Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP190042A
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00:01 The Bible tells us, "In the beginning was the Word,
00:03 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 00:08 It says, "To receive with meekness 00:10 the implanted Word, 00:11 which is able to save your souls, 00:14 and to be diligent to present yourself 00:16 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 Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:33 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:36 I'm Jill Morikone, and we're so glad 00:38 that you have tuned in today for study of the Word of God. 00:42 If you're just joining us, that is okay. 00:44 We are on lesson number 3 00:46 of our study of Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:49 And we encourage you to visit 00:50 your local Seventh-Day Adventist Church 00:52 and join them for this study 00:54 or you can always go online to ABSG.Adventist.org. 01:00 You can download your own copy of the lesson, 01:04 and you can follow along with us. 01:06 That stands for Adult Bible Study Guide 01:09 dot Adventist dot org. 01:11 We are on lesson number 3, God's call, 01:14 and I'm excited as we journey 01:16 through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. 01:19 See, the lessons that God has there, 01:21 not just for the children of Israel 01:23 but for us today. 01:25 I want to introduce you to our panel at this time. 01:27 To my left is Kenny Shelton. 01:29 We love you and your wife 01:30 and a privilege to have you here. 01:31 It's a pleasure. Thank you very much. 01:33 Sitting to your left is my pastor, 01:35 Pastor John Lomacang. 01:37 And, Pastor John, always love learning from you 01:39 and your study, the Word of God. 01:41 Praise the Lord. Thank you, Jill. 01:42 To your left is my sister Shelley Quinn. 01:45 And thank you so much, Shelley, for being here. 01:47 Oh, we love. 01:49 I love being here and just love hearing 01:51 what God has led each one of you 01:54 to bring to the table. 01:55 Absolutely. 01:56 And last but not least, 01:58 our sister Miss Mollie Steenson. 02:00 So glad when you can come back up from Alabama 02:03 and join us in Sabbath School Panel 02:05 and glad you can be here. 02:06 Thank you so much. 02:07 Before we go any further, 02:09 we want to go to the Lord in prayer. 02:10 And, Pastor Kenny, would you pray for us? 02:12 Absolutely, let's pray together, shall we? 02:14 Loving Father in heaven, truly is a privilege 02:17 that we had to be part of the family of God today. 02:20 We may come boldly to the throne of grace 02:22 by helping our time of need because of Jesus Christ. 02:25 Lord we just ask and plead for that Holy Spirit power. 02:28 We pray that You illuminate these beautiful truths 02:30 in each of our hearts and our lives 02:32 those who are at home, those watching, those listening 02:34 that each one of us may be in tune with heaven. 02:36 May we see Jesus, may we experience something 02:39 that maybe we've never experienced before. 02:41 Make sure bless each one here on the panel in a special way. 02:44 Lord, we need that Holy Spirit power, 02:46 need these truths to be illuminated in our own minds 02:48 and heart not only to know them but to live them. 02:51 Lord, we give you praise, 02:52 and we thank You in Jesus name, amen. 02:54 Amen. 02:56 We are on lesson number 3. 02:58 But if you're just joining us, 02:59 we spent the first two weeks laying that foundation. 03:03 We talked about the first return 03:05 from Babylon back to Jerusalem. 03:07 That was Zerubbabel. 03:08 In 538 BC, he led the group, 50,000 men, 03:14 women and children went back to Jerusalem. 03:16 Then in 457 BC, 03:18 we see the second return under the leadership of Ezra, 03:22 they went specifically 03:23 for the reconstruction of the temple. 03:26 Then the third return under Nehemiah probably 444 BC, 03:30 and they went specifically 03:32 to rebuild the walls of the city. 03:35 This week, we look at God's call. 03:38 God has always called a special person 03:41 for a specific purpose. 03:43 Think about Noah. He was called to build an ark. 03:47 Abraham was called to be the father of a special nation. 03:52 Joseph was called to preserve the life of his own family 03:55 and the Egyptians from that famine. 03:58 Moses was called to lead the children of Israel 04:01 out of Egypt. 04:02 Joshua was called to lead the children of Israel 04:05 into the Promised Land. 04:08 Esther was called to intercede on behalf of her people, 04:13 the Jewish people. 04:14 Zerubbabel was called to lead the Jews back 04:17 from Babylon back to Jerusalem. 04:20 Israel was called as well so was Nehemiah. 04:23 Jonah was called to preach in Nineveh 04:25 and he turned away from that call in the beginning, 04:27 but then he eventually went. 04:30 The disciples were called to follow Jesus 04:32 and become fishers of men. 04:34 Paul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles 04:37 and the list could go on and on. 04:40 We are all called to share what the Lord Jesus Christ 04:44 has done in our hearts and lives. 04:45 One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Peter 2:9, 04:48 "You are a chosen generation, a whole royal priesthood, 04:53 a holy nation, God's own special people, 04:57 that we proclaim the praises of Him 04:59 who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light." 05:02 You at home have been called to share the gospel message 05:07 with someone else. 05:08 What qualifies us for the call of God? 05:11 Is there a specific criteria, Pastor Kenny? 05:13 Is it money or is it power or position? 05:17 Is it education or experience? 05:20 Or is it simply willingness, and humility, 05:25 and ability to walk in obedience 05:29 when God makes the call on your life? 05:32 This week, we look at two men 05:34 who were called of God to lead at the time of crisis. 05:37 Our memory text is Ezra 7:27, Ezra 7:27, 05:42 "Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, 05:45 who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, 05:48 to beautify the house of the Lord 05:50 which is in Jerusalem" 05:53 Now on Sunday, 05:54 we look at the calling of Ezra and Nehemiah. 05:58 Two different men, but both called of God, 06:01 and it's for a specific purpose. 06:04 Now I want to look at three different aspects here. 06:06 First, we're going to look at preparation for the call, 06:09 then recognition of the call, 06:13 then response to the call. 06:16 So let's look at the preparation 06:18 for the call first. 06:19 Why was Israel called? 06:21 What prepared him 06:22 for the call of God on his life? 06:24 He was a skilled scribe. 06:25 We discussed this in previous lessons, 06:27 Ezra 7:6. 06:29 "This Ezra came up from Babylon. 06:31 He was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses." 06:34 He had training before the call of God 06:37 ever came on his life to lead the people back, 06:40 Miss Mollie, he had already had training, 06:43 he was skilled. 06:44 Second, he was already a leader and a teacher, 06:47 Ezra 7:10, 06:49 "Ezra had prepared his heart to do," what, 06:51 "to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." 06:55 He was already a leader in Israel. 06:57 He already taught the Word of God. 07:00 Third, and I think this is was critical. 07:01 He was eager to go. 07:03 In fact, he probably even asked to go. 07:06 Ezra 7:6, 07:07 it says, "The king granted him" 07:09 that's Ezra, "all his request, 07:11 according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him." 07:14 So Ezra actually asked 07:17 and the king granted him his request, 07:19 he was eager to go. 07:21 It's one thing to be trained and skilled. 07:24 It's something else entirely to say, 07:26 "Here am I, Lord, send me. 07:27 I'm ready to answer the call of God on my life." 07:32 Another thing, Ezra had firmly set his heart on God 07:36 to seek His face and His will. 07:39 Ezra 7:10, we reference this in a previous lesson, 07:42 "For Ezra had prepared his heart 07:45 to seek the Law of the Lord and do it, 07:48 and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." 07:51 He had prepared his heart. 07:54 He had set his heart firmly on God 07:56 to seek His face and His will. 07:59 And finally, Ezra was willing to depend on God. 08:02 And he was willing to walk 08:04 with humility of heart we see that, 08:07 him pouring out his heart and prayer before the Lord, 08:09 him coming before the Lord in humility, 08:12 seeking His direction, seeking His guidance. 08:16 So why was Nehemiah called? 08:18 First, he was compassionate, 08:19 and he cared about the needs of others. 08:22 We studied this last week, Nehemiah 1:3-4. 08:26 When they came to Nehemiah and said, 08:29 everything's in disrepair, everything's in reproach, 08:33 the city walls are broken down 08:35 and the gates are burned with fire. 08:37 He sat down and he wept and mourned many days 08:41 and fasting and pray to the God of heaven. 08:44 He could have said, "Okay, well, 08:46 those people are over there in Jerusalem. 08:48 I'm in Babylon. 08:50 I don't care about what they're going through. 08:52 I don't care about their needs." 08:53 But his heart was moved with the need. 08:58 Second thing, he was a man of prayer, 08:59 and we see this throughout the book of Nehemiah, 09:02 that he poured out his heart before the Lord 09:06 and he fasted and he prayed. 09:08 He didn't just say, "Oh, sorry for the needs 09:11 and then he went on his way. 09:13 He was a man of prayer, and he prayed for the burden 09:16 that God had put in his heart. 09:18 Third, he identified with the problems 09:21 of his fellow believers, and he interceded for them. 09:25 Nehemiah 1:6, he clearly says, 09:28 he confesses the sins and then he says, 09:29 in which we have sinned, 09:31 he doesn't say those people bow back in Jerusalem. 09:33 They're dealing with some issues. 09:35 I'm so glad I'm doing better. 09:36 No, he identified with what they are going through. 09:42 And finally, he thought to do something about it. 09:44 This to me reminds me of Ezra being eager to go, 09:47 the same thing. 09:49 He prayed and said, "Lord, please" Nehemiah 1:11, 09:52 "let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant." 09:55 He didn't just sit back and say God, 09:57 "You put a burden on my heart, 09:59 and I'm going to wait 10:00 until you call me to do something about it." 10:02 "Okay, I'm still waiting. 10:04 Okay, I'm still waiting..." 10:05 No, he prayed and said, 10:07 "God, I want to do something 10:08 about the burden you put on my heart. 10:11 And would you open up the way so that I could go forward 10:14 and what you've called me to do." 10:16 That is the preparation for the call, recognition. 10:20 How do you know if you're called? 10:21 I think one of the keys, 10:23 and we've seen this in Ezra and Nehemiah 10:24 is, what is your passion? 10:26 What has God already put into your heart? 10:30 What is birthed in your heart? 10:32 What do you have a burden for? 10:33 Where would you like to get involved? 10:35 People call the office all the time, Pastor Kenny... 10:37 Yes. They say, God has... 10:39 This is a great thing. 10:40 And 3ABN needs to be involved in this, 10:42 and this is a powerful ministry. 10:44 And I say, "Well, if the Lord put that burden in your heart, 10:47 that you're the one 10:49 who's supposed to walk in that out by faith. 10:52 God puts a passion in our heart, 10:55 many times for something He's calling us to do. 10:58 Also, what do people confirm in your life? 11:02 You know, other people can speak into your heart 11:05 and say, you know what, have you considered this? 11:07 God has really put a call in your life for this 11:09 or a gifting in your heart for this specific area. 11:14 Now in this area of recognition, 11:16 we have to be willing to wait. 11:17 Nehemiah waited four months between the call in Nehemiah 1, 11:21 and when he actually saw the fulfillment in Nehemiah 2, 11:24 we have to have that willingness to wait. 11:26 Yes. 11:28 Also a willingness to ask God for His will. 11:31 We can wait on God but then we need to anxiously 11:34 and eagerly say, 11:35 "God, what is your will in this specific circumstance?" 11:39 Nehemiah, when the king asked him his request, 11:41 he didn't just say, "Okay, I got it." 11:43 What did he prayed to the God of heaven? 11:46 He saw God for His will. 11:49 And then a willingness to step out 11:51 and ask for what you believe is God's will. 11:53 Now this is transformational for me in my own life, 11:57 Nehemiah 2:5, Nehemiah said, "If it pleases the king, 12:00 I ask that you send me to Judah." 12:03 Sometimes, we think God puts a passion in our heart, 12:06 other people confirm that passion. 12:08 And then I'm going to sit back and wait for God 12:10 to open up the door. 12:12 But sometimes, 12:14 God wants us to step out 12:16 and what we believe 12:17 He's asking and calling us to do. 12:20 Ezra did the same thing. 12:22 Ezra 7:6, the king granted him all his request, 12:26 according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. 12:29 So the preparation for the call, 12:30 the recognition of the call, and finally the response, 12:34 Isaiah 6:8, remember, 12:36 when Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord high 12:39 and lifted up in His glory filled the temple, 12:42 and His lips were purged from iniquity 12:46 with a coal from off the altar. 12:48 And then the Lord called, "Who will go for us?" 12:51 And he said, "Here am I, send me." 12:54 So I don't know what call 12:56 God has placed on your heart today. 12:59 It might be go out and witness, 13:01 it might be a great call, 13:02 it might be a seemingly small call, 13:04 no call is small. 13:06 When the Lord puts it in your heart, 13:09 step out by faith and what He's called you to do. 13:13 And, Pastor Kenny, you have prophetic timing. 13:16 The timing for this in the call. 13:17 Oh, well, praise the Lord, what a good foundation. 13:19 Thank you for that. 13:21 So much information again, but to try to cover, 13:23 I think Pastor John 13:24 and I were probably pretty close on our lesson. 13:26 So we'll probably overshadow back and forth, 13:28 and I think that's still good. 13:30 True, I definitely will. Yeah, definitely. 13:31 Please do that. 13:32 Yeah, couple just verses in Daniel 9:25-26, 13:38 I believe it is. 13:39 Yeah, 24 and 25. 13:41 Daniel 9, these are two verses 13:43 I think that's very important for us to look at, 13:46 to read, set a little of foundation 13:48 which to work upon. 13:50 Daniel 9:24-25 says, 13:53 "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people 13:56 and upon the holy city to finish the transgression, 13:59 and to make an end of sins, 14:01 to make reconciliation for iniquity, 14:04 to bring in everlasting righteousness, 14:06 to set upon the seal of the vision and the prophecy, 14:09 to anoint the Most Holy." 14:11 Verse 25, 14:13 I think this is really key for this prophecy 14:15 when many people seem to misunderstand. 14:17 "Knowing therefore and understand that 14:19 from the going forth of the commandment 14:21 to do two things, 14:23 to restore and to build Jerusalem 14:25 until Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks 14:28 threescore-two weeks, streets shall be built again, 14:31 and the wall even in troubles times." 14:34 So a lot of information in those passage of scripture, 14:36 and we have to go over. 14:37 But I really believe that Daniel 9:24 and 27 reveals, 14:42 you know, amazingly the prophecy, 14:44 the ministry of Jesus. 14:45 It's really 'cause Jesus what He was doing, 14:47 how He's doing it, 14:49 so on and I think it's a wonderful prophecy. 14:51 Too bad that many times that is misunderstood, 14:53 hopefully through this lesson, 14:55 everybody putting in little something 14:56 to help us to understand it better. 14:58 This kind of prophecy, 14:59 I think as we see it fulfill should establish our faith. 15:02 I think it should be on... 15:03 We see prophecy in the Bible, we read it, 15:05 this maybe already taken place, 15:06 it should say, well, 15:08 God's going to do exactly what He says He's going to do. 15:10 And, Lord, our faith should be You. 15:12 I've heard it said timing is, what? 15:14 Timing is everything. 15:15 Timing is everything and really it is. 15:18 God has His timing. 15:20 God gave a message. 15:22 Certainly working through the Holy Spirit. 15:24 Holy Spirit working through the prophets of old, 15:26 they write it down in a book for us, 15:27 for us to read now for our admonition 15:30 and we need to be in the predictions there. 15:33 You mentioned that there's a rule there in 5:38 15:36 I think it was in our first lesson there, 15:38 Ezra 4:57 is kind of interesting, 15:41 4:57, Ezra was called in. 15:44 It was the same year that Artaxerxes 15:46 signed the decree to begin, 15:48 I said, were the 70 years or the 2,300 years 15:52 of Daniel 8:14. 15:53 So the same thing. So there's something... 15:56 God calling there's for, 15:57 I want to call special ministry. 15:59 Special work, 16:01 people have work, it's all special. 16:02 It's all good. 16:03 But this year, God had him in mind for this prophecy. 16:08 So, you know, that year is significant 16:10 as far as I'm concerned in the book of Daniel. 16:13 It's all about as we saw it starts in Daniel 8:14. 16:16 It says 2,300 days and shall what? 16:18 The sanctuary be cleansed. The sanctuary be cleansed. 16:19 So we go through it very quickly just verse 16:21 after verse after verse, 16:23 and then I think maybe 16:24 we have time to even talk about it. 16:25 Gabriel came to Daniel, what did he say? 16:27 You know, he didn't want to understand, 16:29 he said 2,300 days 16:31 and then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 16:34 And then Gabriel came in verse 16 16:37 to help him to understand, 16:38 verse 17, we're still in Daniel 8:17. 16:42 Gabriel said, in the vision, 16:44 it will be at the time of the end, 16:47 that will help us to understand 16:49 about when this vision would take place at the end. 16:52 And then verse 26, just skip down quickly, 16:54 it says, "And the vision of the evenings 16:56 and the morning, 16:57 which was told is there is true, 16:59 therefore shut down the vision 17:01 for their shall be for many days." 17:03 So it's going to be down there, 17:04 it's going to be toward the end of time 17:06 that this will come to pass. 17:07 And notice this, what he saw, 17:09 this is my opinion, 17:10 people don't like your opinion but that's what you read, 17:12 you study, he must have saw. 17:14 Okay. 17:15 He must have saw some things that blew his mind. 17:17 Yeah. 17:18 Because what it was, just... 17:20 Well, this has come to an end 17:21 and this is going to happen here, it made him sick. 17:25 He fainted. He was sick. 17:27 It says, he was astonished at the vision 17:29 but none understood it. 17:31 It was so deep, so heavy that he said, 17:33 "Man, we just didn't understand this. 17:35 So he got sick." 17:36 So Gabriel was said, "Man, 17:38 there's no use to try to get him understanding now." 17:39 So in Daniel 9, 17:41 he comes back to give him understanding of Daniel 8, 17:45 and he said, talk about seven years 17:47 are determined upon my people, 17:48 I think you talk more about that in a moment, 17:51 people nowadays refuse to look at this prophecy and say, 17:54 70 years are determined, 17:56 but cut off the 2,300 years, 17:59 probation for the Jewish Jews as a nation 18:02 would come to an end. 18:04 That's why Jesus said, you know, 18:05 go to the house of Israel before Jesus died. 18:07 Don't go to Gentiles yet, go to the house of Israel. 18:09 Why? 18:10 Probation was getting ready to close. 18:12 Jesus knew it. 18:13 So he wanted to go right in there 18:15 and give a last shot, last chance. 18:16 So it just says, you know, look at it to restore 18:18 and to reveal two things is very, very important, 18:21 as you know, as you studied the lesson 18:24 because Artaxerxes, why, 18:26 because that was the one 18:28 where they would be restored through religious autonomy, 18:31 they'd be able to set there as government, 18:32 be able to worship God the way they were supposed to. 18:35 And that's what God had in mind for them. 18:39 And so we realized it was Cyrus, 18:41 wasn't it Cyrus in Ezra 1, 18:44 you had Darius and Ezra 6, 18:47 and then you had Artaxerxes in Ezra 7. 18:51 So these are one... 18:52 But only the other two, just permission to build 18:54 and here's the stuff to do it with and so on. 18:56 But Artaxerxes, you had the two identify marks there 19:00 of when the date would start, so this is... 19:01 which means very important. 19:03 We have a correct starting point. 19:04 I've often said it if you don't have a correct starting point, 19:07 how can you come up with anything in there 19:09 that would mean, you know, 19:10 and people start what kind of world they want to. 19:12 Pastor, you've seen that over the years. 19:14 And so it leads a lot of, you know, 19:16 misinformation about this beautiful, wonderful, 19:20 I'm talking about awesome prophecy, 19:23 the 2,300 days pointing, you know, 19:25 to Jesus and to the cross and then becoming our Messiah 19:29 and the judgment, 19:30 our giving the three angels' message, 19:31 a warning message to the world, this is an awesome thing. 19:34 Yeah. That's right. 19:35 And so the devil is going to do all he can 19:36 to make sure we don't get the right starting day. 19:38 That's all you need is a wrong day 19:40 to start and everything else goes out of whack. 19:42 That's right. 19:43 So that's why I said this is how you can know 19:45 that this is why... 19:46 When these two things, and certainly God said, 19:48 you know, they'll be 62 and 7 weeks at the, 19:52 you know, the 69 weeks to the Messiah. 19:54 We realized that, what, of the 70, 19:56 70 weeks to determine my people, 19:58 day for you and Bible prophecy and numbers in Ezekiel, 20:01 I'm going fast whether we're, you know, day for a year 20:03 but still yet 409 years were given to them 20:06 to come back to Christ, it did not happen. 20:09 So but when that prophecy... 20:10 483. 20:11 483, I'm sorry, it's up to Christ. 20:13 Yeah, and then you had one other the week. 20:15 And so that was the 70th year. 20:17 And so we find the baptism of Jesus in 27 AD. 20:20 We find the crucifixion around 31 AD, 20:23 stoning of Stephen, 20:25 the message going to the Gentiles 20:26 of Paul getting involved, 20:28 and the message going, 34, take 34, 20:30 1,810 and what, 20:32 1,844, as left of the 2,300 days 20:36 gives you the judgment, our message. 20:38 So really, you know, Adventism, 20:40 where God's last day people just preaching this message 20:43 and teaching it to the world. 20:44 I think this is vital that we understand it. 20:46 You know, again, it's not easy, 20:48 you don't do it in 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 minutes. 20:50 It takes a lot of time to go over to... 20:52 I think Pastor John's worked it out. 20:53 I haven't worked it out, 20:55 to really get it to where it's just you can do 20:57 all of that that needs to be proven too, 20:59 you know, not just that, well, this is what it is. 21:01 But give all the passage and look them up. 21:03 But still it is very, very important to realize 21:06 that this leads us to the judgment hour 21:08 in the coming of Jesus Christ. 21:10 And so I believe that's part of the message 21:12 that we have today, 21:14 Daniel referred to it's going to be at the time of, what? 21:17 What would be at the time of the end, 21:18 so, you know, and I believe that 21:20 we are at the time of the end, 21:22 I believe, we've hit a time in Earth's history 21:25 and a time of this world 21:26 to where we can look at these prophecies right now and say, 21:28 you know, there's something in here for us. 21:30 There's something in here for you. 21:32 There's something in it for everybody, 21:33 but we really grab a hold of what these truths are 21:36 and understand these truths. 21:38 They will change your heart and your mind 21:40 because Jesus said we sanctified in John 17:17, 21:43 he said, what, "Sanctify them through thy..." 21:44 Truth. "Truth, thy Word is truth." 21:48 We need to be around where we can hear truth 21:50 and hear the Word of God. 21:51 And sometimes that means make an awful lot of changes 21:54 in our hearts and in our life. 21:55 Maybe you can keep them different company going 21:57 different places, you know, 21:58 but we're in that time 22:00 where this work will not be finished without sacrifice too. 22:03 That means not only just giving and doing 22:05 but I think it means changing things in our own life 22:08 and maybe our own friends and old friends, 22:10 takes down the wrong road again, 22:12 they come separate, you know, get separation 22:15 and God's calling out specific people do this. 22:17 So in this chapter again, 22:18 I know Pastor John will go on with in Daniel 8 and 9 22:22 that to me is one of the most important 22:24 and exciting prophecies in the entire Word of God, 22:28 and certainly 2,300, that's a long time prophecy, 22:32 that how it fits exactly with the way 22:34 God intended for it to and that it helps me. 22:37 I don't know about you, but it helps me 22:39 to have faith in Scripture 22:40 as I can see this and go back in history 22:43 and look at some of these things say, 22:44 "Wow, it's just like I said it here." 22:46 So hopefully, it'll help you today. 22:48 You know, if you study the Word of God, 22:50 you want to know the issues on this, 22:52 keep in the Word of God, 22:53 keep praying for the power of the Holy Spirit. 22:55 Lord, I want to understand, 22:56 I need to understand this message 22:59 that most of all I need to understand Jesus Christ. 23:01 And I indeed understand the plan that He has for me. 23:04 You know, this is what... You know, where do I fit? 23:06 Where do you fit? That's very important. 23:07 It's not where somebody else fits, 23:09 it's where do I fit. 23:11 And then when the call is made, 23:13 will I respond the way this God did. 23:16 "Lord, glory, here am I, send me." 23:20 Thank you so much, Pastor Kenny. 23:22 That's incredible. 23:23 We're going to take a short break, 23:25 and we'll be right back. 23:31 Ever wish you could watch 23:32 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again 23:35 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 23:38 Well, you can by visiting 3ABNSabbathSchoolPanel.com. 23:43 A clean design makes it easy 23:45 to find the program you're looking for. 23:47 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 23:51 so you can follow along. 23:53 Sharing is easy. 23:54 Just click share 23:55 and choose your favorite social media. 23:57 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 24:04 Welcome back as we continue with Tuesday's lesson, 24:06 the 70 weeks and the 2,300 days with Pastor John Lomacang. 24:11 Well, thank you, Jill. 24:13 This is a topic, thank you Pastor Kenny 24:14 for laying the foundation. 24:15 It gives me an opportunity now to just get on the runway 24:18 and take off. 24:20 Let's go to Daniel 8:14, 24:23 and we're going to look at the 70 week 24:25 and 2,300 year prophecy, 70 weeks have, 24:28 a week has 7 days, 7 times, 70 years, 490 years. 24:34 So the word determined here in Daniel 8:14, 24:38 let's first look there 24:39 because this word determined 24:41 which Pastor Kenny made clear means cut off, 24:43 cut off from what? 24:45 Daniel 8:14, And he said to me, 24:48 "For two thousand three hundred days, 24:50 then the sanctuary shall be cleansed." 24:54 And verse 26 says, "And the vision..." 24:56 because Daniel didn't understand 24:58 what that meant, yet. 25:00 This was yet to be understood and Daniel 9 takes the place. 25:04 Verse 26, "And the vision of the evenings 25:07 and the mornings which was told is true. 25:09 Therefore seal up the vision 25:11 for it refers to many days in the future." 25:14 Verse 27, "And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days, 25:19 afterward I arose and went about the king's business. 25:22 I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it." 25:26 Because the understanding was yet to come. 25:27 Now let me lay some foundation very quickly because Ezra, 25:29 Nehemiah, Daniel, were contemporaries. 25:33 If the work that was done by the commission, 25:36 we're going to read now in the book of Daniel. 25:38 If the commission was... 25:40 It covers a whole entire platform, 25:43 and Ezra and Nehemiah are needed for a work 25:46 that started to be finished. 25:49 Now I'm going to just say that again. 25:50 This entire 2,300 year period, 25:53 the beginning point is listed in Daniel 9, 25:55 and we'll look at that very carefully. 25:57 There are intervals of times 25:59 that are revealed in the 70 week prophecy, 26:01 the smaller period 26:03 that's cut off from the 2,300 year period, 26:06 or more specifically, out of the 2,300 years, 26:10 there's 490 specifically for Daniel and his people, 26:14 the Jews. 26:16 Let's look at Daniel 9 very carefully. 26:18 Now what we're going to see here, 26:19 I'll just lay the foundation 26:20 because when we read Ezra in one of our past lessons, 26:24 we talked about the opposition that was felt by those 26:27 who will call to finish the work of building the wall. 26:31 And in Ezra 4:24, 26:33 I'll just read these because of time, 26:35 "Thus the work of the house of God 26:37 which is at Jerusalem ceased, 26:41 and it was discontinued until the second year 26:44 of the reign of Darius king of Persia." 26:47 Now we go to Daniel 5:31, 26:49 now to show you where Daniel comes in 26:51 under the same time. 26:53 "And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, 26:57 being about 62 years old." 27:00 So that's talking about the fall of Babylon. 27:02 So when Babylon fell, 27:04 the kingdom now of Babylon ceased 27:06 and the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians 27:09 took its place, Darius being the first king. 27:12 Then we go to Daniel 6:28. 27:19 And so we're looking at Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel. 27:22 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius 27:26 and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian, 27:28 so linking both kings together, 27:30 Cyrus, Darius, and Daniel is talked about. 27:33 And so Ezra, Nehemiah, 27:35 all the work that's talked about in those two books 27:38 are including the work 27:39 that began in the 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9. 27:43 Now let me go ahead and bring this out very carefully. 27:45 Let's go to Daniel 9. 27:47 And here's the point I want to make very quickly. 27:49 This prophecy misunderstood, 27:52 gives room for something that is known in Christendom, 27:55 there's a secret rapture, 27:57 misunderstanding this prophecy 27:59 will come up with blocks of time 28:01 that are not fulfilled. 28:03 There were three commissions given, 28:05 Darius, Cyrus, and Artaxerxes. 28:09 When you start with Darius, the prophecy never finishes, 28:12 there's gaps 28:13 because you can't find the command to restore 28:15 and rebuild Jerusalem, 28:16 you find a command to build a wall by one, 28:18 a command to build the city by the other, 28:20 but to completely restore 28:22 and rebuild Jerusalem was only given by Artaxerxes. 28:25 So if you saw with the other two, 28:26 which many theologians do, they always fall short, 28:30 coming up with people like Antiochus Epiphanes 28:32 instead of Christ. 28:34 So second thing is Darius and Cyrus, 28:37 if you start with the decrease they give, 28:40 the prophecy never happens. 28:42 If you start with Artaxerxes, the prophecy is complete. 28:46 Second thing is Daniel 9:24, very carefully, 28:51 Daniel 9:24, 28:52 "Seventy weeks are determined." 28:54 That's cut off. 28:55 "For your people and for your holy city, 28:58 to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, 29:01 to make reconciliation for iniquity, 29:02 to bring in everlasting righteousness, 29:04 to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." 29:07 Right off the bat you see 29:09 it's not talking about the Antichrist but the Christ. 29:12 Let's go on, verse 25. 29:14 "Know therefore and understand, 29:15 that from the going forth of the command 29:17 to restore and build Jerusalem 29:19 until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks 29:22 and sixty-two weeks. 29:24 The street shall be built again, and the wall, 29:26 even in troublesome times." 29:27 That's where Ezra comes in. 29:30 That's where Nehemiah is commissioned 29:32 to get that job finished. 29:33 Now why is it broken down at 7 and 62? 29:37 It's broken down in 7 and 62 for particular reason 29:40 because 7 times 7 is 49. 29:43 When you look at the project that began, 29:45 it was finished 49 years later 29:47 after Nehemiah came and finished it within 52 days. 29:53 It was broken down, the work was opposed. 29:56 We read that in Ezra 5, Ezra 4, 29:58 "The word was opposed that ceased." 30:00 The Nehemiah came, 30:02 he's given a commission by Artaxerxes, 30:03 he's given all the supplies he needs. 30:06 And with the people that had a mind to work, 30:08 they finished the project 52 days after it starts. 30:12 And that 7, 30:14 that's in the first part of the 490 years, 30:18 it was finished 49 years after the commission was given, 30:21 that's 408 BC. 30:23 When you break that down, the prophecy exact, so 408 BC, 30:26 then you have just the rest of the time left after that. 30:29 So now get this, 7, 30:31 and then you have the 483 years left. 30:34 So now, let's go to the next part of it. 30:36 I know you're following. 30:38 In verse 26, 30:40 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off..." 30:45 So right after the walls that are built in that first 7, 30:48 you have 62, 7 and 62 is 69. 30:52 So it takes you right up to the Messiah. 30:55 It's 69 weeks or 483 years 30:59 takes us right to Christ, and He is anointed. 31:03 And the anointed one means... 31:05 The Messiah means the one that is anointed. 31:08 And He was anointed at that timeframes, 31:10 and He at 27 AD, when He was baptized, 31:14 He went down into the Jordan, 31:16 and He was declared the Messiah, 31:18 meaning the anointed one. 31:19 Then that last seven-year period began. 31:22 Now follow this carefully. 31:24 This is the question many Christians must ask themselves. 31:27 You got to choose 31:28 either the prophecy is pointing to Christ 31:31 or the Antichrist. 31:33 If Jesus didn't have a 3.5 year ministry, 31:37 then we could scrap it, but he had a 3.5 year ministry. 31:40 Baptized in 27 AD, 31:42 crucified in 31 AD, 3.5 years later. 31:45 So that takes up the 3.5 year period 31:47 from the secret rapture period. 31:49 So if the next 3.5 years doesn't exist, 31:53 we might say, 31:54 "Oh, we have room for the secret rapture." 31:55 But now let's follow. 31:57 Let's go to Hebrews 2, okay? 31:59 Because before you go there, 32:00 I'm going to read verse 27 of Daniel 9. 32:04 Listen to this. 32:05 Daniel 9:26, 32:08 "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself." 32:10 That's after 62 weeks. 32:12 Look at verse 27. 32:14 "Then he shall confirm a covenant 32:16 with many for," how long? 32:17 One week. "One week." 32:19 Okay, let's get this now. 32:20 So how many years was the Messiah in ministry? 32:23 Three and a half years. 32:24 So then how could I do seven years 32:27 if I'm going to confirm the covenant for one week? 32:29 How am I going to do it in 3.5 years? 32:31 Because we know at the end of the 3.5 years, 32:33 what happened to Jesus? 32:34 He ascended to heaven. 32:35 Let's go to Hebrews 2. 32:37 Let's look at this, okay? 32:39 Hebrews 2:3 because remember, 32:42 before Jesus ascended, 32:44 He said to His disciples, 32:46 "Go first, 32:48 to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 32:51 Why go to them? 32:52 Because there are 3.5 years left. 32:55 That was the final appeal later in Acts 13 32:58 when they finally rejected the message, 33:01 they stoned Stephen, and then Paul said, 33:04 since you judge yourselves 33:05 unworthy of everlasting life low return to the Gentiles. 33:08 But listen, now let's see 33:10 how this 70 weeks was confirmed. 33:12 Let's see how that last week panned out. 33:15 Look at Hebrews 2 and remember, 33:17 He shall confirm his covenant with many for one week. 33:19 Let's watch this. 33:21 Hebrews 2:3," How shall we escape 33:26 if we neglect so great a salvation, 33:28 which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, 33:33 and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him." 33:39 So was the prophecy confirmed? 33:41 Was that seven-year period confirmed? 33:44 Yes, Jesus confirmed his covenant 33:46 for that seven-year period, 33:48 three and a half years, Himself, 33:50 and the last three and a half years 33:53 through his disciples. 33:55 And so that's why when that time period ended, 33:59 Acts 13:42-44, the apostle Paul says 34:03 that Jews have judged themselves 34:05 unworthy of everlasting life, low return to the Gentiles. 34:09 So here's a nutshell, 34:10 if Jesus Christ did not exist on Earth, 34:14 then there's room for the Antichrist 34:15 and the rapture. 34:17 Since He did exist, there is no room 34:18 for the Antichrist and the rapture. 34:20 Yes. Good. 34:21 Amen. Marvelous. 34:23 That's a difficult topic to try to explain in 10 minutes, 34:27 but that was wonderful. 34:28 Okay, I have Wednesday's lesson, 34:30 which is God's election. 34:33 And, you know, 34:35 many of us have heard, 34:37 I grew up hearing, a devil lie. 34:42 There are people who teach that we have no choice 34:46 in the election of salvation, 34:48 that God predetermines, 34:50 those who will be saved, 34:53 and then that those 34:55 that he hasn't predetermined to be saved 34:58 are going to burn in everlasting torment 35:01 without ceasing 35:04 that flies in the phase of two Bible truths, 35:07 it violates the principle of free will 35:10 to say that you have no choice in the election of salvation, 35:14 but it also violates the truth of the second death 35:18 that is mentioned four times in Revelation. 35:22 You think about that, no wonder there are atheists. 35:25 If people believe that God creates you 35:29 but He predetermined you to go to hell 35:33 and burn forever and ever, 35:36 no wonder people turn away from God. 35:38 True. 35:40 So 1 Timothy 2:4-6 is one of my favorite scriptures 35:44 because it says that God desires 35:47 all men to be safe 35:49 and come to the knowledge of truth. 35:53 You know, John 3:16 is something 35:56 that is so familiar. 35:58 It's a verse that most people 36:00 who don't even go to church can quote, 36:01 and it's universal in scope. 36:04 It says, "For God so loved the world 36:06 that He gave His only begotten Son, 36:10 that whosoever believe in Him should not perish..." 36:15 Come on. 36:17 But the juxtaposition is, "Have ever lasting life." 36:22 So there's two options, 36:24 you're either going to perish 36:26 or you're going to have everlasting life. 36:31 Man is not an immortal being. 36:37 The Bible says, "When Paul is describing God, 36:41 he talks of Him as the King of kings, 36:43 the Lord of lords, 36:45 and then He says in 1 Timothy 6:16, 36:48 "Who alone has immortality?" 36:51 That's right. 36:52 At this moment, only God has immortality, 36:55 and it isn't until we put on immortality 36:59 when we are raised from the grave 37:01 or for translated at the last trumpet. 37:05 Paul makes that clear in 1 Corinthians 15:52-53. 37:09 Let me read that real quickly. 37:11 1 Corinthians 15:52-53, Paul says, "In a moment, 37:17 in the twinkling of the eye, at the last trumpet. 37:22 The trumpet will sound, 37:23 and the dead will be raised incorruptible, 37:26 and we shall be changed. 37:28 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, 37:33 this mortal must put on immortality." 37:37 Yes, That's right. 37:38 So this immortal, this idea of living 37:44 and burning forever, this is not truth. 37:48 But the idea that we have no choice 37:51 in the election of salvation is err as hell. 37:55 The pathway to perishing 37:57 when he said if you believe in Him, 38:00 you won't have to perish 38:01 but you'll have everlasting life. 38:03 The pathway to perishing, 38:06 you follow that when you have a non-repentant heart, 38:09 when you reject the person and the power 38:13 and the provision of Jesus Christ, 38:15 it's your choice. 38:17 If you hold onto sin and reject Jesus. 38:22 In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter writes, 38:25 2 Peter 3:9, he says, 38:27 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, 38:30 as some count slackness, 38:32 but is longsuffering toward us, 38:34 not willing that any should perish 38:38 but that all should come to repentance." 38:41 So what does the Bible say about our election, 38:46 what God has called us to, what he has chosen us for? 38:52 If you look at Romans 8:28-30, 38:56 and by the way, you cannot separate Romans, 39:00 actually I'm sorry, Romans 8:28-29. 39:04 This should be... 39:06 You know, they didn't have the punctuation 39:08 in the verses before. 39:10 But here's what Paul says. 39:13 "We know that all things work together for good 39:16 for those who love God 39:19 and are the called according to His purpose." 39:23 And now it goes on and explains what the purpose is. 39:26 For those... 39:28 "For whom He foreknew, 39:30 He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." 39:35 See, the purpose of election, 39:38 the purpose of predetermination, 39:42 the purpose of God, 39:44 it's not that God is saying, 39:45 "Okay, one, two, three, four years sake, 39:48 you go here. 39:49 One, two, three, four... No. 39:50 What He is saying is that if you accept Christ, 39:55 if you receive the call, 39:57 you receive the gift of salvation by grace, 40:00 you are predetermined by God 40:03 to be conformed to the image of His son. 40:06 I think that is so wonderful. 40:09 Now one thing I want to point out, 40:12 everything that God does is for eternal benefit. 40:16 So if He allows suffering in our life, 40:19 the reason He allows suffering 40:21 is because He's refining us by the fire. 40:25 And I think about Joseph, you know, 40:27 in Genesis 50:20, 40:29 when he said to his brothers, you know, 40:30 Joseph brothers throw him into a pit, 40:33 and sold him into slavery, he went into prison, 40:36 and he went through all of this, but then he... 40:39 God lifted him up, 40:41 stood him up to take the second place 40:45 in the whole kingdom of Egypt. 40:48 He was second only to the Pharaoh. 40:50 And Joseph says to his brothers, 40:52 what you intended for evil, that's okay. 40:56 God made it for good. 40:59 And so God's going to work out everything in our lives, 41:02 even when we go through suffering, 41:05 God will work it out to help conformance 41:08 to the image of Jesus 41:11 and that's what it's all about. 41:12 I can honestly say, 41:14 and I don't have time to go into it. 41:15 But the worst year of my life 41:18 turned out to be the best year of my life. 41:21 That's all there is to it. 41:23 God predestines all 41:26 who received the gift of salvation 41:28 to be conformed to the image of Jesus. 41:31 So, you know, 41:32 God knows the end from the beginning. 41:36 Events don't take place 41:38 because they're forcing, they're forcing 41:41 because He knows it's going to take place. 41:43 I am out of time... Oh, no, I am not out of time. 41:45 Good. I looked at the wrong clock. 41:47 I thought, oh, no. 41:48 All right, so let's look at Ephesians 1, 41:54 and we're going to look at verses 4 through 6. 41:58 Ephesians 1:4-6, 42:01 Paul writes, and he says, 42:02 "Just as He chose us in Him, in Christ, 42:06 before the foundation of the world..." 42:09 Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus is the Lamb 42:11 who was slain 42:13 from the foundation of the world. 42:14 Before God ever created the Earth, 42:17 He had the Calvary plan in mind, 42:19 He knew that God was going to have to come down 42:22 and become a man 42:24 to serve as our substitute and save us. 42:27 He said, "Just as he chose us, in him, in Christ 42:30 before the foundation of the world, 42:32 that we should be holy and without blame 42:34 before Him in love, having predestined us," what, 42:39 "to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, 42:45 according to the good pleasure of His will, 42:48 to the praise of the glory of His grace, 42:51 by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." 42:55 Beautiful. Hallelujah. 42:56 So election is in Christ. 43:00 It's by God's love. 43:02 It is His glorious grace. 43:05 He predestined you and I to become like Jesus. 43:10 So the purpose of the election is transformation 43:15 and adoption as His children. 43:18 And then verse 30 says, "Moreover whom He predestined, 43:22 these He also called, whom He called, 43:25 these He also justified, and whom He justified, 43:27 these He also glorified." 43:29 So as we read, 43:30 we respond to God's call of salvation by grace, 43:34 we're converted, and they we're justified, 43:37 we're declared not guilty. 43:40 And that would go on and by grace, 43:44 we are sanctified are separated from sin. 43:46 These are all prerequisites to be glorified, 43:50 and God only, 43:53 God alone can accomplish His scholar. 43:56 But now just very briefly, 43:59 so in election, there's general election, 44:03 and it's a personal, I think that's what you said. 44:06 The call is general, the response is personal. 44:10 But then our lesson also shows us Romans 9, 44:13 which we don't have time 44:14 but it shows God's election for special purpose 44:17 like the nation of Israel, 44:20 who was to bring the message of salvation to the world 44:25 or when God said, Jacob, I loved, Esau, I hated, 44:29 He didn't mean that He didn't like Esau, 44:31 it meant that He had chosen Jacob 44:34 to be the father of the Israelite nation. 44:39 Amen and amen. 44:41 You know, that is so encouraging me 44:43 that we have been predestined 44:45 to be conformed to the image of Christ. 44:48 And that is just that 44:49 sanctification process working out. 44:51 Is that not true? That's right. 44:53 Amen. All right. 44:54 Well, I've got first day 44:55 and first day looks at our responsibility, 44:59 concerning the call 45:03 that God would place on us, and now you may say to me, 45:08 "Mollie, I don't have a call of God on my life." 45:11 But I just want you to know, 45:13 all of those are special in God's eyes, 45:16 and He has a special word 45:17 for each and every one of us to do. 45:20 Now I'm going to back that up with Ephesians 2:10, 45:26 "For we are His workmanship, 45:29 created in Christ Jesus for good works, 45:34 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." 45:41 One of us may be an encourager, 45:44 one may be given to hospitality, 45:47 can you think of anybody in your church 45:49 that's just given to hospitality. 45:51 And you like to be around people that are encouragers, 45:55 I don't like to be around people 45:56 that are discouragers, only encouragers. 45:59 Some maybe call to pray. 46:02 Others, like this illustrious panel 46:06 that God has allowed me to set with, 46:08 our call to worldwide evangelism. 46:11 Now tell me that we're not worldwide evangelists 46:14 because this message right now that is going forth, 46:18 what corner Earth is it not touching? 46:21 That's truth. 46:22 The signal that goes forth from this little corn field 46:26 in Southern Illinois reaches the four corners of the Earth. 46:29 Thank god. 46:30 Three Angels Broadcasting Network, in my opinion, 46:33 is the number one evangelistic tool 46:36 in the hands of God today, 46:38 and it is allowing us 46:40 His simple servants to evangelize the whole world. 46:44 Okay, some are teachers, some are pastors, 46:48 but I want you to know 46:50 that one call is no more important than the other. 46:54 Let me tell you what success is in the kingdom of God. 46:59 It's not having a church of 40,000, 47:04 it could be having a church of 10 members. 47:07 Being a success in the kingdom of God 47:11 is doing the will of the Father, 47:13 just doing what He's asked you to do. 47:15 Now I'm going to use myself as an example, 47:17 and I hate to do that but I use myself as an example. 47:22 Do you know, there was a time 47:24 when I was on the staff here at 3ABN, 47:27 I'm a retiree now? 47:29 But when I was on the staff, 47:32 when I was part of this ministry in a functional way, 47:36 I think my role that God called me 47:38 to do was just hold hands, 47:39 Danny up, hold his arms up, 47:41 so he could accomplish 47:43 what God had called Him to accomplish. 47:45 But I said in a secret, 47:46 I could mean in front of the camera, 47:48 and I, you know... 47:49 And so... 47:51 But that was the season 47:53 and the call of God owed my life at that time. 47:56 But now, you know, 47:58 God has called me to something else. 48:00 Do you know what the call of God is on my life right now? 48:03 The call of God is for me to take care of my husband, 48:07 my husband who has had stroke, and is in need of care. 48:11 He's called me to do that. 48:13 What I want you to know, 48:14 I was no more successful in the eyes of God 48:19 when I was teaching and preaching and proclaiming... 48:21 That's right. 48:23 Then I am now when I am loving and nurturing and caring 48:26 success in the eyes of God 48:29 is doing the will of the Father. 48:30 Amen. That's right. 48:31 Okay. That's good. 48:33 So what is our responsibility taking into account 48:38 that every one of us have worked 48:42 that God prepared beforehand for us to walk in them. 48:46 We all have free choice. 48:48 I love to talk about that preacher wise 48:50 because you can't blame anybody else 48:53 for the decisions you make. 48:54 You make your own decisions. 48:56 We can accept or reject 48:58 the area of ministry God has prepared for us. 49:02 Just as we can accept or reject salvation 49:06 that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us to have, 49:09 we can accept... 49:11 It comes down to making a choice. 49:14 Now I'm going to have us look 49:16 at a good example of a bad example. 49:18 Now I appreciate this in the Word of God, 49:21 we can look at those good examples and rejoice, 49:25 but sometimes, you can look at a bad example, 49:27 and you can rejoice there too, saying, 49:29 "Look, he didn't do all that was right, 49:33 and God used him anyway." 49:34 That gives me courage. 49:36 And a bad example 49:37 that I'm going to look at is Moses. 49:39 So go to Exodus 3. 49:41 Now let me give you a quick story of Moses. 49:45 The Hebrews were in captivity in Egypt, 49:48 am I correct? 49:50 And a baby was born in his name, was Moses. 49:53 And what were they doing to the Hebrew baby boys 49:56 that were born? 49:58 They were killing them. 49:59 And so his mother didn't want him to be killed, 50:01 so she did something, 50:02 she put Him in a basket in the bushes. 50:05 Well, then Pharaoh's sister I believe it was, Tammy, 50:09 if I am wrong, was it his sister or his daughter, 50:12 believe it was his sister. 50:13 Came down to the river and she was bathing 50:16 and guess what she found? 50:18 And do you think that was an accident? 50:20 It might have been divine providence. 50:23 She found Moses. 50:24 And the end of that story is Moses was raised in the palace. 50:29 He got all of the perks of being raised in the palace 50:34 and then he became acquainted with some of his Hebrew 50:40 fellow countrymen, 50:42 and he was going to rescue them 50:45 and so he killed somebody anyway 50:47 that was spread onto bone 50:49 and so he had escaped for his life so he escaped. 50:53 I'm just going to say this to the backside of nowhere. 50:55 How long was he there? 50:57 Forty years. 50:58 Do you know what he was doing 51:00 while he was on the backside of nowhere? 51:02 He was tending sheep. 51:04 He was a shepherd. 51:06 Well, you know what God was doing this 40 years. 51:11 He was learning 51:16 how to shepherd stubborn sheep. 51:21 God was preparing Him to shepherd over a million, 51:28 and I wrote this down hard headed, 51:30 stubborn children of God. 51:32 Do you all relate with that at all? 51:33 Oh, yeah. 51:35 Did Moses run into us? 51:37 Okay, so let's look quickly, look at what Moses ran into. 51:40 Moses had an encounter with a burning bush 51:44 that wasn't consumed. 51:45 Now if you were in the backside of nowhere 51:47 and you saw a burning bush, and it wasn't being consumed, 51:50 will that get your attention? 51:51 Well it got Moses' attention. 51:54 So in verse 2 it says, 51:55 "And the angel of the Lord..." 51:57 And we're in Exodus 3:2, 52:00 "And the angel of the Lord appeared to him 52:02 in a flame of fire amidst the bush. 52:05 So he looked, and behold, 52:06 and the bush was not consumed." 52:09 God introduces himself to Moses in verse 6. 52:12 He said, "I am the God of your father, 52:14 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 52:16 and the God of Jacob." 52:19 Moses responded just like we probably would. 52:22 "And Moses hid his face 52:24 for he was afraid to look upon God." 52:27 Okay, Moses is hiding. 52:29 God then explains to Moses why he had come down to Earth, 52:33 verse 7 and 8. 52:34 "I have surely seen the oppression of My people 52:37 who are in Egypt," God tells Moses, 52:39 "and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, 52:42 for I know their sorrows. 52:45 So I have come down to deliver them 52:47 out of the hand of the Egyptians..." 52:50 Praise God, yippee. 52:52 Look what god is going to do. 52:54 That's great. 52:55 God's going to deliver His people out of Egypt. 52:58 Verse 10, "Come now, therefore, 53:01 and I will send you to Pharaoh 53:03 that you may bring My people, 53:04 the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 53:06 Wait a minute, 53:07 this isn't what Moses was expecting. 53:10 God said he was going to do it. 53:11 Now God is putting a call on Moses life. 53:16 Let's see how he responds. 53:18 Verse 11, 53:20 "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh 53:22 and that I should bring the children of Israel 53:24 out of Egypt?" 53:25 God responds, 53:27 "I will certainly be with you." 53:28 Then God gives Moses clear instruction 53:31 how to approach the children of Egypt. 53:33 Moses excuse but I'm not eloquent. 53:36 God says, "I'll teach your mouth 53:39 and teach you what you should say." 53:41 Moses goes on every complaint, everything that Moses threw up, 53:48 God says, "I'll take care of you." 53:50 And I want you to know there is not a thing 53:54 that can come against you in fulfilling the God... 53:57 The call that God has placed upon your life, 54:00 that God won't send His Word to confirm you 54:04 and uphold you and there is something 54:06 that we say so often. 54:08 Kenny said it earlier, 54:10 if God calls you to dig a ditch, 54:12 He'll give you the shovel to dig it with, 54:15 and if you break it, He'll give you another one. 54:16 Trusting God with that call to sum your life. 54:19 Amen. Exactly. 54:21 Thank you so much, Mollie, and Shelley, and Pastor John, 54:23 and Pastor Kenny. 54:25 I wrote down what you said, Mollie. 54:26 Been a success in the eyes of God 54:28 is doing the will of God. 54:31 I love that. 54:32 And as we see the foreknowledge of God 54:35 throughout this whole lesson, 54:37 we see the election, 54:39 how He calls each one of us for salvation, 54:43 for transformation, for adoption, 54:47 and we see God putting in place years 54:50 before it happened, these prophecies, 54:52 and they unfold throughout the Bible. 54:54 That's incredible. 54:56 I want to give each one of you a couple moments 54:58 to share about today, 54:59 and let's start with you, Pastor Kenny. 55:00 Okay, just a Bible passage came to my mind 55:03 I thought it'd be interesting to read it here 55:04 because it has to do with salvation, 55:06 it has to do with God's called people together, 55:09 to prepare Him for His coming to get ready. 55:11 And I love that in 1 John 3:2-3, it says, 55:15 "Beloved now we are all the sons notices 55:18 we the sons of God, 55:19 and it does not yet appear what we shall be." 55:22 Yes. I like that. 55:23 "But we know that when He shall appear, 55:25 we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, 55:31 and every man that hath this hope in Him, 55:34 purifies himself, even as He is pure." 55:38 That gives me hope and encouragement. 55:40 Amen. 55:41 Habakkuk 2:2-3, 55:43 " Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, 55:46 that he may run who reads it. 55:48 For the vision is yet for an appointed time. 55:49 But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. 55:52 Though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come, 55:54 it will not tarry." 55:56 My Lord gives you a vision, be patient, 55:58 it will come to pass for His glory. 56:01 And one thing I want to correct, 56:03 I said no room for antichrist, 56:05 but only for Christ in Daniel 9, 56:07 no room for any prophecy pertaining to the Antichrist. 56:11 It only pertains to the life of Jesus. 56:14 Thank you. 56:15 I wanted to read a little quote 56:17 from the Sabbath School quarterly 56:19 that I didn't take time to. 56:21 And it says there are two types of election 56:25 in choosing that God does. 56:27 First, God chooses every single one of us for salvation, 56:33 and He wants us to be transformed 56:35 into the image of Jesus. 56:38 Second, God chooses different people for specific tasks. 56:42 That's right. Amen and amen. 56:44 I just want to give us a scripture, Proverbs 3:5, 56:49 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart 56:51 and lean not into your own understanding 56:54 in all your ways, acknowledge Him, 56:57 and He will direct your paths." 57:00 Trust in God. Amen. 57:02 Thank you all so much for your study of the Word of God 57:05 and for sharing with our 3ABN family at home. 57:07 And we're delighted that you have joined us as well. 57:10 I want to leave you with a closing scripture. 57:12 This is found in Matthew 28, the last Chapter of Matthew, 57:17 verses 18 through 20, Jesus is speaking, 57:20 this is the Great Commission, 57:22 "All authority has been given to Me in heaven 57:25 and on Earth. 57:27 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 57:31 baptizing them in the name of the Father 57:34 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 57:37 teaching them to observe all things 57:39 that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always." 57:44 He said, never will He leave us, 57:45 never will He forsake us. 57:48 He is with us always, even to the end of the world. 57:51 So whatever call God has placed on your heart and on your life, 57:57 know that all his biddings are enabling. 57:59 Know that He will give you all power to carry forward 58:04 that work of sharing the gospel message, 58:07 the message of Christ's love 58:09 and salvation with a lost and dying world. 58:11 Join us next week for facing opposition. |
Revised 2024-08-27