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Shawn Brummund:
Hello friends, and welcome
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to another edition of the,
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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My name is
Pastor Shawn Brummund,
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and I have the privilege of
hosting today's lesson study.
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We're gonna continue to look at
this quarter's quarterly study
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which is Present Truth
In The Book Of Deuteronomy.
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For many of you who have
joined us and rejoining us,
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it's nice to have you join
us again here this morning.
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For those of you who
are watching live online,
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for those of you
who are with us here
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in the Granite Bay Church,
it is always nice to be able
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to have our church
family come together
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on another Sabbath morning,
as well as we have a number
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of visitors that have
joined us and even coming in
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from out of town as well.
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We also know that there are some
joining us and watching this
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in a future broadcast
on the various networks.
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Nice to have you come and
join us here today as well.
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So, we are, as I said, we
are in the Book of Deuteronomy.
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We're looking at
lesson number six.
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And so if you
have your quarterly,
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make sure that you
go ahead and grab that
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so you can follow along with us.
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And, of course, we also
want to make sure that we have
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our Bible with us as well.
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Before we invite our musicians
forward to help us lead us
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in song, I want to
invite you to take advantage
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of a special free-gift
offer that we have just for you.
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And this particular free-gift
offer is one of my favorite
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study guides, and it's an
important question to ask.
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"Is Obedience Legalism?"
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Is obedience legalism?
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This is a question
that many Christians
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have asked
through the centuries.
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It's one that you may be asking.
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I want to invite you
to take advantage of that.
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You just simply have to
dial into 1-866-788-3966.
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Again, that's
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and ask for free
offer number 706.
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That's available for
those who are in North America
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or any of the US territories.
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So, please take advantage
of that if you've never gone
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through that study guide.
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And if you want to get
a digital copy of that,
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that's also available for you in
a digital format for your phone.
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You can download it by
simply texting the code "SH041."
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And you want to
dial that to 40544,
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and that'll give you a
connection for a free download.
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You can also see
the website address
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that you can also find that
at the Amazing Facts website.
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And by the way, if you don't
have a copy of the quarterly
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and you'd like a
copy, if you haven't visited
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your local Seventh
Day Adventist Church.
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Very rarely it's hard to find
a Seventh Day Adventist Church
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that doesn't have a free copy
offer available for you to be
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able to have in your hands.
00:03:05.21\00:03:06.58
And again, if you want a
digital copy of that you just go
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to Amazingfacts.org
and in the search bar,
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just go ahead and put in their,
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"Present truth Deuteronomy
Sabbath school quarterly."
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Any of those keywords
and you'll be able to find
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a free digital download
copy for you there as well.
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Well, we're going to go ahead
and invite our musicians forward
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as they're going to
lead us in worship in song.
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¤¤¤
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Shawn: Let's go ahead and pray.
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Father in heaven, we
want to thank you so much
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for the opportunity to be able
to worship you here this morning
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through study,
through song, and want to pray
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that you'll bless Pastor Lucas
as he teaches our lesson study
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here again this morning.
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And God, want to pray
that you will bless us
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and that your Holy Spirit
will be our teacher again.
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We thank you for the promise
that you send your Spirit
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to all and sincerely
ask that we might understand
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and embrace the truth.
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And so, God, we want to
pray it in Jesus's name, amen.
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Lucas Rodor: Our lesson
today is a beautiful lesson.
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It's a lesson that kind of
recaps a little bit of history.
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You know, the
study of this lesson is
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really beautiful lesson.
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The Book of
Deuteronomy, I think I remember
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Pastor Doug
mentioning this a few weeks ago.
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But one of the things
that I really like about
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the Book of
Deuteronomy is that you know how
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each different culture has
a different way of introducing
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or inaugurating
their new leader, right?
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For example, here in the US when
the president, he takes power,
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they bring him the
Bible, and there is a vow.
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He places his hand on the Bible,
and he vows certain things.
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And each culture
has something like that.
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In Brazil, they have
something similar, in England.
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And they have
different ways where
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they inaugurate the leader.
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And in the biblical
times, the king was enthroned,
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or the way that
the king was enthroned,
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is that they would
bring the Book of Deuteronomy
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and he would read it.
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He would open up the
scroll, and he would read it,
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and that would qualify
him to then take power.
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It's interesting that when
you look at Revelation chapter 5
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and you see that John is crying,
and there's this whole scene up
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in heaven where John is crying,
it's because he sees the scroll,
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and there's no
one worthy to read it.
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And so, he cries because
the meaning is that the universe
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has no king.
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But then he hears of
the Lamb that is coming.
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And when he looks, he sees who?
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The Lion, the Lion
of the tribe of Judah.
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And so, that, that
being that we know who it is,
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he then opens the
scroll and reads it.
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And that means that the universe
is not left without a king.
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It's not left to just
guide itself in chaos.
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So, there's a lot of,
there's a lot of meaning
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behind the Book of Deuteronomy,
and it ties into the whole
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culture of the Jewish
nation and the Israelite nation
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and to the whole logic,
the very fabric of the Bible.
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So, there's a lot for
us to learn right here
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and for us to unpack.
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Now, the lesson
today is lesson six.
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And the title of this lesson is,
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"For What Nation
Is There So Great".
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Now, this is a
very important lesson.
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The lesson--the memory
verse comes from Deuteronomy
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chapter 4, and we're going
to be reading from this chapter.
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The lesson revolves around
the chapter 4 of Deuteronomy.
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And we're going to be
reading the first few verses
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throughout the lesson.
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But the memory verse
is Deuteronomy 4, verse 8
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that says, "And
what nation is there,
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that hath statutes and
righteous judgments as are--
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are in all this law, which
I set before you this day?"
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That's Deuteronomy
chapter 4, verse 8.
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So, in a way, our
lesson this week revolves
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around Deuteronomy chapter 4.
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Now, the purpose of
the sermon, or the message,
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of this chapter is not
to just remind the people
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of their history.
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It goes beyond this.
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It also emphasizes the power,
the grace, the mercy of God
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in the context in
which they're going through.
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And God, this God
that is being emphasized,
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is the God that
never gives up on humans.
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Despite of their weaknesses,
despite of their failures,
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and despite of the many times
where he has to discipline them
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and even chastise them, this
is the God that never gives up.
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The Bible says that God
disciplines those who he what?
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Who he loves.
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So, if God loves us,
we can expect discipline.
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You can expect that
have good parents also.
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If parents love their children,
they won't just let them do
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whatever they want.
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That's not a proof of love.
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That kind of freedom
is a proof of disinterest.
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You know, the
contrary of love is not hate.
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It's just
disinterest, not caring.
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That is the true
opposite of love.
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And so, the God that we find in
the Bible is a God who extends
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His mercy, His love,
and yes, His discipline,
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to those who are
not perfect, who fall.
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And we see this here
in the story of Israel,
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but he doesn't give up on them.
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And so, the text that
starts off the week really is
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Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse 1.
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And that's what we're
going to read right now.
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Deuteronomy 4, verse 1
that says--now I really want you
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to pay attention to the wording
because we're gonna go deep into
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the words that are presented
to us here in this lesson.
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"Now," it starts off with "now."
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The whole chapter
starts off with the word "now."
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"Now, O Israel, listen to the
statutes and the judgments which
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I teach you to observe, that you
may live, and go in and possess
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the land which the Lord God
of your fathers is giving you."
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So, what's interesting is
that the word that starts off
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the chapter is the word "now."
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This is a transitional
word in this literature.
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It's a transitional word.
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"Now, O Israel, listen to the,"
it indicates the continuity,
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right?
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It's tying what is about to be
said to what has just been said.
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The first three
chapters are really a recap,
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a historical telling, of
what had already happened
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to these people.
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And now, Moses gets
into the application
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of what that recap was about.
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So, that's why he
ties in chapter 1, 2, and 3
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with chapter 4 saying,
"And now. Now, Israel."
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So, he's applying it.
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"Now Israel."
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In the previous verses, he
offers this historical revision,
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and he draws a
portrait of everything that
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had happened to them so
far, up to this specific moment.
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Now, the past was a--you see
how I used the word "now" there,
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right?
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Now, I'm applying this.
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So, that's what Moses is doing.
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But the past here, up to
this point, was a reminder.
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It was a reminder to them.
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There's a saying that says,
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"Whoever doesn't have
a past is discardable."
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So, of course, that's
not, you know, literally true.
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You're not just
gonna discard a person
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because you
don't know their past.
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But having a past, having
experiences, that's a big thing,
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right?
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My father always told me
growing up that experience
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isn't primarily the
things that happened to you,
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but the use that
you have for the things
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that have happened to you.
00:13:01.48\00:13:04.21
The Bible talks in the
Book of Proverbs of old men
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that are foolish and
young men that are wise.
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How is that possible?
00:13:10.65\00:13:12.12
Well, that's possible,
because it's possible for you
00:13:12.15\00:13:13.86
to do the same thing
for 50 years the wrong way.
00:13:13.89\00:13:16.62
Have you ever heard someone
say, "I've been doing this
00:13:16.66\00:13:18.33
for 50 years, and I'm
not going to stop now"?
00:13:18.36\00:13:20.96
Well, that doesn't mean that
much because you might have been
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doing it for 50 years in a
bad way, in an inefficient way.
00:13:23.50\00:13:27.57
And so, I really like
that saying because growing up,
00:13:27.60\00:13:31.14
I mean, I was a young
guy, and I wanted to be wise.
00:13:31.17\00:13:33.74
No doubt there were many
moments where I was foolish,
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where I acted foolishly.
00:13:35.91\00:13:37.51
But experiences in only the
things that happened to you,
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but they use, the application
that you give, or that you use,
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the things that happened to you.
00:13:46.86\00:13:48.16
So, not only do you
have to go through life,
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.26
but you have to apply
the lessons correctly.
00:13:50.29\00:13:52.63
And that is precisely what
Moses is bringing the children
00:13:52.66\00:13:55.36
of Israel to in
here in chapter 4.
00:13:55.40\00:13:58.00
Scripture frequently
reminds us of the past,
00:13:58.03\00:14:00.90
and this way it
becomes our teacher.
00:14:00.94\00:14:03.77
The past becomes our teacher.
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.34
Now, we can learn from
what happens to other people.
00:14:05.37\00:14:08.94
Those are the
smartest kinds of people,
00:14:08.98\00:14:10.41
those who learn from
the mistakes of others.
00:14:10.45\00:14:13.45
And you can also learn from
the things that happened to you.
00:14:13.48\00:14:16.55
Now, I'm not saying that
that's not smart people because
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a lot of times things happen
that's not under your control,
00:14:19.09\00:14:21.46
and you can still use it.
00:14:21.49\00:14:22.99
You can still apply
it and learn from it,
00:14:23.02\00:14:24.49
but fools do not
learn one way or the other.
00:14:24.53\00:14:28.86
So, you can learn from the
things that happen in your life.
00:14:28.90\00:14:30.90
You can learn from
the things that happen
00:14:30.93\00:14:32.43
in other people's lives.
00:14:32.47\00:14:33.77
But the point here is
that you have to learn
00:14:33.80\00:14:35.90
because fools don't learn either
with the things that happen
00:14:35.94\00:14:38.01
with other
people, or with the things
00:14:38.04\00:14:39.81
that happen to themselves.
00:14:39.84\00:14:42.48
The first verb here after
the word "now" in this verse,
00:14:42.51\00:14:46.28
verse 1, is the
transitional word also "shema."
00:14:46.31\00:14:50.45
The word "shema."
00:14:50.49\00:14:51.79
It's a Hebrew rich word,
and it normally means here.
00:14:51.82\00:14:55.16
You remember that
prayer the Israelite--
00:14:55.19\00:14:57.19
the most important prayer that
was pronounced by any Israelite
00:14:57.23\00:15:02.30
was the Shema prayer.
00:15:02.33\00:15:03.80
[Speaking in Hebrew]
00:15:03.83\00:15:07.37
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is one."
00:15:07.40\00:15:10.67
Beautiful prayer.
00:15:10.71\00:15:12.07
And that word "shema" is
the word that is used here right
00:15:12.11\00:15:14.54
after the transitional word,
the transitional word "now."
00:15:14.58\00:15:18.18
But to hear in biblical
terms, it doesn't only designate
00:15:18.21\00:15:23.02
literal listening or hearing
with your ears the listening
00:15:23.05\00:15:26.72
of sound, but it
carries something practical
00:15:26.76\00:15:29.92
in its meaning in
the terms of obeying.
00:15:29.96\00:15:33.56
Hear, listen, take
note of, pay attention to.
00:15:33.60\00:15:38.13
The Book of Revelation, for
example, while written in Greek,
00:15:38.17\00:15:41.30
it does reflect the Hebrew
mindset of its human author,
00:15:41.34\00:15:44.94
of John.
00:15:44.97\00:15:46.64
Revelation chapter
1, verse 3, for example,
00:15:46.68\00:15:48.48
Blessed is he who what?
00:15:48.51\00:15:50.58
Who reads and hears.
00:15:50.61\00:15:54.78
Blessed is he
who reads and hears.
00:15:54.82\00:15:56.75
Now, what is John saying here?
00:15:56.79\00:15:58.32
Blessed is he who looks
at those letters and listens
00:15:58.35\00:16:02.02
to whatever is being said?
00:16:02.06\00:16:03.63
Is that what John is getting to?
00:16:03.66\00:16:05.29
No.
00:16:05.33\00:16:06.83
Blessed is he who
listens and hears, or blessed is
00:16:06.86\00:16:10.53
he who pays attention, listens,
and puts into practice, applies
00:16:10.57\00:16:15.04
into their very own
life, who hear the words
00:16:15.07\00:16:18.21
of this prophecy and keep those
things which are written in it.
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.98
So, to read and to hear
reflect one solid reality,
00:16:21.01\00:16:25.05
which is to obey.
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.45
To listen and to hear
reflect the reality of obeying.
00:16:27.48\00:16:31.62
When we think, for
example, of atheism, right,
00:16:31.65\00:16:34.59
when we think about atheism
and we criticize atheism,
00:16:34.62\00:16:37.59
and as believers, as theists,
00:16:37.63\00:16:40.13
we criticize
atheism because we believe
00:16:40.16\00:16:42.20
that there is a God.
00:16:42.23\00:16:43.80
But in atheism,
you find two kinds.
00:16:43.83\00:16:47.34
You find abstract
or theoretical atheism,
00:16:47.37\00:16:51.14
which is the belief system,
00:16:51.17\00:16:52.87
the philosophical
system behind atheism.
00:16:52.91\00:16:55.38
But there is one other
part, one portion of atheism,
00:16:55.41\00:16:58.68
one side of it, that we
often forget and unfortunately,
00:16:58.71\00:17:03.65
we may very well represent
and replicate in our very lives.
00:17:03.69\00:17:08.19
You know what that
form of atheism is called?
00:17:08.22\00:17:12.19
Practical atheism.
00:17:12.23\00:17:15.16
Practical atheism
translates into we may even know
00:17:15.20\00:17:19.70
what's right, we may even know
what's true, we may even hear,
00:17:19.73\00:17:23.84
but we don't listen.
00:17:23.87\00:17:27.38
We don't apply it.
00:17:27.41\00:17:29.38
It's when you know
something, but you don't do it.
00:17:29.41\00:17:34.95
That's the famous, "God
is saying, but I think."
00:17:34.98\00:17:40.72
Has that ever happened to you?
00:17:40.76\00:17:42.86
"You know, the
Bible's saying this,
00:17:42.89\00:17:44.19
but I don't
think it's this way."
00:17:44.23\00:17:46.76
That's called practical atheism.
00:17:46.80\00:17:49.73
It's when you're
convinced of the gospel,
00:17:49.76\00:17:53.27
but not very
much converted to it.
00:17:53.30\00:17:55.44
And that's dangerous.
00:17:55.47\00:17:56.77
And that's what Moses
is calling the attention
00:17:56.81\00:17:58.81
of the Israelites
to here in chapter 4.
00:17:58.84\00:18:01.71
Sunday's lesson
presents this very reality
00:18:01.74\00:18:03.78
where it starts the title
is, "Do Not Add Or Take Away".
00:18:03.81\00:18:08.22
Now, Sunday's lesson here,
it continues to present the
00:18:08.25\00:18:10.95
lesson that God, through Moses,
is striving to communicate.
00:18:10.99\00:18:14.49
He's doing his best
to communicate to give
00:18:14.52\00:18:16.86
the context and to
tell the children of Israel
00:18:16.89\00:18:18.83
that they
cannot add or take away
00:18:18.86\00:18:20.93
from the words
that God has given them.
00:18:20.96\00:18:22.56
We see this here in verse 2.
00:18:22.60\00:18:24.10
"You shall not add to
the word which I command you,
00:18:24.13\00:18:26.40
nor take from it, that
you may keep the commandments
00:18:26.43\00:18:29.77
of the Lord your God
which I command you."
00:18:29.80\00:18:31.64
So, here's where we
find the logical sequence
00:18:31.67\00:18:34.34
of the narrative.
00:18:34.38\00:18:35.91
It's worthless to be reminded
of the lessons from our past
00:18:35.94\00:18:38.78
if we feel free to
selectively add or take.
00:18:38.81\00:18:42.95
And we call that
cherry-picking, right?
00:18:42.98\00:18:44.65
If we selectively
cherry-pick from the lesson,
00:18:44.69\00:18:48.32
"Well, God did
this, God did that,
00:18:48.36\00:18:50.13
I learned this, I
learned that, but you know what?
00:18:50.16\00:18:52.09
This year I don't
really care for it, not because
00:18:52.13\00:18:54.46
it's not important, but
because it's uncomfortable."
00:18:54.50\00:18:58.40
A lot of people like to
cherry-pick their lessons.
00:18:58.43\00:19:02.70
And God is telling them
here, "You cannot do this.
00:19:02.74\00:19:05.47
Do not add and do not
remove what I have taught you.
00:19:05.51\00:19:08.78
Do not add or remove from
the statutes, the judgments,
00:19:08.81\00:19:11.18
because these things
are the entirety of the law,
00:19:11.21\00:19:14.15
and you're not at
liberty to just cherry-pick
00:19:14.18\00:19:15.85
whatever you want."
00:19:15.88\00:19:17.29
That's what God
is telling them here.
00:19:17.32\00:19:18.99
And we, while this is a very
ancient text, this is, you know,
00:19:19.02\00:19:23.86
3500 years old at least,
this is a very modern problem.
00:19:23.89\00:19:30.20
And we suffer also from
this very same syndrome.
00:19:30.23\00:19:34.20
Here, Israel is not--or
is warned not to make history
00:19:34.24\00:19:41.24
a lesson where they
forget certain aspects of it,
00:19:41.28\00:19:44.68
and they remember
other certain aspects of it,
00:19:44.71\00:19:48.08
choosing whatever is pleasing
00:19:48.12\00:19:49.92
and rejecting whatever
else seems to be a bother.
00:19:49.95\00:19:53.19
It's not by chance that the
great scientist and philosopher
00:19:53.22\00:19:55.76
Blaise Pascal, very famous,
I believe, French scientist
00:19:55.79\00:20:02.43
and
philosopher, a great thinker,
00:20:02.46\00:20:05.03
he said that it
is not incredulity
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.17
that breeds disobedience or
that generates disobedience.
00:20:07.20\00:20:11.44
Rather, it is disobedience that
breeds or generates incredulity.
00:20:11.47\00:20:17.68
So, what he's
saying is that many times,
00:20:17.71\00:20:21.75
it's not the fact
that we don't believe that
00:20:21.78\00:20:24.22
we start disobeying and we start
sliding in our spiritual life.
00:20:24.25\00:20:27.26
It's the contrary.
00:20:27.29\00:20:28.72
It's when I start disobeying and
not regarding God's judgments
00:20:28.76\00:20:31.76
and statutes that then the doubt
starts coming into my mind.
00:20:31.79\00:20:35.70
Do you see the difference?
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.73
Primarily, it's not you
not believing that leads
00:20:37.77\00:20:40.67
to you disobeying.
00:20:40.70\00:20:42.40
It's you disobeying that
leads to you not believing.
00:20:42.44\00:20:44.97
That's what he's saying.
00:20:45.01\00:20:47.18
A lot of times people ask
me, or and I've heard it asked
00:20:47.21\00:20:50.05
to many pastors and elders.
00:20:50.08\00:20:51.55
You know, and they say, in
my case people come and say,
00:20:51.58\00:20:54.65
"Pastor, where do I start from?
00:20:54.68\00:20:57.49
How do I start this
Christian journey, this walk?
00:20:57.52\00:20:59.82
There's so many things, there's
so many different aspects to it,
00:20:59.85\00:21:02.29
right?
00:21:02.32\00:21:03.79
I have to do this
and this and this.
00:21:03.83\00:21:05.13
And I have to go
here and here and there.
00:21:05.16\00:21:06.53
And there's apparently so
many things that we have to do,
00:21:06.56\00:21:08.00
how do I--how
do-- where do I start?"
00:21:08.03\00:21:11.07
You know what
the best answer is?
00:21:11.10\00:21:12.90
Start with what you know.
00:21:12.93\00:21:14.94
Just start with what you know.
00:21:14.97\00:21:16.74
There's some very simple basics.
00:21:16.77\00:21:20.34
Start by obeying God's Word.
00:21:20.38\00:21:23.81
Start by honoring
his personality that way.
00:21:23.85\00:21:27.08
And I'm sure that he
will reveal the next steps.
00:21:27.12\00:21:30.05
But he's not going to
reveal the far away steps
00:21:30.09\00:21:33.39
if you're having a hard time
in your life or you're randomly,
00:21:33.42\00:21:36.46
you know, or not so randomly,
00:21:36.49\00:21:38.59
selectively
cherry-picking whatever you want
00:21:38.63\00:21:40.73
and casting aside
what is bothersome to you.
00:21:40.76\00:21:43.30
And that's
precisely, for example,
00:21:43.33\00:21:45.43
the description that Jesus
gives us in John chapter 3,
00:21:45.47\00:21:48.24
verse 19 and 20.
00:21:48.27\00:21:49.67
Look at what he says.
00:21:49.70\00:21:51.17
He says, John 3:19 and 20,
"And this is the condemnation,
00:21:51.21\00:21:53.64
that the light has come into the
world, and men loved darkness
00:21:53.68\00:21:56.95
rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.
00:21:56.98\00:21:59.95
For everyone practicing evil
hates the light and does not
00:22:00.05\00:22:03.69
come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed."
00:22:03.72\00:22:07.32
And so, in the generalized
disobedience of humanity,
00:22:07.36\00:22:11.23
we choose
exactly what is pleasing.
00:22:11.26\00:22:13.66
I mean, that's
just obvious, right?
00:22:13.70\00:22:15.13
You're not gonna choose what
is displeasing, not normally.
00:22:15.16\00:22:17.43
Why would you?
00:22:17.47\00:22:19.63
We like choosing
things that are pleasing,
00:22:19.67\00:22:21.54
things that don't bother
us and that leave us just
00:22:21.57\00:22:24.17
as we are, without
any real need of change.
00:22:24.21\00:22:29.08
People usually
don't like change.
00:22:29.11\00:22:32.81
I think it was Mark
Twain, and I think Pastor Doug
00:22:32.85\00:22:36.55
said this a few weeks
ago, but I remember my dad,
00:22:36.58\00:22:39.15
you know, repeating it over
and over again as I grew up.
00:22:39.19\00:22:41.49
Maybe he heard
it from Pastor Doug.
00:22:41.52\00:22:43.32
But I think it was
Mark Twain that said that,
00:22:43.36\00:22:46.13
"It's not the
things that Jesus said
00:22:46.16\00:22:47.76
that I don't
understand that bother me,
00:22:47.83\00:22:49.43
but the things that
Jesus said and I do understand
00:22:49.46\00:22:53.84
and have a difficult
time in applying in my life."
00:22:53.87\00:22:56.24
Those are the hard things.
00:22:56.27\00:22:58.14
And so, the disobedience is
confirmed by our incredulity
00:22:58.17\00:23:00.78
that is used then to justify
being left alone and in peace.
00:23:00.81\00:23:05.11
"you know what?
00:23:05.15\00:23:06.45
I don't want to obey because
it's not comfortable to obey.
00:23:06.48\00:23:09.82
And I don't think I even
believe in this stuff anyway."
00:23:09.85\00:23:12.59
That's the
logical train of thought.
00:23:12.62\00:23:15.16
Now, the warning regarding
the danger here of adding
00:23:15.19\00:23:18.26
or taking away, it echoes in
multiple places of Scripture.
00:23:18.29\00:23:22.26
For example, Revelation
chapter 22, verse 18, and 19,
00:23:22.30\00:23:25.73
and I'm sure that many of
you here know this by heart.
00:23:25.77\00:23:28.54
It says, "For I testify to
everyone who hears the words
00:23:28.57\00:23:31.47
of the prophecy of this book:
If anyone adds to these things,
00:23:31.51\00:23:34.68
God will add to him the plagues
that are written in this book;
00:23:34.71\00:23:38.45
and if anyone
takes away from the words
00:23:38.48\00:23:41.15
of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part
00:23:41.18\00:23:43.42
from the Book of
Life, from the holy city,
00:23:43.45\00:23:45.82
and from the things which
are written in this book."
00:23:45.85\00:23:49.52
Now, someone could
say, "Well, seriously?
00:23:49.56\00:23:52.59
That's how--that's
how far God would go here?
00:23:52.63\00:23:55.26
That's how serious this is?"
00:23:55.30\00:23:56.60
Yes, seriously.
00:23:56.63\00:23:58.57
That's how serious this is.
00:23:58.60\00:24:02.14
Matthew describes
this reality perfectly.
00:24:02.17\00:24:04.97
I'm gonna jump the text
that I was going to read,
00:24:05.01\00:24:06.91
but it's Matthew 15:1 through 9.
00:24:06.94\00:24:08.91
And what we see reflected
here is Jesus calling out
00:24:08.94\00:24:11.31
the hypocrisy of the Jewish
leaders that did selectively
00:24:11.35\00:24:15.55
choose what they
wanted to take heed of
00:24:15.58\00:24:18.15
and what they wanted to discard.
00:24:18.19\00:24:20.02
And unfortunately for them,
what they were discarding were
00:24:20.06\00:24:22.96
the commandments of God that
they found in the Old Testament,
00:24:22.99\00:24:26.49
and what they were
selectively choosing were
00:24:26.53\00:24:28.63
their own traditions.
00:24:28.66\00:24:31.43
You know what that equates to?
00:24:31.47\00:24:33.17
Idolatry.
00:24:33.20\00:24:35.04
You know why?
00:24:35.07\00:24:36.47
Because when I indoctrinate
my opinion, I am placing myself
00:24:36.50\00:24:39.91
in the place of
God, and I am therefore
00:24:39.94\00:24:42.01
making myself a god unto myself.
00:24:42.04\00:24:44.88
You have to be very careful to
not indoctrinate your opinions.
00:24:44.91\00:24:50.25
We are different people.
00:24:50.29\00:24:51.92
There are things that we
like and things that we dislike.
00:24:51.95\00:24:54.89
There are ways that
I like to comb my hair
00:24:54.92\00:24:56.73
that doesn't work for everyone.
00:24:56.76\00:24:58.46
But if I go around saying
that, "this is the way of heaven
00:24:58.49\00:25:01.03
and you gotta comb your
hair the same way that I do
00:25:01.06\00:25:03.60
because that's the way that
God revealed it in the Bible
00:25:03.63\00:25:05.80
and if you don't,
you're going to hell."
00:25:05.83\00:25:08.07
Well, does God really say that?
00:25:08.10\00:25:11.27
Does God imply that?
00:25:11.31\00:25:14.41
You see what I did there?
00:25:14.44\00:25:16.41
I placed myself
in the place of God.
00:25:16.44\00:25:19.08
I put words in God's
mouth, and I broke, right there,
00:25:19.11\00:25:22.45
a bunch of commandments.
00:25:22.48\00:25:25.42
Be careful not to
indoctrinate your opinion.
00:25:25.45\00:25:27.32
Be careful not to
add or to withdraw.
00:25:27.36\00:25:29.22
The religious leaders of
Jesus's day had become experts
00:25:29.26\00:25:31.26
in adding and taking
away God's divine orders.
00:25:31.29\00:25:35.33
Zeal without understanding,
zeal but ignorant,
00:25:35.36\00:25:40.44
zealous but ignorant.
00:25:40.47\00:25:42.04
Emil Brunner, he was
a Protestant theologian.
00:25:42.07\00:25:44.41
You have to take a lot of what
he says with a grain of salt,
00:25:44.44\00:25:47.04
not Adventist, but he did
say a few interesting things.
00:25:47.08\00:25:51.11
And he called
this human compulsion,
00:25:51.15\00:25:54.68
especially the compulsion
of adding, adding to things,
00:25:54.72\00:25:58.09
of exaggerating or blowing
things up where they weren't.
00:25:58.12\00:26:01.52
He calls this
the sin of devotion.
00:26:01.56\00:26:05.29
And that's precisely
what the Israelite leaders
00:26:05.33\00:26:07.66
of Jesus's day did.
00:26:07.66\00:26:09.30
They increased.
00:26:09.33\00:26:10.63
They were so zealous in
their own way that they just--
00:26:10.67\00:26:13.84
about the
commandment of the Sabbath.
00:26:13.87\00:26:15.64
I think I've said this before.
00:26:15.67\00:26:16.97
Do you know how
many laws there were?
00:26:17.01\00:26:19.34
One thousand two
hundred and fifty-one laws
00:26:19.37\00:26:23.35
or whatever 39 times 39 is.
00:26:23.38\00:26:25.85
I might be wrong
there with the 1,251.
00:26:25.88\00:26:28.55
But it was around 1200 or 1300
laws just about the Sabbath,
00:26:28.58\00:26:32.35
just about the
Sabbath, 1200 laws.
00:26:32.39\00:26:37.79
The sin of devotion,
idolatry, making yourself,
00:26:37.83\00:26:40.90
or in this their case, making
themselves gods unto themselves.
00:26:40.93\00:26:44.70
Adding or taking away
expresses human dissatisfaction
00:26:44.73\00:26:49.30
with God's orders.
00:26:49.34\00:26:51.11
The famous mentality
that I've already mentioned,
00:26:51.14\00:26:52.64
"God said, but I think.
00:26:52.67\00:26:57.21
God said, but I think."
00:26:57.25\00:26:58.75
Or even yet the syndrome
of, "I think I know better.
00:26:58.78\00:27:02.28
I think it will work better
for me if I just go this way."
00:27:02.32\00:27:05.62
And friends, we're
all tempted of this.
00:27:05.65\00:27:09.96
And that segues into what
happens on Monday's lesson
00:27:09.99\00:27:13.23
because here we see a practical
reality of this very situation.
00:27:13.26\00:27:16.80
Monday's lesson is
entitled Baal Peor.
00:27:16.83\00:27:20.84
Now, I might be pronouncing
that, that latter word,
00:27:20.87\00:27:25.21
incorrectly in
English, but Baal Peor,
00:27:25.24\00:27:29.41
which is the name
of a false god here.
00:27:29.44\00:27:31.95
What happens here is that Israel
is reminded of the incidents
00:27:31.98\00:27:34.82
of Numbers chapter 25,
and the chilling consequences
00:27:34.85\00:27:37.92
of God's judgments
and the death spiritual
00:27:37.95\00:27:41.26
to that spiritual prostitution
and harlotry to Baal Peor.
00:27:41.29\00:27:44.89
Now, this god Baal Peor, or
just Baal is how you usually
00:27:44.93\00:27:48.60
will find him, he was
the god of the Moabites.
00:27:48.63\00:27:51.13
This was a Moabite god.
00:27:51.17\00:27:52.57
Some interpreters believe that
the worship that is described
00:27:52.60\00:27:55.57
in 1 Kings chapter 18
in the scenario with Elijah
00:27:55.60\00:27:58.94
and Mount Carmel, that
was the worship of Baal Peor,
00:27:58.97\00:28:02.94
that's what was involved
or was one of the elements
00:28:02.98\00:28:05.75
of their worship.
00:28:05.78\00:28:07.78
Now, the idolatry to
Baal infected the ten tribes
00:28:07.82\00:28:12.45
of northern Israel, and
he became their official god.
00:28:12.49\00:28:16.76
You know how Moses
warns the children of Israel.
00:28:16.79\00:28:20.16
Later we're gonna look at
this throughout the lesson,
00:28:20.20\00:28:22.63
but he warns them
that if they became worse,
00:28:22.66\00:28:26.00
if they did not listen to the
statutes and judgments of God,
00:28:26.03\00:28:28.44
if they did not take heed
to what he had ordered them,
00:28:28.47\00:28:32.44
they would become worse
than the surrounding nations.
00:28:32.47\00:28:36.18
And indeed they did.
00:28:36.21\00:28:39.01
The northern ten tribes, their
main god, their official god,
00:28:39.05\00:28:43.15
became Baal, and this infected
also Judah in the south.
00:28:43.18\00:28:48.32
And worship to Baal only
ended truly with the captivity
00:28:48.36\00:28:52.79
and the exile of Babylon.
00:28:52.83\00:28:55.86
Worship to Baal Peor
was tied to fertility.
00:28:55.90\00:28:58.53
And we talked about this a few
weeks ago when we were talking
00:28:58.57\00:29:01.74
about the difference between
polytheism and monotheism.
00:29:01.77\00:29:05.47
So, it was tied to that concept
of fertility, to survival.
00:29:05.51\00:29:08.84
They needed to be fertile
so that they could survive.
00:29:08.88\00:29:12.08
And that led to religious
harlotry and prostitution,
00:29:12.11\00:29:14.82
and they're in light--it's
appealed to these people.
00:29:14.85\00:29:17.72
Baal, among other gods,
00:29:17.75\00:29:19.42
represented and was considered
the god of sexual desires.
00:29:19.45\00:29:23.56
To the
Israelites, he was described
00:29:23.59\00:29:25.43
as the god of sexual sins.
00:29:25.46\00:29:27.76
Now, while, friends,
this is a very ancient issue,
00:29:27.76\00:29:30.37
Baal continues alive
and well in modern culture.
00:29:30.40\00:29:36.10
In the Playboy mentality,
the culture of pornography
00:29:36.14\00:29:38.67
that corrupts and destroys
millions of its worshipers,
00:29:38.71\00:29:41.91
paves the way for
the prince of darkness.
00:29:41.94\00:29:46.48
It corrupts and disfigures
the beautiful creation of God.
00:29:46.51\00:29:49.65
Pornography, and
all that it involves,
00:29:49.68\00:29:52.22
is considered the
moral AIDS of the modern age.
00:29:52.25\00:29:57.66
That terminology
didn't come from me.
00:29:57.69\00:29:59.46
That was on the cover of
"Time Magazine" a few years ago.
00:29:59.49\00:30:02.46
And in that case, our
prayer must always be the same
00:30:03.30\00:30:07.27
as David's in his
psalm of penitence,
00:30:07.30\00:30:09.70
Psalm chapter 51, verse 10.
00:30:09.74\00:30:11.94
"Create in me a clean heart,
00:30:11.97\00:30:13.78
O God, and renew a
steadfast spirit within me."
00:30:13.81\00:30:17.51
You know, the verb "create"
here is a very special verb.
00:30:17.55\00:30:21.12
It's the Hebrew word
"bara," and it is a word
00:30:21.15\00:30:24.45
that is exclusive to Hebrew.
00:30:24.49\00:30:26.49
This Hebrew word that translates
to "create" is only applied
00:30:26.52\00:30:30.79
to God, to Yahweh, only.
00:30:30.83\00:30:33.43
And what it translates
into is an ability to create
00:30:33.46\00:30:37.03
from nothing, to call
things into existence.
00:30:37.07\00:30:40.14
So, what David is
literally saying, he's saying,
00:30:40.17\00:30:42.67
"God, call into being,
call into existence in my life
00:30:42.70\00:30:46.98
a pure heart because, of
myself, I can't do this."
00:30:47.01\00:30:51.91
The children of Israel
were very explicitly involved
00:30:51.95\00:30:54.52
in what that meant.
00:30:54.55\00:30:56.05
And today, friends,
perhaps implicitly in your life,
00:30:56.08\00:30:59.75
you may be involved.
00:30:59.79\00:31:03.19
Pray this prayer, "Create
in me, O God, a pure heart."
00:31:03.22\00:31:10.57
Those who desire to overcome
the culture of sex must learn to
00:31:10.60\00:31:15.17
pray for the creation, the bara,
of a clean and pure spirit.
00:31:15.20\00:31:21.41
Friends, this is
something that only God can do,
00:31:21.44\00:31:25.08
only God can do.
00:31:25.11\00:31:26.82
In the context of Baal
Peor, Satan's strategy was
00:31:26.85\00:31:29.95
the only possible one, but it
was also the most effective one.
00:31:29.98\00:31:36.02
"Patriarchs and Prophets," page
451, is very insightful here.
00:31:36.06\00:31:40.80
It says Balaam, and this is in
the context of that story there
00:31:40.83\00:31:44.10
of Numbers 25
and what Balaam did.
00:31:44.13\00:31:46.13
"Balaam knew that the
prosperity of Israel depended
00:31:46.17\00:31:48.50
upon their
obedience of God, or to God,
00:31:48.54\00:31:52.64
and that there was no
way to cause their overthrow
00:31:52.67\00:31:56.54
but by seducing them into sin.
00:31:56.58\00:31:58.58
He now decided to secure Balak's
favor by advising the Moabites
00:31:58.61\00:32:02.45
of the course to be pursued
to bring a curse upon Israel.
00:32:02.48\00:32:06.45
He immediately
returned to the land of Moab--"
00:32:06.49\00:32:08.66
This is where he had
already been sent away.
00:32:08.69\00:32:10.33
He had been--God had not
allowed him to pronounce curses.
00:32:10.36\00:32:13.26
He had, on the other
hand, pronounced blessings.
00:32:13.29\00:32:15.33
Balak, the king
there, was angry.
00:32:15.36\00:32:17.10
He sent him away.
00:32:17.13\00:32:18.43
The Spirit of God left Balaam.
00:32:18.47\00:32:19.93
Balaam them starts to
devise how he could then
00:32:19.97\00:32:22.00
secure Balak's favor.
00:32:22.04\00:32:23.34
He comes back and
presents a satanic strategy.
00:32:23.37\00:32:25.87
"He immediately
returned to the land of Moab
00:32:25.91\00:32:28.28
and laid his
plans before the king.
00:32:28.31\00:32:30.28
The Moabites themselves were
convinced that as long as Israel
00:32:30.31\00:32:33.48
remained true to God--"
00:32:33.52\00:32:34.82
Friends, as long as
we remain true to God.
00:32:34.85\00:32:37.15
That's the teaching here.
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.49
As long as we remain true
to God, we remain protected.
00:32:38.52\00:32:44.63
"As long as they
remained true to God,
00:32:44.66\00:32:46.29
He would be their shield.
00:32:46.33\00:32:47.66
The plan proposed by Balaam
was to separate them from God
00:32:47.66\00:32:50.77
by enticing them into idolatry.
00:32:50.80\00:32:53.03
If they could be led to
engage in the licentious worship
00:32:53.07\00:32:55.70
of Baal and Ashtaroth,
their omnipotent Protector
00:32:55.74\00:32:58.81
would become their enemy,
and they would soon fall a prey
00:32:58.84\00:33:01.91
to the fierce,
warlike nations around them."
00:33:01.94\00:33:04.45
The prosperity of God's people
00:33:04.48\00:33:06.75
depend on their
obedience to him.
00:33:06.78\00:33:09.28
The only way to overthrow
them is seduce them into sin.
00:33:09.32\00:33:12.52
Now, someone might be
tempted to say, "Well, I mean,
00:33:12.55\00:33:15.22
isn't this taking
away our free will?"
00:33:15.26\00:33:17.73
If I have to, if I want
to be protected and if I want
00:33:17.76\00:33:20.20
to have a good life,
well, then I have to obey God?"
00:33:20.23\00:33:22.40
First of all, that's a
fallacy because in the Bible,
00:33:22.43\00:33:24.63
you'll see that those
who are obedient to God,
00:33:24.67\00:33:26.60
most of the times, good things
don't happen to them, right.
00:33:26.63\00:33:30.61
So, that's already
a fallacy in itself.
00:33:30.64\00:33:32.71
That's a fallacy
called prosperity theology,
00:33:32.74\00:33:35.78
where you think you
can put God in your pocket.
00:33:35.81\00:33:38.05
Gonna give God a bunch of
money, give tithes and offering,
00:33:38.08\00:33:40.38
I'm gonna pay my tithes.
00:33:40.42\00:33:42.42
There's a--if I have a pet
peeve, it's when people say,
00:33:42.45\00:33:45.29
"pay tithes."
00:33:45.32\00:33:46.62
We do not pay tithe.
00:33:46.65\00:33:47.96
We return to God
what's already his.
00:33:47.99\00:33:50.69
But in any case,
that is a fallacy
00:33:50.73\00:33:53.96
in and of itself right there.
00:33:54.00\00:33:56.97
The prosperity of God's people
00:33:59.47\00:34:00.84
depend on their
obedience of him.
00:34:00.87\00:34:04.17
The reason
here, the real reason,
00:34:04.21\00:34:05.71
is because God is
the source of life.
00:34:05.74\00:34:08.91
God is that energy socket.
00:34:08.94\00:34:10.91
All right, am I
saying that right?
00:34:10.95\00:34:12.45
Is it an energy socket?
00:34:12.48\00:34:13.78
It's the the plug or
where you plug it in,
00:34:13.82\00:34:15.82
God is that.
00:34:15.85\00:34:17.72
I can willfully decide
to plug my life into that
00:34:17.75\00:34:20.72
or to disconnect
my life from that.
00:34:20.76\00:34:23.29
That is where I choose.
00:34:23.32\00:34:24.79
That's where you
apply your choice.
00:34:24.83\00:34:26.33
It is your choice to be
connected or disconnected,
00:34:26.36\00:34:29.40
but don't think that
you can have the benefits
00:34:29.43\00:34:31.17
of being connected
while you're disconnected.
00:34:31.20\00:34:34.60
It just doesn't work like that.
00:34:34.64\00:34:35.94
You see, God, more
than a personal being,
00:34:35.97\00:34:38.74
God is a force of nature.
00:34:38.77\00:34:42.44
God is a force.
00:34:42.48\00:34:44.81
He's a personal being.
00:34:44.85\00:34:46.35
He is a person,
not a human person,
00:34:46.38\00:34:48.25
but He has a personality,
but He is, nonetheless, a force.
00:34:48.28\00:34:50.85
He is life.
00:34:50.89\00:34:52.19
He is love. He
is all these things.
00:34:52.22\00:34:54.26
And so, when I
decidedly disconnect myself,
00:34:54.29\00:34:58.56
how can I continue living?
00:34:58.59\00:35:00.16
What happens if you disconnect
your phone from the charger?
00:35:00.20\00:35:03.50
The juice will run out and the
phone will, how do we say it?
00:35:03.53\00:35:06.74
The phone is what?
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.20
Dead.
00:35:08.24\00:35:10.41
Imagine if someone, if
that happens to someone,
00:35:10.44\00:35:12.24
your phone is dead, and then
you start ranting and raving,
00:35:12.27\00:35:14.34
"Well, how could those
engineers project this this way?
00:35:14.38\00:35:17.41
They're
dictators. They're tyrants.
00:35:17.45\00:35:20.45
How dare they say that my phone,
or force my phone to run out
00:35:20.48\00:35:23.39
of juice because I, you know,
because I wanted to use it."
00:35:23.42\00:35:26.62
It doesn't work that way.
00:35:26.65\00:35:29.79
And so, God is the same way.
00:35:29.82\00:35:32.23
This prosperity of God's people
depend on their obedience to Him
00:35:32.26\00:35:34.76
because obedience
means being connected to Him.
00:35:34.83\00:35:39.40
And that's where Tuesday's
lesson is so monumental because
00:35:39.43\00:35:42.17
Tuesday's lesson that says,
"Cleave to the Lord your God,"
00:35:42.20\00:35:45.24
or be close to Him.
00:35:45.27\00:35:46.64
Friends, in the biblical
drama, apostasy invariably
00:35:46.68\00:35:49.48
lead to death.
00:35:49.51\00:35:51.21
Numbers 25, verse
9, "And those who died
00:35:51.25\00:35:52.98
in the plague were
twenty-four thousand."
00:35:53.01\00:35:55.38
Sin always leads to death.
00:35:55.42\00:35:56.89
The wages of sin is death.
00:35:56.92\00:35:59.72
But many were not
corrupted in this story.
00:35:59.75\00:36:04.29
Deuteronomy 4:4, "But you who
held fast to the Lord your God
00:36:04.33\00:36:07.56
are alive today,
every one of you."
00:36:07.60\00:36:10.77
Life and death, opposites
that become ever so evident
00:36:10.80\00:36:14.60
in the experience of the lives
of those who serve and the lives
00:36:14.64\00:36:18.61
of those who do not serve God.
00:36:18.64\00:36:21.61
Friends, according to Jesus
in Matthew chapter 12, verse 30,
00:36:21.64\00:36:24.15
we are either for
Him or against Him.
00:36:24.18\00:36:26.35
There is no
possibility of neutrality.
00:36:26.38\00:36:28.48
Something that I said this last
week in the midweek Bible study
00:36:28.52\00:36:31.32
is that you cannot--this
is the one place in life
00:36:31.35\00:36:33.52
where you cannot opt out.
00:36:33.56\00:36:36.73
You can opt out of
many things in life,
00:36:36.76\00:36:40.70
but you cannot opt out
of this whole situation.
00:36:40.73\00:36:45.80
Jesus expands and says
here in Luke 11:23, he adds,
00:36:45.83\00:36:49.00
"He who is not
with Me is against Me,
00:36:49.04\00:36:51.67
and he who does not
gather with Me scatters."
00:36:51.71\00:36:54.74
Two glorious
promises in this context here
00:36:54.78\00:36:57.18
of Israel in Deuteronomy 4:4.
00:36:57.21\00:36:59.68
Two marvelous promises
are provided for them so that
00:36:59.71\00:37:04.15
they can understand that
they're not alone in this,
00:37:04.19\00:37:06.32
that God is
giving them strength.
00:37:06.35\00:37:07.99
He provides power so
that they can overcome,
00:37:08.02\00:37:10.66
so that they can
live by His side.
00:37:10.69\00:37:12.49
The first one is
found in Jude 24.
00:37:12.53\00:37:18.27
Beautiful text.
00:37:18.30\00:37:19.53
It says, "Now to Him," talking
about God, "Now to Him who is
00:37:19.57\00:37:23.04
able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you faultless."
00:37:23.07\00:37:27.84
Is this something that you
do yourself, keep from stumbling
00:37:27.88\00:37:30.51
and present yourself faultless?
00:37:30.55\00:37:32.08
Can you do this by yourself?
00:37:32.11\00:37:34.82
We can't, we absolutely cannot.
00:37:34.85\00:37:37.72
That's why we depend on
Him, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
00:37:37.75\00:37:41.46
"Now to Him who is able
to keep you from stumbling
00:37:41.49\00:37:44.29
And to present you
faultless Before the presence
00:37:44.33\00:37:47.40
of His glory with exceeding joy.
00:37:47.40\00:37:49.33
To God our Savior Who alone
is wise Be glory and majesty
00:37:49.36\00:37:52.60
Dominion and power
Both now and forever.
00:37:52.63\00:37:54.94
Amen."
00:37:54.97\00:37:56.27
And the second promise is
found in 1 Corinthians 10:13,
00:37:56.30\00:37:58.44
equally magnificent.
00:37:58.47\00:37:59.84
It says, "No temptation has
overtaken you except such as
00:37:59.87\00:38:03.21
is common to man; but God
is faithful, God is faithful,
00:38:03.24\00:38:08.08
who will not
allow you to be tempted
00:38:08.12\00:38:10.19
beyond what you are
able, but with the temptation
00:38:10.22\00:38:12.89
will also make
the way of escape,
00:38:12.92\00:38:15.62
that you may be
able to bear it."
00:38:15.66\00:38:17.93
There's this
terminology in the legal,
00:38:17.96\00:38:20.30
judicial world which
is "equality of arms."
00:38:20.33\00:38:23.77
And basically what "equality of
arms" represents is the equality
00:38:23.80\00:38:27.20
of opportunity of might
and of resources of both sides
00:38:27.24\00:38:31.17
in any given case.
00:38:31.21\00:38:33.84
God does not allow the devil
to use attacks that cannot be
00:38:33.88\00:38:38.05
resisted in Him who is powerful
to keep us and to lead us
00:38:38.08\00:38:41.85
from victory to victory.
00:38:41.88\00:38:44.15
We all have equality of arms.
00:38:44.19\00:38:47.56
Sometimes you might be tempted
to think, "Well, our enemy, this
00:38:47.59\00:38:50.03
enemy of mine, he's organized,
he's very well motivated.
00:38:50.06\00:38:53.33
He's powerful and strong.
00:38:53.36\00:38:55.43
It's personal to him.
00:38:55.46\00:38:57.43
How can I withstand?"
00:38:57.47\00:38:59.77
You can't.
00:38:59.80\00:39:02.30
And I don't want to
surprise you here, you can't.
00:39:02.34\00:39:03.94
There's no way.
00:39:03.97\00:39:06.81
There's absolutely no way.
00:39:06.84\00:39:08.31
He's been around for at least
6,000 years here tempting us,
00:39:08.34\00:39:12.11
learning, growing his reserves
of strategy and methodologies.
00:39:12.15\00:39:17.05
By ourselves, we
cannot withstand him,
00:39:17.09\00:39:22.59
but God doesn't abandon us here.
00:39:22.62\00:39:25.66
And contrary to the
theory of deism that believes
00:39:25.69\00:39:27.76
in this absent landlord,
that he just created this world
00:39:27.76\00:39:30.90
and then walked away, we
have a God that is so present
00:39:30.93\00:39:33.57
that He didn't just confine
Himself to staying up there,
00:39:33.60\00:39:37.27
He rolled up His sleeves
and He got into the nitty gritty
00:39:37.31\00:39:39.74
dirtiness of our
world, and He came down
00:39:39.77\00:39:42.18
and lived with us.
00:39:42.21\00:39:43.75
And not only this, He provides
a whole battle armor for us.
00:39:43.78\00:39:45.91
Just read Ephesians chapter 6
where we have the belt of truth,
00:39:45.95\00:39:48.32
the breastplate
of righteousness,
00:39:48.35\00:39:50.49
the sandals of
peace, the shield of faith,
00:39:50.52\00:39:52.59
the helmet of
salvation, the sword of truth.
00:39:52.62\00:39:55.36
No one can claim that they
haven't been provided all they
00:39:55.39\00:39:59.43
need to resist, to overcome,
and to be faithful to God.
00:39:59.46\00:40:02.36
In the entirety of Scripture, we
find almost 60 different titles
00:40:02.40\00:40:06.53
that are attributed to
Jesus Christ in the context
00:40:06.57\00:40:09.50
of his defense
for fallen humanity.
00:40:09.54\00:40:14.61
He will never let us fight
our battles alone and unaided.
00:40:14.64\00:40:18.55
He is the door.
00:40:18.58\00:40:19.95
He is the way.
00:40:19.98\00:40:21.28
He is the lily of the valley.
00:40:21.32\00:40:22.62
He is the water, the shepherd.
00:40:22.65\00:40:24.12
He is the morning star.
00:40:24.15\00:40:25.45
He is the true and
the faithful witness.
00:40:25.49\00:40:27.19
He is the one who loves us.
00:40:27.22\00:40:28.62
He is the undefeatable advocate.
00:40:28.66\00:40:30.66
Friends, we are not
fighting for victory.
00:40:30.69\00:40:33.86
What Moses is telling the
children of Israel in this whole
00:40:33.90\00:40:36.36
context here is that they're
not really fighting for victory.
00:40:36.40\00:40:39.27
We already begin the journey
with victory guaranteed in Him.
00:40:39.30\00:40:46.27
He is our fortress, our
shield, and all we need is
00:40:46.31\00:40:48.88
to accept and to obey.
00:40:48.91\00:40:54.48
And so, we find the
streamline here of Wednesday,
00:40:54.52\00:40:57.92
God's dream for Israel.
00:40:57.95\00:41:00.39
For what nation is there so
great, as the lesson puts it.
00:41:00.42\00:41:03.56
What follows next in the
few verses after Deuteronomy 4:4
00:41:03.59\00:41:07.00
are some of the most
profound and beautiful texts of
00:41:07.03\00:41:09.86
in all of Scripture.
00:41:09.90\00:41:11.53
And here we have
Deuteronomy 4, verse 5
00:41:11.57\00:41:14.04
through 9 that says,
00:41:14.07\00:41:16.30
"Surely I have taught you
the statutes and judgments,
00:41:16.34\00:41:18.44
just as the Lord
my God commanded me,
00:41:18.47\00:41:20.34
that you should act
according to them in the land
00:41:20.38\00:41:22.18
which you go to possess.
00:41:22.21\00:41:23.75
Therefore be careful to observe
them; for this is your wisdom
00:41:23.78\00:41:26.35
and your understanding
in the sight of the peoples
00:41:26.38\00:41:28.62
who will hear all
these statutes, and say,
00:41:28.65\00:41:30.62
'Surely this great nation
00:41:30.65\00:41:32.29
is a wise and
understanding people.'
00:41:32.32\00:41:34.16
For what great
nation is there that God--
00:41:34.19\00:41:36.19
that has God so near to it,
as the Lord our God is to us,
00:41:36.22\00:41:40.30
for whatever reason
we may call upon Him?
00:41:40.33\00:41:42.43
And what great nation is
there that has such statutes
00:41:42.46\00:41:45.53
and righteous
judgments as are in all this law
00:41:45.57\00:41:48.40
which I set before you this day?
00:41:48.44\00:41:50.34
Only take heed to yourself,
and diligently keep yourself,
00:41:50.37\00:41:53.11
lest you forget the
things your eyes have seen,
00:41:53.14\00:41:56.28
and lest they
depart from your heart
00:41:56.31\00:41:58.05
all the days of your life."
00:41:58.08\00:41:59.65
Friends, we see that
God's dream for Israel,
00:41:59.68\00:42:01.75
that they would
live the statutes,
00:42:01.78\00:42:03.62
they would
exemplify these judgments,
00:42:03.65\00:42:06.39
and that the nations around
them would see that that nation
00:42:06.42\00:42:09.92
was different, that they were
special, not because of anything
00:42:09.96\00:42:15.23
from themselves, but because
they were so close to their God.
00:42:15.26\00:42:18.70
Isn't it what
the text says here?
00:42:18.73\00:42:20.47
Because it literally says here,
00:42:20.50\00:42:21.87
"For what great nation is
there that has God so near it?"
00:42:21.90\00:42:27.44
God's people were meant to be
known because God was near them,
00:42:27.48\00:42:33.28
because God was close to them.
00:42:33.31\00:42:35.52
That was God's dream.
00:42:35.55\00:42:38.29
It did not have to
go down the way it went.
00:42:38.32\00:42:41.06
Jesus didn't have to
suffer the way He did.
00:42:41.09\00:42:43.36
He didn't have to be tortured
and tormented the way He was.
00:42:43.39\00:42:47.00
That was not God's dream.
00:42:47.03\00:42:49.76
That wasn't the ideal.
00:42:49.80\00:42:53.64
God's dream was for
Israel to be faithful.
00:42:53.67\00:42:57.11
I don't know what it
would have been then.
00:42:57.14\00:42:58.91
I don't know how
it could have been.
00:42:58.94\00:43:00.48
Perhaps, the Messiah
would have come down,
00:43:00.51\00:43:03.14
and perhaps the same hand
that stayed the hand of Abraham,
00:43:03.18\00:43:06.11
he would then
bring down the knife.
00:43:06.15\00:43:07.78
I don't know.
00:43:07.82\00:43:10.59
But this was God's dream.
00:43:10.62\00:43:14.66
They would be brought to God.
00:43:14.69\00:43:16.56
The nation surrounding
Israel would be brought to God
00:43:16.59\00:43:19.06
because He was the
true secret of success.
00:43:19.09\00:43:23.03
But in this, friends,
there is also a warning.
00:43:23.06\00:43:25.80
The warning is only take
heed to yourself and diligently
00:43:25.83\00:43:28.80
keep yourself, lest you forget
the things your eyes have seen
00:43:28.84\00:43:32.14
and lest they depart from your
heart all the days of your life.
00:43:32.17\00:43:35.78
You see, there was a
danger in arrogance and pride.
00:43:35.81\00:43:40.75
They're called not to forget the
things that they had witnessed
00:43:40.78\00:43:43.12
in their history.
00:43:43.15\00:43:44.45
You know, in the book
"Patriarchs And Prophets,"
00:43:44.49\00:43:46.15
Ellen White observes that a full
cup, the full cup that runs is
00:43:46.19\00:43:51.86
the one that runs the risk of
arrogance and of spilling over.
00:43:51.89\00:43:56.26
Attributing your success to your
own power, to your own strength,
00:43:56.30\00:43:59.77
to your own
virtues and performance,
00:43:59.80\00:44:01.70
that is the danger there.
00:44:01.74\00:44:04.04
God wanted His people to
know that they had been called
00:44:04.07\00:44:06.64
and chosen for
a special purpose,
00:44:06.68\00:44:08.84
that they would
indeed become a great nation,
00:44:08.88\00:44:11.45
as had been promised to Abraham.
00:44:11.48\00:44:13.05
However, here there
was this danger of pride.
00:44:13.08\00:44:17.65
Be careful, lest you
forget, lest you forget.
00:44:17.69\00:44:23.12
And finally, in
Thursday's lesson,
00:44:23.16\00:44:25.59
which is the
conclusion of all of this,
00:44:25.63\00:44:27.56
your wisdom and
your understanding.
00:44:27.60\00:44:29.56
Verse 6, Deuteronomy 4,
verse 6, "Therefore be careful
00:44:29.60\00:44:33.97
to observe them, the
statutes and judgments,
00:44:34.00\00:44:36.47
for this is your
wisdom and your understanding
00:44:36.50\00:44:38.71
in the sight of the
peoples who will hear
00:44:38.74\00:44:40.38
all these statutes, and
say, 'Surely this great nation
00:44:40.41\00:44:42.91
is a wise and
understanding people.'"
00:44:42.94\00:44:44.75
Now, friends, this text here
can be very easily misunderstood
00:44:44.78\00:44:48.42
because true
wisdom and understanding
00:44:48.45\00:44:50.12
will not be seen primarily
from the statutes and judgments,
00:44:50.15\00:44:53.66
but from the life of obedience
00:44:53.69\00:44:55.56
and fidelity of
the children of God.
00:44:55.59\00:44:58.69
So, just having the
statutes and judgments,
00:44:58.73\00:45:00.66
that's not when guaranteed their
wisdom, their understanding.
00:45:00.70\00:45:04.50
Their wisdom and understanding
would be guaranteed would be
00:45:04.53\00:45:07.00
seen in them keeping these
statutes and these judgments.
00:45:07.04\00:45:10.84
Do you see the difference?
00:45:10.87\00:45:12.44
There's a big, big, big danger
here, and this massive danger
00:45:12.47\00:45:17.58
is when truth does not
convert, it fossilizes.
00:45:17.61\00:45:26.25
When truth does
not convert your heart,
00:45:26.29\00:45:29.86
when it doesn't convict you,
when it doesn't bring change,
00:45:29.89\00:45:35.63
it then petrifies and
fossilizes your heart,
00:45:35.66\00:45:39.87
making it so much harder
for the Spirit to touch you.
00:45:39.90\00:45:43.64
Friends, we live in a time and
an age where people believe--
00:45:43.67\00:45:48.28
in this portion,
correctly, they say,
00:45:48.31\00:45:49.98
"God will accept you and
take you just as you are."
00:45:50.01\00:45:51.95
And yes, He will, but He
loves you too much to leave you
00:45:51.98\00:45:55.15
just the way you are.
00:45:55.18\00:45:57.52
He wants to give
you a better life.
00:45:57.55\00:45:59.15
You see, God doesn't see
you primarily for what you are
00:45:59.19\00:46:01.36
right now but
for what you can be.
00:46:01.39\00:46:05.03
He has a dream for you.
00:46:05.06\00:46:08.66
And the children of Israel,
they would live this dream,
00:46:08.70\00:46:11.57
not because of
only what God gave them,
00:46:11.60\00:46:13.90
but because of their
answer to what God gave them.
00:46:13.94\00:46:16.20
God is giving them the statutes
and judgments and He's saying,
00:46:16.24\00:46:18.94
"Live by it, and
they will see your wisdom
00:46:18.97\00:46:21.71
and your understanding."
00:46:21.74\00:46:26.38
That's why the children of
Israel were frequently called
00:46:26.41\00:46:29.75
to obedience because obedience
to these statutes and judgments
00:46:29.78\00:46:33.25
was what mattered.
00:46:33.29\00:46:36.06
In the book,
"Christ's Object Lessons,"
00:46:36.09\00:46:37.96
beautiful book
on page 288 we read,
00:46:37.99\00:46:41.66
"Their obedience to the
law of God would make them
00:46:41.70\00:46:44.10
marvels of prosperity
before the nations of the world.
00:46:44.13\00:46:47.40
He who could give them wisdom
and skill in all cunning work
00:46:47.44\00:46:51.07
would continue to be
their teacher, and would ennoble
00:46:51.11\00:46:54.24
and elevate them
through obedience to His laws.
00:46:54.28\00:46:57.21
If obedient, they would be
preserved from the diseases
00:46:57.25\00:47:00.05
that afflicted
the other nations,
00:47:00.08\00:47:01.42
and would be blessed
with vigor and intellect.
00:47:01.45\00:47:04.49
The glory of God,
His majesty and power,
00:47:04.52\00:47:06.32
were to be revealed
in all their prosperity.
00:47:06.35\00:47:08.56
They were to be a
kingdom of priests and princes.
00:47:08.59\00:47:10.93
God furnished them with
every facility for becoming
00:47:10.96\00:47:14.00
the greatest nation on earth."
00:47:14.03\00:47:15.90
Friends, that dream that
unfortunately did not find
00:47:15.93\00:47:18.93
its fulfillment in ancient
Israel, can very well find
00:47:18.97\00:47:23.07
its fulfillment in
modern-- in the modern Israel
00:47:23.10\00:47:27.54
that is the church.
00:47:27.58\00:47:30.65
This is God's dream.
00:47:30.68\00:47:32.28
We know that we are a
holy nation, a holy priesthood.
00:47:32.31\00:47:36.55
And we can fulfill God's dream,
not by our might or strength,
00:47:36.58\00:47:40.49
but by His might
and His strength.
00:47:40.52\00:47:43.53
Allow God to fulfill
His dream in your life.
00:47:43.56\00:47:46.53
And allow the world to look
at us, the nations, the peoples,
00:47:46.56\00:47:51.63
and say, "For what great people
is this that have got so close
00:47:51.67\00:47:56.74
to them?"
00:47:56.77\00:47:58.37
May God bless you in
your studies of the Bible
00:47:58.41\00:48:00.51
and in your
application of it in your life.
00:48:00.54\00:48:02.71
May God bless you in, not
only applying and understanding
00:48:02.74\00:48:07.35
and obeying, but in sharing this
reality, sharing this truth that
00:48:07.38\00:48:11.39
is such a great, joyful truth
when lived out the correct way.
00:48:11.42\00:48:17.23
I would like to invite you
to remember that we do have
00:48:17.26\00:48:19.36
a free offer for those
that are watching online,
00:48:19.39\00:48:22.40
and those that are
here also if you're new.
00:48:22.43\00:48:24.30
You can get, "Is
Obedience Legalism?"
00:48:24.33\00:48:27.14
You can get this beautiful
study if you call 866-788-3966
00:48:27.17\00:48:32.01
and text or ask for
the offer number 706.
00:48:32.04\00:48:36.24
If you're in the
continental North America,
00:48:36.28\00:48:37.98
you can text SH041 to 40544.
00:48:38.01\00:48:42.68
And outside of North
America, you can go to
00:48:42.72\00:48:44.72
study.aftv.org/SH041
and you can get this
00:48:44.75\00:48:49.82
very important
study that has a lot to do
00:48:49.86\00:48:51.99
with what we
talked about here today.
00:48:52.03\00:48:53.53
I would like to
finish this moment with you
00:48:53.56\00:48:55.30
with a word of prayer.
00:48:55.33\00:48:56.70
Dear Lord God, thank
You so much for Your love.
00:48:56.73\00:48:58.30
Thank you so much
for Your blessings.
00:48:58.33\00:49:00.10
Father, I ask You to
always be close to us, Lord.
00:49:00.14\00:49:03.30
We want to be
known as a great people,
00:49:03.34\00:49:05.81
not because we are great
or numerous or intelligent
00:49:05.84\00:49:08.41
or whatever, but
because we have You close to us.
00:49:08.44\00:49:11.45
Allow this church
to be seen as a church
00:49:11.48\00:49:13.72
that has God close to them.
00:49:13.75\00:49:15.75
Allow us to study and understand
and apply these judgments that
00:49:15.78\00:49:18.99
You have provided in Your Word
and be seen then and be known as
00:49:19.02\00:49:22.79
a wise and understanding
people, not for our own benefit,
00:49:22.82\00:49:25.93
but for the benefit of
this dark world around us.
00:49:25.96\00:49:29.10
I ask You these
things, Lord, and I ask
00:49:29.13\00:49:30.43
for the rest of this day.
00:49:30.47\00:49:31.80
In Jesus's name I pray, amen.
00:49:31.83\00:49:33.94
May God bless you.
00:49:33.97\00:49:35.47
male announcer:
Don't forget to request
00:49:37.97\00:49:39.47
today's
life-changing, free resource.
00:49:39.51\00:49:41.44
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:49:41.48\00:49:43.85
you can download a digital
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00:49:43.88\00:49:45.85
or mobile device.
00:49:45.88\00:49:47.58
To get your digital
copy of today's free gift,
00:49:47.62\00:49:50.25
simply text the
keyword on your screen to 40544
00:49:50.29\00:49:54.16
or visit the web
address shown on your screen.
00:49:54.19\00:49:57.19
And be sure to select
the digital download option
00:49:57.23\00:49:59.76
on the request page.
00:49:59.79\00:50:01.06
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word
00:50:01.10\00:50:03.93
with Amazing Facts
wherever and whenever you want,
00:50:03.97\00:50:07.14
and most important,
to share it with others.
00:50:07.17\00:50:09.67
male: I grew up in
a church-going family.
00:50:13.14\00:50:16.38
I mean, we were
at every meeting.
00:50:16.41\00:50:17.81
I sang in four of the
choirs there, I directed three.
00:50:17.85\00:50:22.02
Very involved, very active.
00:50:22.05\00:50:25.39
It almost seemed like
busy work sometimes, you know?
00:50:25.42\00:50:28.09
I went to Sunday
school, I knew about God,
00:50:28.12\00:50:32.06
I knew about Jesus.
00:50:32.09\00:50:34.30
But I didn't have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:50:34.30\00:50:38.90
My senior year in
high school I got the news
00:50:38.93\00:50:43.81
that my father
had been murdered.
00:50:43.84\00:50:45.67
Now, I played it off well.
00:50:47.14\00:50:49.24
No one really saw that
I was struggling with it.
00:50:49.28\00:50:55.95
It just really felt
like there was a hole that
00:50:55.98\00:50:58.69
needed to be filled
and I tried to fill it with
00:50:58.72\00:51:01.42
drugs, with
alcohol, with partying.
00:51:01.46\00:51:04.96
After college, I just stopped
going to church altogether.
00:51:04.99\00:51:08.96
One day, on a
Sunday, 'cause I didn't feel
00:51:11.33\00:51:14.44
like going to
church with my mom.
00:51:14.47\00:51:16.14
I thought, you know, "I should
get a little bit of Word."
00:51:16.81\00:51:21.18
She had the
satellite system hooked up and
00:51:21.21\00:51:22.54
I'm flipping through channels.
00:51:22.58\00:51:24.25
And then the logo pops across,
"Amazing Facts Presents."
00:51:24.28\00:51:28.78
I've listened to a
lot of different ministers
00:51:28.82\00:51:31.09
but this was the first
time that he's actually saying
00:51:31.12\00:51:33.76
something where I had to
grab my Bible and actually
00:51:33.79\00:51:36.06
pick it up and I've
never heard this before.
00:51:36.09\00:51:39.33
Let me look
through and find this.
00:51:39.36\00:51:41.20
I went through
all the storacles,
00:51:41.23\00:51:43.10
I went through all the
study guides and I just
00:51:43.13\00:51:45.10
couldn't get enough.
00:51:45.13\00:51:46.43
And then the Sabbath
came up and he's going
00:51:46.47\00:51:49.60
through the appeal and I'm
just going, "Lord, I hear You.
00:51:49.64\00:51:52.77
I have to go to church."
00:51:52.81\00:51:54.78
So I show up.
00:51:54.81\00:51:56.11
It was funny, I
didn't feel like I was going
00:51:56.14\00:51:58.35
to be judged,
anything judgmental, anything.
00:51:58.38\00:52:01.78
And I walked in the
door, and I just felt at home.
00:52:01.82\00:52:04.32
But there's still a problem.
00:52:05.49\00:52:07.72
I'm still partying.
00:52:07.76\00:52:09.99
I was still
going out to the bars.
00:52:10.03\00:52:12.03
At this time, I was
selling cocaine to pay my rent.
00:52:12.06\00:52:17.10
Sixteen days later,
I find myself in a life
00:52:17.13\00:52:19.80
or death situation.
00:52:19.83\00:52:21.80
I had just came back
from a liquor store and
00:52:21.84\00:52:24.31
I grabbed a bottle of vodka.
00:52:24.34\00:52:26.98
And there I am, high
off cocaine, with my Bible
00:52:27.01\00:52:31.05
in hand, trying
to do a Bible study.
00:52:31.08\00:52:35.55
And I heard an audible
voice, "Just look at yourself."
00:52:35.58\00:52:41.52
And I did, and I was,
like, "What am I doing?"
00:52:41.56\00:52:46.06
And I got on my knees
and I said, "Lord, if You do
00:52:47.56\00:52:50.43
not take this away from me
now, I'm going to kill myself."
00:52:50.47\00:52:55.30
I was going to
continue this lifestyle and
00:52:55.34\00:52:58.27
I was going to end
up overdosing, having a
00:52:58.31\00:53:01.08
heart attack, whatever it was.
00:53:01.11\00:53:03.98
"You have to take
this away, all of it."
00:53:04.01\00:53:10.09
And that day, He lift
it all up and away from me.
00:53:10.12\00:53:14.82
It was all gone.
00:53:14.86\00:53:16.52
When God does something in
your life, He does it complete.
00:53:16.56\00:53:21.10
¤¤¤
00:53:21.73\00:53:29.24
¤¤¤
00:53:29.97\00:53:39.98
announcer: Amazing
Facts, changed lives.
00:53:43.39\00:53:46.05
Josh: Our family was
Christian to begin with.
00:53:50.99\00:53:53.26
Mom and Dad were
involved at the church at times.
00:53:53.29\00:53:56.33
On the inside our, family wasn't
really Christian, I guess.
00:53:56.36\00:53:59.30
It was just, it was
a front that we put on.
00:53:59.33\00:54:02.60
My dad suffered
from bipolar disorder.
00:54:02.64\00:54:05.31
Instead of
taking his medication,
00:54:05.34\00:54:06.71
he turned to alcohol.
00:54:06.74\00:54:08.31
He could be mad one second and
the next second, he'd be happy.
00:54:08.34\00:54:11.08
And it was so confusing for us.
00:54:11.11\00:54:13.28
Most of the time, we'd be
upstairs to try to avoid him.
00:54:13.31\00:54:18.05
I made good grades all
the way up until high school.
00:54:18.09\00:54:20.49
High school, I started
struggling because my mom
00:54:20.52\00:54:23.53
was a single parent at the
time, and I had to get a job.
00:54:23.56\00:54:26.66
I was working
every day after school.
00:54:26.70\00:54:29.16
I didn't have many
friends to talk to,
00:54:29.20\00:54:30.63
so I was getting depressed.
00:54:30.67\00:54:32.57
I was always tired.
00:54:32.60\00:54:34.24
I started failing my assignments
because I would fall asleep
00:54:34.27\00:54:36.40
during class, and I
couldn't listen to the teachers.
00:54:36.44\00:54:38.61
I couldn't comprehend
what they were saying.
00:54:38.64\00:54:41.28
By my 11th-grade year, I dropped
out and I tried homeschooling.
00:54:41.31\00:54:46.58
I just ended up
working full time.
00:54:46.61\00:54:49.18
I had lots of girlfriends
growing up, but I was always
00:54:49.22\00:54:51.42
terrified of talking to guys.
00:54:51.45\00:54:52.92
Like, my hands
would start to sweat.
00:54:52.95\00:54:54.62
I would tense up. I
just I couldn't talk.
00:54:54.66\00:54:57.29
I guess that's when I started
developing an attraction.
00:54:57.33\00:55:00.66
Gay guys weren't
scary to talk to,
00:55:00.70\00:55:02.83
so I started talking to them.
00:55:02.86\00:55:04.17
And then I started meeting them.
00:55:04.20\00:55:05.50
And then it
just went from there.
00:55:05.53\00:55:06.84
And then I started
having relationships with them.
00:55:06.87\00:55:09.90
I just wanted to find
someone who would care.
00:55:09.94\00:55:13.14
After high school, most
of my friends were gone,
00:55:13.17\00:55:15.88
but there were a few left home.
00:55:15.91\00:55:18.08
We all started getting
into drugs and smoking weed
00:55:18.11\00:55:20.45
and drinking.
00:55:20.48\00:55:21.78
I was able to leave
my depression behind
00:55:21.82\00:55:23.52
and I wasn't shy anymore.
00:55:23.55\00:55:25.55
I was able to talk
to anyone I wanted to.
00:55:25.59\00:55:27.76
It wasn't real, but
it felt real at the time.
00:55:27.79\00:55:31.53
During this time, I
felt like God had left me.
00:55:31.56\00:55:34.73
I'd hear conversations
at church talking about gays
00:55:34.73\00:55:37.60
and people on drugs and stuff.
00:55:37.63\00:55:39.47
And, you know, they
talked so bad about them,
00:55:39.50\00:55:41.44
it drove me to leave church.
00:55:41.47\00:55:42.77
I eventually just
left church, I left God.
00:55:42.80\00:55:44.87
I just didn't care anymore.
00:55:44.91\00:55:46.24
I didn't, I didn't care
what God thought because
00:55:46.27\00:55:47.98
I didn't think
he cared about me.
00:55:48.01\00:55:50.95
At the beginning of this year,
I've moved in with my boyfriend.
00:55:50.98\00:55:54.02
I still felt empty.
I still wasn't happy.
00:55:54.05\00:55:56.05
I thought I had what I wanted.
00:55:56.08\00:55:57.45
I had a guy that I could
love, and I thought he loved me,
00:55:57.49\00:55:59.79
but I was still empty.
00:55:59.82\00:56:01.22
I still felt
like if I died today,
00:56:01.26\00:56:02.72
I wasn't sure
where I was gonna go.
00:56:02.76\00:56:04.76
And I wasn't sure if I'd be
a disappointment to everyone.
00:56:04.79\00:56:10.30
My grandma texted me.
00:56:10.33\00:56:12.27
She told me that an Amazing
Facts evangelists was coming
00:56:12.30\00:56:14.64
to our church to
do a prophecy seminar.
00:56:14.67\00:56:17.61
I didn't really want
to go 'cause I've been
00:56:17.64\00:56:19.07
to those before, and they
were normally pretty boring
00:56:19.11\00:56:21.14
and I'd fall asleep.
00:56:21.18\00:56:22.71
I was planning on
making excuses for every night,
00:56:22.74\00:56:24.61
but she was dedicated.
00:56:24.65\00:56:25.95
She really wanted me
to go and so did my mom.
00:56:25.98\00:56:27.42
So, I ended up going to church
and the evangelist that was
00:56:27.45\00:56:30.12
speaking, he was speaking
on the sanctuary that morning.
00:56:30.15\00:56:34.02
It made sense to me that
there was someone up in heaven
00:56:34.06\00:56:36.66
pleading my cause.
00:56:36.69\00:56:38.23
I've never heard
Jesus this way before.
00:56:38.26\00:56:40.83
I went back all the
nights that I could,
00:56:40.86\00:56:42.20
except the nights that I worked.
00:56:42.23\00:56:43.63
At the end of it, I
ended up getting rebaptized.
00:56:43.67\00:56:46.33
I made a decision to
leave this life behind.
00:56:46.37\00:56:48.77
I was still attracted to
men, but I wanted to leave
00:56:48.80\00:56:51.61
the lifestyle.
00:56:51.64\00:56:52.94
I didn't want to live
in it anymore, any longer,
00:56:52.97\00:56:55.01
because I knew it was wrong.
00:56:55.04\00:56:56.51
The evangelist that was at our
church, that did the prophecy
00:56:56.54\00:56:58.95
seminar, became my mentor.
00:56:58.98\00:57:00.82
He told me about
this school called AFCOE,
00:57:00.85\00:57:02.92
and it stands for Amazing
Facts Center Of Evangelism.
00:57:02.95\00:57:05.62
And I was like, well,
I want that 'cause I want
00:57:05.65\00:57:07.62
to learn how to share Jesus.
00:57:07.66\00:57:08.96
I want to learn how to
be able to help others.
00:57:08.99\00:57:11.03
I prayed about
it. I applied online.
00:57:11.06\00:57:13.43
They accepted my
application, but I still had
00:57:13.46\00:57:14.96
the money problem left.
00:57:15.00\00:57:16.93
That night right before I
left, He provided over $3,000
00:57:16.97\00:57:20.94
and He's been
providing for me ever since.
00:57:20.97\00:57:23.61
The tools that I've learned
here are tools that will stick
00:57:23.64\00:57:25.77
with me forever.
00:57:25.81\00:57:27.11
And it was life changing to
be able to come here to AFCOE.
00:57:27.14\00:57:30.91
I would love to help other
people in my situation because
00:57:30.95\00:57:33.28
a lot of people have prayed that
God would take this stuff away,
00:57:33.31\00:57:37.22
and then they get discouraged
when He--when He doesn't.
00:57:37.25\00:57:39.55
But what they don't
know is that Jesus is there.
00:57:39.59\00:57:41.96
He will help you through it.
00:57:41.99\00:57:44.06
My name is Josh, and Amazing
Facts has helped change my life.
00:57:44.09\00:57:47.36
¤¤¤
00:57:47.40\00:57:56.37