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Shawn Brummund: Good morning
and welcome to another edition
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of the "Sabbath School Study
Hour" on this beautiful last day
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of October, here in 2020.
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It's nice to be able to
have you here in the studio
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of Amazing Facts
as we come together
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to be able to
continue to study this
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very important
subject of education.
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In this particular instance,
it is, of course, Christian
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education as revealed in
the Bible and, of course, the
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number-one textbook that we have
for Christian education is the
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Holy Bible itself.
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And so, thank
you for joining us.
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Those who are local, I know
that many are joining us because
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of the pandemic, even
locally here in Granite Bay,
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Roseville-Sacramento area.
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As well, of course, we have our
online friends, members across
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the United States, and many
people that are tuning in from
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around the world.
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So, for those of you who are
livestreaming, happy Sabbath.
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To those of you who are watching
this in the future, perhaps
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throughout the week preparing
for the Sabbath, I want to wish
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you a special blessing
throughout your week, as well.
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My name is Pastor Shawn
Brummund, and our pastor that
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will be teaching today is Pastor
Lucas, Luccas Rodor, and so
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we're going to
invite him up shortly.
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But before we invite him up,
we want to continue to offer our
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free offer as we do every single
week, and this particular offer
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is a Bible study guide entitled
"Saved from Certain Death."
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And if you'd like to receive
a copy of this particular free
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offer, you can dial into
1-866-788-3966, and they will be
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happy to be able to offer this
to you and send it out for free
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if you are in the United States.
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Now, that is offer number 109.
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If you prefer a digital copy,
that also is available for you.
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Want to encourage you to take
advantage of that by texting the
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code SH060, and you want to
text that to the number 40544.
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And so, again, "Saved from
Certain Death," and this is
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important Bible subject that
I know that you will be blessed
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with as you continue your
Christian education, even as we
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will be over the
next hour here as well.
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So, we want to give as much
time as possible to our teaching
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pastor, so I want to
invite you to join me in prayer.
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Father in heaven, we thank You
for the opportunity to be able
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to worship You
here this morning.
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We want to thank You so
much, Lord, for giving us this
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opportunity to be
able to open Your Bible.
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We thank You for the subject
that You have revealed to us in
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the Bible of Christian
education, even as You, Lord
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Jesus, had commanded Your church
and the first leaders of Your
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church to go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing in the
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name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, teaching them
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to observe all things in
which You have commanded them.
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And so, Lord, we continue to be
Your students, want to pray, God
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in heaven, that You will be
our teacher, even as You, Lord
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Jesus, were our
teacher here on Earth.
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That You'll continue to guide us
into all truth even as You send
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Your Spirit.
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Be with our teacher.
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Be with our pastor today as he
brings the Word of Life to each
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and every one of us,
and so we pray these things
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in Jesus's name.
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Amen.
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So again, thank
you for joining us.
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Pastor Rodor.
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Luccas Rodor:
Happy Sabbath, friends.
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It is so good to
be here with you.
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It's so good to be able to share
this lesson with all of you.
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I know that we have people that
are just watching from all over,
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really, and it's a
privilege to be here.
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We're having a beautiful
day here in the--in Granite Bay,
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in the proximity of
Sacramento, in California.
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We're having a gorgeous day.
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I was just in Maryland
this last week with my parents.
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I was visiting them and out
there it was, kind of, rainy,
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kind of--you know,
we--you could tell it was fall.
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Out here you can also tell,
but here we have the sunshine,
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so that's always a pleasure.
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The study of this--of
today's lesson is really
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an interesting one.
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Honestly, I'm really happy that
I got to do this one, because
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it's about education and
redemption, and, really, I feel
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that this is one of the core
messages of this quarter, which
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is where we understand that
education, true education, has a
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redemptive purpose.
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It's there for the
sole reason of redemption.
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Any education, Christian
education that doesn't have in
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its sight, in its
target, in its focus redemption,
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there's something wrong
with that kind of education.
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I'm going to start reading
the memory text with you all.
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This memory text, it's one of
the famous 3:16s of the Bible.
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You know that the most
famous, one of the most famous,
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at least, verses in the Bible is
John 3:16, but there are quite a
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few other important 3:16s in the
Bible, and this is one of them.
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And so, this one comes from 2
Timothy chapter 3, verse 16, and
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it says, "All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is
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profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction,
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for instruction
in righteousness."
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Now, friends, one thing that
I find extremely important to
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understand before we actually
begin and dive deep into the
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content of this lesson is
the understanding about God, His
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creation, the world around us.
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When it comes to understanding
Him, when it comes to
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understanding the world, when
it comes to understanding His
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creative capacity and His
creativity, there are basically
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three different forms or three
different types of revelation
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that we find, three different,
as Pastor Shawn put it,
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textbooks that really explain
who God is, that explain His
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personality, His character.
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The word "revelation" actually
comes from two Latin root words,
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which are the
words "re" and "velo"
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that literally mean together.
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When you combine them,
revelation, they literally mean
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"the removal of the veil."
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And, of course, they come--that
is also a transliteration from
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the Greek "apokalypsis,"
which is, again, two root words.
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If you've ever heard the
word "apocalypse" before, that's
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where it comes from,
is these two root word.
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That is, "apó" and "kalypsis"
that literally mean "the removal
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of the veil."
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So, through it, through this
revelation, through this removal
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of the veil, God, He opens the
curtains to fix the problem that
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sin created in the very
beginning, in the communication
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between heaven
and between Earth.
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We know that sin, when it came
around, it destroyed the best
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part of our communication with
heaven, and so God's revelation
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comes to fix that
problem between God and humans,
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communication
between God and us.
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You see, sin affected our
capacity of seeing correctly,
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of thinking correctly, of acting
correctly, of feeling correctly.
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Sin was this great divide here
on planet Earth, so what God
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decided to do to bridge that
problem was to communicate, was
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to reveal Himself through
these three types, these three
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textbooks of revelation,
and we're going to quickly cover
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them so that we can better
understand what this lesson
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has for us.
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So, first of all, we know that
God reveals Himself through the
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textbook of nature.
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That's the first textbook, using
Eden, the laws that govern the
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universe, the laws of physics,
of chemistry, of algebra,
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of geometry, of biology.
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When we see the tree, the
skies, the air, we see how they
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interact with each other.
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We see the laws of
thermodynamics and gravity.
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That is God
exercising His creativity.
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That is God
exercising His creative power.
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And, honestly, one thing that I
truly love about the textbook of
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creation is that when God
exercises His creative power, we
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see not only His power, but
we see His good sense of humor.
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We see that God
is a creative God.
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I mean, God--this is the being
that created creatures such as
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the duck-billed platypus.
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Who could have thought of
creating an animal like that
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except a
creative, good-humored God?
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So, I just love understanding
and studying the textbook
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of nature.
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I'm fascinated by it.
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I am not good at
physics or chemistry.
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You could just ask
my high school teachers.
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They would be the first to tell
you that they don't know how
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I passed all those years, but I
do have a deep appreciation for
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those areas of knowledge
and those areas of existence.
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However, all that being said,
while nature, if understood
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correctly, does bear witness
to the Creator God and His
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footprint here in our world, the
entrance of sin did make this
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textbook, the textbook of
nature, incomplete, because it
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can lead to divergent and even
defective conclusions, depending
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on the perspective by
which nature is interpreted.
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So, for example, those who
believe in the theory or the
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faith of evolution, for example,
they say that they base their
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conclusions on the
empirical study of nature.
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And so, we understand that this
textbook, it can and it is to a
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great extent quite
subjective depending on how one
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is interpreting it.
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Even in Eden, within the limits
of original perfection, nature
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was not absolute or
complete revelation.
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Even then it needed to
be complemented by special
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revelation, and we know
this, for example--point in case
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of this is that the Bible tells
us that Jesus, He would visit
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our first parents.
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He would walk with them
in the evenings before sin.
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And what would they be doing?
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They would be talking.
They would be communicating.
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He would be teaching them and
instructing them, so even the
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textbook of nature was made
to be understood as time goes by
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and learned as time goes by.
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And it is best interpreted by
special revelation, which is the
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very next textbook.
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Before I get there, the
last thing I'd like to say about
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natural revelation in the
context of the Eden, another
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example of how natural
revelation is not complete is
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the forbidden tree, the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.
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For example, it
wasn't defined by nature.
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Naturally, there was no way to
know that that tree was in any
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way different or special, unless
God revealed it, so what makes
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that tree different is
the fact that God told them
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not to eat of it.
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Naturally, there was
nothing identifying it
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as anything different.
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Special revelation had to come
in from God so that they could
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understand what
they were supposed to do.
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So, you see that natural
revelation, it reveals the
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character of God.
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It reveals the
personality of God.
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It reveals that He is a creator.
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It reveals certain aspects,
certain communicable attributes
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of who He is, but at the
same time it is not complete,
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especially with the
entrance of sin in our world.
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And so, this is how we
understand the second great
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textbook of God's
revelation, which is the Bible.
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It's Holy Scripture, and
it's called special revelation.
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And here we have to understand
two very basic theological
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concepts before we
actually dive into the main part
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of this week's lesson.
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The first is, what
is special revelation?
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What is it? What does it do?
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Why is it special revelation?
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So, it is when God communicates
that which could never be
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understood or learned by
fallen humans through any
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of our methods.
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There's no way that we could
learn this revelation through
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induction, through a logical
deduction, through empirical
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study unless God
had communicated it.
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So, basically, special
revelation is what we could
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never know unless
God had told us, right?
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It's what we could never
understand, could never grasp
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unless God had communicated
it to us, so this special
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revelation was done
through the prophets.
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This is what we find in the
Bible, those who spoke through
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or then spoke for God, and
it was then condensed in a book
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called The Bible, which
literally comes from a Greek
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word "biblos," which,
again, literally means "book."
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That's what Bible means.
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It literally means "book.''
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Biblos.
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So, its purpose, according
to our memory verse today in
00:12:41.62\00:12:45.99
Timothy 3:16, is
primarily educational.
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The purpose of the
Bible is educational, friends.
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That's why it's so
important that this quarter
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we're studying education.
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We're studying this concept
that education goes way beyond
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classrooms and teachers and
diplomas and degrees, and then
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preparation for
future jobs and salaries.
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Ultimately, revelation has a
redemptive purpose, so that's
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what we find here.
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Primarily, the purpose of
the Bible is to instruct in
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doctrine, to correct, to
reproof, to discipline, to
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become instructed in
righteousness, to become apt for
00:13:20.76\00:13:24.43
salvation by the work of the
Holy Spirit of God, the great
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interpreter of Scripture.
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And that's how we understand
Scripture and the role of the
00:13:29.84\00:13:32.77
Holy Spirit in helping
us to interpret Scripture.
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The second concept--so, the
first one is direct revelation,
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where God
reveals to the prophet.
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The second idea that we have to
understand here is the concept
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of inspiration.
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So, what is inspiration?
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What's the difference between
inspiration and revelation?
00:13:47.72\00:13:49.86
Well, first of all, not only did
God make His plans, His wisdom,
00:13:49.89\00:13:54.73
His purposes, His
paths available to us through
00:13:54.76\00:13:58.17
revelation, but He guaranteed
that the content of that
00:13:58.20\00:14:01.40
revelation was faithfully
communicated through the
00:14:01.44\00:14:04.81
inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
00:14:04.84\00:14:07.21
So, inspiration, friends, in a
nutshell, it guarantees that the
00:14:07.24\00:14:10.95
Scriptures, which were inspired
by the Spirit of God--and that's
00:14:10.98\00:14:14.95
the literal
meaning of inspiration.
00:14:14.98\00:14:18.05
Inspiration comes
from that literal meaning.
00:14:18.09\00:14:21.56
It means that it was
communicated precisely as God
00:14:21.59\00:14:24.93
wanted it to be communicated.
00:14:24.96\00:14:27.40
And moreover, more than just
revelation and inspiration, we
00:14:27.40\00:14:31.77
also know that there's a
word mentioned in theology
00:14:31.80\00:14:34.90
called "illumination."
00:14:34.94\00:14:36.40
Now, illumination has nothing
to do with, you know, the
00:14:36.44\00:14:40.78
post-medieval moment of
illumination and renaissance.
00:14:40.81\00:14:46.45
Has nothing to do with that.
00:14:46.48\00:14:47.78
In this sense, illumination
is the phenomenon that occurs
00:14:47.82\00:14:51.22
within the believer that studies
the Word in order for the author
00:14:51.25\00:14:55.02
to communicate the correct
meaning of the text, so this is
00:14:55.06\00:14:57.99
something--illumination
is when God illuminates.
00:14:58.03\00:15:00.83
That's why we say that God
is--you know, that God's Word is
00:15:00.86\00:15:03.90
a lamp unto our feet
and a light unto our path.
00:15:03.93\00:15:06.40
This is what it means.
00:15:06.43\00:15:07.74
He illuminates us so that we can
understand the correct meaning
00:15:07.77\00:15:11.61
of what the author was
trying to convey or to pass,
00:15:11.64\00:15:16.18
so this way, friends.
00:15:16.21\00:15:17.71
Revelation is the phenomenon by
which God communicates knowledge
00:15:17.75\00:15:21.22
that we could never acquire
through any other source.
00:15:21.25\00:15:24.35
Inspiration is the phenomenon
by which God guarantees that
00:15:24.39\00:15:27.42
that which is revealed or that
that was revealed is faithfully
00:15:27.46\00:15:31.93
communicated by a
prophet in a reliable manner.
00:15:31.96\00:15:35.60
And inspiration occurs in the
believer through the Holy Spirit
00:15:35.63\00:15:40.34
of God, or capacitating them
to correctly understand what was
00:15:40.37\00:15:46.24
transmitted by the author.
00:15:46.27\00:15:48.28
And so, this way, friends, we
understand that the Bible does
00:15:48.31\00:15:51.28
not--the Bible does not contain
or reflect human knowledge,
00:15:51.31\00:15:55.85
human
philosophy, human ideologies.
00:15:55.88\00:15:58.65
No, the Bible
reveals the mind of God.
00:15:58.69\00:16:02.46
That is the
purpose of the Bible.
00:16:02.49\00:16:04.49
The Bible reveals the mind
of God, the very mind of God.
00:16:04.53\00:16:09.76
Another important aspect about
special revelation is that it
00:16:09.80\00:16:12.67
comes through Jesus.
00:16:12.70\00:16:14.07
It comes through Jesus
Christ, the Incarnate Word.
00:16:14.10\00:16:16.40
So, in special revelation in
Scripture we have the written
00:16:16.44\00:16:19.21
Word, but the third and most
glorious textbook that we have
00:16:19.24\00:16:22.44
of revelation is Jesus
Christ, the Incarnate Word.
00:16:22.48\00:16:25.45
The clearest, the most perfect,
the most glorious revelation
00:16:25.48\00:16:28.92
from God came through His son.
00:16:28.95\00:16:31.19
And so, we have these
three textbooks of revelation.
00:16:31.22\00:16:33.69
We have natural revelation,
we have special revelation, and
00:16:33.72\00:16:36.76
then another sort of
special revelation we have
00:16:36.79\00:16:39.26
through Jesus Christ,
the absolute revelation
00:16:39.29\00:16:41.80
of God to us.
00:16:41.83\00:16:43.47
Jesus Himself said in John
chapter 17, verse 3, he says,
00:16:43.50\00:16:47.24
"And this is the eternal life,
that we may know You the only
00:16:47.27\00:16:51.44
true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom You have sent."
00:16:51.47\00:16:55.31
And so, this is how
we understand revelation.
00:16:55.34\00:16:58.68
The progression of this week's
lesson is very interesting, and
00:16:58.71\00:17:01.45
one of the main topics
that are covered there is how we
00:17:01.48\00:17:04.32
understand that we were
created in the image of God.
00:17:04.35\00:17:06.86
Now, the first lesson of
Scripture or one of the first
00:17:06.89\00:17:10.39
lessons of Scripture is
that humankind was created.
00:17:10.43\00:17:13.40
We were created.
00:17:13.43\00:17:14.73
We did not just
pop into existence.
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.50
We were intelligently,
literally purposefully, created.
00:17:16.53\00:17:24.11
We were made, so we
are a creation of God.
00:17:24.14\00:17:27.48
Not only this, but we
were created in His image
00:17:27.51\00:17:30.78
and in His likeness.
00:17:30.81\00:17:32.11
This is one of the first and
most important lessons that we
00:17:32.15\00:17:34.28
find in Scripture.
00:17:34.32\00:17:35.55
And what this means is that even
though throughout history there
00:17:35.58\00:17:38.39
have been many theologians
and many interpreters that
00:17:38.42\00:17:42.19
understood this declaration that
we were created in God's image
00:17:42.22\00:17:46.43
in different ways, there are
a few very basic principles that
00:17:46.46\00:17:50.13
we can understand and
can all agree about this.
00:17:50.17\00:17:53.94
So, basically, being created
in the image and in the likeness
00:17:53.97\00:17:57.07
of God, ultimately what it
means is that we are like God
00:17:57.11\00:18:00.44
in certain aspects, and God
is like us in certain aspects.
00:18:00.48\00:18:04.11
So, this expression, likeness
and image, it indicates that
00:18:04.15\00:18:08.92
there are elements
inside of humans, inside of us,
00:18:08.95\00:18:11.85
that bear witness to our origin.
00:18:11.89\00:18:14.22
There are elements inside of
us--I'm going to repeat it--that
00:18:14.26\00:18:16.83
bear witness to our origin,
to our Creator and to how
00:18:16.86\00:18:20.76
we were created.
00:18:20.80\00:18:22.10
Even after the Fall, in some
aspects, humans still reflect
00:18:22.13\00:18:27.17
these indicative attributes of
their origin, so, friends, true
00:18:27.20\00:18:32.24
education focuses precisely
on the contact points, on the
00:18:32.27\00:18:36.21
contact points
between God and His creation.
00:18:36.24\00:18:39.15
What is similar?
00:18:39.18\00:18:40.58
How were we
created in His likeness?
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.32
Now, unfortunately, we know that
sin did obscure, distort, and
00:18:43.35\00:18:47.72
even mutilate the image of God
inside of humanity, but what was
00:18:47.76\00:18:52.76
left is still the
object of God's divine action.
00:18:52.79\00:18:56.63
And so, the
process of education,
00:18:56.67\00:18:58.67
it converges with redemption.
00:18:58.70\00:19:00.70
The process of education
converges with redemption
00:19:00.74\00:19:03.94
because it restores in humanity
what was lost in the Fall, what
00:19:03.97\00:19:08.61
was lost by sin, so God
conceded to humans that way His
00:19:08.64\00:19:12.78
communicable attributes.
00:19:12.81\00:19:14.35
Everything that makes us
different from the animals, God
00:19:14.38\00:19:16.79
communicated that to us.
00:19:16.82\00:19:18.19
We are relational creatures.
00:19:18.22\00:19:19.79
We have sentience. We think.
00:19:19.82\00:19:21.66
We can reason much more
than unrational animals.
00:19:21.69\00:19:27.03
And so, because of all these
qualities and so much more, the
00:19:27.10\00:19:30.70
fact that we were given
authority, the fact that we were
00:19:30.73\00:19:33.10
given domain, the fact that the
Son of God came to die to give
00:19:33.13\00:19:37.31
Himself for us, all of this--in
all of this we understand that
00:19:37.34\00:19:40.91
we are--we were created in
His likeness and in His image.
00:19:40.94\00:19:46.28
One of the things that most
surprised me positively and made
00:19:46.31\00:19:54.12
me truly enjoy this past week's
lesson was the study on Jesus as
00:19:54.16\00:20:00.20
the master teacher,
Jesus as the teacher, as rabbi.
00:20:00.23\00:20:03.60
You know, out of all the titles
of God, of all of the titles
00:20:03.63\00:20:07.47
attributed to Jesus
Christ during His incarnation,
00:20:07.50\00:20:10.67
one stands out.
00:20:10.71\00:20:12.07
One attribute stands out,
which is the one of teacher.
00:20:12.11\00:20:15.18
So many times we find Jesus
being called Rabbi or Master or
00:20:15.21\00:20:19.08
Lord and what's interesting
is that Jesus approved this.
00:20:19.11\00:20:22.32
He never denied it.
00:20:22.35\00:20:23.65
He never rebuked
people who called Him Teacher
00:20:23.69\00:20:25.62
or Rabbi or Master.
00:20:25.65\00:20:26.99
In fact, in John 13:13 He says,
"You call Me Teacher and Lord,
00:20:27.02\00:20:31.66
and you say well, for so I am."
00:20:31.69\00:20:35.73
And here we find, again, another
little moment where Jesus--He
00:20:35.76\00:20:40.50
says, "I am," right?
00:20:40.54\00:20:41.84
And this is the
ego eimi of Greek.
00:20:41.87\00:20:44.21
I am. This is who he is.
00:20:44.24\00:20:46.11
This is the--that self-existence
portrayed here in Jesus Christ.
00:20:46.14\00:20:50.81
So, Jesus, he never went
against people calling Him
00:20:50.85\00:20:53.75
rabbi or teacher.
00:20:53.78\00:20:55.28
Some of His main lessons as a
rabbi that we learn in the New
00:20:55.32\00:20:58.62
Testament, that truly reflect
the personality of God, that
00:20:58.65\00:21:02.02
truly reflect Jesus's purpose
here more than anything, which
00:21:02.06\00:21:05.19
was to reveal the person of
God, the person of the Father.
00:21:05.23\00:21:08.40
In Jesus's substitution for
us, He was revealing who God is.
00:21:08.43\00:21:11.80
In His example to us, his life
of example, he was revealing God
00:21:11.83\00:21:15.40
to us, and so we find that
some of His main lessons when it
00:21:15.44\00:21:19.11
comes to revealing God, when it
comes to being our Redeemer and
00:21:19.14\00:21:22.28
our Savior, and when it comes
to being our example are, for
00:21:22.31\00:21:24.78
example, that Jesus, He came
to reveal God just as He is.
00:21:24.81\00:21:29.35
Jesus came to reveal God just
as He is, not as some sort of
00:21:29.38\00:21:33.09
contorted Santa Claus that
appears once a year to bring
00:21:33.12\00:21:35.86
down gifts, not as some sort
of cosmic policeman just waiting
00:21:35.89\00:21:39.93
behind the bush to see if
someone is speeding and to give
00:21:39.96\00:21:42.30
them a ticket, not as some
severe divine judge just waiting
00:21:42.33\00:21:45.80
to condemn people.
00:21:45.83\00:21:47.24
No, Jesus depicted God as
Father, as a loving, caring,
00:21:47.27\00:21:52.94
intimate Father, revealed in
the word "Abba," which better
00:21:52.97\00:21:57.91
translates as papa.
00:21:57.95\00:22:00.28
That is the God that Jesus
came to reveal, and that is one
00:22:00.32\00:22:02.72
of His main lessons.
00:22:02.75\00:22:04.09
He also taught us not only who
God is, but he taught us who we
00:22:04.12\00:22:07.56
are, who we as humans are.
00:22:07.59\00:22:09.82
We are not orphans of some
insensitive, chaotic, uncaring,
00:22:09.86\00:22:14.03
impersonal existence,
not some evolved amoeba,
00:22:14.10\00:22:17.77
but a creature of God.
00:22:17.80\00:22:19.20
And in that way each
individual person is important.
00:22:19.23\00:22:24.14
Each individual has an eternal
destiny at their disposal,
00:22:24.17\00:22:28.11
available to them.
00:22:28.14\00:22:29.44
Jesus taught
personal value of each person.
00:22:29.48\00:22:33.45
He described and taught
the meaning, the horror, the
00:22:33.48\00:22:36.89
severity of sin with
an incredible realism.
00:22:36.92\00:22:40.69
Jesus taught that not only
is sin horrible and bad, but He
00:22:40.72\00:22:45.93
showed us how great
of an optimist God is.
00:22:45.96\00:22:49.10
Our God, friends, is an
incredible optimist that never
00:22:49.13\00:22:53.00
lost hope in human
possibilities in God.
00:22:53.03\00:22:56.44
He never lost hope of
what we can become in Him.
00:22:56.47\00:22:59.81
Humankind, friends, humanity
is not a failed project.
00:22:59.84\00:23:04.01
We are not a failed project.
00:23:04.05\00:23:05.78
We are redeemable, we have
potential, and God can change
00:23:05.81\00:23:09.42
and transform us.
00:23:09.45\00:23:10.75
And this is one of
Jesus's greatest lessons.
00:23:10.79\00:23:12.52
He taught us the
meaning of true repentance.
00:23:12.55\00:23:15.12
He taught us that God does
not love us because we repent.
00:23:15.16\00:23:18.39
He taught us that we, on
the contrary, repent because God
00:23:18.43\00:23:22.16
loves us and because
He calls us to repentance.
00:23:22.20\00:23:25.87
Through parables, through
interactions with people,
00:23:25.90\00:23:28.57
through stories, and through the
entire gospel we find that God
00:23:28.60\00:23:32.37
loves us before we
need to ask for repentance.
00:23:32.41\00:23:35.74
Just take a look at the
story of the prodigal son,
00:23:35.78\00:23:37.78
and you'll see this.
00:23:37.81\00:23:39.05
We know that by divine grace we
can stand back up, that there is
00:23:39.08\00:23:43.82
hope for everyone, that no one
is excluded, unless those that
00:23:43.85\00:23:48.32
decide to exclude themselves.
00:23:48.36\00:23:52.29
Jesus taught us
the purpose of life.
00:23:52.33\00:23:55.06
He taught why we live,
why we are in existence.
00:23:55.10\00:23:58.17
He taught us connection
with God, discipleship, mission.
00:23:58.20\00:24:01.87
The purpose of life, friends,
is not fulfilled when we become
00:24:01.90\00:24:04.17
rich, when we hold
titles and diplomas, when we are
00:24:04.21\00:24:07.71
recognized, when we have status,
00:24:07.74\00:24:09.74
when we become
important or sophisticated.
00:24:09.78\00:24:12.45
No, Jesus taught us
that when we submit ourselves
00:24:12.48\00:24:15.92
to God's purposes.
00:24:15.95\00:24:17.75
You know, Jesus came so that
we could live with abundance
00:24:17.79\00:24:20.66
and in abundance.
00:24:20.69\00:24:22.26
Through His incredible
paradoxes, His parables, He
00:24:22.29\00:24:26.26
taught us that
we win when we lose.
00:24:26.29\00:24:29.43
He taught us that we are
rich when we are poor for him.
00:24:29.46\00:24:33.77
He taught us that we are great
when we serve and that we live
00:24:33.80\00:24:37.51
when we die.
00:24:37.54\00:24:38.84
Who could compare
to these teachings?
00:24:38.87\00:24:42.68
He taught us to
overcome evil with good.
00:24:42.71\00:24:45.05
This sure goes against the
very fabric of fallen humanity.
00:24:45.08\00:24:49.92
He taught us resistance
and resilience under pressure
00:24:49.95\00:24:53.89
and hostility.
00:24:53.92\00:24:55.22
He taught us that true spiritual
maturity is not the result
00:24:55.26\00:24:58.13
of pharisaic pride, but
when we become completely
00:24:58.16\00:25:01.56
and entirely dependent upon him.
00:25:01.60\00:25:04.40
Sin, friends, is
more than just actions.
00:25:04.43\00:25:06.40
This was perhaps one of
Jesus's greatest lessons.
00:25:06.43\00:25:08.90
Sin is more
than just what we do.
00:25:08.94\00:25:10.84
It is a chronic evil that is
rooted within the human heart
00:25:10.87\00:25:14.24
and the very nature.
00:25:14.28\00:25:15.58
What does the Bible say?
00:25:15.61\00:25:16.91
"Who can fathom the
depths of the human heart?"
00:25:16.95\00:25:20.35
Jesus taught us solidarity,
to take care of those
00:25:20.38\00:25:23.69
who are weaker.
00:25:23.72\00:25:25.02
In the terms of His
kingdom, this is true greatness.
00:25:25.05\00:25:28.56
This is true greatness.
00:25:28.59\00:25:30.39
Jesus taught us that
true religion is related and
00:25:30.43\00:25:34.23
connected to the great principle
of love and not the flimsy,
00:25:34.30\00:25:39.33
superficial
attempts to impress others.
00:25:39.37\00:25:42.37
No, here we are talking about
the very essence of who God is,
00:25:42.40\00:25:46.21
because according to 1 John
chapter 4, verse 8 those who do
00:25:46.24\00:25:49.44
not love do not know
God, for God is love.
00:25:49.48\00:25:53.88
God is love.
00:25:53.92\00:25:56.45
In the school of Christ,
friends, we learn that the best
00:25:56.48\00:25:59.02
students aren't those who
glory themselves in their tiny
00:25:59.05\00:26:02.06
accomplishments or
religious performances.
00:26:02.09\00:26:04.93
The depth of what Jesus
taught us, His parables, His way
00:26:04.96\00:26:08.36
of removing people from the
audience and placing them up on
00:26:08.40\00:26:11.13
the center stage so that
they could think better, so they
00:26:11.17\00:26:13.77
could react better, this
is what Jesus was a master at.
00:26:13.80\00:26:18.64
Everything he did or said
dripped with significance and
00:26:18.67\00:26:22.28
importance and precision.
00:26:22.31\00:26:24.28
Jesus was never one to
just speak, to just filibuster.
00:26:24.31\00:26:29.28
Jesus cut to the heart
of the matter consistently
00:26:29.32\00:26:32.62
and constantly.
00:26:32.65\00:26:33.96
He mocked the pharisaic religion
that was preoccupied with
00:26:33.99\00:26:37.03
insignificant details.
00:26:37.06\00:26:38.86
His leadership
style is still unmatched.
00:26:38.89\00:26:41.70
His personal interest in
the creatures of God is still
00:26:41.73\00:26:45.07
capable of
bringing tears to the eyes.
00:26:45.10\00:26:48.54
He honored. He dignified.
00:26:48.57\00:26:50.84
He exalted the value of women,
in complete contradiction to the
00:26:50.87\00:26:54.84
prejudice and devaluation
of women in His days.
00:26:54.88\00:26:58.75
He rejected all the traditions
that depreciated people or
00:26:58.78\00:27:02.05
creatures of God.
00:27:02.08\00:27:03.55
He exalted monogamous marriage
as a divine institution that
00:27:03.59\00:27:08.39
cannot be treated with
superficiality, disregard,
00:27:08.42\00:27:11.59
and indifference.
00:27:11.63\00:27:13.19
He taught about the
Sabbath and its true meaning.
00:27:13.23\00:27:15.76
His discussions with the
Pharisees about the Sabbath had
00:27:15.80\00:27:18.80
nothing to do with the
importance of the Sabbath day,
00:27:18.83\00:27:21.30
and what I mean about this is
that His discussions with them
00:27:21.34\00:27:24.01
was not about the Sabbath,
or the Wednesday, or the Sunday,
00:27:24.04\00:27:26.41
or--it wasn't the day.
00:27:26.44\00:27:27.74
That was a given.
00:27:27.78\00:27:29.08
That wasn't the issue.
There was no discussion.
00:27:29.11\00:27:31.08
It was obvious that
it was that Sabbath day.
00:27:31.11\00:27:35.12
The issue with
Jesus and the Pharisees
00:27:35.15\00:27:37.79
was on a much deeper level.
00:27:37.82\00:27:40.26
How must the day
of rest be observed?
00:27:40.29\00:27:43.56
And this way He removed tons of
useless traditions based on the
00:27:43.59\00:27:48.26
mere artificiality
of experts in the law.
00:27:48.30\00:27:51.73
Friends, His person is capable
of making us hate who we are,
00:27:51.77\00:27:57.34
only then to fall in love
with who we can become in him,
00:27:57.37\00:28:01.84
transformed,
redeemed by His grace.
00:28:01.88\00:28:05.25
After Jesus, friends, after His
lessons, after the Great Rabbi
00:28:05.28\00:28:08.92
in this world, life on planet
Earth was altered forever,
00:28:08.95\00:28:13.42
permanently impacted by
His teachings, by who He was.
00:28:13.46\00:28:18.09
We see this in the very Old
Testament, even before His birth
00:28:18.13\00:28:21.66
here in the world.
00:28:21.70\00:28:23.97
His attributes as God were
already clear and communicable
00:28:24.00\00:28:27.37
to the prophets,
to Moses, for example.
00:28:27.40\00:28:29.87
We see his
impact on Moses's life.
00:28:29.90\00:28:33.61
For example, Moses, the great
teacher of the Exodus, inspired
00:28:33.64\00:28:37.71
by God he wrote the Pentateuch,
the first five books of the Holy
00:28:37.75\00:28:41.22
Bible, and this is where we find
the basic teaching of the entire
00:28:41.25\00:28:44.55
history of humanity.
00:28:44.59\00:28:46.15
In its revelation we find
information about creation,
00:28:46.19\00:28:48.86
about the Fall, about the
promise of divine intervention,
00:28:48.89\00:28:52.26
and the history
of the human race.
00:28:52.29\00:28:53.76
We find the patriarchal epoch
with the great heroes of faith.
00:28:53.80\00:28:57.03
We find the Exodus.
00:28:57.07\00:28:58.37
We find the Ten Commandments
containing the divine principles
00:28:58.40\00:29:02.00
for human behavior
that reflect the character
00:29:02.04\00:29:04.77
of the very living God.
00:29:04.81\00:29:08.08
We find in the book of
Deuteronomy that reminds us that
00:29:08.11\00:29:12.05
human behavior is conditioned
by blessings and cursings,
00:29:12.08\00:29:17.15
depending on the exercise
of our free will, depending
00:29:17.19\00:29:20.32
on our choices, our decisions.
00:29:20.36\00:29:23.22
The laws found within these
first five books of the Bible,
00:29:23.26\00:29:26.59
the virtues that we
find here, are unmatched.
00:29:26.63\00:29:29.70
They surpassed everything that
was known in those times and
00:29:29.73\00:29:32.57
everything that is
known in our times.
00:29:32.60\00:29:34.74
When it comes to ethics,
to morality, to principles of
00:29:34.77\00:29:37.67
justice, that transcend--they
transcend everything that can be
00:29:37.71\00:29:41.38
found anywhere else, within any
other culture, within any other
00:29:41.41\00:29:44.85
border, or within the limits
of any other area of study
00:29:44.88\00:29:48.45
and academia.
00:29:48.48\00:29:50.39
Within the laws of Moses we
find the principles of health,
00:29:50.42\00:29:53.29
of respect for life,
of morality and justice.
00:29:53.32\00:29:56.39
We find the divine warning, for
example, in Exodus chapter 23,
00:29:56.42\00:29:59.56
verse 2, "You shall not
follow a crowd to do evil."
00:29:59.59\00:30:03.47
We find the standard.
00:30:03.50\00:30:05.77
Required human conduct is
based on justice that only God
00:30:05.80\00:30:10.44
could provide.
00:30:10.47\00:30:11.84
No one else could ever fathom
the depths of His standard,
00:30:11.87\00:30:16.95
because His
standard reflects who He is.
00:30:16.98\00:30:21.58
Biblical prophets, they were
not--and this is also something
00:30:21.62\00:30:24.22
that I truly appreciate
when it comes to studying Moses
00:30:24.25\00:30:27.36
and the prophets.
00:30:27.39\00:30:28.69
The prophets, they
weren't sacral figures chosen by
00:30:28.72\00:30:31.49
position or by office or by
politics, as were the priests in
00:30:31.53\00:30:34.93
the surrounding
nations of Israel.
00:30:34.96\00:30:37.33
Prophets were called by God.
00:30:37.37\00:30:40.17
There's nothing more.
00:30:40.20\00:30:41.67
Prophets were called by
God, because only God sees
00:30:41.70\00:30:44.74
what is within the heart.
00:30:44.77\00:30:47.01
No one chose a prophet.
00:30:47.04\00:30:48.54
It was a divine convocation to
serve, to teach, to correct, to
00:30:48.58\00:30:53.42
rebuke, to warn, to condemn, and
all of this by the will of God
00:30:53.45\00:30:57.85
acting in and
through the prophets.
00:30:57.89\00:31:00.99
The sheer quantity of
educational material found
00:31:01.02\00:31:03.89
within their
writings is simply astounding,
00:31:03.93\00:31:06.23
and it covers
every area of life.
00:31:06.26\00:31:09.10
We learn in the pages of the Old
Testament that God is sovereign.
00:31:09.13\00:31:12.23
He is the Sovereign Lord.
00:31:12.27\00:31:13.64
He holds absolute
control over everything.
00:31:13.67\00:31:17.67
Our God, friends, is
never caught by surprise.
00:31:17.71\00:31:21.08
Have you ever become worried
about the situation of the world
00:31:21.11\00:31:23.41
around us as we see
it, the political chaos?
00:31:23.45\00:31:27.02
Apparently, the
world, the natural world,
00:31:27.05\00:31:29.08
has just spun out of control.
00:31:29.12\00:31:33.02
God is never caught by surprise.
00:31:33.05\00:31:36.73
God is never caught by surprise.
00:31:36.76\00:31:39.66
Our God is the God
whose hands never tremble.
00:31:39.69\00:31:43.77
And so, if you are worried, my
dear friend, have faith in your
00:31:43.80\00:31:46.80
God, because while you cannot
see the future, do know that
00:31:46.84\00:31:51.57
your God is already there,
preserving you and working
00:31:51.61\00:31:55.21
in your best interests.
00:31:55.24\00:31:58.01
Contrary to the understanding of
many, what we find in Moses and
00:31:58.05\00:32:03.12
the prophets and the rest of the
writings of the Old Testament,
00:32:03.15\00:32:07.52
the teachings there, the
lessons, they transcend time,
00:32:07.56\00:32:11.46
space, culture, and borders.
00:32:11.49\00:32:14.20
They are applicable in
all moments of history on this
00:32:14.23\00:32:16.77
world--of this world.
00:32:16.80\00:32:18.20
Above everything that may be
considered local and limited by
00:32:18.23\00:32:21.67
the elements of culture, we find
eternal principles that apply to
00:32:21.70\00:32:25.01
every man and woman,
child, youth of every age.
00:32:25.04\00:32:31.41
In Scripture, another great
lesson here that has to do with
00:32:31.45\00:32:34.52
the redemption that is brought
through education is that
00:32:34.55\00:32:37.35
through Scripture we
learn either by similarity
00:32:37.39\00:32:40.22
or by contrast.
00:32:40.26\00:32:41.86
The examples, the stories we
find therein are real, and they
00:32:41.89\00:32:45.16
involve real men and women of
flesh and of blood, real humans
00:32:45.19\00:32:50.10
that lived, that walked
this Earth, that had to learn in
00:32:50.13\00:32:53.10
their contact their
reactions and actions with God.
00:32:53.13\00:32:58.24
But while these were real men
and real women that lived and
00:32:58.27\00:33:02.78
walked here in this world,
they are also types, parables.
00:33:02.81\00:33:09.38
They're also representative.
00:33:09.42\00:33:11.65
In a way, they are all us in our
choices, in our decisions, in
00:33:11.69\00:33:16.36
our rights, in our wrongs.
00:33:16.39\00:33:18.49
All of us learning, them and us,
through the divine grace of God,
00:33:18.53\00:33:22.50
forgiving grace of God,
the redeeming grace of God, all
00:33:22.53\00:33:26.40
learning how we should
be living, how we should be
00:33:26.43\00:33:29.57
reacting and
interacting with God.
00:33:29.60\00:33:32.77
We learn through these people
that the consequences of sin and
00:33:32.81\00:33:36.04
the consequences of
wrong choices are inevitable.
00:33:36.08\00:33:38.91
Take David, for example,
the great king of Jerusalem, the
00:33:38.95\00:33:41.82
great king of Israel that
could not avoid the consequences
00:33:41.85\00:33:45.35
of his mistakes and his errors,
and these errors were reflected
00:33:45.39\00:33:48.59
upon his family,
upon his children.
00:33:48.62\00:33:50.09
We know that.
00:33:50.13\00:33:51.43
We see that. He edified.
00:33:51.46\00:33:53.19
And this is--you know, this
is the great story of David.
00:33:53.23\00:33:54.86
He edified a recognized and
a respected nation as you find
00:33:54.93\00:33:59.30
in 2 Samuel chapter 8.
00:33:59.33\00:34:00.94
You'll find that right
there David, he--everything
00:34:00.97\00:34:03.37
that he did, everything that he
made, you find it right there.
00:34:03.41\00:34:06.47
And most history books
would stop right there.
00:34:06.51\00:34:09.04
They would reflect only the
positive of their heroes, but
00:34:09.08\00:34:11.68
not the Bible, because the
Bible's heroes are not human.
00:34:11.71\00:34:16.52
The only hero in
the Bible is God.
00:34:16.55\00:34:20.86
Most history books, they would
finish elsewhere, but the Bible
00:34:20.89\00:34:23.79
wanted to demonstrate and to
show us that it is possible to
00:34:23.83\00:34:27.30
be men and women
according to the heart of God,
00:34:27.36\00:34:29.33
and yet need a Savior.
00:34:29.36\00:34:31.60
That's what we learn here.
00:34:31.63\00:34:33.34
We learn in 2 Samuel,
for example, 11 and 12.
00:34:33.37\00:34:36.14
We find the darkest hour
of David's life, where we find
00:34:36.17\00:34:38.97
adultery, deceit, and murder.
00:34:39.01\00:34:41.28
The guilt and the remorse
because of that action with
00:34:41.31\00:34:44.41
Bathsheba, the death of
Uriah, all of these things,
00:34:44.45\00:34:47.92
they devastated.
00:34:47.95\00:34:49.25
They transformed
David, leaving him devastated.
00:34:49.28\00:34:54.29
In the so-called Psalms of
Penitence we find his complete
00:34:54.32\00:34:58.13
collapse, and there we find
the king of Jerusalem baring his
00:34:58.16\00:35:03.73
soul before the King
of kings, his Redeemer.
00:35:03.77\00:35:08.30
And we know that God
forgave him, purified him.
00:35:08.34\00:35:12.21
However, friends,
actions have consequences.
00:35:12.24\00:35:15.18
God forgave him, but divine
forgiveness does not deliver us
00:35:15.21\00:35:18.55
from the consequences, at least
not the worldly consequences
00:35:18.58\00:35:23.05
of our actions.
00:35:23.08\00:35:24.59
We know that Nathan the Prophet
sent by God pronounced a pretty
00:35:24.62\00:35:28.22
cold anticipation of the future.
00:35:28.26\00:35:31.06
This is 2 Samuel 12:10.
00:35:31.09\00:35:32.76
"Now therefore, the sword shall
never depart from your house."
00:35:32.79\00:35:35.70
David reaped bitter
results for what he had sown.
00:35:35.73\00:35:39.47
An example of this is that his
daughter Tamar was raped by her
00:35:39.50\00:35:42.80
half-brother, her own
half-brother Amnon, who was
00:35:42.84\00:35:46.01
later murdered by Absalom, who
later led a rebellion against
00:35:46.04\00:35:49.08
his own father, who
was then killed in battle,
00:35:49.11\00:35:51.41
calling--causing
David no shortage of pain.
00:35:51.45\00:35:54.42
His wives were publicly
violated, just as he had
00:35:54.45\00:35:57.12
secretly violated
the wife of Uriah.
00:35:57.15\00:36:00.62
Friends, Scripture teaches
us that we live in a moral
00:36:00.66\00:36:03.89
universe, and we verify in life
the same thing that we verify
00:36:03.93\00:36:08.56
in the agricultural world.
00:36:08.60\00:36:10.67
First, we reap what we sow.
00:36:10.70\00:36:13.30
Second, we reap
more than we sow.
00:36:13.34\00:36:15.44
You plant a little seed,
and you reap a big beanstalk.
00:36:15.47\00:36:19.04
You reap more than
you sow in that context.
00:36:19.07\00:36:21.38
And finally, that we reap
in another moment than we sow.
00:36:21.41\00:36:26.11
Another great example here
of this reality was Solomon,
00:36:26.15\00:36:29.48
another great figure of the
Bible that begins his trajectory
00:36:29.52\00:36:32.95
with humility,
asking God for wisdom.
00:36:32.99\00:36:36.29
You find that in 1 Kings chapter
3, and under his leadership the
00:36:36.32\00:36:39.59
kingdom of Israel grew into--in
domain and grew in glory.
00:36:39.63\00:36:43.57
His wisdom was
simply incomparable.
00:36:43.60\00:36:46.30
Kings, queens would come
from afar seeking his wisdom,
00:36:46.33\00:36:50.14
seeking his
knowledge and his counsel.
00:36:50.17\00:36:52.24
He built. He planted.
00:36:52.27\00:36:54.01
He accumulated riches.
00:36:54.04\00:36:55.38
He wrote proverbs observing and
describing the natural world.
00:36:55.41\00:36:58.65
And the question is, what
did he do with his success?
00:36:58.68\00:37:01.38
Well, the small, obscure dots in
his life eventually became great
00:37:01.42\00:37:06.22
big stains.
00:37:06.25\00:37:07.96
He became a libertine.
00:37:07.99\00:37:10.09
His faith in the true
God was placed in doubt.
00:37:10.13\00:37:13.29
He became depressed, and in the
book of Ecclesiastes you find
00:37:13.33\00:37:19.37
the mourning of a truly
sad man, a truly depressed man.
00:37:19.40\00:37:25.51
But Scripture also bears witness
of Solomon's restoration and how
00:37:25.54\00:37:30.65
at the very end of his life
he warned others to not become
00:37:30.68\00:37:33.72
victims of the evils--of the
same evils and sins as he, and
00:37:33.75\00:37:37.09
that's why he says in
Ecclesiastes chapter 12, verse
00:37:37.12\00:37:39.45
1, "Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth."
00:37:39.49\00:37:44.69
The detours of Solomon
faithfully recorded in the Bible
00:37:44.73\00:37:47.76
portray divine forgiveness,
and the wise man, as he calls
00:37:47.76\00:37:51.23
himself in Ecclesiastes,
then taught everything
00:37:51.27\00:37:53.44
that he had learned.
00:37:53.47\00:37:54.77
So, friends, what we learn is
that these are just two stories
00:37:54.80\00:37:57.77
that were overly simplified
here for lack of time, but we
00:37:57.81\00:38:01.04
understand that these stories in
the Bible, the people that come
00:38:01.08\00:38:04.01
and go, these shadows that
we find, they ultimately reflect
00:38:04.05\00:38:07.78
our biography also, how we
encounter God, how we should or
00:38:07.82\00:38:12.29
should not live our life.
00:38:12.32\00:38:14.26
In the New Testament and
later times, we know that Jesus
00:38:14.29\00:38:17.16
prepared a core group of people,
His disciples, to pass on what
00:38:17.19\00:38:20.26
He had taught, and when He died
apparently not even one of them
00:38:20.30\00:38:24.80
appeared to have
understood anything.
00:38:24.83\00:38:26.87
Not one.
00:38:26.90\00:38:28.20
They all ran away.
00:38:28.24\00:38:29.54
All of them
were skulking around.
00:38:29.57\00:38:31.87
Normally, this would have
frustrated any human teacher.
00:38:31.91\00:38:34.11
I know it would
have frustrated me.
00:38:34.14\00:38:35.58
If I had spent three-and-a-half
years with a group of students
00:38:35.61\00:38:39.18
and at the end of
those three-and-a-half years
00:38:39.21\00:38:41.68
apparently they learned nothing,
I would probably tear all my
00:38:41.72\00:38:45.05
diplomas and my lessons.
00:38:45.09\00:38:46.42
I'd burn it all up, and I would
go try to do something else.
00:38:46.45\00:38:49.26
But not Jesus, not Jesus.
00:38:49.29\00:38:52.29
Jesus knew that His work with
His disciples was complete, that
00:38:52.33\00:38:55.20
He did it.
00:38:55.23\00:38:56.60
He knew that it would not fail.
00:38:56.63\00:38:58.30
All of them--and here we find a
reflection of that, because all
00:38:58.33\00:39:01.24
of them, with the exception
of John, died the death
00:39:01.27\00:39:04.04
of a martyr.
00:39:04.07\00:39:05.44
And if we ask Him, "Well,
who will continue Your work?"
00:39:05.47\00:39:08.21
if we had asked Jesus,
"Who will continue Your work?"
00:39:08.24\00:39:11.21
He would have answered, "Well,
My disciples will continue
00:39:11.25\00:39:12.58
My work."
00:39:12.61\00:39:14.35
And if we kind of pressed
Him a little bit more and said,
00:39:14.38\00:39:16.58
"Well, what if they fail?"
00:39:16.62\00:39:18.69
I'm certain that Jesus would
have said something around or
00:39:18.72\00:39:22.19
something of the sort
of, "I have no plan B.
00:39:22.22\00:39:24.89
There is no plan B.
00:39:24.93\00:39:26.23
I won't need it."
00:39:26.26\00:39:27.50
He was sure that his education
was complete and, true enough,
00:39:27.50\00:39:30.73
the 1st-century
church, the primitive church,
00:39:30.77\00:39:33.17
became a powerful
educational agency.
00:39:33.20\00:39:36.24
So, with the Great Commission--
00:39:36.27\00:39:37.57
and we find this here.
00:39:37.61\00:39:38.91
In the Great Commission,
Jesus placed his followers under
00:39:38.94\00:39:41.64
orders, and the mission
of educating and redeeming
00:39:41.68\00:39:45.35
a fallen world, of going and
teaching disciples to the ends
00:39:45.38\00:39:48.85
of the world.
00:39:48.88\00:39:50.19
What I find truly beautiful on
the Great Commission of Matthew
00:39:50.22\00:39:53.42
chapter 28 is the
usage of the word "all."
00:39:53.46\00:39:56.26
"Go to all places, teaching
all people all the things
00:39:56.29\00:39:59.96
that I have taught you.
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.26
And, lo, I am with you always
until the very end of time."
00:40:01.30\00:40:03.57
You see that totality.
00:40:03.60\00:40:04.90
All authority is given, so
you see that everything here,
00:40:04.93\00:40:08.47
absolute control,
is under His hands.
00:40:08.50\00:40:11.34
And what's more, this mission's
hold--this mission of educating
00:40:11.37\00:40:15.41
this fallen world holds true
to this very day through you
00:40:15.44\00:40:19.55
and through me.
00:40:19.58\00:40:21.18
We are called for this.
00:40:21.22\00:40:22.95
We are called to educate a
fallen world, because education
00:40:22.98\00:40:27.06
primarily has to
do with redemption.
00:40:27.09\00:40:31.16
There are a few quotes that I
would like to read as we sum up
00:40:31.19\00:40:34.10
our lesson here, and you
can find them in the book
00:40:34.10\00:40:36.16
"Education," page 30.
00:40:36.20\00:40:38.57
It's a beautiful book.
00:40:38.60\00:40:40.00
The first one says this: "The
true teacher is not satisfied
00:40:40.04\00:40:43.44
with second-rate work.
00:40:43.47\00:40:45.54
He is not satisfied with
directing his students to a
00:40:45.57\00:40:48.18
standard lower than the highest
which is possible for them
00:40:48.21\00:40:51.61
to attain.
00:40:51.65\00:40:52.95
He cannot be content with
imparting to them only technical
00:40:52.98\00:40:56.02
knowledge, with making
them merely clever accountants,
00:40:56.05\00:40:59.39
skillful artisans,
successful tradesmen.
00:40:59.42\00:41:02.86
It is his ambition to inspire
them with principles of truth,
00:41:02.89\00:41:06.83
obedience, honor, integrity,
and purity, principles that will
00:41:06.86\00:41:10.33
make them a positive
force for the stability
00:41:10.37\00:41:13.57
and uplifting of society.
00:41:13.60\00:41:15.60
He desires them, above all else,
to learn life's great lesson
00:41:15.64\00:41:19.71
of unselfish service."
00:41:19.74\00:41:21.18
So, friends, just as we
know that Jesus was this true
00:41:21.21\00:41:24.38
teacher, we also understand that
He calls us to be true teachers.
00:41:24.41\00:41:29.65
In a chaotic work environment,
in an anxious and temperamental
00:41:29.68\00:41:36.42
home, inside a school
full of contention God calls us
00:41:36.46\00:41:41.00
to be peacemakers.
00:41:41.03\00:41:42.90
God calls us to be
teachers of love, of peace,
00:41:42.93\00:41:47.90
of hope, of salvation.
00:41:47.94\00:41:50.71
That is what it means to
be a true teacher and in that
00:41:50.74\00:41:53.44
capacity all of us are called.
00:41:53.48\00:41:55.18
All of us are not only called.
00:41:55.21\00:41:56.81
We are commissioned
to be true teachers.
00:41:56.85\00:42:00.45
The next quote that I would like
to read is found in the same--in
00:42:00.48\00:42:03.49
the sequence of the text, and it
says, "In the highest sense, the
00:42:03.52\00:42:06.82
work of education and the work
of redemption are one, for in
00:42:06.86\00:42:11.29
education, as in redemption,
other foundation can no man lay
00:42:11.33\00:42:16.23
than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ."
00:42:16.26\00:42:19.07
Colossians 1:19 says it was
the good pleasure of the Father,
00:42:19.10\00:42:22.37
that in Him should
all the fullness dwell.
00:42:22.40\00:42:25.94
So, friends, please, if
you forget everything else of
00:42:25.97\00:42:29.01
today's lesson,
remember this quote.
00:42:29.04\00:42:31.85
Remember this phrase: in
the highest sense, the work of
00:42:31.88\00:42:35.52
education and the
work of redemption are one.
00:42:35.55\00:42:39.12
Teachers, Sabbath School
teachers, pastors, elders,
00:42:39.15\00:42:43.12
deacons, deaconesses, all
of you that hold the capacity
00:42:43.16\00:42:46.80
of teaching, and not only that
but dear members of the church,
00:42:46.83\00:42:50.53
brothers and sisters, you are
teachers in your neighborhood.
00:42:50.57\00:42:53.67
You in that sense, you minister.
00:42:53.70\00:42:55.70
You are shepherds of people in
your community, to teach them,
00:42:55.74\00:42:59.47
because in the highest sense of
the Word, the work of education
00:42:59.51\00:43:02.98
and the work of
redemption are one.
00:43:03.01\00:43:04.81
And finally, the great
principles of education
00:43:04.85\00:43:07.32
are unchanged.
00:43:07.35\00:43:08.95
They stand fast forever and
forever, according to Psalm 111,
00:43:08.98\00:43:12.89
verse 8, for they are the
principles of the character
00:43:12.92\00:43:15.26
of God.
00:43:15.29\00:43:16.59
That is why they hold forever.
00:43:16.62\00:43:18.79
That is why they are
unchanged, to aid the student in
00:43:18.83\00:43:21.50
comprehending these principles,
and in entering into that
00:43:21.53\00:43:25.13
relation with Christ will--which
will make them a controlling
00:43:25.17\00:43:28.54
power in the life should be the
teacher's first effort and his
00:43:28.57\00:43:32.51
constant aim.
00:43:32.54\00:43:33.91
The teacher who accepts this
aim is in truth a coworker with
00:43:33.94\00:43:37.75
Christ and a
laborer together with God.
00:43:37.78\00:43:41.78
My dear friend, I'll tell
you something, and this is very
00:43:41.82\00:43:43.69
personal to me.
00:43:43.72\00:43:46.35
I love being a
pastor. I love it.
00:43:46.39\00:43:49.12
It is the passion of my life.
00:43:49.16\00:43:50.83
Of course, there are ups
and downs and there are moments
00:43:50.86\00:43:52.83
where I kind of--I
don't know, you know?
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.56
There are those quit days, those
give-up days where you feel that
00:43:54.60\00:43:58.07
everything is going down,
but I love being a pastor.
00:43:58.10\00:44:00.70
It is the passion of my life.
00:44:00.74\00:44:02.07
It is my--it's my ministry.
00:44:02.10\00:44:04.61
If I were a professional pastor
or not, I would want to do this,
00:44:04.64\00:44:07.94
but within the pastoral ministry
do you know what I love doing
00:44:07.98\00:44:10.85
the most?
00:44:10.88\00:44:12.38
I love giving Bible studies.
00:44:12.41\00:44:14.15
That's what I am
passionate about.
00:44:14.18\00:44:16.02
I love studying
the Bible with people.
00:44:16.05\00:44:18.45
I love teaching them lessons
that were taught to me as a
00:44:18.49\00:44:21.82
teenager, as a
child and growing up.
00:44:21.86\00:44:24.36
It is something that grows
on you, and the more you do it,
00:44:24.39\00:44:27.40
the more you share Jesus
in an active, interactive, and
00:44:27.46\00:44:33.54
intentional way, my friend,
the more you will fall in love
00:44:33.57\00:44:36.97
with Jesus Christ.
00:44:37.01\00:44:38.51
So, please understand today
that education is a work of
00:44:38.54\00:44:41.44
redemption and that you have
the privilege of teaching and
00:44:41.48\00:44:44.95
working that with other people.
00:44:44.98\00:44:46.78
I would like to
finish with a word of prayer.
00:44:46.82\00:44:48.65
Dear Father God, I thank you
so much for Your love for us and
00:44:48.68\00:44:51.55
for conceding to us the work of
education, which is, in truth,
00:44:51.59\00:44:55.56
the work of redemption.
00:44:55.59\00:44:57.26
Father, we are--we have such
a great privilege and honor to
00:44:57.29\00:45:00.46
work with Jesus, to work
alongside the Holy Spirit, and
00:45:00.50\00:45:03.03
to be used by God to be able
to reach a fallen world, a world
00:45:03.06\00:45:06.77
that is already vomiting its
demons, telling us and showing
00:45:06.80\00:45:10.97
us that something
is horribly wrong.
00:45:11.01\00:45:13.68
We thank You for
being a light in this world.
00:45:13.71\00:45:16.14
I ask you to please bless,
inspire, illuminate, and reveal
00:45:16.18\00:45:20.12
Your will to Your
children at home wherever
00:45:20.15\00:45:22.25
they are right now.
00:45:22.28\00:45:23.59
Use them, Father.
00:45:23.62\00:45:24.92
Imbue them with Your Spirit so
that they can be used by You to
00:45:24.95\00:45:28.46
take the eternal gospel,
the good news, to dark places
00:45:28.49\00:45:31.69
in this world.
00:45:31.73\00:45:33.06
I thank You, and I ask You these
things not in my name, for there
00:45:33.09\00:45:35.56
is no power in my name,
but in the name of Jesus Christ
00:45:35.60\00:45:38.37
I pray and I thank.
00:45:38.40\00:45:39.97
Amen and amen.
00:45:40.00\00:45:41.87
May God bless you, my dear
brother and my dear sister.
00:45:41.90\00:45:44.51
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:45:47.28\00:45:49.44
free resource.
00:45:49.48\00:45:50.81
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:45:50.85\00:45:53.05
download a digital copy
straight to your computer
00:45:53.08\00:45:55.52
or mobile device.
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To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:45:56.92\00:46:00.36
the key word on your screen to
40544, or visit the web address
00:46:00.39\00:46:05.13
shown on your screen, and
be sure to select the digital
00:46:05.16\00:46:08.13
download option
on the request page.
00:46:08.16\00:46:10.23
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:46:10.27\00:46:13.87
Amazing Facts wherever and
whenever you want and, most
00:46:13.90\00:46:17.44
important, to
share it with others.
00:46:17.47\00:46:19.74
¤¤¤
00:46:21.48\00:46:25.15
Doug Batchelor: Among the
people living in the tropics for
00:46:31.62\00:46:33.56
thousands of years, the coconut
has been a virtual tree of life.
00:46:33.59\00:46:37.96
The people use it for
food, for clothing, for water,
00:46:37.99\00:46:41.43
for tools, for soap.
00:46:41.46\00:46:43.53
It does just about everything.
00:46:43.57\00:46:45.90
The coconut has also
saved a lot of lives.
00:46:45.93\00:46:49.97
During World War II, pilots that
were shot down or sailors that
00:46:50.01\00:46:53.07
were stranded on Pacific
Islands, they lived for many
00:46:53.11\00:46:55.74
months on nothing other
than the coconut trees that were
00:46:55.78\00:46:58.91
on their islands.
00:46:58.95\00:47:00.32
Yes, sir.
00:47:00.35\00:47:01.65
The coconut is a tree of life.
00:47:01.68\00:47:03.92
One of the amazing things about
the coconut is they're designed
00:47:03.95\00:47:06.62
so they're actually
able to float across oceans.
00:47:06.65\00:47:09.92
Coconuts can go thousands
of miles, after many months be
00:47:09.96\00:47:13.09
washed up on some
deserted sandy beach.
00:47:13.13\00:47:15.53
Then, they take root, sprout,
come to life, and they'll
00:47:15.56\00:47:20.44
develop a whole new ecosystem,
holding islands in place
00:47:20.47\00:47:23.87
through a hurricane.
00:47:23.91\00:47:25.24
When the ancient Polynesian
travelers crossing oceans saw an
00:47:25.27\00:47:28.84
island with coconut
trees, they knew there was hope.
00:47:28.88\00:47:32.08
It's amazing how in virtually
no time at all those living on
00:47:32.11\00:47:35.45
Pacific Islands know how to make
baskets and all kinds of tools
00:47:35.48\00:47:39.59
from the leaves
of the coconut tree.
00:47:39.62\00:47:43.79
The coconuts even serve
different purposes at different
00:47:44.73\00:47:46.83
times in their development.
00:47:46.86\00:47:48.56
The younger green coconut,
they're full of water, and that
00:47:48.60\00:47:50.90
will keep you alive.
00:47:50.93\00:47:52.60
Mmm.
00:47:52.63\00:47:54.60
You can even make your
utensils from the coconut.
00:47:54.64\00:47:57.07
My spoon is part of
the green shell, and here,
00:47:57.11\00:48:01.68
this is the coconut jelly.
00:48:01.71\00:48:03.31
Makes good for breakfast.
00:48:03.35\00:48:07.25
The more mature coconuts, that's
where you get the meat, but you
00:48:07.28\00:48:10.09
want to make sure
that they're not bad.
00:48:10.12\00:48:11.72
The way you test this is
you can hear the water inside.
00:48:11.75\00:48:14.56
Hey, bring that mic over here.
00:48:14.59\00:48:17.06
Can you hear it?
00:48:17.09\00:48:18.39
That's a good one.
00:48:18.43\00:48:19.73
How about we take a bite?
00:48:19.76\00:48:21.13
Now, that makes a meal that
will really fill you up, and it
00:48:21.16\00:48:23.37
cleans your
teeth at the same time.
00:48:23.40\00:48:28.14
Throughout the Bible, Jesus uses
a number of metaphors to remind
00:48:28.17\00:48:31.57
us that everything we
need to survive comes from Him.
00:48:31.61\00:48:34.78
He says that
He's the living water.
00:48:34.81\00:48:36.78
Jesus tells us He
is the bread of life.
00:48:36.81\00:48:39.38
His robe covers us
with righteousness.
00:48:39.41\00:48:42.28
He is our good
shepherd that protects us.
00:48:42.32\00:48:44.82
Jesus is the living vine
through which we get our life
00:48:44.85\00:48:47.49
and our nourishment.
00:48:47.52\00:48:49.26
You might say Jesus is like the
coconut tree, a tree of life.
00:48:49.29\00:48:53.56
You know, the first few verses
in the Bible tell that God
00:48:53.60\00:48:56.16
provided a tree of life for man
so he could live forever, but
00:48:56.20\00:48:59.93
because of sin man was
separated from that tree
00:49:00.04\00:49:02.30
and from the garden.
00:49:02.34\00:49:03.77
But through trusting in Jesus
and trusting in His sacrifice on
00:49:03.81\00:49:06.81
the cross, we once again will
have access to the tree of life
00:49:06.84\00:49:10.51
and have eternal life with Him
in the kingdom, but this is all
00:49:10.55\00:49:13.65
made possible because we trust
in Jesus, who is the real tree
00:49:13.68\00:49:16.92
of life.
00:49:16.95\00:49:18.19
Jesus said, "Unless You eat
My flesh and drink My blood, you
00:49:18.22\00:49:20.76
have no life in you."
00:49:20.79\00:49:22.16
But when we accept Christ as our
sacrifice and we allow Him to
00:49:22.19\00:49:25.26
cleanse us and fill us with His
Spirit, we become new creatures,
00:49:25.29\00:49:28.86
and we can be with Him in
sharing the gift of everlasting
00:49:28.90\00:49:31.37
life with others.
00:49:31.40\00:49:33.34
Matter of fact, we can do that
right now by tossing the coconut
00:49:33.37\00:49:35.77
out and praying that it
lands on a deserted beach.
00:49:35.80\00:49:39.27
¤¤¤
00:49:40.94\00:49:45.11
¤¤¤
00:49:51.99\00:49:55.82
announcer: Amazing
facts. Changed lives.
00:50:00.43\00:50:04.40
Charlie Green: My
life was in turmoil.
00:50:08.37\00:50:10.71
My wife and I were
fighting all the time.
00:50:10.74\00:50:12.77
I got away from
everything and everybody.
00:50:12.81\00:50:15.31
I don't know.
00:50:15.34\00:50:16.64
I just always had this emptiness
in my heart I wanted filled.
00:50:16.68\00:50:20.25
I just felt like I went
my whole life, you know,
00:50:20.28\00:50:22.62
just searching for something.
00:50:22.65\00:50:25.09
And my father died,
and that ruined me a lot.
00:50:25.12\00:50:28.19
My father didn't believe
in suicide, and I didn't wanna
00:50:28.22\00:50:31.69
live, but rather than disrespect
him I decided I would just
00:50:31.73\00:50:35.40
become so mean and someone else
would do it to me and I wouldn't
00:50:35.43\00:50:38.07
have to, so I joined the army
thinking, "What better place to
00:50:38.10\00:50:40.97
get killed than in the army?"
00:50:41.00\00:50:42.57
And while I was in the
army, my daughter got injured.
00:50:42.60\00:50:45.77
She was in an accident, and she
was blind and paraplegic, and
00:50:45.81\00:50:51.98
it's just like I felt the whole
world was coming down on me.
00:50:52.01\00:50:55.02
And one morning, I just
really got mad, and I gave God a
00:50:55.05\00:50:58.72
cussing like you
wouldn't believe.
00:50:58.75\00:51:00.66
I said, "I'm not Moses.
00:51:00.69\00:51:02.16
I'm not Abraham, you know?
00:51:02.19\00:51:05.53
But I put my sandals on just
like they do, and I'm a man.
00:51:05.56\00:51:08.50
I don't want to know
why this is happening to me.
00:51:08.53\00:51:10.83
I just want to know
it's happening for a reason.
00:51:10.87\00:51:14.00
If You tell me right now that
this is all for a reason, then
00:51:14.04\00:51:16.87
You can stack it on me from here
to the end of time, and I will
00:51:16.91\00:51:20.94
never complain again."
00:51:20.98\00:51:23.75
And that little TV came on.
00:51:23.78\00:51:26.58
It'd been sitting there just
static all night long, and there
00:51:26.61\00:51:29.55
was this minister.
00:51:29.58\00:51:30.92
He pops up and says, "Today's
lesson is from the book of Job.
00:51:30.95\00:51:34.19
God only lets those
suffer that He loves the most."
00:51:34.22\00:51:37.46
And I said, "Well,
that's all You got to say, Lord.
00:51:37.49\00:51:38.89
I appreciate it more."
00:51:38.93\00:51:40.23
From that day forward, I knew
that He was there and He was in
00:51:40.26\00:51:43.33
my life and that
He would help me.
00:51:43.37\00:51:46.97
I went to prison just
almost immediately after that.
00:51:47.00\00:51:50.97
I was in prison
for aggravated assault.
00:51:51.01\00:51:53.07
I was in one of
the worst prisons
00:51:53.11\00:51:54.98
in the state of Tennessee.
00:51:55.01\00:51:56.31
It was full of gang activity.
00:51:56.34\00:51:58.61
I got my throat cut.
00:51:58.65\00:52:00.18
Fifty-two stitches in my neck.
00:52:00.22\00:52:02.98
I could take those fingers
and stick them all throughout
00:52:03.02\00:52:05.15
my mouth.
00:52:05.19\00:52:06.42
I'd gone to the library that day
because it was really about the
00:52:06.45\00:52:09.62
only thing to do, but I ran
across this little book called
00:52:09.66\00:52:12.79
"The Richest Caveman."
00:52:12.83\00:52:14.36
This book is
hilarious, but it is great.
00:52:14.40\00:52:18.20
I'm sitting here
with this big beard.
00:52:18.23\00:52:19.63
I'm thinking, "Hey, I
know what it's like to look
00:52:19.67\00:52:21.27
like a caveman."
00:52:21.30\00:52:22.60
But--[laughing]
00:52:22.64\00:52:23.94
I'm not an educated
person, I guess you'd say,
00:52:23.97\00:52:26.51
but I'm a simple guy.
00:52:26.54\00:52:27.84
I'm just really a simple guy.
00:52:27.88\00:52:29.31
That's what I loved about Doug
Batchelor, because this guy is
00:52:29.34\00:52:34.02
just straight
out as you can get.
00:52:34.05\00:52:36.58
And my wife now, we've kept
contact through all these years,
00:52:36.62\00:52:41.12
and so much has gone on.
00:52:41.16\00:52:44.96
And I told her, I said, "Listen,
this is the center of my world
00:52:44.99\00:52:49.56
right now."
00:52:49.60\00:52:50.83
And I said, "I really want you
to be involved in it with me.
00:52:50.87\00:52:53.84
I need it."
00:52:53.87\00:52:55.17
And I said, "You will, too, if
you ever just take hold of it."
00:52:55.20\00:52:58.14
I told my wife, I said, "Listen,
I've got this Amazing Facts
00:52:58.17\00:53:00.88
Bible study going here,
00:53:00.91\00:53:02.88
and this is the best way for
you to get this information."
00:53:02.91\00:53:06.51
And I think I said, "Because
it's broken down, and they give
00:53:06.55\00:53:10.55
you questions and--to make you
look for these things, you know?
00:53:10.59\00:53:17.76
So, it's not anyone telling you.
00:53:17.79\00:53:19.73
You find it on your
own, and they teach you
00:53:19.76\00:53:21.83
to actually use the Bible."
00:53:21.86\00:53:23.63
She was there faithfully every
Wednesday, until we decided, you
00:53:23.67\00:53:28.24
know, she wanted
to be baptized also.
00:53:28.27\00:53:31.71
She started coming around.
00:53:31.74\00:53:33.88
The choice was made.
00:53:33.91\00:53:35.78
On October 4, 2014, my wife and
I were baptized in the water, at
00:53:35.81\00:53:41.02
the same time, and we
started our walk together,
00:53:41.05\00:53:46.82
I guess you'd say.
00:53:46.86\00:53:48.19
I went through everything that
a man could possibly go through,
00:53:48.22\00:53:51.43
I guess, from marital
trouble, loss of family members,
00:53:51.46\00:53:57.33
death in my family.
00:53:57.37\00:53:58.90
My children were harmed,
00:53:58.93\00:54:01.27
and my daughter was
handicapped for life.
00:54:01.30\00:54:04.04
I went to prison, but still
I kept my word to God that He
00:54:04.07\00:54:09.68
could stack it on
me as much as He wanted
00:54:09.71\00:54:12.31
and I'd never
question Him again.
00:54:12.35\00:54:13.78
And I didn't, but I could say
this much: He never put nothing
00:54:13.82\00:54:19.15
on me that I couldn't
handle, and He walked with me
00:54:19.19\00:54:22.32
through it all.
00:54:22.36\00:54:23.86
And I'd like to say that--to
anyone who is in prison,
00:54:23.89\00:54:29.30
not to give up.
00:54:29.33\00:54:30.63
Don't lose hope.
00:54:30.67\00:54:31.97
Put your faith in the
Lord and study and seek Him,
00:54:32.00\00:54:36.17
and He will seek you.
00:54:36.20\00:54:37.54
And my name is Charlie Green,
and I want you to know that you
00:54:37.57\00:54:40.71
and Amazing Facts
have changed my life.
00:54:40.74\00:54:44.01
¤¤¤
00:54:45.51\00:54:54.06
¤¤¤
00:54:57.26\00:55:00.43
Doug: Can you hear me now?
00:55:05.17\00:55:06.77
Can you hear me now?
00:55:06.80\00:55:08.74
Can you hear me now?
00:55:08.77\00:55:10.97
Actually, I know they can't hear
me because there's no cell-phone
00:55:11.01\00:55:13.44
reception here.
00:55:13.48\00:55:14.78
We're right now standing in what
is known as a quiet zone, and
00:55:14.81\00:55:18.81
there's a very
good reason for that.
00:55:18.85\00:55:21.02
Hidden, nestled among the jungle
mountains of Puerto Rico is a
00:55:21.05\00:55:24.32
giant sentinel, an
aluminum ear 1,000 feet across.
00:55:24.35\00:55:29.39
Located 10 miles south of the
coastal city of Arecibo, this
00:55:29.42\00:55:33.23
enormous space-age
parabolic dish is aimed
00:55:33.26\00:55:35.90
at the sky listening.
00:55:35.93\00:55:38.37
Built in 1963 by
Cornell University, the Arecibo
00:55:38.40\00:55:42.20
Observatory dish is
one of the largest curved
00:55:42.24\00:55:44.77
focusing antennas on Earth.
00:55:44.81\00:55:47.31
The dish surface is made
of nearly 40,000 perforated
00:55:47.34\00:55:50.78
aluminum panels, each measuring
about 3 feet by 6 feet and
00:55:50.81\00:55:54.62
supported by a
mesh of steel cables.
00:55:54.65\00:55:56.69
The vast antenna surface covers
18 acres, or about the same size
00:55:56.72\00:56:01.06
as 26 football fields.
00:56:01.09\00:56:03.26
When the huge telescope switches
to radar mode, it beams out a
00:56:03.29\00:56:06.93
powerful signal of 1 million
watts towards the planets,
00:56:06.96\00:56:10.20
moons, asteroids, and comets.
00:56:10.23\00:56:12.60
The faint echo of the signal
bouncing off its astronomical
00:56:12.63\00:56:15.27
targets is collected by the
huge dish and then amplified,
00:56:15.30\00:56:19.54
allowing scientists to
create scanner-like images
00:56:19.57\00:56:22.08
and maps of the object.
00:56:22.11\00:56:23.58
But another primary purpose for
the Acibo Observatory is SETI.
00:56:23.61\00:56:28.12
SETI's an acronym for Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence.
00:56:28.15\00:56:32.75
They're listening
for messages from above.
00:56:32.79\00:56:35.32
For over 50 years, radio
astronomers have used the
00:56:35.36\00:56:38.73
world's largest radio telescope
to study the radio signals
00:56:38.76\00:56:41.96
emanating from the cosmos.
00:56:42.00\00:56:44.20
While listening to the strange
songs buried in the heart of
00:56:44.23\00:56:47.10
distant stars and quasars,
they're also listening and
00:56:47.14\00:56:50.27
analyzing every signal
for signs of intelligent life.
00:56:50.31\00:56:54.71
It's really astonishing when you
think about it, that for more
00:56:54.74\00:56:57.45
than 50 years now the Arecibo
Observatory has been scanning
00:56:57.48\00:57:01.68
the heavens, spending millions
of dollars wondering if there's
00:57:01.72\00:57:05.15
intelligent life out there.
00:57:05.19\00:57:06.82
Yet in more than half a century
of listening, SETI has not
00:57:06.86\00:57:10.19
identified a single radio
signal that seems to come from
00:57:10.23\00:57:13.46
extraterrestrial intelligence.
00:57:13.50\00:57:16.23
Perhaps they're missing
the forest because the trees
00:57:16.26\00:57:18.03
are in the way.
00:57:18.07\00:57:19.67
Some messages have actually
already come from space.
00:57:19.70\00:57:22.64
You know, the Bible tells us in
the book of Romans faith comes
00:57:22.67\00:57:25.27
by hearing, and hearing
comes by the Word of God.
00:57:25.31\00:57:28.74
It seems often when God wants
to talk to us, He has to take us
00:57:28.78\00:57:31.45
where we can
actually hear His voice.
00:57:31.48\00:57:33.85
When God wanted to speak to
Elijah, he ended up down in the
00:57:33.88\00:57:36.75
deserts of Mount Sinai.
00:57:36.79\00:57:38.52
There was a fire, an earthquake,
and a wind, but God was not in
00:57:38.55\00:57:41.86
the earthquake or the fire or
the wind, but God spoke through
00:57:41.89\00:57:45.26
a still, small voice.
00:57:45.29\00:57:47.10
Jesus wants to talk to you.
00:57:47.13\00:57:48.63
He has a plan for your life, but
you need to have a quiet place
00:57:48.66\00:57:51.90
where you can hear Him.
00:57:51.93\00:57:53.54
[phone ringing]
00:57:53.57\00:57:56.47
Doug: Oh, it's for you.
00:57:56.50\00:57:58.67
¤¤¤
00:58:02.68\00:58:11.92
¤¤¤
00:58:13.56\00:58:23.00