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♪ theme music ♪

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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

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an in-depth, interactive study

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of the Word of God.

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We are in the middle

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of an amazing series of studies

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on <i>Ezra and Nehemiah,</i>

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today's topic, <i>Backslidden People.</i>

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You say, "That sounds depressing,"

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but actually it's good news

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because God <i>loves</i> backslidden people,

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and He wants to restore them

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to a life-changing intimate relationship

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with Himself, to experience

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His immeasurable unfailing love
like never before,

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actually, to transform them,
to transform <i>us</i>

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into all that He ever intended us to be

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and to use us to bless others.

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It's going to be an amazing study,

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and I'm excited because one
of our team members, Jason,

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is going to be teaching today,
great topic.

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And we're glad that you're with us.

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In fact, we'd love to hear from you
if you've started

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your own in-depth, interactive study
where you live,

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because you can take

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the same outline that we use,

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same outline Jason will be using today,

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and you can download it from our website.

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Just go to hopetv.org; by the way,

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you'll not only see Hope Sabbath School

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but lots of other great programs there.

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Download the app if you don't have it;

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Hope Channel, go to your App Store
or Google Play.

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It's a free app, powerful;

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it will be a great blessing to your life.

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By the way, it's got a geo-locator on it;

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it will come up in whatever language

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is dominant for your territory - amazing!

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You can study the Word of God
with us there.

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But download the outline,

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start a study group of your own.

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We will be excited to hear from you.

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In fact, we're always happy

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to hear from you,

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our Hope Sabbath School members.

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By the way, I'm glad you're
here, too, team.

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It's going to be a great study, isn't it?

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Here's a note from Homer and his wife

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in Colorado in the United States 
of America.

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They said, "We've been watching

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Hope Sabbath School ever since it came

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on DirecTV channel 368.

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We get a lot out of it,

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and pray for each one of you on the team.

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God bless you all."

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Thanks, Homer and Jeannie,

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writing from Colorado

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in the United States.

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You've been watching for awhile
on DirecTV,

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and we're glad you're part of our family.

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Here's a note from a donor in Guyana.

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Now, some of you have been to Guyana.

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"Dear Christian friends, greetings

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in the name of our precious Savior

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and soon-coming King.

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I am a beneficiary of what Hope Channel

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is doing around the world.

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In this regard, I would like

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to partner with Hope Channel

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to ensure that the gospel

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reaches the ends of the world."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) "Please receive an enclosed gift

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of 1,000 dollars," from Guyana

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to help with the ministry

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of sharing the love of Jesus

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with the world. Amen?

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Thank you; we are

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a donor-supported ministry,

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and I know the blessing

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will come back to you as you join the Lord

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in His harvest work.

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Swein writes from Zambia.

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Swein says, "I wish to thank you

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for the work you're doing

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and how you present the Bible studies

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on Hope Sabbath School.

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You've really helped me learn

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how to present the study to my class."

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That's what Jason's going to do today.

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We're going to model

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what could be reproduced
10,000 times, right?

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So, thank you, Swein;

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we're glad you've got

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a class there in Zambia.

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"I've been teaching the Sabbath School
since 2008,

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and because of watching

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Hope Sabbath School,

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all the classes I'm teaching

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have appreciated how I handle the study."

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That's awesome; it can be multiplied.

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"Thanks to Hope Sabbath School.

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May God bless you as you continue

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to labor in His vineyard."

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Well, Swein, thanks for writing

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to us from Zambia; God bless you.

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Give our greetings

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to your in-depth, interactive
Bible study group.

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Kofi writes from Ghana and said,

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"I asked God to help me

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take my Bible study seriously,

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and I promised Him not to miss out

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on any of the studies this year.

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But I'm a student in high school,

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I wouldn't get time to read,

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and I was working at the house

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when I was back from school.

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I'm living with my brother and his family,

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and we don't get to church early

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to learn the Sabbath School.

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We also don't study at the house,

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but then I found Hope Sabbath School!"

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(Team) Amen!

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(Derek) "Hope Sabbath School

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was the first channel

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I saw and subscribed to.

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I downloaded the full lesson

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as audio on my phone."

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By the way, our new app - you can do that.

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You can also do an offline download,

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and then you can watch the program

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when you're offline somewhere

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where you don't have a connection;
it's awesome.

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"And I listen to it when I wake up

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in the morning and while I'm working
or in the night.

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I've not missed any of the studies

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since I found Hope Sabbath School."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) "I downloaded

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your theme song on my phone

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and use it as my alarm tone.

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It touches my heart anytime I hear it.

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I want to be a pastor one day..."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) "...and visit Hope Sabbath School

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and be one of the saints

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who will defend God's Word

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in the Last Days."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Thank you, Kofi,

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for writing to us from Ghana;
what do you say?

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) God is raising up men and women,

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young people around the world.

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Joyce writes to us, last one,
from Jamaica.

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We have a lot of people in Jamaica

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who watch Hope Sabbath...

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Anyone with Jamaican roots here, Nicole?

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Oh, Enkose, too, Jamaican roots.

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"Hello, Hope Sabbath School family!"

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(Team) Hello!

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(Derek) This is Joyce

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writing from Mandeville, "What a blessing

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it's been for me to sit

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and go through Hope Sabbath School guides
with you all.

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I've been watching for awhile,

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and I've been truly blessed.

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My daughter is now 11 years old,

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and she's been listening

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to the Scripture songs

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from when she was a little girl.

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She would run from wherever she was
in the house,

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come and sing the Scripture song with me

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and then run back to what she was doing."

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Get this, "As she got older,

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she would sit and watch

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the Bible study with me."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) "What a blessing.

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I've downloaded the study guides

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for the very first time,

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and I look forward to making copies
and sharing them

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with my Sabbath School class."

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By the way, we found that the best way

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to have an interactive study

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is to give everyone a copy
of this outline.

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So just make a copy

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and give it to everyone,

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and they can follow along.

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"We now all look forward

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to the Bible study every week.

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God bless you, Joyce."

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Well, thanks for writing to us, Joyce;
glad you're part

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of our Hope Sabbath School family
there in Jamaica,

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and God's doing amazing things, isn't He?

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(Team) Yes.

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(Derek) And one of the things amazing

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that God's doing in these Last Days,

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He's calling people back

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who have drifted away.

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The Bible calls that backsliding,

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slipping away, slipping away.

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He wants to heals us

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because of His immeasurable love,

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call us back to Him.

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That's what we're going to study about

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right after we sing

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our theme song from Psalm 25.

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♪ music ♪

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(Derek, Team) Amen.

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(Derek) You know, wouldn't it be

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a wonderful miracle of God if someone

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watches Hope Sabbath School today

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who has slipped away,

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and they hear the call of God

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and the draw of God's love to come back?

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Let's pray as we begin our study.

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(Jason) Amen. Please bow your heads
as I pray.

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Our dear heavenly Father,

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today, as we open Your Word, as we see

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how, even when we've made mistakes,

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whether individually or as a group,

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we can still return to You.

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Lord, help us to take lessons

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from these ancient stories

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and apply them to us here now, Lord.

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Lord, send Your Spirit,

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send Your power with us,

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and most importantly, we pray all of this

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in the holy name of Jesus,

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our Cleanser, our Savior. Amen.

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(Derek, Team) Amen.

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(Jason) Here in Ezra and Nehemiah

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we have the story context,

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the children of Israel

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have kind of returned from exile,

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and they've returned

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even though they've made some mistakes,

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and they're trying to get

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the worship service going,

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and they're trying to sort of reform

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the process as they're going along.

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Now, unfortunately, as we've seen
in previous lessons,

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there have been some difficulties,

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and there have been some challenges.

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And one of the words

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that's kind of been used

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to describe this process

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is the word <i>backsliding.</i>

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Now, backsliding is a word

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that not everyone may be familiar with,

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and so I just want to ask on the team here

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if someone or even several people

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can tell me what does

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the word <i>backsliding</i> mean,

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maybe as a definition

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or what it looks like in action?

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Someone here on the team, Gladys,

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I see you kind of nodding your head,
and you're smiling.

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When you think of backsliding,

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what comes to mind for you?

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(Gladys) When you have

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made a decision for Christ

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and you somehow backtrack on that decision

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and you start slipping away from Him

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and creating some distance

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between you and Christ.

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(Jason) Slipping away,

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00:10:39,461 --> 00:10:43,129
made a decision, backtracking. Adison?

270
00:10:43,129 --> 00:10:44,674
(Adison) Two words come to mind.

271
00:10:44,674 --> 00:10:46,984
I think of creep and compromise.

272
00:10:46,984 --> 00:10:48,394
(Jason) Creep and compromise,

273
00:10:48,394 --> 00:10:50,256
so, kind of little by little,

274
00:10:50,256 --> 00:10:52,491
and then compromise, making changes

275
00:10:52,491 --> 00:10:55,222
that are not consistent with the decision

276
00:10:55,222 --> 00:10:56,786
that you had made before.

277
00:10:56,786 --> 00:10:57,810
All right, so we have

278
00:10:57,810 --> 00:11:00,084
this idea of backsliding; now, let's look

279
00:11:00,084 --> 00:11:03,228
at how the backsliding happened.

280
00:11:03,228 --> 00:11:05,270
And so I'd like to ask Jonathan

281
00:11:05,270 --> 00:11:06,945
if you could open for us.

282
00:11:06,945 --> 00:11:08,831
We're in Nehemiah, chapter 10,

283
00:11:08,831 --> 00:11:10,150
and I want you to read

284
00:11:10,150 --> 00:11:13,939
verses 30 and 31 and then verse 39.

285
00:11:13,939 --> 00:11:15,811
There are some promises that are made,

286
00:11:15,811 --> 00:11:17,143
and I want us to look

287
00:11:17,143 --> 00:11:20,047
at where the backsliding begins,

288
00:11:20,047 --> 00:11:22,318
which is here with the promises.

289
00:11:22,318 --> 00:11:24,352
So let's look at the start, and then let's

290
00:11:24,352 --> 00:11:26,200
see what happens in the story.

291
00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:27,985
(Jonathan) All right, I'll be reading

292
00:11:27,985 --> 00:11:29,664
from the New International Version,

293
00:11:29,664 --> 00:11:31,410
verses 30, 31 and 39:

294
00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,652
(Jason) So, when we read that,

295
00:12:16,652 --> 00:12:18,342
that sounds pretty positive, right?

296
00:12:18,342 --> 00:12:19,219
We're going to do

297
00:12:19,219 --> 00:12:20,666
all these very good things.

298
00:12:20,666 --> 00:12:22,871
What are some of those things
that were listed?

299
00:12:22,871 --> 00:12:25,587
What are some of the promises, Evelyn,
that you saw there?

300
00:12:25,587 --> 00:12:27,140
(Evelyn) They promised that they

301
00:12:27,140 --> 00:12:29,206
wouldn't marry into pagan cultures.

302
00:12:29,206 --> 00:12:31,466
(Jason) They wouldn't marry
into pagan cultures.

303
00:12:31,466 --> 00:12:33,915
Yes, Stephanie, I see you smiling there.

304
00:12:33,915 --> 00:12:35,866
(Stephanie) They would honor the Sabbath.

305
00:12:35,866 --> 00:12:38,407
(Jason) They would honor the Sabbath.
Yes, Adison.

306
00:12:38,407 --> 00:12:39,885
(Adison) They would be faithful

307
00:12:39,885 --> 00:12:41,318
in their tithes and offerings.

308
00:12:41,318 --> 00:12:42,634
(Jason) They'd be faithful

309
00:12:42,634 --> 00:12:44,946
in their tithes and offerings, all right.
Gladys.

310
00:12:44,946 --> 00:12:47,832
(Gladys) They will respect
the seventh year,

311
00:12:47,832 --> 00:12:49,841
which will be when the land

312
00:12:49,841 --> 00:12:51,069
cannot be worked on,

313
00:12:51,069 --> 00:12:53,469
and they had to forgive all debts.

314
00:12:53,469 --> 00:12:54,855
They will respect that.

315
00:12:54,855 --> 00:12:56,273
(Jason) All right, so we have

316
00:12:56,273 --> 00:12:57,899
all these different activities,

317
00:12:57,899 --> 00:13:00,102
and they sound very positive.

318
00:13:00,102 --> 00:13:03,130
They're very good promises.

319
00:13:03,130 --> 00:13:06,125
Now, I want to ask what are your thoughts

320
00:13:06,125 --> 00:13:07,940
on these promises when you hear them

321
00:13:07,940 --> 00:13:09,957
because they sound positive,

322
00:13:09,957 --> 00:13:11,502
they sound beneficial.

323
00:13:11,502 --> 00:13:13,002
Jonathan, you've got

324
00:13:13,002 --> 00:13:14,352
a certain facial expression.

325
00:13:14,352 --> 00:13:16,379
You've got some thoughts on this here.

326
00:13:16,379 --> 00:13:17,603
(Jonathan) It reminds me

327
00:13:17,603 --> 00:13:20,654
of when God comes down on Mount Sinai

328
00:13:20,654 --> 00:13:22,586
and gives the Law,

329
00:13:22,586 --> 00:13:24,836
and all the people are overwhelmed,

330
00:13:24,836 --> 00:13:26,588
and they say, "Oh, all these things

331
00:13:26,588 --> 00:13:28,723
that God says, <i>we</i> will do."

332
00:13:28,723 --> 00:13:30,115
So I don't know if it's

333
00:13:30,115 --> 00:13:31,232
quite the same spirit,

334
00:13:31,232 --> 00:13:32,906
that maybe it sounds like, a bit,

335
00:13:32,906 --> 00:13:34,979
but it sounds like it could be

336
00:13:34,979 --> 00:13:37,179
a little bit of self-confidence,

337
00:13:37,179 --> 00:13:40,775
maybe not recognition of just how prone

338
00:13:40,775 --> 00:13:42,306
we are to go astray.

339
00:13:42,306 --> 00:13:44,812
(Jason) So maybe some self-confidence.

340
00:13:44,812 --> 00:13:47,602
Kenneth, and then I want to ask,

341
00:13:47,602 --> 00:13:50,805
kind of push back a little bit

342
00:13:50,805 --> 00:13:52,581
for the sake of discussion here

343
00:13:52,581 --> 00:13:54,316
because these are legitimate issues,

344
00:13:54,316 --> 00:13:55,906
and these are legitimate problems

345
00:13:55,906 --> 00:13:57,094
that they've dealt with.

346
00:13:57,094 --> 00:13:58,784
And so I want to hear from Kenneth,

347
00:13:58,784 --> 00:14:00,213
and then I also want to hear,

348
00:14:00,213 --> 00:14:01,909
what do we think about this tension

349
00:14:01,909 --> 00:14:03,740
between dealing with legitimate issues

350
00:14:03,740 --> 00:14:04,819
and responding to them

351
00:14:04,819 --> 00:14:06,518
in the manner that glorifies God.

352
00:14:06,518 --> 00:14:07,674
So, Kenneth, yes.

353
00:14:07,674 --> 00:14:09,658
(Kenneth) I think from our previous study

354
00:14:09,658 --> 00:14:11,862
where they made all the sacrifices to God,

355
00:14:11,862 --> 00:14:13,430
you'd be convinced that, okay,

356
00:14:13,430 --> 00:14:15,810
these people are really going to do it.

357
00:14:15,810 --> 00:14:17,524
But with their track record,

358
00:14:17,524 --> 00:14:19,174
just as Jonathan said,

359
00:14:19,174 --> 00:14:20,621
we don't know whether they are

360
00:14:20,621 --> 00:14:22,471
able to keep their side of the bargain

361
00:14:22,471 --> 00:14:25,227
or if they are going to fall back

362
00:14:25,227 --> 00:14:26,995
and off of what they are promising.

363
00:14:26,995 --> 00:14:29,124
(Jason) So they don't know
that they're able,

364
00:14:29,124 --> 00:14:30,427
so what's the problem here?

365
00:14:30,427 --> 00:14:34,930
Why are they not able? Nicole?

366
00:14:34,930 --> 00:14:36,475
(Nicole) As Jonathan even said,

367
00:14:36,475 --> 00:14:38,662
it starts with, "We, we, we, will...
We will."

368
00:14:38,662 --> 00:14:40,459
There's not a, "Lord, help us to...,"

369
00:14:40,459 --> 00:14:42,386
"Lord, lead us to where we need to go."

370
00:14:42,386 --> 00:14:44,351
It's all, "We're going to do something,"

371
00:14:44,351 --> 00:14:46,792
And so I think when we believe
that our own strength

372
00:14:46,792 --> 00:14:47,775
can take us through,

373
00:14:47,775 --> 00:14:51,048
we fail, just really simple, we fail.

374
00:14:51,048 --> 00:14:52,393
(Jason) So is it fair to say

375
00:14:52,393 --> 00:14:54,357
that maybe backsliding can begin

376
00:14:54,357 --> 00:14:58,273
with good intentions about good activities

377
00:14:58,273 --> 00:15:00,580
but from a heart...? Yes, Derek.

378
00:15:00,580 --> 00:15:02,542
(Derek) A story from the New Testament,

379
00:15:02,542 --> 00:15:04,169
Jason, flashed into my mind.

380
00:15:04,169 --> 00:15:06,080
"Even if everybody else denies you,

381
00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,572
I wont," that's Peter, you know.

382
00:15:09,572 --> 00:15:12,872
And he's got good intentions,

383
00:15:12,872 --> 00:15:15,259
but he's in a very dangerous place.

384
00:15:15,259 --> 00:15:16,790
And you don't even have to turn

385
00:15:16,790 --> 00:15:18,138
the page in my Bible,

386
00:15:18,138 --> 00:15:21,181
and he's saying, "I don't even know
who He is."

387
00:15:21,181 --> 00:15:23,307
So I think...the Lord has said,

388
00:15:23,307 --> 00:15:25,077
"You're at risk," and he says, "No,

389
00:15:25,077 --> 00:15:28,036
even if everyone else does it, I won't."

390
00:15:28,036 --> 00:15:30,560
I think that the challenge here

391
00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,609
is that all of us are

392
00:15:32,609 --> 00:15:34,773
capable of backsliding,

393
00:15:34,773 --> 00:15:35,991
and we have to say, "God,

394
00:15:35,991 --> 00:15:38,841
I need You to hold me close to You,"

395
00:15:38,841 --> 00:15:40,289
you know, "My commitment

396
00:15:40,289 --> 00:15:41,930
is just this, that I'm not going

397
00:15:41,930 --> 00:15:43,434
to resist You at all."

398
00:15:43,434 --> 00:15:44,794
(Jason) Amen. Now, there are

399
00:15:44,794 --> 00:15:46,999
some principles that Jesus referenced.

400
00:15:46,999 --> 00:15:50,571
I think of Matthew 22.

401
00:15:50,571 --> 00:15:52,145
Stephanie, I'd actually like you

402
00:15:52,145 --> 00:15:53,759
to read that for us

403
00:15:53,759 --> 00:15:56,083
because I think referencing

404
00:15:56,083 --> 00:15:57,045
what Jesus has said

405
00:15:57,045 --> 00:15:58,224
and going to the Gospels

406
00:15:58,224 --> 00:15:59,844
might be helpful to get our minds

407
00:15:59,844 --> 00:16:01,473
focused on how we can

408
00:16:01,473 --> 00:16:02,886
avoid backsliding ourselves.

409
00:16:02,886 --> 00:16:04,753
So, Stephanie, if you could read for us

410
00:16:04,753 --> 00:16:08,071
Matthew, chapter 22, verses 37 through 39.

411
00:16:08,071 --> 00:16:10,123
What are some principles here,

412
00:16:10,123 --> 00:16:13,784
so that we can avoid going down this path?

413
00:16:13,784 --> 00:16:15,304
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

414
00:16:15,304 --> 00:16:16,698
from the King James Version:

415
00:16:35,017 --> 00:16:37,066
(Jason) All right, so we see here

416
00:16:37,066 --> 00:16:40,237
we've got these two, kind of, focuses,

417
00:16:40,237 --> 00:16:42,749
loving God, loving our neighbor.

418
00:16:42,749 --> 00:16:45,122
So, what do you see here, Gladys?

419
00:16:45,122 --> 00:16:47,888
(Gladys) The focus is God first.

420
00:16:47,888 --> 00:16:50,333
The more that we focus on God,

421
00:16:50,333 --> 00:16:52,393
everything else, like we said

422
00:16:52,393 --> 00:16:54,388
in previous studies,

423
00:16:54,388 --> 00:16:56,298
it would look different.

424
00:16:56,298 --> 00:16:58,153
So our focus must be God.

425
00:16:58,153 --> 00:17:00,438
And then when we focus with God,

426
00:17:00,438 --> 00:17:03,578
we can help other people around us.

427
00:17:03,578 --> 00:17:07,643
(Jason) All right. Jonathan.

428
00:17:07,643 --> 00:17:09,282
(Jonathan) I was just going to say

429
00:17:09,282 --> 00:17:12,605
that loving God

430
00:17:12,605 --> 00:17:14,764
and being faithful to God

431
00:17:14,764 --> 00:17:18,347
is something that is placed
beyond our reach.

432
00:17:18,347 --> 00:17:21,498
It is a gift of God itself.

433
00:17:21,498 --> 00:17:23,236
It is not something that we have.

434
00:17:23,236 --> 00:17:27,008
Therefore, we have to ask Him
for faithfulness,

435
00:17:27,008 --> 00:17:28,485
ask Him for the capacity

436
00:17:28,485 --> 00:17:33,779
to make us capable of loving Him.

437
00:17:33,779 --> 00:17:34,876
(Jason) Travis.

438
00:17:34,876 --> 00:17:36,561
(Travis) I would just like to say,

439
00:17:36,561 --> 00:17:38,102
it's listed in here, "Love God

440
00:17:38,102 --> 00:17:39,721
with all your heart, all your soul

441
00:17:39,721 --> 00:17:40,627
and all your mind."

442
00:17:40,627 --> 00:17:41,977
That's the prerequisite

443
00:17:41,977 --> 00:17:44,032
to loving our neighbor as ourselves.

444
00:17:44,032 --> 00:17:46,543
It's the prerequisite to living
a holy life

445
00:17:46,543 --> 00:17:48,342
and keeping the promises of God.

446
00:17:48,342 --> 00:17:49,761
If we have that connection,

447
00:17:49,761 --> 00:17:52,831
it's only then that we are capable.

448
00:17:52,831 --> 00:17:55,929
(Jason) Now, let's...Oh, Derek, you
wanted to share something...

449
00:17:55,929 --> 00:17:57,784
(Derek) I was just thinking, Jesus says

450
00:17:57,784 --> 00:17:59,243
everything else hangs on that.

451
00:17:59,243 --> 00:18:00,581
So, you know, if I'm just,

452
00:18:00,581 --> 00:18:01,773
"My focus is I want to be

453
00:18:01,773 --> 00:18:02,806
so connected with God

454
00:18:02,806 --> 00:18:04,450
that I love Him with all my heart,

455
00:18:04,450 --> 00:18:05,503
and let His love flow

456
00:18:05,503 --> 00:18:06,731
through me to everyone,"

457
00:18:06,731 --> 00:18:08,924
I think that God would say,

458
00:18:08,924 --> 00:18:11,342
"Everything else is going to be okay,"

459
00:18:11,342 --> 00:18:16,207
when you've got those two
clear commandments,

460
00:18:16,207 --> 00:18:18,221
Jesus says "the two great commandments."

461
00:18:18,221 --> 00:18:19,790
(Jason) Amen. Jonathan.

462
00:18:19,790 --> 00:18:22,120
(Jonathan) Sometimes we get
tired very quickly

463
00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:23,750
of trying to be faithful,

464
00:18:23,750 --> 00:18:29,946
of trying to love, either partners,
brothers and on.

465
00:18:29,946 --> 00:18:33,130
This is because we try it by ourselves,

466
00:18:33,130 --> 00:18:35,780
and we should always ask God to help us.

467
00:18:35,780 --> 00:18:38,382
We aren't always able to love.

468
00:18:38,382 --> 00:18:40,337
(Jason) And now let's get into the story,

469
00:18:40,337 --> 00:18:42,484
and I'm going to ask Gladys

470
00:18:42,484 --> 00:18:44,291
if you could read for us

471
00:18:44,291 --> 00:18:48,368
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verses 4 and 5.

472
00:18:48,368 --> 00:18:49,262
We're going to see

473
00:18:49,262 --> 00:18:51,369
a specific situation that happens,

474
00:18:51,369 --> 00:18:53,141
and we're going to see some problems

475
00:18:53,141 --> 00:18:55,075
that gives some evidence of backsliding.

476
00:18:55,075 --> 00:18:57,386
And let's kind of look at what's going on

477
00:18:57,386 --> 00:19:00,447
and what's happening here in the story.

478
00:19:00,447 --> 00:19:01,451
(Gladys) I'm reading

479
00:19:01,451 --> 00:19:03,151
from the New International Version,

480
00:19:03,151 --> 00:19:08,768
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verses 4 and 5:

481
00:19:41,518 --> 00:19:43,561
(Jason) Now, does anything
stand out to you,

482
00:19:43,561 --> 00:19:44,928
anything kind of startling,

483
00:19:44,928 --> 00:19:47,509
when you read this? Jonathan?

484
00:19:47,509 --> 00:19:49,257
(Jonathan) If you look back earlier,

485
00:19:49,257 --> 00:19:51,813
Tobiah is kind of this foreigner.

486
00:19:51,813 --> 00:19:54,033
He's like an Ammonite, I guess, a ruler,

487
00:19:54,033 --> 00:19:56,625
and he was against the Jews,

488
00:19:56,625 --> 00:19:58,451
against them rebuilding the temple,

489
00:19:58,451 --> 00:20:00,551
against, I think, rebuilding the wall.

490
00:20:00,551 --> 00:20:05,191
And now he's related to this priest,

491
00:20:05,191 --> 00:20:07,889
and because of that...

492
00:20:07,889 --> 00:20:09,814
How he's related is a curious question.

493
00:20:09,814 --> 00:20:11,758
And now he has a spot in the temple,

494
00:20:11,758 --> 00:20:14,345
I'm like, "Uh, what?"

495
00:20:14,345 --> 00:20:17,053
(Jason) There are some big problems
going on here.

496
00:20:17,053 --> 00:20:18,168
Backsliding has taken

497
00:20:18,168 --> 00:20:20,055
a whole new level almost. Yes, Kenneth.

498
00:20:20,055 --> 00:20:21,913
(Kenneth) For me, the irony is

499
00:20:21,913 --> 00:20:25,284
there is reform, the temple is cleansed,

500
00:20:25,284 --> 00:20:28,121
and then you give another place

501
00:20:28,121 --> 00:20:29,533
for this same people

502
00:20:29,533 --> 00:20:32,181
for which you established a reform.

503
00:20:32,181 --> 00:20:34,215
So it's like, "You didn't do

504
00:20:34,215 --> 00:20:37,136
what you started initially.

505
00:20:37,136 --> 00:20:39,315
You just went back to zero."

506
00:20:39,315 --> 00:20:40,225
(Jason) Travis.

507
00:20:40,225 --> 00:20:42,088
(Travis) Well, it says that they

508
00:20:42,088 --> 00:20:43,127
were allied together,

509
00:20:43,127 --> 00:20:44,307
and it's quite possible,

510
00:20:44,307 --> 00:20:45,535
and it's been suggested,

511
00:20:45,535 --> 00:20:47,377
that their children were intermarried,

512
00:20:47,377 --> 00:20:49,632
so already breaking some of the promises

513
00:20:49,632 --> 00:20:51,057
that had been made.

514
00:20:51,057 --> 00:20:53,409
And so they have, you know,

515
00:20:53,409 --> 00:20:55,268
"Well, my daughter, your son,

516
00:20:55,268 --> 00:20:56,974
I guess we're all family now."

517
00:20:56,974 --> 00:20:59,690
And all of a sudden...

518
00:20:59,690 --> 00:21:02,428
It astounds me that all of a sudden

519
00:21:02,428 --> 00:21:04,181
it directly affects the temple

520
00:21:04,181 --> 00:21:08,184
and the storehouse right away, so quickly.

521
00:21:08,184 --> 00:21:11,223
(Jason) And Travis alluded to that,
where is Tobiah?

522
00:21:11,223 --> 00:21:13,900
Is he just kind of hanging out,
outside the walls,

523
00:21:13,900 --> 00:21:17,116
kind of watching things? Yes, Stephanie.

524
00:21:17,116 --> 00:21:20,100
(Stephanie) They've actually moved
God's furniture

525
00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:22,068
and brought his furniture in.

526
00:21:22,068 --> 00:21:24,129
And we know from chapter 6

527
00:21:24,129 --> 00:21:28,018
that Tobiah and Sanballat were enemies,

528
00:21:28,018 --> 00:21:29,911
so the idea of them

529
00:21:29,911 --> 00:21:33,954
completely replacing God's...for enemies,

530
00:21:33,954 --> 00:21:37,375
it just baffles my mind.

531
00:21:37,375 --> 00:21:40,227
(Jason) So Travis alluded to it,

532
00:21:40,227 --> 00:21:42,151
but what do you think is going on here?

533
00:21:42,151 --> 00:21:43,341
Why is this all happening

534
00:21:43,341 --> 00:21:44,775
behind the scenes? Yes, Derek.

535
00:21:44,775 --> 00:21:46,251
(Derek) I was thinking of a man

536
00:21:46,251 --> 00:21:48,081
who drifted away from God.

537
00:21:48,081 --> 00:21:49,591
And I just remembered His words

538
00:21:49,591 --> 00:21:50,642
as we're reading this.

539
00:21:50,642 --> 00:21:51,997
He said, "I did things

540
00:21:51,997 --> 00:21:56,588
I never thought I would do."

541
00:21:56,588 --> 00:21:59,112
One step led to another.

542
00:21:59,112 --> 00:22:04,534
If you had told this individual, Eliashib,

543
00:22:04,534 --> 00:22:05,632
that he would move

544
00:22:05,632 --> 00:22:07,368
God's things out of the way

545
00:22:07,368 --> 00:22:11,915
and put a hostile Ammonite official

546
00:22:11,915 --> 00:22:13,647
in the house of God,

547
00:22:13,647 --> 00:22:15,112
he would have said,

548
00:22:15,112 --> 00:22:18,027
"Absolutely impossible."

549
00:22:18,027 --> 00:22:20,374
But you get intermarriage

550
00:22:20,374 --> 00:22:22,038
between children and children;

551
00:22:22,038 --> 00:22:23,745
you get different things happening,

552
00:22:23,745 --> 00:22:25,646
like with Solomon.

553
00:22:25,646 --> 00:22:28,975
And I'm hearing this man's
testimony to me,

554
00:22:28,975 --> 00:22:31,142
that when you start slipping,

555
00:22:31,142 --> 00:22:32,652
you will end up doing things

556
00:22:32,652 --> 00:22:35,568
you never thought you would do.

557
00:22:35,568 --> 00:22:36,961
That's what happened here.

558
00:22:36,961 --> 00:22:38,484
(Jason) So I just want to ask,

559
00:22:38,484 --> 00:22:40,820
and feel free, no one has to,

560
00:22:40,820 --> 00:22:42,593
but has anyone experienced this

561
00:22:42,593 --> 00:22:43,449
in their own life?

562
00:22:43,449 --> 00:22:47,102
Have you ever, you know, been in a way,

563
00:22:47,102 --> 00:22:48,224
you thought, you know,

564
00:22:48,224 --> 00:22:49,965
you started out strong,

565
00:22:49,965 --> 00:22:52,303
you made some good promises to God,

566
00:22:52,303 --> 00:22:54,019
but then, little by little,

567
00:22:54,019 --> 00:22:55,819
maybe you started slipping.

568
00:22:55,819 --> 00:22:57,392
And the next thing you know,

569
00:22:57,392 --> 00:23:01,064
Tobiah was hanging out in your room.

570
00:23:01,064 --> 00:23:03,094
Someone is laughing; is anyone

571
00:23:03,094 --> 00:23:04,412
comfortable enough to share

572
00:23:04,412 --> 00:23:05,867
maybe where they had been

573
00:23:05,867 --> 00:23:07,484
in that situation? Nicole?

574
00:23:07,484 --> 00:23:09,076
(Nicole) I've shared this before,

575
00:23:09,076 --> 00:23:13,090
but I was baptized when I was 9 years old
into this church,

576
00:23:13,090 --> 00:23:14,311
and so I was gung-ho.

577
00:23:14,311 --> 00:23:16,060
I was a Pathfinder; I did everything

578
00:23:16,060 --> 00:23:17,967
at the church that I was supposed to do.

579
00:23:17,967 --> 00:23:19,673
I got to college and thought, "Wow,

580
00:23:19,673 --> 00:23:21,034
the world is so much bigger

581
00:23:21,034 --> 00:23:22,413
than the church that I left."

582
00:23:22,413 --> 00:23:23,371
And I found myself

583
00:23:23,371 --> 00:23:24,813
slowly but gently compromising

584
00:23:24,813 --> 00:23:26,596
and doing things that I never thought

585
00:23:26,596 --> 00:23:28,711
I would do, in college.

586
00:23:28,711 --> 00:23:32,868
And it took the death of my mom

587
00:23:32,868 --> 00:23:34,832
for me to realize that if I didn't

588
00:23:34,832 --> 00:23:36,535
change my ways sooner than later,

589
00:23:36,535 --> 00:23:38,598
I would not be able to see her again.

590
00:23:38,598 --> 00:23:40,248
And so, literally, at her funeral,

591
00:23:40,248 --> 00:23:43,428
I was like, "Wow, I really messed
this thing up,"

592
00:23:43,428 --> 00:23:45,461
and God just slowly reeled me back in.

593
00:23:45,461 --> 00:23:49,507
But, yeah, it's a real thing out there;
it's a real thing.

594
00:23:49,507 --> 00:23:51,326
(Jason) Now you said at the end there,

595
00:23:51,326 --> 00:23:52,885
"God slowly reeled you back in,"

596
00:23:52,885 --> 00:23:55,097
so the unfailing...Yes, some good news,

597
00:23:55,097 --> 00:23:58,690
the unfailing, immeasurable love of God
reeling you in,

598
00:23:58,690 --> 00:24:00,551
Even when you've backslidden,

599
00:24:00,551 --> 00:24:01,748
God can still be there.

600
00:24:01,748 --> 00:24:04,316
Now, let's look further in the story,

601
00:24:04,316 --> 00:24:07,853
and I'd like to ask Evelyn

602
00:24:07,853 --> 00:24:09,265
if you could read for us

603
00:24:09,265 --> 00:24:12,078
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verses 6 and 7,

604
00:24:12,078 --> 00:24:13,565
because, after all, this is

605
00:24:13,565 --> 00:24:14,728
the book of Nehemiah,

606
00:24:14,728 --> 00:24:17,310
and so, what's Nehemiah doing
during this time?

607
00:24:17,310 --> 00:24:19,176
Why is he allowing

608
00:24:19,176 --> 00:24:20,864
all these bad things to happen?

609
00:24:20,864 --> 00:24:24,906
Why isn't he there to stop them?
Yes, Evelyn.

610
00:24:24,906 --> 00:24:26,207
(Evelyn) I will be reading

611
00:24:26,207 --> 00:24:28,005
from the New Living Translation:

612
00:24:52,011 --> 00:24:54,120
(Jason) All right, so, what did

613
00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:55,528
those verses tell us?

614
00:24:55,528 --> 00:24:56,987
What is the situation

615
00:24:56,987 --> 00:24:59,100
going on there, Jason?

616
00:24:59,100 --> 00:25:00,743
(Jason) Nehemiah, he wasn't there.

617
00:25:00,743 --> 00:25:01,931
(Jason) He wasn't there.

618
00:25:01,931 --> 00:25:03,040
So, why isn't he there?

619
00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:04,174
Did he just decide

620
00:25:04,174 --> 00:25:05,761
he needed to go on a long trip?

621
00:25:05,761 --> 00:25:07,614
He just, you know, needed to take care

622
00:25:07,614 --> 00:25:10,028
of his own personal affairs in Babylon?

623
00:25:10,028 --> 00:25:12,444
Or are there other things going on?
Yes, Jonathan.

624
00:25:12,444 --> 00:25:13,920
(Jonathan) Hadn't he originally

625
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:15,390
asked leave of the king?

626
00:25:15,390 --> 00:25:18,078
And so now he's invested himself

627
00:25:18,078 --> 00:25:19,025
here in Jerusalem,

628
00:25:19,025 --> 00:25:21,447
but he technically needs to go back.

629
00:25:21,447 --> 00:25:24,216
And so it seems like he goes back,

630
00:25:24,216 --> 00:25:27,934
and after talking to the king,

631
00:25:27,934 --> 00:25:29,503
like, everybody realizes that he

632
00:25:29,503 --> 00:25:31,135
should probably stay in Jerusalem,

633
00:25:31,135 --> 00:25:32,751
but he has to go back, at least.

634
00:25:32,751 --> 00:25:33,886
(Jason) Nicole.

635
00:25:33,886 --> 00:25:36,164
(Nicole) Maybe, I don't
remember the story,

636
00:25:36,164 --> 00:25:37,252
but didn't he promise

637
00:25:37,252 --> 00:25:38,721
when he left the king

638
00:25:38,721 --> 00:25:39,706
that he would return

639
00:25:39,706 --> 00:25:41,053
when he finished his duties?

640
00:25:41,053 --> 00:25:42,541
So he was only keeping his word

641
00:25:42,541 --> 00:25:44,067
in terms of returning back home,

642
00:25:44,067 --> 00:25:45,541
which is something that we all

643
00:25:45,541 --> 00:25:47,994
need to learn to do, is keep our word.

644
00:25:47,994 --> 00:25:50,215
(Jason) So, he's keeping his word.
Yes, Gladys.

645
00:25:50,215 --> 00:25:51,612
(Gladys) He's the cupbearer.

646
00:25:51,612 --> 00:25:54,919
So, like Nicole said, he gave his word.

647
00:25:54,919 --> 00:25:56,921
The king asked him before he left,

648
00:25:56,921 --> 00:25:58,693
"When are you going to return?"

649
00:25:58,693 --> 00:26:01,431
So he had to fulfill his word.

650
00:26:01,431 --> 00:26:03,143
(Jason) So he's fulfilling his word,

651
00:26:03,143 --> 00:26:05,124
he's back there in Babylon,

652
00:26:05,124 --> 00:26:07,427
and then during this time,

653
00:26:07,427 --> 00:26:10,394
all these problems begin to emerge.

654
00:26:10,394 --> 00:26:12,924
So, it's possible...Yes, Jonathan.

655
00:26:12,924 --> 00:26:14,348
(Jonathan) I just want to say

656
00:26:14,348 --> 00:26:16,964
that I want to highlight the importance

657
00:26:16,964 --> 00:26:19,803
of the presence of a godly leader,

658
00:26:19,803 --> 00:26:24,401
the importance of the presence
of a godly leader.

659
00:26:24,401 --> 00:26:28,307
And also the fact that we,

660
00:26:28,307 --> 00:26:30,431
even without man's supervision,

661
00:26:30,431 --> 00:26:32,133
should be faithful to God,

662
00:26:32,133 --> 00:26:33,548
remain faithful to God.

663
00:26:33,548 --> 00:26:34,650
Sometimes it happens

664
00:26:34,650 --> 00:26:36,508
that if there is a faithful pastor,

665
00:26:36,508 --> 00:26:38,484
then the church remains faithful.

666
00:26:38,484 --> 00:26:39,607
If there is a pastor

667
00:26:39,607 --> 00:26:43,071
that compromises with the world,

668
00:26:43,071 --> 00:26:45,545
then the church compromises.

669
00:26:45,545 --> 00:26:49,146
So we should individually be faithful.

670
00:26:49,146 --> 00:26:50,830
(Derek) What I like about Nehemiah,

671
00:26:50,830 --> 00:26:52,416
because they're absolutely right,

672
00:26:52,416 --> 00:26:54,416
he kept his word to go back, but his heart

673
00:26:54,416 --> 00:26:55,840
was still there in Jerusalem.

674
00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:57,183
It was much more comfortable

675
00:26:57,183 --> 00:26:59,924
for him to stay with the king,

676
00:26:59,924 --> 00:27:02,781
but he's basically keeping his word,

677
00:27:02,781 --> 00:27:05,429
but his plan is, as soon as possible,

678
00:27:05,429 --> 00:27:07,304
he'll be able to go back.

679
00:27:07,304 --> 00:27:08,682
I think what's more important

680
00:27:08,682 --> 00:27:11,653
is how he responds when he gets back,

681
00:27:11,653 --> 00:27:12,934
which means that he's not

682
00:27:12,934 --> 00:27:14,767
just kind of washed his hands,

683
00:27:14,767 --> 00:27:16,619
"Okay, I'm done with that assignment."

684
00:27:16,619 --> 00:27:19,556
His heart is really committed

685
00:27:19,556 --> 00:27:21,340
to what God wants to happen

686
00:27:21,340 --> 00:27:23,074
there in Jerusalem.

687
00:27:23,074 --> 00:27:24,805
(Jason) And on that note, Adison,

688
00:27:24,805 --> 00:27:27,385
let's read what happens when he gets back

689
00:27:27,385 --> 00:27:29,148
because we've seen in verse 7

690
00:27:29,148 --> 00:27:31,556
he came to Jerusalem; he sees this.

691
00:27:31,556 --> 00:27:33,518
But now he's got a certain response,

692
00:27:33,518 --> 00:27:35,646
and so, if you could read for us, Adison,

693
00:27:35,646 --> 00:27:38,565
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verses 8 and 9,

694
00:27:38,565 --> 00:27:41,500
let's see, what is Nehemiah's response

695
00:27:41,500 --> 00:27:43,248
now that he has returned

696
00:27:43,248 --> 00:27:45,426
and sees the situation.

697
00:27:45,426 --> 00:27:46,627
(Adison) And I'm reading

698
00:27:46,627 --> 00:27:48,019
from the King James Version:

699
00:28:07,597 --> 00:28:09,657
(Jason) All right. So, there are

700
00:28:09,657 --> 00:28:12,110
quite a few different activities
that happen here,

701
00:28:12,110 --> 00:28:14,258
but I want us to kind of look at them

702
00:28:14,258 --> 00:28:15,219
in order if you can.

703
00:28:15,219 --> 00:28:17,010
What's the first thing he does?

704
00:28:17,010 --> 00:28:18,193
Does he jump right in,

705
00:28:18,193 --> 00:28:19,875
and, you know, attack Tobiah?

706
00:28:19,875 --> 00:28:22,169
Is his first response one of attack,

707
00:28:22,169 --> 00:28:23,833
or what is the first thing it says

708
00:28:23,833 --> 00:28:25,131
right in the very beginning

709
00:28:25,131 --> 00:28:26,288
that he does, Stephanie?

710
00:28:26,288 --> 00:28:28,382
(Stephanie) It grieved him.
He was in pain...

711
00:28:28,382 --> 00:28:29,432
(Derek) He's mourning.

712
00:28:29,432 --> 00:28:31,048
(Stephanie) ...because of it, yes.

713
00:28:31,048 --> 00:28:33,146
(Jason) So there is some
personal reflection,

714
00:28:33,146 --> 00:28:37,156
there is some kind of emotional response.

715
00:28:37,156 --> 00:28:39,202
There is a sort of, you could almost say,

716
00:28:39,202 --> 00:28:40,679
even an individual focus

717
00:28:40,679 --> 00:28:44,064
before he goes out and does any kind
of attack. Yes, Travis.

718
00:28:44,064 --> 00:28:45,668
(Travis) I would like to just say

719
00:28:45,668 --> 00:28:47,237
that it probably didn't take him

720
00:28:47,237 --> 00:28:48,955
too long to make that decision

721
00:28:48,955 --> 00:28:51,065
because he was a God-fearing man,

722
00:28:51,065 --> 00:28:53,268
and he knew...I mean, he was there

723
00:28:53,268 --> 00:28:55,534
when they made the promises and pledges.

724
00:28:55,534 --> 00:28:57,210
He knew this wasn't supposed to be.

725
00:28:57,210 --> 00:28:58,800
So, while I think he was grieved,

726
00:28:58,800 --> 00:28:59,954
it didn't take him long

727
00:28:59,954 --> 00:29:01,427
to say, "This doesn't belong."

728
00:29:01,427 --> 00:29:02,774
(Jason) Yes, Kenneth.

729
00:29:02,774 --> 00:29:05,848
(Kenneth) Also, I can sense from the fact

730
00:29:05,848 --> 00:29:08,796
that it says it grieved him bitterly.

731
00:29:08,796 --> 00:29:11,073
He wasn't just grieving about it;

732
00:29:11,073 --> 00:29:12,705
somehow he was praying about it

733
00:29:12,705 --> 00:29:15,518
and asking God what to do.

734
00:29:15,518 --> 00:29:16,340
(Jason) Jonathan?

735
00:29:16,340 --> 00:29:17,965
(Jonathan) It just makes me wonder

736
00:29:17,965 --> 00:29:19,394
how many other people saw this

737
00:29:19,394 --> 00:29:20,826
and maybe were disturbed by it

738
00:29:20,826 --> 00:29:23,522
but didn't stand up and say,

739
00:29:23,522 --> 00:29:26,733
"No, this is not right," and, "Let me

740
00:29:26,733 --> 00:29:29,555
talk to others...," and, yeah.

741
00:29:29,555 --> 00:29:30,995
(Jason) Yes, Jason.

742
00:29:30,995 --> 00:29:33,451
(Jason) As we were reading this,

743
00:29:33,451 --> 00:29:35,468
it dawned on me that this was a foreshadow

744
00:29:35,468 --> 00:29:37,492
of what Jesus did in the temple, you know,

745
00:29:37,492 --> 00:29:39,136
dealing with the "den of thieves."

746
00:29:39,136 --> 00:29:41,668
Just that it is in that context
of that grieving,

747
00:29:41,668 --> 00:29:44,125
just wasn't abruptly being angry
for no reason.

748
00:29:44,125 --> 00:29:45,846
I mean, he literally saw

749
00:29:45,846 --> 00:29:47,407
this ungodliness taking place,

750
00:29:47,407 --> 00:29:48,687
and he acted upon that

751
00:29:48,687 --> 00:29:50,449
because the Spirit of God was in him,

752
00:29:50,449 --> 00:29:52,113
and he expressed it in such a way.

753
00:29:52,113 --> 00:29:54,091
(Jason) So he expressed it in such a way.

754
00:29:54,091 --> 00:29:55,153
How did he express it?

755
00:29:55,153 --> 00:29:57,810
What does Nehemiah actually do, Evelyn?

756
00:29:57,810 --> 00:29:59,758
(Evelyn) It seems that his first concern

757
00:29:59,758 --> 00:30:01,629
is to make sure the temple is cleansed.

758
00:30:01,629 --> 00:30:03,055
So, he's like, "Okay, we need

759
00:30:03,055 --> 00:30:04,694
to get Tobiah's things out of here

760
00:30:04,694 --> 00:30:06,473
and clean this place up."

761
00:30:06,473 --> 00:30:08,076
(Jason) Get these things out

762
00:30:08,076 --> 00:30:12,687
and clean this place up. Yes, Jonathan.

763
00:30:12,687 --> 00:30:15,510
(Jonathan) And I'm just thinking,

764
00:30:15,510 --> 00:30:19,844
I like to think and imagine.

765
00:30:19,844 --> 00:30:24,353
To make reformation, it takes boldness.

766
00:30:24,353 --> 00:30:28,938
It takes courage, a sanctified courage.

767
00:30:28,938 --> 00:30:34,153
So he had to go against people's desires

768
00:30:34,153 --> 00:30:37,140
and things like that...

769
00:30:37,140 --> 00:30:40,794
And also, when there is a radical problem,

770
00:30:40,794 --> 00:30:44,415
we also should take radical actions.

771
00:30:44,415 --> 00:30:45,864
(Derek) Yeah, it definitely,

772
00:30:45,864 --> 00:30:48,291
like Jason said, this is like Jesus.

773
00:30:48,291 --> 00:30:51,537
When they saw Jesus cleanse the temple,

774
00:30:51,537 --> 00:30:53,077
it says they remembered,

775
00:30:53,077 --> 00:30:58,038
"Zeal for Your house has eaten me up."

776
00:30:58,038 --> 00:31:00,511
I mean, I think Travis is right,

777
00:31:00,511 --> 00:31:01,719
I don't think it took him

778
00:31:01,719 --> 00:31:02,701
a whole lot of time.

779
00:31:02,701 --> 00:31:05,505
He was bitterly grieving over it,

780
00:31:05,505 --> 00:31:06,899
and he said, "These things

781
00:31:06,899 --> 00:31:08,653
are going out of here."

782
00:31:08,653 --> 00:31:11,426
It almost seems a little later,

783
00:31:11,426 --> 00:31:13,331
I mean, some of his actions,

784
00:31:13,331 --> 00:31:15,578
like he's a little bit wild.

785
00:31:15,578 --> 00:31:18,378
And yet, as was said, you know,

786
00:31:18,378 --> 00:31:20,850
why didn't anybody else do anything?

787
00:31:20,850 --> 00:31:23,084
I mean, this is the pagan official

788
00:31:23,084 --> 00:31:24,869
who was opposed to the things of God

789
00:31:24,869 --> 00:31:26,508
throughout the whole story,

790
00:31:26,508 --> 00:31:29,315
living in the temple!

791
00:31:29,315 --> 00:31:30,830
Nehemiah's willing to take

792
00:31:30,830 --> 00:31:32,860
whatever consequences will come.

793
00:31:32,860 --> 00:31:34,030
(Jason) Now, in verse 9,

794
00:31:34,030 --> 00:31:35,196
what is the last portion

795
00:31:35,196 --> 00:31:37,132
that he does there at the end?

796
00:31:37,132 --> 00:31:40,633
We see that he grieves, he takes action

797
00:31:40,633 --> 00:31:42,381
and kicks Tobiah's stuff out,

798
00:31:42,381 --> 00:31:45,369
he cleanses, and then what else
does he do? Yes, Kenneth.

799
00:31:45,369 --> 00:31:47,742
(Kenneth) He brought back
all the articles of God.

800
00:31:47,742 --> 00:31:49,866
(Jason) He brought them back.

801
00:31:49,866 --> 00:31:52,879
He begins the process of restoration.

802
00:31:52,879 --> 00:31:54,634
And in a way, if you think about it,

803
00:31:54,634 --> 00:31:57,275
this, kind of, is also...You can see this

804
00:31:57,275 --> 00:31:59,550
in one's personal spiritual life.

805
00:31:59,550 --> 00:32:03,898
First of all...Nicole's referenced
her story before,

806
00:32:03,898 --> 00:32:06,675
there is grieving, then there's an action.

807
00:32:06,675 --> 00:32:09,013
You have to get rid of certain things.

808
00:32:09,013 --> 00:32:10,545
(Nicole) Friends.

809
00:32:10,545 --> 00:32:12,231
(Jason) Friends in her case, yes.

810
00:32:12,231 --> 00:32:14,575
There's cleansing, and then little

811
00:32:14,575 --> 00:32:15,867
by little...Yes, Gladys.

812
00:32:15,867 --> 00:32:16,905
(Gladys) Restoration.

813
00:32:16,905 --> 00:32:18,296
(Jason) Restoration, you have

814
00:32:18,296 --> 00:32:20,235
to put back in. Yes, Jonathan.

815
00:32:20,235 --> 00:32:21,439
(Jonathan) I was thinking

816
00:32:21,439 --> 00:32:24,012
if maybe there might have been
something like...

817
00:32:24,012 --> 00:32:25,730
They'd just built this temple,

818
00:32:25,730 --> 00:32:27,807
and they had some of the furniture
returned,

819
00:32:27,807 --> 00:32:29,716
but they didn't have maybe all...

820
00:32:29,716 --> 00:32:31,529
It wasn't, maybe, as fancy as...

821
00:32:31,529 --> 00:32:34,359
So, maybe it was simple, and, you know,

822
00:32:34,359 --> 00:32:36,015
maybe, "That room could be

823
00:32:36,015 --> 00:32:37,331
better used," or something,

824
00:32:37,331 --> 00:32:39,159
and it makes me think, like, sometimes

825
00:32:39,159 --> 00:32:40,283
the temptation in life

826
00:32:40,283 --> 00:32:41,542
is to take other things

827
00:32:41,542 --> 00:32:42,880
that <i>seem</i> like they're

828
00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,009
better than the simplicity

829
00:32:45,009 --> 00:32:46,558
of God's Word and His ways.

830
00:32:46,558 --> 00:32:48,012
Like, God's Word and His ways

831
00:32:48,012 --> 00:32:49,134
aren't quite as fancy,

832
00:32:49,134 --> 00:32:51,376
aren't quite as well dressed
as everything else,

833
00:32:51,376 --> 00:32:53,465
so it's tempting to put it

834
00:32:53,465 --> 00:32:55,478
in our little rooms

835
00:32:55,478 --> 00:32:56,946
rather than to trust

836
00:32:56,946 --> 00:32:58,535
in maybe the simple things

837
00:32:58,535 --> 00:33:00,509
and let God make them beautiful.

838
00:33:00,509 --> 00:33:02,141
(Jason) That's a very good point.

839
00:33:02,141 --> 00:33:03,246
And so let's also look

840
00:33:03,246 --> 00:33:05,089
at another problem that happened.

841
00:33:05,089 --> 00:33:07,121
Malaina, if you could read for us

842
00:33:07,121 --> 00:33:10,760
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verse 10,

843
00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,367
we're finding out additional problems
that take place

844
00:33:13,367 --> 00:33:15,349
in this process of backsliding.

845
00:33:15,349 --> 00:33:16,543
(Malaina) I'll be reading

846
00:33:16,543 --> 00:33:18,369
from the New King James Version:

847
00:33:27,351 --> 00:33:28,752
(Jason) So, why is this

848
00:33:28,752 --> 00:33:30,617
a problem, Nicole - what's going on?

849
00:33:30,617 --> 00:33:31,908
Who cares about the Levites

850
00:33:31,908 --> 00:33:34,170
and in the field and all of that?

851
00:33:34,170 --> 00:33:35,665
What's going on here?

852
00:33:35,665 --> 00:33:37,806
(Nicole) Remember, we read
about the promise,

853
00:33:37,806 --> 00:33:38,988
that they were not going

854
00:33:38,988 --> 00:33:40,357
to neglect the house of God.

855
00:33:40,357 --> 00:33:42,599
And there was a whole, kind of, campaign

856
00:33:42,599 --> 00:33:43,869
to make sure that they had

857
00:33:43,869 --> 00:33:45,515
the right people come back

858
00:33:45,515 --> 00:33:46,614
to make sure the temple

859
00:33:46,614 --> 00:33:47,904
was operating properly.

860
00:33:47,904 --> 00:33:49,930
And then they've neglected the priests.

861
00:33:49,930 --> 00:33:52,614
So now, who's doing the spiritual guidance

862
00:33:52,614 --> 00:33:55,231
for this whole community?

863
00:33:55,231 --> 00:33:58,095
No one, so they're all losing their focus

864
00:33:58,095 --> 00:33:59,990
because there's no one there to provide

865
00:33:59,990 --> 00:34:01,616
any spiritual leadership for them.

866
00:34:01,616 --> 00:34:03,852
(Jason) They're losing their focus.
Yes, Gladys.

867
00:34:03,852 --> 00:34:05,425
(Gladys) We also have to remember

868
00:34:05,425 --> 00:34:06,476
that the Levites lived

869
00:34:06,476 --> 00:34:08,336
out of what was brought to the temple.

870
00:34:08,336 --> 00:34:10,291
They didn't have a field of their own.

871
00:34:10,291 --> 00:34:13,184
They didn't have an inheritance, per se.

872
00:34:13,184 --> 00:34:14,427
So, what they had was

873
00:34:14,427 --> 00:34:16,087
what the people <i>gave.</i>

874
00:34:16,087 --> 00:34:17,862
So if they didn't give anything,

875
00:34:17,862 --> 00:34:19,587
they had to go and do something else

876
00:34:19,587 --> 00:34:22,526
to make sure that their families
would not starve.

877
00:34:22,526 --> 00:34:23,664
(Jason) Yes, Kenneth.

878
00:34:23,664 --> 00:34:25,395
(Kenneth) And I feel like the people

879
00:34:25,395 --> 00:34:27,076
also reacted to the poor leadership

880
00:34:27,076 --> 00:34:29,103
of the priests' leadership,

881
00:34:29,103 --> 00:34:31,081
and that is why they refused,

882
00:34:31,081 --> 00:34:32,846
instead of doing something about it,

883
00:34:32,846 --> 00:34:36,068
So their response was to cause

884
00:34:36,068 --> 00:34:38,627
other innocent people to suffer

885
00:34:38,627 --> 00:34:40,410
because of one man's decision

886
00:34:40,410 --> 00:34:42,909
to bring the enemy into the house of God.

887
00:34:42,909 --> 00:34:43,856
(Jason) And this is

888
00:34:43,856 --> 00:34:45,743
kind of the pattern of backsliding.

889
00:34:45,743 --> 00:34:48,130
Step by step, the leaders, the people,

890
00:34:48,130 --> 00:34:52,170
eventually it becomes this process
that we recognize,

891
00:34:52,170 --> 00:34:54,256
whether it happens on the individual level

892
00:34:54,256 --> 00:34:55,375
like Nicole referenced,

893
00:34:55,375 --> 00:34:56,435
or whether it happens

894
00:34:56,435 --> 00:34:58,531
with the whole community
as we've seen here.

895
00:34:58,531 --> 00:35:00,919
So now Nehemiah, we saw

896
00:35:00,919 --> 00:35:02,278
what he did with Tobiah,

897
00:35:02,278 --> 00:35:04,296
but apparently he has to do something

898
00:35:04,296 --> 00:35:06,280
a little more with the community.

899
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,488
And so I'd like to ask Travis

900
00:35:09,488 --> 00:35:10,810
if you could read for us

901
00:35:10,810 --> 00:35:12,698
Nehemiah, chapter 13,

902
00:35:12,698 --> 00:35:14,449
verses 11 through 13.

903
00:35:14,449 --> 00:35:16,807
Let's see what else does Nehemiah do.

904
00:35:16,807 --> 00:35:19,661
How does he address this situation?

905
00:35:19,661 --> 00:35:21,052
(Travis) And I'll be reading

906
00:35:21,052 --> 00:35:22,619
from the New King James Version:

907
00:36:06,091 --> 00:36:07,785
(Jason) All right, so, there are

908
00:36:07,785 --> 00:36:10,310
some things that go on here.

909
00:36:10,310 --> 00:36:12,582
And, first of all, before we get
into specifics,

910
00:36:12,582 --> 00:36:14,186
I just kind of want to ask,

911
00:36:14,186 --> 00:36:15,357
what is Nehemiah's

912
00:36:15,357 --> 00:36:18,099
sort of general impression
and feeling here?

913
00:36:18,099 --> 00:36:21,909
Does he kind of enter soft and gentle,

914
00:36:21,909 --> 00:36:26,695
and with this colloquial "Kumbaya" 
kind of expression?

915
00:36:26,695 --> 00:36:28,165
We're all laughing because...

916
00:36:28,165 --> 00:36:31,184
Nicole, yes, how does Nehemiah
handle this?

917
00:36:31,184 --> 00:36:33,203
(Nicole) He's like, "What have you done?"

918
00:36:33,203 --> 00:36:35,961
Literally he's like, "What have you done
to God's temple?"

919
00:36:35,961 --> 00:36:38,387
And he comes in, and he says,
righteously he says,

920
00:36:38,387 --> 00:36:40,847
"We've got to fix this; we've got
to make this right

921
00:36:40,847 --> 00:36:43,466
because we are representing God
here on Earth.

922
00:36:43,466 --> 00:36:46,810
So he comes in with righteous indignation,
we call it,

923
00:36:46,810 --> 00:36:49,664
and says, "No, you can't do this."

924
00:36:49,664 --> 00:36:51,194
(Jason) "No, you can't do this."

925
00:36:51,194 --> 00:36:53,565
And it's interesting, the New King James,

926
00:36:53,565 --> 00:36:54,866
the version I have,

927
00:36:54,866 --> 00:36:57,472
it says he "contended with them."

928
00:36:57,472 --> 00:36:59,129
And so...Yes, Derek.

929
00:36:59,129 --> 00:37:00,898
(Derek) Someone said to me, one time,

930
00:37:00,898 --> 00:37:02,815
"Be more concerned about what God thinks

931
00:37:02,815 --> 00:37:04,545
than what people think."

932
00:37:04,545 --> 00:37:07,351
And it's clear to him

933
00:37:07,351 --> 00:37:10,560
that this needs to be addressed.

934
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,938
And there probably are some people

935
00:37:12,938 --> 00:37:15,671
whispering in the background

936
00:37:15,671 --> 00:37:17,326
saying, "Who does he think he is?"

937
00:37:17,326 --> 00:37:18,772
But he's not preoccupied

938
00:37:18,772 --> 00:37:20,853
with what they think or say

939
00:37:20,853 --> 00:37:23,449
but what God has told him to do,

940
00:37:23,449 --> 00:37:25,863
and he addresses it courageously.

941
00:37:25,863 --> 00:37:27,172
(Jason) Now, I want to ask,

942
00:37:27,172 --> 00:37:28,538
this idea of contending,

943
00:37:28,538 --> 00:37:30,689
because the word contending

944
00:37:30,689 --> 00:37:34,087
means to argue, debate, fight.

945
00:37:34,087 --> 00:37:36,448
And we kind of have this idea

946
00:37:36,448 --> 00:37:37,806
sometimes in the church

947
00:37:37,806 --> 00:37:40,388
that good Christians, they don't contend.

948
00:37:40,388 --> 00:37:43,239
They're just nice, peaceful,
and all of that.

949
00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:45,548
So I'd like to ask some people
on the team,

950
00:37:45,548 --> 00:37:46,985
what would you say to someone

951
00:37:46,985 --> 00:37:48,972
who says, "Good Christians don't contend,

952
00:37:48,972 --> 00:37:51,077
don't fight, don't cause problems"?

953
00:37:51,077 --> 00:37:52,285
Kenneth, you kind of have

954
00:37:52,285 --> 00:37:54,004
a questionable expression there?

955
00:37:54,004 --> 00:37:55,529
(Kenneth) I would say,

956
00:37:55,529 --> 00:37:56,850
even when we are contending

957
00:37:56,850 --> 00:37:58,473
we do it in the Spirit of Christ.

958
00:37:58,473 --> 00:37:59,445
(Derek, Team) Yes.

959
00:37:59,445 --> 00:38:02,271
(Kenneth) We don't do it like the way
the world would do it.

960
00:38:02,271 --> 00:38:04,222
We do it thinking that, yes,

961
00:38:04,222 --> 00:38:05,832
we may not understand everything,

962
00:38:05,832 --> 00:38:08,313
but there are some core things

963
00:38:08,313 --> 00:38:09,671
that we can all understand.

964
00:38:09,671 --> 00:38:11,443
For instance, we all love

965
00:38:11,443 --> 00:38:13,128
to seek the souls of men

966
00:38:13,128 --> 00:38:14,717
into the Kingdom of Heaven.

967
00:38:14,717 --> 00:38:16,281
That one we can't negotiate

968
00:38:16,281 --> 00:38:17,891
because that is what God gave us.

969
00:38:17,891 --> 00:38:19,980
But as to the carpets

970
00:38:19,980 --> 00:38:22,176
of the church or the pews,

971
00:38:22,176 --> 00:38:24,101
we can have some different preferences,

972
00:38:24,101 --> 00:38:25,454
but in all, we should treat

973
00:38:25,454 --> 00:38:27,173
each other with love

974
00:38:27,173 --> 00:38:28,465
so that it doesn't go

975
00:38:28,465 --> 00:38:30,386
beyond what we are supposed to do.

976
00:38:30,386 --> 00:38:31,315
(Jason) Jonathan.

977
00:38:31,315 --> 00:38:34,552
(Jonathan) I was thinking of a quote
from an author that I appreciate

978
00:38:34,552 --> 00:38:35,932
that says, "When Christ spoke

979
00:38:35,932 --> 00:38:37,169
His words of condemnation,

980
00:38:37,169 --> 00:38:39,278
He spoke them with tears in His voice."

981
00:38:39,278 --> 00:38:42,884
And I think that before you
say some things,

982
00:38:42,884 --> 00:38:44,495
you have to make sure that you're

983
00:38:44,495 --> 00:38:46,788
coming with the same heart of compassion

984
00:38:46,788 --> 00:38:49,326
and making sure it's coming
from the right place

985
00:38:49,326 --> 00:38:50,891
because there are so many things

986
00:38:50,891 --> 00:38:51,999
in our hearts that are

987
00:38:51,999 --> 00:38:53,691
not necessarily the right grounding

988
00:38:53,691 --> 00:38:54,715
as a starting point.

989
00:38:54,715 --> 00:38:55,629
(Jason) Travis.

990
00:38:55,629 --> 00:38:57,465
(Travis) We related this

991
00:38:57,465 --> 00:38:59,395
to the cleansing of the temple

992
00:38:59,395 --> 00:39:01,358
when Jesus chased out the money changers

993
00:39:01,358 --> 00:39:02,877
and nobody stopped Him

994
00:39:02,877 --> 00:39:04,719
because they recognized His authority.

995
00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:06,649
I think there was a certain recognition

996
00:39:06,649 --> 00:39:08,603
of Nehemiah's authority here

997
00:39:08,603 --> 00:39:09,724
because it doesn't say

998
00:39:09,724 --> 00:39:10,994
that people got in his way

999
00:39:10,994 --> 00:39:12,446
and tried to stop him.

1000
00:39:12,446 --> 00:39:14,146
He set them in their place.

1001
00:39:14,146 --> 00:39:15,343
He appointed people here;

1002
00:39:15,343 --> 00:39:16,660
he appointed people there,

1003
00:39:16,660 --> 00:39:17,975
and he got everything

1004
00:39:17,975 --> 00:39:19,710
pointed back in the right direction.

1005
00:39:19,710 --> 00:39:23,066
So he came with a recognized authority.

1006
00:39:23,066 --> 00:39:24,977
(Derek) That's such an important point,

1007
00:39:24,977 --> 00:39:25,943
and the love of God

1008
00:39:25,943 --> 00:39:27,737
in our hearts is so important.

1009
00:39:27,737 --> 00:39:30,330
John the Baptist confronted evil, too,

1010
00:39:30,330 --> 00:39:32,701
but it says some people even wondered

1011
00:39:32,701 --> 00:39:34,405
if he was the Christ.

1012
00:39:34,405 --> 00:39:36,326
I mean, he was so reflecting

1013
00:39:36,326 --> 00:39:40,753
the love of God and the character of God.

1014
00:39:40,753 --> 00:39:42,341
And I think there are some people

1015
00:39:42,341 --> 00:39:43,271
who love to come in

1016
00:39:43,271 --> 00:39:45,158
and just criticize everyone,

1017
00:39:45,158 --> 00:39:46,196
and they think that's

1018
00:39:46,196 --> 00:39:47,734
their mission in life,

1019
00:39:47,734 --> 00:39:50,305
when our mission is actually to reflect

1020
00:39:50,305 --> 00:39:52,571
the immeasurable, unfailing love of God,

1021
00:39:52,571 --> 00:39:54,304
which may mean, in love,

1022
00:39:54,304 --> 00:39:55,620
with tears in our eyes,

1023
00:39:55,620 --> 00:39:57,531
confronting a person who's

1024
00:39:57,531 --> 00:39:59,493
doing something destructive.

1025
00:39:59,493 --> 00:40:01,524
But they're not going to have any question

1026
00:40:01,524 --> 00:40:06,099
about our motive or where our heart is.

1027
00:40:06,099 --> 00:40:11,416
By God's grace, we've earned
that, what, "right"?

1028
00:40:11,416 --> 00:40:13,011
That's what Jesus earned,

1029
00:40:13,011 --> 00:40:14,414
John the Baptist earned.

1030
00:40:14,414 --> 00:40:15,850
Nehemiah had earned the right,

1031
00:40:15,850 --> 00:40:18,114
by the way he lived,

1032
00:40:18,114 --> 00:40:19,735
to confront that evil.

1033
00:40:19,735 --> 00:40:21,738
(Jason) Now, one way that you can also see

1034
00:40:21,738 --> 00:40:23,262
whether your contending

1035
00:40:23,262 --> 00:40:25,475
is from a spirit of God

1036
00:40:25,475 --> 00:40:28,265
is the reaction, the effect that happens.

1037
00:40:28,265 --> 00:40:29,814
And so, what do we see here?

1038
00:40:29,814 --> 00:40:31,016
What is the effect

1039
00:40:31,016 --> 00:40:33,974
of Nehemiah's sort of battle
with the leaders?

1040
00:40:33,974 --> 00:40:36,085
What ends up coming out of this?
Yes, Gladys.

1041
00:40:36,085 --> 00:40:37,974
(Gladys) It seems that everything

1042
00:40:37,974 --> 00:40:40,274
began to be back in place.

1043
00:40:40,274 --> 00:40:42,093
You know, the Levites returned,

1044
00:40:42,093 --> 00:40:43,931
the tithes were brought back.

1045
00:40:43,931 --> 00:40:45,660
So everything started to go

1046
00:40:45,660 --> 00:40:48,373
in the way that God intended it to go.

1047
00:40:48,373 --> 00:40:49,807
(Jason) And what happens here?

1048
00:40:49,807 --> 00:40:50,692
There's some kind

1049
00:40:50,692 --> 00:40:52,599
of organizational reference that's made,

1050
00:40:52,599 --> 00:40:53,794
some kind of situations.

1051
00:40:53,794 --> 00:40:54,761
So, Travis, tell me,

1052
00:40:54,761 --> 00:40:57,886
what goes on here in this situation?

1053
00:40:57,886 --> 00:41:01,224
How does the organizational process
take place?

1054
00:41:01,224 --> 00:41:05,435
(Travis) Well, first off, the Levites

1055
00:41:05,435 --> 00:41:07,270
had nothing to live on.

1056
00:41:07,270 --> 00:41:09,087
So, when they were sent back,

1057
00:41:09,087 --> 00:41:11,052
and the temple service is set back up,

1058
00:41:11,052 --> 00:41:13,947
then he begins to set things
back in place,

1059
00:41:13,947 --> 00:41:16,299
the sacrificial services and that,

1060
00:41:16,299 --> 00:41:19,937
and then establishes the Sabbath

1061
00:41:19,937 --> 00:41:21,584
with the congregation.

1062
00:41:21,584 --> 00:41:22,842
(Derek) And then, I think

1063
00:41:22,842 --> 00:41:24,006
what you're looking for,

1064
00:41:24,006 --> 00:41:25,930
in verse 13, he sets up treasurers.

1065
00:41:25,930 --> 00:41:28,648
He says, "Let's get this organized,"

1066
00:41:28,648 --> 00:41:30,600
because who knows, whether, in addition

1067
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:32,893
to Tobiah living in the temple,

1068
00:41:32,893 --> 00:41:35,957
they weren't siphoning off some things

1069
00:41:35,957 --> 00:41:37,297
that were coming in.

1070
00:41:37,297 --> 00:41:39,309
"So, let's have godly people

1071
00:41:39,309 --> 00:41:41,286
who will monitor this,

1072
00:41:41,286 --> 00:41:42,607
so that the people that are

1073
00:41:42,607 --> 00:41:46,195
supposed to get these offerings and gifts

1074
00:41:46,195 --> 00:41:47,874
actually receive them."

1075
00:41:47,874 --> 00:41:50,692
(Jason) Jonathan, and then we'll
have to move to the prayer.

1076
00:41:50,692 --> 00:41:53,118
(Jonathan) It just struck me
how a lot of the things

1077
00:41:53,118 --> 00:41:54,293
that were backsliding

1078
00:41:54,293 --> 00:41:56,147
were actually organizational procedure.

1079
00:41:56,147 --> 00:41:57,479
I mean, it was given by God

1080
00:41:57,479 --> 00:41:58,910
and was having real effects,

1081
00:41:58,910 --> 00:42:00,813
but it was like they weren't doing this.

1082
00:42:00,813 --> 00:42:01,996
And so it makes me think

1083
00:42:01,996 --> 00:42:03,389
that organizational procedure

1084
00:42:03,389 --> 00:42:06,773
can be important, and grounded well
is important.

1085
00:42:06,773 --> 00:42:08,384
(Jason) So God is a God of order,

1086
00:42:08,384 --> 00:42:10,899
and organization can be part of His plan.

1087
00:42:10,899 --> 00:42:15,114
All right, and so I'd like to ask Jason

1088
00:42:15,114 --> 00:42:16,538
if you could read for us

1089
00:42:16,538 --> 00:42:19,450
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verse 14.

1090
00:42:19,450 --> 00:42:21,321
Nehemiah, it's actually recorded,

1091
00:42:21,321 --> 00:42:23,317
that he has a little bit of a prayer here.

1092
00:42:23,317 --> 00:42:24,994
So read the prayer, and then I want

1093
00:42:24,994 --> 00:42:26,516
to hear some thoughts on that.

1094
00:42:26,516 --> 00:42:28,227
(Jason) My pleasure, and I'm reading

1095
00:42:28,227 --> 00:42:29,814
from the New King James Version,

1096
00:42:29,814 --> 00:42:30,935
and the Bible says:

1097
00:42:40,629 --> 00:42:42,433
(Jason) All right, so, what are

1098
00:42:42,433 --> 00:42:44,492
your thoughts, Gladys, on that prayer?

1099
00:42:44,492 --> 00:42:46,564
I see you had some kind
of expression there.

1100
00:42:46,564 --> 00:42:48,950
(Gladys) He wants to make sure

1101
00:42:48,950 --> 00:42:50,929
that he's faithful to God's house,

1102
00:42:50,929 --> 00:42:52,412
and that was one of the things

1103
00:42:52,412 --> 00:42:53,737
that he established before.

1104
00:42:53,737 --> 00:42:57,440
He wanted God's house to be a priority

1105
00:42:57,440 --> 00:42:59,280
in the lives of his people

1106
00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:01,669
and just be restored...

1107
00:43:01,669 --> 00:43:04,972
He said, "Please remember me
because I did this."

1108
00:43:04,972 --> 00:43:05,768
(Jason) Kenneth.

1109
00:43:05,768 --> 00:43:07,439
(Kenneth) To summarize, I see

1110
00:43:07,439 --> 00:43:10,055
that as a prayer of dedication
of these leaders

1111
00:43:10,055 --> 00:43:11,881
so that in a way, God

1112
00:43:11,881 --> 00:43:13,335
will also remember them,

1113
00:43:13,335 --> 00:43:14,765
while he's crying out to God,

1114
00:43:14,765 --> 00:43:16,384
and they will also hear the prayer

1115
00:43:16,384 --> 00:43:19,056
that God wants them to do something,

1116
00:43:19,056 --> 00:43:21,791
and they shouldn't allow this good deed

1117
00:43:21,791 --> 00:43:23,534
that they are trying to do

1118
00:43:23,534 --> 00:43:25,010
in the house of God to go away.

1119
00:43:25,010 --> 00:43:26,859
So it's a prayer, it's a charge,

1120
00:43:26,859 --> 00:43:30,191
and it's also a dedication.

1121
00:43:30,191 --> 00:43:31,401
(Jason) Travis.

1122
00:43:31,401 --> 00:43:32,963
(Travis) I would like to suggest

1123
00:43:32,963 --> 00:43:34,823
that this prayer isn't even about him

1124
00:43:34,823 --> 00:43:37,352
asking for a blessing at all on himself

1125
00:43:37,352 --> 00:43:39,908
but rather on the temple service

1126
00:43:39,908 --> 00:43:42,422
and the things, the restoration,

1127
00:43:42,422 --> 00:43:44,493
because, "Lord, I've been faithful to You;

1128
00:43:44,493 --> 00:43:48,699
answer my prayer that this

1129
00:43:48,699 --> 00:43:50,085
will continue," you know,

1130
00:43:50,085 --> 00:43:53,032
"that the things I've set in place,

1131
00:43:53,032 --> 00:43:54,477
that they will work."

1132
00:43:54,477 --> 00:43:56,047
(Derek) So I'm reading four times

1133
00:43:56,047 --> 00:43:58,808
in his letter that he says, "Remember me,"

1134
00:43:58,808 --> 00:44:00,470
three times in chapter 13,

1135
00:44:00,470 --> 00:44:01,692
"Remember me, O my God,

1136
00:44:01,692 --> 00:44:02,855
concerning this also,"

1137
00:44:02,855 --> 00:44:05,136
"Remember me, O my God, for good."

1138
00:44:05,136 --> 00:44:08,604
And I'm a little uncomfortable with it.

1139
00:44:08,604 --> 00:44:11,745
I am, and that just tells me again

1140
00:44:11,745 --> 00:44:15,329
that God uses imperfect people.

1141
00:44:15,329 --> 00:44:16,967
You know, it's like telling

1142
00:44:16,967 --> 00:44:19,087
the king of Persia, "Remember me

1143
00:44:19,087 --> 00:44:22,844
when you're doing the distributions."

1144
00:44:22,844 --> 00:44:24,152
I'd like to read it all

1145
00:44:24,152 --> 00:44:27,675
as totally wonderful,

1146
00:44:27,675 --> 00:44:29,742
and write a careful description

1147
00:44:29,742 --> 00:44:32,759
of why this is what Jesus would have said.

1148
00:44:32,759 --> 00:44:37,046
But I, kind of, you know,

1149
00:44:37,046 --> 00:44:40,630
"Chalk this up, Lord, remember me,"

1150
00:44:40,630 --> 00:44:43,843
So, I may be wrong, but I do know

1151
00:44:43,843 --> 00:44:45,292
from reading the Scripture,

1152
00:44:45,292 --> 00:44:46,999
Peter is a great example,

1153
00:44:46,999 --> 00:44:49,677
that God called an imperfect person

1154
00:44:49,677 --> 00:44:51,127
to help lead His church.

1155
00:44:51,127 --> 00:44:52,158
(Jason) That's true.

1156
00:44:52,158 --> 00:44:55,421
(Derek) And Nehemiah, I would dare say,

1157
00:44:55,421 --> 00:44:57,250
was not perfect either,

1158
00:44:57,250 --> 00:44:59,387
and I'm just wondering why three times

1159
00:44:59,387 --> 00:45:01,079
in one chapter he's saying,

1160
00:45:01,079 --> 00:45:03,252
"Remember me, God."

1161
00:45:03,252 --> 00:45:05,313
(Jason) We definitely know
he was imperfect.

1162
00:45:05,313 --> 00:45:07,036
One thing, though, that he did well

1163
00:45:07,036 --> 00:45:10,266
was restore, and with some of the reforms.

1164
00:45:10,266 --> 00:45:12,926
And so I'd like to ask Stephanie,

1165
00:45:12,926 --> 00:45:14,095
if you could read for us

1166
00:45:14,095 --> 00:45:16,971
Nehemiah, chapter 13, verses 15 and 16.

1167
00:45:16,971 --> 00:45:18,502
We have more problems,

1168
00:45:18,502 --> 00:45:20,144
more backsliding that's gone on.

1169
00:45:20,144 --> 00:45:22,666
And so let's see what this backsliding
is now, here.

1170
00:45:22,666 --> 00:45:24,192
(Stephanie) And I'll be reading

1171
00:45:24,192 --> 00:45:25,786
from the King James Version:

1172
00:46:00,486 --> 00:46:05,274
(Jason) So what's going on here, Gladys?

1173
00:46:05,274 --> 00:46:07,158
(Gladys) Yes, the same thing

1174
00:46:07,158 --> 00:46:08,556
that they promised before,

1175
00:46:08,556 --> 00:46:10,124
that they will keep the Sabbath,

1176
00:46:10,124 --> 00:46:12,394
that they would not buy on the Sabbath.

1177
00:46:12,394 --> 00:46:13,435
That's the same thing

1178
00:46:13,435 --> 00:46:14,475
that they were doing.

1179
00:46:14,475 --> 00:46:16,459
People were actually pressing the wine,

1180
00:46:16,459 --> 00:46:18,319
and they were bringing loaves

1181
00:46:18,319 --> 00:46:21,572
and selling them in Jerusalem,
in the holy city.

1182
00:46:21,572 --> 00:46:23,657
(Jason) On Sabbath. Yes, Kenneth.

1183
00:46:23,657 --> 00:46:25,349
(Kenneth) I'm beginning to see

1184
00:46:25,349 --> 00:46:28,431
that perhaps because they've
been in captivity,

1185
00:46:28,431 --> 00:46:30,490
after they came back,

1186
00:46:30,490 --> 00:46:32,959
they needed a lot of instruction

1187
00:46:32,959 --> 00:46:35,232
to be in accordance with God.

1188
00:46:35,232 --> 00:46:38,092
And probably something that I

1189
00:46:38,092 --> 00:46:40,423
would have suggested for Nehemiah to do

1190
00:46:40,423 --> 00:46:42,819
was to read the law,

1191
00:46:42,819 --> 00:46:44,666
the book of the law, to them,

1192
00:46:44,666 --> 00:46:46,770
so that they would know the ways of God.

1193
00:46:46,770 --> 00:46:49,106
Because now it's like, from one thing,

1194
00:46:49,106 --> 00:46:51,311
they do this, and then he takes action.

1195
00:46:51,311 --> 00:46:53,530
But probably if there had been some time

1196
00:46:53,530 --> 00:46:54,987
for him to instruct them

1197
00:46:54,987 --> 00:46:56,659
just like some of the kings did.

1198
00:46:56,659 --> 00:46:58,450
After they found the book of the law,

1199
00:46:58,450 --> 00:46:59,795
they instructed the people,

1200
00:46:59,795 --> 00:47:03,753
then the people started following
the reforms.

1201
00:47:03,753 --> 00:47:05,298
But now it's like they do this,

1202
00:47:05,298 --> 00:47:06,837
then they go overboard.

1203
00:47:06,837 --> 00:47:08,812
And then he responds to it.

1204
00:47:08,812 --> 00:47:10,880
So that's what I'm sensing

1205
00:47:10,880 --> 00:47:12,248
from the Scripture reading.

1206
00:47:12,248 --> 00:47:13,439
(Jason) Well, if we know

1207
00:47:13,439 --> 00:47:14,647
one thing about Nehemiah,

1208
00:47:14,647 --> 00:47:16,167
he is going to respond.

1209
00:47:16,167 --> 00:47:17,336
And he is going to...

1210
00:47:17,336 --> 00:47:18,381
(Derek) Do something.

1211
00:47:18,381 --> 00:47:19,408
(Jason) Do something.

1212
00:47:19,408 --> 00:47:21,002
So, Kenneth, can you read for us

1213
00:47:21,002 --> 00:47:22,485
Nehemiah, chapter 13,

1214
00:47:22,485 --> 00:47:24,374
verses 17 through 22,

1215
00:47:24,374 --> 00:47:25,728
and let's see here,

1216
00:47:25,728 --> 00:47:28,990
how does Nehemiah deal with <i>this</i> issue.

1217
00:47:28,990 --> 00:47:30,178
(Kenneth) I'll be reading

1218
00:47:30,178 --> 00:47:31,714
from the New King James Version,

1219
00:47:31,714 --> 00:47:34,741
Nehemiah 13:17-22:

1220
00:48:56,101 --> 00:48:59,335
(Jason) All right, there is a lot there.
Yes, Jonathan.

1221
00:48:59,335 --> 00:49:01,904
(Jonathan) So maybe we should have people

1222
00:49:01,904 --> 00:49:03,346
outside the church making sure

1223
00:49:03,346 --> 00:49:05,237
everyone's keeping the law

1224
00:49:05,237 --> 00:49:07,301
and Sabbath just right?

1225
00:49:07,301 --> 00:49:09,284
Shutting the door if they...I don't know.

1226
00:49:09,284 --> 00:49:10,797
It brings up lots of questions.

1227
00:49:10,797 --> 00:49:13,112
It's like, "Okay, what is the principle,

1228
00:49:13,112 --> 00:49:15,477
and what are the right ways?"

1229
00:49:15,477 --> 00:49:17,365
(Jason) It brings up lots of questions.

1230
00:49:17,365 --> 00:49:19,041
Stephanie, what are your thoughts

1231
00:49:19,041 --> 00:49:20,374
as you read this and as you

1232
00:49:20,374 --> 00:49:21,749
see the situation unfolding?

1233
00:49:21,749 --> 00:49:23,329
(Stephanie) I was just thinking,

1234
00:49:23,329 --> 00:49:25,665
if I had been one of those people

1235
00:49:25,665 --> 00:49:27,816
that was at the door on Sabbath,

1236
00:49:27,816 --> 00:49:29,605
and he talked to me like that,

1237
00:49:29,605 --> 00:49:32,842
I wouldn't have come back either,

1238
00:49:32,842 --> 00:49:34,401
just being honest about it.

1239
00:49:34,401 --> 00:49:37,676
But I think, like Jonathan's saying,

1240
00:49:37,676 --> 00:49:39,333
there is a balance, right?

1241
00:49:39,333 --> 00:49:40,719
But apparently he needed

1242
00:49:40,719 --> 00:49:43,168
to make a very clear reform

1243
00:49:43,168 --> 00:49:46,291
to let them know, "This is
not acceptable."

1244
00:49:46,291 --> 00:49:48,947
And actually in Nehemiah,

1245
00:49:48,947 --> 00:49:50,861
earlier in Nehemiah,

1246
00:49:50,861 --> 00:49:52,896
Ezra did speak to them from the law,

1247
00:49:52,896 --> 00:49:54,101
and they did understand

1248
00:49:54,101 --> 00:49:57,266
the Word of God, so...

1249
00:49:57,266 --> 00:49:58,547
(Jason) Derek.

1250
00:49:58,547 --> 00:50:01,516
(Derek) I'm so thankful that Jesus came,

1251
00:50:01,516 --> 00:50:04,605
because, even though there's

1252
00:50:04,605 --> 00:50:08,701
this strict enforcement,

1253
00:50:08,701 --> 00:50:10,488
which they've obviously slipped away

1254
00:50:10,488 --> 00:50:12,168
from remembering the Sabbath

1255
00:50:12,168 --> 00:50:15,043
and not doing their will

1256
00:50:15,043 --> 00:50:17,747
or their work on His holy day,

1257
00:50:17,747 --> 00:50:20,187
the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing

1258
00:50:20,187 --> 00:50:23,202
not just a time to not do things.

1259
00:50:23,202 --> 00:50:25,625
And so you see Jesus coming,

1260
00:50:25,625 --> 00:50:28,814
and He's not saying, "If you do that,

1261
00:50:28,814 --> 00:50:31,214
I'm going to lay hands on you."

1262
00:50:31,214 --> 00:50:32,924
That's what Nehemiah said, right?

1263
00:50:32,924 --> 00:50:34,535
Jesus is saying, "Folks,

1264
00:50:34,535 --> 00:50:36,130
you need to understand,

1265
00:50:36,130 --> 00:50:39,215
the Sabbath was made for man,

1266
00:50:39,215 --> 00:50:41,364
not man for the Sabbath.

1267
00:50:41,364 --> 00:50:42,420
By the way, it's good

1268
00:50:42,420 --> 00:50:43,772
to do good on the Sabbath."

1269
00:50:43,772 --> 00:50:47,928
So He's restoring the beauty,

1270
00:50:47,928 --> 00:50:49,586
and I'm just so glad He came.

1271
00:50:49,586 --> 00:50:54,043
And, again, I know that God
used Nehemiah,

1272
00:50:54,043 --> 00:50:55,781
and we do need to guard

1273
00:50:55,781 --> 00:50:57,590
what we do on the Sabbath.

1274
00:50:57,590 --> 00:50:58,945
But we also need to say,

1275
00:50:58,945 --> 00:51:00,655
"Okay, that's what we shouldn't do.

1276
00:51:00,655 --> 00:51:01,969
What <i>should</i> we do?"

1277
00:51:01,969 --> 00:51:03,113
And the answer is,

1278
00:51:03,113 --> 00:51:04,912
we focus on our relationship

1279
00:51:04,912 --> 00:51:06,793
with God who loves us

1280
00:51:06,793 --> 00:51:08,521
and has set aside this special time.

1281
00:51:08,521 --> 00:51:12,401
So Jesus really comes,

1282
00:51:12,401 --> 00:51:16,980
I guess you would say, as a radical...

1283
00:51:16,980 --> 00:51:18,008
(Stephanie) Reformer.

1284
00:51:18,008 --> 00:51:19,471
(Derek) Reformer, yeah,

1285
00:51:19,471 --> 00:51:22,718
and a restorer of what God
really intended.

1286
00:51:22,718 --> 00:51:24,508
(Jason) And you quoted there,

1287
00:51:24,508 --> 00:51:27,279
Mark 2:27 and 28, about the Sabbath

1288
00:51:27,279 --> 00:51:28,309
being made for man,

1289
00:51:28,309 --> 00:51:30,397
giving us some practical principles

1290
00:51:30,397 --> 00:51:31,588
to help us understand

1291
00:51:31,588 --> 00:51:33,511
the purpose of the Sabbath.

1292
00:51:33,511 --> 00:51:36,630
Even if men, well intentioned
or otherwise,

1293
00:51:36,630 --> 00:51:39,554
Nehemiah may have had a little bit,

1294
00:51:39,554 --> 00:51:42,666
not quite fully divine,

1295
00:51:42,666 --> 00:51:45,333
you could say in some ways, understanding.
Yes, Jonathan,

1296
00:51:45,333 --> 00:51:47,290
(Jonathan) I guess I feel like I'm torn,

1297
00:51:47,290 --> 00:51:48,716
because on one hand I'm like,

1298
00:51:48,716 --> 00:51:50,024
"Man, that's really tough."

1299
00:51:50,024 --> 00:51:52,296
But is it fair, do we go too far,

1300
00:51:52,296 --> 00:51:54,886
if we look at somebody and say,

1301
00:51:54,886 --> 00:51:56,767
"Oh, because their actions

1302
00:51:56,767 --> 00:51:58,871
seem too strong for us,

1303
00:51:58,871 --> 00:52:00,211
that they're not Christlike,

1304
00:52:00,211 --> 00:52:01,845
or they're not following God.

1305
00:52:01,845 --> 00:52:04,305
I mean, it was Christ who gave...

1306
00:52:04,305 --> 00:52:05,967
We had it on here, like,

1307
00:52:05,967 --> 00:52:07,446
someone would stone this person

1308
00:52:07,446 --> 00:52:10,505
if they cooked over a fire.

1309
00:52:10,505 --> 00:52:13,278
So Christ Himself gave to Moses

1310
00:52:13,278 --> 00:52:15,720
some very strong things,

1311
00:52:15,720 --> 00:52:17,040
including on the Sabbath.

1312
00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:19,895
So it seems like there is a place

1313
00:52:19,895 --> 00:52:21,830
for strong boundary-making.

1314
00:52:21,830 --> 00:52:23,392
Now, should we be

1315
00:52:23,392 --> 00:52:24,743
very cautious about that,

1316
00:52:24,743 --> 00:52:27,038
and I think on both sides

1317
00:52:27,038 --> 00:52:30,850
there's caution that should be made
about judging.

1318
00:52:30,850 --> 00:52:32,906
(Jason) Travis, you want to try
to help us?

1319
00:52:32,906 --> 00:52:36,370
(Travis) I think we're being a little hard
on Nehemiah; I do.

1320
00:52:36,370 --> 00:52:40,471
He's not the Sanhedrin

1321
00:52:40,471 --> 00:52:43,092
or the Jewish leaders

1322
00:52:43,092 --> 00:52:46,476
in Jesus' day, condemning everybody.

1323
00:52:46,476 --> 00:52:48,442
The Jews understood very clearly

1324
00:52:48,442 --> 00:52:51,327
in Deuteronomy the Sabbath commandment,

1325
00:52:51,327 --> 00:52:52,924
"Keep the Sabbath because I am

1326
00:52:52,924 --> 00:52:54,569
the Lord your God who brought you

1327
00:52:54,569 --> 00:52:56,712
out of the land of Egypt," out of bondage.

1328
00:52:56,712 --> 00:52:57,989
It was a memorial that God

1329
00:52:57,989 --> 00:52:59,564
has freed us from slavery.

1330
00:52:59,564 --> 00:53:01,253
And He was just now doing

1331
00:53:01,253 --> 00:53:02,981
the exact same thing again,

1332
00:53:02,981 --> 00:53:06,008
bringing them out of Babylon,
out of bondage.

1333
00:53:06,008 --> 00:53:07,870
And I think he's just, like, pleading,

1334
00:53:07,870 --> 00:53:10,177
like, "This is a memorial for us

1335
00:53:10,177 --> 00:53:11,474
to remember that God

1336
00:53:11,474 --> 00:53:12,909
has just redeemed us.

1337
00:53:12,909 --> 00:53:14,430
He took us out of Babylon.

1338
00:53:14,430 --> 00:53:16,105
He's restored the temple.

1339
00:53:16,105 --> 00:53:18,044
He's restored Jerusalem."

1340
00:53:18,044 --> 00:53:19,850
Like, "Please!" you know?

1341
00:53:19,850 --> 00:53:22,063
This is how I picture it.

1342
00:53:22,063 --> 00:53:22,831
(Jason) Nicole.

1343
00:53:22,831 --> 00:53:25,860
(Nicole) I'm not going to be mean
to Nehemiah.

1344
00:53:25,860 --> 00:53:27,296
What I do want to say, though,

1345
00:53:27,296 --> 00:53:29,125
is that we can fall in the same trap

1346
00:53:29,125 --> 00:53:31,097
of believing that we are doing

1347
00:53:31,097 --> 00:53:33,564
what's best for what we see around us

1348
00:53:33,564 --> 00:53:35,511
and not really being led by the Spirit.

1349
00:53:35,511 --> 00:53:37,751
So I just want us to be cautious,

1350
00:53:37,751 --> 00:53:39,150
that we are seeking the Lord

1351
00:53:39,150 --> 00:53:41,376
whenever we want to talk

1352
00:53:41,376 --> 00:53:42,699
about what someone's doing

1353
00:53:42,699 --> 00:53:44,071
that we don't think is right

1354
00:53:44,071 --> 00:53:45,526
because that's where it comes

1355
00:53:45,526 --> 00:53:46,624
from a spirit of love.

1356
00:53:46,624 --> 00:53:47,979
And whether or not this came

1357
00:53:47,979 --> 00:53:50,746
from a spirit of love I don't know
because I wasn't there.

1358
00:53:50,746 --> 00:53:52,783
Reading the words, it seems kind of harsh.

1359
00:53:52,783 --> 00:53:54,606
But if it comes from a spirit of love,

1360
00:53:54,606 --> 00:53:56,690
and God is leading him in this direction,

1361
00:53:56,690 --> 00:54:00,500
then we have nothing to say about what did
or did not happen (just my two cents).

1362
00:54:00,500 --> 00:54:03,060
(Jason) And we just have to trust
that God is working.

1363
00:54:03,060 --> 00:54:04,206
And whether He's working

1364
00:54:04,206 --> 00:54:05,728
through Nehemiah's imperfections

1365
00:54:05,728 --> 00:54:07,592
or Nehemiah's strong zeal,

1366
00:54:07,592 --> 00:54:08,888
guided by the Holy Spirit,

1367
00:54:08,888 --> 00:54:11,023
either way, God is still working;

1368
00:54:11,023 --> 00:54:12,348
God is still moving.

1369
00:54:12,348 --> 00:54:13,687
I want to look very quickly

1370
00:54:13,687 --> 00:54:14,862
at one little story

1371
00:54:14,862 --> 00:54:16,248
from the life of Jesus.

1372
00:54:16,248 --> 00:54:18,511
Jonathan, if you could read for us

1373
00:54:18,511 --> 00:54:22,075
Mark, chapter 3, verses 1 through 6,

1374
00:54:22,075 --> 00:54:24,124
I just want to look real quickly here

1375
00:54:24,124 --> 00:54:26,086
at this little story

1376
00:54:26,086 --> 00:54:28,492
and how it may give us some lessons

1377
00:54:28,492 --> 00:54:32,250
for the way to deal with the Sabbath

1378
00:54:32,250 --> 00:54:34,859
and how Jesus dealt with the Sabbath.

1379
00:54:34,859 --> 00:54:39,067
Mark, chapter 3, verses 1 through 6.

1380
00:54:39,067 --> 00:54:41,001
(Jonathan) All right, I will be reading

1381
00:54:41,001 --> 00:54:42,818
from the New International Version:

1382
00:55:31,172 --> 00:55:33,892
(Jason) Very quickly, what are
some principles we see here

1383
00:55:33,892 --> 00:55:34,937
about how Jesus dealt

1384
00:55:34,937 --> 00:55:36,989
with the issue of the Sabbath?
Yes, Kenneth.

1385
00:55:36,989 --> 00:55:38,438
(Kenneth) The first principle

1386
00:55:38,438 --> 00:55:39,958
is that He makes sure He places

1387
00:55:39,958 --> 00:55:41,882
how God wants man to relate

1388
00:55:41,882 --> 00:55:43,794
to each other and to Him

1389
00:55:43,794 --> 00:55:45,115
on the Sabbath day.

1390
00:55:45,115 --> 00:55:46,306
(Jason) Yes, Stephanie.

1391
00:55:46,306 --> 00:55:48,188
(Stephanie) He did good on the Sabbath.

1392
00:55:48,188 --> 00:55:50,025
(Jason) Do good on the Sabbath. Jason.

1393
00:55:50,025 --> 00:55:52,986
(Jason) It's about life, preserving life,
rather than killing.

1394
00:55:52,986 --> 00:55:55,689
(Jason) About preserving life
rather than killing.

1395
00:55:55,689 --> 00:55:57,497
(Derek) I just think that Jesus knew

1396
00:55:57,497 --> 00:55:59,183
that they would react

1397
00:55:59,183 --> 00:56:01,143
in a very hostile way.

1398
00:56:01,143 --> 00:56:04,078
But the truth about the character of God,

1399
00:56:04,078 --> 00:56:05,542
that the Sabbath was a time

1400
00:56:05,542 --> 00:56:07,090
of healing and blessing,

1401
00:56:07,090 --> 00:56:08,704
was more important

1402
00:56:08,704 --> 00:56:10,591
than the hostility of His enemies.

1403
00:56:10,591 --> 00:56:13,563
He just had to tell the truth about God.

1404
00:56:13,563 --> 00:56:16,529
(Jason) Amen. And I want to challenge you.

1405
00:56:16,529 --> 00:56:19,018
Maybe you've made some choices in life,

1406
00:56:19,018 --> 00:56:21,142
maybe you've backslidden

1407
00:56:21,142 --> 00:56:22,397
as we've referenced here.

1408
00:56:22,397 --> 00:56:24,590
Whether it's in keeping Sabbath

1409
00:56:24,590 --> 00:56:26,695
or giving tithe and offerings,

1410
00:56:26,695 --> 00:56:28,131
whatever you've done,

1411
00:56:28,131 --> 00:56:29,254
I want to challenge you

1412
00:56:29,254 --> 00:56:31,902
that, maybe as you read through the story,

1413
00:56:31,902 --> 00:56:33,463
ask the Holy Spirit to guide you

1414
00:56:33,463 --> 00:56:35,126
and ask Him to show you

1415
00:56:35,126 --> 00:56:37,708
how you can return to God's love.

1416
00:56:37,708 --> 00:56:39,021
We've read here about His

1417
00:56:39,021 --> 00:56:41,171
unfailing, immeasurable love,

1418
00:56:41,171 --> 00:56:43,119
and just let God change you

1419
00:56:43,119 --> 00:56:44,916
and return you, restore you,

1420
00:56:44,916 --> 00:56:47,821
back to how He created us to be.

1421
00:56:47,821 --> 00:56:49,022
(Derek) Thanks so much.

1422
00:56:49,022 --> 00:56:50,552
Well, we've all been challenged.

1423
00:56:50,552 --> 00:56:52,331
You know, the truth of the matter is,

1424
00:56:52,331 --> 00:56:53,979
it's easy to look at other people,

1425
00:56:53,979 --> 00:56:57,713
but we've all slipped away in some ways.

1426
00:56:57,713 --> 00:57:00,160
But instead of seeing God
chasing after us,

1427
00:57:00,160 --> 00:57:02,602
to see Him reaching out in love

1428
00:57:02,602 --> 00:57:03,666
to draw us to Himself,

1429
00:57:03,666 --> 00:57:06,429
that is a picture that can
change your heart.

1430
00:57:06,429 --> 00:57:09,719
Let's pray; our Father in Heaven,

1431
00:57:09,719 --> 00:57:14,207
thank You so much for the truth revealed

1432
00:57:14,207 --> 00:57:16,061
in the life of Jesus.

1433
00:57:16,061 --> 00:57:19,877
Sometimes we see truth

1434
00:57:19,877 --> 00:57:21,284
in the Old Testament,

1435
00:57:21,284 --> 00:57:25,032
but we don't see a full revelation
of Your character.

1436
00:57:25,032 --> 00:57:26,817
I'm so thankful that Jesus came

1437
00:57:26,817 --> 00:57:30,376
to be the full revelation
of Your character.

1438
00:57:30,376 --> 00:57:31,890
Jesus said, "If you've seen Me,

1439
00:57:31,890 --> 00:57:33,633
you've seen the Father."

1440
00:57:33,633 --> 00:57:36,302
And, Lord God, wherever we've
slipped away,

1441
00:57:36,302 --> 00:57:38,174
as Jason has said, may we hear

1442
00:57:38,174 --> 00:57:40,301
Your loving call to come back

1443
00:57:40,301 --> 00:57:44,191
into a life-transforming relationship
with You.

1444
00:57:44,191 --> 00:57:45,570
We thank You that You're

1445
00:57:45,570 --> 00:57:47,690
longing and waiting,

1446
00:57:47,690 --> 00:57:50,404
and we thank You that You will welcome us.

1447
00:57:50,404 --> 00:57:52,432
In the name of Jesus. Amen.

1448
00:57:52,432 --> 00:57:53,760
(Team) Amen.

1449
00:57:53,760 --> 00:57:55,490
(Derek) If you've been blessed today

1450
00:57:55,490 --> 00:57:57,182
as we've studied the Word of God,

1451
00:57:57,182 --> 00:57:58,534
we'd love to hear from you.

1452
00:57:58,534 --> 00:58:00,969
Write to us at sshope@hopetv.org.

1453
00:58:00,969 --> 00:58:02,992
We're all on a journey, aren't we?

1454
00:58:02,992 --> 00:58:05,122
And it's a journey towards a God
who loves us

1455
00:58:05,122 --> 00:58:07,260
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.

1456
00:58:07,260 --> 00:58:09,272
Go out and share that good news

1457
00:58:09,272 --> 00:58:10,859
with those around you.

1458
00:58:10,859 --> 00:58:29,378
♪ theme music ♪