WEBVTT

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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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I am excited today as we begin

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a brand new series

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on <i>God's Love and Justice.</i>

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In fact, I feel like we are walking

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on holy ground, and I'm glad

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that you joined us as we talk

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about a God who loves freely.

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So, welcome to Hope Sabbath School

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and welcome to the team,

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good to see you all.

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Thanks for being here.

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We've got some remote team members

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with us, too; let's take a look

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and see who's joining us remotely today.

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Faith, good to see you,

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glad you're with us.

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Tricia Lee, welcome back,

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always good to see you.

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And, Gleny, great

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to have you with us today.

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We're so glad that <i>you're</i> with us, too,

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because you're part

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of our global interactive study together.

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And we're always happy to hear from you,

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our Hope Sabbath School members

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from around the world.

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You can write to us at sshope@hopetv.org.

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You say, "Derek, I've memorized that."

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Well, then send us a note

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and share with us how God is blessing <i>you</i>

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through a study of His Word.

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You say, "Derek, I'm actually teaching

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a class; I'm downloading the outline

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from the website, and I'm sharing

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the Word of God; praise God.

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Write to us and let us know.

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Here's a note from Kyrol

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who writes to us from Papua New Guinea,

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and he says, "I'm truly blessed

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every Sabbath since I started watching

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Hope Sabbath School

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through YouTube last year."

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Well, I don't know.

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It's always dangerous to say

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how many subscribers we have.

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It's close to [120,000],

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but probably that will be out of date,

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Travis, by the next time we read it.

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But one of them is Kyrol

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in Papua New Guinea; isn't that awesome?

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(Team) Praise God.

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(Derek) "I've watched every Sabbath
morning

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before I go to Bible study.

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Glory, honor and praise be to God

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for the Hope Sabbath School team."

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And we say? Praise God, right?

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"May God continue to bless

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and use all of you as His witnesses

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to share His amazing truths

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before Christ returns."

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What do we say?

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(Derek, Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Kyrol, thanks for writing to us

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from Papua New Guinea, and we're glad

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you are part of our global family.

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Well, Suwilanji writes to us from Zambia

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and says, "I am a Pentecostal preacher

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in Zambia, and I'm addicted

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to Hope Sabbath School."

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(Team) Wow.

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(Derek) Well, Suwilanji, thanks

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for writing to us.

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We're happy that you're sharing

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the gospel in your country

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and learning more about the Word of God

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on Hope Sabbath School.

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Thanks for your note.

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Here's a hand-written note

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from a donor in Maryland

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in the United States of America.

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For those of you who may not know,

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we actually film Hope Sabbath School

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in the state of Maryland.

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And the donor writes,

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"Hello, Hope Sabbath School."

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You know they do that

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so you'll wave, right?

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"I'm so happy to be with you once again

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to see your smiling faces,

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to be part of your interactive study

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that blesses my heart immensely.

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The study is so plain

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that even an 84-year-old

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like me can understand.

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The team members' testimonies

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are such a blessing to me.

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I thank God for the Hope
Sabbath School team

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spreading the gospel around the world.

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Enclosed is a small contribution,"

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the donor writes, but no donation is small

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when God blesses it,

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a donation of 50 dollars.

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Thank you so much, Donor in Maryland.

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You know who you are.

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And thanks to each one of you.

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We're a donor-supported minsitry.

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You say, "Derek, could I have a part?"

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Absolutely! Go to our website,

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hopetv.org/hopess,

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click on the yellow button

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and give online, or you get an address

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and write us a note

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just like this donor did.

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Thank you to each one

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for being part of this miracle.

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One last note, and I'm looking at Travis

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over here, Travis, because Nadine

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is writing from Guyana.

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So, I don't know if we can all

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give her a wave, but, Nadine, we want

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you to know one of our team members,

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Travis, was just in Guyana

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holding some meetings, and so that's

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a special place in [his] heart.

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"Thank you," Nadine writes,

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"for Hope Sabbath School.

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You are such a blessing to us.

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An interactive study of the Word of God

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helps me to have

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a closer relationship with Jesus."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) That's why we do it!

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You know, the demons know a lot

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about the Bible, and people

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could win a Bible quiz and be lost.

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But when you study the Bible and have

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a closer relationship with Jesus,

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that's eternal salvation, isn't it?
Awesome.

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"May God continue to bless you all.

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We love you all. Nadine."

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Well, Nadine, thanks for writing to us,

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and I'm excited that you are all part

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of our global family.

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We would love to hear

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from you, so, write to us.

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I noticed a lot of you put comments

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on the YouTube channel when you watch,

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and that's great, too, but you can

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also write to us at sshope@hopetv.org.

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Well, today we're going to learn

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a new theme song.

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It is 3,000 years old.

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We sing Scripture songs here

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on Hope Sabbath School.

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It is Psalm 63, and it says,

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"O God, You are my God;

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early will I seek You,"

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but we lost the tune somewhere

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in the last 3,000 years,

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so my wife put a new tune to it.

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And you can go to our website

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and download the song free

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and the sheet music, if you'd like

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to sing it in your Bible study group.

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Just go to hopetv.org/hopess,

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that's our web address,

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and you can download the song,

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sheet music, and sing it.

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We'd like to teach it to you right now.

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♪ music ♪

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(Derek) Amen? Wow, that was beautiful.

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I hear you sing, too.

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You say, "Derek, you couldn't hear us,"

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but I was just imagining you singing.

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And I just want to challenge us

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with the thought, when the enemy

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comes upon us like a flood,

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we just sing that song, "O God,

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You are my God;

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early will I seek You," right?

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We can run to God, a God

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of love and mercy who will welcome us

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with loving arms.

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Well, great to see

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our remotes singing, too.

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I know we can't see you all,

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but you're singing the Word, too,

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and we're hiding that Word in our hearts.

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Today, we're going to study

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how <i>God Loves Freely.</i>

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It's an amazing study, and we invite you

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to pray with us as we

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open the Word of God.

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Father in Heaven, thank You

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for the revelation in the Word of God.

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The Scripture is given

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by inspiration of God

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and is profitable for us.

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Guide us in our interactive study today

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by your Holy Spirit.

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We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Well, we're going to start

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in the book of Exodus,

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that's the second book

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of the Hebrew Scriptures, the second book

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of the Pentateuch as it's called.

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In Exodus, chapter 33, and, Puia,

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I'm going to ask you to begin our study

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today by reading verses 12 to 19.

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I want to invite you and those joining

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around the world to listen

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to what revelation we see

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of the character of God,
here in Exodus 33.

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(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading

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from the New King James Version,

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Exodus 33, verses 12 to 19:

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(Derek) Wow, that is amazing dialogue

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between the Lord and Moses.

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What are some lessons we can learn

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just from hearing it if we

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just had that one Scripture?

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What could we learn

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about the character of God? Kylynda?

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(Kylynda) God wants to be with us.

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(Derek) So, He's a relational God,

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which, by the way, we ought not to take

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for granted because a lot of pictures

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of God are like, "Well, He did something,

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and then He left." Harold?

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(Harold) Very personable, because you

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can talk to Him as a Person.

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(Derek) He wants a relationship,

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and He's communicating.

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Alright. Yes, James.

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(James) He is a God of companionship.

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Moses asked for a companion,

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and God said, "I will be your Companion."

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(Derek) "I will go

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with you," that's right.

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Gleny, what do you hear in this text

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that impresses you

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about the character of God?

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(Gleny) Besides all that was mentioned,

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we see that He is good,

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He shows a lot of compassion,

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and He desires to be known.

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(Derek) Alright, that's a good point
Gleny makes.

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His goodness, don't take that

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for granted, you know?

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It's that God is good.

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He wants a relationship with us. Don?

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(Don) Also with the first text,

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"I know you by your name."

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(Derek) Thank you for pointing that out.

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So, talk about companionship

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but not just with Moses, He wants

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a personal relationship with us.

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Now, to put that in context,

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Sophia, if you could go back one chapter

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with us, take us back to Exodus 32

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and read the first three verses.

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Let's have a little context.

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God is saying, "I want a relationship

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with you; I want to show

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My compassion and love."

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Let's see what's just happened

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as part of the exodus.

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(Sophia) I'll be reading

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from the New King James Version,

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chapter 32, verses 1 through 3:

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(Derek) And what did they do with that,
anybody remember?

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(Team) Golden calf.

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(Derek) They made a golden calf!

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And not only did they make a golden calf,

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but what did they say?

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(Sophia) "This is our god."

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(Derek) That, "you're the god that brought

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us out of Egypt"!

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I mean, it's like, terrible!

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And yet, in the context of that,

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God shows His love.

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Now, I want to ask Tricia Lee a question.

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Tricia Lee, we always appreciate

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hearing from you.

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Tricia Lee, it says, "I will

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have compassion on whom I

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will have compassion,"

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but tell me somewhere else

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in the Scripture, how many people

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does God have compassion on?

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(Tricia Lee) God has compassion

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on <i>all</i> people; we know that

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from John, chapter 3, verse 16.

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(Derek) And what does it say there?

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Have you memorized it?

00:15:30.902 --> 00:15:32.399
(Tricia Lee) It says, "For God

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:33.961
so loved the world that He gave

00:15:33.961 --> 00:15:37.149
His only begotten Son, that whosoever

00:15:37.149 --> 00:15:39.811
believes in Him should not perish

00:15:39.811 --> 00:15:42.496
but have everlasting life."

00:15:42.496 --> 00:15:44.308
(Derek) So, I just don't want a person

00:15:44.308 --> 00:15:46.498
to say, "Well, I guess He has compassion

00:15:46.498 --> 00:15:47.809
on the ones," and then pick

00:15:47.809 --> 00:15:51.030
a few here and have compassion on them.

00:15:51.030 --> 00:15:53.059
As Tricia Lee quoted (I think she's got

00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:55.410
another comment to share),
"God so loved..."?

00:15:55.410 --> 00:15:56.484
(Team) "...the world."

00:15:56.484 --> 00:15:58.465
(Derek) Right. You want to add to that?

00:15:58.465 --> 00:16:00.480
(Tricia Lee) When I think about that verse

00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:02.010
in Exodus, "I'll have compassion

00:16:02.010 --> 00:16:03.437
on whom I'll have compassion,"

00:16:03.437 --> 00:16:04.392
" I will be gracious

00:16:04.392 --> 00:16:06.161
to whom I will be gracious," I think

00:16:06.161 --> 00:16:07.275
about it in the context

00:16:07.275 --> 00:16:09.195
of the immediate request that Moses

00:16:09.195 --> 00:16:10.798
made to God where he said,

00:16:10.798 --> 00:16:12.845
"Show me Your glory."

00:16:12.845 --> 00:16:14.989
And we know that no one can see God's face

00:16:14.989 --> 00:16:17.532
or His full glory and live, and so I think

00:16:17.532 --> 00:16:19.917
that was just God responding and saying,

00:16:19.917 --> 00:16:22.849
"Yes, I will be gracious in showing you

00:16:22.849 --> 00:16:24.034
who I am, and I will be

00:16:24.034 --> 00:16:26.487
compassionate enough to let you survive

00:16:26.487 --> 00:16:28.780
this encounter and experience with Me."

00:16:28.780 --> 00:16:30.755
I think it was just more God expressing

00:16:30.755 --> 00:16:33.278
that in this request, "Show me Your face,

00:16:33.278 --> 00:16:35.384
show me Your glory," that He was saying,

00:16:35.384 --> 00:16:37.497
"Yes, I can answer and honor

00:16:37.497 --> 00:16:40.496
that special request for you, Moses."

00:16:40.496 --> 00:16:42.448
(Derek) Well, with such an amazing view -

00:16:42.448 --> 00:16:44.357
and, Travis, I want to hear your point -

00:16:44.357 --> 00:16:46.725
with such an amazing view

00:16:46.725 --> 00:16:50.703
of the character of God loving the world,

00:16:50.703 --> 00:16:53.581
why are there so many people

00:16:53.581 --> 00:16:55.206
with distorted views

00:16:55.206 --> 00:16:56.693
of the character of God?

00:16:56.693 --> 00:16:58.586
If you want, make your comment first,

00:16:58.586 --> 00:17:00.913
Travis, and then build on that question.

00:17:00.913 --> 00:17:03.874
(Travis) So, when I read those verses,

00:17:03.874 --> 00:17:06.461
and I read that God would be gracious

00:17:06.461 --> 00:17:07.933
to whom He would be gracious,

00:17:07.933 --> 00:17:09.907
I immediately thought there are people

00:17:09.907 --> 00:17:11.645
in the world that we may see that we

00:17:11.645 --> 00:17:14.743
would believe shouldn't be extended grace.

00:17:14.743 --> 00:17:17.240
And then I remembered, anyone who calls

00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:20.069
on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

00:17:20.069 --> 00:17:23.383
And I think the reason that that was

00:17:23.383 --> 00:17:25.779
written in there is that we may

00:17:25.779 --> 00:17:28.765
in our human minds believe that a person

00:17:28.765 --> 00:17:30.122
shouldn't be extended grace.

00:17:30.122 --> 00:17:31.897
But God says, "I will have compassion

00:17:31.897 --> 00:17:33.771
on whom I will have compassion."

00:17:33.771 --> 00:17:36.730
(Derek) Wow, so people that we

00:17:36.730 --> 00:17:39.367
may not think deserve...

00:17:39.367 --> 00:17:41.150
That could have been us at some point

00:17:41.150 --> 00:17:42.687
in our lives, right? Samantha?

00:17:42.687 --> 00:17:44.348
(Samantha) To answer your question

00:17:44.348 --> 00:17:47.501
about why people have...

00:17:47.501 --> 00:17:48.758
(Derek) Distorted views?

00:17:48.758 --> 00:17:50.645
(Samantha) Yes, I feel like it's

00:17:50.645 --> 00:17:52.019
just what the devil does.

00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:54.565
He tries to discredit who God is,

00:17:54.565 --> 00:17:57.161
and so he puts the wrong thoughts

00:17:57.161 --> 00:17:59.187
of God in peoples' minds.

00:17:59.187 --> 00:18:01.136
Instead of having them believe

00:18:01.136 --> 00:18:04.514
that, "Okay, yes," he has them think,

00:18:04.514 --> 00:18:06.474
"Why would a loving God cause

00:18:06.474 --> 00:18:08.366
your family member to die?"

00:18:08.366 --> 00:18:09.871
"Why would a loving God cause

00:18:09.871 --> 00:18:12.473
your wife to become sick?"

00:18:12.473 --> 00:18:14.437
And so, I feel like it just all a part

00:18:14.437 --> 00:18:16.640
of that Great Controversy where Satan

00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:18.741
tries to discredit who God is.

00:18:18.741 --> 00:18:20.562
And people who do not have

00:18:20.562 --> 00:18:23.443
that full understanding of Him, it's easy

00:18:23.443 --> 00:18:24.637
because if you don't have

00:18:24.637 --> 00:18:27.180
that full armor, then you can easily fall

00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:29.553
for anything that the devil brings to you.

00:18:29.553 --> 00:18:31.126
(Derek) And unfortunately, if you

00:18:31.126 --> 00:18:32.122
look, for example...

00:18:32.122 --> 00:18:34.730
And I see Gleny's hand and Kylynda's, too,

00:18:34.730 --> 00:18:35.994
and Harold; there are lots

00:18:35.994 --> 00:18:37.132
of hands raised here.

00:18:37.132 --> 00:18:38.404
Unfortunately, if you look

00:18:38.404 --> 00:18:41.733
at medieval art, you know, God looks

00:18:41.733 --> 00:18:44.697
like a horrible Person, and He's

00:18:44.697 --> 00:18:46.813
just trying to torture people,

00:18:46.813 --> 00:18:51.523
so it's not just in my imagination.

00:18:51.523 --> 00:18:54.236
There have been people teaching

00:18:54.236 --> 00:18:57.261
false ideas about the character of God.

00:18:57.261 --> 00:18:58.608
I'm going to take the hands,

00:18:58.608 --> 00:18:59.897
and we're going to move on.

00:18:59.897 --> 00:19:01.783
Kylynda, Gleny and Harold.

00:19:01.783 --> 00:19:03.736
(Kylynda) To go off what you said, Derek,

00:19:03.736 --> 00:19:05.087
in the end of Luke 11, Jesus

00:19:05.087 --> 00:19:07.134
critiques the religious leaders,

00:19:07.134 --> 00:19:08.897
and He says, "You know, you're

00:19:08.897 --> 00:19:11.333
overburdening people, you're making God

00:19:11.333 --> 00:19:13.275
seem like a tyrant that's only concerned

00:19:13.275 --> 00:19:16.120
about the smallest external effects,

00:19:16.120 --> 00:19:18.589
not the internal transformation."

00:19:18.589 --> 00:19:20.544
So some of our perception of God

00:19:20.544 --> 00:19:23.045
can, unfortunately, be distorted

00:19:23.045 --> 00:19:25.257
by different religious leaders

00:19:25.257 --> 00:19:27.179
or religious mentors who portray God

00:19:27.179 --> 00:19:29.467
in a way that isn't compassionate,

00:19:29.467 --> 00:19:31.051
that isn't relational.

00:19:31.051 --> 00:19:32.989
(Derek) False teaching.

00:19:32.989 --> 00:19:35.848
Gleny and then Harold.

00:19:35.848 --> 00:19:37.643
(Gleny) Yes, I just wanted to support

00:19:37.643 --> 00:19:39.164
Kylynda's point, too.

00:19:39.164 --> 00:19:40.985
You have your early caregivers,

00:19:40.985 --> 00:19:43.277
like maybe even your parents, teachers,

00:19:43.277 --> 00:19:45.297
as you had mentioned, people who are

00:19:45.297 --> 00:19:48.533
set up to give a representation of God,

00:19:48.533 --> 00:19:50.755
a good example of God, but somehow failed.

00:19:50.755 --> 00:19:53.064
And that makes you wonder, "If the people

00:19:53.064 --> 00:19:55.466
I looked up to had inflicted

00:19:55.466 --> 00:19:57.560
and caused so much pain,

00:19:57.560 --> 00:19:59.605
then God must be the same, too."

00:19:59.605 --> 00:20:01.721
(Derek) Ahh. Harold?

00:20:01.721 --> 00:20:03.281
(Harold) And I just want to add,

00:20:03.281 --> 00:20:04.995
because, yes, the issue of suffering

00:20:04.995 --> 00:20:07.022
and evil are some of the biggest questions

00:20:07.022 --> 00:20:08.888
that everybody has, even atheists have.

00:20:08.888 --> 00:20:11.331
It's like, how can a loving God reconcile

00:20:11.331 --> 00:20:13.034
the suffering that is in the world?

00:20:13.034 --> 00:20:15.044
But we cannot forget that our God

00:20:15.044 --> 00:20:16.605
also suffered with us.

00:20:16.605 --> 00:20:19.064
He is not indifferent to our suffering.

00:20:19.064 --> 00:20:21.282
Now, as to why He allows suffering,

00:20:21.282 --> 00:20:22.732
many times we do not know,

00:20:22.732 --> 00:20:24.761
but He does give us the courage

00:20:24.761 --> 00:20:26.112
because He suffered with us,

00:20:26.112 --> 00:20:28.088
and He tells us, "I'll be with you.

00:20:28.088 --> 00:20:29.491
I will give you the strength

00:20:29.491 --> 00:20:31.298
that you'll need to go through this,"

00:20:31.298 --> 00:20:33.013
and eventually we'll know the truth.

00:20:33.013 --> 00:20:34.744
There is a battle behind the scenes

00:20:34.744 --> 00:20:37.370
in the spiritual realm, and God
will give us the answer.

00:20:37.370 --> 00:20:38.918
(Derek) Do you know the amount -

00:20:38.918 --> 00:20:40.943
and we're going to move on - 
but the amount

00:20:40.943 --> 00:20:42.610
of interaction right now - and it's

00:20:42.610 --> 00:20:44.360
like I said, there are 11 of us

00:20:44.360 --> 00:20:47.431
on the team and 14 hands raised -

00:20:47.431 --> 00:20:50.077
shows that this is really,

00:20:50.077 --> 00:20:51.722
we have an expression in English,

00:20:51.722 --> 00:20:54.014
like a hot-button issue.

00:20:54.014 --> 00:20:55.283
People are like, "What is

00:20:55.283 --> 00:20:57.243
the character of God like?"

00:20:57.243 --> 00:21:00.046
We start with a clear revelation

00:21:00.046 --> 00:21:02.091
that God is good, He wants

00:21:02.091 --> 00:21:03.500
a personal relationship,

00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:05.301
He knows us by name,

00:21:05.301 --> 00:21:07.831
and He loves the whole world.

00:21:07.831 --> 00:21:10.092
Now, before we come back to talk

00:21:10.092 --> 00:21:12.859
about how we can show that to the world,

00:21:12.859 --> 00:21:15.180
because there is a lot of distortion,

00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:17.925
let's think about some stories

00:21:17.925 --> 00:21:22.047
in the Bible which show God's love

00:21:22.047 --> 00:21:24.614
for people who either ignore

00:21:24.614 --> 00:21:26.514
or don't appreciate His love.

00:21:26.514 --> 00:21:27.803
Because you said He loves

00:21:27.803 --> 00:21:30.603
even the unworthy people, right?

00:21:30.603 --> 00:21:32.821
Can anybody think of a story?

00:21:32.821 --> 00:21:34.741
Don, can you think of a story?

00:21:34.741 --> 00:21:38.279
(Don) This reminds me of the Prodigal Son.

00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.355
The Prodigal Son when he [told] his dad,

00:21:41.355 --> 00:21:44.425
or his father, "Give me my inheritance,"

00:21:44.425 --> 00:21:45.736
but the problem was he

00:21:45.736 --> 00:21:47.840
squandered it all, right?

00:21:47.840 --> 00:21:51.795
But if we compare this to God's love,

00:21:51.795 --> 00:21:53.634
God's love is steadfast.

00:21:53.634 --> 00:21:56.773
His love remains toward us.

00:21:56.773 --> 00:21:58.383
(Derek) But in that same story,

00:21:58.383 --> 00:21:59.882
when he does come home,

00:21:59.882 --> 00:22:02.012
how does the father respond?

00:22:02.012 --> 00:22:04.116
(Don) He accepts him back fully.

00:22:04.116 --> 00:22:05.280
(Derek) What does he do?

00:22:05.280 --> 00:22:06.713
(Team Member) Throws a feast.

00:22:06.713 --> 00:22:08.547
(Derek) He throws his arms around him,

00:22:08.547 --> 00:22:09.813
he kisses him on the neck,

00:22:09.813 --> 00:22:11.372
he throws a party for him.

00:22:11.372 --> 00:22:13.245
And by the way, I don't know about you,

00:22:13.245 --> 00:22:14.505
but some people say, "Oh,

00:22:14.505 --> 00:22:16.247
terrible Prodigal Son," but the son

00:22:16.247 --> 00:22:18.504
that stayed home wasn't very nice,

00:22:18.504 --> 00:22:21.357
and yet the father loved him, too, right?

00:22:21.357 --> 00:22:22.887
Anybody else, think of a story,

00:22:22.887 --> 00:22:26.445
Tricia Lee, a story where it's obvious

00:22:26.445 --> 00:22:27.811
that God is showing love

00:22:27.811 --> 00:22:29.211
even to the people that may

00:22:29.211 --> 00:22:35.350
ignore His love or not welcome His love.

00:22:35.350 --> 00:22:36.324
(Tricia Lee) I think

00:22:36.324 --> 00:22:38.262
about an Old Testament story,

00:22:38.262 --> 00:22:40.512
the story of the people of Nineveh

00:22:40.512 --> 00:22:42.402
of this Assyrian Empire.

00:22:42.402 --> 00:22:44.661
They were known for being very violent

00:22:44.661 --> 00:22:47.361
and cruel, not just to others they

00:22:47.361 --> 00:22:49.808
were conquering but also to themselves.

00:22:49.808 --> 00:22:52.032
And God sent a prophet to warn them

00:22:52.032 --> 00:22:53.316
to correct their ways,

00:22:53.316 --> 00:22:55.931
and he traveled over a whole sea,

00:22:55.931 --> 00:22:58.111
took a ship to reach them,

00:22:58.111 --> 00:23:00.330
But He loved them enough to send them

00:23:00.330 --> 00:23:02.019
a warning message and give them

00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:04.248
an opportunity to change their ways,

00:23:04.248 --> 00:23:06.019
which they did take advantage of.

00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:08.129
And I thought that was an act of love.

00:23:08.129 --> 00:23:09.695
He didn't just leave them

00:23:09.695 --> 00:23:12.142
to just destroy themselves,
or destroy them

00:23:12.142 --> 00:23:13.945
without a warning, but He gave them

00:23:13.945 --> 00:23:16.461
an opportunity to really realize,

00:23:16.461 --> 00:23:18.954
"You can do better; you can live better."

00:23:18.954 --> 00:23:20.619
(Derek) So, He shows love to them

00:23:20.619 --> 00:23:22.054
even though the prophet Jonah

00:23:22.054 --> 00:23:24.496
complained about it, like, "God,

00:23:24.496 --> 00:23:26.983
You're really too loving."

00:23:26.983 --> 00:23:28.377
It would be easy to talk

00:23:28.377 --> 00:23:30.718
about the Ninevites who were very violent,

00:23:30.718 --> 00:23:32.933
like Tricia Lee mentioned,

00:23:32.933 --> 00:23:34.862
but actually His own people,

00:23:34.862 --> 00:23:36.005
the children of Israel,

00:23:36.005 --> 00:23:37.666
were very wayward, too.

00:23:37.666 --> 00:23:41.575
I want someone to summarize the mission

00:23:41.575 --> 00:23:43.740
of the prophet Hosea,

00:23:43.740 --> 00:23:46.138
what God asked him to do,

00:23:46.138 --> 00:23:49.454
and what was God trying to teach

00:23:49.454 --> 00:23:52.336
about the extent of His love?

00:23:52.336 --> 00:23:54.774
Anybody want to try a summary? Kylynda.

00:23:54.774 --> 00:23:56.494
(Kylynda) Hosea was a prophet

00:23:56.494 --> 00:23:58.276
for the children of Israel in a time

00:23:58.276 --> 00:24:00.935
when they were often backsliding from God.

00:24:00.935 --> 00:24:02.855
So God [told] the prophet, "I want you

00:24:02.855 --> 00:24:04.478
to marry a woman that you know

00:24:04.478 --> 00:24:06.063
will be unfaithful to you."

00:24:06.063 --> 00:24:06.855
(Derek) Ouch!

00:24:06.855 --> 00:24:09.996
(Kylynda) Right? Quite harsh, but Hosea

00:24:09.996 --> 00:24:11.347
follows God's command.

00:24:11.347 --> 00:24:12.464
He marries Gomer,

00:24:12.464 --> 00:24:15.178
and what happens, happens.

00:24:15.178 --> 00:24:17.756
She has multiple children;

00:24:17.756 --> 00:24:18.982
they're not Hosea's.

00:24:18.982 --> 00:24:21.217
Hosea gives them names that indicate

00:24:21.217 --> 00:24:22.506
this kind of separation

00:24:22.506 --> 00:24:24.249
between God and His people,

00:24:24.249 --> 00:24:27.944
like a child named "Not My People."

00:24:27.944 --> 00:24:30.190
And eventually, even though it's

00:24:30.190 --> 00:24:33.236
not quite clear in the Bible, Gomer

00:24:33.236 --> 00:24:35.800
falls into slavery; it's implicated

00:24:35.800 --> 00:24:38.523
that this [is of] a sexual nature.

00:24:38.523 --> 00:24:43.019
And God says, "Go back to her, be faithful
to her even though she's

00:24:43.019 --> 00:24:44.230
not faithful to you."

00:24:44.230 --> 00:24:45.545
(Derek) Doesn't he have

00:24:45.545 --> 00:24:46.977
to actually purchase her back?

00:24:46.977 --> 00:24:49.441
(Kylynda) He redeems her from slavery
with money.

00:24:49.441 --> 00:24:50.657
(Derek) Is that a picture

00:24:50.657 --> 00:24:51.595
of the love of God?

00:24:51.595 --> 00:24:53.032
I hope you're listening today,

00:24:53.032 --> 00:24:53.987
that God loves us

00:24:53.987 --> 00:24:56.561
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.

00:24:56.561 --> 00:24:58.628
But just telling that story,

00:24:58.628 --> 00:25:01.754
putting ourselves as a spouse,

00:25:01.754 --> 00:25:03.827
whether a husband or a wife,

00:25:03.827 --> 00:25:06.928
with an unfaithful spouse,

00:25:06.928 --> 00:25:10.789
it would be easy for us to say what?

00:25:10.789 --> 00:25:13.366
"I'm done. I'm done," right?

00:25:13.366 --> 00:25:14.578
(Don) Ready to separate.

00:25:14.578 --> 00:25:16.597
(Derek) Right, but God continues,

00:25:16.597 --> 00:25:19.002
and you're saying, even when she's

00:25:19.002 --> 00:25:21.738
in some kind of enslaved situation.

00:25:21.738 --> 00:25:23.270
(Kylynda) Yes, Hosea goes back.

00:25:23.270 --> 00:25:25.912
He redeems her; he purchases her debt,

00:25:25.912 --> 00:25:28.503
and he loves her, and he says,

00:25:28.503 --> 00:25:29.922
"What's past is past.

00:25:29.922 --> 00:25:31.842
Now we'll be faithful to each other.

00:25:31.842 --> 00:25:33.422
You'll be faithful."

00:25:33.422 --> 00:25:35.053
(Derek) So, I'm going to ask James

00:25:35.053 --> 00:25:37.679
to take us to that little book of Hosea,

00:25:37.679 --> 00:25:40.903
to chapter 14, because there is

00:25:40.903 --> 00:25:46.195
a beautiful revelation, again,

00:25:46.195 --> 00:25:49.384
as Sophia read with the Exodus revelation,

00:25:49.384 --> 00:25:50.906
they had just been dancing naked

00:25:50.906 --> 00:25:52.753
around a golden calf and calling it

00:25:52.753 --> 00:25:55.214
the god that delivered them.

00:25:55.214 --> 00:25:59.848
And here, waywardness typified

00:25:59.848 --> 00:26:02.997
by Gomer's behavior, let's see

00:26:02.997 --> 00:26:06.539
how the Lord speaks in chapter 14

00:26:06.539 --> 00:26:08.425
of Hosea, verses 1 to 4.

00:26:08.425 --> 00:26:10.026
(James) Sure, and I'll be reading

00:26:10.026 --> 00:26:11.933
from the New King James Version:

00:26:56.637 --> 00:26:57.854
(Derek) What do you think

00:26:57.854 --> 00:27:03.657
about that immeasurable, unfailing love

00:27:03.657 --> 00:27:06.778
of God even with such waywardness?
Sophia?

00:27:06.778 --> 00:27:09.016
(Sophia) He's such a forgiving Person.

00:27:09.016 --> 00:27:10.581
(Derek) Yeah, forgiving.

00:27:10.581 --> 00:27:12.353
(Sophia) Even when He was so angry,

00:27:12.353 --> 00:27:14.161
you know, cast them away from Himself.

00:27:14.161 --> 00:27:16.286
(Derek) Is it okay to be angry

00:27:16.286 --> 00:27:18.485
when things like that happen?

00:27:18.485 --> 00:27:20.445
Doesn't Scripture say, "Be angry and..."?

00:27:20.445 --> 00:27:21.415
(Harold) Do not sin.

00:27:21.415 --> 00:27:22.916
(Derek) "Don't sin," right?

00:27:22.916 --> 00:27:25.083
So, there's every reason to be angry.

00:27:25.083 --> 00:27:29.605
Actually, not so much angry at the person,

00:27:29.605 --> 00:27:32.667
but angry at what sin is doing

00:27:32.667 --> 00:27:36.341
to damage someone that you love, right?

00:27:36.341 --> 00:27:38.477
"I will heal their backsliding.

00:27:38.477 --> 00:27:42.320
I will love them freely." Yes, Puia.

00:27:42.320 --> 00:27:43.887
(Puia) A verse like this, Derek,

00:27:43.887 --> 00:27:46.496
gives me hope that there is forgiveness

00:27:46.496 --> 00:27:49.459
and a new start for everyone.

00:27:49.459 --> 00:27:51.504
There may be someone here

00:27:51.504 --> 00:27:52.998
listening or among us...

00:27:52.998 --> 00:27:55.477
You know, oftentimes we fall,

00:27:55.477 --> 00:27:57.272
and we make mistakes, and the guilt

00:27:57.272 --> 00:27:59.283
and shame that comes along with it

00:27:59.283 --> 00:28:01.080
is too much to bear for us.

00:28:01.080 --> 00:28:04.201
But here we see God letting us know

00:28:04.201 --> 00:28:05.987
that, "I will heal you.

00:28:05.987 --> 00:28:07.181
You can have a new start,

00:28:07.181 --> 00:28:09.221
a new beginning," what a hope.

00:28:09.221 --> 00:28:11.252
(Derek) I'm going to ask Faith a question.

00:28:11.252 --> 00:28:15.885
Faith, did you grow up...

00:28:15.885 --> 00:28:17.612
I don't know the answer, by the way,

00:28:17.612 --> 00:28:19.806
so there's no right or wrong answer,

00:28:19.806 --> 00:28:22.700
but did you grow up with that perspective

00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:25.772
of the love of God, that even when we

00:28:25.772 --> 00:28:29.920
make terrible choices like Gomer made,

00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:32.450
right, like the children of Israel made

00:28:32.450 --> 00:28:34.791
at various times, that God was

00:28:34.791 --> 00:28:36.947
relentless in His pursuit

00:28:36.947 --> 00:28:38.279
of them to love them?

00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:40.265
Did you grow up with that kind of picture

00:28:40.265 --> 00:28:41.479
of the love of God?

00:28:41.479 --> 00:28:43.676
(Faith) Yes, I think that picture

00:28:43.676 --> 00:28:46.339
was also shown in my parents.

00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:49.882
Obviously they disciplined, but they

00:28:49.882 --> 00:28:53.399
taught us, and they continued to pursue us

00:28:53.399 --> 00:28:55.962
to steer us in the right direction

00:28:55.962 --> 00:28:57.605
and guide us and say, "Oh, this is

00:28:57.605 --> 00:28:58.894
the right thing to do,"

00:28:58.894 --> 00:29:00.820
and never give up on us.

00:29:00.820 --> 00:29:02.581
And I think as I got older,

00:29:02.581 --> 00:29:05.583
and now I'm in college, I have

00:29:05.583 --> 00:29:07.920
a big community, and I also continue

00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:10.149
to read the Bible daily, which allows me

00:29:10.149 --> 00:29:12.394
to see that God won't give up.

00:29:12.394 --> 00:29:15.219
And it's like Puia was saying,

00:29:15.219 --> 00:29:18.349
you have that shame and guilt,

00:29:18.349 --> 00:29:20.283
but you've got to make sure you

00:29:20.283 --> 00:29:21.659
go directly to God,

00:29:21.659 --> 00:29:23.299
and you don't sit in that.

00:29:23.299 --> 00:29:24.469
So, yeah, I did grow up

00:29:24.469 --> 00:29:26.485
with that picture of God.

00:29:26.485 --> 00:29:27.689
(Derek) Thank you so much

00:29:27.689 --> 00:29:28.864
for sharing that, Faith.

00:29:28.864 --> 00:29:31.394
This leads me to a question,

00:29:31.394 --> 00:29:32.980
an interaction question for us,

00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:35.372
because Faith said she saw that

00:29:35.372 --> 00:29:37.369
revealed in her parents, right?

00:29:37.369 --> 00:29:39.678
So, the question I wanted to ask,

00:29:39.678 --> 00:29:41.988
and I think this is a good time:

00:29:41.988 --> 00:29:45.287
With so many distortions

00:29:45.287 --> 00:29:46.592
of the character of God -

00:29:46.592 --> 00:29:47.860
and we see God here,

00:29:47.860 --> 00:29:51.033
loving freely, relentlessly -

00:29:51.033 --> 00:29:53.182
how can we help, Harold,

00:29:53.182 --> 00:29:55.156
how can we help people

00:29:55.156 --> 00:29:57.094
to see a clearer revelation

00:29:57.094 --> 00:29:58.634
of the character of God?

00:29:58.634 --> 00:30:00.687
(Harold) Well, in my case, I believe

00:30:00.687 --> 00:30:01.957
that you need to meet them

00:30:01.957 --> 00:30:04.603
where they're at, reflect God's character.

00:30:04.603 --> 00:30:06.713
If they need a companion, be there.

00:30:06.713 --> 00:30:08.397
If they need help, provide the help

00:30:08.397 --> 00:30:10.018
that they need, because at the end

00:30:10.018 --> 00:30:12.362
of the day, we are ambassadors of Christ.

00:30:12.362 --> 00:30:14.032
We are to represent Him.

00:30:14.032 --> 00:30:16.450
And even Paul says, "The only reason

00:30:16.450 --> 00:30:18.838
why the Gentiles blaspheme the name of God

00:30:18.838 --> 00:30:22.048
is because of you, of your example,

00:30:22.048 --> 00:30:24.058
because you do things, you're hypocrites."

00:30:24.058 --> 00:30:25.895
We're all hypocrites; I've been there.

00:30:25.895 --> 00:30:27.824
(Derek) ...a personal question, Harold,

00:30:27.824 --> 00:30:29.460
because I know you didn't grow up

00:30:29.460 --> 00:30:31.490
in a very strong Christian family.

00:30:31.490 --> 00:30:35.759
So, who helped you - because some people

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:37.611
have heard a little of your testimony,

00:30:37.611 --> 00:30:40.409
it's quite amazing - but who helped you

00:30:40.409 --> 00:30:43.438
to see that revelation of a God

00:30:43.438 --> 00:30:45.037
who loves freely?

00:30:45.037 --> 00:30:47.411
(Harold) Well, it took, after I was

00:30:47.411 --> 00:30:49.529
introduced to God, maybe 15 years later.

00:30:49.529 --> 00:30:50.689
It was a friend of mine

00:30:50.689 --> 00:30:52.467
in Rochester, New York.

00:30:52.467 --> 00:30:55.902
I never heard that representation of God

00:30:55.902 --> 00:30:57.878
the way she presented it to me.

00:30:57.878 --> 00:30:59.691
I mean, she was not perfect, you know,

00:30:59.691 --> 00:31:02.516
she had her flaws, yet all these years

00:31:02.516 --> 00:31:05.527
I thought God was very demanding,

00:31:05.527 --> 00:31:07.818
very vindictive, and I was

00:31:07.818 --> 00:31:08.910
always afraid of Him.

00:31:08.910 --> 00:31:09.960
But when she said,

00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:11.730
"God is very compassionate.

00:31:11.730 --> 00:31:13.933
You can talk to Him as a friend,"...

00:31:13.933 --> 00:31:15.271
I always had to talk to Him,

00:31:15.271 --> 00:31:17.806
like, with this reverence of like,

00:31:17.806 --> 00:31:19.575
"Oh, yes, Sir," "No, Sir," but I talk

00:31:19.575 --> 00:31:21.075
to Him as a friend.

00:31:21.075 --> 00:31:24.516
And I believe that He can forgive.

00:31:24.516 --> 00:31:26.373
I did not believe He forgave, before.

00:31:26.373 --> 00:31:27.446
Even though I've heard

00:31:27.446 --> 00:31:28.787
the message of forgiveness,

00:31:28.787 --> 00:31:30.569
I did not believe he actually forgave

00:31:30.569 --> 00:31:32.000
because I was too full of sin.

00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:33.393
I thought I had to be perfect

00:31:33.393 --> 00:31:34.989
before I would present myself...

00:31:34.989 --> 00:31:36.754
(Derek) Accepted by Him.

00:31:36.754 --> 00:31:40.222
Gleny, I see your hand; how would you

00:31:40.222 --> 00:31:42.422
like to add to the discussion?

00:31:42.422 --> 00:31:44.476
(Gleny) As a therapist, I had been working

00:31:44.476 --> 00:31:46.925
with a client at a residential

00:31:46.925 --> 00:31:49.242
depression/anxiety recovery program,

00:31:49.242 --> 00:31:51.546
and he was so blown away,

00:31:51.546 --> 00:31:53.467
but also simultaneously confused

00:31:53.467 --> 00:31:55.040
with the compassion and love

00:31:55.040 --> 00:31:56.879
he was experiencing around him.

00:31:56.879 --> 00:31:59.006
I remember he mentioned that he

00:31:59.006 --> 00:32:01.344
doesn't want to be like the people.

00:32:01.344 --> 00:32:03.357
He knew who would get so rigid

00:32:03.357 --> 00:32:05.082
and dictatorial when they would read

00:32:05.082 --> 00:32:07.294
the Word and understand God, and he said,

00:32:07.294 --> 00:32:09.547
"I just don't want to be like that."

00:32:09.547 --> 00:32:12.383
And I asked him, like, there are many

00:32:12.383 --> 00:32:13.864
of us who understand and read

00:32:13.864 --> 00:32:15.032
the Word of God; do you

00:32:15.032 --> 00:32:17.364
think that we are the same?

00:32:17.364 --> 00:32:19.509
And he said, "Oh, wait, that's right.

00:32:19.509 --> 00:32:22.246
You guys are some of the first people

00:32:22.246 --> 00:32:24.763
I've met who had a different response,

00:32:24.763 --> 00:32:27.469
actually a very positive response

00:32:27.469 --> 00:32:30.091
after intentionally learning about God."

00:32:30.091 --> 00:32:32.362
So, by their fruits, you shall know them.

00:32:32.362 --> 00:32:34.849
And he was drawn to God by the way

00:32:34.849 --> 00:32:36.692
we were working with him.

00:32:36.692 --> 00:32:38.336
(Derek) So, we're hearing a theme.

00:32:38.336 --> 00:32:39.556
Thank you so much, Gleny.

00:32:39.556 --> 00:32:41.283
We're hearing a theme that, with all

00:32:41.283 --> 00:32:42.050
of the confusion

00:32:42.050 --> 00:32:43.712
about the character of God

00:32:43.712 --> 00:32:46.663
that followers of God, you said,

00:32:46.663 --> 00:32:49.045
could actually be part of the problem.

00:32:49.045 --> 00:32:51.091
We could even have false teachers

00:32:51.091 --> 00:32:53.381
who are religious teachers, right,

00:32:53.381 --> 00:32:55.632
who give a confused picture of God.

00:32:55.632 --> 00:32:59.008
Or we can be a living example
of that. Travis.

00:32:59.008 --> 00:33:00.581
(Travis) Derek, one of the things

00:33:00.581 --> 00:33:01.978
that I've learned about being

00:33:01.978 --> 00:33:03.573
a powerful witness for Jesus

00:33:03.573 --> 00:33:05.991
is in Acts, chapter 1, verse 8,

00:33:05.991 --> 00:33:07.987
It says, "You will receive power

00:33:07.987 --> 00:33:09.912
to be my witnesses."

00:33:09.912 --> 00:33:12.253
And we're not that smart,

00:33:12.253 --> 00:33:14.362
and God will give us the power

00:33:14.362 --> 00:33:17.697
to be appropriate witnesses of the gospel.

00:33:17.697 --> 00:33:19.372
(Derek) So there is a revelation.

00:33:19.372 --> 00:33:21.404
I see Sophia, and then, Tricia Lee,

00:33:21.404 --> 00:33:22.761
I see your hand.

00:33:22.761 --> 00:33:24.150
(Sophia) Just the distortion

00:33:24.150 --> 00:33:25.482
of the character reminded me

00:33:25.482 --> 00:33:29.267
of the Puritans in 1600s America.

00:33:29.267 --> 00:33:31.865
They came to America to escape

00:33:31.865 --> 00:33:33.094
religious persecution,

00:33:33.094 --> 00:33:35.309
and right after they made their colony,

00:33:35.309 --> 00:33:36.431
they began to persecute

00:33:36.431 --> 00:33:37.812
everyone around them

00:33:37.812 --> 00:33:40.042
because of their strict
religious standards.

00:33:40.042 --> 00:33:41.654
(Derek) To be fair, we might say

00:33:41.654 --> 00:33:43.199
some of them began to persecute

00:33:43.199 --> 00:33:44.978
those around them because there were

00:33:44.978 --> 00:33:46.667
probably some who really did reveal

00:33:46.667 --> 00:33:47.998
the love of God, right?

00:33:47.998 --> 00:33:51.317
But it's easy for us to fall into that,

00:33:51.317 --> 00:33:54.823
that we don't reflect

00:33:54.823 --> 00:33:56.354
the immeasurable, unfailing love

00:33:56.354 --> 00:33:58.212
of God. Tricia Lee?

00:33:58.212 --> 00:33:59.760
(Tricia Lee) There's a Scripture

00:33:59.760 --> 00:34:02.240
I'd like to share in Jeremiah,

00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:08.094
chapter 32, verses 38 through 40.

00:34:08.094 --> 00:34:10.458
(Derek) What translation are
you reading from,?

00:34:10.458 --> 00:34:11.657
(Tricia Lee) I'm reading

00:34:11.657 --> 00:34:16.595
from the New King James Version,
and it reads:

00:34:50.093 --> 00:34:52.608
And "fear" being that loving respect.

00:34:52.608 --> 00:34:54.418
I love this Scripture because it

00:34:54.418 --> 00:34:57.619
reminds me of this idea of a covenant,

00:34:57.619 --> 00:34:59.690
and that that is what God's love is.

00:34:59.690 --> 00:35:02.213
And repeatedly in this passage He says,

00:35:02.213 --> 00:35:05.926
"I will, I will, I will."

00:35:05.926 --> 00:35:08.012
So often in our human experience,

00:35:08.012 --> 00:35:10.245
love is like a transaction,

00:35:10.245 --> 00:35:12.395
"I'll do this if you do that."

00:35:12.395 --> 00:35:13.476
"If you do this,

00:35:13.476 --> 00:35:15.234
then I'll always do this."

00:35:15.234 --> 00:35:17.436
But God's everlasting love

00:35:17.436 --> 00:35:19.331
is a covenant to us,

00:35:19.331 --> 00:35:21.726
that, no matter what we do,

00:35:21.726 --> 00:35:24.566
He will never stop loving us,

00:35:24.566 --> 00:35:26.442
and that He has committed

00:35:26.442 --> 00:35:28.141
to what He will do.

00:35:28.141 --> 00:35:30.022
And so, there are times where there are

00:35:30.022 --> 00:35:32.047
conditional promises and things like that,

00:35:32.047 --> 00:35:34.860
but His love is everlasting, and it's

00:35:34.860 --> 00:35:36.290
always a promise

00:35:36.290 --> 00:35:39.038
of "I will, I will, I will."

00:35:39.038 --> 00:35:41.104
And I think that's very different

00:35:41.104 --> 00:35:43.412
than how we treat each other.

00:35:43.412 --> 00:35:45.637
You know, you don't hear someone

00:35:45.637 --> 00:35:47.364
in a marriage ceremony saying,

00:35:47.364 --> 00:35:48.650
"I will do these things

00:35:48.650 --> 00:35:50.274
only if you do that."

00:35:50.274 --> 00:35:51.546
You always state your vows

00:35:51.546 --> 00:35:52.942
as what you're committing

00:35:52.942 --> 00:35:55.143
to that person, and in a way,

00:35:55.143 --> 00:35:56.479
this everlasting covenant is

00:35:56.479 --> 00:35:58.028
how God has committed

00:35:58.028 --> 00:36:02.457
His unfailing, immeasurable love to us.

00:36:02.457 --> 00:36:03.302
(Derek) Thank you

00:36:03.302 --> 00:36:05.175
so much for sharing that.

00:36:05.175 --> 00:36:06.736
There was a word that Tricia Lee

00:36:06.736 --> 00:36:08.382
was repeating over and over again

00:36:08.382 --> 00:36:09.920
that leads us into the next part

00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:11.676
of our study, and that is

00:36:11.676 --> 00:36:13.771
the everlasting love of God.

00:36:13.771 --> 00:36:15.400
And I'd like someone to read

00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:19.809
John 17 and verse 24.

00:36:19.809 --> 00:36:22.749
John 17, Faith, do you have that?

00:36:22.749 --> 00:36:25.650
John 17 and verse 24?

00:36:25.650 --> 00:36:28.274
Let's see what testimony Jesus gave

00:36:28.274 --> 00:36:30.797
regarding the everlasting love of God.

00:36:30.797 --> 00:36:32.126
(Faith) And I'll be reading

00:36:32.126 --> 00:36:33.660
from the New King James Version,

00:36:33.660 --> 00:36:36.549
John 17, verse 24:

00:36:51.878 --> 00:36:54.250
(Derek) Alright, so there's a revelation.

00:36:54.250 --> 00:36:55.418
You say, "Oh, no, that's

00:36:55.418 --> 00:36:59.549
just that the Father loved His Son

00:36:59.549 --> 00:37:01.511
before the foundation of the world."

00:37:01.511 --> 00:37:04.131
What evidence do you find, anybody,

00:37:04.131 --> 00:37:08.365
in the Scriptures that God's love for <i>us</i>

00:37:08.365 --> 00:37:10.590
is also everlasting?

00:37:10.590 --> 00:37:13.958
It's not bound by time, you know,

00:37:13.958 --> 00:37:15.310
kind of like a time clock,

00:37:15.310 --> 00:37:18.050
"You've got three years left," right,

00:37:18.050 --> 00:37:21.428
or three mistakes left, or something,

00:37:21.428 --> 00:37:22.996
but that it's everlasting.

00:37:22.996 --> 00:37:25.458
Jesus said, "The Father has loved Me

00:37:25.458 --> 00:37:27.471
since before the foundation of the world."

00:37:27.471 --> 00:37:31.468
Anybody think of a Bible text?
Yes, Samantha.

00:37:31.468 --> 00:37:32.711
(Samantha) Well, I thought

00:37:32.711 --> 00:37:35.943
of Romans 8, verses 38 and 39.

00:37:35.943 --> 00:37:36.977
(Derek) Okay, give us

00:37:36.977 --> 00:37:38.263
a moment to find that.

00:37:38.263 --> 00:37:40.575
Romans, chapter 8?

00:37:40.575 --> 00:37:42.871
(Samantha) Verses 38 and 39.

00:37:42.871 --> 00:37:44.427
(Derek) And the letter

00:37:44.427 --> 00:37:47.335
to the Romans was written by?

00:37:47.335 --> 00:37:49.986
Anybody? The Apostle Paul, that's right.

00:37:49.986 --> 00:37:51.290
So, these are to Christians

00:37:51.290 --> 00:37:53.380
living in Rome, and you're reading

00:37:53.380 --> 00:37:55.145
verses 38 and 39.

00:37:55.145 --> 00:37:57.406
(Samantha) Yes, from the New
King James Version.

00:37:57.406 --> 00:37:58.485
(Derek) How does...?

00:37:58.485 --> 00:37:59.414
(Samantha) It says:

00:38:24.153 --> 00:38:26.059
(Derek) Somebody excited about that?

00:38:26.059 --> 00:38:27.791
That's pretty amazing, isn't it?

00:38:27.791 --> 00:38:30.120
Nothing can separate us. Puia.

00:38:30.120 --> 00:38:32.788
(Puia) So, back to John 17:24

00:38:32.788 --> 00:38:34.787
that we read earlier, what I see here

00:38:34.787 --> 00:38:38.070
is that before creating the world,

00:38:38.070 --> 00:38:40.704
God had already enjoyed

00:38:40.704 --> 00:38:43.198
being in a relationship of love.

00:38:43.198 --> 00:38:44.431
So, in a sense, God

00:38:44.431 --> 00:38:46.246
didn't need to create us.

00:38:46.246 --> 00:38:51.330
He didn't owe us this existence, nor love.

00:38:51.330 --> 00:38:54.833
So this idea of God loving us freely,

00:38:54.833 --> 00:38:59.360
voluntarily, is all an act of sacrifice

00:38:59.360 --> 00:39:03.613
in a way, and we don't deserve

00:39:03.613 --> 00:39:06.681
this level of love from God.

00:39:06.681 --> 00:39:10.833
(Derek) But it's who God is, right?

00:39:10.833 --> 00:39:13.617
Isn't there a text that says, "God is..."?

00:39:13.617 --> 00:39:16.486
(Derek, Team) "...love."

00:39:16.486 --> 00:39:18.029
(Derek) He doesn't just love,

00:39:18.029 --> 00:39:20.916
He does love, but He loves because it's...

00:39:20.916 --> 00:39:21.891
(Puia) His nature.

00:39:21.891 --> 00:39:23.036
(Derek) The very essence

00:39:23.036 --> 00:39:24.087
of who He is. Harold?

00:39:24.087 --> 00:39:25.587
(Harold) I was going to read...

00:39:25.587 --> 00:39:26.617
(Derek) Yes...

00:39:26.617 --> 00:39:30.115
(Harold) It's in Lamentations, chapter 3.

00:39:30.115 --> 00:39:31.753
(Derek) Lamentations doesn't sound

00:39:31.753 --> 00:39:34.234
like a very happy book, does it?

00:39:34.234 --> 00:39:36.746
But the prophet Jeremiah has

00:39:36.746 --> 00:39:38.530
a beautiful promise there.

00:39:38.530 --> 00:39:40.952
Lamentations, chapter 3 and verses?

00:39:40.952 --> 00:39:42.578
(Harold) 22 to 24.

00:39:42.578 --> 00:39:44.189
(Derek) 22 to 24, my wife

00:39:44.189 --> 00:39:46.912
likes to sing this, so how does that read?

00:39:46.912 --> 00:39:48.402
What translation are you...?

00:39:48.402 --> 00:39:49.568
(Harold) I'll be reading

00:39:49.568 --> 00:39:52.623
from the English Standard Version,
and it reads:

00:40:12.548 --> 00:40:13.964
(Derek) Beautiful, that's one

00:40:13.964 --> 00:40:15.639
of my favorite verses, by the way.

00:40:15.639 --> 00:40:18.475
And by the way, the context of that

00:40:18.475 --> 00:40:20.647
is not that everything is going perfectly.

00:40:20.647 --> 00:40:22.055
What's just happened?

00:40:22.055 --> 00:40:24.401
(Harold) The Israelites were
under captivity.

00:40:24.401 --> 00:40:26.658
(Derek) They had just been taken
into captivity.

00:40:26.658 --> 00:40:27.668
(Harold) To Babylon.

00:40:27.668 --> 00:40:29.504
(Derek) That's right, Daniel, Ezekiel,

00:40:29.504 --> 00:40:31.459
and all those prophets are there.

00:40:31.459 --> 00:40:33.284
Jeremiah is left in Jerusalem.

00:40:33.284 --> 00:40:39.143
It's been ransacked, and he's lamenting.

00:40:39.143 --> 00:40:41.257
But he says, "Through the Lord's mercies,"

00:40:41.257 --> 00:40:42.914
I'm quoting the New King James,

00:40:42.914 --> 00:40:45.215
"we are not consumed,

00:40:45.215 --> 00:40:47.113
because His compassions fail not."

00:40:47.113 --> 00:40:48.126
Thank you for sharing

00:40:48.126 --> 00:40:49.667
that text, beautiful. Yes, Don.

00:40:49.667 --> 00:40:52.575
(Don) Another unfailing love from God,

00:40:52.575 --> 00:40:55.891
if you'll allow me to read Isaiah 54?

00:40:55.891 --> 00:40:58.158
(Derek) Give us a chance to find it.

00:40:58.158 --> 00:40:59.018
(Don) I'm reading

00:40:59.018 --> 00:41:00.259
from the New King James.

00:41:00.259 --> 00:41:01.958
(Derek) Hold on just a minute then,

00:41:01.958 --> 00:41:05.466
"Eye-ZAY-ah" or "Eye-ZY-uh," chapter 54.

00:41:05.466 --> 00:41:06.535
(Don) Verse 10.

00:41:06.535 --> 00:41:07.706
(Derek) And verse 10,

00:41:07.706 --> 00:41:09.538
and what translation?

00:41:09.538 --> 00:41:10.540
(Don) New King James.

00:41:10.540 --> 00:41:11.732
(Derek) New King James,

00:41:11.732 --> 00:41:14.183
"Eye-ZAY-ah" or "Eye-ZY-uh," 54:10.

00:41:14.183 --> 00:41:15.328
(Don) And it says:

00:41:32.905 --> 00:41:34.497
(Derek) We could find many texts,

00:41:34.497 --> 00:41:37.505
I'm sure, in the Scripture that speak

00:41:37.505 --> 00:41:40.596
about the everlasting love of God,

00:41:40.596 --> 00:41:43.717
but one of the reasons

00:41:43.717 --> 00:41:46.955
that people struggle is because they've

00:41:46.955 --> 00:41:48.324
been in a relationship

00:41:48.324 --> 00:41:50.777
where love has failed.

00:41:50.777 --> 00:41:52.417
And they go, "Well, maybe God's

00:41:52.417 --> 00:41:53.494
just like that, too."

00:41:53.494 --> 00:41:55.096
"I thought it was

00:41:55.096 --> 00:41:58.632
a loving, safe environment."

00:41:58.632 --> 00:42:01.175
It may be a family member left,

00:42:01.175 --> 00:42:03.004
like a parent or a spouse

00:42:03.004 --> 00:42:05.198
or a close relationship,

00:42:05.198 --> 00:42:07.772
and it's like it's hard for us

00:42:07.772 --> 00:42:09.563
not to think, "Well, maybe God

00:42:09.563 --> 00:42:11.310
is that way, too."

00:42:11.310 --> 00:42:14.750
Anybody have an experience like that,

00:42:14.750 --> 00:42:21.558
yeah, challenged that, but somehow God

00:42:21.558 --> 00:42:23.473
made a clear picture that He

00:42:23.473 --> 00:42:26.931
would not abandon you that way?

00:42:26.931 --> 00:42:30.396
I don't know if anyone can relate to that.

00:42:30.396 --> 00:42:33.575
I see a couple of reticent hands going up.

00:42:33.575 --> 00:42:35.336
That's a tough question, isn't it,

00:42:35.336 --> 00:42:37.159
but could you see how that could...

00:42:37.159 --> 00:42:40.283
You know, daddy leaves, and it's like,

00:42:40.283 --> 00:42:41.859
"Well, maybe my heavenly Father

00:42:41.859 --> 00:42:44.071
is like that, too; maybe some day

00:42:44.071 --> 00:42:47.021
He will just stop being there," right?

00:42:47.021 --> 00:42:48.895
It's very real, isn't it? Harold?

00:42:48.895 --> 00:42:51.797
(Harold) Well, my father, it got

00:42:51.797 --> 00:42:53.019
to a point that I stopped

00:42:53.019 --> 00:42:55.120
calling him father.

00:42:55.120 --> 00:42:56.831
He was a very angry person.

00:42:56.831 --> 00:42:58.595
He was a womanizer.

00:42:58.595 --> 00:42:59.753
We would go to the park,

00:42:59.753 --> 00:43:01.379
and he will tell me, "This will be

00:43:01.379 --> 00:43:04.720
your new mom," and I'm like, "Excuse me?"

00:43:04.720 --> 00:43:12.947
And I barely saw him, so...

00:43:12.947 --> 00:43:15.242
(Derek) It's hard.

00:43:15.242 --> 00:43:17.992
(Harold) It did hurt because I

00:43:17.992 --> 00:43:21.603
always wanted a father, and I want

00:43:21.603 --> 00:43:27.393
to be there for my daughter, too.

00:43:27.393 --> 00:43:29.994
Not to mention the family was not good

00:43:29.994 --> 00:43:33.939
because my mom also had her problems

00:43:33.939 --> 00:43:37.827
growing up, so I did feel alone,

00:43:37.827 --> 00:43:42.048
so, oh, I'm sorry.

00:43:42.048 --> 00:43:47.023
(James) It's alright, it's alright.
Tell your story.

00:43:47.023 --> 00:43:49.225
(Harold) I did feel alone.

00:43:49.225 --> 00:43:53.357
I didn't have the family that I wanted

00:43:53.357 --> 00:43:56.283
because I didn't have birthdays...

00:43:56.283 --> 00:43:59.899
Like, I got very indifferent about things

00:43:59.899 --> 00:44:03.647
that people do as a family.

00:44:03.647 --> 00:44:06.090
So, I just tried to protect myself

00:44:06.090 --> 00:44:07.962
by trying to be indifferent

00:44:07.962 --> 00:44:12.331
to these things so I could move on in life

00:44:12.331 --> 00:44:14.452
because it's like, you know what, I cannot

00:44:14.452 --> 00:44:16.964
allow these things to control me

00:44:16.964 --> 00:44:19.279
or to dictate how I should live.

00:44:19.279 --> 00:44:20.877
I need to do something.

00:44:20.877 --> 00:44:23.898
So I do thank God that He did put people

00:44:23.898 --> 00:44:26.550
along the way that started painting

00:44:26.550 --> 00:44:29.767
this picture of God and trying to show me

00:44:29.767 --> 00:44:31.625
who God really is.

00:44:31.625 --> 00:44:33.119
And thankfully my mom,

00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:34.612
even with her problems, she did

00:44:34.612 --> 00:44:35.802
introduce me to the Bible

00:44:35.802 --> 00:44:37.686
at a very young age.

00:44:37.686 --> 00:44:40.371
So, I started reading and trying

00:44:40.371 --> 00:44:43.228
to understand God from that angle.

00:44:43.228 --> 00:44:46.755
So, then eventually, of course, I said,

00:44:46.755 --> 00:44:48.636
like my friend from Rochester,

00:44:48.636 --> 00:44:51.290
she eventually painted this bigger picture

00:44:51.290 --> 00:44:53.230
of God to help me, like, "Oh, wow,

00:44:53.230 --> 00:44:55.481
this is who God truly is;

00:44:55.481 --> 00:44:56.985
I can call You my Father

00:44:56.985 --> 00:44:59.173
because I always wanted a father,

00:44:59.173 --> 00:45:01.070
but You are my Father that has been..."

00:45:01.070 --> 00:45:03.018
Even though I did suffer, it was painful.

00:45:03.018 --> 00:45:05.850
I did go through experiences that you

00:45:05.850 --> 00:45:07.420
would think like, "Why would You

00:45:07.420 --> 00:45:08.364
allow that, God?"

00:45:08.364 --> 00:45:10.748
I mean it was done to me personally.

00:45:10.748 --> 00:45:12.408
I mean, I cannot share

00:45:12.408 --> 00:45:15.840
because of probably younger children,

00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:18.686
but it's like, sure, I did

00:45:18.686 --> 00:45:20.630
go through this experience, but I

00:45:20.630 --> 00:45:22.087
cannot blame God because I am

00:45:22.087 --> 00:45:23.408
in a broken world.

00:45:23.408 --> 00:45:24.825
There are so many distortions

00:45:24.825 --> 00:45:28.125
of God in the world, but yet we are

00:45:28.125 --> 00:45:30.065
accountable for these things.

00:45:30.065 --> 00:45:31.709
We are accountable, and we need

00:45:31.709 --> 00:45:33.049
to take responsibility.

00:45:33.049 --> 00:45:35.657
I cannot always put the blame on God.

00:45:35.657 --> 00:45:37.693
But at the end of the day, I do praise God

00:45:37.693 --> 00:45:44.012
that I was able to find a loving wife,

00:45:44.012 --> 00:45:46.787
my family, and I don't want

00:45:46.787 --> 00:45:51.331
to live like that; I really hated it.

00:45:51.331 --> 00:45:53.875
I just want to be there for Sophia.

00:45:53.875 --> 00:45:57.091
I want to give her a good representation

00:45:57.091 --> 00:46:00.414
of who God really is.

00:46:00.414 --> 00:46:02.722
(Derek) That's beautiful, Harold.

00:46:02.722 --> 00:46:05.045
For those of you who don't know,

00:46:05.045 --> 00:46:06.946
Brittany, who is one of our team members

00:46:06.946 --> 00:46:08.531
and actually will be teaching one

00:46:08.531 --> 00:46:10.934
in this series, but Brittany and Harold

00:46:10.934 --> 00:46:12.820
just had a beautiful little girl.

00:46:12.820 --> 00:46:15.004
And the name Sophia was mentioned,

00:46:15.004 --> 00:46:18.315
so I can repeat it publicly.

00:46:18.315 --> 00:46:22.278
And I'm really blessed

00:46:22.278 --> 00:46:25.222
by what Harold just shared, and that is,

00:46:25.222 --> 00:46:28.267
"I want my little girl to see

00:46:28.267 --> 00:46:30.132
a true representation of the character

00:46:30.132 --> 00:46:32.577
of our loving heavenly Father," right?

00:46:32.577 --> 00:46:33.316
(Harold) Amen.

00:46:33.316 --> 00:46:35.287
(Derek) And whether we're a parent

00:46:35.287 --> 00:46:39.462
or a friend, right, or a child

00:46:39.462 --> 00:46:41.505
to a parent, we want to be

00:46:41.505 --> 00:46:43.338
a living representation

00:46:43.338 --> 00:46:44.897
of what the loving character

00:46:44.897 --> 00:46:47.760
of God looks like.

00:46:47.760 --> 00:46:50.495
Whew, that's pretty intense,

00:46:50.495 --> 00:46:52.645
but I need to move us on

00:46:52.645 --> 00:46:54.547
to the last section,

00:46:54.547 --> 00:46:58.559
because let's start again:

00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:00.532
How many people does God love?

00:47:00.532 --> 00:47:01.542
(Team) Everybody.

00:47:01.542 --> 00:47:03.953
(Derek) He loves everyone,

00:47:03.953 --> 00:47:07.150
but somehow we have a choice to make

00:47:07.150 --> 00:47:08.970
whether we will accept

00:47:08.970 --> 00:47:10.352
that intimate relationship

00:47:10.352 --> 00:47:13.629
that we studied about.

00:47:13.629 --> 00:47:16.406
Let's go to a story that Jesus told

00:47:16.406 --> 00:47:21.799
in Matthew 24, verses 1 to 14,

00:47:21.799 --> 00:47:26.488
Matthew 22, excuse me, verses 1 to 14,

00:47:26.488 --> 00:47:29.388
and let's look; Kylynda, maybe you

00:47:29.388 --> 00:47:31.418
could read it for us.

00:47:31.418 --> 00:47:32.991
You say, "What has this got to do

00:47:32.991 --> 00:47:34.213
with the love of God?"

00:47:34.213 --> 00:47:38.027
Well, let's listen, because apparently,

00:47:38.027 --> 00:47:40.492
lots of people are invited to a banquet.

00:47:40.492 --> 00:47:41.698
So, how does this story

00:47:41.698 --> 00:47:43.127
read in your Bible?

00:47:43.127 --> 00:47:44.425
(Kylynda) I will be reading

00:47:44.425 --> 00:47:46.219
from the New Living Translation:

00:49:23.069 --> 00:49:26.363
(Derek) Wow, that's a pretty intense
story.

00:49:26.363 --> 00:49:28.893
Why would the king, if he said,

00:49:28.893 --> 00:49:31.359
"Go find any," both good and?

00:49:31.359 --> 00:49:32.591
(Team) Bad.

00:49:32.591 --> 00:49:35.017
(Derek) So that would include us, right?
Praise God.

00:49:35.017 --> 00:49:36.562
Don't tell me which one you are,

00:49:36.562 --> 00:49:37.571
but we're all saved

00:49:37.571 --> 00:49:39.459
by the grace of God, right?

00:49:39.459 --> 00:49:41.290
We're saved by the grace of God.

00:49:41.290 --> 00:49:43.162
Why would the king be upset

00:49:43.162 --> 00:49:44.714
if one person didn't have

00:49:44.714 --> 00:49:46.828
a wedding garment on?

00:49:46.828 --> 00:49:49.828
The only logical conclusion is?

00:49:49.828 --> 00:49:50.954
(Sophia) He needed one.

00:49:50.954 --> 00:49:52.820
(Derek) Well, he obviously needed one.

00:49:52.820 --> 00:49:57.765
(Don) He needed to be really genuine
or to fully accept the invitation.

00:49:57.765 --> 00:50:01.370
(Derek) Who provided the wedding garment?

00:50:01.370 --> 00:50:03.281
(Travis) He was unwilling to put it on.

00:50:03.281 --> 00:50:04.465
(Derek) He was unwilling

00:50:04.465 --> 00:50:06.632
to put on a wedding garment

00:50:06.632 --> 00:50:09.957
that was provided!

00:50:09.957 --> 00:50:12.094
If he had said, "Well, I didn't have one.

00:50:12.094 --> 00:50:13.276
Nobody gave it; I stood

00:50:13.276 --> 00:50:14.638
in the wrong line."

00:50:14.638 --> 00:50:20.668
He's speechless because he's
without excuse.

00:50:20.668 --> 00:50:23.064
He's without excuse.

00:50:23.064 --> 00:50:27.301
The wedding garment, that righteousness

00:50:27.301 --> 00:50:31.451
which covers us, is a gift of God's grace.

00:50:31.451 --> 00:50:35.252
To show up thinking we're okay without it

00:50:35.252 --> 00:50:37.844
is a fatal mistake, right?

00:50:37.844 --> 00:50:40.041
So, what does this last verse mean

00:50:40.041 --> 00:50:43.186
in the story that Kylynda read?

00:50:43.186 --> 00:50:48.911
"Many are called, but few are chosen"?

00:50:48.911 --> 00:50:51.341
How many is the many who are called? Puia?

00:50:51.341 --> 00:50:52.363
(Puia) All.

00:50:52.363 --> 00:50:54.282
(Derek) It's everybody; how do you know?

00:50:54.282 --> 00:50:55.705
(Harold) Good and bad were...

00:50:55.705 --> 00:50:57.252
(Derek) Good and bad, everybody.

00:50:57.252 --> 00:50:59.031
Everybody is called.

00:50:59.031 --> 00:51:00.490
So, what does it mean?

00:51:00.490 --> 00:51:03.113
"Many are called, but..."?

00:51:03.113 --> 00:51:06.151
What does it mean, "Few are chosen"?

00:51:06.151 --> 00:51:08.301
(Samantha) Only those who accept

00:51:08.301 --> 00:51:10.310
that invitation and decide

00:51:10.310 --> 00:51:12.721
to receive God's grace will be able

00:51:12.721 --> 00:51:15.102
to enter into the Kingdom,
will be chosen to enter.

00:51:15.102 --> 00:51:16.871
(Derek) ...sounds like poor English,

00:51:16.871 --> 00:51:21.379
but those who choose to be chosen, right?

00:51:21.379 --> 00:51:24.430
Who wants to be chosen? Right?

00:51:24.430 --> 00:51:26.400
Everyone is given the invitation.

00:51:26.400 --> 00:51:28.990
The garment is provided.

00:51:28.990 --> 00:51:30.303
Some people don't even want

00:51:30.303 --> 00:51:32.300
to come, right?

00:51:32.300 --> 00:51:33.644
In fact, most of the people

00:51:33.644 --> 00:51:36.768
don't want to come.

00:51:36.768 --> 00:51:39.440
But then some show up

00:51:39.440 --> 00:51:42.479
without putting on the garment.

00:51:42.479 --> 00:51:44.248
We have a choice to make. Travis?

00:51:44.248 --> 00:51:45.632
(Travis) Interestingly, Jesus

00:51:45.632 --> 00:51:46.831
starts out the beatitudes

00:51:46.831 --> 00:51:48.403
in Matthew, chapter 5, verse 3,

00:51:48.403 --> 00:51:49.657
[by saying], "Blessed are

00:51:49.657 --> 00:51:51.502
the poor in spirit," those who realize

00:51:51.502 --> 00:51:54.243
their brokenness, "for theirs <i>is</i>

00:51:54.243 --> 00:51:55.358
the Kingdom of Heaven."

00:51:55.358 --> 00:51:56.357
(Derek) Praise God.

00:51:56.357 --> 00:51:57.709
So, I'm going to have you do

00:51:57.709 --> 00:51:59.213
a little computer scan.

00:51:59.213 --> 00:52:01.068
I want our remotes to be engaged here,

00:52:01.068 --> 00:52:03.361
I'm going to ask you to be involved
in that.

00:52:03.361 --> 00:52:05.560
Can you think of someone

00:52:05.560 --> 00:52:08.883
who received an unexpected invitation

00:52:08.883 --> 00:52:10.314
to be part of the banquet -

00:52:10.314 --> 00:52:11.371
which means to be part

00:52:11.371 --> 00:52:13.624
of God's eternal kingdom, and experience

00:52:13.624 --> 00:52:16.873
His immeasurable, unfailing love forever -

00:52:16.873 --> 00:52:18.130
someone who received

00:52:18.130 --> 00:52:22.120
an unexpected invitation and accepted it?!

00:52:22.120 --> 00:52:25.695
Someone share a story with me,

00:52:25.695 --> 00:52:27.045
unexpected invitation

00:52:27.045 --> 00:52:29.924
and accepted it. Yes, Puia.

00:52:29.924 --> 00:52:31.570
(Puia) It reminds me of Zacchaeus.

00:52:31.570 --> 00:52:32.838
(Derek) Okay, Zacchaeus,

00:52:32.838 --> 00:52:34.487
you don't need to read the story,

00:52:34.487 --> 00:52:36.078
but tell us; Zacchaeus was a...?

00:52:36.078 --> 00:52:37.138
(Puia) Tax collector.

00:52:37.138 --> 00:52:38.141
(Derek) Very wealthy.

00:52:38.141 --> 00:52:40.141
(Puia) And he probably didn't expect Jesus

00:52:40.141 --> 00:52:43.171
to even know his name or invite him,

00:52:43.171 --> 00:52:45.490
or, you know, dine with him.

00:52:45.490 --> 00:52:48.094
That story just came into my mind.

00:52:48.094 --> 00:52:50.981
(Derek) So, Luke 19, great story,

00:52:50.981 --> 00:52:52.935
"I'm going to eat at your house today,

00:52:52.935 --> 00:52:54.633
but more than that, salvation comes

00:52:54.633 --> 00:52:58.341
to this house today," right,
amazing story.

00:52:58.341 --> 00:53:00.949
Someone else, an unexpected invitation.

00:53:00.949 --> 00:53:04.608
I see Tricia Lee's hand raised.
Tricia Lee?

00:53:04.608 --> 00:53:05.828
(Tricia Lee) Yes, I think

00:53:05.828 --> 00:53:07.518
about the thief on the cross.

00:53:07.518 --> 00:53:10.294
He is guilty, and he is in the midst

00:53:10.294 --> 00:53:13.747
of being punished for his crime or crimes,

00:53:13.747 --> 00:53:16.823
and God extends salvation to him.

00:53:16.823 --> 00:53:19.394
He has no chance to come down and live

00:53:19.394 --> 00:53:22.104
a reformed life or do good things.

00:53:22.104 --> 00:53:24.498
It is simply the faith, grace, and mercy

00:53:24.498 --> 00:53:26.851
of God because we believe and know

00:53:26.851 --> 00:53:30.793
that He is saved still hanging
on that cross.

00:53:30.793 --> 00:53:32.231
(Derek) Beautiful. Wow, that's

00:53:32.231 --> 00:53:33.745
an amazing one.

00:53:33.745 --> 00:53:35.793
I see Gleny's hand raised, too.

00:53:35.793 --> 00:53:37.901
Gleny, somebody else that received

00:53:37.901 --> 00:53:40.546
an unexpected invitation to be part

00:53:40.546 --> 00:53:43.701
of this banquet which symbolizes

00:53:43.701 --> 00:53:45.917
the Kingdom and said, "Yes!"

00:53:45.917 --> 00:53:47.861
(Gleny) There's Matthew, who was

00:53:47.861 --> 00:53:51.987
a very bad candidate for being a disciple

00:53:51.987 --> 00:53:53.691
of Christ's because he was hated

00:53:53.691 --> 00:53:55.659
as a tax collector, but he accepted

00:53:55.659 --> 00:53:57.369
the invitation to follow Christ.

00:53:57.369 --> 00:53:58.980
(Derek) Yeah, I hope that Matthew

00:53:58.980 --> 00:54:00.776
and Zacchaeus got to be good friends,

00:54:00.776 --> 00:54:02.994
you know, both tax collectors. Sophia.

00:54:02.994 --> 00:54:03.775
(Sophia) Paul.

00:54:03.775 --> 00:54:06.973
(Derek) Saul of Tarsus, what was he doing

00:54:06.973 --> 00:54:09.060
before he accepted the invitation?

00:54:09.060 --> 00:54:11.226
(Sophia) Persecuting Christians,
killing them.

00:54:11.226 --> 00:54:12.707
(Derek) Persecuting Christians!

00:54:12.707 --> 00:54:15.806
Killing people, forcing them to blaspheme

00:54:15.806 --> 00:54:17.744
the name of Jesus!

00:54:17.744 --> 00:54:19.118
And he gets an invitation.

00:54:19.118 --> 00:54:21.556
Where was he when he got the invitation?

00:54:21.556 --> 00:54:23.410
On the Damascus road, and when he

00:54:23.410 --> 00:54:25.911
got to Damascus, he gets the invitation,

00:54:25.911 --> 00:54:28.567
and he says, "Yes."

00:54:28.567 --> 00:54:29.803
Now, tragically, I wish we

00:54:29.803 --> 00:54:30.869
could just end there,

00:54:30.869 --> 00:54:32.324
but remember there's a choice.

00:54:32.324 --> 00:54:33.725
So, someone, you're watching,

00:54:33.725 --> 00:54:35.456
and you're going, "But you're saying

00:54:35.456 --> 00:54:36.415
people could say no.

00:54:36.415 --> 00:54:37.905
Maybe everybody will be saved."

00:54:37.905 --> 00:54:39.725
Can you think of someone who received

00:54:39.725 --> 00:54:43.365
a surprise invitation and said no?

00:54:43.365 --> 00:54:44.973
(Samantha) The rich young ruler.

00:54:44.973 --> 00:54:46.668
(Derek) Alright, Samantha mentioned

00:54:46.668 --> 00:54:49.172
the rich young ruler who Jesus says,

00:54:49.172 --> 00:54:51.632
"Get rid of the stuff

00:54:51.632 --> 00:54:55.084
that's getting in the way and follow Me,"

00:54:55.084 --> 00:54:57.097
and he walked away.

00:54:57.097 --> 00:54:59.267
Anybody else? Yes, Harold.

00:54:59.267 --> 00:55:01.507
(Harold) Judas Iscariot, unfortunately.

00:55:01.507 --> 00:55:02.618
(Derek) After being one

00:55:02.618 --> 00:55:05.202
of the close team members of Jesus,

00:55:05.202 --> 00:55:11.886
Judas Iscariot rejected the invitation.

00:55:11.886 --> 00:55:12.605
And, of course,

00:55:12.605 --> 00:55:17.010
there's a shocking realization

00:55:17.010 --> 00:55:18.480
that when we walk away

00:55:18.480 --> 00:55:20.546
from the love of God,

00:55:20.546 --> 00:55:25.551
there is no hope, there really isn't.

00:55:25.551 --> 00:55:29.735
And tragically, he hangs himself.

00:55:29.735 --> 00:55:31.212
But the love of God gives us

00:55:31.212 --> 00:55:34.353
a reason to live.

00:55:34.353 --> 00:55:35.899
What's the most important lesson

00:55:35.899 --> 00:55:37.543
you've learned in our study today?

00:55:37.543 --> 00:55:39.234
We've got a few seconds to wrap up.

00:55:39.234 --> 00:55:41.718
Most important lesson, anybody. Puia.

00:55:41.718 --> 00:55:43.460
(Puia) God is faithful even when we

00:55:43.460 --> 00:55:44.749
are not faithful.

00:55:44.749 --> 00:55:46.414
(Derek) But we can then choose...

00:55:46.414 --> 00:55:47.536
(Puia) To be faithful.

00:55:47.536 --> 00:55:49.905
(Derek) ...and to receive His love.
Yes, Samantha.

00:55:49.905 --> 00:55:51.862
(Samantha) God's love knows no bounds.

00:55:51.862 --> 00:55:53.172
(Derek) It knows no bounds.

00:55:53.172 --> 00:55:57.732
What's its only limit?

00:55:57.732 --> 00:55:58.451
(James) Us.

00:55:58.451 --> 00:56:00.588
(Derek) Us, that's right, James.

00:56:00.588 --> 00:56:01.744
I want to appeal to you.

00:56:01.744 --> 00:56:02.993
We're starting a series

00:56:02.993 --> 00:56:05.323
on <i>God's Love and Justice.</i>

00:56:05.323 --> 00:56:07.957
I want to testify by the Word of God

00:56:07.957 --> 00:56:09.855
that Jesus loves you.

00:56:09.855 --> 00:56:12.402
He came to reveal the Father's love

00:56:12.402 --> 00:56:13.685
who has loved you

00:56:13.685 --> 00:56:15.697
since the foundation of the world.

00:56:15.697 --> 00:56:18.444
And He wants you to experience

00:56:18.444 --> 00:56:20.102
an intimate relationship with Him,

00:56:20.102 --> 00:56:22.365
to spend forever with Him.

00:56:22.365 --> 00:56:23.902
You say, "Derek, you don't know

00:56:23.902 --> 00:56:24.980
the things I've done."

00:56:24.980 --> 00:56:26.715
It doesn't matter what you've done;

00:56:26.715 --> 00:56:28.246
He can cleanse you, forgive you

00:56:28.246 --> 00:56:29.634
of your sin, and give you

00:56:29.634 --> 00:56:31.313
the gift of eternal life.

00:56:31.313 --> 00:56:32.422
I want to appeal to you

00:56:32.422 --> 00:56:33.667
to accept His love today.

00:56:33.667 --> 00:56:35.888
You say, "Derek, I did that long ago."

00:56:35.888 --> 00:56:37.878
Then, would you tell someone around you?

00:56:37.878 --> 00:56:40.497
Would you tell someone who needs to know

00:56:40.497 --> 00:56:43.438
really what God is like?

00:56:43.438 --> 00:56:44.407
Let's pray together.

00:56:44.407 --> 00:56:45.415
Father in Heaven,

00:56:45.415 --> 00:56:47.585
we're just starting this journey,

00:56:47.585 --> 00:56:49.597
studying about Your love and justice.

00:56:49.597 --> 00:56:52.007
And I pray that Your Holy Spirit

00:56:52.007 --> 00:56:54.417
would give supernatural revelation,

00:56:54.417 --> 00:56:56.893
even as a result of this study,

00:56:56.893 --> 00:56:59.530
of Your beautiful character of love,

00:56:59.530 --> 00:57:01.787
that You will never stop loving us.

00:57:01.787 --> 00:57:03.505
May we open our hearts to receive

00:57:03.505 --> 00:57:05.257
Your love, even today.

00:57:05.257 --> 00:57:07.118
In Jesus' name. Amen.

00:57:07.118 --> 00:57:08.232
(Team) Amen.

00:57:08.232 --> 00:57:09.617
(Derek) Thanks for joining us

00:57:09.617 --> 00:57:10.774
for Hope Sabbath School.

00:57:10.774 --> 00:57:13.395
This is going to be an amazing journey.

00:57:13.395 --> 00:57:15.175
You say, "Derek, it's going to change

00:57:15.175 --> 00:57:17.197
my picture of God." Praise God!

00:57:17.197 --> 00:57:19.663
See God for the awesome loving God

00:57:19.663 --> 00:57:20.810
that He really is.

00:57:20.810 --> 00:57:22.110
And, friend, don't keep

00:57:22.110 --> 00:57:24.260
that good news to yourself.

00:57:24.260 --> 00:57:26.021
Go out and be a blessing

00:57:26.021 --> 00:57:27.020
to those around you.

00:57:27.020 --> 00:57:52.123
♪ theme music ♪