The Minor Profits

[0:00] I remember reading an anecdote regarding a chaplain that was serving Napoleon Bonaparte when he was in his heyday, parading across Europe and conquering one nation after another.

[0:17] And the subject of the Bible came up, and Bonaparte turned to his chaplain and said, give me one good reason why I should put any confidence in this book, the Bible.

[0:34] And the chaplain responded, the Jew, your majesty, the Jew. And apparently it sufficed because that was a pretty good answer.

[0:47] You will not find any race of people or any ethnic group so dominant and so prevalent all throughout the Scripture as the Jew.

[0:59] Beginning from Genesis to Revelation, those 66 books we have, every one of them was written by a Jew, about a Jew.

[1:12] Scholars have some question regarding the identity of Dr. Luke, the beloved physician who gave us the gospel that bears his name, and also wrote the book of Acts.

[1:26] But it is quite apparent that if Luke had not been born Jewish, he was at least a proselyte to Judaism, for no one could have expressed the things Jewish that he did without having very full familiarity with Judaism and all that it involved.

[1:44] So I think it is safe to say the Bible throughout is written by Jews. And contrary to what most Christians think, most of the Bible was written to Jews, for Jews.

[2:02] And there is just one relatively small segment that is not, but even it includes Jews.

[2:12] And I'm talking about the Pauline epistles that are referred to as, well, if you want to include Hebrews, it would include Romans through Hebrews.

[2:23] And he, of course, was a Jew. And those to whom he wrote were Jews and Gentiles who comprised the body of Christ in the different locations to which he had addressed them.

[2:37] So the Jew plays a disproportionate role in the activities of humanity and in the plan and program of God.

[2:48] And would you know it? Despite the fact that the Jew rates very, very highly in God's estimation, he rates very, very low in man's estimation.

[3:08] And you know something? That's just the way it works. God's thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his ways our ways, saith the Lord. So you may be sure that that which man places a great deal of emphasis and importance upon, God usually doesn't.

[3:25] It's just the opposite. He's made a commitment to the Jewish people, and he is bound by his own honor and integrity to make good on it.

[3:36] And indeed he will. So as we turn to Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 8, sometimes I think we're never going to get through this book.

[3:48] We've had so many interruptions with Zechariah, but it is just electric with the content that we will be examining today because it involves the Jew coming into his own.

[4:04] And it is a glorious, glorious thing. We will see that as it develops. Be reminded, if you would, Zechariah, along with Haggai and Malachi, are the three prophets in the Old Testament that close out the Old Testament, and they are referred to as post-exilic.

[4:27] That means they are involving the Jewish people who had been in Babylon for 70 years as a result of God's judging and punishing them with the Babylonians, and now about 20 or 25 percent of them have returned to Israel, and they are reestablishing themselves in the land.

[4:52] They have primary obligations before them. Number one is to build the wall because that was their basis for security, and Nehemiah was assigned to that task, and the other has to do with the rebuilding of the Jewish temple.

[5:08] That is Solomon's temple that had also been destroyed and rifled by the Babylonians. So they have those two principal jobs to consider, and they are back in the land.

[5:18] This is approximately 500 years before the birth of Christ because Jerusalem was attacked and sacked by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.

[5:40] So if you subtract 70 years from that, it puts you pretty close to the year 500, and they are the groups that he is addressing at this time.

[5:51] Up until now, it has been rather negative and rather critical on the part of Jehovah as regards his people, and that's the message that he had been giving Zechariah to deliver.

[6:04] But with this chapter, the tide is going to change. It will be dramatically positive, uplifting, beneficial, something for the Jew to really be excited about.

[6:20] And, in fact, it's something for the Gentile to be excited about because when this time comes, as the Jew goes, so goes the Gentile.

[6:31] And it is a difficult thing for people to get their brain around today, but it is true nonetheless. The time is coming. The time is coming when all nations of the world will be subject to and under the authority of Israel.

[6:53] Can you believe it? Most cannot. Especially those who were anti-Semitic. They cannot. But the likes of Adolf Hitler and others who have hated and dispossessed the Jew and persecuted the Jew for centuries, are going to have to eat their words big time because God is going to elevate the Jewish people in what will be referred to as a remnant.

[7:20] It will not be the whole nation of Israel or all of the Jews of the world. Some are under the impression, in fact, there are even some Jews who were under the impression that if you are a Jew, you've got it made with God.

[7:33] You are automatically in. No, you're not. No, you're not. It is a responsible situation that is foisted upon each and every one of us with the volition that God has given us.

[7:46] And the Jew is going to fare no better than the Gentile if he is outside the blessing in the realm of God. So just being a Jew does not automatically entitle you to all the rights, privileges, eternal life, and everything else because it doesn't work that way.

[8:03] That's a mistake that some make and even some Jews make that mistake. So let's get into chapter 8 here. Marvelous, marvelous content. Then the word of the Lord came to me, the word of the Lord of hosts, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I am exceedingly jealous for Zion.

[8:26] Zion is the name of the hill upon which the temple is situated. It is Mount Zion there in Jerusalem. And when God says he is jealous, that means it is a prerogative of his and actually, based upon the word that he has given and the promises that he has made, he cannot be anything but jealous.

[8:53] But this is jealous in a righteous way. Usually we think of jealousy as being a vice, that very often someone is jealous of another person.

[9:04] They may be jealous of their station in life, jealous of their ability or talents, jealous of the home they live in or the job they have or something like that. But there is a good sense in which jealousy is a virtue.

[9:18] And here is an excellent example in the same way, in the same way, that if you are any kind of an American at all, you need to be jealous for the U.S. of A.

[9:34] And what's more, if you are a Parisian and you live in France, there's something wrong with you if you're not jealous for France. It just kind of goes with the territory.

[9:46] And every man who is married owes it to his wife to be exceedingly jealous for her in that you will not tolerate the introduction of anyone else into that relationship.

[10:05] It is just the two of you and that's a good virtue of jealousy. May their tribe increase that kind of jealousy we can agree with and even insist on.

[10:19] And he says he is exceedingly, he's not just jealous, he's exceedingly jealous for Zion. Yes, with great wrath, I am jealous for her.

[10:35] That is Jerusalem, the temple, the city. Thus says the Lord, I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

[10:49] Then Jerusalem will be called the city of truth. What a beautiful name for a city to bear.

[10:59] The city of truth. Kind of like Washington, D.C. today. You know? The city, the city of truth.

[11:11] But what the writer is saying here, what Zechariah is saying is that of all of the cities, this Jerusalem is going to be the place where truth will be central, recognized, outstanding, dependent, believable, so that what you hear in Jerusalem when this time comes, you can take it to the bank.

[11:39] It's something you can count on. What is this time we're talking of? It is not in our day and age for sure. This, fellas, and all that follows is millennial truth.

[11:52] What is taking place here will follow after Jesus Christ returns to this earth, defeats the enemies of Israel, dispatches the Antichrist, sets up his kingdom with the twelve tribes administering the world throughout and David the king being resurrected and each of the twelve apostles sitting on the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel just as Jesus promised the twelve in Matthew, I think it was chapter 19.

[12:28] So this is looking far ahead and involves what God is going to do. He hasn't done it yet and the reason He hasn't done it yet is because it isn't time and there's something that is tremendously important that's going to take place between this time that we are now talking about being fulfilled and that has to do with two things.

[12:54] Number one is the first coming of Jesus Christ and that's what the next chapter deals with and the second thing is the second coming of Jesus Christ and that's what we'll be dealing with later in Zechariah because both of those first coming and second coming are right here in Zechariah and they are electrifying.

[13:18] They are set forth in such precise detail it is just remarkable stuff. So thus says the Lord of hosts verse 4 Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem each man with his staff in his hand because of age and the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.

[13:49] And what this is expressing here is a time of peace and safety and tranquility and it's going to be a new world because this will be characteristic of the kingdom that Jesus is going to establish when he comes.

[14:11] And this fellas what we're talking about here this is in fulfillment of what is so frequently referred to as the Lord's Prayer. In fact it is not the Lord's Prayer the Lord's Prayer is John chapter 17 that's the Lord's Prayer but what is commonly passed off as the Lord's Prayer is not that at all it is a model prayer and it is a prayer that is not to be repeated ad nauseum over and over and over hundreds of times like people do as if it were some kind of a mantra because in the very same passage there in Matthew 6 where he tells them about the model prayer he also says don't pray with meaningless repetitions where you're just mouthing the same thing over and over and over which is precisely what is done in so many places and I'm sure they do it out of a sincere heart but that doesn't make it right.

[15:08] So when the Lord says thy kingdom come that is the prayer for the coming of the kingdom because the world's in a mess and it's been in a mess ever since the fall of Genesis 3 but it is going to be restored and the prayer is for the kingdom to come because fellas as I tried to point out in the past this is what everything is all about.

[15:37] Don? Mark and all my born put together and all the places I've had with you no one has ever concentrated in this area why not since it's that important to us basically?

[15:49] Well that's a good question he says in the churches that he's been involved in they never seem to venture into these areas and I know that is it is to our detriment really because this is fellas all scripture is given by inspiration of God not all scripture is equally inspiring to read some of it is just downright boring and I've often told people if you have trouble sleeping at night just turn on the lamp get your bible and start reading the book of Leviticus and see if you don't drop off pretty quick or get into the last eight chapters of Ezekiel that gives you all the dimensions and descriptions of the millennial temple that's going to be built and that'll put you in la la land pretty quick too so those are said but having said that there is no such thing as an unnecessary word in the scriptures and if you can remember this guys because

[16:58] I'm totally convinced that this is true everything in the bible everything is connected to everything in the bible we very often don't see the connections but that doesn't mean there isn't one and the more you study the bible not just read it but the more you study the bible and connect the dots you gain a greater appreciation of how things are connected how they work why the world is the way it is where it came from where it's going and why and under whose power and authority it's just the book is just totally incredible totally incredible well let's continue on thus says the lord verse 6 if it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people oh now there's a word there's a word that we really need to focus on this remnant is the remnant of israel we tend to think of remnants as maybe leftovers or extra if you go into a carpet store and you're looking for a piece of carpet to buy for a certain room the salesman may say well now we have a very nice selection of remnants over here and one of them might be large enough to cover the area you're talking about in which case you could probably get it a lot cheaper because it is the leftover of a huge roll of carpet and what was left on the roll isn't enough to carpet three rooms but it's enough to carpet one room if it's the right size and it's called a remnant well israel is going to have a remnant and the reason they're going to have a remnant is because most of israel will have been destroyed eliminated we think it is quite mind boggling just to realize that six million of abraham's descendants were done away in the holocaust this time around the antichrist is going to outdo adolf hitler this time around in the tribulation period two thirds of the jews living worldwide will be destroyed and almost as much gentiles are going to be destroyed there will be an incredible body count we are talking about the destruction of billions of people that's with a b and we've got about seven or seven and a half billion on the planet now and there will be the majority of those eliminated as well

[20:23] I tell you fellas none of us has any idea what this tribulation period is going to be but when Jesus described it by saying it will be a time such as the world has never seen well listen this old globe has seen some pretty bad stuff but nothing is going to compare with what's coming in this tribulation period the remnant is going to play into this very very largely if it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people and when he says this people he's not talking about you and me and he's not talking about Christians he's talking about those in the context he's talking about Jews he's talking about Israel this people in those days will it also be too difficult in my sight declares the Lord of hosts and of course the answer is no no in other words the gargantuan task that is going to be set before God on behalf of the people of

[21:36] Israel is going to look to the Israelites to be absolutely overwhelming impossible can't be done but God is saying I don't see it that way at all he is going to care for it will it be too difficult in my sight declares the Lord of hosts not at all thus thus says the Lord of hosts behold I am going to save my people now there is a sense undeniably so and I'm glad to be one of them and I know you are too there is a very real sense in which we all as believers are God's people we are his people everyone in all dispensations and in all ages that has been rightly related to God are God's people and that involves a lot of Jews and a lot of Gentiles so you can incorporate everybody here but for the standpoint of interpretation and the context the my people is the

[22:48] Jew it's Israel I am going to save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west and I will bring them back that's back to the land from all over the globe where they've been scattered and from the time that Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans and the time when they came back after Israel had recovered somewhat there was another Jewish revolt or rebellion under Bar Kokhba in 135 131 to 135 AD and this time the Romans leveled it again that is after they had done so in 70 AD it was leveled again and they forbade any Jews to even live in the land and the Romans even changed the name of the city

[23:49] Jerusalem and called it Capitolina and gave it a Latin name and it was known that way for years and years and the Jew was forbidden to set foot in the land for a long time he was scattered all throughout the Mediterranean world and eventually through the rest of the world and he picked up the title known for centuries given the name the wandering Jew and the reason he was wandering was because he was made to wander when he would get situated in a place and put down roots and become successful and start making a mark the persecution would set in and the Jew would become persona non grata and they would end up packing up their belongings and moving off to some land that would accept them and if you haven't seen Fiddler on the Roof by all means you should because it does depict the essence and the character of what is taking place with the Jew and it is remarkable and most people do not see this but I'll tell you what any serious student of the

[24:57] Bible can't miss it can't miss it and they see the Jew so many see the Jew as those people guilty of deicide in other words they killed God they crucified Christ they were responsible and we've gone through this before and they did they did and so did you so did you he was wounded for our transgressions not just Israel's but ours too we all had a part in the death of Christ it was your sin and mine that was placed upon him for which he died Paul tells us in Romans 425 that Jesus was delivered for our offenses who delivered him we say well Pontius Pilate delivered him he did

[25:58] Judas delivered him he did the Sadducees delivered him they did Pontius Pilate delivered him he did the Roman execution squad they delivered they did and God delivered him you understand that God delivered him God so loved the world he God gave his only begotten son he delivered him and he gave him up for us all that's the gospel that's that's incredible well let's move on I will bring them back they will live in the midst of Jerusalem and they will be my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness boy what a precious thing remember when God called Abraham way back in Genesis 12 and I will make your name great and I will bless you and those who bless you I will bless and those who curse you I will curse and you all you have to do is look back in history and look at what happened to every great nation that was at the peak of international power and see what happened to them in regard to their treatment of the

[27:15] Jew every one of them ended up in the dustbin of history and the Jew I am satisfied I have absolutely no doubt in my mind at all that one of the greatest reasons why this nation has prospered as it has despite our manifold problems and we've got them is we were the first nation that was actually receptive and treated kindly the Jew and even here there are pockets of anti-Semitism and they are born out of ignorance people just don't know and they think that somehow the Jew was responsible the Jew alone was responsible for the death of Christ and they don't understand the implications of this but it is just this this is incredible my people I will be their God in truth and righteousness thus says the

[28:18] Lord of hosts let your hands be strong that's another way of saying chin up strengthen your hands strengthen the feeble knees it is an heartening message this is a positive message that God is giving to these people and he's saying this is going to be the payoff it's granted it's coming it's on down the line but you can put it in the bank it is coming and Israel will be vindicated God will be vindicated Jerusalem will be vindicated and so on it is just come back if you would to Haggai chapter 2 it's just a book before just a book before Zechariah Haggai chapter 2 and look at these guys knew each other and they were both prophets and each of them had messages to deliver and Haggai in chapter 2 and verse 4 says but now take courage

[29:20] Zerubbabel and who was Zerubbabel Zerubbabel was I guess we would call him the chief executive officer of the returning Jews who had come back to the land from Babylon and Nehemiah was assigned the responsibility of building the wall and Zerubbabel was the new governor of Israel of course a Jew and he is being encouraged here in verse 4 take courage Zerubbabel declares the Lord take courage also Joshua son of Jehozadak this is not the Joshua of Moses this is long time laughter the high priest and all you people in the land take courage take courage and the word for courage in in in the Greek in the New Testament where we find it so many times where it says take heart and the word literally means in the Greek to enhearten it means to pour into the heart of with the idea of encouraging stabilizing strengthening charging and so on and work for I am with you and as for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt my spirit is abiding in your midst do not fear that's the message that's being given all right now back to Zechariah and let's see how much territory we can cover here this is really heady stuff though

[30:45] I'll tell you thus says the Lord of hosts let your hands be strong you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid this is the rebuilding of the temple to the end that the temple might be built for before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for animal and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies this is all chaos and confusion kind of like what we see today and I set all men one against another why is it why is it that men are set one against another down through the ages and today have different value systems we have different value systems there are different things we hold dear some hold power dear and they relegate everything else to that some hold wealth and some hold this and some hold that and where you have people in positions of authority with conflicting values you got a mess there's no unity there and everyone is after the other now verse 11 now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days declares the

[32:15] Lord of hosts where the former days now now we're living we're living in the latter days we are we are living in the latter days of the whole plan and program but as regards verse 11 and what he is talking about here as in the former days he's talking about prior to the latter days so it's all contextual and you have to look at the time frame that is involved so it's both depending on which direction you're coming from for there will be peace for the seed the vine will yield its fruit the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their due and I will cause the remnant there's that remnant again the remnant of this people to inherit all these things the remnant of these people will be the Jewish people who are alive and by the way they will be repentant believers these are the same people who are going to be holed up in my humble opinion in Petra in the rose red city of

[33:42] Petra that's where Christ is going to return to and there will be the remnant housed there in that fortress that the Antichrist is unable to get to they will be the survivors of the tribulation period and they will be the ones of whom Zechariah will be speaking later in chapter 12 when he says they that remnant will look upon him whom they pierced and they will mourn how are they going to do that how are they going to look upon Jesus he's going to be there they're going to pray for his coming remember when Jesus left the temple the last time and he made a tremendous statement that is often overlooked he said you will not see me again until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the

[35:03] Lord and that's what they're going to say and that's when they're going to say it and there will be an incredible outpouring of repentance of tears of tears of joy tears of repentance tears of regret as they look upon him whom their forefathers pierced and rejected and the great mourning will result in the conversion of that remnant and they will all come to know the Lord and it will be preceded by a change of mind and when the scriptures say the Jews require a sign let me tell you Jesus is going to give them a sign he will be the sign and they will respond it will be a glorious glorious outpouring of acceptance of binding of just incredible and it's all going to be in connection with that second coming but now verse 11 now

[36:25] I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days declares the Lord of hosts there will be peace for the seed the vine will yield its fruit the land will yield its produce this is all millennial stuff this is blessing prosperity this is the way it's supposed to be this is the way it was before sin brought it to rack and ruin in Genesis 3 and it will come about in verse 13 it will come about that just as you were you Israel you were a curse among the nations everywhere the Jew went they could chase him out of here chase him out of there persecute him there murder him there cheat him there it's gone on and on and on oh house of Judah and house of Israel so I will save you that you may become a blessing do not fear let your hands be strong now fellas there is no way that we can find any time period in history where we can say well we know when this took place when this was fulfilled it never has taken place this is why it's called prophecy it hasn't taken place but as far as

[37:48] God is concerned it is just as certain as though it had taken place because that's how definite it is I I will save you that you may become a blessing do not fear let your hands be strong for thus says the Lord of hosts just as I purpose to do harm to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath who's he talking about he's talking about Zechariah's ancestors for hundreds of years they rejected God disobeyed God fell into idolatry worship pagan idols and all the rest of it and how many times did God take them to the woodshed over that time and time again raised up judges and the people would repent and God would bless them and restore them and give them prosperity then they'd get the big head and they would fall into idolatry and the cycle would go round and round and round and just repeated it over the centuries just as I purpose to do harm to you when your fathers provoked me says the

[38:53] Lord of hosts and I have not relented so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah do not fear in other words relax these these are the things which you should do speak the truth God loves the truth like nothing else because and it's very simple very simple truth represents and reflects reality truth is what is truth is not manufactured truth just is what is manufactured is untruth it is the lie that is made up it has no truth in it it does not correspond to reality and fellows

[40:03] I need not tell you we are drowning in untruth today and it has even caused a new term to be voiced abroad that I never heard before and perhaps you never either and it's called fake news well think back years ago had you ever heard of anything like fake news well no it was a concept that didn't we had news we had old news we had good news but there wasn't any fake news well I guess in reality there always was because the lie has always been there but we didn't put a handle on and why do you think that we put a handle on it's because it's so doggone prevalent it's everywhere it's everywhere it oozes out of your television tubes and it leaves you saying you don't know what to believe you don't know who to believe can't trust anybody good grief this you can do speak the truth to one another let every man speak truth with his neighbor judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates and the term gates is used there as an expression and the gate the gate was the place where the community's business was transacted and those who were what we would call mayors and judges and what not they were those who sat at the gate and there they dispensed justice they held trials they heard evidence etc that was called the gate and it was a common place of gathering today we probably call it city hall or the courtroom something like that but in this day it was the gate and let none of you devise evil in your heart against another and do not love perjury you recall

[42:17] Stephen in Acts chapter 7 was preaching Christ and his resurrection and the authorities the Jewish authorities came against him and tried to silence him and tried to debate him but the text says in Acts 7 that they could not resist the wisdom and the arguments that Stephen put forth when you can't answer the man's arguments don't let him speak shut him up silence him listen what do you think is going on on our college campuses all over the country very same thing and this is a country that supposedly prides itself in the freedom of speech but when conservatives and people who have different opinions want to come in and address the students they foment a riot a shout down won't let him speak and they don't realize it they are actually putting on display their inability to successfully counter the arguments that that person is going to pose and they know they can't so shut them up don't let them talk don't let them talk and we are told that

[43:38] Stephen must have been quite an apologist and he delivered arguments that they could not refute and it got so desperate and so embarrassing listen nothing causes people to do irrational things more than ego and and and chaos and desperation so this crowd mind you now this is the leadership this is the religious elite of Israel went out into the marketplace where they knew they could find people who would do anything for a dollar they are of the nefarious sort they are in the ne'er-do wells they are always looking for a quick buck and will do anything to get it and they hired a couple of guys and paid them to give testimony against Stephen and tell the court that you heard Stephen blaspheme God and the law of

[44:38] Moses says in the mouth of two or three witnesses the thing shall be established so you say that you heard him and you say that you heard him and that will be enough to convict him and that's exactly what they did they suborned men to give false testimony and Stephen paid for their lies with his life this is the way hey this is the way the left does business they're coming from a world view that says the end justifies the means what do you have to do to win whatever it takes whatever it takes and if you're coming from a world view that is supported by moral relativism nobody can say you're wrong because morality is relative you make up your own rules and not only that but you can always say we will lie we will cheat we will do whatever we have to do to gain power so that we can set our agenda and when we set our agenda and put everything in order and we're in the driver's seat then everything will be as it ought to be and ultimately you will thank us wow that's what we're dealing with and you know something this is what humanity has always dealt with it's nothing new we just put a new face on it someone says you dress up an old woman in a new dress same thing same thing that's exactly what this is

[46:30] I hate purge declares the Lord then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me saying thus says the Lord of hosts the fast of the fourth fast of the fifth fast of the seventh these are the fast that Israel entered into he says they're going to become something different you're not going to be fast they're going to be feast boy time's coming and boy it's going to be something it will become joy and gladness and cheerful feast for the house of Judah so love truth and peace thus says the Lord of hosts it will yet be that peoples will come even the inhabitants of many cities and the inhabitants of one will go to another saying let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts I will also go who's going to do this everybody everybody that survives the tribulation period everybody that comes through that alive they're going to be awakened as to what the reality is and when this millennial reign is established it's going to be incredible it's going to be

[47:43] Israel will be the key nation of the world and justice and truth will go forth from Israel and he will be on the throne the 12 tribes will be judging and Jesus Christ himself will be here and the text says many peoples verse 22 and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord that is they recognize him the place the position and everything that goes with it thus says the Lord of hosts and here it gives a beautiful expression that probably only a Jew could identify with and particularly a Jew back in that day so says the Lord of hosts in those days in those days yet future ten men from the nations of every language will grasp the garment of a Jew saying let us go with you for we have heard that

[48:49] God is with you wow this is breathtaking stuff I can't wait this is going to be something and this is just as certain as if it has already occurred okay have you got questions or comments and you want to know how and why is this all going to come about that's chapter nine and it's up next and we'll get into that next week the Lord willing Dan a father treats his son okay and so he disciplines his son is this God's approach with the Jews you are my favorite people I expect more out of you get your act together absolutely absolutely the principle is and it's all throughout scripture really the principle is unto whom much is given from him shall much be required and this is this is why this is just one reason why anybody who's thinking about preaching or teaching never really needs to sit down and think about it and

[50:11] James talks about this and he says let not many of you be teachers knowing that they shall receive the greater condemnation why is that because teaching comes with a responsibility how many times have I told you here at grace over the last 50 years that I share the two fears that every preacher has or should have and fear number one is you will not believe what I say and fear number two is you will believe what I say and I'm as serious as I can be and the reason is because hearing teaching and hearing and expounding what you believe to be true has consequences because when you speak and teach the word of

[51:21] God you are giving people information why are you doing that what's the point just so we can cram our heads with information and knowledge I hope not the point is so you can do something about what you hear so you can put it into practice and the practice that you put it into will be the result of the processing of the information that you take in and the conclusion you reach from it then you seek to act on it to do something with it that's the whole essence of teaching and communication that's what it's all about so it is a really serious business and this is I think what Jesus meant to not only for the speaker but as he so often admonished people take heed how you hear not only what you hear but how you hear content is important but you have to be able to assign to it importance or lesser importance or great importance or whatever because your actions are going to stem from your attitude and your attitude is formulated on the basis of what you believe to be true and what you believe to be true is why information is so important it's so critical and this is called the information age and isn't it amazing that we have never had an age that has been so replete and so filled with information nor have we had a dispensation or an age that has been so grossly ignorant about things that matter as this generation isn't that amazing isn't that something

[53:20] I tell you that's just the way humanity is it's the way it is other comments questions that I'm already past my time I I I almost said I apologize but I'm not going to do that I don't want to get in the habit of apologizing for the scripture well anyway thank you for your kindness and your patience any closing thought anybody has feel free