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00:06 ♪♪♪ 00:12 ♪♪♪ 00:22 ♪♪♪ 00:35 male: Good morning, everybody, and welcome 00:38 and happy Sabbath to those here live with us at the 00:41 Granite Bay Hilltop Seventh-day Adventist Church, and those of 00:44 you who are watching online, 00:46 we want to welcome you to our program, 00:48 our Sabbath School this morning. 00:50 We have a very delightful and very enriching 00:54 Sabbath School lesson. 00:55 We are on lesson 7 of this particular quarter, 01:00 and it's on "Jesus, Anchor of Our Soul." 01:03 Our teacher today is going to be Pastor Shawn Brummund, 01:07 and we have a free offer for you, 01:08 and the free offer is, "Can a Saved Man Choose to Be Lost?" 01:12 And if you call 1-866-788-3966--that's 01:18 1-866-Study-More--ask for Offer 112. 01:24 If you're in the US, you can also text "SH016" 01:28 to number 40544. 01:31 If you're outside the US, you can go to study.aftv.org/--or 01:39 backslash--SH016. 01:42 Once again, we want to welcome you, 01:44 and I also want to welcome this group that's standing behind me, 01:48 which is the Jefferson Christian Academy Bell Choir. 01:52 I've known them for quite a while because, prior to coming 01:55 to Amazing Facts, I was the pastor of that church, 01:58 and my wife was a principal there. 02:00 And they have a--beautiful music for you this morning. 02:04 And then for the worship service, 02:06 they'll have two numbers for you. 02:07 So, at this time, Jefferson Christian Academy Bell Choir. 02:13 ♪♪♪ 02:23 ♪♪♪ 02:33 ♪♪♪ 02:43 ♪♪♪ 02:53 ♪♪♪ 03:03 ♪♪♪ 03:13 ♪♪♪ 03:23 ♪♪♪ 03:33 ♪♪♪ 03:43 ♪♪♪ 03:53 ♪♪♪ 04:03 ♪♪♪ 04:13 ♪♪♪ 04:23 ♪♪♪ 04:33 ♪♪♪ 04:43 ♪♪♪ 04:53 ♪♪♪ 05:03 ♪♪♪ 05:13 ♪♪♪ 05:23 ♪♪♪ 05:33 ♪♪♪ 05:43 ♪♪♪ 05:53 ♪♪♪ 06:03 ♪♪♪ 06:13 ♪♪♪ 06:23 ♪♪♪ 06:33 ♪♪♪ 06:43 ♪♪♪ 06:53 ♪♪♪ 07:03 ♪♪♪ 07:13 ♪♪♪ 07:23 ♪♪♪ 07:28 ♪♪♪ 07:38 ♪♪♪ 07:52 Shawn Brummund: I love the book of Hebrews. 07:54 Are you enjoying the book of Hebrews? 07:56 Yes, the book of Hebrews is one of the deepest. 07:59 You know, the book of Romans, it gets so much attention. 08:03 And, you know, it is known and is famous for being the deepest 08:08 gospel book that you can find in all of the New Testament. 08:12 And it is one, by far, a champion of the gospel. 08:17 But over the years, as I have studied the book of Hebrews, 08:21 it has been my experience that Hebrews is a very even match. 08:25 I have decided that there is a tie between those two books. 08:29 Hebrews is a powerful book on the gospel of Jesus Christ. 08:33 And again, I put my vote in and say that Hebrews is just as 08:37 powerful a gospel book in the New Testament 08:40 as that of Hebrews. 08:42 It is a book that lifts up Jesus as our hope, as our glory. 08:45 It is Jesus who is the hope and strength 08:48 and anchor of our soul. 08:50 And it lifts up Jesus as our High Priest. 08:54 It lifts Jesus up as our perfect sacrifice. 08:58 These are the main themes that we find throughout the book of 09:01 Hebrews, Jesus as the ultimate Priest 09:05 and as the ultimate sacrifice. 09:07 Jesus, when He died on the cross, paid the price 09:10 and penalty in full for the guilt and sin of mankind. 09:15 That includes your guilt, your sin, as well as mine. 09:18 And that's the heart of the gospel, 09:20 but the gospel doesn't stay at the cross, doesn't it? 09:23 Jesus accomplished something that was essential at the cross, 09:26 that one and perfect sacrifice and penalty and price that He 09:30 paid for us, but then He began to apply that to us as followers 09:35 of Jesus Christ as our High Priest. 09:37 He is the ultimate priesthood that God gives to us as well. 09:43 You know, one of my favorite summaries that really I believe 09:47 kind of encapsulates the benefits and the good news that 09:52 comes from Jesus as the High Priest 09:54 is found in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 25, 09:57 where it says, "He is also able to save to the uttermost those 10:01 who come to God through Him, since He always lives 10:04 to make intercession for them." 10:07 And so, here we have that powerful gospel summary of Jesus 10:10 as our High Priest, that He is able to save to the uttermost. 10:15 That includes you and I again, friends, 10:17 includes every single human being that ever lived and ever 10:20 will live, that all of us can be saved. 10:23 Even to the worst of us, if we come to God 10:26 through Christ, can be saved. 10:29 Even the worst of us, if we come to God through Christ, 10:32 can be changed in Jesus Christ. 10:37 And Jesus always lives to make intercession for them. 10:40 Isn't it good to be able to know that? 10:42 Of course, John the Gospel writer also wrote in 1 John 10:45 chapter 1--or chapter 2 and verse 1, 10:47 he says, "My little children, I write these things that you may 10:50 not sin; but if you do sin, then we have an advocate for us in 10:53 heaven, Jesus Christ Himself." 10:58 So, this is the main theme with Hebrews, 11:00 but Hebrews also tells us something else very important, 11:04 and this week's lesson study looks at that in lesson number 11:06 7, "Jesus, The Anchor of Our Soul." 11:09 We look at two of the most sober warnings that God gives to us in 11:14 that book and perhaps, for sure, one of the most sober warnings 11:18 that we can find in all of the Bible. 11:21 Hebrews tells us that once we accept, 11:24 after we have discovered, and then, 11:25 of course, as we experience gospel truth, 11:28 as we experience Jesus Christ in our lives, 11:32 after we experience the hope and power of Christ working in a 11:36 powerful way, if we are not careful, 11:39 we can find ourselves losing it all. 11:43 Even as the entire Gospel of the book of John is what I believe 11:49 one of the longest, is the longest and most comprehensive 11:52 answer to the Bible question that's asked, 11:55 "Is Jesus just as much God as the Father is God?" 12:00 And even as the Gospel of John is the longest Bible answer, and 12:03 answers with a resounding powerful yes, 12:07 I believe also when we come to the book of Hebrews, 12:10 the entire book of Hebrews is the longest and most 12:14 comprehensive answer to the question of whether we can be 12:17 lost after we have been saved, after we come to accept and 12:23 experience Jesus Christ in our lives. 12:26 And again, the answer that we find in Hebrews is the same 12:28 answer to the question of whether or not Jesus is God, 12:32 and the answer is a resounding yes. 12:36 And so, again, this week's study brings us to 12:39 two of the most sober warnings. 12:41 It brings us to the first of those in Hebrews chapter 6 12:44 and verses 4 through 6. 12:45 So, let's turn to that here this morning. 12:47 I hope you are having a good morning so far and that as we 12:49 open the Word of God, that your heart and mine is prepared to be 12:53 able to accept and see these things that God has for us, 12:57 for indeed we come to this particular chapter, 12:59 as we come to the feet of Jesus, we come to God the Father as a 13:03 loving God that has concern for your life, 13:06 as well as mine, wants to know the truth on this particular 13:09 question and how we can make sure that we stay on the 13:12 straight and narrow, how we can be certain that when Jesus comes 13:15 again, we will have eternal life with him, 13:19 and that he will bring us home. 13:21 And so, let's go to Hebrews chapter 6 and verses 4 to 6 to 13:25 begin our study here today. 13:27 So, in chapter 6, in verses 4 to 6 it says this: "For it is 13:31 impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted 13:35 the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy 13:39 Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of 13:43 the age to come--" 13:45 Now, if you've looked at the quarterly lesson throughout the 13:48 week, you have discovered indeed that God here is describing 13:52 a very obvious, authentic, very real 13:55 and powerful conversion experience. 13:58 Okay, verses 4 and 5 are describing a human being that 14:02 has come to be fully born again, that has come to find himself 14:07 experiencing Jesus in his heart, and to have eternal life and be 14:11 part of the kingdom of God. 14:13 And there's a number of ways that is describing that, 14:16 "having been enlightened." 14:17 Of course, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. 14:20 He who follows after me shall no longer walk in darkness, 14:23 but he shall have the light of life." 14:25 And so when we are enlightened, we have Jesus. 14:28 This is somebody that has been enlightened with the light of 14:31 God and with Jesus Christ. 14:33 "Have tasted the heavenly gift." 14:36 Now, there's a number of heavenly gifts 14:37 that the Bible talks about. 14:39 You know, Peter said to the crowd on the day of Pentecost, 14:42 when they said, "Men and brethren, what 14:43 shall we do," as they were responding to the gospel 14:45 preaching of Peter and the apostles. 14:48 And Peter responds and says, "Repent and every one of you be 14:51 baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your 14:55 sins, and you too shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit," as 14:59 some of you know, don't you? 15:01 The Holy Spirit, and so this is certainly a heavenly gift 15:04 to have the Holy Spirit. 15:06 Okay, in the book of Romans, chapter 3 and verse 23 it tells 15:10 us that, indeed, the wages of sin is death, but the gift 15:14 of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 15:17 And so, to have that assurance and to have that hope, 15:20 that anchor for our soul, that we know that we have eternal 15:23 life, that we are citizens of heaven when we walk and talk and 15:27 have our faith in Jesus Christ. 15:31 And so, we talk--it speaks of having tasted the heavenly gift, 15:35 having tasted what it is to be a part of the eternal family of 15:38 God and have the Holy Spirit, "and have become partakers of 15:42 the Holy Spirit," even as it then expands on that, 15:44 "and have tasted the good Word of the Lord. 15:47 They have come to understand and hear 15:48 and read and accept the Word of God 15:51 and the truths and the powers that are found therein." 15:53 And, of course, "the powers of the ages to come," which, 15:56 of course, is the supernatural powers that we have in store for 15:59 us in the age to come, but we get a taste of it even 16:02 in the here and now. 16:04 Some that are watching either online today or are with us here 16:08 in our church sanctuary today have experienced 16:11 those powers in different ways. 16:13 The most common one is that all of us have been changed. 16:17 Our characters, our perspectives, 16:19 our world views, our morals, our ethics have all been changed in 16:24 a powerful and life-giving way. 16:27 The old man has died, and behold, 16:29 all things have become new. 16:31 This is the greatest, most powerful taste of the 16:34 powers of the age to come. 16:37 Some of us also have experienced what it is to be supernaturally 16:40 healed, where you go into the doctor, 16:42 and the doctors still arrange for the different tests and for 16:44 the different procedures that they have lined up for you, 16:48 Even though it doesn't look good, they still are trying 16:50 their best, but when you go in, they do the test, 16:52 and they're scratching their head and say, 16:53 "I don't know how this happened. 16:55 I can't explain it, but we no longer have to do anymore tests, 16:58 and the procedures or surgeries are canceled because you are 17:01 completely whole and healed." 17:05 Some of you either have experienced that personally or 17:08 you know someone that has experienced that. 17:12 And so, when we come to verses 4 and 5, 17:14 God is very clearly--Paul is very clearly describing someone 17:19 that is a genuine, born-again Christian. 17:23 And then he goes on. 17:24 "If you have had all this experience, 17:26 but if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, 17:31 since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and 17:35 put him to an open shame." 17:39 And so, the perplexity and the discouragement that has come 17:43 from misunderstanding what the Bible here is saying is 17:47 something that I think that we need to talk about first, 17:50 because some have come to read this and conclude that, 17:52 you know, "Listen, I used to be a Christian. 17:54 I fell away for different reasons. 17:56 I made bad choices, different decisions. 17:58 Circumstances came upon me, and I've heard a voice, 18:03 and I've had a desire to come back to the Lord. 18:06 But the Bible's here telling me that once I've been a Christian, 18:10 once I've been with the family of God, 18:11 and once I leave that family of God, it is impossible for 18:14 me to ever have the hope of coming back again." 18:17 But that's not what the Bible is saying. 18:19 We know that that would be contradictory to two of the most 18:22 powerful and hope-filled parables that Jesus taught 18:25 while He was on this planet. 18:27 Jesus taught the parable of the prodigal son. 18:29 Many of us are very familiar with it. 18:32 The prodigal son was a son that represents a member of the 18:35 family of the Father, and the Father represents God Himself. 18:39 And the son one day decided that, you know what? 18:41 As much of a blessing there might be in different measures 18:44 to be here in my father's house, I've decided that it's probably 18:47 better for me and more fun for me to be outside 18:50 of the father's house." 18:51 And so, he walks away from the Father, 18:53 and he goes and he lives the prodigal life, 18:55 but he comes to himself. 18:57 One day, when he hits rock bottom, he comes to himself 19:00 and realizes, "What have I done? 19:02 What have I given up? 19:05 The servants of my Father are fed and have 19:07 a better life than I do. 19:10 And I was a son." 19:12 And so, he comes back, and the Father runs and embrace--we all 19:14 know the story, don't we? 19:16 And then we have the lost sheep, the one that unconsciously 19:19 started to wander from the flock and was distracted from 19:21 different things, the cares and the troubles of this world and 19:25 so on, the temptations, and they found themself slowly straying 19:28 from the flock, until finally they looked around, 19:31 and they didn't even realize it, but now they realize, 19:34 "I'm not even with the sheep of God anymore." 19:37 And so, what does the Shepherd do? 19:38 He goes out and He leaves the 99 penned up 19:41 and He searches far and wide for that sheep to bring him home. 19:46 And so, when we look at these two powerful parables that Jesus 19:49 has shared with us, we know that God is not telling us that if we 19:53 have an experience with God, fully and authentically, 19:56 and then we find, for whatever reason, 19:57 we stray, or we walk away in different measures--you know, 20:02 some of us that are here today have experienced that, 20:04 and have come back, and know that your experience is 20:06 authentic today as well. 20:09 And so, we know that God is not saying that once you have been 20:13 saved and then you make decisions--now let's not 20:17 mince words here because Jesus didn't either. 20:19 When He shared that parable, when the father saw the son 20:22 coming back, he was thrilled. 20:23 He threw the biggest party his house had ever seen. 20:25 Why? 20:27 "Because my son was dead. 20:31 He was lost but now he's found. 20:33 He was dead but now he is alive." 20:37 So, let's not mince words. 20:39 Once that prodigal son walked out of that house and down the 20:42 street to the faraway city, he walked away from life. 20:47 He became dead. 20:49 He became a lost human being, but he still had the option, 20:55 and he was wise enough and smart enough to be able to turn back 20:58 one day and say, "What have I done?" 21:00 and came to himself and found himself restored 21:04 into the family of God. 21:07 And so, it's important for us to understand that. 21:09 So, the question comes back to, then, what is God saying in 21:13 Hebrews chapter 6, verses 4 through 6? 21:17 Well, I believe that the context is absolutely essential, 21:22 as it so often is in understanding, 21:24 especially the more troublesome or difficult text for us to 21:27 understand, the more the context of the verses before and 21:30 after--and sometimes the whole book and sometimes the whole 21:33 Bible--sometimes we need the whole context 21:35 of the whole Bible to understand it. 21:38 In this case, it really helps us because, 21:40 first off, we need to go back to the gospel, 21:42 the Gospel of Luke in that case, and look at the two 21:44 prodigal--the two parables of Jesus I just spoke about. 21:47 So, having the context of the whole Bible helps us to 21:49 understand what God is not saying in these verses, 21:53 but then we want to look at the immediate context and help us to 21:56 understand what God is saying in these verses 21:59 at the same time. 22:01 Now, as we studied last week, we looked at Jesus as our Mediator, 22:05 Jesus as the High Priest. 22:07 You know, Paul was just starting to warm up as we go through the 22:09 first 10 or 11 verses of chapter 5. 22:13 He's introducing Jesus as the ultimate Priest, the fulfillment 22:16 of the Aaronic or the earthly Israelite priesthood. 22:20 Jesus is the fulfillment of it. 22:23 And just as Paul is getting warmed up and he's just starting 22:26 to get the juices flowing, and he's getting all excited about 22:29 Jesus as the High Priest, now all of a sudden he stops, 22:33 and he stops with a frustration. 22:36 He begins to express some frustration, but that 22:38 frustration very quickly moves into a loving rebuke. 22:43 Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not always 22:44 excited about rebukes. 22:47 But the bottom line is that the Bible says that all Scripture is 22:50 given by inspiration of God. 22:53 And what is it given for? 22:56 It's given for--it tells us in the same verse--for doctrine, 22:59 for reproof, which is rebuke, and for correction, 23:04 and for instruction in righteousness. 23:07 And so, the Bible tells us that one of the blessings that comes 23:09 from the Bible is that it rebukes us at times. 23:11 It gives us reproofs, needed rebukes, needed reproofs. 23:15 And this is one of those instances that Paul was giving 23:17 to the Hebrew or Jewish believers back in the church of 23:20 his day, and he gives to you and I as well. 23:26 And so, he takes an intermission. 23:27 Paul takes an intermission in his exposition of Jesus as 23:31 Priest, and he goes into rebuking the believers. 23:35 In verse 11, ti says, "Of whom we have much to say and hard to 23:40 explain, since you have become dull of hearing." 23:43 He says, "Listen, I want to go deeper. 23:46 I want to continue to dig deeper into the beautiful truth of 23:50 Jesus as our High Priest." 23:52 Some of the great symbolism of Melchizedek and some of these 23:56 other--the Aaronic priesthood and so on--and be able 24:00 to expand and unpack that. 24:01 "But I'm frustrated. 24:03 I'm concerned because you have become dull of hearing. 24:08 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, 24:10 you need someone to teach you again the first 24:12 principles of the oracles of God. 24:14 And you have come to need milk and not solid food. 24:17 For everyone who are partakers only of milk is unskilled in the 24:20 word of righteousness, for he is a baby. 24:24 But solid foods belong to those who are full aged, 24:27 those who are mature, grown up, that is those, who by reason of 24:32 use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." 24:40 And so, Paul is saying, "Listen, we've got a problem, 24:42 and I need to address you on this; 24:45 because even though I should be able to go deeper into the 24:48 theological truths and implications of Jesus as our 24:52 High Priest, I'm a little bit held back because 24:56 you've held yourself back. 24:59 You've stymied your growth as a Christian. 25:02 Instead of being fully mature and grown up as a Christian, 25:05 like you should be at this point, 25:06 you're still looking for the milk." 25:09 In the following verses he talks about it. 25:10 He says, "Listen, we need to be able to move on beyond the 25:13 basics, beyond the basics of the gospel, 25:16 faith towards God, repentance from dead works. 25:19 We need to move on beyond the resurrection that Jesus has in 25:22 store for us, the eternal life, and the eternal body, 25:25 and immortal bodies that God has in store for us." 25:27 He says, "These are all powerful gospel truths that God gives to 25:30 us in the hope of the gospel, but you need 25:32 to go deeper than that. 25:36 That's kindergarten. 25:39 You need to graduate. You need to be a senior." 25:43 That's what Paul is telling us here, is he not? 25:50 You know, it's interesting, there's a number of different 25:54 benefits that have been discovered through research, 26:00 and that research tells us that exercise is one of the most 26:05 essential activities that we can be involved in as human beings. 26:11 Now, many of us exercise on a regular basis. 26:14 You know, one thing I appreciate about the 26:15 Seventh-day Adventist Church is that we understand that the 26:18 Bible addresses all parts of our existence, 26:22 including our physical and mental existence. 26:25 And so, because of that, we understand there's principles in 26:28 the Bible, and then as expand on that in research, 26:31 spirit of prophecy and so on, there's a lot of things that we 26:35 do to keep ourselves healthier, sharper, better people, better 26:40 quality of life because of these health principles. 26:43 One of those is exercise. 26:45 And if you're not exercising on a regular basis, 26:48 maybe this is the time when God is going to convince you, 26:50 you need to get off your feet and--I mean, get on your feet 26:56 and find yourself exercising on a regular basis. 27:00 God has created our bodies to move, 27:04 and the more we move, the Bible tells us the healthier we are. 27:07 And what are some of those benefits? 27:10 The reason I'm brining this up is because we just looked, 27:12 and Paul says, "Listen, the reason that you're still babies, 27:15 you're still looking for milk rather than chewing on some 27:17 solid food is because you haven't exercised your reason 27:22 and the senses that God has given to you in the Word of God. 27:24 You have not learned to rightly divide the Word of God and 27:28 become men and women of righteousness." 27:33 And so, I went to the CDC. 27:35 We get a lot of--the CDC's getting 27:36 a lot of attention nowadays, isn't it? 27:38 Center of Disease Control. 27:41 But don't always--they're not always--they're not just 27:43 there to be able to help us with the research of viruses and the 27:47 like, but it also tells us there a list of exercise benefits. 27:51 Brain health. 27:54 When we exercise on a regular basis, we think sharper. 28:00 Our hearing--I mean our learning is sharper. 28:05 We have better judgment. 28:06 Research also tells us it reduces the risk 28:08 of depression and anxiety. 28:10 It also reduces depression and anxiety 28:12 if we're already struggling with it. 28:14 This is research, proven facts. 28:15 It helps us to sleep better. 28:17 When we're exercising on a regular basis, 28:20 it stimulates the release of melatonin, 28:23 a higher level of melatonin when we go to sleep at night. 28:25 We have a deeper, more restful, more recuperative sleep when we 28:29 exercise during the day. 28:31 It helps us to achieve and keep an ideal body weight. 28:35 It reduces the risk of heart disease, 28:37 Type 2 diabetes, a list of certain cancers. 28:40 Exercise also tells us--it helps to reduce the risk of falling 28:43 when we get into our later years. 28:45 It helps us to live longer. 28:48 It also makes our bones and our muscles stronger. 28:52 You know, one of the laws, the physical laws of life and 28:54 physiology, biology is that the more you use your muscles, 29:00 the more you have, the bigger they are, 29:03 and the more stronger they are. 29:04 If you stop using those muscles altogether--there's a fancy name 29:09 for it--it's called atrophy. 29:12 Okay, and atrophy means that your muscles start to shrink. 29:16 And the less you use them, the smaller and weaker they get. 29:19 Okay, so there's a law of life there. 29:22 If you don't use it, you lose it, 29:24 as the old saying goes. 29:26 And the same with our bones. 29:27 You know, if we're not being physical, 29:29 especially walking and running with impact exercises and so on, 29:32 our bones start to hollow out, and they become frail and 29:36 brittle, and we can break our bones 29:39 a lot easier because of that. 29:41 Again, if you don't use your bones in a physical way, 29:44 in the way that God has intended for them to be used, 29:47 research and experience tells us that if you 29:49 don't lose it, you lose it. 29:52 And so, this is what the Bible is also telling us here as well. 29:58 The same thing goes with our spiritual walk of faith. 30:02 You know, one of the spiritual laws that the Bible 30:04 reveals--experience also verifies--is that you can't 30:09 maintain the status quo in your spiritual faith. 30:12 In other words, you can't become a Christian, 30:14 learn so much of the Bible, pray and connect with Jesus, 30:18 worship with Him, serve in some different ways, 30:21 and then just say, you know, "That's good enough." 30:23 You know, "I think I know enough about the Bible, 30:25 I've spent enough time in prayer, 30:27 I go to church occasionally." 30:29 But, you know, even if you go to church on a regular basis, 30:31 you can't just stay at status quo. 30:36 It's like muscle. It's like exercising. 30:38 You know, some of us wish we could just be faithful for a 30:40 couple of months, get our bodies all in shape, 30:42 get the body fat level down, and get our muscles a little bit 30:46 stronger and bigger and so on, and then just kind of 30:49 stop and just keep it there. 30:50 "Okay, I've got it there, now let's just put it in the bank, 30:54 and let's just go back to life and sitting down again." 30:57 But it doesn't work that way, does it? 30:59 Okay, you get it, but then you can lose it. 31:01 You can get it back again, but then you can lose it. 31:03 Same with our spiritual life. 31:05 You can't stay status quo. 31:06 Either you're going forward and growing stronger as a Christian 31:09 in your knowledge and faith and connection with Christ, 31:12 or you're going backwards. 31:14 You're backsliding. That's the only two options. 31:17 It's just a law of life. 31:19 As much as it is on the physical plane, 31:20 so it is on the spiritual plane. 31:23 That's why Paul made one of my favorite statements. 31:26 It's one of the most healthful in 1 Corinthians 31:28 chapter 9, in verse 27. 31:30 Paul said, "I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, 31:35 lest while I have preached to others, 31:38 I myself should become disqualified." 31:40 Again, Paul--even as the entire book of Hebrews 31:43 gives us that answer. 31:44 "Is it possible to be lost after we have been saved?" 31:48 And the answer is yes. 31:50 And Paul is saying, "Listen, I myself, 31:51 even while I am preaching, even while I am full time in 31:55 ministry, can find myself disqualified from the race. 32:00 And so, Paul says, "Because of that, I make sure that 32:02 I discipline my body and bring it into subjection." 32:06 Now, one of the things that sometimes, 32:07 you know, as I'm preparing, and I have the privilege of 32:10 preparing a lot of people over the years for baptism. 32:13 And typically, when people are preparing for baptism, 32:15 they're experiencing Christ as fresh 32:17 or maybe they've come back to Christ 32:19 and it's renewed and they're just pumped and excited about 32:22 their new relationship with Christ, 32:23 and they're looking forward to their baptism. 32:26 They're looking forward to their continued walk with Jesus. 32:28 Everything's new and fresh. 32:30 You know, kind of like a honeymoon experience they have 32:32 in a marriage between a couple and so on. 32:34 But even as a couple knows, a married couple knows that after 32:37 the honeymoon's over, and you get into the nitty gritty of 32:40 life from day to day, and the bills start adding up, 32:43 and the pressures come, and the difficulties of life continue to 32:47 hit you, and you start to butt heads on different issues and 32:50 how and where you're going to put your furniture, 32:52 and which way, and who's gonna do what in the house, 32:56 and all these other practical things that get in the way of 32:58 all that beautiful love and romance and everything. 33:01 And pretty soon, you're not all as excited about each other, 33:04 and you're not--you have to work at it. 33:07 You know, it's not as natural. 33:09 And same thing with the Christian walk and experience. 33:12 You know, we can be excited and pumped in the beginning. 33:14 That's why sometimes when I share with people, 33:16 as I do with pre-marriage counseling, 33:17 I do pre-baptism counseling, and I warn them, 33:22 and I say, "Listen, you know, as time goes by, 33:24 you know, it won't be as novel to be able to get on your knees 33:28 and make sure you spend that time with the Lord in prayer. 33:32 It won't be as novel and new and fresh when you get 33:34 into the Word of God. 33:36 Now, each time that you do, it's just like 33:37 with your exercise program. 33:39 Typically, when you go out and force yourself through it, 33:41 even on the days you don't feel like it, 33:42 you'll always feel better at the end." 33:45 You know, friends, you can get some of fastest, 33:47 best athletes in the world, the best basketball players, 33:50 football players, track athletes and so on, 33:54 and 90% of the time they love their 33:57 workouts, they love what they do. 33:58 They're thankful and grateful that they can make a living, 34:01 if they're making a living at doing 34:03 what they love in this way. 34:05 But even the best of them, with the biggest passions and the 34:07 most successful careers, have days when they get up in the 34:10 morning, and they say, "Oh, what I'd do just to roll over again 34:16 and not have to go to practice today." 34:19 But typically, when they force themselves through that, 34:21 they discipline their bodies and bring it in under subjection 34:26 and they do it anyway. 34:28 Typically, when they come to the end of it, they say, 34:30 "Oh, am I ever glad I came to practice today. 34:33 I feel great." 34:35 And the same thing with the spiritual walk. 34:37 There'll be days and times when you don't feel like praying. 34:40 You don't feel like taking that time. 34:42 You've got 100 things to do today. 34:43 You've got all this pressure. 34:45 You feel bad, and there's all kinds of different things, 34:47 distractions that get in the way and start to consume the first 34:49 moments and hours of your day. 34:51 And next thing you know, you come to the end of the night and 34:53 say, "Lord, I just realized I haven't spent a single minute 34:56 with you in prayer, yet alone Bible study or Bible reading." 35:01 And so, we need to discipline--these are called 35:03 spiritual disciplines for a reason. 35:06 A discipline means that it's doing something that sometimes 35:09 you don't feel like doing. 35:11 But typically, when you whip through--you know, 35:13 sometimes I'm tired or I'm distracted. 35:17 I've got other things to do, but I find myself in the Word of 35:19 God, and I don't have to get very many verses into it, 35:22 and I just get lost in the world of the Word of God. 35:26 And then when I'm finished, I'm like, "God, I didn't feel like 35:29 it, or I had other things that were pulling at me, 35:31 but I am ever glad that I came back to your Word. 35:34 Thank you for solidifying me and growing me 35:37 and helping me to grow up as a Christian, 35:39 that I might not remain a baby." 35:42 So, this is the context, friends. 35:44 This is the context that God is giving to us. 35:48 As we look at this particular subject 35:50 and as we look at these verses, that can be troublesome and 35:52 confusing to some people as we look at it. 35:56 By the way, Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 12, 35:59 if you jump ahead there a little bit, 36:01 and we're gonna look at that in more detail in a few moments. 36:04 But in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 12, the word "sluggish," 36:08 "lazy," is used there for us as well. 36:11 And again, this is describing when we don't feel like prayer 36:15 every morning, we don't feel like taking our Bible study and 36:19 making sure that we read chapter, 36:22 verses, or whatever, reading in a Bible reading program that you 36:25 have, setting some kind of program. 36:28 That's why Amazing Facts and different parts of the 36:30 Seventh-day Adventist Church provides these resources. 36:33 Reading your Bible through in a year, 36:36 so that tells you, listen, you want to get through a year, 36:38 just make it your goal to read Psalm 1, 36:40 and Genesis, the first 2 chapters, 36:43 and Matthew chapter 1 today. 36:45 You know, and so it tells you, this is how many you 36:47 have--you're doing it. 36:48 You're setting up some program to find some 36:50 discipline in your life. 36:53 Christianity is not something that just kind 36:55 of falls in your lap. 36:56 Maturing in Christ is not something that falls in your 36:59 lap; but instead, it is something that is needed to 37:05 approach in a very proactive, disciplined way, 37:09 so that you can grow in the faith and the hope 37:11 that we find in Christ. 37:16 So, let's go to Hebrews chapter 6 and verses 1 through 3 now. 37:19 So, we're going to Hebrews chapter 6, and verses 1 37:25 through 3, as we continue to pick up this context. 37:28 In Hebrews chapter 6, verses 1 through 3, 37:30 it says, "Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary 37:33 principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, 37:36 not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, 37:38 faith toward God, doctrine of baptisms or of laying on of 37:42 hands, or the resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment. 37:45 And this we will do, if God permits. 37:48 For it is impossible," it says. 37:51 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, 37:54 have tasted the heavenly gift, and become partakers of the Holy 37:56 Spirit, have tasted the good Word of God, 37:59 and the powers of the age to come, 38:00 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, 38:04 since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and 38:08 put him to an open shame." 38:11 And so, if God is telling us, through the parables of Jesus, 38:14 that if we do find ourselves in Christ 38:16 and then outside of Christ, there is opportunity to be able 38:19 to come back in Christ. 38:21 So, we know that this is not what it's saying, 38:23 but the immediate context of the verses before this is Paul and 38:27 God is telling the Christians that, 38:28 "Listen, if you are not going forward, 38:31 you are inevitably going backwards. 38:34 And if you are going backwards, there's going to come a time, 38:38 if you do not find yourself turning around in time--you see, 38:41 if the prodigal son had never turned around or if he had 38:44 pushed himself and pushed his decision ten years down the 38:47 road, he may never have come back to the Father. 38:52 And so, if the sheep that wandered from the flock had 38:55 wandered far enough, he may not have ever come back to the flock 38:59 and have never been rescued and restored. 39:01 You see, the shepherd goes out looking for the sheep, 39:04 but the sheep still has to be receptive to the--and willing to 39:07 receive the shepherd's leadership back into the flock. 39:12 And so, it is impossible for those who were once enlightened 39:14 to be--those who are saved, if they fall away 39:18 far enough, long enough. 39:21 And this, I believe, ties in with the unpardonable sin 39:24 that Jesus talked about. 39:26 You see, when we're backsliding, the Shepherd inevitably 39:29 is calling out to you. 39:31 The Shepherd is saying, "Come back home. 39:33 What are you doing? Why are you doing this? 39:36 Why are you making these decisions? 39:38 Why are you making these choices? 39:40 Come back home, come back home. Come to me. 39:45 My mercy and my grace is available to you. 39:47 I will forgive you and restore you. 39:50 I will be like the Father of the parable that ran down the street 39:53 to meet you and wrapped his arms around you and kissed you on the 39:56 neck, and then threw the biggest party that he had ever had. 40:02 Because my son was lost, but now he's found, 40:04 was dead but now he's alive again. 40:08 And so, that is possible. 40:09 It is available." 40:11 But if we go down that road too far, 40:13 too long, pretty soon the voice becomes so quiet that the lips 40:21 of Jesus are moving... 40:29 Jesus' lips are moving, but you can't hear a thing. 40:34 Jesus talks about the point of no return. 40:38 And so, this is a very sober, needful warning that God gives 40:42 to us, that there can come a time when it is impossible to 40:46 renew ourselves again to repentance, 40:48 because our conscience is so seared for so long. 40:54 You know, Paul put it another way. 40:55 He said, you know, "Our consciences can 40:57 become seared," you know. 40:59 The police still rely as much as they have other things--face 41:02 recognition and so on--and maybe the fingerprint 41:04 one day will be antiquated. 41:06 But we still put our fingerprint, you know. 41:08 My green card, I'm a permanent resident here. 41:10 When I got my green card, my family, 41:12 we had to go in and give all our fingerprints, you know. 41:16 But if I put my thumb on a hot element, 41:19 a red-hot element, you know, and burn that long enough, 41:24 the fingerprint will become seared to the point where there 41:27 is no pattern left anymore. 41:28 There's a permanent searing of it. 41:31 And God says our consciences are the same way. 41:34 And so, God is lovingly telling us. 41:36 He's not mincing words here. 41:37 He's speaking in some very sober ways, 41:39 because He wants to be sure that we understand that this is a 41:44 life and death issue that He's talking about. 41:47 Making decisions to grow in Christ is very important for us. 41:54 Now, my eyesight is not very well, 41:55 and I'm, you know, the AV people here have a clock up there. 41:59 Oh, there we go, thank you, okay. 42:01 Then I know how much time I have before we continue on. 42:05 All right, so where were we? 42:08 And so, the context here again is talking about a slow death, 42:12 a slow spiritual death, one in which you are backsliding. 42:16 Because you are not going forward, 42:17 you're slowly going backwards. 42:20 And so, friends, I believe again that the immediate context of 42:23 verses 11, chapter 5 through Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 3 is 42:30 the key to understanding verses 4 through 6. 42:33 And so, is it sober? Is it a serious warning? 42:37 Sure it is, and it's intended that way because God loves us. 42:40 He doesn't want to lose us. 42:43 He wants us to continue to stay on the straight and narrow. 42:46 Okay, so no matter what--and by the way, 42:48 that text is, you know, you can talk to a number of different 42:51 pastors, look at different commentaries. 42:53 There's two or three or four different perspectives on what 42:57 God is trying to say there. 42:59 If there's one thing that we need to pull away, 43:01 even if we don't agree on each other's exact interpretations of 43:05 those verses, is that God is warning us 43:07 very clearly and soberly. 43:09 He says, "Listen, run the race." 43:12 You know, Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 43:15 26--the one before the verse in which I quoted earlier--he says, 43:19 you know, "I run thus, not with uncertainty. 43:22 I fight thus, not as one who beats the air." 43:26 In other words, Paul says before that, 43:28 he says, "When you run, run like the athletes do. 43:30 Only one receives the prize. 43:31 Run the race as the one that wants to receive the prize. 43:37 I forget those things which are behind," Paul says, 43:39 "and I reach forward to those things which are ahead, 43:41 that upward calling that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord." 43:46 There is a proactive ingredient that we need to bring into our 43:51 relationship, a saving relationship with Jesus. 43:54 You know, Ellen White called it the triune 43:56 or something to that effect. 43:57 It's been a few years since I read it. 43:59 But, you know, Ellen White had once written about the Christian 44:02 growth, and she says that there's a triune, 44:04 a trinity of growth that is found in the Christian walk that 44:08 is necessary, and that is the three Christian disciplines, 44:12 and that is prayer, Bible study, and service. 44:17 Serving in God's church, praying before God, 44:20 and then searching out for God's answer to your prayer. 44:23 How can I be involved in the church? 44:25 How can I serve? 44:27 In what capacity can I make a difference? 44:31 See, the problem is if we only come to church and we only find 44:34 ourselves in the pews and we only find ourselves in the 44:37 chairs at Sabbath School and we only find ourselves attending 44:40 the programs, but we're not involving ourselves in any way, 44:44 at any time, in any of the activities of the church and 44:46 knowing that, because of my labors, 44:49 because of my work, I am making a difference in the kingdom of 44:53 God and for His church, you're not growing to the capacity that 44:56 God wants you to grow. 44:58 Sometimes we find ourselves in Bible study and prayer 45:01 and we're faithful and we're sincere, 45:04 and our efforts are authentic, but we find it waning, 45:08 and we ask ourselves, "Why is my prayer life and my Bible study 45:13 and my Bible reading always waning? 45:14 Why is it always losing when it comes to my spiritual walk and 45:19 life and the activities of life? 45:21 And one of the answers is, is because you're not serving. 45:25 You need that third leg. 45:27 You need all three. 45:30 They all feed each other. 45:31 And if you're missing even one of them, 45:33 the other two will find themselves hurting as well. 45:39 And so, then Paul goes on and encourages. 45:41 In verse 9, he says, "But, beloved--" 45:43 And we're in chapter 6 again. 45:46 So, and by the way, Hebrews--maybe I said that two 45:49 weeks ago when I was teaching--but, you know, 45:51 all the way through Hebrews, Paul is--God is warning 45:53 and encouragement, warning and encouragement, 45:54 warning and encouragement. 45:56 And so, here we find that pattern again. 45:58 There's a rebuke up until verse 3 of chapter 6, 46:02 then there's the warning, verse 4, 5, and 6, 46:05 and 7 and 8, and then 9 through the end of the 46:09 chapter is the encouragement. 46:11 This is the positive part. Let's look at it. 46:12 It says, "But, beloved, we are confident of better things 46:15 concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, 46:18 though we speak in this matter. 46:20 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, 46:23 which you have shown toward His name, 46:25 and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister." 46:28 What are they doing? What is God commending them? 46:31 What is God putting His confidence in? 46:33 He says, "Keep doing what you're doing when regards to service 46:36 within the church of God, ministering to the saints. 46:39 God wants us to take, yes, but He also wants us to give. 46:44 And so, a healthy church is one in which every single church 46:47 member is not only taking but also giving. 46:50 Taking, giving; taking, giving; taking, giving. 46:53 That's how it is, that's the pattern of the healthiest church 46:56 that we can possibly have, as well as individual life. 47:01 All right, so here we're ministering to each other. 47:04 In verse 11, it says, "And we desire that each one of you show 47:07 the same diligence to the full assurance 47:09 of hope until the end." 47:12 There's that discipline word, diligence, 47:14 that you do not become sluggish. 47:16 The opposite of sluggishness or laziness is due diligence. 47:20 But rather, it says, "Imitate those who, 47:22 through faith and patience, inherit the promises." 47:28 And so, we find here that patience is another attribute, 47:31 a character attribute and discipline, 47:34 a word that God needs for us, that God knows that we need. 47:37 In verse 15, as we skip on, it says, 47:39 "And so after he had patiently endured, 47:42 he obtained the promise," speaking 47:43 of Abraham as an example. 47:45 And so we have another discipline word there. 47:48 Patience again but also endurance. 47:52 He patiently endured. 47:55 That's endurance. 47:56 So, we need faith, we need patience, 48:00 we need due diligence, we need endurance. 48:03 These are all discipline words, aren't they? 48:05 So, we have the rebuke, we have the warning, 48:10 and then we have the encouragement. 48:13 Then we have the encouragement to move on and not leave behind 48:16 that which God has called us to do, 48:19 to be able to apply those disciplines, 48:21 that rather than backsliding, we find ourselves moving forward, 48:25 and that's where God wants us to be. 48:28 So, that's Hebrews chapter 6, and with our last couple of 48:31 minutes, one minute here, I just want to speak 48:35 in chapter 10, verses 26 to 29. 48:38 It says, "For if we sin willfully, 48:40 after we have received the knowledge of the truth, 48:42 there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, 48:44 but a fearful expectation of judgment." 48:46 And again, this has been misunderstood by many, 48:48 believing that, "Boy, if I go out and I sin, 48:50 and I find myself making a bad choice, 48:52 a sinful choice, that's it, I'm done. 48:55 Sacrifice of Jesus is no longer atones for me. 48:57 I'm a lost sinner from that." 48:59 No, God is not talking about that. 49:00 God is talking about if you willfully and persistently 49:03 choose a sinful lifestyle or a sin in your life, okay. 49:08 So, David, did he commit adultery? 49:11 Yes, he did, okay. 49:12 Now, after he committed adultery, what did he do? 49:16 Okay, he murdered. Yes, you're right. 49:17 And after he murdered, what did he do? 49:20 Then he repented, didn't he? 49:22 All right, he owned his sin, he confessed his sin, 49:24 he pleaded to God's mercy to forgive him of his sin, 49:26 and he continued on in a walk with Jesus Christ. 49:29 Now, if David had decided, "You know what? 49:31 That was pretty fun, and now I've got rid of the husband, 49:35 and not only am I going to marry Bathsheba, 49:37 but I think I'm gonna continue on with some other women, 49:40 doing the same thing." 49:42 Okay? 49:44 Men have chosen that, haven't they? 49:47 Okay, women have chosen that. 49:48 They find themselves in one affair, 49:49 and they decide rather than repenting and asking for 49:52 forgiveness, they go on to the next affair 49:54 and then the next affair and then the next affair. 49:57 And they make it a pattern. 49:59 That's what this particular text is talking about, 50:01 persistent sin--not when we stumble and we find ourselves 50:07 making the odd stupid mistake or choice, 50:09 and God's speaking to us, and we find ourselves continuing to 50:13 walk in the grace of God. 50:14 Friends, it's good to be able to study with you. 50:16 It's nice to have you here in the Granite Bay Hilltop Church. 50:18 And for those of you who are watching online, 50:20 it has been such a blessing. 50:21 Don't forget to take advantage of the free gift 50:23 offer that we have today. 50:25 "Can a Saved Man Choose to Be Lost?" 50:28 We'll put that information up on the screen, 50:31 which is Offer number 112. 50:33 And you just dial 1-866-788-3966 50:37 and ask, "Can a Man--" 50:39 "Can a Saved Man Choose to Be Lost?" 50:43 And, of course, it's on the subject today. 50:45 So, please take advantage of that if you've never 50:46 read that book, and we look forward to studying 50:49 with you next week. 50:53 announcer: Don't forget to request today's 50:54 life-changing free resource. 50:56 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 50:58 you can download a digital copy straight to 51:00 your computer or mobile device. 51:02 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 51:05 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544 or visit the web 51:10 address shown on your screen, and be sure to select the 51:13 digital download option on the request page. 51:15 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 51:19 Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want, 51:22 and most important, to share it with others. 51:28 male: I grew up in a church-going family. 51:31 I mean, we were at every meeting. 51:33 I sang in four of the choirs there. 51:36 I directed three. 51:37 Very involved, very active. 51:41 It almost seemed like busy work sometimes, you know. 51:44 I went to Sunday School. 51:46 I knew about God, I knew about Jesus, 51:49 but I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 51:54 My senior year in high school, I got the news 51:59 my father had been murdered. 52:03 Now, I played it off well. 52:04 No one really saw that I was struggling with it. 52:11 It just really felt like there was a hole that needed to be 52:14 filled, and I tried to fill it with drugs, 52:17 with alcohol, with partying. 52:20 After college, I just stopped going to church altogether. 52:27 One day, on a Sunday, because I didn't feel like going to church 52:30 with my mom, I thought, you know, 52:34 I should get a little bit of Word. 52:36 She had the satellite system hooked up, 52:38 and I'm flipping through channels, 52:40 and then the logo pops across, "Amazing Facts Presents." 52:44 I've listened to a lot of different ministers, 52:46 but this was the first time that he's actually saying 52:49 something where I had to grab my Bible and actually pick it up. 52:53 And I'd never heard this before. 52:55 Let me look through and find this. 52:57 I went through all the storacles. 52:58 I went through all the study guides, 53:00 and I just couldn't get enough. 53:02 And then the Sabbath came up. 53:04 And he's going through the appeal, 53:06 and I'm just going, "Lord, I hear you. 53:08 I have to go to church." 53:10 So, I show up. 53:11 It was funny, I didn't feel like I was gonna be judged, 53:15 anything judgmental, anything. 53:17 I walked in the door, and I just felt at home, 53:21 but there's still a problem. 53:24 I'm still partying. 53:25 I was still going out to the bars. 53:28 At this time, I was selling cocaine to pay my rent. 53:32 Sixteen days later, I find myself in a 53:35 life-or-death situation. 53:37 I had just came back from a liquor store and 53:40 I grabbed a bottle of vodka. 53:42 And there I am, high off cocaine with my Bible in hand, 53:47 trying to do a Bible study. 53:51 And I heard an audible voice. 53:54 "Just look at yourself." 53:58 And I did, and I was like, "What am I doing?" 54:03 And I got on my knees, and I said, 54:04 "Lord, if you do not take this away from me now, 54:08 I'm going to kill myself." 54:12 I was going to continue this lifestyle 54:13 and I was going to end up overdosing, 54:16 having a heart attack, whatever it was. 54:19 "You have to take this away, all of it." 54:25 And that day, he lifted all of it away from me. 54:30 It was all gone. 54:32 When God does something in your life, 54:35 He does it complete. 54:37 ♪♪♪ 54:45 ♪♪♪ 54:51 ♪♪♪ 55:01 announcer: Amazing Facts, Changed Lives. 55:09 male: I grew up here in New York City, I guess dealing with 55:13 all the temptations that you would have in a big city. 55:16 Everything that you could imagine that you could run 55:19 into--drugs, crime--was always here. 55:24 When I was at a young age, I actually got into trouble with 55:27 the law, and my only out was to join the military at the time, 55:32 in order to not do time. 55:34 So, I left New York and traveled the world a little bit while I 55:38 was in the military. 55:40 Eventually, I came back. 55:42 Having grown up as a hip-hop kid, I eventually found 55:45 myself working in the music business, actually. 55:48 I worked at a couple of major radio 55:50 stations, hip-hop, reggae. 55:51 I was in all the big reggae shows working. 55:54 And no matter what I did to try and satisfy myself, 55:57 nothing really worked. 56:00 I remember I used to play at this one club in Manhattan, 56:03 used to play there every Friday night. 56:06 So, I came home one Saturday morning after leaving the club, 56:10 and I turned on a video channel like I usually do. 56:13 So, it was this guy in the video channel talking, 56:15 and he was definitely out of place, but the things 56:18 that he was saying just totally amazed me. 56:22 I had never heard anyone speak about 56:24 the Bible like this before. 56:26 So, I started coming early on Saturday mornings 56:29 just to catch this show. 56:30 I found the things that he was saying absolutely amazing, 56:34 to the point where it literally made me stop and start to think 56:39 about how I was living my life. 56:41 So, I found that all of these things that I had been doing to 56:44 try and find happiness were actually not making me happy at 56:48 all, but were really just leaving me empty inside. 56:52 When I started reading the Bible and it started to make sense, 56:55 I started to make changes. 56:57 I even tried to keep the Sabbath, 57:00 which I failed at miserably. 57:02 So, I was actually invited by Amazing Facts to go to see a 57:06 live series at one of the local churches. 57:09 But after going the first night, I ended up going 57:11 another night and another night. 57:14 I stayed for the entire series. 57:16 That was there I made a decision that changed 57:18 the rest of my life forever. 57:19 I gave my life to Christ, and everything 57:22 was different after that. 57:24 I made a decision to give up the music business, 57:26 stop hanging out at all of the clubs. 57:28 I made a decision that was eternal for me 57:30 and for my family. 57:33 I started going to church. 57:36 I got a position in church where I was actually in charge of the 57:39 Personal Ministries Department. 57:42 And the same Amazing Facts studies that changed my life, 57:45 I actually got to share them with people 57:47 and sit down with them and tell them about Jesus. 57:51 ♪♪♪ 58:00 ♪♪♪ 58:10 ♪♪♪ 58:20 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2022-02-02