¤¤¤ 00:00:00.66\00:00:10.61 CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io 00:00:10.64\00:00:15.61 ¤¤¤ 00:00:15.64\00:00:20.62 ¤¤¤ 00:00:20.65\00:00:30.63 ¤¤¤ 00:00:30.66\00:00:33.86 Luccas Rodor: Hi friends, welcome to our "Sabbath School 00:00:37.70\00:00:39.27 Study Hour" here at the Granite Bay Church 00:00:39.30\00:00:41.54 in the greater Sacramento area. 00:00:41.57\00:00:43.30 I'm so thankful that you have decided to invest this hour here 00:00:43.34\00:00:46.27 studying with us and learning more about God's Word. 00:00:46.31\00:00:49.41 And we have a great study today. 00:00:49.44\00:00:51.08 Thank you so much for the local congregation that 00:00:51.11\00:00:52.91 is here too, you that are watching online. 00:00:52.95\00:00:55.28 I'm sure that is going to be a great day for you. 00:00:55.32\00:00:57.42 We have been studying from this quarterly, which is called 00:00:57.45\00:01:00.69 "In These Last Days, The Message of Hebrews." 00:01:00.72\00:01:03.63 And the lesson I was just commenting with Pastor Doug and 00:01:03.66\00:01:05.99 Pastor Shawn behind the stage, it's been so beautiful to learn 00:01:06.03\00:01:08.96 about Jesus as our sacrifice, as a mediator of a better covenant. 00:01:09.00\00:01:12.93 And so, today we'll be studying lesson number nine, 00:01:12.97\00:01:15.67 which is "Jesus, The Perfect Sacrifice." 00:01:15.70\00:01:18.31 But before that, I would like to offer and to invite 00:01:18.34\00:01:21.64 you to take advantage of our free offer. 00:01:21.68\00:01:23.58 It's called "The Surrender of Self." 00:01:23.61\00:01:25.78 And if you would like this free offer, you could call 00:01:25.81\00:01:27.95 866-788-3966, and you could ask for offer number 153. 00:01:27.98\00:01:34.56 If you're in continental North America, you could text SH087 to 00:01:34.59\00:01:38.73 the number 40544, and you could ask for a digital download. 00:01:38.76\00:01:43.00 But if you're outside of North America, if you're, you know, 00:01:43.03\00:01:45.40 somewhere else and you would still like this offer, then you 00:01:45.43\00:01:47.90 could go to study.aftv.org/SH087 and you could 00:01:47.94\00:01:53.34 download a digital copy of this too. 00:01:53.38\00:01:55.84 Before we get started, I would like to invite our chorus here 00:01:55.88\00:01:58.31 to come out and lead us in praise. 00:01:58.35\00:02:01.02 ¤¤¤ 00:02:11.93\00:02:21.87 ¤¤¤ 00:02:21.90\00:02:31.88 ¤¤¤ 00:02:31.91\00:02:41.89 ¤¤¤ 00:02:41.92\00:02:51.87 ¤¤¤ 00:02:51.90\00:03:01.88 ¤¤¤ 00:03:01.91\00:03:11.89 ¤¤¤ 00:03:11.92\00:03:21.86 ¤¤¤ 00:03:21.90\00:03:31.87 ¤¤¤ 00:03:31.91\00:03:41.88 ¤¤¤ 00:03:41.92\00:03:51.89 ¤¤¤ 00:03:51.93\00:04:01.87 ¤¤¤ 00:04:01.90\00:04:11.88 ¤¤¤ 00:04:11.91\00:04:21.89 ¤¤¤ 00:04:21.92\00:04:31.87 ¤¤¤ 00:04:31.90\00:04:41.88 ¤¤¤ 00:04:41.91\00:04:51.89 ¤¤¤ 00:04:51.92\00:05:01.86 ¤¤¤ 00:05:01.90\00:05:11.87 ¤¤¤ 00:05:11.91\00:05:21.88 ¤¤¤ 00:05:21.92\00:05:31.89 ¤¤¤ 00:05:31.93\00:05:41.87 ¤¤¤ 00:05:41.90\00:05:51.88 ¤¤¤ 00:05:51.91\00:06:01.89 ¤¤¤ 00:06:01.92\00:06:11.87 ¤¤¤ 00:06:11.90\00:06:18.51 Luccas: Pastor Shawn will be leading our lesson today 00:06:19.37\00:06:21.38 and before he steps out, I'd like to invite you to pray. 00:06:21.41\00:06:24.58 Dear Father, thank You so much for this beautiful day where we 00:06:24.61\00:06:27.32 can come together and learn more about You. 00:06:27.35\00:06:30.65 Thank You so much because the lesson today, we'll be talking 00:06:30.69\00:06:33.92 about Jesus as our perfect sacrifice. 00:06:33.96\00:06:37.23 Lord, thank You so much because everything that 00:06:37.26\00:06:38.79 You have done, You have done it perfectly. 00:06:38.83\00:06:41.63 Please anoint Pastor Shawn's lips today as he leads out, 00:06:41.66\00:06:45.20 allow him to truly be inspired by heaven, Lord, 00:06:45.23\00:06:47.14 and use him to bless us and to teach us. 00:06:47.17\00:06:51.41 I ask these things in Jesus's name, amen. 00:06:51.44\00:06:54.51 God bless, Pastor Shawn. 00:06:54.54\00:06:56.28 Shawn Brummund: It's good to be able to see you here this 00:06:57.81\00:06:59.55 morning as we come together to study again one of my favorite 00:06:59.58\00:07:02.55 books, which is the book of Hebrews, 00:07:02.58\00:07:04.99 and my favorite topic, not only in the book of Hebrews, 00:07:05.02\00:07:08.89 but also throughout all of the Bible. 00:07:08.92\00:07:11.23 And so, I want to invite you as we continue our study here this 00:07:11.26\00:07:14.60 morning by opening your Bibles to 1 Corinthians, and we're 00:07:14.63\00:07:18.90 going to the first book of Corinthians. 00:07:18.93\00:07:23.20 And I want to look at three different places there because 00:07:23.24\00:07:26.04 as we come to the first two chapters of Corinthians, we find 00:07:26.07\00:07:29.74 there that Paul is reflecting upon his ministry. 00:07:29.78\00:07:34.55 Now, he planted the church in Corinth, which is the ancient 00:07:34.58\00:07:37.09 city in which this letter was written to. 00:07:37.12\00:07:39.55 And so, sometime later, probably years after he had planted that 00:07:39.59\00:07:42.36 church, the very first Christian Church in that city, he's 00:07:42.39\00:07:45.76 writing back and it's reflecting upon his ministry, not only in 00:07:45.79\00:07:49.66 Corinth, but as an apostle and prophet and pastor, preacher, 00:07:49.70\00:07:54.17 evangelist, and the many other things that he was. 00:07:54.20\00:07:57.51 So, when we come to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 00:07:57.54\00:07:59.74 18 he says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to 00:07:59.77\00:08:04.01 those who are perishing, but to us who are 00:08:04.05\00:08:06.28 being saved, it is the power of God." 00:08:06.31\00:08:09.55 And so he says, "Listen, the message of the cross has two 00:08:09.58\00:08:13.56 different effects on different people, depending 00:08:13.59\00:08:15.59 on who's listening and how they respond." 00:08:15.62\00:08:18.43 And so, he says, "Listen, for some people, it's foolishness 00:08:18.46\00:08:21.46 when they hear the message of the cross. 00:08:21.50\00:08:23.80 And but for us who are saved, for us who have seen Jesus and 00:08:23.83\00:08:27.20 embraced that Jesus on the cross," and which the cross here 00:08:27.24\00:08:30.44 is obviously representing, "it has the power to save. 00:08:30.47\00:08:34.38 It is the hope of salvation for all who believe." 00:08:34.41\00:08:37.45 And then later on as we follow--drop down 00:08:37.48\00:08:40.35 on the same chapter in verse 23 it says, "But we 00:08:40.38\00:08:43.39 preach Christ crucified," it says. 00:08:43.42\00:08:47.96 "To the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks," 00:08:47.99\00:08:51.19 representing the non-Jewish populations 00:08:51.23\00:08:54.56 or the Gentiles, "to the Greeks foolishness." 00:08:54.60\00:08:58.23 And so he says, "We preach Christ crucified." 00:08:58.27\00:09:01.70 And then we come to chapter 2 as we look 00:09:01.74\00:09:03.41 at the first two verses there. 00:09:03.44\00:09:04.81 And again, Paul comes back to the cross and the crucifixion 00:09:04.84\00:09:07.91 that Jesus experienced there for you and me. 00:09:07.94\00:09:10.05 Chapter 2 and verse 1, it says, "And I, brethren, when I came to 00:09:10.08\00:09:13.85 you did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom 00:09:13.88\00:09:16.72 declaring to you the testimony of God. 00:09:16.75\00:09:19.55 For I determined not to know anything among you, 00:09:19.59\00:09:21.66 except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 00:09:21.69\00:09:26.83 And so again, here we have Paul reflecting 00:09:26.86\00:09:28.86 upon his ministry, reflecting over the years, 00:09:28.90\00:09:31.40 reflecting of his time in Corinth. 00:09:31.43\00:09:33.44 And he said, "When I first entered the city of Corinth with 00:09:33.47\00:09:36.27 the mission and the purpose of preaching the gospel of Jesus 00:09:36.30\00:09:38.74 Christ, and lifting Jesus up from the earth and causing all 00:09:38.77\00:09:43.45 those who are hearing to be able to see Jesus crucified for the 00:09:43.48\00:09:46.78 sins and the guilt of the world," he said, "I determined 00:09:46.82\00:09:50.02 not to know anything except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 00:09:50.05\00:09:56.42 And so, for Paul, the cross was the center of his ministry. 00:09:56.46\00:10:01.10 It was the greatest emblem and 00:10:01.13\00:10:02.93 representation of the hope of the Christian. 00:10:02.96\00:10:06.94 And therefore, we come to that powerful statement, 00:10:06.97\00:10:08.80 "I determined not to know anything 00:10:08.84\00:10:10.14 but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 00:10:10.17\00:10:13.24 In spite of how unpopular a crucified God was, 00:10:13.27\00:10:17.55 both to the Jews and to the Greeks, 00:10:17.58\00:10:19.05 and well, to all people for that matter. 00:10:19.08\00:10:21.92 Paul knew that it was the only avenue to save us as a fallen 00:10:21.95\00:10:25.52 and corrupt mankind from sin and from its penalty. 00:10:25.55\00:10:30.13 And not only that, but Paul also understood that to preach the 00:10:30.16\00:10:33.09 message of Jesus, the eternal Son of God that became one with 00:10:33.13\00:10:36.97 humanity as a crucified God, one that volunteered Himself to die 00:10:37.00\00:10:41.77 on that cross for the sins of the world, it was the greatest, 00:10:41.80\00:10:45.11 most powerful demonstration of both God's love, as well as his 00:10:45.14\00:10:50.88 character, vindicating the true heart and character of God. 00:10:50.91\00:10:57.19 Now, Paul also knew that there was many other implications that 00:10:57.22\00:11:00.36 came with the cross, but those were the two biggest ones. 00:11:00.39\00:11:04.53 And therefore Jesus had inspired Paul to determine not to know 00:11:04.56\00:11:07.96 anything but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 00:11:07.96\00:11:12.07 Now, I have to confess, even as I come back to this as a 00:11:12.10\00:11:14.50 preacher and as a pastor of 25 years now, it is a reminder to 00:11:14.54\00:11:18.01 me that I do not come back to the cross, that I do not present 00:11:18.04\00:11:21.61 and talk about Jesus and Him crucified often enough. 00:11:21.64\00:11:26.41 And I think we would be hard pressed to find a preacher that 00:11:26.45\00:11:30.12 doesn't find himself sometimes being sidelined too often for 00:11:30.15\00:11:33.46 too long without making Jesus and Him crucified the center of 00:11:33.49\00:11:38.96 the message in which God has given to us. 00:11:38.99\00:11:44.03 In John chapter 12, and verse 32, 00:11:44.07\00:11:45.80 Jesus made a very powerful, huge statement. 00:11:45.83\00:11:49.87 In that particular verse Jesus says, "And I--if I am lifted up 00:11:49.90\00:11:53.91 from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." 00:11:53.94\00:11:57.61 Now, in case we didn't understand exactly what Jesus 00:11:57.65\00:11:59.85 was saying, John then was inspired by God to follow up 00:11:59.88\00:12:03.02 with the next verse and statement where he says, "This 00:12:03.05\00:12:06.32 he was saying signifying by what kind of death Jesus would die." 00:12:06.35\00:12:13.53 And so, Jesus knew that the ultimate drawing card, Jesus 00:12:13.56\00:12:17.37 knew that the ultimate magnet that He had to be able to draw a 00:12:17.40\00:12:21.37 corrupt and fallen, sinful, pride-filled, selfish, 00:12:21.40\00:12:25.04 self-centered mankind and beings is to be able 00:12:25.07\00:12:29.31 to find Himself on the cross giving Himself 00:12:29.34\00:12:32.11 over for the sins of that same people. 00:12:32.15\00:12:36.18 It is the ultimate drawing card, is it not? 00:12:36.22\00:12:38.99 Jesus, self-sacrificing Himself, died a death 00:12:39.02\00:12:44.16 that He did not deserve, that you might 00:12:44.19\00:12:46.16 be able to receive what you don't deserve. 00:12:46.19\00:12:50.30 That's the cross, that's the message 00:12:50.33\00:12:52.40 that we're looking at here today. 00:12:52.43\00:12:54.90 Now, we have to make sure that we don't misunderstand 00:12:54.94\00:12:57.97 that statement that Jesus made because He did not say, "If 00:12:58.01\00:13:00.88 I--If I am lifted up from the earth will save all men." 00:13:00.91\00:13:05.38 But it does tell us that it is that message, it is that event, 00:13:05.41\00:13:09.75 it is that moment in history that is more of a drawing card 00:13:09.78\00:13:16.19 towards the Kingdom of God and towards the Maker of the 00:13:16.22\00:13:18.59 universe than any other thing that God has ever done. 00:13:18.63\00:13:23.93 Now, not all respond with a saving response, not all 00:13:23.97\00:13:27.57 surrender and confess their sins, repent from their ways, 00:13:27.60\00:13:30.91 ask God into their heart, as many of you 00:13:30.94\00:13:33.41 have, if not all of us here today. 00:13:33.44\00:13:36.68 But it is the ultimate drawing card. 00:13:36.71\00:13:38.45 And therefore Jesus could confidently say, "When I am 00:13:38.48\00:13:40.75 lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto Me." 00:13:40.78\00:13:47.92 How sad it is that so few respond 00:13:47.96\00:13:50.53 and go all the way in response to that drawing. 00:13:50.56\00:13:54.00 Now, of course, the list is very long of the different stumbling 00:13:54.00\00:13:56.73 blocks as the offenses, the different things that get in the 00:13:56.77\00:13:59.30 way between us experiencing that drawing power of looking--of 00:13:59.33\00:14:05.04 looking and witnessing and seeing Jesus in 00:14:05.07\00:14:07.48 our mind's eye on that cross dying for us. 00:14:07.51\00:14:12.61 Now, I can't give you an exhaustive list, I'm sure, even 00:14:12.65\00:14:15.25 if I sat down for a couple of hours or a couple of days, 00:14:15.28\00:14:18.05 I wouldn't be able to exhaust the list, but I want to share 00:14:18.09\00:14:20.62 with you just four of probably the--if not in the top in the 00:14:20.66\00:14:24.76 top ten for sure, if not in the top four reasons, why many men, 00:14:24.79\00:14:29.93 many women, many children and young people 00:14:29.96\00:14:34.24 decide not to fully respond to the drawing 00:14:34.27\00:14:37.01 power of Jesus on the cross. 00:14:37.04\00:14:40.01 Pride, that's probably the top of the list, 00:14:40.04\00:14:42.94 almost for certain, wouldn't you say? 00:14:42.98\00:14:44.98 Pride gets in the way between us responding 00:14:45.01\00:14:47.68 fully in surrendering to God. 00:14:47.72\00:14:50.62 Jesus, in His inauguration speech, 00:14:50.65\00:14:52.35 the Sermon on the Mount that He gave, He said, "blessed 00:14:52.39\00:14:54.89 are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." 00:14:54.92\00:15:00.26 Now, of course, this flies straight into the face of the 00:15:00.30\00:15:03.50 very heart of our fallen nature, doesn't it? 00:15:03.53\00:15:07.04 Because it tells us that we need to put all pride aside, and we 00:15:07.07\00:15:10.61 need to humble ourselves first before God. 00:15:10.64\00:15:14.44 But then the Bible also says in different ways, 00:15:14.48\00:15:16.31 many times that as believers, we are called by God 00:15:16.34\00:15:18.91 to humble ourselves before each other. 00:15:18.95\00:15:22.02 Didn't Paul himself, under inspiration, tell us that we are 00:15:22.05\00:15:24.55 to count each other more important than ourselves? 00:15:24.59\00:15:30.03 And so, pride is a great obstacle that keeps us from God. 00:15:30.06\00:15:35.06 Jesus says, "Unless you become like little children, you will 00:15:35.10\00:15:38.03 by no means enter the Kingdom of God." 00:15:38.07\00:15:42.17 We need to humble ourselves as a child 00:15:42.20\00:15:45.37 and accept Christ into our hearts. 00:15:45.41\00:15:48.08 That's the gospel that Jesus gives to us. 00:15:48.11\00:15:49.91 But pride, sadly, is probably the 00:15:49.94\00:15:51.28 number-one reason that keeps us away. 00:15:51.31\00:15:52.95 Another very common reason is fear. 00:15:52.98\00:15:55.52 The Bible records many times that there are many who came to 00:15:55.55\00:15:57.99 respect and believe the message of the apostles, believe the 00:15:58.02\00:16:01.06 message of Jesus, but they did not fully take their stand. 00:16:01.09\00:16:04.53 They did not fully stand for Jesus Christ and for that 00:16:04.56\00:16:07.96 message of truth because they fear that they would be cast out 00:16:08.00\00:16:11.30 of the synagogues, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment 00:16:11.33\00:16:18.51 from the world around us, from the majority that continued to 00:16:18.54\00:16:21.58 say, "No, God, I don't want You to be the Lord of my life. 00:16:21.61\00:16:25.41 I don't want You truly as my Lord and Savior." 00:16:25.45\00:16:29.48 And so, certainly in the top three 00:16:29.52\00:16:31.62 or four or five, there would be fear. 00:16:31.65\00:16:34.19 Another obstacle that can get in the way, 00:16:34.22\00:16:35.56 if we're not careful, is greed. 00:16:35.59\00:16:38.16 And an extension of that, we could say that the fourth one 00:16:38.19\00:16:40.30 I'd like to share here today is self-centeredness, 00:16:40.33\00:16:43.73 greed and self-centeredness. 00:16:43.77\00:16:45.40 You see, the message of Jesus on the cross giving Himself 00:16:45.43\00:16:49.67 voluntarily in a way, again, that He did not deserve, that He 00:16:49.70\00:16:54.71 might be able to give you and I the greatest gift that we could 00:16:54.74\00:16:57.35 ever receive is a great and powerful message 00:16:57.38\00:17:02.02 and example of self-sacrificing love. 00:17:02.05\00:17:06.15 In fact, we find a great, powerful quote 00:17:06.19\00:17:08.52 in the very last day of this week's lesson on Friday, 00:17:08.56\00:17:13.03 the very last of that excerpt that we have there from 00:17:13.06\00:17:15.96 one of the writings of Ellen G. White. 00:17:16.00\00:17:18.07 And she says there, "Indeed that Christ was giving 00:17:18.10\00:17:20.64 Himself as an example of the greatest 00:17:20.67\00:17:23.61 demonstration of self-sacrificing love." 00:17:23.64\00:17:28.58 Now, of course, that's the opposite of greed, is it not? 00:17:28.61\00:17:31.55 It's the opposite of self-centeredness. 00:17:31.58\00:17:35.22 And so, even though it is the ultimate drawing card and Jesus 00:17:35.25\00:17:37.65 may have very quickly and very powerfully, clearly told us 00:17:37.69\00:17:42.02 that, sadly, the message of the cross is also 00:17:42.06\00:17:45.89 the most unpopular message that there is as well. 00:17:45.93\00:17:52.30 But as Paul said in Romans chapter 1, and verse 16, he 00:17:52.33\00:17:55.07 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel. 00:17:55.10\00:17:57.67 For it is the power of God unto all who believe unto salvation." 00:17:57.71\00:18:03.78 I am not ashamed of the gospel, are you? 00:18:03.81\00:18:06.88 I'm not ashamed that I follow a God that loved me so much 00:18:06.92\00:18:10.69 that He set the ultimate example and died 00:18:10.72\00:18:12.89 on the cross for your sins and mine. 00:18:12.92\00:18:17.19 The cross is central to the gospel. 00:18:17.23\00:18:19.13 And so therefore, it's not--it should not be surprising 00:18:19.16\00:18:21.60 that we find it also in the book of Hebrews. 00:18:21.63\00:18:25.20 And that's what we're studying here again today. 00:18:25.23\00:18:26.87 We're looking at Jesus, the perfect 00:18:26.90\00:18:29.27 sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice. 00:18:29.30\00:18:32.11 Now, Hebrews spends a lot of time talking about the ins and 00:18:32.14\00:18:34.38 outs of the sacrificial system at the Jewish temple. 00:18:34.41\00:18:37.98 And then its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus on a hill 00:18:38.01\00:18:42.38 called Calvary where He died on a Roman cross. 00:18:42.42\00:18:47.59 Now, Monday's lesson shares some interesting insights on the 00:18:47.62\00:18:50.43 lessons that can be learned from the five different sacrifices 00:18:50.46\00:18:53.66 that the Israelites were to bring to God at the temple. 00:18:53.70\00:18:57.67 But the foundation of every single one of those five 00:18:57.70\00:19:00.14 sacrifices was the shedding of blood, was an innocent animal 00:19:00.17\00:19:04.14 that was brought to the altar and that died for the sins of 00:19:04.17\00:19:08.91 that person or of that family and group 00:19:08.94\00:19:11.65 of people that that person represented. 00:19:11.68\00:19:15.45 It was the foundation, it was the symbol of the substitute 00:19:15.48\00:19:18.95 death that was represented for us. 00:19:18.99\00:19:23.22 And so, the question is asked, I think it was around Monday or 00:19:23.26\00:19:27.30 maybe it was Sunday in this week's lesson studying and it 00:19:27.36\00:19:30.17 says, "Why did God require a sacrifice?" 00:19:30.20\00:19:35.74 Why is it that God has always required a sacrifice? 00:19:35.77\00:19:38.44 Why is it that it tells us that without the shedding 00:19:38.47\00:19:40.38 of blood, there is no remission of sins? 00:19:40.41\00:19:46.21 In Romans chapter 6, and verse 23, 00:19:46.25\00:19:48.05 it tells us that the wages of sin is, is death. 00:19:48.08\00:19:52.22 And so, very clearly God tells us in the book of Romans 00:19:52.25\00:19:54.16 that the wages of sin is death. 00:19:54.19\00:19:55.86 And then in Romans chapter 3, and verse 23, it confirms what 00:19:55.89\00:19:58.59 you and I already know and that is that for all 00:19:58.63\00:20:01.30 have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:20:01.33\00:20:06.63 Where did Paul get these truths from? 00:20:06.67\00:20:08.77 Was this a new revelation that God was giving to 00:20:08.80\00:20:11.31 Paul and to mankind for the first time? 00:20:11.34\00:20:13.94 Or is it something that Paul already knew 00:20:13.98\00:20:15.61 because of his study of the Word? 00:20:15.64\00:20:18.11 It was already what he knew from the study of the Word. 00:20:18.15\00:20:20.58 Paul was simply reflecting and reiterating, confirming the 00:20:20.62\00:20:24.09 truths that God had revealed to mankind all the way back to a 00:20:24.12\00:20:27.69 beautiful garden called the Garden of Eden where Adam and 00:20:27.72\00:20:30.79 Eve, the mother and father of all mankind, first found their 00:20:30.83\00:20:35.10 breath and their experience in life. 00:20:35.13\00:20:37.47 Genesis chapter 2, as we back up to that particular chapter 00:20:37.50\00:20:40.37 and as we look at those first chapters, 00:20:40.40\00:20:42.07 we find the foundation for what Paul and God is 00:20:42.10\00:20:44.74 expanding for us in the book of Hebrews. 00:20:44.77\00:20:48.38 In Genesis chapter 2, and verses 16 through 17 it says, "And the 00:20:48.41\00:20:51.45 Lord commanded the man saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you 00:20:51.48\00:20:54.82 may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and 00:20:54.85\00:20:58.49 evil, you shall not eat for the day that you eat of it, you 00:20:58.52\00:21:01.36 shall surely, you shall surely die." 00:21:01.39\00:21:05.73 Did God just give mankind a command? 00:21:05.76\00:21:08.96 He did, did he not? 00:21:09.00\00:21:10.30 He said, "Listen, I want you to consider 00:21:10.33\00:21:11.63 staying away from this tree. 00:21:11.67\00:21:13.67 You know, I'm not sure if you should or not, but--" 00:21:13.70\00:21:15.30 No, it was a command. 00:21:15.34\00:21:16.91 Just as much as He says, "You shall not murder, you shall not 00:21:16.94\00:21:19.31 use the Lord's God--Lord God's name in vain," so did God tell 00:21:19.34\00:21:23.98 Adam and Eve, "You shall not eat from this particular tree. 00:21:24.01\00:21:27.65 You may freely eat of all the other trees, 00:21:27.68\00:21:29.58 and there's more trees than you will ever, ever need. 00:21:29.62\00:21:32.12 But of this one tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I am 00:21:32.15\00:21:34.89 commanding you today, I am setting a law before you. 00:21:34.92\00:21:40.20 And the day that you decide to break that law, 00:21:40.23\00:21:41.93 you shall surely, you shall surely die." 00:21:41.96\00:21:48.24 In Romans chapter 6, verse 23, it tells 00:21:48.27\00:21:49.94 us the wages of sin is death. 00:21:49.97\00:21:52.21 Adam and Eve ate that tree, did they not? 00:21:52.24\00:21:54.41 They eat from the fruit of that tree. 00:21:54.44\00:21:55.98 We all know the story. 00:21:56.01\00:21:59.28 Did they sin when they ate from that tree? 00:21:59.31\00:22:01.62 Yes, they did. Why? 00:22:01.65\00:22:02.95 Because the Bible tells us in 1 John chapter 3, and verse 4 00:22:02.98\00:22:05.72 that sin is the transgression of the, of the law. 00:22:05.75\00:22:11.09 Sin is the transgression of the law. 00:22:11.13\00:22:15.26 Adam and Eve had decided to break God's law, 00:22:15.30\00:22:20.10 they had sinned that day. 00:22:20.14\00:22:22.14 Genesis chapter 3, and verse 19 it says, 00:22:22.17\00:22:24.11 "For dust you are and to dust you shall, to return." 00:22:24.14\00:22:28.84 You see, after they had sinned, after they have had that sober 00:22:28.88\00:22:31.71 conversation with the Lord as God then begins to unpack the 00:22:31.75\00:22:35.62 different negative consequences that would result because of 00:22:35.65\00:22:39.02 that sinful, disloyal decision that they had made, 00:22:39.05\00:22:42.89 they had broke faith, they had broke confidence 00:22:42.92\00:22:45.36 in the Lord that had given them so much. 00:22:45.39\00:22:49.46 And as God was sharing all these different negative consequences 00:22:49.50\00:22:53.00 again that they and their descendants would experience 00:22:53.03\00:22:55.50 through the centuries that were ahead, God wraps that 00:22:55.54\00:22:58.57 conversation up by saying, "Oh, and by the way, remember that 00:22:58.61\00:23:01.51 time whatever days ago or weeks beforehand when I say, do not 00:23:01.54\00:23:06.05 eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for 00:23:06.08\00:23:07.78 the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die? 00:23:07.82\00:23:10.79 I really meant it. 00:23:10.82\00:23:13.02 And so, Adam and Eve, as hard as this is to say, 00:23:13.05\00:23:16.36 for dust you are and to dust you shall return." 00:23:16.39\00:23:25.10 Because of this, God presented 00:23:25.13\00:23:26.43 the gospel that same day as well. 00:23:26.47\00:23:30.77 You see, Jesus and the Father not only confirmed with Adam and 00:23:30.81\00:23:34.31 Eve that the consequences of death and all the negative 00:23:34.34\00:23:37.78 things between that and the time that they ate 00:23:37.81\00:23:40.12 and the time in which they will return to the dust, 00:23:40.15\00:23:43.42 He also gives them the good news. 00:23:43.45\00:23:45.19 And He says, "Listen, this is horrible news. 00:23:45.22\00:23:47.72 This is a bad day in history." 00:23:47.76\00:23:51.66 But He says, "I want to give you a promise. 00:23:51.69\00:23:54.83 I want to share a gospel message with you here today." 00:23:54.83\00:23:58.93 In fact, if you look at the order of the conversation in the 00:23:58.97\00:24:01.10 Garden that day after and Adam and Eve ate, we find that God 00:24:01.14\00:24:03.67 actually shared the good news before He shared the bad news. 00:24:03.71\00:24:08.04 You know, sometimes we ask ourselves, "I got good news 00:24:08.08\00:24:09.81 and bad news, what you want first?" 00:24:09.84\00:24:11.71 God didn't even ask them that. 00:24:11.75\00:24:12.98 He said, "Listen, I'm so wise, I know that it's better for me to 00:24:13.01\00:24:15.15 give you the good news before I share with you 00:24:15.18\00:24:17.45 and confirm some of the bad news that's going 00:24:17.49\00:24:19.52 to happen because of your decision today." 00:24:19.55\00:24:24.79 The same day that they sinned, God presented the gospel, the 00:24:24.83\00:24:27.66 ultimate sacrifice and death in their place. 00:24:27.73\00:24:30.13 And that's why Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 is a massive verse 00:24:30.17\00:24:33.97 that Christians through the centuries have clung to that 00:24:34.00\00:24:36.57 have seen the light shining from the Garden of Eden, 00:24:36.60\00:24:39.77 shining from that first few chapters of the 00:24:39.81\00:24:43.18 first book of the Bible called Genesis. 00:24:43.21\00:24:45.55 Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpent, "I will put enmity 00:24:45.58\00:24:49.02 between you, serpent, and between the woman." 00:24:49.05\00:24:51.62 And from that point on, God has always, from this chapter all 00:24:51.65\00:24:55.09 the way through to the end of the last book of the Bible in 00:24:55.12\00:24:58.03 Revelation, God has used a woman to represent 00:24:58.06\00:25:01.10 God's faithful church, those who decide to 00:25:01.13\00:25:05.67 follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 00:25:05.70\00:25:09.27 And from that point forward, He chooses to represent those who 00:25:09.30\00:25:13.74 do not choose Jesus by the serpent. 00:25:13.78\00:25:19.08 "I will put enmity between you, serpent," as God is addressing 00:25:19.11\00:25:21.92 the serpent in the Garden that day. 00:25:21.95\00:25:23.72 "Between you, serpent, and the woman, 00:25:23.75\00:25:25.19 and between your seed and between her seed." 00:25:25.22\00:25:28.42 God is also revealing that one of the unfortunate most tragic 00:25:28.46\00:25:31.29 results of Adam and Eve's decision to sin that day is that 00:25:31.33\00:25:34.10 not only would they suffer the consequences, but their children 00:25:34.13\00:25:37.03 would suffer the consequences, and their 00:25:37.07\00:25:38.77 children's children, and the great grandchildren, 00:25:38.80\00:25:41.04 all the way to your generation and mine. 00:25:41.07\00:25:45.81 He tells us, and Adam and Eve, He tells them, says that 00:25:45.84\00:25:48.94 unfortunate reality that He says, "There will be two camps 00:25:48.98\00:25:51.88 that will exist upon the planet from this time forward," those 00:25:51.91\00:25:55.75 on God's side and those who were on the serpent's side. 00:25:55.78\00:25:59.45 It was that way back then in the 00:25:59.49\00:26:00.86 first generation, still is today. 00:26:00.89\00:26:03.53 There is only two camps that both--all of us, every single 00:26:03.56\00:26:06.29 human being on the planet today is in only two camps, always 00:26:06.33\00:26:10.53 has been, always will be until Jesus comes. 00:26:10.57\00:26:14.24 But then God reduces the seed representing the descendants 00:26:14.27\00:26:17.44 both of the woman, those who decide for Jesus, and the 00:26:17.47\00:26:20.24 descendants of the serpent, those who decide against Jesus, 00:26:20.28\00:26:23.45 and either consciously or by default find themselves in the 00:26:23.48\00:26:26.01 camp of the serpent, God then is whittling down 00:26:26.05\00:26:30.39 those descendants to a singular male person. 00:26:30.42\00:26:35.22 For it says in the very next line, "He shall bruise your 00:26:35.26\00:26:37.96 head, and you shall bruise his heel." 00:26:37.99\00:26:43.26 God is saying, "Listen, of all the descendants of the woman of 00:26:43.30\00:26:45.97 the faithful of God through the lineage eventually of Judah, of 00:26:46.00\00:26:50.44 Abraham, of course, and then Judah and then David, we would 00:26:50.47\00:26:54.18 find Jesus Himself, the Son of God, the ultimate seed." 00:26:54.21\00:26:58.58 Jesus gives a promise to Adam and Eve that day that the Son of 00:26:58.61\00:27:02.08 God would come and that He would give the sacrifice. 00:27:02.12\00:27:06.19 Now, friends, if you get crushed under a heel, does it hurt? 00:27:06.22\00:27:10.56 If you get in a farming accident and a big piece of machinery 00:27:10.59\00:27:13.26 crushes your heel between two multi-ton 00:27:13.29\00:27:16.90 pieces of machinery, does that hurt? 00:27:16.93\00:27:20.27 Oh, it's going to hurt. 00:27:20.30\00:27:21.60 It's going to hurt a lot, isn't it? 00:27:21.64\00:27:23.47 Are you going to survive? 00:27:23.51\00:27:26.14 Okay, it's going to take some healing. 00:27:26.17\00:27:27.68 It's going to take some recovery. 00:27:27.71\00:27:29.01 You know, it's not going to be an easy road, 00:27:29.04\00:27:31.01 but you're going to make it, aren't you? 00:27:31.05\00:27:34.02 Okay, this is representing Jesus on the cross. 00:27:34.05\00:27:37.59 Okay, He received a mortal wound that day, did He not? 00:27:37.62\00:27:41.59 He died on the cross for you and me. 00:27:41.62\00:27:44.56 But as Jesus said, before He even received that wound that 00:27:44.59\00:27:48.23 crushed on his heel, he said, "I have the power to both to give 00:27:48.26\00:27:52.47 My life, and I have the power to take it up again." 00:27:52.50\00:27:56.94 Then it also says that Jesus helped 00:27:56.97\00:27:58.57 crush the head of the serpent. 00:27:58.61\00:28:00.68 Now, if you get that same machinery in the farm crush your 00:28:00.71\00:28:04.21 head between those things, are you going to make it? 00:28:04.25\00:28:06.98 No, okay? 00:28:07.02\00:28:08.48 All right, so I don't even know if you'll feel the pain, 00:28:08.52\00:28:11.45 you know, for more than a couple of seconds. 00:28:11.49\00:28:12.79 You're not going to make it, are you? 00:28:12.82\00:28:14.06 That's what it's saying here, when Jesus died on the cross, 00:28:14.09\00:28:16.49 it was the death knell for the devil. 00:28:16.52\00:28:19.76 The devil lost at Calvary. 00:28:19.79\00:28:24.97 So again, I want us to notice that even before God introduces 00:28:25.00\00:28:27.70 Adam and Eve to the symbolic animal sacrifices, he promises 00:28:27.74\00:28:32.81 the ultimate and perfect human sacrifice that animals pointed 00:28:32.84\00:28:36.61 to, that those animals, those sacrificial animals, pointed to. 00:28:36.64\00:28:40.28 They were all pointing to the seed. 00:28:40.32\00:28:42.72 They were all pointing to the promise that God gave to the 00:28:42.75\00:28:45.69 very first man and woman that lived. 00:28:45.72\00:28:48.72 And so, the promise of a coming Savior is not something that was 00:28:48.76\00:28:51.83 unavailable in the Old Testament. 00:28:51.86\00:28:53.80 It was available from the 3rd chapter 00:28:53.83\00:28:55.66 of the Bible all the way through. 00:28:55.70\00:29:00.90 And so, God introduces the ultimate 00:29:00.94\00:29:03.44 fulfillment of the animal sacrifices. 00:29:03.47\00:29:05.77 And then the later verses gives us some very clear information 00:29:05.81\00:29:09.84 that tells us that indeed He then introduced Adam and Eve to 00:29:09.88\00:29:12.75 the animal symbolic sacrifices that were given to them to 00:29:12.78\00:29:17.69 sacrifice by faith looking forward to the time when Jesus 00:29:17.72\00:29:22.06 would come and die on the cross and fulfill those symbols, 00:29:22.09\00:29:25.99 when type would meet antitype. 00:29:26.03\00:29:30.57 And so, as we follow through in those same chapters, in Genesis 00:29:30.60\00:29:33.30 chapter 3 and verse 21 and the first several verses of Genesis 00:29:33.34\00:29:36.27 chapter 4, we only have to apply some very simple deductive 00:29:36.30\00:29:39.51 thinking that tells us that God indeed did introduce 00:29:39.54\00:29:42.71 this deep symbolism of the promise that he already 00:29:42.74\00:29:45.65 gave at the sacrifice of His Son. 00:29:45.68\00:29:48.52 Genesis chapter 3 and 21, it tells us that God made for Adam 00:29:48.55\00:29:51.82 and Eve that day tunics of animal skins. 00:29:51.85\00:29:56.16 Now, you and I know that the only way we can acquire animal 00:29:56.19\00:29:58.29 skins is by taking the life of an animal, right? 00:29:58.33\00:30:03.90 So, by some very simple deductive thinking and 00:30:03.93\00:30:08.47 reasoning, we can assume then that God 00:30:08.50\00:30:11.17 had taken the life of an animal that day. 00:30:11.21\00:30:14.68 Now, as we go to the first verses of Genesis chapter 4, we 00:30:14.71\00:30:17.45 can continue to apply some very simple deductive thinking and 00:30:17.48\00:30:20.52 realize that, indeed, God had not only taken the life of that 00:30:20.55\00:30:24.05 animal to provide clothing for Adam and Eve 00:30:24.09\00:30:26.35 in their new sinful condition and state, but also 00:30:26.39\00:30:29.46 that he introduced a sacrificial system, why is that? 00:30:29.49\00:30:34.73 Because the very first two boys and children of Adam and Eve 00:30:34.73\00:30:38.33 very clearly understood the sacrificial system. 00:30:38.37\00:30:41.80 Now, where did they learn it from? 00:30:41.84\00:30:43.94 Again, very simple deductive thinking 00:30:43.97\00:30:45.71 backs us up to their parents. 00:30:45.74\00:30:47.94 Okay, where did you learn your first information? 00:30:47.98\00:30:49.94 If you were in an ideal situation the way that God would 00:30:49.98\00:30:54.25 have it for all of us, but in a fallen world we don't always 00:30:54.28\00:30:56.75 have, but we learn it from our parents, okay? 00:30:56.79\00:31:01.12 And if you back up before Adam and Eve, 00:31:01.16\00:31:02.46 where did Adam and Eve come up with the idea? 00:31:02.49\00:31:05.96 Deductive thinking tells us it can be 00:31:05.99\00:31:07.30 none other than God himself. 00:31:07.30\00:31:09.03 And so, when you connect those dots, you start to realize that 00:31:09.06\00:31:13.80 the entire system of salvation was revealed 00:31:13.84\00:31:17.04 the very same day that Adam and Eve had sinned. 00:31:17.07\00:31:22.88 How did that sacrifice take place? 00:31:22.91\00:31:25.15 Well, the later information is God, years later, told Moses to 00:31:25.18\00:31:28.32 record some of the details of what He inevitably must have 00:31:28.35\00:31:31.25 recorded and revealed to Adam and Eve that day, is that He 00:31:31.29\00:31:34.22 would have had Adam and Eve come over to this beautiful lamb, a 00:31:34.26\00:31:38.33 lamb that not very long beforehand, 00:31:38.36\00:31:40.96 Adam had the privilege of naming as one of 00:31:40.96\00:31:42.86 the species that God put on the planet. 00:31:42.90\00:31:45.17 And as he brought this male lamb in all its perfection--now, you 00:31:45.20\00:31:49.74 have to remember up until this point, death was non existent. 00:31:49.77\00:31:52.87 It was a foreign concept to Adam and Eve. 00:31:52.91\00:31:59.45 And as the Lord puts a knife into the hand of Adam, He says, 00:31:59.48\00:32:04.65 "I want you to put your--" before that even, He says, "I 00:32:04.69\00:32:06.89 want you to put your hands on the head of that lamb, and I 00:32:06.92\00:32:11.66 want you to confess the sin that you have committed towards Me 00:32:11.69\00:32:15.93 and towards yourself and towards mankind." 00:32:15.96\00:32:21.27 And God would have explained how symbolically 00:32:21.30\00:32:23.10 that sin would have been transferred into the lamb. 00:32:23.14\00:32:27.44 Now, I want to ask you a question. 00:32:27.48\00:32:28.88 Did the lamb have anything to do with the decision 00:32:28.91\00:32:31.15 to sin that day in the Garden of Eden? 00:32:31.18\00:32:33.82 No, the lamb is perfectly innocent, 00:32:33.85\00:32:37.85 an innocent party to the sin of Adam and Eve. 00:32:37.89\00:32:42.36 Can you see the fitting, beautiful, powerful symbolism 00:32:42.39\00:32:46.26 that is found there that is connected to the ultimate Lamb 00:32:46.29\00:32:50.73 of God who also had no influence or place in the sinful decision 00:32:50.77\00:32:59.11 of Adam and Eve or your sin or mine? 00:32:59.14\00:33:03.68 And so then after he confesses the sin and God explains how 00:33:03.71\00:33:06.15 that symbolically transferred the guilt and sin upon an animal 00:33:06.18\00:33:09.18 that had nothing to do with that sin, did not deserve to receive 00:33:09.22\00:33:12.32 that sin, nor the penalty of that sin, God then 00:33:12.35\00:33:15.16 puts a knife into the hand of Adam. 00:33:15.19\00:33:18.99 And He says, "Now, Adam, I want you to take 00:33:19.03\00:33:20.43 the knife, and I want you to cut its throat. 00:33:20.46\00:33:25.53 And as the blood is bleeding out and pouring out of that innocent 00:33:25.57\00:33:28.44 lamb, I want you to be able to remember each and every time 00:33:28.47\00:33:33.01 that you commit a sin, each and every time that you fail Me, and 00:33:33.04\00:33:36.75 that your children fail Me, and that your grandchildren fail Me, 00:33:36.78\00:33:41.08 that that represents My Son, the seed of the woman, the one that 00:33:41.12\00:33:45.49 I have promised, the perfect Son of God that would come 00:33:45.52\00:33:49.19 and die for the sins of the world." 00:33:49.22\00:33:53.60 And that is one of the central facets and that, in fact, that 00:33:53.63\00:33:57.03 is the central truth, that symbolism and the ultimate 00:33:57.07\00:34:00.70 fulfillment of it was the central truth of the gospel of 00:34:00.74\00:34:03.81 Jesus Christ and the preaching of Paul, as well as one of the 00:34:03.84\00:34:06.54 most powerful gospel books that he had ever written, 00:34:06.57\00:34:09.68 and that God had ever inspired him to write, 00:34:09.71\00:34:11.95 which is found in the book of Hebrews. 00:34:11.98\00:34:14.95 And now we get to look at something 00:34:14.98\00:34:16.28 exciting in the book of Hebrews itself. 00:34:16.32\00:34:18.42 Let's go back to the book of Hebrews. 00:34:18.45\00:34:19.75 We're going to chapter 9, and this is no small verse. 00:34:19.79\00:34:23.46 Hebrews chapter 9, verse 15. 00:34:23.49\00:34:27.40 Okay, Hebrews chapter 9, and verse 15. 00:34:27.46\00:34:29.53 Our lesson study brought it to us, so if you've 00:34:29.56\00:34:31.17 read your lesson study, you've already read it. 00:34:31.20\00:34:33.54 Let's go back to it. This is powerful. 00:34:33.57\00:34:35.10 The first time I came to this, I was just-- 00:34:35.14\00:34:38.07 the light just went on so bright for me. 00:34:38.11\00:34:41.88 And it just answered so many questions that I had in concern 00:34:41.91\00:34:44.45 to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people and the 00:34:44.48\00:34:47.35 sacrificial system and the temple and the priesthood. 00:34:47.38\00:34:49.92 How did that all apply and relate to the New Testament and 00:34:49.95\00:34:52.22 Jesus on the cross and all these other things, the sins that of 00:34:52.25\00:34:55.19 those who are forgiven in the New Testament era 00:34:55.22\00:34:57.76 compared to those in the Old Testament era? 00:34:57.79\00:34:59.89 And all the misunderstandings and misinformation 00:34:59.93\00:35:01.90 that comes around those questions. 00:35:01.93\00:35:05.77 In verse 15 it says, "And for this reason He 00:35:05.80\00:35:07.84 is the mediator of the New Covenant." 00:35:07.87\00:35:11.91 That's the New Testament. 00:35:11.94\00:35:13.24 Covenant and Testament are synonymous. 00:35:13.27\00:35:15.48 Mediator of the New Covenant or Testament by means of death. 00:35:15.51\00:35:19.85 Okay, fair enough, every evangelical Christian 00:35:19.88\00:35:22.22 understands that today and pretty well every church. 00:35:22.25\00:35:24.65 It says, "For the redemption of the transgressions under the?" 00:35:24.69\00:35:29.02 Under the first covenant, under the first Testament. 00:35:29.06\00:35:33.50 We typically call that the? Come on, now. 00:35:33.53\00:35:39.23 What do we call the first covenant? 00:35:39.27\00:35:42.40 The Old Testament, okay, all right? 00:35:42.44\00:35:46.11 I stumped you a little bit there, didn't I? 00:35:46.14\00:35:47.68 Okay, remember, I already gave you a hint. 00:35:47.71\00:35:49.21 I said, "Covenant is synonymous with Testament. 00:35:49.24\00:35:51.98 All right, so you should have got that really. 00:35:52.01\00:35:53.31 So, it's the Old Testament, isn't it? 00:35:53.35\00:35:56.42 Okay, we want to make sure that we know exactly 00:35:56.45\00:35:58.55 what God is trying to tell us here. 00:35:58.59\00:36:00.42 And if we don't understand the covenant is synonymous with 00:36:00.46\00:36:02.19 testament and that the first covenant is the Old Testament 00:36:02.22\00:36:04.66 that God sealed with blood with the sacrifices in Moses's day, 00:36:04.69\00:36:08.63 we will not understand the full truth and implications 00:36:08.66\00:36:11.63 that God is telling us here today. 00:36:11.67\00:36:13.34 It says that "when Jesus died as a mediator, he is the 00:36:13.37\00:36:17.27 mediator of the New Covenant, the New Testament, by means of 00:36:17.31\00:36:19.61 death for the redemption of the transgressions--" 00:36:19.64\00:36:21.98 What's another name or word for transgressions? 00:36:22.01\00:36:25.21 Sins, all right, you with me, okay? 00:36:25.25\00:36:27.28 "For the redemption of the sins under the Old Testament." 00:36:27.32\00:36:34.22 Okay, I'm just translating here for what we more commonly 00:36:34.26\00:36:37.16 understand the first covenant to be. 00:36:37.19\00:36:40.56 We typically think and call it the Old Testament. 00:36:40.60\00:36:42.70 "Under the Old Testament that those who are called may receive 00:36:42.73\00:36:46.30 the promise of eternal inheritance." 00:36:46.33\00:36:48.47 And so, what this is telling us, friends, is that the only reason 00:36:48.50\00:36:51.11 that Adam and Eve will be at the first resurrection, the only 00:36:51.14\00:36:53.61 reason that they will accept and receive eternal life, is because 00:36:53.64\00:36:57.98 of the death that Jesus died on the cross for their sin. 00:36:58.01\00:37:02.68 When Jesus died on the cross, He bore the sin of Eve reaching up 00:37:02.72\00:37:06.49 to that tree and eating from its fruit. 00:37:06.52\00:37:11.16 He bore the sin of Adam when Adam took one of those pieces of 00:37:11.19\00:37:14.20 fruit from the hands of Eve and chose to ate--to eat. 00:37:14.23\00:37:20.17 And every other sin that has been committed by mankind 00:37:20.20\00:37:24.81 throughout all of human history was born by Jesus upon 00:37:24.84\00:37:28.84 his own body when He died on the cross. 00:37:28.88\00:37:30.81 Do you see that, friends? This is a powerful truth. 00:37:30.85\00:37:35.35 Some of you say, "Well, this is old news. 00:37:35.38\00:37:36.92 Thank you for confirming and reviewing it for me." 00:37:36.95\00:37:39.29 For some of you, this may be life giving. 00:37:39.32\00:37:43.29 For me, it was life giving because it just threw 00:37:43.32\00:37:45.53 away so many misunderstandings and so much 00:37:45.56\00:37:48.13 misinformation and concern to what it was like to 00:37:48.16\00:37:50.97 be a believer in the Old Testament time. 00:37:51.00\00:37:53.30 What was it like to be a faithful Israelite? 00:37:53.34\00:37:55.70 What was it like to be David when he lived during-- 00:37:55.74\00:37:58.51 when Jesus died on the cross, He died for David's sin 00:37:58.54\00:38:01.74 and his adultery with Bathsheba. 00:38:01.78\00:38:05.35 The only reason that David has the promise and the hope and the 00:38:05.38\00:38:09.32 certainty of being in the first resurrection is because Jesus 00:38:09.35\00:38:12.32 died on the cross for his adultery. 00:38:12.35\00:38:17.86 The only reason that Noah is going to be in the first 00:38:17.89\00:38:19.79 resurrection is because Jesus died on the cross for the sin of 00:38:19.83\00:38:22.93 Noah when he indulged and became drunk one night 00:38:22.96\00:38:25.70 and embarrassed himself before his family. 00:38:25.73\00:38:30.77 Jesus died for all sin throughout all of eternity. 00:38:30.81\00:38:35.08 And Hebrews here is tightening up that truth 00:38:35.11\00:38:37.68 for us in this one powerful verse. 00:38:37.71\00:38:40.38 That's why I was so excited when I saw it in our lesson study 00:38:40.42\00:38:43.25 and as it was pointed to for us to be able 00:38:43.28\00:38:45.49 to look at because this is a huge verse. 00:38:45.52\00:38:54.03 On Tuesday, Jesus's perfect sacrifice is looked at. 00:38:54.10\00:39:00.10 Why was Jesus's sacrifice perfect? 00:39:00.14\00:39:03.34 Well, because Jesus is perfect, right? 00:39:03.37\00:39:06.47 Okay, why did that make all the difference compared to the 00:39:06.51\00:39:09.08 sacrifices that took place before that? 00:39:09.11\00:39:11.71 Because there was millions of sacrifices that already took 00:39:11.75\00:39:13.95 place by God's faithful people as instructed and told by God. 00:39:13.98\00:39:18.99 And yet when Jesus came, He died one perfect death. 00:39:19.02\00:39:24.79 Well, of course, Jesus was the ultimate antitype, wasn't he? 00:39:24.83\00:39:28.56 Okay, so we have type, Jesus is the antitype. 00:39:28.60\00:39:32.20 He's the One that came and fulfilled the symbolism that God 00:39:32.23\00:39:35.40 had introduced in the Garden of Eden 00:39:35.44\00:39:37.31 the same day that mankind had sinned. 00:39:37.34\00:39:43.55 And so, after 4,000--we have to take in context the 00:39:43.58\00:39:46.05 book of Hebrews, you know, because as we 00:39:46.08\00:39:47.45 look at these different books, it's helpful. 00:39:47.48\00:39:49.52 And scholars will tell you that, pastors will tell you. 00:39:49.55\00:39:51.89 It's true, having the context of the entire book, 00:39:51.92\00:39:57.03 what kind of environment and context was the church in? 00:39:57.06\00:40:00.30 And what were they up against? What were they facing? 00:40:00.33\00:40:02.70 What was the audience experiencing when God had first 00:40:02.73\00:40:05.63 inspired Paul to write to the Hebrew believers? 00:40:05.67\00:40:08.10 These were Jewish people, religious Jews who had converted 00:40:08.14\00:40:11.37 to Christianity and accepted the fulfillment of Judaism in the 00:40:11.41\00:40:15.71 seed of the woman, Jesus Christ the Messiah. 00:40:15.74\00:40:19.78 We have to remember that after 4,000 years, millions of animals 00:40:19.81\00:40:25.92 sacrificed, the symbolism came to its fulfillment, and the 00:40:25.95\00:40:30.63 Hebrews found themselves needing to switch gears, 00:40:30.66\00:40:35.23 to change rails in a way that was--must have 00:40:35.26\00:40:37.50 been very, very challenging for them, why? 00:40:37.53\00:40:39.80 Because right from their childhood on, they had both 00:40:39.83\00:40:42.37 participated in and/or observed the sacrifice of--well, by the 00:40:42.40\00:40:47.81 time their adulthood, if they heard this truth, 00:40:47.84\00:40:50.98 would be hundreds of sacrifices. 00:40:51.01\00:40:54.32 This was an integral part of their religious experience 00:40:54.35\00:40:57.22 and faith expression and now God is saying, "Stop it. 00:40:57.25\00:41:03.22 You need to change gears." Why? 00:41:03.26\00:41:05.59 Because now the perfect sacrifice has come. 00:41:05.63\00:41:09.23 Now, for you and I we'll say, "Well, of course, that's what 00:41:09.26\00:41:10.87 they did, and that's what they should have done, 00:41:10.90\00:41:12.20 and they should have done it immediately." 00:41:12.23\00:41:14.24 But you have to remember that these people, you know, you're 00:41:14.27\00:41:17.07 conditioned for some of them, let's say they're 40 years old, 00:41:17.11\00:41:20.44 for 40 years now, part of their faithful expression of faith 00:41:20.48\00:41:23.78 before God is to bring an animal sacrifice to symbolize their 00:41:23.81\00:41:27.38 guilt, to symbolize their redemption, their forgiveness, 00:41:27.42\00:41:30.95 and their reconciliation with the holy God. 00:41:30.99\00:41:33.66 And now God is saying, "You don't need to do that. 00:41:33.69\00:41:35.26 Stop doing it, not required anymore," why? 00:41:35.29\00:41:39.29 Well, God then explains it several times, several times 00:41:39.33\00:41:44.37 throughout the book of Hebrews, why? 00:41:44.40\00:41:45.70 Because he wants to get it across. 00:41:45.73\00:41:47.04 Hebrews chapter 7, and verse 27. 00:41:47.07\00:41:50.67 In Hebrews 7, verse 27, the lesson study tells us in 00:41:50.71\00:41:53.41 this--points us to the verse and the Bible says, "Who does not 00:41:53.44\00:41:56.28 need daily as those priests--" Now he's talking about daily 00:41:56.31\00:42:00.98 sacrifices of the priests brought these daily sacrifices. 00:42:01.02\00:42:05.12 "Who does not need daily as those high priests who offer up 00:42:05.15\00:42:07.49 sacrifices first for His own sins, and then 00:42:07.52\00:42:09.99 for the peoples, for this He did once for all 00:42:10.03\00:42:13.06 when He offered up Him, Himself." 00:42:13.09\00:42:16.60 Hebrews 10, verse 10 says, "By what--by that we will have been 00:42:16.63\00:42:21.40 sanctified through the bought--through the offering of 00:42:21.44\00:42:24.27 the body of Jesus Christ once for all." 00:42:24.31\00:42:30.48 And then when it comes to Hebrews chapter 10, 00:42:30.51\00:42:32.01 verse 14, God repeats it again. 00:42:32.05\00:42:33.68 He says, "For by one offering, He has perfected 00:42:33.72\00:42:38.02 forever those who are being sanctified." 00:42:38.05\00:42:40.12 Now, we don't want to miss out on that because 00:42:40.16\00:42:41.96 it gives us sanctification and also the gospel 00:42:41.99\00:42:45.33 is found here with justification, why? 00:42:45.36\00:42:48.90 Because it says, "For by one offering, 00:42:48.93\00:42:50.40 He has perfected forever," that's justification. 00:42:50.43\00:42:52.80 When you come to Christ, you confess your sins, 00:42:52.83\00:42:54.50 you surrender to Him, He's your Lord and Savior 00:42:54.54\00:42:56.71 in your heart from that point forward. 00:42:56.74\00:42:58.37 God forgives you every sin. He completely cleanses you. 00:42:58.41\00:43:02.88 And now when He looks down upon you, He says, "As far as I'm 00:43:02.91\00:43:06.78 concerned, you have never sinned. 00:43:06.82\00:43:09.58 As far as I'm concerned, you're completely holy." 00:43:09.62\00:43:13.62 Now, does God and you both know that you haven't arrived yet? 00:43:13.66\00:43:17.19 Yes, He knows that and you know that. 00:43:17.23\00:43:18.79 But as far as He is concerned, you have already arrived. 00:43:18.83\00:43:22.43 But then it goes on and says that there is also a sanctifying 00:43:22.46\00:43:25.00 experience that God asked us to enter into as well, and that 00:43:25.03\00:43:29.44 sanctifying experience is a process that takes time as God 00:43:29.47\00:43:33.41 roots out our selfishness and our self-centeredness and our 00:43:33.44\00:43:37.15 greed, and all these other sinful attributes that God needs 00:43:37.18\00:43:40.38 to be able to clean out of our life. 00:43:40.42\00:43:41.98 Verse--chapter 9, verse 26, the last half 00:43:42.02\00:43:44.59 of this particular verse says it again. 00:43:44.62\00:43:46.02 It says, "But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared 00:43:46.05\00:43:49.56 to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 00:43:49.59\00:43:52.66 Hebrews 9, verse 28 it says, "So Christ was 00:43:52.69\00:43:54.63 offered once to bear the sins of many. 00:43:54.66\00:43:58.60 To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second 00:43:58.63\00:44:00.97 time apart from sin for salvation." 00:44:01.00\00:44:05.41 Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 12 says, "Not with the blood of 00:44:05.44\00:44:07.64 goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most 00:44:07.68\00:44:10.68 Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." 00:44:10.71\00:44:16.85 You see the theme, friends? 00:44:16.89\00:44:18.99 Why is God repeating it so often? 00:44:19.02\00:44:20.49 Why does he keep revisiting that powerful truth? 00:44:20.52\00:44:23.59 Well, it's important for you and I to be able to absorb it, but 00:44:23.63\00:44:26.56 it was even more difficult inevitably for the Jews, for the 00:44:26.59\00:44:30.67 religious Jews that had become Christians that had seen Jesus 00:44:30.70\00:44:34.20 as their Lord and Savior, accepted Him as so as such, 00:44:34.24\00:44:37.27 but now needed to readjust their religious 00:44:37.31\00:44:39.77 experience in a very dramatic way. 00:44:39.81\00:44:42.98 And so, God goes out of his way to be able to explain 00:44:43.01\00:44:45.18 to them and share with them that, "Hey, 00:44:45.21\00:44:49.02 this is something that is done with. 00:44:49.05\00:44:50.95 It's something that has found its fulfillment. 00:44:50.99\00:44:52.72 It served its purpose in a needful way. 00:44:52.75\00:44:54.99 It was my idea," God says. 00:44:55.02\00:44:56.46 But now that idea has come to its fulfillment, and now you can 00:44:56.49\00:45:00.56 express yourself by coming to Jesus in your heart in your 00:45:00.60\00:45:03.83 mind's eye as you come to Him in prayer and claim the death of 00:45:03.87\00:45:08.87 Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. 00:45:08.90\00:45:15.08 Again, this would be very helpful for the religious Jew. 00:45:15.11\00:45:18.65 Hebrews chapter 8, and verse 13 00:45:18.68\00:45:20.32 tells us something very important. 00:45:20.35\00:45:25.22 Let's go to Hebrews chapter 8, and verse 13 00:45:25.25\00:45:27.09 because, again, this is no small verse. 00:45:27.12\00:45:30.66 And again, it's relate--the relationship between 00:45:30.69\00:45:32.66 the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:45:32.69\00:45:35.03 Okay, so Hebrews chapter 8, and verse 13 it says, "In that he 00:45:35.06\00:45:38.27 says, a New Covenant--" Again, that is the New Testament. 00:45:38.30\00:45:42.37 "He has made the first obsolete." 00:45:42.40\00:45:44.07 What's the first again? 00:45:44.11\00:45:45.41 Now you better get this this time. 00:45:45.44\00:45:46.78 The Old Testament, okay, good. All right, the Old Testament. 00:45:46.81\00:45:49.88 "A New Covenant or New Testament, 00:45:49.91\00:45:51.41 He has made the first obsolete." 00:45:51.45\00:45:53.92 That's the Old Testament. 00:45:53.95\00:45:55.58 "Now, what is becoming obsolete and growing away, growing old, 00:45:55.62\00:45:58.72 is ready to, is ready to vanish away." 00:45:58.75\00:46:03.43 And so, very clearly here, God in His graciousness, notice how 00:46:03.46\00:46:06.49 He's just giving the Jewish believers' transition time. 00:46:06.53\00:46:10.17 He's saying--He doesn't come up and say, 00:46:10.20\00:46:11.73 "Stop it and stop it right now." 00:46:11.77\00:46:14.30 No, He doesn't do that, does He? 00:46:14.34\00:46:16.57 He says, "But just let it start to vanish away. 00:46:16.60\00:46:19.37 I know, I know you still have a part of you that feels 00:46:19.41\00:46:22.84 unfaithful unless you bring that lamb because, 00:46:22.88\00:46:24.95 you know, you didn't--you didn't treat your wife 00:46:24.98\00:46:27.65 quite the way you should have. 00:46:27.68\00:46:29.28 You lost your temper or whatever it is. 00:46:29.32\00:46:32.59 And I know in the past, you know, that you knew 00:46:32.62\00:46:34.46 that was the right thing to do to bring a lamb, 00:46:34.49\00:46:36.79 but now I want you to come to the lamb." 00:46:36.83\00:46:40.96 And so, God is telling the Jewish believers, 00:46:41.00\00:46:42.76 "Listen, you need to let that go. 00:46:42.80\00:46:44.53 It's vanishing away. 00:46:44.57\00:46:46.53 It's fading because it's found its fulfillment in Jesus." 00:46:46.57\00:46:51.07 Now, the last two--the last two days speak on the Day of 00:46:59.81\00:47:04.15 Atonement, talks about the judgment hour, 00:47:04.19\00:47:06.69 and we don't even have nearly enough time. 00:47:06.72\00:47:09.86 We're just wrapping things up today. 00:47:09.89\00:47:11.19 So, if you haven't looked at the last two days of the lesson 00:47:11.23\00:47:13.90 study, we really want to encourage you to be able to 00:47:13.93\00:47:15.70 spend some time and consider some 00:47:15.73\00:47:17.10 of the thoughts that is sharing that. 00:47:17.13\00:47:19.17 Revelation chapter 3, and verse 20 is my favorite. 00:47:19.20\00:47:21.80 In fact, let's close with that. 00:47:21.84\00:47:23.07 Let's go to Revelation chapter 3, and verse 20 with our last 00:47:23.10\00:47:26.37 minute or so that we have here because this is such a 00:47:26.41\00:47:28.78 powerfully--I just want to express one thing as well. 00:47:28.81\00:47:32.18 You know, I know that it's become the in thing for us, as 00:47:32.21\00:47:34.62 Seventh-Day Adventists, to scrap the whole term "investigative 00:47:34.65\00:47:38.95 judgment" from 1844 onward when Jesus entered the second phase 00:47:38.99\00:47:43.06 of ministry, not only as our mediator, as we talked about 00:47:43.09\00:47:45.86 today, but also as our advocate and judge. 00:47:45.89\00:47:49.53 And we just call it the pre Advent judgment now. 00:47:49.56\00:47:54.37 Friends, why did God inspire Ellen White to 00:47:54.40\00:47:56.74 use the term "investigative judgment?" 00:47:56.77\00:47:58.84 You know, I did a word search dozens of times. 00:47:58.87\00:48:02.78 Several times God had asked--inspired Ellen White to 00:48:02.81\00:48:05.65 use the term "investigative judgment." 00:48:05.68\00:48:07.18 And yet we're afraid to use that term. 00:48:07.22\00:48:10.12 Either we're guilty and we know we're not right with God, or 00:48:10.15\00:48:14.02 we're misunderstanding the gospel. 00:48:14.06\00:48:15.62 One of those two, and if it's either those two, 00:48:15.66\00:48:17.49 we want to get that straightened out, amen? 00:48:17.53\00:48:20.00 Because I can freely use the term "investigative judgment," 00:48:20.03\00:48:23.37 and I have no qualms doing that. 00:48:23.40\00:48:25.30 And I do not feel threatened by it in any way, why? 00:48:25.33\00:48:28.14 Because I understand the gospel correctly and because I know 00:48:28.17\00:48:31.11 that my heart is right with Jesus. 00:48:31.14\00:48:35.64 Revelation 3:20 gives me that hope. 00:48:35.68\00:48:42.72 Sorry, it's not Revelation-- 00:48:42.75\00:48:44.05 Revelation, chapter 3, and verse 5. 00:48:44.09\00:48:47.19 Verse 20 is another powerful one as well but verse 5. 00:48:47.22\00:48:50.16 In closing it says, "And he who overcomes shall be 00:48:50.19\00:48:52.19 clothed in white garments, and I will not 00:48:52.23\00:48:54.36 blot out his name from the book of Life. 00:48:54.36\00:48:56.77 But I will confess his name before 00:48:56.80\00:48:58.10 My Father and before His angels." 00:48:58.13\00:49:01.90 You see, even there in the judgment hour, Jesus is still 00:49:01.94\00:49:04.04 interceding for you and me, is He not, okay? 00:49:04.07\00:49:07.34 Now, He wants us to be able to continue to forget those things 00:49:07.38\00:49:09.84 that are behind, press forward to those things which are ahead. 00:49:09.88\00:49:12.25 As Paul said, Paul says, "I have not yet arrived." 00:49:12.28\00:49:15.02 And he wrote that at the end of his life. 00:49:15.05\00:49:17.29 He said, "Listen, after years, I'm still in process. 00:49:17.32\00:49:19.25 God is still rooting out things in my life. 00:49:19.29\00:49:21.66 But one thing I do, I forget those things which are behind, 00:49:21.69\00:49:23.93 and I press forward to those things with are ahead, which is 00:49:23.96\00:49:26.09 the upper calling in Jesus Christ my Lord." 00:49:26.13\00:49:30.33 And so, friends, that's what I want to leave you 00:49:30.37\00:49:31.67 with in concern to the judgment hour. 00:49:31.70\00:49:33.40 Remember, Jesus is still interceding for you as you are 00:49:33.44\00:49:36.20 in process, but you need to be faithful to Him, amen? 00:49:36.24\00:49:40.44 Let's close with prayer. 00:49:40.48\00:49:42.11 Father in heaven, I just want to say a short prayer that You 00:49:42.14\00:49:44.01 might be able to bless each and every person here and that as we 00:49:44.05\00:49:46.88 contemplate the words and truths that we looked at, that You 00:49:46.92\00:49:49.18 might speak to us and help us to be able to follow. 00:49:49.22\00:49:51.85 In Jesus's name, amen. 00:49:51.89\00:49:54.46 Friends, those of you who are watching online, 00:49:54.49\00:49:56.09 we want to thank you and on various 00:49:56.12\00:49:57.76 networks for joining us here today. 00:49:57.79\00:49:59.93 And don't forget to take 00:49:59.96\00:50:01.23 advantage of our free gift offer. 00:50:01.26\00:50:04.40 And the information will be on the screen for you 00:50:04.43\00:50:06.53 to be able to take advantage of that. 00:50:06.57\00:50:08.77 God bless you, and we look forward to seeing you next 00:50:08.80\00:50:10.57 time--next week on our "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:50:10.61\00:50:12.77 For those of you watching this live, don't forget to stay by. 00:50:12.81\00:50:15.14 In ten minutes from now, we're going to 00:50:15.18\00:50:16.48 begin our worship service. 00:50:16.51\00:50:17.81 Love to have you join us if you're not 00:50:17.85\00:50:19.15 joining a local church. 00:50:19.18\00:50:20.65 Until then, God bless. 00:50:20.68\00:50:22.25 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's 00:50:24.25\00:50:25.59 life-changing, free resource. 00:50:25.62\00:50:27.76 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 00:50:27.79\00:50:29.92 you can download a digital copy straight 00:50:29.96\00:50:31.63 to your computer or mobile device. 00:50:31.66\00:50:33.93 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 00:50:33.96\00:50:36.56 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544 00:50:36.60\00:50:40.67 or visit the web address shown on your screen. 00:50:40.70\00:50:43.54 And be sure to select the 00:50:43.57\00:50:44.91 digital download option on the request page. 00:50:44.94\00:50:47.18 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 00:50:47.21\00:50:50.41 Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want, and most 00:50:50.45\00:50:54.02 important, to share it with others. 00:50:54.05\00:50:57.05 announcer: Amazing Facts Changed Lives. 00:51:02.16\00:51:08.96 Kip Johnston: I was raised very spoiled, 00:51:10.70\00:51:12.70 very lucky, very blessed. 00:51:12.73\00:51:14.77 I was raised in the church actually. 00:51:14.80\00:51:17.11 As a child, God was presented to me as vindictive, 00:51:17.14\00:51:20.54 so it didn't interest me very much. 00:51:20.58\00:51:22.91 When I got much older, I was told by a friend 00:51:22.94\00:51:25.48 of mine I wasn't even a Christian. 00:51:25.51\00:51:27.62 I said, I'm a good person. I don't steal. 00:51:27.65\00:51:29.72 I don't cheat. I don't kill." 00:51:29.75\00:51:31.85 And it was told to me that, "No, in order to be 00:51:31.89\00:51:34.46 a Christian, you must be born again." 00:51:34.49\00:51:36.86 The next day, I went and appropriated a Bible. 00:51:36.89\00:51:39.09 I read the New Testament. 00:51:39.13\00:51:40.83 I just sat the Bible down and said, 00:51:40.86\00:51:42.36 "God, if you're real, deal me in." 00:51:42.40\00:51:45.70 I went to a Christian college to study theology and about God, 00:51:45.73\00:51:50.01 but when I left college, I took a job selling Christian 00:51:50.04\00:51:52.97 literature and Bibles door to door. 00:51:53.01\00:51:55.38 And I went flat broke. 00:51:55.41\00:51:57.25 I stopped in to play poker in a place in LA. 00:51:57.28\00:52:00.52 I was an instant success. 00:52:00.55\00:52:02.32 My life became poker and I got books, and I read poker books. 00:52:02.35\00:52:05.62 I had my Bible in one hand and a poker book in the other. 00:52:05.65\00:52:07.96 I was a Christian poker player. 00:52:07.99\00:52:09.29 I thought the Lord was blessing me. 00:52:09.32\00:52:10.86 The amount of money that I made playing poker 00:52:10.89\00:52:13.13 was so big, it would scare you. 00:52:13.16\00:52:16.06 I was very self-indulgent. 00:52:16.10\00:52:17.50 I did not deny myself anything that I thought 00:52:17.53\00:52:19.63 would make me happy, but I was still empty. 00:52:19.67\00:52:23.37 I went to all the Christian churches, gave them all a fair 00:52:23.41\00:52:26.47 shot, some of them three months, 00:52:26.51\00:52:27.94 some of them two years, unimpressed. 00:52:27.98\00:52:31.21 Saturday morning, I happened to be traveling 00:52:31.25\00:52:33.18 from one poker place to another. 00:52:33.21\00:52:35.48 I just happened to have a little TV in my truck, 00:52:35.52\00:52:38.45 and Doug Batchelor came up on there. 00:52:38.49\00:52:40.76 I was like, this guy makes sense. 00:52:40.79\00:52:42.82 I knew Doug Batchelor was in Sacramento, 00:52:42.86\00:52:44.39 so I came to meet him. 00:52:44.43\00:52:47.30 I told him, I said, "I'm a Christian doing God's work, 00:52:47.36\00:52:50.47 and I make a living playing poker. 00:52:50.50\00:52:52.43 And I am giving away great converses to players. 00:52:52.47\00:52:55.54 I go to church and help the community 00:52:55.57\00:52:57.21 and don't tell me that I'm not doing what's right." 00:52:57.24\00:52:59.77 And he said, "No, you got to get out of that casino, period." 00:52:59.81\00:53:04.28 I said, "I'm making good money." 00:53:04.31\00:53:06.21 And he says, "I know that you know 00:53:06.25\00:53:07.92 what I'm telling you is right," and I did. 00:53:07.95\00:53:11.39 I recognized through it all, I wasn't happy. 00:53:11.42\00:53:16.56 I said, "Lord, my life is a disaster. 00:53:16.59\00:53:18.66 I'm selfish, I'm empty. 00:53:18.69\00:53:21.30 I've tried to do what You wanted me to do 00:53:21.33\00:53:23.10 so many times, and I've always failed. 00:53:23.13\00:53:27.24 Why do I always fail? Why do I always lose my way?" 00:53:27.27\00:53:34.71 And the Lord spoke to me, says, "You got to be involved. 00:53:34.74\00:53:40.78 You got to be involved in My work." 00:53:40.82\00:53:43.65 And that's when I said, I need to dedicate 00:53:43.69\00:53:45.22 my life fully to God's work. 00:53:45.25\00:53:48.72 I, by the grace of God and my wife, we went to India. 00:53:48.76\00:53:53.80 Until the Lord tells me otherwise, we're going to build 00:53:53.83\00:53:55.70 orphanages in India so that children can grow up 00:53:55.73\00:53:59.03 and hear about Jesus, and they can go tell 00:53:59.07\00:54:01.24 the 1.3 billion people in their country. 00:54:01.27\00:54:05.21 God had a plan for me and now I just want to 00:54:05.24\00:54:08.04 be fully dedicated to the Lord's cause. 00:54:08.08\00:54:13.25 I am Kip Johnston, and God used Amazing Facts to change my life. 00:54:13.28\00:54:18.45 announcer: Amazing Facts Changed Lives. 00:54:28.86\00:54:32.17 Peggy Toulon: My name is Peggy Toulon, 00:54:36.97\00:54:39.37 originally from Houston, Texas. 00:54:39.41\00:54:41.54 We lived in Midland for about 14, 15 years 00:54:41.58\00:54:43.91 when my husband had a job offer to move to Detroit. 00:54:43.95\00:54:48.55 We went, you know, expecting things to be easier 00:54:48.58\00:54:51.92 as far as financial situations go. 00:54:51.95\00:54:54.99 And, you know, once we got there, we realized 00:54:55.02\00:54:57.53 the cost of living there was actually worse than it was here. 00:54:57.56\00:55:01.33 And so, he was working more. 00:55:01.36\00:55:02.80 He was out of town a lot because he was a truck driver. 00:55:02.83\00:55:05.67 And there was a time when I felt like I 00:55:05.70\00:55:07.17 was taking care of my girls on my own. 00:55:07.20\00:55:09.80 In any situation that would come up, he wasn't there. 00:55:09.84\00:55:12.54 You know, it was just me trying to take care of everything. 00:55:12.57\00:55:17.25 And I--I felt kind of angry towards God for that, felt kind 00:55:17.28\00:55:21.02 of angry toward my husband for that, you know? 00:55:21.05\00:55:23.62 And at that point, I was already kind of angry with God because 00:55:23.65\00:55:27.59 He hadn't been answering my prayers. 00:55:27.62\00:55:29.56 Of course, my prayers back then were 00:55:29.59\00:55:30.89 really selfish-type prayers. 00:55:30.93\00:55:32.49 They were more, you know, "God, we need more money. 00:55:32.53\00:55:36.53 We don't--you know, we need financial help." 00:55:36.56\00:55:39.00 And I just thought, what's the point? 00:55:39.03\00:55:41.54 God's not listening to me. 00:55:41.57\00:55:43.17 I don't even want--I don't even want to 00:55:43.20\00:55:44.77 have anything to do with Him anymore. 00:55:44.81\00:55:49.81 There was one night I had been reading Revelation, and I read 00:55:49.84\00:55:53.95 through the whole thing and it made no sense whatsoever to me. 00:55:53.98\00:55:57.39 And I--after I finished it I said, I prayed, 00:55:57.42\00:56:00.42 "Lord, help me to understand what this means. 00:56:00.46\00:56:02.56 You must want me to understand. It's in your Word. 00:56:02.59\00:56:05.36 I must--I need to know what it means." 00:56:05.39\00:56:08.53 And so, I went on to bed and a couple of days later, 00:56:08.56\00:56:11.60 we got a flyer in the mail that said, "Amazing Facts 00:56:11.63\00:56:15.90 Presents Revelations Prophecy Seminar." 00:56:15.94\00:56:19.44 And I was like, wow, that's an answer to prayer. 00:56:19.47\00:56:22.21 You know, I was so excited and my husband was too. 00:56:22.24\00:56:24.61 And so, we decided we were going to go to that seminar. 00:56:24.65\00:56:27.18 And I just knew when I got through the whole seminar, I 00:56:27.22\00:56:30.95 just knew that's where I was going to be. 00:56:30.99\00:56:35.79 With Amazing Facts, I have learned so much 00:56:35.82\00:56:39.69 about the Bible and about how to study the Bible, 00:56:39.73\00:56:41.90 which was what I needed before. 00:56:41.93\00:56:44.23 Because without knowing how to study the Bible, 00:56:44.27\00:56:47.00 you can't--you can't get to know Jesus. 00:56:47.04\00:56:49.14 And that's the most amazing thing to me is that God has led 00:56:49.17\00:56:53.64 me to the place where I am now to where I can learn every day 00:56:53.68\00:56:58.35 more and more about His character 00:56:58.38\00:57:00.18 and how much He really does love us. 00:57:00.22\00:57:07.99 Looking back, I'm just happy that He led me the way He did, 00:57:08.02\00:57:12.76 even though I wasn't really listening. 00:57:12.79\00:57:16.20 God has a way to just lead you where you need to be 00:57:16.23\00:57:19.03 and take you down the right path. 00:57:19.07\00:57:21.40 But I looked at my life now and I think wow, if it could have 00:57:21.44\00:57:25.51 been that way before and I would have had Him in my life 00:57:25.54\00:57:28.78 this way all along, you know--I don't know. 00:57:28.81\00:57:33.88 I'm just--I'm just happy now. 00:57:33.92\00:57:35.65 You know, it doesn't matter what's going on in my life. 00:57:35.68\00:57:38.02 I'm happy with God. 00:57:38.05\00:57:40.59 ¤ God's good is life to me. ¤ 00:57:40.62\00:57:46.23 ¤¤¤ 00:57:46.26\00:57:56.20 ¤¤¤ 00:57:56.24\00:58:06.21 ¤¤¤ 00:58:06.25\00:58:16.22 ¤¤¤ 00:58:16.26\00:58:26.23