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You know, I was sitting out in 
the parking lot, not outside, 

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but in my car. 
Came a little bit early. 

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And I was. 
Sitting there, I don't know if 

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it was the instrumental I was 
listening to the worship 

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instrumental or what, but in 
that moment I just was 

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transported back to 2020, no, 
2012 and it was January. 

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I don't remember the exact date,
but it was the time where I got 

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saved and it was so real and I 
just reflected on the moments 

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leading up to it right before 
the service. 

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But in particular, I remember 
the day after I got saved. 

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I know everybody's testimony is 
different and I'm fully aware 

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that not everybody can remember 
the moment they got saved. 

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I can't even tell you the day 
exactly. 

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I just remember it was a long 
weekend. 

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It was in the month of January, 
and it was a few days leading up

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to that where the Lord's 
presence was so real and his 

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gospel was coming alive in my 
heart. 

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And I'm sitting there and I'm 
thinking about the next morning.

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It was a winter morning. 
That was my basement apartment, 

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and I remember the feeling of 
waking up and getting out of my 

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bed. 
And the only word that can 

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describe it is this freedom. 
Freedom. 

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And I was impressed to share 
this part. 

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I usually don't do this, you 
know this if you come every 

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week, but maybe somebody needs 
to hear this. 

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I was shackled in sin. 
I was deep in bondage. 

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And the only way I can describe 
what it's like to come into 

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contact with this gospel and for
it to be received by faith is I 

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felt those chains fall off 
saying what do you mean That 

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sounds so poetic? 
And that sounds so ethereal. 

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What do you mean you were free? 
I didn't want to sin anymore. 

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That's what I mean by being 
free. 

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It's like there's a new 
appetite. 

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And the thing that you once were
so allured by and enticed by and

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drawn to now became repulsive. 
It had a stink to it and you 

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wanted to remove it from your 
life. 

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And you not just wanted to 
remove it, but you felt this 

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incredible empowerment to do it.
And the feeling I had that next 

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day after a night of weeping and
surrendering was I wanted my 

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life to be as clean as possible 
from anything that would offend 

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the God that saved me the night 
before. 

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It wasn't out of drudgery. 
It wasn't out of wanting to 

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please him so that he can accept
me. 

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It was because now I belong to 
him. 

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And I just began this personal 
campaign of looking at things 

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that I know I shouldn't be 
doing. 

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Nobody had to tell me anybody, 
anything about anybody or 

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anything that I was doing. 
I just began to clean my 

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computer, clean my phone, clean 
my relationships, clean up my 

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priorities. 
I want to tell you something. 

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If you're a person who claims to
be a Christian but you don't 

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know what I'm talking about, 
don't cheapen the experience 

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that God wants you to have. 
He wants to save you. 

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And when he saves you, you'll 
know it. 

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You'll know it. 
And if you haven't experienced 

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that freedom, tonight can be the
night. 

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This is a Bible study. 
I know we're going to be in the 

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Old Testament, but maybe tonight
the Lord wants to save you and 

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that you would leave here with 
that sensation of this burden 

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rolling off your back and you 
see the world differently. 

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Differently. 
Can I tell you how differently I

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saw the world? 
Everything was different. 

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Snow look different. 
My material possessions look 

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different. 
My studies look different, my 

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dreams look different, 
Everything looked different and 

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there was such a hunger to be 
where God was to be in the place

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of God. 
Nobody again had to tell me 

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anything. 
I remember one, one day, after a

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few weeks into my salvation, it 
was AI mean Toronto winters are 

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like Chicago winters and they 
weren't like what has been the 

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past few years. 
Like real brutal blizzards would

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come and I remember there would 
be just services in the middle 

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of the week. 
And I didn't have a car. 

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I I I didn't like taking public 
transport much. 

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So I remember making hot 
chocolate and putting it into 

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one of those plastic bottles of 
water. 

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I drank the water and I'm like, 
maybe this will keep my hands 

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warm and I would sit for. 
I know it's safe to do it with a

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plastic bottle water, but I did 
it anyway. 

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And I just put my jacket on, put
pajamas underneath my underneath

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my jeans. 
And I just walked to church 

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underneath underpasses and all 
these different things just to 

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get to the place where I knew 
God would meet with his people. 

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If you're not safe tonight, why?
Why? 

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What are you holding on to? 
What sin are you so enjoying 

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that you're willing to deny 
Christ for? 

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So I want to tell you tonight 
that the Lord Jesus wants to 

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save you, and we're going to get
into our Bible study. 

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Don't worry, this isn't going to
turn into an evangelistic 

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meeting. 
But we have to be sensitive to 

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promptings, do we not? 
So if you don't know Christ at 

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any point in this meeting, you 
can talk to him and say, Lord, I

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want to give my life to you. 
I believe you died on the cross 

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for my sins. 
I believe that I'm a Sinner. 

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I believe that you will one day 
come and return. 

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And I want to make sure that I'm
in right standing with you. 

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And I believe with all my heart 
that if I confess my sins, if I 

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confess that your Lord, if I 
confess and believe in my heart 

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that God raised the Son of God 
from the dead, that my verdict 

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will be sealed, I will be a 
child of God, and I will have 

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redemption forever. 
You can do that anytime in this 

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meeting. 
And I believe with all my heart 

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that if you do it from a place 
of true repentance, you'll leave

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here a different person. 
First Kings, Chapter 13. 

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And please meet me in verse 11. 
We have some visitors today. 

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We're so glad that you can join 
us, and I pray and hope that 

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though we are in the middle of a
Bible study in the Old Testament

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that you'll be able to follow 
with us at this particular. 

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Moment. 
But I want to open up this study

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by asking a few questions. 
Is it possible for a true man of

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God, a true man of God, in a 
moment of weakness, in a moment 

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of unpreparedness, to be 
deceived? 

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Is it possible for a true man of
God to come to a point where he 

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makes such a significant failure
to commit such a serious sin, 

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though his life has been 
generally marked by 

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faithfulness? 
Is it possible for a true man of

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God to come to a place where he 
has so? 

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Grieved God that he would be cut
off from this life as a result 

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of an act of divine discipline. 
And what the study will tell us 

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and teach us tonight is that the
answer to those uncomfortable 

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questions is yes, it is possible
for a true man of God who once 

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inspired us to disappoint us. 
And that might be strange coming

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to this chapter to complete it, 
because last week we were 

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refreshed by witnessing a man of
God from Judah, who traveled to 

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the northern Kingdom to confront
King Jeroboam, who led the 

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people of Israel into severe and
gross idolatry and with great 

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boldness rebuked him with a word
from the Lord. 

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And this man's obedience was not
just recognized by his singular 

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prophetic protest. 
This man's obedience was even 

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demonstrated in that he sought 
to obey God in every single way 

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that God revealed to him. 
So let us be reminded of how the

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scene of our last study 
delightfully concluded. 

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So you're there in First Kings 
13. 

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I told you to meet me in verse 
11, but scroll back there to 

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verse 9 and read with me. 
We see here in First Kings 13, 

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verse 9, the man saying to 
Jeroboam. 

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For so was it commanded me by 
the word of the Lord, saying, 

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you shall neither eat bread, nor
drink water, nor return by the 

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way that you came. 
So he went another way and did 

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not return by the way that he 
came to Bethel. 

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Oh, how I wish that this is 
where this man's testimony 

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ended. 
Wouldn't have been wonderful 

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that in the blackness of 
apostasy, this man who just came

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like a firework on the scene 
would have entered into Bethel 

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obedient and would have exited 
and left Bethel in obedience. 

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But unfortunately, this is not 
where the curtain falls, because

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the Spirit of God sees it 
necessary that we follow this 

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man of God from Judah, who now 
leaves from the northern part of

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Israel and heads back home to 
see what happens on his way. 

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Because something happens on the
way with this man of God, and it

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is a massive mistake. 
It is a huge blunder, one that 

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will actually cost his life. 
So let's read the first several 

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verses of First Kings 1311 down 
to verse 17. 

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Now an old prophet lived in 
Bethel, and his sons came and 

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told them all that the man of 
God had done that day in Bethel.

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They also told to their father 
the words that he had spoken to 

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the king. 
And their father said to them, 

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which way did he go? 
And his son showed him the way 

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that the man of God who came 
from Judah had gone. 

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And he said to his sons, saddle 
the donkey for me. 

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So they saddle the donkey for 
him, and he mounted it. 

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And he went after the man of 
God, and found him sitting under

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an oak. 
And he said to him, Are you the 

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man of God who came from Judah? 
And he said, I am. 

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Then he said to him, come home 
with me and eat bread. 

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And he said, I may not return 
with you, or go in with you, 

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neither will I eat bread nor 
drink water with you in this 

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place. 
For it was said to me by the 

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word of the Lord, you shall 
neither eat bread nor drink 

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water there, nor return by the 
way that you came. 

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The Spirit of God introduces us 
to a new character in this 

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story, and we don't know his 
name, We don't know much about 

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him. 
All we are told in the 

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introduction of this character, 
that is that he was an old 

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prophet and the information 
surrounding him, the activity 

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connected to him gladly gives us
enough information to indicate 

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his character to indicate the 
soundness of his spirituality. 

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So there are a few things to 
consider just from verse 11 that

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will give us hints to what kind 
of prophet we are dealing with 

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here. 
Is he a safe prophet? 

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Is he a legitimate prophet? 
Is he a prophet who is walking 

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with the Lord? 
Is he a false prophet? 

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Let's consider a few things 
first. 

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We are told that he were lived 
in what Bethel, now an old 

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prophet lived in Bethel. 
Why is that noteworthy? 

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Any idea what is a prophet of 
God doing living in Bethel? 

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We learned something a couple of
weeks ago, did we not? 

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There was this great exodus that
took place from the northern 

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parts of Israel down to where 
who went down to Judah after 

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Jeroboam implemented his own 
religion, the Levites #1. 

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The true priesthood of God made 
their way down trickle down to 

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the South, and not just the 
Levites, but all whose hearts 

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sought. 
The Lord also packed their bags 

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and move their families down to 
where God was truly honored and 

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worshipped. 
What's the natural question 

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then? 
What is this prophet doing in 

197
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Bethel? 
Why is he here? 

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Why did he not migrate? 
Why did he not move? 

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Why is he and his family still 
in the same neighborhood where 

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idolatry is practiced and 
imposed? 

201
00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,440
Maybe he just got comfortable. 
Worse than being comfortable. 

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Maybe he became compliant. 
Here's the second thing about 

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this man. 
It's not with the man directly 

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by his sons. 
It was the sons of this prophet 

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00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,480
who approached their father and 
gave them the update of what 

206
00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,560
took place between this man from
Judah and the King. 

207
00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,640
How do they know what happened 
between the man of Judah and the

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00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,880
King? 
Any idea? 

209
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They witnessed it, meaning they 
were present when that face off 

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took place. 
Now that is true. 

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00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,920
But where were they exactly? 
What was the occasion? 

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00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,280
Yes, scroll back to verse one at
first. 

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00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:39,160
Kings 13 and behold, a man of 
God came out of Judah by the 

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word of the Lord to Bethel. 
Jeroboam was standing by the 

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altar to make offerings. 
This man from Judah didn't enter

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into his palace, didn't enter 
into his headquarters. 

217
00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,600
He entered and interrupted a 
religious ceremony where 

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Jeroboam, as king, was also 
functioning as a priest. 

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And evidently he was not alone. 
Remember when he lifted up that 

220
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,800
Bony finger and tried to get 
this man arrested? 

221
00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,280
He said seize him while he was 
telling other people to do it. 

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00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:10,840
Obviously. 
And more than that, based on 

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what we see here in verse 11, 
the sons of this old prophet 

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00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,640
were also in attendance. 
In attendance. 

225
00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,840
We're at a worship service for 
false deities. 

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00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,440
Were they mere observers? 
Or worse, were they actually 

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participants? 
Here's an old prophet who knows 

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that his children are with 
Jeroboam, with a false 

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00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,720
priesthood, a false God, a false
altar. 

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00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:43,120
What's going on here? 
Last observation, where did this

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00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,960
man of God come from when he 
came to give the pronouncement 

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of judgment to Jeroboam and his 
dynasty? 

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00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,240
He came from where? 
Judah? 

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00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:57,880
Why did God have to call a man 
from Judah to rebuke King 

235
00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,760
Jeroboam when there was a 
prophet in Bethel? 

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00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,080
Is that a good question? 
Why didn't God call the man who 

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was just down the street to go 
and rebuke the king? 

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Why did he have to fetch for 
somebody miles and miles away to

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00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,200
do the job? 
Maybe this old prophet wasn't in

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the right spiritual place to do 
anything about it. 

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00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:24,720
So already just in verse 11 we 
have these concerns, warranted 

242
00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,680
concerns, flags about the 
legitimacy of this man. 

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00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,840
Not that he would be a false 
prophet necessarily, but a 

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00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,760
compromise one. 
And as we continue to read, 

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00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:38,480
we'll discover something about 
him. 

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00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,600
We see here that the kids come, 
the sons come, and their father 

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in verse 12 said to them, which 
way did he go? 

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And his son showed him the way 
that the man of God who came 

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from Judah had gone. 
And he said to his son, saddle 

250
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,440
the donkey for me. 
So they saddle the donkey for 

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00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,240
him, and he mounted it. 
And we read earlier that when he

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finds the man of God, he 
attempts to persuade him to do 

253
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,400
what? 
Come to my house for dinner? 

254
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:10,200
Is this man curious? 
Is this man stirred and he wants

255
00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,680
to know something more about 
this prophet, this man of God 

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00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,800
who came from the South? 
What's his motive here and being

257
00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,920
so ambitious to fetch for this 
man of God? 

258
00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,160
Well, we can speculate and we 
can debate what it was. 

259
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,400
But I have a hunch, based on 
what we see in the text, that 

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00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:31,000
he's not up to any good. 
Why go back to verse 11? 

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00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,720
Now an old prophet lived in 
Bethel and his sons came and 

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00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:39,600
told them listen to this, read 
your Bible slowly and told them 

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00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,160
all that the man of God had done
that day in Bethel. 

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00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:48,520
They also told their father the 
words that he had spoken to the 

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king. 
So they recorded everything that

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he had done, the miracles that 
took place, and everything that 

267
00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:59,080
this man from Judah had said, 
which includes what what we open

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00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,440
this Bible study with in verse 
9. 

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00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:06,359
This man of God made known I 
cannot eat or drink anything at 

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all in this place. 
So if it says here that the the 

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son said all the words that the 
man of Judah said, it includes 

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00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:20,880
that the prohibition to remain 
in that area to eat or drink. 

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00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:27,599
So the father, the old prophet, 
learned this, and yet still he 

274
00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:29,880
sought the man to invite him to 
do just that. 

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00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,200
Why would you extend an 
invitation to something that has

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00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,680
been divinely decreed to not 
take place? 

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00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,120
This man, obviously. 
Has a disregard for the word of 

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00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:41,840
the Lord. 
This man obviously does not care

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00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,960
about this man's integrity in 
his own obedience. 

280
00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,440
And so we read. 
On and what do we see Verse 14. 

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00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,280
And he went. 
After the man of God and found 

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00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,320
him sitting under an oak. 
And he said to. 

283
00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:58,720
Him. 
Are you the man of God who came 

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00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,760
from Judah? 
And he said I am. 

285
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,120
So. 
He catches up to this man. 

286
00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:08,720
And no. 
Wonder because when they now 

287
00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,800
come into contact, the man from 
Judah is doing what? 

288
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,560
Is he walking urgently back 
home? 

289
00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,800
He's sitting underneath an oak 
tree. 

290
00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,680
Was he? 
Fatigued Was he fatigued from a 

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00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,040
day of fasting? 
From day of not drinking any 

292
00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,440
water perhaps. 
But I'm. 

293
00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,120
More persuaded that he is 
delaying unnecessarily his. 

294
00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:33,320
Journey. 
I mean, think about. 

295
00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,080
It God didn't tell this man from
Judah you can't eat or drink 

296
00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,400
anything today. 
Is that what the Lord said? 

297
00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,440
No, He says you can't eat or 
drink anything at all. 

298
00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:48,680
What in this place? 
It's the geographical location. 

299
00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,680
Look, if I was told. 
By the Lord, you can't eat or 

300
00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,160
drink as long as you're in 
Norridge. 

301
00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,560
Guess what I want to get out of?
Norwich as soon as possible. 

302
00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,760
Because I hadn't had breakfast, 
I had it on lunch and I'm not 

303
00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:03,840
willing to miss dinner. 
I'm getting out of Norwich. 

304
00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,960
I'm going to have to where I am 
at and I want to enjoy a nice, 

305
00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,720
warm, hot meal. 
What are you doing, man of 

306
00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:11,800
Judah? 
By sitting. 

307
00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:17,040
Underneath an oak. 
And the lesson here is very 

308
00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:18,800
important. 
It teaches us here of the 

309
00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,960
dangers that we open ourselves 
up to when we linger in a place 

310
00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:24,680
that we are not supposed to be 
lingering at. 

311
00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:27,880
Because you know what's so? 
Fascinating. 

312
00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,880
While this man is traversing 
back to his hometown, we read 

313
00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,160
that this father, this old 
prophet is told about this man 

314
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:37,880
and he is preparing something. 
He has a scheme. 

315
00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,720
He has a plan that this man of 
God does not see coming. 

316
00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:44,440
And that's a picture. 
About how temptation works. 

317
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,800
This is supposed to equip you 
and I about how to do spiritual 

318
00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,000
warfare. 
In the first 10 verses of this 

319
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:55,000
chapter, this man of Judah, this
man of God, overcame temptation.

320
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,880
Jeroboam told them. 
Hey listen, why don't you come 

321
00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,800
over to my place, I'll refresh 
you and I'll each actually 

322
00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,960
reward you. 
And he says no way, man. 

323
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,280
God told me to go back, not the 
way I came in, and to not eat 

324
00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:10,440
anything while I'm in this place
that is overcoming seduction. 

325
00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,400
And we applaud. 
Him for that, and we rejoice in 

326
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:15,560
that. 
But do you? 

327
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:19,800
Realize that just because you 
and I have overcome the 

328
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,640
temptations of yesterday, it 
doesn't mean that there will be 

329
00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,840
no new temptations today or 
tomorrow. 

330
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,640
In fact, even with a particular 
sin that you saw victory in, be 

331
00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,000
prepared. 
Be on guard that similar sins 

332
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,440
are ready to surprise you with 
an invitation to indulge in it 

333
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:40,720
once again. 
So we see. 

334
00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:45,040
That this man here overcame 
temptation, but new temptations 

335
00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,800
are preparing to pursue him 
while he's on the path of 

336
00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,360
obedience. 
Be mindful of that. 

337
00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,600
What you conquered yesterday 
does not mean. 

338
00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,280
That that will be. 
Automatic victory for today or 

339
00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,560
tomorrow. 
Watch and pray, lest you fall 

340
00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,240
into temptation. 
I can't rely on the strength 

341
00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:04,800
that I got from the Lord last 
week. 

342
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,040
I need fresh. 
Strength today. 

343
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,080
And this man. 
Unfortunately, is going to find 

344
00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,080
himself in a dangerous, 
vulnerable position, and partly 

345
00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:16,640
because he parked himself along 
the path. 

346
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,280
And I wonder. 
If he could have dodged this old

347
00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,720
man all together, if he had just
made his way back home with 

348
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:31,560
urgency. 
Beware of your environment. 

349
00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,640
Beware of entertaining and 
delaying the crowd. 

350
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:41,800
Or the circumstances that you're
in that are making provision for

351
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,400
the flesh, whether. 
You realize it or not? 

352
00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:49,960
I'm reminded of another man in 
the Old Testament who found 

353
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:54,680
himself slipping into an area, 
slipping into a way of life, 

354
00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,120
without even realizing how one 
step very early on, would lead 

355
00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:01,720
to the next step and the next 
leap. 

356
00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,760
Into a. 
Very compromise and dangerous 

357
00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,920
place, one that would actually 
cost him his whole life and even

358
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,320
the life of his wife. 
His name is Lot. 

359
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,480
Lot is not an unsaved man. 
If you just had the Genesis 

360
00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:19,120
account, you would conclude Lot 
ain't saved. 

361
00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:21,560
But then you come. 
To Peter's epistles. 

362
00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,520
And we're told about Lot 3 times
that he was a righteous man. 

363
00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:29,560
Oh, come on, I was Lot a 
righteous man. 

364
00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:34,160
Well, he's a picture of a 
worldly Christian. 

365
00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,200
Do you know? 
How lot became worldly? 

366
00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,880
It was in steps. 
It was by. 

367
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:44,560
Him choosing to linger somewhere
to entertain something and that 

368
00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,880
leading him to accept something 
else and then to linger and and 

369
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,840
stay there and that opening up 
another thing in another level 

370
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:55,120
and it's so seamless, it's so 
unsuspecting and. 

371
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,000
I want to show it to. 
You, with your own eyes and your

372
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,080
Bibles, go to Genesis 13. 
Come with me. 

373
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,840
Come with me. 
To Genesis. 13 This Is Where It 

374
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,440
All began for Lot. 
Lot. 

375
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:12,000
And his uncle Abraham had a 
problem because both of them 

376
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,200
were prospering and it didn't 
seem like there was enough 

377
00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,920
property to take care of their 
flock and their servants were 

378
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:17,960
fighting. 
And so they had to make a 

379
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,800
decision to split ways, and Lot 
had the choice. 

380
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:26,040
And he gladly chose a location 
according to Genesis 13 verse 

381
00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,600
11. 
So lot. 

382
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:34,360
Chose for himself all the Jordan
Valley and Lot journeyed. 

383
00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:37,640
E Thus they separated from each 
other. 

384
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:43,400
Abram settled in the land of 
Canaan, while Lot settled among 

385
00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:49,680
the cities of the valley and 
moved his tent as far as Sodom. 

386
00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:53,600
And here. 
Is why this is concerning. 

387
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,520
Verse 13. 
Now the men of Sodom were wicked

388
00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,600
great sinners against the Lord. 
So here's the first step for 

389
00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,480
Lot. 
He split ways with his uncle, 

390
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,760
and he makes his way to the 
Jordan Valley because it looks 

391
00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,320
so luscious and it looks so 
prosperous. 

392
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,520
And to to the human eye it 
seemed like this was the way to 

393
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,720
go. 
And so he sets up his tent not 

394
00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:21,000
in Sodom, but as far as Sodom. 
He was just outside the city of 

395
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,760
Sodom. 
He was with these other people 

396
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:24,480
in these other cities in the 
valley. 

397
00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,680
So far safe. 
Be careful. 

398
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,120
Where that you pitch your tent. 
Be careful where you comfortably

399
00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:37,240
place your life, your schedule, 
your fellowship, your thoughts, 

400
00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:39,240
your entertainment, what you 
allow here and here. 

401
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:43,560
Be careful where you comfortably
park that because notice what 

402
00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,200
happens in the next chapter. 
In Genesis. 14 A war breaks up 

403
00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,880
between these Pagan kings, and 
Sodom gets caught up. 

404
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,160
In the losing. 
Side and notice what happens in 

405
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:59,800
Genesis 1412. 
They also took Lot, the son of 

406
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:04,000
Abraham's brother, who was 
dwelling in Sodom. 

407
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,800
And his. 
Possessions and. 

408
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,040
Went their. 
Way well, in Chapter 13, he 

409
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,560
wasn't in Sodom. 
He went as far as Sodom, but he 

410
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:13,480
was in the valley. 
He was in the cities just 

411
00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,720
outside of the city of Sodom. 
And then you read chapter 14 and

412
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,040
you learn that Lot is kidnapped.
Why? 

413
00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:21,320
Because he's now living in the 
city of Sodom. 

414
00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:25,800
And you learn. 
Later on that, he went from 

415
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,200
having a tent outside the city 
to having a house in the city. 

416
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,240
Hold on, it doesn't even end 
there though. 

417
00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,800
Go to Genesis 19. 
And see. 

418
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,520
Where Lot ends up before 
judgment comes against Sodom. 

419
00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:46,800
Genesis 19 One the two angels 
came to Sodom in the evening and

420
00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:50,160
Lot was sitting in the gate of 
Sodom. 

421
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:52,960
When lot? 
Saw them. 

422
00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,680
He rose to meet them, and bowed 
himself with his face to the 

423
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,840
earth. 
A gate. 

424
00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,440
In ancient times was a place 
where civil matters were dealt 

425
00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,920
with, where councils and 
judicial decisions were made. 

426
00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:08,760
You know what it. 
Means for Lot to be standing at 

427
00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:10,240
the gate, he. 
Became. 

428
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:14,480
A leader in the city of Sodom. 
He became a. 

429
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,280
Judge in the city of Sodom, what
do you have in common with the 

430
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,840
people of Sodom? 
Righteous lot for them to elect 

431
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,240
you as one of their leaders. 
Where did this all? 

432
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,280
Start for lot making a choice to
dwell just outside of the city 

433
00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:30,760
of Sodom and then the. 
Next. 

434
00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:32,880
Chapter He finds himself 
dwelling in Sodom. 

435
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:35,160
And not only. 
That he's kidnapped. 

436
00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,320
He's ransacked. 
He loses his possess 

437
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,200
possessions. 
Uncle 8 now comes in and rescues

438
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:45,080
him and he goes back to Sodom 
and not only does he go back, he

439
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,920
becomes a leader in it. 
It's always in small steps. 

440
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:53,480
It's it. 
Just happens without you even 

441
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:57,760
realizing it, where you find 
yourself being translated into a

442
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,000
way of life, decisions, patterns
of thinking. 

443
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,920
That you never thought was. 
Possible, and I'll tell you how 

444
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,240
it happens. 
Trace back to where it began. 

445
00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,680
Where did you linger? 
Where you were not supposed to 

446
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,760
linger, Who were you with that 
you were not supposed to be with

447
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:16,280
what? 
Were you doing? 

448
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,600
That you know you were not 
supposed to be doing. 

449
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:21,640
Here you find. 
This man of God from Judah, 

450
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,640
sitting underneath an oak. 
I argue that he was supposed to 

451
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,600
make his way back as soon as he 
could. 

452
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,160
And so we come back. 
To our main texts and 1st kings.

453
00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,920
Verse 13. 
Excuse Me, Chapter 13, verse 15.

454
00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:39,680
Then he said. 
To him come home with me and eat

455
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,080
bread. 
This is so. 

456
00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,080
Amazing. 
Verse 16. 

457
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,760
And he said, I may not return 
with you, or go in with you. 

458
00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,880
Neither will I eat bread nor 
drink water with you in this 

459
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:51,480
place. 
For it was said to me by the 

460
00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:53,760
word of the Lord, you shall 
neither eat bread nor drink 

461
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:55,920
water there, nor return by the 
way that you came. 

462
00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,560
This is almost word for word 
what this man have got from 

463
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:03,480
Judah said to King Jeroboam. 
And so look, he does delay, 

464
00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,840
right? 
But he's able to, in his initial

465
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:11,760
answer, have resolve and 
actually reject this offer as 

466
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:13,320
well. 
And what's so? 

467
00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,000
Impressive about this is that 
the invitation from this old 

468
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,280
prophet is less appealing than 
what King Jeroboam offered. 

469
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,720
Remember King Jeroboam said come
home with me that you may be 

470
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,640
refreshed and I will give you a 
reward. 

471
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,000
This old prophet doesn't promise
him any reward. 

472
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,480
Look what he says back in verse 
15. 

473
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,600
Then he said to him, come home 
with me and eat bread. 

474
00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:34,240
That's less. 
Enticing in my opinion. 

475
00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,160
Hey, if I had a choice between 
King Jeroboam's offer and this 

476
00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:38,920
man's offer, I'm going to go 
with King Jeroboam's. 

477
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:40,320
At least there's a reward in 
this thing. 

478
00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:45,240
Just come home and eat bread 
with me so he's able to resist 

479
00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:49,880
here. 
But notice there's no reward 

480
00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,880
mentioned. 
But what this old prophet did 

481
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:57,480
have was a persistence and a 
packaging that this man of God 

482
00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:01,280
was not prepared for. 
Satan is very clever. 

483
00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:04,360
In finding. 
Out what you were able to 

484
00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,840
resist, and then to repackage 
that sin so that it seems less 

485
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:14,000
harmful and more acceptable. 
He's doing it in many ways. 

486
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,400
One of the most common ways I 
love to remind people of is how 

487
00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:20,600
we're living in a day where the 
vocabulary for sin has 

488
00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,400
drastically changed, has 
drastically changed. 

489
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,120
And I believe. 
Even that alone is a strategy 

490
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,480
for us to not feel the sting of 
sin. 

491
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:33,440
God gave us. 
A book. 

492
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,720
Words are important to God. 
And so we're. 

493
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,120
Living in a culture now where 
we're trying to cloud and cause 

494
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:45,760
things to seem more innocent and
more friendly and more honorable

495
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:49,400
so that we do not see how filthy
it really is. 

496
00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,080
We do not. 
See how great of an offense it 

497
00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,520
really is? 
And what we're about to read 

498
00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,800
here. 
Is that the same sin is offered 

499
00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:02,760
to this man of God, but now it 
is encased differently to disarm

500
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,040
this man of. 
God from Judah and there are 

501
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:08,560
three. 
Things that stand out from this 

502
00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,400
man's successful seduction, that
are crucial to highlight and be 

503
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,800
aware for ourselves. 
Notice how we didn't read this 

504
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:16,480
yet? 
How things are going to take an 

505
00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:21,080
ugly turn. 
Verse 18 And he said to. 

506
00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:26,560
Him. 
I also am a prophet, as you are,

507
00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,400
and an Angel. 
Spoke to me by the word of the 

508
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,120
Lord saying Bring him back with 
you. 

509
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:37,320
Into your house that he may eat 
bread and drink water, but he 

510
00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,920
lied to him, but he lied to him.
There are three. 

511
00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,880
Things that stand out here. 
That genuine men and women of 

512
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,720
God have to be so careful of. 
The first. 

513
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,120
Thing that we observe is that 
this man seeks to identify 

514
00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,600
common ground. 
With this man of God from Judah.

515
00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,560
Notice that he says I too am a 
prophet. 

516
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:04,000
Did he stop there? 
I too am a prophet like you. 

517
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:10,840
Hey, we're from the same camp. 
Hey, we serve in the same kind 

518
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,400
of ministry. 
You can broaden. 

519
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,240
That though it's not implied in 
the text, but you can broaden 

520
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,360
the application. 
We have the same convictions. 

521
00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:18,760
We have the same statement of 
faith. 

522
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:21,240
We're from the same 
denomination. 

523
00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:24,920
We grew up in the. 
Same church perhaps? 

524
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,520
You know when it comes. 
To Jeroboam, offering this 

525
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,120
temptation, it was very easy for
the man of Judah to reject it. 

526
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,200
But when it came from a fellow 
prophet, there was a greater 

527
00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,400
appeal. 
I too am a. 

528
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,000
Prophet like you. 
You know, I've noticed. 

529
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,000
Something about believers over 
the years who have turned their 

530
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:42,440
back on the Lord who have gone 
to who. 

531
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,000
Have gone off. 
The rails in their faithfulness 

532
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,040
the Lord and have. 
Dove. 

533
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:52,840
Into worldliness in serious. 
Serious. 

534
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:54,800
Ways. 
Ways that scar them for life. 

535
00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:58,760
Your experience might be 
different from mine, but let me 

536
00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,400
tell you from my observation 
that most Christians don't 

537
00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,320
backslide because of worldly 
people persuading, though it 

538
00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:07,120
happens. 
In my. 

539
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:08,680
Experience. 
I've seen most Christians 

540
00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:10,880
backslide through other 
compromising Christians. 

541
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:14,840
I to him A. 
Prophet like you. 

542
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:18,880
It seems. 
Safer when there's somebody who 

543
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,920
claims the name of Christ, 
inviting you to sin with them, 

544
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:27,320
for them alongside them. 
And so right here. 

545
00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,560
Already, this man seems to be 
more comfortable with the idea 

546
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,440
of this invitation because he 
seems like he's on the same 

547
00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,600
team. 
Be. 

548
00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:41,640
Careful of people within the 
Church, within Christendom, who.

549
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,880
Attempt. 
To pull you away from God, I 

550
00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:45,440
don't care how long you've known
them for. 

551
00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,160
I don't care how. 
Well, their lives seem to be 

552
00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:51,080
going. 
You know what's more? 

553
00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:52,880
Important than your friendships.
You know what's more important 

554
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:54,760
even than your family? 
God. 

555
00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,880
And his word, you know when you 
said? 

556
00:32:58,880 --> 00:32:59,960
Yes to Jesus Christ. 
You know what? 

557
00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:01,320
You said yes to. 
I'm going to follow you no 

558
00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,040
matter what and. 
Lord, you're more. 

559
00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:05,520
Important to me than my brother,
my sister, my mother, my father,

560
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:06,960
anything else. 
That doesn't mean you neglect 

561
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:08,000
your family. 
That doesn't mean that you 

562
00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,320
become a Christian jerk That. 
Doesn't mean become rude and 

563
00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,080
insensitive. 
Self-righteous and hypocritical?

564
00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,120
No. 
That means that. 

565
00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,200
When it comes to a decision 
between following the Lord or 

566
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,240
following those who are closest 
to you, the Lord wins your 

567
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,280
devotion every time. 
I too. 

568
00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:29,040
Am a prophet like you. 
This man perks up. 

569
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,360
I wonder if he stood up from 
sitting underneath that oak. 

570
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,240
And his antennas. 
Now are up. 

571
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,560
Secondly, the older prophet not 
only says and finds common 

572
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:44,640
ground, he leverages his 
position to make himself more 

573
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,160
trustworthy. 
He didn't say I'm. 

574
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,120
A worshipper like you, he. 
Didn't say I. 

575
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:52,920
Follow true living God like you,
he says. 

576
00:33:52,960 --> 00:34:00,120
I too am a prophet. 
Like you, how often do people? 

577
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:05,400
Abuse their titles, their 
authority, their platforms to 

578
00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,320
take advantage of others far too
common. 

579
00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:08,840
Far. 
Too. 

580
00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,679
Common and not only does a 
position, even a spiritual 

581
00:34:12,679 --> 00:34:16,960
position, have a potency to 
intoxicate the one who possesses

582
00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:22,840
it, but has an ability to 
overwhelm others who are around 

583
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,480
it. 
And those. 

584
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:29,000
Who have public gifts and those 
who have leadership positions 

585
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,800
and those who have authority 
have to be especially careful 

586
00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:34,639
and have to really fear the 
Lord. 

587
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,080
Because. 
By virtue of that position, you 

588
00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,320
win the respect and trust of 
those. 

589
00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:44,320
Who are? 
Benefiting from your service. 

590
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:46,560
That. 
Authority comes with so much 

591
00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:50,159
responsibility, and sometimes 
that authority can can be as 

592
00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:53,239
simple as being older. 
This man was an older prophet, 

593
00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:59,400
more experienced supposedly, and
so also be careful of those who 

594
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,080
may have titles, who may have 
pedigrees, who may have. 

595
00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,520
Names with letters beside it who
may have. 

596
00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:08,240
Great views on YouTube and may 
have great followings. 

597
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:11,720
And they seem to. 
Impress you or win your trust, 

598
00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:16,680
and you respect them so much if 
you're not careful to always 

599
00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,320
keep Christ before you, no 
matter what a man or a woman of 

600
00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,920
God has done for you. 
You are in. 

601
00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:23,720
Danger of falling into 
deception. 

602
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,080
Christ. 
Matters more than any leader in 

603
00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,600
the church. 
Christ matters. 

604
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,080
More than any person in your 
life that's spoken into your 

605
00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,400
life. 
Men of God. 

606
00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,440
Older men of God. 
Older women of God are prone to 

607
00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:40,960
mess up and fail. 
Be very careful to not put your 

608
00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:47,800
trust in man. 
And be wary that there are some.

609
00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,040
People who are older, older in 
the faith, older in years that 

610
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,360
have no problem praying on 
younger believers who are more 

611
00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,240
naive. 
And willing to believe. 

612
00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:58,640
Those who have. 
More experience. 

613
00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:03,000
Trust the word of God. 
The third thing. 

614
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,320
That this old prophet does to 
win this younger prophets trust 

615
00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,920
is to justify his request by an 
ecstatic experience. 

616
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:12,920
So not only does. 
He say I also am a prophet, as 

617
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:17,400
you are, he goes on to say, and 
an Angel spoke to me by the word

618
00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,800
of the Lord. 
Saying. 

619
00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:21,560
Bring him back with you into 
your house. 

620
00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,080
That he may eat bread and drink 
water. 

621
00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:26,920
This is new. 
Jeroboam didn't have the 

622
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:28,760
audacity to do that. 
He was an idolatry. 

623
00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:36,200
But this man attempts to put 
authority behind his message by 

624
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:40,280
claiming a supernatural divine 
approval with it. 

625
00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:47,240
I have met poor souls, lovely 
Christians, genuine hearted, 

626
00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:53,080
innocent believers who have 
received direction in life from 

627
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,000
those. 
Who have come? 

628
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,440
With the claim of a personalized
revelation on their behalf. 

629
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:02,720
And that. 
Guidance, unfortunately, has 

630
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,200
caused more confusion than 
anything. 

631
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:08,600
And these. 
People who are recipients of 

632
00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:12,680
such messages are so thrown into
a loop that they live many years

633
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:17,040
crippled in fear, thinking if I 
don't obey what this person told

634
00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:19,280
me, not what God told me, not 
what the word of God told me, 

635
00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,920
what this person told me on 
behalf of God, then maybe I will

636
00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,000
disobey God. 
You and I should. 

637
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:30,040
Always be open, always, to 
receiving exhortation, counsel, 

638
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,320
instruction from those who use 
the Word of God to speak into 

639
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,200
our lives. 
But you and I should. 

640
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:38,840
Be very cautious from those who 
feel comfortable giving you 

641
00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:42,720
personalized direction in your 
life from the place of 

642
00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:45,640
personalized experience on your 
behalf. 

643
00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,440
There are. 
People who are tormented because

644
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:56,680
of this kind of ministry 
genuinely terrified that if they

645
00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:59,800
don't do what's been told to 
them, they are going to be in 

646
00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,280
greater danger. 
The Bible is your authority. 

647
00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:05,920
The Word of God. 
Is your authority. 

648
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,200
You know, all it takes is for 
all it takes is from any. 

649
00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,680
Most people, not anybody, but 
most people in this day of age, 

650
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,120
to have somebody who has a 
charismatic gift and ability to 

651
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,720
communicate with these elaborate
stories of what God has done in 

652
00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:20,800
him and through him, and they're
hooked. 

653
00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:24,080
And even if such a person, I 
know this sounds outlanded, but 

654
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:25,840
it's true. 
Even if that person begins to 

655
00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:27,920
have some connection to the word
of God. 

656
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,720
But now introduce strange 
teachings or call people do the 

657
00:38:31,720 --> 00:38:33,280
things that the Bible doesn't 
call them to do. 

658
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:36,960
Or lace things with the gospel 
that the gospel is not, people 

659
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:40,240
will give in to it. 
All it takes. 

660
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:43,720
Is for people to hear somebody 
having experience going here, 

661
00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:46,600
experiencing that miracles 
flowing through them, and that's

662
00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:49,880
all it takes for people to give 
their hearts and their wallets 

663
00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,720
and their wills to such 
ministers and ministries, an 

664
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:55,160
Angel told me. 
Oh, is that all it takes? 

665
00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,120
An Angel told me. 
You know what, John? 

666
00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:00,280
Told believers in First John 41.
It's a very common passage. 

667
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,000
He says Beloved do not believe 
every spirit. 

668
00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,120
Why would he say that? 
Maybe because Christians are 

669
00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:07,680
prone to believe things they 
shouldn't. 

670
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:13,880
Beloved do not believe every 
spirit but test the spirits to 

671
00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:18,200
see whether they are from God. 
So I'm not called to listen to 

672
00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:18,920
this. 
I know me shocking. 

673
00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:22,360
I'm not called to just gobble up
anything that comes my way 

674
00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,360
because the name of Jesus has 
slapped on it. 

675
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:27,760
I'm not even. 
Called to believe everything 

676
00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,440
that comes my way just because 
verses are quoted. 

677
00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:34,960
Satan quoted verses to Jesus. 
He came to Jesus as isn't it 

678
00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:37,200
written and he quotes scripture.
You know what? 

679
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:39,080
Jesus has to deflect it and 
overcome it. 

680
00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,760
It is also written. 
You know what that? 

681
00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:45,520
Tells me Satan will quote verses
out of context, and if you do 

682
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:48,320
not know the Bible in its 
context, you're also prone to 

683
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,520
deception. 
The way to defeat Satan is not 

684
00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,280
just know what is written, but 
what is all written. 

685
00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:56,480
So when Satan? 
Says it is written. 

686
00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:58,440
You can say yeah, but you took 
that out of contest because look

687
00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,040
what it says. 
Here it is also written. 

688
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,000
And so. 
People have to understand here, 

689
00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,520
according to first John four one
that we have every right. 

690
00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,000
It is our duty to test. 
To be careful. 

691
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,360
To be calculated not to be 
cynical, Not to. 

692
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:20,240
Be ugly. 
But to be cautious, why John for

693
00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:22,680
many that word? 
Sprung up to me today. 

694
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:26,800
Not some many false prophets 
have gone out into the world. 

695
00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:29,200
Many. 
Can I tell you what? 

696
00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:31,360
You can learn based out of First
Kings 13 and many other 

697
00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:35,560
examples. 
There are people within our 

698
00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:38,400
camps. 
There are people who will 

699
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,240
leverage their position, their 
authority, their gifting, their 

700
00:40:41,240 --> 00:40:44,120
status. 
There are people who will appeal

701
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:47,080
to supernatural revelatory 
experiences. 

702
00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,120
Listen to this to intentionally 
lie to you. 

703
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:56,080
Intentionally lied to you. 
Some are so. 

704
00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:00,000
Convinced of themselves that 
they, they themselves are 

705
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:01,360
deceived about what they 
believe. 

706
00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:05,040
But there are others who will 
intentionally manipulate you. 

707
00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:07,800
You know, there's much debate 
about why this man of God went 

708
00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,840
out of his way to invoke the 
name of the Lord and lie to this

709
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,840
man of God about what happened 
to him so they can have him over

710
00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:16,000
to his house. 
I mean, why go to that great 

711
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,160
lengths to actually blasphemy 
God to have dinner with this 

712
00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:20,320
man? 
We're. 

713
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,120
Not told. 
But you know what that tells me?

714
00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:25,480
That there are some people in 
this life who are so wanting 

715
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,080
something from you that they're 
willing to lie to you to have 

716
00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:31,760
it. 
I I get it this sounds. 

717
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:33,960
Scary you. 
You have no right to be scared 

718
00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,160
because you have he who is 
greater in you. 

719
00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,800
Than he was in the world. 
I'm not trying to. 

720
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:39,760
Scare you? 
I'm trying to prepare you. 

721
00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:41,120
That's why the stories in the 
Bible. 

722
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:44,400
Know the. 
Word be prayerful. 

723
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,760
Don't be gullible. 
And you'll be more. 

724
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,760
Than safe, you'll be prosperous 
spiritually. 

725
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:51,920
So, John? 
Says test. 

726
00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:54,880
Now why would I need to test 
something unless it's 

727
00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:56,960
immediately recognizable and 
obviously false? 

728
00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:00,120
Obviously I'm called to test 
something because it seems 

729
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:01,600
right. 
And there are. 

730
00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:05,160
Ministers and there are messages
that seem convincing and of 

731
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:06,840
Christ, when in fact they're 
not. 

732
00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:09,760
And all it takes is a little bit
of probing, an investigation for

733
00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:13,040
it to fall apart and realize 
it's a facade. 

734
00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:15,640
But it requires. 
Tests. 

735
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:16,880
Well, how do you test things? 
You. 

736
00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:18,720
Have to 1st. 
Determine in your Christian walk

737
00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:20,800
that the word of God is my 
supreme authority. 

738
00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:23,920
The word of. 
God is my supreme authority. 

739
00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:25,640
It's not an authority with other
authorities. 

740
00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:28,160
It's an authority even more than
miracles. 

741
00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:31,600
You're going to have. 
Masses deceived in the last 

742
00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:32,680
days. 
You know why? 

743
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:37,240
Because the false Antichrist 
will perform miracles. 

744
00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:40,000
That's all it's going to take 
for people to give their 

745
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,840
devotion to Him more than 
miracles. 

746
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:46,240
More than. 
History more than church. 

747
00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:50,160
History more than anything you 
have to determine to be shielded

748
00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:55,160
from any kind of deception. 
This word is my determiner of 

749
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:59,560
truth. 
All this man had to do was an 

750
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:00,520
Angel. 
Told you that. 

751
00:43:00,520 --> 00:43:02,440
But I got this from the word of 
the Lord. 

752
00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:07,800
So we have a problem here. 
But he didn't. 

753
00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:11,760
You know what's so sad? 
Tell me about. 

754
00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:14,120
The king that this man 
confronted, what was his name? 

755
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,400
Jeroboam. 
Who was the king from the South 

756
00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:24,640
sounds like Jeroboam Rehoboam. 
What was the downfall of 

757
00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:26,160
Rehoboam? 
Ultimately? 

758
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:27,720
He took counsel from the wrong 
people. 

759
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:30,480
What was the downfall? 
Of Jeroboam. 

760
00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:33,520
Same thing. 
When he was scared about the 

761
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:35,520
allegiance of the northern 
tribes going back to the 

762
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:37,880
southern Kingdom, he came up 
with this false religion. 

763
00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:39,960
But he didn't come up come up 
with it on his own, it says. 

764
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:42,520
He took counsel. 
Rehoboam. 

765
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:44,600
To counsel, it led to his 
downfall, Jeroboam. 

766
00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:46,680
To counsel, it led to his 
downfall, this man. 

767
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:49,680
To counsel and he's following in
their steps. 

768
00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,280
If you haven't learned yet from 
Rehoboam, if you haven't learned

769
00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:55,040
yet from Jeroboam, please, 
please. 

770
00:43:55,520 --> 00:43:58,240
Learn from this man. 
Now be careful. 

771
00:43:58,240 --> 00:44:00,840
Of the voices that are speaking 
into your life. 

772
00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:03,600
You have 3. 
People in a row. 

773
00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:07,760
Who messed? 
Up because of that one failure, 

774
00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:11,400
taking in things that did not 
come from the Lord. 

775
00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:14,400
Let's read on. 
Shall we? 

776
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:19,880
Verse 20. 
Verse 19 tells us that he went 

777
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:21,720
back with him, ate bread in his 
house and drank water. 

778
00:44:21,720 --> 00:44:23,960
Now just imagine the site. 
Here you have this man of God 

779
00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,480
from Judah sitting at the table 
with this old prophet. 

780
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:31,160
Having dinner together and this.
Nice quiet evening. 

781
00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:34,360
All of a sudden now is 
interrupted by what we read in 

782
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:36,600
verse 20. 
And as they. 

783
00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:39,600
Sat at the table, the word of 
the Lord came to the prophet who

784
00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:42,720
had brought him back, and he 
cried to the man of God, who 

785
00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:46,480
came from Judah. 
Thus says the Lord, because you 

786
00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:49,640
have disobeyed the word of the 
Lord, and you have not kept the 

787
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:52,640
command that the Lord your God 
commanded you, but have come 

788
00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:54,520
back and have eaten bread and 
drunk water. 

789
00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:57,880
In the place of which he said to
you, Eat no bread and drink no 

790
00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,280
water, Your body shall not come 
to the tomb of your Father's. 

791
00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:03,680
That's. 
Shocking. 

792
00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:06,680
And I. 
Wonder if this man had a heart 

793
00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:09,120
sinking experience in that 
moment while bread was still 

794
00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:12,040
between his teeth. 
Can you imagine that? 

795
00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:14,560
Here you are thinking all is 
well. 

796
00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:17,520
Oh, thankful that this. 
Angel came to this old prophet 

797
00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:19,160
and tell me you know what? 
I changed my mind. 

798
00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:21,640
Come on over for dinner. 
You can eat in this place. 

799
00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:25,840
And then this man. 
Of God drops his fork, looks up,

800
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:27,200
and it says he cried. 
I mean, I would have. 

801
00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:29,800
That's startling. 
And he gets a. 

802
00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:33,120
True Word from the Lord. 
You've disobeyed. 

803
00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:36,320
God. 
How do we explain this? 

804
00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:39,800
How do we have this old prophet 
who is so compromised being a 

805
00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:42,480
mouthpiece for for God? 
It's very easy. 

806
00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:46,800
God can speak through whom He 
wills when He wills to perform 

807
00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:49,080
His will. 
You have. 

808
00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:53,160
Balaam, where God took the 
curses out of Balaam's heart and

809
00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:55,120
transformed them through his 
lips to be blessings over 

810
00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:57,040
Israel. 
You had Balaam who was rebuked 

811
00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:58,520
when God spoke through his 
donkey. 

812
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,800
And you have this man whom God 
use as a. 

813
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,760
Mouthpiece to get the attention 
of his servant from Judah and 

814
00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:08,320
the judgment. 
Is very clear, is it not? 

815
00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:11,920
You're a dead man, and you will 
not. 

816
00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:14,240
Receive the honor of being 
buried with your father's. 

817
00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:17,600
You look at that and you. 
Think to yourself. 

818
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:23,760
This seems a little severe, 
seems a little bit intense, and 

819
00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,680
maybe this judgment might tempt 
you and I to think and to 

820
00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:29,880
reconsider. 
The validity of this man from 

821
00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:32,440
Judah's faith and his walk with 
the Lord. 

822
00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:36,600
How can God call for the 
cessation of this man's life if 

823
00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:40,320
he was truly a child of God? 
But let me remind. 

824
00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:45,520
You that both in the New and in 
the Old Testament, God though 

825
00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:47,960
sealing your faith through the 
blood of his Son. 

826
00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:51,320
Jesus Christ will in his love 
and his wisdom implement 

827
00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:55,480
discipline even to the degree of
taking someone home early. 

828
00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:00,120
And there are a few examples of 
this and one comes to mind. 

829
00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:02,880
The one that comes to mind is in
First Corinthians 11 verse 30, 

830
00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:06,280
where Paul gives instructions 
about the Lord's table and the 

831
00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:08,240
Corinthians. 
Were really, really, really 

832
00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:11,800
messing up how they approach the
Lord's Table and Paul. 

833
00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:15,200
Gave commentary to why some of 
the believers in the church were

834
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:17,960
experiencing certain things, and
this is what he says in First 

835
00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:21,200
Corinthians 11 verse 30. 
That is why many of you are 

836
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:26,000
weak. 
And ill and some have died. 

837
00:47:27,640 --> 00:47:28,440
Some have. 
He's. 

838
00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:31,120
Not talking about the world, 
He's talking about people in the

839
00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:35,200
church. 
And here we read of different 

840
00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:37,040
levels of discipline. 
You have some who are weak, you 

841
00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,320
have some who are ill, and you 
have some who have even reached 

842
00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:42,240
the point where. 
They went home. 

843
00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:47,360
Earlier than planned and hoped. 
But you know. 

844
00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,120
This may seem. 
Startling to us Paul, it's so 

845
00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:52,920
amazing in the same passage just
two verses later. 

846
00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:55,920
Assures the believer, though. 
Though you may. 

847
00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,080
Experience the heavy hand of the
Lord because of your persistent 

848
00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:02,360
disobedience and unrepentance. 
That doesn't mean. 

849
00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:05,160
That you lose your salvation. 
Look at verse 32, First 

850
00:48:05,160 --> 00:48:08,560
Corinthians 11. 
But when we are judged by the 

851
00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:12,880
Lord, we are disciplined so that
we may not be condemned along 

852
00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,720
with the world. 
Isn't that wonderful? 

853
00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:19,760
Even in a text like this that 
seems so severe and so final and

854
00:48:19,760 --> 00:48:23,400
seems to to spell out the 
displeasure of the Lord, we're 

855
00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:26,920
confident realizing that even if
a believer experiences some 

856
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:34,360
unusual activity in his life, 
moments and events in his life 

857
00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,960
as a result of God as a Father 
moving in to correct them. 

858
00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:40,360
That doesn't. 
Change their standing before the

859
00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:42,320
Lord because. 
Of the blood of Jesus Christ, 

860
00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:43,720
that's how. 
Secure we are. 

861
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:50,080
Why would God do this, though? 
It still begs the question, why 

862
00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:56,040
would the Lord ever see it 
necessary to even bring one of 

863
00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:59,000
His children into glory before 
their time? 

864
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:00,840
At least they're hoped and 
designed time. 

865
00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:05,120
We will never know the full 
reasons behind his decrees, but 

866
00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:07,720
it could be that in some cases 
one has so tarnished their 

867
00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:09,200
testimony. 
Listen very carefully to this. 

868
00:49:09,720 --> 00:49:12,600
It could be that one has so 
tarnished their testimony. 

869
00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:15,320
That the best? 
Thing to do after that. 

870
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:21,160
Is to say, OK, I have to take 
you your your testimony here, 

871
00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:26,280
the saltiness is so drained, 
it's so gone that the best thing

872
00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:28,480
to do out of this place is to 
say son, daughter, you're coming

873
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:33,080
home with me. 
And it also could be that 

874
00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:34,000
through. 
This. 

875
00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:36,440
Fatherly chastisement for 
disobedience. 

876
00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:39,880
There would also be the 
sanctifying effect that would 

877
00:49:39,880 --> 00:49:41,840
take place in those who are 
still alive. 

878
00:49:44,640 --> 00:49:46,440
And that's exactly what we see 
in this story. 

879
00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:48,880
You might be wondering why did 
this man of God? 

880
00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:54,280
Have to die and notice we didn't
get a date of when it was going 

881
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:56,120
to happen, but it happens the 
same day. 

882
00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:01,920
Verse 23 And after he had eaten 
bread and drunk, he saddled the 

883
00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:05,520
donkey for the prophet whom he 
had brought back and. 

884
00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:07,840
As he. 
Went away, A lion met him on the

885
00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:10,640
road and killed him. 
And his body. 

886
00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:14,640
Was thrown in the road. 
And the donkey stood beside it. 

887
00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:17,280
The lion also stood beside the 
body. 

888
00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:23,760
And So what this man didn't 
realize was this dinner that he 

889
00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:25,480
wasn't supposed to have was in 
fact, his last dinner. 

890
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:29,720
He has. 
A vehicle to be able to head 

891
00:50:29,720 --> 00:50:33,960
back and on his way back a lion 
appears out of. 

892
00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:38,160
Nowhere slays the man kills him.
But then we're. 

893
00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:42,440
Told that he was thrown into the
road and the donkey stood beside

894
00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:44,600
it and the lion also stood 
beside it. 

895
00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:47,720
OK, let's pause here and let's 
collect everything that we 

896
00:50:47,720 --> 00:50:49,560
learned from last week to this 
week to make sense of this 

897
00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:52,920
moment, right? 
This man, when he comes from 

898
00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:56,560
Judah, approaches King Jeroboam.
He denounces him, tells him that

899
00:50:56,560 --> 00:50:57,720
the altar is going to be 
desecrated. 

900
00:50:57,720 --> 00:51:01,560
Your dynasty is done. 
He signs off by saying I cannot 

901
00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:05,000
eat or drink in this place. 
God told me not to, and he makes

902
00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:08,040
his way back. 
On that journey. 

903
00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:10,720
This old prophet comes, invites 
him to eat and drink. 

904
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:13,840
He disobeyed. 
And word. 

905
00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,080
Gets around very quickly as 
we're about to find out. 

906
00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:20,440
How the man? 
Had lived. 

907
00:51:21,560 --> 00:51:22,840
Even if he didn't. 
Live. 

908
00:51:24,720 --> 00:51:26,360
Had king. 
Jeroboam and the people in that 

909
00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:29,080
moment heard that the man of God
who rebuked them and told them 

910
00:51:29,080 --> 00:51:31,920
that he himself, as an example 
of obedience, would not disobey 

911
00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:33,920
the Lord. 
Would that have? 

912
00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:38,680
Hurt his message to Jeroboam. 
Would have hurt. 

913
00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:41,240
His testimony. 
If after telling him what God 

914
00:51:41,240 --> 00:51:43,920
told him to do, you do the exact
opposite, it wouldn't have 

915
00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:46,720
helped the message. 
It could have possibly discredit

916
00:51:46,720 --> 00:51:49,480
it all together. 
And that's what this. 

917
00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:54,040
Man did he now tarnished his 
testimony and his message, And 

918
00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:58,440
now the Lord in his wisdom has 
to find a new way to send a. 

919
00:51:58,440 --> 00:52:02,760
Message to Jeroboam in what way?
By killing his unfaithful 

920
00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:08,480
servant, saying Why? 
To communicate. 

921
00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:11,680
That at this critical point in 
Israel's history that there is 

922
00:52:11,680 --> 00:52:16,080
no one who is above the word of 
God to communicate to King 

923
00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:20,360
Jeroboam that disobedience will 
be met with judgment. 

924
00:52:20,840 --> 00:52:24,720
So imagine if this news, which 
it does, reaches Jeroboam. 

925
00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:28,600
How would that translate? 
This is how it translate 

926
00:52:28,720 --> 00:52:33,160
Jeroboam if I'm willing to do 
this with my own prophet. 

927
00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:36,960
What do you think? 
I'm willing to do with you for 

928
00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:40,400
rebelling against me. 
That's what's that's what's 

929
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,120
being projected here through 
this tragedy. 

930
00:52:44,120 --> 00:52:45,280
And if you think that's. 
A stretch. 

931
00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:48,840
Look at the end of this chapter 
and notice what happens in verse

932
00:52:48,840 --> 00:52:51,280
33. 
After. 

933
00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:54,240
This thing after all that we're 
about to read here, this thing 

934
00:52:54,240 --> 00:52:56,440
including the lion killing the 
man of God. 

935
00:52:56,680 --> 00:53:00,800
After this thing, Jeroboam did 
not turn from his evil way, but 

936
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,840
made priests for the high places
again from all among all the 

937
00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:05,960
people. 
Any who would he ordained to be 

938
00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:09,400
priests of of the high places. 
So after this thing took place, 

939
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:13,080
you would hope that something 
would happen to Jeroboam's 

940
00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:15,720
heart. 
I mean, we see. 

941
00:53:15,720 --> 00:53:18,040
God here swiftly disciplining 
his his own servant. 

942
00:53:18,360 --> 00:53:21,080
But we also see the incredible 
patience of God, do we not? 

943
00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:24,560
Jeroboam. 
Comes and rebukes him, gives him

944
00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:26,320
a denouncement, gives him a 
prophecy. 

945
00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:28,440
The altar breaks open. 
The ashes spill out. 

946
00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:30,280
He stretches out his hand. 
It freezes. 

947
00:53:30,440 --> 00:53:32,080
He prays. 
The hand comes back. 

948
00:53:33,280 --> 00:53:36,240
And even. 
After the man of God is slayed. 

949
00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:38,520
He still. 
Wasn't getting it. 

950
00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:41,760
No matter. 
What God tried to do to get this

951
00:53:41,760 --> 00:53:45,880
man to repent his heart only got
harder and harder and harder. 

952
00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:50,200
And the Lord. 
Even did this in a in a way in 

953
00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:52,680
which it would be undeniable 
that it was an act of God. 

954
00:53:52,680 --> 00:53:56,920
How is it normal for a lion to 
slay a man and to just sit 

955
00:53:56,920 --> 00:54:01,440
there? 
Is it normal for a donkey to sit

956
00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:04,680
beside a lion? 
No. 

957
00:54:04,680 --> 00:54:07,200
Naturally speaking, you would 
think that the lion would devour

958
00:54:07,200 --> 00:54:09,960
the man, devour the donkey, or 
the donkey would get away from 

959
00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:12,600
there as soon as possible. 
But the sight that was seen by 

960
00:54:12,600 --> 00:54:15,520
the travelers who made their way
through this road was that there

961
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:20,240
was a slain man, a lion standing
there, a donkey standing there. 

962
00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:23,680
This is weird. 
There's something here that's 

963
00:54:23,680 --> 00:54:25,600
deep. 
This is not a freak accident. 

964
00:54:26,320 --> 00:54:27,920
This is not some. 
Unfortunate attack. 

965
00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,880
This is divinely orchestrated. 
Go back to verse 25 to see 

966
00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:33,520
exactly what I'm saying and 
behold. 

967
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:36,800
In other words, pay attention. 
Look at this and behold, men 

968
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:41,200
passed by and saw the body 
thrown in the road, and the lion

969
00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:44,760
standing by the body. 
And they came and told it in the

970
00:54:44,760 --> 00:54:46,920
city where the old prophet 
lived. 

971
00:54:46,920 --> 00:54:50,800
It became headline news. 
And so, Jeroboam. 

972
00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:52,200
Was not the only one who heard 
about this. 

973
00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:53,920
Now the old prophet learns about
it. 

974
00:54:54,720 --> 00:54:56,360
And this is where. 
Things get really interesting. 

975
00:54:56,480 --> 00:54:59,640
We're almost done. 
Look at verse 26. 

976
00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:02,000
And when the Prophet. 
Who had brought him back from 

977
00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:05,480
the way heard of it? 
He said It is the man of God who

978
00:55:05,480 --> 00:55:09,160
disobeyed the word of the Lord. 
Therefore the Lord has given him

979
00:55:09,160 --> 00:55:12,680
to the lion, which has torn him 
and killed him, according to the

980
00:55:12,680 --> 00:55:16,080
word that the Lord spoke to him.
And he said to. 

981
00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:19,080
His sons saddle the donkey for 
me and they. 

982
00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:22,280
Saddled it, and he went and 
found his body thrown in the 

983
00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:25,800
road, and the donkey and the 
lion standing beside the body. 

984
00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:29,800
The lion had not eaten the body 
or torn the donkey. 

985
00:55:30,400 --> 00:55:32,040
And how many times? 
We have to hear about this lion 

986
00:55:32,040 --> 00:55:36,120
and donkey. 
So the man hears the news. 

987
00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:39,760
He gets in his own car. 
Makes his way to the place, and 

988
00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:43,840
sure enough, there is the slain 
man, and there's the lion, and 

989
00:55:43,840 --> 00:55:46,280
there's the donkey. 
And the Holy Spirit highlights 

990
00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:48,800
specifically the lion, the last 
part of. 

991
00:55:48,800 --> 00:55:51,040
Verse 20. 
The lion had not eaten the body 

992
00:55:51,360 --> 00:55:53,640
or torn the donkey. 
You know what that's 

993
00:55:53,640 --> 00:55:56,120
emphasizing. 
Self-control. 

994
00:55:58,480 --> 00:56:02,520
This lion had self-control. 
It it was. 

995
00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:05,880
Not natural, obviously. 
It was empowered by God. 

996
00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:08,880
And I think. 
That the reason why this is 

997
00:56:08,880 --> 00:56:12,640
brought to our attention is to 
highlight just how dark it was 

998
00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:14,400
in the days of Israel at this 
time. 

999
00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:18,840
You couldn't find evidence. 
Of obedience with the kings, 

1000
00:56:18,840 --> 00:56:20,400
whether from the South or from 
the North. 

1001
00:56:20,800 --> 00:56:23,280
And now we just learned you 
couldn't even find obedience 

1002
00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:25,600
with a prophet. 
But you know where you find 

1003
00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:29,600
obedience an. 
Animal not with the. 

1004
00:56:29,600 --> 00:56:31,080
Kings. 
Not with the prophets. 

1005
00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:34,240
A beast. 
You have a beast that's 

1006
00:56:34,240 --> 00:56:37,800
submitting to the will of God. 
And it's almost like this 

1007
00:56:37,800 --> 00:56:40,440
strange sights, right? 
This rebuke almost looks 

1008
00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:43,240
contrast. 
Can't find it in. 

1009
00:56:43,240 --> 00:56:45,200
The people of God, But you can 
find it here. 

1010
00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:48,480
With this animal, you're 
supposed. 

1011
00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:50,200
To feel grieved as you read 
that. 

1012
00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:53,920
Here's this. 
Lion who's not willing to have a

1013
00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:57,160
meal for himself. 
In the same context of a man of 

1014
00:56:57,160 --> 00:56:59,480
God who was told not to eat a 
meal, and he did anyway. 

1015
00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:09,160
Verse 20. 9 And the prophet took
up the body of the man of God, 

1016
00:57:09,160 --> 00:57:12,160
and laid it on the donkey, and 
brought it back to the city, to 

1017
00:57:12,160 --> 00:57:15,480
mourn and to bury him. 
And he laid the body in his own 

1018
00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:17,160
grave. 
And they mourned over him, 

1019
00:57:17,160 --> 00:57:21,040
saying, Alas, my brother. 
And after he had buried him, he 

1020
00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:25,000
said to his sons, When I die, 
bury me in the grave in which 

1021
00:57:25,000 --> 00:57:29,520
the man of God is buried. 
Lay my bones beside his bones. 

1022
00:57:30,160 --> 00:57:31,800
For the saying. 
That he called out by the word 

1023
00:57:31,800 --> 00:57:34,080
of the Lord against the altar in
Bethel and against all the 

1024
00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:36,920
houses of the high places that 
are in the cities of Samaritan, 

1025
00:57:36,920 --> 00:57:41,160
shall surely come to pass. 
I'm confused by this guy. 

1026
00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:46,240
Are you not sitting in my desk? 
Like, who is this person? 

1027
00:57:47,560 --> 00:57:49,480
In one. 
Reading, you see him comfortably

1028
00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:53,640
blaspheming God, lying on behalf
of God, dishonouring and 

1029
00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:56,640
disregarding the word of God. 
And in the next. 

1030
00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:00,080
Reading, you find this man. 
Revering. 

1031
00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:02,680
The Word of God, acknowledging 
the word of the Lord even being 

1032
00:58:02,680 --> 00:58:05,080
broken over the loss of this man
of God. 

1033
00:58:05,880 --> 00:58:07,480
How do you make? 
Sense of this? 

1034
00:58:08,400 --> 00:58:10,160
Well, some would be. 
Satisfied to say that this is 

1035
00:58:10,160 --> 00:58:13,280
just the perfect picture of 
those who have confusing 

1036
00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:16,640
convictions and conducts. 
One day they seem right with the

1037
00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:18,520
Lord, the next day you don't 
know if they're a Christian. 

1038
00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:20,320
Another day, they seem kind of 
Christian. 

1039
00:58:22,040 --> 00:58:29,000
Or or. 
Or what just happened with this 

1040
00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:34,800
man awakened this old prophet, 
his conscience came alive again.

1041
00:58:35,800 --> 00:58:39,240
And now he. 
Himself is disturbed about 

1042
00:58:39,240 --> 00:58:46,520
himself saying really perhaps. 
Notice again his request in 

1043
00:58:46,520 --> 00:58:49,840
verse 31. 
When I die, he says, bury me in 

1044
00:58:49,840 --> 00:58:51,560
the grave in which the man of 
God is buried. 

1045
00:58:51,560 --> 00:58:53,320
That's. 
That's. 

1046
00:58:53,320 --> 00:58:55,200
Strange for somebody you just 
met. 

1047
00:58:57,520 --> 00:58:59,080
Being buried. 
In an honorable place, in the 

1048
00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:01,840
place of your father's was. 
Was something. 

1049
00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:04,240
Sought after by the patriarchs, 
even they wanted to make sure 

1050
00:59:04,240 --> 00:59:05,640
that they were buried with their
fathers. 

1051
00:59:05,640 --> 00:59:08,720
And yet this man felt this 
incredible need to be buried 

1052
00:59:08,720 --> 00:59:12,360
with this unnamed man of God 
from Judah and noticed his 

1053
00:59:12,360 --> 00:59:14,320
language very carefully. 
He says. 

1054
00:59:14,320 --> 00:59:23,280
Lay my bones beside his bones. 
You know why that's significant?

1055
00:59:23,560 --> 00:59:25,360
Go back to verse two of First 
Kings 13. 

1056
00:59:25,840 --> 00:59:28,200
And remember what the man of God
said to Jeroboam. 

1057
00:59:29,440 --> 00:59:31,000
Look at the last. 
Part of verse 2. 

1058
00:59:33,040 --> 00:59:35,440
He says. 
Josiah by name, and he shall 

1059
00:59:35,440 --> 00:59:39,240
sacrifice on you the priests of 
the high places who make 

1060
00:59:39,240 --> 00:59:43,600
offerings on you, and human 
bones shall be burned on you. 

1061
00:59:46,360 --> 00:59:48,480
So one of the. 
Greatest acts of desecration 

1062
00:59:48,480 --> 00:59:51,760
would be that the bones of these
false priests and messengers 

1063
00:59:51,760 --> 00:59:56,760
would be placed on these false 
altars and disrespected by being

1064
00:59:56,760 --> 01:00:00,600
burned on the altars. 
And I'm. 

1065
01:00:00,600 --> 01:00:04,040
Persuaded that this man of God 
in knowing that prophecy and. 

1066
01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:05,440
Even. 
Knowing in the compromise 

1067
01:00:05,440 --> 01:00:08,200
condition that he was in living 
in Bethel, having his kids, 

1068
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:11,920
going to false worship services,
lying on behalf of the name of 

1069
01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:13,920
God. 
Did not. 

1070
01:00:13,920 --> 01:00:16,560
Want the same fate as these 
false priests? 

1071
01:00:17,160 --> 01:00:19,880
He did not. 
Want his bones to be burned on 

1072
01:00:19,880 --> 01:00:22,160
these altars. 
He wanted to, as we just read, 

1073
01:00:22,360 --> 01:00:24,760
perhaps died the death of the 
righteous. 

1074
01:00:27,480 --> 01:00:30,560
I don't want to end the way I've
been. 

1075
01:00:30,760 --> 01:00:35,440
I want to change. 
And more than. 

1076
01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:39,920
That he publicly acknowledges 
the prophecy that the man of God

1077
01:00:39,920 --> 01:00:42,920
made about Jeroboam. 
And we saw how the reaction of 

1078
01:00:42,920 --> 01:00:46,400
Jeroboam shows that to make such
a declaration with to put 

1079
01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:48,840
yourself in danger. 
Notice when he says in verse 32 

1080
01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:52,000
for the saying that he called 
out by the word of the Lord 

1081
01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:54,320
against the altar in Bethel and 
against all the House of the 

1082
01:00:54,320 --> 01:00:57,360
high places that are in the 
cities of Samaritan shall surely

1083
01:00:57,360 --> 01:00:59,040
come to pass. 
It's going to happen. 

1084
01:00:59,040 --> 01:01:04,160
I believe that prophecy. 
Perhaps this? 

1085
01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:09,120
Man now is willing to 
acknowledge the truth and to 

1086
01:01:09,120 --> 01:01:10,440
not. 
Just keep it here. 

1087
01:01:10,440 --> 01:01:13,200
But to say it, it's going to 
happen, I'm not afraid to say 

1088
01:01:13,200 --> 01:01:15,680
it's going to happen. 
And when it does. 

1089
01:01:15,680 --> 01:01:18,800
Happen. 
Listen, I want to be buried with

1090
01:01:18,800 --> 01:01:20,240
that man. 
I don't want to be buried with 

1091
01:01:20,240 --> 01:01:22,200
these other people that are 
going to be judged when Josiah 

1092
01:01:22,200 --> 01:01:27,200
comes on the scene. 
And perhaps. 

1093
01:01:27,640 --> 01:01:30,760
The greatest piece of evidence 
that this man's conscience was 

1094
01:01:30,760 --> 01:01:34,000
awakened for the good is when 
Josiah actually does come on the

1095
01:01:34,000 --> 01:01:36,760
scene. 
And Josiah. 

1096
01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:39,360
Does fulfill this prophecy where
he takes the bones of these 

1097
01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:42,160
false priests and burns them? 
But notice something in our last

1098
01:01:42,160 --> 01:01:44,520
text for tonight and 2nd Kings 
23. 

1099
01:01:45,760 --> 01:01:48,600
So you're in First Kings go to 
the Neighboring book and 2nd 

1100
01:01:48,600 --> 01:01:54,520
Kings 23. 
We're near. 300 years after this

1101
01:01:54,520 --> 01:01:56,880
prophecy was declared, Josiah 
appears. 

1102
01:01:57,920 --> 01:02:00,240
And he brings. 
Judgment as it was foretold. 

1103
01:02:01,040 --> 01:02:04,240
But in second. 
Kings 2317 we read then, he 

1104
01:02:04,240 --> 01:02:05,880
said. 
What is that monument? 

1105
01:02:05,880 --> 01:02:08,120
That I see. 
And the men of the. 

1106
01:02:08,120 --> 01:02:10,920
City told them it is the tomb of
the man of God who came from 

1107
01:02:10,920 --> 01:02:14,120
Judah and predicted these things
that you have done against the 

1108
01:02:14,120 --> 01:02:16,360
altar at Bethel. 
And he said. 

1109
01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:20,960
Let him be Let no man move his 
bones, so they let his bones 

1110
01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:24,840
alone with the bones of the 
Prophet who came out of Samaria.

1111
01:02:28,000 --> 01:02:29,880
Don't touch. 
The man of God's bones from 

1112
01:02:29,880 --> 01:02:32,760
Judah and don't touch the 
prophet that was buried with 

1113
01:02:32,760 --> 01:02:34,920
him. 
If this. 

1114
01:02:34,920 --> 01:02:37,680
Indeed is true. 
Then even. 

1115
01:02:37,680 --> 01:02:42,120
With us going deeper and deeper 
Into Darkness, not only are 

1116
01:02:42,120 --> 01:02:44,320
kings disobeying you have 
prophets and the. 

1117
01:02:45,080 --> 01:02:46,640
The ray of. 
Light in this whole story is a 

1118
01:02:46,640 --> 01:02:49,640
lion. 
Not eating the guy and not 

1119
01:02:49,640 --> 01:02:55,600
killing the donkey. 
You have fresh air blow into 

1120
01:02:55,600 --> 01:03:00,320
your reading through this old 
prophet, perhaps showing some 

1121
01:03:00,320 --> 01:03:06,680
sign, some little sign of 
repentance, realizing that God's

1122
01:03:06,680 --> 01:03:12,560
Word is true. 
I told you a couple weeks ago 

1123
01:03:12,560 --> 01:03:16,680
that these passages were going 
to be a challenge and there's 

1124
01:03:16,680 --> 01:03:20,080
going to be more ahead. 
But here's what. 

1125
01:03:20,080 --> 01:03:23,200
You and I are going to end this 
Bible study by doing asking. 

1126
01:03:23,200 --> 01:03:28,000
The Lord. 
To give us. 

1127
01:03:28,000 --> 01:03:32,520
The grace and the strength, so 
that we can worship and live for

1128
01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:35,400
him. 
And not give that joy and honor 

1129
01:03:35,400 --> 01:03:40,280
to mere creation. 
That we would. 

1130
01:03:40,280 --> 01:03:42,000
Be able to. 
Worship him and not give that 

1131
01:03:42,000 --> 01:03:46,440
duty to rocks. 
And we would go and do what he 

1132
01:03:46,440 --> 01:03:54,080
calls us to do when he tells us 
to do it and be a shining light 

1133
01:03:54,080 --> 01:03:58,760
in The Dark World. 
So with all that was said, very 

1134
01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:03,240
heavy Bible study, but so good 
for us, let's thank the Lord 

1135
01:04:03,240 --> 01:04:06,840
together. 
Lord, we thank you from our 

1136
01:04:06,840 --> 01:04:10,880
hearts that you have given us 
everything we need to not only 

1137
01:04:10,880 --> 01:04:16,680
be fruitful, but, according to 
first Peter, be so equipped and 

1138
01:04:16,680 --> 01:04:18,760
furnished. 
And. 

1139
01:04:18,760 --> 01:04:21,560
Invested. 
Invested. 

1140
01:04:21,560 --> 01:04:24,320
In the disciplines and the 
truths of your word, where Peter

1141
01:04:24,320 --> 01:04:28,440
says that we may never fall. 
And Lord even. 

1142
01:04:28,440 --> 01:04:32,920
If we do fall, John tells us 
that we have an advocate, one 

1143
01:04:32,920 --> 01:04:38,080
who is our propitiation, who 
will freely and gladly forgive 

1144
01:04:38,080 --> 01:04:40,840
us of our sins when we confess 
them. 

1145
01:04:42,680 --> 01:04:48,840
Lord, if we have failed you 
consciously, Lord, we ask that 

1146
01:04:48,840 --> 01:04:52,840
you would forgive us. 
Lord, we pray. 

1147
01:04:52,840 --> 01:04:56,960
That you would cleanse us. 
And make us strong again so that

1148
01:04:56,960 --> 01:05:00,320
we can serve you. 
And, Lord, for the journey 

1149
01:05:00,320 --> 01:05:05,480
ahead, though we might have 
overcome temptation in the past,

1150
01:05:06,560 --> 01:05:10,360
your word says, Let he who 
stands take heed lest he falls. 

1151
01:05:11,080 --> 01:05:14,000
We do not. 
Presume, nor do we boast in our 

1152
01:05:14,000 --> 01:05:16,160
strength. 
We through these. 

1153
01:05:16,160 --> 01:05:18,840
Bible studies are constantly 
reminded that we need your daily

1154
01:05:18,840 --> 01:05:22,440
strength, your daily wisdom, 
your daily grace. 

1155
01:05:23,400 --> 01:05:25,560
Thank you That we. 
Never have to fear losing our 

1156
01:05:25,560 --> 01:05:27,960
salvation, but oh Lord, we're 
beyond that. 

1157
01:05:28,680 --> 01:05:30,720
We don't want to. 
Miss out on being used by you in

1158
01:05:30,720 --> 01:05:33,120
this life. 
We don't want to. 

1159
01:05:33,120 --> 01:05:37,040
Miss out having a testimony 
before a Pagan world? 

1160
01:05:37,680 --> 01:05:41,120
Pagan rulers, compromised 
prophets. 

1161
01:05:42,080 --> 01:05:44,720
We want to be. 
Strong in our testimony. 

1162
01:05:45,440 --> 01:05:47,200
So, Lord. 
We pray that we would not be 

1163
01:05:47,200 --> 01:05:48,960
lingering where we're not 
supposed to be lingering. 

1164
01:05:48,960 --> 01:05:52,160
Show us the places and the 
things that we went entertaining

1165
01:05:52,440 --> 01:05:55,880
that are hurting us and draining
our life from us instead of 

1166
01:05:55,880 --> 01:05:59,280
giving us the strength and the 
grace to be exactly we've called

1167
01:05:59,280 --> 01:06:01,840
us to be. 
Help us, Lord, Guide us, Lord, 

1168
01:06:02,960 --> 01:06:05,320
We thank you for this Bible. 
Say we thank you for how rich it

1169
01:06:05,320 --> 01:06:06,800
is. 
We thank you. 

1170
01:06:06,800 --> 01:06:09,080
That in your love you warned. 
That's why you've given us this 

1171
01:06:09,080 --> 01:06:12,840
history of what happened with 
your people in the past. 

1172
01:06:13,600 --> 01:06:15,640
We embrace it. 
We we hold it tight to our 

1173
01:06:15,640 --> 01:06:19,040
bosoms, and we ask that Lord it 
would become real in our lives. 

1174
01:06:19,280 --> 01:06:21,600
In Jesus name we pray. 
Amen. 

1175
01:06:22,040 --> 01:06:24,560
Amen, brothers, sisters. 
To stand and worship the Lord 

1176
01:06:24,560 --> 01:06:26,080
and say thank you, Lord, for 
this word. 

1177
01:06:26,320 --> 01:06:28,840
Thank you, Lord, for how rich 
your word is. 

1178
01:06:38,980 --> 01:06:42,260
Let's give him glory tonight, 
Amen, and love him and adore him

1179
01:06:43,140 --> 01:06:45,420
that we are. 
Secure in his hand, Not only 

1180
01:06:45,420 --> 01:06:48,860
secure in his hand. 
You know you have many. 

1181
01:06:48,860 --> 01:06:50,700
People who are also fearful in 
another way. 

1182
01:06:52,740 --> 01:06:54,820
What if I miss? 
Out on God's plan for my life. 

1183
01:06:56,380 --> 01:06:57,660
What if I'm not? 
Holy enough. 

1184
01:06:58,800 --> 01:06:59,920
What if I'm not? 
Strong enough? 

1185
01:06:59,920 --> 01:07:01,440
What if I'm not knowledgeable 
enough? 

1186
01:07:01,840 --> 01:07:03,080
What if I'm not? 
Pure enough. 

1187
01:07:05,600 --> 01:07:08,200
Do you realize? 
That in having those concerns. 

1188
01:07:09,080 --> 01:07:11,080
You are in the. 
Greatest place that you can be 

1189
01:07:11,080 --> 01:07:13,920
in in your spirituality. 
Do you know who? 

1190
01:07:13,920 --> 01:07:17,200
Doesn't care about those things.
People who don't want to be used

1191
01:07:17,200 --> 01:07:21,720
by God, people that want to be 
used by God think that way and 

1192
01:07:21,720 --> 01:07:25,280
pray that way. 
And they say, Lord, I am far 

1193
01:07:25,280 --> 01:07:26,440
from perfect. 
I'm not worthy. 

1194
01:07:27,720 --> 01:07:30,160
And Lord. 
If there's any healthy fear that

1195
01:07:30,160 --> 01:07:32,840
I want in my life, it's to veer 
off from your will for my life. 

1196
01:07:33,000 --> 01:07:39,720
When you have that holy concern,
you are dead center in the will 

1197
01:07:39,720 --> 01:07:42,800
of God. 
So don't be. 

1198
01:07:42,800 --> 01:07:45,160
Afraid. 
God wants to use you more than 

1199
01:07:45,160 --> 01:07:47,760
you want to be used? 
Don't be concerned. 

1200
01:07:47,920 --> 01:07:50,440
God has the resources to make 
you who you need to be. 

1201
01:07:51,240 --> 01:07:52,320
He will not let. 
Go of you. 

1202
01:07:52,960 --> 01:07:56,360
He will not let go of you. 
Let's sing, shall we?