Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH022213S
|
00:03 ♪♪♪
00:13 ♪♪♪ 00:23 ♪♪♪ 00:33 ♪♪♪ 00:38 Shawn Brummund: Hello, and welcome to another edition of 00:40 the "Sabbath School Study Hour," as we come together again, in 00:43 the Granite Bay Hilltop Seventh-day Adventist Church, to 00:46 study the Word of God, and we are here again to be able to 00:50 study our last lesson in a book that all of us have enjoyed 00:54 tremendously, which is the book of Hebrews in the quarterly 00:57 that's entitled "The Message of Hebrews." 00:59 So we're going to be looking at Lesson 01:00 Number 13, which is our last study. 01:03 It's one of my favorites. 01:04 It's one that I pray that we will take to heart as we 01:07 consider the truth that God gives to us in concern to 01:11 brotherly love, love that we have for one another as 01:13 believers, as church members, and this is no small topic. 01:17 So we're going to be looking at that as our 01:18 last topic in the message of Hebrews. 01:21 I trust that you have enjoyed it over the last three months 01:24 as we have looked at one of the most 01:26 powerful gospel books in the entire Bible. 01:30 I also want to invite you to take advantage of a special gift 01:32 offer that we have, which is a little booklet entitled "Tiny 01:37 Troublemaker," written by Joe Crews, the founder of Amazing 01:40 Facts, and, so, again, this little book is entitled "Tiny 01:44 Troublemaker," and if you want a copy of this, you live in North 01:48 America or the different various U.S. 01:50 territories, all you have to do is dial 1-866-788-3966. 01:56 Go ahead and dial in, and we'll be 01:58 happy to be able to get that to you. 02:00 Now, if you'd like a digital copy of this, as well, and 02:04 you're in the U.S., you can also get a digital copy of this by 02:07 just simply texting the code "SH133," and you 02:12 want to dial that towards 40544, and you'll be 02:16 able to hook up to a digital download copy. 02:19 Now, you'll also notice that there is a website on the screen 02:22 as well which is study.aftv.org/SH133, so if 02:28 you're anywhere in the world and you have access 02:30 to the internet, go ahead and take advantage of that, 02:33 and I know that it'll be a good read. 02:35 It's something that we all need, that we make sure that we're not 02:37 one of those tiny little troublemakers in God's church 02:40 and that we're working in harmony with Him. 02:43 So before we get into our study lesson today, which is going to 02:46 be taught by Pastor Luccas Rodor, we're going to invite our 02:49 singers out as they lead us out in worship and song. 02:56 ♪♪♪ 03:06 ♪♪♪ 03:16 ♪♪♪ 03:20 ♪ Now is the day of salvation, ♪ 03:26 ♪ today, today. ♪ 03:33 ♪ Sinner, without hesitation, ♪ 03:39 ♪ pray. ♪ 03:47 ♪ Christ will hear you, Christ is near you, ♪ 03:54 ♪ though you've gone astray. ♪ 03:59 ♪ Now is the day of salvation. ♪ 04:05 ♪ Let Him wash your sins away. ♪ 04:15 ♪ Let Him wash your sins away. ♪ 04:19 ♪♪♪ 04:27 ♪ Now is the day of salvation, ♪ 04:33 ♪ today, today. ♪ 04:40 ♪ Sinner, without hesitation, ♪ 04:47 ♪ pray. ♪ 04:54 ♪ Christ will hear you, Christ is near you, ♪ 05:01 ♪ though you've gone astray. ♪ 05:07 ♪ Now is the day of salvation. ♪ 05:12 ♪ Let Him wash your sins away. ♪ 05:22 ♪ Let Him wash your sins away. ♪ 05:28 ♪ Let Him wash your sins away. ♪ 05:38 ♪ Let Him wash your sins away. ♪ 05:52 Luccas Rodor: Happy Sabbath. 05:54 It's good to see you all, to be here 05:56 at church, to study the Word of God. 06:01 This quarter has been a blessing to me. 06:04 Studying the book of Hebrews has been 06:06 such a motivation, such an encouragement. 06:10 I mean, if there's one--I mean, there are--I feel that there are 06:13 many words that you could really use to sum up the book of 06:18 Hebrews, but one of these main words, in my opinion, 06:21 is the word "encouragement." 06:23 It is such an encouraging book. 06:26 As, you know, I've stated previously before in the 06:29 previous lessons and as some of the other pastors too, Hebrews 06:34 is all about Jesus being better, Jesus being better and offering 06:40 better things, and so just studying this lesson and 06:44 understanding more about Him and more about what He can do or 06:47 what He does do for us and what we can accept through Him has 06:51 just been so motivating in my life. 06:53 You know, sometimes we'll read 06:55 these lessons, these quarterlies. 06:56 We kind of get used to it. 06:58 It becomes a habit, but I don't know if this happens to you. 07:01 With me, sometimes, I just go through it. 07:03 I go through the motions. 07:04 You know, I think that's part of the Christian life, 07:06 but this is one of those topics that you 07:09 just have to take it at face value, you have to. 07:14 You can't let that happen in your life. 07:17 The memory verse for this lesson, we're in, you know, 07:20 Lesson 13, as pastor Shawn mentioned. 07:22 It's the last lesson of the quarter. 07:23 The title is "Let Brotherly Love Continue," and the memory verse 07:27 comes from Hebrews chapter 13, verse 1. 07:29 It's a very short verse, but it has a very deep, very profound 07:33 message, and the message is "Let Brotherly Love Continue." 07:37 So the title of the week's lesson and the 07:39 memory verse are one and the same. 07:41 Now, the author of this quarterly's lesson, he has 07:48 interpreted the author, or he has run with the story or run 07:52 with the belief that Paul is the author of the book of Hebrews, 07:56 and that's what the Seventh-day Adventist Church believes, and 08:00 what's beautiful about this is not only do we have what Paul 08:03 writes here in Hebrews, which is really a sermon, but we have 08:06 everything that Paul, in the New Testament, writes about 08:09 brotherly love, about the fellowship kind of love that we 08:12 find in the Bible, and so we can mix and match what Paul says 08:16 here in Hebrews, and we can find what else he says about this 08:20 same subject throughout the rest of the New Testament. 08:23 Now, when you look at the New Testament and you see the 08:25 concept of love, you'll find a lot of descriptions, a lot of 08:29 analysis on what love is, but Paul, he writes one of the most, 08:35 you know, well-known descriptions or anatomies of 08:39 love in the world, one of the most well-known texts 08:42 or poems in the world, and this is--this 08:45 comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 08:49 In this classic passage, the apostle, he really 08:52 puts forth love in three divisions. 08:55 He has three categories in which he 08:58 analyzes and, you know, describes love. 09:01 The first one is where he compares love and so, basically, 09:04 love compared to other gifts, highly valued virtues in his 09:09 days and in ours, for example, the gift of prophecy, the gift 09:12 of tongues, science, knowledge, charity, but from 09:17 what we find in 1 Corinthians 13, without 09:21 love, these gifts are truly worthless. 09:26 They're empty, as empty as, in his words, "sounding brass or 09:30 clanging cymbal," emitting empty, hollow sounds. 09:34 And so he compares love to other gifts, and he comes to the 09:38 conclusion that, without love, all other gifts that we can 09:41 aspire to that are good gifts, they're empty. 09:44 And this is, you know, this is where it starts becoming real to 09:47 us because, well, what gifts do you ask God for? 09:51 Do you want the gift of prophecy, or do you want the 09:53 gift of speaking in many languages or, 09:56 you know, the gift of knowledge or wisdom? 09:59 Do you know that all of these things that, while they are 10:01 good, without love, they're empty? 10:05 The second division is when he analyzes love, and so he starts 10:10 speaking about what love is, right? 10:12 He describes it here, and so, in his words, "Love is patient. 10:17 It's denying. It bears all things. 10:20 It believes all things. It hopes all things. 10:23 It endures all things." 10:24 Not only does he, you know, relate what love is, but then he 10:27 also goes on to relate what love is not, right? 10:31 "It does not parade itself. It's not puffed up. 10:34 It does not behave rudely. It does not seek its own. 10:37 It is not provoked. It thinks no evil, does no evil. 10:40 It does not rejoice in iniquity," and so on. 10:42 These are--this is a classic text that we all know of, and so 10:45 here he analyzes what love is and what it is not. 10:50 Now, friends, again, this is so real to us today because--I 10:55 don't know if you see this--any person with a critical mind sees 10:58 that, in the world that we live in, there are a lot of wrong 11:01 ideas about what love is and about what love is not. 11:05 You see that in media. You see that in songs. 11:09 You see that in modern poems and literature. 11:12 You see people finding love to be 11:14 something that it could never be. 11:16 Love nowadays is a lot more about 11:18 the person than who he or she is loving. 11:21 Love has become self-centered. 11:23 And so here, the apostle, he defines what it is according to 11:28 the agape love, God's true, unconditional love, and what it 11:32 is not, what it has become in our world today. 11:36 And, finally, after he compares love, 11:39 after he analyzes love, he defends love. 11:43 That's what you find in 1 Corinthians 13. 11:45 He sets forth the basic reason as for why he chooses love as 11:49 the supreme gift, and this is really a moment where we need to 11:52 sit back and analyze why is love the supreme gift, why is it the 11:56 gift that from everything else or all the other things stem 12:00 from it or rooted in it, and it's simple, 12:03 it's because love endures forever. 12:06 Love endures forever. It is eternal. 12:10 All others will pass away, will fail, and will cease. 12:14 That's what the text says. 12:15 Tongues, prophecy, all these things pass, fail away, and 12:19 cease, but "love remains forever aside faith and hope, 12:25 but the greatest of these is love." 12:27 And so this week's lesson, which is the last one 12:31 in the quarter, it zeroes in on brotherly love. 12:34 What does it mean that we should love one another? 12:37 You know, you find this saying, "Love one another." 12:42 The term "one another," in the New Testament, it appears more 12:45 than 70 times, "love one another," "endure one another," 12:48 "be patient with one another," "carry one another's burdens," 12:50 "forgive one another," so you find this more than 70 times. 12:54 You can't really miss the point of what these biblical authors 12:57 are trying to transmit, but it's easier said than done, isn't it? 13:03 It's a lot easier said than done. 13:05 And so, here, this lesson, it finishes with this beautiful 13:08 anatomy of love where we need to let brotherly love continue, and 13:15 that's what we're studying this week. 13:19 What we find is that all believers are invited not only 13:22 to demonstrate it in their lives but allow God to transmit it 13:28 through their lives, otherwise it will be false, it will be 13:30 empty, it won't be true, it won't be real. 13:34 Now, Sunday's lesson already starts well. 13:39 The lesson starts beautiful. 13:41 The title is "Caring for God's People," and, again, this is 13:44 based on Hebrews 13:1, that refers to God's love, and it 13:49 refers to the love that we must have towards each other. 13:51 "Let Brotherly Love Continue." 13:53 And here we'll find--I'm going to read a series of Bible texts, 13:56 and I want you to see what is--I want all of you to be truly 14:00 listening and paying attention to see what is the constant, 14:03 what is the one or the gift that is mentioned 14:05 in all of these verses that I'm going to read. 14:07 So, for example, the first one, which is Romans chapter 12, 14:10 verse 13, that says, "distributing to the needs of 14:13 the saints, given to hospitality," so what happens 14:16 here is the emphasis of the importance of sharing with 14:18 others in their times of need and to practice hospitality. 14:22 That's the first verse, all right? 14:23 The second is 1 Timothy 3, verse 2, that says, "A bishop then 14:28 must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, 14:31 sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach," and 14:35 so, again, you find the same subject. 14:39 Here is you find the characteristic of a Christian 14:43 leader, but these are all things that all Christians 14:45 must set forth, wouldn't you say so? 14:48 Would this only be for Christian leaders, for pastors, or for 14:51 elders, or do you think that, these qualities, they speak to 14:54 all true followers of Christ, to be blameless, 14:59 to be faithful to their spouse, temperate, 15:03 sober-minded, good behavior, able to teach? 15:07 Now, you might say, "Well, I'm not able to teach." 15:09 Friends, every Christian should be able 15:10 to teach in one capacity or another. 15:13 I'm not saying that everyone has to preach up front. 15:15 Not everyone has to teach a Sabbath School, but you should 15:18 be able to give a reasonable reason for your faith, 15:21 reasonable reason for your faith. 15:24 Do you see what I'm saying? 15:25 But in the text here, you do find the continuation of what, 15:28 you know, the author is driving home. 15:30 In Titus chapter 1, verse 8, it says, "Be hospitable, a lover of 15:35 what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled," 15:39 and then, finally, 1 Peter 4, verse 7 through 9, it sums it 15:43 all, and it says, "But the end of all things is at hand. 15:46 Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 15:49 And above all things have fervent love for one another, 15:52 for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.' 15:55 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." 15:58 So what is the quality that is being 16:01 repeated through all these verses? 16:03 Hospitality. 16:05 Now, what's curious, that when we observe the three classic 16:08 lists that appear in the New Testament that are mentioned by 16:12 the apostle, you know, the lists of the fruits of the Spirit, 16:14 none of them mention hospitality, and there are three 16:17 classic lists in the New Testament of, you know, 16:18 all the gifts, the fruits of the Spirit. 16:20 They don't really mention hospitality, but nonetheless, it 16:25 is certainly a gift, and it's added later on 16:29 to the list of gifts as new realities and needs 16:32 appeared in the first century church. 16:33 Here we have to understand that that first 16:36 century church, it was a dynamic church. 16:38 It was growing, not growing only in number but growing in its 16:42 service, growing in what it had to do 16:44 to be able to serve a chaotic world. 16:47 You know, it begins with the apostles. 16:49 It begins there in the Upper Room. 16:51 It begins, you know, with that group of people, then you have 16:53 the baptisms of thousands, and it starts going out from 16:57 Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, to the ends of the earth, and we 17:00 see that not only the quantity but the quality of the 17:04 disciples, of the Christians, they expand, and so that's why 17:09 hospitality, while it's not mentioned in the three classic 17:12 lists, it's mentioned through and through the New Testament 17:15 because, friends, all Christians must be hospitable. 17:18 Now, I'll tell you, it's easier for some people than for others, 17:22 and I'll tell you that it's not one of those that comes 17:23 naturally to me because I am a natural introvert, all right? 17:27 Now, some of you might be surprised because 17:29 I don't seem to be an introvert, but I am. 17:30 I'm not shy. 17:32 You know, you have different personalities and all that kind 17:34 of stuff, you know, so I'm not a shy person, but I'm an 17:36 introvert, and sometimes introverts have a hard time 17:39 being hospitable, but it's something that all of must be. 17:43 We're called to be hospitable. 17:45 Hospitality, friends, it's exercised not only to those from 17:50 within the faith but also to those that are outside of the 17:54 faith, and this is indicated in multiple examples in the Bible. 17:59 A reference is made especially to those that are in prison, 18:02 those who are isolated, alone and excluded, many of them that 18:06 are tormented by shame and by guilt. 18:08 You know, I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out this 18:12 week--I didn't know this reality, but I found out that 18:16 the Bible school here at Amazing Facts, about 70% 18:20 of their correspondence is with inmates, 18:23 and I find that's such a beautiful ministry. 18:25 When I was a pastor in Texas, we had a brother that was very--I 18:30 was a pastor in the city of Beaumont, Texas. 18:31 It's a beautiful town and one--a beautiful church, you know, the 18:35 best people, and we had a few brothers there, brothers and 18:39 sisters that were very passionate about their work with 18:43 prison ministry, and I was able to observe it, you know, a bit 18:47 more closely than I ever had, and that's a big ministry. 18:50 We find that repeated again and again in the Bible, to these, 18:56 not only the prisoners, but those who live lives of 18:59 exclusion, lives of, you know, staying on the 19:01 sidelines of the world, the followers of Jesus 19:04 are called to manifest sympathy and relief. 19:10 In this, Jesus followers will be acting in obedience to the 19:15 words of their Master in Matthew 25, where Jesus said, 19:18 "I was in prison and you came to Me." 19:21 Now, according to this text, about the scene of the final 19:26 judgment, we serve Jesus in the person of the 19:30 people that we serve and the person of those that 19:32 are in need, be them of the faith or not. 19:35 Sometimes, you know, the Bible speaks about this. 19:37 Jesus Himself talks about this. 19:39 We are oftentimes tempted to serve, to minister 19:43 to those that we love, to people that are nice, 19:46 to people that are okay, right? 19:49 It's easier, it's easy to be nice to someone that treats you 19:52 well, that treats you kindly, but it's a whole other matter to 19:57 deal with someone, to treat someone, to demonstrate love to 20:01 people that--maybe they don't even treat you bad, but maybe 20:05 they're people that you don't know, they're strangers. 20:08 Sometimes, people that seem offensive to the senses, it's 20:12 difficult, but, friends, that was Jesus's life. 20:19 Before the presence of the great white throne of the universe, 20:23 the question coming from the King sitting upon the throne, 20:27 here in the Bible, in this description in Matthew 25, the 20:31 question coming from the King sitting on the 20:33 throne, it is not "Did you believe?" 20:38 The question is "Did you love?" 20:42 Now, I'm not saying that it's not important to believe. 20:44 Please do not understand me incorrectly. 20:46 It is important. It's vital to believe. 20:49 Of course, it is, but the true question, 20:51 the heart of the matter, is "Was what you believed in 20:56 capable of transforming your life?" 20:59 Do you see? 21:01 The question isn't primarily "Did you believe?" 21:04 The question is primarily "Did what you believe in or was what 21:08 you believed capable of changing your life?" 21:11 Because there are a lot of people that believe, but it 21:14 doesn't change them, and the reality, friends, is that faith 21:19 or belief becomes faith at the point of action. 21:23 That's what Jesus is revealing here. 21:26 Faith--or belief becomes faith at the point of action. 21:29 That's why what Jesus is talking about is service. 21:33 I'm not talking about salvation by works, but I'm saying 21:37 that salvation is revealed in our works. 21:41 Does that make sense? 21:43 You're not saved by what you do, 21:45 but what you do does reveal your status. 21:48 It reveals where your heart is at. 21:52 Jesus cared for those in need. 21:55 He demanded no conditions that they must follow Him in order to 21:59 receive His help, and those who decided to follow Him, to become 22:04 His disciples, His followers, they did so as a result of the 22:08 love that He demonstrated to them, not as a condition of that 22:11 love, and that's another big thing because sometimes we feel 22:15 that we must take a step so that then God can take a step. 22:19 Have you ever felt that before? 22:21 First, I must demonstrate initiative, and then God will 22:25 meet me halfway, and sometimes, we feel that other people that 22:31 we're ministering to, they must reveal the same thing. 22:34 They have to take--they need to want it, right? 22:36 They need to take a first step, and then I'll 22:38 take a step and meet them halfway. 22:41 But let me ask you something, did Jesus mostly go to 22:46 people or wait for people to come to Him? 22:53 Jesus mostly went. Jesus met people. 22:58 He encountered them. 22:59 He meets Nicodemus in the middle of the night. 23:01 He meets the Samaritan woman at a well. 23:04 He meets a blind man in a tank. Jesus went. 23:08 Friends, the truth revealed in the Bible is 23:10 that God always takes the first step. 23:15 "We love Him because He first," what? 23:18 "Loved us." Now, here's the catch. 23:21 It's not really a catch, but here's the detail, if I'm 23:24 imitating Jesus Christ and I should be more like Him, should 23:27 I be waiting for people to come to my church, 23:29 or should I be going to meet them? 23:32 Because, friends, the reality is that 23:34 the church must leave the building. 23:37 The church must leave the building. 23:42 Yes, this is our home base, but we become the church, the arms, 23:47 the hands, the feet of Jesus, when we step out of the 23:50 building, out of our comfort zone. 23:53 The church must leave the building, and that's 23:56 also something that I learned from a lady 23:58 called Gloria in the Beaumont church. 24:01 She preached a sermon once, called 24:03 "The Church Must Leave the Building." 24:04 It was a beautiful sermon, "The Church Must Leave the Building." 24:09 Observe the scene in the judgment in Matthew 25. 24:12 The items that are listed as the final test, 24:16 they have to do with hospitality. 24:18 Matthew 25, verse 35 and 36, "for I 24:20 was hungry and you gave Me food. 24:22 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. 24:23 I was a stranger and you took Me in. 24:25 I was naked and you clothed Me. I was sick and you visited Me. 24:28 I was in prison and you came to Me." 24:30 Friends, the final test has to do 24:32 with the practical things of life. 24:34 Why is love so important? 24:36 Why does it seem here that love is the only important thing? 24:39 Friends, it's because God is love and because "He who does 24:43 not love does not know God, for God is love," 24:47 as per 1 John chapter 4, verse 8. 24:51 He who does not love is not found in God. 24:53 It doesn't matter who they are. 24:55 It doesn't matter what status, what 24:57 office, what position they hold. 24:59 Their lack of love is the final evidence 25:02 that they never knew Him. 25:06 That's why love is the only thing that matters because 25:10 everything else that you will do, everything else that you 25:13 will believe in your Christian experience, it all comes down to 25:16 my relationship with Christ, your relationship with Him, 25:20 and what that produces in your life. 25:22 You can believe whatever. You can do whatever. 25:26 That's why, when we find that encounter that Jesus proposes in 25:31 the Sermon of the Mount, where people come to Jesus and they 25:34 say a whole bunch of things, they say, "Lord, Lord--" 25:37 only believers will say, "Lord, Lord," 25:41 but did their "Lord, Lord," matter? 25:45 And then there are others that did a whole bunch of things, 25:47 miracles, signs, cured people, prophesied, expelled demons. 25:52 Did all these works of faith matter? 25:56 "Depart from Me, you who practice 25:58 iniquity, for I never knew you." 26:05 Monday's lesson, the title is 26:08 "Covetousness and Sexual Immorality." 26:11 Now, you know, in the texts that are related most frequently to 26:15 the common evils that we must avoid in life 26:17 that you'll find these texts throughout the 26:20 New Testament, we find that covetousness 26:22 and sexual immorality are mentioned almost always. 26:25 These, according to Paul, are the signs of the times, and for 26:29 example, 2 Timothy 3, verse 2 through 5, it says, "But know 26:32 this, that in the last days, perilous times will come. 26:35 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, 26:37 boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, 26:40 unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without 26:44 self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, 26:48 haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 26:51 having a form of godliness but denying its power," and here's a 26:56 whole list, and, honestly, when you look at the world around you 26:59 right now, this is exactly what you'll find, but it's curious 27:04 that throughout, through and through the New Testament, 27:06 you'll find that covetousness and sexual immorality, they're 27:08 woven through in all these lists of what the world has always 27:13 been, unfortunately, after the fall, and what it will 27:17 fall into more and more towards the end. 27:19 Covetousness is the cancer of our materialistic society, where 27:24 everyone is seeking to be the number one, the first, 27:29 and the soul of materialism is competition. 27:34 Now, competition, you know, you could speak about it in many 27:38 ways, but in this context, in this context of materialism, it 27:43 destroys our capacity of serving others wholeheartedly since, in 27:47 competition, we see others as rivals to ourself, rivals to be 27:51 overcome, annihilated and destroyed, 27:54 only stepping stones to our success. 28:00 Materialistic competition, it destroys sympathy, compassion, 28:07 and the spirit of mercy and unconditional service, and so 28:10 this is one of those things that we must be careful with. 28:14 How competitive are you? 28:15 I have to be careful because I can 28:16 become quite competitive person. 28:19 That's why I don't play many--I don't play that many games or 28:21 sports because of what it does to me, you know, competitive 28:25 things because I am very competitive. 28:28 Now, that is one of the items that's 28:31 mentioned on this day's lesson. 28:32 The other, it has to do with sexual morality. 28:34 That is the trademark of modern culture, the culture of sex 28:40 that has invaded every layer of society. 28:43 It has become a part of every segment of modern, secular 28:47 culture in the office, in meetings, 28:50 in trips, in airplanes, avenues, roads, 28:53 restaurants, billboards, car dealerships. 28:56 All of these things reveal the sad reality that sex sells. 29:02 Some time ago, "Time Magazine" had a cover article entitled, 29:07 "Pornography: The Moral AIDS of Our Time." 29:12 Pornography is one of the darkest 29:14 depths of fallen humanity. 29:17 It destroys people. 29:19 It destroys their ability to give and to receive love. 29:23 It destroys families. 29:24 It acts as a drug, creating what the experts call "the law of the 29:29 decreasing or diminishing return," where, over time, 29:33 more and more doses, more and more stimulation 29:36 is needed to achieve ever-decreasing results. 29:41 Pornography opens the door to the prince of darkness. 29:45 What is considered by many as just mere entertainment, a fun 29:49 passing of time, it's nothing less than one of the most 29:53 powerful satanic instruments for the degradation and the 29:57 destruction of God's beautiful creation. 30:02 Pornography reduces people to mere body parts, a few pixels of 30:07 skin without any merit or worth, and as Christians, we must 30:12 remember that human worth is defined by character and not the 30:17 body, by what God deems us to be worth and not 30:22 what we deem ourselves or others to be worth. 30:26 We remain by the spirit and not by the flesh, and our constant 30:30 prayer should be the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm chapter 30:33 51, verse 10, "Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, 30:37 and renew in me a steadfast spirit." 30:39 Now, interestingly enough, the verb that's used in this text 30:42 for "create," the Hebrew verb is the verb "bara." 30:46 Now, that's a very technical, very 30:48 specific verb in the Hebrew language. 30:50 It's only used in the context of the Creator, of God. 30:55 Humans cannot "bara." 30:58 This designates an action of pulling things into existence, 31:03 where God, He can create out of nothing. 31:06 In Latin, they use the word "ex nihilo," 31:09 creation out of nothing. 31:11 God pulls things into existence. 31:12 And so what the psalmist is saying is "Lord, pull into 31:15 existence in me a clean heart, because I cannot do it, and 31:22 renew a steadfast spirit within me." 31:26 Only God can do that, friends. 31:29 Tuesday's lesson, "Remember Your Leaders." 31:33 Now, I like this date. It's an important date. 31:38 The letter of Hebrews, it exhorts the church to honor and 31:41 to obey the leaders of the congregation. 31:44 This is what verse 7, Hebrews 13, verse 7, it says, "Remember 31:48 those who rule over you, who have spoken the word 31:50 of God to you, whose faith follow, 31:53 considering the outcome of their conduct." 31:55 And then, verse 17, ten verses later, it says, "Obey those who 31:58 rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch for 32:02 your souls, as those who must give account. 32:05 Let them do so with joy and not with grief, 32:08 for that would be unprofitable to you." 32:12 Now, this exhortation, it begins as an invitation, an invitation 32:16 to remember the leaders of the past, those who had communicated 32:20 the Word of God to the believing Hebrews, 32:23 those to whom the letter was addressed. 32:26 Now, many of these leaders already--were already asleep in 32:30 the Lord, already awaited the promise. 32:33 They had left behind a faithful legacy of a life following God, 32:40 a legacy of faith to Him, and now they awaited the fulfillment 32:45 of His certain promise to raise them up. 32:47 So some of these leaders were 32:49 these that already rested in God. 32:51 Some had been persecuted. 32:52 Some had lost their homes, lost their possessions. 32:55 Some had been martyred because of their faith. 33:01 These first-century Hebrews to whom Paul is writing, 33:05 they certainly knew this reality. 33:08 They certainly knew what it meant to face persecution. 33:11 It's what they were going through, but some of these 33:14 leaders here, they pertain to a more distant past. 33:17 Some of them listed in the chapter 11, the lists of the 33:21 Hall of Fame, the Hall of Heroes of Faith. 33:24 Now, these heroes, they are part of the great cloud 33:26 of witnesses that you'll find in chapter 12. 33:30 "These are the ones that had not received the promise, God having 33:33 provided something better for us, that they should 33:36 not be made perfect apart from us." 33:38 But the remembrance of their faithfulness served as an 33:41 encouragement and a challenge for the believers that now found 33:44 themselves fighting the good fight that had already 33:48 been overcome by these old heroes. 33:51 Friends, the communicated message here is that we shall 33:54 all celebrate together the feast of the ages. 33:58 The believer here is exhorted to honor their leaders, 34:02 in this case, the elders, the bishops is 34:05 what you'll find in the original Greek. 34:08 But what is spoken of, regarding the leaders, clearly suggests 34:11 that they, contrary to the false leaders, had not been negligent 34:15 in their task, so that's what Paul is saying, 34:18 "Obey them, honor them, respect them." 34:24 They are described as shepherds that are the ones responsible 34:28 for the well-being of the congregation that they serve. 34:32 Now, this is certainly applicable for today. 34:36 The leaders here are described as sub-shepherds, sub-pastors, 34:41 the servants of the great pastor and his representatives as they 34:46 faithfully obey his charge of caring for the flock. 34:51 You know, perhaps the greatest privilege of a Christian leader 34:56 is being considered a servant of the Most High. 35:00 I know that I certainly take this charge seriously with a 35:05 very big sense of awe that God would use someone like me and of 35:13 unworthiness, but I do understand, you know, "Pastor 35:17 Luccas, servant of the Lord," that chills me. 35:23 That's something that never fails to 35:24 humble me and still fills me with joy. 35:29 I remember the first time I was called "pastor." 35:31 It was in Brazil, and I wasn't even a pastor yet. 35:34 I was studying at the seminary, and we went to do an internship 35:37 at a little church, and the brothers and sisters, they were 35:41 calling me, "pastor," and I was like, "Whoa, me?" 35:50 The reference here in this text is the leaders, and it reminds 35:53 us of the essential virtues of leadership, such as integrity, 35:57 truthfulness, patience, so many other things, and so the text is 36:02 telling us to honor, to obey these leaders, not for the sake 36:08 of their worthiness but for the sake that they are sub-shepherds 36:12 of the great one, the great Shepherd, 36:15 caring for the flock, loving the flock. 36:20 That's what the good pastors do. 36:24 Wednesday, "Beware of Diverse and Strange Teachings." 36:27 Now, the main text here is Hebrews 13, verse 9. 36:30 It says, "Do not be carried about 36:32 with various and strange doctrines. 36:33 For it is good that the heart be established by grace, 36:38 not with foods which have not profited those 36:41 who have been occupied with them." 36:42 Now, this exhortation here is extremely profitable and 36:45 valuable for today, where winds of new doctrines appear here and 36:49 there, and church members that have a weakness for any novel 36:53 idea that aren't content with what has already been revealed, 36:58 are always in search for the latest new light. 37:02 They're almost always based on false teachings and baseless 37:06 theories, and I might be a little bit harsh, but this is 37:09 the reality, friends, because Jesus told us that the end would 37:12 be marked with the presence of false prophets and their 37:15 teachings, with the appearance of piety. 37:20 Ellen White spoke of the great reform and revival that will 37:24 happen among God's people towards the end, however, the 37:27 prophetic voice to the Adventists also warned against 37:31 the counterfeits, the obstacles of this time, strange doctrines, 37:36 twisted and absurd demands such as the ones of the Pharisees in 37:39 Jesus's day with their traditions and outdated rituals. 37:43 There are--and you'll relate to this, you know, not that I'm 37:46 saying that you're doing it, but you'll relate to this in the 37:48 sense that you most likely know people like this, the 37:51 mathematician Adventists, who seem to never learn and 37:56 continue, even today, coming up with all sorts of bizarre and 38:00 ridiculous calculations and theories, trying to determine 38:03 the indeterminable date of Jesus's Second Coming, 38:07 the day and hour that no one knows. 38:12 There are also the chronic fanatics--or fanatics. 38:16 The chronic fanatic--that's a hard word. 38:20 Where's the--"fa-na-tics" or "fan-atics"? 38:23 "Fa-na-tics," okay, well, there's my 38:25 Portuguese trying to come out. 38:28 The pathological periphery of the church, scandalizing outside 38:34 observers and strengthening the incorrect notion that we are a 38:38 cult, these that usually bring no one to the feet of Christ. 38:42 If you want to know if someone is good in their 38:44 theology, you know how you determine that? 38:48 Determine if they're bringing people to Jesus's feet. 38:52 Check and see. 38:54 Usually, when people are talking too much, too many of these 38:59 weird theories, they're not introducing Jesus to anyone. 39:04 They just want to be right. 39:08 Some time ago, one of these showed up 39:09 in Brazil, claiming to be the Messiah. 39:13 The police found him sometime later, robbing a car, and then, 39:17 when they questioned him about his incoherent claim 39:19 of identity, he responded, "Well, the Bible 39:22 does say that Jesus would come as a thief." 39:27 Comical if not tragic. 39:31 Now, unfortunately, in the church, we find an 39:32 enormous amount of representatives of 39:34 fanaticism condemned in the Bible. 39:37 Ellen White went as far to say, as saying, that these teachings 39:40 only made it that much harder for the world to see the truth 39:44 in the church, but despite all of this, as the lesson puts it, 39:49 "In Hebrews, 'grace' comes from the throne of God. 39:52 This grace, mediated through Christ, is an 'anchor,' 'sure 39:56 and steadfast,' that is fastened to God's throne itself. 40:00 It is this grace, that we receive through the sacrifice of 40:03 Christ, which provides stability and assurance to our hearts. 40:06 When the heart has been 'established' in this way, it 40:09 will not be 'carried about' by new doctrines, nor will it 40:12 'drift away.'" 40:15 And, finally, the last day of this week's lesson, 40:17 in my opinion, the most beautiful of the days this week 40:21 and, honestly, the best way to end this quarter's lesson, 40:26 "Go to Jesus Outside the Camp." 40:29 Hebrews 13:12, tells us that Jesus suffered outside the camp. 40:34 Now, friends, "Jesus Outside the Camp," again, is the best way, a 40:38 beautiful way to finish this lesson. 40:40 He is a priest, and that's what we learn through Hebrews. 40:43 Jesus is a priest, however, a priest that is not connected to 40:46 Aaron's lineage--the priest-King, an outsider. 40:52 He is a High Priest better than the Levitical priesthood. 40:56 He is from the order of Melchizedek. 40:58 He is the great High Priest, and, yet an outsider. 41:03 He was born in a stable, for there was no place for Him in 41:06 the inn, Emmanuel, "God with us," an outsider. 41:13 He had no fixed home as He was an 41:15 itinerant teacher, entering only when invited. 41:19 The architect of the world, an outsider. 41:23 He died outside the limits of the city, indicating the 41:28 universal nature of His sacrifice, just as His 41:31 priesthood extended to all, an outsider. 41:37 He suffered on the cross, outside of Jerusalem, also 41:42 indicating the shame that was cast upon Him, outside the camp, 41:47 as someone impure, someone contaminated, an outsider. 41:53 Here in Hebrews, believers are encouraged to follow Jesus 41:56 outside the camp and follow Him even in His shame, and sure 42:00 enough, Paul himself cries this out, proclaims this truth in 42:07 bold words in Romans chapter 1, verse 16, "For I am not ashamed 42:11 of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for the 42:17 salvation of anyone that believes." 42:20 Now, curiously, Paul also suggests that now 42:23 the presence of Christ is outside the camp. 42:27 His sacrifice represents the path to shame and to suffering 42:31 at least here on this side of eternity, but it also represents 42:37 the path of God's glory, the straight and narrow path. 42:43 And so, just as Jesus was technically disqualified, 42:47 according to the Jewish traditions and laws 42:49 and rules, the cross also apparently 42:52 disqualified Him from being our Redeemer. 42:55 At least that's how Paul initially sees this. 42:58 That's how he initially understood the whole matter. 43:00 A crucified Messiah was a contradiction of terms, an 43:04 oxymoron, a stumbling block, an impossibility. 43:10 As a specialist of the Old Testament, he knew the text of 43:13 Deuteronomy chapter 21, verse 23, that said, "He who is 43:17 hanged on the tree is accursed of God." 43:20 It was only later that Paul understood that 43:24 the Messiah had to be hung on the tree. 43:29 2 Corinthians 5:21, my favorite verse in the Bible, "For He made 43:34 Him, who knew no sin, to be made sin for us that we might become 43:40 the righteousness of God in Him." 43:45 From then on, the apostle did nothing 43:47 but glory himself on the cross of Christ. 43:50 Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should boast except in 43:54 the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has 43:57 been crucified to me, and I to the world." 44:00 Friends, every major religion in the world is represented 44:03 by a visual element of its history. 44:05 Buddhism has the lotus flower. 44:07 Judaism has David's star, the 44:10 hexagram with overlaid triangles. 44:12 Islam has the crescent star. 44:14 Marxism has the scythe and the hammer. 44:16 Nazism has the swastika, an 44:18 appropriated symbol of the Aryan race. 44:20 Christianity could have illustrated its history and did 44:24 in some occasions, in some places, in many ways: a fish, an 44:28 ark, a lion, a shepherd, a manger, a carpenter's woodwork, 44:33 a boat, a stone removed from the grave, a dove, a sheaf of wheat, 44:37 and, again, these were used in many occasions, but there is no 44:40 other symbol, no other sign in history that best describes the 44:44 Christians and who they are: a simple cross. 44:51 The Christians, despite the mockery of the pagans, chose the 44:54 cross so the world could know who they were. 44:58 The central symbol of the Christian faith is a cross, a 45:01 cross that was created to instigate horror, shame, and 45:05 pain, invented by the Phoenicians in the periphery of 45:08 the Roman Empire as an instrument of torture. 45:11 It was adopted due to its capacity of prolonging pain, the 45:16 cross that was reserved for the worst of the worst. 45:20 A Roman citizen could not be crucified, however, Christians, 45:26 in spite of the mockery, in spite of the ridicule, 45:29 in spite of everything else, they held 45:32 onto the cross, the cross of Christ. 45:35 You know, friends, Jesus preached from pulpits, 45:38 boats, hillsides, beaches, the atrium 45:41 of the temple, mountains, synagogues. 45:44 He preached during trips, but Jesus's greatest sermon was 45:51 preached from the cross, where great metal spikes immobilized 45:56 Him to the wood, and, yet His message was 46:01 never clearer, never louder or more beautiful. 46:08 Friends, in eternity to come, there will only be two signs, 46:12 two things that remind us of sin, physical things, the marks 46:20 of the nails on Jesus's hands and feet, that also remind us of 46:25 two things, how evil and bad sin is 46:34 and how good, how loving, how merciful God is. 46:43 May that forever be in your heart and in your mind 46:49 throughout eternity, only two things, 46:52 how bad sin is and how good God is. 46:58 May He bless you in your growth as a Christian, in your journey 47:05 as a Christian, a follower of Jesus. 47:09 May these marks always be represented in your life, 47:12 and may you be a demonstration of how good God is. 47:17 May He bless you. May He guide you. 47:19 Please don't forget to study your lesson. 47:23 We're starting a very good lesson starting 47:25 next week already with Pastor Alden. 47:27 He'll be leading us on that. 47:29 Also, please don't forget to take advantage 47:31 of this free offer, "Tiny Troublemaker." 47:33 This is for anyone who wants to read this and learn more 47:37 about this topic 47:39 can call 866-788-3966, ask for Offer Number 196. 47:45 If you're in the United States of America or in the Continental 47:47 North America, you can text "SH133" to the number 40544, or 47:53 if you're outside of North America, you can go to 47:56 study.aftv.org/SH133, and you can get a 48:00 digital download of this material. 48:03 I'd like to pray with you right now as we finish. 48:07 Dear Lord, I thank You so much for being who You are. 48:13 Thank You for the revelation of Your Son in the Bible, for 48:16 everything that we have about who He is and what He has done 48:20 and what He is doing for us in the heavenly sanctuary. 48:24 Lord, we want to be a demonstration 48:26 of how good You are. 48:28 We want to let brotherly and sisterly love continue in our 48:33 church, not only here at the Granite Bay Hilltop Church but, 48:36 Father, in the church around the world that 48:38 we may all be demonstrations of Your beauty, 48:40 of Your kindness, of Your forgiveness. 48:43 Allow us to understand, Lord, that belief truly only becomes 48:46 faith at the point of action, and that, at the end, 48:49 the reality, the truth, the question will be 48:52 not primarily, "Did I believe?" 48:55 but "Did what I believe in change me into having or create 49:00 in me a servant's heart or having a servant's heart?" 49:04 Please bless this church, Lord, the worldwide church. 49:07 Allow us to be a manifestation of Your kindness to those around 49:10 us, ministering to them in their times of need. 49:13 This world is broken, Father. 49:14 Allow us to be healing cure to those 49:19 going through suffering and pain. 49:21 I ask you for these things, and I pray 49:22 in the name of Jesus, amen and amen. 49:25 God bless you. 49:29 announcer: Don't forget to request today's 49:30 life-changing free resource. 49:32 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 49:35 you can download a digital copy straight 49:36 to your computer or mobile device. 49:38 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, simply text 49:42 the key word on your screen to 40544, or visit the web address 49:47 shown on your screen, and be sure to select the digital 49:50 download option on the request page. 49:52 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 49:55 Amazing Facts wherever and whenever you want, and most 49:59 important, to share it with others. 50:03 Bill: I went to church as a child, I think, 50:05 more out of because that's what you did. 50:07 So I became an altar boy because it looked cool. 50:11 It was very ritualistic, which was fascinating to me. 50:14 There was a pattern and a process to it, and you got to be 50:17 out in front of all those people and just do something. 50:19 After that, we moved away. 50:21 I never really went to church again as I became a teenager. 50:25 Drifted away from church. Never believed in God. 50:28 Never thought about God. Got through high school. 50:30 Did pretty good but, again, hanging out with the wrong 50:32 people, doing things I shouldn't have been doing. 50:34 Just involved in doing drugs, doing recreational drugs, 50:39 sometimes more than recreational drugs, and from that, I knew I 50:42 needed some discipline in my life, and I joined the U.S. 50:44 Navy, and I thought that would change my life, and in some 50:47 ways, it did, but I still had that big hole. 50:50 I was still looking to fill it. 50:52 I now have direction, and I have discipline in my life. 50:54 I learned a trade, but I never found God. 50:56 It's just the circumstances never led me to God. 51:00 I got married while I was in the Navy. 51:01 I married a naval officer. 51:02 We married, and we had a son together. 51:04 We didn't go to church. 51:06 God was not a part of our lives and it reflected in our lives, 51:09 and it ended up in a failed marriage for a lot of reasons. 51:12 Got in a second failed marriage. 51:14 We didn't have God in that marriage 51:15 and then met my current wife. 51:17 From a career perspective, I was doing what I loved. 51:20 I had found this job, it was great, I loved what I did. 51:24 I felt I was good at it, and that filled part of the hole, 51:27 but there was still a big hole in there that was empty, and I 51:31 didn't understand why it was empty. 51:33 I just knew there was an emptiness inside of me. 51:35 Package showed up one day, and I opened it, and it was a bunch of 51:39 DVDs and a Bible study guide, and it was Doug Batchelor. 51:42 And we had nothing else to do, so we started watching 51:44 the DVDs, and I was absolutely engrossed in it. 51:48 It was fascinating to me. 51:49 I was hearing things I had never heard, and I learned 51:52 more in that two or three weeks it took us to do those 51:56 than I had in my whole life, and it was amazing. 51:58 Nobody talked about prophecy. Nobody talked about revelation. 52:02 Nobody really talked about the Sabbath, 52:04 and so it was fascinating to me, and as 52:06 I learned more, I wanted to know more. 52:08 The Amazing Facts website was phenomenal. 52:10 I was able to go through that. 52:12 I could find studies on the Sabbath. 52:14 I could find studies on prophecy, and taking this 52:16 journey hand in hand and going through it together, 52:19 it was amazing for us in what it did 52:22 for our marriage and for our life. 52:23 And then, the next thing I know, I'm getting baptized. 52:26 Then I became the Sabbath School leader for that class, and 52:29 continue to teach through this day. 52:31 I'm able to take that information, 52:34 the resources, the links, and provide that to others 52:37 and start multiplying that effort out. 52:39 Without Amazing Facts, I don't think 52:40 I would've gotten to this point. 52:44 My name is Bill. Thank you for changing my life. 52:48 Gary: Early 1980s, all the Baby Boomers were turning 21, 52:52 and the nightclub scenes were exploding, 52:54 and I started a entertainment lighting company. 52:57 female: I was the president, and there were six divisions, 52:59 doing the raves in the '80s and '90s, you know, in some 53:02 warehouse where you're setting up lighting and fog 53:04 and, you know, who knows what's going on 53:06 in there, and nightclub installations. 53:10 I loved it, and it was who I was. 53:13 Gary: Bought a new house out of town, and we moved 53:15 about two or three times, but we were 53:18 always going into different churches. 53:19 We were in a Lutheran Church, and then 53:21 we were in a Methodist Church. 53:22 I think we were in three different Baptist churches. 53:25 My wife was raised Catholic. I was raised Methodist. 53:28 Currently, I've been up, reading all the Hal Lindsey books and 53:30 watching all the "Left Behind" movies, and so I really wanted 53:33 to understand what the book of Revelation was all about, but 53:36 nothing really ever made sense to me. 53:38 female: One day, Pastor Lloyd Logan came knocking, 53:41 and he had that Net '99 flyer. 53:44 Lloyd Logan: We were preparing for an evangelistic 53:46 series, and different people were going different directions 53:50 with handbills to invite people to the meetings. 53:55 female: I saw that coming at me, you know, all the colors, 53:57 and I thought, "Oh, no, this is some kind of cult thing." 54:00 Lloyd: And she said, "Thank you very much, 54:01 but I'm not much interested myself, 54:04 but my husband likes that kind of thing." 54:07 female: And Lloyd said, "Would you give it to him, please?" 54:10 And I said, "Okay, I will." 54:12 So I took the pamphlet, and I put it on the calendar. 54:15 Gary came home, and he walked by it. 54:17 Gary: Ran to the kitchen to quickly eat and take 54:20 a shower and go back out and work a show. 54:22 female: Two, three days went by like this, and I had moved 54:24 that brochure from the calendar, put it on the dining 54:28 room table, put it back on the counter, 54:31 and I actually threw it in the garbage. 54:33 As I threw it in that garbage can, I could hear him and see 54:37 his face saying, "Would you give it to him, please?" 54:40 And I actually took the garbage out. 54:42 And that night, lying in bed, I kept seeing his face 54:45 and hearing his voice, and thinking, "Oh, boy, 54:47 I got to get that brochure out of the garbage." 54:51 And I took that, and I put it right 54:53 underneath the remote control. 54:55 Bright colors. He'll see it. 54:57 Gary: I finally sat down in my living room, and I picked up 54:59 the remote, and I saw that angel holding out that scroll. 55:02 female: "Whoa, cool. What is this?" 55:05 And I was in the kitchen cooking, 55:06 and I thought, "Oh, no." 55:09 Gary: And I looked at it, and I turned it over, 55:11 and then I saw a little building, a little church 55:13 building, and it wasn't too far away. 55:15 It was about six houses down, and it said, "Friday night." 55:19 female: And I certainly wasn't going. 55:20 I mean, it wasn't my intention to go. 55:22 Gary: I didn't have any shows going on that night, 55:24 and so I thought it was a one-night deal. 55:27 I went, and as I heard about the millennium 55:29 man, I was just blown away, I didn't want it to end. 55:33 I knew what I was hearing was all from the scripture, 55:36 and it wasn't based on Hollywood movies 55:37 or other books that were written. 55:39 They said, "Come again tomorrow night," 55:41 and I thought, "Wow, great, two nights." 55:43 So I tried to tell my wife about it, and she still wasn't 55:46 interested, and then she decided to come. 55:48 female: I started to hear the truth, 55:50 you know, and I started to get fed. 55:52 Gary: Every night, after the seminar, they would 55:54 hand us an Amazing Facts study guide. 55:57 I couldn't do those fast enough. 55:58 female: The business kept us going seven days 56:01 a week, and it was night and day. 56:03 Gary: Crews working all around the clock, and so, when 56:05 we finally heard the Sabbath message, you know, so far, 56:08 everything's been true, right from the Bible. 56:10 female: Church on Saturday, no work. 56:13 Anyway, it all clicked. 56:15 Gary: Both our heads turned at each other. 56:16 Our jaws dropped open. 56:18 female: I said, "We can't do that." 56:21 Gary: And the first thing that came 56:22 out of my mouth was "We have to." 56:24 female: I knew that it would be a sacrifice, 56:27 and I was in fear about it. 56:29 Gary: We didn't know how we were going to do it, but we 56:33 talked to the pastor about it, and the pastor said, "Well, just 56:35 pray about it, and God will open doors." 56:37 female: I didn't want to give up all the connections I had 56:40 made, all the networking, all the money, all the investment. 56:43 Gary: We went to the board and ask them if they would 56:46 consider closing on Saturday, and they agreed to, so we closed 56:49 the storefront on Saturday, but we were still doing productions, 56:53 and that kind of bothered us, so a couple months later, 56:56 God opened the door for my wife. 56:58 She exited the company. 56:59 I prayed about it, and God opened the door for me too. 57:02 female: Gary, shortly after, was offered a job being paid 57:06 more money than he made as an owner of the company. 57:10 Gary: He said, "I'll give you a thousand-dollar raise, 57:13 and you will never work another weekend. 57:15 female: And we were able to keep the Sabbath and enjoy the 57:19 wonderful blessings that God had for us on the Sabbath day. 57:23 Gary: My kids never again had to say, 57:24 "Quit talking about work." 57:26 After the seminar was over, my wife and I, and my children were 57:28 all baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 57:32 Even if I gave up everything, I knew 57:33 that God would have something better. 57:35 female: I have much more understanding, and there's much 57:39 more depth in my Christian walk with the Lord. 57:43 Gary: We started an Amazing Facts Bible School at a church 57:46 that allows anybody to understand the scriptures 57:48 and to understand the end times. 57:50 Church changed my life dramatically, and I'm 57:53 very happy and excited to be a part of it. 57:55 ♪♪♪ 58:02 ♪♪♪ 58:10 ♪♪♪ 58:14 ♪♪♪ 58:24 CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io |
Revised 2022-03-17