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CC by Aberdeen Captioning
1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io
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Doug Batchelor: Something
very special is happening.
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Now, as far as today, this is
about a week and a half or two
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weeks away, but these programs
are prerecorded, so when you
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actually see this broadcast,
unless you're watching live,
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it will already be in progress,
but there's going to be a very
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exciting international
evangelistic program that's
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going to spring
from this location.
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It's called
"Panorama of Prophecy."
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It begins October 15, and
continues on through November
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13, and it'll be broadcast
on Three Angels Broadcasting,
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Hope Channel, AFTV--
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that's Amazing Facts
Television, this is going to go
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all over the world, plus we're
going to be sharing it with
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our friends in this community.
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If you want to know more about
that, simply go to the website.
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We'd encourage you and your
church or in your home groups.
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Invite your friends over.
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Study the Word of God, and you
could lead somebody to Jesus.
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It's PanoramaOfProphecy.com.
PanoramaOfProphecy.com.
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Well, before we get to
our study today, we're very
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thankful that we
can have with us today
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the Weimar
University Chamber Singers.
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Weimar University is just
up the road from Amazing Facts
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and the Granite
Bay Hilltop Church.
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We have a great relationship,
and we look forward to seeing
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them here more often, but
they're going to bless us today
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with our music
before we go to our study.
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ And can it be
that I should gain ¤
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¤ an interest in
the Savior's blood? ¤
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¤ Died He for me,
who caused His pain, ¤
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¤ for me, who Him
to death pursued? ¤
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¤ Amazing love, how
can it be, that Thou, ¤
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¤ my God, shouldst die for me? ¤
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¤ Amazing love, how
can it be, that Thou, ¤
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¤ my God, shouldst die for me? ¤
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¤ He left His Father's
throne above, so free, ¤
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¤ so infinite His grace ¤
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¤ emptied Himself
of all but love, ¤
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¤ and bled for
Adam's helpless race. ¤
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¤ 'Tis mercy all,
immense and free, ¤
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¤ for O my God,
it found out me. ¤
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¤ Amazing love, how
can it be, that Thou, ¤
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¤ my God, shouldst die for me? ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ Long my imprisoned
spirit lay, fast bound ¤
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¤ in sin and nature's night. ¤
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¤ Thine eye
diffused a quickening ray, ¤
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¤ I woke, the
dungeon flamed with light. ¤
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¤ My chains fell
off, my heart was free, ¤
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¤ I rose, went
forth, and followed Thee. ¤
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¤ I rose, went
forth, and followed Thee. ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ No condemnation now I dread. ¤
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¤ Jesus, and all
in Him, is mine. ¤
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¤ Alive in Him,
my living head, ¤
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¤ and clothed in
righteousness divine, ¤
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¤ bold I approach
the eternal throne, ¤
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¤ and claim the crown,
through Christ my own. ¤
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¤ Amazing love, how
can it be, that Thou, ¤
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¤ my God, shouldst die for me? ¤
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¤ That Thou, my God,
shouldst die for me? ¤¤
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¤ That Thou, my God,
shouldst die for me? ¤¤
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Doug: Let's have
a word of prayer.
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Father, in heaven, we're just
so thankful for this Sabbath Day
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opportunity to come together
and study the Book of books.
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We pray for Your Holy Spirit
to rest in a special way on our
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teacher today and
guide him as he guides us.
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We pray in Jesus's name, amen.
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Pastor Shawn
Brummund will be bringing
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us our lesson at this time.
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Shawn Brummund: Well,
good morning to everyone.
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It is a pleasure
to be able to be here
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and to be able to
teach this lesson.
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It's one of my favorite subjects
by far as we look at lesson
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number four, "To
Love the Lord Your God."
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Do you love
Jesus? Do you love God?
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This is important, you know,
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Thursday's lesson, it
opens up and points--I shouldn't
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say, "opens up," but Thursday's
lesson points us to a encounter
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and conversation that Jesus
had during His public ministry.
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It's found in Mark
chapter 12, and starting
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with verse 28,
right through to verse 34.
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And in that passage, we
find that there is a scribe.
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Now, we need to
understand what a scribe is.
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A scribe is someone who is
an expert in the law of God, an
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expert in the Torah, the
writings of Moses, and the other
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prophets that continue to expand
upon that up until Jesus's day.
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And so a scribe is
someone that actually scribes
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the Scriptures
because they didn't have
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publishing houses
and printing houses.
00:09:01.47\00:09:03.14
They had to copy each copy of
the Bible by hand, and a scribe
00:09:03.17\00:09:06.84
was just--that's
what they did full time.
00:09:06.88\00:09:09.51
And so the
scribe was very familiar
00:09:09.54\00:09:12.28
and was
recognized as an expert in
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the Old Testament Scriptures,
the writings of Moses.
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And when he'd listened in on
the conversation that Jesus was
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having with the crowd that day,
as they were reasoning amongst
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themselves, and Jesus was
answering well in the mind of
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the scribe, he puts his hand up,
and he says, "Rabbi, tell me,
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which is the first
commandment in all of the law?"
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Now, we don't want to
misunderstand "first."
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"First" means "the
greatest," "foremost."
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It's not chronological that he
was asking, but he was asking,
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"Which is the most important
commandment in all the law?"
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And Jesus, He goes ahead, and
He quotes one of the most famous
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quotes still that we find from
our Jewish friends, even today,
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which is in Deuteronomy chapter
6, verse 4 and 5: "Hear, O
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Israel, the Lord our
God, the Lord is one."
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But then He goes on,
and He's setting that up
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for that which is not
quoted as often, which is
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the greatest commandment
of all the Scriptures,
00:10:10.51\00:10:13.74
which is "Love the Lord
your God with all of your heart,
00:10:13.78\00:10:20.38
with all of your mind,
with all of your strength."
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And then He says, "And the
second one--" the one that comes
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second place to the
greatest commandment in all the
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Scriptures is quoting from
Leviticus chapter 19, in verse
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18, where He says,
"It is very much like it.
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'Love your neighbor
as you love yourself.'"
00:10:39.53\00:10:42.77
And so the good news is that
the scribe responded positively,
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and he said, "This is
true, Rabbi, this is--
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What You say is the truth that
these two commandments, of all
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the law, trump everything
else in all of the Scriptures."
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Important as everything
else is, the greatest,
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most important truths that
God brings to us is to love God
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and to love man
with everything we have.
00:11:01.89\00:11:05.96
God has called us to
be loving beings, why?
00:11:05.99\00:11:08.26
Because God has
called us to be godly,
00:11:08.30\00:11:10.07
and God is love, is He not?
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God is love, the
three most important
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words, I would
say, if we were to boil
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it down, and what are the
three most important theological
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words in all of Scripture,
it is the fact that God is love.
00:11:20.41\00:11:23.38
And I don't know about you, but
I'm thankful that the God that
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is in charge of all the
universe, the One that made the
00:11:26.31\00:11:28.88
heavens and the earth, the One
that is from eternity past and
00:11:28.92\00:11:31.69
will live into eternity future,
the One that is responsible and
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sustainer of all life is love,
that means we can trust Him.
00:11:35.12\00:11:41.06
That means that He always
has our best interest in mind.
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.40
That means that He truly cares
for you, and He cares about you,
00:11:43.43\00:11:49.97
and He wants you to have the
very best life that you can in
00:11:50.01\00:11:52.37
this life, and then,
of course, He wants to
00:11:52.41\00:11:54.64
spend an eternity
getting to know you better
00:11:54.68\00:11:57.88
throughout the
endless ages of time.
00:11:57.91\00:12:02.22
And so Jesus finally said to the
scribe, as the scribe responded
00:12:02.25\00:12:05.99
positively, "You are very
close to the kingdom of God."
00:12:06.02\00:12:13.93
Love, my favorite subject.
00:12:13.96\00:12:15.30
You know, there's a five-volume
series that was written by a
00:12:15.33\00:12:19.70
woman by the
name of Ellen White.
00:12:19.73\00:12:21.17
Many of us are familiar with
her writings, and I strongly
00:12:21.20\00:12:24.64
recommend all of her writings,
but the favorite that I have
00:12:24.67\00:12:28.24
amongst all her writings is
a five-volume series that she
00:12:28.28\00:12:31.88
wrote, and that
five-volume series
00:12:31.91\00:12:35.32
basically traces
and is a commentary,
00:12:35.35\00:12:37.52
essentially, it's a Bible
commentary of the Bible, right
00:12:37.55\00:12:41.39
from Genesis, all the
way through to the end of
00:12:41.42\00:12:43.63
Revelation, that traces
chronologically the history of
00:12:43.66\00:12:47.23
the world from the creation
of the planet and even heaven
00:12:47.23\00:12:52.23
before that, and then brings us
all the way to our time, covers
00:12:52.27\00:12:55.67
future prophesies that we
still have ahead of us until the
00:12:55.70\00:12:58.47
Second Coming of Jesus,
and then, of course, also then
00:12:58.51\00:13:01.38
carries us beyond that into
the ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:13:01.41\00:13:05.28
So powerful, powerful Bible
commentary volume that she has
00:13:05.31\00:13:09.95
given to this planet, and it's
one of the greatest gifts this
00:13:09.98\00:13:12.12
world has ever received
since the Bible was written.
00:13:12.15\00:13:16.32
The first volume, which
is entitled "Patriarchs and
00:13:16.36\00:13:19.49
Prophets," starts
with those three key words,
00:13:19.53\00:13:23.77
1 John chapter 4, in
verse 8, "God is love."
00:13:23.80\00:13:30.01
The interesting thing is that,
when you get to the very last
00:13:30.04\00:13:32.47
volume that she wrote,
which is entitled "The Great
00:13:32.51\00:13:34.68
Controversy," and you go to the
very last page, and you go to
00:13:34.71\00:13:41.18
the very last sentence, the
last three words of that volume,
00:13:41.22\00:13:45.32
in the last
book, is "God is love."
00:13:45.35\00:13:51.53
There's a powerful statement
that I believe that was trying
00:13:51.56\00:13:53.66
to be made there and that those
three words are the bookends of
00:13:53.70\00:13:58.30
the entire history of the great
controversy, this "conflict of
00:13:58.33\00:14:02.67
ages" as this series
that she wrote is referred to.
00:14:02.70\00:14:08.94
God is love.
00:14:08.98\00:14:10.28
And so it shouldn't surprise
us that the two greatest
00:14:10.31\00:14:12.35
commandments that God
has given to us that He
00:14:12.38\00:14:15.25
reveals through His
prophets is to love God and to
00:14:15.28\00:14:19.45
love man with
everything we have.
00:14:19.49\00:14:23.12
Well, Sunday's lesson brings us
to Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses
00:14:23.16\00:14:25.46
1 through 5, and so I want
to invite you, if you have your
00:14:25.49\00:14:28.03
Bibles, your tablets, your
phones, to be able to come with
00:14:28.06\00:14:30.63
me and follow along as we kind
of continue in this Bible study.
00:14:30.67\00:14:33.90
We're going back to the actual
book that this quarterly is
00:14:33.94\00:14:36.60
bringing us through
in a thematic type way,
00:14:36.64\00:14:39.57
a topical way, and
today it is about love.
00:14:39.61\00:14:43.04
And so, again, I'm
just so excited about that.
00:14:43.08\00:14:45.68
Let's go to
Deuteronomy chapter 6,
00:14:45.71\00:14:48.98
and verses 1 through 5, is
what we're going to look at.
00:14:49.02\00:14:55.26
So let's just take some
time and look that as a whole.
00:14:55.29\00:14:57.53
It says, "Now this is the
commandment, and these are the
00:14:57.56\00:14:59.66
statutes and judgments which the
Lord your God has commanded to
00:14:59.69\00:15:02.60
teach you, that you may observe
them in the land which you are
00:15:02.63\00:15:06.74
crossing over to possess, that
you may fear the Lord your God
00:15:06.77\00:15:10.54
and keep all His statutes and
His commandments which I command
00:15:10.57\00:15:13.84
you, and you and your son and
your grandson, all the days of
00:15:13.88\00:15:17.51
your life, that your
days may be prolonged."
00:15:17.55\00:15:21.58
Does that sound
like a God who cares?
00:15:21.62\00:15:24.45
Sure it is.
It's a God who loves.
00:15:24.49\00:15:26.29
It's a God that has your best
interests in mind, "that your
00:15:26.32\00:15:28.49
days may be prolonged," that you
may have better, longer days.
00:15:28.52\00:15:33.16
"Therefore hear, O Israel--" the
great Shema, or as our Jewish
00:15:33.19\00:15:38.90
friends call it today, which is
reflecting the first word there
00:15:38.93\00:15:42.44
or the second word of that verse
in verse 3, "hear," "listen,"
00:15:42.47\00:15:47.04
"take heed," as the lesson study
points out, even, "to obey."
00:15:47.08\00:15:51.65
You know, sometimes we use the
word "listen" to mean more than
00:15:51.68\00:15:54.02
just actually hearing the words
that come out of your mouth and
00:15:54.05\00:15:57.65
then enter into my
ear and to my brain.
00:15:57.69\00:16:00.82
"Listen," sometimes--we
do that as parents sometimes.
00:16:00.86\00:16:02.96
You know, we tell our kids
something, and then they don't
00:16:02.99\00:16:06.43
do what we told them to do,
and we say--when we find out, we
00:16:06.46\00:16:09.60
say, "You weren't
listening, were you?"
00:16:09.63\00:16:12.33
Well, I didn't mean
"You didn't hear me," right?
00:16:12.37\00:16:15.30
I meant, "You didn't
take heed to what I said.
00:16:15.34\00:16:18.44
It came into your
ears, and it hit your brain,
00:16:18.47\00:16:21.28
but your brain
didn't decide to follow it."
00:16:21.31\00:16:23.24
And so, even today, we use that
term, and so the word here is
00:16:23.28\00:16:26.68
"Hear, take heed, O Israel, and
be careful to observe it, that
00:16:26.72\00:16:30.52
it may be well with you, and
that you may multiply greatly."
00:16:30.55\00:16:35.29
Again, we hear the clear
evidence that God wants to
00:16:35.32\00:16:38.86
prosper us and to bless us and
to have a more abundant life--
00:16:38.89\00:16:44.53
"that you may multiply
greatly as the Lord your God,
00:16:44.57\00:16:48.10
the God of your
fathers has promised you,
00:16:48.14\00:16:49.57
'a land flowing
with milk and honey.'"
00:16:49.60\00:16:53.44
"A land flowing with milk and
honey" is the promise that God
00:16:53.48\00:16:55.44
had given to His--that
generation and the generation
00:16:55.48\00:16:58.45
before them that
actually had escaped
00:16:58.48\00:17:00.92
from the slavery
and bondage of Egypt.
00:17:00.95\00:17:05.72
And so, "a land flowing
with milk and honey," again,
00:17:05.75\00:17:08.39
is an ancient symbol of
prosperity, of blessings.
00:17:08.42\00:17:13.23
God wants to
bless us. He loves us.
00:17:13.26\00:17:16.00
He wants us to have
the very best life we can.
00:17:16.03\00:17:18.60
Verse 4, it goes on
and says, "Hear, O Israel,
00:17:18.63\00:17:21.54
the Lord our
God, the Lord is one."
00:17:21.57\00:17:22.97
Sorry, I jumped the gun here.
Verse 4, is actually the Shema.
00:17:23.00\00:17:27.34
"Hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God, the Lord is one.
00:17:27.38\00:17:29.54
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all
00:17:29.58\00:17:33.31
your soul, and
with all your strength.
00:17:33.35\00:17:37.62
And these words
which I command you
00:17:37.65\00:17:39.05
today shall be in
your-- in your heart."
00:17:39.09\00:17:42.82
God wants it in
our heart, does He not?
00:17:42.86\00:17:45.63
So, again, we find this all the
way through the covenant as God
00:17:45.66\00:17:48.23
was writing this covenant, as He
was giving Moses and instructing
00:17:48.26\00:17:52.13
Moses, both to
speak it to the people
00:17:52.17\00:17:53.77
as well to put it
on paper--and papyrus.
00:17:53.80\00:17:58.64
Whatever it was
that they used and Moses
00:17:58.67\00:18:00.68
used back at that day to
be able to write these words.
00:18:00.71\00:18:04.35
He over and over, multiplied
times--multiple times throughout
00:18:04.38\00:18:08.22
the Scriptures tells us
how important it is for God
00:18:08.25\00:18:10.52
to write His words,
His law, His statutes,
00:18:10.55\00:18:13.39
His principles and
truths upon our hearts.
00:18:13.42\00:18:18.09
"And these words
which I command you
00:18:18.13\00:18:19.43
today shall be in your heart.
00:18:19.46\00:18:22.86
You shall teach them diligently
to your children, and shall talk
00:18:22.90\00:18:25.10
of them when you sit in your
house and when you walk by the
00:18:25.13\00:18:27.40
way, when you lie
down, and when you rise up.
00:18:27.44\00:18:30.31
You shall bind them
as a sign on your hand.
00:18:30.34\00:18:31.74
They shall be as the
frontlets between your eyes."
00:18:31.77\00:18:35.01
And I know I said we
were only going to read
00:18:35.04\00:18:36.48
verse 1 through 5, but,
you know, it's just such
00:18:36.51\00:18:41.42
a powerful passage
there, I can't stop.
00:18:41.45\00:18:44.19
You know, God tells us that we
are, just, to get excited about
00:18:44.22\00:18:46.45
these things, to get excited
about His ways, His truth, His
00:18:46.49\00:18:48.99
life, His commandments, and you
should be so into them that you
00:18:49.02\00:18:53.13
talk about them
with your children.
00:18:53.16\00:18:54.66
They become part
of your conversation
00:18:54.73\00:18:56.30
around the dinner table, when
you're driving them to school
00:18:56.33\00:18:58.93
or when you're going on
a trip with your family.
00:18:58.97\00:19:01.90
Well, and, you know, and He
says, "When you're on the way,
00:19:01.94\00:19:03.51
when you're traveling,
when you're sitting, when you're
00:19:03.54\00:19:06.34
lying down," whenever
it is, you know, that God
00:19:06.37\00:19:09.11
and His ways and
His truth should be
00:19:09.14\00:19:10.51
a regular part of
our conversation, why?
00:19:10.55\00:19:13.35
Because it's written where?
00:19:13.38\00:19:15.58
It's written in our hearts.
It's part of our experience.
00:19:15.62\00:19:18.35
It's just not
part of our knowledge.
00:19:18.39\00:19:19.99
It's just not an intellectual
theory and philosophy and
00:19:20.02\00:19:22.66
religion, but it is an
experience that we have in
00:19:22.69\00:19:26.03
Christ, and when you experience
Christ and the Holy Spirit in
00:19:26.06\00:19:29.60
your heart, your
mind, then you get excited
00:19:29.63\00:19:32.10
about His Word,
about His commandments.
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.27
As we're going to look at later,
you know, when we love God,
00:19:35.30\00:19:37.41
you know, we want
to obey Him and keep
00:19:37.44\00:19:39.04
His commandments,
and His commandments
00:19:39.07\00:19:40.38
are not burdensome,
we're excited about them.
00:19:40.41\00:19:44.08
Now, that doesn't mean that
they're always easy to keep.
00:19:44.11\00:19:47.15
We'll talk about that too.
00:19:47.18\00:19:49.92
So what's the context of
Deuteronomy in this key passage
00:19:49.95\00:19:52.35
that this lesson study brings
us to, which has the key verse,
00:19:52.39\00:19:55.62
you know, "Love the
Lord your God with all
00:19:55.66\00:19:56.96
your mind, your
soul, your strength"?
00:19:56.99\00:20:01.96
The context is that this is the
first of multiple speeches that
00:20:02.00\00:20:06.50
Moses is giving to the
Israelites, this generation
00:20:06.53\00:20:09.74
that's about to
enter the Promised Land.
00:20:09.77\00:20:12.67
The previous
chapter, in chapter 5,
00:20:12.71\00:20:14.78
reviews the Ten
Commandments of God.
00:20:14.81\00:20:17.55
Now, this is God's
ultimate code of ethics,
00:20:17.58\00:20:19.88
His ultimate code
of pure godly morality.
00:20:19.91\00:20:25.29
It is the
foundation of His government.
00:20:25.32\00:20:28.32
It's under the mercy seat, you
know, when God had instructed
00:20:28.36\00:20:31.26
Moses and the Israelites in that
first generation when they had
00:20:31.29\00:20:33.96
escaped out of Egypt, He said,
"Now, I want you to get your
00:20:34.00\00:20:36.20
craftsmen and start to get busy
at work, and I want you to make
00:20:36.23\00:20:38.70
this golden-covered box, called
the ark," and inside that ark,
00:20:38.73\00:20:43.27
you know, it's about
foot-and-a-half wide, and
00:20:43.30\00:20:46.11
foot-and-a-half high, and about
three feet long, and He said,
00:20:46.14\00:20:48.98
"Now, I want you to put
inside that ark, I want you
00:20:49.01\00:20:52.11
to put the two
tablets of stone that contain
00:20:52.15\00:20:54.35
My Ten Commandments, the
foundation of My government.
00:20:54.38\00:20:56.99
Then I want you to take a
golden-covered lid, called the
00:20:57.02\00:21:01.29
mercy seat, and I want you to
put it on top of the ark and on
00:21:01.32\00:21:04.89
top of the commandments because
I know that as a fallen, broken
00:21:04.93\00:21:09.46
human race, that you're going
to transgress My law at times.
00:21:09.50\00:21:14.90
You're going to be
guilty in different ways.
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.34
And so I want you to
know and be reminded that
00:21:16.37\00:21:19.21
there's mercy at the throne
of Jesus, this is My mercy seat.
00:21:19.24\00:21:23.71
And then, one with that lid,
I want you to have these two
00:21:23.75\00:21:26.18
cherubim, these grand angels
that are positioned at My left
00:21:26.21\00:21:29.42
and right hand of My throne, the
highest positioned angels, and
00:21:29.45\00:21:34.22
as they're reverently
and fearfully bowing down and
00:21:34.26\00:21:37.73
covering their face before Me,"
the Shechinah glory, the Bible
00:21:37.76\00:21:41.00
describes as the very presence
that was originally between
00:21:41.03\00:21:44.03
those two cherubim, above
the mercy seat and above the Ten
00:21:44.07\00:21:47.84
Commandments, the
foundation of His government.
00:21:47.87\00:21:51.81
And so this is the context
of what we're looking at here in
00:21:51.84\00:21:54.74
Deuteronomy chapter 6, and the
subject that we're looking at,
00:21:54.78\00:21:58.38
and so to take God's
commandments to our heart, to
00:21:58.41\00:22:05.12
follow them, is our ultimate
demonstration of love towards
00:22:05.15\00:22:08.56
God, and we want to be able
to touch on that more later.
00:22:08.59\00:22:15.53
Now, is keeping the commandments
the only way to love God?
00:22:15.56\00:22:20.40
Is keeping the--very clearly,
the Bible tells us that keeping
00:22:20.44\00:22:22.94
His commandments, obeying Him is
one of the clearest, most direct
00:22:22.97\00:22:28.21
directives that God gives to
us in demonstrating our love to
00:22:28.24\00:22:30.75
God, but is that
the only way that we
00:22:30.78\00:22:32.28
demonstrate our love to God?
00:22:32.31\00:22:34.12
No, not at all, okay, there's
additional ways that we also
00:22:34.15\00:22:36.82
love Him, we talk
with Him, we pray to Him.
00:22:36.85\00:22:41.59
You know, I love my
wife, and so, because of that,
00:22:41.62\00:22:44.93
I love to hang out with
her, I love to chat with her,
00:22:44.96\00:22:49.30
I love to talk about life and
her day and what her goals are
00:22:49.33\00:22:52.67
and encourage her and learn
from her in different ways,
00:22:52.70\00:22:56.67
and so I have
this communication.
00:22:56.71\00:22:58.97
I talk with her on a regular
basis, and so that's part of my
00:22:59.01\00:23:01.74
demonstration of my love for
her, and the same with God, and
00:23:01.78\00:23:05.45
so we have to make sure that we
also not only obey Him but that
00:23:05.48\00:23:07.92
we stay in regular
communication with Him as well.
00:23:07.95\00:23:11.29
That's so important for us to be
able to have in this experience
00:23:11.32\00:23:14.76
that God wants us to have and
that feeds that love and that
00:23:14.79\00:23:16.99
feeds that experience and
connection with God, and so we
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.26
demonstrate our love to God by
talking with Him, also walking
00:23:19.29\00:23:24.03
with Him,
sharing our day with Him.
00:23:24.07\00:23:26.00
Again, that's tied in with
communication and saying, "Lord,
00:23:26.03\00:23:28.90
I want to keep Your
commandments, write them upon my
00:23:28.94\00:23:30.94
heart," but then He also gives
us other directives, personally.
00:23:30.97\00:23:34.54
You know, "I want you to go and
apply for this job," or "I want
00:23:34.58\00:23:36.54
you to get this education," or
"I want you to help this person
00:23:36.58\00:23:39.78
next door," your family member,
or whatever it is, and so He
00:23:39.81\00:23:42.88
gives us
personal directives that
00:23:42.92\00:23:44.79
we also obey that
demonstrate that love.
00:23:44.82\00:23:47.62
We walk with God
in different ways
00:23:47.66\00:23:49.32
in addition to the commandments.
00:23:49.36\00:23:51.36
We fear and we worship Him.
00:23:51.39\00:23:54.23
I would like to think that we're
all here in this room because we
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.67
have chosen to worship Him
because we want to express our
00:23:56.70\00:24:00.87
love towards the Maker of
the universe because of all that
00:24:00.90\00:24:03.74
He's done for us that we might
be able to connect with Him and
00:24:03.77\00:24:07.24
glorify Him and demonstrate both
to a fallen, broken world, as
00:24:07.28\00:24:11.08
well as to the universe, that we
love and choose God again today,
00:24:11.11\00:24:17.02
that He is worthy of our time,
He's worthy of our worship.
00:24:17.05\00:24:22.09
And so I think
that's important for us
00:24:22.12\00:24:23.43
to be able to
understand as well.
00:24:23.46\00:24:25.59
And so love is expressed
and demonstrated in a number of
00:24:25.63\00:24:27.50
different ways, but if
there's one thing that God knows
00:24:27.56\00:24:29.63
that we can lose too
quickly in our love relationship
00:24:29.66\00:24:32.50
with God is to start to
fall into the very popular
00:24:32.53\00:24:36.04
and common trap within religion.
00:24:36.07\00:24:37.77
I'm talking about
Bible--professed Bible-religious
00:24:37.81\00:24:40.31
people, Jews and
Christians, and so on,
00:24:40.34\00:24:43.24
that to love God is to obey Him.
00:24:43.28\00:24:48.85
You cannot choose to
disobey God, to disregard
00:24:48.88\00:24:52.75
His commandments and also
love Him, you just can't do it.
00:24:52.79\00:24:58.86
And the Bible makes it
so clear, and He knows it's
00:24:58.89\00:25:00.80
so easy to fall into
a alternative of that
00:25:00.83\00:25:04.20
truth that He tells
us indeed over and over.
00:25:04.23\00:25:08.00
We find it multiplied dozens
and dozens and dozens of times
00:25:08.04\00:25:12.54
through the Old and New
Testament, and so that's
00:25:12.57\00:25:14.91
important for us, I
believe, to understand.
00:25:14.94\00:25:20.02
Now, does that mean that
obedience is always easy?
00:25:20.05\00:25:24.12
Well, as I said earlier, no.
00:25:24.15\00:25:26.09
It's not always
easy to obey God, is it?
00:25:26.12\00:25:29.89
Okay, sometimes obedience to
God costs us some relationships.
00:25:29.92\00:25:36.16
You know, you may
choose God and say,
00:25:36.20\00:25:37.70
"No, I'm going to
go this direction.
00:25:37.73\00:25:39.03
I'm going to make this choice
because this is the choice
00:25:39.07\00:25:41.10
in obedience that
God has called me into,"
00:25:41.14\00:25:43.71
and you might
lose relationships.
00:25:43.74\00:25:47.21
Some of us have
lost our marriage
00:25:47.24\00:25:49.44
over our choice to
obey God before man.
00:25:49.48\00:25:54.88
So we can lose some
very precious and important
00:25:54.92\00:25:57.02
relationships, so
obeying God is not always easy.
00:25:57.05\00:25:59.25
It comes with loss at times.
Some of us have lost our jobs.
00:25:59.29\00:26:02.26
We choose to keep
the fourth commandment.
00:26:02.29\00:26:04.89
You know, I lost one job.
00:26:04.93\00:26:06.29
I know there's more than
one person in this room that,
00:26:06.33\00:26:08.90
because of their
love and obedience to God,
00:26:08.93\00:26:10.40
they've lost their job
because they have chosen
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.60
to obey the fourth
commandment of God.
00:26:12.63\00:26:15.77
Some have lost their
jobs because they've chosen
00:26:15.80\00:26:19.37
to keep some of the
other commandments of God too,
00:26:19.41\00:26:21.81
"You shall not lie," you know?
00:26:21.84\00:26:25.85
So there's others as well, but
some of us have lost our jobs.
00:26:25.88\00:26:28.48
So obeying God
is not always easy.
00:26:28.52\00:26:30.59
Sometimes we
lose our possessions.
00:26:30.62\00:26:33.29
History attests to that, there's
Christians today that are losing
00:26:33.32\00:26:35.72
their households,
their possessions.
00:26:35.76\00:26:39.03
You know, some of us lose our
freedoms, we're stuck in jail.
00:26:39.06\00:26:43.10
There's Christians
right now around the world
00:26:43.13\00:26:44.83
that are in jail, only
because they decided to obey
00:26:44.87\00:26:47.80
and make God
number one in their life.
00:26:47.84\00:26:52.64
Some lose their health.
00:26:52.67\00:26:54.74
History is full of millions of
Christians that have lost their
00:26:54.78\00:26:57.65
health through nutrition
deprivation as they're tortured
00:26:57.68\00:27:02.28
at times, and it's horrible
things that many of us as
00:27:02.32\00:27:05.89
Christians have paid
because we have chosen
00:27:05.92\00:27:08.66
to obey God no
matter what the cost.
00:27:08.69\00:27:10.69
And so obeying God doesn't
always come on an easy pathway.
00:27:10.73\00:27:15.70
Jesus says, you know, "Narrow is
the way and difficult is--narrow
00:27:15.73\00:27:19.13
is the gate and
difficult is the way that leads
00:27:19.17\00:27:21.24
to eternal life, and
few are them who find it."
00:27:21.27\00:27:23.57
So Jesus tells us that following
Him is not always easy.
00:27:23.61\00:27:27.08
Sometimes it comes at a
high price in this life as far
00:27:27.11\00:27:29.98
as the things
that we sometimes lose.
00:27:30.01\00:27:32.31
But, nevertheless, Jesus says,
"Listen, I lost more than any of
00:27:32.35\00:27:35.28
you in this earthly
life," and so it's not like
00:27:35.32\00:27:37.42
we're not in
this together, right?
00:27:37.45\00:27:40.52
Jesus says, "Listen,
we're all in this together.
00:27:40.56\00:27:42.32
I'm there as well.
00:27:42.36\00:27:43.86
I know what it's
like to lose everything."
00:27:43.89\00:27:46.33
Did Jesus lose
precious relationships
00:27:46.36\00:27:47.76
in His earthly life?
00:27:47.76\00:27:49.93
Yeah. Did He lose His health?
00:27:49.96\00:27:53.10
While in those last,
those last hours, He sure did.
00:27:53.13\00:27:57.21
He lost a lot of blood.
Even before He got to the cross.
00:27:57.24\00:28:02.18
Even before they
nailed Him to the cross,
00:28:02.21\00:28:03.51
He was extremely
dehydrated, massive blood loss.
00:28:03.55\00:28:09.95
So He lost His health,
He lost His well-being,
00:28:09.98\00:28:14.32
and then, of
course, He lost His life.
00:28:14.36\00:28:17.76
And so Jesus knows what it's
like to lose precious things in
00:28:17.79\00:28:23.97
this life and to
follow a difficult pathway
00:28:24.00\00:28:27.44
because of His
ultimate love for His Father.
00:28:27.47\00:28:30.94
And so it's important for
us to understand that as well.
00:28:30.97\00:28:33.17
Now, fortunately,
that's not always the case
00:28:33.21\00:28:34.74
all the time, and most
of the time, as God says,
00:28:34.78\00:28:37.95
you know, we can enjoy
different relationships.
00:28:37.98\00:28:41.32
We can enjoy jobs, possessions,
and these different types of
00:28:41.35\00:28:46.55
things, even as
the Israelites did.
00:28:46.59\00:28:48.22
As God tells us very clearly,
He wants that ultimately for us,
00:28:48.26\00:28:52.16
but some of us, you know, in
different times, in different
00:28:52.19\00:28:54.30
ways, in different contexts, we
have to know that all, the land
00:28:54.36\00:28:58.73
flowing with milk and honey,
might have to be postponed until
00:28:58.77\00:29:01.34
we wake up at that first
resurrection, and when we wake
00:29:01.37\00:29:04.74
up at that first resurrection
when Jesus comes, then He said,
00:29:04.77\00:29:07.51
"It is guaranteed, and
I'm going to give you a body
00:29:07.54\00:29:10.01
and a mind that
is so much better.
00:29:10.05\00:29:11.65
You're going to enjoy way
more just because of that alone.
00:29:11.68\00:29:14.88
But not only that, but you
will never be threatened in your
00:29:14.92\00:29:16.95
well-being, your
safety, your possessions.
00:29:16.99\00:29:19.45
Your health will
never be threatened
00:29:19.49\00:29:21.42
again for all of eternity."
00:29:21.46\00:29:26.46
Now, loving God is the obvious
foundation of the Old Testament
00:29:26.49\00:29:28.56
that God was sealing with
the Israelites in Moses's day.
00:29:28.60\00:29:32.53
Ten times in the
book of Deuteronomy,
00:29:32.57\00:29:34.90
the Israelites
were called to love God.
00:29:34.94\00:29:36.64
I just want to
read a sampling of that
00:29:36.67\00:29:38.01
for you, just
to make that point.
00:29:38.04\00:29:40.71
Now, of course, the first one,
Deuteronomy 6:5, the greatest
00:29:40.74\00:29:44.61
first commandment of all the
Old Testament law that God was
00:29:44.65\00:29:47.42
sealing, that covenant that
He made with that generation of
00:29:47.45\00:29:50.02
Israelites and all that were to
follow until Jesus came with the
00:29:50.05\00:29:53.12
New Testament, says, "You shall
love the Lord your God with all
00:29:53.15\00:29:56.29
your soul, all your heart,
your soul, and your strength."
00:29:56.32\00:30:00.13
And then, in
Deuteronomy chapter--
00:30:00.16\00:30:01.43
and this is just
half of them, Deuteronomy
00:30:01.46\00:30:02.76
chapter 10, in verse 12,
it says, "And now, Israel,
00:30:02.80\00:30:06.00
what does the Lord your God
require of you--to fear the Lord
00:30:06.03\00:30:09.27
your God, to walk in all
His ways and to love Him, and to
00:30:09.30\00:30:13.68
serve the Lord God
with all your heart."
00:30:13.71\00:30:16.34
Deuteronomy 11, verse 13, it
says, 'And it shall be that if
00:30:16.38\00:30:18.85
you earnestly obey My
commandments which I command you
00:30:18.88\00:30:20.95
today, to love the
Lord your God and serve Him
00:30:20.98\00:30:24.02
with all your heart
and with all your soul."
00:30:24.05\00:30:27.56
Deuteronomy chapter 30, in
verse 6, says, "And the Lord
00:30:27.59\00:30:29.99
your God will
circumcise your heart."
00:30:30.03\00:30:32.96
You know, Paul, picked that up.
00:30:32.99\00:30:34.30
You know, I remember reading
Romans, and he says, "How
00:30:34.30\00:30:35.80
important it is that a true
Jew--" when he's using "Jew,"
00:30:35.83\00:30:39.80
he's using a grander sense
in the book of Romans, meaning
00:30:39.83\00:30:41.87
that, you know, you and I
are spiritual Jews as well.
00:30:41.90\00:30:45.47
And he says, "A true Jew,"
including a Christian Jew, "is
00:30:45.51\00:30:49.61
one that is
circumcised of the heart."
00:30:49.64\00:30:52.18
And he was picking that up from,
way back in the first Bible
00:30:52.21\00:30:54.88
writer, Moses: "And the Lord
your God will circumcise your
00:30:54.92\00:30:57.42
heart and the heart
of your descendants,
00:30:57.45\00:30:58.99
to love the Lord your
God with all your heart
00:30:59.02\00:31:00.62
and with all your
soul, that you may live."
00:31:00.66\00:31:02.96
Deuteronomy chapter 30, in verse
20, "that you may love the Lord
00:31:02.99\00:31:05.76
your God and obey His voice, and
that you may cling to Him, for
00:31:05.79\00:31:09.23
He is your life and the length
of your days, and that you may
00:31:09.26\00:31:11.53
dwell in the land which the Lord
swore to your fathers, Abraham,
00:31:11.57\00:31:13.87
Isaac, and
Jacob, to give to them."
00:31:13.90\00:31:18.31
And so, very clearly, there's
a sampling of ten, just in the
00:31:18.34\00:31:21.44
key summary book of Deuteronomy
'cause, indeed, Deuteronomy is
00:31:21.48\00:31:24.38
basically a series of speeches
that is summarizing everything
00:31:24.41\00:31:27.15
that God had did and said in the
previous four books or at least
00:31:27.18\00:31:32.62
the previous three, from
Exodus through to Numbers.
00:31:32.65\00:31:35.42
And so that's just a sampling
of ten times in the book of
00:31:35.46\00:31:39.76
Deuteronomy that God ties in
love with obedience to God and
00:31:39.79\00:31:43.57
is--obviously a love
for God is the foundation
00:31:43.60\00:31:46.63
of the Old
Testament, the Old Covenant.
00:31:46.67\00:31:50.84
Jesus made it clear that this
is also to be the same for the
00:31:50.87\00:31:53.07
Christian in the New Testament
that it was sealed through the
00:31:53.11\00:31:55.24
blood and the life and the death
of Jesus Christ, not only by
00:31:55.28\00:32:02.75
confirming that Deuteronomy
chapter 6, verse 5, still stands
00:32:02.78\00:32:05.72
at the top of the list for
the Christian but through other
00:32:05.75\00:32:10.79
statements that He
Himself had made as well as
00:32:10.83\00:32:12.86
His other prophets
that came up after Him.
00:32:12.89\00:32:16.13
The apostle John
is one of the most
00:32:16.16\00:32:17.47
prominent writers
in regards to that.
00:32:17.50\00:32:19.10
John chapter 14,
verse 15, he records
00:32:19.13\00:32:22.17
actually the words of Jesus.
00:32:22.20\00:32:23.51
He says, "If you love
Me, keep My commandments.
00:32:23.54\00:32:29.44
1 John chapter 5, in
verse 3, "For this is
00:32:29.48\00:32:31.48
the love of God, that
we keep His commandments.
00:32:31.51\00:32:33.38
And His commandments
are not burdensome."
00:32:33.42\00:32:39.99
Now, friends, there's
more than one Christian today
00:32:40.02\00:32:41.39
that has
misunderstood the Old Testament
00:32:41.42\00:32:43.36
as compared to
the New Testament.
00:32:43.39\00:32:46.03
You know, one day,
I'm going to write a book.
00:32:46.06\00:32:47.30
I've been saying this for years,
so pray for me, and then I'll be
00:32:47.30\00:32:52.50
able to, just--God will give me
the time if He really wants me
00:32:52.53\00:32:55.97
to write it, but I say it
as a illustration at minimum.
00:32:56.00\00:32:58.74
I want to write a book one day
that's called--you know, because
00:32:58.77\00:33:00.74
the more I read the
Old Testament and the
00:33:00.78\00:33:02.08
New Testament, there
were--I realized that
00:33:02.11\00:33:04.21
there's nothing new
in the New Testament.
00:33:04.25\00:33:07.22
In fact, that's what I was going
to entitle the book--and maybe I
00:33:07.25\00:33:09.35
will one day--"There's Nothing
New in the New Testament."
00:33:09.38\00:33:15.29
The more you
read it and the more
00:33:15.32\00:33:16.62
you study it, the
more you'll see that.
00:33:16.66\00:33:18.26
Now, you know, I put together
a bit of a list, and it's not
00:33:18.29\00:33:21.06
complete yet, but I just
want to share a couple of those
00:33:21.10\00:33:23.83
different points just to
show that the key elements
00:33:23.87\00:33:26.50
that are found in the
New Testament are also
00:33:26.53\00:33:28.77
already found in
the Old Testament.
00:33:28.80\00:33:32.41
Now, the reason I think it's
important for us to understand
00:33:32.44\00:33:34.04
that is because there's a lot of
our fellow Christians that have
00:33:34.08\00:33:38.11
fallen into this trap, believing
that "The Old Testament
00:33:38.15\00:33:40.38
is much different
than the New Testament,
00:33:40.42\00:33:42.08
and that's why I'm a
New Testament Christian."
00:33:42.12\00:33:43.75
Well, the New Testament is only
better in the fact that there
00:33:43.79\00:33:45.99
is a better sacrifice, a better
priesthood, and a better temple.
00:33:46.02\00:33:50.43
Outside of that, all the other
elements are exactly the same,
00:33:50.46\00:33:53.60
and even those are the
same ones, the symbology,
00:33:53.63\00:33:55.46
and one is the
reality fulfilled in Christ.
00:33:55.50\00:33:59.73
But all the other
essential elements are the same.
00:33:59.77\00:34:02.20
Some Christians have fallen into
the trap, believing that the Old
00:34:02.24\00:34:04.51
Testament God was one that
He sealed through this kind of
00:34:04.54\00:34:07.01
legalistic foundation in which
the Israelite had to earn their
00:34:07.04\00:34:10.95
way by obeying God in such a
meticulous and exacting way that
00:34:10.98\00:34:15.28
they were able to finally
deserve heaven, to earn heaven
00:34:15.32\00:34:18.49
somehow on kind of a legalistic
basis, and they had to live
00:34:18.52\00:34:21.32
under the watch care of a very
angry and easily angered God,
00:34:21.36\00:34:29.16
and then came Jesus with all His
gentleness and grace, and mercy
00:34:29.20\00:34:32.07
came to us, and now
we're saved by grace,
00:34:32.10\00:34:34.00
and the law is no longer
relevant, that's just not true.
00:34:34.04\00:34:37.61
Now, it is true
that the New Testament
00:34:37.64\00:34:40.18
is based on love for God.
00:34:40.21\00:34:42.78
Mark chapter 12, verse 30, Jesus
made that clear: "Love the Lord
00:34:42.81\00:34:45.91
your God with all your
strength, your mind, your soul."
00:34:45.95\00:34:50.05
John 14, verse 15, as
we just quoted, John 3:16,
00:34:50.09\00:34:53.29
our God's love
back to us as well.
00:34:53.32\00:34:55.39
It's reciprocal love,
both in the Old Testament
00:34:55.42\00:34:57.06
and the New Testament,
"For God so loved the world,
00:34:57.09\00:35:00.13
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:35:00.16\00:35:02.60
And so God loves us,
and we love Him back.
00:35:02.63\00:35:04.90
It's a reciprocal love that is
based at--it's a foundation of
00:35:04.93\00:35:07.24
the New Testament sealed with
Christ, but the Old Testament
00:35:07.27\00:35:10.47
that was sealed with the
sacrifice of an animal during
00:35:10.51\00:35:12.94
the days of Moses
was also based on love.
00:35:12.97\00:35:15.41
"Love the Lord your
God with all your strength,
00:35:15.44\00:35:16.75
your soul, your mind."
00:35:16.78\00:35:20.55
Okay, but then, in Deuteronomy
chapter 10, in verse 15,
00:35:20.58\00:35:22.88
it also tells us very
clearly that God loves
00:35:22.92\00:35:25.99
us back, and so
it's reciprocal love.
00:35:26.02\00:35:29.22
God's grace is found in
the New Testament, obviously,
00:35:29.26\00:35:31.49
in Philippians chapter
2, verse 8: "For by grace
00:35:31.53\00:35:33.60
you have been
saved through faith.
00:35:33.63\00:35:34.93
It's not of
yourselves. It is a gift of God.
00:35:34.93\00:35:39.13
It is the gift of
God, not of works,
00:35:39.17\00:35:40.60
lest any man should boast."
00:35:40.64\00:35:41.94
And so we find that multiple
times in the New Testament,
00:35:41.97\00:35:44.01
but we also find it's sealed
in the Old Testament as well.
00:35:44.04\00:35:47.21
Some of us, you know, how in
the world would any of the Old
00:35:47.24\00:35:49.91
Testament characters
make it without grace?
00:35:49.94\00:35:55.32
You'll be hard pressed--you are
very hard pressed to find the
00:35:55.35\00:35:57.69
greatest champions--and
these are just the outstanding
00:35:57.72\00:36:01.12
champions that made it
through life and through
00:36:01.16\00:36:03.93
a spiritual, saved
relationship with God
00:36:03.96\00:36:05.79
without
blundering in different ways.
00:36:05.83\00:36:09.73
David would be a lost
man if it wasn't for the fact
00:36:09.76\00:36:13.37
that the Old
Testament also offered grace.
00:36:13.40\00:36:17.47
Psalm 51, you know, David cries
out, "Have mercy upon me, O
00:36:17.51\00:36:22.51
Lord, according to Your
lovingkindness, according to
00:36:22.54\00:36:25.35
the multitude of Your mercies."
00:36:25.38\00:36:27.52
"Mercy" is synonymous
with "grace," undeserved mercy.
00:36:27.55\00:36:35.09
David made it
very clear in Psalm 51.
00:36:35.12\00:36:36.62
He didn't deserve
God's mercy, but he
00:36:36.66\00:36:39.69
was pleading for
God's grace, was he not?
00:36:39.73\00:36:42.66
And David was a man
that was living under
00:36:42.70\00:36:44.30
the covenant of
the Old Testament.
00:36:44.33\00:36:49.20
Now, we don't find grace--the
word grace used very often--
00:36:49.24\00:36:51.64
12 times, and 10 of
those are applied to Moses,
00:36:51.67\00:36:54.78
but we find
"mercy" comes up, you know,
00:36:54.81\00:36:57.08
which is synonymous in its
context, used dozens of times.
00:36:57.11\00:37:03.49
Exodus chapter 20, verse 6, we
come to the Second Commandment,
00:37:03.52\00:37:09.06
"You shall not make for
yourself any carved image
00:37:09.09\00:37:10.86
of the likeness of anything
both in heaven, on earth,
00:37:10.89\00:37:15.73
or in the water
that's under the earth.
00:37:15.76\00:37:17.07
You shall not bow
down or serve them.
00:37:17.10\00:37:20.17
For I, the Lord your God, I'm
a jealous God, visiting upon the
00:37:20.20\00:37:22.87
iniquity of the fathers to the
children of the third and fourth
00:37:22.90\00:37:24.91
generation, but
showing mercy unto those
00:37:24.94\00:37:28.98
who love Me and
keep My commandments."
00:37:29.01\00:37:32.05
There's that again, right at
the heart of the commandments.
00:37:32.08\00:37:34.02
We have this tie-in to
loving God and keeping His
00:37:34.05\00:37:37.15
commandments, but
there's also that mercy
00:37:37.19\00:37:39.49
that is there as
well, is there not?
00:37:39.52\00:37:41.69
Because God knows that
you and I still need mercy.
00:37:41.72\00:37:45.43
If you're married,
you know that you need
00:37:45.46\00:37:46.76
to extend mercy to your spouse.
00:37:46.80\00:37:49.86
Still, today, I know
that I need mercy from
00:37:49.90\00:37:51.43
my wife from time to time still.
00:37:51.47\00:37:54.47
I need her grace,
undeserved grace and mercy.
00:37:54.50\00:37:58.14
And so grace is very much alive
and well in the Old Testament,
00:37:58.17\00:38:01.58
and the Old Testament
believers understood that.
00:38:01.61\00:38:05.05
Otherwise, they knew
that they would have no hope.
00:38:05.08\00:38:07.38
And so it's important for
us to understand grace is a
00:38:07.42\00:38:09.55
foundational element in the Old
Testament as well as in the New.
00:38:09.58\00:38:12.85
What about faith?
00:38:12.89\00:38:15.16
Well, you know, "The just
shall live by faith," in the Old
00:38:15.19\00:38:19.33
Testament, Habakkuk
chapter 2, in verse 4.
00:38:19.36\00:38:21.56
Now, again, "faith" is not
used--in fact, it's only used
00:38:21.60\00:38:23.53
twice in regards to the Old
Covenant, but we find "trust"
00:38:23.57\00:38:26.40
that comes up over and
over and over again and again,
00:38:26.43\00:38:28.74
and the context of
the use of that "trust"
00:38:28.77\00:38:30.21
is synonymous
with that of "faith."
00:38:30.24\00:38:33.71
And, of course,
Philippians chapter 2, verse 8,
00:38:33.74\00:38:35.84
tells us, the New
Testament, again, "For by grace
00:38:35.88\00:38:37.88
you have been
saved through faith."
00:38:37.91\00:38:40.45
The confession of sin, Psalm
51, verses 3 and 4, okay, David
00:38:40.48\00:38:45.09
says, "I have sinned
against You and against heaven."
00:38:45.12\00:38:49.16
He owns and confesses his sin,
00:38:49.19\00:38:51.69
even as we are also
called to confess our sins.
00:38:51.73\00:38:54.10
He who confesses his
sin," God is just and?
00:38:54.13\00:38:58.73
To forgive us and
to cleanse us from?
00:38:58.77\00:39:01.87
From all unrighteousness, yeah.
00:39:01.90\00:39:05.04
Does God forgive us
and cleanse us of our sin?
00:39:05.07\00:39:07.04
Yes, to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness it says in the
00:39:07.08\00:39:09.41
New Testament but
also in the Old Testament.
00:39:09.44\00:39:11.11
David, living under
the Old Covenant promises
00:39:11.15\00:39:13.92
and that God had
sealed through Moses.
00:39:13.95\00:39:16.15
Psalm 51, at verses 1
through 2, "Have mercy upon me,
00:39:16.18\00:39:20.16
O Lord, according
to Your lovingkindness,
00:39:20.19\00:39:22.12
according to the
multitude of Your mercies."
00:39:22.16\00:39:24.49
Then he goes later
on in verse 2, he says,
00:39:24.53\00:39:26.39
"And blot out
my transgressions."
00:39:26.43\00:39:29.80
"Cleanse me and make me clean,"
because he understood that was
00:39:29.83\00:39:33.20
available under the terms of the
Old Testament, the Old Covenant.
00:39:33.23\00:39:38.97
What about the Holy Spirit's
presence, being born again?
00:39:39.01\00:39:42.98
Now, we know that
Jesus told Nicodemus
00:39:43.01\00:39:44.31
in the night, "You
must be born again.
00:39:44.35\00:39:46.28
You cannot enter the kingdom
unless you have been born of the
00:39:46.31\00:39:48.48
water and of the
Spirit," in John chapter 3.
00:39:48.52\00:39:52.72
But did we find that also in the
conditions of the Old Testament?
00:39:52.75\00:39:56.26
Well, we see David again, living
under the conditions of the Old
00:39:56.29\00:39:58.86
Testament, and very clearly
as he found himself with his
00:39:58.89\00:40:02.30
relationship being threatened
because of some very serious
00:40:02.33\00:40:04.60
sins that he was guilty of
and had committed, he cries out,
00:40:04.63\00:40:07.77
"Do not take
Your presence from me.
00:40:07.80\00:40:10.61
Do not take Your
Holy Spirit from me."
00:40:10.64\00:40:14.08
"Cast me not away from Your
presence," I should say, "and
00:40:14.11\00:40:16.08
take not Your
Holy Spirit from me."
00:40:16.11\00:40:19.01
And we find that in
Psalm 51 and verse 11.
00:40:19.05\00:40:21.18
So David understood that one
of the vital elements of living
00:40:21.22\00:40:24.55
under the Old Testament and
its conditions was to have the
00:40:24.59\00:40:27.22
presence of God
available and very much present
00:40:27.26\00:40:30.03
in the mind and
heart of the believer.
00:40:30.06\00:40:32.89
David was born
again even as we must
00:40:32.93\00:40:35.83
also understand
we find in the New.
00:40:35.86\00:40:39.20
Then, number 7, God
sanctifies us through
00:40:39.23\00:40:42.00
His presence,
through the Holy Spirit.
00:40:42.04\00:40:45.24
Psalm 51, in verse 10, again, we
find that David cries out very
00:40:45.27\00:40:48.18
clear, "Create in me
a clean heart, O God."
00:40:48.21\00:40:53.78
"Create in me a
clean heart, O God,
00:40:53.82\00:40:55.48
and renew a
steadfast Spirit within me."
00:40:55.52\00:40:59.35
David is asking for the power
00:40:59.39\00:41:01.06
and presence of
God to sanctify him.
00:41:01.09\00:41:04.76
"Create in me a clean heart, O
God, that I might obey You, that
00:41:04.79\00:41:08.30
I might be able
to follow Your ways.
00:41:08.33\00:41:10.33
Sanctify me and help me to
live and follow a godly life.
00:41:10.37\00:41:13.74
Your New Testament, of course,
over and over also talks about
00:41:13.77\00:41:16.07
the presence of the
Holy Spirit sanctifying us.
00:41:16.10\00:41:18.61
Philippians
chapter 2, in verse 10,
00:41:18.64\00:41:20.04
he says, "For we
are His workmanship.
00:41:20.08\00:41:23.51
For we are His
workmanship, created
00:41:23.55\00:41:27.32
in Christ Jesus for good works."
00:41:27.35\00:41:30.59
That's sanctification, isn't it?
00:41:30.62\00:41:33.19
That's God giving us the
power and the direction and the
00:41:33.22\00:41:36.42
motivation to be
able to do His will.
00:41:36.46\00:41:38.33
Philippians chapter 2, verse 13,
"For it is God who works in you
00:41:38.36\00:41:41.13
both to will and to
do His good pleasure."
00:41:41.16\00:41:45.00
So God works in us and motivates
us and changes our hearts as He
00:41:45.03\00:41:47.77
writes His presence
and His law upon our heart.
00:41:47.80\00:41:50.14
We get excited about His ways,
and His commandments are no
00:41:50.17\00:41:52.27
longer burdensome, and
He gives us a motivation
00:41:52.31\00:41:54.94
and says, "I want to
keep His commandments."
00:41:54.98\00:41:58.85
And so He works in us both
to will--that's the motivation--
00:41:58.88\00:42:01.45
and to do His good pleasure.
00:42:01.48\00:42:06.15
And His commandments
and statutes, His ways, His
00:42:06.19\00:42:07.79
principles, is
His good pleasure.
00:42:07.82\00:42:10.59
And so we find that
also in the New Testament.
00:42:10.63\00:42:13.53
And, again, some of us as
Christians have made the mistake
00:42:13.56\00:42:15.70
of plugging some of these
elements and attaching it only
00:42:15.73\00:42:18.07
to the Old Testament, and some
have made the mistake of only
00:42:18.10\00:42:20.00
attaching them to
the New Testament.
00:42:20.04\00:42:22.20
But, again, the more you
study this--and I'm giving you
00:42:22.24\00:42:24.07
Scripture, all the
way through, to be able
00:42:24.11\00:42:26.64
to demonstrate
that it's actually both.
00:42:26.68\00:42:30.38
And this is relevant for
our topic, in the book of
00:42:30.41\00:42:32.11
Deuteronomy, because this is the
final, kind of, summary of the
00:42:32.15\00:42:36.58
Old Testament that was sealed
with that first generation of
00:42:36.62\00:42:39.35
Israelites that
escaped from Egypt.
00:42:39.39\00:42:44.43
Giving God our willing
obedience is important.
00:42:44.46\00:42:47.76
It's a condition that is
important for us to enter not
00:42:47.83\00:42:51.43
only for as a believer in
the Old Testament, Covenant, but
00:42:51.47\00:42:54.74
also in the New
Testament or Covenant.
00:42:54.77\00:42:58.31
And so both are there, willing
obedience in the Old Testament.
00:42:58.34\00:43:01.88
Deuteronomy
chapter 11, verse 13.
00:43:01.91\00:43:03.85
In fact, I think
it's Wednesday on this
00:43:03.88\00:43:06.28
lesson study
gives us a long list.
00:43:06.31\00:43:08.12
There's about--I don't know--ten
different places in Deuteronomy
00:43:08.15\00:43:11.29
alone that talks
about how important it is
00:43:11.32\00:43:13.05
to give our
willing obedience to God to
00:43:13.09\00:43:14.69
enter into that
covenant with God.
00:43:14.72\00:43:17.19
Does He also offer that same
condition in the New Testament?
00:43:17.23\00:43:20.76
Well, sure He does.
00:43:20.80\00:43:22.06
1 Corinthians chapter 7, verse
19, Paul says, "Circumcision is
00:43:22.10\00:43:25.23
nothing and uncircumcision
is nothing, but keeping the
00:43:25.27\00:43:27.80
commandments of
God is what matters."
00:43:27.84\00:43:31.51
Does that sound like keeping
the commandments of God is a
00:43:31.54\00:43:33.17
condition of entering into
the New Testament with Christ?
00:43:33.21\00:43:36.28
Sure, it is. Of course, it is.
00:43:36.31\00:43:38.41
Jesus Himself
said it in the Sermon
00:43:38.45\00:43:39.85
on the Mount,
Matthew chapter 5, verse 19.
00:43:39.88\00:43:42.88
He said, "Do not think that
I have come to destroy the law.
00:43:42.92\00:43:44.92
I've not come to destroy
the law but to fulfill it.
00:43:44.95\00:43:49.26
I tell you, until heaven and
earth pass away, not one jot or
00:43:49.29\00:43:51.83
one tittle will
pass from the law."
00:43:51.86\00:43:55.43
And so Jesus was making very
clear, as He was approaching His
00:43:55.46\00:43:57.70
death in sealing that New
Testament, that indeed until--He
00:43:57.73\00:44:00.87
didn't say, "Indeed, until I
die on the cross, one jot or one
00:44:00.90\00:44:05.04
tittle of the law
will be done away with."
00:44:05.07\00:44:07.28
That's what many of our
Christian friends believe,
00:44:07.31\00:44:08.78
but that's not what the Bible
00:44:08.81\00:44:10.11
teaches, that's
not what Christ says.
00:44:10.15\00:44:11.45
He says, "Until
heaven and earth pass away."
00:44:11.48\00:44:14.12
Now, I know about
you, friends, but heaven
00:44:14.15\00:44:15.45
and earth
hasn't passed away yet.
00:44:15.48\00:44:20.39
And so very clearly Jesus is
telling us that keeping the law
00:44:20.42\00:44:23.43
of God is important
also for the Christian.
00:44:23.46\00:44:27.00
Otherwise, He said,
"Until I die on the cross,
00:44:27.03\00:44:29.13
one jot or one tittle of
the law will not pass away."
00:44:29.16\00:44:32.33
But that's not what He said.
00:44:32.37\00:44:36.60
And then as He comes to the
end of the Sermon on the Mount,
00:44:36.64\00:44:38.54
in chapter 7, verse 24, He says,
00:44:38.57\00:44:40.64
"He who hears these
sayings of Mine," and?
00:44:40.68\00:44:44.18
Does them, and does them.
00:44:44.21\00:44:48.62
Jesus makes very clear
that not only hearing His saying
00:44:48.65\00:44:50.72
but doing His
sayings and His commandments
00:44:50.75\00:44:52.89
is important.
00:44:52.92\00:44:54.52
John 14:15, again, "If you
love Me, keep My commandments."
00:44:54.56\00:44:58.69
Later on, He says the same thing
00:44:58.73\00:45:00.10
in different
wording, by the way.
00:45:00.13\00:45:01.40
In the same chapter,
John chapter 14, verse 21,
00:45:01.43\00:45:03.73
He also says that "If
we love Him and we have
00:45:03.77\00:45:06.84
His commandments, we will
keep His commandments as well."
00:45:06.87\00:45:10.14
And, of course, there's
countless other times in the New
00:45:10.17\00:45:11.91
Testament where He tells us
that one of the conditions of
00:45:11.94\00:45:14.44
entering the New Testament is to
give God our willing obedience,
00:45:14.48\00:45:20.12
but it has to be
motivated by love.
00:45:20.15\00:45:22.62
If it's motivated by
fear, no, can't accept it.
00:45:22.65\00:45:27.02
If it's motivated
by a legalistic kind of
00:45:27.06\00:45:28.89
self-righteous earning of
heaven, no, God can't accept it.
00:45:28.92\00:45:32.33
But if it's motivated by
love, then God will accept it,
00:45:32.36\00:45:36.67
and He says--and
that's the condition.
00:45:36.70\00:45:38.10
So not only is it
a willing obedience,
00:45:38.13\00:45:39.43
but it is obedience
that is motivated by love
00:45:39.47\00:45:41.74
and the Holy
Spirit within our hearts.
00:45:41.77\00:45:44.61
And that's why God gives
us these essential truths.
00:45:44.64\00:45:48.51
The Old
Testament was sealed with a
00:45:48.54\00:45:49.84
sacrifice
through the priesthood.
00:45:49.88\00:45:51.25
Hebrews chapter 5, verse 1,
is just one verse that verifies
00:45:51.28\00:45:54.42
that for us among many in the
Old Testament, the writings of
00:45:54.45\00:45:56.85
Moses, as well as
the book of Hebrews.
00:45:56.89\00:45:59.05
Was there a sacrifice that was
00:45:59.09\00:46:00.49
an essential element
of the New Testament?
00:46:00.52\00:46:01.99
Of course--the
ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.
00:46:02.02\00:46:04.99
The ultimate sacrifice.
00:46:05.03\00:46:11.37
He offered one sacrifice,
one perfect sacrifice.
00:46:11.40\00:46:13.80
Hebrews chapter 10, in verse 12.
00:46:13.84\00:46:15.80
Hebrews chapter 12, in verse
14, "Through one sacrifice,
00:46:15.84\00:46:20.44
through one offering," it
tells us, "He has perfected
00:46:20.48\00:46:22.84
forever those who
are being sanctified."
00:46:22.88\00:46:25.18
And so a
sacrifice was essential in
00:46:25.21\00:46:26.65
the New Testament
as well as the Old.
00:46:26.68\00:46:28.38
There is the Old Testament
temple that was essential.
00:46:28.42\00:46:30.32
Hebrews chapter 8, verse 1
through 5, tells us that the Old
00:46:30.35\00:46:33.25
Testament temple was an
essential foundation and
00:46:33.29\00:46:35.89
condition and element of the Old
Testament, but it was pointing
00:46:35.92\00:46:38.26
to a better temple that
was also foundational to
00:46:38.29\00:46:40.86
the New Testament,
and so both testaments
00:46:40.90\00:46:42.93
have a foundational temple.
00:46:42.96\00:46:44.80
One is in the Middle East,
up until Jesus's death on the
00:46:44.83\00:46:47.30
cross, and then after that, they
became irrelevant, and now the
00:46:47.34\00:46:50.47
new one that it was pointing
to is the New Testament temple,
00:46:50.51\00:46:53.54
which is in heaven itself, where
Jesus, the new priesthood is
00:46:53.58\00:46:57.65
serving in place of the earthly
priesthood, which is the next
00:46:57.68\00:47:01.38
element that we
find in both testaments.
00:47:01.42\00:47:05.22
And so Hebrews chapter 7, verses
20, through Hebrews chapter 8,
00:47:05.25\00:47:07.96
in verse 1, tells us
very clearly that there was a
00:47:07.99\00:47:10.66
priesthood on earth in the
Middle East, in Israel, but now
00:47:10.69\00:47:14.96
that became irrelevant because
it was fulfilled with a better
00:47:15.00\00:47:17.93
Priest, High Priest and
Priesthood which is one High
00:47:17.97\00:47:20.80
Priest, Jesus
Christ, in a heavenly temple.
00:47:20.84\00:47:24.04
Hebrews chapter 7, verse
20, through chapter 8, verse 1,
00:47:24.07\00:47:27.94
makes that clear for us.
00:47:27.98\00:47:30.11
The Ten Commandments is
obviously a foundational element
00:47:30.15\00:47:32.88
that God gave to the Israelites
that you were to enter into, and
00:47:32.91\00:47:36.45
not only that generation but
any Jew after that and any other
00:47:36.48\00:47:39.85
person on the planet
could become a Jew in the Old
00:47:39.89\00:47:42.76
Testament era, but these are all
the condition and elements that
00:47:42.79\00:47:45.89
they had to--this was the
package deal that God offered to
00:47:45.93\00:47:49.83
any believer,
anybody that wanted to become
00:47:49.86\00:47:51.67
a believer before
Jesus died, and in the
00:47:51.70\00:47:53.87
New Testament era,
the same conditions.
00:47:53.90\00:47:56.07
The package is the same,
00:47:56.10\00:47:59.21
and it's so
important for us to understand.
00:47:59.24\00:48:01.48
Are the Ten
Commandments important
00:48:01.51\00:48:02.81
to the New Testament believer?
00:48:02.84\00:48:05.68
Yes, they are.
00:48:05.71\00:48:07.98
Jesus, again,
said, "Do not think
00:48:08.02\00:48:10.29
that I came to destroy the law.
00:48:10.32\00:48:11.95
I've not come to destroy
the law but to fulfill it."
00:48:11.99\00:48:14.06
He perfectly lived it out.
00:48:14.09\00:48:16.36
He's the only one that never
broke the law in any point,
00:48:16.39\00:48:18.59
at any point in all of His life.
00:48:18.63\00:48:21.03
He perfectly fulfilled the law
in your place and mine because
00:48:21.06\00:48:23.87
He knows that you haven't
fulfilled the law perfectly.
00:48:23.90\00:48:28.20
"But I tell you the truth, until
heaven and earth pass away, not
00:48:28.24\00:48:31.14
one jot or one tittle of
the law will be done away with."
00:48:31.17\00:48:33.81
Now, some people will
say, "Well, that's not the Ten
00:48:33.84\00:48:35.14
Commandments
He's talking about."
00:48:35.18\00:48:36.48
Then why did He go move right
directly into explaining the Ten
00:48:36.51\00:48:38.81
Commandments right
after He made that statement?
00:48:38.85\00:48:40.88
"You have heard that it was
said, 'You shall not murder, and
00:48:40.92\00:48:45.65
if you murder,
you will be in danger
00:48:45.69\00:48:47.12
of judgment and condemnation.'
00:48:47.16\00:48:49.26
But I say to you that,
even if you hate your brother
00:48:49.29\00:48:51.16
or say, 'Raca' or
call him a fool, an idiot,
00:48:51.19\00:48:54.93
you have broken
that commandment."
00:48:54.96\00:48:56.46
Why would Jesus bring us deeper
into the Ten Commandments if He
00:48:56.50\00:48:59.07
wasn't talking about
the Ten Commandments when
00:48:59.10\00:49:01.04
He talked about
"heaven and earth and one jot
00:49:01.07\00:49:02.64
or one tittle
would not pass away"?
00:49:02.67\00:49:05.34
And so, very clearly, the Ten
Commandments, and, of course, I
00:49:05.37\00:49:07.51
could preach a
whole sermon on that.
00:49:07.54\00:49:10.18
Romans chapter 7, verse 12,
Paul calls the Ten Commandment
00:49:10.21\00:49:13.28
law of God holy, good, and just.
00:49:13.31\00:49:16.58
Verse 14, he goes on and
says that it's spiritual.
00:49:16.62\00:49:18.85
He says, "Listen,
there's nothing wrong
00:49:18.89\00:49:20.19
with the Ten Commandment law.
00:49:20.22\00:49:21.52
The only problem
that we have with
00:49:21.56\00:49:23.19
the Ten Commandment law is us."
00:49:23.22\00:49:26.33
Says, "We're the only problem.
00:49:26.36\00:49:27.96
There's a big part
of us that doesn't want
00:49:27.96\00:49:29.30
to keep the Ten Commandments."
00:49:29.33\00:49:30.70
In fact, he said, "Before I was
converted, every time I looked
00:49:30.73\00:49:32.67
at the Ten Commandments,
the more I wanted to break it."
00:49:32.70\00:49:36.24
I'm getting sidetracked
here. All right, and then fear.
00:49:36.27\00:49:40.08
This lesson
study also talks about
00:49:40.11\00:49:41.41
the importance of fearing God.
00:49:41.44\00:49:43.04
Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse
2, God has called us to fear Him
00:49:43.08\00:49:47.75
as we looked at
that passage here today,
00:49:47.78\00:49:49.62
and then chapter 10,
in verse 12, God calls us
00:49:49.65\00:49:52.02
to fear and to love
Him at the same time.
00:49:52.05\00:49:55.82
And so we have to ask ourselves,
"Well, how do we do that?"
00:49:55.86\00:49:58.86
First of all, because
I thought in the Bible,
00:49:58.89\00:50:01.13
in the New Testament,
it says in 1 John, that
00:50:01.16\00:50:03.50
"Perfect love
casts out all fear"?
00:50:03.53\00:50:06.37
And so that can
cause confusion sometimes
00:50:06.40\00:50:07.77
because it says, "Perfect
love casts out all fear."
00:50:07.80\00:50:09.90
God loves us. We love Him back.
00:50:09.94\00:50:11.34
That should cast out all
fear, and, yet He also calls us
00:50:11.37\00:50:14.08
in the Old and in
the New Testament,
00:50:14.11\00:50:15.58
one of the
conditions is to fear God.
00:50:15.61\00:50:19.11
Well, obviously, there's two
definitions there, isn't there?
00:50:19.15\00:50:21.15
God is not contradicting
Himself, but when John wrote
00:50:21.18\00:50:22.98
that "Perfect love casts out
all fear," he knew that he was
00:50:23.02\00:50:25.42
talking about
being scared of God.
00:50:25.45\00:50:28.59
You know, you're kind of walking
and tiptoeing through the day,
00:50:28.62\00:50:31.39
you know, because you're afraid
that, if you go to the left too
00:50:31.43\00:50:33.33
far or to the right, you know,
a lightning bolt is going to zap
00:50:33.36\00:50:35.80
you, or He's going to, you know,
condemn you instantly, and, so,
00:50:35.83\00:50:39.53
God, no, He says, "Perfect love
casts out all fear," because now
00:50:39.57\00:50:42.27
you step into this loving,
saving relationship that also
00:50:42.30\00:50:47.08
entails grace to our lives, that
we might be able to grow and
00:50:47.11\00:50:50.68
walk with Him, and so
we're no longer scared of Him.
00:50:50.71\00:50:53.98
But the fear that we find in
Deuteronomy as well as we find
00:50:54.02\00:50:56.89
in Revelation chapter 14, in the
first angel's message, "Fear God
00:50:56.92\00:51:00.29
and give glory to Him," and
so the New Testament also calls
00:51:00.32\00:51:04.19
Christians and New Testament
believers to fear God, and so
00:51:04.23\00:51:07.66
the command and the direction
is there for both of us,
00:51:07.66\00:51:09.76
again, an element,
a condition in both.
00:51:09.80\00:51:12.40
But this is the fear that when
we awe and we respect God, when
00:51:12.43\00:51:16.60
we use even the term "God," we
use it in a very respectful way.
00:51:16.64\00:51:23.65
And so, for putting OMGs in our
text and our e-mails, and so on,
00:51:23.68\00:51:29.02
and we're saying it out loud,
you know, friends, this is a
00:51:29.05\00:51:32.45
disrespectful--this
is the opposite of fear.
00:51:32.49\00:51:35.82
God has called us to fear God,
to use anything that relates to
00:51:35.86\00:51:39.26
God, the name of God, the person
of God, that we are to use it
00:51:39.29\00:51:44.07
with great
reverence, with great respect.
00:51:44.10\00:51:48.64
I mean, this is the
King of the universe.
00:51:48.67\00:51:50.37
This is the One that made
the heavens and the earth.
00:51:50.41\00:51:52.37
This is the One from eternity
past and eternity future.
00:51:52.41\00:51:55.31
He's the one in
charge of everything.
00:51:55.34\00:51:58.35
The only reason that our hearts
are beating right now is because
00:51:58.38\00:52:00.55
of His grace and because
He is making your heart beat.
00:52:00.58\00:52:06.76
And so, when we approach Him,
you know, sometimes some of us
00:52:06.79\00:52:09.19
may have had the privilege of
entering into the White House.
00:52:09.22\00:52:11.63
Now, I've never had that
privilege, but I can guarantee
00:52:11.66\00:52:13.90
you that I would be just like
any one of you, any respectable
00:52:13.93\00:52:16.67
person that walks into the White
House and meets the President.
00:52:16.70\00:52:19.90
You've got to be very
respectful of that person.
00:52:19.93\00:52:25.64
Everything that that position
represents comes with great
00:52:25.67\00:52:28.88
authority and responsibility
and power, and yet sometimes we
00:52:28.91\00:52:34.22
just kind of drag God
through the mud, and God says,
00:52:34.25\00:52:37.42
no, we must fear
Him, we must fear Him.
00:52:37.45\00:52:41.22
Well, friends, I had a feeling
that the time was going to go
00:52:41.26\00:52:43.16
much faster than I wanted
it to, and sure enough, it did.
00:52:43.19\00:52:45.46
I'm thankful to be able to
go through one of the key points
00:52:45.49\00:52:48.53
there, and I hope that you went
through the lesson study and you
00:52:48.56\00:52:50.70
were able to pick up some of the
other points because there is
00:52:50.73\00:52:53.03
much more than I was able to
cover here today, and so I want
00:52:53.07\00:52:57.17
to wish you a blessing for the
rest of your Sabbath, and we're
00:52:57.21\00:52:59.31
going to take an
intermission even right now.
00:52:59.34\00:53:01.88
It's always nice to be
able to have our online members
00:53:01.91\00:53:04.11
as well as different
friends that have been
00:53:04.15\00:53:05.48
watching online to
join us here today.
00:53:05.51\00:53:07.28
I want to wish you God's
blessing, and join us for
00:53:07.32\00:53:09.08
worship hour as we come
back in just a few moments.
00:53:09.12\00:53:11.72
Until then, God bless
you, and we'll see you soon.
00:53:11.75\00:53:14.42
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female: Well, my conversion
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00:54:03.61\00:54:07.58
Philippines, I just graduated as
a nurse, and afterwards, I did
00:54:07.61\00:54:13.31
not have any religion, and one
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00:54:13.35\00:54:18.55
small church, Catholic Church in
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00:54:18.59\00:54:26.80
and I was kneeling before, and
I could hear Jesus telling me to
00:54:26.83\00:54:32.20
enter the convent, save myself
and also my family, and I said,
00:54:32.23\00:54:37.24
"Lord, I would like to
follow You all the way."
00:54:37.27\00:54:39.91
At that point, I seemed to
be happy externally, but because
00:54:39.94\00:54:44.61
inside the convent we don't read
the Bible, we don't study about
00:54:44.65\00:54:48.68
the Word of God, we pray the
rosaries, we also, at the same
00:54:48.72\00:54:53.82
time, study the lives of the
saints and also our founders and
00:54:53.86\00:54:58.36
the encyclicals of the Pope and
the Virgin Mary, and so I do not
00:54:58.39\00:55:03.70
know the truth, and I had
this torture of conscience,
00:55:03.73\00:55:07.70
the guilty feelings
that cannot be resolved,
00:55:07.74\00:55:11.04
so I will confess to the
priests in the confessional box,
00:55:11.07\00:55:13.74
saying, "Father, forgive me.
00:55:13.78\00:55:17.08
Since my last confession was
last week, since then, I have
00:55:17.11\00:55:20.72
committed the following sin,
including the root cause, why am
00:55:20.75\00:55:24.42
I falling and falling in that
same sin over and over again?"
00:55:24.45\00:55:30.13
And still, for 21
long years, I struggle,
00:55:30.16\00:55:34.20
and I struggle, and I struggle.
00:55:34.20\00:55:36.97
I realized that I
was totally empty.
00:55:37.00\00:55:40.80
I was totally helpless and
hopeless and so depressed and so
00:55:40.84\00:55:45.31
desperate that I would
like already to end my life.
00:55:45.34\00:55:49.94
I was working for five years
as dean of the University of St.
00:55:49.98\00:55:54.48
Augustine College of
Nursing in Iloilo City,
00:55:54.52\00:55:57.79
one of the islands
in the Philippines.
00:55:57.82\00:56:00.96
After five years, I received
a commission from my parents to
00:56:00.99\00:56:06.56
help my sister, who
was being a battered woman.
00:56:06.59\00:56:10.70
This is one of the reasons why
I came over to United States.
00:56:10.73\00:56:15.94
It is because my
sister needs my help.
00:56:15.97\00:56:19.47
As I was working in the hospital
in New York, my boss, Seraphin,
00:56:19.51\00:56:23.55
he was so
gracious enough to give me
00:56:23.58\00:56:25.91
an invitation to the
"Millennium Prophecy."
00:56:25.95\00:56:29.48
As I was listening to Pastor
Doug Batchelor's presentation,
00:56:29.52\00:56:34.42
my heart really was beating so
fast, and my mind--I'm able to
00:56:34.46\00:56:39.39
grasp the truth that this is the
truth that I've been longing to
00:56:39.43\00:56:45.03
hear all my life that I
have been seeking for so long.
00:56:45.07\00:56:50.54
My personal
relationship with Jesus,
00:56:50.57\00:56:53.51
I can see Jesus as
my personal Savior.
00:56:53.54\00:56:57.38
He is not only the
Savior of the whole world,
00:56:57.41\00:56:59.81
but He is my personal Savior.
00:56:59.85\00:57:03.45
He was the one who
delivered me mightily
00:57:03.49\00:57:06.79
from the depths of
sin, from the miry clay.
00:57:06.82\00:57:11.03
Pastor Doug
Batchelor has been used
00:57:11.06\00:57:13.63
by the Lord in my conversion.
00:57:13.66\00:57:16.13
The "Amazing
Facts," I owe to them.
00:57:16.16\00:57:19.83
The Lord really blessed this
ministry, and I'm so proud I was
00:57:19.87\00:57:25.14
able to attend this
"Millennium Prophecy."
00:57:25.17\00:57:28.14
My life has never been the same.
00:57:28.18\00:57:31.35
It has given me that peace, that
joy that never--I have never
00:57:31.38\00:57:37.55
tasted in my life, and
now I'm set free to be able
00:57:37.59\00:57:42.52
to work for Him
and to follow Him.
00:57:42.56\00:57:45.86
¤¤¤
00:57:52.27\00:58:02.24
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00:58:02.28\00:58:12.25
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00:58:12.29\00:58:22.23
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00:58:22.26\00:58:27.80