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Luccas Rodor: Hi,
friends, welcome to the
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"Sabbath School Study Hour,"
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here at the Granite
Bay Hilltop SDA Church
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in the Greater Sacramento area.
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We are so glad that you
have decided to invest this hour
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here with us, ready
to study the Word of God,
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and today we have a
beautiful lesson to study.
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The theme of our whole
lesson this quarter has been
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"Rest in Christ," and today
is lesson eight, and I hope
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you've studied because pastor
Doug has a great lesson for us.
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The title of this week's
lesson is "Free to Rest,"
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so I hope that you're ready.
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I hope you studied.
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I hope you have your notes down
and even the questions to answer
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throughout the study
of this week's lesson.
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But before that, before we
actually get into the lesson,
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I'd like to invite you to
take advantage of our free offer
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this week.
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The free offer is called
the "Amazing Health Facts,"
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and here, you're going to
find the eight biblical secrets
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to live a longer
and healthier life.
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And so, if you'd like a copy
of this magazine, you could call
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the number 866-788-3966, and you
could ask for Offer Number 806.
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If you're in the
USA or in North America,
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you could text
"SH005," to the number 40544,
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and you'll also get a
digital download copy.
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If you're outside of
North America, you can go
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to study.aftv.org/SH005,
and you will also be able
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to receive a digital download.
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I'd like to invite you
now for a moment of prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven, thank You
so much for Your love for us.
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Thank You so much
for Your guidance,
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and thank You so
much for Your rest.
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Thank You for giving us the
Sabbath where we can truly stop
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in this temple in
time and dedicate this time
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to our
relationship with You, Father.
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Lord, as Pastor Doug
leads out this morning,
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please imbue him
with Your Spirit, Father.
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May all the words
that come from his lips
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come from the throne above.
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I ask these things in the name
and the power of Jesus, amen.
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Doug Batchelor:
Good morning, friends.
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I want to especially
welcome those that are here
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at the Granite
Bay Hilltop Church.
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We've had an exciting week here
at the time of this recording.
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We're just
concluding a week of a VBS Live
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Amazing Adventure program.
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Pastor Luccas
has been leading out.
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We've had a
wonderful crop of young people,
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and you can probably
tell, if they take a wide shot
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of the stage here, if you wonder
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why things are
looking a little different,
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it's because we're all set
up for this Amazing Adventure
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the young people
have been enjoying,
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and that's been just great.
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We're continuing in
our lesson, dealing today--
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well, the whole lesson
is about "Rest in Christ."
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You know, the two great
utterances of Jesus, you can
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find in Matthew, Matthew chapter
11 and Matthew chapter 28.
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And one says, "Come unto
Me, and I will give you rest."
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And then, as a result
of that, He then says,
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"Go and tell all nations
all authority has been given
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unto Me.
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Go and tell all nations."
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So salvation is a
continual coming to the Lord,
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finding that rest, and
then going for the Lord
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and telling other
people about that rest.
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In our study today,
we're going to be talking
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about two case studies
of people who were restless,
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that found rest.
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And we have a memory verse.
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Memory verse is
from Psalm 27, verse 1.
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This is in the New King James
Version, Psalm 27, verse 1.
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For those of you
here at Hilltop Church,
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you can say it out loud
with me if you've got that.
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You ready?
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"The Lord is my
light and my salvation.
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Whom shall I fear?
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The Lord is the
strength of my life.
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Of whom shall I be afraid?"
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Well, we've got a
couple of cases here of people
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that were living in fear.
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Now I'll tell you
where the two studies are:
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one from the Old
Testament, one from the New.
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We'll start with the New
Testament and go to the Old.
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The New Testament study,
you can find in Mark chapter 2.
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If you have your Bibles,
you may want to turn there.
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This is the story of
Jesus healing the paralytic
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in Mark chapter 2,
and you'll not only
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find this here
in Mark chapter 2,
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but you can find this in
Luke chapter 5, verse 17,
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and Matthew 9 verse 1 through 8.
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It was a remarkable experience
in Jesus's healing ministry
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that's recorded by three
of the four gospel writers.
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So I'm going to read through
verses 1 through 12, with you,
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just so you know because it's
going to kind of run from one
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study heading page to another.
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The study headings are "Healing
Rest," the "Root Treatment,"
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"Running Away," "Too
Tired to Run," "Rest and More."
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But, basically, we're studying
two Bible stories today.
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All right, so let's read
Mark chapter 2, verses 1 to 12:
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"And again He
entered Capernaum--"
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now, He's probably
living at this point
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at the house of
Simon Peter, and it says
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that He returned to His city.
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Capernaum was considered
Jesus's city in Galilee--
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"and after some days, it was
heard that He was in the house."
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Again, it was
probably Simon Peter's house.
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"Immediately many gathered
together, so there was no longer
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room to receive them,
no, not even near the door.
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And He preached
the word to them."
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I wonder, did people come
because He preached the Word,
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or did He preach the
Word because people came?
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I know some pastors,
whenever they saw a crowd,
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they preached the Word,
but I think Jesus had a crowd
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because He did preach the Word.
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"And many were
gathered together, and then--"
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by the way, that's one
of the simplest methods
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for church growth.
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There's all kinds of seminars
and science and training
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that people go
through to grow churches.
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You know what Jesus did?
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He preached the Word.
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If you preach the Word,
many will gather together.
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People are hungering
for the Bread of Life.
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"And there wasn't
even room near the door.
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Then," verse 3,
"they came to Him,
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bringing a paralytic who
was carried by four men."
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All right, let me just give
you a little insight into this.
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This man, he could not come to
Jesus without some outside help.
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I forget the ratio, but I think
it's like 40% of the people that
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Jesus heals in the Bible were
either brought by someone else,
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or someone else brought
their case to Jesus, and Jesus
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healed them remotely, but
so many people that were healed
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were healed because of the
intercession or the efforts
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of someone else to bring them.
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Now, there's a lot of people
that will never find Jesus
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unless other people bring
them to Christ for healing.
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Now, this man, he was paralyzed.
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He's not an old man because
Jesus refers to him as "son."
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Jesus is only 30, 33, and,
you know, if you call someone,
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"son," you probably want to--
I would not call a 65-year-old
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and say, "Well, son--" you know,
just, it would not sound right.
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Of course, I'm about that
age now anyway so--but I mean,
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Jesus is 33, so this is a
young man who's been afflicted
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with this paralysis.
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You can read in the book
"Desire of Ages," page 267,
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"This paralytic had
lost all hope of recovery.
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His disease was the
result of a life of sin,
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and his sufferings
were embittered by remorse."
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He's not only physically
suffering, he's remorseful
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that he's suffering
because of his life of sin.
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"He had long before appealed to
the Pharisees and the doctors,
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hoping for relief
from the mental suffering
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and the physical pain.
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But they coldly
pronounced him incurable,
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and abandoned him
to the wrath of God."
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This man had been looking for
mercy and looking for healing,
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and they said, "No,
you're suffering for your sins.
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You are abandoned by God."
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"The Pharisees regarded the
affliction as an evidence of
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divine displeasure, and
they held themselves aloof
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from the sick and the needy.
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Yet often these very ones
who exalted themselves as holy
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were more guilty than the
sufferers they condemned."
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So this man, what's one of the
principal concerns in his life?
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Is it physical healing
or spiritual forgiveness?
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Either way, I think
we'll agree he has no rest.
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He's very restless in his heart.
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He's physically
suffering, and he is tormented
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because he's suffering because
of bad choices that he made.
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Now, that's often true
that we sometimes suffer
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with physical problems because
of bad choices that we make.
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It might be lifestyle choices
or health and eating choices,
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and then we're twice as
restless because we're thinking,
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"I brought this on myself."
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It's a like a person, now
they got a drinking problem,
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then they have a car
accident, someone else is hurt,
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and they--crippled up for
life, and they're thinking,
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"Look what my sin has done."
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So this man is struggling with
that, but he has some friends,
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and his friends,
they hear about Jesus,
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and they notice that Jesus
heals everybody that comes.
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And so they say, "Look, if
we could bring you to Jesus,
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we believe He can heal you."
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And he thinks, "Oh, that'd be
wonderful, but if I could just
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know--He's a spiritual teacher.
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If I could just know that
I could be helped by God?"
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Now, it says, "They brought
unto Him one carried by four."
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This one man
ends up being healed.
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I hope that's not a spoiler
for you that he gets healed.
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You know that.
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Borne of four.
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You know, I think that four
is sort of a number in the Bible
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that represents
something universal.
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Four is also the gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
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Around the throne of
God, there are four creatures.
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Do you remember what the
different creatures look like?
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One had a face like a lion,
one like the face of an eagle,
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one like a man, one like a calf.
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And some Bible scholars say
these are different attributes
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of Christ, and
they're also telling us
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they kind of
describe the gospels.
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Matthew is thought of
as the messianic gospel,
00:11:07.13\00:11:09.43
that Jesus is the
lion of the tribe of Judah.
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Mark is the gospel
that appeals to the Romans.
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The Roman standard was the
eagle, and it's a very fast--
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you read through
Mark, and it is rapid.
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It's a quick gospel.
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Luke is a physician.
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He shows Jesus the man.
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And then you've got John who
shows Jesus as the sacrifice.
00:11:27.55\00:11:31.49
He's the calf.
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And so I like to think
these four men that brought
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their friend to Jesus represent
the gospel that brings people
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to Christ.
00:11:40.93\00:11:42.63
I remember
hearing an amazing fact
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that really got my attention.
00:11:44.80\00:11:47.24
It was about someone
named "Russian Jack."
00:11:47.27\00:11:49.80
He was better known as--
his nickname was Russian Jack.
00:11:49.84\00:11:52.81
His real name
was Ivan Fredericks.
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He lived between 1864
and 1904, in Australia.
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He was a gold miner
in the western fields
00:11:57.91\00:12:01.52
when they had a gold rush.
00:12:01.55\00:12:03.05
You know, after the California
Gold Rush, they also had
00:12:03.08\00:12:04.72
a gold rush in Australia
and-- but it was very hard
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to get to there.
00:12:08.02\00:12:09.39
It wasn't like the Sierras.
00:12:09.42\00:12:11.43
They were in what they
called a Great Sandy Desert,
00:12:11.46\00:12:13.76
and it was terrible terrain.
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Well, Jack and a friend
of his had run short on food
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while they're out there
mining in this remote area,
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and they decided to shoot
a kangaroo, and his friend,
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then running after the kangaroo,
fell and broke his leg.
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That's a bad place to
break your leg, out there
00:12:29.24\00:12:31.55
in the western
bush of Australia.
00:12:31.58\00:12:36.18
And Ivan put him, Russian
Jack put him in a wheelbarrow,
00:12:36.22\00:12:42.06
and the wheelbarrows, back then,
were not like the, you know,
00:12:42.09\00:12:44.33
fiberglass wheelbarrows
today with the pneumatic tire.
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.93
They were wooden, they
were clunky, heavy steel, tire,
00:12:46.96\00:12:50.37
and he put his
friend in the wheelbarrow,
00:12:50.40\00:12:53.90
and he pushed him to Wyndham,
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which was the
nearest town, 100 miles away.
00:12:55.97\00:12:59.91
Now, that's a friend.
00:12:59.94\00:13:01.54
You ever push 150 pounds a mile?
00:13:01.58\00:13:08.05
Going down the
road, it'd be tough.
00:13:08.08\00:13:10.42
I've pushed a lot of
concrete in a wheelbarrow before
00:13:10.45\00:13:12.79
and to push it over--it's
hard, rough terrain like that.
00:13:12.82\00:13:22.30
When he got into town, people
said, "Where'd you come from?"
00:13:22.33\00:13:25.03
And he said, "Well, I just
pushed this guy 100 miles,"
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and they couldn't believe it,
and they all came out and said,
00:13:28.30\00:13:29.87
"No way, that's impossible."
00:13:29.90\00:13:31.24
And his friend in
the wheelbarrow said,
00:13:31.27\00:13:32.81
"It's true, and he never
missed a rock along the way."
00:13:32.84\00:13:37.78
It takes a friend to do
something like that, amen?
00:13:37.81\00:13:41.18
And sometimes it takes friends
to bring others to Jesus.
00:13:41.22\00:13:45.72
So they couldn't
get near the door.
00:13:45.75\00:13:48.16
They said, "We're going
to bring you to Christ."
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.13
And as they get to the
house, they say, "It's crowded."
00:13:50.16\00:13:54.30
I mean, it's just, they couldn't
receive him at the door.
00:13:54.36\00:13:57.30
Jesus is inside teaching.
00:13:57.33\00:13:59.23
They can't hear
through the windows,
00:13:59.27\00:14:01.44
and there's a crowd
there, so they try to press
00:14:01.47\00:14:04.77
through the door, and
they push them all back.
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.61
They said, "You got
here late. Forget about it."
00:14:06.64\00:14:08.28
They tried to get
through the window.
00:14:08.31\00:14:09.98
They said, "Forget about it."
00:14:10.01\00:14:11.48
They completely circled the
house, and it's just completely
00:14:11.51\00:14:13.78
jammed with people, a
great multitude of people
00:14:13.82\00:14:16.72
that are there.
00:14:16.75\00:14:18.19
And, I don't know, maybe
the poor cripple looked up
00:14:18.22\00:14:20.82
at his friends and said,
"Thanks, guys, for trying.
00:14:20.86\00:14:22.92
I sure appreciate it.
00:14:22.96\00:14:24.36
You can just take me back."
00:14:24.39\00:14:25.89
And I just imagine one
of them saying, "No way.
00:14:25.93\00:14:31.00
We carried you here.
You're walking home."
00:14:31.03\00:14:35.20
And so they would not give up.
00:14:35.24\00:14:37.11
Now, when you run out
of horizontal options,
00:14:37.14\00:14:39.31
what do you do?
00:14:39.34\00:14:41.51
You go vertical.
00:14:41.54\00:14:43.65
So often, whenever
I run into a problem--
00:14:43.68\00:14:45.65
It happened yesterday.
Encountered a problem.
00:14:45.68\00:14:47.92
I start to try and think.
00:14:47.95\00:14:49.75
I think I'm pretty
smart, and so I start thinking,
00:14:49.78\00:14:51.79
"What are the solutions?"
00:14:51.82\00:14:53.49
And the first thing I should've
thought of was looking up,
00:14:53.52\00:14:56.56
but so often we
think horizontally.
00:14:56.59\00:14:59.43
They tried all the
horizontal options.
00:14:59.46\00:15:01.20
It didn't work.
00:15:01.23\00:15:02.56
Then they decided, "We better
look at the vertical options."
00:15:02.60\00:15:05.53
And someone, maybe it was
the--matter of fact, I think in
00:15:05.57\00:15:08.10
"The Desire of Ages," it says
it was a crippled man because,
00:15:08.14\00:15:10.51
from his perspective, laying
down, where could he look?
00:15:10.54\00:15:12.44
He could just look up.
00:15:12.47\00:15:15.21
And he said, "Maybe the roof?"
00:15:15.24\00:15:18.68
Now, keep in mind, in Bible
times, you just need to know
00:15:18.71\00:15:22.82
a little bit about the
architecture in the buildings
00:15:22.85\00:15:25.62
back then.
00:15:25.65\00:15:27.12
It was a hot climate,
something like--matter of fact,
00:15:27.16\00:15:29.29
they're very similar
climate to Northern California,
00:15:29.32\00:15:32.06
there around Israel,
00:15:32.09\00:15:34.83
and it gets very
hot in the summer.
00:15:34.83\00:15:36.53
They still cooked
their food, but it's so hot,
00:15:36.56\00:15:39.67
they have to let the heat
out, and they have roof tiles.
00:15:39.70\00:15:43.24
The houses were
like a mud-straw stucco.
00:15:43.27\00:15:45.41
They had wood railings across
the roof, but they usually
00:15:45.44\00:15:48.51
left us a hole in the middle
of the roof, and the rooms
00:15:48.54\00:15:52.85
would be formed around
the outside of the wall.
00:15:52.88\00:15:54.95
Kitchen area was in the middle,
and when they cooked, then
00:15:54.98\00:15:56.75
the smoke can go up, and they
would pull aside some tiles.
00:15:56.79\00:16:00.22
They had these tiles that
would keep the sun out and keep
00:16:00.26\00:16:03.73
the rain out, but when they were
cooking, they could pull them
00:16:03.76\00:16:06.03
aside in the warmer weather,
and it created convection.
00:16:06.06\00:16:08.33
So I don't want you to think
that they climbed up on this
00:16:08.36\00:16:10.93
poor guy's roof, Peter's
roof, and took a fireman's ax
00:16:10.97\00:16:14.34
and started hacking
through the guy's roof.
00:16:14.37\00:16:16.44
That would not be a
very Christian thing to do.
00:16:16.47\00:16:18.67
But what they did is they
got around back, and they found
00:16:18.71\00:16:20.88
a ladder that went up, and
they hoisted their friend up
00:16:20.91\00:16:24.71
on the roof, and then they
began to pull aside the tiles.
00:16:24.75\00:16:28.12
Well, let's look in the Bible
here, and we'll read about it.
00:16:28.15\00:16:31.62
And it tells us, "When
they couldn't get near because
00:16:31.65\00:16:34.62
of the crowd, they
uncovered the roof where He was.
00:16:34.66\00:16:39.13
So when they had
broken through--" you know,
00:16:39.16\00:16:41.86
sometimes we
need a breakthrough--
00:16:41.90\00:16:44.10
"they let down the bed on
which the paralytic was lying."
00:16:44.13\00:16:47.84
Now, you could imagine this.
00:16:47.87\00:16:49.57
Jesus is in
there, and He's teaching,
00:16:49.60\00:16:51.61
and if you read
the story, He's--
00:16:51.64\00:16:53.54
not only has disciples there.
00:16:53.58\00:16:56.04
Peter's there,
probably Peter's family.
00:16:56.08\00:16:58.18
Peter may have
had a larger house.
00:16:58.21\00:16:59.78
So you've got Peter and
his wife and his mother-in-law.
00:16:59.81\00:17:03.02
You got Andrew
and maybe his wife.
00:17:03.05\00:17:05.45
They often had
big family dwellings.
00:17:05.49\00:17:07.42
The little tribe
would live together.
00:17:07.46\00:17:09.66
The apostles were there.
00:17:09.69\00:17:11.13
There are scribes and Pharisees
there because you can hear them
00:17:11.16\00:17:13.46
in the story, criticizing Jesus.
00:17:13.50\00:17:15.40
So there's all these
people gathered in this house.
00:17:15.43\00:17:17.53
All of a sudden, they
hear a clamor up on the roof.
00:17:17.57\00:17:19.77
They're also already hearing
the clamor through the windows
00:17:19.80\00:17:22.34
and the doors, and sunlight
begins to pierce through,
00:17:22.37\00:17:26.88
and all this dust
begins to fall down,
00:17:26.91\00:17:29.04
and they look up, and
there's a big commotion
00:17:29.08\00:17:31.81
on the roof, and these
guys are lowering this man down
00:17:31.85\00:17:34.55
on this rough hammock
that they used to carry him.
00:17:34.58\00:17:38.49
And the scribes and
Pharisees are no doubt thinking
00:17:38.52\00:17:42.16
within themselves,
"These uneducated, rough masses.
00:17:42.19\00:17:47.46
How rude."
00:17:47.50\00:17:49.26
What is Jesus thinking?
00:17:49.30\00:17:51.33
How does Jesus respond?
00:17:51.37\00:17:53.94
And it says, "When He saw
their faith--" this is verse 5.
00:17:53.97\00:18:00.94
Says, "So they'd broken
through, they let down the man,
00:18:00.98\00:18:04.28
the bed on which
the paralytic was lying.
00:18:04.31\00:18:07.12
When Jesus saw their
faith--" was it "his" faith?
00:18:07.15\00:18:13.46
When you bring your friends
to Christ, it requires faith.
00:18:13.49\00:18:17.19
"When Jesus saw their
faith, He said to the paralytic,
00:18:17.23\00:18:20.76
'Son, your sins
are forgiven you.'"
00:18:20.80\00:18:24.20
Now, this is a
wonderful passage.
00:18:24.23\00:18:26.17
If you read this
actually in Matthew,
00:18:26.20\00:18:30.27
it adds a little more to it.
00:18:30.31\00:18:33.71
In Mark, He says, "Son,
your sins are forgiven you."
00:18:33.74\00:18:36.48
In Matthew chapter 9,
verse 2, same story, He says,
00:18:36.51\00:18:39.31
"Son, be of good cheer.
Your sins are forgiven you."
00:18:39.35\00:18:45.29
Now, if you saw that man come
to Jesus, and he's paralyzed,
00:18:45.32\00:18:50.99
he's--you know,
probably limbs are atrophied.
00:18:51.03\00:18:53.46
He's gnarled up.
00:18:53.50\00:18:54.86
He can't do anything, and he's
lowered down in front of Jesus,
00:18:54.93\00:18:58.40
who is known to
be a great healer.
00:18:58.43\00:19:00.34
What would you
think his problem was?
00:19:00.37\00:19:03.77
You would normally think his
problem was paralysis, right?
00:19:03.81\00:19:06.61
He's sick.
00:19:06.64\00:19:08.68
But what's the first
thing that Jesus addresses?
00:19:08.71\00:19:12.95
The big problem, which is sin.
00:19:12.98\00:19:16.82
What is the big
problem that we all have?
00:19:16.85\00:19:20.29
Would there be any sickness in
the world if it wasn't for sin?
00:19:20.32\00:19:24.63
All the thorns and
thistles and all the problems
00:19:24.66\00:19:26.76
in the world today
are the fallout of sin.
00:19:26.80\00:19:30.23
And so, ultimately, you have
to deal with the sin problem.
00:19:30.27\00:19:34.00
You know, I believe
in the health message,
00:19:34.04\00:19:40.44
and I prayed many times,
and God has healed me from,
00:19:40.48\00:19:42.98
you know, various things,
00:19:43.01\00:19:46.51
but I realized that any
physical healing is temporary.
00:19:46.55\00:19:51.05
The most amazing healing would
be, like, if Jesus should raise
00:19:51.09\00:19:54.12
the dead, right?
00:19:54.16\00:19:55.49
I mean, do you get any
sicker than being dead?
00:19:55.52\00:19:59.03
Yeah, you do, actually.
00:19:59.06\00:20:01.53
You can be dead and saved,
and you can be dead and lost.
00:20:01.56\00:20:04.80
So worst condition
is to be dead lost.
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.90
The Bible says, "A living
dog is better than a dead lion,"
00:20:07.94\00:20:10.84
and "Where there's
life, there's hope."
00:20:10.87\00:20:13.31
But when Jesus healed Lazarus,
do you realize that Lazarus
00:20:13.34\00:20:19.58
eventually got old and got sick
and died or he had an accident
00:20:19.61\00:20:23.69
and died or he
get martyred and died?
00:20:23.72\00:20:26.19
But that healing was temporary.
00:20:26.22\00:20:28.99
Any physical healing in
this world is temporary.
00:20:29.02\00:20:33.26
You know, one of the
most important reasons
00:20:33.29\00:20:35.06
for the health message, it's not
just to make you feel better.
00:20:35.10\00:20:39.37
The most important
reason for the health message is
00:20:39.40\00:20:41.27
so that other people
can live longer eternally.
00:20:41.30\00:20:44.71
The Lord wants to heal
us so that we can serve Him
00:20:44.74\00:20:47.94
and our fellow
man in telling them
00:20:47.98\00:20:50.28
about eternal life
because flesh and blood,
00:20:50.31\00:20:52.68
your bodies that you're
wearing right now, are not going
00:20:52.71\00:20:54.88
to inherit the kingdom of God.
00:20:54.92\00:20:57.42
That's what the
Bible says, right?
00:20:57.45\00:20:59.62
Now, I believe in
the health message.
00:20:59.65\00:21:01.16
Everyone clear on that?
00:21:01.19\00:21:02.79
I believe in exercise.
00:21:02.82\00:21:04.63
But if all you emphasize is
the health message and you don't
00:21:04.66\00:21:08.03
emphasize the sin problem,
then what good does it do us?
00:21:08.06\00:21:16.47
When Jesus comes,
we're going to say,
00:21:16.50\00:21:17.97
"Look, I'm in perfect health."
00:21:18.01\00:21:19.87
And then He throws
us in the lake of fire.
00:21:19.91\00:21:22.71
Jesus said, "What profit
is it if you've got your eyes
00:21:22.74\00:21:25.18
and your hands and
your feet, and you're whole,
00:21:25.21\00:21:27.05
and you go to the lake of fire?"
00:21:27.08\00:21:29.12
He said, "You're
better off going into heaven,
00:21:29.15\00:21:30.82
missing and eye--" and not
that it's going to happen--
00:21:30.85\00:21:32.82
"or missing a hand or a foot."
00:21:32.85\00:21:34.26
He uses that as a metaphor.
00:21:34.29\00:21:35.82
It's like I know some people
that they run Christian Schools,
00:21:35.86\00:21:38.53
and they think,
"The most important thing
00:21:38.56\00:21:40.03
is the academics,
academics, academics,"
00:21:40.06\00:21:42.03
and I think
academics are important,
00:21:42.06\00:21:43.93
but I heard a pastor, a
school board, say one time,
00:21:43.97\00:21:46.87
"We're not interested in
having intelligent sinners."
00:21:46.90\00:21:51.24
So the kids are not learning
the Gospel in the school,
00:21:51.27\00:21:54.14
then what good are we doing?
00:21:54.18\00:21:56.11
We're going to have them be very
smart and lost when Jesus comes.
00:21:56.14\00:21:59.48
So the most important
thing has to be the priority.
00:21:59.51\00:22:02.48
This man, lowered
into the presence of Jesus,
00:22:02.52\00:22:04.75
what was his big problem?
00:22:04.79\00:22:06.89
Everyone there would've
thought it was paralysis,
00:22:06.92\00:22:09.82
but Christ was
looking on the inside.
00:22:09.86\00:22:11.59
Man looks on the
outward appearance.
00:22:11.63\00:22:13.56
And he said,
"Son, be of good cheer."
00:22:13.60\00:22:16.00
Now, that's the part you find
in Matthew chapter 9, verse 2.
00:22:16.03\00:22:19.97
What's the Gospel?
00:22:20.00\00:22:22.00
What does the
word "gospel" mean?
00:22:22.04\00:22:23.44
"Evangel."
00:22:23.47\00:22:24.94
It means, "good news."
00:22:24.97\00:22:26.64
When you talk
about an evangelist,
00:22:26.68\00:22:28.24
he's someone who's
bringing the good news.
00:22:28.28\00:22:30.08
The Gospel is good news.
00:22:30.11\00:22:31.91
Jesus tells us,
"Man, I have good news."
00:22:31.95\00:22:35.55
"Son," what does
the word "son" mean?
00:22:35.58\00:22:38.45
"Adoption."
00:22:38.49\00:22:39.99
What did Jesus say?
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.39
I'm sorry--what did God
say after Christ was baptized?
00:22:41.42\00:22:43.93
"Behold, Thou art My Son,
in whom I am well pleased."
00:22:43.96\00:22:46.96
And when a person is baptized,
God declares they are His son
00:22:47.00\00:22:50.30
or His daughter.
00:22:50.33\00:22:51.63
They are
adopted into the family.
00:22:51.67\00:22:53.34
Paul talks about
us being adopted.
00:22:53.37\00:22:55.40
Folks say, "Well,
we're all children of God."
00:22:55.44\00:22:58.11
And I know that sounds nice,
but technically, Jesus said
00:22:58.14\00:23:00.61
to the religious
leaders, he says,
00:23:00.64\00:23:02.28
"You are not
children of Abraham.
00:23:02.31\00:23:04.71
You are children of
your father, the devil."
00:23:04.75\00:23:07.15
You're not technically
really children of God
00:23:07.18\00:23:09.32
until you are adopted by
surrendering to the Lord.
00:23:09.35\00:23:12.25
This man came
to Jesus for mercy.
00:23:12.29\00:23:14.12
Jesus called him "son."
00:23:14.16\00:23:16.42
That's what
happened to Zacchaeus.
00:23:16.46\00:23:18.86
Afterwards Zacchaeus
came to Jesus, He says,
00:23:18.89\00:23:21.46
"This is a son of Abraham.
00:23:21.50\00:23:24.20
He's adopted into the family."
00:23:24.23\00:23:26.23
So this man, in that
one little statement,
00:23:26.27\00:23:28.30
"Son, be a good cheer.
00:23:28.34\00:23:30.01
Your sins--" "will be" forgiven?
00:23:30.04\00:23:32.61
"Are forgiven."
00:23:32.64\00:23:34.94
How long did he have
to wait for forgiveness?
00:23:34.98\00:23:38.01
As soon as he came to Jesus.
00:23:38.05\00:23:40.45
The prayer of his
heart was for mercy.
00:23:40.48\00:23:42.52
Jesus forgave him.
00:23:42.55\00:23:43.92
Isn't that good news?
00:23:43.95\00:23:46.02
Now, that man had a shriveled
body but a perfect soul.
00:23:46.05\00:23:52.63
When Jesus said, "Your sins are
forgiven," his body was a mess,
00:23:52.66\00:23:55.03
but he had eternal life.
00:23:55.06\00:23:57.17
So he had a down payment.
00:23:57.20\00:23:59.03
He had a guarantee
of a brand-new body.
00:23:59.07\00:24:01.40
Isn't that
right if you're saved?
00:24:01.44\00:24:03.10
But Jesus wasn't going
to leave him like that.
00:24:03.14\00:24:07.38
It says here in the book "Desire
of Ages," page 268--Christ makes
00:24:07.41\00:24:14.45
that statement,
"Son, be of good cheer.
00:24:14.48\00:24:16.52
Your sins are forgiven"--
00:24:16.55\00:24:18.42
"Now, in words that fell like
music on the sufferer's ear,
00:24:18.45\00:24:23.22
the Savior said,
'Son, be of good cheer.
00:24:23.26\00:24:25.36
Thy sins are forgiven thee.'
00:24:25.39\00:24:27.23
The burden of despair
rolls from the sick man's soul.
00:24:27.23\00:24:31.40
The peace of forgiveness
rests upon his spirit,
00:24:31.43\00:24:34.60
and shines out
on his countenance."
00:24:34.64\00:24:36.71
His face goes
through a noticeable change.
00:24:36.74\00:24:38.91
"His physical pain is gone.
00:24:38.94\00:24:41.71
His whole being is transformed.
00:24:41.74\00:24:44.35
The helpless
paralytic is healed.
00:24:44.38\00:24:46.41
The guilty sinner is pardoned.
00:24:46.45\00:24:48.48
In simple faith he
accepts the words of Jesus
00:24:48.52\00:24:51.15
as the boon of new life.
00:24:51.19\00:24:53.02
He urges no further
request, but he lays there--"
00:24:53.05\00:24:55.72
I mean, he's been
forgiven and healed,
00:24:55.76\00:24:58.36
but he doesn't even
know he's healed yet.
00:24:58.39\00:25:00.23
"He lays there in blissful
silence, too happy for words.
00:25:00.26\00:25:03.63
The light of heaven irradiated
his countenance, and the people
00:25:03.67\00:25:07.24
with awe look upon the scene."
00:25:07.27\00:25:09.50
Everyone saw something happen.
00:25:09.54\00:25:11.64
They saw his face, and he
went from restless to peaceful.
00:25:11.67\00:25:16.64
And what made the difference?
00:25:16.68\00:25:18.31
You know, our study is about
how you find freedom and rest:
00:25:18.35\00:25:20.98
forgiveness.
00:25:21.02\00:25:24.05
Most important thing
is forgiveness for sin.
00:25:24.09\00:25:26.55
When Jesus says, "All you
who are weary and heavy laden,"
00:25:26.59\00:25:29.96
"weary, burdened by--" what?
00:25:29.99\00:25:32.93
"Heavy laden,
burdened by--" what?
00:25:32.96\00:25:35.40
It's sin.
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.03
He read the book "Pilgrim's
Progress," about Christian.
00:25:37.07\00:25:39.37
He's on that journey,
and he's carrying this burden
00:25:39.40\00:25:42.54
on his back, and he can't
wait to set the burden down.
00:25:42.57\00:25:44.97
This man, when
he heard Jesus say,
00:25:45.01\00:25:46.88
"Son, your sins are forgiven,"
his burden is rolled away.
00:25:46.91\00:25:50.75
And does he care
about the people looking on?
00:25:50.78\00:25:53.38
No, he's happy.
00:25:53.42\00:25:58.29
"Son, your sins are forgiven."
00:25:58.32\00:26:00.72
But there's a problem.
00:26:00.76\00:26:02.62
Says, "Some of the
scribes were sitting there,
00:26:02.66\00:26:04.23
and they're
reasoning in their hearts,
00:26:04.26\00:26:06.26
'Why does this Man
speak blasphemies like this?
00:26:06.29\00:26:08.76
Who can forgive
sin but God alone?'"
00:26:08.80\00:26:11.70
Were they correct?
00:26:11.73\00:26:14.87
Can anyone forgive sin?
00:26:14.90\00:26:16.50
I'm talking about--not
talking about, now, if you step
00:26:16.54\00:26:18.31
on my toe, I can say,
"You're forgiven," right?
00:26:18.34\00:26:21.48
But that's not forgiving sin.
00:26:21.51\00:26:24.85
You know, when Joseph
was tempted to sin, he said,
00:26:24.88\00:26:26.55
"How can I sin against God?"
00:26:26.58\00:26:28.95
It wasn't a sin
against Potiphar or his wife.
00:26:28.98\00:26:30.85
He said it was
a sin against God.
00:26:30.89\00:26:33.12
When David sinned with
Uriah and Bathsheba, he said,
00:26:33.15\00:26:36.36
"Against Thee, and Thee
only, have I done this sin."
00:26:36.39\00:26:39.79
All sin is
ultimately against God,
00:26:39.83\00:26:41.90
so who is the only
one that can forgive sin?
00:26:41.93\00:26:44.27
God.
00:26:44.30\00:26:45.60
They were right.
They knew their Bibles.
00:26:45.63\00:26:47.67
Let me read to
you from Isaiah 43.
00:26:47.70\00:26:49.84
This is verse 25: "I,
even I, am He who blots out
00:26:49.87\00:26:55.14
thy
transgressions for My own sake.
00:26:55.18\00:26:57.31
I will not remember your sins."
00:26:57.35\00:26:59.78
By the way, in the
previous verses, He says,
00:26:59.81\00:27:01.78
"I am the Lord. I am Jehovah.
00:27:01.82\00:27:04.55
I, even I, am the one who
blots out your transgressions."
00:27:04.59\00:27:07.76
You can also read in Isaiah
44:22, "I have blotted out,
00:27:07.79\00:27:12.29
like a thick cloud,
your transgressions."
00:27:12.33\00:27:15.20
God is the only one
who can forgive sin.
00:27:15.23\00:27:18.97
So they thought, "Who is
this that He's forgiving sin?
00:27:19.00\00:27:21.50
God, and God
only, can forgive sin."
00:27:21.54\00:27:23.47
By the way, were they right?
00:27:23.51\00:27:26.27
Only God can forgive sin.
00:27:26.31\00:27:29.98
Did Jesus forgive sin?
00:27:30.01\00:27:32.48
What does that
tell us about Jesus?
00:27:32.51\00:27:35.15
Is Jesus God?
00:27:35.18\00:27:37.55
You know, the Bible says,
"You're only to worship God."
00:27:37.59\00:27:40.26
But do the angels worship Jesus?
00:27:40.29\00:27:43.02
You with me?
00:27:43.06\00:27:45.89
The Bible says,
"In the beginning,
00:27:45.93\00:27:47.40
God created all things."
00:27:47.46\00:27:49.93
But the Bible says,
"All things that were made
00:27:49.96\00:27:51.40
were made by Jesus."
00:27:51.43\00:27:53.20
So what does that
tell us about Jesus?
00:27:53.23\00:27:55.60
God was on earth in Christ, and
only God can forgive your sins.
00:27:55.64\00:28:01.48
Now, has He changed?
00:28:01.51\00:28:04.28
"I am the Lord. I change not."
00:28:04.31\00:28:05.98
So if you come to Jesus,
crippled in body and sick
00:28:06.01\00:28:11.09
with sin, will
He forgive your sin?
00:28:11.12\00:28:13.92
He does if we come in faith.
00:28:13.96\00:28:16.09
Christ is still
the great forgiver.
00:28:16.12\00:28:17.99
So they're wondering
how in the world He thinks
00:28:18.03\00:28:21.36
that He can forgive sin, and
He knew what they were thinking.
00:28:21.40\00:28:25.90
"Immediately, when Jesus
perceived in His spirit that
00:28:25.93\00:28:30.17
they reasoned thus
within themselves--"
00:28:30.21\00:28:32.67
did they say out loud, "Who
can forgive sin but God alone?"
00:28:32.71\00:28:36.48
or did they think it?
00:28:36.51\00:28:39.21
Says, "Jesus
perceived in His spirit."
00:28:39.25\00:28:41.78
They didn't say it.
00:28:41.82\00:28:43.12
They thought it.
00:28:43.15\00:28:44.45
You know another
definition for God?
00:28:44.49\00:28:46.99
Says, "God, and God only, knows
the thoughts of men's hearts."
00:28:47.02\00:28:50.86
Says, "Jesus
knew what was in man."
00:28:50.89\00:28:53.29
Can the devil put a
temptation in your mind?
00:28:53.33\00:28:55.40
But can the
devil read your mind?
00:28:55.43\00:28:59.87
The devil cannot read your mind.
00:28:59.90\00:29:02.37
He can take a pretty
good, educated guess,
00:29:02.40\00:29:04.67
based on your
expression and body language,
00:29:04.71\00:29:07.24
but if you're married, you
can do that with your spouse.
00:29:07.28\00:29:10.28
So you can kind of
look at your kids and tell
00:29:10.31\00:29:12.25
what they're thinking sometimes.
00:29:12.28\00:29:14.65
The devil can do that,
and he's very good at it,
00:29:14.68\00:29:16.25
but he can't read your heart.
00:29:16.28\00:29:18.19
"God, and God only, knows
the thoughts of men's hearts."
00:29:18.22\00:29:20.72
Jesus knew what
they were thinking.
00:29:20.76\00:29:23.49
"And so He answers the
thoughts in their hearts,
00:29:23.53\00:29:25.53
'Why do you reason
these things in your hearts?'"
00:29:25.56\00:29:27.86
There you have it.
00:29:27.86\00:29:29.16
"Which is easier, to
say to the paralytic,
00:29:29.20\00:29:31.17
'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say,
00:29:31.20\00:29:33.87
'Arise, take up
your bed and walk'?"
00:29:33.90\00:29:36.84
All right, let's
stop and ask the question.
00:29:36.87\00:29:39.67
Which is easier?
00:29:39.71\00:29:43.18
Which is easier, to
heal a paralytic, or to say,
00:29:43.21\00:29:46.82
"Arise, take up
your bed and walk"?
00:29:46.85\00:29:48.78
I'm sorry--or to forgive
sin or to heal a paralytic?
00:29:48.82\00:29:53.86
Physical healing is easier.
00:29:53.89\00:29:57.76
It's a physical problem.
00:29:57.79\00:30:00.36
Spiritual healing is
something that only God can do.
00:30:00.40\00:30:04.93
It's the power of God.
00:30:04.97\00:30:06.80
The power of a changed heart.
00:30:06.84\00:30:09.87
You know, I need to tell you,
I am impressed that, you know,
00:30:09.90\00:30:15.98
some of these
billionaires are now getting
00:30:16.01\00:30:18.18
where they're
taking ships into space.
00:30:18.21\00:30:20.38
You heard, of
course, Branson--was it?--
00:30:20.42\00:30:23.79
took Virgin Atlantic.
00:30:23.82\00:30:25.12
He
actually--they went suborbital,
00:30:25.15\00:30:27.12
so they got weightless.
00:30:27.16\00:30:28.46
They went up to what you
would technically call "space"
00:30:28.49\00:30:30.73
for about five
minutes, and after he did it--
00:30:30.76\00:30:33.16
that was Sir Richard Branson.
00:30:33.19\00:30:34.60
Is that his name?
00:30:34.63\00:30:35.93
And then Jeff Bezos did
it with his space company.
00:30:35.96\00:30:38.63
And Tesla's not
content to just go to space.
00:30:38.67\00:30:40.90
He's still
trying to get to Mars.
00:30:40.94\00:30:42.77
Tesla's already
putting-- taking rockets up
00:30:42.80\00:30:44.54
to the
International Space Station.
00:30:44.57\00:30:46.81
He said his goal
is to die on Mars.
00:30:46.84\00:30:49.81
And, boy, if I had--all
you need is about $200,000,
00:30:49.84\00:30:54.12
and you can take a trip
to space for five minutes.
00:30:54.15\00:30:59.45
But you know how much
power it takes to break
00:30:59.49\00:31:01.56
the gravitational pull of Earth?
00:31:01.59\00:31:04.43
That's a lot of power.
00:31:04.46\00:31:06.26
But, you know, that's not
enough power to forgive sin.
00:31:06.29\00:31:09.53
It's not enough
power to change your heart.
00:31:09.56\00:31:12.07
The only one who has the power
to change your heart is God,
00:31:12.10\00:31:16.57
and when that man heard
those words from Christ--
00:31:16.60\00:31:22.48
so whenever God is forgiving
sin, the devil is angry.
00:31:22.51\00:31:29.75
Spurgeon used to ask
his sons-- they'd come back
00:31:29.78\00:31:32.29
from a revival, and he
said, "How'd the revival go?"
00:31:32.32\00:31:36.32
and they'd say, "Good."
00:31:36.36\00:31:37.96
Well, he'd want
more information.
00:31:37.99\00:31:39.29
He'd say, "Well,
were many converted?"
00:31:39.33\00:31:41.46
They said, "Not many."
00:31:41.50\00:31:43.26
Said, "Well, did
the people get angry?"
00:31:43.30\00:31:45.63
"No, they're rather pleasant."
00:31:45.67\00:31:47.54
Spurgeon said, "Well, if no
one was converted and nobody
00:31:47.57\00:31:49.60
got angry, you probably
didn't do anything because,
00:31:49.64\00:31:53.38
when you're doing the work of
God, the devil doesn't like it,"
00:31:53.41\00:31:55.84
and so he's got these
accusers which is easier.
00:31:55.88\00:31:58.61
He says, "'But that you might
know that the Son of Man has
00:31:58.65\00:32:01.55
power on earth to forgive sin'--
00:32:01.58\00:32:04.29
He then says to the
paralyzed man, 'I say to you--'"
00:32:04.32\00:32:08.62
and this is in
verse 10, "I say to you--"
00:32:08.66\00:32:11.16
I'm sorry, verse 11--
"'arise, take up your bed,
00:32:11.19\00:32:14.60
and go to your house.'
00:32:14.63\00:32:16.77
And immediately he arose,
and took up his bed, and went
00:32:16.80\00:32:20.34
out in the presence of them
all, so they were all amazed--"
00:32:20.37\00:32:24.61
now, there's an amazing
fact-- "and they glorified God,
00:32:24.64\00:32:27.71
saying, 'We never
saw anything like this.'"
00:32:27.74\00:32:30.21
This man, who was
considered to be a hopeless case
00:32:30.25\00:32:33.42
spiritually and
physically, he could do nothing
00:32:33.45\00:32:37.15
to save himself.
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.49
Others had to
bring him to Jesus.
00:32:38.52\00:32:40.32
He comes to
Christ, carried by the bed.
00:32:40.36\00:32:43.19
He leaves
Christ, carrying the bed.
00:32:43.22\00:32:47.23
And the Bible, a bed
sometimes might be compared to,
00:32:47.23\00:32:50.57
like, a symbol of
the carnal nature.
00:32:50.60\00:32:53.97
Paul, talking
about marriage, he says,
00:32:54.00\00:32:56.74
"The married bed is undefiled."
00:32:56.77\00:33:00.48
And the man, when he came to
Christ, was carried by the bed.
00:33:00.51\00:33:05.75
You know, so many people--
everyone's got a spiritual side.
00:33:05.78\00:33:08.18
We got a carnal side.
00:33:08.22\00:33:10.32
You get physical desires,
and it's perfectly normal.
00:33:10.35\00:33:15.22
You know, people get hungry,
and they get tired, and there's
00:33:15.26\00:33:17.59
all kinds of different
passions, and God gave us most
00:33:17.63\00:33:21.00
of these desires, but
people typically pervert and
00:33:21.03\00:33:23.57
corrupt them and abuse them, and
we suffer the results of that.
00:33:23.60\00:33:27.90
But if you're controlled
by the flesh, the carnal side,
00:33:27.94\00:33:31.64
you will die.
00:33:31.67\00:33:34.58
"But if through the
power of the Spirit--"
00:33:34.61\00:33:36.54
I'm quoting Romans 8,
now-- "you subdue the flesh
00:33:36.58\00:33:39.55
and you're controlled by
the Spirit, you will live."
00:33:39.58\00:33:43.05
When that man came to Jesus,
he was carried by the bed.
00:33:43.08\00:33:47.82
When Jesus healed him,
did he still own his bed?
00:33:47.86\00:33:52.16
Yes, but now who carries who?
00:33:52.19\00:33:55.46
Is the bed carrying
him, or is he carrying it?
00:33:55.50\00:33:57.57
After you come to Christ, you
will still have a carnal side.
00:33:57.60\00:34:01.77
After you come to
Christ, you will still have
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.51
a fleshly nature, but it is
not to have dominion over you.
00:34:03.54\00:34:07.68
It does not carry you.
00:34:07.71\00:34:10.35
You are not to be
controlled by that.
00:34:10.38\00:34:11.98
You are to be led
by the Spirit now.
00:34:12.01\00:34:14.55
You see the difference between
when that man came to Christ
00:34:14.58\00:34:16.75
and when he left?
00:34:16.79\00:34:18.15
He left free.
00:34:18.19\00:34:19.49
He was no longer
a slave of his bed.
00:34:19.52\00:34:22.19
It now is a slave to him.
00:34:22.22\00:34:24.56
After you come to Christ,
you will still get hungry.
00:34:24.59\00:34:27.46
You will still get tired.
00:34:27.50\00:34:29.03
You may still get lonely.
00:34:29.06\00:34:30.57
You can have all of those same
natural desires that are normal
00:34:30.60\00:34:34.64
to humanity, but you are
not ruled by that anymore.
00:34:34.67\00:34:39.27
You are ruled by the Spirit,
and that's the difference
00:34:39.31\00:34:41.64
between a person before
and after encountering Jesus,
00:34:41.68\00:34:46.21
and they saw that, and
"They were all amazed."
00:34:46.25\00:34:49.25
All right, well, this is
one story of a person who finds
00:34:49.28\00:34:51.55
rest in Jesus, and he's
brought to Christ by others.
00:34:51.59\00:34:56.29
And, you know, they had made
a movie out of--he was my friend
00:34:56.32\00:35:01.90
before they made a movie
out of him, Desmond Doss.
00:35:01.93\00:35:04.67
You know, his first wife died.
00:35:04.70\00:35:06.30
His second wife was from the
little town her family lived in,
00:35:06.33\00:35:08.34
Covelo, where I pastored.
00:35:08.37\00:35:10.41
And so they would come up,
and we got a chance to become
00:35:10.44\00:35:12.64
friends with Desmond
Doss, and I was so proud
00:35:12.67\00:35:14.71
when they made
this movie of him.
00:35:14.74\00:35:16.31
You know why they
made a movie of him?
00:35:16.34\00:35:18.28
Because he carried
sick people to safety.
00:35:18.31\00:35:21.52
He was a stretcher bearer,
these guys who brought that man
00:35:21.55\00:35:24.39
in Mark chapter 2, they
are the heroes of the story,
00:35:24.42\00:35:27.86
in one sense, because that
man never would've got to Jesus
00:35:27.89\00:35:29.99
without them.
00:35:30.03\00:35:31.53
How many people are there
that will never get to church
00:35:31.56\00:35:33.33
unless you bring them?
00:35:33.36\00:35:35.00
They brought this man
to the house where Jesus
00:35:35.03\00:35:37.73
was teaching the Word.
00:35:37.77\00:35:39.87
Isn't that right?
00:35:39.90\00:35:41.34
That's sort of an
analogy of us bringing people
00:35:41.37\00:35:43.00
to where the Word is proclaimed.
00:35:43.04\00:35:45.01
And how easy was it?
00:35:45.04\00:35:47.51
Probably took some effort.
00:35:47.54\00:35:49.54
That's why they
were the last ones there,
00:35:49.58\00:35:51.68
and they couldn't get in.
00:35:51.71\00:35:53.78
So it's a good,
good story for us.
00:35:53.82\00:35:55.98
That man found rest,
and the root problem,
00:35:56.02\00:35:58.99
of course, was the sin problem.
00:35:59.02\00:36:01.16
All right, now we're
going to look at the next story,
00:36:01.19\00:36:03.46
which is the
story of "Running Away."
00:36:03.49\00:36:05.26
Go with me to 1 Kings
19, and we're going to go
00:36:05.29\00:36:08.43
to the 1st book of Kings
19, starting with the 1st verse.
00:36:08.46\00:36:11.40
This story comes on the heels
of one of the greatest stories
00:36:11.43\00:36:14.87
in Scripture, the story
of the showdown of Elijah
00:36:14.90\00:36:18.41
on Mount Carmel.
00:36:18.44\00:36:21.14
And you remember, I mean,
the nation's just experienced
00:36:21.18\00:36:25.45
three and a half years
of famine, severe famine,
00:36:25.48\00:36:29.08
and there's, like, nothing
even for the horses to eat,
00:36:29.12\00:36:32.75
and then Elijah tells Ahab
to call all of Israel together
00:36:32.79\00:36:37.59
and the prophets of Baal
and the prophets of the grove,
00:36:37.63\00:36:40.26
and they all danced
around, carrying on all day,
00:36:40.30\00:36:42.83
trying to bring
fire down from heaven.
00:36:42.86\00:36:44.70
Nothing happens, but at the
end of the day, about the time
00:36:44.73\00:36:47.30
of the evening sacrifice, which
is when Jesus died, by the way,
00:36:47.34\00:36:50.11
on the cross, he
builds the-- gosh, it said,
00:36:50.14\00:36:54.44
"He repairs the
altar of the Lord."
00:36:54.48\00:36:56.98
He prays a 19-second prayer.
00:36:57.01\00:37:00.98
Fire comes down from heaven,
and the whole nation just goes
00:37:01.02\00:37:04.12
through this radical change.
00:37:04.15\00:37:05.79
"They fall on their faces.
00:37:05.82\00:37:07.12
They say, 'The Lord, He
is God. The Lord, He is God."
00:37:07.16\00:37:09.56
Earlier that day,
they would not speak up
00:37:09.59\00:37:11.06
and even say who God was.
00:37:11.09\00:37:13.70
So this is dramatic change.
00:37:13.73\00:37:16.80
Then Elijah prays.
00:37:16.83\00:37:18.50
Not only fire comes
down, then the rain comes down.
00:37:18.53\00:37:20.94
Fire and rain in one
day in a miraculous way.
00:37:20.97\00:37:24.47
And then he kills
all the prophets of Baal.
00:37:24.51\00:37:27.64
Of course, he kills them after
the fire, then the rain comes.
00:37:27.68\00:37:30.68
At the end of the day, he
runs before the chariot of Ahab.
00:37:30.71\00:37:34.55
Now, he's been
fasting all day long.
00:37:34.58\00:37:36.99
He told Ahab, "Arise to
eat and drink, but I'm going up
00:37:37.02\00:37:39.82
to the mountain," and
he goes up, and he prays.
00:37:39.85\00:37:42.42
The carnal king goes to eat and
drink, and Elijah goes to pray.
00:37:42.46\00:37:46.53
Then he tells the
king, "There's the sound
00:37:46.56\00:37:49.10
of an abundance of rain.
00:37:49.13\00:37:50.53
You better make your
way to Jezreel quickly,
00:37:50.57\00:37:52.07
or you're going to get caught.
00:37:52.10\00:37:53.64
Chariot wheels are going to get
stuck in the mud like Pharaoh.
00:37:53.67\00:37:56.07
And so he--Elijah is filled
with the Spirit of the Lord,
00:37:56.10\00:37:59.41
and he runs before
the king's chariot,
00:37:59.44\00:38:01.41
and he leads the king all the
way into the gates of Jezreel.
00:38:01.44\00:38:05.71
King does not
invite him to the house.
00:38:05.75\00:38:08.15
He knows Jezebel is
not going to be happy about
00:38:08.18\00:38:10.15
all of her prophets being dead.
00:38:10.19\00:38:11.75
Elijah has got to sleep with
the servants at the king's gate.
00:38:11.79\00:38:14.96
He's out on a damp
bench somewhere sleeping,
00:38:14.99\00:38:18.76
and he gets a message.
00:38:18.79\00:38:20.73
He's wakened from his sleep, and
he gets a message from Jezebel,
00:38:20.76\00:38:23.33
this wicked queen.
00:38:23.37\00:38:25.03
Bible says the worst king
that ever reigned was Ahab,
00:38:25.07\00:38:28.67
who his wife, Jezebel, she was
the daughter of the king of the
00:38:28.70\00:38:32.51
Sidonians and worshiped
Baal, and she turned the kingdom
00:38:32.54\00:38:37.48
to Baal worship, and she
said-- she sends this message--
00:38:37.51\00:38:40.05
well, let me read it to
you: "And Ahab told Jezebel--"
00:38:40.08\00:38:43.08
this is, again, 1
Kings 19, verse 1.
00:38:43.12\00:38:45.95
"Ahab told Jezebel
all that Elijah had done
00:38:45.99\00:38:49.69
and how he had executed all
the prophets with the sword.
00:38:49.72\00:38:52.69
And then Jezebel sent a
messenger to Elijah, saying,
00:38:52.73\00:38:55.56
'So let the gods do
to me, and more also--'"
00:38:55.60\00:38:58.73
notice, she says, "the gods."
00:38:58.77\00:39:01.50
She is polytheistic.
00:39:01.54\00:39:03.00
She doesn't believe in Jehovah--
"if I do not make your life
00:39:03.04\00:39:05.87
like the life of one of them
by tomorrow about this time."
00:39:05.91\00:39:08.58
She even sets
it on her calendar.
00:39:08.61\00:39:10.51
She says, "By tomorrow this
time, you're going to be dead."
00:39:10.55\00:39:13.28
"And when he saw that--"
Elijah inquired of the Lord
00:39:13.31\00:39:17.45
what He would have
him to do--he didn't.
00:39:17.49\00:39:22.09
He was tired, he was hungry,
he was exhausted, and instead
00:39:22.12\00:39:27.50
of praying--every
other time in Elijah's life,
00:39:27.50\00:39:30.57
"The word of the Lord
came to Elijah and said,
00:39:30.60\00:39:32.90
'Go to Ahab.'
00:39:32.93\00:39:35.00
The word of the Lord
came to Elijah and said,
00:39:35.04\00:39:36.74
'Go to the Brook Cherith.'
00:39:36.77\00:39:38.17
The word of the Lord came to
Elijah and said, 'Go to Sidon.
00:39:38.21\00:39:40.91
I've got a widow there
that's going to feed thee.'
00:39:40.94\00:39:43.28
The word of the Lord
came to Elijah and said,
00:39:43.31\00:39:45.25
'Go show yourself to Ahab.'"
00:39:45.28\00:39:47.22
Now he does not wait
for the word of the Lord.
00:39:47.25\00:39:49.25
He jumps, and he bolts.
00:39:49.28\00:39:52.32
He panics.
00:39:52.35\00:39:54.12
He's tired, he's
exhausted, and he thinks,
00:39:54.16\00:39:55.46
"You know, after everything I
did to kill off all the prophets
00:39:55.49\00:39:57.79
and turn the people back to God,
00:39:57.83\00:39:59.46
Jezebel is still
telling the king what to do,
00:39:59.49\00:40:02.93
and all that
I've done is a waste."
00:40:02.96\00:40:06.33
The devil starts to give
him words of discouragement.
00:40:06.37\00:40:08.87
Isn't that amazing?
00:40:08.90\00:40:10.91
This is amazing.
00:40:10.94\00:40:13.41
You would think that a
guy that has just experienced
00:40:13.44\00:40:15.81
something like this is
going to be on cloud nine,
00:40:15.84\00:40:19.91
that his faith is
going to be unshakable,
00:40:19.95\00:40:22.25
but sometimes after
our greatest victories,
00:40:22.28\00:40:25.22
we experience
our lowest defeats,
00:40:25.25\00:40:28.62
and it's not long
after David kills Goliath
00:40:28.66\00:40:30.79
that he's running for
his life from his own king.
00:40:30.83\00:40:34.36
Sometimes it's
after the high point.
00:40:34.36\00:40:35.80
It's after David conquered
all the other nations that--
00:40:35.83\00:40:39.30
then he falls with Bathsheba.
00:40:39.33\00:40:43.10
See, you've got to watch out.
00:40:43.14\00:40:44.44
You know, after
these high points,
00:40:44.47\00:40:45.77
after the mountain,
sometimes you hit the valley.
00:40:45.81\00:40:47.31
He went from Mount
Carmel to the Valley of Jezreel,
00:40:47.34\00:40:49.58
and he got discouraged.
00:40:49.61\00:40:52.31
He does not inquire of the Lord.
00:40:52.35\00:40:53.82
He panics.
00:40:53.85\00:40:55.48
"When he saw that, he arose,
and he ran for his life--"
00:40:55.52\00:40:59.05
I also think it's
interesting: Peter said,
00:40:59.09\00:41:04.86
"Lord, thou all men forsake
thee, I'll not forsake thee."
00:41:04.89\00:41:07.66
And they come to arrest Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:41:07.66\00:41:10.47
Peter pulls out a sword.
00:41:10.50\00:41:12.63
You remember, Peter
was not afraid to die
00:41:12.67\00:41:14.17
for Christ at first.
00:41:14.20\00:41:15.84
He pulled out a
sword to fight the men,
00:41:15.87\00:41:18.44
the soldiers that
came to arrest Jesus,
00:41:18.47\00:41:20.74
but a little while later, a girl
starts to make fun of Peter,
00:41:20.78\00:41:24.45
and he cannot
stand that intimidation,
00:41:24.48\00:41:26.72
and he denies Christ.
00:41:26.75\00:41:28.95
Elijah was not afraid of 450--
you know, there's actually--
00:41:28.98\00:41:33.19
altogether there was
about 850 false prophets.
00:41:33.22\00:41:36.96
There were the prophets of
the groves, prophets of Baal,
00:41:36.99\00:41:38.99
so it's like 850 to 1.
00:41:39.03\00:41:41.33
Elijah is not afraid.
00:41:41.36\00:41:44.13
One woman sends him running.
00:41:44.17\00:41:47.44
What is it about men that they
are so intimidated by women?
00:41:47.47\00:41:51.87
And he gets up, and he runs.
00:41:51.91\00:41:54.78
He was not afraid to
stand up to the king.
00:41:54.81\00:41:56.48
He got in Ahab's face and said,
00:41:56.51\00:41:58.01
"It is you and your father's
house that have sinned."
00:41:58.05\00:42:02.35
"He arose and he ran for his
life, and he went to Beersheba,
00:42:02.38\00:42:05.62
which belongs to Judah.
00:42:05.65\00:42:06.96
He left his servant there."
00:42:06.99\00:42:08.29
He had a servant just like,
you know, Elisha had Gehazi.
00:42:08.32\00:42:12.19
"But he himself, he went a day's
journey into the wilderness--"
00:42:12.23\00:42:14.73
he's just heading off into
the desert where there's this
00:42:14.73\00:42:16.70
trackless wilderness,
and he can't be found--
00:42:16.73\00:42:19.33
"and he came, and he sits down
00:42:19.37\00:42:21.10
under a broom tree."
00:42:21.14\00:42:22.47
And that tree is kind
of what it sounds like.
00:42:22.50\00:42:24.27
It's a tree
that, when it was dry,
00:42:24.31\00:42:25.71
they would make
them into brooms.
00:42:25.74\00:42:28.44
"And he prayed
that he might die."
00:42:28.48\00:42:31.71
Now, is that the only
time that God's people
00:42:31.75\00:42:34.85
have gotten so discouraged
that they wished they were dead?
00:42:34.88\00:42:38.39
I won't ask for a show of hands,
00:42:38.42\00:42:40.62
but have you ever
despaired of life?
00:42:40.66\00:42:43.06
I have.
00:42:43.09\00:42:44.93
You know my testimony.
00:42:44.96\00:42:47.13
Jonah, prophet of God, does
miracles for him, and he says
00:42:47.13\00:42:50.50
in Jonah chapter 4, verse
3, "Therefore now, O Lord,
00:42:50.53\00:42:53.60
take away my life from me,
for it's better for me to die--"
00:42:53.64\00:42:57.17
prophet of God,
thinking suicidal thoughts.
00:42:57.21\00:43:01.28
Actually, it's not suicide.
00:43:01.31\00:43:02.61
He's asking God to do it.
00:43:02.64\00:43:04.31
Job 6, verse 8, "Oh,
that I might have my request,
00:43:04.35\00:43:07.95
that God would grant me
the thing that I long for,
00:43:07.98\00:43:10.22
that He would be
pleased to crush me,
00:43:10.25\00:43:12.29
that He would
loose His hand from me,
00:43:12.32\00:43:14.16
that He would cut me off."
00:43:14.19\00:43:15.49
That means, "That
He would slay me."
00:43:15.52\00:43:18.13
Job wanted to die.
00:43:18.16\00:43:20.16
Numbers 11, Moses is speaking:
"If You treat me like this,
00:43:20.20\00:43:24.63
then please kill
me here and now."
00:43:24.67\00:43:28.04
Moses is praying to die.
00:43:28.07\00:43:32.81
Jeremiah 20:14, "Curse be
the day in which I was born.
00:43:32.84\00:43:36.88
Let the day not be blessed
in which my mother bore me."
00:43:36.91\00:43:40.35
I remember one of the
few times I was bold enough
00:43:40.38\00:43:42.38
to talk back to my father.
00:43:42.42\00:43:44.32
I was exasperated, a teenager,
and having a hard time,
00:43:44.35\00:43:47.82
and he was mad
at me, and I said,
00:43:47.86\00:43:49.69
"Well, it's your
fault that I'm here."
00:43:49.72\00:43:54.83
He didn't know quite what
to say because it was true.
00:43:54.83\00:43:58.07
I said, "It's all
your fault that I'm here."
00:43:58.10\00:44:03.37
Have you ever said,
"Lord, just take me life,"
00:44:03.41\00:44:05.91
"I don't want to live anymore"?
00:44:05.94\00:44:07.61
But Elijah got so
discouraged, then he runs.
00:44:07.64\00:44:11.48
Well, no, wait a second.
00:44:11.51\00:44:13.01
He falls asleep, exhausted.
00:44:13.05\00:44:16.58
"As he lay, he slept
under the broom tree,
00:44:16.62\00:44:18.82
and suddenly an
angel touched him."
00:44:18.85\00:44:21.49
God had not forgotten him.
00:44:21.52\00:44:23.12
"'Arise and eat.'
00:44:23.16\00:44:24.93
And he looked
there, and by his head was
00:44:24.96\00:44:26.56
a cake baked on
coals, and a jar of water,
00:44:26.59\00:44:30.27
and he ate and drank,
and then he lay down again."
00:44:30.30\00:44:33.84
He's just exhausted, and he ate.
00:44:33.87\00:44:35.57
Sometimes after a
meal, you're tired again.
00:44:35.60\00:44:38.37
"And a second time, the
angel came back and touched him,
00:44:38.41\00:44:41.34
and he said, 'Arise and
eat, because the journey
00:44:41.38\00:44:43.65
is too great for you.'
00:44:43.68\00:44:45.21
So he arose, and he ate,
and he drank, and he went
00:44:45.25\00:44:47.95
in the strength of that
food 40 days and 40 nights
00:44:47.98\00:44:50.89
as far as the mountain of God."
00:44:50.92\00:44:53.56
When we're discouraged and ready
to die, you need angel's food.
00:44:53.59\00:44:58.03
There's the lesson.
00:44:58.06\00:45:00.06
Sometimes you just need
to claim the promises of God.
00:45:00.10\00:45:03.40
What is that bread
that comes from angels?
00:45:03.43\00:45:05.83
It's the Word of God.
00:45:05.87\00:45:07.27
"Man doesn't live by bread alone
but by every word of God," amen?
00:45:07.30\00:45:10.37
Elijah was exhausted.
00:45:10.41\00:45:12.21
He needed rest.
00:45:12.24\00:45:13.94
He needed peace.
00:45:13.98\00:45:15.28
"And he went up, and he went
in that strength of that meat
00:45:15.31\00:45:18.28
40 days and 40 nights."
00:45:18.31\00:45:19.55
Does the Bible talk about others
who fasted 40 day and 40 nights?
00:45:19.58\00:45:23.99
Moses fasted 40 days, 40 nights.
00:45:24.02\00:45:26.02
Moses did it twice,
actually, but Moses did not eat
00:45:26.05\00:45:28.99
or drink 40 days, 40 nights.
00:45:29.02\00:45:31.83
"Elijah went in the
strength of that food
00:45:31.86\00:45:33.90
and water 40
days and 40 nights."
00:45:33.93\00:45:37.20
It's telling us how you
can be sustained by God.
00:45:37.23\00:45:40.20
[clears throat] Excuse me.
00:45:40.24\00:45:43.34
And then who's the other one
that went 40 days and 40 nights?
00:45:43.37\00:45:46.64
Jesus, right?
00:45:46.68\00:45:49.51
And was Jesus
ministered to by angels?
00:45:49.54\00:45:51.88
You know, it doesn't
say it in every gospel.
00:45:51.91\00:45:53.52
It says, "And angels
came and ministered to Him."
00:45:53.55\00:45:55.38
How do you think the
angels took care of Jesus
00:45:55.42\00:45:57.19
after He had fasted
40 days and 40 nights?
00:45:57.22\00:45:59.65
They fed Him. Took care of Him.
00:45:59.69\00:46:02.92
So what happened to
Elijah is a reminder to us.
00:46:02.96\00:46:05.09
And he went to Mount Sinai,
which is where Moses fasted
00:46:05.13\00:46:08.43
40 days and 40
nights, and Jesus went
00:46:08.46\00:46:10.80
into the wilderness
40 days and 40 nights,
00:46:10.83\00:46:13.20
and there God spoke to
Elijah in a still small voice.
00:46:13.23\00:46:18.27
God was not in the wind.
00:46:18.31\00:46:19.61
He was not in the fire.
00:46:19.64\00:46:21.11
He was not in the earthquake.
00:46:21.14\00:46:22.48
He was in the still small voice,
and that's when he found rest
00:46:22.51\00:46:24.68
after eating God's food
and drinking the living water.
00:46:24.71\00:46:29.15
It's talking about
through taking Christ in,
00:46:29.18\00:46:31.52
he finally found rest.
00:46:31.55\00:46:32.99
You can tell
I've run out of time.
00:46:33.02\00:46:34.96
I want to remind our
friends that are watching,
00:46:34.99\00:46:37.13
we do have a special free offer.
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This is a premium offer.
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It's a beautiful magazine
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Longer & Stronger Life."
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We'd like to send this to
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00:46:45.43\00:46:48.54
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God bless you, friends.
00:46:51.37\00:46:52.61
Lord willing, we'll study His
Word together again next week.
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00:47:40.62\00:47:44.46
Gary: Early 1980s, all the
baby boomers were turning 21,
00:47:45.49\00:47:48.60
and the nightclub
scenes were exploding,
00:47:48.63\00:47:50.60
and I started a
entertainment lighting company.
00:47:50.63\00:47:53.27
female: I was the president,
and there were six divisions,
00:47:53.30\00:47:55.54
doing the raves in the
'80s and '90s, you know, in some
00:47:55.57\00:47:58.47
warehouse where you're
setting up lighting and fog and,
00:47:58.51\00:48:01.01
you know, who knows
what's going on in there,
00:48:01.04\00:48:03.61
and nightclub installations.
00:48:03.65\00:48:06.88
I loved it, and
it was who I was.
00:48:06.92\00:48:09.08
Gary: Bought a new house
out of town, and we moved
00:48:09.98\00:48:11.85
about two or three
times, but we were always going
00:48:11.89\00:48:14.86
into different churches.
00:48:14.89\00:48:16.19
We were in a Lutheran
Church, and then we were
00:48:16.22\00:48:17.56
in a Methodist Church.
00:48:17.59\00:48:18.99
I think we were in three
different Baptist churches.
00:48:19.03\00:48:21.30
My wife was raised Catholic.
00:48:21.33\00:48:22.90
I was raised Methodist.
00:48:22.93\00:48:24.33
Currently, I've been up, reading
all the Hal Lindsey books
00:48:24.37\00:48:26.53
and watching all
the, "Left Behind" movies,
00:48:26.57\00:48:28.90
and so I really
wanted to understand
00:48:28.94\00:48:30.41
what the book of
Revelation was all about,
00:48:30.44\00:48:32.17
but nothing really
ever made sense to me.
00:48:32.21\00:48:34.31
female: One day, Pastor
Lloyd Logan came knocking,
00:48:34.34\00:48:37.11
and he had that Net '99 flyer.
00:48:37.15\00:48:39.65
Lloyd Logan: We were preparing
for an evangelistic series,
00:48:40.48\00:48:44.05
and different people were
going different directions
00:48:44.09\00:48:46.99
with handbills to
invite people to the meetings.
00:48:47.02\00:48:50.53
female: I saw that coming at
me, you know, all the colors,
00:48:51.43\00:48:53.80
and I thought, "Oh, no, this
is some kind of cult thing."
00:48:53.83\00:48:56.63
Lloyd: And she said,
"Thank you very much,
00:48:56.67\00:48:58.43
but I'm not much
interested myself,
00:48:58.47\00:48:59.93
but my husband
likes that kind of thing."
00:49:00.04\00:49:03.30
female: And Lloyd said,
"Would you give it to him,
00:49:03.34\00:49:05.11
please?"
00:49:05.14\00:49:06.44
And I said, "Okay, I will."
00:49:06.47\00:49:08.78
So I took the pamphlet,
and I put it on the calendar.
00:49:08.81\00:49:11.58
Gary came home,
and he walked by it.
00:49:11.61\00:49:13.92
Gary: Ran to the kitchen to
quickly eat and take a shower
00:49:13.95\00:49:16.55
and go back out and work a show.
00:49:16.58\00:49:19.02
female: Two, three days went
by like this, and I had moved
00:49:19.05\00:49:21.19
that brochure from the calendar,
put it on the dining room table,
00:49:21.22\00:49:25.43
put it back on the
counter, and I actually threw it
00:49:25.46\00:49:28.76
in the garbage.
00:49:28.80\00:49:30.10
As I threw it in that
garbage can, I could hear him
00:49:30.13\00:49:32.90
and see his face saying, "Would
you give it to him, please?"
00:49:32.93\00:49:36.91
And I actually
took the garbage out.
00:49:36.94\00:49:38.71
And that night, lying in
bed, I kept seeing his face
00:49:38.74\00:49:41.38
and hearing his
voice, and thinking,
00:49:41.41\00:49:43.01
"Oh, boy, I got to get that
brochure out of the garbage."
00:49:43.04\00:49:47.48
And I took that, and I
put it right underneath
00:49:47.52\00:49:50.05
the remote control.
00:49:50.09\00:49:52.02
Bright colors. He'll see it.
00:49:52.05\00:49:54.09
Gary: I finally sat
down in my living room,
00:49:54.12\00:49:55.66
and I picked up the
remote, and I saw that angel
00:49:55.69\00:49:57.69
holding out that scroll.
00:49:57.73\00:49:59.26
female: "Whoa,
cool. What is this?"
00:49:59.29\00:50:01.80
And I was in the
kitchen cooking, and I thought,
00:50:01.83\00:50:03.67
"Oh, no."
00:50:03.70\00:50:05.30
Gary: And I looked at
it, and I turned it over,
00:50:05.33\00:50:07.20
and then I saw
a little building,
00:50:07.24\00:50:09.07
a little church building,
and it wasn't too far away.
00:50:09.10\00:50:11.17
It was about six houses down,
and it said, "Friday night."
00:50:11.21\00:50:14.71
female: And I
certainly wasn't going.
00:50:14.74\00:50:16.78
I mean, it wasn't
my intention to go.
00:50:16.81\00:50:19.01
Gary: I didn't have any
shows going on that night,
00:50:19.05\00:50:20.82
and so I thought it
was a one-night deal.
00:50:20.85\00:50:23.49
I went, and as I heard
about the millennium man,
00:50:23.52\00:50:26.35
I was just blown away.
00:50:26.39\00:50:28.32
I didn't want it to end.
00:50:28.36\00:50:29.66
I knew what I was hearing
was all from the Scripture,
00:50:29.69\00:50:32.19
and it wasn't based on
Hollywood movies or other books
00:50:32.23\00:50:34.56
that were written.
00:50:34.60\00:50:35.90
They said, "Come again
tomorrow night," and I thought,
00:50:35.93\00:50:37.73
"Wow, great, two nights."
00:50:37.77\00:50:39.70
So I tried to
tell my wife about it,
00:50:39.73\00:50:41.44
and she still wasn't interested,
and then she decided to come.
00:50:41.47\00:50:45.01
female: I started to
hear the truth, you know,
00:50:45.04\00:50:47.11
and I started to get fed.
00:50:47.14\00:50:48.64
Gary: Every
night, after the seminar,
00:50:48.68\00:50:50.31
they would hand us an
Amazing Facts study guide.
00:50:50.35\00:50:53.18
I couldn't do those fast enough.
00:50:53.21\00:50:54.75
female: The business kept
us going seven days a week,
00:50:54.78\00:50:57.95
and it was night and day.
00:50:57.99\00:50:59.52
Gary: Crews working all
around the clock, and so,
00:50:59.55\00:51:01.96
when we finally heard the
Sabbath message, you know,
00:51:01.99\00:51:04.66
so far, everything's been
true, right from the Bible.
00:51:04.69\00:51:06.80
female: Church on
Saturday, no work.
00:51:06.83\00:51:08.80
Anyway, it all clicked.
00:51:08.83\00:51:11.23
Gary: Both our heads
turned at each other.
00:51:11.27\00:51:12.70
Our jaws dropped open.
00:51:12.73\00:51:14.30
female: I said,
"We can't do that."
00:51:14.34\00:51:17.41
Gary: And the first thing
that came out of my mouth was,
00:51:17.44\00:51:19.37
"We have to."
00:51:19.41\00:51:20.78
female: I knew that
it would be a sacrifice,
00:51:20.81\00:51:22.91
and I was in fear about it.
00:51:22.94\00:51:25.75
Gary: We didn't know
how we were going to do it,
00:51:25.78\00:51:27.92
but we talked to the pastor
about it, and the pastor said,
00:51:27.95\00:51:31.49
"Well, just pray about
it, and God will open doors."
00:51:31.52\00:51:34.06
female: I didn't want to
give up all the connections
00:51:34.09\00:51:36.09
I had made, all the
networking, all the money,
00:51:36.12\00:51:38.59
all the investment.
00:51:38.63\00:51:40.13
Gary: We went to the
board and ask them if they would
00:51:40.16\00:51:41.73
consider closing on
Saturday, and they agreed to,
00:51:41.76\00:51:45.37
so we closed the
storefront on Saturday,
00:51:45.40\00:51:47.37
but we were still
doing productions,
00:51:47.40\00:51:49.17
and that kind of bothered
us, so a couple months later,
00:51:49.20\00:51:52.87
God opened the door for my wife.
00:51:52.91\00:51:54.58
She exited the company.
00:51:54.61\00:51:56.01
I prayed about it, and God
opened the door for me too.
00:51:56.04\00:51:58.38
female: Gary, shortly after,
was offered a job being paid
00:51:58.41\00:52:02.58
more money than he made
as an owner of the company.
00:52:02.62\00:52:06.29
Gary: He said, "I'll give
you a thousand-dollar raise,
00:52:06.32\00:52:09.02
and you will never
work another weekend.
00:52:09.06\00:52:11.76
female: And we were able
to keep the Sabbath and enjoy
00:52:11.79\00:52:14.66
the wonderful blessings that God
had for us on the Sabbath day.
00:52:14.73\00:52:19.33
Gary: My kids
never again had to say,
00:52:19.37\00:52:21.10
"Quit talking about work."
00:52:21.14\00:52:22.67
After the seminar was over,
my wife and I, and my children
00:52:22.70\00:52:24.87
were all baptized into the
Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
00:52:24.91\00:52:28.11
Even if I gave up
everything, I knew that God
00:52:28.14\00:52:30.31
would have something better.
00:52:30.35\00:52:32.08
female: I have
much more understanding,
00:52:32.11\00:52:34.98
and there's much more depth in
my Christian walk with the Lord.
00:52:35.02\00:52:39.25
Gary: We started an Amazing
Facts Bible School at a church
00:52:39.29\00:52:41.76
that allows anybody to
understand the Scriptures,
00:52:41.79\00:52:44.66
understand the end times.
00:52:44.69\00:52:46.59
Church changed my
life dramatically,
00:52:46.63\00:52:48.56
and I'm very happy and
excited to be a part of it.
00:52:48.60\00:52:51.43
¤¤¤
00:52:51.47\00:52:57.47
announcer: "Amazing
Facts Changed Lives."
00:53:03.81\00:53:06.65
¤¤¤
00:53:06.68\00:53:11.29
male: When I was 15, I
bought my first bag of marijuana
00:53:11.32\00:53:14.32
out of curiosity, and
from the age of 15, on to 23,
00:53:14.36\00:53:20.30
was a constant experimentation
with different substances.
00:53:20.33\00:53:24.67
By the time I was 23, there
was not a drug I had not tried.
00:53:24.70\00:53:28.84
I had worn myself out, searching
for happiness, and one day
00:53:28.87\00:53:32.81
I came home, tired as
usual, and I started drinking,
00:53:32.84\00:53:38.01
and as usual,
after I started drinking,
00:53:38.05\00:53:40.28
I started looking
for a higher buzz.
00:53:40.32\00:53:43.89
Someone came by with some Xanax.
00:53:43.92\00:53:49.06
Someone also came by with
something else that I liked,
00:53:49.09\00:53:52.53
and that was cocaine.
00:53:52.56\00:53:54.56
This time, not thinking,
I took the whole thing.
00:53:54.60\00:53:57.73
So I went to bed
about 5 in the afternoon.
00:53:57.77\00:54:01.30
My roommate went
off to work that night.
00:54:01.34\00:54:03.91
When he came back from
work the next day though,
00:54:03.94\00:54:06.91
he noticed something was
wrong because I was still in bed
00:54:06.94\00:54:09.41
in the same position.
00:54:09.44\00:54:11.31
He tried to wake me up,
and he couldn't wake me up.
00:54:11.35\00:54:16.05
And when my parents found
me, the found me curled up
00:54:16.08\00:54:19.82
in a fetal position
in my hospital room,
00:54:19.85\00:54:23.73
unconscious still,
and I stayed unconscious
00:54:23.76\00:54:27.60
in this coma-like
state for the next week.
00:54:27.60\00:54:31.13
I stayed the next
month in the hospital,
00:54:31.17\00:54:33.80
slowly getting better to
where I could sit up in bed,
00:54:33.84\00:54:38.77
and I had to learn to walk
again, but my parents found
00:54:38.81\00:54:41.41
this one facility out
in the hills of Tennessee.
00:54:41.44\00:54:45.51
I had to admit that I liked the
place, but they were Christian,
00:54:45.55\00:54:50.99
and even worse than
that, I said, "Yes,"
00:54:51.02\00:54:53.56
when they asked me if I wanted
to go to church that week.
00:54:53.59\00:54:56.83
Before the pastor
said the benediction,
00:54:56.86\00:54:58.73
I was so excited because
I was planning my escape.
00:54:58.76\00:55:01.90
And so, after everybody
was all in bed that night,
00:55:01.93\00:55:04.67
I made sure that
they were snoring
00:55:04.70\00:55:07.04
and that they were asleep.
00:55:07.07\00:55:09.14
I went into the kitchen
and stole a few bananas,
00:55:09.17\00:55:12.17
got my backpack ready.
00:55:12.21\00:55:14.81
I figured I could
get sober on my own.
00:55:14.84\00:55:17.71
My favorite song
was "I Did It My Way."
00:55:17.75\00:55:20.62
Of course, my definition
of "sober" was a nice supply
00:55:20.65\00:55:26.25
of marijuana each day
and alcohol on the weekends.
00:55:26.29\00:55:30.26
And, of course, if I had a
bad hangover, I might need some
00:55:30.29\00:55:32.66
of those relaxing pills
to take, but other than that,
00:55:32.69\00:55:36.33
that would be it.
00:55:36.36\00:55:39.10
So here I am,
stranded on the street
00:55:39.13\00:55:41.30
in the big city of Houston.
00:55:41.34\00:55:43.20
My bag of clothes is gone.
00:55:43.24\00:55:45.51
My cell phone was gone.
00:55:45.54\00:55:46.88
My wallet, my bus tickets gone.
00:55:46.91\00:55:48.61
I don't have anything
but the shirt on my back.
00:55:48.64\00:55:51.35
It's at that point that
this man comes up to me,
00:55:51.38\00:55:53.82
this mysterious man.
00:55:53.85\00:55:55.72
He's actually very short
and appears to be homeless,
00:55:55.75\00:55:59.12
and he led me to some food and
even a place to stay that night.
00:55:59.15\00:56:03.69
Looking back, it is
my firm conclusion that
00:56:03.73\00:56:07.36
that was an angel.
00:56:07.40\00:56:09.23
So my dad was able to come
down to Houston and pick me up
00:56:09.26\00:56:12.57
and take me back up
to the health retreat
00:56:12.60\00:56:15.04
at Wildwood in Tennessee.
00:56:15.07\00:56:17.51
They had a satellite.
00:56:17.54\00:56:20.31
On this channel, there was
a man named Doug Batchelor.
00:56:20.34\00:56:23.41
I liked what I heard.
00:56:23.45\00:56:25.25
I liked the way he
explained the Bible.
00:56:25.28\00:56:27.22
It was so simple, and he
also had an experience similar
00:56:27.25\00:56:29.98
to mine, and I had
talked to Lou about him,
00:56:30.02\00:56:33.22
and they happened to have a
whole set of cassette tapes.
00:56:33.25\00:56:37.19
I would wake up at 4
in the morning sometimes,
00:56:37.23\00:56:40.20
and I would get
up, and I would watch
00:56:40.23\00:56:42.00
two of those
videos before breakfast.
00:56:42.03\00:56:44.60
I would sit this close to the
TV, watching what Doug Batchelor
00:56:44.63\00:56:48.17
was saying, just
eating up every word of it.
00:56:48.20\00:56:50.71
I was so tired of hearing lies
and even believing my own lies
00:56:50.74\00:56:53.98
that it was so wonderful to
find something that was solid
00:56:54.01\00:56:58.81
and that I could rely on.
00:56:58.85\00:57:01.15
And so, when I got home
from rehab, in my local church,
00:57:01.18\00:57:06.09
Eric Flickinger
from Amazing Facts
00:57:06.12\00:57:08.36
was holding an
evangelistic series.
00:57:08.39\00:57:10.59
They solidified my conviction,
and it was then I made
00:57:10.63\00:57:14.00
the absolute
decision to follow Jesus.
00:57:14.03\00:57:17.77
I praise the Lord Jesus
Christ for Amazing Facts.
00:57:17.80\00:57:22.90
I praise God for Amazing Facts
because they're so Bible-based.
00:57:22.94\00:57:27.84
They send out
evangelists who are willing
00:57:27.88\00:57:30.01
to teach the truth to people.
00:57:30.05\00:57:32.51
I'm thankful that they're
preaching right now all over
00:57:32.55\00:57:35.82
the world, changing lives,
just as they changed mine.
00:57:35.85\00:57:39.92
¤¤¤
00:57:39.95\00:57:42.69
announcer: Together,
we have spread the Gospel
00:57:42.72\00:57:44.63
much farther than ever before.
00:57:44.66\00:57:47.50
Thank you for your support.
00:57:47.50\00:57:49.46
¤¤¤
00:57:49.50\00:57:53.17