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CC by Aberdeen Captioning
www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621
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Shawn Brummund: Good morning,
and welcome to another edition
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of the "Sabbath
School Study Hour."
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For those of you who are
watching livestream, welcome
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to you here this morning.
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For those of you who
are watching on the various
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broadcasts, nice to have
you join us as we come together
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once again in the Granite Bay
Hilltop Seventh Day Adventist
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Church to be able to
study the Word of God.
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In this case, we're coming
back to study the more positive
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chapters in the first
part of the book of Genesis.
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Over the last few weeks
now, we've been looking at the
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first few chapters, and
sadly, many of those chapters
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are not all that positive.
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There's some very tragic
realities that took place
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during those first centuries.
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But now we are going to see a
light that is going to begin to
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shine in the darkness through
a man by the name of Abraham.
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And so we are going to
be looking at the life of
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Abraham starting today.
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And so we're looking at lesson
number six in your quarterly,
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and this quarterly is just
simply entitled, "Genesis."
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And so, again, lesson number
six, which is "The Roots of
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Abraham," and so our teacher
today is going to be Pastor
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Luccas Rodor, and we're going
to be studying that together.
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It is always good to be able to
offer you our free gift offer,
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which today is
"Determining the Will of God."
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This is no small question that
many of us, as Christians and
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believers ask is how can we
determine the will of God in my
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life in this area of
that area or overall?
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And so this is just a great
little book that is written by
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our lead pastor, Doug Batchelor,
"Determining the Will of God."
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If you'd like to receive a free
copy of this, go ahead and dial
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1-866-788-3966 and ask
for free offer number 778.
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Again, that's 1-866-788-3966,
and that's available
00:02:18.40\00:02:24.11
in the North American countries,
as well as the different
00:02:24.14\00:02:27.64
various US territories.
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If you would be interested
in a digital copy of this, we
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also have that
available for you, as well.
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If you want to download it
on your phone, and you're in the
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US, you can go ahead and
text the code SH025, and you
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want to dial that to 40544.
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If you're not in the
United States, and you'd like to
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receive a copy of this
and digitally download it on
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the Internet, just simply
get on your computer, whatever
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way you access the
Internet, and go to the website,
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which is study.aftv.
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That's study.aftv.org/SH025.
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Again, that's
study.aftv.org/SH025.
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And so I want to make sure that
we get that audio really for
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those who are listening to
this program via radio, as some
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people are blessed in that way.
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So, again, it's nice to be able
to have you join us here today.
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I know that I'm looking forward
to learning the insights and
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understanding that God has
given to our teacher today.
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But before we actually get into
the study, we have some very
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special people that are
behind me already, and that is
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our local church choir.
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And so they're going to sing and
lead us in song even right now.
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¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ When I survey
the wondrous cross, ¤
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¤ on which the
Prince of Glory died, ¤
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¤ my richest
gain I count as loss ¤
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¤ and pour
contempt on all my pride. ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ Forbid it, Lord,
that I should boast, ¤
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¤ save in the
death of Christ my God. ¤
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¤ All the vain
things that charm me most, ¤
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¤ I sacrifice
them to His blood. ¤
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¤ See from His head,
His hands, His feet, ¤
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¤ sorrow and love
flow mingled down. ¤
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¤ Did e'er such
love and sorrow meet ¤
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¤ or thorns
compose so rich a crown? ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ Were the whole
realm of nature mine, ¤
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¤ that were a
present far too small; ¤
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¤ love so amazing, so divine, ¤
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¤ demands my soul, ¤
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¤ my life, my all. ¤
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¤¤¤
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¤ My all. ¤¤
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Luccas Rodor: You know,
Pastor Shawn said something very
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interesting in his introduction.
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He said that up to now, we've
seen, you know, some stories
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that are, they're not the
most agreeable when it comes
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to the book of Genesis.
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There are a lot of things,
unfortunately, that happened
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that really portray the,
well, the negative effects of--
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well, I wouldn't say
the negative--the only--
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sin only has
negative effects, right?
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So, Genesis really goes into
portraying the negative effects
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of what happened after the fall.
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We find a lot of death.
We find horrible events.
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Truly, when you look at Genesis,
chapter 1 through 11, you will
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only find three major events,
which is the creation, then you
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have the tower--the
flood and the tower of Babel.
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And so you really see that
during those years of history
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portrayed in the first
11 chapters of Genesis.
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A lot of bad things happened.
Many bad things happened.
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But luckily, today, we get to
study the life of a man who had
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many positive things happen.
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Yes, there were bad things that
happened during his lifetime and
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in his life, but we really see
a brighter side of Genesis and
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what it means to follow God.
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You know, growing up, reading
the Bible, studying the lesson,
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hearing sermons, just going
to church, you hear a lot about
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the seed of Abraham, right?
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The seed of
Abraham, the seed of Abraham.
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This is a recurrent theme
in the Bible and in sermons,
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the seed of Abraham.
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So, when I saw the lesson
title, "The Roots of Abraham,"
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I was like, well,
maybe they--was it a typo?
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Did they get something wrong?
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You know, is it supposed
to be the seed of Abraham?
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And, you know, they
wrote down the "Roots" wrong.
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But when I started
studying the lesson, I saw
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that truly it makes sense.
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And the question is why?
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Why is the title of the
lesson "The Roots of Abraham"?
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Now, the reason for that
is because the appearance of
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Abraham in the narrative of
Genesis is simply put, arguably,
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the most important, at least
one of the most important events
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in the Old Testament story.
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And the reason why I
say that is because it
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has a very seminal nature.
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It is seminal in nature which
means that every other thing,
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all the other events that you
find, they kind of stem, they
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come from this one event,
the calling of Abraham, and it's
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here on out that the story,
the real story unfolds, all
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the way until we get to who?
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To Jesus.
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So, that's why I'll say that the
calling of Abraham is the most
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important, you know,
event in the Old Testament.
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It's because it's from
this event that everything
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else comes out from.
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When you really study the book
of Genesis, it seems as though
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the author of Genesis is,
you know, he's speeding along in
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those first 11 chapters.
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It's like he's
rushing to get somewhere.
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Because truly, when you look
at it, you have about, you know,
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2000 years of history that
go from chapter 1 to chapter 11,
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and then again,
just three major events.
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You have the creation, you have
the flood, you know, creation
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and the fall, then you have
the flood and tower of Babel.
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And, you know, 2000
years of history, and
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here I'm rounding, okay?
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It's not--I know there are going
to be those that are going to
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say, "Well,
Pastor, it wasn't exactly."
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Yes, it wasn't exactly 2000.
But, you know, on broad strokes.
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And then when you get
to chapter 12, it's like
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the author, he slows way down.
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Because what had taken 11
chapters and about 2000 years,
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then for the rest of the
book you have, you know, several
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chapters, and it's only
about 200 years of history.
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And so a lot of things happen.
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Now, this event, the calling
of Abraham is the root of all
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subsequent events, as I have
already said, until the Messiah,
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who is truly the true seed
of Abraham and through whom
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all the blessings that
are promised through the
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Old Testament come through.
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Galatians chapter 3,
verse 7 through 9 tells us this.
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It says, "Therefore know
that only those who are of
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faith are sons of Abraham.
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And the Scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the
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Gentiles by faith, preached the
gospel to Abraham beforehand,
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saying, 'In you, all the
nations shall be blessed.'"
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Then when you jump to verse 14,
it says, "That the blessing of
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Abraham might come upon the
Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that
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we might receive the promise of
the Spirit through the faith."
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And that's why, friends, the
Bible makes it clear here in the
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last verses, Galatians 3:28-29,
it says in very famous verses,
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it says, "Therefore
there is neither Jew nor Greek.
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There is neither slave nor free.
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There is
neither male nor female.
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For you are all
one in Christ Jesus.
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And if you are Christ's,
then you are Abraham's seed and
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heirs according to the promise."
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And so the promise, it goes
way beyond the Old Testament
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Jewish dream of a nation.
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This promise, the blessing
of Jesus Christ, the blessing of
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the Messiah, of the Redeemer,
of the Rebuilder, that promise
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extends to everyone.
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And so that misunderstanding
that so many had in Abraham,
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that is made
clear in Jesus Christ.
00:13:08.15\00:13:10.69
Now, the book of Genesis,
as I've already built up to,
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it's divided into
basically two sections.
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You have chapter 1 through 11,
where you have the origin story,
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and then chapter 12 through 50,
where you find the story of the
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origins of Israel or
the patriarchal period.
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That's what we find
in the rest of the book.
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Since its very beginning,
Genesis confronts us with this
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God that is invariably personal.
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He's a personal God.
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If there is one attribute of
God that we see from the very
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beginning is that God is a
relational, personal being.
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God exists inside of
an eternal relationship.
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When humans are created in
the image of God, when the Bible
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says, "Let us go down and
create mankind in our image,"
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God is saying, you
know, some people try to make
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that an exclusive thing.
00:13:59.77\00:14:01.24
This only means one thing.
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Friends, we are made in God's
image in multiple ways, and
00:14:02.67\00:14:05.51
one of the most transparent,
one of the clearest ways in
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which we were made in the image
of God is that we, just like
00:14:10.95\00:14:13.92
God, are relational creatures.
00:14:13.95\00:14:16.65
We exist within relationships:
relationship with parents, with
00:14:16.69\00:14:19.92
siblings, with spouses,
with friends, with children.
00:14:19.95\00:14:23.56
We are relational beings.
00:14:23.59\00:14:25.99
And so this God revealed in the
Bible is invariably personal.
00:14:26.03\00:14:31.10
That is particularly
portrayed during the creation of
00:14:31.13\00:14:34.37
humankind with His
personal care and His personal
00:14:34.40\00:14:37.51
touch for relationships.
00:14:37.54\00:14:40.04
He is the only God. He
is the sovereign God of all.
00:14:40.08\00:14:43.81
The history of creation decides
the matter, and all subsequent
00:14:43.85\00:14:47.05
history confirms that God is the
ultimate commander of events,
00:14:47.08\00:14:51.25
the ebb and flow of history,
of the rise and the tide
00:14:51.29\00:14:54.42
and the fall of nations.
00:14:54.46\00:14:57.09
We see that, for example,
in the conception of the
00:14:57.13\00:14:58.76
child, of a child, Isaac.
00:14:58.79\00:15:01.13
Who was foretelling that? God.
00:15:01.16\00:15:04.70
We see that in the
calling of a follower, Abraham.
00:15:04.73\00:15:07.90
Friends, time, space, sin, even
death are no rivals for him.
00:15:07.94\00:15:14.18
He works through supernatural
events, obviously sometimes, and
00:15:14.21\00:15:20.15
sometimes providentially subtle.
00:15:20.18\00:15:23.25
He is the Creator,
He is the judge of all.
00:15:23.28\00:15:25.89
His purposes are irresistible.
00:15:25.92\00:15:29.02
God is perfect.
00:15:29.06\00:15:31.26
His dealing with
sin, with disbelief, with
00:15:31.29\00:15:33.83
presumption, with
covetousness, with betrayal.
00:15:33.86\00:15:36.50
The book of Genesis
reveals God as the supreme
00:15:36.53\00:15:41.10
judge of the universe.
00:15:41.14\00:15:43.30
Even in His wrath, His judgments
are tempered with His mercy and
00:15:43.34\00:15:46.57
are delayed in being dealt.
00:15:46.61\00:15:48.64
His care for sinners is moving.
00:15:48.68\00:15:50.65
His justice is altogether
intertwined with love,
00:15:50.68\00:15:53.72
and His love is
branded with moral demands.
00:15:53.75\00:15:57.55
Throughout his experience,
Abraham came to understand that
00:15:57.59\00:16:00.32
the calling that God extended to
him, his relationship with this
00:16:00.36\00:16:03.69
God would demand everything and
everything that he had, because
00:16:03.73\00:16:08.26
God reveals Himself in command,
in communication, and above all
00:16:08.30\00:16:12.10
else in a willingness of
entering covenant with humans.
00:16:12.13\00:16:16.67
He suffered in
His choices, always.
00:16:16.71\00:16:19.11
Just look at Romans 9:6-12 that
says, "But it is not that the
00:16:19.14\00:16:22.68
Word of God has taken no effect.
00:16:22.71\00:16:25.21
For they are not all Israel who
are of Israel, nor are they all
00:16:25.25\00:16:28.82
children because they
are the seed of Abraham.
00:16:28.85\00:16:31.09
But in Isaac your
seed shall be called.
00:16:31.12\00:16:33.76
That is those who are the
children of the flesh, those who
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.32
are not the children of God, but
the children of the promise and
00:16:36.36\00:16:39.86
counted as the seed, for
this is the word of the promise.
00:16:39.89\00:16:42.93
At this time, I will come,
and Sarah shall have a son.
00:16:42.96\00:16:46.03
And not only this, but when
Rebecca also had conceived by
00:16:46.07\00:16:48.80
one man, even by our father
Isaac, for the children not
00:16:48.84\00:16:52.37
yet being born nor having
done any good or evil, that the
00:16:52.41\00:16:56.34
purpose of God, according to
election, might stand, not of
00:16:56.38\00:17:00.35
works but of him who calls.
00:17:00.38\00:17:01.95
It was said to her, 'The
older shall serve the younger.'
00:17:01.98\00:17:04.59
As it is written, 'Jacob I have
loved but Esau I have hated.'"
00:17:04.62\00:17:08.06
Now, one thing that's important
to note here at the beginning is
00:17:08.09\00:17:10.39
that the choice of Isaac and
Jacob before their birth and the
00:17:10.43\00:17:15.36
corresponding rejection of
Ishmael and of Esau, these were
00:17:15.40\00:17:19.83
explicitly related to their role
within the plan of redemption.
00:17:19.87\00:17:24.41
This had nothing to do
with their personal salvation.
00:17:24.44\00:17:28.18
So, some people
say, "Well, God was here.
00:17:28.21\00:17:30.15
He was predestining Isaac and
Jacob to be saved, and then He
00:17:30.18\00:17:36.85
was also predestining
Esau and Ishmael to be lost."
00:17:36.89\00:17:43.39
Well, we don't believe in that.
00:17:43.43\00:17:45.43
What we understand is that Isaac
and Jacob, they were called,
00:17:45.46\00:17:48.76
they were predestined
for a role within the plan of
00:17:48.80\00:17:52.07
redemption, but
Ishmael and Esau, were they--
00:17:52.10\00:17:56.24
was salvation available to them?
00:17:56.27\00:17:58.21
Absolutely, of course it was.
00:17:58.24\00:18:00.54
Look at what
Genesis 17:18-22 said.
00:18:00.58\00:18:03.78
It says, "And Abraham
said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael
00:18:03.81\00:18:06.65
might live before you.'
00:18:06.68\00:18:08.12
Then God said, 'No,
Sarah your wife shall bear
00:18:08.15\00:18:10.72
you a son, and you
shall call his name Isaac.
00:18:10.75\00:18:14.06
I will establish My covenant
with him for an everlasting
00:18:14.09\00:18:16.69
covenant and with his
descendants after him.
00:18:16.73\00:18:19.36
And as for
Ishmael, I have heard you.
00:18:19.39\00:18:21.33
Behold, I have blessed him and
will make him fruitful, and will
00:18:21.36\00:18:24.60
multiply him exceedingly, and he
shall begat twelve princes, and
00:18:24.63\00:18:28.44
I will make him a great nation.
00:18:28.47\00:18:30.11
But My covenant I will establish
with Isaac, and Sarah shall bear
00:18:30.14\00:18:34.08
to you at this time next year.'
00:18:34.11\00:18:36.48
And he finished talking to him,
and God went up from Abraham."
00:18:36.51\00:18:39.45
And so you see that election in
Genesis has to do with the role
00:18:39.48\00:18:42.22
of those involved in the lineage
of Christ, with a covenant that
00:18:42.25\00:18:46.12
would bring the Messiah,
the seed through whom all the
00:18:46.15\00:18:48.99
nations would be blessed.
00:18:49.02\00:18:50.86
So, since the very beginning,
friends, since the fall, the
00:18:50.89\00:18:53.86
moral effects of sin are a great
theme in Genesis, revealing
00:18:53.90\00:18:58.80
the immediate
separation of God and man.
00:18:58.83\00:19:02.14
Its progressive effect in
human nature, it culminated
00:19:02.17\00:19:05.07
in universal depravity.
00:19:05.11\00:19:08.04
That's something that we don't
have to look very far to see.
00:19:08.08\00:19:10.58
We see that in our days, and
we see that throughout history.
00:19:10.61\00:19:14.55
We see that demonstrated in the
flood and the subsequent events
00:19:14.58\00:19:17.45
that were evident
manifestations of arrogance.
00:19:17.49\00:19:21.56
You see that with Babel.
00:19:21.59\00:19:22.89
You see that with
Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:19:22.92\00:19:25.13
That's also reflected within the
very families of the patriarchs.
00:19:25.16\00:19:27.96
You see that in the family
of Abraham, in the family of
00:19:28.00\00:19:29.93
Isaac, in the family of Jacob.
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.33
You see the effects of sin that
spread as a disease, moving from
00:19:31.37\00:19:36.94
generation to generation.
00:19:36.97\00:19:38.87
If there's one thing that is
observable throughout the Bible,
00:19:38.91\00:19:41.91
throughout history, throughout
life itself is that the
00:19:41.94\00:19:44.31
problem of sin has
come to all of humankind.
00:19:44.35\00:19:49.22
However, God has a plan.
00:19:49.25\00:19:53.15
God had a saving plan
that is no less evident.
00:19:53.19\00:19:56.39
His way of dealing with
the problem further reveals
00:19:56.42\00:19:59.63
that God is always in control.
00:19:59.66\00:20:02.26
And so the lesson moves in that
introduction over to Sunday's
00:20:02.30\00:20:05.93
lesson, Sunday's day, where the
title is, "Abraham's Departure."
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.74
Here we find the
calling of Abraham.
00:20:09.77\00:20:11.74
Now, Hebrews 11, especially,
it's chapter 11, verse 8
00:20:11.77\00:20:15.81
through 16, it focuses
on the theme of pilgrimage,
00:20:15.84\00:20:18.95
Abraham's pilgrimage.
00:20:18.98\00:20:21.22
It portrays Abraham's experience
of the patriarch of faith.
00:20:21.25\00:20:25.09
Look at what it says,
Hebrews 8--11, verse 8.
00:20:25.12\00:20:28.19
It says, "By faith, Abraham
obeyed when he was called to go
00:20:28.22\00:20:31.86
out to the place which he would
receive as an inheritance, and
00:20:31.89\00:20:34.86
he went out not
knowing where he was going."
00:20:34.93\00:20:37.37
So, what the text is telling us
is that being called, he went.
00:20:37.40\00:20:41.47
Now, I don't know about
you, but if I heard a voice just
00:20:41.50\00:20:45.97
come out to me and say, "Luccas,
you've got to leave everything
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.11
behind, all your family,
your friends, your relatives,
00:20:48.14\00:20:50.98
and you've just got to go."
00:20:51.01\00:20:52.51
The first question I would ask,
I would make is, "Am I sane?
00:20:52.55\00:20:58.39
Am I going nuts?"
00:20:58.42\00:21:00.22
The second question I
would ask, after I came to terms
00:21:00.26\00:21:02.06
with whatever the implications
of that reality were,
00:21:02.09\00:21:05.43
the second question
would be, "Where am I going?"
00:21:05.46\00:21:09.43
That's the second question.
00:21:09.46\00:21:11.00
But you don't see either
of these questions appearing
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.47
in the mind of Abraham.
00:21:13.50\00:21:14.84
Being called, he went.
00:21:14.87\00:21:17.84
And God didn't submit a
plan for Abraham's approval.
00:21:17.87\00:21:21.74
He just went out, not
knowing where he was going.
00:21:21.78\00:21:24.45
His unrestricted faith firmly
planted in the God of time,
00:21:24.48\00:21:29.22
in the Lord of the future.
00:21:29.25\00:21:31.35
So, reading this story today at
a comfortable distance of that
00:21:31.39\00:21:35.99
event, we kind of lose sight
of what it involved, what was
00:21:36.02\00:21:39.79
involved in this
act of obedience.
00:21:39.83\00:21:41.93
Friends, Abraham left Ur,
one of the cradles of ancient
00:21:41.96\00:21:45.00
civilization, away
from his comfort zone.
00:21:45.03\00:21:47.40
He cut ties.
00:21:47.44\00:21:48.74
He left without having a
clue about where he was going.
00:21:48.77\00:21:51.61
And it's curious that even
in the promised land, Abraham,
00:21:51.64\00:21:56.08
according to verse 9, Hebrews
11, verse 9, it said, "By faith,
00:21:56.11\00:22:00.28
he dwelt in the land
of promise as in a foreign
00:22:00.32\00:22:02.98
country, dwelling in tents."
00:22:03.02\00:22:04.49
And so even when he left, into
this land that God had promised
00:22:04.52\00:22:08.62
that He would give him,
he didn't dwell in this land
00:22:08.66\00:22:11.09
with a spirit of permanence.
00:22:11.13\00:22:13.73
He dwelt in it knowing
that it was not permanent, and
00:22:13.76\00:22:18.30
this was his legacy.
00:22:18.33\00:22:19.93
This was his manifest.
00:22:19.97\00:22:21.30
He understood that his
permanence was temporary.
00:22:21.34\00:22:24.27
Abraham arrived
in the promised land.
00:22:24.31\00:22:26.41
Did he not?
00:22:26.44\00:22:27.81
He arrived in
Canaan, and yet he didn't.
00:22:27.84\00:22:32.35
Because as verse 10 says,
Hebrews 11, verse 10, it says,
00:22:32.38\00:22:35.28
"For he waited for the city
which has foundations, whose
00:22:35.32\00:22:39.52
builder and maker is God."
00:22:39.55\00:22:42.32
He cut ties with his past.
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.09
He cut ties with
his connections in Ur.
00:22:44.13\00:22:46.73
He cut ties with relatives.
00:22:46.76\00:22:48.03
This is a fundamentally
patriarchal society, where
00:22:48.06\00:22:52.63
family
connections were everything.
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.50
Abraham cuts
ties with everything.
00:22:54.54\00:22:57.11
As the lesson emphasizes,
Abraham cut ties with himself.
00:22:57.14\00:23:03.41
He left himself to free himself
of everything that would and
00:23:03.45\00:23:09.68
could hold him
back in Ur, in the past.
00:23:09.72\00:23:12.52
The problem, friends, that
we find many times with God's
00:23:12.55\00:23:14.79
calling of leaving, of departing
on a pilgrimage, and I'm sure
00:23:14.82\00:23:18.86
that many here can relate
to this, because in everyone's
00:23:18.89\00:23:22.70
life, in one moment or another,
were all called to leave.
00:23:22.73\00:23:26.57
You know that. We've
all been called to leave.
00:23:26.60\00:23:30.91
The problem is that many times
we'll leave Ur, but we will not
00:23:30.94\00:23:35.41
allow Ur to leave us.
00:23:35.44\00:23:37.51
That's what you find
in the story of Mrs. Lot.
00:23:37.55\00:23:40.55
She left Sodom, but
Sodom did not leave her.
00:23:40.58\00:23:45.09
We'll get there.
00:23:45.12\00:23:46.59
Later on, we know that
Abraham left for Mount Moriah
00:23:46.62\00:23:49.22
toward the sacrifice of his son.
00:23:49.26\00:23:51.76
You know, leaving
Ur, that was a very
00:23:51.79\00:23:53.63
difficult
experience in his life.
00:23:53.66\00:23:55.00
Leaving Ur, friends, was the
initial test that prepared him
00:23:55.03\00:23:59.63
for a greater test yet ahead.
00:23:59.67\00:24:02.30
Those who failed to obey the
smaller tests cannot expect to
00:24:02.34\00:24:07.24
gain approval on the final exam.
00:24:07.28\00:24:10.28
Abraham was conscious of his
call to be a blessing, to be a
00:24:10.31\00:24:14.25
part of God's design plan
for the salvation of the world.
00:24:14.28\00:24:17.92
He understood what was at stake.
00:24:17.95\00:24:19.55
He understood
what was happening.
00:24:19.59\00:24:20.89
And while he did have a few
hiccups along the way--and we'll
00:24:20.92\00:24:23.69
get into one of them--he
understood that reality.
00:24:23.73\00:24:28.06
We are also called to leave
the fortress of self, leaving
00:24:28.10\00:24:32.50
Babylon with its rival system
against the Most High, with its
00:24:32.53\00:24:36.37
lifestyles and conveniences, its
connections, its comforts, that
00:24:36.40\00:24:40.51
seemed very attractive at times.
00:24:40.54\00:24:43.18
But it's our decisions, our
interests, our habits; by them,
00:24:43.21\00:24:47.15
we are day by day
sealing where our heart lies.
00:24:47.18\00:24:52.39
Doesn't the Bible say that
where your treasure lies, there
00:24:52.42\00:24:54.36
your heart will lie also?
00:24:54.39\00:24:56.69
So, the true question is here,
is where does your heart lie?
00:24:56.73\00:25:00.33
What would be
too much to give up?
00:25:00.36\00:25:04.30
Abraham was confronted
with this reality several
00:25:04.33\00:25:06.63
times, starting in Ur.
00:25:06.67\00:25:08.57
What did he have to give up?
00:25:08.60\00:25:11.11
A lot, everything,
and go live in tents.
00:25:11.14\00:25:16.81
Monday's lesson gives us a
glimpse in a very strange, a
00:25:16.85\00:25:20.62
very weird moment in
Abraham's life, because this man
00:25:20.65\00:25:24.42
throughout the Bible is
portrayed as a hero of faith,
00:25:24.45\00:25:27.72
as a giant of faith.
00:25:27.76\00:25:30.03
You know, the story here in
Monday is one of those stories
00:25:30.06\00:25:32.69
of the bards of history of
literature would want to hide of
00:25:32.73\00:25:35.80
their heroes, and this is
part of the beauty of the Bible,
00:25:35.83\00:25:38.50
because the Bible does not
hide the failure of its heroes.
00:25:38.53\00:25:42.00
You know why?
00:25:42.04\00:25:43.41
Because the Bible
does not have heroes,
00:25:43.44\00:25:47.58
except one: Jesus Christ.
00:25:47.61\00:25:51.75
All these other people are men
and women just like yourself and
00:25:51.78\00:25:54.75
myself, that encountered Jesus,
that encountered God in the
00:25:54.78\00:25:59.35
experience of
life, and react to him.
00:25:59.39\00:26:01.72
In a way, this is our biography.
00:26:01.76\00:26:03.73
And so the people that
we find are people in their
00:26:03.76\00:26:05.76
real-life experience with God.
00:26:05.79\00:26:09.20
You know, the journey of faith
can never be underrated as a
00:26:09.23\00:26:12.37
walk in the park, underestimated
as a walk in the park,
00:26:12.40\00:26:16.71
without any kind of purpose.
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.24
The dangers of the
journey lie at every turn.
00:26:18.27\00:26:21.28
They are, firstly, many.
00:26:21.31\00:26:23.65
There are many dangers:
spiritual stagnation, detours,
00:26:23.68\00:26:28.25
rebellion, discouragement,
setbacks, losses,
00:26:28.28\00:26:30.82
accidents along the route.
00:26:30.85\00:26:33.25
In the book of Revelation,
Egypt, just as Babylon is a
00:26:33.29\00:26:36.99
symbol of deceit, of the
traps of the devil, the land
00:26:37.03\00:26:40.23
of enchantment, and Pharaoh
himself is a type of Satan.
00:26:40.26\00:26:46.63
The question isn't only
leaving Egypt, but staying away
00:26:46.67\00:26:49.77
from it and from its illusions.
00:26:49.80\00:26:52.54
Abraham faced these dangers,
and the story is well known.
00:26:52.57\00:26:55.78
He tried to help God help him.
00:26:55.81\00:26:57.85
This is a
weakness that Abraham had.
00:26:57.88\00:26:59.75
Several times you'll see Abraham
trying to help God help him.
00:26:59.78\00:27:04.02
We see that here.
00:27:04.05\00:27:05.42
We see that later on with
the whole story with Hagar and
00:27:05.45\00:27:07.96
Ishmael, Abraham
helping God helping him.
00:27:07.99\00:27:12.76
Whenever we attempt to help God
help us, with our reason, with
00:27:12.79\00:27:16.36
our logic, with our means,
with our resources, we're doing
00:27:16.40\00:27:19.83
nothing less than playing God.
00:27:19.87\00:27:21.60
And friends, that is
very dangerous, because that
00:27:21.64\00:27:24.47
is a form of idolatry.
00:27:24.51\00:27:27.14
When you try to help God
help you, you become a god unto
00:27:27.18\00:27:31.78
yourself, and that
is extremely dangerous.
00:27:31.81\00:27:36.45
Egypt is a type for
humans that trust in humans,
00:27:36.48\00:27:41.09
faith in what is visible.
00:27:41.12\00:27:42.69
Later on, the Israelites will
taste the temptations of Egypt
00:27:42.72\00:27:46.19
with its resources, with
its ease, to the point when even
00:27:46.23\00:27:49.13
when they had left Egypt, the
land of their bondage, of their
00:27:49.16\00:27:52.57
slavery, some of
them wanted to go back.
00:27:52.60\00:27:56.34
How many times in life
does that happen with us?
00:27:56.37\00:27:58.91
When we are finally able to tear
away from the problems, from the
00:27:58.94\00:28:02.41
temptations, the sins, sometimes
we'll leave, but always with our
00:28:02.44\00:28:08.45
mind on that thing, on
that habit, on whatever it was.
00:28:08.48\00:28:14.46
Egypt is that type of
humans that trust in humans.
00:28:14.49\00:28:19.59
The Israelites on that occasion,
they left Egypt, but Egypt, once
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.83
again, had not left them.
00:28:22.86\00:28:26.67
Abraham, during his time in
Egypt, demonstrated that even
00:28:26.70\00:28:29.40
he, the father of faith, was not
free from human frailties, from
00:28:29.44\00:28:33.51
falling, from imperfections, and
the paradox between Abraham, the
00:28:33.54\00:28:37.71
Abraham that left Ur and the
Abraham that left towards the
00:28:37.75\00:28:40.32
promised land--sorry--towards,
that left Egypt is very evident.
00:28:40.35\00:28:45.25
In the first case, he was
an agent of obedience, right?
00:28:45.29\00:28:49.02
The Abraham that left
Ur was an agent of what?
00:28:49.06\00:28:51.36
Obedience. He was obeying God.
00:28:51.39\00:28:53.46
But the Abraham, the
Abraham that left for Egypt,
00:28:53.50\00:28:59.67
he acted on his own.
00:28:59.70\00:29:03.71
Hiding the fact that Sarah was
his wife, he not only revealed
00:29:03.74\00:29:07.58
his fear of Pharaoh, but also
his lack of trust in the one
00:29:07.61\00:29:11.65
that had
promised to protect him.
00:29:11.68\00:29:15.62
Abraham who throughout
his lifetime walked through
00:29:15.65\00:29:18.05
unrestricted faith, at this
moment he reveals a very basic
00:29:18.09\00:29:21.46
weakness that all of us
have in one moment or another.
00:29:21.49\00:29:25.09
You see, to the Jews, Abraham
was so important that according
00:29:25.13\00:29:28.26
to the rabbinical tradition,
when God was creating the world,
00:29:28.30\00:29:31.93
He consulted Abraham.
00:29:31.97\00:29:36.50
But here we see the
real Abraham, who during
00:29:36.54\00:29:42.01
this incident in Egypt
reveals the stuff that all
00:29:42.04\00:29:44.88
of us are made of.
00:29:44.91\00:29:47.92
But inadvertently, that also
reveals what God is made of,
00:29:47.95\00:29:53.39
because Ephesians 2, verse 8
says, "By grace you are saved."
00:29:53.42\00:29:58.09
It's no wonder that that
text, such a famous text,
00:29:58.13\00:30:00.63
says, "By grace you are saved."
00:30:00.66\00:30:02.96
By grace through
what? Through faith.
00:30:03.00\00:30:08.60
And this comes from
God. Abraham knew that.
00:30:08.64\00:30:14.01
Grace is precisely that,
friends: hope for those who
00:30:14.04\00:30:16.51
are prone to failure
and that do, in fact, fail.
00:30:16.54\00:30:20.35
What would
Abraham be without grace?
00:30:20.38\00:30:23.28
What would David
be without grace?
00:30:23.32\00:30:25.55
What would Moses
be without grace?
00:30:25.59\00:30:29.32
What would Paul, Peter,
all of these big characters
00:30:29.36\00:30:32.46
in the Bible, what
would all of them, David, what
00:30:32.49\00:30:35.13
would they be without grace?
00:30:35.16\00:30:37.43
How could we say that these
people were anything more than
00:30:37.47\00:30:40.50
just men and women
like you and like me?
00:30:40.54\00:30:43.57
By grace.
00:30:43.61\00:30:46.17
In Christ, friends,
we're all comforted.
00:30:46.21\00:30:47.94
Abraham was comforted.
00:30:47.98\00:30:49.81
Because according to
Philippians 1:6, the Bible says,
00:30:49.84\00:30:52.18
"He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it
00:30:52.21\00:30:54.52
in the day of Jesus Christ."
00:30:54.55\00:30:57.72
A bigger failure than
falling is to conclude that the
00:30:57.75\00:31:01.09
Lord abandons us in our
failures, in our weaknesses,
00:31:01.12\00:31:03.96
in our trepidations.
00:31:03.99\00:31:05.43
A bigger failure than actually
falling is allowing the enemy
00:31:05.46\00:31:12.60
to convince you that
you cannot get back up.
00:31:12.63\00:31:15.84
That's when you fall.
You don't lose when you fall.
00:31:15.87\00:31:18.74
You lose when you're convinced
that you can't get back up, and
00:31:18.77\00:31:21.48
that's something
that Abraham didn't do.
00:31:21.51\00:31:23.45
He got back up.
00:31:23.48\00:31:24.78
He was not convinced that he
couldn't seek out God's grace.
00:31:24.81\00:31:29.22
Another powerful perspective
about God, the God that
00:31:29.25\00:31:32.92
always provides
second chances, is given in
00:31:32.95\00:31:35.16
Tuesday's
lesson, Abraham and Lot.
00:31:35.19\00:31:40.00
We see that God here is
giving Abraham multiple chances.
00:31:40.03\00:31:44.80
The lesson puts it this way:
Abraham returns to where he was
00:31:44.83\00:31:47.50
before, as if his trip to Egypt
were a mere unfortunate detour.
00:31:47.54\00:31:51.24
God's history with Abraham
starts again, where it had
00:31:51.27\00:31:54.74
stopped since his first
trip to the promised land.
00:31:54.78\00:31:57.71
Abraham's first
station is Bethel, just as
00:31:57.75\00:32:00.05
in his first trip to the land.
00:32:00.08\00:32:01.65
Abraham had repented
and is back to himself.
00:32:01.68\00:32:04.65
Abraham, the man of faith.
00:32:04.69\00:32:06.49
So, at this moment, right here
in this story, we find a very
00:32:06.52\00:32:08.69
practical problem that
was assailing his camp.
00:32:08.72\00:32:12.23
You see, Lot, his nephew,
had followed him from Ur, and
00:32:12.26\00:32:15.23
this says a lot about Lot.
00:32:15.26\00:32:17.17
He was willing to leave
everything behind to go with his
00:32:17.20\00:32:20.04
uncle, and their flocks and
herds were becoming so big that
00:32:20.07\00:32:23.97
the herders were beginning
to bicker among themselves.
00:32:24.01\00:32:27.44
So, Abraham, who was the elder
of the two--and above all else
00:32:27.48\00:32:30.98
he was the one that God had
called--it would stand to reason
00:32:31.01\00:32:35.25
that he would get to pick
where he wanted to go, right?
00:32:35.28\00:32:38.15
Anyone would do that.
Anyone would reason that.
00:32:38.19\00:32:40.62
The elder, the more important
one, you know, the patriarch
00:32:40.66\00:32:42.92
of the family, but in a great
revelation of his character,
00:32:42.96\00:32:45.89
he allows Lot to
pick the direction.
00:32:45.93\00:32:49.23
Genesis 13:8-9 where we read,
"Please let there be no strife
00:32:49.26\00:32:52.47
between you and me and between
my herdsmen and your herdsmen,
00:32:52.50\00:32:55.44
for we are brethren.
00:32:55.47\00:32:56.81
Is not the
whole land before you?
00:32:56.84\00:32:58.57
Please separate from me.
00:32:58.61\00:33:00.28
If you take the left I will
go to the right, or if you go to
00:33:00.31\00:33:03.18
the right I will go to the left.
00:33:03.21\00:33:04.91
Here we see the gentle
diplomatic spirit of the
00:33:04.95\00:33:08.52
patriarch that stood above
all the petty, greedy commercial
00:33:08.55\00:33:13.92
interests that most
other people would have.
00:33:13.96\00:33:17.66
The pathfinder law--I really
appreciate the Pathfinder club.
00:33:17.69\00:33:22.16
If you have kids that
aren't in the club, put them in.
00:33:22.20\00:33:25.67
It'll be good for
them, I promise you this.
00:33:25.70\00:33:28.17
The pathfinder law could very
well be applied to Abraham, who
00:33:28.20\00:33:31.64
was a servant of
God and a friend to all.
00:33:31.67\00:33:35.31
Lot makes the decision,
and the biblical text tells us
00:33:35.34\00:33:38.68
that he, according to chapter
13, verse 10, he lifted his
00:33:38.71\00:33:41.82
eyes and saw all the
plain of the Jordan, and that's
00:33:41.85\00:33:44.62
apparently all that he saw.
00:33:44.65\00:33:46.52
He must've thought,
"This is my opportunity.
00:33:46.55\00:33:49.39
This is my chance."
00:33:49.42\00:33:50.86
The land was plentiful, it was
beautiful, it was well-watered,
00:33:50.89\00:33:54.00
and so he, according to verse
11, "chose for himself all the
00:33:54.03\00:33:56.67
plain of the Jordan,"
and Lot journeyed east.
00:33:56.70\00:34:00.27
And verse 12, "Lot dwelt in the
cities of the plain and pitched
00:34:00.30\00:34:03.37
his tent even as far as Sodom."
00:34:03.41\00:34:05.24
He let himself become attracted
to the luxury, the beauty, the
00:34:05.27\00:34:09.28
wealth of the land, and he did
not pay attention to the fact
00:34:09.31\00:34:12.35
that according to verse 13, the
men of Sodom were exceedingly
00:34:12.38\00:34:16.08
wicked and
sinful against the Lord.
00:34:16.12\00:34:20.56
On that day, Lot had no
idea what awaited him in Sodom.
00:34:20.59\00:34:25.39
He didn't consider the risk
to which he was exposing his
00:34:25.43\00:34:28.23
family, because the next time we
find Lot in chapter 14, he was
00:34:28.26\00:34:32.87
well-established in Sodom.
00:34:32.90\00:34:34.87
Friends, small decisions, small
concessions with evil lead to
00:34:34.90\00:34:39.77
more significant
decisions and concessions.
00:34:39.81\00:34:42.78
And in the process,
we lose our spiritual
00:34:42.81\00:34:45.41
sensitivity and authority.
00:34:45.45\00:34:48.48
Old reservations are overcome.
00:34:48.52\00:34:50.55
Walls are brought down,
and we become accustomed,
00:34:50.59\00:34:54.72
we become used to a
lifestyle that couldn't
00:34:54.76\00:34:57.36
even be imagined before.
00:34:57.39\00:34:59.86
And so the word hedonism comes
in, the pursuit of pleasure.
00:34:59.89\00:35:05.53
Hedonism, you know what
the word etymologically means,
00:35:05.57\00:35:07.77
what it means in its root?
00:35:07.80\00:35:09.47
It means to grow numb, and
that's what happens to Lot.
00:35:09.50\00:35:13.68
He becomes numb. What about you?
00:35:13.71\00:35:17.98
In the process of
making decisions, remember that
00:35:18.01\00:35:21.58
if done on the wrong
grounds, decisions can lead
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.12
to disaster and tragedy.
00:35:24.15\00:35:26.96
What we find in this story is
the representation of two kinds
00:35:26.99\00:35:29.52
of people: Abraham and Lot.
00:35:29.56\00:35:32.69
Our own biography, people
like Lot or like Abraham, that
00:35:32.73\00:35:39.90
is the distinction that
all are confronted by at one
00:35:39.93\00:35:44.54
point or another of their life.
00:35:44.57\00:35:46.17
We're all
confronted by this reality.
00:35:46.21\00:35:48.38
Everyone is confronted by
the recurrent decisions that
00:35:48.41\00:35:51.21
lead them to
opposite directions and ends.
00:35:51.25\00:35:55.32
We either pitch our tents
in the direction of Sodom and
00:35:55.35\00:35:57.85
Gomorrah, or we pitch our tents
in the direction of Hebron,
00:35:57.89\00:36:01.32
as Abraham did.
00:36:01.36\00:36:02.76
The danger of becoming
like Lot is that we arrive
00:36:02.79\00:36:06.16
at Sodom progressively.
00:36:06.19\00:36:13.10
We arrive there progressively.
00:36:13.13\00:36:16.54
It's not all at once.
Almost unnoticeable steps.
00:36:16.57\00:36:21.58
Lot starts out with good
intentions to provide for his
00:36:21.61\00:36:23.78
family; however, his
end is disaster and tragedy.
00:36:23.81\00:36:26.82
People are not
lost in an instant.
00:36:26.85\00:36:29.68
It's gradual. Families
aren't broken in a day.
00:36:29.72\00:36:34.62
Fathers aren't broken in a day.
00:36:34.66\00:36:36.22
Mothers are not broken in a day.
00:36:36.26\00:36:37.63
Churches are
not broken in a day.
00:36:37.66\00:36:39.43
It's progressive, it's gradual.
00:36:39.46\00:36:42.43
The environment that
he chose ended up dividing
00:36:42.46\00:36:45.07
and even destroying his family.
00:36:45.10\00:36:47.17
It's not only the personal risk,
it's not only the personal risk
00:36:47.20\00:36:51.44
that must be considered in our
choices, but also the indirect
00:36:51.47\00:36:54.68
risks that end
up affecting others.
00:36:54.71\00:36:57.68
Lot was not responsible for the
existence of Sodom, but he was
00:36:57.71\00:37:02.15
responsible and guilty
of pitching his tents there.
00:37:02.18\00:37:06.79
It's no wonder that when
his hour of judgment arrived,
00:37:06.82\00:37:10.16
since he had been in
Sodom for so long, he had
00:37:10.19\00:37:12.43
lost his spiritual authority.
00:37:12.46\00:37:14.20
He was unable to take
his family and remove them.
00:37:14.20\00:37:18.30
He had lost his authority.
00:37:18.33\00:37:20.27
Just read
Genesis chapter 19 later.
00:37:20.30\00:37:22.77
Now, what this means for you and
for me is that in the moments of
00:37:22.80\00:37:27.34
life where decisions need to
be made, the main questions are
00:37:27.38\00:37:30.85
not, "Is this advantageous?
00:37:30.88\00:37:33.25
Will this bring me
more success, more money?
00:37:33.28\00:37:37.05
Will this be more pleasurable?
00:37:37.09\00:37:39.02
Does it please me?"
00:37:39.05\00:37:40.76
Those are the wrong questions.
00:37:40.79\00:37:42.79
The right questions
are, "Is this correct?
00:37:42.82\00:37:45.99
Is this right?
Does it please the Lord?
00:37:46.03\00:37:50.80
Who am I putting at risk?"
00:37:50.83\00:37:53.10
Those are the real questions.
00:37:53.13\00:37:56.37
Parents especially always ask
the question, "Am I putting my
00:37:56.40\00:38:00.88
family, my little children
at risk with this job, with this
00:38:00.91\00:38:05.98
move, with this
house, with this community?
00:38:06.01\00:38:09.82
Am I placing my
children at risk?"
00:38:09.85\00:38:15.06
The segue into this story that
the lesson gives us is it comes
00:38:15.09\00:38:19.66
on Wednesday's
lesson, "The Babel Coalition."
00:38:19.69\00:38:22.93
This is the story of the
first reported war in the Bible.
00:38:22.96\00:38:25.97
And it's also
connected to Abraham.
00:38:26.00\00:38:28.10
It reveals more of
his character here.
00:38:28.14\00:38:29.77
We're really getting to
the roots of who this man was.
00:38:29.80\00:38:32.34
In a very ironic twist of
events--and ironic because
00:38:32.37\00:38:34.74
as we see it, God had
given Abraham the land.
00:38:34.78\00:38:38.38
Had he not? The
land was Abraham's.
00:38:38.41\00:38:41.12
And yet we find many nations
staking their own claim and
00:38:41.15\00:38:44.32
trying to enforce it by force.
00:38:44.35\00:38:47.36
The lesson puts it this way.
00:38:47.39\00:38:48.72
It says, "The involvement of so
many peoples from the country of
00:38:48.76\00:38:51.43
Canaan suggest that the issue at
stake in this conflict was about
00:38:51.46\00:38:55.06
sovereignty over the land.
00:38:55.10\00:38:57.20
Ironically, the camp of Abraham,
the truly interested party,
00:38:57.23\00:39:00.84
because he is the only
true owner of the land, is the
00:39:00.87\00:39:04.24
only force that remains
outside of the conflict,
00:39:04.27\00:39:07.24
at least at first."
00:39:07.28\00:39:08.58
So, this is where we see
Abraham's character once again,
00:39:08.61\00:39:11.65
because he had no reason
to fret or to worry, did he?
00:39:11.68\00:39:15.38
God had promised.
00:39:15.42\00:39:16.99
God will fulfill
what He had promised.
00:39:17.02\00:39:20.46
He didn't really have to
worry. He didn't have to fret.
00:39:20.49\00:39:22.42
The Lord was his
legacy. The Lord was his legacy.
00:39:22.46\00:39:27.40
But again, according to the
lesson, the reason for Abraham's
00:39:27.46\00:39:30.67
neutrality is that for Abraham
the promised land was not
00:39:30.70\00:39:33.80
acquired through the
force of arms or through the
00:39:33.84\00:39:36.20
wisdom of political strategies.
00:39:36.24\00:39:37.87
Abraham's
kingdom was God's gift.
00:39:37.91\00:39:40.58
The only reason Abraham
will intervene is the fate
00:39:40.61\00:39:44.81
of his nephew, Lot,
who was taken prisoner in
00:39:44.85\00:39:47.15
the course of the battles.
00:39:47.18\00:39:48.78
So, when he does decide
to become involved in this
00:39:48.82\00:39:51.25
conflict, in this
coalition of armies, it's for
00:39:51.29\00:39:55.09
a much nobler reason.
00:39:55.12\00:39:56.86
He's not doing it to
claim land, to stake property.
00:39:56.89\00:39:59.56
He's doing this because he heard
that his nephew had been taken,
00:39:59.59\00:40:02.86
and here we see this
man's greatness again.
00:40:02.90\00:40:04.90
Because contrary to what many
people would do, many family
00:40:04.93\00:40:07.57
members would do, he doesn't
hold a grudge against Lot.
00:40:07.60\00:40:10.97
Many people would say,
"Well, you know, now he's
00:40:11.01\00:40:12.91
reaping the rewards, you know,
he's reaping what he sowed.
00:40:12.94\00:40:15.34
He went to the
more comfortable place.
00:40:15.38\00:40:17.05
He was greedy.
This is what happens.
00:40:17.08\00:40:19.28
God is judging him.
00:40:19.31\00:40:20.65
I know many people that would
react that way, unfortunately.
00:40:20.68\00:40:24.89
Not Abraham.
00:40:24.92\00:40:26.32
He doesn't smirk,
saying, "Well, he deserves it."
00:40:26.35\00:40:28.46
Abraham forms a coalition
of his own: him, the men
00:40:28.49\00:40:33.86
of his household, and God.
00:40:33.90\00:40:37.27
And here's the truth.
00:40:37.30\00:40:39.27
Those who have God are
never, ever outnumbered.
00:40:39.30\00:40:45.04
Those who have God on their
side are never outnumbered.
00:40:45.07\00:40:48.58
Have you ever felt outnumbered?
00:40:48.61\00:40:50.65
Does it seem that your
coworkers, your schoolmates,
00:40:50.68\00:40:54.78
your family, perhaps even
your fellow church members
00:40:54.82\00:41:00.86
are up against you?
00:41:00.89\00:41:03.49
I promise you, with God by
your side, you are the majority.
00:41:03.53\00:41:09.93
It's interesting that
before everything else,
00:41:09.96\00:41:13.00
Abraham consults his partner.
00:41:13.03\00:41:15.04
He consults the Lord.
00:41:15.07\00:41:17.17
"Patriarchs and Prophets," the
book, page 135 says, "Abraham
00:41:17.21\00:41:20.54
dwelling in peace in the oak
groves of Mamre, learned from
00:41:20.58\00:41:23.91
one of the fugitives the story
of the battle and the calamity
00:41:23.95\00:41:26.68
that had befallen his nephew.
00:41:26.72\00:41:29.38
He had cherished no unkind
memory of Lot's ingratitude.
00:41:29.42\00:41:32.69
All his affection for him was
awakened, and he determined that
00:41:32.72\00:41:36.02
he should be rescued, seeking,
first of all, divine counsel."
00:41:36.06\00:41:39.76
Notice this, "Seeking first
of all divine counsel, Abraham
00:41:39.79\00:41:43.06
prepared for war."
00:41:43.10\00:41:44.87
This is a very big lesson.
00:41:44.90\00:41:46.37
Every time when you are faced
by a big decision, a big choice
00:41:46.40\00:41:49.67
that has many implications,
consult God first, always.
00:41:49.70\00:41:56.04
Lay your
problems before the Lord.
00:41:56.08\00:41:58.11
Be like King Hezekiah.
00:41:58.15\00:41:59.51
Bring the enemy's letters into
the house of the Lord and lay
00:41:59.55\00:42:02.82
them out before the
King of the universe.
00:42:02.85\00:42:05.72
Because before the King of
the universe, every other giant
00:42:05.75\00:42:10.13
appears in its
true form, paper giant.
00:42:10.16\00:42:15.96
Most of the times, you
don't even need to tell
00:42:16.00\00:42:17.60
God your problems.
00:42:17.63\00:42:19.17
You need to tell your problems
about the God that you have.
00:42:19.20\00:42:22.44
The promise was made
by God, that Abraham would
00:42:22.47\00:42:27.31
be the owner of that land.
00:42:27.34\00:42:29.14
God would fulfill.
00:42:29.18\00:42:30.58
So, what that means is that
eventually, when he did prepare
00:42:30.61\00:42:32.98
for war, he went out only to
rescue his nephew, not to face
00:42:33.01\00:42:36.25
an entire
coalition through conquest.
00:42:36.28\00:42:39.92
Thursday's lesson, we did talk
a lot about this in the last
00:42:39.95\00:42:43.02
lesson--not last week--the
last lesson about Hebrews.
00:42:43.06\00:42:46.90
The title of the lesson is
"The Tithe of Melchizedek."
00:42:46.93\00:42:50.10
So, if you want to hear more
about this subject, the subject
00:42:50.13\00:42:53.74
of Melchizedek, go back to
last quarter's lessons on the
00:42:53.77\00:42:56.44
Internet, and you'll
find a lot about that.
00:42:56.47\00:42:58.34
But here we see that
having rescued Lot, an
00:42:58.37\00:43:00.94
interesting event comes to pass.
00:43:00.98\00:43:03.21
This mysterious figure,
Melchizedek, he appears, and he
00:43:03.24\00:43:06.61
receives a tithe from Abraham.
00:43:06.65\00:43:08.82
Now, we don't know much about
this man, and that is precisely
00:43:08.85\00:43:11.69
why the Bible uses him.
00:43:11.72\00:43:13.46
It's because we don't
know that much about him.
00:43:13.49\00:43:16.46
He appears, he
receives the tithe from Abraham.
00:43:16.49\00:43:18.56
We do know that he was
both a priest and a king.
00:43:18.59\00:43:21.80
And as he appears in the
narrative, he was above even
00:43:21.83\00:43:24.93
Abraham, because here
Abraham returns tithe to him.
00:43:24.97\00:43:29.44
Now, we find this additional
insight in the book "Selected
00:43:29.47\00:43:32.67
Messages," book 1, page 409.
00:43:32.71\00:43:35.61
It says, "It was Christ that
spoke through Melchizedek, the
00:43:35.64\00:43:38.25
priest of the Most High God.
00:43:38.28\00:43:40.05
Melchizedek was not Christ,
but he was the voice of God
00:43:40.08\00:43:43.39
in the world, the
representative of the Father.
00:43:43.42\00:43:46.29
And all through the generations
of the past, Christ has spoken.
00:43:46.32\00:43:50.26
Christ has led His
people and has been
00:43:50.29\00:43:51.99
the light of the world."
00:43:52.03\00:43:53.40
So, the focus here
isn't really Melchizedek.
00:43:53.43\00:43:55.30
He wasn't a divine
being himself--far from it.
00:43:55.33\00:44:00.07
That wouldn't make sense
within the scope of the Bible.
00:44:00.10\00:44:03.87
Here he appears as a symbol, a
type representing the qualities
00:44:03.91\00:44:06.84
of Christ as our mediator,
different in that sense than
00:44:06.88\00:44:09.58
anything that had
ever occurred before.
00:44:09.61\00:44:11.85
Now what's curious in this
story, that it is also the first
00:44:11.88\00:44:13.92
mention of the word "priest."
00:44:13.95\00:44:16.38
It's the first time the Bible
mentions the word "priest."
00:44:16.42\00:44:18.62
And in fact, Melchizedek, he
serves as a priest to Abraham.
00:44:18.65\00:44:22.56
The lesson puts it this
way: "Melchizedek officiates
00:44:22.59\00:44:25.43
indeed as priest.
00:44:25.46\00:44:27.13
He serves bread and wine,
an association that oftentimes
00:44:27.20\00:44:29.83
implies the use of fresh-pressed
grape juice, which reappears
00:44:29.86\00:44:33.34
in the context of
giving the tithes.
00:44:33.37\00:44:35.67
In addition, he extends blessing
or a blessing to Abraham."
00:44:35.70\00:44:39.37
So, we see that he
does officiate to Abraham.
00:44:39.41\00:44:42.81
Friends, the calling of Abraham
is considered, again, one of,
00:44:42.84\00:44:46.55
if not the most important
event in the Old Testament.
00:44:46.58\00:44:50.02
Here we find the first steps of
the plan of redemption that had
00:44:50.05\00:44:52.79
already been provided in the
book of--in Genesis chapter 1,
00:44:52.82\00:44:56.99
2, and 3 in the garden of Eden.
00:44:57.03\00:44:59.03
The first 11 chapters of Genesis
demonstrate that the Lord always
00:44:59.06\00:45:02.56
desires to relate to humans.
00:45:02.60\00:45:04.47
With the story of Babel and the
division of the nations, Genesis
00:45:04.50\00:45:07.47
makes it clear that sin
became a universal matter.
00:45:07.50\00:45:11.21
In chapter 12, as you consider,
as you continue studying the
00:45:11.24\00:45:16.24
lesson this quarter, pay
attention to these things.
00:45:16.28\00:45:18.88
According to chapter 12, we find
a strategic shift in the pace of
00:45:18.91\00:45:23.15
the author, where to deal
with the universal problem, God
00:45:23.18\00:45:27.46
provides a universal plan
by choosing a specific man,
00:45:27.49\00:45:32.26
Abraham, through whom a nation
would come, by which the Great
00:45:32.29\00:45:37.23
Restorer would eventually come.
00:45:37.27\00:45:40.54
Abraham is the central human
figure of the book and one of
00:45:40.57\00:45:44.47
the most important
figures in the Bible.
00:45:44.51\00:45:46.81
Moses dedicates 11 chapters
to everything that happens
00:45:46.84\00:45:50.31
before Abraham's life, but
regarding the life of this one
00:45:50.35\00:45:53.42
man, 13 chapters, just
about him and everything that
00:45:53.45\00:45:57.82
happened in his life.
00:45:57.85\00:45:59.79
The story of Abraham is one that
inspires us to follow God in
00:45:59.82\00:46:03.93
absolute faith, while also
understanding that the main
00:46:03.96\00:46:07.40
character isn't, in fact, us.
00:46:07.40\00:46:10.43
You're not the
main character, friend.
00:46:10.47\00:46:11.97
It's not you. The
main character is God.
00:46:12.00\00:46:16.00
He is the one who
fulfills His promises.
00:46:16.04\00:46:18.37
It's not us. It's not you.
00:46:18.41\00:46:19.74
It's not me.
00:46:19.77\00:46:21.28
This is something that took
Abraham a while to understand,
00:46:21.31\00:46:23.78
that it took him a lifetime to
understand, but that he did put
00:46:23.81\00:46:28.28
into practice the
moment that he left Ur.
00:46:28.32\00:46:30.89
He left Ur within God's calling
the moment God called, but it
00:46:30.92\00:46:34.72
took him a lifetime to
understand that it's God who
00:46:34.76\00:46:37.66
fulfills His promises.
00:46:37.69\00:46:39.13
Friends, our God is
the God of covenant.
00:46:39.16\00:46:41.33
The story is about Him.
00:46:41.36\00:46:43.06
He will fulfill
His promises to you.
00:46:43.10\00:46:45.70
Now, sometimes in life it's hard
to determine and to understand
00:46:45.73\00:46:48.44
what is God's will for our life.
00:46:48.47\00:46:50.74
Don't you think
that Abraham felt this?
00:46:50.77\00:46:52.54
I'm sure he did.
00:46:52.57\00:46:54.21
I'm absolutely positive that
during several moments of his
00:46:54.24\00:46:57.85
life--we don't have time for
this, but later on just you go
00:46:57.88\00:46:59.75
check, Genesis chapter 15, verse
8, where God appears again and
00:46:59.78\00:47:04.09
confirms the covenant that
He had provided in chapter 12.
00:47:04.12\00:47:07.09
He confirms it to
Abraham, but this time Abraham,
00:47:07.12\00:47:09.89
he asks, Genesis 15, verse
8, he says, "Lord, how do I
00:47:09.92\00:47:12.86
know that I will receive it?"
00:47:12.89\00:47:15.56
So, sometimes even
Abraham had some hiccups,
00:47:15.60\00:47:18.47
how to determine God's will.
00:47:18.50\00:47:20.57
It's hard for us.
It was hard for him.
00:47:20.60\00:47:22.60
It was hard for David.
00:47:22.64\00:47:23.94
It was hard for all
these heroes of faith.
00:47:23.97\00:47:25.97
So, don't feel alone sometimes
when you feel that you don't
00:47:26.01\00:47:28.61
know what God wants from you.
00:47:28.64\00:47:30.11
If you do want some
help, you can order this.
00:47:30.15\00:47:34.82
It's a free offer.
00:47:34.85\00:47:37.75
You could call 866-788-3966.
00:47:37.79\00:47:41.79
Ask for study number 778.
00:47:41.82\00:47:44.56
In the US, you can ask
for--you can text SH025
00:47:44.59\00:47:48.60
to the number 40544.
00:47:48.63\00:47:50.90
If you're outside of continental
North America, you could go to
00:47:50.93\00:47:53.03
study.aftv.org/SH025, and
you can get this little book.
00:47:53.07\00:47:58.77
It's called
"Determining the Will of God."
00:47:58.81\00:48:02.88
It won't give
you all the answers.
00:48:02.91\00:48:04.65
No one can.
00:48:04.68\00:48:05.91
But it will point you in really
good directions to where in the
00:48:05.95\00:48:08.45
Bible you can find some of this.
00:48:08.48\00:48:10.39
Of course, the real way
to determine God's will, it's
00:48:10.42\00:48:13.56
always going to be being in
prayer, reading the Word, and
00:48:13.59\00:48:18.89
living within God's will.
00:48:18.93\00:48:21.16
And you know how to do that.
00:48:21.20\00:48:22.50
That's not very
difficult to understand, how
00:48:22.53\00:48:24.20
to live within His will.
00:48:24.23\00:48:25.53
May God bless you. I'd
like to finish with prayer.
00:48:25.57\00:48:27.64
Dear Father, thank you so
much for this beautiful day.
00:48:27.67\00:48:30.01
Please allow us to continue
walking in your will, Father.
00:48:30.04\00:48:32.61
We see through the roots of
Abraham, his life events, we see
00:48:32.64\00:48:36.28
a man that was just a man; but
as a man, he did live an ideal
00:48:36.31\00:48:42.02
life, Lord, throughout the
hiccups and the problems and
00:48:42.05\00:48:43.99
the failures and the ups and
downs, Lord, we want to live by
00:48:44.02\00:48:47.36
faith, just as Abraham did.
00:48:47.39\00:48:49.02
Allow us to do that,
Lord. Give us that grace.
00:48:49.06\00:48:51.16
Bless those that are
here in person today.
00:48:51.19\00:48:53.09
Bless those that
are watching online.
00:48:53.13\00:48:54.83
Bless those that will
watch in the future, Father.
00:48:54.86\00:48:56.83
I ask you these
things in the name of Jesus.
00:48:56.87\00:48:58.80
Amen and amen.
May God bless you.
00:48:58.83\00:49:01.80
announcer: Don't
forget to request today's
00:49:03.77\00:49:05.24
life-changing free resource.
00:49:05.27\00:49:07.18
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:49:07.21\00:49:09.44
you can download a
digital copy straight to your
00:49:09.48\00:49:11.05
computer or mobile device.
00:49:11.08\00:49:13.18
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:49:13.21\00:49:16.45
the keyword on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
00:49:16.48\00:49:21.22
shown on your screen, and
be sure to select the digital
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download option
on the request page.
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It's now easier than ever
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important, to
share it with others.
00:49:33.13\00:49:36.74
announcer: "Amazing
Facts, Changed Lives."
00:49:41.44\00:49:47.12
male: I met my
ex-wife, and her family were
00:49:49.22\00:49:51.52
real big into drugs.
00:49:51.55\00:49:52.85
And it started out with them
wanting me to go to the doctor
00:49:52.89\00:49:56.16
to help get them drugs.
00:49:56.19\00:49:57.96
And you know, I'm noticing
they're going to the doctor,
00:49:57.99\00:50:00.56
they're coming back
with, like, 60 pills,
00:50:00.60\00:50:02.43
and they're selling these
pills for like 1,000 bucks.
00:50:02.46\00:50:04.90
And I'm thinking, "Wow, this is
a lot of money I'm giving these
00:50:04.93\00:50:08.67
people, so I'm just going
to start selling it myself."
00:50:08.70\00:50:11.41
My problem with that was
now we had all this money
00:50:11.44\00:50:14.74
but we was absolutely miserable.
00:50:14.78\00:50:16.95
She would go out and sleep
with other guys to get drugs,
00:50:16.98\00:50:21.18
and that ended my marriage.
00:50:21.22\00:50:23.28
But during this time, I have
to get a job to build back up to
00:50:23.32\00:50:26.72
where I was at, to
open my shop again,
00:50:26.76\00:50:28.62
so I get a job at Food City.
00:50:28.66\00:50:30.53
And when I get
this job at Food City,
00:50:30.56\00:50:32.96
there's my wife now,
Rebecca, she's a cashier there.
00:50:32.99\00:50:36.43
And when I walk in,
she's the most beautiful girl
00:50:36.46\00:50:39.33
I've ever seen in my life.
00:50:39.37\00:50:40.97
I was like, "Man, I could
never have a girl like that.
00:50:41.00\00:50:44.34
Wow, she's so beautiful."
00:50:44.37\00:50:45.67
But as I'm working
with her, she's actually
00:50:45.71\00:50:48.44
kind of mean to me.
00:50:48.48\00:50:50.58
And she's saying, "I don't
want anything to do with you.
00:50:50.61\00:50:53.01
Get away from
me," stuff like that.
00:50:53.05\00:50:54.98
But you know, I just keep being
nice to her and keep trying to
00:50:55.02\00:50:58.22
give her my phone number.
00:50:58.25\00:50:59.79
And it's around Christmas
Eve, we'd just been dating for a
00:50:59.82\00:51:03.53
little while, moved in together,
my ex-wife shows up with my
00:51:03.56\00:51:07.56
three children
that I had by her.
00:51:07.60\00:51:09.70
And she's like, "Here's
your kids, here's their birth
00:51:09.73\00:51:12.13
certificates, here's
their Social Security cards.
00:51:12.17\00:51:14.30
I'm done."
00:51:14.34\00:51:15.64
And we were starting a family,
we already have three kids.
00:51:15.67\00:51:19.27
During this time, we spent the
next year watching nothing but
00:51:19.31\00:51:22.71
Amazing Facts on YouTube.
00:51:22.74\00:51:24.75
I didn't even know they
even had a website at this time.
00:51:24.78\00:51:26.88
I just knew that this little
guy on YouTube was super smart,
00:51:26.92\00:51:30.45
was teaching Bible,
and I wanted to follow
00:51:30.49\00:51:33.82
him, I wanted to be a Christian.
00:51:33.86\00:51:35.16
I gave my life to God now
because of these truths that I'm
00:51:35.19\00:51:38.49
learning from Doug Batchelor.
00:51:38.53\00:51:40.33
Just because Doug taught
it didn't make me real sure
00:51:40.36\00:51:43.16
about going to this church.
00:51:43.20\00:51:44.50
I really didn't want
anything to do with it,
00:51:44.53\00:51:46.57
but I called the guy
up and I'm telling him,
00:51:46.60\00:51:49.20
and I'm not very
nice about it actually.
00:51:49.24\00:51:51.24
I'm telling him,
"Look, we was thinking about
00:51:51.27\00:51:53.14
coming to your church."
00:51:53.17\00:51:54.81
And he's really
nice, and he's like,
00:51:54.84\00:51:56.41
"Well, you're
more than welcome to.
00:51:56.44\00:51:58.11
We'd like to have you come."
00:51:58.15\00:51:59.81
And I'm like, "Well,
hold on, I'm going to lay
00:51:59.85\00:52:01.52
down some ground rules."
00:52:01.55\00:52:03.22
I'm telling him,
I said, "Look here,
00:52:03.25\00:52:04.55
I'm covered in tattoos
and I'm a tattoo artist."
00:52:04.59\00:52:07.26
And he don't
say, "Well, you know,
00:52:07.29\00:52:09.22
wow, I didn't know all
that; don't come to my church."
00:52:09.26\00:52:11.36
He says, "You're
more than welcome.
00:52:11.39\00:52:13.19
We would love to have you.
00:52:13.23\00:52:14.83
Please come."
00:52:14.83\00:52:17.33
He asked me what I
want to do, and I said,
00:52:17.37\00:52:18.80
"Well, I want to preach."
00:52:18.83\00:52:21.10
I said, "I have
all these truths,
00:52:21.14\00:52:22.77
I have all this knowledge,
stuff I've never known before,
00:52:22.80\00:52:25.71
stuff if I'd have had when
I was younger that would've
00:52:25.74\00:52:28.21
been life-changing to me."
00:52:28.24\00:52:30.45
I said, "I got to
share this with the world."
00:52:30.48\00:52:33.11
I said, "I want to
preach, I want to teach."
00:52:33.15\00:52:35.95
He gives me the
book, says, "Study that."
00:52:35.98\00:52:37.89
Well, now that
I'm a Bible worker,
00:52:37.92\00:52:39.35
I'm able to go reach people
that most of the normal churches
00:52:39.39\00:52:43.59
wouldn't even
bother to even speak to.
00:52:43.63\00:52:45.76
I'm able to go out and
reach the people who have lived
00:52:45.79\00:52:48.90
the life that I've lived.
00:52:48.93\00:52:50.23
I'm able to let them
know that I am like you.
00:52:50.27\00:52:53.64
I've been there, I've done that.
00:52:53.67\00:52:56.00
I want to show you
what my life is like now.
00:52:56.04\00:52:58.47
I want to teach you this Bible.
00:52:58.51\00:53:00.48
I want to show you
what Jesus can do for you.
00:53:00.51\00:53:03.04
It's not too late.
00:53:03.08\00:53:05.98
¤¤¤
00:53:06.01\00:53:15.09
Scarlet Varley:
I'm Scarlet Varley.
00:53:25.10\00:53:27.54
I grew up in a military home.
00:53:27.57\00:53:29.40
Both my parents were in the
Navy, and my mom left fairly
00:53:29.44\00:53:33.01
early, and then my dad stayed
for 15 years, and so he was
00:53:33.04\00:53:36.95
deployed a lot.
00:53:36.98\00:53:39.05
We would read the Bible every
night together as a family, and,
00:53:39.08\00:53:41.85
I mean, I knew, like, that
God was there, and, like, I knew
00:53:41.88\00:53:44.25
that He, like, died for me, but
it wasn't something that, like,
00:53:44.29\00:53:47.46
you know, stuck in my head.
00:53:47.49\00:53:49.49
Any time I went to church, I
never got enough information.
00:53:49.52\00:53:53.23
You know, you're
there for just like an hour.
00:53:53.26\00:53:55.76
I was super, super
hungry for knowledge, and
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.20
I wasn't being given it.
00:53:57.23\00:53:59.63
Even though I accepted Christ,
my faith, like, really wasn't
00:53:59.67\00:54:02.70
all that strong.
00:54:02.74\00:54:05.74
I mean, I lost my first friend
in high school, you know, my
00:54:05.77\00:54:08.18
first boyfriend, to suicide,
and that was really hard, and I
00:54:08.21\00:54:11.18
didn't understand it, and I was
just really, really depressed.
00:54:11.21\00:54:17.65
I was also, like, abused, and so
I was just really confused, and
00:54:17.69\00:54:22.12
I was like, "Lord, why was I put
in that situation where I had no
00:54:22.16\00:54:25.06
control over anything?"
00:54:25.09\00:54:27.86
I was suicidal.
00:54:27.86\00:54:29.66
I was developing an eating
disorder, so, like, all these
00:54:29.70\00:54:31.67
things were just
coming into play.
00:54:31.70\00:54:35.37
You know, I don't feel loved.
00:54:35.40\00:54:36.84
I knew that's not something that
would happen if I was loved, or
00:54:36.87\00:54:38.61
that's not something that
happened if--maybe I must've
00:54:38.64\00:54:41.31
done something wrong if I went
through that, and I just blamed
00:54:41.34\00:54:44.18
myself for everything.
00:54:44.21\00:54:46.98
On the outside, I was sort of,
like, super-happy and outgoing,
00:54:47.02\00:54:49.45
and I'd give everyone a hug and
compliment them and try to put
00:54:49.48\00:54:52.59
the attention on other people,
and so people didn't know what I
00:54:52.62\00:54:56.06
was going through.
00:54:56.09\00:54:58.86
I was just super-confused
about life and "Why am I here?
00:54:58.89\00:55:01.70
Like, I don't think I have
a reason to even be alive."
00:55:01.73\00:55:05.87
And I was really
confused with God.
00:55:05.90\00:55:07.64
Like, why would
You let this happen?
00:55:07.67\00:55:09.10
Like, why
wouldn't You intervene?"
00:55:09.14\00:55:11.81
I just wanted to change it.
00:55:11.84\00:55:13.27
I wanted to change it so
bad, and there was nothing
00:55:13.31\00:55:15.61
I could do.
00:55:15.64\00:55:18.11
I quit choir because I
was around too many people.
00:55:18.15\00:55:23.02
Choir was a big thing.
00:55:23.05\00:55:24.72
I just isolated myself because
I couldn't stand being around
00:55:24.75\00:55:28.06
people, and I was like,
"Oh, well, if I don't have any
00:55:28.09\00:55:30.73
friends and something happens to
them, well, then it won't affect
00:55:30.76\00:55:33.50
me because I'm not
part of their lives."
00:55:33.53\00:55:36.23
And so I was just really scared
of just losing people, and so I
00:55:36.26\00:55:39.30
thought if the more I pushed
them away, the easier it would
00:55:39.33\00:55:42.47
be to just go through life.
00:55:42.50\00:55:44.87
The problem was I didn't
turn to God, and that's when
00:55:44.91\00:55:47.01
I needed Him most.
00:55:47.04\00:55:48.88
My sophomore year in high
school, we went on this thing
00:55:48.91\00:55:51.88
called Fall Weekend, we
went on a retreat for, like, the
00:55:51.91\00:55:54.05
weekend, and they showed
this clip of Jesus Christ on the
00:55:54.08\00:55:57.49
cross, and that broke me.
00:55:57.52\00:56:01.12
I mean, I was crying, crying so
much, and after they showed the
00:56:01.16\00:56:05.53
clip, you know, everyone's just
super-quiet, and they're like,
00:56:05.56\00:56:07.86
"All right, go out on the
campus, and we're going to do
00:56:07.93\00:56:11.27
this thing called
'Twenty Minutes.'"
00:56:11.30\00:56:13.27
And so I'm sitting out there,
and I'm just, like, praying.
00:56:13.30\00:56:17.67
I gave my life to Christ,
and it was just such, like,
00:56:17.71\00:56:19.41
a beautiful moment.
00:56:19.44\00:56:22.51
Right around that time, my dad
found Doug Batchelor on the TV,
00:56:22.54\00:56:28.68
and so he's like,
"Scarlet, come watch this."
00:56:28.72\00:56:30.69
And I'm like, "All
right," like, I watch it.
00:56:30.72\00:56:32.89
And so we started watching
it, like, all the time, and he's
00:56:32.92\00:56:36.96
like, "You know, this
is like the Bible truth."
00:56:36.99\00:56:38.46
I was like, "It definitely is."
00:56:38.49\00:56:39.96
He's like, "Scarlet,
you should go to AFCOE."
00:56:40.00\00:56:43.13
And I was like, "That's
not really my cup of tea."
00:56:43.16\00:56:47.00
I was a very spirited person,
and AFCOE was structured,
00:56:47.04\00:56:53.61
and I knew, as a
person, I wasn't too structured.
00:56:53.64\00:56:57.15
But, you know, the more I
thought about AFCOE, the happier
00:56:57.18\00:56:59.51
I got, and it was
like a two weeks' notice
00:56:59.55\00:57:01.05
before AFCOE started.
00:57:01.08\00:57:02.65
She's like, "You got accepted."
00:57:02.68\00:57:04.02
Like, we e-mailed you your
letter," and all this stuff.
00:57:04.05\00:57:06.12
And I was like, "Oh, no,
oh, no, I have to pack up
00:57:06.15\00:57:08.36
my entire life."
00:57:08.39\00:57:09.62
And so I'm, like, frantically
packing up everything, and me
00:57:09.66\00:57:12.89
and my dad, like
drive cross-country.
00:57:12.93\00:57:15.20
And AFCOE was not
what I expected at all.
00:57:15.23\00:57:18.77
They've definitely loved me and
helped me and talked to me and
00:57:18.80\00:57:21.94
taught me and, just, loved me
and accepted me as who I was and
00:57:21.97\00:57:25.47
just helped me grow as a person.
00:57:25.51\00:57:27.61
It showed me different ways of
life and just how to live like a
00:57:27.64\00:57:30.25
better life in
all sorts of areas.
00:57:30.28\00:57:34.28
Without the help of the Lord and
without, like, people who love
00:57:34.32\00:57:36.72
the Lord and love me, I
wouldn't be where I am today.
00:57:36.75\00:57:41.36
Even when I didn't want him, you
know, I kind of shoved Him away,
00:57:41.39\00:57:44.69
He didn't let go, and
so I'm super-grateful.
00:57:44.73\00:57:49.63
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