Oh, it's time for
Sabbath School panel again.
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This quarterly is The Promise,
God's Everlasting Covenant.
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We're on lesson
12, Covenant Faith.
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Grab your Bible and a
pen and your quarterly.
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If you don't already
have one, it's not too late.
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Go to
ABSG.Adventist.org to get yours
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because it's a
wonderful study resource.
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Join us today.
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I hope you're as excited about
this Sabbath School quarterly
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as we are today is
lesson 12, Covenant Faith.
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Let me introduce our panel.
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John Dinzey?
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It's a blessing to be here.
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We're loving
having you here as well.
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Ryan Day?
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Here and accounted
for, excited to study.
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Wonderful. And my
pastor, John Lomacang?
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Yes, we're looking
at Abraham once again.
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He's been the star
of this lesson study
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it seems throughout.
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Amen.
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And then my sister and our COO,
Vice President, Jill Morikone.
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Excited to share, my
topic is resting on the promise.
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Well, praise the Lord.
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Would you like to have
our prayer please, Jill?
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Holy Father, we come
before you in the name of Jesus,
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grateful for this quarter
and this study in Your Word,
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and your spirit and
we just ask right now,
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would you open up our
minds and hearts to receive
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what you have for
us in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Amen.
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Covenant faith,
our memory verse is,
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"No man is justified by
the law in the sight of God.
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It is evident, for the
just shall live by faith."
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That's Galatians 3:11.
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God never intended the law to be
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a means of justification
of pardoning you from sin.
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He designed faith,
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that's a heart trust
in him for that action.
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And faith brings us
into relationship with Jesus,
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with God, with Jesus.
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It's a trusting relationship,
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which is what
covenants are all about.
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Revelation 14:6-12,
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is the end time
message of the three angels
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that are flying
around the earth,
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to go to every
tribe, tongue and nation.
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And you know what?
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It's interesting, it
is bookended by faith
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in the everlasting gospel.
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When it is introduced,
Revelation 14:6 says,
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the angels flying
in the midst of heaven
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having the everlasting gospel,
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to preach to every
tongue, tribe, and people.
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The everlasting gospel
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was good news
of God's salvation,
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by grace through faith,
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and then it ends
in Revelation 14:12.
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Talking about covenant faith,
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it says, "Here is the
patience of the saints.
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Here are those who
keep the commandments of God
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and the faith of Jesus."
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So we've got the message
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and the response to the message
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is an active
obedience to God's will,
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to live in covenant
relationship with God.
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And if you've been watching,
you know that the covenant,
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the everlasting covenant
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was introduced
in Revelation 13:8,
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the Lamb slain
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from the
foundation of the earth.
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Three things that
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I want to mention
about covenant thing.
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It involves the mind,
the emotions, and the will.
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Covenant faith, our
mind has to understand
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the promises of
God's everlasting
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covenant of grace.
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We have to understand the truth
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of Christ's
substitutionary sacrifice
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and recognize Him as
our only hope of salvation.
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That's the mind,
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the emotions once
we embrace this truth,
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we have, it produces
a sorrow for our sin,
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and a joy over
God's mercy and grace.
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The will, oh,
this is so important.
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We have to will
to line up our will
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with His to enter
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into covenant
relationship with Him
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and live a life
dependent totally upon Him,
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and we have to
submit to His will.
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And let love and loyalty
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be the
motivation for our covenant.
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Obedience by grace is God works
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and is still willing
to do His good pleasure.
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Let me tell you, covenant has,
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covenant faith has
always been required.
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As a matter of fact,
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when Paul was
speaking to Galatians,
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he is quoting Habakkuk
2:4 from the Old Testament,
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"Behold, the proud, his
soul is not upright in him,
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but the just
shall live by faith."
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And you know,
Paul echoed that again.
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In Romans 117, we saw that Noah
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became the heir of
righteousness by faith.
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We saw that Abraham was
justified our belief, God,
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and it was counted
to him as righteous.
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And we know that
Ephesians 2 says that
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it's the exceeding
riches of God's grace
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is given to us that by grace,
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we are saved
through faith, not of works,
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lest any should boast.
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The dynamite power
of the gospel is this,
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when Paul is saying, you know,
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the gospel, the
power of the gospel,
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and it's from faith to faith.
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The dynamite power
of the gospel is that
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it blessed away all,
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self sufficiency and
sinful self reliance.
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Now Sunday's lesson is
reflections of Calvary.
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I don't want to just
focus on the cruelty of Calvary
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and what happened on Calvary.
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Let's focus on
the man of Calvary.
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In Philippians 2:6-8
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is probably one of my
favorite passages of Scripture.
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Because once I
really focused in on this,
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my whole idea in studying
the covenants particularly,
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my whole idea of God changed.
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I've always thought of
Christ as the Son of God,
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almost in a secondary position.
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But listen to this.
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I mean, as in second of
importance to the Father.
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But listen, Ephesians 2:6 says,
"Who being in the form of God,
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speaking of Jesus,
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did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God,
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but made himself
of no reputation,
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taking on the
form of a bondservant,
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coming in the likeness of men."
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Here is the eternal, exist,
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self existent One who had
life un-derived, un-borrowed,
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and He humbled Himself,
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to go from the
majesty of heaven,
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to put on our flesh,
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and become a man
just so He could save us.
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If you let that soak in,
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the idea of
salvation completely changes.
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I praise God every time
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I'm praying, almost every time.
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I will say, God, thank
You that You became a man.
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What humility, and it
was a permanent change.
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He's the Son of God,
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or Son of man, Son of God,
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He took that
flesh back to heaven,
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as the last Adam, the second,
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or the human
representative of the earth.
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So then it says,
He humbled Himself,
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and He became
obedient to the point of death
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on the earth, on the cross.
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He was
foreordained as the Lamb of God.
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But He didn't
become the Lamb of God
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until His incarnation.
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He was
foreordained as the Son of God.
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That's a covenant term, a
covenant term used of humans.
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He didn't become the Son of God
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until His incarnation.
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So, when we look at God,
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He became the Son of Man
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in the person of Jesus Christ,
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He became the Son of God
in the person of Jesus Christ,
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so that He could be our
covenant representative.
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And He is our covenant.
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Isaiah 42:6-7.
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This is the servant song.
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There's two different servants
in Isaiah, one is talking about
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the people of
God as the servants.
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But there are four different
servants' songs in Isaiah,
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and this is one
of the servant songs,
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speaking of Jesus
Christ, the Messiah.
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And he says, in this song "I,
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the Lord have called
you in righteousness.
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You the Messiah, Jesus Christ,
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I will hold Your hand,
I will keep You capital Y.
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I will give You as a
covenant to the people,
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as a light to the
Gentiles to open blind eyes
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and bring out
prisoners from the prison,
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and those who sit in darkness
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from the prison house.
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Christ is the covenant.
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He is the
foundation of the covenant.
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He is the
sacrifice of the covenant.
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He is the
mediator of the covenant.
00:10:30.93\00:10:33.33
He is the
guarantor of the covenant.
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Christ is the everlasting
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covenant of God.
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And when you think about this,
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can you begin to
imagine Paul wrote about
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how wide, how long, how deep,
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how high is the love of God?
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If you really let this soak in,
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it will change your
life to realize your Creator,
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the majesty of heaven,
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came here to be your substitute.
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He was despised and
rejected by religious leaders.
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He was betrayed and
abandoned by His own.
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He was oppressed
and falsely accused.
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And although He was innocent,
He did not defend Himself.
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He was beaten, He was flogged,
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He was spat upon,
00:11:30.42\00:11:32.35
He was mocked
with a crown of thorns.
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Then He was
nailed to a cross naked.
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Can you imagine the shame
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on the majesty of heaven?
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It's almost unimaginable
to think of a love so deep
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for you and for me.
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But here's the thing,
2 Corinthians 5:21 says,
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"God made Him, Christ
Jesus who knew no sin,
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to be sin for us,
that we might become
00:12:07.16\00:12:11.46
the righteousness of
God in Christ Jesus."
00:12:11.49\00:12:16.06
He put our sins on Him,
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He puts His
righteousness to our record.
00:12:17.87\00:12:21.37
Jesus on the cross
cried out, "My God, My God,
00:12:21.40\00:12:26.11
why have You forsaken me?"
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This was the first
time in His human existence
00:12:28.31\00:12:33.72
that He felt alienated
from the God of heaven.
00:12:33.75\00:12:38.69
The One He had
spent eternity with.
00:12:38.72\00:12:41.79
He felt abandonment and despair,
00:12:41.82\00:12:45.86
because the
outpouring of God's divine
00:12:45.89\00:12:48.66
wrath against sin
00:12:48.70\00:12:51.80
was on Him as our sin bearer,
00:12:51.83\00:12:54.87
but the faith of Jesus,
the covenant faith of Jesus.
00:12:54.90\00:13:00.18
I think we find in Isaiah 53:10,
00:13:00.21\00:13:04.05
where it says,
00:13:04.08\00:13:05.41
"It pleased the
Lord to bruise Him,
00:13:05.45\00:13:07.88
to put Him to grief.
00:13:07.92\00:13:09.88
When you make His
soul an offering for sin,
00:13:09.92\00:13:13.86
He shall see His seed."
00:13:13.89\00:13:15.92
Here is Jesus Christ,
00:13:15.96\00:13:17.63
the Seed that was
promised in Genesis 3:15.
00:13:17.66\00:13:21.46
This is the
Seed of the covenant,
00:13:21.50\00:13:23.57
the covenant Son of Jesus,
00:13:23.60\00:13:25.77
but the faith of Jesus is
He knew that once He died,
00:13:25.80\00:13:30.51
He was going to produce
many more covenant seed,
00:13:30.54\00:13:35.94
many more covenant sons
and daughters of Christ.
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And he says, "He
shall see His Seed,
00:13:40.58\00:13:44.42
and He shall know that
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the labor of his
soul is satisfying."
00:13:47.59\00:13:52.26
Praise the Lord
for covenant faith.
00:13:52.29\00:13:56.06
Amen. Amen.
00:13:56.10\00:13:57.90
Praise the Lord.
00:13:57.93\00:13:59.27
I could continue
listening for more,
00:13:59.30\00:14:00.77
but we have to move on
now to Monday's portion,
00:14:00.80\00:14:04.67
it is entitled The
Covenant and the Sacrifice.
00:14:04.71\00:14:08.58
The Covenant and the Sacrifice.
00:14:08.61\00:14:10.65
This lesson opens
with a familiar scripture.
00:14:10.68\00:14:13.35
It is 1 Peter 1:18-19.
00:14:13.38\00:14:18.59
And I want to focus
in on a portion of it.
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.99
It says, "Knowing
that you were not redeemed
00:14:21.02\00:14:24.46
with corruptible
things like silver or gold,
00:14:24.49\00:14:27.50
from your aimless conduct,
00:14:27.53\00:14:29.66
received by
tradition from your fathers,
00:14:29.70\00:14:32.10
but with the
precious blood of Christ,
00:14:32.13\00:14:34.90
as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot."
00:14:34.94\00:14:38.84
This is a powerful
scripture to consider
00:14:38.87\00:14:42.01
and to spend time on.
00:14:42.04\00:14:43.68
And it will be a
blessing for you to do so.
00:14:43.71\00:14:46.82
And I encourage you to do so.
00:14:46.85\00:14:48.62
At this point, you
have to understand that
00:14:48.65\00:14:51.52
this is giving us a language
00:14:51.55\00:14:54.26
that has to do
with the sanctuary.
00:14:54.29\00:14:56.99
And in the sanctuary,
00:14:57.03\00:14:58.36
you had the
sacrifices they had to be done.
00:14:58.39\00:15:01.90
Again, shadow of what
Jesus would do for us.
00:15:01.93\00:15:05.03
But notice that it says a lamb.
00:15:05.07\00:15:06.97
Why a lamb here?
00:15:07.00\00:15:09.10
Well, of the animals, the
lamb is one of the animals
00:15:09.14\00:15:13.68
that is the most...
00:15:13.71\00:15:16.38
How can I say it is the one that
00:15:16.41\00:15:17.88
would least resist
what is being done.
00:15:17.91\00:15:21.42
And this is interesting
when you consider that
00:15:21.45\00:15:25.25
the sacrifices offered
in the sanctuary on earth.
00:15:25.29\00:15:31.06
Every single
animal that was chosen
00:15:31.09\00:15:33.86
had to be carefully examined,
00:15:33.90\00:15:35.66
so that they would not
have any blemish or spot
00:15:35.70\00:15:37.83
because it represented the pure,
00:15:37.87\00:15:40.97
sinless life of Jesus Christ.
00:15:41.00\00:15:44.01
Now, these animals had
no choice in the matter,
00:15:44.04\00:15:47.28
they were simply chosen.
00:15:47.31\00:15:50.18
Jesus willingly
came to die for us.
00:15:50.21\00:15:54.08
This in itself is a sacrifice,
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.28
when you consider that
He is the very Son of God.
00:15:56.32\00:15:58.85
Angels would bow before Him
00:15:58.89\00:16:01.72
and offer songs
of praise, royalty.
00:16:01.76\00:16:06.36
And when you consider Jesus,
00:16:06.39\00:16:09.56
the creator of the
world humbling Himself
00:16:09.60\00:16:13.27
to come to this
world, where there is nothing
00:16:13.30\00:16:16.34
but really
nothing but suffering.
00:16:16.37\00:16:19.01
His life was a life of sacrifice
00:16:19.04\00:16:22.28
for 33 and half years.
00:16:22.31\00:16:24.58
And I probably have
heard, you have too,
00:16:24.61\00:16:28.82
some people that thought
00:16:28.85\00:16:30.19
they deserve better treatment,
00:16:30.22\00:16:31.85
they would express things
like, "Don't you know who I am?"
00:16:31.89\00:16:36.12
I mean, people
didn't really know
00:16:36.16\00:16:38.46
who Jesus was.
00:16:38.49\00:16:39.96
And it's a...
00:16:40.00\00:16:42.56
It's a shocking,
shocking thing for them
00:16:42.60\00:16:45.30
to eventually see
when they see this.
00:16:45.33\00:16:47.60
This was the very Son of God.
00:16:47.64\00:16:49.50
He was working out my salvation
00:16:49.54\00:16:51.14
and I participated in
inflicting suffering upon Him.
00:16:51.17\00:16:56.61
The lesson brings
out a thought that
00:16:56.64\00:16:59.28
I would like to read to you.
00:16:59.31\00:17:01.28
Christ, ransomed us
from the slavery of sin,
00:17:01.32\00:17:05.59
and its final
fruit, which is death,
00:17:05.62\00:17:08.92
but he did it with
His precious blood,
00:17:08.96\00:17:11.99
His substitutionary and
voluntary death on Calvary.
00:17:12.03\00:17:16.80
See, it's a voluntary death.
00:17:16.83\00:17:19.57
Again, this is the
foundation of all the covenant.
00:17:19.60\00:17:22.54
Without it, the
covenant becomes null and void,
00:17:22.57\00:17:26.81
because God could
not have justly fulfilled
00:17:26.84\00:17:30.08
His end of the deal,
00:17:30.11\00:17:31.45
which is the
gift of eternal life
00:17:31.48\00:17:33.18
bestowed upon all who believe.
00:17:33.21\00:17:36.95
So Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God
00:17:36.99\00:17:39.89
came to this
world to die for us.
00:17:39.92\00:17:41.52
John the Baptist in John 1:29.
00:17:41.56\00:17:45.79
The Bible says, the next day
John see Jesus coming unto him,
00:17:45.83\00:17:49.36
and says,
"Behold, the Lamb of God,
00:17:49.40\00:17:52.43
which taketh away
the sin of the world."
00:17:52.47\00:17:55.00
It would be well for
us to take time every day
00:17:55.04\00:17:58.34
to behold the Lamb of God.
00:17:58.37\00:18:01.84
This is time well spent,
00:18:01.88\00:18:03.61
much better spent
than sitting down,
00:18:03.65\00:18:06.28
watching hours and
hours of shows or movies,
00:18:06.31\00:18:09.62
much better spent
than spending hours
00:18:09.65\00:18:11.65
and hours on social media.
00:18:11.69\00:18:13.39
Time with Jesus is
worth spending time.
00:18:13.42\00:18:18.23
Now I want to bring
out Hebrews 10:4, again,
00:18:18.26\00:18:21.66
we have shared this
before during this quarterly.
00:18:21.70\00:18:24.47
But in Hebrews 10:4, it says,
00:18:24.50\00:18:26.94
"For it is not possible that
the blood of bulls and of goats
00:18:26.97\00:18:31.07
should take away sins."
00:18:31.11\00:18:33.21
If it was
possible, then Jesus Christ
00:18:33.24\00:18:36.01
did not have to
come and die for us.
00:18:36.04\00:18:38.05
They would just simply say,
00:18:38.08\00:18:39.41
okay, just sacrifice
animals for every sin
00:18:39.45\00:18:41.88
that people commit.
00:18:41.92\00:18:43.45
But it had to
be the Lamb of God.
00:18:43.49\00:18:47.02
Only the Lamb of God
00:18:47.06\00:18:48.69
could take away
the sin of the world.
00:18:48.72\00:18:51.73
I am reading to you
from the book Patriarchs
00:18:51.76\00:18:53.63
and Prophets, page 63.
00:18:53.66\00:18:56.93
Notice, since the Divine
Law is as sacred as God Himself,
00:18:56.97\00:19:03.51
only one equal
with God could make
00:19:03.54\00:19:06.21
atonement for its transgression.
00:19:06.24\00:19:08.64
None but Christ
could redeem fallen man
00:19:08.68\00:19:10.88
from the curse of the law
00:19:10.91\00:19:12.28
and bring him again
into harmony with heaven.
00:19:12.31\00:19:16.28
Christ will take upon Himself
the guilt and shame of sin.
00:19:16.32\00:19:22.72
There is guilt and, of
course, there's also shame.
00:19:22.76\00:19:25.29
Sin, so offensive to a holy God
00:19:25.33\00:19:28.63
that it must separate
the Father and His Son.
00:19:28.66\00:19:33.07
Christ would reach
to the depths of misery
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.67
to rescue the ruined race.
00:19:35.70\00:19:39.37
And you know, when
you talk about sacrifice,
00:19:39.41\00:19:42.11
we focus on the
sacrifice of the Son.
00:19:42.14\00:19:46.18
But there was sacrifice
with the Father as well.
00:19:46.21\00:19:49.75
The Father suffered along
with the Son every single lash
00:19:49.78\00:19:54.42
He felt just as a
father or a mother
00:19:54.46\00:19:57.66
sees their children suffer
and they suffer with them.
00:19:57.69\00:20:01.13
They would
gladly take their place.
00:20:01.16\00:20:04.40
And the Father not
only suffered with the Son,
00:20:04.43\00:20:08.17
but then there's
that scripture that says,
00:20:08.20\00:20:09.77
"Awake, O sword,
against the shepherd."
00:20:09.80\00:20:12.71
The Father had to inflict
the punishment upon His Son.
00:20:12.74\00:20:17.48
There was great
sacrifice in all heaven for us.
00:20:17.51\00:20:22.48
Luke 22:44,
00:20:22.52\00:20:25.25
brings an interesting
thought to our minds.
00:20:25.29\00:20:28.02
It says, "And being in an agony,
00:20:28.06\00:20:31.16
he prayed more
earnestly, and his sweat was,
00:20:31.19\00:20:35.06
as it were great drops of blood
falling down to the ground."
00:20:35.10\00:20:40.74
This is talking about the
moment he's in Gethsemane,
00:20:40.77\00:20:44.04
preparing to go to Calvary,
00:20:44.07\00:20:46.68
and contemplating this suffering
00:20:46.71\00:20:50.35
that He would endure,
00:20:50.38\00:20:52.05
not the physical suffering
00:20:52.08\00:20:53.42
so much as the separation
that He will experience.
00:20:53.45\00:20:58.72
It created this agony that
we do not fully understand.
00:20:58.75\00:21:03.56
A few months ago, last year,
00:21:03.59\00:21:06.70
a picture was
sent to many people.
00:21:06.73\00:21:08.66
And the heading
was in this newspaper
00:21:08.70\00:21:13.50
that this woman
in Cuba, they said,
00:21:13.54\00:21:16.57
she has the same
sickness as Jesus.
00:21:16.60\00:21:19.17
This woman, for some reason,
during some times of her life,
00:21:19.21\00:21:23.55
the bloody sweat comes
down from her forehead.
00:21:23.58\00:21:26.75
This is a rare condition.
00:21:26.78\00:21:28.15
And they say even Napoleon
00:21:28.18\00:21:29.65
when he was in a certain battle,
00:21:29.68\00:21:32.22
he even had blood
come from his forehead.
00:21:32.25\00:21:35.32
But please understand that
00:21:35.36\00:21:36.69
whatever agony these people felt
00:21:36.73\00:21:39.96
or experienced
could not be compared
00:21:40.00\00:21:41.86
with the agony that
Jesus Christ suffered.
00:21:41.90\00:21:45.70
Why?
00:21:45.73\00:21:47.07
Because Jesus
Christ took the sins
00:21:47.10\00:21:49.87
of the whole world upon Him.
00:21:49.90\00:21:52.27
This was a sacrifice.
00:21:52.31\00:21:53.64
And again, at any moment,
00:21:53.68\00:21:55.71
Jesus could
say, Jesus could say,
00:21:55.74\00:21:57.78
this is enough.
00:21:57.81\00:22:00.52
This ends right here, I
am going back to heaven.
00:22:00.55\00:22:03.39
I don't have to
put up with this.
00:22:03.42\00:22:05.39
But He endured
every single moment,
00:22:05.42\00:22:08.89
because of the
incredible infinite love
00:22:08.92\00:22:12.86
that He has for us,
and that He has for you.
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.80
He could have
stopped any moment.
00:22:15.83\00:22:17.50
And I want to bring to you
00:22:17.53\00:22:19.40
a particular moment here in
Gethsemane in Luke 22:52-53.
00:22:19.43\00:22:25.34
Notice, "Then Jesus
said unto the chief priests,
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.04
and captains of the
temple, and the elders,
00:22:28.08\00:22:29.68
which were come to him,
00:22:29.71\00:22:31.08
Be ye come out,
as against a thief,
00:22:31.11\00:22:33.18
with swords and staves?
00:22:33.21\00:22:34.75
When I was daily
with you in the temple,
00:22:34.78\00:22:36.22
ye stretched forth
no hands against me:
00:22:36.25\00:22:38.42
but this is your hour,
and the power of darkness."
00:22:38.45\00:22:41.89
Jesus placed Himself
00:22:41.92\00:22:44.03
in the hands of
the power of darkness,
00:22:44.06\00:22:46.49
not only the wicked
people that will do Him harm,
00:22:46.53\00:22:49.53
but in the hands of
Satan and the demons.
00:22:49.56\00:22:53.30
You see, there was suffering
00:22:53.34\00:22:55.27
beyond the physical
suffering that Jesus endured.
00:22:55.30\00:22:59.47
And the devil was frustrated,
for 33 and half years,
00:22:59.51\00:23:06.01
attempted over and
over again to tempt Jesus
00:23:06.05\00:23:09.78
to fall into sin.
00:23:09.82\00:23:11.65
So seeing that he
was failing, he says,
00:23:11.69\00:23:14.89
I am going to inflict punishment
00:23:14.92\00:23:17.13
upon this man like
no one has ever endured,
00:23:17.16\00:23:20.03
and he motivated people
00:23:20.06\00:23:21.90
to bring suffering
upon Jesus and punishment,
00:23:21.93\00:23:25.63
physical suffering that
we do not fully understand.
00:23:25.67\00:23:29.27
But the agony
00:23:29.30\00:23:30.71
and the suffering
inside was even worse.
00:23:30.74\00:23:33.58
Yes, it was a great sacrifice.
00:23:33.61\00:23:36.08
Jesus offered Himself
as a sacrifice for you
00:23:36.11\00:23:39.58
and for me,
00:23:39.61\00:23:40.95
so that you could
have eternal life.
00:23:40.98\00:23:44.22
Wow.
00:23:44.25\00:23:45.59
This is something
worthy of your consideration
00:23:45.62\00:23:48.09
and worthy of your
highest devotion to God.
00:23:48.12\00:23:51.59
And I encourage
you to take a look at
00:23:51.63\00:23:53.86
what Jesus had done for you.
00:23:53.90\00:23:55.43
It is much more than
you have ever thought.
00:23:55.46\00:23:58.93
Oh, Brother
Johnny, that was beautiful.
00:23:58.97\00:24:00.90
Thank you so much.
00:24:00.94\00:24:02.27
And I know we've still got
00:24:02.30\00:24:03.64
three more
wonderful lessons coming,
00:24:03.67\00:24:05.94
so stay tuned, we'll
be back in 30 seconds.
00:24:05.97\00:24:08.74
Ever wish you could watch
00:24:14.38\00:24:15.72
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School Panel again,
00:24:15.75\00:24:17.92
or share it on
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Well, you can by visiting
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00:24:21.22\00:24:26.09
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00:24:26.13\00:24:29.46
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00:24:29.50\00:24:30.83
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00:24:30.87\00:24:34.14
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00:24:34.17\00:24:35.90
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Now we return to
our study with Ryan Day.
00:24:45.01\00:24:48.45
All right.
00:24:48.48\00:24:50.05
I have Tuesday's lesson,
00:24:50.09\00:24:51.42
which is entitled
The Faith of Abraham:
00:24:51.45\00:24:53.99
Part 1, and at this point
00:24:54.02\00:24:55.36
we could call it the
faith of Abraham, part 10
00:24:55.39\00:24:57.43
because we
talked about him so much
00:24:57.46\00:24:59.26
and rightfully so, right?
00:24:59.29\00:25:00.70
Because as I've said in
one of the previous lessons,
00:25:00.73\00:25:03.13
Abraham is one of
the most central figures
00:25:03.16\00:25:05.53
in all of Scripture.
00:25:05.57\00:25:06.90
And in my opinion,
00:25:06.94\00:25:08.27
probably the most central figure
00:25:08.30\00:25:09.64
in all of Scripture,
00:25:09.67\00:25:11.01
of course, other
than Jesus Christ Himself.
00:25:11.04\00:25:12.87
But for, I think
for a good reason,
00:25:12.91\00:25:14.58
because Abraham
truly was a man of faith.
00:25:14.61\00:25:16.91
This was before the time
00:25:16.95\00:25:18.48
in which there
was written scrolls
00:25:18.51\00:25:20.02
with Scripture
that for him to go by,
00:25:20.05\00:25:21.85
this brother had to depend
upon the Word of the Lord,
00:25:21.88\00:25:24.99
the voice of
God speaking to him.
00:25:25.02\00:25:27.09
And that's exactly
00:25:27.12\00:25:28.46
what our opening
scripture here is all about
00:25:28.49\00:25:30.39
our main scripture
here, which is Genesis 15:6.
00:25:30.43\00:25:33.33
And we've
quoted this many times,
00:25:33.36\00:25:35.40
but we're just going to kind of
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.17
just hit the zoom
button and dial in our focus
00:25:37.20\00:25:40.27
during this lesson
on the faith of Abraham.
00:25:40.30\00:25:42.97
Of course, I'm doing part one,
00:25:43.00\00:25:44.47
Pastor Lomacang will be
following up with part two.
00:25:44.51\00:25:47.18
But Genesis 15:6,
notice what the Bible says.
00:25:47.21\00:25:51.48
It says, "And he
believed in the Lord,
00:25:51.51\00:25:53.85
and He accounted it to
him for righteousness."
00:25:53.88\00:25:57.49
That is, Abraham
believed and God accounted it
00:25:57.52\00:26:00.49
to Abraham for righteousness.
00:26:00.52\00:26:02.82
And the, based on that verse,
00:26:02.86\00:26:05.13
the lesson brings this out,
00:26:05.16\00:26:06.49
it says the immediate context
00:26:06.53\00:26:07.86
of this verse
helps us understand
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.76
just how great
Abraham's faith was.
00:26:09.80\00:26:12.53
Believing in God's
promise of the Son,
00:26:12.57\00:26:14.40
despite all the
physical evidence
00:26:14.44\00:26:16.57
that would seem to
make the promise impossible.
00:26:16.60\00:26:20.01
It is the kind of faith,
00:26:20.04\00:26:21.58
it is the kind of
faith that realizes
00:26:21.61\00:26:24.05
its own utter helplessness,
00:26:24.08\00:26:25.78
the kind of faith that demands
a complete surrender to self,
00:26:25.81\00:26:30.35
the kind of faith that requires
a total submission to the Lord,
00:26:30.39\00:26:33.79
the kind of faith that
results in obedience, the faith,
00:26:33.82\00:26:38.03
or this was the
faith of Abraham,
00:26:38.06\00:26:40.00
and it was accounted to him,
00:26:40.03\00:26:41.40
as the scripture
says, as righteousness.
00:26:41.43\00:26:44.53
And I loved as I was
studying through this,
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.57
I'm thinking of
just placing myself,
00:26:46.60\00:26:49.50
I'm a very visual person,
00:26:49.54\00:26:50.97
I like to think of
things in kind of a big picture.
00:26:51.01\00:26:53.14
But I also like to really focus
00:26:53.17\00:26:54.61
in on the analytics of something
00:26:54.64\00:26:55.98
really get down deep.
00:26:56.01\00:26:57.35
And to me I'm placing
myself in Abraham's position.
00:26:57.38\00:27:00.62
And again, there's nothing
to go on as far as scripture,
00:27:00.65\00:27:03.59
there's nothing that
00:27:03.62\00:27:04.95
there's not any
foretold, you know,
00:27:04.99\00:27:07.39
other than maybe
some word of mouth stories
00:27:07.42\00:27:10.09
based on Noah and maybe Job
00:27:10.13\00:27:12.16
and some people who
had come before him.
00:27:12.19\00:27:14.03
But at this point,
00:27:14.06\00:27:15.66
he's literally having to believe
00:27:15.70\00:27:17.17
and go off of just
the voice of the Lord.
00:27:17.20\00:27:19.23
And me, if anybody knows
me, I like to ask questions.
00:27:19.27\00:27:21.57
I would, I could not have been
probably in Abraham situation.
00:27:21.60\00:27:24.64
Not that I would not have been
able to have faith in the Lord.
00:27:24.67\00:27:27.28
But I've been
asking a lot of questions.
00:27:27.31\00:27:29.08
I've been like, okay, Lord,
00:27:29.11\00:27:30.68
you're gonna do,
you're gonna do what?
00:27:30.71\00:27:32.05
And when's this gonna happen?
00:27:32.08\00:27:33.42
And how are you going
to go about doing this?
00:27:33.45\00:27:35.18
Wait a second, I
gotta log this stuff down.
00:27:35.22\00:27:37.29
All right, so
about what timeframe
00:27:37.32\00:27:38.65
is this gonna happen?
00:27:38.69\00:27:40.02
No, no, I'm sure
Abraham had questions.
00:27:40.06\00:27:42.12
But the Bible says that
he believed in the Lord,
00:27:42.16\00:27:44.59
he trusted in the Lord.
00:27:44.63\00:27:45.99
When it says he believed,
I might just clarify that,
00:27:46.03\00:27:48.26
we're not
talking about belief in,
00:27:48.30\00:27:49.83
you know, oh, you know that.
00:27:49.86\00:27:51.53
I just believe
that this God is real
00:27:51.57\00:27:53.23
and this is, you know, that.
00:27:53.27\00:27:54.60
It says he
believed in the sense that
00:27:54.64\00:27:56.10
he trusted not just
a mental acceptance,
00:27:56.14\00:27:59.07
but rather he truly
trusted in the Lord.
00:27:59.11\00:28:01.68
The Bible says
that the demons believe,
00:28:01.71\00:28:04.71
and they tremble, right?
00:28:04.75\00:28:06.08
So we need to learn like
Abraham to trust in the Lord,
00:28:06.11\00:28:09.22
believe on His Word.
00:28:09.25\00:28:10.75
And that's exactly what Paul
00:28:10.79\00:28:12.12
is bringing out
here in Romans Chapter 4.
00:28:12.15\00:28:14.06
Let's go to Romans 4 here,
00:28:14.09\00:28:15.42
because Paul
brings this back up,
00:28:15.46\00:28:17.63
he brings up Abraham once again,
00:28:17.66\00:28:19.96
and he's discussing
how faithful Abraham was
00:28:20.00\00:28:22.80
and why this was indeed
00:28:22.83\00:28:24.30
accounted to him
as righteousness.
00:28:24.33\00:28:26.37
So Romans Chapter 4, I'm
going to begin in verse 1.
00:28:26.40\00:28:29.07
And so the Bible says,
"What then shall we say that
00:28:29.10\00:28:31.07
Abraham our father
00:28:31.11\00:28:33.07
has found
according to the flesh?
00:28:33.11\00:28:35.81
For if Abraham was
justified by works,
00:28:35.84\00:28:37.98
he has something to boast about,
00:28:38.01\00:28:39.65
but not before God.
00:28:39.68\00:28:41.55
For what does the Scripture say?
00:28:41.58\00:28:44.09
'Abraham believed God,
00:28:44.12\00:28:45.69
and it was accounted to
him for righteousness.'"
00:28:45.72\00:28:49.09
And then verse 4
says, "Now to him who works,
00:28:49.12\00:28:51.93
the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt."
00:28:51.96\00:28:56.50
Now, for the sake of time here,
00:28:56.53\00:28:57.87
I want to skip down to verse 19,
00:28:57.90\00:29:00.34
'cause he's going through,
he's describing Abraham's faith
00:29:00.37\00:29:03.51
and all that he
is going through.
00:29:03.54\00:29:04.87
Notice verse 19, it says,
"And not being weak in faith,
00:29:04.91\00:29:08.88
he did not
consider his own body,
00:29:08.91\00:29:11.38
already dead
00:29:11.41\00:29:12.75
since he was about
a hundred years old,
00:29:12.78\00:29:14.68
and the
deadness of Sarah's womb.
00:29:14.72\00:29:17.19
He did not waver at the
promise of God through unbelief,
00:29:17.22\00:29:20.46
but was strengthened in
faith, giving glory to God."
00:29:20.49\00:29:24.83
And so check out
verse 21, because obviously,
00:29:24.86\00:29:27.96
we're talking about the
faith of Abraham, right?
00:29:28.00\00:29:30.83
And so this
next part of verse 21
00:29:30.87\00:29:32.83
really sticks
out to me and says,
00:29:32.87\00:29:34.20
"And being fully convinced that
00:29:34.24\00:29:38.24
what He had promised
He was able to perform."
00:29:38.27\00:29:41.78
Now earlier, we just read that
00:29:41.81\00:29:43.41
within the context of
Abraham's overall faith,
00:29:43.45\00:29:46.31
throughout the span of
his relationship with God.
00:29:46.35\00:29:48.88
I mean, Paul brings
out clearly here that
00:29:48.92\00:29:51.05
he was about even 100 years old
00:29:51.09\00:29:53.32
while he's going
through these experiences.
00:29:53.36\00:29:55.29
He's an old man, right?
00:29:55.32\00:29:56.69
You and I would
consider him to be an old man,
00:29:56.73\00:29:58.66
you know, 100 years old.
00:29:58.69\00:30:00.03
But yet, even through all of it,
00:30:00.06\00:30:01.56
when God is saying,
I'm going to do this,
00:30:01.60\00:30:03.03
I'm going to do this, I'm
going to help you do this,
00:30:03.06\00:30:04.63
I'm going to make you this.
00:30:04.67\00:30:06.00
I'm going to
bless you with all this.
00:30:06.03\00:30:07.37
Even through all of
it, even at an old age,
00:30:07.40\00:30:09.87
he was fully convinced
that what God had said,
00:30:09.90\00:30:12.87
what God had promised,
He was able to perform.
00:30:12.91\00:30:15.78
That's the kind of
faith I want to have.
00:30:15.81\00:30:17.71
You don't want to
be looking at yourself
00:30:17.75\00:30:19.71
and looking at all
of the humanistic errors
00:30:19.75\00:30:22.25
and thoughts
that you have to go,
00:30:22.28\00:30:23.62
oh, Lord, you can't use
me because I'm this way,
00:30:23.65\00:30:26.35
or Lord, surely,
you're not going to be
00:30:26.39\00:30:28.16
able to do that in my life,
00:30:28.19\00:30:29.52
because I'm this
way, or I'm this old or,
00:30:29.56\00:30:31.23
oh, no, I'm way past my prime.
00:30:31.26\00:30:33.80
If it's the Lord,
He can do anything.
00:30:33.83\00:30:36.00
And Abraham believed that,
he never questioned it one bit.
00:30:36.03\00:30:39.57
And he goes on
to say in verse 22,
00:30:39.60\00:30:41.14
"And therefore,"
because of all of this,
00:30:41.17\00:30:43.30
as we have repeated many times,
00:30:43.34\00:30:44.71
"it was accounted to
him for righteousness."
00:30:44.74\00:30:47.71
Notice what verse 23 says,
00:30:47.74\00:30:49.11
"Now it was not
written for his sake alone,
00:30:49.14\00:30:51.85
that it was imputed
to Him, but also for us."
00:30:51.88\00:30:55.98
Okay, I love this.
00:30:56.02\00:30:57.49
Let me read that one more time.
00:30:57.52\00:30:58.95
Now it was not
written for his sake alone,
00:30:58.99\00:31:01.36
that it was imputed
to Him, but also for who?
00:31:01.39\00:31:04.93
For us.
00:31:04.96\00:31:06.29
It shall be imputed
to us who believe in Him,
00:31:06.33\00:31:09.66
who raised up Jesus,
our Lord from the dead,
00:31:09.70\00:31:13.34
who was delivered up
because of our offences,
00:31:13.37\00:31:16.64
and was raised
because of our justification.
00:31:16.67\00:31:20.78
I love that, the fact that
00:31:20.81\00:31:22.38
the same God that
worked through Abraham,
00:31:22.41\00:31:24.88
the same God that
Abraham had unwavering faith
00:31:24.91\00:31:28.18
and you and I can
have that same faith
00:31:28.22\00:31:30.39
and believe that that
same powerful Almighty God
00:31:30.42\00:31:33.15
can work through us that
00:31:33.19\00:31:34.56
it is already
accounted to us righteousness,
00:31:34.59\00:31:37.23
if we just have that
same believing trust,
00:31:37.26\00:31:40.00
that same unwavering faith
that Abraham had in the Lord.
00:31:40.03\00:31:44.43
Now, I just want to touch
on something really quickly,
00:31:44.47\00:31:46.13
because I want to talk
about the balance in this,
00:31:46.17\00:31:48.60
because a lot of people,
00:31:48.64\00:31:49.97
they're gonna find
themselves in one extreme
00:31:50.01\00:31:51.54
or the other
either, I believe in God,
00:31:51.57\00:31:53.58
and therefore
its accounted to me
00:31:53.61\00:31:54.94
as righteousness,
00:31:54.98\00:31:56.31
therefore, I don't
have to do any works.
00:31:56.34\00:31:57.68
I don't have to follow
through with any works.
00:31:57.71\00:31:59.65
Keep in mind, while
Abraham did believe,
00:31:59.68\00:32:02.48
and it was accounted to him
for righteousness, God saw that
00:32:02.52\00:32:05.65
that unwavering
faith was genuine
00:32:05.69\00:32:08.02
because of his works,
00:32:08.06\00:32:09.39
because he saw him
follow through with
00:32:09.42\00:32:11.19
what it was that
He told him to do.
00:32:11.23\00:32:13.26
So notice, Roman, excuse me,
00:32:13.29\00:32:14.86
Revelation 22:12, I
got to just bring this out.
00:32:14.90\00:32:18.03
This is that
scripture where Jesus says,
00:32:18.07\00:32:19.63
"And behold, I come quickly,
00:32:19.67\00:32:21.47
and my reward is with Me
00:32:21.50\00:32:23.20
to give every man
according to his works."
00:32:23.24\00:32:27.21
Wait, what is it
saying according to his faith?
00:32:27.24\00:32:29.44
Because aren't we
saved by grace through faith?
00:32:29.48\00:32:31.55
And aren't we talking about
00:32:31.58\00:32:32.91
the unwavering faith of Abraham?
00:32:32.95\00:32:34.62
Wait, what is
works fall into this?
00:32:34.65\00:32:36.15
I just want to touch
briefly on the couple of minutes
00:32:36.18\00:32:37.85
I have left on the balance
of works at grace or excuse me,
00:32:37.89\00:32:41.32
faith and works,
00:32:41.36\00:32:42.69
because while it was
accounted to him righteousness
00:32:42.72\00:32:44.89
because of his faith,
00:32:44.93\00:32:46.26
my friends, the good, righteous,
00:32:46.29\00:32:48.83
genuine faith produces works.
00:32:48.86\00:32:50.97
That is the natural response.
00:32:51.00\00:32:52.33
I know it kind of
seems like a broken record,
00:32:52.37\00:32:53.97
we keep repeating that.
00:32:54.00\00:32:55.37
But again, we have many people
00:32:55.40\00:32:57.14
that seem to be
a little confused
00:32:57.17\00:32:59.57
as to how that fits
in or how that balances
00:32:59.61\00:33:02.04
and works together.
00:33:02.08\00:33:03.41
Jesus did say to
00:33:03.45\00:33:04.78
all of the
churches of Asia Minor,
00:33:04.81\00:33:06.25
I know your
works, I know your works.
00:33:06.28\00:33:08.98
We are judged
according to our works,
00:33:09.02\00:33:11.42
but we're only judged
according to our works
00:33:11.45\00:33:13.22
based on the faith
00:33:13.25\00:33:14.59
and whether it is
genuine or non genuine.
00:33:14.62\00:33:17.06
For instance, I
consider people like,
00:33:17.09\00:33:19.29
you know, Judas and
Saul, and Ananias and Sapphira.
00:33:19.33\00:33:22.10
All of these people were
people who they believed, right?
00:33:22.13\00:33:25.33
They mentally believe,
you can't convince me that
00:33:25.37\00:33:27.14
Ananias and
Sapphira didn't believe
00:33:27.17\00:33:28.97
that Jesus Christ
was the Son of God.
00:33:29.00\00:33:30.84
They believed mentally,
00:33:30.87\00:33:32.21
they accepted mentally
that Jesus was the Messiah.
00:33:32.24\00:33:35.01
But yet we know that
their works were otherwise.
00:33:35.04\00:33:37.58
In other words, their
faith was not genuine.
00:33:37.61\00:33:39.55
Same thing for
someone like Judas,
00:33:39.58\00:33:41.05
who walked with Jesus,
00:33:41.08\00:33:42.42
who saw the
miracles, who saw all of,
00:33:42.45\00:33:44.49
and just was able to
walk and talk with Jesus,
00:33:44.52\00:33:46.96
but yet his
faith was not genuine.
00:33:46.99\00:33:49.16
We need to make sure that
00:33:49.19\00:33:50.53
we have a
balanced approach to this
00:33:50.56\00:33:51.89
and not have a works
approached mentality,
00:33:51.93\00:33:55.00
like many people do.
00:33:55.03\00:33:56.40
We need to make sure that
we need to keep this in check.
00:33:56.43\00:33:58.87
Remember what Paul
says in Philippians 3:8.
00:33:58.90\00:34:02.04
Philippians 3:8, I
want to go there right quick
00:34:02.07\00:34:03.84
in the closing time I have.
00:34:03.87\00:34:05.21
So Philippians 3:8,
00:34:05.24\00:34:06.57
this is one of
the most powerful.
00:34:06.61\00:34:07.94
Paul's talking about
all of his accolades,
00:34:07.98\00:34:09.88
all the things that he's done,
00:34:09.91\00:34:11.25
and how he's the
greatest of this,
00:34:11.28\00:34:12.61
and he was the
greatest Pharisee,
00:34:12.65\00:34:13.98
he was a man of the law.
00:34:14.02\00:34:15.35
But then notice what he
says in Philippians 3:8,
00:34:15.38\00:34:16.99
"Yet indeed I also
count all things loss
00:34:17.02\00:34:19.49
for the
excellence of the knowing,
00:34:19.52\00:34:21.62
notice, the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord,
00:34:21.66\00:34:24.43
for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things,
00:34:24.46\00:34:27.26
and count them as rubbish,
that I may gain Christ."
00:34:27.30\00:34:31.87
In other words, Paul is saying,
all of my do, all of my deeds,
00:34:31.90\00:34:35.74
all of my work cannot amount up
00:34:35.77\00:34:37.71
to all that I
have put into Christ
00:34:37.74\00:34:40.14
because Christ is
the one in my life.
00:34:40.18\00:34:42.41
Christ is the
reason for my faith.
00:34:42.44\00:34:44.18
And so make sure that you
have a genuine faith that,
00:34:44.21\00:34:47.12
of course, produces good works.
00:34:47.15\00:34:48.75
We're not saved by works.
00:34:48.78\00:34:50.35
We're judged by
our works based on
00:34:50.39\00:34:52.72
that unwavering
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:34:52.75\00:34:56.19
Thank you, Ryan.
Thank you so much.
00:34:56.22\00:34:58.06
And as Ryan said,
00:34:58.09\00:34:59.43
I have the faith
of Abraham, Part 2.
00:34:59.46\00:35:02.66
And I think he also said,
00:35:02.70\00:35:04.27
we've been talking about
Abraham as a central theme.
00:35:04.30\00:35:07.90
Make it known
that Abraham's life
00:35:07.94\00:35:10.17
was to be a parlay,
00:35:10.21\00:35:11.64
a comparison to the works
00:35:11.67\00:35:14.14
that Christ
would do after He came.
00:35:14.18\00:35:17.21
But Abraham, as was the case
00:35:17.25\00:35:19.11
about John the Baptist,
00:35:19.15\00:35:20.48
Abraham was to decrease,
Christ was to increase.
00:35:20.52\00:35:25.35
We find in Genesis 15:6.
00:35:25.39\00:35:28.92
And this is a passage that
00:35:28.96\00:35:30.29
has been repeated
a number of times,
00:35:30.33\00:35:32.33
because the writer of
this lesson doesn't fail
00:35:32.36\00:35:35.10
to bring out the comparisons.
00:35:35.13\00:35:38.13
And I'm going to
read what he talked about
00:35:38.17\00:35:39.50
in just a moment.
00:35:39.53\00:35:40.87
But Genesis 15:6,
speaking about Abraham,
00:35:40.90\00:35:45.27
"And he believed in the Lord,
00:35:45.31\00:35:48.54
and He accounted it to
him for righteousness."
00:35:48.58\00:35:53.52
Now the writer,
00:35:53.55\00:35:55.25
in this second part
of the faith of Abraham,
00:35:55.28\00:35:58.35
is now focusing on
the word accounted.
00:35:58.39\00:36:01.79
He asked the question,
what does accounted mean?
00:36:01.82\00:36:04.93
How does
obedience, which is works,
00:36:04.96\00:36:07.76
get credited to
us as righteousness?
00:36:07.80\00:36:10.73
And that's one of the
questions you just lead into,
00:36:10.77\00:36:12.63
which is a perfect segue.
00:36:12.67\00:36:14.54
When you look at the word
there in Genesis Chapter 15,
00:36:14.57\00:36:17.51
is hasab which
in the Hebrew means,
00:36:17.54\00:36:20.44
reckoned, credited.
00:36:20.48\00:36:22.28
In the NIV they
use the word accounted.
00:36:22.31\00:36:24.88
The same term is employed
00:36:24.91\00:36:26.31
in other texts in
the books of Moses.
00:36:26.35\00:36:28.52
In other words, a
person or a thing is reckoned
00:36:28.55\00:36:31.82
or regarded as something
that person or thing is not.
00:36:31.85\00:36:36.46
I want to say that again.
00:36:36.49\00:36:39.63
Abraham is not
righteous in and of himself.
00:36:39.66\00:36:43.67
So when the Bible says
it was accounted to him,
00:36:43.70\00:36:47.20
God is crediting Abraham
with something that Abraham
00:36:47.24\00:36:50.47
is not inherently.
00:36:50.51\00:36:52.11
This is a
powerful comparison here.
00:36:52.14\00:36:54.18
Because when we
look at salvation,
00:36:54.21\00:36:57.31
praise God for this,
00:36:57.35\00:36:58.68
he is giving us
what we don't deserve,
00:36:58.71\00:37:02.55
and what we can never
buy our works accomplish.
00:37:02.58\00:37:05.75
For by grace are we
saved through faith,
00:37:05.79\00:37:07.79
that not of yourselves,
00:37:07.82\00:37:09.49
it is a gift of
God not of works,
00:37:09.52\00:37:11.16
lest anyone should boast.
00:37:11.19\00:37:12.53
So for God to impose upon us,
00:37:12.56\00:37:14.76
or impute or impart
to us righteousness,
00:37:14.80\00:37:18.13
it is totally by the faith
00:37:18.17\00:37:19.83
and the merit of
Christ, for God did for Abraham
00:37:19.87\00:37:23.67
was to set up through Abraham,
00:37:23.71\00:37:25.47
a cadence to say, all
of the children of Abraham
00:37:25.51\00:37:30.15
are now
accessible, they have access
00:37:30.18\00:37:32.98
to the same
righteousness by faith that
00:37:33.01\00:37:35.88
I imparted to Abraham,
regardless of his humanity.
00:37:35.92\00:37:40.32
Now let's look at
the life of Abraham.
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.16
Abraham was a man of faith,
00:37:42.19\00:37:43.53
but he was also a
man of impatience.
00:37:43.56\00:37:46.16
Right?
00:37:46.19\00:37:47.70
He was a man that was impatient.
00:37:47.73\00:37:49.33
He wanted to help God.
00:37:49.36\00:37:51.00
And we know
that many of us today
00:37:51.03\00:37:52.37
are still looking
at the residual benefit
00:37:52.40\00:37:55.94
or the residual impact
of him not waiting on God.
00:37:55.97\00:37:59.97
And now we have two nations
00:38:00.01\00:38:01.34
that are continually
at odds with each other.
00:38:01.38\00:38:03.58
When we had a chance
to go to the Middle East.
00:38:03.61\00:38:06.08
We were in Jordan,
00:38:06.11\00:38:07.52
in a
predominantly Muslim country.
00:38:07.55\00:38:09.62
And we said, "Well,
where's the Jewish provinces?"
00:38:09.65\00:38:12.02
Well, there are no
Jewish provinces in Jordan.
00:38:12.05\00:38:14.69
Well, we went to Jerusalem,
and we were in Jerusalem,
00:38:14.72\00:38:17.89
and there's
predominantly Jewish provinces,
00:38:17.93\00:38:20.36
and these countries
are just side by side,
00:38:20.40\00:38:22.76
but still at
odds with each other
00:38:22.80\00:38:24.17
because of the
impatience of Abraham.
00:38:24.20\00:38:26.23
But the Bible now
gives another example of
00:38:26.27\00:38:28.40
what it means to be accounted.
00:38:28.44\00:38:29.77
Let's go to Genesis 31:15.
00:38:29.80\00:38:33.61
And he says, for instance,
the same term is employed
00:38:33.64\00:38:36.41
in another text
in the Book of Moses.
00:38:36.44\00:38:38.41
For instance, in Genesis 31:15,
00:38:38.45\00:38:40.42
Rachel and Leah affirm
00:38:40.45\00:38:42.08
that their father
reckons them as strangers,
00:38:42.12\00:38:45.25
although they are his daughters.
00:38:45.29\00:38:47.06
Now that's a reverse.
00:38:47.09\00:38:48.52
God reckons
Abraham as righteous,
00:38:48.56\00:38:50.43
although he's not.
00:38:50.46\00:38:51.79
And the father
of Rachel and Leah,
00:38:51.83\00:38:54.70
Laban recognize
them not as his children,
00:38:54.73\00:38:57.13
although they are.
00:38:57.17\00:38:58.60
So in any case,
00:38:58.63\00:39:00.00
it's based on
the human preposition
00:39:00.04\00:39:02.70
or the divine preposition.
00:39:02.74\00:39:04.27
Do I want to give you something
that is rightfully yours?
00:39:04.31\00:39:07.31
Or do I want to take something
00:39:07.34\00:39:08.71
from you that is
not rightfully yours?
00:39:08.74\00:39:10.95
Listen to that very effectively,
00:39:10.98\00:39:12.48
God gave Abraham something
that was not rightfully his.
00:39:12.51\00:39:17.09
But Laban took
from Rachel and Leah
00:39:17.12\00:39:18.69
something that
was rightfully theirs,
00:39:18.72\00:39:20.32
their heirship.
00:39:20.36\00:39:21.69
And we find in Genesis 31:15,
00:39:21.72\00:39:24.06
"Are we not
counted strangers by him?
00:39:24.09\00:39:27.16
For he has sold us,
00:39:27.20\00:39:29.16
and also completely
consumed our money."
00:39:29.20\00:39:32.33
What we know from
there, Laban was a...
00:39:32.37\00:39:35.40
Laban was a money hungry man.
00:39:35.44\00:39:37.27
We find also that
00:39:37.31\00:39:38.64
he was a seller
of different gods.
00:39:38.67\00:39:40.68
When Rachel and
Jacob got married.
00:39:40.71\00:39:43.65
You may be
familiar with the story.
00:39:43.68\00:39:45.21
She tried to bring
gods into their home.
00:39:45.25\00:39:47.42
And in Genesis 35,
00:39:47.45\00:39:48.78
the Lord made it
very, very clear.
00:39:48.82\00:39:50.15
No, no, no, I
cannot bless your family
00:39:50.19\00:39:52.65
until you get rid
of the strange gods
00:39:52.69\00:39:54.06
that are among you
00:39:54.09\00:39:55.42
and change your
garments and what did they do?
00:39:55.46\00:39:57.13
They took up their
earrings and bury them
00:39:57.16\00:39:58.79
and all the strange
gods in their hands.
00:39:58.83\00:40:00.83
But Laban was a man
that was just concerned
00:40:00.86\00:40:02.60
about the bottom
line, the financial line,
00:40:02.63\00:40:04.63
and he
disinherited his daughters,
00:40:04.67\00:40:07.27
just to gain
access to their monies.
00:40:07.30\00:40:09.40
Let's look at
another one, Numbers 18:27.
00:40:09.44\00:40:12.37
This word regarded or accounted,
00:40:12.41\00:40:14.11
and I'll bring this
to head in a moment.
00:40:14.14\00:40:15.78
It also comes down
00:40:15.81\00:40:17.18
to the tithe of
the Levi is reckoned
00:40:17.21\00:40:19.91
or accounted as though
00:40:19.95\00:40:21.28
it were the corn of
the threshing floor,
00:40:21.32\00:40:23.52
although it is
obviously not corn, okay?
00:40:23.55\00:40:27.69
Numbers 18:27,
"And your heave offering
00:40:27.72\00:40:30.86
shall be reckoned to you
as though it were the grain
00:40:30.89\00:40:34.20
of the threshing floor
00:40:34.23\00:40:35.96
and as the
fruitfulness of the winepress."
00:40:36.00\00:40:38.87
If you get the cadence
what's happening here is God,
00:40:38.90\00:40:41.40
God is using
comparisons or analogies
00:40:41.44\00:40:44.41
to let us know unequivocally,
00:40:44.44\00:40:46.74
that when God imparts to you
00:40:46.78\00:40:48.84
when He
accounts us as righteous.
00:40:48.88\00:40:51.25
He is saying, did you get
00:40:51.28\00:40:52.78
from the cadences
through the Bible,
00:40:52.81\00:40:54.15
Abraham, Rachel, Leah,
00:40:54.18\00:40:56.75
and the offering of the Levites?
00:40:56.79\00:40:58.42
Did you get all that?
00:40:58.45\00:41:00.06
Nothing that they did was
00:41:00.09\00:41:01.42
the actual purpose
for reckoning to them,
00:41:01.46\00:41:03.73
I gave them accountable.
00:41:03.76\00:41:05.09
In other words, I
credited to them something
00:41:05.13\00:41:07.50
that they didn't naturally have.
00:41:07.53\00:41:10.07
And we're seeing that clear.
00:41:10.10\00:41:11.43
Look at Numbers 18:30, again,
00:41:11.47\00:41:14.24
"Therefore you
shall say to them,
00:41:14.27\00:41:16.34
when you have
lifted up the best of it,
00:41:16.37\00:41:19.34
then the rest shall be accounted
00:41:19.37\00:41:22.71
to the Levites as the
produce of the threshing floor,
00:41:22.74\00:41:26.01
and as the
produce of the winepress."
00:41:26.05\00:41:29.98
We find the comparisons there.
00:41:30.02\00:41:31.89
But now we're going to
take a different turn here.
00:41:31.92\00:41:34.29
Let's go now to the
Book of Leviticus 7:1-4,
00:41:34.32\00:41:37.89
because the question is,
00:41:37.93\00:41:39.26
how was the idea
of reckoning expressed
00:41:39.29\00:41:41.80
in the context of sacrifices.
00:41:41.83\00:41:44.13
This is powerful.
00:41:44.17\00:41:45.57
Leviticus 7:1-4,
00:41:45.60\00:41:47.54
"Likewise this is the
law of the trespass offering,
00:41:47.57\00:41:50.71
it is most holy:
00:41:50.74\00:41:52.57
In the place where
they kill the burnt offering
00:41:52.61\00:41:55.81
they shall kill
the trespass offering.
00:41:55.84\00:41:58.05
And its blood he shall sprinkle
all around on the altar.
00:41:58.08\00:42:01.95
He shall offer
from it all its fat.
00:42:01.98\00:42:05.39
The fat tail and the fat
that covers the entrails,
00:42:05.42\00:42:08.32
the two kidneys
00:42:08.36\00:42:09.69
and the fat that is
on them by the flanks,
00:42:09.72\00:42:12.69
and the fatty lobe attached
to the liver above the kidney,
00:42:12.73\00:42:16.36
he shall remove."
00:42:16.40\00:42:17.77
What's happening here
00:42:17.80\00:42:19.13
is every aspect of the sacrifice
00:42:19.17\00:42:21.30
was to be accounted
for the removal of sin.
00:42:21.34\00:42:24.34
Well, what does that say to us?
00:42:24.37\00:42:26.31
Every aspect of the broken
body in the shed blood of Jesus
00:42:26.34\00:42:32.41
was accounted to us
for the removal of our sin.
00:42:32.45\00:42:36.72
Amen to that.
00:42:36.75\00:42:38.09
Nothing was to be left out.
00:42:38.12\00:42:39.59
That's what we find.
00:42:39.62\00:42:40.96
Now on the part of the receiver,
00:42:40.99\00:42:43.09
there has to be a
reciprocal aspect.
00:42:43.12\00:42:45.16
And what is that?
00:42:45.19\00:42:46.53
Now salvation is
available to everyone.
00:42:46.56\00:42:48.36
But here's the
reciprocal aspect of it.
00:42:48.40\00:42:50.63
You got to be
willing to receive it.
00:42:50.67\00:42:52.87
It's available,
everybody could be saved,
00:42:52.90\00:42:55.17
but are you
willing to receive it?
00:42:55.20\00:42:56.81
Isaiah 1:19, now talks about
00:42:56.84\00:42:58.84
the reciprocal aspect
that God cannot force upon you.
00:42:58.87\00:43:02.64
He made every provision,
00:43:02.68\00:43:04.25
but you have to be
willing to receive it.
00:43:04.28\00:43:05.91
Isaiah 1:19, "If you
are willing and obedient,
00:43:05.95\00:43:10.72
you shall eat the
good of the land."
00:43:10.75\00:43:13.02
Are you willing?
00:43:13.05\00:43:14.39
All the provision for
salvation has been made.
00:43:14.42\00:43:16.62
But the question
is, are you willing?
00:43:16.66\00:43:18.56
We don't get just get
saved because of what Jesus did.
00:43:18.59\00:43:21.16
Salvation is only
on the reciprocal end.
00:43:21.20\00:43:23.37
Are you willing?
00:43:23.40\00:43:24.80
Are you going to receive
all the provision I've made?
00:43:24.83\00:43:27.90
I build mansions for you,
00:43:27.94\00:43:29.27
but are you
willing to become sons
00:43:29.30\00:43:31.04
and daughters of God?
00:43:31.07\00:43:32.41
The willingness
is the part you play.
00:43:32.44\00:43:34.54
That's why 2 Corinthians 11:12,
00:43:34.58\00:43:36.21
and by the way,
00:43:36.24\00:43:37.58
your willingness does
not require perfection.
00:43:37.61\00:43:40.38
2 Corinthians 8:12,
00:43:40.42\00:43:43.52
"For if there is
first a willing mind,
00:43:43.55\00:43:46.22
it is accepted
according to one has,
00:43:46.25\00:43:49.99
and not according to
what he does not have."
00:43:50.03\00:43:52.39
So you may fall short,
but the Lord is saying,
00:43:52.43\00:43:54.40
I'm not looking for perfection.
00:43:54.43\00:43:56.10
I'm looking for
those who are willing.
00:43:56.13\00:43:57.90
If you are willing,
00:43:57.93\00:43:59.27
My abundance
will supply your lack
00:43:59.30\00:44:02.27
as the next two
verses point out.
00:44:02.30\00:44:04.27
Jesus is abundance
today, supplies are lack.
00:44:04.31\00:44:07.28
Praise the Lord for that.
00:44:07.31\00:44:08.68
And that's why let's
go now to the last part
00:44:08.71\00:44:10.68
which I left for
the last 45 seconds.
00:44:10.71\00:44:13.82
Abraham is wonderful,
00:44:13.85\00:44:15.18
but I want to make
it very clear today.
00:44:15.22\00:44:16.55
John 8:58.
00:44:16.58\00:44:17.95
Let's not get lost in Abraham
because Jesus said in the time
00:44:17.99\00:44:21.49
where everyone
questioned the veracity
00:44:21.52\00:44:24.29
and the sufficiency
of Abraham, Jesus says,
00:44:24.33\00:44:26.59
"Most assuredly, I say to
you, before Abraham was, I am."
00:44:26.63\00:44:30.87
Matthew 22:32, "I
am the God of Abraham,
00:44:30.90\00:44:33.77
the God of
Isaac, the God of Jacob.
00:44:33.80\00:44:36.30
God is not the God of
the dead, but of the living.
00:44:36.34\00:44:39.07
And Abraham's faith was imputed
to him for righteousness,
00:44:39.11\00:44:43.35
because Abraham was looking
00:44:43.38\00:44:44.71
forward to the
sacrifice of Jesus.
00:44:44.75\00:44:47.42
He was looking
forward to the accountability
00:44:47.45\00:44:49.52
and the sufficiency of the Lamb
00:44:49.55\00:44:51.52
that he knew would
come because of his seed.
00:44:51.55\00:44:54.22
Praise God, that Lamb
00:44:54.26\00:44:55.59
is available not
only for Abraham,
00:44:55.62\00:44:57.39
but also for you.
00:44:57.43\00:44:58.76
Amen. Thank you
so much, Pastor John.
00:44:58.79\00:45:02.43
I love that, that word
reckon in that study and that
00:45:02.46\00:45:05.73
it is available for
me, for you here today.
00:45:05.77\00:45:08.94
On Thursday, it goes perfectly
00:45:08.97\00:45:10.51
with what we're
talking about Thursday,
00:45:10.54\00:45:11.91
which is Resting
on those Promises.
00:45:11.94\00:45:15.64
We know in 2 Corinthians 1:20,
00:45:15.68\00:45:17.41
the Word of God says,
"All of God's promises are yes
00:45:17.45\00:45:20.58
and amen in Christ Jesus."
00:45:20.62\00:45:23.28
Do you trust His word?
00:45:23.32\00:45:24.82
Do you trust that
what He says in the Word,
00:45:24.85\00:45:27.66
He is able to do in your life?
00:45:27.69\00:45:31.06
If you were facing
the end of your life,
00:45:31.09\00:45:32.69
or you were encountering a trial
00:45:32.73\00:45:35.06
or a certain circumstance,
00:45:35.10\00:45:37.03
where all the
important things in life
00:45:37.07\00:45:39.13
somehow come back into focus?
00:45:39.17\00:45:42.14
Would you have
assurance of salvation?
00:45:42.17\00:45:45.01
Would you know that
00:45:45.04\00:45:46.37
the imputed
righteousness of Christ
00:45:46.41\00:45:49.24
that it covers you?
00:45:49.28\00:45:50.88
I want to talk for just a moment
00:45:50.91\00:45:52.25
about some statistics.
00:45:52.28\00:45:53.62
They did a Gallup poll in 2017.
00:45:53.65\00:45:55.88
Now, this is for
America, not the global,
00:45:55.92\00:45:57.85
not the whole world.
00:45:57.89\00:45:59.22
They said that 87% of Americans
said they believed in God.
00:45:59.25\00:46:03.26
But when they were pushed a bit,
00:46:03.29\00:46:05.19
only 60% were
convinced that God exists.
00:46:05.23\00:46:09.56
So that's even
a disparity there.
00:46:09.60\00:46:11.77
In 2018, a Pew
Research said that
00:46:11.80\00:46:14.30
56% of Americans believe in God,
00:46:14.34\00:46:19.01
as described in the Bible.
00:46:19.04\00:46:21.64
And yet a study in 2020
from the Barna Group said that
00:46:21.68\00:46:25.51
only 9% of United States
adults read the Bible every day.
00:46:25.55\00:46:31.55
Nine percent.
00:46:31.59\00:46:32.92
So if you look at that,
00:46:32.95\00:46:35.26
56% say they believe
in the God of the Bible,
00:46:35.29\00:46:38.26
but only 9% actually
read that Bible every day.
00:46:38.29\00:46:44.47
The lesson had an
illustration of a person
00:46:44.50\00:46:46.43
who lay dying
and their entire life
00:46:46.47\00:46:48.57
they had fought
against justification by faith.
00:46:48.60\00:46:51.07
We know that there
are certain church groups,
00:46:51.11\00:46:54.54
the Roman Catholic Church
for one believing in rights,
00:46:54.58\00:46:57.55
believing in other things
00:46:57.58\00:46:59.68
that would equate salvation
00:46:59.71\00:47:01.35
instead of
faith in Christ alone,
00:47:01.38\00:47:03.18
the merits of Christ.
00:47:03.22\00:47:04.55
But you can be a
Protestant and still think that
00:47:04.59\00:47:06.99
somehow you're
getting to heaven through
00:47:07.02\00:47:09.46
some effort of yourself.
00:47:09.49\00:47:11.89
This person lay
dying and they fought
00:47:11.93\00:47:13.70
against justification
by faith their whole life.
00:47:13.73\00:47:16.56
And at the end of their life,
00:47:16.60\00:47:18.53
they were trying to
comfort them and they said,
00:47:18.57\00:47:20.54
all I want now is to be
00:47:20.57\00:47:22.37
able to trust in
the merits of Christ.
00:47:22.40\00:47:24.67
You know, when you face
that moment in your life,
00:47:24.71\00:47:27.98
we all need assurance, we
need to rest on the promises
00:47:28.01\00:47:32.35
and the Word of God.
00:47:32.38\00:47:33.72
So I have seven
keys, Pastor John,
00:47:33.75\00:47:35.85
for strengthening your
covenant relationship with God.
00:47:35.88\00:47:39.45
Key number one,
experience Him for yourself.
00:47:39.49\00:47:42.56
Let's go to Psalm
34:7, I love this scripture.
00:47:42.59\00:47:45.96
Psalm 34:7, "Oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good.
00:47:45.99\00:47:50.07
Blessed is the man or
woman who trusts in Him."
00:47:50.10\00:47:54.84
Don't take someone
else's word that God is good.
00:47:54.87\00:47:58.11
Don't rest on your
parent's recommendation
00:47:58.14\00:48:00.51
or your teacher's recommendation
00:48:00.54\00:48:02.58
or your spouse's recommendation,
00:48:02.61\00:48:04.95
experience Him for yourself.
00:48:04.98\00:48:07.72
This verse actually,
00:48:07.75\00:48:09.08
it's very
powerful in my own life,
00:48:09.12\00:48:11.45
because it's the reason
I chose to follow Jesus.
00:48:11.49\00:48:15.16
I was 13 years old,
00:48:15.19\00:48:16.79
and I had made a
choice to walk away from Him.
00:48:16.83\00:48:19.59
I had in my own
inexperience, my own whatever.
00:48:19.63\00:48:24.27
I didn't see that
Christianity was real.
00:48:24.30\00:48:26.53
I had read in the Bible,
00:48:26.57\00:48:28.40
okay, God walked on water
and God could do miracles.
00:48:28.44\00:48:31.97
And why am I not
seeing that lived out today?
00:48:32.01\00:48:34.84
And I thought it was fake.
00:48:34.88\00:48:36.24
And I said, "God,
I'm done with you."
00:48:36.28\00:48:38.05
And I remember specifically
writing that in my journal,
00:48:38.08\00:48:40.72
I'm done with you.
00:48:40.75\00:48:42.38
Six months went by.
00:48:42.42\00:48:44.02
And for whatever reason,
this verse God brought to me,
00:48:44.05\00:48:47.56
taste and see
that the Lord is good.
00:48:47.59\00:48:49.29
And God said,
"Would you test Me?
00:48:49.32\00:48:50.89
Would you experience me?
00:48:50.93\00:48:52.43
Would you try Me for yourself?"
00:48:52.46\00:48:55.33
And because of that verse,
00:48:55.36\00:48:57.87
I said, "God,
I'll give You two weeks
00:48:57.90\00:48:59.43
to prove Yourself to me."
00:48:59.47\00:49:01.07
And so I did. I
said, "I want two weeks."
00:49:01.10\00:49:04.04
And in those two weeks,
I recognized and realized
00:49:04.07\00:49:07.18
and understood that He was real.
00:49:07.21\00:49:09.01
Why?
00:49:09.04\00:49:10.38
Not because I had experienced
God through my parents,
00:49:10.41\00:49:12.38
not because I had experienced
God through someone else,
00:49:12.41\00:49:14.65
I experienced God for myself.
00:49:14.68\00:49:16.85
So the first key if you want
to strengthen your relationship
00:49:16.89\00:49:20.49
with God is to
experience Him for yourself.
00:49:20.52\00:49:23.16
Key number two,
choose Him as your master.
00:49:23.19\00:49:26.80
Joshua 24:15,
00:49:26.83\00:49:30.53
"And if it seems evil
to you to serve the Lord,
00:49:30.57\00:49:33.94
choose for yourselves,"
00:49:33.97\00:49:35.30
this is Joshua appealing
to the children of Israel,
00:49:35.34\00:49:39.11
"choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve,
00:49:39.14\00:49:41.61
whether the gods
which your father served
00:49:41.64\00:49:43.55
that were on the
other side of the river,
00:49:43.58\00:49:45.71
or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land do dwell,
00:49:45.75\00:49:48.75
but as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord."
00:49:48.78\00:49:53.49
First,
experience God for yourself.
00:49:53.52\00:49:55.32
Second, make a
choice to serve the Lord.
00:49:55.36\00:49:58.29
Third, surrender to Him.
00:49:58.33\00:50:00.86
Romans 6:6, Romans
6:6, "Knowing this,
00:50:00.90\00:50:05.67
that our old man
was crucified with him,
00:50:05.70\00:50:08.44
that the body of sin it
might be done away with,
00:50:08.47\00:50:11.21
that we should no
longer be slaves to sin."
00:50:11.24\00:50:14.64
Now look at verse 7,
"For he who has died,
00:50:14.68\00:50:18.28
has been freed from sin."
00:50:18.31\00:50:21.35
Now, I do not mean this
in any disrespectful way.
00:50:21.38\00:50:24.89
But if you've
ever been to a funeral,
00:50:24.92\00:50:26.86
and you'll see
someone who's dead,
00:50:26.89\00:50:28.92
who's laying out in the casket,
00:50:28.96\00:50:30.99
you could not come up to them
and tempt them with cigarettes,
00:50:31.03\00:50:33.66
or with alcohol.
00:50:33.70\00:50:35.06
You could not
come up and tempt them
00:50:35.10\00:50:36.77
with watching something that
00:50:36.80\00:50:38.13
they shouldn't be watching
or looking at somebody that
00:50:38.17\00:50:40.14
they shouldn't be looking at.
00:50:40.17\00:50:41.50
You couldn't tempt
them to gossip about someone
00:50:41.54\00:50:44.01
or to murder someone
or to even hate someone.
00:50:44.04\00:50:47.44
Why? Because they are dead.
00:50:47.48\00:50:49.64
We say that's ludicrous.
00:50:49.68\00:50:51.28
But in the Christian life,
00:50:51.31\00:50:53.42
He who is dead to
the old way of life,
00:50:53.45\00:50:56.28
the old manner of
living has been what?
00:50:56.32\00:50:59.39
Set free from sin.
00:50:59.42\00:51:02.62
Key number four,
walk with Him in service.
00:51:02.66\00:51:07.26
Matthew 11 is that appeal,
I love that appeal Jesus made,
00:51:07.30\00:51:10.70
it extends down
the stream of time
00:51:10.73\00:51:12.33
from his time to our time.
00:51:12.37\00:51:14.17
Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me,
00:51:14.20\00:51:17.84
all you who labor
and are heavy laden,
00:51:17.87\00:51:20.74
and I will give you rest."
00:51:20.78\00:51:22.54
This is the gospel invitation,
00:51:22.58\00:51:24.51
the appeal to
those who are weak,
00:51:24.55\00:51:26.18
the appeal to
those who are weary,
00:51:26.21\00:51:28.22
the appeal to come to Him
heavy laden with our sins,
00:51:28.25\00:51:32.29
with our burden of guilt,
00:51:32.32\00:51:34.26
knowing that we find
mercy, grace and pardon.
00:51:34.29\00:51:38.93
"Take my yoke upon
me and learn of Me,
00:51:38.96\00:51:42.56
for I am gentle or
meek and lowly in heart,
00:51:42.60\00:51:46.33
you will find
rest for your souls.
00:51:46.37\00:51:48.30
For my yoke is easy,
and my burden it is light.
00:51:48.34\00:51:52.17
We are called you and I
00:51:52.21\00:51:53.54
to yoke up in
service with the master.
00:51:53.58\00:51:58.31
It's really a call Jesus made
at that time to exchange yokes.
00:51:58.35\00:52:01.42
You know, the people were
wearing the pharisaical yoke,
00:52:01.45\00:52:05.09
and that was a heavy yoke.
00:52:05.12\00:52:06.45
And he said, "Take
that yoke off of you
00:52:06.49\00:52:09.06
and instead yoke up
in service with Me."
00:52:09.09\00:52:12.79
You know, a man wrote
an experience once he said
00:52:12.83\00:52:15.13
he was driving and he saw
two oxen plowing the field.
00:52:15.16\00:52:18.77
One was really big
ox and a really strong
00:52:18.80\00:52:20.44
and really powerful
00:52:20.47\00:52:21.80
and there was a little
itty bitty one with him.
00:52:21.84\00:52:24.01
And he said, he watched that.
00:52:24.04\00:52:25.41
And then he said to
his companion, he said,
00:52:25.44\00:52:27.38
"Why did the farmer put
unequal animals together?"
00:52:27.41\00:52:31.15
And the man said,
00:52:31.18\00:52:32.51
"See the way the
traces are hooked to the yoke.
00:52:32.55\00:52:35.78
The large ox is
pulling all the weight.
00:52:35.82\00:52:39.89
The little one is
being broken into the yoke.
00:52:39.92\00:52:43.93
He's not pulling any weight."
00:52:43.96\00:52:46.73
You see when we're
yoked with Jesus Christ,
00:52:46.76\00:52:49.86
He bears the load.
00:52:49.90\00:52:51.50
And we who are yoked
with Him are learning
00:52:51.53\00:52:55.27
how to walk with Him.
00:52:55.30\00:52:56.71
And we share in the joy
00:52:56.74\00:52:58.77
and the
accomplishment of the labor
00:52:58.81\00:53:01.08
that He accomplishes without us
00:53:01.11\00:53:04.15
carrying the heavy
burden of the yoke.
00:53:04.18\00:53:07.82
Key number five, abide in
Him if you want to bear fruit.
00:53:07.85\00:53:12.75
John 15:4, "Abide
in me and I in you,
00:53:12.79\00:53:16.19
as the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself
00:53:16.22\00:53:18.43
unless it abides in the vine.
00:53:18.46\00:53:20.26
No more can you
unless you abide in Me."
00:53:20.30\00:53:24.53
We wear the yoke,
then we abide in Him
00:53:24.57\00:53:28.50
so that we can bear that fruit.
00:53:28.54\00:53:30.61
Key number six.
00:53:30.64\00:53:32.71
This one's a hard one,
rejoice in the pruning process.
00:53:32.74\00:53:37.01
We're in John 15,
because the pruning process
00:53:37.05\00:53:40.25
makes us more like Jesus.
00:53:40.28\00:53:43.32
John 15:2, "Every branch in Me
00:53:43.35\00:53:45.79
that does not bear
fruit, He takes it away.
00:53:45.82\00:53:48.52
And every branch that
bears fruit, He prunes it,"
00:53:48.56\00:53:51.63
or King James says,
00:53:51.66\00:53:52.99
"He purges it, that
it may bear more fruit."
00:53:53.03\00:53:57.17
Paul tells us in
Hebrews 12:11, "No chastening,"
00:53:57.20\00:54:01.20
or you can say no trial,
00:54:01.24\00:54:02.57
"it does not seem
joyful for the present,
00:54:02.60\00:54:05.24
but it is painful.
00:54:05.27\00:54:06.81
Nevertheless, afterward,
00:54:06.84\00:54:08.68
it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness
00:54:08.71\00:54:11.45
to those who have
been trained by it."
00:54:11.48\00:54:15.72
So rejoice in
the pruning process.
00:54:15.75\00:54:18.95
And key number seven,
study Christ and His word.
00:54:18.99\00:54:22.32
Hebrews 4:12, "The
Word of God is living,
00:54:22.36\00:54:24.26
it's alive and
powerful, it's quick,
00:54:24.29\00:54:26.59
and sharper than
any two edged sword,
00:54:26.63\00:54:29.06
piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit
00:54:29.10\00:54:31.43
and joint and marrow
00:54:31.47\00:54:32.80
and as a
discerner of the thoughts
00:54:32.83\00:54:34.17
and intents of the heart."
00:54:34.20\00:54:36.20
God's Word is
alive, it is powerful,
00:54:36.24\00:54:38.07
it is life transformational.
00:54:38.11\00:54:41.48
Study Jesus,
study Him in His Word.
00:54:41.51\00:54:45.08
And as you behold Him
as you study His Word,
00:54:45.11\00:54:47.75
you will be
changed into His character.
00:54:47.78\00:54:51.02
So let's run over
those keys real quick.
00:54:51.05\00:54:54.36
Experienced Him for
yourself, choose Him, surrender,
00:54:54.39\00:54:57.73
walk in service, bear fruit,
rejoice in the pruning process,
00:54:57.76\00:55:01.60
and study His Word.
00:55:01.63\00:55:03.30
Amen. Amen.
00:55:03.33\00:55:05.03
Thank you all.
00:55:05.07\00:55:06.47
Just such a beautiful study,
00:55:06.50\00:55:08.97
want to give you
each just a moment to
00:55:09.00\00:55:11.84
add a little
punctuation mark to your day.
00:55:11.87\00:55:14.84
Well, I like to
share Hebrews 12:2,
00:55:14.88\00:55:20.62
"Looking unto Jesus,
00:55:20.65\00:55:23.18
the author and
finisher of our faith
00:55:23.22\00:55:25.25
who for the joy
that was set before him
00:55:25.29\00:55:27.59
endured the cross,
despising the shame
00:55:27.62\00:55:30.46
and is set down
at the right hand
00:55:30.49\00:55:32.33
of the throne of God."
00:55:32.36\00:55:33.83
What joy was there
in enduring the cross?
00:55:33.86\00:55:36.13
The joy that you
will accept His sacrifice,
00:55:36.16\00:55:38.73
and have salvation through Him.
00:55:38.77\00:55:41.14
Praise the Lord.
00:55:41.17\00:55:42.50
I just want to
bring out Romans 4:23-24,
00:55:42.54\00:55:45.61
which is, "Now
it was not written
00:55:45.64\00:55:47.61
for his sake alone,
00:55:47.64\00:55:48.98
that it was imputed
to him, but also for us.
00:55:49.01\00:55:51.88
It shall be imputed
to us who believe in Him
00:55:51.91\00:55:54.38
who raised up Jesus,
our Lord from the dead."
00:55:54.42\00:55:57.55
Hebrews 11:8, the Bible says,
00:55:57.59\00:55:59.39
"And Abraham
went out not knowing
00:55:59.42\00:56:01.16
where he was going."
00:56:01.19\00:56:02.66
My wife and I look
back at where we are today.
00:56:02.69\00:56:04.69
If you're willing to follow God,
00:56:04.73\00:56:06.49
you don't have to
know where you're going.
00:56:06.53\00:56:08.46
He knows it and
your life will be blessed
00:56:08.50\00:56:11.00
through the faith of Abraham
00:56:11.03\00:56:12.57
and the works of Christ.
00:56:12.60\00:56:13.94
I want to reiterate that
Psalm that meant so much to me,
00:56:13.97\00:56:16.64
and I think I
quoted it wrong before,
00:56:16.67\00:56:18.34
it's Psalm 34:8,
00:56:18.37\00:56:20.54
"Taste and see
that the Lord is good,
00:56:20.58\00:56:22.71
experience Him for yourself."
00:56:22.74\00:56:24.95
Amen and amen.
00:56:24.98\00:56:26.31
What a great study this
has been on covenant faith.
00:56:26.35\00:56:30.82
You know, in James Chapter 2,
00:56:30.85\00:56:34.12
I thought maybe you
all would be going there.
00:56:34.16\00:56:36.59
James talks about
Abraham being justified by faith
00:56:36.62\00:56:39.83
and that he was a friend of God.
00:56:39.86\00:56:42.56
But he said, without
works, faith is dead.
00:56:42.60\00:56:47.90
When we come to Jesus,
00:56:47.94\00:56:50.61
we accept His faith and
His ability to keep going.
00:56:50.64\00:56:55.14
And we thank you so
much for joining us.
00:56:55.18\00:56:57.45
Join us next time
for our final lesson.
00:56:57.48\00:57:02.02
Amen.
00:57:02.05\00:57:03.39