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february 5, 2021 winter blind camp friday morning first meeting
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Transcript
Welcome and Introductory Remarks
00:00:04
Speaker
My God. Greetings again, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Friday morning, February 5th, 2021. Here comes the first blind camp meeting of Friday morning and about 32 minutes long. Enjoy the feature presentation.
Hymns and Themes of Faith
00:00:49
Speaker
Welcome to the 2021 Winter Camp Meeting for the Blind and the Physically Challenged. Here it is February 5 already, 7 o'clock in the morning. Today we're going to have Debbie come back at 10 o'clock and talk to us about healthy living. And then this afternoon at 3 o'clock we'll have Dr. Alan Patterson come and talk about how to avoid depression.
00:01:18
Speaker
At this time, we'll have the song service. Let's turn in our hymn books to page 294 power in the blood.
00:01:54
Speaker
Would you be free from your burden of sin? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would your evil a victory win? There's wonderful power in the blood.
00:02:12
Speaker
There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.
00:02:33
Speaker
Would you be free from your passion and pride? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide. There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder working. Power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power
Prayer and Music on Forgiveness
00:03:03
Speaker
in the blood of the Lamb.
00:03:03
Speaker
wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. Would you do service for Jesus your King? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you live daily His praises to sing? There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power
00:03:54
Speaker
Okay, let's turn over to page 300, Rock of Ages.
00:04:07
Speaker
Rock of ages cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee, Let the water and the blood, From thy riven side which float,
00:04:28
Speaker
He of sin, a double cure, Cleans me from its guilt and power.
00:04:39
Speaker
Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill thy lost demands Could my zeal no respite no Could my tears forever flow All for sin could not atone
00:05:04
Speaker
I was safe and I was alone.
00:05:10
Speaker
In the pilgrimage I close, victors o'er the last of foes. When I soar to worlds unknown, and behold the odd night drone, flock of ages clap for me. Let me hide myself in the
00:05:44
Speaker
Okay, let's turn to our theme song, page 412.
00:06:04
Speaker
Look upon Jesus, sinless is he. Father imbued his life unto me.
00:06:20
Speaker
High life of scarlet, high sin and woe Covered with his life, wider than snow Covered with his life, wider than snow
00:06:43
Speaker
fullness of his life, then shall I know my life of scarlet, my sin and mole covered with his life, whiner than snow.
00:07:16
Speaker
Don't go away. We'll have a prayer, and then we'll have a special music. And I thought that maybe I'd sing the rest of that cover with his life, the rest of the verses for the special music this morning, if you don't mind. But let's have a prayer first. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for watching over us through the storm. We ask that they'll just continue to be with us.
00:07:43
Speaker
Through the day, we thank you that we have Pastor Fred Calkins here. We ask that thou bless him as he presents the message to us today, for we ask in Jesus' name.
Sermon: Rahab's Story in the Bible
00:07:56
Speaker
Amen.
00:08:00
Speaker
Deep are the wounds transgression has made. Red are the stains my soul is afraid. Oh, to be covered, Jesus with thee
00:08:23
Speaker
say from the law that now judges me cover with his life whiter than snow fullness of his life then shall I know my life of scarlet
00:08:51
Speaker
My sin and woe cover with his life lighter than snow.
00:09:02
Speaker
Longing the joy of pardon to know Jesus holds out a robe white as snow Lord I accept it leaving my own gladly aware thy pure life alone
00:09:31
Speaker
Cover with his life whiter than snow. Fullness of his life, then shall I know my life of scarlet.
00:09:51
Speaker
My sin and woe cover with his life wider than snow.
00:10:02
Speaker
Reconciled by his death for my sin Justified by his life pure and clean Sanctified by obeying his word Glorified when returneth my Lord
00:10:32
Speaker
cover with his life wider than snow fullness of his life then shall I know my life of scarlet
00:10:51
Speaker
I sin and woe, cover with his life wider than snow.
00:11:19
Speaker
Oh, what a beautiful day. We got snow last night and it looked so beautiful. Somebody got out fresh this morning and got pads shoveled so we could get into the church, too. Wow, that was nice. We study Rahab today, and I've titled this one Everyone Welcome. It's an amazing story that shows that God is not the least bit racist.
00:11:47
Speaker
He has made of one blood all mankind. So we're all part of the same family. Let's pray. Gracious Lord, as we study the story of one of your children, we pray that you'll bless us that we can understand it more fully and apply these lessons in our lives that we can know that you are indeed a God who loves and saves in Jesus' name.
Rahab's Actions and Moral Dilemmas
00:12:07
Speaker
Amen. So she gets a couple of verses in Hebrews 11.
00:12:14
Speaker
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace." Harlot Rahab, we often get really concerned about certain sins, especially sexual sins, and people can be very, very hard on
00:12:45
Speaker
the practice of prostitution. Of course, it's easy to criticize the female partner, but there wouldn't be anything going on if there wasn't the one that was paying for it. So there is a mess with this. But my observation is that very few people choose that profession. Somehow or another, they get forced into it.
00:13:13
Speaker
So we need to be at least as terrible as God is about this. And then in my maturity, I started studying cultures around the world and I have discovered there are a number of cultures where girls are virtually prostitutes until they get pregnant. It's as if they want to make sure that they're going to be able to produce and before they're able to get married. So,
00:13:41
Speaker
Different cultures have different rules, and we need to be careful not to impose our cultures on people. The loose morals of here in the West, America and Western societies in general, have really complicated this issue as if there's a sin in selling it, but no sin in giving it away. No, God has a very high view of morality and sexual purity.
00:14:10
Speaker
And if we follow what the Bible says, we'll be safe. But back here in Joshua, chapter two, we find the story. Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly saying, go view the land, especially Jericho. They went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and they lodged there.
00:14:38
Speaker
Jericho was the key to the land of Canaan. It was a very well-fortified city. It was right there smack in the gate, the entrance where they would be coming into the land of Canaan, and they needed to figure out how do we overcome Jericho before they could start having a clue how they were going to conquer the rest of the territory. Well, Joshua, under the guidance of heaven, sent out two spies.
00:15:07
Speaker
were not given their names here in the book of Joshua. We have a little bit of a clue. I think one of them was named Salmon because we have him named in Matthew, and we'll get to that soon enough. These men came into town. And here's the picture that I have, and it's not given in as much detail as we would like, but I see them.
00:15:30
Speaker
Canaanites dressed different, excuse me, they're Israelites dressed different than the local Canaanites. People are very sensitive to those who are different than us, and they would be different enough that they were noticed. Rahab, being a prostitute, was actually freer than some to come up to them and say, guys, you're being watched. Follow me. And they, knowing that
00:16:00
Speaker
They're spies in a foreign land and they're vulnerable. Spies tend to get shot. That's the attitude about spies is if you're a spy, you can be executed with no questions asked. She invited them to follow her. And as a known prostitute in the community,
00:16:25
Speaker
She could do that and they could follow her without raising as many suspicions. So they followed her to her house and she hid them. They went and came to the house of the harlot named Rahab and lodged there. It was told the king of Jericho saying, behold, men have come tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country. So that they were spies was already discerned by people before she got them hidden.
00:16:53
Speaker
King of Jericho sent to Rahab saying, bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house. They have come to search out this country. Verse four, the woman took the two men. She hid them. So she said, yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. She's lying through her teeth. It happened as the gate was being shut when it was dark that the men went out. Where the men went, I did not know. Pursue them quickly. You may overtake them.
00:17:23
Speaker
But, for six parentheses, she had brought them up to the roof of her house and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof. Do you have that picture? She has brought them to her house. She's hidden them up on the roof and covered them with these stalks of flax so that even if the house was searched, they might not be found. And then she lies to the king's messenger saying, oh, yeah, I saw those men. But they didn't stay here long. They're gone.
00:17:53
Speaker
Go quickly. Go look for them. Now, I need to make a comment here about lying. I believe God does not endorse lying. He'll deal with it if we choose to lie, but I think if we practice strict integrity, we will have more opportunities to see God do some miraculous things. I was thrilled with a story from Nazi Germany. The soldiers had come.
00:18:22
Speaker
for men to impress into the service and afraid that anybody who was not already in the service might be on the underground fighting them. So they come into this house and the young men, teenagers and 20-somethings, had been hidden through a trap door into the potato cellar underneath the house. Then the table had been set on top of the trap door and a big tablecloth had been
00:18:52
Speaker
put over the table so that it hung down nearly to the floor around. And these soldiers come into the house blustering and bold, and they point their guns, and everybody's all back. And then they choose this six-year-old girl. They point the gun at her and say, where are the boys? Well, in her fear, she answers them straight up. They're under the table. Did she tell the truth? Yes, she told the truth. So the soldiers stand back.
00:19:22
Speaker
They keep their guns pointed at people, but they point especially at the bottom of the table. They jerk the cloth off the table. There's nobody there. And then they leave the house. When we trust God and tell the truth, he has given opportunity to show his power. She did not know that she could trust God that much. And so she lied.
Rahab's Faith and Family Negotiation
00:19:52
Speaker
Then she went up on the roof and talked to these men. The soldiers pursued to the Jericho to the fords. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, the gate was shut. Now before the men lay down, Rahab came up onto the roof and said to the men, I know the Lord has given you this land. The terror of you has fallen upon all of us.
00:20:20
Speaker
that all the inhabitants of the land are faint-hearted because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea. That was 40 years ago when you came out of Egypt. And we heard what you did to the two kings of the Amorites. Well, that was just within the last year that we're on the other side of the Jordan, Sihan and Ag. We mentioned that last night under Joshua with Moses still alive. They had destroyed those nations and taken over their land.
00:20:51
Speaker
Verse 11, as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted. Neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. Did she believe in God? Yes, she did believe in the true God. Yes, she believed in the true God. She trusted God and because of her trust in God, she was protecting these spies whom she knew to be servants of God. What a woman of faith.
00:21:20
Speaker
Verse 12, now therefore I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father's house and give me a true token. Spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have and deliver our lives from death. Did she make a plea or did she make a plea? She said, I'm trusting your God that he can rescue me and my family. I'm not pleading for the whole city. I'm just pleading for my kin. Save us.
00:21:49
Speaker
we believe that your God is the true God. Verse 15, after that, she let them down by a rope through the window. I'm sure they had more of this discussion rather than shouting up and down from, but the way the story is told, you get the impression that she lets them down and then she says, okay, let's seal this bargain. I think the bargain was sealed before she let them out. But anyway, this is the way the story flows.
00:22:19
Speaker
She said to them, run to the mountains, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there for three days until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, go your way. The men said to her, we will be blameless of this oath of ours, which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this cord of scarlet in the window to which you let us down. And unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household into your own home,
00:22:46
Speaker
Show that it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head. We will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear." And she said, according to your words, so be it. She sent them away. They departed. She bound the scarlet cord in the window. Life for life?
00:23:16
Speaker
She says, I risk my life saving you from the soldiers. You're risking your life in coming here. I will protect your life and trust that you will protect my life. And indeed, they did. We get to that part of the story, but let me finish this chapter first. 22, they departed and went out to the mountain. They stayed there three days. Like she had said, the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but they did not find them. The two men returned.
00:23:46
Speaker
descended from the mountain, crossed over. Jordan was in a flood stage. These men had to be strong enough to swim the current and get across. Came to Joshua, the son of Man, told him all that had befallen. And they said to Joshua, truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are faint-hearted because of us.
Rahab's Legacy and Inclusion in Israel
00:24:07
Speaker
They got more to be faint-hearted about because Joshua, with guidance from heaven,
00:24:15
Speaker
He had the people cleanse themselves and prepare to cross the Jordan River. He knew there was no way they could cross that Jordan River, but God had said, go forward, and so he went forward. He let the people know that the ark was going to go in front of them. Usually the ark went in the middle of them when they were traveling, but this time he let them know the ark's going to go in the front. When they got set and started marching with the ark in the front,
00:24:42
Speaker
the priests carrying the Ark. I picture four men, one on each corner, with the poles that were, they weren't supposed to touch the Ark. They were touching the poles that were carrying the Ark. And as the men put their feet in the water of the Jordan River, which was already overflowing its banks, the water was stopped upstream and everything flowed downstream so that there was a wide path for them to cross. Reminiscent of crossing the Red Sea, different but still,
00:25:13
Speaker
a miraculously crossing this time of a river instead of a sea, but God provided. The priests had to get their feet wet before the waters parted. Do you recognize a lesson in that? Sometimes we need to step out in faith, trusting God to open the way right on time. And God does that. We've got to learn to trust in God. So that's what they did in the whole Israelite people, not just the army, but the whole people.
00:25:42
Speaker
across the Jordan River, the people in Jericho heard and saw what was going on. They were even more scared. Israel took a while. They did some things, celebrated Passover. The men who hadn't been circumcised for decades now, it's time for them to do this right that indicated that they were indeed God's people. And then at the right time, after a little interview that we have
00:26:13
Speaker
Joshua chapter 1, Joshua talking to Jesus, Joshua knew how to conquer Jericho. So he had the people march around the city. You remember that story? Seven days, they marched around the city. For the first six days, it's once around the city and then back to camp. Once around the city and back to camp. But on the seventh day, they go seven times around the city. Wouldn't that be unnerving? They didn't know what this kind of an attack was once around the city every day, but now seven times around the city, and then at
00:26:43
Speaker
At the end of that seventh time, everybody stops. The priests blow their trumpets. Thank you, David, for blowing your trumpet. The priests blow their trumpets and everybody shouts. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. And the walls come down. We sing that song and the walls come tumbling down. Yeah. But Joshua made preparation. That leads us over to chapter six.
00:27:12
Speaker
Joshua had told of these two spies. Verse 22, Joshua said to the two spies who had spied out the country, go to the harlot's house and from there bring out the woman and all that she has as you promised her.
00:27:35
Speaker
The young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. They needed to take some time of purification before they were invited into the camp of Israel. But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire, only the silver, the gold, the vessels of bronze and iron they put into the treasure of the house of the Lord. Nobody profited from this
00:28:03
Speaker
destruction of the city of Jericho. It was counted as God's. Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household and all that she had. She dwells in Israel to this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out the land. What a story. Rahab had recognized the God and his power and she recognized his servants. She had protected them and God promised protection to her.
00:28:33
Speaker
She joined into the camp of Israel. Now, I promised you I'd show you this part. The first chapter of the New Testament mentions Rahab. What a woman of faith. And it mentions in the context of the lineage of Jesus. These are the ancestors of Jesus. We get to verse five. I could read all these names and I've practiced them enough that I can pronounce some of these names that are
00:29:03
Speaker
A little more difficult, but let's just do verse five. Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begat Obed by Ruth, Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. So here we have David's ancestors included this Rahab the harlot.
Humanity's Unity and God's Grace
00:29:25
Speaker
She married, I believe, one of the spies, at least she married into the
00:29:30
Speaker
family of Judah and she became an ancestress of Jesus. You should let that settle into you. God is no respecter of persons. He has made of one blood all the races of men. We might try to separate ourselves out and say so-and-so is part of this family and so-and-so is part of that family. Paul talked about this and
00:29:58
Speaker
He said, God, who made the world and everything in it, well, that's when he made Adam and Eve, my great grandma and grandpa. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he worshiped with men's hands. As though he needed anything, he gives to all life, breath, and all things. He has made from one blood every nation of men. We're all kin. And I like that reference to blood. I've been a blood donor for a lot of years.
00:30:28
Speaker
I've given gallons of blood, not more than a finder two at a time. But if you do it four or five times a year, you can give gallons over time. And they carefully, carefully blood type. But part of the blood timing is not what color is your skin. The blood is all the same. They put the blood in. And I had the privilege about two years ago to see
00:30:58
Speaker
somebody receiving a unit of blood. Here I've been donating, donating, donating. And then in my work as a pastor, I was visiting somebody in the hospital when she needed a unit of blood. And I got to watch and talk to the nurse, see how this goes. It's easier to take the blood out than it is to put the blood back in. That was a very interesting thing for me to discover, the rules and processes, very, very technical for putting the blood in.
00:31:28
Speaker
It seems almost so casual taking it out, but the blood's all the same. We all bleed red. God says we're all the same. There's quite a lesson for us. God accepts everyone who is willing to believe in His power, in His love, and in His grace. We all go back through Noah to Adam. We're all cousins or closer. The invitation I give to you today
00:31:59
Speaker
Make Jesus your brother. Accept his grace in your life. Trust in him. He is the God of might and power and miracles. The biggest miracle is his rescuing us from sin. We need to joy in that miracle. Grace us, Lord. We thank you for this story of Rahab. What an illustration it is that you are a God who forgives sins and accepts those who are ready to believe in you. Lord, we believe. Guide us and keep us. In Jesus' name we pray.
Closing and Future Sessions
00:32:28
Speaker
Amen.
00:32:36
Speaker
Thank you, Pastor. And thank you for all of you coming. And we'll see you at 10 o'clock this morning. Have a good one.
00:33:12
Speaker
Thanks for listening, folks. Till next time. Cheerio.