1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,480 Meet me in second Kings Chapter 7. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,120 By the grace of God, we're going to complete this chapter in its 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:12,080 entirety this evening. So let's turn there and begin in 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,239 verse one. And I want to remind you that 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,480 this. Chapter does not introduce a new 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,840 story, nor does it transition us into a new thought. 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,960 Instead, it begins in the middle of a conversation between Elijah 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,960 and Delicate sent from the king of Israel, who were sent to 9 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:38,080 arrest him and to execute him. That's where this chapter 10 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,520 begins. And we have to remember from our 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:45,600 previous study that Israel during this time was weathering 12 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:51,760 a severe famine, and with that famine was attempting to survive 13 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:58,120 Syrian siege, the army of the nation of Syria surrounding them 14 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,760 and hoping to starve them into surrender. 15 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:06,960 And due to the siege, inflation is through the roof and the 16 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:09,040 people of the Northern Kingdom have even resorted to 17 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,760 cannibalism in order to survive. Things are bleak. 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,480 Things are desperate and devastating. 19 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,200 But while Samaria is in shambles. 20 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,800 The last site that we had of the prophet was that he was at home 21 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:28,760 sitting calmly waiting on his God. 22 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:35,040 On the other hand, the King of Israel, through a spontaneous 23 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,480 reaction to the horrors that he is discovering among his people, 24 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,440 chooses to blame God and the man of God for the suffering that 25 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:49,880 his country is experiencing and decides in his rage to kill the 26 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,640 prophet. And so he sends a messenger, and 27 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,800 he will follow that messenger. But we're dealing with a prophet 28 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,960 here. And so the Lord speaks to Elijah 29 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,480 ahead of time, and Elijah is notified, and he tells the 30 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,400 elders to protect the door of his home. 31 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,480 And they do so. And then suddenly the messenger 32 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,640 of the king arrives on the scene and the king behind him, only to 33 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:20,080 realize that God is the one who has a real message. 34 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,040 And it's a message for the king of Israel, and it's a message 35 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,240 for the people of Israel. And we're going to read the 36 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,800 first 2 verses of this chapter to discover it together. 37 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:36,440 Second king, 7 verse one. But Elijah said, hear the word 38 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,440 of the Lord. Thus says the Lord, Tomorrow 39 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,360 about this time a sea of fine flour shall be sold for a 40 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,280 shekel, and to see is a barley for a shekel at the gate of 41 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,320 Samaria. Then the captain, on whose hand 42 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,920 the king leaned, said to the man of God, If the Lord Himself 43 00:02:55,920 --> 00:03:00,080 should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? 44 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,520 But he said, You shall see it with your own eyes, but you 45 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:09,120 shall not eat of it. Lord, we ask in humility that 46 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,800 you help us with this study. Touch our lives, touch our 47 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,680 minds, touch our hearts, change us. 48 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:22,960 O God, we need you here. We need you day by day, we need 49 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,120 you as we engage with your word. So we depend on you and we 50 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:31,040 gladly admit that you are the teacher, we are your students 51 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,360 and we receive from you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 52 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:43,920 I believe that in verse one alone we can learn three things. 53 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,920 Verse 1 alone, and I want to just touch on those things 54 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,280 briefly. The first thing that I want to 55 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:56,920 draw to your attention is how often man's evil is met by God's 56 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,000 grace. It's incredible, isn't it, that 57 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,280 you had the king of Israel wanting to execute the prophet 58 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,680 of God, despite the fact that Elijah has done so much to help 59 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,280 Israel and even unworthy king such as Jeraham. 60 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:18,320 And yet this king wants to remove his head from his 61 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,279 shoulders. And with all the things, the 62 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,520 series of graces that this king has experienced, he would think 63 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:30,160 that after this, this is a this is a whole new low that he would 64 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:35,160 finally be dealt with in judgement and punishment and 65 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,920 divine discipline. And instead, what do we read? 66 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,880 That Elisha gives him a promise of provision, That he lets him 67 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,080 know that salvation is just a night away. 68 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,040 And as I look at this, I'm reminding you of another real 69 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,960 life example of how the grace of God reveals itself and how it 70 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:00,040 often reintroduces itself in the midst of our sin. 71 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:08,600 While men hate God, rebel against God, despise God, God 72 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,400 meets them in that place while they are yet enemies and 73 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,600 embraces them with grace. And I've said this so many 74 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,080 times, I don't want to be redundant, but I can't help it 75 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,040 that the more I study even the Old Testament, the more I'm 76 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,080 convinced that God is a God of grace. 77 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,560 And for people to make this claim that God is in a better 78 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,360 mood in the New Testament than he was in the Old proves to me 79 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,280 ignorance of the Scriptures and that you have not really delved 80 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:41,680 into what the Word of God has to say about the character of God. 81 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:47,200 Here you have the king who wants to kill a mighty man of God 82 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:52,600 without cause, and yet God prompts Elijah to give a message 83 00:05:52,640 --> 00:06:00,120 of grace and hope as a response. It's staggering, and it's not an 84 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,680 isolated thing. The second lesson is about how 85 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:08,000 God can change any circumstance in any amount of time. 86 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,960 God can change any circumstance in any amount of time. 87 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,800 Notice that the astounding prophecy that Elijah gives is 88 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,760 not just about, you know, specifying this new. 89 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:25,040 Kind of price for these goods. It also, it also unveils that 90 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,360 there's going to be the presence of products that were not in 91 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,320 existence within the city's borders. 92 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,160 Remember, the products that were on demand were two things that 93 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,400 are unthinkable. Donkeys, heads and the dung of 94 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,000 doves. And now all of a sudden we hear 95 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,640 and we read that there's going to be fine flour and there's 96 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:46,080 going to be barley provided. And it makes you wonder, how is 97 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:50,200 this going to happen? There's a siege going on here. 98 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,320 How will these products be imported? 99 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,080 How will these goods even arrive? 100 00:06:55,840 --> 00:07:00,520 Left to human ingenuity, it's impossible for this to be a 101 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,960 reality within 24 hours. And that's the point. 102 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,040 This prophecy is preparing the people for a miracle. 103 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,560 This is a supernatural announcement. 104 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,600 It doesn't make any sense. And this is one of the many 105 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:16,400 miracles that should always be remembered by us whenever we are 106 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,840 facing something where we don't understand how God can come 107 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,920 through, especially when all odds are against us. 108 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,560 That's the point of this. Left to human reasoning, there 109 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,560 is no logical answer. And yet we are supposed to be 110 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,040 impressed by this, that God is able. 111 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,520 That God is able. And when I'm looking at this I I 112 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,480 can't help but think in our context as a church, I will 113 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:49,560 never forget and by the grace of God never fail to testify of how 114 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,200 He has done something so similar in our story. 115 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,160 You think about the history of this church, and you think about 116 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:03,440 how within a day. After an unforeseen transition, 117 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:07,200 we were able to gather as a people and some of you, this is 118 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:08,600 foreign to you. You don't know the history 119 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,880 behind how we are here in this specific location. 120 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:12,880 But let me summarize it. It was a miracle. 121 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,960 And for those who were there, you know it very well. 122 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,160 It was a miracle. How is it that through a 123 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:26,240 transition again that left? To human reasoning would lead us 124 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,280 to think that we need much more time to be able to do what we 125 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:31,960 were able to do in that time frame. 126 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,799 We didn't have to postpone one meeting, cancel one prayer 127 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:40,000 service, delay 1 Bible study, nothing of the sort. 128 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,520 I hope for those who were there to experience it. 129 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:49,120 We'll never forget that in the Word and for those who live for 130 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,560 the Lord. God is able to flip the script 131 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,280 within the blink of an eye. That's who God is, and you have 132 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:57,840 to believe that he's able to do that. 133 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,600 And when you experience something like that, you'll 134 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,840 never be the same. And so I read the story and yes, 135 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,480 I'm looking at history, but I'm also looking at the same God 136 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:09,440 who's done it for us. And he is able to do it again 137 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,920 and again and again. He's not constrained by time. 138 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,680 He's not limited by lack of resources. 139 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,480 But here's what you have to remember that believing the Lord 140 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,760 can do that. Does not mean that you and I 141 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,040 will be given the blueprint of how he will do it. 142 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,280 Believing he can do it doesn't mean that he owes us explanation 143 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,280 to how he is going to do it. Did you notice that when Elijah 144 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,000 prophesized about how the economy is going to shift 145 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,480 drastically within 24 hours, he doesn't tell the king how it's 146 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,120 going to happen. He didn't say so here's how it's 147 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,080 going to happen. The Syrians, as we're about to 148 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,400 read in this, the Syrians, they're going to hear a sound. 149 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,760 I'm going to let them hear the sound of Chariots and horses. 150 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,080 They're going to flee and all the things that they leave 151 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:52,480 behind. That's what's going to bring 152 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,000 about the deliverance to the people doesn't, doesn't say 153 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,960 anything of the sort. He just says it's going to 154 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,000 happen. And knowing that God is able 155 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,000 must be enough to win our faith. Just knowing that he is able, 156 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,800 not trying to understand the intricacies and the danger also 157 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:14,280 of limiting him to our methodologies, that will 158 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,960 suffocate your faith. If you think that God is limited 159 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,600 by how you think he should or how he can do it, that's 160 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:23,240 dangerous thinking. Just give up. 161 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,240 Give up speculating, give up planning, give up trying to 162 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:27,320 figure out how he's going to do it. 163 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,800 Just trust and while you wait, worship. 164 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,680 I find an issue how we get a glimpse of the thinking of the 165 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:36,600 King's right hand man as he hears this and couldn't help 166 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,480 himself but respond to this prophecy. 167 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,320 And what does he think? He thinks, OK, if this were to 168 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:47,000 happen, then the only way that it could occur is that God would 169 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,440 make fine flour and barley rain down from the heavens, right? 170 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,320 Remember he says that though with the make heavens have 171 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,840 windows and those windows would open up and he was to release 172 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,160 these things. OK, But even then he says, could 173 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,480 it really bring about the results that you're Speaking of? 174 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,840 But interestingly, God is not going to. 175 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,160 Literally make things fall down from the sky as he did with 176 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,720 mana. He has a whole different idea 177 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:17,880 about it. And God is going to open the 178 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:22,200 heavens in a metaphorical sense. And we have to be careful 179 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,680 thinking that the Lord is bound to our predictable solutions. 180 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,840 Here's the last thing that we can learn from verse one, the 181 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:34,800 last, the third thing, it reminds us very close to the 182 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:38,400 second point, how God is not bound to our schedules. 183 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:44,760 He's not bound to our timing. Go back to the second Kings 633 184 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,960 to know what I'm talking about. It says here. 185 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,720 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came 186 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,320 down to him being Elijah and said this trouble is from the 187 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,240 Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord 188 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,520 any longer? Why should I wait for the Lord 189 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,160 any longer? That's what the King says now. 190 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,800 One would think that in the face of such desperation and 191 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,360 devastation, the Lord would act without delay, right? 192 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,920 That if this is going to be this abundant provision made, why not 193 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,120 say by this afternoon it's going to happen? 194 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:21,120 Why not say by this evening you'll see it come to pass? 195 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,640 Why tomorrow? Why tomorrow? 196 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:27,320 And we're not giving an explanation. 197 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,040 Not in this story, and in many cases not in your life either, 198 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,760 but when things will unfold for you, when things will come to 199 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:39,080 pass for me. But I think when you read the 200 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,800 rest of the story, there is a timeless principle that can be 201 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:46,000 applied to anything that we are waiting on the Lord for. 202 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,720 Because as we're going to discover in a moment here, there 203 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,200 are key players that still need to be positioned, and there are 204 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,240 parallel stories that still need to be woven together that will 205 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:02,880 require time to achieve. And if it will require time to 206 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,520 accomplish, then it will demand our patience. 207 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:11,120 And we need to be patient. Study the Psalm, study 208 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,200 narrative, study the stories and how much is mentioned about 209 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,040 waiting. It's almost like an inescapable 210 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,160 discipline for the Christian learning how to. 211 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,760 Wait, it's everywhere. It's everywhere. 212 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,560 Imagine everything came with every prayer on the demand. 213 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,120 What kind of faith does that pull out of you? 214 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:33,880 Can God do it immediately? Yes. 215 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,840 I and I pray that way. I pray believe in that God can 216 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,400 come right here, right now before I even say Amen. 217 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:40,560 You have the right to pray that way. 218 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:43,000 But if He doesn't, what do you do? 219 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:48,320 You believe that He is bringing together a story, a testimony 220 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:50,280 that is greater than you can imagine. 221 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,320 And it requires time. It requires time. 222 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,440 Well, let's read. Let's read on in verse two, the 223 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:02,280 first part we learned that there was not just a messenger or the 224 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,400 king in attendance that there was the captain on whose hand 225 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,520 the king leaned the right hand man of the king. 226 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,720 And he couldn't help but react to this prophecy. 227 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,960 And unfortunately his reaction isn't 1 of gratitude and faith. 228 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,800 Instead it is filled with. Scorn and unbelief. 229 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,760 What does he say if the Lord were to make windows in heaven? 230 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,760 Could this thing be, in other words, if God was able to drop 231 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:35,520 this flower and barley from the skies with the reverse of our 232 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,400 situation, as you say, actually come to pass? 233 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,280 And the captain should have known better because he should 234 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,480 have remembered that this is not the only time where God has 235 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:50,360 metaphorically provided something through the windows of 236 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:54,560 heaven. Can you think of a time before 237 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:59,720 this where God acted through the symbolism of the windows of 238 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:01,440 heaven being opened? Any idea? 239 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:05,280 You can answer if you know man out, Sure, but I'm looking for 240 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,200 the specific phrase the windows of heaven. 241 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:12,400 It goes all the way back to the beginning. 242 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,040 Very good. Genesis Chapter 7. 243 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,560 Look at it with me in verse 11 and Genesis 711. 244 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:25,880 It relates to Noah. And notice what Moses writes in 245 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:35,360 Genesis 711 in the 6th, 100th year of Noah's life, and the 246 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,040 second month on the 17th day of the month. 247 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:43,200 On that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and 248 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,320 the windows of the heavens were opened. 249 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:54,320 So you see, God has opened the windows of heaven before, but 250 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,320 for what reason? According to this account, to 251 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,920 pour out his judgement in a metaphorical sense, What was he 252 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,360 ready to do in the account of Second Kings Chapter 7? 253 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:11,080 To pour out his grace. And in many cases, some find it 254 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,280 more difficult to believe that God is willing to extend grace 255 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:20,760 than to unleash his wrath. I've met those people, and this 256 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,640 hesitation is implied in another passage of scripture in the Old 257 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:28,120 Testament, where the windows of heaven are referenced yet again. 258 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,360 Any idea? I'm talking now the right side 259 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,360 of Second Kings. Any other idea where the 260 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,360 reference windows of heaven is brought up? 261 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,520 Not Revelation. Still in the Old Testament, Not 262 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:41,760 Daniel. Nope. 263 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,720 Malachi. Somebody got it. 264 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,640 Go to Malachi chapter 3, verse 10. 265 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:59,440 This is a very familiar passage. Malachi 310 here's what the 266 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:04,599 prophet says bring the full tide into the storehouse, that there 267 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:08,440 may be food in my house, and thereby put me to the. 268 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:09,839 Test. Isn't that fascinating? 269 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,760 You'll be hard pressed to find another place where God tells 270 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:16,400 the people to put him to the test. 271 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,319 But in this case, he says, Put me to the test, and thereby put 272 00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:24,160 me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the 273 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:28,400 windows of heaven for you, and pour down for you a blessing 274 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:33,720 until there is no more need. Here's a translation of what the 275 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:39,440 Lord is saying here. Evidently you people, my people, 276 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:45,560 do not believe that I am willing to bless you for your obedience 277 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,280 to My law. And in my law there is a demand 278 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,560 that you give a portion of your resources in order to fund the 279 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,880 ministry at the temple and to help the priest as they 280 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,320 minister. And you know how that was 281 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,520 revealed? They did not give the tithe. 282 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,240 No, no, they didn't give the full tithe. 283 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,960 So they gave in part. And God reveals here indirectly 284 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,320 why they gave in part because they were hesitant not give 285 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,000 everything because we're going to lose if we give. 286 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,960 And God says you don't believe my word. 287 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:20,320 Put me to the test. Give in accordance to what I ask 288 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,520 of you. Watch how I'll open the windows 289 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:28,320 of heaven and pour all my. Blessings on your life Now, many 290 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,400 in the New Covenant use this old Covenant law to try to press 291 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:39,160 people to obey the tithing law that was binding in the Old 292 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:40,880 Covenant. There's a different principle of 293 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,160 giving in the New Testament and in the New Covenant under the 294 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,040 law of Christ, but the principle of obedience is applied 295 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:49,920 universally. Blessing will never be realized 296 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:55,000 in a place of partial obedience. They gave some, they didn't. 297 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,520 Give what God asked and he said only when you give fully will I 298 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,880 bless you truly. And that's true for any command 299 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,280 of God if we are consciously, willingly, strategically in our 300 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,880 sin, holding back obedience, and are wondering why we're not 301 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,440 experiencing the windows of heaven being blessed. 302 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:18,480 Over our lives then we have to reconsider and re evaluate the 303 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,880 sincerity of our obedience. That's what we see here. 304 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,400 And the most dangerous type of unbelief is to disbelieve the 305 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,320 goodness of God in light of the gospel of Christ. 306 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:31,800 And I want to elaborate on that here. 307 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,640 So come back to 2nd Kings and notice the second part of verse 308 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,960 2. Elish proclamation of grace 309 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,240 swiftly turns into a declaration of judgment. 310 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:42,600 That's what we find. Right. 311 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:48,080 He gives a personal verdict to this man who in great disdain, 312 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:49,760 does not believe the word of the Lord. 313 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:55,520 And So what happens? He says you're going to see it, 314 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:57,880 but you're not going to partake of it. 315 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,040 You're going to. Witness God's blessing, but 316 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:04,800 you're not going to have a share in it. 317 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:10,840 And in the same way, those who understand the call of the 318 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,400 gospel, the glory of the gospel, the gift of the gospel, yet do 319 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,560 not respond appropriately by faith, we'll have the same 320 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:23,200 destiny as available as the gospel is You and I can reject 321 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:30,120 it to the degree that it can be so close and yet never realized. 322 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:32,880 And I'm thinking of a fascinating verse. 323 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,000 When I was studying this yesterday, I was thinking about 324 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,120 a fascinating verse from the book of Galatians. 325 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,000 In chapter 3, verse one where he tells this group of professing 326 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:47,640 Christians, Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched 327 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:49,960 you. And then he goes on to say 328 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,360 something profound. It was before your eyes that 329 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,160 Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 330 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:02,000 Hold on, the Galatians are Gentiles. 331 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:08,000 The Galatians came to faith shortly after, yes, but not at 332 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,720 any time where Christ was on earth. 333 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:11,200 He already resurrected. He ascended. 334 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,640 What is Paul saying to these Galatians when he says it was 335 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:20,600 before your eyes that you saw Jesus Christ crucified? 336 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,760 The only way to explain this is that when Paul preached to the 337 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:31,240 Galatians, he did so with such clarity, such detail, such 338 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,120 power. It was as though the Galatians 339 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:38,520 witnessed the crucifixion. It was palpable. 340 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:43,800 It was so real, it was so vivid. The Holy Spirit translated in 341 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:48,960 such a way in which it impacted them, as though eyewitnesses to 342 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:54,640 the actual event. And yet they were being 343 00:21:54,640 --> 00:22:00,920 enchanted by false teachers, and they were being swayed to deny 344 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,360 the sufficiency of the gospel and add works to their 345 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,600 salvation. And Paul reminds him, you saw 346 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,280 it, but you're in danger now of falling from grace. 347 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,960 By the way, that's where that term actually comes from. 348 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,680 Have you ever heard, as heartbreaking as it is, when a 349 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,720 spiritual leader falls, even in the secular news, they'll say 350 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,040 so. And So what fell from grace, 351 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:25,840 right? And what they mean by that is 352 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,280 they send in a dramatic, public way. 353 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,720 But when you actually look at the origination of that phrase, 354 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,280 falling from grace doesn't necessitate you doing something 355 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,840 grievous or heinous. It actually means denying the 356 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,680 sufficiency of the gospel. That's what the Galatian Heresy 357 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,520 was that you need. To add works to what Christ has 358 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:50,360 done, and if you base your salvation on addition to what 359 00:22:50,360 --> 00:22:53,680 Jesus accomplished at the cross, you are falling from grace. 360 00:22:54,280 --> 00:23:00,920 That's where that comes from. And even though they witnessed 361 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:07,720 that so clearly, they saw it, but they're in danger of not 362 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:12,440 partaking in it. You might be. 363 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:14,760 You might be one of those people tonight. 364 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,640 You know how to articulate the gospel probably better than some 365 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,400 preachers can. But are you saved by that 366 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,360 gospel? You might be able to explain the 367 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,440 doctrine of justification by faith. 368 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:30,520 OK, good. Are you justified though? 369 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:35,480 And so this is something that we have to answer for ourselves. 370 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,280 And if this teaches us anything else, this account in Second 371 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:46,320 Kings Chapter 7 is that God takes unbelief very seriously. 372 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,000 Very seriously. You think of the Israelites who 373 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,720 came out of Egypt and all the foolery and all the mistakes and 374 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,920 all the acts of rebellion and what? 375 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:01,120 Was what was the point where God says that's it, this generation 376 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:03,840 is going to die, this desert is going to become their graveyard 377 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,600 and I'm going to raise up a new generation to go on. 378 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:07,600 What was it? Unbelief. 379 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,760 Unbelief that after the spies came back, ten of them says we 380 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:14,800 can't do this to this is no, no, no, we can. 381 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,360 They believe the majority. They deny that God was able to 382 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,120 bring them through. And God says that's it, that's 383 00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:24,160 it. Unbelief is what changed 384 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,960 everything. This man didn't believe and he 385 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,640 was familiar with Elijah's ministry and what God had done 386 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,040 through him before. And he still didn't believe. 387 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,520 Now for the rest of this chapter, you and I are going to 388 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,360 see how this prophecy is going to be realized. 389 00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:42,920 We're going to see come to life. We're going to see a play by 390 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:48,600 play, scene by scene unfolding of what Elijah declares. 391 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,640 And there's so much in this, so much of this pertaining to our 392 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,920 walk with the Lord and the gospel of Christ. 393 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,280 So let's read the first 2 verses of this new Section 3 and 4. 394 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,960 We'll pause and pluck some golden grains of truth. 395 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:04,960 Verse three. Now there were four men who were 396 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,280 lepers at the entrance to the gate, and they said to one 397 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,520 another, Why are we sitting here until we die? 398 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,720 If we say, let us enter the city, the famine is in the city 399 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:20,000 and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. 400 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,280 So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. 401 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,760 If they spare our lives, we shall live. 402 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,760 And if they kill us? We shall but die. 403 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:36,640 So let me tell you in advance that it's going to be these 4 404 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:42,040 lepers who will be used by God to bring the good news that the 405 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,880 Syrians have been defeated and that salvation from God has 406 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:51,000 come. I can think of 10 other types of 407 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,000 candidates to do this kind of thing. 408 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,560 Of all the kinds of people that God could have used, the most 409 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,360 despised in this society. The. 410 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:09,200 Outcast the rejected. So are. 411 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:14,240 Are there more people that could have maybe had a more impressive 412 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,760 background or appealing appearance or more inviting 413 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,360 presence? Perhaps. 414 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:22,560 But we're discussing about the God who chooses the foolish 415 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,480 things in this world, the things that are lowly in despise, even 416 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,640 the things that are not to accomplish as well. 417 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,880 Why? So that no human being may boast 418 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,440 in the presence of God, that's why. 419 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:39,960 And it's no different here. These lepers are not aware of 420 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:42,560 how this is going to play into a bigger picture, but God in His 421 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,720 Providence is prompting them, and they're going to be the 422 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,320 means by which Samaria will be delivered. 423 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:55,280 And here's where I'm comforted. If the Holy One of Israel is 424 00:26:55,280 --> 00:27:00,480 willing to recruit lonely, rejected, diseased individuals 425 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,360 who are barred from any meaningful interactions with 426 00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:07,560 average citizens, how much more is He willing to use us to make 427 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,800 an impact? That's the point of this. 428 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:14,520 I believe. These guys that are relying on 429 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,040 the scraps on the dump outside the city to survive, these are 430 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:20,440 the ones that are going to be used. 431 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,560 How can you be discouraged? And if you need more 432 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:30,320 encouragement, here it is that God uses those who make the best 433 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:35,800 of the opportunities they have. Now again, let me say this. 434 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:41,880 These lepers don't know that their course of action is going 435 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:46,240 to play into a massive testimony, totally unaware. 436 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,000 There is no indication that the Lord spoke to these lepers and 437 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:52,360 said, I need you to go to the Syrian camp. 438 00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:55,080 There's a surprise for you. And what you see there, I need 439 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:56,720 you to bring it back to the people. 440 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,440 Nothing. No supernatural revelation, 441 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:03,280 nothing of the sort. Just them thinking logically. 442 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:09,160 Pertaining to their situation. At the same time, what they're 443 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,200 doing in principle is instructive for us. 444 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:14,440 How so? Because they are choosing the 445 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:19,360 best possible outcome for their limited situation. 446 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:25,240 With the options that they have, they choose to move in action. 447 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,120 What if they had simply just stayed and decide to shrivel up 448 00:28:29,120 --> 00:28:32,880 and die? That was possible. 449 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:34,160 You know what would have happened? 450 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,960 They would have never made that discovery of a defeated enemy, 451 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:42,040 and they would never have realized the treasures that were 452 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:47,320 ready to be claimed. And like manner, I believe that 453 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:52,920 God will honor us if we make the best out of what seems to be 454 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,120 outside of our control. This is applicable to the 455 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:00,000 giftings that you have and to the ministries that are 456 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,360 providentially provided to you. You might look at yourself and 457 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,080 say, I don't feel like I have much to offer. 458 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:11,640 I don't feel like I have a spectacular gift or a 459 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:15,920 significant platform or a number of people that I can really make 460 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,440 an impact on. All right, what options do you 461 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:22,960 have? And with whatever options you 462 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,200 have, take the best route, the most fruitful route. 463 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:31,800 And like these men who chose to move forward, God made it 464 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,760 something better. God made into something more 465 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,240 wonderful. And that's what you and I have 466 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,960 to understand. What is before you and what is 467 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:46,440 the wisest, most righteous, most glorifying way to go about it. 468 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,560 And God will honor that. God will honor that. 469 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,920 If they had stayed where they were at, this would have been a 470 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,480 much different story. But they chose to move. 471 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,520 And as they move forward, we're going to see more qualities of 472 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,200 these lepers. But there's a pause because the 473 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,600 Holy Spirit wants to now take us behind the scenes of the miracle 474 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,640 that these lepers are going to stumble upon. 475 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:12,880 Let's read on in verse 5. It says here. 476 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,640 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. 477 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,120 But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, 478 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:23,160 behold, there was no one there. For the Lord had made the army 479 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,920 of the Syrians hear the sound of Chariots and of horses, the 480 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,240 sound of a great army. So that they said to one 481 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,960 another, Behold, the king of Israel is hired against us, the 482 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:35,080 kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against 483 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:36,800 us. So they fled away in the 484 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,720 twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their 485 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:42,880 donkeys, leaving the camp as it was. 486 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,800 And fled for their lives. You know what I find so 487 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,560 interesting? Then in the previous chapter, 488 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:57,920 God opened the eyes of Elijah's servant to see the mountain full 489 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,800 of horses and Chariots of fire, remember? 490 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:07,960 And here in Second King 7, he opens the ears of the Syrian 491 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:10,800 Army to hear the sound of horses and Chariots. 492 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:19,400 I wonder if what they heard is what the servant saw, that this 493 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:25,640 sound is the sound of the very army, the celestial army that 494 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:28,520 surrounded Elijah from Second Kings chapter 6. 495 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:34,680 I like to think that's the case, that God made them in tune with 496 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,200 the spiritual realm and and all those horses and Chariots had to 497 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,760 do is just Rev their engine a little bit and that was enough 498 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:47,560 to spook them. Moreover, I can't help but be 499 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:51,480 confronted with yet another demonstration of the grace of 500 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:52,360 God. You know why? 501 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,520 Because later on in Second Kings, we're going to read of 502 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,120 another foreign enemy that's going to come against the people 503 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,440 of God. Not the Syrians, but the US 504 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,520 Syrians. You know how God takes care of 505 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,880 them. In one night He sends an Angel, 506 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,760 and he will slay 185,000 of those soldiers. 507 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,560 One night, close to 200,000 of them will be slain. 508 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,920 He doesn't do that here, though. He doesn't destroy them, he just 509 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,640 lets them hear the sound of an army and he allows them to 510 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:26,320 escape. So I see the grace of God here 511 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,000 and allowing that right? And you would think, OK, this, 512 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:33,680 this will finally bring the Syrian king to his knees and 513 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:35,720 realize. He didn't just spare my army 514 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,920 once, he didn't just heal one of my greatest generals, he did it 515 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,880 again. Well, just to give you a heads 516 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,480 up, you're going to be disappointed in Second Kings 517 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:48,960 chapter 8, but I have another. Thought another thought. 518 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:54,040 I can't help it. Isn't it amazing how it takes so 519 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,920 little for God to do something so massive? 520 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,640 So when it came to comforting one of his servants, he just 521 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,360 gave him a glance. And when it came to putting an 522 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,840 army to flight, he just let him hear a sound. 523 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,080 That's how mighty God is. That's how big he is. 524 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,800 He doesn't even need to necessarily act, just see this. 525 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,760 Hear this and history can be changed. 526 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:28,000 So what happens? How do the lepers respond to 527 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:29,040 this? Look at verse 8. 528 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,160 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went 529 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:37,280 into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and 530 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,840 gold and clothing and went and. Hid them. 531 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,760 Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off 532 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,520 things from it, and went and hid them. 533 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,440 Pretty predictable, right? You don't blame them, right? 534 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,920 Well, that's not it. Verse 9. 535 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:59,640 Then they said to one another, we are not doing right. 536 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:04,640 This day is a day of good news. If we are silent, wait until the 537 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,800 morning light punishment will overtake us. 538 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,800 Now, therefore, come, let us go and tell the King's household. 539 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:15,800 So we look at this and we think to ourselves. 540 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:18,840 What do they do in their destitute state? 541 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,159 They, they just pounce on the spoils, right? 542 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:25,400 And they go from tent to tent. And not only do they devour 543 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:28,280 whatever is left in terms of food, but they see all these 544 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,600 resources, money bags and gold perhaps. 545 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,719 And they thought to themselves, we, we hit the lottery. 546 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,880 And so they found some secluded place where they marked it and 547 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:40,679 they dug up, you know, their personal savings account and 548 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:42,880 they stuffed the ground with it. And they thought we'll come back 549 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,400 for that later. And and they were essentially 550 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,440 setting themselves up for a future, never mind being a leper 551 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:57,720 once in a generation kind of discovery of turn around of of a 552 00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:02,360 pivotal change. But as they are making this 553 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,280 personal investment, their their consciousness are stricken and 554 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,440 they think to themselves, this isn't right. 555 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:13,240 Because as much as we are preparing for a future that no 556 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:18,200 leper has ever known in all of history, there are still mothers 557 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:22,720 eating their children and there was an entire population of a 558 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:28,640 city dissolving into extinction. We have to tell others about 559 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:34,880 what we found. Now again we we backtrack and we 560 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,680 think what would have happened if these lepers stayed exactly 561 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:39,880 where they were and just rotted until they died? 562 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:42,720 What if they have not moved forward? 563 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,400 Makes us wonder. Now we can ask that question 564 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,800 here. What if they had stayed in this 565 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,240 state of mind and just accumulated for themselves and 566 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:55,240 concerning their own self preservation and prioritizing 567 00:35:55,240 --> 00:35:57,160 their future, their prosperity? What? 568 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,240 What would have happened? How many more people would have 569 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:01,560 died? You say, oh, well, somebody 570 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:02,600 might have discovered it eventually. 571 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:04,160 Sure. But what kind of casualties in 572 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,920 between? Here's another lesson that we 573 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,480 can we can gain from these lepers because the moment that 574 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,760 they chose to appropriately respond to this conviction, God 575 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,520 guided them and LED them to be the means to again bring about 576 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:25,000 deliverance for the Samaritans. We best position ourselves to be 577 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,600 used by God when we don't focus on self. 578 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:35,160 If you're a person here who is preoccupied about your own 579 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:42,600 accumulation, self preservation, your own gain, your own 580 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:47,640 investments, your own feasting, you leave God very little to 581 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,680 work with when he wants to touch other people's lives. 582 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,240 But the moment you recognize that there's a bigger picture 583 00:36:55,240 --> 00:36:58,800 that life is, it's not about your satisfaction, it's not 584 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:03,600 about securing a safer future, then the Lord is ready to guide 585 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,640 you into a way of life that will ultimately glorify Him. 586 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:11,520 And in that be the most satisfying thing that you can 587 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:16,840 ever experience. So these lepers now are are not 588 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:20,360 just saved in themselves. They are going to be the vessels 589 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,800 that God's going to use to to preserve an entire group of 590 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,120 people. And where did it start? 591 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,400 It started when they stopped thinking about themselves. 592 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:37,760 So hold the things of this life very loosely, right? 593 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:43,680 And allow God through your heart that is open to whatever he 594 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:48,040 would ask of you to be able to recruit you and send you and and 595 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:54,200 use you for His glory. You suffocate the purposes of 596 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:55,800 God in your life when you're selfish. 597 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:01,720 You strangle that to death. But when you are all about 598 00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:05,720 whatever God is all about, you have an exciting future ahead of 599 00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:08,840 you. So that's where it changed for 600 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,600 these lepers when they realize that it's not about them. 601 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:17,600 But look at this language. It's so hard to ignore the 602 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,520 gospel theme in it. Verse 9. 603 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,840 Then they said to another, we are not doing right. 604 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:26,920 This is a day of good news. This is a day of good news. 605 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:30,840 And then they go on to say if we're silent, punishment will 606 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,120 overtake us. Reminds me of Paul's words when 607 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:37,320 he says woe to me if what if I don't preach the gospel? 608 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:41,680 Woe to me, woe to me if I don't preach the gospel. 609 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:42,920 That's what they're essentially saying here. 610 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:47,760 We discovered something and it is terrible of us if we keep it 611 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:50,680 to ourselves. Now many have referenced this 612 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:55,520 Old Testament story as a way of stirring up Christians to not 613 00:38:55,760 --> 00:39:00,080 keep the gospel to themselves. That in the revelation of Christ 614 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:05,160 defeating our ultimate enemy, sin, death, Satan, that we 615 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,400 should not be quiet, right? And that's completely 616 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:10,360 appropriate. But I see something else here. 617 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:16,200 I, I see in this story a way to help Christians share the 618 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:20,200 gospel. I mean, the Bible provides many 619 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:25,320 avenues, many motivations for us to be able to muster up the 620 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,000 boldness and to be intentional about opportunities to share the 621 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:30,920 gospel. And I think this is another one 622 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:33,640 that you can add to your arsenal. 623 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,720 Say, what do you mean? Listen if you feel unworthy, if 624 00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:42,200 you feel fearful about opening your mouth and telling others 625 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:45,920 about this truth. This is what's helped me. 626 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:53,880 See yourself as a leper. See yourself as a leper who was 627 00:39:53,880 --> 00:40:01,520 in the same state as everybody else, starving, and you made a 628 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:05,800 discovery. And this discovery is an 629 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:10,600 abundance of provision that will change the rest of your life. 630 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:16,080 And all you're doing is as one beggar going to other beggars 631 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:19,120 and letting them know where they can find living bread. 632 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:26,000 If you see yourself in that light, as one beggar who is 633 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,680 spiritually starved, yet you'd made a discovery that doesn't 634 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:33,720 just help you but can help anybody, then you will approach 635 00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:38,360 sinners with a greater humility and a greater sincerity. 636 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:42,360 And there will be a tenderness, and there will be a love, and 637 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:47,720 there will be the right amount of force that will at least 638 00:40:47,720 --> 00:40:50,520 persuade the person that you care about them. 639 00:40:52,240 --> 00:40:55,640 You might not win them, but it's able to at least present the 640 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,760 gospel to them in a way where they can't deny that you care 641 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,640 about them. That's all these lepers are 642 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,200 doing. We were dying. 643 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:09,080 We found something. It's supernatural, it's an act 644 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,440 of God. So is Calvary, and now you're 645 00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:16,600 just going to others who are in need of what you have, and 646 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:18,440 you're just willing to share with anybody who's willing to 647 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:22,080 accept it. I found living bread. 648 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,080 I found a fountain of living water that never runs dry. 649 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,320 And the invitation is for you as much as it was for me. 650 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:36,320 But be prepared that as you share the gospel for a variety 651 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:40,560 of responses, including the one that we read of with the king of 652 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:41,720 Israel. So what happens? 653 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:44,320 Let's look at verse 10. So they came and called to the 654 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:48,000 gatekeepers of the city and told them we came to the camp of the 655 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:49,680 Syrians. And behold, there was no one to 656 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:52,880 be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, and the 657 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:56,440 donkeys, donkeys tied, and the tents as they were. 658 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,280 Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the 659 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:02,760 King's household, and the king rose in the night and said to 660 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:05,600 his servants, I will tell you what the Syrians have done to 661 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:08,080 us. They know that we are hungry. 662 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,680 Therefore, they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves. 663 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,680 In the open country, thinking when they come out of the city, 664 00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:16,720 we shall take them alive and get into the city. 665 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,480 So here's what the king of Israel is saying. 666 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:27,400 No, no, no, no, no, no. It's not as you say. 667 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:29,520 I I figured it out. This is a trap. 668 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,240 So they know that we are stubborn and we're resilient. 669 00:42:33,240 --> 00:42:34,720 And so they come up with a different strategy. 670 00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:37,280 They went out to the outskirts and they know that we're in such 671 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:39,880 a desperate place that we're going to go out and try to find 672 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:41,440 some food. And once we do that, they're 673 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:46,120 going to ambush us. The king of Israel heard the 674 00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:50,920 prophecy that Elijah gave, and now it came to pass and he's 675 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,240 still denying it. What are you to make of this? 676 00:42:54,240 --> 00:42:57,640 That no matter how well you explain something, or no matter 677 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:02,840 what kind of testimonies people witness, some are determined to 678 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:05,400 explain away the truth of the matter. 679 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:09,920 Some are devout in their skepticism. 680 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,800 Some are unwavering in their ideas, and I'm not speaking 681 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,120 about those who have an honest skepticism or inquiry. 682 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:23,080 I'm talking about those who have this fatalistic trust in their 683 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:27,000 human wisdom. You've probably met those 684 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:32,920 people, I've met many of them who are extremely critical and 685 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:35,080 devoted to their conspiracy theories about the person of 686 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:41,000 Jesus Christ, the emergence of the church, the formation of the 687 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:45,360 Word of God. No matter what way you come from 688 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:48,840 the historical angle, from the internal evidence, from the 689 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:53,040 beauty of Jesus, from the wonder of the gospel, no matter what 690 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:57,240 way I just, they're able to swat it away and their arguments are 691 00:43:57,240 --> 00:44:06,240 so silly, has no weight to it. It's fluff, it's humanistic, 692 00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:11,680 it's emotional, it's shallow. Or what about these people who 693 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:15,880 are extremely insufferably skeptical of Christians and 694 00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:19,880 Christian leaders? Were they always? 695 00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:24,120 They always point to a hypothetical motivation of 696 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:27,520 ministries that is selfish and sinful. 697 00:44:27,720 --> 00:44:29,680 Are there ministries and ministry team leaders out there 698 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:30,960 that are wolves? Absolutely. 699 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,960 The Bible tells us that. But everybody, every Christian 700 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:41,760 you know, every pastor you know, is a predator. 701 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:49,720 Or is money hungry. So no, I I know what your people 702 00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:51,040 of I know what church is all about. 703 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:53,040 I know what I know what passes are really like. 704 00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:56,800 It's an ambush. It's a setup. 705 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,080 It's actually God's deliverance in this story. 706 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:05,520 But there's some people who just no matter what you tell them, 707 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:11,960 what even even supernatural invasions in their lives, they 708 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:15,120 won't submit. And it's in those moments where 709 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:18,440 you have to seek the wisdom of the Spirit to determine, do I 710 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:22,960 move on from here and work with different soil or do I stay here 711 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:24,880 until that person's heart is thawed? 712 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:31,520 When it comes to the king of Israel, there is some 713 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,520 pliability. How so? 714 00:45:35,240 --> 00:45:38,640 Look at verse 13. And one of his servants said, 715 00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:43,440 Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that 716 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:46,320 those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of 717 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:48,360 Israel who have already perished. 718 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:52,680 Let us send and see. So they took two horsemen, and 719 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,320 the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying. 720 00:45:55,320 --> 00:46:00,480 Go and see. So a servant speaks up. 721 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:07,000 O King, we're dying. We don't have much time left 722 00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:12,280 here, so why don't we just take a few people to just go and see? 723 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:15,520 I mean, if they die, we're going to die anyway. 724 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:21,200 What do you say? All right, go and see. 725 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:27,320 Yet another example of how a servant. 726 00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:29,280 Remember how many times we've seen this in Second Kings? 727 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:34,720 How a Servant exercises greater wisdom, greater insight than 728 00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:39,440 someone who is superior in terms of status and position, proving 729 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:47,920 to us again that your occupation or your heritage does not equate 730 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:52,880 to true valuable knowledge. The servant says, why don't we 731 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:55,240 go about it this way? And the king agrees. 732 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:57,760 And what happens? Look at verse 15. 733 00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:02,360 So they went after them as far as the Jordan, and behold, all 734 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:05,200 the way was littered with the garments and equipment that the 735 00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:07,400 Syrians had thrown away in their haste. 736 00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:12,160 And the messengers returned and told the king, look how specific 737 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:15,440 the Bible is. What was the primary need of the 738 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:19,120 people of Samaria? Food, food. 739 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:24,960 We just need real food. I can't eat donkey's head again, 740 00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:28,520 right? I can't try to make soup out of 741 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:33,720 Dove's Dong again. Food is what we need, and I'm 742 00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:37,640 sure they would have been more than content to discover scraps 743 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:43,160 of food. But what did they find more than 744 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:44,920 food? Look at the word there in the 745 00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:46,600 middle, verse 15. And behold. 746 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:48,760 In other words, OK, you've been reading, but now look at this. 747 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:51,320 Hey, pay extra close to attention here. 748 00:47:51,560 --> 00:47:56,040 And behold, all the way was littered with garments and 749 00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:58,800 equipment that the Syrians have thrown away in their haste. 750 00:48:00,240 --> 00:48:04,560 So Elijah prophesied there's going to be no shortage of food. 751 00:48:04,560 --> 00:48:07,200 In fact, there's going to be so much food, everybody's going to 752 00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:09,880 be able to eat. And when they came to 753 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:13,520 investigate the site, not only did they find food, they found 754 00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:17,440 equipment. They found garments. 755 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:22,480 Meaning what? God gives more than what He says 756 00:48:23,080 --> 00:48:25,440 He's willing to do. In many cases, He does 757 00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:27,880 abundantly, more than we can ask or imagine. 758 00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:30,320 So he prophesied food and they come and they go. 759 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,720 No, we even have clothes and we have practical resources. 760 00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:40,560 That's the goodness of God. You ask for something, you 761 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:42,520 believe God for something, and he does more. 762 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:46,160 Why? So he can get more glory, that's 763 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:50,520 why. So let's read the remaining 764 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:52,440 verses of this chapter and conclude, shall we? 765 00:48:54,240 --> 00:48:56,400 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the 766 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:59,160 Syrians. So see, a fine flour was sold 767 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:02,480 for a shekel, and two seas of barley for a shekel, according 768 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:05,120 to the word of the Lord. Now the king had appointed the 769 00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:07,560 captain on whose hand he leaned to have. 770 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:10,360 Charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in 771 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:14,520 the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said, when 772 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:17,400 the king came down to him. From when the man of God had 773 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:20,160 said to the king, to see as a barley shall be sold for a 774 00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:22,800 shekel, and to see a fine flower for a shekel. 775 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:26,360 About this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria, the captain had 776 00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:29,040 answered the man of God. If the Lord himself should make 777 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:31,400 windows in heaven, could such a thing? 778 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:36,880 Be And he had said, You shall see it with your own eyes, but 779 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:40,080 you shall not even eat of it. And so it happened to him, for 780 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:42,320 the people trampled him in the gate, and he died. 781 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:48,520 The reason for the repetition in such a close proximity is 782 00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:52,720 because God wants to make sure that we don't end this testimony 783 00:49:52,720 --> 00:49:59,160 without being reminded that what He says, He will do Every detail 784 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:03,160 of it. This repetition is detailed to 785 00:50:03,160 --> 00:50:06,760 remind you and I that God, when He says something, He intends to 786 00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:11,440 keep everything that He said. And God is just as faithful with 787 00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:15,080 His warnings of judgement as He is with His provisions of grace. 788 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:19,240 So he came through and provided exactly how he said he would 789 00:50:19,240 --> 00:50:23,200 provide, but he also judged exactly the way he said he would 790 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:27,560 judge. And there's that phrase again, 791 00:50:27,560 --> 00:50:30,280 right? That he would see with his own 792 00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:31,880 eyes, but he would not eat of it. 793 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:38,520 And the way this story ends, I'll end it this way, is the way 794 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:43,160 that the end of the grand story will come to pass. 795 00:50:44,120 --> 00:50:46,640 So what are you talking about? I'm talking about the story of 796 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:51,360 human history. I argue that this is a little 797 00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:53,800 preview of a universal experience. 798 00:50:55,520 --> 00:51:02,080 This man saw God's provision, God's promise come to pass, but 799 00:51:02,080 --> 00:51:06,600 he died. Turn to Revelation, their final 800 00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:16,320 verse, tonight in Chapter 1. And look at verse 7. 801 00:51:27,110 --> 00:51:34,150 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see 802 00:51:34,910 --> 00:51:40,070 Him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth 803 00:51:40,070 --> 00:51:43,230 will wail on account of Him. Even so. 804 00:51:43,550 --> 00:51:47,590 Amen. Just because every eye will see 805 00:51:47,590 --> 00:51:52,150 Him does not mean everyone will be saved. 806 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:58,600 And just because this man, this captain, saw the promise come to 807 00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:02,120 pass, it didn't mean that he would partake of it. 808 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:04,760 That's going to happen when Jesus Christ comes. 809 00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:08,280 What God had said about his return, about his reign, about 810 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:12,080 what he's done, what he will come to do, it's going to be 811 00:52:12,080 --> 00:52:15,440 realized. And even those who didn't 812 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:19,560 believe it will see it. But when they see it, it will be 813 00:52:19,560 --> 00:52:23,360 too late. And I end this Bible study 814 00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:28,760 hoping that nobody here will be in that situation, that you 815 00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:34,400 should look on him now, as Isaiah says, and be saved, not 816 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:38,000 look on him when he comes to judge. 817 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:42,400 I hope you know Jesus Christ, this time of the year is very 818 00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:44,720 meaningful to me. Not just because it's Christmas. 819 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:51,200 Because in 2011 I was a beggar spiritually. 820 00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:57,040 I was a 20 year old college student who felt like growing up 821 00:52:57,040 --> 00:53:03,760 in the church was just a way for my parents to keep me morally 822 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:06,880 good and controlled and civilized. 823 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:11,760 And I responded to, I forgot how many altar calls and youth 824 00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:17,160 conferences and plays that would pull on your heartstrings and 825 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:19,760 demand an answer. I responded to so many of them, 826 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:23,920 but I wasn't saved until the age of 20. 827 00:53:23,920 --> 00:53:26,160 And I always wondered why. And it wasn't until a few years 828 00:53:26,160 --> 00:53:30,600 ago that it dawned on me. It's because every time I sat in 829 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:34,520 a meeting like this, or went to an event or a conference, and 830 00:53:34,520 --> 00:53:38,200 when there was a call to be saved, though I answered 831 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:42,920 positively, affirmatively, I never really gave my heart 832 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:45,560 because down deep inside, I believe that the world had 833 00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:50,800 something to offer. And so I would try to try to 834 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,280 bargain for both. I mean, I'll I'll take what 835 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:57,800 Jesus has to give me, but but with one hand and and this hand 836 00:53:57,800 --> 00:54:00,480 will just kind of flirt with the cooking jar. 837 00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:06,760 Here and it wasn't until I realized at 20 I was eating 838 00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:10,400 donkey's head and the dung of doves. 839 00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:18,920 And it dawned on me that just outside of the city gate, God 840 00:54:18,920 --> 00:54:27,760 made a provision for my soul. And I'm just a beggar willing to 841 00:54:27,760 --> 00:54:32,640 tell other beggars about where they can find living bread and 842 00:54:32,640 --> 00:54:33,600 why. Again, I say this is a 843 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:35,600 meaningful time of the year because it happened around this 844 00:54:35,600 --> 00:54:40,640 time. And New Year's of 2012 is when I 845 00:54:40,640 --> 00:54:48,080 became a follower of Jesus Christ. 2025 can be a new year 846 00:54:48,080 --> 00:54:54,160 for you too. If 2024 and every year prior was 847 00:54:54,160 --> 00:54:58,680 a faulty walk with Christ, it can change in 2025. 848 00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:05,880 Why waste another year? Why reserve yourself from the 849 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:10,040 one who made you, who died for you, who wants to walk with you, 850 00:55:10,080 --> 00:55:13,000 and who wants to use you? But he's waiting for you to deny 851 00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:17,320 yourself. Just like these lippers, as long 852 00:55:17,320 --> 00:55:19,640 as you go from tent to tent, experience to experience, 853 00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:23,320 country to country, job to job, girl to girl, guy to guy, OK, 854 00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:27,120 you can hop around all you want. It's not until you realize this 855 00:55:27,120 --> 00:55:29,960 whole thing about life and my existence, it's bigger than me. 856 00:55:32,720 --> 00:55:35,680 There's a more important and glorious and eternal story 857 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:38,520 that's being written. This universe doesn't revolve 858 00:55:38,520 --> 00:55:44,240 around me. Only when you realize your sin, 859 00:55:44,240 --> 00:55:47,840 your selfishness, is what's holding you back from true life 860 00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:54,960 now and eternal life to come, will Christ become attractive 861 00:55:57,080 --> 00:56:01,360 and the and the person that. Will deliver you and position 862 00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:04,760 you to know a life that you've been searching for all along. 863 00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:09,400 And so I invite you into that. I invite you into that because 864 00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:12,520 it's real. It's real because this book says 865 00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:15,640 it's real and it's available to you. 866 00:56:17,280 --> 00:56:21,280 And if you are skeptical for whatever reason, have you ever 867 00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:23,040 been skeptical of your own skepticism? 868 00:56:24,240 --> 00:56:26,640 You're a skeptic, so be skeptical of your own 869 00:56:26,640 --> 00:56:28,400 skepticism. Have you ever tried that? 870 00:56:29,240 --> 00:56:32,480 What if you're wrong? What if you're wrong? 871 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:37,440 Are you so confident that you're in the right, that Jesus Christ, 872 00:56:37,560 --> 00:56:40,400 maybe in your thinking, is not even real, or Jesus Christ is 873 00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:44,480 not worthy to be followed? Why question your questions? 874 00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:49,560 I pray that this might be the beginning of a new journey for 875 00:56:49,560 --> 00:56:52,960 some of you, maybe some who might be watching, I don't know. 876 00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:56,200 I'm just the messenger. God does the saving. 877 00:56:56,680 --> 00:57:04,000 Let's pray. We thank you that you've been 878 00:57:04,000 --> 00:57:08,640 faithful to us in 2024. And Lord, you've been faithful 879 00:57:08,640 --> 00:57:12,200 to us in these Bible studies. Every week you speak to us. 880 00:57:13,040 --> 00:57:16,920 You speak to us because this word is opened and it's 881 00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:24,640 dissected and it's explained hopefully in your power. 882 00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:28,600 And we asked Lord that tonight as we reflect on these truths 883 00:57:28,600 --> 00:57:32,600 that they would translate in in real life change. 884 00:57:33,400 --> 00:57:35,840 And so, Lord, we humble ourselves as we sit here and we 885 00:57:35,840 --> 00:57:39,320 bask in your glory, and we ask that you would receive more 886 00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:42,320 glory as we sing in Thanksgiving to you. 887 00:57:42,880 --> 00:57:46,080 In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Amen. 888 00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:50,600 As the praise team comes, I invite you to just sit and 889 00:57:50,600 --> 00:57:54,880 reflect and just enjoy what was heard. 890 00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:57,920 Commune with the Lord. We're going to sing in a few 891 00:57:57,920 --> 00:58:01,400 moments here, but just take your time and commune with God and 892 00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:04,640 we'll close very shortly, but take advantage of this time.