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Series Code: SUSS
Program Code: SUSS000001A
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00:15 Good morning, everyone.
00:17 It is a joy to be here 00:19 in the great beautiful state of Hawaii, 00:21 and what a blessing it is to be working 00:23 with Secrets Unsealed, 00:24 as we bring you this particular series of messages 00:26 entitled "Silencing Satan." 00:28 We're gonna be looking at that great controversy, 00:31 that cosmic struggle between good and evil 00:33 from a biblical perspective 00:35 and by God's grace 00:37 develop some thoughts 00:38 or discover from the Word of God 00:40 some powerful truths 00:42 that will not only be good theory 00:43 but be practical and relevant for our daily lives. 00:46 So this is our first presentation 00:49 in the series Silencing Satan titled "Know your Enemy." 00:53 But before we do any study from the Word of God, 00:56 what must we always do first? 00:58 Pray. 00:59 Would you please bow your heads with me? 01:01 Dear Heavenly Father, 01:03 thank You so much that we can be together today. 01:06 And that we can take a few minutes apart, 01:09 and we can study from Your Word. 01:11 And, Lord, at this time, 01:13 we would ask that You would do a work for us 01:17 even now of making the scripture 01:20 not only understandable but applicable to our lives. 01:25 Please guide our study 01:28 through the power of the Holy Spirit 01:30 that You've promised to give to all of those 01:32 who want to know You. 01:33 So, Lord, we claim that promise, 01:35 and we thank You in advance 01:36 for Your leading and guiding today, 01:38 for we pray it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:43 If you have your Bibles, 01:44 or I should say this is a biblical crowd 01:45 since you have your Bibles with you, 01:48 take them out 01:49 and we're gonna go to the Book of Matthew Chapter 13. 01:52 Matthew Chapter 13 01:55 is where we will begin our study today, 01:58 and as you're finding Matthew Chapter 13, 02:00 let me give you a little context. 02:01 Matthew Chapter 13, of course, 02:03 describes a portion of Christ's ministry 02:06 and it was a particular day 02:07 when apparently He was giving stories after story, 02:10 a parable after parable. 02:13 And in the midst of His telling of parables 02:15 on this particular day, 02:17 we come to Matthew 13:24. 02:21 And we find the parable 02:22 known as the parable of the Wheat 02:24 and the Tares. 02:26 We're gonna study that as we set the framework 02:27 for our Silencing Satan Series. 02:30 Matthew 13:24, reads, 02:33 "Another parable he put forth to them saying, 02:37 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man 02:41 who sowed good seed in his field.' 02:45 But while men slept, his enemy came 02:48 and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.'" 02:51 So that first sentence introduces us 02:54 to several key thoughts. 02:56 First of all, in this parable, 02:57 he likens what he's describing as the Kingdom of Heaven. 03:01 This is something in God's plan, 03:02 he said, "Is like a man who sowed," 03:05 and what kind of seed does he sow? 03:07 Good seed. 03:08 He sows good seed and where does he sow it? 03:12 In his field. 03:13 So the man is not only the sower of the seed, 03:17 but he's the owner of the field. 03:19 Correct? 03:20 So we go on. 03:22 But while men slept, and we'll come back 03:25 to the identity of these men momentarily, 03:27 but for now we recognize 03:28 that there was a time when men slept, 03:30 presumably at night, 03:33 that his enemy came 03:34 and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 03:38 So apparently all of the enemy's activity 03:40 that was done while men slept. 03:43 He did the sowing of the tares or the weeds, 03:46 and while men slept, he slipped away. 03:49 Thus when we get to verse 26, we read, 03:52 "But when the grain had sprouted 03:54 and produced the crop, 03:56 then the tares also appeared." 03:59 Now, I don't know if you are green thumbs here 04:02 or good at horticulture and gardening, 04:04 I have not been given that particular gift. 04:07 I don't have the patience for it. 04:08 You know what happens? 04:10 You put a little soil in a cup 04:11 and they might get a craft thing 04:13 or something for a child and put a little seed in there 04:14 and fertilizer 04:15 and you're supposed to water it and set it in the window sill. 04:18 And I would expect that the next day 04:20 I'm gonna come and find kind of a jack 04:22 and the beanstalk kind of thing. 04:24 It's just really taken off. 04:25 But what do I find the next day? 04:26 It's still just soil, right? 04:28 And the day after that, and it takes a while. 04:32 And even when it first comes up, 04:33 it's just little tiny little hints of green. 04:37 So clearly, 04:39 and the Bible seems to indicate this. 04:41 "But when the grain had sprouted 04:43 and produced the crops, then the tares also appeared." 04:46 So these tares that were planted 04:47 were not immediately recognizable. 04:50 It took some time for them to be noticed 04:54 that something's wrong. 04:56 Let's go to verse 27. 04:58 "So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 05:03 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? 05:08 How then does it have tares?'" 05:12 Now let's review already. 05:14 Did the servants of the owner do the sowing of the seed? 05:18 No, 05:20 the owner of the field sowed his own seed 05:23 and by his own admission, 05:24 what was the condition of that seed? 05:26 It was good. 05:28 There was not a mixed lot. There wasn't a mixed bag. 05:30 It was just good seed in his own field. 05:34 And apparently these servants will cultivate 05:36 and tend to and harvest at the appropriate time, 05:39 but the sowing was on the owner. 05:41 So the servants of the owner 05:42 where it says in verse 27 there, 05:45 when they noticed the crop is not what the owner had said, 05:49 they are confused. 05:52 So they asked him again, 05:53 "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?" 05:58 Question for you. 06:00 Why did they not go 06:03 and express their frustration about the enemy 06:06 who would sow the tares? 06:09 Because look at the passage, 06:10 they're not even aware there is an enemy. 06:14 From their perspective, 06:15 all they know is there's the owner, 06:17 who said that he sowed good seed, 06:20 but then they see the evidence that there is tares, 06:25 there are tares among the wheat. 06:27 So their question automatically 06:30 goes back to the owner of the field, 06:32 did you not sow good seed in your field? 06:34 How then does it have tears? 06:39 Verse 28 is crucial. 06:41 "He said to them, an enemy has done this." 06:48 Now notice, he does not say, "Oops, my bad." 06:55 He does not say, "I'm so sorry, 06:57 you know, I could have done better, 06:58 I should have done something different." 07:00 He doesn't take... 07:01 In this parable, 07:02 how much responsibility does the owner of the field 07:05 take for the presence of the tares? 07:07 None. 07:09 He says I didn't... 07:10 First thing you need to get out of your head. 07:12 I didn't do it. 07:13 Now, there was some sort of dissonance, 07:16 there was a confusion in their mind 07:17 because there was... 07:18 What the owner had said versus what they saw. 07:23 And for just a moment, let's pan out to this. 07:26 This is one of the main issues 07:28 that non-believers have about the Christian faith. 07:33 How can there be a good God 07:36 who is supposed to be all loving, 07:39 and all knowing, and all powerful, 07:43 yet we look and see a world 07:46 that does not reflect those principles. 07:48 We see a bad world 07:51 while you claim to follow a good God. 07:54 So what they see does not match up 07:56 what the Bible says. 07:58 So they say there must be something wrong. 08:00 This is exactly what these people were doing. 08:02 There was a discrepancy 08:04 between the words of the owner and the evidence in the field. 08:09 So they came to the owner, 08:10 "Sir, did you not sow good seed?" 08:11 And he says to them, "An enemy has done this?" 08:14 Well, he continues, "The servants said to him, 08:17 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'" 08:21 Now, what is their position? 08:22 These aren't just neighbors or friends, 08:24 these are servants of the owner. 08:28 And clearly they are hired for the purpose of gathering up 08:32 and tending to the field. 08:33 Though the sowing was done by the owner, 08:36 the reaping is done by the servants. 08:39 And they said, "Well, would you like us 08:40 to go get to work 08:42 and start plucking up the tares?" 08:44 Which is a logical conclusion 08:47 but watch verse 29, "But he said..." 08:49 What's the word? 08:51 No. 08:53 Why would the owner of the field 08:57 elect to leave in the ground 09:00 a crop of tares 09:01 that he himself didn't even sow. 09:06 He gives an explanation, 09:08 "No, 09:09 lest while you gather up the tares, 09:13 you also uproot the wheat with them." 09:18 This is gonna be critical going forward. 09:21 The reason the owner of the field 09:24 leaves the tares in the ground 09:28 is out of his concern for the wheat. 09:32 It is better for the wheat, for the time being, 09:36 that the tares be allowed to stay 09:40 than if the reapers were to go 09:42 and gather up the tares prematurely. 09:45 Now, does that mean that they're gonna stay in the field 09:47 forever? 09:49 And it all is ruined? No. 09:51 Let's continue reading. 09:52 Here's his explanation, verse 29, again, 09:54 "He said, no, lest while you gather up the tares, 09:57 you also uproot the wheat with them. 09:58 Verse 30, is the solution. 10:00 "Let both grow," how? 10:02 "Together." 10:04 He knows they're gonna grow and they're gonna be together 10:07 until a particular time which is the harvest, right? 10:11 "Let both grow together until the harvest then, 10:16 and at the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, 10:20 'First gather together the tares 10:21 and bind them in bundles to burn them, 10:24 but gather the wheat into my barn.'" 10:27 So it says, "At that time, I will send forth the reapers, 10:31 and they will gather first the tares for burning 10:37 and the wheat into my barn." 10:40 So there's two gatherings, 10:41 one is gonna be gathered together for the burn, 10:43 the other is gonna be gathered into the barn. 10:47 But the time of the harvest will sort the two out 10:49 until then his councils let both grow together. 10:54 And believe it or not, that's the end of the parable. 10:57 In fact, look at verse 31, 10:58 another parable he put forth through them saying 11:01 and he goes on with the next parable. 11:03 So this isn't a sandwich of parables day after day, 11:06 I mean, hour after hour he was telling these parables 11:08 but at the end of this particular day, 11:11 if you skip over to verse 36, 11:15 we notice something interesting. 11:18 "Then Jesus sent the multitude away 11:20 and went into the house 11:21 and his disciples came to him saying, 'Explain to us...'" 11:24 And they don't say, 11:26 all the parables you talked today. 11:29 They have one particular parable that's in their mind 11:32 that they knew he was saying something significant, 11:36 and they wanted clarification. 11:38 They said, "Explain to us 11:39 the parable of the tares of the field." 11:43 And don't you praise the Lord 11:45 that anytime we asked for wisdom, 11:46 He gives it. 11:48 That He's promised to lead us into all truth 11:50 by the power of His Holy Spirit. 11:51 And there Jesus Christ was the author of the parable 11:54 who had just spoken it that day and He said, "Sure." 11:56 So look at verse 37, 11:58 "He answered and said to them, 12:00 he who sows the good seed is," who? 12:04 "The Son of man," which of course, 12:06 you go through the gospel record, 12:08 son of man was the preferred self-moniker 12:11 that Christ had in referring to His identity. 12:15 Now He was, of course, the Son of God, 12:17 but He was also the Son of man, 12:18 but He identifies himself with humanity, 12:20 and he would call himself the Son of man. 12:23 So we could put this more simply, 12:25 who is the owner of the field? 12:27 Jesus Christ. 12:30 Well, He goes on to explain verse 38, 12:31 "The field is the world." 12:34 And, of course, if you were to go back 12:35 to the Genesis account of the creation of this world, 12:37 it says that, 12:39 "God created the heavens and the earth," 12:40 but which member of the Godhead 12:42 did the executing of the Father's will? 12:44 It was the Son of God. 12:47 John in the Gospel of John makes that clear. 12:50 Colossians makes that clear. 12:51 Hebrews makes that clear, 12:52 that Jesus Christ is our Creator. 12:57 And if you look in that Genesis account 12:59 as you go through day one, day two, day three, day four, 13:01 and the sequential six days of work that Christ did 13:04 and then the seventh day of rest. 13:05 You notice that, 13:07 what condition was the world made? 13:09 Each day, 13:10 the Creator Jesus Christ reflected on the work 13:12 which He had done. 13:13 And He said, "Indeed, it was good." 13:16 In fact, by day six, He said, "It's very good." 13:20 So Christ created this world 13:22 and developed that beginning of our history 13:26 with no bad in the mix. 13:29 Everything He made was good. 13:32 Goes on in verse 38, 13:35 after He says, "The field is the world," 13:36 he then adds, 13:38 "The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom," 13:41 that is the righteous, right? 13:43 The faithful, 13:46 "but the tares are the sons of the wicked one." 13:52 That is the wicked, the unrighteous. 13:55 So it's describing two types of people 13:58 when we're talking about the plants in the field. 14:02 The wheat and the tares 14:03 represent the righteous and the wicked. 14:06 Verse 39, he adds, 14:07 "The enemy who sow them is the devil, 14:11 the harvest is the end of the age, 14:14 and the reapers are," whom? 14:16 "The angels." 14:20 "Therefore as the tares are gathered 14:21 and burn in the fire, 14:23 so it will be at the end of this age. 14:25 The Son of man will send out His angels, 14:27 and they will gather out of His kingdom 14:29 all things that offend 14:30 and those who practice lawlessness, 14:31 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. 14:34 There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 14:36 Then the righteous will shine forth 14:38 as the son in the kingdom of their Father, 14:40 he who has ears to hear, let him hear." 14:46 Who did it say those reapers were, 14:48 those servants of the owners 14:49 who were gonna go gather up at the end of the harvest? 14:53 The angels. 14:57 I don't know if you've ever considered this before, 14:58 but is it possible that 15:00 even loyal angels of God have some questions 15:04 about the origin and continuance of evil? 15:10 Yes. 15:11 Now, let's add another question to that. 15:14 Can you be loyal to God 15:17 and still have questions for God? 15:20 Absolutely, absolutely. 15:22 Notice, they didn't resign their positions, 15:24 they didn't jump off ship, they didn't leave His employ, 15:29 but they needed clarification. 15:31 They say, how come what we see is not what You said. 15:34 I mean, we're still with You, but we need an explanation. 15:38 And so Christ gives the parable, 15:40 explanation there. 15:43 Now, the title of our message today is "Know your Enemy." 15:45 And Jesus just identified 15:46 who the enemy in this parable is, 15:49 and that is the devil. 15:51 So let's go back a little bit. 15:52 Let's go to the Old Testament Book of Isaiah 15:54 to identify this enemy from the parable. 15:58 Who is the enemy? 16:01 Isaiah Chapter 14. 16:06 We'll start with verse 12. 16:09 Here the Prophet Isaiah 16:11 is looking at this great controversy struggle 16:13 between good and evil, 16:15 and he reflects on the outcome, 16:19 especially as it pertains to this enemy. 16:23 Isaiah Chapter 14, we'll begin with verse 12. 16:25 He laments saying, 16:27 "How you are fallen from," where? 16:30 "Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! 16:35 How you are cut down to the ground 16:37 you who weakened the nations!" 16:39 Now notice, he gives a proper name here, 16:41 Lucifer, which, you know, in this day and age, 16:44 I don't hear many people naming their children Lucifer, 16:47 right, it's gotten a bad rep. 16:48 But the name itself inherently is not bad. 16:52 Lucifer like loose, it's like light, 16:54 it means light bearer, right? 16:56 It's a noble name. 16:57 It was intended for a good purpose, right? 17:00 Son of the morning but it says you are cut down to the ground, 17:03 you who weakened the nations. 17:05 And he explains why, verse 13:4. 17:09 So this is the explanation 17:11 as to why he has been cast down is for this reason. 17:14 "For you have said," 17:16 and these next three words are critical, 17:18 "in your," what? 17:20 "Heart." 17:22 So notice everything 17:23 we're about to read the communication 17:26 that's being provided is not a public declaration 17:29 but it's an internal conversation. 17:32 "For you have said in your hearts, 17:36 'I will ascend into heaven, 17:38 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. 17:41 I also will sit on the mount of the congregation 17:44 on the farther sides of the North. 17:46 I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, 17:49 I will be like the most high. 17:55 Verse 15, of course, says, 17:57 "Yet you shall be brought down to sheol, 18:01 to the lowest depths of the pit." 18:05 So notice Lucifer, 18:07 a good being with a good name in a good place, 18:11 heaven has fallen down because he said in his heart I, 18:17 I, I will exalt, I will ascend, 18:20 I will be like the Most High. 18:24 Something was going on inside of Lucifer. 18:28 Let's find another passage, 18:30 you go to the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel. 18:35 Right next to the Prophet Daniel, 18:38 we have the Prophet Ezekiel just before Daniel is Ezekiel, 18:41 and we're gonna go to Chapter 28 18:44 to help identify this enemy of Christ. 18:49 Ezekiel Chapter 28, we'll begin with verse 14. 18:53 Again describing this enemy and his origins, 18:58 says in Ezekiel 28:14, 19:00 "You were the anointed cherub who covers, 19:04 I established you." 19:08 Here the prophet of the Lord speaking on behalf of Christ 19:11 and the Godhead are referring to this fallen being, 19:16 describing him as the anointed cherub 19:19 or you were the anointed cherub who covers. 19:22 Now, if you've studied at all in your scriptures, 19:25 you're probably aware in the Old Testament 19:27 there was a sanctuary, 19:29 and in the most holy place of that sanctuary 19:31 where the Ten Commandments were kept 19:34 was this Ark of the Covenant. 19:36 And on the lid, there were those angels carved into it, 19:39 representing the throne of God in heaven. 19:43 And that angel, and they would have their wings 19:45 covering over that seat of the Most High. 19:50 Those are if for a better term, 19:52 the right and left hand man of God, 19:54 the angels of God 19:55 who have a particular duty and notice it says, 19:58 "He was the anointed cherub, I established you." 20:00 Some versions even say, "For so I ordained you." 20:06 You get the information here, you get the concept 20:08 that Lucifer was not just another angel among so many, 20:12 but he had a high exalted position 20:15 established by God Himself 20:17 as close to the Father as you could be. 20:22 It goes on to explain, 20:24 "You were on the holy mountain of God, 20:25 you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones." 20:30 And notice verse 15, "You were," what's the word? 20:33 "Perfect." 20:37 Now notice that, apparently you can be perfect 20:39 and then become not perfect. 20:42 But his original condition in which the Lord made 20:47 this being was not fallen, but perfect. 20:52 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created. 20:57 Clearly, we're talking about a created being 21:00 who was formed perfect, but deformed somehow. 21:06 "Till iniquity was found," 21:08 and this is very important look at next two words, "in you." 21:14 Now, that's a lot like Isaiah Chapter 14, is it not? 21:17 Remember the dialogue that was happening 21:19 it was actually a monologue, internal monologue, 21:22 "For you have said in your heart," 21:24 and here in Ezekiel it says, 21:25 "For iniquity was found in you." 21:27 Repeatedly the Bible talks about the location 21:30 of the origin of evil was inside 21:33 this particular being. 21:38 "By the abundance of your trading 21:40 you became filled with violence within," 21:43 notice the violence is still within, 21:46 "and you sinned, 21:47 therefore I cast you as a profane thing 21:51 out of the mountain of God, 21:53 and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, 21:55 from the midst of the fiery stones." 22:01 So all that was happening 22:03 described by Isaiah and Ezekiel, 22:05 the self-exaltation, 22:08 the iniquity that even the violence, 22:12 every time those terms are mentioned 22:14 it always says that they were within, 22:16 in your heart, 22:17 inequity was found in you, the violence was within. 22:23 Let me ask you a question. 22:24 Is it possible to have something 22:25 going on inside of you that you don't share 22:27 on the outside of you? 22:30 All the time, right? 22:33 And that's probably a good thing. 22:34 We should have a filter on what's inside 22:36 before we let out and use our expressions 22:37 or our voice or some sort of thing. 22:39 But clearly, it's quite possible. 22:41 I'm gonna say almost probable, 22:45 in fact it's necessary. 22:48 As we're going to see that 22:50 what was going on inside of him 22:51 was not what was going on the outside of him. 22:55 We'll see why. 22:57 But it does beg this question, 22:58 both Ezekiel and Isaiah refer to something else, 23:01 not only the internal monologue 23:02 of self exaltation and violence, 23:05 but it also describes God's response 23:10 to that iniquity that was found. 23:12 And it does not say 23:13 that he was blotted out of existence. 23:16 It says, he was cast out 23:19 or how you were fallen from heaven. 23:21 He was removed, but not destroyed. 23:25 Why would that be? 23:29 Why merely cast out Lucifer 23:32 instead of blotting out Lucifer altogether? 23:36 That's another question 23:37 a lot of skeptics have for Christianity. 23:39 If your God is so good, 23:42 why did He allow 23:45 evil to proliferate? 23:49 And a lot of times when we say, 23:52 that's not a particularly convincing answer. 23:58 But let's keep studying. 23:59 Revelation Chapter 12, 24:01 the very last book of the Bible when it describes 24:04 why there is a great controversy at all, 24:06 why there is this need for redemption. 24:10 It describes the very beginning, 24:12 the origins of this rebellion. 24:14 Revelation Chapter 12, and we'll begin in verse 7. 24:19 It says, "And war broke out," where? 24:21 "In heaven." 24:23 Notice again, the location is consistently heaven 24:25 where the origin of evil began. 24:27 "Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, 24:30 and the dragon and his angels fought 24:32 but they did not prevail, 24:34 nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 24:39 So the great dragon was cast out 24:42 that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, 24:45 who deceives the whole world, 24:47 he was cast to the earth 24:49 and his angels were cast out with him." 24:53 For the third time prophecy describes 24:57 the origin of evil 24:59 and it always puts it on this individual Lucifer, 25:04 or now referred to as rebellion 25:06 as that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, 25:09 who deceives the whole world, but every time 25:11 it acknowledges the origin of evil in this person, 25:15 it refers to the response of God 25:17 as being casting out instead of blotting out. 25:22 Why? 25:26 Imagine, 25:29 there's a day there was a day 25:32 in the courts of heaven. 25:34 At the time when this internal monologue 25:37 was happening in the heart of Lucifer, 25:40 this covering cherub, this ordained minister 25:43 in the courts of heaven, if you will. 25:46 And imagine there was a day 25:48 when God had all of the inhabitants 25:51 of the universe, 25:53 the sentient beings of His creation 25:55 assemble before Him 25:57 for praise and worship. 26:01 Now, 26:02 you can imagine the music of heaven 26:04 must be phenomenal. 26:05 I don't even know if I can imagine that 26:08 but you can just picture, you know, 26:09 melody, harmony and all the rich vibrations 26:12 ringing through the courts, 26:14 it must have been splendid, right? 26:15 And they're all gathered together, 26:17 and they're all in unison, all in one accord, 26:19 all of the same heart, and mind and love, 26:22 it's just beautiful. 26:24 And, of course, when God sees you, 26:28 He doesn't just see to you, He sees through you. 26:33 That is an advantage that no created being has. 26:38 I'm stuck here, but God can go in here, 26:41 right? 26:43 Doesn't the scripture talk about 26:44 how man looks at the outward appearance, 26:46 but God looks at the heart. 26:51 And with that in mind, 26:55 the scenario is not hard to imagine at all. 26:58 With all those assembled inhabitants there, 27:00 the eye of God sweeps the vast throng 27:02 and not only does He see to but He sees through, 27:05 and He knows that the expression on the face 27:07 and the tone of the voice is harmonious 27:10 with the character in the heart. 27:12 That everyone is singing out of love 27:14 and they're praising 27:15 because they have a genuine devotion 27:18 and loyalty to their Creator. 27:21 What a wonderful thing 27:22 and as He sweeps across the congregation, 27:24 what a powerful thought 27:26 until it is He reaches 27:32 the covering cherub. 27:38 You know, the Bible describes the timbrels and pipes 27:41 that were created from his. 27:43 Quite likely he was the song leader 27:45 in the praise service of heaven. 27:46 And you can imagine that day they're singing, 27:48 "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," 27:51 and it's just wonderful. 27:53 And he's up there leading it, smile on his face, 27:56 enthusiastically. 28:00 At least presenting himself. 28:05 But when God looks upon his hearts, 28:09 iniquity was found in him. 28:17 So what would happen if in that moment 28:20 while the doxology is being lifted up 28:22 and 10,000 times 28:24 10,000 are all singing together? 28:31 The God halts the celebration. 28:34 He says, "Wait, I'm sorry, we need to stop this, cut." 28:39 And, of course, everyone would obey, hush all over. 28:44 He would say, Lucifer, can you please step forward? 28:52 Dutifully he does, I'm sure. 28:54 With the look of, "Oh, yes, how can I help?" 28:56 Is there something that would you like to take it up a notch, 28:58 here we go, everyone let him. 28:59 He said stop, just stop. 29:05 I've seen your heart 29:08 and iniquity was found in you. 29:14 Furthermore, 29:15 that the wages of sin is death. 29:22 And so right there, 29:24 in the gaze of onlooking untold host of heaven. 29:32 The Father executes justice. 29:43 He takes back that light 29:44 which He had given at the creation, 29:48 and the lifeless body of Lucifer 29:53 falls right there on the streets of gold. 29:59 Now in that scenario, 30:05 if God been turned to the onlooking crowd 30:11 steps over the body 30:15 and says, "All right, where were we, 30:16 let's sing praise God from whom..." 30:20 You think people would sing? 30:24 I think they would. 30:27 After that display, 30:28 I do anything He asked, right? 30:32 But I'm guessing instead of being joyous, 30:34 and it would be, praise God. 30:40 Would they still be loyal to God? 30:42 Sure. 30:43 You think they might have a question or two for God? 30:46 Absolutely, they would. Absolutely, they would. 30:50 And so in the middle of this second rendition, 30:52 I'm sure someone would have the courage to say, 30:55 "Excuse me. 30:56 I have a question." 30:58 Oh, yes. "How can I help you?" 31:00 What's on your mind this morning? 31:03 Um, you know, I'm not even sure how to ask, 31:05 but could you maybe explain what, I mean why? 31:11 And what? 31:15 What? 31:16 And he says, oh, you mean the Lucifer thing, 31:18 is that what you're asking about? 31:20 He says, "Yes, yes. Tell me what..." 31:21 And what if God's response was? 31:23 Oh that. 31:24 Oh, don't worry about it, trust me. 31:29 Let's sing. 31:35 Friends, if God's only answer was trust me, 31:42 he would have killed the rebel, 31:44 but he would not have ended the rebellion. 31:49 People would look at God as covering something up. 31:53 They would look at Lucifer 31:54 as instead of the scorn he should be 31:57 as a martyr for the cause of freedom. 32:02 God in His wisdom merely cast him out 32:07 instead of blotting him out for all eternity. 32:11 Now, where can we find, 32:13 this is like, that's a fanciful illustration 32:14 but is there anything in the Bible 32:16 that even hints of that happening? 32:18 Sure. 32:20 Go back now to the passages we just looked at. 32:21 Go back to Isaiah Chapter 14. 32:24 Isaiah Chapter 14. 32:31 It not only tells us what happened, 32:33 but it actually tells us 32:34 why God takes this action 32:37 in response to the rebellion of Lucifer. 32:41 Again, we'll start with verse 12. 32:42 "How you were fallen from heaven, 32:44 O Lucifer, son of the morning! 32:45 How you were cut down to the ground, 32:47 you who weakened nations! 32:48 For you have said," and here it is 32:49 "in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, 32:52 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. 32:54 I will also sit on the mount of the congregation 32:56 on the farther sides of North. 32:58 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 33:00 I will be like the Most High, yet you," 33:03 and notice this, "shall be." 33:08 Notice that the, you have said is past tense, 33:11 but you shall be is future tense. 33:15 It indicates a process of dealing with this rebellion, 33:18 does it not? 33:20 Yet you shall be brought down to sheol, 33:22 to the lowest depths of the pit. 33:23 So why a gap 33:25 between the revelation of the iniquity 33:29 in the mind of God, 33:31 and the execution of judgment, 33:33 taking him down to the pit? 33:34 Why that time elapse? 33:36 Well, look at verse 16, it tells us. 33:39 "Those who see you will gaze at you 33:43 and consider you." 33:46 Notice that God has in mind an onlooking congregation 33:52 who might have some thoughts 33:54 that need to be clarified, right? 33:57 "Those who see you will gaze at you." 33:59 What are some synonyms for gaze? 34:02 Look at, stare, 34:04 you know gaze is not just a passing glance, right? 34:07 It's a studied look. 34:08 It's setting directly 34:14 this focus, right? 34:17 He goes on to say, 34:18 "Those who see you will gaze at you 34:20 and consider you." 34:21 Now, what are some synonyms for consider? 34:24 Think, ponder, mull over. 34:29 Apparently they're gonna have to look close 34:31 and think deep 34:34 about what is going on in the ending of Lucifer. 34:39 "Those who see you will gaze at you 34:41 and consider you saying, 34:43 'Is this the man 34:45 who made the earth tremble? 34:47 Who shook kingdoms? 34:50 Who made the world as a wilderness 34:51 and destroyed its cities. 34:54 Did not open the house of his prisoners.'" 34:55 They start reflecting on the whole process 34:57 when it's all said and done. 34:59 How did he go from that down to there? 35:04 They need to see and consider. 35:07 Go to Ezekiel Chapter 28 again, 35:09 right back in the same steps we just followed, 35:12 you'll find the incredible consistency 35:15 of the scripture record 35:17 in regard to the fall of Lucifer, 35:19 and the response of God to his iniquity. 35:26 Ezekiel Chapter 28. 35:28 Let's go back to verse 16. 35:31 "By the abundance of your trading 35:33 you became filled with violence within and you sinned. 35:38 Therefore, I cast you 35:41 as a profane thing out of the mountain of God, 35:43 and I destroyed you, O covering cherub 35:45 from the midst of the fiery stones." 35:48 "Your heart," verse 17, 35:49 "was lifted up because of your beauty." 35:51 Notice that the heart was the issue in Isaiah, 35:54 the heart is again in Ezekiel. 35:55 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, 35:57 you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor." 36:00 Now notice very carefully, 36:02 "I cast you to the ground, 36:04 I laid you before kings," why? 36:07 That they might," and here's our word again, 36:10 "gaze at you." 36:15 Friends, did God know 36:17 why Lucifer needed to be destroyed? 36:20 Yes. 36:24 If it were only God in the universe, 36:26 He could have executed justice right then and there 36:28 and it would have been righteous and true 36:30 in all of His ways. 36:33 But God's concern was not just for Him, 36:37 and what was right, 36:38 He needed to be seen as rights. 36:42 So He says in Isaiah, 36:44 the reason He cast them out, 36:45 is so that others can gaze and understand, consider. 36:48 Now He says in Ezekiel about how they need to gaze at you. 36:52 It continues in verse 18. 36:54 "You defiled your sanctuaries 36:55 by the multitude of your iniquities, 36:57 by the iniquity of your trading. 36:58 Therefore I brought fire from your midst, 37:00 it devoured you and I turned you to ashes 37:03 upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you." 37:06 Now look at verse 19. 37:07 "All who knew you among the peoples 37:11 are astonished at you, 37:13 you have become a horror, 37:15 and shall be no more forever." 37:20 Look at that again. 37:21 "All who knew you," 37:23 your former associates, those angelic hosts 37:27 who regarded you and their position 37:31 now need to understand as they watch you fall. 37:38 "All who knew you among the peoples 37:40 are astonished at you, 37:41 you have become a horror," 37:43 and notice, "and shall be no more forever." 37:46 Again, future tense. 37:48 You notice that God's dealing with Lucifer 37:52 was not a one shot moment 37:55 of justice being done. 38:00 Instead what the Bible reveals is a process, 38:04 a process of responding to evil, 38:08 so that those who see will understand. 38:13 That's the purpose. 38:16 Let me illustrate this. 38:19 A man one evening was coming home from work. 38:23 Long day at work, 38:24 he had an office job and it was mentally taxing. 38:28 And as he came home, he realized 38:30 that he had a kind of the house to himself, 38:33 his wife and children away on a trip 38:34 and he was honestly looking forward to a calm evening 38:37 and he had a book that he wanted to read, 38:39 and he was gonna make himself a nice hot drink 38:40 and sit in his favorite chair, and just read his book 38:43 before getting to bed early and get some rest. 38:46 So he comes home, puts the car in the garage 38:49 and prepares his little comfortable 38:51 setting there 38:52 and he only has the one lamp on in his back room 38:55 by his favorite chair and from the street, 38:57 you would think that no one was home. 38:59 You don't see any lights on, 39:01 you don't see the car in the driveway 39:02 and as it would happen, 39:04 a burglar was patrolling the area. 39:09 And he looks at this house and he said, 39:11 "Ah-ah, this matches all of my criteria 39:14 for an easy target." 39:17 So he decides that 39:19 he's going to walk up to the house 39:20 and invite himself in. 39:25 And, of course, unbeknownst to the man, 39:27 the owner of the home the man is sitting there 39:29 reading his book in his back room, 39:30 he was having a great evening 39:32 and he hears on the other side of the house 39:35 some noises. 39:37 Someone's at the door, but it wasn't this kind of... 39:40 Someone's at the door, it was more of 39:43 a breaking and entering type of a situation. 39:48 Man doesn't know what to do. 39:51 The owner of the home 39:53 first flips off the light real quick, 39:55 not to give his location away and he grabs the little phone 39:58 and he quickly and quietly dials 911. 40:03 And he gets on the line in whisper tone, "Help! 40:07 He's in my house, there is someone in my home." 40:13 And they say, "No problem, we're sending a squad car." 40:17 So he just has to quietly wait. 40:20 And as he's waiting, he can hear the footsteps. 40:22 I don't know if how many of you 40:24 lived in a house for quite a while. 40:25 But you come very quickly 40:27 to know the position of all the furnishings 40:29 and the rooms and the layout of the home, right? 40:32 You could probably walk through your house 40:33 in the dark pretty well. 40:35 But, of course, this man can't, 40:36 he's bumbling around and whatnot. 40:37 But the owner of the home knows where he is 40:39 based on the sound of his footsteps 40:41 and he can tell which room he's in. 40:42 He knows "Oh, he's in the kitchen now. 40:44 Nope, He's headed down the hall 40:45 and he knows he's getting closer and closer 40:48 to his own location in the house, 40:50 and he's racking his brain. 40:51 What can I do? I have no weapon. 40:53 I have no option. What am I gonna do? 40:55 So the only thing he can think to do 40:57 as he hears the man, 40:59 the burglar coming in to the very room 41:01 in which he himself is seated, 41:03 is to quickly switch on all the lights 41:06 and make his presence known. 41:09 Now, of course, the burglar thought 41:10 this was an easy target, he didn't put on all his gear 41:12 and a ski mask and stuff. 41:13 His face is wide exposed 41:15 and there's the man sitting in his chair 41:16 with his face wide exposed. 41:18 And for a moment that had to seem like an hour. 41:20 Both of them were just shocked. 41:23 Eyes bugged out, jaw dropping. 41:28 And in that split second of time 41:31 out coming down the drive you can hear, 41:34 you know, the sirens are coming, 41:35 the lights are blaring 41:36 and all of a sudden the burglar situation is changed 41:38 from an easy target to a fight or flight scenario, right? 41:41 And he decides he has to get out of there. 41:43 So he runs out of the house 41:44 the same way just in time 41:45 for the police to open the squad door 41:47 and escort him right into the backseat. 41:51 The owner of the home goes chasing, 41:52 "Now, get on out of here." 41:53 He stands at the door feeling like a man, right? 41:57 I just defended my territory. 41:59 I just made this place safe, 42:01 if only my wife were here to see my massive strength 42:03 and anyway, he felt good. 42:07 Burglar on the other hand didn't. 42:11 Now the owner the home goes back, 42:12 he sleeps well, 42:14 gets a great rest at night, he gets all. 42:15 The burglar, well, he has to go to the court, 42:18 I mean, wherever you go, I haven't ever experienced it. 42:20 So I'm just supposing, right? 42:21 But he gets in that little jail cell 42:23 and has a change of clothes 42:24 and he's not at all comfortable in that metal cot 42:27 that he has to stay on with the noises 42:28 and lights and smells, 42:30 who knows what's down that jail house. 42:33 And the next morning they wake him up 42:34 'cause he's got to go stand before the judge 42:36 and he's got to go through the processing situation. 42:39 And so he goes and they escort him 42:40 into the courtroom. 42:42 And finally the bailiff says "All rise." 42:47 And, of course, there's, of course, 42:48 the defense attorney, court assign 42:50 and there's prosecutor over there. 42:51 There's a few people in the courtroom 42:52 watching the proceedings that day 42:54 and the judge strolls into the courtroom 42:57 and for the second time in so many days, 43:01 those same two faces see each other 43:04 because the man who owned the home 43:07 just happened to be the judge hearing his case. 43:12 And you can imagine the burglars 43:14 just completely deflated. 43:16 I am the worst criminal in the history of the universe. 43:19 I broke into the judge's house, 43:22 and he saw my face and he knows, 43:26 and you can imagine the judge then striding to the bench, 43:30 "Oh, hello there. 43:33 Good morning. 43:35 Did you sleep well?" 43:38 I'm well rested. 43:39 Thanks for asking, you know, and poor burglar, 43:42 you almost feel bad for him at this point. 43:43 Don't feel bad for him. 43:48 But in that scenario, 43:51 imagine 43:56 the judge were to look at the defense attorney 43:58 and say, 44:00 "Friend, I'm sorry, but you're gonna lose this one. 44:04 And prosecutor, you and me today, 44:08 this is going in your record book. 44:10 I'm ready 44:14 to give my verdict right now." 44:17 And he takes his gavel, slams it down. 44:21 Guilty! 44:23 Throw the book at him. 44:27 Let me ask you a question. 44:28 Would the judge's assessment of the verdict, 44:33 would his verdict be correct? 44:38 Yes. 44:40 He's the eyewitness. 44:41 He knows for a fact, it was his home. 44:44 He knows everything about the case from the inside. 44:51 He would absolutely be correct in his verdict. 44:54 But let me ask you the follow up question. 44:56 Would he be right 45:00 in taking that action? 45:04 No. 45:07 Why is due process important 45:11 even when the judge knows the truth? 45:18 Because, friends, there's something that God has in mind 45:21 that's greater than even being right. 45:26 He needs to be seen as right 45:30 in the eyes of the others 45:32 who gaze and consider His actions. 45:37 This is what scripture reveals 45:39 is the reason why Lucifer was merely cast out 45:44 instead of being blotted out 45:45 which God had every right to do, 45:47 but it would still be a bad decision 45:50 strategically, 45:52 because his goal is not just the destruction of Satan, 45:55 but it's the ending of rebellion itself, 45:59 which is a much bigger idea 46:01 than most of us perhaps have in mind. 46:06 Genesis Chapter 3, 46:14 tells the story of how that 46:17 fallen angel that rebel 46:20 from heaven becomes the ruler of this world. 46:24 You know in Genesis Chapter 1, as we referred to early 46:26 when Christ created this world, He made man how? 46:29 In His image, 46:31 and He entrusted him with responsibility 46:33 to have dominion, right? 46:35 Over the whole created world. 46:37 God had set Adam 46:39 with the help of his companion Eve, 46:41 as the leader of this place, 46:44 the ruler of this world if you would. 46:48 And for all of two chapters, 46:50 the Bible is a fantastic read with no sin whatsoever. 46:55 But in chapter 3, 46:57 we find the sadly familiar story. 47:00 You remember in Revelation Chapter 12 47:02 when He referred to the devil, 47:03 he called him that serpent of old, right? 47:06 And that automatically draws your mind 47:08 to the encounter of the woman and the serpent. 47:12 Genesis 3:1, 47:16 "Now the serpent was more cunning 47:17 than any beasts of the field which the Lord God had made. 47:20 And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, 47:24 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'" 47:28 Notice, he starts with a question. 47:31 Has God indeed? 47:36 Whatever he says after those three words 47:39 is built to insinuate doubt. 47:43 He says, "Did God really? 47:47 Has God indeed said, 47:50 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden.'" 47:52 Did He really tell you that? 47:55 We're not gonna get too deep into the story, 47:57 but if you go back to Genesis Chapter 2, 47:59 you'll discover that it was Adam singular, 48:01 who was given the responsibility 48:05 of the knowledge 48:06 about the tree of good and evil, 48:08 the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 48:12 And here he comes to Eve, and he says, 48:13 "Did God really say that?" 48:16 And obviously he's conveyed the information to his wife. 48:20 But he picks on a little thing 48:21 that could be any possible chink in the armor, 48:24 any little slip he can get in. 48:28 In verse 2, and the woman said to the serpent, 48:30 "We may eat of the trees of the garden, 48:34 but of the fruit of the tree 48:36 which is in the midst of the garden, 48:37 God has said, 'You shall not eat it, 48:39 nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 48:42 So she's defending God, 48:44 that's what she thinks she's doing, right? 48:46 God never said, 48:47 we couldn't eat of any of the trees, 48:48 we can eat of all the trees except for one. 48:50 And he said, 48:52 and then he quote, she quotes God 48:54 but she actually misquotes God, 48:56 indicating that she wasn't there 48:57 to know exactly or she's over defending 49:00 or she's taking a position. 49:01 By the way, if the devil ever comes to you and talks, 49:03 don't talk back. 49:06 Just leave it alone. 49:08 Go back the other way and run to Jesus. 49:11 Amen? 49:12 But she decides to step out and defend God. 49:15 But in entering into that conversation, 49:18 she's on very dangerous ground. 49:21 It goes on to say, verse 4, 49:23 "Then the serpent said to the woman, 49:25 'You will not surely die.'" 49:28 Now, God had said to Adam, "You shall surely die." 49:33 Now instead of insinuating doubt, 49:35 he goes the opposite direction 49:36 and makes it absolute contrasting statement, 49:40 "You will not surely die." 49:42 Now, if you go to the doctor's office, 49:45 which sounds better to you? 49:47 You shall surely die, or you shall not surely die. 49:52 Right? 49:54 Not dying sounds pretty good. 49:58 You can imagine the appeal of this 49:59 "You mean there's a way 50:00 we don't even have to worry about dying. 50:03 Let's hear more about that." 50:06 And He explains verse 5. 50:07 "For God knows..." 50:09 The implication being God knows and you don't. 50:13 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it, 50:15 your eyes will be," what? 50:17 "Opened." 50:18 Which implies about her eyes at this point that they are, 50:21 of course tragically closed, 50:24 but your eyes will be opened. 50:27 "And you will be like God." 50:31 Friends, where have we seen that sentiment 50:32 before in our study today? 50:34 Was it not in Isaiah Chapter 14? 50:36 That was the very things that were those jealous, 50:39 envy, surmising, self-exaltation, 50:42 that was the origin of evil and he takes that down 50:45 and he sells it down here. 50:49 You will be like God, knowing good and evil. 50:52 You get to decide what is right and wrong, 50:54 good or evil, black or white, 50:56 yes or no, you get to run your life. 51:01 You don't need God and His rules, 51:03 you can be a rule unto yourself and you will never die. 51:07 That's a pretty appealing sermon, is it not? 51:12 No more rules and no more death. 51:16 Now, she was not dissatisfied with what she had already. 51:20 It's like an infomercial. 51:22 Ever watched a little commercial on television? 51:24 They introduce a problem 51:26 that you didn't know you had and by the end of it, 51:28 you need a solution that only they can provide. 51:31 Handily enough for three easy payments of $19.95. 51:35 Here he says, "Look, you've got a problem, 51:37 your poor little eyes are closed. 51:39 But I'll help you. You can be... 51:41 And he passes on to this world. 51:45 Verse 6, "So when the woman saw 51:47 that the tree was good for food, 51:49 and it was pleasing to the eyes 51:50 and a tree desirable to make one wise." 51:54 By the way, 51:55 the tree of knowledge of good and evil was not some toxic, 51:58 stingy, disgusting thing, it was appealing. 52:02 It's good for food. It was pleasing to the eye. 52:04 The reason it was wrong is because God said so, 52:06 that's it. 52:08 But she begins to reason for herself. 52:10 "Well, it looks good, and it seems healthy. 52:15 And beyond that it can make me wise." 52:22 "She took of its fruits and ate. 52:26 She also gave to her husband with her and he ate." 52:32 Then verse 7, 52:33 "The eyes of both of them were opened. 52:38 But not the way that she expected 52:40 and they knew that they were naked, 52:42 and they sewed fig leaves together 52:44 and made themselves coverings." 52:47 Instead of being exalted to a new position, 52:52 they realize their loss. 52:59 Now, there's a simple principle found in the New Testament. 53:01 In Romans Chapter 6, the Apostle Paul 53:06 puts in very simple terms. 53:09 The predicament that Adam and Eve found themselves in. 53:12 Romans 6 53:16 in verse 16. 53:19 Very simply states, 53:22 "Do you not know," 53:24 by the way, the Apostle Paul, 53:25 I can't wait to meet him in heaven. 53:28 He has such a way about him. 53:30 You look at that phrase over and over in his writings, 53:32 he is do you not know, 53:34 like this what I'm about to tell you 53:36 should be common sense. 53:37 This is a Christianity one on one, do you not know? 53:39 And here's what he says, you should understand. 53:40 "Do you not know that 53:42 to whom you present yourself slaves to" what? 53:45 "Obey?" 53:46 You are that one slave whom you obey? 53:51 "Whether of sin leading to death 53:53 or obedience leading to righteousness?" 53:55 You can call yourself a free agent. 53:57 You can call yourself this or that, 53:58 but you're gonna obey someone 53:59 and whoever you obey, that's your master. 54:03 You can claim to be a follower of God 54:05 and a believer in the truth and a lover of Jesus Christ. 54:07 But if you follow Satan, he's your ruler. 54:12 That's how it works. 54:13 And as long as Adam and Eve 54:15 were in that relationship with God of sinless perfection, 54:17 that they did not transgress the law of God, 54:19 and they kept themselves here, 54:21 as long as they were obedient to God, 54:23 they were the ruler of this world. 54:27 But as soon as they obeyed Satan 54:31 instead of God, 54:34 Lucifer, 54:36 that serpent of old called the devil and Satan 54:38 became the ruler of this world. 54:44 Go to Chapter 4 of the Book of Luke, 54:47 Luke Chapter 4. 54:50 And you notice that Satan himself to Jesus 54:53 face to face 54:55 even acknowledges 54:57 that this is how he has been the ruler of this world, 55:01 Jesus also acknowledged the same fact Himself, 55:03 John Chapter 12, John Chapter 14, 55:05 and John Chapter 16, 55:07 all three different occasions 55:08 where Jesus Christ referred to the devil as, 55:12 "The ruler of this world." 55:15 But notice how he got this position. 55:18 Luke 4:5, 55:23 "Then the devil taking him up 55:25 on a high mountain showed him 55:26 all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 55:31 And the devil said to him, 55:32 all this authority I will give you, 55:39 and their glory." 55:41 Notice he's claiming to have authority 55:44 over the whole world. 55:45 Yes? 55:47 But how does he have that? 55:49 He acknowledges, 55:51 "For this has been delivered to me. 55:55 Is he claiming to be the creator of this world? 55:59 Absolutely not. 56:01 He's just claiming to have usurped 56:04 the authority 56:06 that had been given to 56:08 the true ruler of the world, which was Adam. 56:10 He said, No, no, no, no, 56:12 they gave me the keys to the place. 56:14 I have a deed, I run this place now, 56:17 they gave it over. 56:19 And I'm willing to give it to whomever I wish, 56:23 whomever I choose. 56:26 So he makes an offer to Christ. 56:28 He said, "I'm gonna give you the whole place back for free," 56:34 well, not quite for free. 56:37 Almost free. 56:40 There's one tiny little thing that I need you to do. 56:44 Just one thing that you lack. 56:47 And he says it there, therefore, verse 9, 56:50 "If you will worship before me, 56:53 all will be Yours." 56:57 The one thing he's always wanted 56:59 was that self-exalting worship 57:03 on behalf of all the other people, 57:06 from the created beings. 57:09 Friends, God did not create the devil 57:11 and God is not responsible for the existence of evil. 57:16 However, in His wisdom, 57:20 He has a plan to remedy the problem. 57:24 Once sin began, 57:27 it had to, it must mature 57:32 so that every created being in God's universe 57:35 could see the difference between good and evil. 57:41 So we go back to our concept that we began 57:43 in Matthew Chapter 13. 57:47 "That someday when the harvest comes, 57:49 then there will be a separation 57:51 between the wheat and the tares. 57:54 And the same reapers, 57:57 those angels who would have messed things up 57:59 if they've gone early, 58:00 now would be safe to say 58:02 "Now you can see the difference." 58:04 Go gather the tares and the bundles to burn them 58:06 but gather the wheat into my barn. 58:10 Friends, have we made sense this morning? 58:11 Has this been clear? 58:13 Praise the Lord. 58:14 We're gonna continue our series in the next message, 58:17 but for right now let's bow our heads 58:18 for word of prayer. |
Revised 2019-05-20