
many widows were in
Israel in the days of Elijah,
00:43:46.39\00:43:48.82
when the heaven was shut up
for three years and six months,
00:43:48.86\00:43:51.39
and there was a great
famine throughout all the land;
00:43:51.43\00:43:53.63
but to none of them was Elijah
sent," he wasn't sent to any
00:43:53.66\00:43:57.03
Jewish widow.
00:43:57.07\00:43:58.40
"He was sent to Zarephath,
to the region of Sidon," up by
00:43:58.43\00:44:01.50
Tyre, "to a woman who was
a widow," a pagan, Canaanite.
00:44:01.54\00:44:04.64
"And there were many lepers in
Israel in the days of Elisha the
00:44:04.67\00:44:08.14
prophet, but none of
those lepers were healed but the
00:44:08.18\00:44:11.01
Syrian was healed."
00:44:11.05\00:44:12.61
And they got so upset.
00:44:12.65\00:44:13.98
"You mean, God is going to hear
the prayers of these pagans from
00:44:14.02\00:44:19.12
a different race?"
00:44:19.15\00:44:20.66
And Jesus said, "Yeah,
that's exactly what I'm saying."
00:44:20.69\00:44:22.96
That's why you've got stories
in the Bible about Rahab being
00:44:22.99\00:44:26.43
adopted into the
family Israel, Ruth,
00:44:26.46\00:44:28.76
Naaman, the Phoenician
woman that Elijah lived with,
00:44:28.80\00:44:32.87
and many others.
00:44:32.90\00:44:34.97
Romans 3:23:
"For all have sinned."
00:44:35.00\00:44:38.57
Since all have sinned, Jesus is
offering the remedy to how many?
00:44:38.61\00:44:42.64
To all.
00:44:42.68\00:44:44.31
Isaiah 53: "All we
like sheep have gone astray.
00:44:44.35\00:44:47.18
We've turned everyone to his own
way and the Lord laid upon him
00:44:47.22\00:44:51.52
the iniquity of all."
00:44:51.55\00:44:53.82
So Jesus paid for the sin
of just the church members?
00:44:53.86\00:44:58.69
Of every human.
00:44:58.73\00:45:00.36
Did Jesus pay for the
sins of even those who do
00:45:00.40\00:45:03.53
not accept Him?
00:45:03.57\00:45:05.53
He did.
00:45:05.57\00:45:07.34
Which makes it really
tragic that their sins
00:45:07.37\00:45:09.80
will be paid for twice.
00:45:09.84\00:45:11.67
If they don't accept Christ,
He suffered for their sin,
00:45:11.71\00:45:14.54
they're going to suffer too.
00:45:14.58\00:45:16.01
So His payment was a waste.
00:45:16.04\00:45:18.01
That's why He talks about
those who have done despite to
00:45:18.05\00:45:20.32
the spirit of grace.
00:45:20.35\00:45:22.68
And then finally we've got
the everlasting gospel here.
00:45:22.72\00:45:25.12
Revelation 14:6: "I saw another
angel fly in the midst of
00:45:25.15\00:45:29.69
heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach to those who
00:45:29.72\00:45:33.16
dwell on the earth."
00:45:33.19\00:45:34.46
How far does it go?
00:45:34.50\00:45:35.86
"Every nation,
tribe, tongue, and people."
00:45:35.90\00:45:38.33
See, right there in the Bible it
says the gospel is to go beyond
00:45:38.37\00:45:41.17
just the church members
or one group or one race.
00:45:41.20\00:45:45.44
It was to go everywhere.
00:45:45.47\00:45:47.04
Every tribe, every nation,
every tongue, every people.
00:45:47.08\00:45:50.01
Jesus said, "Go
into all the world,
00:45:50.05\00:45:52.25
preach the gospel."
00:45:52.28\00:45:54.12
Said, "Beginning in Judea
and Jerusalem and Samaria,
00:45:54.15\00:45:57.09
then the uttermost
parts of the earth."
00:45:57.12\00:46:00.19
That encompasses everything.
00:46:00.22\00:46:01.82
And I tell you, it's been fun.
00:46:01.86\00:46:04.53
I just praise the
Lord that, you know,
00:46:04.56\00:46:07.66
Karen and I and
when the kids were young,
00:46:07.66\00:46:09.66
we took the kids.
00:46:09.70\00:46:10.93
We have been able to travel all
over the world and it is so neat
00:46:10.97\00:46:14.30
because we meet Seventh
Day Adventist Christians in
00:46:14.34\00:46:18.21
New Guinea, in
China, in Africa, in Europe,
00:46:18.24\00:46:24.11
and they got some really
interesting customs and food.
00:46:24.15\00:46:26.98
I like just about all the food.
00:46:27.02\00:46:31.92
But they all
believe the same Bible.
00:46:31.95\00:46:35.16
They all have the same faith.
00:46:35.19\00:46:36.66
They know the same God.
00:46:36.69\00:46:37.99
It is the most amazing thing.
00:46:38.03\00:46:39.33
I can stand up and
preach from the Bible and,
00:46:39.36\00:46:41.13
even though it's
going through a translator,
00:46:41.16\00:46:43.40
I don't have to
worry about, "Well,
00:46:43.43\00:46:45.43
I wonder how this sermon is
going over in this culture."
00:46:45.47\00:46:47.84
If I'm preaching the Word
of God I'm getting "Amens."
00:46:47.87\00:46:51.57
Sometimes I think my
translator's fixing what I'm
00:46:51.61\00:46:53.41
saying before it goes to them.
00:46:53.44\00:46:57.45
But it's for all people.
00:46:57.48\00:46:58.78
Everlasting gospel.
00:46:58.81\00:47:00.55
2 Samuel 23, verse 5.
00:47:00.58\00:47:03.22
David's praying: "Although
my house is not so with God,
00:47:03.25\00:47:06.82
yet he has made with me
an everlasting covenant."
00:47:06.86\00:47:10.06
That's why it's called
the everlasting gospel,
00:47:10.09\00:47:12.03
ordered in all things.
00:47:12.06\00:47:13.66
Psalm 145:13:
"Your kingdom, O Lord,
00:47:13.70\00:47:16.50
is an everlasting kingdom and
your dominion endures throughout
00:47:16.53\00:47:21.37
all generations."
00:47:21.40\00:47:23.20
Were people saved under
one dispensation in the Old
00:47:23.24\00:47:26.47
Testament and now they're saved
with a different gospel and a
00:47:26.51\00:47:29.18
different dispensation
in the New Testament?
00:47:29.21\00:47:31.85
They were saved by works then
and we're saved by faith now.
00:47:31.88\00:47:35.98
The everlasting gospel, the same
gospel that saves us is the same
00:47:36.02\00:47:39.82
gospel that saved Adam and Abel,
back in the Garden of Eden.
00:47:39.85\00:47:44.43
They were all saved
by the blood of the Lamb.
00:47:44.46\00:47:46.39
They were saved by faith
looking forward to the cross.
00:47:46.43\00:47:50.33
We are saved by grace and faith,
looking back to the cross.
00:47:50.37\00:47:53.77
It is an everlasting
gospel for all people in
00:47:53.80\00:47:56.17
all parts of the world.
00:47:56.20\00:47:57.51
Can you say, "Amen" please?
00:47:57.54\00:47:59.14
Thank you.
00:47:59.17\00:48:00.81
Psalm 139, verse
23: "Search me, O God,
00:48:00.84\00:48:03.95
and know my heart.
00:48:03.98\00:48:05.48
Try me and know my
ways, my anxieties.
00:48:05.51\00:48:07.55
See if there's any way in me and
lead me in the way everlasting."
00:48:07.58\00:48:12.79
The way everlasting is the
everlasting gospel 'cause the
00:48:12.82\00:48:16.12
result of the everlasting
gospel is everlasting life.
00:48:16.16\00:48:21.13
Isn't that good news?
00:48:21.16\00:48:22.80
We are out of time for today's
lesson but we got most of it.
00:48:22.83\00:48:25.80
I want to remind our
friends before we sign off,
00:48:25.83\00:48:28.20
there is a free offer we
mentioned at the beginning
00:48:28.24\00:48:30.14
of the broadcast.
00:48:30.17\00:48:31.51
And it's called "How
Perfect Must a Christian Be?"
00:48:31.71\00:48:34.11
I think you'll
find this encouraging.
00:48:34.14\00:48:35.48
And you can ask
for offer number 863.
00:48:35.51\00:48:38.55
Just call...
00:48:38.58\00:48:43.52
That's 866-Study-More.
00:48:43.55\00:48:44.85
Should see it on
your screen there.
00:48:44.89\00:48:46.22
You can even
get this by texting.
00:48:46.25\00:48:48.09
You can go and
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00:48:48.12\00:48:50.03
You text "SH117" and
you text that to 40544.
00:48:50.06\00:48:59.80
Easy for you to
say. All right, friends.
00:48:59.83\00:49:02.34
Thank you so much for joining
us and we'll look forward to
00:49:02.37\00:49:04.34
studying again next week.
00:49:04.37\00:49:07.04
male announcer:
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00:49:42.64\00:49:45.48
announcer: "Amazing
Facts Changed Lives."
00:49:45.51\00:49:50.82
Diamond Garcia: Hi, my name
is Diamond Garcia and I am from
00:49:53.72\00:49:56.02
the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
00:49:56.06\00:49:57.93
I was raised in a
very dysfunctional family,
00:49:57.96\00:50:01.20
like most families.
00:50:01.23\00:50:02.96
Being in that
environment, I would lie,
00:50:03.00\00:50:05.57
cheat, steal, rob houses, cheat
in school in tests and lying to
00:50:05.60\00:50:09.64
teachers and getting into
fights and all kinds of stuff.
00:50:09.67\00:50:15.38
One day I was asked to take this
little box of something and I
00:50:15.41\00:50:18.58
had to walk down the road
and give it to someone and they
00:50:18.61\00:50:21.45
would give me money
and I would walk back home.
00:50:21.48\00:50:23.45
And I later
realized I was dealing drugs.
00:50:23.49\00:50:27.92
Growing up in that
environment, I thought that,
00:50:27.96\00:50:29.76
you know, being an adult was a
life of drinking and smoking and
00:50:29.79\00:50:32.89
partying and that's
just what adults did.
00:50:32.93\00:50:37.53
When I looked at my family
and saw the road that they were
00:50:37.57\00:50:40.04
going down, getting
arrested, getting beaten up,
00:50:40.07\00:50:42.97
coming home drunk and
puking all over the floor,
00:50:43.00\00:50:45.94
I just didn't
want that for myself.
00:50:45.97\00:50:49.71
Growing up, I had a grandma who
was baptized as a Christian in
00:50:49.74\00:50:52.85
her 20s but then she wasn't
a real practicing Christian.
00:50:52.88\00:50:55.95
And so one day I was at her
house and there was a box of
00:50:55.98\00:50:59.02
various books so I went to
the bottom of that box and found
00:50:59.05\00:51:02.02
a book called "The
Great Controversy."
00:51:02.06\00:51:04.69
And I picked it up and I
said, "This is interesting."
00:51:04.73\00:51:07.30
And I opened to the first page
of that book and it said: "If
00:51:07.36\00:51:10.40
thou hast known," I
had no clue what it meant.
00:51:10.43\00:51:14.50
And so I said, "You know what?
00:51:14.54\00:51:15.87
Forget this." I
put the book down.
00:51:15.90\00:51:17.21
I just walked
away, did my thing.
00:51:17.24\00:51:19.07
But then something
told me, "You know,
00:51:19.11\00:51:21.08
Diamond, go back to that book."
00:51:21.11\00:51:23.11
And so I went back to
the book, picked it up.
00:51:23.14\00:51:25.38
Went to the last two
chapters and I read it.
00:51:25.41\00:51:28.52
And I said to my
grandmother, I said,
00:51:28.55\00:51:31.52
"What church is this from?
00:51:31.55\00:51:32.95
I want to go to that church."
00:51:32.99\00:51:34.49
So she brought me down to the
local church and then I walk in
00:51:34.52\00:51:37.06
through the back door
and the piano's off-key,
00:51:37.09\00:51:39.73
people were off-key.
00:51:39.76\00:51:41.06
It's, like, "Man,
this is really kind of--
00:51:41.10\00:51:43.33
I don't want to be here."
00:51:43.37\00:51:45.27
And I got to the front of
the church and I sat down.
00:51:45.30\00:51:47.54
I was listening to the
sermon and the whole service was
00:51:47.57\00:51:50.24
so boring to me.
00:51:50.27\00:51:51.74
But then someone gives me the
set of DVDs and it was called
00:51:51.77\00:51:55.61
"The Prophecy Code."
00:51:55.64\00:51:58.41
It was through watching Doug
Batchelor explain the truths
00:51:58.45\00:52:02.42
found in the Bible that really
brought me to Christ and brought
00:52:02.45\00:52:05.69
me to realize
that, you know what?
00:52:05.72\00:52:07.49
There is a life
better than my family's life.
00:52:07.52\00:52:10.63
My second week at
church on Sabbath,
00:52:10.66\00:52:13.40
there was one person there.
00:52:13.43\00:52:15.33
He basically told
me, "Hey, Diamond,
00:52:15.36\00:52:17.23
do you want to make some money?"
00:52:17.27\00:52:18.93
And I said, "Sure." I
said, "What do you do?"
00:52:18.97\00:52:20.90
He says, "Well,
I'm a colporteur.
00:52:20.94\00:52:22.80
We go door to door and
we sell Christian books."
00:52:22.84\00:52:25.17
I said, "Oh, okay.
00:52:25.21\00:52:27.08
Well, that sounds interesting.
00:52:27.11\00:52:28.54
I do want to
make some money too."
00:52:28.58\00:52:30.01
And so he said, "Okay, well,
why don't you come with me?"
00:52:30.05\00:52:31.98
We drove out to
the neighborhood,
00:52:32.01\00:52:34.62
parked the car, and
that night was just raining.
00:52:34.65\00:52:37.29
It was pouring and pouring.
00:52:37.32\00:52:38.95
It could not stop raining.
00:52:38.99\00:52:40.52
He prayed; he said, "God,
this is Diamond's first night.
00:52:40.56\00:52:42.99
If it's your will, stop the rain
so we can go knocking on doors."
00:52:43.02\00:52:46.36
And as soon as he said,
"Amen," the rain just stopped.
00:52:46.39\00:52:49.66
I was just thinking in my head,
"Is this guy a prophet or what?"
00:52:49.70\00:52:53.34
I mean, he just prayed
and asked God and it happened.
00:52:53.37\00:52:57.31
And so I was so happy, I grabbed
the books and I went to the
00:52:57.34\00:53:00.44
first door, and the
first door I went to,
00:53:00.48\00:53:02.14
the person gave me 50 bucks.
00:53:02.18\00:53:04.01
That night was actually a
big night for me because it was
00:53:04.05\00:53:06.95
where I saw God's power work
in stopping the rain and people
00:53:06.98\00:53:10.42
actually giving
me lots of money.
00:53:10.45\00:53:12.82
I then became a colporteur or
a canvasser and I saved money to
00:53:12.85\00:53:16.19
pay for my way through
the academy and when my church
00:53:16.22\00:53:18.89
began to see how God
was using me and they
00:53:18.93\00:53:22.50
immediately recognized
that it was God's Spirit
00:53:22.53\00:53:24.63
moving and they put
me, you know, preaching and
00:53:24.67\00:53:27.24
teaching and sharing my faith.
00:53:27.27\00:53:28.90
And I've been engaged in
ministry for the past six or
00:53:28.94\00:53:31.47
seven years now and God has
taken me all over the world on
00:53:31.51\00:53:33.94
multiple continents,
sharing my testimony,
00:53:33.98\00:53:35.64
how God has brought me out
of darkness into his marvelous
00:53:35.68\00:53:38.95
light, which is total
contrast as to how I was before,
00:53:38.98\00:53:42.68
I am now, you know,
it's a total contrast.
00:53:42.72\00:53:45.99
My name is Diamond and
"Amazing Facts" has helped
00:53:46.02\00:53:48.89
to change my life.
00:53:48.92\00:53:50.99
¤¤¤
00:53:51.03\00:53:59.73
¤¤¤
00:54:02.30\00:54:12.25
Doug: We're here on the
beautiful coast of the island
00:54:12.28\00:54:14.32
of Puerto Rico.
00:54:14.35\00:54:15.98
And if you were to
travel east about 2,000 miles,
00:54:16.02\00:54:18.95
of course, you'd be out
in the middle of the ocean,
00:54:18.99\00:54:21.22
but you'd also be in the middle
of a mystical sea called the
00:54:21.26\00:54:23.79
Sargasso Sea.
00:54:23.83\00:54:25.46
It gets its name because of this
common brown seaweed that can be
00:54:25.49\00:54:29.83
found floating in vast mass.
00:54:29.86\00:54:32.20
The area of the Sargasso
Sea is about 700 miles wide and
00:54:32.23\00:54:36.84
2,000 miles long.
00:54:36.87\00:54:38.71
Now, the seaweed
itself is fascinating stuff.
00:54:38.74\00:54:41.14
It was first observed
and called gulf weed by
00:54:41.18\00:54:44.21
Christopher Columbus.
00:54:44.25\00:54:45.61
It gets the name
sorghum from the Portuguese.
00:54:45.65\00:54:47.45
Some people use it
as herbal remedies.
00:54:47.48\00:54:49.32
But out in the middle of the
Sargasso Sea the water is some
00:54:49.35\00:54:52.45
of the bluest in the world.
00:54:52.49\00:54:54.32
It's there you can see
200 feet deep in places.
00:54:54.36\00:54:57.56
It also has a great biodiversity
and ecosystem that surrounds
00:54:57.59\00:55:01.36
the Sargasso Sea.
00:55:01.40\00:55:03.43
For years, scientists wondered
where the American and the
00:55:03.47\00:55:06.37
Atlantic eels were breeding.
00:55:06.40\00:55:08.27
They knew the adult eel swam
down the rivers out into the
00:55:08.30\00:55:11.11
Atlantic but they
never could find the place
00:55:11.14\00:55:12.97
where they reproduced.
00:55:13.01\00:55:14.31
Finally, they discovered
it was out in the middle of
00:55:14.34\00:55:16.48
the Sargasso Sea.
00:55:16.51\00:55:17.91
So it's a fascinating place but
if you were an ancient sailor
00:55:17.95\00:55:20.98
you did not want
to get stuck there.
00:55:21.02\00:55:24.72
Doug: Being caught in the
doldrums was extremely difficult
00:55:26.39\00:55:28.72
for the ancient sailors.
00:55:28.76\00:55:30.79
Of course, their boats
were driven by wind and sail and
00:55:30.83\00:55:33.40
they'd be caught in the vast
mass of the seaweed that would
00:55:33.43\00:55:37.00
wrap around their rudder,
barnacles would begin to grow.
00:55:37.03\00:55:39.90
It's an area that is notorious
for light and baffling winds and
00:55:39.93\00:55:42.84
so they'd make no progress.
00:55:42.87\00:55:44.81
They'd get stuck.
00:55:44.84\00:55:46.37
The men would become
extremely dispirited.
00:55:46.41\00:55:48.64
Sometimes, violence and
even insanity would break out as
00:55:48.68\00:55:51.88
people were
trapped in the doldrums.
00:55:51.91\00:55:54.75
Well, friends, perhaps sometimes
you've felt that you're trapped
00:55:54.78\00:55:57.82
in the doldrums.
00:55:57.85\00:55:59.15
You've gone through
episodes of depression,
00:55:59.19\00:56:00.86
you feel like
you're going in circles,
00:56:00.89\00:56:02.86
life seems stifling.
00:56:02.89\00:56:04.53
You know, the
Bible offers good news.
00:56:04.56\00:56:06.29
There is a way out.
00:56:06.33\00:56:07.86
The Bible talks about a famous
character that was trapped
00:56:07.93\00:56:10.73
in a cycle of depression.
00:56:10.77\00:56:12.60
He was low as you could be.
00:56:12.63\00:56:14.34
Matter of fact, he even had
seaweed wrapped around his head.
00:56:14.37\00:56:16.91
His name was Jonah.
00:56:16.94\00:56:18.74
But God gave
him a way of escape.
00:56:18.77\00:56:20.64
In Jonah chapter
2, verse 3 through 7,
00:56:20.68\00:56:23.78
we read: "For You
cast me into the depths,
00:56:23.81\00:56:27.05
Into the heart of the seas,
and the floods surrounded me;
00:56:27.08\00:56:30.45
all of Your billows and
Your waves passed over me.
00:56:30.49\00:56:33.42
Then I said, 'I have
been cast out of Your sight;
00:56:33.46\00:56:36.49
yet I will look again
towards Your holy temple.'
00:56:36.52\00:56:39.53
The waters surrounded
me, even to my soul; the
00:56:39.56\00:56:42.23
deep closed around me; weeds
were wrapped around my head.
00:56:42.26\00:56:46.40
I went down to the
moorings of the mountains;
00:56:46.43\00:56:48.87
the earth with its bars
closed behind me forever;
00:56:48.90\00:56:52.34
yet You've brought my life
up from the pit, O Lord, my God.
00:56:52.37\00:56:57.01
When my soul fainted within
me, I remembered the Lord;
00:56:57.05\00:57:00.68
and my prayer went up to
You, into Your holy temple."
00:57:00.72\00:57:05.05
You know, friends, the
way that Jonah got out of his
00:57:05.09\00:57:06.72
discouraging circumstances,
he turned to God and he prayed.
00:57:06.76\00:57:10.56
And if God could
hear Jonah's prayer,
00:57:10.59\00:57:12.79
just think about it, he was
as far away from God as anybody
00:57:12.83\00:57:15.33
could be, he was in the belly of
a sea monster in the bottom of
00:57:15.36\00:57:18.63
the ocean in the dark,
yet he turned to God and
00:57:18.67\00:57:21.10
God heard his prayer.
00:57:21.14\00:57:22.44
You know, these ancient sailors,
when they were trapped on the
00:57:22.47\00:57:24.94
deck of a ship for
weeks, stuck in the doldrums,
00:57:24.97\00:57:27.48
discouraged, sometimes they
would have a prayer meeting and
00:57:27.51\00:57:30.71
pray that God would send a
breeze that would set them free
00:57:30.75\00:57:33.88
and get their boats moving.
00:57:33.92\00:57:35.72
They turned to God in prayer and
often miracles would happen and
00:57:35.75\00:57:38.39
the wind would flutter in
the sails and bring them out
00:57:38.42\00:57:40.99
of their seaweed prison.
00:57:41.02\00:57:43.43
Friends, maybe you have
been stuck in the doldrums.
00:57:43.46\00:57:46.23
Maybe you've been caught
in a cycle of depression.
00:57:46.26\00:57:48.43
If God can do it for Jonah,
if He can do it for the ancient
00:57:48.46\00:57:51.23
sailors, He can do it for you.
00:57:51.27\00:57:52.83
Turn to the Lord in prayer.
00:57:52.87\00:57:54.54
Trust His Spirit to blow through
your soul and to set you free.
00:57:54.57\00:57:58.71
¤¤¤
00:57:58.74\00:58:08.72
¤¤¤
00:58:08.75\00:58:18.73
¤¤¤
00:58:18.76\00:58:25.73