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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're in the middle of an amazing series,
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Present Truth in Deuteronomy,
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amazing insights for our lives today.
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If you've missed anything in this series,
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go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess.
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You can watch the entire series
and be blessed.
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You can also download the same outline
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that we use in our study today.
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Our topic today, Turn Their Hearts.
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I read that, and I thought,
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"Lord, turn our hearts, too."
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It's about what God wants to do
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for each one of us,
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turning our hearts toward Him.
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So, welcome to Hope Sabbath School
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and welcome to the team.
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What a great series this is,
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Present Truth in Deuteronomy,
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and great to see you again.
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Great to have not only our Gideon's band
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in the studio - you know,
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reduced occupancy due to the pandemic -
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but we've got some
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joining us remotely today,
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and I just want to welcome
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Travis from Michigan.
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Travis, good to have you with us today.
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And I want to welcome Adison
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from British Columbia in Canada,
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good to see you Adison,
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always appreciate having you on the team.
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And good to see Amy from Maryland.
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Amy, great to have you with us again.
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And we're just so excited to expand
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our team through our remote team members.
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We're also happy to hear from you,
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our Hope Sabbath School members
around the world.
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You don't know how much we're blessed
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when you write to us at sshope@hopetv.org
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and share the miracles God's doing.
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You're like, "Well, it's just me,
just my life,"
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but, you know, that is an evidence
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that God is working through this ministry,
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so, thank you for writing to us.
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Thank you, Elizabeth,
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for writing to us from New Zealand.
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Elizabeth writes and says,
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"My husband and I would like to just say
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thank you for Hope Sabbath School."
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Listen, "We're not big media fans,
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but in our lockdown for COVID management,
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we discovered Hope Sabbath School."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) That's awesome,
"Now regularly enjoy
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being part of the class."
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Well, now, this is interesting, Sabina.
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"We rather like the smaller
lockdown version..."
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So, they like having five
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rather than twelve; well,
that's interesting.
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"...perhaps because we get to know
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the members better during the time.
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My husband teaches
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a teens' Sabbath School,
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and I teach a young adult class,
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so it's very nice to have some time
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with the Hope Sabbath School team
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to recharge our batteries."
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Elizabeth, thanks so much for writing.
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It sounds like Elizabeth and her husband
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are really engaged in ministry.
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"I especially love the Scripture songs
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provided by your wife.
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We appreciate also the good modeling
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that's demonstrated when you share
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leadership with other team members,
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even though we're totally happy with you."
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Well, Elizabeth, that's pretty kind
of you to say,
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but you know it is exciting
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to see team members teaching,
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because then another young adult,
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maybe in Nigeria, maybe in Australia,
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says, "Well, if God could use Jason,
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like He did in this series,
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or Sabina or Brittany, God could use me."
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Not all of us will be teaching,
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but we've got tens of thousands
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of people downloading the outline.
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And so, Elizabeth, thank you
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for your encouraging word
from New Zealand.
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Julia writes from the country of Georgia,
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not the state of Georgia
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but former USSR, Georgia,
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and she's from Papua New Guinea.
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You say, "How did she
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end up in the country of Georgia?"
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Well, she says, "The church I attend,
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they only speak Russian,
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and I do not understand Russian at all.
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So, I praise God that you are
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a blessing to me for my Bible study.
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Every Sabbath morning, I join
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with Hope Sabbath School
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before going to church." Amen?
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Wow, give Julia a wave there
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in the country of Georiga.
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Yeah, great to have this note.
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"Thank you; your faces
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burst with enthusiasm
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in studying the Word of God;
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you show that you have
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walked with God before you share."
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And we say thank you, Jesus, right?
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"I particularly would like to mention
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Harold and Brittany," well,
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they're actually with us today, Julia.
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They're sitting here, Harold and Brittany;
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they're actually related, you know.
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They just happen to be sitting one
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in front of each other, husband and wife.
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"Thank you for your excellent example
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of a husband and wife team
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studying the Bible." Amen?
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(Harold) Amen.
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(Derek) That's a beautiful testimony.
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"You're a blessing to the global community
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in sharing the Word of God.
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Your testimonies are blessing so many.
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Keep up the good work.
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The least I can do is pray for you
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to reach out to many more."
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Well, Julia, what you've impressed us with
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through your email is that even the way
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we share together here,
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even the way we smile,
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even the way we interact together,
is a witness.
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And we thank you for writing to us.
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Well, here is one
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of those old-fashioned notes.
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We still get those sometimes
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that are sent to us,
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and this one is from a donor in Texas
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in the United States of America.
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And the donor writes and says...
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And we don't read the name, you know,
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but we do want to say thank you,
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because we're a donor-supported ministry.
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In fact, God may impress you today
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to say, "I want to be a part
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of this miracle, too,"
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and I'll tell you how in just a moment.
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The donor writes, "I started
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watching Hope Sabbath School
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about two years ago.
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I feel blessed and encouraged
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when I watch the program.
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I appreciate how you provide insight
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about the Word of God
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and give personal stories
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that indicate the love of God
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is moving in your hearts."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "Please accept this gift
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to continue the ministry
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of Hope Sabbath School,"
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and a donation of 100 dollars.
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I want to say thank you, Texas.
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You know who you are
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because I just read your note,
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but I want to thank each one of you
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for partnering with us.
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If you'd like to learn how you can be part
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of this Impact Movement
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that God's using to bless
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more than 200 countries around the world,
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write to us at sshope@hopetv.org,
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and I'd like to personally respond to you
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and tell how you can partner with us.
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Or you can go to our website,
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hopetv.org/hopess.
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You will make a difference
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when you click on that donate button.
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You will make a difference,
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because as a donor-supported ministry,
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we're working together; we're
volunteers, right,
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to see God's work be accomplished
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and Jesus come soon.
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Well, here's a note
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from Lazaro in Tanzania.
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Lazaro says, "Hello, brothers
and sisters."
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(Team) Hello!
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(Derek) "My first time writing to you,
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but it doesn't mean that it's
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the first time for me
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making follow-ups of this program, no.
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I've been following you
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for about a year now,
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and sure every time
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I see you on the program,
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I don't want it to come to an end.
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Apart from learning for myself,
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I also share with my family
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and my church members,
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because I am a Bible teacher," praise God.
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"May God of heaven keep using
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Hope Sabbath School
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and bless you beyond your expectations."
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Well, he lives in the Southern Highlands
of Tanzania.
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Lazaro, thanks for writing to us.
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Every nation, kindred, tongue
and people. Amen?
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We're just so happy you're part
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of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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And one last note,
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from the United States of America,
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from Rhode Island; that's one
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of the small states, right, Jason,
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Rhode Island here on the Eastern Seaboard.
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And Mary Lou writes and says,
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"My husband and I watch
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Hope Sabbath School all the time.
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We enjoy it so much
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and receive many blessings.
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Love all the members and miss them
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when they're not there.
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I'm thankful for what you do.
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Did I say I love all the members?"
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Mary Lou, thanks for writing
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to us from Rhode Island,
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and we feel like we're part
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of a big family, don't we?
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And, Jesus said that's actually a sign
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that, "You're My disciples
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if you love one another."
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And right now, if God loves us
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with an immeasurable and unfailing love,
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He wants to turn hearts toward Him
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so that they can choose life.
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But before we study,
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we have a song to sing.
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It's our theme song for this series,
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from Deuteronomy 31:6,
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"Be strong and of good courage."
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Let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) Let's pray together,
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Father in heaven, thank You so much
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that we can study
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Present Truth in Deuteronomy today.
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As we see the appeal of Moses
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at the end of his life,
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appealing to people to turn
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their hearts toward God,
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I pray the Holy Spirit would speak
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to hearts today across the world
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as we, Hope Sabbath School members, study,
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turning our hearts more fully toward You
than ever before.
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Please bless, I pray in the powerful name
of Jesus. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) we're going to begin our study
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in Deuteronomy, chapter 4.
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Brittany, would you read for us
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verses 22 through 26.
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It's a prophecy that the prophet Moses
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gave regarding the children of Israel
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after they finally settled.
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Now, remember,
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they're on the borders of Canaan, right?
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But Moses has been told
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he is not going to actually go into Canaan
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but he gives this prophecy
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under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
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Let's read together Deuteronomy 4:22-26.
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(Brittany) And I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) Now, that's a sad prophecy,
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and by the way, Moses
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was not allowed to enter the land.
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What was it that he did,
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do you remember, Sabina, that caused
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the Lord to say, "You've spoken..."?
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We don't need to read the text,
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but do you remember the story?
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He did something that, well, it said
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something about God that wasn't true.
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Do you remember what it was?
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He was told to speak
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to the rock, Brittany.
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(Brittany) He was told
to speak to the rock,
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and water would come out,
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but instead he struck the rock.
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(Derek) Twice.
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(Brittany) Yup, two times.
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(Derek) He struck the rock
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at the beginning, as God told him,
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but this was all a symbol of what,
who's the Rock?
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(Brittany) Christ.
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(Derek) Christ was the Rock,
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and Christ would only die one time.
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So, he would then just need to come...
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Doesn't the Bible say we can come boldly?
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(Team) Yes.
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(Derek) Yeah, in the name of Jesus,
we come boldly.
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So, you say, "Well, that
wasn't very fair."
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But actually, we'll discover
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in a later study that God had something
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really special in mind for Moses.
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And Moses was loved by God.
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But here's this warning,
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a prophecy of apostasy.
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When was that fulfilled?
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Does anybody know how quickly
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after entering into Canaan
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did the children of Israel
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turn to foreign gods? Harold?
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(Harold) After the death of Joshua,
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because after Moses we see
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that Joshua took his place.
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But after he died, then we see
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this lack of leadership.
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And all of a sudden tons of people
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are following foreign gods
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of the surrounding nations.
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(Derek) You're absolutely right.
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Amy, I wonder if you could read for us
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from Judges, chapter 2.
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There's a theme...Judges 2:7-13.
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There's a theme in the book of Judges.
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Do you know what it is?
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"And everyone did what was right..."?
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(Derek, Team) "...in their own eyes."
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(Derek) So, that's the problem, isn't it?
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Instead of saying, "God,
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what do You want me to do?"
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wanting to do what seems right
"in my own eyes."
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And let's see where they ended up.
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Amy, read for us, if you would,
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from Judges 2, verses 7 through 13.
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(Amy) Okay, and I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) Now, it says
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they didn't know the Lord.
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What does that mean, Jason?
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They must have known about Him, right?
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(Jason) Yeah, they definitely knew about,
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because they still had the stories,
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but they didn't have the relationship.
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There wasn't emotional, spiritual knowing.
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They only had academic,
intellectual knowledge.
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(Derek) I'm thinking, later Jesus
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would say, "This is life eternal,
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that they might know Thee."
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That's talking about an intimate
relationship, isn't it?
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So, they knew about God,
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but they didn't know Him,
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and the result: apostasy.
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But let's see what else Moses prophesied.
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John, if you could read on for us
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in Deuteronomy, chapter 4,
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verses 27 and 28.
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(John) Deuteronomy, chapter 4,
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verses 27 and 28, I'm reading
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from the King James Version; it says:
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(Derek) And when was that fulfilled,
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that "scattering," anybody know? Jason?
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(Jason) Well, that was the end
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of the period of the kings.
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It happened for both Israel and Judah,
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when Assyria took away
the Northern kingdom,
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and then Babylon came
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and took away the Southern kingdom.
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It was several hundred years,
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but it eventually was fulfilled there.
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(Derek) That's right, starting
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in, what, the eighth century,
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end of the eighth century,
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and then down 605, I think Daniel,
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and then in the 500s,
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later when more are taken captive.
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So, this prophecy was also fulfilled.
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Now, I want to ask you a question.
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Was it inevitable? Maybe I can ask Adison.
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Adison, joining us from British Columbia,
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was it inevitable that these prophecies
would be fulfilled?
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Could they have repented?
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Or, did it have to be that way,
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that they would serve idols
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and eventually be scattered?
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What do you think, Adison?
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(Adison) Pastor Derek,
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that's such a phenomenal question,
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and I'll say this, I believe
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it was a conditional prophecy.
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I believe that if they had stayed
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close to the Lord (as the Lord had said,
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He is their life), if they
had clung to Him,
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if He had been their life support
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through thick and thin,
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they would have been facing
a different outcome.
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(Derek) Can you think of an example
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of that in Scripture?
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Yes, Travis, think of an example?
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(Travis) I'm thinking of the story
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of Jonah, you know,
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when he went to Nineveh.
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And he said that the city
would be destroyed.
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And, of course, we know from the story
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that it wasn't destroyed.
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And I forgot, but in the book of Jeremiah,
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it says somewhere in the book of Jeremiah,
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that when someone makes a prophecy,
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if that people repent,
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that that prophecy would not be fulfilled.
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So, I believe that if the children
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of Israel had stayed close to God,
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that this would not have happend.
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(Derek) And even if the children of Israel
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as a people had chosen
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to go after other gods...
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Finish the sentence for me.
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Even if, as a people, they'd chosen
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to go after other gods, still, what?
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(Sabina) Still there would be hope
for those who were remnant...
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(Derek) That's right! Absolutely, Sabina.
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There's always hope for the remnant
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that says, "We're not going to do that."
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An example on the plain of Dura,
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a whole bunch of people bowed down.
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Now, if I understand correctly,
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there were many other young people
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taken captive besides Daniel,
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Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
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but everybody else bowed down.
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So, we still have a choice, don't we?
Yes, Sabina.
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(Sabina) And by the way, Pastor Derek,
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the entire book of Deuteronomy,
actually,
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which we already discussed
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how it's a reinforcing of the law,
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what would be the point
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of reinforcing, giving so much warning,
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if they had no choice?
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What would be the point
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of insisting they choose life
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if they could not repent
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and could not turn away in the future
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from potential harm?
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So, I definitely think that they
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could have done much better.
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(Derek) Alright. Yes, John.
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(John) It reminds me also
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of the story of Belshazzar.
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His grandfather, of course,
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followed other gods, but he repented.
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(Derek) Nebuchadnezzar, right?
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(John) Yeah, Nebuchadnezzar.
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But Belshazzar, although he knew
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what God had done to his grandfather,
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he did not obey the God that he worshiped.
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So, it's very interesting
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to see that same pattern.
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(Derek) And by the way, when Daniel
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kind of rebukes him there in Daniel 5,
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he says, "And you knew
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all these things, O king," right? Jason?
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(Jason) And building off that idea,
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there's a distinction between nations
and individuals.
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And so, well, what was going
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to happen with Babylon,
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we knew that the head of gold,
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it was going to end,
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it didn't have to be with Belshazzar.
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(Derek) And by the way, that would be true
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for today, wouldn't it, folks?
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Just because I'm part of the church,
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I've still got a choice,
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an individual choice to make, right?
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And if a church that I'm a part of...
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Some people have written to me
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and said, "Pastor, I feel like my church
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has gone away from the Bible."
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Does that mean that that church member
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has to also go away from the Bible?
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(Team) No.
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(Derek) Well, that's what the Reformation
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was all about, wasn't it?
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We're trying to protest
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going away from the Bible.
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Bring people back to the Word of God.
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Well, we want to go on with this prophecy,
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because the good news is,
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that even the prophecy
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about apostasy, idolatry, captivity,
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is not without hope.
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Harold, can you read for us, please,
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Deuteronomy 4 and verse 29?
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(Harold) Yes, and I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version; it reads:
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(Derek) "From there," where's
the "there" again?
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(John) Captivity.
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(Derek) From captivity,
that's right, John.
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From your place where you've ended up
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because of your failures, "You will..."?
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(Harold) Seek the Lord.
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(Derek) Seek the Lord, how?
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(Team) With all of your heart.
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(Derek) With all your heart.
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Does that remind you of another verse
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in the Bible, anybody?
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It's actually a contemporary prophet
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during the captivity.
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Who was that, that spoke
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about "with all your heart"?
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Do you remember that?
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(Team) Jeremiah.
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(Derek) Jeremiah, that's right.
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John, could you read that for us
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in Jeremiah, chapter 29,
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verses 11 through 14.
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So, that makes me wonder,
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do you think Jeremiah was aware
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of the prophecy of Moses?
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(Team) Oh, yes.
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(Derek) Absolutely. The Holy Spirit says,
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"Don't forget what I said
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through the prophet Moses," right?
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How does Jeremiah repeat that concept,
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John, in Jeremiah 29, verses 11 to 14?
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(John) Reading from the King James
Version, and it says:
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(Derek) So, Travis, I have
-
a question for you: Why is it important
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to seek the Lord with all our heart?
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Is God trying to hide from us?
-
I mean, in the Garden of Eden,
-
it's God who is looking
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for the sinful pair, right,
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the ones who have just made a poor choice.
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Why do we have to seek God
-
with all of our heart?
-
(Travis) Well, Derek, I'm thinking
-
of a Bible verse; I'm thinking
-
of the book of Matthew, where it says,
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"No one, having set their hand to the plow
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and looking back, has eternal life."
-
I think of another, I think it's in Mark,
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where it's talking about the end of time,
-
and the things going on.
-
It says, "Remember Lot's wife."
-
So, there's no middle ground.
-
We can't serve two masters.
-
The Bible says we'll love one
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and hate the other.
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And so, when we turn
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to God with all our heart,
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it's then that He can work
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in us and through us to change us,
-
to be a blessing to others.
-
But there is no middle ground.
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(Derek) So, I was thinking about that,
-
and I'll come to your point, Adison.
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It's true with love.
-
I mean, you know, if I said to my wife,
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"I'll love you on Mondays and Thursdays,"
-
what would you say?
-
That can't be true love, right?
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You can't just love
-
on Mondays and Thursdays,
-
if you're going to love
-
with all your heart,
-
it will be a total commitment.
-
Not that God is requiring that
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in order to accept us.
-
He's seeking for us.
-
It's like Travis said,
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there really is no other way, is there?
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Adison, you want to add to that?
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(Adison) Yeah, I thought of one word
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that, when I think about this subject,
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I think of the word impartiality.
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The only way to have
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a relationship with God,
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a constant relationship,
-
is to go into it without a divided heart,
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to say, "Lord, I'm completely Yours,
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surrendering to You each and every day.
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No impartiality. I am all Yours."
-
(Derek) So, let's think about that
-
in terms of the context.
-
It's a time of failure,
-
but the prophecy is,
-
in this time of failure,
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"If you seek Me with all of your heart,
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you will find Me.
-
P.S., I'm not trying
-
to hide from you," right?
-
But, "You seek Me with all of your heart."
-
Can you think of a Bible character
-
who experienced - and there are
-
probably many of them - terrible failure,
-
but rather than choosing to give up
-
and be eternally lost,
-
he or she said, "I'm going to seek
-
the Lord with all my heart"?
-
Amy, can you think of someone
-
that comes to your mind?
-
Said, "I'm not going to give up.
-
I'm not going to," yeah, "despair;
-
I'm going to seek God with all my heart."
-
Who comes to your mind?
-
(Amy) I think David comes
to my mind first.
-
You know, after his terrible sin
-
and fall with Bathsheba,
-
one of the famous quotes
-
in the Bible maybe, or one of the songs
-
that's made from a Bible verse
-
is, "Create in me a clean heart."
-
You know, it's this whole idea
-
of seeking God with his whole heart
-
and recognizing that God is the One
-
who can change the heart, too.
-
(Derek) Oh, I can imagine...
-
That's a great illustration, Amy.
-
I can imagine, if King David
was listening,
-
he'd say, "Amy, it wasn't just
-
that adulterous affair with Bathsheba,
-
but I also killed her husband,
-
who was more honorable
-
in his conduct than I was,
-
and I brought shame to the name of God."
-
But you're absolutely right, Amy.
-
He said, "I'm going to seek God.
-
Create in me a clean heart.
-
I'm going to seek God
-
with my whole heart."
-
And he found forgiveness,
right? Hallelujah.
-
Brittany, can you think of another story?
-
(Brittany) I think of Peter,
-
the disciple of Christ,
-
and how Jesus had warned him
-
that, "You will deny Me
-
before the rooster crows," and Peter did.
-
And afterwards, he was very sorrowful.
-
He repented, and Jesus,
-
when He arose from the dead,
-
came and had a conversation with him
-
where He restored him,
-
not just to this loving relationship
with Himself,
-
but He restored him to go and serve
-
and bring others to Him.
-
And it was beautiful to see, He asks him
-
three times, "Do you love Me?"
-
And Peter responds, "You know
-
I love You, Lord; You know all things."
-
And so, we see that even someone
-
who was walking with Jesus
-
for three-and-a-half years
-
committed a great failure,
-
but God restored him
-
and gave him a mission to go
-
and find others who had
-
maybe made the same mistake,
-
that they could come back
-
to the Savior as well.
-
(Derek) And that story of Peter,
-
Simon Peter, paralleled with Judas.
-
You know, both denied Jesus,
-
and one opted for despair, right?
-
And the other one opted
-
to seek the Lord with his whole heart.
-
And, as we mentioned in a previous study,
-
Jesus not only forgave him,
-
but He gave him an important mission.
-
You know, that's the grace
of God, isn't it?
-
So, when we read this prophecy of Moses
-
in Deuteronomy, chapter 4,
-
it really is a prophecy of hope.
-
Now, I want to give a testimony.
-
People write and say, "I appreciate
-
how people are willing to share."
-
Can you think of a time,
-
a time when you experienced failure,
-
but you said, "I'm going to choose
-
not to give up in despair,
-
but seek God with my whole heart"?
-
Now, because some people
-
may be watching and saying, "Well,
-
the Hope Sabbath School members
-
are all perfect, and they don't
-
understand how I feel.
-
They don't understand."
-
"I've experienced failures in my life,
-
but God showed mercy to me."
-
Jason, people will probably say, "Jason
-
has never had a problem in his life,"
-
but we're all on the planet, right?
-
We're all sinners in need of grace.
-
Can you think of a time of failure,
-
when, instead of giving up -
-
which, by the way,
-
who tempts us to give up?
-
The enemy, right, "Curse God
and die," right?
-
But instead, you said, "No,
-
I'm going to seek God with all my heart."
-
(Jason) Yeah, so, during the time
-
when I was in high school,
-
I was in a high school that had
-
a lot of spiritual emphasis
-
and really helped me grow spiritually.
-
But then during the summers,
-
I would leave school,
-
and I would be back home.
-
I mean, home was a good place,
-
but also, I'm with friends and others
-
who could guide me
-
in other different directions.
-
I remember there was one summer,
-
particularly, where, being separated
-
from the spiritual connection
I had at the school
-
was really hitting me hard.
-
And so, I was feeling that,
-
and I was wanting to replace it
-
with whatever I could.
-
And so, that summer I really got
-
into watching all these kinds of movies
and TV media.
-
There were a lot of things
-
that were not godly,
-
and I was just desperate for something.
-
And so, I was just spending my time
-
absorbed in all this media
-
that was not good for me.
-
And there was about a two-week period
-
that was really dark during my life
-
during that time,
-
and I felt, like, darkness.
-
But I felt kind of trapped.
-
I was like, "I know this bad.
-
I know I shouldn't be doing this,
-
but I'm just desperate."
-
And so, I was just in this dark period.
-
And then after about two weeks there,
-
I finally was like, "Lord,
-
I can't stand this anymore.
-
Lord, I've got to give myself
back to You."
-
And I really just kind of...
-
I think I would open my Bible.
-
I just started praying.
-
I was like, "Lord, please,
-
get me out of this situaton."
-
And thankfully I was able
-
to go on a little bit of a trip
-
and move out of that situation.
-
And then a couple weeks later,
-
I was back at school.
-
I was in my spiritual atmosphere,
-
and I was able to talk with others
-
who were able to encourage
and strengthen me.
-
And that really kind of helped restore me.
-
That time was dark; it was difficult,
-
but I realized that by having
the Word of God
-
and being able to surround myself
-
with others who could give me
-
spiritual encouragement, particularly
-
at a time that I really needed it,
-
that got me through that dark time.
-
(Derek) I learned something here,
-
Maybe someone on the team,
-
you want to react.
-
But it sounded like environment
-
was an important factor,
-
either negatively or positively.
-
Amy, I see you nodding.
-
Why is environment so important?
-
You say, "Well, I'm free.
-
I can choose whatever."
-
Why does environment
-
affect people so much?
-
(Amy) That's a really good question,
-
and I think that there are
a number of reasons.
-
But a lot of times the world
-
looks a little bit better
than following God,
-
And I know, as a parent of young people,
-
teenagers and now getting
into their twenties,
-
you know, a lot of times our church
-
and God's Word looks more like
-
a list of do's and dont's
-
rather than a welcoming
-
and inviting place to be.
-
And so, I think that the world
-
really does have a draw,
-
especially on our young people,
but any of us.
-
And, you know, again it's Satan.
-
He's good at what he does, unfortunately.
-
(Derek) You know, I can remember
-
(this is my personal testimony),
-
I can remember, in public high school,
-
I did live in a Christian family,
but when I was
-
with my non-Christian friends,
-
I would act a certain way.
-
I would talk differently.
-
And the environment, that would mean
-
I ought to choose my environment
-
carefully, right, Harold?
-
Travis, I see you responding
-
to that concept of choosing
-
your environment carefully.
-
(Travis) Well, Derek, it wasn't
-
an environment I guess I chose.
-
I come from a broken family,
-
and at 15 I went and lived with somebody
-
who lived obviously contrary
-
to the will of God.
-
Like, I had never sworn
-
or did anything like that before,
-
so I kind of, from 15
-
on into my 20s and 30s,
-
I grew up in this environment.
-
And I began cursing, and I began drinking
-
and smoking and chewing tobacco
-
and living an adulterous lifestyle,
-
I mean, just really bad.
-
So now here, just thinking of Peter
-
as was just mentioned, I'm thinking,
-
coming out of that,
-
Satan reminds us constantly
-
of our failures and our past.
-
And it means so much more, John 3:16
-
means so much more to me now
-
because I have to believe
-
that Jesus forgives me.
-
I have to believe that Jesus
-
can change the ways.
-
But the surroundings
-
and the environments in which we're in
-
have a profound impact on our lives.
-
It completely changed the person I am,
-
and, praise God, I am being changed again
-
into a new person
-
because I have a life with Jesus.
-
(Derek) And maybe a tribute, Travis,
-
there was a gentleman that God used,
-
a godly man that God used
-
to help turn your heart.
-
We're going to talk aobut turning hearts.
-
What was his name, and how did he help you
-
to seek the Lord with all your heart?
-
(Travis) Well, Derek, there were
-
actually several people along the way,
-
so I don't want to give credit
-
to one particular person.
-
But the very first person was a man
-
by the name of Randy
-
who was in the mountains of Wyoming.
-
He was leaned back
-
and kicked up on a chair
-
at a cabin in the mountains.
-
He started talking to me about God.
-
And that was my first introduction,
-
but there have been many people
along the way.
-
God has put people in to start
-
steering me and leading me back.
-
(Derek) That's a beautiful story,
-
and that's an interesting thought,
-
that God uses a variety of people.
-
And God not only accepted you
-
when you sought Him with your whole heart,
but He put you
-
onto the Hope Sabbath School team, Travis,
-
great to have you here.
-
We want to go on to the next verse,
-
and, Sabina, if you could read fo rus
-
Deuteronomy 4 and verse 30.
-
There is so much in these few verses,
-
right, present truth for our lives today
-
because it speaks about turning
to the Lord.
-
Could you read for us
-
Deuteronomy 4, verse 30?
-
(Sabina) Yes, I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
and it says:
-
(Derek) And you're going to stop there
-
because we're going to read verse 31
-
in a minute to see what God will do,
-
but let's explore that phrase
-
"turn to the Lord."
-
Brittany, is that talking
-
about, "Oh, the Lord's there,
-
and so I'm turning my body"?
-
What does it mean to, "Turn to the Lord"?
-
(Brittany) I think of the word repentance.
-
Repentance means turn towards God,
-
or turn away from sin.
-
And so, we all have choices.
-
We talked about this in our last lesson.
-
Choose life or choose death,
-
God is giving us the choice.
-
He's right there waiting.
-
He's right next to us.
-
And He never leaves us nor forsakes us,
-
but He doesn't force us.
-
So, when it says, "Turn,"
-
it's giving us the opportunity to choose.
-
Am I going to choose to follow God,
-
or am I going to choose to go my own way?
-
(Derek) Adison, you want to add to that?
-
What does it mean to turn to the Lord?
-
(Adison) Well, can I use an analogy?
-
I thought of being on a road;
-
you're driving down a long,
maybe, interstate.
-
And you see all these signs
-
that are telling you not to go that way.
-
It's like a road to destruction.
-
And finally, you see the signs,
-
you believe the signs, and you see
-
what's good in the opposite direction,
-
and you make a U-turn.
-
You make a complete "360" maybe,
-
or I should say "180,"
-
and you go the other way,
and you serve the Lord.
-
(Derek) I can remember one time
-
on a divided highway,
-
and someone got on, and they
-
were driving on the wrong side
-
of the highway towards the rest of us.
-
And everybody's going, "Honk, honk!
-
Honk, honk, honk, honk!" to try,
-
and flashing their lights,
-
because if that person
-
doesn't make a U-turn,
-
they're going to have
-
a head-on collision, right?
-
So, great illustration, Adison. Travis?
-
(Travis) Just building off
-
of what Adison said,
-
the implication in the verse,
-
"Turn to the Lord,"
-
is that your back is to the Lord.
-
So, by implication, it's saying
-
that your back is to the Lord,
-
and that's not a good place, right?
-
We need to be "looking unto Jesus,
-
the author and finisher of our faith."
-
(Derek) And so, maybe the turning
-
is from looking down
-
or even looking at myself, my sin,
-
or my pleasures, or whatever,
-
and turning towards the Lord,
-
focusing on Him, making that choice.
-
That idea of the U-turn, though,
-
I like that; thank you, Adison.
-
That U-turn, I may actually have
-
to leave some things behind
-
or some intended destinations,
-
to use the image, right,
-
I'm heading on a...
-
What are some things
-
I might have to leave behind
-
when I say, "I'm going to turn to the Lord
-
and seek Him with my whole heart," Sabina?
-
(Sabina) I think that the first thing
-
we need to leave behind
-
is our own selfish desires,
-
you know, our own ideas
-
of what life is about
-
and even about who God is.
-
And so, letting the self go
-
and letting God, then, direct our lives.
-
For me, it's one of the steps.
-
(Derek) Letting go of our selfish desires.
-
Now, doesn't it say somewhere
-
in the Bible, "Trust in the Lord
-
with all your heart," right?
-
But I'm thinking of another one
-
where He will give you
-
the desire of your heart.
-
So, desires of our heart are not bad
-
as long as our heart is...(someone
finish the sentence).
-
(Brittany) In tune with God.
-
(Derek) Turned toward God, right?
-
Then I'm saying, "Oh, God,
-
I'm looking for a companion
-
who wlll love me and love You."
-
That's a good desire, right?
-
When my heart is turned to God,
-
it brings that into alignment. Jason?
-
(Jason) Sometimes we may need
-
to turn away from people.
-
They could be friends.
-
They could be family.
-
They could be even supervisors at work
-
or even teachers, anyone who
-
might have an influence on us
-
that isn't leading us towards God.
-
(Derek) You talked in your testimony
-
about turning away from certain forms
of media, right?
-
There may be some things
-
I need to leave behind. Yes, Adison.
-
(Adison) Yeah, so I was
-
thinking about this, and I think
-
it even applies to our future plans
and wonderings.
-
Like, "Lord, what would You have me to do?
What's Your plan?"
-
I still am sort of wrestling
-
with some of those questions,
-
but yet I'm constantly reminded,
-
and I praise God for this verse.
-
He brings it to my mind all the time;
it's Matthew 6:33
-
where He says, "Seek first."
-
Not seek second, not seek third,
but seek first,
-
make God your first priority.
-
"Seek first His kingdom
-
and His righteousness.
-
All these other things
-
shall be added unto you."
-
So, with future endeavors,
-
with the desires of your heart,
-
I mean, God is so good.
-
And I pray that He will
-
give me the strength and the faith
-
to continue to move forward by His grace.
-
(Derek) Amen. And we're praying
-
for you, Adison, because these are
-
important times as we think
-
about what we're going to do
with our lives.
-
I love the prayer of Saul of Tarsus.
-
He's about to be changed
-
to Paul the apostle.
-
He prays a simple prayer, "Lord,
-
what do You want me to do?"
-
I mean, that is just so simple.
-
I can remember that one.
-
"Lord, what do You want me to do?"
-
Amy, what are some things
-
you were thinking about we may have
-
to turn away from, or what were you
-
thinking as we talk about these choices
we're making?
-
(Amy) I was just going
-
to second what Adison said.
-
You know, sometimes our future plans.
-
I remember I was studying
-
with a young lady in Asia,
-
and she was on a fast track
-
to a high-paying career and was
-
building up a really good reputation,
-
popularity, within her business.
-
And she felt like God
-
was calling her away from that.
-
And even, she had a picture
-
of what her husband was going to look like
-
and who he was, even though she didn't
have a man in her life.
-
She just had this picture,
-
and she felt like she was
-
having to give that up.
-
And it was a struggle.
-
You know, sometimes turning to God
-
and leaving some of these things
behind us.
-
I think of Lot's wife.
-
She turned around and looked
-
because she was leaving something
-
that was important to her,
-
and it can be a challenge.
-
And I think that this is where
-
community is really important.
-
That, as we're turning away,
-
and as we have friends and colleagues
-
and family and disciples
-
who are turning away from God,
-
they need help and encouragement
-
and support as they're turning
-
away from whatever it is
-
that God is calling them away from.
-
(Derek) It may not always be easy, right?
-
It may not always be easy.
-
Sabina, I'm going to ask you
-
to continue reading.
-
You were ready to read verse 31, I know.
-
But, if we turn to the Lord,
-
there the prophet's writing,
-
Moses is writing;
-
this is his heartfelt appeal
to his people.
-
What does he tell us in the next verse,
-
in Deuteronomy 4, verse 31?
-
(Sabina) Okay, so I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
and it says:
-
(Derek) So, what's the word of hope?
-
(Sabina) He will not leave or forsake us.
-
(Derek) Right. If we turn to Him,
-
and we've used the wording
-
"with all our hearts,"
-
He's not hiding.
-
He's not pushing us away, right?
-
He's ready there to welcome us.
-
There's another verse that reinforces that
-
in the prophet Isaiah, chapter 55.
-
Travis, I think, if you
-
could find that for us...
-
We actually sang this
-
in one of our series,
-
on Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet.
-
I think it was our Scripture song.
-
Isaiah 55, verses 6 and 7.
-
Verses 6 and 7, how does
-
that read in your Bible?
-
(Travis) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) What a beautiful picture.
-
That reminds me of a New Testament
Jesus story.
-
What's the story that comes to your mind
-
when you hear that picture
-
of "He will abundantly pardon"?
-
(Harold) The woman who was caught
-
in adultery, and she was about
to be stoned.
-
And then we see Jesus
-
showing abundant mercy,
-
because He knew what was the intention
-
of the other people.
-
(Derek) Yeah, and I was thinking
-
of another one, too. Jason?
-
(Jason) The Prodigal Son?
-
(Derek) Right, how does the father respond
-
to this wayward son who has clearly been
-
in a place of failure, right?
-
How does he respond to him,
-
as recorded in Luke 15, Jason?
-
You don't need to read it...
-
(Jason) So, I'll share the story.
-
So, he's sitting there; he's waiting
-
to see when his son will come.
-
And when he sees him afar off,
-
he literally runs out to him,
-
even though he's this high official.
-
And he doesn't care
-
about any of his customs or anything.
-
And then he's crying, and he hugs him.
-
It's a very emotionally intense experience
-
of love and receiving him back.
-
(Derek) Absolutely amazing.
-
And, by the way, and we're going to go on
-
and talk about when we turn;
-
there'll be changes in our behavior.
-
What changes - let's take
-
the Prodigal Son as an example -
-
what changes has that son already made
-
before he gets embraced by his father?
-
There are several key changes. John?
-
(John) He left his friends
-
that influenced him badly,
-
and he turned towards his father.
-
(Derek) He changed his environment, right?
-
"I'm leaving the pigpen." What else?
-
What other turn did he
-
have to make? Sabina.
-
(Sabina) I feel like that he was turning,
-
also, in honoring his father,
-
because he had left his family,
-
left his father, as if he had died,
-
as if the father had passed away.
-
And now he was honoring his father
-
according to God's command.
-
(Derek) Beautiful. To his father,
-
that he had basically said,
-
"I wish you were dead,"
-
now he's saying, "I know my father
-
is a man of love and honor and integrity.
-
I'm going to go and throw myself
-
on his mercy," basically, right? Jason?
-
(Jason) He made the decision to go home,
-
to come back home.
-
(Derek) Not just leave the pigpen,
-
but come back home.
-
But let's look at the prophet
John the Baptist,
-
John the Baptist, in Matthew, chapter 3.
-
He also speaks about the fact
-
(and, Jason, maybe you
-
could read that for us,
-
the first eight verses of Matthew 3)
-
that repentance will involve
-
some changes in behavior.
-
But please hear what we're saying.
-
That is not to earn the love of God.
-
He already loves us.
-
It's to get those things out of the way
-
that are hindering
-
a life-changing relationship with Him.
-
Matthew 3, Jason, verses 1 through 8.
-
(Jason) I have the New King James
Version here,
-
Matthew, chapter 3, verses 1 through 8:
-
(Derek) Now, in Luke's Gospel,
-
and, Amy, maybe you could read it
-
for us in Luke, chapter 3,
-
John the Baptist gets very specific.
-
You know how the synoptic Gospels
-
complement each other, and Luke,
-
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
-
records some very specific words
that this U-turn,
-
to use Adison's analogy there,
-
making a U-turn and saying, "I'm heading
-
on the road to destruction."
-
Everyone's honking; people of God
-
are flashing their headlights
-
and saying, "Wrong way."
-
What are some specifics, Amy,
-
that John the Baptist talks about
-
in Luke 3, verses 10 to 14?
-
(Amy) This is from the New King James
Version:
-
(Derek) What do they all have in common?
-
We're listening to some of those things;
-
what do they all have in common?
-
Anybody? Yes, Sabina?
-
(Sabina) It looks like they are curious
-
to know what they should be doing,
so they are asking questions.
-
(Derek) Okay, the people!
-
Thank you, my words weren't clear,
-
but the people, all in common
-
say that there have got
-
to be some changes, right? Thank you.
-
Now, let me ask the question again.
-
So, what do the things that John
-
asked them to do all have,
-
what do they all have in common?
Yes, Brittany.
-
(Brittany) It's all about how they
treat their neighbor.
-
(Derek) Okay.
-
(Brittany) Jesus talks about loving Him
first, and loving
-
our neighbor as we love ourselves.
-
So, it's all how they treat each other
-
that would reveal if they have
-
the love of God in their hearts.
-
(Derek) It's a shift, isn't it,
-
from you being the center of the world,
-
right, to thinking about how to care
for other people.
-
And that is an evidence of what?
-
Not just that you're trying
-
to be a nicer person...
-
(John) Love.
-
(Derek) That the love of God
-
is in your heart, right?
-
That you've connected
-
with the God of heaven who loves you
-
and also loves everyone around you.
-
And so, you're treating them differently,
-
whether you're a soldier
-
or a tax collector,
-
or whatever your occupation might be.
-
It's affecting the way
-
that you relate to those around you.
-
Now, one other change
-
that happens in this U-turn
-
is found in Acts, chapter 2 and verse 38.
-
Many people, maybe people
-
without a Christian background,
-
they say, "You know, I've heard
-
about Christian baptism;
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what does that mean?
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What's the significance of that?"
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Well, it's part of this turning
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of our hearts, isn't it?
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It's part of this turning
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away from the things
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that are destroying us, toward God.
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Brittany, would you read for us
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in Acts, chapter 2 and verse 38,
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and let's see what it says.
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(Brittany) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
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Acts, chapter 2, verse 38:
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(Derek) I have a question for you, John:
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Does the water of baptism
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actually wash away sin?
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(John) No.
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(Derek) So, you're telling me
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an unrepentant sinner could say,
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"Well, everybody's getting baptized;
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I'm going to go be baptized,"
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that he or she would go into the water,
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come out just a wet, unrepentant sinner?
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(John) Yep.
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(Derek) So then, what is the significance
of baptism?
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Apparently, it was an important invitation
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on the Day of Pentecost.
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(John) I think baptism is a symbol
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of what the Holy Spirit has already done
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within the heart of a person.
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(Derek) Alright, the fact
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that you've chosen to surrender
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your life wholly to Jesus?
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Ask Him to forgive your sins.
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So, you're saying that's
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just a visual representation
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of what He's already done?
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(John) Yes.
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(Derek) Sabina, what do you think
about that?
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(Sabina) I think, when you see
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a person being baptized,
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that you turn the person down,
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you know, on the back,
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and then when they come back
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it's like if you die with Christ,
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and then you are raised again.
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That's what the Word of God says,
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that when we are buried with Christ,
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and then we are raised up,
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in the baptism,
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it's just a public confession
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of this dying to our own desires,
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as you were saying, the selfish ones,
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the ones that are not aligned
with God's will,
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and surrendering to His will in our lives.
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(Derek) And rising up in a new life
in Christ, right?
-
You were quoting there
-
from Romans, chapter 6.
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I remember I had the privilege
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of participating in a baptism one time,
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and the person said,
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"Hold me under for a long time;
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there are a lot of sins
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that need to be washed away."
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Well, it's just the symbol,
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but it is not insignificant.
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It's saying, somebody said,
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publicly, I think Sabina, right?
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It's a public confession
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that I have, what?
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(Brittany) Turned to Christ.
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(Derek) I've turned, yeah,
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I've turned to God.
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I've turned to Jesus as my Savior,
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and I'm not ashamed
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to make that confession.
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It's a beautiful passage
-
here in Deuteronomy.
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Even though prophecy of apostasy,
idolatry, failure,
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that we don't have to stay there, right?
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We can choose to turn to the Lord,
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knowing He will welcome us back. Sabina?
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(Sabina) I'm just thinking
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that, Pastor Derek, we've been talking
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even in previous classes
-
about the importance of choosing well,
to choose life.
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And that's it, you know?
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It's just about choosing life.
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It's not something about just what we
are letting go.
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It's also what we are
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choosing for the future.
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It's not just about the "don'ts,"
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but about the do's and what God has
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for you in your future.
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(Derek) So, let's imagine we have a friend
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like in the place that Jason
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was in some years ago.
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He was in high school, so a teenager
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who says, "Amy, I know
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I should turn away from those things
-
because they are leading me away from God,
-
but I just don't feel like it,"
-
what would you say to her?
-
What would you say to him?
-
They're being honest, right?
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"I know I should turn away.
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Those things are deadening
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my spiritual sensitivity,
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but I just don't feel like turning
-
away from those things"?
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What would you say?
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(Amy) That's kind of a hard question
to answer,
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but I think we all know
-
that it's the Holy Spirit
-
that leads us to repentance.
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And so, my encouragement to them
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would be, "The Holy Spirit
-
is working in your life.
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You're not wanting to repent of your own.
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This is something that the Holy Spirit
is doing in you.
-
And trust the Holy Spirit;
-
lean into Him, trust God,
-
and surround yourself with a community
-
of believers who can help
-
support you through this;
don't be afraid."
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(Derek) Okay, could I pray to God
-
to help me to hate the things that I love
-
that are opposed to Him?
-
Would that be an appropriate prayer?
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What do you think, John?
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(John) There's a promise in Acts,
-
chapter 5 and verse 31 which says,
talking about Jesus:
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(Derek) So, you would tell your friend,
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"It's okay if you don't feel like it.
-
Ask God to give you
-
a spirit of repentance"?
-
Or, maybe someone's watching today,
-
and you're saying, "Pastor Derek,
-
that's me," you know.
-
"I've got these things
-
that are dragging me away from God
-
that will lead me to destruction,
-
but I don't feel like I can
-
be freed from them."
-
The Word of God is saying
-
that God gives us the gift of repentance.
-
We can also choose
-
to change our environment;
we've learned that.
-
We can choose to turn,
-
even though we're weak,
-
and see a loving God
-
running to meet us, who loves us
-
with an immeasurable and unfailing love.
-
My friend, if that's you,
-
I want to appeal to you
-
to turn to the Lord with all your heart.
-
If you know someone, you love someone,
-
who needs to turn,
-
you pray for her; you pray for him,
-
because our God is a miracle-working God.
-
Let's pray together; Father in heaven,
-
Turn Their Hearts, what a theme.
-
We thank You that You are ready
-
and longing to welcome us with acceptance,
-
forgiveness, salvation, grace and joy.
-
I pray for those making that turn today,
-
and I pray we would reflect
-
the love of God to those around us.
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In Jesus' name. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Well, you were listening today,
-
and you said, "That's me,"
-
or, "someone I know."
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Don't keep that good news to yourself.
-
God loves with an immeasurable
and unfailing love.
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Go out and share that good news
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with those around you.
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♪ theme music ♪