Hello, once again,
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here with Secrets Unsealed
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on the beautiful Island of Oahu,
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so happy to be here.
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And we're continuing our
series "Silencing Satan".
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We're looking at
the great controversy
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between good and
evil, its origins,
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its continuance,
and by God's grace,
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its end soon and very soon.
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Just to review
where we've come from.
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In our first two messages,
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we looked at the origin of evil
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in the heart of that
once perfect angel, Lucifer.
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But as he inside of himself
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churned up these
questions and issues of jealousy
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and envy against God,
and even violence within,
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Christ casted him out
of the courts of heaven.
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Also, he
brought those deceptions
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down to the earth and
mankind, through our parents,
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Adam and Eve, joined
in Satan's rebellion,
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and he became the
ruler of this world.
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And we noted in our last message
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that what Satan
actually did in heaven
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was not some
violent coup d'état.
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What he actually did
was a subtle usurping
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or subtle a war of
words against the name
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and character of God.
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He traded,
peddled, traffic, sold,
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he passed around
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falsehoods and lies,
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he slandered God.
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And God cannot lie
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where Satan is
the father of lies.
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And Christ could not
simply just declare the truth,
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He had to reveal the
truth, He had to show the truth.
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And so that's
what we noted last time
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that when Jesus
came to this earth,
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His mission was to destroy
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the works of the devil
through His own self-sacrifice
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and in so doing
reveal the character of God.
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We saw that the sympathies
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of the angel
hosts were no longer
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in anyway aligned with Satan,
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but they were
loyal through and through
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signed, sealed, and delivered.
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So now we continue our series
with our third message entitled
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"Vacancies in Heaven,
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Vacancies in Heaven".
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But as always,
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we must begin
with a word of prayer.
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So if you would,
please, bow your heads with me.
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Dear Heavenly Father, again,
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we come into Your
presence with thanksgiving.
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We're thankful for this
time that You've given us,
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we're thankful
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for the opportunity to know You,
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and by Your grace,
to become like You.
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So, Lord, as we see now
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how You deal with
sin and rebellion,
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we would ask that
You would empower us
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to live lives
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worthy of Your name.
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So, Lord, bless
us now as we study
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and open Your Word.
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May we have a message directly
from the throne of heaven,
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for we pray it in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Let's review some
of those texts again
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as we beget started, 1 John 3:8.
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The apostle here describing
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the purpose of
Christ's incarnation,
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His manifestation in
our world as one of us.
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1 John 3:8, the
scripture tells us,
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"He who sins is of the devil,
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for the devil has
sinned from the beginning.
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For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested,
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that He might destroy
the works of the devil."
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So clearly, mission number one
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for Jesus Christ was to respond
to those railing accusations
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against the name
and character of God
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by revealing the
true character of God
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in His own person
and self-sacrifice,
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and in so doing,
destroy the works of the devil.
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Let's look at
another passage of John,
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this time the gospel of John,
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John 12:31.
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We begin,
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where Jesus Himself
explains what He was about to do
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as He was going
towards the cross of Calvary.
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John 12:31, He says,
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"Now is the
judgment of this world."
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And by that He means,
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"Now the ruler of this
world will be cast out.
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And I, if I am
lifted up from the earth,
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will draw all peoples to Myself.
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This He said,
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signifying by what
death He would die."
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So Christ declares
that He came to die,
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and in so doing to destroy
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or cast out the
ruler of this world.
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And He was
successful in that endeavor.
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Praise the Lord.
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Thus we read in
Revelation Chapter 12.
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As we look at that
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cosmic battle
that began in heaven,
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we start with verse
7, as we have before,
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and continue on.
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Revelation 12:7, "And
war broke out in heaven,
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Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon,
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and the dragon
and his angels fought,
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but they did not prevail,
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nor was a place found for
them in heaven any longer.
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So the great
dragon was cast out,
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that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan,
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who receives the whole world,
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he was cast to the earth
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and his angels
were cast out with him."
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We discover that
description there in verses 7-9
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is talking about
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the initial rebellion in heaven,
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where Satan have
that iniquity within
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and the violence within,
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and God saw into his
heart and cast him out
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instead of blotting
him out of existence.
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But then we noted
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in our next message in verse 10,
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where it says,
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"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven,
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'Now salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God,
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and the power of
His Christ have come,
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for the accuser of our brethren,
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who accused them
before our God day and night,
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has been cast down.'"
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We saw that that was a reference
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to Jesus casting out
the ruler of this world
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when He died on the cross.
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And by doing that
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He revealed the
true character of God,
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and incidentally,
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the character of His enemy
to all the onlooking universe
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who had witnessed his
fall from the very beginning
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and were told that
the last link of sympathy
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was broken between
Satan and the angels of heaven
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when they saw the
murder of Jesus Christ.
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So Jesus cried out on the cross,
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"It is finished!
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Mission accomplished!"
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But that brings us to
a new set of questions.
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If it was finished,
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and if the
mission was accomplished,
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why 2,000 years later
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is the war still going?
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You know, you
can almost picture.
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I'll pick on Gabriel
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because he's the
only other angel name
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beside Lucifer I
know in the Bible.
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But you can imagine that
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Lucifer and
Gabriel were friends.
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They had likely been associates
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for who knows how
many eons of time.
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And when Satan first
began his rebellious campaign
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to smear the name of God,
it was not clear at first,
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the Bible explicitly says this.
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That he had to sell these things
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and trade and
traffic these ideas
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instead of an
outright rebellion.
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And that even when he
was cast to the earth,
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it took 4,000 years,
and the ministry of Christ,
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the sacrifice of Jesus,
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our sinless Savior,
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to fully convince
Gabriel and the angel host
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that Satan needed to be ended,
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not merely removed.
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This sin was not
something you could quarantine
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or have a stalemate or
have a divided territory,
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this one is favorable,
this one is unfavorable,
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that it must be
eradicated completely.
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You can also imagine the Father
turning to Gabriel and saying,
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"Now do you see?
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As they behold,
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Jesus die on that
cross at the hands of Satan,
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when He had done nothing wrong."
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Father would
say, "Do you see now
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why Satan must
not only be removed,
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but completely destroyed?"
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And when that
last link of sympathy
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was broken between
Satan and the heavenly world,
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the angel hosts,
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Gabriel would
probably say, "Yes, I see.
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There is no reason he
should continue to live.
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He needs to be done."
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So the question
then should come to mind,
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if Satan was
defeated at Calvary,
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which he was,
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and if Christ's
mission was successful,
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which it was,
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then why didn't Satan die
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at Calvary too?
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If the evidence
that God is true,
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and just, and is in fact love,
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it was made clear at Calvary,
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why wouldn't 10 seconds later,
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couldn't the
Father just turn and said,
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"Are we all good now?
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Can we be done?"
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And execute judgment
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that Satan and
sin would be no more.
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Well, because there was
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more to God's
plan than ending Satan.
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Luke Chapter 19,
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Jesus articulates that
other reason He came here,
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equally important to
the destruction of Satan
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is the salvation of sinners.
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Notice what Jesus Himself
says in the gospel of Luke
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Chapter 19,
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and we'll go to verse 10.
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Luke 19:10,
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Jesus says, "For the Son of Man
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has come to," what?
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"Seek and to save
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that which was lost."
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So at the same
time, for this purpose,
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the Son of God was manifested,
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that might destroy
the works of the devil,
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Jesus Himself would say
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that the Son of
Man has come to seek
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and to save that which was lost.
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So Praise the Lord,
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it's not called the
plan of destruction,
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it's called the
plan of redemption,
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the plan of salvation.
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In order for it
to be successful,
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something needs to be
saved, not just destroyed.
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He has more on His mind
than merely ending Satan,
00:11:01.19\00:11:05.86
He wants to save sinners.
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Now that's a whole
another can of worms,
00:11:08.96\00:11:10.97
that's a whole another process,
that's a whole another thing.
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Go back to our original parable
00:11:14.24\00:11:15.57
that we studied
in our first time,
00:11:15.60\00:11:16.94
Matthew Chapter 13.
00:11:16.97\00:11:21.41
When Jesus talks about
the wheat and the tares,
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and the servants of
the owner come to him,
00:11:25.58\00:11:29.62
and they ask him in verse 28,
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"Do you want us then
to go and gather them up?"
00:11:31.85\00:11:33.96
That is when they first
noticed that there was a problem
00:11:33.99\00:11:36.49
in the world that
there was some sort of
00:11:36.52\00:11:38.03
discrepancy here that
the field was full of tares
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along with the wheat.
00:11:42.06\00:11:43.80
They offered their services,
"Can we just go harvest now?
00:11:43.87\00:11:47.14
Can we reap now?
00:11:47.17\00:11:49.10
Do you want us then to
go and gather them up?"
00:11:49.14\00:11:53.04
"But he said," look at verse 29,
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"No,
00:11:55.61\00:11:57.05
lest while you gather up
the tares you also uproot
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the wheat with them.
00:12:00.98\00:12:03.15
Let both grow
together until the harvest,
00:12:03.18\00:12:05.59
and at the time of harvest,
I will say to the reapers,
00:12:05.62\00:12:08.36
'First gather together the tares
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and bind them in
bundles to burn them,
00:12:09.96\00:12:11.63
but gather the
wheat into my barn.'
00:12:11.66\00:12:15.56
" Friends, the owner
permitted the tares to grow
00:12:15.60\00:12:18.83
because he cared for the wheat.
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.64
Somehow, and I
know this seems like
00:12:22.67\00:12:24.54
the craziest
thought but hear me out.
00:12:24.57\00:12:27.78
Somehow it was in
the wheat's best interest
00:12:27.81\00:12:33.01
that the tares be
allowed to mature and grow.
00:12:33.05\00:12:38.72
Again, notice that it
was in the best interest
00:12:38.75\00:12:41.02
of the wheat
00:12:41.06\00:12:42.39
that the tares
be allowed to grow.
00:12:42.42\00:12:46.36
And we make the application
of outside of the parable,
00:12:46.39\00:12:49.03
but what does
Christ mean by that?
00:12:49.06\00:12:51.10
That somehow
00:12:51.13\00:12:52.63
God's continued
allowance of evil
00:12:52.67\00:12:58.27
is in the best interest of those
00:12:58.31\00:13:01.64
who will be saved.
00:13:01.68\00:13:05.85
That seems like it
just boggles the mind.
00:13:05.88\00:13:10.09
How is it in our best interest?
00:13:10.12\00:13:11.99
By the way,
00:13:12.02\00:13:13.36
I hope you don't
mind us grouping together
00:13:13.39\00:13:14.72
as the redeemed, right?
00:13:14.76\00:13:16.73
I have every
intention, by God's grace,
00:13:16.76\00:13:18.93
to be part of that saved number.
00:13:18.96\00:13:21.03
Amen?
00:13:21.06\00:13:23.20
But how is it in
our best interest
00:13:23.23\00:13:25.37
that Satan have more time
00:13:25.40\00:13:28.10
to do his baleful work?
00:13:28.14\00:13:32.01
What is the plan?
00:13:32.04\00:13:33.38
Now remember, we
close with this passage
00:13:33.41\00:13:34.84
from the Desire
of Ages page 761,
00:13:34.88\00:13:37.55
"Satan saw that his
disguise was torn away."
00:13:37.58\00:13:39.78
Speaking of the death
of Jesus on the cross,
00:13:39.81\00:13:42.05
"Satan saw that his
disguise was torn away.
00:13:42.08\00:13:44.39
His administration was laid open
00:13:44.42\00:13:46.39
before the unfallen angels
00:13:46.42\00:13:48.16
and before the
heavenly universe.
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.99
He had revealed
himself as a murderer.
00:13:51.03\00:13:54.46
By shedding the
blood of the Son of God,
00:13:54.50\00:13:56.40
he had uprooted
himself from the sympathies
00:13:56.43\00:13:58.50
of the heavenly beings."
00:13:58.53\00:13:59.87
There she says that at Calvary,
00:13:59.90\00:14:01.44
the last link of
sympathy between Satan
00:14:01.47\00:14:04.54
and the unfallen
world was broken.
00:14:04.57\00:14:07.88
But if you were to
keep reading that passage,
00:14:07.91\00:14:09.88
the very next paragraph,
00:14:09.91\00:14:12.08
in fact, the very next sentence
00:14:12.11\00:14:13.45
after that last link
of sympathy statement,
00:14:13.52\00:14:16.35
she adds this,
00:14:16.38\00:14:17.72
"Yet Satan
00:14:17.75\00:14:21.89
was not then destroyed."
00:14:21.92\00:14:25.76
It's anticipating
that logical inquiry.
00:14:25.79\00:14:29.66
If we're all done,
why aren't we all done?
00:14:29.70\00:14:33.44
If it is finished,
why does the war continue?
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.30
Why allow Satan to live anymore?
00:14:36.34\00:14:39.64
It's the same question
00:14:39.67\00:14:41.01
they were asking in the parable.
00:14:41.04\00:14:43.38
And he had to say,
00:14:43.45\00:14:44.78
"It's in the best
interest of the wheat."
00:14:44.81\00:14:46.15
Now listen to this explanation.
00:14:46.18\00:14:47.98
"Yet Satan was
not been destroyed.
00:14:48.02\00:14:50.82
The angels did not
even then understand
00:14:50.89\00:14:54.52
all that was involved
in the great controversy."
00:14:54.56\00:14:58.19
So apparently, there was
more to this great controversy
00:14:58.23\00:15:01.60
than merely demonstrating
the need for Satan to be done.
00:15:01.63\00:15:07.90
Apparently, there was more
than the destruction of Satan
00:15:07.94\00:15:11.74
that was on the heart of
God in His plan of redemption.
00:15:11.77\00:15:15.94
Again, "The angels did
not even then understand
00:15:15.98\00:15:18.15
all that was involved
in the great controversy.
00:15:18.18\00:15:20.32
The principles at stake
00:15:20.35\00:15:22.65
were to be more fully revealed."
00:15:22.68\00:15:26.42
Now what did
Christ reveal across?
00:15:26.45\00:15:28.12
He revealed the
character of His enemy
00:15:28.16\00:15:30.53
and the character
of His Father, right?
00:15:30.56\00:15:32.56
That was a clear revelation,
00:15:32.59\00:15:34.30
but there were still more
to be revealed than even that.
00:15:34.33\00:15:38.93
"The principles at stake
00:15:38.97\00:15:40.37
were to be more fully revealed."
00:15:40.44\00:15:41.77
And notice this almost
insane sounding sentence,
00:15:41.80\00:15:44.84
"And for the sake of man,
00:15:44.87\00:15:48.21
Satan's existence
must be continued."
00:15:48.24\00:15:52.08
Doesn't that sound
just almost ludicrous
00:15:55.15\00:15:57.89
of a notion to say?
00:15:57.92\00:15:59.25
For the sake of man,
00:15:59.29\00:16:00.66
Satan's existence
must be continued.
00:16:00.69\00:16:03.06
And notice, it
doesn't even just say like
00:16:03.09\00:16:04.63
it would be continued
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.03
or it could be or should
be, but it says it must be,
00:16:06.06\00:16:08.76
it's a necessity.
00:16:08.80\00:16:12.30
For the sake of man,
00:16:12.33\00:16:14.30
Satan's existence
must be continued.
00:16:14.34\00:16:16.71
She goes on,
"Man, as well as angels
00:16:16.74\00:16:20.28
must see the contrast
between the Prince of light
00:16:20.31\00:16:23.65
and the prince of darkness.
00:16:23.68\00:16:25.01
He must choose
whom he will serve."
00:16:25.05\00:16:28.12
So the angels have
made their decision,
00:16:28.15\00:16:30.09
they have
solidified, they have ratified,
00:16:30.12\00:16:32.05
they have signed on,
00:16:32.09\00:16:33.46
they are all and all
for Jesus Christ in heaven.
00:16:33.49\00:16:36.62
Mankind, on the other hand,
00:16:40.30\00:16:43.67
still has a decision to make.
00:16:43.70\00:16:45.03
Now if the only
thing that God had in mind
00:16:45.07\00:16:46.94
was the
destruction of sin and sinners,
00:16:46.97\00:16:48.60
He could have done it
right then at the cross.
00:16:48.64\00:16:52.91
The problem is, friends,
00:16:52.94\00:16:54.28
when Satan and
all those bad people
00:16:54.31\00:16:55.84
were destroyed,
we'd be with them.
00:16:55.88\00:17:00.02
So notice, in the
parable, Jesus could have said,
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.72
"Yeah, just plow the field over,
00:17:02.75\00:17:04.32
let's start from scratch."
00:17:04.35\00:17:05.69
But He doesn't want
to get rid of everything,
00:17:05.72\00:17:07.56
He just wants to
weed out the wicked
00:17:07.59\00:17:09.56
and keep the righteous.
00:17:09.59\00:17:13.43
So let both grow
together until the harvest.
00:17:13.50\00:17:16.53
Satan's existence
must be continued.
00:17:16.56\00:17:19.07
"Man as well as
angels must see the contrast
00:17:19.10\00:17:21.27
between the Prince of light
and the prince of darkness.
00:17:21.30\00:17:23.41
He must choose
whom he will serve."
00:17:23.44\00:17:27.88
What a fascinating thought.
00:17:27.91\00:17:30.55
Let's go to John Chapter 14.
00:17:30.58\00:17:34.22
And as you do,
00:17:34.25\00:17:35.58
let me tell you a little story
00:17:35.62\00:17:39.45
about a gentleman by the
name of Nicolaus Copernicus.
00:17:39.49\00:17:42.46
Nicolaus
Copernicus was a scientist,
00:17:47.20\00:17:50.17
astronomer, he was
a thinker of his day,
00:17:50.20\00:17:53.10
his day being the 1500s.
00:17:53.13\00:17:55.84
And in his observations
of the natural world,
00:17:55.87\00:18:00.68
and his thought on the matter,
00:18:00.71\00:18:02.41
he came to the conclusion
00:18:02.44\00:18:05.41
that at the time it
was seen as radical,
00:18:05.45\00:18:10.49
controversial,
00:18:10.52\00:18:12.19
almost unimaginable,
00:18:12.22\00:18:14.32
he proposed that the Earth
00:18:14.36\00:18:17.73
was not the
center of the universe.
00:18:17.76\00:18:22.13
Now why was that so radical?
00:18:22.16\00:18:24.17
Well, because for
literally hundreds,
00:18:24.20\00:18:26.10
if not,
thousands of years before,
00:18:26.13\00:18:28.87
for instance, Ptolemy,
00:18:28.90\00:18:31.51
he one time proposed the notion,
00:18:31.54\00:18:34.38
which he didn't originated,
00:18:34.41\00:18:35.74
it actually came from
ancient Greek thought,
00:18:35.78\00:18:37.15
but he summarized
00:18:37.18\00:18:38.51
that the Earth was the
center of the universe,
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.58
that all heavenly bodies
revolved around this planet,
00:18:41.62\00:18:45.19
sun, the moon, the
stars, everything observable,
00:18:45.22\00:18:48.19
and all the darkness of
space was centered on us.
00:18:48.22\00:18:52.33
Look, Copernicus came along,
00:18:56.30\00:18:59.00
and through observation
and putting pieces together,
00:18:59.03\00:19:01.60
he realized
00:19:01.64\00:19:04.14
Ptolemy was wrong,
00:19:04.21\00:19:06.98
but not everybody took it well.
00:19:07.01\00:19:09.58
In fact, another
well known gentleman,
00:19:09.61\00:19:12.31
Galileo Galilei
actually spent the last 10 years
00:19:12.35\00:19:16.22
of his life under house arrest
00:19:16.25\00:19:17.65
for supporting
this heretical notion.
00:19:17.69\00:19:21.46
Now why was it
seemed as heretical?
00:19:21.49\00:19:22.99
Because the church at that time
00:19:23.02\00:19:24.83
had not only
made it a scientific,
00:19:24.86\00:19:28.40
you know, foundation
that this Ptolemaic viewpoint,
00:19:28.43\00:19:32.00
this geocentric
viewpoint was correct,
00:19:32.03\00:19:36.20
but they made it
a point of theology
00:19:36.24\00:19:38.77
because
everything in the universe
00:19:38.81\00:19:41.01
is focused on us, right?
00:19:41.04\00:19:45.91
Friends, we need to move
like Copernicus beyond Ptolemy
00:19:45.95\00:19:48.88
and realize that while
this world is important,
00:19:48.92\00:19:51.29
for sure, it is not the end all,
00:19:51.32\00:19:53.66
be all of everything
in God's created universe
00:19:53.69\00:19:55.96
that He has more on His
mind than merely this planet,
00:19:55.99\00:19:59.63
that there are other sons of God
00:19:59.66\00:20:01.93
and other planets.
00:20:01.96\00:20:03.30
There are the
principalities and powers
00:20:03.37\00:20:04.73
and the heavenly realms,
00:20:04.77\00:20:06.10
there are the angel
hosts who all have a part
00:20:06.13\00:20:09.24
in this question of
the great controversy.
00:20:09.27\00:20:13.27
So when we go
to John Chapter 14,
00:20:13.31\00:20:18.18
when we go to John Chapter 14,
00:20:18.21\00:20:22.12
we read some of
the most beautiful,
00:20:22.15\00:20:24.42
the most poignant,
00:20:24.45\00:20:25.79
the most reassuring
words in all of scripture,
00:20:25.82\00:20:28.49
this promise
given by Jesus Himself.
00:20:28.52\00:20:32.33
Starting with verse 1,
00:20:32.36\00:20:35.10
"Let not your heart be troubled,
00:20:35.13\00:20:37.60
you believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:20:37.63\00:20:41.97
In My Father's house
00:20:42.00\00:20:44.21
are many mansions,
00:20:44.24\00:20:48.54
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:20:48.58\00:20:50.78
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:20:50.85\00:20:54.22
And if I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:20:54.25\00:20:57.39
I will come again and
receive you to Myself,
00:20:57.42\00:21:00.76
that where I am,
00:21:00.79\00:21:02.62
there you may be also."
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.89
What a beautiful words.
00:21:04.93\00:21:06.33
What a powerful promise.
00:21:06.36\00:21:09.93
But I'd like to
draw your attention
00:21:09.96\00:21:11.30
to a couple of
interesting things
00:21:11.33\00:21:12.67
we perhaps
overlooked in this passage.
00:21:12.70\00:21:15.27
Notice, first
of all, in verse 2,
00:21:15.30\00:21:18.21
Christ says, "In
My Father's house
00:21:18.24\00:21:20.88
are many mansions."
00:21:20.91\00:21:24.88
He does not say,
"In My Father's house,
00:21:24.91\00:21:26.72
there will be many mansions
when I go and make them."
00:21:26.75\00:21:29.68
Two thousand years ago,
while Christ walked the earth,
00:21:33.02\00:21:35.29
He was able to
say there are mansions
00:21:35.32\00:21:38.33
or vacancies in heaven.
00:21:38.36\00:21:42.03
Now let's think
for just a moment,
00:21:42.06\00:21:43.40
why would there be
vacant mansions in heaven?
00:21:43.47\00:21:46.50
Let's go back to
Revelation Chapter 12.
00:21:49.57\00:21:52.24
We're gonna stick with John 14,
00:21:52.27\00:21:53.78
but let's go to
Revelation Chapter 12.
00:21:53.81\00:21:57.88
Revelation Chapter 12.
00:21:57.91\00:22:00.42
Of course, we've
looked at this many times
00:22:00.45\00:22:01.85
about how the war
broke out in heaven
00:22:01.88\00:22:03.22
and the angels fought.
00:22:03.25\00:22:06.12
But notice
earlier in Chapter 12,
00:22:06.15\00:22:08.19
when it describes
this dragon power,
00:22:08.22\00:22:12.26
especially in
reference to his work
00:22:12.29\00:22:13.80
through the human agency
00:22:13.83\00:22:15.20
of the Roman
Church at that time.
00:22:15.23\00:22:17.00
Revelation 12:3 says,
00:22:17.07\00:22:18.57
"And another sign
appeared in heaven,
00:22:18.60\00:22:20.17
behold a great fiery red dragon,
00:22:20.24\00:22:22.27
having seven
heads and ten horns,
00:22:22.30\00:22:23.94
and seven diadems on his head."
00:22:24.01\00:22:25.64
It refers to the
power behind this power.
00:22:25.67\00:22:28.14
Verse 4, when it says,
00:22:28.18\00:22:29.54
"His tail drew a third
of the stars of heaven,
00:22:29.58\00:22:33.55
and through them," where?
00:22:33.62\00:22:35.48
"To the earth."
00:22:35.52\00:22:41.39
Through Satan's deceptive,
slanderous accusations,
00:22:41.42\00:22:46.90
his bail for work of
lying and tale bearing
00:22:46.93\00:22:53.17
and rumor mongering,
00:22:53.20\00:22:58.37
he had persuaded a full
third of the stars of God,
00:22:58.41\00:23:02.34
which is a
reference in Bible prophecy
00:23:02.38\00:23:03.95
to the angels of God, to
join him in his rebellion.
00:23:03.98\00:23:07.75
And though God had
put out all that He could,
00:23:07.78\00:23:09.82
and showed all that He could,
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.19
they were committed
to following this rebel.
00:23:11.22\00:23:17.53
And a third of the
stars fell from heaven.
00:23:17.56\00:23:21.83
Friends, why are there vacancies
00:23:21.86\00:23:23.50
in heaven today?
00:23:23.57\00:23:26.47
It's not because
Christ over built,
00:23:26.50\00:23:31.47
it's because
heaven is under populated.
00:23:31.51\00:23:35.24
So when John Chapter
14, when Jesus declares,
00:23:35.28\00:23:37.81
"In My Father's
house are many mansions,"
00:23:37.85\00:23:42.45
He wasn't just being poetic,
00:23:42.48\00:23:46.12
they were vacancies in heaven.
00:23:46.15\00:23:50.93
Furthermore, He says,
00:23:50.96\00:23:52.96
"I go to prepare
a place for you,"
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.00
that is to make a
way for you to be there.
00:23:55.03\00:23:58.10
Verse 3,
00:23:58.13\00:23:59.47
"And if I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:23:59.50\00:24:00.84
I will come again and
receive you to Myself,
00:24:00.87\00:24:03.04
that where I am,
there you may be also."
00:24:03.07\00:24:05.44
And from our
perspective, from the...
00:24:05.47\00:24:08.64
To the ears of the
lost who want to be saved,
00:24:08.68\00:24:12.11
and the sinners who
want to be the redeemed,
00:24:12.15\00:24:16.22
this is a beautiful promise.
00:24:16.25\00:24:18.32
Oh, praise the Lord,
00:24:18.35\00:24:19.69
God's gonna take us
home to be with Him,
00:24:19.72\00:24:22.06
to dwell in those
heavenly mansions.
00:24:22.09\00:24:24.33
But now let's think about it
00:24:28.10\00:24:31.23
from Gabriel's perspective.
00:24:31.27\00:24:33.97
Now I'm guessing,
00:24:34.04\00:24:35.94
sanctified
imagination if you will,
00:24:35.97\00:24:38.17
all through the life
and ministry of Jesus,
00:24:38.21\00:24:40.78
the angels were
glued to their seats
00:24:40.81\00:24:43.55
watching every
step that He took.
00:24:43.58\00:24:47.05
They knew there is a plan.
00:24:47.12\00:24:48.45
You remember that
the Book of Revelation
00:24:48.48\00:24:49.82
refers to Jesus
as the Lamb slain
00:24:49.85\00:24:51.52
from the
foundation of the world,
00:24:51.55\00:24:53.56
that there was
this great compact
00:24:53.59\00:24:55.52
between the Father and the Son
00:24:55.56\00:24:56.93
that if man should sin,
Christ would be the Savior.
00:24:56.96\00:25:01.13
But as He walked through that,
00:25:01.16\00:25:02.50
they didn't knew
it was great risk.
00:25:02.53\00:25:03.87
What if He fail?
What if He stumbled?
00:25:03.90\00:25:05.23
What if in one
time He came short
00:25:05.27\00:25:06.60
of the glory of God?
00:25:06.63\00:25:08.00
All would be lost.
00:25:08.04\00:25:09.37
And they hang on
every Word of Jesus Christ,
00:25:09.40\00:25:11.57
they watch every movement,
they hear every parable,
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.68
they note every miracle.
00:25:13.71\00:25:15.68
And this time as
they're listening
00:25:15.71\00:25:17.15
and they're listening to
Jesus present these words
00:25:17.18\00:25:19.91
that, "Where I
am, you may be also.
00:25:19.95\00:25:22.68
In My Father's
house are many mansions
00:25:22.72\00:25:24.72
and I go to
prepare a place for you."
00:25:24.75\00:25:27.06
I'm guessing like,
"Wait, what's that?
00:25:27.09\00:25:31.46
Did He just promise
00:25:31.49\00:25:34.43
to bring them here?"
00:25:34.46\00:25:38.27
Now I don't know any of
you well enough to pick on you,
00:25:43.30\00:25:45.57
so I'll pick on myself.
00:25:45.61\00:25:48.04
"You mean to tell
me," Gabriel might say,
00:25:48.08\00:25:50.65
"You intend to bring
that Kameron DeVasher
00:25:50.68\00:25:56.08
from there to here."
00:25:56.12\00:26:02.69
And I would hope the
Father God, would say,
00:26:02.72\00:26:04.99
"That's exactly my plan.
00:26:05.03\00:26:06.36
I wanna bring Kameron home.
00:26:06.39\00:26:07.76
I wanna put him in the apartment
00:26:07.80\00:26:09.43
next door to you."
00:26:09.46\00:26:10.80
And Kameron's out on the earth.
00:26:14.60\00:26:15.94
"Amen. Yeah!
00:26:15.97\00:26:17.31
Hallelujah!
00:26:17.34\00:26:18.67
Praise God, right?
00:26:18.71\00:26:22.38
But do you think Gabriel
00:26:22.41\00:26:24.51
might have a
different perspective
00:26:24.55\00:26:27.25
on this declaration?
00:26:27.32\00:26:30.02
That just perhaps,
00:26:30.09\00:26:34.52
the idea of
bringing sinners home
00:26:34.56\00:26:40.70
isn't necessarily good news.
00:26:40.73\00:26:46.00
If they were to look at my life,
00:26:46.03\00:26:47.44
and you can pick
on your own self,
00:26:47.47\00:26:48.80
if they were to
look at your life,
00:26:48.84\00:26:51.24
would they see
any cause for concern?
00:26:51.27\00:26:53.48
Would they have any
legitimate misgivings like...
00:26:53.51\00:26:57.28
Mmm, mmm,
00:26:57.35\00:27:00.65
I mean...
00:27:00.72\00:27:02.58
But mmm...
00:27:02.62\00:27:03.99
I mean, I'm still with you, God,
00:27:04.02\00:27:05.35
I'm not defecting
or anything but...
00:27:05.39\00:27:07.46
The property
values are gonna plummet.
00:27:11.93\00:27:15.50
There goes the neighborhood.
00:27:15.53\00:27:16.87
You know, it's like,
"Oh, this is bad news."
00:27:16.90\00:27:20.34
Because, friends,
00:27:20.37\00:27:21.70
they don't only
watch what Christ did,
00:27:21.74\00:27:23.07
they watch what we do, right?
00:27:23.10\00:27:24.77
Is it really good news to angels
00:27:34.65\00:27:36.45
that God's plan involves
bringing us to live with Him?
00:27:36.48\00:27:39.32
For this reason,
00:27:42.72\00:27:45.69
it's my contention
that just as angels
00:27:45.73\00:27:49.50
needed to see
why Satan should die,
00:27:49.53\00:27:55.07
they now need to
see why any of us
00:27:55.10\00:27:57.71
should be allowed to live.
00:27:57.74\00:27:59.07
Angels need to see
00:28:05.88\00:28:08.35
that we are saved in person
00:28:08.38\00:28:11.72
and not just on paper
00:28:11.75\00:28:17.03
because God's plan
00:28:17.06\00:28:18.39
is not just the destruction
of Satan and sinners,
00:28:18.43\00:28:21.00
it's the redemption of the
lost and bringing them home.
00:28:21.03\00:28:25.93
And that's a much bigger
idea than just killing Satan.
00:28:25.97\00:28:29.77
Let me show you
this from scripture.
00:28:29.80\00:28:31.14
Go to the Book of 1 Corinthians.
00:28:31.17\00:28:35.44
1 Corinthians
00:28:35.48\00:28:40.75
Chapter 9,
00:28:40.82\00:28:42.15
Chapter 4, I'm sorry, verse 9.
00:28:42.18\00:28:43.82
1 Corinthians 4:9,
00:28:52.86\00:28:55.63
the Apostle Paul says,
00:28:55.66\00:28:58.77
"For I think
00:29:01.97\00:29:04.57
that God has displayed us,
00:29:04.61\00:29:10.95
the apostles, last,
as men condemned to die."
00:29:10.98\00:29:15.28
Now notice what he says,
00:29:15.32\00:29:16.69
"For we have been made
a spectacle to the world."
00:29:16.72\00:29:21.26
Now if we just
stopped right there,
00:29:21.29\00:29:22.76
we might say,
"Aha, we, of course,
00:29:22.79\00:29:24.33
are spectacles to the world."
00:29:24.36\00:29:25.69
We are supposed to be
a peculiar people, right?
00:29:25.73\00:29:28.23
We're supposed to
show forth the glory of God
00:29:28.26\00:29:30.27
in our good works
and that they may praise
00:29:30.30\00:29:32.33
our Father in heaven.
00:29:32.37\00:29:34.14
But notice how he defines
the world that's watching.
00:29:34.17\00:29:38.81
Again, 1 Corinthians 4:9,
00:29:38.84\00:29:42.61
"For I think that
God has displayed us,
00:29:42.64\00:29:44.28
the apostles, last,
as men condemned to die,
00:29:44.31\00:29:46.25
for we have been made
a spectacle to the world,
00:29:46.28\00:29:48.62
both to angels and to men."
00:29:48.65\00:29:54.59
Notice he says, "God
has made us a spectacle."
00:29:54.62\00:29:58.69
The Greek word for
that spectacle rendering
00:29:58.73\00:30:01.20
is actually théatron
00:30:01.23\00:30:04.30
from where we get our
English word, theatre.
00:30:04.33\00:30:09.10
You know, Shakespeare
said, "All the world's a stage."
00:30:09.14\00:30:13.27
He was right about that part.
00:30:13.31\00:30:15.01
From Heaven's perspective,
00:30:15.04\00:30:16.88
the angels are watching us.
00:30:16.95\00:30:23.59
God has put us on display
00:30:23.62\00:30:25.95
has made us a
spectacle to the world
00:30:25.99\00:30:28.36
both to angels and to men.
00:30:28.39\00:30:33.40
Let's look at
another such instance
00:30:33.43\00:30:34.90
in the writings
of the Apostle Paul.
00:30:34.93\00:30:36.26
Go to the right in your Bible,
00:30:36.30\00:30:37.63
go to the Book of
Ephesians Chapter 3.
00:30:37.67\00:30:41.40
Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians,
00:30:41.44\00:30:43.41
Colossians, it's right
00:30:43.44\00:30:44.77
in that little
cluster of books there.
00:30:44.81\00:30:47.31
We're going to the Book
of Ethiopians Chapter 3,
00:30:47.38\00:30:50.15
and we're gonna
begin with verse 8.
00:30:50.18\00:30:51.58
Now as we dive
into this passage,
00:30:51.61\00:30:54.22
this is not one of
those easy reading passages.
00:30:54.25\00:30:58.12
This is one of
those compounds sentences
00:30:58.15\00:31:00.29
the Apostle Paul is known for.
00:31:00.36\00:31:02.26
And you realize that
even the Apostle Peter said,
00:31:02.29\00:31:04.63
"You know, Paul
wrote some things
00:31:04.66\00:31:05.99
that are sometimes
hard to understand."
00:31:06.03\00:31:08.53
But we're gonna do our
best to understand this passage
00:31:08.56\00:31:10.57
and break it down
into its elemental parts
00:31:10.60\00:31:13.00
starting with verse 8.
00:31:13.03\00:31:15.54
Ephesians 3:8,
00:31:15.57\00:31:16.91
the Apostle Paul
speaking here says,
00:31:16.94\00:31:18.71
"To me, who am less than
the least of all the saints."
00:31:18.74\00:31:22.81
Notice, he's a
very humble individual.
00:31:22.84\00:31:24.88
He's not claiming to be
more than anything else,
00:31:24.91\00:31:27.55
but he said, "I am
less than the least
00:31:27.62\00:31:29.42
of all these saints,
yet this grace was given,
00:31:29.45\00:31:33.29
that I should
preach among the Gentiles
00:31:33.36\00:31:35.92
the unsearchable
riches of Christ."
00:31:35.96\00:31:38.86
Now if we would ask
any student of scripture,
00:31:38.89\00:31:42.50
what was the job description
by God to the Apostle Paul?
00:31:42.53\00:31:46.84
You would say he was
supposed to be the minister
00:31:46.87\00:31:49.77
of the gospel to
the Gentiles, right?
00:31:49.80\00:31:53.31
And that's exactly
00:31:53.38\00:31:54.71
what Paul
himself admits to here.
00:31:54.74\00:31:56.08
"This grace was given,
00:31:56.11\00:31:57.45
that I should
preach among the Gentiles
00:31:57.48\00:31:59.81
the unsearchable
riches of Christ."
00:31:59.85\00:32:01.98
But notice his
sentence is not done,
00:32:02.02\00:32:04.39
there's a conjunction there,
there's a connecting word and.
00:32:04.42\00:32:09.39
Verse 9,
00:32:09.42\00:32:10.76
"And to make all see."
00:32:10.83\00:32:16.10
Now that's interesting.
00:32:16.13\00:32:18.23
He wants to make
everyone see something.
00:32:18.27\00:32:20.44
What is this he
wants them to see?
00:32:20.47\00:32:21.97
"To make all see
00:32:22.00\00:32:23.34
what is the
fellowship of the mystery,
00:32:23.41\00:32:25.07
which from the beginning
of ages has been hidden in God
00:32:25.11\00:32:28.04
who created all
things through Jesus Christ."
00:32:28.08\00:32:30.58
So let's break
that down a little bit.
00:32:30.65\00:32:32.55
There is some
mystery, some knowledge,
00:32:32.58\00:32:37.02
some wisdom, some truth
that has been hidden in God
00:32:37.09\00:32:41.46
from the beginning of the ages
00:32:41.49\00:32:44.03
but now needs to be seen.
00:32:44.06\00:32:48.33
Does that make sense?
00:32:48.36\00:32:49.86
We're breaking this text
down bite-size at a time.
00:32:49.90\00:32:53.20
Again, verse 9,
00:32:53.23\00:32:54.57
"To make all see
00:32:54.60\00:32:55.94
what is the
fellowship of the mystery,
00:32:55.97\00:32:57.91
which from the
beginning of the ages
00:32:57.94\00:32:59.27
has been hidden in God,
00:32:59.31\00:33:00.68
who created all
things through Jesus Christ."
00:33:00.71\00:33:02.54
So there's this wisdom of God,
00:33:02.58\00:33:04.48
this mystery, this plan
00:33:04.51\00:33:08.72
that now though
having been hatched long ago
00:33:08.75\00:33:13.46
now needs to be shown,
seen, revealed in this time.
00:33:13.49\00:33:18.46
And now we get to our key verse,
00:33:18.49\00:33:20.23
which is verse 10.
00:33:20.30\00:33:22.03
To the intent
00:33:22.06\00:33:23.67
that the ultimate purpose being.
00:33:23.70\00:33:25.47
"To the intent that now
00:33:25.50\00:33:28.20
the manifold wisdom of God
00:33:28.24\00:33:30.91
might be made
known by the church
00:33:30.94\00:33:34.38
to the principalities and powers
00:33:34.41\00:33:36.48
in the heavenly places."
00:33:36.51\00:33:38.88
Now if I were to ask
you what you just read,
00:33:38.91\00:33:41.35
you might misinterpret it
00:33:41.38\00:33:42.72
'cause I've done
it lots of times,
00:33:42.75\00:33:44.09
and everybody gets it wrong.
00:33:44.12\00:33:45.69
So you're in good company,
if you're an error here.
00:33:45.72\00:33:47.49
But notice what
the passage says,
00:33:47.56\00:33:51.43
"To whom is God wanting to teach
00:33:51.46\00:33:55.96
His wisdom?"
00:33:56.00\00:33:58.70
It does not say He's
teaching it to the church.
00:33:58.73\00:34:03.71
Look, again, verse 10,
00:34:03.74\00:34:06.78
"To the intent that now
the manifold wisdom of God
00:34:06.81\00:34:10.15
might be made known
by the church," to whom?
00:34:10.18\00:34:15.65
"To the
principalities and powers
00:34:15.68\00:34:18.95
in the heavenly places."
00:34:18.99\00:34:22.89
Now let's do a
little simple deduction.
00:34:22.92\00:34:24.76
Where does God live?
00:34:24.79\00:34:27.10
In heaven, right?
00:34:27.13\00:34:29.33
And where do these
principalities and powers
00:34:29.36\00:34:31.67
apparently dwell also?
00:34:31.70\00:34:33.64
In heavenly places.
00:34:33.67\00:34:35.74
Now I don't know if
what that means right
00:34:35.77\00:34:37.11
in the very courtroom of God,
00:34:37.14\00:34:38.47
but they're in places
in God's heavenly universe
00:34:38.51\00:34:41.11
that they could
have access to God.
00:34:41.14\00:34:43.21
So God lives in heaven,
they live in heavenly places,
00:34:43.24\00:34:46.45
and apparently it
is the intent of God
00:34:46.48\00:34:48.85
that these heavenly
principalities and powers
00:34:48.88\00:34:52.22
would understand His wisdom.
00:34:52.25\00:34:56.09
Now if God lives in heaven,
00:34:56.12\00:34:57.86
and they live
in heavenly places,
00:34:57.89\00:34:59.26
wouldn't the simplest
way to convey information
00:34:59.29\00:35:02.16
is just bring them together
00:35:02.20\00:35:04.63
and explain it to them?
00:35:04.67\00:35:07.24
"Here's My plan,
00:35:07.27\00:35:09.27
I've had it in My
pocket the whole time
00:35:09.30\00:35:11.27
but now it's
time to let you know."
00:35:11.31\00:35:12.64
And just teach it to them.
00:35:12.67\00:35:14.38
"Here's what I intend to do."
00:35:14.41\00:35:16.95
But He doesn't do that.
00:35:16.98\00:35:19.78
"To the intent that now
the manifold wisdom of God
00:35:19.81\00:35:23.32
might be made
known by the church
00:35:23.39\00:35:26.49
to the principalities and powers
00:35:26.52\00:35:29.09
in the heavenly places."
00:35:29.12\00:35:31.19
When God wants
to teach His wisdom
00:35:31.23\00:35:35.73
to the angel hosts,
00:35:35.76\00:35:37.93
those principalities and
powers in heavenly places,
00:35:37.97\00:35:40.84
He doesn't just
come and say some things,
00:35:40.87\00:35:44.21
He shows something to them.
00:35:44.24\00:35:48.11
And what is His
object lesson for the day?
00:35:48.14\00:35:51.18
The church.
00:35:51.21\00:35:52.88
He says, "Look at My people."
00:35:52.91\00:35:57.85
It's says though
they have a question
00:35:57.89\00:35:59.65
that proclamation can't suffice.
00:35:59.69\00:36:05.09
What's needed now just
as it was needed before
00:36:05.13\00:36:07.23
is a demonstration of the truth.
00:36:07.30\00:36:09.83
It's as though God could say,
00:36:09.86\00:36:11.20
"I could talk, and talk and talk
00:36:11.23\00:36:12.57
and explain and
explain and explain,
00:36:12.60\00:36:14.24
but no matter
how many times I say,
00:36:14.27\00:36:16.47
it's a fine idea
00:36:16.50\00:36:19.41
for me to bring them here,
00:36:19.44\00:36:21.61
you're always
gonna have doubts."
00:36:21.64\00:36:24.31
So just the same way
that the angel hosts needed
00:36:24.35\00:36:27.52
to see why Satan should die,
00:36:27.55\00:36:31.09
and they got their answer
00:36:31.12\00:36:33.05
in the demonstration of Calvary.
00:36:33.09\00:36:36.49
Now the same angel hosts,
00:36:36.52\00:36:38.49
those principalities and
powers in heavenly places,
00:36:38.53\00:36:41.53
are looking to see why any of us
00:36:41.56\00:36:44.40
should be allowed to live.
00:36:44.43\00:36:46.50
And God's just saying,
00:36:46.53\00:36:47.87
"Don't worry about it, trust Me,
00:36:47.90\00:36:49.24
they'll be fine,"
00:36:49.27\00:36:50.94
is insufficient.
00:36:50.97\00:36:53.98
They're still loyal to God,
00:36:54.01\00:36:55.71
but they need to understand
00:36:55.74\00:36:58.78
how His plan can work.
00:36:58.81\00:37:02.22
How is this the good idea?
00:37:02.25\00:37:04.72
And God says, "Let me show you.
00:37:04.75\00:37:07.59
Watch My people.
00:37:07.66\00:37:09.36
Watch what I can do,
00:37:09.39\00:37:10.73
not just for them, but in them."
00:37:10.76\00:37:15.00
Let's put it this way.
00:37:15.03\00:37:16.36
God intends
00:37:16.40\00:37:19.00
His people
00:37:19.03\00:37:21.90
to be the evidence of His wisdom
00:37:21.94\00:37:26.24
that His plan of redemption,
00:37:26.27\00:37:28.34
His plan of salvation
00:37:28.38\00:37:30.98
is a good idea after all.
00:37:31.01\00:37:33.42
In the book The Upward Look,
00:37:38.22\00:37:39.55
page 61,
00:37:39.59\00:37:42.46
we find this
fascinating statement.
00:37:42.49\00:37:44.16
"By the power of His love,
00:37:44.23\00:37:46.83
through obedience, fallen man,
00:37:46.90\00:37:49.56
a worm of the dust,
00:37:49.60\00:37:51.53
is to be transformed,
00:37:51.57\00:37:54.14
fitted to be a member
of the heavenly family,
00:37:54.17\00:37:59.17
a companion
through eternal ages of God
00:37:59.21\00:38:01.84
and Christ and the holy angels."
00:38:01.88\00:38:04.18
And listen to this,
"Heaven will triumph,
00:38:04.25\00:38:08.35
for the vacancies
made by the fall of Satan
00:38:08.38\00:38:11.65
and his host will be filled
by the redeemed of the Lord."
00:38:11.69\00:38:18.53
Why are they watching
so intently the church?
00:38:18.56\00:38:22.40
Because they wanna
know that it's a good idea
00:38:22.43\00:38:25.93
to bring us home.
00:38:25.97\00:38:29.30
There used to be
that old statement,
00:38:29.34\00:38:31.67
"We need to be safe to save."
00:38:31.71\00:38:36.21
Now from our perspective,
"Yeah, I'll take that ticket,
00:38:36.24\00:38:38.21
let me on in," but He's like,
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down.
00:38:38.25\00:38:40.82
You can't. It's not like that."
00:38:40.85\00:38:43.72
Because, friends,
00:38:43.79\00:38:45.12
salvation in Jesus Christ
is not merely a transaction
00:38:45.15\00:38:48.49
to get you in,
it's a transformation
00:38:48.52\00:38:51.49
to fit you into
the society of angels.
00:38:51.53\00:38:55.60
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:38:55.63\00:38:57.77
That is not
just a onetime thing,
00:38:57.80\00:38:59.53
I got saved, and
I've got my ticket,
00:38:59.57\00:39:01.67
I'm getting in.
00:39:01.70\00:39:04.84
Friends, physically
transporting us to Heaven
00:39:04.87\00:39:06.98
is not what it's all about,
00:39:07.01\00:39:11.68
it's about
spiritually transforming us
00:39:11.71\00:39:14.12
for heaven,
00:39:14.15\00:39:15.85
that it's all about.
00:39:15.88\00:39:17.42
Let's put it another way.
00:39:17.49\00:39:18.82
In John Chapter 14, as we saw,
00:39:18.85\00:39:22.69
when we see that promise
00:39:22.72\00:39:27.53
that God's gonna
prepare a place for us,
00:39:27.60\00:39:31.33
sometimes I think
we're tempted to forget
00:39:31.37\00:39:33.94
that goes along with the promise
00:39:33.97\00:39:35.34
to prepare us for that place.
00:39:35.37\00:39:39.24
God's not just going
00:39:39.27\00:39:40.61
and getting heaven
ready for us, friends,
00:39:40.68\00:39:42.28
He's down here getting us
ready for heaven even now.
00:39:42.31\00:39:46.18
And that's a
big, big difference.
00:39:46.21\00:39:51.19
Let's go now to
the gospel of Luke,
00:39:51.22\00:39:52.92
Matthew, Mark, Luke Chapter 10,
00:39:52.95\00:39:58.79
and we'll find something,
00:39:58.83\00:40:00.20
I find it very interesting.
00:40:00.23\00:40:04.93
Luke Chapter 10, of
course, in Luke Chapter 9,
00:40:04.97\00:40:08.24
if we had the time,
we'll study this out, but...
00:40:08.27\00:40:11.74
In Luke Chapter 9,
00:40:11.77\00:40:13.11
Jesus sends out
the 12 of His apostles
00:40:13.14\00:40:15.14
to continue the work
that He had begun in His name.
00:40:15.18\00:40:17.91
He gives them
power to cast out demons
00:40:17.95\00:40:19.81
and to heal the sick
and to preach the gospel.
00:40:19.85\00:40:22.12
And then in Chapter 10,
He sends out 70 others also.
00:40:22.15\00:40:25.39
Look at 10:1,
00:40:25.42\00:40:27.26
"After these
things the Lord appointed
00:40:27.29\00:40:29.16
seventy others also,
00:40:29.19\00:40:30.73
and sent them two by two
before His face into every city
00:40:30.76\00:40:34.20
and place where He
Himself was about to go."
00:40:34.23\00:40:37.90
Now what we're gonna find out
00:40:37.93\00:40:39.30
is that Christ didn't
just come to do ministry,
00:40:39.33\00:40:41.54
He came to train up ministers,
00:40:41.57\00:40:44.21
and He was
preparing them for the work
00:40:44.24\00:40:46.17
that He would leave to church
00:40:46.21\00:40:47.71
that would be built in
His name under their care.
00:40:47.74\00:40:50.75
And so He was giving
them on the job training.
00:40:50.78\00:40:53.42
He sent out the 12,
then He sent out the 70,
00:40:53.45\00:40:55.48
He gives them power to heal,
00:40:55.52\00:40:56.89
the power to cast out demons
and to preach the good news.
00:40:56.92\00:40:59.62
And as He sends the 70 out,
00:40:59.65\00:41:01.29
they go two by
two to all the places
00:41:01.32\00:41:03.29
where He
Himself was about to go.
00:41:03.32\00:41:04.99
Now in the same
chapter, Chapter 10,
00:41:05.03\00:41:06.90
now skip down to verse 17,
00:41:06.93\00:41:09.40
it records the return
of these missionaries.
00:41:09.43\00:41:13.87
Luke 10:17,
00:41:13.94\00:41:16.94
"Then the seventy
returned," how? With what?
00:41:17.01\00:41:20.91
"Joy."
00:41:20.98\00:41:22.31
Are they
downcast? Are they excited?
00:41:22.34\00:41:25.05
Oh, they're excited,
they're happy, they're joyous,
00:41:25.08\00:41:27.12
they returned with joy saying,
00:41:27.15\00:41:29.38
"Lord, even the
demons are subject to us
00:41:29.42\00:41:32.85
in Your name."
00:41:32.89\00:41:36.73
Now I have to assume
that Christ might have
00:41:36.76\00:41:38.46
even been
disappointed with that answer.
00:41:38.49\00:41:41.70
"Why do you act so surprised?
00:41:41.73\00:41:44.17
Isn't that the very
purpose I sent you out?
00:41:44.20\00:41:46.47
Isn't that what I
gave you power to do?
00:41:46.50\00:41:47.97
Why do you come back
acting like that's a shock?"
00:41:48.00\00:41:51.01
"Lord, even the demons
00:41:51.04\00:41:52.37
are subject to us in Your name."
00:41:52.41\00:41:53.78
Of course, they are.
00:41:53.81\00:41:57.45
But then He states something,
it's almost a non sequitur,
00:41:57.48\00:42:01.38
almost doesn't belong
in this flow of thought
00:42:01.42\00:42:04.35
in verse 18.
00:42:04.39\00:42:06.39
"And He said to them,
00:42:06.42\00:42:08.66
'I saw Satan
00:42:08.69\00:42:11.03
fall like
lightning from heaven.'
00:42:11.06\00:42:14.33
" Now oftentimes,
00:42:17.47\00:42:22.37
when people discuss
how did Christ do something
00:42:22.40\00:42:25.51
or how did He know,
the answer is simplistic.
00:42:25.54\00:42:29.91
Well, He was God.
00:42:29.94\00:42:31.88
Well, of course,
Jesus Chris is God
00:42:31.91\00:42:34.72
but when He came to
this earth to be incarnate,
00:42:34.75\00:42:38.09
to be God with us,
00:42:38.12\00:42:39.95
He laid aside His
divinity, did He not?
00:42:39.99\00:42:43.12
Of course.
00:42:43.16\00:42:44.49
So when Jesus says,
00:42:44.53\00:42:45.89
"I saw Satan
fall like lightning."
00:42:45.93\00:42:48.66
By the way,
00:42:48.70\00:42:50.07
this is the same
Jesus who would say,
00:42:50.10\00:42:51.43
"Now the ruler of this
world will be cast out."
00:42:51.47\00:42:55.37
He's clearly
referring to a previous falling,
00:42:55.40\00:42:58.54
that original
casting out of Satan.
00:42:58.57\00:43:00.51
He says, "I saw him."
00:43:00.58\00:43:04.31
Is Jesus speaking
as a first person,
00:43:04.35\00:43:08.12
"I witness to the fall"?
00:43:08.15\00:43:11.32
Which, of course, He was,
00:43:11.35\00:43:14.89
but that's not
what He means here.
00:43:14.92\00:43:17.69
How does Jesus know anything?
00:43:17.73\00:43:22.10
How does He do what He does?
00:43:22.13\00:43:25.30
He doesn't just make
things up or shoot from the hip
00:43:25.33\00:43:27.44
or reach back into
His own experience,
00:43:27.47\00:43:29.17
He relies on God
for His guidance.
00:43:29.20\00:43:34.78
Now we'll come back
to that in just a moment.
00:43:34.81\00:43:38.65
But what does
He say that He saw?
00:43:38.68\00:43:42.18
Verse 18, again, "I
saw Satan fall like," what?
00:43:42.22\00:43:46.79
"Lightning from heaven."
00:43:46.86\00:43:50.96
Now again, I
grew up in the south,
00:43:50.99\00:43:52.56
and we have a saying
that something as fast
00:43:52.59\00:43:55.96
as quick as grease lightning.
00:43:56.00\00:43:59.47
And oftentimes, when we
think of the term lightning,
00:43:59.50\00:44:02.64
we assume that it is
a metaphor for speed,
00:44:02.67\00:44:07.01
for quickness,
for immediacy, right?
00:44:07.08\00:44:09.34
Instant, lightning.
00:44:09.38\00:44:13.75
But let me
propose to you today that
00:44:13.82\00:44:16.58
that's not what Jesus meant.
00:44:16.62\00:44:17.99
And when He said,
00:44:18.02\00:44:19.35
"I saw Satan
fall like lightning,"
00:44:19.39\00:44:20.76
He wasn't talking
about the instantaneous fall
00:44:20.79\00:44:23.43
from glory to the grave.
00:44:23.46\00:44:26.06
For two reasons, number one,
00:44:26.09\00:44:27.50
we know that's
not how Satan fell,
00:44:27.53\00:44:29.83
He's still falling to this day.
00:44:29.86\00:44:32.23
That's an odd kind of fast.
00:44:32.27\00:44:35.97
But we have another reason
00:44:36.00\00:44:37.34
because Satan is
not the only being
00:44:37.41\00:44:40.28
Jesus describes he's coming
from heaven like lightning.
00:44:40.31\00:44:44.05
Who else does Jesus say comes
from heaven like lightning?
00:44:44.08\00:44:48.08
Let's go to Matthew Chapter 24.
00:44:48.12\00:44:51.95
Matthew Chapter 24...
00:44:51.99\00:44:53.46
And we're gonna go
to verses 26 and 27.
00:44:58.66\00:45:02.43
When Jesus refers
to His own return,
00:45:02.46\00:45:07.24
He says,
"Therefore if they say to you,
00:45:07.27\00:45:09.04
'Look, He is in the desert!'
00:45:09.07\00:45:10.91
Do not go out.
00:45:10.94\00:45:12.27
Or 'Look, He is
in the inner rooms!'
00:45:12.31\00:45:14.64
Do not believe it."
00:45:14.68\00:45:16.08
By the way,
friends, the coming of Jesus
00:45:16.11\00:45:17.81
is going to be literal,
it's going to be personal,
00:45:17.85\00:45:20.52
it's gonna be
audible, it's gonna be visible,
00:45:20.55\00:45:22.62
it's gonna be global,
and no one's gonna miss it.
00:45:22.65\00:45:25.35
If you have to hear about
the return of Jesus on CNN,
00:45:25.39\00:45:28.36
it is not the return of
Jesus, it's something else.
00:45:28.39\00:45:31.49
Nor is He gonna
be in the inner room,
00:45:31.53\00:45:32.93
some spiritual,
quiet, secret thing.
00:45:32.96\00:45:35.46
No, no, it's not
gonna be secretive,
00:45:35.50\00:45:36.97
and it's not gonna be private,
00:45:37.00\00:45:38.33
it's gonna be global
for every eye to see.
00:45:38.37\00:45:40.37
Amen?
00:45:40.44\00:45:41.77
In fact, that's exactly
what he says next, verse 27.
00:45:41.80\00:45:44.31
"For as the lightning comes
00:45:44.34\00:45:47.28
from the east and
flashes to the west,
00:45:47.31\00:45:50.08
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be."
00:45:50.15\00:45:54.55
Notice He says
that His own return
00:45:54.58\00:45:57.29
from heaven will be like, what?
00:45:57.32\00:45:59.45
Lightning.
00:45:59.49\00:46:01.99
Does He mean that
it's gonna be fast?
00:46:02.02\00:46:05.03
No.
00:46:05.06\00:46:06.39
What is lightning?
00:46:06.43\00:46:07.76
A metaphor for here.
00:46:07.80\00:46:11.73
It's an analogy, not for speed,
00:46:11.77\00:46:14.30
but for visibility.
00:46:14.34\00:46:16.17
As the lightning flashes
from the east into the west,
00:46:16.20\00:46:19.57
so also the coming
of the Son of Man be.
00:46:19.61\00:46:23.08
Jesus is gonna
come like lightning,
00:46:23.11\00:46:25.15
not because it's so
quick or surprising,
00:46:25.18\00:46:28.15
it's because it's so visible
00:46:28.18\00:46:30.59
and every eye will see.
00:46:30.62\00:46:34.26
So we go back to Luke 10:18,
00:46:34.29\00:46:39.79
"I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven."
00:46:39.83\00:46:45.93
It is my
submission humbly to you today
00:46:45.97\00:46:48.90
that Jesus did not mean
00:46:48.94\00:46:50.31
that Satan is gonna
fall really, really fast.
00:46:50.34\00:46:53.48
Because notice,
00:46:53.51\00:46:54.84
He's talking 4,000 years
after the initial casting out,
00:46:54.88\00:46:57.68
and He was still looking forward
00:46:57.71\00:46:59.05
to the next casting out,
00:46:59.08\00:47:01.35
and He's still not done
today, 2,000 years later.
00:47:01.38\00:47:04.72
The concern of Christ
00:47:04.75\00:47:06.12
is not the
speed of Satan's fall,
00:47:06.15\00:47:08.62
but the visibility of his
fall that every eye will see him
00:47:08.66\00:47:14.40
and understand what's going on.
00:47:14.43\00:47:18.50
God is currently
eliminating Satan
00:47:18.53\00:47:21.40
in a way that everyone
can see his true character.
00:47:21.44\00:47:26.71
Now let's go back to
that observation I made
00:47:26.78\00:47:29.71
that Christ
didn't just pull back
00:47:29.74\00:47:32.05
in His own memories
through the veil of birth
00:47:32.08\00:47:34.32
back to His
preexistence in heaven and say,
00:47:34.35\00:47:36.12
"I remember Satan's fall."
00:47:36.15\00:47:38.12
When He said, "I saw
Satan fall like lightning."
00:47:38.15\00:47:40.49
Well, let's let inspiration
interpret this for us.
00:47:43.53\00:47:46.90
Desire of Ages, page 490.
00:47:46.93\00:47:49.10
Notice, this is
not some obscure source
00:47:49.13\00:47:50.97
in the back of
some appendix somewhere,
00:47:51.00\00:47:52.40
this is the
Desire of Ages, page 490,
00:47:52.43\00:47:56.64
commenting specifically
on that statement of Jesus
00:47:56.71\00:48:00.08
that I saw Satan
fall like lightning
00:48:00.11\00:48:01.78
from heaven, we read,
00:48:01.81\00:48:04.25
"The scenes of the
past and the future
00:48:04.28\00:48:08.52
were presented to
the mind of Christ."
00:48:08.55\00:48:11.95
He was shown from
heaven, from God's throne,
00:48:11.99\00:48:16.76
through the power
of the Holy Spirit,
00:48:16.83\00:48:18.16
I must assume.
00:48:18.19\00:48:19.53
"The scenes of the
past and the future
00:48:19.56\00:48:21.33
presented the mind of Jesus."
00:48:21.36\00:48:22.76
She continues,
00:48:22.80\00:48:24.37
"He beheld Lucifer
as he was first cast out
00:48:24.40\00:48:28.90
from the heavenly places.
00:48:28.94\00:48:32.27
He looked forward to
the scenes of His own agony,
00:48:32.31\00:48:37.65
when before all the worlds
00:48:37.68\00:48:39.15
the character of the
deceiver should be unveiled.
00:48:39.18\00:48:43.59
He heard the
cry, 'It is finished,'
00:48:43.62\00:48:46.55
announcing that the redemption
00:48:46.59\00:48:47.96
of the lost race was
forever made certain,
00:48:47.99\00:48:50.53
that heaven would be
made eternally secure
00:48:50.56\00:48:52.83
against the
accusations, the deceptions,
00:48:52.86\00:48:55.30
the pretensions, that
Satan would instigate."
00:48:55.33\00:48:59.27
She then continues,
"Beyond the cross of Calvary."
00:48:59.30\00:49:02.57
So notice, we had
the first casting out,
00:49:02.60\00:49:04.61
then we had the one He
was about to do at Calvary,
00:49:04.64\00:49:07.08
then she says,
"Beyond the cross of Calvary,
00:49:07.11\00:49:10.25
with its agony and shame,
00:49:10.28\00:49:11.91
Jesus looked forward
to the great final day,
00:49:11.95\00:49:17.09
when the prince of
the power of the air
00:49:17.12\00:49:19.05
will meet his destruction
in the earth so long marred
00:49:19.09\00:49:21.92
by his rebellion."
00:49:21.96\00:49:23.43
So there was a
first casting out,
00:49:23.46\00:49:26.26
there was that
second phase of his fall,
00:49:26.29\00:49:29.56
if you will, at the cross,
00:49:29.60\00:49:31.37
then there's gonna
be the final at the end
00:49:31.40\00:49:33.57
when he's actually destroyed.
00:49:33.64\00:49:35.70
Then she goes on to describe,
00:49:40.08\00:49:43.65
"Jesus beheld the
work of evil forever ended,
00:49:43.68\00:49:46.01
and the peace of God
filling heaven and earth."
00:49:46.05\00:49:49.62
But notice, there's
a gap between what was,
00:49:49.65\00:49:52.69
what from Christ
perspective was to be
00:49:52.72\00:49:55.09
which was His own death,
00:49:55.12\00:49:56.46
and what finally will conclude
at the very end of time.
00:49:56.49\00:50:01.13
What about between the
cross and the destruction
00:50:01.16\00:50:05.17
which just happens to be
00:50:05.20\00:50:06.53
where you and I
are living today.
00:50:06.57\00:50:09.54
She writes, henceforward,
that is from the cross forward,
00:50:09.57\00:50:13.51
"Henceforward Christ's followers
00:50:13.58\00:50:16.75
were to look upon
Satan as a conquered foe.
00:50:16.78\00:50:20.42
Upon the cross,
00:50:20.45\00:50:21.78
Jesus was to gain
the victory for them,
00:50:21.82\00:50:24.79
that victory He desired
them to accept as their own."
00:50:24.82\00:50:28.72
I don't know if
you notice there,
00:50:31.96\00:50:33.29
but there are
four distinct phases
00:50:33.33\00:50:36.06
to the fall of Satan
outlined in that passage.
00:50:36.10\00:50:42.57
It just happens to
correspond perfectly
00:50:42.60\00:50:45.74
with Revelation Chapter 12.
00:50:45.77\00:50:47.74
Let's go back and review
00:50:47.78\00:50:49.34
and then add to what
we've learned before.
00:50:49.38\00:50:51.61
Revelation Chapter 12
00:50:51.65\00:50:55.38
starting with verse 7,
00:50:55.42\00:50:58.45
"And war broke out in heaven,
00:50:58.49\00:50:59.89
Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon,
00:50:59.92\00:51:01.59
and the dragon
and his angels fought,
00:51:01.62\00:51:02.99
but they did not prevail,
00:51:03.02\00:51:04.36
nor was a place found for
them in heaven any longer.
00:51:04.39\00:51:06.70
So the great
dragon was cast out,
00:51:06.73\00:51:08.93
that serpent of old,
00:51:08.96\00:51:10.30
called the Devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world,
00:51:10.37\00:51:12.53
he was cast to the earth,
00:51:12.57\00:51:13.94
and his angels
were cast out with him."
00:51:13.97\00:51:16.00
Friends, verses 7-9,
00:51:16.04\00:51:17.71
what we just read is step one
in the casting out of Lucifer.
00:51:17.74\00:51:24.25
Now I don't know the age
00:51:24.28\00:51:26.72
of every attendee here today,
00:51:26.75\00:51:31.69
but even I'm old
enough to remember
00:51:31.72\00:51:34.96
there was that one
toy that everybody had
00:51:34.99\00:51:37.43
at some point in their life,
00:51:37.46\00:51:39.19
it was a little coil
made of silver metal,
00:51:39.23\00:51:42.10
and it would go up
and down in your hand
00:51:42.13\00:51:44.20
a little bit back and forth.
00:51:44.27\00:51:45.70
What was that thing called?
00:51:45.73\00:51:47.44
Slinky, right?
00:51:47.47\00:51:49.30
They somehow branded that thing
00:51:49.34\00:51:50.97
that everybody knows
that one weird word, slinky,
00:51:51.01\00:51:54.01
based on that device.
00:51:54.08\00:51:55.41
How many of you have ever played
00:51:55.44\00:51:56.78
with a slinky before, right?
00:51:56.85\00:51:59.75
I did, and I know you have.
00:51:59.78\00:52:02.45
And a slinky is
a phenomenal toy,
00:52:02.48\00:52:05.49
it's fabulous toy
for about a minute
00:52:05.52\00:52:07.72
and a half, right?
00:52:07.76\00:52:09.49
You play with it.
00:52:09.52\00:52:10.86
The first thing you
do is you go like this.
00:52:10.93\00:52:12.99
Then you go back and forth.
Oh, that's neat, that's neat.
00:52:13.03\00:52:15.53
But really, what else is
there to do with the slinky?
00:52:15.56\00:52:18.33
There's actually
only one really cool trick
00:52:18.37\00:52:21.04
a slinky can do,
and what is that?
00:52:21.07\00:52:23.61
Go down the stairs, right?
00:52:23.64\00:52:25.27
If you get a staircase,
00:52:25.31\00:52:27.51
this is made out
of something hard
00:52:27.58\00:52:28.91
that some carpeted
thing that like something
00:52:28.94\00:52:30.28
out of wood or metal,
00:52:30.31\00:52:31.65
and you get the steps
00:52:31.68\00:52:33.01
that are just the
right distance apart
00:52:33.05\00:52:34.38
and just the right fall.
00:52:34.42\00:52:35.75
If you get just
the right situation,
00:52:35.78\00:52:40.16
you can put that
slinky on the very top step
00:52:40.19\00:52:43.93
and just give it
just the right push,
00:52:43.96\00:52:47.53
and it will not only
fall down to the next step,
00:52:47.60\00:52:51.97
but the inertia will carry over,
00:52:52.00\00:52:53.77
and it will flip
over to the next step,
00:52:53.84\00:52:57.34
and then it will start
walking down the stairs, right?
00:52:57.41\00:53:00.28
It'll fall down the stairs,
00:53:00.31\00:53:01.64
but in a controlled
step-by-step manner,
00:53:01.68\00:53:03.65
not one shot from
the top to the bottom.
00:53:03.68\00:53:06.55
It goes...
00:53:06.58\00:53:09.02
and it walks down the stairs.
00:53:09.05\00:53:13.22
Just like a
slinky down the stairs,
00:53:13.25\00:53:16.73
God is destroying Satan.
00:53:16.76\00:53:21.90
It's not in one
instantaneous action
00:53:21.93\00:53:25.50
from glory to the grave,
00:53:25.53\00:53:29.17
He's going step by step,
00:53:29.20\00:53:31.71
walking us
through so that all of us
00:53:31.74\00:53:34.71
like lightning
can see His process,
00:53:34.74\00:53:39.28
and at the end, understand.
00:53:39.31\00:53:40.82
And that slinky
will go and go and go
00:53:40.85\00:53:44.29
from the power of
that first casting out
00:53:44.32\00:53:46.55
until the very bottom
00:53:46.59\00:53:48.49
till it is no more,
so it can do no more.
00:53:48.52\00:53:53.80
In step one, we just
read in Revelation 12:7-9,
00:53:53.83\00:53:58.87
where Satan was
cast out of heaven,
00:53:58.90\00:54:00.77
but he was not destroyed,
he wasn't blotted out,
00:54:00.84\00:54:02.80
he was just
removed from his position.
00:54:02.84\00:54:06.68
But then we saw in verse 10,
00:54:06.71\00:54:10.85
"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven,
00:54:10.88\00:54:12.81
'Now salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God,
00:54:12.85\00:54:15.85
and the power of
His Christ have come,
00:54:15.88\00:54:17.89
for the accuser of our brethren,
00:54:17.92\00:54:19.42
who accused them
before our God day and night,
00:54:19.45\00:54:21.59
has been cast down.'
00:54:21.62\00:54:23.06
" We noted in our
previous presentation
00:54:23.09\00:54:25.46
that casting down
00:54:25.49\00:54:27.10
was when Christ
selflessly gave Him
00:54:27.13\00:54:31.37
on Calvary for our redemption.
00:54:31.40\00:54:34.90
And then he was cast
00:54:34.94\00:54:36.60
not out of the courts of heaven,
00:54:36.64\00:54:38.51
but out of the
sympathies of heavenly beings.
00:54:38.54\00:54:42.04
He was cast out.
00:54:42.08\00:54:45.58
But then look at verse 11.
00:54:45.61\00:54:50.29
"And they overcame him."
00:54:50.32\00:54:54.62
Pause right there.
00:54:54.66\00:54:55.99
Who are they?
00:54:56.02\00:54:58.49
Well, let's look
back at verse 10.
00:54:58.53\00:55:01.93
"Now I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven,
00:55:01.96\00:55:04.07
'Salvation, and strength,
00:55:04.10\00:55:05.43
and the kingdom of our God,
00:55:05.47\00:55:06.84
and the power of
His Christ have come
00:55:06.87\00:55:08.20
for the accuser of our,' whom,
00:55:08.24\00:55:10.84
'our brethren,
00:55:10.91\00:55:13.38
who accused them
before our God day and night,
00:55:13.41\00:55:15.68
has been cast down.
00:55:15.71\00:55:17.05
And they overcame.'"
00:55:17.08\00:55:18.58
Who's that they referring to?
00:55:18.61\00:55:21.95
Friends, that they referring
to there is the brethren,
00:55:21.98\00:55:25.19
which is us.
00:55:25.22\00:55:28.19
"And they overcame him," how?
00:55:31.46\00:55:35.16
"By the blood of the Lamb,
00:55:35.20\00:55:37.93
and by the word
of their testimony,
00:55:37.97\00:55:40.34
and they did not love
their lives to the death."
00:55:40.37\00:55:46.31
Therefore, verse 12.
00:55:46.34\00:55:48.74
Think about therefore.
00:55:48.78\00:55:51.45
Because of the overcoming,
because of the victory,
00:55:51.48\00:55:54.55
because not only are
the angels have cast Satan
00:55:54.58\00:55:58.79
out of their sympathy, right?
00:55:58.82\00:56:00.59
Now by looking at
the blood of Jesus,
00:56:00.66\00:56:03.16
and by the power of His witness,
00:56:03.19\00:56:04.73
and His work in our lives,
00:56:04.76\00:56:06.09
that we too can cast
Satan out of our hearts
00:56:06.13\00:56:08.33
and overcome him.
00:56:08.36\00:56:09.70
How?
00:56:09.73\00:56:11.07
By the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of a testimony.
00:56:11.10\00:56:15.34
And when that happens, verse 12,
00:56:15.37\00:56:18.41
is hasten,
"Therefore rejoice, O heavens,
00:56:18.44\00:56:20.98
and you who dwell in them!
00:56:21.01\00:56:22.34
Woe to the inhabitants
of the earth and the sea!
00:56:22.38\00:56:24.15
For the devil
has come down to you,
00:56:24.18\00:56:26.18
having great wrath
00:56:26.21\00:56:27.55
because he knows
that he has a," what?
00:56:27.62\00:56:30.62
"A short time."
00:56:30.69\00:56:32.02
Notice that right
here in Revelation 12,
00:56:32.05\00:56:33.86
you have 4 distinct
phases of the fall of Satan,
00:56:33.89\00:56:37.79
the initial casting
out 6,000 years ago,
00:56:37.83\00:56:41.13
the next step when Christ
gave up His life at Calvary,
00:56:41.16\00:56:45.93
and the ruler of
this world was cast out
00:56:45.97\00:56:48.17
of the sympathies
of heavenly beings,
00:56:48.20\00:56:50.44
and someday he will
be eliminated altogether,
00:56:50.51\00:56:53.48
and he knows that
his time is short,
00:56:53.51\00:56:56.08
when step three, where we live.
00:56:56.11\00:56:58.98
We begin to overcome him
by the blood of the Lamb,
00:56:59.01\00:57:02.15
and by the word
of our testimony.
00:57:02.18\00:57:05.25
Friends, God's plan
00:57:05.29\00:57:06.62
is not called the
plan of destruction,
00:57:06.65\00:57:07.99
it's the plan of salvation,
00:57:08.02\00:57:09.46
He intends for each one of us
00:57:09.49\00:57:12.16
by the grace and
power of Jesus Christ
00:57:12.19\00:57:14.40
to be redeemed
00:57:14.43\00:57:15.80
and live with
Him for all eternity.
00:57:15.83\00:57:18.80
Let me ask you a question.
00:57:18.83\00:57:20.17
Has our
presentation today been clear?
00:57:20.24\00:57:22.14
Praise God.
00:57:22.17\00:57:23.51
Let's bow our heads
for a word of prayer.
00:57:23.54\00:57:24.87
Heavenly Father,
00:57:24.91\00:57:26.54
once again, we thank You
00:57:26.57\00:57:29.81
for so many things,
00:57:29.84\00:57:31.18
but right now we
especially thank You
00:57:31.21\00:57:33.45
for being a God
who takes His time
00:57:33.52\00:57:35.58
to get things right,
00:57:35.62\00:57:36.99
that You had a
plan for our salvation
00:57:37.02\00:57:39.15
from the
foundations of the world.
00:57:39.19\00:57:40.76
And now, Lord, as we see Jesus,
00:57:40.79\00:57:45.06
may we also regard
Satan as a conquered foe,
00:57:45.09\00:57:49.10
and by Your grace,
00:57:49.13\00:57:50.47
cast any remaining sympathy
for him out of our hearts
00:57:50.50\00:57:53.84
and be loyal to
You and You alone,
00:57:53.87\00:57:56.24
for we pray it
all in Jesus' name.
00:57:56.27\00:58:00.28
Amen.
00:58:00.31\00:58:01.64