Amazing Facts

Doug Batchelor - When A Christian Falls

February 16, 2025 | S25:E23

Pastor Doug Batchelor is an energetic speaker of vision and deep spirituality.

#Faith #Blessing #Forgiveness #Religion #Repentance #WordofGod #Sin #inActive #Cross #AmazingFacts #DougBatchelor #Temptation #Failure #Lies #Romans5:12

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Amazing Facts | Doug Batchelor - When A Christian Falls | February 16, 2025

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♪♪♪
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♪♪♪
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Doug batchelor: on christmas eve 1971,
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17-year-old juliane koepcke boarded lansa flight 508
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With her mother in lima, peru.
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After crossing the andes mountains,
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Dark thunderclouds surrounded the aircraft,
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Causing severe turbulence.
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Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck
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The plane's engine, tearing off a wing.
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As the doomed airliner spiraled towards the earth,
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The cabin disintegrated, and juliane found herself
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Strapped to a row of seats falling silently
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Through the stormy sky.
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Plummeting over 10,000 feet, she struck the jungle canopy
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And slammed into the forest floor.
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Incredibly, juliane survived the two-mile fall with just
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A broken collarbone and a gash in her arm.
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Failing to find other survivors, juliane hiked for days to reach
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Civilization and was eventually reunited with her father.
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You know, the bible talks about when adam and eve fell through
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The devil's temptations in the garden of eden,
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It brought down the whole human race.
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But jesus came to help us survive this great fall into sin
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And to make it back to the father's house.
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Do you ever think that maybe you have fallen too far
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Or too many times?
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Join me now for some encouragement as we talk about
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What the bible has to say on this important topic.
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Doug: our message this morning is dealing with
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"when a christian falls," and the bible has a lot to say
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About the subject of falling.
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There's actually a somewhat famous report that has made
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The rounds, it's also a little bit humorous, about a bricklayer
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Who sent in a report to an insurance company that was
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Asking for more information regarding an accident.
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This is, dates back several years, but it's a masterpiece.
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I'd like to share this with you.
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"i'm writing in response to your request
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For additional information.
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In block number three of the accident reporting form,
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I put 'poor planning' as a cause of my accident.
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You said in your letter that i should explain more fully.
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I trust that the following details will be sufficient.
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I am a bricklayer by trade.
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On the day of the accident, i was working alone on a roof
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Of a ten-story building.
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When i completed my work, i discovered i had about
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500 pounds of bricks leftover.
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Rather than carry them down by hand, i decided to lower them to
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The ground in a barrel by using a pulley which fortunately was
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Attached to the side of the building at the 10th floor.
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Securing the rope at ground level, i went to the roof,
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Loaded the 500 pounds of bricks in the barrel, then went back
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Down to the ground to untie the rope, holding it tightly
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To ensure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks.
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You'll note in block 11 of the accident reporting form
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That i weigh 135 pounds.
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Due to my surprise, it being jerked off the ground so
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Suddenly, i lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go
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Of the rope.
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Needless to say, i proceeded at a rapid rate up the side
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Of the building.
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In the vicinity of the fifth floor,
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I met the side of the barrel coming down.
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This explains the fractured skull and broken collarbone.
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Fortunately, by this time, i regained my presence of mind
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And was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.
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I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my
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Right hand were lodged two knuckles deep in the pulley.
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At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks
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Hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel.
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Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed now
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Approximately 30 pounds.
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I refer you again to my weight in block number 11
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Of the accident reporting form.
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As you might imagine, i began a rapid descent down
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The side of the building.
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In the vicinity of the fifth floor, i met the empty barrel
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Coming up again.
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This accounts for the two fractured ankles and lacerations
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Of my legs and lower body.
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Fortunately, the second encounter with the barrel slowed
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Me enough to lessen the injuries when i fell into the pile
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Of bricks, and only three vertebrae are cracked.
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I'm sorry to report however, that as i lay there on the
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Bricks in pain and unable to stand, forgetting the empty
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Barrel ten stories above me, i lost my presence of mind
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And i let go of the rope."
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That's sort of funny.
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Sometimes people laugh when others fall, they've got a
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Special type of comedy, it's called physical comedy
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And some comedians are known for their acts involve
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A lot of falling: dick van dyke, jackie gleason,
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And charlie chaplin, and the three stooges,
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And jerry lewis, and they're always trying
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To invoke a laugh by falling.
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And people sometimes think it's funny when they see
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Someone else fall.
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They've discovered that even some animals, chimpanzees, for
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Example, will laugh when they see another chimp trip or fall.
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Kind of sinister that you're glad it's not you, i suppose.
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But biblically, falling is not a funny matter.
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It can be very serious.
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All of the pain, and the death, and the misery that we see
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In the world today is a result of a fall.
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There in the garden of eden man was given a simple test of
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Loyalty to god and his word, or they could choose to follow
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The rebel, which involved really self-worship.
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And because adam and eve did not trust the lord, and maybe they
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Wanted the god-like powers the serpent promised, they fell.
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Romans 5:12, "therefore, just as sin came into the world
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Through one man, and death through sin--"
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So, death spread to all men because all have sinned.
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Romans 3:23, for how many have sinned?
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All have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of god.
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We've all experienced that because of the fall
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Of adam and eve.
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Pastor was talking to his five-year-old son about adam
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And eve, and the temptation in the garden, he said,
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"now, what can we learn from that?"
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And the boy said, "don't play with snakes."
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And it's still good advice, do not listen to the devil.
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Now, that brings us to our story that was in our scripture
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Reading about a person that's in church that falls.
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And it's a story of eutychus that you find in acts chapter
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20, and i'd like to take you back there again very quickly.
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Paul is preaching in this region of asia.
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He's going to leave the next day, and he doesn't know
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If he'll ever see him again.
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And so, the whole church has gathered for the sabbath.
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They close the sabbath together.
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Now technically, it's the first day of the week,
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And he preaches, and he preaches,
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And he preaches.
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And back then at night, they didn't have led lights.
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They didn't have incandescent bulbs or fluorescent lights.
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They used lamps, and these oil lamps tended to put off a little
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Bit of oil, and it says that there were many lamps
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In the upper chamber.
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And the reason they mentioned that is if there's a lot
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Of lamps, there's often some smoke residue.
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You ever choke when someone puts out all the candles
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On a birthday cake?
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And it got hard to breathe.
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And so, this young man thought,
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"well, i'm going to sit a little closer the window."
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The building's full of people, so it's short on oxygen.
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It may have been a warm night, and the lamps are filling the
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Place with smoke and so eutychus thought that he had a good seat,
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And he leaned down in this stone window sill three stories up,
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Tried to keep some fresh air, and still he had one ear
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On the sermon.
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Paul was long in preaching.
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And eutychus, overcome with sleep, not realizing the
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Precarious place--don't sleep in the edge of a window.
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And he flinched, but he flinched,
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And he fell out the window.
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He fell down from the third story, and he was taken up dead.
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Parents and people ran downstairs,
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And they embrace him, and he died from the fall.
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It was fatal.
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But paul feels really bad because he knows partly it's
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Because he preached too long.
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And he went down.
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It's interesting, the word that's used.
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Eutychus fell and paul went and fell on him.
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And he's praying as he's hugging him, and he tells the crowd
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Gathered around, "trouble not yourselves,
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For his life is in him."
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Now, this point, you're in acts chapter 20.
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Paul's faith is pretty strong.
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He's already affected some miracles, including maybe
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His own resurrection when he was stoned--
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And not that paul resurrected himself,
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But god raised him up-- and a miracle takes place.
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The boy was dead.
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Paul goes and he embraces him.
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You know, when elijah and elisha resurrected a boy,
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Maybe paul was thinking back on this story,
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They both did it through physical contact.
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In one case, elisha put himself on the boy and embraced him.
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"trouble not yourself, his life is in him."
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And so, there was great rejoicing.
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Now, how is it that he fell?
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Here he's a member, he's in church,
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He's listening to a sermon and he fell.
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Where was he sitting?
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He's sitting near the edge.
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You know how people fall out of church?
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They stay on the edge.
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If he had been in the room, it might have been a little
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Tougher, but he wanted to stay on the edge.
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And you know who it was the devil attacks?
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Those on the edge.
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Who does the wolf go after?
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It's the lambs that are on the edge.
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And a lot of people that are sort of on the edge of church,
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Now i'm not speaking specifically to young people who
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Are sitting on the outside of the building right now,
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But i'm talking about those who, in their lives,
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They sort of go to church once a week.
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They want to stay connected, but they're living on the edge,
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And they kind of have one foot in the church,
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And they've got one foot in the world.
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So, if you want to be safe, you want to be right
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In the middle of the flock, amen?
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Get involved, get in the middle of it.
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Get in the thick of it.
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You're a lot more-- you're a lot safer.
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You're more inclined to survive as a christian
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If you stay involved in a church.
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That's one of our goals here in granite bay is you'll notice
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That we try to involve the young people in the music,
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In the scripture reading.
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Some of them volunteer with the media, they help with the sound.
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And i think it's so important that we keep the young people
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Engaged, and we keep them involved.
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They're a lot more likely to stay with the faith.
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If they sit near the edge and all they hear is long-winded
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Preachers, there's a chance they can fall.
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That's not only young people that fall,
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But it happens to all of us.
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The bible says the apostles fell.
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Jesus foretold that that would happen.
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Matthew chapter 26, verse 31 jesus said, and i'm reading this
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From the english standard version.
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He said, "you will all fall," i think king james says,
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"you will all stumble."
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But that's the word.
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"you will all fall away because of me this night.
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For it is written, 'i will strike the shepherd,
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And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'"
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How is it that peter ended up denying christ?
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Have you read there in mark chapter 14 it says
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Peter followed, after jesus was arrested,
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"peter followed from a distance."
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And because he was following from a distance, and when jesus
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Went into the judgment hall, peter stayed on the edge,
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Hanging out with the the enemies of christ.
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And when he was hanging out with the enemies,
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Eventually he denied them.
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So, you want to stay in the middle of it.
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Says, "they all forsook him and fled."
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One of the ways that people fall is you can fall through pride.
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This is how the devil fell.
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Notice, 1 timothy 3:6, "don't exalt a novice as an elder,
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Lest being puffed up with pride
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He falls in the same condemnation as the devil."
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A way to keep from falling is through humility.
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Proverbs 16:18, "pride goes before destruction,
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And a haughty spirit before a fall."
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And you can read in 1 corinthians 10:12,
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"therefore lead him who thinks he stands take heed
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Lest he fall."
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So, how do christians fall?
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They can fall through thinking too much about themselves,
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Just like the devil, fall through pride.
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I think this is really where judas fell.
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Judas just had such confidence in himself.
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He was so sure of his abilities.
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He thought that he was going to manipulate circumstances
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That would force jesus to be proclaimed king,
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And he was going to get all the credit for it.
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He didn't want jesus washing his feet.
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When jesus washed the feet of the other disciples,
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They all humbled themselves.
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Judas had his feet washed, and he went out
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And he betrayed christ.
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And so, it's through pride.
00:13:41.135 --> 00:13:43.204
Doug: don't go anywhere, friends.
00:13:44.105 --> 00:13:45.707
In just a moment, we'll return for the rest
00:13:45.707 --> 00:13:47.175
Of today's presentation.
00:13:47.175 --> 00:13:49.611
Do you sometimes feel like your faith is a little lukewarm?
00:13:49.611 --> 00:13:53.214
Do you struggle with motivation when it's time to go to church?
00:13:53.214 --> 00:13:57.085
Does it seem lately like you're being more easily overcome
00:13:57.085 --> 00:14:00.121
By temptation?
00:14:00.121 --> 00:14:02.023
Well, friend, don't despair. you're not alone.
00:14:02.023 --> 00:14:04.425
Millions of christians struggle with the same challenges.
00:14:04.425 --> 00:14:07.595
They want to keep their experience vibrant and strong.
00:14:07.595 --> 00:14:10.732
If you're longing to renew your passion for jesus,
00:14:10.732 --> 00:14:13.101
There are some very real practical steps you can take
00:14:13.101 --> 00:14:17.605
To experience a spiritual revival.
00:14:17.605 --> 00:14:20.174
So, to help you reignite that spark of faith in your life,
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00:14:37.058 --> 00:14:40.795
I promise that your faith will come alive when you rediscover
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To get your free copy, call the number on the screen and ask
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And after you read this incredible resource,
00:14:53.875 --> 00:14:56.277
Make sure and share it with a friend.
00:14:56.277 --> 00:14:58.479
Well, let's return to today's presentation and learn
00:14:58.479 --> 00:15:00.882
Some more amazing facts from the word of god.
00:15:00.882 --> 00:15:03.885
Doug: now, i don't want to discourage you.
00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:06.821
Some are thinking, "does that mean that if a believer turns
00:15:06.821 --> 00:15:10.425
From god, they cannot be saved?"
00:15:10.425 --> 00:15:12.060
Now, of course, it's not teaching that.
00:15:12.060 --> 00:15:13.795
What would you do with the story of the prodigal son?
00:15:13.795 --> 00:15:16.864
What would you do to the story of david, or peter,
00:15:16.864 --> 00:15:19.267
Or even moses when he lost his temper?
00:15:19.267 --> 00:15:21.869
And so, christians fall, and god is very patient.
00:15:21.869 --> 00:15:26.274
The apostles, they, like i said, they denied the lord.
00:15:26.274 --> 00:15:31.279
And we're so thankful for god's mercy,
00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.548
But you take a lot of risks.
00:15:33.548 --> 00:15:36.317
If you live near the edge, it's kind of like riding
00:15:36.317 --> 00:15:38.753
A motorcycle.
00:15:38.753 --> 00:15:40.088
If you keep wondering how far you can lean on the turns,
00:15:40.088 --> 00:15:41.923
Eventually you'll find what that point is by falling,
00:15:41.923 --> 00:15:45.860
And you may not survive.
00:15:45.860 --> 00:15:48.329
You never know when you're going to get to that point where you
00:15:48.329 --> 00:15:50.398
Think you've got your balance, and you don't.
00:15:50.398 --> 00:15:52.367
You don't want to find out the hard way what
00:15:52.367 --> 00:15:53.801
That point is, right?
00:15:53.801 --> 00:15:55.837
But you can learn from your falling.
00:15:57.071 --> 00:16:00.475
How many of you, by show of hands, think you fell
00:16:00.475 --> 00:16:04.412
When you were learning to walk?
00:16:04.412 --> 00:16:07.315
That should be every hand, isn't that right?
00:16:07.315 --> 00:16:10.518
And so, there's a lot to be learned by falling and a certain
00:16:10.518 --> 00:16:13.988
Amount of falling is expected.
00:16:13.988 --> 00:16:15.690
And you know, even for baby christians, i used to think,
00:16:15.690 --> 00:16:19.660
You know, in a perfect world, when someone comes to christ
00:16:19.660 --> 00:16:23.331
And they accept jesus, if they really have enough faith,
00:16:23.331 --> 00:16:26.901
They never need to sin again.
00:16:26.901 --> 00:16:29.670
You know, i've come to believe that's not very realistic.
00:16:29.670 --> 00:16:32.407
It seems like when a person first comes to christ--
00:16:32.407 --> 00:16:34.709
There's never a good excuse for sin.
00:16:34.709 --> 00:16:36.144
Don't misunderstand.
00:16:36.144 --> 00:16:37.945
But typically, when we are learning the new way
00:16:37.945 --> 00:16:42.150
Of walking in the lord, you're going to make mistakes.
00:16:42.150 --> 00:16:46.187
The bible says in isaiah chapter 1,
00:16:46.187 --> 00:16:47.822
"we've got to learn to do good."
00:16:47.822 --> 00:16:49.424
That's a learning process.
00:16:49.424 --> 00:16:50.758
That means you don't know everything about it,
00:16:50.758 --> 00:16:52.160
You have to unlearn a lot of mistakes.
00:16:52.160 --> 00:16:54.462
So, you may learn along the way.
00:16:54.462 --> 00:16:57.965
You know, baby eagles-- now, hummingbirds
00:16:57.965 --> 00:17:00.201
And eagles are different.
00:17:00.201 --> 00:17:01.536
Hummingbirds, the babies, when they first leave the nest,
00:17:01.536 --> 00:17:05.039
They're flying.
00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:06.641
It's just like they know.
00:17:06.641 --> 00:17:07.975
No lessons, they don't get a license, a medical,
00:17:07.975 --> 00:17:09.811
Anything, they just fly.
00:17:09.811 --> 00:17:12.080
Eagles are a little different.
00:17:12.080 --> 00:17:14.682
They have to sort of get the hang of it,
00:17:14.682 --> 00:17:16.551
And some eagles do not survive.
00:17:16.551 --> 00:17:18.553
I think i've heard one out of five eagles
00:17:18.553 --> 00:17:20.254
Does not survive its first flight because, you know,
00:17:20.254 --> 00:17:22.990
Eagle nests are usually very high.
00:17:22.990 --> 00:17:25.860
They need to learn.
00:17:25.860 --> 00:17:27.195
Sometimes they'll wait until they're up there in the nest.
00:17:27.195 --> 00:17:29.263
And they wait until the the wind picks up, and they'll just hover
00:17:29.263 --> 00:17:32.467
Over the nest and then pull their wings in.
00:17:32.467 --> 00:17:33.801
And they'll hover and they'll pull.
00:17:33.801 --> 00:17:35.169
And they get the hang of it.
00:17:35.169 --> 00:17:36.504
Sometimes when they're making their first flight, the mother
00:17:36.504 --> 00:17:38.840
Or the father goes underneath them and when they realize
00:17:38.840 --> 00:17:42.009
They're dropping out of control, they kind of catch them
00:17:42.009 --> 00:17:44.946
And either lower down easy, or lift them back up again.
00:17:44.946 --> 00:17:48.382
That's why god uses that phrase when he talks to israel.
00:17:48.382 --> 00:17:51.686
Says, "like an eagle, i bore you on my wings."
00:17:51.686 --> 00:17:56.657
Because there's a learning process involved,
00:17:56.657 --> 00:17:59.994
And sometimes it takes time for us to learn.
00:17:59.994 --> 00:18:03.231
So, don't be discouraged.
00:18:03.231 --> 00:18:05.533
Sometimes we learn through our falls, and through our trials.
00:18:05.533 --> 00:18:09.203
Now, you can survive a fall, and that's one of the most important
00:18:09.203 --> 00:18:14.475
Things i want to tell you.
00:18:14.475 --> 00:18:15.810
We've already established--
00:18:15.810 --> 00:18:17.145
I won't ask for a show of hands.
00:18:17.145 --> 00:18:18.546
I expect if you're honest, every hand would go up.
00:18:18.546 --> 00:18:20.615
How many of us have fallen in seeking to walk with the lord
00:18:20.615 --> 00:18:25.453
At some point along the way in varying degrees?
00:18:25.453 --> 00:18:29.790
We've disobeyed.
00:18:29.790 --> 00:18:31.325
We've done what we knew we shouldn't do.
00:18:31.325 --> 00:18:34.128
And then we repent.
00:18:34.128 --> 00:18:36.864
But it's not always easy.
00:18:36.864 --> 00:18:38.699
How do you survive?
00:18:38.699 --> 00:18:41.669
You, first of all, if we sin, what are we told to do?
00:18:41.736 --> 00:18:46.541
Confess our sin to the lord, repent,
00:18:48.509 --> 00:18:52.079
Go to the lord in prayer.
00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:53.414
Claim the promise that if we confess our sins,
00:18:53.414 --> 00:18:56.517
He is faithful and just to forgive our sins
00:18:56.517 --> 00:18:59.086
And to cleanse us from all on righteousness.
00:18:59.086 --> 00:19:01.822
Then does god forgive us?
00:19:01.822 --> 00:19:04.192
How do we know?
00:19:04.192 --> 00:19:06.427
Because he said so.
00:19:06.427 --> 00:19:08.329
"what if i don't feel forgiven?"
00:19:08.329 --> 00:19:10.798
You don't go based on how you feel.
00:19:10.798 --> 00:19:13.834
"but i have problems forgiving myself."
00:19:13.834 --> 00:19:17.205
Are you setting yourself up as a higher tribunal than god?
00:19:17.205 --> 00:19:21.442
You think that your judgment is more important
00:19:21.442 --> 00:19:24.145
Than god's judgment?
00:19:24.145 --> 00:19:26.414
If god says, "i forgive you," if we were repent--
00:19:26.414 --> 00:19:28.683
Well, what is repentance?
00:19:28.683 --> 00:19:30.384
Well, it's been sorry for your sin, not just sorry you got
00:19:30.384 --> 00:19:33.054
Caught but remorseful, and you don't want to do it again.
00:19:33.054 --> 00:19:35.323
You don't want to hurt him.
00:19:35.323 --> 00:19:36.657
And this is a very important teaching you don't hear
00:19:36.657 --> 00:19:39.393
A lot about, but it was a primary teaching in the bible.
00:19:39.393 --> 00:19:43.631
The bible says jesus began preaching repent.
00:19:43.631 --> 00:19:46.200
John the baptist began preaching repent.
00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:48.236
The disciples began preaching,
00:19:48.236 --> 00:19:49.570
"men and brethren, what should we do?"
00:19:49.570 --> 00:19:50.905
Peter said, repent.
00:19:50.905 --> 00:19:53.274
Repentance is a genuine sorrow for sin, and the desire to stop
00:19:53.274 --> 00:19:58.279
Doing that which hurts god, hurts your neighbor,
00:19:58.279 --> 00:20:00.815
And hurts yourself, and will ultimately end
00:20:00.815 --> 00:20:03.684
In your eternal loss.
00:20:03.684 --> 00:20:05.286
So, if you fall, repent, confess, and then believe,
00:20:05.286 --> 00:20:11.559
Because you cannot be saved without faith.
00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:13.327
He says, "i will forgive you, and if you do these things,
00:20:13.327 --> 00:20:17.999
You repent and confess, and i will cleanse you from
00:20:17.999 --> 00:20:20.534
All on righteousness."
00:20:20.534 --> 00:20:22.637
So, he's not putting you on probation.
00:20:22.637 --> 00:20:25.373
He says, you are forgiven.
00:20:25.373 --> 00:20:27.108
You're freely forgiven.
00:20:27.108 --> 00:20:28.876
David confessed his terrible sin and god said,
00:20:28.876 --> 00:20:31.545
"your sin has been put away."
00:20:31.545 --> 00:20:34.081
When he repented, he forgave him.
00:20:34.081 --> 00:20:36.417
Isaiah said, "woe is me.
00:20:36.417 --> 00:20:37.752
I am undone.
00:20:37.752 --> 00:20:39.120
I'm a man of unclean lips and i dwell in the midst of them."
00:20:39.120 --> 00:20:41.622
People with unclean lips, and god touched a coal to his mouth
00:20:41.622 --> 00:20:44.392
And said, "your sin is purged, your sin is taken away."
00:20:44.392 --> 00:20:49.096
Zacchaeus said, "if i've taken anything from any man
00:20:49.096 --> 00:20:51.666
By false accusation," god said,
00:20:51.666 --> 00:20:54.001
"salvation has come to this house."
00:20:54.001 --> 00:20:55.736
As soon as they repented and confessed--thief on the cross,
00:20:55.736 --> 00:20:58.906
"lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
00:20:58.906 --> 00:21:01.309
What did jesus say?
00:21:01.309 --> 00:21:03.711
Here's a guy, he's a thief, a rebel, and in one passage,
00:21:03.711 --> 00:21:06.881
It says guilty of murder.
00:21:06.881 --> 00:21:08.916
And god said, "you'll be with me in paradise."
00:21:10.785 --> 00:21:14.422
Believe that god forgives you.
00:21:14.422 --> 00:21:17.658
And when you know that you're forgiven, you don't want
00:21:17.658 --> 00:21:20.027
To jeopardize that, you want to live--
00:21:20.027 --> 00:21:21.862
Walk in the newness of life, amen?
00:21:21.862 --> 00:21:24.999
Now, i want to illustrate something here.
00:21:24.999 --> 00:21:26.634
I'm looking for a couple of volunteers.
00:21:26.634 --> 00:21:28.169
I'd like a couple of young people that would help me.
00:21:28.169 --> 00:21:31.405
There in the back as, of course, all right, come on up,
00:21:31.405 --> 00:21:33.941
Two of you, yeah.
00:21:33.941 --> 00:21:35.443
I saw two hands go up. there you go.
00:21:35.443 --> 00:21:36.877
That'll work. that's perfect.
00:21:36.877 --> 00:21:38.212
Come on up here. i want to illustrate something.
00:21:38.212 --> 00:21:42.249
All right, let's see here. you can come here, over here.
00:21:44.585 --> 00:21:51.826
Young lady here, you go on the other side of her.
00:21:51.826 --> 00:21:54.528
Can you stand on one foot?
00:21:54.528 --> 00:21:57.398
Now, while you're standing on one foot, i want you to take one
00:21:57.398 --> 00:21:59.834
Finger, push her shoulder and see if you can push her over,
00:21:59.834 --> 00:22:01.936
One finger.
00:22:01.936 --> 00:22:04.071
Okay, all right, you're enjoying this, aren't you?
00:22:04.071 --> 00:22:06.907
Okay now, i want you to hold my hand.
00:22:06.907 --> 00:22:12.513
Now stand on one foot. is that a little harder?
00:22:12.513 --> 00:22:18.953
You're going to hurt her.
00:22:20.087 --> 00:22:21.455
[doug laughing]
00:22:21.455 --> 00:22:23.491
You know what the point is?
00:22:23.491 --> 00:22:26.160
It really helps if you got a hand to hold when
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:28.362
You're trying to stand up and keep from falling, amen?
00:22:28.362 --> 00:22:31.031
Thank you very much. you did a good job.
00:22:31.031 --> 00:22:35.202
So, it's not just that you fall, we want to learn how
00:22:35.202 --> 00:22:40.474
To not fall, amen?
00:22:40.474 --> 00:22:42.343
Does somebody offer us a hand?
00:22:42.343 --> 00:22:44.812
John 10:28, "and i give them eternal life," jesus speaking.
00:22:44.812 --> 00:22:51.519
"i give them eternal life and they will never perish, neither
00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:55.256
Will anyone snatch them out of my hand.
00:22:55.256 --> 00:22:58.726
My father who has given them to me is greater than all
00:22:58.726 --> 00:23:01.695
And no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand."
00:23:01.695 --> 00:23:06.467
Jesus will never let go of you.
00:23:06.467 --> 00:23:08.836
He will not lose his grip, amen?
00:23:08.836 --> 00:23:11.872
The bible says you can't keep a good man down.
00:23:11.872 --> 00:23:14.909
Proverbs 24:16, "for a righteous man may fall seven times
00:23:14.909 --> 00:23:19.880
And rise again, but the wicked will fall by calamity."
00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:24.618
Psalm 37:23, "the steps of a good man are ordered by the
00:23:24.618 --> 00:23:28.789
Lord, and he delights in his way.
00:23:28.789 --> 00:23:30.958
Though he fall, he will not be utterly cast down.
00:23:30.958 --> 00:23:35.329
For the lord upholds him with his hand."
00:23:35.329 --> 00:23:39.400
And there's one fall that you should deliberately perform
00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:44.772
That will help prevent the fatal fall.
00:23:44.772 --> 00:23:48.476
The bible says that we must fall upon christ,
00:23:48.476 --> 00:23:50.778
And we will be broken.
00:23:50.778 --> 00:23:53.514
Peter went out of the garden after he denied christ,
00:23:53.514 --> 00:23:56.183
He went out to the garden of gethsemane, he fell on his face
00:23:56.183 --> 00:23:59.153
And he wept bitterly.
00:23:59.153 --> 00:24:00.721
Matthew 21:44, "whoever falls on this stone will be broken,
00:24:00.721 --> 00:24:05.459
But on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
00:24:05.459 --> 00:24:09.730
If we cast ourselves on christ, if we fall upon christ, and we
00:24:09.730 --> 00:24:14.268
Completely surrender to him, that's what gives us
00:24:14.268 --> 00:24:16.737
The strength and the power to keep from falling.
00:24:16.737 --> 00:24:21.208
I remember reading about the great blondin,
00:24:21.208 --> 00:24:24.111
He was the greatest of the tightrope walkers.
00:24:24.111 --> 00:24:26.680
And karen and i were recently at niagara falls, and he was the
00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:30.484
First one who walked across niagara falls on a tightrope.
00:24:30.484 --> 00:24:34.722
And he did some amazing things.
00:24:34.722 --> 00:24:40.728
They don't even know how many times he walked across niagara
00:24:40.728 --> 00:24:42.963
Because he did it so many different ways, and he did
00:24:42.963 --> 00:24:44.865
So many different theatric variations of it.
00:24:44.865 --> 00:24:47.968
Once he did it in a wheelbarrow.
00:24:47.968 --> 00:24:50.037
Once he pushed someone across in a wheelbarrow.
00:24:50.037 --> 00:24:52.773
Once he carried a man across niagara falls on his back.
00:24:52.773 --> 00:24:56.877
By the way, he started tightrope walking when he was five years
00:24:56.877 --> 00:25:00.014
Old, and he was just so gifted at--in his balance.
00:25:00.014 --> 00:25:05.419
Someone asked him one time, "don't you get nervous
00:25:05.419 --> 00:25:07.755
When you're walking across the niagara falls or one of these
00:25:07.755 --> 00:25:12.393
Great precipices and you see the raging water down there and the
00:25:12.393 --> 00:25:16.397
Steam, and the power of it all, and the wind starts to blow?"
00:25:16.397 --> 00:25:20.434
And he said, "no," he says, "those things never scare me."
00:25:20.434 --> 00:25:23.337
He said, "i don't look at all of that."
00:25:23.337 --> 00:25:25.372
Said, "before i cross a chasm," he says,
00:25:25.372 --> 00:25:28.275
"i fix a silver star at the opposite end."
00:25:28.275 --> 00:25:32.179
And he said, "i keep my eyes on the star and i know if i do
00:25:32.179 --> 00:25:35.983
That, all i've got to do is put one foot in front of another
00:25:35.983 --> 00:25:39.453
Because the rope is straight.
00:25:39.453 --> 00:25:42.156
And you know, that's the secret to avoiding a fall is we keep
00:25:42.156 --> 00:25:46.293
Our eyes fixed upon jesus, amen?
00:25:46.293 --> 00:25:49.496
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00:27:03.370 --> 00:27:05.506
It's sure to be a blessing.
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And thank you for your continued support as we
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Take the gospel of jesus christ to the world.
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We hope you'll join us next week as we delve
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Deep into the word of god to explore
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More amazing facts.
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♪♪♪
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Doug Batchelor - When A Christian Falls

February 16, 2025 | S25:E23

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