Hello Friends, my
name is James Rafferty
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and welcome to 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel.
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We are so glad you joined us.
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The Lesson for this
Quarter is entitled:
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In the Crucible with Christ.
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We are on Week 3 which
is entitled: The Bird Cage.
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If you would like to
get a Sabbath School Lesson,
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you can go to:
3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com
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you can get your own lesson
00:00:19.11\00:00:20.68
and also look at the other
Programs you may have missed.
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So, we're going to be
studying the bird cage.
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What does that mean?
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Don't go away,
we'll be right back.
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Music...
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James: Hello Friends and welcome
to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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My name is James Rafferty
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and we are in Lesson
Number 3: The Bird Cage
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of the Quarter for
this week which is entitled:
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In the Crucible with Christ.
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To my left is Pastor Ryan Day.
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Ryan: It's
always good to be here
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and my Lesson is
entitled: Bitter Waters.
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Panel: Hmmm...
James: Bitter Waters...
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and Pastor John Lomacang,
what's your Lesson entitled?
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Lomacang: The Great
Controversy in the Desert...
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wow... it's going
to be very interesting.
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James: Very interesting...
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Pastor John
Dinzey, glad you're with us
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what's your Lesson entitled?
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Dinzey: Thank
you, it's Wednesday:
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An Enduring Legacy.
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James: An Enduring
Legacy... all right...
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and Jill Morikone, you have
the final lesson for the week,
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Thursday's Lesson,
what's it entitled?
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Jill: I do...
it's: Trial by Fire.
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We're going to look at seven
keys to walk through trials.
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Panel: Nice.
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James: Okay,
looking forward to that.
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James: All right, well
we are starting out here
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in the birdcage
and before we do that,
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we want to have
just a word of prayer...
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just to ask the Holy
Spirit to be here with us,
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Ryan, would you
like to have our prayer?
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Ryan: Absolutely, let's pray.
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"Our Father in heaven,
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once again we are gathered
here on this Panel for You Lord.
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We recognize that
Your Word is lifesaving
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and that's why we are
here to get to know You more
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and Your will for our life.
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So, as all of our
Viewers are watching now
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and we are gathered
here studying together,
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Lord, pour out Your
Spirit upon us, Lord.
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Draw us closer to You
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and... and... and to
a better understanding
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of Your will for our life
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and may we be drawn closer
to each other in the process
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as we study, we ask
in Jesus' holy name,
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amen. "
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Panel: Amen.
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James: Well,
our Lesson Study has
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a number of Scripture
readings for this week,
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Exodus 14, 15,
also a part of 17...
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Proverbs 3... Luke chapter 4...
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and 1st Peter chapter 1
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and we're going to be
looking at the memory text
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which is 1st Peter
chapter 1 and verse 6.
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Let's just take a look
there and read this text.
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"In this, you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while,
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if need be, you have been
grieved by various trials... "
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and now... wanted to emphasize
that little phrase there,
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"If need be... "
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Panel: Laughter.
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James: I... I
remember a man telling me
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when I... earlier on
in my Christian experience
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that we need to pray
sometimes the prayer:
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"Lord, save me
and make it easy. "
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Panel: Laughter.
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James: "But if you
can't make it easy,
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save me anyway. "
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Right, and it reminded
me of this Bible verse.
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It's a Biblical principle.
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In other words, we
are greatly rejoicing
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in the salvation that God
has given us in Jesus Christ.
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Right, but we might be
going through some trials
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if they're needed
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and sometimes trials are needed
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and of course, we talked about
it in our last Session together
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about learning to trust God...
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learning to trust God
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and this week's Lesson...
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it opens up with
this illustration
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and it's taken from a book
called: The Ministry of Healing
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on Page 472
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and this illustration is the
illustration of a caged bird.
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It says, "In the
full light of day,
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and in the hearing of
the music of other voices,
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the caged bird
will not sing the song
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that his master
seeks to teach him.
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He learns a snatch of
this, a trill of that,
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but never a
separate and entire melody.
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But the master
covers the cage... "
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that brings darkness,
right? Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
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James: "And places it where the
bird will listen to the one song
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he has to sing. "
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So, removes it from the
presence of other distractions.
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"In the dark, he tries and
tries again to sing that song
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until it is learned,
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and he breaks
forth in perfect melody.
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Then the bird is brought forth,
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and ever after he can
sing that song in the light.
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Thus God deals
with His children.
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He has a song to teach us,
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and when we have learned it
amid the shadows of affliction
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we can sing it ever afterward. "
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Panel: Hmmm...
James: Praise God.
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So this is an analogy...
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basically an analogy of the
lesson for Sabbath and Sunday.
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It's just the way that
God works in our lives...
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the times He's working to
bring us into an experience
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and, of course, song is
used over and over in the Bible
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to denote an experience
that we have with the Lord.
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We go through an
experience... we sing a song.
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You know, God's people
went through the experience...
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we'll talk about
this I'm sure of Moses...
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you know, taking
them out of Egypt...
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taking them through the
Red Sea and they had a song...
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a song of Moses and the Lamb
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which is actually a song
that God's redeemed will sing
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in the Book of Revelation.
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"So, what examples can
you think of in the Bible"
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the lesson asks "in which
God Himself leads His people
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into experiences that He
knows will include suffering.
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What do you think were the new
songs He wanted them to sing?"
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Now, in Revelation chapter 15,
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we have the song
of Moses and the Lamb
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and of course, we know that
that's the song of deliverance
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but I want you to
notice what else is here
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in Revelation chapter
15 in relation to the...
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relationship to the song because
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I think it's one of
the most difficult lessons
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we have to learn...
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if not the most difficult
lesson we have to learn
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in all of our
Christian experience,
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Revelation chapter 15
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and let's just
start with verse 2,
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John says, "I saw as it were a
sea of glass mingled with fire:
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and them that had gotten
the victory over the beast,
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and over his
image, and over his mark,
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and over the number of his name,
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stand on the sea of
glass, having the harps of God.
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And they sang the song
of Moses the servant of God,
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and the song of the Lamb,
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saying, 'Great and marvelous are
thy works, Lord God Almighty;
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just and true are thy
ways, thou King of saints.
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Who shall not fear thee, O
lord, and glorify Thy name?
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for Thou only art holy:
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for all nations shall
come and worship before Thee;
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for Thy judgments
are made manifest. '"
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Now, one of the most powerful
things about this song I believe
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is that this song is
the reverse or the opposite
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or I should say
the affirmation of
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a message that is given to God's
people in Revelation chapter 14,
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we call it the
Three Angels' Messages
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and the first angel calls
the whole world to fear God...
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give glory to Him for the
hour of His judgment is come
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and to worship Him
who made heaven and earth
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and the seas and
the fountains of waters
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and there's a lot of
agitation that takes place
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when this message
is given to the world.
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There's a lot of
agitation that takes place,
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in fact, it actually
separates the entire world
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into two basic
camps in the end of time
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for the harvest that takes place
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at the second
coming of Jesus Christ
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and there's one group
of people that have learned
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through
experience to sing the song
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and the way they
learned to sing the song was
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by experiencing or
accepting the everlasting gospel
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because this song comes in the
wake of the everlasting gospel.
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Panel: Right.
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James: So, just go slip back
just a few pages in Revelation
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to Revelation chapter 7.
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Revelation chapter 7
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and then we'll just try
to tie this up as far as
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the point that's
being made here I think
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in the book of Revelation
and throughout the Scriptures,
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we're going to look at in Exodus
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and that is:
Revelation chapter 7 verse 9.
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John is right at the
end of sealing God's people,
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He sees a great multitude,
which no man could number,
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of all nations, and kindreds,
and peoples, and tongues,
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and they stand before the
throne, and before the Lamb,
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and they are
clothed with white robes,
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and palms in their hands;
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and they cried
with a loud voice,
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saying, 'Salvation to
our Sabbath keeping...
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our tithe paying and our... '"
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no, "Salvation to our God. "
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and this is the lesson
that's so difficult for us
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because often in our experience,
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we have a natural
tendency to depend upon works.
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You see that all
through the Bible.
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Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
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James: We have
this natural tendency
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to depend upon ourselves.
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That's the... the natural
tendency of the human nature.
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In fact, when you study about...
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in the Bible, in the
Old and New Testament
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about Phariseeism or
about righteousness by works,
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you begin to learn that it's...
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that the religion
of the human heart
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is the religion
of our human nature
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and God knows that
our fallen human natures
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are tending to our
creature merit... He knows that
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and so, He does
everything He can
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to bring us to
places in our experience
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where we realize
there's no way out of this
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in human dependence.
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The only way we're
going to get out of this
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is through God and we can
give glory to Him and honor Him.
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Well, that's what we
find in Sunday's Lesson.
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Sunday is called: To the
Promised Land via a Dead End.
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Panel: Laughter.
00:09:24.39\00:09:25.73
James: Well, the Promised
Land is beyond the dead end,
00:09:25.76\00:09:27.33
how are we going to get there
if You led us to a dead end?
00:09:27.40\00:09:30.60
Well, God wants to lead us to
the dead end of self-reliance.
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God wants to lead us to the
dead end of self-sufficiency.
00:09:33.64\00:09:36.54
He wants to lead
us to the dead end
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of trusting in ourselves.
00:09:37.94\00:09:39.27
Our natural tendency
is to trust in ourselves
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and our resources
and what we can do
00:09:41.38\00:09:43.11
and some of us are
better at that than others.
00:09:43.14\00:09:45.55
I mean, some of us
have more resources,
00:09:45.58\00:09:47.08
some of us have more talents,
00:09:47.12\00:09:48.52
some of us have
more capabilities
00:09:48.55\00:09:49.98
and so we... we may be more
inclined to trust in ourselves
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because we're wiser and because
we're more able than others are
00:09:53.02\00:09:56.73
but either way, this is
where God is leading us...
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to the dead end of ourself...
00:10:00.76\00:10:02.60
the dead end of self-reliance.
00:10:02.66\00:10:04.43
Now, that can come
through difficulty at times.
00:10:04.47\00:10:08.74
The... the nation God
was pulling out of Egypt
00:10:08.77\00:10:11.57
needed to come to this place
where they were fully surrounded
00:10:11.61\00:10:15.74
there was no way out
00:10:15.81\00:10:17.15
so that they could put
their reliance upon God.
00:10:17.18\00:10:18.88
And that's what we see
when we look in Revelation
00:10:18.91\00:10:20.75
or excuse me, Exodus chapter 14,
00:10:20.78\00:10:22.55
verse 10 says,
"When Pharaoh drew near,
00:10:22.58\00:10:24.69
the children of
Israel lifted up their eyes,
00:10:24.72\00:10:26.09
and, behold, the
Egyptians marched after them;
00:10:26.12\00:10:28.39
and they were very afraid:
00:10:28.42\00:10:30.16
the children of Israel
cried out to the Lord. "
00:10:30.19\00:10:31.59
Why?
00:10:31.63\00:10:32.96
Because they were surrounded
by mountains on one side...
00:10:32.99\00:10:35.36
surrounded by
mountains on the other side,
00:10:35.40\00:10:36.90
they had a desert behind
them where they had come through
00:10:36.93\00:10:38.27
where the Egyptians were coming
00:10:38.30\00:10:39.63
and they had the
Red Sea before them...
00:10:39.67\00:10:41.00
they had no way out.
00:10:41.04\00:10:42.37
They had no way
out of the situation.
00:10:42.40\00:10:44.31
Have you ever
been in a situation
00:10:44.34\00:10:46.57
in life where you feel
like there's no way out?
00:10:46.61\00:10:47.94
Panel: Hmmm...
00:10:47.98\00:10:49.31
James: You can't
turn to the left...
00:10:49.34\00:10:50.68
you can't turn to the right...
00:10:50.71\00:10:52.05
there's no way forward,
you can't go backwards...
00:10:52.08\00:10:53.55
it... it feels like you're going
to get run over any moment,
00:10:53.58\00:10:56.65
there's just nothing
you can do in your life
00:10:56.69\00:10:58.55
is just... it seems
like it's just at an end,
00:10:58.59\00:11:00.42
it's at a dead end.
00:11:00.46\00:11:01.79
Well, that's when God
wants to step in to deliver you.
00:11:01.82\00:11:04.49
That's when God wants to step in
00:11:04.53\00:11:06.19
to become your personal Savior.
00:11:06.23\00:11:07.80
That's when God wants to
show you something better
00:11:07.83\00:11:10.00
than what you have ever
experienced in your life
00:11:10.03\00:11:12.10
and that's what these stories in
the Bible are really all about.
00:11:12.13\00:11:14.97
They're really
all about directing us
00:11:15.00\00:11:17.54
to our dead ends where
God shows what He can do
00:11:17.61\00:11:20.61
in delivering us
from those dead ends.
00:11:20.64\00:11:22.94
And so, in Acts chapter 14,
00:11:23.01\00:11:24.81
we're not going to
read the whole chapter...
00:11:24.85\00:11:26.18
why did God bring the Israelites
to a place where He knew
00:11:26.21\00:11:29.72
they would be terrified.
00:11:29.75\00:11:31.15
Well, let's look at
verse 4 of Exodus chapter 14.
00:11:31.22\00:11:34.62
Exodus chapter 14 and verse 4,
00:11:34.66\00:11:38.59
here's what it says,
00:11:38.63\00:11:40.03
"And I will
harden Pharaoh's heart,
00:11:40.06\00:11:41.40
that he shall follow after them;
00:11:41.43\00:11:42.86
and I will be
honored upon Pharaoh,
00:11:42.90\00:11:45.07
and upon all his host... "
00:11:45.13\00:11:47.24
so, God brings us to
a dead end in our lives
00:11:47.27\00:11:50.77
so that He can be honored.
00:11:50.81\00:11:52.14
Going on... "that the Egyptians
may know that I am the Lord. "
00:11:52.17\00:11:57.15
God brings us to
dead ends in our lives
00:11:57.18\00:11:59.75
so that He can be honored
00:11:59.78\00:12:01.25
and so that we can
know that He is the Lord.
00:12:01.28\00:12:04.39
In fact, look at verse
34 of the same chapter,
00:12:04.42\00:12:07.96
Exodus chapter 14
verse 31, excuse me,
00:12:07.99\00:12:11.86
there's no 34 in this chapter.
00:12:11.89\00:12:13.76
Exodus chapter 14 and verse 31,
00:12:13.80\00:12:15.63
"And Israel saw... "
00:12:15.66\00:12:18.03
as Pharaoh's army
was completely submerged
00:12:18.10\00:12:21.40
in the Red Sea
00:12:21.44\00:12:22.90
after they had
gone through dry shod
00:12:22.94\00:12:25.87
and it says,
"Israel saw that great work
00:12:25.91\00:12:28.18
which the Lord did
upon the Egyptians:
00:12:28.21\00:12:30.45
and the people
feared the Lord... "
00:12:30.48\00:12:32.51
in a good sense...
00:12:32.55\00:12:34.15
"and believed the Lord,
and his servant Moses. "
00:12:34.18\00:12:38.05
So, God wants to be honored.
00:12:38.12\00:12:40.62
God wants us to fear Him.
00:12:40.66\00:12:43.09
God wants us to believe in Him.
00:12:43.12\00:12:44.99
God wants us to believe that
when we come to our dead ends...
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.60
when we come to
the end of ourselves...
00:12:47.66\00:12:49.66
He can step in
and He can deliver us.
00:12:49.70\00:12:51.67
That's the whole point
of what we're reading here
00:12:51.70\00:12:54.40
in relationship to trials.
00:12:54.44\00:12:55.77
You might be going through
some trials for a little bit,
00:12:55.80\00:12:58.04
but God is going to
bring something good
00:12:58.07\00:13:00.81
out of those trials.
00:13:00.84\00:13:02.18
The Lesson Study says
that following the pillar
00:13:02.21\00:13:05.35
doesn't assure us of
being happy all the time.
00:13:05.38\00:13:08.75
It also can be a hard experience
00:13:08.78\00:13:11.25
because training in
righteousness takes us to places
00:13:11.29\00:13:13.92
that tests our hearts
00:13:13.96\00:13:15.76
which are so naturally
deceitful... Jeremiah 17:9.
00:13:15.79\00:13:19.53
During these difficulties,
00:13:19.56\00:13:21.06
the key to knowing when
we are truly following God
00:13:21.10\00:13:24.20
is not necessarily the
absence of trials or pain
00:13:24.23\00:13:27.27
but rather an
openness to God's instruction
00:13:27.30\00:13:31.14
and a continual submission
of our minds and hearts
00:13:31.17\00:13:34.34
to His leading.
00:13:34.38\00:13:35.91
God wants us to trust Him
00:13:35.94\00:13:37.31
and that trust comes
00:13:37.35\00:13:39.05
as we look into
these stories of the Bible,
00:13:39.08\00:13:40.82
we make them our own,
00:13:40.88\00:13:42.78
we realize that God is
a God who can deliver us
00:13:42.82\00:13:45.05
when we come to our dead ends.
00:13:45.09\00:13:46.72
Panel: Amen... amen.
00:13:46.76\00:13:48.09
Ryan: Thank you so much
Brother, appreciate that.
00:13:48.12\00:13:50.39
My name is Ryan Day
and I have Monday's Lesson
00:13:50.43\00:13:52.73
entitled: Bitter Waters
00:13:52.76\00:13:54.50
and it's quite
interesting because...
00:13:54.53\00:13:57.47
you just read that Scripture,
00:13:57.50\00:13:58.83
I'm going to
read it one more time
00:13:58.87\00:14:00.44
in case someone is
just now tuning in,
00:14:00.47\00:14:02.10
James just read Exodus
chapter 14 verse 31 which says,
00:14:02.14\00:14:06.57
"Thus Israel saw that great
work which the Lord had done
00:14:06.61\00:14:09.31
in Egypt: so the
people feared the Lord,
00:14:09.34\00:14:11.28
and believed the Lord,
and his servant Moses. "
00:14:11.31\00:14:13.35
Now again, they've just
seen all these incredible things
00:14:13.42\00:14:16.35
that God has done for them
00:14:16.38\00:14:17.95
from Egypt all
the way up to now,
00:14:17.99\00:14:19.39
the crossing of the Red Sea
00:14:19.42\00:14:21.02
and it's fresh in their mind
00:14:21.06\00:14:22.59
and now they're just like,
"Ah, man! this God is so amazing
00:14:22.62\00:14:25.56
and He's chose
Moses to lead us out... "
00:14:25.59\00:14:27.76
and they're just... they're...
they're in awe about all this
00:14:27.80\00:14:29.93
but it's quite
interesting because
00:14:29.96\00:14:31.30
now you get into
chapters 15, 16 and 17
00:14:31.33\00:14:33.47
and you read a
record of a people who
00:14:33.50\00:14:35.57
get a little bit
deeper into the desert...
00:14:35.60\00:14:37.44
God leads them into the desert
00:14:37.51\00:14:39.17
and then they seem to quickly
forget about all those things
00:14:39.21\00:14:41.74
that God had done for them
00:14:41.78\00:14:43.11
because now they
begin to murmur and complain
00:14:43.14\00:14:45.01
and whine and gripe and...
00:14:45.05\00:14:46.38
"Ah, God has
brought us out here,
00:14:46.41\00:14:47.88
Moses, you
brought us out here to die
00:14:47.92\00:14:49.25
and to thirst to death... "
00:14:49.28\00:14:50.62
and... and so,
let's get into that,
00:14:50.65\00:14:51.99
let's get into that
story, Exodus chapter 15
00:14:52.02\00:14:53.62
and we're going to
read verses 22 to 27
00:14:53.66\00:14:56.22
and then, you can also prepare
to go to Exodus chapter 17
00:14:56.26\00:14:59.46
and we're going to read
verses 1 through 7 after that.
00:14:59.49\00:15:02.66
So, back to Exodus 15 and we're
going to read verses 22 to 27.
00:15:02.70\00:15:06.57
It says, "So... so Moses
brought Israel from the Red Sea,
00:15:06.60\00:15:09.84
then they went out
into the wilderness of Shur;
00:15:09.87\00:15:13.21
and they went three
days into the wilderness,
00:15:13.24\00:15:15.18
and found no water.
00:15:15.21\00:15:16.54
Now, when they came to Marah,
00:15:16.58\00:15:18.45
they could not
drink the waters of Marah,
00:15:18.48\00:15:20.68
for they were bitter:
00:15:20.72\00:15:22.22
therefore the name
of it was called Marah.
00:15:22.25\00:15:25.15
And the people complained
against Moses, saying,
00:15:25.19\00:15:27.92
'What shall we drink?'
00:15:27.96\00:15:29.29
So he cried out to the Lord;
and the Lord showed him a tree,
00:15:29.32\00:15:32.63
and he cast it into the waters,
00:15:32.66\00:15:34.93
and the waters were made sweet:
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.73
then he made a statute
and an ordinance for them,
00:15:36.77\00:15:39.53
and there he
tested them, and said,
00:15:39.57\00:15:41.84
'If you diligently heed
the voice of the Lord your God,
00:15:41.87\00:15:44.54
and do what is
right in his sight,
00:15:44.57\00:15:46.37
and give ear to
his commandments,
00:15:46.41\00:15:48.88
and keep all his statutes,
00:15:48.91\00:15:50.25
I will put none of
these diseases on you,
00:15:50.28\00:15:52.05
which I have
brought upon the Egyptians:
00:15:52.08\00:15:53.52
for I am the
Lord who heals you. "
00:15:53.55\00:15:55.75
Then verse 27,
"Then they came to Elim,
00:15:55.78\00:15:58.69
where there were
twelve wells of water,
00:15:58.72\00:16:01.16
and seventy palm trees:
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.52
so they camped
there by the waters. "
00:16:02.56\00:16:03.89
So, they show
up... you know what?
00:16:03.93\00:16:05.43
They taste these
waters, they're thirsty...
00:16:05.46\00:16:06.96
they're out there in the middle
of the desert and they say,
00:16:07.00\00:16:08.43
"Oh, yuk, these
waters are nasty and bitter,
00:16:08.46\00:16:11.03
what are you doing to us, Moses,
00:16:11.07\00:16:12.50
you brought us out
here to taste better waters
00:16:12.53\00:16:14.07
and... and to
thirst to death... "
00:16:14.10\00:16:15.44
and so, Moses turns to God,
he says, "Hey, what do I do?"
00:16:15.47\00:16:17.81
God said, "There's a
tree over there... see it...
00:16:17.84\00:16:19.17
go cast in that water... "
00:16:19.21\00:16:20.54
and He performs a miracle...
the water has become sweet,
00:16:20.58\00:16:23.24
now the
children are happy again.
00:16:23.28\00:16:24.61
As long as God's providing...
00:16:24.65\00:16:25.98
as long as
everything is smooth and nice
00:16:26.01\00:16:27.78
and they've got
sweet waters to drink,
00:16:27.82\00:16:29.35
everything seems to be nice,
00:16:29.38\00:16:30.92
but now you move
on to chapter 16,
00:16:30.95\00:16:32.85
we're not going to read
anything from that chapter
00:16:32.89\00:16:34.32
but chapter 16 holds the record
00:16:34.36\00:16:35.76
of the bread
falling from heaven.
00:16:35.79\00:16:37.13
They're again out
there complaining,
00:16:37.16\00:16:38.49
"Oh, we had good food
and all that back in Egypt,
00:16:38.53\00:16:40.96
but now God's brought us out
here to... to starve to death
00:16:41.00\00:16:43.50
and so, God hears the
complaining's and murmurings
00:16:43.53\00:16:45.63
of the people and He
says, "Look, you know what?
00:16:45.67\00:16:47.54
I'm going to test these people
00:16:47.57\00:16:48.90
to see whether or not they're
going to keep My commandments
00:16:48.94\00:16:50.51
and My laws... "
00:16:50.54\00:16:51.87
and He gives the
instruction to Moses
00:16:51.91\00:16:53.24
that He's going to... you
know rain them bread from heaven
00:16:53.27\00:16:55.38
for six days... a
double portion on the sixth day
00:16:55.41\00:16:57.68
but none on the Sabbath
in honor of the Sabbath.
00:16:57.71\00:17:00.18
But now we get over and
they've now left that area,
00:17:00.22\00:17:02.65
now we get over to
Exodus chapter 17...
00:17:02.68\00:17:04.69
they're
progressing through this desert
00:17:04.72\00:17:06.65
and notice what
happens beginning in verse 1,
00:17:06.69\00:17:09.29
so, we're going to
read Exodus chapter 17
00:17:09.32\00:17:11.76
beginning in verse 1.
00:17:11.79\00:17:13.13
It says, "Then
all the congregation
00:17:13.16\00:17:14.66
of the children of
Israel set out on their journey
00:17:14.70\00:17:17.13
from the Wilderness of Sin,
00:17:17.17\00:17:18.50
according to the
commandment of the Lord,
00:17:18.53\00:17:20.00
and camped in Rephidim;
00:17:20.04\00:17:21.37
and there... " notice,
00:17:21.40\00:17:22.74
"but there was no water
for the people to drink.
00:17:22.77\00:17:24.97
Therefore the people
contended with Moses, and said,
00:17:25.01\00:17:27.94
'Give us water,
that we may drink. '
00:17:27.98\00:17:29.78
So Moses said to them,
'Why do you contend with me?
00:17:29.81\00:17:32.68
Why do you tempt the Lord?'
00:17:32.71\00:17:34.78
And the people
thirsted there for water,
00:17:34.82\00:17:36.92
and the people complained
against Moses, and said,
00:17:36.95\00:17:39.22
'Why is it you have brought
us out of the... out of Egypt,
00:17:39.25\00:17:42.26
to kill us and our children
and our livestock with thirst?'
00:17:42.29\00:17:45.43
So Moses cried out
to the Lord, saying,
00:17:45.46\00:17:47.73
'What shall I do
with this people?
00:17:47.76\00:17:49.23
They are almost
ready to stone me!'"
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.13
It's interesting how they've
forgotten so quick, like,
00:17:51.17\00:17:53.23
"God's taking care
of us up to this point
00:17:53.27\00:17:55.00
but somehow we don't
believe that anymore. "
00:17:55.04\00:17:57.17
They've forgotten,
and so notice verse 5,
00:17:57.21\00:17:59.11
it says, "And the
Lord said to Moses,
00:17:59.14\00:18:01.24
'Go on before the people,
00:18:01.28\00:18:02.61
and take with you some
of the elders of Israel.
00:18:02.64\00:18:04.48
And take in your hand your rod
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.35
with which you
struck the river, and go.
00:18:06.38\00:18:08.65
Behold, I will stand before
you there on the rock in Horeb;
00:18:08.68\00:18:12.42
and you shall strike the rock,
00:18:12.45\00:18:14.56
and water will come out from it,
00:18:14.59\00:18:16.52
that the people may drink. '
00:18:16.56\00:18:18.29
And Moses did so in the
sight of the elders of Israel.
00:18:18.33\00:18:20.80
And he called the name of
the place Massah and Meribah,
00:18:20.83\00:18:24.57
because of the contention
of the children of Israel,
00:18:24.60\00:18:28.04
and because they
tempted the Lord, saying,
00:18:28.07\00:18:30.41
'Is the Lord among us or not?'"
00:18:30.44\00:18:33.78
My goodness! ah ha ha...
00:18:33.81\00:18:35.98
I read that
record and I'm just like,
00:18:36.01\00:18:37.48
again kind of previous
to the last lesson we had
00:18:37.51\00:18:40.05
where I brought
up the point that
00:18:40.08\00:18:41.58
you know, often times we'd like
to look at this people and say,
00:18:41.62\00:18:43.79
"Man! these people...
00:18:43.82\00:18:45.15
all of this magnificent things
that God was doing for them,
00:18:45.22\00:18:47.92
but yet they were
so easy to forget.
00:18:47.96\00:18:50.06
I wouldn't forget
if I had been there...
00:18:50.09\00:18:52.16
if I had seen what they saw,
00:18:52.19\00:18:53.53
I wouldn't be so disobedient
00:18:53.56\00:18:55.10
or I wouldn't
have tempted the Lord
00:18:55.13\00:18:56.70
or disgraced God's
name or His character
00:18:56.73\00:18:58.93
because I didn't trust Him. "
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.30
You know, but
yet... yet we do that...
00:19:00.34\00:19:01.87
we often still
do that in our life.
00:19:01.90\00:19:03.47
How often do we repeat
the ignorance and faithfulness
00:19:03.51\00:19:05.97
of Israel even in our own lives?
00:19:06.01\00:19:08.21
You know, so many times,
you know God has provided for us
00:19:08.24\00:19:11.05
protected us and
led us in our lives
00:19:11.08\00:19:13.72
but sometimes we forget
00:19:13.75\00:19:15.08
and complain as if
God has forsaken us
00:19:15.12\00:19:17.45
but in reality, He... He has not
00:19:17.49\00:19:19.25
and so, it's interesting because
this study actually led me
00:19:19.29\00:19:23.16
to go back because
I was reminded quickly
00:19:23.19\00:19:26.09
of Lesson Number 1 that we'd
done just a couple of weeks ago
00:19:26.16\00:19:29.13
where we spent the
entire Lesson on Psalm 23.
00:19:29.16\00:19:32.00
Let's go back and
visit Psalm 23 verses 1 and 2
00:19:32.03\00:19:34.87
and... and I'm going
to show you something
00:19:34.90\00:19:36.30
in connection to the point that
this Lesson is trying to make
00:19:36.37\00:19:39.91
which is ultimately: Trusting
in God to provide for you now.
00:19:39.94\00:19:43.48
Not worrying about
what's going to happen
00:19:43.51\00:19:45.55
because He's always
there if you trust in Him.
00:19:45.58\00:19:47.42
So, Psalm 23 verses 1 and 2,
00:19:47.45\00:19:49.52
notice again what it says,
those famous words, we know it,
00:19:49.55\00:19:52.82
"The Lord is my
Shepherd; I shall not... " what?
00:19:52.85\00:19:56.36
Panel: Want. Ryan:
"I shall not want... "
00:19:56.39\00:19:58.43
now what does that
mean, you shall not want?
00:19:58.46\00:20:00.50
Notice the next verse it says,
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.36
"He makes me lie
down is green pastures;
00:20:02.40\00:20:05.47
He leads me beside
the still waters. "
00:20:05.50\00:20:08.37
Okay, you know, it's interesting
00:20:08.40\00:20:09.94
because from our
western cultural mindset,
00:20:09.97\00:20:13.14
we often think of
that as belly-deep Alfalfa
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.81
and beautiful clear
springs of waters...
00:20:15.84\00:20:18.35
it's like, "Oh, Jesus just comes
and He plops us down right there
00:20:18.41\00:20:22.12
in belly-deep
Alfalfa and just...
00:20:22.15\00:20:23.75
we don't really
have to move an inch...
00:20:23.79\00:20:25.12
we just reach out and grab it
00:20:25.15\00:20:26.49
and that's the
God that we serve,
00:20:26.52\00:20:27.86
we just never want
for all of our life. "
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.32
And that's true
to a certain extent
00:20:29.36\00:20:30.99
in the sense that we
never shall want... as it says
00:20:31.03\00:20:33.33
because God provides for us.
00:20:33.36\00:20:34.76
The question is:
how? Panel: Hmmm...
00:20:34.80\00:20:36.46
Ryan: The children
of Israel were seeing
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.17
all these
magnificent things happening
00:20:38.20\00:20:39.53
and they're thinking,
"Oh, this God's magnificent,
00:20:39.57\00:20:41.24
He's going to take us
00:20:41.27\00:20:42.60
and He's just going to
provide, provide, provide
00:20:42.64\00:20:43.97
and give us all that we could
possibly have in abundance. "
00:20:44.01\00:20:46.94
But yet, is that al...
always how the Shepherd works?
00:20:46.98\00:20:49.68
There was a guy by
the name of Ray Vanderlin
00:20:49.71\00:20:52.11
who... he often
does Holy Land Tours
00:20:52.15\00:20:55.08
and I watched a video
and read a segment about
00:20:55.12\00:20:57.75
this particular text in
Psalm 23 verses 1 and 2,
00:20:57.79\00:21:00.32
which really opened my mind from
a Middle-Eastern perspective.
00:21:00.36\00:21:03.29
You see, south in the
southern region of Jerusalem,
00:21:03.32\00:21:08.13
it's a very much desertous
00:21:08.16\00:21:09.53
and it is known
as the Negev desert
00:21:09.56\00:21:11.47
or the Negev... the Negev...
well, it's a desert land
00:21:11.50\00:21:15.27
but it's also
known as... get this...
00:21:15.30\00:21:17.74
green pastures.
00:21:17.77\00:21:19.11
Panel: Hmmm...
00:21:19.14\00:21:20.48
Ryan: It's a desert
known as green pastures
00:21:20.51\00:21:22.38
and, of course,
there's a lot of farmland here
00:21:22.41\00:21:24.95
and this is where the
shepherds keep their flocks
00:21:24.98\00:21:27.52
and they keep them
out there all day long.
00:21:27.55\00:21:29.25
You can actually look this up,
00:21:29.28\00:21:30.62
in fact, I
encourage you to look this up,
00:21:30.65\00:21:31.99
it's a powerful
lesson to be learned here.
00:21:32.02\00:21:33.36
This is real...
00:21:33.39\00:21:34.72
I've never been to Israel
but I've read and studied,
00:21:34.76\00:21:36.09
I've seen the video
footage, I've seen the pictures,
00:21:36.12\00:21:37.83
if you've ever been to Israel,
00:21:37.86\00:21:39.19
if you've ever
been in this region,
00:21:39.23\00:21:40.56
they get... the Negev desert
00:21:40.60\00:21:41.93
it... it's a desertous region.
00:21:41.96\00:21:43.30
When you look at it... if
you're standing on the hills,
00:21:43.33\00:21:44.67
it's just rocky,
desolate, dry land
00:21:44.70\00:21:47.84
but yet, you can
look out and see shepherds
00:21:47.87\00:21:50.31
leading their flocks
across these hillsides
00:21:50.34\00:21:52.74
and it's interesting
00:21:52.77\00:21:54.11
because you can
actually see the grazing lines
00:21:54.14\00:21:55.71
etched into the hillside
00:21:55.74\00:21:57.08
that many of the Rabbinic...
00:21:57.11\00:21:58.45
the Rabbinic scholars
actually said that these...
00:21:58.48\00:22:00.72
these lines go back
as far as Abraham's time.
00:22:00.75\00:22:02.85
I mean, this is... this
is the land of the shepherd.
00:22:02.88\00:22:04.92
When you look at it,
it's like, "Wait a second,
00:22:04.95\00:22:06.62
what are these... if this
is the land of the shepherd
00:22:06.65\00:22:08.52
and this is known
as green pastures,
00:22:08.56\00:22:09.89
what in the
world are they eating?
00:22:09.92\00:22:11.26
What are these?
Rock-eating sheep, right,
00:22:11.29\00:22:13.56
that's the idea you're
going to get from a distance...
00:22:13.60\00:22:15.16
like, they're... what
are they doing? Eating rocks?
00:22:15.20\00:22:16.77
But it's green pastures, right?
00:22:16.80\00:22:19.13
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:22:19.17\00:22:20.50
Ryan: They get a little bit
of rain each year in this area.
00:22:20.54\00:22:22.84
In fact, eight to ten
months out of the year,
00:22:22.87\00:22:24.21
they get no rain at all
00:22:24.24\00:22:25.57
but a little bit
of moisture collects
00:22:25.61\00:22:26.94
from the little
rain that they get...
00:22:26.98\00:22:28.41
also, from the moisture coming
off from the Mediterranean
00:22:28.44\00:22:30.68
that the moisture
collects in the rocks
00:22:30.75\00:22:33.18
and drips down into these
little cracks and crevices,
00:22:33.21\00:22:35.72
and little tufts of
rain here and there...
00:22:35.75\00:22:38.05
puth... puth...
puth... puth along the way,
00:22:38.09\00:22:40.32
these little
tufts of rain pop up
00:22:40.36\00:22:43.22
and so, this is green pastures
00:22:43.26\00:22:45.69
from a
Middle-Eastern perspective.
00:22:45.73\00:22:48.20
And so, the
shepherd leads the flocks
00:22:48.23\00:22:50.67
and what happens is that
00:22:50.70\00:22:52.03
the sheep get a
little mouthful here...
00:22:52.07\00:22:53.60
a few more feet... a
little mouthful here...
00:22:53.64\00:22:55.37
a few more feet... a
little mouthful here,
00:22:55.40\00:22:57.11
green pastures, okay,
00:22:57.14\00:22:59.21
this is a point
that we make from this,
00:22:59.24\00:23:00.64
green pastures is not what you
need for the rest of your life.
00:23:00.68\00:23:03.41
Panel: That's right.
00:23:03.45\00:23:04.78
Ryan: And that's
the concept we often get
00:23:04.81\00:23:06.31
is oh, plop down
in... in belly-deep Alfalfa
00:23:06.35\00:23:08.08
as if God is saying to us,
00:23:08.12\00:23:09.75
"If you follow me,
I'll plunk you down
00:23:09.78\00:23:11.42
and you'll never have to move an
inch for the rest of your life,
00:23:11.45\00:23:13.59
just reach out and grab it. "
00:23:13.62\00:23:14.96
How many of our experiences
have been like that in our life?
00:23:14.99\00:23:17.03
Whereas just... we never have...
00:23:17.06\00:23:18.66
we never have to move...
we just... God gives it all.
00:23:18.69\00:23:20.66
God wants us
to... to trust in Him
00:23:20.70\00:23:23.50
and so, here it is.
00:23:23.53\00:23:25.30
One rabbi said this,
00:23:25.33\00:23:27.04
"Worry is dealing
with tomorrow's problems
00:23:27.07\00:23:30.11
on today's pasture. "
00:23:30.14\00:23:31.47
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:23:31.51\00:23:32.84
and so, the major
point in this is this,
00:23:32.87\00:23:34.21
in the desert, you learn
that the shepherd will get you
00:23:34.24\00:23:38.11
what you need for right now.
00:23:38.15\00:23:40.62
Panel: That's right.
00:23:40.65\00:23:42.02
Ryan: Ten minutes from
now, you trust the shepherd.
00:23:42.08\00:23:43.59
Twenty minutes from
now... an hour from now...
00:23:43.62\00:23:45.35
a day from now... you
always trust in the shepherd.
00:23:45.39\00:23:47.89
That's what
Israel needed to learn,
00:23:47.92\00:23:49.36
that's what God was
trying to teach them.
00:23:49.39\00:23:51.26
He wants to lead
us in green pastures.
00:23:51.29\00:23:53.13
He wants to lead us
beside the still waters
00:23:53.16\00:23:55.43
but He will provide
for us what we need now...
00:23:55.46\00:23:57.93
we only just need to
trust in the Shepherd.
00:23:58.00\00:24:00.44
James: Amen, thank you Ryan,
00:24:00.47\00:24:02.20
it reminds me of that idea of...
00:24:02.24\00:24:03.87
of, you know,
staying to the old paths,
00:24:03.91\00:24:06.41
you know, that's
old-tested-tried rites.
00:24:06.44\00:24:08.91
Well, good lesson so far,
00:24:08.94\00:24:10.75
don't go away,
we'll be right back.
00:24:10.78\00:24:12.11
Music...
00:24:12.15\00:24:16.92
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James: Welcome back Friends
to our Sabbath School Panel.
00:24:46.95\00:24:49.85
"In the Crucible of Christ. "
00:24:49.88\00:24:51.29
We are covering the
Lesson for the week number three
00:24:51.32\00:24:54.12
which is: The Birdcage
00:24:54.16\00:24:55.79
and we are on Tuesday's Lesson:
00:24:55.82\00:24:57.36
The Great
Controversy in the Desert
00:24:57.39\00:24:59.69
with Pastor John Lomacang.
00:24:59.73\00:25:01.06
Lomacang: Thank you,
James, thank you, Ryan.
00:25:01.10\00:25:03.20
This is an interesting
angle to the Lesson Study
00:25:03.23\00:25:07.90
because if you think about it,
it's really a story about us.
00:25:07.94\00:25:10.84
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm.
00:25:10.87\00:25:12.21
Lomacang: Because everything
that happened to the Israelites
00:25:12.24\00:25:13.58
if you look at 1st
Corinthians chapter 10,
00:25:13.61\00:25:15.88
all these things
happened as an example to us
00:25:15.91\00:25:18.28
upon whom the Bible says,
00:25:18.31\00:25:20.22
"The ends of the ages of the
end of the world is coming. "
00:25:20.25\00:25:22.38
But let's look at
the great controversy
00:25:22.45\00:25:24.55
in the context of temptation.
00:25:24.59\00:25:25.92
Often times the work
of the Holy Spirit is...
00:25:25.95\00:25:28.39
is not fully understood.
00:25:28.42\00:25:30.29
Now, I've even said,
00:25:30.33\00:25:32.19
"The Holy Spirit
works in three ways. "
00:25:32.23\00:25:33.83
He works on us...
00:25:33.86\00:25:36.70
when we respond,
He works in us...
00:25:36.73\00:25:39.50
when we grow, He
works through us.
00:25:39.53\00:25:42.50
Those are the three
things that I've often said.
00:25:42.54\00:25:45.41
But there's... there's
a caveat to that because
00:25:45.44\00:25:48.28
as we go to Luke chapter 4,
00:25:48.31\00:25:49.94
we see another side...
and also Matthew chapter 4,
00:25:49.98\00:25:52.98
we find in both places,
00:25:53.01\00:25:54.92
another work of the
Holy Spirit is talked about.
00:25:54.98\00:25:59.25
Luke chapter 4
00:25:59.29\00:26:01.52
and this is on the
heels of the baptism of Jesus.
00:26:01.56\00:26:04.83
"Then Jesus being
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:26:04.86\00:26:08.13
returned from the Jordan
00:26:08.16\00:26:10.07
and was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness,
00:26:10.10\00:26:14.67
being tempted for
forty days by the devil.
00:26:14.70\00:26:19.37
And in those
days He ate nothing,
00:26:19.41\00:26:22.58
and afterward,
when they had ended,
00:26:22.61\00:26:25.38
He was hungry. "
00:26:25.41\00:26:26.82
Now, you go to
Matthew chapter 4,
00:26:26.85\00:26:28.62
look at this now.
00:26:28.65\00:26:30.75
Matthew chapter 4 I'm
going to read verse 1.
00:26:30.79\00:26:34.12
Right... Panel: Hmmm...
00:26:34.16\00:26:37.89
Lomacang: "Then Jesus
was led up by the Spirit
00:26:37.93\00:26:42.10
into the wilderness
00:26:42.13\00:26:43.63
to be tempted by the devil. "
00:26:43.67\00:26:47.04
You know, it was not until I
read that over and over and over
00:26:47.07\00:26:50.07
and studied it
again that I understood
00:26:50.11\00:26:52.01
the quandary in
the Lord's Prayer.
00:26:52.04\00:26:54.04
"Lead us not into temptation. "
00:26:54.08\00:26:55.58
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...
00:26:55.61\00:26:57.11
Lomacang: A lot of times we say,
00:26:57.15\00:26:58.71
"Well, God would never
lead us into temptation. "
00:26:58.75\00:27:00.08
Well, the question is, why would
the disciples pray that prayer
00:27:00.12\00:27:03.59
and why would
Matthew and Luke say
00:27:03.62\00:27:05.82
that Jesus was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness
00:27:05.85\00:27:09.16
to be tempted?
00:27:09.22\00:27:10.56
When you look at the
journey of the Israelites,
00:27:10.59\00:27:12.56
He led them...
00:27:12.59\00:27:13.93
there were no prerequisites
to come out of Egypt
00:27:13.96\00:27:16.16
but there were
prerequisites to go to Canaan.
00:27:16.20\00:27:18.90
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:27:18.93\00:27:20.27
Lomacang: Not everyone
that came out... went in
00:27:20.30\00:27:21.77
and you find in 1st
Corinthians chapter 10...
00:27:21.80\00:27:24.61
it talks about the various ways
00:27:24.64\00:27:26.51
that the children of
Israel tempted the Lord.
00:27:26.54\00:27:29.04
I'm not going to go through that
00:27:29.08\00:27:30.65
but I want to
bring out something
00:27:30.68\00:27:32.75
that really has
helped me understand
00:27:32.78\00:27:34.75
this fourth obscure category
of how the Holy Spirit works.
00:27:34.78\00:27:42.22
I'm going to read a
quotation in the Desire of Ages.
00:27:42.26\00:27:45.23
I don't have to
read a lot of quotations
00:27:45.26\00:27:46.59
but I want to share that
today because it really focuses
00:27:46.63\00:27:51.03
on this fourth category
00:27:51.07\00:27:53.13
and I know the Spirit
moves in many other ways
00:27:53.17\00:27:55.54
that we know not of
00:27:55.57\00:27:57.01
but I added
calling the fourth category
00:27:57.04\00:27:59.01
shall I say... the strange
leading of the Spirit of God.
00:27:59.04\00:28:02.04
Desire of Ages page 126 and 129.
00:28:02.08\00:28:06.21
"Often when placed
in a trying situation,
00:28:06.25\00:28:09.95
we doubt that the Spirit
of God has been leading us
00:28:09.98\00:28:15.56
but it was the Spirit leading...
00:28:15.59\00:28:17.36
it was the Spirit's leading
00:28:17.39\00:28:19.16
that brought Jesus
into the wilderness
00:28:19.19\00:28:22.03
to be tempted by Satan.
00:28:22.06\00:28:23.47
When God brings us into trial,
00:28:23.50\00:28:26.07
He has a purpose to
accomplish for our good.
00:28:26.10\00:28:30.64
Jesus did not
presume on God's promises
00:28:30.67\00:28:34.24
by going
unbidden into temptation
00:28:34.28\00:28:37.38
neither did He
give up to despondency
00:28:37.41\00:28:40.48
when temptation came upon Him
00:28:40.52\00:28:42.62
nor should we. "
00:28:42.65\00:28:44.45
Panel: Hmmm... Hmmm...
00:28:44.49\00:28:45.99
Lomacang: Now,
you ask the questions,
00:28:46.02\00:28:47.36
"Well, why would the Lord
even allow us to be tempted?"
00:28:47.39\00:28:50.86
Well, there is no prerequisite
for coming out of Egypt
00:28:50.89\00:28:54.53
but there is fitness
for getting into Canaan
00:28:54.56\00:28:58.00
and I... I share
another quote with you
00:28:58.03\00:28:59.87
and then I go...
go to some Scriptures
00:28:59.90\00:29:01.84
to really back
this up with the Bible.
00:29:01.87\00:29:03.71
This is Ministry of Healing
as I think James had a quote,
00:29:03.74\00:29:07.01
pages 470 and 471.
00:29:07.04\00:29:09.21
Wow, this is really insightful.
00:29:09.24\00:29:12.81
Speaking about the Christian,
00:29:12.85\00:29:14.32
"They pray for
Christ's likeness of character
00:29:14.35\00:29:17.09
for a fitness
for the Lord's work
00:29:17.12\00:29:19.69
and they are
placed in circumstances
00:29:19.72\00:29:22.19
that seem to call forth
all the evil of their nature. "
00:29:22.22\00:29:26.29
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... yeah.
00:29:26.33\00:29:27.76
"Faults are revealed of
which they did not even suspect
00:29:27.80\00:29:29.66
the existence.
00:29:29.70\00:29:31.13
Like Israel of
old they questioned,
00:29:31.17\00:29:33.27
'If God is leading us,
00:29:33.30\00:29:35.07
why do all these
things come upon us?'"
00:29:35.10\00:29:38.17
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm.
00:29:38.21\00:29:39.54
Lomacang: Now
let's go to page 471.
00:29:39.57\00:29:41.28
You ready for it?
00:29:41.31\00:29:43.31
"It is because God is leading...
00:29:43.35\00:29:46.01
it is because
God is leading them
00:29:46.05\00:29:49.08
that these
things come upon them. "
00:29:49.12\00:29:51.89
Lead us not into temptation.
00:29:51.95\00:29:54.29
I understand it broader now.
00:29:54.32\00:29:56.62
"Trials and obstacles
are the Lord's chosen methods
00:29:56.66\00:30:00.40
of discipline and His
appointed conditions of success.
00:30:00.43\00:30:03.80
He who reads the hearts
of men knows their character
00:30:03.83\00:30:07.84
better than they
themselves know them. "
00:30:07.87\00:30:10.47
And this is... this is deep.
00:30:10.51\00:30:12.77
"He sees that some have
powers and susceptibilities
00:30:12.81\00:30:17.11
which rightly directed
00:30:17.15\00:30:19.15
might be used in the
advancement of His work. "
00:30:19.18\00:30:22.35
So, what does He do?
00:30:22.38\00:30:23.89
"In His providence,
00:30:23.92\00:30:25.69
He brings these persons
into different positions
00:30:25.72\00:30:29.39
and varied circumstances
00:30:29.42\00:30:31.69
that they may
discover in their character
00:30:31.73\00:30:35.20
the defects
00:30:35.23\00:30:36.56
which had been concealed
from their own knowledge. "
00:30:36.60\00:30:39.67
Panel: Wow! Hmmm...
00:30:39.70\00:30:41.07
Lomacang: "He
gives them opportunity
00:30:41.10\00:30:42.80
to correct these defects
00:30:42.84\00:30:44.57
and to fit
themselves for His service.
00:30:44.61\00:30:47.54
Often He permits
the fires of affliction
00:30:47.58\00:30:50.55
to assail them that
they may be purified. "
00:30:50.58\00:30:53.48
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm.
00:30:53.52\00:30:54.85
Lomacang: Isn't
that amazing? Panel: Yes.
00:30:54.88\00:30:56.22
So, God is saying,
00:30:56.25\00:30:57.59
"You know, I see something
in you that I could use
00:30:57.62\00:30:58.95
but not that way. "
00:30:58.99\00:31:00.32
Panel: Hmmm...
hmmm... hmmm... hmmm.
00:31:00.36\00:31:01.69
Lomacang: What example
do we have in Scripture?
00:31:01.72\00:31:03.06
Peter the Apostle.
00:31:03.09\00:31:04.59
Panel: Hmmm.
00:31:04.63\00:31:05.96
Lomacang: And this is
the part that amazes me.
00:31:05.99\00:31:07.73
God... you know,
we plan programming
00:31:07.76\00:31:09.93
many months in advance, Jill.
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.30
Jill: Hmmm... hmmm.
00:31:11.33\00:31:12.67
Lomacang: Do you think
that the Lord Jesus knew that
00:31:12.70\00:31:14.40
Peter was going to be the
Speaker on the day of Pentecost?
00:31:14.44\00:31:16.40
Panel: Oh yeah.
00:31:16.44\00:31:17.77
Lomacang: I say... undoubtedly.
00:31:17.81\00:31:19.14
But He says,
"You're not preaching for me
00:31:19.17\00:31:21.04
in that character. "
00:31:21.08\00:31:22.51
Panel: Laughter.
00:31:22.54\00:31:23.95
Lomacang: "You're not...
you're not ready to preach...
00:31:23.98\00:31:25.65
not with that
kind of attitude...
00:31:25.68\00:31:27.02
so, you know what?
00:31:27.05\00:31:28.38
I need to get you
to... cleaned up. "
00:31:28.42\00:31:30.29
Panel: Hmmm.
00:31:30.35\00:31:31.79
Lomacang: And so, "the devil
is going to sift you as wheat,
00:31:31.82\00:31:35.42
I'm not going to stop him,
00:31:35.46\00:31:37.53
I'm just going to pray
that your faith won't fail
00:31:37.56\00:31:40.20
and when you are
converted then you'll be of use.
00:31:40.23\00:31:42.86
Strengthen the brethren. "
00:31:42.90\00:31:44.23
And so, before the
sermon on the day of Pentecost,
00:31:44.27\00:31:47.10
the Lord allowed
the devil to sift Peter
00:31:47.14\00:31:51.57
to show him his
defects in his character
00:31:51.61\00:31:55.94
and then He gave him opportunity
to correct these defects
00:31:55.98\00:32:00.12
to fit him for His service
00:32:00.18\00:32:02.58
and why did He do that?
00:32:02.62\00:32:04.92
He permitted the fires of
affliction to assail Peter
00:32:04.95\00:32:07.89
that he may be purified.
00:32:07.92\00:32:09.76
Now, you might say,
00:32:09.82\00:32:11.16
"Lord, why am I going
through what I'm going through?"
00:32:11.19\00:32:12.79
Ellen White says,
"It is His providence
00:32:12.83\00:32:15.46
that is being exercised to
bring us into these places where
00:32:15.50\00:32:19.27
we discover defects that
we didn't even know were there
00:32:19.30\00:32:23.51
and that were
concealed from our own knowledge
00:32:23.54\00:32:27.18
but God saw it. "
00:32:27.21\00:32:29.31
So, here my
Brothers and Sisters,
00:32:29.34\00:32:31.71
the great controversy...
00:32:31.75\00:32:33.42
we are in the desert
of our journey right now.
00:32:33.45\00:32:36.79
We are in the
desert of our days.
00:32:36.82\00:32:38.72
and we... we are in the place
where God is going to allow us
00:32:38.75\00:32:42.29
to be tested, 1st
Peter 1 verses 6 and 7,
00:32:42.32\00:32:44.96
listen to this,
00:32:44.99\00:32:46.33
"In this, you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while,
00:32:46.36\00:32:51.67
if need be, you have been
grieved by various trials,
00:32:51.70\00:32:56.44
that the
genuineness of your faith,
00:32:56.47\00:32:59.71
being much more precious
than gold that perishes,
00:32:59.74\00:33:02.94
though it is tested by fire,
00:33:02.98\00:33:06.05
may be found to
praise, honor, and glory
00:33:06.08\00:33:09.55
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ... "
00:33:09.58\00:33:12.49
and I want to bring up one more,
00:33:12.52\00:33:14.26
let's go to the book of Hebrews,
00:33:14.29\00:33:15.62
pause...
00:33:15.66\00:33:17.89
okay, let's go to Hebrews,
00:33:17.93\00:33:20.73
Hebrews chapter 12
verse 11, look at this,
00:33:20.76\00:33:23.33
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:33:23.37\00:33:25.33
Lomacang: "Now no chastening
00:33:25.37\00:33:27.27
seems to be
joyful for the present,
00:33:27.30\00:33:30.64
but painful... "
who's chastening us?
00:33:30.67\00:33:34.98
Despise not the
chastening of the Father.
00:33:35.01\00:33:37.18
Who is chastening us?
00:33:37.21\00:33:39.01
It seems painful,
00:33:39.05\00:33:40.38
"nevertheless, afterward
it yields the peaceable fruit
00:33:40.42\00:33:45.32
of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it. "
00:33:45.35\00:33:49.09
Panel: Hmmm... yeah.
00:33:49.12\00:33:50.46
Lomacang: The great controversy
from Egypt to Canaan is
00:33:50.49\00:33:52.19
you're coming out but
are you ready to go in?
00:33:52.23\00:33:54.76
Panel: Hmmm.
00:33:54.80\00:33:56.13
Lomacang: You remember the
story of the wedding supper.
00:33:56.16\00:33:57.70
"How did you come in here
without the wedding garment?"
00:33:57.73\00:33:59.43
And what did he say?
00:33:59.47\00:34:00.80
Absolutely nothing.
00:34:00.84\00:34:02.17
And so, we have to keep
in mind that coming out...
00:34:02.20\00:34:04.41
no prerequisites...
00:34:04.44\00:34:05.77
even some of the
Egyptians came out
00:34:05.81\00:34:07.88
but they didn't go in
00:34:07.91\00:34:10.05
because we don't go
in until we are fitted...
00:34:10.08\00:34:12.35
until we are purified
00:34:12.41\00:34:14.02
and the purification in
God's providence, He says,
00:34:14.05\00:34:16.89
"You know what?
That last trial you had
00:34:16.92\00:34:19.85
didn't really do it.
00:34:19.92\00:34:21.89
I need to put you
back in the furnace.
00:34:21.92\00:34:24.43
I need you to be tried
a little more severely.
00:34:24.46\00:34:28.03
When you come out
on the other side,
00:34:28.06\00:34:30.03
you're going to be glad
00:34:30.20\00:34:31.80
that I put you in the
toaster oven of purification
00:34:31.83\00:34:36.07
because you're
going to be so fit
00:34:36.10\00:34:38.01
that I'll be able to
say like I did of David,
00:34:38.04\00:34:40.21
"If you would walk
in my commandments,
00:34:40.24\00:34:43.14
as David did. "
00:34:43.18\00:34:44.51
And we say, "What David?"
00:34:44.55\00:34:45.91
God purified him on
the heels of his weakness
00:34:45.95\00:34:49.28
something hidden
from his own knowledge
00:34:49.35\00:34:52.05
and God will do the same for us.
00:34:52.09\00:34:53.92
He will purify
us for fitness now
00:34:53.96\00:34:56.83
and for entrance into
the kingdom in the future.
00:34:56.86\00:35:00.60
Praise the Lord for the trials.
00:35:00.63\00:35:02.26
I'm getting ready to go in.
00:35:02.30\00:35:03.93
Panel: Amen... amen...
00:35:03.97\00:35:05.30
Dinzey: Amen, amen.
00:35:05.33\00:35:06.67
Well, we move to
Wednesday's portion
00:35:06.70\00:35:09.27
and the title is:
An Enduring Legacy.
00:35:09.30\00:35:11.91
My name is John Dinzey
00:35:11.97\00:35:13.44
and we start now.
00:35:13.48\00:35:14.91
You know the lesson
brings out 1st Peter chapter 6,
00:35:14.94\00:35:18.65
1st Peter
chapter 1 verses 6 and 7,
00:35:18.68\00:35:20.88
I'm going to go back to verse 1,
00:35:20.92\00:35:22.98
1st Peter and take it from there
00:35:23.05\00:35:25.05
because this
gives us a good context.
00:35:25.12\00:35:27.16
In 1st Peter chapter
1 beginning in verse 1,
00:35:27.19\00:35:29.89
it says, "Peter, an
apostle of Jesus Christ,
00:35:29.92\00:35:32.56
to the pilgrims of the
Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia,
00:35:32.59\00:35:37.70
Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia...
00:35:37.73\00:35:40.47
this area that we just mentioned
00:35:40.50\00:35:42.94
happens to be what we
would call: Asia Minor...
00:35:42.97\00:35:45.14
the Western Turkey area
00:35:45.17\00:35:46.57
but Peter is writing to
them and he is exhorting them
00:35:46.61\00:35:51.01
and notice that he
uses the word "Dispersion"
00:35:51.05\00:35:53.88
that's in the New
King James Version.
00:35:53.92\00:35:55.32
In the King James Version,
00:35:55.35\00:35:58.22
it says, "Through those
scattered throughout... "
00:35:58.25\00:36:01.89
which is the word "diaspora"
00:36:01.92\00:36:03.93
which is a word which
is very interesting because
00:36:03.96\00:36:07.83
Peter considered
them a special diaspora
00:36:07.86\00:36:13.10
because the Jews used the
word "Diaspora" in a sense
00:36:13.13\00:36:15.54
that the Jews are
scattered all around.
00:36:15.57\00:36:17.24
But Peter used this to
refer to Jews and to Christians
00:36:17.27\00:36:21.44
as a special group
00:36:21.48\00:36:23.45
because of the
things they were facing.
00:36:23.48\00:36:25.75
Now, in 1st Peter
chapter 1, let's go to verse 2,
00:36:25.78\00:36:28.75
and it says, "Elect
according to the foreknowledge
00:36:28.78\00:36:31.75
of God the Father, in
sanctification of the Spirit,
00:36:31.79\00:36:35.49
for obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ:
00:36:35.52\00:36:39.33
Grace to you and
peace be multiplied. "
00:36:39.36\00:36:41.40
God has selected us to
be obedient to follow Him
00:36:41.43\00:36:46.47
and He wants to prepare
us for the kingdom of heaven.
00:36:46.50\00:36:50.57
Let's go to verse
3, "Blessed be the God
00:36:50.61\00:36:52.91
and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:36:52.97\00:36:55.38
who according to
His abundant mercy
00:36:55.41\00:36:57.81
has begotten us again
00:36:57.85\00:37:00.12
to a living hope
00:37:00.15\00:37:01.58
to the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead. "
00:37:01.62\00:37:04.45
We don't have a dead hope...
00:37:04.49\00:37:05.82
we have a living
hope through Jesus Christ
00:37:05.85\00:37:08.89
who has been
resurrected from the dead.
00:37:08.92\00:37:11.93
He is our Savior...
00:37:11.99\00:37:13.56
He is carefully weighing out
these trials and tribulations
00:37:13.60\00:37:18.60
before He says
"Yes... approved. "
00:37:18.63\00:37:21.37
So, if you are
walking with the Lord
00:37:21.40\00:37:24.07
and you are following
Him with all of your heart,
00:37:24.11\00:37:26.91
if a trial comes to you,
00:37:26.94\00:37:28.71
understand that it
has the seal of approval
00:37:28.74\00:37:31.98
of the Lord Jesus
Christ to help purify you.
00:37:32.08\00:37:35.45
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:37:35.48\00:37:36.82
Dinzey: And so, this is
why when you go to James...
00:37:36.85\00:37:39.05
not this James... the
James chapter 1 in the Bible,
00:37:39.09\00:37:41.32
it says, "Count it all a joy
00:37:41.36\00:37:42.76
when you enter
into various trials. "
00:37:42.79\00:37:45.23
Why? Because they have the
seal of approval of Jesus Christ
00:37:45.26\00:37:48.56
that this will be for the
purifying of your character
00:37:48.60\00:37:53.34
to make you into the
likeness of Jesus Christ.
00:37:53.37\00:37:55.47
1st Peter chapter 1 verse 4,
00:37:55.50\00:37:57.41
notice this beautiful way
of being described by Peter,
00:37:57.44\00:38:02.34
it says, "To an
inheritance incorruptible... "
00:38:02.38\00:38:05.78
Panel: Hmmm...
Dinzey: Marvelous...
00:38:05.81\00:38:07.15
and undefiled, and
that does not fade way,
00:38:07.18\00:38:10.69
reserved in heaven for you. "
00:38:10.75\00:38:13.05
This means, you know,
00:38:13.09\00:38:15.29
I don't know if you've
ever come to a restaurant
00:38:15.32\00:38:17.19
that you go there
and this: Reserved.
00:38:17.23\00:38:21.23
That means if you... if it
has not been reserved for you,
00:38:21.26\00:38:25.07
you cannot sit there.
00:38:25.10\00:38:26.43
but for... the Lord has
reserved in heaven for us
00:38:26.47\00:38:30.97
an inheritance incorruptible.
00:38:31.04\00:38:33.34
Everything in this
world either fades away...
00:38:33.38\00:38:37.68
turns into rust...
00:38:37.71\00:38:39.71
and becomes corrupt
00:38:39.75\00:38:41.62
but the inheritance
that we have from the Lord,
00:38:41.68\00:38:46.15
is incorruptible, undefiled,
and will not fade away
00:38:46.19\00:38:50.63
and it's reserved for you.
00:38:50.66\00:38:52.03
So, verse 5, "who are
kept by the power of God. "
00:38:52.06\00:38:55.90
This is kept by
the power of God,
00:38:55.93\00:38:57.27
there's nothing in this
world that can destroy it.
00:38:57.30\00:39:01.04
"kept by the power of God
through faith for salvation
00:39:01.07\00:39:05.04
ready to be
revealed in the last time. "
00:39:05.07\00:39:06.78
We are living in the times when
this is ready to be revealed.
00:39:06.81\00:39:09.34
Now, let's go
with this background
00:39:09.38\00:39:11.81
into 1st Peter
chapter 1 verse 6 and notice
00:39:11.85\00:39:15.38
"In this you greatly rejoice. "
00:39:15.92\00:39:17.75
So, this is... you
have the background
00:39:17.79\00:39:20.16
that you have an
inheritance incorruptible
00:39:20.19\00:39:22.46
reserved in heaven for you...
in this you greatly rejoice.
00:39:22.52\00:39:26.49
So, we have to
keep that before us
00:39:26.53\00:39:28.43
that we rejoice in
the blessing of the Lord,
00:39:28.46\00:39:31.50
we are saved by faith through
Grace... we rejoice in this.
00:39:31.53\00:39:36.04
But now it
says, "Though now... "
00:39:36.10\00:39:38.54
notice the "for a little while"
00:39:38.57\00:39:40.94
and praise the Lord, it
says, "for a little while"
00:39:40.98\00:39:43.95
it says, "if need be... "
00:39:43.98\00:39:45.81
as has been pointed out
before, "if need be... "
00:39:45.85\00:39:47.98
it may not be necessary
for you to go through trials...
00:39:48.02\00:39:50.35
and, you know,
Pastor Lomacang mentioned
00:39:50.39\00:39:52.19
something very
important and that is,
00:39:52.22\00:39:53.99
that, you know,
sometimes we go through a trial
00:39:54.02\00:39:57.06
and if we fail on that trial,
00:39:57.09\00:40:00.13
the Lord may allow
this in a different way
00:40:00.20\00:40:03.26
to come to you so
that you would trust Him
00:40:03.30\00:40:06.30
and, you know, you
failed the first time,
00:40:06.33\00:40:09.27
you repent and you say,
"Lord, forgive me... forgive me,
00:40:09.30\00:40:11.57
help me... "
00:40:11.61\00:40:12.94
and then He'll bring
you through that again
00:40:12.97\00:40:14.64
depending on His grace, you
will come through beautifully
00:40:14.68\00:40:19.11
depending on the
Lord Jesus Christ.
00:40:19.15\00:40:21.92
So, this "depend on Him. "
00:40:21.95\00:40:24.02
Now, notice, "You may be
grieved by various trials. "
00:40:24.05\00:40:27.72
If need be, you may be
grieved by various trials,
00:40:27.76\00:40:30.79
but how should we
face these trials?
00:40:30.83\00:40:33.03
Do we look at the trial?
00:40:33.06\00:40:34.40
Do we look at the
difficulties and...
00:40:34.43\00:40:35.90
or should we
look at other people,
00:40:35.93\00:40:37.63
"Huh, they're not
going through that... "
00:40:37.67\00:40:39.57
Look at... sometimes
we have this... this...
00:40:39.60\00:40:41.44
I don't know if you
want to call it a temptation,
00:40:41.47\00:40:43.24
but people go looking around,
00:40:43.27\00:40:45.44
"Why is... why are they
having such a good time?"
00:40:45.47\00:40:47.81
"Why are the wicked
seem to be prospering?"
00:40:47.84\00:40:50.81
And this can bring
discouragement upon people
00:40:50.85\00:40:53.95
but our focus should be
on the Lord Jesus Christ
00:40:53.98\00:40:57.82
on the inheritance
reserved in heaven for us.
00:40:57.85\00:41:00.86
You notice how it
says, "Reserved for you?"
00:41:00.89\00:41:03.83
That is because
you cannot earn it...
00:41:03.86\00:41:07.73
there's nothing you do
that will give you the merit
00:41:07.76\00:41:10.70
to receive it.
00:41:10.77\00:41:12.10
Jesus Christ has
already purchased this for us...
00:41:12.13\00:41:14.90
it's already been reserved.
00:41:14.94\00:41:16.27
So, count it all a joy when
you enter into various trials.
00:41:16.30\00:41:20.81
We are ready now for verse 7...
00:41:20.84\00:41:22.64
1st Peter chapter 1 verse 7,
00:41:22.68\00:41:24.41
"that the
genuineness of your faith... "
00:41:24.48\00:41:27.48
and notice the next verse,
00:41:27.52\00:41:29.82
"being more... much more...
00:41:29.85\00:41:32.05
much more precious
than gold that perishes. "
00:41:32.09\00:41:35.86
In this world,
gold still has value.
00:41:35.89\00:41:38.19
It's one of the
most precious metals
00:41:38.23\00:41:40.50
and people are trading for gold
00:41:40.53\00:41:42.30
and people are
holding on to gold
00:41:42.33\00:41:44.07
because in the future,
it may increase in value
00:41:44.10\00:41:47.17
but this gold in
this world perishes.
00:41:47.20\00:41:50.61
"But the
genuineness of the faith,
00:41:50.64\00:41:53.98
that God wants to
reveal in you does not perish
00:41:54.01\00:41:58.21
though it be tested by fire. "
00:41:58.25\00:42:00.95
You know, fire purifies gold
00:42:00.98\00:42:03.65
and the... the
trials are likened unto fire
00:42:03.69\00:42:09.12
that help purify us.
00:42:09.16\00:42:10.56
There may be dross...
there may be impurities in us
00:42:10.59\00:42:13.50
and God wants to
reveal this to us
00:42:13.53\00:42:16.03
so that we
depend not on ourselves
00:42:16.06\00:42:18.53
but upon the Lord for victory
00:42:18.57\00:42:20.84
and now it says, "may be found
to praise, honor, and glory
00:42:20.87\00:42:25.14
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ. "
00:42:25.17\00:42:27.91
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:42:27.94\00:42:29.28
Dinzey: And
this is the end goal,
00:42:29.31\00:42:31.01
this is that which
would be an enduring legacy.
00:42:31.05\00:42:35.98
I want to go now to Hebrews
chapter 12 verses 1 and 2,
00:42:36.02\00:42:39.65
because when we're
going through trials,
00:42:39.69\00:42:41.72
we need to keep this in mind.
00:42:41.76\00:42:43.09
"Therefore we also,
since we are surrounded
00:42:43.12\00:42:46.09
by so great a
cloud of witnesses,
00:42:46.13\00:42:49.56
let us lay aside every weight,
00:42:49.60\00:42:52.00
and the sin which so
easily ensnares us... "
00:42:52.03\00:42:55.80
and the King
James Version says this,
00:42:55.84\00:42:57.71
"sin which so easily besets us,
00:42:57.74\00:42:59.94
and let us run with endurance
00:42:59.97\00:43:02.44
the race that
is set before us. "
00:43:02.48\00:43:04.88
How should we run this race?
00:43:04.91\00:43:07.12
That's the question, how
should we run this race?"
00:43:07.15\00:43:09.82
Verse 2 says,
"Looking unto Jesus,
00:43:09.85\00:43:12.69
the author and
finisher of our faith,
00:43:12.72\00:43:15.49
who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross,
00:43:15.52\00:43:19.26
despising the shame,
00:43:19.29\00:43:21.30
and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God. "
00:43:21.33\00:43:25.13
Understanding that
Jesus is the author
00:43:25.17\00:43:28.60
and the finisher of our faith,
00:43:28.64\00:43:30.54
we can rejoice that this is
in the hands of One who knows
00:43:30.57\00:43:36.38
how to be victorious.
00:43:36.41\00:43:38.01
We can depend on Him...
00:43:38.08\00:43:39.61
we can have confidence in Him
00:43:39.65\00:43:41.78
and that's why we move to
Philippians chapter 1 verse 6,
00:43:41.82\00:43:44.89
"Being confident
of this very thing,
00:43:44.92\00:43:48.46
that He who has
begun a good work in you
00:43:48.49\00:43:51.99
will complete it until
the day of Jesus Christ. "
00:43:52.03\00:43:55.56
So, much more
precious than fine gold.
00:43:55.60\00:43:58.10
You know, in this world,
it may not all be sunshine,
00:43:58.13\00:44:01.30
we may have some
storms come our way.
00:44:01.34\00:44:04.01
We may have some
difficulties come our way.
00:44:04.07\00:44:07.01
You know, Pastor
C.A. Murray says,
00:44:07.04\00:44:08.61
"If you're not going
through difficulties,
00:44:08.64\00:44:11.45
it will come but
trust in the Lord. "
00:44:11.48\00:44:14.08
I'd like to read this from the
book: Mount of Blessing, page 10
00:44:14.12\00:44:18.49
it says, "The trials
of life are God's workmen,
00:44:18.52\00:44:22.62
to remove the impurities and
roughness from our character.
00:44:22.66\00:44:27.20
There is hewing...
00:44:27.26\00:44:28.66
their hewing,
squaring and chiseling,
00:44:28.70\00:44:31.93
their burnishing and
polishing, is a painful process;
00:44:31.97\00:44:35.77
it is hard to be pressed
down to the grinding wheel.
00:44:35.80\00:44:39.51
But the stone is brought
forth prepared to fill its place
00:44:39.57\00:44:44.08
in the heavenly temple.
00:44:44.11\00:44:45.51
Upon no useless material does
the Master bestow such careful,
00:44:45.55\00:44:51.49
thorough work.
00:44:51.52\00:44:53.09
Only His precious
stones are polished
00:44:53.12\00:44:56.42
after the
similitude of a palace. "
00:44:56.46\00:44:58.59
So, if you're going
through some difficulties,
00:44:58.63\00:45:00.93
trust in the Lord...
00:45:00.96\00:45:02.93
don't sink down
into discouragement.
00:45:02.96\00:45:04.93
Continue to trust in the Lord
00:45:05.00\00:45:06.94
that He who as
begun a good work in you
00:45:06.97\00:45:09.47
will complete it
00:45:09.50\00:45:10.91
and it will be
done to perfection...
00:45:10.97\00:45:12.94
the perfection of Jesus Christ.
00:45:12.97\00:45:15.08
Panel: Amen...
Jill: Thank you so much.
00:45:15.11\00:45:17.21
This is a great
Lesson: The Birdcage...
00:45:17.25\00:45:19.11
thank you all so much.
00:45:19.15\00:45:20.48
I have Thursday's
Lesson, I'm Jill Morikone
00:45:20.52\00:45:23.28
and Thursday's
Lesson is: Trial by Fire.
00:45:23.32\00:45:25.72
Now, we're not
going to start with fire,
00:45:25.75\00:45:28.12
we going to start with water.
00:45:28.16\00:45:29.49
Probably 15 years ago,
00:45:29.52\00:45:31.69
Greg and I went on
an anniversary get-away
00:45:31.73\00:45:33.86
to Missouri and
we took a canoe trip
00:45:33.90\00:45:36.93
as in..., we were the ones
paddling down the Current River.
00:45:36.97\00:45:40.30
Now, the Current
River is spring-fed
00:45:40.34\00:45:42.50
and we went with the
current and it was delightful.
00:45:42.54\00:45:46.37
I remember sitting
in the back... front...
00:45:46.41\00:45:48.44
Greg was in the back
steering and just paddling a bit
00:45:48.48\00:45:51.45
and seeing it go by
thinking it was wonderful
00:45:51.48\00:45:54.72
and Greg would say, "Jilly,
00:45:54.75\00:45:56.18
do you think we
ought to turn around?"
00:45:56.22\00:45:57.69
"Oh no, I'm not tired at all,
00:45:57.72\00:45:59.75
we're having a great
time going down the river.
00:45:59.79\00:46:02.52
"Jilly, you think we
need to turn around now?"
00:46:02.56\00:46:05.36
"Oh no, I'm doing
really good, I'm not tired. "
00:46:05.39\00:46:07.83
Well, you know what
happened when we turned around?
00:46:07.86\00:46:10.20
I discovered... it is very
hard to go against the current.
00:46:10.27\00:46:15.80
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:46:15.84\00:46:17.17
Jill: You know the
moment we accept Jesus...
00:46:17.21\00:46:19.51
the moment you take
a stand for truth...
00:46:19.54\00:46:21.88
a stand against sin...
00:46:21.91\00:46:24.45
when you make a
choice to step out by faith,
00:46:24.51\00:46:28.02
you turn against the current
00:46:28.05\00:46:31.29
and the trial by
fire... it can begin.
00:46:31.32\00:46:34.69
The Lesson had a story of a
young man by the name of Alex.
00:46:34.72\00:46:38.86
He came with the
background of drugs and violence
00:46:38.89\00:46:41.43
he had come actually
from a short stint in jail.
00:46:41.46\00:46:43.97
He gave his heart to Jesus
00:46:44.00\00:46:46.80
and he felt called to be
a minister of the gospel.
00:46:46.84\00:46:49.40
He went to college and he
began to go against the current.
00:46:49.44\00:46:53.88
He began to
encounter difficulties.
00:46:53.91\00:46:56.34
His funding for school dried up
00:46:56.38\00:46:58.98
and a close
friend turned against him
00:46:59.01\00:47:01.75
and began to
gossip falsely about him.
00:47:01.78\00:47:04.52
He became sick
00:47:04.55\00:47:05.89
and the doctors could
not even identify the cause.
00:47:05.92\00:47:08.89
He had fierce
temptations against drugs
00:47:08.92\00:47:12.23
and he fell for a short
while... slipped back into drugs
00:47:12.29\00:47:16.30
and he became discouraged.
00:47:16.33\00:47:17.67
He said, "Is my whole
Christian life a mistake?"
00:47:17.70\00:47:20.94
Panel: Hmmm...
00:47:21.00\00:47:22.80
Jill: Have you
ever felt like Alex?
00:47:22.84\00:47:24.21
Have you ever said, "Yes God,
00:47:24.24\00:47:25.84
I'm going to make a stand
for your truth and the Sabbath"
00:47:25.87\00:47:28.08
and then you lost your job?
00:47:28.11\00:47:30.05
Have you ever said,
"I'm going to stand for truth
00:47:30.08\00:47:33.45
in this situation?"
00:47:33.52\00:47:35.02
And then, people
turned against you?
00:47:35.05\00:47:36.99
Have you ever said, "I'm going
to choose to follow Jesus?"
00:47:37.02\00:47:40.79
And then, all of a sudden,
00:47:40.82\00:47:42.39
those old temptations...
00:47:42.42\00:47:43.93
that old life of sin came back?
00:47:43.96\00:47:45.93
And you slipped and
stumbled back into it.
00:47:45.96\00:47:49.46
Have you ever felt
like Elijah on Mount Carmel
00:47:49.50\00:47:52.93
where you stand for
God and stand for truth?
00:47:52.97\00:47:56.40
And then you run from a woman
00:47:56.44\00:47:58.21
as you're
terrified for your life.
00:47:58.24\00:47:59.94
So, let's look at seven
keys to walk through trials.
00:47:59.97\00:48:05.01
How do we walk through trials?
00:48:05.05\00:48:06.55
And every one of these keys...
00:48:06.61\00:48:08.05
of course, you could
come up with many keys
00:48:08.08\00:48:09.75
but the ones I focused on
all have to do with trust.
00:48:09.78\00:48:13.22
Every one of the
keys focuses on trust.
00:48:13.25\00:48:16.39
key number one:
Choose to trust His presence.
00:48:16.42\00:48:21.30
Hebrews 13:5,
00:48:21.33\00:48:23.16
He says what? "I
will never leave you...
00:48:23.20\00:48:24.87
I will never forsake you. "
00:48:24.90\00:48:27.70
I'm reminded of
Isaiah chapter 43,
00:48:27.74\00:48:30.34
we referenced this
on a previous lesson.
00:48:30.37\00:48:32.94
Isaiah 43 verse 1,
00:48:32.97\00:48:34.68
"But now, thus says the
Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
00:48:34.71\00:48:38.05
and He who formed
you, O Israel... "
00:48:38.08\00:48:40.32
God made you...
God created you...
00:48:40.35\00:48:42.28
God formed you...
00:48:42.32\00:48:43.75
"Fear not... " don't be afraid,
00:48:43.79\00:48:45.55
"I have redeemed you;
00:48:45.59\00:48:47.46
I have called you by
name; You are Mine. "
00:48:47.52\00:48:49.99
When you pass
through the waters,
00:48:50.03\00:48:51.99
notice it doesn't say "If"
00:48:52.03\00:48:53.36
notice it doesn't say,
"Okay, when you're a Christian,
00:48:53.40\00:48:56.16
everything's going to go well. "
00:48:56.20\00:48:57.63
No, you will go through trial,
00:48:57.67\00:48:59.57
you will be in the crucible,
00:48:59.60\00:49:01.40
you will be led into the
wilderness into temptation.
00:49:01.44\00:49:04.34
You will experience trials.
00:49:04.37\00:49:06.91
When you pass through
the waters, what happens?
00:49:06.94\00:49:09.34
"I will be with you. "
00:49:09.38\00:49:11.45
Trust His presence.
00:49:11.48\00:49:13.48
Key Number 1: Choose
to trust His presence.
00:49:13.52\00:49:15.85
Key Number 2: Choose to
trust even when you cannot see.
00:49:15.88\00:49:20.42
I need see... if you all
can help me with Scriptures,
00:49:20.46\00:49:22.86
can someone look up Proverbs 3?
00:49:22.89\00:49:24.23
Ryan, you got
that? Proverbs 3:5 and 6.
00:49:24.26\00:49:27.96
Key Number 2...
choose to trust...
00:49:28.00\00:49:30.23
Ryan: "Trust in the
Lord with all your heart,
00:49:30.40\00:49:32.13
and lean not on
your own understanding;
00:49:32.17\00:49:33.94
in all your
ways acknowledge Him,
00:49:33.97\00:49:35.30
and He shall
direct your paths. "
00:49:35.34\00:49:36.91
Jill: Yes, I love that.
00:49:36.94\00:49:38.27
Sometimes, God's blessings
are not in what He gives,
00:49:38.31\00:49:41.11
but in what He takes away.
00:49:41.14\00:49:42.98
Trust Him anyway.
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:49:43.01\00:49:47.12
Jill: Charles Spurgeon
said this... I love this...
00:49:47.15\00:49:48.98
"To trust God in the
light... that is nothing
00:49:49.02\00:49:52.05
but to trust Him in the
dark... that is faith. "
00:49:52.09\00:49:56.39
Panel: Hmmm... Hmm... hmmm...
00:49:56.42\00:49:57.99
Jill: Trust God in the
light is really nothing
00:49:58.03\00:49:59.36
because we can see
00:49:59.39\00:50:00.73
but to trust Him in
the dark, that is faith.
00:50:00.80\00:50:02.40
Choose to trust
when you cannot see.
00:50:02.43\00:50:04.80
Pastor John, can you
look up Isaiah 12 verse 2,
00:50:04.83\00:50:08.87
we're going to Key Number 3:
00:50:08.90\00:50:10.87
this is: Choose to
trust instead of fear.
00:50:10.91\00:50:15.51
Often when we go
through the fiery trial,
00:50:15.54\00:50:17.78
we want to be afraid...
that's our natural response.
00:50:17.81\00:50:20.42
We want to choose to
trust, Isaiah 12 verse 2,
00:50:20.45\00:50:22.98
Lomacang: Okay,
"Behold God is my salvation,
00:50:23.02\00:50:25.15
I will trust and not be afraid;
00:50:25.19\00:50:27.49
'For Yah, the Lord, is
my strength and my song;
00:50:27.52\00:50:31.59
He also has
become my salvation. '"
00:50:31.63\00:50:35.23
Jill: Thank you,
God is my salvation,
00:50:35.26\00:50:36.90
I will trust and not be afraid.
00:50:36.93\00:50:39.57
Choose to trust instead of fear.
00:50:39.60\00:50:42.20
Pastor Johnny, you want
to get Exodus 14 verse 14,
00:50:42.24\00:50:46.14
this is Key Number 4.
00:50:46.17\00:50:47.51
Choose to trust and be still.
00:50:47.54\00:50:51.31
So many times when we
go through the fiery trial,
00:50:51.35\00:50:53.72
I want to run or I
want to do something
00:50:53.75\00:50:55.48
or I want to step in
00:50:55.52\00:50:56.85
but sometimes, we
need to trust and be still.
00:50:56.89\00:50:59.72
Exodus 14 verse 14,
00:50:59.75\00:51:01.72
Dinzey: "The Lord
will fight for you,
00:51:01.76\00:51:04.76
and you shall hold your peace. "
00:51:04.79\00:51:07.10
Jill: Choose to
trust and be still.
00:51:07.13\00:51:09.36
Key Number 5...
Pastor James, Romans 8:28,
00:51:09.40\00:51:11.77
Key Number 5:
00:51:11.80\00:51:13.54
Choose to trust that He will
turn your pain into purpose.
00:51:13.57\00:51:19.97
James: "For we
know that all things
00:51:20.01\00:51:21.68
work together for good to
them that are of the called...
00:51:21.71\00:51:24.81
to them that love God
00:51:24.85\00:51:26.18
and are called
according to His purpose. "
00:51:26.21\00:51:27.55
Jill: Amen, you know, I
went to a funeral just...
00:51:27.58\00:51:29.98
not too long ago
00:51:30.02\00:51:31.35
and it was a younger
woman who had passed away
00:51:31.39\00:51:33.62
in tragic circumstances
00:51:33.66\00:51:35.46
and this was the keynote
Scripture in the funeral.
00:51:35.49\00:51:39.09
It was in the bulletin and
they read it in the funeral.
00:51:39.13\00:51:42.36
We know that all
things work together for good
00:51:42.40\00:51:45.37
those who love God...
00:51:45.40\00:51:46.90
to those who are called
according to His purpose.
00:51:46.94\00:51:48.47
Key Number 5:
00:51:48.50\00:51:49.84
Choose to trust that God will
turn your pain into purpose.
00:51:49.87\00:51:55.48
Pain has a purpose
in that trial by fire.
00:51:55.51\00:51:59.61
Key Number 6: Choose to
trust that eternity is coming.
00:51:59.65\00:52:05.85
I like what
Pastor Johnny brought out
00:52:05.89\00:52:07.69
in that 1st Peter 1 passage,
00:52:07.72\00:52:09.19
we look at eternity
in light of the trials...
00:52:09.22\00:52:11.96
you look at that
00:52:11.99\00:52:13.33
and this is the
same thing really
00:52:13.36\00:52:14.70
this is Paul... 2nd
Corinthians 4:16 and 17,
00:52:14.73\00:52:17.27
"Therefore we do not lose heart.
00:52:17.30\00:52:19.37
Even though our
outward man is perishing,
00:52:19.40\00:52:21.77
yet the inward man or woman
is being renewed day by day.
00:52:21.80\00:52:24.97
For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment,
00:52:25.01\00:52:28.68
works for us a
far more exceeding
00:52:28.71\00:52:31.31
and eternal weight of glory... "
00:52:31.35\00:52:33.65
Jill: You know this
world is not all there is...
00:52:33.68\00:52:35.78
heaven is coming.
00:52:35.82\00:52:37.52
Heaven is our home.
00:52:37.55\00:52:39.19
Make decisions and endure trials
00:52:39.22\00:52:43.32
in light of eternity.
00:52:43.36\00:52:46.03
You could be gossiped
about at school or at work...
00:52:46.06\00:52:48.33
make decisions in
light of eternity.
00:52:48.36\00:52:51.17
God is working
redemptively through your trial.
00:52:51.20\00:52:55.47
And finally, Key Number 7:
00:52:55.50\00:52:56.84
Choose joy while
you trust in God.
00:52:56.87\00:52:59.54
This is a hard
one sometimes for me,
00:52:59.57\00:53:02.41
James chapter 1: Choose
joy while you trust in God.
00:53:02.44\00:53:06.51
"My brethren, count it all a joy
00:53:06.55\00:53:08.85
when you fall into
divers temptations or trials
00:53:08.88\00:53:11.75
or fiery places
00:53:11.79\00:53:14.06
knowing that the
trying of your faith
00:53:14.09\00:53:16.46
worketh patience. "
00:53:16.49\00:53:18.43
Accepting the trial with
joy... it changes your character
00:53:18.46\00:53:22.80
it gives us patience...
it brings perfection...
00:53:22.83\00:53:25.70
it brings wholeness.
00:53:25.73\00:53:27.27
Right by my side of
our bed, Greg and I,
00:53:27.30\00:53:30.51
is a poem that I
love and we have it framed
00:53:30.54\00:53:33.71
and it simply says this:
00:53:33.74\00:53:35.64
In acceptance lies peace...
00:53:35.68\00:53:37.65
O my heart be still...
00:53:37.68\00:53:39.45
Let your restless worry
cease and accept His will.
00:53:39.48\00:53:43.72
Though this test
is not my choice,
00:53:43.75\00:53:46.22
it is His... therefore rejoice.
00:53:46.25\00:53:49.12
In His plan there cannot
be anything to make me sad.
00:53:49.16\00:53:53.19
If this is God's choice for me,
00:53:53.23\00:53:56.20
I want to take it and be glad.
00:53:56.23\00:53:58.70
Make for it some lovely
thing to the glory of your King.
00:53:58.73\00:54:03.20
Cease from
sighs and murmuring...
00:54:03.24\00:54:05.21
Sing His loving grace.
00:54:05.24\00:54:07.41
This trial means my
furthering to a wealthy place.
00:54:07.44\00:54:11.78
From my fears,
He brings release.
00:54:11.81\00:54:15.68
In acceptance lies peace.
00:54:15.72\00:54:19.32
So the seven keys
to walk through trials.
00:54:19.35\00:54:22.52
Number 1: Choose
to trust His presence.
00:54:22.56\00:54:25.63
Number 2: Choose to
trust even when you cannot see.
00:54:25.66\00:54:29.83
Number 3: Choose to
trust instead of fear.
00:54:29.86\00:54:33.97
Number 4: Choose
to trust and be still.
00:54:34.00\00:54:38.04
Number 5:
00:54:38.07\00:54:39.41
Choose to trust that He can
turn your pain into purpose.
00:54:39.44\00:54:43.85
Number 6:
00:54:43.88\00:54:45.21
Choose to trust
that eternity is coming.
00:54:45.25\00:54:48.08
and Number 7:
00:54:48.12\00:54:49.45
Choose joy while you trust.
00:54:49.48\00:54:52.85
You know, someone once said,
00:54:52.89\00:54:54.92
"You cannot
preach conviction of sin
00:54:54.96\00:54:56.83
unless you have suffered it. "
00:54:56.89\00:54:58.63
You cannot preach repentance
unless you have practiced it.
00:54:58.66\00:55:03.13
You cannot preach faith
unless you have exercised it
00:55:03.16\00:55:07.94
and I would add to that...
00:55:07.97\00:55:09.34
you cannot sing like
the bird in the bird cage
00:55:09.37\00:55:13.07
unless you have
learned to sing in the dark.
00:55:13.11\00:55:16.75
Panel: Hmmm... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:55:16.78\00:55:18.11
James: Praise God.
00:55:18.15\00:55:19.48
Good stuff... thank you
Jill and John and John and Ryan,
00:55:19.51\00:55:22.98
we got time now for
just a few closing thoughts.
00:55:23.15\00:55:25.49
Ryan, we'll start with you.
00:55:25.55\00:55:26.96
Ryan: Amen, Israel had a
hard time trusting in the Lord
00:55:26.99\00:55:29.86
and it led them
to worry about things
00:55:29.89\00:55:32.09
that the Lord was going to
provide for them in that moment.
00:55:32.13\00:55:35.33
A text that comes to mind is
of course in Matthew chapter 6
00:55:35.36\00:55:38.53
verse 34 and it says,
00:55:38.57\00:55:40.30
"Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow,
00:55:40.34\00:55:42.44
for tomorrow will
worry about its own things.
00:55:42.47\00:55:44.87
Sufficient for the
day is its own trouble. "
00:55:44.91\00:55:47.68
Put it into Jesus' hands
and He will take care of you.
00:55:47.71\00:55:50.51
Lomacang: Thank you, Romans...
00:55:50.55\00:55:52.21
I mean,
Deuteronomy 8 and verse 2,
00:55:52.25\00:55:53.85
"And you shall remember
that the Lord your God led you
00:55:53.88\00:55:57.19
all the way these forty
years in the wilderness,
00:55:57.22\00:56:00.32
to humble you and to test you,
00:56:00.36\00:56:01.69
to know what was in your heart,
00:56:01.72\00:56:03.83
whether you would keep
His commandments or not. "
00:56:03.86\00:56:06.63
Panel: Hmmm...
00:56:06.66\00:56:08.00
Lomacang: God knows our heart
00:56:08.03\00:56:09.36
and the journey that
we follow with Him reveals
00:56:09.40\00:56:11.03
what He already knows.
00:56:11.07\00:56:12.40
Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:56:12.43\00:56:13.77
Dinzey: Amen, I'm reading
from Radiant Religion page 100,
00:56:13.80\00:56:17.87
it says, "All our
sufferings and sorrows,
00:56:17.91\00:56:20.38
all our temptations and trials,
00:56:20.41\00:56:22.64
all our sadness and griefs,
00:56:22.68\00:56:24.98
all our
persecutions and privations...
00:56:25.01\00:56:26.72
in short, all things
work together for our good.
00:56:26.75\00:56:30.29
All experiences and
circumstances are God's workman
00:56:30.32\00:56:33.66
whereby good is brought to us. "
00:56:33.69\00:56:35.29
1st Peter chapter 1 verse 9,
00:56:35.32\00:56:37.13
"Receiving the
end of your faith...
00:56:37.16\00:56:39.16
the salvation of your soul. "
00:56:39.19\00:56:41.00
Keep that before you.
00:56:41.03\00:56:42.36
Jill: Amen, Romans
8:28, we often say that
00:56:42.40\00:56:46.00
that means that
all things are good.
00:56:46.03\00:56:48.00
That's not what the text says.
00:56:48.04\00:56:49.37
But it says that God can
turn even something painful...
00:56:49.40\00:56:52.47
even something bad into good
00:56:52.51\00:56:55.34
if you choose to trust
Him in the midst of it.
00:56:55.38\00:56:58.21
Amen... amen.
00:56:58.25\00:56:59.58
James: Really challenging
lesson... really good lesson
00:56:59.61\00:57:02.52
and we are learning a lot
in this Crucible with Christ
00:57:02.55\00:57:05.45
and I love that phrase,
Jill, that you brought out,
00:57:05.49\00:57:07.92
you know, in James
chapter 1, "Count it all a joy"
00:57:07.96\00:57:10.69
and sometimes when
people ask me how I'm doing
00:57:10.73\00:57:13.40
and I'm going through a trial,
I'm going through a difficulty,
00:57:13.43\00:57:15.46
that's the phrase I'll turn to.
00:57:15.50\00:57:17.33
To be honest... but at
the same time to be hopeful,
00:57:17.37\00:57:20.34
I'll say, "Well, I'm
counting it all a joy. "
00:57:20.40\00:57:23.14
Panel: Laughter.
00:57:23.17\00:57:24.51
James: And God has a
way of turning those trials
00:57:24.54\00:57:27.61
into something good,
00:57:27.64\00:57:28.98
bringing good out of
them for those who love Him
00:57:29.01\00:57:31.45
that are called
according to His purpose.
00:57:31.48\00:57:32.91
And so, we've got to trust Him
00:57:32.95\00:57:34.28
and that's the... the main thing
that I think we're learning here
00:57:34.32\00:57:37.15
through this Quarterly...
00:57:37.19\00:57:38.52
this Quarter: The
Crucible with Christ
00:57:38.55\00:57:40.62
is learning how to trust God
00:57:40.66\00:57:42.16
and learning how to
remain in the crucible
00:57:42.19\00:57:45.96
until those
impurities are pruned out of us
00:57:45.99\00:57:49.73
through that fiery trial
00:57:49.76\00:57:51.10
so that we can shine more
and more for the glory of God.
00:57:51.13\00:57:53.60
Well, next week's
lesson is entitled:
00:57:53.64\00:57:56.64
Seeing the Goldsmith's face
00:57:56.67\00:57:59.11
and so, we just
going to encourage you
00:57:59.14\00:58:01.71
to continue to...
to tune in with us
00:58:01.74\00:58:04.01
as we continue to
study this beautiful
00:58:04.05\00:58:06.38
Sabbath School
Quarterly... God bless.
00:58:06.41\00:58:08.72