The Bible tells us,
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"In the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with God,
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and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
to present yourself
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approved to God,
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today
is Ezra and Nehemiah.
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Hello and welcome to another
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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I'm Jill Morikone.
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And we're so glad
that you've taken time
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from your day to join us
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as we journey through the
books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
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We're on lesson number
seven, our forgiving God.
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What an
incredible study this week is
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as we explored
Nehemiah Chapter 9,
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and I'm excited about it.
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And before we go any further,
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we wanna encourage
you that you can visit
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your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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they would love to
welcome you to a study there.
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Or you can always go
online to ABSG.Adventist.org.
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That stands for
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AdultBibleStudyGuide.
Adventist.org
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and you can download the study
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and you can
follow along with us.
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We wanna
introduce our panel to you,
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at this time we've
been journeying together
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as it were as family
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through this journey
of Ezra and Nehemiah.
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And I'm always
blessed by what they share
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from the Word of God.
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To my left my
sister, Mollie Sue Steenson.
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Glad to have you
here, Miss Mollie.
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Thank you so much.
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To your left
Pastor John Lomacang,
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my pastor and it's always a
privilege to study with you.
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Praise the
Lord. Thank you, Jill.
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To your left my
sister again Shelley Quinn.
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And thank you so much
for being here, Shelley,
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and for what you
bring from the Word of God.
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Oh, what a joy. Amen.
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And last but not
least, Pastor Kenny Shelton.
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A student of the word as well
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and we just love
you and your wife
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and glad to have you here.
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I appreciate.
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God bless you, it's
just wonderful being here.
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Yes, it is. Yes.
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Amen.
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Before we go any further,
before we open up God's Word,
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we want to go to
the Lord in prayer
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because that means
nothing without the Holy Spirit
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to illuminate
our minds and hearts
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and, Miss Mollie,
would you pray for us?
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Absolutely.
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Holy Father, we come
before You in the name of Jesus,
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and we praise
You and we thank You,
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for Your grace and Your mercy
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that has been
extended to all of us.
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And, Father, now, as
we bring this word forth,
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we ask that You
would quicken us,
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that You would
just put in our minds
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what You would have us say.
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And, Father, I pray for
everyone that's listening,
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that You would
touch their hearts,
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that You would open their hearts
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to receive the
implanting of Your word.
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This work would take root,
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it would grow, it would prosper,
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and there would
be a bountiful return
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in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Last week we looked
at Nehemiah Chapter 8.
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We looked at Ezra reading
from the book of the law there
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before the people
and their repentance
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and sorrow for the sin
that was in their life.
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We saw the joy that
they found in forgiveness
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and discovered
that the joy of the Lord
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is really our strength.
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Then they celebrated
the Feast of Tabernacles.
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And that's just in commemoration
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as it were of what God had
done for the children of Israel,
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bringing them out from Egypt
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and the wandering
through the wilderness.
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Nehemiah 8:17, it says,
"There was very great gladness.
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They kept the
feast for seven days,
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and they read from
the book of the law
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and then we jump
into Nehemiah Chapter 9.
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This is a couple
days after the conclusion
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of the Feast of Tabernacles.
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The people gather again,
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but the spirit this
time is very different
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from the end of Chapter 8,
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where there was
great joy and gladness.
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We see fasting
and sackcloth and dirt
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to express grief for their sins
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and there is the
most beautiful prayer
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that is prayed,
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the prayer of confession
in Nehemiah Chapter 9,
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the prayer of repentance.
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I liken it too, Ezra
Chapter 9 and Daniel Chapter 9.
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To me there's great
parallels to be drawn
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between those three prayers,
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leaders interceding
on behalf of the people
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and prayers of
confession and repentance.
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Sunday's lesson we look at
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fasting and worship
before we get there.
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I'm kind of doing an overview
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and then we'll jump into Sunday.
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So they're kind
of running together,
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but I wanna make sure
we get to our memory text.
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That is Proverbs 28:13.
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"He who covers his
sins will not prosper,
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but whoever
confesses and forsakes them
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will have mercy."
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I wanna look at six
lessons from Nehemiah Chapter 9,
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six lessons
regarding true repentance.
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These are kind of
broad strokes as it were
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over the Chapter of Nehemiah 9,
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and then we're going to dig
into Sunday's lesson as well.
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So lesson number one,
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true repentance
acknowledges sin.
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Nehemiah 9 recounts the
sins of God's chosen people
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in the face as it were
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of His abundant mercy and grace.
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They weren't just any people.
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They were God's chosen people.
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He didn't choose
them and leave them
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and cast them aside.
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He forgave them
again and again and again.
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And yet they
turned their back on Him,
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and yet when they
repented and came back to Him,
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He forgave them again.
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You know, we
often compare ourselves
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with someone else.
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You know, many
times I read the story
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of the children of Israel,
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and I think, thank God,
I'm not doing that or I did.
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I wouldn't
complain, but you know what?
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2 Corinthians
10: 12-13, tells us,
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"We dare not class ourselves
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or compare ourselves with
those who commend themselves.
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But they, measuring
themselves by themselves,
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and comparing themselves
among themselves are not wise."
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If we compare
ourselves with those around us,
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we could easily
either be discouraged
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thinking they're way ahead of me
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or think I'm not that bad.
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So true
repentance acknowledges sin.
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Number two, true
repentance springs
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from the Word of God.
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We need the Word of God
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to reveal the true
condition of our heart.
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True repentance
springs from the Word of God.
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They read the Word of
God in Nehemiah Chapter 8,
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it's very clear.
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And then in
Nehemiah 9:3, it says,
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"They stood up in
their place and read
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from the Book of the Law
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of the Lord their God
for one-fourth of the day,
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and for another
fourth they confessed
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and worshiped
the Lord their God."
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Hebrews 4:12,
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"The word of God is
living and powerful,
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sharper than
any two-edged sword,
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piercing even to
the dividing asunder
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of soul and
spirit, joints and marrow,
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and is a
discerner of the thoughts
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and intents of the heart."
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True repentance always
springs from the Word of God.
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Number three,
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true repentance
recognizes our need of a Savior.
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We are always in
need of a Savior.
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Amen. That's right.
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Nehemiah 9 could be a mirror
to my own heart when I read it,
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or it can be a
mirror to your own heart
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when you read it.
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God brought
Israel out of slavery.
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And as soon as they hit a trial,
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they wanted to go back.
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God brings us out of so much
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and as soon as we
encounter a trial,
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maybe we don't go back
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but we moan or question, why me?
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Why did this happen?
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God gave abundant
blessings to His people,
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and yet they became
stiff neck as it were
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and walked away from Him.
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God turn them
over to their enemies.
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And yet when
they cried out to Him,
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He heard them
and delivered them.
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Amen.
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Think of Paul, 1 Timothy 1:15.
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This is the end of
Paul's life, right?
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He's writing to Timothy
right at the end of his life.
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He's walked with God for years.
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1 Timothy 1:15,
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Christ came into the
world to save sinners
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of whom I am chief.
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Now, what's interesting to me,
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Paul didn't say of
whom I used to be chief.
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In other words, you know,
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he knew he did all
these sins in the past.
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We are always in
need of a Savior.
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He acknowledged his great need
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even at the end of
his illustrious life
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and walk with God,
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he acknowledged
his need of a Savior.
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Principle number four,
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true repentance is activated
by the goodness of God.
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The goodness of God
leads us to repentance.
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That's Romans 2:4.
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As we look at Nehemiah 9,
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it's incredible to me
because when I read it,
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I saw that our God
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and we'll discuss this
as we go through this week.
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Our God is
creator, He is preserver,
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He is a covenant keeper, He
is deliverer, and law giver,
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and provider, and
forgiver of my sins.
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He is Savior, and guide,
and sustainer, promise keeper,
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defender, benefactor.
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He is our judge, and
then He is our deliverer.
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That happens three
times in Nehemiah 9,
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He judges and then He delivers.
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He judges, they
repent and He delivers.
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It happens three times.
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He is our covenant keeper.
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Number five, true repentance
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involves corporate
confession and intercession.
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We see that in
Nehemiah Chapter 9,
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they mourned and
confessed, interestingly to me,
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the sins of their
parents or their forefathers.
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Today we only mention the sins
of our parents to excuse us,
00:10:03.03\00:10:06.07
you ever noticed that?
00:10:06.10\00:10:07.44
We say that's why I
act this way, Miss Mollie.
00:10:07.50\00:10:10.71
That is why, you
know, Pastor John,
00:10:10.77\00:10:12.61
the pain my parents
inflicted, I'm not saying mine,
00:10:12.64\00:10:15.08
I'm using this as example.
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The abuse I endured
00:10:16.71\00:10:18.25
that caused me
to become this way.
00:10:18.28\00:10:20.98
We excuse ourselves
by blaming our parents,
00:10:21.02\00:10:24.49
but instead they
identified with the sins
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even of their
forefathers, Nehemiah 9:33.
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They said, "We
have done wickedly."
00:10:31.59\00:10:33.80
They didn't say
they've done wickedly.
00:10:33.86\00:10:35.73
We have done wickedly.
00:10:35.76\00:10:38.30
Last principle number six,
00:10:38.33\00:10:40.60
true repentance
accepts responsibility for sin,
00:10:40.67\00:10:45.01
and does not blame God.
00:10:45.04\00:10:47.94
Many people blame
God for their own sin
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or their own problems.
00:10:51.11\00:10:52.55
Nehemiah 9:33, they said,
"However You, meaning God,
00:10:52.58\00:10:56.82
are just in all
that has befallen us,
00:10:56.85\00:11:00.86
for You have dealt
faithfully with us."
00:11:00.89\00:11:04.53
So they accepted
responsibility for their own sin
00:11:04.56\00:11:07.66
and they did not blame God.
00:11:07.66\00:11:09.53
Let's read the
first three verses
00:11:09.56\00:11:11.17
of Nehemiah Chapter 9.
00:11:11.20\00:11:13.44
The first three verses,
00:11:13.50\00:11:15.84
we see here and I want to
do a comparison very quickly
00:11:15.87\00:11:18.87
between Nehemiah 9,
Ezra 9 and Daniel 9.
00:11:18.91\00:11:23.81
"Now on the
twenty-fourth day of this month
00:11:23.85\00:11:25.61
the children of
Israel were assembled
00:11:25.65\00:11:27.28
with fasting, in sackcloth,
00:11:27.32\00:11:29.55
and with dust on their heads.
00:11:29.58\00:11:31.82
Then those of Israelite lineage
00:11:31.85\00:11:33.56
separated
themselves from all foreigners,
00:11:33.62\00:11:35.72
and they stood and
confessed their sins
00:11:35.76\00:11:37.59
and the
iniquities of their fathers.
00:11:37.63\00:11:39.66
And they stood up in their place
00:11:39.69\00:11:41.03
and read from
the Book of the Law
00:11:41.06\00:11:43.13
of the Lord their God
for one-fourth of the day,
00:11:43.16\00:11:45.80
and for another fourth
00:11:45.83\00:11:47.17
they confessed and
worshiped the Lord their God."
00:11:47.20\00:11:49.84
Now you notice
they mourned with what?
00:11:49.87\00:11:51.97
Fasting, sackcloth,
putting dust on their heads,
00:11:52.01\00:11:56.68
and they also did a
separation from the foreigners
00:11:56.71\00:11:59.78
because foreigners
didn't have any share
00:11:59.81\00:12:01.62
in the corporate sin of Israel,
00:12:01.65\00:12:04.29
they separated from them.
00:12:04.32\00:12:05.79
The Jewish people
knew it was their sins
00:12:05.82\00:12:07.79
and those of their ancestors
that needed to be forgiven.
00:12:07.82\00:12:10.93
Then we see the prayer here,
00:12:10.96\00:12:12.33
we see the confession and
repentance that took place
00:12:12.36\00:12:15.83
and an identification
with the sins of the people.
00:12:15.86\00:12:19.83
Very quickly, Ezra 9:3,
00:12:19.87\00:12:24.01
when Ezra heard
about the intermarriage
00:12:24.07\00:12:26.27
of the
Israelites with the pagans,
00:12:26.31\00:12:28.41
"He tore his
garment and his robe,
00:12:28.44\00:12:30.91
plucked out some of the
hairs of his head and beard,
00:12:30.95\00:12:33.52
and sat down astonished."
00:12:33.58\00:12:35.92
And then he
prayed before the Lord,
00:12:35.95\00:12:37.89
we have sinned
and done wickedly.
00:12:37.92\00:12:41.09
There again, we have mourning,
this is Ezra Chapter 9,
00:12:41.12\00:12:44.43
with the tearing of the garment
00:12:44.46\00:12:45.89
pulling out of
the hair and beard,
00:12:45.93\00:12:47.60
and being in severe
shock, he sat down astonished.
00:12:47.60\00:12:50.90
We also have prayer,
00:12:50.93\00:12:52.27
we also have confession
of sin and repentance,
00:12:52.30\00:12:55.14
and an identification
with the sins of the people.
00:12:55.17\00:12:59.07
Daniel 9:3.
00:12:59.11\00:13:01.44
Daniel said, "He set
his face toward the Lord God
00:13:01.48\00:13:04.31
to make request and supplication
00:13:04.35\00:13:06.75
with fasting,
sackcloth, and ashes."
00:13:06.82\00:13:09.98
Again, we have
mourning with fasting,
00:13:10.02\00:13:12.29
sackcloth and
ashes, we have a prayer,
00:13:12.32\00:13:14.99
we have confession
of sin and repentance
00:13:15.02\00:13:18.19
and an identification
with the sins of the people.
00:13:18.23\00:13:22.76
So going back to
Nehemiah Chapter 9, Miss Mollie,
00:13:22.80\00:13:25.47
you have the
beginning of the prayer.
00:13:25.50\00:13:27.40
I get to do the
beginning of the prayer.
00:13:27.44\00:13:29.54
Okay, now,
00:13:29.57\00:13:30.91
you just clearly
defined the situation
00:13:30.94\00:13:33.48
that the children were in.
00:13:33.54\00:13:35.21
They were dressed in sackcloth,
they had been fasting,
00:13:35.24\00:13:38.88
and they had
dust on their heads.
00:13:38.91\00:13:40.95
And they had to
listen to the priest
00:13:40.98\00:13:42.88
reading from
the book of the law,
00:13:42.92\00:13:45.12
of the Lord
their God for how long?
00:13:45.15\00:13:47.82
One-fourth of the day.
00:13:47.86\00:13:50.99
I don't know if that
was from sunup to sundown
00:13:51.03\00:13:55.00
or if it was the whole 24 hours.
00:13:55.03\00:13:56.90
I expect it was sunup
to sundown, don't you all?
00:13:56.93\00:13:58.97
I can't expect
that's what it was.
00:13:59.00\00:14:01.54
So we're looking at
either three or six hours
00:14:01.57\00:14:04.47
or somewhere in between
00:14:04.51\00:14:06.47
that had been listening
to the word of the Lord.
00:14:06.51\00:14:10.55
And then they spent
00:14:10.58\00:14:12.01
another equal
amount of time doing what?
00:14:12.05\00:14:15.12
They were confessing,
00:14:15.15\00:14:16.48
they were repenting
and they were worshiping.
00:14:16.52\00:14:18.65
Yes.
00:14:18.69\00:14:20.06
Now, there are two
responses that we have
00:14:20.09\00:14:25.36
when we hear the Word of God.
00:14:25.39\00:14:27.60
We can either
respond to the Word of God
00:14:27.60\00:14:31.47
or we can harden our hearts.
00:14:31.50\00:14:34.10
Now, in this
case, these children
00:14:34.14\00:14:37.37
responded to
the Word of the God,
00:14:37.41\00:14:39.81
they responded
to the Bible reading
00:14:39.84\00:14:44.78
with a prayer that was
more like a sermon, actually.
00:14:44.81\00:14:49.22
So I wanna look at this.
00:14:49.25\00:14:51.45
It's a long
prayer, it contrasted
00:14:51.49\00:14:54.49
just how merciful
God had always been
00:14:54.52\00:14:57.89
and Israel's repeated
faithlessness, unfaithfulness.
00:14:57.93\00:15:04.40
God was always faithful.
00:15:04.43\00:15:06.74
What were His people?
00:15:06.77\00:15:08.70
They were unfaithful,
but God was always faithful.
00:15:08.74\00:15:13.68
Now, in Nehemiah,
00:15:13.71\00:15:15.34
I wanna just jump back a little
00:15:15.38\00:15:17.58
to Nehemiah's first
prayer that we looked at,
00:15:17.65\00:15:20.72
which was in Chapter 5.
00:15:20.75\00:15:23.25
Remember there were
four aspects of his prayer
00:15:23.28\00:15:26.69
and we want to see
00:15:26.76\00:15:28.09
if these aspects
were continued as well.
00:15:28.12\00:15:30.26
Nehemiah Chapter 1.
00:15:30.33\00:15:31.66
Chapter 1 verse 5. Okay. Good.
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.03
Yeah, okay.
00:15:33.06\00:15:34.36
Nehemiah, first of all,
00:15:34.40\00:15:35.80
Nehemiah acknowledged
how great God He is.
00:15:35.83\00:15:40.40
Next he
acknowledge their sinfulness,
00:15:40.44\00:15:43.04
and then he put
God in remembrance,
00:15:43.07\00:15:46.78
and last he
said, help, God, help.
00:15:46.84\00:15:49.44
Okay, so let's
look at this prayer.
00:15:49.48\00:15:53.82
It's Nehemiah, 9:4-5.
00:15:53.88\00:15:59.69
We have a list
of the Levi priests
00:15:59.72\00:16:03.12
who stood before the people.
00:16:03.16\00:16:05.16
Now, I'm with the rest
of my illustrious panel,
00:16:05.19\00:16:10.37
don't wanna read
all these people's names
00:16:10.40\00:16:12.70
because we've
commented on this before,
00:16:12.73\00:16:16.64
there was a time
when I read the Bible
00:16:16.71\00:16:19.31
it was called
God's words are alive,
00:16:19.34\00:16:21.88
I think or something.
00:16:21.91\00:16:23.55
So I read God's word
00:16:23.58\00:16:25.65
and people would come
up to me and they say,
00:16:25.68\00:16:27.52
oh, Mollie, finally I know
how to pronounce these words
00:16:27.55\00:16:30.62
and I wanna just say you
00:16:30.69\00:16:32.02
that was the
blind leading the blind.
00:16:32.05\00:16:34.72
I did the best I could,
00:16:34.76\00:16:36.66
but I cannot always
get these names right.
00:16:36.73\00:16:39.46
So verses 4-8 in
Nehemiah Chapter 9.
00:16:39.49\00:16:44.87
We're gonna jump down, verse 5.
00:16:44.90\00:16:48.87
And this is what
they said to them.
00:16:48.90\00:16:52.14
This is the prayer,
00:16:52.17\00:16:53.54
"Stand up and
bless the Lord your God,
00:16:53.58\00:16:56.51
forever and ever!
00:16:56.54\00:16:58.01
Blessed be Your glorious name."
00:16:58.05\00:17:00.75
So are they doing what
Nehemiah had taught them?
00:17:00.78\00:17:04.92
Oh, reverence God, speak
of who the creator He is,
00:17:04.95\00:17:09.32
which is exalted above
all blessing and praise.
00:17:09.36\00:17:12.53
"You alone are the
Lord, You have made heaven,
00:17:12.56\00:17:16.30
the heaven of
heavens and all their host,
00:17:16.33\00:17:19.03
the earth and everything on it,
00:17:19.07\00:17:21.57
the seas and
all that is in them,
00:17:21.60\00:17:23.74
and You preserve them all."
00:17:23.81\00:17:25.51
Underline that in your Bible,
00:17:25.54\00:17:27.88
"You preserve them all,
00:17:27.91\00:17:30.05
the host of heaven worships You.
00:17:30.08\00:17:34.12
You are the Lord
God, You chose Abram,
00:17:34.15\00:17:38.25
and brought him out
of Ur of the Chaldees,
00:17:38.29\00:17:40.69
and gave him the name Abraham,
00:17:40.76\00:17:43.53
You found his heart
faithful before You,
00:17:43.56\00:17:46.36
and made a covenant with him
00:17:46.39\00:17:47.73
to give the land
of the Canaanites,
00:17:47.76\00:17:49.66
the Hittites, the Amorites,
the Perizzites, the Jebusites,
00:17:49.70\00:17:54.14
and all those sites
00:17:54.20\00:17:55.84
to give it to their descendants.
00:17:55.87\00:17:58.31
You have performed Your
word, and You are righteous."
00:17:58.34\00:18:01.71
They acknowledged who God is.
00:18:01.74\00:18:04.48
So first of all,
they come before God,
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.98
acknowledging who He is.
00:18:07.05\00:18:09.32
Amen.
00:18:09.35\00:18:10.72
That is following that.
00:18:10.75\00:18:12.85
Step number one,
00:18:12.89\00:18:14.22
they are
blessing the glorious name
00:18:14.29\00:18:17.09
of the Lord their God.
00:18:17.16\00:18:18.86
Now, in Hebrew culture,
00:18:18.89\00:18:21.53
a name was not just
what people call someone,
00:18:21.56\00:18:25.90
but it gave a
person, their identity.
00:18:25.93\00:18:30.11
Thus the praise of
God's name is significant
00:18:30.14\00:18:34.44
because it
demonstrates to the world
00:18:34.48\00:18:37.65
that this is a name
worthy of praise and honor.
00:18:37.68\00:18:41.45
This is the name of the
creator of the universe.
00:18:41.48\00:18:46.02
In verse 6, they
identify all that God has made,
00:18:46.05\00:18:50.66
You made heaven,
the heavens of heavens,
00:18:50.73\00:18:54.50
and all their hosts, the
earth and everything on it.
00:18:54.56\00:18:57.90
So what was made
that God didn't make?
00:18:57.93\00:18:59.70
Nothing. Not a thing.
00:18:59.73\00:19:01.50
Everything that
was made, He made it.
00:19:01.54\00:19:05.27
The seas all that is in them,
then they acknowledged that,
00:19:05.31\00:19:10.28
and this is what I had told you,
00:19:10.31\00:19:11.81
underline this in your Bible.
00:19:11.85\00:19:13.75
You preserve them all,
everything that He created,
00:19:13.78\00:19:18.65
now He preserves.
00:19:18.69\00:19:20.59
The word preserves,
00:19:20.62\00:19:23.02
comes from a Hebrew verb
that means to keep alive.
00:19:23.06\00:19:26.93
He keeps everything alive.
00:19:26.96\00:19:29.50
The world,
everything in this whole cosmos
00:19:29.53\00:19:33.64
is held together by
the word of the living God.
00:19:33.67\00:19:37.11
He preserves it,
He keeps it alive.
00:19:37.14\00:19:40.01
Yeah.
00:19:40.08\00:19:41.41
And this great and mighty God,
00:19:41.44\00:19:43.75
the Creator of all the universe,
00:19:43.78\00:19:45.78
you know what He did?
00:19:45.81\00:19:47.55
He interacted
with we human beings.
00:19:47.62\00:19:51.49
He came to Abraham,
00:19:51.52\00:19:53.22
who was in the
Ur of the Chaldees.
00:19:53.25\00:19:55.09
You know, what Abraham was?
00:19:55.12\00:19:56.96
Was he a mighty man of valor?
00:19:57.03\00:20:00.30
This is what Abraham
was, he was a moon worshiper.
00:20:00.33\00:20:03.33
But God saw
something in Abraham,
00:20:03.37\00:20:05.70
what He saw in
Abraham was He saw a heart,
00:20:05.73\00:20:10.97
or a mind to be faithful.
00:20:11.01\00:20:14.78
In Hebrew, the
heart refers to the mind.
00:20:14.81\00:20:20.52
And Abraham had a
mind to be faithful.
00:20:20.58\00:20:23.45
It didn't happen overnight.
00:20:23.49\00:20:24.92
Do we see that
Abraham made a few mistakes
00:20:24.95\00:20:27.46
along the way?
00:20:27.52\00:20:28.86
Yeah. He did.
00:20:28.89\00:20:30.23
So remember that we
can look in God's Word
00:20:30.26\00:20:33.40
and we see all
the great exploits
00:20:33.46\00:20:35.66
that all these
mighty men of God perform,
00:20:35.70\00:20:38.83
and be so encouraged.
00:20:38.87\00:20:40.20
But sometimes when we
see the mistakes they made
00:20:40.27\00:20:44.31
and God just blessed
their socks off anyway,
00:20:44.34\00:20:47.84
He forgave them,
00:20:47.88\00:20:49.21
He kept working with
them till they got it right,
00:20:49.24\00:20:51.51
doesn't that
bring us encouragement?
00:20:51.55\00:20:53.35
Oh, yes.
00:20:53.38\00:20:54.72
He's not gonna
just flick us away
00:20:54.75\00:20:56.32
because we make mistakes, Jill.
00:20:56.35\00:20:58.62
He's gonna continue to
love us and work with us.
00:20:58.65\00:21:01.82
Thank you, Lord.
00:21:01.86\00:21:03.19
He continue to work with Abraham
00:21:03.22\00:21:05.29
and Abraham, did he
do a mighty work for God?
00:21:05.33\00:21:08.73
Is he called the
father of us all?
00:21:08.76\00:21:10.83
Yes.
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.43
Yes, he is. Okay.
00:21:12.47\00:21:15.20
So in the beginning,
the prayer focuses on God,
00:21:15.24\00:21:19.34
the Creator, the pre
server, and the promise keeper.
00:21:19.37\00:21:24.75
With that in mind,
faith is strong in our hearts,
00:21:24.78\00:21:28.52
that when we come before
Him with a repentant heart,
00:21:28.55\00:21:33.36
He hears and
answers our prayers.
00:21:33.42\00:21:35.86
It's hard to say, Almighty God,
00:21:35.89\00:21:38.09
You who created
everything in our faithful,
00:21:38.13\00:21:40.56
it's hard to pray that
00:21:40.60\00:21:42.76
and not have faith
built in our hearts.
00:21:42.80\00:21:46.00
Now, I want to ask you this,
00:21:46.03\00:21:47.80
what is the
purpose of our keeping...
00:21:51.41\00:21:54.31
One of the purposes
00:21:54.34\00:21:55.68
of our keeping the
Sabbath every week?
00:21:55.71\00:21:58.61
What does that do, Pastor John?
00:21:58.65\00:22:00.42
Build our
relationship with Christ.
00:22:00.45\00:22:01.78
Builds our relationship.
00:22:01.82\00:22:03.79
It reminds us who
the Creator He is.
00:22:03.82\00:22:06.45
That's right.
00:22:06.49\00:22:07.82
It reminds us of
His faithfulness.
00:22:07.86\00:22:10.73
So here we have set
aside this one day each week
00:22:10.76\00:22:15.70
that is to put
us in remembrance,
00:22:15.73\00:22:18.27
to build our faith
and to strengthen us,
00:22:18.30\00:22:21.24
that's the
purpose of the Sabbath.
00:22:21.27\00:22:24.01
And so we have this mighty God,
00:22:24.07\00:22:27.34
this Creator of the
universe, this mighty God
00:22:27.38\00:22:30.95
who keeps
everything alive and going,
00:22:30.98\00:22:34.32
and the children of Israel
after they heard God's word,
00:22:34.35\00:22:37.95
oh, let this be true for us.
00:22:37.99\00:22:40.12
It didn't harden their hearts.
00:22:40.16\00:22:41.86
Have you ever seen people
00:22:41.89\00:22:43.49
who hear the word of the Lord
and they are almost persuaded,
00:22:43.53\00:22:49.66
but when they leave
from under the word,
00:22:49.70\00:22:53.67
what happens to their heart?
00:22:53.70\00:22:55.50
It doesn't get
softer, it gets harder.
00:22:55.54\00:22:58.47
The children of Israel,
00:22:58.51\00:23:00.38
it softened their
hearts and they worshiped
00:23:00.41\00:23:02.91
and they
glorified their Creator.
00:23:02.94\00:23:05.45
That's our prayer
for all of us today,
00:23:05.48\00:23:08.25
as we're hearing this word,
00:23:08.28\00:23:10.49
that our heart
won't be hardened to it,
00:23:10.52\00:23:12.92
but our heart will be
valuable in the hands of God,
00:23:12.95\00:23:17.63
we will receive His word
00:23:17.66\00:23:19.09
and we will allow this word
00:23:19.13\00:23:20.90
to penetrate our
hearts and to change us
00:23:20.93\00:23:23.53
into the very image and likeness
00:23:23.57\00:23:26.00
of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
00:23:26.03\00:23:28.24
Amen.
00:23:28.27\00:23:29.60
Thank you so much, Mollie.
00:23:29.64\00:23:30.97
I'm so grateful that our God
is the Creator, the preserver,
00:23:31.01\00:23:35.24
the promise keeper
and the covenant keeper.
00:23:35.28\00:23:37.88
Stay with us,
we'll be right back.
00:23:37.91\00:23:39.65
Ever wish you could watch
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School Panel again,
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00:24:02.07\00:24:05.37
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Welcome back, we
continue our lesson
00:24:17.62\00:24:19.25
with Tuesday's study,
00:24:19.29\00:24:20.66
lessons from the past
with Pastor John Lomacang.
00:24:20.69\00:24:22.82
Thank you, Jill.
00:24:22.86\00:24:24.23
I want to begin by
going to 1 Corinthians 10.
00:24:24.26\00:24:27.10
And I wanna look at a verse
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.43
that really is
huge in its scope.
00:24:28.46\00:24:31.03
It brings us into a
context about the lesson
00:24:31.07\00:24:34.20
we're gonna
talk about right now.
00:24:34.24\00:24:37.57
As I read this,
00:24:37.61\00:24:39.11
the framework
I'd like to put to it
00:24:39.14\00:24:40.74
is I've heard of
many people that say,
00:24:40.78\00:24:43.71
I am a New Testament Christian.
00:24:43.75\00:24:45.68
Well, we know that
Antioch was the first place
00:24:45.71\00:24:47.58
that people
will call Christians.
00:24:47.62\00:24:49.85
And so in that framework,
00:24:49.88\00:24:51.39
the word
Christian didn't even exist
00:24:51.42\00:24:52.89
in the Old Testament.
00:24:52.92\00:24:54.26
However, because we
have a record today,
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.62
we don't live by
records that don't exist.
00:24:56.69\00:25:00.96
We all exercise our lives
00:25:00.96\00:25:02.56
and live by
records that do exist.
00:25:02.60\00:25:05.13
Someone also said,
00:25:05.17\00:25:06.97
the reason why we don't
have to line up everything
00:25:07.04\00:25:11.84
by God's Word is
because like Abraham,
00:25:11.87\00:25:14.74
he listened for
the voice of God.
00:25:14.78\00:25:16.98
I said, but today
we have a record now.
00:25:17.05\00:25:19.65
So we don't have to
respond the same way.
00:25:19.68\00:25:22.92
If what we hear
00:25:22.95\00:25:24.62
does not line
up with God's Word,
00:25:24.65\00:25:26.89
the Word of God is
the final measurement.
00:25:26.96\00:25:28.99
And there are many
classic and I say acrobatic ways
00:25:29.02\00:25:31.86
that people
tend to try to ignore
00:25:31.89\00:25:33.80
the validity and
veracity of God's Word.
00:25:33.83\00:25:35.90
But listen to the
words of the Apostle Paul,
00:25:35.93\00:25:37.80
1 Corinthians 10:6.
00:25:37.83\00:25:41.77
And then it's going
to be repeated again
00:25:41.80\00:25:44.17
in verse 11.
00:25:44.21\00:25:45.57
It says, "Now these
things became our examples,
00:25:45.61\00:25:50.55
to the intent
that we should not lust
00:25:50.61\00:25:53.38
after evil things
as they also lusted."
00:25:53.42\00:25:56.99
And also verse 11,
00:25:57.05\00:25:59.59
"Now all these things
happened to them as examples,
00:25:59.62\00:26:03.66
and they were
written for our admonition,
00:26:03.69\00:26:06.19
on whom the ends of
the ages have come."
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.66
Now, if you only read
Matthew to Revelation,
00:26:08.70\00:26:11.47
you'll not know exactly
what they're talking about.
00:26:11.50\00:26:13.20
That's right.
00:26:13.23\00:26:14.57
So you have to go
from Genesis to Malachi
00:26:14.60\00:26:16.57
and there are Ezra,
Nehemiah, Daniel, Haggai,
00:26:16.60\00:26:22.41
when we have been studying,
as we've been studying,
00:26:22.44\00:26:24.28
we have been noticing
00:26:24.31\00:26:25.65
that some of the
major and minor prophets
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.62
are once again quoted
00:26:27.65\00:26:29.12
in the pages of
Nehemiah and Ezra.
00:26:29.15\00:26:31.09
Yes.
00:26:31.12\00:26:32.69
You'd be surprised to
see how many contemporaries
00:26:32.72\00:26:35.66
these two
faithful men of God have.
00:26:35.69\00:26:38.56
So one of the lessons
from the past is about prayer.
00:26:38.59\00:26:42.00
Let's go to Nehemiah Chapter 9.
00:26:42.03\00:26:45.03
And the comparison
in Nehemiah Chapter 9
00:26:45.07\00:26:48.00
was when we contrast the
prayers that were covered
00:26:48.04\00:26:51.77
from verse 1 to verse 8,
00:26:51.81\00:26:54.28
and then verse
9 comes into play,
00:26:54.31\00:26:56.85
and you see a lot of rejoicing
in the earlier passages,
00:26:56.91\00:27:00.78
then you see acknowledgement,
00:27:00.85\00:27:02.62
then you see what's
called disappointing,
00:27:02.65\00:27:07.32
a prognosis of disappointment.
00:27:07.39\00:27:09.76
But let's look at
some of the contrast.
00:27:09.79\00:27:11.19
And I'll just give a contrast.
00:27:11.23\00:27:12.79
I know this is read earlier.
00:27:12.83\00:27:14.13
But look at
Nehemiah 9:6, it says,
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.53
"You alone are the
Lord, You have made heaven,
00:27:16.56\00:27:19.43
The heaven of
heavens, with all their host,
00:27:19.47\00:27:22.30
the earth and all things on it,
00:27:22.34\00:27:25.01
the seas and
all that is in them,
00:27:25.04\00:27:27.68
and You preserve them all.
00:27:27.71\00:27:31.41
The host of
heaven worships You."
00:27:31.45\00:27:33.25
It sounds like
some of the language
00:27:33.28\00:27:34.62
in Genesis and in Exodus
00:27:34.65\00:27:36.52
acknowledging God
as the great creator.
00:27:36.55\00:27:39.32
And then it says,
You are the Lord God,
00:27:39.35\00:27:41.89
but then you go down,
00:27:41.92\00:27:43.83
and at the end of
verse 8, as Mollie read that,
00:27:43.86\00:27:47.03
it says at the end of verse 8,
00:27:47.10\00:27:48.40
"You have performed Your
words, for You are righteous."
00:27:48.43\00:27:51.37
Yes.
00:27:51.40\00:27:52.73
But then now,
verse 9, takes it change.
00:27:52.77\00:27:56.30
"You saw the affliction
of our fathers in Egypt.
00:27:56.34\00:27:59.14
Now it's going back.
00:27:59.17\00:28:00.81
It's looking
back, and accounting,
00:28:00.84\00:28:04.08
and recounting everything
that God did for Israel.
00:28:04.11\00:28:08.58
And it's almost
coming to the table with
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.72
after all He's
done, why are we this way?
00:28:10.75\00:28:13.25
Yeah.
00:28:13.29\00:28:14.62
Because this is a long
list of acknowledgement,
00:28:14.66\00:28:16.42
which I don't think time
will allow us to read them all.
00:28:16.46\00:28:19.39
But let me just go
and hit a few high points.
00:28:19.43\00:28:21.83
The first one is,
00:28:21.86\00:28:23.26
it is a
transition from praising God
00:28:23.30\00:28:25.03
to recounting
God's intervention,
00:28:25.07\00:28:27.14
That's verses
9-15, picking at verse 9,
00:28:27.17\00:28:30.01
"You saw the affliction
of our fathers in Egypt,
00:28:30.04\00:28:32.27
and heard their
cry by the Red Sea.
00:28:32.31\00:28:34.54
You showed signs and
wonders against Pharaoh,
00:28:34.58\00:28:36.95
against all his servants,
00:28:36.98\00:28:38.45
and against all
the people of his land.
00:28:38.48\00:28:41.58
For You knew that
00:28:41.62\00:28:42.95
they acted proudly against them.
00:28:42.98\00:28:46.79
So You made a name for Yourself,
00:28:46.86\00:28:50.33
as it is this day.
00:28:50.36\00:28:53.50
And You divided
the sea before them,
00:28:53.53\00:28:55.56
So that they went through
00:28:55.60\00:28:56.93
the midst of
the sea on dry land,
00:28:56.97\00:28:59.60
and their persecutors
You threw into the deep,
00:28:59.63\00:29:03.37
as a stone into
the mighty waters.
00:29:03.44\00:29:05.44
Moreover You led them by
day with a cloudy pillar,
00:29:05.47\00:29:11.88
and by night
with a pillar of fire,
00:29:11.91\00:29:14.05
To give them light on the
road which they should travel."
00:29:14.08\00:29:18.32
And then it goes on continually,
00:29:18.35\00:29:19.69
"You gave them,
00:29:19.72\00:29:21.49
You brought them to Mount Sinai,
00:29:21.52\00:29:22.86
You gave them the Sabbath,
00:29:22.89\00:29:24.26
You gave them bread from heaven,
00:29:24.29\00:29:25.63
You brought
water out of the rock."
00:29:25.66\00:29:27.23
But now let's go to verse 16.
00:29:27.30\00:29:30.27
But, and you think, wow,
00:29:30.30\00:29:34.57
what a beautiful acknowledgement
00:29:34.60\00:29:35.94
of all God does, then
you find that word, but.
00:29:35.97\00:29:40.08
Which is a reversal, a
contrast, a stark contrast
00:29:40.11\00:29:45.41
to what was mentioned earlier.
00:29:45.45\00:29:47.82
"But they and our
fathers acted proudly,
00:29:47.85\00:29:52.85
hardened their necks,
00:29:52.89\00:29:54.59
and did not heed
Your commandments.
00:29:54.62\00:29:57.33
They refused to obey,
00:29:57.36\00:29:59.63
and they were not
mindful of Your wonders
00:29:59.66\00:30:03.00
that You did among them.
00:30:03.03\00:30:04.70
But they hardened their necks,
00:30:04.73\00:30:07.00
and in their rebellion
they appointed a leader
00:30:07.04\00:30:09.70
to return to their bondage.
00:30:09.74\00:30:12.24
But You are
God, ready to pardon,
00:30:12.27\00:30:15.94
gracious and
merciful, slow to anger..."
00:30:15.98\00:30:19.48
Can we get amen somewhere?
00:30:19.51\00:30:21.32
"Abundant in kindness,
and did not forsake them."
00:30:21.35\00:30:24.92
Lord have mercy.
00:30:24.95\00:30:26.29
I'm so glad that's
in there. That's right.
00:30:26.32\00:30:28.36
Because it's not
just talking about them,
00:30:28.39\00:30:30.49
it's talking about us.
00:30:30.53\00:30:32.33
Because how many of us
don't fall into that category?
00:30:32.36\00:30:34.50
Yes.
00:30:34.56\00:30:35.86
When you think of all
that God has done for us.
00:30:35.90\00:30:37.67
Amen.
00:30:37.70\00:30:39.80
Just let me give you
this very quick passage.
00:30:39.83\00:30:42.40
Go with me to the
Book of Lamentations.
00:30:42.44\00:30:45.51
Lamentations 3:22-26,
00:30:45.54\00:30:48.68
that's one of those
verses you can easily find.
00:30:48.71\00:30:50.58
Lamentations Chapter
3 starting in verse 23.
00:30:50.61\00:30:54.35
You got it there, Shelley?
00:30:54.38\00:30:55.72
Hit it for me real quickly.
00:30:55.75\00:30:57.12
Starting with
verse 20? Verse 20.
00:30:57.15\00:30:58.49
"My soul still
remembers and sinks within me.
00:30:58.52\00:31:01.56
This I recall to my
mind, therefore I have hope.
00:31:01.59\00:31:07.30
Through the Lord's
mercies we are not consumed,
00:31:07.30\00:31:10.37
because His
compassions fail not.
00:31:10.43\00:31:12.23
They are new every morning,
great is Your faithfulness."
00:31:12.27\00:31:16.97
Verse 24.
00:31:17.01\00:31:18.34
"The Lord is my
portion, says my soul,
00:31:18.37\00:31:20.58
'Therefore I hope in Him!'"
00:31:20.64\00:31:23.11
And verse 25,
00:31:23.14\00:31:24.48
"The Lord is good to
those who wait for Him,
00:31:24.51\00:31:26.98
to the soul who seeks Him.
00:31:27.02\00:31:29.08
It is good that one
should hope and wait quietly
00:31:29.12\00:31:31.92
for the salvation of the Lord."
00:31:31.95\00:31:33.46
Amen.
00:31:33.52\00:31:34.86
You know, oh, man, I tell you,
00:31:34.89\00:31:37.33
we have learned so much about
00:31:37.39\00:31:39.23
the rebellious
nature of the Israelites,
00:31:39.26\00:31:41.73
but then again,
00:31:41.76\00:31:43.10
we have learned so much
about our rebellious nature.
00:31:43.13\00:31:45.03
Amen. Yes, that's right.
00:31:45.07\00:31:46.40
And when we look at
this, and we ask ourselves,
00:31:46.43\00:31:48.44
I could recount my own life.
00:31:48.47\00:31:49.80
I could go back
over my childhood,
00:31:49.84\00:31:52.64
I could go back
over my youthful years,
00:31:52.67\00:31:54.31
I could go back to
my early married years,
00:31:54.34\00:31:56.81
I can go back to the
growth of as a pastor,
00:31:56.88\00:32:00.15
and I could see that God...
00:32:00.22\00:32:02.05
I'm still here because
God is gracious and merciful.
00:32:02.08\00:32:04.95
Amen.
00:32:04.99\00:32:06.35
He is slow to anger,
00:32:06.39\00:32:07.72
abundant in kindness
and does not forsake us.
00:32:07.76\00:32:11.33
Thank you.
00:32:11.36\00:32:12.69
Even and...
00:32:12.73\00:32:14.10
And it goes, it
exacerbates the picture.
00:32:14.10\00:32:17.07
Verse 18, "Even when they made
a molded calf for themselves,
00:32:17.13\00:32:21.37
and said, 'This is your god
00:32:21.40\00:32:23.37
that brought you
up out of Egypt,'
00:32:23.41\00:32:25.31
and worked great
provocations, yet..."
00:32:25.34\00:32:28.11
Look at that. Yes, that's right.
00:32:28.14\00:32:29.51
"Yet in Your manifold mercies
00:32:29.54\00:32:32.18
You did not forsake
them in the wilderness.'"
00:32:32.21\00:32:34.65
And it goes on.
00:32:34.68\00:32:36.99
It says, You did
not forsake them,
00:32:37.05\00:32:38.45
the pillar of the
cloud did not depart
00:32:38.49\00:32:40.12
from them by day,
00:32:40.16\00:32:41.49
to lead them on the road,
00:32:41.52\00:32:42.86
nor the pillar of fire by night,
00:32:42.89\00:32:44.46
to show them light,
and the way they should go.
00:32:44.49\00:32:47.20
You also gave Your good
Spirit to instruct them,
00:32:47.23\00:32:51.27
and did not withhold
Your manna from their mouth."
00:32:51.30\00:32:54.00
Can we go on? Amen. Yes.
00:32:54.07\00:32:55.80
It says, "And gave
them water for their thirst.
00:32:55.84\00:32:58.77
Forty years You sustained
them in the wilderness,
00:32:58.81\00:33:01.78
so that they lacked nothing,
00:33:01.81\00:33:03.35
their clothes did not wear out
and their feet did not swell."
00:33:03.38\00:33:07.42
And it goes on and I tell
you, at the end of verse 22,
00:33:07.45\00:33:10.39
"Moreover You gave
them kingdoms and nations,
00:33:10.42\00:33:13.76
and divided them into districts.
00:33:13.79\00:33:16.83
So they took
possession of the land of Sihon,
00:33:16.86\00:33:20.80
the land of the king of Heshbon,
00:33:20.83\00:33:23.43
and the land of
Og king of Bashan."
00:33:23.47\00:33:26.03
He's talking about
all of God's mercies.
00:33:26.07\00:33:28.24
If I could summarize,
00:33:28.27\00:33:29.74
if I could
summarize the beauty of it,
00:33:29.77\00:33:31.91
is God's
mercies, God's compassion.
00:33:31.94\00:33:36.18
I was gonna put a
list together, Jill,
00:33:36.21\00:33:37.55
but I couldn't
even get to the list,
00:33:37.61\00:33:39.41
because I just had to
pause and think how good God is.
00:33:39.45\00:33:43.08
Amen.
00:33:43.12\00:33:44.45
So there's somebody
watching this program.
00:33:44.49\00:33:45.82
I'm just so
impressed to do this.
00:33:45.85\00:33:47.22
There's somebody
watching or listening
00:33:47.26\00:33:48.59
to this program saying,
00:33:48.62\00:33:49.96
I don't know what
my life is going to be.
00:33:49.99\00:33:51.73
Remember, you may
be fainting within
00:33:51.76\00:33:54.03
but recall to mind
00:33:54.10\00:33:55.40
that God's mercies
are new every morning.
00:33:55.43\00:33:57.30
Yes.
00:33:57.33\00:33:58.67
And His faithfulness is great.
00:33:58.70\00:34:00.10
There's no depth to
which you have sunk,
00:34:00.14\00:34:01.97
that He cannot lift you up.
00:34:02.00\00:34:03.41
There's no sin
that you have committed
00:34:03.44\00:34:04.77
that He cannot forgive.
00:34:04.81\00:34:06.14
That's right.
00:34:06.17\00:34:07.51
As Mollie said in
one of our programs,
00:34:07.54\00:34:08.88
I don't remember
which one it was,
00:34:08.91\00:34:10.25
when He cleanses you
from all unrighteous,
00:34:10.28\00:34:11.88
all
unrighteousness by His grace,
00:34:11.91\00:34:14.25
you become righteous.
00:34:14.32\00:34:15.65
Praise the Lord. Amen.
00:34:15.68\00:34:17.02
Amen. Amen.
00:34:17.05\00:34:18.69
You know, I love this
00:34:18.72\00:34:20.06
because if we understand
00:34:20.09\00:34:22.42
the character of
God, God is love.
00:34:22.46\00:34:25.03
and God is a forgiving God.
00:34:25.06\00:34:27.40
He is a covenant keeping God,
00:34:27.50\00:34:29.76
so mine,
00:34:29.80\00:34:31.37
my day is called the
law and the prophets.
00:34:31.40\00:34:33.30
I think if I had titled this,
00:34:33.34\00:34:36.37
I would have titled it
the manifold mercies of God.
00:34:36.40\00:34:39.77
It's just so amazing.
00:34:39.81\00:34:41.14
Here we see that the
leadership has confessed
00:34:41.18\00:34:42.94
their
transgressions against God.
00:34:42.98\00:34:45.18
Recognizing the cycle of sin,
00:34:45.21\00:34:47.38
how Israel would
cast away God's law,
00:34:47.42\00:34:50.59
they persecute the prophets,
00:34:50.65\00:34:52.82
but now they recognized that
00:34:52.85\00:34:55.76
if they're going to
have a godly nation,
00:34:55.79\00:35:00.93
essential to the
development of a godly nation
00:35:00.96\00:35:04.33
is to accept and
follow God's love.
00:35:04.37\00:35:08.90
So what we're seeing here
00:35:08.94\00:35:10.61
there's a synopsis of God
00:35:10.64\00:35:13.04
fulfilling His
covenant promises to them.
00:35:13.07\00:35:16.85
And this is primarily,
00:35:16.88\00:35:18.25
this is account
00:35:18.28\00:35:19.61
is just almost
primarily all of it
00:35:19.65\00:35:23.49
is coming from Moses' account
00:35:23.52\00:35:25.62
in the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:35:25.65\00:35:28.09
So it's the
battles that are waged
00:35:28.12\00:35:30.93
and one is they
crossed over the Jordan
00:35:30.96\00:35:32.99
and entered Canaan.
00:35:33.03\00:35:35.26
And each victory
was because of God.
00:35:35.30\00:35:38.53
So let's look at Nehemiah
9:23 is where we'll begin.
00:35:38.57\00:35:44.44
And he goes on as he's
recounting God's mercy.
00:35:44.47\00:35:47.58
He says, "You also
multiply the children
00:35:47.61\00:35:50.51
as the stars of heaven
and brought them into the land
00:35:50.55\00:35:54.28
which you had told their fathers
00:35:54.32\00:35:55.72
to go in and possess."
00:35:55.75\00:35:57.95
This is God's fulfillment
00:35:57.99\00:36:00.62
of His covenant promise
to Abraham, Isaac and Joseph.
00:36:00.69\00:36:04.83
You know, only 70
of Jacob's descendants
00:36:04.86\00:36:08.90
went down into Egypt.
00:36:08.93\00:36:11.87
When He was
there, millions came out,
00:36:11.90\00:36:16.57
it was a
miraculous multiplication.
00:36:16.60\00:36:20.88
And although those who came out,
00:36:20.91\00:36:24.45
remember when He sent the 12,
00:36:24.48\00:36:28.32
when they, and
there's 12 spies into Canaan,
00:36:28.35\00:36:31.62
you know, sadly 10 of them
00:36:31.65\00:36:33.76
had a grasshopper
identity syndrome.
00:36:33.79\00:36:36.73
They were going like, oh,
wow, these guys are giants,
00:36:36.76\00:36:39.63
we're just like
grasshoppers in their sight.
00:36:39.66\00:36:43.63
They didn't
trust God's promises.
00:36:43.67\00:36:46.80
But we know
there were two who did.
00:36:46.84\00:36:50.31
And God's faithfulness,
00:36:50.37\00:36:52.87
even though the people rebelled,
00:36:52.91\00:36:55.08
God remained
faithful to His covenant
00:36:55.11\00:36:57.11
and He multiplied,
00:36:57.15\00:36:59.28
He did not let that generation,
00:36:59.31\00:37:01.28
the faithless generation
00:37:01.32\00:37:02.75
did not get to
enter into Canaan.
00:37:02.78\00:37:05.45
But He multiplied their sons
00:37:05.49\00:37:07.59
while they were
wandering in the desert,
00:37:07.62\00:37:09.69
and took the next generation in.
00:37:09.72\00:37:12.46
Verse 24,
00:37:12.49\00:37:13.83
"So the people went in
and possessed the land,
00:37:13.86\00:37:16.43
You subdued before them
the inhabitants of the land,
00:37:16.46\00:37:21.37
the Canaanites, and
gave them into their hands,
00:37:21.40\00:37:24.54
with their kings and
the people of the land,
00:37:24.57\00:37:27.48
that they might do
with them as they wished."
00:37:27.51\00:37:31.81
We see here, God
was not only their king,
00:37:31.85\00:37:35.48
but He was
their military leader,
00:37:35.52\00:37:38.65
and He lead them to have success
00:37:38.69\00:37:42.16
and victory over the Canaanites.
00:37:42.19\00:37:44.93
Verse 25,
00:37:44.96\00:37:46.46
"And they took strong
cities and a rich land,
00:37:46.49\00:37:48.86
and possessed
houses full of all goods,"
00:37:48.90\00:37:52.57
isn't that interesting?
00:37:52.60\00:37:53.94
"Cisterns already dug,
vineyards, olive groves,
00:37:54.00\00:37:58.94
and fruit trees in abundance.
00:37:58.97\00:38:02.64
So when God
brought them in there,
00:38:02.68\00:38:04.91
it's kind of like
00:38:04.95\00:38:06.28
buying a house
that's fully furnished.
00:38:06.31\00:38:07.72
It's already
landscaped, what He gave them,
00:38:07.75\00:38:12.09
they got the best of
the best with everything.
00:38:12.12\00:38:15.39
But listen to this.
00:38:15.42\00:38:17.66
"They ate and were filled
00:38:17.69\00:38:21.70
and grew fat,
00:38:21.73\00:38:24.73
and delighted themselves
in Your great goodness."
00:38:24.77\00:38:30.21
You know, anytime you
see growth fat in the Bible,
00:38:30.24\00:38:36.95
this is a negative expression.
00:38:36.98\00:38:40.12
What he is saying
00:38:40.15\00:38:42.45
is that the people
00:38:42.48\00:38:45.55
as they inherited
all the good things
00:38:45.59\00:38:47.92
of the land,
00:38:47.96\00:38:49.96
their focus was on the gift,
00:38:50.03\00:38:53.23
not on the giver.
00:38:53.26\00:38:55.36
This was a fatal deception.
00:38:55.40\00:38:58.77
They were living good life,
00:38:58.80\00:39:01.74
and the good life
became a stumbling block.
00:39:01.77\00:39:04.81
It led them in
the opposite direction
00:39:04.84\00:39:08.68
where they were
less devoted to God.
00:39:08.71\00:39:11.91
In Deuteronomy
6:10-12, Moses had warned them,
00:39:11.95\00:39:17.22
listen to what he said.
00:39:17.25\00:39:18.79
So it should be...
00:39:18.82\00:39:20.19
Deuteronomy
6:10, "So it shall be,
00:39:20.22\00:39:23.29
when the Lord your God
brings you into the land
00:39:23.32\00:39:25.39
of which He
swore to your fathers,
00:39:25.43\00:39:27.23
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
00:39:27.23\00:39:29.36
to give you large
and beautiful cities
00:39:29.40\00:39:31.77
which you did not build,
00:39:31.80\00:39:33.64
houses full of
all the good things,
00:39:33.67\00:39:35.57
which you did not fill,
00:39:35.60\00:39:37.44
hewn-out wells
which you did not dig,
00:39:37.51\00:39:40.58
vineyards and olive
trees which you did not plant,
00:39:40.61\00:39:44.41
when you have eaten
and are full, then beware,
00:39:44.45\00:39:49.22
lest you forget the Lord
00:39:49.25\00:39:52.42
who brought you out
of the land of Egypt,
00:39:52.45\00:39:55.92
from the house of bondage."
00:39:55.96\00:39:59.29
We've got to be so careful
00:39:59.33\00:40:02.30
that as we're
enjoying the blessings.
00:40:02.33\00:40:05.90
You know, I bet half
of my prayer every day,
00:40:05.93\00:40:12.34
half of my
prayer is thanksgiving.
00:40:12.37\00:40:16.04
And I recount my blessings
00:40:16.08\00:40:17.61
because I always wanna remember
where my blessings came from.
00:40:17.65\00:40:20.95
That's right.
00:40:20.98\00:40:22.45
So you've got to keep your focus
00:40:22.48\00:40:25.02
on the giver,
and not on the gift
00:40:25.05\00:40:27.72
because I've seen people
who had it all and lost it all.
00:40:27.76\00:40:32.33
Yet they had that
relationship with the Lord
00:40:32.36\00:40:35.03
and it was just a
blip on the radar,
00:40:35.06\00:40:37.57
they went through it,
and were successful again.
00:40:37.60\00:40:41.40
So we can't get our eyes
on the gifts but on the giver.
00:40:41.44\00:40:45.81
That's right.
00:40:45.84\00:40:47.21
Now as we go forward with
verses 26-31 of Chapter 9,
00:40:47.24\00:40:52.71
this is summarizing
the time from the judges
00:40:52.75\00:40:56.92
to the Assyrian deportation
and the Babylonian exile.
00:40:56.95\00:41:01.79
Verse 26,
00:41:01.82\00:41:03.16
"Nevertheless
they were disobedient
00:41:03.19\00:41:06.63
and rebelled against You,
00:41:06.70\00:41:08.76
they cast Your law
behind their backs,
00:41:08.80\00:41:11.83
they killed Your prophets,
00:41:11.87\00:41:13.70
who testified against them."
00:41:13.74\00:41:15.07
I mean, God had
given them everything.
00:41:15.10\00:41:17.91
And he said,
00:41:17.94\00:41:19.84
"These prophets had
testified against them
00:41:19.87\00:41:22.11
to turn them to Yourself,
00:41:22.14\00:41:23.85
and they worked
great provocations."
00:41:23.91\00:41:27.32
These are awful blasphemies.
00:41:27.38\00:41:30.29
So, once again,
God's faithfulness,
00:41:30.35\00:41:34.59
God's abundant generosity
00:41:34.62\00:41:38.23
in the gift of the land was met
with the same predictable cycle
00:41:38.26\00:41:44.43
of casting God's law out
and persecuted the prophets.
00:41:44.47\00:41:48.40
It was just disobedience
and rebellion all over again
00:41:48.44\00:41:52.64
that led to divine judgment.
00:41:52.67\00:41:54.94
But let's look at verse 27,
00:41:54.98\00:41:57.11
"Therefore,"
00:41:57.18\00:41:58.51
and the therefore means
00:41:58.55\00:41:59.88
because of their
wickedness and their violence.
00:41:59.91\00:42:01.75
"You delivered them into
the hand of your enemies,
00:42:01.78\00:42:03.69
who oppressed them,
00:42:03.72\00:42:05.05
and in the time
of their trouble,
00:42:05.09\00:42:06.76
when they cried to
You, You heard from heaven,
00:42:06.79\00:42:10.23
and according to
Your abundant mercies
00:42:10.26\00:42:14.60
You gave them deliverers
00:42:14.63\00:42:16.87
who saved them from
the hand of their enemies."
00:42:16.93\00:42:20.80
God is your father.
00:42:20.84\00:42:22.77
A father doesn't want to
see or hear His child suffer.
00:42:22.80\00:42:26.74
But if a child is being punished
00:42:26.78\00:42:28.98
and put in the corner,
00:42:29.01\00:42:30.35
as soon as that child cries out,
00:42:30.41\00:42:31.75
says, "Oh, Daddy, I'm
sorry, I won't do it again."
00:42:31.78\00:42:34.75
He is over
there again, isn't He?
00:42:34.78\00:42:37.82
So God's abundant mercies,
00:42:37.85\00:42:40.46
He hadn't allowed the
enemies to oppress them,
00:42:40.52\00:42:44.19
because He hoped to
wake up to their need of Him.
00:42:44.23\00:42:50.70
But He never departed from them,
00:42:50.73\00:42:52.53
He never drew back,
in this relationship.
00:42:52.57\00:42:57.04
He send deliverers,
00:42:57.07\00:42:58.44
as you see in
the Book of Judges,
00:42:58.47\00:43:00.78
when the people would repent.
00:43:00.81\00:43:02.84
And verse 28, it says,
"But after they had rest,
00:43:02.88\00:43:06.92
they again did evil before You.
00:43:06.95\00:43:10.89
Therefore You left them in
the hands of their enemies,
00:43:10.92\00:43:15.26
so that they had
dominion over them,
00:43:15.29\00:43:17.23
yet when they
returned and cried out to You,
00:43:17.26\00:43:19.89
You heard from heaven,
00:43:19.93\00:43:23.00
and many times
You delivered them
00:43:23.03\00:43:26.70
according to Your mercies."
00:43:26.74\00:43:29.97
Mercies. Praise God.
00:43:30.01\00:43:31.34
So despite their
persistent, repeated failure,
00:43:31.37\00:43:36.75
God didn't destroy
and abandoned them.
00:43:36.81\00:43:38.65
That's right.
00:43:38.68\00:43:40.02
Verse 29, "And
testified against them,
00:43:40.08\00:43:43.59
that You might bring
them back to Your law.
00:43:43.65\00:43:46.72
Yet they acted proudly,
did not heed Your commandments,
00:43:46.76\00:43:49.99
but sinned
against Your judgments,
00:43:50.03\00:43:52.03
'Which if a man does,
he shall live by them.'
00:43:52.06\00:43:55.30
And they
shrugged their shoulders,
00:43:55.33\00:43:57.13
stiffened their
necks, and would not hear."
00:43:57.20\00:44:01.04
So the rebellion
grows in intensity,
00:44:01.07\00:44:03.20
they throw their shoulders
back in pride and arrogance.
00:44:03.24\00:44:06.98
But verse 30, says,
00:44:07.01\00:44:08.61
"Yet You had
patience with them."
00:44:08.64\00:44:11.71
Verse 31, says,
"In Your great mercy
00:44:11.75\00:44:14.75
You did not utterly consume them
00:44:14.78\00:44:18.09
nor forsake
them, for You are God,
00:44:18.12\00:44:22.36
gracious and merciful."
00:44:22.39\00:44:24.23
Amen. Isn't that amazing?
00:44:24.26\00:44:25.59
Amen.
00:44:25.63\00:44:27.10
And He is.
00:44:27.13\00:44:28.43
Amen.
00:44:28.46\00:44:29.80
The Word is
good, isn't it? Amen.
00:44:29.83\00:44:31.20
But, you know, it's kind of like
00:44:31.23\00:44:32.67
in this lesson
we've been studying
00:44:32.70\00:44:34.10
is kind of like a ball
00:44:34.14\00:44:35.84
going back and
forth across the net,
00:44:35.87\00:44:37.94
like ping pong
if I can say that.
00:44:37.97\00:44:40.44
Israel's on fire,
they're ready to go,
00:44:40.48\00:44:43.45
and then the next
moment is they need some help
00:44:43.51\00:44:45.71
and they need
some encouragement.
00:44:45.75\00:44:47.28
It seems like every time
00:44:47.32\00:44:48.65
that the God's
goodness is realized, recognized
00:44:48.68\00:44:53.15
and they come to Him, as you,
everyone has mentioned here,
00:44:53.19\00:44:56.26
God comes back in
such a wonderful way.
00:44:56.29\00:44:59.09
But, you know,
00:44:59.13\00:45:00.53
the question
always has to go out,
00:45:00.56\00:45:01.90
will He always do that?
00:45:01.93\00:45:03.90
You know, there'll come a time,
00:45:03.97\00:45:06.37
you see, there'll come a time
00:45:06.40\00:45:08.64
that our probation
as it were, it ended.
00:45:08.67\00:45:11.44
But until then, God is
merciful and God is kind,
00:45:11.47\00:45:14.64
and He does inhabit our praises.
00:45:14.68\00:45:16.34
I have a lesson
and Thursdays lesson
00:45:16.38\00:45:19.58
and it's called
praise and petition.
00:45:19.61\00:45:21.05
So it kind of goes
00:45:21.08\00:45:22.42
to what everybody's
been talking about here.
00:45:22.45\00:45:25.29
There's couple of
passage and I like to just read
00:45:25.32\00:45:26.96
in the Book of Psalms,
00:45:26.99\00:45:28.32
if you have your Bible and
you're jotting things down,
00:45:28.36\00:45:30.13
it's Psalms 33:1.
00:45:30.16\00:45:33.60
The Bible says,
00:45:33.63\00:45:34.93
"Rejoice in the
Lord, O ye righteous:
00:45:34.96\00:45:38.87
for praise is
comely for the upright."
00:45:38.90\00:45:42.87
You know, it looks good.
00:45:42.90\00:45:47.04
It sounds good, right?
00:45:47.08\00:45:48.41
It looks good, it
sounds good on the righteous
00:45:48.44\00:45:51.15
when it's coming from a heart
00:45:51.18\00:45:52.51
that's been
touched by the Holy Spirit.
00:45:52.55\00:45:54.82
And in Psalms 34:1,
00:45:54.85\00:45:57.72
just across the page
there possibly in your Bible.
00:45:57.75\00:46:00.59
It says, "I will bless
the Lord at all times:"
00:46:00.62\00:46:04.16
you know this one,
00:46:04.19\00:46:05.53
"His praise shall
continually be in my mouth."
00:46:05.56\00:46:09.16
We could all learn from this
00:46:09.20\00:46:10.77
regardless of how many
times that we have heard this
00:46:10.80\00:46:13.87
or have quoted or
used it in messages,
00:46:13.94\00:46:16.84
we need to hear it
on a consistent way,
00:46:16.91\00:46:19.31
bless the Lord at all times.
00:46:19.34\00:46:21.91
To me, that
means in the bad times
00:46:21.94\00:46:23.38
as well as in the good times.
00:46:23.45\00:46:25.18
I find it more difficult
to praise in the bad times.
00:46:25.21\00:46:28.85
It's easy to
praise in the good times,
00:46:28.88\00:46:31.45
is that the humanists?
00:46:31.49\00:46:32.82
Sometimes we have a tendency,
sometimes to kind of like Lord,
00:46:32.85\00:46:36.83
whoa, boy, we don't
need all this at once.
00:46:36.86\00:46:39.43
I've been known
to say that, Lord,
00:46:39.46\00:46:40.80
I don't want let that
happen, but not all at once.
00:46:40.83\00:46:43.73
And then right quick,
the Lord reminds us what,
00:46:43.77\00:46:47.14
He knows
exactly what He's doing,
00:46:47.20\00:46:49.20
He knows what I'm in need of.
00:46:49.24\00:46:51.17
He has me on His mind
00:46:51.21\00:46:52.67
as well as you on your mind
00:46:52.71\00:46:54.04
and He's working
out our salvation.
00:46:54.08\00:46:55.71
So we're
committing our life to Him.
00:46:55.74\00:46:57.45
And so we need to learn
to praise Him in these times
00:46:57.51\00:46:59.65
and thank Him for it.
00:46:59.68\00:47:01.75
Psalms 145, I had
just another passage here
00:47:01.78\00:47:04.12
before I get into this...
00:47:04.15\00:47:05.82
I love all of these
00:47:05.85\00:47:07.19
because you can
go through Psalms,
00:47:07.22\00:47:08.56
and we can just be
praising the whole time.
00:47:08.59\00:47:10.16
We can just take
this whole hour right now,
00:47:10.19\00:47:12.23
each one was just go through
and you don't have to worry,
00:47:12.26\00:47:14.60
stay, you just start praising
and you just start singing.
00:47:14.63\00:47:16.97
And pretty soon some of us
might even cut down on song.
00:47:17.00\00:47:19.53
You just never know.
00:47:19.57\00:47:20.97
If you're
praising Him long enough,
00:47:21.00\00:47:22.57
I guarantee people who
sing, they start singing.
00:47:22.60\00:47:25.87
They may be reading the Word,
00:47:25.91\00:47:27.28
but eventually a song
00:47:27.31\00:47:29.31
comes into their
heart, into their mind
00:47:29.34\00:47:31.01
because they're
just happy inside,
00:47:31.05\00:47:32.98
and it needs to come out.
00:47:33.01\00:47:34.35
Psalms 145:2, the Bible says,
"Every day will I bless thee,
00:47:34.38\00:47:40.16
I will praise thy
name forever and ever."
00:47:40.19\00:47:44.56
You know, we find
it in the Word of God,
00:47:44.59\00:47:47.20
we can read it all over it,
00:47:47.23\00:47:48.56
just Psalms 19:17, Jesus said,
00:47:48.60\00:47:52.03
"So thou will enter
into the kingdom of life."
00:47:52.07\00:47:54.84
If you're gonna do it, do what?
00:47:54.87\00:47:56.67
Simply keep the commandments.
00:47:56.71\00:47:58.81
This was the problem,
00:47:58.84\00:48:00.24
it seems like
Israel being faithful,
00:48:00.31\00:48:02.54
turning their back on God.
00:48:02.58\00:48:04.38
And then so today maybe
we have the same problem,
00:48:04.41\00:48:06.51
maybe in the church
and maybe in our own life
00:48:06.55\00:48:09.42
that we're on fire, we're happy,
00:48:09.45\00:48:13.12
we're zealous for a while
00:48:13.15\00:48:14.49
and all of a
sudden something happens,
00:48:14.52\00:48:16.02
and then we turn, we
get little discouraged,
00:48:16.06\00:48:18.19
and we discourage other folks.
00:48:18.23\00:48:20.83
If we would just keep
00:48:20.86\00:48:22.16
what I've been
hearing here today,
00:48:22.20\00:48:23.57
if we just keep tuned in to God,
00:48:23.60\00:48:26.03
regardless of all these things,
00:48:26.07\00:48:27.54
they say it's like water
that runs off a duck's back,
00:48:27.57\00:48:30.71
you know, this
passage that God gives us
00:48:30.74\00:48:32.94
because you feel it,
00:48:32.97\00:48:35.18
but you're able to deal with it.
00:48:35.21\00:48:36.95
And that's what God
wants us to be able to do.
00:48:36.98\00:48:39.65
We're gonna have problems,
00:48:39.68\00:48:41.02
they're gonna come
from every direction.
00:48:41.05\00:48:42.75
And some of us going
to get, you know, worse,
00:48:42.78\00:48:46.05
but we need Nehemiah 9:7,
00:48:46.09\00:48:48.29
going back to Nehemiah verse 37.
00:48:48.32\00:48:52.43
It was interesting because now
00:48:52.46\00:48:53.80
they described their experience
00:48:53.83\00:48:56.43
as in great distress.
00:48:56.46\00:48:59.07
You see, how they bounce back,
oh, they are they so joyful,
00:48:59.10\00:49:01.04
they couldn't
wait to come together,
00:49:01.07\00:49:02.40
couldn't wait to do
00:49:02.44\00:49:03.77
and now they're
in great distress.
00:49:03.84\00:49:06.17
And that word really means,
they are at the breaking point.
00:49:06.21\00:49:10.58
I don't know if any of you
00:49:10.61\00:49:12.01
have ever been
at a breaking point
00:49:12.05\00:49:14.05
or near a breaking point?
00:49:14.08\00:49:16.45
You know, I assumed many people
00:49:16.48\00:49:19.35
who've been around very
long you've been to that point,
00:49:19.39\00:49:21.52
sometime you almost feel like
00:49:21.56\00:49:23.26
you can break,
you're very fragile.
00:49:23.29\00:49:26.23
And it doesn't take a
whole lot to finish or snap you,
00:49:26.26\00:49:29.46
and you're done for.
00:49:29.50\00:49:31.60
This is where the
folk were at right now,
00:49:31.63\00:49:33.74
they were in great distress,
at their breaking point.
00:49:33.77\00:49:36.47
They felt like
they were already,
00:49:36.50\00:49:37.84
they're back
into captivity again.
00:49:37.87\00:49:40.38
You see, they
went back to Egypt.
00:49:40.41\00:49:43.48
And so God was
going to try to help them
00:49:43.55\00:49:45.25
and get a hold of
them, even though,
00:49:45.28\00:49:48.12
may I say this nicely.
00:49:48.15\00:49:50.09
What happened to
them, they deserved it.
00:49:50.12\00:49:54.49
They asked for it.
00:49:54.52\00:49:55.99
God didn't wanna do it to them.
00:49:56.02\00:49:57.46
He didn't want to
put them in captivity,
00:49:57.53\00:49:58.86
He didn't want to
go through hard times,
00:49:58.89\00:50:00.43
but they really asked for it.
00:50:00.50\00:50:02.66
I always say for myself,
if I'm not in the kingdom,
00:50:02.70\00:50:04.63
I don't make it to heaven.
00:50:04.67\00:50:06.33
I've asked to be lost evidently.
00:50:06.37\00:50:10.07
I make that choice myself
00:50:10.11\00:50:11.44
because He's
prepared a way for me.
00:50:11.47\00:50:14.14
He's prepared.
00:50:14.18\00:50:15.51
I always say, there's my ticket,
00:50:15.54\00:50:18.28
my ticket to heaven.
00:50:18.31\00:50:19.65
I think about, I get excited.
00:50:19.68\00:50:21.22
My ticket to heaven, is
that what we'll call window.
00:50:21.25\00:50:24.65
It really is. It's there.
00:50:24.69\00:50:26.42
All I have to do by
faith is go pick it up
00:50:26.45\00:50:29.42
because the price
has been paid for.
00:50:29.46\00:50:31.33
Everything is just there
so easy for you and for me,
00:50:31.36\00:50:35.06
just go pick it up by faith
and heaven gonna be our home.
00:50:35.10\00:50:39.60
You know, like the...
00:50:39.63\00:50:41.67
Israel hadn't been faithful,
00:50:41.70\00:50:43.44
I know they hadn't been
and they knew they hadn't been.
00:50:43.47\00:50:45.97
But you know what?
00:50:46.01\00:50:47.34
They were still
thankful for God's grace
00:50:47.41\00:50:50.58
and for God's mercy
that was shown to them
00:50:50.61\00:50:53.48
as I am every day.
00:50:53.55\00:50:55.32
They relied on God's
grace and God's mercy.
00:50:55.35\00:50:58.09
They no longer
relied upon ancestry,
00:50:58.12\00:51:01.52
they no longer
relied upon, you know,
00:51:01.56\00:51:06.16
the works and so on so forth.
00:51:06.19\00:51:07.96
They simply relied
upon the grace of God.
00:51:07.96\00:51:11.73
And I just wonder if maybe
00:51:11.77\00:51:13.34
that's where we
need to come ourselves,
00:51:13.40\00:51:15.84
it's not to worry
about our maybe position
00:51:15.87\00:51:17.97
or what we might have
or what we might work out
00:51:18.01\00:51:20.44
or what we're doing for God,
00:51:20.48\00:51:21.88
simply we're
relying on the grace of God
00:51:21.91\00:51:26.11
which is abundant.
00:51:26.15\00:51:27.48
So that brings us
back to Nehemiah 9:32-38,
00:51:27.52\00:51:31.92
we can't read
all of those verses,
00:51:31.95\00:51:33.32
there's a lot of them.
00:51:33.36\00:51:34.69
It says, where and when we pray,
00:51:34.72\00:51:38.43
it leads to praising.
00:51:38.46\00:51:40.76
And I'm sure
that it always does,
00:51:40.80\00:51:42.60
you know, it does this, why?
00:51:42.63\00:51:44.00
Because we're praising
for His goodness toward us.
00:51:44.03\00:51:46.60
Yes.
00:51:46.67\00:51:48.00
We have a song we
sing a lot of times,
00:51:48.04\00:51:49.37
the blessings are refreshing.
00:51:49.40\00:51:51.57
A little lady wrote it,
you know, in the church,
00:51:51.61\00:51:54.41
and she actually
lives here in Thompsonville.
00:51:54.44\00:51:57.58
And to me, it's a
simple but beautiful song.
00:51:57.61\00:52:00.22
Blessings are refreshing
along this pilgrim way.
00:52:00.25\00:52:03.69
Blessings are refreshing,
they help us every day.
00:52:03.72\00:52:06.76
Why?
00:52:06.79\00:52:08.12
Because God is our
joy and our comfort.
00:52:08.16\00:52:10.43
You see, this is
what it's all about
00:52:10.46\00:52:11.79
that God is our
joy and our comfort.
00:52:11.83\00:52:13.60
And so when we recognize that,
00:52:13.63\00:52:14.96
then blessings come
and one verse goes in,
00:52:15.00\00:52:17.70
we need to count
our blessings every day.
00:52:17.73\00:52:19.73
Amen.
00:52:19.77\00:52:21.10
We're counting our blessings.
00:52:21.14\00:52:22.47
I don't have time to gripe
00:52:22.50\00:52:23.87
and complain about all
the things that went wrong.
00:52:23.91\00:52:25.24
When I'm happy and I'm laughing,
00:52:25.27\00:52:26.61
I don't have time to be sad.
00:52:26.64\00:52:28.14
You see, when our
mind is stayed upon Christ,
00:52:28.18\00:52:30.75
happy is that man,
00:52:30.81\00:52:32.31
but his mind stays
certainly upon Christ.
00:52:32.35\00:52:34.78
We can find these things
that we look in scripture.
00:52:34.82\00:52:37.35
But, you know,
00:52:37.39\00:52:38.72
God sends warning after warning,
00:52:38.75\00:52:41.09
I know He's sending
warning after warning now
00:52:41.12\00:52:43.49
in the hour that we live
00:52:43.53\00:52:44.86
in the days of
Nehemiah and Ezra,
00:52:44.89\00:52:47.40
what they went
through, I can hardly fathom.
00:52:47.46\00:52:50.13
What stuff that we read here's
what we really know about it.
00:52:50.20\00:52:53.77
They had to be true
men and women of God
00:52:53.80\00:52:56.00
and those who endure,
those who did the right thing.
00:52:56.04\00:52:59.31
We are getting ready
to enter into that time.
00:52:59.34\00:53:01.68
There's no doubt
about it, we are there.
00:53:01.71\00:53:04.18
How will we stand?
00:53:04.25\00:53:05.95
It's easy to look at
these individuals and say,
00:53:05.98\00:53:07.95
they wafted back and
forth like I started out,
00:53:07.98\00:53:10.09
like ping pong ball.
00:53:10.12\00:53:11.75
But how will we...
00:53:11.79\00:53:13.12
How is our
relationship with Christ?
00:53:13.15\00:53:14.82
Spirit of Prophecy
makes it very, very clear
00:53:14.86\00:53:16.96
that many of us, right?
00:53:17.03\00:53:18.36
We need an experience
that most of us don't have
00:53:18.39\00:53:21.23
to see us through this time.
00:53:21.26\00:53:23.20
That made me stop and
think, how is my experience?
00:53:23.23\00:53:26.47
And I ask you, how
is your experience?
00:53:26.50\00:53:29.20
It's so important right now
00:53:29.24\00:53:30.57
that your experience
with Christ be tight.
00:53:30.61\00:53:32.84
That experience
that you have with Him
00:53:32.87\00:53:34.74
is one that you can hold on
00:53:34.78\00:53:36.38
when everything
seems to be against you.
00:53:36.41\00:53:38.71
Everyone's coming against you.
00:53:38.75\00:53:40.08
People are talking about
you, people just, you know,
00:53:40.12\00:53:42.55
they can't find
anything else to do.
00:53:42.58\00:53:44.99
And do you know what?
00:53:45.02\00:53:46.35
You hold on to Jesus Christ,
00:53:46.39\00:53:47.72
get into the Word,
let the Word, right,
00:53:47.76\00:53:49.66
guide your feet
into the right path.
00:53:49.69\00:53:52.66
And I tell you right
now, God is gonna have people,
00:53:52.69\00:53:55.96
He's gonna have
a people prepare,
00:53:56.00\00:53:57.40
He's gonna have a people
that are ready and I think,
00:53:57.43\00:53:59.87
it's part of it is
from some of the things
00:53:59.90\00:54:02.30
that we've been
going over in here
00:54:02.34\00:54:04.64
that we can give
praise and honor and glory
00:54:04.67\00:54:07.28
to Him, and to Him alone.
00:54:07.31\00:54:09.34
This is where we're
at in earth's history
00:54:09.38\00:54:11.61
that is soon coming to an end.
00:54:11.65\00:54:13.55
Probation is closing,
00:54:13.62\00:54:15.05
it closed all through the people
00:54:15.08\00:54:16.55
we see in the Word of God.
00:54:16.58\00:54:18.62
How we gonna
stand on that great day?
00:54:18.65\00:54:20.99
Are we gonna be
what He wants us to be?
00:54:21.02\00:54:23.46
Are we going to be praising Him
00:54:23.53\00:54:25.16
in the good time
and the bad time?
00:54:25.19\00:54:27.50
One thing for sure,
He will never leave you,
00:54:27.50\00:54:29.63
and He'll never forsake you
00:54:29.66\00:54:31.00
because He promises in His Word.
00:54:31.03\00:54:32.57
So I wanna stay with Him,
there's where the victory's at.
00:54:32.60\00:54:35.60
I stay with Christ.
00:54:35.64\00:54:37.17
Thank you so much,
Pastor Kenny, each one of you,
00:54:37.21\00:54:40.84
my heart is full right now.
00:54:40.88\00:54:42.21
Amen. Good.
00:54:42.24\00:54:43.58
With the goodness of God,
00:54:43.61\00:54:46.21
and the mercy of God
extended toward each one of us,
00:54:46.25\00:54:49.68
and I am so grateful
that we serve a God like that.
00:54:49.72\00:54:53.72
I wanna give each one of you
00:54:53.76\00:54:55.59
a moment to share about your day
00:54:55.62\00:54:57.19
or something else
about this lesson.
00:54:57.23\00:54:58.63
Miss Mollie?
00:54:58.66\00:55:00.06
You know, in
looking at this prayer
00:55:00.13\00:55:02.93
that is more like a
sermon, it recounts the history.
00:55:02.96\00:55:06.33
And, Kenny, likened
it to a ping pong ball.
00:55:06.37\00:55:09.74
The children of
Israel would repent
00:55:09.77\00:55:12.34
and God would restore them.
00:55:12.37\00:55:13.71
Yes.
00:55:13.78\00:55:15.11
Then they would go out,
00:55:15.14\00:55:16.48
apostatizing, get away from God,
00:55:16.51\00:55:19.91
and then judgment
would have to fall upon them.
00:55:19.95\00:55:22.95
And so it made me
think of this nation
00:55:22.98\00:55:24.99
that we're living in today
00:55:25.02\00:55:26.35
in this world that
we're living in today.
00:55:26.39\00:55:28.79
And I just
thought of a scripture
00:55:28.82\00:55:30.93
that I thought
I would just read.
00:55:30.96\00:55:32.96
And it's 2 Chronicles 7:14.
00:55:32.99\00:55:37.53
"If my people,"
or you God's people?
00:55:37.57\00:55:40.20
"If my people who
are called by My name,
00:55:40.24\00:55:42.90
will humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face,
00:55:42.94\00:55:46.21
and turn from their wicked ways,
00:55:46.24\00:55:48.68
then I will hear from heaven,
00:55:48.71\00:55:50.65
and will forgive their
sins, and heal their land."
00:55:50.71\00:55:53.05
Oh, God, let this
happen in the world today.
00:55:53.08\00:55:55.78
Amen.
00:55:55.82\00:55:57.15
Amen.
00:55:57.19\00:55:58.52
My favorite
passage, 1 John 3:1-2,
00:55:58.55\00:56:04.16
"Behold, what manner of love
00:56:04.19\00:56:06.43
the Father hath
bestowed upon us,
00:56:06.46\00:56:07.96
that we should be
called children of God."
00:56:08.00\00:56:11.40
Verse 2, "Beloved, now
we are children of God,
00:56:11.43\00:56:15.77
and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be:
00:56:15.80\00:56:17.87
but we know that
when He's revealed,
00:56:17.91\00:56:20.28
we shall be like Him,
00:56:20.31\00:56:22.11
for we shall see Him as He is."
00:56:22.14\00:56:24.15
That's why He's merciful. Amen.
00:56:24.18\00:56:26.08
He's making us to be like Him.
00:56:26.11\00:56:28.12
Amen.
00:56:28.15\00:56:29.48
And you know, you think
about this cycle of sin.
00:56:29.52\00:56:31.49
We go through it as well,
but first, 1 John 1:9, says,
00:56:31.52\00:56:35.82
"If we confess our sins,
00:56:35.86\00:56:37.26
He's faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:56:37.33\00:56:39.83
and cleanse us of
all unrighteousness."
00:56:39.86\00:56:42.63
Remember this,
confession is the clearing house
00:56:42.66\00:56:45.10
of the conscience.
00:56:45.13\00:56:46.57
As you confess your sins,
00:56:46.60\00:56:47.94
you can go before the
Lord with a clear conscience.
00:56:47.97\00:56:50.61
But when He does bless you,
00:56:50.67\00:56:53.14
keep your eyes on a
giver, not on the gift.
00:56:53.17\00:56:56.95
Amen. Amen. Good thought.
00:56:57.01\00:56:59.01
I put down here our assurance,
our evidence is God's Word.
00:56:59.05\00:57:02.78
And after we have asked Him,
00:57:02.82\00:57:04.85
we must believe
00:57:04.89\00:57:06.42
without doubting, and trust God.
00:57:06.45\00:57:08.42
Amen.
00:57:08.46\00:57:09.79
Thank you all so
much for your study
00:57:09.82\00:57:11.26
and for your heart
for the Word of God
00:57:11.29\00:57:13.83
and for the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:57:13.86\00:57:15.73
I wanna close
with this scripture,
00:57:15.76\00:57:17.10
Isaiah 49:14-16.
00:57:17.17\00:57:19.73
And you might
feel that you're there.
00:57:19.77\00:57:21.64
You're here right now.
00:57:21.67\00:57:23.30
"But Zion said, 'The
Lord has forsaken me,
00:57:23.34\00:57:26.27
and my Lord has forgotten me.'
00:57:26.31\00:57:29.51
Can a woman
forget her nursing child,
00:57:29.54\00:57:33.15
and not have compassion
on the son of her womb?
00:57:33.18\00:57:36.12
Surely they may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
00:57:36.15\00:57:40.16
I have engraved you
on the palm of my hand."
00:57:40.19\00:57:44.59
The Lord Jesus has your name
00:57:44.63\00:57:46.43
inscribed on the palms of
His hands and on His heart.
00:57:46.46\00:57:50.53
He loves you, and He wants you
00:57:50.57\00:57:52.73
to come back to
Him in repentance.
00:57:52.77\00:57:55.24
Join us again next week
for God and the covenant.
00:57:55.27\00:58:00.11
God bless you. Amen.
00:58:00.14\00:58:01.48