1 00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:03,700 It's wonderful to be here today, with all of you. 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,200 As has already been mentioned, we appreciate the presence of 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,600 every person that is here. And if you are a guest here, 4 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,600 today, we would hope and pray you would feel as you are and 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:19,900 that is as an honored guest I have on the screen, the title of 6 00:00:19,900 --> 00:00:25,100 our lesson today and it's blessed are the persecuted Now I 7 00:00:25,100 --> 00:00:26,900 think that we've all been guilty of something. 8 00:00:26,900 --> 00:00:31,400 I know I have sometimes when we look at our life and compare it 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,900 to the life of the ancient, were these that died for their faith 10 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:38,800 or really were persecuted in the days of the early church. 11 00:00:39,300 --> 00:00:42,300 We realized. When we compare our life, we 12 00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:46,700 realized that it is not as bad as others have had it. 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,200 We know that But when you think about it like this, we do need 14 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,300 to understand, we do have persecutions in our life. 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,900 In fact, the Bible says that anyone that is going to live 16 00:00:57,900 --> 00:01:03,000 Godly will suffer persecution. It doesn't say they may suffer 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,300 persecution, it says they will suffer persecution and just 18 00:01:08,300 --> 00:01:12,100 because we are not taken and physically persecuted or beaten 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,200 or cast into prison because of our faith doesn't mean we don't 20 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,400 have persecutions in our life. Times. 21 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,600 We have it among family sometimes with a boss that we're 22 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,100 working for, sometimes it is with those that we go to school 23 00:01:26,100 --> 00:01:28,500 with. Sometimes it's all the pressures 24 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:32,300 that is applied to us. All those things, they are real. 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,400 But what is the word of God? Say about this subject in 26 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:42,400 Matthew Chapter 5 beginning in verse 10, Jesus said, blessed 27 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,500 are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake? 28 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,300 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 29 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:53,300 Blessed, are you when they revile and persecute you and say 30 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:57,100 all kinds of evil against you falsely for my neck, for my sake 31 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,400 rejoice and be exceedingly, glad for great is your reward in 32 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,300 heaven for. So they persecuted the prophets 33 00:02:04,300 --> 00:02:08,800 who were before you when we study these passages, what we're 34 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,600 talking about is we're talking about the beginning portion of 35 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,500 the greatest sermon ever preached. 36 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:18,600 It is the Lord's Sermon on the Mount and that's found in 37 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,400 Matthew. Five, six and seven. 38 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,200 And in the very beginning of that, Sermon on the Mount, he 39 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,500 begins with what is often referred to as Beatitudes. 40 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:30,900 And you might remember, I have dealt with all of them except 41 00:02:30,900 --> 00:02:33,000 this one. This is the last of those 42 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,700 Beatitudes, but it is so relevant today about the idea of 43 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:40,700 being persecuted. But remember this, as we've 44 00:02:40,700 --> 00:02:45,400 studied this in times past, when we interpret these Beatitudes, 45 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,900 we must interpret them from a spiritual perspective. 46 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,600 Of, and not from a physical perspective, for example, when 47 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,900 the Bible says, when Jesus said, blessed are the meek for, they 48 00:02:57,900 --> 00:03:02,000 shall inherit the earth, it was not as some would falsely 49 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,000 interpret. You're going to have great 50 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,700 riches in this life. Didn't mean that at all. 51 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,500 It was phraseology that they would have understood referring 52 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:13,600 back to the land of Canaan, a literal land. 53 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:16,700 And what he was saying is we're talking about something else 54 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:20,400 from a spiritual perspective, we're talking about inheriting 55 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,700 or having a home on allotted portion in heaven. 56 00:03:25,900 --> 00:03:28,500 So, when we interpret the Beatitudes, we must interpret 57 00:03:28,500 --> 00:03:31,400 them from a spiritual perspective and not a physical 58 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,000 one. It begins in each verse with the 59 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,700 word blessed and the word blessed comes from the Latin 60 00:03:37,700 --> 00:03:42,100 term, be a tus and that literally means blessed. 61 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:46,100 And, by the way, that's why we call them Beatitudes, it doesn't 62 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:50,500 mean this, it doesn't mean these are Beatitudes because these are 63 00:03:50,500 --> 00:03:53,500 attitudes that we need to be what it means. 64 00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:55,500 Is it comes from the word, be a tus. 65 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:57,100 Us. And that literally means 66 00:03:57,100 --> 00:03:59,600 blessed. Now, the word in the Greek 67 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,000 literally means happy fortunate or blissful. 68 00:04:05,300 --> 00:04:07,200 That's what Jesus was talking about. 69 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:12,500 He uses this idea to Simba, symbolize happiness. 70 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:17,300 That is based on pure character and Holiness, but let me also 71 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:23,900 say this, Scriptural blessedness is not based on outward 72 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:28,700 circumstances or superficial feelings, but in the reality 73 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:32,700 that one is dedicated to God and is approved by him. 74 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,900 But to be approved by God, one's life, must be molded by the 75 00:04:36,900 --> 00:04:39,500 principles that are found in his word. 76 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,900 Now one can be happy. One can be blessed from a 77 00:04:43,907 --> 00:04:47,000 spiritual perspective. One can change the way in which 78 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,300 he thinks about life and looks at life. 79 00:04:49,500 --> 00:04:53,700 For the following reasons. Number one, we can be blessed or 80 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:57,900 happy when we are persecuted because of our relationship with 81 00:04:57,900 --> 00:05:02,400 God. Number two, because of the 82 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,600 reality of Truth. Number three, because of the 83 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,300 recompense of The Sinner or the wicked. 84 00:05:09,300 --> 00:05:11,500 In other words, that's God's job. 85 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:13,500 He takes care of that. I don't have to worry about 86 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:14,800 that. And what else? 87 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:19,300 The reward of the righteous because of the reward of the 88 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:22,700 righteous. These are reasons why we can be 89 00:05:22,700 --> 00:05:26,400 happy when we are persecuted. The Christian needs to expect 90 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,400 though that he's going to have persecutions in his life and you 91 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:35,500 know, I would say this if you have absolutely no Battle Scars 92 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:38,300 at all. Okay, now I'm not indicting 93 00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:43,500 anyone but please hear my words. If in fact I'll use myself for 94 00:05:43,500 --> 00:05:50,000 an example, if I have absolutely no Battle Scars whatsoever, And 95 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,500 I'm not persecuted at all, in any way, shape, or form in my 96 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:56,400 spiritual life, and I go all of my life and I have not 97 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,900 persecuted, and I've got no Battle Scars at all. 98 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,000 It's very possible that I've lived a life of compromise and 99 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,000 not lived a life of truth. Because when you stand for what 100 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:09,900 is right? The Bible says, when you live 101 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:12,400 Godly, you will suffer persecution. 102 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,200 So understand this, I don't understand why people in the 103 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,800 world. Think if I come to Jesus, 104 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:23,000 everything in my life, is going to be great, nobody is going to 105 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,700 get mad at me anymore. Nobody's going to put me down 106 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,500 and all the struggles that I've had. 107 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:29,800 They're gone once I certainty. Jesus. 108 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:33,600 No, that's not what it says. It all in fact, nowhere in the 109 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,200 word of God. Does it say that when I become a 110 00:06:36,207 --> 00:06:39,500 Christian, I now have an easier life. 111 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:43,900 It just says this. I'm going to have a better one 112 00:06:43,900 --> 00:06:46,400 after this one. If I serve God all the days of 113 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:51,200 my life and God is with me all all the way, every step of the 114 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,700 way and helping me through the trials of life, when we're 115 00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:57,200 persecuted, we ought to be happy. 116 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,400 Not because of the physical pain that we suffer, but due to the 117 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:05,100 spiritual blessings that we experience Now in each beatitude 118 00:07:05,700 --> 00:07:09,600 each one of these is the following, there is a 119 00:07:09,608 --> 00:07:15,600 declaration of blessing. Then there is the description of 120 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:20,100 an attitude and then finally the disposition of the blessing or 121 00:07:20,100 --> 00:07:23,300 that's really the blessing itself, but it begins with a 122 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:27,300 declaration of blessing. You know, the word Blessing, by 123 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:31,300 the way, comes from the word Mark aereo's and the word 124 00:07:31,300 --> 00:07:35,400 contains the idea of happiness and contentment. 125 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:37,900 Let me give you a Bible passage about contentment. 126 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,400 You may have in your life, you don't have any happy feelings 127 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,100 but you could be content. You may not like what's going on 128 00:07:45,100 --> 00:07:47,200 in your life, but you can be content. 129 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:49,300 In fact, Paul said that very thing. 130 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,500 Paul said, what's I have learned whatsoever State? 131 00:07:52,500 --> 00:07:56,500 I am therewith to be content. Paul learned that in the things, 132 00:07:56,500 --> 00:08:00,200 in which he suffered and all that he had in his life, he 133 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:01,900 said, I've learned to be content, but let me give you 134 00:08:01,907 --> 00:08:05,300 another passage Chris very recently preached on the 135 00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:08,300 marriage question, he talked on marriage and divorce and one of 136 00:08:08,308 --> 00:08:11,500 the passages he referred to was first Corinthians chapter 7, 137 00:08:11,500 --> 00:08:12,300 right? Right. 138 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:16,700 And in 1st Corinthians chapter 7, Paul is describing a woman 139 00:08:16,700 --> 00:08:19,500 that has been married. She's a Christian and her 140 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:23,100 husband is dead, and we understand that she's Bound by 141 00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:26,300 the laws of the marriage law, while her husband lives. 142 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:28,800 But when he's dead, she's free from that. 143 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:33,000 What does Paul say, if she wants to remarry, can't she sure only 144 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,000 in the Lord, though only a Christian. 145 00:08:36,299 --> 00:08:39,700 But this is what Paul said. Here's that word again. 146 00:08:40,299 --> 00:08:45,200 In First Corinthians, 7 and verse 40, she is happier if she 147 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:50,200 remains as she is, that's content. 148 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:52,900 That's blessed. All right. 149 00:08:52,900 --> 00:08:54,800 Going back to the previous slide. 150 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,600 With such a blessing, it changes how we look at things. 151 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:06,400 It changes our attitude. Attitude is everything, I don't 152 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,500 care what where you are in Life, or what you're doing in life. 153 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,000 Attitude is everything it was said by someone one time that 154 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,500 attitude your attitude Is the aroma of your heart. 155 00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:22,400 And sometimes we have a very poor perspective on things 156 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,900 because we have a very poor attitude. 157 00:09:25,700 --> 00:09:27,800 I saw something the other day I thought it was fantastic. 158 00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:32,000 I coached football for many, many, many years and all that 12 159 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,900 years and there's always a pregame speech and you always 160 00:09:36,900 --> 00:09:40,200 try to think about something that would Inspire the men to 161 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,900 take the feel to be their best. I saw a little clip that was 162 00:09:43,900 --> 00:09:49,200 sent to me by a friend and sent to my phone and it was he a 163 00:09:49,208 --> 00:09:53,600 young boy with Down syndrome and it was obvious that this young 164 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,200 boy had challenges and he was the one that was going to give 165 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,900 the pregame speech and he stood before them. 166 00:10:01,900 --> 00:10:03,300 And I thought, man, this will preach. 167 00:10:03,700 --> 00:10:07,100 He stood before that group of men, those young men, those High 168 00:10:07,100 --> 00:10:10,400 School football players and he said this, he said, I want you 169 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:14,500 to be all in. He said it again, he said I'm 170 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:17,200 telling you right now, I want you to be all in. 171 00:10:18,500 --> 00:10:23,600 And then he said, the only disability in life. 172 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,800 Is a bad attitude. And I thought, man, that'll 173 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,600 preach. Be all in and don't have a bad 174 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,000 attitude. Don't you see what happens? 175 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:40,100 Because of the promise of this blessing, it changes our 176 00:10:40,100 --> 00:10:44,000 attitude and you either believe and have faith in the blessing 177 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,900 and faith in god', 'you don't. But when you have a declaration 178 00:10:47,900 --> 00:10:51,100 of blessing or the promise of a blessing, it should change how 179 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:53,700 we think it should change our attitude. 180 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,900 That's what it does and every one of these Beatitudes, all 181 00:10:57,900 --> 00:11:01,600 three of these are given. And then finally, we find this 182 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,300 all. So that the end we find there's 183 00:11:03,300 --> 00:11:06,300 a disposition of the blessing which is the actual specific 184 00:11:06,300 --> 00:11:08,800 blessing itself. All of these three things are 185 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,800 found in every beatitude. All right, let's talk about the 186 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:17,000 one that's before us today. The final one that Jesus gave 187 00:11:17,700 --> 00:11:21,100 and, you know, in many ways, it might seem most paradoxical or 188 00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:24,000 contradictory of all the Beatitudes. 189 00:11:24,300 --> 00:11:28,700 I mean, after all, Jesus is saying, happy or blessed are 190 00:11:28,700 --> 00:11:34,300 those that are persecuted. It sounds like a paradox, how 191 00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:36,600 could you be there at odds with one another? 192 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,300 The others seem to make sense. For example, we understand how 193 00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:44,300 we can be happy by being Meek. We get that we can understand 194 00:11:44,300 --> 00:11:47,500 how we can be happy being merciful. 195 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,900 And incidentally, the Bible talks about our demeanor towards 196 00:11:50,900 --> 00:11:53,900 others and if we don't have any Mercy, the Lord is not going to 197 00:11:53,900 --> 00:11:57,100 have any Mercy to us. But there's a secondary benefit 198 00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:01,400 and we can understand it. If I am merciful to others and 199 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,800 everybody, Knows me as being a person that is merciful of 200 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:06,900 others. Don't you think others are going 201 00:12:06,900 --> 00:12:08,300 to treat me maybe a little better? 202 00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:13,500 Sure. And you might get some bad 203 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:16,000 people. I'm not talking about bad 204 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,700 people, talking about a benefit in our life. 205 00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:21,300 What about this? We can understand about being 206 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:25,200 happy about being pure at heart, but being pure at heart, we get 207 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,400 it. But how can one be happy when 208 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:31,500 he's persecuted these two concepts seem antithetical or 209 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:34,500 opposed to each other yet. That's exactly what Jesus 210 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:36,900 teaches in this great lesson for us to learn. 211 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:40,900 One can be happy when he is persecuted for the following 212 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,300 reasons and there are four number one, You can be happy 213 00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:49,200 because of your relationship with God. 214 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:53,000 Happiness comes from knowing that God is on your side. 215 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,700 I'm going to say that again, if you didn't catch that. 216 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:02,100 Happiness is knowing that God is on your side. 217 00:13:03,300 --> 00:13:06,000 Now, we're talking about this, we're talking about somebody 218 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:09,100 that is suffering for righteousness. 219 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:15,100 God is on your side. There's a difference between 220 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,800 sometimes that I might have to take all the ramifications that 221 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,600 are negative about my bad choices. 222 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:24,200 It's not what I'm talking about. I got that coming. 223 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,500 What about when I'm persecuted for righteousness? 224 00:13:27,500 --> 00:13:31,700 I don't have that coming. Okay, Gods on your side. 225 00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:35,400 Still going to happen in some way, or another Gods on your 226 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:36,800 side. He never leaves us. 227 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,600 Romans 8:31. There we go again. 228 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:41,900 What? Then shall we say to these 229 00:13:41,900 --> 00:13:44,900 things if God is for us? Who can be against us? 230 00:13:46,300 --> 00:13:50,600 You as my dad used to say you and God is a majority, that's a 231 00:13:50,608 --> 00:13:52,800 majority, it doesn't matter. All the people that are against 232 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,800 you, if God is on your side, there's nothing greater than 233 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,300 that. He never leaves us until we 234 00:13:59,300 --> 00:14:01,100 leave him. Remember the example of Samson 235 00:14:01,100 --> 00:14:03,300 though. Remember Samson. 236 00:14:04,700 --> 00:14:07,200 Samson was being tempted by Delilah and repeatedly. 237 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,200 She asked the question over and over. 238 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:14,200 What makes you so strong and Samson gives this and gives that 239 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,400 as excuses to put her off and it doesn't work. 240 00:14:17,700 --> 00:14:20,600 And finally she wore him down. She said Samson, why is it? 241 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,200 Or how is it that you're so strong. 242 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,100 He said this. He said no razor has ever 243 00:14:25,100 --> 00:14:27,900 touched my head based on a Nazarite vow. 244 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,900 He said, no razor has ever touched my head but he said this 245 00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:35,700 as the King James renders it if the razor Uh, shave off their 7. 246 00:14:35,700 --> 00:14:39,000 Lakhs of my head. I shall be like all other men. 247 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,100 And the Bible says, he falls asleep on her lap. 248 00:14:42,100 --> 00:14:45,300 His head is shaving, then she says Samson. 249 00:14:45,300 --> 00:14:48,300 The Philistines be upon you, and he arose. 250 00:14:48,300 --> 00:14:53,000 And he said, I will arise. I will shake myself and it will 251 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,600 be as all other times. But there's some of the saddest 252 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:02,300 words ever come next. But he knew not. 253 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:05,400 That the Lord was departed from him. 254 00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:09,000 Do you know why the Lord was departed from him? 255 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,800 Because he departed from the Lord. 256 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,600 He didn't leave us, we leave him. 257 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,500 Here's something else to in Psalm 46. 258 00:15:20,100 --> 00:15:24,700 Look at this. God is our refuge and strength. 259 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,500 May I ask you something? I don't know how it is with you 260 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:33,600 and your life, but if you're struggling, if you're struggling 261 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,400 in your spiritual life, let me ask you something. 262 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:41,400 Is God your refuge and strength or you trying to do it all by 263 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,800 yourself? Do you remember when the 264 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:49,000 disciples Jesus tells them? He tells Judas, one of you will 265 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,200 betray me. Remember Peter said, no, not me. 266 00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:57,300 I will never do that. And Jesus says, Peter, by the 267 00:15:57,300 --> 00:16:00,200 time that the rooster crows you will deny me three times. 268 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,300 And then the Bible says about the rest of them, they all 269 00:16:05,300 --> 00:16:09,400 forsook him and they all fled. Do you know why they were trying 270 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,400 to use their own strengths? And you know what happens when 271 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,700 we try to use our own strength? We fail. 272 00:16:14,700 --> 00:16:17,700 We're nothing. Are you trying to get your 273 00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:20,700 strength from God or you're trying to get your strength from 274 00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:22,700 yourself? If you're struggling? 275 00:16:22,900 --> 00:16:27,100 Ask yourself, is God being my refuge in this particular matter 276 00:16:27,100 --> 00:16:31,300 is God my strength in this particular manner, or am I doing 277 00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:34,600 it all? By my self, my relying on My Own 278 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,200 Strength, notice, what else he is a very present help in 279 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,500 trouble. Man, that's great. 280 00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:45,800 What is he? He's a very present help in 281 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,300 trouble. Here's my response to that 282 00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:53,500 therefore we will not fear even though the Earth be removed and 283 00:16:53,500 --> 00:16:56,200 though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, 284 00:16:56,700 --> 00:17:00,000 though its Waters Roar and be troubled, though the mountains, 285 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,800 shake with it swelling. I know this. 286 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,500 I'm not going to fear because God is my refuge and my 287 00:17:06,500 --> 00:17:10,900 strength, he's my present help in times of trouble. 288 00:17:11,300 --> 00:17:14,099 Why can't I be happy? I can be happy because my 289 00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:17,900 relationship with God. Here's another one in Jeremiah 290 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:23,300 29:11, but the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome one. 291 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:30,700 He's with me, he's with you. Therefore my persecutors will 292 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:35,700 stumble and will not Prevail, they will greatly be ashamed and 293 00:17:35,700 --> 00:17:39,600 they will not Prosper. Their Everlasting confusion will 294 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,600 never be forgotten. Happiness comes from knowing 295 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,500 that Jesus understands all the things that we go through 296 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,900 because Jesus has been persecuted too far greater than 297 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,700 we ever will. I don't have time to go into it, 298 00:17:54,700 --> 00:18:01,000 but I just want to reference the passage in Isaiah, 53 of all the 299 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:07,200 things that Jesus endured, we can't even fathom how awful it 300 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,200 was for the things, the Lord and devoured. 301 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,500 And I think the greatest maybe torment in his mind in the 302 00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:20,000 Garden of Gethsemane, was the fact that the wrath of God on 303 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,200 sin would be placed on him. That's number one. 304 00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:26,200 He would have to bear the sins of the world, and by the way, if 305 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,200 he was going to Bear the sins of the world, then the wrath of God 306 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,600 against, those sins would be upon him, too. 307 00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:35,900 And I think that's part of when he said, let this cup pass from 308 00:18:35,900 --> 00:18:38,600 me, not just the suffering, that's part of it, too. 309 00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:41,700 But it has to be more than that. What else? 310 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:47,400 The father turned his eyes. And for the first time Jesus 311 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,200 would do it all alone. When I think about what we go 312 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,500 through, though, do you know this, if you're enduring and 313 00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:56,300 you're going through the persecutions in your life and 314 00:18:56,300 --> 00:18:57,400 you're standing for what is right? 315 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,500 He's not turning his head at all. 316 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,800 Oh he's right there with you but Jesus had to do it. 317 00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:06,000 So what do we learn? We learn in First Peter chapter 318 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:11,200 2 verses 21 through 24 for if for to this you were called 319 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:15,600 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that 320 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,600 you should follow in his steps. So we need to understand we're 321 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:22,500 going to have some persecution. We're going to have some 322 00:19:22,500 --> 00:19:24,400 suffering. Notice, what else? 323 00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:26,300 What did Jesus do? He committed? 324 00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:28,100 No sin. Nor was deceit. 325 00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:30,400 Found in his mouth who when he was reviled. 326 00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:34,100 Wild did not revile in return when he suffered, he did not 327 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:38,500 threaten but committed himself to him who judges righteously. 328 00:19:38,700 --> 00:19:42,400 That's God. Who himself bore our sins in his 329 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,500 own body. On the tree that we having died 330 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:49,000 to sins, might live for righteousness by whose Stripes, 331 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:56,300 you were healed. Happiness comes from knowing 332 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:01,200 that you're a child of God. Then I'm a Child of God 333 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:04,800 regardless of persecutions. First, John chapter 3 and verse 334 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:06,200 1. Behold? 335 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,700 What manner of love. The father has bestowed upon us 336 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:12,100 that we should be called the children of God. 337 00:20:13,700 --> 00:20:17,000 I'm going to tell you something. There's a lot of people that 338 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,400 would love that. There's a lot of people that 339 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,600 would love having a relationship with God. 340 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,800 In fact, there's a lot of people that think they do have a 341 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,400 relationship with God more on this in a minute, but they try 342 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,900 to do it on their own terms and they think that they have a 343 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:39,000 relationship with God and they love the idea or the concept of 344 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,600 having a relationship with God. Do you know what's different 345 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,900 from a Christian? And somebody in the world that 346 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:47,400 thinks they have a concept of a relationship with God. 347 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:50,500 It is not a concept with us, it is reality. 348 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:59,100 We have a relationship with God. He is our So, one reason, for 349 00:20:59,100 --> 00:21:03,300 happiness, contentment during persecutions is because of our 350 00:21:03,300 --> 00:21:06,600 relationship with God. But number two, this is huge. 351 00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:09,600 The reality of Truth. Why is this so important? 352 00:21:10,300 --> 00:21:15,300 Why is the reality of Truth? A blessing to us and why it can 353 00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:18,300 we be happy based upon the reality of Truth? 354 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,200 Well, happiness comes from knowing that truth does not 355 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,900 change. Okay, let me give you an 356 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:29,300 example. If somebody is hard on you or 357 00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:33,500 somebody is mad at you or somebody is persecuting, you, do 358 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:35,300 you know what it is? What we do in our mind. 359 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,400 And we might get resentful met get her feelings hurt at first, 360 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,000 but at some point we may do this at some point. 361 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:49,100 We may say Is it my fault? Did I cause it? 362 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,900 Do you know why there's a great blessing in the reality of 363 00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:57,100 truth? It's because truth never 364 00:21:57,100 --> 00:22:01,000 changes. So I can look at truth and I can 365 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,300 look at my life and I can look at the persecution. 366 00:22:03,300 --> 00:22:06,900 I'm going through based upon my spiritual life and you know what 367 00:22:06,900 --> 00:22:12,200 I can say it's not my fault. I can be content in that. 368 00:22:13,100 --> 00:22:16,000 It's not my fault. It's not my fault. 369 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:23,000 If I'm doing what is, right? It doesn't change three passages 370 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,100 Hebrews. 13:8! Jesus Christ is the same 371 00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:29,900 yesterday today, and forever. Malachi for I am, the Lord. 372 00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:34,200 I do not change. And I love this, the psalmist, 373 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,100 David recorded for his merciful. Kindness is great toward us, 374 00:22:37,100 --> 00:22:40,100 look how it flows together. Jesus is the same. 375 00:22:40,100 --> 00:22:43,300 He is constant, God will never lose leave us. 376 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,600 He will never forsake us. We already read that. 377 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,900 And it for, I am, the Lord, I do not change. 378 00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:51,700 The Lord is unchangeable and something else is unchangeable 379 00:22:51,700 --> 00:22:54,700 to his. Merciful, kindness is great 380 00:22:54,700 --> 00:22:58,900 toward us. When we are living the Christian 381 00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:02,100 Life. Okay, but there's more about 382 00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:03,900 this. Let's talk about Truth for just 383 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:08,300 a matter of just a minute. happiness comes from knowing 384 00:23:08,300 --> 00:23:15,000 that one has obeyed the truth in John chapter 8, Beginning in 385 00:23:15,008 --> 00:23:19,000 verse 31. And Jesus said to those Jews who 386 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:24,200 believed in him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples 387 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,000 indeed, and ye shall know the truth. 388 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,200 And the truth shall make you free. 389 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,200 Notice what's on the screen? We have two words. 390 00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:34,900 They are connected. You can't separate them. 391 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,600 What is it? Word and Truth. 392 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,600 You can't separate that. I got to share something with 393 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,200 you. I get so frustrated. 394 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:50,400 I get so frustrated when people say there's no such thing as 395 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,600 absolute truth. And I'm going to tell you, it's 396 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,300 everywhere in the country. There's people that believe that 397 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:02,700 in the world in the religious World, whatever world And the 398 00:24:02,700 --> 00:24:05,900 theory of today is there's no such thing as absolute truth. 399 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,700 So you can't really obey the truth because there's nothing 400 00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:14,300 called absolute truth. Sometimes people say this, 401 00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:19,400 what's true for me may not be true for you and you might take 402 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,800 the word of God and you might say, this is why what I believe 403 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,500 and why and they might say well that works for you. 404 00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:26,900 That's true for you. Let me tell you what's true for 405 00:24:26,900 --> 00:24:30,100 me and then tell what their position is on something. 406 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:36,000 Notice what can't be separated. He said to those who believed in 407 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:41,600 him if conditional you abide that's to remain in my word. 408 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,700 You are my disciples, indeed, and you shall know the truth and 409 00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:48,500 the truth shall make you free notice. 410 00:24:48,700 --> 00:24:52,600 The truth is found in the word and the word is truth. 411 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,400 It is simple when we just stick to the Bible, it's just so 412 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:05,300 simple. 1st Peter, 1:22 and 23. Listen to this. 413 00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:10,100 Since you have purified, your souls by what obeying the truth 414 00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:13,600 through the spirit in sincere. Love of the Brethren. 415 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,300 Love one. Another fervently with a pure 416 00:25:15,300 --> 00:25:17,100 heart. Having been born. 417 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:19,200 Again, that's when you're baptized for the remission of 418 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:23,400 sins, not of corruptible seed, but Incorruptible through the 419 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,700 word of God that lives and abides forever. 420 00:25:28,100 --> 00:25:31,600 You can obey the truth. You know, I can have confidence, 421 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,200 I can have happiness knowing not only that I have a relationship 422 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:37,000 with God, but secondly, the reality of truth, it's not going 423 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,600 to change. And you know what? 424 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,400 It's going to ultimately Prevail in Romans Chapter 2 and verse 2, 425 00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:46,700 Paul said, but we know that the Judgment of God is according to 426 00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:50,400 truth. Another passage Psalm 96 and 13 427 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,800 for, he is coming and he will be coming to judge the Earth. 428 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,300 He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people's 429 00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:01,300 with his truth. The truth of the word of God 430 00:26:01,300 --> 00:26:07,800 will always prevail. Number three, though. when a 431 00:26:07,808 --> 00:26:11,600 Christian is persecuted for their faith for living 432 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,700 righteously in their life, They have happiness and contentment 433 00:26:15,700 --> 00:26:19,000 because they have a relationship with God the reality of truth. 434 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:25,600 But then there's this Because of the recompense of The Sinner or 435 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,500 the wicked. And you might say, well, what's 436 00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:31,400 that mean? Why do I find happiness in the 437 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,800 recompense of The Sinner or the wicked because recompense is 438 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,600 really a matter of paying something? 439 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,000 In other words, what you have coming? 440 00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:44,200 What I'm saying is the reason that we can have happiness or 441 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:48,000 blessedness in? This is because this is God's 442 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,800 job, that is not my job. I don't have to worry about it. 443 00:26:52,900 --> 00:26:55,300 Happiness comes from knowing that for the sinner also, 444 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:59,200 there's hope our desire for Christian as a Christian is not 445 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,500 to be that the persecutors it would be destroyed but the 446 00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:05,700 persecutors would be saved. And you know, when Jesus said, 447 00:27:05,700 --> 00:27:09,100 love your neighbor that's hard enough but then he said, love 448 00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:13,400 your enemies. How'd he do that? 449 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,000 Well one the obvious is how you treat them. 450 00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:21,100 Number two is that you have a desire for them to be saved. 451 00:27:22,700 --> 00:27:28,200 You can't love your enemies more than if you have a desire that 452 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,000 they someday will turn from the error of their way, repent, and 453 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,400 obey the truth, and be saved. So what Jesus was talking about 454 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:40,800 is he was talking about the idea of the sinner still having an 455 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:44,300 opportunity to be saved and that's what we want. 456 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:49,200 And by the way how many people in life sometimes are our 457 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,000 enemies. But later on down the line, they 458 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:56,000 obey the gospel and changed their whole life. you heard ever 459 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,800 heard somebody say, I could never be a Christian because of 460 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:02,800 the terrible things I've done in my life, I have Well, I know one 461 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:04,500 thing, I don't know anyone that's done. 462 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:08,000 More than Paul did to hurt the cause of Christ. 463 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:13,500 And yet, he was able to say later on, I bear in my body, the 464 00:28:13,500 --> 00:28:17,500 marks of the Lord, Jesus completely changed his life. 465 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,500 The recompense of the center that's in the hands of God. 466 00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:23,600 Our job is to take the gospel to the Lost. 467 00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:27,700 There's time and there's hope second Peter chapter 3 and verse 468 00:28:27,700 --> 00:28:30,800 9. The Lord is not slack concerning 469 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,500 his promise as some count slackness but is long-suffering 470 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:38,200 to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all 471 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,100 should come to repentance. Listen, just maybe this world is 472 00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:46,200 still standing because of God's Great desire for people to be 473 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,100 saved and God's knowledge of the fact that they're still good and 474 00:28:50,100 --> 00:28:53,400 honest hearts out there. And let me just add this. 475 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:57,500 Can I just add this? Let's get our minds away from 476 00:28:57,500 --> 00:29:00,500 this concept. It's wicked. 477 00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:02,000 It's awful. Nobody wants it. 478 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:06,200 Get your mind off that. And and can I throw something 479 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,600 else into? What if the statement I just 480 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:12,600 said was true. So, what? 481 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:18,700 That's not my job to assist. It's my job to take the gospel 482 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,300 and preach the gospel. It's their job to have the good 483 00:29:22,300 --> 00:29:23,700 and honest heart. That's God's job. 484 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:27,400 He gave the increase even if it's rotten and gone to the 485 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:28,600 dogs. It doesn't matter. 486 00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:33,200 Preach the gospel. Keeping the fight. 487 00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:36,300 Don't chicken out, don't give up. 488 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,700 Here's another one first Timothy chapter 1. 489 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:43,100 Consider Paul's words here. First Timothy chapter 1 15 and 490 00:29:43,100 --> 00:29:44,800 16. This is a faithful saying and 491 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,900 worthy of all acceptance that Christ came into the world to 492 00:29:47,900 --> 00:29:51,300 save Sinners, whom I am chief. However, for this reason, I 493 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:53,400 obtained Mercy that in May first. 494 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:58,300 Jesus Christ might show all long suffering as a pattern to those 495 00:29:58,300 --> 00:30:02,600 who are going to believe on him for everlasting life as a 496 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:07,900 pattern. All right. 497 00:30:11,500 --> 00:30:15,600 Have you ever considered? What if? 498 00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:21,700 You were persecuted by someone that at one time was an enemy. 499 00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:26,700 But have you ever considered that based upon your response? 500 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,600 They may obey the gospel later on. 501 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:35,700 Just maybe. We have to change our attitude 502 00:30:35,700 --> 00:30:41,300 that if the persecution coming our way and is coming at us if 503 00:30:41,300 --> 00:30:44,300 it leads to the possible penitence of that sinner 504 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:47,500 someday, it's a good thing we can take that. 505 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,800 Google name-dropping. How about Jesus? 506 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,300 Hey, how about Hebrews 12 and 2 looking unto Jesus, the author 507 00:30:56,300 --> 00:30:59,700 and finisher of our faith. Who for what the joy that was 508 00:30:59,700 --> 00:31:04,700 set before him, endured the cross despising, the shame and 509 00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:06,800 is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God. 510 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,600 Jesus was not saying that the joy that was set before him was 511 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,900 the driving of the nails in his hands and in his feet in the 512 00:31:14,900 --> 00:31:17,300 physical persecution and suffering. 513 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,700 It's not what he meant. The joy that was set. 514 00:31:19,700 --> 00:31:22,800 Before him is the joy of being a save. 515 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,900 Mayor of saving the world through his death. 516 00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:30,100 Why? What happened next? 517 00:31:30,900 --> 00:31:34,700 He endured the cross. He despised the shame, and he 518 00:31:34,700 --> 00:31:36,700 was set down at the right hand of the Throne of God. 519 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,600 Happiness comes from, knowing that personal vengeance is not 520 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,200 needed. Sometimes we think we have to 521 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,400 avenge our self but that's God's job. 522 00:31:47,300 --> 00:31:49,700 I'm glad I don't have to personally worry about writing 523 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:53,300 all the wrongs that have ever been done to me in my life, and 524 00:31:53,300 --> 00:31:55,900 I think really, there's a certain amount of contentment 525 00:31:55,900 --> 00:32:00,200 that comes from that knowledge notice in Romans chapter 12, 526 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:05,200 Beginning in verse 19. Look at this. 527 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,700 Beloved do not avenge yourselves. 528 00:32:10,100 --> 00:32:12,600 But rather give place to wrath for. 529 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:14,500 It is written. Vengeance is mine? 530 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:17,400 I will repay says the Lord. That's the Lord's job. 531 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:18,900 Not my job. I don't have to worry about 532 00:32:18,900 --> 00:32:20,100 that. Let's go further. 533 00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:23,700 Therefore, here's the example, if your enemy is hungry, feed 534 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:28,100 him if he is thirsty. Give him drink for in doing. 535 00:32:28,100 --> 00:32:31,000 So, you will Heap coals of fire on his head. 536 00:32:31,500 --> 00:32:35,600 Do not overcome evil by evil but overcome evil with good. 537 00:32:35,700 --> 00:32:37,500 Alright. Gotta say something about this, 538 00:32:37,500 --> 00:32:39,500 though. You can't have the mindset. 539 00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:41,500 I'm going to We be nice to that guy because I want to really I 540 00:32:41,508 --> 00:32:45,400 want to really stick it to him and it's going to pour coals on 541 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:46,200 his head. A fire. 542 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:47,200 I'm going to really make him mad. 543 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:51,800 I'm be nice to him. No, that's not the mentality 544 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,700 behind it. When you do it for the right 545 00:32:54,700 --> 00:32:57,000 reasons with the right spirit in the right mode, if you know what 546 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,100 it's like, it's like, heaping coals of fire on his head. 547 00:33:00,100 --> 00:33:02,600 Do you know why? Because usually, when people are 548 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:06,000 ugly at you, they're wanting to create a fight. 549 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,300 An argument they want resistance and when you give it to them you 550 00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:13,800 give them exactly what they want. 551 00:33:14,900 --> 00:33:16,900 What is saying, here is what Paul saying. 552 00:33:16,900 --> 00:33:21,900 Don't give them that. Be overcome do not be overcome 553 00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:25,400 by evil but overcome evil with good. 554 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,700 I want to talk to you about forgiveness for just a minute. 555 00:33:31,300 --> 00:33:33,400 I don't know how it is with you, I don't. 556 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,100 So just consider this to be a general. 557 00:33:37,100 --> 00:33:40,700 Practice or principal me. Ask you a question. 558 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:46,900 Did you know that you are allowed to forgive somebody of 559 00:33:46,900 --> 00:33:48,600 something that's been done to you. 560 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,600 Without them ever asking for forgiveness. 561 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,900 Did you get that? You are allowed to forgive 562 00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:03,700 somebody of something. Even if they never ask for 563 00:34:03,700 --> 00:34:07,100 forgiveness, now they still have to count to God. 564 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:10,300 They still got to deal with God, come out, personal forgiveness. 565 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,100 Greatest example, of all, how about Jesus on the cross? 566 00:34:14,300 --> 00:34:17,199 What do you say? Father, forgive them for they 567 00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:21,199 know not what they do. Now, they had to answer to God. 568 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:24,699 Jesus forgave them in that and he said, father forgive them 569 00:34:24,699 --> 00:34:27,600 for, they know not what they do. Personally he forgave them. 570 00:34:27,699 --> 00:34:29,800 What about Steven, Steven is there there? 571 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,100 Stoning him to death. He was the first martyr that 572 00:34:32,100 --> 00:34:36,400 died for his faith. And Stephen said, Lord, lay not 573 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:41,600 this sin to their charge. Personally forgive. 574 00:34:43,699 --> 00:34:45,100 About great examples in the Bible. 575 00:34:45,100 --> 00:34:48,500 What about Joseph? I love that. 576 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:53,800 He was sold by his brothers into slavery, he had terrible things 577 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,000 happen, in succession to him in his life. 578 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,800 And none of it was his fault. And yet, the Bible says, when he 579 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,400 has his firstborn son, he names him, Manasseh, and that word 580 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,700 literally means, God has made me to forget. 581 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:12,200 Forget what your memory. No, forget. 582 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,100 All the trouble of my father's house. 583 00:35:14,100 --> 00:35:17,200 What that meant is, it didn't mean his memory vanished? 584 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:21,400 It meant this, I am not going to be negatively influenced anymore 585 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:23,000 by the things that have happened to me. 586 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,200 Personally, forgive, by the way, sometimes people say I'm not 587 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,300 letting that guy off the hook not doing it. 588 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,200 You're not letting him off the hook. 589 00:35:32,700 --> 00:35:37,500 You're not letting her off the hook, you're letting you off the 590 00:35:37,500 --> 00:35:41,600 hook. Bitterness is a heavy burden. 591 00:35:41,700 --> 00:35:45,900 Lay it down. Bitterness inside and hard 592 00:35:45,900 --> 00:35:47,900 feelings. Is a heavy bait burden, it's a 593 00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:52,500 heavy weight, lay it down. It's destroying you. 594 00:35:54,300 --> 00:35:57,600 And you know, this too. Sometimes people can do hateful 595 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:01,100 and ugly things to us. And do you know they go about 596 00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:05,500 their day and they don't think about you ever again. if 597 00:36:05,500 --> 00:36:09,700 something happened to you negatively by someone, Okay, 598 00:36:10,100 --> 00:36:12,200 they go about their life. Now I'm thinking about you at 599 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,900 all. Don't give them the power to 600 00:36:14,900 --> 00:36:19,100 destroy you for the next two years, don't do that. 601 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:25,100 Let it go. Lay it down overcome evil with 602 00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:29,300 that, which is good. But all that being said, I have 603 00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:31,300 to tell you this too. Though we have to say there are 604 00:36:31,300 --> 00:36:32,700 bad people in the world. There are. 605 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:35,200 There are wicked people in the world. 606 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,000 They really are there people that do horrible things. 607 00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:42,800 There are my dad used to say, they want to make the world as 608 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:44,900 ugly as they are. It's true. 609 00:36:44,900 --> 00:36:48,400 There are ugly people. I don't mean physically 610 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,100 speaking. I mean, by the deeds, in which 611 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:53,100 they do by the things in, which they do in their life, there's 612 00:36:53,100 --> 00:36:56,400 some Wicked people. You can't tell me that. 613 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,800 There was any good in those terrorists on 9/11. 614 00:36:59,900 --> 00:37:01,700 You can't say that. There's one good thing. 615 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,700 You can't sit back and say, oh, you know what? 616 00:37:04,700 --> 00:37:07,100 They did a bad thing, but they're really okay, and pretty 617 00:37:07,100 --> 00:37:08,300 good. You just got to get to know him. 618 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:10,200 No. They're rotten. 619 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:13,400 You are what you are because you do what you do. 620 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,500 We get that. Okay, I'm thankful though, I 621 00:37:17,508 --> 00:37:21,400 don't have to worry about it. I don't have to worry about it. 622 00:37:22,500 --> 00:37:25,500 I don't have to worry about the punishment of them, that's not 623 00:37:25,500 --> 00:37:27,900 up to me. That's God's part. 624 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:32,000 Second Thessalonians chapter 1. Notice what happens. 625 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,500 Andy and to give you, who, troubled, rest with us, the Lord 626 00:37:36,500 --> 00:37:39,400 Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in 627 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:43,300 flaming fire taking Vengeance on those that know, not God. 628 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:46,700 And those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord, Jesus 629 00:37:46,700 --> 00:37:49,000 Christ. What I'm saying is it's my job 630 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,200 to preach the gospel to The Sinner. 631 00:37:53,300 --> 00:37:57,300 If they don't obey the gospel. I don't have to be concerned 632 00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,200 from that. That's up to God. 633 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:06,500 The Lord Jesus Christ. Is the judge now. 634 00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:09,000 What else? What else? 635 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:13,800 Revelation, 21 and eight. God's taking care of this too 636 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,700 but the Cowardly unbelieving abominable murderers sexually 637 00:38:16,700 --> 00:38:19,900 immoral Sorcerers idolaters and all liars shall have their part 638 00:38:19,900 --> 00:38:23,500 in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the 639 00:38:23,500 --> 00:38:30,500 second death but fourthly and finally Not only do we have a 640 00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:33,600 basis for happiness, because of the three things we've already 641 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,700 noticed, but there's one more and if this one is not the best 642 00:38:36,700 --> 00:38:38,700 one, I don't know what it is. Here's the best one. 643 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,200 Hang your hat on this. The reward were going to get. 644 00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:51,600 You got to have something. What if living the Christian 645 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:56,200 Life when it was all said and done brought nothing? 646 00:38:57,500 --> 00:39:01,300 Now, I do believe if you lived a Godly life and there was no God, 647 00:39:01,900 --> 00:39:05,900 by the way, if there is no God, nothing matters, nothing 648 00:39:05,900 --> 00:39:08,400 matters. If there is no God, But when you 649 00:39:08,408 --> 00:39:11,000 think about that very idea, if you lived a Godly life and there 650 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,700 was no God, you would still live a better life, you would you'd 651 00:39:13,700 --> 00:39:15,900 be a better citizen? He'd be a better worker. 652 00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:18,000 You'd be a better. Husband, he'd be a better wife, 653 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:22,200 a better father, that's true. But what if there was nothing 654 00:39:23,100 --> 00:39:25,800 for all the things that we have to endure in our life? 655 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,900 There is something and it's called the reward and it's 656 00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:31,500 coming to the righteous happiness. 657 00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:35,600 Also comes by knowing that persecution is merely 658 00:39:35,700 --> 00:39:41,400 transitory, meaning it, Not permanent and you know, there's 659 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:43,700 even some practical benefits. You've heard my sermon on this 660 00:39:43,700 --> 00:39:47,000 one. Verse is one Passage For our 661 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:51,200 light Affliction is but for a moment, it's working for us a 662 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,600 far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. 663 00:39:56,100 --> 00:39:58,300 I don't know of a more encouraging passage in all the 664 00:39:58,300 --> 00:40:03,100 Bible. you know, this means this, you might remember the 665 00:40:03,100 --> 00:40:07,100 sermon I preached months and months ago, But it's working for 666 00:40:07,100 --> 00:40:10,200 us our light afflictions. Now Paul, had some terrible 667 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:14,800 afflictions but he called them light. and he said this, as 668 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:21,200 heavy as the Affliction is it is making on the scale, the weight 669 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:27,000 of Glory, even heavier and greater What's the Eternal 670 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,800 weight of Glory? First of all, the Eternal part 671 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:33,600 means it is forever. It's even after this life, okay? 672 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:38,700 The Eternal weight of Glory is literally this it is increasing 673 00:40:38,700 --> 00:40:42,400 your capacity to serve and praise God. 674 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:49,600 In this life. And also, for all eternity. 675 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,800 Practical example. What if somebody had to endure, 676 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:59,000 some terrible stuff. They can use that and have the 677 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,500 capacity to serve God greater than they ever have. 678 00:41:03,300 --> 00:41:07,700 It increases your capacity. So what's Paul saying the more 679 00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:11,200 the Affliction, the heavier, the Affliction, the heavier, the 680 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,900 weight of Glory, it tips the scale, that's great stuff. 681 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:17,000 What else though? The things that we endure 682 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,700 they're just temporary, they're not they're not forever. 683 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:23,000 Look for the things which are seen are temporary but the 684 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:29,400 things which are not seen are eternal. here's another passage 685 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:33,200 Romans 8:18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present 686 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,800 time are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which 687 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:43,300 shall be revealed in u.s. Here's another one First Peter 688 00:41:43,300 --> 00:41:46,700 chapter 1. Verses 6 and 7. 689 00:41:49,900 --> 00:41:51,600 In this, you greatly Rejoice, why? 690 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:57,800 it doesn't say in this, you hang in there. 691 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:04,600 In this, you tolerate it. He doesn't say that at all. 692 00:42:04,900 --> 00:42:07,100 There's no passive acquiescence here. 693 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,500 Look what you get in this. You greatly Rejoice. 694 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:15,500 Why? For now, for a little while, if 695 00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:17,300 need be, you have been grieved by various trials. 696 00:42:17,300 --> 00:42:18,800 So they are real. They happen. 697 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:22,800 What are you going to get? It is proof and it demonstrates 698 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:27,900 that your faith is genuine. And it's much more precious than 699 00:42:27,900 --> 00:42:31,600 that which is of gold. It's tested by fire. 700 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:34,400 May be found to praise honor and Glory at the revelation of Jesus 701 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:35,500 Christ. Look how it works. 702 00:42:36,500 --> 00:42:38,900 When you stand for what's right in your persecuted, you act and 703 00:42:38,908 --> 00:42:41,400 you behave properly, guess what? God gets the glory right now. 704 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,600 Right now, and you might have to endure and you might have to 705 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:48,300 grind it out and you may have to do all that. 706 00:42:48,300 --> 00:42:50,200 But you know what? You get yours. 707 00:42:51,700 --> 00:42:55,900 When Jesus comes back. That's the reward of the 708 00:42:55,900 --> 00:43:00,800 righteous in heaven. One day, Jesus said this Matthew 709 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:04,900 5 blessed? Are you when they revile and 710 00:43:04,900 --> 00:43:10,100 persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for 711 00:43:10,100 --> 00:43:14,600 my sake rejoice and be exceedingly, glad for great is 712 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:18,700 your reward in heaven for. So they persecuted the prophets 713 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:22,800 that were before. You notice this to, here's 714 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:26,500 another practical In James chapter 1, verse 2 and 3 my 715 00:43:26,500 --> 00:43:28,700 brethren count it all joy. When you fall into various 716 00:43:28,700 --> 00:43:31,100 trials. Why knowing that the testing of 717 00:43:31,100 --> 00:43:32,600 your faith? Produces patience. 718 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:40,500 The weight that we talked about in Paul's writing to Corinth 719 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:44,200 increases, your capacity to serve God. 720 00:43:46,100 --> 00:43:52,600 These things produce patience to endure for the rest of your 721 00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:55,900 life. First Peter, chapter 4, verse 722 00:43:55,900 --> 00:43:58,600 14, if you ever approached the name of Christ blessed, are you? 723 00:43:59,500 --> 00:44:02,000 And you know what's interesting is the we've been using the word 724 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,300 happy all along. We've been using the word happy 725 00:44:06,300 --> 00:44:09,000 The new King James says, blessed the King James says, happy. 726 00:44:10,500 --> 00:44:13,400 Happy, are you? Why for this? 727 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:15,000 Why? On their part? 728 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:21,700 He has blasphemed on your part. He is glorified Happiness comes 729 00:44:21,700 --> 00:44:24,200 from knowing that heaven, awaits those that are persecuted. 730 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:27,300 That's what the word of God says. 731 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:31,400 Two more passages. Beloved do not think it strange 732 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:34,600 concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some 733 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:36,700 strange thing happened to you but you know, that's what we do 734 00:44:37,100 --> 00:44:39,800 sometimes. Look at this terrible thing 735 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:43,500 happen to me. It happened to me. 736 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:49,200 And sometimes we think that the only bad thing going on in life 737 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:53,600 is what's happening to me? Sometimes our mind does that. 738 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:57,600 And yet the Bible says, there's nothing that's going to come on 739 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,600 you except that, which is common to man. 740 00:45:00,700 --> 00:45:04,000 And you know what I found in my short life I have found in my 741 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:06,100 life, you know, I can't keep saying short life, it's getting 742 00:45:06,100 --> 00:45:08,800 a little longer 53 is around the corner. 743 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,000 So, let me just say it this way in my life. 744 00:45:14,100 --> 00:45:16,900 I have found that when I was going through something that 745 00:45:16,900 --> 00:45:18,600 might have been very difficult for me. 746 00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:22,700 If I kept my eyes open, I found somebody had it worse. 747 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:28,500 So don't think it's strange when some trial comes on you as 748 00:45:28,500 --> 00:45:31,200 though some strange thing happened to you but Rejoice to 749 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:34,100 the extent that you are /. Takers of Christ's sufferings 750 00:45:34,300 --> 00:45:37,900 that when his glory is revealed you may also be glad with 751 00:45:37,900 --> 00:45:42,800 exceeding Joy, one more passage Matthew, 5, the words of Jesus. 752 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:46,600 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness 753 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:50,300 sake for theirs is the kingdom. Of Heaven. 754 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:54,900 All right. In conclusion, and I'm finished. 755 00:45:56,300 --> 00:46:00,100 In conclusions. The child of God, when 756 00:46:00,100 --> 00:46:01,800 persecuted can be happy. You know why? 757 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:07,600 Because the four reasons we talked about today Because of 758 00:46:07,607 --> 00:46:10,300 the Christians relationship with God, that God will never leave 759 00:46:10,300 --> 00:46:14,100 our side. If he won't take it away, he'll 760 00:46:14,100 --> 00:46:17,600 get you the strength to get through it and he'll never leave 761 00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:19,700 your side. If you don't leave him your 762 00:46:19,700 --> 00:46:21,800 relationship with God. Doesn't matter what happens to 763 00:46:21,808 --> 00:46:24,500 me because of my relationship with God and God's right there. 764 00:46:24,500 --> 00:46:27,800 With me every step of the way, what else the reality of truth? 765 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:31,200 I don't have to let my mind, go wandering to know if I'm doing 766 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:33,500 something wrong, I could just look at the word of God. 767 00:46:33,500 --> 00:46:35,500 Is my life, doing what the word of God says? 768 00:46:35,500 --> 00:46:38,700 And if I'm persecuted for that, I find peace in that. 769 00:46:38,700 --> 00:46:41,500 I find contentment in that and I can be happy in that. 770 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:43,300 Why? The reality of Truth. 771 00:46:43,700 --> 00:46:46,500 And I can even know how to obey the truth in that great. 772 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:50,400 Number three, I can be happy too because the recompense of the 773 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:51,900 center of the wicked is not up to me. 774 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:57,100 I don't worry about that. I don't have to avenge myself, I 775 00:46:57,100 --> 00:47:00,700 don't have to do that. I can overturn evil with good 776 00:47:00,700 --> 00:47:03,600 and finally I can be happy because man we're going to get a 777 00:47:03,607 --> 00:47:07,300 reward one day. You're going to get a reward one 778 00:47:07,300 --> 00:47:10,800 day. And when we have the capacity is 779 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:13,800 in been increased, the Eternal weight of glory, and I have that 780 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:16,500 going on in my life, that means that I carry that Eternal weight 781 00:47:16,500 --> 00:47:20,500 of Glory eternally. As what Paul said, eternally in 782 00:47:20,500 --> 00:47:24,800 heaven, means this, it increases my capacity to serve God, even 783 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:25,900 in heaven. How about that? 784 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:30,500 That's good stuff. I'm finished. 785 00:47:31,700 --> 00:47:33,600 I'm finished today. Thank you so much for your kind 786 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:36,000 listening. I apologize for the beginning 787 00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:40,900 when we try to get our system up and running but I appreciate 788 00:47:40,900 --> 00:47:43,900 your patience. We never close a time that we 789 00:47:43,900 --> 00:47:46,400 assemble as the body of Christ without extending an invitation 790 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:49,700 though to somebody that might be subject to the gospel call. 791 00:47:50,700 --> 00:47:53,100 First of all, there are no blessings outside of Jesus 792 00:47:53,100 --> 00:47:56,200 Christ. They're not and the Bible says 793 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:58,700 in Romans 10:17. So faith comes by hearing and 794 00:47:58,700 --> 00:48:02,100 hearing by the word of God. Hearing of the word of God 795 00:48:02,100 --> 00:48:05,600 produces Faith. Jesus said in Mark 16:16. 796 00:48:05,700 --> 00:48:10,000 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he 797 00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:11,600 that believeth not shall be damned. 798 00:48:12,700 --> 00:48:15,900 Jesus further said in Luke 13 and 3, I tell you. 799 00:48:15,900 --> 00:48:19,800 No, but except you repent, you will all likewise perish. 800 00:48:19,900 --> 00:48:21,800 Everybody's got to do that to, you got to change your life. 801 00:48:23,300 --> 00:48:26,500 In Matthew, 10:32. And Jesus said, if you confess 802 00:48:26,500 --> 00:48:28,900 me before men, I will confess you before my Father, which is 803 00:48:28,900 --> 00:48:32,800 in heaven and that confession simply is, I believe that Jesus 804 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:37,000 Christ is the Son of God upon taking those steps though. 805 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,100 It leads us to the point of our Salvation. 806 00:48:39,900 --> 00:48:42,000 That's when we go down to the Waters of baptism and have our 807 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:45,100 sins washed away. First, Peter 3:21 says the like 808 00:48:45,100 --> 00:48:50,400 figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us. 809 00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:54,600 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 810 00:48:54,600 --> 00:49:00,400 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 811 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:03,500 would like any additional information, or you would like 812 00:49:03,500 --> 00:49:06,600 to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 813 00:49:07,300 --> 00:49:11,100 Please email us at info at her Church of Christ 814 00:49:11,100 --> 00:49:15,100 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 815 00:49:15,100 --> 00:49:20,700 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 816 00:49:21,300 --> 00:49:24,800 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 817 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:25,700 honored guest.