If you enjoy
studying your Bible,
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then you've come
to the right place.
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Right here on 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel,
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we're making our way
through our third quarter study
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on "Making Friends for God."
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And, of course, this
week we're going to be
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taking on our third week,
which the lesson is entitled
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"Seeing People
Through Jesus' Eyes."
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And so again, we
are so thankful that
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you are joining us
and we want to tell you
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how to get a
copy of this lesson.
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You can access it for free
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if you go to absg.adventist.org.
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And, of course, you
can get a free copy there
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or we simply encourage you to go
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to your local
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
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where they can also
get you a copy as well.
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So again, grab your pens,
your pencils, your notepads,
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your iPads, or
anything that you need to study
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and joining us as we go through
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this exciting
Bible study adventure.
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Hello and welcome back
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to another edition of
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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As always,
we're so thankful that
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you are joining us
taking time out of your busy day
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wherever you are,
to join us in this epic
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Bible study
adventure, it is an adventure.
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Anytime we get to
open up the Bible,
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we learn new things.
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We learn more about Jesus
and His plan for our life.
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And so we're so
thankful as always
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that you can join us in this.
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I want to take time to go ahead
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and introduce
this magnificent panel
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that we have here.
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To my left, we have
Brother Kenny Shelton.
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How are you, brother?
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I'm well and love to be here
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to study the
word with you folks.
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Amen.
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And, of course, to your left
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we have Pastor John Dinzey
joining us for the first time.
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It's good to have you, brother.
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It's always a
blessing to be here
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and participate in
this wonderful panel.
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Amen. Of course,
Miss Jill Morikone.
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It's a blessing
to always have you.
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Thank you.
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Privileged to be here
and open up God's Word.
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Amen, and I know
you got a list for us.
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Oh, yeah.
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And then my pastor,
Pastor John Lomacang,
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it's always, I
almost said Dinzey,
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but we've already passed him.
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Pastor John
Lomacang, last but not least,
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it's always a
blessing to have you here.
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We're brothers
from another mother.
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That's right.
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We praise the Lord
that His word always has
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good fresh food for us.
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And I'm looking
forward to it. Amen.
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I've so been enjoying this study
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that was course was authored
by none other than Brother...
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Finley. Mark
Finley. That's right.
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I'm almost caught
him something else.
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Well, my mind is
all over the place.
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But that's because
I'm excited to study
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the Word of God.
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And this week's
lesson, lesson number three,
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"Seeing People
Through Jesus' Eyes."
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This is vitally
important as we are learning
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how to be a
good witness for God.
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We have to be able to see
people through God's eyes.
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Before we go any further though,
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I'm going to ask Brother Dinzey,
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if he would
have a prayer for us.
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Sure. Let's go to
the Lord in prayer.
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Our loving Heavenly Father,
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we are grateful to
You for this opportunity,
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Lord, to study
together with our friends
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and brothers and
sisters from all over the world.
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We ask that you will
bless us with Your Holy Spirit.
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Give us the words to speak,
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guide us to the
scriptures and the thoughts
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that you know will be a
blessing to Your children.
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We thank You, Lord, for
this lesson and this study.
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And we pray, Lord,
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that You will
continue to bless 3ABN
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to bring light to the world.
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In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
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Amen. Praise the Lord.
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Our memory verse is
taken from Matthew 4:19.
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And it says,
"Then He said to them,
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'Follow Me,
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and I will make
you fishers of men.'"
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So God doesn't just
call us, but He calls us
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and then He wants to equip
us to go out and represent Him
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and to take what we have learned
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and what we have shared
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and what we have
experienced to others.
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And that's what this
entire study is all about.
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I really, really enjoyed
Sabbath afternoon's words.
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And as I've said
in a previous lesson,
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Pastor Mark Finley
has such an eloquent pen,
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a masterful way with words
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and communicating things
in a way that even I can't.
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But I'd want to read this
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because I thought
just setting this up
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this entire study that
we're about to go through,
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it was beautiful
what he had to say.
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I want to read this here.
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It says here, "Jesus is
the mad master soul winner.
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By watching the way
Jesus worked with people,
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we learn how to lead others
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to a knowledge of
salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Journeying with Him through
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the crowded
streets of Jerusalem,
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the dusty paths of Judea
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and the grassy
hillsides of Galilee,
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we discover how He revealed
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the principles of the kingdom
to seek souls or seeking souls.
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Jesus saw all men and women
as winnable for His kingdom.
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He saw each one through
the eyes of divine compassion.
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He saw Peter not as a
rough, loud mouth fisherman,
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but as a mighty
preacher of the gospel.
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He saw James and John
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not as quick
tempered, fiery radicals,
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but as enthusiastic
proclaimers of His grace.
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He saw the deep
yearning for genuine love
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and acceptance in the
hearts of Mary Magdalene,
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the Samaritan woman,
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the woman with
the issue of blood.
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He saw Thomas not
as a cynical doubter,
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but as one with
sincere questions,
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whether they
were Jew or Gentile,
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male or female, a
thief on across, a centurion,
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or a demon possessed madman,
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Jesus saw their
God given potential
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and viewed them
through salvation's eyes."
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That was so beautifully worded.
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He just kind of
paints that picture for you
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through those words.
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I know pastor
said this many times.
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We gonna learn to be able
to paint a picture with words,
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and I'm learning how to do that,
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masterfully done,
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and that is so
amazing because again,
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seeing people
through God's eyes.
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You know, you have to be
in tune with a sort of Savior,
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to be able to do that.
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You'd have to have a
relationship with God
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yourself in order to be
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able to see
people as God sees them.
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And so Sunday's
lesson is entitled,
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"The Second Touch."
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And actually, we are brought
into an interesting story,
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which we've probably read
many times in Mark 8:22-26.
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I'm going to give you
time to go there, Mark 8:22-26,
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and this is an interesting story
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of Jesus healing a blind man.
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And very, it's
a very short story
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in this particular
passage but nonetheless,
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it has some details here
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that I believe we
can glean and learn from.
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So Mark 8:22-26, and
I'm going to begin reading,
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gonna read all
the way through it
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and we're going to go back
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and highlight a few
important things here.
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So starting in
verse 22, the Bible says,
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"Then He came to Bethsaida,
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and they brought
a blind man to Him,
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and begged Him to touch him.
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So He took the blind man
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by the hand and led
him out of the town.
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And when He had spit on his eyes
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and put His hands on him,
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He asked him if he saw anything.
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And he looked up and said,
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'I see men like trees, walking.'
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Then He put His
hands on his eyes again
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and made him look up.
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And he was restored
and saw everyone clearly.
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Then He sent him
away to his house, saying,
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'Neither go into the town,
nor tell anyone in the town.'"
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Now, in this very
short passage here,
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I believe there's
a lot we can learn
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as far as seeing
people through God's eyes,
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as far as
witnessing and learning
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how to bring someone to Christ
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because that's what this lesson,
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this whole entire study,
this quarter is all about,
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a vital important aspect
of our relationship with God.
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And so I want to
draw our attention back
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to the beginning text
of this particular passage,
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because notice how it
says, it says here in verse 22,
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"Then he came to Bethsaida,
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and they brought
a blind man to him."
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They brought him, that word
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just kind of jumps
out in the lesson there.
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The blind man, notice this,
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the blind men did
not come on his own.
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His friends saw his
need and brought him.
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That's powerful.
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He may not even have,
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may not have
even had the faith in
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and of himself
but his friends did.
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They believe
that Jesus would heal
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this man's blindness.
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So, you know, as I'm
reading through this,
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they brought him,
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I also think of the
story of the paralytic man
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who was lifted by his friends.
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They went out of
their way to make sure that
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this brother was
brought to Jesus.
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It was on the
faith of these gentlemen
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and his friends,
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that this man was made whole
and brought to Jesus Christ.
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When is the last time we
brought someone to Jesus?
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Come on.
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When is the last time
you allowed your faith
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to be sufficient
for someone else?
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Just enough to
introduce them to Jesus,
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bringing someone to Christ.
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So notice, first
they brought him,
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but then notice
what the verse also says.
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If you notice back
in verse 22, there,
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it says, "And
begged Him to touch him."
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They begged Him.
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Now again, you can kind of
see this in your own fashion,
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but I love how
Mark Finley worded this.
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He says, it implies a
softer, kinder, gentler appeal
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than a loud
boisterous demand, right?
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You know, Jesus,
you know, save this man,
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I could imagine that
they were just pleading,
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Lord Jesus,
please save our friend.
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The friends of this man
kindly appealed to Jesus,
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believing that He
had both the desire
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and the power to help this man.
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Do you have the...
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Do you believe that Christ
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has the desire
to make you whole,
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or to make your family whole,
or to make your friends whole?
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They believe that
Jesus had that desire,
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and so the man may
not have had the faith,
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as we've already mentioned,
that Jesus could heal him.
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This brother probably didn't,
he can't see, he's been blind
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at least the
majority of his life.
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And, but, yet we know that
00:10:00.70\00:10:02.03
he probably
didn't have the faith.
00:10:02.06\00:10:03.40
Okay, sure, I'll go with you.
00:10:03.43\00:10:04.83
But it was because of
the faith of his friends.
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It says his
friends had the faith.
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Sometimes, and I
love this last line,
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this really set the tone here.
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Sometimes we must carry others
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to Jesus on the
wings of our faith.
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I love that.
00:10:17.58\00:10:18.91
You know, I remember, you know,
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it's talking about this begging,
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I've had a personal
experience with this myself,
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begging God to save someone.
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Not just
physically but spiritually.
00:10:27.92\00:10:30.79
As many may know, I
lost my mom last year.
00:10:30.83\00:10:35.36
And while she's laying in
that hospital for 53 days,
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I did indeed pray
for God to heal her
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but more than anything, me
and my brother and sisters,
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and my brother and
sister and my father,
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we all wanted to
see my mom made holy,
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we wanted to see her
spiritually made well.
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She had fallen so
far away from the Lord.
00:10:49.94\00:10:52.25
She had lost her faith in God,
00:10:52.28\00:10:55.05
and here she is
laying in this hospital bed
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hurting day in and day out,
00:10:57.29\00:10:58.62
but I've never forget
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just to couple of
weeks before she passed,
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me and my brother,
my brother called me up,
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and we just felt led, you know,
let's have an intense prayer.
00:11:03.69\00:11:08.10
And so for two weeks solid,
we would, he would call me
00:11:08.13\00:11:09.96
almost every day
00:11:10.00\00:11:11.33
and we would
have an intense prayer
00:11:11.37\00:11:12.70
for my mother,
and we begged Jesus,
00:11:12.73\00:11:14.57
I begged the Lord in prayer,
00:11:14.60\00:11:16.20
I said, "Father,
whatever it takes,
00:11:16.24\00:11:18.87
save my mother.
00:11:18.91\00:11:20.34
Whatever it takes."
00:11:20.38\00:11:21.71
We watched in that
last two weeks of her life,
00:11:21.74\00:11:24.31
that stone cold heart
be turned into soft flesh.
00:11:24.35\00:11:28.05
We watched a woman
who laid there lifeless
00:11:28.08\00:11:30.25
and really not interested
in any spiritual things,
00:11:30.29\00:11:33.59
turn into a woman
00:11:33.62\00:11:34.96
who was praising
God with lifted hands,
00:11:34.99\00:11:37.33
praising God from her bed,
00:11:37.36\00:11:39.06
singing praises to God
and singing psalms and hymns
00:11:39.09\00:11:43.53
and just
declaring God's goodness.
00:11:43.57\00:11:45.63
I watched that unclear
mind be made a clear mind
00:11:45.67\00:11:49.24
and made whole
because I believe it was
00:11:49.27\00:11:51.61
because God heard our prayers.
00:11:51.64\00:11:52.97
It was because of the
faith of myself and my brother,
00:11:53.01\00:11:55.31
because what we
read in God's Word, Lord,
00:11:55.34\00:11:57.05
we know You can change my mom,
00:11:57.08\00:11:59.01
we know that You
can make a difference.
00:11:59.05\00:12:01.25
And we have to
believe that with others,
00:12:01.28\00:12:03.59
whether it's family members,
00:12:03.62\00:12:04.95
whether it's friends,
whether it's an acquaintance,
00:12:04.99\00:12:06.59
a boss, a co-worker,
00:12:06.62\00:12:07.99
or whatever, if
you pray for them,
00:12:08.02\00:12:10.59
and you beg God to change them,
00:12:10.63\00:12:11.96
the Bible has
made it clear to us
00:12:11.99\00:12:13.50
that God will answer indeed.
00:12:13.53\00:12:15.80
I love this third point here.
00:12:15.83\00:12:17.17
You'll notice in the
Scripture, it says that
00:12:17.20\00:12:18.53
Christ led him out of town.
00:12:18.57\00:12:20.77
That's interesting.
00:12:20.80\00:12:22.14
Jesus could have
healed him right there.
00:12:22.17\00:12:23.97
He could have said, you
know, let it be done, you know,
00:12:24.01\00:12:25.34
you're healed.
00:12:25.37\00:12:26.71
But that's not what happened.
00:12:26.74\00:12:28.08
He led him by the hand out,
00:12:28.11\00:12:29.44
and then it kind of
struck a thought within me that
00:12:29.48\00:12:31.85
sometimes we need to
take someone by the hand
00:12:31.88\00:12:34.22
and meet them privately.
00:12:34.25\00:12:35.58
Sometimes we need to pull them
away from the larger crowds,
00:12:35.62\00:12:37.75
whether it's in a small
group or a private session.
00:12:37.79\00:12:40.89
Sometimes you can
bring someone all day long
00:12:40.92\00:12:42.72
to a public
evangelistic meeting,
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.26
and they may not
ever fully surrender,
00:12:44.29\00:12:45.79
but you break
them away privately.
00:12:45.83\00:12:47.43
You spend time in counseling,
you spend time in prayer,
00:12:47.46\00:12:49.96
and in leadership and guidance
00:12:50.00\00:12:51.33
and you can watch how
God will change that heart.
00:12:51.37\00:12:56.47
It is possible that
00:12:56.50\00:12:57.84
we too do not see people clearly
00:12:57.87\00:13:01.58
as we see here.
00:13:01.61\00:13:02.94
Jesus asked him,
"Do you see anything?"
00:13:02.98\00:13:04.51
What did he say? I see
men walking like trees?
00:13:04.55\00:13:09.15
Do we sometimes see
them more like trees walking,
00:13:09.18\00:13:13.32
in vague shadowy forms
rather than as candidates
00:13:13.36\00:13:15.89
for the kingdom of God?
00:13:15.92\00:13:18.73
That's a point that
the lesson brought out
00:13:18.76\00:13:20.40
very clearly that I
just want to emphasize
00:13:20.43\00:13:22.10
in these closing seconds
00:13:22.13\00:13:23.83
that I have here
is that oftentimes
00:13:23.87\00:13:26.33
we choose not to
witness to someone.
00:13:26.37\00:13:28.44
We choose not to
reach out to someone
00:13:28.47\00:13:30.77
because of our negative
00:13:30.81\00:13:32.71
or twisted
perception of that person.
00:13:32.74\00:13:34.98
Sometimes we may
look at someone and say,
00:13:35.01\00:13:36.34
Oh, you know,
that guy's, you know,
00:13:36.38\00:13:37.71
even if I were to go
share the Word of God with him,
00:13:37.75\00:13:39.31
he's not going to listen to me.
00:13:39.35\00:13:40.75
He's not going
to come to the Lord.
00:13:40.78\00:13:42.12
He's got this going on.
00:13:42.15\00:13:43.49
He's got that going on his
life or he's too hard, you know,
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.85
cold hearted here or there.
00:13:45.89\00:13:47.29
I've tried
sharing with him before,
00:13:47.32\00:13:48.92
her before and she won't listen.
00:13:48.96\00:13:50.29
We sometimes have
00:13:50.33\00:13:51.66
a negative
perception of someone,
00:13:51.69\00:13:53.60
but we cannot see people
the way that we see them,
00:13:53.63\00:13:56.67
the way the flesh
wants to see them,
00:13:56.70\00:13:58.27
the way the carnal
man wants to see them.
00:13:58.30\00:14:00.14
We have to see that child of God
00:14:00.17\00:14:02.37
through the eyes of
God, through Jesus' eyes.
00:14:02.40\00:14:05.77
You know, I have
also had experience
00:14:05.81\00:14:07.51
of witnessing to my friend
00:14:07.54\00:14:08.94
as well as my brother
and seeing that in a time
00:14:08.98\00:14:11.61
when I thought at one time,
00:14:11.65\00:14:13.31
for instance, my brother Dakota,
00:14:13.35\00:14:15.28
there was one
time when, you know,
00:14:15.32\00:14:16.65
he was listening to
hardcore hip-hop rap music,
00:14:16.69\00:14:19.69
stuff that was just destroying
his mind, his brain, you know,
00:14:19.72\00:14:22.69
he was in a stage in
his life where it was like,
00:14:22.72\00:14:25.43
there's nothing
that I'm going to be
00:14:25.46\00:14:26.80
able to share with him,
00:14:26.83\00:14:28.16
that's going to
bring him to Christ.
00:14:28.20\00:14:29.53
But something,
little voice in my head,
00:14:29.56\00:14:30.90
the Holy Spirit, I
know, that's what it was.
00:14:30.93\00:14:32.27
It kept saying, just
keep trying, keep trying,
00:14:32.30\00:14:33.67
keep trying,
and praise the Lord,
00:14:33.70\00:14:35.80
the Word of God
00:14:35.84\00:14:37.17
and the life transforming
power of the Holy Spirit
00:14:37.21\00:14:39.74
was able to break
through his heart.
00:14:39.77\00:14:41.11
And now today,
00:14:41.14\00:14:42.48
he's an evangelist for the Lord.
00:14:42.51\00:14:43.88
He preaches and
teaches the Word of God.
00:14:43.91\00:14:45.31
So the moral of all this lesson
00:14:45.35\00:14:47.22
that I just shared
is don't ever give up.
00:14:47.25\00:14:49.32
Look through Christ
eyes to see a person
00:14:49.35\00:14:52.45
who needs Jesus today.
00:14:52.49\00:14:54.06
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:14:54.09\00:14:55.79
I liked that personal testimony.
00:14:55.82\00:14:57.73
That's what we've
been talking about
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.09
this whole quarter and
we'll continue to talk.
00:14:59.13\00:15:00.90
And I thank God
00:15:00.93\00:15:02.26
for those personal
testimonies deep in your heart,
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.23
in your mind.
00:15:04.27\00:15:05.60
And it changed not only
others, but it changes us.
00:15:05.63\00:15:07.90
So it helps us change
me, as I hear these things.
00:15:07.94\00:15:10.34
And you mentioned before,
00:15:10.37\00:15:12.17
I think everybody on the panel
00:15:12.21\00:15:13.54
has been mentioning that
these lessons are so good.
00:15:13.58\00:15:15.54
They are written by
Brother Mark Finley.
00:15:15.58\00:15:17.81
It just remind
me something quickly
00:15:17.85\00:15:19.18
so you can kind of take it
00:15:19.21\00:15:20.55
with a grain of salt and go on.
00:15:20.58\00:15:21.92
I was talking to a
graduate the other day, no,
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.28
this was good, it was all good.
00:15:23.32\00:15:24.65
He just simply said, you know,
we love Brother Mark Finley.
00:15:24.69\00:15:27.66
I said, "Yeah, absolutely."
00:15:27.69\00:15:29.02
You know, man of God,
00:15:29.06\00:15:30.39
we're not trying to
elevate but just a man of God.
00:15:30.43\00:15:32.19
He said, "Well, Brother Kenny,"
00:15:32.23\00:15:33.56
I'm just saying
this what he said,
00:15:33.60\00:15:34.93
"Brother Kenny, we love you too.
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.30
But you know, you're
just not polished like he is."
00:15:36.33\00:15:41.14
I think that's all of
us. Anyhow, you know what?
00:15:41.17\00:15:45.61
I just agreed 100%.
00:15:45.64\00:15:47.58
And I said, "I'm just
rough around the edges,"
00:15:47.61\00:15:49.28
and like to tell it
like it is some time
00:15:49.31\00:15:50.98
but I praise God
that He can use us.
00:15:51.01\00:15:53.75
He can use us where we are at
00:15:53.78\00:15:55.22
and the way that
we are, you know.
00:15:55.25\00:15:57.62
So anyway, we'll go to
lesson here Monday's lesson.
00:15:57.65\00:16:00.26
I liked it, "A
Lesson Of Acceptance."
00:16:00.29\00:16:03.36
And the first thing that popped
in my mind was Matthew 11:28.
00:16:03.39\00:16:06.93
Because how does God accept us?
00:16:06.96\00:16:09.50
This is what it's all about
00:16:09.53\00:16:10.87
and we're to follow His example.
00:16:10.90\00:16:12.33
Are we not? Absolutely.
00:16:12.37\00:16:13.94
Matthew 11:28,
Jesus says, "Come," what?
00:16:13.97\00:16:17.24
"Unto me," how many?
00:16:17.27\00:16:18.84
We talked about it,
00:16:18.87\00:16:20.21
"all ye that labor
and are heavy laden,
00:16:20.24\00:16:23.01
and I will give you rest."
00:16:23.04\00:16:24.65
I like that.
00:16:24.68\00:16:26.01
Jesus simply
says, just come to Me.
00:16:26.05\00:16:28.42
So I'm encouraging you today
00:16:28.45\00:16:29.88
as you've been
through this lesson,
00:16:29.92\00:16:31.25
and you will be
going through more with us.
00:16:31.29\00:16:32.62
I'm sure.
00:16:32.65\00:16:33.99
Jesus loves to
have us to come to Him
00:16:34.02\00:16:36.29
just the way that we are.
00:16:36.32\00:16:38.66
I mean, that, to me,
00:16:38.69\00:16:40.33
that's just so heavy duty
and so loving and so wonderful.
00:16:40.36\00:16:44.13
Because you know,
you look at my own life
00:16:44.17\00:16:45.53
and you may look at
yours or maybe in the past,
00:16:45.57\00:16:47.20
whatever is, come to
Him the way we are, oh my.
00:16:47.24\00:16:50.27
But Jesus loves for us
00:16:50.31\00:16:51.64
to come just
the way that we are.
00:16:51.67\00:16:53.04
And remember, when you
come in the presence of Christ,
00:16:53.07\00:16:55.48
you won't, you know,
00:16:55.51\00:16:56.85
you come dirty and
bring all this stuff,
00:16:56.88\00:16:58.45
you won't stay that way.
00:16:58.48\00:16:59.81
We can't stay that way
00:16:59.85\00:17:01.18
in the presence of Jesus Christ.
00:17:01.22\00:17:02.55
He loves for us.
00:17:02.58\00:17:03.92
I like the little
book Steps to Christ.
00:17:03.95\00:17:05.29
It brings that
out on page about 55.
00:17:05.32\00:17:07.69
Jesus loves for
us to come to Him
00:17:07.72\00:17:10.43
just the way that we are.
00:17:10.46\00:17:12.03
What's that?
00:17:12.06\00:17:13.40
How is that just the way we are?
00:17:13.43\00:17:14.76
As sinful, that's helpless,
that's dependent, and you know,
00:17:14.80\00:17:18.90
I come as a
sinner saved by grace,
00:17:18.93\00:17:21.30
I come to Him because
I need Him, I'm helpless.
00:17:21.34\00:17:23.87
I can't do a thing without Him.
I want to be depended upon Him.
00:17:23.91\00:17:28.41
And so we can come
bringing all of our weaknesses,
00:17:28.44\00:17:31.05
all of our folly, our sinfulness
00:17:31.08\00:17:33.05
and simply it encourages us
to fall at His feet in penance,
00:17:33.08\00:17:37.39
asking for forgiveness of sin.
00:17:37.42\00:17:39.19
Now, to take it a
step farther, you know,
00:17:39.22\00:17:41.46
to me it's very important
is because none are so sinful.
00:17:41.49\00:17:46.53
None are so sinful that
they cannot find strength
00:17:46.56\00:17:49.36
and purity and help
in our time of need.
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.97
So I'm encouraging.
00:17:52.00\00:17:53.34
You may say, "I'm too
sinful, I can't come to Him.
00:17:53.37\00:17:55.07
I've done too much.
00:17:55.10\00:17:56.44
I've been out in
the world all my life."
00:17:56.47\00:17:58.04
Come as you are
what He says right here.
00:17:58.07\00:18:00.21
Come unto Me all you
that are heavy laden labor,
00:18:00.24\00:18:01.84
and I'll give you rest.
00:18:01.88\00:18:03.21
Praise God for that.
00:18:03.24\00:18:04.58
None are so sinful
00:18:04.61\00:18:05.95
that we can't find
help in Jesus Christ.
00:18:05.98\00:18:07.32
I want that to be an
encouragement to you.
00:18:07.35\00:18:09.08
And it's certainly an
encouragement to me today.
00:18:09.12\00:18:10.89
Jesus says, you
know, come to Me and live.
00:18:10.92\00:18:13.59
Why will you die?
00:18:13.62\00:18:15.29
Isn't that wonderful,
come to Jesus and live.
00:18:15.32\00:18:18.26
And why will you die?
00:18:18.29\00:18:19.69
So Monday's
lesson is very important
00:18:19.73\00:18:21.26
as we see how Jesus
taught the disciples.
00:18:21.30\00:18:23.87
You mentioned it beautifully
how we are to see people
00:18:23.90\00:18:26.57
through heaven's eyes.
00:18:26.60\00:18:27.94
That's right.
00:18:27.97\00:18:29.30
Not through our eyes
because it would be brutal.
00:18:29.34\00:18:31.57
As we look at people, we
lot of times are judgmental,
00:18:31.61\00:18:34.08
a lot of times we
don't read things right.
00:18:34.11\00:18:36.11
And that's not for us
to be doing the reading.
00:18:36.14\00:18:37.81
But we look to an individual
00:18:37.85\00:18:39.25
and I'm learning to do
that by the grace of God,
00:18:39.28\00:18:41.65
I have not always done
that, but I'm trying to learn.
00:18:41.68\00:18:43.55
I know I'm
brutally honest some time,
00:18:43.59\00:18:45.19
but that's the way it
is, I talk about myself is
00:18:45.22\00:18:47.62
because I want to see
people through heaven's eyes.
00:18:47.66\00:18:50.29
Every time I look at a person
no matter what they're doing,
00:18:50.33\00:18:52.46
where they're at.
00:18:52.49\00:18:53.83
I see a person to be
saved in the kingdom.
00:18:53.86\00:18:56.77
I read it from the Word of God.
00:18:56.80\00:18:58.93
That's what Jesus did,
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.30
every time He
looked out, you know,
00:19:00.34\00:19:01.67
every time He saw somebody,
00:19:01.70\00:19:03.04
it was somebody to
be saved in the kingdom.
00:19:03.07\00:19:04.81
So it's not how we think
00:19:04.84\00:19:06.41
they are or
maybe how we, you know,
00:19:06.44\00:19:08.14
we think that they are but how,
00:19:08.18\00:19:09.68
how that we by the grace of God
can look and use heaven's eyes,
00:19:09.71\00:19:13.01
heaven's ears of
Jesus, the mind of Christ,
00:19:13.05\00:19:15.08
and to see people because
Jesus set the tone for us
00:19:15.12\00:19:18.55
that He always
treated people with love,
00:19:18.59\00:19:21.76
respect, and dignity.
00:19:21.79\00:19:23.86
Never one time did
He ever treat anyone
00:19:23.89\00:19:25.43
different than other, no
matter what they've done,
00:19:25.46\00:19:26.93
no matter where they
were at in their walk.
00:19:26.96\00:19:29.63
His disciples
were shocked many times
00:19:29.66\00:19:32.37
the way that
Jesus dealt with people.
00:19:32.40\00:19:35.14
They looked upon,
someone mentioned her before,
00:19:35.17\00:19:37.37
the disciples looked
upon them, you are hopeless.
00:19:37.41\00:19:41.41
There's no use
to try to help them.
00:19:41.44\00:19:43.41
There is no way that
anything can be done.
00:19:43.45\00:19:45.35
So they said, you are a...
00:19:45.38\00:19:46.75
And I've heard this
people say, you're a lost cause.
00:19:46.78\00:19:49.82
There are no lost causes
long as there's life, right?
00:19:49.85\00:19:52.92
There's hope. In
the breath there's hope.
00:19:52.95\00:19:54.89
That's right.
00:19:54.92\00:19:56.26
But see, disciples were
looking at these people, say,
00:19:56.29\00:19:57.63
they were lost cause, Lord,
00:19:57.66\00:19:58.99
just don't waste
Your time on them.
00:19:59.03\00:20:01.10
So we're looking through
the eyes of Jesus right here.
00:20:01.13\00:20:04.07
We learn there was a
big, some big differences
00:20:04.10\00:20:06.57
between the
Samaritans and the Judeans,
00:20:06.60\00:20:08.80
there's no doubt about it,
which talking about the woman
00:20:08.84\00:20:11.84
here at Samaria and
Jesus stopping at the well.
00:20:11.87\00:20:14.21
A couple quick
points I want to try to make
00:20:14.24\00:20:15.81
before our time runs out here.
00:20:15.84\00:20:17.48
You remember they
had a general dislike
00:20:17.51\00:20:19.41
and I think I'm putting it nice,
00:20:19.45\00:20:21.15
General dislike for one another,
00:20:21.18\00:20:22.85
then I'll just leave at that.
00:20:22.88\00:20:24.22
Jesus' disciples that
00:20:24.25\00:20:25.65
they started out
to go to Galilee,
00:20:25.69\00:20:28.36
but there could
be a closer road,
00:20:28.39\00:20:29.89
they didn't have to go
to the Samaritans but Jesus,
00:20:29.92\00:20:31.69
what did Jesus say?
00:20:31.73\00:20:33.06
I want to go by the
way of the Samaritans.
00:20:33.09\00:20:34.43
They're thinking,
you've got to be kidding.
00:20:34.46\00:20:36.06
Why in the world
would you want to do that?
00:20:36.10\00:20:37.97
Has anybody ever said that
00:20:38.00\00:20:39.87
maybe to you, why
are you doing that?
00:20:39.90\00:20:42.24
Why are you going this way
00:20:42.27\00:20:43.61
when you could go
another way, be less trouble?
00:20:43.64\00:20:45.61
Well, in John 4:3-34.
00:20:45.64\00:20:49.11
In my math, it's not very good,
00:20:49.14\00:20:50.88
but that's 31 verses so
I'm not going to try to read
00:20:50.91\00:20:52.68
all those in four minutes
00:20:52.71\00:20:54.05
or so left, so I'm not going to.
00:20:54.08\00:20:55.42
If you just allow me to,
00:20:55.45\00:20:56.79
there's three things I
think we'll look at quickly.
00:20:56.82\00:20:58.82
We find account of
Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
00:20:58.85\00:21:02.72
Now notice, three questions
I think it'd be fair to ask.
00:21:02.76\00:21:05.89
What was her response
to Christ conversation?
00:21:05.93\00:21:10.37
Number two, what was
the disciple's response?
00:21:10.40\00:21:14.00
Three, how did the
Jesus broaden their vision?
00:21:14.04\00:21:17.67
I think our
whole core lesson is,
00:21:17.71\00:21:19.44
Lord, help me to broaden
my vision to be like Yours,
00:21:19.47\00:21:22.14
like heaven is
looking at us today.
00:21:22.18\00:21:24.68
Signs of the Times
June 20, 1892, says this.
00:21:24.71\00:21:27.68
June 20, 1892,
kind of sums up here.
00:21:27.72\00:21:31.25
Those who have
the Spirit of Christ,
00:21:31.29\00:21:32.75
so I'm inviting
you, challenging you.
00:21:32.79\00:21:34.72
I'm challenging myself.
00:21:34.76\00:21:36.09
If we have the Spirit of Christ,
00:21:36.12\00:21:37.49
we see all men through
the eyes of divine compassion.
00:21:37.53\00:21:42.36
Now have we always done that?
00:21:42.40\00:21:44.07
No, I have not always done that.
00:21:44.10\00:21:45.63
But I know I need to
and I'm praying daily that
00:21:45.67\00:21:47.50
God will help me
to see each soul,
00:21:47.54\00:21:49.20
a candidate for heaven.
00:21:49.24\00:21:50.61
And I guarantee you,
you look at them differently
00:21:50.64\00:21:53.34
if you're thinking
about eternal salvation.
00:21:53.38\00:21:55.28
John 4:4 simply
starts out quickly with,
00:21:55.31\00:21:57.51
"He must need to go to Samaria."
00:21:57.55\00:21:59.45
I wonder if in your
Christian experience
00:21:59.48\00:22:01.28
or in evangelism
that you've ever felt
00:22:01.32\00:22:02.72
like you need to go
somewhere where you think
00:22:02.75\00:22:04.95
maybe you don't
really want to go,
00:22:04.99\00:22:06.86
things are not just really like,
00:22:06.89\00:22:08.26
I want to avoid
this, but God sends you.
00:22:08.29\00:22:11.16
You know, I never say we
need to go to listen to air
00:22:11.19\00:22:13.73
but, you know,
sometimes God will send us
00:22:13.76\00:22:15.36
in the midst of
air to get a message.
00:22:15.40\00:22:17.50
And we need to listen to God
and we need to respond to that.
00:22:17.53\00:22:20.50
We're gonna have to
go through this world,
00:22:20.54\00:22:22.37
we're in part of
this world right here.
00:22:22.40\00:22:24.61
But notice, Christ
must go through Samaria.
00:22:24.64\00:22:27.38
Why does He want
to go through that
00:22:27.41\00:22:28.74
because He had
a good work to do.
00:22:28.78\00:22:30.41
There's a time that God
sends us places that we,
00:22:30.45\00:22:31.95
again, don't want to,
00:22:31.98\00:22:33.31
but there's a
good work for us to do.
00:22:33.35\00:22:34.75
So the road that
Christ traveled here,
00:22:34.78\00:22:36.48
and these verses
that we go down here,
00:22:36.52\00:22:38.15
gave Him an opportunity
called to the Samaritan lady.
00:22:38.19\00:22:41.82
Ezekiel 16:6, the Bible
says, "When I passed by thee,
00:22:41.86\00:22:46.39
I said unto thee,"
I love this, "live."
00:22:46.43\00:22:49.06
When I passed by...
00:22:49.10\00:22:50.43
Everywhere Jesus
went, what did He say?
00:22:50.47\00:22:52.33
Wherever He passed,
He's looking at you and said,
00:22:52.37\00:22:54.10
you know,
basically look to me live,
00:22:54.14\00:22:57.37
certainly not to die.
00:22:57.41\00:22:58.74
John 4:7-15, go quickly here.
00:22:58.77\00:23:01.04
Notice the
conversation is about water.
00:23:01.08\00:23:04.41
What about water?
00:23:04.45\00:23:05.78
Well, number one, she
came to draw water, right?
00:23:05.81\00:23:08.28
The lady, she
came to draw water.
00:23:08.32\00:23:10.35
Jesus was a weary traveler
and he wanted a drink of water.
00:23:10.39\00:23:13.32
He was thirsty.
00:23:13.36\00:23:14.69
And number three, He
asked her, give me to drink.
00:23:14.72\00:23:17.69
Christ, for our
sakes became poor.
00:23:17.73\00:23:20.13
Now listen carefully.
00:23:20.16\00:23:21.50
Listen, my mind is
giving me goosebumps
00:23:21.53\00:23:23.47
just about make
you want to shed tears
00:23:23.50\00:23:25.00
and realize it says here
for our sakes He became poor
00:23:25.03\00:23:27.94
but for her sake,
He became a beggar.
00:23:27.97\00:23:31.71
Think about it.
00:23:31.74\00:23:33.07
For her sake, He became a beggar
00:23:33.11\00:23:35.01
because He
said, "I need a drink.
00:23:35.04\00:23:37.01
Can you give me a drink?"
00:23:37.05\00:23:38.48
Well, he knew that
this would buy time.
00:23:38.51\00:23:41.22
He knew that would buy time
00:23:41.25\00:23:42.58
so that He could
get more familiar
00:23:42.62\00:23:43.95
and He could give
her some words of life.
00:23:43.99\00:23:45.95
Jesus was willing to do
00:23:45.99\00:23:48.59
whatever it took
to get her attention
00:23:48.62\00:23:51.36
and to bring her to Him.
00:23:51.39\00:23:53.03
What a God that we
serve. That's example for me.
00:23:53.06\00:23:56.20
Whatever it takes, that song,
00:23:56.23\00:23:58.43
whatever it takes for
my will to break, you know,
00:23:58.47\00:24:01.74
it comes to that
point in our life.
00:24:01.77\00:24:03.10
She didn't deny
the request quickly.
00:24:03.14\00:24:05.37
She didn't deny it.
00:24:05.41\00:24:06.74
And she simply said,
"Hey, we don't get along.
00:24:06.78\00:24:09.68
Jews and we just
don't get along."
00:24:09.71\00:24:11.21
Jesus just completely...
And we need to do this.
00:24:11.25\00:24:13.25
This is important. We need to...
00:24:13.28\00:24:14.78
This was a contentious
thing maybe to be said.
00:24:14.82\00:24:18.29
Jesus didn't even approach that,
00:24:18.32\00:24:19.85
He just let it go.
00:24:19.89\00:24:21.32
And he got
right down to the meed
00:24:21.36\00:24:22.82
of the word right here.
00:24:22.86\00:24:24.26
He gives her some divine things.
00:24:24.29\00:24:26.33
You know, she didn't
have the insight that
00:24:26.36\00:24:27.73
some others had
there about Jesus.
00:24:27.76\00:24:29.76
And Jesus said, "You know what,
if You know me, if You knew me,
00:24:29.80\00:24:32.63
You would ask me
to give the drink,
00:24:32.67\00:24:34.14
and I'd give
you the Holy Spirit,
00:24:34.17\00:24:36.10
I'd give you the words of life."
00:24:36.14\00:24:37.47
Just ask. And
Jesus says He'll give.
00:24:37.51\00:24:40.08
If you lack the
Spirit of the Living God.
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.61
If you lack
direction in your heart
00:24:41.64\00:24:44.11
and in your life,
just ask because you know
00:24:44.15\00:24:46.88
what if you know
Him, you will ask
00:24:46.92\00:24:49.08
and He will give
you water to drink,
00:24:49.12\00:24:50.75
He will give you
everlasting life.
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.55
He is a well that springs up,
you know, to everlasting life.
00:24:52.59\00:24:55.42
He'll give you the Holy Spirit.
00:24:55.46\00:24:56.79
May God help each one of us
00:24:56.83\00:24:58.59
to ask for that
Spirit of the Living God.
00:24:58.63\00:25:00.70
Absolutely. Praise the Lord.
00:25:00.73\00:25:02.43
You know, I think we
all can use a little,
00:25:02.46\00:25:04.33
a few more lessons of acceptance
00:25:04.37\00:25:06.60
in these last days.
00:25:06.63\00:25:07.97
It was a powerful study.
00:25:08.00\00:25:09.34
Hey, we're gonna
take a short break.
00:25:09.37\00:25:10.71
Don't go anywhere.
We'll be right back.
00:25:10.74\00:25:12.61
Ever wish you could watch
00:25:18.45\00:25:19.78
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School Panel again,
00:25:19.81\00:25:21.98
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00:25:32.59\00:25:34.70
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00:25:34.73\00:25:38.13
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00:25:44.61\00:25:49.11
Hello and welcome back
00:25:49.14\00:25:50.48
to our study on seeing
people through Jesus eyes.
00:25:50.51\00:25:53.68
We're gonna kick it
over to pastor John Dinzey
00:25:53.72\00:25:55.48
for Tuesday's lesson.
00:25:55.52\00:25:57.05
Thank you so
much. Thank you so much.
00:25:57.09\00:25:59.22
Tuesday's lesson is entitled
00:25:59.25\00:26:00.59
Begin Where You
Are, Begin Where You Are
00:26:00.62\00:26:03.93
very important message.
00:26:03.96\00:26:05.29
And I have to say something
00:26:05.33\00:26:06.73
that as you were
presenting your lesson,
00:26:06.76\00:26:09.16
both of you, a song
came to mind entitled
00:26:09.20\00:26:11.77
In Heaven's Eyes,
and I kept looking,
00:26:11.80\00:26:14.94
I found that it was
written by Sandi Patty.
00:26:14.97\00:26:17.17
And I'm just
going to read the chorus
00:26:17.21\00:26:18.97
and it's called in heavens
eyes there are no losers,
00:26:19.01\00:26:22.48
in heavens eyes
there is no hopeless
00:26:22.51\00:26:24.51
cause only people like
you with feelings like me
00:26:24.55\00:26:28.08
amazed by the grace we
can find in heaven's eyes.
00:26:28.12\00:26:32.62
And I just praise
the Lord, you know,
00:26:32.65\00:26:34.82
remembering the words of Jesus,
00:26:34.86\00:26:37.16
"He that comes unto me, I
will in no wise is cast out."
00:26:37.19\00:26:40.60
So every single person is
a candidate for salvation,
00:26:40.63\00:26:46.47
to be a child of God.
00:26:46.50\00:26:48.20
So every single person.
00:26:48.24\00:26:49.80
And so the lesson
begins with Acts 1:8,
00:26:49.84\00:26:53.78
and this is a
passage well known.
00:26:53.81\00:26:56.28
Acts 1:8 and the words of Jesus,
00:26:56.31\00:26:59.85
He says, But you
shall receive power
00:26:59.88\00:27:04.89
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you,
00:27:04.92\00:27:08.06
and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
00:27:08.09\00:27:12.19
and in all Judea and Samaria,
00:27:12.23\00:27:15.20
and to the end of the earth."
00:27:15.23\00:27:19.13
So the first place to
begin was Jerusalem for them,
00:27:19.17\00:27:22.94
the place where
Jesus Christ was crucified.
00:27:22.97\00:27:26.94
That was fresh in
the minds of the people.
00:27:26.98\00:27:29.58
So the disciples their
first missionary endeavor
00:27:29.61\00:27:33.88
was right there
while Jesus was crucified
00:27:33.92\00:27:35.65
to bring the
message to the people.
00:27:35.68\00:27:37.89
But here I begin
00:27:37.92\00:27:39.75
where you are is a
message for us as well
00:27:39.79\00:27:41.92
because really the
first missionary field
00:27:41.96\00:27:44.69
for us is home is our home.
00:27:44.73\00:27:48.96
And so that's where you begin.
00:27:49.00\00:27:50.97
Now this, of course,
00:27:51.00\00:27:55.20
brings upon us a
great responsibility,
00:27:55.24\00:27:57.44
especially parents
00:27:57.47\00:27:58.81
they have to help their children
00:27:58.84\00:28:00.28
become how can you say that
00:28:00.31\00:28:04.81
they will fall in
love with the Lord,
00:28:04.85\00:28:06.68
fall in love with
the message of God,
00:28:06.72\00:28:08.72
fall in love with the gospel,
00:28:08.75\00:28:10.85
not in a romantic
sense, lovesick type of thing,
00:28:10.89\00:28:13.89
but the love of God is powerful.
00:28:13.92\00:28:18.16
It's a drawing power
what Jesus Christ has done
00:28:18.19\00:28:21.46
on the cross for us
00:28:21.50\00:28:22.83
has a power to melt
the hardest of hearts.
00:28:22.86\00:28:27.10
But we must begin at home
00:28:27.14\00:28:28.87
and so we must
be examples at home
00:28:28.90\00:28:32.74
because we are to be
the light of the world
00:28:32.77\00:28:35.68
but also the light at home.
00:28:35.71\00:28:37.85
And I've heard, you know,
00:28:37.88\00:28:39.25
stories of people that they say,
00:28:39.28\00:28:43.22
"Well, he's a
great person in church
00:28:43.25\00:28:46.29
but at home, you know..."
00:28:46.32\00:28:48.76
You should not be that.
00:28:48.79\00:28:50.13
We shouldn't have
two face Christians.
00:28:50.16\00:28:51.69
That's right.
00:28:51.73\00:28:53.06
We'll be Christians at home
00:28:53.09\00:28:54.50
and Christians in the community,
00:28:54.53\00:28:56.53
Christians at work,
Christians in school that...
00:28:56.56\00:29:00.40
It's not like a hat
you put on and take off,
00:29:00.44\00:29:02.30
today I wear this hat,
tomorrow I wear that hat.
00:29:02.34\00:29:03.67
No.
00:29:03.71\00:29:05.04
You're a Christian all the time.
00:29:05.07\00:29:07.51
And so the lesson brings
out some very important points.
00:29:07.54\00:29:10.58
We have to see through
00:29:10.61\00:29:11.95
the divine eyes,
the people that we know.
00:29:11.98\00:29:15.52
So, you know,
begin where you are,
00:29:15.55\00:29:17.59
begin with people that you know,
00:29:17.62\00:29:19.69
and help them to see Jesus.
00:29:19.72\00:29:22.36
Maybe they seen
you make mistakes.
00:29:22.39\00:29:24.89
Maybe they seen you commit
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.46
some grave error
but let them know
00:29:26.49\00:29:30.83
that you have been forgiven
by the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:29:30.87\00:29:34.17
and that you
have their interest,
00:29:34.20\00:29:36.81
their salvation in
mind, and that you are willing
00:29:36.84\00:29:41.31
to help them in this endeavor.
00:29:41.34\00:29:43.48
So let's see some example.
00:29:43.51\00:29:47.58
John 1, in John 1, we
see an example of someone
00:29:47.62\00:29:52.99
that learned of
Jesus, and right away,
00:29:53.02\00:29:56.36
he went to talk to
somebody that he knew.
00:29:56.39\00:29:59.66
So I'd like to ask...
00:29:59.69\00:30:01.03
Let's see, Sister Jill,
00:30:01.06\00:30:02.40
can you read
John 1: 40, 41 for us?
00:30:02.43\00:30:05.23
John 1:40 and 41.
00:30:05.27\00:30:08.17
"One of the two
who heard John speak,
00:30:08.20\00:30:10.17
and followed Him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
00:30:10.21\00:30:13.11
He first found
his own brother Simon,
00:30:13.14\00:30:15.21
and said to him, 'We
have found the Messiah'
00:30:15.24\00:30:18.05
which is
translated, the Christ."
00:30:18.08\00:30:20.82
Thank you so much. So
he went to his own brother.
00:30:20.85\00:30:24.32
And the lesson brings out
00:30:24.35\00:30:25.69
Andrews experience
speaks volumes to us.
00:30:25.72\00:30:29.39
He began with his own family,
00:30:29.42\00:30:31.16
and we should have a desire
00:30:31.19\00:30:34.06
to see our
family in the kingdom.
00:30:34.10\00:30:36.40
I know that some
people are hard to love.
00:30:36.43\00:30:39.10
I'm not talking
about our family.
00:30:39.13\00:30:40.47
Some people are hard to love.
00:30:40.50\00:30:41.84
You know, you mentioned
00:30:41.87\00:30:43.20
some people that
are rough characters.
00:30:43.24\00:30:44.57
I know that I've met some people
00:30:44.61\00:30:45.94
in my life and you say,
00:30:45.97\00:30:47.31
"I don't think I want
to be around that person."
00:30:47.34\00:30:49.31
Because their way of
being is one that you say,
00:30:49.34\00:30:53.18
"Okay, I don't want to
be around that person."
00:30:53.21\00:30:55.25
And so we must
through God's grace
00:30:55.28\00:30:58.49
find a way to
those hearts, you know,
00:30:58.52\00:31:00.69
ask the Lord, "Lord, this
is a hard person to reach.
00:31:00.72\00:31:02.96
Help me to know how
to reach this person."
00:31:02.99\00:31:05.96
And God will help
us, God will show us way.
00:31:05.99\00:31:08.16
And there's one thing
that should never fail
00:31:08.20\00:31:11.27
and that is kindness
00:31:11.30\00:31:13.27
and showing
love to other people.
00:31:13.30\00:31:15.80
I want to read to
you from our OFC 36
00:31:15.84\00:31:21.78
whether you take up the duty...
00:31:21.81\00:31:25.18
"Whenever you take up the duty
00:31:25.21\00:31:26.78
that lies nearest you,
then God will bless you,
00:31:26.82\00:31:30.69
and hear your prayers.
00:31:30.72\00:31:32.92
There are too many
doing outside missionary work,
00:31:32.95\00:31:36.62
while their own households
00:31:36.66\00:31:38.26
are left destitute
of any such efforts,
00:31:38.29\00:31:41.06
going to ruin through neglect...
00:31:41.10\00:31:43.20
The first missionary work
is to see that love, light,
00:31:43.23\00:31:47.24
and joy come
into the home circle.
00:31:47.27\00:31:50.14
Let us not be looking
for some great temperance
00:31:50.17\00:31:52.61
or missionary work to do
00:31:52.64\00:31:54.61
until we have first
done the duties at home.
00:31:54.64\00:31:57.71
Every morning we should think,
00:31:57.75\00:32:01.85
'What kind act can I do today?
00:32:01.88\00:32:06.09
What tender word can I speak?'
00:32:06.12\00:32:08.49
Kind words at home
are blessed sunshine.
00:32:08.52\00:32:11.69
The husband needs
them, the wife needs them,
00:32:11.73\00:32:14.73
the children need them.
00:32:14.76\00:32:16.33
It ought to be the
desire of every heart to make
00:32:16.36\00:32:18.83
as much heaven
below as possible.
00:32:18.87\00:32:22.17
A soul saved in
your own family circle
00:32:22.20\00:32:25.34
or in your own neighborhood,
00:32:25.37\00:32:27.38
by your patient,
painstaking labor,
00:32:27.41\00:32:30.25
will bring as much
honor to the name of Christ,
00:32:30.28\00:32:32.95
and will shine as brightly
00:32:32.98\00:32:35.68
in your crown as if
you had found that soul
00:32:35.72\00:32:38.55
in China or India.
00:32:38.59\00:32:40.86
That's Our Father Cares.
00:32:40.89\00:32:42.22
Our Father Cares,
yes, that's right.
00:32:42.26\00:32:43.59
Couldn't think of
it for that moment.
00:32:43.63\00:32:44.96
Thank you very much.
00:32:44.99\00:32:46.33
And so Our Father Cares page 36
00:32:46.36\00:32:48.60
you'll find this
wonderful message.
00:32:48.63\00:32:49.96
So let's go quickly to
Matthew 5, in Matthew 5,
00:32:50.00\00:32:54.57
another very
well-known passage, Matthew 5.
00:32:54.60\00:32:59.21
And I am going read,
beginning in verse 14,
00:32:59.24\00:33:03.78
Matthew 5,
beginning in verse 14.
00:33:03.81\00:33:07.55
Turning there now and it says,
00:33:07.58\00:33:09.15
"You are the light of the world.
00:33:09.18\00:33:12.35
A city that is set on
a hill cannot be hidden.
00:33:12.39\00:33:15.46
Nor do they light a lamp
and put it under a basket,
00:33:15.49\00:33:19.73
but on a lampstand,
and it gives light to all
00:33:19.76\00:33:22.90
who are in the house.
00:33:22.93\00:33:24.43
Let your light
so shine before men,
00:33:24.47\00:33:27.80
that they may
see your good works
00:33:27.84\00:33:29.84
and glorify your
Father in heaven."
00:33:29.87\00:33:33.58
Praise the Lord.
00:33:33.61\00:33:34.94
So this is what we are to do
00:33:34.98\00:33:37.08
wherever you are,
let your light so shine
00:33:37.11\00:33:39.08
that they may
see your good works
00:33:39.11\00:33:40.62
and glorify your
Father in heaven.
00:33:40.65\00:33:43.08
So, you know, it's interesting
00:33:43.12\00:33:45.42
but a little candle
that has a little light
00:33:45.45\00:33:49.29
can light another candle.
00:33:49.32\00:33:51.03
And that can
light another candle.
00:33:51.06\00:33:52.79
You can like many
candles with one little candle.
00:33:52.83\00:33:55.83
And this can
continue and continue.
00:33:55.86\00:33:57.57
In other words,
00:33:57.60\00:33:58.93
you can share the
gospel with one person,
00:33:58.97\00:34:00.87
in a few, in the
circle that you have,
00:34:00.90\00:34:03.61
and they keep sharing the gospel
00:34:03.64\00:34:05.31
until you can reach
hundreds and thousands,
00:34:05.34\00:34:08.41
beginning that way.
00:34:08.44\00:34:09.88
You know, I heard that it
was an evangelistic campaign
00:34:09.91\00:34:12.98
and the person that the
only person baptized was...
00:34:13.01\00:34:18.42
He is a big... I'm
saying a big evangelist.
00:34:18.45\00:34:21.89
There's a well-known
evangelist in New York.
00:34:21.92\00:34:24.53
And he used to be a gang member.
00:34:24.56\00:34:27.00
I think Pastor Lomacang might...
00:34:27.03\00:34:28.36
Ron Halvorsen. Ron Halvorsen.
00:34:28.40\00:34:30.03
He used to be a gang member.
00:34:30.07\00:34:31.43
I mean, somebody in
the street that you say,
00:34:31.47\00:34:32.93
"Oh, no, there's
no hope for that guy."
00:34:32.97\00:34:35.17
But he went to the
evangelistic campaign,
00:34:35.20\00:34:36.84
he was baptized,
00:34:36.87\00:34:38.21
and he became an
evangelist for the Lord.
00:34:38.24\00:34:40.24
And one by God's
grace hundreds of people.
00:34:40.28\00:34:43.38
So you can be a
light for one person
00:34:43.41\00:34:46.65
and that one person
can be a light for many.
00:34:46.68\00:34:49.55
So do what you
can by God's grace.
00:34:49.58\00:34:53.25
And Colossians
4:6 really quickly,
00:34:53.29\00:34:55.22
"Let your speech
always be with grace,
00:34:55.26\00:34:58.29
seasoned with
salt, that you may know
00:34:58.33\00:35:00.60
how you ought to
answer each one."
00:35:00.63\00:35:03.87
So then my beloved brother,
let every man be swift to hear,
00:35:03.90\00:35:07.74
slow to speak, slow to wrath."
00:35:07.77\00:35:10.24
That's James 1:9.
00:35:10.27\00:35:12.84
These are principles
00:35:12.87\00:35:14.58
that we should
put into practice.
00:35:14.61\00:35:16.85
And really every one of us
00:35:16.88\00:35:19.21
has a circle of
influence, family, friends,
00:35:19.25\00:35:22.78
people that you know
and let your behavior,
00:35:22.82\00:35:25.75
your words, and the way
you live your life be a light,
00:35:25.79\00:35:30.16
be a message, be
a message of hope
00:35:30.19\00:35:33.13
for other people.
00:35:33.16\00:35:34.60
And so by this way, you
are witnessing to others.
00:35:34.63\00:35:38.83
This is part of
witnessing, this is the way...
00:35:38.87\00:35:40.94
The way we live our
life is witnessing as well.
00:35:40.97\00:35:42.87
Amen.
00:35:42.90\00:35:44.24
Thank you so
much, Pastor Johnny,
00:35:44.27\00:35:45.61
what an incredible blessing.
00:35:45.64\00:35:47.18
I have Wednesday,
00:35:47.21\00:35:48.68
which is dealing
with difficult people.
00:35:48.71\00:35:52.91
We won't look to the
right or to the left.
00:35:52.95\00:35:54.55
Now all of these people
are very good to work with.
00:35:54.58\00:35:57.45
So the lesson says
Jesus was a master at dealing
00:35:57.49\00:36:02.32
with difficult people.
00:36:02.36\00:36:04.03
I don't know about
you, but I've known
00:36:04.06\00:36:05.66
a few difficult
people in my life and maybe
00:36:05.69\00:36:09.16
I'm ashamed to admit this,
00:36:09.20\00:36:10.53
I might have been
a difficult person
00:36:10.57\00:36:13.27
in someone else's life.
00:36:13.30\00:36:16.07
For Jesus, no one was
beyond the reach of the gospel.
00:36:16.10\00:36:20.31
There was no
person too difficult
00:36:20.34\00:36:22.31
that the gospel could not reach
their heart and their life.
00:36:22.34\00:36:26.75
Desire of Ages page 258.
00:36:26.78\00:36:29.95
It says, "None
have fallen so low,
00:36:29.98\00:36:32.29
none are so vile,
00:36:32.32\00:36:34.62
but that they can find
deliverance in Christ."
00:36:34.66\00:36:38.53
So you might be at home
saying, "I'm a difficult person,
00:36:38.56\00:36:40.80
Jesus cannot reach me."
00:36:40.83\00:36:42.16
That is not true.
00:36:42.20\00:36:43.60
There's nothing
that we could have done.
00:36:43.63\00:36:45.67
There's nowhere
that we could have been
00:36:45.70\00:36:47.77
that we cannot find
deliverance in Christ.
00:36:47.80\00:36:51.94
Now if I were
writing the lesson,
00:36:51.97\00:36:54.08
I would say now who
are difficult people
00:36:54.11\00:36:56.21
and how did Jesus
witness to difficult people,
00:36:56.24\00:36:58.61
Pastor John, maybe I put
the Pharisees and Scribes
00:36:58.65\00:37:01.35
right up there at the
top, maybe the demoniac, right?
00:37:01.38\00:37:04.49
That would be a difficult person
00:37:04.52\00:37:05.85
to witness to.
00:37:05.89\00:37:07.22
But there's three
different examples
00:37:07.26\00:37:09.16
that Pastor Finley has put here,
00:37:09.19\00:37:10.76
and they're great examples,
we're going to look at them.
00:37:10.79\00:37:13.29
The call of the disciples,
00:37:13.33\00:37:16.03
and appeal to an unnamed scribe,
00:37:16.06\00:37:19.97
and then the thief on the cross.
00:37:20.00\00:37:23.24
Those are the three examples
that we're going to look at.
00:37:23.27\00:37:25.07
So let's look at the
call of Peter and Andrew.
00:37:25.11\00:37:27.41
Go with me to Matthew 4.
00:37:27.44\00:37:29.78
Matthew 4, now
we know in verse 18,
00:37:29.81\00:37:32.51
and we're going to get there.
00:37:32.55\00:37:33.88
Remember, Jesus said, "Follow me
00:37:33.92\00:37:35.25
and I'll make
you fishers of men."
00:37:35.28\00:37:36.65
That is in verse
19, Matthew 4:19.
00:37:36.69\00:37:39.45
And immediately
they left their nets,
00:37:39.49\00:37:41.42
and they followed him.
00:37:41.46\00:37:42.79
Now if you just
read that you think,
00:37:42.82\00:37:44.16
"Wow, that's amazing."
00:37:44.19\00:37:45.53
But this is not their
first contact with Jesus.
00:37:45.56\00:37:48.66
If you go back to John 1,
you see the first contact,
00:37:48.70\00:37:52.73
you see that Andrew
and Peter were brothers,
00:37:52.77\00:37:55.24
you see that John
the Baptist had said,
00:37:55.27\00:37:57.41
"Behold the Lamb of God."
00:37:57.44\00:37:59.01
You see that
Andrew was interested
00:37:59.04\00:38:02.24
and Andrew went and, as
Pastor Johnny already read,
00:38:02.28\00:38:05.05
brought his
brother Peter to Jesus.
00:38:05.08\00:38:07.95
So if you look at the timeline,
at that point, you could say
00:38:07.98\00:38:11.89
they started to
become disciples of Jesus.
00:38:11.92\00:38:14.69
Now if we go over to Matthew 4,
we were just reading Matthew 4,
00:38:14.72\00:38:17.93
Matthew 4:11 is the end
of the temptations of Jesus.
00:38:17.96\00:38:23.00
It says, "The devil
left him and behold,
00:38:23.03\00:38:25.33
angels came and
ministered to him."
00:38:25.37\00:38:27.24
Now when you
read the Word of God,
00:38:27.27\00:38:28.60
you read the next
verse and you say, okay,
00:38:28.64\00:38:30.94
verse 12, says,
"When Jesus heard that
00:38:30.97\00:38:32.64
John had been put in prison,"
00:38:32.67\00:38:34.01
and you think no time elapsed
probably a year has passed.
00:38:34.04\00:38:38.11
So from the time when Peter
00:38:38.15\00:38:40.32
and Andrew
first became disciples
00:38:40.35\00:38:42.32
first started to follow Jesus
over a year has passed already
00:38:42.35\00:38:46.35
and during this time,
00:38:46.39\00:38:47.72
they've clearly
listened to Jesus.
00:38:47.76\00:38:49.09
They've clearly been with Jesus.
00:38:49.12\00:38:50.69
Now they have not
forsaken all and followed Him,
00:38:50.73\00:38:53.83
they have not given
up their occupation,
00:38:53.86\00:38:55.93
but they at this time
were still listening to Jesus.
00:38:55.96\00:39:00.10
So we picked this
up Matthew 4:18-20.
00:39:00.14\00:39:03.61
"And Jesus, walking
by the Sea of Galilee,
00:39:03.64\00:39:05.87
He saw two
brothers, Simon called Peter,
00:39:05.91\00:39:08.38
and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea,
00:39:08.41\00:39:11.35
for they were fishermen.
00:39:11.38\00:39:12.88
Then He said to
them, 'Follow Me,
00:39:12.91\00:39:14.98
and I will make
you fishers of men.'
00:39:15.02\00:39:17.95
They immediately left their nets
00:39:17.99\00:39:21.19
and followed Him."
00:39:21.22\00:39:22.82
So how did Jesus seek
to reach Peter and Andrew
00:39:22.86\00:39:26.26
and James and
John with the gospel?
00:39:26.29\00:39:29.43
I saw four ways here just
in what we've just read here.
00:39:29.46\00:39:32.73
Number one,
allow the Holy Spirit
00:39:32.77\00:39:35.70
to lay the groundwork.
00:39:35.74\00:39:37.74
That is we read in John 1
or we discussed and John 1,
00:39:37.77\00:39:41.44
the ministry of John
the Baptist in their life,
00:39:41.48\00:39:45.01
and then the ministry of them
following Jesus for this time.
00:39:45.05\00:39:49.22
Sometimes we
push the Holy Spirit.
00:39:49.25\00:39:51.09
What if Jesus
had come up to them
00:39:51.12\00:39:52.52
at the baptism
and said, "Follow me,
00:39:52.55\00:39:54.26
and I'll make
you fishers of men."
00:39:54.29\00:39:55.86
Sometimes we
push the Holy Spirit
00:39:55.89\00:39:58.19
or we push people
00:39:58.23\00:39:59.89
before the Holy
Spirit has even drawn them.
00:39:59.93\00:40:03.40
So Jesus knew the right
time to extend the call,
00:40:03.43\00:40:07.24
He allowed the Holy
Spirit to lay the groundwork.
00:40:07.27\00:40:09.74
Number two, disciple as
they are willing to follow.
00:40:09.77\00:40:15.44
We already discussed
00:40:15.48\00:40:16.81
how there's a whole year
from when they first started
00:40:16.85\00:40:18.78
being disciples of
Jesus to this calling.
00:40:18.81\00:40:21.88
Jesus taught, He ministered
to them during that interlude.
00:40:21.92\00:40:25.42
He taught as much as
they were able to handle
00:40:25.45\00:40:27.46
yet there was not a direct
call to them at that time.
00:40:27.49\00:40:31.06
Sometimes we expect people
00:40:31.09\00:40:32.83
to make decisions
before they are ready.
00:40:32.86\00:40:37.30
Number three, make a direct call
00:40:37.33\00:40:39.77
at the right time.
00:40:39.80\00:40:41.14
Now here's the
call that we read.
00:40:41.17\00:40:42.57
He said, "Follow me,
00:40:42.60\00:40:43.94
and I'll make
you fishers of men."
00:40:43.97\00:40:45.74
Sometimes we're
afraid to make an appeal
00:40:45.77\00:40:49.04
for fear of what people think
or maybe fear of being rejected
00:40:49.08\00:40:53.15
and that the call is
not going to be answered.
00:40:53.18\00:40:55.52
So we put off making a
direct appeal for salvation.
00:40:55.55\00:41:00.96
So sometimes we have to
wait and let the Holy Spirit
00:41:00.99\00:41:03.73
and sometimes we need to make
00:41:03.76\00:41:05.59
the direct call
at the right time.
00:41:05.63\00:41:08.90
Number four, offer a choice.
00:41:08.93\00:41:11.20
That's really what Jesus did,
00:41:11.23\00:41:12.80
to either follow Him or
to hold on to their past.
00:41:12.83\00:41:16.44
You see, following
Jesus is all or nothing.
00:41:16.47\00:41:18.54
We have to choose between
00:41:18.57\00:41:21.54
what we want to
do between our past
00:41:21.58\00:41:23.91
or giving ourselves 100%
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:41:23.95\00:41:29.05
Sometimes when we make
a call as an evangelist,
00:41:29.08\00:41:31.75
we would hesitate
at making the call
00:41:31.79\00:41:34.39
for Jesus appear
to be all or nothing.
00:41:34.42\00:41:36.69
We make it seem like,
"Okay, you can bring along
00:41:36.73\00:41:38.96
some of your little
cherished sins along with you,"
00:41:38.99\00:41:41.43
instead of making
that direct choice.
00:41:41.46\00:41:44.60
Let's look at the second,
00:41:44.63\00:41:46.30
first was the
call for the disciples.
00:41:46.33\00:41:47.94
Second is the appeal
to be unnamed scribe.
00:41:47.97\00:41:51.24
This is in Mark 12.
00:41:51.27\00:41:52.67
So let's turn over to Mark 12.
00:41:52.71\00:41:55.81
And we'll get a couple lessons
00:41:55.84\00:41:57.71
from this as well how
Jesus appealed to Him.
00:41:57.75\00:42:00.32
Mark 12.
00:42:00.35\00:42:01.68
We're beginning in verse 28,
"Then one of the scribes came,"
00:42:01.72\00:42:05.29
you see he's unnamed,
we don't know his name,
00:42:05.32\00:42:07.39
"and having heard
them reasoning together,
00:42:07.42\00:42:09.59
perceiving that He
had answered them well,
00:42:09.62\00:42:11.36
asked Him,
00:42:11.39\00:42:12.73
'Which is the first
commandment of all?'"
00:42:12.76\00:42:15.30
Now if you read
previously to this in Mark 12,
00:42:15.33\00:42:18.67
Jesus had just answered
00:42:18.70\00:42:20.04
the Sadducees
about resurrection.
00:42:20.07\00:42:22.14
So this scribe might
have even liked Jesus answer,
00:42:22.17\00:42:24.97
and it piqued his interest
00:42:25.01\00:42:26.34
and so he asked
the question to Jesus,
00:42:26.37\00:42:28.58
"Which is the first
commandment of all?"
00:42:28.61\00:42:30.95
Now the Jewish rabbis
had counted 613 commandments
00:42:30.98\00:42:35.68
in the first 5 books
of the Old Testament,
00:42:35.72\00:42:39.15
there were 248
positive commandments,
00:42:39.19\00:42:42.52
and 365 prohibitions.
00:42:42.56\00:42:45.13
So the Scribe
here is saying, okay,
00:42:45.16\00:42:46.90
which is the first
one of all of these 613.
00:42:46.93\00:42:50.77
So Jesus answered in verse 29.
00:42:50.80\00:42:53.40
the first of all the
commandments is this,
00:42:53.44\00:42:55.34
"Hear O' Israel,
00:42:55.37\00:42:56.71
the Lord our
God, the Lord is one.
00:42:56.74\00:42:59.81
And you shall
love the Lord your God
00:42:59.84\00:43:01.21
with all your
heart, with all your soul,
00:43:01.24\00:43:02.88
with all your mind,
with all your strength.
00:43:02.91\00:43:05.48
This is the first commandment.
00:43:05.51\00:43:07.75
And the second is like unto it,
00:43:07.78\00:43:09.25
'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.'
00:43:09.28\00:43:11.29
There is no other
commandment greater than these."
00:43:11.32\00:43:13.82
Now the way Jesus
answered the scribe,
00:43:13.86\00:43:16.46
he began with hear O Israel,
00:43:16.49\00:43:19.03
that is the opening words
00:43:19.06\00:43:20.73
of the Jewish
confession of faith
00:43:20.76\00:43:23.30
called the Shema.
00:43:23.33\00:43:24.67
I'm not sure how
to pronounce. Shema.
00:43:24.70\00:43:26.03
Shema.
00:43:26.07\00:43:27.40
That is in Deuteronomy
6:4, the pious Jew would have
00:43:27.44\00:43:29.40
repeated this every
morning and evening,
00:43:29.44\00:43:31.81
affirming his
belief in the one true God.
00:43:31.84\00:43:34.71
So Jesus took that text
00:43:34.74\00:43:36.08
and then He expanded it
00:43:36.11\00:43:38.05
and added something
00:43:38.08\00:43:39.41
that was not
there in the original.
00:43:39.45\00:43:41.28
You see he added mind.
00:43:41.32\00:43:42.72
They had heart,
soul, and strength,
00:43:42.75\00:43:44.09
and he added mind,
00:43:44.12\00:43:45.52
and then he said,
we're called to love God,
00:43:45.55\00:43:47.82
our neighbor, and our self.
00:43:47.86\00:43:50.03
"So the scribe said to
Him," we're in verse 32.
00:43:50.06\00:43:53.29
"Well said, Teacher.
00:43:53.33\00:43:54.66
You have spoken the truth,
00:43:54.70\00:43:56.03
for there is one God,
and there is no other but He.
00:43:56.06\00:43:58.20
And to love Him
with all the heart,
00:43:58.23\00:43:59.57
with all the understanding,
00:43:59.60\00:44:00.94
with the soul, with the strength
00:44:00.97\00:44:02.30
to love one's
neighbor as oneself,
00:44:02.34\00:44:03.74
is more than the whole
00:44:03.77\00:44:05.11
of burnt
offerings and sacrifices.
00:44:05.14\00:44:07.31
Now when Jesus saw
that he answered wisely,
00:44:07.34\00:44:09.18
He said to him, 'You are not far
00:44:09.21\00:44:11.31
from the kingdom of God.'"
00:44:11.35\00:44:13.45
So how did Jesus approached
00:44:13.48\00:44:14.95
this unnamed
scribe with the gospel?
00:44:14.98\00:44:18.02
Very quickly, number one,
00:44:18.05\00:44:19.39
wait until the
person asks a question.
00:44:19.42\00:44:21.66
Now that's a revolutionary idea.
00:44:21.69\00:44:23.69
Jesus didn't come
and preach to him,
00:44:23.73\00:44:25.16
he waited till the scribe
came and asked him a question.
00:44:25.19\00:44:28.23
Sometimes we push
00:44:28.26\00:44:29.60
when people
aren't ready to hear it.
00:44:29.63\00:44:31.07
Number two find a
shared biblical truth.
00:44:31.10\00:44:33.64
He began with something that
the scribe knew and understood.
00:44:33.67\00:44:37.21
Sometimes it is helpful
00:44:37.24\00:44:38.57
to begin with biblical
truth that you hold in common.
00:44:38.61\00:44:41.21
Number three,
00:44:41.24\00:44:42.58
expand on the
truth already known.
00:44:42.61\00:44:45.18
Sometimes we need to expand
00:44:45.21\00:44:46.55
on someone's
knowledge of the word.
00:44:46.58\00:44:48.42
Don't be afraid to
teach the entire truth.
00:44:48.45\00:44:51.32
Number four, simplify the truth
00:44:51.35\00:44:53.39
from all those 613 commandments
so that Jesus is central.
00:44:53.42\00:44:57.69
Sometimes we complicate
truth instead of keeping Jesus
00:44:57.73\00:45:00.80
as the center
of the Word of God.
00:45:00.83\00:45:02.93
Number five, know that
00:45:02.96\00:45:04.30
intellectual
understanding is not enough.
00:45:04.33\00:45:07.20
Jesus said the scribe
00:45:07.24\00:45:08.57
was not far from
the kingdom of God,
00:45:08.60\00:45:09.97
He intellectually understood,
00:45:10.01\00:45:11.91
but he had not yet
accepted Jesus as his Messiah.
00:45:11.94\00:45:15.94
And in my last 30 seconds,
00:45:15.98\00:45:17.51
the experience of
the thief on the cross.
00:45:17.55\00:45:20.52
We see here that
Jesus led by example.
00:45:20.55\00:45:24.09
He didn't go to the person.
00:45:24.12\00:45:25.99
He didn't explain
anything doctrinal.
00:45:26.02\00:45:28.49
He didn't ask him a question.
All He did was live his life.
00:45:28.52\00:45:33.83
He said, "Father, forgive them,
00:45:33.86\00:45:35.90
for they know not what they do."
00:45:35.93\00:45:37.90
He did not murmur,
He did not complain.
00:45:37.93\00:45:40.64
There was no retaliation
00:45:40.67\00:45:42.40
when he was mocked, spat
upon, or unjustly treated.
00:45:42.44\00:45:45.17
Sometimes when you witness
00:45:45.21\00:45:47.04
you do not even
have to say a word
00:45:47.08\00:45:48.94
simply let your
life do the evangelism.
00:45:48.98\00:45:52.28
That's right. Thank you, Jill.
00:45:52.31\00:45:54.52
Which leads us right now
00:45:54.55\00:45:56.18
to when the Lord
lays the foundation.
00:45:56.22\00:45:59.19
You need to sense the
providential opportunities.
00:45:59.22\00:46:03.69
You need to sense the
providential opportunities.
00:46:03.73\00:46:05.79
I can tell you how many times
00:46:05.83\00:46:08.80
I've been in
situations where I knew,
00:46:08.83\00:46:10.57
wow, this is an opening.
00:46:10.60\00:46:12.37
The Lord just
gave me an opportunity.
00:46:12.40\00:46:14.64
And you know, when I've seized
00:46:14.67\00:46:16.10
on the promptings
of the Spirit of God,
00:46:16.14\00:46:18.54
I have, in many cases,
my wife can tell you this,
00:46:18.57\00:46:21.84
after I've sat there,
00:46:21.88\00:46:23.95
lost my physical
appetite it was so filled
00:46:23.98\00:46:26.61
that I just didn't
even think about food.
00:46:26.65\00:46:28.82
I went home and said,
I wish I recorded that.
00:46:28.85\00:46:32.15
Because I presented things
that I never even thought about,
00:46:32.19\00:46:35.19
which is the unseen
component in any opportunity.
00:46:35.22\00:46:38.33
When God opens the door,
00:46:38.36\00:46:39.89
He not only opens the door,
00:46:39.93\00:46:41.43
but He walks
through the door with You.
00:46:41.46\00:46:42.80
That's right.
00:46:42.83\00:46:44.17
And He sends His Holy Spirit,
00:46:44.20\00:46:45.53
He gives you words to
say, and I had opportunities
00:46:45.57\00:46:46.90
where I said, "Wow."
00:46:46.94\00:46:48.64
My wife said, "You
never said that before."
00:46:48.67\00:46:50.31
I said, "Honey, that's
how I know it wasn't me."
00:46:50.34\00:46:53.41
And that's what God does.
00:46:53.44\00:46:54.78
And so when we look
at the Book of Acts,
00:46:54.81\00:46:57.18
I think the Book of Acts is
called Acts of the apostles.
00:46:57.21\00:47:00.88
I'd like to retitle it,
00:47:00.92\00:47:04.09
the Acts of God
through the apostle.
00:47:04.12\00:47:07.22
Okay, so I'll
give you four reasons
00:47:07.26\00:47:08.72
why I say it's the acts
of God through the apostles.
00:47:08.76\00:47:12.23
Hebrews 13 look
at verse 20 and 21.
00:47:12.26\00:47:15.83
The acts of God,
when we get to the place
00:47:15.86\00:47:18.23
where we think it's
us, we are in danger.
00:47:18.27\00:47:20.80
When we get to the
place where we think that
00:47:20.84\00:47:22.40
we are skilled enough
to handle this situation,
00:47:22.44\00:47:24.87
to communicate words of life
00:47:24.91\00:47:26.44
without the one who gave life
00:47:26.47\00:47:28.34
without the one
who gave inspiration,
00:47:28.38\00:47:30.11
even opening your Bible to study
00:47:30.15\00:47:31.85
without prayer is a danger,
00:47:31.88\00:47:33.82
you're going into a
book that's too deep for you
00:47:33.85\00:47:35.92
to even dive it
to the bottom of it
00:47:35.95\00:47:37.99
with the best scuba gear.
00:47:38.02\00:47:40.62
And some of you, as you
know, there are submarines
00:47:40.66\00:47:44.36
that have never made it
to the bottom of the ocean.
00:47:44.39\00:47:46.70
We will never make it to
the bottom of God's Word.
00:47:46.73\00:47:49.60
We discover every time
it's deeper than we thought
00:47:49.63\00:47:52.13
it was the last
time in inspiration.
00:47:52.17\00:47:54.64
But look what the Bible
says in Hebrews 13:20, 21,
00:47:54.67\00:47:57.67
the opportunities of God,
00:47:57.71\00:47:59.04
"Now may the God of
peace who brought up
00:47:59.07\00:48:02.88
our Lord Jesus from the dead,
00:48:02.91\00:48:04.95
that great
Shepherd of the sheep,
00:48:04.98\00:48:06.78
through the blood of
the everlasting covenant,
00:48:06.82\00:48:08.68
make you complete
00:48:08.72\00:48:10.05
in every good
work to do His will,"
00:48:10.09\00:48:12.32
watch this, "working in you
00:48:12.35\00:48:14.59
what is well
pleasing in His sight,
00:48:14.62\00:48:17.56
through Jesus Christ,
00:48:17.59\00:48:19.03
to whom be glory
forever and ever."
00:48:19.06\00:48:21.20
Never. Here's
my first principle.
00:48:21.23\00:48:23.37
I didn't write it
down, but it came right now.
00:48:23.40\00:48:25.57
Never use God's gifts
to rob God of His glory.
00:48:25.60\00:48:30.94
He's the one.
00:48:30.97\00:48:32.31
To Him be glory
forever and ever.
00:48:32.34\00:48:34.21
I never say
00:48:34.24\00:48:35.58
what a great Bible study I
gave and always say you did,
00:48:35.61\00:48:39.28
do the next one.
00:48:39.31\00:48:40.65
And you know the Battle of Aphek
00:48:40.68\00:48:42.38
where the Israelites thought,
00:48:42.42\00:48:43.75
"We beat the
Philistines really well.
00:48:43.79\00:48:45.12
This is a little
town we can handle this."
00:48:45.15\00:48:46.55
And those little guys
00:48:46.59\00:48:47.92
that hardly have
any strength at all,
00:48:47.96\00:48:49.29
turned the Israelites
00:48:49.32\00:48:50.66
and made them
run for their lives.
00:48:50.69\00:48:52.03
Don't ever go into a Bible study
00:48:52.06\00:48:53.40
without Christ, first trouble.
00:48:53.43\00:48:54.93
Secondly, how do we
know that God is behind it?
00:48:54.96\00:48:57.93
Philippians 1:6,
00:48:57.97\00:48:59.47
"Being confident
of this very thing,
00:48:59.50\00:49:02.00
that He who has begun
00:49:02.04\00:49:03.37
a good work in
you will complete it."
00:49:03.41\00:49:05.71
You'll never
finish a Bible study
00:49:05.74\00:49:07.58
that makes sense
without the Lord working in you.
00:49:07.61\00:49:10.35
Third one Philippians 2:13,
00:49:10.38\00:49:12.45
"For it is God who
works in you both to will
00:49:12.48\00:49:15.02
and to do for
His good pleasure."
00:49:15.05\00:49:17.09
And Romans 9:28,
00:49:17.12\00:49:19.75
"For He will finish the work
00:49:19.79\00:49:21.66
and cut it
short in righteousness
00:49:21.69\00:49:24.86
because the Lord will make
a short work upon the earth."
00:49:24.89\00:49:30.27
Who's doing it? The Lord.
00:49:30.30\00:49:32.00
But He uses human
instrumentalities.
00:49:32.03\00:49:34.70
You know, I love it.
00:49:34.74\00:49:36.07
Angels that never
fell could never be
00:49:36.10\00:49:38.47
a part of those
proclaiming the gospel.
00:49:38.51\00:49:40.44
Because you have to understand
the power of redemption
00:49:40.48\00:49:43.21
in order to be able to describe
what God has done for you.
00:49:43.24\00:49:45.58
If you've never
been at the place
00:49:45.61\00:49:46.95
where you need to be redeemed,
00:49:46.98\00:49:48.32
you will never experience
the joy of being redeemed.
00:49:48.35\00:49:51.55
Angels that never
fell as one songwriter said
00:49:51.59\00:49:53.96
they love to tell our story,
00:49:53.99\00:49:55.82
but they can't because
they did not experience
00:49:55.86\00:49:57.89
the redemption story.
00:49:57.93\00:49:59.26
Do you know that one day,
we already have tickets paid
00:49:59.29\00:50:03.10
to go to all
the unfallen worlds,
00:50:03.13\00:50:05.17
we're going to
travel first class,
00:50:05.20\00:50:07.87
courtesy of the
righteousness of Jesus.
00:50:07.90\00:50:10.31
And they're going to be
multitudes awaiting says,
00:50:10.34\00:50:12.51
"Tell us what was
it like to be redeemed?
00:50:12.54\00:50:15.58
Tell us what was it like to
be delivered in that moment?"
00:50:15.61\00:50:18.61
And I'm going to say, "Father,
00:50:18.65\00:50:19.98
could you give us DVD number 645
00:50:20.02\00:50:22.22
on January 5, 1981.
00:50:22.25\00:50:25.45
Plug it in, we're going
to see God's handiwork."
00:50:25.49\00:50:27.86
Because the Lord has
saved us more times than
00:50:27.89\00:50:29.76
we can ever even account for.
00:50:29.79\00:50:32.09
So let me get back to the story.
00:50:32.13\00:50:34.50
How does God work?
00:50:34.53\00:50:35.86
Nehemiah 6:15,
00:50:35.90\00:50:37.90
we are laborers
together with God.
00:50:37.93\00:50:39.60
I'm going to use
an unusual passage
00:50:39.63\00:50:41.30
to illustrate
this because, you know,
00:50:41.34\00:50:43.41
when Nehemiah was sent
back to help the brethren
00:50:43.44\00:50:46.54
who had lost all
faith in finishing the work,
00:50:46.57\00:50:49.48
and they decided...
00:50:49.51\00:50:50.85
Nehemiah said, "We can
do this, we can do this.
00:50:50.88\00:50:53.21
We got to do it God's way.
00:50:53.25\00:50:54.78
One hand the work
another hand on the sword.
00:50:54.82\00:50:57.69
We got to do a God's way.
00:50:57.72\00:50:59.05
We cannot let the sword
down while we're laboring."
00:50:59.09\00:51:01.46
Don't ever put your Bible down
00:51:01.49\00:51:03.86
to participate in
temporal activity,
00:51:03.89\00:51:06.29
make the Word of God,
00:51:06.33\00:51:07.66
your coequipment in
every avenue of activity.
00:51:07.70\00:51:11.13
The Bible says in
verse 15 of Nehemiah 6,
00:51:11.17\00:51:14.24
"So the wall was finished
00:51:14.27\00:51:15.60
on the twenty-fifth day of Elul,
00:51:15.64\00:51:17.47
in fifty-two days.
00:51:17.51\00:51:18.97
And it happened," I love this,
"when our enemies heard of it,
00:51:19.01\00:51:23.51
and all the nations
around us saw these things."
00:51:23.55\00:51:26.68
They saw what
the people had done.
00:51:26.72\00:51:28.62
Look at their conclusion.
00:51:28.65\00:51:30.05
"That they were
very disheartened
00:51:30.09\00:51:32.35
in their own eyes,"
why, "for they perceived
00:51:32.39\00:51:36.83
that this work
was done by our God."
00:51:36.86\00:51:40.16
When people see
souls coming to Christ,
00:51:40.20\00:51:41.93
Pastor Finley,
00:51:41.96\00:51:43.30
Pastor Ron Halvorsen, all of us,
00:51:43.33\00:51:45.23
Kenny, all of us here, Jill,
00:51:45.27\00:51:47.94
whenever somebody...
00:51:47.97\00:51:49.30
When Jill preaches,
we make altar calls.
00:51:49.34\00:51:51.31
When we go around the
world, we make altar calls,
00:51:51.34\00:51:53.07
and we recognize
that that moment,
00:51:53.11\00:51:54.71
that is an
unbroken, unhindered conduit
00:51:54.74\00:51:57.88
we become the vacuum cleaner
00:51:57.91\00:52:00.35
through which the Holy Spirit
00:52:00.38\00:52:02.72
draws the
individuals from their seats.
00:52:02.75\00:52:05.02
I've stood there sometimes,
00:52:05.05\00:52:06.39
and I've felt that I want to end
00:52:06.42\00:52:07.76
because I'm saying humanly,
this has taken too long.
00:52:07.79\00:52:10.13
But the Lord said, "No,
no, no, no, no, not yet.
00:52:10.16\00:52:11.89
No, no, not yet.
Somebody else is coming."
00:52:11.93\00:52:14.33
And I've said
there's somebody else
00:52:14.36\00:52:16.50
that God is calling.
00:52:16.53\00:52:17.87
And all of a sudden,
I've seen people coming out,
00:52:17.90\00:52:20.07
straightening their
jackets, wiping their tears,
00:52:20.10\00:52:22.50
and I said, "Yes, Father."
00:52:22.54\00:52:24.31
And I said, "I
stand like Moses today.
00:52:24.34\00:52:26.81
I stand like John the Baptist.
00:52:26.84\00:52:28.28
I feel like Elijah
saying, 'Is there one more?'"
00:52:28.31\00:52:30.81
And when it was done,
00:52:30.85\00:52:32.18
I go back and I
fall to my knees and say,
00:52:32.21\00:52:33.75
"Father, thank
You for allowing me
00:52:33.78\00:52:35.12
to listen to Your voice."
00:52:35.15\00:52:36.48
Don't ever think
that the work you do
00:52:36.52\00:52:37.85
is something
that's humanly devised
00:52:37.89\00:52:40.02
or skillfully attained
or strategically planned out
00:52:40.06\00:52:44.49
because God does what
humanity can never do.
00:52:44.53\00:52:47.26
Look at the
opportunities Gods made.
00:52:47.30\00:52:49.13
Paul's opportunity made by God.
00:52:49.16\00:52:51.50
2 Corinthians 2:12 and 13.
00:52:51.53\00:52:54.20
The Lord is the one
00:52:54.24\00:52:55.57
that makes opportunities
the witnessing available to us.
00:52:55.60\00:52:58.44
We just have to respond.
00:52:58.47\00:53:00.04
2 Corinthians 2:12 and 13.
00:53:00.08\00:53:02.54
Jill, you have
it? Read that for me.
00:53:02.58\00:53:04.88
"Furthermore,
when I came to Troas
00:53:04.91\00:53:06.51
to preach Christ's gospel,
00:53:06.55\00:53:08.25
and a door was
opened to me by the Lord,
00:53:08.28\00:53:10.09
I had no rest in my spirit
00:53:10.12\00:53:12.09
because I did not
find Titus my brother,
00:53:12.12\00:53:14.12
but taking my leave of
them, I departed for Macedonia."
00:53:14.16\00:53:17.23
Notice who opened the door,
00:53:17.26\00:53:18.59
and the door was
open to me by the Lord.
00:53:18.63\00:53:20.46
And when God opens the
door, notice what happened.
00:53:20.50\00:53:22.86
I had no rest in my spirit.
I got to go through this door.
00:53:22.90\00:53:26.50
There were times I
know this when I said,
00:53:26.53\00:53:29.64
"Lord, okay, I know, I
know, I got it, I hear it."
00:53:29.67\00:53:32.11
And my wife say,
"Who are you talking to?"
00:53:32.14\00:53:33.48
I said, "The Lord."
00:53:33.51\00:53:35.44
She said, "I knew
something was going on."
00:53:35.48\00:53:37.65
I said, "The Lord is putting
00:53:37.68\00:53:39.01
something on my heart,
and I cannot ignore it.
00:53:39.05\00:53:40.48
I'll be back."
00:53:40.52\00:53:41.85
And you know, I
know what it's like
00:53:41.88\00:53:43.22
when the Lord
opens the door for you
00:53:43.25\00:53:44.59
and He places
that strain on you,
00:53:44.62\00:53:47.06
you cannot rest
00:53:47.09\00:53:48.42
until you depart to go
where God is sending you.
00:53:48.46\00:53:51.09
Look at Philips opportunity
in the Book of Acts 26.
00:53:51.13\00:53:54.36
Acts 8:26-30, in
the interest of time,
00:53:54.40\00:53:57.87
I'll read this.
00:53:57.90\00:53:59.27
"Now an angel
00:53:59.30\00:54:00.64
of the Lord spoke
to Philip, saying,
00:54:00.67\00:54:02.00
'Arise and go toward
the south along the road
00:54:02.04\00:54:04.31
which goes down
from Jerusalem to Gaza.'
00:54:04.34\00:54:06.94
This is desert.
So he arose and went.
00:54:06.98\00:54:09.58
And behold, a man of Ethiopia,
a eunuch of great authority
00:54:09.61\00:54:13.18
under Candace the
queen of the Ethiopians."
00:54:13.21\00:54:15.22
The rest of the
story is amazing.
00:54:15.25\00:54:17.05
Philip, you know why
the Lord sent Philip.
00:54:17.09\00:54:19.12
This is an amazing thing.
00:54:19.15\00:54:20.49
Philip means in
Greek, a lover of horses.
00:54:20.52\00:54:23.63
And Philip was sent by the Lord,
00:54:23.66\00:54:26.39
Holy Spirit took him
there when the job was done
00:54:26.43\00:54:28.23
the Holy Spirit
left him, I mean,
00:54:28.26\00:54:29.86
took him away, gone.
00:54:29.90\00:54:32.43
But he saw this royal steed
00:54:32.47\00:54:34.30
and this
Ethiopian on his way back
00:54:34.34\00:54:36.67
with the business of
Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia.
00:54:36.71\00:54:39.77
Do you know what
happened as a result?
00:54:39.81\00:54:42.24
The only other place in the...
00:54:42.28\00:54:43.91
Only other continent
or country in the world
00:54:43.95\00:54:46.05
where the Sabbath was
kept longer than in Jerusalem
00:54:46.08\00:54:48.82
was in Ethiopia.
00:54:48.85\00:54:50.19
And I can tell you
that was the turning point
00:54:50.22\00:54:52.09
in the life of the Ethiopians.
00:54:52.12\00:54:53.69
To this very day, they
call the Sabbath Kwami's Day.
00:54:53.72\00:54:57.66
The Day of the
Lord, Kwami's day.
00:54:57.69\00:55:00.16
And I would say realistically
when the missionaries...
00:55:00.20\00:55:02.46
And I'm going to do
this in the right "context"
00:55:02.50\00:55:03.83
respectfully, when
the white missionaries
00:55:03.87\00:55:05.73
came later on,
00:55:05.77\00:55:07.10
and tried to change
it from Kwami's day,
00:55:07.14\00:55:09.70
to the first day of the week,
00:55:09.74\00:55:11.07
they called it
the white man's day
00:55:11.11\00:55:12.97
with all due respect.
00:55:13.01\00:55:14.41
Because the Ethiopians
got this message from Philip,
00:55:14.44\00:55:18.85
and took it down there
00:55:18.88\00:55:20.22
and they knew this was
all scripturally based,
00:55:20.25\00:55:21.98
and no change could
shake their foundation
00:55:22.02\00:55:24.79
from following Kwami's day.
00:55:24.82\00:55:26.96
That was the Lord.
So how does God do it?
00:55:26.99\00:55:31.63
Psalm 37:23, "The
steps of a good man
00:55:31.66\00:55:36.36
are ordered by the Lord,
and He delights in his way."
00:55:36.40\00:55:41.24
The steps of a good man.
00:55:41.27\00:55:42.80
If you want your
steps to be led by God,
00:55:42.84\00:55:46.37
be good by His
grace and His character
00:55:46.41\00:55:49.21
and He will order your
steps to witness to His grace.
00:55:49.24\00:55:52.61
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:55:52.65\00:55:54.12
Praise the Lord.
That was wonderful.
00:55:54.15\00:55:56.08
All right, so we're coming down
00:55:56.12\00:55:57.75
to the last couple
minutes here on which you give
00:55:57.79\00:56:00.19
a final thought.
00:56:00.22\00:56:01.56
You know, just a
good thought here
00:56:01.59\00:56:02.92
what each one
have been saying here,
00:56:02.96\00:56:04.29
you know, God's knocking
at the door of your heart.
00:56:04.33\00:56:07.46
And, you know, at
least by the grace of God,
00:56:07.50\00:56:09.56
open the door, see who it is,
00:56:09.60\00:56:12.17
and you respond when you
see Jesus respond to that.
00:56:12.20\00:56:15.10
That could be your last
call. It could be my last call.
00:56:15.14\00:56:17.67
So respond to Him today,
00:56:17.71\00:56:19.04
you won't be sorry that you did.
00:56:19.07\00:56:20.41
Amen, amen.
00:56:20.44\00:56:21.98
God is waiting anxiously for us
00:56:22.01\00:56:27.08
to give Him 100% of ourselves
00:56:27.12\00:56:30.39
so that we can
really be a light.
00:56:30.42\00:56:34.12
There's a song, you may know it.
00:56:34.16\00:56:36.09
"Do you know, Oh Christian,
you're a sermon in shoes?
00:56:36.12\00:56:38.49
Do you know, Oh Christian,
you're a sermon in shoes?
00:56:38.53\00:56:40.96
Jesus counts upon you,
to spread the gospel news.
00:56:41.00\00:56:44.13
So walk it, and talk
it, a sermon in shoes.
00:56:44.17\00:56:46.84
So live it, and give
it, a sermon in shoes.
00:56:46.87\00:56:49.90
So teach it, and
preach it, a sermon in shoes.
00:56:49.94\00:56:52.64
And this is what by
God's grace, we should.
00:56:52.67\00:56:54.68
Amen.
00:56:54.71\00:56:56.04
Wednesday's lesson was
dealing with difficult people
00:56:56.08\00:56:58.65
and you might just be feeling
00:56:58.68\00:57:00.02
like you're trying
to witness to someone
00:57:00.05\00:57:01.38
who's difficult
in your own life.
00:57:01.42\00:57:03.39
I want to
encourage you, don't give up.
00:57:03.42\00:57:06.02
So Lord wants
to save them. Amen.
00:57:06.05\00:57:08.82
And be like
Samuel every morning.
00:57:08.86\00:57:10.76
When you hear
that small voice says,
00:57:10.79\00:57:12.19
"Speak, Lord, for
your servant hears."
00:57:12.23\00:57:14.23
Ellen White says in
Steps to Christ page 70,
00:57:14.26\00:57:16.70
"Each morning
consecrate yourself
00:57:16.73\00:57:18.10
to God for that day.
00:57:18.13\00:57:19.47
Surrender all your plans to Him,
00:57:19.50\00:57:20.84
to be carried out or given up
00:57:20.87\00:57:22.57
as His
providence shall indicate."
00:57:22.60\00:57:24.77
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:57:24.81\00:57:26.14
Thank you, guys, so much.
00:57:26.17\00:57:27.54
Speaking of a song, you know,
00:57:27.58\00:57:28.91
I was thinking of
a song myself that
00:57:28.94\00:57:30.58
I sing in my concerts entitled,
From Heaven's Point of View,
00:57:30.61\00:57:33.55
and it goes into
the chorus it says,
00:57:33.58\00:57:35.98
"What once
looked like a mountain
00:57:36.02\00:57:37.39
is just a hill from
heaven's point of view."
00:57:37.42\00:57:39.39
If we could just see the
world, and as this lesson said,
00:57:39.42\00:57:42.32
see people through Jesus eyes.
00:57:42.36\00:57:44.86
Man, what powerful work
00:57:44.89\00:57:46.23
we would be able to
do in these last days.
00:57:46.26\00:57:48.40
We thank you so
much for joining us
00:57:48.43\00:57:50.07
here on the 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel this week.
00:57:50.10\00:57:52.47
We hope to see
you again next week
00:57:52.50\00:57:54.74
for the fourth
lesson entitled Prayer Power
00:57:54.77\00:57:58.34
Interceding for Others.
00:57:58.37\00:58:00.38
So we thank you so much.
00:58:00.41\00:58:01.91
See you next week. God bless.
00:58:01.94\00:58:03.91