Hello, I'm Lance Wilbur.
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And I'm Dwayne Lemon.
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And we like to welcome you
again to another program of TKS
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the True Knowledge of Self,
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where we get to know ourselves
from a biblical perspective.
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Now those of you
who've been following along
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with a series in
our last episode,
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we identify the biblical gospel
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and we contrasted
that with the other gospel
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as many other gospels
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but what is the Bible
have to say about itself
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and regards to the gospel.
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And so as we
identified the gospel,
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we saw that it was a message
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that was designed to be
preached to all nations.
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And we saw that the result
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or the fruit of the
deliverance of that message,
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specifically that first
second and third angel's message
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as highlighted in Revelation 14
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produced a world
ready for harvest.
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In other words
as was highlighted
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the harvest is
the end of the world.
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So this message that goes out
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produces a crop that
needs to be harvested.
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And we'll be talking more
about that in future programs.
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But I want to ask
now, Dwayne, the question.
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When we're
talking about the gospel
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and even some of
the-- the apprehension
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that exist out
there in the street
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in the hi-hop
culture in many other places.
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If the gospel is so simple
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and the Bible outlines and
defines what the gospel is,
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why is there so
many different versions
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if you will in
different churches.
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Why not one unified
movement, one unified body?
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And if there is one church
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if you will like
a modern day Israel,
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a spiritual Israel then
what of the other people
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that are not a part or
members of that modern days.
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We're all members of
this particular church
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or that particular church,
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what if the other individuals?
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Well, one of the
things we have to keep in mind
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is that Jesus made
it very, very clear
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that he has sheep
that are all over.
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The Bible tells
us that Jesus said,
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many sheep I have
which are not of this fold,
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but he says,
but I'm calling them
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and I'm gonna
bring them together
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that they may form one fold.
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You'll find this in John 10:16,
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so we know that
the Bible definitely
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acknowledges that God
has people in several places.
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I firmly believe
that in various religious
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organizations and different
places through out the world
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even though we are not
holistically in agreement,
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theologically
there are some people
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that are living up to the light
of what they know to be right.
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And biblically in
the eyes of God he says,
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they are my people.
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This is why the Bible
talks about you know Babylon,
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even the second angels message.
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Babylon has fallen, has fallen
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but when the second
angels messages repeated
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in Revelation the 18:1-5,
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God says come
out of her my people.
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Yes, and that's what
I just want to highlight
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for myself and for you as well.
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Yeah.
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And when I'm out
there on the block,
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you know beating
people down and selling crack.
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Nobody's
looking at me and saying
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oh, there is one
of God's children.
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Right.
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And he's gonna call them out
and bring them into his folds.
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sometimes we have that same idea
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and that same misconception
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that oh, because that
person is like that right now
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God is not
working in their life.
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They won't hear
the voice of God.
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Thank God, God did
not look at me like that.
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Thank God, He didn't
look at you like that.
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And we dare not
look at people like that.
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We don't look at
people and deal with them
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where they are
now we look at them
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at what they can
become through Christ.
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Right.
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And that's how
God saw me and saw you
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but I will say that
not all churches are right.
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I have to say
that not all churches,
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not all religious
organizations are right.
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Even the churches that
profess to say, we are--
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teaching the gospel and so on.
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There is one
gospel that is designed
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to bring about the
harvest to bring an end to sin
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and to the
problems in this world.
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And that gospel is held
under the Three Angels Messages
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found in Revelation 14.
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So therefore while we do
want to let people know that,
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hey, you know we
are not going around
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condemning
individuals or what have you.
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We are paying attention
to the religious institutions
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that are out there.
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And not all of them
are teaching God's word.
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They are not being
faithful to God's word.
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Jesus wants us to
overcome this thing called sin
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and the reason why is
because in Isaiah 59: 2 it says,
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"But your
iniquities have separated
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between you and your God,
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and your sins have
hid his face from you,
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that he will not hear."
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You know, you
and I here right now
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and our brides are not with us.
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We know we love our
wives and one of the things
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that I love is to
behold my wife face to face.
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I like text
messaging and you know
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all of the nice
ways to communicate
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but there is
nothing like beholding
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your bride face to face
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and communing with her
and expressing your love.
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So it is that
God he has a bride,
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it's his people here in
this church in this world.
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And God is saying I want to
behold my bride face to face
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but it was sin that
cause me turn His face.
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So when God through the gospel,
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through the
righteousness of Christ,
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when He is able to help
us overcome these things
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then God now
knows he can once again
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have that face
to face communing.
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And therefore God
gives a message to his people
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that are design to
bring and experience
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that will bring
about that harvest.
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And this is very,
very, key with God.
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And I got to tell
you the truth, Lance.
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I mean, my heart goes
out to those hip hop culture,
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we know that a lot them.
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You hear the
testimonies over and over again,
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I'm remember Kanye West,
he was giving a testimony
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about how he grew up
in the church environment.
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And he grew up
hearing about Christianity,
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clearly that's not
what he's about today
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and that's his
choice but at the same time
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it could be that Kanye
West as well as many others
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who are affected and
infected by hip hop culture
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have been exposed to something
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that may Christianity look ugly.
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All right, a misrepresentation.
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It's a misrepresentation.
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I'll give you an example
in Romans 1:16 the Bible says,
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" For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ:
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for it is the power
of God unto salvation
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and it belong both to
every one that believeth;
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to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek."
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Now when I think about that,
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that means that the
gospel is more than lip service.
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The gospel is not
about what you can just
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preach or teach or
talk anybody can do that.
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And truth and I say this
not insult but donkeys can talk.
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Yeah.
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You know the Bible give us
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an example of
that would bail 'em.
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So it's not about talking
and just preaching a message.
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The question is are
you experiencing the power
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that the message
was designed to give.
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Is that power being demonstrated
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in your day to day life.
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How is it that a minister
can-- can preach from a pulpit
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but then he's
found later on smoking?
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How is it that-- well, go ahead.
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Yeah, and that
would-- that reminds me
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of as you have a story in--
you know portion of your story
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of how you came to
the knowledge of the truth
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that you know-- where you
experienced that first hand.
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That's correct.
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I mean, here it is I'm
in a church environment
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and I'm
supposedly around you know
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incredible amount of holiness.
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And I'm coming
straight off the world,
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straight offthe you know
hip hop and R&B industry.
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And I'm now coming into church,
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I'm being told
that all I have to do
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is speak in languages
that even I can't understand--
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and supposedly that means
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that I'm filled
with the Holy Spirit.
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Well, I'm thinking
okay, fine, well, one day
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I find myself in an experience
into Pentecostal Church
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where I'm now speaking in tongue
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as they understand it,
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I know biblically that--
that's not correct today.
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But nevertheless at
that time I didn't know that,
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so after I had that
experience, I go outside.
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And when I go outside, I'm
honestly trying to figure out
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what is happening because--
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Outside of the church.
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Outside of the church, literally
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I'm standing outside of
the doors of the church.
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And I'm confused
because I'm thinking
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what just happened to me?
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You know, and
'cause something took over.
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It wasn't
something that I invited
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or wanted but it took over.
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That's something that
you were mocking prior too.
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Yeah, I mean, I
was thinking that
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this thing is not real anyhow.
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It's not gonna really
affect me, but I was wrong.
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It was real. And when
eventually I'm outside.
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I'm trying to figure out
what-- what just happened to me.
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Shortly after that
there were two people
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who came outside and
these were two individuals
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who're also speaking in tongue
were supposed to be filled
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with the Holy Spirit
and the list goes on.
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But when they came
outside they were talking about
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how they were gonna
practice fornication that night.
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Now obviously that
was confusing to me
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because here it
is that I know now
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that the Bible says
in 1 Thessalonians 4:3
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that God's will is
for us to be sanctified
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and that we should
flee from fornication.
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But here it is
they were ready to plan
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and approach fornication
to make it even worse.
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Another person he
comes outside and he is,
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you know another person
that was speaking in tongues,
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supposedly filled
with the Holy Spirit.
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He comes outside
and then instead of him
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taking his Bible
out of his pocket,
00:09:26.26\00:09:27.89
he took cigarettes out of it.
00:09:27.92\00:09:29.11
And he obviously lit it up
and was smoking it right there
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on the front
porch of the church.
00:09:31.89\00:09:33.50
So I'm thinking to
myself now, 1 Corinthians 3: 17
00:09:33.53\00:09:37.90
tells us that if any
man defiles the temple,
00:09:37.93\00:09:40.71
the body that God
will destroy that person.
00:09:40.74\00:09:43.86
So God obviously takes seriously
00:09:43.89\00:09:45.14
how we take care of our bodies
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and anybody knows
that smoking is bad.
00:09:46.32\00:09:48.18
So I'm seeing these things.
00:09:48.21\00:09:49.28
They don't make
sense, it's a contradiction.
00:09:49.31\00:09:52.06
And it was to the
point that quite honestly,
00:09:52.09\00:09:54.24
I got really,
really turned off with it.
00:09:54.27\00:09:56.74
Finally a guy comes outside,
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this was the
crowning act for me.
00:09:58.50\00:10:00.54
Guy comes outside
again, he was one of the people
00:10:00.57\00:10:03.17
that was speaking in
tongue, he comes outside
00:10:03.20\00:10:05.58
and he starts
cursing and swearing.
00:10:05.61\00:10:07.08
He starts using all the same
what I call Egyptian language
00:10:07.11\00:10:10.32
that I know I was using
00:10:10.35\00:10:11.48
when I was in my
little Egypt experience.
00:10:11.51\00:10:13.79
And you know as he
is cursing and swearing
00:10:13.82\00:10:16.24
even though I didn't
know the Bible very well.
00:10:16.27\00:10:18.85
I do remember the
story of Matthew 26,
00:10:18.88\00:10:21.42
where it shows that
Peter was told my Jesus,
00:10:21.45\00:10:24.48
he's gonna deny him three times.
00:10:24.51\00:10:26.21
And then here it is
that when the people
00:10:26.24\00:10:27.48
came to Peter in Matthew
26, the first time they came
00:10:27.51\00:10:30.41
they weren't you
the follower of Christ?
00:10:30.44\00:10:32.08
Peter says, not me.
00:10:32.11\00:10:33.87
Second time not me, third
time, they say wait a minute.
00:10:33.90\00:10:37.59
We know you are a follower
of Christ and they said,
00:10:37.62\00:10:39.64
it was because of
the way you speak.
00:10:39.67\00:10:41.68
Can you imagine that?
00:10:41.71\00:10:42.75
Peter was found guilty for being
00:10:42.78\00:10:44.23
a Christian by
the way he talked.
00:10:44.26\00:10:46.18
I vow to God that we
can find people guilty
00:10:46.21\00:10:48.46
for being followers of Christ,
today by the way we talk.
00:10:48.49\00:10:50.34
Exactly.
00:10:50.37\00:10:51.42
But nevertheless
Peter wanted to prove
00:10:51.45\00:10:54.35
that he was not
connected to Jesus Christ
00:10:54.38\00:10:56.32
and that he didn't know Him.
00:10:56.35\00:10:57.63
And because they
speech as the identifying mark
00:10:57.66\00:11:00.75
Peter choose to use
speech to demonstrate
00:11:00.78\00:11:04.24
I don't know Christ.
00:11:04.27\00:11:05.58
And the speech that
peter choose to use,
00:11:05.61\00:11:07.92
is he began to
curse and to swear.
00:11:07.95\00:11:10.47
When an individual
curses and swears they testify
00:11:10.50\00:11:12.95
that they are disconnected
from Christ at that moment.
00:11:12.98\00:11:15.31
And so it is that I'm looking
at this and I'm turned off.
00:11:15.34\00:11:18.82
I believe that many
individuals in hip hop
00:11:18.85\00:11:21.73
and R&B culture are
exposed to the many hypocrisies
00:11:21.76\00:11:25.36
that many of us you and I
have been exposed to as well
00:11:25.39\00:11:28.24
that turned us
off from Christianity.
00:11:28.27\00:11:29.91
So therefore my
heart goes out to them
00:11:29.94\00:11:31.49
that they do or
they saw you know,
00:11:31.52\00:11:33.96
the hypocrisies the
contradictions and so on.
00:11:33.99\00:11:36.94
But like any other person,
00:11:36.97\00:11:38.29
you're supposed to study to
show yourself prudent to God.
00:11:38.32\00:11:40.91
You are not supposed to
let people be a chief example
00:11:40.94\00:11:43.14
that's why Christ came.
00:11:43.17\00:11:44.23
He's our chief example
00:11:44.26\00:11:45.51
and when I look at
the character of Christ,
00:11:45.54\00:11:46.93
I see that He is
all together lovely.
00:11:46.96\00:11:49.48
So I was confused,
00:11:49.51\00:11:51.79
I was finding myself
in a state of confusion
00:11:51.82\00:11:54.12
but thank the Lord
through understanding God
00:11:54.15\00:11:56.09
and His will it
brought me out of that state.
00:11:56.12\00:11:58.23
Now God prophetically told us
00:11:58.26\00:12:00.55
that Babylon is a
place of confusion.
00:12:00.58\00:12:03.02
Yes.
00:12:03.05\00:12:04.08
Babylon is a place that clearly
00:12:04.11\00:12:06.08
was not for God
and for His standards.
00:12:06.11\00:12:08.04
And even anciently Israel,
00:12:08.07\00:12:10.33
they found
themselves encountering Babylon
00:12:10.36\00:12:12.59
and I believe that
there are some things
00:12:12.62\00:12:14.63
about the experiences of Israel
as they encountered Babylon.
00:12:14.66\00:12:18.60
That we're gonna find
is an amazing parallelism
00:12:18.63\00:12:21.19
between what we're seeing
today amongst God's people
00:12:21.22\00:12:24.10
as we are encountering
00:12:24.13\00:12:25.32
the influences of Babylon today.
00:12:25.35\00:12:27.14
So I love it if you can help,
you know, build on that idea
00:12:27.17\00:12:30.52
so that way we can
see what God has to unfold
00:12:30.55\00:12:32.95
in our program a
little but further.
00:12:32.98\00:12:34.42
And yeah, absolutely
we're gonna have to go
00:12:34.45\00:12:36.29
again back to the Bible.
00:12:36.32\00:12:37.83
And it shows us
that there was some--
00:12:37.86\00:12:39.54
something that happened.
00:12:39.57\00:12:40.62
Something went wrong and
Israel eventually found itself
00:12:40.65\00:12:43.79
in confusion or
literally exiled in Babylon.
00:12:43.82\00:12:47.75
So I want to
start with Numbers 22
00:12:47.78\00:12:51.02
and in the Book of Numbers 22,
I'm going to look at verse 12
00:12:51.05\00:12:56.02
and the background
to the story is Balaam,
00:12:56.05\00:13:01.10
the children of Israel still
wandering in the wilderness,
00:13:01.13\00:13:03.19
and he's
preparing after the 40 years
00:13:03.22\00:13:05.32
to enter into the Promise Land,
00:13:05.35\00:13:07.23
and obviously the
locals didn't approve.
00:13:07.26\00:13:11.48
And they wanted
somehow to derail
00:13:11.51\00:13:14.32
the exploits of the
Israelites and not disallow them
00:13:14.35\00:13:18.24
from coming in successfully
and inhabiting the Canaan land.
00:13:18.27\00:13:22.04
So a local came basically hired
00:13:22.07\00:13:25.25
a prophet to
come and curse Israel,
00:13:25.28\00:13:28.32
so that they would not
succeed in their endeavors.
00:13:28.35\00:13:31.22
This prophet had a
relationship with God,
00:13:31.25\00:13:33.47
He had a past
experience with the true God,
00:13:33.50\00:13:35.54
the God of
Heaven the God of Israel
00:13:35.57\00:13:38.30
And he had to
admit at a certain point
00:13:38.33\00:13:40.51
even though he agreed
to the financial exchange--
00:13:40.54\00:13:43.65
he took the job if you will
00:13:43.68\00:13:45.41
but after many, many
efforts he had to agree.
00:13:45.44\00:13:48.29
And it's kind of highlighted
here in Numbers 22:12
00:13:48.32\00:13:54.56
It says, " And
God said unto Balaam,
00:13:54.59\00:13:56.22
Thou shalt not go with them,
00:13:56.25\00:13:59.12
Meaning those who
hired him to curse Israel.
00:13:59.15\00:14:02.45
"Thou shalt not go with them,
00:14:02.48\00:14:04.28
Thou shalt not curse the
people for they are blessed."
00:14:04.31\00:14:09.25
And it's very clear
and we're gonna deal
00:14:09.28\00:14:11.07
with this kind of
subject of blessing and cursing.
00:14:11.10\00:14:14.63
God will not allow the people
00:14:14.66\00:14:18.90
that have a right relationship
with Him to be cursed.
00:14:18.93\00:14:22.13
God will not allow the curse
00:14:22.16\00:14:24.81
to fall upon
those who follow Him.
00:14:24.84\00:14:27.20
Now that does not mean the God--
00:14:27.23\00:14:29.12
that God's people
won't experience hardship
00:14:29.15\00:14:31.70
or trial or apparent suffering
or experience bad circumstances
00:14:31.73\00:14:36.13
because we know
that our primary example
00:14:36.16\00:14:38.08
Jesus Christ went through
those things on our behalf.
00:14:38.11\00:14:40.18
That's right.
00:14:40.21\00:14:41.25
And he says also in John 15
00:14:41.28\00:14:42.87
that a servant is not
greater than his master.
00:14:42.90\00:14:45.15
The world hated me,
it's gonna hate you also.
00:14:45.18\00:14:47.33
So that we should
not expect anything less
00:14:47.36\00:14:50.26
from the world
than Christ received.
00:14:50.29\00:14:52.19
So it's not talking about
that but it's talking about
00:14:52.22\00:14:54.14
God allowing you to not succeed.
00:14:54.17\00:14:58.13
Biblical success as
is defined in Joshua 1
00:14:58.16\00:15:01.89
true success in
following God faithfully
00:15:01.92\00:15:04.35
God will reward
our efforts eventually
00:15:04.38\00:15:06.95
in due time in His timing.
00:15:06.98\00:15:08.46
But we see here
00:15:08.49\00:15:09.81
that as individuals
want to curse God's people,
00:15:09.84\00:15:12.26
God is not going to
allow them to be cursed
00:15:12.29\00:15:14.90
because they are blessed.
00:15:14.93\00:15:16.28
They have his favor.
00:15:16.31\00:15:17.65
Now if we go also now
because there was a point
00:15:17.68\00:15:20.79
in other words when
God's people were blessed
00:15:20.82\00:15:22.81
and he would not allow
a curse to fall upon them.
00:15:22.84\00:15:24.71
He would not allow them
00:15:24.74\00:15:25.78
to be taken into
exile into a frown nation.
00:15:25.81\00:15:28.24
Something happened, so
as we look at what happened?
00:15:28.27\00:15:31.91
We're gonna kind of
trace through history briefly
00:15:31.94\00:15:34.50
what could have been
00:15:34.53\00:15:35.61
or what the Bible
reveals is the reason why.
00:15:35.64\00:15:38.54
And you know I find
this to be interesting
00:15:38.57\00:15:40.18
because in kind of
builds on the idea founded
00:15:40.21\00:15:43.19
Proverb 14:34 that it says, "
Righteousness exalts a nation,
00:15:43.22\00:15:48.86
But sin is a
reproach to any people."
00:15:48.89\00:15:51.79
Yes.
00:15:51.82\00:15:52.87
So therefore when God's people
00:15:52.90\00:15:54.99
are hidden in
Christ there righteousness,
00:15:55.02\00:15:57.57
of course I'm making
this a modern application
00:15:57.60\00:15:59.75
that we know that even though
00:15:59.78\00:16:02.15
the powers of
sin will attack us.
00:16:02.18\00:16:03.87
They won't over come us.
00:16:03.90\00:16:05.15
We have that
victory that same way
00:16:05.18\00:16:06.53
that power of the
enemy wanted to attack Israel
00:16:06.56\00:16:09.22
but it wouldn't overcome them.
00:16:09.25\00:16:10.28
Right.
00:16:10.31\00:16:11.35
Because God's
favorite was upon them.
00:16:11.38\00:16:13.06
It is a very powerful principle
that we ought to keep in minde
00:16:13.09\00:16:15.28
as individuals, as
well as a collective body--
00:16:15.31\00:16:17.97
Yes, and we're
going now to 1 Samuel 8,
00:16:18.00\00:16:21.32
and again another background.
00:16:21.35\00:16:22.84
God's people enter
into the Promise Land
00:16:22.87\00:16:24.86
and God sets up
what He anoints judges
00:16:24.89\00:16:27.63
to kind of-- co rule with God.
00:16:27.66\00:16:30.78
God is the ruler, He
is the king if you will
00:16:30.81\00:16:32.90
and He sets up
and anoint to judge us
00:16:32.93\00:16:35.87
and prophets to co rule or to--
00:16:35.90\00:16:39.38
to co administer
the nation with him.
00:16:39.41\00:16:43.12
Eventually there's a problem
00:16:43.15\00:16:45.84
and the people want to be
like everyone else around.
00:16:45.87\00:16:51.72
And Samuel goes to great lands
to warn them against the evils
00:16:51.75\00:16:57.70
that will result from choosing
a man to rule over them as king
00:16:57.73\00:17:02.27
rather than the God of
heavens rule over them as king.
00:17:02.30\00:17:04.80
So on 1 Samuel 8
we picked that up
00:17:04.83\00:17:06.58
and Samuel is
pleading with the people
00:17:06.61\00:17:08.13
'cause the
people comes to Samuel
00:17:08.16\00:17:09.62
as the judge and the prophet
00:17:09.65\00:17:11.89
is the co ruler with the
God over the nation of Israel.
00:17:11.92\00:17:14.62
And they come to him
and say, you know what?
00:17:14.65\00:17:16.17
We want a king just like
all the other nations are.
00:17:16.20\00:17:17.85
We want to be like
everybody else around this.
00:17:17.88\00:17:20.13
And Samuel is
giving the warnings--
00:17:20.16\00:17:21.61
giving the warnings
please don't do this.
00:17:21.64\00:17:23.40
This is a bad decision.
00:17:23.43\00:17:24.72
Don't do this,
evil will come about.
00:17:24.75\00:17:27.42
Their final assessment
or their final request
00:17:27.45\00:17:29.67
in verse 20 is or
I'll start from verse 19.
00:17:29.70\00:17:33.03
1 Samuel 8: 19-20
00:17:33.06\00:17:36.50
" Nevertheless the
people refused to obey
00:17:36.53\00:17:40.26
the voice of
Samuel; and they said, Nay;
00:17:40.29\00:17:43.72
but we will have a king over us;
00:17:43.75\00:17:46.40
That we also may be
like all the nations;
00:17:46.43\00:17:49.37
and that our king may judge us,
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.12
and go out before us,
and fight our battles."
00:17:51.15\00:17:53.28
So they say, we don't care
00:17:53.31\00:17:54.65
we're just talking about Samuel.
00:17:54.68\00:17:55.77
We hear your warnings
00:17:55.80\00:17:56.97
but you know what
we'd rather have a king.
00:17:57.00\00:17:58.79
We will have a king in
fact and we're gonna get it
00:17:58.82\00:18:01.13
whether you like it or not.
00:18:01.16\00:18:02.28
And whether God essentially
whether God likes it or not.
00:18:02.31\00:18:05.42
So we know that God
harken on to their voice
00:18:05.45\00:18:08.41
because he actually
warned all the way through Moses
00:18:08.44\00:18:11.26
that the nation,
the people of Israel
00:18:11.29\00:18:13.27
eventually will
gonna ask for a king.
00:18:13.30\00:18:15.08
And if they ask for a
king don't refuse them.
00:18:15.12\00:18:17.41
Give them what they
want and this is sometimes--
00:18:17.44\00:18:19.53
some confusion here
00:18:19.56\00:18:20.93
because sometimes we complain
and blame things on God.
00:18:20.96\00:18:24.97
The course that our life takes
00:18:25.00\00:18:26.35
or certain
circumstances we blame on God
00:18:26.38\00:18:29.09
when the reason why
we're in that situation
00:18:29.12\00:18:31.47
is because we
choose against God.
00:18:31.50\00:18:33.61
And instead of God
forcing us to do robots
00:18:33.64\00:18:36.44
and forcing us to comply.
00:18:36.47\00:18:38.16
He allows us to
make the decision
00:18:38.19\00:18:40.02
and choose what to do.
00:18:40.05\00:18:41.65
And at sometimes
it's a bad decision
00:18:41.68\00:18:43.87
and we have to deal
with the consequences.
00:18:43.90\00:18:46.15
God is still
there willing to help
00:18:46.18\00:18:47.50
and to save to the outermost
but sometimes our choices,
00:18:47.53\00:18:50.95
our bad choices leave us
00:18:50.98\00:18:52.63
in a undesirable
predicament to say the least.
00:18:52.66\00:18:56.07
So going now in 1
Samuel fast forwarding
00:18:56.10\00:19:00.87
they got the king,
they got their king.
00:19:00.90\00:19:02.39
Right, and we know that
00:19:02.42\00:19:03.45
their first king of Israel
was Saul, Saul the Benjamite.
00:19:03.48\00:19:07.31
And in 1 Samuel 12:19
00:19:07.34\00:19:11.86
it shows
something very interesting.
00:19:11.89\00:19:15.64
It says, " All the
people said unto Samuel,
00:19:15.67\00:19:20.76
Pray for thy servants
unto the Lord thy God,
00:19:20.79\00:19:23.67
that we die not:
for we have added
00:19:23.70\00:19:26.42
unto all our sins this
evil, to ask us a king."
00:19:26.45\00:19:32.11
So now they see
some of the warnings,
00:19:32.14\00:19:34.80
that Samuel was giving that God
was giving through the prophet.
00:19:34.83\00:19:37.93
They see some of
these things coming to pass
00:19:37.96\00:19:40.56
and now they're saying, oh,
please God, have mercy on us.
00:19:40.59\00:19:44.25
Because not only have we
done all these wicked things
00:19:44.28\00:19:46.78
but on top of that we've
asked for a king other than you.
00:19:46.81\00:19:50.93
And so they came to an
understanding at that point
00:19:50.96\00:19:53.57
that they made
the wrong decision
00:19:53.60\00:19:55.42
but lo and behold they
now perpetuate that wickedness
00:19:55.45\00:20:00.08
and this becomes
almost institutionalized.
00:20:00.11\00:20:02.71
So this becomes a problem
instead of one man sinning
00:20:02.74\00:20:05.78
or one man in his family
sinning and going against God
00:20:05.81\00:20:08.80
or maybe one
tribe going against God.
00:20:08.83\00:20:11.08
Now we're getting to the
point where in an entire nation
00:20:11.11\00:20:13.36
is institutionalizing
rebellion against God
00:20:13.40\00:20:16.66
and choosing something else
00:20:16.69\00:20:17.77
or choosing a
man over God Himself.
00:20:17.80\00:20:21.81
Now this also is
kind of brought into view
00:20:21.84\00:20:26.36
in the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:20:26.39\00:20:27.92
Because when we
go back as I said,
00:20:27.95\00:20:29.51
Moses was given the warning
00:20:29.54\00:20:33.28
that the people
would ask for a king.
00:20:33.31\00:20:35.02
And there's also a kind of
in the Book of Deuteronomy,
00:20:35.05\00:20:38.66
we understand that
its collection of sermons
00:20:38.69\00:20:42.53
that were given by
Moses at the end of his life
00:20:42.56\00:20:45.00
because he knew
he was going to die
00:20:45.03\00:20:47.05
before entering
the Promise Land.
00:20:47.08\00:20:48.78
Joshua was reading
to assume leadership,
00:20:48.81\00:20:51.32
so Moses is kind
of trying to summarize
00:20:51.35\00:20:54.57
the entire covenant
all of God's commandments.
00:20:54.60\00:20:57.19
All of God's instructions
and His past experiences
00:20:57.22\00:21:00.46
with his people
and his deliverance
00:21:00.49\00:21:01.74
from Egypt in bondage.
00:21:01.77\00:21:03.13
He's summarizing that in
this Book of Deuteronomy,
00:21:03.16\00:21:06.72
so in Deuteronomy
28 he kind of bring
00:21:06.75\00:21:09.53
everything into a
climax if you will
00:21:09.56\00:21:11.67
and there is a
whole entire chapter
00:21:11.70\00:21:14.20
dedicated to
blessings and cursing
00:21:14.23\00:21:17.59
dedicated to the result of
what following God will yield.
00:21:17.62\00:21:22.34
And also the
result of what disobeying
00:21:22.37\00:21:25.25
over bending
against God will yield.
00:21:25.28\00:21:26.93
And it's very, very
compelling and interesting
00:21:26.96\00:21:29.30
and we're looking
at Deuteronomy 28.
00:21:29.33\00:21:31.02
Now you know, one of the things
00:21:31.05\00:21:32.12
that I like about this
study that we're doing right now
00:21:32.15\00:21:34.41
is even though we're
looking at past experiences.
00:21:34.44\00:21:38.21
You know, we're
looking at Israel of old
00:21:38.24\00:21:40.11
and the decisions they made
00:21:40.14\00:21:41.98
all of these different problems
00:21:42.01\00:21:43.27
that they have
gone through and so on.
00:21:43.30\00:21:45.16
I believe the relevance of it
00:21:45.19\00:21:46.83
is when you
consider in 1 Corinthians 10,
00:21:46.86\00:21:50.40
from verses 1-10 it goes
through the history of Israel.
00:21:50.43\00:21:53.42
It literally talks about
the bad decisions they made
00:21:53.45\00:21:55.43
and all these
other problems that came
00:21:55.46\00:21:57.11
as a result of their decisions.
00:21:57.14\00:21:59.01
But by time you get to verse 11
00:21:59.04\00:22:01.21
of that same Book and same
chapter of 1 Corinthians 10,
00:22:01.24\00:22:04.54
it says "All these
things happened unto them
00:22:04.57\00:22:07.83
the Israelites, for ensamples."
00:22:07.86\00:22:10.08
That word ensamples means types.
00:22:10.11\00:22:11.94
And every type
has to have anti-type.
00:22:11.97\00:22:14.86
It says all these
things happened unto them
00:22:14.89\00:22:17.69
for ensamples.
00:22:17.72\00:22:18.89
And they are
written for our admonition
00:22:18.92\00:22:21.73
upon whom the ends
of the world are come.
00:22:21.76\00:22:24.74
Yeah.
00:22:24.77\00:22:25.81
So when we look at Israel
and we look at their choices,
00:22:25.84\00:22:29.70
their behaviors and
so on think about it.
00:22:29.73\00:22:32.55
Israel was given a culture,
they were given a lifestyle
00:22:32.58\00:22:36.01
but the problem was,
they weren't content with it.
00:22:36.04\00:22:38.50
And therefore as a result
of their lack of contentment,
00:22:38.53\00:22:41.24
they looked at the
other nations around them
00:22:41.27\00:22:42.85
and they said, we
want to be like them.
00:22:42.88\00:22:44.83
Do we see those same
mistakes happening today?
00:22:44.86\00:22:47.64
People have been given something
00:22:47.67\00:22:49.37
from God is called the Bible.
00:22:49.40\00:22:51.24
God has given us His
word, He's given us instruction
00:22:51.27\00:22:54.18
but we don't want that. We
say, no I want other things.
00:22:54.21\00:22:56.60
I want to be like what I
see on TV and the list goes on.
00:22:56.63\00:22:59.30
And then what happens is
00:22:59.33\00:23:00.77
we find ourselves
reaping the whirlwind
00:23:00.80\00:23:02.69
as we're about to find out
Israel, reap the whirlwind.
00:23:02.72\00:23:05.35
So here it is that
we're seeing a parallel again
00:23:05.38\00:23:07.86
because these things had
happened unto them with types
00:23:07.89\00:23:10.84
that were gonna happen to those
00:23:10.87\00:23:13.24
who profess to follow
God, but were also living
00:23:13.27\00:23:15.84
in the times of
the end of the world.
00:23:15.87\00:23:17.95
So really what we're
reading is not necessarily
00:23:17.98\00:23:20.14
just past truth it's
actually present truth.
00:23:20.17\00:23:22.42
Yes.
00:23:22.45\00:23:23.52
We're reading things about how
00:23:23.55\00:23:25.11
what we've seen Israel
have done in times past.
00:23:25.14\00:23:27.68
We're seeing that
wow, we're repeating
00:23:27.71\00:23:29.55
the same mistakes
of Israel even today.
00:23:29.58\00:23:32.67
And here it is that
now in Deuteronomy 28,
00:23:32.70\00:23:34.81
you got to show us.
00:23:34.84\00:23:35.89
Here's the end result
00:23:35.92\00:23:37.70
of what ended up
happening to Israel
00:23:37.73\00:23:39.74
as a result of
this continual rebellion
00:23:39.77\00:23:42.58
against God in
His will in His ways.
00:23:42.61\00:23:44.34
Absolutely, so when you
consider Deuteronomy 28,
00:23:44.37\00:23:48.43
verses 1 all the way through 14
00:23:48.46\00:23:52.93
are dealing with the blessings
that will come upon the nation,
00:23:52.96\00:23:58.52
every
individual, every industry,
00:23:58.55\00:24:00.62
the economy,
absolutely everything.
00:24:00.65\00:24:03.58
Remember when God bless us,
00:24:03.61\00:24:04.75
He bless us in
total and-- and he gives
00:24:04.78\00:24:07.72
a complete restoration
like we talked about.
00:24:07.76\00:24:10.05
So God says, if you follow me
00:24:10.08\00:24:11.73
and we are in a
right relationship
00:24:11.76\00:24:13.81
and you follow my instruction.
00:24:13.84\00:24:16.53
True knowledge
of self if you will
00:24:16.56\00:24:18.71
then all of these
blessings are come upon you.
00:24:18.74\00:24:21.98
But verses 15, all the
way down and to verse 68
00:24:22.01\00:24:28.06
are dealing with their curses
00:24:28.09\00:24:29.54
that will come, if they rebel.
00:24:29.57\00:24:32.89
So there's a very real
cost for going against God
00:24:32.92\00:24:36.43
and you know, we're just
gonna kind of get a snapshot
00:24:36.46\00:24:39.35
in verses 47-52
as Deuteronomy 28,
00:24:39.38\00:24:44.03
starting with verse 47 going
all the way down to 52 it says,
00:24:44.06\00:24:48.40
"Because thou
servedst not the Lord thy God
00:24:48.43\00:24:50.50
with joyfulness, and
with gladness of heart,
00:24:50.53\00:24:53.17
for the abundance of all things;
00:24:53.20\00:24:54.96
Therefore shalt
thou serve thine enemies
00:24:54.99\00:24:58.14
which the Lord
shall send against thee,
00:24:58.17\00:25:00.46
in hunger, and in thirst,
00:25:00.49\00:25:02.39
and in nakedness, and
in want of all things:
00:25:02.42\00:25:05.37
and he shall put a
yoke of iron upon thy neck,
00:25:05.41\00:25:08.57
until he have destroyed thee.
00:25:08.60\00:25:11.04
The Lord shall bring a
nation against thee from far,
00:25:11.07\00:25:15.81
from the end of the earth,
as swift as the eagle flieth;
00:25:15.84\00:25:19.75
a nation whose tongue
thou shalt not understand;
00:25:19.78\00:25:23.25
A nation of fierce countenance,
00:25:23.28\00:25:25.16
which shall not
regard the person of the old,
00:25:25.19\00:25:27.50
nor shew favour to the young:
00:25:27.53\00:25:29.90
And he shall eat
the fruit of thy cattle,
00:25:29.93\00:25:32.02
and the fruit of thy
land, until thou be destroyed:
00:25:32.05\00:25:35.58
which also shall not
leave thee either corn, wine,
00:25:35.61\00:25:39.69
or oil, or the
increase of thy kine,
00:25:39.72\00:25:42.10
or flocks of thy sheep,
until he have destroyed thee.
00:25:42.13\00:25:46.16
And he shall besiege
thee in all thy gates,
00:25:46.19\00:25:48.34
until thy high and
fenced walls come down,
00:25:48.37\00:25:51.26
wherein thou trustedst,
throughout all thy land:
00:25:51.29\00:25:54.46
and he shall besiege
thee in all thy gates
00:25:54.49\00:25:56.52
throughout all thy land,
00:25:56.55\00:25:57.72
which the Lord thy
God hath given thee."
00:25:57.75\00:26:01.16
If four shadows
00:26:01.19\00:26:02.81
that if this
institutionalize rebellion comes
00:26:02.84\00:26:05.93
and continues
generation after generation,
00:26:05.96\00:26:08.67
God will send
foreign nation from a far off
00:26:08.70\00:26:11.29
whose language you don't
even understand or speak.
00:26:11.32\00:26:13.46
And they will come
upon you like the eagle,
00:26:13.49\00:26:15.53
like a bird of prey
and swoop down upon you
00:26:15.56\00:26:18.07
and completely wipe
you out and take you away.
00:26:18.10\00:26:21.77
And we're warned that as Israel,
00:26:21.80\00:26:24.79
as this happened
to Israel in the past.
00:26:24.82\00:26:27.08
We're warned that these
are in for our admonition,
00:26:27.11\00:26:29.29
our benefits.
00:26:29.32\00:26:30.38
They're examples for us
00:26:30.41\00:26:31.60
to watch and
follow so we don't repeat
00:26:31.63\00:26:33.60
the past
failures of God's people.
00:26:33.63\00:26:35.37
And that's the key is
that we don't repeat it.
00:26:35.40\00:26:38.26
We have to get
ourselves to a point to realize
00:26:38.29\00:26:40.84
that you know in New
York they have the subway.
00:26:40.87\00:26:44.11
And the subway have
something called the third rail
00:26:44.14\00:26:46.43
and the third rail
is where they carry
00:26:46.46\00:26:47.85
current of electricity
that helps that train run
00:26:47.88\00:26:50.61
so that it can do
what it has to do.
00:26:50.64\00:26:52.67
So it is that there was a time
00:26:52.70\00:26:54.13
when some touched the third rail
00:26:54.16\00:26:55.45
and unfortunately they died.
00:26:55.48\00:26:57.14
Well, they're
some who didn't believe
00:26:57.17\00:26:59.37
that they third rail could do
such a damage to an individual.
00:26:59.40\00:27:02.44
But here's the point, I
can't-- I may not believe it
00:27:02.47\00:27:05.42
but there's one of two ways
I can find out if it's true.
00:27:05.45\00:27:07.84
I can find out by experience
00:27:07.87\00:27:10.05
or I can find out by
someone else's experience
00:27:10.08\00:27:12.51
and I've realized that
the wisest way to do that
00:27:12.54\00:27:14.72
is not for me to experience it
00:27:14.75\00:27:16.55
but to find out through
someone else experience.
00:27:16.58\00:27:19.05
Just one of the reasons
why the Bible was written,
00:27:19.08\00:27:20.72
it shows the
experiences of the failures
00:27:20.75\00:27:24.04
but it also shows the experience
00:27:24.07\00:27:25.39
of the successful and
it shows us how to walk
00:27:25.42\00:27:27.29
into the a path
of the successful.
00:27:27.32\00:27:30.02
You know folks we're so
glad that you joined us today,
00:27:30.05\00:27:32.42
we're grateful that we
got a chance once again to see
00:27:32.45\00:27:35.42
and behold
history to see how Israel
00:27:35.45\00:27:38.61
made certain
mistakes in times past
00:27:38.64\00:27:40.92
but how it is also
designed for our learning.
00:27:40.95\00:27:43.79
It's for us to understand that
we will make the same mistakes.
00:27:43.82\00:27:49.98
We want to thank
you for joining us
00:27:50.01\00:27:51.21
and always remember Proverbs 2:6
00:27:51.24\00:27:53.64
that tells us it is
the Lord that gives wisdom
00:27:53.67\00:27:55.95
and out of his mouth comes
knowledge and understanding.
00:27:55.98\00:27:59.12
See you next time.
00:27:59.15\00:28:00.18