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Shawn Brummund: Good morning,
and welcome to this week's
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edition of the
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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My name is Pastor
Shawn Brummund, and it is my
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privilege to be able to
invite you and welcome you
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to this particular study.
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I trust and know that this
will be a time in which you have
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invested well, in which
you will come to know the Word
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of God that much better.
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We pray that you come with a
spirit of worship, and a sincere
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desire to be able to know God
better and to be able to know
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His Word that
much better as well.
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We continue to come back to a
rather new quarterly that we're
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looking at, just starting
this particular month, and it is
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entitled, "The Promise and
God's Everlasting Covenant."
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There is a theme throughout the
Scriptures, right from the first
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chapters of the first book of
the Bible that talks about God's
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promise and His covenant, that
He has given not only to Abraham
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as we'll be looking at in our
lesson study, in lesson study
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number five here today, but a
universal lesson or covenant I
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should say, that God
has given to all of mankind.
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And I look forward to be able
to learning more about that as
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Pastor Doug teaches
the lesson here today.
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So if you have your
quarterly, make sure
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you go and grab--great.
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If you don't have
your quarterly, make sure
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that you go and grab it;
if you don't have your Bible,
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make sure you go
ahead and grab that as well.
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This is a Bible study and so we
want you to be able to make that
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Bible your own and to get
to know it that much better.
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Also want to invite you to take
advantage of a free gift offer
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that we have for
you here today as well.
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And it is one of my
favorite subjects by far,
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which is the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
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The lesson study and study guide
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is entitled "Saved
from Certain Death."
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And so, please
take advantage of this.
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If you've never studied
this study guide, this is
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one of my favorites by far.
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And you just go ahead and dial
the number that is on the screen
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which is 866-788-3966.
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Again, that's 1-866-Study-More.
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And when you do dial that
number, just go ahead and ask
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for offer, free offer number
109, and they'll be happy to be
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able to send that
out to you for free.
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If you're in North America,
that is in this particular
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continent or in the
different US territories.
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Now, for those of you are in the
US, we also have a digital copy
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that's free and
available for you as well.
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And so you can just go ahead
and text the word "SH060," and
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you want to dial that to 40544.
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So please take advantage
of that, get the digital copy.
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If you want a physical copy,
we're happy to mail that out
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to you as well.
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Well, before we invite Pastor
Doug out, and actually open the
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Bible and look at our lesson, we
want to worship God for a moment
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as we spend some time in song.
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And so, please as we welcome--
let's count ourselves blessed as
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we welcome our musicians today.
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¤¤¤
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¤ When peace like a river ¤
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¤ attendeth my way, ¤
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¤ when sorrows
like sea billows roll, ¤
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¤ whatever my lot, Thou
hast taught me to say, ¤
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¤ "It is well, it is well ¤
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¤ with my soul." ¤
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¤ It is well ¤
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¤ with my soul. ¤
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¤ It is well, it is
well with my soul. ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ My sin, oh, the joy
of this glorious thought. ¤
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¤ My sin, not in
part but the whole, ¤
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¤ is nailed to the
cross and I bear it no more, ¤
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¤ praise the
Lord, praise the Lord, ¤
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¤ O my soul. ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ And, Lord, haste the day
when my faith shall be sight. ¤
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¤ The clouds be
rolled back as a scroll. ¤
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¤ The trump shall resound,
and the Lord shall descend. ¤
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¤ Even so, it is
well with my soul. ¤
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¤ It is well with my soul. ¤
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¤ It is well, it is well ¤
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¤ with my soul. ¤¤
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Shawn: Let's pray.
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Father in heaven, as we stop to
bow before you, we want to thank
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you for this opportunity that we
have to be able to worship you.
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We thank you for preparing
our hearts through music.
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We thank you for the Holy Spirit
that you promised to give to us
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as a true and full
representative of Jesus Christ,
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to be able to be in our
hearts and to be able to
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guide us and lead us.
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Want to pray that Your Holy
Spirit will do His promised job
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in our hearts and our minds, to
be able to teach us and guide us
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into all truth.
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We thank you for
this lesson study.
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We thank you for the
truth that it brings forth.
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Pray that you will be with
Pastor Doug in a special way,
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and, God, that you will be with
his mind as well as with ours,
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that we might receive
the truth from Your Word,
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even as you give it.
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In Jesus's name we pray
these things, God, amen.
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Doug Batchelor: Good morning.
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Want to welcome those who are
here at the Granite Bay Hilltop
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Church as well as the
bigger audience we know that is
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watching on AFTV or on Facebook
or YouTube or all of the
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different social media venues
to our "Sabbath School Study."
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We're continuing in our study
dealing with the promise, God's
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everlasting covenant, and today
we're on lesson number five.
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And we're talking about the
different aspects of some of the
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covenants that God has made.
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And our lesson today is going to
be dealing with the subject of
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the children of promise.
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And we have a memory verse.
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And the memory verse
is from Matthew 28:20.
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And if you have your Bibles,
you can say that with me,
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Matthew 28:20.
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It says, "Lo, I am
with you always even to the
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end of the world."
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Some of your versions may say,
"I'm with you always even to the
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end of the age or
the end of the earth."
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But he's basically saying, "I
will be with you till the end."
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And there's several
promises in the Bible.
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You know God told
Jacob, "I am with you."
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God told
Joshua, "I am with you."
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And then the culmination of the
plan of salvation in heaven is
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when God is with us.
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Sin separates us from God,
and so it's a remarkable promise
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when God reminds
us, "I am with you.
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I'm watching over
you wherever you go."
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Now, H.M.S. Richards Sr. used to
teach a fascinating--he used an
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illustration--sorry, we've got
spare parts on the podium here--
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where a father, it's a true
story, a father and a daughter
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went swimming somewhere on the
East Coast, and it was a warm
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day, and the
water was fairly warm.
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And it was a calm day, and they
went swimming out in the ocean.
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And they were good swimmers, and
they went swimming out, and then
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all of a sudden, the father
realized as they tried to swim
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back to shore, the tide had
changed and now it was going out
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and it went out with great
force in this particular area.
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And swim though he might,
he could barely get back in
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and his daughter's with him.
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And if he tried to carry
her back in, they just went out.
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So he had to make a
pretty fateful decision.
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He said, "Listen," he told his
daughter, "I'm going to go in
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and I'm going to get some help.
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The water is warm.
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You can float on your
back all day if you get tired.
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I will come back for you."
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And she was used to swimming
in the ocean, so she wasn't
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frightened by that, but he
took off and left her and she
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kept getting pulled
further and further out.
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And he used all of his strength
and just barely made it back in.
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Well, he notified a bunch
of people in the village and
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several of the
people in the town.
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They got their boats together
and they went swimming--
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or they went paddling out
to see if they could find the
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girl, and hours went by.
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Finally, four hours later, they
returned where about 100 people
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had gathered on the
shore with the girl.
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And when they picked up,
they said, "Were you frightened?
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She said, "No."
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She said, "Dad told me he'd
come back for me and he said you
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could float all day on
your back, so I believed him."
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And so, she wasn't afraid.
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You know, if you believe the
promises and the covenant that
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God has made with us, it goes
a long way to give you peace.
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There's a lot of trials in
life and if you focus on the
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problems, you could
live a fearful existence.
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But God wants us to be people
of faith and not fear, amen.
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So we're going to talk about
some of these promises God made.
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Take a look for instance in
that first covenant promise and
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you'll find this
in Genesis chapter 15.
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And I'm going to
read verses 1 through 3.
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If you got your
Bibles, you can join me there.
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And we're going
to focus on this.
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Genesis chapter
15, verse 1 through 3.
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Now, you remember, we read
that first promise in an earlier
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lesson that God makes
in Genesis 12 to Abraham.
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And He kind of renews it here
when God first calls Abraham.
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We find it in Genesis 12, verses
1 through 3, and now we here in
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Genesis 15.
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"After these things,
the Word of the Lord came to
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Abram in a vision, saying,
'Do not be afraid, Abram.
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I am your shield and
your exceeding great reward.'"
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God says, "I am your reward."
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"But Abram said, 'Lord,
what will you give me, seeing I
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go childless, and the
heir of my house is this
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Eliezer of Damascus?'
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And Abraham said,
'Look, you have given me no
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offspring and indeed one
born in my house is my heir.'"
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And he says, "Behold, the
Word of the Lord came to him
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saying, 'This one shall not
be your heir, but one who has
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come from your own
body shall be your heir.'
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And He brought him
outside and He said,
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'Look toward the
heaven and count the stars,
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If you're able to number them.'
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And He said, 'So
shall your descendants be.'
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And he believed
God and he counted it
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to him for righteousness."
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That's what you call
righteousness by faith.
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He believed God and
God declared him righteous
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because of his faith.
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Well, a few things to
consider in this passage
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that we just read.
00:12:39.92\00:12:41.29
First of all, you'll notice that
God said, "Do not be afraid."
00:12:41.32\00:12:44.46
Now, why would He say that?
00:12:44.49\00:12:47.60
Do you tell somebody who is
not afraid "don't be afraid"
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or do you tell someone
who's afraid "don't be afraid"?
00:12:51.10\00:12:53.94
Why was Abraham afraid?
00:12:53.97\00:12:55.27
I mean, here he's called
the father of the faithful.
00:12:55.30\00:12:57.94
Well, think about this.
00:12:57.97\00:12:59.47
He had come from
Ur of the Chaldees.
00:12:59.51\00:13:03.11
Now, just so you
know, there is discrepancy
00:13:03.14\00:13:06.48
among the
scholars where that was.
00:13:06.51\00:13:08.52
Some have what they called the
southern Ur, which is close to
00:13:08.55\00:13:11.72
where the Euphrates River dumps
off into the Gulf, and some have
00:13:11.75\00:13:15.72
the northern Ur.
00:13:15.76\00:13:17.16
There's an area in the
mountains not far from Ararat
00:13:17.19\00:13:20.13
that also had the ancient
name Ur, that was inhabited
00:13:20.16\00:13:24.33
by the people of Mesopotamia.
00:13:24.37\00:13:25.87
So there's some
discussion about whereabouts.
00:13:25.90\00:13:27.74
But either way, so he
comes from Mesopotamia.
00:13:27.77\00:13:29.94
He crosses Euphrates, he leaves
his family, and his people and
00:13:29.97\00:13:33.64
his city, his town, all of
this support structure, their
00:13:33.68\00:13:37.18
culture, and they go to a
strange country where people are
00:13:37.21\00:13:41.85
speaking strange languages and
they've got different customs
00:13:41.88\00:13:44.72
and they're little bit barbaric.
00:13:44.75\00:13:47.26
Let me give you an example
of why God had to tell Abraham,
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"Abraham, do not fear."
00:13:50.49\00:13:53.23
You remember, for example,
when--Genesis chapter 12, in
00:13:53.26\00:14:01.87
just the former chapters here,
"Came to pass when he was close
00:14:01.90\00:14:06.07
to entering Egypt," during the
time of famine, "that he said to
00:14:06.11\00:14:09.34
Sarai, his wife," she had
not been renamed yet, "Indeed, I
00:14:09.38\00:14:13.68
know that you are a
woman of beautiful countenance.
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.08
Therefore, it will happen that
when the Egyptians see you, they
00:14:16.12\00:14:18.82
will say, 'This is his
wife,' and they will kill
00:14:18.85\00:14:21.32
me, but they'll let you live.
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.56
Please, say that you're my
sister that it might be well
00:14:23.59\00:14:26.16
with me for your sake, that
I might live because of you."
00:14:26.19\00:14:31.03
So he was in fear all the time.
00:14:31.07\00:14:32.93
His wife was so beautiful.
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He was in fear that they were
going to kill him for his wife.
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He's surrounded by nations
that were, you know, they
00:14:37.67\00:14:39.94
just--remember, God destroyed
the world because of violence in
00:14:39.97\00:14:43.78
the days of Noah
before the flood.
00:14:43.81\00:14:47.45
And now, things have
gotten to almost that same point
00:14:47.48\00:14:50.15
where Abram said,
"These are a violent
00:14:50.19\00:14:52.55
and a barbaric
people," and so he was afraid.
00:14:52.59\00:14:55.42
They're surrounded by
seven nations that were
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greater than they were.
00:14:57.49\00:14:59.03
Even in the days of Isaac, so,
00:14:59.06\00:15:02.20
several years have gone by,
Isaac tells Rebecca when they're
00:15:02.23\00:15:06.47
going to stay with the
Philistines, and they're in the
00:15:06.50\00:15:10.01
area of King Abimelech.
00:15:10.04\00:15:11.44
He said, "Say
that you're my sister."
00:15:11.47\00:15:13.78
Or they asked about Rebecca and
he said, "Oh she is my sister,"
00:15:13.81\00:15:16.85
'cause he was afraid.
00:15:16.88\00:15:18.28
That's what it
says. He was afraid.
00:15:18.31\00:15:19.98
So they're afraid.
00:15:20.02\00:15:21.52
And one more example of this.
00:15:21.55\00:15:23.62
Of course, the sons of
Jacob caused this problem.
00:15:23.65\00:15:26.69
You know, Simeon and Levi
got upset because the people of
00:15:26.72\00:15:29.66
Shechem, the Prince of
Shechem slept with Jacob's
00:15:29.69\00:15:34.30
daughter Dinah.
00:15:34.30\00:15:36.06
And so Simeon and Levi went
through and they sort of tricked
00:15:36.10\00:15:39.73
the men of Shechem into
going through the rite of
00:15:39.77\00:15:44.97
circumcision, and then Levi and
Simeon attacked them, killed all
00:15:45.01\00:15:48.98
the males, took all their
livestock and their slaves, and
00:15:49.01\00:15:53.11
here's what Jacob says.
00:15:53.15\00:15:55.12
He said to Simeon and Levi, "You
have troubled me by making me
00:15:55.15\00:15:58.12
obnoxious, odious, making me
stink among the inhabitants of
00:15:58.15\00:16:02.16
the land, among the
Canaanites and the Perizzites.
00:16:02.19\00:16:04.66
And since I am few in number,
they will gather themselves
00:16:04.69\00:16:07.30
together against me and
kill me and I'll be destroyed,
00:16:07.30\00:16:10.43
I and my household."
00:16:10.47\00:16:12.93
And so, they kind of lived
in constant fear of one nation
00:16:12.97\00:16:15.77
attacking another.
00:16:15.80\00:16:17.11
Why did Abraham
have to rescue Lot?
00:16:17.14\00:16:21.98
When Chedorlaomer, the king of
the north up by Damascus, he and
00:16:22.01\00:16:26.82
the confederacy of other kings,
they were really tribes back
00:16:26.85\00:16:29.58
then, they came and
attacked Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.29
And so, they were
warring back then and attacking.
00:16:32.32\00:16:34.39
So Abraham's surrounded by
these barbaric, warlike people.
00:16:34.42\00:16:38.86
And you know, he didn't have
to--had to wonder at night if
00:16:38.89\00:16:43.63
they're going to
take his livestock and it
00:16:43.67\00:16:47.47
was a dangerous time.
00:16:47.50\00:16:49.07
It was the wild west back then.
00:16:49.10\00:16:52.01
We call it the Middle East,
but it was west of Mesopotamia.
00:16:52.04\00:16:56.85
And so God said,
"Don't be afraid.
00:16:56.88\00:16:59.08
I've called you. I'm
going to watch over you."
00:16:59.11\00:17:01.62
God had to tell Paul that.
00:17:01.65\00:17:02.98
Paul went to preach
in some dangerous cities.
00:17:03.02\00:17:05.35
Paul said, "No man is
going to hurt you here
00:17:05.39\00:17:07.32
'cause I'm going to be with you.
00:17:07.36\00:17:08.76
I've got many
people in this city."
00:17:08.79\00:17:10.66
And so there's many times
that God's servant has had
00:17:10.69\00:17:12.99
to have
reassurance that he's going to
00:17:13.03\00:17:15.43
watch over us
during these times.
00:17:15.46\00:17:17.17
What else does He say?
He said, "Do not be afraid."
00:17:17.20\00:17:20.64
I remember hearing a pastor.
00:17:20.67\00:17:23.00
A little boy said, you
know, he sometimes was afraid.
00:17:23.04\00:17:26.21
And the pastor said, "Do you
say your prayers every night?"
00:17:26.24\00:17:29.58
And the boy said, "Yes, sir."
00:17:29.61\00:17:31.35
And he said, "Do you say
your prayers in the morning?"
00:17:31.38\00:17:33.72
He said, "No, sir, I'm
not afraid during the daytime.
00:17:33.75\00:17:36.32
Just afraid at night."
00:17:36.35\00:17:39.99
But Deuteronomy chapter
20, verse 8, "What man is there
00:17:40.02\00:17:45.23
among you who is fearful and
fainthearted, let them go and
00:17:45.26\00:17:48.60
return to his house,
lest the heart of his
00:17:48.63\00:17:51.40
brethren faint like his heart.
00:17:51.43\00:17:53.10
Fear can be contagious,
and God did not want His people
00:17:53.13\00:17:56.94
being fearful."
00:17:56.97\00:17:58.67
And when Jesus calmed the
sea, you know what He said
00:17:58.71\00:18:01.21
to His disciples?
00:18:01.24\00:18:03.31
"Please be still.
00:18:03.35\00:18:05.01
Why are you so fearful?
00:18:05.05\00:18:06.95
How is it you have no faith?"
00:18:06.98\00:18:08.75
You know what that means?
00:18:08.78\00:18:10.15
People that are living
in constant fear, they don't
00:18:10.19\00:18:13.32
live by faith.
00:18:13.36\00:18:15.42
I just finished a book on worry.
00:18:15.46\00:18:18.39
I grant it's not the word
"fear" but--same principle.
00:18:18.43\00:18:21.63
And the reason I wrote the
book is because I've met so many
00:18:21.66\00:18:24.13
Christians that just live
afraid all the time and afraid
00:18:24.17\00:18:29.94
of everything and
they're always worried.
00:18:29.97\00:18:32.17
And once they find they don't
have to worry about one thing,
00:18:32.21\00:18:34.44
they find something
else to worry about.
00:18:34.48\00:18:36.48
And nobody is won to
your faith by your worrying.
00:18:36.51\00:18:41.82
People will be won to
your faith by your faith.
00:18:41.85\00:18:45.12
If you're a person that
has peace and some serenity,
00:18:45.15\00:18:49.52
people will be
attracted to that because
00:18:49.56\00:18:50.96
we're in a fearful world.
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.13
And so, God tells--Jesus
said, "Where is your
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.30
faith, why are you afraid?"
00:18:55.33\00:18:57.03
Now, wouldn't you are afraid if
you were in a storm in a little
00:18:57.07\00:18:59.27
boat at night on the
dark sea and about to sink?
00:18:59.30\00:19:03.17
And Jesus was not afraid, and He
said you should not be afraid.
00:19:03.20\00:19:06.37
I know that
sounds like a stretch.
00:19:06.41\00:19:07.78
You know how
Wesley was converted?
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.68
Wesley was out doing missionary
work in North America trying to
00:19:10.71\00:19:14.62
work among the Indians and he
didn't have very much success.
00:19:14.65\00:19:18.32
And sailing back across to
England, he was doubting his
00:19:18.35\00:19:22.06
conversion when during a
terrible storm, all the sailors
00:19:22.09\00:19:27.40
were afraid and the passengers
were afraid except a group of
00:19:27.46\00:19:30.80
Moravian, primitive Baptists.
00:19:30.83\00:19:34.14
They were up on
deck singing, and they
00:19:34.17\00:19:35.90
looked absolutely fearless.
00:19:35.94\00:19:37.81
And Wesley was so impressed,
he asked them, he spoke to the
00:19:37.84\00:19:40.54
elder of the group, he
said "Aren't you afraid?"
00:19:40.58\00:19:43.78
This terrible storm,
the boat was going down into
00:19:43.81\00:19:45.95
the trough of the waves.
00:19:45.98\00:19:47.38
The waves were rolling over and
it was rocking back and forth,
00:19:47.42\00:19:50.02
and lightning was
flashing, the wind was howling,
00:19:50.05\00:19:52.92
and everybody was afraid.
00:19:52.95\00:19:54.96
Water was coming in,
the sailors were pumping,
00:19:54.99\00:19:56.93
and they were singing.
00:19:56.96\00:20:00.66
He said, "Aren't you
afraid?" "No, we're not afraid."
00:20:00.70\00:20:02.66
"Aren't your women
and children afraid?"
00:20:02.70\00:20:04.20
"They're not afraid.
We're in the hands of God."
00:20:04.23\00:20:07.24
You know, when we decided to
follow Jesus, we died way back
00:20:07.27\00:20:09.44
then so now we're not
afraid of death anymore.
00:20:09.47\00:20:12.91
You realize when
you take up your cross
00:20:12.94\00:20:14.28
to follow Jesus, you die.
00:20:14.31\00:20:16.75
And once you're dead,
Christians just go to sleep.
00:20:16.78\00:20:21.32
They don't die, right?
00:20:21.35\00:20:23.02
So you don't have to be afraid.
00:20:23.05\00:20:26.39
Anyway, I've got a friend that
her husband was a little bit of
00:20:26.42\00:20:29.79
a reckless driver.
00:20:29.82\00:20:31.69
If they're watching now, they'll
know I'm talking about them, but
00:20:31.73\00:20:34.00
I'm not going to
tell their names.
00:20:34.00\00:20:36.33
And he was, you know, totally
fearless and she was fearful.
00:20:36.36\00:20:42.00
Isn't it something how God puts
those people together all the
00:20:42.04\00:20:45.24
time in marriage?
00:20:45.27\00:20:47.34
It's part of God's cosmic humor,
and He takes those opposites.
00:20:47.38\00:20:50.75
Somehow, they're
attracted to each other.
00:20:50.78\00:20:53.72
And every time he'd go
around the turn, she'd scream,
00:20:53.75\00:20:56.55
"Oh, oh, oh," because he
was--he'd be up on two wheels
00:20:56.58\00:21:00.36
and he's just that way.
00:21:00.39\00:21:01.86
He drove like Jehu.
00:21:01.89\00:21:04.73
And I finally told her one day,
I was riding with him in the car
00:21:04.76\00:21:07.46
and I'm watching this go on.
00:21:07.50\00:21:09.46
And I thought, "Wouldn't
be easier," I'm talking to the
00:21:09.50\00:21:12.57
sister, I said, "wouldn't
be easier just to assume that
00:21:12.60\00:21:14.64
you're going to
die and then relax?"
00:21:14.67\00:21:17.57
I said, "Living in constant fear
like this has got to be torment.
00:21:17.61\00:21:21.11
Just accept, say,
I'm going to die,'
00:21:21.14\00:21:23.65
and then just enjoy the ride."
00:21:23.68\00:21:25.71
It doesn't make any
sense to just be afraid
00:21:25.75\00:21:28.55
and screaming all the time,
it was this constant terror.
00:21:28.58\00:21:32.52
And so for the Christian,
you know just accept, "Well, I'm
00:21:32.55\00:21:34.42
going to die."
00:21:34.46\00:21:35.79
Enjoy the ride, right?
00:21:35.82\00:21:37.56
Live by faith.
00:21:37.59\00:21:39.43
Anyway, God said,
"Don't be afraid," and then He
00:21:39.46\00:21:41.50
makes this other statement.
00:21:41.53\00:21:42.90
He says, "I am your shield and
your exceeding great reward."
00:21:42.93\00:21:48.07
Let's talk about the
shield part here for a minute.
00:21:48.10\00:21:51.81
If you look in, oh, Psalm
144, verse 2, "God is my shield,
00:21:51.84\00:22:00.12
the one in whom I take refuge."
00:22:00.15\00:22:03.32
Now that's a picture of, like,
when--you can read in Ephesians.
00:22:03.35\00:22:08.89
One of the implements of the
Christian's armory is the shield
00:22:08.92\00:22:12.39
of faith that you
hold up and you quench the
00:22:12.43\00:22:15.76
fiery darts of the enemy.
00:22:15.80\00:22:18.47
When Satan is hurling his doubts
and his temptations at you, you
00:22:18.50\00:22:21.24
hold up that shield
and they just deflect.
00:22:21.27\00:22:23.44
They don't touch
you. And God protects us.
00:22:23.47\00:22:26.84
I like the picture it
gives in Psalm 91, verse 4.
00:22:26.88\00:22:29.54
Says, "He will cover you with
His feathers and under His wings
00:22:29.58\00:22:33.18
you will take refuge.
00:22:33.21\00:22:34.75
His truth will be your
shield and your buckler."
00:22:34.78\00:22:38.22
So you picture, you know when
the hen gives a little chirp for
00:22:38.25\00:22:41.96
warning and all the chicks run
underneath the wings, and there
00:22:41.99\00:22:45.19
they're shaded, and
there they're protected and the
00:22:45.23\00:22:47.13
mother's ready to give
her life to protect them.
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.26
God says, "I will
protect you under My
00:22:49.30\00:22:51.63
wings and you'll take refuge."
00:22:51.67\00:22:54.14
God is your shield.
00:22:54.17\00:22:55.64
Now, if you've got God as
your forcefield, if He is your
00:22:55.67\00:23:01.84
protection, then is there
anything the enemy can do to
00:23:01.88\00:23:04.48
hurt you?
00:23:04.51\00:23:06.38
Yeah, nothing--
God said no one's--
00:23:06.41\00:23:08.32
by the way,
Abraham didn't make it.
00:23:08.35\00:23:09.85
He died of old age.
00:23:09.88\00:23:11.25
God protected him through his
life, through all the trials and
00:23:11.29\00:23:13.82
adventures that he had.
00:23:13.86\00:23:15.29
God said, "I will protect you."
00:23:15.32\00:23:17.19
It's amazing with all the
adventures that David had that
00:23:17.23\00:23:19.79
David managed to die in his
bed of old age, essentially.
00:23:19.83\00:23:24.37
And He says,
"I'll take care of you.
00:23:24.40\00:23:26.20
I'll protect
you. Don't be afraid.
00:23:26.23\00:23:27.74
I am your shield."
00:23:27.77\00:23:29.10
And He said, "And I am
your exceedingly great reward.
00:23:29.14\00:23:32.44
Now, when you think about
the reward of the Christian, you
00:23:32.47\00:23:34.68
think about heaven or
do you think about God?
00:23:34.71\00:23:38.58
So many people, they
think about heaven, they think,
00:23:38.61\00:23:41.65
"Ah, a world--no more pain.
00:23:41.68\00:23:44.49
New body. No
more aches and pains.
00:23:44.52\00:23:46.65
No more sorrow
and no more tears.
00:23:46.69\00:23:49.39
I'll be able to fly.
00:23:49.42\00:23:50.99
Soar to worlds unknown.
00:23:51.03\00:23:53.06
I'll be able to eat from
the tree of life to my full.
00:23:53.09\00:23:56.03
Never be hungry again,
never be thirsty again."
00:23:56.06\00:23:58.00
And people go through the litany
of wonderful things in heaven.
00:23:58.03\00:24:00.27
And all of that is
true, but what is the greatest
00:24:00.30\00:24:03.51
reward of heaven?
00:24:03.54\00:24:06.31
God himself will be
there and we can be with God.
00:24:06.34\00:24:10.45
The real reward for the
Christian is when you love Jesus
00:24:10.48\00:24:12.91
and you think about heaven and
you're thinking about being with
00:24:12.95\00:24:15.38
the one you love, that will
be your exceeding great reward:
00:24:15.42\00:24:18.99
to be with your
Creator and your Redeemer.
00:24:19.02\00:24:21.92
All right, let's go
to the next section here.
00:24:21.96\00:24:23.53
It's the messianic
promise, messianic promise,
00:24:23.56\00:24:27.20
and there's two parts
to this; this is part one.
00:24:27.23\00:24:29.80
And you read here in
Genesis 28, part of God's
00:24:29.83\00:24:32.37
covenant for His people.
00:24:32.40\00:24:35.37
"Also your descendants will be
as the dust of the earth and you
00:24:35.40\00:24:40.81
will spread abroad to the west
and to the east, to the north
00:24:40.84\00:24:44.61
and to the south.
00:24:44.65\00:24:46.11
And in you and in your seed
shall all the families of the
00:24:46.15\00:24:50.45
earth be blessed."
00:24:50.49\00:24:52.72
Now, that is really
a-- that's a promise and a
00:24:52.75\00:24:55.79
prophecy that has multiple,
you might say manifold,
00:24:55.82\00:24:59.53
different ways that
it could be fulfilled.
00:24:59.56\00:25:01.16
First of all, the Jewish
people--Christians in the world
00:25:01.20\00:25:07.44
today, 2.1 billion, 2.3
billion, somewhere in there.
00:25:07.47\00:25:12.57
A lot of people are
classified as "Christians."
00:25:12.61\00:25:14.84
They are born in the Catholic
church or they're born in the
00:25:14.88\00:25:17.18
Anglican church, they
may not be practicing,
00:25:17.21\00:25:19.41
but they are
categorized as Christians.
00:25:19.45\00:25:21.72
Muslims, of course,
you've got both devout
00:25:21.75\00:25:23.85
and you've secular Muslims.
00:25:23.89\00:25:25.29
They're about 1.7, 1.8 billion.
00:25:25.32\00:25:29.02
Jews, you want to guess?
00:25:29.06\00:25:33.43
Sixteen million.
How'd they--good, Luke.
00:25:33.46\00:25:35.73
There's not that many.
00:25:35.76\00:25:37.07
I mean, you think
they'd been around a lot longer
00:25:37.10\00:25:38.73
than Muslims--well, of course
there's been several times
00:25:38.77\00:25:42.14
in history that they've
been virtually annihilated
00:25:42.17\00:25:44.61
or exterminated,
but about 16 million.
00:25:44.64\00:25:50.61
And so when He said, "Your
people will be like the sand of
00:25:50.65\00:25:53.28
the sea," was He talking about
Jews or was He talking about
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.62
Christians or maybe both?
00:25:55.65\00:26:00.12
Because every Christian--
what does the Bible say?
00:26:00.16\00:26:03.43
You read in Galatians chapter 3,
verse 29, "If you are Christ's,
00:26:03.46\00:26:07.96
then you are Abraham's seed and
heirs according to the promise."
00:26:07.96\00:26:12.83
So the promise that God made to
Abraham, "Your descendants are
00:26:12.87\00:26:15.60
going to be like the
stars and like the sand."
00:26:15.64\00:26:18.47
That will also include
not only literal Israel.
00:26:18.51\00:26:21.71
And you know, even back in
the days of Solomon when he
00:26:21.74\00:26:25.31
dedicated the temple, and David,
he said, you know, "You've made
00:26:25.35\00:26:28.65
me king over your
people that are numberless."
00:26:28.68\00:26:32.89
And so God had fulfilled
that promise back then.
00:26:32.92\00:26:36.36
He made them a
great nation back then.
00:26:36.39\00:26:39.83
But even beyond that, you
can read here in Genesis 18:18,
00:26:39.86\00:26:45.90
"Since Abraham surely
shall become great and a mighty
00:26:45.93\00:26:49.54
nation, and all the
nations of the earth
00:26:49.57\00:26:52.54
will be blessed in him," how?
00:26:52.57\00:26:55.51
I know you think about the
greatness, you can think about
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.05
the numerical quantity.
00:26:57.08\00:26:58.61
There's a lot of Christians
and Jews in the world.
00:26:58.65\00:27:01.32
Billions, they fill the world.
00:27:01.35\00:27:04.99
Why does it say, "In your seed
all the world will be blessed"?
00:27:05.02\00:27:09.22
You know the word
"seed" means descendants.
00:27:09.26\00:27:11.39
It's sort of the Hebrew
way of saying "your offspring."
00:27:11.43\00:27:15.90
How is all the world
blessed in that offspring?
00:27:15.93\00:27:21.20
Through the seed of Abraham,
the Messiah came, right?
00:27:21.24\00:27:26.98
But another way you
might realize that--
00:27:27.01\00:27:29.74
how do you have the Bible?
00:27:29.78\00:27:31.08
We're all sitting here
today because of the book.
00:27:31.11\00:27:32.88
You know, I'm glad that we found
an acronym for this facility or
00:27:32.91\00:27:36.22
I should say these facilities.
00:27:36.25\00:27:37.92
Namely the church, and
the Amazing Facts office, the
00:27:37.95\00:27:40.62
warehouse, all that happens
here in the studios, and we
00:27:40.66\00:27:43.06
call it the WORD.
00:27:43.09\00:27:44.69
The WORD Center.
00:27:44.73\00:27:46.73
And the WORD, in case you don't
know, that's World Outreach
00:27:46.76\00:27:49.56
Revival and Discipleship.
00:27:49.60\00:27:52.10
Everything we do here
is because of this book.
00:27:52.13\00:27:54.54
Would you agree?
00:27:54.57\00:27:55.87
Everything we believe,
it's the foundation, it's our
00:27:55.90\00:27:57.81
constitution, it's the,
you know, the Magna Carta of
00:27:57.84\00:28:02.64
what the Christian believes.
00:28:02.68\00:28:04.21
It's the ultimate source.
00:28:04.25\00:28:06.35
Jesus is called "the Word."
00:28:06.38\00:28:08.58
How do we get this book?
00:28:08.62\00:28:11.62
This book is the history
of Abraham and his people.
00:28:11.65\00:28:14.99
It is all written
by Abraham's people.
00:28:15.02\00:28:18.03
"In the end, in your seed,
all the world will be blessed."
00:28:18.06\00:28:20.76
If it was not for the Jews, the
world would not have the Bible,
00:28:20.80\00:28:24.17
with the exception of a small
excerpt in the Book of Daniel,
00:28:24.20\00:28:27.47
written that Nebuchadnezzar
that was inserted.
00:28:27.50\00:28:30.11
You know, Nebuchadnezzar had his
had his dream in chapter 4 and
00:28:30.14\00:28:31.91
he writes that section.
00:28:31.94\00:28:34.21
The whole book
is written by Jews.
00:28:34.24\00:28:37.55
In Abraham's seed,
all the world is blessed.
00:28:37.58\00:28:41.82
Part of the job of the
Jewish people was to announce
00:28:41.85\00:28:44.02
and introduce the Messiah.
00:28:44.05\00:28:45.42
They did that at Pentecost, and
in addition, they delivered the
00:28:45.45\00:28:50.09
holy Scriptures.
00:28:50.13\00:28:52.89
Paul says, "For to Israel, we're
committed the oracles of God.
00:28:52.93\00:28:57.63
The sacred oracles.
00:28:57.67\00:28:59.10
The law, and the
prophets and the Psalms
00:28:59.13\00:29:01.10
through Abraham's seed.
00:29:01.14\00:29:03.41
So it wasn't all
written by Jesus in person.
00:29:03.44\00:29:05.24
It was written by the
seed of Abraham, right?
00:29:05.27\00:29:07.54
So there's a few ways that this
prophecy was literally fulfilled
00:29:07.58\00:29:10.45
but the ultimate way is that the
Messiah would come through the
00:29:10.48\00:29:14.75
genealogy, the line of Abraham.
00:29:14.78\00:29:18.85
Now, there were
several forks in that tree.
00:29:18.89\00:29:21.86
You know, you've
got--not every Hebrew is a Jew.
00:29:21.89\00:29:28.26
I saw something on the internet
when I was studying last night
00:29:28.30\00:29:30.83
that says, "Jews, Hebrews,
Israelite are the same."
00:29:30.87\00:29:34.84
That's just--sorry,
they don't know their Bible.
00:29:34.87\00:29:36.64
That's categorically not true.
00:29:36.67\00:29:38.81
Jews, the word Jew, principally
means people who have descended
00:29:38.84\00:29:41.81
from the tribe of Judah because
ten other tribes were carried
00:29:41.84\00:29:44.81
away by Assyria, but the tribe
of Judah which was the biggest
00:29:44.85\00:29:48.68
tribe, and Benjamin
and Levi, they were carried
00:29:48.72\00:29:51.22
off by the Babylonians.
00:29:51.25\00:29:53.62
They did come back.
00:29:53.66\00:29:55.02
The Assyrians never really
allowed the Jews carried off, or
00:29:55.06\00:29:58.33
the Israelites carried off
by them, to come back again.
00:29:58.36\00:30:01.76
And a Hebrew, technically
Abraham was a Hebrew.
00:30:01.80\00:30:06.13
The word Hebrew means
those who have crossed over.
00:30:06.17\00:30:11.41
That would mean all
Muslims are Hebrews.
00:30:11.44\00:30:14.74
It is true Jews and
Muslims are both Semitic.
00:30:14.78\00:30:18.21
That means that they
came from the tribe of Shem.
00:30:18.25\00:30:20.58
That's where you
get the word Semitic.
00:30:20.62\00:30:22.42
But there are differences.
00:30:22.45\00:30:24.89
The descendants of Jacob:
Israel are the Israelites,
00:30:24.92\00:30:27.92
the 12 tribes.
00:30:27.96\00:30:29.29
The descendants of Judah:
Benjamin and Levi, they're
00:30:29.32\00:30:31.63
typically called Jews but--yeah,
if you're--you can find people
00:30:31.66\00:30:34.96
from Manasseh or Issachar,
you can call them a Jew too.
00:30:35.00\00:30:37.47
Everyone will sort of
know what you're talking about.
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.53
All right, and that was probably
more than you needed on that.
00:30:39.57\00:30:45.21
Now, can you be a physical
Jew and not a child of Abraham?
00:30:45.24\00:30:53.18
Let me read something to you.
00:30:53.21\00:30:54.58
John 8:39.
00:30:54.62\00:30:57.09
"They answered and said to
Him, 'Abraham is our father.'
00:30:57.12\00:31:00.89
Jesus said to them, 'If
you are Abraham's children, you
00:31:00.92\00:31:03.39
would do the works of Abraham.'"
00:31:03.43\00:31:06.19
And later He says,
"You're not Abraham's children.
00:31:06.23\00:31:07.83
You're of your father, the
devil, because you doing the
00:31:07.86\00:31:10.73
works of your father."
00:31:10.77\00:31:12.37
So when it talks about the
seed of Abraham, it's not just
00:31:12.40\00:31:15.80
talking about
physical genealogy, DNA.
00:31:15.84\00:31:20.84
It's talking about those
who have the spiritual DNA.
00:31:20.88\00:31:24.45
And what was the real trait?
00:31:24.48\00:31:26.61
What was that identifying
marker in the DNA of Abraham?
00:31:26.65\00:31:30.52
Abraham believed God.
00:31:30.55\00:31:33.42
These are people of faith, amen?
00:31:33.46\00:31:37.43
All right, so you get that first
promise and there's many in
00:31:37.46\00:31:41.46
prophecies we could look
at where it talks about the
00:31:41.50\00:31:43.87
Messiah would be coming
through the line of Abraham,
00:31:43.90\00:31:47.30
and we know that that was true.
00:31:47.34\00:31:48.80
Not only did it tell us that
the Messiah was going to come
00:31:48.84\00:31:52.54
through the line of
Abraham; further on it
00:31:52.57\00:31:56.28
says it was going to come
through the line of Jacob.
00:31:56.31\00:31:58.35
Then again, they'll come
through the line of Isaac,
00:31:58.38\00:32:01.12
then the line of Jacob.
00:32:01.15\00:32:02.92
Then Jacob says, "that
through the line of Judah,
00:32:02.95\00:32:09.26
the Messiah would come."
00:32:09.29\00:32:11.09
Did I put that
verse in my notes?
00:32:11.13\00:32:13.80
Yeah, Genesis 49 verse 10, "The
scepter will not depart from
00:32:13.83\00:32:17.77
Judah nor a lawgiver
from between his feet."
00:32:17.80\00:32:20.64
And a little later, he not only
narrows the focus more, starts
00:32:20.67\00:32:24.77
out saying you know it's going
to be through Shem and through
00:32:24.81\00:32:27.24
Abraham, and then it's going to
be through Isaac and Jacob, and
00:32:27.28\00:32:31.08
then it's going to be through
David--or Judah, then David.
00:32:31.11\00:32:36.62
And the last marker
given is that's it's
00:32:36.65\00:32:39.89
going to come
through the line of David.
00:32:39.92\00:32:41.79
And then of course, both
Joseph and Mary came from
00:32:41.82\00:32:44.59
the line of David.
00:32:44.63\00:32:46.19
All right, moving on, the
Messiah promise, part two.
00:32:46.23\00:32:50.73
Now, there were a lot of
promises in the Old Testament
00:32:50.77\00:32:52.93
that talk about
the Messiah's coming.
00:32:52.97\00:32:55.50
Some of them are talking about
the first coming and some of
00:32:55.54\00:32:58.14
them are talking
about the Second Coming.
00:32:58.17\00:33:00.58
Let me just say this, because
you probably heard me say it
00:33:00.61\00:33:06.72
before, but there's
always people listening who
00:33:06.75\00:33:08.85
haven't heard it.
00:33:08.88\00:33:11.29
The devil confused people
regarding the prophecies of
00:33:11.32\00:33:14.76
Jesus coming so they were
not ready for His first coming.
00:33:14.79\00:33:19.43
Some prophecies talk about
Jesus coming loudly like a lion.
00:33:19.46\00:33:25.00
Some talk about Him
coming meekly like a lamb.
00:33:25.03\00:33:29.80
The nation of the Israel thought
that the first coming of Jesus
00:33:29.84\00:33:32.57
was going to be loudly like
a lion, but they were wrong.
00:33:32.61\00:33:36.28
They
misunderstood the prophecies.
00:33:36.31\00:33:37.65
And when He came quietly,
they said, "We don't understand.
00:33:37.68\00:33:41.65
We thought you were coming like
a conquering king and you were
00:33:41.68\00:33:44.25
going to overthrow the Romans
and you're going to reestablish
00:33:44.29\00:33:46.59
the Davidic dynasty and
the kingdom of Solomon."
00:33:46.62\00:33:51.06
And when He came, and he's dying
on a cross, they said "This was
00:33:51.09\00:33:54.46
not at all what we
pictured with the King coming.
00:33:54.46\00:33:57.77
Don't look like a King."
00:33:57.80\00:34:01.07
And they got the
prophecies mixed up.
00:34:01.10\00:34:02.64
Now, what's happening--
and so they were not ready
00:34:02.67\00:34:04.01
for His first coming.
00:34:04.04\00:34:06.41
Now what's
happening is the same thing.
00:34:06.44\00:34:08.94
They say he's
coming secretly, quietly.
00:34:08.98\00:34:12.05
People are going to disappear.
00:34:12.08\00:34:14.18
And life's going to go on, and
we're going to go through seven
00:34:14.22\00:34:16.15
years of tribulation.
00:34:16.18\00:34:17.95
No, now when
Jesus comes next time,
00:34:17.99\00:34:19.55
he's coming like a lion.
00:34:19.59\00:34:21.69
And he's going to roar and
it's not going to be a secret.
00:34:21.72\00:34:24.86
And they're confusing the Second
Coming, preparing much of the
00:34:24.89\00:34:28.03
Christian world to be
deceived by a false Christ.
00:34:28.06\00:34:32.97
So the devil always does that.
00:34:33.00\00:34:34.74
He tries to flip things over.
00:34:34.77\00:34:36.00
He says, "They call good, evil;
and evil, good; and light, dark;
00:34:36.04\00:34:38.44
and dark, light," and
the devil wants to just get
00:34:38.47\00:34:41.11
it all mixed up.
00:34:41.14\00:34:42.54
So, now we're dealing
with the promises of the
00:34:42.58\00:34:46.08
Second Coming of Jesus.
00:34:46.11\00:34:47.48
Do you find in the Old Testament
promises about the first coming?
00:34:47.52\00:34:52.32
Yes, do you find--
00:34:52.35\00:34:53.96
and let me see what are some
examples of the first coming.
00:34:53.99\00:34:57.03
Well, Isaiah 53 is an example
of the first coming of Jesus.
00:34:57.06\00:35:01.16
Do you find any Old Testament
prophecies of the Second Coming
00:35:01.20\00:35:04.83
or were they only New Testament?
00:35:04.87\00:35:08.90
Don't be afraid to answer.
00:35:08.94\00:35:10.41
Worst that could
happen is you'd be wrong.
00:35:10.44\00:35:13.41
Yes, so there are prophecies,
many prophecies in the Old
00:35:13.44\00:35:16.41
Testament of the Second Coming,
and that's why they sometimes
00:35:16.44\00:35:20.05
got it mixed up, and
here's just a couple.
00:35:20.08\00:35:22.12
You can look in Psalm 50,
verse 3, "Our God shall come
00:35:22.15\00:35:25.99
and shall not keep silent.
00:35:26.02\00:35:27.56
A fire will devour before Him.
00:35:27.59\00:35:29.36
It will be very tempestuous all
around Him and He will call to
00:35:29.39\00:35:33.40
the heavens above and the earth,
that He might judge His people.
00:35:33.43\00:35:36.26
Gather My saints together."
00:35:36.30\00:35:37.67
That's what Jesus is--He'll
send the angels to gather
00:35:37.70\00:35:39.87
together the elect from
the four ends of heaven,
00:35:39.90\00:35:42.27
"Those who have made a
covenant with Me by sacrifice."
00:35:42.30\00:35:45.04
Look in Job 19, verse 25.
00:35:45.07\00:35:47.88
"For I know that my Redeemer
lives, and He will stand at
00:35:47.91\00:35:51.01
last on the earth.
00:35:51.05\00:35:52.98
And after my skin is
destroyed, this I know
00:35:53.01\00:35:55.15
that in my
flesh I will see God."
00:35:55.18\00:35:57.29
That must be Second Coming
'cause you're talking about the
00:35:57.32\00:35:58.89
resurrection, glorified body.
00:35:58.92\00:36:01.32
"Whom I will see for
myself and my eyes will
00:36:01.36\00:36:03.36
behold, and not another.
00:36:03.39\00:36:04.83
How my heart yearns within me."
00:36:04.86\00:36:06.66
So there are several
prophecies in the Old Testament.
00:36:06.70\00:36:08.96
You can look in the Book
of Joel, and the Book of Amos,
00:36:09.00\00:36:13.34
Book of Ezekiel, and
I mentioned Jeremiah.
00:36:13.37\00:36:17.64
Lot of prophecies of the Second
Coming in the Old Testament.
00:36:17.67\00:36:22.28
And of course, in the New
Testament, all the prophecies of
00:36:22.31\00:36:26.01
His coming are the Second
Coming, or when He comes at the
00:36:26.05\00:36:29.28
end of the millennium.
00:36:29.32\00:36:31.59
Jesus said--John chapter 14:1-3.
00:36:31.62\00:36:33.52
Here's one of the plainest ones.
00:36:33.56\00:36:34.92
"Let not your heart be troubled.
00:36:34.96\00:36:36.99
You believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:36:37.03\00:36:38.89
In My Father's house are many
mansions, many dwelling places.
00:36:38.93\00:36:42.50
If it were not so,
I would've told you.
00:36:42.53\00:36:45.20
I go and prepare a place for you
and if I go and prepare a place
00:36:45.23\00:36:48.80
for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself that where
00:36:48.84\00:36:53.24
I am, there you might be also."
00:36:53.27\00:36:56.24
And then, of
course, Revelation 3:12,
00:36:56.28\00:36:59.78
"He who overcomes, I will make
a pillar in the temple of My
00:36:59.81\00:37:02.88
God and he will go out no more.
00:37:02.92\00:37:05.49
And I'll write on
him the name of My God,
00:37:05.52\00:37:10.46
and the name of the city of
My God, the new Jerusalem which
00:37:10.49\00:37:13.26
comes down out of heaven
from God, and I will write
00:37:13.29\00:37:15.63
on him My new name."
00:37:15.66\00:37:17.97
God talks about that new
city, and the many prophecies.
00:37:18.00\00:37:22.04
In fact, if you read in
Matthew 24, Mark chapter 13,
00:37:22.07\00:37:29.11
Luke chapter 17,
Luke chapter 21, these are
00:37:29.14\00:37:32.68
passages where the disciples
just said, "Jesus, tell us
00:37:32.71\00:37:35.48
about Your Second Coming, what
is the signs of Your coming?
00:37:35.52\00:37:38.49
What's going to happen
in the end of the world?"
00:37:38.52\00:37:39.99
He give them a very thorough
discourse on some of the
00:37:40.02\00:37:43.16
events dealing
with the Second Coming.
00:37:43.19\00:37:45.46
So there are
multiple prophecies.
00:37:45.49\00:37:47.13
You can read there in 1
Thessalonians, chapter 4, "The
00:37:47.13\00:37:49.50
Lord Himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, the voice
00:37:49.53\00:37:52.20
of the
archangel, the trump of God.
00:37:52.23\00:37:54.50
The dead in Christ shall rise."
00:37:54.54\00:37:55.84
You can even read in Daniel
talking back about the Second
00:37:55.87\00:38:00.94
Coming in the Old Testament.
00:38:00.98\00:38:02.94
"At that time, Michael will
stand up, the great prince that
00:38:02.98\00:38:05.51
stands for the children of my
people and they'll be a time of
00:38:05.55\00:38:08.12
trouble such as there
never was and a resurrection.
00:38:08.15\00:38:11.75
Many of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth will awake."
00:38:11.79\00:38:14.59
So you can find many prophecies
about the Messiah's Second
00:38:14.62\00:38:18.83
Coming in the Old and
in the New Testaments.
00:38:18.86\00:38:23.20
And then He makes a
promise that Abraham would be a
00:38:23.23\00:38:27.80
great and a mighty nation.
00:38:27.84\00:38:30.84
Did God keep His promise, that
Abraham would be a great and a
00:38:30.87\00:38:33.78
mighty nation?
00:38:33.81\00:38:35.78
Let's read something
here, Deuteronomy 4, verse 6
00:38:35.81\00:38:38.65
through 8, "Therefore,
be careful to observe them."
00:38:38.68\00:38:43.18
He's just recited
the Ten Commandments.
00:38:43.22\00:38:46.02
And--actually,
this is--I'm sorry.
00:38:46.05\00:38:49.29
This is just before
the Ten Commandments.
00:38:49.32\00:38:51.46
"Be careful to observe them
for this is your wisdom and your
00:38:51.49\00:38:54.73
understanding in the
sight of the peoples who
00:38:54.76\00:38:57.83
will hear all these statutes.
00:38:57.87\00:38:59.60
Others are going
to hear about My laws.
00:38:59.63\00:39:01.57
And they will say, 'Surely, this
great nation is a wise and an
00:39:01.60\00:39:06.17
understanding people.
00:39:06.21\00:39:07.81
For what great nation is there
that has a God so near to it as
00:39:07.84\00:39:12.11
the Lord our God is to us.
00:39:12.15\00:39:14.35
For whatever reason
we may call upon Him.
00:39:14.38\00:39:16.69
And what great nation is
there that has such statutes and
00:39:16.72\00:39:19.72
righteous judgments as are
in all of His law which I set
00:39:19.75\00:39:23.29
before you this day?"
00:39:23.32\00:39:25.29
You know, God's plan was that as
missionaries fan out around the
00:39:25.33\00:39:28.76
world, and you teach the Word of
God, that the different nations
00:39:28.80\00:39:31.23
will say, "Wow, these are
just really logical, just and
00:39:31.27\00:39:36.60
righteous laws.
00:39:36.64\00:39:38.77
And if society followed these
laws, you would have a lot more
00:39:38.81\00:39:41.54
happiness and peace."
00:39:41.58\00:39:44.18
Now, it is true, and you'll
often hear from, you know,
00:39:44.21\00:39:49.92
modern media today and the
history books that these, you
00:39:49.95\00:39:53.89
know, missionaries went
out and they were all violent
00:39:53.92\00:39:56.52
Jesuits that told
people, "Either believe or die..
00:39:56.56\00:40:00.93
That did happen some;
that didn't always happen.
00:40:00.96\00:40:05.00
There were a lot of good
missionaries, yes, and there
00:40:05.03\00:40:07.60
were a lot of even gentle
ones from, like, Catholic and
00:40:07.64\00:40:11.17
Orthodox churches that went out.
00:40:11.21\00:40:13.04
A lot of Protestant
missionaries that didn't say,
00:40:13.07\00:40:14.84
"Believe what we
tell you or die."
00:40:14.88\00:40:16.95
They lived among the people,
they taught them the Word of
00:40:16.98\00:40:18.98
God, they learned the language.
00:40:19.01\00:40:20.38
I've been reading some
great books on missionaries,
00:40:20.42\00:40:23.28
William Carey, and
Hudson Taylor and others,
00:40:23.32\00:40:26.19
and the
incredible work they did.
00:40:26.22\00:40:28.06
And you know what happened?
00:40:28.09\00:40:29.89
People that had never heard
about Christianity, they said,
00:40:29.92\00:40:33.19
"This makes sense.
00:40:33.23\00:40:34.50
It resonates as true.
00:40:34.56\00:40:35.83
These are wise and just laws."
00:40:35.86\00:40:38.07
The reason that Christianity
spread around the world is not
00:40:38.10\00:40:41.04
because it was
all done by force.
00:40:41.07\00:40:43.20
It's because
they were good laws.
00:40:43.24\00:40:47.68
Matter of fact, most of the
governments in the world today,
00:40:47.71\00:40:51.81
their basic statutes of
law have been adopted from
00:40:51.85\00:40:55.62
the laws of Moses.
00:40:55.65\00:40:58.12
And no matter what country you
go to today, it seems like after
00:40:58.15\00:41:01.86
a while, they end up going
over to the state of law that is
00:41:01.89\00:41:09.26
basically founded
on the laws of Moses.
00:41:09.30\00:41:12.70
And they're just laws, that you
treat people differently if they
00:41:12.73\00:41:17.34
did not know
something, and if they do know,
00:41:17.37\00:41:20.01
you're more culpable.
00:41:20.04\00:41:21.71
That's why in America, you
got first degree murder, second
00:41:21.74\00:41:24.21
degree, third degree murder.
00:41:24.25\00:41:26.01
If it's premeditated murder,
you're more liable and the
00:41:26.05\00:41:29.55
punishment is more severe.
00:41:29.58\00:41:31.22
All that's in the laws of Moses.
00:41:31.25\00:41:33.82
And the laws regarding
inheritance and property,
00:41:33.86\00:41:37.13
so much of that
traces to the Bible.
00:41:37.16\00:41:38.99
Good and just laws, laws about
take care of your neighbor.
00:41:39.03\00:41:42.00
If their donkey
wanders off, bring it back.
00:41:42.03\00:41:44.10
Even if you don't like
your neighbor, it's the
00:41:44.13\00:41:45.83
right thing to do.
00:41:45.87\00:41:47.50
And so, things are, they're
basically, they're wise laws
00:41:47.54\00:41:50.47
that make for a happy society.
00:41:50.51\00:41:52.94
By the way, we're starting
to get away from that now.
00:41:52.97\00:41:57.65
How much time do I have?
00:41:57.68\00:42:00.42
You probably heard me say before
that, you know, we have one
00:42:00.45\00:42:05.55
group in North America that
is kind of pushing that if it's
00:42:05.59\00:42:09.89
anything religious, we
need to get away from it.
00:42:09.92\00:42:11.99
They tried it, they called
it the separation of church and
00:42:12.03\00:42:13.76
state: anything that can be
found in the Bible, shouldn't
00:42:13.80\00:42:16.30
have the Ten Commandments posted
anywhere, and we shouldn't
00:42:16.33\00:42:18.97
be enforcing anything based
on what's in the Bible because
00:42:19.00\00:42:21.77
that's using religion.
00:42:21.80\00:42:24.91
Well, that's not
really what the writers of
00:42:24.94\00:42:27.71
the Constitution believed.
00:42:27.74\00:42:30.25
The writers of the Constitution
were a religious people.
00:42:30.28\00:42:32.85
Even deists, some of them
were deists, are religious.
00:42:32.88\00:42:35.58
They believe in God.
00:42:35.62\00:42:37.62
And you look at the writings
of the founding fathers.
00:42:37.65\00:42:39.85
They all unanimously believed
that these laws would only work
00:42:39.89\00:42:43.56
among the religious
people that were self-governed,
00:42:43.59\00:42:45.73
that had certain morals.
00:42:45.76\00:42:48.53
If you expect the government to
solve all the problems with new
00:42:48.56\00:42:50.93
laws, most of the problems
that we have in society are from
00:42:50.97\00:42:53.67
people with bad hearts.
00:42:53.70\00:42:56.24
It's not because we
don't have enough laws.
00:42:56.27\00:42:58.04
If our hearts were
changed, we would not have half
00:42:58.07\00:42:59.44
the problems we have.
00:42:59.47\00:43:01.88
You missed a good amen.
00:43:01.91\00:43:03.41
That one, that was a
great opportunity there.
00:43:03.45\00:43:05.21
No, it's too late
now, it doesn't count.
00:43:05.25\00:43:06.98
I had to tell you to do it.
00:43:07.02\00:43:08.65
If I have to tell
you to do it--tch.
00:43:08.68\00:43:11.65
Was Roger Williams came along
and he said, "You know, you
00:43:11.69\00:43:14.46
need to make a distinction."
00:43:14.49\00:43:15.79
Said, "You know, I would hope
that everybody would want to
00:43:15.82\00:43:17.76
keep all ten, but as far as the
government's concerned, there
00:43:17.79\00:43:20.20
does need to be a separation.
00:43:20.23\00:43:21.93
You separate the the two
tables of the Ten Commandments
00:43:21.96\00:43:24.37
the way that God did.
00:43:24.40\00:43:26.47
One is more civil in nature.
00:43:26.50\00:43:28.47
One is more purely religious.
00:43:28.50\00:43:30.07
The first four commandments
deal with our worship of God.
00:43:30.11\00:43:33.14
It defines who God is
and how to worship Him and
00:43:33.17\00:43:35.04
when to worship
Him, what His name is.
00:43:35.08\00:43:37.58
The government should never make
laws telling people, 'This is
00:43:37.61\00:43:40.32
when you should worship,'" and
that's important for us, right?
00:43:40.35\00:43:43.25
We should be free to choose.
00:43:43.28\00:43:44.79
"Or what His name is or how
to worship Him," and so forth.
00:43:44.82\00:43:47.89
So--but he said, "The government
must enforce the last six.
00:43:47.92\00:43:54.03
Parental rights, the sanctity
of marriage, that marriage is
00:43:54.10\00:43:57.57
between a man and a woman."
00:43:57.60\00:43:59.07
Notice it's, "Love your--honor
your father and your mother."
00:43:59.10\00:44:02.77
That's pretty clear that there's
only supposed to be one of each,
00:44:02.80\00:44:06.14
and they're not the same.
00:44:06.17\00:44:08.44
And the rights of
property ownership.
00:44:08.48\00:44:11.55
The government
doesn't own everything.
00:44:11.58\00:44:13.01
You have the right of property
ownership, your house, your
00:44:13.05\00:44:15.12
land; do not covet
your neighbor's possessions.
00:44:15.15\00:44:18.72
When a government stops to
support those things, it begins
00:44:18.75\00:44:21.16
to unravel, and pretty soon
you got kind of totalitarianism.
00:44:21.19\00:44:27.23
But anyway, I don't know how I
got on that little rant, but it
00:44:27.23\00:44:30.97
feels better now
that it's over with.
00:44:31.00\00:44:34.80
So going to a great and mighty
nation, that's where we were,
00:44:34.84\00:44:37.57
Joshua 21:44.
00:44:37.61\00:44:39.07
Did God keep His
word, did they become
00:44:39.11\00:44:40.54
a great and mighty nation?
00:44:40.58\00:44:42.91
Joshua 21:44, "The Lord gave
them rest all around according
00:44:42.94\00:44:47.52
to all that He had sworn to
their fathers, and not a man of
00:44:47.55\00:44:50.95
all their enemies
stood against them.
00:44:50.99\00:44:53.29
And the Lord delivered all
their enemies into their hands."
00:44:53.32\00:44:56.66
If they've delivered all
the foreign nations into their
00:44:56.69\00:44:58.59
hands, they've become a
great and mighty nation.
00:44:58.63\00:45:02.23
"Not a word," I love this verse,
"not a word failed of any good
00:45:02.26\00:45:07.10
thing which the Lord had
spoken to the house of Israel.
00:45:07.14\00:45:11.11
All came to pass."
00:45:11.14\00:45:13.41
And what's the
title of the lesson?
00:45:13.44\00:45:14.94
It's talking about
the covenant of promise.
00:45:14.98\00:45:16.75
Did all of God's promise come
to pass that He would bring them
00:45:16.78\00:45:19.85
into the Promised
Land and give them victory?
00:45:19.88\00:45:22.52
He did. God keeps His word.
00:45:22.55\00:45:26.45
He is the author and
finisher of your faith.
00:45:26.49\00:45:28.89
You must believe that if you
let Him, He will finish what He
00:45:28.92\00:45:31.26
started in your life.
00:45:31.29\00:45:33.63
God finishes His
work if we follow.
00:45:33.66\00:45:36.23
Jesus said, "Follow Me.
00:45:36.26\00:45:38.67
The children of Israel, as long
as they followed God, He brought
00:45:38.70\00:45:40.94
them into the Promised Land.
00:45:40.97\00:45:42.40
Psalm 19, verse 7,
"The law of the Lord
00:45:42.44\00:45:45.47
is perfect converting the soul.
00:45:45.51\00:45:47.81
The testimony of Lord is
sure, making wise the simple."
00:45:47.84\00:45:51.51
What nation is there that
has laws that are so righteous?
00:45:51.55\00:45:56.89
And then finally He said, "And I
will make your name great," was
00:45:56.92\00:46:01.16
God's promise to Abraham.
00:46:01.19\00:46:02.49
We're still expanding
on Genesis chapter 15.
00:46:02.52\00:46:06.16
He said, "I'll make your name
great," how did that happen?
00:46:06.19\00:46:08.16
He also says this in Genesis 12
verse 1 and 2, "The Lord said to
00:46:08.20\00:46:11.73
Abram, 'Get out of your country
from your family, from your
00:46:11.77\00:46:15.24
father's house to a land that
I will show you, and I will make
00:46:15.27\00:46:18.81
you a great nation.
00:46:18.84\00:46:21.14
I will bless you and
make your name great."
00:46:21.18\00:46:24.45
What does it mean
to have a great name?
00:46:24.48\00:46:26.95
Does it mean to have a
long name like Evil-Merodach or
00:46:26.98\00:46:31.32
Zaphnath-Paaneah?
00:46:31.35\00:46:34.46
Or--I'm trying to
remember this, there's another.
00:46:34.49\00:46:36.76
I think there's some Egyptian
Pharaoh who had a really long
00:46:36.79\00:46:38.96
name, but I can't say it.
00:46:38.99\00:46:42.73
Uses every
letter in the alphabet.
00:46:42.76\00:46:45.37
Is that what it
means to have a great name?
00:46:45.40\00:46:48.94
"Have a great name"
means that you've got a great
00:46:48.97\00:46:51.21
reputation with the name.
00:46:51.24\00:46:53.51
The name of the
Lord is great, why?
00:46:53.54\00:46:55.01
Because He is a great one.
00:46:55.04\00:46:56.81
His name represents who He is.
00:46:56.85\00:46:59.21
When people think about Abraham,
they think of his great faith.
00:46:59.25\00:47:03.85
Now, he deserted
his country at 75.
00:47:03.89\00:47:06.52
He lost his name
there. He started out new.
00:47:06.55\00:47:08.86
If you move to a new
town, nobody knows you, you're
00:47:08.89\00:47:11.09
starting from
scratch, you've got no name.
00:47:11.13\00:47:13.63
I moved to new towns
before, I go to the bank,
00:47:13.66\00:47:15.13
I want to open an account, and
they said, "You got any credit?"
00:47:15.16\00:47:17.20
And I said, "No."
00:47:17.23\00:47:18.53
"And you got anyone here
who will cosign for you?"
00:47:18.57\00:47:20.24
"I don't know anybody."
00:47:20.27\00:47:21.57
He said, "Well,
then you're nobody here."
00:47:21.60\00:47:23.77
No, you have no
credit. Nobody knows you.
00:47:23.81\00:47:26.51
So Abraham's starting out from
scratch, God says, "Don't worry,
00:47:26.54\00:47:28.81
you're going to have a
great name before it's over.
00:47:28.84\00:47:34.18
The word "Abram," the definition
is a high father, a father of
00:47:34.22\00:47:38.15
height or an exalted father.
00:47:38.19\00:47:39.72
It was a good name.
00:47:39.75\00:47:41.42
But then God later
changed his name to Abraham.
00:47:41.46\00:47:43.53
What does that mean?
00:47:43.56\00:47:45.16
A father of a multitude.
00:47:45.19\00:47:47.10
A father of many nations.
00:47:47.13\00:47:49.93
And God changed his name
to Abraham before he had any
00:47:49.96\00:47:52.87
children; now, that
must've been awkward.
00:47:52.90\00:47:56.20
Here he is, you know, 75, 80
years old, and he marches into a
00:47:56.24\00:47:59.24
new territory of
the land of Canaan.
00:47:59.27\00:48:01.94
And he meets some of the people
there, "And hi, how are you?"
00:48:01.98\00:48:04.08
"Fine, how are you?"
00:48:04.11\00:48:05.91
"What's your name?"
00:48:05.95\00:48:07.25
"Abraham."
00:48:07.28\00:48:08.88
"Oh, father of many nations.
00:48:08.92\00:48:11.82
So how many
children do you have?"
00:48:11.85\00:48:13.86
"None yet, but I'm optimistic."
00:48:13.89\00:48:16.86
"And how old are you?"
00:48:16.89\00:48:18.86
"Seventy-five."
00:48:18.89\00:48:22.63
And so he did end
up with a great name.
00:48:22.66\00:48:25.23
Abraham means
"father of a multitude."
00:48:25.27\00:48:26.57
Now, how many people are
there in the world right now?
00:48:26.60\00:48:31.01
Just under 8 billion.
00:48:31.04\00:48:32.94
It changes every
moment. You realize that.
00:48:32.97\00:48:35.58
But there's under 8,
just under 8 billion.
00:48:35.61\00:48:38.28
Roughly 50% of the people in
the world today claim Abraham
00:48:38.31\00:48:42.78
as their spiritual father.
00:48:42.82\00:48:45.72
Think about that.
00:48:45.75\00:48:47.22
All the Muslims, Jews,
Christians, even people of the
00:48:47.26\00:48:52.33
Bahá'í faith and others,
they trace back the great
00:48:52.36\00:48:55.96
inspiration of their faith.
00:48:56.00\00:48:58.27
I emphasize the word "great"
inspiration to the name Abraham,
00:48:58.30\00:49:02.94
someone who loved God so much
he left everything to follow God
00:49:02.97\00:49:05.94
and put his son on the altar.
00:49:05.97\00:49:07.41
I mean you got to--he put his
past on the altar when he walked
00:49:07.44\00:49:11.11
away from home.
00:49:11.15\00:49:12.71
He put his future on the altar
when he put Isaac on the altar.
00:49:12.75\00:49:17.22
Abraham trusted God completely,
and God made his name great.
00:49:17.25\00:49:21.86
Matthew Henry writes in his
commentary, "His name is great
00:49:21.89\00:49:25.16
among the Jews whose
descendants boasted having
00:49:25.19\00:49:28.86
Abram for their father.
00:49:28.90\00:49:30.47
And among the several nations of
the world, his name is famous in
00:49:30.50\00:49:33.20
a secular history even
among non-Jews and Muslims.
00:49:33.23\00:49:36.87
And it is in high esteem
with the Muslims, especially
00:49:36.91\00:49:40.34
among--especially is
his name great and famous.
00:49:40.38\00:49:43.55
And the memory of him is
precious among all those who
00:49:43.58\00:49:45.98
have obtained
like precious faith.
00:49:46.01\00:49:47.98
Every Christian
out of every nation."
00:49:48.02\00:49:51.72
You know, God makes a promise,
He says in 1 Samuel 2:8,
00:49:51.75\00:49:55.09
"He raises up the
poor out of the dust.
00:49:55.12\00:49:58.06
He lifts the beggar from the
dunghill, and He sets them among
00:49:58.09\00:50:01.33
princes to make them
inherit the throne of glory."
00:50:01.36\00:50:04.27
God can take
people that are nobody and
00:50:04.30\00:50:06.43
make them somebody, amen?
00:50:06.47\00:50:08.67
And gives them a great name.
00:50:08.70\00:50:10.74
Hebrews 11, verse 8, "By faith,
Abraham obeyed when he was
00:50:10.77\00:50:14.78
called to go to the place
in which he would receive as an
00:50:14.81\00:50:17.51
inheritance, and he went out
not knowing where he was going."
00:50:17.55\00:50:21.18
That took courage and faith.
00:50:21.22\00:50:22.65
"By faith, he dwelt in the
land of promise as in a foreign
00:50:22.68\00:50:25.49
country, dwelling in tents with
Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with
00:50:25.52\00:50:29.12
him of the same promise, for
he waited for a city that has
00:50:29.16\00:50:32.83
foundations, whose
builder and maker is God."
00:50:32.86\00:50:36.33
He had great faith.
00:50:36.36\00:50:37.83
It's why he had a great name.
00:50:37.87\00:50:40.30
Anyway, finally, "The Lord gave
him rest from all the nations
00:50:40.34\00:50:44.07
around and made them
as the stars of heaven,
00:50:44.11\00:50:47.68
as God promised."
00:50:47.71\00:50:49.01
Want to remind our friends
before we go off the air, we do
00:50:49.04\00:50:51.81
have a free offer.
00:50:51.85\00:50:53.72
And that free offer today
is "Saved from Certain Death."
00:50:53.75\00:50:56.55
It's a wonderful
story of salvation by faith.
00:50:56.58\00:50:59.09
We've been talking about
in our lesson today in God's
00:50:59.12\00:51:01.12
promise of--is a
covenant promise.
00:51:01.16\00:51:03.93
You can get a free copy
of this by simply calling
00:51:03.96\00:51:06.33
866-788-3966.
00:51:06.36\00:51:09.53
That's 866-Study-More.
00:51:09.56\00:51:12.07
And we'll continue studying His
Word with you again next week.
00:51:12.10\00:51:18.84
male announcer: Don't
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It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:51:41.70\00:51:44.93
"Amazing Facts,"
wherever and whenever you want.
00:51:44.97\00:51:48.14
And most important,
to share it with others.
00:51:48.17\00:51:50.87
male announcer:
"Amazing Facts" change lives.
00:51:54.84\00:52:00.88
Dan: One particular evening,
we're searching through the
00:52:02.28\00:52:05.65
channels and happen to find a
program called "Amazing Facts"
00:52:05.69\00:52:11.03
with Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:52:11.06\00:52:13.33
Some of the things that he
was talking about were very
00:52:13.36\00:52:17.17
interesting and intrigued me.
00:52:17.20\00:52:19.17
female: As Dan began to
continue to watch "Amazing
00:52:19.20\00:52:21.97
Facts," this Doug
Batchelor, this caveman that
00:52:22.00\00:52:25.51
had an incredible story--
00:52:25.54\00:52:27.31
my world is beginning to change.
00:52:27.34\00:52:29.54
It's been turned upside down.
00:52:29.58\00:52:32.11
I was resistant.
00:52:32.15\00:52:33.75
I think hit me was really
the testimony of Pastor Doug.
00:52:33.78\00:52:37.39
This was a real person with
a real story that had had some
00:52:37.42\00:52:40.99
things in his lifetime
that maybe I didn't experience,
00:52:41.02\00:52:45.19
but he was real,
his journey was real.
00:52:45.23\00:52:47.60
He was honest about wanting to
share and giving that light to
00:52:47.66\00:52:50.73
other people, so they
too, could have more light.
00:52:50.77\00:52:54.90
That's when we got the cancer
diagnosis, and nobody wants that
00:52:54.94\00:52:59.64
C-word, cancer.
00:52:59.67\00:53:01.61
And then to find out
that it's aggressive.
00:53:01.64\00:53:03.68
And sometimes, people get to
wait with prostate cancer, but
00:53:03.71\00:53:06.68
we didn't have that opportunity.
00:53:06.72\00:53:09.22
He's in surgery and
doctor comes out and I knew
00:53:09.25\00:53:12.65
something was wrong.
00:53:12.69\00:53:14.02
Come find out that my
husband's had a stroke.
00:53:14.06\00:53:20.33
So we go about midnight and have
an MRI, and they confirmed that
00:53:20.36\00:53:24.70
it truly was a stroke,
and he was going to be okay.
00:53:24.73\00:53:29.40
Dan: Within one year and
a half, I had a major heart
00:53:29.44\00:53:32.84
attack, cancer,
aggressive cancer and a stroke.
00:53:32.87\00:53:37.31
I really was at
the lowest point.
00:53:37.35\00:53:41.52
I didn't know
what I was going to do.
00:53:41.55\00:53:44.42
We had rehab scheduled after
00:53:44.45\00:53:48.29
I was dismissed
from the hospital.
00:53:48.32\00:53:52.66
female: And I watched him
walk out a facility with a cane,
00:53:52.69\00:53:56.83
that two weeks before,
he couldn't even walk into.
00:53:56.87\00:54:00.64
Dan: God knew ahead of time
that I was going to be going
00:54:00.67\00:54:03.41
through all of this, and I truly
believe that it was His hand
00:54:03.44\00:54:07.51
that brought the "Amazing Facts"
and the additional light that I
00:54:07.54\00:54:12.18
was getting, that it helped take
my mind off of the circumstances
00:54:12.21\00:54:18.52
at the time, in a way that I
don't think anything else could.
00:54:18.55\00:54:23.09
female: It's so comforting to
know that we have a Christ that
00:54:23.12\00:54:29.36
loves us so much
and will always hold us.
00:54:29.40\00:54:33.94
Dan: I cannot thank the
people enough who support
00:54:33.97\00:54:39.77
ministries like this.
00:54:39.81\00:54:44.48
Because of them, I am
one of those lives that
00:54:44.51\00:54:50.32
have been changed.
00:54:50.35\00:54:55.19
And I can only thank God
for leading me through His
00:54:55.22\00:54:58.46
providence to that program.
00:54:58.49\00:55:04.13
My name is Dan.
00:55:04.17\00:55:05.80
Thank you for changing my life.
00:55:05.83\00:55:07.94
¤¤¤
00:55:09.50\00:55:15.34
announcer: "Amazing
Facts" change lives.
00:55:20.25\00:55:26.45
Connie: Nobody was
there to defend me.
00:55:29.16\00:55:31.43
Nobody was there to protect me.
00:55:31.46\00:55:33.93
My question was why
did that happen to me, God?
00:55:33.96\00:55:37.40
Why didn't you intervene?
00:55:37.43\00:55:40.60
Once I hit my
teenage years, everything
00:55:40.64\00:55:43.17
just started coming out.
00:55:43.20\00:55:45.31
I felt embarrassed of what had
happened because for so long I
00:55:45.34\00:55:49.61
felt it was my fault.
00:55:49.64\00:55:51.95
There were times that I
prayed, but it was prayers of
00:55:51.98\00:55:54.82
resentment, and anger
and just yelling at God.
00:55:54.85\00:55:59.79
I was so confused, so
depressed and I could not
00:55:59.82\00:56:04.26
bear any more of the pain.
00:56:04.29\00:56:06.43
You know, what's
the point of living?
00:56:06.46\00:56:08.00
It's might as well just die.
00:56:08.03\00:56:12.70
I started cutting myself, but
I heard a small, still voice and
00:56:12.73\00:56:18.27
it said, "Stop.
00:56:18.31\00:56:21.88
Give Me a second chance."
00:56:21.91\00:56:23.95
And right there, I just felt
something completely different.
00:56:23.98\00:56:28.85
I felt a presence there
and I put everything down
00:56:28.88\00:56:33.39
and I went to my
room, I just started crying.
00:56:33.42\00:56:37.03
I realized that me
and God connected so well.
00:56:37.06\00:56:40.10
And I no longer saw Him as just
a God that no longer cared, but
00:56:40.13\00:56:44.60
I actually saw Him as a
Father, and I continued praying.
00:56:44.63\00:56:49.34
One day, I was sleeping, my mom
came to the bed, and she said,
00:56:49.37\00:56:54.01
"Connie, he's
here, he's in town.
00:56:54.04\00:56:57.58
And the Lord impressed me that
you need to face the situation.
00:56:57.61\00:57:02.48
It's time for you to forgive."
00:57:02.52\00:57:05.25
When something so drastic
and so painful has happened,
00:57:05.29\00:57:10.93
forgiveness is very hard
because you're vulnerable,
00:57:10.96\00:57:16.03
you let go of that ego,
that pride that has taken
00:57:16.06\00:57:19.13
over you for so many years.
00:57:19.17\00:57:22.54
I prayed, and when we confronted
the situation, it was the most
00:57:22.57\00:57:26.74
amazing moment, where we
could pray, we could cry,
00:57:26.78\00:57:30.78
and we could forgive.
00:57:30.81\00:57:32.48
And because of that, I'm able to
help others and tell others that
00:57:32.51\00:57:36.25
there is hope and
there's someone that does care.
00:57:36.28\00:57:40.92
¤¤¤
00:57:40.96\00:57:45.33
male announcer: Together,
we have spread the gospel much
00:57:48.10\00:57:50.40
farther than ever before.
00:57:50.43\00:57:53.03
Thank you for your support.
00:57:53.07\00:57:58.37
¤¤¤
00:58:01.04\00:58:11.02
¤¤¤
00:58:11.05\00:58:17.16
¤¤¤
00:58:17.19\00:58:27.17