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Carlos Munoz: Maranatha
and happy Sabbath to everyone.
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Welcome to our Granite Bay
Hilltop Seventh-day Adventist
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Church for our
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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So today's an exciting Sabbath
because it's going to be our
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first Sabbath school
from our new Amazing Facts and
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Granite Bay sanctuary.
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So I want to welcome everybody
that's watching on Amazing Facts
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Television, on our social
media, and on all the different
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networks and TV
networks that are following us.
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And as most of you know,
we're here in the Granite Bay
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Roseville, Sacramento area.
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So if you're ever in town, we
invite you to come join us once
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the restrictions are over.
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Amen?
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So thank you for
being here with us.
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Today we're on lesson for
education as we're going through
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our Sabbath school quarterly.
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We want to remind everybody that
if you do not have your Sabbath
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school lesson, you can go to
amazingfacts.org or you can also
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go to granitebaysda.org and you
can download the lesson for free
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so that you can join us
when--during this lesson.
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And so before we start, we
want to have a word of prayer.
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Heavenly Father, we
thank You for this opportunity.
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We thank You for the blessing
and for the guidance and for
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Your love and Your
patience, and we thank You,
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Father, for this opportunity
also where we can come together
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on Your holy day to celebrate
and commemorate that You are our
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God and study
Your Word together.
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So thank You,
Father, for this opportunity.
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I ask a special
blessing for Pastor Doug,
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and may Your Spirit speak in him
and through him so that we can
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have a good,
joyful study of Your Word.
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Thank You, Father,
for this opportunity,
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and we ask and beg
these things in Jesus's name.
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Amen.
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Pastor Doug Batchelor:
And good morning, friends.
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I want to welcome
those who are watching
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on television right now.
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You might be watching on Amazing
Facts TV or you're watching on
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Facebook or YouTube
or one of our outlets.
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This is sort of our inaugural
class of Sabbath school here
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in the sanctuary.
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And, you know, because of the
shutdowns in California--varying
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degrees around the country,
but at least here in California,
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we just have a handful of
people here because we're having
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a baptism today.
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But the majority of our
folks are worshipping from home.
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We want to send you greetings
to all of our members online.
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We're continuing with our study
on the subject of education,
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and today we're in lesson
number 11 and the title is
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"The Christian and Work."
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And, you know, sometimes
when--in the context of
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Christianity when
you talk about work,
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people talk to you as
though you are legalistic,
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but work is a good
thing for a Christian.
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And to be a Christian with good
works is actually a blessing,
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as long as it's done
from the right motive.
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We have a memory verse, and the
memory verse comes to us from
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1 Corinthians 15, verse 58.
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This is in the New
King James Version.
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"Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be steadfast,
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immovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord,
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knowing that your
labor is not in vain."
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Talking about
the work of the Lord,
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knowing that our
labor is not in vain.
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Well, we have a lot of
information to cover on this
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subject, and I'm hoping that
I'm able to teach the lesson
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objectively because I'll
tell you I do have a bias here.
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I think sometimes that there's
such an emphasis on grace and
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Christianity that work
almost becomes a dirty word.
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And so I could--I'm at risk of
leaning or letting the pendulum
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swing too far to the other side
because I think work is such
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a blessing and some
people view it as a curse.
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But first, it might be a good
idea to start with a definition.
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Work: the expenditure of
effort to accomplish a task,
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to perform or fulfill duties
regularly for wages or salary,
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to perform or carry through a
task requiring sustained effort
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or continuous
repeated operations;
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to exert oneself
physically or mentally,
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especially in a
sustained effort for a purpose
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or under
compulsion or necessity.
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So some of the
definitions of what is work.
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Now, you know, I found it
interesting as I looked up
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the definition of work.
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They've got a
definition of work in botany.
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There's a
definition of work in physics.
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I mean--so work is talking
about activity with hundreds
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of different definitions.
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You know, I was interested;
the wisest man who ever lived,
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Solomon, he says this in
Ecclesiastes chapter 1, verse 5.
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Basically, the whole
universe is full of work.
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Says, "The sun also
rises and the sun goes down,
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and it hastens to
the place where it rose.
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The wind goes towards
the south, and it returns
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towards the north.
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The wind whirls about
continually and comes again
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on its circuit.
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All the rivers run into the
sea, yet the sea is not full.
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To the place from
which the rivers come,
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there they return again."
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Goes through evaporation.
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"All things are full of labor.
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Man cannot express it.
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The eye is not
satisfied with seeing,
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nor is the ear
filled with hearing."
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In the world around us,
everything from the neutrons and
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electrons that are always
spinning to the atomic level;
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everything is
constantly in motion.
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And unless you get out in space
and you can find a place where
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you realize what
they call absolute zero,
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whenever there is heat, there's
movement and there's life and
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there's activity all
through God's cosmos.
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The planets are moving.
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Everything is moving.
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So under the first section
in your lesson dealing with the
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Christian work, it talks
about the many sides of work.
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Work was part of God's
original plan for creation.
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You have to admit that if God
first made man and put him in
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a paradise and the idea was he
was to string a hammock between
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two good trees and just swing
back and forth in those trees,
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life would get
pretty boring pretty quick.
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God is a creator.
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God is a worker, and
He made us in His image;
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and we are designed
to work, be productive,
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and to create.
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It says in Genesis 2, verse 15,
"Then the Lord God took the man
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and put him in the Garden of
Eden to tend and to keep it."
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God gave man work.
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Now, the work in the Garden of
Eden before sin and even before
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the flood was
probably very different from
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what we think of now.
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I heard a--I heard
about up a prison warden.
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I think it was San Quentin.
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And he was asked, you know,
"What kinds of different people
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have you had in your prison?"
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He said, "You know, I can tell
you that we've had every kind
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of occupation in our prison."
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Said, "We've had doctors and
dentists and lawyers and common
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laborers and," he
said, "businesspeople
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and accountants."
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And he said, "We've
had just about everything."
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He said, "I was struck one
day that I can't remember us
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ever having a horticulturist."
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And it's interesting that
God made man originally to be
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a gardener.
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And the leader of the
San Quentin prison said,
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"I don't think we've ever
had a gardener in our prison."
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So God gave man an original job
to dress and to keep the garden.
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And it says here He put
them in there to tend it.
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I think he was training vines.
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Maybe he was creating hybrids
from the different plants
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and flowers.
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And, you know, he must
have had an infinite number of
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opportunities of things to do.
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A young person asked
me a question during our
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"Revelation Now" program.
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"Were there bananas
in the Garden of Eden?"
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And I said, "Technically no."
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Because the banana is a hybrid
of two Asian fruits that by
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themselves are not very tasty,
but somehow when you cross them
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and you create the banana.
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You ever try and
plant a banana seed?
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Bananas have no seeds,
and the way they plant them
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is they take shoots.
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But those two Asian fruits
by themselves are not very good,
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but together they
created the superfood.
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I also understand pineapples are
a hybrid that is very unique.
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And I think that God maybe
wanted Adam to do some creating
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through the horticulture and
training the vines and making
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houses out of living things.
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It's just hard for us to
comprehend what his work was,
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but work was a delight.
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Now, I don't know about you,
but sometimes I get involved in
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a project and I am
so excited about it.
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I like making and
working and fixing and building.
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And a little while
ago, you can ask Karen,
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I just--I replaced a shower
door that was in our house.
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It came with the house and
it was not in very good shape,
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and I got so
excited and involved.
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I actually woke up
excited to work on it,
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and I think at the Garden of
Eden man was excited about his
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work that he was to do.
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Ecclesiastes 3, verse 12 and 13:
"I know that nothing is better
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for them than to rejoice
and to do good in their lives,
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and that also every man should
eat and drink and enjoy the
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good of all of his labor."
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God designed us to
enjoy the good of our labor.
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This is what Solomon said:
"All the days of their life."
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But after sin, was work
still part of God's plan?
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Yes.
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I'm asking our
local handful here.
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It was, but it did change.
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Look in Genesis 3, verse 17.
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"Cursed is the
ground for your sake.
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In toil of it, you shall
eat all the days of your life.
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Both thorns and thistles
it will bring forth to you,
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and you will eat
the herb of the field.
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In the sweat of your face, you
shall eat bread till you return
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to the ground."
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Now, it is true that the earth
was cursed because of sin and
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work became more difficult.
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But was work a curse or was work
designed to still be a blessing?
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The ideal of work was actually
be a blessing to man and
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keep him out of trouble.
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You ever heard the
expression "idleness is
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the devil's workshop?"
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Anyone know
what verse that's in?
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It's not in the Bible.
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It's probably had
been Benjamin Franklin,
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but the
principle is in the Bible.
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It talks about the sin of Sodom.
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Everyone thinks about the sins
of the flesh when they think of
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Sodom, but in Ezekiel,
I think it's chapter 16,
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it says, "This was the
sin of your sister Sodom.
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Idleness and fullness of bread."
00:11:18.27\00:11:22.08
Things were so abundant there in
the Vale of Sodom before it was
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cursed with fire and brimstone
that they scarcely had to work.
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It was back like
the Garden of Eden,
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the Bible says.
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And because they had all
that leisure and they had sinful
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natures, they got
into a lot of trouble.
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But so many people
would be saved from trouble,
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especially the young
people, if they were given tasks
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and kept busy.
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Work is a good
thing in that respect.
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And you look in John 17,
ultimately a Christian is made
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in the image of God.
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Is God a worker?
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What does Jesus say?
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John 5, verse 17:
"But Jesus answered them,
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'My Father has
been working until now,
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and I have been working.'"
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And then you look
in Ecclesiastes 7,
00:12:04.89\00:12:07.46
verse 13, Solomon says,
"Consider the work of God."
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There's a lot of verses we could
point to that make it pretty
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clear God's a worker; and He is
constantly involved in not only
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supplying, but creating
and sustaining the things
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that He makes.
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God is very busy.
00:12:27.48\00:12:29.48
Heaven is a busy place.
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Let me give you a quote from
the book "Maranatha" page 350.
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A matter of fact, I've a
few quotes from the same page.
00:12:34.35\00:12:37.02
"Maranatha" page 350
says, "God is a constant worker.
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The angels are workers.
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They are ministers to
God for the children of men.
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.73
Those who look forward to
heaven in inactivity will be
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disappointed, for the economy
of heaven provides no place for
00:12:50.67\00:12:53.84
the gratification of indolence.
00:12:53.87\00:12:56.17
But to the
weary and heavy-laden,
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rest is promised.
00:12:58.47\00:13:00.21
It is the faithful servant who
is welcome from his labors to
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the joy of the Lord."
00:13:04.08\00:13:05.68
God does not say, "Well
done, good and lazy servant.
00:13:05.71\00:13:08.42
Enter into the joy of the Lord."
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It's the diligent servant
that will enjoy the rest,
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but it's not constant rest.
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You know, some of the ideas
people have of heaven is that,
00:13:17.09\00:13:19.56
you know, folks are going to
be floating on clouds with their
00:13:19.59\00:13:22.90
hands behind
their head and just,
00:13:22.93\00:13:24.93
you know, enjoying
eternal nothingness.
00:13:24.97\00:13:27.47
But no, heaven is
going to be a busy place.
00:13:27.50\00:13:30.41
What does it say
we're doing in heaven?
00:13:30.44\00:13:32.54
God makes a mansion for us,
but you know that other verse.
00:13:32.57\00:13:36.54
I think it's in Isaiah 11.
00:13:36.58\00:13:38.28
They will build
houses and inhabit them.
00:13:38.31\00:13:41.52
They will plant vineyards
and eat the fruit of them.
00:13:41.55\00:13:44.25
My elect will long enjoy
the works of their hands,
00:13:44.29\00:13:48.99
the labor of their hands.
00:13:49.02\00:13:50.73
So even in heaven--God
created us to be busy.
00:13:50.76\00:13:52.83
So it's certainly
part of his plan here.
00:13:52.86\00:13:55.03
Now, you know, like anyone
else, I enjoy the times of rest,
00:13:55.06\00:13:58.63
but God wants us
to be productive.
00:13:58.67\00:14:01.14
I told my kids when
they were growing up,
00:14:01.17\00:14:03.04
and I suppose my
father hammered this in me,
00:14:03.07\00:14:07.44
there's two kinds
of people in life.
00:14:07.48\00:14:11.05
You've got
producers and consumers.
00:14:11.08\00:14:15.58
Now, everybody consumes.
00:14:15.62\00:14:18.65
We can't live
without consumption,
00:14:18.69\00:14:21.52
whether it's for food or
energy or clothing or whatever.
00:14:21.56\00:14:24.76
We are always consuming the
results of somebody's labor.
00:14:24.79\00:14:28.46
But the question is,
at the end of your life,
00:14:28.50\00:14:31.70
have you done more
consuming or have you produced
00:14:31.73\00:14:34.00
more than you consumed?
00:14:34.04\00:14:35.84
I believe one of the keys is you
want to leave the world a better
00:14:35.87\00:14:38.44
place than you found
it and be putting more in
00:14:38.47\00:14:41.01
than you're taking out.
00:14:41.04\00:14:43.11
And so I think God
wants us to be producers.
00:14:43.14\00:14:45.71
And so I always
told my kids, you know,
00:14:45.75\00:14:48.52
it's okay to enjoy a gift
and enjoy the fruits of someone
00:14:48.55\00:14:51.89
else's labor, but make sure
that you are producing in life,
00:14:51.92\00:14:55.49
that you are
contributing to life.
00:14:55.52\00:14:57.66
And whatever your gifts
are--everyone's got different
00:14:57.69\00:15:00.76
gifts and the
way they--you know,
00:15:00.80\00:15:02.80
their occupations
and their callings,
00:15:02.83\00:15:04.33
how they use those
gifts in the work of God.
00:15:04.37\00:15:06.27
So God wants us to be producers.
00:15:06.30\00:15:09.67
All right, let's talk a little
bit about work and nurture.
00:15:09.70\00:15:15.48
Now, one of the things I think
is interesting is when we talk
00:15:15.51\00:15:21.65
about the Sabbath commandment,
what does the Sabbath
00:15:21.68\00:15:23.59
commandment say?
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.72
Says rest.
00:15:25.75\00:15:27.59
Is that all it says?
00:15:27.62\00:15:29.66
What's the first part of that?
00:15:29.69\00:15:32.06
Six days you shall--
00:15:32.09\00:15:34.46
Do you notice that there
is a command to labor as well
00:15:34.50\00:15:36.46
as a command to rest?
00:15:36.50\00:15:38.37
And how many of the
7 days are we to rest?
00:15:38.40\00:15:40.94
How many of the
seven do we rest?
00:15:40.97\00:15:45.27
One.
00:15:45.31\00:15:46.61
How many of the
seven do we work?
00:15:46.64\00:15:48.74
Six.
00:15:48.78\00:15:50.78
But the emphasis on the
fourth commandment is always
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.11
on the one to rest.
00:15:53.15\00:15:54.55
That's because
most people, you know,
00:15:54.58\00:15:56.38
probably have a struggle resting
in the Lord the way we're
00:15:56.42\00:15:59.49
commanded, but really it's
a command that also involves,
00:15:59.52\00:16:02.69
"I created you to be productive.
00:16:02.72\00:16:05.16
Six days you shall labor."
00:16:05.19\00:16:07.13
It doesn't say if
you're in the mood.
00:16:07.13\00:16:09.00
God says six
days you should labor.
00:16:09.03\00:16:12.07
Depends on what your work is.
00:16:12.10\00:16:13.57
You know, Jesus was a carpenter,
and some people are shepherds
00:16:13.60\00:16:16.07
and fishermen and there's
all different kinds of work.
00:16:16.10\00:16:18.14
And God gives people
their respective gifts,
00:16:18.17\00:16:21.24
but God wants to be--us to
be productive and He wants us
00:16:21.28\00:16:24.45
to be busy six days.
00:16:24.48\00:16:27.05
Deuteronomy 16:15: "Seven days
you shall keep a sacred feast to
00:16:27.08\00:16:31.62
the Lord Your God in the place
which the Lord chooses because
00:16:31.65\00:16:35.69
the Lord Your God will bless you
in all your produce and in all
00:16:35.72\00:16:39.83
the work of your hands so
that you shall surely rejoice."
00:16:39.86\00:16:44.07
Few weeks ago, Karen and I took
a trip up into the hills and
00:16:44.10\00:16:48.07
this was, you know,
following the fires,
00:16:48.10\00:16:50.74
and we had a long day
and a lot to accomplish
00:16:50.77\00:16:56.61
in very little time.
00:16:56.64\00:16:58.45
You ever had a
situation like that?
00:16:58.48\00:17:00.75
We had to travel a long way.
00:17:00.78\00:17:02.48
We had some tasks.
00:17:02.52\00:17:04.55
Going up to the ranch, we needed
to set down this horse trough
00:17:04.59\00:17:09.86
and plumb some water
to it to provide for the
00:17:09.89\00:17:12.23
animals up there.
00:17:12.26\00:17:13.73
And it was, you know,
4-hour drive from Sacramento to
00:17:13.76\00:17:17.00
get up there.
00:17:17.03\00:17:18.50
And a tree was in the road and
we had to walk 4 miles to get
00:17:18.53\00:17:21.94
a chainsaw and walk 4 miles back
to cut the tree out of there.
00:17:21.97\00:17:25.77
I think we rode back on our quad
to cut the tree out of the road.
00:17:25.81\00:17:29.18
That's right.
00:17:29.21\00:17:30.51
But I kept
thinking, "Oh, dear--"
00:17:30.55\00:17:33.25
I said, "This is what I'd like
to see get accomplished today,
00:17:33.28\00:17:35.95
but it's going to
really take the blessing of God
00:17:35.98\00:17:37.55
to get this all done."
00:17:37.59\00:17:38.89
The fires--trees were falling
after the fire because the roots
00:17:38.92\00:17:42.06
were burnt out, and we had
to cut a number of trees out
00:17:42.09\00:17:45.43
of the way.
00:17:45.46\00:17:47.10
And I said, "Lord--" We prayed.
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.10
We said, "Lord, we need
You to bless our work today.
00:17:49.13\00:17:52.20
Because unless You bless, this
whole trip's going to be a waste
00:17:52.23\00:17:55.17
and it won't get done."
00:17:55.20\00:17:57.01
And, you know, we
had a few roadblocks,
00:17:57.04\00:17:59.14
but God blessed, and we were
able to get everything done.
00:17:59.17\00:18:03.04
At the end of the day
we're driving around saying,
00:18:03.08\00:18:04.38
"Well, praise the Lord.
00:18:04.41\00:18:05.71
We got our tasks done today.
00:18:05.75\00:18:07.12
God blessed our work."
00:18:07.15\00:18:08.45
You ever have a day like that?
00:18:08.48\00:18:10.09
You just say, "Wow, everything
really went well today."
00:18:10.12\00:18:12.52
Now, how many of you
had the other days also,
00:18:12.55\00:18:15.32
where you said, "I may as well
go back to bed because nothing
00:18:15.36\00:18:19.46
is working out today."
00:18:19.49\00:18:22.60
So it's nice when we pray.
00:18:22.63\00:18:24.80
God says here, "And the Lord
Your God will bless you and all
00:18:24.83\00:18:29.77
your produce and the work
of your hands so that you will
00:18:29.80\00:18:32.47
surely rejoice."
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.11
There's a verse you want
to underline and claim that
00:18:34.14\00:18:36.51
promise, say, "Lord,
please bless my work today,
00:18:36.54\00:18:39.21
that I can be productive
for Your honor and glory."
00:18:39.25\00:18:42.22
But yeah, we all know what it's
like when our work is cursed.
00:18:42.25\00:18:45.02
We want our work to be blessed,
and I guess one of the keys is
00:18:45.05\00:18:47.76
make sure you're doing
His work and He'll bless it.
00:18:47.79\00:18:50.59
You know, I always enjoy
reminding our evangelists in the
00:18:50.63\00:18:56.56
Amazing Facts team that we
are doing what God told us to do
00:18:56.60\00:19:00.67
so we can count on His blessing.
00:19:00.70\00:19:02.20
You know, Jesus said,
"Go into all the world
00:19:02.24\00:19:04.14
and preach the gospel."
00:19:04.17\00:19:05.71
And that's what we do
as a pastor in evangelism.
00:19:05.74\00:19:08.64
And if you're doing
what God commands you to do,
00:19:08.68\00:19:10.11
is He going to help you do it?
00:19:10.15\00:19:13.15
I say that again.
00:19:13.18\00:19:14.48
It's a simple truth,
but I think profound.
00:19:14.52\00:19:15.75
If you're attempting to do what
God has commanded you to do and
00:19:15.78\00:19:19.62
you ask for His help, why
would He not help you do what
00:19:19.65\00:19:23.53
He's commanded you to do?
00:19:23.56\00:19:25.23
So one of the big challenges in
life is make sure you're doing
00:19:25.26\00:19:28.26
what God called you to do.
00:19:28.30\00:19:31.27
Proverbs 21:25: "The desire
of the lazy man kills him,
00:19:31.30\00:19:37.04
for his hand refuses to labor."
00:19:37.07\00:19:39.84
You know, it's actually
downright convicting if you
00:19:39.87\00:19:43.55
go through Proverbs
and read everything He says
00:19:43.58\00:19:45.21
about the lazy.
00:19:45.25\00:19:46.55
I'm not going to read them
all, but He talks about the lazy
00:19:46.58\00:19:49.48
man who turns in his bed.
00:19:49.52\00:19:52.05
He says, "I can't work.
00:19:52.09\00:19:53.39
There's a lion in the street."
00:19:53.42\00:19:54.99
And he's got 100
reasons not to do anything.
00:19:55.02\00:19:57.03
But says those who
are doing God's work,
00:19:57.06\00:20:00.33
He will bless them.
00:20:00.36\00:20:03.70
Ecclesiastes 5:12: "The sleep
of the laboring man is sweet."
00:20:03.73\00:20:09.20
God said to Adam, you
know, "You're going to work,
00:20:09.24\00:20:12.34
and you're going to work
in the sweat of your brow.
00:20:12.37\00:20:15.68
And it might be uncomfortable,
but there are rewards to that."
00:20:15.71\00:20:19.91
For one thing, you will really
enjoy your breaks and your food
00:20:19.95\00:20:23.85
and you will
really enjoy your sleep.
00:20:23.89\00:20:27.29
All right.
00:20:27.32\00:20:28.56
In Jeremiah 1:16 it says, "I'll
utter My judgments against them
00:20:28.59\00:20:32.46
concerning all of
their wickedness because
00:20:32.49\00:20:34.83
they've forsaken me.
00:20:34.86\00:20:36.30
They've burned incense to other
gods and worshiped the works
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.67
of their own hands."
00:20:38.70\00:20:40.77
Now, we're to--whatever we do,
whether we eat or drink or work,
00:20:40.80\00:20:45.01
we're to work for God's
glory, but I think we all know
00:20:45.04\00:20:47.74
some people work
for their own glory.
00:20:47.78\00:20:49.84
So that kind of work,
God says He can't bless.
00:20:49.88\00:20:54.48
And some people worship
the works of their hands.
00:20:54.52\00:20:57.75
They make an idol
and they pray to it.
00:20:57.79\00:20:59.49
They're really worshiping
the works of their hands.
00:20:59.52\00:21:01.59
What was the problem with
Babel when they were building
00:21:01.62\00:21:04.16
the Tower of Babel?
00:21:04.19\00:21:06.03
Is God against
building buildings?
00:21:06.06\00:21:09.30
No.
00:21:09.33\00:21:11.10
He--God told
them to build the ark.
00:21:11.13\00:21:13.10
He told them to
build the temple.
00:21:13.13\00:21:14.54
I mean, God's
not against building.
00:21:14.57\00:21:16.17
They were building something
to make a name for themselves.
00:21:16.20\00:21:20.08
They said, "Let
us build a tower,
00:21:20.11\00:21:22.48
that we might make
a name for ourselves."
00:21:22.51\00:21:24.35
They weren't
interested in the glory of God,
00:21:24.38\00:21:25.91
they were interested in
worshipping their own works;
00:21:25.95\00:21:27.95
and I think that's
probably still true today,
00:21:27.98\00:21:30.32
that there are places in
the world where men are building
00:21:30.35\00:21:32.99
massive monuments to
themselves for their own glory.
00:21:33.02\00:21:36.39
God says He can't bless that.
00:21:36.42\00:21:39.06
They're worshiping the
works of their own hands.
00:21:39.09\00:21:40.96
John 9:4.
00:21:41.00\00:21:44.00
Do you know we
are saved by a work?
00:21:44.03\00:21:46.74
People think, "Pastor
Doug, you just spoke heresy."
00:21:46.77\00:21:50.94
We are saved by work, a work.
00:21:50.97\00:21:55.24
You know what the work is?
00:21:55.28\00:21:56.58
Jesus tells us.
00:21:56.61\00:21:57.91
John 9:4: "I must work
the works of Him who sent me
00:21:57.95\00:22:01.88
while it is day.
00:22:01.92\00:22:03.39
The night is coming
when no man can work."
00:22:03.42\00:22:05.62
And then Christ
says, "This is the work,
00:22:05.65\00:22:08.56
that you believe on the
one whom the Father is sent."
00:22:08.59\00:22:11.53
So there's a work for
us all to do in believing.
00:22:11.56\00:22:14.56
Amen?
00:22:14.56\00:22:16.26
Work and excellence.
00:22:16.30\00:22:18.17
Let's talk about
this a little bit.
00:22:18.20\00:22:20.40
In Ecclesiastes 9:10,
"Whatever your hand finds to do,
00:22:20.44\00:22:24.91
do it with your might for
there is no work or device or
00:22:24.94\00:22:29.44
knowledge or wisdom in
the grave where you're going."
00:22:29.48\00:22:33.28
Now, this is an extreme example,
but in the Marines during basic
00:22:33.31\00:22:36.12
training, you'll hear the
drill instructor shout out,
00:22:36.15\00:22:39.82
"Work now.
00:22:39.85\00:22:41.49
You'll get plenty of time
to sleep when you're dead."
00:22:41.52\00:22:44.26
That's what they
tell you in the Marines.
00:22:44.29\00:22:46.23
I know.
00:22:46.26\00:22:47.56
That's not good theology
for us because you don't want
00:22:47.60\00:22:51.13
to work yourself to death.
00:22:51.17\00:22:52.77
There's a good place for rest.
00:22:52.80\00:22:54.37
But, you know, Solomon said,
"Whatever your hand finds to do,
00:22:54.40\00:22:58.01
do it with your might for
there's no knowledge or wisdom
00:22:58.04\00:23:00.44
or activity in the
grave where you're going."
00:23:00.48\00:23:03.08
And it's a good practice
in life that whatever you do,
00:23:03.11\00:23:08.38
do it as well as you can.
00:23:08.42\00:23:10.72
How many of you had fathers
or mothers that said if you're
00:23:10.75\00:23:13.62
going to do a job, do it right?
00:23:13.66\00:23:15.86
You heard that before?
00:23:15.89\00:23:17.96
If you're going to
do it, do it right.
00:23:17.99\00:23:20.70
And I remember some old
timers I greatly respected.
00:23:20.73\00:23:22.93
One of them named Bill
Rome, and he talked to me
00:23:22.96\00:23:27.40
about wood cutting.
00:23:27.44\00:23:28.80
He said, "If you're
in the wood business,
00:23:28.84\00:23:30.21
you need to make
every lick count."
00:23:30.24\00:23:32.21
What he meant by
that is sharpen your axe,
00:23:32.24\00:23:35.11
sharpen your saw.
00:23:35.14\00:23:37.01
You don't want to keep swinging
and swinging and swinging with
00:23:37.05\00:23:39.55
a dull axe or saw because
you're wearing yourself down,
00:23:39.58\00:23:42.35
you're using your energy up.
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.35
He said, "Make every lick count.
00:23:44.39\00:23:45.99
Whatever you do, do it with all
of your might," and I've always
00:23:46.02\00:23:50.16
tried to remember that.
00:23:50.19\00:23:52.39
If you read
also in Colossians 3,
00:23:52.43\00:23:55.60
verse 23 and 24, we're talking
about working with excellence.
00:23:55.63\00:23:58.77
"And whatever you
do, do it heartily,
00:23:58.80\00:24:02.54
as to the Lord and not to
men, knowing that from the Lord
00:24:02.57\00:24:06.68
you'll receive the
reward of inheritance;
00:24:06.71\00:24:09.64
for you serve the
Lord Jesus Christ."
00:24:09.68\00:24:12.05
I had a friend.
00:24:12.08\00:24:14.18
I don't know how we
ended up being friends.
00:24:14.22\00:24:15.52
I think I met him hitchhiking.
00:24:15.55\00:24:17.35
I can tell you his name
because it was a nickname.
00:24:17.39\00:24:19.65
His name was Red Band John
because he always wore a red
00:24:19.69\00:24:22.72
bandana, but he was one of
the laziest people I ever knew.
00:24:22.76\00:24:28.16
And he was young and healthy.
00:24:28.20\00:24:31.47
Like me he was in his 20s,
but he would go down and he'd
00:24:31.50\00:24:33.37
complain to the post office if
his welfare check wasn't there
00:24:33.40\00:24:35.87
on time.
00:24:35.90\00:24:37.61
He just figured the
world owed him everything.
00:24:37.64\00:24:39.51
And one day he was
all out of welfare money,
00:24:39.54\00:24:41.64
and I'd found a job
and they needed two people.
00:24:41.68\00:24:43.75
I said, "John, why
don't you come with me?"
00:24:43.78\00:24:45.31
And we were working for the
pastor's wife who is in her 80s
00:24:45.35\00:24:51.62
at this time, and she
wanted us to shovel some gravel.
00:24:51.65\00:24:55.19
It was something real basic.
00:24:55.22\00:24:56.52
Cut some boards
and shovel some gravel,
00:24:56.56\00:24:57.96
working on a garden fence.
00:24:57.99\00:24:59.89
And I was out there
working best as I knew how.
00:24:59.93\00:25:05.30
John was eating a donut with one
hand and sawing with the other
00:25:05.33\00:25:10.24
with a handsaw.
00:25:10.27\00:25:12.34
And she sat--Mrs. Phillips,
she stood there in amazement.
00:25:13.51\00:25:18.71
She watched John
for a little while,
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.98
and she put her
hands on her hips.
00:25:21.02\00:25:23.02
She said, "I've
never seen anybody so lazy
00:25:23.05\00:25:25.99
in my whole life."
00:25:26.02\00:25:29.32
She said,
"I--when I was your age,
00:25:29.36\00:25:32.39
I could work five
times as fast as you."
00:25:32.43\00:25:36.56
Now, that's not a
reputation anybody wants.
00:25:36.60\00:25:38.43
What does that do for a
Christian if that's the kind
00:25:38.47\00:25:41.24
of worker you are?
00:25:41.27\00:25:42.70
Is that a very good witness?
00:25:42.74\00:25:45.81
No.
00:25:45.84\00:25:47.18
You know what?
00:25:47.21\00:25:48.98
Jesus said if someone asks
you to carry their armor a mile,
00:25:49.01\00:25:53.08
what do you do as a Christian?
00:25:53.11\00:25:55.18
Take it the second mile.
00:25:55.22\00:25:58.02
So what is the
reputation of a Christian?
00:25:58.05\00:26:00.82
Do it with excellence.
00:26:00.86\00:26:03.49
If you're going to paint
something--you know what?
00:26:03.53\00:26:06.06
Michelangelo was
painting the Sistine Chapel.
00:26:06.09\00:26:08.06
He was way up on the scaffold.
00:26:08.10\00:26:10.67
And he was up there with a very
fine brush and someone from down
00:26:10.70\00:26:14.24
below said,
"What are you doing?"
00:26:14.27\00:26:16.24
He said, "I'm
painting the little pollen dots
00:26:16.27\00:26:18.54
on the flower."
00:26:18.57\00:26:21.08
And he said, "You
realize from down here nobody
00:26:21.11\00:26:22.94
will ever see that."
00:26:22.98\00:26:25.28
He said, "God sees it."
00:26:25.31\00:26:27.85
And so whatever
you do--Christians,
00:26:27.88\00:26:31.05
we're not sweeping this under
the--don't look both ways and
00:26:31.09\00:26:33.86
sweep it under the
rug thinking, "Well,
00:26:33.89\00:26:35.32
no one will ever know, or
at least not while I'm alive."
00:26:35.36\00:26:38.13
You always want to be doing
it because angels are watching,
00:26:38.16\00:26:42.16
God is watching, right?
00:26:42.20\00:26:43.80
Whatever you do it, do
it with all of your might.
00:26:43.83\00:26:46.30
Do it as unto the Lord.
00:26:46.33\00:26:49.04
So if you knew that you
were doing a project for God,
00:26:49.07\00:26:51.37
how hard or how well
will you want to do it?
00:26:51.41\00:26:54.01
Exodus 25, verse 40.
00:26:54.04\00:26:56.34
Now, it's talking
here in this passage about
00:26:56.38\00:26:58.85
building the temple.
00:26:58.88\00:27:00.68
And, you know, I just want
to remind our friends that are
00:27:00.72\00:27:03.18
watching, normally what we're
going to be doing when we move
00:27:03.22\00:27:06.19
into the sanctuary
when the pandemic is over;
00:27:06.22\00:27:09.76
we want our Sabbath School class
to be a little more interactive,
00:27:09.79\00:27:12.69
but today it's a
little more like preaching
00:27:12.73\00:27:14.83
because of circumstances.
00:27:14.86\00:27:17.00
So I just feel like I'm just
kind of going through the lesson
00:27:17.03\00:27:19.20
and preaching, but I
hope you're being edified.
00:27:19.23\00:27:21.90
In Exodus 25, He's talking
about building the sanctuary.
00:27:21.94\00:27:25.54
At first, He
gives them a design.
00:27:25.57\00:27:28.51
He says in verse 40, "And see
that you make them according to
00:27:28.54\00:27:31.68
the pattern which was
shown you on the mountain."
00:27:31.71\00:27:35.28
So one of the things you'll
learn about a Christian is,
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.35
work with a plan
and stick to the plan.
00:27:38.39\00:27:42.76
I know that--I've got a friend,
and whenever he's putting
00:27:42.79\00:27:47.30
something together--you
know, sometimes they'll
00:27:47.36\00:27:48.63
provide instructions.
00:27:48.66\00:27:49.90
It's like you get a swing set
for your kids and they've got
00:27:49.93\00:27:52.57
these instructions.
00:27:52.60\00:27:54.20
And he says,
"Whenever I get done,
00:27:54.24\00:27:56.47
there's all these spare parts."
00:27:56.50\00:27:58.54
I said, "Joe, those
weren't spare parts.
00:27:58.57\00:28:01.28
Those are parts you just
left out because you didn't look
00:28:01.31\00:28:03.01
at the plan."
00:28:03.04\00:28:04.91
He always--he
hated instructions.
00:28:04.95\00:28:07.22
He called them destructions.
00:28:07.25\00:28:09.32
He says, "I don't want to
look at the destructions."
00:28:09.35\00:28:11.95
He says, "Yeah, I always
end up with some spare parts.
00:28:11.99\00:28:13.86
I wonder what they're for."
00:28:13.89\00:28:15.26
[laughing]
00:28:15.29\00:28:16.79
Well, when
you're building for God,
00:28:16.83\00:28:18.69
you want to follow the plan.
00:28:18.73\00:28:20.30
Did God give a plan to Noah?
00:28:20.33\00:28:21.96
God gave a plan to
Moses for the sanctuary.
00:28:22.00\00:28:25.13
God gave a plan to
David for the temple,
00:28:25.17\00:28:28.07
and that he passed
on then to Solomon.
00:28:28.10\00:28:31.84
And when--and then
God empowers with wisdom.
00:28:31.87\00:28:35.08
Notice, reading
here from Exodus 31,
00:28:35.11\00:28:37.91
verse 2 through 6: "See, I have
called my name Bezalel the son
00:28:37.95\00:28:43.89
of Uri, and I filled
him with the Spirit of God,
00:28:43.92\00:28:47.52
in wisdom, in
understanding, in knowledge,
00:28:47.56\00:28:49.86
and all manner of workmanship,
to design artistic works,
00:28:49.89\00:28:54.46
to work in gold,
in silver, in bronze,
00:28:54.50\00:28:58.30
in cutting of
jewels for setting,
00:28:58.33\00:29:00.97
in carving for wood, and to work
in all manner of workmanship."
00:29:01.00\00:29:05.57
And jumping down
verse 6, it says,
00:29:05.61\00:29:08.18
"And indeed I have also
appointed with him Aholiab of
00:29:08.21\00:29:11.25
the tribe of Dan, and I put in
him wisdom in the hearts of all
00:29:11.28\00:29:15.92
the gifted artisans,
that they may make all that
00:29:15.95\00:29:19.39
I have commanded you."
00:29:19.42\00:29:20.72
God gifts
different people differently
00:29:20.76\00:29:24.63
and gives them abilities.
00:29:24.66\00:29:26.19
Now here's a question.
00:29:26.23\00:29:27.86
Does God sometimes give people
gifts for work and then they use
00:29:27.93\00:29:32.23
that gift selfishly?
00:29:32.27\00:29:35.50
Can God give a
person a gift of music?
00:29:35.54\00:29:37.87
They can sing for the Lord.
00:29:37.91\00:29:39.81
They can sing for
money and Hollywood or
00:29:39.84\00:29:43.48
the record industry, right?
00:29:43.51\00:29:45.35
God can give a person building
skill and they can build things
00:29:45.38\00:29:48.95
for the glory of men.
00:29:48.98\00:29:50.29
They can build a casino.
00:29:50.32\00:29:51.62
They can build a church.
00:29:51.65\00:29:52.95
And so God gives the--different
people different gifts.
00:29:52.99\00:29:55.39
The question is, are you using
your gifts to the glory of God
00:29:55.42\00:29:58.13
in the best way you can?
00:29:58.16\00:30:00.86
So He gifted these people and He
gave them the different gifts,
00:30:00.90\00:30:05.20
and they were
following the plan.
00:30:05.23\00:30:09.77
All right.
00:30:09.80\00:30:11.11
And, you know, there was
something I was going to read
00:30:11.14\00:30:12.77
here, yeah, about
work being a blessing.
00:30:12.81\00:30:15.41
Let me read this to you.
00:30:15.44\00:30:17.28
"To the dwellers in Eden--"
00:30:17.31\00:30:18.61
This is from the book
"Patriarchs and Prophets"
00:30:18.65\00:30:20.35
page 50.
00:30:20.38\00:30:21.68
Work is meant to be a blessing.
00:30:21.72\00:30:23.85
"To the dwellers in Eden
was committed the care of
00:30:23.89\00:30:25.89
the garden, to
dress it and to keep it.
00:30:25.92\00:30:28.49
Their occupation
was not wearisome,
00:30:28.52\00:30:30.89
but pleasant and invigorating.
00:30:30.93\00:30:33.26
God appointed
labor as blessing to man;
00:30:33.29\00:30:35.40
to occupy his mind
and strengthen his body,
00:30:35.43\00:30:37.97
to develop his faculties.
00:30:38.00\00:30:39.57
In mental and physical activity,
Adam found one of his highest
00:30:39.60\00:30:43.44
pleasures of his holy existence.
00:30:43.47\00:30:46.14
And when, as a
result of disobedience,
00:30:46.17\00:30:49.54
he was driven from his beautiful
home and forced to struggle with
00:30:49.58\00:30:52.75
the stubborn soil to
gain its daily bread,
00:30:52.78\00:30:55.28
that very labor, although widely
different from its pleasant
00:30:55.32\00:30:58.42
occupation in the garden, was a
safeguard against temptation and
00:30:58.45\00:31:02.76
a source of happiness.
00:31:02.79\00:31:05.46
Those who view work as a curse,
attend it though it be with
00:31:05.49\00:31:09.00
weariness and pain,
are cherishing an error.
00:31:09.03\00:31:12.33
The true joy of life is found
only by working men and women.
00:31:12.37\00:31:16.30
The angels are diligent workers.
00:31:16.34\00:31:19.14
They are ministers of
God to the children of men.
00:31:19.17\00:31:21.51
The creator has prepared no
place for the stagnant practice
00:31:21.54\00:31:25.41
of indolence."
00:31:25.45\00:31:27.68
So good reminder that
work is to be a blessing.
00:31:27.72\00:31:31.69
And then John talking
again about excellence,
00:31:31.72\00:31:34.79
John 20, verse 6 and 8.
00:31:34.82\00:31:37.16
This is at the Resurrection.
00:31:37.19\00:31:39.63
I always thought
this was amazing.
00:31:39.66\00:31:41.13
So, you know,
Mary comes to the tomb,
00:31:41.16\00:31:42.93
and then she goes tells Peter
and John the tomb is empty,
00:31:42.96\00:31:45.40
and she saw an angel there.
00:31:45.43\00:31:47.04
Then John and
Peter run to the tomb.
00:31:47.07\00:31:48.97
"Simon Peter came following him
and went into the tomb and saw
00:31:49.00\00:31:52.61
the linen cloths lying there,
and the handkerchief that had
00:31:52.64\00:31:57.65
been around his head not
lying with the linen cloths,
00:31:57.68\00:32:01.38
but folded together
in a place by itself.
00:32:01.42\00:32:04.19
Then the other disciple,
who came from the tomb first,
00:32:04.22\00:32:08.29
went in also and
he saw and believed."
00:32:08.32\00:32:11.23
Now, what was it that he
saw that made him believe that
00:32:11.26\00:32:15.06
Jesus's body wasn't
stolen, but that he actually
00:32:15.10\00:32:18.23
rose from the dead?
00:32:18.27\00:32:20.47
A folded handkerchief.
00:32:20.50\00:32:22.77
If someone is stealing
the body and they unwrap it,
00:32:22.80\00:32:26.91
are they going to take the
time to fold the handkerchief?
00:32:26.94\00:32:30.58
But they knew Jesus;
and they knew that Jesus,
00:32:30.61\00:32:35.68
that was his temperament.
00:32:35.72\00:32:37.92
And so Karen and I
get up--depends on who's
00:32:37.95\00:32:41.79
the last to leave the bed.
00:32:41.82\00:32:43.12
We always make the bed.
00:32:43.16\00:32:44.46
Sometimes we make it together.
00:32:44.49\00:32:45.79
Depends on timing.
00:32:45.83\00:32:47.13
But if you go to our
household, we make the bed.
00:32:47.13\00:32:48.80
I learned this
in military school.
00:32:48.83\00:32:50.13
I'm sure Karen
learned it growing up.
00:32:50.17\00:32:52.20
And my grandmother
used to always say,
00:32:52.23\00:32:54.97
"You make your
bed, you sleep in it."
00:32:55.00\00:32:56.30
You ever heard that one before?
00:32:56.34\00:32:57.91
Anybody ever
heard that one before?
00:32:57.94\00:33:00.48
Okay, good.
00:33:00.51\00:33:01.81
I wanted to make sure
my grandmother wasn't that
00:33:01.84\00:33:03.14
different from yours.
00:33:03.18\00:33:05.25
And so Jesus, he taught
faithfulness and order in
00:33:05.28\00:33:08.65
even simple things like
that, and that always struck me
00:33:08.68\00:33:12.79
as amazing.
00:33:12.82\00:33:14.12
He folded the handkerchief.
00:33:14.16\00:33:17.16
All right. Work
and spirituality.
00:33:17.19\00:33:20.96
I'm going to begin with
a verse in Matthew 5:16.
00:33:21.00\00:33:23.53
"Let your light
so shine before men,
00:33:23.57\00:33:26.57
that they may see your
good works and glorify your
00:33:26.60\00:33:30.44
Father in heaven."
00:33:30.47\00:33:31.77
Now, when we talk about
good works as a Christian,
00:33:31.81\00:33:33.48
what comes to your mind?
00:33:33.51\00:33:35.18
You know, so often
we're thinking about,
00:33:35.21\00:33:36.95
you know, doing
Christian things.
00:33:36.98\00:33:39.11
You know, feeding the
poor, visiting the sick,
00:33:39.15\00:33:40.75
going to the prisons,
doing Christian works.
00:33:40.78\00:33:44.32
But I think that when it says
when they see your good works,
00:33:44.35\00:33:47.86
I think that it means also
that when a person looks at
00:33:47.89\00:33:51.66
the Christian--if you are an
employee and you're a Christian
00:33:51.69\00:33:55.30
and your non-Christian boss
is going to look at you and say,
00:33:55.33\00:33:58.93
"They do good work."
00:33:58.97\00:34:02.24
And by that you are glorifying
your Father in heaven.
00:34:02.27\00:34:05.64
And the Bible says
even to the slaves.
00:34:05.67\00:34:10.15
In Bible times Paul said,
"Do whatever you do heartily
00:34:10.18\00:34:13.28
as to the Lord."
00:34:13.31\00:34:15.35
And you would think,
"Well, man, you know,
00:34:15.38\00:34:17.45
if--why would I want
to make things easier
00:34:17.49\00:34:19.92
for my slave master?"
00:34:19.95\00:34:21.66
You've read the story of Joseph.
00:34:21.69\00:34:24.06
Joseph was a slave.
00:34:24.09\00:34:25.89
He decided, "Look, I've
been sold by my brothers.
00:34:25.93\00:34:28.13
If I'm going to be a slave, I'm
going to make it as difficult
00:34:28.16\00:34:30.10
for whoever
buys me as possible."
00:34:30.13\00:34:33.17
Is that what he did?
00:34:33.20\00:34:35.00
Joseph said, "Lord, if
I'm going to be a slave,
00:34:35.04\00:34:37.17
I'm going to be
a faithful slave."
00:34:37.21\00:34:39.37
And he worked hard.
00:34:39.41\00:34:41.38
And what did Potiphar do?
00:34:41.41\00:34:43.04
"Boy, the Lord is blessing
everything this guy does."
00:34:43.08\00:34:45.18
And he exalted him.
00:34:45.21\00:34:47.32
He promoted him,
and God blessed him.
00:34:47.35\00:34:49.62
Even in prison, Joseph said,
00:34:49.65\00:34:51.49
"Well, I'll do the menial
duties in prison faithfully."
00:34:51.52\00:34:55.02
And the leader
of the prison said,
00:34:55.06\00:34:57.03
"This guy's faithful.
00:34:57.06\00:34:58.79
He's a good worker."
00:34:58.83\00:35:00.46
His light was
shining even in the prison.
00:35:00.50\00:35:01.93
He said, "I'm
going to promote him."
00:35:01.96\00:35:03.26
Until pretty soon he
was in charge of everything
00:35:03.30\00:35:04.60
in the prison.
00:35:04.63\00:35:05.93
So whatever Joseph did,
because he was faithful in doing
00:35:05.97\00:35:09.70
the little things
well with excellence,
00:35:09.74\00:35:11.84
he kept moving up.
00:35:11.87\00:35:14.04
Until what happened
in the end of the story?
00:35:14.08\00:35:16.44
Joseph is the ruler.
00:35:16.48\00:35:18.08
He's the prime
minister of Egypt.
00:35:18.11\00:35:20.08
You know, it started with
faithfulness in little things.
00:35:20.12\00:35:23.65
What does Jesus say?
00:35:23.69\00:35:25.25
"He that is faithful
in that which is least is
00:35:25.29\00:35:27.66
also faithful in much."
00:35:27.69\00:35:29.26
So whatever you do,
do it as unto the Lord.
00:35:29.29\00:35:32.26
Not only Joseph.
00:35:32.29\00:35:33.63
You know, I think about
the servant of Namaan's wife.
00:35:33.66\00:35:39.23
We don't know her name.
00:35:39.27\00:35:40.97
Certain maid.
00:35:41.00\00:35:42.74
Kidnapped out of
the land of Israel,
00:35:42.77\00:35:45.47
forced to serve in
the house of Namaan.
00:35:45.51\00:35:47.38
She said, "Well, if
I'm going to be a servant,
00:35:47.41\00:35:49.11
I will be a good servant."
00:35:49.14\00:35:50.78
And she was interested in
the welfare of her master.
00:35:50.81\00:35:52.68
Because of her faithfulness,
Namaan gets the word.
00:35:52.71\00:35:55.25
He ends up getting
healed, and hopefully she got
00:35:55.28\00:35:57.45
a raise or set free.
00:35:57.49\00:35:58.79
I don't know.
00:35:58.82\00:36:00.46
Trusting her life was better
after that because she decided
00:36:00.49\00:36:01.72
not to be hateful and drag her
feet and kick around and pout
00:36:01.76\00:36:04.76
and say, you know,
"You stole me from the land.
00:36:04.79\00:36:08.50
I'm going to
be--make your life difficult."
00:36:08.53\00:36:12.23
I heard once about a
farmer that was--oh, wait.
00:36:12.27\00:36:15.94
Let me read this to you first.
00:36:15.97\00:36:17.27
Acts 20, verse 33 to 35.
00:36:17.31\00:36:19.71
Paul says, "I have coveted no
one's silver or gold or apparel.
00:36:19.74\00:36:24.55
Yes, you yourselves know that
these hands have provided for
00:36:24.58\00:36:28.22
my necessities and
for those who are with me.
00:36:28.25\00:36:30.69
I have shown you in every way
by laboring like this that you
00:36:30.72\00:36:35.12
must support the weak.
00:36:35.16\00:36:36.46
And remember the words of Jesus.
00:36:36.49\00:36:38.39
He said, 'It is more
blessed to give than receive.'"
00:36:38.43\00:36:41.80
Paul was not a
prosperity preacher.
00:36:41.83\00:36:45.87
You know what I mean by that?
00:36:45.90\00:36:48.14
Paul did not say,
"Send money to my ministry
00:36:48.17\00:36:50.97
as I fly my Learjet."
00:36:51.01\00:36:53.81
Paul went out and he
worked with his own hands.
00:36:53.84\00:36:56.28
He underworked.
00:36:56.31\00:36:58.58
He underpaid or
supported his own ministry.
00:36:58.61\00:37:02.92
You know, when I first
got involved in ministry,
00:37:02.95\00:37:05.99
I was self-supporting.
00:37:06.02\00:37:07.99
I was doing not only firewood,
doing carpentry and auto
00:37:08.02\00:37:11.26
mechanics, and that
was really good experience,
00:37:11.29\00:37:13.83
and I was paying
to do evangelism.
00:37:13.86\00:37:16.90
When I later found out
that there was a conference that
00:37:16.93\00:37:19.63
was going to pay
me to do mission work,
00:37:19.67\00:37:22.20
I said, "You're going to pay me
to do what I'm doing for free?"
00:37:22.24\00:37:25.57
I said, "Thank you very much."
00:37:25.61\00:37:28.71
But, you know, I think
really every believer should be
00:37:28.74\00:37:30.88
something of a self-supporting
missionary, right?
00:37:30.91\00:37:34.05
If you love the Lord,
whatever your work is,
00:37:34.08\00:37:35.38
it's to subsidize
your mission work.
00:37:35.42\00:37:37.82
That ought to be the priority.
00:37:37.85\00:37:39.39
Can I get an amen out there?
00:37:39.42\00:37:41.12
Big old hollow
building need some help.
00:37:41.16\00:37:43.36
Okay.
00:37:43.39\00:37:44.73
I was going to tell
you a story about a farmer.
00:37:44.76\00:37:46.33
He was a little irritated.
00:37:46.36\00:37:47.66
He had an apple orchard, and
there was a carload of teenagers
00:37:47.66\00:37:51.33
every day that would stop and
they'd hop over the fence and
00:37:51.37\00:37:54.20
they'd eat his
apples on the way home.
00:37:54.24\00:37:57.24
And he walked up to the
fence as they were there one day
00:37:57.27\00:37:59.84
all picking through the trees,
and he looked at them and one
00:37:59.87\00:38:03.55
looked back sheepishly
and said, "Oh sorry, sir.
00:38:03.58\00:38:06.05
We hope you don't mind that
we took a few of your apples."
00:38:06.08\00:38:08.48
He said, "Not at all."
00:38:08.52\00:38:09.82
He said, "I hope you don't mind.
00:38:09.85\00:38:11.15
I let some air
out of your tires."
00:38:11.19\00:38:14.02
Some people are
willing to just take,
00:38:14.06\00:38:16.96
but they don't give.
00:38:16.99\00:38:18.53
Galatians 5:22.
00:38:18.56\00:38:20.60
Now God gives
everybody different gifts.
00:38:20.63\00:38:23.53
"But the fruit of
the Spirit is love,
00:38:23.57\00:38:26.87
joy, peace,
long-suffering, kindness,
00:38:26.90\00:38:30.71
goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
00:38:30.74\00:38:32.54
self-control.
00:38:32.57\00:38:33.98
Against such there is no law.
00:38:34.01\00:38:35.31
And those who are Christ's
have crucified the flesh with
00:38:35.34\00:38:38.51
its passions and desires.
00:38:38.55\00:38:39.88
If we live in the Spirit,
let us walk in the Spirit."
00:38:39.91\00:38:43.32
So we should be using our
different spiritual gifts,
00:38:43.35\00:38:46.59
showing the fruits of the
Spirit in whatever our work
00:38:46.62\00:38:49.09
happens to be.
00:38:49.12\00:38:51.33
There is a great quote in
the book "Our High Calling"
00:38:51.36\00:38:55.10
page 222.
00:38:55.13\00:38:56.50
This is not in your lesson, just
one of my own study on this.
00:38:56.53\00:39:02.27
"However humble the
occupation might be,
00:39:02.30\00:39:05.07
if only honorable, if the humble
duties are done faithfully,
00:39:05.11\00:39:09.44
he will not lose his reward.
00:39:09.48\00:39:12.18
Industry is essential to health.
00:39:12.21\00:39:14.85
If habits of
industry were encouraged,
00:39:14.88\00:39:16.95
a door would be closed
against 1,000 temptations.
00:39:16.99\00:39:20.36
Those who
lounge away their days,
00:39:20.39\00:39:23.09
having no aim or object in life,
are troubled with dejection and
00:39:23.12\00:39:27.56
tempted to seek an amusement
in forbidden indulgences,
00:39:27.60\00:39:30.93
which innervate the system
and tax the physical powers
00:39:30.97\00:39:34.24
ten times more than
the most taxing labor.
00:39:34.27\00:39:37.37
Indolence destroys
more than hard labor.
00:39:37.41\00:39:40.91
Many die because they have
not the ability or inclination
00:39:40.94\00:39:44.68
to set themselves to work."
00:39:44.71\00:39:46.11
[whistling]
00:39:46.15\00:39:47.48
You know, there's a
whole generation now.
00:39:47.98\00:39:49.95
If this was true back then, what
about today when most people now
00:39:49.98\00:39:53.19
because of industrial mechanized
farming we have so much food,
00:39:53.22\00:39:55.72
not as many people need to work,
and a lot of people sit at desks
00:39:55.76\00:40:00.26
or they fiddle around with their
computers and their phones,
00:40:00.30\00:40:03.97
or they watch television
and sometimes the only exercise
00:40:04.00\00:40:07.60
a person gets is the index
finger on the remote control
00:40:07.64\00:40:11.57
or texting?
00:40:11.61\00:40:13.71
And a lot of
people are depressed,
00:40:13.74\00:40:15.64
and I think a lot of
depression--they say one of
00:40:15.68\00:40:18.28
the keys to depression
is activity, exercise.
00:40:18.31\00:40:22.32
Have a purpose in life.
00:40:22.35\00:40:23.95
I couldn't believe it.
00:40:23.99\00:40:25.42
"Many die because they have
not the ability or inclination
00:40:25.45\00:40:28.79
to set themselves to work."
00:40:28.82\00:40:31.26
You know, I've got a theory.
00:40:31.29\00:40:32.96
An old pastor told me this.
00:40:32.99\00:40:34.60
People have a tendency to
live as long as they're needed.
00:40:34.63\00:40:39.33
I remember talking to a friend.
00:40:39.37\00:40:42.84
He was in his 80s.
00:40:42.87\00:40:44.77
I think his name was Stanley.
00:40:44.81\00:40:46.68
He worked for my dad in a hotel.
00:40:46.71\00:40:48.21
He was the
custodian of the hotel.
00:40:48.24\00:40:49.91
And I asked him one day, I
said, "You're plenty old enough
00:40:49.94\00:40:52.65
to retire, Stanley.
00:40:52.68\00:40:54.08
Why do you keep working?"
00:40:54.12\00:40:55.48
He said, "If I
retire, I'll die."
00:40:55.52\00:40:58.29
That was the first time someone
explained to me that people live
00:40:58.32\00:41:02.19
about as long as they feel
like they got a purpose in life.
00:41:02.22\00:41:06.23
You want to
stay busy and useful.
00:41:06.26\00:41:07.66
Amen?
00:41:07.73\00:41:09.00
Work and stewardship.
00:41:09.03\00:41:10.83
2 Thessalonians
3, verse 7 to 13.
00:41:10.87\00:41:14.14
"But they worked with
labor and toil night and day,
00:41:14.17\00:41:17.47
that we might not be a burden."
00:41:17.51\00:41:19.64
Paul said we work so we would
not be a burden to the church.
00:41:19.67\00:41:22.58
And Proverbs 31, verse 10 says,
"Who can find a virtuous wife?
00:41:22.61\00:41:28.42
For her worth is
far above rubies."
00:41:28.45\00:41:31.59
If you want to talk about
is it okay for a woman to work,
00:41:31.62\00:41:34.72
how many of you
have read Proverbs 31?
00:41:34.76\00:41:36.93
I'm not going to read
the whole chapter to you.
00:41:36.96\00:41:39.06
Boy, I tell you
that is superwoman.
00:41:39.09\00:41:41.23
It talks about her waking up
early and going to the market
00:41:41.26\00:41:44.10
and buying and
weaving and harvesting,
00:41:44.13\00:41:47.37
and she's just--this
woman is just very busy.
00:41:47.40\00:41:51.17
I think she's sort of
a--an allegory of the church.
00:41:51.21\00:41:56.31
And Karen, of course.
00:41:56.34\00:41:57.65
Yeah.
00:41:57.68\00:41:58.98
[laughing]
00:41:59.01\00:42:00.75
In 1 Corinthians
3, verse 9 to 13,
00:42:01.82\00:42:07.49
"For we are called
God's fellow workers.
00:42:07.52\00:42:10.09
You are God's field.
00:42:10.13\00:42:11.46
You are God's building.
00:42:11.49\00:42:12.86
According to the grace of God
which was given to me as a wise
00:42:12.89\00:42:15.53
master builder, I've
laid the foundation and
00:42:15.56\00:42:18.50
another builds on it.
00:42:18.53\00:42:20.27
But let each one take
heed how he builds on it.
00:42:20.30\00:42:22.97
For no other foundation
can anyone lay than that
00:42:23.00\00:42:25.81
which is laid,
which is Christ Jesus.
00:42:25.84\00:42:28.61
Now if anyone builds on
this foundation with gold,
00:42:28.64\00:42:31.58
silver, precious
stones, wood, hay,
00:42:31.61\00:42:34.25
or straw, each one's
work will become clear;
00:42:34.28\00:42:37.79
for the day will declare it,
because it will be revealed by
00:42:37.82\00:42:41.32
fire and the fire
will test everyone's work
00:42:41.36\00:42:44.33
of what sort it is."
00:42:44.36\00:42:46.13
Now, this is an
important lesson right here;
00:42:46.16\00:42:48.36
is that everybody's building,
whether you like it or not.
00:42:48.40\00:42:51.67
You're building a life, and your
life is going to be measured.
00:42:51.70\00:42:56.04
At some point
there'll be a judgement day.
00:42:56.07\00:42:57.57
What kind of building
did you build with your life?
00:42:57.61\00:43:01.01
Were you using
hay, stubble, straw?
00:43:01.04\00:43:03.98
You know, years ago when
we built the first cabin up in
00:43:04.01\00:43:09.25
the mountains, and I was
in my 20s, and--we needed
00:43:09.28\00:43:13.79
some foundation piers.
00:43:13.82\00:43:16.19
I went to the woods with
my chainsaw and I cut some oak
00:43:16.22\00:43:18.33
because I knew that
oak would last 15 years.
00:43:18.36\00:43:21.40
I said, "Jesus will come.
00:43:21.43\00:43:23.90
We don't need concrete."
00:43:23.93\00:43:26.07
And so I put these oak
piers underneath the house.
00:43:26.10\00:43:29.04
And then after 10 or 15 years
with the rain and everything,
00:43:29.07\00:43:32.64
didn't even treat
them, they started to rot.
00:43:32.67\00:43:35.81
Well, the house had
other problems, too.
00:43:35.84\00:43:37.15
It was built from kind
of recycled materials and
00:43:37.18\00:43:39.48
an old bridge that fell
down and parts here and there.
00:43:39.51\00:43:44.39
Well, at that point--we
finally burnt that down.
00:43:44.42\00:43:48.22
We're paying taxes on it.
00:43:48.26\00:43:50.56
It just wasn't even worth it.
00:43:50.59\00:43:52.23
It was--it had kind of just
started to fall in on itself
00:43:52.26\00:43:54.20
while I was
working in another state.
00:43:54.23\00:43:57.27
Built the other house.
00:43:57.30\00:43:59.37
I said, "I'm not
making that mistake again."
00:43:59.40\00:44:01.10
Now, Jesus may
still come in ten years.
00:44:01.14\00:44:02.44
I didn't know, but I
said, "When Jesus comes,
00:44:02.47\00:44:05.17
I want him to say, 'Doug,
before I burn up your house,
00:44:05.21\00:44:07.24
it was a good job.'"
00:44:07.28\00:44:09.04
Right?
00:44:09.08\00:44:10.95
Here we just
finished building this church.
00:44:10.98\00:44:13.05
People have said, "You
build such a nice church.
00:44:13.08\00:44:15.05
Don't you think
Jesus is coming?"
00:44:15.08\00:44:16.38
Yes, I want him to be
impressed when he comes.
00:44:16.42\00:44:19.02
Actually, when
Noah built the ark,
00:44:19.05\00:44:23.16
how good a job did he do?
00:44:23.19\00:44:26.29
How much life on earth
was saved through Noah?
00:44:26.33\00:44:28.80
You can raise your hand.
00:44:28.83\00:44:30.30
You wouldn't be here if it
wasn't for the job that Noah
00:44:30.33\00:44:32.27
did building the ark.
00:44:32.30\00:44:33.60
How long was the
ark in operation?
00:44:33.64\00:44:36.34
About one year, right?
00:44:36.37\00:44:39.74
Yeah, it rained 40
days and 40 nights,
00:44:39.77\00:44:41.24
but it was
floating for about 1 year.
00:44:41.28\00:44:43.58
But aren't you glad he
did a good job building it?
00:44:43.61\00:44:46.15
So whatever you do, do
it as unto the Lord, right?
00:44:46.18\00:44:49.45
Because every man's
work is going to be tested.
00:44:49.48\00:44:51.52
I remember hearing a
story about a carpenter.
00:44:51.55\00:44:54.02
He worked for years for
this man that was very wealthy.
00:44:54.06\00:44:57.03
And he was a very
skilled carpenter,
00:44:57.06\00:44:59.76
and he did good work.
00:44:59.79\00:45:01.33
And the
millionaire, he paid him fairly,
00:45:01.36\00:45:05.80
but the carpenter
began to bother him.
00:45:05.83\00:45:08.07
He said, you know,
"This millionaire is always
00:45:08.10\00:45:10.04
building this and that.
00:45:10.07\00:45:11.37
He built guest
cabins for his friends."
00:45:11.41\00:45:13.38
And he said, "He
doesn't--you know,
00:45:13.41\00:45:15.38
he could have given me a
Christmas bonus or something.
00:45:15.41\00:45:17.95
He's got so much money."
00:45:17.98\00:45:19.28
And he started resenting
that he wasn't getting more.
00:45:19.31\00:45:22.92
And sure enough one
day the millionaire said,
00:45:22.95\00:45:26.39
he said, you know, "Fred, I know
you're going to be retiring."
00:45:26.42\00:45:29.09
He said, "I bought
this piece of property.
00:45:29.12\00:45:30.59
There's one more
building I want to build.
00:45:30.63\00:45:32.99
It's got a lake by it."
00:45:33.03\00:45:34.30
And he said, "I want
to build this guest home."
00:45:34.36\00:45:36.43
And Fred, he said,
"Okay, last house."
00:45:36.46\00:45:40.67
And so he started building.
00:45:40.70\00:45:42.57
Fred was the chief
carpenter and contractor,
00:45:42.60\00:45:46.01
but he did something
he had never done before.
00:45:46.04\00:45:47.94
He said, "You know,
I've worked for him.
00:45:47.98\00:45:50.18
He's gotten richer and richer."
00:45:50.21\00:45:51.91
He says, "I don't have
very much for retirement."
00:45:51.95\00:45:54.78
He said, "This time
I'm going to save a little
00:45:54.82\00:45:57.79
of this for myself."
00:45:57.82\00:45:59.12
And he started skimming
from the expenses for this house
00:45:59.15\00:46:02.09
he was building for himself.
00:46:02.12\00:46:04.06
When the order called for
a certain quality of wood,
00:46:04.09\00:46:06.93
he bought cheap, twisted lumber.
00:46:06.96\00:46:09.36
And he put the
money in his bank,
00:46:09.40\00:46:11.40
but he charged the millionaire
for the expensive lumber.
00:46:11.43\00:46:13.54
When he had to buy
rock for the fireplace,
00:46:13.57\00:46:16.17
he bought the
cheapest brick and rock.
00:46:16.20\00:46:18.17
And just all of the work, the
glass in the building--all the
00:46:18.21\00:46:21.64
work he said, "I'm
not--I'm going to save this."
00:46:21.68\00:46:25.55
He put in the bill for
the most expensive material,
00:46:25.58\00:46:27.92
but he bought the cheapest
and he put it in his bank.
00:46:27.95\00:46:30.42
He was skimming.
00:46:30.45\00:46:32.12
He was embezzling.
00:46:32.15\00:46:33.66
Finally, he got
done with the building,
00:46:33.69\00:46:35.79
and he walked up
to the millionaire.
00:46:35.82\00:46:37.46
He said, "Okay, we're all done.
00:46:37.49\00:46:38.99
Your house is here."
00:46:39.03\00:46:40.46
He said, you know,
"Here's your keys."
00:46:40.50\00:46:42.76
He said, "I want my check."
00:46:42.80\00:46:45.17
And the millionaire
handed him a check and he said,
00:46:45.20\00:46:48.70
"And I'm giving
you back the keys."
00:46:48.74\00:46:51.24
He says, "That
house is for you."
00:46:51.27\00:46:55.41
He said, "I wanted to
do this for you as a gift
00:46:55.44\00:46:58.11
before you retired."
00:46:58.15\00:47:00.45
And Fred thought, "Oh, I
could have used the very best
00:47:00.48\00:47:05.49
materials and built
the very best house,
00:47:05.52\00:47:08.22
but because I thought
it was for someone else
00:47:08.26\00:47:11.39
and I wanted to keep it--"
00:47:11.43\00:47:12.73
He says, "Now I'm ending
up having to live in and live
00:47:12.76\00:47:14.66
with my own extortion."
00:47:14.73\00:47:18.80
All of us are going to have
to meet up with the materials
00:47:18.83\00:47:22.94
that we send on to heaven.
00:47:22.97\00:47:25.94
You heard about the butler.
00:47:25.97\00:47:30.58
He gets to heaven, and the
angels bring him to his mansion.
00:47:30.61\00:47:34.32
And the wealthy
Duchess the butler worked for,
00:47:34.35\00:47:38.02
she makes it to heaven.
00:47:38.05\00:47:39.35
She's a good woman, but
she's got a very small hut.
00:47:39.39\00:47:42.16
And she says to her
angel, "I don't understand.
00:47:42.19\00:47:44.53
How come Oscar my
butler, he's got this mansion up
00:47:44.56\00:47:46.56
on the hill and
I've got this hut?"
00:47:46.59\00:47:50.60
And the angel said,
"Well, just a minute.
00:47:50.63\00:47:51.93
We'll check the records."
00:47:51.97\00:47:53.60
And he looked in
the records, he says,
00:47:53.64\00:47:54.97
"Oh, evidently he
sent a lot more materials
00:47:55.00\00:47:57.24
ahead than you did.
00:47:57.27\00:48:00.04
He was in church every week, and
he was giving 50% of his income.
00:48:00.08\00:48:03.04
You were giving
1% of your income."
00:48:03.08\00:48:06.18
"But I gave more than him."
00:48:06.21\00:48:08.12
He said, "Well, you
may have given more,
00:48:08.15\00:48:09.92
but you gave a
smaller percentage."
00:48:09.95\00:48:11.89
Like that widow that
gave her last two mites.
00:48:11.92\00:48:13.66
You know what I'm talking about?
00:48:13.69\00:48:15.56
So we'll be surprised how we're
rewarded in the future based on
00:48:15.59\00:48:19.83
our faithfulness to do
God's work in this life.
00:48:19.86\00:48:23.26
But we need to do it
because we love the Lord, right?
00:48:23.30\00:48:25.17
We don't do it to be saved.
00:48:25.20\00:48:26.94
Well, thank you very much for
studying with us today, friends.
00:48:26.97\00:48:29.17
And don't forget,
we have a free offer.
00:48:29.20\00:48:31.17
I'm hoping in the studio
they'll put that on the screen
00:48:31.21\00:48:33.14
'cause I forget what it is.
00:48:33.17\00:48:34.48
There it is.
00:48:34.51\00:48:35.98
It's the book called
"The Ultimate Resource."
00:48:36.01\00:48:38.38
And if you want, ask
for offer number 728.
00:48:38.41\00:48:41.42
When you call,
call 866-788-3966.
00:48:41.45\00:48:45.92
You can type in 866-Study-More.
00:48:45.95\00:48:49.36
That's available
in North America.
00:48:49.39\00:48:51.46
You can also get that
book for free if you go to the
00:48:51.49\00:48:54.60
Amazing Facts
website, and you can download
00:48:54.63\00:48:57.20
"The Ultimate Resource."
00:48:57.23\00:48:58.80
Tells you about just
the importance of the Bible
00:48:58.83\00:49:01.24
and being acquainted,
especially as we're going
00:49:01.27\00:49:03.04
into the new year.
00:49:03.07\00:49:04.37
We want to have good
rooting in the Word of God.
00:49:04.41\00:49:07.11
Amen?
00:49:07.14\00:49:08.44
Well, God bless you, friends.
00:49:08.48\00:49:09.78
We're so thankful that
you could join us today.
00:49:09.81\00:49:11.18
We look forward to
getting together again next week
00:49:11.21\00:49:13.58
and studying the
Word of God with you.
00:49:13.62\00:49:16.02
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announcer: Amazing
Facts-- changed lives.
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Justin: Growing up as a
kid, my mother was on drugs
00:50:05.17\00:50:09.64
and alcohol.
00:50:09.67\00:50:11.41
Lots of fighting in the home.
00:50:11.44\00:50:13.58
My mom would be abused
mentally, verbally, physically.
00:50:13.61\00:50:17.68
Went from California to Oregon.
00:50:17.71\00:50:20.98
Spent some time in Oregon and
it was just the same cycle of
00:50:21.02\00:50:24.35
drugs, alcohol, violence.
00:50:24.39\00:50:27.02
My mom's boyfriend
would go to jail at times.
00:50:27.06\00:50:30.43
She would wait
until he would, you know,
00:50:30.46\00:50:33.56
get out of jail and it
was back to square one.
00:50:33.60\00:50:36.30
The drugs and the alcohol
escalated to a lot harder drugs:
00:50:36.33\00:50:40.80
crystal meth, cocaine,
and lots and lots of alcohol.
00:50:40.84\00:50:45.97
So I started using the
alcohol to--as a medication.
00:50:46.01\00:50:50.78
It was like to--the
misery and the fear that I had,
00:50:50.81\00:50:54.18
I wanted to
drown all that misery.
00:50:54.22\00:50:56.45
At times I would
just grab, you know,
00:50:56.48\00:50:59.85
a bottle of beer and go out into
the desert and just drink until
00:50:59.89\00:51:03.99
sometimes I just pass out in
the desert somewhere and wake up
00:51:04.03\00:51:08.03
the next morning and, you know--
and I just couldn't find rest.
00:51:08.06\00:51:12.73
My stepdad had
got me a motorcycle.
00:51:12.77\00:51:16.60
And so I started
riding motorcycles.
00:51:16.64\00:51:18.81
I'd drink a lot of
beer, get on the motorcycle,
00:51:18.84\00:51:21.34
ride into the desert.
00:51:21.38\00:51:23.24
Do donuts and just
throughout--you know,
00:51:23.28\00:51:25.55
just ride on private property.
00:51:25.58\00:51:27.75
People would chase me off.
00:51:27.78\00:51:29.62
And I was just causing--stirring
up dust and rocks and
00:51:29.65\00:51:33.62
just causing chaos.
00:51:33.66\00:51:35.62
And the adrenaline rush
that I had was so exciting,
00:51:35.66\00:51:39.39
and the feeling of it was
so intense that I loved it and
00:51:39.43\00:51:43.97
it--I forgot
about all my problems,
00:51:44.00\00:51:46.77
you know, at the moment, and
I thought that material things
00:51:46.80\00:51:50.74
would make me
feel so good, you know.
00:51:50.77\00:51:54.84
And so I started
working, started making money,
00:51:54.88\00:51:56.48
had a responsibility.
00:51:56.51\00:51:59.25
But as time went
by, I had more money.
00:51:59.28\00:52:03.08
So I would, you know, use my
money that I made to buy drugs
00:52:03.12\00:52:08.46
and alcohol.
00:52:08.49\00:52:10.33
Got pulled over
drinking and driving,
00:52:10.36\00:52:12.83
ended up going to
jail for a couple of days.
00:52:12.86\00:52:16.77
I lost my job because I
missed work for a few days.
00:52:16.80\00:52:20.64
Lost my girlfriend, lost
all the money that I had.
00:52:20.67\00:52:25.37
So once again I was empty.
00:52:25.41\00:52:28.31
No money, no drugs,
no alcohol, and that was
00:52:28.34\00:52:31.61
a turning point in my life.
00:52:31.65\00:52:33.72
At this time I was
living with my grandfather,
00:52:33.75\00:52:35.92
and as I was flipping through
the channels on the satellite
00:52:35.95\00:52:40.12
system I found Amazing Facts.
00:52:40.16\00:52:43.12
Pastor Doug Batchelor
was telling his--sharing his
00:52:43.16\00:52:46.26
testimony about how
he was living in a cave,
00:52:46.29\00:52:50.33
and he was--he
struggled the same struggles of
00:52:50.37\00:52:52.87
alcohol and drugs.
00:52:52.90\00:52:54.84
And I continued
to read the book,
00:52:54.87\00:52:56.74
"The Richest Caveman," and
it really impacted my life and
00:52:56.77\00:53:00.34
really related to the things
he was struggling with and
00:53:00.38\00:53:04.51
all the events that
took place in his life.
00:53:04.55\00:53:06.75
And when I
started reading the Bible,
00:53:06.78\00:53:08.58
Philippians 4:13 says, "I
can do all things through Christ
00:53:08.62\00:53:11.95
who strengthens me."
00:53:11.99\00:53:13.29
I recognized that
I had no strength.
00:53:13.32\00:53:15.16
I was weak and I was
wretched, and I needed help.
00:53:15.19\00:53:19.83
So I just asked the Lord.
00:53:19.86\00:53:21.73
I said, "Just help me, Lord."
00:53:21.76\00:53:23.10
And the Holy
Spirit convicted me,
00:53:23.13\00:53:25.50
and I decided to be baptized and
to give my life to Jesus Christ.
00:53:25.53\00:53:32.17
Few years after the Lord took
the temptation of drinking and
00:53:32.21\00:53:36.44
doing drugs, He gave me a
beautiful wife I met at church.
00:53:36.48\00:53:40.48
Now I have a beautiful
baby boy, 2-year-old baby boy.
00:53:40.52\00:53:44.49
Just exciting to see, you know,
what God is doing in my life
00:53:44.52\00:53:49.19
and in my family.
00:53:49.22\00:53:51.33
I met with some friends
from my local church that I was
00:53:51.36\00:53:55.26
attending, and they had told
me about Amazing Facts Center of
00:53:55.30\00:54:00.14
Evangelism training seminar.
00:54:00.17\00:54:02.87
The AFCOE to go program really
inspired me and motivated me
00:54:02.90\00:54:07.64
to tell young
people about, you know,
00:54:07.68\00:54:12.21
the same struggles
that I was struggling with,
00:54:12.25\00:54:14.25
to help these kids give
their life to Jesus Christ,
00:54:14.28\00:54:17.39
and there's nothing
else that you could ask for.
00:54:17.42\00:54:20.32
I'm Justin, and God
used you to change my life.
00:54:20.36\00:54:24.83
¤¤¤
00:54:24.86\00:54:34.80
¤¤¤
00:54:34.84\00:54:44.61
Doug: What can be more
irresistible than a kitten?
00:54:44.65\00:54:46.98
These guys might look cute
now, but some of their ancestors
00:54:47.02\00:54:50.05
have grown into man eaters.
00:54:50.09\00:54:52.09
[roaring]
00:54:52.12\00:54:56.22
We're here in a lion
park in South Africa now where
00:54:56.26\00:54:58.76
we can view these
creatures in relative safety,
00:54:58.79\00:55:01.33
but there's a reason they're
known as the king of beasts.
00:55:01.36\00:55:04.87
So, what is it that people find
00:55:04.90\00:55:06.20
so enchanting and
frightening about lions?
00:55:06.23\00:55:08.50
Is it their speed, their
claws, their sharp teeth,
00:55:08.54\00:55:11.91
or all of the above?
00:55:11.94\00:55:13.51
Might also be some of the
stories about man-eating lions.
00:55:13.54\00:55:16.78
Like in 1898,
right here in Africa,
00:55:16.81\00:55:19.61
they were building a bridge
over the Tsavo River in Kenya,
00:55:19.65\00:55:23.12
and two brother lions terrorized
00:55:23.15\00:55:25.32
the construction
process, eating 135 workers.
00:55:25.35\00:55:30.93
Did you know lions are mentioned
in the Bible over 100 times,
00:55:30.96\00:55:34.56
and you can
find them all the way
00:55:34.56\00:55:35.96
from Genesis to Revelation?
00:55:36.00\00:55:38.00
It's usually in
reference to their ferocity
00:55:38.03\00:55:40.14
and how dangerous they are.
00:55:40.17\00:55:41.87
Of course, Samson killed
a lion with his bare hands.
00:55:41.90\00:55:44.81
David killed a lion.
00:55:44.84\00:55:46.14
There are
man-eating lions in the Bible.
00:55:46.17\00:55:48.21
The way that they punished
criminals was by throwing
00:55:48.24\00:55:50.75
them in the lions' den,
and early Christians were even
00:55:50.78\00:55:53.68
fed to lions, but, amazingly,
as the Bible mentions,
00:55:53.72\00:55:57.42
not all lions are to be feared.
00:55:57.45\00:55:59.52
There have been a few
friendly lions in history.
00:55:59.55\00:56:02.39
For example, in
the 1950s, a couple,
00:56:02.42\00:56:05.86
George and Margaret Westbeau,
who lived up at a ranch near
00:56:05.89\00:56:09.23
Seattle, Washington,
adopted an abandoned lion cub.
00:56:09.26\00:56:13.44
They named it Little Tyke
because they felt sorry for it,
00:56:13.47\00:56:16.37
but they discovered
as they tried to feed her
00:56:16.40\00:56:18.94
she refused to
eat any meat at all.
00:56:18.97\00:56:22.11
They were concerned,
thinking there was no hope
00:56:22.14\00:56:23.95
for this little lioness to
survive, and everybody told them
00:56:23.98\00:56:26.75
the same, because we
know in the wild lions survive
00:56:26.78\00:56:29.85
on almost an entirely meat diet.
00:56:29.88\00:56:32.69
Then someone showed
the Westbeaus that verse
00:56:32.72\00:56:34.82
in the Bible that talks
about in heaven the animals
00:56:34.86\00:56:37.96
are vegetarians, and the
lion will eat straw like the ox.
00:56:37.99\00:56:42.43
That encouraged them,
and so they began to feed
00:56:42.46\00:56:44.93
Little Tyke a
purely vegetarian diet.
00:56:44.97\00:56:48.07
Not only did she
survive, she thrived,
00:56:48.10\00:56:50.91
growing into a lion
that was over 352 pounds
00:56:50.94\00:56:54.51
and over 10 feet long.
00:56:54.54\00:56:56.88
In fact, zoologists that
examined Little Tyke when
00:56:56.91\00:56:59.28
she was full-grown said
they have never seen such
00:56:59.31\00:57:01.85
a perfect specimen of
a lioness in their life,
00:57:01.88\00:57:05.45
a pure vegetarian.
00:57:05.49\00:57:07.46
You know, when we hear
incredible stories about that,
00:57:07.49\00:57:09.66
of Little Tyke, it reminds
us that God's original plan
00:57:09.69\00:57:13.13
was to make a
world of total peace.
00:57:13.16\00:57:15.70
He describes it
here in the Bible
00:57:15.73\00:57:17.17
in Isaiah chapter 11, verse 6.
00:57:17.20\00:57:19.43
"The wolf also will
dwell with the lamb,
00:57:19.47\00:57:21.97
the leopard will lie
down with the young goat,
00:57:22.00\00:57:24.31
the calf and the young
lion and the fatling together;
00:57:24.34\00:57:27.01
and a little
child will lead them."
00:57:27.04\00:57:29.44
Nothing is going to hurt
and destroy in the new heavens
00:57:29.48\00:57:32.08
and the new earth that
God is going to create.
00:57:32.11\00:57:34.25
Wouldn't you like to live in
a kingdom where there's perfect
00:57:34.28\00:57:36.42
peace, where there's no
more death or killing or pain?
00:57:36.45\00:57:40.36
God says that He
wants you in that kingdom.
00:57:40.39\00:57:42.96
The Lamb of God made it
possible for you to have
00:57:42.99\00:57:46.06
an encounter with the
Lion of the tribe of Judah.
00:57:46.09\00:57:49.10
Wouldn't you like
to meet Him today?
00:57:49.13\00:57:51.73
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