Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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And it's Sabbath
School Panel time.
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We're so glad you're joining us
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because you are
the reason we do this.
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We want you to join us
today for lesson number six,
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which is, "For What
Nation is There So Great."
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And, of course, this quarter,
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we are studying
present truth in Deuteronomy.
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How does
Deuteronomy speak to us today?
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If you don't have the
Adult Bible Study Guide,
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you can go to absg.adventist.org
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and download it or we recommend
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that you go to
your nearest church,
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tell them 3ABN School,
and they'll give you a copy
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and you can
study along with them.
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Thank you for
joining us. Stay tuned.
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I am so glad that you're with us
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because this is going
to be an exciting lesson.
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We are on lesson number six
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For What Nation
is There So Great.
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I'm Shelly Quinn.
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Let me introduce
the rest of the family
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that's sitting around the table.
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Next to me is my dear
brother, Pastor James Rafferty.
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It's so good to be here.
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And I have been so blessed,
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looking forward
to another blessing
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as we continue to
study this lesson.
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Amen.
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And then my precious
sister, Jill Morikone.
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Thank you,
Shelley, looking forward
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to studying and
getting into the Word of God.
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Amen.
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And pastor evangelist, Ryan Day.
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Amen.
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I'm excited and
love this lesson.
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We're going to be
talking about God's people
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and their
expectation in these last days.
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Amen.
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And then Pastor Kenny Shelton,
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you always bring
something good to the table.
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Well, there's two things
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that we're going to
study in this lesson,
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at least for me on here
is wisdom and understanding.
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I need them both.
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Oh, would you like to start
with a prayer for that please?
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Okay, sure.
Let's pray, shall we?
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Father in heaven, thank You
for the privilege of prayer,
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thank You we can
call You our Father.
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We ask in a special way
you send thy Holy Spirit.
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How desperately we need
the Spirit of the Living God
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to come in our
hearts, in our minds,
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and our lives and
change us into Your image.
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Thank You for Your love.
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Thank You for Your
grace, Your longsuffering.
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Bless us now we
pray, every word that said,
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everything that's
done may bring honor
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and glory to You
and You alone today.
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And thank You in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen. Thank you for that prayer.
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Okay, our memory
text is Deuteronomy 4:8.
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And in Deuteronomy 4:8,
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this is what Moses says,
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"And what great
nation is there that
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has such statutes
and righteous judgments,
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as are in all this law,
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which I set
before you this day?"
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You know what's interesting?
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What Moses thought about
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the law of God was
that it made them...
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It elevated everyone
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and it is the law of love
that is intended to do that.
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Deuteronomy is a
Book of Moses' sermons
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delivered to a generation,
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the second
generation of the Hebrews,
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who is physically,
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they're standing at
the edge of promise,
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physically ready to
enter the Promised Land.
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But Moses want to get
them spiritually ready.
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So basically, what he's doing,
he starts off in Chapters 1-3,
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giving them a history lesson.
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He's reminding them
what happened in the past
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and he's
challenging them to holiness.
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He recounts their
journey from Mount Horeb.
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And somebody said,
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"Well, I thought
they were at Mount Sinai."
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Mount Horeb is the
mountain range and Sinai
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is a peak in the mountain range.
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But he's talking about
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what happened through
all their walk of wanderings.
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He reminds them
of what happened at
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Kadesh Barnea and the rebellion.
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Then he talks about
their lack of faith after God
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had delivered them from bondage
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and God's displeasure
with that rebellious nation
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who murmured against Him.
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In fact, one of the
most somber notes to me
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in the whole
Bible is Numbers 14:28,
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where God says to
those who are murmuring
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and accusing Him of
bad things, He says...
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After the 10th time
they murmured against Him,
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He says, "Hey, as
you've said in my hearing,
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so I will do to you."
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You know, we got to
remember that present truth.
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Don't be
talking trash about God.
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So the older
generation broke the covenant.
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They couldn't
enter the Promised Land.
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They had to wander around.
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This is 38 years
after or it was 40 years,
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but they had to have time
for the unfaithful to die.
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Now, he traced the travels
of Israel through the nations.
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He talked about the problems.
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He talks about all the victories
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that God has given,
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and His gracious
presence that went with them.
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And he reminds us,
God is a loving God
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and He keeps covenant
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with those who
keep covenant with Him.
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What Moses is telling them,
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if you will humbly
depend upon your God,
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He's going to show up.
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Now, Deuteronomy 4,
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Moses switches into sermon mode
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and he challenges them.
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The emphasis goes from
the past to the present.
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So let's look at
Deuteronomy Chapter 4,
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because this is a
sermon on obedience.
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And he says, "Now oh Israel."
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So basically, so now
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because Israel what
God has done for you.
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Listen, listen to the
statutes, and the judgments,
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which I will
teach you to observe.
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In other words, you must obey
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the following that
you may live and go in
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and possess the land,
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which the Lord God of
your fathers is giving you.
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If you're a parent at
home, well, we all had parents.
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When a parent says to a
child, "Listen, listen to me."
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What do they expect?
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There's an
anticipation of obedience.
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Oh, yeah. Yes.
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You know, the
word listen is Shema.
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It means here, listen, obey,
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and it is repeated
throughout Deuteronomy.
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There's whole
theme of hear and obey.
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Statutes and
ordinances are technical terms.
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Referring to the covenant text,
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the statutes were a civil code
that regulated their conduct
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and the judgments
were the right decisions
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against those who
broke the covenant.
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So Moses calls the
people to hear and obey,
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obey God's
covenant rules of conduct.
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Submission to God's law
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was necessary for
them to have the blessings.
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Then Moses adds a
very specific warning
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in Sunday's lesson
and Sunday's lesson is,
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"Do not add or take away."
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Let's look at Deuteronomy 4:2,
"You shall not add to the word,
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which I command you
nor take from it that
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you may keep the commandments
of the Lord your God,
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which I command you."
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You know, He said
again in Deuteronomy 12:32,
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"Whatever I command you,
be careful to observe it.
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You shall not add to it,
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you shall not
take away from it."
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We can't add
anything to God's law
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or delete anything to God's law.
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God's law is perfect.
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It was given at Sinai,
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the Ten
Commandments are perfect.
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And nothing that
contradicts God's law,
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and moral code
will be tolerated.
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The old covenant that
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God gave to Moses and it's...
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You can read Exodus 24.
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God gave the
commandments, He spoke them.
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Then He calls
Moses up for 40 days
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and He speaks a bunch of terms
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that are civil codes based on
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the Ten
Commandments and ceremonial.
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Did you know that when
God or Moses came down,
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He speaks to the people
then He writes the words
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in what was called
The Book of the Covenant,
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then He ratified that covenant.
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And the Ten Commandments
were at the heart of it,
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He ratified it with the people.
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This was complete instruction
to direct this new nation
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that God had
begotten and it's all.
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By the way, the Old Covenant
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is based on the
Abrahamic covenant
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because right in
the beginning of Exodus,
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when it says that
God hears their cries,
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and He remembers His covenant
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with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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So now he's going
to include Israel.
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He redeemed them.
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He took them
through the Red Sea.
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He saved them.
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They escaped.
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In the Old Covenant,
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they escaped
condemnation by sacrifice.
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Somebody's...
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a sacrifice that was instituted.
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Same for us, is
it not Jesus Christ?
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Amen.
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But here's the point,
all scripture is sacred.
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What is 2 Timothy 3:16-17 say?
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"All scripture is given
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by the inspiration of God.
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It's profitable for
doctrine, reproof, correction,
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instruction and righteousness
that we may be complete."
00:10:17.58\00:10:21.75
So, God's Word is authoritative,
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it's perfect and
we can't add to it.
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We can't take
anything away from it.
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Think about this for a minute.
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The devil in the Garden of Eden,
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he, kind of,
subtracted from God's Word,
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tried to make God look like
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He was an intolerant human,
I mean an intolerant being.
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Eve added to God's Word
00:10:45.34\00:10:47.58
because God had told them,
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"Don't eat from the tree."
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And she said, "We
can't even touch it."
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And any time we take away
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or add to God's Word,
it's going to result in sin.
00:10:56.62\00:11:01.09
So what we want to do...
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I'm trying to look at my time.
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Think about this. In Daniel...
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And, boy, you're the one
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that should be
talking about this.
00:11:11.17\00:11:12.50
But Daniel 7:25, we see that
00:11:12.53\00:11:17.84
the little horn
power is adding to
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and taking away from God's Word.
00:11:21.91\00:11:24.51
"He shall speak pompous words,"
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.18
Daniel 7:25,
"against the Most High,
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shall persecute the
saints of the Most High.
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And shall think or intend
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to change times and law.
00:11:34.92\00:11:39.39
Then the saints are given
over into his hand for a while."
00:11:39.43\00:11:43.73
See, it's so amazing that
00:11:43.77\00:11:46.00
this law of love
was given to Israel,
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but they just kept
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breaking the
covenant, didn't they?
00:11:51.31\00:11:55.24
In Matthew 15:1-9.
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This is what Jesus said to
the scribes and the Pharisees.
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They're coming to him
in verse 1 and verse 2,
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they say, "Why do
you disciples transgress
00:12:08.59\00:12:11.76
the tradition of the elders?"
00:12:11.79\00:12:14.63
And tradition is something
00:12:14.66\00:12:16.26
that's been added
to the Word of God.
00:12:16.30\00:12:19.77
"For they do
not wash their hands
00:12:19.80\00:12:21.80
when they eat bread."
00:12:21.84\00:12:23.77
You know, this
ceremonial hand washing
00:12:23.81\00:12:25.91
is what they're talking about.
00:12:25.94\00:12:27.38
It was very ritualistic,
00:12:27.41\00:12:30.01
very complicated, but
here's the interesting thing.
00:12:30.05\00:12:34.15
They could draw
water from a troph
00:12:34.18\00:12:39.45
that had cow manure and
it would be so filthy that
00:12:39.49\00:12:43.66
cows wouldn't
even drink the water
00:12:43.69\00:12:45.36
and they'd still do
00:12:45.39\00:12:46.73
their ritualistic
hand washing with it,
00:12:46.76\00:12:49.03
so it wasn't about purity.
00:12:49.06\00:12:50.63
And listen to what Jesus says.
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This is verse 3, Matthew 15:3,
00:12:53.20\00:12:56.97
"Why do you also transgress
the commandment of God
00:12:57.01\00:13:00.58
because of your tradition?"
00:13:00.61\00:13:03.71
And then He tells them,
00:13:03.75\00:13:05.88
God says, "Honor
your mother and father."
00:13:05.91\00:13:07.45
Hey, you've got a
tradition of Corban
00:13:07.48\00:13:09.65
that you can say that
the money that should go
00:13:09.68\00:13:12.32
to help your parents
00:13:12.35\00:13:14.06
just give it to the
temple, it's Corban.
00:13:14.09\00:13:17.69
And they were
circumventing God's law
00:13:17.73\00:13:21.60
through their traditions.
00:13:21.63\00:13:24.23
And Jesus
continued in Matthew 15:6,
00:13:24.27\00:13:29.00
and this is the main
point I want to get to.
00:13:29.04\00:13:31.91
"Thus you have
made the commandment,
00:13:31.94\00:13:33.91
the Word of God,
00:13:33.94\00:13:35.28
of no effect,
by your tradition."
00:13:35.31\00:13:39.51
Do we have traditions
00:13:39.55\00:13:41.58
that are
nullifying the Word of God?
00:13:41.62\00:13:44.02
He says, "Hypocrites."
00:13:44.05\00:13:46.32
Well, did Isaiah
prophesy about, you say,
00:13:46.35\00:13:49.89
"These people draw
near to Me with their lips,
00:13:49.92\00:13:53.29
but their hearts
are far from Me."
00:13:53.33\00:13:56.67
Teaching as doctrines,
the commandments of men,
00:13:56.70\00:14:02.70
traditions of men
invalidate God's Word.
00:14:02.74\00:14:07.71
And our worship is meaningless
00:14:07.74\00:14:12.71
if we're following traditions.
00:14:12.75\00:14:14.15
That's right. Wow!
00:14:14.18\00:14:15.52
Amen. Thank you, Shelley.
00:14:15.55\00:14:17.99
Well, I'm Pastor James Rafferty.
00:14:18.02\00:14:19.72
And I have the
lesson for Monday,
00:14:19.75\00:14:21.99
which is entitled "Baal Peor."
00:14:22.02\00:14:25.13
Let's just look there
in Deuteronomy Chapter 4,
00:14:25.16\00:14:27.76
where we left off with Shelley.
00:14:27.80\00:14:30.17
And there's a lot here
00:14:30.20\00:14:31.63
but what's interesting
00:14:31.67\00:14:33.00
is when you get
into Deuteronomy 4:3,
00:14:33.03\00:14:36.87
God talks again,
as Shelley shared,
00:14:36.91\00:14:39.57
He's, kind of,
rehearsing the history.
00:14:39.61\00:14:41.04
He's, kind of, going
back over the history.
00:14:41.08\00:14:42.98
And He talks here
about all the things
00:14:43.01\00:14:44.35
He wants His people to do.
00:14:44.38\00:14:45.71
But then in verse
3 He just says this,
00:14:45.75\00:14:47.28
"Your eyes have seen
00:14:47.32\00:14:48.65
what the Lord did
because of Baal Peor.
00:14:48.68\00:14:53.12
For all the men
that followed Baal Peor,
00:14:53.15\00:14:55.19
the Lord thy God
has destroyed them
00:14:55.22\00:14:57.93
from among you."
00:14:57.96\00:14:59.29
And then he goes on.
It's kind of like just...
00:14:59.33\00:15:01.50
You know what happened?
00:15:01.53\00:15:02.86
You remember what happened,
and he just, kind of, moves on.
00:15:02.90\00:15:05.47
Well, when I read this,
00:15:05.50\00:15:06.94
I guess I don't understand
00:15:06.97\00:15:08.30
or remember all the stories.
00:15:08.34\00:15:09.67
So I'm thinking to myself,
00:15:09.70\00:15:11.04
"What happened to
Baal Peor, you know?"
00:15:11.07\00:15:12.41
And so I go back to
Numbers Chapters 24 and 25
00:15:12.44\00:15:16.98
or let's see 25
and 26, 24 and 25.
00:15:17.01\00:15:21.18
Thanks, Shelley, 24 and 25.
00:15:21.22\00:15:23.69
Here's something
that's so significant that
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.25
God mentions it,
00:15:26.29\00:15:27.62
that Moses mentions it in
his, you know, going away,
00:15:27.66\00:15:32.59
farewell address
here in Deuteronomy.
00:15:32.63\00:15:34.53
He mentions it, just, you know,
00:15:34.56\00:15:36.50
the history and then he goes on.
00:15:36.53\00:15:37.87
And then he talks about
all the things that, you know,
00:15:37.90\00:15:39.23
he wants them to do.
00:15:39.27\00:15:40.60
But he mentions it
and we have to go back
00:15:40.64\00:15:42.30
and we have to look at
these Chapters to understand
00:15:42.34\00:15:44.11
what actually happened here.
00:15:44.14\00:15:45.94
Now, what happened here
00:15:45.97\00:15:47.31
is a startling transition
from perfect obedience
00:15:47.34\00:15:51.91
and righteousness to
00:15:51.95\00:15:53.42
full blown
apostasy and wickedness.
00:15:53.45\00:15:57.85
And it's really interesting
how this happens in Chapter 24,
00:15:57.89\00:16:02.72
Balaam has been
hired to curse Israel,
00:16:02.76\00:16:07.13
and he can't do it.
00:16:07.16\00:16:08.50
And the reason he can't do it is
00:16:08.53\00:16:09.86
because
Israel's obedient to God.
00:16:09.90\00:16:11.23
Israel is following...
00:16:11.27\00:16:12.60
I mean, Baal looks
out over the cabin,
00:16:12.63\00:16:13.97
he's like, whoa,
00:16:14.00\00:16:15.94
there's not a
piece of trash anywhere.
00:16:15.97\00:16:18.34
There's not a peg
that's out of line.
00:16:18.37\00:16:20.28
Everything is just perfect.
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.38
These people are amazing.
00:16:22.41\00:16:23.75
There's no way I'm going to be
00:16:23.78\00:16:25.11
able to curse them and he can't.
00:16:25.15\00:16:26.48
He can't curse them
00:16:26.51\00:16:27.85
because God's
blessing is upon them
00:16:27.88\00:16:29.22
and they are
walking in harmony with God.
00:16:29.25\00:16:30.59
That's Numbers Chapter 24.
00:16:30.62\00:16:34.32
Now, we get to
Numbers Chapter 25,
00:16:34.36\00:16:38.89
"And Israel," verse
1, "abode in Shittim,
00:16:38.93\00:16:41.76
and the people
began to commit whoredom
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.03
with the daughters of Moab."
00:16:44.07\00:16:46.60
What happened?
00:16:46.63\00:16:48.80
Like what happened?
00:16:48.84\00:16:50.61
This is
startling. This is shocking.
00:16:50.64\00:16:53.01
And yet we see it
all the time, don't we?
00:16:53.04\00:16:55.31
We see people who look so
good, they look so perfectly,
00:16:55.34\00:16:58.08
they look so righteous,
00:16:58.11\00:16:59.45
everything's in
place, no one can curse them.
00:16:59.48\00:17:01.88
And all of a sudden, boom,
they fall flat on their face.
00:17:01.92\00:17:04.95
Boom, they're gone
and you're thinking,
00:17:04.99\00:17:06.42
"What happened?
00:17:06.45\00:17:07.79
What happened?"
00:17:07.82\00:17:09.16
Now, the lesson quarterly
brings out a number of factors,
00:17:09.19\00:17:11.49
you know, that we
could look at and we could,
00:17:11.53\00:17:13.83
you know, surmise about.
00:17:13.86\00:17:15.90
It talks about, well,
00:17:15.93\00:17:17.27
they started to
mix with, you know,
00:17:17.30\00:17:18.63
the heathen women
00:17:18.67\00:17:20.00
or they got
invited to these parties
00:17:20.04\00:17:21.54
and that, kind of, got
them going on around track.
00:17:21.57\00:17:23.41
And they started
worshiping idols,
00:17:23.44\00:17:24.77
and pretty soon, you know,
00:17:24.81\00:17:26.14
one thing led to
another and it was all gone.
00:17:26.17\00:17:28.48
But I'm not sure that
00:17:28.51\00:17:30.51
we want to emphasize that cause.
00:17:30.55\00:17:35.88
And the reason why is because
00:17:35.92\00:17:38.22
it's important
for us to remember
00:17:38.25\00:17:39.95
that we are to be in the
world but not of the world.
00:17:39.99\00:17:44.76
And if we're too overzealous
00:17:44.79\00:17:47.50
in pulling
ourselves out of the world,
00:17:47.53\00:17:49.70
we'll be just like the Pharisees
00:17:49.73\00:17:51.07
were in the New Testament.
00:17:51.10\00:17:52.57
Let's just look there.
00:17:52.60\00:17:53.94
There is a powerful
verse here that we to look at.
00:17:53.97\00:17:56.74
It's found in Matthew Chapter 11
00:17:56.77\00:18:01.04
and we're going to
look in Matthew 11:19.
00:18:01.08\00:18:06.92
It's going to take me
a little bit to get there
00:18:06.95\00:18:08.48
because I'm going on my phone,
00:18:08.52\00:18:10.32
but I'll get there even though
everyone else is ahead of me.
00:18:10.35\00:18:13.36
Matthew 11:19 says
this, "The Son of Man came..."
00:18:13.39\00:18:18.49
What was he doing?
Eating and drinking.
00:18:18.53\00:18:20.16
You know there were doing at
Baal Peor, eating and drinking.
00:18:20.20\00:18:24.70
"The Son of Man came
eating and drinking..."
00:18:24.73\00:18:26.77
And who was he
eating and drinking with?
00:18:26.80\00:18:29.00
He was eating and drinking
00:18:29.04\00:18:30.57
with tax collectors and sinners.
00:18:30.61\00:18:33.31
He came eating and drinking,
00:18:33.34\00:18:34.68
then say,
"Behold, a man gluttonous
00:18:34.71\00:18:36.18
and a winebibber
00:18:36.21\00:18:37.55
and a friend of
publicans and sinners.
00:18:37.58\00:18:38.91
But wisdom is
justified of her children."
00:18:38.95\00:18:41.98
Why could Jesus do it
and not Israel of old?
00:18:42.02\00:18:46.49
I mean, it says right
there in Numbers that,
00:18:46.52\00:18:49.39
you know, they
committed fornication.
00:18:49.42\00:18:51.29
They were unfaithful to God.
00:18:51.33\00:18:52.69
Why could Jesus
come and eat and drink,
00:18:52.73\00:18:56.16
feast with publicans and sinners
00:18:56.20\00:18:57.93
and not end up
doing the same thing that
00:18:57.97\00:19:00.80
happens to God's
people in Numbers Chapter 25?
00:19:00.84\00:19:04.41
Well, that's what
we want to get to.
00:19:04.44\00:19:06.74
See, we don't want to be
talking about why they did.
00:19:06.78\00:19:08.74
Excuse me.
00:19:08.78\00:19:10.31
We don't want
to be talking about
00:19:10.35\00:19:11.68
what they did so
much as why they did it.
00:19:11.71\00:19:14.32
Why did they end up doing it?
00:19:14.35\00:19:15.68
Some people could say,
"Well, they end up doing it
00:19:15.72\00:19:17.05
because they, you know,
hung up with these women.
00:19:17.09\00:19:19.49
Or they end up doing it
00:19:19.52\00:19:20.86
because they
went to this feast."
00:19:20.89\00:19:22.22
Well, Jesus hung out
with women of ill repute.
00:19:22.26\00:19:27.50
Jesus went to these feasts,
00:19:27.53\00:19:29.83
why didn't He fall
into this apostasy?
00:19:29.86\00:19:32.43
The reason why is
00:19:32.47\00:19:33.80
because before He
connected with people,
00:19:33.84\00:19:37.34
Jesus connected with God.
00:19:37.37\00:19:39.64
Before Jesus
connected with people,
00:19:39.67\00:19:42.28
Jesus connected with
God, and that's the key.
00:19:42.31\00:19:44.38
That's what we need.
00:19:44.41\00:19:46.21
You see the Laodicean
Church in Revelation Chapter 3
00:19:46.25\00:19:49.38
is the exact epitome
of what we've just read
00:19:49.42\00:19:52.72
in Numbers 24 and 25.
00:19:52.75\00:19:56.52
The Laodicean Church is
in Numbers 24, perfect camp,
00:19:56.56\00:20:00.16
everything's looking good,
00:20:00.20\00:20:01.53
rich and increase with
goods and in need of nothing.
00:20:01.56\00:20:04.07
Everything's perfect, right?
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.43
In Revelation Chapter 3,
00:20:05.47\00:20:06.97
you have this church that
needs nothing so they think.
00:20:07.00\00:20:10.21
It's good.
00:20:10.24\00:20:11.57
But in the context,
they are actually having
00:20:11.61\00:20:13.38
the experience of
Numbers Chapter 25.
00:20:13.41\00:20:16.58
You see, they think they're rich
00:20:16.61\00:20:18.08
and increase with
goods and need nothing,
00:20:18.11\00:20:19.45
but they don't know
00:20:19.48\00:20:20.82
they're wretched
and they're blind,
00:20:20.85\00:20:22.18
they're miserable,
they're poor and they're naked.
00:20:22.22\00:20:23.85
What is the reason
why Revelation Chapter 3
00:20:23.89\00:20:27.62
is Laodicean
Church is the epitome
00:20:27.66\00:20:30.23
of the
experience of God's people?
00:20:30.26\00:20:32.09
Because according
to Revelation 3:21,
00:20:32.13\00:20:35.53
Jesus is not inside.
00:20:35.56\00:20:39.07
Jesus is on the
outside knocking.
00:20:39.10\00:20:40.77
Jesus wants to come in and sup
with the Revelation 3 Church,
00:20:40.80\00:20:46.21
with the Laodicean Church.
00:20:46.24\00:20:47.58
He wants to come in and
He wants to sup with them.
00:20:47.61\00:20:49.18
He wants to connect with them
00:20:49.21\00:20:50.61
on a personal
relationship level,
00:20:50.65\00:20:52.45
but they are so focused on
00:20:52.48\00:20:55.28
having all their ducks
in a row so to speak, right?
00:20:55.32\00:20:58.15
They're so focused on
having everything organized
00:20:58.19\00:21:00.39
and everything
where it should be
00:21:00.42\00:21:01.86
and how it should be
00:21:01.89\00:21:03.22
and so Moses in Deuteronomy
is reminding the people.
00:21:03.26\00:21:06.36
Now listen, it's not good enough
00:21:06.39\00:21:08.86
for you to know,
have all this knowledge
00:21:08.90\00:21:10.77
and have all this information
and be able to recite
00:21:10.80\00:21:14.14
and reiterate
everything that are...
00:21:14.17\00:21:16.20
You need to have
relationship with God
00:21:16.24\00:21:18.34
and you need to remember
00:21:18.37\00:21:19.74
where you fail and why you fail.
00:21:19.77\00:21:22.24
You need to recognize
00:21:22.28\00:21:23.61
the significance of
this relationship that
00:21:23.65\00:21:26.18
it is going to catapult
you into the life of Christ
00:21:26.21\00:21:29.88
into being like Christ.
00:21:29.92\00:21:31.72
And I don't
think we can summarize
00:21:31.75\00:21:33.15
this any better than
00:21:33.19\00:21:34.52
in the story that we
find in Luke Chapter 10.
00:21:34.56\00:21:37.59
It's a story in
Luke Chapter 10 of Christ
00:21:37.63\00:21:42.16
in one of the favorite
places He liked to hang out.
00:21:42.20\00:21:45.37
You know where that
place was? Mary and Martha.
00:21:45.40\00:21:47.90
Mary and Martha's house.
00:21:47.94\00:21:49.97
Oh, He loved to hang out with
Mary and Martha and Lazarus.
00:21:50.01\00:21:52.14
They were just
like, you go there,
00:21:52.17\00:21:53.78
you just kick off your shoes,
00:21:53.81\00:21:55.58
and you pull off
your tie and you just,
00:21:55.61\00:21:57.95
you know, you just relax.
00:21:57.98\00:21:59.65
And you can tell Him things
and talk about things that
00:21:59.68\00:22:01.72
you can't talk with other people
00:22:01.75\00:22:03.08
because they're
going to take your words.
00:22:03.12\00:22:04.45
They're going to twist them
00:22:04.49\00:22:05.82
and they're going to
use them against you.
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.19
And so Jesus will just relax,
He will just kick off His shoes
00:22:07.22\00:22:08.99
and would just talk to
Mary and Martha and Lazarus.
00:22:09.02\00:22:12.29
And He's doing that, you know,
00:22:12.33\00:22:13.66
and Mary's just
listening to every word
00:22:13.70\00:22:15.10
but Martha is nowhere in sight.
00:22:15.13\00:22:16.93
And pretty soon Jesus sees that
she's scurrying back and forth,
00:22:16.97\00:22:19.13
she's running all over the place
00:22:19.17\00:22:20.50
and Jesus is saying
that Martha, Martha.
00:22:20.54\00:22:22.57
And she's not listening to Him.
00:22:22.60\00:22:24.64
And finally, you know,
as He's talking to Mary,
00:22:24.67\00:22:26.64
Martha comes in
and she's exasperated,
00:22:26.68\00:22:28.58
the sweats
coming down, you know,
00:22:28.61\00:22:29.94
her forehead and
she's just almost worn out.
00:22:29.98\00:22:32.15
She says, "Jesus, don't you care
00:22:32.18\00:22:35.82
that I'm serving all by myself?
00:22:35.85\00:22:38.15
Would you tell Mary to help me?
00:22:38.19\00:22:39.62
Would you just
please tell her to help me.
00:22:39.65\00:22:41.42
Please, I need some
help in the kitchen."
00:22:41.46\00:22:43.86
And Jesus, you know,
He's just full of peace.
00:22:43.89\00:22:45.93
He's just calm,
He's just laid back,
00:22:45.96\00:22:47.30
He's just relaxed
00:22:47.33\00:22:48.66
and He's just
enjoying this company,
00:22:48.70\00:22:50.03
this interaction with Mary.
00:22:50.07\00:22:51.63
And He says, "Martha,
Martha, you are troubled,
00:22:51.67\00:22:53.77
you're worried
about so many things.
00:22:53.80\00:22:56.14
But there's only one
thing that is needful
00:22:56.17\00:22:58.74
and Mary has
chosen that good part.
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.78
And guess what?
00:23:00.81\00:23:02.51
It's not going to
be taken away from her.
00:23:02.54\00:23:04.21
I'm not taking it away from her.
00:23:04.25\00:23:05.78
God's not taking
it away from her.
00:23:05.81\00:23:07.48
You are not
taking it away from her.
00:23:07.52\00:23:08.92
Nothing is going to take away
00:23:08.95\00:23:10.79
the good part
that she's chosen."
00:23:10.82\00:23:12.69
And that's the
experience God wants us to have.
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.92
When Moses is
talking in Deuteronomy...
00:23:14.96\00:23:18.73
Let me just get back
here just to close this out.
00:23:18.76\00:23:21.50
When Moses is talking
in Deuteronomy Chapter 4,
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.33
he brings a key verse
here and the verse is verse 9.
00:23:24.37\00:23:28.00
I don't have it
here in my notes.
00:23:28.04\00:23:29.70
But Deuteronomy 4:9,
00:23:29.74\00:23:32.97
let's just look at
that verse real quick
00:23:33.01\00:23:35.24
as we close this out.
00:23:35.28\00:23:36.61
Deuteronomy 4:9,
00:23:36.64\00:23:38.48
I actually wrote that down
00:23:38.51\00:23:40.15
while you were talking, Shelley.
00:23:40.18\00:23:41.52
You inspired me to
share this thought.
00:23:41.55\00:23:44.29
"Only take heed to thyself
and keep thy soul diligently,
00:23:44.32\00:23:48.12
lest thou forget the things
00:23:48.16\00:23:49.66
which thine eyes have
seen, and lest thou depart
00:23:49.69\00:23:52.49
from thine heart all
the days of thy life.
00:23:52.53\00:23:55.30
But teach them to my
sons and thy son's sons."
00:23:55.33\00:23:58.00
In other words, stay
grounded in the Word.
00:23:58.03\00:24:00.90
Stay grounded in
what God has taught you.
00:24:00.94\00:24:03.20
Stay connected with the Lord.
00:24:03.24\00:24:05.47
Don't forget God's teachings.
00:24:05.51\00:24:07.58
Sup with Jesus.
00:24:07.61\00:24:09.28
Do what Mary did,
not what Martha did.
00:24:09.31\00:24:11.21
You know, sometimes we can be
00:24:11.25\00:24:12.58
doing good things for the Lord
00:24:12.61\00:24:14.58
and not spend time with Jesus.
00:24:14.62\00:24:16.48
We can be busy for the Lord
and not spend time with Jesus.
00:24:16.52\00:24:17.95
That's right.
00:24:17.99\00:24:19.32
And it's not
totally wrong for Martha...
00:24:19.35\00:24:21.69
There are Marthas,
needs for Marthas in the world
00:24:21.72\00:24:25.06
but sometimes we
have a Mary's heart.
00:24:25.09\00:24:27.10
We live in a Martha's world.
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.86
But no matter what you're doing,
00:24:28.90\00:24:30.93
just remember as you said,
00:24:30.97\00:24:32.90
Jesus has to be on the inside
and anything else can happen.
00:24:32.93\00:24:37.24
All right, thank you
so much for joining us.
00:24:37.27\00:24:40.61
And we're going
to take a quick break
00:24:40.64\00:24:42.64
and come right back.
00:24:42.68\00:24:44.48
And then we'll go
on to Tuesday's lesson.
00:24:44.51\00:24:46.58
Amen.
00:24:46.61\00:24:47.95
Ever wish you could watch
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School Panel again,
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00:25:12.41\00:25:14.28
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We're so glad that
you stayed with us.
00:25:23.12\00:25:24.92
And now we're going
to go to Jill Morikone
00:25:24.95\00:25:26.79
for Tuesday's lesson.
00:25:26.82\00:25:28.29
Thank you so much,
Shelley and Pastor James,
00:25:28.32\00:25:30.09
incredible study of
the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:25:30.13\00:25:32.89
I love that.
00:25:32.93\00:25:34.26
Tuesday lesson is
"Cleave to the Lord Your God."
00:25:34.30\00:25:37.33
And we're going to pick
it up just the verse after
00:25:37.37\00:25:39.77
what Pastor James is
reading there in Deuteronomy 4.
00:25:39.80\00:25:42.97
Before we do that though,
00:25:43.00\00:25:44.34
you know there's
a verse in Matthew.
00:25:44.37\00:25:46.31
Matthew 12:13, Jesus speaking,
00:25:46.34\00:25:49.58
"He who is not with me" is what?
00:25:49.61\00:25:52.28
"Against me.
00:25:52.31\00:25:53.65
And he who does not
gather with me scatters abroad."
00:25:53.68\00:25:57.79
You know ever since
00:25:57.82\00:25:59.15
the entrance of
sin into this earth,
00:25:59.19\00:26:01.92
when Eve partook of
the forbidden fruit.
00:26:01.96\00:26:04.29
She was deceived.
00:26:04.33\00:26:05.66
Adam knowingly
stepped into that sin.
00:26:05.69\00:26:08.66
Ever since that happened,
00:26:08.70\00:26:10.03
there's been only
two groups of people
00:26:10.07\00:26:12.27
throughout history.
00:26:12.30\00:26:13.64
Now, we like to think
there's more than that.
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.20
We say there's
many denominations
00:26:15.24\00:26:17.01
and there's
many different groups
00:26:17.04\00:26:18.67
and there's many
different whatever.
00:26:18.71\00:26:20.04
But truthfully,
there's only two groups,
00:26:20.08\00:26:22.64
those who are with Christ
and those who push Him away,
00:26:22.68\00:26:26.48
those who gather with Him,
and those who scatter abroad.
00:26:26.51\00:26:30.02
You know, in Genesis 6,
00:26:30.05\00:26:31.39
we see the descendants of Seth
and the descendants of Cain.
00:26:31.42\00:26:34.99
There again, the
righteous and the wicked.
00:26:35.02\00:26:38.09
In Genesis Chapter 7,
00:26:38.13\00:26:39.46
of course, we come to the flood
00:26:39.49\00:26:41.46
and we have those
who were in the ark
00:26:41.50\00:26:44.07
who lived and those
who were outside the ark,
00:26:44.10\00:26:47.54
who died, two groups of people.
00:26:47.57\00:26:50.54
We come to Numbers 13,
00:26:50.57\00:26:51.91
remember, there
were the 12 spies
00:26:51.94\00:26:53.51
who went to spy
out the land of Canaan.
00:26:53.54\00:26:55.81
There were the 10 who said,
00:26:55.84\00:26:57.55
"Oh, but we're just grasshoppers
00:26:57.58\00:26:59.05
and they're giants.
00:26:59.08\00:27:00.42
And there's no
way we can do it."
00:27:00.45\00:27:02.15
And then there were
two who said, "What?
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.75
God will give us the victory.
00:27:04.79\00:27:06.96
Our God is powerful and
we can have the victory."
00:27:06.99\00:27:10.29
I think of 1 Kings Chapter 18,
this is Elijah on Mount Carmel.
00:27:10.33\00:27:14.60
There were those who thought
that the prophets of Baal
00:27:14.63\00:27:18.47
could bring fire that
00:27:18.50\00:27:19.83
the prophets of
Baal was the true God.
00:27:19.87\00:27:23.61
But then in the end,
everybody discovered that
00:27:23.64\00:27:27.04
there was only one true
God, The Lord, He is God.
00:27:27.08\00:27:30.91
In the New Testament,
00:27:30.95\00:27:32.28
we come even
after the time of Jesus,
00:27:32.31\00:27:33.68
the early Christian Church,
00:27:33.72\00:27:35.05
those who accepted
Jesus as the Messiah
00:27:35.08\00:27:37.09
and those who rejected Him.
00:27:37.12\00:27:39.15
Matthew 25, we have
the sheep and the goats.
00:27:39.19\00:27:42.59
At the end of time,
00:27:42.62\00:27:43.96
we will have those who
walk in obedience to God's law,
00:27:43.99\00:27:47.86
especially the
fourth commandment,
00:27:47.90\00:27:50.37
the Seventh-day Sabbath
and those who refuse that.
00:27:50.40\00:27:53.87
We will have those
who have the seal of God
00:27:53.90\00:27:56.60
and those who have
the mark of the beast.
00:27:56.64\00:27:58.84
And at the very end of time,
00:27:58.87\00:28:00.78
we come to the
judgment, Jesus returning.
00:28:00.81\00:28:03.28
And what does He say?
00:28:03.31\00:28:04.65
Revelation 22:11,
"He who is unjust,
00:28:04.68\00:28:07.78
let him be unjust still.
00:28:07.82\00:28:09.32
He who's filthy,
let him be filthy still.
00:28:09.35\00:28:11.95
He who is righteous,
let him be righteous still,
00:28:11.99\00:28:14.36
and he who is holy,
let him be holy still."
00:28:14.39\00:28:16.93
So two groups, so
even at Baal Peor,
00:28:16.96\00:28:19.59
we see two groups
00:28:19.63\00:28:21.03
and we see that
Pastor James read verse 3.
00:28:21.06\00:28:23.93
We're in Deuteronomy 4:3
00:28:23.97\00:28:26.47
and we see what happened
00:28:26.50\00:28:28.20
and all the men
who followed Baal Peor.
00:28:28.24\00:28:31.67
But then look at verse 4,
00:28:31.71\00:28:33.17
"But you who held
fast to the Lord your God
00:28:33.21\00:28:39.21
our life today
every one of you..."
00:28:39.25\00:28:41.98
We see two groups again.
00:28:42.02\00:28:43.35
"Those who follow these women,
those who stepped into sin,
00:28:43.39\00:28:47.59
those as Pastor
James brought out
00:28:47.62\00:28:49.22
so beautifully were
not connected with Jesus
00:28:49.26\00:28:52.89
and so they stepped into sin.
00:28:52.93\00:28:55.03
And those
who..." What does it say?
00:28:55.06\00:28:57.07
"Held fast."
00:28:57.10\00:28:58.73
That word literally in Hebrew
means to cleave or to cling.
00:28:58.77\00:29:04.97
It's the same root word,
00:29:05.01\00:29:06.74
Hebrew word in Genesis 2:24,
00:29:06.78\00:29:08.58
"A man shall leave
his father and mother
00:29:08.61\00:29:10.28
and shall be
joined to his wife."
00:29:10.31\00:29:12.41
The same word, that
word cleave or cling.
00:29:12.45\00:29:16.18
The same word in
Deuteronomy 10:20,
00:29:16.22\00:29:19.19
"You shall fear
the Lord your God.
00:29:19.22\00:29:20.89
You shall serve Him
00:29:20.92\00:29:22.26
and to Him you shall hold fast."
00:29:22.29\00:29:24.26
The same word, you shall cleave,
00:29:24.29\00:29:25.89
you shall cling to Him
and take oaths in His name.
00:29:25.93\00:29:29.63
It's the same word
in Deuteronomy 13:4,
00:29:29.66\00:29:32.80
"You shall walk after the
Lord your God and fear Him,
00:29:32.83\00:29:35.57
keep His
commandments and obey His voice.
00:29:35.60\00:29:37.87
You shall serve
Him and hold fast."
00:29:37.91\00:29:40.44
Here's that word
again, cleave or cling to Him.
00:29:40.48\00:29:44.35
Now we clearly
that God holds us.
00:29:44.38\00:29:46.75
I'm so grateful for that.
00:29:46.78\00:29:48.12
I'm so grateful that underneath
the eternal God is your refuge.
00:29:48.15\00:29:53.15
Shelley quotes
this all the time.
00:29:53.19\00:29:55.02
And underneath are
the everlasting arms.
00:29:55.06\00:29:58.46
I'm so grateful
that God holds us.
00:29:58.49\00:30:00.23
I'm so grateful, He says,
00:30:00.26\00:30:01.60
"I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you."
00:30:01.63\00:30:04.13
But yet there is
still a time when you and I,
00:30:04.17\00:30:07.54
even though God holds us.
00:30:07.57\00:30:08.90
That is true, but you
and I have to make a choice.
00:30:08.94\00:30:11.11
Are we going to cleave to God?
00:30:11.14\00:30:13.64
Are we going to cling to Him,
00:30:13.68\00:30:16.14
especially when
we're facing temptations?
00:30:16.18\00:30:19.01
When we're facing those times
00:30:19.05\00:30:20.52
and when we have
to make a choice.
00:30:20.55\00:30:22.08
Which camp am I in?
00:30:22.12\00:30:23.75
Which group am I
going to reside in,
00:30:23.79\00:30:26.35
those who follow God or
those who don't follow God?
00:30:26.39\00:30:30.59
So I want to give you five keys
00:30:30.63\00:30:32.43
to overcoming
temptation and really,
00:30:32.46\00:30:35.96
they're all choices.
00:30:36.00\00:30:37.33
So really,
there are five choices
00:30:37.37\00:30:40.37
to dealing with temptation.
00:30:40.40\00:30:42.54
The first
choice is in Joshua 24,
00:30:42.57\00:30:44.44
so turn there with me.
00:30:44.47\00:30:45.81
Joshua 24:15, first choice,
00:30:45.84\00:30:48.94
"Choose ahead of
time who you will serve."
00:30:48.98\00:30:53.35
You know many times
00:30:53.38\00:30:54.72
we wait until
the crisis is upon us
00:30:54.75\00:30:57.42
and we wait until
the temptation come.
00:30:57.45\00:31:00.06
And then we say,
"I'm not sure what to do.
00:31:00.09\00:31:02.32
I'm not really sure,"
00:31:02.36\00:31:03.69
because we have not already
made our allegiance known.
00:31:03.73\00:31:06.09
We have not already
made a choice for Jesus.
00:31:06.13\00:31:09.66
We have not already decided
that as for me and my house,
00:31:09.70\00:31:12.77
I'm going to serve the Lord.
00:31:12.80\00:31:14.14
So let's look at that.
00:31:14.17\00:31:15.50
This is Joshua and
now, of course, Deuteronomy
00:31:15.54\00:31:16.87
is at the end of Moses life,
00:31:16.91\00:31:18.24
right, looking back reflecting.
00:31:18.27\00:31:19.71
This is Joshua
toward the end of his life,
00:31:19.74\00:31:22.48
looking back and reflecting.
00:31:22.51\00:31:23.85
Joshua 24:15, "If it seems
evil to you to serve the Lord,
00:31:23.88\00:31:28.35
choose for yourselves this day,
00:31:28.38\00:31:31.32
whom you will
serve, whether the gods
00:31:31.35\00:31:33.02
which your father served on
the other side of the river,
00:31:33.05\00:31:35.39
or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you dwell.
00:31:35.42\00:31:38.23
But as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord."
00:31:38.26\00:31:42.86
You see, we each have a
choice to make individually,
00:31:42.90\00:31:45.30
whom we will serve.
00:31:45.33\00:31:47.54
Don't make a
choice based on the past
00:31:47.57\00:31:49.40
or what your parents say.
00:31:49.44\00:31:50.87
That's the gods,
which our fathers served.
00:31:50.91\00:31:53.14
And don't make a
choice on peer pressure
00:31:53.17\00:31:55.91
that's the gods in
whose land you dwell,
00:31:55.94\00:31:57.81
those who are around you.
00:31:57.85\00:31:59.55
That's good.
00:31:59.58\00:32:00.92
Make a choice
for God for yourself.
00:32:00.95\00:32:03.85
So the key number
one or choice number one
00:32:03.89\00:32:06.05
is simply choose ahead of
time, whom you will serve.
00:32:06.09\00:32:08.82
Key number two
or choice number two
00:32:08.86\00:32:11.33
is choose God versus the feeling
00:32:11.36\00:32:15.40
and passion of the moment.
00:32:15.43\00:32:17.40
So many times, we
get swept up in feeling,
00:32:17.43\00:32:19.40
we get swept up in
what we feel like doing
00:32:19.43\00:32:21.60
or what we want to do.
00:32:21.64\00:32:23.51
Remember
Samson, what did he say?
00:32:23.54\00:32:25.04
"Get her for me
for she pleases me."
00:32:25.07\00:32:27.14
That's a decision based
on feeling at that moment.
00:32:27.18\00:32:31.28
But the contrast is Joseph.
00:32:31.31\00:32:33.45
In Genesis 39,
we look at Joseph,
00:32:33.48\00:32:36.75
making a decision on principle,
00:32:36.79\00:32:38.49
not by how he felt, not by maybe
00:32:38.52\00:32:40.46
what he was attracted
to or what he looked at.
00:32:40.49\00:32:43.19
No, he's making
his choice based on
00:32:43.22\00:32:45.56
the Word of God.
00:32:45.59\00:32:46.93
Genesis 39:9, we
see that Joseph refused.
00:32:46.96\00:32:50.20
Remember his master's wife,
00:32:50.23\00:32:51.70
Potiphar's wife came to
him and said, "Lie with me."
00:32:51.73\00:32:55.27
And he said, "How
can I?" What did he say?
00:32:55.30\00:32:57.24
"How can I do
this great wickedness
00:32:57.27\00:32:58.84
and sin against God?"
00:32:58.87\00:33:02.61
So make a choice for God versus
00:33:02.64\00:33:04.61
how you feel or the
feeling of the moment.
00:33:04.65\00:33:06.88
The third key, the third choice,
00:33:06.92\00:33:08.88
choose to cast off
the works of darkness
00:33:08.92\00:33:12.59
and choose to put
on the armor of light.
00:33:12.62\00:33:15.72
We see this in Romans 13.
00:33:15.76\00:33:17.69
Romans 13:12, "The
night is far spent,
00:33:17.73\00:33:20.26
the day is at hand.
00:33:20.30\00:33:21.63
Let us cast off
the works of darkness,
00:33:21.66\00:33:24.10
and we put on
the armor of light."
00:33:24.13\00:33:25.63
Now in the Greek, the word armor
00:33:25.67\00:33:27.07
is literally an implement
00:33:27.10\00:33:28.94
that's normally use for warfare.
00:33:28.97\00:33:30.31
It's a weapon.
00:33:30.34\00:33:31.67
So we put off
the works of darkness
00:33:31.71\00:33:33.74
and we clothe ourselves
with the weapons of God.
00:33:33.78\00:33:36.38
And what are those weapons?
00:33:36.41\00:33:37.75
You know those weapons
in Ephesians Chapter 6,
00:33:37.78\00:33:39.98
truth and righteousness
and our feet are shod
00:33:40.02\00:33:42.85
with the
preparation of gospel of peace.
00:33:42.88\00:33:44.85
We carry the shield of faith
00:33:44.89\00:33:46.72
and the helmet of salvation
and sword of the Spirit,
00:33:46.76\00:33:48.92
which is the Word of God.
00:33:48.96\00:33:50.43
Choice number four,
00:33:50.46\00:33:51.79
choose to make no
provision for the flesh.
00:33:51.83\00:33:55.56
This is the key verse.
00:33:55.60\00:33:56.93
Romans 13, just a
couple of verses down.
00:33:56.97\00:33:59.33
Romans 13:14, "Put
on the Lord Jesus Christ
00:33:59.37\00:34:04.64
and make no provision
00:34:04.67\00:34:06.21
for the flesh to
fulfill its lust."
00:34:06.24\00:34:08.54
You know what Jesus did?
00:34:08.58\00:34:09.91
This is in the Sermon on
the Mount, Mathew Chapter 5,
00:34:09.94\00:34:11.75
something that we
would say is pretty radical.
00:34:11.78\00:34:14.08
"If your eye causes
you sin, pluck it out.
00:34:14.12\00:34:17.35
If your hand causes
you to sin, cut it off."
00:34:17.39\00:34:20.26
Jesus is not
promoting self-mutilation.
00:34:20.29\00:34:23.26
He's saying that
sin needs to be dealt
00:34:23.29\00:34:25.16
with quickly at any cost.
00:34:25.19\00:34:27.73
Do not explain away sin.
00:34:27.76\00:34:29.23
Do not excuse sin.
00:34:29.26\00:34:31.07
Do not rename sin.
00:34:31.10\00:34:32.93
Do not minimalize sin.
00:34:32.97\00:34:35.80
When drastic action is required,
00:34:35.84\00:34:37.61
you need to take drastic action.
00:34:37.64\00:34:39.97
Beyond the offense,
when it comes to sin,
00:34:40.01\00:34:42.08
if your sin is pornography,
00:34:42.11\00:34:43.55
cut off the internet cable
or throw out those magazines.
00:34:43.58\00:34:47.05
Make no provision
for the flesh to say,
00:34:47.08\00:34:49.98
"I'm strong in Jesus.
00:34:50.02\00:34:51.35
I can keep these
things in my home."
00:34:51.39\00:34:54.16
If your sin is greed,
00:34:54.19\00:34:55.52
try giving away
some of your paycheck.
00:34:55.56\00:34:57.09
Whatever it is,
00:34:57.13\00:34:59.06
make no provision for the flesh.
00:34:59.09\00:35:01.33
Do what is necessary
to remove the temptation
00:35:01.36\00:35:03.53
from your home and your heart.
00:35:03.57\00:35:05.07
Finally, choice number five,
00:35:05.10\00:35:07.37
choose to accept the
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:35:07.40\00:35:11.24
Galatians 5:16-17,
00:35:11.27\00:35:13.94
"Walk in the Spirit
00:35:13.98\00:35:15.31
and you shall not
fulfill the lusts of the flesh."
00:35:15.34\00:35:18.51
You see, we
can't change ourselves.
00:35:18.55\00:35:20.08
We can't do that.
00:35:20.12\00:35:21.75
But we can choose
00:35:21.78\00:35:23.12
whose hand we're going to clasp.
00:35:23.15\00:35:24.89
Do I want to
clasp the hand of Jesus?
00:35:24.92\00:35:27.42
And He will give you victory.
00:35:27.46\00:35:29.42
Amen. Amen.
00:35:29.46\00:35:30.79
Amen. Beautifully put.
00:35:30.83\00:35:33.29
Thank you so
much, Jill, for that.
00:35:33.33\00:35:35.50
My name is Ryan Day.
00:35:35.53\00:35:36.97
And I have Wednesday's lesson,
00:35:37.00\00:35:38.43
which is actually the
title of the overall lesson,
00:35:38.47\00:35:41.27
which is "For What
Nation is There So Great."
00:35:41.30\00:35:44.87
And up to this point
00:35:44.91\00:35:46.24
we've heard
through these three lessons
00:35:46.27\00:35:48.11
so far from
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday,
00:35:48.14\00:35:50.95
all the way through to verse 4.
00:35:50.98\00:35:53.31
But now coming out of this,
00:35:53.35\00:35:54.68
we're going to read verses 5-9.
00:35:54.72\00:35:56.72
And actually the
lesson brings out
00:35:56.75\00:35:58.29
and I agree, really verses 5-9
00:35:58.32\00:36:01.59
could actually
be a great summation
00:36:01.62\00:36:03.22
of the entire message
that we find in Deuteronomy.
00:36:03.26\00:36:05.79
They are that great.
00:36:05.83\00:36:07.26
And so what I
want to do is go ahead
00:36:07.30\00:36:08.63
and read verses 5-9
in Deuteronomy Chapter 4,
00:36:08.66\00:36:11.87
and then we're going
to bring a few takeaways
00:36:11.90\00:36:14.14
from what we can find
in this particular passage.
00:36:14.17\00:36:16.81
So Deuteronomy Chapter 4,
00:36:16.84\00:36:18.17
I'm going to begin with verse 5
00:36:18.21\00:36:19.57
and notice what the Bible says.
00:36:19.61\00:36:21.14
It says, "Surely
I have taught you
00:36:21.18\00:36:22.68
statutes and judgments,
00:36:22.71\00:36:24.51
just as the Lord
my God commanded me
00:36:24.55\00:36:27.15
that you should act
according to them in the land,
00:36:27.18\00:36:29.75
which you go to possess.
00:36:29.78\00:36:32.09
Therefore, be
careful to observe them.
00:36:32.12\00:36:34.92
For this is your wisdom
00:36:34.96\00:36:36.29
and your understanding
in the sight of the peoples
00:36:36.32\00:36:39.79
who will hear all of
these statutes and say,
00:36:39.83\00:36:43.00
surely this
great nation is a wise
00:36:43.03\00:36:45.83
and understanding people."
00:36:45.87\00:36:48.14
I can just
imagine Moses delivering
00:36:48.17\00:36:49.50
this powerful speech,
00:36:49.54\00:36:51.01
giving this powerful message,
00:36:51.04\00:36:52.37
you know, waking them up
00:36:52.41\00:36:53.74
and helping them to
realize who they are.
00:36:53.78\00:36:55.78
Verse 7, it says,
00:36:55.81\00:36:57.25
"For what great nation is there,
00:36:57.28\00:36:59.18
that has God so near to it
as the Lord our God is to us.
00:36:59.21\00:37:03.95
For whatever
reason, we may call upon him
00:37:03.99\00:37:06.82
and what great
nation is there that
00:37:06.86\00:37:08.72
has such statutes
and righteous judgments,
00:37:08.76\00:37:11.46
as are in this law
00:37:11.49\00:37:12.99
which I sit
before you this day?"
00:37:13.03\00:37:15.26
Verse 9.
00:37:15.30\00:37:16.63
"Only take heed to yourself
and diligently keep yourself,
00:37:16.67\00:37:20.90
lest you forget the things
00:37:20.94\00:37:22.40
your eyes have seen,
00:37:22.44\00:37:23.94
unless you
depart from your heart
00:37:23.97\00:37:26.91
all the days of your life.
00:37:26.94\00:37:28.68
And teach them to your children
and your grandchildren."
00:37:28.71\00:37:33.21
So it's amazing.
00:37:33.25\00:37:34.92
Moses is helping them to see.
00:37:34.95\00:37:36.52
He's amplifying the
fact that who are we?
00:37:36.55\00:37:39.45
Do you realize who we are?
00:37:39.49\00:37:41.06
I'll just go back to
the title of this lesson,
00:37:41.09\00:37:42.92
for what nation
is there so great,
00:37:42.96\00:37:44.89
point to me one.
00:37:44.93\00:37:46.26
What other nation on this planet
00:37:46.29\00:37:47.76
has like God like we have?
00:37:47.80\00:37:49.33
What other nation on this planet
00:37:49.36\00:37:50.93
has a God of love that
is so near and dear to us?
00:37:50.97\00:37:53.90
You know when you
really put it out there...
00:37:53.94\00:37:55.40
Now, I was born
and raised Christian,
00:37:55.44\00:37:57.21
but yet there
were times in my life
00:37:57.24\00:38:00.01
where I questioned things.
00:38:00.04\00:38:01.38
Is there really a God?
00:38:01.41\00:38:02.78
Especially, when
you get into college,
00:38:02.81\00:38:04.51
I remember my college
years there were many professors
00:38:04.55\00:38:06.68
they tried to throw it
out there that, you know,
00:38:06.72\00:38:08.72
religions are all the same,
00:38:08.75\00:38:10.15
you know,
Christianity, Buddhism,
00:38:10.19\00:38:12.25
you know, Confucius,
00:38:12.29\00:38:13.92
and you know all,
Hinduism and Islam.
00:38:13.96\00:38:16.79
All of them all,
00:38:16.83\00:38:18.16
all the major
religions of the world
00:38:18.19\00:38:19.53
is the same,
but yet they're not.
00:38:19.56\00:38:20.90
And that's the point that Moses
00:38:20.93\00:38:22.26
is proving here
in these passages.
00:38:22.30\00:38:23.63
He says, "Point
to me another nation
00:38:23.67\00:38:25.30
or another god,
00:38:25.33\00:38:26.67
where their god
is as close to them,
00:38:26.70\00:38:28.04
who cares for them,
00:38:28.07\00:38:29.40
who has given
them a long statutes,
00:38:29.44\00:38:30.77
who has blessed them."
00:38:30.81\00:38:32.14
And so Moses is
trying to open up
00:38:32.17\00:38:33.74
their eyes to the fact that
00:38:33.78\00:38:35.24
God has chosen
them that they were not
00:38:35.28\00:38:37.81
just some little mealy-nealy
little church or some group
00:38:37.85\00:38:40.85
on the corner street
of some country somewhere.
00:38:40.88\00:38:43.75
We are God's chosen people,
00:38:43.79\00:38:45.75
who are supposed to be
00:38:45.79\00:38:47.12
a blessing to the
rest of the world.
00:38:47.16\00:38:48.72
In fact, I'm just going to take
00:38:48.76\00:38:50.09
just a few
things that we want to
00:38:50.13\00:38:51.46
take away from this passage.
00:38:51.49\00:38:52.83
Again, there's a
whole lot more than
00:38:52.86\00:38:54.20
I can talk about.
00:38:54.23\00:38:55.56
I don't have
enough time to do so.
00:38:55.60\00:38:56.93
But I just want to
highlight two or three things
00:38:56.97\00:38:58.30
that we pull from this,
sort of, very, very important
00:38:58.33\00:38:59.67
that not only what
God wanted it to be
00:38:59.70\00:39:01.47
for the nation of Israel
as His people, as His church.
00:39:01.50\00:39:05.64
But also for us
here in these last days
00:39:05.67\00:39:08.31
as God's remnant
people, as God's chosen people,
00:39:08.34\00:39:10.95
to be a light, to
be a beacon of light
00:39:10.98\00:39:12.71
to the rest of the world.
00:39:12.75\00:39:14.08
Obviously, the first
thing we want to pull away
00:39:14.12\00:39:15.58
from is that God
wanted this nation
00:39:15.62\00:39:17.69
to not only be blessed,
00:39:17.72\00:39:19.32
to be a blessing to
the rest of the world.
00:39:19.35\00:39:22.06
And we obviously
get this very clearly
00:39:22.09\00:39:24.13
from Genesis 12:2-3.
00:39:24.16\00:39:26.46
This was God's plan for
Israel from the beginning.
00:39:26.49\00:39:28.93
Genesis 12:2-3 as he's
opening this up to Abraham,
00:39:28.96\00:39:32.27
He's telling him,
00:39:32.30\00:39:33.64
"I will make you a great nation.
00:39:33.67\00:39:35.67
I will bless you
and make your name great
00:39:35.70\00:39:38.07
and you shall be a blessing."
00:39:38.11\00:39:39.94
I love this.
00:39:39.97\00:39:41.31
So not only are you
going to be blessed,
00:39:41.34\00:39:42.68
but you're going to
be a blessing, right?
00:39:42.71\00:39:44.71
"I will bless
those who bless you
00:39:44.75\00:39:46.88
and I will curse him
who curses you and you
00:39:46.92\00:39:49.68
and all your families of
the earth shall be blessed."
00:39:49.72\00:39:53.12
I love that.
00:39:53.15\00:39:54.49
We see that four times
here, bless, you are a blessing,
00:39:54.52\00:39:57.56
a blessed and those
who shall be blessed.
00:39:57.59\00:40:00.30
God is telling us over and over,
00:40:00.33\00:40:01.73
you shall be a blessing
to the rest of the world
00:40:01.76\00:40:03.80
if we are part of
God's chosen people.
00:40:03.83\00:40:05.93
If we are chosen
for such a time as this,
00:40:05.97\00:40:08.04
to be that special light
to the rest of the world,
00:40:08.07\00:40:10.41
not only is God
going to bless us
00:40:10.44\00:40:11.77
but He's promised,
00:40:11.81\00:40:13.14
"Look, you're
not just going to be
00:40:13.17\00:40:14.51
just any old kind of people.
00:40:14.54\00:40:15.88
Wake up and smell the roses.
00:40:15.91\00:40:17.25
I want you to be a blessing
to the rest of the world
00:40:17.28\00:40:19.81
that when people see
you kind of like Balaam
00:40:19.85\00:40:22.58
saw this beautiful,
00:40:22.62\00:40:24.09
perfect group out there
on the plain looking at them,
00:40:24.12\00:40:26.02
"Wow,
00:40:26.05\00:40:27.39
who are these people?
00:40:27.42\00:40:28.76
They're blessed.
They are a blessing.
00:40:28.79\00:40:31.09
It's very clear that
God is working among them."
00:40:31.13\00:40:34.60
We are to reflect the
light of Christ to the world.
00:40:34.63\00:40:36.87
That's what God's
intentions were for Israel.
00:40:36.90\00:40:39.47
They were to be
a beacon of light
00:40:39.50\00:40:41.24
to the rest of this
dark, sinful world around them.
00:40:41.27\00:40:44.24
Isaiah 49:6
expresses this beautifully
00:40:44.27\00:40:47.48
as we see the words there.
00:40:47.51\00:40:49.11
In Isaiah 49:6,
notice what it says here.
00:40:49.14\00:40:52.85
It says, "Indeed, he says,
00:40:52.88\00:40:54.82
it is too small a thing
that you should be my servant
00:40:54.85\00:40:58.05
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
00:40:58.09\00:41:00.22
and to restore the
preserved ones of Israel.
00:41:00.26\00:41:02.92
I will also give you
as a light to the Gentiles
00:41:02.96\00:41:07.16
that you should be my salvation
00:41:07.20\00:41:09.76
to the ends of the earth."
00:41:09.80\00:41:11.53
Can we say amen? Amen.
00:41:11.57\00:41:13.23
Like that's
powerful right there that
00:41:13.27\00:41:14.84
the God of the
universe sees His church,
00:41:14.87\00:41:17.71
sees His people and
says, "You know what?
00:41:17.74\00:41:19.47
You're going to be my salvation.
00:41:19.51\00:41:21.28
You're going to be a
light to the rest of this world.
00:41:21.31\00:41:23.24
You're going to
light this world up,"
00:41:23.28\00:41:24.75
because obviously we know
that light does not come in
00:41:24.78\00:41:27.08
and of ourselves, right?
00:41:27.12\00:41:28.45
We can't create this light.
00:41:28.48\00:41:29.82
It's, kind of, like
the beautiful relationship
00:41:29.85\00:41:31.19
between the sun and the moon.
00:41:31.22\00:41:32.55
God is the light,
00:41:32.59\00:41:33.92
but yet we are to
reflect His light.
00:41:33.96\00:41:35.42
And that's essentially
what Christ was saying
00:41:35.46\00:41:37.36
there in the Sermon on the Mount
00:41:37.39\00:41:38.73
in Matthew Chapter 5,
00:41:38.76\00:41:40.10
when He said, "I am
the light of the world,"
00:41:40.13\00:41:41.46
referring to Himself.
00:41:41.50\00:41:42.83
But He also says
in Matthew 5:14-16,
00:41:42.86\00:41:46.30
He says, "You are
the light of the world.
00:41:46.33\00:41:48.00
A city that is set on
a hill cannot be hidden
00:41:48.04\00:41:50.24
nor do they light a
lamp and put it into a basket
00:41:50.27\00:41:52.87
but on a lampstand
and it gives light to
00:41:52.91\00:41:55.14
who are in the house.
00:41:55.18\00:41:56.51
Let your light
so shine before men
00:41:56.54\00:41:58.45
that you may see your good works
00:41:58.48\00:41:59.81
and glorify...
00:41:59.85\00:42:01.18
that they may
see your good works
00:42:01.22\00:42:02.55
and glorify your
Father in heaven."
00:42:02.58\00:42:05.02
Who's going to
light up this dark world?
00:42:05.05\00:42:07.09
And that's the thing that
00:42:07.12\00:42:08.46
what also
Isaiah is writing there
00:42:08.49\00:42:10.36
and God is inspiring Isaiah
00:42:10.39\00:42:11.73
to write there in Isaiah 60:1-3.
00:42:11.76\00:42:14.53
Essentially it's
what the message is.
00:42:14.56\00:42:16.23
"Arise and shine," it says,
00:42:16.26\00:42:17.60
"for your light has come
and the glory of the Lord
00:42:17.63\00:42:19.83
has risen upon you.
00:42:19.87\00:42:21.20
For behold the
darkness shall cover the earth
00:42:21.24\00:42:23.34
and deep darkness the people."
00:42:23.37\00:42:24.94
That's exactly
what was happening
00:42:24.97\00:42:26.37
in the days of Israel.
00:42:26.41\00:42:27.74
The rest of the world
was covered in darkness,
00:42:27.78\00:42:29.48
covered in apostasy,
covered in false worship,
00:42:29.51\00:42:32.18
covered in pagan practices.
00:42:32.21\00:42:34.12
But yet God says here, He says,
00:42:34.15\00:42:35.62
"But the Lord
will arise over you
00:42:35.65\00:42:37.42
and His glory
will be seen upon you."
00:42:37.45\00:42:39.75
I love this.
00:42:39.79\00:42:41.12
"The Gentiles
shall come to your light
00:42:41.16\00:42:43.96
and kings to the
brightness of your rising."
00:42:43.99\00:42:46.59
Each and every night and
I'll step outside the door,
00:42:46.63\00:42:49.20
I always keep my light
at the end of the house
00:42:49.23\00:42:51.20
on near my vehicles
to try to keep critters
00:42:51.23\00:42:54.20
and people, you know, stray,
00:42:54.24\00:42:55.57
try to encourage
them not to come.
00:42:55.60\00:42:57.44
But yet you
stepped out of that door
00:42:57.47\00:42:58.87
and as soon as I
stepped out into that light,
00:42:58.91\00:43:00.84
I promise you it seems like
00:43:00.88\00:43:02.21
every bug in the
county is right to that light
00:43:02.24\00:43:05.48
and they're flying all over me.
00:43:05.51\00:43:06.85
Guess what?
00:43:06.88\00:43:08.22
The Gentiles
are going to be like
00:43:08.25\00:43:09.58
those beautiful
bugs coming to our light.
00:43:09.62\00:43:11.25
That's what God said.
00:43:11.29\00:43:12.95
That's what
we're seeing right here
00:43:12.99\00:43:14.56
in this beautiful passage
00:43:14.59\00:43:15.92
that Moses is
telling the people saying,
00:43:15.96\00:43:18.73
"You're not just
some ordinary people.
00:43:18.76\00:43:21.06
God has chose you.
00:43:21.10\00:43:23.40
You're God's special people."
00:43:23.43\00:43:24.87
What's the title of this again?
00:43:24.90\00:43:26.40
For what nation
is there so great,
00:43:26.43\00:43:28.30
point to one, He says,
00:43:28.34\00:43:29.67
"Tell me, which
other nation is so great?"
00:43:29.70\00:43:32.17
Not only this
00:43:32.21\00:43:33.54
but they were also
to be a people to bring
00:43:33.58\00:43:36.28
about the knowledge of
the one true God, right?
00:43:36.31\00:43:40.02
They would be a blessing,
00:43:40.05\00:43:41.38
they would be a beacon of light,
00:43:41.42\00:43:42.75
but in the process of
all of this light shining
00:43:42.78\00:43:44.59
that they're doing that
00:43:44.62\00:43:45.95
as they were
called by God to do so.
00:43:45.99\00:43:47.92
They were also to
bring about the knowledge
00:43:47.96\00:43:49.76
and the reality that
while they're all serving
00:43:49.79\00:43:51.89
this false pagan gods, Israel
was serving the one true God.
00:43:51.93\00:43:55.43
Israel was
worshiping and serving God
00:43:55.46\00:43:57.13
who created the cosmos,
00:43:57.17\00:43:58.53
the Lord of the
heavens and the earth.
00:43:58.57\00:43:59.97
But the pagans right
here worshiping rocks
00:44:00.00\00:44:01.87
and stones and wood and demons.
00:44:01.90\00:44:03.54
And we can read that
there in Deuteronomy 32:17,
00:44:03.57\00:44:06.78
Psalm 106:37, it literally says,
00:44:06.81\00:44:09.44
"They are worshiping demons.
00:44:09.48\00:44:11.01
They were sacrificing
their kids to demons."
00:44:11.05\00:44:13.92
And this is the type of culture,
00:44:13.95\00:44:15.58
this is the type of religion
00:44:15.62\00:44:17.35
but yet the God of Israel,
00:44:17.39\00:44:19.35
the Christian God that
00:44:19.39\00:44:20.72
we serve is set apart
00:44:20.76\00:44:22.09
from all of
those false pagan gods,
00:44:22.12\00:44:23.46
which we know who's
behind all that demon sacrifice?
00:44:23.49\00:44:26.33
It's the devil himself, right?
00:44:26.36\00:44:28.03
Deuteronomy...
00:44:28.06\00:44:29.46
Excuse me, let's go on
down here to John 17:3.
00:44:29.50\00:44:32.43
We've read this many times.
00:44:32.47\00:44:33.80
Jesus makes it clear,
00:44:33.84\00:44:35.27
"And this is eternal
life that they may know you,
00:44:35.30\00:44:37.71
the only true
God and Jesus Christ,
00:44:37.74\00:44:40.58
whom You have sent."
00:44:40.61\00:44:41.94
Why has God placed
His people in this world?
00:44:41.98\00:44:43.71
What type of light
are we supposed to be?
00:44:43.75\00:44:45.61
We're supposed to be a
reflection of that light.
00:44:45.65\00:44:49.48
We are supposed to show forth
00:44:49.52\00:44:50.95
who the one true God really
is and that's the ultimate goal.
00:44:50.99\00:44:54.86
This is eternal life.
00:44:54.89\00:44:56.26
Colossians 1:27, "To them God
00:44:56.29\00:44:58.73
will to make known,"
00:44:58.76\00:45:00.66
I love this, "what are
the riches of the glory
00:45:00.70\00:45:03.43
of this mystery
among the Gentiles?
00:45:03.47\00:45:05.83
What is the mystery
among the Gentiles?"
00:45:05.87\00:45:07.87
It's no longer a mystery. Why?
00:45:07.90\00:45:09.57
Because it says,
which is Christ in you,
00:45:09.60\00:45:12.04
the hope of glory.
00:45:12.07\00:45:13.41
It becomes clear
in us, God's people,
00:45:13.44\00:45:15.68
that's what God
wanted Israel to be.
00:45:15.71\00:45:17.45
That's what Moses
is saying in verses 5-9
00:45:17.48\00:45:20.42
of Deuteronomy Chapter 4.
00:45:20.45\00:45:21.78
You know what?
00:45:21.82\00:45:23.15
I go back to the title,
00:45:23.18\00:45:24.52
For What Nation
is There So Great?
00:45:24.55\00:45:26.15
And I want to say for us today,
what people are there so great?
00:45:26.19\00:45:29.99
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:45:30.03\00:45:31.69
Christians all across this world
00:45:31.73\00:45:33.16
who profess the name and
character of Jesus Christ.
00:45:33.19\00:45:36.06
Are you living up to that light?
00:45:36.10\00:45:37.43
Are you being that
light to those around you?
00:45:37.47\00:45:39.97
There's still time.
00:45:40.00\00:45:41.34
Jesus is coming soon,
00:45:41.37\00:45:42.70
be that light today for someone.
00:45:42.74\00:45:44.57
Amen.
00:45:44.61\00:45:46.27
Praise the Lord, awesome
study as far as I'm concern,
00:45:46.31\00:45:49.51
a lot of things
is coming out here
00:45:49.54\00:45:50.88
to really help me to understand.
00:45:50.91\00:45:52.71
Thursday's
lesson here talks about
00:45:52.75\00:45:54.38
"Your Wisdom and
Your Understanding."
00:45:54.42\00:45:56.79
It encouraged us to
go back to Deuteronomy 4
00:45:56.82\00:45:59.75
and read verses 1-9.
00:45:59.79\00:46:01.56
Well each one has
been covered here.
00:46:01.59\00:46:03.63
I jotted it down,
00:46:03.66\00:46:04.99
each one have four, five verses.
00:46:05.03\00:46:06.36
You had, you had, right?
00:46:06.39\00:46:07.73
Brother James
Rafferty had several there.
00:46:07.76\00:46:10.27
Shelley had a
couple... It's all good.
00:46:10.30\00:46:12.23
If you don't mind,
I'm going to highlight,
00:46:12.27\00:46:13.84
I'm gonna take
a couple of words.
00:46:13.87\00:46:15.34
Just couple out of...
00:46:15.37\00:46:17.21
instead to read
all one through nine.
00:46:17.24\00:46:19.14
Verse 1 Deuteronomy 4,
00:46:19.17\00:46:20.81
says this, "I
will give you statues
00:46:20.84\00:46:22.81
and judgments, which I teach you
00:46:22.84\00:46:24.91
and to do them."
00:46:24.95\00:46:26.28
Look at the
principal, to do them.
00:46:26.31\00:46:27.65
That's right.
00:46:27.68\00:46:29.02
Verse 2, "That ye may keep
00:46:29.05\00:46:30.39
the commandments
of the Lord your God,
00:46:30.42\00:46:31.75
I command you."
00:46:31.79\00:46:33.12
Notice that.
00:46:33.15\00:46:34.49
Skip down to 5, "Behold,
00:46:34.52\00:46:35.86
I have taught you statutes
and judgments and notice that
00:46:35.89\00:46:38.79
you should do them in the land
whether you go to possess it."
00:46:38.83\00:46:42.06
Verse 6, "Keep
therefore and do them."
00:46:42.10\00:46:44.70
You know that's your
wisdom and understanding.
00:46:44.73\00:46:47.07
And if you go down to verse 9,
00:46:47.10\00:46:48.44
it quickly says,
"Only take heed to thyself
00:46:48.47\00:46:50.21
and keep thy soul diligently,
lest thou forget these things.
00:46:50.24\00:46:53.74
Teach them to thy
sons and thy son's sons."
00:46:53.78\00:46:56.78
So I mean, that really
00:46:56.81\00:46:58.15
just tells us
right there real quickly
00:46:58.18\00:46:59.91
what God purposed He has for us.
00:46:59.95\00:47:01.98
So we're challenged
with this that we examine.
00:47:02.02\00:47:05.02
And really I think
it can be boiled down
00:47:05.05\00:47:06.62
to just some real
simple words here,
00:47:06.65\00:47:08.72
three things that God
would have us simply to do.
00:47:08.76\00:47:11.29
He wants us to number one,
00:47:11.33\00:47:12.76
is to obey and
to follow and to do.
00:47:12.79\00:47:16.87
So if we want
to do at simplicity
00:47:16.90\00:47:18.23
that's what we want to
do, obey, follow and to do.
00:47:18.27\00:47:22.47
First God's promises to us...
00:47:22.50\00:47:24.84
I know it's,
kind of, interesting.
00:47:24.87\00:47:26.31
If we obey, right?
00:47:26.34\00:47:27.71
All the promises God
has made are on conditional
00:47:27.74\00:47:30.45
if we are obedient,
no one likes that word.
00:47:30.48\00:47:33.48
I kind of like
that word personally.
00:47:33.52\00:47:35.18
If we obey God said,
00:47:35.22\00:47:36.55
"I'm going to bless you for it."
00:47:36.58\00:47:38.39
And we realized 1 Samuel,
00:47:38.42\00:47:39.75
probably one of the
passage you probably memorize
00:47:39.79\00:47:42.02
or you heard growing up there.
00:47:42.06\00:47:43.59
1 Samuel 15:22, "To obey
is better than to sacrifice."
00:47:43.63\00:47:49.06
And so as we look this over,
00:47:49.10\00:47:50.43
I'm going to give you
a couple of verses here,
00:47:50.47\00:47:52.83
just go over it,
jot them down as quickly
00:47:52.87\00:47:54.27
as you can
there, 1 Samuel 15:22.
00:47:54.30\00:47:57.97
I think we just
did that one there.
00:47:58.01\00:47:59.34
Yeah, Jeremiah
7:23, about obey, it says,
00:47:59.37\00:48:01.91
"Obey my voice and
I will be your God."
00:48:01.94\00:48:05.58
Now, do you notice what it says?
00:48:05.61\00:48:07.45
"Obey my voice and then," what?
00:48:07.48\00:48:09.78
"Then I will be your God."
Obey and I will be your God.
00:48:09.82\00:48:14.49
There's something
there that's tied together.
00:48:14.52\00:48:16.66
1 Peter 1:22, it says here,
00:48:16.69\00:48:19.43
"Purify your souls
in obeying the truth."
00:48:19.46\00:48:22.50
Again, I'm associating,
00:48:22.53\00:48:23.87
I'm looking,
"Purify your souls in what?
00:48:23.90\00:48:26.43
And again obeying."
00:48:26.47\00:48:28.17
Souls become purified
by obeying what is truth.
00:48:28.20\00:48:32.04
There's an importance
to know what truth is.
00:48:32.07\00:48:34.38
People are like,
"We all have truth.
00:48:34.41\00:48:35.74
We have truth."
00:48:35.78\00:48:37.11
The Bible is
clear what truth is.
00:48:37.15\00:48:38.48
We need to find it out.
00:48:38.51\00:48:39.85
First of all, we remember
the truth is Jesus Christ,
00:48:39.88\00:48:41.22
isn't that
wonderful by beholding Him.
00:48:41.25\00:48:42.75
Now, there's so much that needs
to be as we talked about being
00:48:42.78\00:48:46.45
obedient to God.
00:48:46.49\00:48:48.26
And then if
you're obedient to God,
00:48:48.29\00:48:50.16
then you're
willing to follow Him.
00:48:50.19\00:48:52.19
You know, where
He says, "Deny self,
00:48:52.23\00:48:53.63
take up the
cross and follow Him."
00:48:53.66\00:48:55.56
If you don't deny yourself,
00:48:55.60\00:48:57.60
you're not about
to take up the cross.
00:48:57.63\00:48:59.63
You're not about to
follow Him until self is dead.
00:48:59.67\00:49:02.37
Isn't that right?
00:49:02.40\00:49:03.74
I mean, deny self
is the first thing
00:49:03.77\00:49:05.14
and then we're
willing to follow Him.
00:49:05.17\00:49:06.81
Then notice about being 1
Peter or yeah, Matthew 8:22.
00:49:06.84\00:49:12.01
Sorry, Matthew 8:22, He
says, "Jesus said unto him..."
00:49:12.05\00:49:15.58
I like that. It's just a word.
00:49:15.62\00:49:16.95
I'm picking out a
couple of words here.
00:49:16.99\00:49:18.32
It says, "Follow Me."
00:49:18.35\00:49:19.85
Now, what would we do right,
00:49:19.89\00:49:21.79
if Jesus comes to us
and He says, "Follow Me?"
00:49:21.82\00:49:24.26
I mean, there's
a lot of situations
00:49:24.29\00:49:25.69
that went on that
Jesus just came up to the man
00:49:25.73\00:49:27.33
and He said, "Follow
Me," and they obeyed.
00:49:27.36\00:49:29.46
Are we obeying God
today? Just follow Him.
00:49:29.50\00:49:31.83
John 12:26, He says, notice this
00:49:31.87\00:49:35.47
"If any man serve
Me, let him follow Me."
00:49:35.50\00:49:39.71
So for serving
Jesus today, we must be...
00:49:39.74\00:49:42.91
We have to follow Him
00:49:42.94\00:49:44.28
in order to really to serve Him.
00:49:44.31\00:49:46.41
2 Timothy 2:22, it says,
00:49:46.45\00:49:48.85
"Follow righteousness,
faith, and charity."
00:49:48.88\00:49:53.62
Are we really doing that
today by the grace of God?
00:49:53.66\00:49:55.89
It's all about this word.
00:49:55.92\00:49:57.26
It just seem like
00:49:57.29\00:49:58.63
it's one of the word that
00:49:58.66\00:50:00.00
Jesus just kept putting
out there all the time was,
00:50:00.03\00:50:01.93
"Follow Me, follow Me."
00:50:01.96\00:50:04.30
Walk the way He walked.
00:50:04.33\00:50:06.60
If we do it we can't
go wrong. We follow Him.
00:50:06.63\00:50:08.64
We walked away that He walked,
we're going to be all right,
00:50:08.67\00:50:11.07
based upon the Word of God.
00:50:11.11\00:50:12.47
Luke 5:11 says,
"They forsook all,"
00:50:12.51\00:50:16.24
and what did they do?
00:50:16.28\00:50:17.61
"And they followed Him.
00:50:17.65\00:50:18.98
We had to be willing to do what?
00:50:19.01\00:50:20.42
Forsake all and
then we will follow Him.
00:50:20.45\00:50:23.42
So obey, follow and then
do, the third thing is to do.
00:50:23.45\00:50:28.06
Doers, James says what?
00:50:28.09\00:50:29.49
1:22, "Be ye doers of
the word and not," what?
00:50:29.52\00:50:32.33
"Hearers only."
00:50:32.36\00:50:33.70
Yes, we have lot of hearers,
00:50:33.73\00:50:35.06
we got a lot of
hearers out there,
00:50:35.10\00:50:37.07
right, and very
few doers of the Word.
00:50:37.10\00:50:39.27
But Jesus says,
00:50:39.30\00:50:40.64
"I want you to be
a doer of the Word
00:50:40.67\00:50:42.84
and not hearers only."
00:50:42.87\00:50:44.21
3 John 3:11, again, just
try to just jot them down,
00:50:44.24\00:50:46.64
we're going quickly with them.
00:50:46.68\00:50:48.01
3 John 3:11 says, "He
that doeth good is of God."
00:50:48.04\00:50:51.85
So now we can tell
the difference here.
00:50:51.88\00:50:54.02
Don't just be any kind of a doer
00:50:54.05\00:50:55.68
but if you're doing good,
00:50:55.72\00:50:57.59
notice that, then you are what?
00:50:57.62\00:50:59.85
It is...
00:50:59.89\00:51:01.22
The good that
comes can't be from us,
00:51:01.26\00:51:02.59
it's got to be from
God who lives in us.
00:51:02.62\00:51:04.76
I think that's what
the children of Israel,
00:51:04.79\00:51:06.13
somebody brought out here,
is we need to have Him within.
00:51:06.16\00:51:08.70
That's our hope
00:51:08.73\00:51:10.07
and that changes can take place.
00:51:10.10\00:51:12.27
And it says again,
read Deuteronomy 4:6,
00:51:12.30\00:51:15.07
I'm just going to
read that one verse here
00:51:15.10\00:51:16.67
because it says an awful lot.
00:51:16.71\00:51:18.21
What does it say about
wisdom and understanding?
00:51:18.24\00:51:20.31
I need wisdom, I
need understanding
00:51:20.34\00:51:22.34
and again you go
Bible definitions of it.
00:51:22.38\00:51:24.55
But notice what this
says there in Deuteronomy 4:6,
00:51:24.58\00:51:27.62
"Keep therefore, and do them
00:51:27.65\00:51:29.05
for this is your wisdom
and your understanding."
00:51:29.08\00:51:33.39
So what's our wisdom and
what's our understanding?
00:51:33.42\00:51:36.59
Those things that God has
left keep them and do them.
00:51:36.62\00:51:39.49
What God has left in
His law for us, do them.
00:51:39.53\00:51:42.63
"In the sight of the nations,
which shall hear" notice this,
00:51:42.66\00:51:45.70
"all these statutes, and say,
00:51:45.73\00:51:47.54
surely this great nation is wise
00:51:47.57\00:51:50.11
and understanding people."
00:51:50.14\00:51:51.67
I like that because
He's talking about here
00:51:51.71\00:51:54.58
wisdom and understanding.
00:51:54.61\00:51:56.85
You know, we need wisdom.
00:51:56.88\00:51:58.21
I need wisdom. I
need the understanding.
00:51:58.25\00:52:00.28
The Lord taught them statutes
and He taught them judgments
00:52:00.32\00:52:04.95
and He said, "But
wisdom and understanding
00:52:04.99\00:52:08.09
would come by keeping them."
00:52:08.12\00:52:09.72
Right? By keeping it.
00:52:09.76\00:52:11.46
Do we really keep
them the way of God?
00:52:11.49\00:52:12.86
By obeying them.
00:52:12.89\00:52:14.80
Obedience is our
wisdom and our understanding.
00:52:14.83\00:52:19.23
You know, Israel had
God-given system of laws,
00:52:19.27\00:52:23.34
probably the best right ever.
00:52:23.37\00:52:24.81
I mean they really had
00:52:24.84\00:52:26.17
a lot of them in there, in fact.
00:52:26.21\00:52:27.54
But what good with all of them
00:52:27.58\00:52:29.14
if Israel didn't
do or follow them?
00:52:29.18\00:52:32.21
They were to live out
00:52:32.25\00:52:33.58
these truths in their
heart and their lives.
00:52:33.62\00:52:34.95
They were to show it, you know,
00:52:34.98\00:52:36.48
in their lifestyle, talking
to other nations and, you know.
00:52:36.52\00:52:39.92
Let those truths be
lived out in our lives.
00:52:39.95\00:52:42.92
Not so much all the time.
00:52:42.96\00:52:44.29
People say,
"Well, let's get down.
00:52:44.33\00:52:45.66
We'll study what
the Word of God says."
00:52:45.69\00:52:47.03
Let Him come into our hearts.
Let Him come into our lives.
00:52:47.06\00:52:48.80
You don't have to
say anything about it,
00:52:48.83\00:52:51.20
people's going to see
that Christ lives in you,
00:52:51.23\00:52:53.40
which is our hope of glory.
00:52:53.44\00:52:55.84
God had given Israel we talk
about them a place, et cetera.
00:52:55.87\00:53:00.18
I'm going to give you a place,
00:53:00.21\00:53:01.54
be forever if you're willing
to obey, listen to My voice.
00:53:01.58\00:53:04.95
He gave us laws.
00:53:04.98\00:53:06.31
He gave us symbols in the Bible,
00:53:06.35\00:53:07.68
we know that, He
gave us prophecy.
00:53:07.72\00:53:09.45
They all pointed to the Savior,
but notice, but you know,
00:53:09.48\00:53:12.72
that they were all
taught Jesus Christ,
00:53:12.75\00:53:14.89
but what when Jesus
came, what happened?
00:53:14.92\00:53:17.09
They didn't even
recognize Him, right?
00:53:17.13\00:53:18.73
They missed the whole thing
when Jesus came to his own,
00:53:18.76\00:53:21.60
He says, the Bible
said there in Isaiah 53.
00:53:21.63\00:53:24.87
"He was like a root in," what?
00:53:24.90\00:53:27.24
"In dry ground.
00:53:27.27\00:53:28.60
They said they saw him,
00:53:28.64\00:53:30.37
they saw no beauty in Him
that they should desire Him
00:53:30.41\00:53:33.74
and so they desired Him not."
00:53:33.78\00:53:35.71
John 1:11.
00:53:35.74\00:53:37.81
You know, I think, probably,
what people need to see,
00:53:37.85\00:53:39.81
don't you think, is
more of Jesus in us,
00:53:39.85\00:53:42.62
really living out in us.
00:53:42.65\00:53:44.89
Not so much of words
00:53:44.92\00:53:46.25
and not all the
laws and all the rules,
00:53:46.29\00:53:47.82
not all the regularity,
00:53:47.86\00:53:49.19
but is Jesus really living
in our hearts and in our lives?
00:53:49.22\00:53:53.29
I think that's so
important to hear.
00:53:53.33\00:53:56.00
You know, as we look
at this, and we come down
00:53:56.03\00:53:57.93
to the end of
this lesson right here,
00:53:57.97\00:54:00.40
we know that God sent prophets,
00:54:00.44\00:54:01.90
we know that
God sent messengers,
00:54:01.94\00:54:04.37
then most time
they didn't listen.
00:54:04.41\00:54:06.88
I'm just wondering today,
00:54:06.91\00:54:08.24
are we really
listening to the Word of God?
00:54:08.28\00:54:11.28
Are we really listening
to His messengers today
00:54:11.31\00:54:13.98
because I like it?
00:54:14.02\00:54:15.42
Most of you have
pointed it out here that this...
00:54:15.45\00:54:18.05
Our faith is not
just an ordinary faith.
00:54:18.09\00:54:20.36
The message we have to give
00:54:20.39\00:54:21.72
is not an
ordinary message at all.
00:54:21.76\00:54:24.59
It's a life-saving message.
00:54:24.63\00:54:26.33
It's a message to
go into all the world.
00:54:26.36\00:54:28.26
It's a testing
truth for this hour
00:54:28.30\00:54:30.43
that we are living in.
00:54:30.47\00:54:32.17
And we cannot just take it like
it's just any other message.
00:54:32.20\00:54:35.60
It's special.
00:54:35.64\00:54:37.01
And so God gives us the grace
00:54:37.04\00:54:38.37
and strength to
be able to see that,
00:54:38.41\00:54:40.68
that we have not depart
from the commandments of God
00:54:40.71\00:54:43.78
and follow the
ways of the heathen,
00:54:43.81\00:54:46.11
but follow the ways of God.
00:54:46.15\00:54:48.22
And so I believe that God's
00:54:48.25\00:54:50.02
going to do great
things for this movement.
00:54:50.05\00:54:51.99
I know that He is
00:54:52.02\00:54:53.36
and there's greater
things on the horizon.
00:54:53.39\00:54:55.39
I just want to be ready
and I know each one of you do
00:54:55.42\00:54:57.33
and those of you at home.
00:54:57.36\00:54:58.69
I know you want to be ready
00:54:58.73\00:55:00.06
so that God can use you
in a very special way to do
00:55:00.10\00:55:03.87
what He would have you do
00:55:03.90\00:55:05.23
is to get this
message out to the world,
00:55:05.27\00:55:07.00
warn them that He's coming soon,
00:55:07.04\00:55:08.70
so that we can
spend eternity with Him.
00:55:08.74\00:55:10.57
That excites me to think about,
00:55:10.61\00:55:12.57
there's something better than
what this world has to offer.
00:55:12.61\00:55:15.94
And I need that right now.
00:55:15.98\00:55:17.31
I don't know
about each one of you,
00:55:17.35\00:55:18.68
but I need that assurance.
00:55:18.71\00:55:20.05
I need salvation
on the Word of God.
00:55:20.08\00:55:21.68
There's something
better that He has for us.
00:55:21.72\00:55:24.25
And we're not to
follow after the world
00:55:24.29\00:55:25.65
or things in the world,
but we'll follow Jesus Christ.
00:55:25.69\00:55:29.19
Don't lose sight of that.
00:55:29.22\00:55:30.89
Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ
00:55:30.93\00:55:32.63
because I believe
with all my heart,
00:55:32.66\00:55:34.00
He's coming soon.
00:55:34.03\00:55:35.36
And we need to be ready for that
00:55:35.40\00:55:36.73
great wonderful day
00:55:36.77\00:55:38.10
when He should come
in the clouds of glory.
00:55:38.13\00:55:39.93
And that we need to what?
00:55:39.97\00:55:41.30
To obey is to
better than to sacrifice.
00:55:41.34\00:55:44.71
Amen.
00:55:44.74\00:55:46.07
Thank you to each
one of you, great study.
00:55:46.11\00:55:48.44
Let me give you each few seconds
00:55:48.48\00:55:50.35
for a closing thought.
00:55:50.38\00:55:51.98
Wow, I wasn't ready for that.
00:55:52.01\00:55:54.05
I was just sowing across.
00:55:54.08\00:55:56.99
There's so many thoughts here
00:55:57.02\00:55:58.35
that have come
out of the lesson,
00:55:58.39\00:56:00.66
but I was really thinking about
00:56:00.69\00:56:02.76
I'll just have to go on
00:56:02.79\00:56:04.36
the keep, keep, keep, keep, keep
00:56:04.39\00:56:06.09
and blessed, blessed,
blessed, blessed, blessed
00:56:06.13\00:56:07.96
and be a blessing
and be a blessing.
00:56:08.00\00:56:09.33
And you can't
keep something that
00:56:09.36\00:56:10.83
hasn't been given to you first.
00:56:10.87\00:56:12.23
So God wants to give it to us,
00:56:12.27\00:56:13.60
so we can be a
blessing so we can give it.
00:56:13.64\00:56:15.04
I know I'm still
a little bit there
00:56:15.07\00:56:16.40
but I'm just going...
00:56:16.44\00:56:17.77
That's where my
mind is right now.
00:56:17.81\00:56:19.14
Amen.
00:56:19.17\00:56:20.51
On Tuesday we talked about
cleave to the Lord your God,
00:56:20.54\00:56:22.28
and what an
incredible privilege we have.
00:56:22.31\00:56:25.11
No matter what
you're going through,
00:56:25.15\00:56:26.48
no matter what storm you're in,
00:56:26.51\00:56:27.85
no matter what
temptation you're facing,
00:56:27.88\00:56:29.68
reach out and
grasp the hand of God.
00:56:29.72\00:56:31.75
Amen.
00:56:31.79\00:56:33.76
Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai
00:56:33.79\00:56:37.39
Eloheinu Adonai E ad.
00:56:37.43\00:56:41.20
The Lord our God is one,
00:56:41.23\00:56:44.20
and if we will
allow Him to be our God,
00:56:44.23\00:56:46.70
He will set us apart
from the rest of the world
00:56:46.74\00:56:48.80
to be a beacon of light for Him.
00:56:48.84\00:56:50.27
Amen. That's a beautiful.
00:56:50.31\00:56:51.87
I'm thinking of Matthew 5:13-16,
00:56:51.91\00:56:54.08
I'm not going to
read all the verses,
00:56:54.11\00:56:55.44
just a couple
highlights quickly.
00:56:55.48\00:56:56.85
"Ye are the salt
of the earth." Right?
00:56:56.88\00:56:58.98
"Ye are the light of the world.
00:56:59.01\00:57:00.88
Don't hide that light.
00:57:00.92\00:57:02.52
Let your light shine before
men that you may glorify God."
00:57:02.55\00:57:06.19
Amen and amen.
00:57:06.22\00:57:07.56
And I just want to remind you
00:57:07.59\00:57:09.46
that we all have
family traditions we love,
00:57:09.49\00:57:12.93
but if we have
religious traditions,
00:57:12.96\00:57:17.17
they nullify the Word of God.
00:57:17.20\00:57:20.47
They don't honor God,
00:57:20.50\00:57:21.97
so don't add to or
take away from God's Word.
00:57:22.00\00:57:24.87
Join us next week.
00:57:24.91\00:57:26.61
We are going to
discuss Law and Grace.
00:57:26.64\00:57:31.48
Bye-bye. Amen.
00:57:31.51\00:57:33.31