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Jean Ross: Now, before we
get into our lesson, we'd like
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to let our friends know
about a free offer that we have.
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It's one of the
Amazing Facts books.
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It's entitled "Down From His
Glory," and we'll be happy to
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send this to
anyone in North America.
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If you'd like to receive it, the
number to call is 866-788-3966,
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and just ask for
Offer Number 701.
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You can also text the code
"SH139" to the number 40544, and
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we'll be able to send you a
digital copy of the book "Down
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From His Glory."
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Well, Pastor Doug, before we
get into our study today as we
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always do, let's
start with a word of prayer.
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Doug Batchelor: Amen.
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Jean: Dear Father, we thank You
once again that we're able to
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gather and open up Your Word and
study even though we are using
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various digital
equipment to study the Word.
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We are grateful that Your Spirit
is here, and we just ask for
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Your guidance as we look at a
very important subject, focusing
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on Jesus' view of the Bible and
how did the apostles relate to
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the Scriptures.
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So bless our study
today in Jesus' name, amen.
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Doug: Amen.
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Well, I'll tell you, this
is--it's wonderful that we have
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this technology where we
can connect with our friends.
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Amazing Facts has been doing
Sabbath School online for, oh,
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probably 20 years now, almost.
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Jean: Mm-hmm.
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Doug: And we know that we have
people who are participating in
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the study from around the world,
of course, different times.
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We have our social
media coordinator back here.
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Santiago, you're getting
some messages from people in
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different parts of the planet?
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Santiago: Yeah, we got
Niko Watra from Austria.
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Doug: Austria, Niko?
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Santiago: Yeah,
Carl from Ottawa.
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Doug: Carl from--where?
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Santiago: Ottawa.
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Doug: Ottawa, yeah.
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Santiago: And then
Rhonda from Naples.
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Naples, Florida.
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Doug: Naples, Florida, yeah.
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Santiago: Yeah, and then
Ishimue, Ishimue from Rwanda?
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both: From Rwanda?
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Jean: Okay.
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Doug: These are just some
that are scrolling by as he's
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looking, there's thousands
of people from around the world.
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Who else you got?
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Santiago: We have
Godfrey from South Africa.
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Doug: Godfrey from South Africa?
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Santiago: Yeah,
Winnie from Kenya.
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Doug: From Kenya?
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Santiago: And
Billy from New York City.
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Doug: Billy from New York City.
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They're having a
tough time there right now.
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Jean: They are, yup.
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Now, Pastor, maybe
I should mention this.
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If you're watching on Facebook
and you'd like to interact with
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us in our study today, we'd
be happy to take a look at the
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questions that you send in.
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We'll try and answer
some of them on the air.
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So if you have a Bible question,
we're asking that you try and
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keep your question related to
our subject, which is the Bible,
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how Jesus responded or related
to the Bible and the apostles.
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If you would like to send in a
question, just type it in on the
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Facebook page.
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That's Pastor Doug's Facebook
page, also the Amazing Facts
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Facebook page.
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We have some of our team here,
and they're gathering those
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questions, and they'll be
sending it to me right here on
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my computer, and we'll try to
answer those questions as we go
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through the program today.
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Doug: Amen.
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And so, with that, we should
probably get into our lesson.
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You know, one of the favorite
things we do at Granite Bay
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every year, we have a message or
two that deals specifically with
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the subject of Scripture because
we think it's a foundation of
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all that we teach.
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And, you know, it occurred to
me, if there wasn't a Bible, I
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wouldn't have a life because
my whole life revolves around
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reading the Bible, writing about
the Bible, preaching about the
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Bible, teaching about the Bible,
studying the Bible, and it's
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like it's the axis on which my
life turns, and it should be for
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the church.
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It's the foundation.
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Jesus said, "He that hears these
words of mine is the wise man
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who builds on the rock."
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It's a rock of the church.
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And so, every year, we
usually emphasize the Bible.
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I'm thrilled we're taking the
whole quarter to talk about the
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Scriptures and the importance
of the Scriptures right now.
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Our lesson today is
"Jesus and the Apostles' View of
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the Bible."
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How did Christ and the
apostles feel about the Bible?
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And we have a memory verse,
and I know that in your places
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around the world, you're
going to say this with us.
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And this is from Matthew 4:4.
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I think most people know
this one by heart anyway.
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Matthew 4:4, "But he answered
and said to them, 'It is
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written, "Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word
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that proceeds from
the mouth of God."'"
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And that comes up again a
little later in our study.
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And so I think it's important
to remember that, when we're
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reading the New Testament, we're
really asking, "How did the New
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Testament writers, Jesus and
the apostles, feel about the Old
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Testament and Scripture?"
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Jean: Well, you know,
Pastor Doug, there are so many
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different opinions
today about the Bible.
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There are those who feel like
the Bible is just a collection
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of historical
myths, stories, questions.
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People question the
inspiration of the Bible.
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Some people say that
science contradicts the Bible.
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But what we're interested in
knowing is how did Jesus relate
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to the Bible?
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What was His attitude towards
the stories that we have in
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Scripture, the authority,
the inspiration of the Bible?
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How did the apostles
feel about the Bible?
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And that's really the focus
of what our study is: How does
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Jesus relate to the Bible?
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It's a very important point.
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I mean, Jesus is God.
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He didn't have to
refer to Scripture.
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After all, He is the source
of truth, and, yet we find often
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Jesus, in His life on
earth, quoted the Scriptures.
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Matter of fact, our memory
text, Jesus is quoting the
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Old Testament.
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Doug: Exactly.
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You know, the gospel of Mark and
John begins, really, with the
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baptism of Jesus, and
it's got John the Baptist.
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And so before Christ even
goes out teaching and before the
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temptation, which we'll get
to in a moment, when John the
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Baptist is preaching, the
religious leaders come, and they
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say, "Who are you?"
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And what does John do?
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He quotes from the Bible.
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He says, "I am the voice--"
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I believe it's a prophecy in
Isaiah: "I am the voice of one
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crying in the wilderness."
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So right from the very
beginning, they understood that
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the whole message of the Messiah
was going to be founded on the
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Old Testament Scriptures, that
he would be a fulfillment of
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these Old Testament prophecies.
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Jean: Absolutely, and so when
you get into the public ministry
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of Jesus, you have the baptism
that Pastor Doug alluded to, and
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then you'll find Jesus being
led by the Spirit, up into the
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wilderness, where He
fasted and prayed for 40 days.
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And you know the story, how that
the devil came to tempt Jesus
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there in the wilderness.
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Jesus did not fight against
the devil or defend Himself by
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quoting His position or
authority, but Jesus went back
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to the Bible.
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And there are
some lessons in that.
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There's important lessons for us
as Christians, where do we find
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our defense against temptations?
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Doug: Yeah, the reason the world
is in trouble now is because Eve
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tried to argue with the devil,
using rationalization, and the
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real answer is "God has
said," and to stay with that.
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And so sometimes, if you try
to rationalize and try and talk
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your way out of a temptation,
you can get in trouble, but just
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say, "This is what the Word
of God says," and this is what
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Christ did.
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Jean: So the first temptation
that we read about in Matthew
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chapter 4, verse 4, this is the
response of Jesus, and we read
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it in our Scripture reading.
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"It is written, 'Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by
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every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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And I think, Pastor Doug, one of
the things that, to me, is being
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emphasized by Jesus in this
response to the devil's first
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temptation--the
trustworthiness of the Bible.
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You need something that you
can trust, especially today.
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So many different
ideas and theories.
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What do you trust?
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Jesus said, "We ought to live by
every word that proceeds out of
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the mouth of God."
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That is the Word of God.
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Doug: It also strikes me that,
when the temptation came to
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Jesus, it says He's
out in the wilderness.
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He's been there 40 days.
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I suspect He was not carrying
a backpack full of scrolls--that
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He had learned the Scriptures on
His mother's knee, and so when
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temptation came, He had it
memorized, and I think it's
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essential for Christians to know
we need to be filling in our
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minds now with the truth
of God's Word, especially now.
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We did a little video, oh, I
guess about a week ago, talking
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about, sort of,
a--what's the word for it?
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A little bit of a
provocative title.
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It said, "How to
hoard food for the storm."
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And I wanted people to watch it.
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We're not telling people
to be stripping the shelves in
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the market.
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We said we need to be storing
food for the coming storm.
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Here, Jesus was going through a
storm of temptation, but He was
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prepared because He had hidden
the Word in His heart so that he
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could recite it and claim
these promises when they came.
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Jean: So that's
the first temptation.
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Jesus says, "Man shall not live
by bread alone," but, again, the
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devil tempted Christ.
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In Matthew chapter 4, verse
7, you have Christ's response
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again, and "Jesus said, 'It
is written again, "You shall not
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tempt the Lord your God."'"
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Now, I like the way it's worded.
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Jesus says, "It
is written again."
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So he quoted, "It is written,"
and then, on the second
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temptation, he says,
"It is written again."
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And, to me, that's Jesus
affirming the authority of
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the Scripture.
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The final word is found in
the Scriptures, the Word of God.
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Doug: Amen.
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Yeah, He could've said, "Well,
I mentioned the Bible last time.
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I'm going to use
something else this time."
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He just kept
going back to the Bible.
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Something else about this,
it tells us, "The devil took Him
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into the holy
city, set Him on the--"
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and this is Matthew chapter
4, verse 5-- "set Him on the
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pinnacle of the temple--"
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which was very high.
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I understand, from Josephus, it
was, like, over 200 feet high--
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"and said, 'If You are the
Son of God, throw Yourself down.
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For it is written--"
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so now the devil is quoting
the Bible, and he actually only
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quotes half of it, so he
takes it out of context-- "it is
00:10:04.57\00:10:07.54
written: 'He'll give His angels
charge over you,' and, 'In their
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hands they will bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against
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the stone.'"
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So the devil leaves out the
part that says, "to keep you
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in all your ways."
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And part of that means
you do not tempt the Lord.
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That's one of the ways.
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So Jesus also uses
the Bible correctly here.
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Where the devil used
the Bible, he misquoted.
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He used it incorrectly
to try to manipulate.
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Now, there's a lot of people in
the world today that say, "I'm a
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Christian. I believe the
Bible," and they're wolves
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in sheep's clothing.
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So we've got to remember,
the devil can quote the Bible
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and--but we need to know
the Bible well enough that we're
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going to be able to
spot if it's misquoted.
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Say, "No, that's
not what it says."
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Jean: Somebody asked a
question along those same lines.
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They just texted in, and they
said, "How does one rationalize
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with the devil?"
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or "What do you mean by
'rationalizing with the devil,'
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and how does one do this?"
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Doug: Well, I don't think you
should engage the devil because
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the only--you know, the devil is
so--the Bible says man is made
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lower than the angels.
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The devil was the
highest of the angels.
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Though he is incredibly evil,
he's incredibly brilliant, and
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if you try to engage in an
argument with him without the
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Holy Spirit and supernatural
power, trusting our own words
00:11:21.54\00:11:24.65
and rationalization,
we'll be overcome.
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So you don't want to
parlay with the devil.
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Jean: Absolutely.
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The best thing to do when a
temptation comes its way, start
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quoting Scripture, and
send up a prayer right away--
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Doug: And run.
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Jean: And don't--yeah.
00:11:38.36\00:11:39.83
Doug: Flee temptation.
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Jean: That's right.
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Doug: Bible says Joseph
ran from Potiphar's wife.
00:11:42.86\00:11:44.30
Jean: Right.
00:11:44.33\00:11:45.70
The longer we stay around the
forbidden tree, you might say,
00:11:45.73\00:11:47.30
the more likely we are to fall.
00:11:47.34\00:11:49.70
Doug: Thank you, a good point.
00:11:49.74\00:11:51.87
Jean: Somebody asked another
question, Pastor Doug, dealing
00:11:51.91\00:11:53.44
with the Bible.
00:11:53.48\00:11:54.94
"What would you suggest
as being the best way to
00:11:54.98\00:11:56.31
memorize Scripture?"
00:11:56.34\00:11:59.48
Doug: Well,
there's a lot of good ways.
00:11:59.51\00:12:01.32
Mrs. Batchelor was telling me
that we ought to be mentioning
00:12:01.35\00:12:04.49
there's a special Bible program
called the FAST program, and
00:12:04.52\00:12:07.69
they probably have a
website people can go to.
00:12:07.72\00:12:09.72
They've got cards
and a little program.
00:12:09.76\00:12:11.69
It's not much.
00:12:11.73\00:12:13.29
They can purchase.
00:12:13.33\00:12:15.00
And you go through memorizing
segments of Scripture, the most
00:12:15.03\00:12:17.07
important promises that
you're going to use later.
00:12:17.10\00:12:19.87
In fact, I'll jump ahead.
00:12:19.90\00:12:21.94
We're not going to forget the
third temptation, but I want to
00:12:21.97\00:12:24.21
jump ahead and just say, Peter
tells us, 2 Peter chapter 1,
00:12:24.24\00:12:27.38
verse 4, "By which we have been
given to us exceeding great and
00:12:27.41\00:12:32.21
precious promises, that through
these you might become partakers
00:12:32.25\00:12:36.25
of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is
00:12:36.28\00:12:40.66
in the world through lust."
00:12:40.69\00:12:42.49
Through the Word of God, the
promises of God, we quote these,
00:12:42.52\00:12:44.96
we memorize them, and they
comfort our hearts, and they
00:12:44.99\00:12:48.46
give us ammunition
against temptation.
00:12:48.50\00:12:50.77
So I'd start by getting a "Bible
Promise Book," or get the Bible
00:12:50.80\00:12:55.10
memorization program that
has some of the best promises to
00:12:55.14\00:12:58.47
help live the Christian
life, to bring comfort.
00:12:58.51\00:13:03.08
They're in categories.
00:13:03.11\00:13:05.11
And then, in a program like
this, you take a Scripture, and
00:13:05.15\00:13:07.75
you try to commit it
to memory during that day.
00:13:07.78\00:13:09.95
Then you can have your
alarm timer on your phone go off
00:13:09.98\00:13:13.76
again, and say, all right,
repeat it again, and two or
00:13:13.79\00:13:16.32
three times during
that day, you repeat it.
00:13:16.36\00:13:19.33
The next day, you add a
Scripture, and then repeat the
00:13:19.36\00:13:22.06
one you
remembered the day before.
00:13:22.10\00:13:24.10
You've got to stay at it.
00:13:24.13\00:13:26.07
I had a neighbor.
00:13:26.10\00:13:27.90
He memorized the
entire New Testament.
00:13:27.94\00:13:30.24
It just--and I tested him on
it too, and he did, so it can
00:13:30.27\00:13:34.08
be done.
00:13:34.11\00:13:36.24
Jean: Wow.
00:13:36.28\00:13:38.28
All right, well, then that comes
to our third point here in the
00:13:38.31\00:13:40.42
temptations of Christ.
00:13:40.45\00:13:42.58
And, finally, this is the
temptation that the devil kind
00:13:42.62\00:13:44.62
of put everything on the line,
hoping that he could get Christ,
00:13:44.65\00:13:46.76
and he said, "If you bow down
and worship me, I'll give you
00:13:46.79\00:13:49.09
all the kingdoms of this world."
00:13:49.12\00:13:50.86
Jesus responded, Matthew chapter
4, verse 10--and I like this.
00:13:50.89\00:13:54.13
Jesus said to him
again, "Away with you, Satan.
00:13:54.20\00:13:57.43
For it is written, 'You shall
worship the Lord God, and Him
00:13:57.47\00:14:00.87
only you shall serve.'"
00:14:00.90\00:14:03.00
There is a demonstration
of the power of the Word.
00:14:03.04\00:14:05.01
You want to get
the devil to go away?
00:14:05.04\00:14:07.01
Quote the Scripture,
the power of the Word.
00:14:07.04\00:14:09.28
Doug: That reminds me of when,
in the book of Jude, Michael
00:14:09.31\00:14:12.31
comes to resurrect Moses,
and then the devil comes, and he
00:14:12.35\00:14:17.09
basically argues.
00:14:17.12\00:14:18.69
He said, "You can't have him.
00:14:18.72\00:14:20.59
He sinned.
00:14:20.62\00:14:22.29
You know, he's mine."
00:14:22.32\00:14:24.76
And Michael would not
parlay with the devil.
00:14:24.79\00:14:27.23
He simply said, '"The
Lord rebuke thee," which is
00:14:27.23\00:14:29.43
essentially,
"Get thee behind me."
00:14:29.46\00:14:31.90
And that's what happened.
00:14:31.93\00:14:33.67
So I want to remind our friends
that may have joined us since we
00:14:33.70\00:14:36.57
began, this is our
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
00:14:36.60\00:14:38.91
You can ask questions, and that
website, again, if they want to
00:14:38.94\00:14:42.11
send us
questions about the lesson?
00:14:42.14\00:14:44.05
Jean: It's just the Facebook
page, Doug Batchelor Facebook
00:14:44.08\00:14:46.48
page, or the Amazing Facts
Facebook page, and thank you for
00:14:46.51\00:14:49.35
the questions that you have sent
in, and I know many of them are
00:14:49.38\00:14:52.72
related to the
lesson, so we appreciate that.
00:14:52.75\00:14:55.06
If you have any question about
the Bible, how to understand the
00:14:55.09\00:14:57.43
Bible, something relating
to Christ and the Bible, or the
00:14:57.46\00:15:00.20
apostles, we'd
love to hear from you.
00:15:00.23\00:15:02.33
Well, Pastor Doug, that
brings us to our next section.
00:15:02.36\00:15:05.57
Just, sort of, to wrap that up,
I think the point that we just
00:15:05.60\00:15:07.90
want to take away from that is
that Jesus made it clear in His
00:15:07.94\00:15:10.74
life, that ultimate authority
is in the Scriptures, and we can
00:15:10.77\00:15:14.01
trust the Scriptures, and that
it's a power against the enemy.
00:15:14.04\00:15:17.85
Doug: Yeah, one more thing is,
in those three temptations that
00:15:17.88\00:15:22.12
came to Jesus, you know, some
people say, "Well, that's nice
00:15:22.15\00:15:25.02
that He was able to use the
Scripture for that particular
00:15:25.05\00:15:27.32
temptation, but
I've got this temptation.
00:15:27.36\00:15:30.06
You know, Jesus never had to
worry about tobacco in His day,"
00:15:30.09\00:15:32.46
or whatever it is.
00:15:32.49\00:15:34.23
Those three temptations really
cover all categories of sin.
00:15:34.30\00:15:37.73
You can read in 1 John chapter
2, verse 15, "Do not love the
00:15:37.77\00:15:44.37
world or the things
that are in the world.
00:15:44.41\00:15:46.98
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not
00:15:47.01\00:15:49.11
in him.
00:15:49.14\00:15:50.68
For all that is in the world--"
00:15:50.71\00:15:52.18
now, here's the three categories
of sin-- "the lust of the flesh,
00:15:52.21\00:15:54.38
the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the
00:15:54.42\00:15:57.42
Father but the world.
00:15:57.45\00:15:59.09
And the world is passing away,
and the lust of it, but he that
00:15:59.12\00:16:02.09
does the will of
God will abide forever."
00:16:02.12\00:16:04.69
And so in these three
temptations, it's the same three
00:16:04.73\00:16:08.06
areas where Adam and Eve fell.
00:16:08.10\00:16:11.07
Jesus overcame
through Scripture.
00:16:11.10\00:16:13.23
Whatever the temptation, there
is a Scripture promise for you.
00:16:13.27\00:16:15.77
Jean: Absolutely.
00:16:15.80\00:16:17.47
Well, that brings us
to our Monday lesson.
00:16:17.51\00:16:19.87
If you follow along with your
lesson, we're on Monday now, and
00:16:19.91\00:16:22.11
the title for that
is "Jesus and the Law."
00:16:22.14\00:16:24.28
How did Jesus relate to the law?
00:16:24.31\00:16:26.55
And, firstly, I think it's
very clear that Jesus taught
00:16:26.58\00:16:28.98
obedience to the law.
00:16:29.02\00:16:30.99
Now, some people get confused as
to the ceremonial law, what part
00:16:31.02\00:16:33.92
of that do we need to keep, if
any, but really, the point that
00:16:33.96\00:16:36.83
we're
emphasizing is the moral law.
00:16:36.86\00:16:38.99
That is the Ten Commandment law.
00:16:39.03\00:16:41.00
There's no question as to
Christ's position about the law.
00:16:41.03\00:16:44.03
We actually have that verse
Pastor Doug, in Matthew chapter
00:16:44.07\00:16:47.24
5, verse 17, where
Jesus made it very clear.
00:16:47.27\00:16:50.21
He said, "Do not think that
I've come to destroy the law or
00:16:50.24\00:16:52.54
the prophets.
00:16:52.57\00:16:54.18
I didn't come to
destroy but to fulfill."
00:16:54.21\00:16:56.48
Doug: Absolutely.
00:16:56.51\00:16:58.48
You know, when you look at the
Bible, and you take your Bible,
00:16:58.51\00:17:00.72
and you go to the New
Testament--all right, I got it
00:17:00.75\00:17:04.19
here just so you have a visual.
00:17:04.22\00:17:05.75
This is a unique Bible in
that I have almost no notes in
00:17:05.79\00:17:09.36
this Bible.
00:17:09.39\00:17:10.96
It's almost
nothing but Scripture.
00:17:10.99\00:17:13.09
I did that so I could get
the font as big as possible.
00:17:13.13\00:17:15.20
Here, you got the New Testament.
00:17:15.23\00:17:17.27
Here, you've got
the Old Testament.
00:17:17.30\00:17:18.97
You can quickly see the
New Testament is only about a
00:17:19.00\00:17:20.77
quarter of the whole Bible.
00:17:20.80\00:17:22.87
Three-quarters of
it is Old Testament.
00:17:22.90\00:17:25.04
And then, in the Old
Testament--let me see here.
00:17:25.07\00:17:28.01
I'm going to go to--here
you've got the books of Moses.
00:17:28.04\00:17:31.25
Matter of fact, a little
more of Deuteronomy here.
00:17:31.28\00:17:33.42
Don't want to leave Moses out.
00:17:33.45\00:17:35.18
And then Moses
wrote the book of Job.
00:17:35.22\00:17:37.05
So here you've got the
foundation for the Bible in the
00:17:37.09\00:17:39.35
five books of Moses.
00:17:39.39\00:17:41.09
This is what's
often called "the law."
00:17:41.12\00:17:43.66
And then you've got the history,
the books of Joshua, Judges, 1st
00:17:43.69\00:17:46.46
and 2nd Kings, 1st and
2nd Samuel, Chronicles.
00:17:46.49\00:17:48.96
This is the history.
00:17:49.00\00:17:50.67
Then you've got the minor
prophets, the major prophets.
00:17:50.70\00:17:52.67
But they call this the "Law and
the Prophets," and even though
00:17:52.70\00:17:57.24
it had books of poetry, and it
had the history in it as well.
00:17:57.27\00:18:00.41
This is the foundation,
in particular, the teachings
00:18:00.44\00:18:03.65
of Moses.
00:18:03.68\00:18:05.21
For every other prophet,
for every other psalm, matter of
00:18:05.25\00:18:07.88
fact, they almost all
quote Moses at some point.
00:18:07.92\00:18:10.99
The other minor prophets, major
prophets, Psalms, they reference
00:18:11.02\00:18:14.72
Moses.
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.19
One of the Psalms is
actually a song of Moses.
00:18:16.22\00:18:18.49
And so that was the foundation.
00:18:18.53\00:18:21.30
Now, some people say--reason
I'm going through this whole
00:18:21.33\00:18:24.57
point--that "Some of the
things Moses said, you can't
00:18:24.60\00:18:27.50
really trust.
00:18:27.54\00:18:29.20
They're allegories.
00:18:29.24\00:18:30.97
They're fables.
00:18:31.01\00:18:32.61
Adam and Eve is
just an allegory.
00:18:32.64\00:18:34.64
You know, we know evolution
happened," they say, or "Noah
00:18:34.68\00:18:36.61
and the flood is an allegory
about how God feels about evil,"
00:18:36.64\00:18:38.61
and "The Tower of Babel, that's
not how the nations separated."
00:18:38.65\00:18:41.95
And they sort of--even
Christian pastors and scholars
00:18:41.98\00:18:46.19
say--they're very dismissive
about some of the law of Moses
00:18:46.22\00:18:50.23
and his teachings.
00:18:50.26\00:18:52.03
But listen to what Jesus said.
00:18:52.06\00:18:54.00
John 5:46, "For if you believe
Moses, you would believe Me, for
00:18:54.00\00:18:58.93
he wrote about Me.
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.70
But if you do not believe his
writings, how will you believe
00:19:00.74\00:19:04.07
My words?"
00:19:04.11\00:19:05.81
And so it's not an option for a
Bible Christian to say, "I think
00:19:05.84\00:19:09.78
I might or may not
believe Moses, literally."
00:19:09.81\00:19:13.01
Jesus quotes Moses as literal.
00:19:13.05\00:19:16.08
So you can't believe Jesus
if you don't believe Moses.
00:19:16.12\00:19:19.29
Jean: Pastor Doug, we have a
question about that passage in
00:19:19.32\00:19:22.09
Matthew chapter 5.
00:19:22.12\00:19:24.13
Verse 19, says, "Whoever
therefore breaks one of the
00:19:24.16\00:19:25.96
least of these commandments, and
teaches men to do so, shall be
00:19:25.99\00:19:28.63
called least in the kingdom
of heaven, but whoever does and
00:19:28.66\00:19:31.73
teaches them, shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven."
00:19:31.77\00:19:35.14
So the question is "Well, does
that mean that those who break
00:19:35.17\00:19:37.17
one of the Lord's commandments
will be in the kingdom
00:19:37.21\00:19:39.51
of heaven?
00:19:39.54\00:19:41.74
They'll just have a
lower place in heaven?"
00:19:41.78\00:19:43.35
Doug: Yeah, they
got a lower rank?
00:19:43.38\00:19:45.55
No, that's often misunderstood.
00:19:45.58\00:19:47.42
When it says, "Those who break
them and teach others to break
00:19:47.45\00:19:49.25
them will be called the least in
the kingdom of heaven," doesn't
00:19:49.28\00:19:51.95
say they're there.
00:19:51.99\00:19:53.49
It means those in the kingdom
of heaven call that person the
00:19:53.52\00:19:57.43
lowest person.
00:19:57.46\00:19:59.76
It's talking about those
in heaven are calling them
00:19:59.79\00:20:02.06
the least.
00:20:02.10\00:20:03.57
They're not there.
00:20:03.60\00:20:05.73
So when you look at how heaven
values the greatest and the
00:20:05.77\00:20:08.24
least, "Those who break the
commandments, and teach others
00:20:08.27\00:20:11.11
to break even the least, are
called the lowest by the people
00:20:11.14\00:20:15.08
in heaven."
00:20:15.11\00:20:16.58
Jean: Absolutely.
00:20:16.61\00:20:18.38
Doug: They won't be there.
00:20:18.41\00:20:20.25
Jean: Yeah, so there's no
question as to how Jesus felt
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.22
about the law.
00:20:22.25\00:20:23.92
He believed that
it needed to be kept.
00:20:23.95\00:20:25.65
The law is a
transcript of God's character.
00:20:25.69\00:20:27.46
Jesus kept the law.
00:20:27.49\00:20:28.99
His followers
kept the commandments.
00:20:29.02\00:20:30.66
Revelation talks about a group
of people in the last days that
00:20:30.69\00:20:32.16
keep His commandments and
have the faith and the testimony
00:20:32.19\00:20:33.60
of Jesus.
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.76
But the next point that's
brought out in our lesson is the
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.63
foundation of the law.
00:20:37.67\00:20:39.27
What is the law based on?
00:20:39.30\00:20:40.97
Of course, you've got the
Ten Commandments divided into
00:20:41.00\00:20:42.40
two parts.
00:20:42.44\00:20:44.11
You've got the first four are
the commandments dealing with
00:20:44.14\00:20:45.77
our relationship with God.
00:20:45.81\00:20:47.44
You have the last six of the Ten
Commandments, dealing with our
00:20:47.48\00:20:49.58
relationship to our fellow man,
but Jesus summarized the law
00:20:49.61\00:20:52.88
with love.
00:20:52.91\00:20:55.45
And we have a story, Pastor
Doug, in Matthew chapter 22,
00:20:55.48\00:20:57.65
where a man came to Jesus
and asked, "What is the greatest
00:20:57.69\00:21:01.79
commandment in the law?"
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.53
And here's His response.
00:21:03.56\00:21:05.56
Jesus said to him, "You shall
love the Lord your God with all
00:21:05.59\00:21:08.06
your heart--"
00:21:08.10\00:21:10.30
this is Matthew 22, verse 37--
"'with all your heart, with all
00:21:10.33\00:21:14.04
your soul, with all your
mind.' This is the first and the
00:21:14.07\00:21:15.77
great commandment.
00:21:15.80\00:21:17.57
And the second is like
it: 'You should love your
00:21:17.61\00:21:19.31
neighbor as yourself.'
00:21:19.34\00:21:20.71
On these two
commandments hang all the Law
00:21:20.74\00:21:22.31
and the Prophets."
00:21:22.34\00:21:23.88
Doug: Absolutely, and I've heard
some say those two commandments
00:21:23.91\00:21:27.82
now have replaced
the Law and the Prophets.
00:21:27.85\00:21:30.62
It's interesting that, those two
commandments, Jesus is quoting
00:21:30.65\00:21:34.39
the Old Testament.
00:21:34.42\00:21:36.69
He's quoting from Deuteronomy,
chapter 6, and he's quoting from
00:21:36.73\00:21:40.13
Leviticus 19:18.
00:21:40.16\00:21:44.37
And so, when Jesus says, "A new
commandment I give to you," how
00:21:44.40\00:21:47.00
could He call it a
new commandment when He's
00:21:47.04\00:21:48.34
quoting Moses?
00:21:48.37\00:21:50.11
Or maybe He was saying, "A new
concept I have for the Pharisees
00:21:50.14\00:21:53.54
and the scribe, that the law
of Moses is summarized in love."
00:21:53.58\00:21:57.98
If you love your neighbor, you
will not break the first, you
00:21:58.01\00:22:00.75
know, last six commandments,
and if you love God, you'll not
00:22:00.78\00:22:03.69
break the first
four commandments, love.
00:22:03.72\00:22:06.15
That's why Paul
says, "Love is--"
00:22:06.19\00:22:08.39
Jean: Fulfilling of the law.
00:22:08.42\00:22:10.63
Doug: It's the
fulfilling of the law.
00:22:10.66\00:22:13.56
You know, one
other thing, Pastor Ross?
00:22:13.60\00:22:15.73
If you go through the teaching
of Jesus in the Sermon on the
00:22:15.76\00:22:17.90
Mount, people often say, "Well,
Jesus was fulfilling and doing
00:22:17.93\00:22:19.93
away with the Old Testament
because He says stuff like
00:22:19.97\00:22:22.07
Matthew 5:21."
00:22:22.10\00:22:24.04
"You have heard it said, but I
say to you," and He says, "'You
00:22:24.07\00:22:28.38
shall not murder,' but I say
to you, whoever murders his--but
00:22:28.41\00:22:31.98
I'm saying, if you're angry with
your brother without a cause,
00:22:32.01\00:22:34.72
you're guilty of murder.
00:22:34.75\00:22:36.42
You have heard it said by them
of old, 'You shall not commit
00:22:36.45\00:22:38.45
adultery,' but I say to you, if
a man looks on a woman to lust,
00:22:38.49\00:22:41.76
he's committing adultery.
00:22:41.79\00:22:44.09
Furthermore, it has been said--"
00:22:44.13\00:22:46.43
again, he quotes the-- "'Whoever
divorces his wife, let him give
00:22:46.46\00:22:48.46
a certificate of
divorce,' but I say to you--"
00:22:48.50\00:22:50.80
and then you go to Matthew 5:33,
"Again, you have heard it said
00:22:50.83\00:22:54.37
by them of old, 'You shall
not swear falsely but perform
00:22:54.40\00:22:56.74
your oaths.'"
00:22:56.77\00:22:58.44
So Jesus keeps
quoting the Old Testament.
00:22:58.47\00:23:00.94
Look at the authority.
00:23:00.98\00:23:02.61
But he's not quoting
it and saying, "But I say
00:23:02.64\00:23:03.98
something different."
00:23:04.01\00:23:05.81
What Jesus did
is he went deeper.
00:23:05.85\00:23:08.38
He showed that the law
was not just an action.
00:23:08.42\00:23:11.39
The law was an attitude.
00:23:11.42\00:23:13.66
So I'm always a little stunned
when I hear pastors say, "See,
00:23:13.69\00:23:16.49
Jesus, he did away with the
law because his teaching, it
00:23:16.52\00:23:19.63
fulfills it."
00:23:19.66\00:23:21.73
Well, Isaiah explains what Jesus
did in Isaiah 42, verse 21.
00:23:21.76\00:23:26.67
It's a prophecy
about the Messiah.
00:23:26.70\00:23:28.40
It says, "The Lord
is well pleased for his
00:23:28.44\00:23:31.97
righteousness' sake.
00:23:32.01\00:23:33.64
He will exalt--"
00:23:33.68\00:23:35.18
that word there is "He
will magnify the law and make
00:23:35.21\00:23:37.95
it honorable."
00:23:37.98\00:23:39.95
The law had become dishonorable.
00:23:39.98\00:23:42.08
Christ, He took
a magnifying glass.
00:23:42.12\00:23:44.22
He didn't take an
eraser to the law.
00:23:44.25\00:23:46.12
He took a magnifying glass
to make it bigger and clearer.
00:23:46.15\00:23:50.09
And so the teachings of Jesus
is founded on the teachings of
00:23:50.13\00:23:53.40
the Bible.
00:23:53.43\00:23:55.00
He just expounded it, and that's
what a pastor is supposed to do.
00:23:55.03\00:23:56.90
Jean: Amen.
00:23:56.93\00:23:58.83
Doug: You take the Word, and
you expound it, magnify it, make
00:23:58.87\00:24:00.30
it clearer.
00:24:00.34\00:24:01.87
Jean: You know, somebody just
sent in a question, and they're
00:24:01.90\00:24:03.74
asking about the Book of Enoch.
00:24:03.77\00:24:05.77
And the question is "Since it's
quoted in the New Testament, in
00:24:05.81\00:24:08.61
Jude, at the book of Jude,
what do we know about the book
00:24:08.64\00:24:12.38
of Enoch?
00:24:12.41\00:24:13.98
Is it a truth-filled book?"
00:24:14.02\00:24:16.62
Doug: You know, this is a
very--it's a great question.
00:24:16.65\00:24:18.49
There is a book of Enoch.
00:24:18.52\00:24:20.72
The book of Enoch was not a book
that Enoch gave to Noah that
00:24:20.76\00:24:23.12
somehow survived the flood and
made its way down to our day.
00:24:23.16\00:24:25.49
The book of Enoch was an
allegorical book that was
00:24:25.53\00:24:29.13
written, and parts of
it were inspired during the
00:24:29.16\00:24:32.83
Babylonian captivity.
00:24:32.87\00:24:34.84
It's like, when we read the
book, "Pilgrim's Progress," that
00:24:34.87\00:24:38.97
is an inspirational book.
00:24:39.01\00:24:40.68
There are certain inspirational
statements in history.
00:24:40.71\00:24:45.05
You can even read where,
you know, Benjamin Franklin says
00:24:45.08\00:24:49.18
something like, "Early to
bed and early to rise makes one
00:24:49.22\00:24:53.72
healthy, wealthy, and wise."
00:24:53.76\00:24:55.36
Well, you find that
teaching kind of in Proverbs.
00:24:55.39\00:24:57.96
He talks about slothfulness.
00:24:57.99\00:25:00.16
And so, an inspired Bible writer
might quote from another book,
00:25:00.20\00:25:05.83
an inspired quote in that book.
00:25:05.87\00:25:08.27
So Jude took an inspired quote
from that book of Enoch, but the
00:25:08.30\00:25:12.31
whole book of Enoch was not
inspirational on the level of
00:25:12.34\00:25:15.38
the Bible.
00:25:15.41\00:25:17.01
Jean: All right, I think also
there's some questions as to the
00:25:17.05\00:25:18.88
authorship of the book.
00:25:18.91\00:25:20.65
We know Enoch
didn't write this book.
00:25:20.68\00:25:22.48
It kind of got his name
attached, but we don't really
00:25:22.52\00:25:24.92
know who
actually wrote the book.
00:25:24.95\00:25:26.99
Apparently, it was around at the
time of Christ, but, again, the
00:25:27.02\00:25:30.39
authorship is--
00:25:30.43\00:25:31.96
Doug: Some John Bunyan who
lived during the time of the
00:25:31.99\00:25:33.33
Babylonian captivity.
00:25:33.36\00:25:34.73
We don't know his name so--
00:25:34.73\00:25:36.30
Jean: Yeah, right.
00:25:36.33\00:25:37.77
Doug: Some inspired Jew who was
writing an inspired commentary.
00:25:37.80\00:25:41.14
But, yeah, the whole book of
Enoch has some things in it that
00:25:41.17\00:25:44.71
are not inspired, so that's why
a person needs to be careful.
00:25:44.74\00:25:47.68
There's some things in
there that they took some
00:25:47.71\00:25:51.15
liberties with.
00:25:51.18\00:25:53.58
Jean: Right, there's a statement
that we find in the book
00:25:53.62\00:25:55.28
"Christ's Object Lessons,"
and it talks about Christ's
00:25:55.32\00:25:57.52
attitude towards the Bible.
00:25:57.55\00:25:59.65
I'd like to read it.
00:25:59.69\00:26:01.99
It's "Christ's Object
Lessons," page 39 and 40.
00:26:02.02\00:26:04.13
It's a short quote.
00:26:04.16\00:26:06.36
It says, "He," talking
of Christ, "pointed to the
00:26:06.39\00:26:08.50
Scriptures as the unquestionable
authority, and we should do
00:26:08.53\00:26:10.40
the same.
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.37
The Bible is to be presented
as the word of the infinite God,
00:26:12.40\00:26:14.70
and the end of all controversy,
the foundation of all faith."
00:26:14.74\00:26:19.14
Doug: Amen.
00:26:19.17\00:26:21.34
It's like that parable that
Jesus shares in Luke 16, where
00:26:21.38\00:26:23.75
everyone knows the parable of
the rich man and Lazarus, and it
00:26:23.78\00:26:25.98
only appears that one time in
the Bible, and people use it to
00:26:26.01\00:26:29.38
argue the state of the dead, and
the parable really had nothing
00:26:29.42\00:26:31.25
to do with the
state of the dead.
00:26:31.29\00:26:33.46
They often say that, you know,
the moral of the story is at the
00:26:33.49\00:26:36.56
end, or the punch line
is at the end of the joke.
00:26:36.59\00:26:39.23
At the end of this parable about
the rich man talking to Abraham,
00:26:39.26\00:26:42.86
and the poor man in Abraham's
bosom, and he's in Hades, and he
00:26:42.90\00:26:46.63
said, "Oh, if someone rises from
the dead, then they'll believe."
00:26:46.67\00:26:50.51
And Jesus said, "If they do not
believe Moses and the prophets,
00:26:50.54\00:26:55.51
then neither will they be
persuaded though one should rise
00:26:55.54\00:26:58.38
from the dead,"
and that's Luke 16:31.
00:26:58.41\00:27:00.68
Again, if you don't believe
Moses, you can't believe Jesus.
00:27:00.72\00:27:06.42
And so Christ, He said that
Moses and the prophets, the Word
00:27:06.45\00:27:11.89
of God--and this is--you
know, I've just got to tell my
00:27:11.93\00:27:16.10
friends, you know, we've got
a small crew here in the studio
00:27:16.13\00:27:18.47
doing online church for
you on online Sabbath School.
00:27:18.50\00:27:21.67
We'll do church in a minute.
00:27:21.70\00:27:23.44
But I realize there's
thousands that are watching.
00:27:23.47\00:27:25.07
I'll tell you
something that is on my heart.
00:27:25.11\00:27:27.38
I visit other churches.
00:27:27.41\00:27:29.44
I know we have some friends
that are watching from other
00:27:29.48\00:27:31.45
denominations, though
this is a Seventh-day Adventist
00:27:31.48\00:27:33.75
congregation, and I go
into their churches, and they
00:27:33.78\00:27:36.62
provide Bibles.
00:27:36.65\00:27:39.29
And I'll pull the Bible out
of the back of the pew, and it's
00:27:39.32\00:27:41.96
just the New Testament.
00:27:41.99\00:27:44.33
And I'm thinking, "Don't
you provide the Bible that Jesus
00:27:44.36\00:27:47.13
read, the Bible
the apostles read?"
00:27:47.20\00:27:50.37
There is so much truth in
the other three quarters of the
00:27:50.40\00:27:55.14
Bible that it always amazes me
they say, "We've got Bibles in
00:27:55.17\00:27:58.74
your pews," and they
only talk about and teach the
00:27:58.77\00:28:00.84
New Testament.
00:28:00.88\00:28:03.14
When the New Testament was
written, they were looking at
00:28:03.18\00:28:05.48
the Old Testament as
the primary Scripture.
00:28:05.51\00:28:08.55
And so that's just
something we can't forget.
00:28:08.58\00:28:11.32
It's all the Word of God, but
don't neglect the Old Testament.
00:28:11.35\00:28:13.89
Jean: Matter of fact, that's
an excellent segue to Tuesday's
00:28:13.92\00:28:15.92
lesson, which is entitled
"Jesus and all the Scripture."
00:28:15.96\00:28:19.29
Of course, when you talk about
Jesus and the Scripture, you're
00:28:19.33\00:28:21.73
talking about the Old Testament.
00:28:21.76\00:28:23.33
He didn't have
the New Testament.
00:28:23.37\00:28:25.30
One of my favorite stories--and
I know it's one of yours, Pastor
00:28:25.33\00:28:27.07
Doug, because I've heard you
preach sermons on it--is Luke
00:28:27.10\00:28:29.67
chapter 24, where Jesus had
a rather interesting discussion
00:28:29.70\00:28:33.54
with two of the
disciples walking to Emmaus.
00:28:33.58\00:28:36.71
Doug: Yeah, the road to Emmaus
experience, this is the Sunday
00:28:36.75\00:28:41.72
morning after the Resurrection.
00:28:41.75\00:28:44.05
No, it's actually
Sunday afternoon at this point.
00:28:44.09\00:28:46.22
And two of the disciples
are--they're just brokenhearted,
00:28:46.25\00:28:49.19
you know.
00:28:49.22\00:28:50.83
They saw what they
believe was the Messiah die.
00:28:50.86\00:28:53.43
They thought he was going
to conquer the Romans, and they
00:28:53.46\00:28:56.23
don't understand, and they're
walking from Jerusalem, which
00:28:56.26\00:29:00.87
means "City of God," down
to Emmaus, a town, means, "hot
00:29:00.90\00:29:04.97
water."
00:29:05.01\00:29:06.64
There are hot
springs there, evidently.
00:29:06.68\00:29:08.74
And so they're going downhill.
00:29:08.78\00:29:10.35
They got their back
to the New Jerusalem.
00:29:10.38\00:29:11.95
They're discouraged.
00:29:11.98\00:29:13.52
They're talking about
everything that happened.
00:29:13.55\00:29:15.78
Jesus draws near, and
they don't recognize Him.
00:29:15.82\00:29:17.65
He listens for a while, and
He says, "Why are you so sad?
00:29:17.69\00:29:19.55
What is this communication
you have with one another as you
00:29:19.59\00:29:21.86
walk and are sad?"
00:29:21.89\00:29:23.86
Christians should be happy,
should be positive, good news.
00:29:23.89\00:29:25.83
And they said, "Oh, haven't
you heard about Jesus and what
00:29:25.86\00:29:29.06
happened, or are you a stranger?
00:29:29.10\00:29:30.83
Where have you been?"
00:29:30.87\00:29:32.30
I'm paraphrasing.
00:29:32.33\00:29:33.97
And then Jesus said--He finally
couldn't take it anymore, and he
00:29:34.00\00:29:35.84
said, "O fools and slow of heart
to believe that all the prophets
00:29:35.87\00:29:40.11
have spoken.
00:29:40.14\00:29:41.58
And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto
00:29:41.61\00:29:45.05
them in all the Scriptures
the things concerning Himself."
00:29:45.08\00:29:49.52
There was no New Testament, and
he says all the Scriptures talk
00:29:49.55\00:29:53.36
about Jesus.
00:29:53.39\00:29:55.46
And, you know, I was so
excited about that theme.
00:29:55.49\00:29:58.09
I wrote a book called "Shadows
of Light," Christ in the Old
00:29:58.13\00:30:00.56
Testament, and I just see Jesus
everywhere in the Old Testament.
00:30:00.60\00:30:04.47
Jean: You know, the amazing
thing about that story, here
00:30:04.50\00:30:06.94
is Jesus, he rose from the dead.
00:30:06.97\00:30:08.60
He's the Son of God, but
before He reveals Himself to the
00:30:08.64\00:30:11.04
disciples, He wants to ground
them in the prophetic Word, the
00:30:11.07\00:30:15.31
authority of the prophetic Word.
00:30:15.34\00:30:17.15
Before even revealing
Himself, He points them back to
00:30:17.18\00:30:19.18
the Scripture.
00:30:19.21\00:30:20.72
So an example of Jesus, how
did Jesus relate to the Bible?
00:30:20.75\00:30:23.05
He recognized the prophetic
authority of the Scriptures, the
00:30:23.08\00:30:26.76
Old Testament.
00:30:26.79\00:30:28.49
Of course, you can extend that
to the New Testament, but we can
00:30:28.52\00:30:30.63
trust the prophetic utterances
that we find in the Bible.
00:30:30.66\00:30:34.00
They came true.
00:30:34.03\00:30:35.73
The Book of Daniel points
out the different histories and
00:30:35.76\00:30:38.57
stories.
00:30:38.60\00:30:40.97
We can trust
what the Bible says.
00:30:41.00\00:30:43.00
Doug: Yeah, and that, to
me, is what you would call a
00:30:43.04\00:30:44.71
slam-dunk Scripture.
00:30:44.74\00:30:46.74
He says, "all the Scriptures,"
and Jesus could've said, "I want
00:30:46.78\00:30:49.88
you to believe I'm the Messiah
because I'm telling you to."
00:30:49.91\00:30:52.18
He didn't.
00:30:52.21\00:30:54.15
He said, "I want you to believe
I'm the Messiah because of what
00:30:54.18\00:30:56.22
the Scriptures say.
00:30:56.25\00:30:57.85
So the authority for Christ
and the authority he gives the
00:30:57.89\00:31:00.82
churches, what
does the Bible say?
00:31:00.86\00:31:03.29
Jean: Well, Pastor Doug, that
brings in another question that
00:31:03.32\00:31:05.53
somebody is asking, and that is,
"How do we know that all of the
00:31:05.56\00:31:08.10
books in the Bible that we have
is, indeed, the Scriptures, and
00:31:08.13\00:31:13.03
who chooses what book to be in
the Bible, and what book not to
00:31:13.07\00:31:16.30
be in the Bible?"
00:31:16.34\00:31:18.01
Doug: Well, that's a great
question, and I invite you to
00:31:18.04\00:31:19.94
help me in answering this.
00:31:19.97\00:31:21.58
But all of the books that
we have in our modern Bible--of
00:31:21.61\00:31:24.98
course, the Old Testament was
complete before Jesus was born.
00:31:25.01\00:31:28.02
So there's very
little dispute about that.
00:31:28.05\00:31:30.25
You know, there are some who
argue that the book of Maccabees
00:31:30.29\00:31:33.22
should be between the
testaments, but you go from
00:31:33.25\00:31:36.46
Malachi, backward, and all
of the rabbis and Christian
00:31:36.49\00:31:40.60
scholars agree that
those books are inspired.
00:31:40.63\00:31:44.03
So the big dispute comes in
how do they organize which books
00:31:44.07\00:31:46.87
would be included
in the New Testament?
00:31:46.90\00:31:49.40
And there's several
things that happened.
00:31:49.44\00:31:51.74
First of all, those that wrote
them were alive and witnesses of
00:31:51.77\00:31:58.71
the life and teachings of Jesus.
00:31:58.75\00:32:01.28
Now, Paul wrote quite a bit, but
he did have a personal encounter
00:32:01.32\00:32:03.28
with Christ, and so
that's why he's included.
00:32:03.32\00:32:05.39
The other thing is, those
Bible writers cross-referenced
00:32:05.42\00:32:09.06
each other.
00:32:09.09\00:32:10.56
You can hear where Peter
references Jude, Jude references
00:32:10.59\00:32:14.36
Peter, Peter references
Paul, Paul references Peter.
00:32:14.40\00:32:17.33
They cross-pollinate
each other to endorse one
00:32:17.37\00:32:22.47
another's writings.
00:32:22.50\00:32:24.11
And then you find that the early
church fathers, they were using
00:32:24.14\00:32:27.11
the books--you know, there's,
over time, other mystery books
00:32:27.14\00:32:31.65
have popped up, you know, "The
Gospel of Mary Magdalene," and
00:32:31.68\00:32:34.65
"The Gospel of Judas,"
and these things are what they
00:32:34.68\00:32:37.85
call "apocryphal."
00:32:37.89\00:32:39.45
They're books
of doubtful origin.
00:32:39.49\00:32:41.19
They're usually forgeries that
were kind of slipped in, and
00:32:41.22\00:32:42.59
someone said, "Hey, guys, look
what I found in this old, dusty,
00:32:42.62\00:32:44.73
old library," because they had
a point they wanted to teach.
00:32:44.76\00:32:47.30
But by 120 A.D.--and, you
know, John died about 100,
00:32:47.36\00:32:53.57
the apostle.
00:32:53.60\00:32:55.60
Those, Polycarp and the early
church fathers, they knew some
00:32:55.64\00:32:59.01
of the apostles, and they had
pretty much decided the books
00:32:59.04\00:33:02.88
that we have now.
00:33:02.91\00:33:04.95
The organization of the
books, a lot of that came out of
00:33:04.98\00:33:08.15
the Reformation.
00:33:08.18\00:33:09.75
It's very interesting.
00:33:09.78\00:33:11.69
Like, the letters of Paul, I
was surprised to learn they're
00:33:11.72\00:33:13.86
organized from the
longest to the shortest.
00:33:13.89\00:33:15.82
It's not that complicated.
00:33:15.86\00:33:17.83
Romans is longer than 1
Corinthians and 2 Corinthians,
00:33:17.86\00:33:20.46
of course, they're in bunches,
and then, by the time you--until
00:33:20.50\00:33:22.53
you get to the--Revelation
is a book of prophecy.
00:33:22.56\00:33:25.83
It's added at the end.
00:33:25.87\00:33:28.40
And you get to Jude.
00:33:28.44\00:33:30.61
It's a little bitty letter,
you know, and so the writings of
00:33:30.64\00:33:32.87
Paul were arranged in
order of their length.
00:33:32.91\00:33:34.98
Jean: I think in order for one
of the New Testament books to be
00:33:35.01\00:33:37.11
part of the New Testament, there
needed to be no doubt as to the
00:33:37.15\00:33:39.71
authorship of the book.
00:33:39.75\00:33:41.68
Of course, the letters were
copied by different churches.
00:33:41.72\00:33:44.19
There were a number
of manuscripts around.
00:33:44.22\00:33:46.02
People weren't questioning
whether or not Paul wrote a
00:33:46.05\00:33:48.79
particular book.
00:33:48.82\00:33:51.09
They knew he wrote the
book or Peter wrote the book.
00:33:51.13\00:33:52.99
John wrote Revelation.
00:33:53.03\00:33:55.80
So knowing who wrote
the book is very important.
00:33:55.83\00:33:58.13
Doug: Yeah, the authorship, and
we knew it says holy men wrote
00:33:58.17\00:33:59.93
as they were
inspired by the Holy Ghost.
00:34:00.04\00:34:02.60
These were Spirit-filled--they
received the Holy Spirit at
00:34:02.64\00:34:04.61
Pentecost or from Christ
Himself, like Paul, and they
00:34:04.64\00:34:08.34
were the authors.
00:34:08.38\00:34:09.98
Jean: Now, we spoke about Jesus
emphasizing the authority of the
00:34:10.01\00:34:12.25
prophetic word when he met with
the two disciples on the way to
00:34:12.28\00:34:14.65
Emmaus, but Jesus also affirms
the doctrinal accuracy or
00:34:14.68\00:34:19.62
trustworthiness of the word when
Jesus gives the Great Commission
00:34:19.65\00:34:23.86
to His disciples, that we
find in Matthew chapter 28.
00:34:23.89\00:34:26.96
I think we're all familiar with
the Great Commission, but the
00:34:27.00\00:34:30.00
point I just want to highlight
here is verse 20, Matthew 28:20.
00:34:30.03\00:34:32.50
Jesus said, "Teaching them to
observe all things that I have
00:34:32.53\00:34:35.77
commanded you."
00:34:35.80\00:34:37.31
Well, what are those things
that Jesus commanded them?
00:34:37.34\00:34:39.67
If you look at what the
disciples said, they would quote
00:34:39.71\00:34:42.34
the Old Testament.
00:34:42.38\00:34:43.88
So it was very clear in their
minds that the foundation of
00:34:43.91\00:34:46.55
truth that Jesus taught them
was rooted in the Old Testament.
00:34:46.58\00:34:50.69
It was rooted in the Scriptures.
00:34:50.72\00:34:52.45
Doug: Great point.
00:34:52.49\00:34:54.32
You know, we were talking about
the road to Emmaus before, and I
00:34:54.36\00:34:56.16
quoted Luke 24:25.
00:34:56.19\00:34:58.09
So when they get to
Emmaus, He tells them all the
00:34:58.13\00:35:02.36
Scriptures, right?
00:35:02.40\00:35:04.40
Then He appears that
same day in the Upper Room.
00:35:04.43\00:35:06.63
Those disciples run
back to the Upper Room.
00:35:06.67\00:35:08.70
He appears to all
12, well, Judas is gone.
00:35:08.74\00:35:12.77
He appears to 11 of them,
plus the other disciples that
00:35:12.81\00:35:14.58
were there.
00:35:14.61\00:35:16.21
"And He said, 'These are the
words that I spoke to you while
00:35:16.24\00:35:18.21
I was still with you, that all
things must be fulfilled that
00:35:18.25\00:35:20.52
are written in the Law of
Moses and the Prophets and the
00:35:20.55\00:35:24.72
Psalms,'" the psalms, a lot of
powerful Messianic psalms, like
00:35:24.75\00:35:28.72
Psalm 22 and 69, and
others, "concerning Me."
00:35:28.76\00:35:33.19
And then it says, "He opened
their understanding, that they
00:35:33.23\00:35:36.03
might
comprehend the Scriptures."
00:35:36.06\00:35:37.90
What Scriptures was He opening?
00:35:37.93\00:35:39.87
Jean: The Old Testament.
00:35:39.90\00:35:41.70
Doug: There's no
New Testament then.
00:35:41.74\00:35:43.67
I mean, he's just
risen from the dead.
00:35:43.71\00:35:45.51
And so Jesus establishes the
very foundation of the church
00:35:45.54\00:35:47.31
there in the Upper
Room, the Scriptures.
00:35:47.34\00:35:49.18
Every time Christ appeared after
the Resurrection, He taught them
00:35:49.21\00:35:51.05
the Bible.
00:35:51.08\00:35:52.78
He was opening the
Scriptures to them.
00:35:52.81\00:35:54.68
So, yeah, very important.
00:35:54.72\00:35:56.52
Jean: Well, that brings
us to our study on Wednesday.
00:35:56.55\00:35:58.45
If you're following along
with your lesson, the point on
00:35:58.49\00:36:02.02
Wednesday is entitled "Jesus and
the Origin and the History of
00:36:02.06\00:36:04.96
the Bible."
00:36:04.99\00:36:06.56
Today, there's a lot of
questions about how much of the
00:36:06.59\00:36:08.23
Old Testament is trustworthy
from a scientific perspective.
00:36:08.26\00:36:12.63
"Was there really
a worldwide flood?
00:36:12.67\00:36:14.57
Did everybody come from a
man and a woman, Adam and Eve?"
00:36:14.60\00:36:18.51
And, yeah, there's a
lot of questions as to
00:36:18.54\00:36:19.94
the trustworthiness.
00:36:19.97\00:36:21.51
Doug: Noah.
00:36:21.54\00:36:22.94
Jean: Noah, yup.
00:36:22.98\00:36:24.35
Doug: Who can believe Jonah?
00:36:24.38\00:36:25.78
Jean: Three days in
the belly of the whale.
00:36:25.81\00:36:27.38
So how was Christ's attitude?
00:36:27.42\00:36:28.82
Well, how did Jesus feel about
these stories that we find?
00:36:28.85\00:36:30.52
Matthew chapter 19, verse 4
and 5, "He answered, and He said
00:36:30.55\00:36:33.92
unto them, 'Have you not read
that He who made them at the
00:36:33.96\00:36:37.29
beginning "made them male
and female," and said, "For this
00:36:37.33\00:36:41.80
reason a man shall leave his
father and his mother and shall
00:36:41.83\00:36:44.43
be joined to his wife, and the
two shall become one flesh"?'
00:36:44.47\00:36:46.80
" No question in
the mind of Jesus.
00:36:46.84\00:36:49.20
This is Christ speaking that the
Genesis account of Adam and Eve
00:36:49.24\00:36:52.81
is absolutely
historic and trustworthy.
00:36:52.84\00:36:55.04
Doug: Yeah, he states
it as a fact, and he almost
00:36:55.08\00:36:57.25
reproves them.
00:36:57.28\00:36:58.88
He says, "Have you not read?"
00:36:58.91\00:37:00.75
I heard a great
sermon--I didn't really hear it.
00:37:00.78\00:37:03.12
I read it--by Spurgeon, on those
words, "Have you not read?"
00:37:03.15\00:37:09.09
"Have you not read?"
00:37:09.12\00:37:10.86
And you've probably heard it.
00:37:10.89\00:37:12.56
He can take just a few words
and--and he says, "You know, we
00:37:12.59\00:37:14.36
should be reading the Bible.
00:37:14.40\00:37:16.13
Have you not read?"
00:37:16.16\00:37:17.77
And Jesus is reproving
them: "Have you not read?"
00:37:17.80\00:37:19.40
And so He's assuming that we
should read and believe these
00:37:19.43\00:37:21.94
things, and He
states it as fact.
00:37:21.97\00:37:24.71
I mentioned Jonah a minute ago.
00:37:24.74\00:37:26.44
One reason we know the story
of Jonah is true is not only is
00:37:26.47\00:37:29.91
Jonah mentioned in other books
in the Bible as a prophet who
00:37:29.94\00:37:31.91
lived during a specific time
in history, about 700 A.D.--or
00:37:31.95\00:37:34.95
B.C.--sorry.
00:37:34.98\00:37:36.89
But Jesus said, "As Jonah," you
know, "was in the belly of the
00:37:36.92\00:37:41.02
great fish."
00:37:41.06\00:37:42.62
Jesus states it as fact, so you
have to say you cannot believe
00:37:42.66\00:37:44.46
the words of Jesus if you're
not going to believe the Old
00:37:44.49\00:37:47.60
Testament stories like
Jonah, and Noah, and the
00:37:47.66\00:37:49.63
other miracles.
00:37:49.66\00:37:51.87
Look at the amazing
plagues that fell on Egypt.
00:37:51.90\00:37:53.87
You get to Revelation, and you
look at the plagues there, it's
00:37:53.90\00:37:57.14
all stated as fact and true.
00:37:57.17\00:37:58.91
Jean: Question that somebody has
sent in, Pastor, that "What is
00:37:58.94\00:38:01.84
the difference between
the major prophets and the
00:38:01.88\00:38:04.25
minor prophets?"
00:38:04.28\00:38:06.55
Doug: Well, I think
it's the size of the books.
00:38:06.58\00:38:09.72
Jean: Okay.
00:38:09.75\00:38:12.12
Doug: You know, Isaiah's got 66
chapters, and you look at Daniel
00:38:12.15\00:38:14.49
and Ezekiel, and
these are--Jeremiah.
00:38:14.52\00:38:17.36
And, I guess, the Lamentations
is really an attachment
00:38:17.39\00:38:20.23
to Jeremiah.
00:38:20.26\00:38:22.16
The minor prophets are
usually--they're smaller books.
00:38:22.20\00:38:25.40
Is that--
00:38:25.43\00:38:27.47
Jean: Yeah, I
think you're right.
00:38:27.50\00:38:29.47
Also we have--sort of, the
major prophets would be almost
00:38:29.50\00:38:31.27
career prophets.
00:38:31.31\00:38:33.11
For example, Isaiah, he wrote a
big book, but the Lord used him
00:38:33.14\00:38:34.81
time and time again, over a
long period of time, and he was
00:38:34.84\00:38:37.31
giving instruction to Israel.
00:38:37.35\00:38:39.88
But then you have, maybe,
some of the minor prophets.
00:38:39.91\00:38:42.08
They have a shorter book where
they have a brief message, and
00:38:42.12\00:38:45.82
we have no real record of
their interaction after that.
00:38:45.85\00:38:49.56
So the major prophets, Jeremiah,
we know a lot about him and the
00:38:49.59\00:38:52.96
work that he did.
00:38:52.99\00:38:54.30
Isaiah, we know a lot
about the work that he did.
00:38:54.36\00:38:55.76
So I think that's
part of the distinction.
00:38:55.80\00:38:57.60
Doug: Daniel, from beginning
of his life to the end, he's
00:38:57.63\00:38:59.87
a prophet.
00:38:59.90\00:39:01.64
Yeah, good point.
00:39:01.67\00:39:04.71
Jean: All right.
00:39:04.74\00:39:06.31
Doug: And any other
questions, just call them in.
00:39:06.34\00:39:07.71
We'll keep going though.
00:39:07.74\00:39:09.31
Jean: Yes, we'll get to
that question in just a minute.
00:39:09.34\00:39:10.78
So not only do we find Jesus
affirming the authority of the
00:39:10.81\00:39:12.98
Word, the Old Testament, Pastor
Doug mentioned the historical
00:39:13.01\00:39:15.45
facts or history
events of the Old Testament.
00:39:15.48\00:39:18.35
Jesus was very clear on this.
00:39:18.39\00:39:20.49
Matthew chapter 10, verse
6, Jesus said, "But from the
00:39:20.52\00:39:23.06
beginning of Creation."
00:39:23.09\00:39:25.33
Christ was not mixed up as
to origins, how did we get here.
00:39:25.36\00:39:27.96
He knew it was
creation, of course.
00:39:27.96\00:39:29.90
Jesus could've said,
"I was there," you know?
00:39:29.93\00:39:32.17
"I made the earth."
00:39:32.20\00:39:34.20
But He doesn't say that.
00:39:34.24\00:39:36.04
He says, "The Bible,
'From the beginning--'"
00:39:36.07\00:39:38.61
He quotes Scripture.
00:39:38.64\00:39:40.31
So it's amazing to me that He,
who is the truth, turns to the
00:39:40.34\00:39:42.88
Scripture as being the
foundation that we need to put
00:39:42.91\00:39:45.45
our trust in.
00:39:45.48\00:39:47.05
Doug: And that is so important.
00:39:47.08\00:39:48.65
There are a number of cults that
are out there today, where they
00:39:48.68\00:39:50.15
say, "Yeah, we know the Bible
says this, but we have new light
00:39:50.19\00:39:51.85
now because our prophet
says something different."
00:39:51.89\00:39:54.06
Now, I believe in the gift of
prophecy, and in the Adventist
00:39:54.09\00:39:57.19
church, we often
quote from Ellen White.
00:39:57.23\00:40:00.36
Ellen White said, "Don't believe
anything I say if it doesn't go
00:40:00.40\00:40:02.90
along with the Bible, and
everything I say needs to either
00:40:02.93\00:40:05.07
support or endorse
Scripture or discard it."
00:40:05.10\00:40:09.27
And so Jesus even
used that same approach.
00:40:09.30\00:40:13.94
He said, "I'm not asking you to
believe what I'm saying instead
00:40:13.98\00:40:16.18
of what the Scriptures say.
00:40:16.21\00:40:19.61
I'm pointing you back
to the Scriptures as the
00:40:19.65\00:40:21.48
final foundation."
00:40:21.52\00:40:23.42
Jean: Pastor Doug, just
maybe a question we have here.
00:40:23.45\00:40:25.32
You mentioned the parable, in
Luke chapter 16, of the rich man
00:40:25.35\00:40:27.32
and Lazarus, and somebody's
asking--maybe they've heard.
00:40:27.36\00:40:29.19
I've never heard this before
that that parable isn't really a
00:40:29.22\00:40:32.73
parable, that somehow, it's
a teaching of the state of the
00:40:32.76\00:40:35.50
dead, because a name is given.
00:40:35.53\00:40:38.10
This person's name is Lazarus,
and later on in the story, you
00:40:38.13\00:40:41.17
read about Abraham.
00:40:41.20\00:40:43.34
So some people say, "How do
you know that that's a parable?"
00:40:43.37\00:40:46.34
Doug: Why don't they give
the--why didn't Jesus give the
00:40:46.37\00:40:48.88
name of the rich man?
00:40:48.91\00:40:50.91
Jean: Right.
00:40:50.95\00:40:52.55
Doug: The reason we know
it's a parable is, first of all,
00:40:52.58\00:40:54.48
Lazarus is a very common name
in Bible times, but even beyond
00:40:54.52\00:40:57.19
that, the ending, he--the rich
man says, "If Lazarus would go
00:40:57.22\00:41:01.76
back from the dead,
then they would believe."
00:41:01.79\00:41:04.29
And Jesus said, "They
have Moses and the prophets."
00:41:04.33\00:41:08.26
"Oh, no, but if someone
went to them from the dead, then
00:41:08.30\00:41:10.33
they'd believe."
00:41:10.37\00:41:12.13
Jesus said, "If they don't
believe Moses and the prophets,
00:41:12.17\00:41:13.94
neither will they be persuaded
though one should rise from
00:41:13.97\00:41:16.07
the dead."
00:41:16.10\00:41:17.74
The most amazing resurrection
Jesus did, right in Judea, in
00:41:17.77\00:41:20.38
Bethany, He raised a man named
Lazarus, as evidence of His
00:41:20.41\00:41:25.05
Messiahship, and it says they
were plotting to kill Lazarus,
00:41:25.08\00:41:29.18
even though they knew he had
risen from the dead, because he
00:41:29.22\00:41:31.12
was such a living testimony.
00:41:31.15\00:41:32.85
And so I think that's
why He used Lazarus's name.
00:41:32.89\00:41:34.99
Jean: And the parable was told
before Lazarus was resurrected,
00:41:35.02\00:41:37.46
just a fairly
short period of time.
00:41:37.49\00:41:39.86
So it's interesting that Jesus
puts a name in Lazarus, and then
00:41:39.89\00:41:43.20
a few weeks later, or months,
whatever it is, Lazarus dies and
00:41:43.23\00:41:47.10
is resurrected, and then, of
course, they plot the death of
00:41:47.14\00:41:50.74
Lazarus and Jesus.
00:41:50.77\00:41:52.41
So I think Jesus
is making the point.
00:41:52.44\00:41:54.21
Of course, the rich man in
the story would represent the
00:41:54.24\00:41:56.08
Pharisees, the religious leaders
who rejected the needs of those
00:41:56.11\00:41:58.38
who were seeking truth,
the Gentiles surrounding them.
00:41:58.41\00:42:01.25
Doug: It is so clearly an
allegory because who believes
00:42:01.28\00:42:04.95
that everybody who dies
is going to somehow fit into
00:42:04.99\00:42:06.79
Abraham's bosom?
00:42:06.82\00:42:08.62
That's a figure of speech.
00:42:08.66\00:42:10.33
So Jesus, in that story,
it's an incredible paradox.
00:42:10.36\00:42:13.83
He has the rich man, a
symbol of the Jewish nation.
00:42:13.86\00:42:17.40
He goes to the Greek place of
torment, Hades, and He has the
00:42:17.43\00:42:21.50
Gentiles, and Lazarus is a
symbol of--they need to take the
00:42:21.54\00:42:25.34
Gospel to the
Gentiles at their gate.
00:42:25.37\00:42:27.68
He's going to the
Jewish place of reward.
00:42:27.71\00:42:29.94
That's why Jesus said, "Do not
think to say, 'We are children
00:42:29.98\00:42:31.81
of Abraham.'
00:42:31.85\00:42:34.32
Many will come from the
East and the West, and sit
00:42:34.35\00:42:36.45
down in the kingdom,
and the children will be on
00:42:36.48\00:42:37.85
the outside."
00:42:37.89\00:42:39.32
So that's the
message of the parable.
00:42:39.35\00:42:40.82
It's not meant to
teach the state of the dead.
00:42:40.86\00:42:42.62
I mean, heaven forbid that
people in heaven and hell can
00:42:42.66\00:42:44.53
talk to each other.
00:42:44.56\00:42:47.20
That'd be awful.
00:42:47.23\00:42:49.06
Jean: A couple of historical
events that Jesus pointed out as
00:42:49.10\00:42:51.47
being trustworthy and true.
00:42:51.50\00:42:53.84
Jesus in Matthew
24:38, spoke about the flood.
00:42:53.87\00:42:55.30
And He says, "For as it was
in the days before the flood."
00:42:55.34\00:42:58.04
No question in Christ's mind,
He believed in a worldwide flood
00:42:58.07\00:43:00.41
that we have in Genesis.
00:43:00.44\00:43:02.14
And then some Bible characters
in the Old Testament, Jesus, by
00:43:02.18\00:43:04.01
name, mentioned David, and this
is Matthew chapter 12, verse 3,
00:43:04.05\00:43:07.98
"But He said unto them, 'Have
you not read what David did?'"
00:43:08.02\00:43:11.72
Doug: Now, I've not done the
math, but I read somewhere that
00:43:11.75\00:43:14.96
up to 10% of everything Jesus
said was either a quote or an
00:43:14.99\00:43:18.59
allusion or
reference to the Old Testament.
00:43:18.63\00:43:21.40
So that's phenomenal when you
think about it, but no question,
00:43:21.43\00:43:25.60
Jesus' teachings
were rooted in the Bible.
00:43:25.63\00:43:27.64
Now, we only got a moment left
or five minutes to talk about
00:43:27.67\00:43:29.64
the apostles in the Bible, so we
probably ought to dive in there.
00:43:29.67\00:43:33.38
In the lesson, it mentions that
one scholar compiled a list of
00:43:33.41\00:43:36.41
2,688 specific references to
the Old Testament, found in the
00:43:36.44\00:43:43.08
New Testament.
00:43:43.12\00:43:44.72
Just as a sample, 400 from
Isaiah, 370 from Psalms, 220
00:43:44.75\00:43:49.06
from Exodus, and so on.
00:43:49.09\00:43:51.36
And not only did Jesus do this,
but what about the apostles?
00:43:51.39\00:43:55.16
Were they quoting the Old
Testament as an authority?
00:43:55.20\00:43:57.70
Jean: Absolutely.
00:43:57.73\00:43:59.60
Matter of fact, Paul, who
probably wrote most of the New
00:43:59.63\00:44:02.57
Testament--I'm wondering,
is it Luke that wrote more?
00:44:02.60\00:44:05.37
Because you got the gospel
of Luke, and then you have Acts.
00:44:05.41\00:44:07.68
Doug: If you include
Acts, I think Paul still--
00:44:07.71\00:44:10.41
Jean: Paul still wrote more?
00:44:10.45\00:44:12.38
And in Galatians, chapter
3, verse 8, he says, "All the
00:44:12.41\00:44:14.55
Scripture, foreseeing that God
would justify the Gentiles, by
00:44:14.58\00:44:18.09
faith, preached the gospel to
Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In
00:44:18.12\00:44:20.66
you all nations
shall be blessed.'"
00:44:20.69\00:44:23.89
Well, here we have Paul
quoting the Old Testament.
00:44:23.93\00:44:26.13
He's actually quoting Genesis
chapter 12, verse 3, and that
00:44:26.16\00:44:28.76
was the
foundation of his argument.
00:44:28.80\00:44:30.63
So he's using the Old Testament
to justify the Gospel that he's
00:44:30.67\00:44:33.54
preaching in the new.
00:44:33.57\00:44:35.70
Doug: And Paul
actually quotes Jesus as well.
00:44:35.74\00:44:37.44
So they recognize Jesus'
teachings as Scripture, like
00:44:37.47\00:44:42.74
Paul says in, I think, it's
1 Corinthians, "It's better to
00:44:42.78\00:44:45.75
give--it's more
blessed to give than receive."
00:44:45.78\00:44:47.95
Well, you don't find that phrase
anywhere in the four gospels.
00:44:47.98\00:44:51.65
He's saying, "Our Lord told us,"
because it's in red in Paul's
00:44:51.69\00:44:54.39
writings, but he's
quoting the teachings of Jesus.
00:44:54.42\00:44:57.96
And then you have--let me
just look real quick here.
00:44:57.99\00:45:01.03
Acts chapter 4, verse 24,
"So when they heard that, they
00:45:01.06\00:45:05.70
raised their voices to God with
one accord and said, 'Lord, You
00:45:05.73\00:45:08.34
are God, who made heaven and
earth and sea, and all that is
00:45:08.37\00:45:12.37
in them, who by the mouth of
Your servant David have said--'"
00:45:12.41\00:45:15.88
so the disciples are together,
and they're now quoting David,
00:45:15.91\00:45:18.71
"Why did the nations rage, and
the people plot a vain thing?"
00:45:18.75\00:45:24.05
I think that Psalm 2.
00:45:24.09\00:45:26.89
"The kings of the earth
took their stand, and the rulers
00:45:26.92\00:45:29.19
gathered together against the
Lord and against His Christ."
00:45:29.22\00:45:30.89
So even in their prayers,
they're saturating their prayer
00:45:30.93\00:45:32.23
with promises and
quotes from the Old Testament.
00:45:32.26\00:45:34.66
You can go to Acts chapter 17,
verse 1: "Now when they passed
00:45:34.73\00:45:39.30
through Amphipolis, on
to Apollonia, they came to
00:45:39.33\00:45:42.54
Thessalonica, and there
was a synagogue of the Jews.
00:45:42.57\00:45:45.27
Then Paul, as his custom was--"
00:45:45.31\00:45:47.64
so he does this all the time--
"he went in to them, reasoned
00:45:47.68\00:45:51.35
with them from the Scriptures--"
00:45:51.38\00:45:53.42
now, what Scriptures
was he reasoning from?
00:45:53.45\00:45:55.78
Everywhere they went, they'd
go and meet with the Jews.
00:45:55.82\00:45:58.15
Of course, the
Jews believed the Bible.
00:45:58.19\00:46:00.36
He says, "I'm going to prove
to you from the Bible that Jesus
00:46:00.39\00:46:02.52
was the Messiah."
00:46:02.56\00:46:04.36
That was his pattern wherever
he went, "explaining and
00:46:04.39\00:46:06.49
demonstrating that Christ had
to suffer and rise again from
00:46:06.53\00:46:09.00
the dead.
00:46:09.03\00:46:11.13
'This Jesus who I
preach to you is the Christ.'"
00:46:11.17\00:46:13.67
So they, the apostles,
were always referencing the
00:46:13.70\00:46:15.27
Scriptures to make their points.
00:46:15.30\00:46:17.67
Jean: And they spoke with
authority when they quoted the
00:46:17.71\00:46:19.51
Old Testament.
00:46:19.54\00:46:21.11
I like this one in 1
Peter chapter 1, verse 16.
00:46:21.14\00:46:22.94
Peter says,
"Because it is written--"
00:46:22.98\00:46:25.61
of course, that phrase, we just
read how that Jesus used it.
00:46:25.65\00:46:28.12
He said, "It is written, 'Be
holy, for I am holy,'" and he's
00:46:28.15\00:46:31.52
quoting from the Old Testament,
from Leviticus chapter 11,
00:46:31.55\00:46:33.89
verse 44.
00:46:33.92\00:46:35.76
So here, we have Peter, just
clearly stating an Old Testament
00:46:35.79\00:46:38.26
passage with great authority.
00:46:38.29\00:46:40.53
So the apostles looked at the
Scripture as the final authority
00:46:40.56\00:46:43.53
on questions of doctrine.
00:46:43.57\00:46:45.73
Doug: Yeah, you also have--I
got another one here from Acts.
00:46:45.77\00:46:48.64
Acts is a great example.
00:46:48.67\00:46:51.54
Everywhere they went, they went
preaching, quoting Scripture,
00:46:51.57\00:46:54.88
and you can read, "And when he
desired to cross to Achaia, the
00:46:54.91\00:46:57.51
brethren wrote, exhorting the
disciples to receive him, and
00:46:57.55\00:46:59.95
when he arrived, he greatly
helped those who had believed
00:47:00.05\00:47:03.39
through grace, for he vigorously
refuted the Jews publicly,
00:47:03.42\00:47:07.06
showing from the Scriptures
that Jesus is the Christ."
00:47:07.09\00:47:11.56
And so he knew that Jesus
believed the Scriptures, but
00:47:11.59\00:47:14.20
also that was their foundation,
and he said--they had a debate,
00:47:14.20\00:47:17.93
but the debate was
"What do the Scriptures say?"
00:47:17.97\00:47:20.90
Once or twice, I don't do
it very often, but I've gotten
00:47:20.94\00:47:23.74
involved where I do debates with
maybe ministers of other faiths
00:47:23.77\00:47:27.14
on some different Bible
doctrine, and we set the ground
00:47:27.18\00:47:31.08
rules before we start.
00:47:31.11\00:47:32.95
We say, the only thing
we're going to use is the Bible.
00:47:32.98\00:47:36.79
We're not going to scholars of
history, and we're not going to
00:47:36.82\00:47:39.49
other extraneous books.
00:47:39.52\00:47:41.76
You show me from the Bible.
00:47:41.79\00:47:43.36
I'll show you from the Bible.
00:47:43.39\00:47:45.09
The Bible is
going to be our book.
00:47:45.13\00:47:46.83
Well, this is the approach that
Paul did when he was debating
00:47:46.86\00:47:48.63
with the Jews, and some
believed because of that.
00:47:48.66\00:47:50.47
They listened to the
debate, and they said, "Hmm."
00:47:50.50\00:47:52.43
They followed him after they
heard a debate like this, and
00:47:52.47\00:47:54.47
they said, "That made sense.
00:47:54.50\00:47:56.37
We want to know
more about Jesus."
00:47:56.40\00:47:58.21
Jean: Now, of course, we are
looking at the clock, and we're
00:47:58.24\00:48:00.18
running out of time.
00:48:00.21\00:48:01.91
We just wanted to thank those
who joined us on Facebook, and
00:48:01.94\00:48:04.01
all of the questions that you
sent in, and we're going to try
00:48:04.05\00:48:05.68
and do this again next week,
Pastor Doug, where we're going
00:48:05.71\00:48:07.75
to study the lesson together,
and, again, we'll be taking in
00:48:07.78\00:48:10.05
some of your Bible
questions that you have.
00:48:10.09\00:48:12.02
We'd like to remind you about
our free gift that we have.
00:48:12.05\00:48:15.96
It is a book entitled "Down From
His Glory," and we'll be happy
00:48:15.99\00:48:19.39
to send this to
anyone who calls and asks.
00:48:19.43\00:48:21.93
The number is 866-788-3966,
and you just ask for Offer
00:48:21.96\00:48:26.23
Number 701.
00:48:26.27\00:48:28.34
We'll be happy
to send it to you.
00:48:28.37\00:48:30.24
The postal service is still
delivering, so we can get this
00:48:30.27\00:48:32.31
to you.
00:48:32.34\00:48:33.94
Or you can download it if
you're outside of North America.
00:48:33.98\00:48:36.64
We'd like to
get the book to you.
00:48:36.68\00:48:38.75
Just simply text the code
"SH139," to the number 40544,
00:48:38.78\00:48:43.45
and then you'll be able to get
a digital download and read the
00:48:43.49\00:48:46.96
book "Down From His Glory."
00:48:46.99\00:48:48.86
Talks about the gift of Jesus
and how Christ is revealed to us
00:48:48.89\00:48:50.89
in the Word.
00:48:50.93\00:48:52.96
Doug: Amen.
00:48:52.99\00:48:54.83
male announcer: Don't
forget to request today's
00:48:54.83\00:48:56.93
life-changing free resource.
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To get your digital copy of
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00:49:15.95\00:49:18.22
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important, to
share it with others.
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¤¤¤
00:49:32.00\00:49:34.54
announcer: Amazing
Facts, Changed Lives.
00:49:34.57\00:49:37.67
Gary: Early 1980s, all the baby
boomers were turning 21, and the
00:49:41.61\00:49:43.68
nightclub scenes were exploding,
and I started a entertainment
00:49:43.71\00:49:47.65
lighting company.
00:49:47.68\00:49:49.38
female: I was the president, and
there were six divisions, doing
00:49:49.42\00:49:53.09
the raves in the '80s and '90s,
you know, in some warehouse
00:49:53.12\00:49:55.46
where you're setting up lighting
and fog and, you know, who knows
00:49:55.49\00:49:59.09
what's going on in there,
and nightclub installations.
00:49:59.13\00:50:01.96
I loved it, and
it was who I was.
00:50:02.00\00:50:04.40
Gary: Bought a new house out of
town, and we moved about two or
00:50:04.43\00:50:08.47
three times, but we were always
going into different churches.
00:50:08.50\00:50:12.11
We're in a Lutheran Church,
and then we were at a Methodist
00:50:12.14\00:50:14.31
Church.
00:50:14.34\00:50:15.88
I think we were in three
different Baptist churches.
00:50:15.91\00:50:17.95
My wife was raised Catholic.
00:50:17.98\00:50:19.51
I was raised Methodist.
00:50:19.55\00:50:21.15
Currently, I've been out,
reading all the Hal Lindsey
00:50:21.18\00:50:23.08
books, and watching all the
"Left Behind" movies, and so I
00:50:23.12\00:50:25.49
really wanted to understand what
the book of Revelation was all
00:50:25.52\00:50:27.66
about, but nothing
really ever made sense to me.
00:50:27.69\00:50:30.29
female: One day, Pastor Lloyd
Logan came knocking, and he had
00:50:30.33\00:50:32.86
that Net 99 flyer.
00:50:32.89\00:50:35.96
Lloyd Logan: We were preparing
for an evangelistic series, and
00:50:36.00\00:50:40.64
different people were
going different directions with
00:50:40.67\00:50:42.74
handbills to invite
people to the meetings.
00:50:42.77\00:50:46.51
female: I saw that coming at me,
you know, all the colors, and I
00:50:46.54\00:50:49.54
thought, "Oh, no, this
is some kind of cult thing."
00:50:49.58\00:50:52.21
Lloyd: And she said, "Thank
you very much, but I'm not much
00:50:52.25\00:50:54.08
interested myself, but
my husband likes that kind
00:50:54.12\00:50:56.95
of thing."
00:50:56.99\00:50:59.12
female: And Lloyd said, "Would
you give it to him, please?"
00:50:59.15\00:51:01.86
And I said, "Okay, I will."
00:51:01.89\00:51:04.26
So I took the pamphlet,
and I put it on the calendar.
00:51:04.29\00:51:07.20
Gary came home,
and he walked by it.
00:51:07.23\00:51:09.40
Gary: Ran to the kitchen to
quickly eat and take a shower
00:51:09.43\00:51:12.53
and go back out and work a show.
00:51:12.57\00:51:15.00
female: Two, three days went by
like this, and I had moved that
00:51:15.04\00:51:17.21
brochure from the calendar, put
it on the dining room table, put
00:51:17.24\00:51:21.81
it back on the counter,
and I actually threw it in
00:51:21.84\00:51:23.95
the garbage.
00:51:23.98\00:51:25.75
As I threw it in that garbage
can, I could hear him and see
00:51:25.78\00:51:28.78
his face saying, "Would
you give it to him, please?"
00:51:28.82\00:51:32.62
And I actually
took the garbage out.
00:51:32.65\00:51:34.22
And that night, lying in bed, I
kept seeing his face and hearing
00:51:34.26\00:51:37.29
his voice, and thinking, "Oh,
boy, I got to get that brochure
00:51:37.33\00:51:41.46
out of the garbage."
00:51:41.50\00:51:43.10
And I took that, and I
put it right underneath the
00:51:43.13\00:51:45.63
remote control.
00:51:45.67\00:51:47.37
Bright colors.
00:51:47.40\00:51:48.80
He'll see it.
00:51:48.84\00:51:50.31
Gary: I finally sat down in my
living room, and I picked up the
00:51:50.34\00:51:51.71
remote, and I saw that
angel holding out that scroll.
00:51:51.74\00:51:54.34
female: "Whoa, cool.
00:51:54.38\00:51:56.18
What is this?"
00:51:56.21\00:51:57.51
And I was in the kitchen
cooking, and I thought, "Oh,
00:51:57.55\00:51:59.51
no."
00:51:59.55\00:52:01.22
Gary: And I looked at it, and I
turned it over, and then I saw a
00:52:01.25\00:52:03.99
little building, a little church
building, and it wasn't too far
00:52:04.02\00:52:06.69
away, it was about six
houses down, and it said,
00:52:06.72\00:52:09.79
"Friday night."
00:52:09.82\00:52:11.59
female: And I
certainly wasn't going.
00:52:11.63\00:52:13.33
I mean, it wasn't
my intention to go.
00:52:13.36\00:52:14.76
Gary: I didn't have any shows
going on that night, and so I
00:52:14.83\00:52:17.47
thought it was a one-night deal.
00:52:17.50\00:52:19.10
I went, and as I heard about
the millennium man, I was just
00:52:19.13\00:52:22.47
blown away.
00:52:22.50\00:52:24.07
I didn't want it to end.
00:52:24.11\00:52:25.47
I knew what I was hearing was
all from the Scripture, and it
00:52:25.51\00:52:28.11
wasn't based on Hollywood
movies or other books that
00:52:28.14\00:52:30.48
were written.
00:52:30.51\00:52:31.85
They said, "Come again tomorrow
night," and I thought, "Wow,
00:52:31.88\00:52:34.35
great, two nights."
00:52:34.38\00:52:36.82
So I tried to tell my wife
about it, and she still wasn't
00:52:36.85\00:52:38.32
interested, and
then she decided to come.
00:52:38.35\00:52:40.46
female: I started to hear the
truth, you know, and I started
00:52:40.49\00:52:43.02
to get fed.
00:52:43.06\00:52:44.39
Gary: Every night, after the
seminar, they would hand us an
00:52:44.43\00:52:47.23
Amazing Fact study guide.
00:52:47.30\00:52:48.66
I couldn't do those fast enough.
00:52:48.70\00:52:50.10
female: The business kept us
going seven days a week, and it
00:52:50.13\00:52:53.77
was night and day.
00:52:53.80\00:52:55.30
Gary: Crews working all around
the clock, and so, when we
00:52:55.34\00:52:57.71
finally heard the Sabbath
message, you know, so far,
00:52:57.74\00:53:00.64
everything's been
true, right from the Bible.
00:53:00.68\00:53:02.34
female: Church on
Saturday, no work.
00:53:02.38\00:53:04.55
Anyway, it all clicked.
00:53:04.58\00:53:06.78
Gary: Both our heads
turned at each other.
00:53:06.82\00:53:08.32
Our jaws dropped open.
00:53:08.35\00:53:09.82
female: I said,
"We can't do that."
00:53:09.85\00:53:12.62
Gary: And the first thing that
came out of my mouth was "We
00:53:12.65\00:53:14.96
have to."
00:53:14.99\00:53:16.32
female: I knew that it would be
a sacrifice, and I was in fear
00:53:16.36\00:53:20.43
about it.
00:53:20.46\00:53:21.83
Gary: We didn't know how we were
going to do it, but we talked to
00:53:21.86\00:53:25.10
the pastor about it, and the
pastor said, "Well, just pray
00:53:25.13\00:53:27.24
about it, and
God will open doors."
00:53:27.27\00:53:29.34
female: I didn't want to give up
all the connections I had made,
00:53:29.37\00:53:32.21
all the networking, all
the money, all the investment.
00:53:32.24\00:53:35.54
Gary: We went to the board and
ask them if they would consider
00:53:35.58\00:53:37.68
closing on Saturday, and
they agreed to, so we closed the
00:53:37.71\00:53:41.62
storefront on Saturday, but
we were still doing productions,
00:53:41.65\00:53:44.62
and that kind of bothered us,
so a couple months later, God
00:53:44.65\00:53:47.96
opened the door for my wife.
00:53:47.99\00:53:50.46
She exited the company.
00:53:50.49\00:53:51.89
I prayed about it, and God
opened the door for me too.
00:53:51.93\00:53:53.90
female: Gary, shortly after, was
offered a job being paid more
00:53:53.93\00:53:57.80
money than he made as
an owner of the company.
00:53:57.83\00:54:01.84
Gary: He said, "I'll give you
a thousand dollar raise, and you
00:54:01.87\00:54:05.21
will never work another weekend.
00:54:05.24\00:54:07.18
female: And we were able to
keep the Sabbath and enjoy the
00:54:07.21\00:54:11.08
wonderful blessings that God
had for us on the Sabbath day.
00:54:11.11\00:54:14.88
Gary: My kids never again had to
say, "Quit talking about work."
00:54:14.92\00:54:18.15
After the seminar was over, my
wife and I, and my children were
00:54:18.19\00:54:20.79
all baptized into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:54:20.82\00:54:23.73
Even if I gave up everything,
I knew that God would have
00:54:23.76\00:54:26.33
something better.
00:54:26.36\00:54:27.86
female: I have much more
understanding, and there's much
00:54:27.86\00:54:30.90
more depth in my
Christian walk with the Lord.
00:54:30.93\00:54:35.77
Gary: We started an Amazing Fact
Bible School at a church that
00:54:35.80\00:54:37.97
allows anybody to understand
the Scriptures, understand the
00:54:38.01\00:54:41.31
end times.
00:54:41.34\00:54:42.84
Church changed my life
dramatically, and I'm very happy
00:54:42.88\00:54:45.35
and excited to be a part of it.
00:54:45.38\00:54:47.65
¤¤¤
00:54:49.35\00:54:54.76
¤¤¤
00:54:57.59\00:55:05.13
Doug: Every now and then in
the panorama of history, we hear
00:55:08.80\00:55:11.07
about individuals that go
from the lowest depths to the
00:55:11.11\00:55:14.31
highest pinnacles.
00:55:14.34\00:55:15.84
They emerge from the shackles
of prison to lead and inspire
00:55:15.88\00:55:19.11
a nation.
00:55:19.15\00:55:21.45
Take Joseph, for instance.
00:55:21.48\00:55:23.08
He's sold by his brothers as a
slave, then falsely accused and
00:55:23.12\00:55:26.49
thrust into prison, yet
through a series of divine
00:55:26.52\00:55:29.22
circumstances, he miraculously
goes from the prison to the
00:55:29.26\00:55:32.66
palace, ruling the ones
who once imprisoned him.
00:55:32.69\00:55:35.66
Sound far-fetched?
00:55:35.70\00:55:37.10
It's happened in
history more than you think.
00:55:37.13\00:55:39.97
South Africa is the
home of just such a leader.
00:55:40.00\00:55:42.90
Nelson Mandela worked tirelessly
to establish peace and freedom
00:55:42.94\00:55:46.91
in his country, and his
influence was felt around
00:55:46.94\00:55:49.61
the world.
00:55:49.64\00:55:51.71
Before freedom,
there must be forgiveness.
00:55:51.75\00:55:54.02
Like Joseph, who was unjustly
accused for a crime he did not
00:55:54.05\00:55:56.95
commit, Nelson Mandela
was accused of terrorism and
00:55:56.99\00:56:00.36
sentenced to life in
prison on Robben Island.
00:56:00.39\00:56:03.43
He was often exposed to cruel
punishment and abuse, but even
00:56:03.46\00:56:06.66
in the midst of apparent failure
and discouragement, he never
00:56:06.70\00:56:09.26
lost heart.
00:56:09.30\00:56:10.80
He never gave up.
00:56:10.83\00:56:12.33
After years in prison, a growing
number of supporters rallied for
00:56:12.37\00:56:15.27
his release.
00:56:15.30\00:56:16.81
It eventually took place,
and God used him so that he was
00:56:16.84\00:56:20.24
instrumental in helping to
abolish racial segregation in
00:56:20.28\00:56:22.84
the country of South Africa.
00:56:22.88\00:56:24.88
Incredibly, he now was virtually
the absolute leader in the
00:56:24.91\00:56:28.45
country that had imprisoned him.
00:56:28.48\00:56:30.32
He had all of the tools and
the power at his disposal to get
00:56:30.35\00:56:33.19
even with the prison guards and
others that had mistreated him.
00:56:33.22\00:56:36.39
Instead, Mandela
chose forgiveness.
00:56:36.42\00:56:39.43
It reminds me of that verse in
the Bible in Ephesians, chapter
00:56:39.46\00:56:42.06
4, verse 32: "Let all
bitterness, and wrath, and
00:56:42.10\00:56:45.83
anger, and clamor, and railing
be put away from you, with
00:56:45.87\00:56:49.07
all malice.
00:56:49.10\00:56:50.67
And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted,
00:56:50.71\00:56:53.24
forgiving each other, even as
God also in Christ forgave you."
00:56:53.27\00:56:57.95
I'm so thankful that Nelson
Mandela, like Joseph, chose to
00:56:57.98\00:57:01.98
forgive those who were once his
enemies, and to serve his nation
00:57:02.02\00:57:04.92
with love and courage.
00:57:04.95\00:57:06.52
You can find a number of
examples of this happening in
00:57:06.55\00:57:08.96
the Bible.
00:57:08.99\00:57:10.96
You have Daniel, who was a
captor from the land of Judah,
00:57:10.99\00:57:13.03
and yet God arranged
things where he becomes a prime
00:57:13.06\00:57:15.36
minister in the
kingdom of Babylon.
00:57:15.40\00:57:17.53
You have Esther, who was a poor
orphan girl in Persia, and yet
00:57:17.57\00:57:21.07
God worked things out
where she becomes the queen of
00:57:21.10\00:57:23.00
that country.
00:57:23.04\00:57:24.57
The book of Jeremiah ends with
an incredible story of a young
00:57:24.61\00:57:27.61
king, named, Jehoiakim, who was
in the Babylonian dungeon for 37
00:57:27.64\00:57:31.61
years, and then King
Evil-Merodach has mercy on
00:57:31.65\00:57:34.15
him, and he has a new
status, going from the prison to
00:57:34.18\00:57:37.15
the palace.
00:57:37.19\00:57:38.85
This is what the Lord wants
to do for you and me, friends.
00:57:38.89\00:57:40.92
He gives you the bread of life.
00:57:40.96\00:57:42.52
He gives you the robe
of Jesus' righteousness.
00:57:42.56\00:57:44.49
He gives you a
seat at His table.
00:57:44.53\00:57:46.09
If you accept His forgiveness
and you're willing to pass it
00:57:46.13\00:57:49.16
on, you and I can
live and reign with Christ.
00:57:49.20\00:57:51.83
Wouldn't you
like that experience?
00:57:51.87\00:57:53.97
¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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