¤¤¤
00:00:03.13\00:00:13.11
¤¤¤
00:00:13.14\00:00:23.12
¤¤¤
00:00:23.15\00:00:33.13
¤¤¤
00:00:33.16\00:00:36.50
Shawn Brummund: Hello, and
welcome to another edition of
00:00:38.67\00:00:40.14
the "Sabbath School Study Hour,"
as we come together again, in
00:00:40.17\00:00:43.41
the Granite Bay Hilltop
Seventh-day Adventist Church, to
00:00:43.44\00:00:46.71
study the Word of God, and
we are here again to be able to
00:00:46.74\00:00:50.01
study our last lesson in a
book that all of us have enjoyed
00:00:50.05\00:00:54.18
tremendously, which is the
book of Hebrews in the quarterly
00:00:54.22\00:00:57.29
that's entitled
"The Message of Hebrews."
00:00:57.32\00:00:59.35
So we're going to
be looking at Lesson
00:00:59.39\00:01:00.92
Number 13, which
is our last study.
00:01:00.96\00:01:03.19
It's one of my favorites.
00:01:03.22\00:01:04.53
It's one that I pray that
we will take to heart as we
00:01:04.56\00:01:07.40
consider the truth that
God gives to us in concern to
00:01:07.40\00:01:11.20
brotherly love, love that
we have for one another as
00:01:11.23\00:01:13.94
believers, as church members,
and this is no small topic.
00:01:13.97\00:01:17.14
So we're going to be
looking at that as our
00:01:17.17\00:01:18.51
last topic in the
message of Hebrews.
00:01:18.54\00:01:21.34
I trust that you have enjoyed
it over the last three months
00:01:21.38\00:01:24.15
as we have looked
at one of the most
00:01:24.18\00:01:26.31
powerful gospel
books in the entire Bible.
00:01:26.35\00:01:29.98
I also want to invite you to
take advantage of a special gift
00:01:30.02\00:01:32.65
offer that we have, which is
a little booklet entitled "Tiny
00:01:32.69\00:01:37.16
Troublemaker," written by Joe
Crews, the founder of Amazing
00:01:37.19\00:01:40.10
Facts, and, so, again, this
little book is entitled "Tiny
00:01:40.13\00:01:44.67
Troublemaker," and if you want a
copy of this, you live in North
00:01:44.70\00:01:48.04
America or the
different various U.S.
00:01:48.07\00:01:50.24
territories, all you have
to do is dial 1-866-788-3966.
00:01:50.27\00:01:56.88
Go ahead and
dial in, and we'll be
00:01:56.91\00:01:58.71
happy to be able
to get that to you.
00:01:58.75\00:02:00.68
Now, if you'd like a digital
copy of this, as well, and
00:02:00.72\00:02:04.25
you're in the U.S., you can also
get a digital copy of this by
00:02:04.29\00:02:07.52
just simply texting
the code "SH133," and you
00:02:07.56\00:02:12.33
want to dial that
towards 40544, and you'll be
00:02:12.36\00:02:16.90
able to hook up to a
digital download copy.
00:02:16.93\00:02:19.33
Now, you'll also notice that
there is a website on the screen
00:02:19.37\00:02:22.27
as well which is
study.aftv.org/SH133, so if
00:02:22.30\00:02:28.84
you're anywhere in the
world and you have access
00:02:28.88\00:02:30.65
to the internet, go ahead
and take advantage of that,
00:02:30.68\00:02:33.15
and I know that
it'll be a good read.
00:02:33.18\00:02:34.98
It's something that we all need,
that we make sure that we're not
00:02:35.02\00:02:37.59
one of those tiny little
troublemakers in God's church
00:02:37.62\00:02:40.86
and that we're
working in harmony with Him.
00:02:40.89\00:02:43.19
So before we get into our study
lesson today, which is going to
00:02:43.22\00:02:46.76
be taught by Pastor Luccas
Rodor, we're going to invite our
00:02:46.80\00:02:49.83
singers out as they lead
us out in worship and song.
00:02:49.86\00:02:53.17
¤¤¤
00:02:56.37\00:03:06.35
¤¤¤
00:03:06.38\00:03:16.36
¤¤¤
00:03:16.39\00:03:20.00
¤ Now is the day of salvation, ¤
00:03:20.03\00:03:26.33
¤ today, today. ¤
00:03:26.37\00:03:33.11
¤ Sinner, without hesitation, ¤
00:03:33.14\00:03:39.88
¤ pray. ¤
00:03:39.91\00:03:47.56
¤ Christ will hear
you, Christ is near you, ¤
00:03:47.59\00:03:54.20
¤ though you've gone astray. ¤
00:03:54.20\00:03:59.87
¤ Now is the day of salvation. ¤
00:03:59.90\00:04:05.87
¤ Let Him wash your sins away. ¤
00:04:05.91\00:04:15.88
¤ Let Him wash your sins away. ¤
00:04:15.92\00:04:19.39
¤¤¤
00:04:19.42\00:04:27.03
¤ Now is the day of salvation, ¤
00:04:27.10\00:04:33.47
¤ today, today. ¤
00:04:33.50\00:04:40.11
¤ Sinner, without hesitation, ¤
00:04:40.14\00:04:47.95
¤ pray. ¤
00:04:47.98\00:04:54.72
¤ Christ will hear
you, Christ is near you, ¤
00:04:54.76\00:05:01.36
¤ though you've gone astray. ¤
00:05:01.40\00:05:07.00
¤ Now is the day of salvation. ¤
00:05:07.04\00:05:12.81
¤ Let Him wash your sins away. ¤
00:05:12.84\00:05:22.82
¤ Let Him wash your sins away. ¤
00:05:22.85\00:05:27.46
¤ Let Him wash your sins away. ¤
00:05:28.12\00:05:38.07
¤ Let Him wash your sins away. ¤
00:05:38.10\00:05:42.74
Luccas Rodor: Happy Sabbath.
00:05:52.68\00:05:54.92
It's good to see
you all, to be here
00:05:54.95\00:05:56.92
at church, to
study the Word of God.
00:05:56.95\00:06:01.32
This quarter has
been a blessing to me.
00:06:01.36\00:06:04.06
Studying the book
of Hebrews has been
00:06:04.09\00:06:06.26
such a motivation,
such an encouragement.
00:06:06.29\00:06:10.43
I mean, if there's one--I mean,
there are--I feel that there are
00:06:10.47\00:06:13.44
many words that you could
really use to sum up the book of
00:06:13.47\00:06:18.11
Hebrews, but one of these
main words, in my opinion,
00:06:18.14\00:06:21.94
is the word "encouragement."
00:06:21.98\00:06:23.48
It is such an encouraging book.
00:06:23.51\00:06:26.05
As, you know, I've
stated previously before in the
00:06:26.08\00:06:29.25
previous lessons and as some of
the other pastors too, Hebrews
00:06:29.28\00:06:34.46
is all about Jesus being better,
Jesus being better and offering
00:06:34.49\00:06:40.40
better things, and so
just studying this lesson and
00:06:40.43\00:06:44.13
understanding more about Him
and more about what He can do or
00:06:44.17\00:06:47.40
what He does do for us and what
we can accept through Him has
00:06:47.44\00:06:51.01
just been so
motivating in my life.
00:06:51.04\00:06:53.88
You know, sometimes we'll read
00:06:53.91\00:06:55.21
these lessons,
these quarterlies.
00:06:55.24\00:06:56.68
We kind of get used to it.
00:06:56.71\00:06:58.01
It becomes a habit, but I don't
know if this happens to you.
00:06:58.05\00:07:01.92
With me, sometimes,
I just go through it.
00:07:01.95\00:07:03.55
I go through the motions.
00:07:03.59\00:07:04.89
You know, I think that's
part of the Christian life,
00:07:04.92\00:07:06.55
but this is one of
those topics that you
00:07:06.59\00:07:09.59
just have to take it at
face value, you have to.
00:07:09.62\00:07:14.23
You can't let that
happen in your life.
00:07:14.30\00:07:17.87
The memory verse for this
lesson, we're in, you know,
00:07:17.90\00:07:20.20
Lesson 13, as
pastor Shawn mentioned.
00:07:20.24\00:07:21.97
It's the last
lesson of the quarter.
00:07:22.00\00:07:23.77
The title is "Let Brotherly Love
Continue," and the memory verse
00:07:23.81\00:07:27.21
comes from Hebrews
chapter 13, verse 1.
00:07:27.24\00:07:29.58
It's a very short verse, but it
has a very deep, very profound
00:07:29.61\00:07:33.08
message, and the message is
"Let Brotherly Love Continue."
00:07:33.11\00:07:37.39
So the title of the
week's lesson and the
00:07:37.42\00:07:39.22
memory verse are
one and the same.
00:07:39.25\00:07:41.12
Now, the author of this
quarterly's lesson, he has
00:07:41.16\00:07:48.46
interpreted the author, or
he has run with the story or run
00:07:48.50\00:07:52.30
with the belief that Paul is the
author of the book of Hebrews,
00:07:52.33\00:07:56.24
and that's what the Seventh-day
Adventist Church believes, and
00:07:56.27\00:08:00.28
what's beautiful about this
is not only do we have what Paul
00:08:00.31\00:08:02.98
writes here in Hebrews, which
is really a sermon, but we have
00:08:03.01\00:08:06.48
everything that Paul, in
the New Testament, writes about
00:08:06.51\00:08:09.08
brotherly love, about the
fellowship kind of love that we
00:08:09.12\00:08:12.72
find in the Bible, and so we
can mix and match what Paul says
00:08:12.75\00:08:16.56
here in Hebrews, and we can find
what else he says about this
00:08:16.59\00:08:20.36
same subject throughout
the rest of the New Testament.
00:08:20.40\00:08:23.50
Now, when you look at the
New Testament and you see the
00:08:23.53\00:08:25.50
concept of love, you'll find
a lot of descriptions, a lot of
00:08:25.53\00:08:29.67
analysis on what love is, but
Paul, he writes one of the most,
00:08:29.70\00:08:35.78
you know, well-known
descriptions or anatomies of
00:08:35.81\00:08:39.65
love in the world, one
of the most well-known texts
00:08:39.68\00:08:42.82
or poems in the
world, and this is--this
00:08:42.85\00:08:45.59
comes from 1
Corinthians chapter 13.
00:08:45.62\00:08:49.29
In this classic
passage, the apostle, he really
00:08:49.32\00:08:52.86
puts forth love
in three divisions.
00:08:52.89\00:08:55.83
He has three
categories in which he
00:08:55.86\00:08:57.97
analyzes and, you
know, describes love.
00:08:58.00\00:09:01.10
The first one is where he
compares love and so, basically,
00:09:01.14\00:09:04.94
love compared to other gifts,
highly valued virtues in his
00:09:04.97\00:09:09.58
days and in ours, for example,
the gift of prophecy, the gift
00:09:09.61\00:09:12.75
of tongues, science,
knowledge, charity, but from
00:09:12.78\00:09:17.55
what we find in 1
Corinthians 13, without
00:09:17.59\00:09:21.49
love, these gifts
are truly worthless.
00:09:21.52\00:09:26.06
They're empty, as empty as,
in his words, "sounding brass or
00:09:26.09\00:09:30.37
clanging cymbal,"
emitting empty, hollow sounds.
00:09:30.40\00:09:34.17
And so he compares love to
other gifts, and he comes to the
00:09:34.20\00:09:38.14
conclusion that, without love,
all other gifts that we can
00:09:38.17\00:09:41.54
aspire to that are
good gifts, they're empty.
00:09:41.58\00:09:44.55
And this is, you know, this is
where it starts becoming real to
00:09:44.58\00:09:47.22
us because, well, what
gifts do you ask God for?
00:09:47.25\00:09:51.52
Do you want the gift of
prophecy, or do you want the
00:09:51.55\00:09:53.79
gift of speaking
in many languages or,
00:09:53.82\00:09:56.49
you know, the gift
of knowledge or wisdom?
00:09:56.52\00:09:58.99
Do you know that all of these
things that, while they are
00:09:59.03\00:10:01.50
good, without
love, they're empty?
00:10:01.53\00:10:05.17
The second division is when he
analyzes love, and so he starts
00:10:05.20\00:10:10.41
speaking about
what love is, right?
00:10:10.44\00:10:12.71
He describes it here, and so,
in his words, "Love is patient.
00:10:12.74\00:10:17.28
It's denying. It
bears all things.
00:10:17.31\00:10:20.45
It believes all
things. It hopes all things.
00:10:20.48\00:10:22.98
It endures all things."
00:10:23.02\00:10:24.72
Not only does he, you know,
relate what love is, but then he
00:10:24.75\00:10:27.89
also goes on to relate
what love is not, right?
00:10:27.92\00:10:31.06
"It does not parade
itself. It's not puffed up.
00:10:31.09\00:10:33.96
It does not behave rudely.
It does not seek its own.
00:10:34.00\00:10:37.07
It is not provoked. It
thinks no evil, does no evil.
00:10:37.10\00:10:40.60
It does not rejoice
in iniquity," and so on.
00:10:40.64\00:10:42.87
These are--this is a classic
text that we all know of, and so
00:10:42.90\00:10:45.41
here he analyzes what
love is and what it is not.
00:10:45.44\00:10:50.38
Now, friends, again, this is
so real to us today because--I
00:10:50.41\00:10:55.28
don't know if you see this--any
person with a critical mind sees
00:10:55.32\00:10:58.59
that, in the world that we live
in, there are a lot of wrong
00:10:58.62\00:11:01.32
ideas about what love is
and about what love is not.
00:11:01.36\00:11:05.53
You see that in
media. You see that in songs.
00:11:05.56\00:11:09.13
You see that in
modern poems and literature.
00:11:09.16\00:11:12.17
You see people
finding love to be
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.00
something that
it could never be.
00:11:14.04\00:11:16.24
Love nowadays
is a lot more about
00:11:16.27\00:11:18.47
the person than who
he or she is loving.
00:11:18.51\00:11:21.68
Love has become self-centered.
00:11:21.71\00:11:23.75
And so here, the apostle, he
defines what it is according to
00:11:23.78\00:11:28.02
the agape love, God's true,
unconditional love, and what it
00:11:28.05\00:11:32.55
is not, what it has
become in our world today.
00:11:32.59\00:11:36.36
And, finally,
after he compares love,
00:11:36.39\00:11:39.03
after he analyzes
love, he defends love.
00:11:39.06\00:11:43.13
That's what you
find in 1 Corinthians 13.
00:11:43.16\00:11:45.13
He sets forth the basic reason
as for why he chooses love as
00:11:45.17\00:11:49.24
the supreme gift, and this is
really a moment where we need to
00:11:49.27\00:11:52.17
sit back and analyze why is love
the supreme gift, why is it the
00:11:52.21\00:11:56.44
gift that from everything else
or all the other things stem
00:11:56.48\00:12:00.62
from it or rooted
in it, and it's simple,
00:12:00.65\00:12:03.49
it's because
love endures forever.
00:12:03.52\00:12:06.82
Love endures
forever. It is eternal.
00:12:06.86\00:12:10.96
All others will pass
away, will fail, and will cease.
00:12:10.99\00:12:14.00
That's what the text says.
00:12:14.03\00:12:15.40
Tongues, prophecy, all these
things pass, fail away, and
00:12:15.43\00:12:19.90
cease, but "love remains
forever aside faith and hope,
00:12:19.93\00:12:25.31
but the greatest
of these is love."
00:12:25.34\00:12:27.54
And so this week's
lesson, which is the last one
00:12:27.58\00:12:30.98
in the quarter, it
zeroes in on brotherly love.
00:12:31.01\00:12:34.38
What does it mean that
we should love one another?
00:12:34.42\00:12:37.42
You know, you find this
saying, "Love one another."
00:12:37.45\00:12:42.29
The term "one another," in the
New Testament, it appears more
00:12:42.32\00:12:45.13
than 70 times, "love one
another," "endure one another,"
00:12:45.16\00:12:48.16
"be patient with one another,"
"carry one another's burdens,"
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.80
"forgive one another," so you
find this more than 70 times.
00:12:50.83\00:12:54.44
You can't really miss the point
of what these biblical authors
00:12:54.47\00:12:57.24
are trying to transmit, but it's
easier said than done, isn't it?
00:12:57.27\00:13:03.85
It's a lot
easier said than done.
00:13:03.88\00:13:05.85
And so, here, this lesson,
it finishes with this beautiful
00:13:05.88\00:13:08.85
anatomy of love where we need to
let brotherly love continue, and
00:13:08.88\00:13:15.86
that's what we're
studying this week.
00:13:15.89\00:13:19.06
What we find is that all
believers are invited not only
00:13:19.09\00:13:22.86
to demonstrate it in their lives
but allow God to transmit it
00:13:22.90\00:13:28.07
through their lives, otherwise
it will be false, it will be
00:13:28.10\00:13:30.71
empty, it won't be
true, it won't be real.
00:13:30.74\00:13:34.74
Now, Sunday's
lesson already starts well.
00:13:34.78\00:13:39.55
The lesson starts beautiful.
00:13:39.58\00:13:41.18
The title is "Caring for God's
People," and, again, this is
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.39
based on Hebrews 13:1, that
refers to God's love, and it
00:13:44.42\00:13:49.26
refers to the love that we
must have towards each other.
00:13:49.29\00:13:51.76
"Let Brotherly Love Continue."
00:13:51.79\00:13:53.40
And here we'll find--I'm going
to read a series of Bible texts,
00:13:53.43\00:13:56.70
and I want you to see what is--I
want all of you to be truly
00:13:56.73\00:14:00.60
listening and paying attention
to see what is the constant,
00:14:00.64\00:14:03.30
what is the one or
the gift that is mentioned
00:14:03.34\00:14:05.71
in all of these verses
that I'm going to read.
00:14:05.74\00:14:07.68
So, for example, the first
one, which is Romans chapter 12,
00:14:07.71\00:14:10.75
verse 13, that says,
"distributing to the needs of
00:14:10.78\00:14:13.45
the saints, given to
hospitality," so what happens
00:14:13.48\00:14:16.18
here is the emphasis of
the importance of sharing with
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.65
others in their times of need
and to practice hospitality.
00:14:18.69\00:14:22.26
That's the first
verse, all right?
00:14:22.29\00:14:23.93
The second is 1 Timothy 3, verse
2, that says, "A bishop then
00:14:23.96\00:14:28.26
must be blameless, the
husband of one wife, temperate,
00:14:28.30\00:14:31.27
sober-minded, of good behavior,
hospitable, able to teach," and
00:14:31.30\00:14:35.40
so, again, you
find the same subject.
00:14:35.44\00:14:39.47
Here is you find the
characteristic of a Christian
00:14:39.51\00:14:43.08
leader, but these are all
things that all Christians
00:14:43.11\00:14:45.91
must set forth,
wouldn't you say so?
00:14:45.95\00:14:48.92
Would this only be for Christian
leaders, for pastors, or for
00:14:48.95\00:14:51.62
elders, or do you think that,
these qualities, they speak to
00:14:51.65\00:14:54.29
all true followers of
Christ, to be blameless,
00:14:54.32\00:14:59.83
to be faithful to
their spouse, temperate,
00:14:59.86\00:15:03.73
sober-minded, good
behavior, able to teach?
00:15:03.77\00:15:07.47
Now, you might say,
"Well, I'm not able to teach."
00:15:07.50\00:15:09.60
Friends, every
Christian should be able
00:15:09.64\00:15:10.94
to teach in one
capacity or another.
00:15:10.97\00:15:13.88
I'm not saying that
everyone has to preach up front.
00:15:13.91\00:15:15.94
Not everyone has to teach a
Sabbath School, but you should
00:15:15.98\00:15:18.91
be able to give a reasonable
reason for your faith,
00:15:18.95\00:15:21.62
reasonable
reason for your faith.
00:15:21.65\00:15:24.05
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:15:24.09\00:15:25.39
But in the text here, you do
find the continuation of what,
00:15:25.42\00:15:28.86
you know, the
author is driving home.
00:15:28.89\00:15:30.53
In Titus chapter 1, verse 8, it
says, "Be hospitable, a lover of
00:15:30.56\00:15:35.40
what is good, sober-minded,
just, holy, self-controlled,"
00:15:35.43\00:15:39.03
and then, finally, 1 Peter
4, verse 7 through 9, it sums it
00:15:39.07\00:15:43.47
all, and it says, "But the
end of all things is at hand.
00:15:43.51\00:15:46.27
Therefore be serious and
watchful in your prayers.
00:15:46.31\00:15:49.38
And above all things have
fervent love for one another,
00:15:49.41\00:15:52.65
for 'love will cover
a multitude of sins.'
00:15:52.68\00:15:55.62
Be hospitable to one
another without grumbling."
00:15:55.65\00:15:58.62
So what is the
quality that is being
00:15:58.65\00:16:01.02
repeated through
all these verses?
00:16:01.06\00:16:03.66
Hospitality.
00:16:03.69\00:16:05.56
Now, what's curious, that when
we observe the three classic
00:16:05.59\00:16:08.76
lists that appear in the New
Testament that are mentioned by
00:16:08.80\00:16:12.60
the apostle, you know, the lists
of the fruits of the Spirit,
00:16:12.63\00:16:14.34
none of them mention
hospitality, and there are three
00:16:14.37\00:16:17.04
classic lists in the
New Testament of, you know,
00:16:17.07\00:16:18.84
all the gifts, the
fruits of the Spirit.
00:16:18.87\00:16:20.44
They don't really mention
hospitality, but nonetheless, it
00:16:20.48\00:16:25.61
is certainly a gift,
and it's added later on
00:16:25.65\00:16:29.12
to the list of gifts
as new realities and needs
00:16:29.15\00:16:32.32
appeared in the
first century church.
00:16:32.35\00:16:33.92
Here we have to
understand that that first
00:16:33.96\00:16:36.32
century church, it
was a dynamic church.
00:16:36.36\00:16:38.66
It was growing, not growing only
in number but growing in its
00:16:38.69\00:16:42.03
service, growing
in what it had to do
00:16:42.06\00:16:44.47
to be able to
serve a chaotic world.
00:16:44.50\00:16:47.74
You know, it
begins with the apostles.
00:16:47.77\00:16:49.47
It begins there
in the Upper Room.
00:16:49.50\00:16:51.27
It begins, you know, with that
group of people, then you have
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.94
the baptisms of thousands,
and it starts going out from
00:16:53.98\00:16:57.15
Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria,
to the ends of the earth, and we
00:16:57.18\00:17:00.75
see that not only the
quantity but the quality of the
00:17:00.78\00:17:04.82
disciples, of the Christians,
they expand, and so that's why
00:17:04.85\00:17:09.26
hospitality, while it's not
mentioned in the three classic
00:17:09.29\00:17:12.79
lists, it's mentioned through
and through the New Testament
00:17:12.83\00:17:15.40
because, friends, all
Christians must be hospitable.
00:17:15.43\00:17:18.63
Now, I'll tell you, it's easier
for some people than for others,
00:17:18.67\00:17:22.00
and I'll tell you that
it's not one of those that comes
00:17:22.04\00:17:23.91
naturally to me because I am
a natural introvert, all right?
00:17:23.94\00:17:27.88
Now, some of you
might be surprised because
00:17:27.91\00:17:29.21
I don't seem to be
an introvert, but I am.
00:17:29.24\00:17:30.91
I'm not shy.
00:17:30.95\00:17:32.25
You know, you have different
personalities and all that kind
00:17:32.28\00:17:34.32
of stuff, you know, so I'm
not a shy person, but I'm an
00:17:34.35\00:17:36.75
introvert, and sometimes
introverts have a hard time
00:17:36.79\00:17:39.02
being hospitable, but it's
something that all of must be.
00:17:39.05\00:17:42.99
We're called to be hospitable.
00:17:43.02\00:17:45.66
Hospitality, friends, it's
exercised not only to those from
00:17:45.69\00:17:49.96
within the faith but also to
those that are outside of the
00:17:50.00\00:17:54.60
faith, and this is indicated in
multiple examples in the Bible.
00:17:54.64\00:17:58.97
A reference is made especially
to those that are in prison,
00:17:59.01\00:18:02.54
those who are isolated, alone
and excluded, many of them that
00:18:02.58\00:18:06.28
are tormented by
shame and by guilt.
00:18:06.31\00:18:08.32
You know, I was very pleasantly
surprised when I found out this
00:18:08.35\00:18:12.79
week--I didn't know this
reality, but I found out that
00:18:12.82\00:18:16.12
the Bible school here
at Amazing Facts, about 70%
00:18:16.16\00:18:20.36
of their
correspondence is with inmates,
00:18:20.40\00:18:23.60
and I find that's
such a beautiful ministry.
00:18:23.63\00:18:25.83
When I was a pastor in Texas, we
had a brother that was very--I
00:18:25.87\00:18:30.07
was a pastor in the
city of Beaumont, Texas.
00:18:30.11\00:18:31.94
It's a beautiful town and one--a
beautiful church, you know, the
00:18:31.97\00:18:35.71
best people, and we had a
few brothers there, brothers and
00:18:35.74\00:18:39.15
sisters that were very
passionate about their work with
00:18:39.18\00:18:43.15
prison ministry, and I was able
to observe it, you know, a bit
00:18:43.18\00:18:47.56
more closely than I ever
had, and that's a big ministry.
00:18:47.59\00:18:50.56
We find that repeated again and
again in the Bible, to these,
00:18:50.59\00:18:56.23
not only the prisoners,
but those who live lives of
00:18:56.26\00:18:59.17
exclusion, lives of,
you know, staying on the
00:18:59.20\00:19:01.54
sidelines of the
world, the followers of Jesus
00:19:01.57\00:19:04.91
are called to
manifest sympathy and relief.
00:19:04.94\00:19:10.88
In this, Jesus followers will
be acting in obedience to the
00:19:10.91\00:19:15.42
words of their Master in
Matthew 25, where Jesus said,
00:19:15.45\00:19:18.49
"I was in prison
and you came to Me."
00:19:18.52\00:19:21.59
Now, according to this text,
about the scene of the final
00:19:21.62\00:19:26.23
judgment, we serve
Jesus in the person of the
00:19:26.26\00:19:30.10
people that we serve
and the person of those that
00:19:30.13\00:19:32.67
are in need, be
them of the faith or not.
00:19:32.70\00:19:35.70
Sometimes, you know,
the Bible speaks about this.
00:19:35.74\00:19:37.91
Jesus Himself talks about this.
00:19:37.94\00:19:39.61
We are oftentimes
tempted to serve, to minister
00:19:39.64\00:19:43.65
to those that we love,
to people that are nice,
00:19:43.68\00:19:46.75
to people that are okay, right?
00:19:46.78\00:19:49.52
It's easier, it's easy to be
nice to someone that treats you
00:19:49.55\00:19:52.52
well, that treats you kindly,
but it's a whole other matter to
00:19:52.55\00:19:57.69
deal with someone, to treat
someone, to demonstrate love to
00:19:57.73\00:20:01.43
people that--maybe they don't
even treat you bad, but maybe
00:20:01.46\00:20:05.57
they're people that you
don't know, they're strangers.
00:20:05.60\00:20:08.30
Sometimes, people that seem
offensive to the senses, it's
00:20:08.34\00:20:12.31
difficult, but,
friends, that was Jesus's life.
00:20:12.34\00:20:19.35
Before the presence of the great
white throne of the universe,
00:20:19.38\00:20:23.75
the question coming from the
King sitting upon the throne,
00:20:23.79\00:20:27.89
here in the Bible, in this
description in Matthew 25, the
00:20:27.92\00:20:31.76
question coming from
the King sitting on the
00:20:31.79\00:20:33.83
throne, it is not
"Did you believe?"
00:20:33.86\00:20:38.27
The question is "Did you love?"
00:20:38.30\00:20:42.30
Now, I'm not saying that
it's not important to believe.
00:20:42.34\00:20:44.91
Please do not
understand me incorrectly.
00:20:44.94\00:20:46.88
It is important.
It's vital to believe.
00:20:46.91\00:20:48.98
Of course, it is,
but the true question,
00:20:49.01\00:20:51.51
the heart of the matter,
is "Was what you believed in
00:20:51.55\00:20:56.08
capable of
transforming your life?"
00:20:56.12\00:20:59.75
Do you see?
00:20:59.79\00:21:01.42
The question isn't
primarily "Did you believe?"
00:21:01.46\00:21:03.99
The question is primarily "Did
what you believe in or was what
00:21:04.03\00:21:08.03
you believed capable
of changing your life?"
00:21:08.06\00:21:11.50
Because there are a lot of
people that believe, but it
00:21:11.53\00:21:14.27
doesn't change them, and the
reality, friends, is that faith
00:21:14.30\00:21:19.61
or belief becomes
faith at the point of action.
00:21:19.64\00:21:23.81
That's what Jesus
is revealing here.
00:21:23.85\00:21:26.01
Faith--or belief becomes
faith at the point of action.
00:21:26.05\00:21:29.45
That's why what Jesus is
talking about is service.
00:21:29.48\00:21:33.09
I'm not talking about salvation
by works, but I'm saying
00:21:33.12\00:21:37.66
that salvation is
revealed in our works.
00:21:37.69\00:21:41.50
Does that make sense?
00:21:41.53\00:21:43.10
You're not saved by what you do,
00:21:43.13\00:21:45.67
but what you do
does reveal your status.
00:21:45.70\00:21:48.40
It reveals where
your heart is at.
00:21:48.44\00:21:52.07
Jesus cared for those in need.
00:21:52.11\00:21:55.34
He demanded no conditions that
they must follow Him in order to
00:21:55.38\00:21:59.75
receive His help, and those who
decided to follow Him, to become
00:21:59.78\00:22:04.02
His disciples, His followers,
they did so as a result of the
00:22:04.05\00:22:08.26
love that He demonstrated to
them, not as a condition of that
00:22:08.29\00:22:11.33
love, and that's another big
thing because sometimes we feel
00:22:11.36\00:22:15.10
that we must take a step so
that then God can take a step.
00:22:15.13\00:22:19.73
Have you ever felt that before?
00:22:19.77\00:22:21.74
First, I must demonstrate
initiative, and then God will
00:22:21.77\00:22:25.34
meet me halfway, and sometimes,
we feel that other people that
00:22:25.37\00:22:31.58
we're ministering to, they
must reveal the same thing.
00:22:31.61\00:22:34.22
They have to take--they
need to want it, right?
00:22:34.25\00:22:36.69
They need to take a
first step, and then I'll
00:22:36.72\00:22:38.42
take a step and
meet them halfway.
00:22:38.45\00:22:41.59
But let me ask you something,
did Jesus mostly go to
00:22:41.62\00:22:46.93
people or wait for
people to come to Him?
00:22:46.96\00:22:53.37
Jesus mostly
went. Jesus met people.
00:22:53.40\00:22:58.44
He encountered them.
00:22:58.47\00:22:59.77
He meets Nicodemus in
the middle of the night.
00:22:59.81\00:23:01.78
He meets the
Samaritan woman at a well.
00:23:01.81\00:23:04.51
He meets a blind man
in a tank. Jesus went.
00:23:04.55\00:23:08.42
Friends, the truth
revealed in the Bible is
00:23:08.45\00:23:10.35
that God always
takes the first step.
00:23:10.39\00:23:15.72
"We love Him
because He first," what?
00:23:15.76\00:23:18.43
"Loved us." Now,
here's the catch.
00:23:18.46\00:23:21.46
It's not really a catch,
but here's the detail, if I'm
00:23:21.50\00:23:24.23
imitating Jesus Christ and I
should be more like Him, should
00:23:24.27\00:23:27.50
I be waiting for
people to come to my church,
00:23:27.54\00:23:29.87
or should I be
going to meet them?
00:23:29.90\00:23:32.51
Because, friends,
the reality is that
00:23:32.54\00:23:34.14
the church must
leave the building.
00:23:34.18\00:23:37.75
The church must
leave the building.
00:23:37.78\00:23:42.32
Yes, this is our home base, but
we become the church, the arms,
00:23:42.35\00:23:47.29
the hands, the feet of
Jesus, when we step out of the
00:23:47.32\00:23:50.06
building, out of
our comfort zone.
00:23:50.09\00:23:52.99
The church must leave
the building, and that's
00:23:53.03\00:23:56.93
also something that
I learned from a lady
00:23:56.97\00:23:58.67
called Gloria in
the Beaumont church.
00:23:58.70\00:24:01.90
She preached a
sermon once, called
00:24:01.94\00:24:03.24
"The Church Must
Leave the Building."
00:24:03.27\00:24:04.51
It was a beautiful sermon, "The
Church Must Leave the Building."
00:24:04.54\00:24:09.41
Observe the scene in
the judgment in Matthew 25.
00:24:09.44\00:24:12.81
The items that are
listed as the final test,
00:24:12.85\00:24:15.98
they have to do
with hospitality.
00:24:16.02\00:24:18.09
Matthew 25,
verse 35 and 36, "for I
00:24:18.12\00:24:20.52
was hungry and you gave Me food.
00:24:20.56\00:24:22.26
I was thirsty and
you gave Me drink.
00:24:22.29\00:24:23.96
I was a stranger
and you took Me in.
00:24:23.99\00:24:25.66
I was naked and you clothed Me.
I was sick and you visited Me.
00:24:25.69\00:24:28.70
I was in prison
and you came to Me."
00:24:28.73\00:24:30.37
Friends, the
final test has to do
00:24:30.40\00:24:32.50
with the
practical things of life.
00:24:32.53\00:24:34.74
Why is love so important?
00:24:34.77\00:24:36.77
Why does it seem here that love
is the only important thing?
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.77
Friends, it's because God is
love and because "He who does
00:24:39.81\00:24:43.95
not love does not
know God, for God is love,"
00:24:43.98\00:24:47.92
as per 1 John
chapter 4, verse 8.
00:24:47.95\00:24:51.02
He who does not
love is not found in God.
00:24:51.05\00:24:53.52
It doesn't matter who they are.
00:24:53.56\00:24:55.32
It doesn't
matter what status, what
00:24:55.36\00:24:57.06
office, what position they hold.
00:24:57.09\00:24:59.09
Their lack of love
is the final evidence
00:24:59.13\00:25:02.00
that they never knew Him.
00:25:02.03\00:25:06.70
That's why love is the
only thing that matters because
00:25:06.74\00:25:10.21
everything else that you will
do, everything else that you
00:25:10.24\00:25:13.04
will believe in your Christian
experience, it all comes down to
00:25:13.07\00:25:16.91
my relationship with Christ,
your relationship with Him,
00:25:16.95\00:25:20.32
and what that
produces in your life.
00:25:20.35\00:25:22.88
You can believe
whatever. You can do whatever.
00:25:22.92\00:25:26.15
That's why, when we find that
encounter that Jesus proposes in
00:25:26.19\00:25:31.66
the Sermon of the Mount, where
people come to Jesus and they
00:25:31.69\00:25:34.00
say a whole bunch of
things, they say, "Lord, Lord--"
00:25:34.00\00:25:37.93
only believers
will say, "Lord, Lord,"
00:25:37.97\00:25:41.50
but did their
"Lord, Lord," matter?
00:25:41.54\00:25:45.01
And then there are others that
did a whole bunch of things,
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.04
miracles, signs, cured people,
prophesied, expelled demons.
00:25:47.08\00:25:52.35
Did all these
works of faith matter?
00:25:52.38\00:25:56.45
"Depart from
Me, you who practice
00:25:56.48\00:25:58.05
iniquity, for I never knew you."
00:25:58.09\00:26:05.33
Monday's lesson, the title is
00:26:05.36\00:26:08.43
"Covetousness and
Sexual Immorality."
00:26:08.46\00:26:11.03
Now, you know, in the texts that
are related most frequently to
00:26:11.07\00:26:15.20
the common evils
that we must avoid in life
00:26:15.24\00:26:17.94
that you'll find
these texts throughout the
00:26:17.97\00:26:20.41
New Testament, we
find that covetousness
00:26:20.44\00:26:22.68
and sexual immorality
are mentioned almost always.
00:26:22.71\00:26:25.88
These, according to Paul, are
the signs of the times, and for
00:26:25.91\00:26:29.58
example, 2 Timothy 3, verse
2 through 5, it says, "But know
00:26:29.62\00:26:32.69
this, that in the last
days, perilous times will come.
00:26:32.72\00:26:35.16
For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money,
00:26:35.19\00:26:37.49
boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents,
00:26:37.53\00:26:40.63
unthankful, unholy, unloving,
unforgiving, slanderers, without
00:26:40.66\00:26:44.27
self-control, brutal, despisers
of good, traitors, headstrong,
00:26:44.30\00:26:48.54
haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God,
00:26:48.57\00:26:51.84
having a form of godliness but
denying its power," and here's a
00:26:51.87\00:26:56.64
whole list, and, honestly, when
you look at the world around you
00:26:56.68\00:26:59.88
right now, this is exactly what
you'll find, but it's curious
00:26:59.91\00:27:04.25
that throughout, through
and through the New Testament,
00:27:04.29\00:27:06.15
you'll find that covetousness
and sexual immorality, they're
00:27:06.19\00:27:08.92
woven through in all these lists
of what the world has always
00:27:08.96\00:27:13.03
been, unfortunately,
after the fall, and what it will
00:27:13.06\00:27:17.00
fall into more and
more towards the end.
00:27:17.03\00:27:19.90
Covetousness is the cancer of
our materialistic society, where
00:27:19.93\00:27:24.41
everyone is seeking to be
the number one, the first,
00:27:24.44\00:27:29.01
and the soul of
materialism is competition.
00:27:29.04\00:27:34.48
Now, competition, you know,
you could speak about it in many
00:27:34.52\00:27:38.12
ways, but in this context, in
this context of materialism, it
00:27:38.15\00:27:43.29
destroys our capacity of serving
others wholeheartedly since, in
00:27:43.32\00:27:47.03
competition, we see others as
rivals to ourself, rivals to be
00:27:47.03\00:27:51.13
overcome,
annihilated and destroyed,
00:27:51.17\00:27:54.70
only stepping
stones to our success.
00:27:54.74\00:28:00.34
Materialistic competition, it
destroys sympathy, compassion,
00:28:00.38\00:28:07.32
and the spirit of mercy and
unconditional service, and so
00:28:07.35\00:28:10.79
this is one of those things
that we must be careful with.
00:28:10.82\00:28:14.29
How competitive are you?
00:28:14.32\00:28:15.62
I have to be
careful because I can
00:28:15.66\00:28:16.96
become quite competitive person.
00:28:16.99\00:28:19.06
That's why I don't play many--I
don't play that many games or
00:28:19.09\00:28:21.73
sports because of what it does
to me, you know, competitive
00:28:21.76\00:28:25.43
things because I
am very competitive.
00:28:25.47\00:28:28.20
Now, that is one
of the items that's
00:28:28.24\00:28:31.04
mentioned on this day's lesson.
00:28:31.07\00:28:32.37
The other, it has to
do with sexual morality.
00:28:32.41\00:28:34.58
That is the trademark of modern
culture, the culture of sex
00:28:34.61\00:28:40.18
that has invaded
every layer of society.
00:28:40.22\00:28:43.18
It has become a part of
every segment of modern, secular
00:28:43.22\00:28:47.72
culture in the
office, in meetings,
00:28:47.76\00:28:50.56
in trips, in
airplanes, avenues, roads,
00:28:50.59\00:28:53.73
restaurants,
billboards, car dealerships.
00:28:53.76\00:28:56.60
All of these things reveal
the sad reality that sex sells.
00:28:56.63\00:29:02.40
Some time ago, "Time Magazine"
had a cover article entitled,
00:29:02.44\00:29:07.58
"Pornography: The
Moral AIDS of Our Time."
00:29:07.61\00:29:12.18
Pornography is
one of the darkest
00:29:12.21\00:29:14.62
depths of fallen humanity.
00:29:14.65\00:29:17.15
It destroys people.
00:29:17.19\00:29:19.45
It destroys their ability
to give and to receive love.
00:29:19.49\00:29:23.19
It destroys families.
00:29:23.22\00:29:24.73
It acts as a drug, creating what
the experts call "the law of the
00:29:24.76\00:29:29.06
decreasing or diminishing
return," where, over time,
00:29:29.10\00:29:33.27
more and more doses,
more and more stimulation
00:29:33.30\00:29:36.74
is needed to achieve
ever-decreasing results.
00:29:36.77\00:29:41.61
Pornography opens the
door to the prince of darkness.
00:29:41.64\00:29:45.58
What is considered by many as
just mere entertainment, a fun
00:29:45.61\00:29:49.45
passing of time, it's nothing
less than one of the most
00:29:49.48\00:29:53.59
powerful satanic instruments
for the degradation and the
00:29:53.62\00:29:57.96
destruction of
God's beautiful creation.
00:29:57.99\00:30:02.63
Pornography reduces people to
mere body parts, a few pixels of
00:30:02.66\00:30:07.84
skin without any merit or worth,
and as Christians, we must
00:30:07.87\00:30:12.44
remember that human worth is
defined by character and not the
00:30:12.47\00:30:17.58
body, by what God
deems us to be worth and not
00:30:17.61\00:30:22.12
what we deem
ourselves or others to be worth.
00:30:22.15\00:30:26.05
We remain by the spirit and not
by the flesh, and our constant
00:30:26.09\00:30:30.09
prayer should be the prayer
of the psalmist in Psalm chapter
00:30:30.13\00:30:33.63
51, verse 10, "Create in
me a clean heart, O Lord,
00:30:33.66\00:30:36.97
and renew in me a
steadfast spirit."
00:30:37.00\00:30:39.43
Now, interestingly enough, the
verb that's used in this text
00:30:39.47\00:30:42.74
for "create," the
Hebrew verb is the verb "bara."
00:30:42.77\00:30:46.61
Now, that's a
very technical, very
00:30:46.64\00:30:48.08
specific verb in
the Hebrew language.
00:30:48.11\00:30:50.48
It's only used in the
context of the Creator, of God.
00:30:50.51\00:30:55.45
Humans cannot "bara."
00:30:55.48\00:30:58.12
This designates an action of
pulling things into existence,
00:30:58.15\00:31:03.39
where God, He can
create out of nothing.
00:31:03.43\00:31:06.53
In Latin, they use
the word "ex nihilo,"
00:31:06.56\00:31:09.36
creation out of nothing.
00:31:09.40\00:31:11.00
God pulls things into existence.
00:31:11.03\00:31:12.67
And so what the psalmist
is saying is "Lord, pull into
00:31:12.70\00:31:15.47
existence in me a clean heart,
because I cannot do it, and
00:31:15.50\00:31:22.28
renew a steadfast
spirit within me."
00:31:22.31\00:31:26.51
Only God can do that, friends.
00:31:26.55\00:31:29.65
Tuesday's lesson,
"Remember Your Leaders."
00:31:29.68\00:31:33.36
Now, I like this date.
It's an important date.
00:31:33.39\00:31:38.03
The letter of Hebrews, it
exhorts the church to honor and
00:31:38.06\00:31:41.63
to obey the leaders
of the congregation.
00:31:41.66\00:31:44.00
This is what verse 7, Hebrews
13, verse 7, it says, "Remember
00:31:44.03\00:31:47.97
those who rule over
you, who have spoken the word
00:31:48.00\00:31:50.47
of God to you,
whose faith follow,
00:31:50.51\00:31:53.21
considering the
outcome of their conduct."
00:31:53.24\00:31:55.88
And then, verse 17, ten verses
later, it says, "Obey those who
00:31:55.91\00:31:58.81
rule over you, and be
submissive, for they watch for
00:31:58.85\00:32:02.88
your souls, as those
who must give account.
00:32:02.92\00:32:05.95
Let them do so with
joy and not with grief,
00:32:05.99\00:32:08.92
for that would be
unprofitable to you."
00:32:08.96\00:32:12.63
Now, this exhortation, it begins
as an invitation, an invitation
00:32:12.66\00:32:16.60
to remember the leaders of the
past, those who had communicated
00:32:16.63\00:32:20.60
the Word of God to
the believing Hebrews,
00:32:20.64\00:32:23.30
those to whom the
letter was addressed.
00:32:23.34\00:32:26.17
Now, many of these leaders
already--were already asleep in
00:32:26.21\00:32:30.05
the Lord, already
awaited the promise.
00:32:30.08\00:32:33.15
They had left behind a faithful
legacy of a life following God,
00:32:33.18\00:32:40.19
a legacy of faith to Him, and
now they awaited the fulfillment
00:32:40.22\00:32:45.49
of His certain
promise to raise them up.
00:32:45.53\00:32:47.66
So some of these leaders were
00:32:47.73\00:32:49.03
these that
already rested in God.
00:32:49.06\00:32:51.10
Some had been persecuted.
00:32:51.13\00:32:52.67
Some had lost their
homes, lost their possessions.
00:32:52.70\00:32:55.54
Some had been martyred
because of their faith.
00:32:55.57\00:33:01.48
These first-century
Hebrews to whom Paul is writing,
00:33:01.51\00:33:05.41
they certainly
knew this reality.
00:33:05.45\00:33:08.05
They certainly knew what
it meant to face persecution.
00:33:08.08\00:33:11.05
It's what they were going
through, but some of these
00:33:11.09\00:33:14.22
leaders here, they
pertain to a more distant past.
00:33:14.26\00:33:17.79
Some of them listed in the
chapter 11, the lists of the
00:33:17.83\00:33:21.06
Hall of Fame, the
Hall of Heroes of Faith.
00:33:21.10\00:33:24.37
Now, these heroes, they
are part of the great cloud
00:33:24.40\00:33:26.57
of witnesses that
you'll find in chapter 12.
00:33:26.60\00:33:30.14
"These are the ones that had not
received the promise, God having
00:33:30.17\00:33:33.51
provided something
better for us, that they should
00:33:33.54\00:33:36.51
not be made
perfect apart from us."
00:33:36.54\00:33:38.41
But the remembrance of
their faithfulness served as an
00:33:38.45\00:33:41.88
encouragement and a challenge
for the believers that now found
00:33:41.92\00:33:44.72
themselves fighting the
good fight that had already
00:33:44.75\00:33:48.72
been overcome by
these old heroes.
00:33:48.76\00:33:51.83
Friends, the communicated
message here is that we shall
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.36
all celebrate
together the feast of the ages.
00:33:54.40\00:33:58.53
The believer here is
exhorted to honor their leaders,
00:33:58.57\00:34:02.34
in this case, the
elders, the bishops is
00:34:02.37\00:34:05.34
what you'll find
in the original Greek.
00:34:05.37\00:34:08.71
But what is spoken of, regarding
the leaders, clearly suggests
00:34:08.74\00:34:11.95
that they, contrary to the false
leaders, had not been negligent
00:34:11.98\00:34:15.72
in their task, so
that's what Paul is saying,
00:34:15.75\00:34:18.19
"Obey them, honor
them, respect them."
00:34:18.22\00:34:24.86
They are described as shepherds
that are the ones responsible
00:34:24.89\00:34:28.16
for the well-being of the
congregation that they serve.
00:34:28.20\00:34:32.53
Now, this is
certainly applicable for today.
00:34:32.57\00:34:35.97
The leaders here are described
as sub-shepherds, sub-pastors,
00:34:36.00\00:34:40.98
the servants of the great pastor
and his representatives as they
00:34:41.01\00:34:46.05
faithfully obey his
charge of caring for the flock.
00:34:46.08\00:34:51.49
You know, perhaps the greatest
privilege of a Christian leader
00:34:51.52\00:34:56.22
is being considered a
servant of the Most High.
00:34:56.26\00:34:59.96
I know that I certainly take
this charge seriously with a
00:35:00.06\00:35:05.40
very big sense of awe that God
would use someone like me and of
00:35:05.43\00:35:13.81
unworthiness, but I do
understand, you know, "Pastor
00:35:13.84\00:35:17.48
Luccas, servant of
the Lord," that chills me.
00:35:17.51\00:35:23.22
That's something
that never fails to
00:35:23.25\00:35:24.55
humble me and
still fills me with joy.
00:35:24.59\00:35:29.92
I remember the first
time I was called "pastor."
00:35:29.96\00:35:31.96
It was in Brazil, and I
wasn't even a pastor yet.
00:35:31.99\00:35:34.00
I was studying at the seminary,
and we went to do an internship
00:35:34.00\00:35:37.77
at a little church, and the
brothers and sisters, they were
00:35:37.80\00:35:41.77
calling me, "pastor,"
and I was like, "Whoa, me?"
00:35:41.80\00:35:49.98
The reference here in this text
is the leaders, and it reminds
00:35:50.01\00:35:53.62
us of the essential virtues of
leadership, such as integrity,
00:35:53.65\00:35:57.82
truthfulness, patience, so many
other things, and so the text is
00:35:57.85\00:36:02.89
telling us to honor, to obey
these leaders, not for the sake
00:36:02.92\00:36:07.96
of their worthiness but for the
sake that they are sub-shepherds
00:36:08.00\00:36:12.93
of the great one,
the great Shepherd,
00:36:12.97\00:36:15.20
caring for the
flock, loving the flock.
00:36:15.24\00:36:20.14
That's what the good pastors do.
00:36:20.18\00:36:24.58
Wednesday, "Beware of
Diverse and Strange Teachings."
00:36:24.61\00:36:27.48
Now, the main text
here is Hebrews 13, verse 9.
00:36:27.52\00:36:30.22
It says, "Do
not be carried about
00:36:30.25\00:36:31.99
with various and
strange doctrines.
00:36:32.02\00:36:33.76
For it is good that the
heart be established by grace,
00:36:33.79\00:36:38.49
not with foods which
have not profited those
00:36:38.53\00:36:41.26
who have been
occupied with them."
00:36:41.30\00:36:42.83
Now, this exhortation here
is extremely profitable and
00:36:42.86\00:36:45.90
valuable for today, where winds
of new doctrines appear here and
00:36:45.93\00:36:49.40
there, and church members that
have a weakness for any novel
00:36:49.44\00:36:52.97
idea that aren't content with
what has already been revealed,
00:36:53.01\00:36:58.61
are always in search
for the latest new light.
00:36:58.65\00:37:02.55
They're almost always based
on false teachings and baseless
00:37:02.58\00:37:06.09
theories, and I might be a
little bit harsh, but this is
00:37:06.12\00:37:09.26
the reality, friends, because
Jesus told us that the end would
00:37:09.29\00:37:12.39
be marked with the presence
of false prophets and their
00:37:12.43\00:37:15.73
teachings, with the
appearance of piety.
00:37:15.76\00:37:20.27
Ellen White spoke of the great
reform and revival that will
00:37:20.30\00:37:24.14
happen among God's people
towards the end, however, the
00:37:24.17\00:37:27.94
prophetic voice to the
Adventists also warned against
00:37:27.98\00:37:31.75
the counterfeits, the obstacles
of this time, strange doctrines,
00:37:31.78\00:37:36.18
twisted and absurd demands such
as the ones of the Pharisees in
00:37:36.22\00:37:39.85
Jesus's day with their
traditions and outdated rituals.
00:37:39.89\00:37:43.66
There are--and you'll relate
to this, you know, not that I'm
00:37:43.69\00:37:46.39
saying that you're doing it,
but you'll relate to this in the
00:37:46.43\00:37:48.36
sense that you most likely
know people like this, the
00:37:48.40\00:37:51.07
mathematician Adventists,
who seem to never learn and
00:37:51.10\00:37:56.10
continue, even today, coming
up with all sorts of bizarre and
00:37:56.14\00:38:00.78
ridiculous calculations and
theories, trying to determine
00:38:00.81\00:38:03.58
the indeterminable date
of Jesus's Second Coming,
00:38:03.61\00:38:07.68
the day and hour
that no one knows.
00:38:07.72\00:38:12.25
There are also the
chronic fanatics--or fanatics.
00:38:12.29\00:38:16.39
The chronic
fanatic--that's a hard word.
00:38:16.42\00:38:20.46
Where's the--"fa-na-tics"
or "fan-atics"?
00:38:20.50\00:38:23.87
"Fa-na-tics,"
okay, well, there's my
00:38:23.90\00:38:25.60
Portuguese trying to come out.
00:38:25.63\00:38:28.24
The pathological periphery of
the church, scandalizing outside
00:38:28.27\00:38:34.68
observers and strengthening the
incorrect notion that we are a
00:38:34.71\00:38:38.31
cult, these that usually bring
no one to the feet of Christ.
00:38:38.35\00:38:42.45
If you want to know if
someone is good in their
00:38:42.48\00:38:44.49
theology, you know
how you determine that?
00:38:44.52\00:38:48.19
Determine if they're
bringing people to Jesus's feet.
00:38:48.22\00:38:52.83
Check and see.
00:38:52.86\00:38:54.73
Usually, when people are talking
too much, too many of these
00:38:54.76\00:38:59.43
weird theories, they're not
introducing Jesus to anyone.
00:38:59.47\00:39:04.14
They just want to be right.
00:39:04.17\00:39:08.31
Some time ago,
one of these showed up
00:39:08.34\00:39:09.88
in Brazil,
claiming to be the Messiah.
00:39:09.91\00:39:13.72
The police found him sometime
later, robbing a car, and then,
00:39:13.75\00:39:17.65
when they questioned him
about his incoherent claim
00:39:17.69\00:39:19.95
of identity, he
responded, "Well, the Bible
00:39:19.99\00:39:22.79
does say that Jesus
would come as a thief."
00:39:22.82\00:39:27.86
Comical if not tragic.
00:39:27.93\00:39:31.00
Now, unfortunately,
in the church, we find an
00:39:31.03\00:39:32.83
enormous amount
of representatives of
00:39:32.87\00:39:34.87
fanaticism
condemned in the Bible.
00:39:34.90\00:39:37.24
Ellen White went as far to say,
as saying, that these teachings
00:39:37.27\00:39:40.81
only made it that much harder
for the world to see the truth
00:39:40.84\00:39:44.85
in the church, but despite all
of this, as the lesson puts it,
00:39:44.88\00:39:49.92
"In Hebrews, 'grace'
comes from the throne of God.
00:39:49.95\00:39:52.92
This grace, mediated through
Christ, is an 'anchor,' 'sure
00:39:52.95\00:39:56.39
and steadfast,' that is
fastened to God's throne itself.
00:39:56.42\00:40:00.30
It is this grace, that we
receive through the sacrifice of
00:40:00.33\00:40:03.33
Christ, which provides stability
and assurance to our hearts.
00:40:03.37\00:40:06.94
When the heart has been
'established' in this way, it
00:40:06.97\00:40:09.17
will not be 'carried about'
by new doctrines, nor will it
00:40:09.20\00:40:12.31
'drift away.'"
00:40:12.34\00:40:15.11
And, finally, the last
day of this week's lesson,
00:40:15.14\00:40:17.48
in my opinion, the most
beautiful of the days this week
00:40:17.51\00:40:21.72
and, honestly, the best way
to end this quarter's lesson,
00:40:21.75\00:40:26.25
"Go to Jesus Outside the Camp."
00:40:26.29\00:40:29.32
Hebrews 13:12, tells us that
Jesus suffered outside the camp.
00:40:29.36\00:40:34.56
Now, friends, "Jesus Outside the
Camp," again, is the best way, a
00:40:34.56\00:40:38.43
beautiful way to
finish this lesson.
00:40:38.47\00:40:40.47
He is a priest, and that's
what we learn through Hebrews.
00:40:40.50\00:40:43.07
Jesus is a priest, however, a
priest that is not connected to
00:40:43.10\00:40:46.94
Aaron's lineage--the
priest-King, an outsider.
00:40:46.98\00:40:52.18
He is a High Priest better
than the Levitical priesthood.
00:40:52.21\00:40:56.28
He is from the
order of Melchizedek.
00:40:56.32\00:40:58.79
He is the great High
Priest, and, yet an outsider.
00:40:58.82\00:41:03.39
He was born in a stable, for
there was no place for Him in
00:41:03.43\00:41:06.63
the inn, Emmanuel,
"God with us," an outsider.
00:41:06.66\00:41:13.00
He had no fixed
home as He was an
00:41:13.03\00:41:15.40
itinerant teacher,
entering only when invited.
00:41:15.44\00:41:19.24
The architect of
the world, an outsider.
00:41:19.27\00:41:23.61
He died outside the limits
of the city, indicating the
00:41:23.65\00:41:28.75
universal nature of
His sacrifice, just as His
00:41:28.78\00:41:31.85
priesthood extended
to all, an outsider.
00:41:31.89\00:41:37.79
He suffered on the cross,
outside of Jerusalem, also
00:41:37.83\00:41:42.03
indicating the shame that was
cast upon Him, outside the camp,
00:41:42.06\00:41:46.97
as someone impure, someone
contaminated, an outsider.
00:41:47.00\00:41:53.04
Here in Hebrews, believers
are encouraged to follow Jesus
00:41:53.07\00:41:56.34
outside the camp and follow
Him even in His shame, and sure
00:41:56.38\00:42:00.92
enough, Paul himself cries this
out, proclaims this truth in
00:42:00.95\00:42:07.02
bold words in Romans chapter 1,
verse 16, "For I am not ashamed
00:42:07.06\00:42:11.89
of the gospel of Christ, for
it is the power of God for the
00:42:11.93\00:42:17.23
salvation of
anyone that believes."
00:42:17.27\00:42:20.27
Now, curiously, Paul
also suggests that now
00:42:20.30\00:42:23.91
the presence of
Christ is outside the camp.
00:42:23.94\00:42:27.51
His sacrifice represents the
path to shame and to suffering
00:42:27.54\00:42:31.91
at least here on this side of
eternity, but it also represents
00:42:31.95\00:42:37.45
the path of God's glory,
the straight and narrow path.
00:42:37.49\00:42:43.56
And so, just as Jesus
was technically disqualified,
00:42:43.59\00:42:47.03
according to the
Jewish traditions and laws
00:42:47.10\00:42:49.63
and rules, the
cross also apparently
00:42:49.66\00:42:52.37
disqualified Him
from being our Redeemer.
00:42:52.40\00:42:55.04
At least that's how
Paul initially sees this.
00:42:55.07\00:42:58.27
That's how he initially
understood the whole matter.
00:42:58.31\00:43:00.81
A crucified Messiah was a
contradiction of terms, an
00:43:00.84\00:43:04.05
oxymoron, a stumbling
block, an impossibility.
00:43:04.08\00:43:10.35
As a specialist of the Old
Testament, he knew the text of
00:43:10.39\00:43:13.52
Deuteronomy chapter 21,
verse 23, that said, "He who is
00:43:13.56\00:43:17.16
hanged on the tree
is accursed of God."
00:43:17.19\00:43:20.70
It was only later
that Paul understood that
00:43:20.73\00:43:24.10
the Messiah had to
be hung on the tree.
00:43:24.13\00:43:29.57
2 Corinthians 5:21, my favorite
verse in the Bible, "For He made
00:43:29.60\00:43:34.74
Him, who knew no sin, to be made
sin for us that we might become
00:43:34.78\00:43:40.22
the
righteousness of God in Him."
00:43:40.25\00:43:45.85
From then on, the
apostle did nothing
00:43:45.89\00:43:47.82
but glory himself
on the cross of Christ.
00:43:47.86\00:43:50.36
Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid
that I should boast except in
00:43:50.39\00:43:54.50
the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world has
00:43:54.56\00:43:57.80
been crucified to
me, and I to the world."
00:43:57.83\00:44:00.44
Friends, every major religion
in the world is represented
00:44:00.47\00:44:03.61
by a visual
element of its history.
00:44:03.64\00:44:05.71
Buddhism has the lotus flower.
00:44:05.74\00:44:07.81
Judaism has David's star, the
00:44:07.84\00:44:10.21
hexagram with
overlaid triangles.
00:44:10.25\00:44:12.41
Islam has the crescent star.
00:44:12.45\00:44:14.38
Marxism has the
scythe and the hammer.
00:44:14.42\00:44:16.69
Nazism has the swastika, an
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.49
appropriated
symbol of the Aryan race.
00:44:18.52\00:44:20.46
Christianity could have
illustrated its history and did
00:44:20.49\00:44:24.66
in some occasions, in some
places, in many ways: a fish, an
00:44:24.69\00:44:28.40
ark, a lion, a shepherd, a
manger, a carpenter's woodwork,
00:44:28.43\00:44:33.27
a boat, a stone removed from the
grave, a dove, a sheaf of wheat,
00:44:33.30\00:44:37.14
and, again, these were used in
many occasions, but there is no
00:44:37.17\00:44:40.64
other symbol, no other sign in
history that best describes the
00:44:40.68\00:44:44.85
Christians and who
they are: a simple cross.
00:44:44.88\00:44:51.35
The Christians, despite the
mockery of the pagans, chose the
00:44:51.39\00:44:54.46
cross so the world
could know who they were.
00:44:54.49\00:44:57.99
The central symbol of the
Christian faith is a cross, a
00:44:58.03\00:45:01.30
cross that was created to
instigate horror, shame, and
00:45:01.33\00:45:05.07
pain, invented by the
Phoenicians in the periphery of
00:45:05.10\00:45:08.94
the Roman Empire as
an instrument of torture.
00:45:08.97\00:45:11.41
It was adopted due to its
capacity of prolonging pain, the
00:45:11.44\00:45:16.64
cross that was reserved
for the worst of the worst.
00:45:16.68\00:45:20.22
A Roman citizen could not be
crucified, however, Christians,
00:45:20.25\00:45:26.02
in spite of the mockery,
in spite of the ridicule,
00:45:26.05\00:45:29.89
in spite of
everything else, they held
00:45:29.92\00:45:31.99
onto the cross,
the cross of Christ.
00:45:32.03\00:45:35.16
You know, friends,
Jesus preached from pulpits,
00:45:35.20\00:45:38.13
boats, hillsides,
beaches, the atrium
00:45:38.17\00:45:41.77
of the temple,
mountains, synagogues.
00:45:41.80\00:45:44.81
He preached during trips,
but Jesus's greatest sermon was
00:45:44.84\00:45:51.08
preached from the cross, where
great metal spikes immobilized
00:45:51.11\00:45:56.82
Him to the wood,
and, yet His message was
00:45:56.85\00:46:01.42
never clearer, never
louder or more beautiful.
00:46:01.46\00:46:08.70
Friends, in eternity to come,
there will only be two signs,
00:46:08.73\00:46:12.00
two things that remind us of
sin, physical things, the marks
00:46:12.03\00:46:20.34
of the nails on Jesus's hands
and feet, that also remind us of
00:46:20.38\00:46:25.81
two things, how
evil and bad sin is
00:46:25.85\00:46:34.79
and how good, how
loving, how merciful God is.
00:46:34.82\00:46:43.53
May that forever be in
your heart and in your mind
00:46:43.57\00:46:49.24
throughout
eternity, only two things,
00:46:49.27\00:46:52.94
how bad sin is
and how good God is.
00:46:52.97\00:46:58.55
May He bless you in your growth
as a Christian, in your journey
00:46:58.58\00:47:05.29
as a Christian, a
follower of Jesus.
00:47:05.32\00:47:09.02
May these marks always
be represented in your life,
00:47:09.06\00:47:12.63
and may you be a demonstration
of how good God is.
00:47:12.66\00:47:17.40
May He bless
you. May He guide you.
00:47:17.43\00:47:19.90
Please don't forget
to study your lesson.
00:47:19.93\00:47:22.97
We're starting a
very good lesson starting
00:47:23.00\00:47:25.21
next week already
with Pastor Alden.
00:47:25.24\00:47:27.31
He'll be leading us on that.
00:47:27.34\00:47:29.54
Also, please don't
forget to take advantage
00:47:29.58\00:47:31.28
of this free offer,
"Tiny Troublemaker."
00:47:31.31\00:47:33.95
This is for anyone who wants
to read this and learn more
00:47:33.98\00:47:37.65
about this topic
00:47:37.69\00:47:39.22
can call 866-788-3966,
ask for Offer Number 196.
00:47:39.25\00:47:45.49
If you're in the United States
of America or in the Continental
00:47:45.53\00:47:47.96
North America, you can text
"SH133" to the number 40544, or
00:47:47.96\00:47:53.67
if you're outside of
North America, you can go to
00:47:53.70\00:47:56.04
study.aftv.org/SH133,
and you can get a
00:47:56.07\00:48:00.48
digital download
of this material.
00:48:00.51\00:48:03.68
I'd like to pray with
you right now as we finish.
00:48:03.71\00:48:07.12
Dear Lord, I thank You so
much for being who You are.
00:48:07.15\00:48:13.29
Thank You for the revelation
of Your Son in the Bible, for
00:48:13.32\00:48:16.09
everything that we have about
who He is and what He has done
00:48:16.12\00:48:20.03
and what He is doing for
us in the heavenly sanctuary.
00:48:20.06\00:48:24.47
Lord, we want to
be a demonstration
00:48:24.50\00:48:26.50
of how good You are.
00:48:26.53\00:48:28.00
We want to let brotherly and
sisterly love continue in our
00:48:28.04\00:48:33.04
church, not only here at the
Granite Bay Hilltop Church but,
00:48:33.07\00:48:36.14
Father, in the
church around the world that
00:48:36.18\00:48:38.08
we may all be
demonstrations of Your beauty,
00:48:38.11\00:48:40.92
of Your kindness,
of Your forgiveness.
00:48:40.95\00:48:43.08
Allow us to understand, Lord,
that belief truly only becomes
00:48:43.12\00:48:46.49
faith at the point of
action, and that, at the end,
00:48:46.52\00:48:49.76
the reality, the
truth, the question will be
00:48:49.79\00:48:52.93
not primarily, "Did I believe?"
00:48:52.96\00:48:55.23
but "Did what I believe in
change me into having or create
00:48:55.26\00:49:00.90
in me a servant's heart
or having a servant's heart?"
00:49:00.94\00:49:04.04
Please bless this church,
Lord, the worldwide church.
00:49:04.07\00:49:07.74
Allow us to be a manifestation
of Your kindness to those around
00:49:07.78\00:49:10.21
us, ministering to
them in their times of need.
00:49:10.25\00:49:13.28
This world is broken, Father.
00:49:13.31\00:49:14.62
Allow us to be
healing cure to those
00:49:14.65\00:49:19.12
going through
suffering and pain.
00:49:19.15\00:49:21.22
I ask you for
these things, and I pray
00:49:21.26\00:49:22.62
in the name of
Jesus, amen and amen.
00:49:22.66\00:49:25.86
God bless you.
00:49:25.89\00:49:27.50
announcer: Don't
forget to request today's
00:49:29.43\00:49:30.73
life-changing free resource.
00:49:30.77\00:49:32.83
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:49:32.87\00:49:35.00
you can download a
digital copy straight
00:49:35.04\00:49:36.67
to your computer
or mobile device.
00:49:36.71\00:49:38.81
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:49:38.84\00:49:42.31
the key word on your screen to
40544, or visit the web address
00:49:42.34\00:49:47.15
shown on your screen, and
be sure to select the digital
00:49:47.18\00:49:50.09
download option
on the request page.
00:49:50.12\00:49:52.29
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:49:52.32\00:49:55.56
Amazing Facts wherever and
whenever you want, and most
00:49:55.59\00:49:59.23
important, to
share it with others.
00:49:59.26\00:50:01.63
Bill: I went to
church as a child, I think,
00:50:03.87\00:50:05.70
more out of because
that's what you did.
00:50:05.73\00:50:07.84
So I became an altar
boy because it looked cool.
00:50:07.87\00:50:11.64
It was very ritualistic,
which was fascinating to me.
00:50:11.67\00:50:14.34
There was a pattern and a
process to it, and you got to be
00:50:14.38\00:50:17.28
out in front of all those
people and just do something.
00:50:17.31\00:50:19.91
After that, we moved away.
00:50:19.95\00:50:21.95
I never really went to church
again as I became a teenager.
00:50:21.98\00:50:25.29
Drifted away from
church. Never believed in God.
00:50:25.32\00:50:28.42
Never thought about
God. Got through high school.
00:50:28.46\00:50:30.76
Did pretty good but, again,
hanging out with the wrong
00:50:30.79\00:50:32.73
people, doing things I
shouldn't have been doing.
00:50:32.76\00:50:34.83
Just involved in doing
drugs, doing recreational drugs,
00:50:34.83\00:50:39.47
sometimes more than recreational
drugs, and from that, I knew I
00:50:39.50\00:50:42.67
needed some discipline in
my life, and I joined the U.S.
00:50:42.70\00:50:44.94
Navy, and I thought that would
change my life, and in some
00:50:44.97\00:50:47.68
ways, it did, but I
still had that big hole.
00:50:47.71\00:50:50.45
I was still looking to fill it.
00:50:50.48\00:50:52.11
I now have direction, and
I have discipline in my life.
00:50:52.15\00:50:54.45
I learned a trade,
but I never found God.
00:50:54.48\00:50:56.79
It's just the circumstances
never led me to God.
00:50:56.82\00:51:00.12
I got married
while I was in the Navy.
00:51:00.16\00:51:01.62
I married a naval officer.
00:51:01.66\00:51:02.96
We married, and we
had a son together.
00:51:02.99\00:51:04.69
We didn't go to church.
00:51:04.73\00:51:06.03
God was not a part of our lives
and it reflected in our lives,
00:51:06.06\00:51:09.46
and it ended up in a failed
marriage for a lot of reasons.
00:51:09.50\00:51:12.73
Got in a second failed marriage.
00:51:12.77\00:51:14.34
We didn't have
God in that marriage
00:51:14.37\00:51:15.94
and then met my current wife.
00:51:15.97\00:51:17.81
From a career perspective,
I was doing what I loved.
00:51:17.84\00:51:20.78
I had found this job, it
was great, I loved what I did.
00:51:20.81\00:51:24.38
I felt I was good at it, and
that filled part of the hole,
00:51:24.41\00:51:27.95
but there was still a big hole
in there that was empty, and I
00:51:27.98\00:51:31.49
didn't
understand why it was empty.
00:51:31.52\00:51:33.36
I just knew there was
an emptiness inside of me.
00:51:33.39\00:51:35.82
Package showed up one day, and I
opened it, and it was a bunch of
00:51:35.86\00:51:39.26
DVDs and a Bible study guide,
and it was Doug Batchelor.
00:51:39.29\00:51:42.90
And we had nothing else
to do, so we started watching
00:51:42.93\00:51:44.90
the DVDs, and I was
absolutely engrossed in it.
00:51:44.93\00:51:48.37
It was fascinating to me.
00:51:48.40\00:51:49.70
I was hearing things I
had never heard, and I learned
00:51:49.74\00:51:52.24
more in that two or three
weeks it took us to do those
00:51:52.27\00:51:56.54
than I had in my whole
life, and it was amazing.
00:51:56.58\00:51:58.81
Nobody talked about prophecy.
Nobody talked about revelation.
00:51:58.85\00:52:02.25
Nobody really
talked about the Sabbath,
00:52:02.28\00:52:04.32
and so it was
fascinating to me, and as
00:52:04.35\00:52:06.76
I learned more, I
wanted to know more.
00:52:06.79\00:52:08.72
The Amazing Facts
website was phenomenal.
00:52:08.76\00:52:10.76
I was able to go through that.
00:52:10.79\00:52:12.53
I could find
studies on the Sabbath.
00:52:12.56\00:52:14.30
I could find studies on
prophecy, and taking this
00:52:14.30\00:52:16.77
journey hand in hand and
going through it together,
00:52:16.80\00:52:19.67
it was amazing
for us in what it did
00:52:19.70\00:52:22.04
for our marriage
and for our life.
00:52:22.07\00:52:23.81
And then, the next thing I
know, I'm getting baptized.
00:52:23.84\00:52:26.34
Then I became the Sabbath School
leader for that class, and
00:52:26.37\00:52:29.78
continue to
teach through this day.
00:52:29.81\00:52:31.68
I'm able to take
that information,
00:52:31.71\00:52:34.05
the resources, the links,
and provide that to others
00:52:34.08\00:52:37.22
and start
multiplying that effort out.
00:52:37.25\00:52:39.15
Without Amazing
Facts, I don't think
00:52:39.19\00:52:40.66
I would've gotten to this point.
00:52:40.69\00:52:44.49
My name is Bill. Thank
you for changing my life.
00:52:44.53\00:52:47.76
Gary: Early 1980s, all the
Baby Boomers were turning 21,
00:52:48.93\00:52:52.33
and the nightclub
scenes were exploding,
00:52:52.37\00:52:54.20
and I started a
entertainment lighting company.
00:52:54.24\00:52:57.04
female: I was the president,
and there were six divisions,
00:52:57.07\00:52:59.54
doing the raves in the
'80s and '90s, you know, in some
00:52:59.57\00:53:02.54
warehouse where you're
setting up lighting and fog
00:53:02.58\00:53:04.91
and, you know, who
knows what's going on
00:53:04.95\00:53:06.88
in there, and
nightclub installations.
00:53:06.92\00:53:10.72
I loved it, and
it was who I was.
00:53:10.75\00:53:13.62
Gary: Bought a new house
out of town, and we moved
00:53:13.66\00:53:15.79
about two or
three times, but we were
00:53:15.82\00:53:18.33
always going into
different churches.
00:53:18.36\00:53:19.83
We were in a
Lutheran Church, and then
00:53:19.86\00:53:21.13
we were in a Methodist Church.
00:53:21.16\00:53:22.46
I think we were in three
different Baptist churches.
00:53:22.50\00:53:25.20
My wife was raised Catholic.
I was raised Methodist.
00:53:25.23\00:53:28.00
Currently, I've been up, reading
all the Hal Lindsey books and
00:53:28.04\00:53:30.94
watching all the "Left Behind"
movies, and so I really wanted
00:53:30.97\00:53:33.61
to understand what the book
of Revelation was all about, but
00:53:33.64\00:53:36.08
nothing really
ever made sense to me.
00:53:36.11\00:53:38.08
female: One day, Pastor
Lloyd Logan came knocking,
00:53:38.11\00:53:41.22
and he had that Net '99 flyer.
00:53:41.25\00:53:44.22
Lloyd Logan: We were
preparing for an evangelistic
00:53:44.25\00:53:46.42
series, and different people
were going different directions
00:53:46.45\00:53:50.83
with handbills to
invite people to the meetings.
00:53:50.86\00:53:55.13
female: I saw that coming at
me, you know, all the colors,
00:53:55.16\00:53:57.60
and I thought, "Oh, no, this
is some kind of cult thing."
00:53:57.63\00:54:00.47
Lloyd: And she said,
"Thank you very much,
00:54:00.50\00:54:01.80
but I'm not much
interested myself,
00:54:01.84\00:54:04.74
but my husband
likes that kind of thing."
00:54:04.77\00:54:07.11
female: And Lloyd said, "Would
you give it to him, please?"
00:54:07.14\00:54:09.98
And I said, "Okay, I will."
00:54:10.01\00:54:12.38
So I took the pamphlet,
and I put it on the calendar.
00:54:12.41\00:54:15.75
Gary came home,
and he walked by it.
00:54:15.78\00:54:17.59
Gary: Ran to the
kitchen to quickly eat and take
00:54:17.62\00:54:20.09
a shower and go
back out and work a show.
00:54:20.12\00:54:22.79
female: Two, three days went
by like this, and I had moved
00:54:22.82\00:54:24.79
that brochure from the
calendar, put it on the dining
00:54:24.83\00:54:28.53
room table, put it
back on the counter,
00:54:28.56\00:54:31.83
and I actually
threw it in the garbage.
00:54:31.87\00:54:33.30
As I threw it in that garbage
can, I could hear him and see
00:54:33.34\00:54:37.21
his face saying, "Would
you give it to him, please?"
00:54:37.24\00:54:40.61
And I actually
took the garbage out.
00:54:40.64\00:54:42.31
And that night, lying in
bed, I kept seeing his face
00:54:42.34\00:54:45.15
and hearing his voice,
and thinking, "Oh, boy,
00:54:45.18\00:54:47.85
I got to get that
brochure out of the garbage."
00:54:47.88\00:54:51.39
And I took that,
and I put it right
00:54:51.42\00:54:53.02
underneath the remote control.
00:54:53.05\00:54:55.69
Bright colors. He'll see it.
00:54:55.72\00:54:57.53
Gary: I finally sat down in
my living room, and I picked up
00:54:57.56\00:54:59.63
the remote, and I saw that
angel holding out that scroll.
00:54:59.66\00:55:02.86
female: "Whoa,
cool. What is this?"
00:55:02.90\00:55:05.27
And I was in
the kitchen cooking,
00:55:05.30\00:55:06.60
and I thought, "Oh, no."
00:55:06.63\00:55:09.00
Gary: And I looked at
it, and I turned it over,
00:55:09.04\00:55:10.97
and then I saw a little
building, a little church
00:55:11.01\00:55:13.21
building, and it
wasn't too far away.
00:55:13.24\00:55:15.44
It was about six houses down,
and it said, "Friday night."
00:55:15.48\00:55:19.08
female: And I
certainly wasn't going.
00:55:19.11\00:55:20.85
I mean, it wasn't
my intention to go.
00:55:20.88\00:55:22.88
Gary: I didn't have any
shows going on that night,
00:55:22.92\00:55:24.92
and so I thought it
was a one-night deal.
00:55:24.95\00:55:27.22
I went, and as I
heard about the millennium
00:55:27.26\00:55:29.52
man, I was just blown
away, I didn't want it to end.
00:55:29.56\00:55:33.23
I knew what I was hearing
was all from the scripture,
00:55:33.26\00:55:35.96
and it wasn't
based on Hollywood movies
00:55:36.00\00:55:37.80
or other books
that were written.
00:55:37.83\00:55:39.53
They said, "Come
again tomorrow night,"
00:55:39.57\00:55:41.34
and I thought,
"Wow, great, two nights."
00:55:41.37\00:55:43.94
So I tried to tell my wife
about it, and she still wasn't
00:55:43.97\00:55:46.54
interested, and
then she decided to come.
00:55:46.57\00:55:48.91
female: I started
to hear the truth,
00:55:48.94\00:55:50.51
you know, and I
started to get fed.
00:55:50.55\00:55:52.55
Gary: Every night,
after the seminar, they would
00:55:52.58\00:55:54.42
hand us an
Amazing Facts study guide.
00:55:54.45\00:55:57.02
I couldn't do those fast enough.
00:55:57.05\00:55:58.52
female: The business
kept us going seven days
00:55:58.55\00:56:01.22
a week, and it
was night and day.
00:56:01.26\00:56:03.39
Gary: Crews working all
around the clock, and so, when
00:56:03.43\00:56:05.89
we finally heard the Sabbath
message, you know, so far,
00:56:05.93\00:56:08.90
everything's been
true, right from the Bible.
00:56:08.93\00:56:10.63
female: Church on
Saturday, no work.
00:56:10.67\00:56:13.13
Anyway, it all clicked.
00:56:13.17\00:56:15.00
Gary: Both our heads
turned at each other.
00:56:15.04\00:56:16.64
Our jaws dropped open.
00:56:16.67\00:56:18.41
female: I said,
"We can't do that."
00:56:18.44\00:56:21.11
Gary: And the
first thing that came
00:56:21.14\00:56:22.44
out of my mouth
was "We have to."
00:56:22.48\00:56:24.61
female: I knew that
it would be a sacrifice,
00:56:24.65\00:56:27.08
and I was in fear about it.
00:56:27.12\00:56:29.55
Gary: We didn't know how
we were going to do it, but we
00:56:29.58\00:56:33.05
talked to the pastor about it,
and the pastor said, "Well, just
00:56:33.09\00:56:35.49
pray about it, and
God will open doors."
00:56:35.52\00:56:37.69
female: I didn't want to give
up all the connections I had
00:56:37.73\00:56:40.20
made, all the networking, all
the money, all the investment.
00:56:40.23\00:56:43.80
Gary: We went to the
board and ask them if they would
00:56:43.83\00:56:46.07
consider closing on Saturday,
and they agreed to, so we closed
00:56:46.10\00:56:49.87
the storefront on Saturday, but
we were still doing productions,
00:56:49.90\00:56:53.11
and that kind of bothered
us, so a couple months later,
00:56:53.14\00:56:56.81
God opened the door for my wife.
00:56:56.85\00:56:58.25
She exited the company.
00:56:58.28\00:56:59.75
I prayed about it, and God
opened the door for me too.
00:56:59.78\00:57:02.45
female: Gary, shortly after,
was offered a job being paid
00:57:02.48\00:57:06.52
more money than he made
as an owner of the company.
00:57:06.55\00:57:10.16
Gary: He said, "I'll give
you a thousand-dollar raise,
00:57:10.19\00:57:13.09
and you will never
work another weekend.
00:57:13.13\00:57:15.56
female: And we were able to
keep the Sabbath and enjoy the
00:57:15.60\00:57:19.50
wonderful blessings that God
had for us on the Sabbath day.
00:57:19.53\00:57:23.17
Gary: My kids
never again had to say,
00:57:23.20\00:57:24.81
"Quit talking about work."
00:57:24.84\00:57:26.34
After the seminar was over, my
wife and I, and my children were
00:57:26.37\00:57:28.94
all baptized into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:57:28.98\00:57:31.98
Even if I gave up
everything, I knew
00:57:32.01\00:57:33.88
that God would
have something better.
00:57:33.92\00:57:35.78
female: I have much more
understanding, and there's much
00:57:35.82\00:57:39.25
more depth in my
Christian walk with the Lord.
00:57:39.29\00:57:43.16
Gary: We started an Amazing
Facts Bible School at a church
00:57:43.19\00:57:46.13
that allows anybody to
understand the scriptures
00:57:46.16\00:57:48.73
and to understand the end times.
00:57:48.76\00:57:50.33
Church changed my
life dramatically, and I'm
00:57:50.37\00:57:53.13
very happy and
excited to be a part of it.
00:57:53.17\00:57:55.87
¤¤¤
00:57:55.90\00:58:02.61
¤¤¤
00:58:02.64\00:58:10.49
¤¤¤
00:58:10.52\00:58:14.42
¤¤¤
00:58:14.46\00:58:24.40
CC by Aberdeen Captioning
1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io
00:58:24.43\00:58:29.74