Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP190030A
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00:01 The Bible tells us,
00:02 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 00:05 and the Word was God." 00:07 It says to, "Receive with meekness 00:09 the implanted Word, 00:11 which is able to save your souls. 00:13 And to be diligent 00:15 to present yourself approved to God, 00:17 rightly dividing the Word of truth." 00:20 Join us now for the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:25 Our study today is, "The Least of These." 00:31 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn, 00:32 and we welcome you once again to 3ABN Sabbath School panel. 00:36 We're excited that you join us to study. 00:38 We hope that you have a lesson, 00:41 and a Bible, and a pencil and paper. 00:44 And in case you don't have the lesson, 00:47 let me tell you how you can get it. 00:50 You can go to ABSG.Adventist.org 00:56 and download lesson or you can drop by 01:00 your nearest Seventh-day Adventist Church, 01:02 they'll be happy to give you a quarterly 01:04 and will most likely invite you to come in 01:08 and study personally with them. 01:10 Our quarter, 01:12 what we are studying this quarter is called 01:16 "The Least of These," ministering to those in need. 01:19 And obviously, you know, this could have been called, 01:22 we could have used Cain's quote, 01:24 Am I my brother's keeper? 01:26 But instead it's using a quote 01:27 from Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:40, 01:30 where He was saying, you know, 01:33 "I was hungry, you fed me. 01:34 I was thirsty, you gave me to drink. 01:37 I was sick and imprisoned, you came to visit me." 01:40 And they said, "When Lord?" 01:42 He said, "If you do it to the least of these, 01:46 you have done it to Me." 01:48 So let me introduce our panel, 01:51 all my brothers and sisters in Christ, 01:53 people I dearly loved. 01:55 We have with us Pastor Ryan Day. 01:58 Ryan, we're so glad you're part of the team. 02:00 It's always a blessing to be here. 02:02 Then we had my precious pastor 02:04 of the Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 02:07 Pastor John Lomacang. 02:09 It's always a joy 02:10 to study the Word of God together, 02:11 especially with this team. 02:13 Well, we feel the same way. 02:15 And then my dear precious sister, 02:17 Jill Morikone. 02:18 It's a privilege to be here and open up God's Word. 02:20 Thank you. 02:22 And then my bestie, mommy aunt. 02:25 BFF. 02:26 Mollie Sue Steenson, we're so glad to have you back. 02:29 Well, it's a joy to be here. 02:30 Well, it's a joy to study with each and every one of you. 02:34 Before we begin, I would like for who has, we'll see... 02:39 Ryan, why don't you open with prayer 02:41 because we need the Lord. 02:42 Absolutely. 02:44 Father in Heaven, 02:45 Lord, we first want to just take this time 02:48 to uplift You and to praise You for being our God, 02:51 because You are worthy. 02:53 Lord, at this time as we open Your Word, again, 02:56 Lord, we just ask for Your Holy Spirit. 02:59 Each and every word that flows from our mouth 03:01 and every thought that is shared here today, 03:04 I pray God that it is in harmony 03:06 with Your Word, and Your will. 03:08 And that each and every person listening or participating 03:11 in this particular program, 03:12 I pray that we will all be blessed 03:14 and drawn ever closer 03:16 to our blessed Savior Jesus Christ. 03:18 And we thank You for Jesus Christ 03:20 and the sacrifice that He gave for us, 03:22 for none of us would be here without Him. 03:24 We praise You, O Father, 03:25 and we thank You for again this wonderful opportunity, 03:28 and we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. 03:31 Amen. Amen. 03:32 Thank you for that beautiful prayer. 03:34 Well, we are on lesson 4, 03:35 and this is Mercy and Justice 03:38 in the Psalms and in the Proverbs. 03:41 And we see that the Book of Psalms, 03:43 these are hymns, lament songs of Thanksgiving, 03:47 royal psalms, enthronement psalms, 03:51 penitential psalms, 03:52 and in the wisdom or didactic psalms. 03:57 The Book of Proverbs 03:59 basically gives us a godly worldview. 04:03 It leads us into the wisdom of God. 04:07 And when you're looking at Proverbs, 04:09 I always say Proverbs 1:7 is the perspective 04:14 for understanding all of the Proverbs. 04:16 And here's what it says, 04:18 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, 04:22 fools despise wisdom and instruction." 04:25 So everything in the Proverbs is about knowing how to revere. 04:31 And that's what that word fear 04:32 is to respect to hope God in all. 04:35 The fear of the Lord is a biblical shorthand, 04:39 if you will, 04:40 for living a life of love in God, 04:43 walking in obedience, 04:45 and worshipping the Lord. 04:48 Our memory text for this lesson 4 04:51 is Psalm 82:3-4. 04:55 And it says, 04:57 "Defend the poor and the fatherless. 05:00 Do justice to the afflicted, and needy. 05:04 Deliver the poor and needy. 05:06 Free them from the hand of the wicked." 05:11 When we look at our world today, 05:14 the world is permeated by injustice, is it not? 05:17 We see so many people being oppressed, 05:20 people in the church, people out of the church. 05:24 But God is still the hope of all nations. 05:27 He is the hope of all people. 05:29 And what this quarterly is doing is showing us 05:32 what true religion is, 05:34 and that is to defend the poor, and the followers. 05:38 So what we hope 05:39 that you'll find in this quarterly 05:42 is inspiration to overcome our own self-centered nature 05:47 and to take care of others. 05:49 So let's look at Sunday. 05:52 And in Sunday's lesson, 05:54 this is "Songs of Hope for the Oppressed." 05:58 I'm going to read a couple of paragraph 06:00 straight from the quarterly, 06:02 'cause I think this was written so beautifully. 06:05 It says, "As we've already noted, 06:06 God sees and hears people who are in distress in trouble. 06:11 Most often in the Psalms we hear those cries 06:14 from people who have trusted in God, 06:16 but are not seeing justice done. 06:19 The affirmations of the goodness, 06:21 justice and power of God 06:23 can seem overwhelmed 06:26 by the injustice and oppression that the voices 06:30 in these songs experience or observed. 06:34 Yet," and here's what I love, 06:37 "these are the songs of those who are still singing, 06:41 neither their life nor their faith 06:43 has been quenched. 06:45 There is still hope. 06:47 And the urgency is for God to act before it is too late, 06:51 before evil triumphs, 06:53 before the oppressed are destroyed 06:56 by the way that the evil brought against them. 06:58 And in this way, 06:59 the writers of the Psalms try to bridge the gap 07:02 between the affirmations of their faith, and the trials, 07:05 and tragedies of life." 07:07 Ain't that beautiful? 07:09 All right, let's look at Psalm Chapter 9, 07:13 and I'm going to ask a few of you 07:15 to read if you will. 07:16 Psalm Chapter 9, and let's start with verse 10. 07:22 Jill, do you have that? 07:24 Sure. Excuse me. 07:25 Start with verse 7, 7 to 9 if you will. 07:27 Psalm 9:7-9. 07:28 "But the Lord shall endure forever. 07:30 He has prepared His throne for judgment. 07:32 He shall judge the world in righteousness, 07:35 and He shall administer judgment 07:36 for the peoples in uprightness. 07:39 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, 07:42 a refuge in times of trouble." 07:44 So the Lord there 07:46 that is the covenant name for God, 07:49 that is Yahweh or Jehovah, as we might pronounce it. 07:53 And he's saying, 07:55 "Our covenant God is still on the throne. 07:57 He is judging the world." 08:00 Even though judgment doesn't come, 08:01 final judgment till the end of the world, 08:04 God is judging the earth even now. 08:07 He executes justice for the oppressed 08:11 and offers protection from the wicked. 08:14 Now, Mollie, would you read verse 10. 08:16 Verse 10? Psalm 9:10. 08:19 "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You. 08:24 For," pardon me, "for You, Lord, 08:26 have not forsaken those who seek You." 08:28 So to know God is to be connected to God 08:32 in an intimate and loving relationship. 08:35 And we can always look to God in our time of need 08:38 and depend upon Him as our vindicator. 08:41 So the whole point of this psalm 08:43 is that we have to trust God 08:45 to uphold our cause and not get down in the mouth 08:49 was filled with hatred for others or self pity, 08:53 when we're falsely accused, 08:54 maybe were ignored or underappreciated, 08:57 we trust God for the perfect timing 09:01 of our reward. 09:02 Now, let's look at verse 13. 09:05 Psalm 9:13-20. 09:08 John, you want to do that? Sure. 09:10 "Have mercy on me, O Lord! 09:12 Consider my trouble from those who hate me, 09:15 You who lift me up from the gates of death, 09:18 That I may tell of all Your praise, 09:21 in the gates of the daughter of Zion. 09:23 I will rejoice in Your salvation. 09:25 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made. 09:30 In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. 09:34 The Lord is known by the judgment He executes. 09:37 The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. 09:40 Meditation. Selah. 09:43 The wicked shall be turned into hell, 09:45 and all the nations that forget God..." 09:47 Now, pause for just a second. 09:48 Cover one point, this is a great word play 09:51 on the word forget, 09:52 because hell there is literally shield the place 09:56 of the grave where they are forgotten. 09:59 So if you've forget God, 10:00 you're going to be in the grave and you're forgotten. 10:02 Okay. 10:04 "For the needy shall not always be forgotten. 10:06 The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. 10:09 Arise, O Lord, Do not let man prevail. 10:12 Let the nations be judged in Your sight. 10:14 Put them in fear, O Lord, 10:16 that the nations may know themselves 10:19 to be but men. 10:21 Selah." 10:22 So what he's saying here is God will rise up. 10:26 And He's going to put, when he said, 10:27 "Put them in fear," 10:28 this isn't the fear of the Lord 10:30 that we experience as His people. 10:33 The fear of the Lord 10:35 that we experience as His people, 10:37 is, as I said, 10:38 the appreciation for God or respect in awe, 10:42 but what he's saying is, 10:43 Lord, track the evil ones with terror. 10:47 They're rebelling, 10:49 the wicked are rebelling against your authority. 10:51 They're plotting evil for others. 10:54 So he's saying, 10:55 "Lord, let them suffer the fate 10:57 that they had planned for the others." 10:59 And you know, we find this. 11:01 And, Mollie, would you turn to Proverbs 26:27? 11:04 Because we find this theme throughout the Bible 11:09 that the wicked are plotting against others, 11:13 and God turns it around on them. 11:15 Mollie, Proverbs 26:27. 11:18 "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, 11:22 and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him." 11:26 So people may think they're getting away 11:28 when they are spreading rumors, 11:29 when they are doing evil things, 11:31 and trying to bring other people down. 11:33 But God says, "Hey, you're digging a pit?" 11:36 Well, the God of justice is going to remember 11:39 who you're trying to persecute, 11:41 and He's going to turn it around on you. 11:44 So the future is bright for the oppressed. 11:47 God promises, He's not going to forget us. 11:50 And we can count on that 11:52 because He is the champion of the weak. 11:56 So David in this psalm 11:58 is calling on God to bring justice 12:03 so that it brings glory and honor to the Lord's name. 12:07 The tension here, we see throughout the psalms, 12:10 there's a tension 12:12 between David's faith and in God's goodness 12:15 and the circumstances that he faces. 12:18 But the repeated answer to this tension 12:22 throughout the psalms is the hope and promise 12:25 of God's good and just judgment. 12:27 So evil may seem to triumph right now, 12:30 but guess what? 12:32 God's still in charge. 12:34 And here's what I wanted to read one more thing from... 12:38 I thought this was interesting. 12:39 This is a quote from our quarterly. 12:42 It says, "In reflections on the psalms, 12:45 CS Lewis describes his initial surprise 12:48 at the excitement and longing for God's judgment, 12:51 as expressed repeatedly in the psalms. 12:54 Observing that many Bible readers today 12:56 considered judgment, something to be feared. 12:59 He considers the original Jewish perspective and rights. 13:04 Thousands of people who've been stripped 13:06 of all they possess 13:07 and who have the right entirely on their side 13:10 will at last be heard." 13:12 Of course, they are not afraid of judgment. 13:15 They know right now their case is an unanswerable, 13:19 but if only it could be heard 13:21 when God comes to judge at last it will. 13:24 Amen. Praise the Lord. 13:27 "Do something God." 13:29 Amen. 13:31 That's the title of Monday's lesson, 13:32 "Do something God." 13:35 I think all of us have felt that way 13:36 at some point, you know. 13:38 I know that many times in my life, 13:39 I just, you know, 13:41 in kind of our humanistic mindset 13:44 and our kind of a carnal mindset, 13:46 sometimes we want something done 13:48 then and there, and we want a response, 13:50 we want judgment, we want justice. 13:52 And I found myself many times in life 13:54 crying out, "Lord, where are you? 13:57 Please show up and do something." 13:58 And so this is what we find happening 14:01 in this particular lesson. 14:04 I'm not going to spend much time 14:07 in a lot of different portions of scripture, 14:09 because the foundation of this particular lesson 14:12 is actually spent mostly in Psalm 82. 14:14 Now, if you read the lesson, you'll notice 14:16 that's the bulk of the scripture 14:18 that shared there, 14:19 but I have just a few texts 14:21 that I'm going to share throughout this lesson, 14:22 but primarily staying in Psalm 82. 14:24 I want to just read through Psalm 82. 14:26 It's not a very long psalm. 14:28 It's only eight verses, but I want to read through it 14:30 and then just kind of go back 14:32 and just pick this apart to see exactly what it is 14:34 that God is sharing with us through this inspired writing. 14:38 So Psalm 82:1-8. 14:41 Notice what the Bible says, 14:43 "God stands in the congregation of the mighty. 14:47 He judges among the gods." 14:50 Little g. 14:52 Okay, so notice that's a little g there, 14:54 and we'll come back to that in a moment. 14:55 How long will you judge unjustly, 14:58 and show partiality to the wicked? 15:00 Selah. 15:02 Defend the poor and fatherless. 15:04 Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 15:08 Deliver the poor and needy 15:10 freedom from the hand of the wicked. 15:13 They do not know, nor do they understand. 15:16 They walk about in darkness. 15:19 All the foundations of the earth are unstable. 15:23 I said, 'You are gods, 15:25 and all of you are children of the Most High. 15:28 But you shall die like men, 15:31 and fall like one of the princes.' 15:33 Arise, O God, judge the earth. 15:37 For You shall inherit all the nations.'" 15:41 And so you can see 15:42 that the writer of this particular psalm 15:43 is just crying out 15:45 to this injustice that it's occurring. 15:47 But yet at the same time, 15:49 he recognizes in that closing verse, 15:51 which we're going to highlight in the moment 15:53 that he is calling out for God 15:55 to be the great judge that He is. 15:57 I want to go back to verse 1 15:58 and just kind of highlight a few things, 15:59 as we go back through this, and show you 16:01 just how powerful this really is 16:03 in reference to the topic that we're discussing. 16:05 So verse 1, 16:06 God stands in the congregation of the mighty, 16:09 He judges among the gods. 16:12 So God's supreme presidency and power 16:14 in all councils and courts asserted 16:17 and laid down here in this particular passage. 16:20 In this particular verse, it's being established here. 16:24 It is established that the great truth is necessary 16:27 to be believed by the kings, princes, 16:29 presidents, judges, and magistrates of all kind. 16:32 So basically, 16:34 any person who's been given the responsibility to judge, 16:36 been given that honor to be represented in that way, 16:39 they have to recognize first and foremost 16:41 and be humble that, of course, God is the almighty judge. 16:45 And so that's very, very important. 16:47 We see that God is standing here as the chief director, 16:50 the almighty, righteous judge, as He is indeed. 16:54 And, of course, notice this, when I first read this, 16:57 he judges among the gods, 16:59 some people might read that 17:00 and think, "What does that mean? 17:02 What is he communicating there?" 17:03 Like the angels, okay, 17:04 notice this in scripture, like the angels 17:06 and other subordinate figures of scripture, 17:08 God refers to those given the responsibility of judgment 17:12 as little gods. 17:13 In fact, the actual word here, the Hebrew dialect is Elohim. 17:18 And so it's in the, obviously in the subordinate sense 17:22 that like God, notice this, 17:24 good judges and magistrates are to exercise their duties 17:29 and responsibilities with the honor 17:32 God has placed upon them. 17:34 They are His vicegerents 17:36 and meant to be a great blessing to the people. 17:40 And I'm thinking of another text 17:42 that comes to mind, it's Proverbs 16:10, 17:45 which says, 17:47 "Divination is on the lips of the king. 17:49 His mouth must not transgress in judgment." 17:53 So there is a high responsibility 17:55 and that is very clearly communicating 17:56 in the open verse. 17:57 But then we get on to verse 2, 17:59 and it's almost like this particular 18:01 the writer here, the author, 18:03 he's calling out these wicked judges. 18:05 Notice what it says in verse 2. 18:06 "How long will you judge unjustly, 18:09 and show partiality to the wicked?" 18:13 So right here in this particular verse, 18:14 it is indirectly stated 18:16 that the magistrate had been unjust and corrupt. 18:20 And they not only excused the wicked, 18:24 but even decided in their favor 18:25 against the righteous in many cases. 18:28 And so it's interesting that this particular verse 18:30 also ends with a 'Selah.' 18:32 Almost as if there's a pause here, 18:34 'cause it's a question and it's almost like the author 18:37 is indeed looking for a response. 18:39 How long is this going to happen? 18:41 How long are you going to show partiality 18:43 to the wicked? 18:44 Almost like there is a response here. 18:45 Again, Proverbs 28:15, another great text 18:49 that highlights this particular issue. 18:52 Proverbs 28:15, says, 18:54 "Like a roaring lion and a charging bear 18:57 is a wicked ruler over poor people." 19:01 Very much a truth indeed. 19:03 Then we go into verse 3-4. 19:06 "Defend the poor and fatherless. 19:09 Do justice to the afflicted and needy." 19:13 This was our memory text, I believe. 19:15 "Deliver the poor and needy 19:17 freedom from the hand of the wicked." 19:20 So right here in this particular verse, 19:21 the charge is given to all magistrates 19:24 to do good with their power, and they will answer to him 19:28 by whom they are entrusted with it, okay? 19:30 They are to be the protectors of those 19:32 who lie exposed to injury 19:35 and the patrons of those who want advice and assistance. 19:38 And, of course, they are to go on 19:39 to defend people 19:40 like the poor who have no money, 19:42 where with to make friends or to fee counsel, 19:44 and of course, and to the fatherless as well, 19:47 who while they are young and unable to help themselves. 19:50 We know they have lost those 19:51 who would have been the guides of their youth, 19:54 and so we are to help these particular individuals. 19:56 We are counseled through this psalm 19:58 to do that, indeed. 19:59 We are to follow the example of Job. 20:00 In Job 29:12, the Bible says this, 20:04 "Because I delivered the poor who cried out, 20:07 the fatherless and the one who had no helper." 20:11 Job, we're told as a righteous man, 20:13 he was perfect in the eyes of God. 20:15 And he indeed followed in the example. 20:17 Verse 5, again, much like verse 2, 20:19 we see there is a charge drawn up 20:22 against bad magistrates, 20:24 who neglected their duty and abused their power 20:27 for getting that God stands among them. 20:29 So notice what verse 5 says here, 20:30 "They do not know, nor do they understand. 20:34 They walk about in darkness. 20:37 All the foundations of the earth are unstable." 20:40 Okay? 20:42 And this particular point here 20:44 reminds me of a text in Ecclesiastes 3:16-17. 20:48 Notice what Solomon writes here, 20:51 "Moreover, I saw under the sun, 20:53 in the place of judgment, wickedness was there, 20:56 and in the place of righteousness, 20:58 iniquity was there." 20:59 So all of this radical misjudgment 21:03 and exercising the misapplication 21:07 of misuse and abuse of power 21:09 is due to iniquity, 21:10 we just want to highlight that very clearly. 21:12 And it kind of just points me back 21:14 to one of the previous lessons, 21:15 that when we pay attention to the law of God, 21:18 not in the sense that it saves us, 21:20 but that it points out our sin. 21:21 When we pay attention 21:22 to the righteous character of God, 21:24 then we see our self and we see those flaws within us. 21:28 And so obviously, these individuals 21:29 who are misusing and abusing the power 21:31 that God has bestowed upon them, 21:33 they are living a life of iniquity. 21:34 They are not living a righteous life in Christ. 21:37 Ecclesiastes 3:17 goes on to say, 21:39 "I said in my heart, 21:41 'God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, 21:43 for there is a time there 21:45 for every purpose and for every work.'" 21:50 And then we go on verses 6-8, 21:52 I want to end on this one because it's really powerful. 21:54 He says, "I said, 'You are gods," 21:55 almost like he's bringing other guys, 21:57 I know I said that you were gods, 21:59 but notice what he says. 22:00 "'And all of you are children of the Most High. 22:03 But you shall die like men, 22:06 and fall like one of the princes.'" 22:10 And so right here God will reckon, 22:12 He's recognizing that He will reckon with them, 22:14 and will cut them off 22:16 in the midst of their pomp and prosperity. 22:19 They will die like other wicked men 22:21 and fall like one of the heathen princes 22:23 and many of the fallen angels and many of the unjust 22:26 that we are told about all through the Bible. 22:27 These men may be high and mighty now, but God says, 22:30 "Look, you will have your time, your reward is coming." 22:33 But I love verse 8, 22:34 because it brings back the positive nature 22:37 of this whole conversation, that is, he says, 22:39 "Arise, O God," 22:40 here's the answer to this whole problem, 22:42 "Arise, O God, judge the earth, 22:44 for You shall inherit all nations." 22:47 So when we look at a situation like this 22:49 and we're talking about the misuse, 22:50 and abuse of power, and judgment, and justice, 22:53 we know that we can place 22:55 this whole entire situation in God's hands, 22:58 because He is the righteous judge, 23:00 He is the answer to this. 23:02 A text that comes to my mind 23:04 when I was really studying this particular subject out 23:07 is a text that many people often don't consider 23:10 in this particular subject. 23:11 But that's Isaiah Chapter 9, and we notice verse 6 says, 23:15 that powerful verse, 23:16 "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. 23:18 And the government will be upon His shoulder." 23:20 And it goes on to give all the names of Christ. 23:22 But notice verse 7, I love this about Jesus. 23:24 It says, "Of the increase of His government and peace, 23:27 there will be no end, 23:29 upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, 23:33 to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice 23:36 from that time forward, even forever. 23:39 The zeal of the Lord of the host will perform this." 23:41 We can place our trust in Christ 23:43 and know that the vengeance is His 23:45 and that He will rightly judge on behalf of the righteous. 23:48 Amen and amen. 23:49 Thank you for that good word. 23:51 And we want you to stay tuned, we'll be right back. 23:59 Ever wish you could watch 24:00 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 24:02 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:05 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com. 24:10 A clean design makes it easy 24:13 to find the program you're looking for. 24:15 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:18 so you can follow along. 24:20 Sharing is easy. 24:22 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 24:25 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 24:31 And we're back, we're going to pass the baton 24:34 to Pastor John Lomacang 24:36 who has Tuesday's lesson, "A King, His Promises." 24:40 Thank you, Shelley. Thank you, Pastor Ryan. 24:42 This lesson is an exciting one. 24:44 But in some sense, 24:48 the writer has given us a beautiful task 24:50 of extracting, from this lesson 24:53 things that we haven't often thought about. 24:55 And the king's promises are primarily focused 25:00 on Psalm 101:1-8, 25:01 and I want to take a quick peek at that. 25:04 Because he points out that although written for leaders, 25:10 what important counsel can we take from it ourselves, 25:13 whatever our position in life. 25:15 In Psalm 101:1-8, 25:17 the principles of leadership embodied there, 25:19 but I want to bring out a few points 25:21 about leadership principles. 25:23 Because leadership principles, 25:25 I mean, I like reading leadership books, 25:26 leader, you know, leadership 360, 25:30 number of other books, 25:32 I have just library books about leadership, 25:34 that I've noticed that 25:37 leaders talk about effective characteristical traits. 25:42 They often focus on things that will be, 25:44 if you do this, then this would occur. 25:46 They always work on cause and effect. 25:49 But what I want to point out 25:51 when it comes to Christian leadership, 25:52 we can't just look at cause and effect. 25:55 We have to look at where the power comes from. 25:58 That's a big part of what happens 25:59 in Christian leadership. 26:00 So what I want to do before I go 26:02 into the particular points 26:03 that I brought out about leadership skills 26:04 that are really embodied in Psalm 101. 26:07 I want to make a point. 26:08 First of all, making a pledge to exemplify any good character 26:11 cannot be accomplished by effort. 26:13 It's good. Because you have to... 26:15 Repeat that. 26:16 Making a pledge to exemplify any good character 26:21 cannot be accomplished by effort. 26:23 That's true. Amen. 26:25 Because it presupposes that you're good, right? 26:29 In the Christian life, it presupposes that we're good. 26:31 But the Bible says, Romans 3:12, 26:34 "They have all turned aside. 26:35 They have together become unprofitable. 26:36 There is none who does good, no, not one." 26:39 So to exemplify good principles 26:41 when I can't find anything good in me, Paul says, 26:44 "I know that in me, that is, 26:46 in my flesh dwelleth no good thing." 26:49 So we can't come from our own well. 26:51 And there's a quotation that I found in the book 26:55 "The Ministry of Healing," page 176. 26:58 This is written in 1905, but it's a very powerful quote. 27:00 It says, "God has given us," under the subtitle mind," 27:05 as power of choice. 27:06 God has given us the power of choice. 27:10 It is ours to exercise." 27:12 But listen to this. 27:13 "We cannot change our hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, 27:19 our impulses, our affections. 27:21 We cannot make ourselves pure, fit for God's service. 27:26 But we can choose to serve God. 27:30 We can give Him our will," and then watch this, 27:32 "then He will work in us to will and to do 27:36 according to His good pleasure. 27:39 Thus the whole nature will be brought 27:41 under the control of Christ." 27:42 So while we can't make ourselves pure, 27:45 we can't make ourselves fit, we can choose who to serve. 27:48 And I've learned as I've walked through, 27:49 you know, Romans, those of us who love Romans, 27:53 Romans is an athletic book of righteousness. 27:56 Romans makes it very clear, you know, 27:58 there are three aspects of Romans, 27:59 Romans 6:16, Romans 7:17 28:01 and then I jump all way to Galatians 2:20, 28:04 which is, "It is no longer I who do it, 28:05 but sin that lives in me," Romans 7:17. 28:08 And then Galatians 2:20, 28:10 "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." 28:12 So you have, "it is no longer, it is no longer," 28:14 in both cases, books apart, 28:17 but in one case, it's sin that's doing it, 28:20 the other one, it's Christ who lives in me. 28:22 So for those who want to be effective leaders, 28:24 we have to first come to the place 28:25 that Christ has to live in us, 28:27 for anything good to come out of us. 28:29 Because Philippians 2:13, 28:31 "For it is God who works in you 28:33 both to will and to do of His good pleasure." 28:37 So let's look at some of these effective leadership skills 28:38 that are brought out in Psalm 101. 28:41 First of all, 28:42 an effective leader leads by giving the praise to God. 28:46 Psalm 101:1, 28:47 "I will sing of mercy and justice to You, O Lord, 28:50 I will sing praises." 28:52 I believe if we learn how to praise God, 28:55 then we will teach others how to praise God. 28:57 The church cannot rise higher than its leadership. 29:01 That's right. That's right. 29:02 The organization cannot rise higher 29:03 than its leadership. 29:05 The leadership sets the cadence. 29:06 You know, reminds me of a guy that one day, 29:09 I heard about this guy that was called... 29:10 This was actually a true story, 29:12 the White House centuries back, not centuries back, 29:17 but more than 100 years ago had to be repaired. 29:20 And they called in a guy that was a master mason 29:22 to fix the steps. 29:24 Well, he was so excited about the steps being completed, 29:26 but he noticed that when he started, 29:29 when it was opened up for people to use it, 29:30 people would stumbling as they walk up the steps. 29:34 He said, "Why is everybody stumbling 29:36 when they're walking up the steps?" 29:38 And they came to find out 29:39 that the guy who repaired the steps, 29:41 repair them to his own standards, 29:43 he had a peg leg. 29:46 So one step was higher than the other, 29:48 and it was fine for him, 29:50 because he set it to his standards. 29:53 And oftentimes when our standards 29:55 are skewed or off kilter, 29:58 people coming in our steps are going to stumble. 30:01 That's what the Bible says, 30:02 "Make straight paths for your feet. 30:04 So the lame wouldn't be turned out of the way." 30:07 So one of the first things a leader has to do, 30:09 a leader step has to be made straight. 30:12 And I believe those steps are made straight 30:14 when we give praise to God 30:15 for the call that He's put on our lives. 30:17 Second, Psalm 101:2, the condition of the heart 30:21 affects the behavior of the life. 30:25 "I will behave wisely in a perfect way. 30:28 Oh, when will You come to me? 30:31 I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." 30:35 The condition of the heart 30:36 affects the behavior of the life. 30:39 I didn't put numbers on this, Jill, 30:40 but I'm on point number two. 30:42 Oh, but I'm numbering them. Okay. 30:43 The third one, Psalm 101:3, 30:45 our character traits are molded by our visual influences. 30:50 Ooh, that's good. 30:51 By beholding, we become changed. 30:53 Verse 3, 30:55 "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. 30:57 I hate the works of those who fall away. 31:00 It shall not cling to me." 31:03 My wife and I have made this vow in our home. 31:05 We don't watch filthy things on our television. 31:08 Commercials that are suggestive and carnal, 31:12 I don't even look at them. 31:14 If they flash in to talk about something coming up, 31:16 some Victoria's Secret, 31:18 Fall Festival coming up on Sunday at 7:30 31:21 whatever, I get, "Honey, turn off that. 31:23 I don't even need that image in my mind." 31:24 Amen! That's right. 31:26 And so David found clearly when you put wicked things 31:28 before your eyes, it affects your heart. 31:31 You cannot put wicked things before. 31:32 A leader cannot look at wicked things 31:34 and be a righteous leader. 31:36 Cannot do it. 31:38 The other one, Psalm 101:4, 31:40 "Guard the thoughts of your heart. 31:43 A perverse heart shall depart from me. 31:45 I will not know wickedness." 31:47 Guard the thoughts of your heart. 31:49 You know, the Bible says, "As a man thinketh so as he," 31:53 as he thinks in his heart. 31:54 The reason why it says heart, you know 31:55 when you love somebody you go like that. 31:57 I heart you. 31:58 You don't say, I heart you here. 32:00 You say, "Why is he putting his heart on the brain?" 32:02 Because it's the matter of the heart 32:04 is the heart of the matter. 32:06 And so when your heart is right before God, 32:08 your life will be right before God, 32:10 because out of the heart comes, what? 32:12 Flows the issues of life. 32:14 That flows the issues of life. 32:15 As a man thinks so is he, 32:17 and you could always tell within a person's heart 32:19 out of the abundance of the heart, 32:21 the mouth speaks. 32:22 So guard your heart, 32:24 your words will be seasoned with righteousness 32:26 and your life will be flavored with God's presence. 32:29 The other one, do not participate in slander, 32:32 that's insulting, or display a haughty spirit, 32:34 that's arrogant. 32:36 A leader that's arrogant is a leader 32:38 that may get things done, 32:40 but will never affect change in people's lives. 32:43 You know, arrogant, "Do that!" 32:44 Well, you might do it, but you'll say, 32:46 "You know, I don't want to be anything like him. 32:48 I can't wait to get another job." 32:50 Bible says, 32:51 "Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, 32:53 him I will destroy. 32:54 The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, 32:57 him I will not endure." 32:59 God doesn't like people that are arrogant. 33:01 And Christian leaders cannot afford to be arrogant. 33:03 Pastors that say, 33:05 "I'm a pastor, you do what I tell you." 33:06 I don't lead that way. 33:08 I try to be humble 33:09 even when people complain about something I've done. 33:11 I said, "Well, now, 33:12 maybe I don't take everything they said to be legitimate, 33:14 but what did I do to cause them to even want to complain." 33:18 And I asked, "Lord, is that true? 33:20 Can I gain something from it?" 33:22 Never be to the point 33:23 where you are arrogant and never think 33:25 that you're everybody's cup of tea either, all right? 33:29 Psalm 101:6. 33:30 We are called to make faithful decisions 33:32 and choose our paths wisely. 33:35 "My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, 33:39 that they may dwell with me. 33:41 He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me." 33:44 Make wise choices for your paths. 33:47 You can go left and expect to go right. 33:49 It's just not possible. Psalm 101:7. 33:51 Embrace honesty in your business life. 33:54 "He who works deceit 33:55 shall not dwell within my house. 33:57 He who tells lies 33:58 shall not continue in my presence." 34:01 Be honest. 34:02 And the last one, Psalm 101:8, 34:04 do not associate with people that practice wickedness. 34:08 "Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, 34:10 that I may cut off all the evildoers 34:14 from the city of the Lord." 34:17 Ellen White says in Southern Watchman, 34:18 August 1, 1905, 34:20 "There is no limit to the usefulness 34:22 of one who putting self aside, 34:24 makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit 34:26 upon his heart and live the life 34:28 wholly consecrated to God." 34:30 I believe that's what David the Psalmist intended. 34:33 When your life is wholly consecrated to God, 34:36 then it will show in your words, 34:37 your actions, your deeds and surely in your leadership. 34:41 Amen! 34:42 Pastor, that's powerful. 34:43 I think that's something we all want. 34:45 You know what? 34:46 I'm gonna get those notes. 34:48 I'm just telling you right now. 34:49 I love that Psalm for leaders, Psalm 101. 34:52 Mine is Psalm 146. 34:55 We're going through the Book of Psalms here. 34:57 So just jump a couple of psalms over Psalm 146. 35:01 This is "Walking with the Lord," 35:03 is Wednesday lesson. 35:05 The Lord watches over the needy. 35:08 "Walking with the Lord." 35:09 The last five psalms really grow in crescendo 35:13 and praise to God. 35:15 The last five psalms, 146, 147, 148, 149 and 150, 35:20 all begin with praise the Lord, 35:23 and they all end with praise the Lord. 35:27 Praise the Lord or hallelujah. 35:29 In Hebrew is hallel combined with yah, 35:34 the word for Yahweh, Jehovah. 35:36 So this exuberant joyous praise for God. 35:42 And so we see this crescendo in this praise 35:45 as we get toward the end of the psalms. 35:48 Praise is not dependent on circumstances. 35:52 I have a little posted note, Miss Mollie, 35:55 and I have it up on my mirror. 35:57 And it says, "Joy is not the absence of trouble, 36:02 but it is the presence of Christ." 36:04 And so praise is not dependent on circumstances. 36:08 As we shall see from this Psalm 146, 36:11 there's some hard things going on. 36:12 But praise is not dependent on those circumstances. 36:15 We are called to praise anyway, even in the pain, in the trial, 36:20 in the difficulty, we are called to praise Him. 36:23 Let's read verses 1-2. 36:26 "Praise the Lord! 36:28 Praise the Lord, O my soul! 36:29 While I live I will praise the Lord. 36:32 I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." 36:36 Paul told us the same thing in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 36:40 "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. 36:43 In everything give thanks, 36:46 for this is the will of God 36:48 in Christ Jesus concerning you." 36:50 Praise is not dependent on other people. 36:54 No matter how powerful people are 36:56 or no matter how influential they might be, 36:59 they can still fail you. 37:00 I'll read the next couple of verses, verses 3-4, 37:03 "Do not put your trust in princes, 37:05 nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 37:09 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth, 37:12 in that very day his plans perish." 37:14 We are to put our hope, our trust in the Lord God. 37:19 Verses 5-10, 37:23 I see 12 attributes of God. 37:26 Let's read those verses here together. 37:28 Verse 5, 37:30 "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob 37:32 for his help, 37:34 whose hope is in the Lord his God." 37:35 God is our helper. 37:38 Verse 6, 37:39 "Who made heaven and earth, 37:41 the sea and all that is in them." 37:43 God is our Creator. 37:46 "Who keeps truth forever." 37:48 God is unchanging. 37:51 "Who executes justice for the oppressed." 37:53 God is our judge, 37:55 "Who gives food for the hungry." 37:57 God is our provider. 37:59 "The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners." 38:02 God is our deliverer. 38:04 "The Lord opens the eyes of the blind." 38:06 God is our healer. 38:08 "The Lord raises those who are bowed down." 38:12 God is our encouragement. 38:14 "The Lord loves the righteous." 38:17 God is our lover and friend. 38:20 "The Lord watches over the strangers." 38:22 God is our protector. 38:25 He relieves the fatherless and widow." 38:28 God is our sustainer. 38:31 "But the way of the wicked He turns upside down." 38:34 God is our judge, 38:36 and we already saw that up a few verses. 38:37 "I see judge," here twice in this passage. 38:40 "The Lord shall reign forever." 38:42 God is eternal. 38:46 "Your God, O Zion, to all generations. 38:49 Praise the Lord!" 38:50 The Psalm ends the very same way 38:52 that it begins. 38:53 Hallel-yah, praise to God, 38:58 Jehovah, Creator God. 39:01 What does praise do for me as a Christian? 39:06 Praise is powerful. 39:08 You know, in my own journey, in my own walk with God, 39:12 when I learned that my relationship with God 39:15 was not dependent on how I felt, 39:17 but it was dependent on the promises found 39:20 in the Word of God 39:22 that revolutionized my journey with Jesus. 39:25 I used to think if I woke up 39:27 and I prayed and it felt like 39:29 my prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back down, 39:31 "Well, then God didn't hear me or there was something wrong 39:34 in my relationship with God." 39:36 But when I learned that I can base my faith 39:39 on the promises in God's Word, 39:42 and that I can praise Him any way, 39:45 it changed my walk with Him. 39:48 So I want to give you five things 39:51 that praise does for us as Christians. 39:54 Now, of course, there's more things 39:56 but all we have time for right now is five. 39:58 Number one, 40:00 praise takes the focus off of myself, 40:03 and it turns it outward toward God. 40:05 We're going to Psalm 35. 40:07 You know, it's difficult to think 40:09 about two things at the very same time. 40:11 Now, I can be thinking about one thing 40:14 and then your mind instantly jumps 40:15 to something else, and then you're like, 40:17 "No, wait a minute, I was over here 40:18 and you can bring your mind back." 40:20 But it's difficult for me to be engaged in self-pity 40:23 and thoughts about myself, 40:25 and thinking about something else, 40:27 but the converse is true. 40:28 If I'm focused on Jesus, and praising Him, 40:32 it automatically takes the focus off myself. 40:36 Psalm 35:28, 40:38 "My tongue shall speak of Your righteousness, 40:41 and of Your praise all the day long." 40:44 Praise takes the focus off of me 40:47 and it turns it outward toward God. 40:49 Number two, praise makes the enemy flee. 40:54 2 Chronicles Chapter 20, 40:56 Jehoshaphat was in this tremendous battle 40:58 of the Moabites and the Ammonites 41:00 were coming against him and the people. 41:02 And he went on his face before God 41:05 but what made the enemy flee. 41:07 2 Chronicles 20:22. 41:09 "When they began to sing and to praise, 41:11 the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, 41:15 Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, 41:18 and they were defeated." 41:20 So praise! 41:21 When they began to praise, the enemy fled. 41:25 Number three, praise, especially, 41:27 united praise invites God's presence. 41:31 This is one of my favorite ones. 41:33 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, the dedication of the temple. 41:37 And it says, "It came to pass, 41:38 when the trumpeters and singers were as one," 41:42 that's that you unity, when they were as one, 41:46 "to make one sound and be heard in praising 41:48 and thanking the Lord, 41:50 when they lifted up their voice 41:51 with the trumpet and cymbals and instruments of music, 41:53 and praise the Lord." 41:55 So they're united as one in praise. 41:58 What happened? 42:00 The house, the house of the Lord 42:01 was filled with the cloud." 42:03 And it was so thick 42:04 that they could not even continue ministry. 42:08 God showed up. 42:10 United praise brought the presence of God. 42:15 Now, I was never very good at math. 42:17 But one of the theorems or whatever you call them, 42:19 I remember is if A equals B 42:24 and B equals C, 42:27 then A equals C. 42:28 Do you all remember one at school? 42:30 Yes, absolutely. 42:31 So if we have praise as A, 42:34 and united praise brings B, 42:37 that's the presence of God. 42:40 Now, let's read our next scripture. 42:42 Psalm 16:11, 42:43 "You will show me the path of life. 42:45 In your presence is fullness of joy." 42:49 This means presence brings joy. 42:54 So if you're lacking joy in your life, and you say, 42:56 "I'm struggling," 42:58 you need to go back to A and you need to praise. 43:00 Praise brings the presence of God, 43:02 and the presence of God brings joy. 43:05 But there's a D. 43:07 The next verse, Nehemiah 8:10, 43:08 "The joy of the Lord is your strength." 43:12 So praise brings the presence of God, 43:16 the presence of God brings joy, 43:18 and joy brings strength. 43:21 So if you're feeling weak, if you're feeling discouraged, 43:24 if you do not have strength in your Christian journey, 43:28 you need to praise 43:29 because that will give you strength. 43:32 Praise will give you joy, 43:34 and praise will bring you the presence of God. 43:36 Finally, number five, praise allows God to work. 43:41 Remember Paul and Silas in the jail in Philippi. 43:44 At midnight... 43:45 What does the Bible say in Acts 16:25-26? 43:48 At midnight, they were praying and singing hymns to God, 43:53 and the prisoners were listening to them. 43:55 And suddenly what happened? 43:58 The Lord brought deliverance. 44:01 J Hudson Taylor, 44:03 founder of the China Inland Mission. 44:05 In 1870, his son Samuel died, 44:09 and that's tremendous pain and devastation. 44:11 Six months later, 44:13 his wife gave birth to a baby who died. 44:16 Two weeks after that, his wife died. 44:19 Now he lost his wife and two of his children. 44:23 She was 33 and he was 38. 44:25 And he wrote in his journal, 44:27 "I am so thankful 44:29 that I can serve Jesus one more day." 44:34 That is a life of praise. 44:36 They say at the time of his death, 44:38 25,000 converts to Christianity 44:41 could be traced to the legacy of his work 44:45 and his mission, and his influence. 44:47 So get out of yourself and praise God. 44:50 Amen. Great job. Amen. I love that. 44:52 The joy of the Lord is our strength. 44:55 That's right. Praise God. 44:56 Okay, I'm going to take you to Proverbs. 44:59 So all of you turn to Proverbs, 45:01 because I'm going to have a little panel interaction here 45:04 with this teaching, okay? 45:06 Proverbs, 45:07 we're looking at Mercy on the Needy, 45:10 and that's Proverbs 14:31. 45:12 We'll look at that here in a few minutes. 45:14 And I love the Book of Proverbs. 45:16 I was talking earlier today about my Amplified Bible 45:20 that is falling apart, I mean, the covers off of it. 45:23 But you can see, 45:25 you can find Proverbs just by shutting it, 45:27 because the oil of my fingers has darkened Proverbs. 45:31 I've been in it so much. 45:33 It's like sitting down 45:35 with the wisest person in the universe, 45:38 and letting him explain issues of life, which, 45:41 you know, what we're doing when we sit down with Proverbs? 45:43 Sitting down with the wisest person 45:45 in the universe. 45:47 We're sitting down with the writer of the Word. 45:51 Who wrote the Word? 45:52 Who is the author of our Word? 45:54 Oh, God. Almighty God. 45:56 Okay. 45:59 The Proverbs tell us 46:01 how to live our daily lives 46:04 outside of the church building, and not just on Sabbath. 46:08 Amen. That's right. 46:10 It's everyday living. 46:11 The ability to live life skillfully 46:15 and issues of life, 46:19 that practical living, 46:20 whether we're in a pleasant valley, 46:23 don't we love our pleasant valleys? 46:25 And when you're in a pleasant valley, 46:28 you better be preparing for the obstacles to come, 46:32 because adversity... 46:35 Have any of you all ever had adversity show up 46:38 on your doorstep? 46:40 If you hadn't prepared yourself in your day of pleasant valley 46:44 when adversity comes, you're not prepared. 46:47 So in that pleasant valley, or in the throes of battle, 46:51 God has practical instruction for you. 46:54 We see instruction for these in, 46:59 for those in poverty. 47:01 And remember, 47:02 that's what we're really looking at 47:03 in our study is people in poverty, 47:06 the rich, the content, 47:09 we see instruction for the discontent. 47:12 For those who are being treated justly, 47:14 Pastor Lomacang, 47:16 and those who are being treated unjustly. 47:18 It's the full scope 47:20 of what we as humanity will face. 47:23 We are going to find practical instruction 47:25 in these Proverbs. 47:27 Now, I want us to go to Proverbs 10:4 47:29 because I'm going to read the scripture, 47:32 then I'm going to ask my knotty panelists 47:35 who are theologians and brilliant, 47:38 godly men and women, 47:40 to tell me what this proverb is saying 47:43 to, just what does he say to your heart. 47:45 So Proverbs 10:4, 47:48 "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, 47:52 but the hand of the diligent makes rich." 47:57 What does that speak to you for your daily living? 48:00 Can't be lazy. 48:02 Don't be lazy. 48:04 Okay, if you have a slack hand... 48:06 It means you don't hold on to things that are valuable. 48:09 Yeah. Yeah. 48:10 But the hand of the diligent, what is the diligent? 48:13 Somebody that gets out there and works that garden. 48:16 That's right. 48:18 You know, you can look at the garden and say, 48:19 "Oh, God has blessed you so beautifully 48:22 with this beautiful garden that you have." 48:24 And you can say, 48:25 "Yeah, but you should have seen it last year, 48:29 when I didn't help him." 48:30 You know, we have a diligent hand 48:33 and we're the ones that God uses to an end. 48:37 God blesses the works of our hands. 48:39 Praise God for that. Okay. 48:41 Proverbs 19:15. 48:46 Here we go. 48:48 "Laziness cast one into a deep sleep, 48:51 but an idle person shall suffer hunger." 48:56 So... Okay. 48:57 I just want to... 48:59 Pastor Lomacang, you want to comment on that? 49:01 There's lazy people. 49:02 You know there's a proverb, I love it. 49:04 My proverbs have so many square boxes around. 49:07 There's another one that says, a lazy man says, 49:09 "There's a lion in the street, if I go out, he'll devour me." 49:13 That reminds me of this one, idle people. 49:16 They don't work and they don't eat, 49:18 and that's rightfully their course in life. 49:20 Yeah, if you don't work, 49:22 you don't eat, just little idioms. 49:25 I don't know if they're Alabama idioms or not, but... 49:27 Molliesms. 49:29 Molliesms. 49:30 There are no free lunches, you know. 49:32 Well, in this day and age there might be, 49:34 but they shouldn't be 49:36 because it teaches people to be idle. 49:40 God will again bless the works of your hands. 49:43 Okay. 49:45 Now then, Proverbs 15:15, 49:47 gonna kind of switch gears here 49:50 and then we're going to go to Philippians 4:8. 49:52 Proverbs, but stay in Proverbs. 49:54 Proverbs 15:15, 49:56 "All the days of the afflicted 49:58 by anxious thoughts and foreboding are evil." 50:02 What are all the days of the afflicted 50:04 who are thinking on, 50:08 have anxious thoughts and foreboding, they're evil. 50:11 "But he who has a merry heart has a continual feast." 50:16 So, what is that speaking to you? 50:21 You know, I do know there's so many people 50:22 who were in Jesus, 50:24 who do not be anxious about anything, 50:25 you can't add anything good in, 50:28 there's enough problems in each day. 50:31 Each day has problem sufficient of its own. 50:34 If we are constantly filling ourselves 50:37 with anxious thoughts, 50:39 our days are brewing but when you... 50:42 As Jill so beautifully put, if you've got, 50:45 you'll find your joy and your strength in the Lord, 50:48 you'll have a merry heart 50:49 and you're going to have a feast with God 50:53 throughout the bad times. 50:54 Amen. That's true. 50:56 Again, you're in the presence of the Lord, 51:00 there is fullness of strength 51:02 and the joy of the Lord is my strength. 51:04 God inhabits the praises of His people 51:06 and in the presence of the Lord 51:08 there is fullness of joy 51:09 and the joy of the Lord is their strength. 51:10 That is just a truth. 51:12 Well, I've got you in Proverbs 4:8, 51:16 "Finally, brethren, 51:18 whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, 51:23 whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 51:27 whatsoever things are lovely, 51:29 whatever things are of good report, 51:32 if there be any virtue, 51:34 if there be anything praiseworthy," 51:36 what are we to do? 51:38 Think on... 51:39 That's what we're to think on. 51:41 So if... Philippians 4:8. 51:42 Philippians 4:8. 4:8? 51:44 Is that what I say it? 51:46 Did I say Proverbs? But it's Philippians. 51:48 I've got it written down right here Philippians 4:8. 51:50 Okay. 51:51 So, we can, if we find our mind and all of us do this, 51:56 we find our mind drifting to this calamity, 51:59 that is before us. 52:00 And we have to by an act of our will 52:03 make a choice to pull our mind back to. 52:07 You know, I am strong in the Lord 52:09 and in the power of His might. 52:11 No weapon formed against me will prosper. 52:13 But what I lay my hand to will prosper. 52:15 I'm trusting in the Lord. 52:17 The Lord is my strength and my deliverer. 52:19 When you bring your mind thinking on those good things, 52:23 then it will lift you out of that pit 52:26 and give you that merry heart that Shelley was talking about. 52:30 Proverbs 17:22, 52:33 "A merry heart does good, like," what? 52:37 "Like a medicine, 52:38 but a broken spirit dries the bones." 52:41 And Proverbs 19:17, 52:44 "He who," we're going to change gears here a bit. 52:47 "He who has pity on the poor lends to," whom? 52:51 The Lord. The Lord. 52:53 "Lends to the Lord, 52:54 and He will pay back what he has given." 52:57 Boy, I think that is so powerful. 53:00 When you... 53:01 Again, what we're looking at today 53:03 is mercy on the needy. 53:06 And this says, 53:07 if we see someone that's needy, 53:10 if we take care of that need, 53:13 we're not giving it to them, 53:15 expecting them to give it back to us. 53:17 We're not expecting anybody to give anything back to us. 53:20 But we know what we do. 53:21 We set into motion a biblical principle, 53:25 and that biblical principle says, 53:28 "As you lend to the needy, 53:31 that who's going to pay you back? 53:32 God's going to pay you back. 53:34 So I want to read Matthew 25. 53:38 Let me go there. Matthew 25:34-40. 53:42 That's a lot of scripture, but I think it's worth reading. 53:45 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 53:48 'Come, you blessed of My Father, 53:50 inherit the kingdom prepared for you 53:53 from the foundation of the world." 53:54 And I know we've used the scripture, 53:56 I think already once today. 53:58 It says, "For I was hungry and you gave Me food. 54:01 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. 54:03 I was a stranger and you took Me in. 54:05 I was naked and you clothed Me." 54:08 And the righteous say, "When did we do this? 54:13 We don't recall doing that to You, Lord." 54:15 What does the Lord say? 54:17 "When you've done it unto the least of these," 54:21 who have you done it unto? 54:23 Him. "You've done it unto Him." 54:25 Okay. 54:28 Proverbs 14:31, 54:30 "He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, 54:35 but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy." 54:39 And that's what we're looking at, 54:41 having mercy on the needy. 54:46 We just don't know 54:48 the circumstances of the poor and the needy. 54:51 And if we look at their circumstances and think, 54:54 I feel superior to them, 54:56 then we are reproaching our Maker. 54:58 My encouragement for every one of us today 55:01 is that we just ask God to open our hearts 55:04 and soften our hearts, 55:06 show us those that we need to be helping, 55:09 and then allow the Lord to use you to be a blessing 55:14 to those who are in need around you. 55:15 Amen, and amen. 55:17 I have enjoyed so much each one of your presentations. 55:20 Let's take a moment 55:22 for a quick closing thought, Ryan? 55:23 Yeah, sure. 55:25 So this particular lesson 55:26 just makes me think of Revelation, 55:29 ending chapters of Revelation. 55:32 I just feel like shouting with the multitude 55:34 in the times that we're living in. 55:35 Halleluiah for the Lord God Almighty, 55:38 the Lord our God omnipotent reigns. 55:40 I mean, we know that He reigns and He's in control. 55:43 But even the discussion on this particular topic 55:47 draws my attention to Revelation 22:20, 55:49 which says, "He who testifies to these things says, 55:51 'Surely I am coming quickly.' 55:53 Amen. 55:55 Even so, come Lord Jesus Christ!'" 55:56 And I'm saying, "Come Lord Jesus Christ." 55:58 I'm ready to go home. 56:00 Amen. Right. 56:01 Mark 1:17, 56:02 to be an effective leader, you have to have a plan. 56:04 Here's the plan, 56:05 "Follow me and I will make you." 56:07 You cannot make yourself, 56:09 you have to follow the one who alone is able to make us. 56:12 Follow the Lord and He will make you 56:14 what He intends for you to become. 56:15 Amen. Praise is not for God. 56:18 It's not something we do for Him. 56:20 Praise is for you and for me, it changes us and our outlook. 56:24 And Psalm 146, 56:26 there were some serious situations 56:28 that they were dealing with, 56:29 but yet in the midst of that they chose to praise God. 56:32 Amen. 56:33 And we are to show grace and mercy 56:37 to those that are in need. 56:38 We can't be superior or look down 56:40 at judgmental nose at those around us. 56:43 The alcoholic didn't say when he was young, you know, 56:45 "Someday what I aspire to be is an alcoholic in a gutter." 56:50 The lady of ill repute didn't say, 56:52 "Someday, you know what I want to do? 56:54 I want to sell my body for drugs 56:56 and be treated with degradation." 56:58 We don't know the circumstances so we can't be judgmental. 57:02 What we can be is obedient to God 57:04 and show them grace and mercy. 57:07 Amen and amen. 57:08 Thank you each so much for the study, 57:11 the amount of time that you put in 57:12 to prepare these studies. 57:14 You know, for those of you at home, 57:17 we just want you to know, 57:18 you may be feeling oppressed, 57:20 you may be feeling neglected 57:21 or overlooked or somebody has slandered you, 57:24 you may be going through some kind of trial. 57:28 But you have the Prince of Peace 57:30 on your side, He is ready to come to you 57:33 at a moment's cry, and you can look to Him. 57:37 He is the champion of the helpless. 57:42 And I pray that your heart will be filled 57:45 and just overflow with hope, 57:49 that eager expectation that God will show up. 57:53 Our prayer for you is that the grace 57:54 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 57:57 the love of the Father 57:58 and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit 58:00 will be with you always. 58:01 Bye-bye. |
Revised 2019-07-29