¤¤¤
00:00:00.43\00:00:10.27
¤¤¤
00:00:10.31\00:00:20.28
¤¤¤
00:00:20.32\00:00:30.33
Jean Ross: Hello, friends.
00:00:35.96\00:00:37.20
Welcome again to "Sabbath School
Study Hour," here at the Granite
00:00:37.23\00:00:39.73
Bay Seventh Day Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
00:00:39.77\00:00:42.87
I'd like to welcome all of those
who are joining us across the
00:00:42.90\00:00:45.41
country and around the world,
and a special welcome to our
00:00:45.44\00:00:48.48
online church members that tune
in every Sabbath to participate
00:00:48.51\00:00:52.68
in our Sabbath School
during our study time.
00:00:52.71\00:00:55.02
I'd also like to welcome our
regular Sabbath School members
00:00:55.05\00:00:57.95
that are here in person and also
those who are visiting with us.
00:00:57.99\00:01:01.16
Very warm welcome to all of you.
00:01:01.19\00:01:03.32
You know, we've been studying
through two Old Testament books,
00:01:03.36\00:01:07.03
the two books of
Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:01:07.03\00:01:09.30
That has been the
theme for this whole quarter.
00:01:09.33\00:01:11.70
Today we are on
Lesson Number 10,
00:01:11.73\00:01:14.04
which is entitled, "Worshiping
the Lord," and we'll be studying
00:01:14.07\00:01:17.74
that subject in
just a few moments.
00:01:17.77\00:01:19.57
For those of you who
might be joining us online,
00:01:19.61\00:01:21.61
if you don't have a
copy of our study today,
00:01:21.64\00:01:23.88
you can download for free
today's lesson by simply going
00:01:23.91\00:01:27.25
to lesson.aftv.org, and you
can download Lesson Number 10,
00:01:27.28\00:01:33.32
and you can study along with us.
00:01:33.36\00:01:35.56
We also have a free offer
we'd like to let you know about.
00:01:35.59\00:01:38.26
It's a book entitled "Life in
the Spirit," and this is free.
00:01:38.29\00:01:41.43
All you need to do
is call the number...
00:01:41.46\00:01:46.74
and ask for Offer Number 155.
00:01:46.77\00:01:49.70
We'll be happy to send this out
to anyone who calls and asks.
00:01:49.74\00:01:52.94
We can also make this
book available for you for a
00:01:52.97\00:01:55.48
download, a free download.
00:01:55.51\00:01:57.61
All you'll have to do
is text the code "SH047" to
00:01:57.65\00:02:02.42
the number 40544.
00:02:02.45\00:02:05.92
You'll then be able to download
a digital copy of the book "Life
00:02:05.95\00:02:09.29
in the Spirit," and
it's an inspiring read,
00:02:09.32\00:02:11.96
dealing with what the
Holy Spirit does in the
00:02:11.99\00:02:14.60
heart of a believer.
00:02:14.63\00:02:16.70
Well, before we get to
our study this morning,
00:02:16.73\00:02:18.77
we have a special musical item
that'll be brought to us by the
00:02:18.80\00:02:21.84
Granite Bay Church Choir.
00:02:21.87\00:02:23.87
¤¤¤
00:02:24.24\00:02:27.51
¤ Tell me the story of Jesus, ¤
00:02:27.54\00:02:31.71
¤ write on my
heart every word. ¤
00:02:31.75\00:02:37.12
¤ Tell me the
story most precious, ¤
00:02:37.15\00:02:41.69
¤ sweetest that
ever was heard. ¤
00:02:41.72\00:02:47.03
¤ Ooh, ooh, ooh. ¤
00:02:47.10\00:02:48.40
¤ Tell how the
angels in chorus, ¤
00:02:48.43\00:02:52.00
¤ sang as they
welcomed His birth, ¤
00:02:52.03\00:02:57.14
¤ singing, "Glory to
God in the highest, ¤
00:02:57.17\00:03:02.78
¤ peace and good
tidings to earth." ¤
00:03:02.81\00:03:08.42
¤ Tell me the story
of Jesus, write on my ¤
00:03:08.45\00:03:15.32
¤ heart every word. ¤
00:03:15.36\00:03:19.13
¤ Tell me the
story most precious, ¤
00:03:19.16\00:03:23.90
¤ sweetest that
ever was heard. ¤
00:03:23.93\00:03:29.37
¤ I love to tell the
story of unseen things above, ¤
00:03:29.40\00:03:39.31
¤ of Jesus and His
glory, of Jesus and His love. ¤
00:03:39.35\00:03:49.36
¤ I love to tell the story
because I know 'tis true. ¤
00:03:50.16\00:04:00.10
¤ It satisfies my longings
as nothing else can do. ¤
00:04:00.14\00:04:10.15
¤ I love to tell the story,
'twill be my theme in glory, ¤
00:04:11.31\00:04:21.29
¤ to tell the old, old
story of Jesus and His love. ¤
00:04:21.32\00:04:31.30
¤ Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so. ¤
00:04:33.67\00:04:43.68
¤ Little ones to Him belong. ¤
00:04:45.41\00:04:50.79
¤ They are weak,
but He is strong. ¤
00:04:50.82\00:05:00.83
¤¤¤
00:05:01.56\00:05:08.34
¤ Tell me the story
of Jesus, write on my ¤
00:05:08.37\00:05:15.08
¤ heart every word. ¤
00:05:15.11\00:05:19.08
¤ Tell me the
story most precious, ¤
00:05:19.11\00:05:24.05
¤ sweetest that
ever was heard. ¤
00:05:24.09\00:05:29.19
¤ Yes, I love to
tell the story, ¤
00:05:29.22\00:05:34.93
¤ 'twill be my theme in
glory, to tell the old, ¤
00:05:34.96\00:05:42.84
¤ old story, the
story of Jesus, ¤
00:05:42.87\00:05:52.88
¤ the story of
Jesus and His love. ¤
00:05:52.98\00:06:03.02
¤ Tell me the story of Jesus. ¤¤
00:06:07.60\00:06:14.90
Jean: Thank you, choir, for
bring us that beautiful story,
00:06:17.64\00:06:20.74
"Tell Me the Story of Jesus."
00:06:20.78\00:06:23.21
Really, that's what
the Bible is all about.
00:06:23.24\00:06:25.11
It's telling us
the story of Jesus,
00:06:25.15\00:06:26.95
and that's what we're going
to be studying this morning.
00:06:26.98\00:06:28.48
Well, before we
start our lesson,
00:06:28.52\00:06:30.35
let's just bow our
heads for a word of prayer.
00:06:30.39\00:06:32.29
Dear Father, we thank You
that we have this opportunity to
00:06:32.32\00:06:34.72
gather in Your house to open
up Your Word to study a very
00:06:34.76\00:06:38.39
important subject,
that of worshiping the Lord.
00:06:38.43\00:06:40.53
We were created to find our
greatest joy in bowing before
00:06:40.56\00:06:44.27
You, coming in your
presence to worship You,
00:06:44.30\00:06:47.57
so bless our
time together today,
00:06:47.60\00:06:49.44
for we ask this in
Jesus's name, amen.
00:06:49.47\00:06:52.74
Our lesson this
morning is going to be brought
00:06:52.77\00:06:54.74
to us by Pastor Doug.
00:06:54.78\00:06:56.71
Doug Batchelor:
Thank you, Pastor Ross,
00:06:58.58\00:06:59.88
and, again, thank you to
the choir and the Hofftees,
00:06:59.91\00:07:02.65
and Michelle, and
those who've been leading.
00:07:02.68\00:07:04.09
Morning.
00:07:04.12\00:07:06.35
Happy Sabbath.
00:07:06.39\00:07:08.89
We're continuing our study in
the book of Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:07:08.92\00:07:12.13
As Pastor Ross mentioned,
we're in Lesson Number 10,
00:07:12.16\00:07:15.00
today, "Worshiping the Lord,"
and we have a memory verse.
00:07:15.03\00:07:19.00
Memory verse actually comes from
Ezra because we're studying both
00:07:19.03\00:07:22.20
Ezra and Nehemiah, and
they are books that overlap
00:07:22.24\00:07:25.37
chronologically
and historically.
00:07:25.41\00:07:27.78
So if you look in Ezra 3, verse
11--this is our memory verse
00:07:27.81\00:07:31.91
from the New King James Version.
00:07:31.95\00:07:33.92
We're going to say
it together, Ezra 3:11.
00:07:33.95\00:07:35.78
Are you ready?
00:07:35.82\00:07:37.85
"And they sang
response--" oh, come on,
00:07:37.89\00:07:41.49
you can do better than that.
00:07:41.52\00:07:43.29
I'll give you a
chance to find it.
00:07:43.32\00:07:44.76
Ezra 3:11.
00:07:44.79\00:07:46.23
Let's say this in unison. Ready?
00:07:46.26\00:07:48.10
"And they sang responsively,
praising and giving thanks to
00:07:48.13\00:07:53.54
the Lord, 'For a He is good,
for His mercy endures forever
00:07:53.57\00:07:58.51
towards Israel.'"
00:07:58.54\00:08:01.98
Now, you know, that
particular phrase there,
00:08:02.01\00:08:04.11
"The Lord is good, for His
mercy endures forever," is found
00:08:04.15\00:08:08.12
41 times in the Bible.
00:08:08.15\00:08:11.05
That's a lot.
00:08:11.09\00:08:12.39
"The Lord is good,"
and especially the part,
00:08:12.42\00:08:14.42
"His mercy endures forever."
00:08:14.46\00:08:16.56
"His mercy endures forever."
00:08:16.59\00:08:18.93
The very fact you're here
today is evidence that God is a
00:08:18.96\00:08:22.03
merciful God.
00:08:22.06\00:08:23.60
He has been merciful to
you throughout your life.
00:08:23.63\00:08:27.27
Now, the lesson today
is on worshiping the Lord,
00:08:27.30\00:08:29.77
and our mission--you know,
we're going through the books of
00:08:29.80\00:08:32.37
Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:08:32.41\00:08:33.88
Today we're specifically
dealing with Nehemiah,
00:08:33.91\00:08:35.94
and we're specifically
dealing with chapter 12,
00:08:35.98\00:08:39.55
only verses 27 to 47.
00:08:39.58\00:08:41.92
That's our mission.
00:08:41.95\00:08:43.25
Whole lesson
covers those verses,
00:08:43.28\00:08:45.02
and we've got
plenty here to talk about.
00:08:45.05\00:08:48.49
I could stop right
here and say, "All right,
00:08:48.52\00:08:50.63
let's talk about
worshiping the Lord."
00:08:50.66\00:08:52.63
And we come to
church, we worship the Lord,
00:08:52.66\00:08:55.73
and a lot of examples of
worshiping God in the Bible.
00:08:55.76\00:09:01.00
What is "worship"?
00:09:01.04\00:09:03.20
It's confusing to me.
00:09:03.24\00:09:05.64
Now, if you grow up in a
secular world and someone says,
00:09:05.67\00:09:07.88
"We're going to
go worship," I go,
00:09:07.91\00:09:09.84
"What does that mean?"
00:09:09.88\00:09:11.68
You picture someone
bowing to a statue of Buddha?
00:09:11.71\00:09:14.85
I wasn't sure.
00:09:14.88\00:09:16.18
What does "worship" mean?
00:09:16.22\00:09:17.59
"Worship" really springs
in English from the idea of
00:09:17.62\00:09:19.22
"worth-ship," but God is worthy.
00:09:19.25\00:09:22.36
Might I suggest to
you, I used to think,
00:09:22.39\00:09:25.46
when people said, "We're going
to go to church and worship the
00:09:25.49\00:09:28.16
Lord," I had
pictures of--you know,
00:09:28.20\00:09:30.20
you went to Catholic
church when I was a kid.
00:09:30.23\00:09:32.70
I went to a couple of
Catholic schools and then,
00:09:32.73\00:09:34.90
you know, they'd
say these chants,
00:09:34.94\00:09:36.60
and we'd go through
the Mass, and I thought,
00:09:36.64\00:09:38.34
"Oh, man, when is this over?"
00:09:38.37\00:09:40.04
I thought--no, really.
00:09:40.08\00:09:42.08
I thought worship was the
most boring thing in the world.
00:09:42.11\00:09:46.11
I'd like to submit to you that,
if you ever discover what real
00:09:46.15\00:09:50.82
worship of God is, there
is nothing more thrilling,
00:09:50.85\00:09:56.79
more pleasurable, and more
fulfilling and exciting than
00:09:56.83\00:10:03.40
genuine worship.
00:10:03.43\00:10:06.07
People think about
going to heaven and
00:10:06.10\00:10:08.00
"What are you going to do?"
00:10:08.04\00:10:09.34
And there's a lot of things,
neat things that I think I liked
00:10:09.37\00:10:11.17
to--I love to explore.
00:10:11.21\00:10:13.24
Just the idea it, "You'll mount
up with wings like eagles."
00:10:13.27\00:10:17.25
I love to fly.
00:10:17.28\00:10:18.75
"Soar to worlds unknown."
00:10:18.78\00:10:20.58
That's not in the Bible.
00:10:20.62\00:10:21.92
That's in "Rock of
Ages," but it's going to happen.
00:10:21.95\00:10:23.79
We will--we'll sort of go visit
unknown galaxies and cosmos.
00:10:23.82\00:10:28.49
I can't wait to explore and
to see the earth made new and
00:10:28.52\00:10:31.46
build--we'll build
houses and inhabit them.
00:10:31.49\00:10:33.80
I love puttering around and
building working in the yard,
00:10:33.83\00:10:37.63
and I can think of
all those things but,
00:10:37.67\00:10:39.37
biblically, the highest
thrill, the greatest pleasure,
00:10:39.40\00:10:44.64
for those that knew
God was to worship God.
00:10:44.67\00:10:50.11
So when it says that "From
one new moon to another and one
00:10:50.15\00:10:53.15
Sabbath to another shall all
flesh come before the Lord to
00:10:53.18\00:10:57.62
worship Him."
00:10:57.65\00:10:59.59
You think about when Isaiah had
that picture of the angels in
00:10:59.62\00:11:02.76
the presence of God, and
the whole temple was filled with
00:11:02.79\00:11:06.16
smoke, and the building
shook, and the angel said,
00:11:06.19\00:11:08.53
"Holy, holy, holy,"
and that was so thrilling.
00:11:08.56\00:11:13.23
It was so frightening
and exciting to be in the
00:11:13.27\00:11:15.67
presence of God.
00:11:15.70\00:11:17.14
So when you think
about worshiping God,
00:11:17.17\00:11:19.51
realize that understanding
what real worship is,
00:11:19.54\00:11:23.75
is one of the most
important pursuits.
00:11:23.78\00:11:26.18
It's being in the presence of
the Creator and sustainer of the
00:11:26.21\00:11:31.89
universe is awesome
when you think about it,
00:11:31.92\00:11:35.52
and so that's really
what we're dealing with.
00:11:35.56\00:11:38.53
Now, in Nehemiah chapter
12:27--I've got a couple of you
00:11:38.56\00:11:42.23
that are going to help
me with some verses here.
00:11:42.26\00:11:43.87
But in Nehemiah
12:27, it begins by saying,
00:11:43.90\00:11:47.70
"Now at the dedication of the
wall of Jerusalem they sought
00:11:47.74\00:11:51.37
out the Levites
in all their places,
00:11:51.41\00:11:54.08
to bring them to Jerusalem--" so
they're going to bring all the
00:11:54.11\00:11:57.48
different Levites in.
00:11:57.51\00:11:58.88
They don't all
live in Jerusalem.
00:11:58.91\00:12:00.58
They live in suburbs around
the cities-- "to celebrate the
00:12:00.62\00:12:04.22
dedication with gladness,
both with thanksgivings and with
00:12:04.25\00:12:08.19
singing, with cymbals and with
stringed instruments and harps."
00:12:08.22\00:12:13.19
They're going to
have a great celebration.
00:12:13.23\00:12:15.10
What's the occasion?
00:12:15.13\00:12:16.50
To dedicate the walls.
00:12:16.53\00:12:19.87
Now, if any of you have
ever moved into a house,
00:12:19.90\00:12:23.61
did you have a house dedication?
00:12:23.64\00:12:25.27
You know, in the
Bible, that was appropriate.
00:12:25.31\00:12:29.84
We were really
excited yesterday afternoon.
00:12:29.88\00:12:33.68
Wash my truck, and then I drove
up on the building site because
00:12:33.72\00:12:36.65
I've been out of
town for a couple days,
00:12:36.69\00:12:38.19
and I'm always excited to
see what kind of progress is
00:12:38.22\00:12:40.42
happening on the house
of the Lord on the hill.
00:12:40.46\00:12:43.12
And so I went up
there to look around,
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.43
and it's--they got the
windows going on the back.
00:12:46.46\00:12:48.76
The walls are all taking shape.
00:12:48.80\00:12:50.60
You can kind of see
where things are going to be,
00:12:50.63\00:12:52.13
and it looks like the
Lord has had this long fall.
00:12:52.17\00:12:54.47
We may get it closed
in before the rains come,
00:12:54.50\00:12:56.71
and we're very
excited, but, you know,
00:12:56.74\00:12:58.94
we're planning a dedicated,
and we're thinking about
00:12:58.97\00:13:01.88
picking dates.
00:13:01.91\00:13:03.35
Now, we're close
enough where we think,
00:13:03.38\00:13:04.78
you know, "We're going
to bring in some people.
00:13:04.81\00:13:06.11
They need to know.
00:13:06.15\00:13:07.45
We want to have a date for
a dedication," and we thought,
00:13:07.48\00:13:09.42
"Actually, we want to
have a month of dedication."
00:13:09.45\00:13:13.76
Let's not just do one week.
00:13:13.79\00:13:15.72
There's so many ways and people
to thank and things to do to
00:13:15.76\00:13:18.73
celebrate this place set
aside to be a house of prayer,
00:13:18.76\00:13:23.47
a house of proclaiming the Word.
00:13:23.50\00:13:25.47
And so it's appropriate to have
a special dedication when you
00:13:25.50\00:13:28.40
thank everybody for the Word,
thank everybody for the gifts
00:13:28.44\00:13:30.47
and to praise God for
something that's accomplished.
00:13:30.51\00:13:34.28
You know, in the Bible, they
not only dedicated houses of the
00:13:34.31\00:13:36.88
Lord, they dedicated houses.
00:13:36.91\00:13:41.22
Look in Deuteronomy 20, verse 5.
00:13:41.25\00:13:43.42
It was so important that, before
soldiers went into battle,
00:13:43.45\00:13:47.06
the priests would
stand before the soldiers,
00:13:47.09\00:13:49.92
and they'd make this statement.
00:13:49.96\00:13:51.66
They say, "If any
of you are afraid,
00:13:51.69\00:13:53.46
go home, lest you cower in the
battle and you frightened the
00:13:53.50\00:13:57.43
other soldiers."
00:13:57.47\00:13:58.80
Said, "If you married a
wife and you have not taken--"
00:13:58.83\00:14:02.87
in other words, "If you are
betrothed to a wife and you've
00:14:02.90\00:14:05.01
not taken her yet, then leave."
00:14:05.04\00:14:07.74
She should have that experience.
00:14:07.78\00:14:10.55
And then it says, "And what man
is there of you who has built a
00:14:10.58\00:14:13.78
new house and if
you've not dedicated it,
00:14:13.82\00:14:16.89
let him go and
return to his house,
00:14:16.92\00:14:19.32
lest he die in the battle
and another man dedicate it."
00:14:19.35\00:14:23.06
And so that was so important.
00:14:23.09\00:14:25.63
You dedicate your
home. You build a home.
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.96
And, you know,
that's--you think about it,
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.07
it says, you
know, "It is important,
00:14:30.10\00:14:32.30
if you planted a vineyard,
you didn't eat from it,
00:14:32.33\00:14:34.67
if you are engaged to a woman,
and you've not been married,
00:14:34.70\00:14:37.87
if you build a house, and you've
not dedicated it," they said,
00:14:37.91\00:14:41.48
those were three reasons
to walk away from battle,
00:14:41.51\00:14:43.61
plus if you're afraid.
00:14:43.65\00:14:45.38
But they said a man ought to
experience these things before
00:14:45.41\00:14:48.35
he goes and fights
like a soldier and dies.
00:14:48.38\00:14:50.89
And so I thought
that was interesting.
00:14:50.92\00:14:53.22
But not only did
they dedicate homes.
00:14:53.25\00:14:57.46
When a child is, you
know, born, shortly after,
00:14:57.49\00:15:00.73
don't we have a dedication?
00:15:00.76\00:15:02.70
Dedicate children,
and we dedicate homes.
00:15:02.73\00:15:07.00
No, they dedicated temples.
00:15:07.04\00:15:09.74
You can look here
in--matter of fact,
00:15:09.77\00:15:12.77
I think one of you are going
to read for me 1 Kings 8:63.
00:15:12.81\00:15:18.21
You've got that?
00:15:18.25\00:15:19.95
There was actually a Psalm that
they would sing at a dedication
00:15:19.98\00:15:24.95
of a house of the Lord.
00:15:24.99\00:15:26.65
Now, when you read the Psalms,
you probably jump right to verse
00:15:26.69\00:15:29.16
1, but do you know, a lot of
the Psalms actually had titles?
00:15:29.19\00:15:32.79
And the title of
Psalm 30, it says,
00:15:32.83\00:15:35.93
"A song at the dedication
of the house of David."
00:15:35.96\00:15:39.23
Not the house of the
Lord--the house of David.
00:15:39.27\00:15:42.30
So when David--do you
remember in the Bible?
00:15:42.34\00:15:44.67
Hiram gave him
materials, cedars from Lebanon,
00:15:44.71\00:15:47.51
and sent workers down to build
a house for David when he became
00:15:47.54\00:15:50.71
king, and he had a
Psalm to dedicate that house.
00:15:50.75\00:15:53.85
All right, go
ahead and read for us,
00:15:53.88\00:15:56.52
please 1 Kings 8.
00:15:56.55\00:15:58.39
female: "And Solomon offered
a sacrifice of peace offering,
00:15:58.42\00:16:02.56
which he offered to the Lord,
22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep.
00:16:02.59\00:16:09.23
So the King and all the children
of Israel dedicated the house
00:16:09.26\00:16:13.80
of the Lord."
00:16:13.84\00:16:15.14
Doug: So when the
Temple of Solomon was built,
00:16:15.17\00:16:18.64
there was a great
dedication service,
00:16:18.67\00:16:22.88
and don't forget that about the
incredible sacrifice that was
00:16:22.91\00:16:27.52
made because
later in the lesson,
00:16:27.55\00:16:29.42
we talk about sacrifices.
00:16:29.45\00:16:30.89
Look in 2
Chronicles 5:13 and 14.
00:16:30.92\00:16:33.76
Solomon is praying here.
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.76
Now, you have the
dedication of the temple,
00:16:36.79\00:16:38.69
both in 1 Kings
and in 2 Chronicles.
00:16:38.73\00:16:41.53
It's the same story.
00:16:41.56\00:16:43.53
"Indeed it came to pass, when
the trumpeters and the singers
00:16:43.57\00:16:46.50
were as one, to make one sound
to be heard in praising and
00:16:46.53\00:16:50.21
thanking the Lord, that when
they lifted up their voice with
00:16:50.24\00:16:54.51
the trumpets and the cymbals
and the instruments of music,
00:16:54.54\00:16:57.65
and they praised
the Lord, saying,
00:16:57.68\00:17:00.38
'For He is good, For
His mercy endures forever.'"
00:17:00.42\00:17:03.52
Now, that's what we just
quoted from Ezra, isn't it?
00:17:03.55\00:17:06.42
"That the house of the
Lord, was filled with a cloud,
00:17:06.45\00:17:10.76
so the priests could not
continue to minister because of
00:17:10.79\00:17:13.86
the cloud, for the glory of the
Lord filled the house of God."
00:17:13.90\00:17:18.27
Now, wouldn't you like to
see that experience repeated
00:17:18.30\00:17:22.57
that--Karen and I were
reading in our Sabbath worship,
00:17:22.60\00:17:28.71
and we're reading
this book on prayer,
00:17:28.74\00:17:31.11
and they talked about
every aspect of prayer,
00:17:31.15\00:17:34.02
E.M. Bounds, you can possibly
think of they talk about.
00:17:34.05\00:17:37.19
And they talk about what makes
a church different from other
00:17:37.22\00:17:39.62
buildings is it's
a house of prayer,
00:17:39.65\00:17:41.69
and how prayer consecrates
it, but it's not just prayer.
00:17:41.72\00:17:45.29
It's praise.
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.76
Look what happened.
00:17:47.83\00:17:49.13
When they began to
sing, to praise God,
00:17:49.16\00:17:52.67
and including the
instruments of music,
00:17:52.70\00:17:56.17
there was a worship
that was taking place there.
00:17:56.20\00:17:59.41
The glory of the Lord so filled
the temple that the priests
00:17:59.44\00:18:03.35
couldn't go in.
00:18:03.38\00:18:05.35
I'm not talking about the
Holy of Holies where you had
00:18:05.38\00:18:07.15
the Shechinah glory.
00:18:07.18\00:18:08.48
They couldn't even go into the
holy place because the glory of
00:18:08.52\00:18:11.12
the Lord was so
intense that it was like,
00:18:11.15\00:18:13.79
you know--I don't know--like an
oversized arc welder in there.
00:18:13.82\00:18:19.73
There's just the brightness
and the smoke coming out,
00:18:19.76\00:18:22.13
that they just
couldn't handle it,
00:18:22.16\00:18:25.17
and it was too bright for them.
00:18:25.20\00:18:27.04
Wouldn't you like
to have that problem?
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.00
That'd be frightening.
00:18:29.04\00:18:30.91
Says, "The presence of God
is like a consuming fire and the
00:18:30.94\00:18:33.14
glory of the Lord."
00:18:33.17\00:18:35.44
It was a sign of His approval.
00:18:35.48\00:18:37.08
You know, there's only a
few times in the Bible when fire
00:18:37.11\00:18:38.98
came down from heaven.
00:18:39.01\00:18:40.62
Came down on the
sacrifice of Abel,
00:18:40.65\00:18:43.32
we believe, came down
when Moses built the temple.
00:18:43.35\00:18:46.96
And to inaugurate
that first tabernacle,
00:18:46.99\00:18:50.36
the fire of the Lord comes down
to inaugurate this tabernacle.
00:18:50.39\00:18:54.46
It came down on the
altar of Elijah to inaugurate,
00:18:54.50\00:18:58.70
to approve, show
approval for his worship.
00:18:58.73\00:19:01.94
So when that fire comes down
and accepts the sacrifice it was
00:19:01.97\00:19:04.61
usually a sign of God's
blessing and His approval
00:19:04.64\00:19:07.01
with His presence.
00:19:07.04\00:19:09.24
So do you have
worship in your home?
00:19:09.28\00:19:11.65
Do you want the fire to
come down in that temple?
00:19:11.68\00:19:13.72
Your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit.
00:19:13.75\00:19:17.02
Do you sing praises to God?
00:19:17.05\00:19:19.42
The Spirit comes in.
00:19:19.45\00:19:21.79
Some of you remember the story
when Jehoshaphat went to battle
00:19:21.82\00:19:25.63
against Moab,
Edom, and the Ammonites.
00:19:25.66\00:19:28.96
God said, "You'll not
have to fight in this battle.
00:19:29.00\00:19:31.17
You just go out, put the band
and the orchestra out front.
00:19:31.20\00:19:33.97
Sing to the glory of
God and watch what happens.
00:19:34.00\00:19:38.37
And the Lord went
and fought for them,
00:19:38.41\00:19:41.41
so the enemy all
turned on each other.
00:19:41.44\00:19:43.45
So I think we underestimate the
importance of music and worship
00:19:43.48\00:19:47.45
in successful Christian living.
00:19:47.48\00:19:50.45
Psalm 71, and I could read many
Psalms along this line: "Also
00:19:50.49\00:19:54.19
with the lute I will praise
You and Your faithfulness,
00:19:54.22\00:19:58.49
O my God.
00:19:58.53\00:20:00.23
And I will sing with the
harp, O Holy One of Israel.
00:20:00.26\00:20:02.63
My lips shall
greatly rejoice when I sing."
00:20:02.66\00:20:05.43
Now, something that I thought
was interesting here in that
00:20:05.47\00:20:07.94
previous verse, it
talks about--they played with
00:20:07.97\00:20:12.11
these different
instruments, with trumpets,
00:20:12.14\00:20:14.81
cymbals, instruments of
music--and maybe that's not the
00:20:14.84\00:20:18.41
one I'm looking for.
00:20:18.45\00:20:20.25
It talks about harps
and stringed instruments,
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.95
and I wondered, "Harps,
well, I know what the harp is."
00:20:22.98\00:20:26.05
In fact, the Greek word
for "harp" is "kithara."
00:20:26.09\00:20:31.59
Does that sound familiar?
00:20:31.63\00:20:33.19
And in Spanish, the word
for guitar is "gitara" because a
00:20:33.23\00:20:36.97
harp, a guitar is really
a form of a harp instrument.
00:20:37.00\00:20:41.07
It's just got the
fingerboard on it.
00:20:41.10\00:20:42.94
But I wondered what the other
stringed instruments were that
00:20:42.97\00:20:45.54
says "stringed
instruments and harps."
00:20:45.57\00:20:48.04
So there's probably
many different varieties.
00:20:48.08\00:20:50.55
So they bring all these
instruments before the Lord to
00:20:50.58\00:20:53.31
praise the Lord,
inaugurate the temple.
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.08
Psalm 57, verse 9,
"I will praise You,
00:20:55.12\00:20:58.42
O Lord, among the people.
00:20:58.45\00:20:59.75
I will sing to You
among the nations."
00:20:59.79\00:21:01.69
So one of the things they
were doing is they were singing
00:21:01.72\00:21:04.19
loudly, and the others, nations,
and the pagans that lived among
00:21:04.23\00:21:08.10
them, were hearing them sing.
00:21:08.13\00:21:11.63
You know, when others
hear you sing the songs of God,
00:21:11.67\00:21:14.17
it has a converting influence.
00:21:14.20\00:21:16.14
You know, the infancy
of the Salvation Army,
00:21:16.17\00:21:20.48
they would go out on
the streets of London,
00:21:20.51\00:21:24.38
and they would sing.
00:21:24.41\00:21:26.72
They would have testimonies,
and they would sing,
00:21:26.75\00:21:28.88
and a lot of the people that
were struggling with sin and
00:21:28.92\00:21:31.09
alcohol on the
streets, they'd hear the music.
00:21:31.12\00:21:33.86
They'd be drawn in, then
they'd hear the testimonies.
00:21:33.89\00:21:36.19
They'd hear them
give praise reports,
00:21:36.22\00:21:38.49
and they'd be
invited to, you know,
00:21:38.53\00:21:40.83
accept the Lord and
turn from their sins,
00:21:40.86\00:21:42.50
and it was spreading like crazy,
but music--the Salvation Army
00:21:42.53\00:21:46.70
had their own hymnbook because
they had written hundreds of
00:21:46.74\00:21:48.84
songs, and music
was really, like,
00:21:48.87\00:21:51.81
a foundation of
what their ministry was.
00:21:51.84\00:21:55.11
David was known as a musician.
00:21:55.14\00:21:58.75
Middle of the
Bible has 150 songs.
00:21:58.78\00:22:00.55
He's the greatest king, but he
understood the importance of the
00:22:00.58\00:22:04.52
right kind of music
and the power of music.
00:22:04.55\00:22:07.62
Now, there's good
music, and there's bad music,
00:22:07.66\00:22:11.69
and some people say, "Well,
it depends on what culture is."
00:22:11.73\00:22:15.00
I say there's good music
and bad music for every culture.
00:22:15.03\00:22:18.13
And, I mean, just like
you've got God and the devil
00:22:18.17\00:22:21.90
everywhere, there's
the good and the bad,
00:22:21.94\00:22:24.34
and there's different kinds of
music for different occasions.
00:22:24.37\00:22:29.31
Even in church,
there's lots of good music,
00:22:29.34\00:22:31.58
but there's different kinds of
music for different occasions.
00:22:31.61\00:22:34.58
If we're doing an
evangelistic meeting,
00:22:34.62\00:22:37.52
the music you sing
might be a little different.
00:22:37.55\00:22:41.29
And appeal following a sermon,
you want the appropriate music
00:22:41.32\00:22:44.29
for the appeal.
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.59
If you're singing a lullaby,
you've got a different--you
00:22:46.63\00:22:51.80
know, all over the
world, lullabies are the same.
00:22:51.83\00:22:54.70
You got music for war.
00:22:54.74\00:22:57.21
Do you know, in the Bible, there
were songs they sang with the
00:22:57.24\00:22:59.84
drums as they
went off to battle?
00:22:59.87\00:23:01.71
And there were songs they sang
when they came back from battle.
00:23:01.74\00:23:04.35
Miriam and the women
went out with tambourines.
00:23:04.38\00:23:06.41
David and Saul
came back from battle,
00:23:06.45\00:23:08.85
and the women that went
out, they sang songs of victory.
00:23:08.88\00:23:11.29
And so there's different kinds.
00:23:11.32\00:23:13.56
There's romantic music.
00:23:13.59\00:23:15.66
Some people think that love
songs must be all of the devil.
00:23:15.69\00:23:18.23
No, in the right context,
there is romantic music,
00:23:18.26\00:23:23.33
and you wouldn't sing romantic
music as you're getting ready
00:23:23.37\00:23:28.47
to go to war.
00:23:28.50\00:23:29.94
That would not put the men
in the right frame of mind.
00:23:29.97\00:23:32.31
You definitely would not do a
lullaby as you're getting ready
00:23:32.34\00:23:36.54
to go out to war.
00:23:36.58\00:23:38.08
And so the right kind of
music, it might be good music,
00:23:38.11\00:23:40.55
but there's also
right occasions for it,
00:23:40.58\00:23:43.25
and there's a
whole study on that,
00:23:43.28\00:23:45.15
but, you know, Martin
Luther was quite a singer,
00:23:45.19\00:23:47.46
and one of the ways he earned
his keep as he went through
00:23:47.49\00:23:51.66
school is he would go from
door-to-door and sing for money,
00:23:51.69\00:23:54.00
and that made me feel pretty
good because I used to play
00:23:54.03\00:23:56.80
music for money.
00:23:56.83\00:23:58.67
I used to panhandle and beg.
00:23:58.70\00:24:00.37
I couldn't sing very
good, but I played the
00:24:00.40\00:24:01.70
flute or played guitar.
00:24:01.74\00:24:03.07
Sometimes I'd be with
friends who could sing,
00:24:03.10\00:24:04.71
and we'd panhandle.
00:24:04.74\00:24:07.51
I said, "Martin Luther did that.
00:24:07.54\00:24:09.01
All right, I'm not alone."
00:24:09.04\00:24:11.08
But he understood
the power of music,
00:24:11.11\00:24:13.35
and with the
Protestant Reformation,
00:24:13.38\00:24:17.39
almost as much as the
teaching was the songs
00:24:17.42\00:24:21.19
they began to sing.
00:24:21.22\00:24:23.29
See, during the Dark Ages, they
had people singing in foreign
00:24:23.32\00:24:25.49
languages words they
didn't even understand,
00:24:25.53\00:24:27.40
chants and stuff.
00:24:27.40\00:24:29.20
It didn't mean anything.
00:24:29.23\00:24:31.00
Music was meant
to be instructive,
00:24:31.03\00:24:32.50
and Moses told the
children of Israel,
00:24:32.53\00:24:34.47
he says, "These words of your
experience should be put into
00:24:34.50\00:24:39.17
song so that your
children will remember them."
00:24:39.21\00:24:42.68
So Scripture songs are
great for that purpose.
00:24:42.71\00:24:45.78
Who was it?
00:24:45.81\00:24:47.18
Plato said, "Give me
the music of a nation,
00:24:47.22\00:24:50.69
and I will change
the mind of that nation.
00:24:50.72\00:24:53.36
Music is a secondary
language to express."
00:24:53.39\00:24:58.03
Confucius said, "If one should
desire to know whether a kingdom
00:24:58.06\00:25:02.53
is well-governed or if
its morals are good or bad,
00:25:02.56\00:25:05.73
the quality of its music
will furnish the answer."
00:25:05.77\00:25:10.14
Andrew Fletcher said, "I knew
a wise man who believed that if
00:25:10.17\00:25:13.84
every man was permitted
to make all of the balance,
00:25:13.88\00:25:17.15
he needed not care who should
make the laws of a nation."
00:25:17.18\00:25:21.55
If you could control
or adjust their music,
00:25:21.58\00:25:25.22
you can adjust their morals.
00:25:25.25\00:25:27.42
I think we underestimate
the power of music.
00:25:27.46\00:25:30.29
Now with that in mind, what's
the typical music like if you
00:25:30.33\00:25:34.40
surf through the radio?
00:25:34.46\00:25:36.90
Music is not neutral.
00:25:36.93\00:25:40.57
Listening to it affects you.
00:25:40.60\00:25:42.64
There has been a
number of studies,
00:25:42.67\00:25:44.11
and the jury is in, music has
a physiological effect on you as
00:25:44.14\00:25:48.14
you listen to
it, for good or bad.
00:25:48.18\00:25:50.55
And how many of you have
you ever caught yourself?
00:25:50.58\00:25:55.32
You go into some public place,
and they've got background
00:25:55.35\00:25:58.29
music, and you know, there
are a lot of stories I can name
00:25:58.32\00:26:01.72
right now as
you're walking around.
00:26:01.76\00:26:03.09
They've got music playing.
00:26:03.12\00:26:04.46
Do you think they just
play what's local on the radio?
00:26:04.49\00:26:06.39
No.
00:26:06.43\00:26:07.73
Supermarkets have their
own station of specially chosen
00:26:07.76\00:26:10.47
music to put you in a serene
state of mind where you will not
00:26:10.50\00:26:13.70
think or care about
how much something costs.
00:26:13.74\00:26:16.77
It's true.
00:26:16.81\00:26:18.94
It's absolutely true.
00:26:18.97\00:26:20.41
They play music that's kind
of happy and upbeat and light,
00:26:20.44\00:26:22.71
and you say, "Ah,
que sera, so I don't care
00:26:22.74\00:26:24.75
how much it costs, you know."
00:26:24.78\00:26:26.31
And it makes people--they
find certain kinds of music.
00:26:26.35\00:26:28.92
I mean, if you're
walking through the market,
00:26:28.95\00:26:30.69
and you're hearing--
00:26:30.72\00:26:32.02
[humming somber music]
00:26:32.05\00:26:33.69
You're not
going to buy anything.
00:26:33.72\00:26:35.19
That's very somber music.
00:26:35.22\00:26:38.23
So there's a psychology to that,
and I find myself going there.
00:26:38.26\00:26:42.36
You know, when you
become a Christian,
00:26:42.40\00:26:44.67
there's certain kinds of music
that you may have known before
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.00
you're a Christian, and you
don't want to sing those songs
00:26:47.04\00:26:49.27
because they don't
have the right message,
00:26:49.30\00:26:51.87
but you still know
them, and so, you know,
00:26:51.91\00:26:57.98
I go into the
store, and I come out,
00:26:58.01\00:27:01.35
and I jump in the
car, and I'm going,
00:27:01.38\00:27:03.39
¤ Yesterday, love
was such an easy-- ¤
00:27:03.42\00:27:05.89
Karen goes,
"What are you doing?"
00:27:05.92\00:27:07.22
"Oh, you know, I just
listened to that song.
00:27:07.26\00:27:08.86
Sorry, dear--that song."
00:27:08.89\00:27:11.36
So what do you do?
00:27:11.39\00:27:12.86
Then you start singing--
00:27:12.89\00:27:14.20
¤ He's able. He's able. ¤
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.20
Trying to
overcome evil with good.
00:27:16.23\00:27:18.87
You know, we're laughing,
but it really is serious because
00:27:18.90\00:27:21.47
I remember I got in a car.
00:27:21.50\00:27:23.57
I was in Southern California,
going to Palm Springs to speak
00:27:23.61\00:27:26.17
at an AMEN meeting.
00:27:26.21\00:27:28.88
That's a group of
doctors, and I was late,
00:27:28.91\00:27:32.15
and I was supposed to be
there, and I got my rental car,
00:27:32.18\00:27:34.85
and I jumped in the car, and I'm
trying to pull out the map and
00:27:34.88\00:27:38.49
hand them my license as
you pull out of the gate,
00:27:38.52\00:27:41.39
and, you know, then you've
got to adjust your mirrors.
00:27:41.42\00:27:43.66
You're in a new car, and
you're trying to be safe,
00:27:43.69\00:27:45.23
and you're in a hurry,
and I'm looking at the watch,
00:27:45.26\00:27:49.23
I'm looking at the GPS, and
I must've been ten minutes down
00:27:49.26\00:27:52.13
the road before I realized
that, from the time I turned the
00:27:52.17\00:27:54.67
ignition in the
car, ten minutes later,
00:27:54.70\00:27:57.84
the radio had been going the
whole time with terrible music,
00:27:57.87\00:28:02.68
but I was so busy
with what I was doing,
00:28:02.71\00:28:07.05
and in our culture, you hear
it so often in the background.
00:28:07.08\00:28:12.89
I like eating at Chipotle,
but the music they play there is
00:28:12.92\00:28:16.29
terrible sometimes, and I've
had to go to them several times.
00:28:16.32\00:28:20.26
I'm trying to talk to someone.
00:28:20.30\00:28:21.56
I'm already a little deaf.
00:28:21.60\00:28:22.90
I asked, "Could you
please turn it down?"
00:28:22.93\00:28:24.27
They've got a volume.
00:28:24.30\00:28:25.60
They can control
it, the house music.
00:28:25.63\00:28:26.94
And if there's not a
lot of people in there,
00:28:26.97\00:28:28.27
I'll go say, "Do you
mind? Listen, look, I'm deaf.
00:28:28.30\00:28:29.97
Could you just turn it down
while I'm here so we could talk?
00:28:30.01\00:28:31.54
"No problem."
00:28:31.57\00:28:32.87
They turn it down.
00:28:32.91\00:28:34.21
They hear the same
thing all-day long.
00:28:34.24\00:28:35.54
They don't care.
00:28:35.58\00:28:36.88
But sometimes it's the wrong
kind of--we hear it so much in
00:28:36.91\00:28:39.88
the background, you wonder
how much does that affect us?
00:28:39.91\00:28:43.75
So you've got to compensate
by trying to listen to the right
00:28:43.79\00:28:47.22
kind of music, and the
"Praising the Lord" with
00:28:47.26\00:28:50.19
the right kind of music.
00:28:50.23\00:28:52.26
So music was a very important
of their worship program.
00:28:52.29\00:28:56.33
Music can be a
great power for good.
00:28:56.36\00:29:00.84
"Testimonies,
Volume 4," verse 71.
00:29:00.87\00:29:03.34
"Music rightly employed
is a precious gift of God,
00:29:03.37\00:29:06.78
designed to uplift the thoughts
to high and noble themes and to
00:29:06.81\00:29:11.88
elevate the soul."
00:29:11.91\00:29:13.21
"Education, 167."
00:29:13.25\00:29:14.92
"Song is one of the most
effective means of impressing
00:29:14.95\00:29:18.12
spiritual truth on the heart."
00:29:18.15\00:29:20.12
That's the book of "Evangelism."
00:29:20.16\00:29:21.92
I think a good
evangelist program,
00:29:21.96\00:29:23.53
you should
incorporate good music.
00:29:23.56\00:29:25.49
If you can't get good
music, don't have any music,
00:29:25.53\00:29:27.23
but you want good music.
00:29:27.23\00:29:28.86
"Music was made to
serve a holy purpose,
00:29:28.90\00:29:30.80
to lift the thoughts to
that which is pure and noble
00:29:30.83\00:29:33.84
and elevating."
00:29:33.87\00:29:35.34
That's the book, "Patriarchs
and Prophets," page 594.
00:29:35.37\00:29:38.24
So music is very much
part of worshiping the Lord,
00:29:38.27\00:29:41.74
just as the
proclamation of the Word is.
00:29:41.78\00:29:44.38
Can you say, "Amen?"
00:29:44.41\00:29:46.11
All right, someone's going to
read for me our next verse where
00:29:46.15\00:29:50.09
we're dealing with a
section of purification.
00:29:50.12\00:29:52.42
If you would do that
for us, I'll appreciate it.
00:29:52.45\00:29:54.92
male: Nehemiah 12:30: "Then
the priests and Levites purified
00:29:54.96\00:29:58.69
themselves, and
purified the people,
00:29:58.73\00:30:01.40
the gates, and the wall."
00:30:01.43\00:30:03.20
Doug: All right, they're
getting ready to dedicate the
00:30:03.23\00:30:05.67
gates and the wall.
00:30:05.70\00:30:07.34
We talked about purifying--or
dedicating a temple,
00:30:07.37\00:30:10.44
dedicating a house.
00:30:10.47\00:30:12.47
Could dedicated the baby.
00:30:12.51\00:30:13.98
Jesus was eight days old when
he was brought to the temple.
00:30:14.01\00:30:15.68
Now they're going
to dedicate a wall.
00:30:15.71\00:30:18.15
Well, they built
this to the glory of God.
00:30:18.18\00:30:21.15
It's the walls of Jerusalem,
but before they do that,
00:30:21.18\00:30:24.19
you know, whenever you're
involved in a construction
00:30:24.22\00:30:26.86
project, there's
sometimes some garbage,
00:30:26.89\00:30:30.29
so before you're
going to dedicate it,
00:30:30.33\00:30:33.03
what do you
think they had to do?
00:30:33.06\00:30:34.76
Says they needed to purify it.
00:30:34.83\00:30:37.33
Well, how do you
purify the gate and the wall?
00:30:37.37\00:30:40.14
Do they sprinkle
holy water on it?
00:30:40.17\00:30:44.41
Well, probably what happened,
where do you think they brought
00:30:44.44\00:30:48.31
the garbage?
00:30:48.34\00:30:50.58
That was brought to the gates.
00:30:50.61\00:30:52.51
Matter of fact, one of the
gates in the story of Nehemiah,
00:30:52.55\00:30:54.55
it's still there today.
00:30:54.58\00:30:55.88
They called it the
Dung Gate, the Garbage Gate.
00:30:55.92\00:30:58.15
Things went out of the
city to keep the city clean,
00:30:58.19\00:31:00.46
and they usually took it
down to the Valley of Hinnom,
00:31:00.49\00:31:02.99
and there was a
landfill down there.
00:31:03.02\00:31:07.03
If you live in the
suburbs of Sacramento,
00:31:07.10\00:31:10.67
you probably
once or twice a week,
00:31:10.70\00:31:12.87
you roll your can
out front by your gates,
00:31:12.90\00:31:16.14
and someone comes by
and picks it up, right?
00:31:16.17\00:31:17.74
You know, it's the most
interesting thing in Taiwan.
00:31:17.77\00:31:20.71
They've got--it's
a very clean city.
00:31:20.74\00:31:24.28
I don't know if it
was always that way,
00:31:24.31\00:31:26.25
but they've got
this practice where,
00:31:26.28\00:31:28.68
early in the morning, you're not
allowed to leave your garbage
00:31:28.72\00:31:31.29
out on the streets because they
didn't want problems with rats,
00:31:31.32\00:31:34.12
so early in the morning, you'll
hear the garbage trucks come up
00:31:34.16\00:31:37.99
the street, and they
play music, you know,
00:31:38.03\00:31:39.83
like our ice cream trucks?
00:31:39.86\00:31:41.80
And they play this,
some classical music,
00:31:41.83\00:31:44.17
and everybody hears it.
00:31:44.20\00:31:45.57
You're to run out
while the truck is here.
00:31:45.60\00:31:46.97
You give him your
garbage. You go back in.
00:31:47.00\00:31:48.77
You cannot leave your
cans out on the street.
00:31:48.80\00:31:50.87
Every citizen
brings their garbage out.
00:31:50.91\00:31:53.38
They've got to be ready, or you
have to live with your garbage
00:31:53.41\00:31:55.61
until he comes by again.
00:31:55.64\00:31:57.85
It's said, "So they keep it a
very clean city," but a lot of
00:31:57.88\00:32:00.72
places they kind of
keep it at the gates,
00:32:00.75\00:32:02.42
so it meant they
would clean up the garbage,
00:32:02.45\00:32:04.62
maybe partly from construction,
other garbage, and the walls.
00:32:04.65\00:32:08.49
Now, I won't go into detail,
but if you read your King James
00:32:08.52\00:32:11.19
Version, one of the words
they describe "boys," is an
00:32:11.23\00:32:15.80
interesting phrase they
used to describe "males."
00:32:15.83\00:32:18.30
I'm not going to tell
you what that phrase is.
00:32:18.33\00:32:20.90
You just have to read
that in the King James Version.
00:32:20.94\00:32:23.20
But the wall was
also the latrine,
00:32:23.24\00:32:25.74
and so, when they said,
"to sanctify the walls and to
00:32:25.77\00:32:29.84
sanctify the
gates," Deuteronomy 23:14,
00:32:29.88\00:32:34.85
you know, that
in the law of God,
00:32:34.88\00:32:37.62
they had a
little sanitation law.
00:32:37.65\00:32:38.99
They said that everybody was to
have a stick with a paddle on an
00:32:39.02\00:32:44.16
end for a practical purpose when
they went through the wilderness
00:32:44.19\00:32:47.56
for the purpose of sanitation.
00:32:47.60\00:32:49.96
And God said, "You're to keep
the camp clean," "For the Lord
00:32:50.00\00:32:55.10
your God walks in
the midst of your camp--"
00:32:55.14\00:32:58.47
He wasn't just
isolated to the sanctuary.
00:32:58.51\00:33:00.51
He walked among them-- "to
deliver you and to give your
00:33:00.54\00:33:04.31
enemies over to you.
00:33:04.35\00:33:06.01
Therefore your
camp shall be holy,
00:33:06.05\00:33:08.28
that He may see no
unclean thing among you,
00:33:08.32\00:33:11.85
and turn away from you."
00:33:11.89\00:33:14.26
Now, that verse stuck with me.
00:33:14.29\00:33:17.56
If you want God, and certainly
that would also be true of His
00:33:17.59\00:33:20.76
angels to hang out
with you, be clean.
00:33:20.80\00:33:24.43
Does that make sense?
00:33:24.47\00:33:26.37
God wants our homes to be clean.
00:33:26.40\00:33:28.40
Are we wanting to
witness for the Lord?
00:33:28.44\00:33:32.11
One of the ways we witness for
the Lord is by keeping things
00:33:32.14\00:33:34.84
clean, neat, orderly, try
to not have things pile up,
00:33:34.88\00:33:40.28
and Christians should
not be hoarding stuff.
00:33:40.32\00:33:45.15
Do you realize you can't
take that stuff with you?
00:33:45.19\00:33:47.39
I'm at the stage
where people are--my kids,
00:33:47.42\00:33:49.96
sometimes
they're giving me things.
00:33:49.99\00:33:51.73
I say, "You
realize, what I'm gone,
00:33:51.76\00:33:53.06
I've got to
give it back to you?"
00:33:53.09\00:33:55.03
Said, "How long you want
me to store these things?"
00:33:55.06\00:33:57.73
Isn't that right?
00:33:57.77\00:33:59.87
"Naked, I came into the
world, naked I'm going to go."
00:33:59.90\00:34:03.74
And so we shouldn't be trying
to see how much we can collect.
00:34:03.77\00:34:06.24
If anything, we should be
minimizing and investing in
00:34:06.27\00:34:08.51
God's work, amen?
00:34:08.54\00:34:11.55
So keep clean.
00:34:11.58\00:34:12.95
Numbers 19:19, says,
"And on the seventh day,
00:34:12.98\00:34:16.22
he shall purify himself, wash
his clothes and bathe in water."
00:34:16.25\00:34:20.69
So part of the purification
of the camp was they would
00:34:20.72\00:34:23.79
physically clean, they
would wash their clothes.
00:34:23.83\00:34:26.83
Some of you remember that before
God gave the Ten Commandments,
00:34:26.86\00:34:30.03
what was one of the things that
he told the children of Israel?
00:34:30.07\00:34:34.64
He said, "Wash yourselves and
be ready against the third day.
00:34:34.67\00:34:38.41
God is going to meet with
you and wash your clothes."
00:34:38.44\00:34:41.21
And they were to clean up and
come into the presence of God.
00:34:41.24\00:34:47.02
So if you read on
Daniel chapter 12,
00:34:47.05\00:34:49.88
when we're
talking about purifying,
00:34:49.92\00:34:52.52
it's not just the
clothes and the body,
00:34:52.55\00:34:54.32
though the
sanitation is important.
00:34:54.36\00:34:56.22
What does it
mean for a Christian?
00:34:56.26\00:34:58.23
Daniel 12:10,
"Many shall be purified,
00:34:58.26\00:35:01.00
made white and refined."
00:35:01.03\00:35:03.70
Is that just talking about
physical purity or heart purity
00:35:03.73\00:35:06.90
when it's talking about
you're going to be refined?
00:35:06.94\00:35:10.17
"But the wicked
will do wickedly."
00:35:10.21\00:35:12.44
So what does the
"purified" talk about?
00:35:12.47\00:35:14.18
"Blessed are the pure in heart."
00:35:14.21\00:35:16.41
So as they're getting ready
to dedicate the walls and the
00:35:16.44\00:35:19.45
gates, there's
to be a purifying.
00:35:19.48\00:35:21.88
You know, your mind is a temple,
and God has given you gateways
00:35:21.92\00:35:27.69
to the soul.
00:35:27.72\00:35:30.33
You've got certain walls.
00:35:30.36\00:35:32.26
You want them purified.
00:35:32.29\00:35:34.46
You know, your eye is
a gateway to your heart.
00:35:34.50\00:35:36.60
You've got to screen
what comes in your ears,
00:35:36.63\00:35:40.87
your mouth, all of your senses.
00:35:40.90\00:35:44.47
You get to make choices
about what you listen to,
00:35:44.51\00:35:46.27
what you watch, what
you hear, what you say,
00:35:46.31\00:35:49.24
and I think that there's a
statement in the "spirit of
00:35:49.28\00:35:53.18
prophecy" that were to guard
the avenues to the soul and keep
00:35:53.21\00:35:56.42
those things pure.
00:35:56.45\00:35:58.19
"If we walk in the
light," 1 John 1:7,
00:35:58.22\00:36:01.22
"as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another,
00:36:01.26\00:36:05.06
and the blood of Jesus
Christ His Son cleanses."
00:36:05.09\00:36:08.66
That word "cleanses" can be
substituted with "purifies."
00:36:08.70\00:36:10.97
"The blood of Jesus
purifies us from all sin."
00:36:11.00\00:36:15.10
Why? As we walk in the light.
00:36:15.14\00:36:18.24
You know, one reason God took
the children of Israel through
00:36:18.27\00:36:20.68
the desert is because
deserts--do you know you have
00:36:20.71\00:36:24.41
less chance of
catching a cold in the desert?
00:36:24.45\00:36:26.48
You've got a lot better chance
of getting an infection and
00:36:26.51\00:36:29.38
catching a cold if you're in a
tropical climate than if you're
00:36:29.42\00:36:32.79
in a desert.
00:36:32.82\00:36:34.62
The sun in the desert
tends to sterilize things,
00:36:34.66\00:36:38.89
and he brought them through this
purifying environment where they
00:36:38.93\00:36:44.10
could be healed and cleansed.
00:36:44.13\00:36:48.84
Finally, now, how do we
guard the gateway to our souls?
00:36:48.87\00:36:53.41
"Brethren, whatsoever things--"
how many of you know this verse?
00:36:53.44\00:36:57.65
It's a good one to memorize.
00:36:57.68\00:36:59.45
"Whatever things are true,
whatever things are honest,
00:36:59.48\00:37:02.15
whatever things are
just, whatever things are pure,
00:37:02.18\00:37:05.15
whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good
00:37:05.19\00:37:08.02
report, if there be any
virtue, if there be any praise,
00:37:08.06\00:37:12.03
think on these things."
00:37:12.06\00:37:14.36
That's a
good--that's a good quote.
00:37:14.36\00:37:16.90
If you've got a desk, or if
you've got a place where you
00:37:16.93\00:37:18.27
have a poster you look at,
you might want to put that up
00:37:18.30\00:37:20.70
because one of the hardest
things to do as a Christian is
00:37:20.74\00:37:24.17
maintain your
thinking in a positive way.
00:37:24.21\00:37:28.34
There's a lot of
negative things in the world.
00:37:28.38\00:37:30.75
If you want to think about
negative things, there's plenty
00:37:30.78\00:37:32.55
of ammunition, lot of
negative things out there.
00:37:32.58\00:37:35.38
Try to hang out
with positive people,
00:37:35.42\00:37:38.32
for one thing, and if you
got a good Christian friend,
00:37:38.35\00:37:40.76
and if you're married, encourage
each other to say and to think
00:37:40.79\00:37:45.99
those things that are just and
noble and lovely and pure and of
00:37:46.03\00:37:49.20
good report, and that
should--and what we choose to
00:37:49.23\00:37:52.50
watch or listen to
should fit in that category.
00:37:52.53\00:37:57.37
Romans 12, verse 9:
"Abhor what is evil."
00:37:57.41\00:38:01.11
It means, "Hate what is evil."
00:38:01.14\00:38:02.51
"Cling to what is good."
00:38:02.54\00:38:04.11
Someone said, "It's not
enough if you're a good gardener
00:38:04.15\00:38:06.25
to love flowers;
you need to hate weeds."
00:38:06.28\00:38:09.48
Job was a perfect and an upright
man who love God and hated evil.
00:38:09.52\00:38:16.79
Psalm 101, verse 3: "I will set
nothing wicked before my eyes."
00:38:16.83\00:38:21.23
That's an
excellent test in this day.
00:38:21.26\00:38:23.40
You know, we have more screens.
00:38:23.43\00:38:26.30
We're living only one generation
away from people who had no such
00:38:26.33\00:38:29.30
thing as a television, but
not only are there TVs now,
00:38:29.34\00:38:33.58
people will have their laptops.
00:38:33.61\00:38:36.34
They got the tablets.
00:38:36.38\00:38:37.91
They got their
desktop computers.
00:38:37.95\00:38:39.71
They've got their phone screens.
00:38:39.75\00:38:41.75
You go on an
airplane, there's a screen.
00:38:41.78\00:38:43.89
I stopped to pump
gas, and all the sudden,
00:38:43.92\00:38:46.35
I heard voices.
00:38:46.39\00:38:47.69
I turned, and there's a
commercial playing on the pump.
00:38:47.72\00:38:49.19
It's got a screen on it.
00:38:49.22\00:38:50.56
There was a
restroom, some public place.
00:38:50.59\00:38:53.43
You go in the
restroom, they got monitors.
00:38:53.46\00:38:55.80
So they don't want
you to waste any time
00:38:55.83\00:38:57.43
while you're standing there.
00:38:57.47\00:38:59.27
It's advertising
stuff. So we are surrounded.
00:38:59.30\00:39:02.24
Have any of you seen that yet?
00:39:02.27\00:39:03.84
We are surrounded with messages.
00:39:03.87\00:39:07.14
And so, as a Christian,
boy, for one thing, it's
00:39:07.18\00:39:10.71
impossible to not be influenced
by that to some extent.
00:39:10.75\00:39:16.45
This week, I was up
at the cabin in Coltlaw,
00:39:16.48\00:39:23.02
and I knew we had a problem
because I was working in the
00:39:23.06\00:39:28.03
kitchen, and I heard
this loud scratching,
00:39:28.06\00:39:30.07
and I went into the
restroom, and I thought
00:39:30.10\00:39:34.00
there's a mouse in the bath.
00:39:34.04\00:39:36.07
And I opened up the shower
door and there's no mouse,
00:39:36.10\00:39:38.77
but I could hear it scratching.
00:39:38.81\00:39:41.11
I got down on my
knees, and I listened,
00:39:41.14\00:39:43.38
and right
underneath the bathtub,
00:39:43.41\00:39:45.51
there's some
mouse nest a rat's nest,
00:39:45.55\00:39:47.75
and you're hearing all
this activity and stuff,
00:39:47.78\00:39:49.95
and I had no way to get to it.
00:39:49.98\00:39:51.29
It's under the floor.
00:39:51.32\00:39:52.65
And so I'm pounded on the tub,
and it got quiet for a minute,
00:39:52.69\00:39:54.59
and then it came back again.
00:39:54.62\00:39:55.92
I thought, "Oh, man,
that's going to be a problem."
00:39:55.96\00:39:57.53
I was starting to smell
something a little strange,
00:39:57.56\00:39:59.19
anyway, and the only way to deal
with it is I've got to crawl
00:39:59.23\00:40:02.76
under the house.
00:40:02.80\00:40:04.10
It's in the middle,
in the back of the house.
00:40:04.13\00:40:05.57
Brightest part of the
day, it's dark back there,
00:40:05.60\00:40:07.77
full of black widows.
00:40:07.80\00:40:10.34
And so I had to put on some
dirty clothes because I knew
00:40:10.37\00:40:14.34
there is no way I
can go under there,
00:40:14.38\00:40:16.54
crawling around,
and not come out dirty.
00:40:16.58\00:40:19.61
There's just no way.
00:40:19.65\00:40:21.78
And so, you know, you
get out, and then I--still,
00:40:21.82\00:40:26.86
I haven't dealt
with the rat yet.
00:40:26.89\00:40:28.86
I put some poison out.
00:40:28.89\00:40:30.19
But so I got out, and
I was slapping my stuff.
00:40:30.23\00:40:33.70
Dust is flying everywhere.
00:40:33.73\00:40:35.90
I'm dusting myself as you can,
and that's kind of what it's
00:40:35.93\00:40:38.53
like in this world is trying to
keep your mind clear and pure.
00:40:38.57\00:40:42.30
It requires an
extraordinary effort.
00:40:42.34\00:40:46.44
The only way you can do it
is to have the Holy Spirit,
00:40:46.47\00:40:49.14
and you've got to put on
special clothes to be able
00:40:49.18\00:40:54.48
to--hazmat suit, I guess.
00:40:54.52\00:40:56.82
Job says and Job 31
verse 1, "I have made
00:40:56.85\00:41:02.16
a covenant with my eyes.
00:41:02.19\00:41:03.93
Why, then should I
look upon a young woman?"
00:41:03.96\00:41:06.36
In then following
verses, he talks about
00:41:06.39\00:41:08.63
faithfulness to his wife.
00:41:08.66\00:41:10.27
You know, there's an epidemic,
absolute epidemic of pornography
00:41:10.30\00:41:14.57
because it is so
readily available.
00:41:14.60\00:41:16.34
They say that one-third of
all streaming material that goes
00:41:16.37\00:41:21.31
through
computers is pornographic.
00:41:21.34\00:41:23.91
That's staggering
when you think about it.
00:41:23.95\00:41:25.95
You need to make a
covenant with your eyes.
00:41:25.98\00:41:28.88
This is men and women.
00:41:28.92\00:41:31.59
All right, going on
to the next section,
00:41:31.62\00:41:33.92
two large thanksgiving choirs.
00:41:33.96\00:41:36.66
If you read in
Nehemiah chapter 12,
00:41:36.69\00:41:38.69
now, I'm not going
to read all of this.
00:41:38.73\00:41:40.40
I'm going to jump
a little bit because,
00:41:40.43\00:41:42.06
I'll confessed, there's
a lot of names in there,
00:41:42.10\00:41:43.70
and I will probably be
struggling through some of them.
00:41:43.73\00:41:46.67
So let me get
to the heart of it.
00:41:46.70\00:41:47.94
Nehemiah 12:31, "So I brought
the leaders of Judah up on the
00:41:47.97\00:41:51.84
wall, and appointed two
large thanksgiving choirs."
00:41:51.87\00:41:56.98
So He gets them in stereo.
00:41:57.01\00:41:59.41
"One went on the
right hand on the wall
00:41:59.45\00:42:01.28
towards the Refuse Gate."
00:42:01.32\00:42:02.75
No, nothing about--I mean,
they're not the refuse choir,
00:42:02.78\00:42:05.89
since that's where the
direction where it was--
00:42:05.92\00:42:08.46
"And after them went some of
the priests, the sons with the
00:42:08.49\00:42:11.43
trumpets, with the musical
instruments of David the man of
00:42:11.46\00:42:14.20
God, and Ezra the
scribe went before them.
00:42:14.23\00:42:16.53
By the Fountain Gate in front
of them--and they went on the
00:42:16.56\00:42:19.20
stairs of the City of David,
on the stairway of the wall,
00:42:19.23\00:42:22.40
beyond the house of David, as
far as the Water Gate eastward.
00:42:22.44\00:42:25.57
And the other thanksgiving
choir--" I'm in verse 38--
00:42:25.61\00:42:28.84
"went the opposite way,
and I was behind them--"
00:42:28.88\00:42:31.88
this is Nehemiah.
00:42:31.91\00:42:33.65
So Ezra is with one group.
00:42:33.68\00:42:35.15
Nehemiah is with another group--
00:42:35.18\00:42:36.48
"with half of the
people on the wall.
00:42:36.52\00:42:38.32
So the two thanksgiving choirs
stood in the house of God,
00:42:38.35\00:42:42.16
likewise I and the
half of the rulers with me,
00:42:42.19\00:42:45.33
and the priests, and the singers
sing loudly with Jezrahiah the
00:42:45.36\00:42:50.83
director," so they
got a choir director.
00:42:50.87\00:42:54.30
That's important.
00:42:54.34\00:42:55.64
Also, that "day they
offered great sacrifices,
00:42:55.67\00:42:58.47
and they rejoiced,
for God had made them
00:42:58.51\00:43:01.48
rejoice with great joy.
00:43:01.51\00:43:03.88
The women and the
children also rejoice,
00:43:03.91\00:43:07.25
so that the joy of
Jerusalem was heard far off."
00:43:07.28\00:43:10.59
Now, they just didn't go into
the temple and shut the doors.
00:43:10.62\00:43:13.89
They didn't have some secretive
cult to where they say,
00:43:13.92\00:43:16.96
"Well, there's no windows
because we don't want anyone to
00:43:16.99\00:43:18.79
see what we do in here."
00:43:18.83\00:43:20.76
They actually--not
just they're in the temple.
00:43:20.80\00:43:22.66
They get up on the walls
on two sides of the city,
00:43:22.70\00:43:25.37
massive choir, and
they're singing in response
00:43:25.40\00:43:29.24
to each other.
00:43:29.27\00:43:31.04
Maybe they're doing parts.
00:43:31.07\00:43:32.97
You know, one of the most
amazing things I've ever seen as
00:43:33.01\00:43:35.88
I've traveled
through the South Pacific,
00:43:35.91\00:43:38.18
boy, some of those
islanders can really sing,
00:43:38.21\00:43:42.75
and I was in
Micronesia years ago,
00:43:42.78\00:43:45.22
and they had a
Pohnapeian children's choir.
00:43:45.25\00:43:49.09
Pohnpei is the
capital of Micronesia.
00:43:49.12\00:43:51.03
And those kids, it's like
they don't need any lesson.
00:43:51.06\00:43:54.00
They all know how to
sing, but not just how to sing.
00:43:54.00\00:43:56.36
They all knew how to sing parts.
00:43:56.40\00:43:58.33
And, you know,
we can be trained.
00:43:58.37\00:44:00.60
You get all these
different parts in the note,
00:44:00.64\00:44:02.37
but they would sing, and
they would offset each other.
00:44:02.40\00:44:04.81
¤ Jesus is come--coming ¤
00:44:04.84\00:44:07.21
¤ again--every
morning, night, and noon. ¤
00:44:07.24\00:44:09.71
And they're all singing these
different parts of the song.
00:44:09.74\00:44:11.81
I'm going--and it's
like they're not even trying,
00:44:11.85\00:44:14.62
but it was so beautiful.
00:44:14.65\00:44:16.02
Actually, took them
on a tour in America,
00:44:16.05\00:44:17.35
and they cut a record.
00:44:17.39\00:44:18.69
It was such an
amazing singing group.
00:44:18.72\00:44:21.29
Well, the Hebrews
were singing like that,
00:44:21.32\00:44:23.02
and they're singing parts, and
they're playing the instruments.
00:44:23.06\00:44:27.03
Now, why did they
go up on the walls?
00:44:27.10\00:44:28.73
They want the other
nations to hear them.
00:44:28.76\00:44:32.03
Keep in mind,
it's not just them.
00:44:32.07\00:44:33.70
You read through
the story of Nehemiah,
00:44:33.74\00:44:35.90
they had a lot of problems
with the other nations that an
00:44:35.94\00:44:38.81
intermarried with them,
that were doing business
00:44:38.84\00:44:40.14
on the Sabbath.
00:44:40.18\00:44:41.48
They're surrounded with other
nations that had moved into the
00:44:41.51\00:44:43.14
land while they were in Babylon,
and they're still there,
00:44:43.18\00:44:45.81
and they did not have the right
to chase them out like when they
00:44:45.85\00:44:48.38
came with Joshua.
00:44:48.42\00:44:50.25
It's not theirs now.
00:44:50.29\00:44:51.72
It belongs to the Persian king.
00:44:51.75\00:44:53.79
And so they are singing and
glorifying God on the wall so
00:44:53.82\00:44:56.96
others will hear them.
00:44:56.99\00:44:58.99
You remember the story where
Paul and Silas are in jail,
00:44:59.03\00:45:01.70
and they've been whipped?
00:45:01.73\00:45:04.40
But instead of
complaining, they praise God,
00:45:04.43\00:45:07.07
and they sing, and what happens?
00:45:07.10\00:45:09.97
The angel of the Lord comes,
and there's an earthquake,
00:45:10.01\00:45:12.61
and the prison shook,
and the doors were opened,
00:45:12.64\00:45:14.91
but it says the other prisoners
were listening to them,
00:45:14.94\00:45:18.51
and the doors were opened
because the other prisoners were
00:45:18.55\00:45:22.62
listening to them, and so their
music actually liberated the
00:45:22.65\00:45:26.05
others, but they
were singing because the
00:45:26.09\00:45:28.42
others could hear them.
00:45:28.46\00:45:30.29
And so it's a witness.
00:45:30.33\00:45:31.63
And so they had
these two great choirs,
00:45:31.66\00:45:33.46
and they're doing it how?
00:45:33.50\00:45:34.76
Great joy.
00:45:34.83\00:45:37.03
They rejoiced.
00:45:37.07\00:45:39.37
Even though they've
been through struggles,
00:45:39.40\00:45:41.77
they're rejoicing.
00:45:41.80\00:45:43.41
You know, I've read the
book of Jonah 100 times.
00:45:43.44\00:45:46.47
That may not be an exaggeration.
00:45:46.51\00:45:49.04
And I heard something.
00:45:49.08\00:45:52.61
I was listening to a sermon on
the radio yesterday and a pastor
00:45:52.65\00:45:55.95
highlighted something in
the end of Jonah's prayer that,
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.42
you know, when
God set Jonah free?
00:45:58.45\00:46:01.92
Jonah was in the
belly of the whale.
00:46:01.96\00:46:04.06
When does Jonah
actually set free?
00:46:04.09\00:46:06.80
The last part of
Jonah's prayer, he says,
00:46:06.83\00:46:09.53
"But I will sacrifice to You
with the voice of thanksgiving.
00:46:09.56\00:46:12.67
I will pay what I have vowed.
00:46:12.70\00:46:14.74
Salvation is of the Lord."
00:46:14.77\00:46:16.27
Then the fish gets instructions
to burp him out and set him
00:46:16.30\00:46:19.51
free, after he thanks the Lord.
00:46:19.54\00:46:22.58
Now, what do you thank
the Lord inside a fish?
00:46:22.61\00:46:25.98
You know, I'm
amazed, in Daniel chapter 6,
00:46:26.01\00:46:28.22
before Daniel
goes to the lions' den,
00:46:28.25\00:46:29.65
he kneels down
three times that day.
00:46:29.68\00:46:31.12
He prays and gives thanks.
00:46:31.15\00:46:33.02
Did Daniel know
what was going to happen?
00:46:33.05\00:46:34.69
He knew about the law,
and he still thanks the Lord.
00:46:34.72\00:46:38.86
In all things, give thanks.
00:46:38.89\00:46:41.10
So one of the things our
choir should be doing is what?
00:46:41.13\00:46:43.33
They call that
thanksgiving choirs.
00:46:43.37\00:46:46.80
That doesn't mean
once a year in November.
00:46:46.84\00:46:48.64
It means their
choirs were giving thanks.
00:46:48.67\00:46:52.84
These are choirs
of joy and gratitude,
00:46:52.87\00:46:54.78
and then one more thing.
00:46:54.81\00:46:57.01
Oh, I've got so
much I could say.
00:46:57.05\00:46:58.85
1 Chronicles 25, verse
7: "So the number of them,
00:46:58.88\00:47:01.88
with their brethren, who were
instructed in the songs of the
00:47:01.92\00:47:04.72
Lord, all who were
skillful, was 288."
00:47:04.75\00:47:10.73
Now, there's a special group
in revelation in the last days.
00:47:10.76\00:47:13.03
How many?
00:47:13.06\00:47:14.56
Hundred and forty-four thousand.
00:47:14.56\00:47:17.43
What's 2 times 144?
00:47:17.47\00:47:20.14
Two eighty-eight.
00:47:20.17\00:47:21.40
Isn't that interesting that they
had the two choirs and how many?
00:47:21.44\00:47:24.94
Two eighty-eight?
00:47:24.97\00:47:26.27
That means each choir had
roughly--isn't that interesting?
00:47:26.31\00:47:30.88
So when you look at
Revelation, remember,
00:47:30.91\00:47:33.38
the keys are in
the Old Testament.
00:47:33.42\00:47:35.72
Sacrifice as part of
worship, Nehemiah 12:43,
00:47:35.75\00:47:39.02
"Also that day they
offered great sacrifices,
00:47:39.05\00:47:41.46
and they rejoiced, for God
had made them rejoice with great
00:47:41.49\00:47:45.83
joy, and the women and
the children also rejoiced."
00:47:45.86\00:47:49.06
Now, some people, when they come
to church and they sacrifice,
00:47:49.10\00:47:51.00
they go, "Oh, no, not again.
00:47:51.03\00:47:53.44
It's offering time."
00:47:53.47\00:47:55.74
Should that be our attitude, or
should we just be praising the
00:47:55.77\00:47:58.64
Lord for all of his blessings?
00:47:58.67\00:48:00.58
And I heard this one
church--I don't recommend it,
00:48:00.61\00:48:03.41
but when the pastor
would get up and say,
00:48:03.45\00:48:05.68
"It's time for the offering,"
they all broke into applause.
00:48:05.71\00:48:08.75
I'm not recommending that.
00:48:08.78\00:48:10.42
I'm just saying it'd
be nice if--"Pastor, it's
00:48:10.45\00:48:12.55
time for our offering.
00:48:12.59\00:48:13.89
Amen."
00:48:13.92\00:48:18.13
We'll try that today.
00:48:18.16\00:48:19.46
Let's see if
any of you remember.
00:48:19.49\00:48:22.63
We're going to have another
offering in just a minute.
00:48:22.66\00:48:24.63
He's got the baskets back there.
00:48:24.67\00:48:26.20
No "Amens," huh?
00:48:26.23\00:48:28.87
Okay, Romans 12:1-2, what kind
of sacrifice is part of worship?
00:48:28.90\00:48:34.51
"I beseech you
therefore, brethren,
00:48:34.54\00:48:36.71
by the mercies of God, that
you present yourself a living
00:48:36.75\00:48:40.68
sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your
00:48:40.72\00:48:44.29
reasonable service.
00:48:44.32\00:48:46.39
And don't be
conformed to the world,
00:48:46.42\00:48:48.42
but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind," and
00:48:48.46\00:48:51.76
"Moses was willing to sacrifice
being called the son of
00:48:51.79\00:48:55.43
Pharaoh's daughter, choosing
rather to suffer affliction with
00:48:55.46\00:48:58.93
the people of God than to enjoy
the passing pleasures of sin."
00:48:58.97\00:49:03.10
Our last section, priests and
Levites as part of the worship.
00:49:03.14\00:49:06.17
So they realize that God
had specified that Aaron and the
00:49:06.21\00:49:10.48
children of Levi were to be
leading out in the priesthood
00:49:10.51\00:49:14.18
and the temple services, so they
needed to recruit them because
00:49:14.22\00:49:18.62
they had gone
back to their farms.
00:49:18.65\00:49:21.52
Matter of fact, I'm jumping
ahead to Nehemiah 13 verse 10.
00:49:21.56\00:49:25.39
"I realized that the portions
for the Levites had not been
00:49:25.43\00:49:29.23
given them, for each of
the Levites and the singers--"
00:49:29.26\00:49:32.50
notice, "the Levites and singers
who did the work of the Lord had
00:49:32.53\00:49:35.77
gone back to their fields."
00:49:35.80\00:49:37.91
Some of them had full time
jobs in music and somewhere to
00:49:37.94\00:49:40.44
teach the Word.
00:49:40.48\00:49:41.78
Let me prove that to you.
00:49:41.81\00:49:43.11
2 Chronicles 7: "In the third
year of his reign," Jehoshaphat,
00:49:43.14\00:49:47.08
this is, "he sent
the leaders Ben-Hail,
00:49:47.12\00:49:50.45
Obadiah, Zechariah,
Nathaniel, Michaiah,
00:49:50.49\00:49:53.12
to teach in the cities of Judah.
00:49:53.15\00:49:56.02
And with them he
sent the Levites."
00:49:56.06\00:49:58.46
So they taught in Judah.
00:49:58.49\00:50:00.50
What was the job of the
Levites and the priests?
00:50:00.53\00:50:02.40
Just soccer and
sacrifice once a week?
00:50:02.43\00:50:04.77
Or were they to be scattered
throughout the 12 tribes,
00:50:04.80\00:50:07.30
and their job was to be
teaching the Word of God and the
00:50:07.34\00:50:10.61
way of the Lord?
00:50:10.64\00:50:12.14
They were also the
doctors, quite honestly,
00:50:12.17\00:50:14.11
and they were the
judges for not all cases,
00:50:14.14\00:50:17.61
but in many
cases among the people,
00:50:17.65\00:50:20.52
but when they were not supplied
by the tithes and the offerings,
00:50:20.55\00:50:24.05
they said, "Look, if you
guys aren't going to help,
00:50:24.09\00:50:26.39
I've got to support my family."
00:50:26.42\00:50:27.72
They'd leave their ministry.
00:50:27.76\00:50:29.12
They'd go to their fields.
00:50:29.16\00:50:30.59
Jehoshaphat said no, no,
no, we need to be returning the
00:50:30.63\00:50:34.40
offering and the
tithes so they could be doing
00:50:34.46\00:50:37.00
their work of teaching.
00:50:37.03\00:50:38.90
Deuteronomy 12:19: "Take heed to
yourself you do not forsake the
00:50:38.93\00:50:43.41
Levite as long as
you live in the land."
00:50:43.44\00:50:46.81
So, anyway, we did, I think,
a pretty good job of covering
00:50:46.84\00:50:50.05
the--most of the lesson here.
00:50:50.08\00:50:52.75
I want to remind our friends we
have this beautiful book that I
00:50:52.78\00:50:54.45
think you'll enjoy by Joe Crews,
called "Life in the Spirit."
00:50:54.48\00:50:58.09
We'll send you a free copy.
00:50:58.12\00:50:59.42
Simply call the
number 866-788-3966,
00:50:59.45\00:51:04.49
and ask for Offer Number 155.
00:51:04.53\00:51:07.73
When you do that, you can even
get it right now by texting.
00:51:07.76\00:51:10.27
Everyone uses their phone.
00:51:10.30\00:51:12.27
You can get a
free copy of this book.
00:51:12.30\00:51:14.00
Just text "SH047."
00:51:14.04\00:51:17.01
Text that to 40544.
00:51:17.04\00:51:20.04
You can download it
and have your copy now.
00:51:20.08\00:51:21.74
Thank you very much for
studying with us, friends.
00:51:21.78\00:51:23.51
Lord willing, we'll
do this again next week.
00:51:23.55\00:51:27.62
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:51:28.15\00:51:30.19
free resource.
00:51:30.22\00:51:31.65
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:51:31.69\00:51:33.62
you can download a digital copy
straight to your computer or
00:51:33.66\00:51:36.19
mobile device.
00:51:36.22\00:51:37.73
To get your digital
copy of today's free gift,
00:51:37.76\00:51:39.89
simply text the keyword
on your screen to 40544,
00:51:39.93\00:51:44.27
or visit the web
address shown on your screen,
00:51:44.30\00:51:47.04
and be sure to select the
digital download option on the
00:51:47.07\00:51:49.47
request page.
00:51:49.50\00:51:51.14
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:51:51.17\00:51:54.18
Amazing Facts wherever
and whenever you want and,
00:51:54.21\00:51:56.98
most important, to
share it with others.
00:51:57.01\00:52:00.48
announcer: Amazing
Facts: changed lives.
00:52:05.05\00:52:10.59
male: We were going to
church every other week.
00:52:13.66\00:52:15.60
About 19 years old,
things really started to make
00:52:15.63\00:52:18.87
sense for me.
00:52:18.90\00:52:20.20
I started to go
to church for myself,
00:52:20.24\00:52:21.77
and the pastor
wanted to study with me.
00:52:21.80\00:52:24.47
We came to the study on baptism.
00:52:24.51\00:52:27.61
I kind of just
shrugged, put my head down.
00:52:27.64\00:52:30.18
I said, "I'm not ready."
00:52:30.21\00:52:31.68
He looked me in
the eye and said,
00:52:31.71\00:52:33.18
"Jason, you'll
never make yourself ready.
00:52:33.21\00:52:37.49
This is
something you have to do."
00:52:37.52\00:52:40.66
I put a lot of things behind me.
00:52:40.69\00:52:42.69
The drinking and smoking
and all that stuff stopped.
00:52:42.72\00:52:44.79
All throughout the time, what
I've been learning about God,
00:52:44.83\00:52:48.00
it was just me and God.
00:52:48.03\00:52:50.10
Comes around up to about
August, and I meet this girl.
00:52:50.13\00:52:54.44
About two years
in the relationship,
00:52:54.47\00:52:57.34
we're talking about
marriage and everything.
00:52:57.37\00:52:59.47
We didn't pray.
00:52:59.51\00:53:00.98
We didn't study together.
00:53:01.01\00:53:02.71
We were arguing a
lot, but we were engaged.
00:53:02.74\00:53:08.02
I started drinking
again, and that was a slow,
00:53:08.05\00:53:10.62
downward spiral
into different things,
00:53:10.65\00:53:12.99
and my devotional life
started really weaseling away.
00:53:13.02\00:53:15.69
We broke up in 2008.
00:53:15.72\00:53:17.46
It was heavy for
me because, again,
00:53:17.49\00:53:20.36
being with
somebody for that long,
00:53:20.40\00:53:22.10
it's almost like a divorce.
00:53:22.13\00:53:23.97
I started to fall
back away even more.
00:53:24.00\00:53:27.44
I remember
looking in the mirror,
00:53:27.47\00:53:30.17
just looking at
myself and saying,
00:53:30.21\00:53:31.64
"What are you doing?
00:53:31.67\00:53:33.51
How can you do this to God?
00:53:33.54\00:53:35.64
He's brought you so far."
00:53:35.68\00:53:37.55
And, you know, God
really heard my cry.
00:53:37.58\00:53:42.72
There was a
testimony telling at my church,
00:53:42.75\00:53:46.12
and there was a call,
and kids started getting up.
00:53:46.15\00:53:49.72
Bunch of high school kids start
getting up for calls to baptism.
00:53:49.76\00:53:51.99
I'm back, doing the
PA system at this time,
00:53:52.03\00:53:54.60
and I feel
just, like, this urge.
00:53:54.63\00:53:56.77
Just, my heart just
start ripping out of my chest,
00:53:56.80\00:53:58.80
and I just had this
feeling just to go up.
00:53:58.83\00:54:02.30
I get up to the front, and I
meet the pastor in open arms.
00:54:02.34\00:54:08.61
I realized that there's so much
more to life than just living
00:54:08.64\00:54:11.75
life for myself and,
you know, falling away,
00:54:11.78\00:54:14.98
it's not a necessity, but God
can work through anything in the
00:54:15.02\00:54:20.72
bad to make it to good.
00:54:20.76\00:54:22.32
That's a promise he makes.
00:54:22.36\00:54:25.46
¤¤¤
00:54:25.49\00:54:31.23
announcer: Together, we have
spread the Gospel much farther
00:54:34.30\00:54:37.01
than ever before.
00:54:37.04\00:54:39.14
Thank you for your support.
00:54:39.17\00:54:42.21
¤¤¤
00:54:46.65\00:54:56.42
Doug: What can be more
irresistible than a kitten?
00:54:56.46\00:54:59.39
These guys might look cute now,
but some of their ancestors have
00:54:59.43\00:55:02.06
grown into man eaters.
00:55:02.10\00:55:04.30
[roaring]
00:55:04.33\00:55:06.53
¤¤¤
00:55:06.57\00:55:09.04
Doug: We're here in a lion
park in South Africa now where
00:55:09.07\00:55:10.84
we can view these
creatures in relative safety,
00:55:10.87\00:55:13.07
but there's a reason they're
known as the king of beasts.
00:55:13.11\00:55:16.41
So what is it that people find
so enchanting and frightening
00:55:16.44\00:55:19.61
about lions?
00:55:19.65\00:55:21.32
Is it their speed, their
claws, their sharp teeth,
00:55:21.35\00:55:23.82
or all of the above?
00:55:23.85\00:55:25.49
Might also be some of the
stories about man-eating lions,
00:55:25.52\00:55:27.92
like in 1898,
right here in Africa,
00:55:27.96\00:55:31.63
they were building a bridge
over the Tsavo River in Kenya,
00:55:31.66\00:55:35.03
and two brother lions terrorized
the construction process,
00:55:35.06\00:55:39.50
eating 135 workers.
00:55:39.53\00:55:43.00
Did you know lions are mentioned
in the Bible over a hundred
00:55:43.04\00:55:46.27
times, and you can
find them all the way from
00:55:46.31\00:55:48.51
Genesis to Revelation?
00:55:48.54\00:55:50.38
It's usually in reference
to their ferocity and how
00:55:50.41\00:55:53.08
dangerous they are.
00:55:53.11\00:55:54.65
Of course, Samson killed
a lion with his bare hands.
00:55:54.68\00:55:56.42
David kill a lion.
00:55:56.45\00:55:58.12
There are
man-eating lions in the Bible.
00:55:58.15\00:56:00.29
The way that they punish
criminals was by throwing them
00:56:00.32\00:56:03.16
in the lions' den, and
early Christians were even fed
00:56:03.19\00:56:05.96
to lions.
00:56:05.99\00:56:07.46
But, amazingly, as
the Bible mentions,
00:56:07.50\00:56:09.76
not all lions are to be feared.
00:56:09.80\00:56:11.73
There have been a few
friendly lions in history.
00:56:11.77\00:56:14.44
For example, in
the 1950s, a couple,
00:56:14.47\00:56:17.77
George and Margaret Westbeau,
who lived up at a ranch near
00:56:17.81\00:56:21.04
Seattle, Washington,
adopted an abandoned lion cub.
00:56:21.08\00:56:25.08
They named it Little Tyke
because they felt sorry for it.
00:56:25.11\00:56:27.82
But they discovered,
as they tried to feed her,
00:56:27.85\00:56:30.95
she refused to
eat any meat at all.
00:56:30.99\00:56:33.82
They were concerned, thinking
there was no hope for this
00:56:33.86\00:56:36.59
little lioness to survive,
and everybody told them the same
00:56:36.62\00:56:39.26
because we know, in the
wild, lions survive on almost an
00:56:39.29\00:56:42.40
entirely meat diet.
00:56:42.43\00:56:44.70
Then someone showed the
Westbeaus that verse in the
00:56:44.73\00:56:47.37
Bible that talks
about, in heaven,
00:56:47.40\00:56:49.64
the animals are vegetarians,
and the lion will eat
00:56:49.67\00:56:52.27
straw like the ox.
00:56:52.31\00:56:54.44
That encouraged them, and so
they began to feed Little Tyke
00:56:54.48\00:56:57.98
a purely vegetarian diet.
00:56:58.01\00:57:00.32
Not only did she
survive, she thrived,
00:57:00.35\00:57:03.35
growing into a lion that
was over 352 pounds and over
00:57:03.39\00:57:07.59
10 feet long.
00:57:07.62\00:57:09.22
In fact, zoologists that
examined Little Tyke when she
00:57:09.26\00:57:12.09
was full grown, said they
had never seen such a perfect
00:57:12.13\00:57:14.46
specimen of a
lioness in their life,
00:57:14.50\00:57:17.33
a pure vegetarian.
00:57:17.37\00:57:19.33
You know, when we hear
incredible stories about that of
00:57:19.37\00:57:21.90
Little Tyke, it reminds us that
God's original plan was to make
00:57:21.94\00:57:25.67
a world of total peace.
00:57:25.71\00:57:27.78
It describes it here in
the Bible in Isaiah chapter 11,
00:57:27.81\00:57:30.91
verse 6: "The wolf also
will dwell with the lamb,
00:57:30.95\00:57:34.08
the leopard will lie
down with a young goat,
00:57:34.12\00:57:36.42
the calf and the young
lion and the fatling together,
00:57:36.45\00:57:39.35
and a little
child will lead them."
00:57:39.39\00:57:41.52
Nothing is going to hurt and
destroy in the new heavens and
00:57:41.56\00:57:44.56
the new earth that
God is going to create.
00:57:44.59\00:57:46.53
Wouldn't you like to live in
a kingdom where there's perfect
00:57:46.56\00:57:48.73
peace, where there's no
more death or killing or pain?
00:57:48.76\00:57:51.63
God says that He
wants you in that kingdom.
00:57:51.67\00:57:54.67
The Lamb of God made it possible
for you to have an encounter
00:57:54.70\00:57:58.91
with the Lion of
the tribe of Judah.
00:57:58.94\00:58:01.31
Wouldn't you like
to meet Him today?
00:58:01.34\00:58:03.98
¤¤¤
00:58:04.01\00:58:13.99
¤¤¤
00:58:14.02\00:58:23.97
¤¤¤
00:58:24.00\00:58:29.00