Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP210018S
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00:01 Hello and welcome
00:02 to the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:04 We are on lesson number five, "Children of the Promise." 00:07 And we want to ask you to visit ABSG.Adventist.org 00:13 to follow along in the Sabbath School lesson, 00:15 you can download all 13 lessons 00:17 and follow along as we study the everlasting covenant. 00:21 So join us now as we study God's Word together. 00:55 Welcome again 00:57 to the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:58 Lesson number five Children of the Promise 01:01 is about to begin. 01:02 My name is John Dinzey. 01:03 And it's a joy again to be with you. 01:05 I would like to introduce our members of the family 01:09 of the 3ABN panel that are here. 01:10 Sister Shelley Quinn. 01:12 Amen. I'm excited to be here. 01:14 Thank you so much. 01:15 Pastor Ryan Day, are you ready to go? 01:17 Man, I'm ready. 01:18 Let's do it. Amen. Amen. 01:20 Sister Jill Morikone, welcome. 01:22 Thank you so much, Pastor Dinzey. 01:23 Privileged to be here and open up God's Word. 01:25 Amen. 01:27 Pastor John Lomacang, 01:28 well known by our viewers and listeners as well. 01:30 Yes, the Lord 01:31 has been blessing us in this study. 01:33 And we don't expect anything less from Him today. 01:35 Amen. Amen. 01:37 What I appreciate about the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel, 01:39 members of the family is their humility, 01:42 and their passion for God's Word. 01:44 And I'm sure you can tell that they love the Lord 01:47 and want to share the good news 01:49 of His mercy with the world. 01:52 Let's begin with prayer. 01:53 I like to ask Sister Shelley Quinn, 01:54 please help us with the prayer. 01:56 Absolutely. 01:58 Heavenly Father, we come before You 02:00 in the name of Jesus, 02:02 thanking You, Lord, 02:03 that You are a covenant making, covenant keeping God, 02:06 thanking You for the our Lord Jesus Christ, 02:10 Your Holy Spirit and Your Word Father, 02:12 please speak through us today. 02:15 Please let us be surrendered to You. 02:17 And we pray that You get all the glory in Jesus name. 02:22 Amen. Amen. 02:23 Amen. 02:24 Yeah, let me give you a summary 02:26 of what we will be going through 02:27 in this study. 02:28 Because we want to give you a little taste 02:32 of what's going to be happening. 02:33 In this study, we're going to see 02:35 why did the Lord refer to Himself 02:38 as Abraham's shield? 02:40 How were all the families of the earth 02:42 to be blessed through Abraham? 02:44 And what is the greatest of all the covenant promises? 02:49 And so, I hope you have something 02:50 to write with in your Bible as we dig in to God's Word. 02:55 I would like to share with you a story 02:57 that is here in the lesson. 03:00 It's about a father and his 10-year-old daughter. 03:02 They were good swimmers, 03:03 but they decided to go out to the ocean and swim, 03:06 they were enjoying themselves, but 03:08 the tides started separating them. 03:11 And soon the father realized 03:13 that it was going to be very difficult for both of them 03:15 to make it to the shore together. 03:17 So he said to her, 03:18 "I am going to the shore to get help. 03:20 If you get tired, 03:22 just go on your back 03:23 and you can stay that way all day long. 03:27 And, of course, he started swimming 03:28 toward shore. 03:30 And she eventually got tired, 03:31 went on her back and really relaxed 03:33 as she just floated along in the ocean. 03:38 When the father got to the shore, 03:40 he had to get help. 03:41 There were people on boats, 03:43 they were looking for this young girl, 03:45 10 years old, concerned 03:47 because one hour passed, two hours, three hours, 03:50 four hours, 03:51 when they were beginning to ask themselves, 03:52 are we going to find her? 03:55 When they finally did, 03:57 she was just so relaxed in the water, 03:59 as if nothing was happening, they brought her in. 04:02 And they were just shocked that she was so relaxed. 04:05 And it's very interesting that the lesson says, 04:07 "How is it that you're so relaxed?" 04:09 And she said, 04:11 "Father said, I could float all day on my back 04:14 and that he would come for me so I just swam and floated 04:17 because I knew he would come." 04:20 Amen. 04:21 And so, this story brings about to us 04:24 how we should be. 04:25 That's right. 04:27 How we face life's challenges 04:28 to realize that Jesus is with us always 04:30 even to the end of the world 04:31 and also that He is coming soon for us. 04:36 Now let's go into Sunday's part, 04:39 as we look at some, 04:42 a verse here that brings out 04:44 a very interesting and powerful thought. 04:47 It says in Genesis 15:1, 04:49 "After these things, 04:51 the word of the Lord came unto Abraham 04:54 in a vision saying, 04:56 'Fear not Abraham, 04:57 I am thy shield 05:00 and thy exceeding great reward.'" 05:04 Now as we look at this verse, 05:06 you will notice something interesting. 05:08 It doesn't say there 05:10 that the Lord identified Himself. 05:12 And to me that's very interesting 05:14 because Abraham recognized the voice of God. 05:18 And you will see this 05:19 as you continue reading in verse 2, 05:21 because right away, 05:22 Abraham presents a concern to the Lord. 05:25 But Abraham said, 05:26 Lord God, what will You give me, 05:29 seeing I go childless, 05:30 and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' 05:34 Then Abram said, 05:36 'Look, You have given me no offspring, 05:38 indeed one born in my house is my heir!' 05:42 He was concerned, but the Lord said to Him, 05:44 'Do not be afraid.'" 05:47 I would like to focus in on this, 05:49 because you notice that whenever an angel is sent 05:54 to someone, 05:55 one of the first things they say, 05:56 fear not. 05:58 And this is something that we need to understand. 06:01 And the Bible tells us to fear not nor be dismayed 06:03 because the Lord is with us. 06:05 And Jesus has promised to be with us, always, 06:07 even until the end of the world. 06:10 And notice that the Lord called Abraham by his name, 06:15 and that's marvelous to know that God knows us by name. 06:19 That's right. We're not a number. 06:21 We're not a number on a computer system. 06:23 He doesn't have to ask somebody, 06:25 what is that the name of that guy, 06:27 you know, he's a little lost some hair, 06:29 you know, He knows us by name, 06:31 He knows us very well. 06:34 And it's very interesting 06:35 that the people that lose sight, 06:38 and they, they're able to know people by the way 06:42 they hear the sounds of the footsteps. 06:44 God knows every single thing about us. 06:47 In fact, some people recognize their loved one 06:49 from far away by the way they walk. 06:52 God knows everything about us. 06:55 And He tells us to not be afraid, 06:56 I am with you. 06:58 And I want to focus in now, 07:00 in this lesson, 07:02 the idea that God is our shield, 07:05 our protector. 07:06 In Psalm 46:1, 2, and 3, 07:09 we have these powerful words. 07:11 "God is our refuge and strength, 07:15 a very present help in trouble, 07:18 therefore we will not fear." 07:21 That's right. 07:22 And it brings out something interesting, 07:24 "Even though the earth be removed, 07:26 and though the mountains 07:28 be carried into the midst of the sea, 07:32 though its waters roar and be troubled, 07:35 though the mountains shake with the swelling Selah." 07:39 So we see that we have to take an attitude and understanding 07:44 that God is with us. 07:46 God loves us. 07:47 He will protect us. 07:49 He will be our refuge and strength. 07:51 You know, unfortunately, 07:53 we worry far too much about things in this world. 07:57 Far too much about 07:59 how we're going to pay for those things. 08:01 Are we going to have enough food? 08:03 What's going to happen with this situation I'm facing, 08:05 and a lot of us worry ourselves 08:08 out of the hands of the Lord as we focus on the problem 08:11 instead of focusing our attention 08:13 on our mighty God 08:14 who is powerful and can get us out of any situation 08:17 we may encounter. 08:20 I want to share some more verses 08:23 that bring out this mighty thought 08:26 that God is our shield. 08:28 Let's look at Psalms 84:11. 08:31 Psalms 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield, 08:37 the Lord will give grace and glory." 08:40 Now notice this, this is marvelous, 08:42 "No good thing will He withhold 08:45 from those who walk uprightly." 08:49 And the Lord approached Abraham, 08:52 with the promise that He will be his shield, 08:55 because Abraham was willing to serve the Lord, 08:58 follow the Lord and be faithful. 09:02 And this is why the promises of God 09:04 you will notice that a condition 09:07 is mentioned as well. 09:08 When you look at the everlasting covenant, 09:10 when you look at the covenants of God. 09:11 God makes a promise, 09:13 but His promises are based 09:15 on our faithfulness and obedience. 09:17 He basically says to us, 09:19 "If you will follow Me with all of your heart, 09:21 if you are willing to be My child. 09:23 If you are willing to be happy and obey My commandments, 09:27 you will have great joy in obedience. 09:30 But not only that, 09:31 I am going to give you all of these benefits." 09:34 And this is marvelous to know that God is our Father. 09:38 He is concerned about us. 09:40 Psalm 144:2, 09:43 "My lovingkindness and my fortress, 09:47 my high tower and my deliverer, 09:52 my shield 09:53 and the One in whom I take refuge, 09:57 who subdues my people under me." 10:00 Do you consider God your fortress, 10:03 your strength, your shield? 10:06 Did you take refuge in the Lord when problems come? 10:10 You take refuge in the Lord every moment of the day. 10:12 Because when you wake up and you realize you have life, 10:17 the best thing you can do is put yourself 10:20 in the hands of the Lord. 10:22 Because the Bible says 10:24 that Satan is as a roaring lion 10:26 seeking whom we may devour, 10:28 he may devour. 10:30 And we are not safe without Jesus in our heart. 10:34 So I want to encourage you, 10:35 from the very moment you wake up, 10:37 put yourself in the hands of the Lord. 10:41 And you will face the day quite differently 10:43 knowing that Jesus is with you. 10:47 So we have a question here. 10:49 And it's very interesting, and we need to consider it, 10:52 does the fact that God is our shield mean 10:55 that we are not going to experience 10:57 any type of suffering in this world? 11:01 Well, Jesus reveals to us the reality, 11:04 He doesn't hide anything. 11:06 In John 16:33, He says to us these words, 11:10 "These things I have spoken to you 11:12 that in Me, you may have peace. 11:16 In the world, you will have tribulation, 11:19 but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 11:26 So as we face difficulties in life, 11:28 and we will, 11:29 and perhaps you are facing a difficulty right now, 11:32 you are worried, you don't know what to do. 11:34 You're wondering, where's your help? 11:36 Where's your help coming from? 11:38 How am I going to get out of this mess? 11:41 In the Book of Psalms, it says, "My help comes from the Lord." 11:47 So I encourage you to consider the Lord your help, 11:50 your strength, your shield, your protector, 11:52 and the one that can deliver you 11:55 from whatever you're facing. 11:56 We are going to face difficult times, 11:58 we are even going to suffer pain, difficulties, 12:02 but God will be with us. 12:04 And notice He says, "I have overcome the world, 12:07 be of good cheer, 12:09 I will give you My peace in the midst of suffering, 12:13 in the midst of difficulties." 12:15 We should understand that God is very, very near. 12:20 Abraham faced difficulties, he faced trials, 12:26 he faced great difficulties, but he chose to be faithful. 12:32 He faced one of the greatest test 12:34 that people can be called upon. 12:36 God appeared to him one night and said, 12:38 "Abraham, take thy son, thine only son, 12:42 and offer him on a mountain that I will show you." 12:46 Abraham feared for the trial 12:52 that he faced, 12:53 but he chose to be faithful. 12:56 He did not waiver. 12:57 He picked up everything, 12:59 calls his servants picked up his son 13:01 and went to the mountain 13:02 that the Lord showed him 13:04 and went to the very act of offering his son. 13:08 His hand was up in the air 13:11 because he was willing to obey God no matter what. 13:15 And, of course, you know the story. 13:17 An angel called out, "Abraham, Abraham, 13:19 stop, don't do this." 13:22 You see, when we face trials, 13:23 we have to understand 13:25 that God has our best interest in mind. 13:27 This was a test to see if you would be faithful. 13:30 I don't know what test you are facing now. 13:33 But please understand that Jesus said, 13:35 "I will be with you always, even to the end of the world. 13:38 Whatever trial you are facing, 13:40 don't worry yourself out of the hands of the Lord. 13:43 Don't give yourself up to fear. 13:45 Do not sink into depression. 13:47 Take hold of the mighty hand of God 13:50 and say, "Yes, Lord, 13:52 I will follow You with all of my heart." 13:55 We continue now with Sister Shelley Quinn. 13:57 Amen. 13:59 Well, all I can say is thank you 14:01 and put on your seatbelts. 14:05 Okay, the everlasting covenant 14:08 is Revelation 13:8, 14:12 "The Lamb who was slain 14:14 from the foundation of the earth." 14:16 It is the covenant of redemption 14:17 that God introduced in 14:19 as soon as the humanity fell into sin. 14:23 In the garden, Genesis 3:15, 14:25 He speaks to the serpent. 14:27 He says, "I'm going to put enmity 14:29 between you and the woman, 14:32 between your seed and her seed." 14:34 He says, "Hey, 14:36 he is going to bruise your head, 14:38 you'll only bruise his heel." 14:40 He is telling us as, 14:42 as Isaiah 9:6, 14:44 "Unto us a child is going to be born, 14:47 and the government will be on His shoulders." 14:50 The seed of the woman 14:52 is going to overcome the devil. 14:57 Hallelujah. This is the covenant of grace. 15:00 God is doing for us 15:01 what we cannot do for ourselves. 15:03 I have a 30-page study 15:06 I did one weekend on the seed. 15:09 If you follow the story of the seed 15:13 through the Old and the New Testament, 15:16 it is the covenant of redemption. 15:19 In Genesis 22:15, 15:22 where God asked Abraham, 15:24 first he says to him, 15:26 "Hey, in your seed, 15:29 all the nations of the earth is going to be blessed 15:33 because you have obeyed My voice." 15:36 But then he asked him to, 15:39 as you said, 15:40 sacrifice this and we say, how could God do this? 15:44 How could Abraham even believe 15:47 that God is who is against child sacrifice, 15:51 is asking him to come sacrifice? 15:54 Let me tell you something, 15:55 I absolutely believe 15:57 that when God cut the covenant with Abraham, 16:01 put him into deep sleep. 16:03 He saw Christ day, 16:05 Jesus said, Abraham saw my day 16:07 and he was glad. 16:09 He saw Christ day, 16:10 I'm going to prove it to you from Scripture. 16:11 Hebrews 11:17 says, 16:14 "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, 16:16 he offered up Isaac 16:18 and he would receive the promises 16:20 offered his only begotten son." 16:22 Now, let me tell you something, 16:24 that word begotten is a covenant term. 16:28 It means that they were chosen for a covenant purpose. 16:32 So the term only begotten son, 16:35 that is a covenant term that means it's a unique, 16:40 one of a kind son of a promise. 16:42 Hey, Abraham had what he had Isaac, 16:45 then and then Jacob, 16:49 no, Abraham, who did he have? 16:51 Isaac. Ishmael. 16:52 Ishmael. 16:53 Ishmael, then Isaac, and then he had six more. 16:56 We won't get there. Now, here's the point. 16:59 In verse 18, he says, 17:01 he's offering up his only begotten son, 17:04 of whom it was said in, 17:05 Isaac your seed shall be called. 17:08 And then it says in verse 19 of Hebrews 11, 17:12 concluding that God was also able to raise him up 17:17 even from the dead. 17:19 He had seen the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, 17:22 he knew that God was going to have to slay 17:26 his son and bring him up. 17:28 He knew it was going to happen here too. 17:31 All right. 17:33 This seed is clearly identified as Jesus Christ 17:36 in Galatians 3:16. 17:38 He says, "In your seed," 17:40 when he's talking about Abraham and the seed, 17:42 it was sense "To your seed, who is Christ," 17:46 so only in Jesus Christ is it fulfilled, 17:49 this is the promise of the world Savior. 17:52 In Genesis, I'm just going to give you 17:54 some quick references here 17:56 that just write down the scripture references. 18:01 Genesis 26:4-5, 18:04 is when God renews the covenant with Isaac 18:07 and He says to Isaac, 18:08 "In your seed, 18:10 all the nations of the earth are going to be blessed." 18:12 Why? 18:14 "Because Abraham, your father obeyed my voice, 18:16 kept my charge, my commandments, 18:18 my statutes, and my laws." 18:20 Then in Genesis 28:12-14, 18:24 God renews this covenant with Jacob. 18:27 Jacob has this dream of the ladder 18:29 and the angels going up and down the ladder. 18:32 And then he says to Jacob in 20, Genesis 28:14, 18:37 "Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth, 18:40 you shall spread abroad to the west, 18:43 the east, the north, and the south, 18:45 and in you and in your seed, 18:49 all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 18:52 In 1 Chronicles 17:11, 18:57 God is giving, 18:59 renewing this covenant 19:00 or adding to this covenant with David. 19:03 And He says to David in 1 Chronicles 17:11, 19:07 "It shall be when your days are fulfilled, 19:10 when you go to be with your fathers, 19:12 that I will set up your seed 19:15 after you who will be one of your sons 19:18 and I will establish His kingdom." 19:20 And Paul in Acts 13 says 19:23 that this man's seed was Jesus Christ. 19:27 So it is the promise seed from Genesis 3:15. 19:31 You can trace it all the way 19:34 through the Old Testament and into the New. 19:37 But here's what I want to get to. 19:40 Isaiah 9:7 says 19:43 that of his government and peace, 19:46 speaking of the Messiah, 19:47 there will be no end, right? 19:49 That's right. 19:52 The part that I wanted to get to, 19:54 and I'm going to say it first 19:55 because I can't get through all these notes. 19:59 Jesus said in John 12:24, 20:03 "I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat 20:06 falls to the ground and dies, 20:09 it remains only a single seed. 20:12 But if it dies, it produces many seeds." 20:18 The seed of the covenant is Messiah, 20:22 He was born to die. 20:26 He was born to die. 20:27 In Isaiah 53, I just love this. 20:30 Isaiah 53:10- 11. 20:33 It says, "It pleased the Lord to bruise him." 20:36 What, to bruise? 20:40 God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. 20:43 And the whole purpose 20:45 was so that He could be bruised. 20:46 "He put into grief, 20:48 when you make His soul an offering for sin." 20:52 Get this, "He shall see His seed, 20:57 He shall prolong his days, 20:59 and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in the land. 21:03 He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied. 21:06 By His knowledge, 21:07 My righteous Servant shall justify many, 21:10 for He shall bear their iniquities." 21:14 So this seed of the Lord, 21:17 we're told in Romans 4:13, 21:20 that Abraham's seed 21:23 is only through the righteousness 21:26 of faith. 21:28 We're told in Romans 9:6-8, 21:31 that is only the children of faith, 21:34 the children of the promise, 21:36 who are counted as the seed. 21:38 Galatians 3:29 says, "We are Abraham's seed, 21:44 and heirs according to the promise." 21:47 And 1 John, I want to read this 21:50 1 John 3:7-10. 21:55 John is writing in the New Testament, he says, 21:57 "Little children, let no one deceive you. 22:00 He who practices righteousness 22:03 is righteous, just as He is righteous. 22:09 He who sins is of the devil, 22:11 for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 22:13 For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, 22:17 that He might destroy the works of the devil. 22:20 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, 22:23 does not make sin, 22:25 a continual practice of walking in it, 22:29 because His, Christ's seed remains in you. 22:34 And you cannot sin because you're born of God. 22:39 In this the children of God, 22:40 the children of the devil are manifest: 22:42 Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, 22:46 nor is he who does not love his father." 22:50 The seed, the child of promise 22:53 introduced in Genesis 3:15, 22:56 the Lamb who was slain 22:57 from the foundation of the earth. 22:59 He is God's greatest gift of grace to mankind. 23:03 And Hebrews 7:22 says, 23:05 "He is the surety, 23:09 the guarantor of the covenant." 23:12 Jesus is from God to us. 23:16 He is the guarantor 23:18 that all of God's promises are yes and amen in Him. 23:22 2 Corinthians 1:20. 23:24 But He's also the surety from us to God, 23:29 because Philippians 2:13 says, 23:31 "He works in us 23:32 to will and to do His good pleasure. 23:35 So He calls us into covenant. 23:38 And then He says, 23:40 "All of God's promises are yours." 23:42 But He says, "I am going to by grace, 23:46 empower you to walk in covenant loyalty, 23:51 to walk in the love of obedience." 23:55 Hallelujah, that we're born again 23:57 of an imperishable seed. 23:59 Amen. Praise the Lord. 24:00 Amen. Amen and amen. 24:03 Well, don't take off your seat belts yet, 24:05 our study will continue in a moment. 24:12 Ever wish you could watch 24:14 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 24:16 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:19 Well, you can by visiting 24:21 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com. 24:24 A clean design makes it easy 24:27 to find the program you're looking for. 24:29 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:32 so you can follow along. 24:34 Sharing is easy. 24:35 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 24:39 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 24:42 Welcome back. 24:44 We now continue 24:45 with the Messiah promise part two 24:46 with Pastor Ryan Day. 24:48 Amen. Praise the Lord. 24:49 Shelley, I have to say you set me up perfectly. 24:51 She had Messiah promise part one. 24:54 And I love how you unpacked 24:55 that the significance of the seed 24:58 and I just want to say before I dive into mine, 25:01 probably the most significant scripture 25:03 in all the Bible, 25:04 okay, there's many of them, I recognize. 25:06 But if you don't understand the significance and importance 25:09 and the prophetic implication of Genesis 3:15, 25:13 and how important it is 25:15 throughout the entirety 25:16 of the overall scope of Scripture, 25:18 then you've missed the point entirely. 25:20 The entire Old Testament story is all about the coming seed. 25:24 When you get to the New Testament 25:26 don't think that the story has stopped 25:27 just because the seed has showed up 25:29 because it's still all about the seed. 25:31 We know that seed to be Jesus Christ, 25:33 and the Messiah promise part one 25:36 covered the coming 25:37 and the establishment of the seed 25:39 through Christ Jesus. 25:41 Now we know that Jesus did indeed come. 25:43 And He did, 25:44 He was that great sacrifice for us. 25:46 And He did resurrect again. 25:48 Praise the Lord. 25:49 But this Tuesday's lesson, the Messiah promise, part two, 25:54 focuses in on the importance 25:55 of not only within that covenant 25:57 was it to proclaim 26:00 and to pronounce the first coming of Christ, 26:02 but also the second coming 26:04 in which within that beautiful covenant promise, 26:07 we see that there's a promise 26:10 that while Jesus did die, 26:11 and He did resurrect, 26:13 and you know, He left, 26:14 it's not like He just got out of dodge, 26:15 and was like see ya, 26:17 you know, I'm never coming back again. 26:18 It was right the opposite. 26:19 I will return for you 26:21 and I will take you to a better place. 26:23 That's what Tuesday's lesson is all about. 26:26 And the lesson brings out, 26:28 I'm just going to emphasize this here, 26:29 that we really will not enjoy true happiness in this lifetime 26:33 until we are taken, 26:35 until Jesus comes back and takes us away 26:37 to a better land, to a better far country. 26:40 And so I want to... I just want to emphasize this 26:42 and jump right into 1 Thessalonians 4, 26:46 the lesson brings these texts out. 26:47 And I think for the purpose of what we're studying, 26:49 it's important that we revisit these texts to remind us 26:53 of the wonderful covenant promise 26:55 that we have in Christ Jesus' Second Coming. 26:58 His return to take us 27:00 out of this horrible world we're in 27:02 and bring us to an even better one. 27:04 In fact, the Bible says, I believe it's over in, 27:06 I forget, I think maybe it's Hebrews 11. 27:09 Don't quote me on that. 27:10 But I know there's a scripture in the New Testament says 27:13 that Abraham looked forward, 27:15 he saw, he looked forward to the day, 27:16 and he looked forward to a better city, 27:18 a new land in which Christ would come 27:20 and return and take His people there, 27:22 that is of all a part 27:24 of this beautiful covenant promise 27:25 that we have in Jesus Christ. 27:27 So 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, that we should not, 27:31 we should not be strangers to this text, 27:33 because it says beginning in verse 16, 27:35 all the way through 18. 27:36 It says, "For the Lord Himself 27:38 will descend from heaven with a shout, 27:40 with the voice of the archangel, 27:42 and with the trumpet of God, 27:44 and the dead in Christ will rise first, 27:48 then we which are alive and remain 27:50 shall be caught up together with them 27:52 in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 27:55 And thus, we shall always be with the Lord." 27:58 And I love verse 18, 28:00 because a lot of people stop there. 28:01 I like to read verse 18 because it says, 28:02 "Therefore comfort one another with these words." 28:05 Isn't it, isn't the covenant also about 28:09 bringing comfort to us in these last days? 28:11 We need comfort, right? 28:12 We need that encouragement to know 28:14 that while we're living in a world 28:17 just draped in sin, draped in despair, and sorrow, 28:20 and pain, and death. 28:21 And in fact, I'm going to be reading 28:22 a rather extensive explanation of that in just a moment, 28:25 a description of that. 28:26 It's wonderful to know 28:28 that we can comfort one another 28:30 with the beautiful covenant promise 28:32 that not only did Jesus come the first time, 28:34 and that He went to be our high priest 28:36 in the heavenly sanctuary, 28:38 but He's going to return again, 28:39 and He's going to make all things better. 28:41 He's going to make all things new. 28:43 Also, Revelation Chapter 13, 28:45 excuse me, Revelation Chapter 3. 28:47 Revelation 3:12. 28:49 This is one of my favorite verses here. 28:51 It gives a beautiful promise, 28:53 as Jesus is speaking to all of the churches 28:54 of Asia Minor, 28:56 He pronounces a promise there. 28:58 And, of course, Revelation 3:12, says, 28:59 "He who overcomes, 29:01 I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, 29:05 and he shall go out no more. 29:07 I will write on him the name of My God 29:09 and the name of the city of My God, 29:12 the New Jerusalem, 29:14 which comes down out of heaven from My God. 29:17 And I will write on him My new name." 29:20 So last week, we talked about the significance 29:22 and the power of God's name, 29:24 that it's that He has multiple names, 29:26 and the names tell the story of who He is, 29:28 the character and the traits and the wonderful ideals 29:32 that God portrays through His very person. 29:34 And right here, He says, 29:36 "I will write on them My new name." 29:38 It's a powerful scripture indeed. 29:40 The lesson brings out this quote from Augustine, 29:42 who was a religious philosopher 29:44 of the third and fourth century. 29:46 And I think it's quite, 29:48 I think, if we read through this, 29:49 you're going to see I think it very much describes 29:52 not just the world that he lived in 29:54 more than 1,600 years ago, 29:56 but also the world that we're living in today. 29:58 So notice what he says here. 30:00 He says, "This life of ours, 30:02 if a life so full of such great ills 30:05 can properly be called a life, 30:07 bears witness to the fact that, 30:09 from its very start, 30:10 the race of mortal men 30:12 has been a race condemned. 30:14 Think, first, 30:17 of all the dreadful abyss of ignorance 30:19 from which all error flows 30:21 and so engulfs the sons of Adam 30:23 in a darksome pool 30:25 that no one can escape without the toll of toils 30:28 and tears and fears. 30:31 Then, take our very love for all those things 30:34 that prove so vain and poisonous 30:36 and breed so many heartaches, troubles, 30:39 griefs, and fears, 30:40 such insane joys in discord, strife, and war, 30:44 such fraud and theft and robbery, 30:46 such perfidy and pride, envy and ambition, 30:51 homicide and murder, cruelty and savagery, 30:54 lawlessness and lust, 30:57 and the shameless passions of the impure, 31:01 fornication and adultery, 31:03 incest and unnatural sins, rape 31:06 and countless other uncleannesses 31:08 too nasty to be mentioned, he says, 31:11 and the sins against religion, sacrilege and heresy, 31:15 blasphemy and perjury, 31:16 the iniquities against our neighbors," 31:19 and the list goes on, "calumnies and cheating, 31:22 lies and false witness, 31:24 violence to persons and property, 31:26 the injustices of the courts 31:27 and the innumerable other miseries and maladies 31:30 that fill the world, yet escape attention." 31:33 I read through all of that, 31:35 and we hear it and it's just like, 31:36 yep, check. 31:38 Yep, check. 31:39 Yep, yep, 31:40 that describes our world to the tee. 31:42 And yet he wrote this more than 1600 years ago. 31:44 And so the question I have in here is what is changed 31:46 in more than 1500 years 31:47 or 1600 years since this was written? 31:50 Nothing other than the fact 31:51 that these atrocious realities are being carried out 31:54 on a larger global scale. 31:56 And it reminds us of, of how we need a savior, 31:59 we need to be redeemed and taken away from this. 32:01 And that's the beautiful thing 32:03 about when you study the covenant. 32:04 When you study this beautiful covenant relationship 32:07 that God's people have with the Lord 32:09 and the promises that He has given, 32:10 He has promised a much better place. 32:13 Either some people that based on their unbelief, of course, 32:16 have no promise in looking forward 32:18 to a better day 32:19 when all these sinful horrors 32:21 will be conquered and destroyed. 32:23 However, of course, as Christians, 32:25 as Christian believers, 32:26 we can praise God knowing that He has made a covenant 32:29 with Abraham promising that in his seed, 32:32 can't say that enough, in his seed, 32:35 all the families of the earth will be blessed. 32:38 And we have the beautiful promise 32:40 of the sacrifice, resurrection 32:42 and high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ 32:45 as well as the time in which Jesus will return 32:48 and make all things new. 32:50 In fact, let's read it right now. 32:51 Revelation 21:3-5. 32:53 I love this text. 32:55 Revelation 21:3-5, the Bible says, 32:58 "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 32:59 'Behold, the tabernacle of God 33:01 is with men, and he will dwell with them, 33:04 and they shall be His people. 33:06 God Himself will be with them and be their God. 33:09 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 33:13 there shall be no more death," 33:14 praise the Lord, 33:16 "no more sorrow," praise the Lord, 33:17 "no more crime," praise God, 33:19 "there shall be no more pain," hallelujah. 33:22 "The former things are passed away." 33:24 Can I get an amen? 33:25 This is a sermon in and of itself, 33:26 "Then he who sat on the throne said, 33:28 'Behold, I make all things new.'" 33:30 Christ says only I can do that. 33:32 Abraham's covenant, this the governing seed, 33:35 only He can do that. 33:36 He brings all, He makes all things new. 33:38 And He said to me, right, 33:39 for these words are true and faithful. 33:42 The question is, do we believe them? 33:44 Do we believe that these words are true 33:46 that when the covenant has spoken, 33:48 and we understand it, and we believe in it, 33:50 and we believe in the promises of God's Word, 33:52 then when He says He's going to return 33:53 and make all things new, do we believe it? 33:55 Or are we caught up in the sinful horribleness 33:58 of this world? 33:59 I love Revelation 22:1-5 because it also reminds us. 34:03 He says, "He showed me a pure water of life, 34:05 crystal as clear, clear as crystal, excuse me, 34:08 proceeding from the throne of God 34:09 in the midst of the street and on either side of the river 34:11 was a tree of life which bore 12 fruits, 34:15 the tree yielding a fruit for each month 34:17 of the each of the month, 34:18 the leaves of the tree 34:20 were for the healing of the nations, 34:22 there shall be no more curse. 34:23 But the throne of God 34:24 and of the Lamb shall be in it in and His servants 34:27 shall serve Him. 34:28 They shall see His face." 34:30 My friends, there's coming a time 34:31 when we will see the face of God, 34:34 we will look upon the face of God. 34:36 I'm excited. 34:37 I'm excited about this because it reminds us, 34:40 this message reminds us 34:41 that this world is not our home. 34:44 And when we look into the promised seed 34:46 of Abraham, 34:48 Jesus Christ, our Savior, 34:49 He is the fulfillment of the covenant, 34:51 and we should be in covenant relationship 34:53 with Him. 34:54 Not tomorrow, not next year but right now. 34:57 Amen. 34:58 Oh, thank you so much, Ryan. 35:00 Amen. 35:02 I got so excited. 35:03 I forgot to take my mask off, okay. 35:04 Praise the Lord. 35:06 I'm so grateful for the promised seed 35:07 in Genesis 3:15. 35:10 I'm so grateful that Jesus came 35:13 and lived a perfect life and died in our stead 35:16 that we have hope of eternal life. 35:18 On Wednesday, that's my day, 35:20 we look at "A Great and Mighty Nation." 35:24 We know God promised Abraham, 35:25 we referenced this several times 35:27 through the last several weeks. 35:29 In Genesis 12:2, he said, 35:31 "I will make of you of great nation." 35:35 He reiterated again, this is in Genesis 46:3, 35:40 He's speaking to Israel, to Jacob, 35:42 but his name was changed to Israel. 35:44 He said, "I am God, the God of your father. 35:47 Do not fear to go down to Egypt. 35:49 I will make of you a great nation there." 35:53 We know that the children of Israel 35:55 became a great and mighty nation. 35:57 But why? 35:59 Why did God want to make of the descendants of Abraham, 36:03 a great and mighty nation? 36:04 Why did it matter? 36:05 What was their purpose? 36:07 We're going to look today at the purpose 36:09 of this great nation, 36:10 and then some of the characteristics 36:13 of this nation. 36:14 So let's look first at the purpose. 36:16 I would say the purpose is to share 36:18 the one true God with the world, 36:21 to share what God had done in their own lives, 36:26 and to share the universality of the gospel. 36:29 So let's look at that. 36:31 Let's unpack that, 36:32 the purpose of this great nation 36:34 to share the one true God with the world. 36:37 Look at Isaiah Chapter 60. 36:39 I love this passage of scripture. 36:41 Isaiah 60:1-3, 36:44 "Arise, shine, 36:47 for your light has come! 36:49 And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you." 36:52 Why is the glory risen? Why is the light shining? 36:55 Why is God shining His light 36:57 and His glory into the nation of Israel? 37:00 Verse 2, "For behold, 37:02 darkness will cover the earth, 37:04 and deep darkness the people. 37:06 It is a dark world. 37:08 But behold, the Lord will arise over you 37:11 and His glory will be seen upon you. 37:14 The Gentiles shall come to your light, 37:17 and kings to the brightness of your rising." 37:20 You see, they were called not to hoard truth. 37:23 They were called not to keep their light 37:26 as it were under a bushel. 37:28 They were called to spread the light, 37:31 the glorious light, 37:33 the gospel truth with the surrounding nations. 37:36 They were polygamous. 37:37 They worshiped many different gods. 37:40 They were idolaters, 37:42 the heathen nations 37:43 surrounding the children of Israel. 37:45 Their job was to show forth 37:48 the praises of Him 37:49 who called them out of darkness 37:51 into this marvelous light. 37:53 Their job was to showcase 37:55 Jehovah God, Yahweh, El Shaddai, 37:59 all of those names of God 38:00 that He is the One true God. 38:02 Amen. 38:04 Their job was to show 38:05 not only that God was the One true God, 38:07 but that God had done something in their life. 38:10 You know, you can't share something, 38:11 you can't preach something, 38:13 unless you have experienced it for yourself. 38:17 They needed to experience this God for themselves, 38:21 then they can share that with someone else. 38:23 1 Peter 2:9-10. 38:27 "But you are a chosen generation, 38:30 a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 38:33 His own special people, 38:36 that you may proclaim the praises of Him 38:38 who called you out of darkness 38:40 into this marvelous light." 38:43 It doesn't stop there. 38:44 I love verse 10, "Who once were not a people, 38:47 but are now the people of God, 38:50 who once did not obtain mercy, 38:52 but now have obtained mercy." 38:56 And we can proclaim His praises. 38:57 Why? 38:59 Because we know what it was like 39:00 to walk in darkness, 39:01 because we know what it was like 39:03 to be stuck in Egypt. 39:04 We have experienced His deliverance, 39:07 and because of that, 39:08 we can share what He has done in our lives. 39:11 The third thing they were to share 39:12 is the universality of the gospel 39:13 that the gospel was not just for the Jewish people, 39:16 it was for the entire world. 39:19 Other people could join themselves, 39:22 accept this covenant, and be part of God's people. 39:26 We see this in Isaiah 56. 39:28 Isaiah 56:6 also the sons of the foreigner, 39:31 these are other people who did not, 39:34 were not Jewish, not of Jewish lineage, 39:36 and maybe did not follow Him, 39:38 but they could join themselves with His people. 39:43 "The sons of the foreigner 39:44 who joined themselves to the Lord to serve Him, 39:47 to love the name of the Lord, 39:50 to be His servants, 39:52 everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath 39:55 and holds fast My covenant," 39:58 see that, "they can be brought 40:01 into covenant relationship with God Himself." 40:06 That's the purpose of the nation of Israel 40:08 to share the One true God with the world, 40:11 to share what God had done for them, 40:14 and to share that this gospel is to go to everyone. 40:17 Let's look now at some of the characteristics 40:19 of this great and mighty nation of people. 40:23 If we have time, we're going to do seven. 40:25 Characteristic number one, they are redeemed. 40:29 Look at Exodus 19. 40:30 This is the covenant that God made 40:33 with the children of Israel. 40:35 They had just come from Egypt. 40:36 It's actually three months since they had come from Egypt. 40:39 Now they encamp at the Mount Sinai. 40:42 And God says in Exodus 19:4, 40:44 "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, 40:47 how I bore you on eagle's wings 40:49 and brought you to Myself." 40:52 What is God doing? 40:53 He's reminding them, that He delivered them, 40:56 that He worked on Pharaoh's heart 40:58 to let them go, 40:59 that He's the One who parted the Red Sea, 41:02 so they could go out on dry ground, 41:04 that He's the One who delivered them 41:05 from Egyptian bondage, 41:07 and He's the One who redeemed them. 41:10 And He reminds them not only of that, 41:12 but that He bore them on eagle's wings. 41:17 God brought them to Himself. 41:19 So characteristic number one, they are a redeemed people. 41:23 Number two, they are a loved people. 41:27 Deuteronomy 7:6. 41:30 Deuteronomy 7:6, 41:33 "You are a holy people to the Lord your God, 41:35 the Lord your God has chosen you 41:38 to be a people for Himself, 41:39 a special treasure above all the peoples 41:42 on the face of the earth." 41:43 They are a special holy set apart people. 41:45 Why? 41:47 Verse 7, "The Lord did not set His love on you, 41:50 nor chose you because you're more in number 41:52 than other people, 41:53 for you were the least of all the peoples, 41:56 but because the Lord loves you, 41:59 God chose them because He loved them." 42:02 They are a redeemed people, they are a loved people. 42:05 Characteristic number three, 42:07 they are people who are in covenant with Him. 42:10 They have made a choice to walk in covenant with Him. 42:15 Exodus 19:5. 42:18 We already read verse 4 42:19 about how He brought them out from Egypt. 42:21 And as the eagle, 42:23 He bore them up on eagle's wings. 42:24 And then verse 5. 42:26 "Now therefore, 42:27 if you will indeed obey My voice, 42:29 and keep My covenant, 42:32 then you will be a special treasure to Me 42:34 above all people, for all the earth is mine." 42:37 May they've made a choice 42:38 to enter into this covenant relationship 42:41 with God. 42:43 Characteristic number four, 42:44 they are anointed with His Spirit 42:48 and they have His law. 42:50 Isaiah 59:21, 42:53 "As for me," says the Lord, 42:55 'this is My covenant with them: 42:57 My Spirit who is upon you, 43:00 and My words which I have put in your mouth 43:02 shall not depart from your mouth, 43:04 and then it goes on to the mouths 43:06 of your descendants, and so forth." 43:08 So this covenant, 43:09 He puts with that His Spirit upon them 43:13 and His words in their mouth. 43:17 They are as a people, anointed with His Spirit. 43:22 Characteristic number five, 43:24 they choose to walk in obedience. 43:26 Now this is not the obedience, Pastor John, 43:28 where you grit your teeth, and you try harder. 43:30 This is not the obedience where you say, 43:32 as they said, all that the Lord has said 43:34 we're going to do and then they realize 43:36 we can't do any of that in our own strength. 43:38 This is that obedience that comes from Christ, 43:41 as they submit to Him and surrender to Him, 43:45 and are dependent on Him and abide in Him 43:48 as the branches do with the vine. 43:51 They walk in obedience. 43:54 Characteristic number six, they teach other people, 43:57 especially their children, His ways. 44:01 Deuteronomy 4:9, 44:03 "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, 44:07 lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, 44:11 lest they depart from your heart 44:13 all the days of your life, 44:15 teach them to your children, 44:16 and to your grandchildren." 44:20 God knew that it would be easy for them 44:22 to forget where they came from. 44:23 It would be easy for them to forget who they were 44:26 and who they belong to. 44:28 So it was important that they were reminded 44:30 on a daily basis 44:31 and they reminded their children 44:33 and grandchildren of who their God was. 44:36 And finally, number seven, they love the Lord, 44:39 and they honor His Sabbath day. 44:44 We already read the scripture in Isaiah 56. 44:46 You can look it up, but it talks about 44:47 how they will be in covenant with Him 44:50 and honor His Sabbath and love His name. 44:54 So what a privilege to be called God's people 44:57 and we know that extends 44:59 from literal Israel to spiritual Israel 45:01 as the Church of God today. 45:03 Amen. Thank you, Jill. 45:04 Always on target. Praise the Lord. 45:06 Wonderful set up for make your name great. 45:11 I think Ryan did this on one of our past lessons 45:13 that I thought about this 45:14 because we are in a nation and in a world 45:17 where people just like to be around great people. 45:19 You know, you talked about some names 45:21 that bring out certain feelings like, 45:24 let's just go ahead and throw some more in the park, 45:25 Marilyn Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, 45:28 Nelson Mandela, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 45:30 Bill Gates, Muhammad Ali, 45:33 float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. 45:35 These names awaken within us 45:37 a certain desire to be around people 45:40 that have a title or a name. 45:42 But when we look at this particular lesson, 45:46 this lesson is saying to us, 45:48 you are not great until God makes you great. 45:51 That's right. 45:52 All the men that are admired in the eyes of the world 45:55 are people that have made themselves great. 45:57 That's right. 45:58 Which reminds me of the Tower of Babel. 46:01 People that have built their own towers, 46:03 their own ivory towers, their own golden buildings, 46:05 their own nameplates. 46:07 My wife and I were walking down the streets of Los Angeles 46:09 once in Hollywood. 46:12 And people were admiring the stars on the ground. 46:15 And I was walking down kind of feeling 46:17 oh, yeah, whatever. 46:19 I said, I don't see my name down there. 46:20 And I said, I'm glad my name is not down there. 46:23 Because no animal can walk by 46:25 and you mean, whatever. 46:27 You know, my name is going to be in the kingdom, 46:30 where God is going to make my name 46:32 and our names great. 46:33 Amen? 46:35 God is not going to put your name 46:36 in a store on the ground 46:37 where people can spit out and walk on it 46:39 and trample on it. 46:40 But God is going to put His name on our forehead, 46:43 and only then can we understand and know the greatness of God. 46:47 So look at what the promise is the Lord made in Genesis 12:2. 46:51 What a promise. 46:52 He says, "I will make you a great nation." 46:55 And we know we've been talking about Abraham quite a bit. 46:58 The Lord was able to fulfill this promise. 47:00 Because when God makes a promise to make anyone great, 47:03 only God can fulfill their promise. 47:06 I will make you a great nation. 47:08 I will bless you, and make your name great. 47:13 And you shall be a blessing to this very day. 47:16 We know that Abraham is a blessing. 47:18 And how is he a blessing to us? 47:20 If anyone is in Christ, 47:23 he or she is Abraham seed 47:24 and the heir according to the promise. 47:26 What is that promise? 47:28 As the Lord said to Abraham, 47:29 one day your descendants shall be like 47:31 the stars of the sky. 47:33 The Bible makes it clear in Revelation, 47:34 there's a number which no man can number, 47:37 the redeemed of all the ages. 47:39 Because of the promise and the covenant God 47:40 made with Abraham, 47:42 that covenant will be fulfilled through spiritual Israel, 47:46 through those who accept the glory and the power of God. 47:50 But not only did God make that promise to Abraham, 47:52 He also made that promise to David. 47:55 Look at 2 Samuel 7:8-9. 47:58 I'll read it in your hearing. 47:59 "Now therefore, 48:01 thus shall you say to my servant, David, 48:05 thus says the Lord of hosts, 48:07 I took you from the sheepfold." 48:09 Now, when you listen to this, 48:11 look at how God brought us from where we are, 48:12 where we are today, 48:13 from where we were, I was a disc jockey. 48:16 I was a gambler, pool hustler party, 48:18 I was a person living for the world, 48:20 living to the disgust of God. 48:23 But look at me today, praise God for that. 48:26 "Like David, I took you from the sheepfold 48:28 from following the sheep 48:30 to be ruler over my people over Israel. 48:34 And I have been with you wherever you have gone. 48:37 And I've cut off all your enemies 48:39 from before you 48:40 and I've made you a great name, 48:42 like the name of the great men who are on the earth." 48:47 It's humbling, Jill. 48:48 You all know when we travel around the world 48:50 and people say, "I watch you, I see you." 48:51 It's humbling. 48:53 We've got to make sure that we maintain the reality 48:55 that we are not the ones that are great. 48:57 But the God is the one that is great, 48:59 because on any given day without any prior notice, 49:01 and for no apparent reason, 49:03 God could say enough, 49:04 and God's name will still be great in the earth. 49:06 So praise God for the humility 49:09 that comes with the recognition 49:10 that God has not called us to be great for greatness sake. 49:13 That's right. 49:14 But God has called to lift up Jesus Christ. 49:17 Only He is the one to be exalted. 49:19 He alone is great. 49:21 The Bible makes it clear in 1 Chronicles 16:25, 49:25 the true greatness of the Lord's. 49:27 Listen to the words of God, 49:30 "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. 49:34 He is also to be feared above all gods." 49:38 There is no God greater 49:42 than the God who inhabits the universe. 49:44 There is no throne. 49:46 Every now and then I would take up my iPad. 49:48 I am what you might call the most... 49:52 What's the word I can say, amateur, 49:53 amateur, amateur astronomer. 49:55 My astronomy is so amateur that I look to the heavens 49:59 through my iPad. 50:01 I don't even own the telescope. 50:02 I keep trying to get one, but I can't buy one. 50:05 But I think about how God in His glory 50:08 in this vast universe can hold it all together. 50:12 And when I look out into the night, 50:13 and I look out into the heavens, 50:15 and I look out into the stars, 50:16 how we can here in Southern Illinois, 50:19 we can see stars without number, 50:21 and our great God knows each star by name. 50:26 That's great. 50:27 He doesn't forget when He put them there, 50:30 as He said to Job, where were you. 50:32 Where were you when I laid the heavens? 50:34 Where were you when I told the ocean so far, 50:37 but go no further? 50:38 God alone is great. 50:40 But we find that there are those attempts on earth, 50:43 as it was in the very beginning of men 50:45 attempting to make themselves great. 50:47 Look at Genesis 11:4, 50:50 making the contrast between the greatness 50:52 that comes from God, 50:53 and the greatness, the futility of greatness 50:56 that men tried to accomplish for themselves. 50:59 Genesis 11:4, "And they said, 51:02 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, 51:06 and the tower, whose top is in the heavens. 51:09 Let us make a name for ourselves." 51:12 Anytime your greatness doesn't come from God, 51:15 you're trying to make a name for yourself, 51:17 not for the glory of God. 51:18 "Lest we be scattered abroad 51:20 over the face of the whole earth." 51:22 However, there's a however, Jill, 51:25 when God makes you great, 51:27 God then becomes responsible for every success in your life. 51:32 But like every covenant, the covenant is conditional. 51:36 You do what God says, He will do exceedingly, 51:39 abundantly above all that you can ask or think. 51:43 Look at Malachi 3:10, the covenant, 51:46 and I've often called this the least that we can do 51:49 to show our gratitude towards God. 51:51 What did He promised when we follow 51:53 the covenant of giving? 51:55 Here's what he says. 51:56 Malachi 3:10, 51:57 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, 51:59 that there may be food in My house, 52:01 and try me now in this says the Lord of hosts, 52:04 'If I will not open to you the windows of heaven 52:08 and pour you out such a blessing 52:11 that there will not be room enough 52:13 to receive it." 52:14 When you are faithful to God, God says, 52:17 if you keep the covenant of honoring Me, 52:20 I will more than abundantly supply 52:22 all of your lack. 52:23 I will, as Paul says, supply all of your need, 52:28 according to My riches and glory. 52:29 And have you seen 52:31 God's credit limit lately, Jill? 52:34 He doesn't count. 52:35 He doesn't count His wealth by cattle, 52:37 He counts His wealth by hills. 52:39 The silver and gold belongs to Him. 52:41 He alone is the One that is worthy to be praised. 52:45 David the Psalmist I love it when he extols the name of God. 52:48 And I said this to Shelly, but I'm going to say it to you. 52:50 God doesn't just want us to uplift Him in our words. 52:53 He wants us to uplift Him in our lives. 52:57 Psalm 107:1-3, 52:59 "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, 53:00 for He is good! 53:02 For His mercy endures forever. 53:05 Let the redeemed of the Lord," what? 53:07 "Say so, 53:08 whom the Lord has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 53:11 and gathered out of the lands." 53:14 Now what can God do for us? 53:15 Listen to this, Psalms 107:33-38. 53:19 I'm trying to go fast. 53:21 "He turns rivers into a wilderness, 53:23 and the water springs into dry ground, 53:25 a fruitful land into barrenness, 53:28 for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 53:30 He turns a wilderness into pools of water 53:33 and dry land to water springs. 53:35 There He makes the hungry dwell, 53:37 that they may establish a city for a dwelling place. 53:40 And sow fields and plant vineyards, 53:43 that they may yield a fruitful harvest. 53:46 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly, 53:49 and He does not let their cattle decrease." 53:53 So very quickly, 53:55 why should we serve the Lord? 53:56 Here's what the Lord does. 53:58 We are going to one day get the privilege of meeting 54:00 the great God. 54:02 Are you looking forward to that? 54:03 Amen. 54:04 The Bible is not silent on who the great God is. 54:07 One day all the nations will come to the realization. 54:10 Acts 4:12, 54:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, 54:14 for there is no other name under heaven 54:17 given among men 54:18 by which we must be saved." 54:20 That is the name of Jesus. 54:22 What does the Bible say? 54:23 Ask Isaiah the prophet, what does he say about God? 54:26 Isaiah 46:9, 54:28 "Remember the former things of old, 54:29 for I am God, and there is no other. 54:31 I am God and there is none like Me." 54:33 That is true greatness. 54:35 Isaiah 44:8, 54:37 "Do not fear, nor be afraid, 54:39 have I not told you from that time 54:41 and declare it? 54:42 You are My witnesses. 54:44 Is there a God beside me?" Listen to this. 54:46 "Indeed, there is no other rock, 54:49 I know not one." 54:50 That's really God. 54:51 And then Paul the Apostle says, 54:53 "What shall we say of these things, 54:55 if God be for us, who can be against us." 54:58 And the testimony of a pagan king. 55:01 Daniel 3:29, 55:02 "There is no other God who can deliver like this." 55:06 That is a great God. 55:09 That's right. Amen. 55:10 Amen. 55:11 Amen and amen. 55:13 Well an exciting lesson, 55:14 it's almost unbelievable to think that it's almost over. 55:17 But we want to get to each one of you 55:19 for a final comment. 55:21 Starting with Sister Shelley. 55:23 The everlasting covenant was introduced in a garden, 55:28 the seed of the woman, the offspring of the woman, 55:32 not of the husband, 55:33 because God Himself came down 55:36 and became the Son of God. 55:40 Amen. 55:41 You know, my lesson was talking about emphasizing the covenant 55:44 from the perspective of Christ's return. 55:46 And, you know, each and every one of us 55:47 have that wonderful blessed hope 55:49 to look forward 55:50 to the time when Jesus will return, 55:51 and He will come back and get His people, 55:53 but we still have to prepare and God, 55:57 there's a reason why God has not returned yet. 55:59 This is allowing us to prepare. 56:00 So submit to Jesus today. 56:02 Give your heart to Him, and live 56:04 so that you can be with Him one day when He returns. 56:07 Amen. 56:08 My lesson talked about a great and mighty nation, 56:10 the purpose of the nation of Israel 56:12 and by extension us today spiritual Israel. 56:15 This quote is 2 Corinthians 3, I love this, verse 2. 56:19 "You are our epistle written in our hearts, 56:22 known and read by all men. 56:25 Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, 56:28 written not with ink, 56:30 but by the Spirit of the Living God." 56:32 You and I are called to represent Christ 56:35 to the world. 56:36 Amen. 56:38 And Matthew 23:12, 56:39 talking about greatness and humility, 56:41 the Bible says, 56:42 "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, 56:45 and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 56:48 The thing that moves my heart 56:50 is as we talk about this great God, 56:52 He just gives us a glimpse that one day, 56:55 how He is right now, we are going to be. 56:58 Isn't that a wonderful blessing? 56:59 Amen. 57:00 1 John 3:2, "Now we are children of God, 57:04 but it has not yet been revealed 57:05 what we shall be 57:06 but we do know that when He is revealed, 57:09 we shall be like Him. 57:11 For we shall see Him as He is one day 57:13 we will understand His greatness." 57:16 Hallelujah. Amen. 57:17 Praise the Lord. Amen and amen. 57:19 Well, a powerful lesson, 57:21 and we hope you have been blessed. 57:23 I would like to read to you from Genesis 15:1 again. 57:28 "After these things the word of the Lord 57:30 came to Abram in a vision, 57:32 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. 57:34 I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." 57:38 What God was to Abraham, he wants to be to you. 57:43 He wants to be your shield, 57:45 and you're exceeding great reward. 57:48 So how do you do this? 57:49 How is it that this can happen for me? 57:51 Well, what we must do 57:53 is put ourselves in the hands of the Lord, 57:56 choose to obey the Lord with all of our hearts, 57:59 and He will give us strength to face the challenges of life. 58:03 Next week we have lesson number six, 58:05 Abraham's seed. 58:07 We'll see you then. |
Revised 2021-04-29