Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP230011S
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00:01 All of us at some point have or will experience
00:03 tough and trying times. 00:05 Well, this week on 3ABN Sabbath School Panel, 00:07 we're going to be taking on Lesson Number 11 entitled: 00:10 Managing Through Tough Times 00:12 and, of course, we are in our Quarterly entitled: 00:14 Managing for the Master Till He Comes 00:16 and it's not too late to get a copy of the Lesson 00:18 and to study with us. 00:20 There's a couple of ways you can do that. 00:21 You want to go to your local Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:23 I always encourage that 00:24 because it's good to study with friends and family members... 00:27 in person with a physical copy of the Lesson 00:30 or you can go to 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:33 and you can download a digital copy for free. 00:36 So, get your Bibles together, 00:37 let's study together right now as we make our way through 00:40 this powerful Lesson. 00:42 Music... 01:12 Hello Friends, you know where you're watching, 01:14 you're watching 3ABN Sabbath School Panel 01:17 and as always, we're thankful that you're taking the time 01:19 out of your busy day 01:21 to join us during this Sabbath School Study time 01:23 because we're making our way through... as we said... 01:26 our Lesson on Managing for the Master Till He Comes 01:29 and this has... I don't know about you guys... 01:31 this has been an incredible Lesson. 01:33 You know, you would think looking at a subject like this, 01:36 it would be focused on tithe and offering and some things 01:38 that maybe some people may not be interested in 01:41 but this is actually been an incredible Lesson 01:43 and has just surprised me a lot 01:46 and I don't say that in a negative way, 01:47 I say... just... it's a wonderful thing 01:49 so, praise God. 01:50 So this week we're in Lesson Number 11 entitled: 01:52 Managing in Tough Times 01:54 and, well, I'm going to go ahead and introduce 01:57 our Panel Members at this time. 01:58 If you don't know them... 02:00 someone may be watching for the first time 02:01 and they want to know who this lady is to my left... 02:03 Ms. Jill Morikone... it's always a blessing to have you Sister. 02:06 Jill: Thank you, Ryan, glad to be here. 02:07 On Monday we look at: Trust God, Not Your Own Resources. 02:11 Ryan: Awesome... okay. 02:12 And to your left is Pastor John Dinzey. 02:15 Dinzey: It's a blessing to be here as well. 02:17 Tuesday... is what I have and it's entitled: Time to Simplify? 02:22 Ryan: All right, praise the Lord 02:24 and, of course, next to you is Ms. Shelley Quinn. 02:26 Shelley: Always a joy... um... 02:28 my Lesson for Wednesday is: Priorities 02:31 which is very important in times of trouble. 02:35 Ryan: All right, and of course, last but not least... 02:37 Pastor John Lomacang... 02:39 always a blessing to have you Brother. 02:40 Lomacang: Mine is entitled: When No One Can Buy or Sell. 02:43 We're diving into Daniel and Revelation. 02:45 Ryan: All right. 02:46 Lomacang: Looking forward to that. 02:47 Ryan: All right, looking forward to that... yeah. 02:49 All right, my Friends, 02:50 well, I'm going to read our Memory Text 02:52 and then we're going to have a prayer. 02:53 Memory Text today comes from Psalm chapter 50 02:55 verses 14 and 15... reading from the New King James Version. 02:59 It says, "Offer to God thanksgiving, 03:02 and pay your vows to the Most High. 03:04 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; 03:06 I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. " 03:10 Powerful text 03:12 and I'm going to ask Ms. Shelley Quinn, 03:13 if you wouldn't mind having an opening prayer for us. 03:15 Shelley: Absolutely, "Heavenly Father, 03:17 we come before You 03:18 and we thank You Lord that You are our shield 03:21 and our exceedingly great reward. 03:24 We love You and we ask right now 03:27 that Your Holy Spirit would come be our Teacher... 03:30 anoint our lips... 03:32 anoint our ears and help us to put into practice 03:36 all that we learn. 03:38 In Jesus' name, amen. " 03:39 Panel: Hmmm... Ryan: Hmmm... amen, amen. 03:42 Sabbath afternoon's Lesson brings out... it says, 03:44 "Sometimes our world seems to be spinning out of control... " 03:47 ain't that the truth? 03:49 Wars, bloodshed, crime, immorality, 03:51 natural disasters, pandemics, 03:54 economic uncertainty, 03:55 political corruption, and more. 03:58 There is a strong urge for individuals and families 04:01 to think first of their own survival. 04:03 Accordingly, much thought is given to seeking security 04:07 in these uncertain times, 04:08 which, of course, is understandable. 04:10 The toils of life do take a lot of our daily focus. 04:14 With debts to pay... children to raise... 04:17 property to maintain... 04:18 it does take time and thought. 04:20 And, of course, we do need clothes and food and shelter. 04:25 In the Sermon on the Mount, 04:26 Jesus addresses these basic needs and then stated, 04:30 in Matthew chapter 6 verses 32 and 33, 04:32 He says, "Your heavenly Father knows 04:35 that you need all of these things. 04:37 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 04:40 and all these things will be added to you. " 04:44 And, of course, amid trying times, 04:45 when we need to lean on the Lord more than ever, 04:49 there are some concrete steps, 04:50 based on biblical principles, that we should follow 04:53 and that basically launches us into Sunday's Lesson 04:55 where we're going to be putting God first. 04:58 That's the title of Sunday's Lesson. 05:00 Putting God First. 05:01 I think that's the number one thing we need to focus on 05:03 as we're going down in today's... 05:05 each individual day 05:06 and we're learning how to manage in tough times. 05:08 My Friends, one of the worst mistakes 05:10 that you could ever make is: seek self-first. 05:13 Many people do that 05:15 and, of course, it doesn't go over well for them. 05:17 God is waiting for you earnestly 05:19 to put Him first. 05:20 And we learn some lessons from 05:22 a powerful story I've read many times 05:24 found in 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 verses 1 through 22, 05:28 I hope we have time to read this entire passage 05:30 but there are so many great lessons that we can learn 05:33 from a very difficult and trying time that the children of Israel 05:37 were going through under King Jehoshaphat 05:39 and, of course, this finds again... 05:41 it finds us again in 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 05:43 verse 1 through 22, 05:45 let's go there, we'll begin reading 05:46 and then we'll learn and pick apart this 05:48 and bring about some lessons 05:50 that we can learn through this along the way. 05:51 I'm going to read verse 1 of 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 05:55 and it says, "It happened after this 05:57 that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, 06:00 and others with them besides the Ammonites, 06:02 came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 06:05 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, 06:07 'A great multitude is coming against you 06:09 from beyond the sea, from Syria; 06:12 and they are in Hazazon Tamar' which is En Gedi. 06:16 And Jehoshaphat feared, 06:17 and set himself to seek the Lord, 06:19 and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 06:22 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; 06:26 and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. " 06:30 It is true that when you start seeking the Lord... 06:33 you start living for God, it stirs up the enemy 06:36 and he will do everything he can 06:37 in bringing all of your enemies against you. 06:39 That's exactly what was happening here to Jehoshaphat 06:42 as he was called as a king after Ahab... 06:45 he was the one who came in perhaps maybe 06:47 the worst of all other kings... 06:49 he had to clean up what had happened in Israel, 06:52 he tore down all of the high places... 06:54 he tore down all of the altars of Baal... 06:56 and he was trying to restore God 06:58 or doing his part to restore the commandments of the Lord 07:01 and the work of God in Israel 07:03 and in this case, the enemy brought his enemies 07:06 against him 07:07 and so, he proclaimed a fast throughout all Jerusalem 07:10 and throughout all the people there... 07:12 they gathered together... they sought the Lord together... 07:14 and this brings us to our first point: 07:16 Don't make God your second, third or last plan. 07:20 Put Him first... okay, that's the title of the Lesson, right? 07:23 Put Him first. 07:24 Many times when we find ourselves in a trial... 07:26 we find ourselves in a difficult situation, 07:28 the first thing for us to do is to kick into panic mode 07:31 and start figuring out what we are going to do... 07:33 how we're going to aid or... or... 07:36 or fix this problem ourselves 07:38 when in reality, the first thing we should do is say, 07:40 "Lord, I don't know what I'm doing 07:42 and I don't trust myself to do what is right 07:45 in a situation, can You come and help me, Lord? 07:48 Can you be there for me?" 07:49 And that's exactly what happened. 07:50 In this case, you know, 07:52 we know that we are not wrestling 07:53 against flesh or blood, 07:54 as Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 says, 07:56 "but against principalities, against powers, 07:58 against the rulers of the darkness of this age, 08:00 against spiritual hosts of wickedness 08:02 in heavenly places. " 08:03 So, the enemy will do everything he can 08:05 to wage a war against you 08:07 to separate you from God... 08:08 to keep you down... 08:10 to keep you discouraged 08:11 and, of course, ultimately to sever you from the Lord. 08:13 But, of course, you know, when those times come upon us, 08:16 we can learn from Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel here. 08:19 What did they do? 08:21 Not only did they come to the Lord and say, 08:23 "Oh, God help us... " 08:24 but they actually proclaimed a fast... 08:26 they humbled themselves in the presence of their Lord. 08:29 And this reminds me of Luke chapter 5 verses 33 to 35, 08:32 where Jesus, you know, was being questioned 08:34 by the disciples because they came to Jesus and urged... 08:36 not the disciples... but the Pharisees 08:38 and they came to Jesus and the disciples and they said, 08:41 "What are you doing here? You're... 08:42 You know, the disciples of John the Baptist... they fast 08:44 and... but Your disciples, they just eat and drink 08:47 and You don't say anything to them... " 08:48 and Jesus said to them, 08:49 "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast 08:51 while the bridegroom is with them?" 08:53 And He says, "But the days will come 08:55 when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; 08:57 then they will fast in those days. " 08:58 My Friends, the enemy... 09:00 the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from this planet daily 09:03 and we will find ourselves in deeper and deeper 09:05 spiritual warfare in which there will come times 09:08 when we will indeed have to humble ourselves 09:10 in God's presence 09:12 and we will have to fast and call out on the Lord 09:14 that we might be delivered from our enemies. 09:17 We continue in our story, 09:18 verse 5 of 2nd Chronicles chapter 20, 09:21 it says, "Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah 09:24 and Jerusalem, 09:25 in the house of the LORD, before the new court. 09:27 and said, 'O LORD God of our fathers, 09:29 are You not God in heaven, 09:31 and do You not rule over the kingdoms of the nations, 09:34 and in Your hand is there not power and might, 09:37 so that no one is able to withstand You?" 09:39 He says, "Are You not our God, 09:42 who drove out the inhabitants of this land 09:44 before Your people Israel, 09:46 and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?" 09:50 Notice how he's bringing up Abraham... 09:52 he's reminding God of the promise He made to His people. 09:54 "And they dwelt in it 09:56 and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 09:59 'If disaster comes upon us... 10:01 sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine... 10:04 we will stand before this temple in Your presence, 10:07 for Your name is in this temple, 10:09 and cry out to You in our affliction, 10:12 and You will hear and save. ' 10:14 And now, here are Your people... " 10:16 excuse me... "Here are the people of Ammon, Moab, 10:18 and Mount Seir... 10:20 whom You would not let Israel invade 10:22 when they came out of the land of Egypt, 10:25 but they turned from them and did not destroy them... 10:27 here they are, rewarding us 10:29 by coming to throw us out of Your possession 10:33 You gave us to inherit. " 10:35 And then in verse 12, 10:37 "O our God, will You not judge them? 10:40 For we have no power against this great multitude 10:42 that is coming against us; 10:44 nor do we know what to do, 10:46 but our eyes are upon You. " 10:48 I love this... you know what? 10:50 Point Number 2 here, I just want to bring out... 10:51 there are a lot of lessons we can glean from this big section 10:54 we read... but when you pray, 10:56 learn how to pray like your life depends on it... 10:59 that's important... each and every day... 11:00 you know what? Our life does depend on it... 11:02 our lives depends on Him 11:04 and, of course, when you pray, 11:05 here's a powerful lesson... 11:06 pray the promises of God. 11:08 Panel: That's right. 11:09 Ryan: Remind God... not that God needs reminding, 11:10 but remind God that you know that He has... 11:13 He has blessed you and has proclaimed promises over you 11:16 and that's exactly what Jehoshaphat was doing here... 11:18 he was calling out to the Lord and saying, "Lord, 11:20 You are the almighty... 11:21 You are the powerful One... 11:22 You gave us this land... 11:24 we are the descendants of Abraham... 11:25 You promised Abraham's descendants... 11:26 this land... and now our enemies are coming against us, 11:28 God, we're depending on You 11:30 to deliver us from this situation. " 11:31 And that's exactly what ends up happening... 11:33 it goes on to say in Samuel chapter... 11:35 and I'll just read this here, 2nd Samuel chapter 7 verse 25, 11:39 just reminds us that it's okay to remind God of His promises 11:42 because even in 2nd Samuel chapter 7 verse 25 11:44 David says, "Now, O LORD God, 11:46 the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant 11:49 and concerning this house, 11:50 establish it forever and do as You have said. " 11:54 I love that... 11:55 just reminding God that we know Your Word, Lord, 11:57 and we're going to hold You to Your Word 11:59 and He says, "All right, I'm there for you. " 12:00 Point Number 3 here and I just want to read verse 13 12:03 before I go to Point Number 3, 12:05 notice what verse 13 says in 2nd Chronicles 20. 12:08 It says, "Now all of Judah with their little ones, 12:10 their wives, and their children stood before the Lord. " 12:13 Point Number 3, this is crucial. 12:14 God wants a united front. 12:16 Panel: Yeah. Ryan: God wants a united front. 12:18 He wants unity in faith. 12:20 You know what? 12:21 It's... God does hear the prayers of the faithful few 12:24 but, oh, how much more powerful it is 12:26 when God's people are united together... 12:28 coming together in times of need 12:30 and times when we were praying for each other 12:32 and we're there for each other 12:33 and we present ourselves united before the Lord. 12:35 That's a very, very powerful point. 12:37 Even Nineveh... this reminded me of Nineveh. 12:39 When God proclaimed a judgment against them, 12:41 every single person... man, woman, and child... 12:43 they prayed with sackcloth and ashes 12:45 and they humbled themselves before God 12:47 united as a people and God saved them. 12:49 Let's continue on to verse 14, 12:51 "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel 12:54 the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah... " 12:56 and it goes on down here verse 15 12:59 "And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah 13:01 and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, 13:03 and you, King Jehoshaphat! 13:04 Thus says the LORD to you... " 13:06 I only just... I made a point here that 13:08 when we pray according to His will, 13:10 God hears and will answer. 13:11 God does hear your prayer 13:13 and He will answer if you pray according to His will 13:16 and you can read 1st John chapter 5 13:18 verses 14 and 15 for that. 13:19 But then, down here, Point Number 5, I make, 13:22 Stop attempting to defeat the enemy on your own... 13:25 it's not your fight... 13:27 and I love this because if you read 13:28 and we don't have time to finish reading all of this 13:30 but if you read on through here 13:31 all the way down to verse 19, 13:33 the prophet brings about... 13:34 he says, "You know what? 13:36 God has told you, "this isn't your fight... 13:37 you just... you position yourselves" He says, 13:39 there's a nice sermon title: Position Yourselves... 13:42 he says, "Position yourselves... 13:43 stand and watch the Lord do what He's going to do for you 13:47 in this day in delivering you. " 13:48 And, of course, Point Number 6, 13:50 Learning to respond to God's goodness 13:51 with thanksgiving and praise. 13:53 When God did show up and He did deliver them, 13:55 they sang praises to His name. 13:58 They recognized and humbled themselves in recognizing 14:01 that God was there for them because 14:03 and it all comes down to this... 14:04 they put Him first. 14:06 Panel: Amen. 14:07 Ryan: That's the lesson to be learned from Sunday's Lesson. 14:09 Putting God first is essential 14:11 if we're going to manage and make it through 14:13 these difficult and trying times. 14:15 Panel: Amen... 14:16 Jill: Thank you so much, Ryan, what a powerful lesson! 14:19 That is a king who is in trouble but who sought the Lord. 14:23 My lesson is a king who was not in so much trouble 14:27 but he did not seek the Lord and it did not turn out well. 14:31 We're going to 1st Chronicles... 14:32 first of all, my name is Jill Morikone. 14:34 On Monday's Lesson, 14:36 we look at: Trust God, Not Your Own Resources. 14:40 We study the story of a king... this is King David 14:43 who did not trust God. 14:45 He trusted his own resources. 14:47 We're going to 1st Chronicles chapter 21... 14:50 1st Chronicles chapter 21 14:52 and this is the story of David's numbering of Israel. 14:57 And thank you Shelley for the lesson assignment. 15:01 Shelley always coordinates the lesson assignments for us 15:03 and this one was one... one I've read many times 15:06 but hadn't studied in depth so, thank you for that. 15:09 We're looking at eight takeaways 15:12 from David's numbering of Israel 15:15 or eight lessons that we can learn today. 15:18 We're in 1st Chronicles 21... 15:20 hopefully, we're going to get through this whole passage, 15:22 verses 1 through 14. 15:23 Verse 1... 15:25 "Now Satan stood up against Israel, 15:28 and moved David to number Israel. " 15:31 Takeaway Number 1. 15:33 Be careful when you allow Satan 15:36 to influence your decisions. 15:39 It wasn't God who was influencing David 15:43 to number Israel... 15:44 it was Satan who came in with that temptation 15:49 to number Israel... 15:51 to not trust God but to trust his own resources. 15:55 Be careful when you allow Satan to influence those decisions 15:59 especially when you are in Leadership like David was. 16:02 Proverbs 3:5 and 6... 16:04 we've quoted this Proverb many times 16:06 on this Set this last quarter but it's worth repeating again. 16:10 "Trust in the Lord... " don't trust in yourself. 16:12 Don't trust in man... 16:13 trust in the Lord with all your heart, 16:16 lean not on your own understanding; 16:18 in all your ways acknowledge Him, 16:20 and He will direct your paths. " 16:23 Look to God for guidance. 16:25 As Jehoshaphat said, "Our eyes are upon You. " 16:28 Look to God for guidance... 16:30 not self and certainly not Satan. 16:32 Let's go to Verse 2, 16:34 "So David said to Joab... " that's his General of the armies 16:37 "David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, 16:39 'Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, 16:43 and bring the number of them to me that I may know it. " 16:47 Now, David's giving a command 16:49 that's showcasing he's not trusting God. 16:52 He's also giving a command 16:54 that was directly prompted by the enemy. 16:56 Wow! Verse 3, 16:58 "Joab answered, 'May the LORD make His people a hundred times 17:01 more than they are. 17:02 But, my lord the king, 17:04 are they, not all my lord's servants? 17:06 Why then does my lord require this thing? 17:09 Why should this be a cause of guilt in Israel?" 17:13 So, Joab is remonstrating with the King saying, "Really? 17:16 Are you serious? 17:17 You want me to go number Israel?" 17:20 Takeaway Number 2: 17:22 Be careful when trusting in men and numbers 17:26 instead of trusting in God. 17:28 David... David chose to trust in his men... 17:34 he chose to trust in the military might of Israel. 17:38 Instead of relying on God for protection. 17:41 Psalm 20 verse 7, 17:43 "Some trust in chariots, 17:45 and some in horses; 17:47 but we... we will remember the name of the LORD our God. " 17:51 We will trust in God. 17:52 The next verse... verse 4, 17:54 Nevertheless, remember Joab has just told the king, 17:58 "Are you serious? 17:59 Do you really want me to do this?" 18:01 "Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. 18:03 Therefore Joab departed 18:05 and he went throughout all Israel 18:07 and came to Jerusalem. " 18:10 Takeaway Number 3: 18:11 Be careful when you think you know better than other people. 18:16 David went against Godly counsel... 18:18 he went against the counsel of his men. 18:20 He went in direct opposition to what God had wanted. 18:24 I remember, I had a boss once 18:26 and I remember, one day him slamming his fist on the table 18:30 and he said, "I don't pay you to think, 18:33 I pay you to do what I say. " 18:35 Panel: Hmmm... 18:36 Jill: That's kind of what David's doing here... 18:37 "Joab, I don't care what you think... 18:39 Joab, I don't care that you are against this... 18:41 I don't even care if I'm going against God... 18:43 you're going to do what I say. " 18:45 So, Joab went out and did what the king said. 18:48 Be careful when you think you know better than other people. 18:51 When he numbered Israel, 18:53 he numbered all the men of military age... 18:55 the men who could draw a sword. 18:58 According to 2nd Samuel 24... 19:00 this story is also recorded in 2nd Samuel 24. 19:03 It took nine months for the numbering 19:06 of the children of Israel. 19:07 That's a lot of time. 19:08 That's a lot of resources involved. 19:11 Panel: That's right. 19:12 Jill: The number that we are given here 19:14 in this account in 1st Chronicles 19:16 is: 1.1 million men 19:19 and Judah had 470,000 men. 19:22 Now, it says... the Bible's clear, 19:24 it did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin. 19:26 Why is that? 19:28 Both tribes were exempted 19:30 because they were connected with Israel's sanctuary. 19:32 The Levites were exempted we know 19:34 from mandatory military service 19:36 as they guarded the temple 19:37 and they maintained public worship. 19:40 And also in Benjamin, there was a tabernacle located 19:43 in the city of Gibeon. 19:44 So, probably they had the same exemption as the Levites. 19:48 We're going on to Verse 7, 19:50 1st Chronicles 21 verse 7, 19:52 "God was displeased with this thing; 19:56 therefore He struck Israel. " 19:59 So, it took nine months for this numbering to take place. 20:02 Joab comes back to Jerusalem but God's displeased 20:06 because David had gone against the Lord. 20:09 Takeaway 4: 20:10 Be careful of the consequences of disobedience. 20:14 David was going to reap the consequences of his decision 20:18 but not just David... 20:19 Israel was going to reap the consequences 20:22 of the Leader's decision. 20:24 Galatians 6 verse 7, 20:26 it says, "Do not be deceived, 20:27 God is not mocked; 20:29 for whatever a man sows, 20:31 that will he also reap. " 20:33 Yes, there is repentance. 20:35 Yes, there is forgiveness. 20:37 Yes there is restoration but we still see... 20:41 we see it time and time again throughout the Word of God 20:44 the law of cause and effect... 20:46 the law of sowing and reaping 20:48 and that those consequences... 20:50 even though there is forgiveness yes, 20:52 but those consequences... many times we see still remain. 20:56 Let's look at verse 8, 1st Chronicles 21:8, 20:59 "And David said to God, 21:01 'I have sinned greatly... '" 21:03 here he's repenting. 21:04 "because I have done this thing; 21:06 but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, 21:09 for I have done very foolishly. " 21:11 He says, "God, I'm sorry... 21:12 now I realize... I recognize that I messed up. " 21:16 Takeaway 5: 21:17 Be willing to confess your sin... 21:19 be willing to return to God. 21:22 You know, David sinned greatly in his tenure as a king 21:27 but yet, he repented. 21:30 He sinned with the numbering of Israel. 21:32 He also sinned with the situation with Bathsheba 21:35 but yet he repented 21:37 and God later called him a man after His own heart. 21:41 We see his willingness to confess his sins 21:44 and his willingness to return to God. 21:47 1st John 1:9... if we confess... 21:48 He is faithful and just to forgive us 21:51 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 21:53 Now we see Gad which is David's long-time friend and prophet 21:58 come to David, 22:00 we're in verse 9, 22:01 "The Lord spoke to Gad... " 22:02 and this is David's Seer, saying: 22:04 "Go and tell David, saying, 22:06 'Thus says the LORD: 22:08 I offer you three things... '" 22:09 So, God gave David a choice 22:10 as to the consequence he was going to have. 22:13 "I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, 22:16 that I may do it to you. " 22:17 So Gad came to David and said to him, 22:19 "Thus says the LORD: 22:20 'Choose for yourself... '" 22:22 Verse 12... here's the three things. 22:23 "either three years of famine, 22:26 or three months to be defeated by your foes 22:28 with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, 22:32 or else for three days the sword of the LORD... 22:35 the plague in the land, 22:36 with the angel of the LORD 22:38 destroying throughout all the territory of Israel. 22:40 Now consider what answer I should take back 22:42 to Him who sent me. " 22:44 Takeaway Number 6: 22:45 Be willing to accept the consequences of your sin. 22:50 None of these things were pleasant. 22:51 In fact, it's interesting... 22:52 all three of the consequences mentioned here 22:55 are mentioned in the curses in Deuteronomy chapter 28. 22:59 You know, the law of blessing and cursing, 23:01 you can look that up... 23:03 all three of those were mentioned. 23:04 Be willing to accept the consequences of your sin. 23:07 Now, in verse 13, David makes his decision: 23:10 And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. 23:13 Do not let me fall and... 23:15 Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, 23:18 for His mercies are very great; 23:20 but do not let me fall into the hand of man. " 23:24 Takeaway Number 7: 23:26 Be willing to trust God even in difficulty. 23:30 David is in great distress. 23:31 He recognizes that he has sinned. 23:34 He has repented 23:35 but he still recognizes there are consequences to that sin... 23:38 and yet, in the midst of his trouble 23:40 in the midst of his difficulty... 23:42 he's choosing to trust God. 23:45 He's saying, as it were as Jehoshaphat said, 23:47 "Our eyes are upon you... 23:50 even though I made a mistake, 23:52 I am still trusting you in the midst of this difficulty. " 23:56 Finally, verse 14... 23:58 the Lord sent a plague 24:01 because David had made his choice 24:02 "I'd rather fall into the hand of the Lord. " 24:04 "The LORD sent a plague upon Israel, 24:06 and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. " 24:10 Final takeaway Number 8: 24:12 Be careful because your sin can affect others. 24:17 Seventy thousand innocent men died 24:20 because of one man's mistake. 24:22 Yes, there is forgiveness... 24:24 yes there is repentance 24:26 but there are still consequences to sin. 24:29 Ryan: Hmmm... wow! 24:30 thank you so much, Jill, for that powerful lesson. 24:33 All right, my Friends, we're going to take a short break... 24:35 don't go anywhere, we'll be right back. 24:37 Music... 24:44 Ever wish you could watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again 24:47 or share it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter? 24:50 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 24:55 A clean design makes it easy 24:58 to find the Program you are looking for. 24:59 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 25:03 so you can follow along. 25:05 Sharing is easy... 25:06 just click "Share" and choose your favorite Social Media. 25:09 Share a Link... 25:11 Save a Life for Eternity. 25:13 Ryan: Hello Friends, 25:14 welcome back to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 25:17 We're going to pass it on to Pastor John Dinzey 25:20 for Tuesday's Lesson. 25:21 Dinzey: Thank you very much, 25:22 you know the title for this lesson 25:24 is in the form of a question, it's: Time to Simplify? 25:27 And I'd like to read the opening paragraph of this Lesson 25:31 that is there. 25:32 It says, "What should Seventh-day Adventist Christians 25:35 do in response to difficult times? 25:37 Do we hunker down in a survival mode? 25:40 No, in fact, just the opposite is true. 25:43 Because we know that the end of the world 25:45 and the second coming of Christ is near, 25:47 and we want to use our assets to tell others the good news 25:51 of the gospel 25:52 and what God has prepared for those who love Him. 25:55 Also, we understand that someday soon, 25:59 everything on earth will be burned up 26:02 and this is why we go to 2nd Peter chapter 3 26:06 beginning in verse 3. 26:08 Notice verse 3, 26:11 "Knowing this first: 26:12 that scoffers will come in the last days, 26:15 walking according to their own lusts... " 26:18 I'll stop there for a moment because 26:20 the way they express themselves... it's... 26:24 apparently, they hear the gospel 26:26 or were part of those that believed in the gospel 26:30 but now, notice how they are talking 26:33 and say, "Where is the promise of His coming? 26:36 For since the fathers fell asleep, 26:39 all things continue as they were 26:41 from the beginning of creation. " 26:44 These apparently are believers 26:46 because they are mentioning creation. 26:48 And notice that 26:49 they are not walking according to the ways of the Lord... 26:52 they're not walking in the light as God is in the light, 26:55 they are walking in darkness 26:56 because it says, 26:58 "They are walking according to their own lusts... " 27:00 They are living like the world. 27:02 No interest in Godly things 27:05 and they also have the opportunity for salvation 27:08 but they are paying attention more to the things 27:12 of the world. 27:13 You know, in Matthew chapter 24 verse 44, 27:17 we are told, "Therefore you also be ready, 27:21 for the Son of Man is coming 27:23 at an hour you do not expect. " 27:25 You know, we hear these verses 27:27 and sometimes we kind of dismiss them. 27:29 "Oh yes, the Lord will come as a thief in the night... " 27:31 I understand that... 27:32 but we are supposed to be ready 27:34 and the unbelievers don't know when Jesus is coming 27:38 and the believers do not know when Jesus is coming... 27:42 we do not know... 27:43 we are told to watch and be ready. 27:46 We now move to verse 5, it says, 27:50 "For... " the scoffers... 27:51 "For they... this willfully forget... " 27:54 they make a decision... 27:55 "this they willfully forget that by the Word of God, 27:59 the heavens were of old, 28:01 and the earth standing out of the water 28:03 and in the water, 28:05 by which the world that then existed perished, 28:07 being flooded with water. 28:09 But the heavens and the earth 28:11 which are now preserved... 28:12 But the heavens and the earth 28:14 which are now preserved by the same word, 28:16 are reserved for fire 28:18 until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. " 28:24 In the time of Noah, 28:26 he preached for about 120 years 28:30 and interestingly enough, 28:32 the people of Noah's day 28:34 even saw the animals going into the ark. 28:37 It was not something they had ever seen in their lives 28:40 but even this did not awaken them to the reality 28:44 that the flood was coming. 28:46 Did they know when the flood was coming? No. 28:48 Likewise, we do not know when the Lord is coming. 28:51 But... like they were told to get ready and get into the ark, 28:56 we are told to be ready for when the Lord comes. 29:00 They had an opportunity to get into the ark 29:03 and some people put these things off... 29:05 they waited till the last moment... 29:08 and, of course, it was too late because the door was shut. 29:12 Likewise, we are living in the time of the end... 29:15 the time will come when the Lord will pronounce 29:18 that which is found in Revelation chapter 22 29:20 that says, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still... 29:24 and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: 29:26 and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still... " 29:29 so, the time is coming, 29:31 when the time of opportunity 29:34 that we call the close of probation will come 29:36 and then no one else will be able 29:40 to accept Jesus Christ 29:41 and the reality of this as well, 29:43 is that God has done the work through His children 29:46 preaching the gospel to the whole world 29:49 and people like the scoffers 29:51 take the position... "Where is the promise of His coming?" 29:54 They do not see the signs 29:56 because the signs are occurring, they're taking place 29:59 but they do not pay attention to these signs... 30:02 they take place and they go on walking after their lusts 30:07 but, we know... as we... as we just read 30:11 that these things that we see... 30:14 they are reserved for fire until the day of judgment 30:17 and perdition of ungodly men. 30:20 Verse 8, 30:21 "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, 30:23 that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, 30:27 and a thousand years as a day. " 30:29 Beautiful to understand 30:31 is that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise. 30:35 "But... " as some count slackness, it says, 30:39 "But is longsuffering... " 30:40 He is patient with us. 30:42 Long-suffering... 30:44 "not willing that any should perish 30:46 but that all should come to repentance. " 30:49 All can come to repentance 30:51 but not all come to repentance. 30:54 They all have the opportunity 30:56 but they do not take advantage of the opportunity 30:59 and I am glad and praise the Lord 31:02 that the door of mercy is still open today 31:04 and I encourage you that if you're not walking in the light 31:08 as God is in the light, 31:09 it's time to ask yourself, "What am I doing? 31:14 Where is this going to take me? 31:17 Is it going to take me to salvation or destruction 31:22 so that I will be burned up with the earth 31:24 when it is burned up?" 31:26 It's time to ask yourself... "What should I be doing?" 31:31 I encourage you to give yourself to the Lord and be ready... 31:35 take part in spreading the gospel... 31:38 use your means to spread the gospel. 31:40 Let's continue in verse 12, 31:42 "Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, 31:47 because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, 31:51 and the elements will melt with fervent heat?" 31:53 This is the question... 31:54 now notice the thought of this is in the first part... 31:58 "Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God... " 32:02 You know, we are told in Matthew 24 verse 14 32:05 that this gospel of the kingdom 32:07 shall be preached in all the world 32:09 for a witness unto all nations 32:10 and then the end shall come. " 32:12 We can participate in that and it appears to say here 32:16 that we can take part in bringing that day 32:18 a little quicker. 32:20 Wouldn't that be wonderful? 32:21 You know, some people think it has... 32:24 it has... it should have taken a long... 32:27 place a long time ago 32:28 but we have the opportunity today 32:30 and let's take the opportunity... 32:33 do what you can while you can 32:35 with what you have. 32:36 And so, I take you now to 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 32:40 and we're going to look at verses 2 through 4, 32:44 "For you yourselves know perfectly 32:45 that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 32:48 For when they say, 32:51 'Peace and safety!' 32:53 then sudden destruction comes upon them, 32:55 as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. 32:58 And they shall not escape. " 33:00 There will be no escape. 33:02 Pause... 33:03 The only solution is Jesus Christ. 33:06 Panel: Yes. 33:07 Dinzey: But... look in verse 4, 33:08 "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, 33:11 so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. " 33:15 Praise the Lord. 33:16 Those that are following the Lord and walking in the light... 33:19 they are not going to be surprised... 33:21 they are going to be glad... 33:22 "This is the day we waited for 33:24 and the Lord has come to save us. " 33:27 Praise the Lord. 33:28 So, even though we do not know the day or the hour, 33:32 by watching and prayer... we will be ready. 33:34 Be ye also ready 33:36 for as such a time you think not, the Lord is coming. 33:39 Now, concerning the things that we possess... 33:43 the lesson brings this out, 33:45 "We understand from the Word of God 33:47 that He is not sending moving vans 33:49 to take our stuff to heaven. " 33:51 Panel: Laughter. 33:52 Dinzey: I thought this was kind of interesting way he put it, 33:54 He's not sending moving vans to take your possessions. 33:57 Don't get tied up with your possessions, 33:59 don't take deep roots in this world 34:02 because this world is not our final home. 34:05 It says here, "It will all get burned up 34:07 in the final conflagration 34:10 when all traces of sin and evil... " 34:13 except the scars on Christ's hands... 34:16 "will be forever destroyed. " 34:17 The only remaining things of this world 34:20 will be the scars on the hands of Jesus Christ. 34:24 What a reminder of the horrible things that sin has caused 34:29 and the suffering that sin has caused. 34:32 I read to you from the Lesson 34:34 and it is quoting Ellen G. White Counsels on Stewardship. 34:38 "So, what shall we do with our possessions? 34:41 It is now... it is now that our brethren 34:44 should be cutting down their possessions 34:46 instead of increasing them. 34:48 We are about to move to a better country, 34:50 even a heavenly. 34:53 Then let us not be dwellers upon the earth, 34:56 but be getting... 34:57 but getting things into as compact 35:01 a compass as possible... 35:04 compact as compass as possible. " 35:07 Let's get things reduced... in other words 35:10 and, you know, it's interesting because we do not know... 35:14 some people want to reserve things. 35:16 I think I will do something for the Lord later. 35:20 Do what you can for the Lord now. 35:23 This is the time we have, we're not promised tomorrow, 35:26 do what you can for the Lord today 35:28 and watch and be ready for such a time that you think not, 35:32 the Lord is coming. 35:34 Panel: Amen. 35:35 Shelley: Amen, wonderful lesson, Ryan, Jill, Johnny... 35:39 my... I'm Shelley Quinn 35:41 and my Lesson is Wednesday... 35:44 it is: Priorities. 35:46 I have a habit of journaling my prayers in the morning. 35:51 I sit at my computer 35:53 and it's just like I'm writing a letter to the Lord 35:55 and what happens is, this keeps me really focused. 35:58 What I have found, however, is 36:00 some mornings you get up... you hit the floor running... 36:03 running a little late... 36:04 there's getting phone calls coming in 36:06 and things that need to be done and you know what? 36:10 If I don't make God my first priority, 36:13 sometimes I find that it's clear till the end of the evening 36:17 that I'm giving Him leftovers. 36:19 The Bible is clear... God wants our total commitment. 36:25 He wants total devotion. 36:27 When Jesus was asked, 36:29 "What is the most important commandment?" 36:32 in Mark 12:30, He said, "This is it... 36:35 you should love the LORD your God with all of your heart, 36:38 your mind, your soul, 36:40 and your strength. " 36:43 You know, it's easy to say, 36:44 "I love You, Lord. " 36:46 But if you're not putting any strength... 36:49 any oomph in behind it, 36:52 love is shown by actions. 36:54 So, I will submit to you... 36:57 I believe it is only possible as all obedience is made... 37:02 we are empowered by the Holy Spirit... 37:04 God pours His love into our hearts. 37:07 But God's not interested in just leftovers of our time 37:12 or our money. 37:13 Listen to this, Revelation 3:15, 37:17 these are the words of our Savior 37:20 and He is saying to this church of Laodicea, 37:23 "I know your works, 37:25 you are neither hot... cold nor hot... 37:27 I wish you were cold or hot. 37:31 So then, because you are lukewarm, 37:34 neither cold nor hot... " 37:37 oooh! this one's hard... 37:39 "I will vomit you out of My mouth. 37:41 Because you say, 37:43 'I am rich, I have become wealthy, 37:47 I have need of nothing... ' 37:49 and you do not know that you are wretched, 37:53 miserable, poor, blind, and naked. " 37:56 There is no half-hearted commitment to Jesus. 38:00 Of course, you know that this goes on in verse 20, 38:04 and He says, "Hey, I stand at the door and knock, 38:07 and if you'll open the door, 38:09 I'll come in and sup with you. " 38:11 He wants to fellowship with us. 38:13 But how many of us even churches... 38:16 is Jesus on the outside... 38:18 we've become a little social club 38:20 and He's on the outside saying, "Let Me in... let Me in... " 38:24 so, there's no partial obedience... 38:27 no half-hearted commitment... 38:29 no such thing as a "Carnal Christian. " 38:32 You cannot have one foot in the kingdom 38:35 and one in the world. 38:37 James 1:8 says, there are double-minded man 38:40 is unstable in all that he does. " 38:43 So, there's no neutral position... 38:46 you're either on the side of Christ 38:49 or guess what? 38:50 If you're not on Christ's side, you're on the side of Satan. 38:54 Jesus said in Luke 11:23, 38:57 "He who is not with Me... " 39:00 that's siding and believing with Me... 39:02 working with Me... is against Me. 39:05 And he who does not gather with Me... " 39:10 engage in the interest of trying to save others 39:13 and gathering with Him... scatters. 39:17 So, you can't be neutral... 39:20 if you're neutral, you're scattering. 39:22 1st John 3:7... 39:24 if you know me at all... 39:26 you know that righteousness by faith 39:27 is one of my favorite topics 39:30 because it is the everlasting covenant. 39:33 But listen to what John writes, 39:36 he says, "Little children... " 1st John 3:7, 39:39 "let no one deceive you. 39:42 He who practices righteousness is righteous, 39:47 just as He... Jesus... is righteous. " 39:51 He who sins is of the devil. 39:54 Let me tell you... 39:56 Jesus didn't die for you so that you could live like the devil, 40:00 He died for you 40:02 that you might become the righteousness of God 40:05 in Christ Jesus 40:07 and He says... 40:08 "He who sins is of the devil, 40:10 for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 40:12 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, 40:15 that He might destroy the works of the devil. " 40:19 One of my favorite Scriptures, Psalm 85:13, 40:23 it says, "Righteousness will go before Him, 40:27 and shall make His footsteps our pathway. " 40:31 That's what John goes on in 1st John 2:6, 40:35 he said, "whoever says that he abides in Him... " 40:39 and if you're not abiding in Jesus, 40:41 you're not saved. 40:42 You've got to be connected to the vine. 40:45 "But he who says he abides in Him... " 40:48 John says, "You ought to be walking just as He walked. " 40:52 How do we walk as Jesus walked? 40:55 When you are in Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit 41:01 and when this Spirit is in us, 41:03 Jesus is more than our Savior... He is our Master. 41:06 Who is your Master? 41:09 The Bible says... we are either slaves of sin 41:12 or slaves of obedience. 41:15 Let me read this, Romans 6:16, 41:17 "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves 41:21 slaves to obey, 41:22 you are that one's slaves whom you obey, 41:26 whether of sin leading to death... " 41:30 that's the second death... 41:31 utter destruction... 41:33 "or of obedience... " 41:35 that's obedience motivated by love 41:38 that leads us, the Scripture says, 41:41 "to righteousness. " 41:43 It's leading us in the path that Jesus walked. 41:46 Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, 41:48 "No one can serve two masters; 41:51 for either, he will hate the one... " 41:53 that means he will love them less... 41:55 less devoted to or kind of disregard the one 41:59 "and love the other, 42:00 or he will stand by and be devoted to the one 42:05 and despise and be against the other. 42:09 You cannot serve God and mammon. " 42:13 What is mammon? 42:14 Mammon is deceitful riches... money... 42:19 possessions 42:20 or whatever you're putting your trust in. 42:24 Mammon for David was numbering the people. 42:28 He was putting his trust in the numbers. 42:31 But this is interesting... 42:33 Jesus here... when He says you can't serve two masters... 42:37 He's picturing us as slaves under the control of a master. 42:41 Either of God or of deceitful materialism. 42:47 Sometimes, if we are slaves to materialism, 42:51 that has a higher priority commitment in our life... 42:56 is to gather things and it's so funny... 42:59 you spend all your young years and I'm not saying... 43:02 we all gather things. 43:03 I like my stuff... 43:05 we spend our young years gathering our stuff 43:08 and guess what? 43:09 You get to a certain age and you start trying to think... 43:11 now, where do I... 43:12 how do I dish out this stuff 43:14 because I'm not going to be able to take it with me. 43:16 So, today's society is so materialistic 43:21 that there are so many 43:22 who are lusting after the things of the world 43:26 and they are making that... 43:29 they're spending all their time working on that... 43:31 it is their top priority 43:33 only to die and leave it behind as I said. 43:36 Now, the Quarterly says this: 43:40 Notice that Jesus didn't say that it was hard to serve money 43:45 and God... God and money... 43:46 or that you needed to be careful on how you serve both. 43:52 Jesus said, instead, that couldn't be done. Period. 43:58 The end. 44:00 Why? 44:01 "The love of the money... " 1st Timothy 6:10 tells us, 44:04 "is the root of all evil. " 44:08 There's nothing wrong with money 44:10 and God actually gives us the increase 44:13 so that we will have plenty of seed 44:15 to sow for Him. 44:18 But who is your Master? 44:20 Here's how you tell... 44:22 who's occupying your thoughts? 44:23 What's occupying your thoughts? 44:25 What's occupying your time and your efforts? 44:28 Are we storing up treasures on earth or in heaven? 44:33 1st John 2:15 through 17, 44:36 I'm going to read it from the Amplified very quickly, 44:38 "Do not love the world or cherish the world 44:41 or the things that are in the world. 44:42 If anyone loves the world, 44:44 the love for the Father is not in him. 44:46 For all that is in the world... 44:48 the lust of the flesh... " 44:49 that's craving for sensual gratification... 44:52 "the lust in the eyes... " greedy longings of the mind, 44:55 "and the pride of life... " 44:57 you know what I think of a pride of life? 44:59 that's when you're parading your possessions around 45:02 like a peacock. 45:03 You know... on the farm we used to see the peacocks 45:07 and they put... and they just parade around... 45:10 that's what some people do 45:11 because they're so proud of what they've attained. 45:13 The whole point is this. 45:15 The world 45:17 is going to be burned up... 45:20 as you said. Panel: That's right. 45:22 Shelley: We have to understand... 45:25 there's no middle ground, 45:26 our devotion should be marked by love and obedience to God first 45:31 or else, we're actually in rebellion against God. 45:35 So, the pride of life... 45:36 the lust of the flesh is not what God wants. 45:40 What He wants is genuine love relationship with you. 45:45 What He wants is sincerity and a generous spirit 45:49 and humility of services. 45:51 Panel: Amen. 45:52 Lomacang: Thank you, thank you Shelley for... 45:54 for the way you connected that to righteous living. 45:56 Not just the topic in and of itself... 45:58 but righteous living 45:59 which makes a major difference when it comes 46:01 to managing through tough times. 46:03 Your spiritual condition is often more important 46:06 than your materialistic possession. 46:08 Mine is entitled: When No One Can Buy or Sell 46:11 which... which gives us an opportunity 46:13 to dive in Revelation. 46:14 Let's go to Revelation chapter 13. 46:16 There is a time that's not too far distant 46:19 because we are living in Revelation chapter 13 already. 46:22 We're living between the first and second beast 46:24 of Revelation chapter 13... 46:26 between the risen kingdom of Rome 46:28 and the apostate system of Protestantism 46:31 which has metamorphosized into something 46:35 that God never intended. 46:36 A Movement that began in the Protestant Reformation 46:39 is going back to the Bible 46:41 has all but abandoned the Bible on so many points. 46:43 And what people believe nowadays 46:45 and I like the way you said it 46:46 is motivated by preference... ideology... 46:49 what I've heard... what I desire... 46:52 and religions today is "just that". 46:55 Religion... very few things that are connected to Christ. 46:57 One person once said, 46:59 "If the Spirit of God was withdrawn from the earth, 47:02 much of what is happening in the church will continue. 47:05 That's why Revelation's message is, 47:07 "Behold I stand at the door and knock, 47:08 could you let me in? 47:10 I know you guys are righteously focusing on your own things 47:14 and your own ideologies... " 47:15 Isaiah 4 verse 1, 47:16 "In that day seven women will take hold of one man saying, 47:20 'We will eat our own bread... wear our own apparel; 47:24 only let us be called by your name, 47:26 to take away our reproach. ' " 47:28 That's the day and age in which we live 47:30 and so, in Revelation 13 brings a focus about 47:33 how this is going to nosedive... 47:35 how the economic... social... spiritual 47:38 and... and societal aspects... 47:41 religious aspects of society are going to nosedive. 47:43 It gives us the context in which these changes 47:46 are going to be affected. 47:48 Revelation 13 verses 11 to 17, 47:50 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, 47:53 and he had two horns like a lamb 47:55 and spoke like a dragon. " 47:57 That's none other than the United States 47:58 coming up at a time 47:59 when the powers of Europe were descending... 48:01 when Rome was about to receive a deadly wound, 48:04 God was bringing up this lamb-like nation? 48:06 Why lamb? 48:08 That's the symbol of Christ... 48:09 a very infant nation also the symbol of the lamb 48:11 but it had two horns... what were those horns? 48:14 A government that was a Republic... 48:16 by the people... for the people... 48:17 and a system of religion that was Protestant 48:21 antithetical to all that Rome had endorsed. 48:24 It was not a top-down system but bottom up 48:26 and the people had the freedom of religion. 48:29 This is vitally important. 48:30 That's what... if you think about it nowadays, 48:32 America is not a nation 48:34 that really focuses on freedom of religion. 48:35 It's imposing a certain brand of religion on its society. 48:40 Be careful when you start voting... 48:41 I'm going to be very candid with you, 48:43 when you start voting 48:45 because somebody agrees with you doctrinally, 48:48 that's not what the Bible ever forced. 48:50 Jesus in His day never insisted on pushing political issues 48:54 even when He was... 48:55 even when they said to Him, 48:56 "Aren't You going to restore Israel at this time?" 48:59 Even when they came up against the issues in Rome, 49:02 the Lord never dove into political issues. 49:04 But the church today has done more than that, 49:07 it's become... it is a desire of religious leaders 49:11 to control political issues 49:13 and that's why Revelation 13 is going to be an easy segue 49:17 from the control of religion 49:18 to the control of merchants in America. 49:21 Look at this, it says here in verse 12, 49:24 "And he exercises all the authority of the first beast 49:27 before him... or in his presence... " 49:29 and look at the impact... 49:30 "and causes the earth and those who dwell in it 49:32 to worship the first beast... " 49:33 that is America. 49:35 When they make an image to the beast... 49:37 that's America... 49:39 when they now begin to reach across the gulf 49:40 and unite with the powers of Rome, 49:43 there will be an economic embargo 49:45 on the citizens of the world. 49:46 We'll see that in the verses following. 49:49 And it says in verse 13, "And he performs great signs, 49:52 so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth 49:55 and in the sight of men. 49:56 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth 49:57 by the means of those signs which he was granted to do 50:00 in the sight of the beast, 50:01 telling those who dwell on the earth 50:03 to make an image to the beast 50:04 who was wounded by the sword and lived. " 50:06 So much that that could be impacted here 50:08 but notice this, 50:09 Verse 15, "He was granted power to give breath 50:12 to the image of the beast who is alive 50:13 that the image of the beast should both speak, 50:16 and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast 50:19 to be killed. 50:20 He caused all, both small and great, 50:22 rich and poor, 50:23 free and bond... " or slave, 50:25 to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" 50:28 and here's the impact... 50:30 "And that no one may buy or sell, 50:33 except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, 50:36 or the number of his name. " 50:37 So, you don't even have to have the mark. 50:39 You could have the name of the beast 50:41 or the number of his name. 50:42 Allegiance on any platform disqualifies you 50:46 from being under God's blessing. 50:48 For those who have possessions... 50:50 and I like the way you laid the foundation... 50:52 all of you... 50:53 when your possessions become your focus... 50:56 when this economic embargo is imposed, 50:58 people will think more about sustaining their way of life 51:02 than their way of worship... than true worship... 51:06 that's why John 4 verses 23 and 24 says, 51:08 "the hour is coming in which the true worshipper 51:11 must worship the Father in spirit and in truth. " 51:14 It's not about worship, 51:15 it's about true worship 51:17 because worship... 51:18 there are economic reasons behind a lot of worship today. 51:21 They want to be able to live the fat life 51:23 and unfortunately, God's name is often used to sustain 51:27 a kind of life that is antithetical 51:29 to the humility that Jesus is connected to. 51:32 So, not being able to buy or sell means 51:35 when that time comes, you'll not be able to function 51:38 in a society where you have to have allegiance 51:41 to a power that is antithetical to Christ 51:43 in order to sustain the way you live. 51:45 So, the question is asked, "How do financial matters today 51:48 fit into the time of persecution?" 51:50 How dependent are you today 51:53 on the Systems of the world to survive? 51:56 That's a big question. 51:57 Let me make it very practical. 51:59 Are you in debt? 52:00 Are you in serious debt? 52:02 Because some people carry some level of debt 52:04 but if you cannot breath without leaning on the System, 52:09 if your sustenance of life is so dependent on 52:14 all that society provides for you, 52:16 then you are living a fragile... 52:18 almost like a funnel away for life 52:20 just a little bit of moisture and your life falls apart. 52:23 You have to make sure that you are being sustained by God 52:26 because when these Systems impose themselves... 52:29 look at Revelation 18 verse 3, it's a worldwide impact. 52:32 "For all nations have drunk 52:34 of the wine of the wrath of her fornication... " 52:37 that's not only that... not only the Society 52:39 "and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her" 52:41 that's the political leaders... 52:43 "and the merchants of the earth have become rich 52:45 through the abundance of her luxuries. " 52:47 This powerful Head under the leadership of Rome, 52:50 has an impact socially... religiously 52:53 and economically 52:54 and the entire world as Jeremiah says, 52:57 "the nations are deranged 52:59 because they have drunk of the wine of Babylon. " 53:01 And today, people are looking at... 53:03 what's the... what's the solace in America? 53:05 Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 53:07 Everybody wants to be happy 53:09 and we tend to mean that happiness is... 53:11 "I got new toys... " 53:13 "I have a... lot of things that I'm living for. " 53:15 If you're not living for Christ... 53:16 and let me say this... 53:18 hold on to the world ever so lightly 53:21 but hold on to Jesus ever so tightly. 53:23 Panel: That's good. 53:25 Lomacang: So, here are my takeaways. 53:27 I used the word "takeaways" Jill. 53:29 Panel: Laughter. 53:30 Lomacang: First thing I suggest you do, 53:31 Invest in God. 53:33 Invest in God... Matthew 6 verses 19 and 20, 53:36 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 53:40 where moth and rust destroy 53:42 and where thieves break in and steal; 53:44 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 53:48 where neither moth nor rust destroys 53:51 and where thieves do not break in to steal. " 53:53 Translated: 53:55 Invest in the things that will advance the gospel. 53:57 Invest in those things that will make a difference in eternity. 54:01 Another soul... another life for the kingdom. 54:04 If your finance is not given towards 54:06 where somebody can know more about Christ... 54:08 if your finance is not used to win another soul 54:12 for the Kingdom... it's frivolous. 54:14 It has no eternal value. 54:16 The second thing is: Do not place your wellbeing in man. 54:19 Psalm 146 verse 3, 54:21 "Do not put your trust in princes, 54:22 nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. " 54:25 You know, when the Credit Card companies decide 54:27 they're not taking your payments any longer 54:28 and they are going to possess your property 54:30 and there is debtor prisons again... 54:32 like there used to be in Bible times, 54:33 you will have... 54:35 all that you have will all of a sudden 54:37 lose its impress upon you... 54:39 it will no longer be important. 54:41 You'll be willing to give it all up 54:43 just to be free. 54:44 So, put not your trust in man or in those things they provide. 54:48 Number 3: Know that God will protect you. 54:50 Psalm 91 verse 3... when this time comes, 54:53 "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, 54:57 and from the perilous pestilence. 54:59 He shall cover you with His feathers, 55:00 and under His wings you shall take refuge: 55:03 His truth shall be your shield and defense. 55:05 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night; 55:07 nor of the arrow that flies by day... " 55:09 Yes... this time of economic embargo is coming 55:12 and it's going to be terrible 55:13 before it gets better permanently. 55:15 If you trust in God... if you lean upon Him... 55:18 He will sustain you which is Point Number 4: 55:22 Disconnect from your dependence on man's System. 55:26 Proverbs 22 verse 7, 55:27 "The rich rule over the poor, 55:32 and the borrower is the servant of the lender. " 55:34 And finally, recognize that God will provide all of your need. 55:39 Psalm 50 and verse 12, 55:41 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; 55:44 for the world is Mine, and all of its fullness. " 55:46 And so, here is the key... 55:47 what's the System that God put in place? 55:50 Let's go back to the very foundation of this Lesson, 55:52 Stewardship... 55:53 if you are faithful in your tithe and offerings to God, 55:56 you are laying up treasure in heaven. 55:58 If you are investing to ministries 56:00 that are winning souls for Christ, 56:02 you are faithful to God who will sustain you in difficult times. 56:06 He will dwell on high... 56:08 his place and his defense will be in the Lord. 56:10 Trust God and when difficult times come, 56:13 God will bring you through it. 56:15 Panel: Hmmm... amen. 56:16 Ryan: Amen. praise the Lord. 56:17 May God have mercy on us all when we get to those times 56:21 because we're going to make sure 56:23 that we are locked in on Jesus Christ 56:25 in only serving Him. 56:26 Let's get some final thoughts from our Panel Members. 56:28 Jill: On Monday's Lesson, 56:30 we looked at David numbering Israel 56:31 and, you know, he didn't set out for 70,000 men to die. 56:34 He didn't set out to walk in disobedience to God. 56:36 I think it was a lot of fear... 56:38 not sure... can I trust God? 56:41 And so just... to make a choice to trust God with your life. 56:44 Dinzey: Amen. 56:46 In Tuesday's Lesson, we talked about: Time to Simplify 56:49 and we have to ask ourselves, "Is there anything 56:51 that is hindering me from walking closer with the Lord?" 56:55 We should live with our focus in heaven... salvation. 56:58 So, continue following the Lord Jesus Christ 57:01 with heaven as a focus. 57:03 Shelley: Priorities... 57:04 Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God 57:07 and His righteousness... 57:08 everything else will be added to you. " 57:10 Lomacang: Daniel 12:1 a time of trouble is coming 57:13 but when you trust God, here is your assurance. 57:17 "At that time, His people shall be delivered. " 57:20 Panel: Amen... 57:22 Ryan: Amen... praise the Lord. 57:23 Well, my friends, we've come to the end of Lesson Number 11, 57:26 and, you know, as we have clearly studied today, 57:29 especially from Pastor Lomacang's Lesson, 57:31 it just brought me back to the seriousness 57:34 of living for Christ and being fully surrendered 57:36 because these things are coming before us... 57:38 they are unfolding before our eyes. 57:39 We should choose this day whom we shall serve. 57:43 That's our choice today. 57:44 You want to join us next week 57:46 because we're going to be diving into the very last Lesson 57:48 of this Quarter 57:50 and it is entitled: Rewards of the Faithfulness 57:53 and so, be sure to join us back here next week. 57:56 Tell your friends about us, 57:58 tell your friends about us... send the link 58:00 and we will see you right back here next week. 58:01 God bless. |
Revised 2023-05-04