I invite you now to turn with
me in your Bibles to Matthew 11.
00:00:32.63\00:00:35.66
to Matthew chapter 11.
00:00:35.70\00:00:38.87
Matthew chapter 11, and we
want to consider verses 20-24.
00:00:38.90\00:01:01.02
We're expanding
it just a little bit.
00:01:01.06\00:01:07.50
Matthew 11:20-24.
Gracious Father be
00:01:07.53\00:01:15.17
pleased to speak this day.
00:01:15.20\00:01:17.34
Teach us those things
that You would have us to know.
00:01:17.37\00:01:20.88
Help us Lord to do them that
in so doing we may be children
00:01:20.91\00:01:27.02
of the Most High God.
00:01:27.05\00:01:29.28
And we thank You,
Father, in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:01:29.32\00:01:33.69
Matthew 11, I begin at verse 20.
00:01:33.72\00:02:50.27
The title of our message
is, Capernaum As Metaphor.
00:02:50.30\00:02:55.20
Capernaum As Metaphor.
00:02:55.24\00:02:58.84
Every now and
again my mind turns to...
00:03:02.64\00:03:05.68
And I was talking with
Pastor Lomacang just the other
00:03:05.71\00:03:09.08
day on this subject.
00:03:09.12\00:03:10.45
... the many
around us that are lost.
00:03:10.49\00:03:16.16
It seemed more evident
when I was in New York,
00:03:17.66\00:03:20.33
particularly on Sabbath morning.
00:03:20.36\00:03:22.36
We'd travel to church
and you'd see the thousands,
00:03:22.40\00:03:25.87
upon thousands,
upon thousands of people;
00:03:25.90\00:03:28.04
some coming in from
their Friday night binges,
00:03:28.07\00:03:31.17
others wandering aimlessly.
00:03:31.21\00:03:33.54
And I was moved to ask myself,
and ask the Lord, How are we
00:03:33.58\00:03:38.75
going to save
all of these people?
00:03:38.78\00:03:40.82
How are we going to get all
of these millions of people?
00:03:40.85\00:03:46.32
And you can repeat
that in any large city
00:03:46.35\00:03:49.16
anywhere on Planet Earth.
00:03:49.19\00:03:51.29
How are they going to know?
00:03:51.33\00:03:52.66
How are they going to learn?
00:03:52.69\00:03:54.03
And how are they
going to be saved?
00:03:54.06\00:03:56.36
And sometimes I wonder even
about the people here at 3ABN.
00:03:58.97\00:04:05.27
Because everybody
that works at 3ABN is not
00:04:05.31\00:04:09.14
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:04:09.18\00:04:10.51
And I wonder many times how,
or what the Lord is going to do
00:04:11.61\00:04:18.92
to insert Himself into
the lives of those who are
00:04:18.95\00:04:28.83
resistant to His moving's.
00:04:28.86\00:04:30.93
You see, because the truth is
if you are around the things of
00:04:30.97\00:04:36.14
God, and remain
unmoved by the call of God,
00:04:36.17\00:04:41.81
you have to resist that call.
00:04:41.84\00:04:44.75
If you're on camera in
the presence of a sermon,
00:04:44.78\00:04:50.35
or if you're in the control
room listening to a testimony,
00:04:50.39\00:04:57.89
to remain resistant to
that testimony you've got to,
00:04:57.93\00:05:04.07
in a sense, harden your heart.
00:05:04.10\00:05:06.50
Are you listening to me?
00:05:06.53\00:05:08.07
You've got to. Because there is
with the preaching of the word,
00:05:08.10\00:05:13.24
there is in the presence of the
word, a call of God through the
00:05:13.27\00:05:18.61
power of the Holy Spirit,
on everyone who is in the
00:05:18.65\00:05:21.82
presence of that word.
00:05:21.85\00:05:23.18
It's just part of the word.
00:05:23.22\00:05:25.99
And the power is not
in the human instrument.
00:05:26.02\00:05:28.62
It doesn't
matter who's preaching.
00:05:28.66\00:05:29.99
The power is in the word.
00:05:30.03\00:05:31.79
So if you're in the presence
of the word, then that power is
00:05:31.83\00:05:36.93
exercising its
self in your life.
00:05:36.97\00:05:39.67
It's trying to get in.
00:05:39.70\00:05:41.77
Now the only way to keep it
out is for you to bar the door.
00:05:41.80\00:05:46.91
Now you can bar the door
so subtly that you don't even
00:05:46.94\00:05:52.01
know you've got your
foot against the door.
00:05:52.05\00:05:54.22
But the Holy Spirit knows, and
sooner or later you will know.
00:05:54.25\00:05:58.45
So I worry about those
who spend time at 3ABN and yet
00:05:58.49\00:06:03.59
show no real interest in the
things of God, because they are
00:06:03.63\00:06:10.10
defecto hardening their hearts.
00:06:10.13\00:06:13.67
And Ellen White says every time
you say no it becomes easier
00:06:13.70\00:06:19.64
to say no the next time.
00:06:19.67\00:06:21.08
You may not even know that
you're resisting the power of
00:06:21.11\00:06:26.88
God, but in fact you are.
00:06:26.92\00:06:30.92
Now that's not the sermon.
00:06:30.95\00:06:34.52
That's just some preamble.
00:06:34.56\00:06:35.89
I needed to get that out,
because that's a burden that
00:06:35.92\00:06:37.63
I have at this point
in my life. So forgive me.
00:06:37.66\00:06:41.66
Let's define some terms.
00:06:41.70\00:06:45.03
First of metaphor.
00:06:45.07\00:06:46.70
A metaphor is a statement
or a word that really stands
00:06:46.74\00:06:52.54
for something else.
00:06:52.57\00:06:53.91
So you use this
word, but really you are
00:06:53.94\00:06:57.61
saying something else.
00:06:57.65\00:06:59.11
So Capernaum then is a
metaphor for something else
00:06:59.15\00:07:04.79
that I believe the
Lord is trying to show us.
00:07:04.82\00:07:08.86
This series of statements
that we just read in Matthew 11,
00:07:10.03\00:07:14.26
this invective is
recorded by Matthew and by Luke.
00:07:14.30\00:07:20.40
And you will find, interestingly
enough, a lot of the things that
00:07:20.44\00:07:24.81
are written in the book of
Matthew also find their way
00:07:24.84\00:07:27.08
into the book of Luke.
00:07:27.11\00:07:28.54
They parallel in
many, many instances.
00:07:28.58\00:07:31.51
We will see a
couple of them here today.
00:07:31.55\00:07:33.78
But in Matthew 11:21-24
that we read, we see Christ's
00:07:33.82\00:07:41.42
sentiments and feelings.
00:07:41.46\00:07:44.29
And they are strikingly
similar to the words that
00:07:44.33\00:07:48.46
are found in Luke 10.
00:07:48.50\00:07:51.43
So I'm going to ask you to turn
with me to Luke 10 very quickly.
00:07:51.47\00:07:54.34
Luke 10, and we will begin
reading I believe at about 13.
00:07:54.37\00:07:59.11
Turn over to Luke 10 if
you will, and we will see the
00:07:59.14\00:08:05.71
striking parallels between
Matthews words and Luke's words.
00:08:05.75\00:08:10.32
Then, of course,
they didn't confer.
00:08:10.35\00:08:11.89
They wrote in different
places at different times.
00:08:11.92\00:08:13.96
But their terminology
is strikingly similar.
00:08:13.99\00:08:18.73
Here we go, Luke chapter 10.
00:08:18.76\00:08:20.76
I'm picking it up at verse 13.
00:08:20.80\00:08:23.06
The term Bethsaida
means house of fish.
00:08:26.84\00:08:29.67
Beth, house of, saida, fish.
00:08:29.70\00:08:32.04
This is a little something Luke
adds that Matthew does not have.
00:08:55.40\00:08:58.73
These words uttered by
Jesus are among the strongest
00:09:12.05\00:09:18.75
denunciations against a
city and its people to be found
00:09:18.79\00:09:22.99
anywhere in the Bible.
00:09:23.02\00:09:24.79
Jesus here is comparing
Jewish towns to Gentile towns.
00:09:24.83\00:09:32.40
And His audience
fully recognized what
00:09:32.43\00:09:36.24
He was trying to say.
00:09:36.27\00:09:37.61
This was, to their
fine Jewish sensibilities,
00:09:37.64\00:09:41.71
a slap in the face.
00:09:41.74\00:09:43.58
You're comparing three Jewish
towns to two Gentile towns,
00:09:43.61\00:09:51.05
Tyre and Sidon, which were both
Phoenician pagan cities that had
00:09:51.09\00:09:57.89
a relationship going
back many years with Israel.
00:09:57.93\00:10:01.26
And so when Christ said to the
people, It's going to be better
00:10:01.30\00:10:07.24
for Tyre and Sidon than it will
be for you, they realized the
00:10:07.27\00:10:12.41
sting of those statements.
00:10:12.44\00:10:14.58
Because in the book of
Ezekiel, not once but twice,
00:10:14.61\00:10:18.08
Tyre and Sidon are used as a
metaphor for the Devil himself.
00:10:18.11\00:10:23.65
So Christ is saying
some strong things here.
00:10:23.69\00:10:26.59
Ezekiel 28:12, I'll give you
the reference, and Ezekiel 27:2.
00:10:26.62\00:10:32.49
Tyre and Sidon are used
as a metaphor for Lucifer.
00:10:32.53\00:10:36.90
Capernaum was invade against
by Christ for her impenitent
00:10:38.70\00:10:47.34
attitude and ingratitude,
unfaithfulness in the face of
00:10:47.38\00:10:56.28
great blessings
and goodness from God.
00:10:56.32\00:10:58.65
By the way, Ellen
White says this over and over
00:10:58.69\00:11:00.79
again, many, many times.
00:11:00.82\00:11:02.56
One of the things that's
going to keep some people...
00:11:02.59\00:11:04.93
If it doesn't keep you out of
the kingdom, it certainly will
00:11:04.96\00:11:08.40
keep you from enjoying the
greatest goodness that God has
00:11:08.43\00:11:11.30
to give is ingratitude.
00:11:11.33\00:11:14.07
Over and over again she
talks about ingratitude.
00:11:14.10\00:11:18.91
The things that God does
for you you ought to be grateful
00:11:18.94\00:11:24.65
for, and you ought to
audibilize that gratitude.
00:11:24.68\00:11:29.92
You ought to say you're grateful
for, not so much because God
00:11:29.95\00:11:35.29
doesn't know your heart,
you need to hear yourself say
00:11:35.32\00:11:38.49
you're grateful
for those things.
00:11:38.53\00:11:40.73
Because even when bad things
happen to us, every bad thing
00:11:40.76\00:11:47.14
that happens to you on this
side of the close of probation
00:11:47.17\00:11:53.78
is mingled with mercy. Amen!
00:11:53.81\00:11:58.48
So you break the car.
00:11:58.51\00:12:02.88
You don't break your neck. Amen!
00:12:02.92\00:12:09.32
So the house burns
down, but you're not in it.
00:12:09.36\00:12:16.33
So you lose job A, but
you get job B. Amen? Amen!
00:12:19.53\00:12:27.38
So there is no
guarantee that bad stuff
00:12:27.41\00:12:31.55
will not happen to you.
00:12:31.58\00:12:33.01
You understand that?
00:12:33.05\00:12:35.28
Christians get cancer,
and Christians get headaches,
00:12:35.32\00:12:38.22
and Christians get divorced,
and Christians get fired,
00:12:38.25\00:12:43.56
and bad stuff
happens to Christians.
00:12:43.59\00:12:46.96
The only difference between the
Christian and the non-Christian
00:12:47.00\00:12:52.23
is when the bad stuff happens
to you, you got Jesus. Amen!
00:12:52.27\00:12:58.91
You understand that?
00:12:58.94\00:13:00.38
So you got somebody to go
to, you got somewhere to go,
00:13:00.41\00:13:04.48
and you are not hopeless,
cause Christians die just
00:13:04.51\00:13:10.52
like non-Christians. Amen!
00:13:10.55\00:13:13.42
When the Bible says, If a
man dies, shall he live again?
00:13:13.46\00:13:16.46
It's a rhetorical question.
00:13:16.49\00:13:18.79
Oh, yeah. So stuff
is going to happen.
00:13:18.83\00:13:23.57
But you've got
somebody to go to.
00:13:23.60\00:13:26.13
You've got somebody's head...
00:13:26.17\00:13:28.20
Ah, you've got somebody's
bosom in which to lay your head,
00:13:28.24\00:13:32.17
and you're not alone. Amen!
00:13:32.21\00:13:36.75
So for those things you
ought to be grateful. Amen!
00:13:36.78\00:13:43.18
Hello walls! Amen!
00:13:43.22\00:13:47.92
Bad stuff is going to happen,
but you've got Jesus. Amen!
00:13:49.49\00:13:55.66
Amen? I said, Amen! Amen!
00:13:55.70\00:14:01.67
So Capernaum is, can I use
the term called out by Christ,
00:14:06.14\00:14:13.18
because of an impenitent
attitude, rank in gratitude,
00:14:13.21\00:14:20.06
unfaithfulness in
the face of the blessings
00:14:20.09\00:14:24.83
and goodness of the Lord.
00:14:24.86\00:14:26.96
The Bible says, and
Matthew makes it plain,
00:14:27.00\00:14:29.23
this is the region where Christ
did most of His mighty miracles.
00:14:29.26\00:14:34.34
A lot of good stuff
happened in Capernaum.
00:14:35.94\00:14:38.37
And then Matthew says it's
going to be better for Sodom
00:14:39.64\00:14:44.01
in the day of
judgment than Capernaum.
00:14:44.05\00:14:47.25
That's strong language.
00:14:47.28\00:14:48.62
I'm in the book,
Gospel Workers. page 462.
00:14:52.22\00:14:55.49
You can write it
down, Gospel Workers, 462.
00:14:55.52\00:14:57.79
Our Savior is more
deeply afflicted by ingratitude
00:14:57.83\00:15:03.73
and disobedience than is a
tender loving mother by the
00:15:03.77\00:15:08.34
misconduct of a wayward child.
00:15:08.37\00:15:10.64
Do you know anything
about wayward children?
00:15:10.67\00:15:14.08
You know how it hurts your
heart when you raise a child,
00:15:15.01\00:15:17.91
and put all you can into a
child, and that child literally
00:15:17.95\00:15:22.58
spits in your face?
00:15:22.62\00:15:23.95
Do you know how
it makes you feel?
00:15:23.99\00:15:25.32
I don't want your God.
00:15:25.85\00:15:27.19
I don't want your money.
00:15:27.22\00:15:28.56
I don't want your love.
00:15:28.59\00:15:29.92
I don't want your discipline.
00:15:29.96\00:15:31.29
I don't want
anything to do with you.
00:15:31.33\00:15:32.66
If you have a
wayward child, or a wayward
00:15:35.76\00:15:37.83
grand child, it's terrible.
00:15:37.87\00:15:42.17
You know, the first thing, the
first thing that happens when
00:15:44.27\00:15:48.58
you come to the Lord, and you
really bite down on religion,
00:15:48.61\00:15:53.55
the first thing that
happens is a desire to share
00:15:53.58\00:15:56.08
it with other people. Amen?
00:15:56.12\00:15:57.72
Particularly your family. Amen!
00:15:57.75\00:16:01.26
You know, when you really
understand how good God is,
00:16:01.29\00:16:05.09
and how God can help
you, and how God blesses you,
00:16:05.13\00:16:08.63
the first thing you
want to do is for everybody
00:16:08.66\00:16:11.07
else to pick that up.
00:16:11.10\00:16:12.47
And sometimes, and you've
got to be forgiven for this,
00:16:12.50\00:16:15.30
sometimes you can make
yourself a little bit of a pest.
00:16:15.34\00:16:17.44
But it's because you
want so badly for them
00:16:19.77\00:16:22.38
to have what you have. Amen!
00:16:22.41\00:16:25.11
So if you've got a child who
is knocking his head against the
00:16:25.15\00:16:29.45
sidewalk, you want that
child to know you don't have to
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.29
live that way anymore.
00:16:32.32\00:16:33.66
I know somebody who
can help you with that.
00:16:33.69\00:16:36.52
And to have a child reject
that, and reject... That hurts!
00:16:36.56\00:16:42.00
Or to have a parent reject
that, or a sister reject that,
00:16:43.16\00:16:47.44
or a brother reject that.
00:16:47.47\00:16:49.14
When I gave my heart to the
Lord the first person I went
00:16:49.17\00:16:53.91
and dealt with was my sister.
00:16:53.94\00:16:55.38
And then the next
person was my mother.
00:16:55.41\00:16:57.98
And I determined... I told
the pastor, I want to come home
00:16:58.01\00:17:01.25
to my home church
and do a week of prayer.
00:17:01.28\00:17:03.55
And I actually told Him, Lord
this week my mother is leaving
00:17:03.59\00:17:07.59
the African Methodist
Episcopal Church and becoming
00:17:07.62\00:17:10.43
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:17:10.46\00:17:11.79
I claimed her for Jesus.
00:17:11.83\00:17:13.16
I preached
Monday, made an appeal.
00:17:13.19\00:17:14.53
She sat there. I preached
Tuesday; made an appeal.
00:17:14.56\00:17:16.30
She sat there. I preached
Wednesday; made an appeal.
00:17:16.33\00:17:18.20
She sat there. I preached
Thursday; made an appeal.
00:17:18.23\00:17:19.73
She sat there. Friday night
I said, Lord this is the night.
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.74
I preached fifteen minutes
and I appealed for forty.
00:17:22.77\00:17:27.64
I said, That woman is getting
out of that seat tonight!
00:17:30.95\00:17:34.95
So I did
everything Ellen White says.
00:17:37.59\00:17:39.35
I took her to the cross.
00:17:39.39\00:17:40.72
I held her over
the flames of hell.
00:17:40.76\00:17:44.03
I talked about
the love of Jesus.
00:17:44.06\00:17:46.86
I talked about going to heaven
and being left here by herself.
00:17:46.90\00:17:49.86
I did everything
I could; I preached.
00:17:49.90\00:17:52.20
And she's rocking and crying.
00:17:52.23\00:17:53.57
Sitting in the bench rocking
and crying, rocking and crying,
00:17:53.60\00:17:56.57
rocking and
crying, rocking and crying.
00:17:56.60\00:17:58.57
And after forty solid
minutes of appeal up she stood,
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.91
joined the Seventh-day Adventist
church, and was the happiest
00:18:04.91\00:18:09.08
person on the planet
till the day she died.
00:18:09.12\00:18:12.42
Loved being a
Seventh-day Adventist!
00:18:12.45\00:18:14.92
Loved it! So when you come
to the Lord the first thing you
00:18:16.02\00:18:20.66
want to do is bring others
who need to come to the Lord.
00:18:20.70\00:18:23.53
That's, that's part
of having that burning,
00:18:23.57\00:18:25.20
that fire shut up in your bone.
00:18:25.23\00:18:27.30
And when your child, or
your parent, or your brother,
00:18:27.34\00:18:30.91
or your sister
rejects that it hurts!
00:18:30.94\00:18:34.18
But it doesn't hurt as bad
as it does when we reject Jesus.
00:18:36.11\00:18:40.52
And Ellen White says
Christ is wounded deeply
00:18:40.55\00:18:45.69
when people reject Him, when
they turn their backs on Him,
00:18:48.59\00:18:53.90
when they don't
serve Him, when they are
00:18:53.93\00:18:57.53
ungrateful and disobedient.
00:18:57.57\00:19:01.24
I'm in the book,
Messages to Young People.
00:19:03.91\00:19:05.74
Messages to
Young People, page 365.
00:19:07.41\00:19:10.51
Here's a term that
I never thought I'd
00:19:10.55\00:19:12.18
hear Ellen White use.
00:19:12.21\00:19:13.55
She uses the term
stupid ingratitude.
00:19:13.58\00:19:17.85
That's why I give
you the reference.
00:19:17.89\00:19:19.65
Messages to Young People, 365.
00:19:19.69\00:19:22.32
She says, We worship the
blessings and beauty of the
00:19:22.36\00:19:28.36
Lord and forget about
the God who gave them.
00:19:28.40\00:19:33.07
She says that is
stupid ingratitude.
00:19:35.14\00:19:40.44
She's saying, don't get hung up
on the good things of the Lord.
00:19:40.48\00:19:43.81
Don't get hung up on the
cookies and milk, or the gifts.
00:19:43.85\00:19:47.05
Keep your focus on
the God who gives you all
00:19:47.08\00:19:50.79
of those good things.
00:19:50.82\00:19:52.15
Don't get dissuaded or
distracted by the blessing.
00:19:52.19\00:19:57.39
Focus on the God
who gives the blessing.
00:19:57.43\00:20:01.96
Does that make sense?
00:20:02.00\00:20:03.33
She says, when you get
hung up on the blessing
00:20:03.37\00:20:05.40
that's stupid ingratitude.
00:20:05.43\00:20:08.90
5th Volume of the Testimonies,
5th Volume of the Testimonies,
00:20:12.41\00:20:16.04
page 5. The great sin of
the Jews was that of neglecting
00:20:16.08\00:20:24.09
and rejecting
present opportunities...
00:20:24.12\00:20:27.26
We're going to come back
to that in just a little bit.
00:20:27.29\00:20:29.02
... Present opportunities
as Jesus views the state of His
00:20:29.06\00:20:34.13
professed
followers today He sees...
00:20:34.16\00:20:38.80
Here's the list: base
ingratitude at the very top.
00:20:38.83\00:20:42.97
Hollow formalism. That's
having the air of righteousness,
00:20:43.00\00:20:47.74
but not your
share of righteousness.
00:20:47.78\00:20:49.48
Hypocritical
insincerity, Pharisaical pride,
00:20:49.51\00:20:55.22
and latent apostasy.
00:20:55.25\00:20:59.85
And she says to those,
heaven is lost to them.
00:20:59.89\00:21:05.36
So then Capernaum was a
city that Jesus often visited.
00:21:05.39\00:21:14.54
It became His base of
operations in Galilee.
00:21:14.57\00:21:20.88
Matthew even calls it His
own city, His chosen city.
00:21:20.91\00:21:24.68
I visited Capernaum on
at least five occasions,
00:21:24.71\00:21:28.68
and it is a popular
tourist city to this very day.
00:21:28.72\00:21:35.89
The name means
Nahum's village in Hebrew,
00:21:35.92\00:21:40.13
but it is not connected
with the Prophet Nahum.
00:21:40.16\00:21:42.33
The town was about
1,500 to 2,000 people.
00:21:42.36\00:21:46.47
How big is West Frankfort?
00:21:46.50\00:21:48.67
7,000? Okay, it's much bigger.
00:21:48.70\00:21:52.07
Well, Capernaum with
about 1,500 to 2,000.
00:21:52.11\00:21:54.81
It is mentioned
in all four gospels.
00:21:54.84\00:21:58.55
The citify sits on the
north western shores of
00:21:58.58\00:22:02.88
the Sea of Galilee.
00:22:02.92\00:22:04.29
It is noted for
having two synagogues.
00:22:04.32\00:22:09.42
The second near
the house of Peter.
00:22:09.46\00:22:14.00
You remember Shelley, you go
there, you've got a synagogue
00:22:14.03\00:22:16.16
here, and just from here to the
school is the house of Peter;
00:22:16.20\00:22:18.77
right close to the synagogue.
00:22:18.80\00:22:21.34
It's a beautiful city.
00:22:21.37\00:22:23.81
It sits right on
the Sea of Galilee.
00:22:23.84\00:22:26.64
Now the Sea of Galilee
is not, they call it a sea.
00:22:26.68\00:22:28.98
It is not really a city.
00:22:29.01\00:22:30.35
A sea, the
Mediterranean is a sea.
00:22:30.38\00:22:32.38
The Sea of Galilee is a decent
sized lake about 13 miles long,
00:22:32.41\00:22:38.59
about 8 miles across.
00:22:38.62\00:22:40.36
There's no place on the
Sea of Galilee where you cannot
00:22:40.39\00:22:43.12
see the other shore.
00:22:43.16\00:22:44.49
So it's not really a sea,
it's just a decent sized lake:
00:22:44.53\00:22:48.13
depth about 25 feet deep,
but teaming with fish about the
00:22:48.16\00:22:53.44
size of Washington, D.C.
00:22:53.47\00:22:55.97
The city also lies on or
near the plain of Genesaret,
00:22:59.87\00:23:04.81
or Genesaret depending on
how you want to pronounce that.
00:23:04.85\00:23:07.85
Ellen White says in the days
of Christ the climate was nice.
00:23:07.88\00:23:10.72
It was tempered
by the sea itself.
00:23:10.75\00:23:13.02
In the time of Christ
it flourished with palm
00:23:13.05\00:23:15.39
trees and olive trees.
00:23:15.42\00:23:18.26
And if you go there today, one
of the interesting things about
00:23:18.29\00:23:20.76
Capernaum is the stones that
they use for crushing the olives
00:23:20.80\00:23:24.33
are still lying around.
00:23:24.37\00:23:25.70
You can really see how olive
oil was made in the first cold
00:23:25.73\00:23:30.44
pressing, and all
that kind of stuff.
00:23:30.47\00:23:31.84
All of those stones are lying
around, and you really get a
00:23:31.87\00:23:33.88
beautiful idea it was a
fishing capital but it's also a
00:23:33.91\00:23:37.88
capital of olive
oil, orchards, vineyards,
00:23:37.91\00:23:40.12
orchards, vineyards,
fields, beautiful flowers.
00:23:42.78\00:23:46.42
Ellen White says in the
days of Christ water gushed
00:23:46.45\00:23:49.46
from the mountainsides.
00:23:49.49\00:23:50.86
It came right out of
the rocks of the mountain.
00:23:50.89\00:23:52.96
So it was
obviously a beautiful place.
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.60
Capernaum would have
reminded you of a resort town.
00:23:55.63\00:24:00.17
You had the lake on one side,
the hills and mountains on the
00:24:00.20\00:24:04.21
other, and then off in the
distance up north you've got
00:24:04.24\00:24:06.41
Mount Hermon, the
headwaters of the Jordan River.
00:24:06.44\00:24:09.81
Now when you look at
the topography of Galilee,
00:24:09.84\00:24:14.65
the Jordan
River starts up north.
00:24:14.68\00:24:18.02
Mount Hermon goes underground,
comes out of the ground
00:24:18.05\00:24:21.66
at Caesarea Philippi.
00:24:21.69\00:24:24.36
There's a spring there.
00:24:24.39\00:24:25.73
There used to be a temple there.
00:24:25.76\00:24:27.10
It comes down and then the
Sea of Galilee is a big bulge
00:24:27.13\00:24:31.03
in the Jordan River.
00:24:31.07\00:24:32.40
It's just this big bulge.
00:24:32.43\00:24:34.24
Then at the bottom of the
Sea of Galilee the Jordan River
00:24:34.27\00:24:36.60
continues south all the
way down to the Dead Sea.
00:24:36.64\00:24:39.24
So you're up north in Galilee.
00:24:39.27\00:24:41.64
Many times you'll
hear the Bible talk about
00:24:41.68\00:24:43.61
going up to Jerusalem.
00:24:43.65\00:24:45.21
Jerusalem is
actually south of Galilee,
00:24:45.25\00:24:47.88
but its elevation is higher.
00:24:47.92\00:24:50.19
So it can be cold
and snowing in Jerusalem,
00:24:50.22\00:24:53.02
and you've got on a winter coat.
00:24:53.05\00:24:54.79
By the time you get down to the
Dead Sea you're stripped down,
00:24:54.82\00:24:58.23
because it's
blistering hot down there.
00:24:58.26\00:24:59.79
It's just that Jerusalem
is so much higher in elevation
00:24:59.83\00:25:03.67
than the surrounding towns.
00:25:03.70\00:25:05.07
So it is north; Galilee is north
of Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is
00:25:05.10\00:25:09.67
higher in elevation.
00:25:09.70\00:25:11.24
Ellen White talks about the
fishing boats bobbing in the
00:25:11.27\00:25:14.51
water, and she says, Everywhere
there was this stir of activity.
00:25:14.54\00:25:18.48
It was a busy little town.
00:25:18.51\00:25:20.15
A town where they fished
and a very, very important town
00:25:20.18\00:25:24.45
because of where it was.
00:25:24.49\00:25:26.39
Now we're talking
about Capernaum as metaphor.
00:25:26.42\00:25:29.56
As such, it was the perfect
place to be the headquarters
00:25:29.59\00:25:35.86
for the Savior's work.
00:25:35.90\00:25:37.23
Because not of its size,
but because of its strategic
00:25:37.27\00:25:45.07
location, as well as its beauty
and commodious atmosphere.
00:25:45.11\00:25:50.28
Now stick with me. We're told
that it was on the highway from
00:25:50.31\00:25:55.45
Damascus to Jerusalem, and
on the highway from Damascus
00:25:55.48\00:26:01.32
to Egypt, and on the
highway from Jerusalem
00:26:01.36\00:26:05.69
to the Mediterranean.
00:26:05.73\00:26:07.13
So because of where it was,
it was the perfect place to be
00:26:07.16\00:26:14.17
the headquarters for
the ministry of Jesus.
00:26:14.20\00:26:17.77
It was on a great thorofare.
00:26:17.81\00:26:20.81
People from many walks of life,
and many countries lived there
00:26:20.84\00:26:26.85
stopped there, shopped there,
rested there, worked there,
00:26:26.88\00:26:33.56
traded there, vacationed there,
worshipped there, fished there,
00:26:33.59\00:26:40.73
sold fish there, or
simply passed through Capernaum
00:26:40.76\00:26:45.90
on their way to someplace else.
00:26:45.93\00:26:48.54
So the importance of
Capernaum was not its size,
00:26:48.57\00:26:53.58
it was its mission.
00:26:53.61\00:26:56.31
It was a center of
commerce, and as such it
00:26:56.34\00:27:02.72
was a center of news.
00:27:02.75\00:27:04.15
That's how news traveled then.
00:27:04.19\00:27:05.69
People would come in and talk,
and tell stories, and then pass
00:27:05.72\00:27:09.12
on and take those
stories other places.
00:27:09.16\00:27:11.19
So whatever happened in
Capernaum was carried to other
00:27:11.23\00:27:14.53
cities, other countries,
other towns, other households,
00:27:14.56\00:27:18.23
other villages, by the
travelers and merchants who
00:27:18.27\00:27:22.30
passed through Capernaum.
00:27:22.34\00:27:24.21
So even though Capernaum was
not a huge city population wise,
00:27:24.24\00:27:30.61
it was an important city because
of what it was, where it was,
00:27:30.65\00:27:36.65
and what happened there.
00:27:36.69\00:27:38.42
Not unlike when I was
thinking of Capernaum,
00:27:38.45\00:27:41.12
I was thinking of Thompsonville.
00:27:41.16\00:27:42.52
It ain't a big town.
00:27:42.56\00:27:44.69
And the truth is,
if 3ABN was not here
00:27:44.73\00:27:50.97
I probably wouldn't be here.
00:27:51.00\00:27:52.53
Now how many are
here because of 3ABN?
00:27:54.77\00:27:57.07
Raise your hand. Uh huh, yeah.
00:27:57.11\00:28:02.08
I'm a New Yorker. Well,
I used to be a New Yorker.
00:28:02.11\00:28:04.38
I really can't
take New York anymore.
00:28:04.41\00:28:05.88
But I'm here
because 3ABN is here.
00:28:05.91\00:28:10.39
And a whole lot of other people
are here because 3ABN is here.
00:28:10.42\00:28:14.66
So 3ABN, or Thompsonville is
important not because of what it
00:28:14.69\00:28:23.37
is inheritantly, but because
something big is going on here.
00:28:23.40\00:28:27.67
Does that make sense? Amen!
00:28:27.70\00:28:29.77
Well, that's what Capernaum was.
00:28:29.80\00:28:31.27
Capernaum was a big-time town
although it didn't have big-time
00:28:31.31\00:28:36.75
population, or big-time numbers,
because Christ chose to make
00:28:36.78\00:28:41.85
that His
headquarters for ministry. Amen?
00:28:41.88\00:28:44.65
And it was what went through
Capernaum, what went out of
00:28:44.69\00:28:48.46
Capernaum that made Capernaum
important, and the work that
00:28:48.49\00:28:55.70
Christ had
given Capernaum to do.
00:28:55.73\00:28:59.10
So Capernaum then stands as a
metaphor for every humble soul
00:28:59.13\00:29:05.41
who uses his or her
God given gifts to advance
00:29:05.44\00:29:10.38
the work of God. Amen?
00:29:10.41\00:29:12.85
In Volume 9 of the
Testimonies, page 255,
00:29:12.88\00:29:16.72
Ellen White states this: It
is God's design that His gifts
00:29:16.75\00:29:22.72
may flow through human channels.
00:29:22.76\00:29:26.39
God's gifts to humans flow
through humans to other humans.
00:29:30.03\00:29:37.11
That's God's design.
00:29:37.14\00:29:39.01
God could give directly
to those He wanted to bless.
00:29:39.04\00:29:44.01
But God has made it so that His
gifts come to humans, to flow
00:29:44.05\00:29:51.19
through humans, so that
other humans can be blessed.
00:29:51.22\00:29:54.52
And in blessing them
you yourself are blessed.
00:29:54.56\00:29:58.76
Counsels on Stewardship, page
71, God requires no less of us
00:29:58.79\00:30:05.60
than He required of
His people anciently.
00:30:05.63\00:30:08.44
His gifts... Now
she's talking about money,
00:30:08.47\00:30:11.07
but don't limit this to money.
00:30:11.11\00:30:13.11
She's talking about those
talents that you have. Amen?
00:30:13.14\00:30:16.34
God's gifts to us are no
less than they were anciently.
00:30:16.38\00:30:22.78
In fact, they are greater to us
than they were to Israel of old.
00:30:22.82\00:30:27.66
Let me explain. God is
pleased to give us more.
00:30:27.69\00:30:34.43
Amen! Amen! I said Amen. Amen!
00:30:35.63\00:30:41.97
You're scaring me
there a little bit.
00:30:42.00\00:30:43.87
If you think you
don't have anything,
00:30:43.91\00:30:48.08
get on a plane and go to India.
00:30:48.11\00:30:52.45
You don't have to go that far.
00:30:55.15\00:30:56.79
Get on a plane and go
to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
00:30:56.82\00:31:01.26
Get on a plane and go
to Granada, Nicaragua.
00:31:03.99\00:31:08.16
Go to El Salvador.
00:31:08.20\00:31:10.43
Go to Mexico. Go to Tijuana.
00:31:10.47\00:31:15.20
God has given us more.
00:31:17.71\00:31:20.64
He's not given you
more so you can have more.
00:31:22.68\00:31:27.35
He's given you
more so you can do more.
00:31:28.92\00:31:32.75
Amen, or ouch! Amen!
00:31:32.79\00:31:38.93
He's given you more so
that you have more to do with.
00:31:38.96\00:31:43.87
We've got more. Now,
I'm not saying you've got
00:31:43.90\00:31:47.74
everything you want.
00:31:47.77\00:31:49.10
Most people don't.
I'd like a little more.
00:31:49.14\00:31:51.51
Amen! But the
truth is I've got more.
00:31:55.34\00:31:59.08
I wonder why John,
Pastor Lomacang says, Amen.
00:32:02.88\00:32:05.55
Sometimes you folks
scare people up here.
00:32:05.59\00:32:07.66
Amen! Amen! Anybody here
who doesn't have anything?
00:32:07.69\00:32:13.63
You've got more. Amen! Amen.
00:32:14.70\00:32:19.37
So God has given us more.
00:32:19.40\00:32:21.54
Now stay with me. Stay with me.
00:32:21.57\00:32:23.10
He's given us more
means, more ways, more media.
00:32:23.14\00:32:31.38
Here it comes
again, more opportunities.
00:32:31.41\00:32:35.08
And His service requires,
and ever will require more.
00:32:35.12\00:32:44.03
Did you hear that
list of projects that
00:32:44.06\00:32:48.83
Dee Casper read this morning?
00:32:48.86\00:32:50.77
You've got young people
going to school; need help.
00:32:50.80\00:32:54.24
You've got young people going
on mission trips; need help.
00:32:56.20\00:32:59.17
You've got young people who want
to better themselves; need help.
00:32:59.21\00:33:03.68
Amen! So if your ear is
mistuned, you came away from
00:33:03.71\00:33:11.89
that... Every time I
come to church they're
00:33:11.92\00:33:14.36
asking for my money.
00:33:14.39\00:33:15.72
Or you heard, you know, I got
a little chance to do a little
00:33:19.69\00:33:25.07
something to
help somebody's child.
00:33:25.10\00:33:27.00
And the Bible doesn't say
you have to bankrupt yourself.
00:33:30.24\00:33:33.48
Amen. Just do a little more.
00:33:33.51\00:33:37.61
And the calls for sacrifice are
not going to be less as we get
00:33:42.18\00:33:50.49
closer to the end of
this earth's history.
00:33:50.53\00:33:52.83
They are going to be more.
00:33:52.86\00:33:57.23
They are going to be more. Amen.
00:33:58.53\00:34:01.17
You know, I think the worst
thing in the world is to die
00:34:01.20\00:34:03.94
and leave a fortune for
your kids to fight over.
00:34:03.97\00:34:06.37
Ah, bless her heart, Mae Chung,
she said, I'm not leaving no
00:34:08.58\00:34:11.85
fortune for my
kids to fight over.
00:34:11.88\00:34:13.85
Everybody's a doctor.
00:34:13.88\00:34:15.92
They've got plenty of money.
00:34:15.95\00:34:17.29
I'm giving it to Jesus.
00:34:17.32\00:34:18.65
Nothing wrong with that.
00:34:20.26\00:34:21.59
So the calls are
going to be more because
00:34:21.62\00:34:25.69
God has given us more.
00:34:25.73\00:34:27.66
His service requires more.
00:34:27.70\00:34:30.23
We've got to be
prepared to give more.
00:34:30.27\00:34:32.57
And we're not just
talking about more money.
00:34:32.60\00:34:34.27
Don't limit it to money.
00:34:34.30\00:34:35.64
God's talking
about more of you. Amen!
00:34:35.67\00:34:40.94
More of your heart, more of
your time, more of your love,
00:34:40.98\00:34:46.31
more prayer, more
praise, more of your sacrifice.
00:34:46.35\00:34:54.32
Now, I'm going to walk
through some stuff real quick.
00:34:54.36\00:34:57.16
And I need to preamble this
by saying, What I'm going to say
00:34:57.19\00:35:02.06
is not any attempt to deify,
or lionize myself or Irma.
00:35:02.10\00:35:07.24
But Danny always says,
Your best testimony is your own
00:35:07.27\00:35:11.11
personal testimony.
00:35:11.14\00:35:12.47
So I'm going to give you ours,
and do with it what you will.
00:35:12.51\00:35:14.78
When we got here at
3ABN I took a pay cut.
00:35:19.41\00:35:25.05
Now that's not unusual
because most people came here
00:35:25.09\00:35:26.99
and took a pay cut,
so Hallelujah, Amen!
00:35:27.02\00:35:30.23
But I decided, and Irma agreed
with me, that we would give
00:35:30.26\00:35:33.66
a little of our money
back to 3ABN every month.
00:35:33.70\00:35:38.27
Now this has nothing to
do with Blessings on the Go.
00:35:38.30\00:35:41.17
This was previous
to Blessings on the Go.
00:35:41.20\00:35:42.87
We've always done this.
00:35:42.90\00:35:44.24
So we get the little receipt...
00:35:44.27\00:35:45.61
I grabbed one here.
00:35:45.64\00:35:47.64
...from 3ABN. It
says that you, you know,
00:35:47.68\00:35:51.01
you give a little
something every month.
00:35:51.05\00:35:52.38
I put my finger over the amount
here so you can't see that.
00:35:52.41\00:35:54.28
Ah, we give a
little every month.
00:35:54.32\00:35:55.82
Now what we do... This
has nothing to do with 3ABN.
00:35:55.85\00:36:00.46
We give it to 3ABN, but it
has nothing to do with 3ABN.
00:36:00.49\00:36:04.56
This is a covenant
that we made with God.
00:36:04.59\00:36:07.80
So it's us and God;
nothing to do with 3ABN.
00:36:07.83\00:36:11.33
This says, this little bit that
Irma and I give, both of our
00:36:11.37\00:36:16.24
names are on it, says,
We don't make enough money,
00:36:16.27\00:36:21.01
but somehow we
have enough money.
00:36:21.04\00:36:24.01
Do I need to unwrap that,
or do you understand that?
00:36:25.98\00:36:27.85
Are you getting that?
00:36:27.88\00:36:29.22
I'd like to make more. Amen!
00:36:29.25\00:36:34.82
So I don't make enough,
but I have enough. Amen!
00:36:36.93\00:36:44.27
And so some
months we have to triage.
00:36:44.30\00:36:48.64
This bill will get paid.
00:36:48.67\00:36:51.51
You gotta wait.
Cause I don't make enough.
00:36:51.54\00:36:59.18
But I have enough.
00:36:59.21\00:37:01.38
Nobody's starving. Amen.
00:37:01.42\00:37:05.09
Nobody going to jail.
00:37:05.12\00:37:06.82
I said, Amen. Amen!
00:37:09.19\00:37:10.83
We eat okay. We've got to
dance with the bills every now
00:37:10.86\00:37:16.03
and again, but that's alright.
00:37:16.06\00:37:17.40
Helps your faith. And
I'll tell you something else.
00:37:17.43\00:37:22.97
A few years ago I wanted
to open up a savings account
00:37:23.00\00:37:26.37
at SIU Credit Union.
00:37:26.41\00:37:29.78
So I told Dave Carson,
Take X amount of dollars out
00:37:29.81\00:37:34.02
and put it in the account.
00:37:34.05\00:37:35.92
Somehow he took X
amount of dollars out
00:37:35.95\00:37:40.42
and put it back into 3ABN.
00:37:40.46\00:37:42.22
And I didn't recognized
that for about eight months.
00:37:44.43\00:37:46.53
So when I went to SIU
to ask them what my balance
00:37:46.56\00:37:49.53
was they said zero.
00:37:49.56\00:37:52.93
What? So I went to Dave and
at the same time somehow Brian
00:37:56.57\00:38:03.14
realized the mistake.
00:38:03.18\00:38:04.51
So as I'm coming down the
hall, Brian's coming towards me.
00:38:04.55\00:38:06.61
He said, C. A.
we have your money.
00:38:06.65\00:38:09.42
I said, I know! And then
I heard myself say, Keep it.
00:38:09.45\00:38:19.39
Shelley. I heard
myself, J. D., say, Keep it.
00:38:21.20\00:38:25.03
And as the words left my
mouth, my other self said,
00:38:27.00\00:38:31.81
Are you crazy?
You need that money!
00:38:31.84\00:38:39.38
But I said, Keep it.
00:38:39.41\00:38:42.28
And then later that year
we went to a camp meeting in
00:38:44.85\00:38:51.13
Lawson Creek, was that
Oregon or California, Boo?
00:38:51.16\00:38:56.87
Oregon? California?
00:38:56.90\00:39:00.70
A town about as big as
the inside of this church.
00:39:02.84\00:39:04.84
And someone came to me
after the sermon and said,
00:39:07.44\00:39:09.94
The Lord impressed me to
give you a little something.
00:39:09.98\00:39:12.01
It wasn't the exact same
amount, but it was close enough
00:39:12.05\00:39:16.69
that I know it came from God.
00:39:16.72\00:39:18.35
Now I don't guarantee,
could not, would not guarantee
00:39:18.39\00:39:23.93
that every time you do
something good for the Lord
00:39:23.96\00:39:25.86
the Lord's going to
give you something back.
00:39:25.89\00:39:27.60
That's not why you do good.
00:39:27.63\00:39:29.26
You do good because
good is what good people do,
00:39:29.30\00:39:32.60
whether you get it back or not.
00:39:32.63\00:39:35.60
And if you don't get it
back now, you're going to get
00:39:35.64\00:39:38.97
it back one day. Amen. Amen!
00:39:39.01\00:39:42.38
So give it to the Lord.
00:39:42.41\00:39:44.61
Now, forgive me.
That's not sermon,
00:39:44.65\00:39:47.52
that's a little
rabbit trail I went down.
00:39:47.55\00:39:49.38
That's
ecclesiological obiter dictum.
00:39:49.42\00:39:51.09
I took five minutes of
your time and I apologize.
00:39:51.15\00:39:52.99
But I do need to say this.
00:39:57.43\00:39:58.76
The most miserable
person in the world...
00:40:00.80\00:40:03.13
Well, let me back it
up and say it this way.
00:40:06.37\00:40:08.10
My wife has dual citizenship.
00:40:08.14\00:40:12.34
She is a Panamanian citizen
and she is an American citizen.
00:40:12.37\00:40:19.28
And it's funny because
when she goes to Panama...
00:40:19.31\00:40:22.88
In fact she went
back this last time.
00:40:22.92\00:40:24.25
She went to the doctor and, of
course she switched to Spanish.
00:40:24.29\00:40:28.76
The doctor said,
You're not from here are you?
00:40:28.79\00:40:32.53
And when she
comes here people say,
00:40:32.56\00:40:36.63
You're not from here are you?
00:40:36.67\00:40:38.90
So she speaks her
English with a Spanish accent,
00:40:40.44\00:40:42.97
and her Spanish
with an English accent.
00:40:43.00\00:40:45.94
And she's content. But if
you try to hold dual citizenship
00:40:50.05\00:40:57.02
in the kingdom of light,
and the kingdom of darkness,
00:40:57.05\00:41:02.86
you will be a miserable
individual. Amen! Amen.
00:41:02.89\00:41:10.03
You can't be happy in
Jesus unless you give Him all.
00:41:10.07\00:41:17.21
It's miserable trying to
serve Lord with half your heart.
00:41:18.54\00:41:24.58
Anybody know what
I'm talking about? Amen!
00:41:24.61\00:41:27.38
Sabbath you're sitting there
waiting for the sun to go down
00:41:27.42\00:41:33.99
so you can do your thing.
00:41:34.02\00:41:36.29
Gotta go in my pocket
and give them my money.
00:41:40.10\00:41:42.53
Pastor begging me to
come to prayer meeting
00:41:43.50\00:41:45.40
on Wednesday night.
00:41:45.43\00:41:46.87
Gotta stay in church.
00:41:46.90\00:41:48.30
Gotta cook food for potluck.
00:41:48.34\00:41:49.67
You know, trying to
serve the Lord is miserable
00:41:49.70\00:41:52.14
if you're not all
in. You know that?
00:41:52.17\00:41:55.34
The only happy Christian is a
thoroughly committed Christian.
00:41:55.38\00:42:02.78
If you're half
stepping you are miserable.
00:42:02.85\00:42:08.26
You're going to become
apathetic, and sooner or later
00:42:08.29\00:42:11.89
you will filter your way out.
00:42:11.93\00:42:14.36
Because you can't stay
in Christ with half a heart.
00:42:14.40\00:42:20.30
James says, what
was it? James 1:8.
00:42:20.34\00:42:25.97
A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways.
00:42:26.01\00:42:28.51
This thing doesn't make
you happy unless you're all in.
00:42:28.54\00:42:33.92
If you're half in you're
half baked, and pretty soon
00:42:33.95\00:42:39.25
you'll find your way out.
00:42:39.32\00:42:40.96
And if you stay physically,
you will leave mentally. Amen?
00:42:40.99\00:42:45.93
You've got to
give it all to Him.
00:42:45.99\00:42:48.63
And any less does you no good.
00:42:48.66\00:42:51.27
It surely does not... Does
the kingdom of God no good.
00:42:51.30\00:42:54.34
Now, you may be thinking that
I'm going to say, So you might
00:42:54.37\00:42:59.44
as well just stay home.
00:42:59.47\00:43:00.88
I ain't going to say that.
00:43:00.94\00:43:02.31
Come anyway. Huh? Even if
you've got to drag; come on.
00:43:03.91\00:43:10.02
The Bible says the Lord
loveth a cheerful giver.
00:43:10.05\00:43:12.82
Even if you hate giving money to
the Lord, give it anyhow. Amen.
00:43:12.85\00:43:16.39
Because in giving, in coming
just maybe God may get through.
00:43:18.36\00:43:25.33
But if you're at home in your
bed; can't get through that.
00:43:25.37\00:43:28.84
You've gotta be here.
00:43:28.87\00:43:30.41
Perhaps He can get you in your
bed, but it's a better chance
00:43:30.44\00:43:34.08
He gets you when you
come here. Amen? Amen.
00:43:34.11\00:43:36.54
So you've got to give Him all.
00:43:36.58\00:43:37.91
He deserves all, and it's best
for you when you give Him all.
00:43:37.95\00:43:42.52
Let's look at His
ministry very quickly.
00:43:42.55\00:43:45.29
Desire of Ages, page 353.
00:43:45.32\00:43:48.02
Ellen White says, Christ
was never rude, never needlessly
00:43:48.06\00:43:52.23
spoke a severe word,
never gave needless pain
00:43:52.26\00:43:55.53
to a sensitive soul.
00:43:55.56\00:43:56.90
He did not
censure human weakness.
00:43:56.93\00:43:59.93
He fearlessly
denounced hypocrisy.
00:43:59.97\00:44:03.04
He uttered, she says,
His most scathing rebukes
00:44:05.64\00:44:12.58
with tears in His eyes.
00:44:12.61\00:44:14.32
You see, Christ did not
mince words when it came to sin.
00:44:14.35\00:44:18.45
If you look at the word
scathing, scathing means harsh,
00:44:19.99\00:44:23.63
devastating, blistering,
scorching ferocious, cutting,
00:44:23.66\00:44:27.26
sharp, vitriolic, severe.
00:44:27.30\00:44:28.83
So Christ said what needed
to be said as respects sin,
00:44:28.86\00:44:34.57
but He was always kind
and loving to sinners. Amen?
00:44:34.60\00:44:39.27
So there were times
when stuff needed to be said.
00:44:39.31\00:44:43.91
And Christ did not bite
His tongue but He spoke sharply
00:44:43.95\00:44:48.82
against sin, and
kindly to sinners.
00:44:48.85\00:44:52.79
Because He was trying to root
out sin, not destroy sinners.
00:44:52.82\00:44:56.62
The Bible says that Christ
always had a kind word for those
00:44:56.66\00:45:07.04
who He was addressing.
00:45:07.07\00:45:09.87
And then we find out that
even the demons are subject to
00:45:12.67\00:45:17.58
the will of God at Capernaum.
00:45:17.61\00:45:20.22
We're in the temple and a
demon possessed man comes in
00:45:23.69\00:45:28.56
and people are scattering.
00:45:28.59\00:45:31.13
Christ stands and
rebukes the demon.
00:45:31.16\00:45:35.16
And where did that happen?
00:45:35.23\00:45:37.80
In the synagogue at Capernaum.
00:45:37.83\00:45:40.37
And so it was at Capernaum
that it was first said,
00:45:40.40\00:45:43.44
Even the demons
are subject to Jesus.
00:45:43.47\00:45:46.34
So now as the people are
dumbfounded Christ slips out
00:45:46.37\00:45:50.85
and goes right next
door to Peter's house.
00:45:50.88\00:45:52.91
Peter's mother is sick with
a fever that the Bible gives
00:45:52.95\00:45:56.22
indication, and so does the
Spirit of Prophecy, is caused by
00:45:56.25\00:45:59.49
oppression from a demon.
00:45:59.52\00:46:01.26
Peter rebukes the
fever, which means he rebukes,
00:46:01.29\00:46:06.53
or causes the
fever, which is a demon.
00:46:06.59\00:46:08.40
She arises and serves them all.
00:46:08.43\00:46:12.03
Where did that
happen? Capernaum.
00:46:12.07\00:46:13.84
And I've got to move real fast.
00:46:13.87\00:46:15.64
It's Saturday night.
00:46:15.67\00:46:17.01
The people have been waiting
all day to go and see Jesus.
00:46:17.04\00:46:19.64
But Ellen White says they
are afraid to see Jesus because
00:46:19.67\00:46:22.78
they are afraid of
the Scribes and Pharisees.
00:46:22.81\00:46:24.91
So they lay in their
homes during the day,
00:46:24.95\00:46:27.02
and no sooner does the sun
go down than the line formed.
00:46:27.05\00:46:30.22
And people begin to
come to Christ for healing.
00:46:30.25\00:46:34.16
And Ellen White says it was
at Capernaum that Christ healed
00:46:34.19\00:46:37.99
every single one of them.
00:46:38.03\00:46:39.89
Nobody was left. Late into the
night He's healing, and healing,
00:46:39.93\00:46:43.77
and healing, and healing.
00:46:43.80\00:46:45.13
And then He goes and
spends the rest of the night in
00:46:45.17\00:46:49.07
prayer with His Father.
00:46:49.10\00:46:51.31
She says they came on
couches, they came on crutches,
00:46:51.37\00:46:54.88
they came on
canes, they crawled.
00:46:54.94\00:46:56.61
Some carried their friends.
00:46:56.64\00:46:58.18
Some camped out. You know
the story of the men who let,
00:46:58.21\00:47:01.28
the man who was let down through
the roof for Christ's healing?
00:47:01.32\00:47:04.95
Where did that
happen? Capernaum.
00:47:04.99\00:47:07.59
Some of Christ's greatest
miracles happened at Capernaum.
00:47:07.62\00:47:11.73
Ellen White says, After two
solid days of healing the people
00:47:11.79\00:47:15.86
said, Capernaum never
witnessed a day like this.
00:47:15.90\00:47:19.80
The air was filled
with the voices of praise
00:47:19.83\00:47:23.71
and the voices of deliverance.
00:47:23.74\00:47:26.44
Matthew 7-11, all
of those miracles,
00:47:26.47\00:47:35.42
all of that information
took place in Galilee,
00:47:35.45\00:47:40.66
in or near Capernaum.
00:47:43.12\00:47:45.76
I'm time conscious, and
I'm trying to cut and paste
00:47:48.16\00:47:50.73
as I go along here.
00:47:50.77\00:47:52.10
Christ not only healed in
Galilee, but He also broke
00:47:54.04\00:47:59.84
Spiritual convention in Galilee.
00:47:59.87\00:48:02.34
When I say that... Jack
Nicholson once said, If you want
00:48:02.38\00:48:05.31
to make an omelet
you've got to break some eggs.
00:48:05.35\00:48:06.88
Christ also in His healing,
broke politically correct eggs.
00:48:06.92\00:48:14.12
Not only did He heal, He tore
down and disassembled mistakes.
00:48:14.16\00:48:21.16
I'll tell you one more healing,
then I've got to jump over,
00:48:21.20\00:48:23.67
and we've got to end this.
00:48:23.70\00:48:25.83
You've got a Roman soldier.
00:48:25.87\00:48:27.94
Oh, by the way, the woman with
the issue of blood; Capernaum.
00:48:27.97\00:48:32.74
While He is healing... No,
Jairus comes to Christ and says,
00:48:32.77\00:48:42.38
My daughter is about to die.
00:48:42.42\00:48:43.99
You need to come to my house.
00:48:44.02\00:48:45.49
Okay. So Christ is
going to Jairus' house.
00:48:45.52\00:48:49.26
Meanwhile the woman with
the issue of blood stops Him.
00:48:49.29\00:48:52.99
You know the story.
00:48:53.03\00:48:54.36
He's supposed to be
healing Jairus' daughter.
00:48:54.40\00:48:55.96
And Jairus is waiting
while Christ is doing this whole
00:48:56.03\00:48:59.17
thing with this woman who
is less than nothing to Jairus.
00:48:59.20\00:49:02.27
He's a big time ruler, but he's
got to wait in line while Christ
00:49:02.30\00:49:06.31
deals with this woman.
00:49:06.34\00:49:07.68
Then the servants of
Jairus say, Don't bother.
00:49:08.94\00:49:13.62
The child's dead, so don't
even bother with the Messiah.
00:49:13.65\00:49:17.65
Long story short:
child lives, woman healed.
00:49:17.69\00:49:21.06
Where did that
take place? Capernaum.
00:49:21.09\00:49:24.76
So the Bible says that some
of Christ's greatest miracles
00:49:24.79\00:49:30.97
took place in Capernaum.
00:49:31.00\00:49:32.73
One last one. The
disciples get in a boat.
00:49:32.77\00:49:37.61
Headed across the sea.
00:49:37.67\00:49:40.08
Storm comes down
off the mountain.
00:49:40.11\00:49:42.78
Boat's pitching, flipping.
00:49:42.81\00:49:45.68
Christ comes walking
to them on the water.
00:49:45.71\00:49:50.12
You know the story.
00:49:50.15\00:49:51.49
Peter says, If it's You...
00:49:51.52\00:49:53.32
You never start a
sermon with the Lord
00:49:53.36\00:49:55.96
with the word if anyway.
00:49:55.99\00:49:57.33
But it is, If it's You, bid
me walk to You on the water.
00:49:57.36\00:50:03.16
Where's the boat
heading? Capernaum.
00:50:03.23\00:50:05.67
So you've got a list
of miracles in Capernaum
00:50:05.70\00:50:10.47
that are without equal.
00:50:10.51\00:50:12.87
That are without equal
in any place in the world.
00:50:12.91\00:50:18.88
So then, it is mind blowingly
sad that after all that Christ
00:50:18.91\00:50:29.06
had done the
people of Capernaum,
00:50:29.09\00:50:33.03
leaders in
general, rejected Jesus.
00:50:33.06\00:50:36.87
That is why you've got
this invective in Matthew
00:50:36.90\00:50:43.71
and in Luke, Christ's
denunciation of Capernaum.
00:50:43.74\00:50:50.41
So I've got to flip over
a lot of pages and say this:
00:50:50.45\00:50:55.45
When you look at your life
you ought to be able to see a
00:50:55.48\00:51:00.56
pattern of what I call
providential interposition.
00:51:00.59\00:51:05.13
In other words, you ought to
be able to see where Jesus has
00:51:05.16\00:51:09.16
stuck His hand in your
life and done you good. Amen.
00:51:09.20\00:51:14.50
And for that you
ought to be grateful to Him.
00:51:14.54\00:51:19.91
And the fact that you have
a knowledge that God has taken
00:51:19.94\00:51:24.51
care of you ought to be
enough incentive for you
00:51:24.55\00:51:30.82
to surrender your life to Him.
00:51:30.85\00:51:33.29
Because the truth is
if you've been in Jesus
00:51:33.32\00:51:37.93
life simply
ain't that bad. Amen.
00:51:37.99\00:51:44.17
You'll forgive my
pejorative English.
00:51:44.20\00:51:45.93
Now I'll take myself.
00:51:45.97\00:51:47.67
We were in Sabbath school.
00:51:47.70\00:51:49.04
Jeff... A couple of weeks
ago we were talking about...
00:51:49.07\00:51:51.51
And I think Jill was teaching.
00:51:51.54\00:51:52.94
We were talking about looking
at your life and realizing that
00:51:52.97\00:51:57.35
even though it
may sound kind of bad,
00:51:57.38\00:52:00.58
with Christ it ain't so bad?
00:52:00.62\00:52:03.35
I have been blind twice; blind.
00:52:03.39\00:52:06.05
I went to blind school from...
00:52:06.09\00:52:08.72
I went to first
grade in public school.
00:52:08.76\00:52:10.96
Had to repeat first
grade in blind school.
00:52:10.99\00:52:13.19
I was blind till sixth grade.
00:52:13.23\00:52:17.37
Just as unexplained as my
eyes went out, they came back.
00:52:17.40\00:52:22.07
Back in public school
with glasses about as thick as,
00:52:22.10\00:52:26.78
as the edge of this desk.
00:52:26.81\00:52:28.14
Beat up, fought all
the time, but I could see!
00:52:30.81\00:52:37.35
I've had a dozen eye
operations; at least a dozen.
00:52:38.05\00:52:44.03
They poked and prodded.
00:52:44.06\00:52:45.39
I'm functioning
basically on one eye.
00:52:45.43\00:52:47.73
But you know what? You
can function on one eye.
00:52:49.73\00:52:53.57
Amen. Amen! At age three,
trying to be cute, my cousin
00:52:55.20\00:53:03.45
pulled down a pot of
boiling hot soup on my chest.
00:53:03.48\00:53:08.12
Peeled the skin off.
00:53:09.98\00:53:11.32
So now I've got
this scar on my chest.
00:53:11.35\00:53:13.82
It looks like the
island of Barbados.
00:53:13.86\00:53:15.42
So when I go to the beach
I tend to keep my shirt on.
00:53:19.33\00:53:22.53
Because I'm trying
to hide my muscles? No.
00:53:24.20\00:53:27.67
Open heart surgery; not one,
not two, not three, not four,
00:53:30.47\00:53:35.54
not five, six bypasses.
00:53:35.58\00:53:37.68
Prostate cancer. And as
I said to Jeff that day,
00:53:40.95\00:53:47.82
when I look back at
my life, I don't think
00:53:47.86\00:53:50.63
I've had it that tough. Amen?
00:53:50.66\00:53:55.26
And I'm grateful to
God for what I do have.
00:53:55.30\00:53:59.57
Sometimes we look at our
bank account; broker than glass.
00:54:05.27\00:54:09.48
We're praising the Lord! Amen?
00:54:15.35\00:54:18.15
We don't drive the latest car.
00:54:18.19\00:54:20.96
We don't drive last year's
model, or last years, last years
00:54:20.99\00:54:24.99
model, or last years,
last years, last year's model,
00:54:25.03\00:54:27.73
or last years, last
years, last years model.
00:54:27.76\00:54:31.87
But we drive! And see,
Route 57 goes to Chicago.
00:54:31.90\00:54:36.00
It doesn't go to Heaven.
00:54:36.04\00:54:37.37
So it doesn't really matter
what kind of car you're driving.
00:54:39.64\00:54:43.21
Because we have
friends that have new cars,
00:54:43.24\00:54:45.35
and we can ride with them.
00:54:45.38\00:54:46.72
Ha, ha, ha! That's right.
00:54:46.75\00:54:50.95
Amen? Amen! So
see, you've got to be
00:54:51.85\00:54:55.19
grateful for
what you have. Amen?
00:54:55.22\00:54:58.59
And with all of
that you've got Jesus!
00:54:59.66\00:55:03.03
And one day you
will have eternity.
00:55:03.06\00:55:06.43
So the message from
Capernaum is look at what
00:55:08.00\00:55:13.11
God has done for you.
00:55:13.14\00:55:15.34
Look at the mighty miracles
He has done in your life.
00:55:15.38\00:55:18.98
And if your eyes are
open, and your brain is working,
00:55:19.01\00:55:22.58
you know God has
been good for you.
00:55:22.62\00:55:24.12
Now I know there are people
in here who are suffering.
00:55:24.15\00:55:26.12
Because every night
when Irma and I pray,
00:55:26.15\00:55:27.89
we run down the list.
00:55:27.92\00:55:29.29
I'm looking at people who
are going through stuff. Amen!
00:55:29.32\00:55:35.86
But they've got Jesus!
00:55:35.90\00:55:38.87
And when you've got
Jesus you've got all you need.
00:55:38.93\00:55:42.17
And you never know
that Jesus is all you need
00:55:42.20\00:55:44.24
until Jesus is
all you've got. Amen!
00:55:44.27\00:55:47.61
So when you reflect,
which is why Ellen White says,
00:55:47.64\00:55:51.25
every day we ought to spend
a few quiet peaceful moments,
00:55:51.28\00:55:54.22
not with your wife, not with
your husband, just you and God.
00:55:54.25\00:55:57.12
And reflect on how
good God has been to you.
00:55:57.15\00:55:59.52
And it will make you grateful.
00:55:59.55\00:56:02.92
And gratitude, by the way, is
the pin number that allows God
00:56:05.36\00:56:10.23
to give you more. Uh huh.
00:56:10.27\00:56:15.94
If you're not grateful for
what you've got, you've got an
00:56:15.97\00:56:19.01
account, but you ain't
got no pin number. Uh huh.
00:56:19.04\00:56:25.91
So gratitude is the pin number
that gives you access to more.
00:56:25.95\00:56:34.06
And if you're faithful with what
you have, God will be pleased
00:56:34.09\00:56:38.86
to give you more, because
He can trust you with it.
00:56:38.89\00:56:43.43
And so the great sin of
Capernaum, and she says it
00:56:43.47\00:56:47.97
in the reading I have.
00:56:48.00\00:56:50.61
But I don't want
to go back to it.
00:56:50.67\00:56:52.01
I would take too
much of your time.
00:56:52.04\00:56:53.38
She says the great sin of
Capernaum is the sin of these
00:56:53.41\00:56:55.14
last days:
ingratitude and unthankfulness.
00:56:55.18\00:57:00.28
We need to be thankful
for what God has given us.
00:57:00.32\00:57:04.39
Because He's given us
the promise of eternal life.
00:57:05.35\00:57:09.69
That's the greatest
gift He can give you.
00:57:10.99\00:57:13.83
And He's given you the ability
to change from what you are
00:57:13.86\00:57:24.17
to what He wants you to be.
00:57:24.21\00:57:27.94
That may be the
greatest gift in the world.
00:57:27.98\00:57:35.55
And Capernaum is
metaphor for realizing what
00:57:35.58\00:57:41.72
God has done for you.
00:57:41.76\00:57:43.79
He has given you all, and He
deserves no less than your all.
00:57:43.83\00:57:52.57
Amen, and Amen. I
want you to stand.
00:57:52.63\00:57:55.40
We're just going to
have prayer, and then we're
00:57:55.44\00:57:57.07
going to go over to...
00:57:57.11\00:57:58.44
And forgive me. I
know I took a lot of time.
00:57:58.47\00:58:00.38
Announcements J. D.?
00:58:00.41\00:58:01.74
After prayer.
After prayer. Okay, okay.
00:58:01.78\00:58:06.55
Bible study is
a fantastic thing.
00:58:07.42\00:58:09.85
And you get into the word,
and this stuff kind of just,
00:58:09.88\00:58:14.72
begins to percolate.
00:58:14.76\00:58:16.09
And it's easy to take an hour.
00:58:16.12\00:58:19.69
I was an hour preaching!
00:58:19.73\00:58:21.33
But once you get in
there it surrounds you,
00:58:21.36\00:58:25.57
and there's so much in there.
00:58:25.60\00:58:27.40
So I apologize, almost,
for keeping you so long.
00:58:27.44\00:58:33.71
Shall we pray? Father
God, please help us to reflect
00:58:33.74\00:58:38.78
on Your goodness, and in
gratitude give our all to You.
00:58:38.81\00:58:45.22
For there is no other
way to be happy in Jesus,
00:58:45.25\00:58:49.49
but to trust You, and obey You,
and surrender our lives to You.
00:58:49.52\00:58:55.66
And we thank You dear
Father, in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:58:55.70\00:59:00.57