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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH022046S
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00:12 ♪♪♪ 00:22 ♪♪♪ 00:36 Shawn Brummund: Good morning, and welcome to another edition 00:37 of the "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:40 We are just so glad that you have joined us here this morning 00:42 and, as we come together, to be able to worship the Lord 00:46 in a very real and sincere way as we continue to connect 00:49 with the one who has loved us and saved us. 00:53 We are just so glad that you are with us. 00:54 I know that there are many that are joining us locally 00:57 as we continue to make our way through the pandemic, 00:59 and I have the privilege of being able to join you 01:03 from the brand-new studio that Amazing Facts has developed 01:07 in their new facilities and in which Pastor Doug 01:10 had opened up our new "Revelation Now!" 01:13 prophecy seminar that just began as well. 01:16 And so for those of you who are joining us livestream locally, 01:19 across the nation, in different parts of the world, 01:22 we are thankful that you have joined us. 01:23 For those of you who are watching this recorded program 01:26 later on, on the different various TV networks, 01:30 it is also nice to be able to have you join us, 01:32 and it is always our prayer that God will bless you 01:35 and that you will truly come closer to Christ 01:37 in a knowledge of Him. 01:39 And so my name is Pastor Shawn Brummund and associate pastor, 01:42 a family life pastor, over at the Granite Bay 01:44 Hilltop Seventh-day Adventist Church, and I want to invite all 01:49 of you to take advantage of a very special offer that we are 01:52 offering here this morning, and it is entitled 01:55 "The Rest of Your Life: 01:56 Everything You Need to Know About the Sabbath." 01:58 And so, many people, many Christians, 02:01 and even some non-Christians are asking the question, 02:04 "What does the Bible teach in concern to the Sabbath day 02:08 and the fourth commandment found in the Ten Commandments?" 02:10 This is one of my favorite reads, 02:12 and so please take advantage of it if you don't have it, 02:15 if you've never studied in particular about the Sabbath 02:18 and what the Bible teaches. 02:19 And you can call into the number 1-866-788-3966. 02:26 That's 1-866-788-3966. 02:30 And for those of you who may want a digital copy, 02:33 or if you're not in continental United States to be able 02:37 to receive this free offer, then you can always text it, 02:41 and the message that you want 02:42 to text in the message box is "SH086." 02:48 That's "SH086," as you see on the screen, 02:51 and you want to text that to the number 40544, 02:55 and you can receive a free digital copy 02:57 of our free offer here today. 03:01 So before we get into our study as we continue to look 03:03 at this important quarterly that's entitled "Education," 03:07 in the light of Christianity and the Bible message, 03:09 I want to ask that all of us 03:11 might be able to join together as we pray. 03:14 Father in heaven, we are thankful to be able 03:16 to come together here this morning, and for others 03:19 that are watching under different time zones 03:21 and replay of this program, Father, I want to pray that, 03:24 no matter where they're at, that You will bless them 03:26 and that You will enrich them with Your Spirit. 03:29 Father in heaven, we claim the promise that You gave 03:32 to Your Son, Jesus, that, when He left this earth, 03:34 that He would send a Comforter, 03:37 a Teacher that would guide us into all truth. 03:40 And so, Father, this morning, we want to pray that that Spirit 03:42 will truly be our Teacher today. 03:45 Father in heaven, I want to pray that I will fade 03:46 in the background, Lord, and that Your Word and Your name 03:49 will come forward, Lord, and be glorified 03:52 even as we study these important truths. 03:54 And so we worship You here this morning, Jesus. 03:57 In Jesus's name we pray these things, amen. 04:01 All right, so we are in lesson number seven, 04:04 which is "Worship in Education." 04:07 "Worship in Education." 04:09 And for many of us who have experienced Christian education 04:13 either at the academy level 04:14 or a local Seventh-day Adventist school 04:17 during your grade-school experience or, for myself, 04:19 in the different various Adventist universities 04:23 and colleges, the term "chapel" is very familiar. 04:26 In fact, if you talk about chapels or dorm worships 04:29 or afterglows and vespers, and so on, 04:32 I trust and hope that, for many of us, 04:35 that brings back some very warm memories as we look back 04:38 on our school or college and university days. 04:41 Certainly, these were organized times when the student body 04:45 came together for collective worship of the God 04:48 in whom we claim as our God and Savior. 04:51 And that's what we're looking at here today: 04:53 worship, worship in the light of Christian education. 04:58 Now, as it turns out, the Bible 05:00 has a lot to speak in regards to worship. 05:04 It is a subject that is way more exhaustive than we are able 05:07 to look at here today that the lesson study author was able 05:10 to bring us through, but certainly we're going to look 05:13 at some highlights, and I'd like to start actually by bringing us 05:17 to the very last book of the Bible, 05:19 which is the book of Revelation. 05:20 So turn with me, if you will, to Revelation chapter 14, 05:26 and as we come to the 14th chapter of Revelation, 05:28 we find there God has a three-pronged message 05:33 for the very last years of Earth's history just before 05:37 Jesus comes, and so this is a end-time, last-day message, 05:41 the last message that God has for mankind, 05:44 just before Jesus comes in deliverance and in judgment. 05:48 And those three-pronged messages are symbolized by three angelic 05:53 heavenly angels, and so when we are looking at the very first 05:57 angel, which is what we're looking at here this morning, 06:00 verses 6 and 7, it says, "Them I saw another angel flying 06:03 in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach 06:06 to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, 06:10 tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 06:13 'Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment 06:18 has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, 06:22 the sea, and springs of water.'" 06:25 And so, friends, right in the heart of the very beginning 06:28 of the very first prong or heavenly, 06:30 angelic message that God has for mankind, 06:33 just before Jesus comes--and, of course, 06:36 we can't look at the study of this in regards to His judgment 06:38 hour coming, but if we did, many of us have discovered that, 06:41 indeed, that judgment hour has begun, 06:43 and this message is relevant for our time in human history. 06:48 And at the very heart of it, we find that there was a call 06:51 from heaven for mankind to worship Him, 06:54 who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, 06:57 and the springs of water. 06:58 And so, friends, this is the course, 07:01 the very heart of our subject and topic here today, 07:05 which is that of worship, a call to worship. 07:09 Now, "worship" is an interesting word 07:11 even in the book of Revelation. 07:13 As we look at this last book of the Bible, 07:15 you will discover that the word "worship" 07:17 comes up 22 different times, and so it's a very prevalent 07:22 theme and topic throughout that last book. 07:25 When we go to one of the most critical chapters in the Bible, 07:29 which is chapter 13, we find there that the word "worship" 07:33 comes up five times. 07:35 And then, when we go to the following chapter, 07:37 Revelation 14--and I would suggest that Revelation 13 07:40 and 14, are probably the two most instrumental chapters 07:44 in the entire book of Revelation. 07:46 And when we find ourselves in 07:48 the book of Revelation chapter 14--13 and 14, 07:52 I should say, we find that there are seven times that the word 07:55 "worship" comes up, and all seven times of those, 07:58 it is warning us against the deception of the evil one, 08:01 against worshiping both Satan, as well as his biggest religious 08:05 project in all of history and the beast power 08:09 of Revelation chapter 13, warning us against both 08:13 worshiping it as well as receiving 08:15 its mark on our forehead or on our hand. 08:19 And then, of course, as we've just read 08:21 in Revelation chapter 14, the word "worship" comes up once, 08:24 where it calls for us to make the best decision, 08:27 the wisest decision, the life-giving decision 08:30 of actually worshiping the true God of heaven. 08:34 And all that the Bible tells us is wrapped up 08:37 in what true biblical worship is. 08:42 And so worship of God is very, very important. 08:47 Worship of God was first challenged 08:48 in the Garden of Eden. 08:50 When we read the 2nd chapter of Genesis, 08:53 we find there--or sorry--the 3rd chapter of Genesis, 08:56 we find there that there is an invitation by the serpent, 09:00 who is being inspired, and as a mouthpiece for Satan, 09:03 to be able to start to give our worship 09:06 to something else besides the Lord. 09:08 And, sadly, as we look at the next generation, 09:11 we find that one of the first children of Adam and Eve 09:15 also chose a different path of worship, 09:19 a path of worship that was not inspired by God 09:21 but was giving glory, rather, to the enemy of God Himself. 09:27 And as we follow through the Scriptures in the pages 09:29 of the Bible, we discover that, indeed, 09:31 God has been challenged for worship. 09:35 There has been a challenge to His throne for us to be able 09:38 to choose either the true God of heaven, to worship Him, 09:41 or worship Satan in the various different ways 09:44 in which he has developed different religions 09:46 and non-religions to be able to receive that worship himself. 09:52 Now, the Bible also reveals that God's challenge in concern 09:56 to worship of His created beings did not begin here 09:59 on this planet, but the Bible actually reveals 10:01 that this particular challenge for God's worship 10:04 began even before the foundation of this world, 10:07 before mankind came to be. 10:10 Who knows how long beforehand, 10:11 but the Bible makes it very clear that, 10:13 even before the world came to be, 10:15 that a very exalted, beautiful, and holy angel, 10:20 who originally was named Lucifer, 10:23 came to challenge God for worship 10:26 from the heavenly beings of heaven itself. 10:29 I want to read for you a quote from Isaiah chapter 14, 10:33 and verses 12 through 14, where we find one of the key 10:37 revelations in regards to that challenge for worship. 10:40 And so it goes like this: 10:42 "How you are fallen from heaven, 10:45 O Lucifer, son of the morning. 10:47 How you are cut down to the ground, 10:49 you who weakened the nations. 10:51 For you have said in your heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, 10:54 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. 10:58 I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, 11:01 on the furthest sides of the north. 11:03 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, 11:07 and I will be like the Most High.'" 11:11 And so, very clearly, we find here that Lucifer was found 11:15 with a very serious "I" problem, and, of course, 11:18 that's our problem as well. 11:20 We have inherited that since Adam and Eve first decided 11:22 to give at least some of their temporary worship to Satan, 11:26 brought sin upon this world, and ever since then, 11:30 we also are born with an "I" problem, 11:32 self-centeredness, pride, and so on. 11:35 And so we find here that Lucifer was the first originator 11:39 of this particular sin and mindset, 11:42 this kind of headspace that he found himself in. 11:45 And because he was so powerful, because he had so much 11:48 influence, and he was at the right hand of Christ 11:51 and the Father, he decided that, being at the right hand 11:55 of Christ and the Father was not enough, but, rather, 11:58 he decided that he wanted to replace Christ and/or the Father 12:02 on their throne, that he might receive the worship, 12:06 the ultimate worship of the heavenly beings, 12:08 that only Christ and the Father truly are capable of receiving 12:13 and not letting it get to their head, 12:15 and, of course, capable and deserving 12:17 of that worship as well. 12:20 And so, friends, in light of what the Bible says, 12:23 both in the last-days message that we find in Revelation, 12:26 and then also in the history book, 12:28 of the history books of the Bible, 12:30 from Genesis onward, does this make the subject of worship 12:34 a very important topic? 12:36 Well, yes, it does. It certainly does. 12:39 True worship is so central to the Christian experience 12:42 that all faithful Christian education must deal with 12:47 the question of worship. 12:49 And it is important for us, as educators, 12:52 to be able to bring our children, 12:53 both in the home as parental educators, 12:55 as well as educators in our different academies, 12:58 schools, universities, and colleges, 13:00 and to be able to help establish our children in what the Bible 13:05 teaches concerning true worship, and then to encourage them 13:09 to make that best choice that we can possibly make to worship 13:12 the Lord our God with all our heart, 13:14 our strength, and our mind. 13:17 And so that's the subject that we're looking at. 13:19 Sunday, we have some interesting things that are brought up. 13:22 So if you have your quarterly with you, 13:24 turn with me to Sunday's lesson study, 13:28 and in Sunday's lesson study, it says we all worship something. 13:35 And isn't that the truth? We all worship something. 13:38 Now, when we study human history, 13:39 it reveals that we have worshiped many different things 13:43 in various levels at different ways 13:46 under the name of "religion." 13:50 The quarterly points us back to the ancient Egyptian society 13:53 that existed in Moses's day, and we have discovered that, 13:57 indeed, there was a plethora of different gods 14:00 in which the Egyptians were found worshiping. 14:04 Pharaoh was one of them, but there was also the sun god. 14:07 There was the god of the flies. 14:09 There was the god of the frogs. 14:11 There was the god of the Nile. 14:13 And, indeed, by the way, that is--it was not by coincidence 14:16 that God, when He brought His judgment plagues upon Egypt 14:21 to be able to free Israel, that He had chosen to be able to turn 14:26 the Nile that was thought to be the greatest blessing and, 14:30 certainly, on a physical basis, was for the Egyptian society and 14:35 was the key--one of the keys--that made them 14:37 the most prosperous superpower of the world. 14:40 And so this was very important on two counts: 14:42 Number one, this was revealing, both to the Egyptians, 14:46 as well as to the Israelites, first, 14:49 to the Egyptians that their gods that they had chosen, 14:51 that they had believed, were very real, divine 14:54 deities that could bless them and prosper them 14:57 and benefit them in different ways, were actually deceptive, 15:01 false forms of worshiping gods. 15:04 And, second of all, God was then breaking the ties, 15:07 as much as He possibly could, in the hearts of the Israelites 15:10 that had been duped during the centuries 15:12 that they had been integrated into this culture that, 15:15 indeed, these different gods and their forms of worship 15:18 was something that was actually a deception, 15:21 and that God, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham and Isaac 15:26 and Jacob, is actually the God of the Nile, 15:28 that God of Jacob--of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 15:32 was the God of the frogs, 15:34 was the God of all these different entities and creatures 15:38 and beautiful things that prospered the nation of Egypt, 15:42 actually came from the true, creating God 15:44 of the Bible and of Israel. 15:47 And so there was two very important accounts, or fronts, 15:52 in which God was able to liberate as many people, 15:57 both within the Egyptians and the Israelites, 15:59 in regards to these various false gods 16:02 and various false forms of worship. 16:06 And, of course, Egypt is just an example of many nations 16:08 throughout all of history find that the vast majority 16:11 of mankind and the vast majority of all nations in all of human 16:16 recorded history is found worshiping in different 16:19 false ways towards different false gods. 16:23 It reveals that, indeed, the devil 16:25 has specialized in religion. 16:27 That is where he pours most of his energies into-- 16:32 throughout history and even is pouring vast resources 16:36 into that same project even here today. 16:41 But, of course, we live in a day and age, 16:42 especially in some countries like the United States 16:45 of America and Europe, Australia, and other developed 16:47 countries, where we find that we are leaving religion altogether. 16:52 There is a growing population of people, 16:55 especially in our educational systems, 16:58 that is grooming the newer generations to reject a God 17:02 of any kind and, instead, adopt a naturalistic, 17:06 materialistic, atheistic kind of world view and conclusion, 17:11 both in regards to our origins, our history, 17:13 our past, and then, of course, the unknown future. 17:18 But in the light of that, we can still find ourselves worshiping, 17:21 as the quarterly points out for us. 17:23 We can find ourselves worshiping ourselves. 17:26 I have to confess that I was steeped in this 17:29 before I met the Lord. 17:30 By the time I was 20 years old, I was a major worshiper 17:33 of myself: me, myself, and I, "numero uno." 17:37 This is who I looked out first and looked out for first, 17:41 and I know I wasn't alone at that point. 17:44 By God's grace, He had called me. 17:45 I had been wise enough to respond, 17:49 and that same summer, when I turned 21, 17:52 I became born again, and God had started to take my focus off 17:55 myself and started to put it upon the One who made me, 17:59 who saved me and loves me with an unending love. 18:02 And so Father--friends, I'm just so thankful for that. 18:05 So we can find ourselves worshiping ourselves. 18:08 We can find ourselves worshiping fame, 18:10 money, power, sex, rock stars, pop stars, celebrities. 18:14 Friends, there's a long list of different things and people 18:18 that we can put our worship in, and so I just want to read 18:23 a quote from the quarterly on Sunday, and that's page 57, 18:28 if you haven't opened your quarterly yet. 18:29 And it's smack-dab in the middle. 18:32 There's just one sentence that I want to read. 18:35 It says, "Whatever we love the most, 18:37 whatever we focus most of our attention on, 18:40 whatever we live for, that is what we worship." 18:44 And, friends, I think there's a lot of truth to that. 18:47 I think that really hits the nail on the head in regards 18:50 to where we can derail or where we can find ourselves, 18:55 perhaps, like myself, who was raised secular, 18:57 just experience being off the rails of worshiping 19:01 the true God, for whatever time in your life 19:04 before you meet the Lord, and so whatever we love the most. 19:10 And I brought to my mind when I read this and was studying 19:12 the quarterly for Sabbath school here today-- 19:14 and that is one of the most instrumental. 19:17 In fact, Jesus says this is the most instrumental, 19:21 most important verse in all of the Bible, 19:24 and it's found in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 5, 19:27 and it calls for us, in the midst of that 19:30 most important verse, "to love the Lord with all of our heart, 19:36 with all of our soul, and with all of our strength." 19:40 And so, friends, "This is the greatest commandment of all, 19:44 and then the second one is like it," Jesus says. 19:46 "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself." 19:48 Jesus says, "All of the law and the prophets hang on 19:50 these two greatest of all commandments, 19:53 and the greatest of the two is to love 19:54 the Lord your God with everything that you have." 19:57 Friends, this is at the very heart of worship as well, 20:00 is it not? 20:02 And so, friends, the topic that we're looking at today 20:04 is also found in the greatest commandment 20:06 and most important verse in all of the Bible. 20:11 And so love must be at the heart of our worship of the true God. 20:14 So choosing the true God is important. 20:16 Of course, you need to start with the right 20:17 and only living God, even as the Bible says, 20:20 "I am God, and there is no other." 20:21 "I am God, and there is none like Me." 20:24 God points that out in multiple places, 20:26 in multiple times throughout the Bible 20:28 that we might choose the right God. 20:30 The first commandment itself says, 20:31 "You shall have no other gods before Me." 20:33 And so God says, "Listen, I, the Lord, 20:36 the Lord God is one," and He is the only one. 20:41 And so loving and choosing that true God and then having 20:44 a foundation of real, genuine love for God 20:48 is absolutely important in true worship. 20:51 But I want to talk about something else in regards 20:53 to worship, and we can find that principle and call in some 20:57 of the first pages of the Bible. 20:58 Come with me to 1 Kings in chapter 18. 21:03 And so, again, if you have your Bibles, 21:04 I invite you to join me here this morning, 21:07 1 Kings chapter 18, and we're looking at verse 21. 21:13 1 Kings chapter 18, in verse 21, and this is in the setting 21:19 of one of the greatest, most biggest milestones 21:23 in the history of all of Israel. 21:24 Israel had found themselves derailed 21:27 as a nation in a very serious way. 21:29 The king and its queen had led the way in derailing the country 21:32 from worshiping the true God, and not only did they start 21:36 to worship the false god of Baal and Moloch, 21:39 and a number of different false--Ashtoreth, and so on. 21:44 You know, they also found themselves leaving 21:47 the Scriptures, leaving the commandments of God, 21:50 and worshiping this other god. 21:53 And so God had brought it to head through one 21:56 of His most important and greatest prophets of history, 21:58 and that is the prophet Elijah. 22:01 And so Elijah comes out of hiding because the king 22:04 was after his head after he had declared God's declaration 22:08 that they would not have rain upon the land, 22:10 and they didn't for three years. 22:11 And so there's a serious drought upon the land. 22:14 They were suffering physically in a very real way, 22:17 and Elijah says, "Let's meet on the top of Mount Carmel," 22:20 one of the mountains in the vicinity 22:23 of Galilee in northern Israel. 22:26 And so they met there, and so as Elijah was having this great 22:31 showdown between the false god Baal and the true God, 22:36 Yahweh, the God of Israel, we find there that Elijah, 22:41 as he addresses the people, starts with this declaration. 22:44 "He says, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? 22:47 If the Lord is God, follow Him. 22:51 But if Baal, follow him.' 22:54 But the people answered him not a word." 22:56 Now, they did answer the Lord in that call 22:58 when it all came to its conclusion. 23:00 A fire came down from heaven. 23:02 It consumed the sacrifice that Elijah had set up-- 23:05 had soaked with water, and God supernaturally, 23:09 very powerfully consumed not only that sacrifice, 23:11 but all the rocks and the water 23:13 that that sacrifice was laid upon. 23:17 But what we want to pick up here in the context of this 23:20 very powerful story is those first words that Elijah shared 23:23 with the people of Israel, and he's saying, 23:25 "Listen, if the Lord is God--" it just doesn't say, 23:28 "Believe in Him, and believe that He exists." 23:31 It actually says, "If the Lord is God, follow Him." 23:35 And, friends, I fear that this has been all too lost in much 23:39 of what is called "Christianity" today. 23:44 We need to follow God. 23:45 This is part of our worship, and it points us to who is our final 23:50 authority, and this is what Elijah was inspired to challenge 23:54 the people with, not to believe only that Yahweh exists, 23:57 and Baal doesn't, but also to choose to worship Him 24:01 by choosing Him as our ultimate authority, 24:04 that we will follow Him wherever He tells us to go, 24:08 that He is the Master of our life, 24:10 that He is the Lord of our life. 24:12 You know, so often as Christians, 24:14 I think we refer to Jesus and God as "our Lord" 24:16 or as "the Lord," but we've forgotten 24:19 what "Lord" actually means. 24:21 Means that He is the Master of your life, 24:24 that He is the final say, that He is the final authority 24:27 in regards to what is truth, in regards to doctrine, 24:30 as well as regards to direction for your life. 24:34 Friends, I know that many have started to experience 24:37 that already, even as I've had the privilege of experiencing, 24:40 but if you haven't experienced that, 24:42 I want to encourage you to respond to these words 24:46 that God has brought to us through Elijah, 24:48 that if Yahweh, the God of the Bible, is truly God, 24:51 then we need to believe in His existence. 24:52 Yes, we need to choose Him of all the plethora of gods that we 24:56 can choose from, but then we also must choose to follow Him 25:01 and surrender our lives and our hearts to Him. 25:03 And when we do that, friends, we will never be the same, 25:05 I guarantee you. 25:07 I experienced it when I was first turning 21 that summer, 25:10 and I've experienced it now for the last 30-something years. 25:13 God is truly alive and well, and the God of the Bible is the One 25:19 that changes our heart and works with us in a very real way. 25:24 Now, in Revelation chapter 14, verse 4, 25:27 as God is describing those who are faithful and choose the God 25:31 and follow Him, even as Elijah had challenged his generation 25:34 of Israel to follow, we find that it says this key sentence. 25:38 It says, "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever 25:41 he goes," and so, friends, we find it in the first books 25:44 of the Bible as we looked at 1 Kings chapter 18, 25:47 but we also find it in the very last chapters in the last book 25:51 of the Bible, in which God calls us to follow the Lamb, 25:55 wherever He goes. 25:57 Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior, 26:00 as your Lord, as the One in whom you've chosen, 26:03 not only to believe exists, but that you've put your life 26:07 in the hands of the Almighty and that you have come to discover 26:11 that, indeed, he loves you and will change you and strengthen 26:15 you and give you that abundant life that Jesus 26:18 talked about that He came to give? 26:22 Friends, the devil has convinced too many of us that worship 26:25 is limited to only singing, praying, and attending church. 26:29 And I don't want to say that in such a way that it diminishes 26:32 those essential elements that God has clearly modeled both 26:36 through His New Testament Church and the Old Testament, 26:38 as well as given us instructions that we are to have 26:41 a holy convocation, that we are to gather together as believers 26:44 and to be able to worship the Lord and lift Him up, 26:47 that we are to sing our praises as one. 26:50 And it tells us, even Isaiah 66, that "From every new moon 26:54 and from every Sabbath to Sabbath, 26:56 that we will come together," friends, and we will find 26:58 ourselves worshiping on the Sabbath day 27:01 collectively before the Lord. 27:03 And so this is an important element, 27:05 but, again, I believe that the devil has convinced too many 27:07 of us, as Christians, that that's the beginning and the end 27:10 of what we call "worship," of what God calls worship. 27:14 But, friends, we've already started to discover 27:16 in the Bible that that's just not true. 27:18 Jesus said it the strongest when He was preaching 27:21 the greatest sermon that was ever preached 27:23 on the Mount of Olives, and as He was preaching 27:26 that great inauguration sermon before the hearers that day, 27:30 God had made certain that every word was recorded for you and I. 27:34 And as we come to the concluding words of that great sermon 27:37 in verse 21 of the 7th chapter of Matthew, again, 27:41 that's Matthew chapter 7, starting with verse 21 27:44 through verse 24, I read it again here this morning. 27:47 It says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 27:49 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 27:52 but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. 27:56 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, 27:59 have we not prophesied in Your name, 28:01 cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders 28:05 in Your name?'" 28:06 And, friends, these are church-going, active, 28:09 worshiping Christians, yes or no? 28:12 Sure, it is. 28:13 Okay, friends, these are people that use the name of Jesus 28:16 on a regular basis. 28:17 These are people that are in church on a regular basis. 28:21 Verse 23, Jesus sadly says, "Then I will declare to them, 28:24 'I never knew you. 28:26 Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" 28:30 You see, friends, they had chosen a different authority, 28:34 maybe themselves, maybe it was the culture 28:36 and their peer pressure and their family 28:38 traditions and morals and ethics, friends. 28:42 But God has told us that 28:44 when we truly make Jesus our Lord and our Savior, 28:47 when we truly give Him all of our worship and love Him 28:49 with all of our strength, of all of our heart and with all 28:53 of our soul, that, friends, then it is then that we find 28:57 ourselves in a right place. 29:01 If our worship service doesn't include an attitude 29:03 of surrendered obedience to God's law and sayings, 29:08 Jesus tells us in that same passage, 29:10 we are still lost and without the Spirit of God. 29:15 And so being active, churchgoing, worshiping 29:17 Christians doesn't guarantee our salvation. 29:21 Peter said it another way. 29:23 He said it very succinctly and very clearly, 29:25 for you and I, in Acts chapter 5, in verse 32, 29:28 when he stated before the religious leaders 29:30 of Israel of his day that had called them on the carpet 29:33 and were trying to force them and have them stop preaching 29:38 in the name of Jesus and the gospel of Christ, 29:41 and he said to them, "We are His witnesses--" 29:44 "His," with a capital H, that's Jesus. 29:46 "We are Christ's witnesses to these things, 29:48 and so also is the Holy Spirit, 29:50 whom God has given to those who obey Him." 29:55 And so here Peter is, again, reiterating the fact that the 29:58 Holy Spirit in the life of a believer can only come-- 30:01 and the life of a human being can only exist 30:04 when we surrender everything before Him. 30:07 And so, friends, our whole entire life experience must be 30:10 an experience of worship, not just during those hours 30:13 in chapels or dorm worships 30:15 or church services on Sabbath or Sunday mornings. 30:21 In Daniel chapter 3, we find that--the quarterly points us to 30:25 some very faithful Jewish friends of Daniel, 30:29 and these particular three friends find themselves 30:32 in a very difficult situation in regards to their authority-- 30:35 in regards to their God's authority 30:38 in their life and their worship of God. 30:42 And so, of course, we don't have time to read the entire story, 30:46 but to put it in a nutshell, the king of Babylon, 30:49 in which they were servants and slaves and captives, 30:52 found themselves serving in the king's court, 30:55 and because of that, they, as well as every single important 30:59 name, leader, judge, and so on, that existed throughout all 31:03 of the entire vast empire of Babylon, 31:05 was called together and, in one collective service, 31:09 under the signal of a great orchestra of music, 31:13 was to bow down there on the Plains of Dura before this great 31:17 golden image that we can only assume is that 31:20 of the great King Nebuchadnezzar himself. 31:23 And so as Nebuchadnezzar was having this worship service 31:26 that was not extracurricular--it was not an option for those 31:30 who were the leaders and the biggest names in Babylon, 31:34 but, rather, it was a required activity. 31:37 And he had a very hot furnace to be able to enforce that 31:40 and to encourage you to be able to follow his commands. 31:44 We find that three of those Jewish people, 31:46 those Jewish young men, the friends of Daniel, 31:48 found themselves forced to be able to decide 31:52 "Who is my ultimate authority? 31:54 Who do I truly worship and love from my heart?" 31:58 And once they had determined that, indeed, 32:00 the God of Israel was the only God in whom 32:02 they would worship, and as they recollected those first two 32:06 great commandments of the Ten Commandments that God 32:09 had given to them, and as they recalled that God had said, 32:12 "You shall have no other gods before Me," 32:14 and as they recalled that the second commandment 32:16 had told them, as well, straight from the Lord Himself, 32:19 "You shall not make for yourselves any carved image 32:21 of anything of the likeness of anything in heaven, 32:23 on earth, or under the earth. 32:25 You shall not bow down to them and worship them." 32:28 And so, friends, as they recounted those two 32:30 great commandments, and as they regarded their love 32:32 and their surrender before the Lord and the surrendered 32:36 obedience that they had given to them, they decided 32:38 that no matter what comes before them, 32:41 whether they are incinerated in the furnace or whether the Lord 32:44 delivers them that day, 32:45 they would not bow down and worship that image. 32:49 Friends, this is one of the most powerful examples that we have 32:52 in all of Scripture that helps us to--and models for us 32:56 that we must follow God no matter where He asks us to go. 33:02 Friends, history is full of millions of faithful followers 33:06 of Christ that, unlike those three Hebrews 33:09 that were miraculously delivered as many have been delivered 33:14 over history, but, friends, history books has millions 33:17 on the records in which they were incinerated, 33:20 in which they were burnt at the stake, 33:22 in which they were found and finding themselves dying 33:24 on a cross as they were crucified as the Lord had been, 33:28 and dying in dungeons 33:30 from starvation and deprivation, and so on. 33:32 Lord, there is--friends, there is a plethora of martyrs 33:37 throughout history that have revealed that God 33:40 was the one that they had decided to worship 33:43 with their heart no matter where that consequence might be. 33:46 And, friends, I look forward to meeting and eating 33:50 and fellowshipping with those martyrs when Jesus comes 33:54 and the resurrection of life takes place, 33:56 and we are able to eat with our Lord around the table, 33:59 and they can tell their stories and how the Holy Spirit 34:02 and God's presence had strengthened them when 34:04 they had made that decision, when we can sit down 34:07 with the three Hebrew faithfuls that day and be able to share 34:10 some of the details that the Bible 34:12 is not able to record for us even today. 34:17 Well, then we go to Monday's lesson, 34:19 and Monday's lesson is interesting because 34:20 it points us to a Psalm, Psalm 78, 34:23 and it's a psalm of praise. 34:25 It's a psalm of worship. 34:27 I think it was the chief of the singing Levites, 34:30 Asaph, that had been inspired to write that particular psalm. 34:36 And as the quarterly points out, a psalm in the original Hebrew 34:40 actually means "songs of praise." 34:43 And even today, if we were to modernize that word, 34:46 "psalms," it's actually an outdated English word 34:48 that literally means "songs." 34:51 And so, friends, this is a beautiful, 34:54 inspired book that covers, just, a whole range of life 34:59 experiences and faith 35:01 and struggles and victories, and so on. 35:03 But in the midst of it, we find Psalm 78, 35:08 and in Psalm 78, I'm just going to read two verses 35:12 because it's just--these passages are just too long 35:14 for us to be able to cover here this morning. 35:16 But if you haven't read it all, I encourage you to read at all. 35:20 Versus in 5 and 7, is where I'd like to point out 35:22 and focus here this morning. 35:23 It says, "For He established a testimony in Jacob, 35:26 and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, 35:31 that they should make them known to their children, 35:35 that the generation to come might know them, 35:38 the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare 35:42 them to their children--" 35:44 Sounds a whole lot like Christian education, doesn't it? 35:46 That they might know them, passing on knowledge. 35:50 And it tells us that we bring it to our children-- 35:54 "that they might set their hope in God--" 35:56 this is the ultimate hope. 35:57 This is the ultimate goal as the quarterly asks us that question, 36:00 "What is the goal of this psalm?" 36:02 "What is the goal of worship?" 36:04 and "What is the goal of Christian education?"-- 36:07 "that they might set their hope in God, 36:09 and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." 36:12 And so, friends, when we establish those roots 36:16 with our children and help them to know both the law of God 36:19 as it points out His commandments, to be sure, 36:22 but in addition to that, also history, 36:25 Christian history, Seventh-day Adventist history, 36:29 sharing with them the different stories of how God had delivered 36:32 them and had led them in some very powerful ways. 36:35 Friends, there is some of the most fascinating history 36:38 that you can find, both in the history of the Christian church 36:40 in general, and then also in the history 36:42 of the Seventh-day Adventist prophetic movement 36:45 that we're involved in here as well-- 36:48 powerful stories of how God had allowed this small, 36:51 fledgling group of believers to take these new truths, 36:55 including the Sabbath of the Ten Commandment, 36:57 and to be able to establish themselves and expand 37:00 to the point now where they--the Seventh-day Adventist movement 37:03 is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, 37:07 and it is the fastest-growing denomination 37:10 in the world today as well. 37:13 It has one of the largest, by far, 37:15 educational systems, Christian educational systems, 37:17 and medical and hospital systems across the world. 37:21 And so teaching our children these histories of-- 37:24 these history stories about how God has led in the past can be 37:28 so helpful for helping our children just set their hope 37:31 in God and know that He is still living today, 37:34 that He didn't just live in Moses's day, 37:37 that He wasn't just alive during the days of Christ, 37:39 some 2,000 years ago. 37:40 He is still alive and willing to work in your life today. 37:44 And so, friends, I want to encourage you to teach 37:48 our children, both in our schools and in our homes. 37:51 And, friends, I'm not sure if we've covered that in this 37:54 quarterly yet--I'm sure it will--of the importance 37:57 of the home being the first and primary place 38:02 of where children receive their Christian education. 38:06 Well, in our last few minutes, we'll look at Tuesday's lesson, 38:09 and this is one of my favorite encounters that Jesus 38:12 had with someone while He was on this planet. 38:14 In this case, it was a Samaritan woman, 38:16 and while this particular Samaritan woman 38:19 was having this life-changing encounter with Jesus-- 38:23 and, again, time does not permit us to be able to look 38:26 at the whole story, but as she was having this life-changing 38:28 encounter with Jesus beside a famous historical well 38:32 that Jacob himself once owned, we find there that she starts 38:35 to bring up the subject of worship, and because 38:38 that's our subject here today, I think it is something 38:40 that could be helpful for us in regards to true worship. 38:44 So come with me to John chapter 4. 38:48 We'll go to the gospel of John chapter 4, 38:50 and we're going to pick it up with verse 20. 38:52 John chapter 4, and we're going to pick it up with verse 20, 38:57 and, again, this is where the Samaritan woman 38:59 brings up the subject of worship. 39:02 She says, "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain--" 39:05 okay, and Mount Gerizim, if I remember correctly, 39:09 is the mountain there by Sychar, her city, 39:11 and the well of Jacob. 39:12 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain." 39:15 Now, when she says their fathers, she's talking about 39:18 this is Jacob's well, we have to remember, 39:20 and this is the land, as the Bible says in the same chapter, 39:24 that Jacob gave to his son Joseph, 39:28 and so, friends, there's a deep heritage, 39:30 the patriarchs of the Jewish people, 39:33 the patriarchs of the great nation of Israel that came out 39:35 from their genetic pool and reproduction, friends. 39:38 It is them that worshiped on that mountain in many centuries 39:42 past, and she points that out in pride, 39:46 in religious and heretical--not heretical, 39:49 but as a prideful heritage. 39:51 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, 39:53 and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place 39:56 in where one ought to worship." 39:58 And so this, she points out another contentious issue 40:00 that was feeding this enmity and this hatred between the Jews 40:04 and the Samaritans, and so the Samaritans continued to point 40:09 to Sychar and Jacob's well is the ultimate place to worship 40:12 God if you were to pick a spot, and the Jews say, 40:15 "No, no, the temple, the holy temple of God." 40:17 The Shekinah Glory that was once found, 40:20 sadly, was not during the days of Christ and during 40:22 this encounter, but used to actually dwell 40:24 in the inner chamber, the most holy place of the temple, 40:27 the holy city and capital of Israel. 40:29 "This is where you must worship." 40:32 Jesus doesn't take the bait. 40:34 He doesn't fall into this contentious issue 40:38 but simply says, "Woman, believe Me--" and, by the way, 40:41 when He says, "Woman," just as He said to His mother earlier, 40:43 you know, this was a term of respect. 40:46 It's like saying, "Ma'am." 40:48 "Believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither 40:51 on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father." 40:55 So Jesus is saying, "Listen, actually, 40:56 both are going to become irrelevant very quickly." 41:00 Verse 22, "You worship what you do not know, 41:02 but we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." 41:05 So He does very tactfully and then directly say, 41:08 you know, actually, the Jews are right on this account, 41:10 but you know what? 41:11 This is a non-issue starting very quickly here anyway, 41:15 and so let's talk about worship from the heart 41:18 and what true worship really is in the first place. 41:21 Verse 23, it says, "But the hour is coming, 41:24 and now is, when the true worshipers will worship 41:27 the Father in spirit and truth, 41:31 for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 41:36 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him 41:39 must worship in spirit and truth." 41:43 And so Jesus is saying, listen, one day it won't matter 41:45 what part of the planet you're on. 41:47 The main thing is that you're worshiping with these 41:49 two key elements, the Spirit and in truth. 41:54 And so, friends, these two elements are critical. 41:57 Now, I just appreciate the way that the author has pointed out 42:00 the fact that too often, as Christians, 42:02 we have been sold into buying exclusively one or the other. 42:07 Either we're just really into the spirit, 42:10 and truth and doctrine is really irrelevant or kind of falls 42:13 into the background and backdrop, and, 42:16 really, it's all about having the Holy Spirit 42:19 and how he makes you feel, 42:20 and so we become a very emotional-kind-of-based, 42:23 kind of Christian experience. 42:25 And Jesus here is pointing out to the woman, 42:28 as well as you and I, that if we stop simply only with seeking 42:33 the Holy Spirit, then we're going to find ourselves 42:36 in deep trouble very quickly. 42:38 And so having the Spirit only is not the answer. 42:43 Having Bible truth intellectually 42:47 is also a problem, and we find that played out 42:50 with the Pharisees, as well as many other Jews, 42:52 religious Jews, during Jesus's day. 42:54 They took great pride in having 42:57 deep knowledge of the Scriptures of God. 43:00 When King Herod came to the Jewish scholars and the scribes 43:04 of Jerusalem in his day when the wise men came in and said, 43:07 "Where is the Messiah, the King of the Jews? 43:08 We have seen His star"-- and so he asked, 43:10 you know, he asked the scholars, 43:13 "Where is the Messiah to be born?" 43:15 They didn't have to go to the concordance. 43:16 They didn't have to look it up. 43:18 They just said--well, it says in Micah chapter 3, 43:20 I think it is verse 2, or something to that effect, 43:22 and, you know-- "In Bethlehem of Ephrathah will He come from," 43:27 and so they knew their Scriptures very well, 43:29 and so intellectually they were very 43:32 well acquainted with the Scriptures. 43:33 They knew vast--some of them knew vast passages by memory, 43:38 but, friends, they had made the mistake of missing 43:41 the Spirit in their life. 43:43 And so, friends, they had a lot of truth, 43:46 but the truth, Bible truth, 43:48 even Bible truth without the Holy Spirit 43:50 leads to a very dangerous spot as well. 43:53 We can find ourselves into a legalistic self-righteousness 43:56 that Paul says was the demise of his previous experience 44:00 and the demise of many, 44:02 the bulk of religious Jews of his generation as well. 44:06 And so Jesus very helpfully points out to us that we need 44:10 to have both, and I just appreciate the quote 44:16 from "Desire of Ages," 44:17 as given to us on Tuesday's lesson, so, 44:20 if you have your quarterly, you can follow along with me. 44:23 If not, we can--I'll read it out loud here. 44:26 That's on page 59. 44:28 And right around the middle or just below the middle there, 44:30 there's the quote, and it says, 44:32 "The religion that comes from God 44:33 is the only religion that will lead to God. 44:36 In order to serve him right, 44:38 we must be born of the divine Spirit. 44:41 This will purify the heart and renew the mind, 44:45 giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. 44:49 It will give us a willing obedience 44:50 to all his requirements. 44:52 This is true worship. 44:55 It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit." 45:00 And so, friends, we want to make sure that we don't fall 45:03 into that kind of intellectual, self-righteous, 45:05 legalistic experience that God 45:07 is trying to protect us from as well. 45:11 And then, again, I want to quote just from the author itself 45:14 of the quarterly in the very last couple of sentences there, 45:17 and he says, "Spirit without truth can lead to shallow, 45:20 sentimentalism that's built more on fickle emotion 45:23 than on anything else. 45:25 In contrast, truth without Spirit can lead to a lifeless 45:29 formalism and, hence, we need both." 45:33 And that's what Jesus is teaching the woman 45:35 at the well that day, and, of course, God had made sure 45:37 that it was recorded, that He might be able to 45:40 instruct us as well. 45:44 Well, we just have a minute or two left in our study here 45:47 this morning, so we won't be able to look at everything 45:49 that the quarterly covers, and, of course, 45:52 I always have more that I'm hoping to share 45:54 than I'm ever able to share, but, friends, I just want to 45:57 encourage you, if you haven't gone through the quarterly, 45:59 to make your way through that and make sure 46:02 that you get everything you possibly can out of it. 46:05 And so there is a quote that is found on Wednesday's study, 46:11 so let's close with that particular quote, 46:16 and that is in 1 Chronicles chapter 16, and verse 29. 46:22 So, of course, you can find it in your Bibles. 46:23 It's also in the quarterly itself. 46:25 It says, "Give to the LORD the glory due His name; 46:27 Bring an offering, and come before Him. 46:30 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!" 46:36 And so, friends, the question is asked, 46:38 "What does that mean, 'the beauty of holiness'?" 46:42 Friends, God is holy. 46:44 You know, there's a statement that's repeated more than once, 46:47 many times throughout the Bible in regards to God's character, 46:50 and that is "God is holy," and that "God is love." 46:54 And in this case, it's talking about the beauty of holiness. 46:58 Friends, once you have the Holy Spirit, 46:59 and you're interested in surrender before the true God 47:02 and Savior of the world, friends, 47:04 it is at that point that God's holiness is beautiful 47:09 and that you be able to see it in all of its glorious light. 47:12 And, you know, I was at a conference once-- 47:14 and I'll close with this. 47:17 I was at a big conference with pastors, 47:19 thousands of pastors there. 47:20 There was a prominent professor. 47:21 I think the other speaker in one of the seminars 47:24 was a professor as well, perhaps a pastor. 47:26 And they had different presentations. 47:28 One was that the foundational truth about God's character 47:30 is that God is holy, and the other one said the foundational 47:33 primary factor of God's character is that He is love. 47:37 And so there was this kind of battle that took place 47:40 throughout those couple of days, you know: 47:41 Is God being love first and foremost, 47:44 or is God being holy first and foremost? 47:46 And as I've thought and kind of ruminated on that, 47:50 I'd like to suggest that they're not exclusive 47:53 one to another, but rather, they are very synonymous: 47:57 God's holiness is full of pure love and the fact that God 48:01 is pure love, and all of that love is truly holiness. 48:05 And I think we make the mistake if we tried to separate the two. 48:09 The two are inseparably connected one to another. 48:13 God's love is pure holiness, 48:14 and God's pure holiness is pure love. 48:17 And so, friends, we're going to have to close it 48:20 with that here today. 48:21 Don't forget to take advantage of our free offer that we made 48:25 at the beginning of the program. 48:27 Some of us had missed that particular free offer, 48:29 so I'm going to just say quickly here again, 48:32 "The Rest of Your Life: 48:33 Everything You Need to Know About the Sabbath." 48:35 And so this is one of the best reads and studies 48:38 that you can find concerning the fourth commandment, 48:40 Sabbath, the seventh-day Sabbath of the Bible, 48:42 and so just call in to 1-866-788-3966, 48:47 as you see on the screen, and ask for free offer number 813, 48:50 and if you want to get a digital download of that, 48:53 you can from your digital devices, 48:54 your phone, in particular, by texting the code "SH086." 49:00 So, again, you put that in your message box of your text app, 49:03 and then you want to text that to the number 40544. 49:09 And you can receive a free digital copy. 49:12 Again, friends, thank you for joining us here again. 49:14 We look forward to seeing you next week as we continue 49:17 to study through this important subject of Christian education. 49:24 male announcer: Don't forget to request 49:25 today's life-changing free resource. 49:27 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 49:30 you can download a digital copy straight 49:31 to your computer or mobile device. 49:33 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 49:36 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544, 49:40 or visit the web address shown on your screen, 49:43 and be sure to select the digital download option 49:45 on the request page. 49:47 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word 49:50 with Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want, 49:53 and most important, to share it with others. 49:58 announcer: The statistics are grim. 50:00 Millions have been infected by coronavirus. 50:02 Thousands have died. 50:04 Race riots have broken out on streets. 50:06 Political tensions are at an all-time high. 50:09 Does the Bible have anything to say about the times 50:12 in which we are living? 50:13 Doug Batchelor: Hi, friends, this is Pastor Doug Batchelor. 50:16 Many people are wondering if the world's about to implode. 50:20 Some are fearful that global events point to a coming crisis 50:23 unlike anything we've ever witnessed. 50:26 Did you know the Bible book of Revelation actually speaks 50:29 about the days in which we're living now? 50:32 And it contains a message of hope if we would only listen. 50:36 That's why I'd like to invite you to "Revelation Now! 50:39 Decoding the Bible's Greatest Prophecies." 50:42 In this multipart series, I'll be sharing relevant truths 50:45 for our time from the last book in the Bible. 50:48 announcer: Coming October 23. 50:50 To learn more, visit revelationnow.com. 50:54 ♪♪♪ 51:02 announcer: "Amazing Facts Changed Lives." 51:12 Steve Johnson: I was heading south on Interstate 5. 51:15 This commercial come on KFBK radio 51:18 about a Revelation seminar by Amazing Facts. 51:20 I began--my chest began to tighten up. 51:24 I began sweating profusely. I had difficulty in breathing. 51:28 There was this big rest area, and at this time, 51:31 I pulled into there, I thought, "Well, maybe 51:33 I'm having a heart attack." 51:35 I got out of my truck, walked into the men's restroom there 51:39 and put cold water on my face, and then, 51:41 finally, things subsided. 51:43 A week later, again, I heard this Amazing Facts commercial 51:47 come on the radio. 51:48 In fact, the meetings were going to start that very night. 51:50 And, again, immediately I had these same symptoms. 51:54 I thought, "You know, this isn't my heart. 51:56 I have to go to that meeting." 51:58 And as I was going down to Sacramento, 52:00 I decided to park and go inside. 52:03 Well, I got in and walked into the furthermost rear seat they 52:08 had in the pew there, and this particular evangelist, 52:15 his name was Kim Kjaer. 52:16 It was like taking one layer off at a time of an onion. 52:21 He laid it out so perfectly that we could all understand it, 52:24 and I was really motivated. 52:25 I couldn't believe it. 52:26 Well, I finished. I didn't miss a meeting. 52:28 In fact, on the fifth night, they had an altar call, 52:32 and my knees stood right up, and I walked forward, 52:35 and I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. 52:38 I've learned throughout this whole thing that 52:40 when you leave the devil's territory, 52:44 he gets pretty active in causing a lot of problems. 52:48 Well, I had the evangelist come out, 52:51 and they had prayer with me about my business. 52:53 I would find a sick business and make it well, 52:56 and then market it. 52:58 I finally ended up with a business that I really enjoyed 53:01 that was one that was building equestrian centers. 53:05 And they said to me, "Steve," he said, 53:07 "you know, if you're going to really keep the Sabbath, 53:09 you've got to shut your doors on the Sabbath." 53:12 Well, I did, and so I sold the business to my brother. 53:15 Took me 22 years to build that business, 53:18 and he lost it in 33 months. 53:21 My son, who was my business partner, 53:23 I've been giving him 10% of the business every year. 53:27 He thought I'd just fallen off the bridge. 53:31 My son didn't talk to me for 5 1/2 years, 53:35 and then a few other things happened. 53:37 So I had an ex-employee living in my guest house. 53:39 He kind of watched after our place, 53:42 and he said, "Steve," he said, "there's an Allied moving van 53:46 backed up to your front door in your home." 53:48 I said, "You're kidding." I said, "What do you mean?" 53:51 He said, "They're moving everything out of your house 53:53 into this truck, and your wife is out there supervising them." 53:57 And when I went home and opened the front door, 53:59 my voice echoed in that house. 54:01 There wasn't any furniture left anywhere. 54:03 There was one bed left in the house. 54:06 I knew my wife was upset because of my coming to this church, 54:11 but I had no idea that she would move out like this. 54:14 That was a total shock to me. 54:16 It was some time there, I locked myself in the bedroom, 54:19 and I began reading the Bible. 54:21 It's been about a half a year, just 54:23 every night, getting home, and I would study. 54:27 It allowed me to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 54:31 Well, to make a long story short, 54:33 I met Crystal, and she was a godly woman. 54:37 That was the Lord's doing, not mine, 54:39 and He was just there to let me know that 54:41 "I'm with you all the way. 54:43 Even though you're going to have some trials and you're going 54:45 to have some hardships, I want you to know 54:47 that I'll be with you," because no matter what I do know, 54:52 He is my leader. 54:54 He's the leader of my marriage, 54:55 He's the leader of everything in my life today. 54:58 That one meeting with the Amazing Facts seminar 55:00 changed my entire life, and to this day, 55:04 I'm still on fire for God. 55:06 I'm still witnessing to my neighbors. 55:08 My name is Steve Johnson, and it's because of you 55:10 that Amazing Facts has changed my life. 55:14 ♪♪♪ 55:21 ♪♪♪ 55:31 ♪♪♪ 55:33 Doug: Port Royal, here in Jamaica, 55:35 was once considered the most wicked city in the world. 55:38 They had more bars and brothels per square foot 55:40 than any other place on the planet. 55:42 It was said to be just full of cutthroats and pirates, 55:45 but during this time, the King of France, 55:48 Louie XIV, he began to persecute the Protestants 55:51 and the Huguenots in the kingdom, and many fled. 55:53 That's when Lewis Galdy and his brother Laurent 55:56 came to Port Royal. 55:58 ♪♪♪ 56:00 Doug: When Lewis Galdy arrived, 56:02 he was absolutely dumbfounded at the unrestrained immorality, 56:05 violence, and extravagance that filled Port Royal. 56:08 That's why nobody was surprised 56:09 when the judgment of God finally happened. 56:12 Just before noon, June 7, 1692, there was a massive earthquake 56:17 that affected the whole island, Port Royal in particular. 56:20 Two-thirds of it slid into the sea. 56:23 Then came a tsunami. Thousands perished. 56:25 Unfortunately, even Lewis Galdy was swallowed up 56:29 in the earthquake. 56:34 Doug: You know, much of Jamaica is a rock, 56:35 but Port Royal was built on the sand, 56:37 and so, when the earthquake struck, 56:39 the sand virtually liquified, swallowing much of the city 56:42 and thousands of people. 56:44 Lewis Galdy was buried alive, but while underground, 56:48 he was still conscious, and he prayed. 56:51 He resigned himself to his fate, prayed to the Lord, 56:53 and then another miracle happened. 56:55 There was an aftershock with a volcanic activity that exploded, 56:59 blowing Lewis Galdy out of the earth, 57:02 hundreds of yards off into the sea, 57:03 where he had a pretty hard landing, 57:05 but he was able to swim until he was rescued. 57:08 Lewis Galdy dedicated the remaining 47 years of his life 57:12 to serving Jesus in this island, 57:14 and he's even buried here still today. 57:16 ♪♪♪ 57:21 Doug: You know, the Bible tells us, 57:22 just before Jesus comes back, conditions in the world will be 57:25 very much like they were in Sodom and in Port Royal. 57:28 There's going to be a tremendous earthquake, 57:30 and even islands will be swallowed up. 57:31 But God's people don't need to be afraid. 57:33 The same way that the Lord took care of Lewis Galdy, 57:36 He will take care of you. 57:38 It says in Psalm 91, that you might see a thousand fall 57:41 at your side or ten thousand at your right hand, 57:43 but only with your eyes will you see 57:45 and behold the destruction of the wicked. 57:47 He can protect you and resurrect you. 57:49 ♪♪♪ 58:01 ♪♪♪ 58:11 ♪♪♪ 58:16 ♪♪♪ 58:24 CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 abercap.com |
Revised 2020-11-10