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Luccas Rodor: Hi, friends,
welcome to the Sabbath School
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Study Hour here in Granite Bay
Hilltop Seventh-day Adventist
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Church, in the
Greater Sacramento area
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here in California.
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I'm so glad that you've
decided to invest this hour
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of study here with us.
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I'm sure that you
will be blessed by it.
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Today we will be
setting the first lesson
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of our new quarterly.
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The title of the entire
quarterly is "Rest in Christ."
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And so, this quarter I'm
sure that it will be a blessing.
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We'll be setting how we can
truly rest in God and a society
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that is so full of the rat race
and running everywhere and doing
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so many things.
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We can truly learn how
to rest in Jesus Christ.
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Today will be the first lesson
of this new quarter, and the
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title of the first lesson
is "Living in a 24/7 Society."
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You know, we live in a
society that it seems as though
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it's always awake.
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It's always awake.
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There's always people running
somewhere, going somewhere, busy
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doing things, busy, busy, busy.
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And we truly need to
learn how to rest in Jesus.
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And so today, Pastor
Shawn will be leading out.
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I'd also like to
welcome our local community
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that is here with us.
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If you still don't
have the new quarterly,
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it's outside in the foyer.
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I'm sure that one of
our hosts will be able
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to provide one for you.
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So please don't leave
today without getting one
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of our new quarterlies.
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Now before we do begin and
actually get into the lesson and
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before I invite our choristers
to come out and sing praise for
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us, I would like to
invite you to take advantage
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of our free offer.
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The title of today's free offer
is "The Rest of Your Life."
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It really walks hand in
hand with our quarterly today.
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And if you'd like a copy, a
physical copy, you can call the
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number
866-788-3966 or 866-Study-More
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and you can ask for Offer 813.
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Again, it's offer number 813.
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And so if you're on the
continental North America,
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if you're on the continental
North America, you can send
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a text to SH086 and
that goes to number 40544.
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Or if you're outside of
North America, you can go to
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study.aftv.org/SH086.
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And I'm sure that you will be
very blessed by this free offer.
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I'd like to invite our
choristers to come out and sing
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a song of praise for us
before we start our study.
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¤¤¤
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¤ How sweet are the tidings
that greet the pilgrim's ear, ¤
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¤ as he wanders
in exile from home. ¤
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¤ Soon, soon will the
Savior in glory appear, ¤
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¤ and soon will
the kingdom come. ¤
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¤ He's coming,
coming, coming soon I know, ¤
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¤ coming back to
this earth again; ¤
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¤ and the weary
pilgrims will to glory go, ¤
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¤ when the
Savior comes to reign. ¤
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¤ The mossy old graves
where the pilgrims sleep ¤
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¤ shall be open
as wide as before, ¤
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¤ and the millions that
sleep in the mighty deep ¤
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¤ shall live on
this earth once more. ¤
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¤ He's coming,
coming, coming soon I know, ¤
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¤ coming back to
this earth again; ¤
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¤ and the weary
pilgrims will to glory go, ¤
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¤ when the
Savior comes to reign. ¤
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¤ Hallelujah, Amen. ¤
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¤ Hallelujah again. ¤
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¤ Soon, if faithful,
we all shall be there; ¤
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¤ Oh, be watchful, be
hopeful, be joyful 'til then, ¤
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¤ and a crown of
bright glory we'll wear. ¤
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¤ He's coming,
coming, coming soon I know, ¤
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¤ coming back to
this earth again; ¤
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¤ and the weary
pilgrims will to glory go, ¤
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¤ when the Savior
comes to reign. ¤¤
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Luccas: Dear
Father, I praise Your name
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because You are
worthy of praise.
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This morning, as we open Your
Word, Father, and try to learn
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about rest in You, I ask You to
bless our hearts and our minds,
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Father, open our understanding.
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Please bless Pastor Shawn's lips
and his mind and his heart as he
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leads out for us, Lord.
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Pour over him Your Holy
Spirit so that he might teach
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powerfully and that we might
truly learn that rest is Christ,
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and when we have
Christ we have rest.
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I ask You for these
things in the name of Jesus,
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amen and amen.
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Shawn Brummund: Today
we are looking at the first
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quarter--the first lesson study
of a new quarterly entitled
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"Rest in Christ."
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And I'd like to begin by sharing
a bit of a story, and this
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story--as the story goes, there
was a passenger plane that was
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making its way across the
skies from one major city here
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in America to another.
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And fortunately, as it rarely
happens, the pilot found himself
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in a very challenging situation
in the fact that there was not
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any alternative route that he
could take and he was required
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to make his way and his
passenger plane through a very
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serious lightning storm.
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Now, the pilot knew that the
rate of survival was almost 100%
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and so he wasn't all that
concerned but he knew it was
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going to be very
concerning for the passengers.
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And so, sure enough, he's on the
speaker and the communication
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with the passengers and, as he
goes, he says as in a calming,
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most calming voice he
can, he says, "Listen, folks.
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We are going to be approaching
and needing to make our way
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through a fairly serious
lightning storm that's ahead
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and they're going to
ask that you please fastened
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and tighten your seatbelts.
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We do have quite
a ride ahead of us."
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And so everybody, of course,
obeyed very quickly and, sure
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enough, all of a sudden as they
made their way into this ominous
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dark raincloud in front,
with different flashes of sheet
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lightning lighting up the sky in
different directions, the plane
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started to do its thing as
it was being thrown around,
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literally, by the different
currents that were in that as
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well as the drama
of having these sheets
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of lightning flash outside.
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And at one point it got so
violent and it lifted up and
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went down again so quickly that
one of the stewardesses that was
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still trying to make her way
towards the back was thrown into
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the laps of one
of the passengers.
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Some of the overhead
bins started to open up.
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It was enough to be able to get
at least one of the women in the
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back of the plane to be able to
kind of let out a short scream.
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And everybody got very
tense and white knuckled.
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There was a number of people
that started to envision the
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lightning bolts at some point
coming down and hitting one of
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the engines on the plane and--or
one of the wings falling off,
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and all of them very
quickly careening to the ground
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and to their death.
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And so it was a very, very
difficult time for everybody in
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that plane except for the pilot.
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He was fairly calm and
he knew what he was doing,
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where he was going.
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Every other passenger was
scared out of their wits except
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for one little girl.
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And this little girl was
coloring away in her coloring
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book on her lap in the
very front seat of the plane.
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And she was right beside the
window and she was just calmly
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and very quietly
coloring in her coloring book.
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And every once in a while, she
would look up through the small
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window of her plane and of her
seat and be able to look at one
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of the more outstanding flashes
of lightning that was making its
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show outside of the plane.
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And then she would just
calmly and quietly return back
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to her coloring.
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Well, of course, when the plane
finally made its way through the
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storm and kind of touched down
onto the landing strip of the
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airport at which they were
aiming for, there was a great
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sigh of relief, there was
clapping, there was cheering,
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there was this kind of great
kind of very clear emotional
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relief that came upon
the rest of the passengers.
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As those passengers started to
exit the plane, as we always do,
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one of the men couldn't help but
stop and talk to the little girl
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and said, "You know, we couldn't
help but notice that the entire
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time all of us were scared
of our wits but when we kept
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looking at you, you were so calm
and you were not showing any
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sign of fear whatsoever
and--what's your secret?"
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And she looked up and
she goes, "Oh, that's easy.
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I wasn't scared at all.
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As it turns out, my daddy is
the pilot and I knew that he was
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taking me home."
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You know, it's interesting, as
we come into this year, 2021, we
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are--as we continue to make
our way through this year, 2021,
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mankind has entered into one
of the most unstable years and
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experiences that we've
had in a very long, long time.
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The USA, Canada, and I'm sure
many other nations have taken
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an economic hit along with
a massive spending spree in
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stimulus checks that has
everyone holding our breath
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for the future.
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Many thinking people know that
there is a good chance that all
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the efforts to protect ourselves
from the harm of one single
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virus may lead us--may
lead us into another storm
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that may be--that may
be worse than the first.
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Now, I'm the first to
admit that I'm just like you.
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I am not God. I
am not a prophet.
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I do not know exactly
what tomorrow will bring
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or next week or next month.
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I know that there are some
unstable and concerning factors
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that we have such as I have
just mentioned here that many
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thinking people are
asking and concerned about.
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But one thing that I have
done is that I have studied the
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teachings of the Bible
and Christ very carefully
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over the years.
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And they both are telling
me that we are on the very
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precipice of very
unprecedented times.
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As Jesus told His first
followers, that when we see the
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leafless tree starting to form
those buds on the end of its
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branches, that even so
we know that summer is near.
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Jesus says, "So it is with the
return of Christ to this earth."
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You can know when you start to
see these signs that the return
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of Christ is very
close, that it is very near.
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Jesus tells us in the Gospel
of Luke that indeed will we--we
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will experience the distress
of all nations, and we got a
00:12:06.22\00:12:10.63
preview of that
over the last year.
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The distress of all nations.
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And the events and circumstances
that lie ahead of us are going
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to prove themselves
deep and challenging.
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Friends, we have arrived at
a time when two of the freest
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nations on the planet, that of
the United States of America and
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Canada, have experienced
our governments challenging our
00:12:30.28\00:12:33.62
freedoms on levels
that this generation
00:12:33.65\00:12:35.32
has never seen before.
00:12:35.35\00:12:38.25
We have arrived at a time
when more than one of America's
00:12:38.29\00:12:40.86
greatest cities are
giving notoriously violent and
00:12:40.89\00:12:44.63
historically dangerous cities
and countries like El Salvador
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and Honduras and Guatemala,
a run for their money.
00:12:48.86\00:12:53.03
An increase in violent crimes is
rampant and growing across this
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nation and the
nations of the world.
00:12:58.11\00:13:01.64
We have arrived at a time right
here in America when there are
00:13:01.68\00:13:04.35
more mass shootings than
there are days in the year.
00:13:04.38\00:13:10.49
And the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself has told us that men's
00:13:10.52\00:13:13.79
hearts would be failing them
from fear and the expectation of
00:13:13.82\00:13:16.86
those things that are
coming upon the earth.
00:13:16.89\00:13:21.60
We have arrived at a time when
we are far more fearful of the
00:13:21.63\00:13:24.10
oncoming climate change
than we are in the very soon
00:13:24.13\00:13:28.00
Coming of Jesus Christ
and the great Judgment Day.
00:13:28.04\00:13:33.48
But in the middle of this
brewing storm, the Lord and the
00:13:33.51\00:13:36.11
Savior, Jesus Christ Himself,
continues to offer the same
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invitation that He offered when
He was on earth the first time:
00:13:40.15\00:13:43.79
"Come unto Me, all you who labor
and are heavy-laden and I will
00:13:43.82\00:13:49.26
give you rest," as many of
you know that great invitation.
00:13:49.29\00:13:55.10
As many of you have experienced
the great invitation that Jesus
00:13:55.13\00:13:58.13
gave some 2000 years ago,
"And I will give you rest.
00:13:58.17\00:14:02.30
Take My yoke upon Me--upon you,"
Jesus says, "and learn from Me
00:14:02.34\00:14:09.24
for I am gentle and
lowly in heart and you shall
00:14:09.28\00:14:15.25
find rest for your souls."
00:14:15.28\00:14:21.96
"For My yoke is easy," Jesus
says, "and My burden is light."
00:14:21.99\00:14:27.96
Thank God for Jesus, amen?
00:14:27.96\00:14:31.10
Now when Jesus says His yoke is
easy and take His yoke upon you,
00:14:31.13\00:14:34.50
now today in today's English and
in today's thinking because we
00:14:34.54\00:14:38.04
are so far removed from the
previous days and methods of
00:14:38.07\00:14:41.14
farming that the only yoke that
we know of in our generation is
00:14:41.18\00:14:44.31
that yellow part at
the center of an egg.
00:14:44.35\00:14:48.82
But that's not the yoke
that Jesus is offering to us.
00:14:48.85\00:14:50.95
That's the yoke that Jesus
invites us to be able to take
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.29
upon ourselves, but rather
we have to go previous to the
00:14:53.32\00:14:56.52
tractors, previous to the
combustible engine and the
00:14:56.56\00:14:59.96
combines and all the other
modern equipment and machinery
00:15:00.06\00:15:02.63
that our farmers are using today
and we have to go back to where
00:15:02.66\00:15:05.57
we were still using the oxen.
00:15:05.60\00:15:08.57
And when the farmer took the two
most powerful oxen together to
00:15:08.60\00:15:11.91
be able to plow his fields,
why, he would take the yoke.
00:15:11.94\00:15:15.64
And this was a kind of a--it
looked like a round "M," you
00:15:15.68\00:15:19.45
know, and it's made of wood with
some metal reinforcements and
00:15:19.48\00:15:23.55
attachments and so on, and
that yoke would be placed upon
00:15:23.59\00:15:26.02
the--upon the neck of those two
oxen that they might be able to
00:15:26.05\00:15:28.96
use double the strength, to
combine the strength of the oxen
00:15:28.99\00:15:32.76
together that they might
have twice the horsepower,
00:15:32.79\00:15:36.13
twice the ox power.
00:15:36.16\00:15:40.40
And Jesus tells us that He wants
us to take His yoke upon Him
00:15:40.44\00:15:43.54
that we might be able
to walk together even as
00:15:43.57\00:15:45.91
the two yoke walk together.
00:15:45.94\00:15:47.78
Now, I can tell you, unlike
the two oxen which are equal in
00:15:47.81\00:15:50.71
strength, the yoke that Jesus
offers to--for us to take upon
00:15:50.75\00:15:53.85
ourselves, that we might walk
with Him with that yoke on our
00:15:53.88\00:15:56.62
neck and as His as we walk
through life together, as you
00:15:56.65\00:16:00.32
can guess, His side of the
partnership is tremendously more
00:16:00.36\00:16:04.86
stronger than our side.
00:16:04.89\00:16:08.73
And unless the two ox that are
equal in strength, Jesus takes
00:16:08.76\00:16:11.67
the vast majority of
the burden upon Himself.
00:16:11.70\00:16:16.34
And that's why He
could use that illustration
00:16:16.37\00:16:18.51
in this great invitation.
00:16:18.54\00:16:19.97
"Take My yoke upon Me,"
"Upon you," I should say.
00:16:20.01\00:16:23.71
"For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light."
00:16:23.75\00:16:26.45
Why?
00:16:26.48\00:16:27.72
Because Jesus is the powerful ox
that moves us through life, that
00:16:27.75\00:16:31.82
moves us through the
storms that come with this life.
00:16:31.85\00:16:34.19
Now, all of us, from Adam
and Eve to you and I here today,
00:16:34.22\00:16:37.66
have all experienced and will
experience storms in this life.
00:16:37.69\00:16:40.86
That is what comes with a
package of living life out in a
00:16:40.90\00:16:43.87
fallen sinful world.
00:16:43.90\00:16:47.47
But friends, this world has also
experienced collective storms.
00:16:47.50\00:16:50.87
We've experienced a
globally collective storm
00:16:50.91\00:16:53.14
over the last year.
00:16:53.17\00:16:57.51
And the Bible tells us that we
have greater collective storms
00:16:57.55\00:17:00.45
that are just around
the corner ahead of us.
00:17:00.48\00:17:04.62
But the good news is that Jesus
stands up in the midst of all
00:17:04.65\00:17:06.86
those storms and He
offers us rest in Him.
00:17:06.89\00:17:10.73
And thus we have the
title for our new quarterly
00:17:10.76\00:17:13.13
which is "Rest."
00:17:13.16\00:17:16.26
Everybody take a deep breath.
00:17:16.30\00:17:17.67
Do you find yourselves doing
that quite often when the sun
00:17:22.57\00:17:24.31
goes down on Friday night?
00:17:24.34\00:17:27.54
And if you don't do
it consciously, you do it
00:17:27.58\00:17:29.51
subconsciously, do you not?
00:17:29.54\00:17:31.65
You just kind of
take that collective rest.
00:17:31.68\00:17:33.48
Thank You, Jesus.
00:17:37.32\00:17:40.22
Thank You for helping me through
the different challenges that
00:17:40.26\00:17:43.32
inevitably rose up in
different ways to the last week.
00:17:43.36\00:17:47.66
Thank You for giving me this day
that helps me to reflect upon
00:17:47.73\00:17:50.60
the great goodness and creative
ability that You have and offer
00:17:50.63\00:17:54.84
to me, the great mercies
and grace that You give to me.
00:17:54.87\00:17:59.51
Thank You for the rest that is
found in the person of who You
00:17:59.54\00:18:03.18
are, Lord Jesus.
00:18:03.21\00:18:08.92
Now, this particular title and
theme that we're studying over
00:18:08.95\00:18:11.49
the next three months may be
the important theme, the most
00:18:11.52\00:18:14.76
important theme, of truth
that we can study in all of the
00:18:14.79\00:18:17.09
Bible.
00:18:17.13\00:18:19.46
It brings us to the heart of the
gospel, the rest that is found
00:18:19.49\00:18:22.10
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:18:22.13\00:18:23.90
It bring us to the heart of
the question of gaining eternal
00:18:23.93\00:18:26.70
life.
00:18:26.74\00:18:28.34
It helps us to make
our way through the day.
00:18:28.37\00:18:31.41
It helps us to find emotional,
physical, spiritual, and mental
00:18:31.44\00:18:34.94
health.
00:18:34.98\00:18:37.28
It is the rest in Christ that
brings us to the Sabbath and to
00:18:37.31\00:18:40.22
our origins.
00:18:40.25\00:18:41.65
It is rest in Christ that brings
us to the truth on the state of
00:18:41.68\00:18:45.15
the dead, that when we
die we truly rest in peace.
00:18:45.19\00:18:52.66
It brings us to the question
and the ability to make good
00:18:52.69\00:18:56.26
ethical--good ethical choices.
00:18:56.30\00:18:59.33
It helps us to succeed in
our marriage relationships and
00:18:59.37\00:19:02.44
families.
00:19:02.47\00:19:04.81
Rest in Christ.
00:19:04.84\00:19:09.81
"Come unto Me all ye who labor
and are heavy-laden and I will
00:19:09.84\00:19:12.71
give you rest."
00:19:12.75\00:19:16.22
As it says in the introductory
pages of our quarterly, in pages
00:19:16.25\00:19:18.69
2 and 3, in this case on page 3,
quote, "Resting in Christ is the
00:19:18.72\00:19:22.89
key to the type of life
that Jesus promises to His
00:19:22.92\00:19:27.60
followers."
00:19:27.66\00:19:29.26
And then they quote from my
favorite--one of my favorite
00:19:29.30\00:19:31.27
texts now.
00:19:31.30\00:19:32.53
Now it's one of my favorite but
it was my signature and still is
00:19:32.57\00:19:34.67
my signature text because as
I gave my heart to the Lord when
00:19:34.70\00:19:37.91
I was 20 years old and I
began to experience this massive
00:19:37.94\00:19:41.81
transformation in my life, and
I became born again, I began to
00:19:41.84\00:19:45.45
experience the rest
that Jesus had offered to me
00:19:45.48\00:19:49.12
at that point in my life.
00:19:49.15\00:19:51.55
Not that He hadn't offered it
before but that I'd accepted it
00:19:51.59\00:19:54.09
for the first time in my life.
00:19:54.12\00:19:55.96
And as I was experiencing that
rest in Jesus, and as I began to
00:19:55.99\00:20:00.06
open the Bible for the first
time, and I began to read the
00:20:00.10\00:20:02.53
Gospels of the life and
teachings of Jesus, I came to
00:20:02.56\00:20:05.40
John chapter 10 and verse 10,
where Jesus stands before the
00:20:05.43\00:20:10.21
crowds of His day and He says,
"The thief does not come except
00:20:10.24\00:20:12.81
to steal and to kill and
to destroy," as He's speaking
00:20:12.84\00:20:16.24
symbolically of
Satan being the thief.
00:20:16.28\00:20:20.08
He says, "That's the only
motivation Satan has in your
00:20:20.12\00:20:22.12
life and concerning your life is
to kill and to steal and destroy
00:20:22.15\00:20:26.05
but I, in contrast to that,"
Jesus says, "have come that you
00:20:26.09\00:20:28.86
may have life, and that you may
have that life more abundantly."
00:20:28.89\00:20:34.93
And that verse just jumped right
out at me as I read it for the
00:20:34.96\00:20:38.87
first time, and it described the
experience that I had already
00:20:38.90\00:20:43.17
been experiencing for the last
year or two in Christ before I
00:20:43.20\00:20:46.14
had come to that
text for the first time.
00:20:46.17\00:20:48.14
It was the first one
that I'd ever memorized
00:20:48.18\00:20:49.84
and wrote upon my heart.
00:20:49.88\00:20:53.08
Jesus wants us to have the
type of life that rests in Him.
00:20:53.11\00:20:58.05
Now, of course, we're going
to spend three months looking at
00:20:58.09\00:21:00.92
the different aspects
and applications of rest.
00:21:00.96\00:21:04.03
In fact, we're going to look at
a future week in this quarterly
00:21:04.06\00:21:06.80
where we just unpack that
invitation in Matthew chapter 28
00:21:06.83\00:21:10.10
in verses--Matthew chapter 11,
verses 28 to 30, "Come unto Me
00:21:10.13\00:21:13.94
all ye who labor."
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.60
But today we look more closely
at getting some very much needed
00:21:16.64\00:21:21.44
and regular
physical and emotional rest.
00:21:21.48\00:21:26.58
This is one of the rests
that Jesus offers us right
00:21:26.61\00:21:29.25
from the beginning.
00:21:29.28\00:21:30.79
In fact, as we look at the first
two pages of this week's lesson,
00:21:30.82\00:21:33.72
it talks about how we are to
proactively integrate physical
00:21:33.76\00:21:36.56
rest into our daily lives and
it points out for you and I that
00:21:36.59\00:21:40.16
God is the one, Christ is the
one, that took that initiative.
00:21:40.20\00:21:45.07
He is the one that took that
initiative to be able to explain
00:21:45.10\00:21:48.17
and set before us a cycle of
life that includes regular rest,
00:21:48.20\00:21:53.21
physical and mental rest.
00:21:53.24\00:22:00.05
Now, I have to say that I
very much appreciated that as I
00:22:00.08\00:22:03.12
pointed out in different
verses, how God took that first
00:22:03.15\00:22:05.92
initiative in our life, that
I'd never really thought of it
00:22:05.95\00:22:08.96
before in concern to the first
answer to that in the very first
00:22:08.99\00:22:12.53
chapter of the first book
of the Bible, Genesis chapter 1
00:22:12.56\00:22:15.63
and verse 5.
00:22:15.66\00:22:17.63
In Genesis chapter 1 and verse
5, the Bible says: "God called
00:22:17.67\00:22:22.44
the light day and the
darkness He called night.
00:22:22.47\00:22:27.14
So the evening and the
morning were the first day."
00:22:27.18\00:22:33.15
And ever since then, every
24 hours the sun finds itself
00:22:33.18\00:22:38.39
setting over the horizon and
disappearing for about 12 hours.
00:22:38.42\00:22:44.69
And so halfway through
every original 24-hour cycle
00:22:44.73\00:22:47.83
it was regular.
00:22:47.86\00:22:49.50
Since the Flood and different
things have monkeyed up the
00:22:49.53\00:22:52.40
planet in different ways, it's
a little bit more scattered.
00:22:52.43\00:22:57.44
But, friends, the bottom line is
that God had initiated a cycle
00:22:57.47\00:23:00.91
of being awake and being asleep,
of being active and finding
00:23:00.94\00:23:06.48
ourselves in rest.
00:23:06.51\00:23:09.68
Rest in Christ.
00:23:09.72\00:23:11.45
And so that is the regular
cue that we have for sleep.
00:23:11.49\00:23:14.49
Now, I have to confess that
when I looked at this and I was
00:23:14.52\00:23:16.59
contemplating this in
preparation for our lesson study
00:23:16.62\00:23:19.53
here today, that I began to ask
the question to myself for the
00:23:19.56\00:23:22.03
first time: I wonder what
time Adam and Eve went to bed.
00:23:22.06\00:23:28.67
Was it just like it was
here 200 years ago before we had
00:23:28.70\00:23:31.11
electricity, before
we had kerosene lamps?
00:23:31.14\00:23:34.41
You know, when everybody for
the most part, right across the
00:23:34.44\00:23:37.28
entire nation and across the
globe, you know, when the sun
00:23:37.31\00:23:39.55
set it was within half an hour
everybody was in bed and going
00:23:39.58\00:23:41.82
to sleep because we just didn't
have a lot of good sources of
00:23:41.85\00:23:45.22
light back then.
00:23:45.25\00:23:50.29
Now it does say in the same
Genesis, in the same Genesis
00:23:50.33\00:23:52.49
record, in chapter 1, that
indeed God put the moon in the
00:23:52.53\00:23:55.33
sky to be able to give a dimmer
light throughout the night, that
00:23:55.36\00:23:59.63
it's not pitch darkness but you
could see to a limited degree
00:23:59.67\00:24:03.61
but yet the cue was
there: it's time for rest.
00:24:03.64\00:24:08.98
Maybe Adam and Eve still took
some quiet romantic night walks
00:24:09.01\00:24:14.52
through the moonlight
before they found themselves
00:24:14.55\00:24:17.25
calling it a day.
00:24:17.29\00:24:18.85
I don't know.
00:24:18.89\00:24:20.42
The Bible doesn't give
us record of such things.
00:24:20.46\00:24:22.16
But one thing we do know is that
God had set that cycle in place
00:24:22.19\00:24:25.23
right from the get-go.
00:24:25.26\00:24:27.30
The day, the light He
called night and the darkness
00:24:27.30\00:24:29.80
He called night.
00:24:29.83\00:24:35.70
Later on, King David, a man
after God's own heart, one that
00:24:35.74\00:24:39.37
came to experience God in a
very real way, he wrote under
00:24:39.41\00:24:42.71
inspiration in Psalm 4 in verse
8, "I will lie down--I will both
00:24:42.74\00:24:46.68
lie down in peace, and sleep;
for You alone, O Lord, make me
00:24:46.72\00:24:53.76
dwell in safety," he says.
00:24:53.79\00:24:57.79
And so here, indeed even
centuries and long after Adam
00:24:57.83\00:25:01.83
and Eve had come to live on this
planet, we find that another man
00:25:01.86\00:25:05.13
that was after God's own heart
was also one that found himself
00:25:05.17\00:25:09.30
in peaceful sleep.
00:25:09.34\00:25:10.94
You know, insomnia is a growing
problem in modern--in not only
00:25:10.97\00:25:13.88
in modern America
but in many countries
00:25:13.91\00:25:17.38
around the world today.
00:25:17.41\00:25:19.65
It's one thing I've
never really struggled with.
00:25:19.68\00:25:21.78
You know, my family and my
friends always giggle when I say
00:25:21.82\00:25:23.75
something like that.
00:25:23.79\00:25:25.29
My mother always laughs.
00:25:25.32\00:25:26.99
You know, sleeping has
never been a problem for me.
00:25:27.02\00:25:28.69
You know, I have other
struggles that I deal with.
00:25:28.72\00:25:31.53
But sleep has
never been a problem.
00:25:31.56\00:25:33.93
Insomnia is--I think I've
had maybe less than a handful of
00:25:33.96\00:25:37.10
restless, sleepless nights.
00:25:37.13\00:25:40.04
So sleeping's never--my
mom still--my daughters giggle
00:25:40.07\00:25:43.10
because, you know, my mom will
tell them stories about when I
00:25:43.14\00:25:45.37
was just a little boy, you
know, I was about five or six or
00:25:45.41\00:25:47.58
seven, you know, I
still had nap time.
00:25:47.61\00:25:49.78
And she says--my mom says I'm
the only child that she's ever
00:25:49.81\00:25:52.05
known that comes up to her when
it's nap time and says, "Mommy,
00:25:52.08\00:25:54.45
is it my nap time now?"
00:25:54.48\00:26:01.52
So sleep has never been a
problem for me and now that I've
00:26:01.56\00:26:03.99
found the Lord and my conscience
is clear, I find myself sleeping
00:26:04.03\00:26:07.36
even better after I met Christ
from 20 years age of onward.
00:26:07.40\00:26:10.67
Why?
00:26:10.70\00:26:12.30
Because now I sleep with
a clear conscience as well.
00:26:12.33\00:26:14.67
My heart is right with
God and with the world.
00:26:14.70\00:26:20.58
"I will both lie down in peace,
and sleep; for You alone, O
00:26:20.61\00:26:23.45
Lord, make me dwell in safety,"
as the quarterly study points us
00:26:23.48\00:26:27.18
to that text and both are
important for us to be able to
00:26:27.22\00:26:30.72
have a healthy successful life
in this world, to experience
00:26:30.75\00:26:34.79
the abundant life.
00:26:34.82\00:26:36.16
Now, the second cycle that
God put in place, right from the
00:26:36.19\00:26:38.53
get-go, right from the moment
that He created life on earth
00:26:38.56\00:26:41.10
and created mankind and set us
in the Garden of Eden, is found
00:26:41.13\00:26:44.00
in the 2nd chapter of
Genesis, Genesis chapter 2
00:26:44.03\00:26:46.57
and verses 2 to 3.
00:26:46.60\00:26:49.17
At Seventh-day Adventist we're
more acquainted to this than
00:26:49.20\00:26:51.21
perhaps some of our other
Christian friends that may be
00:26:51.24\00:26:53.14
watching or visiting with
us here in the church here this
00:26:53.17\00:26:55.11
morning.
00:26:55.14\00:26:56.81
But indeed, it is something that
opened my eyes to the cycle of
00:26:56.85\00:26:59.65
rest that God had intended from
the very beginning for all of
00:26:59.68\00:27:02.48
mankind, not just for the
Jews, but as we come to Genesis
00:27:02.52\00:27:05.62
chapter 2 we find only two
men--one man I should say, and
00:27:05.65\00:27:08.76
one woman and
that is Adam and Eve.
00:27:08.79\00:27:11.46
There wasn't
such thing as a Jew.
00:27:11.49\00:27:13.16
In fact, Jews never came to
exist or live on the planet for
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.16
hundreds and hundreds and
hundreds of years after this.
00:27:15.20\00:27:19.03
But God had established a cycle
of rest and holiness and loyalty
00:27:19.07\00:27:24.34
to God from the very
beginning on a universal front.
00:27:24.37\00:27:27.91
And so, as we read in Genesis
chapter 2, verses 2 through 3,
00:27:27.94\00:27:31.18
it says: "And on the seventh day
God ended His work which He had
00:27:31.21\00:27:34.05
done, and He rested on the
seventh day from all His work
00:27:34.08\00:27:37.15
which He had done.
00:27:37.19\00:27:38.75
And then God blessed the seventh
day and He sanctified it," that
00:27:38.79\00:27:41.89
means He made it holy, "because
in it He rested from all His
00:27:41.92\00:27:45.89
work which God
had created and made."
00:27:45.93\00:27:49.16
And so as God came to
the end of the sixth day,
00:27:49.20\00:27:51.33
His work was done.
00:27:51.37\00:27:54.10
Every life form and species that
He had intended to put on this
00:27:54.14\00:27:57.11
planet originally
was already completed.
00:27:57.14\00:28:00.04
The atmosphere was perfect
for His life-giving peace and
00:28:00.08\00:28:04.38
abundance and prosperity for all
of those different life forms
00:28:04.41\00:28:07.08
or species.
00:28:07.12\00:28:10.32
He had come to the pinnacle of
His work when He created mankind
00:28:10.35\00:28:14.62
in His own image, and now
all was done and it was declared
00:28:14.66\00:28:18.56
very good.
00:28:18.59\00:28:22.33
Now God could have said, "Okay,
now from now on I want you to
00:28:22.36\00:28:24.93
keep the weekly cycle: every
six days, your calendar week
00:28:24.97\00:28:29.20
starts over again.
00:28:29.24\00:28:30.77
Every six days,
you start a new week."
00:28:30.81\00:28:32.31
But He didn't, did He?
00:28:32.34\00:28:34.28
No, we find that as He come
to the--as He came to the end of
00:28:34.31\00:28:36.68
the sixth day, He said, "No, I'm
going to cap off the week with a
00:28:36.71\00:28:39.85
seventh day, not to
do any work but to rest."
00:28:39.88\00:28:46.79
Now, did God do that
because He was worn out?
00:28:46.82\00:28:51.46
Did God say, "Listen, I think
it's time for us to get some R&R
00:28:51.49\00:28:53.83
because I don't know
about you, Adam and Eve,
00:28:53.86\00:28:55.26
but I'm wiped out."
00:28:55.30\00:28:59.40
No, not at all.
00:28:59.43\00:29:00.94
In fact, later on, Isaiah made
it very clear for us in Isaiah
00:29:00.97\00:29:02.80
40 and verse 28, he
says, "Have you not known?"
00:29:02.84\00:29:06.17
Isaiah cries out, the great
prophet, "Have you not heard?
00:29:06.21\00:29:09.44
The everlasting God, the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the
00:29:09.48\00:29:12.15
earth, neither
faints nor is weary."
00:29:12.18\00:29:17.19
God never gets weary.
00:29:17.22\00:29:18.72
He never sleeps,
he never slumbers.
00:29:18.75\00:29:22.19
God is totally alert and aware
and understands the intents and
00:29:22.22\00:29:25.03
purposes of all our thoughts
in our minds continually, 24/7,
00:29:25.06\00:29:31.30
throughout the entire planet.
00:29:31.33\00:29:32.70
And not only on this planet but
throughout the entire universe.
00:29:32.73\00:29:37.87
God is a big God, amen?
00:29:37.91\00:29:41.31
And so God didn't rest
because He was worn out.
00:29:41.34\00:29:44.01
God rested as an example for you
and I, for Adam and Eve, for all
00:29:44.05\00:29:48.92
of mankind, that we might
understand that God not only
00:29:48.95\00:29:52.45
wants us to stop every day
and find ourselves with our eyes
00:29:52.49\00:29:55.56
closed for a time, before we
start the day part or the light
00:29:55.59\00:29:59.26
part of the next 24-hour cycle
and day, but rather He also
00:29:59.29\00:30:02.53
tells us that every seven days
we are to take an entire 24-hour
00:30:02.56\00:30:06.77
period, from sundown
Friday to sundown Saturday.
00:30:06.80\00:30:10.41
On the seventh day of the first
week that has been repeated
00:30:10.44\00:30:13.38
uninterrupted ever since,
we are to find ourselves in the
00:30:13.41\00:30:16.71
holiness of the day that God
declared holy and made blessed.
00:30:16.75\00:30:21.65
Where we can take
that collective...
00:30:21.68\00:30:26.45
as a body of believers and say,
as His children, "Thank You,
00:30:26.49\00:30:29.79
Lord, for another week."
00:30:29.82\00:30:32.29
And as the quarterly points out
for us, it says it's a time when
00:30:32.33\00:30:35.00
we stop doing and we just stop
and we contemplate and we be.
00:30:35.03\00:30:41.00
Be in the moment.
00:30:41.04\00:30:42.67
Have you come to church
today to be in the moment?
00:30:42.70\00:30:46.51
To stop and put all the stresses
and pressures, the bills, the
00:30:46.54\00:30:50.28
work deadlines, the school
papers and exams that we're
00:30:50.31\00:30:56.12
studying for, the--all of these
different things that stress us
00:30:56.15\00:30:59.75
and challenge our emotion and
our mental health and wellbeing
00:30:59.79\00:31:05.06
and just stop and pause
and say, "Thank You, Lord."
00:31:05.09\00:31:14.04
And so God intended for
the seventh day to be different
00:31:17.74\00:31:19.87
from the other six.
00:31:19.91\00:31:21.38
He made it holy, He blessed
on it, He rested as our example.
00:31:21.41\00:31:25.18
Now, there's three activities
that God has revealed in the
00:31:25.21\00:31:27.15
Bible that He has designed for
us to be able to experience and
00:31:27.18\00:31:30.15
be involved in in
different measures.
00:31:30.19\00:31:33.46
And so those are, the first one
which He gave by example when He
00:31:33.49\00:31:37.16
stopped and He
paused and He rested.
00:31:37.19\00:31:39.26
He stopped working, he ceased
from His work and He asked Adam
00:31:39.29\00:31:42.63
and Eve to cease from any work
or if they had done any work at
00:31:42.66\00:31:47.10
the end of that first sixth day
in which they were created, we
00:31:47.14\00:31:49.90
do not know.
00:31:49.94\00:31:52.37
But God said, "Okay, listen,
we're going to spend a special
00:31:52.41\00:31:55.04
day together, your
first entire day together."
00:31:55.08\00:31:57.65
Now, this is the first complete
day that Adam and Eve had ever
00:31:57.68\00:32:02.78
experienced, and God says, "Now
I want you to stop with Me and
00:32:02.82\00:32:05.49
we're just going to
stop and take it all in."
00:32:05.52\00:32:09.76
Now, very clearly in Genesis
chapter 2, later on, God did
00:32:09.79\00:32:12.36
tell Adam and Eve that outside
of that seventh day that they
00:32:12.39\00:32:16.03
were to tend the garden, that
labor and work was a very real
00:32:16.06\00:32:18.77
part of God's intended plan
for them, to find fulfillment in
00:32:18.80\00:32:22.77
tending the garden and growing
different vineyards in the
00:32:22.80\00:32:25.74
future and all these other
things that God had in store for
00:32:25.77\00:32:27.98
their future and for their work.
00:32:28.01\00:32:30.45
But He said, "Listen, the first
day we're just going to hang out
00:32:30.48\00:32:33.15
together, and I want you just to
really take in everything that's
00:32:33.18\00:32:37.55
around you.
00:32:37.59\00:32:39.65
And not only do I want you
to do it today, but I want you
00:32:39.69\00:32:41.66
to do it every seven days."
00:32:41.69\00:32:45.23
Take it all in.
00:32:45.26\00:32:48.00
And so rest.
00:32:48.03\00:32:49.66
Sometimes we need
extra physical rest.
00:32:49.70\00:32:51.70
You know, sometimes we kid
around and sometimes we look
00:32:51.73\00:32:53.47
down our noses at some
other believers in Seventh-day
00:32:53.50\00:32:55.64
Adventist when we say, you know,
after lunch we're going to go
00:32:55.67\00:32:57.91
home and we're
going to have a nap.
00:32:57.94\00:32:59.47
We don't nap during the week but
there is a special nap that we
00:32:59.51\00:33:01.51
have on Sabbath afternoon.
00:33:01.54\00:33:04.35
That's in
harmony with the Bible.
00:33:04.38\00:33:07.65
You know, but we're so
work-driven in our culture and
00:33:07.68\00:33:09.82
society in this part of the
world that we almost look down
00:33:09.85\00:33:12.15
our noses at people
that might have a nap.
00:33:12.19\00:33:17.53
But it's a time for
physical rest, not to be lazy,
00:33:17.56\00:33:20.40
to be sure.
00:33:20.43\00:33:22.03
God doesn't want us to be lazy.
00:33:22.06\00:33:23.57
And so if you're not tired,
you shouldn't be taking a nap.
00:33:23.60\00:33:27.44
But a lot of times we
get to the end of the week
00:33:27.47\00:33:29.17
and we're worn out.
00:33:29.20\00:33:30.64
We're not like
God, we do have limits.
00:33:30.67\00:33:33.38
And so reviving yourself,
refreshing yourself, so that
00:33:33.41\00:33:37.08
when you get up on Sunday
morning and you get up on Monday
00:33:37.11\00:33:39.38
morning, Tuesday morning, you
have more energy because you've
00:33:39.41\00:33:42.25
refilled your reserves.
00:33:42.28\00:33:46.35
That's important
for us to be able to do.
00:33:46.39\00:33:50.13
And so physical rest on the
Sabbath is important and it's a
00:33:50.16\00:33:52.96
blessing that God intended for
us to be able to experience in
00:33:52.99\00:33:55.76
an extra measure on top of
the nightly sleeps that we have
00:33:55.80\00:33:59.10
every 24 hours.
00:33:59.13\00:34:01.84
So physical rest.
00:34:01.87\00:34:03.41
The second activity is what
Jesus says, Luke chapter 3 and
00:34:03.44\00:34:05.37
verse 16, it says that as His
custom was, Jesus went into the
00:34:05.41\00:34:09.54
synagogue to
read and unto worship.
00:34:09.58\00:34:13.35
And so indeed, Jesus is on
record in the Bible of going to
00:34:13.38\00:34:16.99
church on a
regular weekly basis.
00:34:17.02\00:34:20.22
Every Sabbath morning He was
found worshiping His Father in
00:34:20.26\00:34:23.19
church.
00:34:23.22\00:34:25.19
And that's why later, Paul
inspired--God inspired Paul to
00:34:25.23\00:34:27.96
write in Hebrews chapter 11,
I think it's verse 25, where he
00:34:28.00\00:34:32.50
says, "Do not forsake the
assembling of yourselves as some
00:34:32.53\00:34:36.07
are in the habit of doing, but
gather together and even more
00:34:36.10\00:34:40.71
so, encouraging each other
in love and in good works, as we
00:34:40.74\00:34:45.31
see the day approaching."
00:34:45.35\00:34:47.68
And so as Jesus's Coming comes
closer, we should actually be
00:34:47.72\00:34:50.62
gathering together even more
faithfully, unlike those who are
00:34:50.65\00:34:55.06
in the habit of doing otherwise.
00:34:55.09\00:34:57.23
And so God has called us
to follow after the example of
00:34:57.26\00:34:59.56
Jesus: worship God
actively in church.
00:34:59.59\00:35:03.80
That's very important for
us to be able to experience.
00:35:03.83\00:35:06.13
The third activity that
God reveals and Jesus set that
00:35:06.17\00:35:08.50
example is to do good works.
00:35:08.54\00:35:11.77
And so again, this is active
work but it's work that is
00:35:11.81\00:35:14.71
essential to be able to relieve
suffering, including people's
00:35:14.74\00:35:19.01
hunger, their medical needs, and
so we have a number of people
00:35:19.05\00:35:24.42
that are doing holy work.
00:35:24.45\00:35:25.89
Jesus says, "Do you not know
that the priests profane the
00:35:25.92\00:35:27.82
Sabbath and yet
they were without guilt?"
00:35:27.86\00:35:30.26
Why? Because
they're doing holy work.
00:35:30.29\00:35:32.03
I'm working for you here today.
00:35:32.06\00:35:34.60
I'm on the job.
00:35:34.63\00:35:37.33
But it's holy work, is it not?
00:35:37.37\00:35:39.73
God has called us.
00:35:39.77\00:35:41.07
You know, our Sabbath School
teachers that are teaching the
00:35:41.10\00:35:42.74
children and in the different
adult lessons and so on,
00:35:42.77\00:35:45.14
pastors, laymen,
they're all working.
00:35:45.17\00:35:46.91
They're on the job.
00:35:46.94\00:35:48.31
Some of them are volunteering,
some of them are salaried,
00:35:48.34\00:35:49.74
but we're all on the job.
00:35:49.78\00:35:51.08
We're doing holy work.
And same with the doctors.
00:35:51.11\00:35:53.68
We have some doctors that are
meeting people's needs as they
00:35:53.72\00:35:55.55
just had a heart attack or they
find themselves with their--with
00:35:55.58\00:35:58.62
not being able to breathe
properly or they just broke
00:35:58.65\00:36:00.96
their leg, and thank God we have
doctors that are available in
00:36:00.99\00:36:05.66
our hospitals when that takes
place on the Sabbath hours.
00:36:05.69\00:36:07.86
And so we have doctors and
nurses and policemen and they're
00:36:07.93\00:36:11.10
still protecting us, so if
somebody breaks into our house
00:36:11.13\00:36:13.37
during the Sabbath hours, we can
call the local police station.
00:36:13.40\00:36:16.97
We can call 911 and
there's still people on duty.
00:36:17.01\00:36:19.47
Why? Because
they're doing holy work.
00:36:19.51\00:36:22.51
God forbid that we have a
burglar that's breaking into our
00:36:22.54\00:36:24.75
house one evening on Friday
night after we went to bed and
00:36:24.78\00:36:27.38
we call 911, they
say, "Happy Sabbath."
00:36:27.42\00:36:31.35
You get a recording.
00:36:31.39\00:36:32.92
It's just a recording
that says, "Happy Sabbath.
00:36:32.95\00:36:36.49
We're sorry we can't serve
you right now but in about 12½
00:36:36.52\00:36:39.06
hours, when the sun goes down,
please call back and we'll be
00:36:39.09\00:36:41.50
happy to come
over and help you out."
00:36:41.53\00:36:44.63
No, there's different things
that we need to be able to do on
00:36:44.67\00:36:47.37
the Sabbath that God and
Jesus says are holy works.
00:36:47.40\00:36:50.01
These are good works
that God has given to us.
00:36:50.04\00:36:53.38
And Jesus got in hot water
for doing that sometimes but He
00:36:53.41\00:36:55.68
wants us to understand that.
00:36:55.71\00:36:56.95
Now, sometimes, we can err on
the other side and we start to
00:36:56.98\00:37:00.18
take that definition and we
start to say, "Well, we can--we
00:37:00.22\00:37:02.88
can go out and start
washing people's windows
00:37:02.92\00:37:06.05
on the Sabbath."
00:37:06.09\00:37:08.06
Well, I don't know.
00:37:08.09\00:37:10.39
I've, you know, I don't like a
dirty window, I have to confess.
00:37:10.43\00:37:13.46
I don't like looking out my
window when it's dirty but I
00:37:13.50\00:37:16.46
have to confess, I've
never suffered from it.
00:37:16.50\00:37:21.50
I've never looked at it
and thought, "Boy, I'm just so
00:37:21.54\00:37:23.17
tired, I just--I can't wash that
window but, boy, I wish somebody
00:37:23.20\00:37:26.41
would come and wash
that window for me today
00:37:26.44\00:37:28.14
because it's killing me."
00:37:28.18\00:37:30.81
So we have to be careful that we
don't err and go, you know, take
00:37:30.85\00:37:33.98
that good works definition
to the point we're actually
00:37:34.02\00:37:36.18
starting to sin against the Lord
all in the name of the Lord.
00:37:36.22\00:37:39.05
So we have to be
careful on that end as well.
00:37:39.09\00:37:40.89
And so there's three activities
that God has called us to be
00:37:40.92\00:37:42.92
experiencing.
00:37:42.96\00:37:44.26
One of them is
physical and mental rest.
00:37:44.29\00:37:46.86
God intends for us to
be able to experience rest.
00:37:46.90\00:37:50.70
Now, the quarterly continues to
go on and tell us, you know, as
00:37:50.73\00:37:53.10
many of us talk in our
conversations and I've heard it
00:37:53.13\00:37:55.20
with more than one of us,
you know, it's amazing with all
00:37:55.24\00:37:57.37
these time-saving devices, all
these work-saving devices, that
00:37:57.41\00:38:01.24
continue to be invented that
we continue to be able to afford
00:38:01.28\00:38:04.01
more and more and bring into our
arsenal and to make it through
00:38:04.05\00:38:06.68
the day, you would think that we
have more spare time and we're
00:38:06.72\00:38:09.48
more relaxed than ever
before and any other generation.
00:38:09.52\00:38:14.02
And yet, really, it almost seems
to be the opposite, doesn't it?
00:38:14.06\00:38:16.93
It seems to get us on a
treadmill that gets us even
00:38:16.96\00:38:19.33
running faster than ever before.
00:38:19.36\00:38:21.43
And so, really, I think what's
really happening, there's a
00:38:21.46\00:38:23.77
couple of different reasons for
this and I don't claim to have
00:38:23.80\00:38:26.03
all the answers by any means
on this conversation, but I do
00:38:26.07\00:38:29.14
think that one of the reasons is
because of endless user menus.
00:38:29.17\00:38:35.18
Now, just think--stop
and think about that.
00:38:35.21\00:38:37.41
Endless user menus.
00:38:37.45\00:38:39.25
Friends, everything that
we buy has a user menu now.
00:38:39.28\00:38:41.55
Have you noticed that?
00:38:41.58\00:38:43.02
We get our phone, we get
our watch, we get our car.
00:38:43.05\00:38:46.35
You know, we just bought a car.
00:38:46.39\00:38:47.99
The car has all
kinds of user menus.
00:38:48.02\00:38:49.82
You know, we got a manual that's
that thick and it say, "Just go
00:38:49.86\00:38:54.23
through this nice brief manual
and it'll tell you all the
00:38:54.30\00:38:56.60
different functions that
this car can do for you."
00:38:56.63\00:38:58.90
We have smart cars,
we have smart phones,
00:38:58.93\00:39:00.84
we have smart laptops.
00:39:00.87\00:39:02.34
We have smart watches.
00:39:02.37\00:39:05.37
Everything smart except me.
00:39:05.41\00:39:09.64
That's the only problem, how
three-quarters of it I'll never
00:39:09.68\00:39:12.08
know could do it
for me, you know?
00:39:12.11\00:39:14.42
There's three-quarters of the
things that all these things can
00:39:14.45\00:39:15.85
do that I'll never use
because I'll never learn it.
00:39:15.88\00:39:18.62
I'm not smart enough to
keep up with our smart stuff.
00:39:18.65\00:39:21.52
And so we have endless user
menus that are consuming hours
00:39:21.56\00:39:25.63
and hours of our
time on a weekly basis.
00:39:25.66\00:39:28.80
Information overload.
00:39:28.83\00:39:30.47
It's a blessing and a
curse at the same time.
00:39:30.50\00:39:32.67
We can ask Alexa, you
know, on a moment's notice,
00:39:32.70\00:39:35.40
you know, "Tell us."
00:39:35.44\00:39:36.74
We can ask Siri,
we can ask Google.
00:39:36.77\00:39:39.34
We can go on the
Internet and do a Google search.
00:39:39.37\00:39:41.04
We can find information all
over the place but, friends, the
00:39:41.08\00:39:43.41
information is coming at us so
fast that I think that sometimes
00:39:43.45\00:39:45.85
we find ourselves overwhelmed
and it can be actually
00:39:45.88\00:39:49.28
detrimental for our health.
00:39:49.32\00:39:53.46
And so we don't use these
devices to help create more
00:39:53.49\00:39:55.59
spare time but we use them
to get more done in the same 24
00:39:55.62\00:39:58.73
hours every day.
00:39:58.76\00:40:00.13
And I'm guilty of that as well.
00:40:00.16\00:40:02.46
So we're not using it to be able
to create more spare time, we're
00:40:02.50\00:40:04.60
just thinking, "Wow, we
can even be more efficient
00:40:04.63\00:40:06.84
and get things more done."
00:40:06.87\00:40:08.17
And that's good to a real
degree but it can also be to our
00:40:08.20\00:40:11.34
detriment if we're not careful.
00:40:11.37\00:40:15.64
Now, of course, this is not the
case for many others and I had
00:40:15.68\00:40:17.98
to stop and pause for a moment
as I thought, you know, I'm
00:40:18.01\00:40:20.52
thinking of myself and I'm
thinking of others, you know,
00:40:20.55\00:40:23.39
that I know here in the church
and otherwise that, you know,
00:40:23.42\00:40:25.92
are regular productive good
Americans, Canadians, and other
00:40:25.95\00:40:29.06
citizens of different countries
that are very productive and
00:40:29.09\00:40:32.73
they see the value and the
importance of being productive.
00:40:32.76\00:40:38.13
But, friends, we have a growing
number of Americans around the
00:40:38.17\00:40:41.20
world that are--that
have too much spare time.
00:40:41.24\00:40:45.61
We have millions of people on
Welfare, Unemployment Insurance,
00:40:45.64\00:40:48.34
living off their parents until
they're in their 30s, 40s, 50s,
00:40:48.38\00:40:52.31
and that's the
other side of the coin.
00:40:52.35\00:40:54.62
So we don't want to be found on
that side of the coin as well.
00:40:54.65\00:41:00.16
On Wednesday's lesson we look
at Mark chapter 6 and verses 30
00:41:00.19\00:41:03.32
through 32.
00:41:03.36\00:41:04.69
We find there that Jesus
attempts to pull the apostles
00:41:04.73\00:41:06.59
aside.
00:41:06.63\00:41:07.96
He says, "We need to go
and find a secluded place."
00:41:08.00\00:41:09.90
The crowds are
pressing in on them again.
00:41:09.93\00:41:11.93
The apostles are
pumped, they're excited.
00:41:11.97\00:41:14.34
They just got back from their
first mission trip that Jesus
00:41:14.37\00:41:17.17
had sent them out independently,
aside and separate from Himself.
00:41:17.21\00:41:21.34
They've had this Spirit-filled
experience where they began to
00:41:21.38\00:41:24.78
teach and cast out
demons and preach in the Spirit
00:41:24.81\00:41:28.58
and power of the Lord.
00:41:28.62\00:41:30.05
As they are experiencing all
these things, they come back and
00:41:30.09\00:41:32.09
they're just thrilled to
be able to share with Jesus.
00:41:32.12\00:41:34.92
But it says they were so busy
they didn't even have time to
00:41:34.96\00:41:36.83
eat, and the people were
demanding more and more and more
00:41:36.86\00:41:39.43
until Jesus says,
"Listen, we need some R&R.
00:41:39.46\00:41:41.20
You need some R&R.
00:41:41.23\00:41:42.66
We need to be able to pull
away and find a secluded place."
00:41:42.70\00:41:46.70
And so sometimes, even outside
of the Sabbath hours and outside
00:41:46.74\00:41:49.54
of the night hours, God also has
set the example through Jesus by
00:41:49.57\00:41:54.58
telling us that there are times,
even when we're involved in the
00:41:54.61\00:41:57.28
Lord's work, that we need to
be able to spend time aside in a
00:41:57.31\00:42:00.65
secluded place and just get
some real R&R, and refill those
00:42:00.68\00:42:06.52
reserves,
recharge the batteries.
00:42:06.55\00:42:12.49
You know, I've known some
colleagues in the ministry that
00:42:12.53\00:42:14.60
thought it was cool over the
years, they thought it was cool
00:42:14.63\00:42:18.37
to brag about how they hadn't
taken a vacation or even a day
00:42:18.40\00:42:21.44
off in several months.
00:42:21.47\00:42:23.84
One of them came up to me once
and said, "You know, I haven't
00:42:23.87\00:42:25.77
taken a day off in
over a year and a half."
00:42:25.81\00:42:30.11
And he thought that I
should admire him from that.
00:42:30.15\00:42:32.21
He was bragging.
00:42:32.25\00:42:33.55
He was boasting.
00:42:33.58\00:42:36.42
Yet when I read my Bible, the
Bible doesn't tell me that's a
00:42:36.45\00:42:38.32
good thing at all, no.
00:42:38.35\00:42:40.59
You know, for pastors and those
who are busiest on Sabbath, that
00:42:40.62\00:42:43.19
are doing holy work, they still
need to be able to unplug, they
00:42:43.22\00:42:46.26
still need to be able to unwind.
00:42:46.29\00:42:47.96
They still need to be able
to take that pastor switch or
00:42:48.00\00:42:50.80
evangelist switch or
administrator's switch and just
00:42:50.83\00:42:53.54
kind of turn it off, and
just take a whole day with their
00:42:53.57\00:42:57.27
husband, with their wife, or
with their family, and just go
00:42:57.31\00:43:02.51
and unplug and keep that switch
on the off switch for a day.
00:43:02.54\00:43:06.65
That's important.
00:43:06.68\00:43:08.48
You know, some of those same
colleagues that were bragging
00:43:08.52\00:43:10.19
about that years ago,
years later they had different
00:43:10.22\00:43:12.72
breakdowns.
00:43:12.75\00:43:14.46
Their health started to break
down and pretty soon they were
00:43:14.49\00:43:16.52
totally
incapacitated for a time.
00:43:16.56\00:43:20.10
You cannot live outside of
the laws of nature that God has
00:43:20.13\00:43:24.17
created us in.
00:43:24.20\00:43:25.90
You cannot deny and live outside
of those laws and expect to
00:43:25.93\00:43:29.74
prosper and expect to be
able to live a long, healthy,
00:43:29.77\00:43:32.54
prosperous, productive life.
00:43:32.57\00:43:39.61
James White, one of our great
founders, now this is not a
00:43:39.65\00:43:42.68
slight to him in any way.
00:43:42.72\00:43:44.25
This is public knowledge.
00:43:44.29\00:43:45.62
We find it in our history books.
00:43:45.65\00:43:47.06
Ellen White wrote about it
extensively in her own writings.
00:43:47.09\00:43:50.23
Her great faithful husband, one
of our first GC presidents, one
00:43:50.26\00:43:53.60
of the ones we are indebted
to James White for a tremendous
00:43:53.63\00:43:56.63
amount of labor and work and
sacrifice that he put in to be
00:43:56.67\00:43:59.80
able to get this great
Advent movement off its feet
00:43:59.83\00:44:02.34
and off the ground.
00:44:02.37\00:44:05.17
But James White found himself
denying and trying to live
00:44:05.21\00:44:08.31
outside of these laws of
nature in concern to mental and
00:44:08.34\00:44:10.85
physical rest.
00:44:10.88\00:44:13.92
He was a
workaholic as we call them.
00:44:13.95\00:44:15.45
They didn't have that term back
then but now we know what it--we
00:44:15.48\00:44:17.49
have a technical
term: workaholic.
00:44:17.52\00:44:20.02
And as a workaholic, it
caught up with him periodically,
00:44:20.06\00:44:23.39
on a regular basis.
00:44:23.43\00:44:24.96
He would go a few years and then
he would have a complete mental
00:44:24.99\00:44:26.93
and physical breakdown until
he was completely incapacitated.
00:44:26.96\00:44:32.67
Now, there's no record that he
used to brag about it or boast
00:44:32.70\00:44:34.60
about it, but he just thought
that that was the way to do it.
00:44:34.64\00:44:37.34
That was being
faithful to the Lord.
00:44:37.37\00:44:42.48
But God in the Bible
and the spirit of prophecy
00:44:42.51\00:44:44.25
tells us otherwise.
00:44:44.28\00:44:45.98
So we need to
learn from these things.
00:44:46.01\00:44:49.02
I want to read a quote here, as
we're wrapping things up here.
00:44:49.05\00:44:51.95
I see that our time is fastly
running to a close, so I'm glad
00:44:51.99\00:44:55.22
I'm able to be able to read.
00:44:55.26\00:44:56.86
Let's go to Friday.
We're going to skip to Friday.
00:44:56.89\00:44:58.36
There's no way we'll be able to
look at all the information in
00:44:58.39\00:45:01.86
here and never are each week,
but I want to ask you to come to
00:45:01.90\00:45:06.80
Friday's lesson study.
00:45:06.84\00:45:09.60
If--page 12 if you have your
quarterly study with you, and on
00:45:09.64\00:45:14.21
page 12 it says: "In the
estimation," this is a quote
00:45:14.24\00:45:16.88
from "The Desire of Ages,"
one of the greatest, well, the
00:45:16.91\00:45:19.05
greatest book, I
believe, on the life of Christ,
00:45:19.08\00:45:22.65
outside of the Bible.
00:45:22.68\00:45:25.49
It says: "In the estimation
of the rabbis, it was the sum of
00:45:25.52\00:45:28.12
religion to always be
in a bustle of activity.
00:45:28.16\00:45:31.66
They depended upon some
outward performance to show
00:45:31.69\00:45:33.96
their superior piety.
00:45:34.00\00:45:36.56
Thus, they separated their souls
from God and built themselves up
00:45:36.60\00:45:39.50
in self-sufficiency.
00:45:39.53\00:45:42.10
The same danger still exists.
00:45:42.14\00:45:47.61
As activity increases and men
become successful in doing any
00:45:47.64\00:45:51.01
work for God, there is a danger
of trusting to human plans
00:45:51.05\00:45:55.52
and methods.
00:45:55.55\00:45:57.32
There is a tendency to pray
less and to have less faith.
00:45:57.35\00:46:03.06
Like the disciples, we are
in danger of losing sight of our
00:46:03.09\00:46:06.63
dependence on God and seeking to
make a savior of our activity.
00:46:06.66\00:46:12.03
We need to look constantly to
Jesus, realizing that it is His
00:46:12.07\00:46:16.57
power which does the work.
00:46:16.60\00:46:18.94
And while we are to labor
earnestly for the salvation
00:46:18.97\00:46:21.58
of the lost," in other
words, don't get her wrong.
00:46:21.61\00:46:24.55
It's not that she's saying that
we are to not labor earnestly
00:46:24.58\00:46:27.62
for the salvation of the lost.
00:46:27.65\00:46:28.98
We must do so.
00:46:29.02\00:46:30.55
"But we must also take time for
meditation, for prayer, and for
00:46:30.59\00:46:36.89
the study of the Word of God.
00:46:36.93\00:46:39.93
Only the work accomplished with
much prayer, and sanctified by
00:46:39.96\00:46:43.06
the merit of Christ, will
the end prove to be of efficient
00:46:43.10\00:46:47.27
for good."
00:46:47.30\00:46:48.80
Now, I think I should probably
clarify meditation because
00:46:48.84\00:46:51.04
that's become a kind of a
hot button in recent years as
00:46:51.07\00:46:55.94
different forms of meditation
have kind of crept into
00:46:55.98\00:46:58.41
different circles, even within
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:46:58.45\00:47:00.42
on a kind of more near-Eastern
yoga kind of type facet or kind.
00:47:00.45\00:47:09.26
But the meditation here that
Ellen White is talking about
00:47:09.29\00:47:11.59
when we talk and meditate
is more synonymous to ponder.
00:47:11.63\00:47:15.80
We need to stop and just
spend some time pondering.
00:47:15.83\00:47:20.17
When you read the book of
the Bible and you find yourself
00:47:20.20\00:47:22.94
stopping once in a while and
you just ponder on what you just
00:47:22.97\00:47:25.67
read.
00:47:25.71\00:47:28.04
So it's not just about seeking
the information, it's about
00:47:28.08\00:47:29.64
pondering,
meditating, on that information.
00:47:29.68\00:47:33.31
Meditating on the person behind
the meditation, upon God, upon
00:47:33.35\00:47:36.28
Jesus.
00:47:36.32\00:47:38.39
Ellen White counsels us and says
that we should stop and pause
00:47:38.42\00:47:40.32
and meditate, she says up to
an hour a day just on the last
00:47:40.36\00:47:44.89
events of Christ's life in the
last week of His life and death
00:47:44.93\00:47:47.76
and Resurrection.
00:47:47.83\00:47:50.87
And so that's the kind of
meditation that is being spoken
00:47:50.90\00:47:53.64
about there.
00:47:53.67\00:47:56.40
Well, there's also the emotional
drain and rest that we need from
00:47:56.44\00:47:59.71
as well.
00:47:59.74\00:48:01.24
We don't have time to be able to
look at Jeremiah chapter 45 but
00:48:01.28\00:48:03.75
if you haven't looked
there already, there's a classic
00:48:03.78\00:48:05.55
example there where the poor
secretary of Jeremiah, Jeremiah
00:48:05.58\00:48:08.22
didn't really
write his own words.
00:48:08.25\00:48:10.12
God gave him the words and then
Jeremiah told his secretary or
00:48:10.15\00:48:13.59
scribe, Baruch, to be
able to write it down for him.
00:48:13.62\00:48:17.43
And poor Baruch, he kind of got
the short end of the staff when
00:48:17.46\00:48:20.80
he was kind of in Egypt as the
rebellious Israelites had forced
00:48:20.83\00:48:24.03
him and Jeremiah to go down that
way and so not only did Baruch
00:48:24.07\00:48:29.24
experience all of this
tragedy and destruction by the
00:48:29.27\00:48:32.51
Babylonians in Jerusalem and in
Israel, forced to go into exile
00:48:32.54\00:48:35.88
into Egypt, but now the
rebellious leaders that forced
00:48:35.91\00:48:40.42
them into Egypt, are
blaming Baruch and saying that
00:48:40.45\00:48:42.85
Jeremiah's prophets are false
and Baruch is the one that put
00:48:42.88\00:48:45.25
him up to it, so that
they would all be killed by the
00:48:45.29\00:48:48.29
Babylonians.
00:48:48.32\00:48:49.62
And so now Baruch has got woe
upon woe as he says: "I have now
00:48:49.66\00:48:53.50
got grief upon my sorrow,"
and so sometimes we go through
00:48:53.53\00:48:56.23
valleys where our emotional
tank is being drained extra,
00:48:56.26\00:49:00.37
in an extra measure.
00:49:00.40\00:49:01.70
And so we have to be able
to measure that out and counter
00:49:01.74\00:49:04.17
that with extra rest, as well.
00:49:04.21\00:49:08.31
And, of course, Elijah is
another classic example of that.
00:49:08.34\00:49:11.95
Well, friends, this is another
week and I pray that you'll
00:49:11.98\00:49:14.32
faithfully go
through the next quarterly
00:49:14.35\00:49:16.02
as we continue to study.
00:49:16.05\00:49:17.62
Don't forget to take advantage
of our free gift offer which is
00:49:17.65\00:49:20.82
"A Rest in Christ."
00:49:20.86\00:49:22.62
It's all about the Sabbath
and you'll be able to find that
00:49:22.66\00:49:25.49
information on the screen.
00:49:25.53\00:49:27.00
It's offer number 813.
00:49:27.03\00:49:28.86
You can dial 1-866-788-3966,
which is 1-866-Study-More, and
00:49:28.90\00:49:36.17
we'll be happy to be able to
send you a free copy of that if
00:49:36.20\00:49:39.34
you are in North America or in
one of the American territories.
00:49:39.37\00:49:43.91
And you can also get a
digital download for that,
00:49:43.95\00:49:46.75
and that'll be
available on the screen as well.
00:49:46.78\00:49:49.22
So God bless you and we look
forward to seeing you next week.
00:49:49.25\00:49:51.99
male announcer: Don't forget
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It's now easier than ever
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Amazing Facts
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And most important,
to share it with others.
00:50:23.99\00:50:26.62
Laren: I'm from Armenia, I'm
Armenian, and I was born there
00:50:34.23\00:50:36.93
but I was raised in L.A.
00:50:36.97\00:50:38.80
I was a sophomore in
high school so, give or take,
00:50:38.83\00:50:41.57
15, 16 years old.
00:50:41.60\00:50:43.74
And I had some idea about
God 'cause I was raised in a
00:50:43.77\00:50:47.14
Christian home, but to know Him
as the Bible taught, no clue.
00:50:47.18\00:50:51.91
I was really poor in math so
my mom took me to a math tutor
00:50:51.95\00:50:54.65
every Sunday morning to
sharpen my skills, if you will.
00:50:54.68\00:50:58.69
And one particular Sunday
morning, we were watching those
00:50:58.72\00:51:01.52
Sunday morning TV shows where
the preachers are preaching and
00:51:01.56\00:51:04.76
Doug Batchelor
happened to be on.
00:51:04.79\00:51:06.43
I paid attention.
00:51:06.46\00:51:07.76
I'm like, "Mom, makes pretty
good sense though," 'cause he
00:51:07.76\00:51:09.60
was back up with Scripture.
00:51:09.63\00:51:11.17
So once Doug Batchelor finished
his sermon, the announcer said,
00:51:11.20\00:51:14.37
"If you're interested in
Bible studies, you can go to the
00:51:14.40\00:51:16.97
Amazing Facts web site
and there is a link there
00:51:17.01\00:51:19.31
for free Bible studies."
00:51:19.34\00:51:20.84
So I said, "I've got
spring break next week.
00:51:20.88\00:51:23.35
Might as well just do it because
I have nothing else to do."
00:51:23.38\00:51:26.68
Well, I did it for about
two, three days non-stop.
00:51:26.72\00:51:28.82
I was up until two,
three in the morning doing the
00:51:28.85\00:51:30.82
Bible Study Guides.
00:51:30.85\00:51:32.29
And when I was done, I
was, like, "Wow, I have no idea
00:51:32.32\00:51:36.19
about God.
00:51:36.22\00:51:37.53
I thought I did, but I don't."
00:51:37.56\00:51:38.93
So as I was beginning to learn
all these things, my mom was
00:51:38.96\00:51:42.86
open because she's the one who
was actually watching the shows,
00:51:42.90\00:51:46.90
and so she began to
study alongside with me after
00:51:46.94\00:51:49.47
my first lessons were done.
00:51:49.50\00:51:51.54
And she embraced the
truth 'cause she was open
00:51:51.57\00:51:54.04
to the truth.
00:51:54.08\00:51:55.44
But what the real
problem was, was my grandmother.
00:51:55.48\00:51:58.25
Growing up in an Armenian home,
if you ever go away from your
00:51:58.28\00:52:02.12
own religion, from
your own Christianity,
00:52:02.15\00:52:04.12
it's like you're an heretic.
00:52:04.15\00:52:05.75
So there was a war
between myself and my grandma.
00:52:05.79\00:52:08.92
So I had to study with her in
her own language, in Armenian,
00:52:08.96\00:52:12.19
to show from her Bible
00:52:12.23\00:52:13.86
the things that I was learning
was actually from the truth.
00:52:13.90\00:52:16.23
So as my mom and I began to
attend the church, we made a
00:52:16.26\00:52:19.10
decision to get
baptized as members.
00:52:19.13\00:52:22.27
And so we got baptized some
months later after doing some
00:52:22.30\00:52:24.54
Bible studies with the pastor
and then I went to school and I
00:52:24.57\00:52:28.61
said to my friends,
"I'm officially a Seventh-day
00:52:28.64\00:52:30.95
Adventist," with a
big grin on my face.
00:52:30.98\00:52:33.62
And they said to
me, "What is that?"
00:52:33.65\00:52:36.05
It dawned on me, I'm a teenager,
going to high school, I'm not
00:52:36.08\00:52:39.52
ordained, I'm not a
professor, I don't know much.
00:52:39.55\00:52:43.32
I just know that I did some
Bible studies, I learned about
00:52:43.36\00:52:45.99
Christ, and now I'm sharing
with those friends of mine.
00:52:46.03\00:52:48.83
So I began to study with some of
my friends in the school bus and
00:52:48.86\00:52:51.37
in class about the things I was
learning, and I began to share
00:52:51.40\00:52:54.57
the Bible Study Guides
from Amazing Facts with them.
00:52:54.60\00:52:57.41
And I gave them some DVDs
from Amazing Facts as well.
00:52:57.44\00:53:00.18
And I began to read and read,
because as I was sharing things
00:53:00.21\00:53:03.55
with people, they asked me
questions about God, to which I
00:53:03.58\00:53:06.72
said, "Let me get back to you."
00:53:06.75\00:53:08.62
So I had to go back and purchase
some more books and study out
00:53:08.65\00:53:11.25
those topics so I
can give 'em a answer.
00:53:11.29\00:53:13.39
I probably ordered over $1000
worth of books from Amazing
00:53:13.42\00:53:17.13
Facts, books on revelation and
Daniel and prophecy and the law
00:53:17.16\00:53:21.13
and grace and
all sorts of things.
00:53:21.16\00:53:23.77
And so, Amazing Facts was really
crucial at that stage where it
00:53:23.80\00:53:27.77
provided the resources I needed
to know the Bible better and to
00:53:27.80\00:53:31.07
share my faith with others.
00:53:31.11\00:53:33.41
But it's funny how God
works because years later, they
00:53:33.44\00:53:37.15
themselves got baptized in
church and when they came to me,
00:53:37.18\00:53:40.45
they said, "I am officially a
Seventh-day Adventist myself."
00:53:40.48\00:53:43.95
To this very day, every Sabbath
morning my mom isn't able to go
00:53:43.99\00:53:46.96
to church but she watches
Amazing Facts online every
00:53:46.99\00:53:50.16
Sabbath as her divine worship.
00:53:50.19\00:53:52.23
If it wasn't for Amazing Facts,
I would have not known Christ.
00:53:52.26\00:53:55.80
I would have not had
that peace that He offers.
00:53:55.83\00:53:58.43
And all these people who came to
know Christ would have not had
00:53:58.47\00:54:01.67
the opportunity.
00:54:01.70\00:54:03.30
My name is Laren--
00:54:03.34\00:54:05.67
I want to thank you
for changing my life.
00:54:05.71\00:54:08.41
¤¤¤
00:54:08.44\00:54:15.45
announcer: "Amazing
Facts" Changed Lives.
00:54:23.29\00:54:28.46
Peggy Tuan: My
name is Peggy Tuan.
00:54:31.20\00:54:32.70
I'm originally
from Houston, Texas.
00:54:32.73\00:54:35.87
We lived in Midland
for about 14, 15 years.
00:54:35.90\00:54:38.21
When my husband had a job offer
to move to Detroit, we went, you
00:54:38.24\00:54:43.48
know, expecting things to
be easier as far as financial
00:54:43.51\00:54:48.32
situations go, and, you know,
once we got there we realized
00:54:48.35\00:54:51.92
the cost of living there was
actually worse than it was here.
00:54:51.95\00:54:55.42
And so, he was working
more, he was out of town a lot
00:54:55.46\00:54:58.33
because he was a truck driver.
00:54:58.36\00:55:00.66
There was a time when I
felt like I was taking care of
00:55:00.70\00:55:02.36
my girls on my own and any
situation that would come up,
00:55:02.40\00:55:05.47
he wasn't there, you know, it
was just me trying to take care
00:55:05.50\00:55:10.77
of everything.
00:55:10.81\00:55:12.14
And I felt kind of
angry towards God for that.
00:55:12.17\00:55:15.21
Felt kind of angry toward
my husband for that, you know?
00:55:15.24\00:55:17.85
And at that point, I was
already kind of angry with God
00:55:17.88\00:55:20.85
because He hadn't
been answering my prayers.
00:55:20.88\00:55:23.89
'Course, my prayers
back then were really
00:55:23.92\00:55:25.55
selfish-type prayers.
00:55:25.59\00:55:27.09
They were more, you
know, "God, we need more money.
00:55:27.12\00:55:30.96
We've got, you know, we
need financial help," and I just
00:55:30.99\00:55:34.40
thought, "What's the point?
00:55:34.46\00:55:35.83
God's not listening to me.
00:55:35.86\00:55:37.50
I don't even want--I don't
even want to have anything to do
00:55:37.53\00:55:39.73
with Him anymore."
00:55:39.77\00:55:44.07
There was one night I had been
reading Revelation and I'd read
00:55:44.11\00:55:48.18
through the whole thing and it
made no sense whatsoever to me.
00:55:48.21\00:55:51.65
And I, after I finished it, I
said--I prayed, "Lord, help me
00:55:51.68\00:55:55.72
to understand what this means.
00:55:55.75\00:55:57.29
You must want me to understand.
00:55:57.32\00:55:58.65
It's in your Word.
00:55:58.69\00:56:00.29
I must--I need to
know what it means."
00:56:00.32\00:56:02.82
And so I went on to bed and
couple of days later, we got a
00:56:02.86\00:56:06.09
flyer in the mail that
said, "Amazing Facts presents
00:56:06.13\00:56:11.67
Revelations Prophecy Seminar."
00:56:11.70\00:56:13.80
And I was, like, "Wow,
that's answered a prayer."
00:56:13.84\00:56:16.44
You know, I was so excited.
00:56:16.47\00:56:17.77
My husband was too.
00:56:17.81\00:56:19.24
And so we decided we were
going to go to that seminar.
00:56:19.27\00:56:21.24
And I just knew when I
got through the whole seminar,
00:56:21.28\00:56:25.18
I just knew that's
where I was going to be.
00:56:25.21\00:56:30.02
With Amazing Facts, I have
learned so much about the Bible
00:56:30.05\00:56:34.69
and about how to study the
Bible, which was what I needed
00:56:34.72\00:56:37.79
before because without knowing
how to study the Bible, you
00:56:37.83\00:56:41.30
can't get to know Jesus.
00:56:41.33\00:56:43.53
And that's the most amazing
thing to me is that I--God has
00:56:43.57\00:56:47.87
led me to the place where I am
now, to where I can learn every
00:56:47.90\00:56:52.24
day more and more about
His character and how much
00:56:52.27\00:56:55.24
He really does love us.
00:56:55.28\00:56:57.38
Peggy: Looking back, I'm just
happy that He led me the way
00:57:02.42\00:57:06.02
He did, even though I
wasn't really listening.
00:57:06.05\00:57:10.63
God has a way to just lead you
where you need to be and take
00:57:10.66\00:57:14.50
you down the right path but I
look at my life now and I think,
00:57:14.56\00:57:18.70
"Wow, if it could have been that
way before, and I would have had
00:57:18.73\00:57:22.24
Him in my life
this way all along,"
00:57:22.27\00:57:27.78
'cause, you know, I don't know.
00:57:27.81\00:57:29.44
I'm just--I'm just
happy now, you know?
00:57:29.48\00:57:30.98
It doesn't matter
what's going on in my life,
00:57:31.01\00:57:32.31
I am--I'm happy with God.
00:57:32.35\00:57:34.75
¤ God's Word is life to me. ¤¤
00:57:34.78\00:57:44.59
¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
00:57:54.60\00:58:04.58
¤¤¤
00:58:04.61\00:58:14.09
¤¤¤
00:58:14.12\00:58:24.10
¤¤¤
00:58:24.13\00:58:28.57