Hello, my name is Dwayne Lemon.
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And I'm Lance Wilbur.
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And we like to welcome
you to another program of TKS,
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A True Knowledge of Self
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where we get to know ourselves
from a biblical perspective.
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We've been
having a wonderful time
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studying the Word of
God and learning so much.
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We've been seeing over
and over again parallels
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from the times
of the Old Testament
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and seeing the
experiences especially
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and in particular
to Daniel the prophet
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and of course his comrades,
Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael,
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who were then
named Belteshazzar,
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Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
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We watch how Nebuchadnezzar
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put together a threefold attempt
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to try to unfit these men
to be faithful followers of God
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and we found that
in Daniel Chapter 1.
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Throughout that first chapter,
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we find that
there were two emphasis
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that were given that
we already addressed.
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One was the
effort of Nebuchadnezzar
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to change their
educational system.
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But then we also found
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that Nebuchadnezzar
wanted to change their name.
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Today's program, we want to talk
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about that third attempt,
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that third effort
that Nebuchadnezzar did
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because this is a very
significant point to make
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and it's a very crucial
issue in urban society today.
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And we want you to
definitely join with us
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as we prepare to
dig into this topic.
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Lance, once
again it's a blessing
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to always be back
with you, brother,
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and to go over the Word of
God together and, you know,
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we have something very
special we wanted to talk about.
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Now I wanted to address this one
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because this is the third attack
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of Nebuchadnezzar
upon Daniel and his fellows
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where we find that they
also had to take a stand
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but this stand is
a little different.
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Okay.
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Because when we
look at Daniel Chapter 1
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and we look at Nebuchadnezzar
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trying to change
the educational system
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of what Daniel had received
as an education in times past.
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The thing that I found
that was very interesting
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is that when it came
to Nebuchadnezzar's effort
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to change or to
introduce this new learning,
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you do not find
from Daniel Chapter 1
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all the way to
Daniel Chapter 12.
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You find no evidence
of Daniel protesting.
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In other words,
Nebuchadnezzar introduces
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false signs and false concepts
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or a commixing of good and evil.
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You don't find anywhere in
the Bible where Daniel says,
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"No, I won't accept this."
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There's nothing that says that.
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So therefore there
is no open protest,
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but nevertheless we know that
Daniel followed the principle
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or in fact, Daniel's parents
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followed the principle
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which tells us,
"Train up a child
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in the way he should
go and when he is old,
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he will not depart from it."
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So we find that Daniel
was holding to true education
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and he demonstrated that.
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But then the other thing is,
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is that they
wanted to change the name.
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They said, "Daniel, your
name is no longer Daniel.
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Your name is now Belteshazzar."
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And again no
protest. No protest.
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You don't find from
Daniel 1 to Daniel 12
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where Daniel
says, "Listen, you know,
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I don't accept what
you are sharing with me."
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But nevertheless you do see
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that when Daniel has
an opportunity to speak.
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In Daniel Chapter 7
he says, "I Daniel."
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Daniel Chapter 8. "I Daniel."
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Daniel Chapter 9, "Me Daniel."
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So over and over again,
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even though he
was given a new name,
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Daniel did not
have to openly protest
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because at the end of
the day Daniel knew his name
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and therefore he
stuck to his name.
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But when it came
to the third test,
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we find that this is the one
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where Daniel had to
make an open protest
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and it's found
in Daniel Chapter 1
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as we're gonna go
ahead and consider verse 5.
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The Bible says in Daniel 1:5.
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"And the king appointed them
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a daily provision
of the king's meat,
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and of the wine which he drank,
so nourishing them three years,
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that at the end thereof
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they might stand
before the king."
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Verse 8,
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"But Daniel
purposed in his heart
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that he would not defile himself
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with the portion
of the king's meat,
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nor with the
wine which he drank,
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therefore he requested
of the prince of the eunuchs
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that he might
not defile himself."
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And then I
would like to conclude
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with verse 11 and 12.
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"Then said Daniel to Melzar,
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whom the prince of the
eunuchs had set over Daniel,
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Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
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prove thy
servants, I beseech thee,
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ten days and let
them give us pulse to eat,
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and water to drink."
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Here goes Daniel
again, false education comes,
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no open protest.
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They try to change
their name, no open protest.
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They introduce a diet to him
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and all of a sudden
Daniel finds a need to say,
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this one I cannot remain silent.
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This one, I must open my mouth.
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This one, I must openly protest.
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And now we talked about
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this just in short
in our previous episode
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but what in the
world is this diet
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that Daniel request
in place of the meat
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or the food from
the king's table?
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Yes.
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And when he makes this protest,
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he not only
refuses the king's meat.
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And by the way and
I'm sure this will come up
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but the word meat
we know means food.
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So it's not always
referring to flesh.
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Yeah.
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But
nevertheless, while he refuses
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the king's food
and wine and so on,
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it says that and he
wanted pulse to eat and water.
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Now water we are
very familiar with
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but some individuals,
some of our viewers,
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they maybe wondering,
well, that what is pulse.
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So pulse is dealing with
that which has been sown.
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So in the original language.
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So when we talk about pulse,
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we are talking about
things that had been sown.
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And we know that
what you sow are seeds.
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And therefore, Daniel is
talking about vegetation.
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He is talking about the
things that are plant based
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and this was the diet
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that Daniel wanted
to have in comparison
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to having the king's
food and the king's wine.
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Very interesting.
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Now, Lance, you
know, my question is this.
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While we see, you know,
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most people if
you would ask someone
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which one is most important.
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Especially if you
would go to someone,
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let's say even in
hip-hop culture today
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or in urban society and you say,
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"Which one do you
think is more important,
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education,
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the importance of
maintaining your name
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or what you eat?
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There is more than
likely a good chance
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that they are gonna
put either education
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or name on a higher
level than what they eat.
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There's a chance
that, that would happen.
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And I would think to say
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that the modern day
society would agree,
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because when you
look at modern day society
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especially western culture,
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we find that people pretty
much eat just about anything,
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everywhere, whatever moves.
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But here it is that
Daniel, he finds himself silent
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on eating the
flesh or eating the...
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I'm sorry, silent on
dealing with the education,
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he is also silent on
dealing with the name change,
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but he is opening
his mouth and protesting
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when it came to the
food that was given.
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My question is,
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"Why was it that Daniel
took this so seriously?"
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Well, we're gonna go
into it and we're gonna look
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and see what the Bible says,
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but when we
consider these great problems
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that we've been
identifying show after show.
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We saw that sin was the
problem that entered in,
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Genesis Chapter 3.
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We went back there
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and saw that the origin of
both true and false education
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were also in the Garden of Eden
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and we saw when we were
discussing false education,
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that origin was
found in that exchange,
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that dialog and ultimately
the sinful act of Eve and Adam,
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when they took of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.
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So I want to go back there
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and kind of
highlight some things
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in Genesis Chapter 3 and show
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what we're dealing
with because again,
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there is the principle
that we need to identify
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and establish, then we
can get to the specifics.
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So, God is going to
layout the principle.
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The Bible is going
to layout the principle
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that can be
applied in every situation
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and then He is gonna help us
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with specifics and
practical examples,
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so we know to make a decision,
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because God always puts
as we saw in Deuteronomy
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two decisions
before us, life, death.
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So, He is always
gonna give us that option.
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So, I'd like to
turn at this time
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to Genesis Chapter 3
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and I want to look
back again at verse 6.
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So Genesis Chapter 3
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and we're gonna be
reading from verse 6.
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Remember the dialog now.
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Eve is
dialoging with the serpent
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and we saw that the
serpent is the Devil
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and Satan
according to Revelation 12:9.
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And now as I read Genesis 3:6,
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we see something
very interesting.
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"And when the
woman saw that the tree
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was good for food,
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and that it was
pleasant to the eyes,
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and a tree to be
desired to make one wise,
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she took of the
fruit thereof, and did eat,
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and gave also unto her husband
with her and he did eat."
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And we identify,
we talked about this.
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We showed the connection
between in 1 John Chapter 2
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where you had that
threefold challenge,
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the things of the world
that were called not to love
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because if we do,
we're an enemy of God.
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The lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes,
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and the pride of life.
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And we see this
now in Genesis 3.
00:09:29.16\00:09:31.13
So John is not
grasping, the Apostle
00:09:31.17\00:09:33.07
John is not trying to
reach for some new concept.
00:09:33.10\00:09:35.54
He is simply applying something
00:09:35.57\00:09:36.91
that was established
in the very beginning.
00:09:36.94\00:09:38.67
Man fell on these
three, very three points.
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The lust of the flesh.
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It says that Eve saw that
the tree was good for food.
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It says that she saw that
it was pleasing to the eyes,
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the lust of the eyes.
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And then it says
the pride of life.
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She saw that the tree
was a desire to make one wise
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that she could be as God as
the serpent had offered her.
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The serpent had presented.
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If we wanted to summarize
00:10:02.23\00:10:05.13
these three kind of
categories or these three evils
00:10:05.17\00:10:09.37
or the three aspects
of the love of the world,
00:10:09.40\00:10:12.54
we can
summarize it with one word
00:10:12.57\00:10:14.68
and that word would be appetite.
00:10:14.71\00:10:16.54
That's right.
00:10:16.58\00:10:17.91
Man fell on the
point of appetite.
00:10:17.95\00:10:20.42
And when we talk about appetite,
00:10:20.45\00:10:21.78
obviously we are
talking in the context of food,
00:10:21.82\00:10:23.79
eating and drinking.
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.15
But appetite
consists or addresses
00:10:25.19\00:10:28.12
every single need, want
and desire of the human being.
00:10:28.16\00:10:32.03
So anything that I see,
00:10:32.06\00:10:33.40
we talked about the effect
of the feelings and the senses
00:10:33.43\00:10:35.50
and how Eve allowed
her rational combined with
00:10:35.53\00:10:39.53
what she was preserving
through her five senses
00:10:39.57\00:10:44.74
to give her the safe
felt feeling of safety
00:10:44.77\00:10:50.15
to make the decision,
00:10:50.18\00:10:51.75
to partake of
that which God says
00:10:51.78\00:10:53.42
explicitly not to do,
if you do, you will die.
00:10:53.45\00:10:56.18
So this appetite,
00:10:56.22\00:10:57.75
this desire to be
like we saw with Lucifer,
00:10:57.79\00:11:01.56
like we saw with Herod,
00:11:01.59\00:11:02.92
like we saw with Nebuchadnezzar.
00:11:02.96\00:11:07.53
Yes.
00:11:07.56\00:11:08.90
The desire to be like God
00:11:08.93\00:11:10.80
or to claim the
prerogatives of God
00:11:10.83\00:11:13.40
or to be
something that we are not,
00:11:13.44\00:11:15.27
not realizing a
true knowledge of self
00:11:15.30\00:11:17.51
and thinking
that we can be as God.
00:11:17.54\00:11:20.08
Thinking that we
can be greater than God.
00:11:20.11\00:11:22.51
Is this core idea
and concept of appetite
00:11:22.54\00:11:27.42
and this appetite is
most commonly expressed
00:11:27.45\00:11:30.49
through eating and drinking
00:11:30.52\00:11:31.85
because eating and
drinking is something, you know,
00:11:31.89\00:11:33.66
there's three
things scientifically
00:11:33.69\00:11:35.76
that we do in our
lifetime, in our entire lifespan
00:11:35.79\00:11:39.06
more than anything else,
sleeping, eating and drinking.
00:11:39.09\00:11:43.13
Sleeping and
eating being the top two.
00:11:43.16\00:11:45.10
So of all the hours that
make up the average lifespan,
00:11:45.13\00:11:48.70
most of our time is
spent sleeping and eating.
00:11:48.74\00:11:52.47
So the Bible
includes the idea of appetite
00:11:52.51\00:11:56.78
in all of these categories
and all of these various ways
00:11:56.81\00:12:00.58
that this principle
can play itself out,
00:12:00.62\00:12:02.58
but food is made prominent
because we do so much of it.
00:12:02.62\00:12:08.12
And everything that we put
into our body affects our body
00:12:08.16\00:12:12.03
and that's what we're
gonna be talking about.
00:12:12.06\00:12:13.50
Everything that we insert,
whether it's through the eyes,
00:12:13.53\00:12:16.87
ears, mouth, skin,
00:12:16.90\00:12:19.20
and just through nutrients,
through food and drink.
00:12:19.23\00:12:21.90
Anything that goes into our body
00:12:21.94\00:12:23.27
has an affect
on our entire body,
00:12:23.30\00:12:24.67
our entire
physiology, our entire mind.
00:12:24.71\00:12:27.11
And does that indeed now have
an effect on our spirituality
00:12:27.14\00:12:31.05
and I think that's something
that we need to address.
00:12:31.08\00:12:33.35
Well, you know, it must have
an effect upon our spirituality
00:12:33.38\00:12:36.65
and the reason why is because
00:12:36.69\00:12:38.62
the Bible tells us something
that's very, very clear.
00:12:38.65\00:12:41.49
It's found in
Romans the 7th Chapter.
00:12:41.52\00:12:43.69
When you look at
Romans Chapter 7,
00:12:43.73\00:12:45.33
you are gonna find that
00:12:45.36\00:12:47.10
we know that God has
called His people to honor Him
00:12:47.13\00:12:50.70
and also to obey His law.
00:12:50.73\00:12:52.40
Remember we talked
about what sin was.
00:12:52.43\00:12:53.84
Sin was a transgression,
the breaking of God's law,
00:12:53.87\00:12:56.24
His commandments.
00:12:56.27\00:12:57.61
God wants us to live a
life that is harmonious
00:12:57.64\00:12:59.84
with His commandments,
harmonious with His law.
00:12:59.87\00:13:02.71
Jesus showed us one of
those secrets of how to do that.
00:13:02.74\00:13:05.11
He said, "If you love
Me, keep My commandments."
00:13:05.15\00:13:07.05
So love for God
will be demonstrated
00:13:07.08\00:13:09.32
in keeping God's commandments.
00:13:09.35\00:13:10.99
If I love my wife, I will
clearly not commit adultery.
00:13:11.02\00:13:13.76
Right.
00:13:13.79\00:13:15.12
So, you know,
love is that motivator
00:13:15.16\00:13:16.49
behind the keeping
of God's commandments,
00:13:16.52\00:13:18.13
but God calls us to
keep His commandment,
00:13:18.16\00:13:20.16
to keep His law.
00:13:20.20\00:13:21.53
Now in this reality,
00:13:21.56\00:13:23.47
the Bible tells
us or it shows us
00:13:23.50\00:13:26.40
kind of like a
means of how it's done.
00:13:26.43\00:13:28.54
It's found in the Book of Romans
00:13:28.57\00:13:29.90
the 7th Chapter.
00:13:29.94\00:13:31.27
In Romans 7:25
00:13:31.31\00:13:33.94
and I'm gonna look
at a very key portion
00:13:33.98\00:13:35.68
that Brother Paul
was talking about here
00:13:35.71\00:13:38.18
and I want you to notice this
because what is the correlation
00:13:38.21\00:13:41.32
between diet and the law of God
or us obeying the law of God?
00:13:41.35\00:13:46.19
Is there a
connection? Let's notice.
00:13:46.22\00:13:48.29
The Bible says in Romans 7:25,
00:13:48.32\00:13:50.86
"I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:13:50.89\00:13:54.60
So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God,
00:13:54.63\00:14:01.67
but with the
flesh the law of sin."
00:14:01.70\00:14:05.01
So the Bible introduces
that the means that God gives us
00:14:05.04\00:14:08.88
on how to serve
or to obey His law
00:14:08.91\00:14:11.88
as He says we must
do it with the mind.
00:14:11.91\00:14:14.22
And this is why
often God's words
00:14:14.25\00:14:15.78
are the same
throughout the Bible.
00:14:15.82\00:14:17.39
He said in Deuteronomy
30:19, 20 choose life.
00:14:17.42\00:14:21.22
So therefore, it's a choice,
00:14:21.26\00:14:23.09
and you use
your mind to do that.
00:14:23.12\00:14:24.86
God says in Joshua 24:15,
00:14:24.89\00:14:27.80
He says, "Choose you
this day whom you will serve."
00:14:27.83\00:14:30.90
Again choice.
00:14:30.93\00:14:32.63
Again we find Elijah
reasoning with his own people
00:14:34.97\00:14:38.47
and he says, "How long
halt ye between two opinions?
00:14:38.51\00:14:40.81
If the Lord be God, follow Him."
00:14:40.84\00:14:43.28
So over and over
again throughout the Bible,
00:14:43.31\00:14:44.78
we find that God
does not compel men,
00:14:44.81\00:14:46.95
He doesn't force
men, He encourages men,
00:14:46.98\00:14:49.62
He strengthens men
00:14:49.65\00:14:51.19
and He encourages
them to choose Him.
00:14:51.22\00:14:53.66
And you choose God with the mind
00:14:53.69\00:14:56.06
and therefore
when God tells us that
00:14:56.09\00:14:57.79
we are to honor Him
and to keep His law,
00:14:57.83\00:15:00.06
then we do that
also with the mind.
00:15:00.10\00:15:02.80
It's the mind that
makes the decision.
00:15:02.83\00:15:04.37
Now, understanding that
does food affect the mind?
00:15:04.40\00:15:08.97
When we eat and when we drink,
00:15:09.00\00:15:10.57
does it have any bearing upon
our mental state or condition
00:15:10.61\00:15:15.14
that can affect our decisions?
00:15:15.18\00:15:16.51
And you know what,
00:15:16.54\00:15:17.88
Solomon the wise man
helps answer this question.
00:15:17.91\00:15:20.62
The Bible says in
Proverbs the 30th Chapter.
00:15:20.65\00:15:23.22
And see, this is very important
because I know growing up
00:15:23.25\00:15:25.82
in hip-hop culture and lifestyle
00:15:25.85\00:15:27.56
and this is way beyond
hip-hop culture and lifestyle.
00:15:27.59\00:15:29.82
This is, you know, this
is even in some of the most
00:15:29.86\00:15:32.69
highly professed
religious worlds.
00:15:32.73\00:15:35.10
Even of the worlds that
profess to follow Jesus Christ
00:15:35.13\00:15:37.80
and believe the Bible.
00:15:37.83\00:15:39.17
We know that
indulgence and appetite
00:15:39.20\00:15:41.04
is a major issue
in urban communities
00:15:41.07\00:15:43.94
and outside of
urban communities.
00:15:43.97\00:15:45.61
So even though we
know that our program,
00:15:45.64\00:15:47.14
we like to speak
to the hearts of those
00:15:47.18\00:15:49.51
in the urban communities,
00:15:49.54\00:15:51.15
those who are affected
especially by hip-hp culture.
00:15:51.18\00:15:54.22
And we'll be
bringing out some things
00:15:54.25\00:15:55.58
as it relates to diet
and so on and lifestyle
00:15:55.62\00:15:57.65
that is more
pointed to hip-hop culture.
00:15:57.69\00:15:59.95
But right now this is something
that's so general and broad
00:15:59.99\00:16:02.72
that it touches
every class of people.
00:16:02.76\00:16:04.73
Right, because every
human being, at least I know,
00:16:04.76\00:16:08.10
I'm just gonna
speak from my experience.
00:16:08.13\00:16:10.17
Before I became a Christian,
00:16:10.20\00:16:12.90
as far as eating and
drinking is concerned,
00:16:12.93\00:16:14.70
I did whatever I wanted to
do, whenever I wanted to do it.
00:16:14.74\00:16:17.87
You ate constantly.
00:16:17.91\00:16:19.64
You find yourself
eating all day long.
00:16:19.67\00:16:21.64
You know, if I felt
hungry at two in the morning,
00:16:21.68\00:16:23.61
go get some food.
00:16:23.65\00:16:24.98
If I want to
stay up for 48 hours,
00:16:25.01\00:16:26.88
I'm eating constantly,
you're constantly nibbling by.
00:16:26.92\00:16:29.85
Drinking, you're
drinking whatever you want
00:16:29.88\00:16:32.05
and you know it registers
if it's like a drug or alcohol
00:16:32.09\00:16:36.89
and we'll be talking about that
00:16:36.93\00:16:38.26
but, you know, I
know if I drink alcohol,
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.89
I'm going to get drunk.
00:16:39.93\00:16:41.26
So obviously what I put
into my body affects my mind.
00:16:41.30\00:16:43.16
Sure.
00:16:43.20\00:16:44.53
What is it little more subtle
00:16:44.57\00:16:45.90
and what we kind of
are more dismissible
00:16:45.93\00:16:48.50
as well if I eat this or that,
00:16:48.54\00:16:51.94
even though I'm
not getting drunk
00:16:51.97\00:16:53.58
like I were if I drank
a large amount of alcohol,
00:16:53.61\00:16:56.71
it's having an
affect on my body,
00:16:56.75\00:16:58.91
therefore it's
having affect on my mind.
00:16:58.95\00:17:00.75
It's intricately
connected, we know,
00:17:00.78\00:17:02.82
you know, even science has
at least qualified this now
00:17:02.85\00:17:06.35
or confirms this ancient idea
00:17:06.39\00:17:08.69
that the body is
connected with the mind
00:17:08.72\00:17:11.39
that every
single cell in the body
00:17:11.43\00:17:14.63
needs basic nutrients,
needs water, needs air,
00:17:14.66\00:17:18.10
needs your vitamins and minerals
00:17:18.13\00:17:19.93
and all the other
nutrients and fiber.
00:17:19.97\00:17:22.47
Every cell in the body needs it.
00:17:22.50\00:17:24.11
So the blood delivers
this to every cell in the body.
00:17:24.14\00:17:26.91
But then we also know
that the nervous system
00:17:26.94\00:17:30.08
is connected to virtually
every over 100 trillion cells,
00:17:30.11\00:17:33.65
virtually every
single cell in your body,
00:17:33.68\00:17:35.78
the nervous has
this intimate connection.
00:17:35.82\00:17:38.62
So now, I have this connection
between my nervous system,
00:17:38.65\00:17:42.36
my brain, my mind and the way
that my body moves and thinks
00:17:42.39\00:17:45.69
and executes and the
nutrients that I provide.
00:17:45.73\00:17:50.03
And so everything is
intimately connected,
00:17:50.07\00:17:52.33
so obviously the things
that I put into my body,
00:17:52.37\00:17:56.07
I consume if you will
through any of this senses,
00:17:56.10\00:17:58.67
but especially
eating and drinking
00:17:58.71\00:18:00.74
is going to have
some kind of impact
00:18:00.78\00:18:02.91
for better or
for worse on my mind.
00:18:02.94\00:18:05.81
And if my mind is affected
00:18:05.85\00:18:07.18
from what we
discovered even to this point,
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.38
if my mind is
negatively affected,
00:18:09.42\00:18:11.99
then possibly the potential
exist that I can affect,
00:18:12.02\00:18:15.89
adversely affect my
relationship with God.
00:18:15.92\00:18:18.86
I mean, these are at
times unfathomable concepts.
00:18:18.89\00:18:23.77
That's right.
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.13
Now, Solomon, he
brings out this point
00:18:25.17\00:18:27.84
in a way that
is very interesting
00:18:27.87\00:18:29.74
in Proverbs the 30th Chapter.
00:18:29.77\00:18:31.57
He says right
here in the 7th verse.
00:18:31.61\00:18:33.17
This is Proverbs 30:7,
00:18:33.21\00:18:36.18
it says, "Two things
have I required of thee,
00:18:36.21\00:18:38.78
deny me them not before I die,
00:18:38.81\00:18:41.22
remove far from
me vanity and lies,
00:18:41.25\00:18:44.22
give me neither
poverty nor riches,
00:18:44.25\00:18:47.46
feed me with food
convenient for me,
00:18:47.49\00:18:52.16
lest I be full, and deny thee,
00:18:52.19\00:18:56.06
and say, Who is the Lord?"
00:18:56.10\00:19:00.00
Now, here go Solomon,
00:19:00.04\00:19:01.64
he is talking about things
that are being given to him.
00:19:01.67\00:19:04.97
He says, give me
neither poverty nor riches
00:19:05.01\00:19:07.41
and then he says feed me
with food convenient for me.
00:19:07.44\00:19:11.08
In other words, give
me a sufficient amount.
00:19:11.11\00:19:14.28
Don't let me over
indulge in appetite.
00:19:14.32\00:19:17.42
And he tells us what would
happen if he did in verse 9.
00:19:17.45\00:19:20.89
He said, "Lest I be full,
and then I would deny thee,
00:19:20.92\00:19:25.63
and say, Who is the Lord?"
00:19:25.66\00:19:27.80
And so we find that
according to the Bible
00:19:27.83\00:19:30.57
that it is possible
that if an individual
00:19:30.60\00:19:33.40
overindulges in appetite
that it can affect their mind
00:19:33.44\00:19:38.37
that they can actually deny God
00:19:38.41\00:19:41.11
and say, who is the Lord
and question His sovereignty.
00:19:41.14\00:19:44.68
And this is the reason why
00:19:44.71\00:19:46.72
God wants us to have
government over appetite.
00:19:46.75\00:19:50.59
And if we don't,
God's council ends.
00:19:50.62\00:19:53.89
It is a very serious thing.
00:19:53.92\00:19:56.36
It gives me no joy to
read a text like this,
00:19:56.39\00:19:57.99
but it's a very serious thing
00:19:58.03\00:19:59.39
because people today
are governed by appetite.
00:19:59.43\00:20:01.93
They're controlled by it
00:20:01.96\00:20:03.33
and God actually says
00:20:03.37\00:20:04.70
some very strong
language in the Bible
00:20:04.73\00:20:06.84
about when individuals
are controlled by appetite.
00:20:06.87\00:20:09.40
It's found in
Proverbs the 23rd Chapter
00:20:09.44\00:20:11.94
right there in the first verse.
00:20:11.97\00:20:14.21
It says in Proverbs 23:1
00:20:14.24\00:20:16.85
and we're also gonna
look at verse 2 and 3.
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.25
Look at what it says. Yeah.
00:20:19.28\00:20:21.55
"When thou sittest
to eat with a ruler,
00:20:21.58\00:20:24.95
consider diligently
what is before thee,
00:20:24.99\00:20:29.09
and put a knife to thy throat,
00:20:29.12\00:20:33.19
if thou be a man
given to appetite.
00:20:33.23\00:20:37.60
Be not desirous of his dainties,
00:20:37.63\00:20:41.14
for they are deceitful meat."
00:20:41.17\00:20:44.77
God gave us
appetites when He created us.
00:20:44.81\00:20:46.81
Yes.
00:20:46.84\00:20:48.18
But when God gave us appetites,
00:20:48.21\00:20:49.54
appetites were
supposed to be controlled.
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.58
And when an
appetite is not controlled
00:20:51.61\00:20:53.72
and it controls us
00:20:53.75\00:20:55.72
and if we allow it to control us
00:20:55.75\00:20:57.75
over and over and over again
to the point it consumes us,
00:20:57.79\00:21:00.39
God says, put a
knife to your throat
00:21:00.42\00:21:03.73
if you be a man given
or controlled by appetite.
00:21:03.76\00:21:07.50
This is how
serious God takes appetite.
00:21:07.53\00:21:08.86
Yeah.
00:21:08.90\00:21:10.23
And this is why we
are having this study
00:21:10.27\00:21:11.80
because this was
one of the attacks
00:21:11.83\00:21:14.90
of Nebuchadnezzar.
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.27
Indulge, go ahead
00:21:16.30\00:21:17.64
and have the best of
what's laid out on my table.
00:21:17.67\00:21:19.54
I can guarantee you
there was not a minimal amount,
00:21:19.57\00:21:21.24
there was a maximal amount.
00:21:21.28\00:21:22.94
And therefore,
have all the wine,
00:21:22.98\00:21:24.31
have all the
meat, have all the food
00:21:24.35\00:21:25.78
that you want to have.
00:21:25.81\00:21:27.15
Take as much as you want
00:21:27.18\00:21:28.52
but praise God
that Daniel said no,
00:21:28.55\00:21:30.85
self-control, temperance.
00:21:30.89\00:21:32.55
Daniel said no because
he knew that if I do this,
00:21:32.59\00:21:35.49
I know what it's gonna
do not only to my body,
00:21:35.52\00:21:38.16
this is not just
about livers and hearts
00:21:38.19\00:21:40.03
and organs of the body.
00:21:40.06\00:21:41.76
Daniel
understood what this is...
00:21:41.80\00:21:43.87
How this is gonna affect
his mind and his decisions
00:21:43.90\00:21:47.77
as it relates to
faithfulness to God.
00:21:47.80\00:21:49.60
That's right.
00:21:49.64\00:21:50.97
So we talked about
00:21:51.01\00:21:52.84
how big of an issue
is this appetite issue.
00:21:52.87\00:21:57.15
And I think there's one place
that we have to go in the Bible
00:21:57.18\00:21:59.55
that shows us the magnitude
of the appetite problem.
00:21:59.58\00:22:04.19
It's the very point on
which Adam and Eve fell
00:22:04.22\00:22:06.59
generally
speaking this appetite,
00:22:06.62\00:22:08.69
right, on the point of appetite.
00:22:08.72\00:22:10.43
So now we see
00:22:10.46\00:22:11.83
and we're gonna go
to Matthew Chapter 4,
00:22:11.86\00:22:14.10
we see that Jesus Himself.
00:22:14.13\00:22:17.67
Again, He is a man now,
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.23
a mature man of 30, early 30s,
00:22:19.27\00:22:22.40
at least
30-years-old and He is baptized.
00:22:22.44\00:22:26.01
He is anointed if you will
to begin His public ministry
00:22:26.04\00:22:28.34
by John the Baptist
in the River Jordon.
00:22:28.38\00:22:30.65
And almost immediately
00:22:30.68\00:22:32.21
after Jesus enters
this public ministry
00:22:32.25\00:22:35.12
which is very short,
00:22:35.15\00:22:36.95
you know, three and
half years basically.
00:22:36.99\00:22:39.29
But as almost immediately
00:22:39.32\00:22:40.82
after He enters this
public ministry officially
00:22:40.86\00:22:43.89
the Bible says that
the Holy Spirit leads Him
00:22:43.93\00:22:46.63
into the wilderness.
00:22:46.66\00:22:48.00
And I'm not gonna read
through all of Matthew 4,
00:22:48.03\00:22:50.37
but look at in Matthew Chapter 4
00:22:50.40\00:22:52.23
in the beginning
stages and understand that
00:22:52.27\00:22:54.70
it shows us that
Jesus was led by the spirit
00:22:54.74\00:22:57.07
into the wilderness
00:22:57.11\00:22:58.57
to be tempted of
the devil three times.
00:22:58.61\00:23:02.51
Now the devil we've identified
is Satan, fallen Lucifer,
00:23:02.54\00:23:06.21
that old serpent.
00:23:06.25\00:23:07.58
And now Jesus is led
by God to go His Father,
00:23:07.62\00:23:12.19
to go out into the
wilderness by Himself
00:23:12.22\00:23:15.19
and it says that
He fasted for 40 days.
00:23:15.22\00:23:18.93
So He is out in the wilderness,
00:23:18.96\00:23:20.40
meaning this is
like the desolate area,
00:23:20.43\00:23:21.76
the desert if you will.
00:23:21.80\00:23:23.20
There's nothing, even
animals rarely venture out
00:23:23.23\00:23:27.47
into the wilderness.
00:23:27.50\00:23:28.84
So He is there by
Himself and He fasts,
00:23:28.87\00:23:31.24
meaning He abstains from food,
00:23:31.27\00:23:34.24
food, physical
food for 40 days, okay.
00:23:34.28\00:23:39.01
At the end of this
fast, Satan comes to Him,
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.98
but Satan comes to Him
00:23:42.02\00:23:43.39
as an angel of
light if you will.
00:23:43.42\00:23:45.39
Jesus does not preserve yet
00:23:45.42\00:23:46.79
at least from what we
gather from the Bible story.
00:23:46.82\00:23:49.46
It is not yet
perceived that it is Satan.
00:23:49.49\00:23:51.79
So this angel appears at
the end of this fast period
00:23:51.83\00:23:55.76
and says, "Listen, if
you are the Son of God
00:23:55.80\00:24:00.54
why don't you turn
these stones into bread?"
00:24:00.57\00:24:03.87
And this is what we
read from Matthew 4:4
00:24:03.91\00:24:06.21
that Jesus answered and said,
00:24:06.24\00:24:08.14
"Man, It is written,
00:24:08.18\00:24:09.61
Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:24:09.64\00:24:11.25
but by every
word that proceedeth
00:24:11.28\00:24:12.61
out of the mouth of God."
00:24:12.65\00:24:13.98
The story goes on,
that's the first temptation.
00:24:14.02\00:24:16.05
The story goes on to
show how now Satan brings
00:24:16.08\00:24:19.42
Jesus up to the
pinnacle of the temple,
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.66
the highest point on the temple,
00:24:21.69\00:24:23.06
the Herod's temple if
you will and he says, hey,
00:24:23.09\00:24:26.06
the Bible also says,
remember Jesus answered
00:24:26.09\00:24:28.36
He says, It is written.
00:24:28.40\00:24:29.73
And He answered with a quote
from the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:24:29.76\00:24:31.60
And now Satan takes Him
with another challenge and says,
00:24:31.63\00:24:33.90
well...
00:24:33.94\00:24:35.27
Oh, the Bible also says that
God will protect His Messiah
00:24:35.30\00:24:38.87
if you will that He
won't allow Him to die.
00:24:38.91\00:24:42.51
He says, cast yourself down.
00:24:42.54\00:24:44.91
And, you know, we
can trust in the Word,
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.62
essentially again
I'm paraphrasing here.
00:24:47.65\00:24:50.92
So Jesus says
again, "It is written"
00:24:50.95\00:24:53.05
and so not test the Lord thy God
00:24:53.09\00:24:54.76
or put the Lord
thy God to the test
00:24:54.79\00:24:56.93
and He again passes through.
00:24:56.96\00:24:59.19
The third time now Lucifer
brings him to a high mountain
00:24:59.23\00:25:04.43
and shows Him,
00:25:04.47\00:25:05.83
I imagine in panoramic
view all of the kingdoms,
00:25:05.87\00:25:09.50
the great kingdoms of the earth
00:25:09.54\00:25:10.87
maybe present
and future who know,
00:25:10.91\00:25:14.61
but now he says,
00:25:14.64\00:25:17.48
all of these kingdoms
well, I give to you Jesus
00:25:17.51\00:25:20.05
if you bow down and
worship me at this time.
00:25:20.08\00:25:23.15
And Jesus now
automatically identifies.
00:25:23.18\00:25:25.22
Perhaps He had earlier
00:25:25.25\00:25:26.72
but He identifies
now that it's Satan.
00:25:26.76\00:25:28.26
He says, "Get
thee behind me, Satan.
00:25:28.29\00:25:30.06
But I shall
worship the Lord thy God,
00:25:30.09\00:25:31.63
and Him only shall I serve."
00:25:31.66\00:25:33.60
So we see now,
00:25:33.63\00:25:35.36
if we remember now
and remind ourselves
00:25:35.40\00:25:37.47
of those three categories
the lust of the flesh,
00:25:37.50\00:25:40.34
the lust of the eyes
and the pride of life
00:25:40.37\00:25:43.00
that's highlighted in 1 John 2
00:25:43.04\00:25:44.84
that's then shown and
revealed in Genesis 3:6
00:25:44.87\00:25:47.51
and the point in
which Adam and Eve fell.
00:25:47.54\00:25:49.81
We see those same
three categories highlighted
00:25:49.84\00:25:52.81
in this
temptation in the wilderness.
00:25:52.85\00:25:54.52
The lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes
00:25:54.55\00:25:57.92
and the pride of life
using, trying to use...
00:25:57.95\00:26:02.06
Jesus says, needs and desires,
00:26:02.09\00:26:05.59
His physical needs,
trying to penetrate through
00:26:05.63\00:26:07.86
His senses and entice Him
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.73
to violate His commitment
and the will of His Father.
00:26:09.76\00:26:15.74
Jesus had to
overcome this very point
00:26:15.77\00:26:19.34
in order to qualify
Himself for ministry
00:26:19.37\00:26:22.21
and to go forward
and finish the work
00:26:22.24\00:26:24.81
that His Father gave Him to do
00:26:24.85\00:26:26.18
eventually leading to the cross.
00:26:26.21\00:26:28.18
If appetite was not important,
00:26:28.22\00:26:31.15
then Jesus would not
have to had come to overcome
00:26:31.19\00:26:36.36
on these very points
where Adam and Eve fell
00:26:36.39\00:26:40.46
in order to carry out the work
that God had sent Him to do.
00:26:40.50\00:26:44.17
Salvation is
almost not a possibility,
00:26:44.20\00:26:47.47
If Jesus does not overcome
on this point of appetite
00:26:47.50\00:26:50.97
so that He can pass
through successfully
00:26:51.01\00:26:52.67
all of the various and
immense unimaginable temptations
00:26:52.71\00:26:57.31
that He
experiences in the future.
00:26:57.35\00:27:00.12
Yeah.
00:27:00.15\00:27:01.48
You know, this is
amazing because a lot of times
00:27:01.52\00:27:04.19
people do not connect
spirituality and diet.
00:27:04.22\00:27:08.59
A lot of times people feel
like I can eat what I want,
00:27:08.62\00:27:10.66
when I want, how I want
00:27:10.69\00:27:12.53
and this has nothing to
do with my walk with God
00:27:12.56\00:27:15.90
and whether I will
enter into the experiences
00:27:15.93\00:27:18.97
that God wants
me to have with Him
00:27:19.00\00:27:20.64
in His righteousness,
00:27:20.67\00:27:22.00
but here we're seeing
a very different picture
00:27:22.04\00:27:24.14
as we are carefully
going through the scriptures
00:27:24.17\00:27:26.07
and seeing the role
of appetite in the fall
00:27:26.11\00:27:29.54
and the role of appetite
even in ultimately being saved,
00:27:29.58\00:27:33.21
very powerful.
00:27:33.25\00:27:34.58
Dear friends, we know that
there is no food item on earth
00:27:34.62\00:27:36.89
that can save a man.
00:27:36.92\00:27:38.32
That is not our profession,
that is not our teaching,
00:27:38.35\00:27:40.96
but we do know that the
actions of an individual
00:27:40.99\00:27:43.83
testifies to the
experiences that they had,
00:27:43.86\00:27:46.33
and God wants us to
be people of self-control
00:27:46.36\00:27:48.60
even on the point of appetite.
00:27:48.63\00:27:50.97
We thank you so
much for joining us.
00:27:51.00\00:27:52.33
We're gonna go a lot
deeper into these things,
00:27:52.37\00:27:54.27
but until our next session
just remember Proverbs 2:6,
00:27:54.30\00:27:57.21
"The Lord gives us wisdom,
00:27:57.24\00:27:58.61
and out of His mouth comes
knowledge and understanding."
00:27:58.64\00:28:01.18
God bless you.
00:28:01.21\00:28:02.54