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How Could A Good God Allow So Much Suffering

Watch How Could A Good God Allow So Much Suffering
From His Heart: Jeff Schreve
February 4, 2021
27:29

From His Heart is the teaching ministry of Dr. Jeff Schreve. We exist to speak real truth; real love and real hope from the loving heart of God to a lost and hurting world.

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How Could A Good God Allow So Much Suffering

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  • male announcer: Welcometo From His Heart
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  • with Pastor Jeff Schreve,who today concludes his series,
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  • "Life's Big Questions."
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  • If you're disheartened by theevil, anguish, and distress in
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  • our world and the hurt that itinflicts, today you'll discover
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  • the answer to this question,"How Could a Good God Allow So
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  • Much Suffering?"
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  • ♪ There is truth,there is love, ♪
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  • ♪ there is hope that you'vealways dreamed of. ♪
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  • ♪ He can heal every scarwith real truth, ♪
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  • ♪ real love, real hopefrom his heart. ♪♪
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Pastor Jeff Schreve: Now thequestion of how could a good and
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  • loving God allow so muchsuffering is a question that has
  • 00:00:57.093 --> 00:01:01.097
  • been asked for thousands andthousands of years by people way
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  • smarter than yours truly.
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  • And when it comes to thatquestion, we all have to step
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  • back and say that is a difficultquestion.
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  • There are no just pat answersfor that question.
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  • Now we can talk about evil andsuffering in general and, you
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  • know, we read about theHolocaust and obviously that was
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  • horrific with six million Jewsbeing exterminated by Hitler and
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  • his gas ovens and death camps,but most of us, maybe the
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  • majority, the vast majority,maybe all of us, we don't know
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  • any of those people.
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  • As one man said, when one persondies a tragic death it is a
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  • tragedy, when a thousand dieit's a statistic.
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  • It's just too big to wrap yourbrain around.
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  • And so we look at the issue ofpain and suffering and evil, and
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  • when we look at it on a globalscale we kind of are distanced
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  • from it.
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  • But when it hits home, when ithits into our lives, when it
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  • hits into our loved ones, thenit's a totally
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  • different ballgame.
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  • It's kinda like surgery.
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  • You know, when you have surgeryit's, you know, whatever it is,
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  • it's minor surgery, when I haveit, it's major stuff.
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  • I mean, this is me and I don'tcare what it is, if you are
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  • getting your toes scraped it'slike, man, this is a big deal,
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  • everybody pray, 'cause I gottago in and they're doing
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  • some stuff.
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  • So when tragedy hits home, man,it changes the complexion of it.
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  • And we have all asked thequestion, how could a good God
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  • allow so much suffering?
  • 00:02:52.542 --> 00:02:54.644
  • Now as far as the existence ofpain and suffering and evil in
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  • the world, there's really noquestion about it.
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  • Jesus himself said, in Johnchapter 16, verse 33, these
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  • things I have spoken to you,that in me you may have peace.
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  • In the world you havetribulation.
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  • Thlipsis is the Greek word.
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  • That word means pressure,affliction, anguish, trouble,
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  • distress, trials, sorrows,that's what you have in
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  • the world.
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  • Jesus made that clear, andnobody was arguing with him
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  • Jesus experienced thlipsis,pressures, and distresses and
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  • troubles and sorrows.
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  • A man of sorrows, it says ofJesus, and acquainted
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  • with grief.
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  • But he goes on to say, but takecourage, I have overcome
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  • the world.
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  • Now, how can we answer thequestion of evil, pain,
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  • and suffering?
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  • I mean, those of us who say,well, I don't reject the idea of
  • 00:03:55.805 --> 00:03:59.275
  • God because of the existence ofevil, but I really don't know
  • 00:03:59.309 --> 00:04:03.212
  • how to explain it, I don'treally know how to
  • 00:04:03.246 --> 00:04:06.482
  • understand it.
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  • So today we want to look at fouraspects of this question to get
  • 00:04:08.284 --> 00:04:13.456
  • a better understanding of theanswer.
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  • And just know up front that noone has ever given an answer
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  • that has satisfied everyone.
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  • The Bible talks about in 2Thessalonians chapter 2, about
  • 00:04:24.167 --> 00:04:27.670
  • the mystery of iniquity, themystery of lawlessness, and
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  • there is mystery surroundingevil.
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  • But we're gonna try and look andget a better understanding as we
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  • look at the question.
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  • So four aspects to thisquestion.
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  • Number one, the question is usedto argue that God must
  • 00:04:44.153 --> 00:04:48.758
  • not exist.
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  • How could a good God allow somuch suffering?
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  • And people will say that andit's kinda like the skeptics'
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  • trump card, they play that cardand say, well, I just couldn't
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  • believe in God, just likeCharles Templeton, how could a
  • 00:04:58.935 --> 00:05:02.772
  • good God not intervene?
  • 00:05:02.805 --> 00:05:05.508
  • There's so much suffering,there's so much pain.
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  • If God really loved people thenhe would swoop down and he would
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  • rescue them, but he doesn't doit, therefore there must not be
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  • a God.
  • 00:05:13.816 --> 00:05:15.151
  • Now the syllogism, thereasoning, goes like this.
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  • God is all-powerful.
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  • Number two, God is all-loving.
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  • Number three, evil exists.
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  • So because God is all-loving andGod is all-powerful but evil
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  • exists, well how do youreconcile that, because an
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  • all-loving God would swoop inand and rescue, an all-powerful
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  • God, he would do the same.
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  • So God is either not loving orhe's not powerful, or maybe he's
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  • not even both.
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  • And so many come to theconclusion because evil exists
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  • and I can't reconcile how thatfits in with God, God must
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  • not exist.
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  • That is the reasoning that manypeople give.
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  • That is what Larry King wouldalways default to why he was an
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  • agnostic is, I can't believe ina God who would allow so much
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  • evil to exist.
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  • Now something that's importantto remember is that evil only
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  • exists in the backdrop of good.
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  • Evil is not a thing that existson its own, evil exists in the
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  • backdrop of good.
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  • Think about it this way.
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  • Metal can rust.
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  • And rust is like evil.
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  • Metal is like good.
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  • If you take away the rust frommetal, the metal is good, the
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  • metal is in a good place.
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  • But you take away the metal fromthe rust, and the rust
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  • doesn't exist.
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  • If you cut your finger, and allof us have had a cut, paper cut
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  • or some kind of gash sometime inlife on our finger, a cut on
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  • your finger is not good.
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  • Take away the cut from yourfinger and your finger
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  • is better.
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  • Take away your finger from thecut and the cut doesn't exist.
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  • Evil can only exist because ofgood, and it exists in the
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  • backdrop of good, it doesn'texist on its own.
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  • And.
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  • If you want to write this inyour notes, evil means there has
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  • to be good, and good means therehas to be moral law, and moral
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  • law means there has to be amoral law-giver, because moral
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  • law doesn't just come up on itsown.
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  • You know somebody, BertrandRussell, the atheist, he was
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  • arguing about a moral law-giver,and he agreed that there was a
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  • difference between good andevil, but he was asked in a
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  • debate, he said, well, how doyou differentiate between good
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  • and evil?
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  • He said, the same way Idifferentiate between green
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  • and blue.
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  • And the person debating himsaid, well, you differentiate
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  • between green and blue throughsight, how do you differentiate
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  • between good and evil?
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  • He said, by feeling.
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  • He said, really, by feeling?
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  • He said, that's interesting.
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  • I mean, think about this, if youdifferentiate between good and
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  • evil by feeling, well there aresome people in this world that
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  • feel it's important to love yourneighbor, and there are other
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  • cultures in this world that feelit's good to eat your neighbor.
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  • Which one do you want to sidewith, you know?
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  • It can't just be by feeling, ithas to be by something outside
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  • of just what we feel.
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  • Atheists are being backed into acorner today because if there is
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  • no God, and if everything isjust blind chance, and if it's
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  • just random selection and it'sjust survival of the fittest,
  • 00:08:52.835 --> 00:08:56.906
  • then where do you get a valuesystem?
  • 00:08:56.939 --> 00:09:00.343
  • Where do you get the concept ofthat which is morally good and
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  • that which is morally evil?
  • 00:09:04.180 --> 00:09:06.382
  • Morals don't exist.
  • 00:09:06.415 --> 00:09:08.784
  • And the famous atheist, RichardDawkins, said this, the universe
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  • we observe has no design, nopurpose, no evil, and no good.
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  • Nothing but blind, pitiless,indifference.
  • 00:09:20.429 --> 00:09:24.133
  • DNA neither knows nor cares, DNAjust is, and we dance to
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  • its music.
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  • That's one of the leadingatheists.
  • 00:09:34.777 --> 00:09:37.446
  • And you know what?
  • 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:38.848
  • That is consistent with atheism.
  • 00:09:38.881 --> 00:09:42.218
  • There is no good, there is noevil, how can there be good and
  • 00:09:42.251 --> 00:09:44.887
  • evil, because there is no God,there is no moral law-giver,
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  • there is no moral law, thereforethere is no good, there is
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  • no evil.
  • 00:09:50.526 --> 00:09:51.861
  • And see, the question, if thereis so much evil and suffering
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  • and pain in the world andtherefore I can't believe in
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  • God, that question is rooted inthe fact that there is God,
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  • because there would be no evilwithout God.
  • 00:10:02.204 --> 00:10:05.174
  • And so the question that is usedby many to say, I don't believe
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  • in God, really shows that God isand that God exists.
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  • Second aspect to the question.
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  • The question must be understoodin the light of love.
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  • In the light of love.
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  • 1 Corinthians 13:13, but nowabide faith, hope, love, these
  • 00:10:23.693 --> 00:10:29.165
  • three, but the greatest of theseis love.
  • 00:10:29.198 --> 00:10:34.336
  • The supreme ethic in the worldis love.
  • 00:10:34.370 --> 00:10:40.910
  • The greatest ethic is love.
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  • The greatest value is love.
  • 00:10:43.979 --> 00:10:46.816
  • That's why, when Jesus was askedthe question, what is the
  • 00:10:46.849 --> 00:10:49.218
  • greatest commandment, he said,it's to love God with all your
  • 00:10:49.251 --> 00:10:52.221
  • heart, all your soul, all yourstrength, and all your mind, and
  • 00:10:52.254 --> 00:10:54.857
  • to love your neighbor asyourself.
  • 00:10:54.890 --> 00:10:56.759
  • On these two commandments hangthe whole law and the prophets.
  • 00:10:56.792 --> 00:11:00.830
  • Everything hangs on love.
  • 00:11:00.863 --> 00:11:02.932
  • Loving God and loving people,those two things.
  • 00:11:02.965 --> 00:11:06.569
  • Love is is the supreme ethic.
  • 00:11:06.602 --> 00:11:10.272
  • Now in order to have love, Godhas to give us free will.
  • 00:11:10.306 --> 00:11:19.415
  • Love requires free will, becausewithout free will there cannot
  • 00:11:19.448 --> 00:11:24.053
  • be true love.
  • 00:11:24.086 --> 00:11:25.688
  • See, for us to freely love God,we have to have a choice, we
  • 00:11:25.721 --> 00:11:32.328
  • have to be able to not love God.
  • 00:11:32.361 --> 00:11:34.363
  • If you don't have a choice thenGod just makes you a robot.
  • 00:11:34.396 --> 00:11:39.135
  • You can't choose.
  • 00:11:39.168 --> 00:11:40.536
  • You just, I have to love God.
  • 00:11:40.569 --> 00:11:42.571
  • Why?
  • 00:11:42.605 --> 00:11:43.939
  • Because there is no otheroption, that's how he made me, I
  • 00:11:43.973 --> 00:11:46.142
  • just have to do this becausethat's how I made, I can't do
  • 00:11:46.175 --> 00:11:52.014
  • anything different.
  • 00:11:52.047 --> 00:11:54.116
  • But God didn't make us likethat.
  • 00:11:54.150 --> 00:11:55.618
  • Why?
  • 00:11:55.651 --> 00:11:56.952
  • Because God wants us to love himfreely, he wants us to love
  • 00:11:56.986 --> 00:12:00.790
  • him truly.
  • 00:12:00.823 --> 00:12:02.124
  • He wants us to love him, notbecause we have to, he wants us
  • 00:12:02.158 --> 00:12:05.327
  • to love him because we want to,because we choose to.
  • 00:12:05.361 --> 00:12:10.599
  • It says, in Proverbs 23, verse26, the Lord says, give me your
  • 00:12:10.633 --> 00:12:15.838
  • heart, my son, and let your eyesdelight in my ways.
  • 00:12:15.871 --> 00:12:19.008
  • That's what God wants from you,that's what he wants from me, he
  • 00:12:19.041 --> 00:12:22.344
  • wants our heart, he wants ourlove, he wants our devotion.
  • 00:12:22.378 --> 00:12:25.080
  • And he doesn't make us do it, heinvites us to do it.
  • 00:12:25.114 --> 00:12:30.252
  • So if God made Adam and Eve withno free will then they wouldn't
  • 00:12:30.286 --> 00:12:35.457
  • have sinned, because theycouldn't have sinned.
  • 00:12:35.491 --> 00:12:39.595
  • But then they wouldn't have beenable to love God truly,
  • 00:12:39.628 --> 00:12:43.766
  • genuinely, from the heart.
  • 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:45.100
  • Because in order to love him, Ihave to be allowed to not
  • 00:12:45.134 --> 00:12:48.871
  • love him.
  • 00:12:48.904 --> 00:12:50.206
  • In order to obey him, I have tobe allowed to not obey him,
  • 00:12:50.239 --> 00:12:53.576
  • because anything less than thatIs a robotic,
  • 00:12:53.609 --> 00:12:57.379
  • mechanical response.
  • 00:12:57.413 --> 00:12:59.548
  • Well, we know that in the gardenof Eden God gave one
  • 00:12:59.582 --> 00:13:02.051
  • commandment, don't eat of theTree of the Knowledge of Good
  • 00:13:02.084 --> 00:13:05.688
  • and Evil, for in the day you eatof it you will surely die.
  • 00:13:05.721 --> 00:13:11.160
  • All these fruit trees, theycould eat of any that they
  • 00:13:11.193 --> 00:13:13.696
  • wanted because God is a goodGod, but there's one that they
  • 00:13:13.729 --> 00:13:16.765
  • couldn't eat from.
  • 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:18.300
  • But we know the story in Genesischapter 3, the devil came and
  • 00:13:18.334 --> 00:13:21.637
  • deceived Eve and she ate and shegave to her husband with her and
  • 00:13:21.670 --> 00:13:26.041
  • he ate and the eyes of both ofthem were opened and they knew
  • 00:13:26.075 --> 00:13:28.878
  • that they were naked and theysewed fig leaves together to
  • 00:13:28.911 --> 00:13:31.847
  • cover themselves from theirnakedness.
  • 00:13:31.881 --> 00:13:34.516
  • And then when God came down theyhid from the presence of the
  • 00:13:34.550 --> 00:13:37.353
  • Lord because they were afraid.
  • 00:13:37.386 --> 00:13:40.389
  • Their eyes were opened.
  • 00:13:40.422 --> 00:13:43.392
  • And now they knew things theywish they had never learned.
  • 00:13:43.425 --> 00:13:47.563
  • And we now live as children ofAdam and Eve.
  • 00:13:47.596 --> 00:13:52.401
  • In the loins of Adam and Eve welive in a fallen world with
  • 00:13:52.434 --> 00:13:56.105
  • terrible things that happen inthis world.
  • 00:13:56.138 --> 00:14:00.743
  • And God had to make it likethat, with man having free will,
  • 00:14:00.776 --> 00:14:05.314
  • even though man could use thatfree will for evil, because
  • 00:14:05.347 --> 00:14:09.952
  • without free will there is notrue love.
  • 00:14:09.985 --> 00:14:13.856
  • The question must be understoodnot only in the light of love
  • 00:14:13.889 --> 00:14:17.192
  • but in the light of God's plan.
  • 00:14:17.226 --> 00:14:20.429
  • God has a plan.
  • 00:14:20.462 --> 00:14:21.764
  • He, through one man's sin,entered the world and death and
  • 00:14:21.797 --> 00:14:24.166
  • suffering through sin, butthrough the God-man redemption
  • 00:14:24.199 --> 00:14:29.371
  • and life and salvation enteredthe world.
  • 00:14:29.405 --> 00:14:34.810
  • And Jesus, he's not immune tosuffering.
  • 00:14:34.843 --> 00:14:38.380
  • A man of sorrows and acquaintedwith grief.
  • 00:14:38.414 --> 00:14:41.684
  • And when he was in the gardensweating blood, praying, Father,
  • 00:14:41.717 --> 00:14:45.220
  • if it be possible, let this cuppass from me.
  • 00:14:45.254 --> 00:14:47.589
  • The cup that was coming to himwas the cup of all the sin of
  • 00:14:47.623 --> 00:14:51.260
  • all the world, past, present,and future, right there, boiled
  • 00:14:51.293 --> 00:14:54.763
  • down, concentrated in that cup.
  • 00:14:54.797 --> 00:14:56.498
  • And he knew if he drank that cuphe was going to take on the sin
  • 00:14:56.532 --> 00:15:01.203
  • of the world.
  • 00:15:01.236 --> 00:15:02.538
  • He made him who knew no sin tobe sin on our behalf that we
  • 00:15:02.571 --> 00:15:05.874
  • might become the righteousnessof God in him.
  • 00:15:05.908 --> 00:15:08.077
  • And Jesus went to the cross andsuffered the wrath of man and
  • 00:15:08.110 --> 00:15:12.548
  • suffered the wrath of God asGod's fire fell on his own son
  • 00:15:12.581 --> 00:15:18.120
  • who became sin for us.
  • 00:15:18.153 --> 00:15:22.925
  • That wasn't an afterthought withGod.
  • 00:15:22.958 --> 00:15:24.727
  • It says in Revelation 13:8 thatthe Lamb of God was slain from
  • 00:15:24.760 --> 00:15:29.264
  • the foundation of the world.
  • 00:15:29.298 --> 00:15:31.800
  • The Lord knew before he evercreated this world that this
  • 00:15:31.834 --> 00:15:34.570
  • world would sin against him.
  • 00:15:34.603 --> 00:15:35.904
  • God knows everything, he knowsthe end from the beginning, and
  • 00:15:35.938 --> 00:15:38.874
  • he knew that was going to happenand he knew that he was going to
  • 00:15:38.907 --> 00:15:41.510
  • have to send his son, that hisson, the second person of the
  • 00:15:41.543 --> 00:15:44.813
  • Trinity, would become a man andwould have to die on a cruel
  • 00:15:44.847 --> 00:15:48.217
  • Roman cross in order to redeemman.
  • 00:15:48.250 --> 00:15:51.153
  • And many people say, well, ifGod knew all that, then why did
  • 00:15:51.186 --> 00:15:53.589
  • he ever create this world in thefirst place?
  • 00:15:53.622 --> 00:15:56.392
  • Because he saw down the road,when it's all over, when we're
  • 00:15:56.425 --> 00:16:00.963
  • into the eternal state, inRevelation chapter 21 and 22,
  • 00:16:00.996 --> 00:16:04.833
  • and he sees a family of peoplewho have chosen to love him and
  • 00:16:04.867 --> 00:16:09.104
  • he said, it's worth it.
  • 00:16:09.138 --> 00:16:10.572
  • It's worth it, that's why he didit.
  • 00:16:10.606 --> 00:16:12.708
  • The Lamb of God was slain fromthe foundation of the world
  • 00:16:12.741 --> 00:16:15.544
  • because he knew that it would beworth it.
  • 00:16:15.577 --> 00:16:18.881
  • And Jesus experienced sufferingin order to redeem us from sin.
  • 00:16:18.914 --> 00:16:24.053
  • And it says, in Hebrews chapter13, verse 12, therefore, Jesus
  • 00:16:24.086 --> 00:16:27.423
  • also, that he might sanctify thepeople through his own blood,
  • 00:16:27.456 --> 00:16:31.126
  • suffered outside the gate.
  • 00:16:31.160 --> 00:16:34.196
  • He suffered outside the city ona hill called Calvary.
  • 00:16:34.229 --> 00:16:38.700
  • Don't ever get the idea thatJesus doesn't feel for your
  • 00:16:38.734 --> 00:16:42.304
  • suffering, he's impervious toyour suffering, he doesn't know
  • 00:16:42.337 --> 00:16:44.873
  • anything about your suffering.
  • 00:16:44.907 --> 00:16:46.442
  • He knows everything about yoursuffering.
  • 00:16:46.475 --> 00:16:48.410
  • He suffered more than any man,because he suffered all the
  • 00:16:48.444 --> 00:16:52.815
  • wrath of God in addition to allthe pain that man could inflict
  • 00:16:52.848 --> 00:16:57.686
  • upon the cross.
  • 00:16:57.719 --> 00:16:59.021
  • He suffered.
  • 00:16:59.054 --> 00:17:00.389
  • A man of sorrows and acquaintedwith grief.
  • 00:17:00.422 --> 00:17:01.723
  • Listen, when Peter three timesdenied that he even knew Jesus,
  • 00:17:01.757 --> 00:17:05.461
  • the Bible says, the Lord turnedand looked at Peter.
  • 00:17:05.494 --> 00:17:08.964
  • It was a look of wounded love.
  • 00:17:08.997 --> 00:17:11.166
  • He was betrayed by one of the12, betrayed with a kiss.
  • 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.304
  • Don't you know that hurt?
  • 00:17:15.337 --> 00:17:17.773
  • He knows about pain.
  • 00:17:17.806 --> 00:17:19.942
  • And he experienced the worst ofsuffering so he could redeem us
  • 00:17:19.975 --> 00:17:22.945
  • from sin.
  • 00:17:22.978 --> 00:17:24.480
  • We have to think about thelight.
  • 00:17:24.513 --> 00:17:27.049
  • Look at this issue in the lightof God's plan.
  • 00:17:27.082 --> 00:17:31.453
  • See, God uses suffering to teachus and to grow us.
  • 00:17:31.487 --> 00:17:35.791
  • You say, why the suffering?
  • 00:17:35.824 --> 00:17:37.693
  • I mean, I just wish God wouldtake it away.
  • 00:17:37.726 --> 00:17:40.362
  • Why do we have to go through allthis?
  • 00:17:40.395 --> 00:17:43.332
  • Because as Andre Crouch used tosing, through it all, through it
  • 00:17:43.365 --> 00:17:46.735
  • all I've learned to trust inJesus, I've learned to trust in
  • 00:17:46.768 --> 00:17:49.271
  • God, if I never had a problem Iwouldn't know that he could
  • 00:17:49.304 --> 00:17:52.074
  • solve them.
  • 00:17:52.107 --> 00:17:53.675
  • I wouldn't know what faith inGod could do.
  • 00:17:53.709 --> 00:17:57.412
  • You know, there is a girl I readabout who has a rare disease
  • 00:17:57.446 --> 00:18:03.785
  • where she doesn't feel any pain.
  • 00:18:03.819 --> 00:18:07.723
  • Her mother prays for her, thatshe would be able to feel pain.
  • 00:18:07.756 --> 00:18:14.196
  • You say, well, wouldn't it begreat if you had a body where
  • 00:18:14.229 --> 00:18:16.431
  • you didn't feel pain?
  • 00:18:16.465 --> 00:18:18.367
  • No, it'd be very, very dangerousif you had a body that didn't
  • 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.869
  • feel any pain.
  • 00:18:20.903 --> 00:18:22.271
  • You could put your hand on astove and you wouldn't know it
  • 00:18:22.304 --> 00:18:24.673
  • and your flesh could be burning,you wouldn't know it.
  • 00:18:24.706 --> 00:18:27.142
  • You could step on a nail andnever know it and end up with a
  • 00:18:27.176 --> 00:18:31.280
  • terrible, horrible infection.
  • 00:18:31.313 --> 00:18:33.015
  • God uses pain in our body not toto cripple us, but to reveal
  • 00:18:33.048 --> 00:18:38.587
  • situations and dangers andproblems within us.
  • 00:18:38.620 --> 00:18:42.324
  • We wouldn't like to live in aworld where our body didn't
  • 00:18:42.357 --> 00:18:44.960
  • feel pain.
  • 00:18:44.993 --> 00:18:46.328
  • We would have a problem withthat.
  • 00:18:46.361 --> 00:18:47.663
  • And so God uses sufferings andproblems and pains and evil
  • 00:18:47.696 --> 00:18:52.634
  • things that happen externally tous and people doing things to
  • 00:18:52.668 --> 00:18:56.638
  • us, he uses all that, he uses itto teach us, uses it to grow us.
  • 00:18:56.672 --> 00:19:04.246
  • Bible says, in 1 Peter chapter5, Peter writing to believers
  • 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:08.750
  • who are going through a lot ofsuffering and difficulty and
  • 00:19:08.784 --> 00:19:11.486
  • persecution, he said, youradversary, the devil, prowls
  • 00:19:11.520 --> 00:19:14.957
  • around like a roaring lionseeking someone to devour, but
  • 00:19:14.990 --> 00:19:18.594
  • resist him, firm in your faith,knowing that the same
  • 00:19:18.627 --> 00:19:21.129
  • experiences of suffering arebeing accomplished by your
  • 00:19:21.163 --> 00:19:23.532
  • brethren who are in the world,and after you have suffered for
  • 00:19:23.565 --> 00:19:26.702
  • a little while the God of allgrace, who called you to his
  • 00:19:26.735 --> 00:19:31.006
  • eternal glory in Christ, willhimself perfect, confirm,
  • 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:36.144
  • strengthen, and establish you.
  • 00:19:36.178 --> 00:19:39.481
  • How does God do that?
  • 00:19:39.514 --> 00:19:40.849
  • He does it through suffering.
  • 00:19:40.882 --> 00:19:42.618
  • How does the refiner of silverpurify the silver?
  • 00:19:42.651 --> 00:19:45.988
  • He does it by turning up theheat and scraping off the dross.
  • 00:19:46.021 --> 00:19:50.025
  • And God does that in your life,and he does that in my life, and
  • 00:19:50.058 --> 00:19:52.995
  • he does that through this thingcalled suffering.
  • 00:19:53.028 --> 00:19:56.231
  • And we don't like it, but weneed it.
  • 00:19:56.265 --> 00:20:02.137
  • And the greatest testimony thatyou can possibly give for Jesus
  • 00:20:02.170 --> 00:20:06.341
  • Christ is to go through the fireand you're still praising him.
  • 00:20:06.375 --> 00:20:11.980
  • Anybody can praise God wheneverything's going well, nobody
  • 00:20:12.014 --> 00:20:15.784
  • takes notice of that.
  • 00:20:15.817 --> 00:20:17.319
  • But when the bottom drops outand you're still loving the Lord
  • 00:20:17.352 --> 00:20:19.921
  • and you're still praising theLord and you're still serving
  • 00:20:19.955 --> 00:20:22.224
  • the Lord, everyone takes noticeof that.
  • 00:20:22.257 --> 00:20:24.760
  • When Paul and Silas were beatenand put into the stocks and
  • 00:20:24.793 --> 00:20:28.463
  • about midnight they were singingpraises to God, they were
  • 00:20:28.497 --> 00:20:31.500
  • praying and singing praises toGod, and the prisoners
  • 00:20:31.533 --> 00:20:35.837
  • were listening.
  • 00:20:35.871 --> 00:20:37.673
  • 'Cause you get everybody'sattention when you're hurting
  • 00:20:37.706 --> 00:20:40.676
  • and you're still trusting God.
  • 00:20:40.709 --> 00:20:43.645
  • God uses suffering to teach usand to grow us and to use us as
  • 00:20:43.679 --> 00:20:48.483
  • a witness for him.
  • 00:20:48.517 --> 00:20:50.385
  • And then lastly, our sufferingwill one day be swallowed up
  • 00:20:50.419 --> 00:20:54.790
  • in glory.
  • 00:20:54.823 --> 00:20:56.958
  • It says, in Romans chapter 8,verse 18, for I consider that
  • 00:20:56.992 --> 00:21:00.062
  • the sufferings of this presenttime are not even worthy to be
  • 00:21:00.095 --> 00:21:02.798
  • compared to the glory that shallbe revealed to us.
  • 00:21:02.831 --> 00:21:06.968
  • For momentary light afflictionis producing for us an eternal
  • 00:21:07.002 --> 00:21:10.138
  • weight of glory far beyond allcomparison, he says in 2
  • 00:21:10.172 --> 00:21:14.209
  • Corinthians chapter 5. Howawesome is that?
  • 00:21:14.242 --> 00:21:22.017
  • Man, you know, we need to startliving with eternity in mind,
  • 00:21:22.050 --> 00:21:26.021
  • because if we get caught up inthe snapshot of I'm suffering
  • 00:21:26.054 --> 00:21:29.057
  • and we're not thinking aboutwhat lies ahead.
  • 00:21:29.091 --> 00:21:31.960
  • We just think, this is all thereis.
  • 00:21:31.993 --> 00:21:33.929
  • Then what do we do?
  • 00:21:33.962 --> 00:21:35.263
  • We join with Mrs. Job and wecurse God and die.
  • 00:21:35.297 --> 00:21:39.735
  • Let me tell you a story as Iclose out about a lady, she was
  • 00:21:39.768 --> 00:21:45.207
  • born on Christmas Eve in 1866,her name was Annie
  • 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:50.712
  • Johnson Flint.
  • 00:21:50.746 --> 00:21:52.748
  • Annie Johnson Flint was apoetess and a hymn writer, but
  • 00:21:52.781 --> 00:21:57.652
  • she had a very hard life.
  • 00:21:57.686 --> 00:22:00.889
  • Her mother died when she wasthree, her dad died not long
  • 00:22:00.922 --> 00:22:05.961
  • after that.
  • 00:22:05.994 --> 00:22:08.096
  • She and her sister were taken tolive with another family,
  • 00:22:08.130 --> 00:22:14.369
  • the Flints.
  • 00:22:14.403 --> 00:22:15.804
  • And that family loved the Lord,and they trained Annie and her
  • 00:22:15.837 --> 00:22:20.142
  • sister up in the ways of theLord.
  • 00:22:20.175 --> 00:22:22.244
  • But then her foster family,those parents, died, and she was
  • 00:22:22.277 --> 00:22:26.782
  • just left, her and her sister,and they didn't have much money,
  • 00:22:26.815 --> 00:22:30.085
  • and then Annie he got sick,rheumatoid arthritis, and it
  • 00:22:30.118 --> 00:22:33.522
  • just took over her body.
  • 00:22:33.555 --> 00:22:35.257
  • She was a teacher, but she couldonly teach for a short while
  • 00:22:35.290 --> 00:22:38.326
  • before she couldn't even walkanymore.
  • 00:22:38.360 --> 00:22:42.330
  • She spent 40 years in awheelchair or in the bed.
  • 00:22:42.364 --> 00:22:48.069
  • She had cancer, she wasincontinent, she was all mangled
  • 00:22:48.103 --> 00:22:52.841
  • and gnarled from the cancer,suffered tremendously.
  • 00:22:52.874 --> 00:23:01.383
  • And she wrote the words of thishymn.
  • 00:23:01.416 --> 00:23:07.589
  • He giveth more grace as ourburdens grow greater.
  • 00:23:07.622 --> 00:23:13.795
  • He sendeth more strength as ourlabors increase.
  • 00:23:13.829 --> 00:23:16.298
  • To added afflictions he addethhis mercy, to multiplied trials,
  • 00:23:16.331 --> 00:23:21.837
  • his multiplied peace.
  • 00:23:21.870 --> 00:23:23.972
  • When we have exhausted our storeof endurance, when our strength
  • 00:23:24.005 --> 00:23:27.642
  • has failed ere the day is halfdone, when we reach the end of
  • 00:23:27.676 --> 00:23:31.446
  • our hoarded resources, ourFather's full giving has
  • 00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:35.250
  • only begun.
  • 00:23:35.283 --> 00:23:37.986
  • His love has no limits, hisgrace has no measure, his power
  • 00:23:38.019 --> 00:23:43.091
  • has no boundary known unto men,for out of his infinite riches
  • 00:23:43.124 --> 00:23:48.730
  • in Jesus he giveth and givethand giveth again.
  • 00:23:48.763 --> 00:23:54.803
  • In the world you havetribulation, Jesus said, but be
  • 00:23:54.836 --> 00:23:58.340
  • of good courage, I have overcomethe world.
  • 00:23:58.373 --> 00:24:02.944
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:24:02.978 --> 00:24:05.647
  • Pastor Jeff Schreve: The biggestquestion ever asked in the Bible
  • 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:08.149
  • came from the lips of PontiusPilate.
  • 00:24:08.183 --> 00:24:10.151
  • He asked the people, what thenshall I do with Jesus who is
  • 00:24:10.185 --> 00:24:13.188
  • called the Christ?
  • 00:24:13.221 --> 00:24:14.523
  • Hey, what have you done withJesus?
  • 00:24:14.556 --> 00:24:16.424
  • You know, many people tip theirhat to Jesus, but they never bow
  • 00:24:16.458 --> 00:24:19.694
  • their knee in surrender andsubmission.
  • 00:24:19.728 --> 00:24:22.364
  • Tipping your hat doesn't get youto heaven, you must surrender to
  • 00:24:22.397 --> 00:24:25.500
  • him who died for you and roseagain from the dead.
  • 00:24:25.534 --> 00:24:29.104
  • So if you're not sure about yourrelationship with Jesus, today
  • 00:24:29.137 --> 00:24:32.440
  • is the day to make sure.
  • 00:24:32.474 --> 00:24:34.075
  • Just pray this simple prayerwith me.
  • 00:24:34.109 --> 00:24:36.311
  • Lord Jesus, I need you.
  • 00:24:36.344 --> 00:24:39.114
  • I know that I'm a sinner and I'mlost and I can't save myself,
  • 00:24:39.147 --> 00:24:43.585
  • but I believe you died on thecross for my sins and rose again
  • 00:24:43.618 --> 00:24:46.221
  • from the dead, and right now,Jesus, I ask you to forgive me,
  • 00:24:46.254 --> 00:24:50.792
  • come into my heart, be my Lordand Savior.
  • 00:24:50.825 --> 00:24:53.328
  • I surrender my all to you, and Ipromise to follow you all the
  • 00:24:53.361 --> 00:24:57.532
  • days of my life.
  • 00:24:57.566 --> 00:24:58.967
  • My friend, if you'll pray thatkind of prayer and mean it, the
  • 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:02.070
  • Lord will come in and your lifewill never be the same.
  • 00:25:02.103 --> 00:25:05.640
  • I would love to hear from you toknow that you're watching, to
  • 00:25:05.674 --> 00:25:08.610
  • know that God is using thisbroadcast to make a difference
  • 00:25:08.643 --> 00:25:11.079
  • in your life, to know that youjust prayed that prayer with me
  • 00:25:11.112 --> 00:25:14.616
  • to receive Christ as Savior andLord.
  • 00:25:14.649 --> 00:25:16.885
  • Please take the time to callthat toll-free number, write me,
  • 00:25:16.918 --> 00:25:19.955
  • email me, let me know what'sgoing on and how we can pray
  • 00:25:19.988 --> 00:25:22.724
  • for you.
  • 00:25:22.757 --> 00:25:24.092
  • You really are important to God,and you're important to us, and
  • 00:25:24.125 --> 00:25:28.063
  • we're here for you.
  • 00:25:28.096 --> 00:25:30.332
  • male announcer: Today's message,"How Could a Good God Allow So
  • 00:25:30.365 --> 00:25:33.435
  • Much Suffering," is available inmultiple formats when you call
  • 00:25:33.468 --> 00:25:37.472
  • 877-777-6171, or go online tofromhisheart.org.
  • 00:25:37.505 --> 00:25:46.615
  • Pastor Jeff Schreve: The Bibletells us, in the book of
  • 00:25:46.648 --> 00:25:47.983
  • Proverbs, that the fear of theLord is both the beginning of
  • 00:25:48.016 --> 00:25:51.620
  • wisdom and the beginning ofknowledge.
  • 00:25:51.653 --> 00:25:53.989
  • You see, the fear the Lord isthe starting point, it's the
  • 00:25:54.022 --> 00:25:56.524
  • ABCs of a walk with God.
  • 00:25:56.558 --> 00:25:58.660
  • If you bypass the ABCs of theChristian life, if you omit this
  • 00:25:58.693 --> 00:26:02.230
  • critical first step, then you'llnever become the person God
  • 00:26:02.263 --> 00:26:05.200
  • wants you to be.
  • 00:26:05.233 --> 00:26:06.568
  • That's why I'd like you to havea copy of my brand-new booklet
  • 00:26:06.601 --> 00:26:09.838
  • entitled, "The ABCs of theChristian Life."
  • 00:26:09.871 --> 00:26:13.441
  • It will give you truth that youneed to build a life that will
  • 00:26:13.475 --> 00:26:16.711
  • last for now and for eternity.
  • 00:26:16.745 --> 00:26:19.781
  • The ABCs booklet and mysix-message series, "Life's Big
  • 00:26:19.814 --> 00:26:23.585
  • Questions," are my thanks foryour gift this month to help
  • 00:26:23.618 --> 00:26:26.988
  • From His Heart reach the worldfor Christ.
  • 00:26:27.022 --> 00:26:29.991
  • Here's how you can get yourcopies.
  • 00:26:30.025 --> 00:26:32.794
  • male announcer: To get PastorJeff's new, insightful booklet,
  • 00:26:32.827 --> 00:26:35.430
  • "The ABCs of the ChristianLife," and the powerful
  • 00:26:35.463 --> 00:26:38.800
  • six-message series, "Life's BigQuestions" in the format of your
  • 00:26:38.833 --> 00:26:42.871
  • choice, make your gift when youcall 877-777-6171, or go online
  • 00:26:42.904 --> 00:26:50.979
  • to fromhisheart.org.
  • 00:26:51.012 --> 00:26:53.281
  • And thank you for extending yourinfluence for Christ around the
  • 00:26:53.314 --> 00:26:56.985
  • world through From His Heart.
  • 00:26:57.018 --> 00:27:00.321
  • male announcer: From His Heartis the viewer supported
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  • broadcast ministry of Dr. JeffSchreve, who believes that no
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  • matter how badly you may havemessed up in life, God still
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  • loves you and has a wonderfulplan for your life.
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  • Find out more about that plan,go to fromhisheart.org.
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  • ♪ Real truth, real love,real hope from his heart. ♪♪
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