Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH201521A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:36 WE ARE SO THRILLED THAT YOU HAVE TUNED IN TO STUDY TOGETHER 00:40 GOD'S WORD. WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS THAT WE 00:43 CAN GATHER ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY - ALL AROUND THE WORLD - 00:46 OPEN UP OUR HYMNALS - OPEN UP OUR BIBLES IN WHATEVER LANGUAGE 00:50 WE SPEAK, AND WE CAN ALL WORSHIP THE SAME GOD. 00:53 OPEN UP YOUR HYMNALS - FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AT HOME, WE ARE 00:57 GOING TO BE SINGING HYMN #373 THIS MORNING - SEEKING THE LOST. 01:03 WE ARE GOING TO SING THE FIRST AND THE LAST VERSES OF #373. 01:07 (MUSIC) 01:13 >> SEEKING THE LOST, YES, KINDLY ENTREATING WANDERERS ON THE 01:19 MOUNTAIN ASTRAY; "COME UNTO ME," HIS MESSAGE REPEATING, 01:26 WORDS OF THE MASTER SPEAKING TODAY. GOING 01:32 AFAR (GOING AFAR) UPON THE MOUNTAIN (UPON THE MOUNTAIN) 01:37 BRINGING THE WANDERER BACK AGAIN, BACK AGAIN, INTO THE FOLD 01:45 (INTO THE FOLD) OF MY REDEEMER (OF MY REDEEMER) JESUS THE LAMB 01:51 (JESUS THE LAMB) FOR SINNERS SLAIN, FOR SINNERS SLAIN. 01:57 THUS WOULD I GO ON MISSIONS OF MERCY, FOLLOWING 02:03 CHRIST FROM DAY UNTO DAY, CHEERING THE FAINT AND RAISING 02:09 THE FALLEN, POINTING THE LOST TO JESUS, THE WAY. 02:16 GOING AFAR (GOING AFAR) UPON THE MOUNTAIN (UPON THE MOUNTAIN) 02:22 BRINGING THE WANDERER BACK AGAIN, BACK AGAIN, INTO THE FOLD 02:30 (INTO THE FOLD) OF MY REDEEMER (OF MY REDEEMER) JESUS THE LAMB 02:35 FOR SINNERS SLAIN, FOR SINNERS SLAIN. 02:43 >>IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE 02:45 HYMN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SING WITH US ON AN UPCOMING 02:47 PRESENTATION, JUST CONTINUE SENDING IN THOSE REQUESTS AND WE 02:51 WILL SING THAT WITH YOU ON A COMING UP STUDY TOGETHER. 02:55 OUR NEXT HYMN WE'RE GOING TO SING IS A FAVORITE OF PRETTY 02:59 MUCH EVERYBODY ALL OVER THE WORLD: HYMN #108 - AMAZING GRACE 03:05 - HOW SWEET THE SOUND THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME. 03:08 WE'LL SING THE FIRST AND THE LAST VERSES OF AMAZING GRACE . 03:12 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING GRACE! HOW SWEET THE 03:28 SOUND THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME! I ONCE WAS LOST, 03:42 BUT NOW AM FOUND; WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. WHEN WE'VE BEEN 03:56 THERE TEN THOUSAND YEARS, BRIGHT SHINING AS THE SUN, WE'VE NO 04:12 LESS DAYS TO SING GOD'S PRAISE THAN WHEN WE'D FIRST BEGUN. 04:30 >>NOW PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR IS GOING TO HAVE OUR OPENING PRAYER 04:33 AND WE'LL STUDY TOGETHER. >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 04:40 LET'S GO AHEAD AND BOW OUR HEADS TOGETHER. 04:42 LOVING LORD, WE ARE JUST SO THANKFUL FOR THE FREEDOM THAT WE 04:47 HAVE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY YOUR WORD. 04:49 WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THESE FASCINATING LESSONS FROM THE 04:52 GOSPEL OF LUKE. JUST PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO 04:54 BE PRESENT IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR TIME TOGETHER. 04:57 BLESS THOSE BOTH HERE AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING PART OF THE 05:00 CLASS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. WE THANK YOU AND ASK THIS IN 05:03 JESUS' NAME, AMEN. >>AMEN. 05:05 >>AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR MUSICIANS AND I WANT TO 05:09 WELCOME, ONCE AGAIN, OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE WATCHING THE SABBATH 05:12 SCHOOL STUDY TIME WITH US. WE HAVE A FREE OFFER FOR TODAY'S 05:15 STUDY AND IT'S A BOOK CALLED THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS . 05:19 OUR LESSONS TODAY ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE MOST 05:23 IMPORTANT PARABLES OF JESUS. AND IF YOU'D LIKE A FREE COPY OF 05:26 THIS, THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 05:31 866-STUDY-MORE AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. 05:35 OH, AND ASK FOR OFFER #156 - ONE MORE THING, YOU CAN READ IT 05:39 RIGHT NOW IF YOU JUST GO TO THE WEBSITE, IT'S AMAZINGFACTS.ORG 05:43 AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BOOK THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS . 05:47 WE WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. 05:50 IT'LL HELP ENHANCE TODAY'S STUDY. 05:51 BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY TODAY, YOU KNOW EVERY NOW AND 05:54 THEN PART OF SABBATH SCHOOL IS THAT WE HAVE SORT OF A MISSION 05:57 HIGHLIGHT AND SINCE WE HAVE SOME MEMBERS HERE OF THE GRANITE BAY 06:01 CHURCH THAT RECENTLY WENT ON A MISSION EXCURSION, I'D LIKE TO 06:04 INVITE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, DR. JON FREED, HE'S GOING TO 06:08 COME UP AND BE SHARING A LITTLE BIT. AND MAYBE YOU COULD USE 06:11 JUST THE PODIUM MIC - ABOUT A TRIP TO ETHIOPIA. 06:14 >>YEAH, DOUG, WE'VE GONE FOUR TIMES NOW TO ETHIOPIA, 06:18 THIS IS OUR FOURTH MISSION TRIP THERE. 06:21 ABOUT ONE TIME EACH YEAR WE TAKE A GROUP OF PEOPLE - THE 06:24 ORGANIZATION THAT WE GO WITH IS CALLED HERE FOR THEM . 06:27 IT'S A GROUP OF PHYSICIANS, NURSES, AND EVANGELISTS THAT DO 06:33 MISSION WORK OVER THERE - A SMALL GROUP - AND I DO PLASTIC 06:37 SURGERY SO WE USUALLY DO CLEFT, LIP, AND PALATE SURGERIES AND A 06:40 VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS. THIS PARTICULAR TRIP WE DID 06:44 ABOUT 50 SURGERIES IN TEN DAYS. FIVE CLEFT PALATES, SEVERAL 06:51 CLEFT LIPS, BURN SURGERY, A VARIETY OF OTHER SKIN TUMORS, 06:55 THINGS SUCH AS THAT. WE WORKED AT THREE DIFFERENT 06:57 HOSPITALS, ONE OF THEM WAS GIMBIE 06:59 ADVENTIST HOSPITAL. I THINK ONE OF THE KEY 07:04 COMPONENTS OF THE TRIP IS THAT WE BRING ALONG EVANGELISTS. 07:07 WE HAD PEOPLE FROM AMAZING FACTS - THERE'S A MAN NAMED KENNETH 07:11 THAT CAME FROM KENYA - HE WAS AN AMAZING FACTS EVANGELIST THAT 07:15 TRAINED AT AFCOE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND NOW HE'S AN 07:19 EVANGELIST IN KENYA. HE TRAVELED OVER TO ETHIOPIA. 07:21 HE GAVE MEETINGS MULTIPLE DAYS WHILE WE WERE THERE. 07:24 WHAT AN INSPIRATION IT IS TO SEE THE CHURCH ABROAD AND HOW 07:29 VIBRANT IT IS. WE HAD MEETINGS EVERY DAY AND THE CHURCH WAS 07:33 FILLED WITH A THOUSAND PEOPLE EVERY MONDAY NIGHT, TUESDAY 07:38 NIGHT, WEDNESDAY NIGHT - PACKED. >>WOW. 07:40 >>AT THE END OF THE EVANGELISTIC SERIES EVERY EVENING, PEOPLE 07:44 WOULD ALL KNEEL DOWN RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE IN THEIR PEWS AND THEY 07:47 WOULD PRAY FOR 25 MINUTES CONTINUOUSLY. 07:51 HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE IN OUR CHURCHES HERE IN THE UNITED 07:54 STATES HAD THE WHOLE CONGREGATION TURN AROUND, KNEEL 07:57 AT THEIR PEWS, AND PRAY FOR 25 MINUTES CONTINUOUSLY? 08:01 THE DEDICATION IS REALLY SOMETHING THERE. 08:03 THE NEED IS GREAT IN ETHIOPIA. THE PEOPLE ARE STARVING BOTH FOR 08:11 THE WORD OF GOD AND ALSO FOR HEALTH, SO IT WAS AN EXCITING 08:14 EVANGELISTIC SERIES AND MISSION TRIP. 08:18 >>YEAH, NOW HOW WAS THE FOOD? 08:22 >>IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'RE USED TO HERE, YOU KNOW? 08:25 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES ME THINK OF IS YOU GET A LITTLE 08:29 UNCOMFORTABLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN CULTURE AND I THINK THAT WE 08:34 AS ADVENTISTS, EVEN AS CHRISTIANS, WE SHOULD BE A 08:37 LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE EVEN IN OUR CULTURE HERE AND WE WERE A 08:40 LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE OVER THERE, BUT YOU SEEM TO MAKE DO. 08:42 ONE INTERESTING STORY I WANTED TO SHARE JUST, KIND OF, IN MY 08:46 LAST MINUTE OR TWO, THERE WAS ONE GENERAL SURGEON THAT WE 08:49 WORKED WITH THERE IN ETHIOPIA, NOT AN ADVENTIST, BUT A 08:52 CHRISTIAN MAN, AND HE WAS TELLING ME THE STORY OF A BEGGAR 08:55 THAT HAD COME TO HIS CLINIC AND HE HAD A DIABETIC FOOT ULCER AND 09:00 HE TREATED HIM FOR AWHILE FOR NO COST. EVENTUALLY HE HAD TO DO AN 09:05 AMPUTATION ON THE MAN AND THE MAN BEGGED HIM FOR SOME MONEY 09:08 AND HE SAID, 'I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU ANY MONEY, BUT I'M 09:11 GOING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING BETTER. 09:12 I WANT YOU TO COME BACK IN TWO DAYS AND I WANT YOU TO TELL ME 09:15 WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE.' SO THE MAN THOUGHT 09:18 ABOUT IT - HE LEFT - AND HE CAME BACK TWO DAYS LATER. 09:21 WHEN HE CAME BACK HE SAID, 'I'VE DECIDED. 09:23 I WANT TO BECOME A SHOEMAKER.' SO THE GENERAL SURGEON SAID, 09:27 'OKAY.' HE WENT INTO TOWN, HE BOUGHT HIM ALL THE SHOEMAKER 09:30 EQUIPMENT, HE SET HIM UP ON THE GATE THERE OF THE HOSPITAL AND 09:34 LET HIM DO ALL THE SHOEMAKING STUFF. 09:36 OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS THE MAN GOT A BANK ACCOUNT, HE GOT 09:39 ENOUGH MONEY TO TRAVEL TO THE CAPITAL CITY IN ADDIS ABABA, IN 09:43 ORDER TO GET A PROSTHESIS ON HIS LEG AND THE MAN WALKS AROUND 09:46 LIKE A NORMAL CONTRIBUTING MAN OF SOCIETY NOW BECAUSE THE 09:50 GENERAL SURGEON PUT A PERSONAL INTEREST IN THAT MAN'S LIFE. 09:55 RATHER THAN JUST GIVING HIM A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, HE GAVE HIM 09:58 A GIFT THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. 10:00 AND I THINK THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO ALL OF US - TO NOT BE AFRAID 10:03 TO GET INVOLVED IN SOMEBODY'S LIFE IN EVANGELISM. 10:06 >>SO, NOW WHEN YOU WERE DOING TREATMENTS THERE YOU DID THIS 10:09 THROUGH A TRANSLATOR? 10:10 >>YES, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE PEOPLE DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, 10:14 ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM DO, AND SO WE HAD TRANSLATORS WITH US. 10:17 WE HAD OTHER MEDICAL PERSONNEL THAT WORKED WITH US AS WELL. 10:20 >>THAT'S AMAZING. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 10:22 WE SURE APPRECIATE THAT - THAT LITTLE WINDOW AND WHAT'S 10:24 HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, AMEN? 10:26 >>AMEN. >>I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING 10:30 THESE MISSION STORIES. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE SIGNS OF A 10:32 HEALTHY CHURCH. SOMEONE SAID, EITHER YOUR CHURCH IS GOING TO 10:36 THE MISSION FIELD OR THEY ARE A MISSION FIELD. AND SO WE WOULD 10:41 LIKE TO STAY INVOLVED IN GOING OUT AND HELPING PEOPLE WITH 10:44 MEDICAL NEEDS AS WELL AS WITH SPIRITUAL NEEDS. 10:48 I GUESS THERE WERE SEVERAL EVANGELISTIC PROGRAMS THAT 10:50 HAPPENED IN CONCERT WITH WHAT JON AND OTHERS WERE DOING 10:54 MEDICALLY OVER THERE IN ETHIOPIA. 10:56 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE TIMES WE NEED TO HAVE THEM ALSO SHOW SOME 10:59 PICTURES BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'VE GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES OF THAT. 11:01 ALRIGHT, WE HAVE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK TODAY, BUT WITH GOD ALL 11:05 THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO 11:08 COVER ALL OF THE GREAT PARABLES OF THE BIBLE IN 40 MINUTES AND 11:11 SO I DON'T - I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT BUT WE'RE 11:15 GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO AT LEAST COVER SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. 11:17 OUR LESSON TODAY IS WE'RE DEALING WITH OUR STUDY GUIDE ON 11:21 THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. WE'RE IN LESSON #8 AND TODAY, IN 11:25 PARTICULAR, IT'S CALLED THE MISSION OF JESUS . 11:28 AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE LOST 11:32 SON, THE LOST SHEEP, THE LOST COIN, THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. 11:37 I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL THAT IN BECAUSE I HAVE 11:40 PREACHED ENTIRE SERMONS ON EACH ONE OF THOSE. 11:43 AND SO WE'VE GOT A BIG ASSIGNMENT. 11:46 OUR MEMORY VERSE, LUKE 19:10, I INVITE YOU TO SAY WITH ME - YOU 11:50 HAVE YOUR BIBLES THERE - LUKE 19:10 - IN OUR LESSON - IT'S 11:54 FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. ARE YOU READY? 11:57 SAY IT WITH ME, "FOR THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO 12:01 SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST." 12:06 NOW THE MISSION OF JESUS WAS TO COME, TO SEEK - THERE'S AN 12:11 EFFORT TO SEEK OUT AFTER, AND TO SAVE - TO REDEEM - TO RECLAIM 12:14 THAT WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY LOST AND PERISHING. 12:19 THAT'S WHY JESUS CAME INTO THIS WORLD. 12:21 SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS BECAUSE ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF 12:24 THE SON OF GOD. ALL ARE LOST. 12:26 THAT MEANS JESUS CAME TO SEEK EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT QUALIFIES 12:30 AS LOST. AND TO DO WHAT WITH IT? 12:32 TO SAVE. HE CAME TO SAVE THE LOST. 12:35 IF YOU WERE LOST HE CAME TO SAVE YOU. IT'S A VERY SIMPLE GOSPEL 12:39 MESSAGE IN JUST ONE VERSE. NOW IN OUR STUDY, WE'VE GOT A 12:43 TASK OF TALKING ABOUT A NUMBER OF PARABLES THAT ARE IN THE 12:49 BIBLE AND MOST OF THESE ARE GOING TO BEGIN WITH JOHN CHAPTER 12:52 15 - I'M SORRY, LUKE, RATHER - LUKE CHAPTER 15 - IF YOU WILL 12:56 TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO THAT PAGE. 13:00 AND WE'VE GOT SEVERAL VERSES WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER. 13:04 MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO READ THE FIRST VERSE, "THEN ALL 13:07 THE TAX COLLECTORS AND THE SINNERS DREW NEAR TO HIM TO HEAR 13:10 HIM. AND THE PHARISEES AND THE 13:13 SCRIBES COMPLAINED, SAYING, 'THIS MAN RECEIVES SINNERS AND 13:16 EATS WITH THEM.'" SO THEN HE SPOKE A PARABLE. 13:21 SO THE CONTEXT OF THIS PARABLE IS ON THE HEELS OF CRITICISM. 13:25 DID THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OFTEN CRITICIZE JESUS BECAUSE HE WOULD 13:29 HANG OUT WITH PUBLICANS AND SINNERS? 13:33 YOU KNOW, ONE TIME IN PARTICULAR, WHEN IT WAS, I 13:35 GUESS, ESPECIALLY EGREGIOUS, WAS IT WAS AFTER JESUS CALLED 13:39 MATTHEW TO BE AN APOSTLE. MATTHEW WAS WHAT? 13:42 HE WAS A PUBLICAN - TAX COLLECTOR. 13:45 AND TO SHOW HIS GRATITUDE HE HAD A DINNER FOR JESUS AND THE OTHER 13:49 APOSTLES AND SO MATTHEW WANTED TO INTRODUCE ALL OF HIS OTHER 13:52 FRIENDS TO JESUS AND SO HE BROUGHT THE OTHER TAX COLLECTORS 13:55 AND THEIR GIRLFRIENDS, WHICH WERE USUALLY PROSTITUTES, AND A 13:58 LOT OF THE OFF-SCOURING OF SOCIETY - THE UNDERWORLD, AS YOU 14:04 WOULD SAY - AND HERE'S JESUS SITTING AND EATING WITH THEM. 14:07 AND WHEN THE PHARISEES SAW THAT, THEY POINTED TO THE FIRST PSALM 14:12 - PSALM 1, "BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT WALKS NOT IN THE WAY OF THE 14:18 SINNERS OR SITS IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL." 14:21 AND THEY'RE SAYING JESUS IS GOING AGAINST THE SCRIPTURE. 14:24 HE IS ASSOCIATING WITH - HE'S BEFRIENDING SINFUL PEOPLE. 14:31 AND THEY HAD INTERPRETED PSALM 1 TO MEAN THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO 14:34 SHUN SINNERS. 14:36 IT'S NOT WHAT DAVID WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THAT PSALM, IT MEANS 14:38 THAT WHEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR LIFE COMPANIONS, THAT YOU CHOOSE 14:42 PEOPLE THAT ARE - HE THAT WALKS WITH THE WISE WILL BE WISE - YOU 14:45 CHOOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THE SAME DIRECTION. 14:47 IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T CARE ABOUT OR WITNESS TO PEOPLE FROM 14:50 ALL WALKS OF LIFE - AND THAT'S HOW THEY HAD INTERPRETED IT. 14:54 SO HERE THEY SEE THIS RELIGIOUS LEADER AND LATER HE TOLD THEM, 14:58 'IT'S NOT THE WELL THAT NEED A PHYSICIAN, BUT THE SICK.' HE WAS 15:02 TRYING TO EXPLAIN, 'I'VE GOT A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN SPENDING 15:04 TIME WITH THIS - THESE PEOPLE - IT'S NOT SO I CAN LEARN 15:07 THEIR WAYS, IT'S SO I CAN REACH THEM.' 15:09 CHRISTIANS HAVE A VERY DELICATE DANCE IN THIS WORLD, OF KNOWING 15:12 HOW TO HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE NOT SAVED AND TO INFLUENCE THEIR 15:17 FRIENDS WITHOUT BEING INFLUENCED BY THEM. 15:20 AND WE ALL NEED TO PRAY FOR WISDOM. 15:23 SO THIS IS THE CONTEXT OF ALL THESE PARABLES THAT NOW FOLLOW, 15:26 AND HE BEGINS IN VERSE 4 - LUKE 15, VERSE 4 - "WHAT MAN OF YOU, 15:32 HAVING A HUNDRED SHEEP, IF HE LOSES ONE OF THEM, DOES NOT 15:38 LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE IN THE WILDERNESS, AND GO AFTER THE ONE 15:41 WHICH IS LOST UNTIL HE FINDS IT? AND WHEN HE HAS FOUND IT, HE 15:45 LAYS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS, REJOICING. 15:48 AND WHEN HE COMES HOME, HE CALLS TOGETHER HIS FRIENDS AND 15:51 NEIGHBORS, SAYING TO THEM, 'REJOICE WITH ME, FOR I HAVE 15:54 FOUND MY SHEEP WHICH WAS LOST!' I SAY TO YOU THAT LIKEWISE THERE 15:59 WILL BE MORE JOY IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN OVER 16:02 NINETY-NINE JUST PERSONS WHO NEED NO REPENTANCE." 16:06 VERY INTERESTING PARABLE. FIRST OF ALL, HOW MANY IN THIS 16:10 WORLD ARE LOST? ONE PERCENT? NINETY-NINE PERCENT? 16:13 OR A HUNDRED PERCENT? WITH ONE EXCEPTION, JESUS. 16:17 OTHERWISE, EVERYBODY ELSE THAT WAS BORN HAS SINNED, RIGHT? 16:22 MATTER OF FACT, I'VE GOT SOME VERSES I'M GOING TO HAVE A FEW 16:25 PEOPLE HELP ME READ. 16:26 WE'RE JUST GETTING OUR MEDIA DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY CAN START 16:28 INTEGRATING THE MICROPHONES AND GET MORE PARTICIPATION. 16:31 SO SOMEBODY'S GOT ISAIAH 53, VERSE 6. 16:33 >>"ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED, EVERY 16:38 ONE, TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE 16:41 INIQUITY OF US ALL." >>WE HAVE ALL GONE ASTRAY. 16:45 NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT SHEEP ARE SOME OF THE MOST WAYWARD OF ALL 16:50 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. A COW CAN FIND ITS WAY HOME. 16:55 A HORSE CAN FIND ITS WAY HOME. 16:56 THERE'S A STORY FROM WORLD WAR I - 1914 - THERE WAS A MAN NAMED 17:02 JAMES BROWN - IT'S NOT THE BLUES SINGER - HE WAS AN ENGLISHMAN. 17:04 HE LEFT HIS WIFE IN STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND WITH 17:09 THEIR TERRIER. HE CROSSED THE ENGLISH CHANNEL 17:11 AND WAS FIGHTING ON THE FRONT LINES OF FRANCE AND THEIR 17:15 TERRIER SHOWED UP IN THE FOX HOLE. 17:17 THEY DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. 17:20 IT'S STILL A MYSTERY. BUT IT WAS HIS DOG. 17:24 HE'D COME TO FIGHT THE GERMAN SHEPHERDS, I GUESS. 17:26 BUT DOGS CAN - THEY CAN DO THIS, BUT SHEEP - SHEEP CAN GO A HILL 17:33 AWAY AND JUST BE TOTALLY BEWILDERED. 17:35 THEY CAN'T - THEY DON'T HAVE THAT MAGNETISM OF, YOU KNOW, THE 17:38 GYRO GPS OR SOMETHING THAT HELPS THEM FIND THEIR WAY BACK AND 17:42 THEY'RE HELPLESS UNLESS THEY'RE FOUND. 17:44 AND YOU KNOW HOW SHEEP GET LOST? 17:46 THEY DON'T WAKE UP ONE DAY AND SAY, 'I THINK I'M GOING TO MAKE 17:49 A RUN FOR IT AND BOLT FOR THE FENCE.' THEY JUST WANT - THEY 17:55 THINK ABOUT FOOD AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY'LL BE EATING GRASS 17:58 AND THEY'LL BE LOOKING UP - THEY ONLY SEE THE NEXT TUFT OF GRASS 18:01 - AND SAY, 'OH IT LOOKS BETTER THAN THIS ONE.' AND THEY GO EAT 18:03 THAT AND THEN THEY SAY, 'THAT LOOKS BETTER.' AND THEY EAT THAT 18:06 AND THEY NIBBLE AND NIBBLE UNTIL NEXT THING THEY KNOW THEY'RE A 18:07 COUPLE OF HILLS AWAY AND THEY NIBBLE THEIR WAY INTO BEING 18:09 LOST. NOW THIS IS A SHEEP. IN THE BIBLE YOU'VE GOT SHEEP 18:15 AND GOATS. WHAT ARE SHEEP, GOOD OR BAD? 18:17 THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWERS OF THE SHEPHERD, BUT DO SHEEP 18:20 GET LOST? YEAH. YOU KNOW HOW CHRISTIANS WANDER 18:23 FROM THE CHURCH? THEY NIBBLE THEIR WAY. 18:26 THEY DON'T WAKE UP ONE DAY AND SAY, 'I'M GOING TO MAKE A RUN 18:29 FOR IT.' THEY JUST START GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE EDGE 18:33 UNTIL NEXT THING THEY KNOW THEY'VE GONE OVER THE EDGE AND 18:36 THEN THEY LOOK AROUND AND CAN'T FIND THE SHEPHERD OR ANY OF THE 18:39 OTHER SHEEP AND THEY JUST KIND OF NIBBLE THEIR WAY INTO BEING 18:42 LOST. SO, WHAT DOES THE SHEPHERD DO? 18:46 HE SAYS, 'WELL, I'VE GOT NINETY-NINE PERCENT. 18:49 THAT'S NOT BAD. I'M HAPPY WITH THAT. 18:52 I MEAN, LET'S NOT BE GREEDY. 18:53 ONE SHEEP, IT'S NOT TOO BAD A LOSS RATIO.' BUT HE THINKS ABOUT 18:57 THAT POOR SHEEP OUT THERE, LOST, EXPOSED TO THE WOLVES, AND HE 19:01 LEAVES THE NINETY-NINE SAFE WITHIN A FOLD. 19:06 THEY'VE GOT THESE FENCED OFF AREAS WITH RAILS AND THEY USED 19:08 TO MAKE FENCES, ACTUALLY, OUT OF THORN BUSHES BACK THEN - KEEP 19:11 THE PREDATORS AWAY, KEEP THE SHEEP IN - THEY'D JUST STACK UP 19:14 BUSHES. AND SO THEY'VE GOT THE GOOD 19:17 SHEEP ALL SAFE IN THE FOLD. HE LEAVES THEM AND HE GOES OUT 19:20 IN THE DARK AND ON THE CLIFFS AND YOU'VE GOT THAT PICTURE OF 19:23 JESUS COMING TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST. 19:26 WHEN HE FINDS IT, HE DOESN'T SCOLD IT. 19:28 HE TAKES IT IN HIS ARMS. ANOTHER TRANSLATION SAYS HE PUTS 19:32 IT UPON HIS SHOULDERS AND CARRIES IT HOME. 19:36 AND THIS IS A PICTURE OF HOW THE LORD IS LONGING TO SAVE HIS OWN 19:39 AND TO SAVE THE LOST. AND SO, THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE 19:44 STORY OF SALVATION AND HOW THE LOST SHEEP ARE SAVED. 19:48 NOW, ONE MORE THING, BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS PARABLE, I WANT YOU 19:50 TO THINK ABOUT: WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THIS WORLD IS LOST? 19:54 EVERYBODY HAS SINNED. IN THE PARABLE, HOW MANY ARE LOST? ONE. 19:59 ONE PERCENT - YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THIS PARABLE USED ANOTHER 20:05 WAY. THE LORD HAS AN INFINITE COSMOS 20:09 FULL OF CREATIONS. WE ARE NOT THE ONLY LIVING 20:12 INTELLIGENT BEING IN GOD'S INFINITE UNIVERSE. 20:16 WE ARE THE ONLY FALLEN WORLD THAT THE LORD HAS. 20:20 THERE ARE UNFALLEN ANGELS AND UNFALLEN INTELLIGENCES. 20:22 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THE SONS OF GOD AND SATAN GOES 20:26 TO THIS HEAVENLY MEETING THAT'S NOT ON THE EARTH, WHERE THERE 20:30 ARE OTHER INTELLIGENT LEADERS AND THE LORD LEFT THE UNFALLEN 20:35 WORLDS AND PURE ANGELS TO COME TO THIS ONE WAYWARD REBELLIOUS 20:40 PLANET. HE COULD HAVE SNAPPED HIS 20:43 FINGERS AND MADE A NEW WORLD, BUT HE LEFT ALL OF THAT TO COME 20:45 HERE TO SAVE THIS LOST SHEEP. AND SO, OUR WORLD IS SOMETHING 20:50 LIKE THAT LOST SHEEP ALSO AS, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF US IS AS 20:54 WELL. ALRIGHT, THEN YOU GET TO THE 20:57 NEXT PARABLE, WHICH IS THE PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN. 21:01 AND YOU GO DOWN NOW TO VERSE 8, "OR WHAT WOMAN, HAVING TEN 21:07 SILVER COINS," - THESE ARE DRACHMAS - 21:11 THEY WEREN'T WORTH A LOT. 21:13 THEY WERE SILVER. THEY WERE PRETTY. 21:14 THEY WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE IMAGE OF THE KING. 21:16 BUT SHE LOSES ONE OUT OF TEN - "IF SHE LOSES ONE COIN, DOES NOT 21:25 LIGHT A LAMP, SWEEP THE HOUSE, AND SEARCH CAREFULLY UNTIL SHE 21:29 FINDS IT?" SHE DOESN'T SEARCH FOR FOUR HOURS. 21:33 SHE DOESN'T SEARCH FOR TEN DAYS. SHE SEARCHES UNTIL SHE FINDS IT. 21:37 YOU NOTICE THAT? IT'S LIKE SHE DOESN'T GIVE UP. 21:39 SHE SWEEPS - NOW SHE'S NOT SWEEPING HOPING TO SWEEP UP THE 21:43 COIN, BUT A LOT OF THE HOUSES THEN DIDN'T HAVE WOOD FLOORS OR 21:47 MARBLE FLOORS, THEY OFTEN HAD DIRT FLOORS AND THE COIN COULD 21:51 EASILY GET KIND OF GROUND DOWN INTO THE DIRT IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW 21:54 IT WAS LOST. NOW, ONE THING I OUGHT TO SAY ABOUT THIS COIN - 21:57 YOU WOULD THINK, 'WHY WOULD SHE BE SO DESPERATE TO SEARCH FOR 22:01 THIS COIN?' - I TELL YOU WHAT, LET ME FINISH 22:04 READING THIS - SHE SEARCHES CAREFULLY UNTIL SHE FINDS IT. 22:06 "AND WHEN SHE HAS FOUND IT, SHE CALLS HER FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS 22:09 TOGETHER, SAYING, 'REJOICE WITH ME, FOR I HAVE FOUND THE PIECE 22:11 WHICH I LOST!' LIKEWISE, I SAY TO YOU, THERE IS 22:15 JOY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS OF GOD OVER ONE SINNER 22:18 WHO REPENTS." NOW, IF I HAD A SILVER DOLLAR - 22:22 SUPPOSE I HAD TEN SILVER DOLLARS AND I LOST A SILVER DOLLAR. 22:24 I PROBABLY WOULDN'T TELL ALL MY NEIGHBORS. 22:27 AND THIS WAS NOT WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THAT. 22:31 IT WAS SILVER, BUT IT WAS A SMALL PIECE. 22:34 A COUPLE THINGS TO CONSIDER. THE COMMENTATORS SAY THAT WHEN 22:39 BRIDES GOT MARRIED THEY WERE OFTEN GIVEN SILVER COINS THAT 22:42 WERE MEANT TO BE PASSED ON THROUGH THE FAMILY. 22:46 THESE COINS HAD A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE THAT WERE CONNECTED 22:50 WITH A DOWRY AND IT WAS A GIFT AND SOMETIMES THEY'D EVEN STRING 22:54 THEM TOGETHER. AND SO, IT WAS MORE THAN JUST A 22:59 MONETARY VALUE, IT WAS PROBABLY HER TEN COINS THAT CAME WITH HER 23:03 WEDDING AND SHE LOSES ONE. IT'S NOW BECOME INCOMPLETE. 23:08 AND SHE'S FRANTIC AND SO SHE'S TELLING HER FRIENDS. 23:13 BECAUSE, OTHERWISE, YOU WOULDN'T PROBABLY CALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD 23:15 TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE BECAUSE YOU LOST A QUARTER AND YOU FOUND 23:17 IT. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT SHE'S LOST. 23:21 AND SO, WHAT DOES A WOMAN OFTEN REPRESENT IN BIBLE ANALOGIES OR 23:26 SYMBOLOGY? A CHURCH. 23:30 CAN YOU THINK OF SOMETHING THAT COMES IN QUANTITIES OF TEN IN 23:34 THE BIBLE? COMMANDMENTS, RIGHT? 23:40 AND HOW MANY DOES SHE LOSE? ONE. 23:43 SHE SAYS, 'OH, NINETY PERCENT'S OKAY.' IS THAT WHAT SHE SAYS? 23:48 NO, SHE LIGHTS A LAMP - WHAT'S A LAMP? 23:50 THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET. SHE GETS OUT THE BROOM OF 23:57 DILIGENCE AND EFFORT AND SHE SWEEPS. AND AFTER SHE SWEEPS 24:03 THE DUST AWAY, SHE GETS DOWN ON HER KNEES. 24:05 A LOT OF THE HOUSES WEREN'T LIT VERY WELL BACK THEN. 24:10 SHE'S SEARCHING UNTIL SHE FINDS IT. WHEN SHE FINDS IT SHE SAYS, 24:14 'OH, I WAS MISSING ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - MAYBE THE 24:17 SABBATH TRUTH - SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS, 24:21 YOU KNOW, THIS ONE COIN REPRESENTS THE SABBATH. 24:24 THAT'S JUST A - SORT OF AN ANALOGY I'M MAKING. 24:27 IT'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT LOST PEOPLE, ISN'T IT? 24:29 JESUS - THE WHOLE PARABLE IS TALKING ABOUT FINDING THAT WHICH 24:32 IS LOST, BUT SOMETIMES THERE'S A DUAL APPLICATION YOU MIGHT MAKE 24:36 IN SOME OF THESE PARABLES - BUT FINDS THE ONE. 24:40 YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS HELD UP A COIN TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS? 24:42 AND THEY SAID, 'WHAT SHOULD WE DO? 24:46 SHOULD WE PAY TAXES TO CAESAR OR NOT?' 24:48 THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD JESUS TRAPPED. AND JESUS SURPRISED 24:51 THEM BY ANSWERING THEIR QUESTION WITH A QUESTION. 24:53 HE SAID, 'WHOSE NAME AND INSCRIPTION IS ON THE COIN?' 24:58 AND HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING, 'WHOSE NAME AND IMAGE IS ON THE COIN?' 25:02 THEY SAID - WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE TODAY WE STAMP COINS WITH 25:06 THE, YOU KNOW, FACE OF A LEADER - IT COULD BE A PRESIDENT. 25:10 NOW, IN AMERICA, WE TYPICALLY WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE DEAD BUT, YOU 25:13 KNOW, IF YOU GO TO AUSTRALIA AND CANADA AND A LOT OF PLACES, THE 25:17 QUEEN OF ENGLAND IS ON THEIR MONEY. AND SO, THEY USED TO HAVE 25:20 THE LIVING KING STAMPED ON THEIR MONEY IN BIBLE TIMES. 25:24 AND SO HE SAID, 'WHOSE NAME AND IMAGE OR INSCRIPTION IS ON 25:29 THERE?' AND THEY SAID, 'CAESAR'S.' AND, 25:31 OF COURSE, JESUS SAID, 'GIVE TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE 25:33 CAESAR'S; TO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD'S.' BUT HERE YOU'VE GOT 25:36 A COIN - THIS WOMAN HAS GOT A COIN - THEY'RE HERS - THEY'RE 25:38 PRECIOUS - AND THERE'S AN IMAGE THAT'S BEEN STAMPED ON IT. 25:42 THAT COIN HAS BEEN INADVERTENTLY DROPPED INTO THE DIRT AND - YOU 25:47 KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO SILVER? SILVER'S NOT LIKE GOLD. 25:51 GOLD, YOU CAN DIG IT UP A THOUSAND YEARS LATER, IT WILL 25:55 NOT OXIDIZE. SILVER WILL START TO TURN BLACK 26:02 AND IT'LL START TO TARNISH. AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE IMAGE OF 26:07 GOD ON HIS CHILDREN WHEN WE FALL INTO THE GROUND? 26:10 WHEN WE ARE LOST? IT STARTS BECOMING DEFACED. 26:14 AND SO, SHE'S DOWN THERE ON HER HANDS AND KNEES AND SHE'S 26:18 LOOKING FOR IT AND SHE FINDS IT AND SHE RUBS AND POLISHES IT AND 26:20 RESTORES IT TO THE OTHERS AND THEN CALLS HER FRIENDS TOGETHER 26:25 AND THEY REJOICE THAT SHE'S FOUND THIS VERY IMPORTANT SILVER 26:29 PIECE THAT WAS CONNECTED WITH HER MARRIAGE - HER DOWRY - TO 26:33 HER FRIENDS - AND THEY ALL REJOICE WITH HER. 26:36 SO THIS IS GIVING US JUST ONE MORE PICTURE. 26:39 AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS SAID HERE, IN BOTH THESE 26:41 PARABLES, 'THERE IS JOY IN HEAVEN' - HE SAYS, 'LIKEWISE 26:45 ...THERE IS JOY IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS AND IS 26:50 RESTORED.' HOW CAN WE ON EARTH MAKE PEOPLE HAPPIER IN HEAVEN? 26:55 YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT CAUSING A PARTY IN HEAVEN? 26:59 YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, AS CHRISTIANS AND THE CHURCH MEMBERS HAVE AN 27:04 EVANGELISTIC MEETING AND AT THE END, GOD WILLING, YOU BAPTIZE 27:06 PEOPLE - OR PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY KNEEL AND ACCEPT CHRIST YOU'RE 27:11 MAKING HEAVEN SING? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? 27:15 WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN TO MAKE HEAVEN HAPPY? 27:17 ISN'T THAT A GREAT GOAL? 27:20 AND SO HE SAID, "LIKEWISE, I SAY TO YOU," - I'M IN VERSE 10 - 27:25 "THERE IS JOY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS OF GOD OVER ONE 27:29 SINNER WHO REPENTS." NOW, YOU NOTICE, FIRST IT WAS 27:34 ONE OUT OF A HUNDRED, NOW IT'S ONE OUT OF TEN. 27:37 NOW HE GOES TO ONE MORE PARABLE AND IT'S ONE OUT OF TWO. 27:40 YOU NOTICE THE RATIO CONTINUES TO GET SMALLER. 27:44 NOW THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. 27:46 WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE LOST SHEEP. 27:47 WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE LOST COIN. 27:48 NOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE LOST SON. 27:49 THESE ARE THREE PARABLES WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER. 27:52 NOTICE, DOES THE SHEEP KNOW IT'S LOST? 27:54 THE SHEEP KNOWS IT'S LOST, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE 27:59 ABSTRACT THINKING, BUT IT'S OUT THERE BLEATING AND IT KNOWS IT 28:02 CAN'T FIND THE WAY HOME. IT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK. 28:06 DOES THE COIN KNOW IT'S LOST? IT DOESN'T KNOW IT'S LOST. 28:10 IT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK. BUT THEN THERE'S A SON WE'RE 28:13 ABOUT TO READ ABOUT. DOES HE KNOW HE'S LOST? 28:16 YEAH, HE ENDS UP COMING TO HIS SENSES AND HE EVEN KNOWS THE WAY 28:20 HOME, BUT HE MUST CHOOSE. SO IN ALL THREE STORIES, YOU'VE 28:23 GOT THREE LOST INDIVIDUALS OR THINGS, BUT THEIR AWARENESS OF 28:29 WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE LOST IS VERY DIFFERENT. 28:31 THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE WORLD THAT ARE LOST 28:35 THAT HAVE NO IDEA THEY'RE LOST. HAVE YOU EVER MET PEOPLE THAT 28:38 DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A GOD? THEY DON'T CARE. 28:39 THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE LOST. THEY JUST FIGURE YOU DIE AND 28:41 THAT'S IT AND IT'S LIKE THEY'RE SORT OF ON THEIR WAY TO 28:44 DESTRUCTION AND OBLIVIOUS, LIKE THE LOST COIN. 28:47 THEN YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEY'RE IN THE WORLD. 28:51 THEY KNOW SOMETHING'S MISSING FROM THEIR LIVES. 28:53 THEY'RE LOST BUT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK. 28:56 AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THOSE WHO HAVE SORT OF DELIBERATELY 28:59 REBELLED AND THEY GO AWAY AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO - THEY 29:03 KNOW HOW TO GET BACK - LIKE THE PRODIGAL SON. 29:05 SO WE'RE GOING TO READ THAT PARABLE TOGETHER. 29:08 GO TO LUKE 15 AND YOU READ IN VERSE 11, "A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO 29:13 SONS. AND THE YOUNGER OF THEM SAID TO 29:18 HIS FATHER, 'FATHER, GIVE ME THE PORTION OF GOODS THAT FALLS TO 29:22 ME.' SO HE DIVIDED TO THEM HIS 29:24 LIVELIHOOD." WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS 29:27 PARABLE DURING PRAYER MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK. 29:29 NOW HOW MANY BOYS ARE THERE IN THE STORY? 29:33 WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE BIBLE LAW BETWEEN THE YOUNGEST 29:38 AND THE OLDEST? FIRSTBORN GOT A DOUBLE PORTION. 29:44 THAT MEANS HE GOT TWO-THIRDS; THE YOUNGEST GOT ONE-THIRD. 29:47 PART OF THE DOUBLE PORTION THE FIRSTBORN GETS IS HE GETS THE 29:51 FARM. THE YOUNGEST MIGHT GET SOME 29:55 ASSETS, BUT THE FARM COULDN'T GO TO BOTH OR THERE MIGHT BE A 29:58 SPLIT AND RIVALRY AND SO THE FARM WENT TO, USUALLY, THE 30:00 OLDEST BOY IN THE FAMILY, IF THERE WAS A BOY, AND THEN THEY 30:06 HAD A LAW FOR THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD THAT OTHERWISE THEN 30:09 IT WOULD BE DIVIDED AMONG THE GIRLS, BUT THE FIRSTBORN HAD THE 30:12 LARGEST PART. THE YOUNGEST, THEY WOULD, 30:16 SOMETIMES, TAKE OFF AND DO THEIR OWN THING. 30:18 YOU CAN FIND SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF THAT IN THE BIBLE. YOU EVER 30:21 NOTICE, EVEN IN OUR CULTURE TODAY, THAT THOSE THAT ARE THE 30:26 MOST RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE USUALLY WERE THE OLDEST OF THE SIBLINGS? 30:30 BECAUSE THEY SPEND SO MUCH TIME TAKING CARE OF THEIR YOUNGER 30:33 BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEY END UP BEING THE MORE RESPONSIBLE. 30:36 AND THE YOUNGER ONE SAYS, 'LOOK, I'M NOT GETTING MUCH AND I DON'T 30:42 WANT TO WAIT FOR YOU TO DIE.' - IT WASN'T TOTALLY UNCOMMON FOR 30:45 THEM TO DIVIDE THE INHERITANCE BEFORE THEY DIE. 30:51 YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE PROPHET CAME TO HEZEKIAH AND HE SAID, 30:57 'SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER BECAUSE YOU'RE TERMINAL.' 30:59 AND HE WAS GOING TO DIVIDE HIS INHERITANCE. 31:02 DID KING DAVID CHOOSE THE NEXT KING WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE? 31:06 SO SOMETIMES THEY'D EVEN DIVIDE THINGS WHILE THEY WERE ALIVE. 31:11 DID ISAAC DIVIDE HIS INHERITANCE AND BLESS HIS CHILDREN YEARS 31:14 BEFORE HE DIED? HE SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW THE DAY 31:18 OF MY DEATH' - IT TURNS OUT HE ENDED UP LIVING 30 YEARS MORE, 31:21 BUT HE WAS GETTING NERVOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH LONGER HE WOULD LIVE 31:24 AND, LET'S FACE IT, NONE OF US REALLY KNOWS FOR SURE. AND SO, 31:27 ISAAC SAID, 'BRING MY SONS IN THAT I MIGHT BLESS THEM.' AND HE 31:32 WAS GOING TO GIVE THE BLESSING TO ESAU, THE OLDEST. 31:33 AND SO IT WASN'T UNCOMMON FOR THEM TO DIVVY THINGS UP. 31:37 SO THE BOY WASN'T REALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, 31:39 'I CAN'T EVEN WAIT FOR YOU TO DIE. 31:43 JUST HURRY UP AND DO IT.' YEAH, WELL HE WAS ACTUALLY ASKING FOR 31:46 HIS MONEY PRETTY QUICK, BUT IT WASN'T UNHEARD OF THAT YOU MIGHT 31:49 DIVIDE YOUR INHERITANCE WHILE YOU WERE STILL ALIVE. 31:52 AND HE TAKES IT - "NOT MANY DAYS AFTER" - AS LONG AS IT TOOK HIM 31:59 TO LIQUIDATE WHATEVER HE HAD - "THE YOUNGER SON GATHERED ALL 32:02 TOGETHER," - ANYTHING THAT HE'S GOT OF ANY VALUE AND HE - 32:05 "JOURNEYED TO A FAR COUNTRY." WHAT DOES THAT FAR COUNTRY 32:10 REPRESENT? YEAH, WHEN WE WANDER FROM GOD, 32:15 WE END UP IN THE FAR COUNTRY. AND YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF 32:21 THE GIBEONITES IN - WHAT IS THAT? 32:24 - THE BOOK OF JOSHUA CHAPTER 9 - WHERE THEY SAID, 'OH NO, WE'RE 32:29 NOT YOUR NEIGHBORS BUT WE COME FROM A FAR COUNTRY.' AND YOU 32:32 OFTEN TALK ABOUT - JESUS TELLS PARABLES ABOUT THIS KING LEAVES 32:35 SOME POSSESSIONS TO HIS SERVANTS AND HE TRAVELS INTO A FAR 32:38 COUNTRY. IT'S TALKING ABOUT THIS GREAT 32:41 GULF THAT SEPARATES THE FATHER FROM HIS CHILDREN. 32:45 THIS BOY WANTS TO GET SO FAR AWAY FROM THE FATHER THAT 32:48 THERE'S JUST NO INTERNET CONNECTION. 32:51 HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING. HE CAN JUST BE DOING HIS OWN 32:54 THING. NO ACCOUNTABILITY. 32:56 HE DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIM WALKING UP INTO THE BAR AND 33:00 LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SAYING, 'WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU 33:02 DOING?' SO TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM HIS 33:05 CONSCIENCE HE GOES AS FAR AWAY AS HE CAN, AND WHILE HE'S THERE, 33:09 HE SAYS, 'AH, FREE AT LAST. FREE AT LAST. 33:11 I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY PARENTS TELLING ME WHAT TO DO. 33:15 I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ANGRY LOOKS OF MY OLDER 33:18 BROTHER.' AND WHILE HE WAS THERE, IT SAYS HE "WASTED HIS 33:24 POSSESSIONS WITH PRODIGAL [RIOTOUS] LIVING." 33:29 HE SQUANDERS IT. YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO ARE 33:32 OFTEN THE MOST RESPONSIBLE WITH MONEY, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, 33:35 ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE HAD TO WORK, SOMEWHAT, TO GET IT. 33:39 IF PEOPLE ARE HANDED EVERYTHING WITHOUT ANY EFFORT AND THEY 33:44 HAVEN'T LEARNED DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CONTROL AHEAD OF TIME, IT'S 33:47 AMAZING HOW QUICKLY IT CAN EVAPORATE. 33:49 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD STORIES OF PEOPLE THAT SUDDENLY 33:52 FELL INTO SOME GREAT INHERITANCE AND IT EVAPORATES JUST WITHIN A 33:56 MATTER OF YEARS. YOU'VE ALL HEARD STORIES ABOUT 33:59 SOMEONE WHO WON THE LOTTERY AND THEN, NEXT THING YOU KNOW, 34:03 THEY'RE IN DEBT. AND SO, THAT'S - THIS BOY HAD 34:08 NOT - HE'S NOT QUITE LIKE HIS OLDER BROTHER. 34:11 AND HE SAYS, 'I'M GOING TO LIVE IT UP.' YOU ONLY GO AROUND ONCE 34:14 IN LIFE, HE THOUGHT, AND SO HE STARTS TO BUY DRINKS FOR 34:18 EVERYBODY AND HE'S GOT A LOT OF FRIENDS AS LONG AS HE'S PAYING 34:20 THE BILL. AND HE WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE. 34:25 HE WANTED TO LIVE FOR THE MOMENT. HE WAS LIVING A TOTALLY 34:28 HEDONISTIC LIFE FOR PHYSICAL PLEASURE. 34:31 BUT, ABOUT THE SAME TIME HE RUNS OUT OF MONEY, "BUT WHEN HE HAD 34:38 SPENT ALL," - HE'S COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING - "THERE 34:43 AROSE A SEVERE FAMINE IN THAT LAND, AND HE BEGAN TO BE IN 34:47 WANT." - HE BEGINS TO REALLY SUFFER. 34:49 HE'S LOST ALL OF HIS EARTHLY RESOURCES, EVERYTHING'S GONE, 34:53 AND HE'S EXPERIENCING SEVERE PRIVATION AND HARDSHIP. 34:56 AND SO, NOW HE'S FORCED TO ACTUALLY WORK. 34:59 AND HE GOES AND HE "JOINED HIMSELF TO A CITIZEN OF THAT 35:03 COUNTRY, AND HE SENT HIM INTO HIS FIELDS TO FEED SWINE." 35:08 NOW, JUST - I THINK MOST OF US KNOW THAT JESUS, BEING JEWISH, 35:14 HE'S TALKING TO A JEWISH AUDIENCE - 35:16 THE LOWEST ANIMAL FOR A JEW WAS A PIG. 35:22 THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 'THE PIG THAT IS WASHED IS RETURNED TO 35:26 WALLOWING IN THE MIRE' AND 'YOU DO NOT GIVE THAT WHICH IS HOLY 35:29 TO THE DOGS' AND 'DON'T GIVE THAT WHICH IS HOLY TO THE SWINE' 35:35 AND SO THE IDEA THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO FEED PIGS - THE DEMONS 35:39 ENTERED A HERD OF PIGS AND THERE'S JUST THIS ASSOCIATION IN 35:44 THE JEWISH MIND IT WAS CONSIDERED UNCLEAN AND 35:46 SCAVENGERS. AND HE'S OUT THERE. 35:52 HE'S GONE TO A FAR COUNTRY WHERE THEY DON'T FOLLOW THIS AND HE'S 35:55 GONE TO THE VERY LOWEST PROFESSION. 35:59 HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER DRIVEN BY A PIG YARD? 36:06 HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER FED PIGS? 36:11 WE HAD A NEIGHBOR THAT HAD PIGS AND, THIS IS SOMETHING OF A 36:16 CONUNDRUM FOR ADVENTISTS, AND EVERY NOW AND THEN THEY WOULD 36:18 LEAVE. THEY'D SAY, 'CAN YOU WATCH OVER 36:20 OUR RANCH WHILE WE'RE GONE?' AND WE WOULD MILK THEIR COWS AND 36:23 THEIR GOATS AND FEED THEIR PIGS - CHICKENS TOO - AND WHEW! 36:26 YOU KNOW, I COULD NEVER FIND A BETTER WORD TO DESCRIBE IT 36:32 EXCEPT TO TELL YOU THAT PIGS ARE PIGS. 36:35 THEIR WORD HAS BECOME THE BEST LABEL BECAUSE - AND THEY SMELL. 36:40 IT IS JUST A RANK SMELL. THEY SEEM TO ENJOY IT. 36:44 AND HE'S OUT THERE AND HE'S NOT ONLY FEEDING THE PIGS BUT, THE 36:49 BIBLE SAYS THAT HE IS SO HUNGRY THAT THE PODS - THE HUSKS - THAT 36:54 HE'S FEEDING THE PIGS, ARE LOOKING APPETIZING TO HIM. 36:57 YOU GET HUNGRY ENOUGH AND EVEN PIG FOOD STARTS LOOKING GOOD. 37:03 AND SO, HE'S - WHILE HE'S THERE AND HE'S STARTING TO - HAVING 37:08 DAYDREAMS ABOUT STEALING THE FOOD FROM THE PIGS, IT GOES ON 37:12 TO SAY, "AND NO MAN GAVE HIM ANYTHING." 37:16 SO HE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PANHANDLING. 37:21 HE'S TRYING TO GET SOMETHING AND NO ONE'S GIVING HIM ANYTHING. 37:23 NO ONE WILL GIVE HIM ANY HELP. 37:25 HE FINALLY COMES TO HIS SENSES - "BUT WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF," - 37:28 VERSE 17 - "HE SAID, 'HOW MANY OF MY FATHER'S HIRED SERVANTS 37:33 HAVE BREAD ENOUGH AND TO SPARE," - THEY EAT TO THE FULL. 37:37 WHEN JESUS FED PEOPLE, WERE THERE LEFTOVERS? 37:41 WHEN HE MULTIPLIED BREAD, WERE THERE LEFTOVERS? 37:44 NOTICE HE DOESN'T NUMBER HIS FATHER'S SERVANTS. 37:46 HE DOESN'T SAY, 'MY FATHER'S GOT SIX SERVANTS.' HIS FATHER, 37:48 EVIDENTLY, HAS A LOT OF SERVANTS. 37:50 HE SAYS THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM. HIS FATHER IS WEALTHY. 37:53 HE SAYS, 'THEY ALL EAT TO THE FULL. 37:57 THE SERVANTS EAT BETTER THAN I'M EATING.' HE'S THINKING, YOU 38:01 KNOW, I'VE GOT IT PRETTY GOOD.' DO WE HAVE IT PRETTY GOOD? 38:09 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN REALLY HUNGRY? I DON'T MEAN HUNGRY 38:12 BECAUSE YOU'RE FASTING FOR A DAY OR TWO. YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU CAN 38:15 BRING THAT TO AN END WHENEVER YOU WANT. 38:17 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HUNGRY AND NOT HAD ANYTHING TO EAT AND 38:20 THERE'S NO PROSPECTS CLOSE BY? THAT'S PRETTY TOUGH. 38:23 AND YOU START APPRECIATING, WHEN YOU PRAY FOR YOUR FOOD, IT'S NOT 38:28 JUST A RITUAL, BUT WHEN YOU PRAY FOR YOUR FOOD YOU'RE REALLY 38:31 THANKFUL THAT YOU HAVE ALL YOU CAN EAT. 38:34 AND SO HE'S THINKING - HE COMES TO HIMSELF AND HE STARTS 38:39 DAYDREAMING ABOUT THE HOT BREAD THAT HIS MOM WOULD PULL OUT OF 38:42 THE OVEN AND HOW HE'D SLATHER IT WITH HONEY AND WHATEVER ELSE 38:45 THEY HAD BACK THEN AND THAT HE WAS EATING TO THE FULL. 38:49 AND HE THINKS, I THOUGHT I HAD IT SO BAD. 38:52 I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET AWAY FROM HOME, NOW LOOK AT ME. 38:53 FEEDING PIGS - HE COMES TO HIMSELF. 38:57 YOU KNOW, THIS IS DESCRIBING SOME WHO HAVE GROWN UP IN THE 39:01 CHURCH - WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE PRODIGAL - THEY KNOW THE 39:05 LORD, THEY KNOW THE FATHER, THEY KNOW WHERE THE FATHER LIVES 39:10 AND THEY'RE JUST OUT IN THE WORLD. 39:13 THEY'RE THINKING IT WOULD BE BETTER AWAY FROM THE FATHER'S 39:15 HOUSE AND OUT IN THE WORLD, AND FOR A WHILE, EVIDENTLY, THEY 39:18 ENJOY IT. IF SIN HAD NO ATTRACTION, PEOPLE 39:23 WOULD NEVER LEAVE GOD OR THE CHURCH. 39:25 BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THERE ARE PLEASURES OF SIN. 39:28 MOSES REFUSED THE PLEASURES OF SIN FOR A SEASON. 39:32 YOU NOTICE IT DOESN'T LASTLONG. AND SO SOME PEOPLE SAY, 'YOU 39:36 KNOW, BEING A CHRISTIAN IS HARD. YOU CAN'T DO THIS AND YOU CAN'T 39:39 DO THAT AND, OH MAN, MY FATHER'S SO STRICT. 39:41 I'M GOING TO GO AS FAR FROM MY FATHER AS I CAN SO I'M JUST 39:44 GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. BUT I NEED MY FATHER'S THINGS. 39:48 I DON'T WANT MY FATHER BUT I WANT HIS RESOURCES.' YOU KNOW, 39:54 THE HEALTH THAT WE HAVE - THE STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER 40:00 TO SIN WITH ENTHUSIASM COMES FROM GOD. 40:03 AND PEOPLE WHO ARE LOST WILL PRAY FOR STRENGTH SO THEY CAN 40:07 ENJOY SIN. THEY'LL ASK GOD TO GIVE THEM 40:10 HEALTH SO THEY CAN ENJOY THEIR SIN BETTER. 40:13 THEY ASK FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE FATHER BUT THEY DON'T WANT 40:16 THE FATHER. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 40:19 SO BUT NOW HE'S BEGINNING TO THINK, 'MAYBE I NEED MY FATHER. 40:25 MAYBE IT'S A PACKAGE DEAL.' HE CAME TO HIMSELF. 40:30 HE SAID, "HOW MANY OF MY FATHER'S HIRED SERVANTS HAVE 40:33 BREAD ENOUGH TO SPARE?" 'HERE I'M A SON! 40:36 HIS HIRED SERVANTS ARE DOING BETTER. 40:38 I AM PERISHING.' NOTICE THE WORD 'PERISHING' - GOD SO LOVED THE 40:42 WORLD, THAT WE MIGHT NOT PERISH, HIS SON WAS GIVEN. 40:46 "I WILL ARISE" - LIKE THE WORD OF GOD COMES TO JONAH AND SAYS, 40:50 'ARISE.' "I WILL ARISE AND GO TO MY FATHER, AND WILL SAY TO HIM, 40:57 'FATHER,'" - NOW YOU'VE GOT TWO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE. 41:00 FIRST, WHEN HE COMES TO HIMSELF, HE'S REPENTING. 41:04 WHEN HE SAYS, 'I WILL SAY TO MY FATHER' - HE'S CONFESSING. 41:08 TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS YOU DON'T HEAR VERY MUCH ABOUT IN 41:10 THE CONVERSION EXPERIENCE THESE DAYS. 41:13 A LOT OF CHURCHES, BASICALLY, TELL PEOPLE TO JUST COME AND SAY 41:16 THIS 60-SECOND PRAYER - OR LESS - BUT THE BIBLE TEACHES THERE 41:21 SHOULD BE AN ATTITUDE OF REPENTANCE AND THERE SHOULD BE 41:24 DELIBERATE AND CONSCIOUS CONFESSION THAT IS MADE TO GOD. 41:27 WE OUGHT TO BE AWARE OF WHAT OUR SINS ARE, AS THE HOLY SPIRIT 41:32 REVEALS THEM TO US, AND CONFESS THEM TOGOD. SO HE'S COMING HOME, 41:36 HE'S REPENTING AND HE'S CONFESSING AND HE IS COMING. 41:39 NOW THERE'S A LOT OF VERSES THAT CONNECT WITH THIS. 41:41 HE SAYS, 'I WILL GO TO MY FATHER.' - HE REHEARSES HIS 41:45 SPEECH - I'LL SAY, "FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND 41:48 BEFORE YOU, AND I AM'" - THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES - GOD AND MAN 41:54 - LOVE THE LORD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR - HE SAYS, 'I'VE SINNED 41:56 AGAINST BOTH.' - "AND I AM NO LONGER WORTHY" - WHAT IS IT THAT 42:00 MAKES US WORTHY TO RECEIVE CHRIST'S FORGIVENESS. 42:05 YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES US WORTHY? BEING AWARE THAT WE'RE NOT 42:09 WORTHY. WE HAVE NOTHING TO PLEAD. 42:12 THE GREATEST THING WE CAN PLEAD IS OUR DESPERATE NEED. 42:15 BUT WE CAN'T PLEAD OUR WORTHINESS AND THIS IS WHAT THE 42:18 SON IS DOING. AND THIS IS A PARABLE OF JESUS. 42:20 HE'S SAYING, 'YOU'VE GOT TO COME BACK AND SAY 'I'M NOT WORTHY.'' 42:23 SO IT'S NOT OUR WORTH, IT'S HIS LOVE. "I WILL ARISE AND GO TO MY 42:28 FATHER...I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON. 42:32 MAKE ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR HIRED SERVANTS.'' YOU'RE NOT REALLY 42:36 PREPARED TO BE A SON UNTIL YOU'RE PREPARED TO BE A SERVANT. 42:39 YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID, 'I AM AMONG YOU AS ONE WHO SERVES AND 42:43 IF YOU'RE GOING TO FOLLOW ME, THAT'S YOUR MODEL.' 42:46 SO HE AROSE AND HE CAME TO HIS FATHER. 42:51 BUT NOTICE WHAT HAPPENS - VERSE 2O - I'M IN LUKE 15, VERSE 20 - 42:54 "BUT WHEN HE WAS STILL A GREAT WAY OFF," - HE'S COMING FROM A 42:58 FAR COUNTRY - "HIS FATHER SAW HIM" - HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? 43:02 HE'S SCANNING THE HORIZON WITH BINOCULARS, SYMBOLICALLY. 43:08 WHAT IS THE FATHER THINKING ABOUT ALL THE TIME HIS SON IS 43:11 GONE? HE'S THINKING, 'I LET ALL OF 43:14 THAT MONEY GO DOWN THE ROAD. I SHOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT.' 43:17 IS HE THINKING ABOUT THE MONEY THAT'S LOST? IS HE THINKING 43:21 ABOUT 'THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING - I RAISED HIM AND TOOK CARE OF HIM 43:24 ALL THOSE YEARS - WATCHED OVER HIM - TRIED TO TEACH HIM AND HE 43:27 JUST - HE BASICALLY REJECTS ME AND EVERYTHING I'VE TAUGHT HIM.' 43:30 OR IS HE JUST WANTING HIS SON BACK? HE'S WANTING THE SON - 43:35 THE RELATIONSHIP - "BUT WHEN HE WAS A GREAT WAY OFF, HIS FATHER 43:39 SAW HIM AND HAD COMPASSION," - HIS HEART WAS MOVED - 43:42 "AND RAN AND FELL ON HIS NECK AND KISSED HIM." 43:46 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY WHEN JACOB WAS REUNITED 43:49 WITH ESAU - AND LATER JOSEPH - BUT WITH ESAU, THESE BROTHERS 43:58 HAD NOT SEEN EACH OTHER AND ESAU HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BE VERY UPSET 44:00 AT JACOB BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAD DONE TO STEAL FROM HIM. 44:04 AND IT LOOKED LIKE, FOR A WHILE, ESAU WAS GOING TO GET EVEN, BUT 44:07 WHEN JACOB KEPT SENDING GIFTS AHEAD, ESAU'S HEART WAS MELTED. 44:12 WHEN HE FINALLY SAW HIS BROTHER HE RAN AND HE FELL ON HIS NECK 44:14 AND HE KISSED HIM. YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THE FATHER 44:18 SAW THE SON COMING, HE RAN TO HIM. 44:20 THE BIBLE SAYS, IN JAMES CHAPTER 4, 'DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL 44:26 DRAW NEAR TO YOU.' THAT IS A WONDERFUL PROMISE. I DON'T HEAR 44:28 PEOPLE USE THAT VERY OFTEN, BUT IT IS A WONDERFUL PROMISE. 44:31 THAT MEANS ANY EFFORT OR STEP THAT YOU MAKE TO DRAW NEAR TO 44:34 GOD, HE COMPENSATES WITH A CORRESPONDING EFFORT TO DRAW 44:37 NEAR TO YOU. >>AMEN. 44:38 >>SO IF YOU THINK, 'OH MAN, I'VE GOT A MILE TO GET TO GOD.' NO 44:41 YOU DON'T. YOU'VE ONLY GOT HALF A MILE 44:42 BECAUSE AS SOON AS HE SEES YOU COMING HE COMES TO MEET YOU. 44:45 HE WILL DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO MAKE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU 44:50 AND HIM SHORTER. AND WHILE HE WAS A GREAT WAY 44:54 OFF, THE FATHER RAN TO HIM. AND HE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR HIM. 45:00 THE BOY IS - HE'S GOT, YOU KNOW, HE'S WEARY - 45:04 LONG JOURNEY - HE'S DRAGGING DOWN THE ROAD. 45:06 HIS FATHER SEES HIM COMING, HE RUNS TO MEET HIS SON. AND SO 45:12 THERE WAS THIS GREAT REUNION OF THE FATHER AND THE SON. 45:15 HE'S CLINGING TO HIS SON AND HIS SON BEGINS TO CHOKE OUT HIS 45:17 REPENTANCE AND HE SAID, "FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND 45:23 IN YOUR SIGHT, AND AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON." 45:25 AND THAT'S ALL HE NEEDS TO SAY. 45:27 THE FATHER DOESN'T SAY 'DRAW NEAR TO GOD, HE'LL DRAW NEAR TO 45:30 YOU.' HE DOESN'T EVEN GET TO FINISH HIS PRAYER OF REPENTANCE. 45:32 THE FATHER INTERRUPTS AND HE SAYS, "BRING OUT THE BEST ROBE 45:36 AND PUT IT ON HIM," - WHY? TO COVER UP - 45:38 THIS IS JUSTIFICATION, FRIENDS. 45:41 HE COVERS HIS SIN WITH THE BEST ROBE - THE FATHER'S ROBE - "AND 45:44 PUT A RING ON HIS HAND" - IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DRESS 45:48 MESSAGE, THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED WHEN 45:51 JOSEPH WAS GIVEN AUTHORITY, THE PHARAOH PUT A RING ON HIM - THAT 45:54 WAS A SEAL - IT WAS A TOOL REPRESENTING THAT YOU ARE NOW A 45:58 MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, YOU ARE NOT A SERVANT, YOU ARE A SON. 46:01 YOU HAVE AUTHORITY IN THE FAMILY - "AND SANDALS ON HIS FEET. 46:04 AND BRING THE FATTED CALF HERE AND KILL IT," - THEY SAVED THIS 46:09 FOR FEASTS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 46:11 BY THE WAY, EVERYBODY'S REJOICING NOW EXCEPT FOR THE 46:15 OLDER BROTHER AND THE CALF BECAUSE THERE WAS A SACRIFICE - 46:21 FOR THE BOY TO BE REINSTATED REQUIRED A SACRIFICE - AND FOR 46:27 YOU AND I TO BE REINSTATED REQUIRES A SACRIFICE AND JESUS 46:32 WAS SACRIFICED. AND HE SAID, "'FOR THIS MY SON 46:36 WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST AND IS FOUND.' AND THEY 46:40 BEGAN TO BE MERRY." ALL THE SERVANTS ARE HAPPY. 46:43 THERE'S REJOICING IN HEAVEN, JESUS SAID. 46:44 EVERYONE'S HAPPY EXCEPT THE OLDER BROTHER WHO'S IN THE 46:47 FIELD. HE'S OUT WORKING. 46:49 "AND AS HE CAME AND DREW NEAR TO THE HOUSE," - NOTICE, THE 46:52 BROTHER'S WORKING AND THE FATHER'S WATCHING. 46:54 THE FATHER'S WATCHING FOR THE SON; THE BROTHER'S WORKING FOR 46:57 THE FARM - KIND OF LIKE MARY AND MARTHA. 47:00 "AND DREW NEAR TO THE HOUSE, HE HEARD MUSIC AND DANCING." 47:05 - AND HE THOUGHT, 'THAT'S NOT ALLOWED' - "SO HE CALLED ONE OF 47:08 THE SERVANTS" - HE WOULDN'T EVEN GO IN AND FIND OUT FOR HIMSELF - 47:11 HE SAID, 'WHAT'S GOING ON?' THEY SAID, "YOUR BROTHER HAS 47:14 COME, AND BECAUSE HE HAS RECEIVED HIM SAFE AND SOUND, 47:17 YOUR FATHER HAS KILLED THE FATTED CALF." 47:19 THAT KIND OF SAID THE WHOLE THING: THERE'S BEEN - BEING A 47:22 SACRIFICE - THERE'S BEING A PARTY - A FEAST - "BUT HE WAS 47:25 ANGRY AND WOULD NOT GO IN." A SERVANT WENT IN AND TOLD THE 47:28 FATHER - "THEREFORE HIS FATHER CAME OUT AND PLEADED WITH HIM. 47:31 SO HE ANSWERED AND SAID TO HIS FATHER, 'LO, THESE MANY YEARS I 47:35 HAVE BEEN SERVING YOU; I NEVER TRANSGRESSED YOUR COMMANDMENT AT 47:38 ANY TIME; AND YET YOU NEVER GAVE ME A YOUNG GOAT, 47:41 THAT I MIGHT MAKE MERRY WITH MY FRIENDS. 47:44 BUT AS SOON AS THIS SON OF YOURS CAME," - IT DOESN'T SAY, 'MY 47:48 BROTHER' - HE'S LIKE, 'LOOK, I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIM, YOU 47:51 ARE.' - "BUT AS SOON AS THIS SON OF YOURS CAME, WHO HAS DEVOURED 47:56 YOUR LIVELIHOOD WITH HARLOTS, YOU KILLED THE FATTED CALF FOR 48:00 HIM.' AND HE SAID TO HIM, 'SON, YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH ME, AND ALL 48:05 THAT I HAVE IS YOURS.'" - NOW, YOU NOTICE HOW THIS PARABLE 48:06 BEGINS? IT SAYS, 'THE FATHER DIVIDED TO 48:09 THEM HIS INHERITANCE.' THE SAME TIME THE YOUNGER SON 48:13 GOT HIS, THE OLDER BROTHER GOT HIS. 48:17 HE SAID, 'YOU OWN THE FATTED CALF. YOU OWN THE FARM. 48:21 IT'S ALL YOURS.' SO THE FATHER SAYS, 'ALL THAT I HAVE IS YOURS. 48:24 I GAVE IT TO YOU.' BUT HE DIDN'T REALLY BELIEVE IT 48:28 OR HE COULD HAVE HAD A PARTY. 48:31 HE SAID, 'YOU COULD HAVE DONE THIS ANY TIME YOU WANTED. 48:33 SEE, THE OLDER BROTHER WAS WORKS ORIENTED. 48:40 THE YOUNGER BROTHER WAS IN NEED OF GRACE. 48:44 THE FATHER LOVED THEM BOTH. THIS IS JUST A GREAT STORY. 48:48 NOW, IF I WERE TO DRAW SOME - WELL, LET ME FINISH IT UP HERE - 48:51 THE FATHER SAYS, IN VERSE 32 - WELL, HE SAYS, 48:55 "AND ALL THAT I HAVE IS YOURS. 48:57 IT WAS RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD MAKE MERRY AND BE GLAD, FOR YOUR 48:59 BROTHER WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN, AND WAS LOST AND IS 49:01 FOUND.'" YOU'VE GOT TO SEE IT THROUGH GOD'S PERSPECTIVE. 49:05 SO, WHAT DOES THIS TELL US? 49:11 FIRST OF ALL, IT TELLS US THAT THE FATHER IS WILLING TO 49:16 SACRIFICE EVERYTHING TO HAVE US SAVED. 49:20 COULDN'T THE FATHER HAVE LECTURED THE BOY AND SAID, 'HERE 49:23 YOU COME. I KNEW EVENTUALLY YOU'D COME DRAGGING BACK. 49:26 WHERE'S YOUR MONEY? ALL THAT MONEY I GAVE YOU, 49:28 WHAT'D YOU DO WITH IT? HA! SURE ENOUGH, I TOLD YOU SO.' 49:31 THE FATHER COULD HAVE FOLDED HIS ARMS AND PUT HIS HANDS ON HIS 49:34 HIPS AND TAPPED HIS FOOT AND LOOKED DOWN ON HIS SON. 49:36 DOES THE SON ALREADY KNOW THAT HE'S SINNED? 49:40 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE WORST THINGS YOU CAN SAY TO SOMEBODY - 49:44 A PRODIGAL FAMILY MEMBER AND A PRODIGAL SON - IF THEY'VE BEEN 49:48 AWAY AND THEY COME BACK, 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? OH, I HEARD THAT 49:53 YOU WERE OUT.' YOU EMBRACE PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME BACK. 49:58 BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS JUST EMBRACE THEM AND SAY, 'WE ARE SO 50:00 GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE.' >>AMEN. 50:04 >>'WE ARE SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.' I MET WITH SOMEBODY THIS 50:08 WEEK THAT WAS DISFELLOWSHIPPED MANY YEARS AGO AND - 50:12 ANGRY, BITTER - I PLED WITH THEM. 50:17 'I'M NOT GOING BACK, EVERYBODY KNOWS. 50:19 WHAT WILL THEY THINK?' AND I SAID, 'THEY'LL BE SO GLAD. 50:22 YOU JUST COME BACK.' 'BUT I'M NOT A MEMBER.' I SAID, 'IT 50:26 DOESN'T MATTER.' I SAID, 'YOU JUST COME BACK.' AND I DID 50:28 EVERYTHING I COULD TO JUST REASSURE THEM THAT PEOPLE WOULD 50:34 REJOICE TO SEE THEM COME BACK - FAMILY WOULD REJOICE TO SEE THEM 50:37 COME BACK. PEOPLE, SOMETIMES, WOULD PREFER 50:41 TO STAY OUT THERE IN THE PIGPEN - IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT 50:44 ALL. THE ONE WHO IS THE YOUNGER SON, HE COULD ALSO, SORT OF, 50:49 THE OLDER SON, HE KIND OF REPRESENTS THE JEWS. 50:55 YOU REMEMBER THE JEWS WERE REALLY GOING TO BE UPSET THAT 50:58 HERE THEY'D WORKED ALL THESE YEARS. 51:00 THEY'D STAYED WITH THE FARM, SO TO SPEAK, AND THE GENTILES, WHO 51:06 LEFT AT THE TOWER OF BABEL, THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE, 51:09 YOU KNOW, WORSHIPING PAGAN GODS. ALL OF A SUDDEN FOR THEM TO BE 51:12 GIVEN ALL THE PRIVILEGES OF JEHOVAH THAT THE JEWS HAVE BEEN 51:16 GUARDIANS OF THE TRUTH, THAT JUST DIDN'T SEEM FAIR. 51:19 YOU KNOW HOW MANY PARABLES JESUS TOLD THAT WERE LIKE THAT? 51:22 LIKE THE ONE WHO SHOWED UP IN THE VINEYARD AFTER - IN THE 11TH 51:26 HOUR - AND THE ONES WHO WERE THERE ALL DAY LONG WORKING, THEY 51:28 SAID, 'HOW DARE YOU PAY THEM AS MUCH AS US? 51:32 WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THE HEAT OF THE DAY.' AND SO THERE WAS A 51:35 REAL STRUGGLE FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL WHEN GOD SAID TO THE 51:38 GENTILES, 'YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO ALL OF THE 51:44 PRIVILEGES OF GOD AND SALVATION AS ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB.' 51:48 THEY SAID, 'WHAT? WE'RE FIRST. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? 51:50 WE DID ALL THIS WORK. WE'VE GONE THROUGH ALL THESE 51:54 STRUGGLES.' AND SO JESUS TOLD A 51:57 NUMBER OF PARABLES TO ILLUSTRATE THAT. 51:59 THIS ONE COULD ALSO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT WAY. 52:00 WE'RE OUT OF TIME, FRIENDS. 52:02 WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER WE'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT, IT'S 52:05 CALLED THE HIGH COST OF THE CROSS . 52:07 WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU JUST FOR ASKING, OR YOU CAN CALL 52:09 866-788-3966 AND ASK FOR OFFER #156. 52:15 YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE ON THE INTERNET. 52:18 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STUDYING WITH US AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD 52:21 TO STUDYING WITH YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 52:26 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 52:32 >>YOU KNOW, WE GREW UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD UP IN THE MIDWEST 52:37 THAT WAS A PRETTY BAD NEIGHBORHOOD. 52:40 AND WHEN I BECAME A TEENAGER I STARTED USING DRUGS. 52:44 I WAS ON - I STARTED USING METH WHEN I WAS LIKE, I THINK, 52:47 SIXTEEN - FIFTEEN - SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I WAS HAVING SOME 52:50 PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH. 52:53 THE ONLY THING I REALLY KNEW WAS VIOLENCE SO THIS NIGHT HERE I 52:59 WAS GOING TO INFLICT VIOLENCE ON MYSELF. 53:02 I WAS REALLY HIGH AND REALLY DEPRESSED SO I TOOK - YOU KNOW, 53:06 I HAD THIS .40 CALIBER. SO I REMEMBER I PUT ONE IN THE 53:09 CHAMBER AND I STUCK IT TO THE SIDE OF MY HEAD LIKE THIS AND 53:11 THAT GUN HAD A HAIR TRIGGER, YOU KNOW? 53:17 I REMEMBER I WAS TAPPING IT 'CAUSE A PART OF ME SAID, 'NO, I 53:21 DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.' BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY 53:25 EVIL PRESENT THERE SAYING, 'DO IT.' 53:27 I JUST SAID TO MYSELF, I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL SHOW 53:32 YOURSELF TO ME.' MY MOTHER TOOK ME TO CHURCH WHEN I WAS A LITTLE 53:37 KID AND WE USED TO SING JESUS LOVES ME AND I REMEMBERED THAT 53:42 SONG. IT STARTED PLAYING IN MY MIND. 53:45 AND I ALMOST HAD LIKE A VISION OF ME AS A LITTLE KID, YOU KNOW, 53:50 IN SABBATH SCHOOL WE USED TO BANG THOSE STICKS TOGETHER AND 53:59 SING JESUS LOVES ME AND I HEARD THAT IN MY MIND. 54:06 SO I SAID, 'WOW.' SO I JUST KIND OF LIKE 54:13 PUT THE GUN DOWN AND I KIND OF FELL ON MY BEDSIDE THERE AND I 54:17 SAID, 'LORD' - I JUST BASICALLY PRAYED THIS CRAZY PRAYER - I 54:23 SAYS - I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. 54:25 AND I REMEMBER ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AROUND, I KIND OF FELT 54:28 LOST, AND I DROVE BY THIS CHURCH AND I SEEN TOM OUT THERE. 54:31 TOM WAS JUST OUT THERE WATERING THE FLOWERS, YOU KNOW? 54:35 >>IT'S LIKE I CAUGHT A VISION OUT OF THE SIDE OF MY EYE. 54:38 THIS BIG, HUSKY GUY WITH TATTOOS WALKING UP AND SAYING 'HELLO' 54:45 AND I SAID - SO I ASKED IF I COULD HELP HIM AND HE TOLD ME 54:50 THAT HE DRIVES BY THE CHURCH ON OCCASION AND EVERY TIME HE GOES 54:56 BY HE'S THINKING THAT HE SHOULD STOP IN. 54:59 >>AFTER HE SHOWED ME AROUND THE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, 55:04 'OKAY, MAN, IT'S NICE MEETING YOU' AND THIS AND THAT. 55:08 SO I JUMPED IN MY CAR AND I STARTED HEADING DOWN THE 55:11 DRIVEWAY AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IN LIKE MY PERIPHERAL 55:15 VISION, I SEE HIM COMING AROUND THE CORNER LIKE JERRY RICE 55:18 RUNNING A FOOTBALL - NO, NOT THAT FAST, BUT YOU KNOW, HE WAS 55:24 TAKING OFF AFTER ME AND HE SAYS, 'HEY, HEY, HEY, HOLD ON.' 55:28 >>I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME BIBLE STUDIES AND 55:31 HE SAID, 'YEAH.' >>HE WOULD COME BY THE HOUSE. 55:34 WE'D ALL START - WE'D START HIDING THE BEER CANS AND TRYING 55:37 TO AIR OUT THE WEED SMELL. THERE WAS A PRESENCE THAT CAME 55:41 WITH TOM THAT WAS COMFORTING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 55:46 EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T TAKING THE BIBLE STUDIES AS SERIOUSLY AS I 55:50 SHOULD HAVE, LOOKING BACK, THERE WAS JUST A PRESENCE ABOUT HIM 55:54 BEING THERE IN THE HOUSE THAT WAS COMFORTING. 55:57 I TOLD TOM, I SAID, 'TOM, YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T WIN EVERYBODY.' 56:00 >>I LOOKED AT HIM AND I KNEW. 56:02 I SAID TO HIM, 'REUBEN, I NEVER GET ANYBODY.' I SAYS, 'THE HOLY 56:08 SPIRIT WILL DO THAT.' AND I KIND OF IN MY HEART KNEW THAT THE 56:14 HOLY SPIRIT WAS GOING TO WORK ON REUBEN. 56:17 >>SO THEN TOM KIND OF LEFT THE PICTURE FOR AWHILE. 56:20 AND THEN, I THINK, ONE DAY AT MY MOTHER'S HOUSE THEY WERE 56:22 WATCHING THE FINAL EVENTS IN BIBLE PROPHECY . 56:25 SO I WATCHED THAT AND I REMEMBER THE SCENE WHERE THEY HAD THE 56:32 HELLFIRE AND STUFF - YOU KNOW, THEY WERE OUTSIDE THE CITY AND 56:37 IT SHOWED THE HELLFIRE COMING DOWN AND BURNING PEOPLE AND 56:42 STUFF AND I REMEMBER SAYING TO MYSELF, 'THAT'S WHERE I WOULD 56:47 BE, RIGHT THERE.' AFTER THE HELLFIRE SCENE I SAW THE SAINTS 56:50 IN THE CITY AND THE NEW JERUSALEM AND JESUS RECREATING 56:56 THE EARTH AND I SAID, 'I WANT THAT TO BE MY - ME AND MY 57:06 FAMILY.' THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY DOUG PREACHED 57:09 AND THINGS THAT I FELT THAT TOUCHED ME. 57:11 BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF LIKE MYSELF, YOU KNOW, HE'S - HE 57:16 DIDN'T GROW UP LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE - 57:20 HE DONE DRUGS AND THINGS SO I KIND OF FOUND THESE COMMON 57:24 GROUNDS THAT I HAD WITH HIM AND I LIKED HOW HE JUST KIND 57:27 OF LIKE KEPT IT REAL WITH HIS PREACHING. 57:29 AND THEN PASTOR RODLEY CAME TO THE CHURCH AND I GOT TO KNOW HIM 57:34 VERY WELL AND WE STARTED DOING SOME FINISHING STUDIES. 57:39 HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS DOING AND 57:42 THINGS AND BAPTIZED ME. MY WIFE, MY BROTHER. 57:46 NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHERE 57:51 YOU'VE BEEN, NO MATTER HOW BAD OF A SINNER YOU THINK YOU ARE, 57:55 THE LORD JESUS LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 58:01 >>FRIENDS, IT'S BECAUSE OF GOD'S BLESSING AND YOUR SUPPORT, 58:04 THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, JUST LIKE REUBEN, HAVE FOUND JESUS AND 58:08 ETERNAL LIFE. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-06-03