Good morning and happy Sabbath.
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Turn with me if you will
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to the gospel as
recorded by John.
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And John is a rather long book.
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It got right at 70 verses,
and we cannot read them all.
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So we will
concentrate for our lesson study
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on verses 60 through 66.
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Although the
message really does cover
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the entire book
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or rather the
entire chapter of John 6.
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So we're in John 6:60
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reading through 66.
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The title of the message
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as you have seen
in your bulletin,
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"Fishes and Loaves"
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and "The Anatomy of a Blessing".
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Shall we pray?
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Father God,
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we commend
ourselves to you just now.
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And ask that You
would be our teacher.
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Make up for the deficiencies
of the human instrument
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with divine grace,
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so that we may
hear and know and do
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and understand
Your will for our lives.
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And we thank You,
dear Father in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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John 6 beginning
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at verse 60, the Bible says,
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"Therefore many
of His disciples,
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when they heard this,
said, 'This is a hard saying,'"
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I'm reading from
the New King James.
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"Who can understand it?"
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I think the King
James says, who can hear it?
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"When Jesus knew in Himself
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that His disciples
complained about this,
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He said to them,
'Does this offend you?
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What then if you should see
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the Son of Man ascend
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where He was before?
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It is the Spirit who gives life,
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the flesh profits nothing.
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The words that I speak to you
are spirit, and they are life.
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But there are some of
you who do not believe.'
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For Jesus knew
from the beginning
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who they were
who did not believe,
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and who would betray Him.'"
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He always knew.
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"And He said,
'Therefore I have said to you
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that no one can come to Me
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unless it has been
granted to him by My father.'
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From that time
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many of His disciples went back
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and walked with Him no more.'"
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So John 60 is the focus
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of our discussion today.
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It may well be one of the most
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miracle pact chapters
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in the entire Book of John
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if not the entire New Testament.
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And these singular expressions
of the power and grace of God
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are responded to in
the worst way possible.
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You see the
worst thing you can do
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when God blesses
you or curses you
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for that matter is
walk away from Him.
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The rich young ruler
was blessed, he walked away.
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Here is a fact,
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even when God allows trouble
and tragedy to enter your life,
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it is not an attempt
of God to turn you away.
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It's to get your attention.
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Amen.
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It's to turn you to Him
and all tragedy no matter
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how seemingly bad it is,
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is still in this time tinged
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with a little mercy.
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Which is why you
may lose your car
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and not lose your life.
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Yeah.
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Because all of the
things that happen to us now
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have a redemptive aspect to them
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because God's trying to get
your attention not hurt you.
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So when God is
tapping on your shoulder,
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the worst thing you can
do is turn away from Him.
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Amen. Amen.
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Yeah, if He's
tapping on your shoulder,
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He's trying to
get your attention.
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And if you are not listening,
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He's going to
tap a little harder.
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So the worst thing
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you can do is turn away.
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Let's go back to John 6.
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The chapter begins with
the feeding of the 5000,
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one of the most
notable true miracles
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in all the Word of God.
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The Bible tells us in John 6
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that the feeding of the 5000
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was actually the
feeding of 5000 men plus women
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and children.
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So you can conformably say
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the 5000 was really
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the feeding of
the 15,000 or more.
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So you've got 15,000
men, women and children.
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And you've got a
little boy's lunch
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of five barley
loaves and two fishes.
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Now barley was not
the most appetizing meal
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in Mesopotamia, Egypt.
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Barley was
principally used to make beer.
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So we've got a little
boy, five barley loaves,
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two fishes
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and it is clear in verse 2
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that one of the reasons
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you had so many
people following Jesus
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is because He was
healing diseased people.
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He crosses the Sea of Galilee,
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also named the sea of Tiberius
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for the Roman Emperor, Tiberius.
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And by the way all four gospels,
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all four gospels
record this miracle.
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The feeding of the
5,000 was a monumental miracle
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in the life of Christ
and a great PR campaign.
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That and the healing of Lazarus
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really kind of put this
new religion on the map.
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And, of course, it put Jesus
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in the assassination
hit list of the Pharisees.
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So you've got
15,000 people sitting down
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with nothing to eat,
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and you've got the
disciples and additional people
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who had attached
themselves to Jesus
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because of the miracles.
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You know, it became
obvious, if you walk with Jesus,
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Jesus will get you stuff.
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If you're sick
and walk with Him,
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you can get healed.
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So a lot of people
began to attach themselves
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to this new Rabbi
because of the miracles.
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You know, if somebody
does some good for you,
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you want to kind
of hang around them,
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maybe you can get
some more good stuff.
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So the crowds are
growing and people are coming
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because of the miracles.
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Now let me give
you a little sidebar,
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it's a little side thing here.
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Jesus says to
Philip, Jesus says to Philip,
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"Where are we going to get
food to feed all these people?"
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Now this is the Son
of God asking Philip.
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And Philip's
response is, "You kidding?
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You're Jesus, I'm Philip."
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He said, "We got
a little boy here
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with some food
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but what is that
among 15,000 plus people.
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It's not even worth mentioning."
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Let me ask you a question.
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You think Jesus
ever asked a question
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that He did not already
know the answer to, Rosemary.
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Does Jesus ask
questions for information?
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Is the Son of God
looking to you to get advice?
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I think not.
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So He asked Philip,
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"Where are we going
to get food to fill,
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feed all of these people?"
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There is no record anywhere
in the New Testament of Christ
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asking the question
purely for information.
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The Bible says in verse
6 if you're in John 6:6.
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He said, "He said
this to test Philip."
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You know God
does that in a church.
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God does things to
test you. Did you know that?
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Yeah.
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God will let little
things come into your life
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just to test you.
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Now it's not
that God doesn't know
00:10:06.50\00:10:09.00
how you're going to respond.
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The truth is, you don't know...
00:10:11.24\00:10:13.24
How you respond
until you're tested.
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You ever come to church
and everything is just for you,
00:10:20.75\00:10:24.45
Sabbath School lesson is
perfect, sermon is perfect,
00:10:24.49\00:10:28.06
music is perfect.
00:10:28.09\00:10:29.72
And Ellen White says,
00:10:29.76\00:10:31.19
"You become part of what
she calls the spiritual heat,"
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kind of starts in
your ankles and works
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its way all the way up
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and you're just
feeling good in the Lord.
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You know, you're
just, you're just into it.
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And in the context
of the spiritual heat,
00:10:42.24\00:10:44.81
you say to
yourself or even out loud,
00:10:44.84\00:10:47.38
"Lord, I will never
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ever sin again."
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And when you
say it, you mean it.
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Yeah, you do.
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And the Lord knows
even as those words
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are coming out of your
mouth, you can't keep that.
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That's why 1 John says,
and if we sin we have a...
00:11:10.23\00:11:14.04
Because you're
going to make a mistake
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and God's got
that taken care of.
00:11:16.50\00:11:18.51
But when you
say it, you mean it.
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And sometimes you don't
get out of the door good.
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And something happens. Amen.
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Walked out the other
day and I'm using a 3ABN van
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because my car is in a shop
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'cause it won't go any
faster than 45 miles an hour
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and nobody knows why.
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Gordon, since you
took me couple weeks ago,
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it's still there.
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You can't find out why.
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Come out and
somebody bumped a van.
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Greg, it's not a big bump.
00:12:01.42\00:12:02.75
How do you see it?
Got to look real close.
00:12:06.19\00:12:09.19
And I said I was
never going to sin again.
00:12:13.23\00:12:14.73
Oh, you got a
little bump on a van.
00:12:24.01\00:12:25.91
No.
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So God allows us to be tested.
00:12:31.65\00:12:35.85
Sometimes you
work next to people
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who don't particularly love you.
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Or you're doing a job
00:12:45.26\00:12:47.16
that you don't
particularly like.
00:12:47.20\00:12:48.76
Or you're in a relationship
that you got to work at.
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And the Lord is testing you.
00:13:00.01\00:13:02.11
And you know
what else He's doing?
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He's working on
your resume. Yeah.
00:13:03.55\00:13:07.62
Because sometime in the
future all of that stuff
00:13:07.65\00:13:11.25
that's been
percolating in your life,
00:13:11.29\00:13:13.59
you will be able
to use for His glory.
00:13:13.62\00:13:17.39
I've heard people talk about it.
00:13:17.43\00:13:18.76
Why did I get that job?
00:13:18.79\00:13:20.20
Why do I have to
work with that person?
00:13:20.23\00:13:21.56
Why do I have
to go through that,
00:13:21.60\00:13:23.26
that particular
instance in my life?
00:13:23.30\00:13:25.67
All that becomes
part of your resume.
00:13:25.70\00:13:28.60
And then later on when somebody
has the same set of problems
00:13:28.64\00:13:31.54
you have, you can say
I know what that's like
00:13:31.57\00:13:35.78
'cause I've done
that, I've been there.
00:13:35.81\00:13:37.65
And I know that
God can keep you.
00:13:37.68\00:13:39.75
No experience in your life
00:13:39.78\00:13:42.25
when yielded to
Christ is ever wasted.
00:13:42.28\00:13:45.79
All that stuff is
part of the resume.
00:13:45.82\00:13:48.69
All that bad stuff
you've gone through.
00:13:48.72\00:13:51.49
Hey, you're still standing,
00:13:51.53\00:13:55.50
still breathing, still
walking, talking, thinking,
00:13:55.53\00:13:58.23
it's part of your resume
00:13:58.27\00:13:59.60
because somebody's going to need
00:13:59.63\00:14:00.97
to hear your resume,
00:14:01.00\00:14:02.94
your testimony to
help them in their walk.
00:14:02.97\00:14:08.08
We're going to come back
to that in just a little bit.
00:14:08.11\00:14:11.08
So God is going to test you.
00:14:11.11\00:14:12.45
And He's testing Philip,
00:14:12.48\00:14:15.12
"Where are we
going to get food."
00:14:15.15\00:14:16.48
And we know it's a test
00:14:19.95\00:14:21.29
'cause in verse
6 the Bible says,
00:14:21.32\00:14:23.63
Christ already knew
what He was going to do.
00:14:23.66\00:14:26.70
Amen.
00:14:26.73\00:14:28.26
Aren't you glad
00:14:28.30\00:14:29.63
that when you don't have a clue,
00:14:29.66\00:14:31.23
Christ is not clueless?
00:14:31.27\00:14:32.63
Amen. Amen.
00:14:32.67\00:14:34.10
He already knows
what He's going to do,
00:14:34.14\00:14:36.87
Tracy, He knows, He
knows what's He going to do.
00:14:36.91\00:14:40.78
You don't have a clue,
doesn't mean He's clueless.
00:14:40.81\00:14:44.05
He knows it.
That's your test, not His.
00:14:44.08\00:14:47.98
Amen. Amen.
00:14:48.02\00:14:49.58
That's your test.
00:14:49.62\00:14:50.95
He already knew
what He is going to do.
00:14:50.99\00:14:52.59
He said, "Have
the people sit down."
00:14:52.62\00:14:54.16
You see, as Danny likes to say,
he read the back of the book.
00:14:54.19\00:14:59.23
But not only did Jesus
read the back of the book,
00:14:59.26\00:15:01.73
He wrote the back of the book.
00:15:01.76\00:15:03.10
Amen.
00:15:03.13\00:15:04.57
In fact, He is
the back of the book.
00:15:04.60\00:15:08.20
Amen.
00:15:08.24\00:15:09.57
Ellen White says
every page is about Jesus.
00:15:09.60\00:15:12.77
So He read it, He
wrote it, He is it.
00:15:12.81\00:15:15.68
He knew what He was going to do.
00:15:15.71\00:15:17.35
He knew how to
solve this problem.
00:15:17.38\00:15:19.55
And He wanted the disciples
00:15:19.58\00:15:21.18
to learn to trust Him
just a little bit more.
00:15:21.22\00:15:25.85
So along with the miracles,
He's testing His own disciples.
00:15:25.89\00:15:29.62
Andrew said,
"Here's a little boy,
00:15:29.66\00:15:31.43
he's got this little lunch,
it's not worth mentioning.
00:15:31.46\00:15:34.56
His faith is fatiguing also.
00:15:34.60\00:15:36.73
The upshot is the miracle
00:15:36.77\00:15:39.40
began 5,000 men, plus women,
00:15:39.43\00:15:43.20
plus children are fed too full
00:15:43.24\00:15:45.64
what began as one
basket fed 15,000 plus people
00:15:45.67\00:15:51.15
with 12 baskets left.
00:15:51.18\00:15:54.12
And I am saying, my God is able.
00:15:54.15\00:15:57.72
Amen. Now go to verse 14.
00:15:57.75\00:16:01.39
You're in John 6 and
let's look at the response.
00:16:01.42\00:16:05.59
Now an evening,
not 16, I want 14.
00:16:14.27\00:16:18.17
"Then those men,
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.77
when they had seen
the sign that Jesus did,
00:16:19.81\00:16:23.35
said, 'This is truly the Prophet
00:16:23.38\00:16:26.92
who is come into the world.'"
00:16:26.95\00:16:28.65
Truly this is the Prophet
who has come into the world.
00:16:31.75\00:16:36.93
Now that statement,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:16:36.96\00:16:39.19
was made because
their stomachs were full.
00:16:39.23\00:16:43.80
Amen. That's what
that was all about.
00:16:43.83\00:16:48.20
He heals us, He feeds us,
00:16:48.24\00:16:50.67
He's got to be a
prophet from God.
00:16:50.71\00:16:52.97
They had received
a blessing from God,
00:16:53.01\00:16:56.11
and now they are
willing and ready to praise Him.
00:16:56.14\00:17:01.48
Well, it's easy to praise
somebody who's feeding you,
00:17:01.52\00:17:03.79
and blessing
you, and healing you.
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.55
So here's my question.
00:17:11.39\00:17:13.53
I say this is a
quiver of questions today.
00:17:13.56\00:17:18.07
Is serving the Lord
because He blesses you,
00:17:18.10\00:17:21.94
is that true service?
00:17:21.97\00:17:25.07
Now think a second.
00:17:25.11\00:17:29.31
Is serving the Lord
00:17:29.34\00:17:31.15
because you're
getting blessings from Him,
00:17:31.18\00:17:34.32
is that true service?
00:17:34.35\00:17:38.52
See, now you're scared.
00:17:38.55\00:17:41.59
You were right the first time.
00:17:41.62\00:17:43.29
It is not. It is not.
00:17:43.32\00:17:48.73
Remember, worship includes
00:17:48.76\00:17:52.37
who you worship,
when you worship,
00:17:52.40\00:17:56.67
how you
worship, why you worship.
00:17:56.71\00:17:59.84
Amen. Who you worship?
00:17:59.87\00:18:03.65
First Commandment and
the Fourth Commandment.
00:18:03.68\00:18:07.02
When you worship?
Fourth Commandment.
00:18:07.05\00:18:10.42
How you worship?
00:18:10.45\00:18:11.89
John 4:24, "Christ is
seeking those to worship Him
00:18:11.92\00:18:15.49
in spirit."
00:18:15.52\00:18:16.86
And that's how you worship Him.
00:18:16.89\00:18:20.23
Why do you worship?
00:18:20.26\00:18:22.06
'Cause you're getting stuff.
00:18:25.87\00:18:27.20
We're told He loved,
00:18:33.17\00:18:34.51
we love him
because He first loved us.
00:18:34.54\00:18:38.25
Colossians 1 tells us
we love Him and worship Him
00:18:38.28\00:18:41.35
because He created everything
and all things are His.
00:18:41.38\00:18:45.15
And that, ladies and gentlemen,
00:18:45.19\00:18:46.52
is the burden of the
three angels' message.
00:18:46.55\00:18:48.09
That's why you love Him
00:18:48.12\00:18:49.52
because you're
responding to His love.
00:18:49.56\00:18:52.26
So why do we serve
Him? Why do we follow Him?
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.87
Peter said in Matthew 19:27,
00:18:58.90\00:19:03.91
I like this, Matthew 19:27,
00:19:03.94\00:19:06.68
"So we have left
all and followed You,
00:19:06.71\00:19:10.65
therefore what shall we have?"
00:19:10.68\00:19:14.25
That's bottom line.
00:19:14.28\00:19:15.62
Lord, we've done
everything for You,
00:19:15.65\00:19:16.99
what do we get out of this?
00:19:17.02\00:19:18.62
And the truth is every Christian
00:19:18.65\00:19:21.02
whether they
audiblize it or not,
00:19:21.06\00:19:23.16
ask themselves
that same question
00:19:23.19\00:19:25.46
somewhere in
your walk with Jesus.
00:19:25.49\00:19:27.76
You do. Everybody.
00:19:27.80\00:19:30.30
Lord, what's in this for me?
00:19:30.33\00:19:34.87
And the reason I noticed
00:19:34.90\00:19:36.24
because it's asked and answered
so many times in the Bible.
00:19:36.27\00:19:38.54
You may not put it that way,
00:19:38.57\00:19:40.08
but somewhere in
your walk for the Lord
00:19:40.11\00:19:42.28
you've got to determine,
is Jesus sufficient for you?
00:19:42.31\00:19:46.88
Amen.
00:19:46.92\00:19:48.25
You got to make
that determination.
00:19:48.28\00:19:49.62
And the reason you have to do
that because everybody in here
00:19:49.65\00:19:51.75
and everybody who's ever given
00:19:51.79\00:19:53.12
their heart to
the Lord at one point
00:19:53.15\00:19:55.16
or another in
their life determines
00:19:55.19\00:19:56.79
just how much of you,
you're going to let Jesus have.
00:19:56.83\00:20:00.76
Amen. Amen.
00:20:00.80\00:20:02.13
Think about it. Yeah.
00:20:02.16\00:20:04.60
Some have said, I
will do this for the Lord,
00:20:04.63\00:20:07.44
I ain't doing that.
00:20:07.47\00:20:09.94
So you draw this
line in your life,
00:20:09.97\00:20:12.21
I'm going to give the Lord all,
00:20:12.24\00:20:14.24
or I'm going to
give the Lord most,
00:20:14.28\00:20:16.01
or I'm going to
give the Lord some,
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.71
or I'm going to live the Lord
as much as is convenient for me
00:20:17.75\00:20:21.05
but everybody in the church
00:20:21.08\00:20:23.79
who has come to the
Lord makes the determination
00:20:23.82\00:20:26.86
of how much you're
going to give the Lord
00:20:26.89\00:20:29.22
and that
determination determines
00:20:29.26\00:20:31.69
how successful you
will be in the Lord.
00:20:31.73\00:20:34.10
How much the
Lord can do for you,
00:20:34.13\00:20:36.20
and how much the
Lord can do with you,
00:20:36.23\00:20:38.17
and how much the Lord can
do through you is predicated
00:20:38.20\00:20:41.60
on how much you're
going to give to the Lord.
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.44
If you give all, you get all.
00:20:44.47\00:20:50.81
So somewhere in your walk
00:20:50.85\00:20:52.18
you've already
answered the question.
00:20:52.21\00:20:54.08
God knows it even if you don't.
00:20:54.12\00:20:57.65
Lord, I give everything to you.
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.19
Okay, Lord, I'm
going to give you 75%,
00:21:00.22\00:21:04.13
75.5%, 80% on Sabbath.
00:21:04.16\00:21:09.03
I'd like to hold a couple
percentage points for myself.
00:21:09.06\00:21:13.27
And all you're doing...
00:21:13.30\00:21:15.37
Can I use the word constipate?
00:21:15.40\00:21:17.07
You are constipating
your own spiritual experience.
00:21:20.54\00:21:23.71
Yeah, the less you give,
I'm sorry, the less you get.
00:21:30.35\00:21:35.52
Jim?
00:21:35.56\00:21:38.53
If you want to get
all, you got to give all.
00:21:38.56\00:21:41.63
You kind of
supposed to be raking it in
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.40
and not pushing it out.
00:21:49.44\00:21:53.48
So if you want to get
all, you got to give all.
00:21:53.51\00:21:55.58
Christ deserves
nothing less than your best.
00:21:55.61\00:21:59.45
Heaven gave you its best,
00:21:59.48\00:22:02.48
so you got to give
your best in return.
00:22:02.52\00:22:04.05
What's in it for me?
00:22:09.62\00:22:10.99
Now actually that
question is not motivated
00:22:11.03\00:22:13.29
by the Holy Spirit,
00:22:13.33\00:22:14.66
but God is God
enough and loving enough
00:22:14.70\00:22:17.03
that He doesn't mind
when you ask that question.
00:22:17.07\00:22:20.24
Amen.
00:22:20.27\00:22:22.54
That's the same
spirit that move,
00:22:22.57\00:22:24.27
that move the mother
of James and John to say,
00:22:24.31\00:22:26.88
"Hey, Lord, when
you get to heaven,
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.24
put one of my sons on your left
00:22:28.28\00:22:29.61
and put the other
one on the right."
00:22:29.64\00:22:31.11
And Christ said,
00:22:31.15\00:22:32.48
"Woman, you have no
idea what you're asking."
00:22:32.51\00:22:36.79
Now if they can bear this cup
00:22:36.82\00:22:38.19
that I carry but
that's not mine to give.
00:22:38.22\00:22:41.56
Serving the Lord to get stuff
00:22:48.00\00:22:50.53
is fishes and loaves religion.
00:22:50.57\00:22:54.80
Amen.
00:22:54.84\00:22:56.74
You're following Him
to get fishes and loaves.
00:22:56.77\00:22:59.71
The truth is God was to be God
00:22:59.74\00:23:01.48
if He gave you
absolutely positively nothing.
00:23:01.51\00:23:06.41
But since He's God, He
doesn't function that way.
00:23:06.45\00:23:10.39
He just loves to give.
00:23:10.42\00:23:12.42
So if you come
to Him, you will get
00:23:12.45\00:23:15.16
because that's the way God is,
00:23:15.19\00:23:16.76
it's not through
any goodness of yours.
00:23:16.79\00:23:19.09
Amen. Amen.
00:23:19.13\00:23:20.96
He's going to give
because God is a giver.
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.30
If He didn't withhold
His son the Bible says,
00:23:23.33\00:23:26.17
why would He
withhold anything else
00:23:26.20\00:23:28.67
from those who ask.
00:23:28.70\00:23:32.21
He proved His love
by giving you Jesus.
00:23:32.24\00:23:35.04
So given you a house,
00:23:35.08\00:23:37.95
or a new car, or a good job,
00:23:37.98\00:23:41.28
or a nice wife,
00:23:41.32\00:23:45.09
or husband, or a girlfriend,
00:23:45.12\00:23:49.52
or internet buddy,
that's light stuff.
00:23:49.56\00:23:54.83
He gave you Jesus.
00:23:54.86\00:23:58.23
Amen.
00:23:58.27\00:23:59.70
So when you say
"Lord, I need a job."
00:23:59.73\00:24:01.10
You think that's hard for Him?
00:24:01.14\00:24:03.94
"Lord, I'd like
to have a nice wife."
00:24:03.97\00:24:08.01
That's not hard for Him.
00:24:08.04\00:24:09.38
You know I need to say this
00:24:12.61\00:24:13.95
and I don't like
to parade my wife
00:24:13.98\00:24:16.85
but first of all she's cute.
00:24:16.89\00:24:21.59
But, and we've been married,
00:24:21.62\00:24:23.09
we got married
00:24:23.12\00:24:25.53
in just about time I got here.
00:24:25.56\00:24:27.80
In the last two weeks
00:24:27.83\00:24:29.33
we kind of like fall in love
00:24:29.36\00:24:32.83
all over again.
00:24:32.87\00:24:36.47
Yeah, we got this
thing now. It's pretty good.
00:24:36.50\00:24:41.61
Amen. Amen.
00:24:41.64\00:24:43.45
You know how we
got it? Asked for it.
00:24:43.48\00:24:46.25
Yeah.
00:24:49.65\00:24:50.99
"Lord, we want a new thing."
00:24:51.02\00:24:54.52
Lord said, "Let Me
look in my thing bag."
00:24:54.56\00:24:58.26
Brought out a new thing.
00:24:58.29\00:25:00.73
So now we have fun and at night
00:25:00.76\00:25:03.13
when she puts those
ice cold feet on me,
00:25:03.16\00:25:05.33
I just praise the Lord.
00:25:05.37\00:25:06.77
Yeah. He gave you Jesus.
00:25:13.84\00:25:16.88
You think making
your life pleasant
00:25:16.91\00:25:19.08
on this earth is
hard work for the Lord.
00:25:19.11\00:25:24.05
He's proved His love
when He gave you Christ.
00:25:24.09\00:25:27.26
So when you give
all, you get all.
00:25:27.29\00:25:30.13
So the people
are looking at Jesus
00:25:35.86\00:25:38.33
and they notice
that a boat was missing.
00:25:38.37\00:25:42.17
And so the
entourage got into boats
00:25:42.20\00:25:44.01
and frantically rode all
the way over to Capernaum.
00:25:44.04\00:25:47.11
You see we're...
00:25:47.14\00:25:48.48
Most of Christ's
work was done in Galilee.
00:25:48.51\00:25:49.98
You've got Bethsaida here,
00:25:50.01\00:25:51.95
you've got Capernaum here
and a city of Chorazin there,
00:25:51.98\00:25:54.65
that's kind of
triangle lying on its side,
00:25:54.68\00:25:56.79
all on the north
shore of the Sea of Galilee.
00:25:56.82\00:26:01.76
They roll over to Capernaum
and when they got there.
00:26:01.79\00:26:05.69
Let's look at Christ's
response to these disciples
00:26:05.73\00:26:10.77
who were really groupies.
00:26:10.80\00:26:14.44
John 6:26, I'm reading
00:26:14.47\00:26:16.91
from the New Living Translation.
00:26:16.94\00:26:18.87
"I tell you the
truth," this is Jesus speaking.
00:26:22.78\00:26:25.75
"You want to be with Me
00:26:25.78\00:26:27.72
because I fed you,
00:26:27.75\00:26:31.95
not because you understood
the miraculous signs."
00:26:31.99\00:26:37.49
Amen?
00:26:37.53\00:26:39.89
You want to be with Me
because your stomachs are full,
00:26:39.93\00:26:45.90
not because you
understand My mission.
00:26:45.93\00:26:48.84
I'll read it from
the New King James.
00:26:53.58\00:26:55.78
"Jesus answered them and said,
'Most assuredly, I say to you,
00:26:55.81\00:27:00.98
you seek Me, not
because you saw the signs,
00:27:01.02\00:27:04.02
but because you ate
00:27:04.05\00:27:08.06
of the loaves and were filled.'"
00:27:08.09\00:27:10.56
You're speaking
from a full stomach,
00:27:10.59\00:27:12.49
not a full heart.
00:27:12.53\00:27:16.93
By it, by the way,
00:27:16.97\00:27:19.53
have you ever asked
yourself what is a blessing?
00:27:19.57\00:27:25.31
Ever said, so what's a blessing?
00:27:25.34\00:27:27.71
Can you define a blessing?
00:27:27.74\00:27:32.41
We use that word so very much.
00:27:32.45\00:27:34.08
I was blessed. It's a blessing.
00:27:34.12\00:27:37.59
Every time I think
of the word blessing,
00:27:37.62\00:27:38.95
I think of Jill.
00:27:38.99\00:27:40.32
Jill is the blessing Queen.
00:27:40.36\00:27:41.69
What is a blessing?
00:27:45.83\00:27:49.56
What constitutes a blessing?
00:27:49.60\00:27:54.27
Question number one,
00:27:54.30\00:27:55.90
should we follow
God for blessings?
00:27:55.94\00:27:58.14
Should we follow
God to give blessings?
00:28:01.94\00:28:05.58
Should we follow God
because of blessings?
00:28:05.61\00:28:09.38
Slightly different.
00:28:09.42\00:28:13.15
Number three,
00:28:13.19\00:28:14.72
can you follow the Lord
00:28:14.76\00:28:16.93
and not have blessings?
00:28:16.96\00:28:21.13
No, yes.
00:28:21.16\00:28:24.60
Can you follow the Lord
00:28:24.63\00:28:26.80
and not be blessed?
00:28:26.84\00:28:31.01
No.
00:28:31.04\00:28:32.67
In other words if we
follow the Lord, can we,
00:28:32.71\00:28:37.28
should we expect blessings
00:28:37.31\00:28:41.52
in the Christian life?
00:28:41.55\00:28:44.32
Think about that.
00:28:44.35\00:28:46.15
If you're following the Lord,
can you expect is the word.
00:28:46.19\00:28:51.36
Valera, blessings.
00:28:51.39\00:28:53.16
Can I expect them?
Jay, can I expect them?
00:28:58.33\00:29:01.77
Chris, can you expect them?
00:29:04.87\00:29:09.01
Roberdy, can you expect them?
00:29:09.04\00:29:13.01
So I shouldn't
follow Him for them
00:29:13.05\00:29:16.95
but I can expect it.
00:29:16.99\00:29:21.12
And that makes sense
to you. That adds up.
00:29:21.16\00:29:24.39
Karen? Mitchell?
00:29:27.93\00:29:32.23
Should blessings be
a motivating factor,
00:29:41.54\00:29:44.51
blessings in my
service for the Lord?
00:29:44.55\00:29:47.88
I am going somewhere with it.
00:29:47.92\00:29:51.72
All right.
00:29:51.75\00:29:54.06
Do blessings always
00:29:54.09\00:29:55.82
make us feel good?
00:29:55.86\00:30:00.10
What?
00:30:00.13\00:30:04.53
Do blessings
always make us feel good?
00:30:04.57\00:30:09.17
Well, if it doesn't make
you feel good, is it a blessing?
00:30:09.20\00:30:11.41
Can you actually have a blessing
00:30:15.84\00:30:18.31
that makes you feel bad?
00:30:18.35\00:30:22.38
Jim?
00:30:22.42\00:30:25.95
It's a blessing but I feel bad.
00:30:25.99\00:30:28.46
Your minds are turning.
00:30:34.40\00:30:36.36
Can a negative experience
00:30:41.17\00:30:45.41
be a blessing?
00:30:45.44\00:30:47.14
Yes.
00:30:47.18\00:30:49.48
How can you be so sure?
00:30:49.51\00:30:52.68
Negative
experience is a blessing?
00:30:52.71\00:30:54.35
Yes.
00:30:54.38\00:30:55.72
So what determines then...
00:31:01.89\00:31:04.13
if a particular
experience is a blessing or not?
00:31:08.23\00:31:13.70
'Cause you're telling
me is not based on feelings
00:31:13.74\00:31:16.91
'cause sometimes
blessings make you feel good.
00:31:16.94\00:31:18.97
Amen.
00:31:19.01\00:31:20.34
Sometimes
blessings make you feel bad.
00:31:20.38\00:31:22.84
Amen.
00:31:22.88\00:31:25.15
And it's still a blessing.
00:31:25.18\00:31:26.51
It's a blessing,
Marlene, only a blessing
00:31:31.29\00:31:34.39
if you think it's a blessing.
00:31:34.42\00:31:35.76
If you acknowledge it as such.
00:31:39.13\00:31:41.80
Suppose you get a
blessing, but if you say,
00:31:41.83\00:31:45.10
that's not a blessing.
00:31:45.13\00:31:47.17
Is that still a blessing?
00:31:47.20\00:31:48.54
Can Jill come over
and say, it's a blessing?
00:31:54.04\00:31:56.51
So then what
constitutes a blessing?
00:32:01.55\00:32:06.32
Because these
disciples were blessed,
00:32:06.35\00:32:09.86
they didn't know it,
they didn't acknowledge it,
00:32:09.89\00:32:12.73
and they walked away from Jesus.
00:32:12.76\00:32:14.46
I asked some people in research
for this sermon this week
00:32:20.70\00:32:23.44
and I should, probably
I should asked some women
00:32:23.47\00:32:24.81
but I asked all guys.
00:32:24.84\00:32:26.78
And I remember two of the males,
00:32:26.81\00:32:29.28
in fact they're
sitting here in front of me
00:32:29.31\00:32:30.65
so I'll turn away from them.
00:32:30.68\00:32:33.25
I asked them,
00:32:33.28\00:32:35.18
define a blessing for me.
00:32:35.22\00:32:39.45
And Mike, they said to me,
00:32:39.49\00:32:41.79
a blessing is like
when you're blessed.
00:32:41.82\00:32:46.53
You do understand you cannot use
00:32:53.64\00:32:55.04
the word in the
definition of a word.
00:32:55.07\00:32:58.77
So you cannot
use the word blessed
00:32:58.81\00:33:01.28
trying to define blessing.
00:33:01.31\00:33:03.85
You know that.
00:33:03.88\00:33:06.05
But no one was able to give me
00:33:06.08\00:33:09.12
a concrete definition
of what a blessing is.
00:33:09.15\00:33:14.82
It's this thing,
00:33:14.86\00:33:19.69
you kind of know it
00:33:19.73\00:33:21.26
when you see it,
00:33:21.30\00:33:24.73
but there ought
to be a definition.
00:33:24.77\00:33:27.84
How can we be so nebulous
00:33:27.87\00:33:32.17
about a word we use so much?
00:33:32.21\00:33:36.81
What is a blessing?
00:33:36.85\00:33:41.55
And if you don't know
what a blessing is, Tim Parton,
00:33:41.58\00:33:45.29
how do you know
when you're blessed?
00:33:45.32\00:33:48.42
You may be
blessed and not know it.
00:33:48.46\00:33:50.79
Or you may be blessed
and think it's a curse.
00:33:50.83\00:33:53.26
Or you may be cursed
and think it's a blessing.
00:33:53.29\00:33:55.23
There's a story about a lady
00:34:03.27\00:34:05.61
who begged the
Lord to be wealthy.
00:34:05.64\00:34:10.08
And the Lord
under took to give her
00:34:10.11\00:34:14.52
the desire of her heart.
00:34:14.55\00:34:17.65
She thought she was blessed,
00:34:17.69\00:34:19.79
but she was really cursed
00:34:19.82\00:34:22.22
because from the
day she got that money
00:34:22.26\00:34:27.13
she never went to church again.
00:34:27.16\00:34:28.50
True story. It's
in the testimonies.
00:34:33.27\00:34:36.87
Was that a blessing?
00:34:36.91\00:34:41.21
So one of the
things we have to do
00:34:41.24\00:34:42.58
when we are trying to
discuss what a blessing is,
00:34:42.61\00:34:44.65
we have to look at it
from ultimate realities,
00:34:44.68\00:34:48.95
not temporary things.
00:34:48.98\00:34:52.39
Now you know the New
Testament was written in Greek
00:34:52.42\00:34:55.72
but it was written in
Koine Greek, K-O-I-N-E,
00:34:55.76\00:34:58.83
that's as closest we can
come, which means street Greek,
00:34:58.86\00:35:02.80
it's common Greek.
00:35:02.83\00:35:04.20
Luke wrote in educated Greek
00:35:04.23\00:35:05.67
but the rest of
the New Testament
00:35:05.70\00:35:07.04
is pretty much common
Greek, street language.
00:35:07.07\00:35:09.57
And so when you, when
you use street language
00:35:09.60\00:35:11.97
to try to describe something,
it can become very colorful.
00:35:12.01\00:35:17.45
So there are a lot
00:35:17.48\00:35:19.75
of definitions for blessing
00:35:19.78\00:35:23.69
and having waded my way
through most of that stuff.
00:35:23.72\00:35:28.49
I took the top two,
00:35:28.52\00:35:29.86
the ones that kind
of excited me the most.
00:35:29.89\00:35:34.53
Blessing means to be happy
but it means more than that.
00:35:34.56\00:35:39.77
And I'm about five,
seven minutes from the end.
00:35:39.80\00:35:42.70
So I'll let you
know the wheels are down,
00:35:42.74\00:35:44.64
we are circling.
00:35:44.67\00:35:48.04
But the word happy
only scratches the surface.
00:35:48.08\00:35:51.95
We get happy
from the beatitudes,
00:35:51.98\00:35:53.31
you know, Matthew
5, happier are you.
00:35:53.35\00:35:55.22
So blessing does mean happy,
00:35:55.25\00:35:56.85
but it means a little
bit more than something.
00:35:56.89\00:36:00.06
Let me toss
something else at you
00:36:00.09\00:36:01.42
I found in my research.
00:36:01.46\00:36:02.79
Found this about 2
o'clock the other morning,
00:36:02.82\00:36:04.16
really cool stuff.
00:36:04.19\00:36:05.53
If you take the
beatitudes, the ten beatitudes,
00:36:05.56\00:36:08.93
the last beatitude is
not a beatitude per se
00:36:08.96\00:36:12.10
but it is
beatitude because it is.
00:36:12.13\00:36:15.24
You can divide them
up just like you divide
00:36:15.27\00:36:16.60
the Ten Commandments.
00:36:16.64\00:36:17.97
The first four
beatitudes are God beatitudes,
00:36:18.01\00:36:19.57
the second six
are man beatitudes.
00:36:19.61\00:36:22.34
Just like the Ten Commandments.
00:36:22.38\00:36:23.95
Really kind of
interesting study.
00:36:23.98\00:36:25.71
But they all can be used,
00:36:25.75\00:36:27.78
you can use the
word happy in all of them
00:36:27.82\00:36:29.32
but happy is not sufficient.
00:36:29.35\00:36:33.76
Happy is not enough
00:36:33.79\00:36:35.12
because it's a
little too subjective.
00:36:35.16\00:36:36.86
This is the way or
let me say it this way,
00:36:36.89\00:36:40.23
is anybody here
happy all the time?
00:36:40.26\00:36:44.30
Anybody? Nobody's
happy all the time.
00:36:44.33\00:36:48.24
You can have joy
all the time. Yes.
00:36:48.27\00:36:50.41
Amen.
00:36:50.44\00:36:51.77
You can have joy even
when you're not happy,
00:36:51.81\00:36:53.14
you know that.
00:36:53.17\00:36:54.51
Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:54.54\00:36:55.88
Yeah, you can have
joy when you're not happy.
00:36:55.91\00:36:57.25
When Brother Dickens hit
that dear the other night.
00:36:57.28\00:37:00.32
Were you happy? I think not.
00:37:00.35\00:37:04.62
And then wrestling
with the insurance company,
00:37:04.65\00:37:06.35
you sure ain't happy.
00:37:06.39\00:37:07.79
But you can always be blessed.
00:37:12.06\00:37:15.50
The objective state
of blessedness, get this.
00:37:15.53\00:37:19.43
The objective
state of blessedness
00:37:19.47\00:37:22.44
has nothing to do
00:37:22.47\00:37:25.14
with your outward circumstances.
00:37:25.17\00:37:28.51
You can be poor and be blessed.
00:37:28.54\00:37:33.58
So blessedness has nothing to do
00:37:33.62\00:37:35.62
with what's going on around you.
00:37:35.65\00:37:39.39
Psalms 128:1,
00:37:39.42\00:37:40.76
"Blessed is
everyone that fears the Lord,
00:37:40.79\00:37:42.52
who walks in His ways."
00:37:42.56\00:37:44.16
Had nothing to do
with your social standing.
00:37:44.19\00:37:47.50
Amen? Or your life.
00:37:47.53\00:37:50.63
As it is in
this temporary world.
00:37:50.67\00:37:53.34
So if you think
that being blessed
00:37:53.37\00:37:57.24
is because things are good,
00:37:57.27\00:38:00.28
that's fishes
and loaves thinking.
00:38:00.31\00:38:05.35
I say again, your
outside circumstances
00:38:05.38\00:38:07.62
can be an absolute train wreck
but you can still be blessed.
00:38:07.65\00:38:11.49
When I have prostate
cancer, my doctor said,
00:38:14.59\00:38:18.79
"Well, you are lucky guy."
00:38:18.83\00:38:21.76
I said, "No, I'm blessed."
00:38:21.80\00:38:25.73
He said, "It hadn't spread
00:38:25.77\00:38:28.44
and shouldn't be
a big, big deal."
00:38:28.47\00:38:31.51
"Well, praise the
Lord, I'm blessed."
00:38:31.54\00:38:34.61
When I had my
sixth bypass surgery,
00:38:34.64\00:38:37.95
I'm very proud of
that sixth bypass surgery
00:38:37.98\00:38:40.62
because most people only do four
00:38:40.65\00:38:42.18
or three or five, I did six.
00:38:42.22\00:38:46.52
My Jewish Hersh
Maniar surgeon said,
00:38:46.55\00:38:51.99
"Man, you are blessed."
00:38:52.03\00:38:54.50
I said, "You got that right."
00:38:54.53\00:38:57.70
He said, "We don't get
many sixes walking in here.
00:38:57.73\00:39:01.40
Usually they get carried in."
00:39:01.44\00:39:03.20
I walked in, I
want to say I walked out
00:39:03.24\00:39:05.77
but I had to go
out in a wheelchair.
00:39:05.81\00:39:08.64
But I could have walked out.
00:39:08.68\00:39:11.58
And even the doctor
said, "Man, you are blessed."
00:39:11.61\00:39:14.18
Forgive me, one quick story.
00:39:17.69\00:39:19.19
I have, I had a
member, Sister Carolyn Antonio.
00:39:19.22\00:39:22.76
Sister Carolyn Antonio,
her brother was Walter Starks,
00:39:22.79\00:39:25.76
she's too driving for
the General Conference
00:39:25.79\00:39:27.13
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:39:27.16\00:39:28.50
She had to have
five bypasses, mere five.
00:39:28.53\00:39:31.90
And so she said,
00:39:31.93\00:39:33.27
"Pastor, I want your
face to be the last thing
00:39:33.30\00:39:35.30
I see before I go under
00:39:35.34\00:39:37.21
and the first thing
I see when I wake up."
00:39:37.24\00:39:41.28
You want to see this thing?
00:39:41.31\00:39:42.84
"Yes", she said.
00:39:42.88\00:39:44.81
She said, "I don't
want to hear you praying."
00:39:44.85\00:39:47.45
So they prepped her at
4 o'clock in the morning.
00:39:47.48\00:39:49.95
I lived an hour and a
half away from the hospital.
00:39:49.98\00:39:52.75
And then you get
00:39:52.79\00:39:54.12
into New York
City, Mount Sinai, Yvonne
00:39:54.16\00:39:56.73
and you got to try
to find a parking space.
00:39:56.76\00:39:58.86
So basically I went to sleep
at 11, got up at 12:30, 1:00,
00:39:58.89\00:40:03.50
drudged into the
city, made circles
00:40:03.53\00:40:05.70
trying to find
somebody to park, ran in there.
00:40:05.73\00:40:07.97
And I said, "Hi Sister Antonio."
00:40:08.00\00:40:10.74
And she was
already a little groggy.
00:40:10.77\00:40:12.94
And I said,
"You ready for this?"
00:40:12.97\00:40:14.54
And she said, "Yes, I am."
00:40:14.58\00:40:15.91
So I said,
"Let's pray together."
00:40:15.94\00:40:17.31
So as we're
praying, she went to sleep.
00:40:17.35\00:40:19.41
She had her first,
00:40:19.45\00:40:20.95
they had not
connected the drip line yet,
00:40:20.98\00:40:22.82
they just did the first one.
00:40:22.85\00:40:24.59
The doctor came,
this is a true story.
00:40:24.62\00:40:26.25
The doctor came and
he looked at her chart.
00:40:26.29\00:40:30.43
He said, "Man,
this woman is lucky."
00:40:30.46\00:40:33.06
Do you know Sister
Carolyn Antonio right there
00:40:33.09\00:40:35.90
in front of me, that doctor,
00:40:35.93\00:40:37.27
God and everybody
opened her eyes and said,"
00:40:37.30\00:40:39.10
No, I'm not lucky, I'm blessed."
00:40:39.13\00:40:43.54
Telling you the absolute truth.
00:40:43.57\00:40:45.24
I'm not lucky, I'm
blessed and closed her eyes.
00:40:48.74\00:40:50.81
And the doctor got so upset,
he called the anesthetist.
00:40:50.85\00:40:53.72
He said, "Get up here."
00:40:53.75\00:40:58.25
And about 10 minutes later
the anesthesiologist came up.
00:40:58.29\00:41:02.09
He said, "What's the matter?"
00:41:02.12\00:41:03.46
He said, "That
woman just talked to me."
00:41:03.49\00:41:06.53
And the anesthesiologist
said, "Impossible."
00:41:06.56\00:41:09.76
He said, "She just spoke to me."
00:41:09.80\00:41:13.54
And the anesthesiologist
said, "Well, what she said?"
00:41:13.57\00:41:17.87
And he said, "She
said she was blessed."
00:41:17.91\00:41:19.57
And I was holding myself,
00:41:19.61\00:41:21.44
I was cracking up
'cause he was not laughing.
00:41:21.48\00:41:25.08
And the anesthesiologist
said, "Well, I guess she is."
00:41:25.11\00:41:27.52
But they held up her procedure
for 30 minutes to make sure
00:41:30.79\00:41:34.99
she was really under.
00:41:35.02\00:41:37.26
Do you think,
now that's years ago,
00:41:37.29\00:41:38.63
that's in the late '80s.
00:41:38.66\00:41:40.00
You think that doctor
ever forgot that experience?
00:41:40.03\00:41:42.76
That's locked in his brain.
00:41:42.80\00:41:46.90
I'm blessed.
00:41:46.94\00:41:48.44
So what does it
mean to be blessed?
00:41:58.45\00:42:01.22
And I'm almost done.
00:42:01.25\00:42:03.89
What does it mean to be blessed?
00:42:03.92\00:42:05.79
You know, I have a...
00:42:05.82\00:42:07.16
Forgive me, I'm, this is
not, this is not a yo-yo,
00:42:07.19\00:42:09.76
it's an object lesson.
00:42:09.79\00:42:13.46
And this is not easy,
my wife will tell you,
00:42:13.50\00:42:15.16
we drove all
over Southern Illinois
00:42:15.20\00:42:17.60
to get this cheap little yo-yo.
00:42:17.63\00:42:20.10
We went to Target,
we went to Walmart,
00:42:20.14\00:42:25.07
we went to Toys "R" Us,
00:42:25.11\00:42:27.98
we went to General Dollar.
00:42:28.01\00:42:31.38
And I even had Daniel out
on the way to St. Louis looking
00:42:31.41\00:42:34.92
for a yo-yo for me yesterday.
00:42:34.95\00:42:36.45
And I found this
little cheap yo-yo at Target.
00:42:36.48\00:42:41.56
And it's such a inferior yo-yo,
00:42:41.59\00:42:45.09
I wanted to show you
walk the dog and spank
00:42:45.13\00:42:47.33
the baby and cats in the cradle.
00:42:47.36\00:42:49.53
You know, rock the
cradle kind of thing.
00:42:49.56\00:42:50.93
But this yo-yo is cheap,
you can do anything with it.
00:42:50.97\00:42:53.30
So this is not a
yo-yo, it's an object lesson.
00:42:53.34\00:42:55.34
Okay.
00:42:55.37\00:42:56.71
I'm going to do this one
time and pray this little cheap,
00:42:56.74\00:42:58.34
inexpensive,
nauseating little yo-yo.
00:42:58.37\00:43:01.68
And by the way
and what makes it bad
00:43:01.71\00:43:03.21
is I had to buy five of them,
I got five in that bag there.
00:43:03.24\00:43:05.45
So if anybody wants a
cheap, nauseating little yo-yo,
00:43:05.48\00:43:07.95
you can have it
00:43:07.98\00:43:09.32
because I don't
want this cheap yo-yo.
00:43:09.35\00:43:14.16
So let's see if it yo-yos.
Okay, whoa, it did one time.
00:43:14.19\00:43:16.83
See if it does
two. Now come on. Okay.
00:43:16.86\00:43:19.29
Now what did I do?
00:43:19.33\00:43:20.66
It went from up
to down and back up.
00:43:20.70\00:43:22.53
This is the
anatomy of a blessing.
00:43:22.56\00:43:25.97
Here's what a blessing is.
00:43:26.00\00:43:28.70
Well, I got to take...
00:43:28.74\00:43:30.07
Well, let me do it
then I'll come back.
00:43:30.11\00:43:32.77
A blessing is favor
00:43:32.81\00:43:36.41
from God.
00:43:36.44\00:43:39.55
That work for anybody?
00:43:39.58\00:43:41.08
It's favor from God
that starts with God,
00:43:41.12\00:43:44.55
comes down to you and
goes right back to God.
00:43:44.59\00:43:48.86
Amen.
00:43:48.89\00:43:50.23
And if anywhere in
that process it is cut off,
00:43:50.26\00:43:52.89
it is not a blessing.
00:43:52.93\00:43:54.76
A blessing has
to start with God,
00:43:54.80\00:43:57.00
comes down to you and
goes right back to God.
00:43:57.03\00:43:59.63
So that your blessings
ought to give glory to God.
00:43:59.67\00:44:03.37
So if your blessing
just comes and hangs there...
00:44:03.41\00:44:05.44
that's not a blessing.
00:44:10.65\00:44:12.81
Amen.
00:44:12.85\00:44:14.18
So if God gives you
00:44:14.22\00:44:18.15
a sum of money
00:44:18.19\00:44:21.09
and you don't return sum
of that money to the Lord,
00:44:21.12\00:44:24.23
I maintain, you
didn't get blessed.
00:44:24.26\00:44:28.06
Amen. Your
riches perish with you.
00:44:28.10\00:44:31.83
Got to start with God,
come to you, go back to God.
00:44:31.87\00:44:36.64
Amen.
00:44:36.67\00:44:38.01
That's the
anatomy of a blessing.
00:44:38.04\00:44:41.21
And if it doesn't come from...
00:44:41.24\00:44:42.58
You see the devil
00:44:42.61\00:44:43.95
can kind of appear to bless you.
00:44:43.98\00:44:48.12
Look like it comes
from God but it's not.
00:44:48.15\00:44:51.39
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:44:51.42\00:44:53.12
Yeah, double with
counterfeit blessings,
00:44:53.15\00:44:54.72
that's why you got
00:44:54.76\00:44:56.09
to make sure it starts with God,
00:44:56.12\00:44:57.59
comes to you and
goes right back to God.
00:44:57.63\00:45:00.06
And if it doesn't,
it's not a blessing.
00:45:00.10\00:45:02.53
So what is a
blessing? It is favor from God.
00:45:02.56\00:45:05.37
It is makarizo.
00:45:05.40\00:45:07.34
Now the second
one, the second one
00:45:07.37\00:45:08.77
that I really like
is called ephalomai.
00:45:08.80\00:45:14.74
Ephalomai.
00:45:14.78\00:45:16.78
Ephalomai, I
think it's very cool
00:45:16.81\00:45:19.71
because ephalomai
is the Spirit of God
00:45:19.75\00:45:25.19
that leaps upon you.
00:45:25.22\00:45:28.56
Don't you like that?
00:45:28.59\00:45:30.59
You come to church
00:45:30.63\00:45:32.16
and all of a
sudden the Spirit of God
00:45:32.19\00:45:34.46
just kind of leaps on you.
00:45:34.50\00:45:37.27
You ever had that?
00:45:37.30\00:45:38.67
You know, you're
reading the Bible,
00:45:38.70\00:45:40.14
and all of a sudden something
just kind of leaps on you.
00:45:40.17\00:45:42.47
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:45:42.50\00:45:43.87
Yeah, it's ephalomai.
00:45:43.91\00:45:45.74
And what's interesting.
00:45:45.77\00:45:47.54
Do you remember the story
about the seven sons of Sceva,
00:45:47.58\00:45:50.58
these vagabond Jews
00:45:50.61\00:45:52.28
who saw their
disciples healing folk
00:45:52.31\00:45:54.72
and they said, "We want
a little piece of that."
00:45:54.75\00:45:57.65
So they went and found
this demon-possessed man
00:45:57.69\00:46:01.42
and they said,
00:46:01.46\00:46:02.82
"We adore you, come out of him
00:46:02.86\00:46:06.63
by the power of the
God that Paul preaches."
00:46:06.66\00:46:11.43
Big mistake, big mistake.
00:46:11.47\00:46:14.80
You see, my God is not
going to do you any goodwill.
00:46:14.84\00:46:20.14
Amen. Yeah.
00:46:20.18\00:46:21.74
Only God to do
you good is your God.
00:46:21.78\00:46:24.68
Amen.
00:46:24.71\00:46:26.05
You can't live your
life victorious on my God.
00:46:26.08\00:46:30.29
My God is big enough for me.
00:46:30.32\00:46:33.42
Your God, big enough for you.
00:46:33.46\00:46:35.62
What I'm saying is,
00:46:35.66\00:46:36.99
it's got to be a
personal relationship.
00:46:37.03\00:46:38.86
If you're going
to be victorious D,
00:46:38.89\00:46:40.66
it's got to be D's
God getting D through.
00:46:40.70\00:46:44.20
Amen? Amen.
00:46:44.23\00:46:47.37
So they said,
"Come out by Paul's God."
00:46:47.40\00:46:52.21
You know what happened?
00:46:52.24\00:46:53.91
The Bible says,
"The men leaped on them,
00:46:53.94\00:46:57.55
beat them and left
them bleeding and naked."
00:46:57.58\00:47:01.75
That's what happens
when you try to mess
00:47:01.78\00:47:03.12
with the devil
00:47:03.15\00:47:04.49
and you don't
have God on your side
00:47:04.52\00:47:05.85
'cause there's nothing about you
00:47:05.89\00:47:07.22
that scares the devil.
00:47:07.26\00:47:09.16
Mitchell, he's
afraid of your boss.
00:47:09.19\00:47:14.86
Amen. Amen.
00:47:14.90\00:47:18.13
Now the word for
the man leaping on them
00:47:18.17\00:47:22.60
is the same word for blessing.
00:47:22.64\00:47:25.57
Exact same word.
00:47:25.61\00:47:27.31
So sometimes in your life
00:47:27.34\00:47:29.44
the Holy Spirit leaps on you.
00:47:29.48\00:47:34.28
That's a
blessing. That's a blessing.
00:47:34.32\00:47:38.22
Ephalomai or ephalomai.
00:47:38.25\00:47:42.66
And that's what happens.
00:47:42.69\00:47:45.36
So God is waiting
to bless His people.
00:47:45.39\00:47:48.83
Now we've gone a long time.
00:47:48.86\00:47:50.20
So let me skip
some of this stuff,
00:47:50.23\00:47:51.57
I want to just read this
and then we'll move forward.
00:47:51.60\00:47:54.14
'Cause I have a watch
on that my wife bought.
00:47:54.17\00:47:57.11
So I always wear it
but it doesn't work.
00:47:57.14\00:47:59.17
This is an ode to love.
00:48:02.84\00:48:05.68
But it doesn't work
00:48:05.71\00:48:07.05
and it hasn't worked in a while.
00:48:07.08\00:48:08.42
And I can't read
that thing on the wall
00:48:08.45\00:48:09.78
but I know I'm late.
00:48:09.82\00:48:11.15
So let me just read
this and then we'll be done.
00:48:11.19\00:48:13.22
You have to
forgive me, this was what,
00:48:13.25\00:48:14.59
I was going to preach
this last week then I found out
00:48:14.62\00:48:16.49
by mistake that
Johnny was preaching.
00:48:16.52\00:48:19.59
So I had a whole
week to add stuff.
00:48:19.63\00:48:23.90
Should have let me
preach it last week,
00:48:23.93\00:48:25.27
I'd have been shorter.
00:48:25.30\00:48:26.87
But I want to close with
this because this is good stuff.
00:48:26.90\00:48:31.91
"By looking constantly to Jesus
00:48:31.94\00:48:34.21
with the eye of faith
we shall be strengthened.
00:48:34.24\00:48:37.65
God will make the
most precious revelations
00:48:37.68\00:48:40.02
of his hungering thirst.
00:48:40.05\00:48:41.82
Revelations 2 is
hungering, thirsting people.
00:48:41.85\00:48:44.79
They will find that
Christ is a personal Savior.
00:48:44.82\00:48:49.36
As they feed upon His word,
00:48:49.39\00:48:51.26
they find that it
is spirit and life.
00:48:51.29\00:48:54.80
The word destroys the natural,
00:48:54.83\00:48:56.73
earthly nature and imparts
a new life in Christ Jesus.
00:48:56.77\00:49:01.87
The Holy Spirit comes to a soul,
00:49:01.90\00:49:04.21
to the soul as a comforter
by transforming agency,
00:49:04.24\00:49:09.38
by the transforming
agency of His grace.
00:49:09.41\00:49:12.95
The image of God is
reproduced in the disciple,
00:49:12.98\00:49:16.62
He becomes a new creature,
00:49:16.65\00:49:18.52
love takes the place of hatred
00:49:18.55\00:49:20.92
and the heart
receives the divine similitude.
00:49:20.96\00:49:24.46
This is what it
means to live by every word
00:49:24.49\00:49:27.73
that proceedeth out
of the mouth of God."
00:49:27.76\00:49:30.27
Let me skip down to...
00:49:30.30\00:49:34.17
Ah, here we go...
00:49:34.20\00:49:35.54
"Christ had
spoken a sacred word,
00:49:41.74\00:49:44.25
eternal truth regarding
the relation between Himself
00:49:44.28\00:49:46.72
and His followers.
00:49:46.75\00:49:48.08
He knew the character of those
who claim to be His disciples.
00:49:48.12\00:49:51.12
And His words
tested their faith.
00:49:51.15\00:49:55.09
He declared that
they were to believe
00:49:55.12\00:49:57.96
and act as He was teaching.
00:49:57.99\00:50:00.96
All who received Him
would partake of His nature
00:50:01.00\00:50:04.83
and be comforted,
conformed to His character.
00:50:04.87\00:50:08.74
This involved the relinquishment
00:50:08.77\00:50:10.97
of their cherished ambitions.
00:50:11.01\00:50:14.04
It required a complete surrender
00:50:14.08\00:50:16.44
of themselves to Jesus.
00:50:16.48\00:50:18.78
They were called to
become self-sacrificing meek
00:50:18.81\00:50:22.75
and lowly in heart.
00:50:22.78\00:50:24.89
They must walk the
narrow path traveled
00:50:24.92\00:50:27.26
by the man of Calvary.
00:50:27.29\00:50:29.42
If they would
share in the gift of life
00:50:29.46\00:50:32.76
and the glory of heaven.
00:50:32.79\00:50:35.76
Now here's the sad
part, the test was too great.
00:50:35.80\00:50:39.67
The enthusiasm of those
00:50:39.70\00:50:41.10
who had sought
to take Him by force
00:50:41.14\00:50:42.67
and make Him King grew cold.
00:50:42.70\00:50:45.47
Their discourse
in the synagogue,"
00:50:45.51\00:50:49.21
this I'm sorry, "this
discourse in the synagogue
00:50:49.24\00:50:52.31
they declared had
opened their eyes.
00:50:52.35\00:50:54.48
Now they believed
they had been deceived.
00:50:54.52\00:50:58.55
In their minds His
words were a direct confession
00:50:58.59\00:51:01.66
that He was not the Messiah.
00:51:01.69\00:51:04.19
And that no earthly
rewards were to be realized
00:51:04.23\00:51:07.33
in connection with Him.
00:51:07.36\00:51:09.56
They had welcomed His
miracle-working power,
00:51:09.60\00:51:12.40
they were eager to be freed
from the disease and suffering
00:51:12.43\00:51:16.10
but they would
not come into sympathy
00:51:16.14\00:51:18.41
with His self-sacrificing life.
00:51:18.44\00:51:21.14
They didn't mind getting food,
they didn't mind being fed,
00:51:21.18\00:51:25.08
they didn't mind being healed,
00:51:25.11\00:51:26.82
they didn't mind the idea
00:51:26.85\00:51:28.18
that they were going to
be freed from the Romans
00:51:28.22\00:51:30.79
but this self-growth,
00:51:30.82\00:51:32.15
self-sacrificing
stuff was a little more
00:51:32.19\00:51:35.72
than they wanted to deal with.
00:51:35.76\00:51:38.93
If He would not devote His power
00:51:38.96\00:51:41.53
and influence to
obtaining their freedom
00:51:41.56\00:51:44.60
from the Romans,
00:51:44.63\00:51:45.97
they would have
nothing to do with Him.
00:51:46.00\00:51:50.11
Jesus told them
plainly, there are some of you
00:51:50.14\00:51:52.31
who do not believe,
therefore I said to you,
00:51:52.34\00:51:55.04
no man can come to Me
00:51:55.08\00:51:56.58
unless it were
given by the Father."
00:51:56.61\00:52:01.85
There's a lot more
00:52:01.88\00:52:03.52
but basically
Christ was saying to them
00:52:03.55\00:52:06.79
and they were saying to Him.
00:52:06.82\00:52:08.32
You know, she says here
in this in just a little bit,
00:52:08.36\00:52:10.33
she says, they
turned their backs on Him.
00:52:10.36\00:52:13.60
This is John 6:66.
00:52:13.63\00:52:15.36
They thought that by turning
their backs on Jesus publicly
00:52:15.40\00:52:19.50
that they were
going to hurt Jesus.
00:52:19.53\00:52:23.64
Did you hear what I just said?
00:52:23.67\00:52:25.34
They thought their walking away
00:52:25.37\00:52:26.81
from Jesus was
going to hurt Him.
00:52:26.84\00:52:31.35
And you know they were right.
00:52:31.38\00:52:33.75
Whenever you turned
your back on the Lord,
00:52:33.78\00:52:36.08
it hurts Him
00:52:36.12\00:52:38.22
but it hurts you a lot more.
00:52:38.25\00:52:42.29
Yeah, the person who is
going to ultimately be destroyed
00:52:42.32\00:52:45.29
is not Jesus,
it's going to be you.
00:52:45.33\00:52:49.96
Amen.
00:52:50.00\00:52:51.63
So they thought by turning...
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.00
When you turn
your back on the church
00:52:53.03\00:52:56.71
or on the Lord and say
00:52:56.74\00:52:58.47
"I'm not coming anymore."
00:52:58.51\00:52:59.84
When you decide to
leave, you do hurt Christ
00:52:59.87\00:53:04.31
but you hurt
yourself a lot more.
00:53:04.35\00:53:09.45
We are reading
00:53:09.48\00:53:10.82
in a Sabbath School lesson
this week, Felix told Paul,
00:53:10.85\00:53:13.72
"You know, come back
00:53:13.76\00:53:15.09
when I have a little
more convenient season."
00:53:15.12\00:53:17.39
Ellen White says
that season never came.
00:53:17.43\00:53:19.79
He's a lost man
00:53:19.83\00:53:21.16
'cause his chance
had passed him by.
00:53:21.20\00:53:24.80
God is giving us
so many blessings.
00:53:24.83\00:53:28.77
And you may not have a
million dollars in the bank,
00:53:28.80\00:53:32.31
doesn't matter.
00:53:32.34\00:53:33.94
You got Jesus. Amen.
00:53:33.98\00:53:36.88
You may not have perfect health.
00:53:36.91\00:53:39.51
There are a lot of people
who I know are sitting here now
00:53:39.55\00:53:41.15
don't have perfect
health but they got Jesus.
00:53:41.18\00:53:44.65
Amen.
00:53:44.69\00:53:46.02
You may not
drive a brand new car
00:53:46.05\00:53:49.59
but you got Jesus.
00:53:49.62\00:53:51.89
You may not live
in the finest house
00:53:51.93\00:53:55.13
but you got Jesus.
00:53:55.16\00:53:57.83
Regardless of what
you have or don't have,
00:53:57.87\00:54:02.14
we all can have Jesus.
00:54:02.17\00:54:06.04
And you never know
that Jesus is all you need
00:54:06.07\00:54:09.44
until Jesus is all you've got.
00:54:09.48\00:54:14.02
Amen?
00:54:14.05\00:54:15.38
Ladies and
gentlemen, may I submit to you
00:54:15.42\00:54:17.95
in the worst of
times you're blessed.
00:54:17.99\00:54:23.19
If you got
Jesus, you're blessed.
00:54:23.22\00:54:26.83
Whether a peer soul or
not, God says you're blessed.
00:54:26.86\00:54:32.63
Now what you've got to determine
00:54:32.67\00:54:34.54
is that from this day
00:54:34.57\00:54:35.90
forward come what may,
I'm going to stay with Jesus.
00:54:35.94\00:54:40.14
That's the
determination you got to make
00:54:40.18\00:54:41.51
because these disciples left.
00:54:41.54\00:54:43.28
And I know some people
who should be here right now
00:54:43.31\00:54:45.21
who have left.
00:54:45.25\00:54:47.75
I say to you what
Christ said to the 12 disciples
00:54:47.78\00:54:49.92
that that remained.
00:54:49.95\00:54:53.92
Are you too gonna leave?
00:54:53.96\00:54:56.96
You know what
Peter said? Go where?
00:54:56.99\00:55:01.50
You have the
words of eternal life.
00:55:01.53\00:55:04.10
You are the Savior,
00:55:04.13\00:55:05.77
we've got no place else to go.
00:55:05.80\00:55:10.91
And that's how I
feel about the Lord.
00:55:10.94\00:55:13.27
I don't have no
place else to go.
00:55:13.31\00:55:14.64
Just me and Irma. Me and Boo.
00:55:17.88\00:55:22.42
And we got Jesus.
00:55:22.45\00:55:25.15
It's all we need.
00:55:25.19\00:55:27.99
Now as this music is playing,
00:55:28.02\00:55:31.23
as I may not be preaching
here that many more times,
00:55:31.26\00:55:35.03
I want you to
pledge something with me.
00:55:35.06\00:55:38.13
If you pledged
and if you can pledge
00:55:38.17\00:55:41.04
and if you will
pledge to stay on Jesus' side
00:55:41.07\00:55:44.47
come what may, then
come up and join me here.
00:55:44.51\00:55:47.08
See the person hadn't been born
00:55:51.88\00:55:53.25
that's going to run
me out of the church.
00:55:53.28\00:55:55.32
Amen. Amen.
00:55:55.35\00:55:57.09
And I know Christ loves
me. So I'm sticking with Him.
00:55:57.12\00:56:02.72
Amen? Amen.
00:56:02.76\00:56:06.80
Let's pray.
00:56:06.83\00:56:08.16
Father God,
00:56:08.20\00:56:11.13
we know the devil would like
to take us out of Your hand.
00:56:11.17\00:56:16.17
But the truth is that nothing
can take us out of Your hand
00:56:16.20\00:56:22.18
but our own obstinate will.
00:56:22.21\00:56:25.35
And, Lord, just now we
surrender that will to You.
00:56:25.38\00:56:28.98
We ask in the name of
Jesus that You would keep
00:56:29.02\00:56:32.75
that which we have
committed to Your hand
00:56:32.79\00:56:35.29
until the day Jesus comes again.
00:56:35.32\00:56:38.73
Please dear Lord,
00:56:38.76\00:56:40.80
hold on to us
and never let us go.
00:56:40.83\00:56:45.03
And never let us,
00:56:45.07\00:56:47.84
let go of You
00:56:47.87\00:56:51.47
until You walk us
00:56:51.51\00:56:54.78
into the city
00:56:54.81\00:56:57.71
and give us the
key to our mansion.
00:56:57.75\00:57:02.28
Oh, please, dear Lord, please,
00:57:02.32\00:57:06.82
hold on to Your people
00:57:06.86\00:57:10.09
and keep them in this way.
00:57:10.13\00:57:14.06
And we thank You in Jesus' name.
00:57:14.10\00:57:17.53
Amen.
00:57:17.57\00:57:18.90