Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP190022A
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00:01 The Bible tells us, "In the beginning was the Word,
00:04 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 00:08 It says to, 00:09 "Receive with meekness the implanted Word, 00:12 which is able to save your souls 00:14 and to be diligent 00:16 to present yourself approved to God, 00:18 rightly dividing the Word of truth." 00:21 Join us now for the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:25 Our study today is Family Seasons. 00:33 Hello, and welcome to another season, 00:36 another session, another lesson of 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:40 It's such a blessing to have each and every one of you 00:42 joining us again, and your support and viewership 00:46 is very, very important to us. 00:47 And we thank you for taking the time out to study with us 00:49 each and every week. 00:51 We're trucking along in this particular study. 00:54 This week we're lesson number nine. 00:56 And the title of this lesson is "Times of Loss." 01:00 And we're gonna do lots of studying 01:01 on this subject today. 01:02 But before we do, I'd like to take the time 01:04 just to introduce this wonderful panel. 01:06 Right here to my left is a good man 01:09 and a good Pastor, 01:11 Pastor John Lomacang. 01:13 Praise the Lord. 01:14 May all the glory go back to the Lord for the work 01:16 He's done in my life. 01:17 Amen. Praise the Lord. 01:18 And, of course, a good friend and my wonderful boss, 01:21 General Manager of 3ABN, Miss Jill Morikone. 01:24 Privileged to be here and study God's Word. 01:26 Amen. Praise the Lord. 01:28 And again, in a humble 01:29 and exciting preacher for the Lord, 01:32 Pastor Kenny Shelton, it's good to have you. 01:33 Lord is good. It's good to be here. 01:35 Amen. Praise the Lord. 01:36 And, of course, the lovely, Miss Shelley Quinn. 01:40 Thank you very much for saying that. 01:41 Amen. 01:43 You're a good person, I have to say that. 01:45 We're so thankful again that you could join us 01:47 and just to remind you 01:49 of how you can get a copy of this lesson, 01:51 you can actually access it online for free. 01:54 If you go to ABSG.Adventist.org, 01:58 just go on there 02:00 and you can access that for free 02:01 or just simply go to your 02:02 local Seventh-day Adventist Church. 02:04 And I encourage that one because there you can study 02:06 this lesson again with a small group, 02:09 large group, just with a group in general 02:11 and you can study more and learn more. 02:14 There's never, you can never study too much 02:15 of the Word of God. 02:17 That's right. That's right. 02:18 And I praise the Lord for the opportunity. 02:19 Before we get started on lesson nine, Times of Loss, 02:23 I would like to ask Brother Kenny Shelton 02:24 if you would pray for us. 02:25 Absolutely. Let's pray. 02:27 Shall we? 02:28 Our loving heavenly Father, 02:29 truly a privilege to come before Thee. 02:31 Lord, we submit ourselves into Thy care, Thy keeping, 02:34 asking, pleading for the power of Thy Holy Spirit 02:36 to illuminate Yourself in our hearts, in our minds, 02:39 in every viewer, every listener. 02:40 Lord, may we be directed to the cross of Calvary, 02:43 and may You be seen. 02:44 And we're gonna thank You in advance 02:45 for what You're going to do. 02:47 And we thank You, in Jesus' name, amen. 02:48 Amen. Amen, amen. 02:50 I would like to get right into our memory text 02:53 for this particular lesson. 02:54 It's found in Philippians 3:8, 02:59 so if you go there with me Philippians 3:8, 03:02 and the Bible says, "Yet indeed, 03:05 I also count all things loss for the excellence 03:09 of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, 03:13 for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, 03:17 and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." 03:21 Paul was a powerful man of faith. 03:24 And probably he was maybe second to Job, 03:27 maybe a couple of others, 03:29 he did experience a lot of loss in his life, 03:32 but I love that he may gain Christ. 03:34 It's such a blessing. 03:37 This particular study is dealing 03:39 with different aspects of life in which we feel like 03:42 we have lost someone or something 03:44 from within our family, within our relationships. 03:46 We're gonna talk about, you know, loss of health. 03:49 We're gonna talk about loss of trust. 03:51 In fact, I think, Pastor Lomacang and Jill 03:53 is gonna take on two different topics on that 03:56 or the same topic with two different sessions and, 03:58 Pastor Kenny, loss of...? 04:02 Loss of freedom and then, Miss Shelley, loss of...? Life. 04:03 Loss of life. 04:05 All of these are major aspects of the human experience. 04:08 And my particular lesson, I'm gonna get right 04:11 into Sunday's lesson, which is loss of health. 04:18 Just to kind of set this up, you know, Adam and Eve 04:21 would probably be the best example of this 04:23 in a sense that, 04:24 you know, they came from a perfect, uncorrupted, 04:28 uninterrupted relationship with Christ. 04:31 But, of course, when sin came into the picture, 04:33 they more than anyone saw the greatest loss 04:37 then you and I could ever begin to fathom 04:39 because they lost it all literally. 04:41 And had, I mean, just the pain, 04:45 and the suffering, and the dying of the land, 04:47 the dying of the earth, the animals, and, of course, 04:50 even loved ones in the loss of people around them. 04:53 Such a tragic thing, but Sunday's lesson entitled 04:55 Loss of Health, such an important aspect 04:58 that I think require some reflection. 05:01 This was written in the lesson 05:03 and it was so good that I had to copy it. 05:04 And I had to put it in here myself. 05:07 The lesson says, "As difficult as the loss of health is, 05:12 how much more painful when it strikes, 05:15 not just ourselves, but someone in our own family. 05:21 That's tough. 05:22 How many parents have especially 05:25 as they have dealt with an ill child 05:29 wished it had been them, 05:32 the parent who was sick instead of the child? 05:36 Unfortunately, we're not given that choice." 05:39 And that, you know, actually, I can relate to this 05:41 to a certain extent 05:42 because at the beginning of this year, 05:45 my mom was in, went into the hospital 05:48 for a rather serious procedure. 05:51 And she has been in the hospital for a while, 05:53 in fact, at this moment she's still in the hospital. 05:56 And, I mean, she has been through so much, 05:59 but I remember I was there, when she went in 06:01 for this procedure and I could just see it 06:03 on her face, I could just see it in her body language, 06:05 she was disturbed because the doctors 06:07 had told her this is not simple life procedure, 06:11 anything could happen. 06:13 And the reconstructive surgery that she had on her body 06:15 did take a lot from her 06:17 but she made it through the surgery, 06:18 but I remember when she came 06:19 out of the surgery, 06:21 I was watching her lay on that bed 06:23 and she was just moaning and groaning in pain, 06:26 and, I mean, I just felt this sense of discomfort 06:30 come over my body, my mind was not at ease 06:33 and I remember thinking to myself, 06:34 "Man, I wish that I could take my mother's pain." 06:38 Such a sad situation I have to deal with 06:41 to see someone else suffering, you know, instead of yourself. 06:45 You know, a lot of times 06:46 we can suffer but we can't handle, 06:48 you know, others that we love to see them suffering. 06:50 And that's a great example, 06:52 we find many examples in the scripture 06:54 that I would just like to show 06:56 just a couple of them right now. 06:57 Let's start in Mark 5:22-24. 07:01 And, of course, these examples I believe are given to us 07:04 in scripture because these are real life situations. 07:07 This is not a fairy tale, people in the biblical times 07:10 and during the time of Christ 07:12 dealt with this same situation, but I assure you there is hope. 07:16 Mark 5:22-24. 07:20 The Bible says, "And behold, 07:22 one of the rulers of the synagogue came, 07:24 Jairus by name. 07:27 And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 07:30 and begged Him earnestly, saying, 07:33 'My little daughter lies at the point of death. 07:37 Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, 07:42 and she will live.' 07:44 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude 07:47 followed Him and thronged Him.'" 07:49 You can also find in Luke 4:38-39. 07:54 Another example, of course, Luke 4:38-39 says, 08:00 "Now He arose from the synagogue 08:02 and entered Simon's house. 08:04 But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, 08:09 and they made request of Him concerning her. 08:13 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, 08:16 and it left her. 08:17 And immediately she arose and served Him." 08:22 Now we don't have time to read the rest of these, 08:24 but you can go on to read Mark 5:35-43. 08:28 Another example, Matthew 15:22-28. 08:34 Another example, John 4:46-54. 08:39 Yet another example. 08:40 And it's interesting when you read 08:42 all of these passages that we've mentioned here, 08:44 there's a common denominator, 08:46 there's a common theme, and that is people 08:48 coming to Jesus pleading on behalf of another ill, 08:52 or dying, or sick family member. 08:55 You know, loss of health is a major issue in this life. 09:01 It's inevitable that every single one of us 09:03 will die at some time. 09:04 And most of the time, maybe not all the time, 09:06 it's due to a serious illness, disease of some sort. 09:10 We suffer because we live in a fallen world. 09:13 And in core, sin indeed brought death. 09:15 But with that death package came also chronic pain, 09:21 and illness, and disease, degradation, dissipation, 09:25 discomfort, and decomposition. 09:28 And so we can see the effects that sin has brought 09:31 into this world and with that often comes 09:33 a loss of health. 09:35 In fact, you know, I've heard many people over the time say, 09:38 you know what? 09:39 There's few things that I care about my life 09:40 and among that list is, you know, I'm glad 09:43 and I'm thankful that I have my health. 09:45 And so that is a very, very important thing. 09:48 And so often, many of us, we are in such a serious, 09:52 hurting situation that we find ourselves crying out 09:55 exactly what Jesus cried out upon the cross. 09:57 In fact, I'm gonna reflect this from Psalms 22:1, 10:01 through David. 10:02 He's saying and repeating 10:03 the words of Jesus upon the cross, 10:05 while Christ was suffering, He cries out, "My God, My God, 10:09 why have You forsaken me? 10:10 Why are You so far from helping Me?" 10:12 And from the words of my groaning, 10:15 many of us feel like that, 10:16 in this lifetime experiencing pain 10:18 and discomfort, sorrow, disease and, of course, loss of health. 10:24 It always seems like, Lord, do You not hear my prayers, 10:26 Jesus felt that same thing. 10:28 And, of course, God does hear us. 10:30 You know, it makes me think of another instance. 10:33 Not too long ago, my lovely wife, Stephanie, 10:36 she, very slowly but surely over a period of time, 10:41 she took on a case of anxiety, she was having panic attacks 10:44 and anxiety. 10:45 Now some people wouldn't really consider that 10:47 to be an illness or a loss of health, 10:50 but it really, really indeed mental health 10:53 is vitally important for full body health. 10:56 And she was experiencing this 10:57 and I saw in many, many times her struggle. 11:00 And again, it was in that situation, 11:02 I wish that I could just trade places with her 11:04 because to see my wife suffering from this, 11:06 it was overtaking her. 11:08 But praise the Lord, there was an answer. 11:10 We were able to send her to Dr. Neil Nedley's program 11:12 and she learned the wonderful principles and truth 11:15 that she needed in order to bounce back from that. 11:18 And it was just such a powerful witness to see that, 11:20 again, this particular message is not a message 11:23 on the principles of health and how to practice health. 11:25 But again, she did that 11:27 and she was able to come out of it. 11:28 But some people, you know, it's just inevitable. 11:31 It's truthful that you can live the healthiest life, 11:33 many people live a very healthy, 11:35 disciplined life, and yet, 11:36 they still end up with experiencing 11:39 a loss of health that ends up harming them, 11:41 or hurting them, or ultimately claiming their life. 11:45 You know, we have some 11:47 wonderful counsels in scripture on this. 11:50 James 1:2-4, I had to add this one in here 11:54 because it really helps us to understand that 11:57 when we're experiencing trials, 11:59 and I tell you one of the worst trials 12:01 you could possibly experience is the loss of health 12:04 going through a situation like that. 12:05 Notice what James writes here, he says, "My brethren," 12:08 and as difficult as this may be, 12:10 "count it all joy when we fall into various trials, 12:14 knowing that the testing of your faith 12:16 produces patience." 12:18 You know, nothing is more stronger 12:19 than to see someone suffering. 12:21 But through that experience, that person is suffering, 12:23 say, Lord, I know You know what's best. 12:25 I trust in You. 12:27 And that's hard. That's hard to do. 12:28 We know that, that's difficult. 12:30 It says, "But let patience have its perfect work, 12:33 that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." 12:38 Christ sympathizes with us. 12:40 Amen. 12:41 If there's anyone who can say I've suffered, 12:44 I've experienced a loss of health, Jesus Christ. 12:47 Right here, I love this text found in 1 Peter 3:18. 12:51 It says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, 12:54 the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, 12:57 being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit." 13:00 My friends, if you are experiencing loss of health, 13:03 or whatever the trial may be in your life, look to Jesus, 13:06 the author, the finisher of your faith 13:08 because He has experienced it all, 13:10 He holds the answers. 13:11 And, of course, I'm just glad I can count on Him. 13:13 Amen. Amen. 13:15 You know, I just want to really quickly 13:16 in the closing moments, you know, 13:17 I've had an experience my own self, you know, 13:19 I haven't always practice good health. 13:22 And it's my responsibility to do so. 13:25 But I recently, as I mentioned earlier, 13:27 I recently found myself surrendering 13:29 that over to Jesus, 13:30 I said, Lord, I'm ready, no matter what the cost, 13:33 no matter what the case, 13:34 I'm ready to turn this over to You once and for all. 13:36 I attended the Black Hills Health and Education Center 13:39 in South Dakota. 13:40 And I'm telling you, it's transformed my life. 13:42 But, you know, with that learning 13:43 those biblical principles of health, 13:45 and now experiencing this transformation, 13:47 as slow as it may be, you know, I can put my faith 13:51 in Christ knowing that if I were to die tomorrow, 13:53 no matter what the case, I have Him to look forward to 13:56 and the next thing I'm gonna see 13:58 when I opened my eyes 13:59 is Jesus coming in the clouds of glory. 14:01 We have hope that one day He's gonna wipe away all tears, 14:04 He's gonna take away all pain, there will be no more pain. 14:08 And behold, He says, I make all things new. 14:12 Amen. Amen. 14:13 Thank you, Pastor Ryan. 14:15 Wow, this lesson is loss, loss, loss, loss, 14:18 but we're gonna find out, it's also gonna be about gain. 14:22 Loss is the beginning of a situation. 14:25 Gain is the end of it. 14:27 Things that begin one way 14:29 through Christ can end another way. 14:31 So while we're talking about loss, 14:33 you ended your statement by saying gain. 14:36 And the passage you talked about in Philippians, 14:39 I count all things loss that I may gain. 14:41 Gain Christ. 14:43 So lost sometimes is how situations begin 14:45 and mine is "Loss of Trust." 14:48 May 27, am I correct? 14:50 And that's lesson number nine. 14:51 I want to share a couple of thoughts that are a part 14:54 of the context of the lesson. 14:55 The writer of this lesson did a very good job 14:58 and the topic of the loss of trust is one 15:00 that we're gonna be dealing 15:01 with from a different perspective. 15:03 I'll deal with it from the relational, 15:04 sometimes marital loss of trust and the dysfunction 15:08 that happens when trust is eroded, 15:11 but also how to recover that trust. 15:13 That's good. 15:15 The writer says, "We are all sinful." 15:17 Well, that's right. 15:20 Romans 3:23. That's right. 15:22 "Dysfunctional people 15:24 who at some time will prove ourselves 15:26 to be untrustworthy to someone who trusted us. 15:32 And who hasn't been the victim 15:33 of someone else's betrayal of our trust? 15:38 And, as hard as such a loss of trust can be, 15:41 it's always so much worse 15:43 when we betray, or are betrayed, 15:45 by a family member." 15:47 And the larger the family, the greater the opportunity 15:50 for somebody to and, you know, 15:52 sometimes the trust doesn't come early 15:54 'cause when your sibling sometimes, 15:56 you know, you can roll with it. 15:57 Children are more likely to forgive each other 15:59 when little things come on. 16:01 But the higher the stakes as life goes on, 16:05 the castle could teeter or totter on larger issues. 16:09 And sadly enough in relationships, 16:11 it could be anywhere from a person 16:14 fighting over the will when somebody has died. 16:17 It could be adultery on the part of a one spouse 16:20 or the other. 16:21 It could be the dysfunction 16:23 of not being able to trust another sibling 16:26 cause I've seen motives change in so many ways. 16:30 Either at the loss of a parent, motives immediately change. 16:34 When property is involved, motives change, 16:37 and the people that you thought you knew, 16:39 you begin to see a different side of them 16:41 because they haven't stuck to that foundation 16:43 that was built earlier. 16:45 And he goes on further to say, 16:46 and the person who wrote this, 16:48 I'm assuming is a gentleman, 16:49 he says, "Sometimes it may seem 16:51 easier to cut our losses and run 16:52 when we decide the relationship 16:54 isn't worth the effort of rebuilding. 16:56 Of course, it's not so easy when it's a family member, 17:00 such as a spouse. 17:02 You could even say 17:03 that one of the purposes of marriage is to teach us 17:06 the lesson of how to rebuild trust 17:10 when it is broken." 17:11 So anything that's broken, 17:14 I watched a commercial. 17:16 I said the other day, but it could have been 17:18 a long time ago. 17:19 And all of a sudden a gorilla showed up in the commercial. 17:22 And the guy was trying to fix his lawnmower. 17:24 And he gave him this tape. 17:26 It's called gorilla strength tape. 17:28 And he put it on this very vibrating lawnmower 17:31 and held it together. 17:32 A lot of times we're trying to fix things 17:35 with other things that are weak. 17:36 That's good. 17:37 We're using human principles to try to fix human problems. 17:41 But we know that for Christians, 17:44 whatever the challenge may be, 17:46 whatever the loss of trust may be, 17:48 wherever it happens, whether in families, 17:50 among siblings, among people that we work with, 17:52 among spouses, among people that are living in your home, 17:56 or you might say I gave you my car, 17:58 look at what you did to it. 17:59 And then people could turn around and say, 18:01 "Well, I'm not gonna give you anything, 18:02 you gave me the car, it's now on you." 18:04 I mean, seeing so many situations happen 18:06 where a loss of trust has come in. 18:08 But what I wanna do is, 18:10 at start I'm gonna bring out some principles here, 18:11 four major principles. 18:13 But I'm also going to say whatever has been fractured, 18:18 whatever has been broken, wherever betrayal has come in. 18:24 The Lord is a God who restores, 18:26 and who also rebuild. 18:27 Absolutely. 18:29 And that's sometimes we forget, and these principles 18:31 that we're gonna be talking about and these scriptures 18:33 that we're gonna be talking about and building upon 18:36 will help us to see that in spite of where you are 18:38 or where you were, there's a journey 18:41 that can lead you to a better place. 18:42 Amen. Let's look at the first one. 18:46 1 Peter 5:6-7. 1 Peter 5:6-7. 18:51 This is a passage that applies to if there are two people 18:54 I'm gonna just use a scenario of two individuals, 18:56 or any two individuals that are in a situation 18:59 where a loss of trust has come in, 19:00 the first thing we have to do. 19:02 It says in 1 Peter 5:6-7. 19:04 Do you have had that, Jill? I do. 19:05 Okay, read that verse 6. 19:06 "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 19:09 that He may exalt you in due time, 19:12 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 19:15 The first thing that has to happen is humility. 19:17 On both parts because the first thing 19:19 that happens oftentimes when loss of trust comes in, 19:22 is we both seek to win our argument. 19:25 We win our point and both arguments 19:27 could be very, very valid. 19:29 One could be saying, "This is why 19:30 a trust has been broken." 19:32 The other one say this is what I can't do 19:33 because trust has been broken, 19:34 and we want to win on our platform, 19:37 and the steam gets warm. 19:39 I mean, if you've been married as long as I have, 19:42 you never get to 35 years before 19:43 unless you've gone through some of these geysers. 19:46 And that's why I said longevity is the best indication 19:49 of what God can do in any marriage relationship. 19:51 Amen. 19:53 First of all, be humble before one another. 19:55 And when your humility requires the issue being addressed 20:00 because with every issue, there are emotions, 20:03 never try to delegitimize an emotion 20:06 because an emotion is very real. 20:08 Somebody might say, well, this is how I feel. 20:10 And the other person might say, well, this is how I feel. 20:12 And don't try to delegitimize either emotion. 20:14 But don't let emotion be the final stage, 20:17 emotions come like the ride, you may be on a downward side 20:21 of the ride on a roller coaster. 20:23 I mean, that's a serious feeling. 20:24 And you'll have to deal with that 20:26 after you get off the ride. 20:27 But somewhere along the way, 20:28 your equilibrium will return and will be restored. 20:31 If your relationship is going through that up and down, 20:33 you're gonna get the feelings that are gonna change 20:35 in the rise and fall of the challenge 20:37 you're going through. 20:39 But when you get off that ride, 20:41 the equilibrium of a good relationship 20:43 will be established 20:44 and you'll have a solid foundation. 20:46 So begin with humility. 20:47 And then also that humility means 20:50 you're willing to be exalted. 20:52 You're willing to put your hand 20:53 and you're willing to put your situation 20:55 in the hand of the Almighty God. 20:57 That's good. 20:59 Because when you're not humble, 21:00 you're putting it in your own hand. 21:01 But when you're humble, 21:03 you're being led by the almighty hand of God. 21:06 And then you can cast your cares. 21:09 And the word cares, I'll use another word here, 21:11 you can cast your concerns. 21:13 Rather than shooting concerns back and forth, 21:16 you can cast all your cares on Him 21:18 because you know He cares for you. 21:20 That's right. 21:21 And then He can target and redirect each person 21:23 in that situation, 21:24 to bring about a resolution 21:25 that will be for a restoration, 21:28 both individuals who are broken at one point, 21:30 and then the glory of God to be reflected again 21:32 through each person. 21:34 Second one. 21:35 Let's go to 1 John 4:18. 21:37 Rebuild your love to eradicate your fear. 21:40 Rebuild your love to eradicate your fear. 21:43 1 John 4:18. 21:46 Do you have that, Shelley? Yes. 21:47 "There is no fear in love, 21:48 but perfect love casts out fear, 21:51 because fear involves torment. 21:54 But he who fears has not been made perfect 21:57 in love." 21:59 The two most powerful forces on earth is fear and love. 22:03 That's right. That's good. 22:05 Because if one, it wouldn't be in this... 22:06 It wouldn't be as a contrast. 22:09 It doesn't say death 22:10 because love is stronger than death. 22:13 But fear and love are contenders. 22:16 They want the same stage, you've got to decide 22:19 which one is gonna be on your stage. 22:21 One is gonna keep you a slave, 22:24 the other one is gonna set you free. 22:26 That's good. 22:27 And not just set you free but make you free. 22:30 Because when love is involved, that's why the Bible says 22:34 we have no fear in the judgment 22:35 because love has been perfected among us. 22:37 Another passage, 22:39 when love takes the place of fear, 22:41 fear loses love wins. 22:43 And because love is God, 22:46 both individuals 22:48 when my wife and I have instituted 22:49 a particular principle, 22:50 we both win together or we both lose together. 22:55 But don't insinuate that at the very beginning 22:57 because sometimes you said do you wanna win? 22:58 Do you want to lose? 23:00 Sometimes you don't even deal with the issues, right? 23:02 That's right. 23:04 That you want to just get to the end result. 23:05 As painful as it may seem, let me give you a advice, 23:09 walk through the issues, 23:12 address what has happened. 23:13 That's good. 23:15 Only then can you recognize 23:16 where those things have gone wrong 23:18 and then come to a resolution, 23:20 then the perfect love will cast out 23:22 the obviously terrible fear. 23:25 The third one, James 5:16. 23:27 I'll say this in the interest of time, 23:29 "Confess and pray to facilitate healing. 23:31 Confess your trespasses to one another, 23:33 and pray for one another, 23:34 that you may be healed. 23:36 The effective, 23:37 fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." 23:39 A lot of times we get into situations 23:41 and we try to approach them psychologically, 23:43 when you pray for one another, 23:44 when you confess to one another, 23:46 you work for resolution between one another. 23:49 Don't tell other people what you are going through 23:52 'cause they can't help. 23:54 Bring it before you and the Lord 23:55 because only as both of you are committed, 23:58 then you can find resolution. 23:59 And finally, forgive each other as God has forgiven you. 24:03 Matthew 6:14-15, 24:05 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, 24:07 your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 24:09 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, 24:11 neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 24:14 A powerful four point and I have some more stuff 24:16 on the wrap up. 24:18 But, Jill, I'll throw it to you. 24:19 Ryan. 24:20 Actually, you're gonna throw it back here to me. 24:22 You're right. 24:23 I'm throwing it to you, my Brother. 24:25 I have done that so many times. That's okay. 24:26 The Word of God is so powerful but actually... 24:29 Please don't go anywhere 24:30 because we're gonna take a short break, 24:31 we'll be back. 24:37 Ever wish you could watch 24:39 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 24:41 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:44 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com. 24:49 A clean design makes it easy 24:51 to find the program you're looking for. 24:54 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide, 24:57 so you can follow along. 24:59 Sharing is easy. 25:00 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 25:03 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 25:10 It's good to have you back here with us. 25:12 We're going to continue with our study 25:14 on Loss of Trust with Jill. 25:16 Thank you, Ryan, what an incredible study 25:19 each one of you gave to this with that loss. 25:21 But yet the gain that we can have, 25:23 I love that, Pastor John, through Christ Jesus. 25:25 Loss of Trust continued. 25:27 We're talking on my lesson 25:29 on Tuesday's here on "Healing from Abuse" 25:32 that takes place in the home. 25:34 The home is the most sacred space. 25:36 Amen. Would you say that's true? 25:37 It's the place where we're supposed 25:39 to feel the safest, 25:40 the most protected, cherished, and loved. 25:44 But yet, sometimes because of sin 25:48 and people making choices against God, 25:50 the home becomes the place 25:52 where abuse and violence is perpetuated. 25:57 Here's some statistics on spousal abuse 26:00 or you could say they call it 26:02 this is just how Google does it, 26:04 intimate partner, but we're not even sure 26:06 we like those words. 26:07 But this would be someone that you live with, 26:09 whether it's a spouse, or they're probably 26:12 also saying maybe people that you live with that 26:14 you're not married to. 26:15 Twenty people per minute are physically abused 26:19 in the United States. 26:21 Twenty people per minute, that's in the family dynamics. 26:26 One in three women and one in four men 26:30 have experienced some form of physical violence 26:34 by an intimate partner or by a spouse. 26:36 This is violence such as slapping, 26:38 or shoving, or pushing. 26:41 One in four women and one in seven men 26:43 have been victims of more severe forms 26:46 of physical violence such as beating, 26:48 and burning, and strangling. 26:50 I can't even imagine that. 26:52 One in five women and one in 71 men in the US 26:55 are raped in their lifetime. 26:58 Wow. This is heavy. 26:59 Now I would imagine it could be higher for the men, 27:03 there's probably a stigma 27:04 on both cases with even reporting this. 27:07 Half of the victims were raped by somebody that they knew. 27:11 And of those half, some of it took place 27:14 within the context of family. 27:18 What about kids? 27:19 Kids grow up witnessing domestic violence 27:23 in the home. 27:24 Living with domestic violence alters the child's DNA. 27:29 It prematurely ages them at least 7 to 10 years. 27:33 So if a child witnesses domestic violence 27:36 between their mom and dad in the home, 27:39 it ages them. 27:41 Children who grew up with domestic violence 27:43 are six times more likely to commit suicide, 27:46 50% more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, 27:49 74% more likely to commit a violent crime 27:54 against someone else. 27:57 Violence or assault takes many forms. 28:00 It could be physical. It could be verbal. 28:02 It could be emotional. It could be sexual. 28:04 It could even be neglect of a child 28:07 that is in your home 28:09 or neglect of your spouse. 28:11 We know in the Bible, there's examples of abuse 28:13 that take place in the Bible as well. 28:15 All a result of sin. 28:17 So I don't know where you are today. 28:21 Maybe you're right now listening to this program 28:24 or watching it and you are living in a home 28:27 where you're being abused. 28:28 Whether you're male or female, it happens on both sides. 28:32 I wanna give you some keys, seven keys to remember. 28:37 One, this is a quote from the lesson, 28:39 there is no excuse for abuse. 28:42 Abusive behavior is the conscious choice 28:44 of a person to exercise power and control over another. 28:48 It cannot be explained or excused by alcoholism, 28:52 stress, the need to fulfill sexual desires, 28:55 the need for better control of anger, 28:57 or any behavior of the victim. 29:00 First, there's no excuse for abuse. 29:03 Second, God hates abuse. 29:07 Let's look at Proverbs. 29:09 Proverbs 11:5. 29:13 Proverbs 11:5, "The Lord tests," 29:18 or in Hebrew that word test means investigates, 29:21 "the righteous, but the wicked 29:24 and the one who loves violence," 29:26 what does it say? 29:27 "His soul hates." 29:30 God hates abuse. 29:33 Now, God does not hate the abuser 29:35 and I wanna be very clear about that. 29:37 There is redemption and there is hope 29:39 and healing for someone who is committing abuse. 29:44 However, God hates the abuse. 29:47 He can love the abuser while still hating the sin. 29:51 He hates the abuse. 29:53 Romans 13:10, "Love does no harm to a neighbor." 29:58 Or we could say a spouse or a child, 30:01 "Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." 30:04 The New Living Translation says, 30:06 "Love does no wrong to others, 30:08 so love fulfills the requirements of God's law." 30:12 So God does not condone abuse. 30:15 In fact, He hates abuse and violence. 30:18 Number three, abuse is the result of sin. 30:21 It's the result of the world that we live in. 30:24 That does not mean that everyone 30:26 who's a sinner is gonna go out 30:27 and commit abuse against someone 30:29 'cause there's different factors, okay? 30:31 But at the same time, 30:33 abuse came as a result of the enemy, 30:36 as a result of sin. 30:38 Proverbs 10:6, 30:41 "Blessings are on the head of the righteous, 30:44 but violence covers the mouth of the wicked." 30:49 So violence here is connected with wickedness. 30:53 Abuse is the result of sin. 30:55 Number four, if you're being abused, 30:57 or you were abused in the past, it is never your fault. 31:03 Here's a quote I wanna read to you 31:06 from Justin Holcomb's book. 31:08 I'm not, I'm saying we agree with every facet 31:10 'cause I haven't read the book. 31:12 But this quote I like. 31:13 It says, "No matter what kind of abuse 31:15 you have experienced, there is nothing you can do, 31:18 nothing you can say, nothing you think 31:21 that makes you deserving of it. 31:24 There is no mistake you could have made 31:26 and no sin you could have committed 31:28 to make you deserving of violence. 31:31 You did not deserve this, and it is never your fault. 31:36 You did not ask for this. 31:37 You should not be silenced. 31:39 You are not worthless. 31:40 You do not have to pretend like nothing happened. 31:43 You are not damaged goods, forgotten, or ignored by God 31:47 or getting what you deserve." 31:49 God says, He has a plan for our lives, 31:51 a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. 31:54 A plan to give us a future and a hope. 31:58 Number five, God can bring deliverance 32:01 in the midst of an abusive situation. 32:04 2 Samuel 22:47-49. 32:07 2 Samuel 22:47-49, "The Lord lives! 32:12 Blessed be my rock! 32:15 Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation! 32:19 It is God who avenges me, 32:21 and subdues the peoples under me. 32:24 He delivers me from my enemies. 32:26 You also lift me up above those who rise up against me." 32:29 And now listen to this. 32:31 "You have delivered me from the violent man." 32:36 God is the one who brings deliverance. 32:38 That's right. 32:39 Sometimes that deliverance comes to a divine intervention, 32:42 God intervening, 32:43 I have seen that happen in those situations 32:46 on the behalf of the person who's been abused. 32:48 Sometimes it comes through God helping the person 32:51 make a choice to leave the abuser 32:55 and seek protection and safety. 32:57 Sometimes that happens through outside intervention. 33:00 Maybe a neighbor, or a friend, or a family member, 33:04 or someone willing to step into that situation 33:08 and to help rescue that person. 33:10 Number six, God longs to bring healing. 33:14 Luke Chapter 4. 33:15 This is I think one of my favorite scriptures. 33:17 This is Jesus at Nazareth standing up to read 33:21 and He read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. 33:24 Luke 4:18, 33:26 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 33:29 because He has anointed Me 33:31 to preach the gospel to the poor." 33:34 In Greek, the word for poor 33:36 is one who crouches or cowers. 33:40 One who is deeply destitute. 33:43 So we read that and we think okay, 33:44 people who are poor but people who are abused 33:47 crouch and cower. 33:50 True. 33:51 He has anointed me to preach the gospel 33:53 to you to those people who deal with that. 33:56 "He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted," 33:59 the word for broken means literally 34:00 to break by crushing. 34:03 "He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 34:04 to proclaim liberty to the captives, 34:07 recovery of sight to the blind, 34:10 to set at liberty those who are oppressed." 34:13 The word for liberty means pardon and forgiveness. 34:16 He came not only to bring healing, 34:18 but to enable us to forgive those who have abused us. 34:23 And finally, number seven, God can restore. 34:28 I love that promise where it says 34:30 God redeems the years 34:32 that the locust has eaten, 34:33 but that's not the scripture I was gonna read you. 34:35 This scripture is Jeremiah 30:17. 34:41 God speaking, He says, "I will restore health to you 34:43 and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord, 34:46 'because they called you an outcast saying, 34:48 this is Zion, no one seeks her.' " 34:51 So I just wanna make a special appeal to you. 34:53 If you're in the midst of a relationship, 34:56 if your home has abused in the midst of it, 34:59 you are not alone. 35:01 God can bring healing and restoration, 35:03 it is not your fault. 35:06 And God can bring deliverance to you 35:08 in the midst of that situation. 35:09 Amen. Amen. 35:11 Well done. 35:12 Praise the Lord, you know, all these losses, 35:13 and I like to hear the loss and gain, 35:15 you know, loss and gain. 35:16 And then we're talking about "Loss of Freedom." 35:19 That's in our Wednesday's lesson. 35:21 There's an awful lot to cover on these things. 35:23 And it's just almost like mind-boggling 35:25 because people relate to these things 35:27 because of family and friends and people that we love. 35:30 And we see him go through a lot of different things, 35:32 but maybe start with like a question, 35:34 you know, like it. 35:36 Is it really possible to enjoy your freedom of choice? 35:41 We kind of taut that, 35:42 we thank God for the freedom of choice, 35:44 but at the same time 35:46 that we're in some kind of a bondage 35:47 that we don't even realize 35:48 that we're in 35:50 because I think it's Romans talks about there, 35:51 Romans 6:16 says, 35:54 "To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, 35:57 His servants ye are to whom ye obey." 36:01 So it comes down pretty, 36:02 you know, sometimes we can be addicted to things 36:04 that we don't even realize that we're addicted to, 36:07 and it results in a loss. 36:10 Millions of people were, you know, 36:12 you can do some statistics 36:13 and get on different things and you've... 36:15 Millions, millions of people are struggling with loss. 36:19 Listen, and we're talking about the loss of the freedom's here, 36:21 it is talking about from their whole life, 36:23 their family because of addiction, 36:25 some kind of addiction 36:27 that's completely tears the family, 36:28 completely apart. 36:30 It's interesting that scientists can tell us 36:32 now as they look at the part of the brain, 36:35 they actually said they can spot 36:36 the part of the brain that tells where the cravings 36:40 actually come from and the desires are located. 36:44 You know, that's in itself 36:45 is not really even the cure all. 36:47 That's nice to know that you can look 36:49 and you say this part of the brain 36:51 says this is cravings, this is desire, 36:52 and so on. 36:54 And it's gonna take more than that. 36:56 It's gonna take more where everybody's been talking about, 36:58 an outside help, some heavenly help. 37:00 So, you know, any kind of an addiction affects 37:02 not only the addict, 37:05 but certainly affects the family. 37:07 Affects everybody that you're around 37:09 or by that's close to them. 37:11 And, you know, the question be what makes a person an addict? 37:15 You know, where does it come to the point 37:16 to where you're practicing something, 37:18 doing something else that now you are an addict, 37:21 you know, it's simpler here would be 37:23 a habitual process, 37:25 you know, the natural use or the use 37:28 or abuse of something. 37:30 And so it's an abuse somewhere along the line, 37:33 we might be taking something natural 37:34 and might be helping us we have a headache, 37:36 we have this, we have that and then all of a sudden 37:39 we can't do without it anymore. 37:41 And all of a sudden we're hooked on this thing. 37:43 You know, may come to even a point 37:45 that a person knows that it's hurting them. 37:48 But they've come to a point that they cannot seem 37:49 to gain the victory from that. 37:52 2 Peter 2:19 tells us this, 37:54 it says, "While they promise them liberty, 37:57 they themselves are servants of corruption." 38:00 Now that's 2 Peter 2:19, 38:02 "For of whom a man is overcome, 38:05 of the same he has bought," what? 38:08 "Into bondage." Interesting. 38:10 So an interesting thought, when a person is brought... 38:13 You think about when a person is held captive 38:15 and that's why I think this is we're talking 38:17 about held captive by who? 38:19 By the enemy. Absolutely. 38:20 So everything that person has everything 38:24 that he will ever have, 38:26 the enemy takes control of that too. 38:29 It's not just the body as it were, 38:31 not just the mind, it's everything 38:33 because he's taken complete control on that. 38:35 And, you know, example, 38:38 you know, we're talking about creation. 38:40 Adam was given, what? 38:41 Was he given dominion? He was. 38:42 He was given dominion over this the earth here 38:46 by yielding to temptation. 38:48 He was brought under the power of Satan 38:51 and certainly this world, 38:52 Satan became the Bible says the god of what? 38:55 This world. The god of this world. 38:56 2 Corinthians 4:4. 38:59 I really can't leave it at that point, every time I say, 39:01 well, the enemy has won, he's taken over something, 39:03 you got to go on and let people know 39:05 that there's more to it than this, 39:06 you know, we can't leave it there 39:08 because we need to be reminded that, 39:11 you know, the first Adam, 39:13 the Bible talks about he failed, 39:15 but the second Adam did not fail. 39:17 That's right. Yeah. 39:18 He will not fail. 39:20 Micah 4:8 in the prophecy says, 39:22 the prophet says, "O tower of the flock," 39:25 Micah 4:8, "the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, 39:28 unto thee shall it come, 39:30 even the first dominion." 39:31 It's going to go back, praise God for that. 39:34 Paul said in Ephesians 1:4, 39:36 "He points forward to the redemption 39:39 of the purchased possession." 39:41 Psalms 37:29, it says, 39:42 "The righteous shall inherit the land, 39:45 and dwell there for evermore." 39:47 I mean, the good promises it may seem to be lost 39:49 for a time, but it's coming back. 39:50 It's gonna be given back to the saints. 39:52 Amen. 39:54 I looked at that, in my mind is that sin 39:57 and addiction are two different things. 40:00 They're both horrible if you think about it. 40:02 Sin and addiction are not necessarily 40:04 the same thing. 40:05 You can commit a sin 40:08 that you're not addicted to. 40:09 It's true. 40:10 You can commit a sin 40:12 that you're not really addicted to. 40:13 Even many times it does, 40:15 it turns out to be an addiction. 40:18 Certainly would be better to cry out before that point, 40:20 say, oh, God help me, right, have mercy on me 40:23 and cry out for that victory and certainly, 40:25 Christ can help us. 40:26 Galatians 5:24 brings this point up here. 40:29 It tells us, "And they that are Christ's 40:31 have crucified," we've read this before, 40:34 "have crucified the flesh," notice, 40:36 "within the afflictions or the passions and the lust." 40:40 So Wednesday's lesson's bringing out here something 40:42 very loss of freedom. 40:44 It challenges us with several Bible passages 40:47 and several texts and several questions 40:49 that we might have. 40:51 What are the things that lead people to addiction? 40:54 What are some of the things that lead? 40:56 Well, Luke 16:13 says, 40:58 "No," it starts out real plain. 40:59 "No servant can serve," Two masters. 41:01 "Two masters." 41:02 "No servant can serve two masters 41:04 'cause you cannot serve God and mammon." 41:08 Now the question comes back. 41:10 Is it possible to serve two masters? 41:13 It's not possible to do it because it's not possible 41:15 for me to say here and look at Brother Ryan 41:18 and look at Pastor John at the same time. 41:22 You have to refocus, at least I do. 41:25 Oh, you can see, you know, prayerfully you can see it. 41:28 No, I'm talking about the focus side eye, 41:30 you can't do that even with your eyes. 41:32 You can't serve two masters here at all. 41:34 You can't serve the wealth and the, 41:36 you know, the mammon of the world 41:37 become a slave 41:40 to that which captivates our time 41:42 and our energy and our mind. 41:43 Romans 6:16. 41:45 And we've read it before nevertheless it says, 41:47 "I know you not, that whom you yield 41:51 yourselves servants to," what? 41:52 Obey. Obey. 41:54 "Obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey, 41:57 whether of sin unto death or of obedience 42:00 unto righteousness." 42:02 I mean, to me that passage is read over and over and over 42:04 and it makes so much sense when you just really look 42:07 at know you not 42:09 because people are in denial. 42:11 Have you ever met someone that has different problems 42:14 was letting go different problems 42:16 causes loss in the home, 42:17 the family separation division, 42:19 and they'll say, I don't have that problem. 42:20 Yeah. 42:22 That's not an issue with me. 42:25 It doesn't have that kind of a hold on me. 42:27 And really, that it really does have a hold on you. 42:30 And they don't realize that it's taken over their life 42:32 and we're being obedient to that thing. 42:35 You know, one master notice this, 42:37 one lead you to the heavenly realm 42:40 and the other leads you to the hellish realm. 42:43 Think about it, one lead you toward things 42:46 that are up and one lead you toward things that are down. 42:49 We have to figure it out as we read the Word of God, 42:51 which way am I being led day by day by day? 42:54 Am I doing those things that please God 42:55 or am I doing those things 42:58 that I wanna please myself with. 42:59 Have I got caught up in something 43:01 that I'm not sure even what it really is? 43:03 And we've all said so many times 43:04 anything we put before God with really is our God 43:07 we know that. James 1:14-15. 43:12 This is so true, 43:14 "Every man when he is tempted..." 43:15 You know it well. 43:16 James 1:14-15, 43:18 "Every man when he is, what? Tempted. 43:20 "When he is tempted, 43:21 when he is drawn away by his own," 43:23 what is it? "Desires." 43:24 Well, the old saying used to be a lot of time, 43:26 remember, what was it the devil made me do it? 43:30 And the world, you know, 43:31 kept saying it the devil made me do it. 43:33 It's kind of like we make excuses for 43:35 but the Bible is very clear on it. 43:36 We talked about the principles of God's Word 43:38 become very clear. 43:39 "We're drawn away by our own lust, 43:42 our own desires." 43:43 We wanted it, we wanted to try it. 43:46 We wanted to be involved. We wanted it our way. 43:50 You know, and so when we went ahead 43:51 and we stepped out. 43:53 Bible says, "We're drawn away by his own lust. 43:55 He's enticed when lust hath conceived." 43:58 Lust comes into view here. And it brings forth what? 44:02 "Lust brings forth sin and sin when it is," what? 44:06 "Finished, brings forth death." 44:10 That just standard, we understand that standard. 44:13 The source of all temptation, then is man's craving 44:17 for that which is simply evil, interesting. 44:21 Message to young people 67, 44:23 closing up here in the last few seconds. 44:26 Said no man can be forced to transgress. 44:30 His own consent must be gained. 44:33 So we can't blame the pastor, we can't blame the elders, 44:36 we can't blame neighbors, and friends, 44:38 and moms, and dads. 44:40 We need to look deep within our own self. 44:43 What kind of life are we living? 44:45 If we're not living the right kind of life, 44:46 there's gonna be an awful lot of loss. 44:48 And not only loss 44:49 we're talking about in this world, 44:51 we're talking about the loss of heaven. 44:52 So I encourage people today to make the right choices, 44:54 make the right decision. 44:56 By the grace of God, 44:57 we can be free of this world, 44:59 free of all of these things that come our way. 45:03 And certainly we can be free indeed, 45:05 when we're free in Jesus Christ. 45:07 Paul said, I can do anything I wanna do. 45:09 Why? Because he's free in Christ. 45:11 Amen. Amen. 45:12 Thank you that is "Loss of Freedom." 45:15 Romans 6:16, is one of my favorite verses. 45:18 And I have Thursday's lesson, "Loss of Life." 45:22 In 1 Corinthians 15:26, 45:25 the Bible says something interesting. 45:26 It says the last enemy that will be destroyed 45:31 is death. 45:34 Death is an enemy. 45:37 It is reality we all must face unless Christ returns 45:42 during our life and translates us. 45:47 But when you think about this, you watch the news, 45:51 you hear about accidents, senseless killings, genocides, 45:56 wars, people get upset over the death of the pet, 46:00 the death of a sibling, or maybe a parent, 46:03 or the death of a child, or a spouse, 46:07 I think are two of the most difficult. 46:10 And I want to give you a promise 'cause sometimes 46:15 I just wanna make sure that I'm gonna give you 46:17 two promises actually. 46:18 Psalm 116:15. 46:21 Some people are like, "Where's God? 46:25 Why did my loved one die?" 46:28 Psalm 116:15 says, 46:31 "Precious in the sight of the Lord 46:34 is the death of His saints." 46:36 Don't think that God isn't there and isn't caring. 46:41 And if you've lost a spouse, hold on to this one. 46:44 Isaiah 54:5, "For your maker is your husband." 46:48 It mean, he's still saying I mean, 46:51 because Christ is the husband to the church. 46:54 This isn't just a promise for women 46:56 when it says your maker is your husband, 46:59 even men can say okay, I've still got a spouse. 47:04 I am still a spouse. 47:06 "The Lord of hosts is His name, 47:07 your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, 47:10 the God of the whole earth." 47:11 That's right. 47:13 Now when you think about death, to the terminally ill, 47:17 death sometimes is welcomed as a sweet relief. 47:21 I remember when my aunt Lola who was so vibrant 47:25 and active until she was like 92, 47:28 she fell, broke her pelvic bone 47:30 and no longer could be active and she kept telling me, 47:33 honey, when I die, she was never negative. 47:36 But she said, when I die, don't cry for me, 47:37 I'm ready to go. 47:39 And then right at the very end when she was 94, 47:43 it was something she wanted. 47:45 Death is the enemy though of those who are left behind. 47:51 Death is the enemy of the living. 47:54 You know, if you're a Christian and you died, 47:56 you just close your eyes and a sweet little sleep RIP, 48:00 rest in peace. 48:01 Next thing, you know, you open your eyes 48:03 and it's the resurrection. 48:05 You hear Jesus voice. 48:07 But for those who are left behind, 48:11 the emotional suffering of that loss is really, 48:15 when we lose a loved one, it's hard. 48:18 Who introduced death? Romans 5:12 tells us. 48:22 "Therefore, just as through the one man," 48:26 speaking of the first Adam, 48:27 that Adam from the Garden of Eden, 48:30 "sin entered the world and through that one man, 48:34 death through sin, thus death spread to all men 48:38 because all have sin." 48:40 But guess what? 48:41 The second man, the second Adam, Jesus Christ, 48:45 he came to destroy the sin and death. 48:49 So Hebrews 2:14 says this, "Inasmuch then 48:53 as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, 48:56 He Himself likewise shared in the same, 48:58 that through death He might destroy him, " 49:02 speaking of Jesus, "he might destroy him 49:05 who had the power of death, that is, the devil." 49:09 Jesus has got that keys, doesn't He to death and Hades 49:13 and release those who through fear of death 49:17 were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 49:21 The last great work of Jesus Christ when He returns 49:27 is the elimination of death. 49:29 The last enemy will be killed 49:31 and at that general resurrection, 49:33 when the believers come forward to everlasting life, 49:39 Christ is gonna reign over death's dominion. 49:43 That's right. So here is when this happens. 49:46 1 Corinthians 15:52-57, 49:51 in 1 Corinthians 15:52 it says, 49:54 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, 49:57 at the last trumpet," that's when? 50:00 When he's returning, "For the trumpet will sound, 50:02 and the dead will be raised incorruptible, 50:04 and we shall be changed. 50:07 For this corruption, this mortal body, 50:11 must put on incorruption, and this mortal, " 50:13 actually it says, "must put on immortality." 50:18 When do we put on immortality? At the last trumpet. 50:21 "So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, 50:25 this mortal has put on immortality, 50:29 then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 50:35 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 50:38 O Death, where is your sting? 50:41 O Hades the grave, where is your victory?" 50:45 So there is nothing that makes the resurrection 50:49 better news than knowing that the last enemy 50:53 that's gonna be destroyed is death. 50:56 Death doesn't have the final word, 50:58 Jesus Christ is going to do that. 51:01 And then you know what he says, 51:04 after He destroys this final enemy, 51:07 look at what Revelation 21:4 says, 51:12 Christ returns, He calls us to the resurrection 51:17 and then when everything is said and done, 51:21 Revelation 21:4, one of the promises 51:23 that we all wanna hold on to, is "God will wipe away 51:26 every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, 51:30 no more sorrow, nor crying. 51:32 There shall be no more pain, for the former things 51:37 have passed away." 51:40 In Isaiah 57, there is something 51:43 that I wanted to read to you. 51:46 Isaiah 57 lets us know 51:49 why some people may go to sleep 51:51 in Jesus early. 51:54 It says in verse 1, 51:56 "The righteous perishes, 51:59 and no one takes it to heart, 52:01 merciful men are taken away, 52:04 no one considers that the righteous 52:08 is taken away from evil. 52:12 He shall enter into peace 52:14 and rest in their beds, 52:18 each one walking in his uprightness." 52:23 So God sometimes allows people, 52:27 He knows the end from the beginning. 52:29 You know, you lose a child 52:32 and I can imagine crying outsaying, 52:34 "Oh, why Lord, why?" 52:37 In Him knowing the end from the beginning 52:40 in His foreknowledge, He may have let your child 52:42 go to sleep to avoid a horrible life. 52:46 But let's look at grief real quickly, 52:51 because this is a natural normal response to loss 52:56 and it's not, the grieving process 52:58 is not the same for everyone. 53:00 I do not mean to even indicate that 53:03 but, let's just look at some stages of grief. 53:06 They're shocked in denial because you know 53:09 shock is actually emotional protection 53:12 from something that's overwhelming. 53:16 I am going to forego the story, I was gonna tell him that, 53:20 just to get through this, but shock and denial 53:23 can be the initial stage of grieving, 53:28 hence often that'll last several months. 53:31 Then another stage of grieving 53:35 is just to be constantly absorbed 53:39 with thoughts of your loved ones. 53:40 You see them everywhere, you look and I mean, 53:43 everything reminds you of them. 53:44 This is a six, six months to a year they say. 53:48 But despairing depression can come in such a way that 53:55 it's most painful and protracted sign 54:00 or stage of grief. 54:02 I remember asking my Aunt Lola who was married 54:06 for over 55 years, 54:08 when my uncle died 54:09 she came out to me and said me about... 54:12 Oh, it was about 30 months after he died. 54:15 And I said, "How are you doing really?" 54:16 I talked to her weekly, 54:18 but she said, "Oh, honey, 54:20 it took a year to get my feet back under me 54:25 and another year to walk without wobbling." 54:29 And you know, I've talked to so many widows or widowers 54:33 who say, "That's about what it's like." 54:35 That first year is the hardest of any loss of a loved one. 54:41 Because you're going through the first 54:43 of all the holidays without them, 54:45 the first of the anniversary, 54:47 of the birthdays, 54:48 and the first time you go out 54:50 to your favorite restaurant without them. 54:52 Whatever it is, 54:54 but I just want to encourage you, 54:57 God is a God of all comfort 55:00 and eventually with time, 55:03 God will help draw back 55:07 that curtain of despair and grief 55:12 to reveal happy memories, 55:15 and to quote one poet, 55:19 "It is better to have loved and lost 55:22 than never to have loved at all." 55:25 Praise the Lord. Glory be to God. 55:27 Well, we are winding down, 55:29 we have just a couple of minutes left, 55:31 but I've figured we would just let the panel as usual, 55:34 give us some final thought. 55:35 We talked about loss of trust. 55:37 Ecclesiastes 7:8, "The end of a thing 55:42 is better than its beginning." 55:44 You know, I take therapy for my finger 55:46 and there's an acronym on the wall, 55:48 H-O-P-E-S on the wall, this is not like hope, 55:50 I'm going through pain. 55:52 It didn't mean hope, she said, it means hold on, pain ends. 55:56 That's good. 55:57 Praise the Lord, that's great, Pastor John. 55:59 Isaiah 57:19, God speaking, "Peace, peace to him 56:03 who is far off and to him who is near, says the Lord, 56:07 'And I will heal him.' " 56:09 So God wants to bring peace into your life again 56:13 after the brokenness and He wants to heal you. 56:16 Amen. 56:18 The Lord assures us that the battle is not ours 56:20 but the battle is His in 1 Samuel. 56:22 He also says in 1 Peter 1, "He promises victory." 56:25 So I wanna encourage people just quickly today, 56:28 today is the day that you begin your victory walk through Him, 56:31 through the blood of Jesus. 56:32 Amen. 56:34 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says that, "God is the God of comfort." 56:37 He comforts us and always, 56:39 so that we maketh comfort others 56:42 with the same comfort He gives us. 56:44 I cannot comfort a woman who has lost her child 56:49 as well as another woman 56:51 who's walked through that experience. 56:53 Let God use you to comfort those 56:56 who are bereaved. 56:58 Absolutely. 56:59 Thank you guys so much for that. 57:01 You know, I know this text has already been mentioned 57:03 a couple of times in this lesson, 57:04 but it just keeps coming back to me 57:06 and that is that blessed hope that we have, 57:07 the wonderful promise. 57:09 Then in Revelation 22:4-5 it says that, 57:12 "When we are in that new Jerusalem 57:15 and we're on that new heaven and a new earth, 57:17 God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, 57:19 there shall be no more death, there shall be no more sorrow, 57:23 no more crying, 57:25 there shall be no more pain. 57:26 Behold, God will make all things new." 57:28 Amen. Amen. 57:30 It is that time and we appreciate you 57:31 so much for joining us. 57:32 Join us next week for lesson 10 for "Little Times of Trouble." 57:37 Amen. God bless. |
Revised 2019-05-30